Day 60: Cafeteria

[gald_digger]

Anise had been lying snug in bed, only vaguely aware that she was awake, when her rest was disturbed by the one sound in the world she'd never wanted to hear again.

"Good morning, everyone!"

The girl's eyes shot open and she immediately sat up straight. There was no doubt about it. That was the Head Doctor, that bastard, and he was back! Now that

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[age_of_kings]

Damn, damn and damn!

They had been so close! Tolten awoke with a sense of frustration that threatened to squeeze his stomach to illness. Their goal had been just one door away from them!

The unusual intercom message didn't improve his mood, despite the promise of breakfast. He had only the barest grasps of the politics of this place as it was, but he understood something drastic had happened. And besides, he was in those ridiculous pajama things again! The young king didn't often find himself in foul moods, but so far he was certain he was heading to one.

Everything was different this morning, but he supposed that wasn't entirely a surprise. The previous night had been different. At least the woman who roused him was cheerful and smiled, though he felt awkward in the flimsy clothing. It was humiliating! And he was already feeling humiliated after facing that bird beast last night...

The dining hall at least offered some solace. Real food. And not just for some, for all. No more living off of stolen bites of Kratos' dinner! At least for the day. Hopefully. Breakfast-laden tray in hand, Tolten spotted Claude immediately. The other young man knew more about this place, perhaps he could offer some clarification. And even if not, it would be nice to spend the morning meal with someone he knew and who's company he knew he enjoyed.

Hoping he wasn't being a bother, Tolten approached. "Ah, good morning," he offered, with a weak smile. "Could I perhaps join you?"

[full_score]

When he heard someone approaching his seat, Claude looked up from his plate and swallowed the food in his mouth. "Oh, hi!" he brightly greeted. "Tolten, right?" Extending his hand out, he gestured to the chair in front of him.

"Sure, take a seat." There wasn't any reason for him to be shy. They were all in this together, after all. With that in mind, Claude glanced over the other man and was relieved to find that he didn't seem to have any serious injuries. "Crazy time last night, huh. It's good to see you're all right."

Even though they didn't know each other that well, it was still comforting to get a chance to talk to someone more than once. Claude had, unfortunately, been here long enough to know that sometimes things didn't work out that way.

[age_of_kings]

"Oh gods, it was madness!" Tolten shook his head as he settled in across from Claude, frowning. But the smell of the food kept him from frowning more than thoughtfully. "It was like...like a terror house or some such. Not that it isn't always, I suppose, but more so than usual! And I finally bore witness to the nighttime creatures myself."

He'd heard all about them, but had remained particularly blessed. As he'd predicted, his luck didn't hold out for long.

"What happened? I understand the military oppressors lost some manner of control...." But he only partially understood the differences between the military and the medical tormentors. Only that apparently there was a difference, and now they were under control of the latter.

He hoped he wasn't bothering Claude with silly questions, but he had a hard time keeping everything straight in his mind.

"And why did they take our clothes away?" he went on, grumbling a bit. "I feel practically naked in this."

[full_score]

Sounded like Tolten had a rough night of his own. Claude sighed and took another bite of his waffles, chewing thoughtfully. Last night had been enough to put him on edge, and he'd been here long enough that few things truly shocked him anymore.

"I wish I could tell you," Claude confessed. "There was talk about our powers getting controlled by some kind of device the other day. I'm not sure if it was an information leak, or if it was just the military trying to confuse us, but...kind of a weird coincidence, don't you think? I mean, with last night and all..."

Maybe someone here would have more information about what happened. Come to think of it, had they received any radio messages? Maybe that guy had something to do with letting everyone get their powers back. Not that it'd done much good in the end, but...

Claude tried not to look as depressed as he felt right then.

"O-oh, that's right, you weren't around before the military came," he suddenly said, straightening up in his seat. "This is the uniform we wore back when Landel was in charge, and this place tried to act like a hospital all day." Of course, after a quick glance at all the nurses, Claude couldn't help but rub the back of his neck. "I guess it's the same old song and dance for today. It's hard to tell if Landel is really back, though."

[age_of_kings]

"Yes, I know about the device." Tolten nodded as he began systematically cutting his breakfast sweets into small squares. "I...was part of the drug trials, the second run." At least that was over, and he could carry on conversations without any sense of impending doom.

"But I couldn't say whether it was true or real or something they put in my mind. Nor can anyone else I've spoken to on it." It was, in a way, perfectly comfortable to discuss these things with Claude. The other young man had honestly explained a great deal to Tolten. It was familiar. "My friend who is a mage was able to access his magics last night. If the device is truly what inhibits that manner of thing...."

