Day 57: Cafeteria

[gald_digger]

Edgar's charming company had raised Anise's spirits enough that not even the Head Doctor's voice could bring them back down. Besides, she was feeling pretty sure that Landel wasn't actually around. To begin with, it wouldn't make sense, and secondly, his announcements sounded suspiciously like ones she'd already heard before. While Anise wasn't

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[ofthemotions]

And things would get weirder and weirder. Mikado had to wonder if someone like Karisawa-san would enjoy all of this. Translators...? Wasn't that something more... of a sci-fi manga than anything else? He was... starting to sincerely lose his rational capabilities in looking at this. His eyes flattened slightly, color dulling. America. Attack... animals of some sort. A mental asylum. And a speech translation system. It was the things that defied a known reality the most simply that became the end point. Mikado found himself wanting to stop thinking for a moment. To stop contemplating which of the things said were accurate.

He was silent, then spoke up belatedly. "No, I'm not, sorry. I'm from Japan." Something he never thought he'd have to say in a situation like this. He had been in two areas his entire life, and the second had been such a severe transition. Now, if Peter was right, he was in a whole different country. He couldn't fathom it. And he really couldn't believe that Peter was speaking and hearing english. Were there chips? Hearing devices? He felt at his ear unconsciously, before realizing it and lowering his hand sheepishly. "Are you really... not speaking Japanese?"

[human_sponge]

It took Mikado a while to respond, and in that time Peter focused on his food. He had nothing better to do and it would probably be a bad idea to just keep talking and making the kid's culture shock even worse. He would have taken more care with what he'd said if he'd realized announcing that they were in America would be such a big deal for the boy, but at this point it was too late.

At least he'd been right about where he was from. Peter nodded and then replied with his own hometown: "I'm from New York specifically, so this is a pretty big change for me too." The middle of nowhere, not a skyscraper in sight? Yeah, it was bizarre. Depending on where in Japan Mikado was from, it might be just as strange for him for that reason.

"But yeah, believe me, I'm speaking English. I know about three words of Japanese and my pronunciation is terrible." There was a reason he'd asked if he could just call him Mikado, after all.

It looked like he was out of time, though, since the intercom came on soon after, announcing that it was time for some patients to see visitors and for others to wander in the available areas -- or even watch a movie. He glanced to the boy and gave him an encouraging smile. "Anyway, I know it's a lot to take in, but... if you're careful, you'll be all right." He'd managed while basically powerless, so anyone else could pull it off too. That was what he figured.

Standing from his seat, Peter gave Mikado a wave and then headed off, contemplating what he should do with the rest of his day.