damned_institute | DAY 23: BREAKFAST

Entry tags:

DAY 23: BREAKFAST

That hadn't felt like an entire night.

And his goddamn head hurt. Pounded, even. Enough that he wondered if he was going to end up playing another round of "Christen the nurse" this morning.

Maybe it was because he'd spent so much time and energy trying to find Nowe. That could be the reason behind both those problems. Just the thought of it made his stomach turn, made him want to fucking choke something.

Still, there was shit to do. He forced himself out of bed to put away his pens and the other leftovers from the adventures that didn't happen last night. He'd have to try to talk to Sora today, to see if they could just do tonight what they were going to do last night... and to see if the kid was doing alright.

...he just wished his head would stop hurting. That was probably the result of just how badly he'd overreached himself the previous morning.

The nurse that showed up to get him was cheerful. He grunted at her, listening to her with only half an ear until she mentioned all the excitement, about someone pretending to be a patient, all that crap that Landel had mentioned.

Renji gave her a narrow-eyed look. "Dr. Landel is a goddamn lying coward, and he's lying about that, too," he said. Whether it was true or not, there was only so much good cheer he could take on a shitty morning. "I hope he chokes on a cock." No matter how much venom he put in that statement, it wasn't enough.

Then he had to listen to a lecture about language and gratitude for the rest of the walk to the cafeteria, so maybe it wasn't worth it after all. She dragged him through the breakfast line, and he ended up with granola and toast and tea and a cinnamon roll, because not even a shitty fucking night could ruin his sweet tooth. Though that thing was looking a little too sweet.

The cafeteria was pretty much empty; he had his run of the place. He sat himself about as far from the doors as he could get, and proceeded to stare at his breakfast.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Considering the look Adelheid had given him, Renji had to wonder if he'd met Rukia before. Or if there were more women like Rukia out there. Now that was a terrifying thought.

"I do my duty," he said, and shrugged. That was all the explanation he ever needed for anything.

He looked at Rukia. "I can get more bars," he said. "Enough for a sword." He suddenly felt very selfish for not offering the opportunity to Rukia first. He was managing alright with pens. Maybe it'd be best to let her have the blade first, since it seemed that opportunities were limited. And she was the one dealing with Adel, not him.

It was just a little frustrating; he missed having a sword in his hands. Though no sword that could be made could match Zabimaru anyway.

It was obvious that Adelheid knew the routine; he followed Rukia's directions immediately and without question, nor did it he show any signs of nervousness or tension. She was a woman, that meant that, for the most part, her word was law. Adelheid had just accepted this as a fact of life long ago.

"It depends on the bar and what it is made out of; if the metal is of a lower grade, then more of it would be used up to make the blade durable. As well, the handle would also use up more of the bar's material by necessity." Not that he wasn't sure that she didn't know this already, but as his polite tone indicated, he was trying to make sure that nothing was hidden and that he was trying to be trustworthy. "It may be best to obtain a few more, just so the weapon is as close to perfect as possible."

He paused, then he glanced to Renji, something like worry in his crimson eyes. "And please pardon me for asking, but what do you mean by 'your duty'?"

It was, after all, duty which had led Adelheid to being hunted across the entire face of his world, and which had ultimately led to him rejecting that world as much as possible... but here, he wouldn't have anywhere to hide or to run.

Rukia considered Renji's words. He was better with a sword than she was, so really, it would make more sense for him to have a weapon. Well, best to see if they could get one in the first place. "They looked almost like something from a piece of furniture; where did you get them anyway?"

Turning her attention back to Adelheid, she took a few deep, slow breaths. She rested her fingers lightly on the tips of his toes, calling to memory the words of the healing incantations. Those had never been her specialty, but every Shinigami learned at least a few, and she was more skilled in Kidou than most.

There was that resistance again, that feeling of fishing around in deep mud, then pulling with all her might just to free a sliver of power. Sweat beaded on her forehead and upper lip, her arms shaking as she whispered the words of the spell. Rukia closed her eyes tightly to fight off the sense of vertigo, wrenching the power of the spell out of herself and forcing it into Adelheid.

She didn't know how long had passed, but the sounds of the people around her faded to a dim ringing, and even when she cracked open her eyes there was just a small point of light ahead of her. Feeling the last of the hard-won power slipping from her into the Adelheid, her hands dropped and she slumped forward.

"I have a pair of scissors that I used to dismantle my bed," Renji said. At least all the cuts on his hands from that adventure were pretty much healed. "So I've got at least two beds I can take apart tonight before dinner."

He was about to answer Adelheid's question when Rukia started the spell. He kept his mouth shut then; with as hard as everything was in this place, he didn't want to risk distracting her.

