Day 54: Lunch

[full_score]

All things considered, last shift had been pretty low key. After this morning's disaster, though, that was perfectly fine by Claude. Some fresh air and a chance to make sure Guy and Okita were all right weren't things to take for granted. It was also good to have a fairly normal, conversation with Guy that didn't slip off into awkward territory

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[laguz_decoy]

This morning had been interesting, to say the least. First Soren and then Byrne, both so new to the Institute. What a day... and it wasn't even lunch yet. Nurse Flo had retrieved him from the Sun Room, still looking very unkempt and disturbed. He couldn't blame her... even the Head Doctor had seemed on edge. There was one thing about the announcement that had put a grin on his face though: FISH!

He could smell it as they made their way to the cafeteria, and upon arriving (and with a disapproving scowl from Flo), he loaded his tray with as much of the fish as he could carry. It wasn't often that they served it, and he wasn't going to allow this chance to pass him by. He hurried quickly away from Flo to find himself a seat.

After not spotting anyone he knew, Ranulf sat down on an empty bench and began digging in.

[For Tsubaki~<3]

[thecamellia]

Despite there being little choice otherwise (and it being the only way she might catch some of other friends), Tsubaki was undecided over how she felt about returning to the cafeteria again. The events of the morning still felt so recent. Just because the prisoners had been beaten down once didn’t mean tempers would be any more calm this time; she could just hope no one took more big risks. It didn’t help that the room felt especially like a pen, now that they were surrounded by the staff and the soldiers, all watching them. A shift hadn’t done much to improve her nurse’s condition much, either, and after she had whipped Tsubaki out of the Sun Room--without a chance to stop by the bulletin board--she put her through the food line with mechanical haste. The woman was clearly distracted, and in Tsubaki’s reasons, there were too many reasons why to choose from

[laguz_decoy]

Ranulf was halfway through his pile of fish-cakes, when he heard people approaching. His head perked up, a smile quickly forming on his face as Tsubaki greeted him.

"Of course you can eat with me." He said, gesturing to the chair across from him. "I've been hoping that I'd see you again too!" It had been a long three days since they'd seen each other. Ranulf had begun to worry something might have happened to her, so it was a relief to actually see her.

"How have the night raids been going?" He asked, his fork hovering over the uneaten food, an inquisitive look on his face.

[thecamellia]

Each time she saw Ranulf, his amiable nature eclipsed the night they’d first met more and more. And each time, it was good to see. She probably didn’t have to worry about her assorted acquaintances like she did (maybe it was more like she wished she didn’t have to), yet there was no denying that there was an abundance of danger each day they were here, and if today was any indication, it seemed like it was escalating.

Smiling, Tsubaki sat down. How were her nights going? Well…

She glanced sidelong at the ring of people encircling the ‘patients’ and maintained her voice at its soft volume. “It’s slow,” she admitted. And now she had secrets she couldn’t share with just anyone. Secrets that could easily slip into lies. “It’s not easy figuring this place out. Like what’s going on now, with these soldiers around. Were you okay this morning? I didn’t see you in all the confusion.”

[laguz_decoy]

Ranulf continued eating the fish, 3/4 of his plate diminished now. He gulped loudly at the mention of this morning. The smells of appetizing food had put all of that in the back of his mind. Ahhh... so Tsubaki assumed they were soldiers too. He knew he hadn't been far off. Ranulf gave Tsubaki a serious look, talking with a lower voice as well.

"I was at the other side of the mess hall when the strange cloud appeared... these dark soldiers put me on edge. Have you seen them here before? I don't know what to make of them..."

[thecamellia]

“You didn’t breathe that stuff in, did you? It seems like that gas can make people pretty sick.” Ranulf looked okay, but she probably didn’t know much more about the substances Landel made use of than he did. For all she knew, it could cause internal injuries, too.

Just because the soldiers hadn’t started using the gas first didn’t make them much better.

Tsubaki shook her head. “This is the first time I’ve seen them. But last night the Head Doctor was hinting at all sorts of things, so maybe they have something to do with this Eagle.”

[laguz_decoy]

"Gas? Do you mean that strange smoke?" He shook his head. Luckily, he had been on the other side of the room when it had been filled with the harmful cloud. "I avoided it, but it seemed to have a bad effect on others. Is this common?"

The next thing Tsubaki said caused Ranulf to tilt his head curiously to the side.

"Eagle?"

[thecamellia]

She nodded at length. “I think so. My nurse called it tear gas. I’ve never seen this place use it before now, but…”

But it had come out of the vents, so obviously it’d been set in place as a method for control. It could’ve been there the entire time, waiting to be released. “If sedating people one at a time doesn’t work, they must have ways like that to keep everyone in line,” Tsubaki continued, picking up where she had trailed off. Although she had picked up her fork, it sat forgotten in her hand, a prop to outside eyes.

“He mentioned it right as night began. Something about the Eagle not liking insubordination and that we might find out more today.” As an afterthought, Tsubaki added, “The man on the radio said he wasn’t sure who the Eagle was, either…” Marc, the other unknown person.

[laguz_decoy]

Radio? Was Tsubaki referring to that odd box that spoke? He nodded, his eyes going wide at this realization. He'd never carried it with him because he thought it only spouted useless information... maybe he should pay more attention to it from now on. He made a mental note of this before replying.

"Tear gas... and the "Eagle". Today has been so strange... far more than any other day I've spent here."

Not only had he met up with Soren, now Tsubaki was feeding him more new information. It was almost too much to take at once. If he hadn't already finished his plate, he felt he would've lost his appetite.

[thecamellia]

Tsubaki had been assuming that most people might’ve had an inkling of something bad happening today if they’d heard what she’d heard, but the way Ranulf acted… what if he hadn’t had the opportunity to listen in the previous night?

She paused, hesitating, before saying, “Did you not hear about the Eagle last night…?”

If so, the reason could be as simple as not being able to make out what was said. Or it could mean something had happened, something not so innocent.