In similar reds were the winter uniforms of students walking through the wrought iron gates with the school’s symbol. Hundreds with their parents by their side and the older students by themselves for the most part.
The wrought iron fence of black stretched all around the school’s periter, with intervals of red-brick pillars in between. Freshly cut ryegrass flanked all the concrete pathways.
Before walking in, the sound of hollers towards various booths had already reached them. So children ran, while so cried at the prospect of such a big building being their first experience of school.
Beyond the archway entrance of the academy, Kineko’s mouth was agape, gazing in awe from tower to tower through her red-lensed sunglasses. "I’ve nevewr walked inside before, it’s soooo bigggg!" she held her father’s hand tighter.
Indeed it was as she said. The gothic streetlamps followed into the school grounds and the concrete path of entry led first to a fountain in the middle, with the statue of a rising phoenix spewing fire from its beak and the ends of its fiery feathers.
From the fountain, the paths split off into various sections of the school—directory signs present at the intersection. The laboratories, classrooms, library, school offices, cafeteria, dorms—so many places to walk to.
The building right smack in the middle past the fountain, was the one stretching wide and tall for the entire borough to notice. A giant clock of black and white ticked at the top, with a bell above it.
Further right was a shorter building, but perhaps wider, was the dorms where many previous students flocked towards.
High in the air flew by paper airplanes that did not seem to descend, but instead flew with an enchanted boost towards the shining windows of the school building.
"Dolpool University, co enrol now for spring orientation!" a woman handed fliers to anyone who entered.
"We offer courses for over five hundred majors!" a man on the opposite side offered fliers as well.
"Uh huh, with a twenty percent employnt rate, high cost of entry with no care for student loans and negligible effort from educators, we’ll make sure they pass the exam!" Jotou sassed in a hush.
"It worked out fine for you know," Hotaru chuckled.
The blonde’s glazed over eyes glanced over, "Did you pay and study in Burnetrout?"
"Well, I didn’t have to pay, my grades were good enough for a scholarship and Krian Community College wasn’t too bad... Anyway, it’s not gonna be exactly like it is in your world."
"I beg to differ. And my world?" Jotou winced to her then glanced to Kazuo Namora.
"I already know that," he replied with his gaze on the flier.
Fuko rolled her eyes.
"You said it to the Krialin as defence after coming back from the dead..." he tried to keep it quiet, which was easy with all the chatter around. He pondered for a second, "Though, the average Joe isn’t gonna know that.
You’d have to dig deep, but I assu you’d rather keep that bit private," he turned.
"It’s not too private, but it’s better if people don’t know. Besides, they need to be convinced anyway, it’s too crazy of a story even with magic involved. I’m surprised you’d believe ."
"Kid, unexplainable things always have an explanation. You just have to go through the possibilities and approach it at a different angle. I’m sure you’ve figured out so evidence and leads as to how you got here, if not all."
"Then explain to why I was stuck at ho for so many years instead of going to a school like this," the brunette grumped.
"I was scared and paranoid after I took you from the fire," he said looking back to the flier with a furrow of his brows.
Fuko... pouted in silence and looked away. Everyone went quiet and Jotou just sighed. "Join IHEL today!" a short woman handed fliers from a booth they walked past.
"Yeah, I’m sure it’ll be hell," Jotou muttered with a small spark in her eyes.
"Hey, how many of your students have depression, bad ntal states, burnout and sleep deprivation because of workloads and high standards to achieve for aningless numbers, projects and exams?" Jotou asked with a bright smile.
"Uhm... Huh?" the woman took a step back and raised her crinkled brows.
Fuko smirked. Hotaru pulled the blonde back by her shoulders, "Sorry about that, she’s a bit grumpy."
"Nah, I just hate school."
"Shut." Hotaru glared back with spiked up ears.
"What’s IHEL?" Asobi queried.
"Uh... well, it’s the Institution of Higher Education of Luxinoria," the woman forced a smile and handed a flier.
