probably_i
in
xpuri
[Log] Mad Scientist and Serpent
Characters: Inui and Kaidoh
Location: Grounds surrounding the school
Time: One random evening
Rating: G
Summary: Kaidoh wanders too far out one chilly fall afternoon and is rescued by Inui.
It wasn’t necessarily smart to go on a long jog in the start of the fall season, especially when one was sensitive to the cold thanks to having cold blood running through his veins. But no one would ever said Kaidoh was particularly smart, at least when it came to limits. Besides, he had every intention of cutting it short at about 10km, but the scenery and the start of new colours on the leaves were enough of a distraction that he found himself uncomfortably cold and the muscles of his body suddenly feeling very stiff and unwilling to function.
He could see the campus with no trouble, but it was a slow walk as he trudged back, one heavy foot at a time. His scales seemed to be shivering, and the spines were rubbing up against the hooded jacket in a painful manner. Spotting a tree, he decided a short nap was probably his best bet until he could get up the energy to head back to the dorms. Settling at the trunk of the tree, and certain the shrubbery would conceal him while he warmed up, the serpent-like young man curled up and closed his eyes. “Just a quick nap...”
One mushroom, two mushrooms, three mushrooms, four... just one more! Inui rooted around the undergrowth, looking for the essential ingredient to his latest concoction. He’d been out harvesting for an hour or so, and had steadily wandered further and further away from the dorms in search of better quality materials. Some of the rarer stuff preferred to grow in areas less disturbed by humans, after all. He spotted one of the black mushrooms growing by the roots of a tree and crawled through the shrubbery to pick it. As he was about to straighten up, he found himself looking into the face of a sleeping Kaidoh Kaoru.
…. Who looked sort of blue and was breathing quite shallowly. Inui recalled some of the data he had on the second-year. Kaidoh Kaoru, blood type B, height: 173cm, weight: 57kg. Superpowers: Venomous spines and anaconda-like strength. All very reptilian features. Inui checked the temperature sensor on his watch. 15 degrees Celsius. Not too cold for Inui, but perhaps dangerous for someone cold-blooded. He hesitated briefly before shaking Kaidoh’s shoulder, making sure to stand clear of any flailing arms. “Kaidoh.”
through the haze of his nap, he could hear his name, but knew his roommate was not dumb enough to bother him while he slept, and would not use his name properly anyway. Wrinkling his nose, he batted the hand from his shoulder weakly and issued a warning hiss.
"Get lost...."
“Are you planning to go into hibernation?” Inui asked, dodging Kaidoh’s hand. “There is a 78.4% probability that you have lost too much body heat. With the sun setting, temperatures will drop by approximately 1 degree Celsius per hour. You won’t be able to move from here then, if my data regarding your reptilian characteristics are correct.”
"I'm not a snake. I don't hibernate." The emerald eyed mutant slowly forced himself to open his eyes and focus on the other man's face, which was way too close to him for comfort. Pulling away from the other feebly, he frowned at the statistics and dragged himself to his feet with a shiver. "Just was resting..."
“The probability that you will make it back to campus in this condition is 22%,” Inui informed Kaidoh, pushing up his glasses and looking Kaidoh over curiously. He didn’t miss Kaidoh’s shiver. “The percentage improves to 48% if you have additional covering.” He slipped off his sweater, still warm with his own body heat, and held it out to Kaidoh.
"I'm not a girl." the younger boy hissed and pushed from the tree, starting to trudge toward the school grounds on his own. "I do not need help..."
“No one said or implied you were,” said Inui, slightly confused. He shrugged. “Stubbornness at this point is not beneficial, Kaidoh Kaoru.” He’d laid out the facts for Kaidoh. If he chose to ignore them, then that was his choice. Inui glanced at his watch and did some mental calculations. Kaidoh would collapse in another 10 minutes at most, and then perhaps he would reconsider the offer. He pulled on the sweater again and resumed mushroom-hunting for the time being.
6 minutes and only several meters in, the lanky boy found himself on his knees again and barely managing to stay conscious. Punching a fist into the ground, he hissed and swore under his breath. Either the creepy guy with glasses was going to laugh at him or lecture him. Then if the seaweed head found out, he'd never hear the end of it. "Damnit!"
Inui sighed, put the last of the wild things he’d collected into a plastic bag and went over to Kaidoh. He held out a hand to pull the other boy up. “I can call the school for help,” he said, producing a (slightly grimy) cellphone from a pocket. “Or we can attempt to make it back.” He already knew what Kaidoh would choose.
Eyeing the hand warily, eventually the stubborn underclassman accepted the offered help and pulled himself upright again. He would later deny maintaining s grip on that warm hand, but lingered for a moment while eyeing the phone. "I can make it...don't call- I am ok, sempai..."
“Good.” Inui grinned. “Here.” He offered Kaidoh his sweater again. “Put that on. And then according to my predictions, we should move in short bursts to produce heat from your muscles.”
Hesitating a moment, he studied the jacket and carefully placed it over his shoulders, unwilling to risk damaging it. His own had small punctures and stains from venom remnants. "Okay. Usually I am more careful..." He clung to what pride remained as they started back.
“That is not an optimal way of keeping warm.” Inui frowned at the way Kaidoh was wearing the garment. 100% probability he was afraid of damaging it. “I don’t mind if it gets a little stained or torn. I only wear it when I’m out in the woods gathering ingredients anyway. It’s old.”
"The venom-" he started to explain before deciding that the older student could only blame himself if it was ruined, and pulled it onto his shivering frame. "What're you out here for anyway?"
“Gathering ingredients,” Inui repeated, and showed Kaidoh his bag of mushrooms and greens. Hmm. Maybe he could make Kaidoh a special drink that would help keep him warm? It bore thinking about, and Inui did so love a challenge.
“F-for what?” Kaidoh muttered, finding that the further they walked the closer he was drifting to the other for support, when it occurred to him, he quickly pulled away again, nearly losing balance.
Inui grabbed Kaidoh by the wrist, steadying him. “There are a lot of tree roots on the ground,” he commented, misunderstanding the reason for Kaidoh’s stumble. “You should be more cautious.” He adjusted his glasses again before letting go. “And these are for Juice, of course.”
Kaidoh quickly moved his wrist from Inui’s grip, hissing silently again and blushing at coming off as being a jerk to someone who was just trying to help him. “Be careful. I- I don’t think there is an antivenom for my...mutation.” He rubbed absently at the sharp spines sticking out of the scales along his forearms before glancing back up. “Juice? Mushroom and ...moss Juice?”
