After having stood around in the Sun Room for a moment after the staff had wheeled Shiki away, Falis wasn't sure what she wanted to do next. She knew she didn't want to be in that room anymore with the vultures circling overhead so, after a few paranoid glances up at the staff walking the balconies, she picked a random room she hadn't been in yet.

It was full of games.

The princess walked about the room, poking at the various games, none of which she'd ever seen before, and wondered if maybe she should pick a different room. Oh, hey... there was a game she at least understood the concept of - it was a war strategy game from the description. Too bad she didn't think to bring someone else into the room with her.

[for Hokuto]

[from here]

Sanzo stepped into the kitchen, flashlight held close to his hip. It was going to be awkward with one arm working, and that meant keeping it close to the Smith & Wesson tucked close to him. He let the flashlight beam roam over the kitchen, taking note of the island in the middle, the ovens and stove tops...

It looked clear. So far. He took a few more steps, each one slow and measured.

He was feeling... well, not better but at least not any worse. Light-headed at times, but that was only if he made any sudden moves...

He glanced back at Qui-Gon. The man looked winded: whatever he'd done to get that door unlocked had also done a number on him.

"You could try following your own advice," Sanzo said.

[From here. Reposting because I realized late that I missed a room.]

Sanzo shut the door behind him with a slam, and unsteadily made his way inside, putting one of the tables between him and the entry way. He whirled, gun pointed at the door.

Several long seconds passed. The door didn't burst open. That man didn't come busting through. He kept the gun up still, a full minute passing, before he let it drop.

He finally risked a glance down at his left shoulder.

"Shit..."

It was a mess of torn flesh, gaping holes, and blood everywhere. The liquid was working its way down his left arm, and down his chest at an alarming rate. The wounds on his stomach and other arm weren't doing that much better.

( Read more... )

Both nightshift and his Noah kicked in after what seemed like forever. Tyki slicked his hair back and grabbed his things before stepping into the hallway. It seemed he was pretty early considering no one was around just yet, but that would mean no one would beat him to the kitchen, right?

With a glance on the map he had decided to try going via the courtyard. Going through all the hallways seemed like a detour, and an incredibly boring detour at that. And unless whoever had made the map completely sucked at drawing like Allen, going outside seemed much shorter.

And the sooner he could smoke, the better.

[To here]

((From here.))

And here she was. GLaDOS stopped just outside the doorway to the Sun Room and pressed her back against the wall. She could hear no screaming, no fighting, no splattering of blood or hissing of acidic pools or beeping of a rocket turret finding its target in a laser sight and preparing to fire. It was very quiet, for the moment, unhindered by monstrosities of any kind.

She was sure, however, that there would be someone inside, just waiting for a hapless, worthless human to come slinking by, trying to get through to find their way past all those rooms and into the basement. For her, there was no use for the basement yet. Once she knew where all the cake was hidden, or had made her own, then it might pose some interest. After all, there were rumors of weapons, useful items, and mysteries that originated down there. It piqued her curiosity, but only so much. Very little could surpass her desire for cake.

So she waited for the tall, skinny man called Nny. He'd agreed to meet her, with some hesitation. If he failed to arrive, she'd beat him to death with his own arm the next day.

((Waiting for Johnny.))

[From here]

It wasn't long before Albel reached the next hallway. One that was so familiar that he didn't even have to see where he was going. But it'd be foolish to let his guard down, even when he was still walking around in a patient block hallway.

But it seemed to be pretty empty, so the warrior quickly moved to the door leading to the next hallway.

[To here]

[From Here]

Passing through the open doorway, he flashed his light around to make certain that there was nothing potentially dangerous lurking in the hallway. It seemed clear as far as his eyes could tell, so he hurried on. Well, he hurried as much as an old man like himself with things to do would hurry. There was no point in running, as he would save such activities for if he was being chased.

He hoped that Yuuri would be alright making it to the Recreational Field by himself. The youth seemed good-hearted even if a little absentminded. The boy would be fine, he told himself.

[To Here]

The intercom came on, and as it did, it seemed to carry a little more interference than usual for a daytime announcement, a little more static. While the patients might have thought for a moment that once again the elusive woman on the radio had hacked into the Head Doctor's system, the man himself soon proved that theory faulty as he laughed over the broadcast.

"Hello, hello, everyone, and I'm sorry for the bad quality of this broadcast; we've been having some technical difficulties lately, you see, and we wanted to make sure everything was fixed by tomo...."

His voice crackled out into inaudibility for a moment before fading back in.

"Yes, hopefully that will be done soon. In any case, now's the time that you all head back to your rooms to enjoy a delicious meal... seasoned salmon! Yes, we have filets of very tasty, very juicy salmon seasoned with herbs and garlic; on the side, we have mashed potatoes, peas, and to drink, our usual assortment of beverages. For dinner, you'll all be enjoying vanilla ice cream with chocolate sauce."

The intercom's broadcast crackled again. The Head Doctor laughed, seemingly a little nervously.

