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

[hotlittledragon.livejournal.com]

Kurikara had scarfed down quite a lot of food in that short amount of time. Once he decided to give into his hunger, he realized just how hungry he was. He'd barely eaten anything since his arrival.

His peace didn't last very long. He watched the demon for a moment, trying to decide if he was being baited. It was a lot easier to get angry and kill whatever annoyed him - at least, it was in that moment. He already knew he couldn't kill Hiei if he wanted to, and he couldn't walk away from it either. He'd been hiding himself for long enough.

He met Hiei's eyes steadily. "It's such old news now it's become a story." And he still didn't know where to begin. He searched for the right words. "...Shikigami once existed in the shadows of the human world. Those shadows shrank rapidly when humans discovered their light. We needed a place to live so we appealed to the Golden Emperor; if there was a god among gods, it would be him.

"The Emperor told us to destroy the human world."

Though told the story with a neutral expression, it gave a little, his lips curling back into a sardonic, bitter smirk. "Sohryuu and I argued at length over what should be done. I couldn't sacrifice a world even for the shikigami. Sohryuu couldn't allow them all to die out, and he wouldn't go against the Emperor.

"Our argument turned into war." The smirk faded away, and Kurikara propped his chin up on the heal of his palm, looking away. He wasn't really avoiding Hiei's eyes. He was seeing something else. "There is nothing so terrible as a war between gods. My fire nearly destroyed all of GenSouKai. We were so evenly matched that the Emperor gave Sohryuu some of his own power in order to defeat me. I've been exiled since.

Hn. The human world wasn't destroyed. GenSouKai exists in the virtual world while it can."

[deathbymidget.livejournal.com]

Hiei listened to Kurikara's words, watched his face as he spoke. So that was the truth behind him, or part of the truth, even the sometimes-oblivious demon sensing that there was somehow more to it.

But it would be enough for now. Too much risk Kurikara being distracted that night, and Hiei planned on getting out of the bedrooms for once.

"So you still won, in the end." Hiei understood the pain of exile, though his was more self-inflicted. He had simply grown too strong to return to the demon world, and like Kurikara, couldn't bring himself to do nothing when the possibility seemed on the horizon again.

Would he have stayed, had he been awake when they left Sensui behind? Hiei himself couldn't answer it.

"You both had your reasons. And if he hadn't gotten help you would have had a total victory. Take pride in that." Hiei wasn't talented when it came to comforting, but he could see how heavily the past weighed on Kurikara. It was annoying when the dragon got depressed.

"But that isn't important now, is it? What's important is escaping this damn place. So focus on that."

[hotlittledragon.livejournal.com]

Kurikara was relived. He didn't want to go into detail about what had happened between himself and Sohryuu, but he'd given Hiei enough to tide him over. He remembered something else too: GenSouKai was still in grave danger. The worm holes and the Emperor would tear it apart. Hiei was right. Right now, getting back was the most important thing.

"No, if he hadn't gotten help GenSouKai would be nothing but ash. There was nothing noble about that war in the end." He shook his head and went back to his lunch, feeling oddly lightened despite his words. "I am being childish. It's not important now."

That story was a heavy weight to carry alone. He rolled his shoulders, and gave Hiei his usual smirk. "Old men get hung up on crap like this. We should get somewhere tonight. I'm sick of these walls."

[deathbymidget.livejournal.com]

"I never said there was." Hiei didn't have much of an appreciation for the nobler things anyway. "I said you were strong enough to have won on your own."

Then Kurikara tried to veer away from the subject, and Hiei was willing enough to follow...though he did have to get a jab in. "Childish or an old man? Pick one excuse to hide behind. You don't get to have both." Considering it, Hiei grinned. "You'd be less annoying as a feeble old man. I could beat you with your cane to put you out of your misery."

But the one thing they both agreed on without question was wanting to make progress. "Kurama is going to travel with us. He knows more about this place than either of us, and he's a good demon to work with." A pause as Hiei considered his words. "When he's not being a fool about being a demon."

[hotlittledragon.livejournal.com]

Kurikara laughed. "Is that the only way you could beat me, little demon? Maybe I'll call you again in a thousand years."

He raised an eyebrow at the demon comment. "Eh? That guy from the other night?" He asked between bites. He wasn't sure how many other friends Hiei had. He'd never really asked. "He's...odd. I can't read him well."

[deathbymidget.livejournal.com]

Hiei smirked. "Hardly. I was just offering a bit of kindness. You should appreciate it. It's rare."

The demon nodded slightly, both at the question, and the assessment. Kurama had always been something of an enigma, and it made him an incredible thief and fighter. It was one of the characteristics that led Hiei to include the fox in the group he formed to steal the treasures of the Spirit World. "He was a legendary bandit in the demon realm. But then he got injured, and had to merge with a human to stay alive."