Day 40: Lunch

[whiny-egomaniac.livejournal.com]

*hobble wobble*

"Damn that SCOURGE!" Starscream cried out, the slowly-filling cafeteria producing a jarring echo of his raspy voice. His limping, already bad enough from not knowing how to properly use his crutches, was now exacerbated from the injuries he'd received the shift prior. Despite the gauges in his non-casted leg so lovingly provided by the aforementioned 'patient', Starscream could still put some weight on it, but not so much that he could really stop and rest; relieving the soreness under his arms was out of the question. The nurse that walked behind him with his tray, already upset at having to deal with yet another troublesome inmate, was growing rather impatient as his charge slowly made his way down the food line.

"Just...give me a standard serving of the aquatic creature's flesh, some of those fried potato slices, two bananas, and three bottles of juice," Starscream sighed, his anger from just a moment ago assuaged by the physical exertion needed to move the way he did. "I'm going to sit down here...bring it to me when you're done."

He was hardly surprised to find that one of the bananas was completely bruised along its inner curve, or that the handful of 'chips' on his plate were all on the small side. Tired and frustrated as he was, however, he could barely muster a 'damned flesh-creature' before moving his fingers to the plate, picking one of the longer 'chips' and shoving it into his mouth listlessly.

There was an unusually high concentration of sodium chloride crystals on it. Of COURSE.

[For Tony Stark]

Comments

[quickdrawbkiddo.livejournal.com]

[Grab her while you can!]

Fish and chips were always appreciated. Sadly, there wasn't any beer to go along with them. Pity.

Beatrix took her tray in hand, balancing it carefully so as not to need her left hand as that arm rest in a sling, and looked it over. In her mind's eye, she replayed the fight with Ophelia, her gaze moving to the various points in the room where it had ranged. Being one of the first ones in the room, she was easily able to do so without having to remove pesky prisoners from the mental cinematic.

A satisfied smile on her face. the Bride made her way to one table in particular. As she set her tray down, she touched the table surface and nodded. yes, this was where she'd severed the bitch's braid. Suddenly, this was her favorite table. Perhaps she'd make this her seating preference every time she had to take a meal while trapped here.

[see-my-back.livejournal.com]

Sakura hadn't managed to make it to the greenhouse until it was almost time to leave. It was disappointing, especially given all the herbs she might have collected, but at least she'd been able to mentally map out a new location. If she needed them later, she knew where they were.

It only took a little while to get through the lunch line and she checked around to see if there was anyone she ought to sit by, or at least speak with. Her eyes fell on the woman she'd seen fighting in this very room just last night. She was skilled, no doubt about that, and had held pretty well against her opponent. It figured that she might know a little more than most about how this place worked, or perhaps some valuable information if she was lucky.

She still wasn't great at being the bubbly social girl that was expected of normal people her same age, but she had to blend in sometimes. Might as well try a little extra social interaction.

"Hi," she greeted the woman cheerfully. "I'm Sakura. Is it alright if I sit with you?"

[How about a ninja?]

[quickdrawbkiddo.livejournal.com]

Beatrix heard the girl approach, but didn't look up until she was addressed. She looked the girl over once, assessing her, before nodding.

"You are welcome to," she replied. "You can call me Arlene."

[see-my-back.livejournal.com]

Sakura set her tray down and took a seat, sending the woman a cheerful smile. "It's nice to meet you Arlene-san."

The food wasn't bad, just heavier than she was used to eating. She'd have to be careful and watch what she ate; there wasn't as much time here for training as there was back home. A girl had to keep her figure in check after all.

"I saw what happened in the cafeteria last night," she started, picking up her water glass. "Your team is pretty good."

[quickdrawbkiddo.livejournal.com]

The Bride raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, you did? Did you take advantage of the distraction I provided or did you linger around to observe?" How much this girl had seen may become important.

