(From here.)

Artemis poked his head into Farfarello's room, and seeing that there wasn't anything waiting for him, entered. "Right," He stopped in the middle of the room and turned, "Where do we start?"

Why did the room suddenly feel like it was the size of a matchbox?

With the nurse's guidance, Rinali was the first one into the room.  Along the way she did her best to make note of what she saw, but everything seemed to fit what the nurse had said.  This looked for all intents and purposes to be a mental asylum.  Still, everything was off.  Why did the nurse say her name was Mei Dianfu?

"Here's everything you need to get going," the nurse said with a warm smile, leading her to a table with cheap scissors, glue, and an assortment of glitter and other tools to draw or build.  "I'll be right over here if you need anything, hun," the nurse said with a warm smile.  "The other patients will be coming in shortly.  Try and make some friends."

Rinali smiled slightly to the nurse in thanks.  The nurse seemed genuine enough, so there wasn't any point in being rude until she understood what was going on.  "Thank you very much," she said, then took a seat at the table.  She didn't bother to look at the art supplies, instead waiting for the rest of the 'patients' to filter in.  Maybe one of them would know why she was here, or better yet, where her brother was.

Brother, she thought.  Where are you?

((Coming from here.))

This was the far end of the institute. Caim eyed the area around him, not seeing anything ... yet. Who knew if there was another enemy like the one in the sun room waiting just around the corner?

Caim turned back to the stairway. Upstairs, he would find what he was looking for: a weapon. Even if it was haphazard and last-minute, it would serve him better than having nothing at all.

Quickly, he made his way to the staircase and ascended.

[From Here]

He’d walked past the bathroom Usopp had introduced him to on the first night, before heading directly towards the last hallway in this particular block. It was rather fortunate that he was placed so close to his ally’s location, and he found it more of just a matter of playing a waiting game as he silently marched down the hallway.

Passing by the other rooms without too much notice, Yuber’s movements came to a stop just after halfway down the corridor as he came across M33. It took a little rearranging, but the knight managed to hold the two blades and the torch in one hand, before he neatly folded his arms across his chest. He didn’t bother with his usual tactic of simply entering into the room, but instead found himself comfortably leaning with his back up against the wall while he waited for Usopp to emerge.

The knight was only hoping that he wouldn’t be kept waiting for too long.

[[from here]]

The feeling was strong.  There was something out there.  And as he neared the Sun Room, it was even stronger.  It felt like an Akuma, but he couldn't be sure, not in this place.  As much as he didn't want to wait around here, he had to meet Emily.  He couldn't help thinking that they should have picked a safer place.  He'd never been very good at planning things though.  He just had to take things as they came, one at a time. 

He leaned against the wall with a sigh and settled in to wait, moving his flashlight up and down the hall just to be sure nothing was coming after him.

[[ from here. ]]

Just a bit further now, just a bit further into the woods before the wolf would pounce on her. At least he wouldn't be wearing her grandmother's clothes this time. That ruse was always so irritating, not to mention amateur of a skilled assassin.

But wolves had never been proper assassins anyway. The steel blade was pointed and flew.

This corridor looked almost the same. Still quiet, though now he noticed more people about. At least that meant he hadn't run into any monsters. He ran along the hall until he saw the door that had caused him and Dr. Birkin so much trouble. From the day now, he knew that at the end of this hall was almost a lobby with the hall to the Sun Room and Cafeteria to the left. He didn't want to go there, so this was the end of the blocks. Right? No bathroom. He must have missed something.

Armand backtracked until he found another door that opened easily.

Some day, he really did intend to go to the game room, just to see what they had in the way of games. But not today. He was simply not in the mood to do anything approaching fun, and he was starting to feel like shit from a combination of being sedated and not having eaten anything yet all day.

The nurses bought it when he did a little exagerated stumbling around, and let him slink off to a corner of the Sun Room. He figured he'd lay down and pretend to be asleep, and maybe he'd be lucky enough that everyone would leave him the hell alone. He even found a couch with its back to the door so he wouldn't be immediately visible and laid down on it. His feet hung over one of the arms, but it wasn't as obvious as his hair being visible.

He had a lot to think about. Like trying to understand why he both did and didn't want to see Rukia. And the things the mysterious person on the bulletin board had said. Thinking about it made his hands shake and made him feel sick. It made it nearly impossible to try to tell himself that nothing had happened, now.

Renji closed his eyes tightly and wished that he really could sleep.

Scar felt cold and sick, though more the latter than the former. As he rose from his bed, he didn't quite know which way was up, and the artificial light coming from overhead seemed as hot and as blinding as the Ishbal sun.

His head hurt, but that was nothing new. After all, the last thing he remembered from the night before was fighting a homunculus off of Lust and then having a conversation about events best left forgotten. The man hadn't been his brother. He just hadn't. And if what Lust had said they'd done to her was true...

