damned_institute | Day 27: Sun Room (4th Shift)

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Day 27: Sun Room (4th Shift)

Momo's mind was turning over all the possibilities surrounding this "field trip" to the surrounding town when she settled down in the corner of the Sun Room away from the Arts & Crafts room. She curled her legs underneath her as she waited for Shouko-san to find her. The shinigami had no idea what she looked like, so she kept an eye on all those entering the room.

It was still very cold, or at least she was cold, and the momentary thought of getting her coat from her own room passed through her mind amidst the field trip thoughts. She pushed it away and decided to deal with it being as cold as it was since she'd already been late to one meeting today and didn't want to start making it a habit.

As she waited, she pondered the next day's possibilities. Maybe, just maybe, once away from the institute the shinigami will have access to their full reiatsu. And if not, maybe they'll have a better idea of how they are being limited so much. Maybe Aizen would be able to find her then. He'd save her... right? Right?

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"No, I prefer to sit here occasionally. I should take care of my complexion, don't you think?" Seishirou laughed heartily. He was hardly bothered by the way they said nothing while saying much, it was a careful way of summarizing the whole connection between them. And Seishirou liked it just the way it was.

"I met a sweet little boy," he said, thinking the way Phibrizzo had turned the fuda knowingly in his hands, and his hunch, like a spiritual whisper of the boy's demeanor. "Who insisted on having one of my ofudas. So I ended up giving him one. You'd think they'd want candy or toys, huh? Not magical tools written in blood." His amusement was the indifferent kind, pale smirk splitting his face in almost dreamy like curve.

"Oh, certainly. First appearances can be very important, after all." Xelloss agreed to Seishirou's assessment of the value of good complexion.

A sweet little boy... by their measurements? Goodness. Lord Hellmaster certainly was busy today, wasn't he? Especially considering the fat man who had trouble with a child that Xelloss had encountered at the end of lunch. "You gave it to him? How generous of you!" And wise, considering Hellmaster's temper when things didn't go his way. Though what Hellmaster could really do in a place like this was questionable. "I wonder whatever he plans to do with it..." Xelloss rubbed his chin lightly as he mused. There was a chance it was another, but the blood-letting girl on the boards was not a 'little boy,' and he'd seen little sign of other children who might want such a thing. Especially a magical item.

"I wouldn't know," Seishirou murmured smilingly. The question would rather be what Seishirou would do with it, but that he didn't quite feel like mentioning here and now. "Magic, I suppose."

The topic was hardly serving it's purpose in dragging his thoughts away from lunch, but for now it amused him enough to participate in it. He turned slightly towards Xelloss, folding his legs as well, one on top of the other, and let his arm rest on the back of his chair.

"I'm a generous man, obviously," he said teasingly, his smile pale but friendly. "Would you like one as well?" For a magic user, if Xelloss's was anything like his, it was quite a big leap, offer of both letting Xelloss have something that was completely Seishirou's own and to have the man have a spell of Seishirou's in his possession. Daring perhaps, but fitting to his mood.

"For me?" Xelloss opened his mouth in a little surprised 'o.' "Well, they do say that it's rude to turn down gifts...!"

It might be something to experiment with, at any rate. He wasn't used to relying on such things for magic, but in a place like this, perhaps that sort of focus would at least increase his power a little. If there were nothing else, it would help him understand Seishirou's own magic better.

"You are in a generous mood. Thank you very kindly."

"Well, I think I promised to express my devotion for you, last night, right?" Seishirou said laughingly. Whatever it was worth, he'd probably be able to locate Xelloss by the fuda easier. And there might have been different kind of uses for it as well. He'd think about it later.

He fished another piece of paper from his pocket, and handed it to Xelloss. It still reeked of blood and earth, even if the dark liquid had dried to the paper hours ago.

"No need to thank me," he answered politely, "it's a pleasure."

Xelloss sniffed it, then smiled widely. "A perfumed token. That's what a lady gives a knight before battle, isn't it?"

It felt good in his hands. Familiar, warm. And something else--Seishirou, yes, that was it. It felt like Seishirou and it felt like darkness. He was positively beaming as he put it away. "Now I have to come up with an equally good present for you. Aside from my affections!"

