Welcome To The School

16

Pluto Alodia's face was scarlet. Her eyes were red and filled with fury and shame. Eijeh reached her first. "Uh, Alodia? Are you...Are you okay?"
She glared at him. "Oh yes, I'm absolutely fabulous. My life is going so well." The venom in her voice was so potent that Eijeh stepped backwards and Ellowyn and Zia, who'd just reached them, faltered. Blair came to a halt a few paces away. "Let's just get this over with." She scowled, her eyes moving over the group. Suddenly she paused. "Hayden promised. Where is he?"
The voice they'd heard earlier from the Emperor's box rang out again. "Don't freak, Space Girl. I'm up here, but I'm coming down again." Alodia let out a breath she'd been holding, as Ellowyn grinned and took off at top speed towards the Emperor's box, probably going to claim it for himself. Blair sped after him, frowning slightly and calling out warnings to Ellowyn, who was trying to climb towards his goal. Zia smiled at Eijeh and Alodia, before jogging towards the boys, laughing slightly. With everyone else out of the picture, at least for a minute, Eijeh deemed it safe to ask the Oracle what he'd been wondering since he saw the argument with Zak.

"Uhh...Can I ask you something?"
"You just did."
"Right. But...Who's Vincent?"
She looked even angrier, if that was possible. "No one." She said quickly, shaking her head.
"Is he your twin, or something?"
"It's no one."
"Do you know him?"
"No one, how many times?!"
"IT IS NOW TIME FOR THE GREATEST SPARRING MATCH OF THE CENTURY! PLUTO ALODIA VERSUS OUR VERY OWN ROOMMATE, EIJEH IGNIS! IS EVERYBODY READY?!" Ellowyn's voice boomed over the loudspeakers. Eijeh winced and covered his ears, as did Alodia. "AND INTRODUCING THE REFEREE FOR THIS MATCH, HAYDEN- UH, WHAT'S YOU LAST NAME AGAIN?" A pause. "HAYDEN D'ARQUE!" As his name was said, Hayden appeared in between the two of them.

"Hi. Pluto, you're starting over there." The redhead pointed to one end of the arena floor. "And you're over there." He didn't look at Eijeh, and barely acknowledged his existence, but Hayden's childish behaviour would have to wait. He trudged to his side of the arena and felt another presence there. It wasn't malicious, but it wasn't overly friendly either. It was just kind of...There. He turned but saw nothing. He shook his head and froze as he heard a whispering voice.

"Eijeh Ignis..." He nodded slightly, hoping whatever it was would go away. The voice seemed somewhat familiar. "This place...It has ghost-friendly food and drink and all that." Eijeh nodded again. "They've shut the cafeteria and I need more coffee. Where do they keep it?" This was so absurd that he almost laughed. A...ghost, or spirit, or something, that needed coffee. This had got to be a joke.
"If you're a ghost, just float through the wall instead of bothering me."
"They have defences. I can't get through. But I heard there's a hidden stash somewhere...Where is it?"
"You really expect me to know?" He rolled his eyes. "I drink tea, anyway. Coffee is disgusting."
The voice muttered something in Japanese, and Eijeh didn't think it was a compliment. "Do you know anyone who might have coffee, then? Any of your friends?"
He thought for a moment, ignoring Hayden and Alodia yelling at him to 'Hurry up already!' and finally remembered talking with Vesper and Adira at dinner. Addi's obsessed with coffee, she even has her own stash. It's kind of cute. Aha. Anything to get the "ghost" to go away. Besides, Adira wouldn't mind, Eijeh was sure of it. "Adira Hema. Not sure where her dorm is, but she has some coffee somewhere."
"Great. See you later then. Good luck." And just like that, the presence was gone. He nodded at Hayden and Pluto Alodia, showing he was ready, and set his hands aflame.

Let's do this.