The Decrescendo of Our Social Lives
Chapter One: The Decrescendo of Our Social Life
“Adagioooo, why do we have to come back? Let’s just go back to our motel room and order pizza.” Aria rubbed her tired eyes, still not adjusted to the morning glare.
“Come on, Aria!” chimed Sonata. “Dagi wouldn’t have us come back if she didn’t have a plan. Right?”
“For once Sonata, you’re right on the money.” She produced a small stack of documents from her school bag, most of the pages highlighted in various places. “I’ve done some digging on my personal friend, the barista. Vorpal Sword, head of the Literature Club. It turns out that he’s a librarian’s assistant here at CHS.”
Aria simply blew air as she readjusted one of her hair clips. “What does that have to do with us?”
“When Principal Celestia was under our control, she shared some very interesting details with me, especially regarding the library’s new supernatural and mythology section.”
“Which means?”
“Which means that there’s bound to be information on sirens as well. If what she says is true, we might even find something regarding our pendants. We might be able to recreate them, or better yet learn how to use our abilities without them.”
“So what does this “barista” have to do with that?”
“The library here is very extensive compared to the average school. Mr. Vorpal Sword is in charge of the section we’re interested in, so if we make nice, we might be able to get him to hand over the more inaccessible texts. We just need to get him alone and away from any eavesdroppers. Especially...them.” Her thoughts wandered to the Rainbooms, the only girls who were unaffected by their powers, and how they were utterly humiliated in front of most if not the entire school.
Aria seemed unimpressed with Adagio’s idea as is always the case. Unfolding a sheet of paper from her pocket, she studied it and looked at the school’s map. “There it is, Room 118. I’ll see you two later.”
Adagio grabbed her by the collar and held her back. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Um, class?” She shoved the schedule in Adagio’s face. “In case you’ve forgotten, we don’t have the exact same subjects.”
“Not truuue…” Sonata said in a sing-song voice. “Turns out you and I have the same first period class, Aria!”
“Great, stuck with the airhead AGAIN.” She grabbed Sonata by the wrist and pulled her along. “Let’s go. I want to get it over with so we can go home.”
Adagio did the same and studied her class schedule. “Room 104. That’s in the hall opposite of those two.” She folded the paper and stuck it in her bag. “It’s going to be a long first day.”
“Good morning. My name is Adagio Dazzle. It’s nice to meet you all. Again.”
Adagio stood at the front of the classroom, looking around the room and seeing nothing but glaring eyes directed at her. Normally, she’d have confidence on the level of daredevils, but her official class schedule has been decided. She wouldn’t see neither Aria nor Sonata until lunch hour, meaning she would have to endure those stares for half the day.
“Welcome to our class, Miss Dazzle”, the instructor chimed. “Since you’ve enrolled late into last week, please be sure to take sufficient notes on today’s lesson. You may take your seat.” Adagio made her way to the back of the classroom to the only empty seat left. “Alright students, if you open your textbooks to page 42, we’ll begin the lesson with the Big Bang and...”
Adagio unzipped her school bag and pulled out her materials. All the while, the other students would occasionally glance back at her with the same look of contempt on their faces. All except for one.
“Comet, please put that device away! The classroom is for learning, not playing!” Adagio turned in the direction that the teacher pointed. She noticed the student in question, the same one who spoke with Vorpal briefly last night at the cafe, sitting at the desk next to hers.
“Sorry, Mr. Hooves.” He quickly stuffed the portable game in his hands into his jacket, then picked up his pencil and began writing.
“DOCTOR, thank you very much. Now class, if you look at the figure on the next page…”
As the lesson went on, the other students started to get their minds off the siren and focused on the blackboard. Adagio kept glancing over to her neighbor, clearly eager to return to his game. After the teacher turned his back and wrote on the board, the student pulled out the device and played while taking his notes. She simply looked back at the board and wrote down the material.
It wasn’t long until she decided to question him. “Psst, hey” whispered Adagio, leaning toward his desk slightly. “Have we met before?”
The student Comet looked in her direction for a few seconds, getting a good look at her face. Instead of a verbal response, he simply shrugged.
