Fox put one little clawed finger to his chin, trying to think of anything else he might want to ask Marisa. She seemed to be rather open and honest, at least to Fox and he didn't want to pass up an opportunity to learn something new. Yet he couldn't seem to come up with anything relevant to ask her. So Fox just blurted out the first thing that came to mind.
"Could you... maybe... show me around to some other areas of this place? I mean, as long as it won't get you in trouble or anything." He really did want to see some new areas, as he was usually pretty much stuck in his cell block most of the day. Being able to go anywhere new would be great to him. That wasn't the only thing though. If he got to see more of the layout of the asylum then he could share that information with Liadon to help form their escape plan. He knew that Liadon could use any information to help them. Maybe if he played his cards right he could get Marisa to help them too... maybe.
Post by Marisa Lorette Anduin on Aug 15, 2011 17:33:11 GMT -5
Marisa couldn't help but giggle again as Fox assumed a furry little thinking pose. She kept walking as she thought for a bit, before suddenly making a u-turn and turning down a hallway that they had passed.
"I don't see what the problem with that would be...I mean, you do have a hunter escorting you, right? Anyway...are you by any chance hungry? There's a cafeteria for mutants...though you can't get in unless you are rank 4 or above, I think it'll be ok for you to grab some food so long as I'm there as well."
She gave a sly sort of wink at the end before continuing.
"The food is probably at least somewhat better than what you normally get, so...may as well enjoy this while you have the opportunity, right? Not sure what they're serving today, as...well. I obviously -can't- eat anything. So I would never really know what they're serving..."
After several moments of walking, she would gently set Fox down as they neared the cafeteria. She was pretty sure he'd likely be able to smell everything by now, and thought he might prefer to be on his own feet when looking at the food. He could pretty well order what he wanted from today's menu, and if there was anything that might be needed moneywise....well. What was a few extra dollars to add to her already mountainous debt? It wasn't every day she got to meet such a cute little fuzzball in this job. She waited to see if perhaps he had smelled the food already, and what he would do in reaction to this smell if so.
"Yeah, I am a little hungry to be honest." That was a bit of an understatement as Fox would regularly eat about three times his own body weight each day. Scientists had tried to discover how he could eat like that and not gain any weight, but failed miserably due to how Fox reacted to any scientific testing. Little did they know that his body stored all that extra energy and unleashed it all in one moment every one hundred years so that his body could grow a new tail.
Fox seemed a little unhappy as being set down, as he had become quite comfortable being carried around. That passed almost instantaneously though once he smelled what was cooking in the cafeteria. He hardly ever got to eat there, having most of his meals brought to his room instead so as to avoid him meeting too many people who might fill his head with dangerous ideas to fuel his illusions. Fox couldn't care less about why he rarely got to go to the cafeteria, he was going to enjoy this rare trip.
Fox's nose was in overdrive mode, picking out all the scents going on at once even though they had yet to enter the cafeteria. "So, I can get whatever I want and as much as I want?" Fox asked excitedly, his eyes glowing brightly with joy as he hopped up in down in place. He really was like a little kid when it came to things like this. Fox hoped that no one had told Marisa about the restriction to his eating habits... he wanted to get a slice of cake or some cookies. To heck with the scientists saying he couldn't have any sugary foods, he loved that stuff!
Post by Marisa Lorette Anduin on Aug 15, 2011 20:10:59 GMT -5
Marisa took note he didn't seem to like being set down at first...he must like being pampered like a little puppy. Oh, but did that opinion change when he caught wind of the food. He seemed to forget all about being carried around when he caught a whiff of the food. His eyes were lit up...clearly he enjoyed the idea of being able to have some of the food here as opposed to what he normally ate. He was quite excited, and she couldn't help laughing a little. Oh, how she enjoyed being around such cuteness!
"Oh, of course, sweetie...I'm not sure if the cafeteria here requires money, but I'll handle the bill if there is a requirement. Just make sure to eat actual solid food before anything in the way of dessert, ok?"
At this point, she would begin leading the overly excited, furry bundle of happiness towards where the food was. She wondered what kind of foods he'd go for?
