Day 38: Lunch

[beloved-less.livejournal.com]

Soubi was beginning to feel the effects of a busy morning on a tired body. To make things worse, they were serving Tacos and Burritos. He could really do some with something a bit softer today. Blander. But it was hardly his biggest concern right now.

Having picked out his lunch, he looked for Ritsuka. He had to apologise, but these things usually ended up in bigger arguments, so, as could be expected, Soubi was a little nervous. Maybe they wouldn't find each other this shift. Maybe he had a little more time?

Soubi sat alone, being sure that his face was set in the expression that sent the girls at College the other way.

[He gots a Sheeny Beeny]

Comments

[31st-of-china.livejournal.com]

He still couldn't believe Callisto had the nerve to try that stunt earlier. He'd made it clear what he thought of her from the getgo, and he had no reason to change change that assessment. Either he'd been just unlucky or she'd tried Qui-Gon and failed. Even if she'd just been blown off, Sanzo doubted she'd give up.

Sanzo sat down, looking around. He didn't see any sign of Goku still, but for right now, he wasn't going to think too much of it. The idiot was probably moping about last night.

[braidless.livejournal.com]

The conversation with Vlad was weighing on Obi-Wan as he entered the cafeteria, the journal feeling somehow heavier in his hands as he carried it. He hadn't permitted himself to open the book in front of others, mainly because he wasn't sure what kind of information his former Master had written down, but he intended to read it during this shift if he could.

To be honest, Obi-Wan had always thought these Earthian "burritos" were a little on the strange side -- that coupled with the fact he wasn't feeling particularly hungry made it tempting to skip it altogether. But if he wanted to stay in good condition, the Jedi knew he needed to eat properly. It was already a challenge to get the exercise he needed to stay in shape.

Once he had his tray filled with a burrito made with poultry, he was fully prepared to grab a seat by himself so he could read in peace. But he stopped short once he caught sight of a familiar face among the throng of patients, and for a moment, he was vaguely reminded of the day he'd stumbled across Qui-Gon during his early days in the Institute, and that strange feeling one got when they saw a dead man eating lunch.

Funny how he'd had more than his fair share of that since being captured.

Still, he knew he couldn't jump to conclusions. It was possible this wasn't the Sanzo he'd killed in the basement, as strange as that might have sounded to him before arriving in Landel's. But even if that were the case, it still didn't exempt him from the responsibility of taking another's life.

The Jedi Knight slowly approached the other man, his eyebrows furrowed a little as he decided to see whether he'd recognize him or not.

"Sanzo," he said quietly, unsure of how to proceed from here. It wasn't often words failed him, but it wasn't all that often he was faced with this kind of situation, either. The Jedi decided to go with the most obvious thing for now. "Are you all right?"

[31st-of-china.livejournal.com]

Sanzo's eyes narrowed, as Obi-Wan appeared from out of the crowd, and made his way over. At just the sight of him, the wound in his torso gave a phantom throb. Even if was days ago, he was pretty sure he'd never forget the acute sensation of the saber going through him.

The monk's jaw set. It annoyed him on some level that the Jedi was determined to sort this out as neutrally as he could. That level of tranquility that he and Qui-Gon seemed to exhibit all the damn time was unnerving. No one was that serene constantly, it was inhuman.

It was too much like Koumyou.

"What do you think?" Sanzo said. He stared up at him. "Of course I'm not, you fucking stabbed me.

[braidless.livejournal.com]

Well, Obi-Wan hadn't exactly expected him to be in a good mood over what had happened. But at least he knew for certain who he was speaking with now.

The Jedi couldn't flat out apologize for their fight in the arena -- for one, he couldn't necessarily say he could have done things differently if he'd been stuck in the same position, and for another, he wasn't exactly the person who'd tried to make the first kill. And even then, he doubted Sanzo would have accepted an apology anyway. The situation was far too complicated for a simple I'm sorry.

"That's very true, and very regrettable," Obi-Wan said quietly, and he meant it. "However, I'm sure you, out of everyone in that room, can understand the position I was in. It doesn't excuse what happened, but it wasn't something I took pleasure from." He set his tray down on the table, knowing full and well that the person across from him would have rather shot Obi-Wan in the head if he'd gotten the chance on that terrible night.

