Hello all!
Back again, I am, with a new story.
It's pretty much imperative that you read Lost and Found before reading this story, as it's a story that comes directly after it and takes place in the same universe/timeline. I'm still not going to call it a 'sequel', but it's pretty darn close.
Obviously, this is post-TAY, not cannon, and multi-chaptered.
Also obviously, I know nothing. Well, that's not actually true anymore, is it? I own what TAY was too inept to come up with.
There will be another Author's Note at the bottom, but for now, onward to the story!
Kieran heard the distinct sound of glass breaking a second before he ducked a slash to the face with a broken bottle. He had to side step to the right to avoid being struck with a barstool a moment later, and instead winced as the wooden object crashed into the counter behind him.
Splintered wood rained down in every direction and Kieran shoved the wielder of the former stool into the man with the jagged bottle, making them both topple onto the ground in a heap.
"This is so your fault!" he called over the din of the scuffle, shooting a quick glare in the direction of his mentor.
If Kain heard him, he ignored him, or was too busy dodging drunkards to reply.
This was supposed to be a simple conversation with one of the patrons in the tavern and Kieran still wasn't entirely sure how it had erupted into an all-out brawl.
He didn't have a chance to continue pondering that topic since he had to avoid a poorly timed punch aimed at him.
It was a good thing it was the middle of the day and the bar only contained a dozen or so people, otherwise they would have had a harder time defending themselves.
Another angry attacker lunged at him but Kieran just sidestepped the stumbling man and grabbed his arm as he tried to punch him haphazardly.
He hooked his foot around the other man's ankle so that when he tried to break free, he tripped himself and collapsed, slurring together what might have been an insult.
The next nearest target Kieran didn't bother to even look at and just punched him as he reached for bottle to copy the earlier assailant.
The uproar seemed to have died down by this point, and Kieran stood still for a moment, trying to catch his breath. He did a quick survey of the now ruined tavern before his gaze finally settled on his mentor again.
He glared at the blonde man and repeated what they'd discussed before coming in here. "We won't need our weapons, this is just a simple conversation?"
Kain glanced over his shoulder at him and Kieran scowled, "What a load of-"
"We're fine," Kain interrupted before he could finish out his thought.
Kieran stared at him for a moment, thinking that the word 'fine' didn't really cover anything that had happened. He stepped gingerly over his pile of passed out and knocked out victims and wandered around Kain's, commenting, "I hope you at least got the information we came here for,"
Kain frowned at that, "I did not."
Kieran rolled his eyes, "Fantastic."
"The black market's not going anywhere," Kain retorted, shrugging.
His statement was unfortunately true, though Kieran felt as if this excursion from their normal routines was a waste of perfectly good time. Time they could have spent following up on other leads, or time they could have spent not almost getting stabbed with broken bottles.
Kieran left the building first, making it clear to his mentor that he wasn't going to stay and explain to the barkeep what had happened.
Kain had made a face, Kieran had grinned, and in the end, apprentice triumphed over mentor.
So he waited outside, shivering as a few snow flurries decided to fall despite the prediction that today would be a little warmer. The weather hadn't quite declared winter yet, but it was only a matter of time. All the trees had lost their leaves, and the sky had been a perpetual gray the past three weeks.
Kieran shook his hand out, knuckles hurting from where he'd punched a man during the fight. He pulled his glove off of his left hand to inspect any damage, but frowned realizing that it would be impossible to see any bruising through the scars.
He sighed and pulled his glove back on as a loud, shuttering sound filled the air. He looked up as the shadow of an airship passed overhead, hull markings identifying it as the Farragut. Kieran shook his head, glad that the weather hadn't turned any nastier today. The Farragut should have been decommissioned decades ago, yet Cid insisted on running it occasionally.
In the extreme cold of winter, the engines would have likely stalled and the gears would have frozen.
He watched it fly overhead and circle around to land in the castle's airship hanger, all the while wondering why he hadn't heard about any airships coming or going today.
Or, maybe he had and hadn't been paying attention. He only listened to half of what Ceodore said, after all.
Kain appeared a moment later and he glanced at him, nodding and pushing off the side of the building.
"All done?"
"Yes, though he wasn't happy," Kain commented as he walked by, heading for the nearest route to the castle.
"I wonder why." Kieran muttered sarcastically.
They continued along the frosty streets, now dusted with light snow, and Kieran took the time to look around the city, marveling at the fact that people had been in the tavern so early in the day. But, he supposed it wasn't really all that strange. Every town had their troublemakers.
