"Goodness, is it really already time for dinner? Time certainly does fly! And such a lovely day, too. I certainly wouldn't mind having a nice cup of cocoa out on the patio or something..."

That was how the Head Doctor greeted them, although it apparently didn't take him long to realize he'd gotten a little off topic.

"Now then, it's time for the nurses to escort you all back to your rooms, where you'll have the opportunity to tuck into a scrumptious plate of turkey and gravy. And, of course, we always carry vegetarian options for those who don't eat meat. We also have our usual assortment of water, juice and milk.

"Also, some of you will be receiving some extra help in warding off whatever bug some of us have been catching. Please take care, everyone, and be sure to wash your hands! I'll talk to you all again later. Enjoy your dinner."

The intercom clicked off, leaving patients with the prospect of preparing for yet another grueling Nightshift.

((Respond to this post with your character's room number in the subject line. New room assignments are listed here. If you have any questions, let us know!))

When the last of the announcement faded from the air, Lloyd frowned, rubbing the back of his neck. So they wouldn't be eating in the cafeteria after all. It was a good thing he'd arranged a backup plan with Kratos, but he kind of wished there was a way to know in case he wanted to meet with someone else another time. Letting out a breath, he decided it didn't really matter right now. This time, at least, he was prepared.

Once the teen was given his bag lunch, he headed to a table in the Sun Room to sit down and started scanning the room. He didn't know where Kratos had been during the last shift, but he expected to see him any minute. Expected and hoped. Curiosity gnawed at him with each passing moment. Why had the man taken down part of his note the day before then asked to talk to him later? He must have really meant it, too, because he'd written another note to Lloyd today to arrange to meet up with him.

And yet, some part of Lloyd that sat curled and bitter in the back of his throat wondered. Wondered if he'd actually show up.

[For Kratos.]

[From here]

The stairs were a bit less easy for Scar to maneuver while supporting Frank's weight. It was an awkward process, each step taking a careful and deliberate movement.

"Tell me if you need to stop." The last thing he needed was to be forced to carry the other man completely. He would be willing to, yes, but it would be in no way efficient.

[From here.]

That hadn't taken long. So much so that it looked like he was the first person to make it this far. Harvey took a moment to scan the hall with his flashlight, including near the stairs, but he didn't see (or hear) much of anything. It was the sort of thing that set him on edge.

Since he couldn't do much else, he leaned himself against the wall by the stairs and then grabbed for his gun, holding it near his side as he waited. Normally he didn't take the weapon out unless he planned to shoot it, but when there was a possibility that some transformed patient might come barreling down the halls in the next few seconds, he wanted to take precaution.

Hopefully Scott and Sangamon would haul ass over here before all hell started to break loose. If things got too hairy, Harvey was ready to make a run for it on his own. That was the logical thing to do.

[Waiting for S.T.]

[From here.]

This was a trip that had gotten old ages ago, and so Harvey tried to make it as short as possible by falling into a brisk walk. He didn't go so far as to jog, since he didn't need to tire himself out before the action even started, but it was a good idea to save time where he could.

All of that was made very easy by the fact that there weren't any other patients around. He didn't know if it was because they were busy going through a painful transformation into some deadly monster, but if that was it, then he also wanted to get to a more open area sooner rather than later.

Harvey reached the end of the hall and rounded the corner into the main hall.

[To here.]

[From here.]

Harvey stepped out of the block and then took the usual right down the hall, pondering over the coming challenge as he went. While he, Sangamon, and Scott had successfully passed that trial last night, it hadn't led to anything. Had they made a misstep somewhere? Or was there more that they had to do? They were going to have to try and get answers out of that damn skeleton again.

Speaking of which, the toll would be going to Sangamon tonight. Harvey wondered what he'd end up choosing. He figured it was between touch and voice, but it wasn't really his problem.

On one hand, Harvey was getting sick of going down into that dank cavern every night. On the other, it was good to always know what he was doing when the doors unlocked. He just hoped that all of this effort actually led somewhere.

[To here.]

[From here.]

By now, Guy had become so used to waiting for Claude out here that he had a spot picked out on the wall where he always leaned. But he couldn't do so very casually these days. Some of his anxiety had been quelled now that he knew Lloyd would be able to take action if Claude started to change, but he still dreaded what it would mean if Claude didn't make his way out here in the next few minutes.

At this point, Guy didn't know what they were doing with their night. They'd tossed around the idea of looking by the river for some sort of plant that could help with the healing process, but Guy didn't know if either of his friends were up for such a long journey.

