damned_institute | Day 34: Breakfast

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Day 34: Breakfast

[starting off in M13]

The last part of the night was little more than a blur in Homura's mind. The men had rushed in, but not joined them, instead staying off to themselves. Before any of them had a chance to react, however, a voice sounded through the air, mocking some other person Homura had never heard of, and the patients themselves.

To Homura, whoever that man was, he sounded a great deal like a god.

But before he could ask questions, the demi-god found himself no longer in the chapel, but some strange room on a bed. Is that what Kenren had meant from his earlier warning? Homura sat up, glad at least that the world didn't spin when he did so. Then the same man from before began to speak again, with a completely different tone. It was confusing to hear him talk that way, calling them patients instead of prisoners as he had before. Homura listened quietly as the announcement was made, then got out of bed.

Maybe he wouldn't have to go anywhere yet. It wasn't like Homura knew where to go anyway, and that meant he had time. If this was his room, and if he had been here as long as Kenren had said, there was a chance he could find something with answers. The Taisho had even told him that Homura had seen Rinrei. Certainly he would've written something down, made a map, something that could let him find her again! He started with the desk at the end of his bed, first finding a small stack of notebooks. Picking up the first, he flipped through, turning the pages with quickening desperation as he found each one to be blank.

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Yuuhi was quiet for a long moment as he considered the other's words. Kurogane was right. It was probably better if they didn't see each other much, hadn't he been saying that himself before? Still, it stung more than he thought it would to hear it firsthand. His eyes drifted downward and his fists began to relax. He'd promised Homura, hadn't he? He still had obligations to see to and it would be better to get those finished.

The important fact was that neither of them had seen Sakura. Kurogane would have said something of that if he'd run across her. "It's nothing, you're right," he said quietly, features melting into an empty smile that didn't even reach his eyes.

"Sorry to have bothered you," he added as he turned to walk away.

No answer. He hadn't expected that Fai would give one and let it go.

He took a bite of the pancakes and made at face at the sweetness of them, but continued to eat without a fuss. It was time to eat, so whatever he was given he was going to eat with or without the magician there watching him. When Fai spoke again he paused long enough to look up and see that damn smile again before it disappeared with Fai's turn to leave.

"Oy," he called and pointed his fork in the direction of Fai's back, "Don't give me that crap and then walk away. If you want fair, then stop acting like I'm the only one injured here, you idiot."

Even if Kurogane couldn't see any bandages, it wasn't hard to observe the fatigue showing through Fai's actions. Not just in how he looked, but in how he was responding as well. Yelling as he had was not a normal thing for someone who tried to at least act like he was always in control.

"I said you're right," he paused, turning for just a moment to show his empty smile once more. "So what else is there to discuss? As you said, we don't have to waste time with each other. I'm sure we both have more important things to worry about. Hope you feel better."

"See you," he said with a simple wave. It would be easier this way. Kurogane had found other things and if Yuuhi stuck around he would just end up on the other end of a lot more awkward conversations.

"That's not what that means and you know it," he tried to sound harsh, but he just didn't have the right amount of energy to shout. Maybe later in the day he would, but not right now, when dammit, he needed it!

Fai was just trying to get away from a position he'd put himself in, and Kurogane knew it. Approaching him instead of the other way around. For him to have forgotten the events of yesterday so easily there must have been a problem. How bad had his night been? Or more importantly, how badly had he been injured? Kurogane knew Fai wasn't as resilient to attacks as he was himself. Che. Maybe he'd finally taken one too many hits to that empty skull.

Kurogane nearly let things drop since he didn't have the energy, but he didn't. There were few times that Fai lost his guard, and Kurogane wasn't about to let chances like that slip away. There were things that needed discussing.

Dropping his fork, he took a breath and asked suddenly, "Where is it?"

He really did just want to leave now and hope that the connection they'd once had somehow severed on its own, but Kurogane just wouldn't let things be. How else was he supposed to take the man's words? He'd gone from being something important to... well who the hell knew what he was to Kurogane anymore. It didn't feel like "friend," was supposed to, it was something else, and he still didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

Yuuhi sighed when Kurogane asked him another question. If he didn't sit soon, he was going to fall over and then he'd really never hear the end of it. He propped an arm on the table for balance and to keep from showing just how shaky he really was. "Where is what?"