"Ah, yes, perhaps we'll be able to finish the repairing tomorrow, when all of you are away at... Doyleton! Yes, yes, you're all in for a fun and exciting day, a day whose activities will be new for some and a welcome familiarity to others. You'll be under strict supervision, of course, but... well, I suppose you'll find out all about the circumstances tomorrow, before you set off, mm? Yes! In any case... I hope you all enjoy dinner!"

The intercom clicked off again as the nurses began ushering patients back to their quarters.

[ All introduction posts for this shift's group of new characters should be made in response to this post. (You can find your character's room assignment here.) Remember, everyone responds to this post with their character's room number in the subject line. ]

Albel had wasted an entire night, but he couldn't quite figure out how he had actually wasted it. He had left his room early, didn't stand around doing nothing and no pathetic worm had dragged him down. Finding Fayt's room and smack the foolish maggot against the nearest wall shouldn't have taken a full night, but yet he found himself back in his bed before he even had so much as located the right door.

What the hell?!

But he didn't have much time to think about it, as one of the wenches instantly stepped into his room as soon he sat up. Had she had been waiting behind the door or something? He ignored her useless babble along the way to the showers. Apparently, he had slept through most of the day. Perhaps the lack of sleep was taking it's toll, though the warrior wouldn't even think about admitting that thought. And who cared about it anyway? The days were useless!

By the looks of things, Albel was the first one to arrive. Not that he cared. After stripping himself of his clothing he stepped inside the shower area and picked a stall by random. It took some fiddling with the knobs before the water temperature was good enough, but he eventually let the water wash over his body.

[Free!]

[From here, waiting for his bff. ♥]

The walk with the nurse provided little more information; the woman still refused to go into detail on his particular diagnosis. She did reveal, however, that Near's name in this place was Nathan Ritter. Again he noticed the closeness to his real name, but given the woman's insistence on referring to him as either "Nathan" or "Mr. Ritter," Near decided it was safe for the present.

She'd revealed that he would be given a choice to where he would stay for that period of time. Despite her encouragement to choose the outdoor Courtyard, Near instead opted to remain inside. The large window overhead no doubt gave the Sun Room its name, and from the position in the sky, Near would wager that it was mid-morning and approaching noon. The room itself was lobby-like in appearance. Several doors lined the walls, which were painted a mild green--unsurprising, given the calming nature of the color. Accompanying pictures also seemed place to induce a sense of relaxation, completed by the inviting furniture. The only thing that seemed to contrast with the atmosphere, in fact, was the balcony above, on what was presumably the second floor. So the patients were to relax here, and at the same time, perhaps be watched by the keepers?

Interesting.

But clearly what held the most promise for Near was the large board hanging on the far wall. His nurse left his side after he came to the room, and Near approached what was clearly a place for communication and messages. The number of notices signified that it was well used, and the information within was fascinating. Near ignored the patients filing in around him for the moment, instead focusing on reading the various notices as quickly as he could. The information was quite extreme--different worlds, non-humans being forced into human bodies, the dead being brought to life here. Certainly things that one might expect to see in an asylum.

And yet all of it was made much more believable by one note in particular, written in hands Near was intimately familiar with.

A sense of urgency crept into Near's thoughts then. He didn't show it outwardly, save for twirling his hair tighter, tugging at it before freeing his finger. If he was here, and they were here, then who else had arrived? Already Near longed for his toys, or a fingerpuppet kit to make them, the task ideal for filtering through the information. As it stood, the thin paper of his notebook would be a lacking substitute, but the only option at the time.

First, however, Near began to write on several of the notices. There was obviously much more to this hospital than its surface showed, and the push to solve the puzzle was quickly born in his mind.

_{[from here]}

Before they’d even reached the bottom of the stairs, Aidou heard the sound of trickling water. And once he stepped onto the black marble floor, it was oddly the first thing he focused on. Fountains… His gaze trailed them up, to the seemingly infinite expanse of ceiling.

“Heh, it really is a ballroom,” thought the noble out loud, tone half-amused.

It was a common practice for vampire families, his included, to stage some of their events in buildings that appeared to be abandoned and near to falling apart. Places nobody wanted, would never think to enter and explore. If one did, they’d find the lower levels transformed into grand rooms much like this, fit for the most respected nobility to gather. To find such a place here… well, the vampire didn’t find himself all that surprised. Gaudy architecture, though. That was the least impressive thing.

His heels clicked along the smooth floor as he walked. A plain, black door, two wooden doors, and one door of white marble… He thought back to what he’d read on the bulletin board, and consequently gleaned as to what could lie behind them, absently approaching the closest door and examining the carvings. And, of course, that was when the glint of candlelight on metal drew his eye, to the opposite end of the hall where a hulking form stood sentient. He turned his head fully, blinking. Was that...?

The vampire let out a groan. "Not that thing," he complained lowly, looking over at the others before raising his voice slightly. "Hurry up. There's a guard dog down here too."

[From here]

It was cold. But for once, it wasn't the first thought that crossed Wolfram's mind as he was practically thrown into the giant cooler. He was more worried about his eyes than anything. It still hurt to open them, and when he tried nothing would focus anyways. And he could still hear what was going on in the kitchen behind him.

