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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She'd ignored the plates at first since Allen Walker had kept her focus, but his own attention to his food had her looking the plates over with an annoyed pout. Allen ate a lot! But that really wasn’t important past the fact that he was ignoring her in favor of food.

Rhode did not like being ignored, especially for food!

"Aw, that's not right. You're supposed to be happy to see meeee~~~" she pouted, leaning over the table. "I didn't get to see you last niiiight!" Which technically wasn't his fault, or hers, but she was still a bit upset by it. Last night should have gone a lot better than it did.

Allen used the last of his bread rolls to sop up the sauces still left behind on his tray. He'd been hoping for a chance to run up for seconds, but maybe three trays would have to suffice.

Rhode hadn't mentioned anything about the others, and with how much the Noahs seemed to enjoy gloating over something they'd done, he couldn't imagine she'd keep silent if anything had happened. "I very much doubt that will ever be the case," he said evenly.

"I..." he didn't know if he could say it as boldly as Renji had the night before. "There's something that needs to be discussed."

"Meanie," she pouted some more. He probably wouldn't ever feel guilty for being mean - she sure didn't - but she always pouted to make Tyki feel guilty when he didn't help with her homework. The pouting was habit, and Allen Walker definitely wasn't Tyki.

Part of her wanted to tease him over something, but she didn't really have anything to tease for now other than his eating habits. At least he wasn't throwing food like happened at Family meals. In any case, it was hurting her to lean over the table as she was. Stupid, un-healing, human injuries.

She sat back down just as her nurse returned with pancakes (syrup, yay!), but kept her attention stuck on Allen. He was still hers to play with even when she didn't have the mind or energy to tease him. She just watched him keep eating while she ran her fingers along the top of the pancakes. No Earl to yell at her about manners had its advantages at least.

She had been in the middle of licking her fingers when Allen started speaking again. "Hm?" she blinked, finishing up a lick of her index finger.

"I realize... you've been m-moderately well behaved since your arrival," he explained, watching as she poked at her meal. He glanced over at Renji again, but that other boy was still there. "I'd like for that to continue."

He swallowed, somewhat nervous. From the few encounters he'd had with Rhode, he knew she was difficult to predict. "In exchange... you won't be harmed. Do you understand?"

Though she wasn't sure why, Allen became really uncomfortable once he started talking seriously. Exorcists usually were pretty tense around her, but Allen knew how things were here. That's why he'd been pretty mean when she'd gotten to the table; he knew she couldn't do anything during the day. But he was acting more nervous than indifferent now. At least he was cute when he stuttered.

She took a moment to glance over to where his eyes kept darting but didn't see anything really recognizable. No exorcists were over in that direction. Well, none that she was familiar with. Was he looking for help? She considered that until he asked if she understood his words.

Was he threatening her?

A grin spread over her face once she determined that's what he was doing. SHe wasn't exactly sure what he'd asked of her since she'd been too preoccupied with how cute he was when uncomfortable, but for him to threaten her by himself... maybe there was something to tease him over.

"But you can't hurt me, Allen~~~" she taunted, tongue licking at some syrup that had gone down the corner of her mouth, "You tried that already, remember?" If he'd forgotten, she'd be sure to remind him.

"Maybe so," he reasoned, half expecting her to bring that up. "But there are others who would." He wasn't comfortable with threatening people, but if it was this or standing idly by as the others planned to murder her, well... he'd much prefer the route of least bloodshed.

"I don't think we're asking too much," he added, certain of that much at least. "Can... can you do that, or will we have to take other measures to ensure it happens?"

Once again, Allen was being all serious while all she wanted him to do was play with her!

"Can I do what~~~~~~?" she asked. Before she could question just who the "we" he was referencing was (had to be other exorcists), she had to know what he was asking. Allen should have tried his request without the adorable nervousness if he'd wanted her full attention to it and not to teasing him.

Was she taking him seriously at all? Was she even really listening? It was hard to tell if she was trying to tease him or if she truly didn't understand what he wanted of her. He gathered his patience and tried again.

"I want you to behave," he said, a little more clearly this time. "And to not harm the other patients."

She stopped a lick of another finger short and pulled it away from her mouth, pouting. "But I like eating with my hands!" Darn it, now Allen wanted her to eat right, just like the Earl!

