Day 24: Breakfast
Aidou Hanabusa, a vampire, was one of the first into the cafeteria, which was swimming in dim sunlight. A grey morning suited his mood.
The fact that his biological clock was pitching fits was only the cherry on top of the cake; the last thing he wanted to do was sleep. "Waking up", once again, with no memory of how or why he'd been brought back ( Read more... )
The fact that his biological clock was pitching fits was only the cherry on top of the cake; the last thing he wanted to do was sleep. "Waking up", once again, with no memory of how or why he'd been brought back ( Read more... )
It didn't escape Aidou's notice that he was taking in information like a good little battle-hardened warrior, either. That, at least, could be believed. Usually there was at least some reaction to being referred to as a vampire. Uchiha was like an android, but he'd had his moment of disbelief.
Sighing, Aidou dropped his chin back into his hand and continued eating. He was getting a bit restless; this uniform procession of shifts didn't suit him at all. "Like I said, it depends. On what you want to know, on what you expect from me. On how much of a use you actually are. But if you're familiar with the term 'vampire', then you should be able to use your imagination on at least one point. Hm?" Not that Aidou was stupid enough to fall into a poor arrangement just because he loved blood. He wasn't utterly dependent on it as he should be for a true vampire, since he'd been living on a replacement for so long. "But just to get it out there - if you ally yourself with that weakling Alucard or have already brokered a deal with him, then we couldn't be friends anymore. " He smiled sweetly, but it was full of sharp edges. "In fact, you could set yourself up for a fall."
He went back to poking at his food, not terribly interested in Okita's answers or going into too much detail with him present.
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Okita had never been the one to deal with information, leaving that job to Yamazaki-san. Still, in situations like these, it wouldn't do to let that little fact get in the way of learning something potentially useful. Whatever the truth was, Aidou believed he was a vampire, he was at odds with someone called Alucard, was potentially dangerous, and was looking to make a deal. Good to know.
Sasuke, on the other hand, reminded him quite a bit of Yamazaki-san. Quiet, but observant and with the slightest hint of dry humor somewhere in there. The samurai smiled at Sasuke's question, even if it seemed a little strange... He let his confusion show, tilting his head to the side as he replied, "You don't need to pay me anything, Sasuke-kun, but what do you mean by 'what world?' Isn't everyone here from Earth?"
Obviously the answer to that would be 'no,' unless Sasuke's question had been a joke. Perhaps Sasuke would explain something that Aidou wouldn't, though. Like how there could be Western items everywhere or how Okita Souji, of all people, could be speaking and understanding English. Or more importantly, whether or not this was some Choushuu or foreigner prison camp.
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Presumably, Aidou wasn't completely dependent on blood, and he didn't appear to be a mindless bloodsucker. That much was evident. Then again, Alucard didn't look mindless either, and he was also surviving somehow (unless he'd managed to off a patient or two without anyone noticing). Yet Aidou claimed that there was a difference?
"All I really need to know is whether your status enables you to fight," Sasuke said with a shrug. "I've seen you move pretty fast, but I don't know if you can land a strike."
A pause, and then, with a raised eyebrow, "It's surprising that you can afford to play favourites here. Any reason why I shouldn't work with Alucard?"
Okita was obviously brand-new, and it was difficult to tell from just his appearance and demeanour whether he could or couldn't fight, which indicated either someone who didn't, or someone who did and knew how to appear normal.
"We all come from different 'worlds,'" Sasuke explained, rather bluntly. There was no point in keeping basic information from the other patients. "It doesn't seem that the one Landel's is in belongs to any of us, though."
He glanced briefly at Aidou before adding: "My information is free. We have the same goals." So far.
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But these weren't like the humans he associated with. These were far more infuriating, stupid little human fighters that tried to press him into their ideas of 'strong' and 'weak'. Not even hunters, the vampires' greatest opposition, were so foolish. Fury curled cold and sharp in his stomach, coiling tighter and tighter. He was about to lose his temper. Only when vampires threw tantrums, they levelled cities and slaughtered hundreds.
Fight? Land a strike?
