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Kaito: o.o Not, even gonna comment.

Guest and MissyxTails, this speed of this superquick update is for you guys. (INSTANT GRATIFICATION.) Also, thanks to you zed, for your continual encouragement! :D I hope you like this chapter as well.

...

It was pretty bad, Gakupo had to admit, as his eyes roved over the neat, blood-encrusted stitches on Kaito's arm stubs. The only silver lining to the whole gruesome spectacle was that it looked like Rin's Master had done a good job in sterilizing the wounds and stitching the blue-haired Vocaloid back up.

Gakupo wondered if Rin's Master had some sort of medical background. He was pretty sure that if just anyone tried to do this sort of procedure... this sort of... amputation, that the blue-haired Vocaloid would have bled out. Gakupo sighed unhappily, his eyes glancing at Kaito's averted blue eyes.

"I don't think you should go to the hospital," Gakupo finally stated, applied another liberal coat of antiseptic to each of Kaito's wrists, and began to rewrap the injuries with clean bandages. Rin gaped at the violette as he quietly worked.

"Are- what are you saying?! Look at his injuries! They're way, way worse. He needs medical attention," Rin jumped up out of her seat in protest, spreading her hands out wide as if to make a point, her high voice going a little shrill. Gakupo didn't blame her. The sight of Kaito's injuries was pretty rattling.

Kaito flinched slightly as Rin raised her voice and shouted.

"Rin, be quiet a moment," Gakupo quietly reprimanded her, making a pointed glance at Kaito's bowed head. Rin stayed standing, her mouth still hanging open for a moment, then closed her mouth and quietly sat back down at the dining table. Gakupo gathered his thoughts for a moment, then continued speaking.

"Listen. I know you want to help your friend. I understand that. But you're not thinking straight. If he goes to the hospital, you're forgetting one important thing: the Vocaloid registry. The instant the hospital scans his chip, they'll be required by law to alert your Master that he's been hospitalized for his injuries. It looks pretty bad, but I don't think it's life-threatening. As long as he doesn't sucumb to his shock, I think that with a lot of time and recouperation, he's going to be able to pull through this trauma. But if your Master gets back ahold of him..."

Gakupo trailed off, sighed, and leaned back from the table, crossing his arms over his chest. Rin looked like she wanted to argue, but Gakupo knew that the rising, helpless anger he saw in her clear blue eyes was not really directed at him.

"How could Master /do/ something like this?" Rin hissed out between her teeth, her fear starting to convert into anger. The situation was almost unreal, almost unbelievable. Her mind flashed back to Master's strange smile earlier that afternoon, when Rin had excitedly conveyed the news about a new ice cream shop opening. Could someone really fake it like that?

"I'm sorry, Rin. I know how excited you were to get purchased. But I think... your Master is a very sick man," Gakupo didn't really know what else to say, other than that. Rising, he looked down at the two despondant Vocaloids seated at his own Master's table.

"Why don't I get us something to drink? You've both been through a lot. Calm down, take some time to get your bearings. You can stay here as long as you need to. My Master won't be back for a few weeks at least, but even if he was home, I'm certain he wouldn't send you away. There's milk, cola, or fresh water," Gakupo offered.

Rin looked at Gakupo oddly. "You're not offering us tea? You always offer tea to the exclusion of everything else, whenever I visited you in the past."

Gakupo looked back at the petite blonde female blandly and stated, "I think it would be difficult for us to drink anything hot right now."

Rin's eyes widened. She stared down at the table. "I... of course. I didn't even think of that. Can I have milk?" She said in a strained tone and tried not to stare at Kaito as she replied.

"Kaito? You need to have something to drink, too," Gakupo's firm voice prodded. After a long moment, Kaito's creaky voice answered, "Water."

Gakupo nodded and left the table, going into the kitchen, and filling three glasses; two of water, one of cold milk. He juggled the three glasses in his two hands and returned to his guests who were sitting in silence.

