COBALT: The Red Phantom (Book One)

Chapter 15: Asking Nicely (Part 1/3)

Hey guys, Cobs got 1,000 fricking votes! Thank you all, and have this lovely milestone gift~

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          Puff's popularity had withered in a matter of weeks, only a few points and whispers shedding the fading trails of his spectacular transition to freedom. Despite this, Vera could still see the undying twinkle of cheer in Puff's eyes, and the wandering attention in Káel's.

          He was in a conversation with Truvius, the two talking about Puff's refusal to fly and Mr. Mudelin's disappointing lack of call outs on Káel. Yet his gaze had bounced just past her too many times to be a coincidence. Their suspicions seemed to be right.

          Vera had put her patience to practice, slowly softening Káel up with a wave of warmth in place of her comfortable chill. On this particular lunch break she felt that she had gotten close enough to him to ask about the room without having to give anything in return. So, after the four had topped their plates with more snacks than substance, Vera made sure to seize the spot right next to him, banishing Truvius and Talli to face them across the table.

          Without any small talk to soften their start, Vera went straight for the prize, bringing up the room so nonchalantly Káel had to process her question twice to make sure he'd heard it right. Vera bit her lip as Káel's gaze meandered off to Truvius, folding into a squint at the clear lack of confusion on his roommate's face.

          "It's fine, we might as well tell them," Vera whispered, trying to steal his attention again.

          "Tell us what?" Truvius cut in, the lagging confusion finally catching up to only make it look worse.

          "Y-yeah, what?" Talli added.

          Puff narrowed his eyes at the three, and although Káel felt exactly the same, he hid his look of doubt with an impassive stare. "Well okay, not like that question came out of nowhere," he said, catching a split second twitch of impatience on Vera's face.

          "Yeah, I guess it was, it just crossed my mind."

          Káel's eyes flicked to his right for a split second, as his face became slightly annoyed, fueling the theories running through Vera's head. "I think I found a way to open it."

          "So it didn't just disappear?" Vera's eyes lit up with genuine intrigue. "Does that mean we can go back in there?"

          Káel chuckled nervously while his three friends stared him down, dropping his gaze to the unhelpful frown Puff was flaunting. "Well no... Not exactly. There's a Ceptrum blocking it."

          "Well then, we'll find someone with a Ceptrum who won't report us," Vera replied, shifting her gaze just past Káel's shoulder with a creeping smile. "Incoming."

          He whipped his hands up to cover his head, smacking away a hand that was seconds away from reaching its goal.

          "Hey you warned him, that's no fun," Ray said, grinning cheesily at Káel's death glare. "So, how's it going?"

          Káel could sense the approval travelling between Truvius and Vera, but this time, the six foot two blond bane of his existence had a use. It would take a blindfold and blasting music to not realise his friends were plotting, but two could play on the stage of secrets. Or in this case, four. 

          "Hey Ray, do you have a Ceptrum?"

          Ray blinked, pulling back to count the sheer amount of times he'd opened a Ceptrum in front of Káel. "You betcha, why do you ask?"