Carnivore

iv) Parietibus aut Lacundaribus

ZINNIA WAS TIRED. Exhausted both mentally and physically, Zinnia's ability to focus during work had lead to Seiya's order for her to go home for the afternoon.

She had scarcely even used her quirk for one person before the doctor had waved her away as if she were complicating things. She was a little upset, yes, and perhaps insulted. But as she sat there in the Rest Station staring up at the ceiling, she found herself sinking into the armchair with sleep threatening to drag her into the depths of darkness.

At least until she heard the sounds of somebody else taking up the armchair opposite her own, and she'd lifted her head to cast the visitor her attention.

'Wow, you look exhausted, Kennedy-chan.' Moriya, one of the floor nurses stated as she observed Zinnia's sluggish appearances. 'Well, moreso than normal, in any case. I guess school isn't going so well for you?'

'...No.' Zinnia admitted as she straightened up in her chair. 'Aside from maybe one teacher, everyone else is a mockery and the students are pathetic.'

For the most part.

However, Moriya gave a brief nod, as if she understood exactly what had been going on.

'Well, you did pick a school with Quirkless Benefit as its main priority all for its low fees and part-time job promotion.' She reasoned, simply. 'It kinda comes with the territory, right?'

'I guess...' Zinnia sighed. 'But because I decided to try and bail a classmate out of something, I've got, well, a group of stupid girls out to get me.'

'Wannabe gansters?'

'Unfortunately...'

'I thought those sorts of things would have gone out of popularity by now...' A faint sigh escaped Moriya as she leaned back in her armchair. 'That's a painfully cliché thing to go for. Especially in this age of Heroics mentality.'

'It's like half the school is made up of gangs of some description. And most of them are girls.' Zinnia muttered sourly. 'Actually, I've seen very few boys running around looking like the usual delinquents...'

Were they terrified of all the girl gangs kicking around every corner, or something?

Honestly, if that were the case, Zinnia couldn't particularly blame them.

'Anyway!' Moriya began loudly in an obvious push to change the subject, bringing Zinnia's gaze back to her. 'Seiya-sensei was talking about how he had come up with some new things for you to try with your quirk, so, if you could cut school tomorrow to come in, I think that would make him happy.'

'Well, the school's terrible so I'd love to.' Zinnia agreed with a weary smile. 'Maybe after detention. I don't think I could get away with skipping before it...'

'You've got detention?' Moriya was quite surprised to hear that. 'What did you do to earn that?'

'Used my quirk to grab a classmate's arm before she slapped me.' Zinnia offered in response.

'Ooh, okay yes, that school sounds dreadful.' Moriya agreed with a sigh of her own. 'Well, as soon as the detentions are fulfilled, you'll be free, right?'

'Maybe... depends on whether those girls decide to back off or not.'

'If you can't use your quirk to defend yourself, you'll just have to go on the attack without it.' The woman offered with a bright smile.

And at that moment, Zinnia couldn't help but facepalm.

'I'm small enough that they can drag me off my feet with just one arm, there's no way in terms of physical strength that I could actually get one up on them.' Zinnia groaned out, much to Moriya's amusement. 'That's like an elementary-school kid trying to fight against an angry wolf.'