Day 30: Men's Showers (Third Shift)

[notachick]

The lockdown had been interesting. The fact that the staff had enough power to put down a rebellion that quickly and then lock people into their rooms just as fast was something of a feat to be admired. Their efficiency would have been much more impressive if Okita had been on the other side of it, however. As it stood, he had to keep his

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[secret_orchard]

Armand listened anxiously to the announcement for once, trying to drink in the information instead of worrying about where the strange voices came from. So he was to be escorted by orderlies with the true punishment still to come. He understood that, even if he couldn't make himself think about it for very long without sliding into a near panic. Armand wasn't a big man, and the two men who entered the room shortly after the announcement easily dwarfed him. He wouldn't be defying them

[loyal_soldier]

TK was utterly at home with the idea of communal showers. Water showers were weird, though. Still, it was a chance to get clean, and he certainly saw no reason why this wasn't a good idea. He stripped, neatly folding up his uniform and heading for the showers.

He spotted Armand, taking a shower next to the smaller man. He'd seen Armand getting involved in one of the fights earlier, and he wanted to make sure the man wasn't hurt.

"You okay?" The question was quickly followed by a Huttese swear as the water came on cold, before he figured out how to work the bizarre temperature control on the thing.

[unmocked_lawr]

Javert welcomed the idea of a shower; last night's fiasco with the undead cats had left him more than a little grimy. It would be good to feel clean again.

He stripped quickly and headed into the showers, more concerned with finding an empty spot than seeking out anyone he knew. It was by mere coincidence that the closest one happened to be next to St. Just.

Javert had seen him at breakfast, of course; it would be terribly difficult to miss the man standing on a table (trying, perhaps, he thought sardonically, to emulate his cousin's friends?). No doubt he'd been sedated as well. It was abominably stupid of St. Just to have gotten involved, but Javert still felt vaguely responsible for possibly the only other Frenchman in the place.

Thankfully, he was spared from having to say anything at the moment; it seemed the well-built man on the other side of St. Just was already speaking to him. Javert busied himself with the shower, feeling ridiculously proud of himself when the water came on pleasantly warm. He was learning already.

[secret_orchard]

Armand wiped water out of his face, and nodded to TK. "I'm fine, Mor'son. I wasn't hurt." His words were still slurred enough he didn't want to say much more. He noticed Javert's arrival and gave the man an embarrassed nod.

"Did I miss anyting importan'?" he asked them both.

Why were both of them so non-chalant with the nudity? He didn't dare ask for fear of further embarrassment. Next to both of them, he felt like a child.

[loyal_soldier]

"You could have been. You're damn lucky you only got sedated." The whole thing had looked like a bad idea from the start, and it hadn't started to look any better as more and more staff had started to overwhelm the combatants. TK could have probably dropped a few nurses or an orderly, but he'd decided to sit things out unless things got really nasty and someone needed an assist.

TK gave the other man who came over a slight nod in acknowledgement. Armand seemed to know him, so he was probably alright. "Don't think we've met. Sergeant TK-622, although I'll go by Temuera Morrison--what they keep on calling me here--if that's too odd." He didn't understand why so many people were uncomfortable with the designation. It was much more efficient.

[unmocked_lawr]

Javert nodded back as he started working shampoo into his hair. "I'm Javert," he responded, half-smiling. "I'd say it's a pleasure to meet you, Sergeant, but it isn't in a place like this."

He glanced at Armand; the man looked absolutely miserable. If Javert had been the tactful sort, he would have attempted to phrase his words more carefully. Unfortunately, he'd never been good at such things.

"You didn't miss anything, but it was unbelievably stupid of you to get involved."

[secret_orchard]

Armand rubbed soap into his hair, which allowed him to close his eyes for a moment. "I r'lize that now. Thought we had a chance."

"M'fine though," he repeated.

It wasn't easy to marshall his thoughts, but he felt compelled to explain anyway. "I was in that other rev'lution, too. Don't like oppression." Which was exactly why he'd turned against that revolution later.