“Yes, they are very nutritious drinks! I ensure a balance of all essential vitamins and minerals---ahem,” Inui stopped himself with some difficulty before he could rhapsodize further. 92% probability that Kaidoh wasn’t interested, anyway. Only Fuji showed any curiosity about Inui’s hobby. He tilted his head at Kaidoh, considering him. “Why don’t you get rubber sheaths for the spines? That would prevent accidents.”
“Really?” Kaidoh was mildly interested, but only because he was always concerned about his health and wellbeing. Why else would he have been outside running in the cool evening air? Noting the pause, he offered a slight nod and nearly stumbled again, glowering at his feet and willing them to cooperate with him just a bit further. “...So far most things I tried don’t last. They fall off or get poked through...”
“Perhaps I’ll let you try some, sometime,” said Inui, his glasses glinting in the evening sun. More data was always welcome. “Rubber should be quite impervious, and flexible enough not to crack. You could always change the sheaths every month or so.”
“...I’ll keep it in mind.” Kaidoh mumbled, it felt like he’d been walking for hours now, but the school was barely getting any closer. He tightened the jacket around his shoulders and exhaled faintly. “How big is this campus?”
It seemed a silly question, but he was starting to wonder if he was on a horrible prank show and there were treadmills buried beneath the grass. Taking a few more dragging steps, he stumbled onto his hands and knees. “This is....humiliating.”
“Kaidoh?” Concerned, Inui crouched down beside him. It seemed that Kaidoh had reached his limit and would not be able to go much further without either food or warmth. Inui regretted not bringing his Super Ultra Energy Juice. “The campus is quite large, for the sake of privacy--” Then, Inui had an idea.
“I’ll carry you for a while,” he suggested. Inui wasn’t the strongest of people, but there was a 73% probability he could haul Kaidoh at least halfway. “Then after you’re warm enough, you can walk the rest of the way.” He moved in front of Kaidoh, pointing to his back.
“No.” Not just no, but hell no. Kaidoh glared daggers at the back in front of him, attempting to stand on his own volition but finding his legs uncooperative.”I’ll poison you or something. I gotta get used to this cold anyway if I am going to keep running....”
“Kaidoh,” Inui said patiently. “While it is admirable that you have such determination...that’s not how it works.” Why did people always ignore the data? “You should know your own limits better than anyone. You should work around them and find solutions instead of stubbornly attempting to bulldoze your way through.”
He shifted a little. “You are also wearing several layers of clothing, making it unlikely that your spines will penetrate all of them. If it makes you feel better I can also exercise my powers to reduce the probability that I will get poisoned.” He doubted that was necessary, though.
"Just let me lean on you.... Too embarrassing." Kaidoh attempted a plea, well aware it was likely a lost cause trying to convince Inui to give up on his idea. "Hate being pathetic..."
After some consideration though, he tugged on the bandana in his hair and exhaled again. "No one can see this...."
“No one else is here, is there?” Inui told Kaidoh, his tone pragmatic. “We should hurry before it gets even colder.” He gestured towards his back again. “If you hate being pathetic, then you should understand your limits better.”
He swore his face was on fire from the embarrassment he was suffering, but he had known something like a lecture was coming. "Fine." The dark haired boy pulled himself onto the other's back and wrapped his arms carefully around Inui's strong shoulders, almost shuddering in relief at the warmth.
“Right.” Inui grunted and slowly straightened up, adjusting Kaidoh’s weight a little. Inui just hoped his back wouldn’t give out. He probably needed to exercise more often. He put one foot in front of the other, and slowly began the trek back.
Kaidoh pressed closer still to the soothing heat, his eyed drifted closed as he sleepily rode the other slowly toward campus. "Sorry for being a pain..."
“It’s fine,” Inui replied. What was it that people said in such situations again? “It’s my duty as a senpai,” he added. He could feel Kaidoh calming down. Good. It made it less likely that Inui would be jabbed by spines.
Kaidoh mumbled gainst his shoulder that most people did not much like his personality, and he tended to argue more than anything, the words muffled against warm skin. "I am heavy...I apologize."
“Could be worse. It’s mostly muscle, anyway, isn’t it? Muscle is heavier than fat.” Inui grinned weakly, not that Kaidoh could see it. “I can handle this much. Look, we’re nearly there.” Inui was going to have to lie down (carefully!) after this. He felt like an old man. At least he was getting good data.
"Yeah. I run too much. And weight train..." He could not enjoy other sports so it was the best he could do for now. "You can put me down..." Although having something warm to lay on was nicer than he had anticipated.
“Are you certain? I can keep going for a while more.” Inui blinked. Perhaps Kaidoh recovered more quickly than his data suggested. “But if you feel well enough....”
“Not really...but I can’t expect you to carry me all the way...” Kaidoh held on a bit tighter, trying to steal as much heat as he possibly could in the short amount of time. He was still miserably cold, “‘sides, can’t let my asshole roommate see me like this...”
“I can drop you by the gardens and let you make your own way from there,” Inui said, understanding. Kirihara could be... extremely immature. He quickened his footsteps, adjusting his course in that direction.
Kaidoh nodded slightly, noting the garden was nearby, he clung just a bit tighter to the other, still hoping he could leach a bit more warmth from the other man and regain enough strength to get from the garden to his room.
“I recommend that you get something hot from the vending machine before trying to make it back to your room,” Inui advised. “Also consider carrying several heating pads. It would reduce incidents like this by 85%.” He remembered that his mother always made him take a lot of them back to Hokkaido. Perhaps he could give Kaidoh a few.
“Thanks senpai.” Kaidoh mumbled again, the more his core temperature seemed to return to normal the more he realized this was actually incredibly embarrassing, and that he needed to get off of the other man by the garden no matter what. “I’ll look into getting some tomorrow...”
“I have some,” Inui said, finally turning onto the path that lead to the garden. “You can come by to get them later. They should last awhile, but you should also look into rechargable electric warmers that you can reuse multiple times”
"You don't mind me coming by? I was kinda a jerk to you back there...." Kaidoh hated to admit it, but he knew his own nature better than anyone. Even if it was just to keep people away so he couldn’t hurt them, it was still a very convincing act.
“My data indicates that you are brusque to everyone here.” Inui seemed surprised by the question. “If you treat everyone the same way, why should I be offended? I am in no way especially deserving of consideration in your eyes.”
