Author's Note: Hey there, Juggies! It's your old pal, Mcjuggernuggets, here!
Whoa! I bet you guys thought that the ISIS fighters from the last author's note finally found me and hung me up on a spike. No, my adoring fans. Something even worse has happened. As time goes on, people grow older and new responsibilities come into play.
That's right, my little autists, I got a job! I now work 5-6 days a week for 8 hours a day. That is why it took me double the time to upload, because believe it or not, when I get home at 11 PM after an 8 hour shift, my first desire isn't to spam words on a Google Docs page.
Anyway, before we get down to the good stuff, let's answer a review:
'Huh Also, I would have loved if the main character had wore the skirt. That would have been hilarious'
Ted ain't no trap, unlike a certain Wayward son's character...
"Whoa-ho-ho! Now what would Ms. Finnalin think about this?"
This abrupt noise breaks the otherwise peaceful sleep that I've so far had.
Opening my eyes to the harsh lights of the room, I see something above me eclipsing the dominate light from the ceiling.
I squint, my tired and unfocused eyes finally allowing the figure above to take shape.
The black circle of nothing eventually comes into focus, revealing a smirking teacher.
"F-Faralda?" I groan, my brain still suffering from its slowed and tired state.
I lift my head up, blinking a few times as I take in the scene around me.
Laying on a couch, I find myself in Diana's room, herself still sleeping soundly, her slow and steady breathing being the best indicator that she is still well.
A glance towards the window, I see that the sun has just begun to rise over the horizon, the dawn of a new day.
I must've unknowingly spent the night in Diana's room.
My scan eventually finds itself back to Faralda, herself still bearing the same smirk as before.
"W-what?" I weakly mutter out.
She lets out a few snickers at my state, taking a seat next to me on the couch.
"I mean, when you first came to this school, you were under the watchful eyes of Big Brother, making sure that any thoughts of casual encounters from you would be snuffed. And now, look at you. Sleeping away in your girlfriend's bedroom! Well, I don't need a burn temperature machine to know that this is hotter than your face in the next few seconds!"
Upon hearing such a thing coming from her, I feel my face return to the all familiar heat and sweat of embarrassment.
Just what could she mean by that?!
Seeing her claim coming out as factual, Faralda lets out a victorious humph.
"Told you." She confidently says, still bearing a smile.
"Q-Quiet you!" I shout, still flustered by her words.
After a few seconds of controlled breathing, the burning sensation subsides, myself calming down.
"Anyway, why are you here?" I ask her, the embarrassment now gone with the wind.
"I just swung by to tell you that Lotte and Jasminka are in the principal's office. The two are going to decide which one will go to Filicudi."
Oh that's right. I remember Ms. Finnalin and Principal Holbrooke mentioning that. I just didn't know that it was today.
So now that Diana, the best girl in terms of magic at this school, has been afflicted by a sickness spell, Lotte and Jasminka, the only two that remained after Principal Holbrooke sent the rest home, are going to decide which one of them should go into an expedition onto an island full of monsters.
Way to go, Akko. You threw away gold for copper.
"It's happening right now." The teacher informs me. "In Holbrooke's office. Everyone's there, the principal called for you."
"Why did it take the principal so long to call for me?" I ask, a bit offended by this neglect.
I'm as much apart of this project as another person here, perhaps more considering what I'll be doing.
"The staff was out looking for you, even a few of the gnomes got in on it." She tells me. "But I knew you would be here, so did the nurse."
She lets out a bit of a chuckle, saying
"PagetDaPanda and I even had a little bet on just what you were doing here. Guess I lost though. I thought that you might be doing something juicy with Diana, but PagetDaPanda reminded me that this wasn't The Anniversary Special. I have no idea what she meant by that, but she won the bet, so that doesn't matter anyway."
Her grin and chuckle turns into a frown as she thinks about her loss to this bet.
"I owe her one of my Family Force Five concert tickets. A shame too, I was going to give one to Ursula."
Family Force Five?
I know I've heard of that music band from somewhere before, but I don't remember.
They must be a good one though if I, a native Italian, have heard of them, an Anglophone band.
I lean myself closer to the couch's edge, this added movement beginning to wake myself up.
A yawn and eye rub later, I turn back to Faralda, asking
"So, you said that Lotte and Jasminka are in the principal's office?"
"Yup. The two of them are going to decide which one should go. Nurse PagetDaPanda, Holbrooke, Finnalin, and Akko are there right now. The only two missing are you and I."
