[From here.]

It was an odd thing really. Sechs had been so used to walking through those rigid hallways for the past few weeks that this trek through wide-open space felt almost foreign to him. No walls, doors, stairs or tiled floors... Just a wet, open field with grass, rocks and the occasional shrub. It was like he had returned to a very old memory, one of traveling for miles on foot through deserts and canyons back at his homeworld. He didn't think he would ever get rusty at this sort of thing! This nighttime walk was reminding him of just how much he missed all that freedom of travel before. Now if it hadn't been raining so damn much...

Ascending the peak of a sloping hill, Sechs paused and scanned the area to make sure they were going in the right direction. The rain was coming down so thick that he had to wipe his drenched hair away from his eyes to see properly. From there he could barely make out the pitch black wall of trees near the base of the hill. Sechs gave out a mixed sigh of relief and trepidation. They had made it to the forest, and so far it wasn't looking one bit welcoming...

"We made it..." he panted, "Now we just gotta find where those leaves come from and whatever water source is nearby..." He stopped and looked to Link, "I don't think there's any paths we can take there. You uh, you good at navigating through forests?" he asked, looking somewhat abashed that he had to ask that question in the first place. "They're uh, not too common back where I come from..."

[From here]

Link could hardly see the ground as he hit it with a small splash, collapsing himself into a roll to break his fall. This ground was uneven compared to the courtyard and playing field. It was like landing in a grassier version of Death Mountain.

By now, the rain had soaked through to his skin. He was shivering.

The Hylian boy tried and failed to take in his surroundings. The darkness was just as bad out here. If not worse. The air smelled heavy, as if there was a dense fog settled around them. He took a glance to the east, where Sora had told him the river supposedly lay, before looking back up the wall to wait for Sechs.

This was not going to be an easy trek.

[From here.]

"...Shit."

It was raining outside, and not just raining but there was the audible presence of a thunderstorm approaching as well. If there was one thing to ruin the start of their mission, it was this.

"...SHIT!"

This wasn't good. Anything cold and dark was always a bad trigger for his post M-U effects, and getting soaked in chilling rain beneath black rumbling skies was the worst combination for it! The weather was an outside danger as well; Sechs could barely see much of the field ahead of him. The rain was coming down in sheets, rendering his flashlight's reach into the darkness unbearably short. Who knows what could be out there watching them now?! This was not good at all!

After just a few steps outside Sechs was already feeling his suit dampen until it started to cling uncomfortably against his skin. Back at the arid Scrapyard, light showers were very rare, never mind noisy downpours like this! Sechs was feeling very ill-prepared for such foreign weather, realizing he should have kept his shirt on beneath his battle gear to reduce the damp chill. It was too late to go back now though. Feeling an uncontrollable shiver spread throughout his body, Sechs angrily berated himself through gnashing teeth. How the hell was he going to deal with this?

Yet as much as this sucked for him, the tenacious Replica wasn't giving up. He spent years in the hot wastelands of his homeworld, he wasn't backing down from this new opposing environment! Not a chance!

Turning his flashlight off for now, Sechs paused and turned to link. "We should keep our lights off just in case, can't see for shit anyways," he said, just loud enough to talk over the rain but not enough to draw attention to themselves. He then pointed to the darkness ahead with his axe. "The wall's straight ahead, lets get there at a full run!"

[From here.]

That hadn't taken long. So much so that it looked like he was the first person to make it this far. Harvey took a moment to scan the hall with his flashlight, including near the stairs, but he didn't see (or hear) much of anything. It was the sort of thing that set him on edge.

Since he couldn't do much else, he leaned himself against the wall by the stairs and then grabbed for his gun, holding it near his side as he waited. Normally he didn't take the weapon out unless he planned to shoot it, but when there was a possibility that some transformed patient might come barreling down the halls in the next few seconds, he wanted to take precaution.

Hopefully Scott and Sangamon would haul ass over here before all hell started to break loose. If things got too hairy, Harvey was ready to make a run for it on his own. That was the logical thing to do.

[Waiting for S.T.]

[From here.]

This was a trip that had gotten old ages ago, and so Harvey tried to make it as short as possible by falling into a brisk walk. He didn't go so far as to jog, since he didn't need to tire himself out before the action even started, but it was a good idea to save time where he could.

All of that was made very easy by the fact that there weren't any other patients around. He didn't know if it was because they were busy going through a painful transformation into some deadly monster, but if that was it, then he also wanted to get to a more open area sooner rather than later.

Harvey reached the end of the hall and rounded the corner into the main hall.

[To here.]

[From here.]

Harvey stepped out of the block and then took the usual right down the hall, pondering over the coming challenge as he went. While he, Sangamon, and Scott had successfully passed that trial last night, it hadn't led to anything. Had they made a misstep somewhere? Or was there more that they had to do? They were going to have to try and get answers out of that damn skeleton again.

Speaking of which, the toll would be going to Sangamon tonight. Harvey wondered what he'd end up choosing. He figured it was between touch and voice, but it wasn't really his problem.

