Chapter 8 - Master Fisherman's Fish and Chips

[junkuroki]

Ani~

/This is nice. He didn't mind someone like you sitting near him./

"Still got your panties in a twist?" Reese started, then looked up at Stardust with a kidding smirk. "Or is it boxers you wear?"

Creasing her forehead, Stardust brought down her soda and eyed Reese. He was teasing.

"You know what? Reese," she said, dropping her gaze to her plate to pick one of the fries. "I don't get you," she paused and continued her sentence, "like I don't get the fact that you prefer vegetables over meat."

She flashed Reese a smirk. The same type of smirk that he had on.

"Straighten up."

[junkuroki]

Auria~

The man in uniform stepped toward Blaze and snatched the eyeliner from her hand.

"Get out of the cell, both of you." he said sternly, frowning. "I have strict orders to protect this woman and you two harrassing her isn't helping at all. Now if you don't obey, I'll have to call security!"

His hand came down on Gone's shoulder and he firmly nudged him toward the door out of the cell.

"And don't worry about anyone coming to see her, no one's coming into this room..." he explained.

"...don't!" Laice blurted softly from the corner of the room.

The man turned and frowned at her slightly, then turned back around and started to try and move Gone along more. "Disregard her rambling, she's insane..."

[junkuroki]

Auria~

Reese smirked at her teasing, then cocked an eyebrow, inclining his head slightly.

"How do you think I keep my girlish figure?" he said dryly. He laughed, then looked down at her fries.

"Besides, this isn't even meat," he said critically, snatching up one of her fries. "This is potato, darling. You can't get in my face about not eating meat when you have a plate of fried potatoes sitting in front of you." he explained calmly.

[junkuroki]

Ani~

"This is potato, darling. You can't get in my face about not eating meat when you have a plate of fried potatoes sitting in front of you." Stardust watched Reese snatch one of her fries. Truth to be told, he had a point. She frowned, a little embarrassed.

/Just tell him, some vegetables are good./ Diwata said, then chuckled. /Tch, tch./

"Well..." Stardust cocked an eyebrow, glanced at the fries, and continued, "some vegetables are good. I didn't say vegetables are bad." She looked to the side.

"Anyway..." Stardust leaned on the table and snatched a small piece of lettuce from Reese's salad, she tasted it. "What do you think happened to Laice?"

[junkuroki]

Auria~

"Can't say I have the slightest idea." Reese said, sitting up straight, the subject of Laice slightly bothersome for him. He poked his fork back into his salad and shrugged.

"Can't say I really care." he looked up at her. "She knew the risks when she took the job. This is war. We can't really be totally surprised they got her. DotNA isn't a juvenile gang, they're a very capable organization." he brought his fork up and into his mouth, chewing the lettuce carefully.

"Besides," he added after swallowing. "it's not like she was a huge help to us."

[junkuroki]

Ani~

Stardust chewed on her fries as she listened to Reese say his opinion. She knew that as well. Laice definitely knew what she was in for but still, it just made you want to wonder what kind of torture they had inflicted on her to drive her insane.

"I know," she said, agreeing to Reese. "But the thing is, I just find it weird...how fast she had changed from that poised woman whom we had talked to the other day, to an insane lady screaming her head off in fear." Stardust shook her head. "It's like someone got inside her head and messed it up badly."

/REALLY badly./ Diwata added.

She sighed. "Those DoTNA...They're bastards." She took another sip from her drink.

[junkuroki]

Auria~

"...They're bastards."

For a split-second, the words stung--just a little, like the prick of a needle--but the sting was there. Of course, no outward sign of this was shown to Stardust. Reese was no complete idiot.

"Well, of course." Reese said. "They're complete lunatics, I mean, who in their right mind defends a Sorceress like Adel?" he shrugged slightly. "You have to give it to them though, they're good at what they do."

[junkuroki]

Ani~

They're good...

"Maybe," Stardust said, staring at her plate. "But I see them nothing more as lapdogs. They're just as low as her...and will go down with her once we find them," she finished and leaned back.

"Here, you can have some more." Stardust gave her plate of fries a slight scoot to Reese. She looked at his salad. "Hope you won't turn green from eating too much vegetables."

She turned to the burger on her tray, unwrapped it, and took a bite, eyeing Reese as she did so.

[junkuroki]

Auria~

Reese rolled his eyes at her comment about turning green. "You sound so concerned." he said with dry sarcasm. He picked up one of the fries and bit off half of it. He chewed carefully, eyes glazed over with thought, before they landed on Stardust's huge meaty burger.

