by Basil Benson » Mon Jul 12, 2021 12:39 am
The days blurred together in his time here, but over them he learned to adapt. Just as she said he would.
Once he'd learned to play nicely with the orderlies, they started letting him into the gymnasium for exercise. It was a fairly sizable room, but he was always alone here. Sometimes, the orderlies would come in through a door from across the gymnasium that she would never open for him, even if he pleaded her to. She assured him that when the time was right, she would allow him access to the other side. She claimed there were others beyond it, and if he continued to play nicely, he would eventually be allowed to be around them.
He didn't remember if he particularly enjoyed exercise before, but these days, it was something to do at least. He mostly worked on his core muscles. He'd read somewhere that if one exercised, it was exceedingly important to work the core. He would spend time on the punching bag just to keep up boxing form, but without someone to spar with it wasn't exactly educational in any way, a mindless slog to pass the time.
The more he behaved, the more he was given. Personal items for his own grooming, books, even music. Lately, she had been waking him with music every day, and was really starting to nail his tastes. This morning his day started with a familiar bouncy chord.
Don't get me wrong
If I'm looking kind of dazzled
I see neon lights
Whenever you walk by
Over the music, her voice rang out. "Good morning Cheshire."
"Good Morning my Liege." He greeted cheerily enough, if slightly groggy from waking.
"At your leisure, please make yourself presentable and make your way to the gymnasium."
"Yes ma'am." He replied as he got out of bed and went to brush his teeth.
He'd be humming the tune for the rest of the morning. He made his way to the gymnasium without the assistance of the orderlies. He knew the way, and since he no longer fought with them, they allowed him to walk of his own volition. These guys were incredibly ill humoured, not unlike palace guard. But he'd promised himself he was going to get these guys to crack eventually, and this morning was yet another opportunity. He could see them standing outside the gymnasium door at the other end of the long hallway that lead from his room directly, and a smirk painted across his face. After a moment, his humming turned into singing, and he strutted towards the pair dramatically.
"Once in a while
Two people meet
Seemingly for no reason
They just pass on the street
Suddenly, thunder showers everywhere
Who can explain the thunder and rain
But there's something in the air-" He sang along to the music in his head, powerwalking towards the duo in front of him. In a moment and without hesitation, he was dancing up on one of them, literally an inch from freak dancing on the poor bastard. he knew the moment he made contact it would be bad news, and he wasn't looking to get his teeth knocked in, he was just trying to make them laugh. He kept singing, now making direct eye contact with the orderly he'd engaged with as if he was singing for him.
"Don't get me wrong
If I come and go like fashion
I might be great tomorrow
But hopeless yesterday-"
When it was apparent to him that neither of them were going to budge, he decided to give up, for now, twirling away from him to move into the gymnasium.
"Don't get me wrong
If I fall in the mode of fashion
It might be unbelievable
But let's not say so long
It might just be fantastic
Don't get me-"
As the automated door to the gym slid open, he found he wasn't alone.
There were people in here. People who were not orderlies. And he froze like a deer in the headlights.