On one hand, Harvey was getting sick of going down into that dank cavern every night. On the other, it was good to always know what he was doing when the doors unlocked. He just hoped that all of this effort actually led somewhere.

[To here.]

With Rapunzel occupied, Tsubaki had no one to share her amazing discoveries with, not that she really knew what to make of them.

The thick, yellowy liquid she’d ingested seemed to be exactly what the Head Doctor’s note implied it to be--a healing draft of some kind. Instead of making her ill as she’d feared, she’d taken a peek under her bandages and noticed straight away that the cuts on her chest were rapidly healing. Not enough to make them made completely, but enough to be noticeable to the naked eye. And she’d only taken a small sip!

As far as she could tell, there were no side effects, either. The only strange thing to happen all dinner shift was the moment she opened her storage box and found throwing knives tucked inside. A whole set, sleek and black. Professional grade, too.

Tsubaki had spent a long while looking them over, perplexed. It wouldn’t be the first time a surprise had turned up in her things; the vial itself was one of them, the container of poison another. But ninja weapons? What was the motive behind giving her those? The Institute had conditioned her to be wary of blessings, given how double-sided they often were.

Blades would be useful, though. There was no doubt of that.

As the start of nightshift neared, Tsubaki had slipped them into her clothes, a strange taste of home in the act. It felt weird to be armed with more than just scalpels again. Granted, a few knives weren’t going to solve her and her friends’ problems, or prove the Head Doctor’s words wrong, but they were something tangible to hold onto. Something she might have to use before the night was out.

When the lock on the door finally clicked, it was like the starting gate at a race being flung wide. Time to go!

_{[to here]}

As the sun began to inch closer to the horizon, dark clouds gathered overhead. Even so, the Head Doctor didn't let that damper his enthusiasm.

"Good evening, everyone! I hope you've all had an enjoyable day, particularly our newcomers. Here at Landel's Institute, we're eager to welcome you into our big, warm family, so make yourselves right at home!

"For dinner, we're serving teriyaki & tempura, with our usual assortment drinks, including water, milk, and several kinds of juices. Enjoy your meals!"

As the nurses escorted patients to their assigned rooms, thunder rumbled in the distance, and the sound of rain tapping against the outside of the building echoed through the halls. Some of the staff would comment about the sudden change in weather, but no one let it interfere with their duties.

((Respond to this post with your character's room number in the subject line. New room assignments are listed here. If you have any questions, let us know!))

Anise was glad that Barnaby had gotten back to her. Now she could meet him and hopefully learn something about the weird illness they had.

She didn’t want to look like a mess in front of the man, though, so she first made a stop in the washroom by the Sun Room to clean herself up a bit. She washed her hands and face, and fixed her pigtails, which had been looking a bit messy. There was no hiding the large rash that covered her hand and arm, even with a long-sleeved shirt, but she made herself look as presentable as possible.

With that finished, she returned to the Sun Room and stood where she was sure she’d be seen. Once she met up with Barnaby, they could probably take off to a more secluded part of the room for their talk. As cheerful and pleasant as she had been on the bulletin, this probably wasn’t going to be a very fun conversation.

[for Barnaby!]

Anise still felt awful. She hadn’t even bothered using make-up to cover her rash today – one glance was enough to tell she was sick anyway. The fever had been persisting for the past couple days, sometimes getting better or worse, but never quite going away. She was tired and sore and sweaty, and she knew she looked awful.

But there were still things to be done. She needed to talk to Barnaby, for one, though she hadn’t managed to catch the guy. She left a note on the bulletin, hoping he was present and willing to talk.

With that done, Anise took the bagged lunch she was handed and made her way out into the Courtyard. She didn’t want a whole lot of people seeing her looking so sick, and besides, the cool air felt nice against her skin. Anise walked for a while, finding a secluded place far from the doors, and sat herself down on a bench. She hadn’t eaten at breakfast, and she was really hungry… but she still didn’t feel like actually eating. As a sort of compromise, she started by taking a few sips from the juice box.

[For Ilia!]

What Guy had seen on that scan resulted in some mixed feelings. While he had expected to find something in Claude, seeing how he was sick, it hadn't been quite the same as what they'd seen when they had scanned that other ill patient two nights ago. What did that mean? It was possible that the shape of it just looked different because of where it was in Claude's stomach, but Guy couldn't help but feel that there was a deeper meaning to it.

Yet another thing that he didn't understand, then. With a sigh, he got himself up out of bed and went searching immediately for the single leaf that he'd taken from the X-ray room last night. It was stored carefully in his possessions box, which meant that he didn't have to worry too much about that.

While he wanted to quickly sketch the leaf's general shape to post on the bulletin, Guy wasn't given that chance, as his nurse showed up before he could even grab for his journal. He had to relent and let her lead him to the cafeteria for breakfast. While Guy considered stopping by the bulletin to leave a note, that could wait until after he ate. He suspected that Anise or Luke would try to find him as soon as possible to tell him about their findings, so leaving a note for them would be redundant.

