HALCYON [Minamoto Teru]

41

The following few days led up to the festival. It all had happened so fast, but the fruits of everyone's labor seemed to flourish. Even from a distance from the school, the signs and decorations, lights and displays were all visible. Students had begun going home and passing out tickets to friends and family. It looked like the festival was going to be a success once again.

Or so they thought.

Just as they had reached the metal gates of the school, Nora staggered backwards.

Teru immediately turned around. "What's wrong?"

She crouched to the ground, holding her nose in disgust. It was pure and utter distaste. "The school .. No, not the school .. the students .. they all reek." He looked around them, all of the people that passed by them, the ones that whispered at their close proximity, who eyed them ..

They all seemed fine to him.

"The stench smells so rotten!"

The last time she had smelled anything this bad was after the fresh turning of a new Wonder .. and in that situation it was Akane and Mitsuba. Mitsuba's was far worse .. considering he was dead.

But this wasn't the stench of a School Wonder .. but something else entirely.

To make it through the rest of the school day, she casted a quick spell to shut down her sense of smell, which in turn, messed with her taste. It annoyed her greatly, it also left her partially defenseless. Her sharp nose was how she picked up supernaturals or unusual things in the school .. but it was just so ridiculously unbearable to even inch a step closer into their building without vomiting.

"Teru what am I staring at?"

He smiled gleefully. "Well .. Before I knew, it had already been decided. It started off as a photo exhibit based around the everyday beauty in our day to day lives .."

"And as you can see .. we're just things of beauty, I suppose." It was clear that he was pleased with the venue. It was quite literally the size of one. It towered nearly the same height of the school shaped into a castle. It was split in half, one side was Teru's and the other side was her own. There were large cut out photos of them that were taken inconspicuously and some without their knowledge. Others were just photo shopped.

"Do you have no shame?" The witch grabbed the collar of his shirt.

They had prepared the grand spotlights along with fireworks as well. There were pictures of her eating, watering the plants with the garden club, even some taken while she was staring out the window ..

Dolls and small pillows were up for sale with pictures and poses of themselves plastered on them. It was so unsettling.

"Seeing as how a petition had gone around to keep it .. the principal had no choice."