The young king could only trail off and shrug, though. He just didn't know enough to say one way or the other. He felt the weight of the topic though, and hated it.

"Oh, yes. I've...begun grasping the politics of the place. I know a little of this Landel man, from broadcasts and our fellows. And that this place was different before the military came. At least they're feeding us properly!" He could smile at that.

[full_score]

Claude's face darkened at the realization that Tolten had been used for drug trials as well. That was one thing they shared in common, then. He almost offered that piece of information, but held back when he realized he might just wind up making his new friend worry about him.

"Well, whatever they used to keep our powers in check must have shorted out yesterday," Claude remarked. "Otherwise, we wouldn't have had so many people get their abilities back. Plus, I don't think they would have done all that stuff with the force field or the monsters if it'd been intentional."

It was good to hear Tolten had done his homework on the place, though Claude could understand why anyone would want to gather any piece of information they could about the people who'd kidnapped him. "That's right," he said with a nod. "Awhile ago they used an old recording of him or something, but there might be a chance he's back for real this time." Not that they could call that much of a consolation. He still hated Landel for what he did to him and his friends in the basement, but there was little point in telling Tolten about that now.

Instead, Claude chuckled a little at the food comment, and he took another bite of his waffles. "True," he admitted. "At least it's more fair when they're serving everyone the same menu." It meant he could enjoy his meals without so much guilt.

[age_of_kings]

"Shorted out or was sabotaged?" Tolten mused, tapping his fork thoughtfully against the table. "I know there's a great deal of distrust and mixed opinions concerning those that claim to be aiding us, but... I can't accept the idea that there isn't some outside force working to help us."

There always was, wasn't there? History was filled with groups of courageous and selfless individuals who fought for the greater good, and aided those in slavery and oppression. Why was it so strange to think they could be on the receiving end of such an endeavor?

"And there was a day when we wore these uniforms, and the guards acted as medical staff," he agreed, nodding along with what Claude was saying. It could all be some sort of trick. Gods, it made his head ache to think on it all. It was worth than trying to muddle through his annual financial reviews.

"I've never seen food quite like this," he added, on the more pleasant topic. "It's another one of those small dissimilarities. We've plenty of sweet breakfast breads, rolls and pancakes and the like. But not...honeycombed."

[full_score]

"No, I think you're probably right," Claude said. "Those military officers don't seem like the type to be careless enough to have some kind of accidental malfunction, and that whole thing was a little too elaborate for some kind of experiment, or drug test, or whatever. Someone might have gotten to it somehow as a way to help us."

After how defeated Marc sounded over the radio a couple nights ago, that thought did help lift Claude's spirits somewhat. He would have liked to shake the hand of whoever was responsible -- not because it was successful, obviously, but because he could get behind someone who was trying to help the patients somehow.

When Tolten remarked on today's breakfast, Claude slowly smiled. The institute was a terrible place, but he had to admit he enjoyed seeing people from other worlds react to new discoveries and ideas. "Honeycombed? You mean how its molded, right?" After cutting another piece, he popped it into his mouth and washed it down with a sip of juice. "They're called waffles. Do you like it?"

[age_of_kings]

Tolten glanced down and realized that while he had been cutting and moving his food about, he hadn't actually taken a bite. He cursed his ridiculous self consciousness and tried to put it out of his mind. He wasn't being watched, he was eating with a friend. He speared a square of the 'waffles' and tried a tentative bite.

"It's good!" he exclaimed. "Sweet. It's like...a thick, sturdy pancake." Or close enough. "It's only the shape and molding, as you said, that's strange. It holds the syrup well, though..."

He wasn't at all averse to trying new foods, despite his rather sheltered upbringing. He had enjoyed that, when he was galavanting about the world. It was fascinating, the way other countries had such different fare! Numara especially, considering they hadn't imported a single item in the thousand years they'd existed. And the beauty of the food there....

"I like food," he explained, a touch sheepishly. "Though I suppose everyone does but...the artistry of it. And new things. I've learned, after traveling, my own home's food is...rather bland."

[full_score]

He watched expectantly as the other patient took a bite of his breakfast. As he listened to Tolten describe the waffle and what he thought of it, Claude nodded to show he was paying attention and that he understood.

"I like food, too," he said with a grin. When he thought about it, the menu was probably one of the few good things about this place. "You'll probably see a few other dishes here that aren't familiar to you, but hopefully you'll enjoy those too."