But he did stand up, silently, moving in to position. He was ready when she began to fall, catching her in his arms and cradling her against him. He could let her go the minute she started squirming.

He looked at Adelheid. "My -- our -- duty is to protect people." It was more complicated than that, but he couldn't really get into it without going into a lot of other details. "I will continue to follow it while I am here." He shrugged. "Fight, bleed, and die. I could just to a hell of a lot better job if I had something other than my fists and some shitty pens."

A sword for healing... for all intents and purposes, that would be a fair enough exchange. He'd have to get the full details later on, but for now it would be even. As well, he focused on Rukia as the healing began, feeling the wounds on his feet closing... and staring, staring very intently. His family's technique enabled him to understand the flow of energy as it happened, and after a moment he realized that it was, for all intents and purposes, magic. But then he realized that she was using a lot of power; a far greater amount than was healthy.

It was just when Rukia's eyes slid open that Adelheid desperately whispered, "Stop, you can't channel more energy than that...!"

And even though Renji was already there, Adelheid bolted up as he reached to grab her when she fell. His feet were fine now, but he felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. It was his weakness that had done that, and he didn't want anyone else to shoulder his burdens! It just wasn't equal! It wasn't-

-a part of him wanted to say 'it wasn't fair.' He couldn't heal. He couldn't create. All he could do was to destroy and to bring pain and suffering on others. And yet those two could protect, they could heal, they could do all of that simply because they weren't human- Adelheid could guess that much simply because of how Rukia's power had worked. It just wasn't fair. Why were they free of destiny, when he was eternally locked by his.

"I..." He looked at Renji, suddenly shocked and more than a little off-balance. "...I'll... make some kind of weapon, in exchange. Is she going to be all right? I didn't expect for something like that; if I had known..."

Rukia tried to fight against the blackness swelling up around her, but she lost consciousness, sliding off the chair into Renji's arms.

After a few moments, sounds and sensations began to filter back into her mind, and she stirred. Rukia couldn't quite remember where she was, or what she was doing. And who was that...? She lifted her head weakly, which made it throb painfully. Recognizing Renji through the thick haze of confusion, she mumbled, "Wha..." She blinked her eyes in an effort to make them focus. "Ren...ji?"

He sat, balancing her across his lap, her chin against his shoulder. So far they hadn't attracted any unwanted attention, and he wanted to keep it that way.

"It's okay, kiddo," Renji said to Adelheid. "She knew what she was getting in for. This isn't normal where we're from, but everything's fucked up here..." He cradled Rukia a little more securely against him. "Your feet okay now? I can get your hands tonight if you don't find someone else to fix 'em up. I just need a couple meals under my belt first." He smiled crookedly. "The important part is making sure you can fight without being bothered by your wounds. Those of us that can fight... have a duty to do so."

Then Rukia began to move. He touched her hair gently, trying to get her to quiet down. "It's okay," he murmured. "Rest for a minute. The headache'll get better." He grabbed the cup of tea from his tray; it was cool enough to drink, now, and he held it to her lips. "Sip."

"...I don't like it when people don't tell me about these things," Adelheid muttered, resting a now-healed foot at the edge of his chair, resting his chin on his hand as he watched the two of them. Renji obviously did care about Rukia, Adelheid could tell that- to what degree, however, he had no idea- and he was tempted to leave. It was just business, wasn't it? He had to make an exchange between them, that was all.

He stood up to go, then paused. And he looked at his hands, knowing that the blood which had stained them wasn't the only blood he'd spilled. It was a terrifying proposition, and yet he softly whispered his agreement. "All I can do in this place is fight and kill for those who are unable to do so. For that reason..."

Adelheid sheepishly smiled over his shoulder at Renji. "...I'm somewhat jealous of the both of you. I can learn any technique that I can see, I have more power than many of those who have been dragged in here, and yet I can't do something as simple as make pain recede for even a second."

"Hm?" Rukia mumbled, blinking at the cup in front of her. She squinted at the blonde kid sitting near them, trying to figure out who he was. Feet... Ah, that was it! She had healed him. And then... Oh, that must have made her pass out? With clumsy hands, she tried to take the cup from Renji. She could drink on her own, anyway. She ended up almost spilling it though, so just rested one hand on it and took a sip of the tea.

Rukia wanted to get up, but when she tried to move, her legs felt like water, and her head started pounding more. Vaguely aware of Adelheid's discomfort, Rukia managed a smile, mumbling, "Sorry... But, don't um... Don't worry about it." It was hard to concentrate.

She frowned at the last thing he said, not really comprehending. If he could learn magic, why couldn't he heal? She figured maybe it was obvious, though, and she was just too foggy at the moment to figure it out, so she didn't ask.

