The shinigami had never changed her clothes so quickly before in her life as soon as the nurses had left. Momo did not want to spend any more time than was absolutely necessary with her roommate. The shinigami uniform went on easily enough with her injured shoulder, now that it had healed some, with tolerable pain. As the night before, she did not affix the vice captain badge to her arm, but slid it into her belt next to the hanging sling.

Without a look at Anya, Momo retrieved her katana from underneath her mattress and slid it into her belt as well. A part of her was worried that Anya might try to steal it, she was Oni after all, but she figured she could at least use a binding spell on her long enough to retrieve it.

With no plans for the night, other than maybe talking to Reinforce if the woman was at the clinic, the shinigami darted out of the room as soon as the doors unlocked. She was concerned about the death of the radio man, wondering if it was really true or just being said, a tactic being used to lower their morale. Regardless, she decided she needed to see Hitsugaya and talk to him about it.

Yeah... that's why she needed to see him.

[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 ]

The last intercom had spelled out everything.

Misbehavior. Someone had started a riot - quickly quelled from the sounds of it. He didn't want to say it was good thing he'd be stabbed, but from the looks of it, it was probably best he was absent from whatever shift this had happened during. The warning siren, and all of the habub about it; blood had probably been spilled. In his current condition, he might have been tempted.

Well, there was no might in that. He would've been.

Despite protests from his nurse as well as his own body, Edward politely asked for an escort to the music room, wanting nothing more than to get out of his little cell. The cream-colored music room was quiet, spacious, and had plenty of seating.

He was surprised to see it empty this time, and made no hesitation in moving to sit at the large keyboard. It was no parlor grand, but it was accessable. Couldn't really complain about it.

Edward sat for a moment, lost in his memories. It had been a while since he had played anything... something old sounded satisfactory. Maybe a song from his childhood? Popular song, maybe. Gus Edwards?

Nodding to himself, he let his fingers settle against the keys, keeping his back straight for the hole in his chest. Without an entrance, his fingers began dancing along the keys to the tune of By the Light of the Silvery Moon. A quirky little tune, but a personal favorite.

Hitsugaya woke with a start.

His entire body ached, but the pain was nowhere near as bad as it had been the night before. His injuries had been tended two with clean gauze and bandages, and he found every movement wasn't agony. He wasn't in the best of shape, but thanks to the miracle of landel's strange time distortion, he had mostly recovered from the vile poison without having to waste anyone else's talents.

And in his hand, still...there was the key.

He dressed quickly, sliding the key onto the key ring from his desk drawer and stuck it into his pocket. Whether the key stood to gain them anything or not, it stood as a vital reminder that they could succeed in this place. There was hope, as insignificant as it often seemed. They could beat this place.

That small shred of hope made getting up worth it.

The nurse who escorted him to breakfast was cheerful, and commented idly about how wonderful it was to see young Tommy Winters up and about again after his unfortunate run-in with a bad case of food poisoning. He smirked slightly, knowing that any lies the institute forced into their heads were only that: lies. He wouldn't buy it for a second. And on top of that, the concept of muffins sounded almost appetizing. While he still preferred his authentic Japanese cuisine, the food here was slowly becoming more and more bearable. He would have preferred a warm bowl of sweet nattou over rice over the mufffins, but they would do. The plain yogurt and fruit, on the other hand, was excellent. He piled his plate high with fruit as usual, and got several small bowls of yogurt as well.

Finding the most convenient table to the end of the food line, he took a seat and scanned for the new arrivals. New arrivals meant people who would be lost and confused. Renji did a good job of making a bulliten post last time...he should recommend abarai-fukutaicho do the same again this time.

[Waiting for Angel]

Nathan had never actually been in a nuthouse before and had only recently contemplated checking himself into one in a fit of sarcastic, self-depricating humor as of late. It was safe to say that he wasn't terribly familiar with the typical layout, even though he guessed it wasn't too hard to assume in this case. Everything was clean and painfully sterile-looking, if you could tell just by looking anyway, and he had to admit that they did a decent job of dressing this place up like a stereotypical, mental institution. They'd probably wait until evening to run whatever tests they wanted after they'd drugged everyone up nice and good.

The former congressman parted ways with his nurse, offering her a fairly sarcastic "thanks" as she let him loose in the expansive cafeteria. The food choices seemed pretty basic: hamburgers, hot dogs, pizza... The sort of thing he'd been living off of for the past, couple of months. Nathan hadn't realized how hungry he was until he actually picked up a plate. Skeptical as he was of the food here, it probably didn't matter whether it was drugged or not; if he was where he naturally assumed he was, they'd have their way no matter what he did. The only thing not eating would accomplish would be to make things easier for them.

