With her torso wrapped once again to hide the disfigurement left behind from her hybridization, Teresa found she was the first in the showers. It figured that the handlers would take care of her and her... unsightly mark before anyone else had a chance to catch a glimpse. It wasn't as if Teresa cared, unless it was someone she knew personally, but she did not feel like complaining.

Standing under the cascading water, Teresa let her mind wander back to a time when she was but a whelp and snuck away from the barracks into the woods. To where the waterfall was.

[free]

That had been a very frustrating shower. For many reasons. At least Raine was going to at least look at Forte. Hopefully, she'll actually heal him. The showers had also succeeded in making the ninja feel like a pervert. A mild one, but still... It was as if Yukari had picked that spot in the showers because she knew the ninja could easily see her.

Ugh! Damn youkai.

Squirreling herself away in a corner of the cafeteria, Sheena finger combed her wet hair before pulling it back with the bright red ribbon. She so needed her own hair ribbon back. She was attempting to formulate her plan of acquisition - she was ninja after all - as people started trickling into the room. The plan was put on pause, though, when her stomach rumbled.

Food now - plan later.

[Closed to Haseo and Endrance]

The intercom message was unnerving. Again with this I.R.I.S. thing, and some nonsense about guests and tours. What the hell was going on? Was the head doctor really dead? That seemed to be the theory, but Asch couldn't be sure. He hadn't thought this place could get any nuttier, but apparently, it could.

Asch wasn't sure he even felt like eating, but the nurse insisted. So he got his tray of food and sat in the corner of the cafeteria, away from the other patients. He was well aware that this particular strategy was flawed, of course, as it had yet to provide him with anything resembling peace and quiet.

He hoped against hope, though, that he wouldn't be bothered. That annoying guy that used to room with the replica had no reason to come and bother him, and he'd spoken to Claude yesterday. He knew that the man from the night before - Apollo, that was what he'd written on the bulletin board - wanted to repay him somehow, but that wasn't exactly going to happen at a lunch table.

He reminded himself that he'd have to take the kitchen shears to Alfred to exchange for the meat cleaver, once night fell. The cleaver wasn't his first choice of weapon, but it beat the hell out of stabbing things with shears.

He took a drink of his juice and sighed. Maybe he'd get in contact with ZEX regarding night shift; he wasn't sure he wanted to venture out alone.

[Guy]

Snake jerked his head away from Fox's hand and shot to his feet, disorientated slightly by the sudden shift. The grout in the tiles was black with what looked like old blood, and the stench of rot heaved in his throat. Something was badly wrong. He sensed threats - left, faint shapes in the dark outside the large windows - Fox - something creaking in the ceiling - a long groaning voice off to the right, past the walls - and something moving in the back of the room -

It staggered towards him, and before he fully knew what he was doing he ripped the match from the book and struck it with his left hand alone, popped the cap off the hairspray, and blasted a tongue of flame at the aggressor, aiming for its face. He saw, in the flickering light, long hair and long nails and the skin on its rotten face peeling and cracking and bubbling in the heat. It gave a long, screaming cry, and toppled to the floor. Its arms and legs writhed and kicked furiously, an automatic, animal gesture, before it finally lay still.

"Here?" he snapped at Fox, wrapping his fingers around the can of hairspray. "This place gets better and better. It's like a theme park." His voice quaked with anger. The place now stunk of something far worse than rotten meat, and for a fraction of a second he thought he could hear Big Boss's voice saying something he couldn't make out before he realised that it had come from inside his own head.

"At least I don't have to be the only thing here back from the dead," he growled. The woman zombie was leaking something he didn't want to think about. He guessed that the decomposition must have trapped methane and other flammable gasses inside the body, hence why it went up like a candle.

That said, he didn't really think he could burn anything else again. For a while.

Godot versus the coffee pot, round seven.

The prosecutor felt more like himself with every sip, and by the third pot, he'd began giving advice to the waitress on just how to prepare each new carafe. She'd been resistant at first, asking if she should bring out the coffeemaker for his personal use (and then explaining it had been a joke when he told her he wouldn't mind cutting out the middleman). Now, he sat relaxed in his side of the booth, eyes closed, breathing in the vapors of the first new mug of this brew. Even from the same blend, the final products had subtle differences in character. Was it a heavy hand that poured the grounds into the filter? Had the water gotten just a degree colder since the last time the machine was used?