Adagio was certain this was the same guy Vorpal talked about. “Psst”, she said again. “Are you sure you don’t remember me? I talked to your friend last night. The barista?”
“Whatever business Vorpal gets into with customers is his to deal with. Leave me alone, would you?”
“I knew it”, she whispered to herself. “If I can get two humans on my side…”
“I can still hear you.” Adagio was visibly startled at the reply, glancing over to Comet again. “Do you usually talk to yourself like that?”
Avoiding the question, she instead tried to make nice with her neighbor. “Comet Blade, was it? You’re Vorpal’s friend, I remember it clearly now. The one who picked him up from work last night.”
“Alright alright, you got me. What the hell do you want?”
Adagio smirked at his question. She may not have her enhanced charm, but she still managed to grab another’s attention. “Is there any chance you can help me get in touch with Vorpal sometime this week?”
“What do I look like, his nanny? Do it yourself.” The student quickly lost interest in speaking to Adagio, putting his game away and intent on paying full attention to the lesson instead.
Every human has their price, Adagio thought to herself. I just need to figure out his. “Say, what would you need in order to help me out?”
“I’m not interested, buzz off.”
“Just consider my offer, at least. If you help me out, I can give you a very suitable reward. How about a girl’s number?”
“Not. Interested.”
Adagio wouldn’t give up. She kept pressing the promise of compensation for his help. “I have a couple of friends you might like to meet. One’s really fun to be around. You just need to give her something to keep her around, if you get what I’m saying.”
“Somehow, I don’t like where this is going”, he replied.
“The other is, well, more like you.”
“You might want to choose your next words caref--”
“You know...moody, distant, angry at the slightest provoca--”
Comet tore another page from his notebook, scribbling on it furiously and balling it up before tossing it at the siren’s desk. He immediately raised his hand and got the teacher’s attention. “Mr. Hooves, I know it’s early, but may I please use the restroom?”
“Grab the pass by the door and try not to take too long. And again, it’s DOCTOR Hooves. I didn’t complete my doctorate to...” The instructor’s voice trailed off as Comet stood and made his way past the rows of desks.
Adagio watched as her only possible option to isolate Vorpal went on a potty break. Comet glanced at her and shot her a dirty look, to which Adagio gladly returned. “What did that ape write that made him go off like that?” Grabbing the balled-up notepaper, she uncrumpled it and read the letter.
I’ll help on two conditions. One, you’re not talking to him without me. Two, I don’t take bribes. Meet us on the soccer field bleachers during lunch.
“I get the feeling that he’s more of a Rainbooms fan.” She studied the writing one last time. “I may not have been born human, but at least my handwriting isn’t so atrocious.”
Vorpal arrived at the bleachers that Comet had detailed in his message. He found his friend sitting near the top railing, chowing down on a tray of nachos. Comet noticed the writer climbing the steps toward him and waved to him.
“Hey, I got your text”, said Vorpal. “You actually spoke to her?”
“It’s a little less “spoke” and more, how do I put it, pelting her with a bunched-up sheet that just so happened to be an invitation.” He offered a bit of his lunch to Vorpal. “Nacho?”
He waved his hand at Comet to decline his friend’s offer. “Maybe later. I think I see her now.”
Adagio spotted the barista waving from the bleachers, the latter eager to get her attention. She waved back as she approached, Aria and Sonata close behind.
Aria asked, “Since we’re here, I take it your own search turned up nothing?”
“Nothing apart from a few myths about our species. Myths that are completely WRONG, by the way.” She grabbed a book concerning ancient mythology and opened it to a bookmarked page, showing them the illustration. “Since when do we have feathers and fly around tearing sails from boats? We’re sirens, not harpies!”
“What I don’t get is why you’re even friendly with this chick. You know full well what she did last weekend.”
“Cut them some slack, would you? Besides, it’s not every day you get to study a real-life siren.”
“Do many people know about that, by the way? We only found out recently, after all.”
Adagio and company climbed the steps leading up to the duo. They were greeted with a smile from Vorpal but a scowl from the other.
“Speak of the she-devil. She actually came.”
