[In M13 to start]

Homura had spent the time for dinner in thought, to such a degree that he all but ignored Shito during the meal. He was trying to think, not like his future self would have, because that was all but impossible. Still, after his decisions that day, he wanted to take measures to help the group he had gathered. The position of leader was no longer his, and rightfully so with his utter inexperience. But there had to be something he could contribute, be it input or observations made with what he knew now--anything he could add that would possibly help them all escape.

And of course, there was the matter of fighting.

His body had the tone of a well-trained warrior. It was surprising in some ways, to find much harder muscle beneath the skin than what had been there only days ago in his memory. Yet Homura knew that would only go so far in battles, and that he would need experience to be of use in that area. So when the call for night came, he moved over to the closet, standing in the doorway and looking at the sword.

It had the shape of Nataku's blade. Somehow it didn't surprise Homura to find out that this was the case.

[From here]

He moved as quickly as his leg would allow him to, taking the pain for what it was and letting it flow through him and out of him. Qui-Gon knew how to get to the Main Hall from here and didn't anticipate any trouble.

[to here]

Unlike the week before, the buses pulled in to the front of the Institute before the sky became dark, and so the departure was a very organized situation rather than a chaotic one. Nurses and orderlies escorted patients off the buses, and just as the front doors to the Institute opened and the patients were taken back to their rooms, the intercom clicked on with its usual jingle to the sound of the Head Doctor's cheery voice.

"Hello, patients, and I hope you all enjoyed a delightful day at our neighboring town! I regret that last-minute duties prevented me from joining all of you on your trip, but I'm glad I can talk to you a bit now before you retire for the night!

"As far as dinner tonight, we have a wonderfully exotic meal of tasty, spicy lamb curry for you, served on a bed of steamed rice and with a side of seasoned vegetables and plain Indian flatbread. For desert, we'll be having sweet rice pudding, and we'll be offering our normal assortment of juices, milk, and water as drinks. As always, for vegetarians and for those of you with mild tastebuds, a large, fresh garden salad is always an option.

"And... I believe that's all! I hope you all enjoy dinner and that you're able to wind down from the excitement of today's excursion."

The intercom clicked off.

[ All room threads go in response to this post; please post your character's room number as the subject line of the initial post. Thank you! ]

Nny was beginning to suspect that he wasn't dreaming. Interestingly enough, it wasn't the length of his stay that was starting to convince him. It was his goddamn headache. You didn't get headaches in dreams, you just didn't. Not unless you'd been drinking the night before, which he hadn't experienced in, well, a really long time (and that was it's own sort of hell). He had to be awake to feel this shitty.

He didn't even go into town with the rest of the patients. He got off the bus, stood around for a few minutes, said "fuck this", turned around, and ran back into one of the other buses. Luckily for him, the nurses had been understanding once he brought up how he felt. They even refrained from bugging him while he desperately tried to wish his existence away. He spent most of the day with his head glued to the back of the seat in front of him, not quite aware, but refusing to fall back asleep.

All in all, his day had gone from okay, to completely horrid.

[Renamon, I think?]

Sanji woke up groggily to find his nurse already in his room. He gave a sleepy and half-hearted "Buh?" before realizing that nurse meant dayshift, and he'd fallen asleep after dinner.

"Shit!" He sat up abruptly, which gave his nurse a start. "Nami-swan!" How had he allowed himself to sleep through an entire night? What if she'd tried to return to the basement? What if she'd been waiting for him to appear and protect her? He'd let her down!

"There, there. Calm down." His nurse set a familiar flannel shirt down on the bed and Sanji eyed it with confusion. The last time he'd worn that had been... "Sorry I didn't knock or anything, but I was so excited~!" A pair of jeans followed the shirt. "Today is the field trip into town! Aren't you looking forward to it?"

The chef had to admit, the town had been an interesting enough place the last time he'd been. If he could find Nami early on he might even be able to lead her around... So he didn't complain too much as he changed into the other outfit (which he really wished they'd let him keep - anything was better than the regular gray) and was led out to the first of the buses.

He took a seat near the front, hopefully easily visible to any of his crew - especially to a certain member of his crew.

[for Usopp!]

[Waiting for Daemon and Renji.]

After spending the last shift in discussion in the library, Rukia had a lot on her mind. Speaking with Captain Harkness had been somewhat informative, but only increased her worry. How easily were they all being controlled by Landel? And by what means? Too many questions.

Since she was still confined to a wheelchair, Rukia asked a nurse to get her some fruit, salad, and a big bowl of rice. She could have easily done it herself, but wanted to find a spot in one of the corners near the door to wait for Renji. She hadn't spoken to him for long the previous day, and had been very upset at the time. Maybe they could just have a nice lunch together.

Rukia thanked the nurse who brought her food and began to eat, looking up at the door every so often.

[from here]

Zabuza went to the stairs that he thought that Haku had mentioned. He stopped for a moment at the bottom of them, clearing his head for the briefest of moments before heading upwards.

They had left the safety of the boy's room to get supplies and he was going to do just that. No amount of sluggishness was going to stop him.

