[From here.]

Sora wandered back over to the bulletin board after leaving the showers, hoping that he might run into the person he'd talked to over it yesterday. He remembered the description Sechs had given him: tall, dark hair, yellow eyes. That was the sort of thing that should stand out...

But if Sechs was over eighteen, there was a good chance that he would be in the Arts and Crafts room instead. Sora could try and beg one of the nurses to let him go check, but he didn't know if they'd be all that happy with him after he'd slept most of the day.

Well, he'd wait around for just a little longer. If Sechs didn't show, then Sora was going to ask a nurse anyway. The worst thing they could do was say no, right?

[For Sechs.]

Finally, it was lunchtime. Second shift had gone by way too slowly for Zero's liking, although spending his time sitting and waiting impatiently for the shift to be over didn't help him any. Having a staring contest with his nurse probably helped even less...but it did give him something to do that wasn't sitting or staring at the board, at least.

But that was then, this was now. Another awkward intercom broadcast aside, Zero was very much ready for the next shift to start - and he was welcoming it by standing from the couch he'd been restlessly sitting on for who knew how long and staring at the prisoners leaving the Arts and Crafts room. Ciel had to be one of them. He hadn't seen her come out of the showers at all, and the nurse had prevented him from going into that room for a reason, right? So she had to be there. Had to be.

She better be...

[Ciel-chaaaans]

After eating breakfast, Lloyd gathered up his journal and pencil and followed his nurse out of the cafeteria. He made a quick stop at the bulletin to leave a note for Lee, then let her lead him on to take his shower with the rest of the adult men. Not sure how old Lee was, Lloyd kept his eyes peeled for him just in case, but again he didn't catch even a glimpse of his friend's shiny black bowl-cut hair. Okay, no worries. Maybe he was with the kids in Arts and Crafts.

Cleaning up quickly, Lloyd grabbed a towel and dried himself off, then got dressed and headed back to the Sun Room to wait out the rest of the shift. His nurse hovered at his side until he'd situated himself at a table, then she backed up and withdrew to the edge of the room to keep an eye on him from there. He was fine with that. Of course, it would have been better if she left the room completely, but at least she was far enough back that it felt like he had at least some privacy.

While he waited, trying to catch sight of Lee, he pulled his journal back out. As far as he knew, no one else had been to the third floor before. There weren't any maps yet. That was something he could fix. Picking up where he'd left off, the teen went back to his work on the sketch.

[For Tsurugi.]

Korra's stomach was grumbling by the time that annoyingly friendly voice chimed over the speaker that they'd be going into the cafeteria to eat.

"About time..." she grumbled under her breath as her nurse marched her out of the sun room and into the caf. Pancakes seemed like a good idea; something at least a little similar to the food she'd eat in Republic City. She settled down with her food, the events of last night still lingering on her mind despite her best efforts to shut them out. Korra needed to get herself some closer allies, and needed to get in the know on all this talk of the basement and the third floor.

For now, though, food. The Avatar dug in like it was the first decent meal she'd eaten in months.

[Gabe!]

[from here]

He proceeded quickly. Gripped his flashlight tightly, keeping it steadily centered forward. Sweeping the light across the floor horizontally would slow them down and anyway, the beam didn't cover anything behind them. They'd just have to be alert. And quick.

"What other things have you heard lurked here?" he said, failing to keep his voice casual—too serious, too strained—but he barely paid attention to that. He could rectify it later, attribute any slip-ups to nervousness. It wouldn't even be a lie. "And who'd you hear it from?"

[From here.]

Guy had to admit he felt kind of ridiculous, walking down the hallway the way he was outfitted right now.

His clothing was fine -- it was just his normal outfit from home -- but along with the sword that he had hanging from his hip, he had a pillow case full of food draped over his shoulder, which bumped against his back each time that he took a step. He'd shoved his radio in there too, since they might be cut off without it, along with the note he'd written Luke, and in his other hand was his flashlight.

It wasn't ideal, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to move with any kind of agility unless he dropped his supplies, but he'd cross that bridge when he came to it. Maybe Claude and Anise would show up a bit more prepared.

Speaking of Claude, Guy halted when he reached the middle of the hallway, prepared to wait for his friend like always. He remembered how Claude had mentioned that Lloyd had been taken from his room the night before, and wondered what information he'd have about that this time around, if any.

[For Claude.]