The pouting would have continued had Allen not mentioned the other patients. Ohhhhhh, so that's what he meant! That request made a lot more sense considering who was asking it. Allen Walker didn't want her, well, being her. No wonder he was attempting to threaten her.

The grin returned, as did her fingers to her mouth. "Hmmm..." she considered, "but I haven't done anything, Allen~~~" Yet. There was that incident with Phibby, but he'd been asking for it.

Allen raised an eyebrow. Apparently they had slightly different ideas on what "behave" meant. He wasn't concerned with her manners, he probably still had bits of food stuck on his own face. He reached for a half-clean napkin and discreetly wiped his cheek as he spoke, "That- ah... if that's how you want to eat, that's fine... I meant more of... er... any violence."

The other part was a bit more frustrating, but he got the feeling she understood. "Like that child the from other day," he reminded her. He certainly hadn't forgotten it that easily. "And don't think I wouldn't remember the things you've done before we arrived here. The Rewinding Town... not to mention the other Exorcists you've harmed. I know what you're capable of Rhode, don't take me for a fool. That's exactly why I want to arrange this; so there are no future incidents."

Even if her table manners had been questioned, Rhode probably wouldn't have stopped with her finger-licking. It was good that Allen hadn't been trying to act like her Earl. The Earl was annoying, and her Allen wasn't allowed to be annoying. Not in that way at least. He was being annoying in a different way right now, but she was familiar with this debate.

"Mmmm, but were on opposite sides. You said so on the bus, remember?" she reminded him. Though she was still grinning and licking at her fingers with each stroke of the pancake, Rhode wasn't so entertained that she couldn't turn this into a debate. She had no choice really but to make it one.

It was basically a truce Allen Walker was offering, so Rhode had to be suspicious. This could just be some exorcist's trap his comrades had talked him into. His nervousness and earlier glances about had made Rhode certain there was more to this than just the request. Allen Walker had just been chosen to make the request because he was the "kind" one. His comrades probably figured he was the only one that had a chance of being believed.

Supposing she had believed him, she might not have minded the offer. There were ways around truces after all - some saying about "what one didn't know"~~~ A moment's consideration might have ended with some fashion of a truce, but when he brought up the Rewinding Town and then spoke down to her, the consideration ended. That had been a mistake.

Her expression changed from playful grin to annoyed pout as she stuck a sticky finger in his direction. "You're not being fair. It's not like you exorcists haven't hurt our Akuma too. Just because you think you're on the "good" side doesn't mean you are," she scolded, annoyance turning closer to anger.

Not only were humans weak, they were hypocrites, exorcists especially! All they needed was some delusion that theirs' was a decree from that false God and they could justify any of their actions! They even fought their own little wars against each other, both sides convinced that they had the better cause! Losses on both sides were inevitable - that was war. It was foolish to expect sides to express remourse for enemy lives lost during conflicts.

You only grieved your own, and that's exactly why Rhode was upset over Allen Walker's accusations. He wasn't the only one who'd lost friends. "You killed Skin, my family!" And it was nice to finally have someone to yell at about that fact. She knew Allen Walker hadn't been responsible for Skin's death, but an exorcist had. An exorcist who he was no doubt defending with his words. That upset her more than anything.

Allen was becoming more confused by the moment. Akuma? He hadn't "killed" them, he'd set their souls free! It was what they wanted! Only the Akuma who he'd seen self destruct in front of his very eyes hadn't been saved. It had been destroyed, yes, but not by Innocence. The soul had been lost.

"Skin? No," he protested, "I didn't kill anyone!" Surely she wouldn't think that of him? He didn't think he could kill someone, not a human at least, even if he wanted to. He knew exactly how painful it was to lose family and he couldn't help but feel a small measure of sympathy for her, even if he knew he hadn't killed the man.

"I just..." he retreated, only a small bit, his eyes looking down briefly at his tray. "I don't want anyone to get hurt. That includes you."

She hated when he tried to defend himself, or more defend his exorcist friends against her, but making him feel at least some guilt took the edge from her initial anger. The Akuma reference had just been used to show their similarities - she really didn't care what happened to the once-human monstrocities - but it had still forced Allen Walker into feeling responsible. Somehow. No matter how he denied it, Allen Walker felt guilty over enemy casualties.

