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The hallway was empty, deserted, save for Chie's shambling figure. She kept her hand against the wall for support, inching forward step by exhausting step. Chie was in no real condition to be allowed a discharge from the infirmary, especially not without some kind of support or guidance. Despite that, with nothing but the tight bandages wrapped underneath her clothes, she continued to make her way to the cafeteria. Chie wasn't very assertive, but she [i]could[/i] put up a brave front. Only when nobody was looking would she let show just how much of a wreck her figure was. As long as the girl could keep straight and still be half aware of her surroundings, that was good enough for her.

When people began to come into view, Chie pushed herself up straighter and began to walk without support. It made her dizzy to try, and the gash in her back still made her ever-so-tempted to flinch from the flashes of pain. Still, she greeted the hall monitors with a smile, signalling nothing wrong to the outside. The only clue would be her pale, pale face. 

The cafeteria she arrived at was, as expected, already filled to the brim with chatter. Most students had already long-since began eating and socializing- which was not entirely unexpected, seeing as Chie was meant to have arrived there several minutes prior. The first thing Chie needed to secure was a spot to sit, but as luck would have it, she noticed her group of friends were eating together with a spot left open. She didn't know if it was a coincidence, or if they'd left it open [i]for[/i] her. Either one was fine, really.

A little bit later, having walked unsteady with her tray, Chie managed to secure that open spot. She greeted the group with "Good evening, everyone." Chie then noticed a mildly-familiar face among them. "Oh, you're... Aoife, right?" she said, having remembered the girl from earlier in the day. "I didn't get to tell you back in the city, but... thank you for helping us."

Chie cast her eyes down, back at the food in front of her. She was a pretty slow eater normally, but right now she hadn't so much as even touched it. She didn't particularly [i]look[/i] okay, but aside from the lack of appetite, Chie tried to not let it show too much. She thought to start some conversation so nobody would get a chance to ask, either.

"Earlier, they told me I cleared my test. I'm... no, [i]we're[/i] Ars Magi now. It's almost a little surreal how fast it all went." Chie remarked. "I'm still having trouble accepting it."

A pause.

"...いただきます," she muttered to herself, finally digging into her food.