Nightshift 49: Stairwell by Nurse's Station 1-B

[number_crunch]

[From here]Stomping up the stairs, the Mathematician was immediately reminded of his lack of a hand truck banging up behind him. He'd probably need to replace that if he wanted to grab more materials for his artwork

Comments

[number_crunch]

"I work in 3 dimensions," replied the Reaper, waving his arms about grandly as he ascended. "Though I incorporate a lot of 2D elements as formulaically necessary. I've yet to find a satisfactory method of expressing the higher mathematical concepts in anything besides the written number."

Polyhedron-based forms of communication tended to get unnecessarily complicated once calculus got involved.

"But by my hands, I turn the garbage of society into an asymmetrical artwork whose divine lines and angles truly express my artistic soul," he waxed poetic, before suddenly breaking off with a slam of his fist into his palm. "Vending machines, doors, streetlights, cars, Players and Composers: CRUNCH! I'll add it to the heap! I'll add it all to the heap!"

[To here]

[scalyfishman]

[From here]

Up the staircase and out of the cross-beams from the flashlights of other patients, Depth Charge's first instinct was to edge a little closer to Hime and drop his voice, even though he could see a couple of patients up ahead of them already. Their footsteps still sounded unnervingly incongruous in the quiet of the stairway. That witch-thing had been at the top of the stairs before and he wanted to be ready this time.

"Not yet," he answered, "but knowing that slagger, it's either a bluff or he's planning to spring it on us when we least expect it. And I'd bet my tailfins it's the second one."

[chainsaw_royal]

"Fufun, I'm sure," Hime chuckled in agreement. She'd be disappointed if Landel's ranting was just empty talk. Grateful, but disappointed.

The Royal noted the patients ahead, a frown crossing her face as one of them began ranting some kind of egotistical nonsense, but it hardly mattered since they seemed on the way out.

"Guards like the one we met last night?" she asked as they made their way up the steps. That boy had seemed more like one of the brainwashed patients than a monster, but who knew what lurked beneath that relatively normal facade. He certainly hadn't been normal, not with the way their blows had bounced off him. Still, it was a moot point unless they met him again, so Hime pushed it from her mind as they topped the stairs.

[To here]

[contentincloset]

[from here]

Kurogane did not glance back to see if the girl was following. She could honestly do whatever she wanted that night without Kurogane caring too much - so long as she didn't get hurt. It was only because they were going the same direction that Kurogane had no problem with giving the option for her to "tag along" until she was where she wanted to go. Nothing more than that.

[not_rly_fai]

Fai was careful to wait until Tsubaki started up the stairs before he followed behind the both of them, trailing by only a few steps. It was easier this time, than it'd been just a few nights before. Then it'd been painful just trying to climb the stairs and keep up. His injuries had been serious, but he hadn't kept him from leaving his room. It was something of a relief that he hadn't been caught be Kurogane until now.

"We were headed the same way anyway," he said, trying to be reassuring. "It's no trouble. Besides, it's much safer to travel with a group, don't you think?" For more reasons than the monsters in the halls.

[thecamellia]

These two were very… comfortable around each other. Tsubaki, on the other hand, wasn’t sure how she should feel about getting suddenly swept up with them, which was what was happening given all she could really do in the face of Kurogane’s scolding reminder was agree. "Yes," she reluctantly acceded.

Kurogane’s curt nature didn’t mask the fact that he was once again doing her a favour, and she was grateful for the thought. But putting others out because of her decisions also made her uncomfortable; she wondered if it was true, what Kurogane’s companion said about heading in the same direction. She didn’t want extra trouble to come to them. After a moment, she took her cue and stepped between them, feeling a little awkward about it even as she did so. If what he said wasn’t totally true… then she’d have to thank them again. And let them get on with their night

[contentincloset]

[gone here]

[mistressmadgirl]

[from here]

But there was no sense, she reminded herself, in speculating about Lana; she had things to do, and step one was turning into that stairway and looking for those red eye-lights, which fortunately were kind of hard to miss.

He'd better be here, otherwise she was going to have to search alone.

[tartaros_avatar]

[From here]

Recluse had spent the start of the night seeing to his weapons. Even without heavy use, they still needed to be cared for, especially because he didn't have the best materials for them. Blades were something he could care about. Despite Landel's cryptic nonsense, he could hardly be bothered to pay attention to the man now.

But still, wasting a night would not be of any help. And so he suddenly appeared at Agatha's side, not having really meant to sneak up on her, but doing so all the same. "Looking for someone?"

[mistressmadgirl]

For all that she actually wanted to have him around, Recluse was still a disquieting person, especially when everything around you was already creepy and he showed up from behind you out of nowhere. The upshot of which was that Agatha jumped with a faint "eep!" when he spoke, before settling down and clearing her throat in a determinedly dignified way to make up for it.

"I thought you might want to try again," she said, with a glare that dared anyone to mention that little squeak. "But something's come up. Do you know anything about these 'sleep studies'?"

[tartaros_avatar]

Recluse carefully kept a smirk off his face, looking down at Agatha with a generally mild expression.

"I do." But of course things couldn't ever be that simple. "I know where they take place. I assume someone you know has been taken for one of them?"