[From here]

Beelzemon stopped as he neared the doors to the Sun Room, a look about as close to thoughtful as he ever got crossing his face. The last time he'd seen all those soldier boys running around was in the cafeteria, but they probably weren't there now. There was always something in the Sun Room, but it probably wouldn't be something he'd feel quite as good about hitting over the head with extreme prejudice. So...

"Eesh, how hard can it be ta find those guys?" Maybe outside? He had no freakin' clue.

[Donna!]

Project 2911.

The name held semblance to every terrible outcome imaginable. The fact that it was now underway meant every eye, ear, and sense belonging to Tear was on maximum alert. Over the course of her investigations, she had learned the threats in Landel's had concrete backing; given the takeover by the military, there wasn't a single doubt in her mind that "Project 2911" was already in effect. That did not mean, however, Tear would allow it to overwhelm her duties for the night.

The last two nights had been a disgrace. She had worried both friends and acquaintances and failed to fulfill a simple promise. She wasn't going to permit anything from getting in the way tonight. If the Oracle Knight could not make up for her previous mistakes, she would do her very best to continue her responsibilities.

Punishment for insubordination, injustice for uncontrolled circumstances, or no.

Dinner had progressed mostly in silence, but given the preparations that had to be accomplish by the night's start (as well as the roommate's general attitude), Tear did not mind. It was peaceful; she had room to work. She took to fishing out the bundle of pens from her desk drawer and began to separate them into groups of three. These she lined against her bra strap as well as her pant pockets. They were a meager replacement for her knives, but as of right now, Tear lacked material to work with. Until it could be rectified, she would have to continue the best she could.

Picking up the fontech beneath her pillow, the teenager aimed for the door's threshold, pausing only once to wish the other girl good luck.

[To here.]

[From here.]

The big connecting corridor. He may be in a rush, but this hallway deserved extra caution. What would he do if he tried to get to Stefan and ended up mauled on the way there? The first night when he'd smelled blood here, it was still a bit... haunting. It meant there was a chance of something lurking, dragon or not.

Dammit, he was trying to reminisce again. Less thinking, more walking (which, as things went, was actually a feat for a vampire. It came with the whole multi-tasking thing.)

Sweeping his light through the length of the corridor, Edward inspected every bit of wall the light touched, eyes darting like a bird's for any sign of movement. Still no patients. At least the stillness would make it easy to see any potential ambush. At least, that's what he was going to tell himself.

[To here.]

The jingle of the intercom seemed ill-timed this round, a fact that was further pronounced by the pleasant voice following suit.

"Hello, patients. This is I.R.I.S. again. Due to technical difficulties, we are unable to speak to you directly at this time. Until the matter is resolved, we will be announcing the remainder of today's events from our automated service.

It is now time for everyone to retire to their assigned rooms for Dinner Shift. Tonight's menu consists of premium spaghetti with Landel's signature marinara sauce, garlic bread, and a side of Caesar salad. Our dessert for tonight is chocolate chip cookies. In addition, we will be providing the usual selection of drinks, and vegetarian alternatives can be made available upon request.

We again would like to apologize for any inconvenience. Please contact your nurse with any questions or concerns you might have. Thank you, and have a wonderful evening."

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. ANY NEWLY ACCEPTED CHARACTERS MAY POST TO THIS SHIFT (but are not obligated to if you would like to wait for Nightshift or Dayshift); please refer to the new room assignments before posting. Thank you! ]

All things considered, last shift had been pretty low key. After this morning's disaster, though, that was perfectly fine by Claude. Some fresh air and a chance to make sure Guy and Okita were all right weren't things to take for granted. It was also good to have a fairly normal, conversation with Guy that didn't slip off into awkward territory. Having Okita there as a sort of buffer probably made things a bit easier in that regard. Claude was confident that things would smooth about between them fairly soon -- if they hadn't already, even.

After checking the bulletin and making some notes of his own, Claude walked alongside his nurse into the cafeteria. As far as he could tell, the soldiers hasn't cleared out any since their arrival this morning. Not only that, but Landel didn't sound too happy about what happened. Was he going to get into trouble for the food fight?

Not that he had any sympathy for the Head Doctor, of course. That bastard deserved every bad thing that ever happened to him, and then some. On the other hand, it did make Claude wonder what would become of the captives if someone even harsher stepped in to take his place...

Was that even possible? Then again, Claude had to consider that no one even used tear gas the last time a riot happened. Had this morning's response been someone else's idea?

As hard as it was to sit and wait for things to pan out, Claude knew that ultimately time would tell what was going to happen. Thankfully, he had a lunch appointment to keep him occupied. After collecting his tray of food, Claude took a seat at one of the tables. It looked like he was one of the first people here, which gave him an opportunity to notice just how much better the room looked than after breakfast. He couldn't imagine how many people had been asked to clean things up. Really, it was a wonder they hadn't just made the patients do it themselves as punishment.

Well, regardless of all that, he needed to wait for that Mordio person to show up now, right? Claude kept an eye on the cafeteria entrance, although he suddenly remembered that the patient had never given a description of themselves. Hopefully Claude's own description would be distinct enough for Mordio to find him.

