Honestly, this a no-brainer. It took everything you had just to get through the preliminaries, and tomorrow you could end up fighting five opponents in a row. This is assuming there aren't any more powerhouses of Kahlua's caliber lurking in the lineup; at a glance, you recognize the Kurokami girl, the red-headed Morgiana, and the guy calling himself Berserker as high-level physical threats, and that Gorn kid's pallid, skull-like face is just plain creepy.
So you thank Ichigo for thinking to invite you, then apologize for having to turn him down. His disappointment is palpable, but eases after you explain your reasoning about needing to be at your best for the next day's matches. Before the Kurosakis depart, Goat-Face presents you, Cordelia, and Kahlua each with one of those little business cards you've seen half the adults around you exchanging since the tournament started - this one is for the Kurosaki Family Clinic, and includes an email address that Isshin explains the family can be reached through. He produces a pen from somewhere and scribbles Tatsuki's contact info on the reverse of the cards. You're not surprised to learn that Kahlua carries meishi of her own, but Cordelia does surprise you by producing a card of her own, and adding your information on the back. After a meaningful glance, she sighs and fishes out a second card for Kahlua, who accepts it with a smile that is perhaps a shade more triumphant than is socially-acceptable.
Obtained contact info for Arisawa Tatsuki
Obtained contact info for Kurosaki Ichigo
Obtained contact info for Shuzen Kahlua
With a few final pleasantries, the Kurosaki family take their leave. It's another fifteen minutes before you're able to convince Kahlua that you cannot be swayed from your plans for the rest of the day, and that no, she cannot come with you. She spends the next couple of minutes thanking you for keeping her day from being a complete disappointment, promises to see you tomorrow, and then disappears into the crowd without so much as a glance at Cordelia. You're pretty sure that was a deliberate snub on her part, but Cordy just seems relieved that the blonde is gone.
A quick consult confirms that neither Cordelia nor Briar have seen Lu-sensei since he left you outside the changing rooms this morning. You've no idea where he's gotten off to, and you're not keen on the idea of wandering around looking for him, let alone in your current condition. Cordelia agrees, and after hitting the locker rooms to get your things, you head back to the hotel. When you arrive, Cordy calls dibs on the shower, and you wander over to investigate the voicemail on your suite's phone, which is blinking.
"You have one new message," the machine reports. "First message, today at eleven-twenty-two."
"I saw your matches," Lu-sensei's recorded voice says. "Cordelia, I commend you on your performance, your patience, and your victories. Alex... you have all the hunger and subtlety of a rampaging boar. You've managed to stir up a hornet's nest among the hidebound old bastards who run the show - it'd be the funniest thing I've seen in years, if they weren't all hounding me for answers. If you get this before I see you, I strongly suggest that you stay in the apartment and rest. I should be back by five this evening."
"End of message."
Well, that's something of a relief.
"Rampaging boar, huh?" Briar says.
"Don't even start," you tell her.
"Maybe that could be your fighting title," she suggests. "Don't all the big names have those? 'Alexander, the Rampaging Boar.' Or maybe you could shorten it, to just 'Raging Boar.'"
"Briar, seriously, cut it out."
"And you could invent a thematic special move, the 'Raging Boar Rush,' and go charging at all your opponents in a head-on, unstoppable rush."
The fairy keeps needling you until Cordelia finally gets done with the shower, at which point you lock yourself in the bathroom. When you emerge about twenty minutes later, the girls are gone, Cordy having left a note that she got Lu-sensei's message, and intends to take in a movie at the in-house theater.
Left to your own devices, you settle into a relaxed pose, close your eyes, and start to hum.
The next time you open your eyes, it's nearly six in the evening. Cordelia is back, watching television with the sound turned down and chatting softly with Briar - it occurs to you that the brunette is acting like she can completely see the fairy now.
"Welcome back," Cordelia greets you. "Lu-sensei called again about half an hour ago; he's still dodging a lot of nosy old guys who want the dirt on you. Don't wait up, he'll see us tomorrow morning for sure. In the meantime," she continues, "I am thinking that we ought to dial up room service for dinner."