Kurogane was still of the firm opinion that he didn't have friends and didn't want them. He had people he knew and worked with, some more than others, and that was that. The man across from him wasn't a friend and barely registered as more than someone he just knew at times - just an idiot who got under his skin more than he was generally willing to admit. Even Princes Tomoyo had never driven him up the wall so terribly, and he'd had to deal with her for a hell of a lot longer. That sister of her's too.

Granted, the only definition Kurogane had for "friend" was probably more idealistic and could border on being naive, but it wasn't his fault for thinking that way. He hadn't had what could be considered a friend in so long; all he could go by was when he'd been young, and that had been years back. Rukia had said something about Fai having to be a friend, but what would she know?

Whatever. It didn't matter what he considered Fai regularly. Right now the man was just an idiot that Kurogane wasn't going to let run away from his problems. Not a friend, but not someone he could ignore either.

"You know what," he growled, "That damn file you've got."

So that's what this was about. It wasn't as if he could expect Kurogane to understand why he'd needed it so badly, but it wasn't really any of the man's business in the first place, was it?

He rubbed his cheek thoughtfully where the bruise had been. It was much smaller today, hardly noticeable, but it was more difficult to forget the pain and surprise that had come with it. "We discussed that already, if I recall," he smiled softly.

"It's not something you need to worry about."

"Like hell we did!" That hadn't been a discussion, that had been Kurogane letting his anger get the better of him! Explosion was a far better term for what had happened yesterday. And now it was time to pick up the resulting debris.

He pointed a finger at the seat across from him. "Unless you want another 'discussion' like that one later, then you'd better sit, and talk," he demanded, "Right now!"

That hadn't been a request either.

Yuuhi winced as the man began to yell and raised a skeptical eyebrow. Kurogane might be strong, but he was injured. And the last time he'd attacked, he'd been heavily sedated. Chances were, he wasn't really thinking of the consequences at the moment.

Against his better judgement, he followed the order. His body thanked him at least, he was terribly fatigued and it probably showed. Still, he smiled and folded his hands on the table.

He sneered when Fai obeyed a little too willingly. Another thing that wasn't a normal.

"Enough with that smile, it's annoying," he gave as another warning. If Fai knew what was good for him, he wouldn't annoy Kurogane anymore than he already had. Just as Fai suspected, Kurogane was not heeding any consequences that may result from an additional explosion.

Watching him a bit had already alerted Kurogane to the condition Fai was in. Now that he was down, he probably wouldn't leave and so they could talk properly (maybe), but that meant Fai also wouldn't get up to go eat which he probably hadn't since before dinner last night. Idiot. Before deciding to go into their usual Q and not A, Kurogane huffed and pushed his tray across to him, fork included. "Here. This sugary stuff is more to your taste than mine."

He'd taken the seat, fully expecting a fight, a yelling match, or some very pointed questions. He blinked a few times in surprise when Kurogane actually pushed his tray over and told him to eat.

Yuuhi opened his mouth for a moment to refuse, but couldn't bring himself to say the words. He wasn't sure if not eating the pancakes would injure the ninja's pride or simply keep him from getting another knock on the head, but he did as he was told, somewhat hesitantly, as though it were some kind of trap. Was he just being nice now so he could bark at him later? He wasn't quite sure what to think.

The vacant smile didn't disappear, but perhaps now there was something a bit more real in it. Yuuhi kept his focus on the plate, stirring around each soggy bite before finally eating it.

Kurogane didn't get it either but sometimes it was just better that they were both left in the dark on some things. If Kurogane had known what went on in that empty head, then he'd probably have gone insane by now. Not that he wasn't close.

"Geeze, you're more trouble than your worth sometimes..." he grumbled to himself when the smile didn't fade but wasn't going to argue since he was eating.

No matter what problems the magician was having in this place, that didn't excuse him not eating or sleeping. Even Kurogane was managing to rest at intervals despite how being trapped here irked him. Fai not taking care of himself only made problems for the both of them, and Kurogane was not having that!

He waited a bit, watching Fai at as he ate, before taking a much calmer approach to the subject that was the file and Fai's relation to it. "Do you even realize what you're trying to do?" he asked.

It wasn't until he'd started eating that he realized just how hungry he'd been. He supposed it was his own fault for not taking meals when they were given, but when he was troubled, he didn't feel much like eating, whether he needed it or not. Though, in this place, he felt troubled a good percent of the time.