Fox let Marisa lead him into the cafeteria itself, which wasn't very crowded at all really. It was that lull between breakfast and lunch apparently, yet they still had some of the breakfast items set out as they hadn't cleared them out yet. Fox's eyes went wide as he spotted a pile of various breakfast meats. He licked his chops when he saw the leftover pancakes and waffles. That was it, he bolted toward the counter and grabbed the largest try they had.
Fox was lost in a little food frenzy as he heaped a small mountain of bacon and sausage onto his tray, followed by several small skyscrapers of pancakes and waffles. He snatched up two bottles of syrup as well. That pretty much filled that try to the brim so he set that down on the table nearest the counter then ran back and grabbed a pitcher of orange juice. The workers behind the counter continued to give questioning looks toward Fox, who promptly ignored them.
Fox then plopped down on the bench that served as the seating for the table and began to shovel the food into his mouth. There was no need for forks or knives, as they would have only got in his way. It was like watching a fuzzy little piranha go to town, as the mounds of food started to vanish at an alarming pace down his greedy gullet. He poured the syrup directly into his mouth to help wash down the pancakes and waffles, using the sticky sweet stuff like a beverage more than a topping. It took maybe three minutes before he'd devoured everything on the tray which was the signal for him to chug the OJ.
Fox licked his chops again and rubbed his belly. "That was a good little appetizer." He commented before hopping up to grab another tray and began stacking that up as well. The workers behind the counter simply stared at Fox in a mixture of awe and disbelief before some slightly shifted their slack jawed stares toward Marisa as if she could explain what the heck was going on.
Post by Marisa Lorette Anduin on Aug 15, 2011 20:45:08 GMT -5
Marisa hardly believed what she saw as the cute fuzzy little guy she had been carrying around turning into a ferocious eating machine. She somehow knew here eyes were quite wide with shock and her jaw was dropped as she watched Fox pack in the food...an entire tray, GONE. In less than five minutes. A tray that was packed beyond the limits of how much food she thought could fit on one, no less....but no. He wasn't even done there....he went back for MORE. She seemed frozen in place...she was that stunned by this display of eating prowess. She had never seen ANYONE or ANYTHING eat like this before. She couldn't even manage to gather her thoughts at this moment...is this what it felt like when a brain short circuited? After a moment, she noticed that the workers were staring at her, as if waiting for an explanation...they looked about as stunned as she felt. This....may not have been the best of places to bring him, after all. She had figured that this would just be a "go in, grab a quick plate of food, and leave" deal...but now it was clear it was more an "eat until you explode" deal....which clearly was going to take a LOT of food with how Fox ate. After a moment, she shrugged and grinned a little sheepishly before speaking to the workers.
"Erm...nothing for me...just bill whatever tab might exist to Marisa Anduin..."
She let out a heavy sigh as she rubbed the bridge of her nose between her right thumb and pointing finger, something she never got out of the habit of doing when she felt distressed or anxious, even after getting her mechanical body. It appeared that the addition to her debt would be substantially larger than she thought from this eat-arama spree Fox was on. She made a mental note to read his entire file before taking him to other areas of the Asylum in the future...just so she knows what NOT to do.
Fox continued to eat until there was very little left of the food on the counter. At one point he'd simply taken some of the heating trays and literally licked them clean after devouring their contents. There were more dirty dishes than anything else after Fox was done. Despite devouring over two hundred pounds of food he still looked as slim and trim as ever, though the foxfires that constantly hovered about him seemed to be moving a bit less sluggishly. Fox finished licking his fingers clean before getting up. Despite his ferocious eating habits he managed to get about 99.9% of the food into his mouth.
Fox let out a rather loud belch which echoed throughout the whole cafeteria. That noise seemed to snap the kitchen staff out of their trance like state. One burst out laughing then before speaking. "Well at least he saved us the trouble of clearing away the breakfast stuff." He said with a chuckle slapping one of the other workers on the back. That seemed to bring them all back to their senses and they went back to preparing items for the upcoming lunch rush. A couple came up to clear away the table as Fox got up and stood next to Marisa, giving her a hug as a show of thanks for the excellent breakfast.
