damned_institute | Day 34: Lunch

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Day 34: Lunch

Yuffie bounced all the way through collecting her lunch, all the way to a good seat- one with a nice view of the whole cafeteria, which was something she'd been missing out on during the past day or so that she'd been stuck in the Institute- and hell, she even bounced into her seat.

A good mood? No, really?

Despite the occasional blip, talking to Sagara had been awesome. He was a fun guy; he wasn't a prude, didn't have a stick shoved so far up his ass it was poking out his eyeballs, and he'd actually had a conversation with her. One that hadn't revolved around doom, gloom or how much life sucked. If she could find other people like that and keep in touch with Sagara, maybe there was a little hope for this place.

After a quick gulp of pink lemonade, Yuffie settled to munching through her food and keeping an eye on the door.

[Waiting for Dean, I think? :x]

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He held back a laugh when he saw the young shinigami's reaction to his presence, instead placing one elbow on the table and and cupping his chin in his palm. The healer had even gone so far as to use his old title.

"You remembered," he said with a smile that was just a little too friendly. "I'd hate t'think anyone back home had forgotten 'bout me." Gin picked at the fruit bowl as he spoke, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary at all for him to be there.

"S'pose this is your first day here? I think I'd remember seein' you before now." Though he might not look it, he had a sharp memory and a keen mind.

If Hanatarou had been from almost any other division, he probably would have thrown back some kind of snappy retort or challenge. ('Almost' because if he'd been 11th Division he probably would've just jumped across the table and tried to bite the man's face off or something equally insane and destructive.) But since he was 4th Division, and he was Hanatarou, he just stared, stunned with a hint of sheer terror.

Could this get worse? Was Aizen himself going to show up now, too? And here the healer was without the other shinigami he was supposed to be with, without so much as his zanpakutou, and Ichimaru Gin was smiling at him.

At least he wasn't doing anything else just at the moment. In fact, he was...well, acting like everything was as normal as it could get around him. Hanatarou's mouth worked silently for a moment before he managed to speak up, voice squeaking a little. "Just...this morning..."

"Ara... jus' this mornin'? Poor thing," he spoke the words as they ought to be said, but with his chill smile and demeanor it was hard for them not to sound hollow. Much as he enjoyed seeing the other shinigami squirm, it would probably be wise to explain a little before Yamada went and tattled to one of the others.

"Maa... don't tell me no one's told ya anythin' about this place," he said with what appeared to be sudden realization. He wasn't certain if the medic had met with any of the other division members, but it was likely some of them would conveniently have 'forgotten' to mention something like their current truce.

Somehow when the former captain spoke the words, 'poor thing' evoked not a sense of sympathy but rather recognition of easy prey. Hanatarou couldn't help but feel a little bit like a mouse under the gaze of a rather hungry snake when the man smiled at him, and only barely managed to suppress a shudder.

"I..." The word came out cracked, and Hanatarou paused to take a hasty drink, wetting a mouth gone quite dry, before he tried to speak again. Clutching the cup to him like a shield, the healer shook his head just a little. "I saw H-Hitsugaya-taichou, but he..." Was grouchy? Barely skimmed over the basics because he was busy being annoyed I was here? "...he didn't explain much."

The former captain continued to smile, ever more amused by the timid healer and his failed attempts at speech. So he'd already seen Toushirou, Gin supposed he couldn't expect the younger captain to do any favors and remember him. Brat.

His smile widened though, as if amused, as it twisted into a smirk. "As expected of Toushirou-kun," he shrugged helplessly. Sometimes the boy was so by-the-book it made his head hurt. "Well now, I'll be more n' happy to answer whatever questions y'might have." Though it was said amiably enough, Gin had a few questions of his own to ask. If he could actually get any answers out of the scared little thing.

Well, this was...odd. Ichimaru-tai--san was offering to be helpful? Hanatarou was inclined to trust the man about as far as he could throw him - and considering that he likely couldn't even lift the former captain, that wasn't very far at all - but he still needed some answers.

"I think Hitsugaya-taichou was just preoccupied," the healer replied, somewhat weakly trying to come to the captain's defense. Grouchy or not, he was still a captain, and as a seated officer Hanatarou did have an obligation to defend him. "I'm sure he would've said more if, um, he'd...he'd had the time..."

Hanatarou squirmed a little, uncomfortably glancing around himself before finally deciding that it couldn't hurt to at least ask a question. Right? He still refused to look at the former captain as he spoke, though, afraid that he'd completely lose his voice at the sight of that smile. "I...I don't understand how I got here, it...I was supposed to be going to Hue--um, somewhere else. But when I stepped into the senkaimon I-I woke up, um, h-here."

Preoccupied? That was a laugh. The young captain might have been called a genius of sorts, but he hadn't any experience, most especially dealing with other people. Amateur mistakes, even for a genius.

"Of course, of course," Gin consented. "He's a busy boy 'round here."

