Day 58: Lunch

[full_score]

Although it had been good to see his mom again, Claude entered the cafeteria with a dark expression on his face. He was glad she felt comfortable enough with him to share her experiences from last night, but that didn't make him any less angry at the military for using her to do their dirty work. Why couldn't those bastards clean up their own

Comments

[ninelivesonce]

"You've got it. A fight against Institute soldiers, and then an exercise in hand-eye coordination. All of it catered to my skills. Not sure if that was because I was first to step through the door, or if I just got lucky." She had confidence in Rita and Goku -- they'd done well, and if it had been magic or ki (which was strange to see as a thing, rather than a training metaphor, but not as strange as magic) instead, the outcome would have been identical. "So pick your friends well, yeah?"

She was done with her lunch, so she pushed the tray away and leaned on her elbows. "Really, the hardest part has been getting down there. That's how we met, actually -- Rita and I were ambushed in the sun room a few nights ago by Son Goku, so next time we dragged him along to make up for it." Besides, even if Rita only tolerated him, Taura though he was sweet. She'd never really had a chance to interact with kids other than her gene-siblings. Goku was, for all his shouting, so innocent. Everything was a game. She envied his attitude, even if he could stand to learn a little about caution.

Then again, if he hadn't learned it after several days here, perhaps he didn't.

[bastard_sadi]

"Had the Institute gotten to him that night?" Daemon asked curiously, one dark-tinted nail stroking along his jaw in absent thought. The Sunroom was a typical haunting place of controlled patients. "I'm sure he appreciated the chance to make it up to you."

"I've never gotten down to the basement, no, so I understand how difficult it is. Before, I was with a friend who was very determined to get down there. I'm not sure he ever did." Daemon had been interested in going up, as he suspected that was the most likely place to find whoever was in charge here. Getting out was all well and good, but not when there was someone here who could bring you back on a whim. What kind of escape was that?

[ninelivesonce]

Taura nodded. "I think it was more the urge to fight things." Goku hadn't really felt indebted until she'd suggested it. "With not being expected to apologize in the morning as a bonus." She grinned. The feeling was mutual; she'd tried to be careful not to damage Goku permanently, but his pride had taken a few blows.

"Where's the most interesting place you've seen?" The basement was fun, and she at least felt like she was accomplishing something, but all they had to show for it was a little trinket. Not a real weapon, unless you wanted to stab a mouse. And there was something exhilarating about each new door, each new planet. She could take out soldiers all day, especially if they gave her a plasma rifle, but she'd rather explore.

[bastard_sadi]

"Place?" Daemon echoed, looking thoughtful for a moment. "I'm not sure. Probably the town. It was a relief the first time they took us down, a change of pace, even though it's still not out. Although the first time I went, the buses ran late and we were attacked the moment they pulled back into the Institute. Still, it gave most a chance to start from the outside for once. Although everyone's weapons were still inside."

Of course, he'd missed most of the intense fighting. He'd been dragged off the bus the moment darkness had fallen and the rest of the night still gave him nightmares. Golden eyes shadowed and he took a moment to compose himself, shoveling in another spoonful of his lunch.

[ninelivesonce]

"They didn't run at all two weeks ago. The whole town turned into creatures and attacked us. It was all back to normal the next time." She thought about it for a minute "I'm not sure which was worse, you know?"

The zombies had been awful, and the whole night kind of a terrifying blur in her memory. Combat did that, sometimes, especially if she'd been injured. But they'd fought back, and all of it -- fighting, suffering, dying -- had been wiped away before the next week. Except for the deaths among the patients. Those were real.

"So you haven't seen the basement or the third floor?" She wanted to know where, exactly, they were keeping her body; escape was more important, but no one would blame her for being curious, right? It'd be easier to fight their way out, after all.

[bastard_sadi]

Daemon stifled a shudder at the thought of being caught in town among an entire village of inhabitants hunting you. "Mother Night, that must have been a nightmare," he murmured, raking his fingers through his hair. "Although I can imagine there might be more options for weaponry, with all the shops in town. Did anyone manage to retain anything afterwards? Or was it just all gone?"

Her next comment had Daemon straightening in his chair, his eyes widening. "There's a third floor?" he asked, leaning over the table, far more interested in this than the basement. "Have you been there?"

[ninelivesonce]

Taura shook her head. "Just rumors. They say that's where they take people to brainwash them. But no one remembers much, or if they do, they're not talking about it." She sighed. "I haven't found a way up there myself."

That wasn't entirely true, as there had been a door marked STAIRS behind where Homura's key had led, but they hadn't tried it. It might have been just as securely locked. She wasn't even sure if anyone had the key now that he was gone. And she wasn't about to volunteer to find out the other way.

"Hmm...I'm not sure if anyone was allowed to keep anything. I didn't have anything on me except zombie guts when the night ended, and I'm glad I didn't keep those." Her nose wrinkled. "But the last time we went to town, they gave us a little spending money, and we did get to keep that stuff." She hadn't tried to buy a weapon, true, but surely someone had.