I take another glance at Diana, assuring myself that all is still well with the ill sleeper.
Her slow and steady breathing, the almost neutral look of sleep, has replaced her once sweaty and strained expressions.
Diana's fine right now, she's stable and sleeping, she's recovering.
I let out a light smile at this revelation.
She's fine to leave alone.
"As I'm sure the both of you are aware, Diana has been rendered incapable of carrying out the expedition to Filicudi due to a sickness. The culprit of such act shall receive a just punishment upon her return…" Ms. Finnalin's eyes shooting a glance at the nervous witch in the corner.
Akko gulps nervously at this, her eyes wide with concern at what the teacher could mean.
Ms. Finnalin continues.
"In any case, the two of you are the only ones who can fill in Diana's position in such short notice, so it is imperative that the two of you decide now, for the plane and tour guide come tomorrow."
"Before the two of you make any decisions, know this…" Principal Holbrooke adds. "The one chosen here will occupy Akko and Theodore to Filicudi on a search for the treasures that are found there. While there have been monsters reported and confirmed on the island and raids based off that island have occured in the past, attacks done by these creatures have shown a gradual decline for many years. In other words, we believe that they might be becoming docile, although this is only a theory. Food, transport, and living quarters have already been provided, as well as pilots and a native to Filicudi who will act as a guide in order to ensure that the trip is as quick and clean as possible. We shall be using a 'Super King Air 200', rented by us and owned by the pilots. The pilots themselves have had training to handle many types of crisis, from an injury to the worst case scenario. If all goes well, and it will go well, the three of you will return to Luna Nova with the treasure within a few days from now, our debts will be payed off, and you may return to your families before Christmas. This is a low risk yet high reward trip, all factors have been taken into account. We even have a list of all the monsters known to inhabit the island, dangerous or not. A satellite phone, given by Diana to Theodore, will also be used to keep in contact with us while you search for the treasure."
After this long speech, the aged principal closes her eyes, taking a deep breath to gather her thoughts, before asking
"Now, do any of you two have a question?"
I take a glance at Lotte, wondering if she herself would have any concerns.
She is probably one of the most nervous and self doubting one among us afterall.
However, what surprises me is not the lack of movement from her arm, but by the current expression on her face.
The best way to describe it is gray and sullen while also in weak and timid thought.
She hangs her head low, not in sadness, but as if she was a victim of an emotional vampire that has left her completely drained.
There isn't a single idle movement coming from her, only a few shallow breaths.
The only other time I've seen this look from her was when I first told her about her dad at the cafe.
However, no one else notices as Jasminka raises her hand in question.
"Yes?" The principal asks.
The pink haired girl tilts her head, slight worry and concern in both her voice and expression.
"I noticed that while Lotte and I were making the food for the trip, there were no snacks, only gross pre made rations. Can I bring lots of candy with me?"
Faralda's right eye twitches in disbelief, as she stares at the young witch.
"You're being considered to join on an expedition to save our school from financial collapse, and this is your main concern?"
Not being able to understand the frustration within the elder, Jasminka gives off a simple shoulder shrug, simply saying
"If I don't eat enough, I'll get cranky."
A cranky Jasminka?
If there is anyone here who is sweeter than Lotte, it's Jasminka.
Sure, I've seen Lotte sad and angry, but I've never seen Jasminka show anything but that goofy smile and meek voice of hers.
Everyone has their bad days, sure. I just didn't know that Jasminka had them!
Ms. Finnalin lets out a weak and weary sigh at this, obviously displeased and fed up with what she sees as another 'problem student'.
"No…." She says, shaking her head with the same enthusiasm as the sigh from before. "No you cannot. You must stick with the rations provided, nothing else may be added."
"Then can I eat snacks before we leave?" Jasminka fires back almost instantly, same oblivious tone as usual.
"Whatever you eat beforehand matters little to me, so long as it doesn't inhibit your abilities during the expedition." Ms. Finnalin tells Jasminka in a matter of fact way.
"So, can I bring Takis?" The food freak asks the teacher. "When I eat them, I usually drink a gallon of water to stop the burning. Does that count as an inhibition?"
"Over usage of water can jeopardize the length of the trip and thus the profits we shall reap." Finnalin sternly tells her. "Now please, do you have any questions that don't involve food?"
Jasminka puts a chubby finger to her chin, her cheeks puffed out in deep thought.
