As the day started, the weather only seemed to be improving, and some patients might even call it warm. Granted, the climate control in the building meant it wouldn't make a difference until someone chose to venture outside.

For now, though, it was time for breakfast, and the intercom came on to wake up all of the patients from their enforced slumber.

"Breakfast sandwiches... how could you not look forward to something like that, dear patients?" Even as Landel spoke, the nurses started peeking into rooms and rousing people from their beds.

"There's plenty to look forward to today, from the recreational field to the greenhouse. I hope that you all enjoy your days and your lunches."

As usual, lunch would be handed out in a paper bag, offering some fruit and vegetables to snack on, along with a sandwich as the main course and pudding for dessert.

"That's all for now!" Though the Head Doctor would be announcing the different shift changes throughout the day, as usual.

--

Mingle log guidelines:

1. All Day Shift 75 threads will take place in the comments to this post.
2. PROSE!
3. Tag under the proper time of day for the thread. You do not have to stick to one thread per shift, as long as you don't try to do a large total number of threads (4 or less is best, but a fifth won't get you in trouble).
4. Subject line of your opening tag: Location (required), shift (optional), OPEN (if appropriate). Putting "OPEN" in the subject line should make it easier for other players to find open threads, and the nature of this log means that you should be able to pick up an open thread that interests you even if you already have something scheduled for that shift. Threads which are not open can be marked the way they always are, with the names of the other characters in small text after the opening post.
5. Each thread should have its own separate starter, just like on any other DS. The format of threads is not changing, only the format of the log post itself, and the fact that you don't have to strictly stick to one thread per shift.

[From here]

Scar teetered slightly off balance as he suddenly appeared in the room with the metal detector, still clutching Lust's hand and still feeling like a complete fool.

This was the place, then. He had been warned about this room, that he would have to leave his things on the conveyor belt before stepping through.

"If you have anything metal, put it on the belt."

[From here]

Scar slipped into the Conference Room and found nothing of immediate threat. A table and chairs for meetings, and the panel he had expected to see. It glowed in the dark, out of place in the office.

He didn't know how the thing worked. It just seemed like a panel on the floor, and little else. A fixture of lighting one might see in the ceiling. He frowned. Of course it was supposed to work, but... he was uneasy about it.

[[from here]]

In the moonlight, the one-way glass covering the Sun Room gleamed like dark lacquer, a physical manifestation of Aidou's words moments earlier: how many days had Landel spent up here, watching them, laughing to himself?

It was impossible not to glance down into the darkened room below, the full expanse of it fully visible to anyone who walked along the mezzanine on this floor. Sasuke kept the glance short, the bile of knowing how exposed they'd been every day swallowed down, and turned his gaze to the doors lining the walkway around it instead.

"If they were close, we could just listen for them," he said finally, though he fully expected things to be far more difficult.

_{[from here]}

The teleportation... things were just as bad as the ring, though like the ring, passing through the door to the third floor deposited them exactly where it had before: in the same nondescript fitness room. He wouldn't call standing on a mysterious pad trustworthy, per se but at least their trip had been fairly reliable so far.

"So far" being the important part of that sentence.

The vampire was quick to step away from the pad like it were a creature that might rise up and bite him in the ankles, turning away to give the room another once-over. "I see things haven't changed that mu--"

A squeak from his pocket interrupted him. What the hell? Aidou hadn't spent much of his life learning how to operate such cheap devices, so when he pulled out his toy radio, it was with a frown. Both radios had been rather quiet of late, but not tonight. Apparently someone had come across an interesting science experiment in their travels.

[From here.]

At this point they all knew the steps to get up to the third floor's entrance, and so Castiel didn't hesitate to step onto the escalator, expecting the others to keep up as it started moving.

As they made the short trip to the top, Castiel shifted around to look back at Kratos in particular. This area had been safe of any kind of monsters every time they'd been here, so he was willing to let his guard down at least enough to ask a question.

