Day 30: Cafeteria, Dinner

[captain-hunam.livejournal.com]

The cafeteria was all but empty when Zelnick got there. He was a little disappointed; he had gotten the impression that patients usually ate dinner in their rooms, so he hadn't arranged to meet anyone, and there really wasn't anyone to sit by and engage in conversation yet.

Quietly, he collected dinner and a big glass of orange juice, and chose a seat near the food-serving counters. Talking for so long had made him thirsty... and, well, fruit juice was a luxury he had missed.

[Stalk away, my dearest Admiral. <3 ]

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[i-promised.livejournal.com]

Zoro had to wonder what idiots would go to that much trouble just to bother him about something he'd come to terms with long ago. Of course, wouldn't his going through all this trouble to verfify the picture mean that there actually was something he hadn't come to terms with yet?

"I know that," Zoro shook his head, indicating that the picture's 'other life' aspect wasn't what bothered him. The swordsman knew himself very well and no number of Kuina's or Karen's or Tashigi's totting photo albums full of proof could ever convince him otherwise. But was the girl in the picture really just a monster? It made sense, what Usopp said.

But if that was true then fighting her wouldn't get him the victory he'd always wanted. Had he really been hoping to get his 2000 and 2nd round from some fake in another world...

Zoro's eyebrow ticked in annoyance and he told himself to stop thinking about it. It wasn't her in the photograph and he knew that, he just had to get his impulsive side to understand what his reason was saying. Maybe once he did that, he could go off to the kitchen to burn the damn picture. Hopefully annoy the cook while he was at it.

"She had better be a fake," He couldn't resist muttering as he rubbed the side of his head. The air around him felt a little heavy at the thought of some zombie Kuina running around and calling him 'weak'.

[usoppsenchou.livejournal.com]

It was obvious from Zoro's expression that something complicated was going on here, not to mention from Zoro's asking the question in the first place. He didn't think Zoro would believe the lies they told here; he didn't think anyone in the crew would. But it was a little confusing, thinking there might be another world or another version of them or something, since after all there were versions of them from different times and things popping up. Usopp figured it could all fall under a simple rule, 'if the Institute says it it's probably a lie,' but that might be overreaching.

At any rate, he'd answered with all honesty. Whoever she was, it disturbed Zoro to see her like that, and that disturbed Usopp a little too. Like a universe where I hurt Kaya somehow...

"She's a fake," Usopp said with as much firmness as he could, even though Zoro had obviously not been addressing him. He wasn't sure he meant it just for the woman in the photo either, but for the Kaya who'd supposedly put him here, too. All of them.

[i-promised.livejournal.com]

"Heh." Chuckling though the situation didn't merit any laughter, Zoro ran a hand through his hair and visibly tried to relax. There really was no use thinking about things too much.

In a moment of quiet sentimentality, Zoro found himself glad that he had his nakama. Thought it was true that their safety always came first and that he would have preferred they not be at the Institute at all, Zoro couldn't help but concede to the thought that being together in one place would be best. Not exactly strategically sound but their balance in abilities leveled the playing field; it helped to have both reason and rhyme in a harmony of sorts.

He held out a hand for the photograph. Enough talk about things they had no control over; the swordsman could sense that it was getting late.

Speaking of 'late', Zoro remembered something he'd been meaning to talk to Usopp about. "Oh, by the way..." Casually, he scratched at his chin and quirked an eyebrow. "I spoke to your roommate this morning, Captain Usopp."