Now that he'd been able to calm the cravings, Godot enjoyed picking apart the subtleties. It was a passion few understood, and even fewer dared to master. But producing fine coffee was nothing short of an art, and he intended to be the Da Vinci of his time. Certainly there were other ways he could be spending his time in the town, trying to explore or arm himself, trying to find those illusive answers. But that sort of work could be left to people like the Wild Filly; Godot would feel no great loss if she drove herself to insanity by refusing to slow her pace.

Godot knew better. He knew his limits. And he knew he could only avoid the work until the coffee ran out.

Ha! He really had slept for far too long. Now he was trying to hold on to a pleasant dream in the middle of the day.


[For Edgeworth]

[from here]

The smell of old paper, leather and cardboard was oddly comforting. It had been too long since Ritsuka had been able to visit the patient library and since he was only able to check out one book, he usually had way too much time on his hand. Ritsuka was used to reading at least one or two books a day, so having just one for an entire week was almost painful.

As soon as he entered the store, however, he was keenly aware of the clerks at the back - the ones who likely would be guarding this shop. Even if he was just a kid by all appearances, he knew they'd likely keep an eye on him. He was still a patient, so how could they trust him, right?

Moving through the aisles, Ritsuka let his gaze wander the different titles lined up, or rather stacked and wedged into every single available place. The cramped quarters made it hard to get comfortable, but the presence of books alone was enough to put Ritsuka at ease. Reaching out, he traced a finger along the spines of the books, trying to figure out what sort of order they were in. So far it seemed they were divided into the normal sections, but the books were just piled everywhere.

Finally coming to rest on the non-fiction section, Ritsuka pulled out a book on the science of flight. He sat down and opened the book carefully so as not to break the spine, then started reading.

[for Rude]

Before anyone could come to any decisions for their next move, the room suddenly filled with a thick fog. Faster than he could realize what was happening, it had filled up the entire room and swallowed every single one of his friends. Then there was that undeniable stench of iron, blood and... he last remembered taking a step back and feeling that slippery skid and the realization of what that was. By the time he yelled, he was sitting straight up in his bed like he'd bolted awake. Like it'd been nothing more than a bad dream. ...What the hell just happened?!

"Oh! Good morning!" The nearby voice made him yelp with a half squeak-like noise. Oh, for hell's sake. It was one of those freaking nurses again. She was beaming at him like nothing had happened at all. Before he could so much as ask one question, the hag started blathering real fast about some field trip and buses and getting changed and hurrying up before everyone left without him and... OH MY GOD, WHAT WAS SHE DOING?! She was grabbing at his shirt like she was about to start helping him get dressed (or undressed in this case).

He flailed in a desperate attempt to get away from her and yelled his consent to go along if she would get out and let him change HIMSELF. What was the matter with her?! Thankfully, she left but told him to hurry. Hell if he knew what she'd do if he took too long. So for the sake of not getting freaking stripped, he quickly changed into the clothes she'd left on the bed. Clothes being the ugliest looking white-and-black track pants he'd ever seen and a bright blue sweatshirt with a cute little penguin design on the front. This was some kind of joke, right? ...Not to say the penguin wasn't cute or anything but there was no way, no way, he was wearing something like this in public.

But the nurse had burst right in again, and before Kanji could offer much protest, he was being pulled down the hallways and through the doors of the bus. He'd yelled some things her way, but she totally wasn't listening at all. By the time they stopped, he was standing at the front of the bus with a paper bag and the nurse had run off to cart another poor sap along. Frickin' PERFECT. For the sake of not standing up there like some kind of zoo animal for everyone to stare at, he plopped himself into one of the seats by the front and sighed in complete exasperation.

[Free. No limit.]

[F15]

As usual, the doctor's announcement was vague and led her nowhere as far as figuring out what his intentions were went, but definitely foreboding. There was no way to tell what exactly he had in mind when he was cutting himself off like that among all the static, which was frustrating, but ... she supposed sooner or later, they would all see what would happen-- if it did.

For now, however, Naoto knew there were other important things she had to wait for, so the riddle can be further sat on later. Setting her journal back on the desk, she went to prop the door to the room open and sat back on the edge of her bed, then set the flashlight up to give the best lighting around the room she could get it to. Anyone else wouldn't be wandering around the pitch black halls without their own light, but Naoto figured it would be best if those dropping by could see easily in the room, as well.

Now, all there was to do was wait. She didn't care when in the night her radio delivery came in, but she wanted Yousuke and Kanji to hurry. There was a lot to talk about, and Naoto didn't want any of this time wasted.