“Heh. Brusque. Good word.” The serpentine boy chuckled quietly as he moved to glance around and find a good spot to get down and walk to his room. When he’d warmed up a bit more, he would make the trek to Inui’s room. “Well, you do. You didn’t have to help. Or carry me all that way...”
“As I mentioned earlier, the only other viable option was to call the school for help,” Inui reminded him. He headed for a corner of the garden, behind some evergreen shrubs (where there was only a 11% chance of being seen from the school). “Here is good, if you want to get down?”
He didn’t want to get down really, Inui was comfortable and warm, but there was no way to make that sound anything but creepy. Sliding down from the other carefully, he stretched his back and exhaled. He was still cold and tired, but could make it to his room. “When should I come by?”
Inui shrugged. “When you’ve warmed up enough. I should be in the room for the rest of the evening.” According to his calculations, Inui would have enough time to shower and enter in his new data before Kaidoh arrived. If he showered quickly enough, he might even have time to use his new ingredients in Juice!
Nodding slightly, Kaidoh started to walk towards his dorm before remembering what his mother would have told him to do. He turned and bowed, offering a nervous look. “Let me make you dinner! I am a good cook.”
That was something Inui didn’t know. Ii data. Also, while Inui relied mainly on Juice for nutrition, a properly cooked meal would be a nice change. “Oh? Then I accept,” he said. “Perhaps I should come to the junior dorms instead, then.”
“Please. In an hour.” Kaidoh nodded, while he was embarrassed, he knew this was the right thing to do. “I hope you like Shabu Shabu.” Blushing slightly, he offered another bow. “The junior dorms kitchen in an hour. See you then, Inui-senpai.”
Inui nodded awkwardly in reply, scratching the back of his head. “See you.” He didn’t think anyone had ever been so polite to him. He headed back towards his room to put his harvest away and make himself presentable for dinner, but not before furiously detailing the day’s trawl of data in his notebook.
Kaidoh had moved back to the room, noting his roommate was apparently out harrassing someone else. Relieved, he showered and changed into something a bit more comfortable and neatly folded Inui’s jacket before moving into the kitchen to prepare a nice meal for the older boy and himself.
Precisely one hour later, Inui showed up, looking somewhat cleaner and neater than he was wont to present himself. His hair was still damp from the shower. “Yo, Kaidoh.” He held up a plastic bag. “Chemical heating pads.”
Looking up from the boiling pot of broth, he nodded his head in acknowledgement and continued to swish the meat around and cook it. “I set up a table over there. Get comfortable. It’s good beef.” His family was not particularly well off, but had given him enough money to eat well, he had decided to celebrate his new life with a nice meal, but it was even better sharing it with a kind senpai.
“Thank you. Can I...help with anything?” Inui had always been disastrous at Home Economics, but figured he could at least set the table. “It’s been a long time since IKaidoh nodded slightly, noting the garden was nearby, he clung just a bit tighter to the other, still hoping he could leach a bit more warmth from the other man and regain enough strength to get from the garden to his room.
“I recommend that you get something hot from the vending machine before trying to make it back to your room,” Inui advised. “Also consider carrying several heating pads. It would reduce incidents like this by 85%.” He remembered that his mother always made him take a lot of them back to Hokkaido. Perhaps he could give Kaidoh a few.
“Thanks senpai.” Kaidoh mumbled again, the more his core temperature seemed to return to normal the more he realized this was actually incredibly embarrassing, and that he needed to get off of the other man by the garden no matter what. “I’ll look into getting some tomorrow...”
“I have some,” Inui said, finally turning onto the path that lead to the garden. “You can come by to get them later. They should last awhile, but you should also look into rechargable electric warmers that you can reuse multiple times”
"You don't mind me coming by? I was kinda a jerk to you back there...." Kaidoh hated to admit it, but he knew his own nature better than anyone. Even if it was just to keep people away so he couldn’t hurt them, it was still a very convincing act.
“My data indicates that you are brusque to everyone here.” Inui seemed surprised by the question. “If you treat everyone the same way, why should I be offended? I am in no way especially deserving of consideration in your eyes.”
“Heh. Brusque. Good word.” The serpentine boy chuckled quietly as he moved to glance around and find a good spot to get down and walk to his room. When he’d warmed up a bit more, he would make the trek to Inui’s room. “Well, you do. You didn’t have to help. Or carry me all that way...”
“As I mentioned earlier, the only other viable option was to call the school for help,” Inui reminded him. He headed for a corner of the garden, behind some evergreen shrubs (where there was only a 11% chance of being seen from the school). “Here is good, if you want to get down?”
He didn’t want to get down really, Inui was comfortable and warm, but there was no way to make that sound anything but creepy. Sliding down from the other carefully, he stretched his back and exhaled. He was still cold and tired, but could make it to his room. “When should I come by?”
Inui shrugged. “When you’ve warmed up enough. I should be in the room for the rest of the evening.” According to his calculations, Inui would have enough time to shower and enter in his new data before Kaidoh arrived. If he showered quickly enough, he might even have time to use his new ingredients in Juice!
Nodding slightly, Kaidoh started to walk towards his dorm before remembering what his mother would have told him to do. He turned and bowed, offering a nervous look. “Let me make you dinner! I am a good cook.”
That was something Inui didn’t know. Ii data. Also, while Inui relied mainly on Juice for nutrition, a properly cooked meal would be a nice change. “Oh? Then I accept,” he said. “Perhaps I should come to the junior dorms instead, then.”
“Please. In an hour.” Kaidoh nodded, while he was embarrassed, he knew this was the right thing to do. “I hope you like Shabu Shabu.” Blushing slightly, he offered another bow. “The junior dorms kitchen in an hour. See you then, Inui-senpai.”
Inui nodded awkwardly in reply, scratching the back of his head. “See you.” He didn’t think anyone had ever been so polite to him. He headed back towards his room to put his harvest away and make himself presentable for dinner, but not before furiously detailing the day’s trawl of data in his notebook.
Kaidoh had moved back to the room, noting his roommate was apparently out harrassing someone else. Relieved, he showered and changed into something a bit more comfortable and neatly folded Inui’s jacket before moving into the kitchen to prepare a nice meal for the older boy and himself.
Precisely one hour later, Inui showed up, looking somewhat cleaner and neater than he was wont to present himself. His hair was still damp from the shower. “Yo, Kaidoh.” He held up a plastic bag. “Chemical heating pads.”
