Nightshift 29, Patient Library

[mister_radio]

There was music playing in the library.

The door was closed and shut, but music filtered out anyway.  Inside, the room was lit with battery operated lanterns set on tables.  The tables themselves had been moved and arranged into a U formation, one table horizontal in the center of the room with two tables parallel to one another set against its ends

Comments

[31st_of_china]

[From here with Qui-Gon and Obi-wan]

There wasn't any time to question the young man who'd appeared out of the darkness. There wasn't any time to see what was tearing up the Sun Room, only a glimpse of something large and muscular and maybe just vaguely human.

They were moving with an urgency he was familiar with. It felt natural, but he wasn't about to charge into the room.

Sanzo slowly pushed the door open, and peered in through the slit. It wasn't much room to study the room, but at least he could see the cat (if that could even be called one - it was fucking huge) on the table, and a man seated behind it.

The monk glanced back at the two men behind him, and held up two fingers. Two potential opponents that he could see so far.

Sanzo turned back, and slowly pushed the door open, tensing.

[qui_gonjinn]

Seeing Sanzo's raised fingers, Qui-Gon nodded to show he understood. Two things inside, although two of what exactly still needed to be determined. Between the big, humanoid creature in the Sun Room and the fear, anger and pain he could feel in the Force emanating from the other patients, he couldn't get an accurate enough read on whatever was inside the patient library.

The Jedi Master followed after Sanzo as he pushed the door open cautiously. Trying to focus his senses, he still wasn't prepared for what met him as he caught a glimpse of what was inside. To all appearances, there was only the eerie glow of the lamps, casting light and alternating shadows on the only two beings inside that he could see. One was some kind of feline, looking to be in a stage of degeneration, its skin rotting (skin disease?), and lounging about. It had the same feel of void in the Force, and for a second he only saw that, that deafening silence

[braidless]

When Sanzo raised his fingers, Obi-Wan's eyebrows faintly furrowed, and he nodded as well. In truth, it was probably best that they'd traveled in a group like this. He was fortunate he'd been able to meet up with Qui-Gon, and, well, whoever this person was. (He'd have to ask later once it was more appropriate

[mister_radio]

So. Nobody was going to say hello.

Jack leaned back in his chair and looked at the three men who hovered in the doorway of the room he'd taken as his own.

"Can I help you boys with something?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

[mister_radio]

Well, someone wanted to just get down to business.

"You get right to the point, don't you? I like that. Sorry to say, that's not on the table for discussion," Jack said, grinning. That whole sordid mess was no one's business. At least as far as he was concerned.

"Now if you're looking for something a little more tangible... maybe I can help you out a little."

[ditched_again]

Closing the door behind them, a constant scowl remained on his face while his thoughts remained of that rotting bag of flesh in the previous room. It took all of his willpower not to return back to the other room to do something about it, but his honour and word to accompany Ryuga had priorities above all else at this moment.

Blinking as his eyes adjusted to the dim light, the sword peered around the side of the wheeled chair as Ryuga spoke, he caught the sight of this so called ‘Radio Man’ - if that who this human actually was. He felt the edgings of suspicion creep against the corner of his mind as Ryuga’s question was dismissed by the other man.

He didn’t trust this bag of flesh in the slightest - there was something about them that put the sword on edge, but if they weren’t willing to give them that particular information, maybe there were other ways to find it. “And by tangible you mean those weapons and drugs you spoke of over that radio contraption yes?”

[small_fortune]

[ From here]

And here they were. The atmosphere was a little over the top, Mark thought--a little bombastic. But it also reminded him a tiny bit of Vorkosigan House, perhaps the library there. There were no data consoles to match the antique books, however, just a piano, and a man petting what appeared to be a rotting large cat.

The other Jack. Mr. Radio. Mr. Doyle, the vocal opposition. Complete with radio at hand to avoid any confusions.

"Hello, Mr. Doyle." Mark walked closer to the piano, eyeing the cat but not shying away from it. "I understand you're giving out free presents tonight?"

[i_slay_giants]

Mark cut to the chase and Jack saw no reason not to do the same. Nodding to Kou in a "Let's do this" type fashion, he followed behind the dwarf. He gave the other Jack a friendly smile, though tried to maintain a slightly intimidating air, should the other man show any reluctance to do as he had promised on the radio.

"...and 'free presents' are always something worth getting behind. John Trick." He stepped around Mark (perhaps in an attempt to overshadow and appear as if he were in charge of the group?) and offered his hand to Mr. Radio. "Tell me, what does your little shop have?"

Oh yes, he was attempting to upstage like mad.

[mister_radio]

"Welcome, boys." Jack stretched, leaning forward to get a better look at his visitors. "Step on up, don't be shy. Neither of us bite." He grinned a bit, looking less like some sort of mastermind and more like a mischievous teenage boy. "Unless of course you ask."

