Third-rate. He was working for a third-rate madman, and at this point, Albedo didn't even care. There were things to do, beings to kill, and a cure to rationalize within his mind. And at the moment-- At the exact moment-- Albedo could do none of those. There was a very real need to reach out and touch his brother, to again refortify his reason for movement. For motive. For desire.

So his mind emptied of thoughts, even the ones he needed to accomplish. Mechanically, he took his weapons and equipment, and placed them on his person. There was a stark and quick urge to stab another in the gut, perhaps one with long blond hair, but it passed, seething, beneath the surface.

He opened the door and left.

[to here]

[from here]

For once it seemed like barely any people were out. Was he really that early, or was there some other reason things seemed quiet? It wasn't a good idea to think in the dark with a large blind spot, and Mikado regripped his flashlight nervously.

Maybe he should have contacted Izaya again tonight. But he didn't want to bother the man more than necessary. Despite the circumstances, Mikado was probably just someone Izaya was assisting, not someone to be considered a friend.

...Did Izaya have friends back home? It made Mikado think for a moment. How weird. No one was readily coming to mind.

[to here]

Well, that... Wasn't creepy at all. Really. Mikado looked up at the intercom suspiciously, but it was more from a concern about sanity rather than safety. It didn't change anything, however. If there was some kind of infection going around, enough so that they would immunize (or fake immunize) people for it, it'd be something to gain information on. At least, that's what Mikado thought. The medical wing was on the other side of the building, by the stairs, and he thought to go there.

Never mind that Mikado had no ability at all to understand things like medical charts or that sort of thing. He was hoping mainly that there would be some kind of easily read notes there... But since when did doctors have easily read notes, or easily read anything... Ugh, there wasn't really any point to going there, was there?

He had no other ideas at the time being, though, so he finished dressing into his own clothes, and shouldered his bag across his chest. At least he'd have a direction to go.

[to here]

"Goodness, is it really already time for dinner? Time certainly does fly! And such a lovely day, too. I certainly wouldn't mind having a nice cup of cocoa out on the patio or something..."

That was how the Head Doctor greeted them, although it apparently didn't take him long to realize he'd gotten a little off topic.

"Now then, it's time for the nurses to escort you all back to your rooms, where you'll have the opportunity to tuck into a scrumptious plate of turkey and gravy. And, of course, we always carry vegetarian options for those who don't eat meat. We also have our usual assortment of water, juice and milk.

"Also, some of you will be receiving some extra help in warding off whatever bug some of us have been catching. Please take care, everyone, and be sure to wash your hands! I'll talk to you all again later. Enjoy your dinner."

The intercom clicked off, leaving patients with the prospect of preparing for yet another grueling Nightshift.

((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!))

With his task successfully accomplished in the greenhouse, Guy was feeling even better as the end of the day rolled around. He still had a few things that he wanted to do, though, and so before he headed into the Music Room he made sure to leave a note on the bulletin board for Claude. He realized that he'd slacked off on making Abyssman posts lately, but seeing how only three of them were left at this point, it didn't seem that necessary.

And even though the day was almost over, Guy hadn't forgotten his decision to take a shower today. While he was perfectly warm and dry at this point, the memory of being soaked to the bone by the rain was still stuck in his mind. On top of that, the greenhouse had been pretty muggy, so the idea of being properly clean sounded pretty good right about now.

Surprisingly, the nurse didn't bat an eye when he told her that he wanted to take a shower. She led him to the shower area, which for once was completely empty, and stood outside the room as Guy was granted complete privacy to wash himself off. Not that he minded the communal setting, but it was nice to have a bit of privacy for once. He savored the feeling of the hot water soaking through his skin and let out a satisfied sigh when he finally turned the water off.

Once he'd dried off, dressed again, and toweled most of the excess water out of his hair, it was finally time to go to the Music Room. Guy stretched his arms up into the air as he stepped inside, feeling nice and refreshed for once.

Usually he went to go toy with the "Walkmans" when he came here, because he couldn't play any instruments himself, and so he wandered in that direction.

[For Ilia.]

The game room, huh... In normal, everyday life, it wouldn't have sounded too terrible, but as things were, it seemed like more of an annoyance. Games were fine, but priorities.... On the other hand, Kyousuke seemed to have hit a block in figuring out the clues to the the illness, and just thinking without getting anywhere wasn't very productive, either. At this point, it may have been best to push it aside and come back to it fresh. He had his reservations about it, especially since the end of the day was rapidly approaching, but... Frustration wasn't going to get him any closer.

He poked around what games were there with resignation, still half wondering what he was even doing and trying not feel guilty for needing a break. After a while he came across an electronic device marked "Game Boy Color" and picked it up out of curiosity. He'd heard of those before... If he was right, this thing was older than he was, by quite a bit. Flicking it on confirmed his suspicions; the sound and graphics from it spoke for themselves.