Looking up from the boiling pot of broth, he nodded his head in acknowledgement and continued to swish the meat around and cook it. “I set up a table over there. Get comfortable. It’s good beef.” His family was not particularly well off, but had given him enough money to eat well, he had decided to celebrate his new life with a nice meal, but it was even better sharing it with a kind senpai.
“Thank you. Can I...help with anything?” Inui had always been disastrous at Home Economics, but figured he could at least set the table. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a properly cooked meal, so I appreciate it,” he added as he set the bag down.
“No. Just wash your hands and get ready.” Kaidoh came over with a table of vegetables and meats, setting them on the table, settling across from the taller man and gesturing the to the steaming food on the plate. Clapping his hands and bowing his head, he muttered his thanks.
“Ah.” Inui went to do that and sat back down, clumsily imitating Kaidoh’s ritual of thanks (it seemed appropriate). “Thank you for the food. It looks great.” He blinked at the spread. Even his mother couldn’t make something like this (lack of culinary talent seemed to run in Inui’s family).
Looking up at the awkward mimic, Kaidoh just smiled slightly. “Traditional upbringing,” he added offhandedly before offering the plate of already cooked goods to his guest to start. That was only polite. “And eat lots, I still have more over by the pot to cook.”
“Ah, that explains it. My own family is quite modern.” Inui took some of the food with a nod of thanks. “I haven’t eaten something like this for a very long time.” He took a mouthful and chewed, thoughtfully. “It’s good.”
Watching Inui’s face as he hate, Kaidoh decided he was being honest and then returned to his own meal, enjoying every bite. It was a bit like being at home, but not quite right. “M’glad. Not half as good as my mom makes.”
“It’s already very good.” Inui smiled lopsidedly while trying not to spill food from the side of his mouth. “You’re lucky. My mother doesn’t cook very well. She’s still the best out of the three of us, though.”
“Yeah- My mom is the best. My father works pretty long hours, so he is out...and then my little brother....” He eyed the dinner and shook his head. “It’s fine. I’ll see them again for the holidays.”
“You seem very close to them,” Inui stated. “That’s nice.” Probability that Kaidoh was homesick sometimes: 93%, Inui thought, chewing on a piece of beef.
“Yeah, we are a very close family. I think they took it hard when I left for here. “ Kaidoh admitted, eating a bit more beef before going to the hot pot to cook more for them. The hot food was exactly what he needed, and he could eat a lot.
“You should do conference calls more often, then.” Inui eyed his bowl, now sadly empty, before getting up to observe Kaidoh cooking. “I see,” he commented. “The beef is sliced to less than 3mm thickness, and cooked for approximately 22 seconds in boiling broth.”
"I know but then my mom cries," he looked up to see the other man approach, and opted to pay more attention to the meat. "Just slice it down real thin and cook it in the broth until most of the pink is gone." He holds up a bit of the freshly cooked meat to show. "It is really easy."
“Cries?” Shouldn’t she be happy to see her son? Inui’s own mother was usually more interested in whether Inui had destroyed anything or caused unusual phenomena that month. He watched Kaidoh swish the meat back and forth in the broth, knowing better than to offer to help. It would become inedible in seconds, somehow.
"I dunno. She misses me. Told her I didn't want to be a danger." Kaidoh continued to cook the meats and vegetable sections before filling their plates again and settling down. "How did your family take your changing?"
Inui frowned, picking up his chopsticks again. “I apparently caused a volcano to erupt. I think I caused a lot of stress for them.” He shrugged. “Before that incident I was believed to be quite normal. I think they were just relieved to know that my ‘bad luck’ had a cause and that it could be managed with proper education.”
“You caused a volcano to erupt?” It was official, he had the lamest powers ever. Poking at his meal thoughtfully, he looked up and offered an attempt at a smile, something he rarely did. “Part of being in a family is helping with each other’s stresses. And I’m sure they miss you too.”
“Apparently. It could also be a fluke of chance. I don’t really remember what happened, exactly.” Inui blinked at Kaidoh, and returned the smile with his own awkward grin. “Yes-- I do try to keep them updated with my activities...”
“That’s pretty cool. I just...Yanno. Have venom.” He paused and considered, “and sometimes I get some freaky strength....but that comes and goes.”
“I do think that is interesting,” Inui blurted, looking faintly embarrassed. “Sort of...like...a ninja assassin,” he concluded lamely.
“I did kill someone once.” Kaidoh admitted, miserably. Moving his focus back to the food rather than look at the other.
My data indicates that it was 100% an accident,” Inui said solemnly, feeling guilty for having described Kaidoh’s power that way. “You were probably trying to protect someone or something.”
“My house got broken into and Hazue was really freaked out. I just meant to scare the guy--”
“I believe you,” Inui told him. He fidgeted with his glasses. “99% probability that this is making you uncomfortable. I’m happy to listen if you want to talk about it, but if it’s bothering you, we can talk about something else.”
“Yeah. That’d be good.” Kaidoh muttered and poked at his meat again before selecting a large piece and popping it into his mouth with a sigh.
It appeared it was up to him to make conversation. Him, Inui Sadaharu! Inui mentally flailed around for a suitable topic. “... do you like animals?” This question was prompted by a squirrel running past the kitchen window.
“Cats.” Kaidoh replied without thinking about the question in depth, instead glancing at the creature running by the window. He had always had a weakness for felines, they were just so sweet and cuddly and cute- and fiercely independant. A lot like him.
“Ah.” Inui made a note of this. Data was data. “Echizen, the first year, has a cat. I think Chitose also obtained one, although it is currently in someone else’s care.”
“So we can have pets?” He’d been afraid to ask, and even more afraid they might say yes and he would accidentally harm the animal in his sleep or something. “Not that Seaweed Head would agree on it, I’m sure.”
Inui nodded. “Oishi has fish. Some other students have hamsters.” He thought for a bit. “73% probability that Kirihara would actually be won over by a cute animal.”
“You think so? He seems kind of...” Bipolar? “I guess I could ask him.”
Inui shrugged. “You won’t know for sure until you try. Perhaps you can borrow Echizen’s cat to gauge his reaction.”
“I’ll ask him later.” Kaidoh glanced back up again, sharp green eyes stopping on Inui’s face and then lowering to his plate. “Still got a lot left.”
“I’m eating, I’m eating,” Inui said, amused, refocusing on his meal.
“Good.” Kaidoh mumbled, returning to his own mean before looking up again. “Gotta eat it all.”
Inui grinned and ate some more of the delicious food. His back still hurt and his ingredients were yet unsorted and unused, but he’d gotten some interesting data and a satisfying meal. All in all, not a bad day, indeed.
