Day 21: Lunch

[totallytheseme]

Hikaru and Kaoru had been so caught up in their little game that they initially hadn't heard the intercom go off. The new "ding" system was far less jarring than the old SCREECH, and as such, wasn't as easily heard, even in a place as quiet as the library. All too soon, the nurses came to separate the twins and take them to the next activity--

Comments

[lustful_thing]

Lust was still rather irritated that her conversation with Luxord had been cut short. What a rude man, that Captain Reynolds. Still... he did seem to simply be worried over River. That hardly gave him an excuse to blunder into a conversation with all the grace of a drunken bull.

She'd catch up with Luxord - and the captain, if he decided he needed to lecture her on anything else - later. She had arranged a meeting at lunch with Barret Wallace. Who didn't seem to be in the cefeteria. She got her lunch and sat at an empty table, keeping her eyes on the door to spot the wheelchaired man when he entered.

[lustful_thing]

(moving down two threads)

[ifandmaybe]

Having skipped breakfast and the first activity because she "wasn't feeling well," Inara found herself unable to remain focused on her meditations and reflections. She was rather hungry, after all, and there were several people she'd desperately wanted to talk to after the night had passed

[still_free]

Just when Mal had been starting to worry over Inara, he spotted her right as he entered the cafeteria. Even though it was already fairly full, he didn't have a hard time locating her. It was true, what he had said before - she did stand out.

Getting food would be to his benefit and this style was not something unfamiliar to him, considering that the Alliance had been a joint effort between the United States and China. He grabbed a bowl, filled it with steamed rice and beef, and then went to go sit with the Companion. With her glowing personality, he was rather surprised no one had gone to sit with her yet.

He sat down without a word and began to eat, only glancing over at her after having taken a few bites.

"Get hurt last night?" He, for once, hadn't gotten himself seriously injured. He'd have to see if Inara had fared as well. Hopefully she had found some people to travel with - or maybe she had just stayed in her room.

[ifandmaybe]

And there he was. Without so much as introduction, he'd plopped himself right down and started to eat. Had she not been so relieved to see him well after the Nightshift, Inara might've cast a disproving glance in his direction. As things were, her sigh of relief was audible.

"Mal, thank god you're alright," she breathed, ignoring his own question at first as she reached over the table reflexively to touch his hand. No sooner did she make contact, then the awkwardness kicked in and she gracefully retracted it.

They kept meeting like this, her relieved to see him still walking, him acting as casual as could be.

"I'm fine. I was fortunate enough to run into Zoe, Simon, and Kaylee. Thankfully, nothing crossed out paths." She paused, giving him a good once over to make sure he wasn't seriously injured himself. "And you? Did you run into anything last night?"

[still_free]

The combination of her letting God enter the conversation and the physical contact immediately put Mal on the defensive. There was nothing to logically be afraid of, but he was more than aware of how Inara could be a weakness of his.

"Why wouldn't I be?" he asked, though he was not as hostile about it as he could have been. In fact, there was a bit of his ego shining through in the statement. She should have known by now that he had made an art of escaping death.

He nodded. "I saw Simon, River, and Kaylee earlier." It seemed like everyone was okay. There was still no sign of Jayne. He was beginning to wonder if he had somehow escaped already or prevented his capture in the first place. What was strange was that Zoe hadn't found him yet - and it was already lunch. Where was she?

"Yeah, I ran into something. Found... a weapon, too." Not that a bat was much of a weapon, but it was better than nothing. "Ended up saving someone from the monster that was after us." He sighed. She'd probably comment on his strange sense of honor again.

[bigshotbarret]

Barret was in a good mood now. At least, as good as it could get when one thought of the current predictament. Vincent's mistaken identity had filled him with such riotous laughter that he hadn't even said a cross word as the nurse hauled him away by the handles of his wheelchair and guided him into the Cafeteria. It was there he noticed the pain once again as the hilarity subsided, and he was left with the mind numbing agony of what was his middle. A hand to the wounds, he listened as the nurse admonished him for not taking better care of himself. He wanted to say 'Shut the fuck up', but instead kept quiet

[lustful_thing]

Lust saw the large, dark skinned man as he was wheeled in to the dining hall. Even in the demeaning chair she could see how broad and muscled he was. Larger and darker than even her scarred man, who had always been the epitome of the virile warrior on Lust's mind. He certainly did look as though he'd had a rough night.

Lust picked up her tray and crossed the room, hips swaying as she moved to stand across from the man.

"Barret Wallace?" she asked, her voice its usual husky purr.

[bigshotbarret]

When she had made it halfway to him, he took full notice of her. Full notice; from the sway of her hips, to her straightened posture and confident stride even in those ridiculous clothes they were all forced to wear. Barret was able to keep control of his mind as well as his eyes, forcing them to keep to her face. He hadn't dealt with a multitude of women since his own wife was killed, but he surely knew how to respect them. After all, he had a child...back home, and if he ever hoped for her to find a respectful man, he'd have to at least give her something to compare it to. Sure, his other mannerisms weren't exactly...respectful when associated with the common man all the time....

One day he'd figure out a happy medium.

When she spoke his name, a gentle, icy shiver crawled up his arms and over his skin. He blinked a few times before forcing his head to nod, and gave a respectful smile. "I told you I ain't hard to miss. I take it you must be Lust. Good to see you." He held out his fleshed left hand for her to take.

