It's the night before training. The selected volunteers were standing in the main entrance and a voice came on the speakers. "Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for volunteering for our agency. Tomorrow's a busy day for all, so let's get some sleep. Men will be sleeping in the room down the left hall, women on the right. Restrooms are near the entrance to the rooms. Sleep well." The voice ended and everyone went to their designated places and went to sleep.

The next morning...

Jules walk down the hall to the women's sleeping barracks. She looked at her watch and it read 5:20 am. "Perfect..." She opened the doors loudly most of the women jumping out of the bed instantly. "Good morning ladies! I'm giving you the pleasure of five more minutes then the men to get ready." She left the room and walked back down the hall. She went down the hall to the mens' Barracks and slammed open the doors. "Morning Gents! Breakfast in five then the real fun starts!" She left them to get dressed and went back down to the middle area to wait for both groups.


Meanwhile....

Britten jerked out of sleep and instantly got out of bed. While all the other women talked as they got dressed she hurriedly pulled on her jeans and tee. She waited for the other's to finish before walking out with the group down the hall.

Sy hadn't minded moving into this facility, nor did he mind being assigned to sleep in the barracks. It was better accommodations than the run-down apartment he had been sheltering in. The bed was cozy, the room was warm and well-heated, there were no leaks or drafts... even if the sleeping was communal, Sy could dig it. He was a people person anyways, so this could be a good chance to make friends!

And there was food. Free, delicious, food. Food he didn't even have to fight the cat for!

Though if he ever brought any meals to the barracks, he still might have to. After all, he may have smuggled a certain tiny, gray kitty in with him... He just hoped that Rei stayed still and out of the way for now. Maybe, if anyone saw the wee one, he'd get lucky and they'd just think it was a stuffed toy or something. But even if he was found out, Sy had figured that he could plead for a few days of clemency- this wasn't supposed to be a permanent thing, anyways. Just long enough for him to get in touch and hear back from some people that might be able to take care of the little scrap of fur- it wasn't like he could just leave the poor thing home alone!

But as the morning sun crested the horizon, none of this weighed even slightly on the young man's mind. Possibly because he was still sleeping.

Even as everyone got up, dressed and started to file out of the barracks, Sy remained face down in his bed. It was partly due to being generally undisciplined and partly due to having an odd sleep cycle that saw him most active in the evenings. The only movement he made was to yank the blankets up over his head, firmly cocooning his entire upper half.


~*~


Watson hadn't minded the change of scenery.

He had been starting to get that familiar itch of cabin fever and left unchecked, he was well aware it could progress quickly into isolationist melancholy. It would be good for him to be around people. He could be reserved and perhaps he was not the most social of men but sometimes, just the feeling of being near people was enough to uplift his spirits some. Social without being social... it was a weird gray area.

But he was used to that- his whole life was a "weird gray area".

When the morning came and the call to reveille was put out (albeit in the rather pleasant tone of their new superior), he rose and readied himself promptly. He wagered he ought to chalk it up to the vestigial habits from the stints he spent institutionalized by "the man" in his younger years- it was ingrained now that when someone told you to get up and at 'em, you moved, no matter how nice they were being.

As he filed down the hall with the rest of the group, he couldn't help but glance around at his surroundings. He'd looked around on the way in last night, sure, but it was always good to be assured of your environment. Another habit courtesy of the Big House, he mulled, a bemused smile curving his lips somewhat.

Jules looked around at the new recruits. She stood with her arms behind her back holding one wrist. She waited for everyone to stop moving around. "Good morning again, I'm Agent Gilder and I'm your trainer. Before I let you get to breakfast I want to make one thing clear. I am younger then some of you but I am your superior officer not a little defenseless baby. I expect to be treated as such." She moved aside and started to walk towards the doors behind her. "Food's this way, ladies first." She said as she left them to follow her.

Britten waited for the rest of the woman to walk past her then got in the back of the line. She never really liked hanging out with girls or anyone for that matter. She rubbed her arms and walked behind them. She bit her lip.

With an audible snnnnnrk, Sy finally stirred awake, breaking free of his blanket cocoon to gasp for air. Turns out it was difficult to breathe with your head wrapped in fabric.

Now (regretfully) awake for the day, the blonde ruffled his hair and sat up, looking around groggily. The room was empty, it seemed; he was alone. Oh ******, he was alone. He had overslept! Oh man, his first day and he'd overslept! He frantically kicked at the blankets, hopping out of bed and shaking them off. Ah... no time to make the bed! He tossed the handful of linens back up onto the bed, vowing to fix it later.

He stripped down, flinging clothes every which way, tossing on the first things he came in contact with from his rucksack. He skidded out into the hall, still hopping into his jeans, Hawaiian shirt unbuttoned and shoes untied. He scrambled along, fingers dancing up and down the front of his shirt in an attempt to get everything fastened before he met up with the group.

And... he was just in time to see everyone preparing to file off. Ah, what did he miss? Did they even notice his absence? Maybe they didn't (he was just one of many, right?), and he could bum the information off another recruit and stay out of trouble. No harm, no foul- he would make sure to be on time next time!