"... You don't get to doubt me," he began, slowly. He'd picked up a spoon to begin eating cereal, and now was just using one finger to stand it upright in the milk, gently bobbing it up and down. He kept his gaze pinned to the point where the tip of his finger met plastic. If either had been able to look him dead in the eye, they would have registered the inhuman cast to his irises, the gradual twisting of his pupils. As it was, he was at the point of alarming even normal civilians with the rapid shift in atmosphere. Aidou was a lot of things, but not a pushover. Not a weakling. Not a human.
And he hated being treated like one in such a fashion.
"If you're going to be that ignorant, then there's no point in consorting further. Unlike Alucard, I was born superior to you in every way imaginable. Judge me again with that self-satisfied humanity, and I'll kill you."
It felt good - even it was severely frowned upon - to hint at his background.
Dropping the spoon with a sudden sploosh, he stood, turning on Okita with a closed expression. "Understand what he's saying? You're not in Japan anymore. In fact, the era of Shinsengumi is long over. More than a century so." With that parting remark, he smiled. "If that's all you've got for me, then I'm going to excuse myself."
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"I don't know who this Alucard is, Aidou-kun, but I assure you I mean no alliance with him." At least, not for now. The best route would be to keep Aidou from exploding at the moment. Especially now that Okita could see his eyes... How in the world did his pupils turn into that?
And then Aidou made his first mistake. While Okita was slowly coming to the realization that this wasn't Japan, or even his home, telling him that the Shinsengumi were "over" was possibly the worst thing the vampire could have done. He gripped the knife lightly, trying to restrain himself. Hijikata-san would be disappointed if he broke the Code by stabbing Aidou in the face for his insult. Instead, he gave the boy a smile that never rose to his eyes - a smile that said just how dangerous speaking further on this matter would be. "I'm afraid you're mistaken, Aidou-kun - the Shisengumi are not over as long as I'm here."
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"So your blood's different," Sasuke said, watching Aidou show off with the spoon, had half a mind to begin twirling his butterknife. He refrained because he was fairly certain that Aidou had watched him throw, and probably could tell that he knew how already. "That's nice. So is mine, but you will notice that currently, Landel's is our present reality."
Without a change of expression, his voice grew slightly sharper. "And that present reality suppresses abilities, even blood-born ones. I'm not an easy kill, and it'll only be harder in this place to make good on a threat. There's no need to make yourself a target."
A target for whom, Sasuke did not specify, although his tone closed that part of the conversation. If Aidou wanted to act like an immature fool, there was no reason to consider him useful, unless he proved himself capable of more than dodging.
Okita seemed the type to be reasonable, though. Sasuke stifled a sigh of annoyance. Gathering allies was always annoying. It had been annoying in Sound, and it was annoying here, apparently.
"Okita," he said, voice shifting subtly and losing some hostility, but none of its finality. "None of what we know in our worlds exists here. Your world is different from Aidou's. Our common goal should be to escape Landel's and return to our individual worlds, not to squabble like children."
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In the end, the kid was sort of right. Aidou had always had a habit of falling prey to his emotions, and it was only amplified here, in this place where there was no sure footing. He had to act more his role.
Whether Sasuke would grasp what he meant, that he hadn't the patience for Sasuke's youthful, naive humanity, only what small fruit the labour of his training had bore. He couldn't be any older than Kiryu, perhaps sixteen. An infinitesimally short period of time in comparison to Aidou. An unfledged child offering a lecture as if he knew any more about the world than Aidou was not appreciated, and in all actuality, was an insult.
Let it be forgotten, then. Explaining exactly why arrogance was misplaced with him would be time wasted. He perched neatly on the edge of the table, keeping both in view. This time he addressed Okita. "I'm not mistaken, but don't consider it a personal insult. What I said is true for me. Whether the three of us come from separate "worlds" or not means little; in my history, that time period - the nineteenth century - is over. It's the twenty first century now."
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If escape was the main concern of the people here, then anyone here could be a potential ally. Now visibly more at ease, Okita nodded to Sasuke and took a bite of the hashed potatoes. "If what you say is true, Sasuke-kun, I'm inclined to agree with you. Escape and alliance are much more favorable than fighting amongst ourselves over small matters. You talk about suppression of abilities - has it happened to you both?"