Location: Grounds surrounding the school
Time: One random evening
Rating: G
Summary: Kaidoh wanders too far out one chilly fall afternoon and is rescued by Inui.
It wasn’t necessarily smart to go on a long jog in the start of the fall season, especially when one was sensitive to the cold thanks to having cold blood running through his veins. But no one would ever said Kaidoh was particularly smart, at least when it came to limits. Besides, he had every intention of cutting it short at about 10km, but the scenery and the start of new colours on the leaves were enough of a distraction that he found himself uncomfortably cold and the muscles of his body suddenly feeling very stiff and unwilling to function.
He could see the campus with no trouble, but it was a slow walk as he trudged back, one heavy foot at a time. His scales seemed to be shivering, and the spines were rubbing up against the hooded jacket in a painful manner. Spotting a tree, he decided a short nap was probably his best bet until he could get up the energy to head back to the dorms. Settling at the trunk of the tree, and certain the shrubbery would conceal him while he warmed up, the serpent-like young man curled up and closed his eyes. “Just a quick nap...”
One mushroom, two mushrooms, three mushrooms, four... just one more! Inui rooted around the undergrowth, looking for the essential ingredient to his latest concoction. He’d been out harvesting for an hour or so, and had steadily wandered further and further away from the dorms in search of better quality materials. Some of the rarer stuff preferred to grow in areas less disturbed by humans, after all. He spotted one of the black mushrooms growing by the roots of a tree and crawled through the shrubbery to pick it. As he was about to straighten up, he found himself looking into the face of a sleeping Kaidoh Kaoru.
…. Who looked sort of blue and was breathing quite shallowly. Inui recalled some of the data he had on the second-year. Kaidoh Kaoru, blood type B, height: 173cm, weight: 57kg. Superpowers: Venomous spines and anaconda-like strength. All very reptilian features. Inui checked the temperature sensor on his watch. 15 degrees Celsius. Not too cold for Inui, but perhaps dangerous for someone cold-blooded. He hesitated briefly before shaking Kaidoh’s shoulder, making sure to stand clear of any flailing arms. “Kaidoh.”
through the haze of his nap, he could hear his name, but knew his roommate was not dumb enough to bother him while he slept, and would not use his name properly anyway. Wrinkling his nose, he batted the hand from his shoulder weakly and issued a warning hiss.
"Get lost...."
“Are you planning to go into hibernation?” Inui asked, dodging Kaidoh’s hand. “There is a 78.4% probability that you have lost too much body heat. With the sun setting, temperatures will drop by approximately 1 degree Celsius per hour. You won’t be able to move from here then, if my data regarding your reptilian characteristics are correct.”
"I'm not a snake. I don't hibernate." The emerald eyed mutant slowly forced himself to open his eyes and focus on the other man's face, which was way too close to him for comfort. Pulling away from the other feebly, he frowned at the statistics and dragged himself to his feet with a shiver. "Just was resting..."
“The probability that you will make it back to campus in this condition is 22%,” Inui informed Kaidoh, pushing up his glasses and looking Kaidoh over curiously. He didn’t miss Kaidoh’s shiver. “The percentage improves to 48% if you have additional covering.” He slipped off his sweater, still warm with his own body heat, and held it out to Kaidoh.
"I'm not a girl." the younger boy hissed and pushed from the tree, starting to trudge toward the school grounds on his own. "I do not need help..."
“No one said or implied you were,” said Inui, slightly confused. He shrugged. “Stubbornness at this point is not beneficial, Kaidoh Kaoru.” He’d laid out the facts for Kaidoh. If he chose to ignore them, then that was his choice. Inui glanced at his watch and did some mental calculations. Kaidoh would collapse in another 10 minutes at most, and then perhaps he would reconsider the offer. He pulled on the sweater again and resumed mushroom-hunting for the time being.
6 minutes and only several meters in, the lanky boy found himself on his knees again and barely managing to stay conscious. Punching a fist into the ground, he hissed and swore under his breath. Either the creepy guy with glasses was going to laugh at him or lecture him. Then if the seaweed head found out, he'd never hear the end of it. "Damnit!"
Inui sighed, put the last of the wild things he’d collected into a plastic bag and went over to Kaidoh. He held out a hand to pull the other boy up. “I can call the school for help,” he said, producing a (slightly grimy) cellphone from a pocket. “Or we can attempt to make it back.” He already knew what Kaidoh would choose.
Eyeing the hand warily, eventually the stubborn underclassman accepted the offered help and pulled himself upright again. He would later deny maintaining s grip on that warm hand, but lingered for a moment while eyeing the phone. "I can make it...don't call- I am ok, sempai..."
“Good.” Inui grinned. “Here.” He offered Kaidoh his sweater again. “Put that on. And then according to my predictions, we should move in short bursts to produce heat from your muscles.”
Hesitating a moment, he studied the jacket and carefully placed it over his shoulders, unwilling to risk damaging it. His own had small punctures and stains from venom remnants. "Okay. Usually I am more careful..." He clung to what pride remained as they started back.
“That is not an optimal way of keeping warm.” Inui frowned at the way Kaidoh was wearing the garment. 100% probability he was afraid of damaging it. “I don’t mind if it gets a little stained or torn. I only wear it when I’m out in the woods gathering ingredients anyway. It’s old.”
"The venom-" he started to explain before deciding that the older student could only blame himself if it was ruined, and pulled it onto his shivering frame. "What're you out here for anyway?"
“Gathering ingredients,” Inui repeated, and showed Kaidoh his bag of mushrooms and greens. Hmm. Maybe he could make Kaidoh a special drink that would help keep him warm? It bore thinking about, and Inui did so love a challenge.
“F-for what?” Kaidoh muttered, finding that the further they walked the closer he was drifting to the other for support, when it occurred to him, he quickly pulled away again, nearly losing balance.
Inui grabbed Kaidoh by the wrist, steadying him. “There are a lot of tree roots on the ground,” he commented, misunderstanding the reason for Kaidoh’s stumble. “You should be more cautious.” He adjusted his glasses again before letting go. “And these are for Juice, of course.”
Kaidoh quickly moved his wrist from Inui’s grip, hissing silently again and blushing at coming off as being a jerk to someone who was just trying to help him. “Be careful. I- I don’t think there is an antivenom for my...mutation.” He rubbed absently at the sharp spines sticking out of the scales along his forearms before glancing back up. “Juice? Mushroom and ...moss Juice?”
