Night 58: Kitchen (Second Floor)

[princeofthemoon]

[ from here ]At first glance, there seemed little different in this room than there had been in the last one, especially in the dim light cast through the open door, and Sesshoumaru nearly growled in frustration. He felt weak, he felt drained, and if had all been for nothing once again

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[ultimagi]

The girl followed after, once more befuddled as to how he accomplished such a feat. She'd tried watching his hands as the sweet-smelling liquid ate at the rust, but she saw no place he could have poured it from, or hidden it away to. Of course, it had been darker then without the moonlight, and even darker now -- her flashlight was the only point of illumination. Her empty hand alighted on one of the counters, while her light tried to ferret out the corners and edges of the room, where the doors and drawers lay hidden.

"How... do you do that?" she finally asked, her tone curious, voice soft. Everything had been so quiet until now, she felt as though speaking too loudly might ruin the steady calm of the journey.

[princeofthemoon]

He looked over at her, his expression mildly curious. He raised his hand a little reflexively, flexing and curling the fingers.

"Although this place may weaken this Sesshoumaru, but I am still stronger than most," he said after a moment, arrogance clear in his voice. "I am not yet fallen quite so far."

[ultimagi]

Sesshoumaru. Was that his name, she wondered? Or perhaps the name of his people. Either way, the answer didn't satisfy her, though it would be hard to see it on her face for the darkness. Strength didn't have anything to do with whatever it was she smelled, did it?

No matter. The drawers and cupboards were thankfully unlocked, and opened easily. It took no time at all to pull them open and examine their interiors for something useful. The drawers were full of small instruments of similar-length handles with alternating ends. This was a sort of scoop with several slits in it; this a flat, rectangular blade that made a weak twang sound when she hit it against her arm; this a flat and shallow spoon; this a spoon so round and so wide it was practically a bowl attached to a stick. It was hard to imagine that some of these things could be useful.

Well, she thought. The door was locked for a reason, wasn't it? Like the book from the library, it seemed like a good idea to at least take something. There was no telling if she'd be able to

[princeofthemoon]

The way she was holding the flashlight cast her own face quite neatly in shadow, even to his eyes - the beam of light cast enough light forward that anything behind it was in the darkness, shielded by the shadows themselves as well as the light pollution. The end result was that he did not see her expression, not well enough to classify it as anything. He stood silent for a moment all the same, watching as she turned away from him.

She began pulling open drawers and rummaging through the contents, and after a moment, Sesshoumaru decided that it was a good idea - he simply wasn't sure what he was going to do. The ambient light was not enough to see, not well, and attempting to see into the shadows of the drawers with only it....

Sesshoumaru growled lightly in frustration and once more brought his flashlight out. Placing it on the counter, unfortunately, did very little but cast yet more shadows into the drawer he pulled open. He briefly considered setting it in the drawer, but that would also limit the range of light, and cast

[ultimagi]

She was fussing with the spinning side-handle of some jaw-like contraption when her companion spoke; despite the calmness, she almost jumped in surprise. Instead, her reaction was betrayed when she turned, with a screech her boot heel against the slick floor. It took a moment longer to understand the question.

"I can fight with them," she said, her voice level but her expression slowly turning to surprise. Somehow, she knew this this to be true without even the memory of ever holding a dagger in hand. Her teeth pulled at her lower lip to keep from frowning. "But... I can't tell you anything about them. Why?"

[princeofthemoon]

"Hn." His voice was thoughtful, but his expression studying and gaze somehow penetrating. It unnerved most people, to be stared at so silently, especially by one whose expression was so unreadable. "There are knives here. They wouldn't be weighted properly for combat, but are sharp nonetheless.

"How well can you fight?"

[ultimagi]

The girl stared back, uncertain under that steady gaze, looking lost and suddenly vulnerable. "I..." Her voice wavered, the shake of her light betraying her unsteady hand. With a swallow and a shake of her head, the girl forced the words out of her mouth, quiet and hesitant.

"I can't tell you." Like each time before, shame crept into her voice, and the fog in her head seemed to grow ever heavier. "I can't remember anything before last night. I know I can fight. It's... instinctive, but... I can't remember fighting..."

[princeofthemoon]

Sesshoumaru looked at her, still steadily, curiously.

