Nightshift 33: F-A Block Hallway

[transgenix]

[ Coming from here.]

Max didn't slow down or even pause to look around her as she slipped out of her hall and headed onwards, a determined expression on her face. If anything was stupid enough to pick a fight with her right now, she'd be more than happy to oblige it.

[ Going here.]

Comments

[yin_yang_fox]

[from here]

Like the night prior, she moved against the wall. There was no need for light yet. She strained her heightened hearing to its limits. No time for surprises.

Focus your breathing. Calm your being. Listen. Learn. Move.

The mantra ran through her head.

[neutral_jing]

[From here.]

Toph skidded to a halt at the adjacent hallway and ran a nervous finger through her bangs. What is with this place? she thought. Monsters and magic were one thing, but disembodied voices were something beyond her experience.

The girl's senses suddenly noted the presence of other people, one who was too close for comfort. In reaction, she hardened into a defensive stance. "Who's there?"

[yin_yang_fox]

The child's voice that spoke (for it was a child, Renamon was sure of it) seemed as on edge as she was. Her protective instincts won out over her anxiety, and she stopped to calmly answer, "I am Renamon."

She switched the light on, pointing it at the direction of the speaker's feet. The light threw shadows, but showed a very small child, female. She looked even younger than Rika. Every child she'd met so far was in their teens, but this one wasn't. How old could she be?

She analyzed the girl's stance, and gave a light smile. She seemed to know how to defend herself at least, if that was any tell. "And may I ask your name, young one?"

[neutral_jing]

Her strain lessened at the woman's response, causing the earthbender to slump out of her position. Anyone who gave out their name so easily probably didn't mean any harm, though the name itself sounded odd in Toph's head.

"It's Toph." The girl paused thoughtfully while trying to regain her bearings. "Renamon, you say? I've never heard of that name before." Normally, she wouldn't remark on such a trivial matter, but Toph had the tendency to babble when nervous.

[thatdamnedninja]

[ From here]

This place...

... It was dull.

That was the only way Yuffie could think to describe it. Walking down the hallway, footsteps quick and light, flashlight trained on the ground in front of her...

Well, okay. Maybe this place was a little creepy, and maybe she was just a little on edge. Just a little! And it wasn't like she'd never been in places that creeped the hell out of her before- she spent most of her time in places that were creepy! And so far, Landel's Institute was barely even registering on the creep-o-meter.

Still, she'd learned from her mistakes in the past; complacency could lead to one's ass being kicked. Yuffie was alert, observant, and anything that that thought she'd make an easy target...

Well, she'd show them.

[ Going here]

[contentincloset]

[from here]

Another quick move through the hallway and he was at the other end.

[contentincloset]

[gone here]

[contentincloset]

[from here to here]

[miracle_grow]

[ Coming from here.]

Claire slipped out into the hall, making her way farther from her room. She made sure to check there was nothing nearby that would be dangerous before continuing on. She didn't want to keep her dad waiting, if he was already on the move.

[ Going here.]

[gray_gambit]

[coming from here]

Lia hadn't had a chance the night before to see this area in anything but the distant and diffuse light shed by other travellers. Her nervous mind had conjured vague horrors, enough to make her skin prickle. Somehow, the reality was worse, eerie enough to put her on edge without providing a clear target for fear that could either be escaped or dispelled. She steadied her breathing and brought her unease carefully back into line, taking those few seconds to get her bearings. She didn't know if keeping calm would truly give her any sort of edge, but she could be relatively certain running scared would not.

[mind_caster]

[in from here]

Melissa kept her back to the wall as she edged towards the corner, all senses alert for... well. Monsters, if every single thing that pointed towards them being real was true. She had to assume, at this point in time, that it wasn't just crazy talk. After all, that statue last night had certainly been real.

The bathroom she'd been to earlier was dead ahead. Melissa veered her course to stay as far away from it as possible. It was creepy enough during the day, who knew what it was like at night?

A kind of nervous, controlled fear was rolling off of someone in front of her in waves. Melissa had already begun to notice her mindcasting was stronger at night, but she was in no way prepared for that onslaught. Gripping the wall next to her to keep from falling, Melissa gritted her teeth together and tried to move around the woman. It took a surprising amount of willpower to keep from snapping at her, considering Melissa dealt with people just like her in huge amounts every day.

[gray_gambit]

Though Lia kept a careful leash on her own psychic senses, locked down as tightly as she possibly could to avoid picking up or reflecting too much of the chaos she was certain surrounded her, discomfort passing so near wasn't something the witch could miss. She frowned, emotions shifting and resettling into a low hum of sharp concern as she turned toward the other woman.

The other girl, she noted, eyebrows rising in faint surprise as she noted yet another person held captive who was younger even than she. "Are you all right?"

[mind_caster]

Melissa was about to mutter a brisk reply and continue on her way when the woman's full mind touched on her tongue. She froze, but not with surprise. How many more people was the mindcaster going to meet who went against everything she'd grown up with?

This time, there weren't any thoughts. Emotions, definitely, quickly changing from the earlier fear to a much less welcoming concern. But there weren't any thoughts underneath the taste. It wasn't the simple emotions-drowning-out-thoughts either, but more like... a sort of psychic barrier.

Melissa turned to face the woman. "Okay. First off, I'm fine, you can stop with the concern." It was one of the most annoying, bitter emotions Melissa had to deal with from her friends besides pity. "Second. What are you?" She doubted the woman was another telepath, but she must have some experience to have any kind of a barrier up. Not even Rex had managed to do that, and he grew up with Melissa.