Though Guy had once again found himself in an empty room (which was made even more worrisome, now that he knew for certain what had happened to Locke), he had managed to make the best use of his time. Seeing how he, Claude, and Anise might not be back in the institute for a while depending on how things went, preparations had to be made. So Guy had spent the dinner shift writing a note out to drop off in Luke's room and packing away the supplies that he'd picked up in Doyleton.

With nothing else to work with, he'd had to put the food that he'd bought in a pillow case that he stripped from his bed. It wasn't a very sturdy pack by any means, and so he'd decided to double layer it. That would still be torn through easily by any monster, but he didn't have any other materials.

And while it might not have seemed like such a large detail, Guy had still decided to change into his more familiar outfit. It was fitted to him and would give him much more ease of movement if they got into any fights. That was why he wore it every other night, but it seemed even more important when he considered the fact that they might not be making it back here in the morning like they were used to. Which was a crazy enough thought on its own, but he wanted to be ready for any possibility.

By the time that he was done with all of that, the intercom came on, and Guy paid close attention to what Landel had to say. No mention of the caverns or what he and his friends would be up to, but more hints about some secret access to the third floor. Guy was still pretty curious about that, but he had to focus on the hidden pathways that he and his friends had found -- and those went down, not up.

Leaving that note in Luke's room was going to slow them down when it came to meeting with Anise, and so Guy wanted to get a good head start on that. He strapped his sheath to his hip, slid his sword inside, and then exited his room and strode down the hall at a brisk pace.

[To here.]

[From here.]

And here he was.

Castiel had made it to the meeting spot without any complications, which also meant that he was the first to arrive. Not only out of him and Kratos, but out of the entire patient body. There wasn't another soul here, and Castiel wasn't even in a position where he could sense if others were close or not. With no other recourse, he leaned against the north wall and pulled his new radio out of his trenchcoat with his free hand.

He glanced down at the three numbers printed at the bottom -- 77.7. It caused him to twist his mouth, because he knew the meaning behind it, at least from a human's perspective. It had to be a coincidence -- there was no other logical explanation for it -- and yet he still had to wonder.

He turned it on, but there was still only static. Castiel imagined that the radio wouldn't be of much use unless he had someone else's number to switch it to.

[For Kratos.]

[From here.]

It was quiet -- so quiet that Castiel slowed his pace slightly, keeping a careful eye on the dark hallway that stretched out in front of him. With the help of his flashlight he was able to spot the stairs that would have taken him up to the second floor, if that was where he wanted to go. Instead, access to the third floor was supposedly found here on the ground level. That was the exact sort of confusion that he would expect from the Head Doctor, however.

As empty as the area was, there didn't seem to be any sign of monsters or ghosts, either. He was alone, and while that might have been frightening to a human, Castiel saw it as liberating. He squared his shoulders and kept moving toward the meeting place he and Kratos had decided on.

[To here.]

Unlike the previous week, everything went smoothly for the patients on the bus ride back. No rowdy patients causing a crash, no sudden onslaught of monsters, just a pleasant ride back up the mountain. When they reached the unloading area in front of the institute, the nurses were quick to shuttle all of the patients off of the vehicles and then indoors to get to their rooms for dinner. If the nurses seemed rushed, they didn't appear willing to explain why, but anyone who'd noticed the quickly dimming sky would understand what the hurry was about.

But everything went as planned and all the patients made it safely back to their rooms. Better than that, dinner was waiting for them: a plate of lamb curry with some basmati rice and a salad on the side.

As they started to eat, the intercom came on, a little bit later than it usually would have. "Welcome back, everyone, welcome back! I have to admit, it was almost too quiet while you were all gone, but I'm glad to hear that you've made it back safely. Please feel free to dig into your dinner and get some rest. I'm sure you're all tired out after a busy day down in Doyleton."

It seemed that the patients couldn't get away from hearing the Head Doctor's cheerful voice at least once in the space of a day, but thankfully the message was short. The intercoms shut off, leaving the patients to discuss the day with their roommates.

[ Put your character's room number in the comment's subject line. Check for room assignments here! ]

Studiously avoiding the reflective glass storefronts had proved somewhat difficult, whenever he actually acknowledged that he was doing so. There was a perfectly reasonable explanation for hunching his shoulders and looking down at the floor, and that reason was that his sweater was very itchy and he had to concentrate on his footsteps so he didn't have the urge to pluck at his sweater.