Gakupo set both Rin's and Kaito's glasses down in front of the blonde-haired Vocaloid female. "Rin?" Gakupo prompted. Rin nodded and picked up the glass of water for Kaito.

"Have a sip of water, Kaito, okay?" Rin ventured and held the glass gently against the bluenette's dry lips. Kaito drank a small sip, and Rin waited a moment, then tipped the glass again, letting him have another. Kaito's eyes refused to meet hers, staring stubbornly downwards in what was probably shame.

"Will the couch be okay for you tonight, Rin? Master only has me, so Kaito can take Master's room. I think he needs to have a bed. If it's uncomortable for you, I can take the couch, and you can take my room, though," Gakupo offered into the silence.

"Thanks, but the couch will be fine," Rin smiled a ghost of a smile in gratitude to Gakupo's consideration, although her eyes were still burning in helpless anger. "I really owe you for this, Gakupo. I don't know what we're going to do. We don't even have any of our things with us. Even our clothes... everything is still left back there at Master's house." Rin frowned, and Gakupo could sort of guess where her thoughts were at.

"I don't think you should worry about that right now. You're here, safe with me. The things that you left behind are just things." Gakupo said, reasonably. Rin was quiet for a little while, and Gakupo left well enough alone, until she began to speak again.

"I was so afraid, on our way here. I thought at any moment, that Master would appear, and take us away, do something horrible to us. But... I'll bet Master hasn't realized we're even missing yet. I think... I think I should go home," Rin continued, a plan crystallizing in her head. "I can pack up a few things, just our basic belongings, and get out, quickly. I'm sure I can manage to do it quietly enough so that Master won't notice."

"No, Rin," Gakupo was frowning deeply, displeased at her plan. "It's not worth risking yourself, just to get some clothes and other things, no matter how inconvenient it may be, to be without them. Nothing in that house can't be replaced. You should stay here, and leave it alone."

"Not everything in there can be replaced," Rin's quiet voice replied. "There's something I don't want to leave behind. I know I was scared when we came through the door, Gakupo, but I really... I don't want to leave that behind. I'm losing everything today. My Master, my home... I don't want to lose that, too." Rin lowered her eyes again, knowing that she sounded selfish as she explained herself, and feeling like maybe Gakupo was right, it was a bad idea.

But, it had been less than an hour since she had just been speaking normally with Master. He probably didn't plan to even check on Kaito until it was later in the night... he wouldn't even know that Rin knew what had happened. And she would be quiet, stealthy... he wouldn't see her as she picked up a few of their important belongings. She was sure she could do it. And she needed the normality of getting their things back.

"No, Rin," Gakupo said quietly, decisively. But a flare of rebellion was in Rin's eyes, and she stared him down. Gakupo sighed. He felt like he was sighing a lot this afternoon. "It's a bad idea, I am telling you. This is the wrong time to get stubborn. I know what that look in your eyes means."

"I'm going," Rin said through gritted teeth. "I can't just run away from this, and leave everything behind."

"If you're really that dead set on going," Gakupo finally said, surrendering with great displeasure, "Then I am going with you. You are not going back to that house alone."

"No way. I'm not risking you, too. If you came, it will be harder for me to be stealthy. Besides, you can't leave Kaito alone," Rin said, her mouth set in determination. Now that her fear was calming, her stubbornness was coming to its head. "Promise me."

"I do not approve of this course of action, Rin," Gakupo said, scowling his worst expression at her. Rin just stared back, unflinching, and refused to back down. Gakupo tossed his hair back in frustration. "...Fine. I promise. But I'm not happy about this. I think it's a stupid move. I also think you're an idiot, for even /considering/ this fool plan."

Rin got up from the table, leaving her untouched milk glass next to Kaito's water glass. "I'm going to call the cab company back up. I won't ask you to pay for it. I still have Master's wallet," Rin paused. "Look, don't worry... I'll be safe. And I'll be back before you know it."

"You'd better be," Gakupo frowned again, but his empty threat was more of a request than anything else.