"We were just gonna toss most of this anyway..." One worker said to Marisa with a shrug before adding, "So don't worry about paying." The lady worker winked to the hunter as she carried away an armful of dirty dishes.
"That was really good Marisa! Thanks so much for bringing me here, I hardly ever get to come here." Fox was murring loudly enough now that his whole body was vibrating as he hugged Marisa, his tails flailing about happily behind him.
Post by Marisa Lorette Anduin on Aug 15, 2011 21:29:18 GMT -5
Marisa watched in disbelief as Fox continued eating until there was practically nothing left. Wow...just. Wow. He didn't even look or act like he had gained a single pound or overeaten...or anything. If anything, he seemed -more- hyper and happy than he had before. Holy crap....she jumped a little when he burped loudly. Hearing the workers go about their business, they actually seemed a little relieved more than anything. Less work to do, as normally they apparantly would have had to toss out the old stuff before cleaning the dishes. She let out a small sigh of relief when it was mentioned to not worry about paying. She nodded her thanks as she returned the hug from Fox.
"Y..you're welcome, Fox...just...wow. I have NEVER seen anyone eat like that before....and here I thought my dad was able to eat..."
Only after she spoke those words did she realize what she said...she missed her dad. She still carried the guilt with her that she wasn't there for him when he passed...that car wreck that put her in this situation kept her from being where she was needed...and she hated that it happened in such a way. She shook her head slightly to clear her mind of such thoughts before picking Fox back up...he didn't even -feel- any heavier, either...and then proceeded to head back to the hallways. She remained silent for the moment, and was actively trying to hide the hurt that her own words had caused herself. She was smiling for Fox, even though that's not how she felt on the inside.
Fox continued to murr happily as Marisa scooped him back up. Yet he could tell that something was a bit off, like Marisa wasn't as focused as before. Call it animal instincts or something but he detected the bit of sadness she was trying to mask behind her smile. He tilted his head to one side while she carried him before he asked, "Is something wrong? Did I do something I wasn't supposed to?" Fox had the instincts to know that something was making Marisa sad, but he didn't know that it was memories of her father. The only conclusion that he could come up with was that he'd done something wrong without meaning to.
Fox waited for a reply, making his 'sad puppy eyes' look again. He really hoped that he hadn't done anything to make Marisa sad, as he really did dislike seeing anyone upset for any reason. If he knew what was making her sad then he might be able to fix it. At least that was what he was hoping for anyway.
Post by Marisa Lorette Anduin on Aug 15, 2011 22:02:40 GMT -5
Her heart melted as he made the sad puppy eyes again.
"Oh, no, no, no, sweetie...you didn't do a thing wrong. Just..."
She sighed and let the facade drop, proceeding to scratch behind his ears again.
"Just some memories...things I wish I could go back and change. Things that I regret, and hate how they ended up..."
Sometimes...she wished she were capable of tears. Just for one day...so in that one day, she could properly grieve her father. Her mechanical body however, had no tear ducts...and thus, tears were impossible for her to make. She had shared her pain with various prisoners over the past seven years...some told her to suck it up, while others felt sympathy. In neither case could they understand the pain she carried daily, the pain that she could not release porperly. She sighed before deciding to go ahead and share with Fox. Her voice cracked up a little, as if she was going to cry...and she wanted to, every time she spoke of this...but never could.
"...the accident that caused me to end up in the position I am...being a machine and all? I was in a terrible car accident...a drunken fool ran a red light and rammed right into me. I was on my way to see my father...he was dying, and I was trying to get there to see him...and so he could see me, one last time. I never made it because of that car crash...and I feel horrible that I couldn't make it. I can't even cry, so I'm unable to grieve him properly...I feel like I failed him in not making it there for him..."
It always helped a little to talk about it...but it always hurt. She wondered if this was something she was EVER going to be able to get over...
Fox listened to his new friend's story with rapt attention. He was a little relieved to know that it wasn't anything he'd done to make her feel sad, but still he felt bad that she was sad. Fox continued to listen as she told her tale, about how she acquired her mechanical body and how she lost her father. By the end of it all Fox was crying, burying his fuzzy face against her chest.
