#Clara Aether#
"Clara didn't you just scare them off?" Isla complains, "I feel like they wont show up tomorrow.?"
"Isla you don't know," I sharpen my sword as it glistens in the moonlight, "there are people who use others. You don't know the nature of those people. They could be aiming to use us for all we know."
"Clara I think you're just paranoid"
"I'm not, I'm just cautious."
"there's no use, there aren't any other boys willing to join hands with us after what you did."
"It wasn't that provoking."
"It was. We should be grateful to have those two join us, if not we'd have failed before the test even started!"
"We can always wait to see if there are others."
"Clara!"
I drop my whetstone.
"If this keeps going on then you will never make any more friends again! How can they trust you when you cant trust them first?"
"You haven't been through it,"
"But does that mean you'll never trust anyone else again? Is that what you want? Don't blame your status all the time."
"I'm not-"
"I know you are! I bet you're thinking how easy it would be making friends as a lower class."
I fall silent.
Isla switches the light off and sleeps.
"Clara maybe it's because you don't have many friends, but that's why since you came to this school no one had approached you. I know you think you're protecting me but it's not what I want. I believe that not all people are like that. So please, be nice to them tomorrow."
"Ok."
"Swear?"
"yeah"
We touch our hands and little sparks fly between as we sent them toward each other.
"Good night, Clara."
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Isla waves to the two boys. They hurriedly scurry over like rats to greet her. They greet Isla with some respect and they get talking. Isla looks like she's having a conversation with them. The guy named Marcus nods while the other shrewd stutters and fidgets. It was clear where this was going.
I could take them out right there.
Isla eyes me from afar as if reading my mind. I continue to monitor their actions. Their behaviour. If anything suspicious happens, "There will be blood…"
The three of them walk towards me. The fact that Isla's walking toward me means that she thinks they're trustworthy. But I can't let my guard up.
"Clara, they think we should brainstorm some ideas first,"
"S-sure! Where would you like to go?"
Crap! I messed up! I must look like a total fool now…
"H-4 should be free, I checked before coming." The boy called Marcus says without comment on my behaviour.
Isla ushers me to walk with them. Still embarrassed from my mistake, I begrudgingly keep up with their monstrous pace. Upon closer inspection, the two boys were mildly tall, of medium build, their bodies moderately thin. I looked down at my legs and looked at the two boys. Their legs are so thick! I edge closer. There's so much hair…
Isla pulls me from behind.
Marcus turns around, "Is everything all right?"
"We're fine," Isla covers for me.
They resume walking and Isla whispers to my ear, "What are you doing? You're making yourself look weird."
I nod and walk quietly as the corridors echo our footsteps.
We enter the empty classroom, its desks stored away, and chairs stacked against the walls. The lights flicker as Marcus turns them on. It flashes about 10 times until it becomes stable, illuminating the room. No signs of life.
Marcus and Wallace flipped the upside-down tables and arranged them together, Isla and I put two pairs of chairs on opposite sides. We sit down. Two boys, two girls, opposite one another.
"Um, I'll start with some introductions then. Marcus breaks the silence, "I'm Marcus Laurier, I'm 16, and I look forward to working with you guys." Marcus bows and looks at his friend, who looked reluctant to leave his seat. Marcus sighs, "and my friend here is Wallace Kennedy, he's 15 but I think he's 16 in three weeks. I hope we get along." Marcus sits back in his chair.
Isla and I follow suit and introduce ourselves.
"So the objective of today is to think of some ideas for the practical test," Marcus starts discussing, "let's go over it again. We need to find a problem within the present society and come up with a solution. Naturally we'll have to find our problem first. Anyone got ideas?"
"What about hunting materials?" Isla promotes, "hunting tools most of the time are single-use so maybe a re-usable one may same money and time."
"That does make sense," Wallace speaks up, "but if we consider why it hasn't been addressed, its because in order to restore it to its original state, it requires lots of maintenance when buying new hunting tools will be more cost effective."
"A sound argument but maybe we could find a solution for this," Isla rebuts, "maybe presenting a cheap maintenance tool."
"That makes it sound like you intend to use the maintenance tool forever, which also means that you plan to get rid of its smell, its rust, and keep it in good shape with just one tool that supposedly lasts forever?"
"Then what problem should we choose?" Isla remarks.
"We should make the traps more effective, that way, they wouldn't need so many tools." Marcus replies with confidence.
"You want it to kill Grade 6 monsters with just traps? If we don't deal lethal damage then it's pointless since they have to provide the same amount of effort."
The two continue to debate and I look at Marcus who stood silent this whole time.
"Clara, do you have any suggestions?" Marcus says.
His intent, it must be to include me in the conversation. Otherwise, he wouldn't bother to talk to me. I see, he must need more brains than these two. Now think, what would be a good problem…
"If we want to head down this route, then we must consider our target audience. For example, in which situation would they buy this product, also considering their financial situation, the location they live in since different areas have a need for different traps." I continue talking until I realized everyone was silent. Was I too awkward? Was I showing off too much?
"Guys I think Clara has a good point…" Marcus pipes in and continues the conversation. From there on, it was smooth sailing. We talked about the design of our trap and the materials, its composition and its functions. By the time we finished it was already half past 6 and the sun had began to dip. We were all sprawled on the table, with countless drawings in the air. It was time to go.
After packing up, Isla and Wallace continue their debate on the trap materials while walking out the room. Now it was just us two
I walk out the room and Marcus follows, locking the door. We let the sound of nature fill the gap between us. The sunset dips halfway and the sun melts its surroundings into a warm red colour, gradually mixing and tinting the once blue sky into a shade of its own. This moment where there is nothing happening, nothing to do, nothing to worry about felt divine, as if the goddess had cleansed my body.
I wished everyday would be as peaceful as this.
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