He would leave it up to their judgment, but none of that would matter if they didn't show up. While Claude was the more immediate concern since he was just down the hall, Guy realized that if Anise changed, he didn't have any back-up plan for her. She might just tear through the halls trying to hurt people, and he wouldn't even know.

He let out a sigh and shifted his weight. This waiting was enough to shave a few years off his life, but he tried to stay calm.

[Waiting for Claude.]

[In M44]

Lloyd had been somewhat dreading the coming of the night, not so much because of the danger it presented, but because of the conversation he'd had with Guy, and the promise he'd made to try to subdue Claude if his roommate showed signs that he was becoming a monster. It was hard not to keep darting glances at the blond to make sure that he was all right. When the doors unlocked, though, he barely even noticed the Doctor's sinister words. He was too busy breathing a sigh of relief. Claude still seemed to be okay. Maybe that wouldn't stay the case, but they couldn't live in fear of the worst. Hoping for the best, he'd wished his roommate luck before the other set off.

Unlike the night before, though, Lloyd didn't immediately set out himself. He and Inoue had agreed to meet tonight so she could try to heal him, which meant he needed to wait.

Ugh, he hated waiting.

Feeling restless, he got up and started poking around around his side of the room. He found pens and a journal on his desk, and a weird device he wasn't sure about. It was in his closet that he found the biggest surprise. His clothes were there, hanging on hangers as though recently cleaned - black pants and a black undershirt, his red jacket and gloves, the red boots he favored, even his belts and suspenders. There wasn't any sign of his swords, but the dagger Claude had given him was there, which lifted his spirits a little. He thought he'd lost the weapon last night after the fight with the tailypo. A quick search of his pockets revealed that there wasn't anything else, but that didn't really surprise him. It was still amazing that he'd been given his clothes at all.

Figuring he had time before Inoue was likely to show up, Lloyd quickly changed out of the drab gray clothes the Institute had given him and into his normal clothes. Well, as quickly as he could with his still-injured arm and ribs protesting his every move. He had to grit his teeth when it came to taking off his shirt and replacing it with his black undershirt. He opted not to put his jacket on just yet. He had no idea how Inoue's healing ability worked and didn't know if she'd need to see his injuries before she could do anything. With the rest of his clothes on, though, his dagger hanging from the loop one of his swords normally would have gone through, there really was nothing else to do but wait.

Maybe he'll just doodle in that book.

As the sun began to inch closer to the horizon, dark clouds gathered overhead. Even so, the Head Doctor didn't let that damper his enthusiasm.

"Good evening, everyone! I hope you've all had an enjoyable day, particularly our newcomers. Here at Landel's Institute, we're eager to welcome you into our big, warm family, so make yourselves right at home!

"For dinner, we're serving teriyaki & tempura, with our usual assortment drinks, including water, milk, and several kinds of juices. Enjoy your meals!"

As the nurses escorted patients to their assigned rooms, thunder rumbled in the distance, and the sound of rain tapping against the outside of the building echoed through the halls. Some of the staff would comment about the sudden change in weather, but no one let it interfere with their duties.

((Respond to this post with your character's room number in the subject line. New room assignments are listed here. If you have any questions, let us know!))

When the shift changed, Gabriel didn't hesitate to take his leave, and Castiel couldn't blame him for that. He likely had other people he wanted to talk to, and as a newer patient, he might even be curious about some of the other areas. Castiel had seen it all multiple times by now, so when his nurse asked him if he wanted to move elsewhere, he declined.

It seemed better to remain in one spot for as long as he could and stay still so that his body wasn't pushed past its limits. His nurse couldn't argue with that, so instead she went to go get him some more painkillers, which he swallowed down instantly.

Relying on human drugs... It seemed ridiculous, though Dean had once given him a whole bottle to take. He wouldn't mind doing so again, but with the way his body was right now, that likely wasn't a good idea. So he'd just have to go along with what the nurses allowed him.

"Though Michael, you should really try to eat," his nurse insisted as she set a brown bag into his lap. "I know you're hurting a lot right now, but you'll feel better if you can get some food down."

Maybe she was right, but when Castiel stared at the bag, it seemed like a trial to even open it. Maybe if he just drank something... Slowly, he lifted his hand to push the bag open and reached inside to see what was there.

"There we go," the nurse encouraged him with a smile. "I'll be close-by in case you need anything."

At that point, she walked off, and he was left alone again. Maybe after he drank something, he could even see about getting some rest. Humans could sleep sitting up, couldn't they?