"Was that our only new lead on the elixirs?" Kieran finally asked, getting back on topic. He brushed snow off his dark hair as he waited for an answer, hoping that they had another plan.
Kain shrugged, "The only new lead, but I wouldn't worry. This has been going on for a while. I suspect it will take time to weed out everyone that's involved."
Kieran nodded absently, "Mysidia sure is impatient about it,"
"Mysidia can get to work cleaning it up at their end if they really have a problem with it." his mentor grumbled.
Kieran grinned, having fully expected that sort of reaction.
They were approaching the castle now, crossing over one of the bridges when Kain frowned and muttered something under his breath.
Kieran peered at him questioningly and he sighed, "Did an airship fly overhead?"
"Yes, the Farragut." the young man replied, earning another sigh from Kain.
"What time is it?" he asked, undoing a buckle on his gauntlet.
His apprentice shrugged, "I don't know…maybe around three o'clock? Why?"
The water gargled underneath them as they walked, Kieran careful about his footing since the bridge often froze over at night and became an icy trap.
"I just remembered I was supposed to meet with the newly promoted captain Anneal." Kain explained, squinting up at the castle, "But I'm also supposed to meet that airship."
Kieran frowned, "Anneal…is that the woman from Troia?"
"Yes,"
He spoke again, "And the airship?"
"An expert Cid invited in to help on his new design." Kain replied.
"The one that doesn't actually start because the calibrating tubes aren't attached to the conductor leads correctly?" Kieran complained, rolling his eyes.
He realized his mentor was pinning him with a look so he frowned and explained, "Don't give me that look. So I happened to see the blueprints…Cid never listens to anyone, anyway. Luca's getting just as bad. I'm surprised they even called someone in to help. Arrogant engineers…"
There was an awkward pause as they entered through the main gate at the castle, getting smacked in the face by the warm air from inside that contrasted the temperature on the streets.
"I can't be in two places at once," Kain complained, stopping in the main hallway and looking both ways with a frown.
Kieran grinned at him and teased, "Too bad you don't still have an evil doppelganger running around."
Kain shot him a flat look. He was just happy to still be able to get a few snide remarks in on his mentor even after all this time.
"Well mister sarcasm," Kain said, rolling his eyes, "How about you go to the airship hanger and meet our guest while I go and sit in a boring meeting."
"Didn't the airship already land?" the young man asked, staring up at his mentor.
Kain smirked at him, "Then I suggest you run."
Kieran shook his head, "Sometimes I hate you,"
He didn't wait for a reply and sped off, knowing that it was highly unlikely he could get into the hanger bay before whoever was on that ship disembarked.
Still, he dodged around corners and people, not bothering to give apologies if he happened to bump into anyone. Mostly these people just wandered the halls, anyway.
The trip would have been easier, and taken less time, if he wasn't wearing armor but he was, so there was no point in dwelling on it.
Before long he rounded one last corner, ran down a hall and flung open the door at the end of it. Kieran was clanking down the metal steps of the hanger bay just as the airship's engines and turbines shut off.
He grinned as he hopped off the last stair and halted in front of the ramp just as it lowered into place.
"Ha, nice try Kain," he thought, pleased he had foiled his mentors attempt to cause trouble.
This was not the first time, but unlike in the past, he was getting so used to it that it no longer infuriated him. Now it was more of a game.
A familiar figure walked out onto the ramp and stood at the edge, brushing a strand of teal hair away from her face. She caught Kieran's eye and they both froze, an awkward silence filling the space.
He should have known that it would be Cuore on the airship. Who else would Cid call in from another country? Who else would he call an expert, for that matter?
"Oh," Cuore said, dropping her hand to her side, although the pause between the continued.
She looked older then the last time he'd seen her, and even if that had been many months ago, he suspected her aging had more to do with the Feymarch then actual time. He'd heard a rumor that the summoner had spent a little time there making sure the Eidolons readjusted to their long lost home.
Realizing he should do something to break the silence, Kieran cleared his throat, which led Cuore to smile hesitantly, "Um…I thought Kain was meeting me,"
"He's in a meeting," Kieran replied, averting his gaze, "He didn't tell me I would be meeting you."
Cuore likewise looked away, "Oh, I'm sorry."
"No, not that…there's anything wrong I just…" Kieran trailed off, not sure what to say to her that wouldn't be taken the wrong way.