[For Rita!]

[From here. All your top posts shall be mine.]

Peter entered the Sun Room with a dour expression. Goody, he was the first one here. Fancy that. Pick of the couches was his then. Eeeny meeny miney...moe. Peter stalked over to what he knew from experience was the fluffiest couch in the room and eased himself into its downy soft embrace. Ordinarily he would have just pounced on that sucker, but yeah. His arm was in a sling for a reason. He sighed and wormed his way into a full body sprawl. He didn't care if it was irresponsible of him. This shift's only mission was to remain as still as possible.

Of course, being the first one in here had some stipulations. With great opportunity came great responsibility. Which today, came in the form of a soft meow from below. Then the sound of puncturing fabric, advancing upwards towards him. More meows, independent of one another and even more tiny punctures.

Peter Parker was now officially the cat sitter.

"...Oh hi... lonely kittens," he said uneasily as the first scrambled over the edge of the cushion. It padded towards his face. "No no, kittens don't belong near faces." He gently picked it up and put it on his chest. Two more crawled over the edge.

He had never really had a pet growing up. And he didn't hang out with a lot of people with cats or dogs, either. So of course, he didn't have a good idea of how to properly handle most animals without ticking them off. It looked like he was going to have to make up for lost time now, as the cats' numbers swelled to four. Two were exploring his legs, another batted at a fraying string on his sling, and the first stumbled back towards his face and mewed plaintively. Peter frowned and gave it a ginger pat on the head. That seemed to to the trick. He put it back on his chest again and scratched behind its ears.

"You guys had better not start doing that claw thing on my leg. I can't reach right now, but revenge will be mine if you do."

"Meeeeew!"

"I'm still petting you! Geez."

[For Elle Bishop.]

For once, HK was working very hard to hide a giddy facial expression as he met his nurse at the door. He'd already hidden his scalpels in his clothing. The wonderful, sharp implements of doom would be needed today. “Statement: Despite my reticence towards all processed meat and plant products, I am experiencing intolerable levels of hunger,” he informed his nurse. “I require an especially large meal.”

It was the easiest and best excuse to load his food tray with several of these 'inglish muffin sandwiches', and two glasses of white milk. He then found a table strategically located in the center of the refueling area, and waited. He needed the room as full as possible before the Evil Plan could begin.

[Free, but planning doom upon all.]

[From here.]

It was the third (fourth?) time he had been in this stair way. Above them, most of what he knew was unclear. The memories were changed by bias and emotion, and he had not seen cause to observe all the details. It was nothing that was relevant now, except one incident. That time had been spent within himself, with questions that had no answers. Questions that had been useless to ask, but still stayed with him. He was the only one who truly knew, but the doubt that had been created then was returning to him. It sometimes did, in brief moments, but it was strong now. The feeling of a flaw within him, and what had been wrong even before they had come for him, came to him in force. Kaworu's hand rose to his chest, as the other rested faintly on the railing. The cool feeling of the metal and the grime of the rust and flaking paint under his fingers woke him for a moment.

He had decided he would not stop. Kaworu looked up into the darkness as he took the first step. He was not alone, and that was a comfort.

[from here]

"Of the times I've been up here voluntarily, a couple have gotten out before we got up here. Usually we have to cool our heels for a while." He shrugged, and then started unearthing unpleasant memories. The investigation pulled up nothing except the sneaking suspicion he could still smell SLUD-induced vomit in the cracks in the floor. "The other time, fuck if I know how long. Spider raided the drugs and the janitor's closet before passing out here."

"Don't try to kick these doors open. You'll break your leg. They're less normal than the rest of this place. The Frankensteins don't ever show on this side." A lot of people forgot that Frankenstein was the mad scientist, not the monster he created. Igor had achieved a cross-media cultural blitzkrieg that no one confused him with Abby Normal's. Just the top brass and their monster. Middle-level management strictly not liable. "Transporter doors, staff only. Have to be." He didn't have to add not to open them. Mello wasn't an idiot, even if he was getting way too into this for an impartial observer.

[From here.]

Well... here he was. Ludwig's flashlight played along the empty hallway, and for the first time, he truly felt like he was alone in this place. Up on the second floor, he couldn't even hear the constant hum of activity and movement on the lower floor. In a way, it made sense, given how much distance he'd put between them. But on the other... it was rather eerie. Such absolute silence everywhere, such darkness pressing in from all directions... it was more than a little intimidating. His single flashlight didn't cast much illumination in the cavernous hallway, and the sheer variety of choices was also a reason to pause.

He could proceed straight ahead, or a little to his left to investigate that hallway. Or, he could turn to his right, to where the majority of the Institute still remained. He'd seen the open area on the second floor above the sun room, it was entirely possible that the staff had something useful up there on hand in case the patients got unruly. Or, it was also possible that he could continue going and see what was further on still, beyond the reach of his flashlight beam.

Mm... all of them were good options, and while his methodical nature made him want to go left and work his way right, he also knew that was likely not where the best materials would be for weapons or other such things. So, for now, he paused and contemplated the matter, considering his options carefully. All the while, he remained tense and alert- without weapons, if a monster surprised him, that would be it for him. So he had to be careful, and know when to retreat if an attack was too much for him to handle.