“Yes, they are very nutritious drinks! I ensure a balance of all essential vitamins and minerals---ahem,” Inui stopped himself with some difficulty before he could rhapsodize further. 92% probability that Kaidoh wasn’t interested, anyway. Only Fuji showed any curiosity about Inui’s hobby. He tilted his head at Kaidoh, considering him. “Why don’t you get rubber sheaths for the spines? That would prevent accidents.”
“Really?” Kaidoh was mildly interested, but only because he was always concerned about his health and wellbeing. Why else would he have been outside running in the cool evening air? Noting the pause, he offered a slight nod and nearly stumbled again, glowering at his feet and willing them to cooperate with him just a bit further. “...So far most things I tried don’t last. They fall off or get poked through...”
“Perhaps I’ll let you try some, sometime,” said Inui, his glasses glinting in the evening sun. More data was always welcome. “Rubber should be quite impervious, and flexible enough not to crack. You could always change the sheaths every month or so.”
“...I’ll keep it in mind.” Kaidoh mumbled, it felt like he’d been walking for hours now, but the school was barely getting any closer. He tightened the jacket around his shoulders and exhaled faintly. “How big is this campus?”
It seemed a silly question, but he was starting to wonder if he was on a horrible prank show and there were treadmills buried beneath the grass. Taking a few more dragging steps, he stumbled onto his hands and knees. “This is....humiliating.”
“Kaidoh?” Concerned, Inui crouched down beside him. It seemed that Kaidoh had reached his limit and would not be able to go much further without either food or warmth. Inui regretted not bringing his Super Ultra Energy Juice. “The campus is quite large, for the sake of privacy--” Then, Inui had an idea.
“I’ll carry you for a while,” he suggested. Inui wasn’t the strongest of people, but there was a 73% probability he could haul Kaidoh at least halfway. “Then after you’re warm enough, you can walk the rest of the way.” He moved in front of Kaidoh, pointing to his back.
“No.” Not just no, but hell no. Kaidoh glared daggers at the back in front of him, attempting to stand on his own volition but finding his legs uncooperative.”I’ll poison you or something. I gotta get used to this cold anyway if I am going to keep running....”
“Kaidoh,” Inui said patiently. “While it is admirable that you have such determination...that’s not how it works.” Why did people always ignore the data? “You should know your own limits better than anyone. You should work around them and find solutions instead of stubbornly attempting to bulldoze your way through.”
He shifted a little. “You are also wearing several layers of clothing, making it unlikely that your spines will penetrate all of them. If it makes you feel better I can also exercise my powers to reduce the probability that I will get poisoned.” He doubted that was necessary, though.
"Just let me lean on you.... Too embarrassing." Kaidoh attempted a plea, well aware it was likely a lost cause trying to convince Inui to give up on his idea. "Hate being pathetic..."
After some consideration though, he tugged on the bandana in his hair and exhaled again. "No one can see this...."
“No one else is here, is there?” Inui told Kaidoh, his tone pragmatic. “We should hurry before it gets even colder.” He gestured towards his back again. “If you hate being pathetic, then you should understand your limits better.”
He swore his face was on fire from the embarrassment he was suffering, but he had known something like a lecture was coming. "Fine." The dark haired boy pulled himself onto the other's back and wrapped his arms carefully around Inui's strong shoulders, almost shuddering in relief at the warmth.
“Right.” Inui grunted and slowly straightened up, adjusting Kaidoh’s weight a little. Inui just hoped his back wouldn’t give out. He probably needed to exercise more often. He put one foot in front of the other, and slowly began the trek back.
Kaidoh pressed closer still to the soothing heat, his eyed drifted closed as he sleepily rode the other slowly toward campus. "Sorry for being a pain..."
“It’s fine,” Inui replied. What was it that people said in such situations again? “It’s my duty as a senpai,” he added. He could feel Kaidoh calming down. Good. It made it less likely that Inui would be jabbed by spines.
Kaidoh mumbled gainst his shoulder that most people did not much like his personality, and he tended to argue more than anything, the words muffled against warm skin. "I am heavy...I apologize."
“Could be worse. It’s mostly muscle, anyway, isn’t it? Muscle is heavier than fat.” Inui grinned weakly, not that Kaidoh could see it. “I can handle this much. Look, we’re nearly there.” Inui was going to have to lie down (carefully!) after this. He felt like an old man. At least he was getting good data.
"Yeah. I run too much. And weight train..." He could not enjoy other sports so it was the best he could do for now. "You can put me down..." Although having something warm to lay on was nicer than he had anticipated.
“Are you certain? I can keep going for a while more.” Inui blinked. Perhaps Kaidoh recovered more quickly than his data suggested. “But if you feel well enough....”
“Not really...but I can’t expect you to carry me all the way...” Kaidoh held on a bit tighter, trying to steal as much heat as he possibly could in the short amount of time. He was still miserably cold, “‘sides, can’t let my asshole roommate see me like this...”
“I can drop you by the gardens and let you make your own way from there,” Inui said, understanding. Kirihara could be... extremely immature. He quickened his footsteps, adjusting his course in that direction.
Kaidoh nodded slightly, noting the garden was nearby, he clung just a bit tighter to the other, still hoping he could leach a bit more warmth from the other man and regain enough strength to get from the garden to his room.
“I recommend that you get something hot from the vending machine before trying to make it back to your room,” Inui advised. “Also consider carrying several heating pads. It would reduce incidents like this by 85%.” He remembered that his mother always made him take a lot of them back to Hokkaido. Perhaps he could give Kaidoh a few.
“Thanks senpai.” Kaidoh mumbled again, the more his core temperature seemed to return to normal the more he realized this was actually incredibly embarrassing, and that he needed to get off of the other man by the garden no matter what. “I’ll look into getting some tomorrow...”
“I have some,” Inui said, finally turning onto the path that lead to the garden. “You can come by to get them later. They should last awhile, but you should also look into rechargable electric warmers that you can reuse multiple times”
"You don't mind me coming by? I was kinda a jerk to you back there...." Kaidoh hated to admit it, but he knew his own nature better than anyone. Even if it was just to keep people away so he couldn’t hurt them, it was still a very convincing act.
“My data indicates that you are brusque to everyone here.” Inui seemed surprised by the question. “If you treat everyone the same way, why should I be offended? I am in no way especially deserving of consideration in your eyes.”
“Heh. Brusque. Good word.” The serpentine boy chuckled quietly as he moved to glance around and find a good spot to get down and walk to his room. When he’d warmed up a bit more, he would make the trek to Inui’s room. “Well, you do. You didn’t have to help. Or carry me all that way...”
