Day 48: Cafeteria (Breakfast)

[should_be_dead]

Luckily for Mele, the night had ended before Tenzen had changed his mind and deemed Mele appropriate for target practice. Even if the situation of who was mocking who had seemed to change into the Iga ninja's favor. Despite her behavior, perhaps the insolent woman could serve some sort of use nonetheless. He had been trapped in this place for a

Comments

[not_rly_fai]

It was probably a lucky thing that night had ended when it did. Whatever had possessed Sechs to come after them like that was dangerous to say the least. Moreover, he was worried about what was really going on and just how much Sechs was hiding, but... it wasn't his business, was it? These were the kind of things he was better off staying out of

[contentincloset]

Kurogane never remembered going to bed in this place because he was fairly certain he never had when he ended up back in his room come morning, only this particular morning he remembered less than was usual as even the night was gone. There hadn't been any leaving his room or even getting ready for some reason, although he did remember eating dinner. Mostly because he had been thinking about the need to track down the magician, something he apparently had not done

[not_rly_fai]

And of course, it was always the people he wanted to avoid that ended up finding him first. He supposed it was inevitable, especially given that yesterday he'd managed to duck out of even seeing the other man. But after that bulletin he'd taken down, and managing to avoid him for the night as well, he knew he was in for something. Whether it was a lecture or a fist, he wasn't sure.

"Good morning," he replied neutrally, glancing up with a plastic smile on his face. Until he knew which particular bone the man had to pick with him he wasn't about to volunteer any explanations.

[contentincloset]

He stared a moment, as if evaluating the response, then sighed and looked down at his food. "Only you," he grumbled, then speared a piece of fruit on his plate.

In all honestly the ninja just didn't know where to start. He'd spent so long with just trying to find the magician alive and well, or well enough given how that eyepatch looked, that everything had had the chance to settle in. It made organizing his thoughts even more difficult a task than was normal, and voicing them harder still. The brainwashing, the arena, the night upstairs... just the whole place altogether! He couldn't make up his mind which had him more pissed than the next, so he went with what he knew and what he'd first noticed.

"What's with your eye?"

[not_rly_fai]

His head tilted curiously as if surprised by the question. It was true it was the first time he'd seen Aiden since... but if he hadn't figured anything out from a couple nights ago, Yuuhi didn't plan on explaining it. He gave an innocent shrug of his shoulders.

"Just bumped it the other day. Just my luck they said I'd have to wear this for a bit. I'm sure it's nothing," he replied, appearing much more interested in the pancakes on his plate than the company.

"And how have you been Aiden?" he added somewhat stiffly. After their last conversation, he thought he'd been clear that he didn't want to speak with Aiden anymore, but... here they were once again.

[contentincloset]

"Who the hell bumps their eye?" the ninja growled as he raised his glare, but then ground his teeth and set his eyes back to his plate. Like he'd expected a straight answer anyway! If he didn't keep himself from getting riled over small things there was no way he'd get anything accomplished.

When Fai used the name Aiden, Kurogane's grinding teeth slipped off and he ended up biting his cheek on accident. He only grunted at the mishap though and glared across the table once more. "Don't call me that ever again," he ordered firmly, "No matter what comes out of my mouth."

The events of that day felt more like a blur than anything else. Kurogane couldn't believe himself that they were real but regretfully knew they were. Again this place had managed to humiliate him as a warrior and as a man, and he was not going to let it continue here with a name. "It's Kurogane, and it always will be. Get it right."

[not_rly_fai]

At the question, he only shrugged again, glancing up from his plate just long enough to smile as he did so. He could hope that in a few days time Kurogane wouldn't bother asking about it again. But it would do for now. There were a number of other excuses he could easily use without touching anything near the truth.

The second part though, as much as it was a surprise to hear that he wasn't using that name anymore, there was no explanation given. It'd happened with a few patients, hadn't it? Remembering their other lives? But in all honesty, it made things much easier. Aiden had been gruff, but not nearly as angry as Kurogane. That and the way the man had actually seemed to care and acknowledged him as a friend... those were things he was better off without.

