damned_institute | Day 29: Cafeteria, Brunch

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Day 29: Cafeteria, Brunch

Hitsugaya left the chapel no less frustrated than before. The head doctor once again had chosen not to hide his face, yet promised he would be making an appearance at some time in the near future. He didn't like being patient, but there wasn't much choice. Either the head doctor would show his face, or he wouldn't. Renji had already seen him, and knew how to find him. That was enough.

The thought of eating made him slightly nauseous as usual, but he knew he needed to get his strength up. He could either be weak and try to force his way through brunch without eating anything, or he could be smart and actually give himself something to eat. And there was rice. Rice and fruit. He took a heaping pile of rice, and grabbed as much watermelon as he could fit on his plate, then proceeded to an empty table. He scanned the room, watching for Momo. He wasn't exactly looking forward to their conversation, knowing how she'd acted yesterday; however, he knew he had to speak to her, and there was a good chance that she would show more restraint now that the drugs were out of her system.

Thoughtfully he consumed his rice and waited.

[free at the moment, pester if you wish]

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"Good as can be expected, I guess." Ken grinned and began to pick at his food. Hopefully this conversation wouldn't end in him feeling unable to eat again. He felt calm. Maybe he should go to the chapel more often, it seemed to do him some good.

"You? How's the shoulder?"

Apparently he had noticed more than he let on last night.

The grin did nothing to reassure Aya in return. Ken had been doing that when Aya had shoved his katana into Ken as well. But the acceptance, reluctant but instant, was still expressed in a nod which left Aya's gaze on his plate, somewhere among the uninteresting food items.

"It's not a problem," he answered softly while spearing sliced cucumbers to the spikes of his plastic fork.

The relief that followed the brief conversation had nothing to do with last night, and everything to do with personal oddities. Ken was still Ken and Aya was Aya, nothing would change that.

"Omi's injuries weren't that bad," he continued after a moment, knowing Ken would want to know. Assuming he didn't already. "Or so he said at least."

"Well now that it's day and they've been treated, 'm not as worried." Ken took a bite of some of his chicken. "It's been disinfected, stitched up, and wrapped most likely. That thing had nasty claws."

"Can't figure out why it wasn't actually going after me or Yohji until we interfered with it tryin' to get to Omitchi and Duo."

"Hhnn?" Aya had come to the scene so late he had not noticed any difference between who the bird was going after. Maybe that was one of the reasons they had employed such a perfect battle plan.

"Well, I hope it was just a one time thing." Whoever this 'Duo' person was, Aya didn't care, but if the monsters would start going after Omi it would be bothersome. He closed his mouth, chewed on some cucumber and hoped Ken would elaborate.

Speak of the devil... Duo didn't have any problem with dropping his tray next to Ken's with a smirk. "Hey, don't mind if I crash your party, right?" The prospect of food always made him a little cheerier. Must be that street orphan influence.

He didn't know the red-head that Ken was talking to, but if they were friends, Duo didn't see any reason not to be buddy-buddy with the guy. "Is this one of the three 'protective geezers' you mentioned?" His question was aimed towards Ken, a thumb jabbed in Aya's direction, even as Duo gave the guy a grin.

"What, you didn't get enough of my stellar conversational skills last shift?" Ken smirked back before commencing with the introductions. "Aya, this is Duo. Yohji and I saved his skinny ass last night." Ken tossed another grin in Duo's direction. "Duo, Aya. And yes." Aya was in fact one of the 'three protective geezers.'

Protective geezer?

It earned a quirk of brow from Aya. He rested his elbow on the table, fork danging from his fingers in the air as if forgotten there. His gaze shifted to the newcomer, his expression not betraying much curiosity even if there might have been some.

He nodded shortly, his hand and fork neatly veiling the lower part of his face even if he felt no need for masks right now. It was all he saw necessary to input in the conversation right now. It wasn't his area of expertize after all.

Gaze shifting back to his plate, he speared a piece of carrot to shove into his mouth.

Aya, huh? Well, there had to be one silent member in every group, didn't there? Duo had the luck to have two in his, so he was well trained to make up the lack of conversation. "Nice to meet ya. Sorry about getting your friend all roughed up last night. I'll be more careful with him next time, cross my heart." He made the accompanying childish motion over his chest before looking down to his food.

