Rising Shards

”Oh,” Aira said. ”Well, that’s disappointing.”

We arrived at the roof expecting to see a fight as per the rumors Aira had heard. To be honest, I didn’t really want to see a fight, having enough experience with school fights from getting beat up by Ovie in my first semester. So I wasn’t too disappointed to see it was not a brawl between two Cani students using their powers, but instead a bunch of students with tables set up playing some board game.

”It’s not a board game Zeta, it’s tabletop,” Kalei said when I remarked as much.

”What’s the difference?” I asked.

”Pfft,” Marmalade held back a laugh.

”What’s so funny?” I asked.

Even Aira looked like she was going to laugh.

”Zates doesn’t even know what tabletop means,” Kalei said.

”Uh, duh I do?” I said. ”The part of the table that’s like...the top? Where you put plates on?”

”You’re a huge nerd, how do you not know this?” Kalei asked.

”Hey, I have no idea what’s going on here either,” Oka said as I felt really stupid for not understanding any of this.

The groups playing didn’t seem to mind the extra attention from the others bursting in expecting a battle. Michi sat at the table nearest to us, and their group was taking a break, as their papers kept flying around in the wind.

”We’re kind of regretting doing this up here,” One of the girls said, putting a rock to keep her pages down. ”It’s cold. I’m about ready to call it.”

”Me too,” Michi said. ”We got a good round in, we can pick up next time.”

”Michi, can you explain this in a way that doesn’t make me feel stupid?” I asked.

”It’s kind of like a board game, but you act out a story too,” Michi said. ”You make up your characters, someone makes up the setting and premise and all that. You’d probably enjoy it.”

”Hm, like a board game huh?” I said, unable to hide my grin. ”That’s very interesting.”

”Whatever, let’s go look for something else,” Kalei said.

”We’re rumor hunting,” Marmalade explained. ”You wanna join us?”

”I don’t have anything else planned today,” Michi said.

”Wait, but the quadruple bloodsaber...” Aira said.

”Oh, that was just the weapon for one of our characters,” Michi said. ”I’m not sure how it spread that there was a fight up here, but maybe someone was trying to promote this RPG club.”

”There’s a ton of rumors going around, we were just following a few,” Oka said. ”I am most interested in finding out who’s microwaving batteries.”

”And...” I cut myself off, almost revealing about the dance asking out on a sparkly snowy field event dealie. ”...other things!”

”Wait...” Kalei said, wincing like she just ate something that was both sour and spoiled. ”Is this some stupid Wildfire Hearts prank? Like, did Chickadee or whoever spread a bunch of rumors and then she’s gonna pop up like ’ha ha, tricked you into thinking something was happening,’ that kind of deal? We should find her and see.”

”I could also see Chickadee microwaving batteries,” I said.

”Frick, that makes me want to go find Chickadee!” Oka said. ”They probably microwave batteries all the time in the Wildfire Hearts dorm.”

”Would it really be alright to be there?” I asked, thinking of many ways that could go south.

”Hey, if we all go together, we’ll be alright,” Oka said. Her warm smile filled me with confidence, even if it was in pursuit of wanting to see someone microwave batteries.

It was nice to get out of the cold, and gaining someone for our rumor investigating team.

”Let’s just take the elevator down,” Kalei said.

We had to split into two groups as we headed down, with Marmalade, Michi, and Aira in one and myself, Oka, and Kalei in the other.

Oka and I both grabbed our tails as we walked in.

”Oh my god,” Kalei said. ”The worst that would happen if the door got your tail is them closing on em for a second. Don’t be such babies.”

”What if it malfunctions though?” I said. ”And traps our tails? It’s not a baby move to be cautious.”

”Babies aren’t conscious about safety, Kalei,” Oka said. ”That’s why they baby proof things. Not holding our tails would be the real baby maneuver in this situation.”

”I know when I’ve been beaten,” Kalei said, giving up on this debate.

There were some second year girls in our elevator, one with long hair and braces and the other with frizzy hair and no braces. Kalei waved when she noticed them.

”How’s it going?” Kalei asked.

”Pretty good!” The girl with braces said.

”Are you rumor hunting as well?” Kalei asked.

”Yeah,” The girl without braces laughed.

”Any luck on your end?” Kalei asked. ”We’re trying to find the battery microwavers.”

”Oh, yeah?” The girl with braces said. ”Haven’t heard that one. We’re chasing the one about the radio that tuned into an alien radio station.”

”Damn, we better check that one out too,” Kalei said.

Kalei and the girls shared what rumors they’d heard so far. Right after the girls left on their floor, Oka snickered.

”Kalei’s flirting,” Oka said.

”I’m not, what the hell?” Kalei said. ”I’m just making small talk.”

”Kalei picking up all the ladies,” I said.

”We’ll be your backup,” Oka said.

”I wasn’t flirting!” Kalei said. ”It’s not my fault you two didn’t say anything to them, I was handling all the socializing for us.”

”We didn’t have any room to speak, because you were flirting so much,” Oka said.

”Yeah, are you gonna ask them out?”

”No,” Kalei said. ”We talked for like five seconds. If I’m gonna flirt with anyone...I don’t even know who I’d be flirting with right now, but not some random girlies.”

Oka and I were being twerps about it, but Kalei was always goofing on us so it was only fair she got it back from us.