[lustful_thing]

"No, you're certainly not." Lust took his hand and shook it firmly, her grip more a man's than a woman's. "Yes, I'm Lust. It's a pleasure to meet you." She sat across from him, setting down her tray. This was all really so ridiculous when she stopped to think about it, even now. This place, the uniforms, the constant watchful eyes of the so-called staff....

"A pity we couldn't meet under more pleasant circumstances," she went on. Dear god, he was an impressive man. "I take it your night wasn't an easy one. Mine wasn't, either." Her wounds were hidden beneath her clothes, at least, and not so severe as to need an aide to walk.

[felled_hero]

And another message from the all-powerful intercom. Hughes bid Ed farewell and headed to lunch, knowing that the teen would probably be in a better mood after he ate.

The food was nothing like Hughes was used to eating, but he had to admit it looked pretty good. He caught sight of one of the twins sitting by himself and contemplated going over. But he'd leave him alone for now.

He was really hoping to be able to catch up with Roy, but it looked like outside forces were conspiring to keep them apart. Wasn't that the way? The bespectacled man took a seat at a table and dug immediately into his lunch.

[braidless]

When the Head Doctor announced it was time for lunch, Obi-Wan couldn't help but feel a little relieved to have something more substantial than fictional books to keep him occupied. His conversation with Qui-Gon might have taken an awkward turn, though it was just as well possible the Jedi Master hadn't cared too much about Obi-Wan's recent actions, both on the board and towards him. In fact, there was even the (admittedly slim) chance the man wasn't aware of them at all

[felled_hero]

"hmm?" Hughes glanced up at a man he didn't know and then smiled. "No, not at all. You're welcome to it." He gestured to it with his free hand.

"I'm Maes Hughes, I don't think we've met. I've seen you around, though."

[braidless]

"Likewise," Obi-Wan said, and he sat down with his tray. The Jedi turned to the man, studying him for a brief moment. He seemed to be a little older than himself, though he was definitely younger than Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan had heard about Maes Hughes on his first day here. Haru had mentioned teaming up with him or something of that nature, while Lust had described him as "competent enough." (He supposed any lack of enthusiasm on her part could have been attributed to the fact she and this Hughes didn't get along so well, which was understandable.)

"I'm Obi-Wan Kenobi," he added. "This is my third day here, but I'm under the impression you've been here a lot longer."

[qui_gonjinn]

Qui-Gon took it as a good sign that his stomach actually rumbled at the thought of food. He hadn't been eating that much recently, wasn't even sure half of what the lunch menu even consisted of (more Earthian words, he supposed), but the smell emanating from the cafeteria was enough to be tempting. It smelled strange, exotic, and a bit tangy, with some kind of unknown spices mixed in there.

The nurse escorting him seemed to be relaxing around his presence - she smiled up at him, and escorted him toward the line in front of the counter. The woman couldn't reach his shoulders and settled instead for placing a guiding hand in the small of his back. Noticing her patient looking at the food without any recognition, she pointed out what tended to be favored by the other patients, and soon enough Qui-Gon found himself seated at a table with what he knew now was a plate of fried rice, chicken (some kind of avian species, apparently - he hoped it wasn't a sentient one), and milkHe wasn't too sure about the milk. Instead of being a dubious

[stray_shinigami]

Renji had only listened to the lunch menu with half an ear until he heard the word rice, and then that was pretty much all that registered. Rice. Ricericerice. Like a transfusion of blood to a dying man.

...okay, maybe he was getting a little melodramatic, but it still made him pathetically happy.

He went through the lunch line, and completely ignored both the noodles and meat. He piled his plate high with steamed rice (not as sticky as it should be, but damnit, it was rice and he was going to take it while he could get it) and vegetables. He also got a glass of water. Juice was too sweet. Maybe if he messed with Wilson some more, they could get some tea

[qui_gonjinn]

"Not at all," said Qui-Gon, looking up.

The Jedi nodded toward the nearest available seat, glancing askance at the patient joining him. Renji, wasn't it? He definitely looked familiar, especially with that shock of long red hair and those black tattoos...tattoos that reminded Qui-Gon of that Sith on Naboo. Giving himself a mental shake - the Sith was dead, he wasn't, and he had been reunited with Obi-Wan - Qui-Gon offered a serene smile at Renji.

"How's your day so far?" he asked. It was an innocent enough question, and Qui-Gon was honestly interested in knowing. What happened to even one person here had a bearing on all. He poked at the still-full glass of milk. "Can't say I've ever seen milk this color before."

[stray_shinigami]

Renji sat, preparing for what he was, privately, starting to think of as his 'ricegasm.' It was odd, the things you started to think after going without the staple of life that you'd had every day for every meal for centuries.

"It's been pretty good, so far," he said. "I talked to another dead guy, which was interesting. Kind of weird, too, in fact." While part of him thought that maybe he should keep his mouth shut, he really did like Qui-Gon, and he really did prefer to be honest. If he felt like he could trust the guy - which he did - then why not? "A variation on dead that I haven't seen before, so weird, yet cool."

He took a bite of his rice, his eyes half-closing with pleasure at the taste. "Ah, heaven," he muttered, after he swallowed. "A hundred years in the desert and a cool drink of water."

He gave Qui-Gon a crooked grin, gesturing at the milk with his fork. "No matter what the color, I have no idea how people drink that stuff." Another bite of rice. "What color are you used to?"