She rubbed her arm, "Well, he didn't say you'd be meeting me, either. Not that, like you said, I mean, there's nothing wrong with that, it's good to see you, it's just…"
She sighed and shook her head, but then another voice joined in from behind her, cheerful and completely unaware of the awkwardness.
"Sissy!"
Leo bounded out of the airship, smiling broadly, and stopped at her side, looking up at his sister with admiration.
He was older too, Kieran observed as the boy turned to look at him. His smile faded and he frowned, reaching out to grab Cuore's hand as a response to seeing her former arch nemesis.
"I thought Kain was meeting us," Leo said sullenly, making a face.
"He's in a meeting." Kieran replied tightly, wondering if he was going to get this sort of reaction from everyone for his whole life.
Cuore laughed nervously, "Um, yes, so he is…"
Leo was still frowning, but she just tugged his hand and finally stepped off the ramp. Even as she stopped in front of him, she refused to look Kieran in the eye and it bothered him.
They had been on civil terms before, but this meeting made it seem as if they were mortal enemies and he had no idea how to fix it.
"Civil, ha." he thought, wincing inwardly. One dance wouldn't clear the air between them, but still, it should have helped.
So far, it looked as though it hadn't.
"Leo coming with me is a surprise, I know," Cuore was saying, smiling down at her brother, "But, well, things happen. I hope it won't be too much of a bother to get him a room as well."
Kieran shook his head, "I'm sure it's fine."
She nodded and twirled a piece of hair around her finger, eyes staring into the distance, "Speaking of rooms…"
Kieran winced, "Sorry, yes, I guess I'm supposed to show you to them, aren't I?"
Cuore laughed nervously again, "No, your fine. I…could probably find them if you'd prefer."
It was her turn to wince and she added quickly, "I meant, if you have something else to do."
"No, I don't…" he said, sighing and then gesturing to the exit, "Shall we?"
Cuore nodded and moved forward, Leo in toe, while Kieran sighed once more and then followed a few paces behind.
"You are so dead for this, Kain."
His mentor should have at least warned him it was Cuore. It wouldn't have changed the fact that they would be forced to interact if she were here, but at least he would have had some time to prepare.
"I noticed Ceodore didn't say anything, either." Kieran complained to himself, trying not to shuffle his feet. He didn't want to come across as a child having a tantrum.
Leo was still glaring at him, holding Cuore's hand and walking at her side with measured steps.
Kieran just stared back at him, almost wishing he'd make a comment. At least it would have broken the awkward silence.
Cuore would never be one to start a conversation if she didn't have too, so it fell to him to attempt to sort this out. Kieran was fairly certain this would end badly.
"How are you?"
Cuore seemed startled by the question and slowed her pace, glancing at him and then averting her eyes, "I'm…fine. You?"
"Fine."
Another awkward pause.
Kieran wanted to groan at that unsuccessful exchange but instead he tried again, making a question that would require some thought for her to answer.
"Why did you let Cid talk you into coming?"
Cuore's lips twitched slightly, "Well, I feel a little badly for destroying the Voyager."
"Why? I was the one driving it." Kieran remarked, trying to inject some measure of humor into this talk before it dissolved.
Cuore blinked, "True. Though if you hadn't taken over, Ceodore would have likely crashed it anyway."
He paused, not sure if she was kidding or not. Cuore had a way of making comments that should have been sarcastic sound normal.
The conversation dropped away again.
They ascended a set of stairs, heading for the upper levels that contained the guest rooms. The windows they passed showed that more snow had begun to fall, and Kieran idly noted that despite the wintery conditions, Cuore was wearing sandals.
He decided not to question why on the off chance it would offend her.
They didn't speak again until they reached the hallway of the guest wing, both sides containing doors that led to the identical rooms within.
"Take your pick," Kieran said, waving an arm around, "No one else is here. Ursula's coming but not until the end of the week."
Cuore nodded and Leo finally released her hand to dash forward and throw open a door, inspecting the room inside with childish delight.
Kieran noticed how Cuore watched her younger brother with a soft expression on her face, obviously enjoying his antics.
"Leo seems excited to be here with you," he said quietly, not really thinking.
Apparently, that was the chosen topic to pull Cuore out of her shell, and she smiled. "Yes, though I suspect by the time I'm through working on this airship, he'll be bored. But right now, he is pleased to be on an adventure with his sister."
