I'm back in school, so that probably had some influence in this one-shot. Most of it was inspired by an RP I run and participate in over at CN Social. We were thinking of new characters, and I wanted to include teachers like Butterbean, Thompson, and Keane. So then I thought about their roles currently with the War Against Fuse and thought this would be a nice little one-shot that wasn't focused solely on the war.
I do not own anything from FusionFall. If I did, I'm sure I'd make that thing last more than five years.
Also, I ask for a moment of silence over the loss of the game, which has gone down today. May the greatest game on the internet rest in peace.
Ms. Keane sat at her usual spot with a cup of tea within reach of her hand. Despite the war occurring around them, Pokey Oaks Elementary was dedicated to providing an education to the young children. Besides, with the downfall of the various other elementary schools, P.O.E. was the only one available to send the children who were too young to enter the cause.
The aging teacher was busy marking up the quizzes she had just given to her kindergarten class. The proctors of the campus were keeping watch over the children while they ate and played around, leaving Keane with the opportunity to grade their tests. A lunch bag was dropped beside her, causing her to pause in her work to greet the guest at her table; Kilroy Green.
"Is this seat taken?" he asked with a grin.
Keane chuckled at the request and waved her hand.
"Of course," she said.
Kilroy was substituting for a first grade class, and since the teacher had had a knee injury, he'd be out for half the semester, leaving Kilroy with a semester job. This made Keane very happy, especially since she and Kilroy were such good friends.
"So how was your day?" Keane asked as she continued with her work.
"Going well so far," Kilroy responded as he took out the chicken salad he had made from home. "I have three little girls in my class that are rather unique compared to the rest of the class. They're E.V.O.s, and they're not afraid to say that proudly. Remind you of anybody?"
Keane smiled at the memory of the Powerpuff Girls. That year with them in her kindergarten class was a time that Keane remembered fondly. She missed those girls terribly, but they had grown up and moved on. They visited her often, and Keane had them as guest speakers each year. And she heard from their father, Professor Utonium, that Bubbles was getting into the education career.
Keane and Professor Utonium were good friends now, even though they had dated and broken up three times. They still maintained a healthy relationship as close friends, and Keane was even there to listen to the Professor speak about his current girlfriend, Trina. Likewise, the Professor was a constant moral support, and continuously told her to approach Kilroy about a date.
"Hello fellow educators," Ms. Thompson greeted as she walked up to the table. "Room for one more?"
"Of course there is," Keane said, patting the unoccupied chair beside her.
Ms. Thompson was a fourth grade teacher from Gallagher Elementary school, which had been destroyed early on in the war. She was well known for being a were-dog, but thanks to the KND, she had been cured of the curse, and was continuing her career as an educator. Keane and Thompson had grown to be close friends when the veteran teacher had showed the newer teacher around.
"You would not believe how many students are missing from my class," Thompson said as she took a seat. "Almost everyone! I had only a handful to teach to. The Kids Next Door are pulling them out like crazy."
"They are at that age that they can begin fighting in this war," Kilroy commented. "It's sad when our society is forced to rely on such young children to fight our battles."
The two women nodded their heads in agreement. The chair beside Kilroy and Thompson suddenly pulled out, and Ms. Butterbean sat in it, causing the three present teachers to cringe. Butterbean wasn't liked by the other teachers that worked in the school. Like Thompson, she was also a transfer, except she was from Endsville Elementary school. The woman was naturally rotten, and why she hadn't been fired was a mystery to the other three sitting at the table. She wasn't even an amazing teacher that the school had to keep; a monkey would be better!
"These kids have the need to bother me, I swear," Butterbean complained as she stabbed her salad with her fork. "I mean the nerve of them. Getting up in the middle of class because they say their 'Supreme Leaduh' needs them. Don't they know proper English by now?"
"Are you talking about the KND kids?" Thompson spoke up.
"I don't know. All I know is that it's disrespectful, and they should be obeying my word," Butterbean said, glaring at her salad. "Aren't kids taught manners anymore?"
Ms. Keane held back a remark. She didn't like to purposely attack a person, so she'd just keep it inside and smile at them. From the corner of the eye, she saw Thompson do the same thing. Kilroy, however, was not above calling the teacher out on her statement.
"Kids are taught manners," Kilroy spoke up. "But the KND are members of this war, fighting Fuse to keep the rest of us safe. Perhaps a little gratitude for them would be the best."
Keane and Thompson had to hide their mouths behind their hands to avoid laughing too loudly. Kilroy calmly went about eating his lunch, acting like what he said hadn't been a jab at the teacher sitting beside him. Butterbean was furious and embarrassed for being called out like she had been, and sputtered until she finally came up with some words.
"I am still their teacher! They are supposed to do as I say!" Butterbean argued.
"Maybe so, but the KND has always been against adults. Your status as a teacher means nothing to them," Kilroy commented calmly, watching the other woman's face redden even more.
The other teacher tried to come up with something to say, but couldn't. Especially not when the other two female teachers at the table were attempting to hold in their laughter. Taking whatever dignity she had left, Butterbean grabbed her lunch and stalked off for another table. Once the woman was out of earshot, Thompson and Keane removed their hands.
"Kilroy, how are you not hired yet?" Thompson asked.
Kilroy shrugged.
"I enjoy freelancing amongst the various classes; I get to meet wonderful new children," he responded.
"Well what you did there was amazing," Thompson stated.
Keane nodded in agreement.
"Absolutely. I don't think she'll be back for a week," the woman said.
Kilroy shrugged, still perfectly calm and relaxed.
"All in a days work, I suppose," the demon responded.
"Oh if only the kids could see what goes on in the teacher's lounge," Thompson commented as she took a bite from her lunch. "They'd think we were the students!"
Trina is from the RP. She's actually Computress, but in the RP, Computress was given a bio-body.