[Drabble]
Player: banerry
Subject: Azula, Issei Ryudo
Table: A
Prompt: 016- Strawberries
"Strawberry?"
Issei glanced up. Azula was sitting next to him, as of course he'd known when he sat down-- but there weren't many free seats left in this lavish dining room that the community had brought them all to, and his only choice had been this, or the empty seat next to that weird new member who cackled a lot and wore a smelly, brown coat that was covered with suspicious-looking stains. Still, he'd been banking on Azula not actually trying to talk to him... even if it was just to continue passing on the communal fruit bowl.
She raised an eyebrow. "Did you hear me?"
"Er, sorry." Issei took a few strawberries, then handed the bowl over to the person on his other side. Azula looked a little amused.
"You should have seen your face just now; you looked as if I were offering you a hand grenade. What were you thinking about?"
Okay, white lie time. The last thing he wanted to do was start an argument-- even a small one-- in the middle of dinner. Fighting always ruined his appetite. "I was just thinking about our newest member over there." He subtly gestured to the man in the coat. "Actually, I was thinking that I was glad that I didn't have to sit next to him."
Azula wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, I know what you mean. I walked past him in the lobby and the stench was foul. What do you think the stains are?"
"Blood, maybe?"
"No, blood doesn't smell like that. And when it dries, it's an entirely different color." Issei decided not to ask exactly how much experience she had with blood, dried or otherwise. "Granted, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some blood on there, but the majority is clearly something else."
They went on like this for fifteen minutes or more, trading back and forth ideas on what the various stains could be from-- though because they were eating, both had a few theories that they chose to keep to themselves (Azula held back feces; Issei held back semen). After a little while, Issei realized with surprise that he wasn't completely hating this conversation. The subject matter was a little strange, sure, but he felt none of the tension that existed whenever he spoke to Azula on the community. He wasn't mentally cursing her or snarking her responses in his head. He wasn't even looking for a way to get her to shut up so that he could continue to pretend that she didn't exist. This wasn't an awkward exchange between him and one of his hated enemies... it was a simple conversation between two acquaintances.
He still didn't particularly like her. He doubted that he would anytime soon, if at all. But looking across the room at the man in the coat (who was loudly and enthusiastically talking about three inches from the ear of one of his less-than-pleased tablemates), he found himself more grateful than ever that he'd at least been able to find the seat that he was in now.
Sometimes, the devil you knew really was better than the devil you didn't.
Subject: Azula, Issei Ryudo
Table: A
Prompt: 016- Strawberries
"Strawberry?"
Issei glanced up. Azula was sitting next to him, as of course he'd known when he sat down-- but there weren't many free seats left in this lavish dining room that the community had brought them all to, and his only choice had been this, or the empty seat next to that weird new member who cackled a lot and wore a smelly, brown coat that was covered with suspicious-looking stains. Still, he'd been banking on Azula not actually trying to talk to him... even if it was just to continue passing on the communal fruit bowl.
She raised an eyebrow. "Did you hear me?"
"Er, sorry." Issei took a few strawberries, then handed the bowl over to the person on his other side. Azula looked a little amused.
"You should have seen your face just now; you looked as if I were offering you a hand grenade. What were you thinking about?"
Okay, white lie time. The last thing he wanted to do was start an argument-- even a small one-- in the middle of dinner. Fighting always ruined his appetite. "I was just thinking about our newest member over there." He subtly gestured to the man in the coat. "Actually, I was thinking that I was glad that I didn't have to sit next to him."
Azula wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, I know what you mean. I walked past him in the lobby and the stench was foul. What do you think the stains are?"
"Blood, maybe?"
"No, blood doesn't smell like that. And when it dries, it's an entirely different color." Issei decided not to ask exactly how much experience she had with blood, dried or otherwise. "Granted, I wouldn't be surprised if there was some blood on there, but the majority is clearly something else."
They went on like this for fifteen minutes or more, trading back and forth ideas on what the various stains could be from-- though because they were eating, both had a few theories that they chose to keep to themselves (Azula held back feces; Issei held back semen). After a little while, Issei realized with surprise that he wasn't completely hating this conversation. The subject matter was a little strange, sure, but he felt none of the tension that existed whenever he spoke to Azula on the community. He wasn't mentally cursing her or snarking her responses in his head. He wasn't even looking for a way to get her to shut up so that he could continue to pretend that she didn't exist. This wasn't an awkward exchange between him and one of his hated enemies... it was a simple conversation between two acquaintances.
He still didn't particularly like her. He doubted that he would anytime soon, if at all. But looking across the room at the man in the coat (who was loudly and enthusiastically talking about three inches from the ear of one of his less-than-pleased tablemates), he found himself more grateful than ever that he'd at least been able to find the seat that he was in now.
Sometimes, the devil you knew really was better than the devil you didn't.