Slow Swimming Fish

**Date Started:** July 27th, 2021
**Date Completed:** Ongoing
**Previous Role-Play:** The Right Day
**Users Involved:** User:Ash9876, User:BQD, User:KontonMan
**Setting:** Clover Kingdom
**Characters Involved**: Zener Rhine, Bram Stoker, Naomi Takeru, Don Smith

## A Failed School

The primary base of the Violet Orca, when compared to the other squads, was fairly humble and remote from the others. It was in the midst of a fairly large lake, the only way through the water being either swimming, or knowing the code of entry, a secret locked to those who joined the Violet Orca. The residence itself was a large submarine, bearing resemblance to an orca. While decorated with the colors of the squad, it did not completely elevate outside of the water unless it was being used for high-speed travel.

Indeed, unique among the Magic Knights, they possessed a high-speed, magical and mobile base of operations run through magic power. Within that base were humble furnishings, appropriate for a squad whose membership never fully remained in Clover Kingdom at any given time. Individual rooms and areas were decorated differently depending on the people occupying it, but generally only the bare minimum was available. In the common room, a large magical monitor was present. The selection exams were fully broadcast through said screens, and the majority of the members were staring directly at it.

After the complete announcement of the new lineup of the Violet Orca, most of the squad members exasperated.

"Couldn't be helped, I guess." One man said as he began to prepare for his next mission.

"Well, at least we won't have to take care of unnecessary baggage." A woman spoke as she returned to her quarters to finish her reports.

One man in particular was in the room, and briefly did look at the monitor. But his eyes seemed distant. He didn't blink during the duration of the exam announcements. After the announcements were finished, his eyes were dryer than he imagined and he repeatedly blinked to replace moisture.

"Ugh..." Bram Stoker spoke with an irritation in his voice. "I know Zener Rhine tried to be selective with the recruits he picked because our squad is demanding...but to think we'd get *none* of the succeeding exam takers? That's..."

Bram clenched his fist in irritation. "Naomi, do you think Captain Olynthus' death sunk our reputation *that* badly? It almost seems like we barely exist to the public anymore..."

A glass of scotch in one hand, sitting cross-legged across one of the many chairs available throughout the common room, Naomi found herself staring confusedly at the screen. "I don't know if our reputation was ever that good, honestly...but a relatively young Captain along with the fact that we barely get recognized for our achievements...then yes, I'd say our reputation's ass." Naomi stated bluntly. She'd seen the exams, if anything, she thought Zener had perhaps opened up more than he usually would. Then again, she wasn't one to care much about recruits. Recruits tended to screw up, and if there was one thing she hated, it was failure.

"Well...guess that means we'll just have to work harder than last year, with or without rookies. Where is Zener anyways? He should be here by now, no?" Naomi asked.

"Shiii' homie." the voice came from a windowsill with the light gleaming through the glass and onto a...mushroom. With red top accompanied by white spots, and a stubby beige stalk with eyes and a mouth, was Don Smith. Or at least a spell of his that allowed him to be at places he wasn't. The mushroom eyes Naomi's glass of scotch, no doubt that if it had arms, it would've reached for it despite the distance.

The mushroom let out an exhale, releasing puffs of pollen. "We need them rookies though, Naomi. Gotta make sure intelligence unit has got reach, yo. Shiii', I need some new faces. Getting tired of some of your mugs..."

"Zener-dono is on his way, I think." Don said. "Probably got sidetracked dealin' with all those otha' Captain-donos, ya dig?"

"We don't need rookies. We need you to stop smoking whatever it is you smoke, Don." Naomi replied, perhaps a little too aggressively. It wasn't her fault, the mushroom looked at her glass a little too much.

If the mushroom could shrug, it would have. "Shiii' dog, my bad." he sighed. "I ain't been smokin' on the job though! I'm too far out in the literal sense. Just movin' on them borders right now..."

"Zener-dono's prolly got somethin' important though, Naomi-bro." Don continued. "So we should prolly be patient and al' that."