[Waiting for Watson]

[from here]

And again, quiet. Silence broken only by far off footsteps and the creak of a building settling. There was more in the darkness, Ayanami knew this, but currently nothing had stepped forward to show itself. This night was too similar to another, and her hand raised to her neck without meaning to. There was nothing like trauma in this, she told herself. It was only that she had become wary of empty halls, had become distrustful of others in the dark.

More than before, it seemed. Still, Rei moved slowly, satisfied with checking the hall thoroughly before passing through.

[Eva pilots!~]

[from here]

None seemed to have fled their rooms yet. It was both beneficial and a hindrance. Ayanami could move without hesitance in this manner, but she still wondered about the girl she had come to know. With little to none in the halls yet, there was a slim and lowering likelihood that she would actually see Aigis this night.

There was tomorrow, still. And the time after that. Until they completed the purpose here, they had limitless time, until they fell to another’s machinations.

[to here]

And here, again, the doors unlocked with the final word. There was nothing new learned in the speech--a word, a name that could be nothing, and Rei wished for movement and accomplishment over guessing at others’ games. Her fingers pressed at her wrists, a habitual gesture as she checked the suit’s sealant even here, then she took up her flashlight and moved to the door.

She gave her roommate a last nod, then slipped out into the hall.

[to here]

The commotion just after the intercom's jingle displayed the same kind of erratic energy that the Head Doctor had been exuding all day.

"Come on, get those papers out of the way – no, I don't...! Ah! Good evening, everyone, and I hope you all enjoyed the activities we had to–"

Someone whispered something in the background. The Head Doctor sighed and muttered: "Yes, Lydia, I know we don't have many organized activities...

"...But anyway! Next up is dinner with your roommates! Tonight, we'll be having turkey and gravy, which will consist of some moist slices of turkey breast and garlic mashed potatoes, garnished with steamed broccoli, grilled asparagus, and topped with delicious gravy. We'll be serving the dinners with small side salads and our dessert will be pumpkin pie – as per usual, we have alternate meals for alternate dietary needs."

The Head Doctor took a long pause. Lydia mumbled something in the background.

"No, I'm not dawdling–! Er... I'll talk to you shortly, everyone!"

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. Thank you! ]

Scar possibly couldn't have been more thrilled at the prospect of being escorted to the library. He had visited this particular room plenty of times to know that it was entirely useless and uninteresting - like most daytime activities, for that matter. Still, the nurse seemed rather convinced he'd like one of those silly books filled with papers and papers of those silly symbols he could suddenly understand for reasons that still puzzled him. These symbols didn't quite tell him anything interesting either; if he'd wanted a silly story he'd listen to that senile baboon back home. Instead, he felt like he was particularly mocked with this activity. He had been blinded last night, only to be dragged over to something that required his eyesight as soon as it had returned.

Not caring whether he was taking the situation way too personal, the former lion opted for glaring to the spine of a book - with words reading 'Lolita' (whatever that may have meant) along with a name he didn't care the slightest bit about - as if everything had been its fault. The truth was that Scar was this close to snapping, and though breakfast had been a welcome distraction it hardly did anything to defuse his frustration and anger.

Especially because he had no idea when something like that would happen again. Or what else they had been doing to his head...

[For Naraku!]

[from here and waiting for the opposite one.~]

The hall was as empty as she had seen it. Silence glistened as severe as any palpable source. Voices echoed in the distance, but here there was nothing. No one. No sounds, but the dull creaks of a settling building and shifting ghosts. Last night gave rise to a new awareness. She did not take the emptiness at face value, did not trust the lack of others for what it was. The one on the board had offered the possibility of a monster, but Rei knew the feel of another body against her.

No, her assailant had been human. This remained fact. Over the edge of her plug suit, the bandage felt heavy. Weighted. A reminder to be productive if nothing else. She needed no other reason to devalue her own worth.

[down to here]

Sheena looked up at the intercom when it went off. So, Landel had captured Jill. Sheena felt a bit of a wish to help the woman, save her, but she didn't know where Jill was being held, what she looked like or even if she should help her. Or could. Not with the way the ninja was injured - both physical and mental. She wished she'd talked Raine into healing her as everything was so tender and the ninja didn't like stitches. Not at all. And she was worried about the scarring to her lip.

Picking up the unusual metal weapon her former roommate had, the ninja left the room to meet Aigis and hand it over. Once she'd done that... she had a decision to make.

[to here]

It was a start, for better or worse. It was an attempt to do better, even if she was doubtful of success. Well. With that one, she'd just have to stick close, is all! The last thing Nigredo needed was to be left alone.

When lunch was over, she realized she hadn't really ate but still, Senna wasn't hungry. She followed dutifully to the showers, and washed up carefully, then waited as they rebandaged her, listening to murmurs of how soon everything would come off. Good. That was something good. Senna shrugged into clothes, snagged her ribbon, and jogged out ahead of the nurse. Man. She really needed something to do to keep her mind occupied.

[to here]