Chapter 6: A Plan
Sometime later, everyone gathered in the Ramshackle Dorm Lounge. Briar and the others explain to Jamil and Ruggie about what the plan is. And well, let's say the two aren't very happy about it.
"KALIM. Why, WHY must you always sign up for trouble on the spot?" Jamil questions with a frown, "How many times have I told you to say, "I'd like some time to consider it" before agreeing?!"
Ruggie complains to Leona, "LEONA. You have GOT to stop dragging me into these messes. You just wanna dump all your dirty work on me!"
"But everybody needs our help. I'm sure if we all put our heads together, we'll do juuust fine," Kalim explains.
Then Leona says, "Oh, get over it. It's not like I wanna be here, either."
"But it's a fairy festival! Don't you want to see that at least once?" Kalim adds.
But Jamil says, "Do you even understand what's at stake here? We're not going to sup bubbly and discuss the weather! ...Er, actually, we kind of are, but no matter."
"If you want me in, give me at least ten thaumarks an hour for my time. Then we can talk," Ruggie says.
At the same time, Briar and the others are standing at the lounge, looking dumbfounded.
"Sheesh. All they do it bicker, bicker, bicker," Grim says.
"How are we going to get them to stop?" Sereia asks.
"Well, we need to do something. Otherwise the situation is going to get worse," Tanzanite says.
"I better go talk to them," Briar says.
She walks up to the boy and says, "Boys! Boys!"
Everyone stops bickering and turns to Briar.
The girl sighs and says, "Look, I understand that some of you aren't very keen about doing this, but the magestone that was taken is what keeps the weather here under control. If we don't get it back, then the school will be closed until the gala is over, and it could take months."
Ruggie and Jamil remain silent.
Ruggie says, "Well…"
"I...suppose not," Jamil adds.
And Grim says, "Holdin' class is gonna be the least of our problems if the school stays this bad until the day we graduate."
"Good grief," Jamil replies with a sigh, "You're right that we're just wasting time here. We're not in a position to say no at this point regardless. Let's do as Briar suggests and get to work on a plan."
Then Kalim says, "All we have to do is swap out the tiara, right? Sounds like enough of a plan to me."
"That's a goal, not a plan," Jamil says.
"Jamil is right, Kalim. From what Crowley explained, the magestone has been placed on the tiara, and it's sitting on the Fairy's queen's head," Tanzanite says.
"Exactly. We need to work out how to make the actual switch," Jamil adds.
"Can't we just use magic to levitate it all sneaky-like off her head?" Kalim asks.
"That won't work, Kalim," Briar says, "I asked Mal more about the fairies and their queen, and he told me that they're more sensitive to magic than humans are. Plus, this is the queen of Faeland so she can sense immediately if any use of magic is active. Even I'm starting to sense magic being used."
"Yep. You're right about that," Leona says.
"You are correct, Briar. As I recall, you were a fae yourself before being changed to a human. And now that you've regained your Fae genes, you can sense magic, and being part of the royal family will make you more sensitive to the magic around you," Jamil says.
"A bunch of mages that can't use magic at all. Cool. That's a right constraint right outta the gate," Ruggie says, sounding deflated.
"Don't be thick. That's where you come in, Ruggie," Leona says.
"How do you figure?" Ruggie questions.
Leona smirks and says, "You'll swap the tiara the queen's wearing for the fake. Directly. By hand."
This leaves Ruggie flabbergasted, "Wait, WHAT?! ME?!"