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

[lighthearted]

Sora knew that the nurses weren't a part of it, but that didn't make him any more willing to accept their help. It wasn't because he wanted to be spiteful toward them, but rather that in the end, Landel had to be supplying the medicine that they were giving out. They could end up handing him something that was bad for him without even realizing it.

Tsubaki mentioned the possibility of other patients having supplies of medicine that they'd picked up in the past, which sounded like a much safer way to get some, if harder to coordinate. Sora felt like it might be best if he just went looking for medicine on his own tonight, but the truth was that the thought of it was tiring on its own.

"Yeah, could be," he said after a pause. "I can try asking around, I guess." He'd already placed up two different notes on the bulletin, though, so adding a third almost felt like he was abusing it. Still, that was what it was meant for, and chances were that other people in his position were also looking for ways to muffle the symptoms.

"It's just too bad we weren't able to make it to the pharmacy last night." Not that Sora was surprised, with the bus crash and everything else. The timing had just been bad. He knew what Snow had been trying to do, but it had backfired in the end.

[thecamellia]

“It’s just an idea. Don‘t trouble yourself to go looking if you don‘t want to,” she said. “I can always do that if you need it, but if you want to go without medicine, rest might help with the nausea. And water.”

Tsubaki wasn’t terribly surprised that they hadn’t gotten far inside the Institute, either. She wasn’t sure how they could have, after stumbling over what they had in the entryway. The worst kind of ‘welcome back’ surprise.

She straightened and gave Sora a brighter smile. “Hey, tonight I’m going out with someone to look for some clues on what’s making people sick. We’re going to the medical wing, so if I see anything that could help, I’ll bring it back for you. Will you stay in and rest tonight?”

[lighthearted]

As if Tsubaki wasn't doing enough already, now she was making an offer to go searching for some medicine for him. Sora hadn't yet decided if he was going to rest tonight or try to head out and search for a solution himself. It seemed wrong to just sit back and let other people do the work, even if he did feel pretty sick.

Then again, if he headed out and some sort of transformation started taking place, then he'd be putting other people in danger. Maybe the better thing would be to stay in his room, exactly for that reason.

"I... haven't decided yet," he said out loud, giving Tsubaki a slightly sheepish glance. "Who were you going to search with?" He didn't know if he should be inviting himself along. Maybe it would be better if he just waited for night to roll around and see how he felt then.

[thecamellia]

“I don’t want to say anything will happen, but… something might.” She frowned, knowing it was the uncertainty and the waiting that posed the worst threats. “I’m sorry you’re stuck in this position. But I think looking for a solution is our best bet; that’s why I want to go, anyway. Otherwise, if you have to stay in I’d stay with you.”

They were excuses but they were the only excuses she could make. She just didn’t have the power to take care of the sick prisoners the way they needed to be taken care of, not on her own.

“This man I met suggested it. Lingormr? I think maybe you know about him?”

[lighthearted]

She had a point, of course. If there was even a chance that he might end up turning on his friends somehow, then could he really risk leaving his room? Maybe it would make more sense to just barricade himself in his room and try to sleep. The problem was that with how nervous he was, he didn't even know if he'd be able to manage that.

The idea of having someone with him was nice, but Sora didn't think he could agree to it in the end. Not when it was possible he'd turn into something and then attack them while they were in close quarters with him. It had been bad enough seeing his friend's mutilated bodies. If he was the cause of something like that?

He'd never be able to live with himself.

Sora glanced over at the mention of Lingormr. It seemed like that name just kept cropping up everywhere. Sora didn't feel as wary about the man now that he'd talked to him in person, though, and if Lingormr was looking for ways to stop this illness, then it wasn't like Sora could reject that.

"Yeah, we've met," he replied with a nod. "Good luck, then, okay? I... I appreciate you doing so much for me."

[thecamellia]

When Sora wished her good luck, she nodded back. “It’ll be fine. And we’ll do our best to find something out.”

In the end, striking out in as many directions as they could manage was about all they could do. Although she was worried for Sora as her friend, she didn’t want to continuously nag him about being careful while the investigation went on. He already knew that. And he had to know his friends were behind him until it was over.

It was because Tsubaki considered him a friend that she said, “It’s nothing! I’m sure you’d be there for me or someone else who needed it. Whatever you decide to do tonight, don’t bother going at it alone. We’re stronger when we’re together.”

It was true for everyone, no matter who they were or where they came from.