His stomach turned slightly, the sight of the meat hanging over the edge of the bun sort of sickening for him. He dropped the rest of the fry in his hand onto the plate and pushed himself back from the table, rising from his chair.

"Well, I think I'm going to get some sleep before we have to go...how did Mercutio put it? Ah, "gallivanting around", again." he rolled his eyes at Zacke's previous choice of words. "I'll be seeing you later." he gave a curt nod and turned to leave.

[junkuroki]

Ani~

"Yeah... see you." Stardust looked at Reese from her burger and gave him a nod. "Goodnight."

Maybe after this, she would just stop by the Training Center then head on to sleep. They were going to be busy tomorrow again.

She followed Reese with her eyes as he sauntered away.

/I'll be honest with you, Stardust/ Diwata said to her. /That was the most peaceful chat that I've ever heard from you. I guess it's something about that young man, huh?/

Stardust brought her gaze back to her burger. Her face lightened up with a smile.

Shut up...You're thinking too much.

[junkuroki]

Lily~

Jun drank her soda quietly, trying hard to mind her own business but failing miserably. She couldn't help sneaking glances towards that table diagonally across hers, perhaps wary of another sudden shouting match between its two occupants. But her worries appeared to be unfounded. It seemed that Reese and Stardust had resolved any earlier differences, and were even sharing their food like good little children.

{I would hardly call that sharing their food.} Sapphy drawled lazily.

Well, at least they aren't smashing it into each other's faces! She retorted, noting with interest that Reese had left the table and exited the cafeteria.

She finished up the last of her soda with a couple of deep sucking motions, and with empty cup in hand, started striding towards the garbage bin. Inadvertently, she glanced at Stardust from the corner of her eyes. Then she turned her head fully to stare at her.

S...stardust... smiling?

She froze in mid-stride, the cup almost slipping from her grasp from the shock. She headed towards the table.

"Hey Stardust. I think you had better get some rest." Jun gestured at her, her smile widening into a grin. "But you do look prettier when you're smiling. Maybe you should make it a habit?"

Waving lightly, she quickly walked away before any flying objects or hurtling insults could hit her.

{You know, that was something Gone would've said.} Sapphy snickered, earning a horrified gasp from her.

Sapphy! Shut the Hell up! She exclaimed, heading for the dorms for a much needed rest.

[junkuroki]

Ani~

"Maybe you should make it a habit,” Jun teased waving a hand at Stardust while she passed by.

Stardust was taken aback. She frowned immediately. Where did Jun come from?

Watching the lady exit the Cafeteria, Stardust let out a grunt. She took another bite in her burger.

What the heck am I doing..? She swallowed.

Just then, a skinny SeeD stopped near her table this time, checking her flustered expression. Stardust stopped to eye the gaunt guy. She recognized that dorky figure. He was that same skinny SeeD who asked for a punch at the SeeD Ball.
“What?” Stardust hissed.

“K-ketchup,” the guy squeaked, and pointed to the set of pepper, mustard, and ketchup bottle at the center of her table. Stardust’s brow met and cast a quick glance at what he was pointing at.

“Muff it in your face,” she spat, pushed her chair back, and stood up. She was done here in the Cafeteria as well.

/Stardust, what’s wrong with you?/ Diwata scolded. /That’s not the proper way to say ‘Here take it’./

I don't care. She grabbed her soda and brushed past the SeeD. She made her way towards the hallway. There were more stuffs for her to do.

[junkuroki]

GC~

Gone felt himself being lead out of the cell like a puppy on a lead. He was being quite co-operative until Laice spoke, and then the guard told him to disregard her as she was bonkers. Gone just couldn't take it. He quite childishly grabbed the doorjam that lead to the hall and refused to let go.

"She doesn't want to be left alone, you git!" Gone said, tightening his grip on the doorjam, "Lemme stay. I'll be good. At any rate, you'd be blooming mad too, if the DotNA scumbags got you! Oh wait, they never could, as you've never left this building to actually go on a mission. Now let me stay! I won't upset her, just keep her company."

[junkuroki]

Auria~

The uniformed SeeD let go of Gone.

"Fine! Make it quick." he spat. He turned around and stepped over to sit in a chair at one of the computer desks.

"I'm watching you." he said.


Laice was crumpled down in the corner of the cell, softly whimpering into her arms.

[junkuroki]

GC~

"Hey, love, it's okay. I'm not going to leave, if you don't want me to anyway. If you want to talk I'll listen. And if you don't want to talk I will. Okay?" Gone said, crouching in front of Laice, he would have rubbed her back like his mum used to do when he was little and upset but didn't want to set her off with the guard watching.