Day 58: Cafeteria

[gald_digger]

Anise woke up feeling lucky to be alive. She still felt a bit waterlogged, even though her skin, hair, and clothes were completely dry. During last night's adventures, she'd swallowed a lot of water, and it still felt heavy and disgusting in her stomach. Her arms and legs were tired from treading water. Lying still in her bed, she still kind of

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[ofthemotions]

...And he had fallen asleep. A wonderful start to an imprisonment, because Mikado couldn't even check to see if what he had been told was true. He sighed from his position on the bed, the heels of his hands pressing into his eyes. All right, then. He was still here, check. Now in new clothes, which lined up with what Peter said. Though... the outfit and the guy on the speakers made it seem like they were in the military and that... Could not be right in any way

[unit67]

Hopefully, Mikado didn't want to be alone with his thoughts, because seconds later a blond girl bounced up to the seat opposite him, placing her own platter on the table with a quiet clatter that made the pink gruel quiver nauseatingly. The morning had come abruptly just as it had the night before, but at least this time she hadn't been interrupted in the middle of a fight. As such, her mood was much better, and the wide smile she gave the boy was genuine with only the weakest hint of shyness. "It's not that terrible," she said cheerfully as she picked up her spoon. "At least they give us something, right?" A spoonful of the slop slid neatly into her mouth, and she looked up at the ceiling as she considered the taste, thoughtfully rolling her tongue around the oatmeal-like texture. Finally, Lily wrinkled her nose and swallowed. "No, you're right. It's pretty bad

[ofthemotions]

A cheerful voice was enough to take him from his own thoughts, and he glanced up surprised. There was a beat of hesitation, then he sighed. "It's not," he gave, resigned. "But I'm not looking forward to eating it again." The girl wasn't familiar to him--looked a bit younger--and if he had to guess, her hair was probably naturally blond instead of dyed. She was cute, though, and optimistic enough to provoke a smile back from Mikado.

"Ryuugamine Mikado," he answered on habit, full name, despite remembering yesterday and the problems a couple had with pronouncing it. More reason to believe we're not in Japan, I guess. "Lily-san?" he wondered at her name, thinking for a beat. Then it clicked and he raised his eyebrows in question. "Like the flower

[unit67]

"Some people get better food," she observed, watching a blue-haired girl cut a pancake with her fork. Lily's expression was mild confusion as she scanned the room, trying to notice a difference between themselves and the people who'd been given more ordinary meals. Nothing noticeable, or, at least, nothing she could notice. "I don't know why, though." It might be random, or maybe they had done special things like whatever Rose had done the night before

[ofthemotions]

He had noticed that yesterday. Mikado sighed down at his plate. "Maybe they're just torturing the new kids..." Ah, but that, he shouldn't make assumptions on. He slid a hand to the back of his neck awkwardly. "Have you been here very long

[unit67]

"This is my second day," Lily said. "It's really nice here." And it was nice, despite the stories that people told her. The possibility of running into a monster at night was far preferable to the certainty of meeting two or three every day, and the soldiers hadn't been especially mean. The way Mother had talked to them, promising love in exchange for peak performance, made Lily feel cold and sick and alone. Aguilar did none of that. "I wish my friends could have come

[ofthemotions]

Huh. Here was something new. The girl--Lily--seemed completely genuine when she said that. Almost happy. It didn't fit the image others had painted, of a skewed institution. He frowned, then laughed a bit awkwardly. "A lot of people have been telling me the opposite, to be honest. It's not that bad, then

[unit67]

"Oh, it's okay!" Lily said quickly. "You can call me whatever you like. Mikado-san." Another smile. It was a fun, really, having two names. Like a game, like pretending to be someone else but without any lying. Besides, if he felt awkward calling her by one name, he must be at least a little bothered in the reverse situation, right? Even if he didn't say so. Mikado seemed nice, and she didn't want to make him uncomfortable. The fear of saying or doing something wrong sent a prickly feeling through her, a muted precursor. It doesn't matter what he thinks. You don't have to be friends to play with someone. Lily's eyes widened the slightest bit before she shoved the thought away. It was easier to keep the voice restrained during the day, but even so, each misplaced thought was a painful reminder

[ofthemotions]

She said that, but her expression had shifted to something else after saying that that spoke of something unwanted. She seemed nice; it could be that she'd prefer otherwise and just wasn't telling him to be polite. If it was that, Mikado could try to call her just by her name. It seemed so intimate, but if it was really that strange to her.... His mouth opened to try it out, but almost instantly he flushed brightly, and he dropped his head, giving up. Lily-san for now. He didn't even call Masaomi by his first name in casual speech

[unit67]

Lily bit her lip and looked down, realizing that she might have made an error in being so frank when she really just meant to explain why she thought the place wasn't so terrible. Was it a bad thing to be a child soldier? It didn't necessarily imply that she lost control, that she was capable of hurting her friends. It didn't reveal anything about the dark voice, about her own weakness against it. There were others, those who weren't a threat...people like Heine, like Giovanni, like most of the others. Anyone would want to be friends with them. They wouldn't be scared. Still, she chose her words carefully, a bit nervously and not entirely free of shame. Her last memory, her hands slick with Heine's blood, coated her memory with warm red. And Giovanni

[ofthemotions]

Her expression seemed to fall, and Mikado half-wished he could take back what he asked. Except it was there, for better or worse, and the truth was what was important in the end. Even if he didn't have the right to know it. Her expression had guaranteed the answer before she even spoke it, and the way she spoke, without coyness or subterfuge, made him believe her. When Lily paused, Mikado smiled, nodding once. "Then this place is better, then. I'm glad that you did get out, one way or the other