“So. Have you told him already?”
“Mehhh…”
The students of Class 015 were back in their Morphology Classroom, waiting for class to begin.
Randall and Toby were sitting in the front row, and Toby nervously twirled his hair around his fingers while Memis was sitting on his lap.
“No… I haven’t told him yet…”
“Really?? It’s been almost a week. You’re being ridiculous.”
“N-Noooo, there just hasn’t really been a good opportunity! I don’t want to casually say it in a normal conversation…” Toby gulped. “We’ve decided to meet after classes today… I will tell him then.”
“Good. Otherwise, I’ll throw you into the trash.”
“Noooo!!”
“Speaking of after classes…” Randall leaned back in his chair to look at Sophia. “Wanna hang out later?”
“Mh?” Sophia looked up. She hadn’t really been paying attention to Randall and Toby’s conversation, since she didn’t even know what they were talking about anyway. “Ah… sure. Do you have anything planned?”
“No. I just don’t wanna be alone. Maybe we can train with our partner Morphos.”
“Okay…” Sophia placed her hands on her desk. “If- If Straph plays along… sure.”
“Man, you really got to try harder with your partner. It’s been literal months and you two still don’t really get along.”
“Wahh…” Sophia’s eyes moved nervously while her fingers were tapping the surface of her desk. “I try, I really do….”
“Hey, hey- Leave her alone, Randall.” Toby intervened. “Our relationship with our partner Morphos is very individual!”
Randall blinked. “Yeah, both you and your dog don’t have a brain.”
Toby and Memis tilted their heads at the same time, and Sophia couldn’t help but giggle.
“Anyways.” Randall faced her again. “We have a date later today, kay?”
“Ah-” Sophia blushed and looked away. “Okay…"
~~~~
~~~~
Strapholynne was sitting up in a tree at Brightgo Park, having just evaded an attack from Kracheen. Both were in their Pegrandis Form, having a friendly fight.
“Go Straph!!” Sophia cheered her on from far away. “You can easily defeat him!!”
Randall was standing next to her, his arms crossed, watching the scene silently, almost analytically.
“Huhh!” Quick as lightning Strapholynne jumped down from the tree and disappeared.
“Hueh?” Kracheen looked around him frantically, awaiting an attack from the Bunny Morpho at any second now.
“Haaah!!” A blow hit Kracheen on the back of his head, and he fell over.
“Hueehh!!” Kracheen laid on the ground, defeated by the other Morpho Mon.
“You did it!!” Sophia jumped in excitement and clapped her hands. “You’re the best, Straph!!!”
“I have to say.” Randall approached the two Morpho Mons, squatting down to Kracheen. “Her fighting skills are remarkable. She surpasses any of the Partner Morpho Mons in our class.”
“She’s just so strong… And we’ve never even done extra training or anything.” Sophia went to Strapholynne, who was looking away with her hands on her hips, not really paying attention to the teenagers’ conversation.
Randall stood back up again. “She must have had crazy experience even before she became your partner.”
“...” Sophia blinked. “Yeah… that’s probably the case…” She looked up at Randall. “Say, how much do you know about Kracheen?”
“Mh? Not much. He can’t talk after all.” Randall patted his own chest with his hand to give Kracheen a signal he promptly understood, shooting up and hugging tight onto Randall with the little wings he had grown in his Pergrandis Form.
“Hue hueee!” Kracheen made a happy noise, clinging onto Randall.
Randall petted his head. “He’s a Snake Morpho Mon, he’s neither a boy nor a girl, he can’t feel pain. That’s about all I know. And the fact that he prefers to be hidden in his toaster than be outside.”
“I see…”
“And? How much do you know about Strapholynne?”
Sophia gulped. “I…. I don’t know anything about her.”
“Mh. Maybe it’s time for you two to have a talk about her past.” Randall retrieved the toaster from his bag and let Kracheen back in, who was changing back to his Prior Form while doing so. “Maybe this will be the key to solving your troubled relationship.” Randall held the toaster under his arm.
