THE MOMENT
"He said that!?" Dread's attention shifted from her node to Jenny; she stood from her seat and approached her friend's workbench. Jenny sat at a smooth white table in the middle of the room; a full-sized pink shark lay on the table as Jenny studied it through a blue visor. The two had been enjoying a casual conversation while Jenny studied the shark.
"Yeah," Jenny nodded. "Maybe not at practice this week, but that's the plan eventually. Why?" Jenny asked. "What's the big deal?"
"What is the big-," Dread giggled. "You don't know who Flutter is, do you?" she asked.
"I've heard the name a lot," Jenny shrugged. She got the impression it was going to be a conversation. She turned and patted the shark on its side. "Thanks, Sunder. Let's take a break for now," she said. The solid white surface rippled and Sunder sank into the table until even its pink fin disappeared and the table was empty again. "So, who's Flutter then?" Jenny asked Dread.
"Calaveras are the strongest Unique Soul, right? Even the lowest-ranked one of us can destroy an Earth with little actual effort. Well, if you ask anyone who's been in the AlterNet for a while who the strongest Calavera is, they'll all say Flutter. She's a member of the Void Court, and she's a dragon.
"Whoa, we're gonna face a dragon in roller derby!" Jenny was filled with excitement at the thought. "I can't wait!"
"We're gonna get stomped," Dread shook her head. Though, she was enjoying the conversation and the company so much she still had a broad grin as she explained. "Flutter is also the #1 Paladin in the AlterNet. She can solo raid bosses, we don't stand a chance."
"She's a dragon paladin!? Whoa, she sounds awesome." Every new fact about Flutter seemed more impressive than the last.
"She's also a fairy princess," Dread laughed.
"Huh?" Jenny tilted her head. She couldn't decode the mystery of a dragon fairy princess and she assumed Dread would clear it up.
"Flutter's mother was an ancient dragon queen and her father was a fairy king. They were both in human form when they met and eventually conceived Flutter. She's pretty much locked into human form as a result of the magic they were using.
"You know a lot about her, is it because you're a Calavera too?" Jenny asked. Dread shrugged.
"I don't even know, really," she giggled. "Flutter's popular and super friendly. People talk about her and she doesn't mind talking about herself."
"If she's as good as say she is-," Jenny began to say something but Dread interrupted.
"She's better," she said.
"If she's that good, then Aury probably isn't bringing her in to 'boost our confidence'," Jenny giggled at the comment and Dread joined in with a chuckle at the inside joke. They'd had a match over the weekend that was designed to do just that. It succeeded and backfired at the same time. They won; but, they learned the truth in the process and Aurelio, the brain behind the plan, had become a punchline among the team temporarily. "So, let's beat her," Jenny grinned.
"Huh?" Dread copied Jenny's maneuver and tilted her head at the shorter girl. "You just heard me say she's the best Paladin around, right? She's a dragon and a fairy princess and she can shatter an Earth with a flick of her finger. You want to BEAT her?"
"It would boost the confidence of our team," Jenny shrugged. "You say she's the best so no one's expecting us to win. They're probably not even expecting us to try; and, I doubt she'll take us seriously. If it's just a practice match it won't mean anything; but, we can surprise her."
"It won't mean anything?" Dread grinned. "Do you know what happened to the last person that was able to knock Flutter down?"
"No.. what?" Jenny asked.
"Nothing," Dread shook her head. "It's never been done before. So, how are we gonna do it?"
"I don't know yet," Jenny shrugged. "But, I'll definitely need to finish my A.I. assistant by then; so, if you please...," she tapped the white workbench.
"Alright!" Dread nodded with enthusiasm. "Sunder, back to it please," she spoke the words at no one in particular. The pink fin rose out of the white table and it was followed by the rest of shark. "Stay with Jenny," she added.
"Going somewhere?" Jenny asked. She turned at Dread's command to Sunder to find Dread opening a portal.
"I'm excited already," she grinned. "Gonna go see if I can get any tips about our dragon fairy princess from someone that might help."
"It sounds like she doesn't have a lot of enemies. Who are you going to ask?"
"Her wife."
