Satay sat down in front of Andy with a plate of fresh dumplings.
"Hey, Andy." Satay said in a teasing manner.
Andy with his head buried down the table did not respond. Not right away.
The scent of the plate breezed over Andy. While it didn't directly cross his face, his body somehow recognized the smell.
He slowly raised his head revealing a pale face drained of life. The moment he took a whiff, his face was rejuvenated. Satay held a dumpling to Andy.
On the brink of tears, he took it and munched graciously.
"Thanks, brother, I couldn't bother after to get in line. It was awful." Andy said, through the chews.
"She's not that awful." Satay said taking a dumpling and pushing the plate towards Andy.
Andy swallowed down his current one and grabbed another. "She's called dragon lady for a reason." Andy said as he put away the dumpling in his jaw.
"Don't go letting her hear you say that." Elise said taking her seat next to Satay.
"She's not that bad. But don't let her hear you say that." Satay said grimly.
"If you were smarter you could avoid the worst of it. Such a shame." Mit pitched, with a smirk.
"Shut up, roachy." Andy retorted.
"Nice comeback, "Silly String" it's a wonder she hates you." Mit blasted back.
"Psst, Satay." Elise whispered.
"Yeah?" Satay said, frowning as he ate another dumpling.
"Why is that boy sitting here? You guys humiliated him." Elise said.
"...I have no clue." Satay said keeping an eye of suspicion on the fellow.
"And I told you it's Mit!" Mit said fiercely.
"If you say so "Roach", just keep quiet if you're gonna sit here." Andy said, leering down to Mit while he chewed on another dumpling.
Mit leered back up as Satay and Elise could only stare in awkward silence.
"...Sooo, Satay, you came from Lync, right? Your home's supposed to be a scholar's paradise." Elise said, urgently trying to change the mood.
"What have you heard?" Satay asked.
"The basic stuff, men study from birth and the women can lift mountains." Elise said lightly nipping on her dumplings.
"That's the traditional assessment, but our top scholar is actually a woman." Satay said. Elise almost spits up her food trying to talk. She quickly drunk some water to wash it down.
"Really?" she asked.
"Her name is Madame Samosa. She's the leading researcher in, well, everything. To sum it up she's the de facto leader among the high council of researchers." Satay explained, leaving the others bewildered.
"Uh, the what...?" Elise asked.
"..I guess not many humans would know about that. They're so scared of us almost no humans go to Lync." Satay said.
"Dragon Lady said something about that." Andy said poking his temple trying to think.
"You mean how our King's ancestor marched to Lync with an army of 8000 and none of them came back?" Mit asked sarcastically.
"To be historically accurate it was 7000-8000." Satay said.
That's still a lot." Andy said reaching for a dumpling. He would find none, as the plate was empty.
"You can still get in line if you hurry." Satay assured as his friend frowned upon realizing just how much he grabbed for himself.
"I'll be right b-back." Andy said quickly fetting up from the table.
"Someone got greedy." Mit said, quickly eating up his plate.
"So like I was saying 7000-8000, our historians don't know the exact number because not all the bodies were found..." Satay said with a pause.
Elise paled and Mit could barely swallow his last dumpling. At that moment Andy returned with a full plate in hand.
"I promise I won't eat more than half this time." he said with a guilty smile. Andy took note of the unease in his friend's faces.
"I miss something?" he asked.
"Of course you'd be so lucky." Mit said spitefully.
Andy ignored him and pushed the plate towards Satay. "Eat up quick, Dragon Lady hates when students loiter in here during class hours." he said hesitantly eating one dumpling.
Satay didn't seem to mind and simply ate at a leisurely pace.
"I for one am not looking forward to running." Mit said, trying to add to the conversation.
Satay and Andy could only stare at him awkwardly. Satay didn't like Mit Roach, but he supported the premise of "Sit where you want" in any public space.
"(Why with us though? We crushed him, and he was pretty bitter about it.)" Satay thought as he hurried through his dumplings. 2 left he took notice of Andy's gaze towards the plate.
Elise and Mit could only sigh at his shamelessness.
Regardless Satay took one dumpling and offered it up to Andy. Greedily and graciously he ate it with no peril.
"I can see why you're addicted to these Andy, somehow it feels just like home." Satay said.
"You won't find anything like it in any other kingdom!" a prideful voice beckoned.
Andy scowled. He dare not turn his head to The Prince of Triskelion in all his pompous glory. Accompanied by two henchmen as per usual.
"Of course the house of Triskelion sends only the best to this academy. Though I must admit even the royal chefs surpass this delicacy." Matane said with his nose high in the air.
"Your highness!" Elise said with a gasp.
"Oh look, it's the big man." Mit said sarcastically.
"Tell the king he has our gratitude." Satay said with a smile, putting off Andy and Mit.
"Don't you have something better to do? "Matty", heh?" Andy said attempting to put back the tension.
"That's Prince Matane to you "Silly String", hmph!" Matane said, glaring down at him.
"You know I think it's about time we get going, classes and all." Mit said sliding away.
The two henchmen intercepted Mit and he dared to move no further. "What's the hurry?" one asked.
"U-um, your highness, we have to get to class soon. If we're late Ms.Tarra won't forgive us." Elise pleaded.
"Oh is that right? Well don't worry, I won't take up too much of your time, let's talk a little bit." Matane said, slyly.
Andy was ready to get forceful. Elise was thinking of what way she could convince them to let them be. Mit was cursing he had not restocked his card supply before lunch.
"Actually while we have you, can you tell me about your father." Satay asked, clearly unhindered by the atmosphere.
Matane paused for a moment. catching his mouth agape, he cleared his throat and smugly elaborated.
"My Father our current King Markus Triskelion, took it upon himself 60 years after the school's founding to give a total reform to the pride and joy it is today. Taking from what he knew of Lync's own school system, he incorporated it into our own great academy. He also set up the non-aggression pact to which our neighboring countries of Tryptych are sworn by. My grandfather great as he was, was too hesitant to form an alliance with them. My father, however, marched into Tryptch and broke bread with the king himself!" Matane explained grinning from ear to ear.
"(He really idolizes his father.)" the group thought, awkwardly as Matane left them in what he thought was "awed silence".
"Thanks for the story, would like to hear more, but we've gotta go! See you again!" Satay grabbed Elise and Andy made their way out of the lunch hall posthaste.
"Study hard now!" Matane called out to the dust trail Satay left.
His goons didn't have time to react to what just happened. Matane simply stood with his knucks at his sides pleased with himself.
Until he realized his initial plan was thwarted. Matane bore his teeth frustration.
"What the hell!? Forgetting someone!?" Mit yelled.
The two henchmen that blocked his path, took notice of him along with Matane. Mit closed his mouth upon realizing his missed chance to escape.
Before he could fume any further, Matane had a lightbulb of an idea form in his brain. "Hey freshman..." he said, eerily.
He stood over Mit with his goons behind him. "Let's talk." Matane said putting his arm around Mit Roach.
Mit frowned and could only resign himself to his predicament.