Kim tries to break the ice

“So, err,” Kim tried to strike a conversation to distract her clients from their walk of shame. “What’s it like, studying here and stuff?”

“Oh, you wish you could live here human.” Taggie perked up, her voice acquiring a haughty tone. “Daily classes with the best elven minds in the realms, mingling with your fellow students over lunch, clubs to hone your skills in whatever discipline you want. We can spend centuries learning whatever we want for as long as we want! “

“Wait… that sounds a lot like a never-ending boarding school or college.”

“Yes!” Taggie admitted. “Isn’t it the best?”

“It’s practically heaven,” Delphi chimed in.

“More like hell,” Kim rolled her eyes. “ I-I mean, don’t you also have to deal with all the social bullsh…drama that it entails? I don’t think you climbed into that tree on your own free will, right?”

Delphi cast a side-glance back at Kim, moving her wavy dark hair to glare at the human’s eyes. Well, that struck a nerve, Kim wasn’t far off the mark.

“I would not use those words, but yes… I do have to admit that with all your needs and wants catered to, with no real issues or struggles to fight, well, social friction does seem to increase among ourselves…”

“You won’t believe how stuck up and arrogant some of the other elves are!” Kim bit her tongue to stop herself from muttering a refrain about kettles and pots. “Strutting around and trying to establish dominance like a bunch of dumb apes, like they are the third coming of the Everqueen! At least with this box, we’ll finally put Viela in her place.”

Smiling and spinning one of her messy black curls in between her fingers, Taggie was relishing whatever image she just conjured up on her mind. “To be fair, I think Viela only attacked us because we tried to ambush her in the first place...” Delphi reminded her.

Yep, a never-ending school all right, with all its accompanying drama. Did the long-lived races had nothing better to do with their time? Kim would bet that the two elves were probably thrice her age, but they acted like a couple of freshmen. Freshwomen? Freshfae? Whatever.

The slippery wood under Kim’s feet gave way to somewhat ticklish wet grass. They had left the hallway. Were they close to their friends?

“Anyway, here we are. Welcome to the so-called losers club!” Taggie proudly declared. Kim was now standing next to a picnic mat with two elves sitting on it. Looking around, it seemed like this was a popular place for the students to grab a bite. Huh, did they have a picnic area instead of a cafeteria? Typical elves.

“Pretty sure you are the only ones that call us that, Taggie.” Scoffed a refined elf munching down on an apple.

“It seems like Viela got you again, huh?” Commented a scruffy, red-headed elf. “Or was it Jasmine? Or Margery? And who is this human anyway?”

“This is a delivery girl from Morpheus palace! My package is finally here! Can I borrow a pen from you gals?”

“A-and some clothes?” Delphi continued with a wry smile, pressing herself further into her friend’s back.

“Pen? Sure.” The scruffy elf stopped tossed her friend a quill. Taggie immediately signed Kim’s sheet and snatched the delivery with absolute glee. “Clothes? No way.”

“W-what? Why not?!”

“Because you already owe me two skirts, three tunics, FIVE breeches, and a pair of slippers!”

“B-but this is the last time we will ask! Promise! After we get back at Viela, no one will dare to mess with us!”

“That’s what you said last time!”

“B-but we can’t walk back to our room in our underwear! It’s inappropriate! …and it’s on the other side of-”

“Well good luck with your **** and stuff.” Kim patted Taggie on the back. “My job here is done.” Kim knew better than to stick around and get herself involved in whatever mess was going on. Time to leave.