She chuckled lowly, "Some adventure…trapped in Baron castle in the dead of winter."
"So why'd you bring him?" Kieran asked. He hoped that didn't sound like an accusation; he really was curious.
Her smile twisted, displaying an emotion he couldn't place, but one that didn't alter the happiness in her eyes. "I think…my parents wanted some time to themselves…and Leo could use a little distraction, too."
She glanced at him, finally, and mentioned, "Don't tell anyone, especially not Leo, but my parents are going to have another child. I'm not sure when. They think I don't know, but it's really quite obvious."
Kieran wasn't sure why she had decided to share something like that with him, nor did he have any idea what to say in reply, but they were diverted from further interaction by Leo.
Now finished with his review of all the rooms, he declared which one he would like in a very polite fashion, and mentioned it had the best view.
Cuore ruffled his hair, "Then I'll take the one right across the hall, okay?"
He nodded at her, "Sounds good."
Cuore smiled, but didn't look at Kieran when she spoke, "Thank you for meeting us."
Kieran shrugged, "Sure. I'll tell Cid you made it here and are settling in."
She nodded, Leo continued to glare, and Kieran decided he didn't want to be any longer.
With a hasty goodbye he pattered back down the stairs and exhaled sharply, muttering under his breath, "That was awkward."
The airship hanger was a battlefield of screaming, profanities, and the sounds of objects being thrown.
Kieran frowned and wandered inside, walking straight into one of Luca and Cid's more colorful fights. The other workers just watched, shaking their heads and taking bets as to who would win.
"I told you this would happen!" Luca shouted, throwing down her wrench in annoyance, almost flattening Calca.
Brina moved away from her other side, just in case. She was still holding another wrench.
"You don't know the Farragut like I do!" Cid retorted from across the hanger, perched on the airship's deck, throwing something around as well.
Luca growled, "That's because I'm not old like you and this relic of a ship! The damn thing is shot, just give it up! Scrap the damn thing and be done with it!"
"Scrap it?!" he said, alarmed, "No! Never!"
"You waited to do this until I get ready to leave, too, typical!" Luca continued.
Kieran sighed, already fed up.
And Ceodore wondered why he didn't spend more time down here.
"You leaving is your choice, missy!"
That much as true. But it was always like this. Luca didn't like the cold for obvious reasons so she always returned to the dwarves for the winter months, only to return when the flowers were back in bloom. She'd actually stayed longer this year because the new ship was apparently remarkably excited.
Kieran thought the design was garish.
Cid swore about something on the Farragut being burned out and threw another hammer down with surprising force.
"There you go, starting to throw a tantrum!" Luca cried, tossing her hands up, "I give up! I wanted to fix the problem with the cyclic turbine controls before I left, but no. You have to fret about that ship instead of this one!"
"Why don't you yell a little louder, Luca," Cid shouted, "I don't think they heard you in Agart!"
She growled, but before he had to endure anymore of their bickering, Kieran wandered over, grabbing a short handled wrench on the way, and shoved Luca out of the way.
He scowled at the completely disassembled insides of the ship but nevertheless adjusted a few parts and then clicked the cyclic cogs back into place with brute force.
He glared at Luca, "Adjusting the flow pressure will allow you to realign the cyclic turbine controls, but it won't work if you don't make room for another set of tempo cogs. You need three, not two. The extra one takes care of the friction for the other two turbines so they don't lock up."
She stared at him, he glanced at Cid and finished, "And Cuore is here."
Kieran tossed the wrench to Calca, who caught it, and stalked back towards the hanger entrance.
"Hey, wait!"
Kieran groaned and paused, looking back to see Cid waving wildly from the deck of the Farragut.
"How'd you know what was even wrong with the turbines?"
Kieran hesitated, not sure how to explain that when Cid pointed at him, "Ah ha! I knew it. You looked at the blueprints, didn't you?"
"They were a mess." he admitted, knowing what was coming next.
Cid heaved a sigh, "Blueprints were never my thing. You have to go by trial and error."
"Mostly error," Kieran muttered under his breath as Cid continued. "You should be down here helping us! Its wasted talent you have! Wasted!"
This was not a new discussion.
Kieran turned back around and continued his escape, calling back, "Cid, my answer is the same as the last hundred times you've asked."
He heard some more shouts behind him but chose to ignore them. His shift was almost over and he still needed to check on Kain and report.
