[center][color=0076a3][h2][color=6ecff6]ELI[/color][/h2][/color][b]MESS HALL, NEW ANCHORAGE[/b][/center]
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Despite the new commotion, Eli spent the rest of her lunch in silence. She’d met one new person already, and while Joshua didn’t seem like the bad sort –for what first impressions with him were worth–, she wasn’t about to play another game of icebreaker with a stranger. Still, Ryn had her attention for as long as Vera was there, even if it was subtle. 

Much to her relief, everything seemed to go well. Ryn was doubtless on the rougher side, either because she was [i]actually[/i] as weathered as she purported to be, or she was merely pretending. It didn’t matter much either way, she saw upsides to both. If Ryn was truly experienced, then she’d be an actual asset to New Anchorage. If she wasn’t, if all of her huffing and puffing was just that, then Eli didn’t need to worry about her questionable loyalty; the girl wouldn’t survive anyway. 

As her mother said: [color=ed1c24]”People are threats up until their last breath.”[/color]

Her meal finished, Eli started out of the mess hall just before the shouting between Jingo and Ryn began. She heard it outside, but when it dissolved, figured the situation was handled. 

Reflex developed over the past days steered her towards the simulation room, but she found herself fighting it. In a moment of shame she wondered if her hesitation stemmed from fear, but pushed that away quickly. There was nothing to fear, and she’d been steadily improving in both time and damage sustained, confident that before long she would clear Lofgren’s room with little issue. So what anchored her? 

A pit formed in her stomach, she knew the answer before she’d even finished thinking the question. Checking the time, she saw there was still a chunk left before lunch came to an end, and with a sharp turn Eli headed away from the simulation route, and towards the barracks. She would spend the rest of the hour in her room, she had a call to make.