Day 34: Lunch

[thatdamnedninja]

Yuffie bounced all the way through collecting her lunch, all the way to a good seat- one with a nice view of the whole cafeteria, which was something she'd been missing out on during the past day or so that she'd been stuck in the Institute- and hell, she even bounced into her seat.

A good mood? No, reallyDespite the occasional blip, talking to

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[mitase]

It wasn't until lunch was announced and Hanatarou found himself being led back to the cafeteria that he realized that he actually was hungry. It shouldn't have been a surprise though, really, after how little he'd managed to eat during that horribly awkward time at breakfast. He was a little uncertain about the unfamiliar selection of food, but just took some of everything to try it out.

As he turned away to look for a place to sit, he thought back on the talk with Hitsugaya-taichou - it had explained at least a few things and made the healer feel perhaps just a tiny bit better about being stuck here with the kidnapping and the monsters and stuff. People needed healers! They might even need him! At least he wouldn't be entirely useless in this strange place. Right?

Distracted by his thoughts, Hanatarou managed to stub his toe on a square of completely empty and level floor and staggered, giving a quiet yelp as his tray threatened to fly out of his hands. This time he somehow miraculously managed to right himself without doing more than slopping over some of the juice in his glass, though, and felt just a touch of happiness as he set his tray down on the closest table (lest he try to continue on and not be so lucky at recovery the next time).

Maybe his day was starting to look up a little, after all.

[Waiting for Gin to ruin his day again]

[traitors_smile]

It'd been a nice day, plenty of sunshine, and he'd actually enjoyed himself chatting with Harry, though he was sure he couldn't say the same for the boy. He was a feisty one, but even Harry had his little insecurities, which made him all the more fun to pick on. Gin had been ushered back inside, however, before he'd been able to push many of the boy's buttons.

Lunch was fairly simple, and though there were foods he didn't recognize, he took them anyway, just to try them out. Chicken, dried potatoes, some kind of soup, and a bowl of fruit. There weren't many people seated yet, and he almost didn't recognize the shinigami seated a few tables away. He was just so... bland. However, it clicked after a moment, one of the fourth squad healers, wasn't he? Of course! This was the one who'd tried to help Kuchiki escape. Gin was more or less familiar with the fourth squad, or at least some of the seated officers. He'd put in requests to their department often enough. Someone always needed a medic. He'd even gone in person a couple of times.

Without asking, he set his tray down across from the other shinigami, and seated himself at the table. If it'd been one of the higher ranking officers or other suitably powerful people who hated his weasely black guts, he might have been a little more cautious, but this one looked about as harmless as a butterfly. "Ara... I thought you looked familiar. Don't tell me the name now, I'll get it. Yamada... something or other, wasn't it?"

[mitase]

Though the food was unfamiliar Hanatarou had been pleased to discover it was actually quite good. He glanced around the room as he ate, curiously watching as people filed in and wondering just where they had all come from. It was too bad Hitsugaya-taichou had been in such a grumpy mood, or maybe he would've been able to explain some more.

But as the healer was looking elsewhere, wondering if he'd really just spotted a rather familiar shock of red hair, someone unexpectedly sat down across from him. Hanatarou started to turn back to greet the newcomer, but even as he moved the man spoke. It was a voice he hadn't heard in some time, one that he had been rather hoping not to hear again, and one that made him drop his half-finished piece of chicken from fingers gone suddenly nerveless.

Hitsugaya-taichou said this wasn't Hueco Mundo, though, Hanatarou thought a little desperately, eyes wide and mouth dropping open as he stared at the white-haired former captain. "I-Ichimaru-taichou...?!" he blurted out, then blushed, then went pale again. The man didn't hold that title anymore, not after giving it up, he shouldn't have used it but it was automatic and now it was too late to take it back.

If this wasn't Hueco Mundo then what was he doing here and he was sitting right across from him and what was he supposed to do with one of the three traitors of Soul Society right there?

[traitors_smile]

He held back a laugh when he saw the young shinigami's reaction to his presence, instead placing one elbow on the table and and cupping his chin in his palm. The healer had even gone so far as to use his old title.

"You remembered," he said with a smile that was just a little too friendly. "I'd hate t'think anyone back home had forgotten 'bout me." Gin picked at the fruit bowl as he spoke, as if it was nothing out of the ordinary at all for him to be there.