He shoved and weaved his way through the men, apologizing hastily. Maybe if he could get to the front of the group, he could catch some information... But, ah no! Everyone was queuing up and moving out already! The best he caught was "ladies first". He moved to get going again and... proceeded to trip on his untied laces. He lurched forward, catching himself on the unfortunate young lady at the end of the women's line. It wasn't enough to knock either of them over; just a bump, a jostle. He jumped back a couple steps and once he regained his balance he sidled up again, smiling contritely.

"Hey, hey... sorry about that. Look, uh, my name's Silas... what'd I miss? Anything important?" he whispered.

In retrospect, he could have just asked one of the men but given the looks they were shooting at him... he felt he shouldn't bother them.


~*~


Wats assessed their new leader, listening politely as she spoke. She seemed a stable sort- professional, though a little defensive. But a female in any sort of law-enforcement position tended to have a slight prickle about them, he figured. He remembered seeing it with the female cop his older brother was partnered with (though Susan's bunker-mentality had been more sharp and swift than miss Gilder's seemed to be).

This one... yeah, she seemed solid. Someone he could follow. At the least, she didn't seem an utter pig like some law-enforcement agents he'd rubbed elbows with before...

He was pulled from his thoughts when a younger man scrambled through the group, trying to push his way forward. Watson sidestepped gingerly to let the boy through, watching him stumble down the hall in a show of utter gracelessness and lack of composure.

As the line of men reordered themselves after the intrusion and began to move along, Watson fell into line easily, moving along with the rest of the heard. There's one in every group, he thought to himself, watching the younger blonde. And there always was- poor ****** usually ended up becoming the whipping boy too. Wats knew this for a fact since he was that one growing up. If that young man was smart, he'd square up and get himself together... being the Schleprock of the group was not a fun position to have.

Jules opened the doors to the cafeteria and watched as the women lined up for food. She thought she heard so disturbance in the hall but it went away quickly. She wasn't sure about this group, the women seemed mostly to be a sewing circle then anything else and she wasn't sure how long the men would listen to her. She sighed and hoped today would be easy.



Britney turned and looked at the man who bumped into her. She supposed it was what she got for wanting to be in the back of the line. She was trying to process what he was saying. She really wasn't good with people. "Um... Hi Silas... Basically you just missed Agent Gilder's respect talk. So yes that would be important." She kept walking following the line. She was bad at talking to anyone and she wasn't about to get herself into trouble on the first day. "I hope you won't be late again. She seemed a little tough this morning." She said not looking back at the man.

He rubbed the back of his head, scruffing up already somewhat messy hair (thank god the youth of today had made 'bedhead' a somewhat acceptable hairstyle).

"Aw geez, really? But okay, respect. Pretty basic stuff. Yeah, I mean, I'm all about respecting the bosses! That's... well, at least I didn't miss anything more important..." he said. "Oh, you can call me Sy, by the way. It saves you an extra syllable! And he-ey! What's your name? I guess I should ask if I'm copying off your paper!"

A pause and then another hair ruffle.

"By which I mean... okay, there's no real paper but like, I was asking you for your answers. That's what I meant."

It seemed that Sy had two states of being- passed out and full-tilt. He spoke excitedly, words tumbling out at a brisk pace. It also seemed that Sy didn't have much social awareness- he didn't seem to notice that Britney wasn't interested in conversation, nor did he seem aware he was likely invading her personal space. But Silas... ah, his social skills had always been crippled pretty notably by his pervasive obliviousness...

Heck, he didn't even seem to notice when they crossed the threshold into the cafeteria...


~*~

Watson moved along easily, head up, eyes straight ahead. He just hoped that agreeing to join up wasn't a mistake (not that he had too much choice given how his activities had been picked up on). It wasn't that he disrespected law-enforcement types- indeed, he had great respect for the danger they constantly put themselves in, day after day. Nor was it that he had some urge to "fight the power" and not be a "sheeple" (sheeperson? What was the singular, there?)- he was getting too old to play the angry anarchist rebel.

He just... he always retained a wariness of law enforcement, even into his older years.

But, he resolved to stay positive. Here, he could use his skills for more worthy causes than 'my girlfriend cheated on me, I need to you to hack me some titty pics so I can get even' (granted, he decline puerile jobs such as that with a firm "grow the hell up"). He could be productive. And, he assumed, he would have access to higher technology and all the latest buzz. That part alone was intriguing enough!

Yes, he would remain aware and alert, but positive.

As he passed by Jules, he deviated his gaze for a moment, looking her over quickly as they passed. He didn't lock eyes (he wasn't rude), but it was obvious he was continuing to size her up somewhat. But there was no comment, no furthering of actions or change of his pace. Just a look, nothing more, before he headed over to the food counter.

Britney was getting a little nervous. Of course the most social guy had to bump into her. "Oh, um, I'm Britney." She said not looking back at him. She got to the counter with the food. It was buffet style and she had to take a paper plate. She took one and, noticing it was really two, separated them and handed the other one back to Sy. She looked down the line at the different food. She realized she wasn't really that hungry. She was honestly nervous about how'd she do, she really wanted to get accepted.



