[From here, roundabouts M16]

Celes tapped her foot and as she tried for the life of her to remember just where the Gambler resided. Hellfire, she should have gotten a straight answer from him. But then, it would have meant she'd also asked. Celes sighed and shook her hair from her eyes, adjusting her hair clasp. She walked for a bit, up and down the halls, listening for voices that were familiar. When the first hallway bore no fruit, Celes turned to the next one.

Halfway down, she heard the familiar accent of Luxord's voice through the door. There was still plenty of time to meet her subordinate, she'd been quick tonight. Celes rapped on the door three times and waited. "Master Luxord? Are you within?"

"And I believe it's time to start wrapping up the day," was what the Head Doctor said after the intercom's initial jingle. "Now that everyone's all cleaned up, I think it's time for some... that's right, dinner!

"Tonight, we're serving some scrumptuous rotisserie herb chicken, seasoned with rosemary, lemon juice, and other delicious seasonings. On the side, we have cooked asparagus with bits of grilled onion, as well as small roasted potatoes with garlic and butter; for dessert, we'll be serving vanilla ice cream with chocolate syrup on top. Our normal assorted drinks and specialized diet alternatives are available.

"Some of you might find that you have new roommates since your old ones were fortunate enough to recover and leave us. Hopefully, you'll be able to see them again the next time we have visitors if you wish, but in the meantime please treat your new bunkmates kindly.

"I believe that's all for now. I hope you had a wonderful day and that you have a delicious dinner! ...Well, you'll definitely be having a delicious dinner, but there's nothing surprising about that, is there? Hahaha..."

With a seemingly good-natured chuckle, the Head Doctor turned off his mic.

[ All introduction posts for this shift's group of new characters should be made in response to this post. Find your character's room assignments here.

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! ]

[ from here. reserved for Reno. ]

White sneakers gleaming in contrast to the dusty floorboards, Dean approached the bar at a snail's pace, hopelessly immersed in his surroundings. It was a taste of something close to home. He was in his element.

And he loved it.

His face seemed to ache the instant he smiled his first genuine smile of the day. Previous shakiness in his bearing abandoned, he swiveled on a chair to allow his restless eyes the chance to roam the features of the tavern that really weren't as captivating as the hunter found them. His wry expression faded as he glanced disapprovingly at himself. These clothes made him look like some overgrown kid who'd taken a wrong turn on his way to the Nerd Convention.

Rhode didn't want to have to let go of Allen, not ever. It could be forever before she was able to be with him again! But the nurses were persistent in moving her off the big yellow thing, as was Allen for getting away from her. Even outside of the building, people were just determined to keep her from being with him! It wasn't fair!

Once off the bus and shivering just slightly from the crisp fall air, Rhode was handed a small booklet of what the nurse called "coupons". It took some explaining, but Rhode was eventually able to understand that the thin pieces of paper in the book were supposed to be used like money here. She wasn't at all accustomed to buying things for herself; that was supposed to be the Earl's job. When Rhode expressed this problem, the nurse only gave her a sad smile and patter her in the direction of the buildings.

"Why don't you go find something fun to do? There's a toy store just around the corner there. Don't worry about being alone though, we're all here to keep an eye on you. If anything happens, just come get one of us," the nurse explained, nodding to the staff members that were set to parole the town for any problems their more unruly patents could cause.

So, they were all going to be watched even though they could roam about freely? Rhode took a look back towards the yellow things but was unable to pick out Allen from the mess of patients. In a few moments, she probably wouldn't be able to find him at all or for the rest of the day. Should she just resign herself to that for now and use the small bit of freedom to her advantage? Being with Allen was important, and a lot of fun but...

She glanced down at the coupons again, smiled up at the nurse as best she could, and gave a quick, "Okay!" before running off as suggested.

A small bit of freedom was bound to make her feel better. Maybe she could use it to remind herself of how she was supposed to handle Allen Walker, an exorcist. This town did have a similar air to that of the Rewinding Town, after all.

[went here]

[[from here]]

The door to the next room unbarred easily, and Celes looked over her shoulder at the men, briefly. Assessing them, as it were. On the patio, she heard nothing, not the sound of patients inside, the scrabble of the giant roaches or even the sound of breath echoing in the room. Shining her beam into the room, Celes stepped inside, looking around.

"It's empty," she whispered. The kitchen looked to be just ahead, though the door was locked when she tried it. "Locked."

[From here.]

Managing to maneuver through the hallways without any disturbances brought much relief in the youth, finally making his way towards his intended destination after several minutes of walking. With Gabranth at his side he was able to reach for the knob without hesitance, twisting the object before pushing it forward, opening the path that lead outside.

However, something was not right.

From the moment the door opened Larsa could smell the stench of blood poor inside, gasping out before holding his hand over his mouth. He could make out the red moon that loomed high above them, coloring the patio with the same shade. The child had never seen such a thing occur in the Institute since he arrived, and he could feel anxiousness welling up in him as he took a step back.