[loyal_soldier]

TK didn't say anything else for the moment. He certainly didn't feel like it after the mention of some 'revolution'. It couldn't have been the same rebellion that he'd had to deal with for his whole twelve years of existence in this galaxy, but the idea never sat well with him at all. He just focused more on cleaning himself off and kept his mouth shut. He was likely to say something stupid if he didn't.

[unmocked_lawr]

Javert resisted the urge to sigh. "Landel's not a stupid man, St. Just. He was fully prepared for a large-scale revolt. And speaking of revolting, I should think you would know perfectly well just how 'that other revolution' turned out in the end."

He felt vaguely like an irate parent scolding his child, which was a rather unnerving thought given that St. Just was technically older than he. His voice softened almost imperceptibly. "You probably know this already, but the fiasco this morning was a waste of time and energy that could have been better spent planning for tonight. If you absolutely must overthrow the shackles of oppression, make sure the effort isn't a futile one." And, he added mentally, make sure no-one else is caught in the crossfire.

He supposed it was just as well nobody from his own time was here, considering - then had to hold back a snort of amusement at the thought of that Apollonian insurgent in a Landel's uniform.

[secret_orchard]

It wasn't as if he hadn't known, but he'd thought the uprising would be more general. At the time it had seemed plausible. Even a temporary victory might have gained them some advantage.

"If my st'pd cousin hadn't got too big for his britches..." he said about the other revolution. He didn't want to defend his thinking, not when he couldn't think very clearly.

He rubbed his eyes with his wet hands. "Can't think very well r't now."

[loyal_soldier]

TK had no idea what was going on, but that was normal by now. Still, he didn't make much attempt to hide the fact that he was confused by all of this. He didn't have anything to add on the subject of the riot that Javert hadn't already said, so he just settled for looking confused.

[unmocked_lawr]

Javert had to smile at that. It was slightly odd - but nevertheless undeniably amusing - to hear the infamous St. Just spoken of in that fashion.

"I guess you could put it that way," he said, teeth flashing in a quick grin as he reached for a bar of soap. He had a sudden urge to make another poor, tasteless 'lost his head' joke, but stopped himself in time.

Morrison (it was easier to think of him as that than whatever odd combination of letters and numbers he'd provided) looked rather lost; Javert raised an eyebrow at him. The smile broadened slightly. "We're from a little while back in this world's time, Sergeant. Would I be correct in suspecting that you're not from around here?"

[secret_orchard]

Relieved not to have to be answering questions right now, Armand tried to wash his back without much luck. At Javert's explanation he interjected another confused explanation. "About 40 years apart, m'think," he said. He giggled at Javert's gray hair suddenly. "Techn'ly I am older than he."

Suddenly the idea was the funniest thing he'd thought of for days and he couldn't stop giggling. So much so he had to step out the water not to accidentally snort water.

"An' Mor'son's on'y thir'een!" He doubled over then, laughing. He was the oldest of the three of them by that reckoning.

[loyal_soldier]

TK decided to chalk Armand's laughing fit up to sedation, and tried to answer Javert's question. "You'd be correct. I'm not from this planet at all- I'm a stormtrooper of the Galactic Empire." He didn't think to explain the statement about his age- he was still hopeless at remembering what was normal for civilians.

[unmocked_lawr]

Javert, too, assumed Armand had merely had one too many needles stuck into him. Choosing to find the situation more bizarre than hysterically amusing, he only raised his eyebrow again. "Watch you don't choke on something," he said, then couldn't resist adding, "old man."

What Morrison said made no sense whatsoever to him, but he knew better than to immediately discredit the other man's words; the first man he'd met here had never been on Earth either, after all. "Most interesting. You...look rather old for your age, if you'll pardon my rudeness."

[secret_orchard]

Desperate to stop the giggles, Armand pressed both hands against his mouth. Eventually, he stopped long enough to catch his breath. Oddly, the laughter cleared his head further. "Pardon me, good sirs. I don't know why that was so funny." Even his tongue was less tangled now.

Armand ducked under the water again to hide his embarrassment at his condition. He was so horrified about that he forgot about their nudity. He'd barely heard what Javert and TK had said.