Day 24: Breakfast

[blood_and_pocky]

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

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[blood_and_pocky]

At first Aidou just kept going despite Claire's interference - there was a part of him that kept whispering there was no point in starting an attack, and ending it without him being a clear winner - and he ended up dragging her partially onto the table despite her holding him from behind.

But the sudden halt in momentum allowed Okita to gain too much distance, and he had slipped out of grasp before Aidou could grab a handful of that long hair and brain him to death. If he couldn't gain range with his ice, then it was only natural he amplify something creative with his blood to use long-range...

He had raised his hand halfway to his mouth, with the intent to nip the side of his hand and...

So much for my lack of involvement in petty scuffling.

Aidou stopped almost instantaneously. He was almost entirely on top of a table with someone - he glanced back, inquiringly: blonde girl... blonde girl from last night... Renji's friend... cheerleader named Claire? - holding his arms from behind, and Yoshiaki closing in.

He swept the cafeteria with a quick look, then finally frowned down at her, like she had simply asked him a puzzling question. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm teaching him a lesson in manners."

That's where similarities between Ichijou and Okita ended. Ichijou could harass Aidou all he wanted, and Aidou would never raise a hand to him, not out of rank, but because he had earned Aidou's respect and friendship a long time ago, whatever his personality. Okita was just lucky others were willing to interfere on his behalf - he had no claim to any of Aidou's mercy.

"It was just what? An accident?" Aidou countered evenly once he turned back to Okita, now in Japanese. His expression was back to being mild and only slightly ruffled. "As much an accident as choosing to sit by me as well, I'd imagine. You'd better watch yourself. Other nobles would do worse."

The lowering his figurative hackles was misleading. He was still on the table, and if Sasuke wasn't going to get in the way, he could always knock the girl away and avoid Yoshiaki...

[notachick]

The pause was all he needed and Okita quickly stepped out of range, ignoring his wounds for the moment. There was a tray nearby and all the chairs should he need them, but for now he wanted to keep things calm before the nurses headed over. He didn't need to draw anymore attention to himself than he already had. He knew that Aidou wasn't done. The way the boy looked from the blond to Yoshiaki meant he was waiting for another chance to strike. He would have done the same thing, if he were in the position of aggressor. Instead, he was on the defense and knew he had to calm Aidou down before the vampire harmed either the blond girl or Yoshiaki.

"I do apologize, Aidou-kun. I was only playing with the silverware and didn't think it would do that," he said, sincerely apologetic (or, so it seemed). Now that Aidou was speaking in Japanese, he switched as well and his level of politeness indicated his deference to the vampire noble. Hopefully that would placate him. If it didn't, then Okita was mere inches from makeshift weapons. "It really was an accident. I didn't mean any trespass by it."

Normally the battle would have been over quickly, swords drawn, heads cut in half, and Okita wiping blood from the katana edge calmly before slipping it back into its sheath. But here, he had to be careful, he couldn't break the Shinsengumi laws, nor could he reveal his skill just yet. Should any of these people become enemies, he didn't want anyone knowing exactly what he was capable of yet. Still, that threat could not go unanswered and his smile faded completely, eyes darkening as all traces of his pleasant human persona drained away. "I'm not looking to make enemies here, Aidou-kun. Do not give me a reason to start."

A split second later, he was back to smiling and apologizing, bowing slightly to Aidou without giving him an opening. "So please don't take that little spoon the wrong way~"