"Win the battle for me?" Seishirou positively purred, amusement twinkling in his one amber eye. "My handsome knight."

Until now Seishirou had not been in any hurry to get out of here, he considered himself perhaps even lucky for being granted such an afterlife. However, now he seemed to possess a bit more desire to bring some light into the whole situation, and possibly even possess a motive to find a way out.

His tone of voice did not change as he spoke while leaning back in his chair again, glancing towards the open ceiling with smiling eyes. "You were studying my magic last night." It was not a question, merely an observation. "For what purpose? Just vaguely curious or do you have a goal where you're aiming for?" He didn't quite yet feel like bringing out his guns, he'd rather follow a reasonable lead for a moment.

"The battle?" Xelloss raised his eyebrows, but smiled widely. "I will certainly at least put up a fine struggle in it." Whatever that battle might be. He didn't expect Seishirou had any more specific ideas than Xelloss himself on that front, beyond the general desire for escape or at least understanding which most of the prisoners shared. Though he imagined there would be battles ahead, smaller and larger. Such as the strange and delightful air of last night, generated by a slightly less delightful roadblock.

"Yes, I am a priest! Understanding and studying magic is a part of my duties." In a sense, anyhow. Equally casual, he stated outright, "Since most of us find our abilities limited yet present, a greater combination of all of these magical potentials might lead to more fruitful efforts. That is, if all persons can only reach a 'one,' for example, whereas they once could reach a 'twenty,' perhaps the combination of twenty 'ones' or of simply twenty ways of reaching 'one' would have results. Perhaps my magic here would be stronger if I channeled it through a device such as your fuda, something I had no need for in my own world. A 'two' instead of 'one,' say. It at least is an opportunity to learn more about the concept of magic in other worlds, even if I am unable to use that magic--I haven't any good reason not to be interested," Xelloss concluded with a smirk.

As blunt as he'd ever get, likely, but it wasn't a plan he felt like hiding.

Seishirou listened to Xelloss talk, tracing the pattern of the sunbeams on one of the large window panels with his gaze. It was hardly an unfamiliar concept to him, bringing about a greater strength with combined effort. Ritual magic practically leaned completely on that concept.

"Probable," he said softly, tone almost dreamy. "Highly theoretic, but possible. And in need for restless study. In my experience different methods can be combined, but quite often it's pointless, the effort is just too great compared to the gain." He had not studied the variety of different mythologies and ways of spell casting for vain, the bottom line was quite often the same. How it would work between different realities, he did not know. But obviously it was high time finding out.

"We have to get together another night and compare notes," he said laughingly and glanced at Xelloss from the corner of his eye, observing that smirk for a brief moment before continuing with a brand new smile of the pale variety this time. "Perhaps there's need for spiritual counseling along with cooking club and arts and crafts groups. Two is good but twenty is better." And there's never enough cannon fodder.

Xelloss's eyebrows raised as his expression brightened. "Why, what a clever idea! After all, the other two groups do seem to be very focused on the physical aspect of things, don't they? And that new healing group may attract the interest of magic users but not precisely the sort of magical power I believe will help us here. With so many people professing experience in magic, it is silly to all be working separately when we could work together for mutual benefit."

He leaned forward, closer towards Seishirou. "Tonight, I'll be meeting with the leader of the Arts and Crafts group, but I may not spend all evening with him. What were your plans?" As almost an afterthought, he added casually, "It's lucky that you were a spiritual counselor before you came here, since that's just what we need right now."

Seishirou tilted his head closer to Xelloss as he leaned in and countered the casual tone with his own, light and amused. "It's my duty to rid them of their earthly troubles," which was even true to some extend, just not the way one might have thought considering the mentions of his career as a "spiritual counselor".

"My plans?" he asked then, a husky chuckle rumbling up through his throat. "I have a meeting with a heartless swordsman, but I don't expect that to take the whole night." He looked at Xelloss for a moment silently, his smile widening a hint before he spoke again, this time with lower tone of voice. "Maybe we can look for each other later."

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Day 27: Sun Room (4th Shift)

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