“it’s not as uncommon as you think…” he shrugs, poking at the contents of his lunch, grip loose around his fork as he tries to stop the smile that twitches at his lips. he’d been here a lot longer than she had — before they had the school, he was homeschooled by his mother before she devoted all of her time to the group home — so he remembered when resources were even slimmer than they are now. when any food that was found or made had to be split ten different ways and medical supplies were almost impossible to come by. he doesn’t want to bring this up though, talking about 20 years ago will just dampen their mood. he’s learned to be grateful of any positive mood he’s ever around. “he’s new, you know, to this society. his parents are just now learning to grow their own food. hell, even make their own food. so, it can be unpredictable.—- but that’s the last thing i want to talk about while i’m eating. you’ve got such a stronger stomach than me, doctor.” a wide grin finally lifts his lips, white teeth flashing as he meets her eyes. “speaking of good cooking, though…are you working through the night? if not you should come around for dinner. my mom’s cooking, so you know it’ll be good.”
。* 、— the whispered conversations that happened around the banished community were completely different than the ones inside the black metal walls. the conversations out here were mainly about survival and the chances each family had of it when they first join. touleen had heard stories of the first few families to come through after the community was formed, and most of them hadn’t all survived. after working with a girl who lost her brother and mother inside the walls and her father in this community, touleen knew the struggles it took for a family to survive by their own hands feeding their own little mouths. it seemed bittersweet that the girl never had to go through something like that. in those walls, touleen had food provided for her, and most of the time it was the best kind of food available, but for those who lived in this community with their families, they got to enjoy the community and love that came from surviving and thriving off of your own work and dedication. she couldn’t say that she thought about her family every day, but people who grew up here thought about their families every hour, and made sure they survived until the next day. hart understood all of the struggles that came along with it, but tutz really had such a vague idea, but her mouth remained shut. the less she knew about the struggles of him growing up the clearer her mind was. she already worried about the male too much for any normal person, and knowing how he struggled might worry her even more. ❛ just because i have a strong stomach doesn’t mean that doesn’t freak me out still. ❜ she spoke the words with a soft laugh, and a sudden nervousness about her. she’d eaten dinner at their house for the past three nights, and the last thing she wanted to do was overstay her welcome. ❛ i’m sure your mother would like one less mouth to feed, hart. besides, its my night to cook at the house. ❜ alright, that was a lie, but hart didn’t know that.
