Chapter Twenty-Four
Lafayette dropped of Damian in his room and left him with his team while she went to inform Ironwood of what happened. Damian lay there on his bed it occurred to him that this had happened a lot more since he had moved to Atlas.
"So Damian what happened exactly?" Nathan asked sensitively.
"Which bit?" Damian replied as he sat up.
"Well I guess we could start with how that police officer knows you."
"Well-." Damian started before being interrupted by a knock at the door. Gagana ran over and opened it to Team STRM.
"Thank ya'll… Damian?" Scarlet asked as she walked in.
"Well I was about to start when you came a knocking." He replied.
"Is it an interesting story?" Mary asked.
"You could say that it is, somewhat. Now let me begin with saying-."
"You look like shit man what happened?" Brett said as he entered the room with his team.
"Gather round and I shall recount the tale of how I, Damian Carmine was attacked for the first and last times this week." Damian replied rolling his eyes after being interrupted again.
"Would it be most current?" Rylee said as she sat on the floor.
"Please don't jinx me."
"She makes a good point." Nathan added.
"Can we get food first?" Timothy asked and everyone seconded. Gagana had apparently prepared some plates ahead of time and handed one to each person. Damian put his by his side as he didn't feel up to trying new things at the moment.
"Okay first we have the tale of the bear and girl." He said clearly as if reciting a tale told to children.
"There was once a bear walking through a forest. In the forest he found and empty looking steam boat. The bear decided to sit on the deck as he was looking for adventure. The boat started to head down stream at remarkable speed which startled and amazed him. Before long the ship's captain walked onto the deck and he accused the bear of eating all the other cargo. The bear pleaded his innocence but the captain would have none of it, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at the bear and threatened to shoot but then out of nowhere a rat crawled out from behind the captain and stabbed him in the back. The rat thanked the bear for taking the blame for it and asked the bear if he would join his team of outlaws. The bear said no and squashed the rat." Damian punctuated this by blowing a short raspberry.
"The bear then felt weary so he took a nap. When he awoke he was in a silver town with bright lights and new sights. The towns sheriff approached him and asked if he had eaten the cargo. The bear said no and pointed to the rat but it was gone. The bear grew worried but was ultimately let because of lack of evidence." Damian said with a shift in tone.
"Well that was … something." Ryu said callously.
"I thought it was a great story." Scarlet said speaking over Ryu. "Okay what about the next part?" she added.
"How did you know there was a second half?" Damian asked. Scarlet opened her mouth but Damian continued. "That was rhetorical and I shall now continue with my second tale Rat-Splat two."
"I beat I can guess the ending." Nathan said with a laugh.
"In the town the bear made some new friends, a dog a snake and an owl." His team looked at him then to each other, clearly deciding who was who. "one day a fox and a dalmatian destroyed the watering hole so the four companions had to leave their set to find new food. After finding some and heading back to their home the bear was enhanced by something he saw off the beaten path, he left the group and ran after it. As he ran through the woods off the path he tripped, fell and heard a splat." Again punctuated with a raspberry. "It was the rat, she seemed awfully upset after being flattened not once but twice. It called for its friends and they ganged up on the bear seven to one. Luckily for the bear he was a big strong bear and he easily took out the rats and their devious plans. The bear then returned to his home with his friends where they threw a party. The end." He said matter-a-factly.
"I'd Like to tell another story." Nathan said enthusiastically.
"I mean I'm not sure we have time." Damian said as he started to eat. Nathan saw no objection so he started.
"There was once a dog who strived for adventure and he had a great big bear for a friend. One day the two mysteriously ran out of food, probably because the snake that lives in their house ate it all. So they headed off into the forest to retrieve some. Along the way the bear saw a rat and started to run off the path as it chased after it. The dog ran off to help his friend but when he found him he was face first in a pile of mud so he had to drag him home and patch him up. The end."
"I wonder if these two stories are connected in some way?" Ramon asked in mock thought.
"Yea me two!" Rylee said more seriously.
"Well they do say all tails have a head." Scarlet said thoughtful.
"Guys seriously he's talking about himself and what happens to himself in the past week." Timothy said aggravated.
"Who called the fun police." Mary said casually as she ate. Brett put his scroll to his ear.
"Yes officer of like to report an incident… Yes, we have a fun killer here in this building, I demand assistance." Oscar kept across and pined Timothy and started to play fight with him.
"Sir I have detained the suspect." He said. Rylee strutted over.
"How do you plead on the charges of fun killing of the 1st degree?" She asked.
"The only thing I'm guilt of is being too cool." Timothy retorted trying to sound as cool as possible.
"On no he's right I think he stole my heart." Mary said and flopped to the floor.
"Make that fun killing and heart breaking!" Rylee said.
"Oh no I think he's got mine too." Scarlet said flopping onto Mary.
"And mine!" Richard said dramatically before joining his team.
"Oh dear is this some kind of mass Homo-cide or an epidemic." Rylee cried out. Timothy glared at Richard.
"Look what you've done now." He whined.
"What's wrong with that?" Oscar asked?
