Waves of Destiny (Twisted Wonderland)

Chapter 62

Chapter 62

"I still need one more person..." Epel said, looking around the cafeteria. "Dinner is almost over, so I gotta find 'em quick."

"I'm not sure who else would be good," I said.

"Hey, uh... Sooo..." said a new voice beside our table. I looked in surprise to see Idia standing there.

"Whoa!" Epel said in surprise. "Idia?!"

"Huh, you were sittin' nearby too?" said Grim.

"Can I help you with something?"

"So, uh..." Idia said awkwardly. "Like. You were, uh..."

"Yes?"

"L-look, um... I just... Augh, I can't! Jumping into a normie convo is literally impossible! Busted difficulty!" Suddenly, Idia grabbed his tablet and used it to speak. "Okay, so I couldn't help but overhear, and something you said caught my attention."

"Now he's talkin' through his tablet," said Grim.

I shrugged. "Whatever works."

"You were talking about a sled race, right?" said Idia. "In Harveston? Tomorrow? When do you head out?"

Epel's eyes widened. "Huh?! Uhh..."

"Dang, now he's throwin' out questions left and right!" said Grim.

"I guess he has less of a filter when he's typing," I said.

"Slow down!" said Epel. "One question at a time, please!"

"Are you from Harveston, Epel?" said Idia.

"Yes, why?"

"YOOO! THAT'S THE SETTING OF SLED OVER HEELS!"

"What's Sled Over Heels?" Sebek said in confusion.

"It's this cartoon set in Harveston," said Epel. "It's gotta be over a decade old. I remember watching it on TV as a kid... vaguely."

"Your hometown is the setting of a TV show?" I said. "Cool!"

"That's okay, Epel," said Idia. "I only learned about it recently myself. I first saw it when I was watching this video online about classic anime."

"What manner of cartoon is it?" said Sebek

"It's about a group of cute girls who form a sledding team and strive to become the national champions," said Epel.

"That's a rather strange choice of subject."

"Do you think so?" said Jade. "Apart from the sledding bit, those sorts of tales are quite common."

"JADE!" Idia shouted without the tablet, startling both Jade and me.

"Um, yes?" said Jade.

"Whoa, now he's talkin' by himself." said Grim.

"Sled Over Heels is NONPAREIL among anime," Idia said. "It's a soul-stirring, passionate tale of young women embarking on a high-stakes plush sledding adventure! You can't NOT cry when you watch it!"

"... Plush sledding?" said Grim, Sebek, and Jade.

"What's that?" said Grim. "Sledding, sure, but why 'plush?'"

Idia sighed. "Casuals, I swear... It's OBVIOUSLY sledding with plushies. Duh?"

"Oh yeah, I don't think I mentioned that part," said Epel. "You have to sled with stuffed animals in the Mount Moln Sledathon."