"That's so sad!" He cried out, openly weeping even though Marisa could not. Even though Fox had only just met Marisa this morning, and never knew her father, he still felt for her. "You didn't do anything wrong... I'm sure you're dad would understand. He'd probably be proud to have such a kind and caring daughter." He nuzzled against her to help dry some of his tears. All the talk about parents brought up some bad memories for Fox too.
"I wish I could see my parents again... I really miss them. I know they're still alive, but I don't know where they are." He stated sadly. It was true though, as the bond he shared with his family was strong and any would know if the others died. So far that had no happened in all the years Fox had been imprisoned in the various asylums. Fox idly wondered if humans had that same type of bond...
Post by Marisa Lorette Anduin on Aug 15, 2011 22:34:28 GMT -5
Marisa couldn't help but feel bad for making Fox cry...she hadn't meant to. Sure they may be sympathy tears...well, to be honest, Fox was the first to have this kind of reaction....but she still felt bad for making him cry them. She gave a sad sort of smile when he mentioned that her father would probably be proud.
"...yeah...he very well might be...doesn't make it hurt any less knowing I'll not be able to see him again so long as I walk this earth..."
She scratched the side of his head some more as he spoke of his own parents, nodding slightly.
"That's good that you know they're ok...you know they're safe then. I hope you do get to see them again one day, truthfully...I know how it is to some degree, though my situation is different than yours."
She smiled a bit more...it seemed the little guy had a heart of gold. She continued wandering the hallways for the moment, unsure of what to talk about next. Perhaps Fox would bring something up...
Fox managed to stop crying after a few minutes of having his ears scratched some more. There was now a somewhat awkward silence hanging in the air, which Fox didn't really care for. He simply decided to say the first thing that came to mind. "You're so much nicer than anyone else that works for the asylums... how come you work for such mean people?" As soon as he asked the question he felt even more awkward than he had the moment before, but it was too late. The question was out there now, no taking it back.
"I mean... that is... uhhh..." He didn't seem to know how to recover from that little slip of the tongue. Hopefully she'd just answer him and then they could change the subject to something a little more pleasant to talk about. Fox's ears were laying flat against his head now and he had a slightly worried expression, afraid that he might have offended her. It was to be expected though as Fox didn't really have many people to talk to, and had never met a nice hunter before.
Post by Marisa Lorette Anduin on Aug 15, 2011 23:08:28 GMT -5
Marisa sighed heavily when he asked why she worked for them. Before she could reply though, he seemed to act like he thought it might offend her.
"Aww, sweetie...it's ok. You didn't offend me...if you want the truth, I kind of owe this company...well. A lot of money...as they're the ones who gave me this mechanical body...and without their help, I'd be dead right now...so I have to work for them to repay my debt....plus even without the debt, I wouldn't change jobs...because I much prefer to make sure that the prisoners are treated right, and not unfairly, now that I know what's going on...I don't like how you guys get treated more often than not. So...even if I had a choice, I still would work here, if only to make sure prisoners were treated fairly."
She ruffled the fur on top of his head a little bit at the end of that. She really did hate how the prisoners were treated...it was bad enough they were trapped in these asylums, but to rub salt into the wound by mistreating them, and acting as if they weren't human? That was wrong....and so long as she had the capability, she would make sure that wrong was righted whenever she had the chance....
The way she explained things helped him understand, even if money was a practically unknown concept to him. It was nice to know that Marisa had a very noble heart. So this company had saved her and she sort of owed them her life, that was enough to get her to work for them. Yet after seeing what they did, she worked for them still if only to help ease the suffering of the prisoners. If only she was in charge of the whole operation...
Fox's mind wandered back to the mention of money. He kind of wanted to know more about that concept, since it seemed important to Marisa. "So what exactly is this money stuff? I hear people mention it every now and then... but why is it so important?" He truly was a child when it came to most things, and being locked up for nearly his entire life had sheltered him from learning about more than a few vital concepts he'd need to survive on the outside. Most likely Black Rose wanted to keep him as ignorant as possible in the off chance that he might escape one day, making it that much easier to capture him again.