“As I mentioned earlier, the only other viable option was to call the school for help,” Inui reminded him. He headed for a corner of the garden, behind some evergreen shrubs (where there was only a 11% chance of being seen from the school). “Here is good, if you want to get down?”
He didn’t want to get down really, Inui was comfortable and warm, but there was no way to make that sound anything but creepy. Sliding down from the other carefully, he stretched his back and exhaled. He was still cold and tired, but could make it to his room. “When should I come by?”
Inui shrugged. “When you’ve warmed up enough. I should be in the room for the rest of the evening.” According to his calculations, Inui would have enough time to shower and enter in his new data before Kaidoh arrived. If he showered quickly enough, he might even have time to use his new ingredients in Juice!
Nodding slightly, Kaidoh started to walk towards his dorm before remembering what his mother would have told him to do. He turned and bowed, offering a nervous look. “Let me make you dinner! I am a good cook.”
That was something Inui didn’t know. Ii data. Also, while Inui relied mainly on Juice for nutrition, a properly cooked meal would be a nice change. “Oh? Then I accept,” he said. “Perhaps I should come to the junior dorms instead, then.”
“Please. In an hour.” Kaidoh nodded, while he was embarrassed, he knew this was the right thing to do. “I hope you like Shabu Shabu.” Blushing slightly, he offered another bow. “The junior dorms kitchen in an hour. See you then, Inui-senpai.”
Inui nodded awkwardly in reply, scratching the back of his head. “See you.” He didn’t think anyone had ever been so polite to him. He headed back towards his room to put his harvest away and make himself presentable for dinner, but not before furiously detailing the day’s trawl of data in his notebook.
Kaidoh had moved back to the room, noting his roommate was apparently out harrassing someone else. Relieved, he showered and changed into something a bit more comfortable and neatly folded Inui’s jacket before moving into the kitchen to prepare a nice meal for the older boy and himself.
Precisely one hour later, Inui showed up, looking somewhat cleaner and neater than he was wont to present himself. His hair was still damp from the shower. “Yo, Kaidoh.” He held up a plastic bag. “Chemical heating pads.”
Looking up from the boiling pot of broth, he nodded his head in acknowledgement and continued to swish the meat around and cook it. “I set up a table over there. Get comfortable. It’s good beef.” His family was not particularly well off, but had given him enough money to eat well, he had decided to celebrate his new life with a nice meal, but it was even better sharing it with a kind senpai.
“Thank you. Can I...help with anything?” Inui had always been disastrous at Home Economics, but figured he could at least set the table. “It’s been a long time since IKaidoh nodded slightly, noting the garden was nearby, he clung just a bit tighter to the other, still hoping he could leach a bit more warmth from the other man and regain enough strength to get from the garden to his room.
“I recommend that you get something hot from the vending machine before trying to make it back to your room,” Inui advised. “Also consider carrying several heating pads. It would reduce incidents like this by 85%.” He remembered that his mother always made him take a lot of them back to Hokkaido. Perhaps he could give Kaidoh a few.
“Thanks senpai.” Kaidoh mumbled again, the more his core temperature seemed to return to normal the more he realized this was actually incredibly embarrassing, and that he needed to get off of the other man by the garden no matter what. “I’ll look into getting some tomorrow...”
“I have some,” Inui said, finally turning onto the path that lead to the garden. “You can come by to get them later. They should last awhile, but you should also look into rechargable electric warmers that you can reuse multiple times”
"You don't mind me coming by? I was kinda a jerk to you back there...." Kaidoh hated to admit it, but he knew his own nature better than anyone. Even if it was just to keep people away so he couldn’t hurt them, it was still a very convincing act.
“My data indicates that you are brusque to everyone here.” Inui seemed surprised by the question. “If you treat everyone the same way, why should I be offended? I am in no way especially deserving of consideration in your eyes.”
“Heh. Brusque. Good word.” The serpentine boy chuckled quietly as he moved to glance around and find a good spot to get down and walk to his room. When he’d warmed up a bit more, he would make the trek to Inui’s room. “Well, you do. You didn’t have to help. Or carry me all that way...”
“As I mentioned earlier, the only other viable option was to call the school for help,” Inui reminded him. He headed for a corner of the garden, behind some evergreen shrubs (where there was only a 11% chance of being seen from the school). “Here is good, if you want to get down?”
He didn’t want to get down really, Inui was comfortable and warm, but there was no way to make that sound anything but creepy. Sliding down from the other carefully, he stretched his back and exhaled. He was still cold and tired, but could make it to his room. “When should I come by?”
Inui shrugged. “When you’ve warmed up enough. I should be in the room for the rest of the evening.” According to his calculations, Inui would have enough time to shower and enter in his new data before Kaidoh arrived. If he showered quickly enough, he might even have time to use his new ingredients in Juice!
Nodding slightly, Kaidoh started to walk towards his dorm before remembering what his mother would have told him to do. He turned and bowed, offering a nervous look. “Let me make you dinner! I am a good cook.”
That was something Inui didn’t know. Ii data. Also, while Inui relied mainly on Juice for nutrition, a properly cooked meal would be a nice change. “Oh? Then I accept,” he said. “Perhaps I should come to the junior dorms instead, then.”
“Please. In an hour.” Kaidoh nodded, while he was embarrassed, he knew this was the right thing to do. “I hope you like Shabu Shabu.” Blushing slightly, he offered another bow. “The junior dorms kitchen in an hour. See you then, Inui-senpai.”
Inui nodded awkwardly in reply, scratching the back of his head. “See you.” He didn’t think anyone had ever been so polite to him. He headed back towards his room to put his harvest away and make himself presentable for dinner, but not before furiously detailing the day’s trawl of data in his notebook.
Kaidoh had moved back to the room, noting his roommate was apparently out harrassing someone else. Relieved, he showered and changed into something a bit more comfortable and neatly folded Inui’s jacket before moving into the kitchen to prepare a nice meal for the older boy and himself.
Precisely one hour later, Inui showed up, looking somewhat cleaner and neater than he was wont to present himself. His hair was still damp from the shower. “Yo, Kaidoh.” He held up a plastic bag. “Chemical heating pads.”
Looking up from the boiling pot of broth, he nodded his head in acknowledgement and continued to swish the meat around and cook it. “I set up a table over there. Get comfortable. It’s good beef.” His family was not particularly well off, but had given him enough money to eat well, he had decided to celebrate his new life with a nice meal, but it was even better sharing it with a kind senpai.
