The Ferals' lunch hall was a large hangar-like building with orange overhead lamps and a scuffed concrete floor. It was a stark contrast to the clinically spotless, overly bright strip lights and chemical-scented white tiles of the Dolls' refectory back at Base.

"Do Dolls even eat?"

Aero turned to face Cody’s Feral partner Thomas, who was next to him in the queue, with an indignant expression.

Thomas shrugged and pulled a face, "I'm just wondering - rumour is you guys only drink that nutrient juice gunk."

"If I were to believe every rumour I'd heard about the Ferals then you should have a tail," Aero snapped.

Thomas stared at him for a moment, chewing on his lip as if deciding whether to be offended or to laugh. "You never know what sweat pants are hiding," he smirked eventually, gesturing down to his attire.

Aero stopped himself as his eyes drifted downwards, "We eat," he stated bluntly instead. "We actually have to consume 8000 calories a day in order for our bodies to function at their optimum level."

Thomas made a low whistling sound, "Okay well I guess you'll be wanting a lunch tray then? Or perhaps two?"

He handed Aero a plastic tray and gestured towards the queue in front of them, "I really don't recommend the potatoes though, they're grown in the underground mulch labs and well...they taste of mulch."

"Hey Cody,” Aero hissed, getting his friend’s attention. Cody was stood behind Thomas, whilst Aero’s own Feral partner was ahead of them, the muscles in his broad back tensed and rigid.

“Code X769," Aero whispered to out of the corner of his mouth.

"You do realise that's the immediate danger code Aero?" Cody sighed. "How many times has Itagawa asked you not to include government issued distress codes in your daily conversation?"

"I'm freaking serious," Aero hissed at his friend, "this place is weird, these people are weird, my partner is even weirder!"

The fair haired Feral snapped his head round to glare at Aero. Unfortunately (or perhaps fortunately) for Jago he didn’t know Aero very well yet, so when someone else might look contrite or even scared, Aero merely stuck his tongue out.

"Aero, stop that," Cody chided, but he had trouble keeping the smile out of his voice.

"Eat some lunch - then we have practice sparring with our partners, then we'll be escorted to our guest dorm room and you can bitch all you want in private to me, Sienna and Tyron."

"But then the Ferals wouldn’t get to hear how much I dislike them?" Aero countered, pulling a faux-confused expression.

There was a sudden crash right in front of them, causing Aero to flinch violently. Jago had slammed his lunch tray down and was now stalking past them and out of the Hall.

"Oh fantastic," Thomas drawled. "One of the Dolls has already managed to put Jago in a bad mood. That's just what we needed."

"Shut up Thomas," Sienna's Feral - Hannah - replied, calling back from further up the queue.

"Shut up? Do you realise how hard I had to convince him to even come to the partnering?" Thomas groaned back before flashing his eyes red at Aero.

"Mine are prettier," Aero retorted, flashing his own Doll eyes blue and giving the Ferals a shit-eating grin.

Cody caught Sienna and Tyron's eyes before rolling his own in a way that implied, 'I know. I'll deal with him'.

"Aero," he murmured quietly, "code X892."

Aero frowned at Cody for a moment before replying, "Cease and desist?"

Cody nodded before cuffing him round the back of the head, lightly of course, a concussed Aero would probably be even more loose-lipped with his opinions.

"Aren't Dolls meant to be disciplined?" Thomas hissed as he reached over and placed a bowl of congealed pasta on his tray.

Aero bit his tongue on the retort he wanted to spit back at him.

I'll show you discipline, dog.