Link wasn't in the mood for 'rest and relaxation,' as the boss had put it. Daytime here was completely unproductive, and it was frustrating. There was little he could do, other than keep up with recording his map. He supposed he ought to take the chance to get to know the other patients: Who was powerful, who needed help, who knew what... Perhaps some of the people who had been here longer. Link was lucky he had Sora as a friend, who seemed to know a good deal about how things worked.

It was a two-edged sword, though, that the boy had to have been trapped here for quite some time to be as settled as he was.

The Hylian settled into a chair with his journal, tapping the strange sort of writing device he had been given against his chin. It had become evident last night that the building was relatively organized, the second floor being similar in its main layout to the first floor. That was somewhere to start, at least.

[Nina, dearest!]

What Guy had seen on that scan resulted in some mixed feelings. While he had expected to find something in Claude, seeing how he was sick, it hadn't been quite the same as what they'd seen when they had scanned that other ill patient two nights ago. What did that mean? It was possible that the shape of it just looked different because of where it was in Claude's stomach, but Guy couldn't help but feel that there was a deeper meaning to it.

Yet another thing that he didn't understand, then. With a sigh, he got himself up out of bed and went searching immediately for the single leaf that he'd taken from the X-ray room last night. It was stored carefully in his possessions box, which meant that he didn't have to worry too much about that.

While he wanted to quickly sketch the leaf's general shape to post on the bulletin, Guy wasn't given that chance, as his nurse showed up before he could even grab for his journal. He had to relent and let her lead him to the cafeteria for breakfast. While Guy considered stopping by the bulletin to leave a note, that could wait until after he ate. He suspected that Anise or Luke would try to find him as soon as possible to tell him about their findings, so leaving a note for them would be redundant.

He did need to ask about the clue from last night and see if anyone else had further insight on it, but that might be something Claude wanted to do, seeing how he had a better idea of who that baptist was and what it all might signify.

After collecting a small amount of food onto a plate, Guy took a seat near the cafeteria's entrance, keeping an eye out for any of his friends so he could flag them down as they walked in.

[For Anise and Claude.]

As some of the clouds from earlier began to clear, the intercom jingle sounded over the intercom once again.

"Hello, patients!" came the Head Doctor's cheery voice. "I hope you're all feeling fresh and clean this evening! To top it all off, we've prepared a scrumptious herb chicken dinner for you to eat before bed. Of course, we have vegetarian options available, so please don't hesitate to ask the nurse if you're interested in that.

Also, since we have the pleasure of welcoming a few new patients into our family, some of you will be receiving new roommates. Let's do our best to give them a nice, big Landel's Institute welcome, shall we?"

The Head Doctor gave a friendly chuckle. "Well, anyway, enjoy your dinner!"

With that, the intercom shut off.

[Note: All dinner threads are posted in response to this entry. Be sure to check the Roommate Assignments if you're not sure what room/roommate your character has! Thanks.]

Well, it was about time they got to bathe, that was all Loki really had to say about it. He'd been wondering just how barbaric his captors were. The fact that it was showers only, and no baths for soaking spoke volumes, as far as he was concerned.

But at least there were showers, which was certainly better than nothing. Loki felt something approaching cheerful as he allowed the nurse to lead him on. At the showers he shucked off the ridiculous uniform without so much as a pause and claimed a shower head from those available.

He was used to bathing around others. And as a god among mortals, he definitely had nothing to be ashamed of. Though the warm spray of the shower did let him know that he had some definite bruising on his back from where Kratos had managed to hurl him into that wall, and one of his ribs still twinged occasionally. His jaw still hurt a bit as well, but any bruising there had taken care of itself during the night.

[For the ambiguously gay duo!]

His nurse had whisked him away from breakfast as soon as the intercom’s voice faded.  Surprisingly, she didn’t take him to the shower rooms, instead bringing him to the Sun Room (as she called it), explaining that since this was his first day he would be allowed to skip the showers.  Besides, it would be good to let his injuries heal a little more.

 

He’d passed through this room on the way to breakfast, but hadn’t really paid much attention to it the first time.  Now that he was standing here, the Once-ler understood why it was called the Sun Room.

 

Despite the fact that it was cloudy outside, there was still far more natural light coming in through the ceiling windows than he had seen in a long time.  The Once-ler stood still for a few moments, simply staring up.  It seemed almost like a dream, really.  The valley never got brighter than twilight, even at noon.  There was too much smog in the air to let any more light through.

 

After a few minutes, he shook his head.  Anybody who saw him just standing in the middle of the room would probably have questions about it, and he did not relish the thought of explaining himself to a stranger.  He glanced around the room itself, spotting the bulletin board Soma had talked about during breakfast.  The Once-ler decided that was a good place to start, and hobbled on over to get a closer look.