With that he turned his gaze toward Aidou. He was a noble, that much was certain from the way he carried himself and the quickness of his temper. It just meant Okita had to step twice as fast - something he always left to Kondou-san or even Hijikata-san. There was a reason he was only a Captain, after all. "That time may be over for you, Aidou-kun, but consider the fact that I just woke up here and a day or two ago I was drinking sake on the rooftop of Mibu Temple. I wasn't ready for such a... startling statement. You may not find reason to soften your words, but for someone of your high stature, I would think exercising more caution when choosing them might be advisable." He smiled at the vampire pleasantly, hopefully showing that he meant no harm in his words. "It'll make you more friends here - and isn't that what everyone wants?"
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These two made him think of Suigetsu, if the mist-nin's personality were neatly divided into the part that was ego and the part that was subtle. Vaguely, he wished he had Suigetsu around -- he at least had a sense of when to listen and whom to listen to. Actually, Karin wouldn't be bad, either; it was possible she might be able to find the way out come Nightshift.
Still, he had neither, and he would have to make do.
"Sure," he said, voice too carefully blank to reveal whether it was acquiescence or flippancy. "Shall we talk business?"
"Everyone here with ability has had it suppressed somehow," he informed Okita. "Most of us are reduced to basic taijutsu and very little else."
A pause while he remembered that he was not speaking with shinobi, and then -- "Limited to physical manouevres."
And some reduction of even that, like the speed of non-chakra-powered movement and a certain amount of basic strength. Sasuke wasn't about to reveal that, though.
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Hmph. Humans weren't "ready" for anything when consorting with vampires. It wasn't his problem that they were too slow, too soft. "Well, try to suck it up. It's for the best you accept the facts as quickly as possible. Sweetening words for the sake of your feelings will only hinder you in the end," Aidou replied, airily. Then he looked thoughtful, lifting the corner of his mouth into a smile. "Huh, I guess I lied. Giving you advice like that counts as assistance, doesn't it?"
Forcing himself through such false animation was coming hard this morning. Although his actions were flawless, his eyes were turning metallic and dim, as if all his previous energy - a shine of crimson in blue eyes - was burning out. He didn't like the tone of Okita Souji's voice, or his smile. Not at all.
No, what he really wanted was to be on Academy grounds once again, at Kaname-sama's side. Despite what had happened during that night, despite it all, he'd made a promise once, and he wouldn't break that. Not for anything. His gaze slid away from Okita's, a barely noticeable breaking of eye contact as he answered, "Not particularly. Friendship is of no concern to me." It was, in a way, but not in this instance.
Aidou was naturally gifted at everything he did, and if he wasn't, he soon mastered it. So he couldn't say he lacked the capacity to sustain friendships with humans, it was just... implausible. He didn't care to understand them, and humans - especially dumb children like Sasuke - couldn't understand them, and that was just how it was.
Which was why he answered Sasuke's nonchalant 'sure' with a mental note to withhold a true and dignified alliance from him, no matter what agreement they reached in the end. It was one thing to put up with guys like Kiryu, who acted much the same, but he had no patience for those who had little to no knowledge of genuine vampires. Aidou's expression was quite clear and unclouded when he flicked his gaze to the nearest window. Let the little virgin dictator carry on until something drew him back into conversation.
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The swordman smiled at Aidou after his chiding advice and nodded, laughing a little. "Yes, thank you for that. I don't expect anyone to sugarcoat things for me. I don't need it and I'd be rather disappointed if someone did. I was just startled, that's all."
Aidou's casual refusal of friendship, however, concerned him and he gave the teenager a somewhat sad look. "Then what will you do should Alucard ally himself with others and outnumber you? Even the greatest tree in the forest may be brought down by a colony of termites, after all."
But Aidou had already turned away and Okita sighed slightly, giving his attention to Sasuke instead. The cheerfulness returned to his voice and he smiled warmly at the shinobi. "What sort of business would you like to discuss, Sasuke-kun?"
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Which was why he was going to fight tooth and nail to get back to where he was.
"No one's looking for friends," he said shortly. "We're not here for fun and games. Just useful alliances."
