Day 37: Arts and Crafts Room

[host_club_honey]

Honey was relieved when breakfast was over.  Even though there'd been plenty of sticky-sweet french toast to be had, the company left him feeling a little inadequate.  Usually girls fawned all over him, but Callisto had been downright mean.  Had he done something wrong?  What kind of girl wanted to fight rather than play?  It'd only been a few days

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[tsunagari]

[Dammit, you beat me by mere seconds.:P]

When given the option to participate in a shift with this focus, it was difficult to pass it up. He'd told Sakura he'd pick an obvious activity, hadn't he? She wouldn't be able to doubt he'd be anywhere but Arts and Crafts.

While he still saw no ink and brush of the sort he preferred (the sort he had hidden away in his room) it was still a chance to take his mind off things. Even without using it as a means of expression, he'd always found art to be a reasonable pastime.

It looked as though the explanations would be starting sooner than he'd hoped. It would be good to speak to Sakura again, though, even if she didn't stay. Taking some crayons as they were offered, he began drawing abstract patterns across the paper.

[for Sakura]

[see_my_back]

[haha, I win! ;D]

Sakura didn't feel a whole lot better after breakfast, but at least she was pretty sure she'd be able to meet with someone she actually wanted to see rather than, well, someone like Itachi. She let herself be led by the nurse into a smaller side room which was actually somewhat empty. It looked like a play room for children.

However, sure enough, there was Sai, sitting at one of the little round tables and doodling with colored sticks. Sakura sighed in an only slightly over-dramatic fashion, and sat down.

[tsunagari]

Sai smiled but didn't look up as the other ninja sat down. Instead, he plucked a pink crayon out from the others and began adding it to the design. "Good morning, Sakura," he greeted. "It looks like you're still confused about this place."

That meant he'd have to do most of the explaining, which he supposed was okay. He had the basic spiel down by now. "Is there anywhere you'd like me to start in particular?"

[see_my_back]

It wasn't surprising that Sai was so focused on his drawing. She relaxed slightly, eyes following the crayon as it moved over the paper.

"That's putting it lightly," she frowned, putting her elbows on the table and cupping her chin in her hands. "I got here last night and I was following Jiraiya-sama, but then I woke up this morning and Itachi is here too. I haven't even seen Sensei yet, but I saw his writing on the bulletin." Not to mention Naruto and Sasuke.

"We're not dead, are we?" she asked, half joking. With all these ghosts of the past popping up, it was really hard to be sure.

[rectifies]

[For Ururu.]

Ken walked into the Arts and Crafts room with a sluggish step, his thoughts filled with the occult and an end that stood over the boy like a raised knife. Overwhelming was Alita's revelation; if he had known Yukari's situation hinged on something worse than a neck injury, he might have forced help much earlier, certain death from the junior or no. He could have gotten to the source. He could have stopped the backlash. Now, that chance was gone.

His expression torn between apathy and despair, Ken sank into the nearest chair and threw hands over his eyes. Alita had mentioned something about Yukari's virginity (which he now learned had to do with a lack of sex). Maybe he could drill her on that condition, except he hadn't known humans had mating habits akin to rabbits. He'd always just thought babies came from hospitals. End of story.

So how was Ken supposed to ask someone about their sexual habits when he wasn't sure what those entailed for people?

[bewarethecute]

Ururu hadn't wanted to leave Orihime, but the older girl had promised to take a nap, so it was probably better that she did. She didn't want Orihime to be tired, after all. That would be bad, because it might make people worry. So she followed her nurse out of the cafeteria, and to the arts and crafts room. Ururu had finished her gifts for everyone the day before, thanks to Yukito, but there was something else she wanted to work on too. Something special.

Which was why, when she looked for a table, her arms were full of green and white felt.

