Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Best of both worlds 3

After her ankle was better, Elly was escorted by Present Mic into the teacher's lounge. She did make sure to thank the nurse before she left, causing the older woman to smile as she pressed a candy in her palm.

Knowing what she did of the lady's talent, she popped it in her mouth right away. Still, she was feeling very tired and sat with some relief at one of the big tables when the leather-clad hero pulled one out a chair for her. Mic wandered off for a few minutes and returned from the vending machine with cans of coffee.

She gratefully accepted. "Thanks. I was going to get coffee when all of - this -- " She waved a hand around, "happened. I <i>really</i> need it now."

"No problem." He sat opposite her at the table and fiddled with his can, spinning it a little before suddenly opening it. "Awright. So, you popped out of a hole thingy in the air that we were kinda testing. Nobody knows what's on the other side of 'em, that's why the guy came to us. You show up and know us all somehow. That's where we are."

"Yes," she agreed. "On my end, I'm going about my normal day and I fall completely out of nowhere into a place that is impossible for me to believe exists."

"UA?" He looked confused.

"Everything!"

"You need to talk to me." Mic shrugged. "We can't help if you don't,  you know."

Elly groaned and dropped her head onto the table in front of her. "If this is reality, you'll think I'm crazy."

He raised an eyebrow. "You keep saying stuff like '<i>if</i> this is reality' you won't need to say anything else. Plus, why would ya care what I think?"

"I'm glad they left us alone for a little bit," she sighed, changing the subject. "I know it's because I'm more comfortable around you, but still..."

He rocked back in his chair, propping his boots up on the table in front of him. "You stopped panicking, that's all that matters. When Eraser dropped you off at Recovery Girl's office, you were all bug-eyed and passing in and out of conciousness. "

"I'm holding a lot in at the moment. This is all quite overwhelming." She sighed and drank some of her coffee. "The fact that I think I'm dreaming is helping."

"Pinch yourself." He shrugged.

"You said what?" She blinked rapidly several times, her ears perking towards him.

"Isn't that what ya do when you think you're dreaming? If it hurts, yer awake "

Elly pinched herself lightly on the arm, then blinked away a tear at the sharp pain. "Holy shit. I'm still here."

He grinned. "Welcome to reality."

"Gee, thanks. That helps."

"Look, I know I'm not the best at one on one shit like this. Yagi would've been a better choice for this."

"I'd still rather talk to you. Toshinori is nice, but he's so big! And I know Aizawa likes cats, but he's also highly suspicious. Oh, and of course there's the language barrier. I'm not that great at Japanese."

"See, that's the thing. You keep dropping hints that you know us all so well - but we've never seen you before!"

"I know. Suspicious." She looked so utterly confused that he felt a twinge of sympathy for her. "I still think this place isn't real. It just <i>can't</i> be."

"What about when you pinched yourself earlier?"

Her ears flicked. "I - I'm not sure."

"Look, Ana didn't know what his quirk did. Maybe 'this' -" He waved a gloved hand around like she had earlier, mimicking her goofily and causing her to smile, "<i>is</i> possible, no matter what you think."

"If it is, I'm not sure what my reaction will be. Could go either way: scared as hell or thrilled beyong my wildest dreams."

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