"You said that the island used to be inhabited by people, right?" She finally asks.
"Yes, that is correct." Ms. Finnalin answers, visibly pleased by the absence of the snack question. "It's apart of Italy, and was once a pleasant and quant tourist spot. Now it is abandoned, and in a state of decay."
"So, buildings and other things are still there?" The pink haired girl follows up with.
"Yes." The aged teacher simply says, giving Jasminka a nod.
"Do you think the convenient stores are still around?" Jasminka ponders innocently. "If I find snacks there, can I eat them?"
Once again, an eye twitch or two is all the answer that I would need, but Jasminka still stares on, waiting for the answer that shall never come.
Seeing that avoiding the subject of food with Jasminka is impossible, Ms. Finnalin flashes Lotte a watchful gaze.
"You've been rather quiet, Ms. Yanson." Ms. Finnalin points out. "Don't you have any thoughts to add to this matter, or would you rather that Ms. Antonenko go to Filicudi?"
Lotte says nothing, no words coming out of her mouth, nor any expressions from her body.
She's in the same pitiful state as before, as if all her energy was just sucked out of her and an empty shell is all that remains.
I would've thought that whatever she was feeling would've passed on by now, but obviously this is not what has happened.
The same feeling from Samhain, that urge to protect and shield Lotte, to hug and comfort her, now rings through me once again.
As if by instinct, I take a step closer to the Finn, asking
"Lotte, are you-"
Suddenly, the once timid and quiet girl violently stomps her foot against the floor, balling up her hands into tight fists, and screams
"Ms. Finnalin, I demand that I take Diana's place!"
The whole room is sent into a state of shock and silence, none of us even considering this response a possibility.
The whole room is held in bated breath, myself staring at Lotte with grave concern, both fear and surprise being the primary emotions at play.
I believe I'm not alone, almost as if the whole room has frozen and all we can do is stare at the clearly troubled Lotte, not at all knowing what could've caused this or what can solve it.
With no response, Lotte repeats her harsh movements, screaming once again
"You must accept me! You just must!"
Each word, each loud and oppressive scream just pushes us even more into ourselves.
The more she shouts, the more we shudder, the more our concern and fear takes over.
It's as if we are all deer in headlights, a grave warning to the thundering terror of a loudmouth Lotte.
Still with no response, Lotte desperately turns to the food fanatic.
"Jasminka!" She cries out. "Please let me go! Let me go instead of you!"
Even Jasminka has discarded her happy time expressions, her head now tilted in concern, a light yet unexpected frown from her.
"Oh um….okay?" She nervously responds, also not knowing how to handle this.
Upon hearing this, Lotte now twists her head towards the old teacherfr, her orange hair flying around.
"See, Ms. Finnalin?! See?!" Lotte desperately begs the teacher, visible tears beginning to well up underneath her thick glasses. "Even Jasminka wants me to go! Please let me go!"
This continued shouting and exasperation of expressions only continue to throw all of us into a downwards spiral.
Even more now do I want to reach out to Lotte, to comfort her in any way.
However, I feel that she might be irrational at the moment, and may start yelling at me. And trust me, I don't want that.
It's a hard thing to admit, especially for me, a descendant of Rome who is supposed to hide fear and hesitation, but right now, these forbidden emotions flow through me due to multiple factors.
It may have been all the preparation that let me temporary forget my fears, but seeing Lotte displaying these fits of horror only bring them out.
To go onto a isolated and largely forgotten island which is home to many breeds of monsters in search of treasure is enough to bring anyone my age into a hyperventilation, the school being on the line not helping the situation. Diana, the most powerful and experienced student out of everyone here, not to mention my girlfriend, has been taken out of the picture, her sickness, while getting better, only providing me with more worry. And now, it seems as though she just might get replaced by Lotte, a normally quiet and gentle girl, not at all used to combat.
It appears that everything can go wrong has gone wrong, and on the island there will be no Ms. Holbrooke or Finnalin, no Faralda to help.
On the island, it will just be myself that can hold the team together, and I can only hope that I'm ready for that task, especially with my newfound disdain for Akko.
I'm just not sure if I could work with her at the moment.
Ms. Finnalin continues to stare at Lotte, eyebrows raised in a mix of concern and slight confusion.
However, this teacher has lived a long time and thus can easily identify the unrelenting fire in someone's eyes, the energy and vigor that can be used.
The aged teacher reverts back to her usual stoic self, her eyes hardened to face the flames.