With a hamburger and some fries piled on his plate, Nathan scanned the large room for any familiar faces. If he'd been nabbed in his sleep, there was at least a small chance that they might've nabbed Parkman or one of the others too. Unfortunately, he seemed to have chosen the wrong place to get information. It was practically empty.

Great. It looked like he'd be keeping himself company for the time being. Always a fun person to pass the time with. Sitting down at an empty table, Nathan took a moment to stare his hamburger down before taking a hesitant bite.

It was with some relief that Yuuhi awoke the next morning, in his own bed, sore and tired and achy.  He would've slept more had they let him, his face down in the pillow, away from all the others and their questions and their concern.  He didn't want to see them, but he managed a little smile when the nurse came in and didn't object when she lead him out into the open hallway that had been splattered with blood, plenty of it his, just last night. 

The Chapel or the Sun Room?  He felt he had good reason not to be terribly religious and had a feeling he wouldn't be very welcome there anyway.  The Sun Room would be nice though.  It was bright and cheery and he could always doodle or write notes on the community board if he'd nothing better to do.  Besides, the nurse was kind enough to let him take a book with him.

He found a seat on one of the couches, far from the entrance and seated himself in the far corner, legs scrunched up against his chest so he only took up one of the cushions.  He opened up where he'd left off, fingers carefully turning the worn pages  of Dorothy and the Wizard in Oz. 

[from Kelley Street]

The shinigami quietly entered the rundown park. It looked forlorn and very much like there should be a hollow or two hanging out in it. Yet a quick check of the spirit threads gave her no indication of any present. The gloomy atmosphere was perfect for her to do some deep thinking about herself and what all had happened in Soul Society.

Picking a bench under a tree, she sat and stared off into the park..She needed the quiet.

[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! ]

Renji wasn't so certain what this grilled cheese thing was all about, but he liked the sound of some soup. Even if it was strange western soup, well... there wasn't anything bad people could do to soup, in his experience. His good mood was starting to fray at the edges, a little, from the strain of dealing with the Ichimaru issue, and even more from what had been on the bulletin board earlier.

He'd never had difficulty simply writing something before. But...

He shook his head as he entered the line. He didn't want to think about it. He wanted to hold on to the tenuous equilibrium he'd managed to find.

Renji got himself a large bowl of soup, water, and even one of those sandwiches, just to try it. Old habit, recently awakened, had him over to one side of the cafeteria, where the fewest people possible would have the chance to pass behind him. He sat there with his back toward the wall and started eating.

Day came too soon.

Sora hadn't been able to find Rena, had instead been forced to crumple onto the grass of the recreational field and bleed all over himself, and hadn't even accomplished what he'd been sent out to do. What he'd been entrusted to do. He didn't know how he was going to be able to face Renji and the others, but he also knew he wasn't going to hide from them, either. That would just be low, after all, and he was ready to face up to the consequences.

He didn't try to make excuses for himself. Even though there had been a Special Counseling patient, they had managed to take her down by sheer numbers. The fact that he hadn't seen any sign of Rena was what had him the most worried. He hoped he could find her today.

The boy laid in his bed for a good while that morning before his nurse finally came in to collect him. She clucked over the bandages wrapped tightly around his chest and leg, and asked him if he was okay to walk.

Once Sora assured her he was fine (he didn't really want to use crutches, as that would just attract attention to himself, and he didn't need others worrying over him), they made their way to the cafeteria. Sora yawned and winced against the bright light of morning - it seemed even earlier than usual, and he realized why when they entered the cafeteria and found it empty.

The boy shuffled over to grab a chocolate chip pancake, a bowl of cereal, and a glass of milk (good for the bones, or so his mom had always told him) before settling at a table. He kept an eye on the door, hoping he would see Rena walking in soon.

[[ 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.

[From here.]

Shining the flashlight around the corner, Rukia didn't see any other patients around, which was fine with her at the moment. She wanted to get to Colonel Mustang quickly, and hopefully Renji wouldn't take too long to meet her...

Jogging along quietly, she continued on.

Momo had once again thoroughly cleaned her katana and was set for the night mission when the intercom clicked on. She listened to the announcement and sighed. So this was what Hitsugaya had meant by Special Counseling. One of the patients turned temporary enemy for the night was right in in the way of her mission and this time she had a young girl with her and Signum. She sighed again and slid the cymbal into the back of her pants and her katana into the sheet-belt at her side. She was even happier that she'd come across Kimbley this morning than she'd been earlier. She was going to need Signum properly equipped.

Stepping out into the hallway, Momo put her back to the wall after checking the small bit of the hall to the left before the wall. Sumeragi-san and Signum will hopefully be moving rapidly. They needed to move.

