When I went to Staverius, it's like I was a lone unicorn among a student population of stock images of schools that had gained sentience. There were some cruel people there, far more than I was comfortable with, but a lot were just...dull.

Staverius Academy was like Rising Shards and a lot of schools in the VCV where a few years of higher education were available. At both Rising Shards and Staverius, the third years were the start of that higher education. I remember seeing the pins of the Staverius third years a lot, feeling jealous that they didn't have to wear the drab grey uniform anymore.

Whenever I had to pass through the areas on campus that were heavy with third years, I felt even lonelier. My lunch period was at the same time as the third years, so I'd sit by their tables sometimes. All the girls would ever talk about were boys, and all the boys ever talked about was themselves.

"Oh my god, who's seen the new Workplace Pals?" One girl would say, and the rest of the table would erupt. Nonstop chatter about who should end up with who, but all of their ships were just men with women, because that's all they could picture. Some of them were big into the boy and boy ships, but you'd never hear anyone recommend anything with a girl kissing another girl. I hated lunches at Staverius.

It made me feel bad to think about them never even considering anything else. About always being stuck in that box, missing out on so much. That same sadness hit me as we tried to sneak through the big crowd in the common area of Falling Shards, all eagerly watching big screens where our classmates were locked in weird challenge rooms.

As that bleak feeling about my old school hit me, I realized why. Most of the crowd had casual wear, and pins, the latter of which all seemed to glisten together from the lights above us.

"I just realized where all of these people are from," I said.

"Huh?" Kalei said. "The crowd? Aren't they just our school?"

"Some of them are, sure, but a lot of them don't have uniforms, that's why it looks like just...townsfolk! They have a pin though, and everyone's got that pin on is a third year or beyond at Staverius." I said. "And everyone at Staverius is a stupid boring normie obsessed with Workplace Pals, so no wonder they're going nuts for these boys."

"Damn, that's good detective work," Kalei said. "I dunno if it's a clue for the Reed thing but it explains this freaking...ugh!"

Kalei tried to get past a bundle of people crowded together blocking the way to the library. "Let's just go around."

"Whitton, I find it quite funny you rag on them for liking Workplace Pals when you love Kitty Kilander's music," Roux said.

"Hey, wow!" I said, feeling the immediate poisonous sting of embarrassment. "That's totally different."

"Roux likes Workplace Pals, ignore them," Kalei said. "Ignoring them in general is a good mindset."

Roux stopped in front of us, turning halfway with their eyes shut as they held a single finger up, "I do not even care for Workplace Pals, and certainly not the mainstream version you speak of, Koridia. And not even the groundbreaking show it was adapted from, The Workplace Pals (Novu). No, I am fond of the original original version, the one from Void Node Sector 21262-C Dimension 2222Z, Work Place Pals. That show is worth the reputation it has."

"I guess we'll take your word for it," Marmalade said.

"I think my favorite Workplace Pals bit is when the guy keeps going to the casino," Chumbler laughed.

"And you didn't learn anything from how that guy ended up?" Z.O.K. asked.

"Why? Was there something to learn about all that gambling?" Chumbler asked.

"That's from the normiest version," Roux grumbled and turned around, bumping directly into a red-haired girl, one I knew Kalei did not want to see at all in that moment before I even glanced at her to confirm as much.

"Nikki!" Kalei said. "Uh, glad you're safe?"

"Heh, yeah," Nikki said. "I got real lucky, I was like five steps away from getting stuck in one of the rooms. I got flyers to pass out so it's a good thing I didn't." She grinned. "I'm gonna get back to that, dude. Here. My band's got a gig soon."

"Oh...yeah?" Kalei said, sounding distant as Nikki handed her a flyer. She stared at it just long enough for Nikki to pass us by. With a swift, quick motion, Kalei crumpled it into a tiny ball, then flicked her wrist, sending the paper ball far away from her.

"Anyways," Kalei said. "Aira, teleport us in there. I think we're close enough now."

"Mmmm," Aira rubbed her chin. "I dunno."

"Why not?" Kalei asked. "We're close to the library, and Zeta, Oka, and Lillia went there and got stuck in the game. So we just need to go in the library, right? Or just picture what's on the screens and we can go right to them!"

"I don't know which room is which I can't just teleport in there!" Aira said. "I mean, I could but I need some direction. Otherwise you're ending up halfway through a wall."

"Outta my way!" A loud, booming voice cut through. A jacked dude with a wild grin pushed through the crowds, stomping towards us.

"Ohhhh, oh, this is it for me," Elisa said, wiping her brow. "Oh my god."

"Are you alright?" I asked.

"I'm not, Achilles is here!" Elisa said. "That's the Achilles. A wild card on the mat ball team, he's Lucian and Seth Kerres' biggest rival. Lucian and Seth Kerres's biggest rival! I ship them so hard, and honestly, I don't even count Gwen in the trio, it's Lucian, Seth Kerres, and Achilles. I can't decide if I ship him more with Lucian or with Seth Kerres, but I lean Seth Kerres."

This big dude marched right at us. He stared at Kalei in particular, who didn't look too impressed.

"Hey. I gotta get in there. I hate books but this is an exception."

"OK?" Kalei shrugged. "Go in there then."

We weren't even blocking the way, we weren't even close to a door to block anything.

"We got a problem?" Achilles asked. "Because it sounds like we have a problem."

Elisa squealed. "That's his catchphrase!"