OVERLOOKED ㅤkotlc

024. After Sophie

I wake up in the afternoon. Around 2 p.m., to be exact.

Which is surprising, because I expected to be awoken at 4 a.m. by banging cymbals and an unwelcome douse of freezing water.

I sit up. The room's still the same: mahogany bed, wooden desk, swivel chair, red armchair, small bathroom.

It's a plain room, but I have to admit, it's not the worst room, either.

I get out of bed, checking the sack of weapons on the desk. Everything's still untouched, and most of them are still broken.

I'll need to work on that soon.

I head to the bathroom, brushing my hair and brushing my teeth.

It's strangely peaceful to be alone on an afternoon. I'd probably be more at peace if I weren't at the heart of the Neverseen, though.

I put on my shoes and go outside, then quickly realize that the only rooms I know are Ruy and Melia's, and Rosaleen and her roommates'.

I'm still not sure who her roommates are, actually.

But I want to see if she's awake yet, so I start going down the hall. Her room's opposite from mine and three doors down. Ruy's is the first one down the left staircase.

I knock on Rosaleen's door, and for a moment, there's silence.

But then I hear footsteps, and lo and behold, there's Glimmer, in cat pajamas and a matching blue hijab.

So, this is pretty awkward.

"Um... hi."

"Hi, Dex." She grins at me. "You here for Rosaleen?"

"Y-Yeah." Pause. "Are you her roommate?"

"Yep, me and Jae." Glimmer tilts her head. "Did you just wake up?"

I nod.

"Ah. Your training probably starts in a few days, then."

"It... does?"

"Yep." She looks me over again. "Well, do you wanna come in? Rosaleen's in her room."

I try to look over Glimmer's shoulder. "How many rooms are there?"

"We haaave... two." She grins when I still don't move. "Dex, do you wanna see Rosaleen or not?"

My face turns warm. "Yeah, can I?"

"Sure." She leads me inside. It's cozy here, with fairy lights strung on the ceiling and pumpkin spice candles on the coffee table.

Jaelynn's on the couch, her feet on the coffee table. She looks up as we walk in, offering a casual salute to me. I tilt my head, curiously copying the motion.

She laughs softly at that, looking back down at her mash of gears and wires.

"Sometimes Jae salutes, as a greeting," Glimmer explains to me, as we head down a small hallway, with two doors at the end. "Everyone teases her for it, but they all return it."

"Oh."

"Uh-huh. Even Vespera. Jae's impressive, isn't she?"

I bite back a smile. "Yeah."

She gestures at the door. "Anyway, Rosaleen's in there. She's a nice girl; she actually helped me make breakfast earlier."

"Breakfast?"

Glimmer nods. "Carnissa roots."

"Ohh." I smile a bit. "Thanks, Glimmer."

"No problem! Have fun," she says. And just like that, she's gone, back in the living room.