Night 59: North of the Institute

[anemptydecapo]

[From here]"It's this way," the assassin called out to his side, his eyes attempting to focus on the darkness before them. They had made it to the forest fast enough when he had been traveling with Sora, which meant it shouldn't be much an issue with someone as fast as Zanuff was. "Down and to the right

Comments

[quarter_english]

[From here.]

L hit the damp earth with a soft grunt, lucky not to have slipped, then retrieved his axe as quickly as he could and moved away from the wall to make way for Lunge's own landing.

With a broader canvas to illuminate, and the clouds in the sky forming a reflective backdrop for the rosy glow, the light was brighter out here, the atmosphere eerie and still. It would have been easy to adopt the notion that the two of them were leaving the Institute's chaos far behind... easy, and foolish. Strange noises from that direction broke the silence now and then: reminders that any impression of real peace out here was an illusion.

When Lunge was with him again, L shot an expectant look at the older man, then turned to the east, prepared to walk. "So. Berg. Please go on. When you say couldn't, do you mean 'couldn't'... or 'wouldn't'? Did you have the sense that he was hiding something? Something specifically related to Lydia, that is." The old question of what had happened to the nurses--not least the one who might know something--tugged at him again.

[herr_inspektor]

With the initial surprise worn off, Lunge couldn't help but feel a certain level of satisfaction at what it was that L's first question had indicated: without any other reference it would have been reasonable to assume that he'd been the one to initiate contact, perhaps with the offer of information. Hardly a suggestion that put him in the best light. That he'd concluded the opposite was gratifying; he wasn't foolhardy enough to lie his way into a meeting and he wasn't entirely prepared to give up anything important.

Waiting for L to clamber up and over the wall so that he could had the axe back, he made a small leap to grab some of the higher vines, hauling himself up onto the top with a grunt of effort and swinging his legs over to the other side. His partner waited for him on the other side, patient as ever and at ease even in the expanse of glowing territory that left them all the more exposed, small and dark blots on the landscape. Ordinarily the wall might have offered them some protecting, but tonight they were at the mercy of their surroundings.

He landed with a surprising neatness, only just needing to clap his hand to the stone wall to keep himself upright. Straightening up again he gave the area another glance before following L out to the east.

"He was fishing for information. What else?" That was more a verbal shrug than a dig at L. He tilted his head. "He said that their files on Landel's time in charge were incomplete and that they needed more information- on Marc, specifically."

[to here]