"What...?"

[[From Here]]

Allen followed, though his childish face was set in a firm line.  Clark couldn't be that much older than him, why was he being treated like a little child while Clark was leading the group?  He pushed his bruised pride aside.  It probably didn't help that he wasn't exactly the picture of health either.  Still, he kept an eye out for enemies from either side as the others lead the way. 

Hadn't Renji and Rukia gone up the other staircase?  They were going to get lost at this rate and then Renji and Rukia would trust him even less than they did now.  But that wasn't important, what was important was getting these people free from whatever monsters had captured them.  He'd been under Komui's knife more times than he cared to remember and if it was anything like that, he just hoped they'd make it in time.  He wouldn't be able to forgive himself if they were late only because he'd been pulled aside and wasted their precious time. 

He tried to keep his hand steady as they reached the second floor.  This was right near where she had been last night.  That terrible spirit.  He shuddered at the memory.  As long as nothing like that found them tonight, it would be alright.  He just prayed they'd have a safe journey this time.

_{[from over here]}

The area he had traversed only yesterday was empty, devoid of the wicked phantom and her godawful touch. Still, Aidou couldn't help but to be tense when passing through - he kept watching the stairs and the people behind him more than anything else. Better sense told him she was no longer there, but the part of him that was just about to snap from the violation couldn't calm itself.

Hesitation had never suited him, and it only made him angry. Cold, tired, and angry.

At the faint red glow that illuminated the open square over top of the Sun Room, the vampire looked up through one of the windows. And right into the eye of the moon, which was red and bloody.

"A sanguine moon that holds no delight for creatures of the light."

His mouth curved into a dark sneer. It didn't portend good fortune for denizens of the night, either.

[From here]

Recluse turned the corner into the cell block hallway, still internally ranting about Landel. He was used to being the one in control of people like that infuriating doctor. There was a whole recruitment program for 'Mad Scientists' in Arachnos.

The vast majority of them ended up being killed by their on projects. Often in quite amusing, bloody, agonizing ways. That one little thought made everything seem just a little bit better.

[to here]

[from here]

The hallway was empty here as well. Just how much earlier had she headed out tonight? Probably not by much. The absence of others in the hallway barely bothered Rhode as did the presence of others. Her mind was usually so dead focused on getting somewhere or finding someone that she had never really paid attention to what other things happened around her.

A left at the next hallway and down a bit for the doors on the left. That should be right. She hoped the ghost woman's influence on her wasn't messing with her memory.

[to here]

The intercom gave its cheery jingle just before the Head Doctor's equally buoyant voice rang through the halls.

"Ah, and finally, our day is coming to a close! Rooms and roommates have been reassigned with care, though what great partnership can start without a good meal? Ah, yes, after the nurses escort all of our patients, new and old, back to their proper rooms, everyone will have the chance to enjoy a savory chicken pot pie, full of peas, carrots, potatoes, and of course, chicken. On the side, we'll have buttery corn on the cob and green beans, and to drink, you may choose from the regular slew of water, milk, or assorted juices, which your nurse will bring to you.

"I believe that's all for now! Phew, long day, huh? I know I'll be happy to get some sleep, and thank you to all our vigilant doctors and nurses, although Dr. House seems to have gone AWOL... Hmm... Well, in any case, have a good dinner, everyone!"

The intercom clicked off again as the nurses began organizing the patients for the small trek back to their rooms.

[ OOC: Remember, room threads go in response to THIS post, and please put your respective room number in the subject line of your first post. Thanks! ]

The man on the radio and the... Head Doctor, Celes supposed, had finished their tired arguments and left Celes considering her options. First and foremost, she would be waiting for Larsa and his companion. Still, her curiosity ran thickest when the man on the radio said something about a fire monster.

Asleep, in ice... Well, certainly she had an idea, and the blonde woman ran her fingers through her hair, considering her options. There was also this thin, green-tressed girl to think about. Hmm. The General settled herself at her desk, legs crossed at the ankles, flashlight up-ended on her desk for light.

Hopefully, the wait would not be long.

Ashe couldn't deny that she was a least a little relieved when the lights went out and the doors slowly groaned as they unlatched and opened. The transmitted and flashlight would of course be needed if she were to progress efficiently in her exploration of this institution; apparently, an entirely new level and a few choice foes had been selected for them tonight, if Cliff's testimony about monsters was to be believed.

Wondering if her roommate knew the ropes just yet, the princess halted at the door as she'd been ready to brave the halls and had managed to forget her probably less-than-capable companion. Turning back to look for Nadine, she awaited the other woman's reaction.

Christ. Brock didn't like the sound of the intercom tonight; considering how Landel was gloating, it sounded like they'd done the same experimental bs they'd done earlier with Luffy...although this time there appeared to be some kind of warning as to where these wackos would be wandering around. So long as it wasn't Luffy, they didn't care though. And listening to the description, Brock was pretty damn sure it wasn't Parker either.