"S'pose this is your first day here? I think I'd remember seein' you before now." Though he might not look it, he had a sharp memory and a keen mind.

[mitase]

If Hanatarou had been from almost any other division, he probably would have thrown back some kind of snappy retort or challenge. ('Almost' because if he'd been 11th Division he probably would've just jumped across the table and tried to bite the man's face off or something equally insane and destructive.) But since he was 4th Division, and he was Hanatarou, he just stared, stunned with a hint of sheer terror.

Could this get worse? Was Aizen himself going to show up now, too? And here the healer was without the other shinigami he was supposed to be with, without so much as his zanpakutou, and Ichimaru Gin was smiling at him.

At least he wasn't doing anything else just at the moment. In fact, he was...well, acting like everything was as normal as it could get around him. Hanatarou's mouth worked silently for a moment before he managed to speak up, voice squeaking a little. "Just...this morning..."

[traitors_smile]

"Ara... jus' this mornin'? Poor thing," he spoke the words as they ought to be said, but with his chill smile and demeanor it was hard for them not to sound hollow. Much as he enjoyed seeing the other shinigami squirm, it would probably be wise to explain a little before Yamada went and tattled to one of the others.

"Maa... don't tell me no one's told ya anythin' about this place," he said with what appeared to be sudden realization. He wasn't certain if the medic had met with any of the other division members, but it was likely some of them would conveniently have 'forgotten' to mention something like their current truce.

[mitase]

Somehow when the former captain spoke the words, 'poor thing' evoked not a sense of sympathy but rather recognition of easy prey. Hanatarou couldn't help but feel a little bit like a mouse under the gaze of a rather hungry snake when the man smiled at him, and only barely managed to suppress a shudder.

"I..." The word came out cracked, and Hanatarou paused to take a hasty drink, wetting a mouth gone quite dry, before he tried to speak again. Clutching the cup to him like a shield, the healer shook his head just a little. "I saw H-Hitsugaya-taichou, but he..." Was grouchy? Barely skimmed over the basics because he was busy being annoyed I was here? "...he didn't explain much."

[traitors_smile]

The former captain continued to smile, ever more amused by the timid healer and his failed attempts at speech. So he'd already seen Toushirou, Gin supposed he couldn't expect the younger captain to do any favors and remember him. Brat.

His smile widened though, as if amused, as it twisted into a smirk. "As expected of Toushirou-kun," he shrugged helplessly. Sometimes the boy was so by-the-book it made his head hurt. "Well now, I'll be more n' happy to answer whatever questions y'might have." Though it was said amiably enough, Gin had a few questions of his own to ask. If he could actually get any answers out of the scared little thing.

[mitase]

Well, this was...odd. Ichimaru-tai--san was offering to be helpful? Hanatarou was inclined to trust the man about as far as he could throw him - and considering that he likely couldn't even lift the former captain, that wasn't very far at all - but he still needed some answers.

"I think Hitsugaya-taichou was just preoccupied," the healer replied, somewhat weakly trying to come to the captain's defense. Grouchy or not, he was still a captain, and as a seated officer Hanatarou did have an obligation to defend him. "I'm sure he would've said more if, um, he'd...he'd had the time..."

Hanatarou squirmed a little, uncomfortably glancing around himself before finally deciding that it couldn't hurt to at least ask a question. Right? He still refused to look at the former captain as he spoke, though, afraid that he'd completely lose his voice at the sight of that smile. "I...I don't understand how I got here, it...I was supposed to be going to Hue--um, somewhere else. But when I stepped into the senkaimon I-I woke up, um, h-here."

[traitors_smile]

Preoccupied? That was a laugh. The young captain might have been called a genius of sorts, but he hadn't any experience, most especially dealing with other people. Amateur mistakes, even for a genius.

"Of course, of course," Gin consented. "He's a busy boy 'round here."

It was terribly entertaining to watch the shinigami squirm, unsure if his willing conversation would be considered some act of treason, but in the end, the healer gave in. Just as expected. And his slight stutter gave away more information than he'd intended. So Soul Society had begun sending troops to Hueco Mundo? Much sooner than anticipated, given it'd only been close to two weeks since he'd left Soul Society himself. He supposed there was that whole time disparity but still, it seemed to be happening fairly quickly.

