Rising Shards

Marmalade hated everything about Staverius Academy. The classes were all boring, the student body was beyond dumb, the Cani education was pitiable, the uniforms were all soul-suckingly gray; she had a full five-hour rant video in her just after one day of class, and she had made it two weeks so far somehow. Two friendless, lonely weeks.

There was a little creek beside Staverius that wasn’t far from the bus stop, so Marmalade took a few minutes after class sitting and watching the leaves floating in the water, listening to the water flowing. Just as she sighed, wishing her whole day could be sitting in nature, something sloshed in front of her.

It took Marmalade a few moments to process it as what appeared to be a monster made of swamp gunk suddenly stood in front of her, rising up from the water. As she debated running away, the swamp monster lifted its arms up.

“I am Tyronius Fog, Dweller of the Bog!” The beast said, its voice muffled and distorted.

If this was a legit magic creature situation, Marmalade had a list of wishes she’d ask, assuming this was a wish granting swamp monster.

“So…hi?” Marmalade asked. “Do you grant…wi—”

“Um.” Someone said, tapping Marmalade’s shoulders. She turned to see an Echela boy with a camera in hand. “We’re kinda filming something here, dude.”

It took even longer for Marmalade to process as the swamp creature took off its swamp head, revealing that it was just a mask for another Echela boy. It looked as though they’d just smeared a globe shaped fish tank with mud and leaves and whatever they could grab from the creek.

“Wait, this dude wasn’t the one we got for the arrival scene?” The boy in the swamp monster costume said.

“No, he’s not here yet.” The boy directing said. “We’re just doing the trailer shot for Tyronius Fog, Dweller of the Bog and Mire the Anxiety Vampire Overthrow an Unholy Robotic Jetpack Lizard Assassin Army! Principal photography hasn’t even started yet!”

“I still think the title could lose like three words.” Swamp boy said.

“And I still say I can recast you like that.” Director boy said, snapping his fingers.

Marmalade winced at all the dudes they were throwing at her. She was fine with it normally, but today wasn’t a great day for hearing it in the tone they said it in. Burning red from embarrassment at thinking she actually just met a magic creature that would grant wishes, Marmalade left quietly, figuring standing at the bus stop would be better than this. As she waited, she wondered if it was rude that she didn’t over her official Staverius Oils and Soils Removal Rag to the boys to help clean the swamp gunk off of them.

A long bus ride home brought Marmalade to the suburb of Sky Clay, doing her best to keep a stone face because she couldn’t let them see her cry, but then when she got home she didn’t have the energy to cry, so she just went to her room and laid down on the ground, staring up at the ceiling. She moved slightly to the side, wincing as she made a soda can clang on the wood floor.

“It’d be great if you cleaned up a little around here.” Marmalade’s mom said as she walked past, gesturing to the many soda cans strewn about her daughter’s room. Marmalade scooted closer to the door and shut it with her foot, not in the mood for her mom’s nagging.

I’m such a looooooseeerrrrrr.

Somehow, she managed to peel herself off the ground to pick up two cans to appease her mother, then decided she should probably pick up the rest. Her confidence in herself drained a bit at actually dealing with the garbage she’d left everywhere,

Maybe I’m not a loser, maybe I’m just really just kind of a mess. Kind of a mess is better than loser, right?

After she picked up, she decided it was self care time. She got out of her awful Staverius uniform and started her feel better routine: she changed into her cutest outfit, did a very quick nail job, sprayed some perfume that made her feel suitably girlie, played a few rounds of a shooter game, and got her Dynne chat up. She was in a trans Dynne group that was pretty cool. The combo of girling up her look along with chatting with her fellow trans folk gave her a dose of that sweet, sweet euphoria.

MarmaladeLine: sup

Viv [was wrong the eGame 3 is actually cool]: MARMS :3

SuburbsDecay3 [was RIGHT the eGame 3 is COOL]: whats good marmalade

Marmalade was glad two of her closest friends were online. They tended to be online, but at the moment she really needed chatting time so she was glad things were normal there. Regarding their usernames, Viv lost a bet about the eGame 3 and had to have that be her username for the rest of the month, and SD won the bet. They, like everyone in her chat, lived way too far from Marmalade.

MarmaladeLine: bad

MarmaladeLine: I mean doing bad ˙∧˙

SuburbsDecay3 [was RIGHT the eGame 3 is COOL]:  staverius still suck-very-much?

MarmaladeLine: yeah :< I got like half-misgendered by some guys and one was in a swamp costume

SuburbsDecay3 [was RIGHT the eGame 3 is COOL]:  a swamp costume

Viv [was wrong the eGame 3 is actually cool]: Yeah, what???????

MarmaladeLine: they were filming a swamp movie

MarmaladeLine: I think

SuburbsDecay3 [was RIGHT the eGame 3 is COOL]:  your school is weird

MarmaladeLine: I know UGH

Viv [was wrong the eGame 3 is actually cool]: You’ll be at a cani school soon my girl don’t you worry!

MarmaladeLine: if my fangs ever come in

Viv [was wrong the eGame 3 is actually cool]: They will soon! You just gotta believe girlie. (˵ •̀ ᴗ - ˵ ) ✧

MarmaladeLine: thx :3

MarmaladeLine: honestly any school would be better than staverius

MarmaladeLine: one of the classes had some old paperwork or something and the teacher said deadname it was not fun

Viv [was wrong the eGame 3 is actually cool]: Noooooooooo!

SuburbsDecay3 [was RIGHT the eGame 3 is COOL]:  that sucks ass

MarmaladeLine: I Knowwwww

MarmaladeLine: and I wanna wear dresses but the uniform is just pantaloons :< other than all that im good sorry to take chat up bitching

Viv [was wrong the eGame 3 is actually cool]: Don’t worry Marmalade, we’re always here for you! ٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و

SuburbsDecay3 [was RIGHT the eGame 3 is COOL]: do you type those out every time or like do you have a bunch saved

Viv [was wrong the eGame 3 is actually cool]: I will not reveal my secrets! I choose instead I will give love to Marms: (づ ᴗ _ᴗ)づ♡

Even though her online friends were far away, they chatted enough that it felt like the distance was a lot closer. When her friends got busy with other things, Marmalade checked the Cani sections of the Dynne chat, as reading stories of fangs coming in made waiting for her own a little easier.