Night 59: Staff Only Outdoor Patio

[stray_shinigami]

Renji stepped out onto the patio. It was nice to be out of the oppressive halls, but he didn't let his guard down. If it was a monster party, there'd likely be some nasty things outside

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[triplecrossing]

Claude's comment seemed strange, but Lydia decided to leave it unanswered. If he was trying to cover himself, then she would just have to accept that. They weren't required to stop and speak with anyone, though, even if it was someone who might have a bone to pick with the so-called Major Harrington.

However, the two patients they came across ended up putting on a show of their own, both of them using their newly gained powers like they were stretching muscles that had been starting to atrophy. Lydia also watched Claude's little trick with the fire and realized that she was a bit outmatched. It was a good thing they were all on the same side, then.

She took in the one patient's question with a blank expression and then kept moving, tempted to drag Claude with her. "He is the mole. That should explain why we can't stand around and talk." And with that, Lydia started to jog across the patio, darting around the areas where the ground was slick with blood.

A bat came her way and she took a shot at it as she ran, watching as it fell out of the air. It seemed that she wasn't rusty after all. "You know how to break your fall when we jump, right?" she called back to Claude, hoping that he was following her.

[damned_soldiers]

Explosions of this nature oft caught the eye, and here, he drew two sets. The flashier appeared as cautious as the more familiar, and both seemed ready to adjust the target of their aggression at a moment's notice. On another night, Claude might not have cared. He might have forced a confrontation for the sake of relieving boredom or worse, for the sake of contention itself. With Lydia, however, he couldn't afford to do as he wished.

Unfortunately, before the man could offer an answer to the question posed, Lydia spoke in his stead. Outlined the scenario with such poignancy and lack of dramatics that Claude had to suppress a groan. Dammit, Lydia. There went the chance for subtlety. The disappointment was easily read from his expression.

"What she said," he chimed after a brief pause. "Don't worry. We have no intention of being in your way." With a friendly gesture to the pair, he rushed after his partner, pausing occasionally to fling away stray bats and thus, keep her back free from aggressors. "Sure, that's just the easy part," he called back, eyeing the woman with amusement. "You certain this is what you want? There are less self-destructive ways to get out."

[bastard_sadi]

Things were clicking into place quickly with that little revelation and he eyed Harrington with a hint of respect in his golden gaze, lips curving into a slow smile as he inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Good for you," he stated, amusement lurking in his tone. It was also quite evident that he wasn't exactly giving all the orders tonight, either, which Daemon also understood all too well.

Sensing the lady's urgency in getting the mole out - whoever the pair of them might be - Daemon shared a glance with Renji before peering down over the railing into the darkness below. "That's a bit of a jump and setting things on fire won't make your landing any softer. Considering this wild goose chase for a mole ended up in us having our powers back, perhaps we can return the favor," he mused mildly, approaching the pair.

A bat rose up out of the darkness behind the female - persistent little pests, weren't they? - and Daemon swatted it away almost absently, throwing up a shield between it and them before it could get too close. He was more interested in Harrington than fodder for the moment.

"Am I right in guessing you had something to do with this? I don't believe in coincidences that large. But either way, if you're a thorn in their backside, then I'm more than happy to assist in any way you need. And we can get you down and keep the predators busy for a little while, if need be."

He didn't bother asking to go with them. If leaving were that easy for the patients here, it would have been done already. Besides, Daemon wasn't leaving this place until it was nothing more than a pile of smoking rubble. He wasn't taking any chances of it rising again, no matter what the cost. So instead, he merely offered his hand to the soldier and let him make his own decision.

[stray_shinigami]

Renji relaxed almost imperceptibly at Daemon's words. For now, he'd just go with it; he trusted Daemon, and he was well aware that there was plenty in the situation that he didn't know about. He'd just better get some answers on the other end of things. The quick look he shot Daemon said as much.

"Hn." He dropped Zabimaru from his shoulder, tracing one finger along the blade to return him to his katana form as he followed after the man and the woman. He sheathed the sword smoothly and then jumped, landing lightly next to Lydia. "You want to move fast, I can do fast. However far it is I can go."

[triplecrossing]

It was strange, the way the three men were making sure to keep the bats off of her back. Lydia noticed, but she didn't think it was a good idea to comment on it. They probably thought it was chivalrous, but too often that kind of behavior could border on demeaning. After being patronized by Landel for far too long, the woman was a bit sensitive to that sort of thing. She wasn't going to tell them to stop, but she wasn't going to offer her thanks either.

Besides, the one man's offer to help was far more intriguing in the end. For some reason she hadn't expected them to be so willing to extend their aid, but it seemed that the pair understood the sacrifices that she and Claude had made to pull this off.

"Yes, we found a way to jam the device that Aguilar was using to suppress your abilities," she explained as succinctly as she could. "And a little help would probably do us good, though you don't need to take us any further than into the courtyard." She and Claude could manage to climb over the wall on their own, and as the one man had said, they would probably be busy keeping more of those monsters at bay.

Having someone to clear the path was useful, she had to admit. She just hoped that they didn't ask to come with them. They couldn't afford to smuggle even one patient with them, as much as she was tempted to. For one thing, it wouldn't be fair to the others. For another, it was far too dangerous when the two of them were fugitives themselves.

[damned_soldiers]

Oh? Did his ears deceive him, or was that approval in the gentleman's voice? If any, it was a welcome reaction to a pair attempting to avoid further hostility, but Claude had to wonder. Wouldn't his short fuse of a friend back in the chapel object to this turn of events? Then again, that prospect proved amusing all on its own, and thus, when the former soldier finished clearing out the nearby bats, he stopped to consider the offer.

"You're absolutely correct," he answered cheerfully, allow a bit of respite for Lydia to explain their efforts. Both men appeared willing to help them out, and given their low chances, Cladue was willing to accept.

Lydia fortunately agreed, which meant less arguing and even less of a chance of getting hit for doing so. "What the lady said is fine with me." He paused, eyes fixed on the man he had spoken to the night before. "We won't forget your help. I'll be certain of that."

With a gesture of agreement and respect, he held out a hand to the other, the insinuation obvious.

[bastard_sadi]

A slow smile inched its way across Daemon's lips as he accepted their explanation. "Well, we do indeed owe you a great debt, then. We might as well take advantage of the opportunity before the good general figures out how to undo what you've done."

He reached out and took the man's hand, drawing him closer with an apologetic smile. "You'll have to hold on to me. I'm afraid my friend is a little better at the whole popping in and out of places than I am. We have to do it the old-fashioned way," he commented with a wry tone, a hint of humor lurking in golden eyes. One arm wrapped around Claude's waist as he mentally judged the weight of the pair of them. Stepping up to the edge of the railing, he glanced down into the darkness below, measuring the distance as he readied himself, already diving down deep into the depths of his Black.

He flashed Renji a quick grin over his shoulder. "Try not to land under me. Things might get messy." With that as the only warning, he tipped off the edge of the patio in a controlled fall, vanishing into the darkness below.

[Going to here.]

[stray_shinigami]

"Hold still. I promise I'm not getting fresh with you." Renji grabbed Lydia by the waist and then scooped her up into his arms before jumping over the railing and simply running down the outside wall in shunpo.

[After Daemon!]