Participants:
| Scene Title | Lunching Ladies and Lads |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | In the Oakdale Community Center in Eltingville, some of the Civil Watch mingles with the residents. |
| Date | September 8, 2011 |
A long, flat building of concrete and wood and white paint, the Oakdale Community Center favours functionality over appearance. Open from eight in the morning to eight at night, any and all residents of the E-Blocks are welcome to receive charity and "enjoy" a place to socialise. The main room is a large eating hall, with one long row of tables as well as smaller, more private clusters of eating places. Food is served every breakfast, lunch and dinner, and has the same quality of nourishment as homeless centres on the mainland. Lots of soup goes through this place.
There's an office that one can schedule an appointment with a social worker to talk things through such as Registration, personal needs (like medications, clothing, etc.), and usually they are tended to with enough swiftness according to the priority it takes. There is minimal security here, but security is always on call as needed.
Meals, if you care to take what the government will hand out and are disinclined to cook, or aren't one of those who are not restricted to the Island, are taken in the Oakdale Community Center at regular times. The food is far from spectacular, on par with what you'll find at St. Josephs or any other soup kitchen.
And today that's just what it is. Soup. Again. It's always soup, the regular can tell you, with the occasional stew and sometimes, sometimes it's something else different. Either way, it's food and for some, those few who are here because they did a bad bad thing or got caught, it's their only food. People move in and out of the line where such is dispensed, a small family in summer clothes and worn shoes ensuring that they get their fair share. Elsewhere, others come in, either joining in the line or going off to the hallways where one can access the rooms where counselors are available to help with their needs. Security is present today, the Civilian watch both here on some official capacity and unofficial capacity as well - Most of them do this as a way to beat the boredom or to gain a small modicum of power meted out. Either way, if you act up today, someone will notice.
An enormous woman enters.
Okay, so maybe she's not enormous, but that's how Nadira feels at the moment with her obviously pregnant belly sticking out. She's grateful for the fact that she's managed to get ahold of some maternity clothes so at lest her stomach isn't exposed to the elements. She's not too fond of getting out and letting people see her, due to the fact that she's getting to that stage of self-consciousness and self-hatred. One hand rests on her stomach, a reflexive gesture, and she moves further into the community center. She makes a beeline for the food line, fingers crossed that she'll get a generous portion. Nadira's not getting her hopes up, though.
She's never liked the soup kitchen. Since that's what it is, really. A glorified, government owned and operated, soup kitchen. One step up from slopping the pigs. But there's Koshka, for some reason, taking a meal at the community center instead of the school or at the Winters' home. Or pawning herself off on one of the other residents she's acquainted with. Somewhere in the back of her mind she's reconsidering the reasoning behind choosing Oakdale, nose wrinkling at the smell of soup and too many people.
Having claimed one of the small circular tables for herself, the teenager stabs at the soup filling her bowl with a sense of dubious interest. Her feet are hooked around the legs of her chair, or one is, the other with its accessory of a tracking anklet stays parallel to the chair leg. The other chairs, for the moment, are empty. Koshka's gaze isn't resting on the food in front of her though, a sort of bored expression passes outwardly, eyes watching the random passerby or arrival and occasional family.
Sandi seems to find herself here at Oakdale a lot lately. Supposedly, that's the life of being a out of work, poor college student. That life sucks, but as much as she hates being here sometimes, at least Oakdale's where she can do for food when she really needs it. It's a small bit of comfort in a time of rising discomfort, one of those things she tries not to take forgranted too terribly often. Particularly not when there's armed security there to make sure she doesn't take it for granted - or at least so thes tories seem to go.
She's been out of line a few minutes now, wandering for a place to sit with her soup in hand. Not the most filling meal, but it'll do until tonight, when she heads out to meet her brother for dinner. She looks annoyed, nonplussed, disgruntled - whatever word you want to pick for disinterested and disinclined to be her normal sociable self, exhaling sharply as she manuevers herself past Nadira. Wow, a lady that pregnant here? That's certainly not a good thing, quirking an eyebrow at the woman as she passes. "You don't look like you shuold be here," she remarks curiously.
