Madeline Beaufort and the Moon Thief

Madeline didn’t need to think. “Yeah let’s g-” She was interrupted by her stomach which let out a large growl. “...On second thought, do you think we could go to the cafeteria first? I just realized that I never finished my breakfast”

“Sure thing” said James, then turning to look down to his cohabitant who was wiggling more than usual. “The big guys is also hungry, apparently.”

The three went back through the white doors. This time the containment process did get activated, irritating Madeline’s eyes once again. They walked back through the hallway, but took a turn in another direction, away from the command center.

They entered a medium sized room, significantly smaller than the others of this facility she had been in, save for the hallway. The room had a dozen or so tables filled with occupants eating off of metal trays, and a short line of humans and aliens trailed off from the counter at the far end of the room. Unlike in the command center where everyone was hard at work, a few of the room’s occupants noticed Madeline and stared. She would have asked James about the attention she was getting, but he was seemingly engrossed in a conversation with his partner. They entered the line which moved quickly, and moved up to the cook, who was a being made of crystalline rocks.

“Don't mind the rest of them.” The cook said gesturing to the rest of room, who quickly averted their gaze once pointed out. “You are today’s gossip. Not often we get kids down here. And we never get to meet coworker’s kids. Heard a lot about you from Donna and Alexandria. Only good too. They are such proud parents.”

“You know them?” Asked Madeline, connecting the dots. “I guess I'm just realizing they must work here.”

“Well, I’ve known your parents for years. Since they were practically kids. Long before they worked here in any capacity. They are really more of independent contractors. Working officially with the N.N.A.S.A. I am Cook, by the way.”

“Well it’s nice to meet you Cook.” She responded, marvelling at the utilitarian nature of his name.

“I figured you might be coming this way. I prepared you Mac and Cheese. Just in case. Donna had me make it for you. She would home to you a sometimes. She’s a terrible chef.” He made a noise that sounded like laughing, but Madeline couldn't be sure.

He grabbed a tray from under the counter, a plate of macaroni and white cheddar, one of her favorite meals. Her mother had always lied to her and said that she had made it herself, which Madeline knew wasn’t the truth, because as Cook had said, Donna was a terrible chef. But while Madeline had known that it was a falsehood, she never would have been able to grasp the truth of where it actually came from before this moment.

"Thank you" She choked out.

The Abyssal grabbed a canister from the counter and screwed it into the suit. A puff of red dots filtered down the fishbowl-like headpiece. The little flakes ended up flying into James’ face like a glitter bomb. He did not look amused.

“Come on man! Can't we even sit down first” James flitted around the food as best he could while the abyssal grabbed out at some of the dots with his tentacles.

They surveyed the cafeteria. There was one empty table, a table of human agents, one with a mix of humans and aliens but no room for James and The Abyssal, and one with a silver metallic humanoid eating alone. The rest of the tables were entirely filled.

SpoilerShow

>_ where should we eat? (if you pick the mostly occupied table, James and The Abyssal will eat with some coworkers.)