Such a kind fool.

After a moment she slackened her arm and placed her hand back to the table. Her glare persisted though, angry and just a little sad. Skin's death was stuck on her mind now and defending him and her Family overrode any desire to play.

"What should you care if I'm hurt? Your friends are trying to kill my family," she hissed sharply. Then, after a pause, "... I don't even know if... they're still alive, Allen. They're not here! Your friends could have killed them already!"

Usually Rhode wouldn't have been worried over her surrogate siblings as they should have been able to handle themselves, but Skin's defeat had been unexpected. If the Noah of Wrath could be taken down by one weak exorcist, then the others could have been defeated as well. They really could all be dead now, and she wouldn't have even known.

The four days she'd been without them had her panicking. It had been so long that someone should have come for her by now. But no one had. Not even one Akuma. What if no one came at all? Did she have to stay like this, separated and alone?

He shouldn't care. He knew that. Just considering it was enough for him to be labeled a traitor, to become one of the fallen. His conflicted feelings showed easily on his open, honest face.

"And yours might've killed more of ours," he answered, his voice sounding somewhat hollow. "But we've no way of knowing until we can get out of here."

"It's not fair to involve the other patients... that child, he wasn't an Exorcist. Have you hurt others here? I don't know- I haven't kept track of you in the night hours, for all I know you've gone after people then as well." If she had to hurt someone... it should be one of theirs- no, him. It should be him. He couldn't bear the thought of Rhode hurting his friends, most especially Rinali.

He shrugged his thin shoulders, hands in his lap, holding tightly to the hem of his shirt. "I wouldn't be asking... but this is the only option left. I don't approve of all the methods, but... if you don't agree, they may very well kill you."

Rhode wasn't looking at his face, opting for his own method of looking elsewhere while speaking. Her nearly syrupless pancakes were pretty interesting what with the careless indentations she'd made with her finger.

She didn't want his kindness. That's exactly what she was hearing him preach about, his own desire for no bloodshed on any fronts, hers included. His kindness towards her was as good as pity right now. She didn't want his pity either! She didn't... but at the same time she did.

"Last night... I almost got eaten..." she mumbled before pushing her tray away and folding her arms on the table.

Things here provided entertainment, it was true, but to no end. She wasn't striving to rid the world of humans here because some apparently weren't humans. Or so they said. She'd just been bored that time with Phibby, but there had been no more victims to her playing. And that girl in town had started it! Only at night did she feel like actually hurting anything, but she'd never been able to. Things hurt her instead; she had the claw marks all over her body to prove it! Now it sounded like things in the day wished to do the same.

"And you'd let them..." she accused, voice deadpanning as she lowered her head into her folded arms. Rhode knew Allen probably wouldn't say that he'd just let that happen, but her knowledge of him seemed to have faded along with the rest of her emotions.

Allen wasn't the only one who felt conflicted now. She didn't know where her family was or if they were even still alive. If they weren't, then did she have a purpose anymore? Did the Noah still exist with just one left? So long as she had been with the Earl, she'd been able to manage as the most long-lived Noah child. Sometimes that had meant being alone until the genes were repossessed, but there had always been the Earl. If he was gone as well... she'd never really been alone.

And if she was, maybe she didn't care anymore.

Would he really just stand idly by while the others decided to kill someone? Murderer though she might be, if they did the same, weren't they no better?

"Maybe we should talk about this another time," he suggested, hands still folded in his lap.

"You brought it up..." she muttered again, not really caring, "... and you didn't answer either."

He was avoiding the question. Then, he really didn't know if he would let them or not? Oh well. If it happened, it happened. It wasn't like she could do anything to stop an attack, either at night or during the day.

Allen was quiet for a moment, his thoughts seemed a little slower than usual and finding the right answer was as bad as sloshing through mud. He knew he would do everything he could to keep her from being killed. It was too much. But he also was at a loss for what else to do about her. They couldn't spare the man-power to have a babysitter keep her locked up in her room every night when the nurses couldn't watch her. But they also couldn't afford the threat she might be to the others, the Exorcists especially. And when and if they ever got back home...