"Well that's just it. Don't think anyone really knows much a' how they got here. More or less jus' kinda happens. Doesn't make much logical sense, does it? I s'pose that's part a' why even Toushirou-kun's a little... preoccupied."

[mitase]

Hanatarou risked a quick glance at the former captain, wondering if he dared hope that the man had maybe managed to miss his little slip.

...yes, and maybe Zaraki-taichou was going to take a vow of non-violence and raise flowers for the rest of his life.

The healer sighed inwardly and dropped his gaze back down to his tray, suddenly no longer at all hungry. This whole situation made very little sense, and all mocking aside, he could completely understand if trying to comprehend it was what occupied the captain of the 10th.

"But..." Hanatarou hesitated again, cautiously peeking up at Ichimaru-san through his bangs. "Why...why do some people get brought here?" Some people, like you, hovered at the forefront of the healer's mind, though he'd never dare voice it in front of the man. "I-I mean, um, why...me?"

[traitors_smile]

It was little wonder this shinigami was a low ranking healer, that sort of 'why me' attitude wasn't bound to get him far, here or anywhere else. It was like he enjoyed be picked on, it was far too easy. Even Izuru had more backbone and determination than that.

"Why not you?" Gin countered, looking quite amused. "There's prob'ly others here even weaker 'n you. So far there's been no real logic t' who comes and goes." That much was actually true, no reason to lie about it.

"Let me explain this a lil' clearer, jus' so you know how serious it is, ne?" he met Yamada's eyes, though it wasn't easy to tell, slitted as his own were. "Toushirou, Renji, n' all the rest, are workin' together to get the bastard responsible. All th' shinigami are."

[mitase]

"All the shinigami?" Hanatarou echoed, feeling mildly stunned. He spared a moment to wonder just how many 'all' was, and to note that probably really was Abarai-san he'd spotted across the room, but that was a distant 'to be dealt with later' kind of thought. At the moment, he was busy completely failing to keep a rein on his tongue and blurting out, "Even working with you?"

Half a second later, the healer realized what he had just said and froze in place. Ichimaru-san was looking right at him, and Hanatarou attempted to clear his mind enough to calculate just how quickly he could duck under the table in case things went really, really bad in the near future.

[traitors_smile]

Precisely the reaction he'd expected. Of course, that didn't mean he didn't still enjoy it. And the fact that the healer had actually blurted out just what he'd been thinking was almost enough to make him start laughing.

He gave a silent snicker, the corner of his mouth twisting upward in a frightening smirk for just a moment. "You won't mind, will ya?" he asked, voice innocent even if his expression said otherwise.

[mitase]

Ohdear. There was the smile again, and even worse and...Hanatarou slid down into his chair, eyes wide and fixed on the other shinigami. He didn't want to look, but he just knew that looking away would be even worse.

This wasn't what Hitsugaya-taichou had in mind when he'd mentioned an "assignment" for the night, was it? He wasn't going to have to work with Ichimaru Gin?

Oh no. Oh no. That couldn't be right. Could it?

Hanatarou swallowed, hands tightening about the cup he held as though it could somehow protect him. What he meant to say was maybe something terribly clever about not wanting to so much as give the time of day to a traitor, much less work with him, or maybe something more like 'please have mercy no'. But what came out was, "I-I, um, b-but I...you...aah?"

[haiiro_no_chou]

After her shower, the nurses had insisted that Rukia have her foot bandaged again. She really hadn't felt it necessary, since the wounds were pretty well closed up, but the nurses had been insistent. There were apparently no fresh dressings in the shower room, though, so one woman had gone to the medical wing to get more. Finally, after the woman had returned and they'd dressed Rukia's foot, she was allowed to go to the cafeteria.

Opting for just a salad and pink lemonade, Rukia stopped to look around the large room before deciding where she would sit. She'd read Hanatarou's posts on the bulletin board, and spotted him quickly despite his nondescript appearance. The man he was sitting with gave her pause, though. Ichimaru.

Suppressing a shudder, Rukia hesitated. She really didn't want to go anywhere near the former captain. Hanatarou looked like he was about to pass out from terror, though, and she couldn't let her friend be tormented by the slimy traitor. Swallowing hard, she tried to school her expression into one of neutrality and approached the pair.

"Hanatarou?" she managed, with only a slight tremor to her voice, "Are you okay?" She did not look at Ichimaru.