At least Zero had a better excuse for his lack of table manners. If he'd only been eating for a week, when would he have had a chance to learn not to talk with his mouth full of food? Lloyd, on the other hand... Well, growing up out in the woods with only a lone gruff dwarf as his main teacher and role model, manners hadn't really been something Lloyd was exposed to all that much. Dirk had tried, to a certain extent, with better success in some areas than others, but when it came to food? Lloyd figured all was good so long as people understood what he said.

In the middle of another bite, he used his tongue to push the food in his mouth to the side before answering. "Some of it," he said. His expression turned serious. "I've heard about the sickness, and what the doctors here do. I haven't really seen much of it for myself." And he'd prefer to keep it that way. "Some of it doesn't make any sense, though." He paused here and swallowed, wanting to clear his mouth. Then he set his fork down and pulled one of the journals around so Zero could see the layout. His finger traced a path from the door of the institute outside and away from the building.

"The first night I was here, some friends and I broke out, but something happened and we woke up back here, but I don't remember what. That happened again last night, too, except I wasn't outside. What I don't understand is, if we're prisoners, and if they caught us, why did they let me keep things when they brought me back? Even things they wouldn't want me to have."