Nightshift 19 - F1 Hall

[lustful_thing]

Another night in this place. And, if the intercom was to be believed, more experimentation. Lust realized that she needed to learn the fake names of her companions, to be on the lookout for things such as this. She knew her supposed name, but no others. Ah well. She could only hope that Scar, Dias or River weren't among the ones taken. And

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[lapis_inferno]

Dante squinted, following the beam of another's flashlight, trying to make out the other's features in the dark. The voice on the intercom had disturbed her greatly, and not just because night was falling again and she knew something terrible was in store for her. No, the voice had sounded too giddy, hinting at something entirely different than what she had been used to hearing at night. The very thought of new, unforseen horrors sent shivers racing down Dante's back. She wanted this to stop, but slowly she was losing faith in her ability to get away from this place. She was trapped in a cage, without her alchemy and without the Stone. It would only be a matter of time before she withered away completely, if the nurses or the other patients didn't get to her first, of course

[lustful_thing]

"Hmm?" Lust turned before the name registered. Ophelia. The fake name her master had adopted in this place. When the beam of her flashlight fell upon the petite woman, Lust's features slipped into a scowl. She smoothed it away as quickly as she could, composing her features into a bland and bored mask.

"Oh. It's you. Are you armed?" was all Lust asked. She chose her words carefully, though her tone was matter of fact. "I can't afford any dead weight." She could leave the woman there, but that would give Dante a chance to get her claws into someone unsuspecting. At least if Dante was with her, Lust could keep an eye on her. And she'd already warned Ginji ahead of time, and Scar, Dias and River knew the dangers Dante presented as well.

Of course, there was always the chance they would encounter monsters, and Dante would fall to them. That was a pleasant thought, and Lust smiled some as she entertained the notion.

[lapis_inferno]

Dante's eyes narrowed slightly. She wasn't about to admit that she wasn't armed, and hadn't yet been given anything with which she could make any sort of weapon. That would only make her sound weak, and weakness would only encourage Lust to rebel even more than she already had.

The very sight of the Homunculus made Dante want to scream. She knew she was spreading rumors about her throughout the hospital, and after the open defiance Lust had exhibited in the showers Dante wanted nothing more than to hurt her. But she knew that wasn't an option. The thought of ignoring Lust's rebelliousness wasn't nearly as bad as the thought of spending the night alone in the hospital.

"I, I," tears spilled down Dante's cheeks: some real, and some forced. She never let anyone see her cry, and yet now, it seemed, drumming up sympathy was the final option she had left. "I just don't know what to do. Please don't leave me, Lust."

[lustful_thing]

"Stop it." Lust's voice snapped like a whip's crack. "I don't care for displays of emotion."

She watched the woman critically, eyeing her, sizing her up. Even if the pouring of tears was fake, it showed how desperate the woman truly was. And of course she would be desperate - she had no allies. Lust held up her hand, displaying her curved, deadly looking metal claws.

"Perhaps you and I can strike a deal. You're quite familiar with those, I'm sure. But keep in mind that here and now, I hold the cards. I have a legion of allies who have sworn to protect me. There are men here who would gladly die for me if I so much as asked. I have weapons at my disposal, knowledge of this place and its workings, and gifts you could never imagine." Lust grinned, bluffing, but willing to. "You saw in the shower - this place has made me more than human but less than homunculus. I retain my inhuman abilities, but... well, let's simply say that those years of schooling me in alchemy have finally paid off. So tell me, Dante, are you willing

[soulofdiscord]

As for Scholar Ling, she was waiting right outside her door, waiting for her own ally to show and continue their discussion from the showers. While she waited, she mused over what the doctor had said, and more importantly what was being said right next to her. Ophelia, or Dante... she was in a terrible state. Obviously weak, pathetic... despite Lust's warnings to the contrary, it was hard not to see her in that light.

The Scholar had nothing but the unlit flashlight in her hand, having recognized how it worked from her interaction with Kyo the previous night. And she was very intrigued by the offer Lust was apparently willing to propose. Perhaps, such could be worked out to her advantage... there was only one way to find out.

For now, she was quiet, and merely observed. Such a situation as this deserved closer scrutiny.

[theycutitout]

So very broken.

River stood apart from the rest of the women conversing, apparently too lost in her many somethings to take part in their talk. Ophelia was there, as was Lust. Yet there was something else... Something missing that had been there before. She could hear it, but where?

The girl walked up to one of the walls, gently placing a hand on it and then an ear against it, as though she were listening to what Landels itself had to say to her. Maybe, in all reality, she was.

[theycutitout]

[River wandered off here.]

[ifandmaybe]

Inara was more or less prepared for Nightshift this time around. She'd doubled-checked all of her supplies, most notably her flashlight, and sat in wait for the doors to creak open and the "fun" to begin. She had to find River or Kaylee before long. Though she was all too aware that the former could take care of herself, at least Kaylee would need someone to guide her through something like this. The Companion hadn't even gotten the chance to prepare her for what she would face when the darkness came

[ifandmaybe]

[Inara moved here.]