Uryuu shook his head, immovable on this point. Or, difficult, anyway. This setting demanded more fluidity in address than he liked, as introductions too often were restricted to single names. Kratos-san, Kairi-san, Sora-san -- with nothing else offered, he had to swallow the concern that he spoke rudely. He knew well that given the difference in cultures, as far as they and the rest were concerned, it wasn't rude at all. Yet-- "It's too familiar," he said, adamant. "To address Irving-san with his first name would be suggestive of either an intimate friendship, or mark me as a terribly coarse person."
"Of course," he added with a glance at Kratos-san, "if you'd only given your first name, I'd have had no choice."
Too bad for Irving-san; Uryuu did not intend to pretend. The other topics at hand far outweighed that of address, so he did not anticipate an extended protest. Uryuu focused on Inoue-san, glad she did not finish her deference, but caught off guard by her threat. Such a serious tone offset by the mirth bright in her eyes, and he took a moment to string together a reply, his mouth twitching even as he lifted a dismissive hand.
"Inoue-san, I don't want your fruit cup. As generous a bribe as that is. Besides, it really isn't-- Inoue-san doesn't need to waste her energy on a bruise." Continuing to pretend as though the bandages that reached over his shoulder were not just visible past his shirt collar. As far as he chose to see it, Irving-san's injuries were assuredly worse. At the very least, if it happened tonight and Inoue-san could still heal, she ought to focus on Irving-san. Her limitations might be such that that alone exhausted her.
Rather than detailing all that, he shifted his approach. Irving-san had just about conceded, so- smoothly, "If Inoue-san's willing and able, then everything can be seen to tonight. Otherwise, neither of us will be at our best, promising worse if something else attacks."
And if Inoue-san looked to be tiring, he could slip away before she tried to push herself too hard.
Her admission of no appetite concerned him, though not to a tremendous degree as it was a natural reaction to this mess. The issue being as Irving-san said: energy. Uryuu felt a minutia of gratitude toward him, even if he did set an example without utensils. Perhaps they were finger food. Still, one should probably chew, and Uryuu looked askance at Inoue-san as she appeared to forget that.
On the other end of the conversation, Kratos-san made just the points Uryuu had considered, and with them introduced a barrier. The way Kratos-san spoke, it must have been tested by some with their abilities unfettered. Was it also responsible for dragging everyone back to bed come morning? Did it reach far into the forest and beyond? As he wondered, Irving-san favored optimism. At first, Uryuu felt skeptical, thinking he'd missed the mark--getting outside wasn't much of an accomplishment and the barrier must extend there as well.
As he went on, however, Uryuu knew he had a point. After all- "Most great endeavors have taken countless failures before success," he mused. "Edison and his lightbulbs. "Every wrong attempt is another step forward," and "I've not failed, only found 10,000 ways that won't work.""
Uryuu did not think of himself as either an optimist or inspired. Only as pragmatic. "It is counterproductive to begin with a defeatist attitude. Of course, it is no less destructive to rush into things or dismiss the magnitude of the task."
His fruit cup might have been lost to the floor (and he resisted the compulsion to pick it up and use some of his napkin scraps to clean any fallen syrup and fruit), but Uryuu still had his water, and he sipped it now. He swallowed as Inoue-san questioned him, and frowned, wishing that he did know so much. Unfortunately, though he could read a number of queries in her single question, he did not intuit the most important of them, having little affinity for aliens.
"I don't," he said, at first the words picked with slow care, "I've only been aware of being here a few days. The staff, of course, answer no questions, so everything I know I have been told by other "patients". Most of that can be gleaned from a day and night spent here. Very little is known. There are far more questions than answers."
Another sip of water, followed by a heavy, dramatic pause.
"Shall I explain, then? This institute of Landel's. The lie of the day, and the horror of the night."
[ ooc: can you tell he wants to make his Big Speech ]
no subject
"Of course," he added with a glance at Kratos-san, "if you'd only given your first name, I'd have had no choice."
Too bad for Irving-san; Uryuu did not intend to pretend. The other topics at hand far outweighed that of address, so he did not anticipate an extended protest. Uryuu focused on Inoue-san, glad she did not finish her deference, but caught off guard by her threat. Such a serious tone offset by the mirth bright in her eyes, and he took a moment to string together a reply, his mouth twitching even as he lifted a dismissive hand.
"Inoue-san, I don't want your fruit cup. As generous a bribe as that is. Besides, it really isn't-- Inoue-san doesn't need to waste her energy on a bruise." Continuing to pretend as though the bandages that reached over his shoulder were not just visible past his shirt collar. As far as he chose to see it, Irving-san's injuries were assuredly worse. At the very least, if it happened tonight and Inoue-san could still heal, she ought to focus on Irving-san. Her limitations might be such that that alone exhausted her.
Rather than detailing all that, he shifted his approach. Irving-san had just about conceded, so- smoothly, "If Inoue-san's willing and able, then everything can be seen to tonight. Otherwise, neither of us will be at our best, promising worse if something else attacks."
And if Inoue-san looked to be tiring, he could slip away before she tried to push herself too hard.
Her admission of no appetite concerned him, though not to a tremendous degree as it was a natural reaction to this mess. The issue being as Irving-san said: energy. Uryuu felt a minutia of gratitude toward him, even if he did set an example without utensils. Perhaps they were finger food. Still, one should probably chew, and Uryuu looked askance at Inoue-san as she appeared to forget that.
On the other end of the conversation, Kratos-san made just the points Uryuu had considered, and with them introduced a barrier. The way Kratos-san spoke, it must have been tested by some with their abilities unfettered. Was it also responsible for dragging everyone back to bed come morning? Did it reach far into the forest and beyond? As he wondered, Irving-san favored optimism. At first, Uryuu felt skeptical, thinking he'd missed the mark--getting outside wasn't much of an accomplishment and the barrier must extend there as well.
As he went on, however, Uryuu knew he had a point. After all- "Most great endeavors have taken countless failures before success," he mused. "Edison and his lightbulbs. "Every wrong attempt is another step forward," and "I've not failed, only found 10,000 ways that won't work.""
Uryuu did not think of himself as either an optimist or inspired. Only as pragmatic. "It is counterproductive to begin with a defeatist attitude. Of course, it is no less destructive to rush into things or dismiss the magnitude of the task."
His fruit cup might have been lost to the floor (and he resisted the compulsion to pick it up and use some of his napkin scraps to clean any fallen syrup and fruit), but Uryuu still had his water, and he sipped it now. He swallowed as Inoue-san questioned him, and frowned, wishing that he did know so much. Unfortunately, though he could read a number of queries in her single question, he did not intuit the most important of them, having little affinity for aliens.
"I don't," he said, at first the words picked with slow care, "I've only been aware of being here a few days. The staff, of course, answer no questions, so everything I know I have been told by other "patients". Most of that can be gleaned from a day and night spent here. Very little is known. There are far more questions than answers."
Another sip of water, followed by a heavy, dramatic pause.
"Shall I explain, then? This institute of Landel's. The lie of the day, and the horror of the night."
[ ooc: can you tell he wants to make his Big Speech ]