Scar stood with shakiness that he wanted to attribute more to a bizarrely weakened physical state than a mental one. Had he been knocked out by some kind of lurking monster before the morning had come? He felt as if he had been out for days, being a veteran of such circumstances, though as he took the practiced role of being an obedient follower behind the nurse and orderlies that came for him, it didn't seem as if much had changed.

This place was probably just playing tricks on him again, and he was tired of being the man left out of the loop. He grabbed some food he didn't really care for and sat down, not seeing anyone he knew already seated. On one hand, he wished he had someone to talk to, and on the other, it scared him that he was no longer used to being alone.

He dug his fork into his food and tried to block out any related thought.

Renji had mostly been ignoring what the head doctor said, until he got to the magic r-word; that certainly captured his attention. The prospect of rice made him a little more willing to let the nurses separate him and Rukia.

In the lunch line, he piled his plate to the maximum with steamed rice, adding a little chow mein, balanced precariously on the side, as an afterthought. That and tea was all he needed.

He sat somewhere he'd be pretty easy to spot from the door and started wolfing down his rice. He wondered if Hisoka and his friends would show up before he headed to the lunch line to get seconds.

Rabastan was on a mission to try to please Severus Snape. Someone should really stop and pity the poor Potions Master. So far, Bast had managed to lose just about everyone he had gotten attached to, and he was determined to not lose Severus. Severus was real after all.

Radio tucked into the crook of his arm, he grinned and shook his head when the nurses tried to get him to play, going for the sweet and cute thing. He did seem to be listening to their warnings to stay off the field then so he wouldn't get hit accidentally by people playing their various games. Heading to the sidelines, he began poking around at the grass and other small plants, trying hard to remember Potion classes from back at Hogwarts. Was that a good one? Or a bad one? Maybe it was a weed.

Either way, Bast plucked it gently and cupped it in his hand as he settled down on the grass and began fully inspecting the area around him. His radio was lectured to as he looked around.

"Mr Head Doctor, do you think we could go to the Arts and Crafts room later today? Severus might like some of the things in there. I'd like to get some of that faerie glitter if you don't mind."

The intercom clicked on in all its forced normalcy, the Head Doctor clearing his throat before he gave his usual string of orders.

"Ah, yes, first and foremost, I believe it's now time that our Group 2 batch of patients is taken from their rooms and introduced to our main population. Nurses, if you would be kind enough to oblige...? Thank you, and welcome to all the new faces!

"In other news, today is the day that we begin implementing our three-day therapy period for patients who need the most intensive treatment. We've in fact hired a new line of doctors to meet your needs, some of whom are specialized in psychology and others... well, others who have been assigned to patients with physical ailments relating to their mental instability. Those of you who have been assigned to attend therapy this shift will be escorted by nurses to your assigned doctor when your turn comes."

He coughed, then went through his normal routine of shuffling papers and fumbling when in truth, he most likely had a mind sharper than any number of tacks.

"Ah, here we go. As for the rest of you, it seems as if it's time for all patients to get some sun in the great outdoors! All patients in the cafeteria, please exit the doors to the east and west and head into the courtyard, please. Nurses, please keep a close eye on the patients so that they don't venture too close to the edge of the pond? Thank you!"

He paused, taking a deep breath before exhaling and ending his chipper update.

"I believe that's all! I trust you all have a pleasant and productive morning. Good day!"

[ Doctors: Same drill as last time, with each of you making your own post in this format: Day 24: Doctor's Office [Number], Dr. [Doctor Name]. Patients should respond to their respective doctor's post, each with their own thread. ]

Aidou Hanabusa, a vampire, was one of the first into the cafeteria, which was swimming in dim sunlight. A grey morning suited his mood.

The fact that his biological clock was pitching fits was only the cherry on top of the cake; the last thing he wanted to do was sleep. "Waking up", once again, with no memory of how or why he'd been brought back to room M52 infuriated him, on top of getting absolutely nothing done during the night. In the (miniscule) self-deprecating part of his mind, he thought it served him right for making concessions for humans. He wasn't going to make that mistake again, no matter how alone he was.

Aidou secluded himself in a corner. Solid food couldn't replace what he was missing, but it would keep his appetite in check. For a while. If his better sense told him not to repeat yesterday's mistakes, then at least he could forget tablets and go hunting tonight. It wasn't like Aidou was required to follow protocol during Landel's fine nightshift. No one else did.

No one from home would think less of him for cutting corners, either. If they hadn't been able to find him by now, then things were worse than he imagined. With a table piled high with food, he cupped his chin in his hand and let his gaze wander. He had a fair idea where the female cell block was. It wouldn't be difficult to overpower a young girl...

