Anise was actually sleeping well for once. When morning came, she was curled up on her side, her arms tightly hugging her pillow in the same way they would usually hold Tokunaga
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And just like that, the night was over. Had the night really been that short? They had only paused on the stairs when the intercom cut in. Edgar cursed himself for having needed the moment's rest- he hadn't been as well as he'd insisted, but he'd thought they would at least reach their destination. Being wrong was not one of his favorite activities
( ... )
Not surprisingly, the hymnal didn't give a lot of information about the types of religion practiced on Earth... but the lyrics were kind of nice, so Anise didn't mind skimming through it. She continued to do so until she noticed someone stop nearby, and she glanced over just in time to see a handsome blond bowing before her.
Immediately, her eyes lit up. "Edgar! Hee hee, it's been a while." Maybe just a few days, but any amount of time felt like a while when it came to good-looking men with class. He looked a little... off, though. Maybe he was sick
( ... )
Edgar smiled at her compliment, in spite of her noticing his condition right away. If he learned nothing else from the experimentation on him- magic aside- he hoped he would come out with a better understanding of how to hide the symptoms of an illness. It wasn't an skill with which he had a lot of practice, and while it wasn't always necessary- indeed, concern and the appearance of frailty sometimes made others more willing to talk- it was annoying at times
( ... )
Anise beamed when the man complimented her right back. "Ooh, I'm flattered!" she giggled. The 'fair' part had to refer to her natural cuteness, but it took a lot of effort to be as cheerful and pleasant as she usually was, so it was nice to feel appreciated! Especially by someone who she suspected had a wealthy upbringing. If only there was a subtle way to confirm that for sure
( ... )
"I'm eating as well as can be expected, given the gruel they're offering these days. For some of us, it's the only option." A grimace crossed Edgar's face as he mentioned the pink sludge. It occurred to him the patients might be fortunate enough to have the original menu open that day, since the staff seemed to be trying to fool the visitors into believing nothing had changed. "I had hoped to get a good meal in town, but as I was worse yesterday than I am now, I was only able to get enough to tide me over until today."
He crossed his arms, leaning into the pew as much as the stiff backing would allow. "Not that I can't stomach the gruel if I have to. There have been times where we couldn't reach town before nightfall, and had to have a meal at camp. Travel rations are nothing to write home about, and when you have to move quickly, there's no time for packing a lunch. I've had worse than what they're offering here, though skimping on meals probably isn't helping my recovery. Let's hope they're serving the original selections
"Ehe, really? That sucks. I've done a lot of traveling too, and our camp food is usually pretty good. Of course, I'm the one who does the most cooking." It was almost tragic to think a guy like Edgar couldn't get a decent meal while on the road. Sounded like he could use someone like Anise around! In fact, he could probably use her help right now.
Shuffling a little closer, so they'd be less likely to be overheard, Anise whispered, "Actually... I can probably help you with that. When we were in Doyleton yesterday, I bought these granola bars... They're nothing special, but they're probably easier to stomach than that pink stuff. If you want, I could share some with you." And since it wasn't an institute-supplied meal, she could probably do it without getting in trouble, too.
"I'm sure your cooking is far better than anything I could manage," Edgar said with a laugh. "My brother has some skill in it, but I'm afraid anything I created would leave your stomach in pieces. I've never had much practice with it, truthfully." Of course, it came with the territory of his position: he spent a lot of time dealing with ambassadors and inventions, not ingredients
( ... )
As was usual for her, Anise's mind carefully analyzed every little bit of information that could potentially give away the man's social status. His gentlemanly mannerisms seemed to point to a wealthy upbringing, and if he never had to learn to cook, then that hinted at the same... though she had to wonder how he couldn't get decent camp food. When someone rich traveled, they usually brought an entourage that could take care of all their needs
( ... )
She was right, of course- Edgar was in poor shape and probably needed bed rest as well as a good meal if he hoped to recover at a decent speed; however, he was also a firm believer that what didn't kill a person only made them stronger. He was being stubborn at this point, his own sense of pride fueling his refusal. It wasn't that he didn't want her help, but more that he was sure there were others worse off than he was. If the doctors were trying to force his hand and truly were watching how he managed the sickness, he could not afford them the chance to see a moment of weakness
( ... )
When Edgar apologized, Anise's expression softened, and the frown faded. She couldn't blame him for being stressed and acting weird; the institute often pushed Anise's own anxiety levels to the limit. It wasn't like he was being all that rude, anyway - just a little reckless and stubborn. Nothing she wasn't used to dealing with in heavier doses with some people she knew
( ... )
F14... same hallway as Celes' room, if his memory served him well. At least that made finding the place easier. Edgar smiled genuinely, a little surprised Anise would simply trust him with her room number. Then again, perhaps she had little to hide. Her teasing reminded him a little of Relm- it wasn't a bad resemblance, though it did leave him wondering if the artist would be anything like Anise in a few years.
