[from here]

After visually checking the area and sniffing the air - it smelled stale, musty and wet - Mori stepped in ahead of Mitsukuni. If his nose failed him, then he wanted to be the first to be attacked. Mitsukuni was not only the better fighter right now since he was uninjured, but it also the most important to keep out of harm's way. When nothing jumped out at him, he motioned Mitsukuni forward, transferring his staff to his other hand for now to keep the uninjured one free. They needed to pull or break the pipes off somehow. Mori had never...really done vandalism before though, so he had no real idea of how to go about it.

The faucets and things could be taken, once the water was stopped from below. Usually there was a valve, right? He really didn't want the water to get on either of them. Mitsukuni probably wouldn't like that very much at all. Instead of moving directly to the sinks, Mori hovered by the door, waiting for Mitsukuni to come in. He didn't want to get too far away from him tonight if he could help it after all.

Sai changed quickly. Whether he was less emotionally stable that usual or not, he was far better off than he'd been the night before. He would perform the mission required of him tonight. It was nothing that should put anyone's lives at stake, and holing himself up would only decrease his ability to perform his duties later.

The vial of sedative was secured safely in the sweatshirt he used as a makeshift belt. It was important that he got the item to Sakura tonight. They might not get an opportunity to get hold of a replacement if this one was lost.

M90 was in the men's block in the opposite hall. He should make haste so that his teammate wasn't delayed.

[to here]

Brainiac 5 had been planning to spend some more time in the sun room in order to check up on his attempt to gather more information about the different technology levels people were familiar with and to think about what his ancestor had said to him (not to mention try and keep an eye on Peter's activities before he did something else monumentally stupid), but his nurse seemed to have something else in mind for him.

He frowned as she pushed him into the game room, hoping she wasn't thinking he would actually want to entertain himself with another piece of archaic Earth technology, but instead found himself deposited in front of a chess set.

"You liked playing it on the bulletin, Michael," she said before he could ask, "so why don't you try playing it face to face. You might even make some more friends!" And then she left him there. He was beginning to think she preferred him in the wheelchair; it meant that he couldn't leave on his own.

He sighed, absently lining up the pieces that were slightly out of place and feeling grateful that the room was currently empty as well. It made him feel somewhat... safer. He knew Luxord wasn't likely to be intruding on him any time soon. Not to mention that there wouldn't be any major distractions. But then again, he was a twelfth level intellect, so playing a complex game against himself while thinking about what he'd heard earlier would hardly be difficult. Even factoring in other eventual distractions - such as others who would no doubt arrive later or the lingering effects of his medication - he'd be able to play at an advanced level while maintaining a watch on his surroundings and contemplating what was bothering him.

He just had to hope that his nurse wouldn't decide to interfere and force him to spend time with someone else as well. He had more important things on his mind.

[closed for a chess rematch with a certain other boy genius]

Honey's tummy was growling loudly by the time he was finished talking with Tsubaki.  It'd been an eventful morning, but he was glad to see that his friends were safe.  The nurse led him to the line and he filled up his tray with as many sweet-imitations as he could.  Fruit, juice, pancakes, whipped cream, muffins, the works.  But when he got out of line, none of the members were there yet.  Well, that was alright, he could still stake out a table and make sure there were seats enough for everyone. 

Humming softly to himself, Honey set his trap up on a table and pulled himself into a chair before starting in on the syrupy sweet breakfast food.  Usa-chan sat beside him, saving at least one of the chairs, while he kept a careful watch on the door for any more hosts.

[Host Club! :D]

Mori had been content just to watch over the store. The toys and the sound of Mitsukuni's voice and the general peaceful atmosphere was enough for him. He'd shifted over closer to the aisle where his cousin and Tsubaki were, but otherwise, he hadn't done much. He really didn't need to. Mitsukuni probably knew he was somewhere close by, he always was, so as long as his cousin didn't need him, Mori had started to inspect the miniature robots in various packages.

It was still light outside when Mori sensed something was wrong. It was subtle, but it was there - a change in the air, something about the store just smelled off. And then it changed. In an instant, the building decayed, the toys he'd been looking at turned dusty and broken and the smell of rot was everywhere. Worse, it was inside. The smell of blood. They were trapped and now, it wasn't just the hospital that was a house of horrors.