"Um, e-excuse me." There was an empty seat near a boy who looked about her age. Ururu didn't know how good of a thing that was, since everyone was always so concerned about how young she was. But regardless of that, the boy had his face in his hands, like he was sad. Maybe it was just because she missed Jinta-kun, but she wanted to help him. "Are you okay?"

[rectifies]

At the voice, the boy glimpsed up from his hands to find someone seated next to him, her arms carrying a load of fluff. More importantly, she looked like the girl from the Sun Room. Shiki's friend, wasn't it? She seemed alright, given what had occurred that night.

Ken quickly cleared his face of any obstruction. "I'm okay," he returned, trying to sound better than he appeared. The result was questionable at best. "You're, uh, Ururu-san...right?"

[bewarethecute]

Ururu was surprised for a moment when Ken said her name, because she was sure she hadn't met him before. But then she thought about it, and realized she had met him, only except she hadn't. She had seen him though.

"Yes. Are you Ken-kun?" Ururu put her felt on the table, then looked closer at the boy. He seemed okay physically; she couldn't see any bandages or stitches. And he even smelled kind of nice, but Ururu didn't want to sniff too much, in case he didn't like it. "I'm glad you're okay. Those creatures were very bad."

And that was all Ururu wanted to say on the subject, so she touched the back of the chair. "Um, is it okay if I sit here?"

[no_chan_allowed]

Sano's explanation still hadn't clicked in Yahiko's mind, and the nurses led them in different directions after leaving the cafeteria. When he asked why he couldn't follow the other two, she politely informed him that children's showers would be after lunch

[host_club_honey]

When the nurses seated another boy at the same table, Honey did his best to be friendly. It was difficult, as the boy was obviously pretty upset, but he waved happily and passed the boy some blank paper (though it was hard not to get at least a couple handprints on it).

"Hi! I'm Honey! What's your name?" he asked energetically. "Do you like painting too?"

[no_chan_allowed]

The person next to him didn't seem to have any trouble expressing his emotions constructively, based on the paint covering his hands. Yahiko was pretty sure that wasn't painting, not unless people in this country had some backwards ideas about that too. Anyway, it wasn't this kid's fault that the nurses here were idiots, and Yahiko didn't want to take out his anger on someone who clearly wasn't capable of defending himself.

"I'm Yahiko," he said before folding his arms and giving a frustrated grunt. "I don't think that's how painting's supposed to work," he added a few seconds later.

[host_club_honey]

Yahiko? That was cute, and it sounded Japanese so he was pretty sure this one wouldn't mind if he shortened the name or added things to it, at least, not like Callisto had. He sure was cranky though. Maybe he was just upset and not actually scary once you got to know him, like Bossa Nova! Yahiko might not be any friendlier than the boy from the yakuza, but at least his face was a lot less scary!

"Yahiko!" he repeated enthusiastically, "can I call you Hiko-chan for short? It's cute! Ah- and it's nice to meet you!"

He held up his dirtied hands, wiggling the fingers just for show, "they're finger paints, not the regular kind. These are more fun because you get to be messy! But they've got all kind of stuff to make in here, so you can do a different kind of painting if you want."

[meitantei]

[For Kid Kaito]

Arts and crafts. Shinichi's nurse was leading him to Arts and crafts. Arts and crafts as in fingerpaints, white glue, and scissors that couldn't cut shit. Arts and crafts as in...first grade.

Shinichi had escaped one hell only to find himself in a very...similar one. It didn't help that the next oldest kids in the room didn't look much older than fifteen or so. Most looked much younger than that. A couple of them couldn't have been much older than nine or ten years old.

Hattori was nowhere in sight.

[flashyaudacity]

Kaito was much more confident after trying to eavesdrop on Hattori and Kudou at breakfast. He'd caught his own name come up once or twice, but he hadn't heard any mention of Kaitou Kid. In his mind, that was a very good thing.