There was a stirring from the back of the chapel- the "nurses" had arrived, presumably to move everyone to the next shift. Though annoyed by the interruption, Edgar was pleased the time had passed so quickly. It convinced him the rest of the day would be tolerable if he could keep himself occupied.
"Believe me, if there's one thing I do know," he said, "it's how to be a gentleman." He got to his feet slowly, offering his hand to help Anise from her seat. "Should I stop by tonight, you can count on me being on my very best behavior."
Boooo. They were trying to wrap up the shift already? Just when Anise was really enjoying herself!
Any frustration she felt at the unwelcome interruption quickly faded when Edgar held out his hand to her, though. Why couldn't all men be this charming? Taking his hand and rising to her feet, Anise grinned and nodded at his reply.
A familiar-looking nurse was making her way down the aisle, presumably to escort Anise, so it looked like it really was time to say goodbye. "It's too bad we have to leave already. Let's make sure we meet again soon, okay?" She flashed Edgar another bright smile before skipping away to meet her "nurse."
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Immediately, her eyes lit up. "Edgar! Hee hee, it's been a while." Maybe just a few days, but any amount of time felt like a while when it came to good-looking men with class. He looked a little... off, though. Maybe he was sick ( ... )
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He crossed his arms, leaning into the pew as much as the stiff backing would allow. "Not that I can't stomach the gruel if I have to. There have been times where we couldn't reach town before nightfall, and had to have a meal at camp. Travel rations are nothing to write home about, and when you have to move quickly, there's no time for packing a lunch. I've had worse than what they're offering here, though skimping on meals probably isn't helping my recovery. Let's hope they're serving the original selections
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"Ehe, really? That sucks. I've done a lot of traveling too, and our camp food is usually pretty good. Of course, I'm the one who does the most cooking." It was almost tragic to think a guy like Edgar couldn't get a decent meal while on the road. Sounded like he could use someone like Anise around! In fact, he could probably use her help right now.
Shuffling a little closer, so they'd be less likely to be overheard, Anise whispered, "Actually... I can probably help you with that. When we were in Doyleton yesterday, I bought these granola bars... They're nothing special, but they're probably easier to stomach than that pink stuff. If you want, I could share some with you." And since it wasn't an institute-supplied meal, she could probably do it without getting in trouble, too.
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There was a stirring from the back of the chapel- the "nurses" had arrived, presumably to move everyone to the next shift. Though annoyed by the interruption, Edgar was pleased the time had passed so quickly. It convinced him the rest of the day would be tolerable if he could keep himself occupied.
"Believe me, if there's one thing I do know," he said, "it's how to be a gentleman." He got to his feet slowly, offering his hand to help Anise from her seat. "Should I stop by tonight, you can count on me being on my very best behavior."
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Any frustration she felt at the unwelcome interruption quickly faded when Edgar held out his hand to her, though. Why couldn't all men be this charming? Taking his hand and rising to her feet, Anise grinned and nodded at his reply.
A familiar-looking nurse was making her way down the aisle, presumably to escort Anise, so it looked like it really was time to say goodbye. "It's too bad we have to leave already. Let's make sure we meet again soon, okay?" She flashed Edgar another bright smile before skipping away to meet her "nurse."
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