The intercom announcement didn't exactly make Ritsuka feel very safe. It was a blatant reference to Pandora and even if it wasn't, the message was ominous enough to send a chill down anyone's spine. Taking the notice, Ritsuka went over to the door and opened it cautiously. He didn't like the idea of forcing the Clinic on Nataku, but for now, he had to keep it running. At least until Tamaki popped up again or someone else could take care of it.

Ritsuka didn't really know how to prop the notice up and he was a little too short to push it behind the grungy plastic room numbers, but with a little ingenuity, he figured something out. Dragging his chair out into the hall, Ritsuka propped the note up on the seat of it and sighed. He'd edited it a few more times before he actually set it out, but this was probably the best he could do.

Tamaki's been moved somewhere and I don't know where. For now, I'll keep running the Clinic here, but tonight unless I get supplies, we're short on everything. If you need anything, come in.

-R.Aoyagi

Hopefully the healers came so he wouldn't need to worry about having no supplies whatsoever. Heading back into the room, Ritsuka climbed up onto his bed and waited for someone to show up.

[from here.]

Endrance closed the door behind him and stepped out into the courtyard. The way it looked at night almost reminded him of Indieglut Lugh, with the way the trees took on a silvery appearance and the moonlight reflected off the pond. He looked up at the sky, but the moon was obscured just enough by a cloud that he couldn't see it completely.

He moved to the water's edge, looking down at his own reflection. The bandages on his skin seemed to stand out a little more than they might have normally. He gingerly touched them, wincing just slightly at the pain.

But right now wasn't the time to focus on that. In truth, he hadn't tried summoning Macha since the Demon Palace title match. He was certain he hadn't lost his Epitaph, but...to try it here, rather than in a familiar setting, was unsettling.

He needed a minute to calm himself and collect his thoughts.

[from here]

Harley clicked on her flashlight and checked back and forth as she usually did. All clear. Alright-e-o! She moved as quickly as she could down the hallway. No monsters and no other people yet. She knew that changed pretty quickly around here so best to get a move on.

[to here]

[from here]

It probably wasn't the safest route, but it was a shorter distance. 

Yuuhi pushed the door open out into the cold night air and stayed close to the building.  He kept the flashlight off, not wanting to attract any extra attention.  The door wasn't far, so it shouldn't be too much trouble to walk quickly and quietly back inside.

[from here]

Beatrix wasn't sure how well she'd be able to defend herself well enough should Ophelia take the time to actually hunt her down, to exact revenge, before HK-47 arrived. She had her katana with her and had taken more oxycodone before leaving her new room, so she should be able to at least hold the bitch at bay if she must.

F33. It was empty. Where had they put Maki? What happened to the woman? Did the Bride even care? A little. Maki had been something of a friend. Speaking of friends, Beatrix needed to see what Donna was up to. It'd been a while since she'd seen the batty Brit.

Looking down the hall, she willed HK-47 to get his chassis in gear.

Once the doors unlocked and night began, Tamaki hoped that everyone came to the clinic tonight. He wanted to talk about what had been discussed at lunch. He knew Raine agreed with the idea, that they needed mobile units, and Kratos as well. And while they were currently under-staffed...

Well, that was going to change! Tomorrow, Tamaki was going to make a lovely, eye-catching flier for the public board, advertising the need for more doctors, healers, or anyone with medical training. And then they could offer mobile units, which were very much needed - as everyone agreed.

And tomorrow he'd also take time for the Host Club and for Ed, because he missed them both terribly and felt horrible at how busy he'd been. Busy was no excuse to neglect friends and loved ones!

With all of that in mind, Tamaki opened the clinic in a good mood. After tonight, things were going to get better.

He was going to make sure of it!

This time, just after the intercom's jingle, the faint sound of a radio or a television could be heard in the background as the Head Doctor began to speak.

"I hope everyone enjoyed their meals this fine morning! In fact, it looks like the whole day is going to be beautiful, which is part of the reason why I think you all should enjoy some rays of sunshine in... well, the Sun Room!

"Of course, mental health – unfortunately – cannot only be cured by an uplifting atmosphere, which is why some of you will be seeing your doctors this coming shift. Our nurses will escort all patients scheduled for therapy as they leave the cafeteria, and..."

He paused and then laughed.

"Well, I think you all know the drill by now. As (almost) always, we have some new patients coming in, so please treat them with the utmost kindness and understanding. Thank you!"

The intercom clicked off.

[ All introduction posts for this shift's group of new characters should be made in response to this post. Please abide by the room assignments listed there.

