When the bus had lurched to life, Okita was barely able to contain his scream of terror. He was lucky no one was sitting next to him or he would have died of embarrassment at his actions. Never having seen or even been in a modern transportation vehicle, he spent most of the trip curled up in his seat, gripping it like it was his only lifeline. The bus terrified him - the sounds it made and the way it jolted along the road. When it had become apparent that it wasn't going to explode, though, he'd relaxed enough to realize that unlike riding a horse, this metal monstrosity made him motion sick.

As soon as the thing stopped, Okita was off it, looking a little green. He remembered to take his sack breakfast and the coupon book, though, and quickly fled the area to find the closest place to hide. It ended up being a beautiful park with carefully sculpted lawns and what looked like play equipment. The fresh air did him some good and he quickly moved to the swings, setting the brown bag in his lap as he lazily moved to and fro on them.

He still had a lot to think about, he'd been able to supress most of his worst homocidal urges on the bus. Hijikata couldn't just disappear like that. Perhaps he'd been rescued earlier and would be somewhere in town today. All Okita had to do was get up the courage and start moving - no matter how difficult that seemed to be.

Zelgadis was not happy, at all. Not that this was any change, but the events of the past few hours had given him more to angst about than usual. Nightshift had been dreadful: first he was attacked by a small green man and then covered in leeches, neither of which lead to warm fuzzy feelings.

And now this.

When the nurse had come into his room with new clothes he had a small glimmer of hope-- some thief had taken his normal Landel's wear in the night, so perhaps this was a change in luck. However, it was not the godsend he had hoped for. Minus the threat of sedation, there was nothing in the universe that could make Zelgadis wear a bright lemon-yellow shirt. There was a jacket of a slightly more tasteful variety, so Zelgadis made good us of it-- he put all his coupons in a pocket and pulled up the hood. It was almost as good as his cloak. Well, no it wasn't, but it would have to do.

With mild protesting, Zelgadis was lead to a large yellow vehicle. He climbed the stairs, took a seat towards the back, and readied himself for another frustrating day of being attacked and threatened with spoons.

[ falling in from the northwest corner of the rec field ]

Riddick lay stunned, face down and breathing hard. He knew he was in very dangerous territory now, and very much alone. Something wasn't clicking for a moment though. Finally his thoughts pulled together. Force field. Fuckers. His left shoulder had taken a bad hit on the way down and felt like it might be dislocated. Hopefully that was all that was wrong with it.

The killer pushed himself up onto his haunches and turned so his injured shoulder faced the wall. He slammed into it, angle correct, force excruciating... and the shoulder was back in. He grunted, unable to hide the noise. His half-healed ribs were telling him they hadn't appreciated the fall either. He regained silence and waited for a moment, turning so he could see what was visible nearby... which wasn't much, considering he was pretty much behind a small building of some sort. For the moment he concentrated on breathing and trying to shake the rest of the shock out of his brain.

[From here. Unknowingly waiting for Star Dragon Sword, so please don't interrupt without permission unless you're a nightshifter]

As Scar stood in the door opening, he found himself to be quite surprised to inhale the outside air. Being in a prison, he hardly expected part of this Landels to be outside. Not that the former lion minded; it was certainly something he preferred. Unlike the small spaces and hallways, outside seemed to be less of an confinement. More of what he was used to, even though it was still quite the difference.

Shutting the door behind him, he swept the lights-tick across the area. The darkness made it difficult for only his eyes to see what kind of area it was. He noticed the area was made out of grass. He could also see the faint outlines of things further on the area; things he couldn't quite identify.

He hesitated to move further. If he proceeded, there was no wall to support him which would make walking all the more difficult.

[ from here ]

So close. So very close. The flashlight-wielding, ponytailed asshole's door was the first one in the hallway. He hadn't seen the guy's tail end on the way here, so a few more steps was all it would take.

Riddick was out the door as soon as it unlocked, shiv out and partly hidden in his grasp. He sprinted by the other two doors towards the adjoining passage, heading for the hallway containing the room and the man who was his target.

_{[from over here]}

Although, he didn't need a room number to know where he was going, that much was true. The blood scent was strong, stronger than the average person's. And even if it wasn't, he was still competent enough to track it - a vampire's senses were superior, after all. They had no true weaknesses beyond a hunter's weaponry.

The tattoo stung him in rhythmic intervals, reminding of all the little things that made him doubt. Today along two people had called him weak, both children, both with their own visible injuries. And yet they'd both had the

Shut up, he spat in his own head, and kept moving through the shadows.

The only reason he hadn't outright refused Bella's request was that he had been planning to head in that direction all along. Where the humans went to the cafeteria for their food, Aidou went to the female cell block. It was the only place to find a good meal; that girl Claire had to be around somewhere.