It was terribly entertaining to watch the shinigami squirm, unsure if his willing conversation would be considered some act of treason, but in the end, the healer gave in. Just as expected. And his slight stutter gave away more information than he'd intended. So Soul Society had begun sending troops to Hueco Mundo? Much sooner than anticipated, given it'd only been close to two weeks since he'd left Soul Society himself. He supposed there was that whole time disparity but still, it seemed to be happening fairly quickly.

"Well that's just it. Don't think anyone really knows much a' how they got here. More or less jus' kinda happens. Doesn't make much logical sense, does it? I s'pose that's part a' why even Toushirou-kun's a little... preoccupied."

Hanatarou risked a quick glance at the former captain, wondering if he dared hope that the man had maybe managed to miss his little slip.

...yes, and maybe Zaraki-taichou was going to take a vow of non-violence and raise flowers for the rest of his life.

The healer sighed inwardly and dropped his gaze back down to his tray, suddenly no longer at all hungry. This whole situation made very little sense, and all mocking aside, he could completely understand if trying to comprehend it was what occupied the captain of the 10th.

"But..." Hanatarou hesitated again, cautiously peeking up at Ichimaru-san through his bangs. "Why...why do some people get brought here?" Some people, like you, hovered at the forefront of the healer's mind, though he'd never dare voice it in front of the man. "I-I mean, um, why...me?"

It was little wonder this shinigami was a low ranking healer, that sort of 'why me' attitude wasn't bound to get him far, here or anywhere else. It was like he enjoyed be picked on, it was far too easy. Even Izuru had more backbone and determination than that.

"Why not you?" Gin countered, looking quite amused. "There's prob'ly others here even weaker 'n you. So far there's been no real logic t' who comes and goes." That much was actually true, no reason to lie about it.

"Let me explain this a lil' clearer, jus' so you know how serious it is, ne?" he met Yamada's eyes, though it wasn't easy to tell, slitted as his own were. "Toushirou, Renji, n' all the rest, are workin' together to get the bastard responsible. All th' shinigami are."

"All the shinigami?" Hanatarou echoed, feeling mildly stunned. He spared a moment to wonder just how many 'all' was, and to note that probably really was Abarai-san he'd spotted across the room, but that was a distant 'to be dealt with later' kind of thought. At the moment, he was busy completely failing to keep a rein on his tongue and blurting out, "Even working with you?"

Half a second later, the healer realized what he had just said and froze in place. Ichimaru-san was looking right at him, and Hanatarou attempted to clear his mind enough to calculate just how quickly he could duck under the table in case things went really, really bad in the near future.

Precisely the reaction he'd expected. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't still enjoy it. And the fact that the healer had actually blurted out just what he'd been thinking was almost enough to make him start laughing.

He gave a silent snicker, the corner of his mouth twisting upward in a frightening smirk for just a moment. "You won't mind, will ya?" he asked, voice innocent even if his expression said otherwise.

Ohdear. There was the smile again, and even worse and...Hanatarou slid down into his chair, eyes wide and fixed on the other shinigami. He didn't want to look, but he just knew that looking away would be even worse.

This wasn't what Hitsugaya-taichou had in mind when he'd mentioned an "assignment" for the night, was it? He wasn't going to have to work with Ichimaru Gin?

Oh no. Oh no. That couldn't be right. Could it?

Hanatarou swallowed, hands tightening about the cup he held as though it could somehow protect him. What he meant to say was maybe something terribly clever about not wanting to so much as give the time of day to a traitor, much less work with him, or maybe something more like 'please have mercy no'. But what came out was, "I-I, um, b-but I...you...aah?"

After her shower, the nurses had insisted that Rukia have her foot bandaged again. She really hadn't felt it necessary, since the wounds were pretty well closed up, but the nurses had been insistent. There were apparently no fresh dressings in the shower room, though, so one woman had gone to the medical wing to get more. Finally, after the woman had returned and they'd dressed Rukia's foot, she was allowed to go to the cafeteria.

Opting for just a salad and pink lemonade, Rukia stopped to look around the large room before deciding where she would sit. She'd read Hanatarou's posts on the bulletin board, and spotted him quickly despite his nondescript appearance. The man he was sitting with gave her pause, though. Ichimaru.

Suppressing a shudder, Rukia hesitated. She really didn't want to go anywhere near the former captain. Hanatarou looked like he was about to pass out from terror, though, and she couldn't let her friend be tormented by the slimy traitor. Swallowing hard, she tried to school her expression into one of neutrality and approached the pair.

"Hanatarou?" she managed, with only a slight tremor to her voice, "Are you okay?" She did not look at Ichimaru.

Well if that didn't just beat all. Not just one tiny frightened shinigami was sitting in front of him, now there were two. At least Yamada had been able to look his direction, Kuchiki couldn't even do that much. He supposed it probably had something to do with the times he'd seen her before. Her reaction had always been fairly similar.