Eventually grabbing the knife, Aidou poked at one of his many bagels. He'd been right about to find a suitable instrument in the mail room, something long and sharp enough to cut into a bat and allow him to see what similarities remained on the inside... The plastic blade sank through the bread, went through the paper plate underneath it, and finally snapped in two against the plastic tray.

More new "patients". A day of "doctor consultations". It was nothing he'd ever experienced before, nothing he'd ever heard about before, and it was seriously driving him nuts. For the first time in his life, he just wanted to be left alone, without feeling a set of eyes on him.

[Moving in from here]

Stefan Richter didn't look like he was even going to answer the girl's question, leaving Eddie Brock to realize he was apparently the only one with manners here. True, he didn't exactly trust her, but he didn't trust anyone else here (symbiote excepted), and he thought that the least they could do was share names, real or otherwise. Besides, it felt a bit weird to just keep calling her Lydia.

"Sure, I guess," Brock said and offered a small smile - it was superficial, really, but at least it was an effort. He didn't hold out his hand for a handshake, but he didn't ignore her either, glancing over his shoulder as he led the way around the railed balcony toward the Chapel. "I'm Eddie Brock, this is Stefan Richter," he gestured vaguely over his shoulder. "And I don't know this other guy's name."

The blond circled the railing, heading over toward the big double doors looming in the darkness, grainy in their night vision like an aging video but still visible; if he'd been more weakened, he probably would have missed it. It felt a bit weird to be in the lead, with people trusting him to know where they were going, but he supposed that if they did get attacked, there would be a suitable meat shield. Or, at least, that was his symbiote's humble opinion. It wouldn't be against it if some of the patients here accidentally met their demise - while it would be better to score the kill themselves, they weren't above scavenging another's kill to feed if it was the only choice. Anyway, it would in, the end, be a lot less energy expended.

His Other was big on efficiency.

Moving silently, the former reporter paused at the doors, gestured for quiet, and then pushed them open slowly. The chapel seemed a lot gloomier in the night, the pews rising up eerily, the stone and marble floors icy under the thin fabric of the patient slippers. Despite their night vision, Brock still couldn't see to the end of the chapel. He stepped inside and waited for the others to join him.

At least it was quiet. Deathly quiet, the air still (and damn cold), but it seemed to simply fit. If it weren't for the fact that they were held against their will, they might have found themselves rather comfortable here: no unnecessary heat, and plenty of darkness to call their own. As it was, Brock just wanted to get it over with and hustle the rest of the group in and out as fast as was safely possible.

[[From here]]

Recluse stopped at the top of the stairs, sufficiently far enough from the flashlight so that he felt a little less jumpy. He scanned the area, trying to make sure there were no unpleasant surprises waiting for him in the dark halls. Satisfied for the moment that the area was safe, he turned to speak quietly to the reporter.

"I haven't been to the chapel before. I assume you know the way?"

[Coming in from here]

So far so good.

The stairs to the second floor should be around here. So far they hadn't run into any of the locals here, which was both a good and bad thing: they didn't have to expend needless energy defending themselves, but, on the other hand, that also meant no food. Brock sighed, searching the walls for the door to the stairs, and tried to not focus on the fact that he was not only starving again for human food (apparently they were still recovering from last night), but he was also getting pretty hungry for some of the fresh, rather socially inacceptable meat that had a habit of walking on two legs.

It would be the first time that he could remember that he'd fed when he wasn't Venom. While it probably wasn't a far stretch to assume that the symbiote took his body on joyrides when he was asleep or unconscious, there still remained the fact that he didn't recall any incident where he'd killed with his bare hands, fed as Eddie Brock only.

The mental image of himself crouched over a corpse and going for the head was a bit nauseating, actually and he had to hurriedly focus on the walls before him, rearing up in the darkness and grainy in their eyes. Being back to near-human apparently made him somewhat squeamish again.

It's just a need like normal eating, Brock thought, echoing the reassurances of his Other. It's perfectly okay. We have as much a right to exist as everyone else.

The blond paused before the stairs, slightly comforted by this, and started up them, careful to watch his feet and feeling along the rails with one hand. Hopefully the Chapel was empty when they got there; Brock was all for feeding outside it, but it seemed wrong to profane that kind of ground with even their very honest needs. It just didn't feel right to pull that kind of shit in a holy place (while it didn't have any religious markers, Brock still felt it was special and deserved the proper respect).

Dinner had been an altogether depressing affair - Tamaki's problems only seemed to underline what Seimei had said earlier about not relying on other people here. Ritsuka had hoped that perhaps he had been wrong, but if Adel was so easily turned against someone like Tamaki, then who could turn on Ritsuka? Or Seimei for that matter?

As soon as the doors unlocked and the radio finished its strange announcement, Ritsuka ran into the hallways. Tamaki had places to go and he didn't want to slow him down tonight as he had the previous night. Equipped with the coat Ashton had told him about, he stuffed his five pens, a piece of paper for maps, and his radio into the pockets. Tonight, he knew where he was going - M40, end of the hall - so he didn't waste any time getting there.

