Day 64: Cafeteria (brunch)

[gald_digger]

Well, that went well! Anise had gained herself a gorgeously handsome new friend. She just hoped that weird illness didn't get either of them killed before she could get to know him any better.

... Yeah, that was morbid. It was hard not to think about, though.

Before going to the Cafeteria, Anise made a stop at her room to grab her journal, maps, and a pen. Once she finished eating, she could get a start on copying the maps for Barnaby. He was going to be so glad he met her!

With that done, Anise made her way to the Cafeteria, where she picked up an assortment of food, making sure to get some meat, vegetables, and milk on her tray. She then sat down at a table and set her notes aside while she started on her meal. It was hard not to feel self-conscious about the rash on her arm, though the makeup she used had blended the discolored part enough that it couldn't be seen from a distance. Anise just hoped no one would come specifically looking for it.

[Ilia!]

Comments

[gald_digger]

When Ilia approached, Anise returned the woman's big smile with one of her own, though there was a hint of nervousness to it. She was still feeling feverish and sore, and there was the only-mostly-hidden rash... Could she even keep hiding her illness anymore?

Possible or not, she was going to try. Without missing a beat, Anise quickly responded to the pleasantries. "Yeah! Not since..." Oh, wait. The last time they talked was right after the Coliseum incident. Best not to mention that. "... a few days ago, huh?" Good save.

Anise went on, hoping that talking quickly would keep Ilia from giving that little pause any thought. "How've you been? Did you get to buy anything cool yesterday?"

sorry I dropped this so early ;n; wanna backtag a few rounds? I understand if you're busy with NS

[avengingfists]

"A few days feels like a few months here." Ilia chuckled, though honestly it was worrying. This place was wearing them thin. There even seemed to be fewer patients then ever, though she wasn't taking attendance by any means.

"I sure did!" Ilia pulled out a brilliant smile, all her thoughts on her bright plans. "I've got some beer and daiquiris. Low point, but still bound to be delicious! Did you see my note?"

Ilia was distracted enough by her own plans that she hardly noticed the slight discoloration to Anise's arm. If it wasn't an obvious wound or the rash wasn't waved in front of her, she wasn't likely to notice in the next several minutes either.

[gald_digger]

Most of Anise's worries didn't seem to register with Ilia, which allowed the girl to relax a little. Maybe she was just being too paranoid.

It surprised her that the staff let Ilia buy alcohol, though it also surprised her that Ilia wanted it that much in the first place. Then again... "Oh, yeah! Something about a bar?" Anise had been poking around the bulletin as usual, and she remembered seeing a note to that effect. As a minor, she didn't think of it as something she could contribute to, though it was nice to see some not-so-gloomy notes from time to time.

"I didn't know you liked drinking so much." It wasn't so much a criticism as it was genuine surprise. Thinking about it, Anise realized she probably didn't know most of her friends at the institute that well at all. With so little freedom, they didn't often get to do the things they usually enjoyed.

[avengingfists]

"Yeah!" Ilia grinned, happy to know her note had been noticed by one of her friends. Though Anise was probably too young to care for the strong flavor of liquor. It wasn't disappointing as much as just a little disheartening that her closest friends here probably couldn't join her in drinking.

Ilia nodded and sighed, thinking back to her days in academy. She took a small bite of her food and swallowed before speaking. "I am very fond of it. A taste for alcohol used to be one of the few things that set me apart from the other ensigns. So I got used to it, and after a few weeks of treating it like a chore..." Ilia shrugged. "I don't know. Something clicked. Now I love it."

[gald_digger]

Huh. Looked like she learned something new about Ilia.

“I still don’t really get the appeal,” which probably made sense, given Anise’s age, “but it’s popular with the Oracle Knights, too.” The clergy had a lot of objections to knights of the Order drinking and acting like fools, but it was pretty hard to keep up an army’s morale without the stuff. Even a little girl like Anise understood that much.

“Oh, but I used to work at a tavern myself, actually. I learned how to cook a lot of stuff there!” That was a long time ago, but it had been Anise’s first real job. She’d learned a lot during her short time there – including much about the adult world in general.

Actually, that reminded her of another purpose of the establishment. Anise’s grin widened once more. “Say, bars are usually good places for sharing rumors, right? Make sure to spread the word about my beauty!” She giggled at her little joke… though she was half-serious.

[avengingfists]

Ilia laughed, light-hearted as ever. "Yeah, soldiers love their booze! I'm pretty sure that's a common thread in any world."

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. The world of Aulderant must be a pretty progressive place, or else they just didn't have child labor laws. Or maybe Anise was just that talented. "I'm impressed. Most kids don't care to go into the work force at such an early age. At least, not where I'm from."

And for a second time, Ilia was thrown into a fit of giggles. Anise was such a cute kid. "I'll be sure to let all the upstanding young men I see know." She gave her friend a wink and dove into her food once again. Today was turning out pretty nice. Easy conversation, and booze to look forward to when the night fell.

"You'll probably be busy tonight, but feel free to stop by if you want." Ilia didn't even need to require Anise to give the password. She had the proper connections, after all. "You know where to find me."