"How are you feeling?" He needed to assess what kind of state Kratos was in, so that he would be able to factor in how much or how little help he could expect him to be if they were attacked. Clearly Kratos could walk fine on his own, but being deprived of oxygen for so long still may have had some lingering effects.

[From here.]

The library was dark and quiet - eerily so, in fact - and the row upon row of shelves would make it all to easy for something to hide in the shadows. Tense, Lloyd gripped his sword and tried to piece the dark with his eyes while Kratos went for the book that would open the secret passage.

He almost jumped when his light abruptly failed, then cursed under his breath. "Hang on." Fumbling for the lantern's crank, he tried to ignore his hammering heart. Damn, he was going to have to get used to this if he was going to use this lantern all that much. At least he had the light from the others' flashlights to see what he was doing.

By the time his lantern sprang back to life, Kratos had the passageway open.

[from here]

The lights flickered on as Kratos entered; he quietly sheathed his sword and then walked onto the escalator after checking to make sure that Castiel and Lloyd had made it in after him.

"I realize our keys may not match," he said, mostly for Lloyd's benefit, as the escalator began its slow climb upward. "We have the radios, though, so if there are any issues, call." Both Castiel and Lloyd had easily remembered numbers; hopefully, they both recalled his.

[From here.]

The library was quiet and dark when Lloyd entered, barring the light from their flashlights. Lloyd let the light from his flashlight play across the books, the floor, even the ceiling for good measure. He hadn't forgotten the monster that had seemed to slither out of the darkness just a couple of nights ago.

"You guys see anything?" He kept his voice soft, barely above a whisper. If there was something in here, he didn't want to attract its attention. Not that they'd be able to avoid it once they opened that secret door, but hopefully they'd be able to get out before anything blocked their path.

[from here]

Now she was definitely worried, too. There was no one waiting at this end of the larger hall -- though she could hear voices from somewhere up ahead, talking too quietly for even her sensitive ears. Had something happened? There weren't many of them left, but surely there were more than that.

Worrying about it wouldn't accomplish anything, but she could worry and move at the same time, so she did.

[to here]

[From here.]

Even as Castiel took a few bold steps into the Sun Room, he didn't sense anything out of the ordinary. He hesitated for only a second or two, waiting for someone to inevitably show themselves, but when that didn't happen he nodded to himself and veered to the right, moving at a quick pace.

While he wasn't resorting to outright running, he was making a beeline for the library door. If Kratos and Lloyd knew what was good for them, they'd be fast on his heels.

[from here]

Rita's luck had seen some improvement over the past few nights. After a long string of obstructions and disasters, she'd had some smooth progress. She just hoped that lucky streak was going to hold, and that nothing was going to interrupt her this time, either.

Not wanting to push her luck, she broke into a run soon after entering the room, making a beeline for the Library doors. She could trust that Taura wouldn't be far behind.

[from here]

Taura ran down the hall, looking for Rita. She wasn't there -- in fact, there was no one there. Maybe she wasn't running quite as late as she'd feared. Or there was something else going on, and she just hadn't been hit with it. Better to think it was just early.

She got out the radio, and looked at it -- she'd give it a few minutes, and then she'd call Rita. These were useful tools, but they weren't secure, and letting Landel know they were coming would be worse than waiting out here all night.

And once more the darkness had come, and its strange freedom that truly wasn't.

Lust hardly knew her own moods, but she knew this evening's wasn't a good one. She was worn, and in more than simply the physical sense. Her body's failings weren't the only things on her mind. Her heart was as heavy and weary.

But those were thoughts for the useless day. Now was the time when things could, conceivably, be accomplished. But not if one listened to their sorrow.

Lust changed slowly and gathered up her supplies for the evening. She hoped one of her nighttime companions was about in the main junction hall. She'd not bothered to make plans - the day had seemed to slip by her, lost as she was in her own thoughts and bitter pain.

Supplies in hand, Lust exited out into the hallway to begin her night.

