Diet

Date/Timing: March 2016
Setting: Jaeger Academy; Kodiak, USA
Day Eight of Life at the Academy, Feng and Chao surrender to the difficulty of making rice and re-hydrating vegetables in the washroom and brave the cafeteria.
They get progressively more perturbed with each station and by the time they make it to the table Feng is afraid he might cry.
Chao squeezes his hand awkwardly and says, 「Mother told us we would have to change our diet.」
「I know,」 Feng replies softly, 「but, Brother, I am unsure as to how I eat this.」
Logan plunks down across from them. "What're you two chirping about?"
"We were wondering how you eat this food."
"You take a spoon and you stick it in."
"I know how to eat like a barbarian," snaps Feng. "I do not understand—" He waves at his tray. "—/this."
Jackson takes a seat. "The blue stuff or the pasty stuff?"
"Either," says Chao.
Logan sneers, "It's jello. Not that complicated."
"So this is how it appears in real life," murmurs Feng.
"What is it?"
Jackson claps a hand over Logan's mouth. "You should probably avoid it."
Feng pokes at it, a little less stressed.
"And the, uh, 'pasty stuff'?" asks Chao.
"Mashed potatoes. I think."
Chao sighs, takes a tiny bite, gags but swallows, and stares miserably at his lunch. "I suppose we have to eat."
Halfway through Introduction to Drift Science—first period after lunch—Ren notices both Lins are rather grey; Chao keeps swallowing, and Feng's insides are gurgling away.
She leans forward, whispers, "You okay?"
"I do not believe so," mutters Chao.
"You guys need an exit?"
"That would be prudent," Chao replies softly, slipping off his shoes.
Feng does too, gets to his feet, steps up and hops along the chair backs, does a one-handed walkover down the armrests of three rows, lands in a sprint, creams himself on the door when it opens inwards, and shoots into the hall with Chao on his heels.
No one makes a sound for a good minute.
Ren glances about anxiously.
The instructor drops their pointer.
"For the record," she says, "that's not the exit I meant."
Category:Ficlet
Category:Life with Novices arc
Category:Feng
Category:Chao
Category:Jackson
Category:Ren
Category:Logan
Category:Feng (ficlet)
Category:Chao (ficlet)
Category:Jackson (ficlet)
Category:Logan (ficlet)
Category:Ren (ficlet)
Category:Jaeger Academy (setting)
Category:Ficlets with images