"Well then…" She says, catching the attention of a red faced Lotte. "I think it's decided then."
Hearing this, the Finn flips around to the teacher, her eyes begging with a ting of desire at her words.
Even now, I still don't know what terrifies me the most, a disgruntled Diana or a loudmouth Lotte.
"Ms. Holbrooke, you've refrained from commenting thus far. Are you in agreeance with Lotte joining?" Ms. Finnalin asks the principal.
It's true.
Since this whole decision process began, Ms. Holbrooke has largely decided to keep out of the conversation, instead allowing Ms. Finnalin to intervene when need be.
However, it seems now that things have spiraled out of control too far, and that the highest power in this school now needs to intervene, all to handle Lotte.
The principal takes a heavy gulp, clearly inexperienced with the young witch's intensive stare.
"O-of course."
With my earlier thoughts still buzzing in my head, I make my way down the many hallways.
After what just transpired in the principal's office, I can say with certainty that many thoughts and feelings are buzzing around wildly in my head, some that clash with others.
Worry is one of the dominant.
The main cause of this worry clearly comes from the way that Lotte presented herself in front of us.
No matter the reason, no matter the cause or concern, a teary eyed and distraught Lotte is enough to make me shed away any problems of mine and devote myself to her's. After all we've been through, from normal life at school to helping her reconcile with her dead dad, I've grown too fond of her to allow this level of discomfort to reach her.
I so desperately wish to seek her out, attempt to help her through her struggles just as I did during the parade. However, if I know her, then I know how she handles her intense emotional outbursts.
After her explosion, she draws within herself, lashing out at whoever comes close enough to question her state. Time, not words, will have her come out of her shell. I learned from Sucy that it was at that time that I entered her room, the time when she was willing to talk to close friends only, was such moment.
It pains me to even think this, but all I can do now is wait, wait while Lotte suffers alone, and hope that by tomorrow, she has calmed down enough to be talkable.
The compassionate nature that I have for Lotte might not be new, but this alternative form of worry is.
Not the worry that I have for her present state, but for the whole island fiasco in the first place.
Sure, Akko the incompetent was apart of the team, but Diana was there to balance it out.
Now that she's gone, Lotte has replaced her in her role of seeking treasure in a hostile environment full of monster. I don't care what the principle says, monsters are monsters.
If anything were to happen to Lotte, I don't know what I would do.
And even if I know that my natural talent is supreme to most, it still won't be enough to look after both Akko and Lotte, and that's saying nothing about the two pilots and tour guide!
That is why I walk these halls, heading towards Faralda's classroom.
As the teacher in all manner of destruction magic, if anyone can prepare myself for fighting monsters, it would definitely be her.
I raise my fist to the wooden door, ready to knock.
Without warning, I hear the sound of a male screaming from the other side of the door followed by the noise of a heavy metal guitar and other instruments.
What gets me the most is that it's not a pain or terror filled scream, but entirely voluntary and lacking of any real emotion or upset.
The music continues, as another scream from the same person breaks the once empty silence, followed by two more of similar characteristics.
Suddenly, the screaming man begins to sing, guitars being used to great effect,
"I believe them bones are me!
Some say we're born into the grave!
I feel so alone!
Gonna end up a big ole pile of them bones!"
Just what the hell is going on in her room?!
Is something wrong?! Is she being attacked?! Could it be that the townspeople have finally had enough of us magic uses, and decided to revolt, taking out the teachers first?!
"Faralda!" I yell at the door, my pouding only growing louder as I continue to be ignored. "Faralda!"
Challenging even that of the screaming man from before, I hear a very irate Faralda yell in a childlike manner
"Ms. Finnalin, you said I could play my music as loud as I want until ten PM! That was the deal!"
What?
So all that screaming just came from music? Just what kind of music could Faralda be listening to?
"Faralda, it's me!" I cry, pounding on her door. "Theodore!"
I push my ear against the cold door, listening to whatever sounds might come.
Soon after my announcement, I hear the music come to an abrupt stop, cutting off the singing man from the rest of his song.
With the sounds of footsteps drawing near, I remove my ear, backing up from the door.
A few clicks from the door locks later, and the door swings open.
"Sorry about that." Faralda says, regaining her usual calm and collected self. "I thought you were Finnalin for a second. She's always coming by, telling me my music is too loud, that I left my Whiskey in the girl's bathroom again, or some other annoying tic."