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.

It wasn't as if Phibrizzo didn't enjoy breakfast; he simply grew bored with it after awhile. Exchanging pleasantries with Haku only held his interest for so long and once the meal was finished, they lost all their charm. He was heading for the exit to go exploring on his own when a nurse put a hand on his shoulder and told him it was time to go somewhere else.

"Where are we going?" He asked, looking up at her with large eyes. She smiled back.

"The game room! You'll be able to find yourself a little playmate there."

A playmate? Probably not in the same sense Hellmaster was accustomed to playing, but it wouldn't be so bad to mingle with others his "age". If nothing else, it was a way to pass the time. And who knew- maybe a 'playmate' would present themselves. There was some fun to be had yet. Shuffling into the game room at the nurse's urging, Phibrizzo picked up the first game he could find and inspected it.

"Uno," he read back from the cover. Huh. He opened the box and pulled out a few cards of various colors and numbers. The small Mazoku cocked his head. How did this game work? Were you supposed to separate them and pile them in numerical order by color? It didn't seem like much of a game, but what did he know about the games children played?

Taking the deck in his hand, he meandered to a corner and sat down on the floor, making blue, red, green, yellow, and misc piles of cards as he waited for others to filter in.

Sai awoke rather groggily, which wasn't a good sign for a ninja. It meant he was probably ill. He'd need to get checked up with a medic-nin before he did very much more that day. Eyes blinked open slowly to stare at the ceiling and then narrowed in confusion. Not his ceiling. Was he already at the hospital?

"Mr. Pastello... wake up, hon."

Turning his head to the side revealed a vaguely familiar woman in a white uniform. A nurse? ...Oh yes. His nurse. Landels. He sat up at her direction, feeling mildly dizzy as he did so, and glanced down at his arms as he folded them in his lap. They were covered in clean bandages, no longer bleeding. The dizziness told him he was still suffering a bit from the blood loss, however.

When had he passed out? The last few events of the night hadn't been very clear. He didn't know what had happened to the two pirates and, looking around, the mess of blood they had left seemed to have been completely cleaned up. It was amazing, really. He smiled at his nurse, too weary to do much else but let her lead him to breakfast at the moment.

She helped him to his feet, where the light-headedness was even more apparent. It didn't seem to be anything he couldn't put up with, though. The nurse seemed to know a bit about what he suffered from, but made no mention of it aside from telling him to avoid lifting heavy objects and to drink lots of fluids as they made their way to the cafeteria. The subject of blood-sucking leeches never arose, and he figured if it had she'd surely feign ignorance.

It wasn't until they got there that he realized just how absolutely starving he was. He'd had what, corn for dinner? The smells were simply enticing, even though he had no idea what waffles were supposed to be. He was sure anything edible at this point would be fine, and made his way out of his nurse's grip and to the line with more speed then he'd probably ever gone after food at.

[[From here]]

It was the same area where they had fought the strange woman previously, so Wesker was cautious. So far he hadn't run into trouble in the same area twice, though he had noticed monster remains in various areas. He had yet to notice any particular pattern in the deployment of monsters, but he couldn't monitor the entire facility.

This particular area was also slightly more hazardous to fight in because of the railing and the danger of being thrown over it by a strong enough enemy. The noise of breaking down a door would attract the attention of whatever was in the area, so he wanted to make absolutely certain there were no enemies waiting in the shadows to surprise them.

Unfortunately, with Relena's light on, there was very little chance of noticing any enemy before the enemy noticed them.

[From here]

If a being that lacked his heart could somehow have a heart attack, Xemnas would certainly have one as soon as the radio broke the deafening silence. As the man blurted his message, the Nobody found himself torn between listening to said message or trying to silence it. It would seem he had no choice in the matter, even despite the possible foes the noise would certainly attract. If it was possible for Xemnas to do so, he would certainly regret bringing the item along this little trip.

Naturally a curious man, the message was merely fuel to the fire. Where the Dead rested..., certainly some of the patients must have perished during their stay, leaving a mere corpse behind. There was no graveyard to speak of, yet those bodies needed to be stored somewhere...

Even so, the Superior had no idea where he could find such a place, as he still hadn't fully mapped the institute. Added to the fact he still had no decent weapon...it seemed incredibly unwise to pursue the supposed clue unless he would have some means to defend himself. There was also the possibility it was a trap. How much could this man of the radio be trusted, after all? What could be said of him?

He continued ascending the stairs, eventually reaching the very spot he had been a few nights ago. He had gone straight ahead back then, now there were both the options of left and right. After a moment's pause, he finally chose to head left.

[To here]