Shame.

They might be weakened, but they would've loved an excuse to duke it out with their favorite neighboorhood Spider.

But of course that wouldn't be possible tonight anyway. That symbiote and its Kasady-Host are ours tonight, the symbiote hissed angrily. Young they may be, but they've gone too far to go unpunished. Oh, Brock hadn't forgotten. It was hours after the fact, but the anger was just as fresh as it was this morning. No one acted all buddy-buddy with Parker - much less in the showers, goddamit - than him, and definitely not Kasady. If they weren't going to beat in Parker's skull - figuratively speaking (they didn't want to injure him permanently after all - then they would go for the next best thing and beat in Kasady's. Literally speaking.

Brock slipped out the door as soon as it clicked open, leaving his roommate to his devices. They weren't entirely sure where Kasady's room was, but they would find out. The younger Host probably hadn't fed yet, which would be to their advantage. Licking his lips, Brock headed down the pitch-black hall, searching for that strange feel of another symbiote in the air. At night it was more difficult to pick him out, but he wasn't going to let this slide without beating the lesson of stay-the-fuck-away-from-Parker into Kasady.

The intercom clicked on with its usual jingle, the Head Doctor clearing his throat before he made his last shift-changing announcement of the day.

"Well, now that everyone is clean and having fun, I suppose it's time for everyone to be escorted back to their rooms for dinner! Yes, yes, I know the game room can be entertaining and doctor sessions can be fulfilling, but we only have so much time in the day, don't we?

"Ah, and speaking of dinner, tonight, we'll be having an old favorite--seasoned steak, a baked potato, and peas! Yum, yum. You also get a choice of vegetable soup or caesar salad--just tell your nurse which you'd prefer--and may also choose from our usual variety of drinks."

He made his usual pause, perhaps contemplating what the night would have in store once the sun fully set. Now, however, wasn't the time to reveal such musings, and so he ended on his usual cheery note:

"That's about all for now! I hope you all enjoy your suppers."

And again the intercom turned off.

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.

Gluttony didn't want to leave his Lust, not after he'd just found her!  But the mean tasty nurses said he had to.  "You can't join her in the women's showers" was a bad excuse.  He didn't like the mean tasty nurses.  Maybe Lust would let him eat them later.  Still, he knew he would see his Lust again, and that was good.  He liked Lust.  She was good and beautiful and smart and kind.  Why did they have to take him away from his Lust?

Still, he would see her again.  And she would tell him it was okay to eat the tasty nurses, and that would be good.  His new friend liked eating people, too.  That made him happy to find a friend who shared a love for eating people.  Today was a very good day.

As he entered the showers, he stood under a shower head and opened his mouth wide to drink up the water.  It wasn't as good as eating people, or eating waffles that didn't scream when he bit into them so weren't nearly as good as eating people, but it was still swallowing something, and that made him feel better.

[from here]

Renji stopped himself from simply stumbling into the hallway by grabbing the door frame. There were nine people behind him, poised for attack and rescue. But it would be stupid to run in blindly.

He pulled the knife out from the back of his pants, holding it ready in his hand, then raised the flashlight to start illuminating the hall. He moved cautiously in. The others would follow.

Larsa was still shaken by the time the lights went off and the doors unlocked, simply unable to move from his bed. He knew not of the circumstances that brought the nurses into the cramped room in the first place, but many a time he liked to think that he had a good intuition about these things. And at that moment he led himself to believe that his roommate was in grave danger, and without aid would face nothing but tragedy.

Already his mind was racing with various plans, all of which fell short due to his lack of physical stature. He did not want to admit being weak, as he was reminded of what happened one year ago when was not strong enough to stop his brother’s monstrous plans. But even then he knew he must be wise and think this through, and time was surely of the essence.

The sudden rapping made Larsa jump, but he drew a shaky breath to call out to whomever was on the other side of the door.

"C-come in."

--

-Two notes are laid neatly on each bed.-

To those whom arrived for Adelheid,

I am in grief to inform you that he will not be available for tonight. I am unable to give you such details as to why, but please lend us your hope in that we all see through this in the morrow. Be not troubled, it is all in good hands.

~Adelheid’s roommate, Larsa

---

To those whom arrived for me,

I’ve been swept with a sudden emergency and therefore I cannot accompany you tonight. Please see through this night and I will apologize for my absence tomorrow.

~Larsa

As soon as the doors had unlocked, Xemnas already headed outside. His amber eyes scanned the dark hallway, but there were patients nor monsters lurking within the darkness. Keeping his flashlight off as to avoid any unwanted attention, the Superior quickly proceeded.

He was aiming for another visit to the second floor, hopefully to get as much exploring done as possible. The Nobody didn't care to take any other patients along the way. Conversation and planning was best to be saved for the dayshift, after all.

[Off to here]