"So, how about this brunch? An all-you-can-eat meal doesn't sound half bad considering they tried to kill us last night. With nurse monsters and giant birds of death." Duo paused to shovel a piece of syrupy pancake into his mouth. "Does anyone else get the feeling we're extras in a low-budget horror movie?"

"Pretty much all the time," Ken agreed, reaching over to steal a carrot stick off of Aya's tray with a cheeky grin. "So nope, you're not alone. Comforting, ne?" He bit the carrot in half with an audible snap. "Woe is us. Least it's better than prison food."

"So what's up, kid?"

Aya was comfortable just sliding into his characteristic silence when the other two filled the space with unnecessary words so much better than he could ever manage. He nodded again at Duo, pondering for a moment what the boy meant, but mostly concentrating on his plate.

Or that was until there was an extra hand reaching toward Aya's plate.

He glanced up at Ken, snorting softly as the carrot ended up between Ken's teeth soon after. If Aya had not been nursing a fresh wound at his shoulder, he might have reached over the table to pay back somehow. As it was, he lowered his gaze back to his plate with a hint of curve upon his lips. Some things would never change, and he found himself grateful for that.

"Maybe they find it practical to feed us well so we can go on night after night," he also found himself saying as he stole a glance at Duo, surprising himself as well. However, it had been a good morning this far. And the hint of a smile upon usually grim line of lips when Aya shifted his gaze back at Ken seemed to say so as well.

"I suppose we offer better entertainment that way." Or there was something in the food what Landel's wanted them to eat. Aya had thought of that, but wouldn't bring it up now. It was a pointless topic after all.

Duo snorted to Ken's response. "Well, that's a relief. Here I was, thinking I'd gone crazy. You're right, though. This is way better than prison food."

And then Aya spoke up, and Duo smirked. So this guy wasn't mute after all. How fortunate for him. He could even smile! Well, he had one up on Heero and Trowa now. "Yeah, well I've got a pretty entertaining show for that guy if he wants to come down here and see it. I'll even give him a front row seat, since I'm so generous. It's call 'Kicking Landel's Ass'. Even the critics'll love it, trust me."

"I think y'might have to get in line. There's a lot of people wantin' that guy dead." Landel might even one up Takatori on the front of getting people to want to kill him. Ken would be content with just getting the fuck out of there, but really--he knew that leaving wasn't likely until the bastard was dead and gone and his institute torn down brick by brick. "Unless there's room for guest appearances in your show."

Ken grinned--if Duo had seen him two nights ago, the expression would be familiar. He was ready to go for blood.

Aya had seen that grin, two nights ago and many times before. And it was the sole reason why his smile faded away before it had time to bloom properly.

He slipped back into the silence that was much like an old friend now, and directed his narrowing gaze back at his plate. He had not forgotten what had been said few nights ago. And no amount of memories about what else had happened would make him forget.

Wonderful, he felt stiff as a board again, poking the rise around on his plate. Fortunately it'd probably go unnoticed, as it was rather characteristic for him to converse little with just about anyone.

He hadn't seen that specific look on Ken's face before, but he could certainly guess at the gist from the context; and no, that wasn't creepy at all, Ken. Unless you were a normal, upstanding citizen. Which Duo wasn't, so it was a moot point anyway.

"Hey, I'm always willing to invite guests into the act. The more the merrier, right? Anyone who wants a shot is more than welcome to join in."

Unfortunately for Aya, Duo didn't leave even characteristic silences alone. "What about you, Aya? You want a piece of the action, too? We could save you an arm or a leg or something."

Not many people did see that specific look and lived to talk about it--Aya, Yohji, and Omi being obvious exceptions. The expression faded as quickly as it came, Ken not even seeming to realize he slipped.

"You're too kind." Ken nabbed a chicken strip off his plate and took a bite.

Ken busied himself with his food, listening with half an ear for Aya's response.

"Hn." Normally Aya wouldn't have bothered to reply, as he was not ready to give into humor right now and that was the only way out of it. But the topic hit a bit too close to home, and his answer was voiced just as blankly as his expression indicated him feeling.

"I don't care. As long as he dies."

He wasn't blood thirsty, he was practical. He was good in killing, did not enjoy it, however.

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Day 29: Cafeteria, Brunch

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