That wasn't to say he wasn't nervous about Kudou's presence, however. He still had the nagging feeling that the previously pint-sized brat would take one look at him and just know he was Kid. Since Hattori already knew that Kid was around, he couldn't have his presence as Kid on the board complete ignore Kudou's presence, but... it could wait a little while.

Today was critical to establish the identity of "Kuroba Kaito" in Kudou's mind as a separate entity from the phantom thief. If he played his cards right, maybe Kudou wouldn't connect the dots... Hattori hadn't yet, and that was an encouraging sign.

Of course, if Hakuba were to show up, all his work at establishing himself as being distinct from Kid could get shot to hell in some precise, measured amount of time. Or maybe if Hakuba showed up to

[meitantei]

Shinichi had been staring resolutely at the table for the past five minutes. His nurse had tried to get him to cut out shapes with the useless "safety scissors" or (worse still) "express himself" with the set of washable markers next to his elbow, but he would have none of it.

He didn't look up until a...bizarrely familiar voice called his name. "What--oh, yeah, I am." This had to be Kuroba, the guy Hattori had originally mistaken Shinichi for at breakfast. Except for the hair and a few other minor details, they could have been twins. It was a little disturbing, actually. Kuroba looked like him, even kind of sounded like him.

It was...strange.

Shinichi cleared his throat and gave the other boy a polite smile. "Kudou Shinichi, detective. Nice to meet you."

[flashyaudacity]

"Kuroba Kaito, magician," Kaito said, giving his own name and passion in reply and returning Kudou's smile with a friendly grin of his own. Maybe it was a risk to give the detective any information that could potentially link him to Kid, but magic was his life. Besides, Hattori already knew. If he wasn't forthcoming with the information, it could look like he was trying to hide it.

He flopped into a seat at Kudou's table, and then leaned forward, making a show of studying Kudou's face. "Man, I can really see now why Hattori thought I was you when I met him," he commented. "We do look kind of similar."

[hangenki]

[Tsubaki!]

Kaoru decided he was going to stay in the Arts and Crafts room more. He wanted something to focus on during the day. He wanted... to make himself useful? There wasn't much he could do here, but maybe if he made a few designs, the nurses would let him sit with them and make silly outfits for Tamaki and the new Cross dressing club? If anything, it'd make the time fly.

He was leaning over a sheet of paper, working away at another nurse's uniform design. He just.... couldn't get the idea of Ed wearing it out of his head. Before long... the base model took on a few of the boy's features. This would be one for the bulletin board if he didn't think Ed could kick his ass.

[thecamellia]

Despite having only met her for the first time that morning, Tsubaki found saying goodbye to Toph had been much easier knowing the girl had actually gotten some breakfast in the end.

It was hard not to worry about everyone. The knowledge that a shinigami had died during the night was sitting heavy on her shoulders; acting cheerful for Toph had kept her low spirits at bay, and although Tsubaki smiled for the nurses and let them take her tray from her and give her a choice of where to spend her time, she felt like she'd rather be alone, curled up in a warm bath. Not only was she separated from Black☆Star, but her maybe her whole world, and her own weapon forms were being kept out of her reach

[totallytheseme]

"He needs a braid," Hikaru said, looking over his brother's shoulder. Kaoru had always been the one with artistic talent. Still, Hikaru had the better eye for detail. "And give him one of those medical eyepatches that are so popular. To make it sexier." People liked that, didn't they?

Maybe Tamaki would too.

He looked up just in time to see a familiar face poking her chest head in. "Oh, Tsubaki-san! Hi!"

They were on a Hosting roll, right?

[hangenki]

The amount of times the twins crept up on each other and carried on conversations they'd never begun, surely they must have spooked one another a few times. But no. Kaoru could only assume it was a twin thing. An immediate connection that ran faster than fear. Anyone else and he might have had a fright.

He added the braid before finally looking up. "That would be cute. On most people," he said, thoughtfully.

"Hi!" he called out, with his brother. Looked like they might be in for a fun shift after all.