Night 50: Recreational Field

[doneinthree]

[from here]He'd been prepared for the same uncomfortable disorientation from last night, but all Kirk stepped into was the cold, clean air of the recreational field. A considerable improvement, although he wasn't about to thank Landel for any small favours. Despite the dull throb of his injury, he kept a firm hold on the door, remembering the way

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[unfleeing]

[from here]

It was indeed night when he stepped out into the clean, crisp air; it was cool, and the youkai took a deep and refreshing breath of it, letting it fill his lungs before expelling it slowly. After barely another moment, Naraku looked around, observing the outside surroundings. The grass was cut peculiarly short, in a very fine, well-groomed manner. It seemed, also, to have grown in a certain shape... a rectangle? It covered a fairly large area, yet there were no trees, no bushes, no other plants of any kind; the only things he could see sprouting from the ground were strange, white constructs of which he did not recognize.

Raising a single brow at the strange field - as that was the only term that seemed to fit the area - he started to approach it, noticing only then the other two beings gathered on it. A man and a woman - an unsurprising combination, and one that he inwardly sneered at - both garbed in the same "patient uniform" that he himself was dressed in. There was something about the both of them, something that guided Naraku's subconscious along to focus entirely on the both of them. They both seemed to have a plan - something Naraku desperately needed in so unfamiliar a setting.

After pondering momentarily whether he should approach them both or not, Naraku caught what the man said; the point he made was obviously valid, and it intrigued the youkai.

He slunk toward them slowly, his expression carefully blank. He made certain to remain aware of their surroundings. "There is a reason the nights here are short?" It was an honest question, one that Naraku felt he had the right to ask, having just awoken in the strange and perplexingly advanced building.

[givemeoblivion]

Extra company hadn't been expected, and it wasn't particularly welcome, either. Though her first night had gone well (or as well as any night here could go) with more than one other patient as company, this had the possibility of slowing them down. ...Or did it? Now that she thought about it, Callisto realized she'd gotten further when she was with more than one patient than she did with just a partner. Odd, by why not test it out?

Unfortunately, this was once again another patient she wouldn't have chosen to work with on her own terms. She could tell just by looking at them that they were more than likely to team up against her than otherwise. If she was particularly unlucky, they already knew each other. At least this one was new, if his question was anything to go by, though he could always be feigning ignorance.

But really, now. What did she have to lose anymore?

"The nights have no set length," she answered, her bored tone indicative of someone who knew the workings of this place far too well. "They can be short because Landel wants them short. We're just toys to him, and it gets so tiring. Come on."

And then she started walking across the field again toward the opposite wall, expecting both to follow, though she didn't care if either did.

[should_be_dead]

So they had been overheard. The ninja raised an eyebrow at the new addition of their so-called 'group'. Yakushiji Tenzen of the Iga Ten hadn't expected the extra company either, and he merely offered him a observational glance. Another patient, then. A new one, if the question proving his ignorance was anything to go by; several nights trapped in this ridiculous game would be more than plenty to answer the question.

Unfortunately for the stranger, Tenzen didn't feel up to the task of explaining. It would seem his companion felt the same way, as she was already heading for the opposite wall after her brief clarification and the order to follow. For now, he supposed he would.

"I assume you understand our rush?" he said, a small smirk present on his face. "However, I will not stop you from following." Taking an additional meat shield could be valuable enough, provided the new one wouldn't slow them down. But the same could be said about the woman even despite her apparent impatience.

He, too, began crossing the field into the direction of the opposite wall.

[unfleeing]

Naraku nodded sharply; they were both terse and calculated. Perhaps they were not wise to team up with? He was well aware that his best work was done while dealing with those he found to be easily manipulated, and these two did not seem the type.

But they held themselves with an air of confidence that he could not ignore, and he could not deny the fact that he needed true and honest help this once; a slow smirk spread across his face as he followed, glancing around carefully.

[givemeoblivion]

The radio Callisto had brought with her came to life all of a sudden, and she took it out to stare at it dully. This voice wasn't one she recognized. Another 'rebel' seeking to help them? And how much help, exactly, had the last voices on the radio provided? She listened anyway, for the moment ignoring the other two. Whatever this talk was about rings, the same ones thee head doctor had mentioned earlier, no doubt, it had nothing to do with her. That didn't mean she wasn't curious when the transmission was cut. Surely that had been on purpose?

Well, standing around there listening wasn't getting them anywhere. With the radio now silent, she let it hang from her wrist and continued walking toward the outer wall. Did enough of her skill remain, she wondered, that she could make it over this wall without assistance?

As she neared it, the blonde got a good running start. Then, when she'd reached it, she continued that running right up the side of the wall. It was higher than the one into the courtyard, but Xena wasn't the only one skilled in these arts. She almost didn't make it, but flipped forward onto her hands at the last moment, grabbing the top to pull herself up. There, she sat on the edge and watched the two below with a bit of a smirk.

