Day 57: Cafeteria

[gald_digger]

Edgar's charming company had raised Anise's spirits enough that not even the Head Doctor's voice could bring them back down. Besides, she was feeling pretty sure that Landel wasn't actually around. To begin with, it wouldn't make sense, and secondly, his announcements sounded suspiciously like ones she'd already heard before. While Anise wasn't

Comments

[corvus_veritas]

An array of foods, my foot.After such a long winded speech about the many wonderful eatings the patients would get this morning, all Byrne got was the same pink gruel as usual. Ugh. Again? Why did some patients get the good stuff and others get this slop? What was the trick to getting treated like a human being around here? Was it seniority or ass kissing? Or both

[sortaheadstrong]

If they're just going to give us this pink stuff, then why announce the food at all? ran through Celty's thoughts as she tried not to cringe at the gruel slopping onto her plate from the Lunch lady's ladle. Yesterday's food had apparently been a treat, but now she was back to this stuff that she'd still not been brave enough to even try as of yet.

She wasn't sure she'd find the courage for it today either, as stood.

Since Izaya hadn't given her his explanation of how it tasted, and probably wouldn't, she looked around the room for someone else who was actually eating the stuff for a reference. Eventually she spotted a man who either liked the mush a bit too much or else wanted it gone quickly and moved over to his table, asking quietly, "Ah... excuse me...? Can I... ask how that tastes?"

Speech was getting easier for her the more time she spent there, but she didn't want to be rude either in case he wanted to be left alone.

[corvus_veritas]

By this point, Byrne was already about half finished with the dreadful stuff on his plate. He didn't react to the woman's question at first; there was this silly assumption in his head that she wasn't actually trying to talk to him, but rather some other person sitting near him. After a few seconds, however, the prosecutor glanced up from his 'meal' out of curiosity to find that the woman really was talking to him after all. Oops

[sortaheadstrong]

Celty waved that his misunderstanding was fine, and returned his smile as a thanks for his take on the stuff before glancing at her tray. Not the worst taste in the world meant it wasn't great, but that it was something actually edible at least. And since he was eating it, then that was proof enough that he wasn't lying.

Hmmmm... she debated a bit as she faced off with the goop. Eventually she steadied her tray with one hand and ran a finger along the top of her pile. It felt just the way it looked, and as for how it tasted... Celty took another moment to stare at the pink-tipped end of her finger before sticking it in her mouth.

It was no hamburger, but for someone who did not know enough food tastes to compare it with, she couldn't really give it a definition. It was just... plain, maybe? In any event, the uncertainty of flavor caused Celty's head to tilt off on a mild confusion.

[corvus_veritas]

Byrne stopped eating momentarily to watch the woman bravely try the pink gruel for herself. Her reaction to it was something to be admired, unless she were skillfully hiding her disgust. Definitely a calmer expression than the face Byrne had made upon his first encounter with the pink sludge...

"It's something to get used to," he commented while gently pushing his own plate of goop a few inches away from him. He'd eaten about half of it and that was good enough for him. Besides, he'd rather converse with this new person than eat right now. Wasn't it about time he introduced himself to her? Introductions were always important when speaking with strangers. If it wasn't important for identification purposes, it was just plain polite. In this case, the more people Byrne knew around here, the better. "I'm afraid we haven't met before, so allow me to introduce myself. I'm Byrne Faraday. And you are...?"

[sortaheadstrong]

Getting used to things was all Celty had been doing since arriving at the place so she wouldn't have any trouble with the challenge. Especially given that the gruel seemed to be the only thing she'd be getting.

When he introduced himself, Celty pulled her finger from her mouth and grabbed her tray before her fumbling sent it to the ground. She then gave a nodding bow over her tray to him. "Oh I'm Celty," she greeted, not wanting to be rude. She'd already interrupted his meal by suddenly speaking to him, so she could at least give a proper introduction, "Celty Sturluson."

[corvus_veritas]

"Nice to meet you." Byrne nodded his head in return, a little curious as to why she reacted the way she did but not being bothered by her at all. The question still remained, though: was she new? Because he was getting a strong feeling that she was. Then again, he wasn't the best at judging these kinds of things, considering he was rather new himself...

Oh well, it really couldn't hurt to ask. "Just out of curiosity, Ms. Sturluson, how long have you been here?" Part of him hoped her answer was over two or three days. As much as he was eager to help people out, he really wasn't sure what to say to someone new without making them think he was nuts.