Post your character's room number as the subject line of the initial post. Thank you! ]

[From here]

After all of the painfully bright light he had been subjected to throughout the day, the pitch black halls of this place at night were a blessing. Recluse kept moving, far more silently than anyone would expect for such a large man. This shouldn't take long.

[To here]

The cafeteria was all but empty when Zelnick got there. He was a little disappointed; he had gotten the impression that patients usually ate dinner in their rooms, so he hadn't arranged to meet anyone, and there really wasn't anyone to sit by and engage in conversation yet.

Quietly, he collected dinner and a big glass of orange juice, and chose a seat near the food-serving counters. Talking for so long had made him thirsty... and, well, fruit juice was a luxury he had missed.

[Stalk away, my dearest Admiral. <3 ]

Burly orderlies and agile Calm Effect nurses flooded the cafeteria from the Courtyard while regular hall nurses filed in from the Sun Room and ushered out those not involved in the rebellion. It indeed seemed as if Landel was sending out all the cavalry, and an effective cavalry they were: The riot didn't continue for much longer after the alarm sounded, though it seemed strange just how quickly all of the mutinous patients fell, even the ones who hadn't been injected with anything.

The hall nurses were quick to escort their well-behaved charges back to their rooms, praising those who hadn't joined in and chiding those who muttered under their breath in response. There were some exceptions, of course: One nice young man had even defended one of the nurses from the violent patients! Now, wasn't that exemplary behavior? Dr. Landel would be so proud to hear about it...

Within half an hour, all of the so-called "loyal" patients had been safely deposited in their rooms, and it was then that the alarm finally stopped and the true difficulty of the situation was tackled. There certainly weren't enough rooms in solitary to accommodate such rampant disobedience, and yet measures would have to be taken to ensure proper consequences for each and every patient involved. After all, something like this couldn't be allowed to happen again!

Different options were considered. Perhaps they should make an example out of the girl who had sparked the riot, but then again, perhaps not. This certainly wasn't the first case of patients attacking nurses or their peers in a crowded area, but what had been different this time was the sheer support that the other patients had shown for her. Should the staff then make examples of all those who had tried to "protect" her from the well-meaning nurses? No, there were too many for that...

In the end, it was decided that the best immediate solution would be to treat the rebellious patients in the Medical Wing while they were unconscious and then move them back to their rooms to await punishment. To ensure the safety of both their roommates and the patients themselves, however, the staff decided to securely fasten their limbs to their beds and keep them heavily drugged. Such a sad sight they were to see, but... it was necessary.

Finally, when each and every patient had been escorted back to their respective rooms, the staff hurried off to an emergency meeting upstairs. Strangely, Head Nurse Lydia was the one taking care of the proceedings in the Head Doctor's stead. She calmly told them that he was preoccupied with more urgent matters, and as she began to speak to the crowd, the staff could only wonder what could possibly be more important than an unprecedented patient riot...

[ Comment to this post with separate threads for each patient room, and please put your character's room number in the subject line. Thank you! ]

Tamaki was relatively calm by the time the night came. Or at least he was able to present a front of being calm and in control. He was good at that, at least - it didn't do to focus on the bad things. And as Ed had said, everything was going to be alright.

He started preparations as soon as he finished his dinner - laying out his supplies, making sure they were easily accessible, pulling down the covers on his bed and all those little things he needed to do to get the clinic ready for nightshift.

Once the doors unlocked, he opened the door and hung the small sign - 'St. Francis Aide Clinic' - on the door.

Now it was just time to wait.

Hiei didn't give a damn about religious services, meditation, or pretending to be social. The always sudden waking after night put him in a bad mood, this one particularly so. Even with Kurikara licking him like some perverted moron, the warmth the dragon provided was welcome in Hiei's bed, and missing when he woke, giving the surrounding air a greater sense of chill.

But the perfect thing to relieve his anger might just be making an appearance that morning, and that at least gave Hiei hope for a decent day.

Hopefully Kurikara and Kurama both would be clever enough to figure it out for themselves. Without hesitation, Hiei demanded to be led to the temple, taking a seat in one of the rear pews. Humans had a way of overdoing things, and this place wasn't really much exception to that. Granted Hiei's limited knowledge prevented him from realizing there were much more outrageous churches, but to the demon, the colored pieces of glass and polished wood seemed to be much.

It didn't matter, however. Either could be turned into weapons, perfect objects to slice into that damned head doctor's throat or bash in his skull. That was a thought worth grinning about.



[Feel free to pester. Just, uh, be aware that he's not exactly nice.]