Kieran fully expected to find Kain, smack him for the surprise visitor and then find somewhere quiet to write up his report of the disastrous afternoon.
He did not, however, expect for Kain and Cecil to find him and be asked to go over the tavern incident while they walked.
Kieran didn't like giving reports verbally. It was hard to write attitude onto paper, but he still hadn't mastered keeping it out of his voice.
But still, if the king really wanted to know…
"I was given false information from Kain that there was no need to bring weapons since we were just having a simple conversation. We arrived, I was guarding the door in case our mark tried to bolt and the next thing I know, all hell has broken loose and there's a brawl erupting. I have no idea what started it."
He took a deep breath and continued, "Then I almost got cut in the face by a broken bottle and punched, but luckily I am unharmed."
Kain was staring at him, less than impressed, but Cecil looked amused, if anything. "Your attention to detail is remarkable, Kieran."
He nodded, "I try."
Kain rolled his eyes but was distracted when he was asked a serious question by Cecil.
"I take it all did not go as planned?"
Kain shook his head, "No, I hadn't even gotten to asking anything before he already knew why we were there. If it makes you feel better, he did try to hit me first."
"I'll be sure to let the irate barkeeper know that."
Kieran wondered if they were in trouble, but decided not to dwell on it. They could tell him later if they thought they needed too. Besides, he hadn't done anything wrong.
They continued to walk the hallway, heading towards the inner sections of the castle and Kieran was growing fidgety, wanting to leave the conversation before he had to speak anymore. He knew what was coming.
All too soon he was proven correct.
"And our…guest is here safely?" Cecil asked.
Kieran rolled his eyes, "You don't have to use code words. I already know Cuore is visiting." He frowned and glanced between the two, "It's kind of hard not too when you're the one meeting the ship…"
Cecil glanced at Kain, annoyed, and the other man shrugged, "I had that appointment with Candace Anneal."
"Oh, was that today?"
"Yes," Kain muttered, "Two hours of my life I'll never get back."
Kieran wasn't sure if he should still be mad about them glazing over Cuore's visit. It stung slightly that they kept it a secret, or even that they thought they had too.
Yes, they weren't the best of friends, but that changed nothing. They were civil. He didn't hate her and she didn't hate him. That should have been enough.
"She arrived without incident?" Cecil asked.
Kieran grit his teeth, biting back a few comments on how that could have been taken the wrong way. Instead he muttered; "Yes."
What did they think, that he had done something? Or was he overreacting and the king merely meant the weather?
He didn't know and he didn't want to a find out. His shift ended five minutes ago and he wasn't in the mood to stick around longer then he had too.
Unfortunately, the other men started talking about things unrelated to work and Kieran fidgeted, staying one step behind them and musing that they had probably forgotten he was even there.
That happened a lot. But it was a good way to hear gossip.
"So," Kain said, "Ursula is coming to visit again?"
Cecil gave a sort of half shrug, unconcerned, and Kain shook his head, "She should start paying taxes."
"What do you mean?"
"She practically lives here."
Cecil frowned, but looked thoughtful, "Not really…"
"She was just here," Kain retorted, holding up his hands as they rounded a corner, "and she stayed for over a week."
"That was last month." Cecil mentioned, as if a few weeks was a great expanse of time.
Kain was unmoved, "With how much Ursula and Ceodore fly back and forth, you should give Fabul an airship."
"But then everyone would want one," Cecil said jokingly, "Especially Edge. He's always shilling for one."
"And yet his daughter is here fixing ours. Ironic." the dragoon muttered.
"Very."
Kain gave his friend a look, "But seriously, those two…?"
Cecil just stared him, expression blank.
Kain frowned, "Don't tell me you're that stupid."
"Did you just call me stupid?" the king asked, sounding surprised.
"Implied." his friend countered.
Cecil frowned, looked like he wanted to say something, but then thought better of it. Instead, he shrugged after a moment, "I understand what you're indicating, but…well, let's not talk about this with Rosa around…"
"Which is why we aren't," Kain mentioned with a wide gesture to the empty halls.
Kieran, deciding he had overheard enough for one day, commented from behind them, "Rosa's going to be mad once she finds out. Maybe I'll tell her for fun."
They both looked startled and stopped walking to stare at him. Kieran grinned, "You forgot I was still here, didn't you?"
Kain was scowling at him, "Why are you still here?"
"No one told me to go anywhere else." he retorted, feeling entirely innocent in the matter.
