I don't bite...but I'm really hungry

[Axelle Flint]

Axelle was so hungry she could eat a cow...a whole cow, maybe. Only the good, meaty parts though, not the bones or anything like that. As she moved down the line at the cafeteria she kept a running mantra in her head. She needed protein the most so there was already several slices of ham and a bunch of eggs on a plate...and she needed vegetables so there were those too on another large plate...and she really wanted more meat anyway so she grabbed a steak and of course starches were important so there had to be potatoes. Frowning she took more carrots at the next station and then peas because she liked peas and well, then she really only had some room for a sausage....or three as she piled those onto her plate.

She heard some giggling behind her and cringed a little in embarrassment, her shoulders hunching defensively as she tried to move her arm a bit to hide the pile of food on her tray. She couldn't help it! She needed to eat because if she didn't...well, she didn't like thinking about that because it hadn't actually happened. But did she really need all this food? Maybe she could put some of it back, except she ate the same amount yesterday and she wasn't gaining weight and her clothes all still fit....there was one slice of pizza left! Axelle needed oils and that piece would be perfect! Her self-consciousness was put on the back burner as she reached for the slice of pizza only to meet someone else's hand halfway towards the plate. Oh...well, she really didn't need that slice of pizza anyway. "Oh, uh sorry! You can have that!" she smiled as she looked up to see Dr. Monroe standing next to her. Yeah, she would just eat Italian dressing on her salad later, because she always came back to eat a salad because the extra vegetables gave her fiber which was also important to her diet.

[Dr. Isabela Monroe]

Dr. Isabela Monroe had become fast friends with the man who ran the kitchen, Ferris. While most teachers preferred to bring their own lunch, or wait for the eventual delivery to the lounge, Izzy had little patience when it came to food. Her ability kicked the living hell out of her metabolism, and so when she was hungry, she didn't have the time to settle. Thankfully, Ferris knew this about her and seemed to be relatively understanding. But today she took a place in line with students and started hauling whatever she could onto her set of plates.

It was difficult, when she wasn't sure what she was feeling like eating. And everything they prepared was incredibly satisfying, provided her portion choices were big enough.

A tower of mashed potato. A plate of steamed carrots and broccoli. Ham. Bacon. A bowl of chilli. The eggs were gone by the time she got there, but the guilty pleasure that was pizza was still in tact. At least, one piece was. As she reached for it, she noticed another, significantly smaller hand reaching towards it. And instantly she drew back at the same time. She offered the girl - Axtelle, she knew - a welcoming smile, turning her hand so her palm was up as she gestured towards it.

"Please." She replied, "I insist."

[Axelle Flint]

Axelle was a little embarrassed when Dr. Monroe insisted she had the piece. Trying to ignore the giggling behind her she hesitantly reached out to take it and quickly added it to her tray. "Thank you," she smiled at the older woman. She then took a long, almost envious look at the woman's tray and back at her own. Was this enough food? She ate a lot at home too, almost half the food budget for the family was technically for her. "Uhm....Dr. Monroe? Can I sit with you to eat?" She asked hopefully. Maybe she could talk to the P.E. teacher about managing her diet or at least get some advice for ignoring those around her.

Axelle knew she had to eat a lot, she knew it from her body, she knew it from her trainers. Her father and grandfather never judged her and neither did her friends. But it was hard sometimes to ignore the giggling or to think that it wasn't somehow about her. She was usually more confident than this but...sometimes it was just difficult,

[Dr. Isabela Monroe]

Isabela nodded lightly as she was thanked. Truly, she understood where this girl was coming from. Her ability was difficult with itself, and the after effects only made it more frustrating. After that, she chose to start stepping away, but was quickly drawn back by her almost cautious voice.

The question surprised her. Usually she didn't sit in the cafeteria, and no one had ever asked her to sit with them - or visa versa - in the time she'd been at Hammel. So now that it was happening, she couldn't help but smile.

"Of course. Lead the way." She replied, indicating with a hand that she should walk first. She had a hunch she knew what this was about. She was sure there were several reasons, but she often chose not to speak for a student, but rather let them speak first. As she sat opposite Axelle, she settled into her place as she glanced down at her own place.

"Did you have something else you wanted to ask me?" She asked lightly, glancing across towards her again.

[Axelle Flint]

Axelle lead the way to a table that was somewhat private and out of the wya for the conversation that she wanted to have with Dr. Monroe. She set her tray down carefully and took a seat, waiting until her tablemate was also seated before fidgetting a little. When the oder woman hit the nail on the head of course Axelle couldn't help an embarassed smile. She never really could keep anything hidden for very long, a curse of showing most of her emotions and wearing her heart on her sleeve most of the time.

"Ah well, yeah um..." Axelle blushed a bit and picked up her fork to poke her food across their various plates as she wondered what the best way to word her question was. "Well, mostly ya know I was wondering like, how you ignore people who might make fun of you for like...you know...eating a lot of food," she admited with a stronger voice than she thought she was capable of given how embrassed she felt about the question in general.