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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[girlsandgadgets]

Edgar awoke with a start, the morning routine he'd become accustomed to over the past few days having been changed once again. Gone were the military's announcements, as well as the uniform, replaced with the familiar drab clothing featuring the smiling faces they were expected to wear as happy patients of Landel's Institute. With the soft knock at the door and the nurse's voice coming through to announce the start of breakfast, his suspicions were even further solidified: the military was gone

[corvus_veritas]

Just like all the other nights before it, Byrne's sixth night in this hellhole came to an abrupt end. At least he and Renamon had actually gotten something done before then, although all the impossibility going on with teleporting and Renamon's fighting skills had threatened to melt his brain the whole time.

Byrne sat up in bed and rubbed his eyes, coming alive much slower this morning than usual. It wasn't until he swung his legs off the bed and set his feet on the floor that he first noticed it. Sweatpants. ...T-shirt? The smiley-face t-shirt? And a wristband? What?

Woah woah woah, hold on a second. That voice over the intercom just now...not Aguilar's or Harrington's? 'Impromptu vacation'... Landel's back?!His seventh morning in his place, and he was still waking up to something completely unexpected. Even so, the voice and uniform changes weren't entirely convincing, once he'd had a moment to think about it. They'd pulled this sort of trick before, after all. But when that nurse from the first day came in the room and greeted

[girlsandgadgets]

Edgar couldn't help the smile he wore as he pushed another bite into his mouth, finding himself joined by someone who apparently shared his sentiment for the return of the original menu. While no stranger to traveling food and slim rations, the tasteless gruel had been more than a minor annoyance among many. He leaned on the table on his elbows, more relaxed than he had been in some time. It was strange to think he'd missed the nurses.

Then again, the one that escorted him from place to place was quite fair. Perhaps it wasn't so strange a thought after all.

"I couldn't agree more," Edgar said with a warm grin. "Just the sight of them has me feeling more optimistic than I have in some time. It's amazing what a few days of subsisting on gruel can do for one's mood."

He had another quick bite, bringing the napkin to his mouth before speaking. "I'm Edgar."

[corvus_veritas]

Feeling more optimistic from just the sight of the waffles? Boy, did Byrne ever. By the time Edgar introduced himself, the starving prosecutor had already downed three huge bites of waffle and was going in for a fourth. He knew well enough that eating large quantities of food so quickly would probably give him a stomachache later (and not to mention it was bad for the waistline, if all those health reports were to be believed), but honestly? He didn't care right now. He'd gone all day yesterday without eating thanks to the rotting food, and he'd never even had the chance to enjoy the snacks he'd stolen from the Sheriff's Office last night. Now that he finally had good food again for the first time in almost a week, he was going to eat it, damnit

Bother, typos everywhere.

[girlsandgadgets]

Edgar's eyes flicked toward the man at one point, noting how many bites he managed to cram into his mouth in quick succession. His smile widened briefly as he recalled a better time, and someone who seemingly ate just as much without a second thought.

He finished his own mouthful before answering the question. "That's right. About two and a half weeks now, if I recall." He masked the apprehension that came with that statement- over two weeks there, and he was no closer to escaping, no closer to finding those who had gone missing. Why had they disappeared, with Locke being replaced entirely, and not him?

Not that he wanted to be brainwashed, but he was admittedly curious. He continued: "Longer than I'd like, but it could always be worse, I suppose."

Those damn typos. :C

[corvus_veritas]

"Two and a half weeks? Wow," Byrne replied, although there was no cheeriness in his voice when he said it. Two and a half weeks was a long time to him, more than double the length of time he'd been here himself. Though Renamon had said she'd been here for at least three weeks, hadn't she? Were there others who had been here longer? What a scary thought...but anyway. The only thing good about Edgar being here that long was the fact that he (obviously) wasn't dead yet. Nothing else. No one should be kept prisoner in a place like this for so long, no matter how good the food was

[girlsandgadgets]

Edgar caught the trepidation on Byrne's face as it was reflected in his tone. "That was the promise made, wasn't it?" But the question was whether or not the military truly would return. In his experience, it wasn't so easy to get rid of those corrupt individuals with power. It only gave them a craving for more

[corvus_veritas]

Byrne didn't notice Edgar's brief pause, as he paused himself to take yet another bite of waffle. He still considered the other man's words carefully, though, and nodded in agreement when he finished. We're ultimately all prisoners. Ain't that the truth. It didn't really matter who was in charge, it was still the same messy situation in the end. And whatever happened, if the military came back or not, Edgar was right - the patients needed to be ready for it.

The prosecutor's expression briefly turned grimmer as he thought of the consequences of the military coming back. They might exercise even stricter control over the patients than last time, if whatever had caused that emergency last night was thanks to someone finding a break in the system. Come to think of it, who was responsible for last night, anyway? There had been talk of a traitor the night before last, so maybe they were responsible? Or else Landel did it, or maybe even one of the patients if that were possible? Hm

[girlsandgadgets]

Edgar shook his head. "I honestly can't say. We know from the broadcasts that Landel wasn't working alone... but if the rebels were really the boost he needed to regain his position, why haven't their efforts without him been more successful

[corvus_veritas]

[Gaah, sorry this took me so long!]

Byrne shook his head and sighed. Edgar was right. Why haven't these rebels (whoever they are) been more successful? If they did help Landel do whatever he did last night to get back in charge, then why weren't they able to help at least some of the patients escape? Was it some fault of theirs, or was there just something Landel knew that no one else did, like a secret passage into this place or something?

Ugh... Not knowing the answers to any of these questions (or nearly any question about this place period) was beyond infuriating. But at least he was sure that it wasn't impossible to escape. Kay had done it somehow (and Byrne refused to believe otherwise), but then again, that had been just before the military's takeover... Who knew how the security around here might have changed since then?

"I don't know. But something got Landel through last night, whether it was the rebels or not. Maybe he just knows this place better than anyone and could get in that way, or maybe he found a gap in the