Rising Shards

Deep in the basement of a rarely visited building on the Rising Shards campus, Chumbler sat behind a desk, humming to herself. She tapped on her mini slot machine and hummed. A ceiling fan turned slowly.

“Chumbler, quit humming and look all upwards like.” Z.O.K. said. “Someone’s here.”

Standing next to her was Z.O.K., her loyal friend. Well, her official title was currently receptionist, but Chumbler was working on getting her to agree to it, so her main job was still loyal friend at the moment. Z.O.K. wasn’t lying either, which she sometimes did, which was frankly a bad trait for a receptionist to have. Someone stood in the doorway to her office, a silhouette with the bright light of the grand floor behind them. Chumbler beckoned for them to approach, and looked the girl up and down as she walked to the desk.

“It had been only a week or so since I’d established Chumblerosa. And what greets me on that seventh or eighth day but a vision of beauty? A Kanibari I’d never seen before. Dark blue fur, aqua hair, piercing red eyes, bizarrely white sclera. In a gown fancy enough to be royalty. Maybe she was royalty. Maybe she was about to change everything for me—”

“Stop narrating things.” Z.O.K. said. “She’s right there. She can hear you. I can hear you. It’s making me...feel weird, I don’t know.”

“Look at her,” Chumbler said, pointing to the Kanibari in front of her. “A vision of beauty. A Kanibari I’d never seen before. Dark blue fur, aqua hair, piercing red eyes, bizarrely—”

“We heard you! You don’t have to repeat yourself, dumbass!” Z.O.K. said. Then she muttered, “Why don’t you ever describe me like that?”

Chumbler poured herself a glass of ketchup and swirled it around. “What’s your story, sweetheart?” Chumbler asked. “Is it one worth…betting on?”

“Eugh.” Z.O.K. said.

“I’m in a rough place,” The girl said. “It’s been a long way getting here.”

“What’s your name, doll?” Chumbler asked. She wished she had a fancy hat to really like sell the noire vibe she had going on. Chumbler settled for kinda smushing her bangs between a thumb and a pointer finger; it kind of looked the same as her doing that to the brim of the hat she wished she had.

“My name…it’s a bit difficult to say…” The girl said. “I hope you understand that it’s somewhat a private matter.”

“That’s what this place is all about!” Z.O.K. said. “We’re all about that like. IDK.”

“Don’t say ‘IDK’ out loud, you freak.” Chumbler said.

“Shut up! We’re trying to be welcoming to those that aren’t supposed to be here!” Z.O.K. said. “I assume you’re one of the…sneak backers? After the raids?”

The girl nodded. “I’m trying to stay hidden, of course.”

“I’ll come up with a name for you then,” Chumbler said. “I’ll call you…blue. Sweetheart Blue.”

“I was thinking Niar, but I think that works better.” The newly dubbed Sweetheart Blue said.

“Well better give you a tour of the place.” Chumbler said, hopping over her desk but also tripping on it, rolling onto the ground with a splat. Once she was back on her feet, she dusted herself off and took Blue’s hand and brought her out of the office. There was a glorious sight to Chumbler, one that brought her to tears every time she gazed upon it. It was only a few slot machines and a card table, but it was the start of something much greater. “This, doll, is Chumblerosa!”

“Well, I saw it on the way in,” Sweetheart Blue said. “Your office is in the back.”

“Right, right. Yeah. I forgot. Yeah. Anyways! Want another tour?” Chumbler said.

“Sure, I suppose.”

Chumbler led Blue around the room. It was apparently formerly a ballroom, now transformed into the start of a grand casino.

“See, Z.O.K. and I had our own strange run in with villains on the big trip,” Chumbler said. 

“We didn’t get raided, really.” Z.O.K. said. “But we met our duplicates? I guess?”

“Super Chumbler and her three pathetic minions.” Chumbler said.

“Super…Chumbler?” Sweetheart Blue asked.

“When we got back, the fight against Super Chumbler hit an immediate wall,” Chumbler said. ”I wondered how best to lure her here, and what would lure me here?”

“Lure her…here?” Blue asked.

“Right, a casino!” Chumbler said. “If I can establish this place as the best Cani casino of all time, Super Chumbler’s sure to make her way here. Then we…kick her ass or something. Oh, and get my gold capsule machine back.”

Sweetheart Blue rubbed her chin. “Right, I’m just looking for a clubhouse to hang out in while I sneak into this school instead of going to Wildfire Hearts, would I be able to do that here?”

“Sure, yeah, but you should like probably work and stuff too.” Chumbler said.

“Make her do difficult work.” Z.O.K. said. “Put her on cleaning duty instead of me.”

“A beauty like this?” Chumbler said. “No, no, she can’t be sullied with such tasks.”

“What would you have me do?” Blue asked as Z.O.K. squinted at her.

“I dunno, be all like. Attractive singer and stuff? That’ll get some people here.” Chumbler said.

“I could maybe do that.” Blue said.

“Kickass, welcome aboard!” Chumbler said. She fished around in her pockets. “Oh, and you get a sticker.”

Sweetheart Blue took the sticker, which looked like a drawing of a massive casino.

“That’s your way in,” Z.O.K. said. “Better not lose it.”

“Quit antagonizing her, you turd.” Chumbler said. “Go back to the office and get her paperwork so we can make her hiring official!”

As Z.O.K. sadly shuffled off, Chumbler felt a burst of pride. Z.O.K. joining her team was a given, but now she’d had her first real new recruit. The Chumblerosa journey had only just begun.