"He's jus' a little outta sorts," Gin supplied, since Hanatarou (that was the name, wasn't it? Why did he always have trouble with that one...) seemed to be having trouble speaking. "I think Hitsugaya-taichou... mighta forgot to mention a few things."

While Kuchiki's guard dog Abarai might have said Gin wasn't allowed anywhere near her, he couldn't very well be held responsible if the girl came of her own free will.

"Rukia-san!" Hanatarou tore his gaze away from the former captain with some effort; while he knew in his head that watching Ichimaru wouldn't really keep him from doing anything, it was still unnerving to turn away. But this was Rukia. Those messages on the board really were from her, and the healer was extremely pleased to see a friend.

When Ichimaru-san spoke up, though, Hanatarou realized that she had just brought herself into the figurative line of fire. He cautiously relaxed his grip on the cup he held before he crushed the thing entirely, and managed to find his voice again. Mostly. "Ah, Rukia-san, I, I'm fine. Um. I just...I haven't been here very long."

Hanatarou's gaze slid a little toward Ichimaru as he spoke, despite his resolve not to look back that way. He'd rather not be here here very long, either.

It was an effort to keep her breathing even, and she could feel the slightest sheen of sweat starting to appear on her forehead. But while she was by no means in a calm state of mind, she refused to give Ichimaru the gratification of seeing her crack.

"I see," she said. Her eyes focused on the table as she spoke; she may have been responding to either man. Looking back up at Hanatarou, "Coming here can be... very confusing. I'm sorry that you're not safe, in Soul Society."

Safe in Soul Society? What a laugh. Maybe for some, but it was obvious that neither had seen some of the darker facets of that place. He supposed ignorance was bliss.

"Maa... actually Yamada-kun was saying he was jus' on his way outta Soul Society anyway. Where was it y'all were headed again?" he asked innocently.

He shrugged his shoulders, "Ara, and Kuchiki-san, f'give me for not greetin' ya properly. To what do I owe this lil' visit?"

Oh, yes, Ichimaru-san had definitely caught his earlier slip, and guessed what he had been about to say. If Hanatarou could have shrunk back any farther into his chair he definitely would have, but instead he just paled slightly and lowered his eyes. "No-nowhere important," he insisted, though he winced when he heard the stammer that always betrayed him.

But the other's attention was once more moving over to Rukia-san, much to Hanatarou's dismay. She obviously enjoyed the former captain's presence as much as the healer did - did she come over just to talk to him? Couldn't be. "Ah, um, Rukia-san I, m-maybe we could, um..." Run away quickly? Sit somewhere else?

He might not stand up for himself, but Hanatarou didn't want to see Rukia in distress.

Rukia still hadn't sat down. To her credit, the tray she was holding didn't shake. Much. But there it was: Ichimaru was asking her why she had come, and she couldn't very well answer, To save Hanatarou from you.

Glancing at Ichimaru, she said, "I-I came to see Hanatarou. We're, uh, friends, and so..." She made a movement as though she was going to sit down, then stopped. She really didn't want to be there just then. She really, really didn't want to be there.

It was laughable how the two were acting, especially Kuchiki, who must know that his powers were severely diminished here. He might be a threat, but not nearly so much as he was before. Apparently even Landel couldn't take away the fear he'd put in them.

"How sweet. Yamada-kun is lucky to have such a good friend, ne? No need t'just stand there Kuchiki-san, you c'n have a seat too." It was obvious they both wanted to leave, but neither one seemed able to give voice to their thoughts.

"N-no, that's okay, um." Hanatarou found himself on his feet without realizing he'd made the conscious decision to stand; he reached hesitantly as though to help Rukia with her tray but paused, hands hovering part of the way there in an awkward fashion. Maybe she didn't want help. Maybe he'd just help her drop the tray. Probably best not to try.

The healer glanced between the pair, quickly averting his eyes from Ichimaru again as he realized how unwise that was. Just looking at the man made his knees and resolve weaker, and neither were all that strong to begin with. "Um, Rukia-san, I...I'm finished eating i-if you wanted to sit...somewhere else." Somewhere far, far away from this table.

Rukia realized then how silly they must seem. If an outsider were observing the interaction, he would surely think that Rukia and Hanatarou were mad, and Ichimaru simply humoring them.

She had resolved herself to sit just as Hanatarou stood, and between the two of them they almost upset her tray. She thought briefly that picking up spilled food would have been less awkward than facing Ichimaru. All the same, she forced her knees to bend, and sat rather stiffly in the seat next to Hanatarou. Maybe she was crazy.

Casting about for something to say, Rukia's mind was quickly drawn back to the two folders still tucked into the waist band of her pants, and the file room where she had gotten them the previous night. "W-what are your names?" she asked suddenly. "The names that the nurses call you."

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Day 34: Lunch

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