The teacher puts on a sort of pouting face at the memories of this, ceasing her monologue.
I take this opportunity to ask
"Can I come in?"
The sound of my voice snaps her out of whatever thoughts were there, as she returns to her usual self, saying
"Sure, go ahead. I was just listening to a little 'Alice In Chains' to occupy myself."
And with that, she swings the door wider, allowing myself to enter.
As I set foot into her classroom, she makes her way back to her desk, taking a seat with her feet comfortably propped on the desk.
Once I close the door, I move towards the front of her desk.
"So anyway, how've you been?" She asks me.
"I've been fine." I tell her. "Most of my time nowadays have been taken up with training for this island expedition. How about you?"
"Oh, I've been pretty chill." She tells me, her feet swaying back in forth on her desk as she does.
Chill?
Now I know that I'm not the best at this whole English thing, but I'm pretty sure 'chill' is used for temperature, not emotion.
She might be referring to the outside air as it's still Winter.
"Is that good?" I ask her.
"It's tight." She responds.
Tight?
Yet again my English skills are put to the test.
"Is that good?" I ask once again.
"It's on point." She says, once again hurting my pride in my Anglophone knowledge.
I thought I knew this language, but now it seems that there is a whole plethora of words and sayings that are completely unknown to me.
It's like I'm a child again, getting English lessons from my family.
I can feel a slight pink crawl up my face as I recount those days, those days of constantly being wrong, endless mountains of English words written on flashcards and much money spent on internet language educational sites, much to my grandpa's displeasure.
"Is that good?" I once again ask, this time a slight amount of annoyance and desperation in my voice.
Now feeling a bit annoyed herself, Faralda removes her feet from the desk, sitting up straight before saying
"It's off the chain, Ted."
Enough of this embarrassment!
"Just tell me! Are you okay?!" I plead with her, wanting to change to a different subject.
She lets out a muffled chuckle at my reaction, a thin smile on her face.
She rests her chin on one hand, simply saying
"Yeah."
With that, she leans back in her chair, returning her feet to their spot on the desk.
"So, Lotte really went out of character there, didn't she?" Faralda ponders, referring to the incident in Holbrooke's office.
She did.
It seemed the whole time there Lotte was only experiencing great amounts of stress and other nasty feelings, as if some horrible memories have begun to resurface and is now drowning her.
I bite my lip as these new thoughts begin to take hold of me.
Lotte is a great friend, and much like Diana, I care for her and her feelings. When she is upset, I'm upset, whatever pain she feels, I feel, and try in my greatest power to end it.
Although the last time Lotte came to these extreme emotions, when the subject of her dad and his temporary resurrection were brought up, I was there to help, mainly because I knew what caused these emotions and was apart of them.
But now, it seems as though I'm playing second fiddle.
Whatever she's feeling, I don't know the root cause of it, and would very much like to.
While asking her today would be out of the question, both being that it's too late and that Lotte is probably still in her asocial state and just wants to be left alone, tomorrow I have the opportunity.
Even if I can't find time beforehand, the plane ride will provide an excellent chance to ask.
Who knows, it's a long shot, but maybe I can even get her out of such a state before we even land on the island.
With monsters everywhere, a clear mind would definitely be valuable.
"Well, I see you're interested, but I don't really want to get into that stuff." Faralda tells me, stretching her neck as she does so. "You get too involved in other people's drama, it only gets hard to manage your own."
I have to admit, that's surprisingly good advice coming from her.
Honestly though, I believe a good portion of this vacation so far has been worrying about others' drama. Whether it was something minor like Romana not liking Diana, or now Lotte's mood, it's always been there.
I frown at this sudden epiphany.
"Recently, this whole Christmas Break has been nothing but…." I stop myself in an instant as the memory of newly formed relationship that Diana and I now share flash through my mind.
"Recently, most of this Christmas Break has been nothing but pain." I correct myself, trying to make my new blush as discreet as can be. "We learn that the school is at risk of financial collapse, Diana gets sick, and now something's wrong with Lotte."
I sigh as the face of one that I hold accountable for these recent actions manifests herself in my mind.
"I don't know what to think, but it seems like alot of this is Akko's fault…"
Faralda snorts at this, leaning deeper into her chain while exclaiming
"I still find it hard to believe that Akko purposely attacked Diana. She's normally such a bubbly and rather annoyingly happy girl who may be quick to anger, but violence is most certainly out of the question with her."