Renji kept an eye on the teacup, but let her deal with it. He could count himself lucky that she hadn't noticed her was holding on to her yet. And while it worried him that she was so fuzzy - then again, he'd been breathing blood out his mouth when he healed Nowe, so it could be worse - he enjoyed holding her, and hoped it would last a little longer.

He smiled at Adel. "Then you use your hands to stop people from being hurt to begin with." He tilted one eyebrow up. "Wait... if you're saying all you can do is fight, how're you planning to make a sword?"

"...if only it was that easy. I can't even protect myself, Renji; how can I hope to protect others?" Besides, even with his power he couldn't even inflict a scratch on Martin Landel, when the man had been right there, right in front of him. Infuriating, unspeakably so.

Rukia's words did make him relax a little bit, knowing that she was going to be okay, and he smiled softly at her. Hopefully she would be feeling well soon; he would have been even more upset if that had been permanent somehow.

As for that question? Adel shook his head. "I never said that I was going to make the sword, only that I could trade one for you. At least for now, I am unable to learn the science used." His crimson gaze unconsciously fell onto Edward, who was still speaking with Maes. Hah... everyone seemed to be in their groups, and yet Adelheid was alone. Even when it came to those 'friendships', there was still the simple fact that everyone in the Institute, it seemed, had someone to rely on. Someone like family.

Despite himself, Adelheid muttered under his breath, "Even if I were to learn your alchemy, I'd still be destroying before recreating..."

A pause, then he straightened up and shook his head. "My apologies, I shouldn't say such things."

Rukia looked between Renji and Adelheid as they spoke, but slowly she became aware of where she was, which was in Renji's arms. Well... that was awkward... or something.

She shifted, pushing the cup away and trying to stand. It didn't really work, though, because a wave of dizziness hit her and she had to lean heavily against Renji again. "How long is this going to last?" she muttered quietly, rubbing one temple.

So Adelheid was not the one who would make the weapon. That would complicate things, since it meant that Adelheid would probably be calling in a favor to pay for a favor. Well, she wasn't going to worry about it too much, because it was making her head hurt worse. And she was still hanging on Renji like a drunk. Rukia rubbed her face, trying vainly to get her bearings.

"Thank you, in advance, Adelheid."

Renji considered for a moment, and didn't let go of Rukia. "Just sit," he said. "Stop squirming." She didn't have to keep sitting in his lap - though he would have preferred that. He leaned over and murmured in her ear, his tone teasing, "It goes away faster if you don't squirm."

He glanced where Adel was looking, then back at the kid. "I think that guy's talked to me about... alchemy before," he said. He looked steadily at him, listening to the words, and his tone. "No man is an island."

Renji picked up the tea cup again, taking a sip before holding it toward Rukia again. "Drink."

Then back to Adel. "How about you sit? Unless you have a burning need to be somewhere else..."

"Er, well..." Now Adelheid flushed a little, suddenly awkward; he hadn't expected the offer to sit back down, especially not with the two of them... well, pretty much hanging on to each other. Wasn't that supposed to be... well... personal? It wasn't like he needed to be there.

On the other hand, there was nothing further that Adelheid needed to do. So long as day lasted, he wasn't exactly the height of usefulness. On the original hand, he didn't want to intrude.

"I wouldn't want to be a bother," he offered at last, but wavered. It was still nice, and a little surprising, to know that someone would want him to stay, despite who he was. On the other hand, neither of those two knew who he truly was... it was a complicated situation, and not one Adel wanted to unravel this early in the morning. Not if he could help it.

Rukia reached up to swat at Renji's face when he whispered to her, but managed to take the cup and sup at the tea without spilling any.

"Alchemy..." she murmured, wondering what exactly it was. Science? Magic? Well, as long it got a sword made, she didn't care.

Cradling the drink against her chest, Rukia looked up at Adelheid. "C'mon, sit down," she said, trying to sound cheerful. "You can keep Renji company. If you're around he won't be such a grouch." She grinned crookedly.

Renji rolled his eyes at Rukia's comment, muttering something that sounded dire under his breath.

"Yeah, sit. You're not a bother." He thought for a moment. "Have you eaten anything yet?" He snorted. "If not, maybe go collect some food, then sit."

The mention of food reminded him of his ignored breakfast. He picked up one of the slices of toast, grimaced, and took a bite.

Well... Adelheid supposed he probably should accept the offer. It was the only polite thing to do, and he did need to form relationships with those he didn't know. It was the only proper thing to do, right?

But first, he noticed that the tea was going to be running a little low, and so he said, "I've eaten breakfast, but I'm feeling a bit thirsty; please excuse me for a moment."