Crawling over to the nearest side, still clinging possessively to his items, he tried to focus on listening for Aidou and "John" as best as he could, trembling more in fear than from the cold. Not that he would admit to being almost terrified. No, of course not. Wasn't like he wouldn't be seeing that ugly thing in his dreams for the next five years at least.

_{[from here]}

The first and only time he’d come to the kitchen, it’d been his first night, and it had started with chocolate cake, too. And ended with fighting off lizards, meeting Sasuke, and being inflicted with Alucard. There weren’t any good memories of this place (if that could seriously be said of any part of the building).

Aidou was certainly more wary entering.

“Be careful not to bump into anything or get near the stoves,” he muttered, looking around the room with a frown. “Giant lizards that breathe fire seem to dwell here.” It didn’t feel as ridiculous saying that, since he’d been faced with the evidence once before. He hoped the newbie, Wolfram, wouldn’t question that beyond simple words, because Aidou really didn’t want to have to rush to break down a door because of stupid monsters. Though maybe he should have been more worried about Jack.

_{[from here]}

If there was one thing that made Aidou the best person in the whole damn Institute to be partnered up with during a night time adventure, it was that he was a vampire. A genius vampire, at that.

The vampire part just meant that he could clearly see that the cafeteria was unoccupied, from his position just inside the doors. The genius part meant that Aidou didn't move farther in until he'd passed a glance over the entire room, listening as well as watching. Making sure his initial once over was right. Or as right as he could hope to be, with his overly sharp senses slightly dulled as they were.

He didn't bother to hide the fact that he didn't have a flashlight, at least not this time. Jack might have still been using his, but Aidou had to admit that complaining about it was rather moot, given that he'd probably see something sooner than Jack, and could tell him to turn it off if he had to. Hopefully the kitchen would be just as unremarkable, he thought, looking over his shoulder briefly to check on the others before starting up the center row.

[from here]

The Sun Room at night was drastically different from its impression during the day. The sunlight allowed beams of moonlight to hauntingly cascade in. The chairs and sofas looked like perfect hiding places, and Archer checked them with his light. He felt uneasy but he needed the materials for his bow.

"The Music Room's over there alright Brook?" He pointed at his roommate's goal. "I'm going over here to the Arts and Crafts Room. We'll meet back here in a few minutes." Archer really didn't feel like bailing out his roommate, but he couldn't exactly leave him to the wolves either. "If something happens then give a shout, and I'll come over, alright?"

[[from here]]

The hall was empty when he arrived, which was something of a relief.  Last night the hall had gotten fairly crowded with people coming and going and even people trying to keep others out of the Sun Room.  He knew there'd been some kind of fight going on in there, so maybe it'd been for the best to involve as few as possible.  For now, though, things were quiet, and Allen was content to lean back against the wall and wait for Rukia and Rinali to arrive.  He knew Rukia would be a bit delayed, since she had to meet with her captain, but hopefully Rinali would still be able to make it to the meeting point before long.

[from here]

An uncomfortable ache in his chest announced to Sai that moving so quickly right now wasn't helping the healing process any. His pace slowed, but he kept his ears open for signs of any potential danger. He'd be too easy of a target, so showing weakness was out of the question. Luckily, he'd never run into much trouble in this stretch of hallway. The fact that it was possible kept him moving. It was doubtful he'd be doing anything overly strenuous tonight, so he could afford it now.

On to the next hall.

[to here]

[from here]

Sai had only brought one weapon tonight. With only one usable hand there was no point in bringing another. The patient rooms didn't seem to be that large a source of danger in the first place, unless it involved another patient. Hopefully it wouldn't be necessary at all, as he wasn't in the best condition to be fighting period, but one could never be too careful.

He hardly needed his flashlight by now. The way over to the next block was as familiar as anything now.

[to here]

The beginning of nightshift, mmm? What a strange and funny thing had happened. It wasn't like normal Landel's nights by any stroke of the imagination; indeed, the radios and the intercom were playing this time. How fancy! It was like three voices talking at once, once from the wall and twice from the two radios in Peony's and Siegfried's room.

The voices were lighter, brighter, as if many years had stood to pass between the first recording and Dr. Landel's subsequent cursing and damning what had happened. Peony could tell as much. And he wondered if, perhaps, there had been such a change between his and Jade's voices from so long ago and their voices now.

Funny how this place made him think about himself sometimes.

Yes, it was a rare and introspective moment for the emperor, and he was rather glad it was dark. Not for long, though; his flashlight flicked on in the darkness, and the tube of light passed over Siegfried for a moment before the emperor grabbed the few scalpels he'd harvested the other day. And - well, hell, why not. The radio, too. Which meant he'd need his coat. For the pockets.

"Bye," he said abruptly, excusing himself into the hallway.

Now all there was was to wait for Gailardia. He was actually quite curious on what the young man would say about such a strange thing. So he leaned against the hallway wall outside their rooms, waiting. They would get going quite quickly tonight! It would be glorious.