damned_institute | Day 27: Lunch

For a second Heiji thought she recognized him. She did look a bit like Kazuha, but less... pointy. Yes, that was a good word. Pointy.

"Considering I just woke up in a place where my name is Harley Hartwell, not too bad. At least there's food," Heiji looked distastefully at his meal. "I wish I had some Udon instead of this crap. Agh, I miss Osaka already..."

He looked up at Bella--she seemed to be looking for someone. Slick detective that he was, he smiled at her, "Am I intruding on a lunch date?"

“Oh, so you’re new?” Bella tilted her head to the side, remembering her first day too. God, that had sucked hardcore. Poking in silence at her sandwich, she lifted her head, blinking in surprise. “Osaka? As in ... Japan? You’re from Japan too?” Just like that stupid Haruhi!

At the mention of a lunch date, Bella let out a laugh, shaking her head. “It’s okay. I’m sure he won’t mind.” It wasn’t like she was flirting with him or anything. Then again, why would she even flirt at all? She wasn’t the type to do that, anyway. … Then again, she did know how Edward jumped to conclusions far too fast, and far too quickly. She only hoped for this boy’s sake that he wasn’t thinking anything he would regret later.

“Just don’t worry about anything. So … uh, do you know anything about where we are by any chance?”

"I'm from Osaka, Japan," Heiji said with a grin. "The best place to visit and live in Japan. Way better than Tokyo, definitely." He paused, "Wait, how many people from Japan have you met?"

Heiji grinned widely, "He won't mind? Someone has a boyfriend then," he teased. "Too bad... I thought as long as that idiot Kazuha isn't here to bother me, I might have some fun~" He laughed and waved his hand in front of his face, "I'm kidding, I'm kidding!"

"As for where we are," His demeanor changed instantly with a depressed sigh, "I have no idea... I wish I knew more. I hate the feeling of being in the dark about things. The only thing I know is that there are apparently monsters in th'hallways at night, and that I should 'make friends'." He used his fingers to put quotes around the last two words. "I don't even know why I'm 'making friends'."

He took a large bite out of his sandwich, "Hey, y'think they'll give me two more if I ask for them?"

“Oh, yeah, I’ve heard of there!” Bella replied happily, relieved to know that he wasn’t stupid like Haruhi was. “I’ve never been there myself, but I’m sure it’s a nice place. Much better then boring old Forks, anyway.”

Though, her smile twitched at the mention of his having fun, and she felt a sense of impending doom. Forcing out a laugh, she waved her hand, pretending to shake it off like it was nothing. Perhaps if she got it out of the way before Edward was anywhere close by, he wouldn’t pick it up and then … proceed to destroy her new acquaintance. “It’s okay.”

“You can have my sandwich if you want,” Bella told the boy, shoving her plate towards him with a quick movement. As said, she wasn’t that hungry anyway. “But, yeah. I only got here yesterday, and that … night stuff is too true.” A mutter escaped her lips, and she continued again. “So yeah, make friends and stuff. And don’t wander around at night … I did that and learned how stupid it was.”

"Hey thanks!" Heiji said with a grin, immediately taking a huge bite out of the girl's sandwich. "Y'know, I thought I'd have trouble meeting people, but you're a pretty sweet chick." He swallowed and resumed his grin, "No wonder you have a boyfriend already!"

He looked thoughtful, "But... Forks?" He held up his spoon, "As in, fork fork? Or...?" Heiji was confused. Since when was it normal for people to name towns after utensils? Ridiculous Americans...

There it was again! That flattery thing. Bella shrugged her shoulders and crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back in her seat for a few seconds. “Well, thanks … I guess.”

“Yeah, Forks. It’s in Washington State, in the US.” Bella nodded her head in a knowing way, letting out a laugh when he held up his spoon. “I guess it’s a pretty weird name, and it can be kind of boring to live there at times, but I wouldn’t trade moving there for the world…” she couldn’t help the small smile that crept on her face, and soon she found herself coughing in an attempt to cover it up, her cheeks turning a soft pink color.

“A-anyway, what’s Osaka like?”