One of the civil watch, not one of the ones currently on duty is a tall lanky blonde guy, hair too long to be proper and often sweeps across his face and requires a hand to reach up and move it out of the way. He's in line behind Nadira, a huff when the line moves forward and they're both up to get their food and the pregnant woman isn't moving fast enough for his liking.
Koshka for the most part at the moment is ignored, save for others who even here, take a look at her anklet and sniff. Not e veryone here came here involuntarily.
Nadira's doing her best not to hold up the line, but she's still getting used to moving around and getting things on her own. Thankfully, she hurries ahead to get her food and succeeds in acquiring a bowl before she makes sure to move out of the way of the rest of the line. She looks towards Sandi with a slight downturn of her lips. "Sometimes life doesn't give us much of a choice where we want to go, regardless of circumstances," she notes, a glance down at her belly as she wobbles towards a nearby table, the one occupied by Koshka. She glances at the young woman, mustering a small smile. "Would you mind if I sat?"
Knowing she should be used to those looks by now, Koshka can't help but occasionally stare back at those who very pointedly look at her. Not her fault — not entirely her fault anyway — that she's being monitored. Her spoon stirs and swirls slowly within her bowl as she nearly glowers at one individual who plays a better-than-you attitude card. The look fades to an expression nearer to neutrality when Nadira's shadow crosses her table.
The girl is quiet for a moment, head tipping upward to look at the woman. She offers a half grin and nods toward one of the empty chairs. "Sure. If you want to."
Sandi's expression is flat for a moment as she lets out a sigh, for some reason following after the woman - mostly because it looks like she's found a spot with open seats, and that makes Sandi's job that much easier. "I guess I know what you mean," she laments with a small shrug, and then a glance down at Nadira's belly. "Well- Okay, no, not really, but I get the idea." Moving around over to Koshka's side of the table (as to not crowd the prggo lady!), Sandi takes her seat as well, nodding to Koshka.
Seems there's room for one more and while Sandi and Nadira take up spots at the table, so does Freddy. No qualms at all to invite himself, taking up that spot beside the breeding evo, his own tray set down with a thunk before he reaches to grab his bun and start tearing into it, looking to the trio as if trying to decide who to say hi to first.
Which isn't any of them, just pops a piece of bread into his mouth - take heart, he eats with his mouth open ladies - and flashes them a smile before dunking another piece into the chili that he picked up.
Shifting aside to make room for the new arrival, Nadira leans in to take a bite of her food. "I don't think people are in favor of making exceptions. I've been able to take care of things decently, though… no real problems with seeing doctors or anything." She looks down at her food.
Sandi is given a curious glance, but it's Freddy who earns a flat look from Koshka. "I think I'm going to be sick," she states in disgust, brows arching, nose wrinkling as she watches the man eat. Leave it to the teenager to point out the lack of manners of some people. "Where you raised by hyenas or something? Dude, that's nasty. The kids in Harbor Court've got better upbringings." Which isn't saying much, considering the gentleman seated across the table.
Sandi raises an eyebrow at Freddy as he sits - not that she can really comment, she didn't really ask before taking her seat either. But at least she ahs something resembling manners about it. "I would hope not, Jesus. The people here can be assholes, but that'd be something else if they were messing with a pregnant lady," she remarks to Nadira with a bit of a chuckle. A chuckle that fades quickly as she averts her eyes from Freddy, glancing voer at Koshka. "Hey, whatever," she says to Koshka, offering a small shrug. "I mean, she's right, dude, it's gross, but I guess you're not worried about things not looking like a slob or getting laid or anything."
Fred just shrugs his shoulder, wiping at the edges of his bowl with more of the bread. "I've seen the kids there, they were raised in a barn. I was raised by elephants" Sneered - just a little - back at Koshka before exerting control in his face and winking at the teenager, squishing his lips together and making kissing motions at her.