"I wouldn't have mentioned it if I were going to allow that sort of thing." She could take that however she liked. "I should go. I told Re- the others I wouldn't speak with you about this by myself." He pushed his tray away, just as she'd done, but moved instead to get out of his seat.

That was more like the Allen she knew - always taking the more peaceful road, not wanting anyone on either side getting hurt. He was such an odd exorcist to be that kind, but she liked that about him. Any other exorcist wouldn't have even bothered talking to her (save for perhaps the Jr. Bookman, but that was a special exception).

"You're not making sense. If you're not going to let them, then why tell me?" After all, what could she do about people who wanted to kill her? Nothing here. She wagered he was just warning her in case he couldn't stop any attempts on hurting her, but still he was being terrible with his delivery. "It's not like I can-- hey, don't leave!" she ordered, realizing he was attempting to get away. He couldn't just go like that, not after he had been the one to start this stupid conversation! She didn't care who didn't want him talking to her alone!

"You don't understand," he sighed, "if you'd just agree not to hurt the other patients here, it wouldn't be a problem." He shook his head, he wasn't getting anywhere with this except for a headache starting to form.

"I'll speak with you again later," he said as she began to protest. He glanced over at Renji, still talking with that blonde boy. Well, he could always go through the buffet line again... on the way over there of course.

[[Picking up some food and then going to here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/264448.html?thread=19962112#t19962112)]]

[[from here (http://community.livejournal.com/damned/264448.html?thread=20175360#t20194048)]]

Allen returned to the table, with Renji in tow. It seemed like she'd behaved for the short time he was gone at least. It was a little bit easier to put things in perspective, remembering things like the Rewinding Town, but the situation still made him uneasy.

"Rhode? This is Renji. He's here to... clarify some of the things I was speaking to you about," Allen explained.

It only looked as though she'd behaved because Allen had returned quickly to the table. Had he taken any longer, she would have either followed after him (how dare he just walk off like that?!) or taken to lopping pancakes in his direction. If there was one thing Rhode didn't like, it was being ignored.

She had, however, paid close attention to the area Allen had gone to for that short bit of time. Allen had problems talking to her, an enemy, so it was doubtful he had left her for another enemy after all. Her assumptions of that were only strengthened when Allen returned with the man he'd been speaking with. So this was who he'd been glancing at earlier. Had to be an exorcist. She really couldn't tell if he was human or otherwise, but if he was with Allen Walker, then he was likely a goody-goody.

"Is he who made you talk to me?" she asked, giving Renji a smiling glare.

Some of her playful nature had returned due to there being a probable new exorcist to torment - she wasn't able to help the smile - though the glare she used alongside that smile was intentional. If this Renji had forced Allen Walker into speaking to her, then he was behind the proposed "truce". Exorcists were sneaky things, so she had to be careful.

And, if nothing else, she had a right to be cross with him for having made her Allen Walker act so uncomfortably around her.

Renji sat down, next to Allen, leaning one elbow on the table top. For a long moment, he just looked at Rhode, examining what he could sense about her spirit. Not human, which was really the most important part, and the only thing that was easy to tell without putting a lot of effort in to it.

"It's easy," he said. "Harm any of my people, or any of the humans, and we will kill you." His tone was flat. "Thank Allen. He's the only reason you're getting a warning."

"Renji didn't make me do anything," Allen tried. He didn't like the look she was giving him. At the very least, he doubted she was taking either of them seriously.

He could trust Renji to be terribly blunt and straightforward so there was no mistaking any of it. Allen looked steadily at Rhode, "I think it would be best if you seriously consider this."

She slid her eyes to Allen a moment before looking back to the red-head. He was already unliked just for the look he was giving her, as though she was the inferior here, but she also disliked him for the proposition. Unlike Allen, Renji was specifically ordering and threatening her. That meant he was behind what Allen had asked her. She didn't believe for a second that Allen hadn't been forced by Renji to talk to her.

Without the nervous stuttering, Renji at least gave a better overview of what this threat entailed. His people, was it? Now who or what might they be?

"Are you human?" she asked. He made it sound as though he wasn't, which was very important for her to know before any decisions were made.

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