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Bernadetta has been mulling around her room all day. The sun was setting and the others were surely falling asleep. That means it was time to finalize and go through with her big plan!
Getting food.
The purple haired student had just been so busy in the day hiding out in her room.. She completely forgot! Not to mention the sudden skittering noises under her floorboards. Rats maybe? She’d have to bring it up to someone.. Maybe Seteth! He’d surely help her out. Oh, but, inviting someone to her room would be nonsensical! She never does that. It’s impossible!
Nevermind, Bernie, you can live with rats under the floorboards.
Still though. Her stomach was rumbling and she made her way to the dining hall kitchen. They always stocked extras and snacks for students. Bernie had been eyeing where they kept the sweets last time she went out and got dinner with her professor.
This time, however, she heard the same scuttling skittering noise of rats in the floorboards. Except she wasn’t in her room. She was in the kitchen.
She saw the stone flooring had been uplifted and a passageway had been revealed. Was that always there? Perhaps that’s how the staff moved the bigger supplies without anyone noticing…
“Woah there, girly!” A booming voice from behind her. Bernie nearly yelped and backed up into the.. Man? Oh-- this was a person! The voice was unfamiliar.
“Wwwwuahhh” Bernie just mumbled as she found big hands around her shoulders.
“You shouldn’t be walking around after dark. There might be some wolves out in the campus.” Another voice. Softer, pleasant. “Balthus, please, let the girl go.”
“Awh, Yuri, I was just messing with her…” The man (Balthus?) behind her let the girl go and he sighed. It was dark. Bernadetta couldn’t make it out but this man was LARGE and ripped. Her head spun to the other voice in the room and saw a rather androgynous person eating a pastry.
“Forgive the man. He can be quite handsy at times. I’m Yuri, of the Ashen Wolves.” He smiled with the pastry in his mouth and offered a hand to her. “You must be.. Bernadetta. I hear you chatting to yourself at night a lot.”
He what? Was this man stalking her?? “Yy-yyouyou whattt??”
“Ah.. you must have heard us. The skittering noises? That was us. Sorry about that.” Yuri offered another pastry to her. “You must be here for a snack. You were hungry right?
Oh. He was the rat under the floorboards. ...why would he be under her floorboards? Her eyes darted to the stone brick that had been covering a passageway. Were they.. Living under the monastery? How many tunnels were under here?? Now the man in front of her, Yuri?, was offering a pastry as condolences??
She can’t pass up a pastry. Her hand grabs it and she promptly eats it. “Ashen… wolves? That a house or something?”
Yuri nods. “We’re the fourth house that works in the shadows, under the monastery.” He finished off his pastry already. “You think the archbishop and the staff here gets all the work done themselves? Lady Rhea. She puts us to work.”
Bernadetta didn’t notice it… but they were both wearing chains and collars on top of their uniforms. Her brow furrowed. Rhea was putting students to work? Really? For how long?
“We must be going though. Take care Bernadetta.” Yuri said, walking off to the tunnel.
“W-waitt, wait, will I see you again??” Bernadetta chirps up as Yuri is taking his leave.
“Of course. You know where to find us. Under your floorboards.” He laughed and disappeared into the shadows. Balthus soon following after and mentioning one last thing.
“Keep us a secret, will you girlie?” He flashed a smile and lifted the stone covering as he disappeared into the tunnel as well. Sealing the passageway shut.
Bernie sort of blinked. They were gone in a flash. But this was news!! Maybe worthy of a story. Ooh, Bernie seemed excited. This was a flash of inspiration. Mole people under the monastery!!
She had to write about this.