"How are you all, little doves, nesting in the cafeteria" He calls it that, young enough to likely eat in one at a university if he was so inclined to do so. Except he isn't. A shake of his head sends blonde hair out of his face as he grabs up Sandi's spoon - He forgot to pick up his - and quickly dips it in his chili and thus claiming it as his. "Enjoying your stay at Casa del E-ville? Everyone treating you right?" In goes some chili and he sucks on the spoon, making sure to lick off every drop of the tomato based food. He lens in towards Nadira. "Anything you need?" A glance down to her belly and raise of blonde brows.
Nadira's not about to comment on someone's table manners. She doesn't think it's her place and she'd rather not cause an argument with anyone in E-ville. That and she likes to try and be nice. Save the self-improvement tips for those you know well, much more likely for them to take root. She raises an eyebrow at the spoon-snatch, but again makes no comment in regards to that. "I'm doing alright, thank you. I'm managing to find what I need… a little ingenuity involved, but I'm finding everything."
"Elephants would be better behaved," Koshka returns in deadpan. "Sphincter face." The last is muttered toward her bowl of soup as she again pushes her spoon into the meal. She doesn't miss the switch of spoons and glances toward Sandi, shoulders lifting to offer a small shrug, as though to say Some people. Her own spoon comes up, filled with the meal of the evening, a look nearly mirroring what she'd given Freddy on his arrival now aimed at the contents.
"Really?" Sandi looks between Freddy and Koshka with a bit of disbelief. "Jesus, are you two brother and sister? You argue like it!" She leans back a bit, before reaching down for her spoon - which she has completely missed Freddy taking. She blinks, looking at the spot it used to occupy, and then up across from her at Freddy. ANd she just stares, speechless for a good moment or two before pushes herself up from her seat, going to get another spoon - and making sure to gently smack Freddy on the back of the ehad as she passes.
When Sandi returns, it will be to half a bowl of chili - gently used - and her bowl of soup now on Freddy's tray because of that smack that has him scowling and rubbing the back of his head. "Cunt" Under his own breath, though to who it's directed at one can only guess given that Sandi and Koshka both might have raised his ire.
So he turns his attention to Nadira, the only person not swearing at him - and not bearing the brunt of his do what he may mentality at the moment. Self entitlement comes with his job, or at least, he brings it to the job. "So. What got you sent here? I know the brat probably did something" That's you Koshka. "But a pretty round thing like you?" Slurp goes the soup.
Such good soup.
"You shut up," Koshka states, a frown shadowing her features. "I didn't do anything wrong except try to do something supposedly right. So don't talk like you know anything. You don't know a thing about me or anyone else here." The spoon is dropped, to clatter in her bowl just as the vessel is pushed aside. Gently enough that it doesn't spill, she may decide to eat it eventually. "If it weren't for the fly you wouldn't know which side was the frontside of your pants."
Really? Slurping? Nadira wrinkles her nose a little, but she doesn't chide Fred on his slurping. Her eyes dart to Koshka, a slight frown tugging at the corners of her mouth. "You don't have to yell," she says, eyes looking tired as she gazes at the young woman. "He could know a thing about you if you told him." Her eyes move back to Fred. "I didn't have all the proper registration in order. I never registered when I moved from Egypt and I was always a little nervous to… so I ended up here."
"Jerk," Sandi fires abck as she moves to her seat - and discovers her soup gone. Well, that's just fantastic. She lets out a bit of a huff as she slumps into her chair, tossing the newly recovered spoon into what has now become Fred's soup. "I give up," she says with a sigh. "I'll get hot pockets or something when I get home again." She rolls her eyes, looking betwee the others.
"Good lord. How did I end up at the preteen table? None of this stuff is anyone's business anyway." Why she's still here, Sandi isn't exactly sure. Arms crossed, looking over at Nadira with an apologetic look on her face, as if she feels the need to apologise for the two nitwits they've been saddled with.
Soon to be one Nitwit as Freddy's getting up, extracting long legs from under the table and unfolding to his full height with a smile on his face. "Everyone ends up here" In fact, it was Freddy, that is the reason Nadira got sent here. Not that he recognizes her. The spare roll he'd picked up it flicked over the table to land against Sandi's tray. "Enjoy it. See you 'round ladies" he knocks off a two finger salute to them, winking at Koshka and liberating an apple from someone elses tray to a chorus of offended sounds, he's sauntering out, fist bumping one of his buddies actually on duty in the Civil Watch.