[31st-of-china.livejournal.com]

If there was something Sanzo noticed immediately (now that he had more time to study the man), it was that Obi-Wan had a way of stating the facts in a irritatingly calm way that couldn't be argued with. Worse was the fact was that the Jedi was right. Sanzo fully understood, especially considering he'd been the first to act. There wasn't any knowing if he was sincerely sorry or not, and Sanzo didn't particularly care if he was.

Sorry rarely made a difference.

Whatever the case, it didn't change what happened, or whatever the hell happened after. Goku was going to have that night stuck in his head.

"So what do you want me to say? Forgive you or what?" he said. What happened was complicated. Sanzo wasn't exactly the type for forgiveness either. "Because that's not going to happen."

[braidless.livejournal.com]

"I don't expect you to say anything at all if that's what you prefer," Obi-Wan said calmly. "I wouldn't be particularly happy if I were in your position, either." He'd already known Sanzo wouldn't readily offer forgiveness, but then, it wasn't like he was entirely in right over what had happened, either. What had happened was a result of both of their foolishness, and that was something they were going to have to live with.

"I would like to know what happened after our encounter with Martin Landel, however," he added after a moment. "You're not the first person to be revived within this place, but this is the first I've heard of it happening to someone who'd passed on after being captured. The leaders of the Arts and Crafts club have met a similar fate, and yet you're the only one who's been brought back so far."

Obviously there was something that Landel thought was worth keeping around -- maybe it was because Sanzo had actually made it to the arena. It probably wasn't a good thing to have the Head Doctor's sights set on them like that, but if it was enough to keep give Sanzo another chance at life, then Obi-Wan would have to accept that for the time being.

[31st-of-china.livejournal.com]

The fact that the Institute had apparently offed some of the Arts & Crafts' heads off was news to him. Had they just been too much of a thorn in the Landel's side, or was it just to prove a point period to the other patients? Had someone finally ratted the leaders out? For that matter, he hadn't ever found out just how many leaders there were. The entire thing had seemed like a pointless, chaotic mess to him.

Sanzo couldn't say he was exactly surprised though. Organizing something like that, especially in a prison, was always going to be far riskier than going solo.

He didn't react at Obi-Wan's point, his face cool. The Jedi was a harder read than most, but Sanzo never believed in showing a weakness if he could help it.

Why the hell was I revived?, he couldn't help thinking anyway.

"You honestly think I know?" Obi-wan knew more than he did, after that arena. "I came to on the second floor, you all saw more than I did."

[braidless.livejournal.com]

"That's true, but I never saw you again after that night," Obi-Wan responded. "That is, until two minutes ago." It sounded like Sanzo had some time that was unaccounted for -- time that was apparently spent by the doctors in a successful attempt to revive him.

"When you say you came to on the second floor, do you recall what room it was in?" he asked in a quiet tone. "Or how long ago this was?"

He couldn't say he was a proponent of reviving people from the dead. It seemed incredibly unnatural to him, a stark contrast to the natural cycle of life, and the fact that, eventually, all beings became one with the Force. Still, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't grateful to see Sanzo in one piece. Even if they weren't close (or even friends, really), Obi-Wan hadn't wanted his own mistakes to wind up costing Sanzo his life.

[31st-of-china.livejournal.com]

"Two days ago, in the morgue," Sanzo's tone was a clear 'why-do-you-care?'. What did he hope to gain from this? The biggest thing that he could use against him, Obi-Wan had already witnessed. There wasn't any hiding that the dumbass chimp actually meant something to him. At least not when considering that he'd gambled his life for it. This might not be the same danger as dealing with Homura. But that didn't mean he'd drop his guard either.

It could easily just be curiosity behind the questions, but Sanzo wasn;'t about to just leave it that. Even if Obi-Wan had practically been fighting for the same reason, it didn't exactly erase the final outcome from that night.

"Why are you asking?"

[braidless.livejournal.com]

"Because what happened is very relevant to what we're up against," Obi-Wan simply replied. In a place with dampened powers and few things to arm themselves with, information was really his best weapon. He could never hope to make any ground with his investigation on Martin Landel if he stayed ignorant about these sorts of things.

"And...I've received word that Qui-Gon's gone missing," he added after a moment, his voice growing a little quieter. "It's possible our venturing into the basement that night has gotten us wrapped up in something no one we know of has faced before. We'll need to be careful."

Sanzo had been brought back to life, but there was no guarantee that they would get the same treatment if anyone else died.