Whipping around, Mori ran toward Tsubaki and Honey's last known position and grabbed a box off the shelf. He didn't care what, but as long as it was a projectile, it would be useful in keeping them safe. "Mitsukuni!"

The temperature was starting to cool down, but that was okay with Akihiko. It wasn't that much different from winter evenings back home. He was feeling better, having been outside most of the day, but still. That niggling stress from the previous few days was still getting to him. He sighed, looking up at the darkening sky and thinking about it all.

Just need to focus. That's all.

[Adel? Boxing Club folks? SEES?]

After the way night had ended (Miku wasn't sure if they'd ever get the smell of charnel out of her clothes), and morning had returned with its clockwork weirdness. She was hurried onto the bus in her dark red long coat and the dark, knee-length, slightly full dress beneath it. It was surprisingly warm, Miku noted, but that could've just been her body lying to her legs, which were going to be undoubtedly chillier through the day. As always with these trips, her nurse had taken the opportunity to channel Little Red Riding Hood into her patient's life.

Oh, well, she didn't mind that much. It was just clothing.

Miku slid into a seat with her bag of breakfast and her camera in her pocket. She couldn't help shake the feeling of oncoming dread that had started with the end of the night's bleeding walls. Maybe she was just being silly, maybe she shouldn't listen to the alarm ringing in the back of her mind.

But still, she couldn't help but to wonder what it was leading to.

[Waiting for Peter]

When the intercom's jingle sounded, there seemed to be some kind of tapping in the background noise, like letters being punched into a keyboard. It stopped and the Head Doctor chuckled.

"Hello, everyone! I'm actually taking a break from paperwork for once – everyone needs some recreational time, you know! – and of course, now we can all look forward to a scrumptious dinner from our cooks. Tonight, herb-seasoned grilled salmon is on the menu, served with buttery mashed potatoes and asparagus. All our regular drinks and vegetarian options are available, and for dessert, we will be serving yellow cake with a whipped cream icing.

"...Well! I can hardly wait to get my own dinner after saying all that. Good bye for now, everyone, and enjoy your delicious food!"

The intercom clicked off.

[ All room threads go in response to this post; please post your character's room number as the subject line of the initial post. (Find all of the newly changed room assignments and shift introductions here.) If you are introducing your character during this shift, you may either choose for them character to wake up before their roommate gets back, or after. ]

Just as von Karma started to enter the doorway leading to the Courtyard to look around for anyone remotely resembling his daughter, that pretentious lunatic's voice rang out over the Intercom, heralding the approach of lunch time. Right away, the damned nurse practically dragged him back into the cafeteria and towards the serving tables, telling him in that cloyingly cheerful tone that he could get his fresh air after he had had his meal. What rotten timing!

His mood worsened as he saw what was on those tables. "Nurse! This is the same greasy, disgusting, perfect-artery-ruining swill that was offered for lunch the last time I was in here! Does this Institute serve nothing else? How is any of this healthy for someone whom you claim has recently suffered from a stroke?!"

"Why, you're right, Mr. Fuchs! Here, I'll fix you a nice, big, healthy salad." Before he could protest that he wasn't hungry anyway, the smiling nurse loaded a heap of greens and some fruits onto a plate for him. Then she led him to one of the tables and seated him there. "Now, be a good man and finish all of that. You will do that just for me, won't you?"

The look he shot her in response indicated that he would never do anything "just for her." Certainly, not consuming this entire mountain of lettuce and carrots. As much as he approved of salads, the portion she served him was nothing short of ludicrous. Glaring at her in silence, he made no pretense of even starting in on this ridiculous travesty of a meal. Finally, she seemed to take the hint, excusing herself to attend to the other patients... but not without admonishing him that his "plate had better be clean" by the time she returned to take him to the Courtyard.

As she left him, von Karma looked all around him to see whether Franziska had come into the cafeteria yet. Unfortunately, as he had already arranged to meet his former roommate at this time, all he could do for now was to attempt to visually confirm her presence in this hellhole. As much as he hoped that the author of the replies to this S.T.'s note was nothing more than an impostor -- in which case, he would make that person pay for brazenly impersonating his daughter -- he was not entirely certain of that right now.