"You talk as if you two are friends." I point out, a bit confused by that.
Although not even close to unheard of, normally teachers don't form friendships with students, especially continually sticking up for them amidst an allegation.
"Well, I guess in a way we kind of are, although I think she thinks it more than I." The teacher admits. "She comes by my room often, wanting me to teach and tutor her in destruction magic. While I can say with certainty that she's mostly garbage in the art, she definitely has enough dedication to make up for it. That girl has a lot of fire in here, although I think one day she might overheat…"
Faralda trails off, as if contemplating what was just said.
She lets out another single chuckle, coming back with
"Yeah, I guess we are sort of friends. We even have the same favorite band."
"What's that?" I ask her.
"Family Force Five." She answers. "Even though she shared with me her little fangirl crush on Solomon Olds, I prefer the taco over the sausage myself."
Taco over the sausage? Just what does that mean?
Yet another English phrase that has completely gone over my head.
"I would say my favorite song from them is X-Girlfriend." She continues, not at all explaining her previous statement. "It sort of reminds me of a teacher friend of mine, although we never reached such a status. The line 'A busy signal is all I ever hear, we used to talk a lot but now she's seemed to disappear' runs around in my head at this time... "
She trails off, as a frown spreads across her face, herself holding that pose for several seconds.
"I like other songs." She says, reaching into her satchel. "Mother by Danzig, Shout At The Devil by Motley Crue, Still Of The Night by Whitesnake, Heart Shaped Box by Nirvana, Welcome To The Jungle by Guns N' Roses, classic rock, songs like that."
"So...you're a metalhead?" I ask her, hoping that's the proper English word.
"Pretty much." She mutters, pulling out a small rectangular red package. "Although occasionally I like to dabble in other types of music."
She flips the box upside down, striking the top of it with her palm several times as she continues.
"Whenever the mood strikes me, I listen to songs on Kat Country 103. But when I listen to my regular jam, I tune into 104.1 The Hawk. It's a cumulus station, the family's classic rock."
Once this small ritual is done, she opens the package up, pulling out a small white cylinder.
Only when she puts the thing in her lips, do I know full well what it is.
"Is that a cigarette?" I ask her, narrowing my eyebrows in confusion.
I didn't take her as a smoker.
She seems too athletic to be one.
"Sure is." She mutters, the cigarette bouncing between her teeth as she does.
In one fluid motion, she whips her wand out, bringing it to the edge of the cigarette.
After muttering some spell, a small flame erupts from the wand, effectively lighting the cigarette.
Done with the thing, she slides the wand back, grabbing hold of the cigarette, sucking on it, the red hot tip growing even more red as she does so.
"Damn, that's a nice drag." She mutters, blowing out a puff of smoke.
First Amanda and now Faralda?
Why is everyone in this school either bubbly, haughty, quiet and withdrawn, or completely rebellious?
While staring at the thing in her mouth, I ask
"Can you smoke inside the school?"
While this is a magic school with rules far from the typical, I'm pretty sure smoking is still a no go zone.
"It's my classroom." She defensively says, taking another puff, proving her independence. "Either way, fire and smoke are thrown around in this place daily. This'll make no difference."
That's rather strange logic.
"You know, Amanda gave me a few of her Kools to experiment with…" Faralda mentions. "But I just couldn't handle them, too much menthol."
She takes another pleasureful puff, cooly blowing off a few smoke rings.
"But these!" She exclaims, holding out her cigarette for all who care to see. "Marlboro Reds, a real man's cigarette! I won't even touch a Virginia Slim, no thank you! And Misty? That brand's out of the question."
Misty, Marlboro Reds, Kools, not to mention all the rock music that she's spoken about, isn't at all what I came here for.
Not at all.
Faralda is an interesting character to say the least, but with the expedition beginning tomorrow, time is too precious to waste on small talk.
I cross my arms at this, bluntly saying
"I didn't come here to talk music or cigarettes."
She snorts at this, remarking
"If you did, I would be both happy and surprised."
Faralda crosses her legs together, still on the desk, asking
"So then, why did you come here?"
"I want you to train me in preparation for the expedition." I simply say, arms still crossed.
"I see." Faralda ponders, putting a hand to her chin. "Since Diana is now out for the count, you were hoping to get some tips and tricks from me, correct?"
"You're the best in destruction magic in the whole school, even better than Diana it seems." I admit while dropping my arms, a bit relieved that Diana wasn't present to hear that. "You're right, I want you to train me. I need to compensate now that Diana is gone and Lotte is the replacement."