“Thank you. Can I...help with anything?” Inui had always been disastrous at Home Economics, but figured he could at least set the table. “It’s been a long time since I’ve had a properly cooked meal, so I appreciate it,” he added as he set the bag down.
“No. Just wash your hands and get ready.” Kaidoh came over with a table of vegetables and meats, setting them on the table, settling across from the taller man and gesturing the to the steaming food on the plate. Clapping his hands and bowing his head, he muttered his thanks.
“Ah.” Inui went to do that and sat back down, clumsily imitating Kaidoh’s ritual of thanks (it seemed appropriate). “Thank you for the food. It looks great.” He blinked at the spread. Even his mother couldn’t make something like this (lack of culinary talent seemed to run in Inui’s family).
Looking up at the awkward mimic, Kaidoh just smiled slightly. “Traditional upbringing,” he added offhandedly before offering the plate of already cooked goods to his guest to start. That was only polite. “And eat lots, I still have more over by the pot to cook.”
“Ah, that explains it. My own family is quite modern.” Inui took some of the food with a nod of thanks. “I haven’t eaten something like this for a very long time.” He took a mouthful and chewed, thoughtfully. “It’s good.”
Watching Inui’s face as he hate, Kaidoh decided he was being honest and then returned to his own meal, enjoying every bite. It was a bit like being at home, but not quite right. “M’glad. Not half as good as my mom makes.”
“It’s already very good.” Inui smiled lopsidedly while trying not to spill food from the side of his mouth. “You’re lucky. My mother doesn’t cook very well. She’s still the best out of the three of us, though.”
“Yeah- My mom is the best. My father works pretty long hours, so he is out...and then my little brother....” He eyed the dinner and shook his head. “It’s fine. I’ll see them again for the holidays.”
“You seem very close to them,” Inui stated. “That’s nice.” Probability that Kaidoh was homesick sometimes: 93%, Inui thought, chewing on a piece of beef.
“Yeah, we are a very close family. I think they took it hard when I left for here. “ Kaidoh admitted, eating a bit more beef before going to the hot pot to cook more for them. The hot food was exactly what he needed, and he could eat a lot.
“You should do conference calls more often, then.” Inui eyed his bowl, now sadly empty, before getting up to observe Kaidoh cooking. “I see,” he commented. “The beef is sliced to less than 3mm thickness, and cooked for approximately 22 seconds in boiling broth.”
"I know but then my mom cries," he looked up to see the other man approach, and opted to pay more attention to the meat. "Just slice it down real thin and cook it in the broth until most of the pink is gone." He holds up a bit of the freshly cooked meat to show. "It is really easy."
“Cries?” Shouldn’t she be happy to see her son? Inui’s own mother was usually more interested in whether Inui had destroyed anything or caused unusual phenomena that month. He watched Kaidoh swish the meat back and forth in the broth, knowing better than to offer to help. It would become inedible in seconds, somehow.
"I dunno. She misses me. Told her I didn't want to be a danger." Kaidoh continued to cook the meats and vegetable sections before filling their plates again and settling down. "How did your family take your changing?"
Inui frowned, picking up his chopsticks again. “I apparently caused a volcano to erupt. I think I caused a lot of stress for them.” He shrugged. “Before that incident I was believed to be quite normal. I think they were just relieved to know that my ‘bad luck’ had a cause and that it could be managed with proper education.”
“You caused a volcano to erupt?” It was official, he had the lamest powers ever. Poking at his meal thoughtfully, he looked up and offered an attempt at a smile, something he rarely did. “Part of being in a family is helping with each other’s stresses. And I’m sure they miss you too.”
“Apparently. It could also be a fluke of chance. I don’t really remember what happened, exactly.” Inui blinked at Kaidoh, and returned the smile with his own awkward grin. “Yes-- I do try to keep them updated with my activities...”
“That’s pretty cool. I just...Yanno. Have venom.” He paused and considered, “and sometimes I get some freaky strength....but that comes and goes.”
“I do think that is interesting,” Inui blurted, looking faintly embarrassed. “Sort of...like...a ninja assassin,” he concluded lamely.
“I did kill someone once.” Kaidoh admitted, miserably. Moving his focus back to the food rather than look at the other.
My data indicates that it was 100% an accident,” Inui said solemnly, feeling guilty for having described Kaidoh’s power that way. “You were probably trying to protect someone or something.”
“My house got broken into and Hazue was really freaked out. I just meant to scare the guy--”
“I believe you,” Inui told him. He fidgeted with his glasses. “99% probability that this is making you uncomfortable. I’m happy to listen if you want to talk about it, but if it’s bothering you, we can talk about something else.”
“Yeah. That’d be good.” Kaidoh muttered and poked at his meat again before selecting a large piece and popping it into his mouth with a sigh.
It appeared it was up to him to make conversation. Him, Inui Sadaharu! Inui mentally flailed around for a suitable topic. “... do you like animals?” This question was prompted by a squirrel running past the kitchen window.
“Cats.” Kaidoh replied without thinking about the question in depth, instead glancing at the creature running by the window. He had always had a weakness for felines, they were just so sweet and cuddly and cute- and fiercely independant. A lot like him.
“Ah.” Inui made a note of this. Data was data. “Echizen, the first year, has a cat. I think Chitose also obtained one, although it is currently in someone else’s care.”
“So we can have pets?” He’d been afraid to ask, and even more afraid they might say yes and he would accidentally harm the animal in his sleep or something. “Not that Seaweed Head would agree on it, I’m sure.”
Inui nodded. “Oishi has fish. Some other students have hamsters.” He thought for a bit. “73% probability that Kirihara would actually be won over by a cute animal.”
“You think so? He seems kind of...” Bipolar? “I guess I could ask him.”
Inui shrugged. “You won’t know for sure until you try. Perhaps you can borrow Echizen’s cat to gauge his reaction.”
“I’ll ask him later.” Kaidoh glanced back up again, sharp green eyes stopping on Inui’s face and then lowering to his plate. “Still got a lot left.”
“I’m eating, I’m eating,” Inui said, amused, refocusing on his meal.
“Good.” Kaidoh mumbled, returning to his own mean before looking up again. “Gotta eat it all.”
Inui grinned and ate some more of the delicious food. His back still hurt and his ingredients were yet unsorted and unused, but he’d gotten some interesting data and a satisfying meal. All in all, not a bad day, indeed.