Rainfall

[basic_powers]

April 14th
Excelsior Elementary School, Kansas
Also PS238
9:35 am

There were a lot of nice things about taking courses above ground right away in the morning. This semester, Tyler had been getting his reading and english classes right next to each other in the morning, which in itself was pretty good, even if he had to share it with Zodon. Having Ambriel made up a lot for having Zodon, it meant the techno-terror-tot in the holographic fatkid would have a hard time ruining his day.

Even if the sky suddenly got dark out and it started raining, it still wasn't all that bad.

"Tyler, Ambriel, Zodon, since you have flag duty, would you be so kind as to go outside and take down the flag since it's starting to rain?"

Comments

[npc238.livejournal.com]

Ambriel mumbled something as she got up that sounded sarcastic in tone but couldn't actually be discerned.

Zodon, on the other hand, heaved a huge, frustrated sigh and launched into a tirade about having even the meager intellectual stimulus this FLORAL excuse for a MUDDY class afforded interrupted to go wallow in the mud with Normal-Boy. He went, though.

[basic_powers]

Tyler for the most part, wasn't really all that bothered by flag duty, even if it was raining pretty good outside, listening to Zodon rant was kind of like having the crummy tv-going on all the time, eventually you learned to ignore most of what he said.

He started pulling out the knot in the flag as Zodon started a new tirade. Just had to get this flag inside and then get back to the warm comforts of a book and the discomforts of waiting for something to show up.

[npc238.livejournal.com]

Tyler was efficient enough, but Zodon needed something to complain about. "Come on, let's get this archaic ritual to rote patriotism over with."

[basic_powers]

"You mean Flag Duty?" Tyler replied with a sigh, really he didn't see the big deal about it.

[npc238.livejournal.com]

He was alone in this, apparently. "We were just out here ten minutes ago," Ambriel complained. "Do we have to put it back up if it stops raining?"

[npc238.livejournal.com]

"We could let American Eagle and USA Patriot Act do it," Zodon suggested, folding his holographic arms. "We might never get them to stop saluting, but if they're out here, Normal-Boy would get re-elected class president by default."

[basic_powers]

"What?" Tyler stopped pulling for a moment. "They're having another class president election? Already?"

[npc238.livejournal.com]

"Well, technically it's for the next school year," said Ambriel, shifting her umbrella. "Eagle and Patriot... er, I mean, Jenny and Dillon got those friends of theirs who wear suits to set it up..."

[npc238.livejournal.com]

"Hey," Zodon interrupted. "How come we don't get umbrellas?"

[npc238.livejournal.com]

"Because we're not supposed to show our powers out here, and well, look..."

Ambriel moved her umbrella aside. It didn't make much difference to the rain, which still stopped before reaching her, pattering off an invisible barrier. A faint sheen sparkled in the air where it hit, like the light off crystal.

[npc238.livejournal.com]

Zodon looked briefly surprised before returning to his default state of annoyance. "That protective force really comes in handy, doesn't it?"

[npc238.livejournal.com]

"Why don't you just close the dome over your chair?" Ambriel asked, replacing her umbrella. The last few drops ran down the side of her forcefield. "Nobody can see it through your hologram, can they?"

[npc238.livejournal.com]

"..."

[basic_powers]

He definitely owed Ambriel another pack of oreos for shutting up Zodon like that.

Sometimes the best laughter is the one you do quietly inside of you head.

[npc238.livejournal.com]

Zodon recovered quickly, though.

"Er, it's closed already," he said (masking a faint whirr).

[npc238.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, right."

[npc238.livejournal.com]

"I figured," he persisted, "Tyler's mere-mortal immune system would collapse if he got damp, so..."

[npc238.livejournal.com]

"Megabrain zero, Ambriel one."

[npc238.livejournal.com]

"Shut up."

[basic_powers]

"So does that happen when you're in the shower?" Tyler asked Ambriel as they started folding up the flag, without Zodon's help again of course.

[npc238.livejournal.com]

"Nope," she said cheerfully. "Just rain. Weird, huh?"

[npc238.livejournal.com]

"Hey," Zodon interrupted again. "Since when does this neighborhood let the homeless in?" He pointed to a shabbily-dressed, bearded man entering the school building, carrying a largish brown paper shopping bag.

[basic_powers]

Tyler glanced up at the man going in through the school doors.

"Maybe his kid goes to Excelsior?"

It felt a little weak, even coming out of his mouth.

[npc238.livejournal.com]

Zodon snorted. "What, and he left his supersized sack lunch back home in their dumpster?"

[npc238.livejournal.com]

Ambriel glared at him. "Do you eat a bowl of 'Meanie Flakes' every morning or something, or does it come naturally?"

[basic_powers]

Tyler sighed and started walking back to the door. No way of investigating the guy who came in without a hallpass.

He didn't really pay much attention to the snarking argument behind him as he went back to class and got back to the nice warm seat and the book he was reading.

His next class was Social Studies.