He looked away from the glass when he entered the store. It was safer inside, and he nearly breathed a sigh of relief, but he caught himself reaching for the neck of the sweater. He stuffed his hands in his pockets and glanced self-consciously at the front desk to see if whoever was there had seen, but without really waiting for confirmation, proceeded anyway to the shelves.

He was looking for something specific, but, preoccupied with other thoughts while he glanced at the shelves, he found himself standing in front of a section that held books on the paranormal. He frowned, his body half-turned to go, but he hesitated because he hadn't yet finished skimming the titles.

[free]

Scar passed by the Tasty Burger at about noon. He was hungry, yes, and despite the obnoxious look of the place, he stopped inside. It didn't take him long to figure out how to order food. It was odd, to be eating alone again. Nice, but odd. Eating had very much been a social event in Ishbal, and it was inevitably on at the Institute. Beyond that, during his time spent completely alone, food had been scarce at best.

Peace and quiet. It truly was a rare luxury in Scar's life.

He settled into a booth by one of the front windows so that he could watch the other people milling about outside. The sense of normalcy was uncomfortable, to say the very least.

[Elric babbies!]

Soushi startled awake, and in a panic felt around the blankets and sheets. Ririchiyo's photograph. Where was it? He remembered to breathe a moment later when he found the photo, stuck between the sheets along with the bag he'd found in his box of supposed belongings. Now that it was daytime, it was easier to see the picture; Ririchiyo's cute round cheeks, her long hair, the soft pout of her lips, there was no mistaking it for a fraud. But why then, didn't he recognize when the photo had been taken or the outfit she was wearing? There were none like it in his collection, and he was sure he knew most of what was in her closet...

He tucked the scrap into his shirt when the radio came to life. Doyleton? They were taking a trip? Soushi was sorely tempted to look through the bag, now that he could see it, but if the staff here saw it, wouldn't they confiscate it? Rather than take the chance, he stuffed the bag back under his mattress, keeping the single photograph with him as the nurse opened the door to greet him.

While the clothing was much more acceptable than the pajamas they were usually assigned, the jeans were a little too big, but luckily included a belt. The plaid shirt was like nothing in his previous wardrobe, but at least it had a pocket on the chest, which he slipped the photograph into as he turned his back on the nurse to dress. He was accustomed to wearing what he was told, and managed to make even the jeans and patterned shirt look somewhat natural. Last, he was given a jacket, tan in color(though there were a few stubborn stains here and there), with buttons running down the front.

Once he was dressed and ready to go, he was led outside to the buses. It was strange being outside the institution like this. It certainly gave the illusion of freedom. How did they manage to control so many patients on a trip such as this? Surely, he wanted to believe, they wouldn't notice one missing. Not until the end of the day, at least. Did they take attendance?

Though if it were that simple, other patients would have made their escape by now. And of all those he'd spoken with, not one could cite a patient that had successfully escaped. The goal, he reminded himself, was not to escape at all, but to find his master and make certain she was safe. If escape was a key factor in determining that, so be it, but he'd yet to find proof of where to even begin his search for the girl. The notebook might have something more to it, but now it was out of reach. He resigned himself to the bus, accepting the bagged breakfast with a smile.

[Loki]

There was no denying the fact that something strange was going on. While Guy hadn't gone through tons of roommates the way that some other patients had (Claude and Anise had both cycled through a handful of them, he was pretty sure), he still knew the process. There might be a day or so where the room was left empty, and then someone else was supposed to replace the person who had left.

So why hadn't Locke been replaced yet? Not that Guy necessarily wanted that, but it was a change from the usual pattern and that in itself was noticeable. While he didn't want to snoop, at this point Guy didn't see that he had another choice. He went searching under Locke's bed and found the metal box where their possessions were usually stored. It should have been empty, but instead he found a number of things inside.

It was almost as if there was an expectation that Locke would be back. But if he wasn't here and he wasn't dead or brainwashed, then where was he? Guy had been told over the bulletin that he'd "succumbed to the illness," which could mean a number of different things. But either way, the one who'd responded to him had seemed pretty certain about it.

This was definitely something that required further investigation, but for now Guy had to worry about the coming night. As the intercom came on and the Head Doctor taunted them like usual, Guy changed his clothes and then gathered his sword, sheath, and flashlight. He also made sure to bring the transporting bracelet with him. Since the plan was to head to the caverns tonight, he definitely couldn't forget that.

"All set," Guy murmured to himself, giving the empty room one last look before he walked out and headed down the hall.

[To here.]

