Day 23: Sun Room, Evening Shift
Miles Edgeworth had quietly snuck off to a corner of the cafeteria during lunch, avoiding making conversations. He knew other people would probably lecture him later or accuse him of avoiding them, but that hadn't been true at all. He'd just wanted some time to work quietly by himself for a while
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She flopped down on the couch near to Renji, sprawling comfortably. Sofas were one of her favourite places to nap, even though the habit annoyed Hitsugaya on occasion (he didn't mind really though, she could tell). SHe wondered vaugely whether she could get churros added to the menu in Soul Society. She'd rather enjoyed the one she'd had.
She stretched langruously and then turned her attention to Renji. "So, what are we doing for our ARts and Crafts project?"
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"I made a deal with one of the alchemists - Ed - before the other guy put his thing on the bulletin board," he said. "So I'm going to be dealing with that tonight. It'd be a damn waste if I made everyone else cool their heels waiting on it when you could be accomplishing something. Can you take charge for tonight? I can give you a sketch of what I already know, and tell you where the hallway I wanted to hit last night is."
He trusted Rangiku to be able to take care of things and defend the group if necessary; she was a Vice-Captain too, after all, and had been one longer then him.
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It only took a moment though to turn her attention to important things, her eyes narrowing seriously. She nodded sharply. "I can do that. Who and how many?" She tapped her lips consideringly with one finger. "I have to collect a knife off someone first thing, so maybe if we met at this alchemist's room. I'm surious to see what he's like."
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He nodded, his smile fading back to his normal grouchy non-expression. "Yeah, that kid. Seems like a good kid." He grunted in answer to her last question.
Adoption? What was she talking about? It wasn't like he was assigning himself to being his dad or something.
"You want to know what the fake names for everyone are," Renji said. "Last night they were... torturing people," he refused to call it an experiment, like it had some sort of validity as an act, "the bastard announced the names. But they were the fake names."
When she touched him, he gave her the ghost of a smile. "Thanks." It sure didn't feel like he was doing a good job. Ichigo and Nowe were gone, and nothing he'd done made a difference there.
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She kept on petting his hair, feeling the tension leave his shoulders a little. Most of the time he made everyone forget that he hadn't always been a vice-captain; he was powerful and capable and well respected. But sometimes he made her feel old.
Rangiku sighed then, resting her shin on top of his head, and twirling one of the little braids of hair around her finger absently. "Trust me and Kuchiki-san to help. You don't have to take up all of this responsibility on your own." It was easier said than done, she knew; vice-captains were expected to act alone or under the orders of their captain, not so much as a team. But that was what was needed now.
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"Yeah..." he said.
It felt kind of nice, to be on the receiving end of a hug for once, one where he wasn't trying to be strong for someone, and one where he didn't have to worry about thinking inappropriate things about the person hugging him like he did with Rukia.
"We need to figure out how to get stuff divided up." It felt weird to be thinking about making decisions in a group, but at the same time, he wasn't comfortable ordering either Ran or Rukia around.
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She moved away finally, settling herself comfortably next to him on the sofa, their shoulders just touching, and drawing one knee up beneath her self. "We can sort that tomorrow, if your kids don't turn up this shift," she said. "I'll take care of them tonight while you get yourself a weapon." She sighed softly, clenching her fingers as though round a sword. "I know I'd feel better with a katana in my hands."
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She sat up more straight when Renji stood, watching him as he went to grab some paper. She peered at the rough map with interest. "Seems a good bet," she replied musingly. "Why put something very strong where there's nothing to be guarded." Even if this were a game, it made sense to be cautious and not let the pawns get too close to something important.
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"Yeah," he agreed. "Just be real cautious. The smaller monsters are cake. But it's like this place only has two settings - easy or invincible. The only one I've run across so far is the metal pyramid thing, but there might be other real nasty shit that I just haven't been unlucky enough to find yet." He frowned. "Hate to say it, but at least tonight we don't gotta worry about running up against other patients."
He hated to ask, but he did anyway, because he needed to know. "Is the someone you're getting your knife from Ichimaru?" His tone was notably devoid of anger; at this point, he was curious. And he was still trying to figure out everything that Ichimaru had told him.
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