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

[akarusa.livejournal.com]

Hokuto didn't see the table as any sort of barrier--she barely saw it at all. Seeing for herself what the loss of her had done to her brother... she had a shield spell going in a flash, to keep whatever ofuda the Sakurazukamori might have from reaching her; she'd spent the last month of her life learning all she could about them, after all, and she would never forget any of it.

When she reached the table she jumped onto it and then over, aiming to tackle her old friend. She was too good and too alert to be more than sidestepped; she only planned to knock Seishirou to the floor, but if she made it more painful than strictly necessary--she didn't care. If he dodged she wouldn't even stumble as she turned on him again.

For the moment there were no tears, but they would come. How could he still smile as if nothing had happened--? The last time she saw Seishirou--the day he killed her--she had only been focused on her mission, on saving her twin. Now, Subaru was at her side again, and she wanted answers.

[notahangedman.livejournal.com]

There was no time to notice slight differences like age when a person was charging towards in a heat of rage, if Seishirou would have been making notions about Subaru's lack of years, he wouldn't have noticed Hokuto in time, and that would have been rather pathetic for a man as well trained as he was. More than thirty years of active killing made a person well versed with what was necessary and what was not.

His smile curved deeper at Subaru's words, confusion hidden under the mask of pleasantries. The Subaru he knew was not a child. This here? He wasn't so sure. Why on earth would he feel the need to cry it out like that otherwise?

"Not a child you say?" he asked, almost dreamily. He could beg the difference but he'd leave it to that, for now.

If not for anything else then at least for diverting the attack of a girl he thought dead. He half expected Hokuto's hands to reach nothing, her transparent frame to slip through him easily. But it seemed that she was all flesh and blood, just as real as he was. The spell was left ignored, Seishirou's own fuda curled around his fingers, unused. He didn't bother dodging her completely, only aimed a well placed push onto her shoulder, directing her aside and side stepping away to let the weight of her own movement carry her past him. For a man who could punch his hand through a chest (for example, hers years back,) it wasn't big accomplishment to deflect an attack of a fragile built girl.

"Your spells are limited here, Subaru-kun. And please calm down. You'll get yourself sedated soon."

[broken-babylon.livejournal.com]

That smile was really starting to piss Subaru off. And then Hokuto was there, and it was like watching his nightmares come to life; she charged at Seishirou, and he reached out...

Mentally half in the past, now, Subaru vaulted over the table as well, frantic to put himself between Seishirou and Hokuto. That the worst didn't happen, that Hokuto was only pushed aside, made little difference to Subaru at this point, with the tragic memories so strong in his mind. "Don't touch her!"

Knowing full well that his spells were weak in this place, Subaru didn't even try to attack with them, instead aiming a kick at Seishirou's head, using the full force of that deceptive strength hidden in his slender body. He doubted the kick would connect, but it would certainly show how serious he was about this--there was enough force to the kick to break Seishirou's neck, were it to actually connect dead-on.

[hajike-tobiume.livejournal.com]

Momo had been in the process of twisting her hair back up into its customary bun when she saw Hokuto and a dark-haired man run at one of the prisoners. She scowled, remembering what Hokuto had said to her at lunch regarding attacking during day, and dashed after the girl.

Her attempt to put her hair up lost, she darted across the cafeteria knowing full well she'd never get there in time to stop Hokuto from... leaping over the table at the man.

She made it there as Hokuto hit the ground; the shinigami steeling herself against her own injuries. She caught Hokuto by the arm and quickly hooked it into an arm lock as she put herself between the girl and the two men.

"Sumeragi-san," Momo said with her full authority behind it. "Cease your actions now. Do you wish to be sedated?"

She had been talking to Hokuto, unaware that Subaru was her brother, but her voice was loud enough for him to hear her as well. Knowing Hokuto would only get out of her arm lock if she tried to hurt Momo (something the shinigami was trusting her not to try), she looked at the two men.

"Not here," she said to them, hoping her voice would pierce whatever haze was clouding the one man's mind. She was going to be late for her own meeting...

[damned-nurses.livejournal.com]

A pair of nurses flanked by four orderlies followed closely after Momo arrived. The older nurse stepped forward, her features stern and her eyes narrowed as she surveyed the problem.

"What is going on here? You two, let go of one another! Stop this at once or there will be severe repercussions! This is unacceptable behavior!"

[akarusa.livejournal.com]

Hokuto wanted nothing more than to help Subaru, and couldn't have cared less about the presence of staff--if she got sedated, so be it, she'd had so much worse. When Momo grabbed her, though... she knew well she needed to obey her Vice-Captain. And despite the rage, she remembered this morning, and she didn't want to be a hypocrite. Still, her entire body was tensed, to the point of trembling slightly. She cared more about Subaru than her own life... as the three of them knew well.

She was unwilling to hurt Momo, but she turned as much as she could to look at the woman. Through the anger, her eyes were pleading, and she was plainly worried. "That's the man who killed me," she said, her voice a bare whisper. The arrival of the staff meant Seishirou wouldn't have much chance to hurt Subaru--but all he needed was a second, and it was unlikely they could stop him if he decided to act. If he even looked at Subaru the wrong way, she would fight to get out of Momo's grip. Damn the consequences, that was her brother.