Day 60: Intercom, Evening

[damned-intercom.livejournal.com]

The intercom jingled at its standard time, with the Head Doctor still in his over-the-top, jovial mood. It seemed not even the evening light could keep down the love he held for his job.

"Good evening, everyone! I hope your soul is filled with music from last shift; I know mine is."

There again was a stretch of silence. When the Head Doctor continued, he sounded marginally disappointed.

"But now it's time to wind down the day with a bit of dinner. Tonight, we'll be serving turkey breasts and quality gravy, with sides of garlic mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, grilled asparagus, and a small salad. For dessert, we will be having pumpkin pie with optional whipped creme. As per usual, we will have our vegetarian alternatives and a wide selection of drinks available. Turkey lovers, be sure to take advantage of the food; it'll be an entire week before you can have this delectable meat again."

He chuckled at the statement. One might have labeled it as dark.

"Anyway, enjoy! I will wish you all a good night momentarily!"

The intercom clicked off.

Comments

[fourstonewalls]

That was a good idea; and with as cold as it was, practical even if they ran into nothing at all. "You have a point."

She wasn't sure if Ilia was humoring her with the praise, but she tried another punch, this one a little surer. It still didn't feel like something she could really do when faced with something with two heads and five-inch-claws, but people could do remarkable things under stress. Some of them even good.

"Had you ever fought, in earnest, before you came here?" Was that poise Ilia maintained the voice of long experience, or something that had come together under pressure? It was idle curiosity, but Lana liked knowing what made people tick; it was an instinct she couldn't quite turn off, and didn't especially want to.

[avengingfists.livejournal.com]

If Ilia had a good caestus lying around she would have offered it to her roommate for extra protection, but at the moment the gloves would have to suffice.

"Good, good!" Ilia stood back and allowed Lana some room to practice. She definitely was getting better at her punches. Ilia only moved close now and then to help correct Lana's stance if she ever moved off.

"Oh, yes, actually," Ilia admitted, her eyes still on Lana's form and her voice just a little distracted. "On the planet I was currently researching we ran into a wide range of creatures the locals called 'demons.' It was a bit easier back then. I had an easier time accessing my stronger techniques. For some reason... I can't always fight at my best here." It troubled her, but it seemed like there was some sort of block on the whole place that happened to have shifted at some point the night before. She wasn't sure how it had been accomplished, but she was determined to get to the bottom of it before her stay in Landel's had completed. Ilia wasn't the type to leave any stone unturned.

[fourstonewalls]

So Ilia was one of the people with otherworldly powers. "Were you less encumbered last night? It seems quite a few were." Lana tried a punch with her left hand; that felt distinctly odd, and it showed in her technique. So she repeated it, her brow furrowed as she concentrated.

"I wish I knew why they even wanted people like me here. Those of us who fight with words, rather than weapons," she said, clarifying, even when it was pretty obvious what she meant. Like, oh, a lawyer. Hah. "They haven't given us much opportunity to use our skills. They haven't even bothered limiting those."

[avengingfists.livejournal.com]

"For a bit," Ilia admitted, her eyes still on Lana's form. "My team found ourselves in a bit of a... special place last night that didn't have the same freedoms, though, so we lost that boost."

The left punch had been awkward but that was natural for a beginner. If Lana could harness the power of her left fist, she could become a real power fighter in a tough spot. Most people didn't expect left-handed shots to pack much punch, so it could be an effective strike if she ever found herself fighting a human opponent. She was fighting mostly monsters, rabid animals and fantastical creatures, so she needed more off-the-wall advice for fighting.

"Something to keep in mind, if it comes down to it," Ilia said, stepping back to allow Lana more room to practice. "If you know a monster is going to attack and you know you can't dodge out of the way or run without being hit anyway, use your non-dominant arm as your shield. If you let your legs get hit you won't be able to run away, and you need your dominant arm for attacking and everyday convenience."

She held up her left arm in front of her and across her chest. "If you can, work to make the attack hit the back of your arm. If you can avoid hits, that's for the best, but if you have no choice then sometimes sacrifices are necessary."

Lana made a good point about those who fight with words. If they couldn't survive against the monsters then they had to rely on the care of others, and who knew if that was a safe route to follow. What if they put their trust in the wrong person? "I worry about the kids here, too. Even the ones with powers have to deal with the all the dangers here." Ilia sighed. "That's one of the first things I'll demand to know when we finally get to Landel. Why did he choose us, and what is the purpose of bring non-fighters here?"

[fourstonewalls]

"I'll leave that to you, then." A smile tugged at the corner of Lana's mouth. Confidence was key; while it didn't guarantee victory, its lack was a road to certain defeat.

The thought that she could sacrifice her left arm, if necessary, increased hers tremendously. She felt easier when she had a plan laid out in front of her. It wasn't a very good plan, and it would only work once; she only had one left arm, after all, but it was a tiny morsel of one, and it was more than she'd had before.

...Morsel was perhaps not the best way she could have put that. Ah, well.

"Motive, method, and opportunity." She pretended to contemplate these, looking at her fists like they held invisible case briefs. "I'm afraid I'm ill-equipped to divine the latter two as well. I'll just have to delegate." The smile twitched into a laugh, nervous energy bubbling up -- it would be almost nostalgic, if it weren't so dire.

The intercom crackled to life, as if in response; if Lana had been a superstitious woman, she might have found the coincidence alarming. As it was, she just found it more amusing, though she got it under control before nerves burst into outright giggles. "Take care, Ilia, and thank you."