Day 27: Lunch

[norainu]

Renji wasn't so certain what this grilled cheese thing was all about, but he liked the sound of some soup. Even if it was strange western soup, well... there wasn't anything bad people could do to soup, in his experience. His good mood was starting to fray at the edges, a little, from the strain of dealing with the Ichimaru issue, and even more from what had been on the bulletin board earlier.

He'd never had difficulty simply writing something before. But...

He shook his head as he entered the line. He didn't want to think about it. He wanted to hold on to the tenuous equilibrium he'd managed to find.

Renji got himself a large bowl of soup, water, and even one of those sandwiches, just to try it. Old habit, recently awakened, had him over to one side of the cafeteria, where the fewest people possible would have the chance to pass behind him. He sat there with his back toward the wall and started eating.

Comments

[enigmaticmedium.livejournal.com]

Lunch, finally. And as eager as Zelgadis seemed to leave him behind, Xelloss calmly went into the lunch line and feigned slightly hurt feelings that Zelgadis seemed to dread his company so.

Food obtained as normal, with the soup, sandwich and salad combination a dining choice he'd observed other humans enjoying even back home. He calmly walked over to the young man sitting at one of the tables, placing his own tray down and beaming at him. "Hello again! Do you mind if I take this seat?"

He didn't see Zelgadis nearby. That was good.

[hellmunchkin.livejournal.com]

Xelloss again? Hellmaster had conceded that the break in keeping contact to a minimum earlier had been his fault, but what was it that brought his subordinate to him at the next meal? Perhaps he came to tell him that he had done something particularly nasty to TK-622. While he generally would have thought it could wait, he was in good spirits and more good news was always welcome.

"Oh! Hello, Mister!" He beamed. "Where's your pretty fiancee?"

[enigmaticmedium.livejournal.com]

"You know, I'm not really sure!" Xelloss sat down, glancing around as though seeking 'her' out curiously. "But something special did happen to me. I met one of my friends from back home! I was so surprised. Aren't reunions wonderful?"

That alone should be enough to wake Hellmaster to full alertness.

[hellmunchkin.livejournal.com]

A friend. From back home. That did not bode well.

"They sure are, Mister! Like I'm really happy to see you right now!" His smile widened and he put a finger to his chin thoughtfully. "Was your friend happy to see you?"

[enigmaticmedium.livejournal.com]

"Ha ha, I'm flattered to hear that." Xelloss took a sip of his soup. "Well, my friend seemed very surprised to see me. We have had a few little scuffles in the past, but we work together well when we've had to, so I hope he'll come around again and be friendlier towards me. Though I was so surprised! He didn't look anything like back home." Xelloss leaned forward a bit, as though to emphasize his shock. "He used to be a very magical kind of creature called a chimera, but now he's perfectly ordinary. Just a man with pointy black hair and slightly odd-colored skin, a bit sickly looking. To be honest, I'm worried about him."

As subtle as a rock--or a chimera's skin--but nobody was listening in too closely, he hoped. Nobody who would make sense of their conversation, at least.

[hellmunchkin.livejournal.com]

Who? He vaguely remembered the chimera Xelloss mentioned-- one of Lina's companions. What was his name again? It didn't matter. Hadn't he killed him? Then again, he did have vague recollections of the merry crew looking at him in horror then...nothing. Well, so he was alive, and here, and knew exactly who and what Hellmaster was.

This ruined everything, or at the least made it very messy. Xelloss hadn't had enough time to intigrate himself with the power players- the last thing Hellmaster needed was for an interloper to disrupt his plans before they were even off the ground.

"Ah," he said flatly and twirled his fork between his fingers. The following moment of silence, though short and unimpressive to anyone unfamiliar with his true nature, spoke bounds of his change in attitude. "I hope your friend feels better, Mister," Hellmaster finally said, smile widening. "But I'm sure you'll help him get well, right?"

[enigmaticmedium.livejournal.com]

Good. Hellmaster understood every word of it, it seemed. It truly was a huge inconvenience. So soon after their arrival here, someone from their own world--and one of the very few people who could actually recognize both of them, particularly Lord Hellmaster's human form.