Heiji blinked when the girls's demeanor changed, "Hey, I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable'r anything. I'm just used to getting beat on by the girls at home," He grinned and took another bite of sandwich.

"Forks, huh? Sounds... interesting," he said, snickering a little. "I've never been to Washington state, but I hear it's the place where most suicides occur because it rains there all the time. Is that true?"

And then... she asked about Osaka. Heiji's face split into a grin that could rival a five-year-old's. "Osaka's the best place to be in Japan! But I've already told you about that. It's the number one place to go in Japan for good food! It's "the Nation's Kitchen" after all! If you ever go, you have to eat takoyaki and okonomiyake--BEST. FOOD. EVER. I know a couple GREAT places too! I could show you and your boyfriend around! And we could go see the shopping districts, and the giant crab, and I'd have to take you to see a play, and to Expoland, and to the Osaka Dome, and to Osaka Castle--!" He had run out of fingers to count things on, so now he was just listing things while clenching his fists and smiling like a kid on Christmas.

“Beat on?” Bella quirked an eyebrow and let out a soft laugh, shaking her head side to side. “Well, don’t worry. Last time I tried to beat someone up I broke my knuckle.”

At the mention of suicide rate, she paused, thinking to herself. “Really? I guess I never knew. Though it does rain almost every day … not that I mind, though. I like the rain.” Of course, she liked the rain for other reasons, but she didn’t talk about them in front of the boy.

Listening to him talk about Osaka, Bella couldn’t help but grin. He seemed to love it very much, even if it sounded like all he cared about was food. “That sounds awesome. I’d love to visit sometime! It sounds so different from the US, so I’d love to just witness something different from everyday life. If you cam to Forks, there’d … really be nothing to show, sadly,” and with that said, Bella laughed.

“By the way, what’s your name?”

"Well that's good," Heiji said, rubbing the back of his head, "Because it seems like I always find myself on the wrong end of a judo throw or hold every time I open my trap," He stopped, looking at her questioningly, "How... how did you break your knuckle while trying to beat someone up? Did they have a metal plate in their head or something?" He laughed. A breakable girl--that was a new one on him.

"Oh I'm sure there'd be something interesting you could show me," he smiled kindly, "A place is only as interesting as you make it, after all--especially for a guest. You could show me the cliff all the crazies jump off of!" He laughed, "Kidding, kidding."

He blinked. Oh! Right, he hadn't introduced himself, "Sorry abou' that," He said with a nervous laugh, "I'm Hattori Heiji--or Heiji Hattori to you Americans--famous Detective of the West," he flashed a toothy grin, "Nice to meetcha! And you are?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Bella frowned. “Someone kissed me without asking, so I socked him in the face. But he was a lot stronger than he looked.” A metal place in the face was close enough to what it felt like she punched … that or a rock. Either way, it had hurt like hell.

Shaking her head, she laughed again, grinning. “Really, there’s no where interesting in Forks at all. The only really interesting place is La Push, but that doesn’t really even count because it’s not in Forks to begin with. Though, they do have a really nice beach there.” Nodding her head, Bella opened her mouth to speak again, yet shut it quickly after he spoke about jumping off of a cliff. Damn, it was like he had read into her past! ~~What, was her history written in a book or something?~~ Forcing out a laugh, she ran her hand through her hair for a moment before calming down. “Nah, nothing like that. Though I’ve heard cliff jumping is popular around the La Push kids.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Heiji. I’m Bella. Bella swan.” Smiling to her new potential friend, she looked around the room for a second before speaking again. “How old are you? I don’t mean to sound rude or anything, but I just can never judge these kind of things.”

He blinked, then started laughing, "THAT IS TOO GREAT! Nice job, NICE job. Some guys can't take a hint, huh? Bet your boyfriend loved that," He wrinkled his nose at the though of Kazuha being kissed by someone without permission.

...but then again, he pitied the man who tried that.

"Bella Swan," he repeated. "Like the bird, I'm guessing? It's a pretty name," He smiled, "And I'm seventeen. Will be eighteen on October first. How 'bout you?"