Shrugging, he took it a random seat, wincing at the pain in his ribs as he sat down. He guessed it wouldn't kill him to mess around with this thing for a little while.

[Lloyd!]

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!]

Five. An interesting number to add to an interesting situation, and wasn't it interesting, wasn't it quaint, that it matched another number given? There was no humor for the thought; Albedo had intent and purpose, and there was no time for idle chatter-- Well, perhaps there was, but currently, he had to make sure a certain brother of his stayed inside his room tonight, and for that, he would--

The holster went around his waist, the hunting knives on either side of his hips. The two shotguns possessed, now cleaned and reloaded from dinner, were strapped loosely to his back over the military jacket with the top sheet from his bed. It wouldn't hold under heavy movement, but it allowed them to be grasped and pulled out quickly if necessary. Extra rounds were taken from the cardboard box and pocketed into the jacket. He viewed the rest of his weaponry with a detailed eye, and finally shrugged. This was enough to down a monster dressed in humanity's skin--or the reverse, if they had already turned.

[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]

As soon as the intercom was through, Link was off at a sprint. He carried the pillow case,his flashlight, and the knife from the previous evening.

There were now two tasks to be accomplished: Supplies for Sora, and another clue in the X-Ray Room. Two birds with one stone in the medical wing. There wasn't a moment to lose.

Sora could already be gone by the time he returned.

[To here]

As some of the clouds from earlier began to clear, the intercom jingle sounded over the intercom once again.

"Hello, patients!" came the Head Doctor's cheery voice. "I hope you're all feeling fresh and clean this evening! To top it all off, we've prepared a scrumptious herb chicken dinner for you to eat before bed. Of course, we have vegetarian options available, so please don't hesitate to ask the nurse if you're interested in that.

Also, since we have the pleasure of welcoming a few new patients into our family, some of you will be receiving new roommates. Let's do our best to give them a nice, big Landel's Institute welcome, shall we?"

The Head Doctor gave a friendly chuckle. "Well, anyway, enjoy your dinner!"

With that, the intercom shut off.

[Note: All dinner threads are posted in response to this entry. Be sure to check the Roommate Assignments if you're not sure what room/roommate your character has! Thanks.]

[From here]

Once again, he was dumped out into this spacious room that was pretty, sure, but wholly unfun. He stared up through the glass ceiling above them, soaking up the rays of sun that seemed like he would never be able to bask in freely again.

Three meals a day and some entertainment at night was enjoyable enough, but he was starting to get bored with this routine. Spontaneity was the spice of life and Goku was starting to feel suffocated by this constant rhythm. The little boy may only have room for a few goals at a time in his head, but they were just as important as everyone else's, even more so in some cases! He needed to reclaim his grandpa's treasure and continue his training! The witches in white just couldn't understand this, girls as they were.

Huffing, the young boy set out to look for one of his furry companions for any new information on the secrets of the institute. He got down on all fours and began crawling around the couches, looking here and there for any signs of his accomplices.

[For Taura~!]

The day was quieter than Albedo was accustomed to, enough so that his mind began the process of stabilizing nearly naturally-- A byproduct of Nigredo's presence? Or simply a natural state of being when one wasn't constantly bombarded by external forces and influence? Something to contemplate, perhaps, when there was time to do so. Currently, instead, Albedo needed to--

Think other things over. Possibly discuss them with another. There were the previous events of the days, as well as the end of the night, and Klavier's brief interruption did nothing to set the boy at ease. In essence, Albedo needed his brother, but the last time he checked, Nigredo was still asleep. Perhaps he shouldn't be surprised. Not with that illness.... Not with what was happening. Nearly resigned to another shift alone, Albedo moved to wash, thoughts swiftly becoming his own.

[ brofriend. ]

His nurse had whisked him away from breakfast as soon as the intercom’s voice faded.  Surprisingly, she didn’t take him to the shower rooms, instead bringing him to the Sun Room (as she called it), explaining that since this was his first day he would be allowed to skip the showers.  Besides, it would be good to let his injuries heal a little more.

 

He’d passed through this room on the way to breakfast, but hadn’t really paid much attention to it the first time.  Now that he was standing here, the Once-ler understood why it was called the Sun Room.

 

Despite the fact that it was cloudy outside, there was still far more natural light coming in through the ceiling windows than he had seen in a long time.  The Once-ler stood still for a few moments, simply staring up.  It seemed almost like a dream, really.  The valley never got brighter than twilight, even at noon.  There was too much smog in the air to let any more light through.

