Elysian (After Stellarlune)

27. Keefe's POV

"Alright... who do you want me to hail? And who should I act as?"

"I think that's up to you. But we can pick if you want."

"Okay, you pick who I act as, but I pick who I hail." Marella's tone became that of a negotiator's, and Dex matched her startlingly low amount of confidence.

"Fine, but you hail them, and then I tell you who you have to act as."

"Deal." Marella said, holding out her hand.

"Deal." Dex replied, shaking Marella's hand, then bringing his own to his side, before stroking his chin in fake thoughtfulness. "Who will you act as?" He asked, mostly to himself. Everyone started voicing their ideas, but Maruca silenced them.

"Marella, hail them. Dex, it's your decision."

After exchanging more whispers with Maruca, Dex announced, "Alright, I've got it," at the same time Marella muttered, "I'm hailing them now."

Marella whispered a mystery name into her Imparter so that none of them could hear who it was.

"Dex, who's she being?" Fitz asked.

"She'll actually be acting as Sophie." Dex replied, grimacing slightly. He probably didn't have a better idea, and felt bad about it. On the opposite side of the circle, Sophie's face became that of a statue's; this was not going to be fun for her. Keefe squeezed her hand in reassurance.

Suddenly, Marella's Imparter screen lit up. There was Stina, scowling a bit.

"What do you need? I'm a little busy at the moment."

As kind as ever, I see. Keefe thought to himself.

"What are you doing, herding the pretty pink unicorns into their rainbow enclosures so that you can feed them gumdrops and sugarplums?" Marella matched Stina's sour tone, and she sounded just like Sophie in that moment. That was the exact type of sarcastic answer that Sophie would give. And moreover, what were gumdrops and sugarplums? They sounded like a human reference that Sophie would use, but then again, how did Marella know about them if that were true?

Keefe was about to ask as much, but then, Biana beat him to it.

"What in the name of sparkly alicorn poop are sugarplums and gumdrops?" Biana half-whispered.

Maruca answered their question in a low whisper. "I think it's a human reference; Marella, Linh and I were looking in human libraries a bit ago because they interested us, and because Tiergan took us there, but it doesn't matter right now. Just be quiet so that Stina doesn't hear us and we can watch the entertainment."

The three of them turned their attention back to the increasingly confusing conversation between Marella and Stina. Stina was asking why Marella was acting weirder and dumber than usual; Sophie was silently fuming from the comment;

and Marella was feigning innocence.

"What are you talking about? Did the years and years with the unicorns finally get to you? Because you're not making sense, and it sure as heck isn't me."

After another minute or so of pretending to be Sophie, Marella stopped talking suddenly, said that she needed to go, and clicked off her Imparter with a sigh of relief.

After a moment, Keefe commended her with a slow-clap, which none of his friends copied.

"Finally, it's my turn to ask a question." Marella said, brightening already. "Fitz, truth or dare?"

"Truth. I don't trust anyone here with dares." Fitz looked around at the group suspiciously, as if proof of his distrust.

"What happened between you and Sophie?" Marella asked. "I mean, I know the basics: you got mad, you two broke up, and Sophie got together with Keefe; but give me the details."