In the meantime, he had other practical matters to attend to. He still needed to speak to Javert to find out what had truly happened during the time he was unconscious. As he surreptitiously scanned the stream of arriving patients for the face of his daughter -- or those of his enemies -- he patiently awaited Javert's arrival, hoping that the man could still recognize him after all this time.

[Closed to Javert]

Matt was a busy guy tonight. He had places to go, people to see... and no one to report to once he had. It was rather jarring, and if he didn't suspect that ignoring the summons to Homura's room would be a Very Wrong choice, he might have said 'screw it' to the whole thing. But no, he wanted to know what he was wanted for, and as awkward as things were with Sen right now that was also an important issue that needed dealing with.

Now he just had to go from one room to another without getting eaten along the way. No problem, right? He wished, and not for the first time, that all the men's rooms were in a single block so that getting between them involved even less walking out of the safe zone (or the 'less dangerous than most places' zone).

After deciding not to jokingly ask his roommate which outfit to wear for the evening, he switched into the familiar red and black stripes and was soon out the door with a muttered farewell and a salute.

[to here]

[from here]

Endrance took one slow step inside the Sun Room, then another. He stood just beyond the doorway for a moment, sweeping his flashlight from side to side. There were too many shadows for him to scan them all; if he did that, he would be there all night. That was the last thing that he wanted.

He didn't see the false Mia lurking behind a couch or under a table, and that would have to do. He couldn't dwell on it too much. I can't...I have to let her go. It's the only way to move forward.

With one last, resolute nod, he moved through the room and through the cafeteria doors.

[to here.]

[from here]

Teisel rapped smartly on Zex's door, shifting the pipes from where they were beginning to dig into his shoulder.

The bruise on his face had spread out over the course of the day, but it was still black and blue, and his nose hurt like hell. If Van was already in there, Teisel was going to have to make sure his face matched. It was only fair.

There wasn't any jingle as the intercom came on; it sounded like the Head Doctor was still having issues with the system, and it also seemed like he was none too pleased about it.

"Well, everyone, I hope that you all had more fun this last shift than I did! Hahahaaa..."

His weak laughter trailed off. His office chair squeaked.

"In any case, as you all probably know already, it's now time for dinner! I'm sure you've all worked up an appetite after all that repairing – er – exercising, so I'm sure you'll be happy to hear that you'll be served generous portions of spaghetti with delicious tomato sauce and, if desired, meatballs. For sides, you'll be having some freshly baked garlic bread and, if requested, a Caesar salad. Our regular drinks are available, and for dessert, we'll be serving some delicious strawberry gelato.

"And, now, I suppose it's time we get back to this wiri–"

The announcement cut off abruptly.

*hobble wobble*

"Damn that SCOURGE!" Starscream cried out, the slowly-filling cafeteria producing a jarring echo of his raspy voice. His limping, already bad enough from not knowing how to properly use his crutches, was now exacerbated from the injuries he'd received the shift prior. Despite the gauges in his non-casted leg so lovingly provided by the aforementioned 'patient', Starscream could still put some weight on it, but not so much that he could really stop and rest; relieving the soreness under his arms was out of the question. The nurse that walked behind him with his tray, already upset at having to deal with yet another troublesome inmate, was growing rather impatient as his charge slowly made his way down the food line.

"Just...give me a standard serving of the aquatic creature's flesh, some of those fried potato slices, two bananas, and three bottles of juice," Starscream sighed, his anger from just a moment ago assuaged by the physical exertion needed to move the way he did. "I'm going to sit down here...bring it to me when you're done."

He was hardly surprised to find that one of the bananas was completely bruised along its inner curve, or that the handful of 'chips' on his plate were all on the small side. Tired and frustrated as he was, however, he could barely muster a 'damned flesh-creature' before moving his fingers to the plate, picking one of the longer 'chips' and shoving it into his mouth listlessly.

There was an unusually high concentration of sodium chloride crystals on it. Of COURSE.