He did need to ask about the clue from last night and see if anyone else had further insight on it, but that might be something Claude wanted to do, seeing how he had a better idea of who that baptist was and what it all might signify.

After collecting a small amount of food onto a plate, Guy took a seat near the cafeteria's entrance, keeping an eye out for any of his friends so he could flag them down as they walked in.

[For Anise and Claude.]

[from here]

This was it! Anise's face lit up soon after she entered, her flashlight illuminating cabinets and trays filled with surgical supplies. This was exactly what they were looking for! For a moment, she was scared they were going to run out of time before finding anything, and Anise definitely didn't want to show up empty-handed when they regrouped with Guy and Claude.

"We found it!" she cried with joy, hurrying over to get a good look at the items they could swipe.

... And then her mood dropped. Looking at all those sharp blade, twisted metal tools, forceps of about a dozen different sizes... just imagining those creepy-looking tools being used to cut her open and poke around inside was enough to make her stomach churn. She swallowed hard, trying to push away that sudden apprehension. "W-well, let's get started! Grab anything that looks useful." She set the pillowcase down in the center of the room, so they could both toss in whatever they found.

[From here]

As soon as Luke entered the room, his skin broke out in goosebumps. The change in temperature was rather obvious, but he had no idea why. It wasn't like they were underground or in a cave! Unfortunately, the air went well with the oppressive atmosphere. The room was much larger than the last two, but it was all the more bare except for a large operating table and some inactive fontech.

Yeah, this place screamed creepy! and the young man wanted nothing better than to just keep moving on. "This place's a bust, let's just grab another door." It might have been selfish, but it was true too! There wasn't much in here and what there was, the replica didn't want to go anywhere near it. The machinery may not have been as elaborate as that in Choral Castle, but it made his skin crawl all the same.

[from here]

This room was a little less empty than the previous one. Sinks lined the walls, with a few cabinets visible around and below them.

“I guess this is where the doctors clean up before and after…” Anise murmured, shining her flashlight over the fixtures in the room. She wondered what kinds of surgeries were performed here. Maybe patients were brought here after nightshift to have their injuries treated. They always woke up like they’d been patched up by an expert, after all.

But more importantly… “Maybe there’s something useful in those cabinets.”

[From here]

It was pitch black when they entered. After a minute of silence, trying to fine tune his hearing for any breathing or shifting in case something was in here with them, Luke turned his fontech torch back on and quickly shined it every which way. Along with it being really dark, it was very narrow too. Luke wasn't claustrophobic or anything, but it still made the fine hair all over his body stand on end. He would be shit out of luck if they had to fight in this space!

"I guess we just keep going str--Oh..." Luke found a second door right beside him. "What do you think? This door or that one?" he asked, turning his light back on the door all the way at the end of the narrow hallway.

To die for...

Was that idle chitchat? A red herring? The nausea making a convincing case for the chicken's immediate release and acquittal on all charges? Her stomach did a little flip as the gavel came down, pronouncing it not guilty. But wouldn't that mean it wasn't poisoned? Objection, your honor. This case makes no sense. She fell back onto her pillow for a second, head spinning. She was lightheaded, and giddy, and in no shape to be gathering her things in the dark -- she'd landed on the flashlight -- and heading out into it.

Nevertheless, she eased the flashlight out from under the small of her back and switched it on. A circle of light flickered into life on the ceiling, as the Head Doctor's voice came back on the intercom.

Five. How many were sick? She held the gun up into the light, probably thoroughly freaking out Ilia, even as she kept it pointed only at the near wall. What made a human? Guilt. Or innocence. A lawyer's answer, to pick both, but it was true. Animals didn't know what they did. Humans did. Temporary insanity, turned into a monster. It was a defense on legal grounds, but not on ethical ones. She wouldn't let it come to that.

Harrington's little interjection cut into the path her thoughts had wandered down. Another clue. This time, she was going to see it for herself. As long as she was still herself to do so. A good reason to hurry.

[to here]

[From here]

Link moved cautiously but quickly through the medical wing, which had somehow been cleared of last night's stench of blood. It was like the building had reset itself. There must have been powerful magic at work, here.

Although the tension in the air was thick, Link came across nothing as he moved through the narrow hallways, following the path to the X-Ray Room. It seemed like much longer than a day since he had been here, but he wasn't going to let that tire him out. The task at hand was too important to complain about being tired.

As expected, the room in question was once again locked. Breaking through the door, Link pushed his way into the X-Ray room for the second night in a row.

[To here]

[From here]

Clearing the last stretch of hallway, Link arrived at the door to the medical wing. Taking a steadying breath for whatever might be waiting for him, the Hylian gave the lock a good bashing with his light before pushing it open.

[To here]

[From here]

It was eerie, how empty the halls were. They seemed somehow larger at night, the darkness swallowing his magic torch's beam within little distance. Link was very attentive, knowing full well that something could pop up at any moment.

He refused to slow down, though.

[To here]

[From here]

The main hallways. Good. And the coast seemed to be clear, so far. Link briefly wondered if the new clue would help the situation, or only make it more grim. He would know soon enough.

[To here]