This changed everything. There was no hope of passing as innocent--it was fortunate that so many people here seemed to share the trait of darkness, though perhaps not so purely. Xelloss still might be able to pass off his own nature as being merely troublesome or mischievous, should Zelgadis decide to try and explain what Xelloss was.

In retrospect, perhaps he could have pretended to be reformed by his human shape, as that annoying Princess had always wished for, and demonstrated his vulnerability to Zelgadis. It might have won the ex-chimera over... but that was too doubtful to be worth the annoyance. Showing his weakness? It was inevitable Zelgadis discover it, but the later the better. And Xelloss wasn't sure he had the stomach to imitate Amelia's brightness.

"I'll do my best! Though he does seem to be avoiding me. I hope he isn't embarrassed about that change, I don't think any less of him because of it!"

[hellmunchkin.livejournal.com]

"I hope he doesn't make your relationship with others complicated," Hellmaster stabbed a french fry with his fork and popped it in his mouth. "I was so looking forward to your wedding. But it's always best to take care of any loose ends before you tie the knot. I think an old friend is a big responsibility, especially if he's unwell."

He arched an eyebrow, adding, "If he's feeling sick, perhaps you should keep an eye on him. You don't want him infecting the rest of us, do you?"

[enigmaticmedium.livejournal.com]

"Yes, that's so true." Xelloss sighed heavily, then shook his head. "You know, you're perfectly right! I can't afford to let my poor friend suffer, even if he is angry with me."

He stood, lifting his tray. "I'll be sure to keep a good eye on Zelgadis, from now on, just in case he needs me. And when he's ready to accept my help, I will be there for him."

And with that noble sentiment, he left the table. The less time he spent with his Mazoku superior in public, the better.

[off to make new thread and eat alone]

[hellmunchkin.livejournal.com]

Phibrizzo watched Xelloss leave with a plastered smile and fought the urge to fling his tray across the room and break the table in anger. He was going to have to start being extra cautious now, thanks to that stupid Chimera.

Sliding slightly under the table, the Mazoku lord bowed his head and attempted to finish his meal inconspicuously.

[repolarization.livejournal.com]

Ginji hadn't really wanted to leave his room, but his stomach started making noises and he knew that there were new patients and thought that maybe someone he knew might be in the new faces. His nurse wheeled him into the mess hall and cheerfully told him that soon he might not be needed his wheelchair at all. She asked if he wanted to sit with anyone.

He looked around and while he saw faces he had met at the hospital, there was no sign of Ban's spikey hair. Disappointed, but also relieved, he shrugged and smiled. "You pick!" he said with fake happiness in his voice.

She brought him to the table with Phibrizzo and Ginji couldn't help but be a little surprised by how young he looked. It made him sad inside. The nurse set down his lunch, bid his a good meal, and then left them alone.

"Hi," Ginji said with a nervous smile. "I'm Ginji."

[hellmunchkin.livejournal.com]

Phibrizzo watched Ginji sit down and introduce himself, sighing inwardly. He smiled brightly, though he wished he had been left alone. He needed to rethink his plans and chatting was not going to give him an opportunity. Still, he couldn't be rude to a potential tool and Ginji could at least be counted on to act as a shield. He was taller than Phibrizzo, anyhow, and the wheelchair would add some cover width-wise too.

Hellmaster scooted over slightly so that he was eclipsed by Ginji from the greatest number of angles he could determine and offered a new name. "I'm Lei! Nice to meet you!"

[repolarization.livejournal.com]

Ginji looked at 'Lei' with a small smile. "Yeah, it is. Do you mind if I eat with you?" he asked. "I could always ask my nurse to take me somewhere else."

He didn't like the idea of leaving a kid alone in this place, but he didn't want to be rude.

[hellmunchkin.livejournal.com]

The Mazoku lord continued to beam at Ginji, expression betraying nothing of his thoughts. "No, of course you can eat here, Mister! I like meeting new people!"

He cocked his head to the side, curiously. "Why are you in a wheel chair?"

[repolarization.livejournal.com]

Ginji smiled and poked at his lunch. He was hungry, of course, but he wasn't feeling very well. It was the first meal he hadn't started woofing down right away since being here.

