Slowly, the cafeteria drains of students. You don't know where all of them going, though you know Chai was planning on visiting the meditation room, and that Sugar and Sorbet both had a bit more interest in the library. You'd follow them, but... if something dangerous is out there, and it somehow gets into the school, you'd rather not be traveling the hallways in order to get to your next meal.
You also consider going to talk to Merlot and their vox friend, but the only conversations you and Merlot have ever had were over meals, and you've never spoken to the vox. Following them would be... strange, to say the least. It'd almost be easier just to talk to someone new.
And there's a lot of new people. Most of them have vanished to wherever they decided to go off to- and it's probably safer for them, if they're the ones who live here full-time- but a number of them remain, scattered among the tables, some of them talking to friends who returned to school on the bus with all the new students.
It'll probably be even busier once the school year starts up properly. You try to imagine this place packed to the brim with students, and find that you can't. You just can't picture a place that much bigger than the one you come from, even after visiting the Remittsu Royal Palace. There's too many people involved.
You stand up, intending mainly to wander the room for a bit, but a hushed conversation at a nearby table catches your attention.
"I'm sure the Sound Spirits will be just fine. They've been around for a long time, and I've seen some of the furniture. It's accented with Harmonic gold. And what sort of thing could hurt a spirit, anyway?" A little Envoy of Love with a long, light blue braid is leaning backwards in her seat, next to a white-haired human who seems unhappy with the dismissal of his concerns.
"We don't know. The only ones that actually fight are the Dark Spirits, and beating them just makes them stronger. Why aren't you worried about the art room at all? It's not like there's any Ganick gold in it."
The tiny sprite rolls her eyes. "Yes, but there's nobody in the art room, and anything that just wants to trash a bunch of paintings or instruments probably isn't going to pose the Academy any real threat." And that's when she notices you. She leaps up in her seat, pink eyes flashing. "Oh? Are you one of the new students? I don't think I've seen you around before!"
You nod, unsure if there's anything else you can do. Standing on her seat, she might be only just tall enough to see over the table, and her race is best known for being pacifistic, but you've always been taught to never, ever do anything that could possibly offend an Envoy of Love.
Admittedly, that might just be because their village is your closest neighbor, but it seems like generally good advice. "That's right. I'm Rye Seabreeze. What's your name?"
"I'm Raspberry Dazemirror. And this is Caramel Highpitch. It's nice to meet you!"
"Nice to meet you..." Caramel choruses after his friend, turning so you can see his bright orange eyes. "Rye, do you think the music and art rooms could be in any danger?"
Why is he asking you this? "I... think it depends on what's going on," You venture. "...And where the music and art rooms even are."
"The music room's on the second floor, right next to the library," He clarifies. "The art room's on the same floor, but on the other side of the building."
"I think the art room's safe, then, unless the problem is someone looking for as much destruction as possible." And even then, you doubt that it would be a priority target unless someone has a particular grudge against the Beauty Spirits. And people who can see multiple kinds of spirit are rare. The only one you know of is Gran Degree, and given some of the stories about him, you have your doubts that he ever existed.
"And what about the music room?" Right, that's what this whole argument was about, wasn't it?
You shrug. "It's next to the library, but there still wouldn't be any students in it, so it wouldn't have interest to predators. As for sapient threats... It probably depends on the culture they're coming from. Or if they have a particular grudge against the Sound Spirits. And even then, they'd probably consider the library more important." Because Raspberry's right. As far as you can tell, nobody has ever found any way to kill a spirit.
...Not that you consider yourself any sort of expert on the matter or anything, but when they don't take corporeal forms most of the time, there's not that many ways it could end.
Caramel doesn't seem satisfied with your answer, but before he can go ask for a third opinion, the ground starts to shake, and you turn to see that Merlot's vox friend has raised an earthen shield between herself and the felin from the meditation room. He sighs. "...Looks like Bel and Nutmeg are at it again..."
Raspberry nods, a look of resignation on her face. "And Sir Mustard is going to intervene in three... two... one." On cue, the adult that's supposed to be supervising you rushes over to the two tables.
[ ] So... who are those two, anyway? They don't seem to get along...
[ ] ...Sir Mustard?
[ ] Why is Caramel so worried about the music room, anyway?
