NIGHTSHIFT 38: M21 - M30 HALLWAY

[lossofface]

Finally! The doors had unlocked, and Blitzwing could go. Tonight would lack the frustrations that made the night before such an irritating exercise in futility, not least because he'd have nothing to do with the traitor at all. He also had a slightly better idea of where he was going, at least for this first stretch of the journey: it was with no

Comments

M25

[notmyfather]

Valyn was at a loss. He didn't know what to do tonight. Raine was busy with the clinic, he was rather certain Keman was still angry with him, and Shadow...

Ancestors. He set out his mage light anyway, not knowing what else he could do. While his therapy session had evened him out some, he still hadn't funneled most of his tension into anything at all.

Maybe he could just go out and grapple with some creatures until he was exhausted....

Re: M25

[mayomanoflove]

Hijikata had said nothing more after Keman'd answered his last question, silent and thoughtful despite the fact that he did not like the way his thoughts were going. His comment about experimentation had only been a off-handed remark; most anyone would have recognized the commentary as a word-by-word plot summary of Of Course the Lambs were Silent you Bastards They were DEAD!!! taken from the back of the series' DVD cover. Yet the kid seemed...genuinely disturbed by what he'd said.

...........hn. Maybe he hadn't watched the second season?

Hijikata watched as the boy reached up and knocked.

Re: M25

[notmyfather]

Valyn paused in his pacing and turned to the door. He knew it was Keman, but he wondered why the dragon was here. Was he going to apologize again - legitimatgely? - or did he bring more bad news?

If it were the latter, the elven lord was rather sure he'd lose his meager dinner then and there.

"Come in, Keman," Valyn said, opening the door and peering out. Ah, Keman wasn't alone. But who in the name of the ancestors was the man with him?

Re: M25

[mayomanoflove]

Blond hair. Pointy ears.

There was something about this friend of Keman's that reminded Hijikata of Leg--that blond guy whom Hijikata most certainly did not mistake for a woman for at least the first two hours of the movie and whom Kondo-san privately confessed was a little attractive while everyone thought he was a woman.

He watched their interaction silently, taking in Keman's stammer and the other man's air. Something had happened between them, no doubt--enough of a "something" to make Hijikata feel increasingly like a third wheel.

"Hijikata Toshirou," Hijikata said, holding out his hand. "Sorry to intrude."

Re: M25

[notmyfather]

"It's no intrusion." Valyn held up a hand, dismissing the man's apology. Why on earth was his age important? The young elven lord felt like he was missing something here.

"I wasn't exactly terribly busy," he went on, taking a seat on the edge of his bed. Apparently Keman wasn't still angry at him. Or at least not acting like he was angry. But Keman wasn't one to hide his emotions, and certainly not easily. "No one needed me to play bodyguard tonight, it seems."

At least, unlike Keman, he could fake emotions easily. He quickly adopted a rather calm, amiable air as he relaxed on the edge of his bed. "What brings the two of you here?"

Re: M25

[mayomanoflove]

Instead of meeting his for a handshake, the other guy's hand went up in the air. Hijikata blinked, a little confused before his own hand fell back to his side. That was strange, for a guy like that not to exchange greetings; after all, he seemed too--how to put it?--civilized for that kind of dismissal. Maybe he came from one of the planets where handshakes weren't common?

Well, so long as it wasn't one of the places where guests were decapitated upon meeting, Hijikata didn't mind. He continued to watch as the blond guy's demeanor changed a bit, turning into this calmer and more friendly look. It wasn't that Hijikata particularly minded it; everybody had their own ways of dealing, and Hijikata was hardly going to judge someone based on that. But he wasn't about to become some kind of excuse for Keman and that other guy to use to avoid confronting each other about whatever it was that was making this conversation awkward

Re: M25

[notmyfather]

"Hmm?" Valyn cocked his head and then shook it. "There's nothing to sort out," he said, a bit perplexed. Keman wasn't angry, he wasn't angry, that was the end of it. They weren't exactly ones for drawn out apologies or discussions. They'd lost their tempers because of things wholly unrelated to one another and taken it out on the easiest targets. Valyn was rather certain it would happen again, too.

"And I'd be more than happy to lend my services if it gets me out of this room for a night. I'm starting to get a bit stir crazy, I think. And it's been far too long since I did anything useful." He stood up easily. He was eager to get out. It would keep him from worrying or fretting.

"You won't be fine on your own," he went on. "Believe me, I thought that my first night here. I didn't show up with all these scars, let's just leave it at that." The marks on his arms and throat were clearly visible in the institute's uniform shirt. And there many more underneath it.

Re: M25

[mayomanoflove]

He'd always trusted what he could see more than anything anyone told him in words; the long-haired boy's scars spoke volumes. Hijikata's expression grew a little more wary as he looked from Valyn to Keman, searching their faces for any signs that could indicate a lack of seriousness. He found none.

"A prison, huh?'

Hijikata still wasn't convinced, but it was far too late at night for him to be arguing with the kids. Besides, there was a dark, nagging feeling at the back of his head telling him that it couldn't hurt to go with them...whatever that brought.

"I'm not sure how 'useful' this is going to be, but suit yourself."

Re: M25

[notmyfather]

"That's the simplest explanation for this place," Valyn said with a weary sigh. They never listened, at first. He glanced at Keman and gave him a small half-shrug. New prisoners, his expression seemed to say. What can you do?

"You have to understand that none of us truly understand what this place is or why we're here. They kidnpa us, they keep us locked inside, they experiment us and torture us...." And for what? Valyn had no idea, and hadn't met anyone who did have a good idea.

"And they lie to us during the day. You'll experience that first thing in the morning. Don't be surprised when they don't call you by your proper name." The elven lord was getting ready to go out as he spoke, slinging on his belt and dagger.

"And don't try and fight back against the staff during the day."

Re: M25

[mayomanoflove]

The dagger the Valyn kid was handling had most of Hijikata's attention even as they left. He kept it in mind but didn't comment, nodding curtly at Keman before turning around and walking.

[to here.]