“Play nice.” Vorpal turned back to the sirens and gave them a nervous laugh. “Sorry about that. He’s a little touchy concerning your performance on Friday.”
“Because they probably cheated their way--”
“Comet! Anyway, my friend here says you wanted to see me.”
The siren studied her newfound contact and noticed his new attire. Instead of an apron and uniform, Vorpal donned a light gray vest with a white long-sleeved shirt underneath, dark blue trousers and black sneakers. A sword and a quill crossed into an X shape was stitched on the upper left of the vest. He held a stack of books under his arm and a pen in the other. His hair also had more volume than last night, sticking up slightly near the back.
“Yes, I did. I was hoping you’d help me out with acquiring some study material. I heard you help keep the library running throughout the day.”
“That would be right” he replied, slightly swelling up with pride. “What did you need?”
“I’d like to discuss it more in private, if that’s alright.” She nodded toward the other two sirens and the grump. “Any chance we could--”
“That wasn’t what we agreed upon”, Comet interrupted. “The deal was-- Hey!”
“What?” said Sonata, her mouth busy chewing on a large helping of nachos. “I waff hungree.”
“Hands off my lunch!” Sonata grabbed the entire tray and made her way down the bleachers. “Hey, get back here! That’s people food!” The grump chased after her, yelling obscenities along the way.
“We’ll keep him away as long as we can”, Aria whispered to her leader. “Just get what we came for and let’s go.” She ran after the other two, cheering on Sonata. After a few seconds had passed, the field was silent once again.
“As I was saying…” started Adagio. “I was hoping you’d be so kind as to let us access some of the more restricted books concerning sirens.”
“Restricted books? There aren’t any books like that.” Vorpal scratched his chin in thought, remembering an important detail. “But now that you mention it, Principal Celestia just had a few boxes delivered. She said not to open them under any circumstances until she gave the go-ahead.”
“Is there any chance you can get those boxes opened sooner? After all, the library would be a mess if not for you” Adagio batted her eyes in an attractive manner, a gesture that didn’t go unnoticed by the writer.
“I’m sorry, but rules are rules. And I’m just a librarian’s assistant. I can’t just ask the principal something like that.”
Damn, Adagio thought. If we don’t get to those books before--
“Although…” Vorpal interrupted her train of thought. “I did make a rather lucrative sale last night thanks to you. Not many people are brave enough to try a Danger Pinkie.” He took her by the wrist and checked her pulse. “How are you feeling after drinking it, by the way? No shakes or faster heartbeat?”
“Not recently, no.” She pulled her hand away once Vorpal let it go. “So, I take it you’ll pull some strings and hopefully get approval?”
“You got it.” The bleachers shook as Sonata, Aria, and Comet made their return. Aria still had her usual pout, but the other two seemed to be getting along. “Looks like those two settled their differences.”
“Or maybe Sonata promised to share a recipe or two in exchange for some of those nachos”, Adagio added. She received another nasty look from the grump, to which she returned yet again. “Thanks again for considering to help. We’ll be in touch, handsome.” She gave him a wink then made her way down the steps followed by the other two.
Once they were out of earshot, Vorpal gripped his friend’s shoulder. “Look at my face. Do I appear mesmerized or under a spell?”
“Why are you asking me?” replied Comet.
“For research, of course!” exclaimed the writer. “They walk and talk like regular humans, but I can tell they’re much more than that. I could hear it in their voices.”
“Sometimes, I think the only voices you hear are those inside your head.” He offered the tray in his hand again. “Nacho?”
As they approached the school building and were far away from the human teenagers, Adagio lost her cool composure. “That arrogant jerk! I ask him to set up a meeting with that librarian, and he has to be so...UGH!” She placed a hand on the metal link that once held a gem. “Once we get our powers back, I’ll….I’ll! I don’t even know what I’ll do, but I’ll do it!”
“Oh, I know!” Sonata scanned the ground for a quick second before kneeling down to pick up an ant. “We’ll turn him into a bug. A harmless little bug!”
“And then what, keep him in a cage?” Aria asked, arms crossed.
“No! We’ll put that bug in a box, then we put that box inside another box. We’ll mail it to ourselves, and once it gets to our doorstep, we’ll smash it with a hammer!”