Jules noticed the man sizing her up. She crossed her arms and glared at him wondering what he wanted. She quickly filed the look of the man away for later. She'd deal with him in due time.


(Sorry they suck! The internet killed the first one I wrote!)

[Beh, it's fine. I almost lost one of my posts too earlier! Thankfully, my firefox is all tricked out with add-ons that save posts in the event of a page change, accidental tab closure, crash, etc. My posts are mainly fluff and introspection atm anyways!]



Sy grinned thankfully, taking the plate. "Thanks, man!" he said cheerily.

He dug into the food, filling his plate with most anything he came in contact with. He was not so long out of school that he'd forgotten what cafeteria food was like but after slim living... hell, he'd eat about anything. He never again wanted to stoop so low that he was splitting a tin of cat chow with Rei... partly because of how sad it was and partly because cat food was horrible-tasting.

"Britney... that's a cool name, yeah? Sounds bubbly and fun, I think. Silas is kinda lame. S'why I just have people shorten it to Sy. Quicker and it sounds flashier, you know?" he rambled. "I mean, I know cool isn't everything but come on. Silas. It's kind of awful."


~*~


Watson moved into line and selected his food carefully, separating the piles out to minimize touching and blending. Breakfast should be the biggest meal of the day but he found himself not entirely hungry this morning, selecting only small amounts. Eh, he would just compensate at lunch.

He moved to a table, setting down in an area where he could be mostly alone and have his space and began to eat, wondering what the day would bring. He knew their trainer had noticed his surveying gaze- that would probably put a bead on him. Same as it ever was, he mused. Maybe he should cut his hair short again, nix the ponytail for a 'respectable' look to assuage any doubts the boss lady was forming. It'd make the graying at the temples less noticeable too- they'd be just a hint of color then, as opposed to the long streaks that he sported now...

Hiding your age won't change the number though, so why bother?

He liked his hair long anyways. It was a guilty pleasure of his, spreading it out on his pillow at night and rolling over to bury his face in it... Maybe, if he made the cut and became an agent, they'd make him cut it anyways- standard military crop, regardless of field or office. Well, I suppose that's all the more reason to enjoy it while I can, he decided to himself. And, he further decided, that also was extended to apply for now to his breakfast and relative silence.

Britney started walking towards the last empty table she could see talking to Silas over her shoulder. "Oh um Yeah... thanks... Silas isn't that bad..." She almost hoped he'd sit somewhere else but that was unlikely. She really didn't know why he was talking to her. She wasn't exactly the most social person. She felt her nose itch a little and she lifted her hand to sneeze on the back of it. When she sneezed it was small and high pitched. Her body jolted forward and she dropped her plate, her grapes, orange and toast rolled a little away before stopping. She bent down to pick them up.


Jules looked at her watch to see how much longer they had to eat and sighed to herself. She supposed she could give them a little extra time on the first day to eat.

(Sorry! I kept forgetting about it!)

[S'cool man, it happens! I'm in no rush anyways. Plus, nothing very action-y is happening just yet so I guess it can be easy to forget if you have multiple RPs going on!]



Sy paused at the sudden sneeze, watching as the food and plate pitched to the ground. He winced for a split second before... well, laughing. Not at her! He wasn't trying to be mean! He was laughing at the situation. Honestly, the amount of times he'd done the same thing (and then proceeded to laugh at his idiocy) was honestly too high to count! Laughing- at appropriate times or not- was a reflexive habit he'd developed when he was much younger as a coping mechanism and it just... never went away. In fact, it probably got worse as he grew and simply assimilated it as a personality quirk.

He moved to the table- the one that Watson was sitting at, no less- and plopped his plate down roughly, sending a few rogue grapes tumbling from his plate. He spun around quickly and ran passed Britney as she cleaned, pausing a moment to survey the mess, before scrambling off again.


~*~


Being somewhat more helpful, Watson set down his coffee and moved over wordlessly to help the girl pick up. It wasn't like he was doing anything better at the moment and he wasn't so rude he'd just watch someone struggle with their misfortune.

A lot was unsalvageable and even the things that you might be able to dust off... well, in a heavily traveled cafeteria, you probably didn't want to enact the "five second rule" unless you were particularly hard up for food.

Once he'd finished, he gave a polite nod and headed back to the table, sitting down once more to nurse his coffee and remaining food.


~*~


Asylum came skidding back up a few minutes later- and before the girl could escape anywhere (much to her dismay, presumably). He was carrying a plate and grinning widely.

"Ta-da! I tried to get another plate full'a the stuff you had before. I think I did pretty well!" And he did seem to pick out most of the things she originally had. "Oh! And did anyone ever tell you that you sneeze like... a puppy? It's hilarious and adorable at the same time!"

He didn't seem to say that in an insulting or flirty manner. In fact, he seemed oblivious to the fact that comment could be taken either way...