“Yeah, he wasn’t really happy about the whole kissing thing.” Bella remembered the moment well. How Edward and Jacob had squared off against each other; Jacob’s tone had been almost mocking, while Edward's had been soft and just downright menacing. She hadn’t been in a very good mood herself, and simply stuck her tongue out at the younger boy as they drove away. “Luckily his dad is a doctor, so he got me better in no time.”

At the bird comment, Bella shrugged her shoulders and nodded her head. “I guess? I never really thought of it in that way before.”

Finding out he was younger made Bella’s mood drop, and she grumbled under her breath. “I’m eighteen. I turn nineteen in two months.” How annoying. “September 17th.”

"You don't sound too happy about that," Heiji said with a smirk, "What, don't tell me you're already feeling old? Man," He leaned back, obviously sated by his meal, "I hope I don't start to feel old next year. That would suck. Start forgetting things, slow with my kendo," he shuddered at the thought. "Being old would be the worst thing ever."

“I agree!” Bella practically cried out, feeling so happy that someone FINALLY understood her whole getting older thing. “It really does suck too, because I don’t WANT to get older! I mean, I’m already older than Edward and it sucks and I just don’t the thought of getting older, you know?” Letting out a groan, her hands lifted to run into her hair with a content sigh. He understood!

“At least you’re not even eighteen yet. You still have a while to go until you’re as old as me,” the last part came out grumbled and forced, and Bella frowned silently to herself, staring down at the table in anger.

"Hey, one or two years doesn't make much difference, right? My parents aren't the same age, but they still love each other deeply. And Kazuha's--" He stopped dead there, a blush rising on his tanned face.

"UH, YEAH. I have a ways to go before I'm eighteen. But being nineteen doesn't sound so bad. Being twenty though..." He shuddered, "Then I really WOULD be old."

“It makes a difference to me,” Bella grumped, and crossed her arms over her chest in an annoyed way. Then again, of course she was annoyed. As said, age was always a touchy subject for her. “But I guess that’s true. And who’s Kazuha?

Oh god, twenty. Bella felt her face pale slightly, and she nodded her head almost violently, allowing her hands to fall against the table as she looked at Heiji with wide eyes. “I know, right? I’d rather die then turn that old! I hate the thought of getting older and older every day. It’s the worst feeling in the world, I swear to god.”

"Kazuha..." Heiji looked away, pouting a little, "Kazuha's just my dumb childhood friend. She's way too loud, and way too overbearing. Not ladylike at all, seriously. No wonder she can't find a boyfriend."

He paused thinking, "Well, I guess it's not something we can avoid right?" He grinned, "It's a normal part of life to grow older, right? We get life but in return, it's taken from us at some point."

Bella grinned, looking at Heiji with an amused expression. “Childhood friend, huh? What were you saying before that? About loving people that are different ages?”

At the mention of aging being something normal, she couldn’t help but grump even more, crossing her arms over her chest and muttering something inaudible under her breath for a moment before speaking loud enough for the boy to hear. “I guess so. But it sucks, huh? I’d love to be able to live forever with the ones I love or something.”

"Hey, hey, hey!" He said, scowling, "Kazuha's JUST my friend, okay? Like I'd want a judo-monster like that," He crossed his arms and scoffed. "It's not like, y'know, I met her and instantly fell in love with her or anything. That kind of stuff only happens in anime and manga."

~~The Lady doth protest too much.~~

"Hmm... living forever huh? Might be nice at first, but then you'd have to live through humankind repeatedly screwing up. One person c'n only take so much, yeah?" He looked thoughtful, "But it's a rather romantic ideal."

How aggrivating that twice already their conversation had been interrupted. At the very least, he understood more of the new environ, but the question of all-around why still lingered. And knowing that the doors unlocked at night - what point was there in that? - meant that he was going to be dragged out. Or end up following Bella. Edward knew her well enough to know she would never agree to staying in her room, which would clearly be the best option. Though, in retrospect, knowing her past history with monsters...

Gliding past the food lines, he was quick to spot her socializing with another boy that almost looked familiar. He might have made the same mistake Bella had, if not for the different pool of memories. Nor did this one have the annoying habit of "shouting" his thoughts.