[see-my-back.livejournal.com]

The woman didn't show much emotion, Sakura noticed. But then, good kunoichi weren't technically supposed to. She didn't really seem upset by the fact though, which hopefully meant they could talk.

"Both actually," she admitted. "My team was able to cross to the other side of the room and head toward the basement, but we waited for another group that had been hurt. I'm a medic, so I was hoping to treat some of them, but the night ended before I could see to their injuries."

She picked up her fork and started cutting the fillet into smaller pieces, "I've seen that woman you were fighting before, but I know she wasn't as strong. That was the institute's doing, wasn't it?"

[quickdrawbkiddo.livejournal.com]

So the girl had been more focused on seeing to the other fools in that room than the actual fight. She supposed she could let the girl live. It wasn't as if Beatrix cared anymore about people finding out what she was. Some might have issues with her being a cold-blooded killer, but her skill more than warned people to watch where they tread.

"No, that was not the institute's doing," the Bride informed Sakura. "What you saw of her before last night is the institute's doing."

[see-my-back.livejournal.com]

Sakura was quick when it came to figuring things out, so her cheeks reddened slightly at her mistake. It didn't take her long to figure out what Arlene meant, and if she hadn't already known that other woman was trouble, she certainly did now.

"Ah- I understand," she nodded, taking a bite of her fish. It was kind of greasy, but at least they were being fed. "Sorry."

[quickdrawbkiddo.livejournal.com]

"Beatrix tilted her head a bit. "Why are you apologizing?"

[see-my-back.livejournal.com]

"I- I guess, phrasing things wrong," she shrugged, giving herself a soft knock on the side of the head. "I'm usually a little quicker."

Arlene seemed kind of intense, but Sakura wasn't all that bothered by it. She'd faced down plenty of people with scarier looks than hers. And it wasn't like she'd been openly threatening or anything.

"To be honest, I'm kind of curious," she changed the subject since she'd rather not focus on her own mistakes. "Your group seemed pretty... together. I was kind of wondering if you had any useful information that wouldn't be easy to find on the boards."

[quickdrawbkiddo.livejournal.com]

"It never hurts to take a moment to think of your response before issuing it. Especially when it comes to questions," the Bride replied in something that was almost a motherly tone if it hadn't been for the coldness in her eyes. "It will become easier with practice and age."

Ah, the girl wanted information. "I am sure I do possess that kind of information. Is there anything specific you are searching for?" The Bride already assumed Sakura wanted to know more about the basement, but since she would not be divulging that information, she'd see what else the girl wanted to know.

[see-my-back.livejournal.com]

Sakura took the woman's advice with a slightly forced smile, while inwardly irritated at the admonition. Still, she nodded in the right places and was polite as could be about it.

Most important was what Arlene might be able to tell her. The fact that she was asking for it to be narrowed down meant she probably knew a sizable amount. If the information could be trusted, she would be a valuable source. "Well, my team was trying for the basement yesterday. So any information on that place would be great. I suppose asking about the head doctor's location would be too much since... well, if that was common knowledge, I hardly think he'd last long."

[quickdrawbkiddo.livejournal.com]

As she'd predicted - the basement.

"I have a great deal of information on the basement, but as that is my and my associates current project, there is little I am willing to divulge." She paused a moment as she pondered over what she was willing to tell the girl.

"First of all, the basement is a series of trials designed to test those brave or foolish enough to venture within. Three people are needed to open the doors you'll find. There is either a sensor or magic, if you believe in that, which knows if you have the requisite number of people. Brute strength alone will not open the door."

She then chuckled. "Ironically, I do know where Landel is, but I also know the barriers surrounding him are, thus far, impassable."

[see-my-back.livejournal.com]

"I can respect that," Sakura nodded, memorizing what she'd been told. "Even that much is helpful actually." She had an inkling about the doors, and if she had to relate them to something, it wasn't too much of a stretch to say they were like the doors in the Chuunin exams. Having some kind of pre-requisite before they were allowed entry wasn't all that uncommon.