There's a small shake of Nadira's head before she looks back to her soup. "Everyone ends up here," she agrees, mostly to herself at this point. Maybe not at the preteen table, but at this rate… everyone ends up in E-ville in her eyes. She smiles kindly back towards Sandi before she looks back at her soup, taking another few bites. Well, at least it's still warm.
"No one should be here," Koshka puts in. Quietly this time, after the rebuke. "I hate this place." She doesn't watch Freddy leave, instead frowning at the table for a moment. Her played with but otherwise untasted soup is pushed toward Sandi, and an apologetic look goes to Nadira. "Sorry, that was…" A shrug supplies the reasoning behind the rest of that sentence, as she pushes her chair back from the table. "Didn't mean to ruin your supper. Either of your suppers."
"Trust me, compared to him, you were an angel," Sandi says with another huff, watching Fred with contempt as he heads off. Again, she left looking between the other two at the table, a grimace on ehr face as she looks off. "Not everyone. I know tons of people not in here. Come on, don't be so depressing." Which Sandi knows is hard sometimes. She's had days of sitting in her small apartment, throwing a tennis ball against her wall with a frown on her face as she laments the last few months of her life.
Nadira looks back to Koshka, shaking her head a little. "No, no one should be in here. I worry for everyone who is," she admits, looking down at her food. "You didn't ruin my meal, I understand. It is hard, being trapped in here. It is no walk in the park. It is hard not to be able to fight back. I cannot say I am very happy being trapped in here and having to deal with… well, you know." She glances down at her stomach.
A glance from Koshka also goes to Nadira's stomach, a small nod tipping her head. Not that she can relate to being pregnant and trapped in Eltingville. "Yeah. Still, you two enjoy the…" She makes a face and motions toward the bowls of soup, then rises up out of her chair. "Got to go finish homework and stuff. Parents'll be wondering if I'm out too late."
Oh, you mean the bowl of soup that Sandi never got to actually have? That still has her bummed out, a sour look on her face as she watches KOshka. You'd think that, given the situation everyone's in here, people could at least not be assholes to each other. That, or at least not steal other people's food. That would be stellar.
Giving a bit to a nod to Koshka, Sandi propers her slbom against the table for just a moment, before rising up herself. "Ugh, wahtever. I'm gong abck home. You don't need anyone to walk back with you or anything, do you?" she asks, looking over at Nadira. See? Not being an asshole. How hard was that?
Protip: Not very.
"Thanks," Nadira says, nodding towards Koshka. "Take care on your way home." She looks back to Sandi, then shakes her head. "I will be alright, haven't had too much trouble and I won't stay out late enough to bring trouble to my doorstep. Thanks for the company, it was nice to have someone to chat with, even if it wasn't terribly long."
Brows pinch together, closer to uncertainty than an actual frown, as Koshka looks between Sandi and Nadira. Whatever thought has crossed her mind is pushed away, however, dismissed with a sigh as she turns to make her way out of the community center. Hands go into her pockets as she moves between a couple of tables, a glance over her shoulder to the one she'd just departed. Brief. Then she's weaving her way past people and ducking by the Civil Watch people, heading for the streets outside.
Sandi rolls her shoulders in a shrug, before climbing up from her seat and giving a small wave. "Alright then, if you think it's all good, I'mma head off. It was nice to talk to you, even if everyone else was being a tit." Sandi's hands slide into her pockets, and she turns, shaking her head. "And try not to be so down about things! I mean, Jesus, you're just going to make being ehre worse if you do." WIth that she scuffles her feer a bit before taking off towards the door. Looks like it's time to go waste her food at home.
Nadira offers a small wave in Sandi's direction. "I will try and be positive, no worries," she insists before she turns back to her soup. And Koshka's soup. And Sandi's soup. And Fred's chilli. It's likely that she'll finish all of it before lumbering back to her place to hibernate.