Catching the ends of the conversation, Edward couldn't help but frown a bit at a subject that bit at him constantly. As with most of Bella's friends, he quickly tried to change his air to one of general amiability, despite it.

"I hope you don't mind if I intrude?" he asked while taking a seat next to Bella, spotting the empty lunch tray in front of her. He'd hold the subject back for now.

“Just a friend, huh? Whatever you say.” Bella grinned once again at Heiji as he continued to try and reassure her of his feelings towards his friend, allowing him to say whatever he wanted.

Though, his comment about falling in love at first sight made her smile vanish, her lips moving into a straight line. How did this crazy random boy so much about her without even KNOWING her or even linking it to her? Lucky guesses? Bella got the feeling there was some unknown God up above that knew everything about her and was telling the boy to say things. That had to be it.

Her mouth opened to speak on the subject at hand, when suddenly Edward appeared and sat down next to her without a word. Shit. Turning to smile at him, she nodded her head and turned back to her new friend. “Heiji, this is Edward. Edward, this is Heiji. We’re taking about age.” Though, she had a feeling he already knew.

With Edward now in on the conversation, Bella felt like if she said anything wrong Edward would just glare her to death. Turning her attention back to her new friend, she shrugged her shoulders and leaned back in her seat. “Anyway. I guess so, but still. What If you were to live somewhere untouched by human hands? Somewhere you could be out in the open without having to worry about anything at all? That sounds like a nice idea.”

"No, seriously," Heiji said, now desperate, "She's only a friend! God, what is it with women? Always thinking there's something going on."

He looked up at the unknown stranger, eyebrow quirked. Heiji watched the young man sit down on Bella's other side, wondering just who this was. But once he'd been introduced, he was all smiles, "Ah! So you're the famous boyfriend Edward. Bella's told me about you! My family's name's Hattori, in case you were wondering, but Heiji's fine. Only Kudo calls me Hattori," He smacked the boy on the back, grinning, "Nice to meetcha!"

Heiji leaned back, thinking on this new point, "Well then... I suppose that it wouldn't be too bad for some people. Not for me!" He grinned, "I thrive off of mystery and the unknown. If things aren't interesting for me, I'd die of boredom!"

"Famous? Really?" He cocked an eyebrow, rather amused. He hadn't even been gone that long, and already his name was spreading. "It's nice to meet you too, Heiji." Ah, family name - from Japan. It seemed like more than a few here were from there.

Hearing about age from Bella wasn't odd, but to strike up that sort of conversation with a stranger? His eyes narrowed at Bella, suspicious. It wasn't the glare she had been expecting, but it was something. At the mention of mystery, he turned his gaze to the other boy. "It sounds like you're used to it," Edward commented, ignoring the rather annoying buzz of thoughts from the others crowding the room. "Did you see many interesting things where you are from?"

Oh god, there we went. Bella leaned back in her seat and crossed her arms over her chest, pouting off to the side. He always had to shatter her happy thoughts. Always.

Easily ignoring the glare Edward shot her way, Bella smiled to Heiji, nodding her head. “Yeah. I don’t know, if I was near people I care about, I’d be perfect with living in somewhere I didn’t know anything about.”

The mention of mystery made her interested as well, and the currently annoyed girl nodded her head, looking towards Heiji with a curious expression. “Yeah, I’d like to know as well. See anything out of the ordinary? Like a ghost or something like that? You know, things that apparently don’t exist?” Snickering at her hidden joke, Bella stole a quick glance at Edward before looking away once again. Perhaps he wouldn’t find her secret joke funny, but she sure as hell did.

"Oh I've seen plenty of stuff!" Heiji said with a smirk, "I am, after all, the Great Detective of the West! No mystery stays unsolved for long when I'm on the case! And, no offense," He chuckled, "But most legends that I've run into are just elaborate schemes by people to get some sort of treasure."

Heiji leaned in, his expression grave, "I once saw a woman who lived for five hundred years, and another young woman who was transformed into an old hag by her greed."

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