[should_be_dead]

Tenzen paused when his own device came to life as well, listening to the announcement with mild curiosity. The voice wasn't recognizable. These people on this so-called 'radio' sought to help them? How helpful had they actually been thus far? Patients seemed to distrust them if anything. Still, the talk about the ring had been interesting. Pity the announcement had been cut off before this 'Marc' could have finished his explanation.

He continued crossing the field, watching as the woman chose to show off by running up the side of the wall. It may have looked impressive to one who wasn't used to acrobatics, but one of Iga's Ten wouldn't raise an eyebrow to the display of such basics. If anything, it meant she was at least capable. Before the ninja could follow the woman, however, a second device came to life, indicating that the first had been likely purposely cut off. The gloating they were more or less forced to listen to only confirmed such suspicions, and Tenzen was about to disregard the man's nonsensical ramblings when a high pitched sound shot out from both the devices they carried and the intercom, a sound that didn't quite fail in hurting his ears. The only outward indication he showed was the narrowing of his eyes and the tightening of his jaw. But his ears were still ringing when the head doctor spoke his parting words. Perhaps it was due to the ringing noise, or perhaps he had simply misheard, but he had no idea what the man had said before the intercom cut off. Hnn. Likely not anything worth wasting time about.

He smirked at the woman sitting on the wall for a brief moment. Such a feat really wouldn't have been impressive for a member of the hidden Tsubakagure Clan, but little remained of his skill. Still, Yakushiji Tenzen would not have any problems climbing a simple wall. And he was a conceited one, one to boast of his skills. He took the rules of secrecy and honor more loosely, because, after all, he had little to lose. Or used to. How dormant was the creature residing within him now?

It was natural that he took the 'challenge' the woman presented, to follow her example and run the remaining distance. And when he nearly reached the wall he leaped. Despite his remaining skills being nowhere near to what he could originally do, he still managed to reach quite the height. His hands grasped the vines and he climbed the remaining distance quickly before swinging one leg over the edge; his ascend hadn't taken long at all. A smug smirk appeared on his features.

He cast a brief glance over the other side of the wall, looking for the presence of any threats (it wouldn't be surprising if their respective 'climbs' would have attracted any attention). Concluding it to be safe for now, his eyes wandered over to the remaining man on the field.

[unfleeing]

Naraku was intrigued and disturbed by the strange noises that came from the others' respective contraptions; he'd seen nothing like them in all his years, and the advanced technology of the place was beginning to both intimidate and irk the youkai. The male speaking was obviously human - Naraku had listened to so much ningen drivel throughout the years that he could recognize it almost instantly now - and it took a great deal of control on his part, but he managed to hold back the urge to sneer at the strange male's sickeningly human need to help others. He concluded that the male speaking must be another in their situation; it was possible that he had been trapped for some time.

Human or not, perhaps he would be worth looking into?

The others treated the jump over the wall as though it were a private game, a challenge to each other that only they would recognize. Who had come out on top? he wondered. With a smirk, Naraku realized that he didn't care; it was obviously a meaningless challenge to rise to, as he already knew that he was on top. He just needed to return to his castle, where he would once again possess his prize - the nearly completed shikon no tama. Then he would be at his rightful place once more.

But, for now, making it over the wall seemed a necessary course of action, as he had no other idea of how to escape the place. It seemed silly, though, for the being known as Landel to go to such trouble to bring them from their homes, their beds - only to allow them so easy an escape?

Trivial matters, ones that could be focused on at a later time. He simply walked forward, thinking the other two silly for running to make the jump; it gave away their humanity. Approaching the wall slowly, he ran his palm along its surface a moment, as though contemplating how best to perform his next task.

Abruptly, he crouched low to the ground, gathering all the strength he could muster into his legs. To his surprise, it wasn't near what he was used to, but when he released, springing upward, he made it - though barely. His hands shot out, up, gripping the edge of the wall and pulling himself up with relative ease and a cocky smirk. He looked out, over the woods on the other side of the wall from the field, before looking back at his new companions.

...oh, how he hated that word.

"It cannot truly be so simple to escape," he commented to the others, not realizing that he was once again speaking Japanese.

[givemeoblivion]

What was...? The high pitched noise had been far too loud given the circumstances, but Callisto didn't see anything in the immediate area that could have caused it. Had it come from the building and the radios combined? If that was the case, then it had to be worse for those inside, and she would have pitied them if she'd been the pitying sort. She wasn't, of course, and it wouldn't have mattered to them anyway.

The former warlord was about to hop down to the other side when the newest man said something in another language. She frowned at him. Up until now, everyone had been speaking so she could understand them, but this? What sort of language was that? She glanced at the other to see if he'd understood, not that it would help her if he did.

"Speak Greek, idiot," she grumbled before sliding off the wall to the ground below.

[to here]