Still.. stairs were a little more annoying than normal.

[[from here]]

Others were beginning to catch up as Yuuhi moved onward, across the main hallway.  It wasn't much further until he reached the part that overlooked the Sun Room.  He gave it a glance, but not much more than that.  The big things usually stayed there, didn't they?  He didn't know how likely they'd be to come up and pay him a visit if he got too close.  Probably best to just leave it alone. 

It was more than a little nerve-wracking, to be alone in the dark like this, but he did his best to bear it, to keep from giving himself away with loud frightened breath or noisy steps.  He was getting closer now, just a few more halls and he'd be there.

[from here]

As usual, the door to the hallway had been open. He was never certain if it started that way or other prisoners opened, it, but he guessed it was probably the first option, now. He paused for just a moment to listen, then continued on. It wasn't that much further until he reached Daemon's room.

[to here]

[In M47]

Artemis was particularly pleased at how the day had ended. Showering with his fellow underage males had been embarrassing and uncomfortable, but he'd ended on a good note--a wonderful, wonderful argument in which the opponent couldn't hit him. Perhaps the orderlies weren't so bad after all.

They deposited him in his room with Haku, and the moment the door shut, the Head Doctor came over the intercom. He frowned at the mention of a month and filed away the information for later. No... he'd have to write it down. His head was suddenly somewhat muddled. He groaned lightly and put a hand to his head, trying to sort things out. Things pieced together, but only with some effort. He actually had to think about things instead of automatically responding. What was going on?

"The man on the radio is dead. I killed him - stabbed him six times in the chest... I have to say, it took a lot off my mind."

Artemis' eyes flew open. Oh this was bad. This was bad beyond words. Even if he couldn't think as well as he normally could, he could understand that much.

"H-Haku, you wanted to do something, correct?" He reached under his mattress for his sword, hands shaking. The patients were in trouble now. Deep, deep trouble.

[Specifically M12]

"… Wait, really?" Axel asked, mainly to himself, as he listened to the intercom and the head doctor’s sudden confession. It hadn’t been long since he was escorted back to his room after his dinner, feeling rather content after spending a shift to himself. It was fun and all to chill with a couple of people beforehand, but a guy needed a break every once in a while.

His plans were relatively simple at the time. He was going to run off to Kairi’s room, swing her body over his shoulders and haul her back over to his own. He’d forgotten to write a note down for Roy in the bulletin saying he couldn’t make it, but he was sure the colonel could make the right assumptions.

He had been in the middle of rummaging under his mattress for his chakram when the intercom came to life again, and with that he couldn’t help but stop and look up at the ceiling with a mix of curiosity and disbelief. At this point it almost felt like a tradition for the man behind the radio to pop up every evening, so a change this big earned a bit of attention. Axel’s gaze remained on the ceiling for at least half a minute before he glanced over at his roommate on the other side.

"You know, I almost don’t believe it." But this was technically a battlefield, and one side had to give in one way or another. He had to remind himself that tradition didn’t exactly last forever.

[From here.]

As passive as he may have seemed in the room, Jade’s expression hardened as he continued on into the next hall, being mindful of his surroundings until his eyes adjusted to the darkness.

So the only means of outside help that they’ve had was met with an unfortunate demise by the doctor’s hands. Well, he couldn’t say that he wasn’t expecting something like this to happen. One can only meander about enemy territory for so long before they were caught and killed. It was truly unfortunate that he hadn’t a chance to see their savior himself, but it was best to move on.

There was hardly a soul stumbling by as Jade reached the next hall, keeping himself poised as he glided over to the next set of doors that lead outside the patient blocks. Time wasn’t something he was meaning to waste for tonight, and getting past the sudden rush of patients that would soon follow was his top priority.

[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 ]

((Reserved for Dias.))

The shower shift had been a bit brief for Claude's liking, though he figured it had more to do with the fact they didn't get to bathe very often, and less to do with finding the shower rooms enjoyable. Then again, did anyone really enjoy communal showers?

...Wait. Maybe it was better not to think on that too hard. Yeah, he'd just leave that train of thought behind at the door, for his own sanity's sake.

Claude hadn't been here as long as some of the other captives, but even he thought the Head Doctor's absence was pretty jarring. He knew it was likely related to the stuff involving "Mr. Radio" from the other night, although whether it was a good or bad thing had yet to be seen. Who knew? Maybe it wouldn't really change much of anything in the end, but he'd try saving any hasty conclusions for when Martin Landel decided to come out of the woodwork again, whenever that was.

In the meantime, he was still keeping his eyes peeled for his friends. Well, mostly friend, by this point. It'd make sense he wouldn't run into Leon just yet, seeing they were divided up by age, and he'd seen Ashton and Luke for himself during the last shift, which was always a relief. Asch and Guy were, of course, accounted for, so he didn't have to worry about them.

So that just left Dias.

In truth, Claude intended to at least have a look around the music room while he was in the area, seeing that it was one of the places he planned to explore during a nightshift, preferably the upcoming one. But he knew if he slipped into one of the side rooms, it'd be a little more difficult for anyone to spot him. So, for now, he lingered beside the music room's entrance, his gaze moving towards the sun room's doors. He'd wait for a little while, just in case.

