Night 58: Stairwell by Waiting Room/Lobby 1

[heroesdontshave]

[from here]The confusion had fizzled out his anger momentarily. But that didn't make him any less determined to press forward. If anything, Snow was treating it like a random lapse of concentration and was plenty ready to forget about it. Which was pretty damn easy once he got himself focused on a particular subject

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[terriblehaiku]

[From here.]

Hijikata stepped into the stairwell and stood for a moment, the glow of his cigarette the only thing illuminating the space. He didn't hear anyone else, save the faint echos of the memory that had been plaguing him all day. It was softer now, and it had been awhile since he'd actually seen anything, which seemed to indicate whatever was causing it was beginning to fade.

Good. He was going to need a clear head for this.

Finally switching on the lantern, he swept the light around the stairwell, then headed up the stairs. Not far now, if the directions he'd been given were correct.

[To here.]

[broodings]

[from here]

Lights and footsteps above him. Someone else had decided to take the stairs. Stefan forced his pace down to a walk, taking the steps as quietly as possible. He could've run it too - he didn't even feel tired yet, something he would've expected of his old self, but he didn't know the limits of his current strength yet - but the stairwell was too narrow for him to pass the other person easily. Better he set himself up for as little temptation as possible.

It didn't take long. When the man stepped onto the second floor, Stefan was only half a flight behind.

[to here]

[princeofthemoon]

[ from here ]

Sesshoumaru was not used to being confined indoors for any length of time - wasn't used to being confined indoors at all, really. That remained true, no matter how expansive this building was. He was not claustrophobic, so it was slight annoyance rather than panic that danced at the back of his head, but... the annoyance was there.

Sesshoumaru hated being controlled, and those in charge of this place seemed to have little other goal in mind.

[ultimagi]

He had moved before she'd caught sight of what he meant, but the girl followed his lead easily and silently. She hoped he wouldn't turn out to be the talkative sort, at least for now -- she still had so many things to think about. Trying to explain once again about her amnesia, or about the men who claimed to know her, would just wear her out more.

They ascended quickly; if nothing else, she was glad that the headache of before had not returned this night.

[to here]

[razing_phoenix]

[From here.]

Despite all of the confusion that had come up tonight, Guy realized that they were still making good time. That was no surprise, though, since he and Claude had been here long enough that they could generally make it through the building pretty quickly. More than that, he'd had the location of that morgue burned into his mind after waking up there and stumbling out of it while still shaking off the sensation that he'd been dead.

It was going to be hard to face that again, especially if it turned out that this assumption of his was completely wrong. He wasn't going to give up on Okita so easily, though. If he couldn't find him tonight then he'd just keep asking after him on the bulletin until he got a straight answer.

How many days had it been since that night when he'd woken up in that metal drawer? Guy wasn't sure, nor did he really want to think about it too hard. Shoving those thoughts away yet again, he took in a breath and started climbing.

[full_score]

"I don't know," Claude said, his voice growing more quiet now. He didn't like the idea that someone was trying to make him doubt himself, but he couldn't quite buy into the idea that their captors had done something nice for him.

Regardless of the military's intentions, though, Claude didn't think there was much use in talking about it anymore for the time being. It didn't relate to their search for Okita, and he didn't want to accidentally distract them from their surroundings. He was glad when Guy let the subject drop for now, although he couldn't say whether that was the last of it.

Gazing up the stairway, the swordsman made sure the coast was clear before leading the way to the second floor.

((To here.))

[nobleobliged]

[ ➳ ]

Sweeping the light up the stairs, then back along the railing, Natalia confirmed that for at least as far as she could see, nothing waited in the darkness. The movements and whispered chatter of those in the hallway behind her seemed dull here, muted. Tense with reflexes better suited to reaction via arrow, Natalia climbed, quick but not rushing. As she did, she considered her next move. She knew the second floor held the chapel, doctors' offices, and she had once spotted a supply closet. Something useful there, perhaps. Anything should help at this point.

Only a flight of stairs. That hadn't been so hard; not at all. She allowed herself a smile as she stepped into the hallway.