Sorry about the delay. Learning a new job at work (much stress, much more work, much more with the tired AL, less with the writing)

I got a Kuroneko bobblehead today. Envy me. =)

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Knives woke up with a start, his body reacting to the changed circumstances while his mind raced to comprehend the difference. Normally he was quick to shed the last vestiges of sleep, but the fatigue from his exertions clutched at him and kept his mind from moving at its accustomed pace. His first thought was of his kin, his mind reaching out for theirs. They were close to him, very close, but still sleeping so deeply that he didn't want to rouse them without need. Alex was not used to hard labor, and Vash was likely fleeing the consequences of their actions in the only way he could.

Which left facing the real world up to him. Again.

With that thought he applied himself to the process of waking up. First he had to recognize that the darkness of the room was a result of a lack of light, and not a need to raise his eyelids. That took only a few seconds. Then he had to determine if he was lying down because he was sleeping, or if there had been some coercion in the matter. Straps, or ties, or ropes, or some such. All he could sense around him was a mildly heavy blanket. There was a rather lumpy feather pillow under his head, and he seemed to be resting on a cot of some sort, given the odd curve to his spine. There weren't any items keeping him in a prone position, so he sat up. The blanket slid down to his waist and he spent a good fifteen seconds wondering why someone had bothered to tuck him in.

Finally he decided that it was just another one of those strange human things that puzzled him from time to time, like the way a parent can be willing to die to save their child from danger, then will turn a beat the offspring within an inch of their life once the threat has passed. Some things just weren't worth puzzling over for too long.

Fatigue poisons had settled in his muscles while he slept, making his motions slow and graceless as he swung his legs over the side of the cot. He hurt in places that he had forgotten could hurt. It was his fault for succumbing to soft living over the past couple years, but that didn't stop him from wincing as he tried to stand. It appeared that Anne wasn't the only one who had started to believe that past physicality was still present.

The first attempt to rise was aborted as his knees proved too shaky to support his weight. Placing a hand on the wall for his second try led to its success. He paused for a moment to repress the pride that the accomplishment brought him. The humans would not be swayed by his mere verticality. With careful steps, he felt his way to the other side of the room. That wasn't very productive for him as there was nothing there but more wall, so he felt his way along the far wall in hopes that there would be a door relatively soon.

There wasn't. But he didn't give into despair, since there was still another wall to be examined before he needed to panic. Step by halting step he dragged his left hand along the wall, feeling for the recess that indicated a door. After only a few paces he paused, not because he had found what he had been looking for, but because he had located the control panel for the door.

His heart rose, then sank as he realized that anyone who picked them up and put them all in a dark room wasn't likely a large enough fool to leave the door unlocked, but having gotten this far he felt that there was no harm in trying to open it. Palming the lock, he was entirely surprised to hear the gyros start spinning. The door opened before him, flooding light into the dark room. He flung up one hand to protect his eyes and the abrupt movement almost sent him to the floor.

His irritation at almost falling was compounded when he saw that there was someone on the other side of the door. Embarrassment flared at his lapse in control, and in lieu of the pain he could not currently deal out he scowled at whoever had the audacity to be watching him as he adjusted to life again. He opened his mouth to say something, but was interrupted before he had a chance to start.

"Are you hungry? Thirsty? We've prepared a few things for when you men woke up. Nothing fancy, but it should be filling after all the work you did."

Knives' train of thought was neatly derailed by the mention of food. His appetite woke up and flooded his brain with demands, making it difficult to focus on anything else. "Excuse me?" he managed after a moment.

"If you're hungry now, follow me. Or if you would prefer to wait until after your brother and nephew wake up, that's fine too. I can't wait until whenever you feel comfortable." His solicitous manner seemed unfaked, but Knives had his suspicions. No human was entirely comfortable around plants. This man before him had to know what he was dealing with, and still he stood there like some butler from a long-gone era.

Knives stood in the doorway a moment longer, unsure what to do. On one hand, he was very hungry. On the other, he was still disoriented and surrounded by humans. He prevaricated for another moment, and while he tried to weigh the pros and cons of his situation his stomach growled. Loudly.

His eyes darted to the other man's face, looking for a smile or a hint of amusement at his expense. There was nothing there, nothing save a bit of concern in his eyes. "Food, then?" asked the man. Nodding, Knives cautiously stepped out into the hallway, taking his hand off the wall and trusting that his legs would hold him.