"Nothing really but it's hard to be a lady killer if people started to think your gay."
"Quit while your ahead." Mary called from underneath scarlet.
"Ah ha he admits it." Rylee said continuing her skit by herself.
"Scarlet you think I'm cool right?" He pleaded. She continued pretending to be dead on the floor.
"Ramona? Rylee? Gagana?" He said looking around the room.
"You wouldn't be my first choice." Ramona replied coldly.
"Wow that was harsh." Brett laughed and slapped her on the back.
"Don't worry Timothy I'll always go to you if I need some ice." Rylee said innocently.
"Good to know I outrank a vendor." He sighed then solely turned to Gagana. She blushed.
"I'm not really interested in that sort of thing." Rylee ran over and wrapped her arm around her shoulder.
"Don't worry you not missing out they guys here kinda suck."
"Hey!" All the boys responded in unison.
"We have to respect out minority's!" Rylee said boldly
"Why? She just a person like anyone else here what's she done to earn anything extra." Ryu said coolly.
"What my blunt friend means is wouldn't putting her on a pedestal increase the problem." Nathan interjected.
"Wait are you implying I like girls now?" Gagana squeaked.
"That's what you said right?" Rylee said and turned back to look at her.
"Ugh no that isn't exactly what I meant." She said quietly.
"Oh so you meant you don't like humans, well I'm not going to be too offended myself and I won't put you down for it ether." Rylee replied cheerfully. Gagana turned even more red.
"Is that racist?" Brett asked then looked to Damian
"Technical yes but it's not a malicious thing. It's just a preference so maybe not." Nathan said the also looked to Damian. Gagana got up and stormed of saying something about the bathroom even though she left the dorm.
"Rylee see what all your teasing has done now!" Ramona snapped. Rylee lowered her head.
"I'll go apologise to her." She sniffed and walked out after her.
"Sorry guys my sister is a bit of a social retard." Ramona sighed.
"I don't think it's just her, Gagana isn't the best people person ether to be honest." Ryu said.
"Well nether are you Mr cold dark and brooding." Nathan said back to Ryu.
"I'll admit that." Ryu replied. Nathan looked a little surprised that he accepted it so easily.
"Oh did y'all hear about that fight this weekend?" Scarlet said trying to change the subject.
"Oh yea we're all entering." Brett said enthusiastically.
"Us too!" Damian added.
"I'm just so excited. There's gonna be a big stage and a crowd and everything. I wonder how my papa will react seeing his little gall on the big screen?"
"You are quite the country bumpkin aren't you?" Ryu asked.
"And you just like starting fights don't you little man? Yes, I'm from out of town, I grew up on a farm so you people could eat your burgers. Happy!"
"Please ignore my ill-mannered friend." Nathan said trying to defuse the tension.
"Yea Ryu I am getting tired of your bull shit so can you stop." Damian added. Ryu didn't respond so Damian took his silence as acceptance. Luckily Gagana and Rylee came back to end the silence.
"Hey guys have any of you heard of any spooky going ons at Atlas?" Rylee asked.
"I think you're going to have to elaborate a bit." Damian replied scratching his head.
"Like didn't you have a set spooky stories, like haunted bathrooms, unexplained screaming in the night, green slime oozing from the walls. That sort of thing." The students sat and thought for a bit before Damian spoke up first.
"Well I mean at my combat classes in Torchlight my teacher always said not to enter the mine after dark or you might get eaten by a Grimm."
"Damian I think that's just a safety warning." Ramona said. "The reason my sis is saying this is because in our little town there were the three midnight horrors. Or so they were called."
"What where they?" Nathan asked.
"Don't look in the mirror of my third floor or your teeth will fall out. If you shout the name of the previous headmistress three times she'll make your grades all fails. And don't poop in the gym toilet or you'll be eaten by a goblin."
"A poop goblin!" Brett laughed, "that may be the stupidest thing I've ever heard."
"Hey I didn't say I believed them!" Ramona replied then turned her head as she pouted. There was then a knock at the door and Lafayette and Gwynn entered.
"Quite the gathering we have here." Lafayette said as she walked over to Damian. "You feeling better?"
"Not completely but getting there." He replied quickly.
"What's with all this special treatment?" Ryu asked.
"It's because it happened out of school time and grounds and he should have been under my watch." Lafayette said sounding like she'd lost all the fight she had.
"Don't worry Lafayette I'll show you how good I am by competing in the fight on Saturday."
"Oh how brave." Lafayette said as brought him into a hug. "But remember having guts is only useful when they are functioning." She said as walked off.
"You lot should probably head back to your rooms we have a physical exam tomorrow." Gwynn said as he walked out after Lafayette.
"A what?" Nathan asked startled.
"Normally we'd have already done it but organisation around here has been pretty sparse." He replied before closing the door.
"Okay see y'all I guess." Scarlet said as she got up and left with her team.
"Latters." Brett said with a wave as BRRO left as well.
Damian leant back. What a long day he thought before he noticed something against his back. He turned and fished out a small shot bottle with a label saying drink up for a goodnight. Damian quickly downed the bottle and within minutes was out like a light.