[Moving link to be edited in!]

[skipping from here]

Aigis had nothing to fear in this hall, nor the next. So she breezed right through, her path unfaltering.

[to here]

After meeting up with Tsubaki, Sora felt that the only other person he definitely had to see today was Kratos. They'd written a few notes to each other over the bulletin, but there hadn't been time to track him down until now. Sora hoped that Kratos didn't have a visitor, because that would make it impossible, but he had his fingers crossed.

While he'd already been to the Sun Room once today and it was the most boring of the areas to spend time, Sora decided to head back to it for the last shift. Chances were that no matter where Kratos was coming from, he would need to pass through this room, so it was the safest place to wait for him.

Speaking with Tsurugi, Link, and Tsubaki had been difficult enough, even though seeing them again had also warmed his heart. But Kratos -- that was going to be the hardest of all, wasn't it? Because he was the one who had given the killing blow. Sora was grateful for that, but Kratos probably didn't look at it the same way.

Still, this was something he needed to face, so he remained standing by one of the couches and kept an eye on all the doors leading into the Sun Room, searching for Kratos' red hair.

[For Kratos.]

If nothing else, Lust supposed it was nice to be out of the institute walls. She had little interest in shopping, though she looked in windows and wondered about the town and where the things they sold came from.

And at least perhaps some use would come out of this visit. Perhaps. She would wait until night to make any decisions.

Now the day was winding down and she found she had no desire to be indoors. She spent too much time inside walls these days. At least with no visible boundaries she didn't feel quite so caged and restless.

The park was empty, and she wasn't surprised. But the chill didn't bother her much, likely wouldn't even without the coat and long skirt she was currently wearing. The emptiness of the place was welcome, for the moment. It was almost impossible to get any time purely to herself in the institute.

There was a great deal to think on, but she'd been thinking on things since she'd awoken. For the moment she pushed it all away and simply walked slowly through the quiet park, enjoying the silence and solitude.

For however long it lasted.

(For Loki)

[From here]

This room was somewhat similar to the patient showers downstairs. It certainly wasn't anything Scar hadn't expected. A shower, lockers, benches.

They certainly went the distance to make it look like a hospital, didn't they?

"We cannot know how much time is left tonight. If there is anything of potential use-" He looked to the Elrics, "Just grab it. It will appear in your closet in the morning."

[From here.]

The next hall was as dark as the last one had been, and still silent except for the soft echo of his feet as they hit the floor. Feeling hyper aware of every sound he made, Lloyd tried to soften his footfalls. Just because he'd rather face the unknown than stay locked up didn't mean he wanted to attract attention. Who knew what he might run into? If it was like last night...

He shuddered, remembering the monster with all the hair that had tried to smother Al. It had taken all he'd had just to break Al free, and he'd been armed and in good health then. Armed and able to see. In the condition he was in now, and by himself, he wouldn't stand a chance. It would be a different story if he became a monster-

No! He violently jerked that line of thought to a halt, forcing himself to think about something else. The hall. The darkness. He still couldn't see where he was. Should he go right or left?

His left hand throbbed. He clutched it to his chest.

Okay, right it is.

Walking close enough to the wall to brush it with his shoulder, he found another door. Locked. Again. Just beyond that, though, the hallway turned again. Right or left? Assuming there was a left, but that would require crossing the hall to confirm it, and he was lost enough as it was. Might as well stick to his first decision. He kept his shoulder to the wall and turned right.

Dammit, I wish I could see.

[To here.]

[From here]

Scar was surprised to step outside into the windy night and out onto an oddly pleasant patio. He didn't expect for them to find anything of interest out here; the door would have been locked.

There was, however, another door on the opposite end of the deck. He was sure to check his surroundings before blindly crossing, though. He wasn't so foolish as to assume that being in a 'relaxed' room such as this meant that beasts wouldn't be lurking about.

At least the skies were clear and the moon bright.