The Ranch

Lunch (1)

Kai and Tih made their way back to the center of the district and entered the building. Unexpectedly, the room that was previously filled with children was now empty. "Huh? Is no one back yet?" Kai looks around, forgetting that even if the children know their room number, they have no map and in turn, no way to get to their apartment. "I guess we'll have to wait,huh? I'm gonna take a quick nap. I'm still tired from all that excessive we did earlier. Wake me up when it's time to go," Kai explains before jumping onto the couch and quickly falling asleep.

The child looks at the sleeping Kai for a moment before turning his focus elsewhere. He looks around the no longer crowded room. The faded white room is brightened with fluorescent ceiling lights. The room looks more like a lobby with a chairs scattered here and there, two couches, and a reception desk, except it doesn't look like anything has been used in a while.

Tih's eyes moved to the open doorway the major left through. Without much thought, he walks through it and enters a separate room that is currently being used as a bedroom. Trash is littered on the floor, stacks of papers are piled high on a wooden desk, and on a saggy couch sleeps a snoring man.

The child walks around the room, looking at the trash, the documents, and finally stops in front of the man, Major Jax. Tih crouches at the edge of the couch and stares at the man.

The child analyzes the man in front of him, muscle density, height, disposition, other physically attributes.

After assessing him for a couple minutes, a gravelly voice utters from the man's throat,"What do you want, kid." The shut-eyed man only heard silence. After a few moments he huffed before lazily opening his eyes only to be face-to-face with a pair of blue eyes. The short distance between them was unexpected and he blanked out for a second before saying,"Watching someone while they sleep is creepy, kid." He eyed the unusual child in front of him. Thin like a skin, sickly looking, could break with the slightest tap, these were the words that first appeared in his head, but for some reason, his instinct was telling him to be wary of this small thing. Looking into his eyes, Major Jax couldn't see any emotion, the kid was completely blank, It's almost unnerving.

The child stared back at him, blinking occasionally. Since the kid wasn't going to say anything, the man decided to continue,"Seriously kid, it's just creepy at this point." Major Jax sat up, becoming slightly taller than the child. "You one of the newbies?" When the kid didn't say anything he was about to move on, but noticed the boy nod his head ever so slightly.

"You don't talk? Well, I don't really give a crap about that sort of thing, but some of the other instructors with sticks up their as-butt will. If your planning to continue with the silent treatment, better not be caught by one of them or you'll have hell to pay." He chuckles with a sneer after being reminded of a certain someone.

Major Jax yawns before checking the electronic watch on his wrist,"Did you already find your apartment? Got here pretty quickly..." His gruff voice turned into a soft grumble,"should've taken longer than that...sigh."

At this time, the door in the lobby could be heard creaking open as the angry voice of Private Scott calls out,"Major! Can you tell me why I just ran into a lost newbie that couldn't find his way to his room!" The stomping of feet become louder and louder until the soldier enters the room and notices Tih,"Oh? Are you one of the newbie? Were you able to find your apartment?"

The major answered in the child's stead?," Give it up, the kid doesn't speak." He shrugs his bulky shoulders.

"Doesn't speak?" The Private frowns. "What if the child runs into that guy?"

"Well, it'll be interesting. That's for sure." The major chuckles in response.

Private Scott's frown deepens,"That's not a laughing matter." He turns to face Tih and says in a softer, slightly hopeful voice,"You don't talk at all?"