Cecil, who didn't look as unhappy as his mentor, frowned at him, "Surely you have something better to do,"
Kieran shrugged largely at that comment, "Eh, that's debatable."
"Go." Kain said dryly, obviously done with his antics for one day.
Kieran grinned again, "So, I'm dismissed?" he asked cheekily.
This time his mentor pointed off down the hall, "Yes, go!"
Still grinning, he gave a lazy, mocking salute before turning and leaving them alone, but not before he heard Cecil mention; "You wanted to train him."
Cuore had never seen the airship hanger look so disorderly.
It almost hurt her eyes to gaze down at the sheer chaos below. There were two airship hulls that were in varying stages of construction while parts were scattered across whatever floor space was left and heaped in piles. Tools were tossed onto two long tables off to the one side and a pile of notebooks and scrolls were drifting precariously on the edge of one table.
She must have been staring for a while because Leo tugged on her arm, "Cuore,"
She shook herself out of her disgusted daze and glanced down at him, he was peering up at her worriedly, "You okay?"
"Yes, but the sheer amount of…mess caught me off guard." she replied, frowning.
Leo grinned, "Yeah,"
Cuore shot him a brief smile and descended the metal steps cautiously, still uneasy with the disorder below. She didn't enjoy stepping into someone else's workspace to begin with, but it was even worse when that workspace was a complete disaster.
Before she could set foot on the stone flooring of the actual hanger, Luca called to her from across the room, waving madly.
Cuore smiled and waved back, surprised to see the dwarf woman in the dead of winter.
They met at the edge of the first piles of mess she had spotted earlier and Luca gave her a quick hug before exclaiming, "I'm so glad you're here!"
Cuore smiled slightly, "Well, you did invite me,"
"Yes, but it took a lot for Cid to agree to do that. He really wants to make the next generation of airships by himself and all that." Luca explained, rolling her eyes. "He doesn't seem to get it that he can't."
Cuore gestured to the half-done hulls, "It appears as though you've started off well enough,"
Luca put her hands on her hips and turned to stare at their new ships, "The hulls are always the easiest. We barely modify those from our first designs. Cid could make one in his sleep. The insides, now that's where the problems come in!"
Cuore nodded, "Makes sense. You've been working with more and more electric circuits and internal combustion technologies. It's likely that you will encounter difficulties."
Luca grinned, "That's why you're here!"
She slapped the teal haired teen on the back and then pointed off towards the Falcon, "Hey, I'm boarding in a few minutes to leave for the Underworld. Is there anything else you need before I leave?"
Cuore shrugged, "I was surprised to see you still here,"
"I had to greet you!" the pink clad woman said, flashing her another grin, "Especially since Cid and I couldn't be here when you first came in." Her expression became hesitant, "Was everything…okay?"
Cuore made a face, confused as to what she was implying.
"I had no travel difficulties."
"And…Kieran?" Luca pried.
Cuore frowned, "What about him?"
"Well…" the dwarf trailed off, "I…just….Cid and I wanted to be here but I made him go to the white mages. He's been coming down with a cold but refusing to skip work. I didn't want Kieran to meet you."
Cuore felt a little defensive. Yes, the meeting had been extremely awkward, but nothing had happened and she wondered why Luca seemed to think something would have.
"It was fine." she assured her, shaking her head slightly.
That answer seemed to relieve the other woman somewhat and she nodded, once again smiling.
Cuore glanced over at the tables of work, noticing that Leo was balanced on tip-toe to look over the contents.
"I'd like to see the blueprints before I start tinkering around with what you have."
Luca shrugged and went over to pull all of the papers off the desk, "Sure, but good luck. Cid…doesn't really do blueprints. He likes to keep everything in his memory."
She passed the scrolls and notebooks over and flashed a cheeky grin, "Good luck."
Cuore frowned at the items in her hands and replied dryly, "Thanks."
Luca departed a few minutes later and Cuore sat down, unrolling one set of blueprints and grimacing at the incomplete notes and diagrams. This was going to be more difficult then she thought.
Leo had found some interesting transistors and was making faces at them and she grinned, beckoning him over with a wave.
"What do these do?" he asked.
"They regulate power output." she replied.
Leo still seemed unimpressed, "I don't see what's so special about airships…"
"Well, they fly, Leo." Cuore commented.
He shrugged, "So what?"
Cuore chuckled and ruffled his hair, "You want to help me organize all this? I can't work like this."