Patients might hear the wind blowing outside as the intercom turned on and they were gradually moved from the courtyard or somewhere surrounding the Sun Room and back to their rooms. The wind made a howling noise, something that almost seemed to hint at what was to come when darkness hit and night began.

But for now, everything was as pleasant as it always was during the day, with the Head Doctor chiming in to explain what was on the menu this evening.

"I'm sure you all had a nice, relaxing day as you continue on your journey toward good health, but now it's time to head back to your rooms and have dinner with your roommate before lights out. Tonight we're serving some seasoned salmon with rice pilaf on the side, and for those of you who are vegetarians we have a black eyed pea soup along with a dinner roll.

"Whatever you're having tonight, eat up and get some rest! We'll be seeing you again tomorrow!"

The nurses didn't say much about the fact that some patients had roommates who had been missing for a few days now. Normally there would be someone to take their place, but that didn't seem to be the case for a few people. The mystery behind that was clearly one that was going to remain unanswered, but at least the patients had a hot plate of food waiting for them on their desks.

[ Respond with your character's room number in the subject line. Check here if you don't know which room your character is in. ]

"Sorry," Ryusei said when he turned back around to find the nurse looking at him. He caught up to her in a few strides, and when she continued leading him to the greenhouse, he couldn't resist taking another look at the door from which he'd exited. He couldn't tell if it was the same door from two nights ago. He frowned as the nurse ushered him into the glass house; but he could take another look when she came back to escort him back into what he assumed was the main building.

For now.... Were they really letting him eat here? Was that responsible, with all of these plants? Not that he knew anything about that, he thought as he picked a bench at random and opened his lunch. He hadn't known what any of those words had meant when the lunches had been described, so it was more out of curiosity than hunger that he pulled out the sandwich.

[free]

Scar scowled, both relieved and angry that he had woken up once again in his own bed. That lanky man who had become his new roommate on the night of his death was sound asleep one bed over.

This was coming to be the new "normal." It was infuriating.

As always, he begrudgingly followed his nurse into the cafeteria and took a seat. He preferred to file in with the majority of the patients in order to avoid sticking out, but no such luck this morning.

Scar stared at his food rather than starting in on it, despite the newly found appetite that had been lost thanks to that blasted sickness. He had a lot to think about. He hadn't managed to find Frank last night. The damn intercom had beaten him to it. And judging by Tsubaki's reaction to him, he had been out for at least a day's time. How many had noticed? Cared? It couldn't have been many.

But it was the few who did whose detection Scar was desperate to avoid.

[Eddyyyy!]

[from here]

It was still early in the night from the looks of it--the main hallway was totally clear as they moved toward the Sun Room. It was true the route they were taking was normally guarded, but there was no guarantee the rec field wasn't, and with a group this large, they would stand a better chance at breaking through anything that might await them.

She glanced back at the group. "If there's someone in the Sun Room, try to focus on disabling the attacker and running. I don't want to get held up in a pointless fight."

He'd been sitting listlessly with his head down when something changed; he felt it when he lifted his head, and glanced around the room with some degree of puzzlement. Had the room gotten brighter suddenly? The lights had flickered, before. But it wasn't just that; he felt as if he could finally breathe. The congestion in his chest was gone. That was weird. Indigestion, maybe, he thought as he crossed his arms. Probably wouldn't have happened if a certain someone hadn't forced him into eating his dinner.

Putting that aside. Ryusei had more important things to consider. For one, what his plan was tonight; he hadn't been thinking clearly enough earlier to make a decision. It was obvious now, in hindsight: his first priority was to retrieve Meteor Driver. The memories that had seemed so clear to him a moment ago seemed farther away now for some reason, but if there was even a small chance that his Driver had been taken, he needed to go confirm it. Unfortunately, he didn't know where confiscated things were kept, but it was simple enough in concept to check. Whoever was on the intercom didn't exactly mind the patients wandering around at night, did he?

Hmph. Making unfunny jokes to himself, he thought as he grabbed his flashlight. He really was losing it.

[to here]

[From here]

And there he was. Link stood near the wall, idly tapping the toe of his boot against the ground as he waited for Soma and the others she had recruited. He doubted they would take long. Soma seemed like a competent young woman. Hopefully that meant that she would have found strong allies to take with them.

He stood with his flashlight, along with the katana she had allowed him to borrow. Link was in his tunic from home, as he always was at night.

[For Soma and the Green Team!]