 

[For Nina, I believe?]

Scar came to slowly, vision blurred and head throbbing. His memory of the previous night was vague and somewhat scattered. What he was most aware of was his renewed and increased hatred for the man called Lingormr. The Ishbalan didn't give a damn if he had been a special counseling patient. That bastard had enjoyed every second of tearing Scar to shreds. What he may or may not have realized was how much it had affected Scar emotionally. He had felt a renewed sense of drive at the start of the night; the disruption on the intercom and the news of the 'cure' had rekindled a fire that fueled Scar to drive forward. To have a little hope.

Lingormr had promptly crushed that.

He was in pain. So much pain. The cut on his hand was only fading scab at this point, but stitches now pulled at the deep gashes in his legs and back. Not only had the nausea not settled, but his stomach was beginning to cramp. The rash on his arm was impossible to hide without the old bandages covering it. It had nearly reached his elbow.

Scar's hazy eyes could make out the nurse, now pushing a wheelchair up to his bedside. This was humiliating. And he was too exhausted and hurting to lash out or become angry. He was just broken. He still tried to take some sort of grudging control, insisting that he didn't need to be pushed around, that he could at least turn the wheels of the damned chair himself. But he didn't make it down the hallway before the pulling and sharp pain in his back became so obvious on his face that the nurse took over.

He entered breakfast with a frustrated, tired, but overall defeated look to him. Scar felt too sick to eat. He sat at the table and brooded, wishing more than anything to simply be left alone.

[For Goku!]

[From here.]

Well, that had been painless, but the good time he'd made also meant that he was the first to arrive. Harvey leaned himself up against the wall, swinging his metal pipe around in his hand as he kept an eye out for Scott or Sangamon.

He had to admit, it was strange that their group had been cut down so considerably. He didn't even know if Depth Charge was still around, but it didn't matter to him too much either way, so he hadn't put much thought into it. He figured that one of the others would mention it when they showed up, if they even knew themselves.

While he waited, Harvey grabbed the bone bracelet out of his pocket and started to spin it around in his hand. The skeleton hadn't been too clear about how this worked, but there was an obvious answer about what to do with it, not that he was going to attempt anything until the others had shown up.

[From here.]

Along with his weapons and supplies, Harvey also had two other very important things with him, and he checked his pockets for them as he moved down the halls. First was his coin, which he wasn't surprised to find was there, as he couldn't think of a time when he'd let it be removed from his person. Second was the bracelet that the talking skeleton extraordinaire had given them. Forgetting the whole morbid quality of it, Harvey had to wonder if it could really be trusted.

On the other hand, Sangamon had made use of that ring and it had never come around to bite him, so maybe it was fine. Maybe every once in a while, this place actually made their lives easier rather than more difficult.

With the hall completely empty, Harvey didn't have to waste any time moving down it toward the meeting spot.

[To here.]

Murphy wasn't able to control his knee jerk reaction to the static, gripping his desk chair as the lights went out and bracing for an attack he quickly realized wasn't about to come. And the Big Doc's voice carried on, bringing back unpleasant memories for the ex-con. He frowned, uncomfortable, not sure what to think or how to take the message....

He knew all too well what it was to turn into a monster.

When the computer system fell to some sort of electronic epileptic fit, Murphy just shook his head. Flashlight in one hand and chair in the other, he headed out into the hallway. He'd trust Harvey's assertion that there were plenty of directions to go, and trust his own luck he'd find one. There wasn't much else that he could do.

And maybe he'd find someone who needed help. He'd managed to keep Nina safe last night. That was more than he'd ever managed in Silent Hill. That was a good sign, wasn't it? And against all odds he was alive, and as long as he was alive he had the power to change his own fate.

Or so he kept telling himself as he ventured out into the far-more-active darkness of the institute.

When the cheery jingle sounded over the speakers, the Head Doctor could be heard humming a song that suspiciously sounded like pieces of "Superstar" from today's movie. Then, as if realizing people were listening, he abruptly cleared his throat.

"Good evening, patients!" he greeted after a quick recovery. "I do hope everyone had a pleasant day. And what better way to end things than with a scrumptious steak dinner? We'll be including fries on the side, as well as offering our usual assortment of water, milk, and juices. Of course, we also carry vegetarian options for those of you who don't eat meat. Enjoy!"

The intercom turned off, leaving the nurses to escort patients to their rooms.

((Please make all dinner threads under this post with your character's room number in the subject line. For updated roommate assignments, refer to the latest Lounge Post. Thanks!))