"Ooo," she looked to the fancy campus in the black and white picture, with towers and buildings with artistic structure. "Can you join if you’ve never been to school?"
The woman sohow looked even more perplexed, "...No?" she squeaked. "We, offer majors and masters and... higher education, as the, na would imply..."
"I want one too!" Kineko reached her hand out. The confused woman simply handed her a flier. Kineko stared at the picture very close to her face and flapped it, "Thank you!"
"You’re welco," the woman looked around for hopefully another group or person to engage with.
"What’s Luxinoria? Did they get the wrong na or sothing?" Fuko questioned.
"Luxinor used to be called Luxinoria, presumably when that university was established," Kazuo answered.
"They’re probably too proud to change the na, like anybody actually cares about the history that it wants to preserve and flaunt," Jotou mocked. "What do you get out of this, more college credit?"
"Alright, move along," Kazuo Namora shooed forward, "Sorry to bother you miss." The woman gave a few nods and took more steps back.
"Did you have to do that?" Hotaru leaned towards Jotou, baring her fangs.
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because, it’ll put a little seed of doubt and make them rethink their life and slowly, one by one, every student; they’ll stop enrolling month by month and it’ll crumble colleges and schools to have to reform and be better."
"That’s not your reason," Fuko glanced to her.
"You’re right, I just wanted to have so fun," she stuck her tongue out. "Ow!" Hotaru pinched her ear and let out a groan. Jotou sparked from her tongue to her ear.
"Ngh!" Hotaru recoiled her fingers.
"You’re drawing more attention to yourselves..." Kazuo uttered.
Asobi glanced up from the flier she was reading, "Hm? Do we need disguises?" Their little commotion had a few surrounding students and parents taking a glance.
"Not yet," Fuko replied.
"Anyway, sothing about your graduation. You thought you already graduated? But you didn’t?" Jotou looked back to the brunette.
"I’m not sure, I thought passed the exams last April," she glanced to her father.
"You did, but the rest of your batch took the final exams in October to November last year. So you did technically graduate earlier than everyone else.
But you graduate with your batch, aning while you’re clear, you don’t get a certification nor ceremony till this year ca around and graduate alongside the rest of your batch," he explained.
"So, what you’re saying is, I graduated at seventeen last year, nowhere close to half these losers~?" she flaunted her hair.
"I graduated at fifteen," Hotaru held her hand to her own mouth.
"I graduated at sixteen by skipping a year," Jotou replied.
Fuko’s lips tightened and she stared daggers to the two smug faces...
"When do I globulate?" Kineko looked up.
"You have a long way to go kid, you’re still in kindergarten."
"I’ve never been to school!" Asobi proclaid.
"Hah! Then allow I to direct thou the paths to traverse," a cultured and high-pitched voice responded with a slight accent.
"Eavesdropper," Fuko swivelled her head, followed by the others, to a girl by their left. They all stood closer to the fountain’s intersection.
She chuckled boisterously, "I do not drop upon your eaves, I rely heard the utterances of the raven-haired lass while idly set at this most opportune point by the font. It appears the void has fetched thou to I."
"The void?" Fuko squinted.
She who stood before them wore the sa winter uniform, however her blazer was a darker shade of red with black imprints of the sa scroll patterns going up from the bottom.
Around the black plaid skirt with reds was a few spikes for studs going around—which hosted two belt chains to hang on her right side with charms of black and red bats that shimred.
Her shirt was black under the reddish-black tie she had all the way to her collar with a flower knot. Her fishnet leggings went from where her skirt ended till her black boots with rings for buckles.
Above the fishnet choker and red bat shaped pendant on a silver chain, was an enigmatic yet charismatic smirk she held. Pale blonde hair in drills that went till her shoulders, with two of the curling locks framing her slim face.
They could only tell one of her eyes was a bluish-grey, because the left eye was covered by a lacy heart-shaped eyepatch of black with dark reds and a small reddish-black ribbon. The two bat-shaped hair clips on the left side glimred a blood red.