It was the work of only a few moments to go from the table to the buffet, and soon he returned, balancing three cups of tea with an easy grace. Perhaps it was presumptuous, but there was no need to waste more trips... besides, his feet were feeling fine. The hands, not so much.

He sat down, took a sip of his tea... and realized that he had no idea about either of these two people, and that his ability to do small-talk was a little hampered by remembering what had happened last night.

The warm tea seemed to help, somehow, but Rukia still wasn't sure she could stand on her own just yet. She looked up at Renji as Adelheid excused himself for a moment. "Am I squashing you? I didn't realize that would knock me out so badly." She squirmed again, thinking that she should get up, or at least sit in a chair.

When Adelheid returned, she smiled at him, nodding her thanks. He seemed like a nice kid, if a little aloof. He sort of reminded her of Ishida, but he wasn't nearly as rude as the Quincy.

Renji smiled at her. "It's fine," he said. "I'm a fuckin' ox, remember?" As much as he hated to admit it, he wanted to hold on to her. And maybe a little more than normal, because of what had happened last night. "I would've warned you, but I knew you weren't going to listen." You never do...

When Adelheid came back, he gave the kid a grin. "Thanks," he said. Between him and Rukia, his other cup of tea was drained. "Where are you from?" he asked. He'd decided that he liked this kid, so he wanted to find out a little more about him.

...yes, he was really not sure if he should actually stay or not. Those two were close, obviously so, and it made Adelheid feel awkward. And lonely; he wished that he was back with his dear sister, so he wouldn't be so alone. If she was there, he wouldn't be feeling all of the doubt or the pain! If only she was...

He shook his head, offering a slight smile as he pushed a cup of tea to both of them, taking his own back before considering how to answer the question. "I was born in Germany," he decided at the start, realizing that he'd never given his last name. "My full name's Adelheid Bernstein, but please call me Adel."

And even though he was getting used to the idea, he still prepared himself for the inevitable moment when it would click, his family history would press on his shoulders, and both of them would proceed to hate him fully. It was just a matter of instinct.

"Well I wasn't gonna let you do it instead," she muttered at Renji. Moving around made her head hurt again, though, so she just sat there for now. She'd move in a couple minutes.

Hands still shaking, she reached out for the full cup of tea. The flavor of the tea here was different from what she was used to, but tea was tea, and Rukia wasn't picky anyway.

Germany. So maybe he was from the same world as them; just, not dead. "Adel, okay," she said to the young man. "My name is Kuchiki Rukia, but Rukia is fine." He looked maybe 15, but with those muscles, she wondered what sort of life he had lead. She thought for a moment, then asked, "So... before, were you a student? You seem pretty young."

"That name's a real mouthful," Renji said. He wondered if all German names were like that. "I've never been to Germany."

He thought he probably ought to add a little bit about them, just to be fair. "We're both from Japan," he said. A much older one than Adel would be used to, he figured. "We do... police work, of a sort."

...police work. Adelheid had to mentally laugh. Police, and here he was, an arms dealer, wanted by Interpol and most major governments. Thankfully, that was a detail he kept to himself, and at least he could keep his internal despair from appearing on his face or features. So long as he kept some things concealed, it would all be for the best.

With a soft chuckle, Adelheid offered, "A friend of mine said that someone must have been inebriated when coming up with German names, and I wouldn't be surprised if that was the case. As it is, I never really spent much time there, though what I've seen of it, it's a beautiful country." A pause, and he added, "I've been spending a lot of time in Japan, recently; I must admit that the language was much harder to learn than I had thought."

Which was quite obvious from his earlier gaffe, but he was learning, and would continue to do so. For his line of work, he had to. "And no, I'm afraid I'm not really a student; I taught myself. My profession is that of prize-fighter, to put it bluntly."

Rukia listened quietly as Adelheid spoke, trying to stay still and not make her head hurt worse. Renji was warm, and a surprisingly comfortable seat though, so sitting still was pretty easy at the moment. She perked up when he said that he was a prize-fighter. "So that's how you learned to fight," she said. "What's your weapon?"

The ringing in her ears had finally gone away, so she set down the tea and picked up a piece of toast to munch on.

"That's pretty impressive," Renji said. He grinned. "We should fight some time. I had to teach myself as well. 'least 'til we got to the Academy, but I only really learned sword work there." He chuckled. "And all the hand-to-hand shit they tried to teach us was pretty boring."

He ate some more toast. Since he had two people preventing him from brooding, his appetite had returned, somewhat. "What part of Japan have you been in, mostly?" he asked. "I'm originally from Kyoto, but that was a long time ago..." And he snorted. "You think our language is hard? I had to learn to read English. That's a crazy language."

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject