17 Meditations and Misgivings...

...and Miscommunications as Well. Just What Are You Getting At, Taiki?

"Damnit," Taiki muttered under his breath as he ran a comb through his freshly-washed and -dried hair. A quick shower had cleansed him of physical grime but had done little to set his mind in order, and he had stumbled twice trying to put his pants on. It took force of will to stop his hands from shaking while he readied himself, almost not daring to look in the mirror because of what he might see beyond his own reflection. "I've got to find some way to apologize to her, but how am I supposed to go about that? 'I'm sorry that I tried to strangle you, Kotori, here's some flowers'? Yeah, that'll go over well. Odds are she'll try to garotte me with her IV if I even get close to her." Dropping the comb down next to the sink, Taiki then splashed water on his face a second time and toweled it off, sighing deeply as he realized just what a task he was up against. "And I can't exactly ask Takeshi-sensei for advice on this one, or he might just have us withdrawn from the exams." One last look-over in the mirror, and an expressive eye-roll. "That would really be insult added to injury, now wouldn't it."

Tugging at his shirt once to straighten it, Taiki left his apartment and after another brief moment of hesitation began the walk to the hospital. "Not to mention he'd probably kill me once he found out what happened, even though it wasn't me that did it!" A quick head-shake, then, "Well, it was me, but then again it really wasn't. God, I'm turning into a nutcase."

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The duty medic was otherwise occupied when Taiki arrived, and when he heard the loud commotion not too far down the hall he could understand why. "Dammit, let me go already! I feel fine!" came a familiar yell, followed by sounds of struggling and the occasional thump or crash. "Don't make me take this place apart, because I won't think twice about it." Shaking his head both in wonderment and in worry, the youth went to verify his suspicions and almost laughed aloud when he saw how right he was. Stepping aside to let one of the medics pass by when another called for a sedative, he poked his head through the doorway and then immediately ducked back as what he guessed to be part of a chair scythed through the space his head had occupied. "Either tell them to let me out, Taiki, or get out of my way," Kotori growled out at him, readying another projectile to throw, "because you sure as hell can't hold me back."

"I'd have to agree with that," Taiki muttered, then grabbed one of the medics by the elbow and pulled them over to him. "Can't you see she's all right? I'd say you should release her before she hurts someone."

Rolling his eyes, the medic waved for the sedative-filled syringe that his colleague now held out to him. "She'll be doing even better once we get her calmed down. We know our business, so please stand back."

"Needle? Bad idea," the redhead hissed, something dangerous glittering in her eyes. "You don't want to know where I'll put that if you even think about using it. Now let me go."

Apparently thinking better of further threats, the syringe-bearing medic waved the others back with a disgusted grumble. "Fine, just don't blame us if you overexert yourself and wind up flat on your back again."

"That'll be my concern if it happens. Now get me some decent clothes if you don't mind – I like my fabric to breathe, but the whole open-backed gown isn't my ideal. Besides..." She paused to look around, and Taiki saw the beginnings of a familiar rash spreading over her skin. "I don't know who's looking at me these days, and I won't let them see anything they haven't earned the right to."

Taiki waited in the hall while Kotori changed her clothing from the hospital gown she'd been wearing to the tunic and pants her other teammate had brought earlier. She emerged moments later, more appropriately attired but still glancing around suspiciously, nodding once curtly to her visitor before making her way to the exit. The young man found himself scurrying to catch up, finally meeting her again on the street outside the hospital. "Nice to see you up and about again so soon," he began, matching stride with her. "You had us all worried there for a minute or so."

"That's nice to hear, I guess." Kotori stopped walking, stood still for a moment and cracked her knuckles together in unspoken threat. The effect was ruined, however, by her body crumpling in a percussive sneeze that left her knees shaking even after it had passed. Taiki was relieved to note that the telltale skin reaction had begun to fade, though, and he waited for Kotori to compose herself again before continuing.

"So what did you do back there in the forest? Was that even you?"

A disdainful eye roll as Kotori resumed her path. "Of course it was, idiot. I just let the cat out for a moment to see what we could accomplish together, and while I cannot say I am altogether pleased with the results, I am not entirely disappointed either." A flinch as something occurred to her. "I seem to recall seeing you there – how much of it did you witness?"

How much do I tell her? "Well, I saw the snake, I saw you in catgirl form, I saw the fogbank, and then when it cleared there was snake-goo splattered everywhere. Would you believe how long that took to get out of my hair?"

Kotori made an impatient noise, completely undermining Taiki's attempt at humor. "What else did you see?"

"... Nothing else worth mentioning, other than that you tried to kill me." Taiki frowned, muttering, "Is that what you wanted to hear?"

"I figured as much. Believe me, it took some doing to convince her that you weren't worth killing."

Not worth killing. Now doesn't that sound familiar, Taiki thought with a mental grimace, covering his unease with a shaky laugh. "I suppose I should thank you then, Tori-chan?"

"Whatever. Now what I would like to know is this – who in hell tried to strangle me in my sleep? Apparently Naeko caught them before they could finish the job, but she mentioned you and that you might have some explaining to do." Kotori stopped again, turned, and fixed Taiki in a steady gaze. "I have no interest in whatever story you may have to offer at this point, I just want to know if it was you."

Taiki could feel something in the pit of his stomach tremble under the weight of the unflinching blue eyes, but no matter how hard he tried he could not look away. "It was me, but it wasn't. Gods, Kotori, I'm sorry - "

Before he could stop her, Kotori lunged forward, one small fist catching him in the jaw in a powerful uppercut that sent him skidding back a few meters until Taiki could catch himself. "We're even, Taiki. Maybe when I have time for sentimentality I'll hear the full story and an apology, but we'll have plenty of time to be sentimental later. Unless you've forgotten, we have exams to get ready for, and I'll hurt the idiot that lets their feelings get in the way of us passing."

"But, Kotori - "

A narrowing and intensifying of the icy blue gaze. "No buts, Taiki. Do you think I carry that horse-cleaver around just to look cool? I was raised to be a legend, not a snot-faced genin, and I would like to think you feel the same way for yourself." Shaking the tension from her clenched hand in an almost absentminded fashion, Kotori gave her teammate one last pointed look before turning her attention elsewhere. "I don't care what you do, but be ready to pass that exam no matter what it takes. Tell Naeko as well – I have other things to take care of."

"Well, it's good to see that you're back to your usual cranky self," Taiki muttered as he watched Kotori disappear down the street.

"I heard that!" was the distant retort, and Taiki chuckled. Maybe things could go back to 'normal' after all.