Tsubaki wasn’t going to go back to her room, and she wasn’t trying to pull anything. She’d only wanted to bring up coordination of some kind, but Kurogane barely paused before moving inside, leaving her with little choice in the matter. Straightening, she watched them enter. She still couldn’t say what all was motivating them to join her here--she didn’t believe it’d been their original intention--but she couldn’t assume their support was forthcoming. It was better to prepare to investigate as if she were alone…
But instead of the narrow stretch of corridor between the entrance and the wall of doors inside, her foot came down on carpet, and her eyes stung from bright, warm light. The sole thing that kept her from stumbling was sheer surprise, which effectively froze her in place as her eyes tried to take in everything at once. Until Kurogane’s hiss.
Her blood felt like it was pumping cold. The doctor!?
She looked at the microphone, at the painting behind the desk, at the three chairs in front. Three chairs, like they’d been waiting to fill in just the night. Him waiting, like he’d been expecting them. And he knew their names--the first time anyone connected to the hospital had spoken her real one. But more than that, he acted like this wasn’t the first time he’d met Kurogane and Fai. Tsubaki glanced at the two of them, but immediately looked back when Landel made the barrier spark into existence and Kurogane moved to strike it.
What was happening?
Somehow the most unsettling thing was when Fai looked back at the two of them and sat down in one of the chairs without saying a word. Tsubaki felt like she’d been holding her breath for years. Nothing could have prepared her for this, to be suddenly facing the man who’d apparently started everything.
“… Where are we?” Compared to Kurogane, her voice was soft enough as to be drowned out should someone have spoken over her.
no subject
But instead of the narrow stretch of corridor between the entrance and the wall of doors inside, her foot came down on carpet, and her eyes stung from bright, warm light. The sole thing that kept her from stumbling was sheer surprise, which effectively froze her in place as her eyes tried to take in everything at once. Until Kurogane’s hiss.
Her blood felt like it was pumping cold. The doctor!?
She looked at the microphone, at the painting behind the desk, at the three chairs in front. Three chairs, like they’d been waiting to fill in just the night. Him waiting, like he’d been expecting them. And he knew their names--the first time anyone connected to the hospital had spoken her real one. But more than that, he acted like this wasn’t the first time he’d met Kurogane and Fai. Tsubaki glanced at the two of them, but immediately looked back when Landel made the barrier spark into existence and Kurogane moved to strike it.
What was happening?
Somehow the most unsettling thing was when Fai looked back at the two of them and sat down in one of the chairs without saying a word. Tsubaki felt like she’d been holding her breath for years. Nothing could have prepared her for this, to be suddenly facing the man who’d apparently started everything.
“… Where are we?” Compared to Kurogane, her voice was soft enough as to be drowned out should someone have spoken over her.