He wasn't sure what to make of Kurogane's change in attitude, but he didn't mention it. He was simply glad there was a bit less tension in the air.

It didn't take a genius to realize what Kuro was talking about, but he still wasn't sure himself what he was going to do with the information he'd gotten from Homura. He'd only wanted to know about Robin Cross, in hopes that he could save Ashura, but the file had contained information on Fai, no, Yuuhi too. Information Homura had read.

He poked guiltily at his pancakes, considering the question. "I have to make things right," he said quietly.

"That's no answer," he said, still calm for the most part, "I asked if you knew what you were doing, not what you think you're 'supposed' to or 'have to' do."

Since he'd learned of the visitor Fai had seen, this Ashura person, Kurogane had known that Fai's actions were not mirroring anything in the present time. Instead he was drawing from something from the past that he might have done, or for all Kurogane knew had yet to do, but that didn't change the fact that the magician was once again letting the past control him. Here that meant taking the lies fed him and turning into a veritable mess!

"You'd think you'd get tired of being right all the time Kuro-nyan," Yuuhi said around a mouthful of syrupy pancake.

He shook his head slowly, "I thought I did. But... I've not been sure of much of anything since coming here." Ashura had said there was a chance. That Yuuhi was the only one who could save him... If there was a chance, no matter how small, he had to take it. He had to.

Kurogane folded his arms and kept from saying anything about not talking with your mouth full. Any kind of talking from Fai was still talking so he'd take it, food-stuffed or otherwise.

"You're letting this place get to you too much," he said as though it weren't obvious, "Names and files, and whatever the hell that visitor was... it's those things that are making your decisions, not you. And even then you're still not sure. I already told you not to be half-assed about things, magician."

Maybe some of it was this place, but Yuuhi couldn't deny the fact that he'd met with Ashura. It wasn't just some copy or some look-a-like. It was him and nothing was going to convince him otherwise. What he was going to do about it though... that was anyone's guess. As nice as it would have been to accept the reality that this place offered, so long as he had a link back to the real world, Kurogane, he just couldn't completely forget. And for the first time, perhaps, he realized that maybe there were some things he didn't want to forget.

"I'm not sure what to say," he replied. It was sincere and honest, even if it didn't reveal much. Kurogane was right, there were an awful lot of things he was unsure of, but he didn't know how he was supposed to decide.

Kurogane heaved an exasperated sigh, one that probably wouldn't be his last for how this morning was going, "I shouldn't have to deal with this so early..." He then reached over and picked a sausage off of the tray. That was still his breakfast Fai was eating, willingly passed over though it may have been, so he could still have what he wanted. Fai could have all the sugary crap; stuff like that wasn't supposed to be for breakfast anyway.

"You can say where that file is since it's obvious you haven't gotten rid of it," he ~~ordered~~ suggested, "Already know you read it, so there's no changing that. Just don't keep it. Burn it, or something."

Kurogane hadn't ever cared what might've been in something like that. "Real lives" or whatever the people in white said. This wasn't a world either of them were from, so it didn't concern them even if things had been made to reflect them somehow. Someone was only messing with them. If those files had any use it was to say who was or wasn't there anymore like with the Princess.

Yuuhi tried to appear hesitant, though he was secretly glad that Kurogane's request coincided with his own desires for once. If he seemed over-eager, Kurogane would probably just become even more suspicious.

He looked guiltily down at his tray, but didn't answer the first question. The location of the file. It was in his waistband at the moment, as he waited for the best time to dispose of it. Unfortunately, that time had never come. A day had already come and gone. "I'll get rid of it," he said in a quiet voice, not daring to look up.

Straight compliance had not been what Kurogane had expected, because although the magician had been good up until this point, he couldn't possibly have been dazed enough to simply give in to that demand. Not after how he'd defended that damn file up until now. If he hadn't been telling the truth, Kurogane wouldn't have any reason for suspicion the moment Fai agreed, but the problem stood that Kurogane had heard no falseness in the statement. That meant he hadn't been lying, and Fai telling the truth was the most suspicious thing of all.

"Whatever's in there scared you that bad, huh?" he said first, then after considering modified his belief, "Or is it that you just don't want any one else seeing it?"

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Day 34: Breakfast

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