Ch 2.49: Strategizing

“Are you sure you didn’t mishear?” Tira asked in a hushed voice.

“Yeah, they definitely said ‘Temmie,’” Elaina replied, hoping her voice was masked to outsiders by the crowd of students in the dining room.

“I heard it too, from different people,” Flora said, as she ripped into a piece of bread. “And you’re sure our Temmie is safe though?”

“Yeah, I checked on her right after. Shes fine both here and out in the forest.”

“Are we sure this is actually like, a subcore?” Tira asked, making extra certain to muffle that last word. “Temmie isn’t even her real name, it’s just a silly nickname Flora came up with; no on else should know it.”

“Elaina said the name while you were out,” Carly said, pushing her food around her plate. “The brown haired lady heard her say it, before she escaped.”

Elaina winced at the description, accurate and non judgemental as it was. She didn’t like being reminded that the woman had gotten away because of her, or that she’d let out Temmie’s name around her either. “I still don’t get why they’d call her that though, or it that, I guess…” she added, trying to change the subject.

“Well, what else are they going to call it?” Flora said. “It kind of looks and sort of acts like an awakening stone, but those are heavily regulated, so they can’t exactly go around advertising that.”

“It’s not just that,” Tira said. “They could just call it a mystery prize with no name if that were the case, but they’re being specific with a name no one recognizes. No one except us.”

“Shit,” Elaina said, the weight of the situation finally dawning on her. “We’re being baited? Why.”

“Well, from what it sounds like, the lady tried to get our ‘Temmie’ when she ran off,” Tira said, propping her arm on the table and resting her chin on her palm, cocking her head slightly sideways and closing her eyes. She looked cute when she was deep in thought. “They still don’t really know what a Temmie is though. They do know that we’re Endrin students, and that we probably know what it is… If we’re going to do this we need to go in with that in mind, that we’re not customers, but targets.”

“Uhm, are we sure we should be doing this at all?” Carly asked. “I mean, these are criminals, right? Should we, you know…”

Elaina didn’t need her to finish the thought to know she was suggesting to alert the authorities, but she also knew why Carly couldn’t utter that part out loud. “We can’t let anyone know about Temmie. We need to get the subcore, and not lot anyone else figure out what it is.”

“Easier said than done,” Flora said, finally pushing away her empty plate. “I’ve been to Mirage before. It’s not the seediest place, but that’ what scares me. If they’re somehow involved with some criminal syndicate and are able to maintain their reputation, it’s not going to be some small time thing. They’re going to be in deep.”

“Isn’t this like, all against the rules anyway?” Elaina asked. “Like, how are they even getting away with advertising something like this?”

“It’s not illegal,” Tira said. “Just… against school rules.”

“And you’re going to come anyway,” Flora said, poking Tira’s nose and sending the girl into a state of shock.”

“Did you just… boop my nose?”

“Attention,” a deep booming voice said from the head of the dining hall. Only one person’s voice could be that loud. “I’d like to take just a moment of your time,” Alonse continued. “We are still recovering from the incident last week, and we will never fully recover, not truly, not in our hearts. But our institution is strong, will remain strong, and today we’re taking a step forward in rebuilding.

“Students, I’d like to introduce your new fencing master.”