The Head Doctor's announcement worried him, but he hadn't recognized the names (not that he knew the "other" names they were all given) so he hoped the people he knew would be alright. He jogged quickly down the hall until he reached his brother's room, knocking lightly before pushing the door open with a smile.

"Seimei, sorry I didn't make it to the Sun Room, I was--"

The room was empty. It looked like Seimei hadn't even been there at all that evening. Ritsuka ran in and swept the room quickly - all of his brother's things were just as they'd been left the previous night. His heart sank and panic began to rise in its place. Had Seimei been taken? Had he? Had Ritsuka already lost him? Did he leave without him?

Ritsuka backed slowly out of the room, eyes wide as he clutched his flashlight so hard his knuckles were turning white. Disciplinary therapy rooms. Nightmares. Seimei was in trouble and Ritsuka was yet again powerless to stop it. He didn't know where Seimei was and there was no one to help him. He turned and ran towards the hall door, stumbling along the way, unaware that he was yelling for help.

[[From here]]

The quiet and darkness were almost unsettling, in their own way. He couldn't even hear his own foot-steps as he stalked quietly along, and his breathing was silent as well.

The darkness and silence reminded him too much of memories he'd only recently regained. Fox would've felt slightly less uncomfortable with the whole situation if he'd known that there were guards, or some other opponent to avoid, anything to get rid of the feeling of isolation.

At the same time, part of him was glad for the darkness and silence, moving quietly along the wall of the hallway. This was his element. When the radio crackled on in his coat pocket Fox nearly jumped.

He didn't dare turn it off in case something important was revealed, but at the same time he hoped the noise didn't attract anything. The radio man's speech, at the very least, gave him something to think about as he made his way slowly to his destination.

The second the intercom sounded, while the man on the intercom was still talking, Ashton pulled himself off the couch in the Music Room and slowly made his way to the door. He walked, glided even, as if he were a ghost in a dream. The nurses had already filed up to escort the patients to the lunchroom, and one bustled over to walk Ashton those few feet from one room to another.

"You're not looking very well, Mr. Pritchett," she said cheerfully. "Didn't you enjoy your shower?"

Ashton replied with a small, forced smile, then shook his head. He didn't feel like talking now. Though the nurses were pushy and downright annoying, he figured he owed this one at least a little explanation. They didn't know - or didn't believe - what went on after dark, but he owed them the benefit of the doubt. "Bad day," he decided on telling her.

Bad day indeed. The showers and the music had done nothing for his nerves. But then again, what could get that graphic image out of his head?

He glided ghostily through the taco line and settled on two chicken and bean tacos, with chips, a scoop of guacamole, two churros on the side, and a glass of apple juice. He wasn't used to this sort of food (save the juice) and he wasn't even sure he'd eat it, but the chances were high that he'd be able to pass it off on someone.

He was on the verge of tears again, too. What he would have given to just sit down next to a barrel and eat a hamburger.

Thank goodness the cafeteria was bare just now, too. It left all the corner tables open, the tables that shouted 'Don't talk to me, I'm brooding over here.' He sat at one, pushed his food a little away from him, and buried his head in his arms.

That hadn't felt like an entire night.

And his goddamn head hurt. Pounded, even. Enough that he wondered if he was going to end up playing another round of "Christen the nurse" this morning.

Maybe it was because he'd spent so much time and energy trying to find Nowe. That could be the reason behind both those problems. Just the thought of it made his stomach turn, made him want to fucking choke something.

Still, there was shit to do. He forced himself out of bed to put away his pens and the other leftovers from the adventures that didn't happen last night. He'd have to try to talk to Sora today, to see if they could just do tonight what they were going to do last night... and to see if the kid was doing alright.

...he just wished his head would stop hurting. That was probably the result of just how badly he'd overreached himself the previous morning.

The nurse that showed up to get him was cheerful. He grunted at her, listening to her with only half an ear until she mentioned all the excitement, about someone pretending to be a patient, all that crap that Landel had mentioned.

Renji gave her a narrow-eyed look. "Dr. Landel is a goddamn lying coward, and he's lying about that, too," he said. Whether it was true or not, there was only so much good cheer he could take on a shitty morning. "I hope he chokes on a cock." No matter how much venom he put in that statement, it wasn't enough.

Then he had to listen to a lecture about language and gratitude for the rest of the walk to the cafeteria, so maybe it wasn't worth it after all. She dragged him through the breakfast line, and he ended up with granola and toast and tea and a cinnamon roll, because not even a shitty fucking night could ruin his sweet tooth. Though that thing was looking a little too sweet.

The cafeteria was pretty much empty; he had his run of the place. He sat himself about as far from the doors as he could get, and proceeded to stare at his breakfast.