ES 8 - Pineapple and ham

“Reed you got to help me!”
“Hi Baking soda, what’s wrong?”
“I’m not allowed to use a phone. I desperately need you to make a call for me.”
“Why?”
“Owen… he... is not very good at food. He just crams a pineapple and some ham into a mixer and calls it dinner. So please, please, won’t you order me a pizza?”


After having to order pizza for Dawson on several occasions Reed had granted him permission to eat in the cafeteria. Dawson was a bit scared, all alone surrounded by these weird and powerful people, knowing he’d probably be crushed to pulp if anyone found out the truth. He had trained a lot on proper social interactions with Ramsey, so far the overgrown wolf cub hadn’t suspected anything. After receiving his food, Dawson hurried over to an empty table and sat down. He looked out on the colorful crowd, some in human form, some in animal, and felt a bit lonely. It had slowly begun to sink in that he was never going to talk to a human ever again. It was fun at first, finding out the secrets of the universe, reading about shifter history and society, but moments like these he missed is old life.
“Hi, you mind if I take a seat?” someone said.
“Not at all.” Dawson answered by polite reflex before realizing it might not have been the smartest move. Nothing to do about it now, just have to keep conversation to a minimum, he thought. The man who sat down at Dawson’s table was blue and had wings made of water sprouting from his back. Dawson looked intensely at his food to avoid staring at the newcomer.
“I am Aidic.” The newcomer said.
“Inaida. Nice to meet you.”
“Why do you sit here sulking in the corner?”
“Well…” Dawson laughed nervously. “I’m from Norfolk, I’m not used to life in the city yet.”
It was the ultimate excuse Reed and Shrapnel had trained him to use. When in doubt say you are from Norfolk and hope that the other person isn’t.
“Norfolk, the metropole of ice and isolation! Nah, just kidding, Norfolk is a nice place.” Aidic said stuffing some potatoes into his mouth. “I could never live there tough. Too enclosed.”
“It’s not for everyone, I guess.”
“Did you by any chance know your parents?”
“Of course.” Dawson said, cursing himself as the words left his mouth. Knowing your parents were not something common among shifters, and he had made it sound obvious that he did. Aidic didn’t seem notice tough.
“I wouldn’t have minded growing up knowing who my parents were. What type of elements do they have, if you don’t mind me asking?”
“Water.” Dawson said cursing himself for being so unimaginative.
“Both of them? That’s a coincidence.”
“Ha ha, no my mother was… ice!” He had never been much of a liar.
“They must be proud to have a son that got into chemical.”
“Yes, they were.” Dawson thought of his real parents when he got into university. “You are going to do great things, they said. But now I’m just stuck in the archives.”
“How old are you?”
“138” he said, hoping that adding a hundred to his age wasn’t too much or too little.
“Then you are young! There is plenty of time to advance, just show your ambition.”
“I’m not so sure about that…”
“Why?”
“Well, baking soda is not among the strongest of things, is it?” he asked, a bit worried it would be.
“You have been listening too much to the higherups in chemical. Elemental strength isn’t everything.”
“Maybe not.” Dawson said, hoping to get out of that line of conversation.
“You work with that creepy tall guy?”
“You mean Ow… Shrapnel?”
“Every time I come to report a new shifter he is there, like he doesn’t have a life outside his work. He stares at you like he is about to eat you.”
Dawson somehow still thought of Shrapnel as a human, even if he knew that wasn’t true. Shrapnel almost never did anything to counter this belief. There was a question Dawson hadn’t asked him, partly because he wasn’t sure he wanted to destroy the thought of Shrapnel as human and partly because it seemed to be a touchy subject to Shrapnel for some reason.
“Do you know what kind of animal he is?”
“No. Never seen him shift. But if you keep your eyes peeled you might find out. Tell me if you do, we scouts have a small bet going on.”
“Can’t you just check him up in the archive?”
“Where would be the fun in that? Besides, we can’t ask the guy to make a search on himself, now can we?”
Dawson agreed. After that the conversation was pretty much about Aidic’s work to Dawson’s relief. It seemed like he loved to talk about all the places he’s been and all the shifters he’d found. Dawson settle to contribute to the conversation with nods and the occasional question. Suddenly Shrapnel stormed into the cafeteria with the small panicked wrinkle between his eyes that Dawson had learned to recognize.
“Inaida!” he shouted before spotting Dawson through the crowd. He made his way through tables and people, more than once making someone spill their food before reaching Dawson and Aidic.
“Inaida! What are you doing?!”
“Eating lunch…” Dawson knew fully well why Shrapnel was upset. He just had to explain himself without sounding strange in front Aidic. “Reed said it was ok. For me to take a lunchbreak.”
“Well I didn’t say it was ok!” Dawson could tell Shrapnel was more worried than angry.
“Hey! That’s not a way to treat your colleague.” Aidic interrupted.
“Excuse me?”
“I said show some respect to your fellows!”
“And you should respect your elders.” Shrapnel showed of the ‘about to eat you’ look.
“He won’t stay in your dirty library forever you know. This guy has ambition.” Aidic said.
“Really? He told you that?” Shrapnel said with a raised eyebrow. No, Dawson mouthed silently to him.
“He will surpass you in no time just you wait!”
Shrapnel glanced down at Dawson, who hoped it didn’t show how embarrassed he was about the whole situation.
“I just wanted some food that wasn’t pineapple and ham…” he cried softly into his hands.
“You, a word in private.” Shrapnel said to him.
Aidic looked like he was about to protest
“It’s ok, Aidic, really.” Dawson got of the chair and headed to a corner behind a large potted plant.


“Humans eat pineapples…?” Shrapnel whispered at him when they were relatively safe form being overheard.
“That doesn’t mean I have to. All the time!” Dawson whispered back desperately.
“Gods watching.” It was an expression Dawson had heard shifters use when someone did something stupid. “You should have told me. I’m used to food like that, I didn’t stop to consider that you might want something different.”
“I’m sorry. I should have told you.”
“No, I’m sorry.” Shrapnel sighed. “My life has gone upside-down a bit recently. I’m trying my best, but I have barely had time to go home, not to mention restock the fridge properly. And I don’t think you want to eat what’s in the freezer.”
“Isn’t it best if I eat in the cafeteria then? Until things have settled down?”
“What about all the people? Someone could find out.”
“Aidic is buying it. And it’s not like they have any reason to suspect anything. Unless they see you treating me strange.”


After Dawson convincing Shrapnel he’d be fine eating in the cafeteria they went back to the table and Aidic. Dawson sat down with what he hoped was a convincing singh from one who had just received a scolding from a superior.
“Finish your lunch. Then head straight back to the library.” Shrapnel said sternly before leaving the two of them to their meal.
“Slave driver.” Aidic whispered.
“Yeah, well, he is not the worst of them.” Dawson said.
“The city, huh? Bit different from where you are from?”
“I guess I’ll get used to it. Eventually.”