[For Tony Stark]

Even when he shut the door behind him as he stepped into the still deserted hallway, Tyki didn't really know what to do for tonight. Going after Miss Shinigami again could have been something interesting to do, considering their fight hadn't gotten much further than getting scorched by some spell she did. She was still very much alive. Maybe Signum had succeeded in a sense, though killing her had been fun enough. It had been some time since he had enjoyed some proper killing after all.

But maybe it'd be more entertaining to bother her another time, when the death of Lady Knight had sunk in properly. That, and the Noah simply couldn't be bothered with searching the whole building anyway.

Tonight, he decided, was going to be free of things he had to do. Because obligations were usually quite the pain, and the Millennium Earl wasn't here to give him orders anyway.

Now, what to do? Maybe he should go and see what's in the basement. Hopefully, it'd be something entertaining.

[To here]

[from here]

Miles slowed again as he entered the hallway, due to another sharp spike of pain in his head. This time, it was accompanied by a louder rumble, one that almost sounded like garbled words.

He swept the beam of his flashlight from side to side. "Now, see? Nothing - and no one - is there," he muttered, hoping that would silence the voice's insistent worry. It was starting to get both annoying and worrisome at the same time. What was making it react like this? He couldn't think of anything, and the intercom announcement hadn't indicated anything particularly worrisome, either.

He sighed and continued down the hallway, continuing to scan for anything in the shadows with each step.

[to here]

...was that Landel snoring? No matter. Miles clicked on his flashlight - or thought he was. The batteries seemed dead. He cursed to himself, swapping in a fresh set. There. That would be enough light to use for changing into his suit, which he did quickly.

He put his journal and a pen in his inner pockets, then folded his pillowcase and added that, as well. It would do for a carrying bag in a pinch.

As he stepped to the closet again to retrieve his sword, he was hit with a sharp pain in the back of his head, and a rumble from the voice. It's nothing,, he thought, insistently. I've gone out with the History Club a number of times, I'll be out with people I've worked with before tonight, and everything will be fine. Now, will you please be quiet?

The worst of the pain faded a moment later, and when it did, he stepped out of his room and into the hallway.

[to here]

[From here]

This hallways seemed familiar. But then, they all looked the same.

Keeping an ear out for creepy-crawlies, Yukari passed the Nurse's station and came to the door to the men's block.

It was this one, right? Why did there have to be so many male rooms? Her mind wandered from the gender-imbalance to poor architectural design to a lack of signs to what room was she trying to go to again? Yawning again, Yukari considered calling the whole matter off and going back to sleep.

No, this was important. Making nice with the rescue team could come in handy later. This in mind, Yukari mentally confirmed her directions and destination then headed onwards.

Besides, if she got there early enough, maybe she could catch a few moments of shut-eye before they headed out.

[From here]

Belatedly, Yukari yawned in response to the doctor's own repose. She'd been awake for more than half the day; it was no surprise she was tired. Youkai were nocturnal, after all. But there were so many things to do, so many people to see, so many new and interesting phenomena.

Maybe she'd catch up on her sleep in a few weeks. Just sleep a month straight. Yeah, that sounded good.

Yawning again, Yukari headed onwards.

That really hadn't been the breakfast she'd been expecting, but Yuffie couldn't bring herself to complain. The kid made for good company, and was, if nothing else, pretty entertaining. She could've just done without the whole choking thing. That… That had been embarrassing. A bit. Okay, a lot. Yuffie was starting to get a feeling that this day was -- for once-- actually going to ping on her ‘interesting!’ meter.

Whether or not that was a good thing, she didn’t know.

By the time she’d reached the Sun Room's bulletin board, a kitten on her shoulder and a pen twirling between her fingers, Yuffie was starting to put her finger on why she had that weird, nagging feeling. Though on second thought, it was less like putting her finger on it and more like it had jumped up and punched her right in the nose; the feeling wasn’t just about waffles, magicians, or tricky candy thieves. Sagara hadn't answered her bulletin post; he hadn't answered any bulletin posts. She hadn't seen that stupid, spiky head of his all morning. It was like radio silence without a radio.

Agai-- No, Yuffie cut herself off sharply, frowning. She was just jumping to conclusions. It wouldn't be the first time, right? Right! And yet… instincts were instincts for a reason, and in a dump like this, who knew what could happen?

[for Okita?]