[center][img]https://fontmeme.com/permalink/190924/544c85ab5c75bc61a4bb5ce40dc0caa6.png[/img]
[color=salmon]Word Count: 1071 (+2 exp)[/color]
[color=salmon][u]Level[/u]: [b]8[/b] - [u]Total EXP[/u]: 12/80
[b]Location:[/b] Edge of the Blue - The Maw[/color][/center]
A rescue from and retaliation against Moreau dotted the children's escape from the area. Once everyone was free and clear from the mutant it was a mad dash to the elevator, and away from the last ditch effort Moreau was raining down on them. Like the others Ace Cadet ran as fast as his legs would carry him, smashing into the elevator and squeezing himself in among the many bodies trying to fit into the small space. There were some spikes to contend with, little monster horns and some metallic limbs. He hadn't even realized he still held those clippers in his hands too, hopefully they weren't poking into anyone. Despite the tight fit and how uncomfortable it was... it seemed like they all made it. Some worse for wear, though Blazermate was making quick work of their wounds. The Cadet didn't care at all that some of the areas where the acid has splashed him the most were pulling and forming into scars. He was just glad that they were out of there. Once their healer finished her work the Cadet let go, sagging. He dropped his tool and would have slid to the floor if he wasn't tucked between two people. 

His energy level was just about zero. His eyelids were even drooping, though he perked up slightly when he noticed Link raising the dartboard up to get his attention. It was in a sorry state, but it was always meant to be a makeshift piece of equipment. The redhead mustered up a weary grin. [color=salmon]"S'fine, 'bout time for an upgrade anyway."[/color] 

The Cadet spent the rest of the ride up in silence, drifting in and out. He could feel the behemoths shifting around at their feet, and the thought came to him that he'd have to thank someone for looking after BB. He was kind of surprised no one had tried to eat the little piglets yet. Or maybe they had and they just got fought off, there was a lot going on at once down there.

When the elevator door opened with a soft dinging sound, everyone piled out. Some practically fell out, collapsing on the ground. The Cadet was among them, falling to his hands and knees and crawling off to the side to rest. All that running around in the junk room, the flooded room, cutting the chains with Nadia, getting thrown and splashed with acidic bile, and no stamina increase even after being healed twice... on top of that, the hunger so bad that he was sure his stomach was trying to eat it self... the mini monster hunter was running on less than fumes. He seated himself against a wall with his head tipped back and eyes closed. He shut out the pessimistic words, glad that others were refuting her, even though the statements that were more stubborn than optimistic. They were down, but not out. Nadia herself wasn't out either, she probably knew that somewhere deep down. Of course, the food probably helped—

[i]Wait, food? Did they say food?[/i]

Cadet cracked his eyes open again, looking over. He'd heard right, right? Indeed, Ms. Fortune and two thirds of the Koopa were starting to eat, and beyond them was a banquet behind a wall of bars. At the same time, there were people crying out not to eat, reminding them all of the warning they were given before even setting out onto the ocean. [i]Right, the food here was bad, cursed or something...[/i] he thought to the tune of his stomach growling painfully. He struggled to push himself up and onto his feet again, but somehow managed it. He also caught BB by the tail when he spotted the baby behemoth making it's way toward the food, but in his weakened state he couldn't even keep hold of a piglet. It whined and thrashed until it slipped from the Cadet's grasp, running over to join in on eating. Sighing, the Cadet trudged forward, standing beside the holdouts and wincing whenever his stomach grumbled.

[color=salmon]"Hey hey, they're right - we weren't supposed to eat here, it was some kinda... kinda temptation thing, right? If you eat you'll end up cursed or... uh..."[/color] he didn't really remember what was said, just that they were warned not to eat. Fatigue was even getting into his brain. His eyes were practically spirals as he stood there wobbling. There were reasonable arguments on both sides, though the one that spoke to the Cadet the most was Bella's.

'The food is probably cursed, so just don't eat a lot of it.' Okay, that might be paraphrased, but that logic was sound wasn't it? The more you eat the bigger the curse, so if you only eat a little you only get a little cursed. Yeah, that made perfect sense! His resolve was quickly crumbling, and after seeing nothing immediately happen to those that were eating the Cadet's feet began to move on their own, shuffling forward through the opening that was made. 

[sub][color=salmon]"It's probably okay... just a little bit, just enough to survive... I can take a little curse..."[/color][/sub] he mumbled to himself. Saying that last part out loud though sent a shiver down his spine and he slowed, reconsidering again. Curses were bad news, what if it made the hunger even worse after a while, or... or something worse that he couldn't imagine right now. [sub][color=salmon]"No... no I can make it through without it, I..."[/color][/sub]

The indecision was making things worse, and the Cadet collapsed beside the table. To be cursed or not to be cursed... he laid there bemoaning the predicament until BB came back to his side, carrying something that looked and smelled like a mini meat pie in it's mouth. It dropped the food item on the Cadet's chest and then went back to the table to fetch more. It's snout was grimy with the evidence that it had already made it's own dent in the banquet. All hesitation fled the Cadet and he stuffed the meat pie into his mouth, nearly swallowing it whole.

[color=salmon]"Oh my gog,"[/color] he sighed, overtaken with relief. He had betrayed the anti-eating team, and it felt so good. He pulled himself closer to the table and sat up, sitting cross-legged and reaching blindly up to find something else to eat while some of the others went to explore. BB was amassing a small pile of assorted meat and vegetables nearby.