_{[and making his way down the hallway 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! ]

Momo's mind was turning over all the possibilities surrounding this "field trip" to the surrounding town when she settled down in the corner of the Sun Room away from the Arts & Crafts room. She curled her legs underneath her as she waited for Shouko-san to find her. The shinigami had no idea what she looked like, so she kept an eye on all those entering the room.

It was still very cold, or at least she was cold, and the momentary thought of getting her coat from her own room passed through her mind amidst the field trip thoughts. She pushed it away and decided to deal with it being as cold as it was since she'd already been late to one meeting today and didn't want to start making it a habit.

As she waited, she pondered the next day's possibilities. Maybe, just maybe, once away from the institute the shinigami will have access to their full reiatsu. And if not, maybe they'll have a better idea of how they are being limited so much. Maybe Aizen would be able to find her then. He'd save her... right? Right?

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.

With the nurse's guidance, Rinali was the first one into the room.  Along the way she did her best to make note of what she saw, but everything seemed to fit what the nurse had said.  This looked for all intents and purposes to be a mental asylum.  Still, everything was off.  Why did the nurse say her name was Mei Dianfu?

"Here's everything you need to get going," the nurse said with a warm smile, leading her to a table with cheap scissors, glue, and an assortment of glitter and other tools to draw or build.  "I'll be right over here if you need anything, hun," the nurse said with a warm smile.  "The other patients will be coming in shortly.  Try and make some friends."

Rinali smiled slightly to the nurse in thanks.  The nurse seemed genuine enough, so there wasn't any point in being rude until she understood what was going on.  "Thank you very much," she said, then took a seat at the table.  She didn't bother to look at the art supplies, instead waiting for the rest of the 'patients' to filter in.  Maybe one of them would know why she was here, or better yet, where her brother was.

Brother, she thought.  Where are you?

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. ))

Cool, didn't look like anyone was in the Cafeteria. Xigbar was quite happy with that; he was showing off like anything, but he also wanted to get stuff done while he had his powers back. Something besides floating in the air upside-down, like he was at that point. Hopefully Rangiku and Tatsumi weren't delicate little flowers.

"So," he said after a moment, "sorry for bein' late. But as you can see? Totally worth it. This is more like what I'm supposed to be like! Gettin' past the Sun Room with no probs; I think you both owe me one."

[From here]

Recluse dropped down from the wall separating the courtyard from the rec field, landing with a small thump. He checked the area around him once more before setting off, heading for the door to the Cafeteria. That damn feeling was getting stronger again.

From in here.

Logan moved quickly through the door and out into the cool, fresh night. It was a little lighter out here, and he could see almost as clearly as in daytime. He took up a ready position next to the wall and scanned the field as he waited for the others to arrive. This was the first time he'd been outside of the institute since he'd arrived here. Once SubZero came through the door, he'd ask him if he actually had some sort of plan. The other man had been here longer and knew the place a little better after all; Logan had just taken the lead out of impatience more than anything else.

[Waitin' on the gang!]

Armand didn't like the man's voice from the air. He sounded cruel, even when he was trying to sound nice during the day. Oh well, not that it mattered to the evil doctor if Armand liked him or not.

When the lights went out, Armand reluctantly put away his journal and pen in the desk, and grabbed a sweater and his flashlight. He slipped the sweater over his head as he entered the dark hallway. He'd run halfway down the corridor before he turned on his flashlight. There was a door to the right, he thought, at the end of the hall. He needed to get to the men's lavatory at the "end of the men's hallways." He knew of the one at the end of his block of rooms, but was there another?

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.

The only reason Momo decided to go to the Game Room was the fact that she hadn't been there yet. She really didn't have much desire to play any games, but Hitsugaya would be in the showers for at least the first part of the shift; she could at least look the room and what it has to offer over before relocating to the Sun Room to give her report to him.

The meeting at lunch was productive, and yet, it wasn't. Maybe she was taking the wrong approach or perhaps she was just lacking the right person. As much as the thought abhorred her, she would have loved to have Unahana-taichou or, at the very least, Isane here to do the work for her. Never mind the fact that she'd taken the task upon herself to get things started. If she had things to do, she didn't have much time to think about Aizen.

And speaking of not having things to do...

One look around the game room and the shinigami didn't recognize any of the games. She'd been kind of hoping for a Go board, but after a quick rummage through the games, gave up searching any further and sat in one of the couches. She curled her legs up underneath her and, using the couch's arm as an uncomfortable headrest, laid her head against her arm. She was tired still and too many things were turning over in her mind.

Trying not to fall asleep, lest she forget to go give her report, Momo kept an eye on the door wondering who all would venture into the room.

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.