"All I want is an information exchange," Sasuke said to Okita, assuming that Aidou would hear, if not participate in the discussion. "If we have the same goals for the night, we will go as a team and act as backup. If we do not, we share what we have learned if and when we are asked."
It was hardly an alliance, really. Just convenience.
"At this rate, we can cover more ground than if we work alone or strictly as a group," he added, easily sliding into his element as leader. He'd gotten accustomed to it with Team 7, even with Kakashi as head, and Sound had only bolstered his natural assumption of the role. "There is no requirement. You can share your information and work with anyone else. If you choose not to honour your end of the deal, I don't really care. There are a lot of patients here."
After all, Sasuke knew how to crumble an establishment. He'd been planning it before he'd been snatched here. With enough discontent, it should only take one solid attempt to ignite the rest of the place. All that was needed was the creation of an opportunity -- for anyone.
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Either way, he wanted to ignore both of them or at least find out who might possess the knowledge about where he could find a place to smoke. Takaya wasn't in the cafeteria and that worried Naoe.
"Do you mind if I sit with you?" he asked Sasuke as he approached the boy and the two others that he was speaking with.
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Somewhere in the middle, Aidou eyed Sasuke right back, albeit blandly. His disdain was comfortably internalized. In the back of his mind, he'd expected Sasuke's masterful proposal to be more established, considering his stance up until this point: abrupt and confident. But he's overestimated the kid if all he was going to deliver were the bare bones. This kid was kind of stupid. Especially if he was setting himself up to take the leading position, should whichever "teammates" join together for a night.
Aidou didn't care for such a position himself - he knew better than to situate himself in that way - but the night was his territory, and it was the most important time of day in this place. Aidou wasn't going to waste the opportunity butting heads with some human boy who thought he could operate just as well in the dark.
However, an avenue for information (if what information was passed along could be believed) wouldn't be bad, despite Sasuke's suggestions reawakening his earlier questions of whether keeping his own counsel would be wiser. He was sceptical that aligning himself with these guys wouldn't make him more vulnerable.
Then: "Under the theory that the three of us may sometime spend the night together, preparation is - obviously - a high priority. My requirements in turn, and a proper weapon for Okita first." He turned his head back towards the swordsman in question, appraising him absent-mindedly while he thought. "Preferably through the same method you created yours, until something better becomes available." Their physical skills aside, Aidou couldn't be certain how well-made the products of human alchemy were. "Also, I'd like to know the names you've both been given by the staff, and the standards with which you're choosing these potential candidates," Aidou finished, glancing at Sasuke on the last point.
It was then that a stranger approached from his periphery. Aidou recognized him: the guy from last night.
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Internally, however, Okita let out a sigh of exasperation. Aidou and Sasuke were the same way - all business and no room for fun. How boring. He'd have to find someone else to play with here. As if on cue, a new person joined the group and Okita cheerfully waved at him. "Hello there~!"
Just as quickly as he'd switched his attention to the newcomer, he returned to the business at hand. If fighting was to be had, then Okita was in his element. He had no idea what they were fighting against, but he had an inkling that it wouldn't be pleasant. "I can work with anything - even nothing - until a weapon can be procured. As for names, they called me Ikeda. I believe they used the first name... Julian? Or something to that effect."
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"Sean Li," he said in response to Aidou's demand, noting Okita's and looking expectantly at Aidou.
He glanced over and moved his tray slightly to indicate that Yoshiaki had space to sit. Actually, while Yoshiaki was here -- "And you, Yoshiaki? What are they calling you and Takaya?"
Assuming that Yoshiaki could follow the flow of such an obvious conversation, he turned back to the other two. His next words were obviously addressed primarily to Okita.
"Steal from the cafeteria to start. There's a laboratory upstairs with scalpels and the like. The alchemists need metal to make any weapons you want." A pause, and then, "The person who made my sword is --" Probably gone. "-- missing. But there are a few more. They've each got their prices."
Aidou's question about Sasuke's standards wasn't surprising in light of the vampire's insistence on the importance of his rank.
"My current standard is simply whether they are able to defend themselves," Sasuke said with a shrug, and couldn't resist adding, voice carefully toneless and factual and stare focused just past Aidou's head, "I'm not being very discriminating at present."
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