"Alright," he consented without hesitation. "Kurogane then." There was no slip in his carefully placed smile, but there was nothing of real emotion behind it either. Just another empty smile as he looked back down at his food, cutting away a piece of the pancakes

[contentincloset]

So he didn't want to be truthful about the eye. That was enough for Kurogane to know it was a problem at least, but like with the kid it wouldn't be too big of a deal in the long run. Syaoran had been able to adjust to fighting without the use of an eye and he was sure the magician could do the same

[not_rly_fai]

It was the first time in weeks probably that Kurogane looked at him without glaring. That sort of surprise and shock was so rare that it was almost enough to make him feel guilty, to let a crack slip into the mask, but Yuuhi could be stubborn in his own ways. His smile never faltered as he took a bite of his pancakes and cut another piece from the sticky mess.

"Is that all, or was there something else you wanted to talk about?" he asked in a way that could only be described as indifferent. He offered no promises of truth, but wanted it to be clear just what his intentions were.

"They say it might rain today," he offered by way of idle conversation.

[contentincloset]

"You'll actually answer?" he snorted, choosing not to look up as he took a bite of fruit. Sweet, but better than the pancakes that were getting soggy on his plate. He'd probably eat them anyway though, since food was food. "Cuz there's a few things... and nothing about the weather."

Who the hell cared if it rained or not? It was just water anyway.

[not_rly_fai]

"Depends on the question," he replied just as quickly, taking another bite despite how his stomach seemed to be turning. While he might be able to keep his face still and calm, his true intentions and emotions were another thing entirely. He picked up a strawberry instead of more pancakes, taking his time with the bit of fruit as he mulled the question over.

Of course he had no intention of answering the questions if it involved anything personal or anything over the last few days and if Kurogane expected him to be so up-front about it all, he had another thing coming. What part of it was his business anyway? Hadn't he told Fai to distance himself? Not to get involved? So what'd happened in the coliseum was his own fault. What more was there to say?

[contentincloset]

Kurogane snorted as the answer. If it depended so much on the questions then there was no chance he'd get the answers he wanted, or else none that would yield any proper information. That meant he'd have to find someone else for at least confirmation of what had happened. That Yue person had been there, and the other Sakura. Also Fai's roommate, but Kurogane didn't much like him.

Whatever. Until he could fine someone who was less likely to lie to him, he would have to deal with the magician's usual avoidance. As though that had ever deterred him.

"Fine," he said, "Then tell me where that was. That arena or whatever."

[not_rly_fai]

At least it wasn't a personal question, though it could certainly lead into one rather easily. There were still several ways to go about answering it though, and as he picked apart the top pancake on his stack by hand, carefully avoiding eye-contact, he considered which would be best.

"I don't know anything about it," he shrugged, tearing away at a piece, completely unconcerned about whether or not his fingers got sticky. It was at least a partial truth. While he knew which passages they'd taken to get there, he'd blacked out at the door, then woken up again in the coliseum. It was possible it was behind the door they'd been standing in front of, but for all he knew, it could've been in a completely different section of the building. And as for how Kurogane and Allelujah had gotten there... well, he didn't know how to explain that either. "If you don't know, what makes you think I do?"

[contentincloset]

"Right..." Although it was likely a lie, Kurogane knew that answer could also be somewhat true. He hadn't known where he was either, or how he'd gotten there, so it would mean others could have had the same thing happen as well.

"You were heading for the basement by what I heard," he told the man, leaving no room for argument, "Is that where you were before there? Or are you going to deny anything I ask?" he grunted and bit at his food again.

[not_rly_fai]

It was hard not to wonder how Kurogane knew where he'd been headed, especially when he'd made no mention of it. Had it been Yuki? Or Touya? Sakura perhaps? Hard to say. Hard to know just how much he'd been told, but obviously if it were more, he wouldn't have to resort to asking the magician.

"Hnn... that sounds right. That night's kind of a blur, but maybe it was the basement," he shrugged easily, taking a long drink from his juice cup.

"Why are you so interested? That's all over and done with Kurogane. There's nothing much to tell. You were there."

[contentincloset]

"You're admitting to it."

Kurogane never knew what went on in the magician's head when it came to this place, however there were times when he had decided that things Kurogane knew had happened had been nothing more than a dream. The ninja had expected that Fai would be writing off what had happened as a dream as well, but with what he had just said that wasn't the case. Fai, at least, believed that it had happened and that others were well aware of it for having been present. He wasn't taking that much back.

"That you died," he added suddenly, glaring across. If Fai admitted that it had happened, then what else did he believe?