It was so odd that out of everyone, he would be the one with the Morpho Mon that hides in a toaster all the time, since Randall himself was gluten-intolerant.
Why he would even own a toaster in the first place was beyond Sophia.
“Mhh- Yeah…” Sophia folded her hands. “Uhm- Randall- would you like to get a slushie, maybe? And hang out some more?”
“Mh, would love to.” Randall rubbed the back of his neck. “But I kind of already promised mom I’ll babysit Nasti later. Can’t really stay too long…”
“Ah… that’s okay. Maybe another time. When’s your next patrol shift?”
“Mh…” Randall thought for a second. “Thursday Morning. Yours?”
“Thursday night…”
“I see. Let’s set something up for later this week, maybe. I’ll text you.”
“Yes- sounds good!” Sophia smiled. “See you, Randall!”
Randall waved her good-bye, and Sophia turned around to where Strapholynne was – except she wasn't anywhere to be seen. “S-Straph?”
“In case you were thinking about dating him, I’d say that’s a bad idea.” Strapholynne was back up on the tree, sitting on a thick branch and leaning against the trunk. “That boy smells like the kind of trouble that you’re not made for.”
“W-What!!” Sophia turned red like a tomato. “I wasn’t- I don’t- I wouldn’t-”
“Heh.” Strapholynne let her leg hang down the branch, ripping a leaf from the tree. “I know you have a habit of developing a crush on everyone who’s nice to you. I just wanted to be sure.”
“...” Sophia pouted. “Speaking of knowing me… You say you know me… and yet - I don’t know anything about you. Straph…” Her big, green eyes did not break contact with her. “Who have you been before you became my Partner Morpho?”
Strapholynne frowned, letting go of the leaf in her hand, which flew away in the wind. “Why do you care?”
“Because I want to understand you…” Sophia sighed. “You can’t tell me about myself for - whatever reason, I don’t know… But - can you at least tell me something about you?”
“....” Strapholynne jumped down from the tree. “There isn’t much to know about me. I grew up without parents... I learned many tricks and techniques trying to survive and protect. We never had an easy life.”
“We?”
“Me and my sister.”
Sophia’s eyes widened. “You have a sister?!”
“Yes… Adnerelle… my little sister. We were inseparable.”
“But - she didn’t come with you through the portal?”
Strapholynne closed her eyes. “No. She didn’t. I- I misstepped into the portal. I didn’t see it.”
“Do you miss her?”
“... Yes.”
“I’m sorry, Straph…” Sophia looked gloomy. “I hope you can see her again once we find a way to create a stable portal to the Morpho Dimension.”
“Yeah. Sure.” Strapholynne turned around and walked away.
“Huh?!” Sophia tumbled after her. “Where are you going?”
“Nowhere. You don’t have to follow me.”
Sophia stopped following her shortly.
Apparently, Strapholynne wanted to be left alone. She probably really missed her sister and needed some time for herself.
“Okay…” Sophia held her own arms. “Will you find the way back home?”
Strapholynne gave her a thumbs-up hand sign, without turning around to look at her. And within a second, she was gone.
Sophia was left all alone in the park. Having no reason to stay any longer, she decided to leave for the nearby subway station. She had almost left the park before she came to a halt after witnessing a confusing sight. Behind one of the trees near the south exit of the park sat a huge dog with blue fur and a beige head. She recognized him as Memis in his Pergrandis Form - but Toby wasn’t seen around. This was curious, since the two were basically inseparable...
“Sorry-”
Suddenly Toby rushed past her, almost bumping into her, and then disappeared behind the tree to join Memis.
Sophia had caught a short glimpse of his face.
His eyes were glazed with tears and there was some blood on his upper lip.
Sophia’s mouth was agape.
What had happened to him?
She held a tight grip onto her bag, worked up all of her courage and slowly walked around the tree to approach him directly.
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