|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 2:52 pm
 The line for the cafeteria seemed to have gotten longer than usual by the time Wayne got there. There were a good number of students waiting for their turn but it was an interesting thing to see how many different kinds (both Nightmares and Daydreams) there were. Some freshlings were taller than others and some juniors were short enough to look like freshlings on first glance. All in all, Wayne didn't mind having to wait. So surely because he, a freshling, had the patience and saw the first-come first-served rule as pretty sacrosanct to prevent chaos from reigning, the older, supposedly wiser and more mature students would too, right?
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 2:53 pm
Wrong. And Charmstar was more than willing to prove to the little green and brown freshling in front of him just that. Of course that wasn't what was going on in the pink fallen's head. It's not as if Charmstar woke up that morning and decided to be a jerk to freshlings. It just so happens that he was feeling just a tad impatient and hungrier than usual. So when he got to the cafeteria and saw the ridiculously long line, Charmstar decided it was every Nightmare for themselves. He got in line, because there was still such a thing as proper manners, but instead of waiting for those before him to finish getting their share, the junior couldn't help but reach out and over the freshling in front of him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 3:02 pm
Wayne did not grumble about the long wait because it was now finally his turn. And to his delight, the cafeteria was serving pizza! He didn't often have pizza because they were usually all out of it by the time he got there. So it was just his lucky day that there was one last slice.
The imp got on tiptoes and stretched his arms over the counter to get the plate when all of a sudden a slender pink arm overtook his. He didn't think much of it at first. There were other plates beside the last slice of pizza after all. But the pink hand at the end of the pink arm grabbed at the last slice of pizza's plate and plucked it out of reach.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 3:03 pm
Charmstar whistled to himself a self-satisfied little tune as he deposited the plate of pizza onto his tray. The last slice and he managed to get it for himself! Lucky! The little freshling imp seemed to have come to some sort of dilemma because they weren't moving. With an impatient sigh and his brows furrowing, the junior fallen sidled past the freshling.
Why should he wait for someone holding the line up? He'd already gotten what he wanted and all he needed to do was pay for it. As he took a few steps forward, Charmstar felt someone grab at his wings and heard an angry "Hey!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 3:05 pm
Wayne couldn't believe what had just happened. One moment he was about to get the last slice of pizza, which was rightfully his, the next some junior fallen jerk had gone and snatched what the freshling knew was his. He wasn't about to let them get away with it!
So he grabbed with both hands at one of the junior's feathery wings and growled, "Hey! Where d'ya think yer goin' with mah pizza!" He bared his teeth as he glared up at the older Nightmare, standing his ground and secure with the knowledge he was in the right. He refused to let go of those golden feathers until the junior glanced over his shoulder with a sneer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 3:06 pm
"Listen up, kiddo," Charmstar began icily, "I don't know what sort of terrible behavior you've learned as a freshling, but grabbing a fallen's wings? Definitely right there at the top." He didn't try to yank his wings out of the imp's grip, not wanting to risk any feathers getting plucked but he shifted his weight to suggest the freshling better let go.
He gave the kid a few seconds as he placed the tray on the counter to wait. But when the imp held fast, Charmstar narrowed his violet eyes. "Okay kid, you have my attention now let go of the wings."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 3:09 pm
Wayne, sure that the older Nightmare wasn't going to just ignore him and walk away, finally let go of the golden feathers. "Ya still ain't given me mah pizza back," he said, trying to puff himself up as big as he could get. Which wasn't really all that much given how imps tended to be the shortest of Nightmares and he was a freshling to boot.
Of course, that wasn't going to stop Wayne from showing that he wasn't going to be pushed around or taken advantage of. He was young, not stupid. "I saw that slice first, fair an' square! Give it back!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 3:09 pm
Charmstar gave the freshling a careful once-over. There wasn't a single thing about him that was pink, or gold, or starry. In short, the kid before him fell into the category of Do not care about. Maybe if Charmstar didn't know the freshling had nothing visually pleasing about him, he would have been nicer. But from the corner of his eye, he saw the other students craning their necks to see what was going on.
And really, the fallen didn't care what the freshling imp thought about him. But peer pressure was a dangerous thing to go against, and Charmstar wanted to maintain a sterling reputation. "Oh was this yours? You were taking so long to pick, I thought you wanted something else. Let me buy this for you, to show there are no hard feelings, okay?" he offered.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 3:10 pm
Wayne seemed surprised by the response and was deeply suspicious of the intentions. The fallen sounded sincere in his apology and maybe the older Nightmare really did mistake Wayne not immediately snapping up the slice of pizza as him passing it over.
But there was such a thing as pride and Wayne had that in abundance. "Naw, ya don't gotta do that. Just gimme mah pizza back and we can call it even." There. It was the closest to an olive branch that the freshling was willing to extend without needing to be all chummy-chums about it.
The ball was now in the junior's court.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 3:11 pm
Charmstar was trying his best not to lose his cool. Why won't this kid just let me buy his stupid lunch? He's ruining how I come across! But the fallen knew better than to actually verbalize it. "Sure, I'll give it back," he smiled, trying to think of a way to stall for time when he heard the cashier call out "NEXT!"
With a grin, Charmstar reached for a bowl of salad and some packets of dressing on the side. He deposited the new items onto his tray and rushed to the register. "Oops, looks like it's my turn now. Here, I'd like to pay for these." And he handed the money to purchase the pizza and the salad.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Mar 08, 2016 3:13 pm
Wayne's eyes widened in anger. He just said he didn't want the older Nightmare to pay for his pizza! He didn't want anyone's charity and he certainly wasn't looking for a handout. Part of him wanted to refuse the slice once the pink fallen offered it back to him because it was the principle of the thing.
But his rumbling tummy protested at the rejection and pointed out that he now had a bigger budget for more food. He took two packs of cookies and had the cashier ring those up. Mentally, he grumbled that the fallen probably thought just 'cuz they was a junior that they knew better'n Wayne.
He took the proffered slice of pizza but shoved the extra pack of cookies at the fallen before he hurriedly marched out of the cafeteria, fuming.
I'll show 'em! When I get bigger, they won't question mah authority!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