It was hard not to find himself curious about Tolten's home, though. They'd discussed it before, of course, but that had mostly been in terms of their technological development. "What's the food back home like?" he asked, tucking his chin into the palm of his hand.

[age_of_kings]

"I hope I do," the young king said, honestly. "If nothing else, encountering and learning new things is a very key element of life." Or so he had learned, at any rate. At least food and music and books were fascinating and pleasant. He could do more with those sorts of discoveries.

"Oh, back in Uhra? It's..." Tolten trailed off, finding himself at a loss. He realized he had no idea what manner of food Claude was used to. It didn't sound as though he came from a place so strange that Tolten couldn't imagine it, but one never knew.

Besides, he did like to talk about his country. And perhaps Uhra's seemingly bland fare would seem exotic to someone from another world!

"Well, usually for breakfast I have thinly sliced lamb in cinnamon sauce and baked apples or a porridge. Sweets, if it's a festival. Pancakes with fruit or nut bread with a sugared glaze. We eat a great deal of meat - beef and mutton, predominantly. Rabbit, depending on how badly the population has been picked over by hawks. And soups. Soups and stews are a staple of the empire, I think, and I'd venture to say we do them better than anywhere else. We have difficult winters."

[full_score]

Some of Toltent's descriptions made his mouth water. While those sorts of foods weren't unheard of where Claude came from, they reminded him more of something someone who lived out in the country would eat. The Earthlings of his own time were generally too concerned with convenience and speed to bother with home-cooked meals, and it wasn't uncommon for people to use synthetic ingredients.

"It sounds like a lot of your meals are pretty hearty, then," Claude commented. "I can't say I've ever had sliced lamb with cinnamon sauce, though. I bet it's delicious."

Not only that, but Claude had always been kind of a meat and potatoes kind of guy, so such a meat-heavy diet didn't sound so bad to him. Hell, he could never say no to a good cut of beef. With that in mind, he couldn't help but look at Tolten with a mildly curious expression. "What's your favorite dish?"

[age_of_kings]

"We have a great deal of farm and hunting lands," Tolten elaborated. "Meat is quite a staple ingredient. Though oddly enough, our seafood is...lacking. We're a coastal country, technically. I suppose the cliffs make fishing difficult..."

Not being a fan of the ocean, Tolten avoided it as often as possible. Before Seth and Sed had dragged him aboard the Nautilus, he'd been to sea once in his life.

"Apparently our waters are very thick with eels. As to my preferences...I can't say I have a favorite. Though if I were choosing only from the cuisine of my own home...." He paused with his fork in the air, his odd habits regarding eating in company forgotten. "Hmm. Goodness, do you know I've never thought about this sort of thing before?" Other than when he sat down and thought how much he particularly enjoyed something, he'd never pondered what his favorite food was.

And no one had ever asked him before.

"I've always been very partial to game tile... ah, seasoned strips of venison and veal with toasted bread and a spiced sauce. I don't know what spices, though. I...well, I don't actually cook myself...."

Or even have the faintest idea how, he realized, other than to throw meat and vegetables into a pot over a campfire.

[full_score]

It was interesting to hear that Tolten hadn't had much seafood despite living in a coastal country. Of course, the geography didn't sound favorable to fishing anyway, so that only made sense.

Though Claude couldn't help but find it a little odd that Tolten had never considered what food he liked best, he patiently let him think it over until the other blond could give an answer. Maybe he was just the type to eat whatever someone served to him without thinking about much else beyond that. The fact he didn't cook for himself seemed to support that idea, anyway.

"Oh, that sounds pretty good," Claude commented. Then, waving a hand, he gave a small chuckle. "And yeah, I'm not that great at cooking, either. I mean, I think I could get better with practice, but..."

That would mean going through a mountain of ingredients, not to mention giving up quite a lot of time. Claude had never been the most patient person, which didn't help matters. On the other hand, he did think it'd be a useful skill to perfect.

[age_of_kings]

"They do say practice makes perfect. What sort of food do you eat where you come from? Is much of it difficult to prepare?"

Tolten realized he'd been rather rude, blathering on about himself and his own tastes. And here Claude had been so patient listening to him! But it was so rare that anyone was interested in anything about him that he couldn't help it. He was used to being asked what he planned to do about the unemployment problem in Uhra, or the steep taxes, or what aide he intended to send Gohtzan refugees. No one bothered to ask anything about him.

And he was curious about the other worlds his fellows came from. Seth and the others had never said much about their world, and what little they had led Tolten to believe it was nothing like what he was used to. Everyone here seemed to be from places that were...well...had cities and plants and people!