The twintailed siren simply facepalmed, letting out an annoyed sigh. “She’s been watching that movie with the alpaca again, hasn’t she?”
The halls were abuzz with chatter from students returning to class. Some rushed to their next lesson while others simply took their time, confident that they’ll make it before the late bell. One of them in particular was holding a large stack of flyers, handing them out and repeating the same line while doing so.
“Vote Starlight Glimmer for Student Council President! Vote Starlight, Student Council President!”
Starlight zipped past various groups of students leaving them with a flyer and flashing a smile, oblivious to the fact that many of them threw it away once she left. As she neared her locker, she spotted a familiar face. “Vorpal!”
The writer looked away from his own locker and waved at Starlight. She approached him, flyer already in hand. “Any chance I can count on your vote for president of the student council?”
Vorpal took the flyer and studied it carefully. With a smile, he replied. “How could I not after knowing how much effort you’re putting into it?”
“I was hoping you’d say yes. Say, where’s your friend? You know, the delinquent?”
The locker behind Vorpal slammed shut with a loud bang, a surly Comet making his presence known. “Already plotting to impeach you if you win this election.” He started walking away from the two academics, backpack in tow. “I’ll catch you later, Vorp. Don’t want the chief of the moral police hounding my ass.”
Starlight, annoyed at the grump’s choice of words, yelled back at him. “If I win, that single word will easily be three demerits on your decency record, Comet Blade!” The only other response she managed to get out of him was a rude gesture before he rounded the corner.
“Don’t let him get to you, Starlight. He just needs to warm up to you first. Now, what was it that you needed?”
“I was wondering if you’d help me come up with a speech for this week’s debate. I keep getting stuck after addressing the school’s need for uniforms.”
“Uniforms? Are you sure you want to win that debate?” Vorpal chuckled. “Meet me in the library tomorrow after school. Bring me what you have and we’ll work on it together.”
“Actually, I was wondering if today would be a good time. That is, if you’re not too busy.”
“Sorry, I can’t today. I need to discuss something with Principal Celestia, and I’m sure that’s going to take a while.” Vorpal glanced at his watch, then quickly stuffed his next class’s textbook into his bag and shut the locker. “We’ll be late if we talk any longer. I’ll see you tomorrow!”
Starlight opened her own locker and stored the stack of flyers, grabbing her own class materials. “What’s so important that he needs to see the principal?” As she mulled it over in her head, Starlight heard a few voices approaching.
“Please tell me we’re all in the next class.”
“I think so, Dagi. It looks like...algebra!”
“Math? Ugh, just shoot me already.”
Starlight watched as a group of three girls turned the corner and walked past her, immediately recognizing them. She considered these three to be a terrible influence to the school in regards to the way they dressed, one of the many reasons she’s pushed for uniforms in the name of decency.
“How long do you think that nerd needs to get us those books?”
“A day or so at the most. We just need to look for alternatives in the meantime, in case this plan falls through.”
As they were leaving, Starlight began to form an idea as to why Vorpal couldn’t help her out that same day. “Those harlots! Vorpal’s one of the most decent people in this school, and they have him wrapped around their finger. I won’t stand for this one bit.”
As she turned to face them, the tardy bell rang. Starlight panicked and ran to her next class. “Oh fiddlesticks! This will NOT reflect well on my campaign! But mark my words, Dazzlings. I’ll personally see to it that your years at Canterlot High are your worst!”
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Nice.
6613009 Vorpal Sword is the name of the OC belonging to my friend (who also helps me out with some grammar mistakes from time to time). In fact, I started writing this fic as a thank you for his help.
And trust me, Wonderland isn't the only literary reference you'll see.
I think I found another great story
6613967 I blame my editor on that one. He just loves filling things choc-full of references.
6614906 still, it got me liking Sonata a bit more now.
6614987 Here's to hoping she'll only be more likable as time passes.
6615093 no doubt about that.
I'm more hoping for the romance of Adagio to go well though.
Dr whooves is just like a teacher we had in our academy Dr ferrier he would shout the same thing if you called him mr