The Life Of A Franz Ferdinand Reference

16

The sun bounced off the gleaming stainless steel building known as the Delirian headquarters. Ace and Ryan were here. Strawberry and I had to lay low. Like, really low. Like suburban dad playing limbo at a barbecue low. Like apple bottom jeans boots with the--

You know what, I'll stop now.

I just didn't want the whole club looking at us.

*GROUP CHAT*

//BOB//: I have organized a group chat

//PAUL//: CODE N A M E S

//STRAWBS//: NO CODE NA M E S

//ALEX//: why is this a thing we're all standing within 5 feet of each other

//NICK//: u 4got bout m e

//GLASIE//: why is

//BOB//: sry I jus t thought

//ROWAN//: EVERYONE SH U T U P

I looked up from my phone to see a very pissed Rowan and Bob looking disappointed that his group chat didn't work the way he wanted it to.

"Delirian Hall Of Fame." Rowan directed.

Rowan led us through the automatic glass doors into the clean and quiet building.

"Delirian Hall Of Fame..." Rowan whispered, unable to get her mind off those words.

I spotted a door that said SOLITARY CONFINEMENT in bold letters. It seemed weird for a place that was so much like a museum or something. I thought I saw eyes peek out of the small window. Maybe I was imagining them.

I silently followed Rowan into the Delirian Hall Of Fame, where there were stories about past messengers and officials, such as Leo, who founded the messaging program back in the 1930s with Cassiopeia. The officials never really did anything, they just sort of watched over and let everyone do their own thing. So much of Deliria is unexplored, and some reports that were in the hall of fame said it was the next messenger's job to explore.

This was only a small section of the headquarters that Ace and Ryan left untouched. The rest... Was a bit scary. The headquarters is for officials, which is what Rowan informed me. She said that the messengers just did whatever they wanted, but couldn't make rules or become officials. But when an official asked for a mission, they had to say yes to it. But Ace and Ryan took over the headquarters. There were banners saying utterly creepy phrases such as "fire will burn out."

Strange. It's like they knew I was going to be here.

I was so focused on whatever I was doing that I didn't realize someone coming up behind me.

"You made it, little miss fire girl." A voice said from not too far away.

"Yeah. I did." I looked up from whatever boring thing I was looking at to see Ace, standing right behind me.

"How's dating band members going? Light any of them on fire yet?" Ace snickered, seeming proud of his "insults."

"I-I'm not dating any of them. And I wouldn't want to."