He gave 'John' a look and raised an eyebrow. The cat, as though sensing a change in Jack's attitude, lifted its head and gave the man a fully feline glare - easily recognizable despite the glowing red eyes and rotting flesh.

"My 'little' shop can offer anything you want," Jack said, mildly. "And I wouldn't call them presents."

[small_fortune]

"Anything we want? I suppose that doesn't include a trip home." Mark wasn't entirely inclined to leaving everyone else here to their fates, but the reality was that he could think of nothing he could ask for that would make him personally able to help these people... and the longer he stayed here, the more danger it was for everyone. Unfortunately, he hadn't come here expecting a rousing 'why yes the exit is right this way,' and so had a back-up request for his Winterfair gift... though not 'present,' eh?

"I want maps. Of the entire facility. Upstairs, downstairs, further downstairs... everything." Mark gestured widely. "If you've been as involved in the creation of this place as it sounds, then you ought to be able to supply something like that. Especially considering that it seems you can slip in and out of here at will."

[stray_shinigami]

[from here]

If anything, Renji entered the library more cautiously than he'd gone in to the sun room, quickly moving far enough away from the door that Ren and River could come in and take cover if necessary. He didn't trust the guy on the radio, didn't particularly like him, and had no idea what they might find.

If something attacked, he'd be ready. He eyed the apparently sleeping cat, then the man behind the table.

[littlestrawdoll]

The trip to the library was mostly spent in silence, and thankfully, without too much trouble. Abarai Renji seemed to have a wealth of training just by the way he led... and the way he held his sword, a stance the doll recognized, if nothing less. Blades just made him uncomfortable when they were in the hands of strangers. It was easier to remain objective in the modern world, when people favoured harming others with guns and knives and all manner of machines--it wasn't often with a proper sword anymore

[theycutitout]

River had followed along, letting Renji lead and following in his steps almost exactly. A game, a game. It was always a game. When they made it to the library, it seemed almost as though they were halfway there, but it was never the case. More miles kept getting added on to the race. Taking her place between the Ren and Renji, River smiled brightly at Jack, not at all put off by the rotting cat he was petting.

"See? Jack's not a liar," she announced happily, taking another step forward and peering curiously at the cat. "Does he have a name?"

[mister_radio]

"That's right. I'm not a liar. I'm something else entirely." Jack gave River a smile, and there was a flash of pain in his eyes. But it faded as though it hadn't even been there, and he let his hand run down the full length of the rotting cat's back. "

And of course he's got a name. This is Lucifer Sam - he's always sitting by my side. He won't hurt you, don't worry. You can come over and say 'hello'. He's a spoiled little shit, pardon my French, and I think he'd like it if someone other than me gave him the time of day."

He was ignoring the two men in the room, not even sparing them a glance. Hey, they wanted to just stand and glare or stare or gawk, so be it.

[sneak]

[ From here with Tyler. ]

Raiden breathed a sigh of relief when both he and Tyler got out of the Sun Room and into the library without anything coming after them. He was soon distracted by the music, though, and the tranquil atmosphere that the whole room seemed to have. It wasn't something he was used to during the nights here.

How many people had already come here? He was a little worried that the man wouldn't have anything left to hand out, but this was still worth looking into, wasn't it? They might just get some answers.

He moved slowly toward the center of the room, following the light source until he found the desks, the man, and the creature. He couldn't stop himself from staring at it for a moment. It looked feline, and as he thought about the nurses from the night before, had had to wonder what that monster was during the day.

Realizing that he had to say something, he managed with, "Hey." Unfortunately, he wasn't very charismatic.

[shyboyblue]

Tyler was still reeling from the confusion of waking in a strange place surrounded by really strange people, but he followed quietly enough, his gaze landing on the disembodied head that sat rotting on the table.

He wrinkled his nose. "Well, you get points for morbid atmosphere."

[mister_radio]

"Hey yourself." Jack raised his eyebrows. "Morbid's a relative term, you know. This? This is downright homey." But enough idle chit-chat. It was funny how many people were falling back on pleasantries.

"What can I do for you?"

[sneak]

It was strange to be seeing the man face to face, and Raiden found that he still wasn't sure what he should say. The voice was familiar enough that he could tell it was the same one he had been hearing these past few nights, though the man behind it wasn't exactly what he was expecting.

"Well, with that kind of announcement, it's hard not to want to see things for yourself," he offered with a shrug, still glancing around at the equipment, the lights, and the cat-like monster. Even though it was sleeping, it still made him nervous.

He looked the man over again and frowned in contemplation. "Did you... sneak yourself in here? Or have you been here all along?"