Rising Shards

Roux knocked on the door to the RPG club. There wasn’t an immediate answer, so they kept knocking. They were after one particular member of the club. Aira had seen something in that cave, and Roux needed to know.

Michi answered with a flat, ”What.”

”I’m looking for Orbis,” Roux said. ”Aira Orbis, if that wasn’t clear.”

Roux tried to peek past Michi’s shoulders, but they didn’t budge.

”Yeah, she was a bit shaken up so she skipped club today,” Michi said. ”She left early.”

”Hrm,” Roux said. ”Disappointing.”

”I think she said she was going back to her room,” Michi said.

”Terrific! I know where that is,” Roux said. ”Thank ye kindly, Michi.”

Michi but a hand on Roux’s shoulder after they turned around.

”Not trying to get in your business or anything, but Aira really is going through it, so go easy on her, alright? Maybe wait for another day to enter bothering mode.”

”I would only bring cheer wherever I go,” Roux said. ”Her spirits only brightened by my presence.”

”Somehow I doubt that,” Michi said. ”I’m serious, be nice.”

Roux pouted. They liked having a reputation, but Michi’s scolding also had a judgmental tone. The combo was unpleasant, and made Roux not want to prove their fears right.

So we must approach this Orbis situation with a gentle touch. Or something.

When Roux knocked at Aira’s room, they actually waited for an answer before knocking again.

See, Michi? I am very kind and gracious.

Aira looked about as rough as Michi’s description of her, like someone who hadn’t slept in days. She was in PJs and her hair was fairly disheveled.

”Oh, hi,” Aira said.

”Greetings, Orbis,” Roux said. ”May I enter your humble abode?”

”I guess...” Aira said.

Aira’s strangely long cat floated up to the ceiling in fear when he saw Roux.

”Aw, c’mon,” Aira said. ”Sorry, Io does that. Roux’s a friend, don’t be like that.”

The cat mewed, and Roux answered.

”As a Cani with cat attributes, cattributes as I like to call them, I should be able to communicate with your feline friend,” Roux said.

Roux and the cat meowed back and forth for a bit. ”I’m getting distracted, I’m not here just to see your cat.”

Aira had barely moved since Roux entered, sitting at her desk. Michi really wasn’t kidding about her being down. Roux’s ears instinctively went flat as they tried to figure out how to best proceed, deciding that sitting by Aira was a good first step. But that proved tricky with a window facing desk, so Roux settled for leaning all cool-like against the wall next to the window and desk.

”So...” Roux said.

”So.” Aira said.

”Pfft, you know I am not a fan of that bit they always do in Tower of Hate and Love where they start with that,” Roux said.

”I know,” Aira smiled weakly. ”I remember our many chats about it. Like. Half of Tower’s conversations start with the ol’ so and so.”

”Like who talks like that?” Roux said.

”Us, I guess,” Aira said. ”So.”

”So.”

”What’re you here for, Roux?”

”I am just curious about what you saw in that cave,” Roux said.

Aira fidgeted with some pages on her desk.

”It really wasn’t that interesting,” Aira said.

”That’s a funny way to describe something that had you running and screaming,” Roux said.

”I wasn’t running, I was teleporting,” Aira said.

”Still, you were fleeing,” Roux said. ”Is that why you’re in ’sad mode’?”

”Ah, not really,” Aira said. ”I mean, it wasn’t great, it was really scary, but it isn’t the root of...all the bad.”

”Then maybe talking about it would be a good distraction, perhaps?” Roux said.

”Maybe,” Aira said. She sighed. ”Alright, so I got in the cave, I went past that big boulder...and in that room, I saw this pit of darkness. But I felt...I dunno, some kind of entity in it. Or multiple entities. Like voices calling out to me. Then I saw eyes start to open.”

”That would startle me for sure,” Roux said. ”You think they’re gonna explode it?”

”I dunno,” Aira said. ”It must not be that big a deal, Caya knows about it and didn’t call me back to teleport back over there.”

”Our faculty is pretty useless,” Roux said. ”Wanna go back there and explode it ourselves?”

”I’m good for today, I’m pretty beat,” Aira yawned. ”I think I should nap, maybe.”

”I suppose I’ve gathered enough intel for now,” Roux said. ”But I will be interrogating you about this further in the future.”

Aira stifled a laugh. ”I’m sure.”