"You know he can probably-" Bram was about to finish until a loud voice came echoing. It was just a mouth though.

"I can hear you all you know!!!" It was Captain Zener Rhine's voice. There was nothing more distinct.

And with the sudden appearance of the mouth, also came the slow reveal of one of Zener's ears, hiding in the corner of the room, away from the sight of even these perceptive Magic Knights.

"Now now, everyone get into form! We have a new member!" As Zener said that, everyone would have jumped out of their seat.

"C'mon c'mon!! I'm only 30 seconds away! Hurry up!!" As Zener exclaimed, he retreated his mouth and ear back to his main body as they disappeared from view, leaving the others puzzled.

"New member? But..? Oh don't tell me...Did he choose with one eye closed again!?" Bram groaned, immediately beginning the preparations.

Naomi finished drinking the glass of scotch, if a rookie joined, the least she could do was look presentable! The scarier she looked, the less chances there were of their newest member bothering them. She threw the glass in Bram's direction, knowing that he'd catch it. After all, they had to clean up, no?

"Huh...a new member, but none in the ceremony were chosen..." Naomi wondered. "Also, he really needs to stop eavesdropping, such a bad habit."

"U-um..." An almost ghastly voice could be heard from the entrance of the hideout, making the members on high alert as they faced that direction.

"Don't be shy, say hello!" Zener said with a smile.

The younger girl nodded. "H-hello. I'm Sally...n-nice to meet you..."

"Say hello everyone!" Zener spoke to his squad, expecting cheers.

"Hey." Naomi said, her toe unchanging before she addressed Zener. "Good pick, Zener. Nobody'll expect a child to be one of the kingdom's most secretive agents. I'm pleasantly surprised."

"Oi, Naomi! You know I'd never pick a candidate based on that!" Zener stroked the young Sally's hair. "Don't worry about what she says, okay? She might act like that but she was about your age when we picked her too."

Zener looked back to Naomi. "Are you *jealous* you're not the youngest girl in the squad anymore, Naomi?" Zener teased.

"She'll curse you if you say one more word, Zener." Bram off-handedly commented as he walked forward. He was a bit taller than the others, and Sally had to look up to match his gaze.

He bent down to match Sally's eye-level.

Sally gulped. "U-um...hello..." Although she was quivering and holding onto her doll, Bram wasn't checking whether she was fearful.

Bram wished to see the sincerity in her eyes. It was a process that Olynthus undertook with all of them when he was Captain. It was only after a long look in the eyes that he decided whether someone should stay in Violet Orca.

"Hmmm...gotcha." Bram stood up and walked away. "Even with one eye closed, you didn't make a blind choice. Captain would be proud of you, Zener."

Zener had to hold back clenching his fists. Till this day, Bram did not refer to Zener as Captain. Even though Bram was the one who refused to promote...he couldn't let go of Olynthus. He took a sigh of relief, exhaustion, and understanding. "You'll have to take care of her when I'm on my next mission, you know that right?"

"Yeah yeah." Bram walked back to his quarters, while Zener couldn't help but chuckle as he looked back to Sally.

"Sorry about that Sally, Bram's always been a bit like that."

Sally merely nodded in response.

Zener asked the crowd once more. "Anyone else want to say hi?"

"Shiii', my bad boss-man!" the mushroom waved with one hand as the other hand aggressively tried to hoard back the spores that had emerged from him. "What's good kid? We're spies up in this shit."

Spores began to sink back into the Don-shroom as it nodded. "I promise I'm not an actual shroom, I don't even do 'em. Welcome to the Orcas, kid."

"Uh..." Sally was a bit overwhelmed, but nodded with courtesy. "Thank you." Sally smiled, before looking at Zener.

"Right, and with introductions over...it's time for your first assignment!"

"What is it, sir?" Sally's curiosity was piqued. An assignment this early?

"Give me juuust a second!" Zener said, dashing away from the area they were for a brief period of time.