"Then it seems you can fight well," he said after a moment, voice simple and direct. It was not questioning, as the voice of most others probably would be. She was either telling the truth - which he suspected - or was lying - which would be profitless, but nonetheless impossible for him to prove. And if they could strip him of his strength, they might well be able to strip this girl of her memories.

He looked at her for a moment longer. "Is there anything else you do know about yourself?"

[ultimagi]

There was no lighting of curiosity or pity in his tone, and the girl could only feel grateful. Carefully she made her way across the slick floor and the dark island counters to where her companion had stopped, speaking as she moved.

"I don't know. There's people who say they know me, but I don't recognize them... I can't even remember my own name."

Arriving beside him, she moved the flashlight to her left hand and picked up the largest of the knives with her right, fingers wrapping easily around its handle. Overall it was lighter than she expected, despite the fact she should have no expectations at all. "But... in a way, I remember this."

[princeofthemoon]

"And so," he said, his voice still as casual as if they were discussing the weather, "you have no way of knowing if they are telling you the truth." He watched her pick up the knife, eyes narrowing just a little as he looked at the way she held it, at the way she stood.

"Hn."

And he struck.

Sesshoumaru moved fast, but not nearly as fast as he could have, his movements expertly executed but entirely blockable. He wasn't looking to fight the girl, even to spar, but merely to test her.

She moved as though she had training, she said this seemed familiar. Very well. It was time to see how well she had been trained.

[ultimagi]

Her eyes were fixed on the knife, thin and weak. She would have agreed with him -- perhaps expressed just how confused they made her, between Locke's stories about the "Terra" he knew, and the strange not-familiarity she sensed from Edgar -- had she the time. From the corner of her limited vision she saw his single arm move towards her with unmistakeable intent, and before the girl knew what she was doing, she was moving as well.

You need to protect yourself.There was little room to dodge, and the floor was slick with melted snow. The girl had little choice. The right arm that came at her was parried with her left, her grip tight on the flashlight as she slammed the butt of it against his arm. Her face was twisted for surprise, but concentration as well. Her feet had already moved beneath her for a wider stance, a better balance, squeaking on the tile floor

[princeofthemoon]

He moved quickly, but not quickly enough. His body was not responding as it should. Sesshoumaru's eyes widened a little in annoyance and surprise as he felt the razor sensation of a sharp blade slicing through flesh - she did little more than scratch him, but she shouldn't have been able to touch him. It was this place again.

At least he had learned what he wished. She fought instinctively, and well. Her balance had shifted, she had moved too quickly to have needed to think about it, the movements themselves as graceful as a dance. And she had landed a blow on him. Whether or not this place weakened him, it was an accomplishment of some note

[ultimagi]

Even for how fast the "fight" had been, her heart was pumping for adrenaline; just because he'd put distance between them didn't necessarily mean it was over. The flashlight turned in her hand to follow him, the beam steady against his face.

If it blinded him, all the better. What the hell was he thinking? Maybe the girl had made the wrong choice in taking a companion at all, if trying to take her head off with nails as long and as sharp as the blade of the smaller knife still sitting on the counter.

"Trained? By who?" she asked, searching his well-lit expression for some clue. "Is that why... you attacked me?"

She was regretting now not asking anything about this man's past before requesting his company.

[princeofthemoon]

His eyes narrowed a little at the beam of light, but he didn't attempt to shield them or turn away. He seemed almost more like a statue than a man, only the smallest movements showing that he was still alive.

"I have no more idea who trained you than you have," he said. "Only that it has been done, and you have been taught well.

"You said you knew nothing of your past. It seemed prudent to discover at least this much."

[ultimagi]

Her left hand tilted, the beam of light sliding from his face; the girl wasn't sure what to make of that explanation -- wasn't sure what to make of him at all. She frowned, glancing once toward the knife. It wasn't near enough blood for heavy droplets to roll off blade, but a thin stain still marred its edge.

Even though he hadn't managed to hit her, and she was the one who caused injury to him, she was the one more unsettled by the affair. For a long moment, she had nothing to say.

"... There's two doors on the back wall. Should we split up to check them out?"

Well, she wasn't going to thank him, and certainly not apologize.

[princeofthemoon]

He expected neither and so was not disappointed. His eyes left her face for the first time since he had lept from her, as he looked over to the doors she mentioned, seemingly as casually uninterested in them as he had been in being cut.

"If you prefer," he said, voice still almost bored. Then he looked back over at her, raising an eyebrow. Which door would she prefer?