The thought of what had put him in the wheelchair made his face pale slightly and forced him to push away his lunch.

"A monster attacked me," he said, frowning slightly. "I don't want to scare you with all the details though."

[hellmunchkin.livejournal.com]

"Ehhhhhh?" Phibrizzo looked absolutely shocked. "A monster did that?" He recoiled. "I've seen them bite people, but not put them in wheel chairs! Does it still hurt?"

He peered at Ginji's legs. "Where did it get you? I bet it DOES still hurt, right? How can you sleep at night, Mister? I'd be really scared!"

A barrage of words, sure, but Phibrizzo liked to think it portrayed the curious and concerned youth appearence.

[repolarization.livejournal.com]

Ginji flinched outwardly as he though about it but then forced a smile for what he thought was a boy.

"It still hurts, yeah, and I can't walk well, but I'll be okay. Promise." He felt a little grateful that the boy was worried and curious about him and didn't want to let the child think that he was in too much pain.

[hellmunchkin.livejournal.com]

"You're so brave, mister!" Phibrizzo continued the assault, "I'd be really sad, and scared, and depressed all the time if I got attacked by a monster and couldn't walk! But you're not! How did you get to be so brave, mister?"

[repolarization.livejournal.com]

Practice, Ginji thought, but he shrugged instead. "It's better to be happy, isn't it?" he asked, still smiling though it flickered a moment as he thought about all the times before he had smiled when he hadn't really felt happy. And brave? He wasn't brave at all. His other self had taken over before he could really face the monster that had tried to eat him.

[hellmunchkin.livejournal.com]

Phibrizzo nodded. "That's true! Happy is good!"

...no, it really wasn't. He'd need to open an emotional wound or he'd get bored. "You say that as though you're unhappy though, Mister. Is something wrong? Is it the monster-bite?"

[repolarization.livejournal.com]

Ginji frowned slightly. The boy could tell something was wrong and maybe it was mean to lie to him.

"I... really miss my friend I guess," he said. "Do you have a friend who makes you feel better no matter what's going on?"

[hellmunchkin.livejournal.com]

A friend who made him feel better? No, but Phibrizzo wasn't in the market for friends. "Not really. No one likes me."

"What's your friend like? Is he nice?" He put a fork of fries in his mouth. "Do you think about him all the time?"

[repolarization.livejournal.com]

"I'm sure someone likes you!" Ginji said, a little stunned that a child would say such a thing, but the questions made him think about Ban and he frowned. "He's my partner. He's not very nice, but he's a good guy... And yeah, I think about him all the time."

[canieathim.livejournal.com]

Gluttony spent some time looking at the bulletin board before coming into the cafeteria. Lust said he could eat the small tasty looking boy who lied to him last night! That was very good. It had been a very long time since he'd eaten anyone. Two whole days, even! That was an eternity, and he was really, really hungry. The tasty looking small boy wouldn't be any more than a snack, but a snack was better than nothing at all.

As he entered the cafeteria, he saw the tasty looking short liar boy. There was no point in eating the not-tasty human food at all, then! Lunch would be much tastier.

Grinning a malicious smile, he slowly approached the table where the tasty looking boy and another potentially tasty young man were sitting. He couldn't eat the potentially tasty young man, but he could definitely eat the young boy. As he reached the table, he began to circle around it to reach Phibrizzo, all the while grinning the same sinister grin. His mouth salivated at the prospect of his next meal.

[hellmunchkin.livejournal.com]

"I don't know, Mister," Hellmaster said and put a hand to his bruise. "I wish I had a friend like you do. I was hit this morning by a mean man and I don't think anyone really likes me."

...it was at that moment Gluttony appeared on the scene. Phibrizzo couldn't have asked for better timing, if it weren't for the fact the man obviously was not there to make his feigned lonliness more believable. Phibrizzo did not like the look of that grin one bit and had the sinking suspicion that the fat man must have found his Lust...

He screamed like a little girl and shot under the table as Gluttony circled. It was his hope to make it out the other side and away from the crazy Homoculi who now threatened his wellbeing, but the fat man seemed as though he could move when he wanted to.

Lunch was not going well.