Keepers week!

Day 3: Foxfire

Is a fungus.

I'm kidding, I'm kidding, put down the pitchforks 😅

(Oh and this takes place before the start of the series obviously)

                                               

Dex was simply bouncing off the walls as he put on his brand new level one foxfire uniform, running from one end of the house to the other, checking that he had everything he needed to have an amazing first day.

As he ran down the stairs he heard his dad yell from the kitchen, "Juline, the triplets!"

And his mother's tired reply of "I'll get the mop."

When he made it downstairs he nearly slipped on the milk that was like a miniature lake that stretched all the way from the hallway to the kitchen. Carefully avoiding the puddle, Dex made his way to the kitchen table where he poured himself a bowl of fruit hoops- or were they loops? He couldn't quite remember what his dad had called them but he knew that they were some sort of human food and boy, they were amazing. All the milk was on the floor so he had to have them plain... still amazing though!

Dex finished his milkless cereal quickly--he wasn't going to be late for anything!--and before heading over to their leap master he made sure to give his parents big hugs as they made sure to remind him of how proud they were of him for having made it this far, to have a great first day at school, make new friends, and what number his locker was.

"Don't worry mom, I'll be fine." He looked back before stepping out onto the leap master, "I love you!"

"Love you too!" Both his parents called back, his dad adding in a last word, "Don't show off to your alchemy mentor too much, okay!"

"Don't worry, I won't!" Dex laughed before calling for Foxfire on their leapmaster.

In a couple moments he found himself standing in front of Foxfire in all its shining glory, tons of other students were also just arriving, some had their parents there to wish them final goodbyes and a good first day, and others, like him, had already said their farewells at home.

Dex made his way to the auditorium, (help, I'm homeschooled, I don't know how school works) following the masses of people, cause though he'd been given a tour previously he may or may not remember barely half of it. Oops.

"Welcome back students of foxfire," Dame Alina began her speech, "and welcome all those who are here for the first time, we hope you will find yourself at home with our superb mentors and your exceptional fellow students.The new year is an opportunity to improve our talents, and to prosper!" Dex wasn't really listening for the rest of the speech but tuned back in near the end, "Welcome to foxfire students, and I wish you luck for this upcoming year!"

One thought was going through his head by the end: why do speeches have to be so boring?

169, 169, 169...

Dex repeated like a mantra, over and over again, as he scanned the practically deserted hallways of lockers for his own. He had already been to it twice but he still couldn't reliably find it and he was supposed to be in class in less than five minutes...

"Hey, watch it nitwit!" Someone yelled as Dex ran into them.

"Sorry!" He apologized on instinct, before actually looking at the person he'd bumped into: She was tall- much taller than he was at least, had curly brown hair and a similar level one uniform to himself... except she had a short skirt with her's. Dex found it strange that only the girls were given the option (or lack thereof) to wear a uniform that included a skirt. He would never get that, ever, even if he'd wanted to.

"Leave me alone you talentless loser."

That's what people kept saying, along with his parent's bad match status. Why did everyone keep saying that? He wasn't a loser and his parents were happy, so why should it matter if they were a 'bad match'? Dex felt involuntary tears spring to his eyes.

"Pft," The girl smiled a not very nice smile, "Goodluck making it past midterms."

169, he'd found his locker, finally. He licked the little sensor that tasted like blackberries right now, removed the books he needed, took a deep breath, and did his best to move on. He had heard those sorts of comments before and he couldn't let them get through to him.

Truth was it did get to him, it got to him every single time. He came home in tears after his first day at foxfire and many more but he kept on pushing forward. He was going to ace those midterms and prove them wrong. He would work two times harder than everyone else even if he'd only make it half as far as the other prodigies. He would prove them wrong.

Is that a long(ish) chapter I see? Yes it is! What a miracle!