Beast Speaker, Monster Tamer

69: Fisticuffs

When Elise was released from the principal's office, it was around lunchtime and a few students were wandering toward the cafeteria halls where Lunch Rush was getting food ready for the hour. On the way there, many did a double take upon seeing her, but they recoiled at Aizawa's presence and the glower on his face. He was kind enough, after the whole debacle, to walk her to the cafeteria doors, where he then parted with a final grunt. A moment of hesitation struck Elise as she stood there listening to the dull chatter of the lunch crowd. It was nowhere near the noise level on an actual school day but for a moment it felt like Before when all she had to worry was about a test and not about finding her place again after near death.

She would have stood there lost in thought if not for the sounds of people rounding the hall corner behind her. That prompted the girl to move her body and push her way through the door. Inside, the number of people almost overwhelmed her despite it being just a mere fraction of what it could be. Now, as she thought about it, Elise realized that this was the first time coming back that she'd been in an enclosed space with so many people. The thought made her twitchy.

Two exits on the other side of the room. Fire escape in the corner. Air vents.

"Wing!"

Elise blinked, glancing around to look for whoever called her name. She spotted Tokoyami, Ojiro, and Shoji in line for lunch, and made her way to them. Up close, all of them looked sweaty and tired despite changing out of their hero costumes into their gym uniforms, no doubt evidence of the training that morning.

"Where were you?" Dark Shadow chirped. "We missed you this morning!"

Being reminded of earlier events made her nauseous if just the slightest bit, but as she wrote out an answer for them, Elise plastered on a disarming smile to not worry them.

'I met w/ the teachers about my progress and quirk. Until Recovery Girl decides I'm ready, I'll be having supplementary lessons. Not training w/ class.'

"That's a shame," Tokoyami noted. "I was hoping you could rejoin the flock."

"It won't be that long," Shoji said as his arms reached out for the lunch trays. He began passing them out to the group but frowned as Elise denied one. Tilting his head, he asked, "Are you not hungry Elise?"

She shook her head but still found the tray in her hands, being bracketed by the group.

"It's not good to skip meals," Ojiro stated matter-of-factly, his tail waving behind him.

"If not, just something light. Like soup," Mezo said. Two of his hands reached for the arrays of food spread out on the counter, one grabbing a plate of dark-colored pasta and a bowl of steaming soup. "Hold this for me, it's hot."

Elise only realized all too late that she was tricked as the bowl was put on her tray with finality. In the background, she heard Tokoyami snort, Dark Shadow snickering as she stared at the soup in offense. She turned to Shoji, squinting at him as the boy smiled. Seeing her move to put it back, he moved to block her and said, "'Once food has been put on your tray, then it can not be returned', that's one of the rules, Elise."

She huffed, relenting. Dark Shadow shyly offered her a bag of sliced apples and shook it like a bribe. Elise shook her head and the quirk nodded, depositing the bag onto Tokoyami's tray. Despite her best efforts, her tray eventually acquired a few more items: a cup of tea, and a small sweet bun filled with custard. There were plenty of tables to go around so it was no trouble for them to find one once food was grabbed.

As they settled down to eat, Elise realized a lack of their other classmates. 'Where is Bakugou? And our other classmates?'

"Some like to use this break for rest or to eat back at the dorms. He went to do that," Shoji said.