It was then that the crazy events from the night before and today began to truly catch up to him, and after giving a heavy sigh, he leaned against the wall. "Oh boy..."

The lockdown had been interesting. The fact that the staff had enough power to put down a rebellion that quickly and then lock people into their rooms just as fast was something of a feat to be admired. Their efficiency would have been much more impressive if Okita had been on the other side of it, however. As it stood, he had to keep his assessment to himself and when the nurses came and escorted the men out to the showers, he was ready to play the role of model prisoner for a little while.

The last thing he needed was another needle in the neck, after all.

He followed his nurse, smiling pleasantly at her as she led him through the Sun Room and toward the men's showers. Despite arriving almost a week ago, this was his first time experiencing these strange Western bathrooms. He'd explored them at night, but the smell had kept him far from the spigets and fixtures except when absolutely necessary. His nurse pointed out the changing room and politely turned around, trusting that he'd be good for now.

It was fortunate that she did or she might have seen the extra five pens he'd stuck in his waistband to be used later if he needed a weapon. He undressed, hiding the pens away along with his journal and allowed his nurse to remove the bandages around his chest. The scratches had scabbed over and were mostly healed by now. He took the towel she offered him and went into the showers, glad to see he was the first one. It would make finding him easier if anyone needed to speak with him.

Stepping over to the shower furthest away from the door, he fiddled with the knobs and nearly screamed when cold water hit him full on. Stupid Western plumbing! He hadn't been expecting that from what everyone had told him about showering. It took a few minutes, but the hot water began to run and he calmed down, peering at the showerhead and marveling at how water came from the wall directly. Such innovation. With little else to do but enjoy a nice warm bath, Okita began to wash, feeling the stress slip off him along with the week's accumulated sweat and grime.

[open for anyone]

Renji quickly got dressed once he finished his dinner, gathering his normal supplies and making a makeshift sheathe for his sword from the bedsheets. He also left the few maps he'd had a chance to make - four of them - on his desk, labeled with who should get them if they remembered to stop by: Aoyagi R, Yagami Light, Kudoh Yoji, and one unlabeled since the person requesting it hadn't left a name. The fifth, he took with him, since Daemon had asked for it.

He headed out into the hall, though for once, he felt no urge to run to his destination. He still wasn't sure if this was a good idea, but he'd said he would be there. Daemon's room was only a short walk anyway.

[to here]

[Coming from here.]

Daemon paid little attention to any of the doors he passed, taking no time to watch where he was going or check if there was anyone or anything in his way. His attention was completely focused on that one distant pulse, which was growing ever closer. He could feel her, she wasn't far away. After all this time.

It was all he could do not to just spend his magic and take down the walls that separated him from her in order to be there more quickly.

[Racing here.]

[Currently from within M2]

Daemon been half afraid this night would be a repeat of last, that he would continue, night after night, to be trapped as a puppet of this place. An illogical fear, maybe, but there all the same. He'd been used for such things for far too long to not anticipate a re-occurrence. The relief he felt when none were forthcoming was almost breathtaking in its force.

Settling back on his bed, he made himself comfortable, fully intending to wait for Renji to show up for their scheduled brawl. He was actually looking forward to, an equal meeting, a way to work off some of the frustration and helpless rage this place was so good at instilling in them. He was certain he could use the outlet as much as the redhead.

Darkness fell, and the radio snapped on overhead once, then again, signaling the change of things out in the building, although there was no doctor taunting them this night, only the harsh gutteral sounds of a transformed nurse, if his guess was right. He listened to the words with a fierce frown, sliding his legs over the bed and wondering if he should really be waiting here in his room while others were being dragged away for much worse tortures than he'd endured last night...

The pondering lasted all of a moment. That was when he felt it. Felt her.

For one long moment, he stood there in the center of the room, frozen in shock, and then a roar of disbelief and fury escaped him, the temperature dropping to an icy degree within the four walls, a covering of frost coating the furniture almost instantly as his rage unleashed. Without pausing to grab anything other than his flashlight to illuminate his way, Daemon tore out of the room, following the faint pulse of familiar Ebony power that filled him with both furious and joyous relief.

She was here. She was here and afraid, and she was alive.

[Going here.]

[from here]

It was lucky for both him and Usopp that their rooms were just a block down. Not that he'd seen many monsters or otherwise around the patient blocks themselves, but the further apart they were the more likely there would be something that could stop them on the way. Here they had simply a short run between them. Granted, it would have been even better if they'd been in the same block or even the same hallway, but given the overall situation they could have been far worse off.

He took one more glance around, saw nothing and no one, and continued on his way.

[to here]

_{[from here]}

Aidou exited the cell block, heading down the hallway to the second male block. There were two stops he had to make in there, and with any luck there wouldn't be too much of a hold up. After all, he made a point of keeping out of the glow of people's flashlights as much as possible--even wearing white over grey, it was more easy than not to blend in.

Habitually, he kept an eye on each end of the corridor, absolutely refusing to be caught unawares himself.

_{[to here]}