"You really know where he is?" she repeated, somewhat surprised to hear it. If she was tight about the basement information, there was probably no way she was going to get the info on Landel, but it was certainly good to know that there was a person who knew his location. "It's not the basement, is it? That seems so obvious..."

[quickdrawbkiddo.livejournal.com]

"Answer this, Sakura," the Bride said, resting her head on her hand as she watched the girl. "If you were a power-obsessed megalomaniac that liked nothing more than rubbing it in the faces of your prisoners how helpless they are, where would you wait for the worthiest of your toys to show?"

[see-my-back.livejournal.com]

"I... suppose I'd wait at the end of the trials," she answered, not really thinking about it. Was he really that dumb though? Maybe he had barriers, but to be that confident? Even if they were weak, there was always numbers.

"-to... to see who finishes first, right?" she finished. Ew, what if he was like Orochimaru? What if he only wanted to see who got through first so he knew what body he wanted next? If that was the case, she definitely had to keep Sasuke away! But that would be almost impossible! And if she could put that much together, surely Sasuke had already...

[quickdrawbkiddo.livejournal.com]

"Not to finish first, but to see whom among his captives has the arrogance to believe they could remotely defeat him," Beatrix clarified.

"He stylizes himself as a god, whether he states it or not. But gods bleed."

[see-my-back.livejournal.com]

Corrected again. She might've been annoyed, but the information she'd gotten was worth the exchange. It seemed like it was just the woman's abrupt nature and not an intentional slight. The motive though, reminded her a little of Akatsuki. Hadn't they set themselves up as gods over the other villages? And she'd seen them bleed and die just as easily as anyone else. Okay, so maybe Sasori didn't technically bleed, unless it was oil and lubricants, but it was the same idea.

She was silent for a moment, processing the information, "is that where he makes his announcements? Or has he been found other places?"

[quickdrawbkiddo.livejournal.com]

Beatrix cared not one bit if she inadvertently offended Sakura; the girl was young and still had a lot to learn. Though it may irritate the girl, she should take the corrections to heart. They will only make her keener in mind.

"He has made an appearance in the chapel before the populace once, though that was during the day when all the controls were in place," the Bride answered. "As for where he makes his announcements... It is not confirmed, but it is believed to be on the third floor if he even makes them from within this building."

[see-my-back.livejournal.com]

Another mental note. Memorization was one of Sakura's strong points, so she absorbed the new information like a sponge. She wasn't sure yet what it all meant, but having the info on hand would help.

"That's helpful, thank you," she nodded, offering a small, grateful smile. "If there's anything you need to ask me, let me know and I'll see if I can help too."

[quickdrawbkiddo.livejournal.com]

Shifting a bit stiffly in her seat, Beatrix adjusted the sling, a small frown forming on her face. A moment later and it disappeared.

"What are your group's intent in the basement?" If they weren't competition, perhaps the Bride could let them be.

[see-my-back.livejournal.com]

"Right now we're just focusing on exploration," Sakura said truthfully. Naruto might enjoy jumping into things, but in this case, it took a more planned, careful approach.

"I heard one of the obstacles was a riddle," she explained, "that sort of thing is right up my alley. Though I don't know how well it'll translate from one world to another."

[quickdrawbkiddo.livejournal.com]

A riddle. That must be on the other half. Beatrix wasn't surprised the warlord hadn't expressly stated that half was a riddle. Perhaps, the assassins should follow this group down and observe them attempting this riddle.

"I see. Riddles in general should translate over given they are generally play on words and such," she replied. "I am curious, what drew your attention to the basement and not the places over the wall?"

[see-my-back.livejournal.com]

That was exactly why Sakura was afraid they might not translate. What constituted a pun or play on words in one language wouldn't always be the same in another. Well, if Arlene decided to try out the riddles, then she'd find that out for herself.

"When I arrived here, that was already the location my teammates had decided on. We worked together closely back home, so I guess... I felt obligated to do the same here."