Don't get me wrong, I know that Lotte can be strong at times in her own ways.
I just don't think fighting is one of those ways.
"That makes sense." Faralda tells me, taking another drag of her cigarette. "Akko and Lotte aren't exactly the poster girls when it comes to fighting monsters."
With this thought in mind, Faralda snuffs out her cigarette on the aluminum lid of an empty rockstar energy drink before casually tossing the butt into the paper filled trash can.
Leaning forward, she pops her back, taking several more stretches, before standing up.
"Alright, let's get down to business." She tells me, moving towards the radio on the corner of her desk.
She puts a hand on one of the knobs, fiddling around with it before asking me
"So, what tasty lick is gonna satisfy that sweet urge today?"
"What was that?" I ask her, confused once again by her manner of speaking. "What did you just call me?"
"What song do you want to play?" She corrects, chuckling at my confusion all the while. "Your pick."
Although music during a duel may be distracting, it just might serve to invigorate me for my opponent.
And if I'm having a duel with Faralda, I'm going to need all the help I can get.
I put hand to my chin, before remembering an old song that my grandfather used to play at times.
"How about Tu Vuò Fà L'americano?" I suggest.
"The Hell's that?" Faralda asks me, twisting her head around at me in confusion. "No, no, no. That sounds too gay, even for me."
She turns back to the radio, saying
"You've lost your choosing privileges. I'm putting on 'Rock You Like A Hurricane' by Scorpions."
Although I open my mouth to protest her insult of an Italian song, I quickly shut it before any sounds can escape.
The song overall matters little to the practice. As long as I have the chance to be trained by her, really I don't care what song she plays.
After the song begins, the proceedings of any other duel take place.
The two of us move to separate corners of the room, the chimes of the burn temperature machines picking up on us.
In our current resting states,I note that Faralda's burn temperature reads 2000 while mine is at 650.
This disparity in readings really makes me think.
During a solitary training session, only a day before the Diana duel with Akko, I clocked in my maximum reading at 1200. While high, even my maximum isn't even close to Faralda's resting state.
I can only wonder just what she's capable of when she gets serious.
Once the distance between us has reached its greatest height, Faralda and I turn to face each other, a wand in each of our hands.
"Fire at me whenever you want with whatever you got." She tells me, spreading herself out into a combat stance.
With these words of antagonization, I follow her lead, taking a combat position.
"Hey Ted, guess what." Faralda requests, the corners of her lips trembling with suppressed emotions.
It's not unusual to see Faralda in a positive mood, however I must analyze my situation at hand.
I'm in her classroom, I'm about to duel her, and she's smirking at me.
It doesn't take a genius like me to know that something is wrong, at least for me. Faralda on the other hand looks like she's having a field day!
"W-what?" I stutter, knowing full well what's about to come but unaware just how it will.
"I'm about to rock you…" She mutters, pointing her already glowing wand at me, her tense mouth now turning into a confident smirk. "Like a hurricane…"
What does that mean?
Author's Note: Well, I think we all predicted that Lotte was going to go, but who knew Faralda was such a badass?
Some of you might be wondering what's up with that reading of 'An Unexpected Guest' that was supposed to be uploaded. It's currently a work in progress. Most of the lines that I need are done, but a few more need to happen before I can start to edit it. It will come, I swear!
If you boys and girls want more sweet chapters, don't forget to follow, fav, and review. Give them to, daddy.
Also I noticed that I now have 91 followers, which is quite a lot. I honestly never really expected to get past 50 and it feels like we hit 50 only a few chapters ago. Again, I never expected to get this amount, especially since my fanfic openly goes against the most popular ship, I guess I just never really expected is many people to be interested. I definitely didn't think that this many people would be interested when I started this story more than two years ago.
But even with my own doubts, we have reached 91 followers. And while yes I do owe all of you three Diakko stories, Nightcore now revising his, I want to do something special when we reach 100 followers, something past just another Diakko.
As some of you already know, I have a Youtube account which goes by the same name as this account, 'RomanViking'. And if you actively read these notes, then you should also know that I have The Chamber of Time, but have never really played much of it.
That's right, at 100 followers, your boy shall play The Chamber of Time, a game that has gotten some very mixed reviews...
And while I may be a few months late to that party, and yes the average Chamber of Time let's play episode only gets a few views, I think we can make something of it!