"Co, co, lend thy hearing and sight, and I shalt be thy guide amidst these revered grounds," she offered.
"Are you part of a drama club or sothing?" Jotou knitted her brows.
"Ah," she raised her fishnet gloved hand which had sparkly rhinestones, "I do hold such a class dear to the strings of mine heart. Conversely my striking maiden, I was beseeched long ago by a faction who accompany the new to bestow our hospitality."
"So you’re the welcoming committee," Fuko stared.
"Ha! Indeed, indeed," she stood only a few centitres taller than Fuko.
Asobi’s eyes glittered, "Is this what happens at school? You learn to talk so fantastically with a lot of funny words!?"
"Not exactly..." Hotaru replied.
"So young lady, you can give a small tour?" Kazuo Namora asked.
"I may grant a journey vast or modest. If a small tour is what ye seek, then I will humbly help you peruse these exterior constructions," she stood tall, her other gloved hand holding onto a few fliers.
"What is she saying...?" Kineko tilted her head up to her dad.
"Hotaru?" Kazuo Namora looked to.
"? Uh, I might not be a great translator for this... But, I think she ans she’s gonna give us a short tour of so buildings."
Kazuo let Kineko’s hand go for a second. Kineko imdiately ran to Hotaru and put her hand out to be held, "Then let’s go Aunty Wred-Wolf!"
"Alright kiddo, don’t drag her around. Keep an eye on your sis- Step-sister Fuko," Kazuo frowned to say.
"Whatever," the brunette crossed her arms. "Well, grant us our journey then," she sassed to the girl.
"Then trail along with I~" she walked towards the fountain and took to the right side—the others followed.
Except Kazuo who lightly held Jotou back by the shoulder. Jotou knitted her brows and peered up to him, but he was waiting till the others walked a little further. Fuko side-eyed her behind, noticing the two hanging back, but still followed along.
"What is it?"
"I was wondering, what do you know about ghosts, if anything?" Kazuo Namora walked forward slowly, tailing the group.
Jotou paced along, "Ghosts? Well, I’ve killed so before. They can be tangible and intangible to their choosing, but to do any harm or grab or touch, they have to be tangible—which is when they’re vulnerable."
"Any knowledge of how they appear?"
Her gaze was vigilant, "Spirit-mages have to summon them from a plane of spirits and if I’m not mistaken, a soul with an extrely strong will can too; but I’ve only faced the forr."
He held a hand to his chin, "Any more intel on spirit-mages?"
"Hm... They don’t need an affinity and are in touch with their own soul. Once the spirit-mage is taken care of, any spirits remaining will disappear."
He took a breath, "Sa info then—the info about spirits remaining disappearing after the mage is gone is new, but that only helps after..." he muttered. "Thank you."
"Sothing about a case?"
He nodded.
"Figured you’d ask the person who ca back from the dead?"
"Worth a shot."
"What’s the case?"
"Classified."
"Cult?"
"No connections yet—assumptions only. I know you’ve done so good work, but you don’t need to dig into this kid."
"Fine then." ’Not like ko’s not gonna dig into it. And it’s not like I’m not gonna be involved.’
Kazuo Namora sped up slightly to catch up with the rest.
"Mr Namora."
"Detect- Sorry. Yes?" he paused.
"I know ko’s being an ass to you right now, but don’t hold it against her when you get the chance to talk. I think she’s trying to find a compromise her own way."
He eyed the concrete for a mont, "Noted."
Jotou narrowed her eyes, "Second, Fuko is my detective, so I’m never gonna call you that; no matter how much more official yours is."
Kazuo stared right at her, "I sense you have so resentnt against ."
"I know what overprotective parents are like. You’re taking the heat for now and are, approaching things differently at least. Still, I’ll wait to make my conclusion about you till I see how everything goes."
"You really resent things with a passion, don’t you."
She gave a shrug of one shoulder, "Call it a flaw of mine if you will. However, I’m not beyond giving the benefit of doubt."
"Well, I can’t really hold it against you," he turned and walked towards the others...
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