Chapter Four Hundred and Four - Mushy

Chapter Four Hundred and Four - Mushy

Chapter Four Hundred and Four - Mushy

Hello, Miss Cottage, I said with a bob of my head.

One of Cottages eyebrows rose, but she nodded back. Thats me, yes." Her gaze sharpened. "But strangely, I don't recognize a single one of you."

"Strange?" I asked.

Yes. There are two buns in this school and only one catfolk. There are a few sylph and a number of harpies, but thats about it. The most normal one heres the human, and even then, we dont have many blondes, Cottage said. So, your entire group is sticking out.

What if we were all new? Caprica asked.

Then you wouldnt be wearing those neckties. Those are for second years, Cottage said. Something someone unfamiliar with the school might not know.

I touched the little pink tie around my neck, then shrugged. Oh well! I guess our costumes werent that great after all. Still, your uniforms are very comfy, even if the skirts are too short. Amaryllis shot me an amazingly betrayed look as I tossed our cover story out the window. Oops.

Cottages other eyebrow rose to meet the first. Alright, so weve established that youre not meant to be here, which leaves the question, why are you here, and why are you here looking for me? Are you assassins? Because Im not defenceless.

Curious, I fired off an Insight on Cottage, just to see what she meant.

Cottage, a mousefolk Painter of the Once Living, level seventeen

Oh, that was an impressive level for someone that I guessed wasnt much older than my friends and I, and who seemed to be an artist above all else. Were not here for anything like that, Amaryllis said. We came over on the request of a mutual friend. A harpy you might know?

Cottages expression changed in a blink, going from somewhat guarded and very feisty, to a full-faced blush that was even starting to creep up her ears. Valerian sent you? she asked.

Thats the one, Amaryllis said. She grabbed the letter, and the little package, then with nowhere else to put it, placed it on the ground next to Cottage.

That was the first time I noticed that there were a few desks near the middle of the class that were sized for mousefolk like Cottage. Cute! But then again, so was Cottage. She practically leapt on the letter, pulling it close to her chest even though the letter itself was almost as big as she was.

Thank you, she squeaked. Wait! Are you going back to Valerian after this?

I guess so, I said.

Then... could you give me some time to pen a reply? she asked.

Her whole personality had shifted in just a few moments there. I glanced at my friends, and we all seemed to have the same consensus. We dont mind waiting for you, I said. Are you going to write in your room?

Oh? No, I think the library would be best. One moment! She picked up the little package that Valerian had sent, and raising it over her head, she scurried across the art room. Laura! she called out.

A human girl a little ways away blinked, then squatted down, lowering her hand for Cottage to run onto it. She stood up, then took the package from Cottage while the mouse girl explained something with a lot of arm-waving.

Laura walked over to us, nodding rather shyly while holding onto Cottage. Shed tucked the package--but not the letter--away in a small satchel-purse hanging by her hip. Hi, she said with a little wave.

Cottage placed her hands on her hips, one of them still holding onto the side of the letter so that it didnt go too far. The blush was gone, and the feistiness was back. She cleared her throat. Sorry about that. I got a little excited. Think nothing of it.

You cant read it, Laura said. They write to each other in code. She shook her head, then gestured into the stacks and we followed, leaving Cottage alone to her reading.

Thats, ah, clever, I said as I pretended not to notice Awen and Amaryllis knowing looks. So, how did you become friends with Cottage, Laura?

Laura shrugged, looking down while her hands twiddled with each other. Its more that we started as roommates, and then Cottage didnt really give me a choice.

I nodded. That makes sense.

No, Broccoli, thats not how its supposed to work, Amaryllis said. I stared at her, not quite understanding, but she ignored my curious look to ask Laura some more questions. Are you a second year, then? You have a pink tie too.

Yes, Laura said, clearly more comfortable with this subject. Red ties are first years, then the third years have smaller, white ties.

Thats an interesting way of telling students apart, Carpica said. Kind of like military rank insignia.

Ah, well, the joke is that the red ties are the only new ones. As they get washed and the colour bleaches out, theyre given to later years, Laura said. I dont think thats actually true, but... yeah, thats the joke. She coughed to clear her throat, and I couldnt help but feel the awkwardness radiating off of her.

I would have given her a hug, but I was pretty sure that would just make things worse for the poor girl.

So, Cottage and Valerian... he didnt exactly give many details about it, Amaryllis said. Are they... steady?

I think so, Laura said. She goes on and on about how hes not very smart, and how he dresses poorly, and how he... uh, anyway, but at the same time she gets all blushy and distraught whenever she brings him up. I think theyre serious? He did travel all the way here. Its the worst-kept secret in the school that theyre basically dating.

Strange that she doesnt just visit him then, Amaryllis said.

Her parents dont like him, Laura explained. And youre not allowed to date people while attending the academy.

H-how would that work? Awen asked.

Laura shrugged. It really doesnt. I think half the girls here have dated someone from one of the other academies in the area. Or if not, theyre dating each other. I mean, youre not allowed but holding hands isnt against the rules, so....

So its not very effective, Caprica said. Im a little conflicted. On the one hand, the rule ostensibly makes sense, but its stifling peoples love lives, and if you can't enforce it, then... whats the point of it?

I think its mostly to give the staff a reason to punish students that leak information out of the academy even more. You have no idea how much trouble Cottage would get into if you were discovered.

I wanted to ask more about that, but then Cottage was waving towards us. Or more accurately, she was waving a folded piece of paper over her head. Im done, she said.

We moved over, and she placed the letter down on the table, picked up a quill with her entire body, then signed her name at the bottom.

I couldnt help it, and I read the first couple of lines.

My Dearest Vava,

Oh, my valiant harpy, how your presence uplifts me, as if your wings have granted me the gift of flight! Your noble spirit and boundless love have cast away the shadows that once lingered in my world, illuminating my life with the brilliance of a thousand stars--

And that was enough of that. I cleared my throat. So, you want us to deliver this to Vava-- I mean, uh, Valerian? I asked. Easy peasy!

***