@finalvlog , Mount Massive Verse
It's lunch time. She knows that much, if only from the relative silence of the halls. Most of the patients aren't in their cells anymore; they've been escorted to the cafeteria, save for the ones too violent to be let out even under supervision. Val knows she hasn't been badly behaved enough this week to officially lose lunch privileges, which leaves one of two options; either today's guard on duty wants some alone time with her, or he's got a personal grudge.
Footsteps in the distance bring her answers. She leans against the outer wall of her cell, arms hanging out between the bars as she cranes her neck to get a better look. She hears him before she sees him, talking too loudly to a yet unseen companion; the tall lanky one who thinks he's too good for this place despite being at the very bottom of the Mount Massive hierarchy.
It makes sense, then, why she's already missed half of her lunch hour. It's a bullshit power play to leave her wondering if she'll be getting fed today or not. He's yet to understand that she doesn't care. One skipped meal isn't going to ruin her day, and neither are the slurs he typically flings at her that she's already heard a hundred times over from Papa Knoth. He's not special. Not intimidating. He is, however, a pain in the ass. Usually she makes him well aware of how she feels about him. But, today is different. Today, he's brought her a gift.
As they come closer down the hallway, she's able to see them. The lanky guard and the fresh meat that he's been talking to, telling him where the different hallways lead and which patients to watch out for. She presses a little closer against the bars, the subconscious urge to touch taking over. She can't get a read on the man with big eyes and messy hair, can't tell yet if he's going to be as docile as he looks. But, as the older guard continues, it seems as though she's going to get her chance to find out.
"Oops, looks like somebody forgot this one." The guard shoots her a look as though it's an inside joke and not his own negligence. But, he's behaving, and so she behaves. She knows exactly what he's doing, as he fumbles with his keys and unlocks her cell; he thinks it's a cute practical joke to leave the newbie alone with the pervert. She plays along, at the risk of him thinking he's won. But, a lion doesn't worry about the motivations of it's keeper; it's simply grateful for the raw meat thrown into it's pen.
"Why don't you walk him to the cafeteria then meet me back here?" The guard suggests to Alex, though his tone is more that of an order than a suggestion.