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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"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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