Nightshift 25: 1st Floor Kitchen

[transgenix]

( Coming from here.)As the door swung open, its lock shattered from a well-placed kick, Max peered into the darkened room beyond. Everything was quiet. Reaching inside, she felt for the light switch, but there was not even any power here. She wasn't surprised

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[i_slay_giants]

( From here)

Jack entered the kitchen and was immediately struck by how busy it seemed despite its smaller size. There were two men over by a stove and two women rooting around in the cupboards. Neither seemed too eager to interact with a stranger, but that had never stopped Jack before. Still, he had come in search of weapons and by golly, that's what he was gonna to look for.

Now, where was a silverware drawer...?

[i_slay_giants]

Oh, so he was going to be a smarmy bastard, was he? Jack could play at that too. "Oh, really? And what's your name, buddy?"

He was actually making tea! There were a million other, more productive things he could be doing, and this guy was making tea! Jack shook his head. If he was going to waste his time making a beverage, why couldn't he be rustling up some hoops or something and brewing some beer? There was a project Jack could get behind.

[black_ageha]

There he goes again with the 'buddy.' He didn't think it was said with particular respect, either. Kikyo suspected this time anyway, it was infused with quite the opposite.

He added some sugar to his own cup and stirred before answering. "I believe the usual mode is to introduce oneself, first. But perhaps this is not the 'kind of time' for propriety." He glanced up at him and smiled. "My name is Kikyo." He waited expectantly for the other to follow suit.

[i_slay_giants]

"Kikyo?" What the hell was with all these Asian names? Was this, like, a Japanese haven? Short of Recluse, Jack couldn't think of a single person he'd met who didn't have an oriental name. Why the hell was HE even here? He was the greatest Fable in the world, not some renegade ninja, or geisha, whatever the trend was.

"I guess that explains the tea-fixation," he muttered, as if that was all there was to it.

[black_ageha]

"....." Kikyo arched an eyebrow. For a brief and fleeting moment, he wondered where his katana was.

He snorted softly and brought the tea to his lips to take a short sip.

"I am sure it does," was his reply. He didn't ask him for his name.

[i_slay_giants]

"And let me guess," Jack said, rolling his eyes, "You're a ninja too."

Given the supposed rarity of ninjas, there seemed to be an overabundance at Landel's. Jack almost felt special not being part of that crowd. Almost.

[black_ageha]

Kikyo laughed at that. Inwardly, he tried to take comfort in the thought that he could have expected worse after dying.

"Surely you would not think me so archaic as that," he said with a smirk.

[i_slay_giants]

Jack scratched the back of his head. "I don't know. I've run into at least one and am told there are more running around here. I just figured since you were into that whole 'Japanese' tea-drinking thing, you were probably part of their crowd."

[black_ageha]

"Ah...I am sorry to disappoint you, then." Kikyo replied, though not at all apologetic as his words might suggest. Polite words were always at his command, even when faced with such a person as this. One who would address him as "buddy" and then assume he was a tea-drinking ninja.

[i_slay_giants]

Jack laughed. "It's not much of a disappointment. The ninja I'm thinking of is a little bitch." The fact that Haku was employed by Recluse explained some of 'her' personality quirks, but Jack still didn't appreciate her attitude. He continued, "So, if not a ninja, what are you?"

[black_ageha]

Yet another interesting (if nosy) question. Kikyo pondered how this as-yet nameless man would take it if he told him the truth. But fortunately perhaps, he decided to take a less forthcoming route.

"Do I peak your curiosity so much? I was under the impression you were in a haste to leave this place." He grinned a little as he took another sip, watching him from behind the brim of the cup.

[i_slay_giants]

Jack glared. "I am, yes. But I don't think it'll make much of a difference if I run off now or ten minutes from now. Unless, of course, you want to get rid of me. I'd hate to interrupt your ever important tea session."

It occurred to him that there was a second cup. "Expecting someone?" He asked, pointing to it.

[black_ageha]

Kikyo laughed good naturedly. "Get rid of you? Come, there is no need to be so defensive. I was merely inquiring as to your state of affairs. I would by no means suspend any pressing matters of yours." He glanced at the cup, wondering whether Seishirou had found what he was looking for in the refrigerator.

"And yes, indeed, I am expecting someone. He's somewhere in the kitchen, though I'm sure you observed it already."

[i_slay_giants]

"Well," Jack said with a smirk spreading across his face, "I'd hate to be an interloper and ruin your date. Maybe it's best I left before he came back."

Yeah, he went there. Would this guy catch the accusation? Would he even care? Jack scooped up his bat just in case that comment elicited a more violent than anticipated reaction from the other.

[black_ageha]

"Ah...you are doing no such interloping, rest assured," Kikyo said with a matching smirk. He certainly caught the man's insinuations, but he couldn't figure out why the man thought it would induce a rise out of him. Or maybe more to the point, he wondered why he was trying to get a rise out of him at all.

[i_slay_giants]

"Ah, that's good," Jack grinned. "No harm done, then?"

It probably was about time he left. He'd say his goodbye in a moment and slip away into the dark. It seemed kinda cool in his head, but would sadly prove to be less glamorous in practice.