 

After a few minutes, he shook his head.  Anybody who saw him just standing in the middle of the room would probably have questions about it, and he did not relish the thought of explaining himself to a stranger.  He glanced around the room itself, spotting the bulletin board Soma had talked about during breakfast.  The Once-ler decided that was a good place to start, and hobbled on over to get a closer look.

 

[For Nina, I believe?]

While it wasn't uncommon for patients to black out at the end of Nightshift, a select few would have a wrench thrown into their normal routine. Rather than waking up bright and early in their typical bed, they would find themselves propped up in a comfortable leather chair.

The room itself looked like an office straight from the 1950s – almost cozy, in fact. None of them would recognize the oak table in the middle of the room, or the two bookcases, which were neatly arranged with all kinds of texts and books. Between those bookcases, though, was a picture of the Institute, framed with wood that perfectly matched the rest of the room's décor.

The knickknacks scattered across the bookcases -- staff photographs, a golfing figure made of business cards, and some prestigious-looking awards – didn't seem out of place for a regular office, either. The desk itself was the centerpiece, and was obviously well-used. That wasn't to say it was messy, exactly, but the inbox and outbox resting on top of the glass-paned surface were stuffed with a variety of paperwork and envelopes. Though most of the room looked old-fashioned, the keyboard and two flat screen monitors contrasted with the rest of the office.

These things would probably escape the notice of most of the people visiting this evening, though. After all, anyone who woke up in this office would be treated to the sight of a man peering through his oval-rimmed glasses as he leafed through some folders. Although his face was distinct enough for anyone who'd had the opportunity to see the Head Doctor in person, the small microphone sitting just inches away from him said volumes about who he was.

As soon as the patient awoke, the man looked up, offering an unexpectedly amicable smile. After closing the folder, he set it down next to the outbox and leaned back in his seat.

“Ah, good evening,” he greeted as he pulled the glasses from his nose. “I've been expecting you. You've been brought here because I thought you might be interested in making a deal, so let's discuss things like gentlemen, shall we?” Nodding toward the newcomer, he chuckled. “Take a moment to regain your bearings if you need it. I realize this must be a bit disorienting.”

[from here]

There was no sign of other patients in the Sun Room, meaning it was possible that Rita and her companion were the first. That was just what Rita didn’t want. It meant she couldn’t know if any monsters or brainwashed patients were lurking around, and if they were, she and the old man were going to get their full attention.

“Don’t make too much noise,” she cautioned Skulduggery in a whisper. “You never know what could be hiding in here.” Unfortunately, their flashlights probably drew plenty of attention too, which meant they needed to be fast. Treading lightly yet quickly, Rita started toward the entrance to the library, watching the darkness for signs of danger as she moved.

Where the infected prisoners were concerned, Landel had been hovering over that particular soap bubble ready to pop it for days now. Aidou didn’t like the fact that there was someone out there set to transform, but… how to stop it now that it had begun? Landel had ensured an element of inevitability. If he wanted it to happen, it was going to happen, and in response to someone transforming, there was only so much one could do to stop them. Like restraining them. Or killing them. Or… finding the elusive means to a cure mentioned over the intercom.

Aidou wouldn’t have minded testing the legitimacy of I.R.I.S.’ message, but there were tasks he needed to see to before anything else. Checking in on Sasuke was one. Thanks to Landel’s warning, Aigis was coming in at a close second. He had no idea what their current statuses were; for all he knew, they were each transforming in their cells right at that moment.

And well… there was also the matter of promises involved. He had promised one that he would intervene if the infection became too much. The other, he felt obligated to do the same for without it necessarily needing to be said.

What other choice did he have but to inquire after their health?

That night, Aidou wore black. If blooded happened to be spilled over the course of events, it would be less visible on dark clothing.

M58 was the first stop he made. Throwing etiquette to the wind, the first thing he did when he stopped in front of the door was to make his presence known, and loudly. After a day of figurative radio silence, it was time to get the message across. "Sasuke! You had better be in there!"

_{[from here]}

She paused again by the Sun Room, probing the darkness. There were no flashlights around to break up the shadows, and no natural light to guide her eyes. After all her many nights moving around the building without her own flashlight she’d become more than adept at navigating in total darkness, but caution still pricked at the fine hairs on the nape of her neck every time she reached an area that was not heavily populated with foot traffic.

If Landel had half a mind to prevent them from reaching the secret in the Medical Wing, now would be the time for him to act. Tsubaki couldn’t trust that he hadn’t heard I.R.I.S.’ relay, if the intercom’s abrupt cut-off had been any indication.

As she passed the doors leading to the entryway, she once again felt her eyes wandering toward them. Would what had happened there happen again? To someone she knew next time?

Would someone be injured because of the transformed prisoner?

Keep going, the assassin in her said. No time for doubts.

_{[to here]}