Leo grinned, "We'd better do it before Cid gets back!"
She giggled and nodded, "Definitely."
Baron had always seemed so large, but Kieran was realizing over the past three days that it wasn't really. He'd run into Cuore more times then he'd wanted too.
Whenever he was looking for Ceodore, he always found her instead.
On an errand for Rosa, he bumped into her in a random hallway.
On his way outside, he'd passed her in the main entrance of the castle.
It was odd that she was out and about so much considering she was supposed to be working on airships, but then again, he knew Cid had a meltdown because she'd rearranged his entire workspace. Maybe she'd been kicked out on a few occasions. It wasn't uncommon for Cid to do that. He even barred Cecil from entering once.
Kieran was glad someone had cleaned up the mess that was the airship hanger. Even their finished and operating ships couldn't lift off and land properly with all the junk laying around.
On all these occasions he ran into the teal haired teen, she avoided conversation save for once when she asked him if any shops in Baron sold platinum or old tubing.
They did not, and she'd made a disappointed face before wandering off.
But never, not once, had she made eye contact.
It was driving him nuts, and he wondered if he should seek her out purposely to deal with what seemed to be a problem. But then again, he seemed to see her more when he wasn't looking for her.
At the moment, he was more annoyed at Ceodore, anyway.
"Please, Kieran?" the prince whined.
He sighed, "I don't see why Ursula needs anyone to meet her anyway, she's been here a bunch of times. She practically lives here. She knows her way from the airship hanger to the guest wing and probably everywhere in the castle by now."
Ceodore fidgeted, "Yeah, but…well, I told her I'd meet her, and then mom decided she wanted my help with-"
Kieran scowled at him and crossed his arms, "So I'm covering for you?"
"What are friends for?" Ceodore said hopefully.
Kieran just stared back impassably, "Is that what we are? Is that why you didn't tell me about Cuore's visit?"
A guilty expression flashed across the prince's face and he winced, "Well, I…that wasn't intentional…"
"Sure it wasn't…"
Ceodore sighed, "Please, Kieran? You're off duty…"
"After two night shifts in a row of mind numbing gate duty! I want to sleep, not meet your girlfriend for you!"
"She's not my-"
Kieran ignored him and continued, "Besides, Cuore is in the airship hanger, so why can't they have girly chat or whatever and I can have a few hours' sleep?"
Ceodore blinked in realization, "Wait, are you…avoiding the airship bay because Cuore is down there?"
"When was the last time I willingly set foot inside it?" Kieran countered, glancing out the window, "It has nothing to do with her."
"…This was why we didn't want to tell you,"
His gaze snapped back to his friend, "We?"
Ceodore winced but ignored the implied question and just kept speaking, "I'm sorry, I didn't really think that you probably don't want-"
"It has nothing to do with her!" Kieran snapped.
Why was everyone making problems where there weren't any? Sure, their meetings had been awkward, but it could've been so much worse. Cuore and he weren't at each other's throats, they were mutually avoiding each other. And maybe that was for the best, in the end.
"Still, I'm sorry." Ceodore said, frowning and looking around his room, "I don't want to make this more difficult for you then it is already."
Kieran glared at him, "It's not difficult, there's nothing wrong between us."
Ceodore just stared at him skeptically and Kieran narrowed his eyes, pushing off the wall and pointing at him. "You don't believe me, do you? Fine! I'll go and meet that airship if it will shut you up."
Ceodore opened his mouth to say something else but Kieran just slammed the door closed on his voice, annoyed.
He wandered down the hallway but slowed his pace when he realized he'd just been played.
"Damn." he muttered, glaring back the way he came, "Nicely played, Ceodore…"
The prince was pretty good at manipulation.
Cuore was busy scribbling in a borrowed notebook, re-doing all the blueprints that Cid had half started in miniature form. She needed diagrams and notes to help sort through this clutter but at the moment, Cid and her were at odds.
He insisted they didn't need something other than copper for conductors. Cuore informed him, as nicely as she could, that the amount of power he wanted to regulate needed something that could be charged more.
They'd been a rather explosive argument on Cid's side about this while Cuore had just frowned at him and let him know that a tantrum would not help the design process any.
He hadn't spoken with her since then. In fact, he was across the bay in his corner, once again a mess, while she worked on her side.
Cuore glanced up at him and shook her head before returning to her own work.
She did feel badly that the conversation had taken such a drastic turn, but he had asked her here to help, and she knew what had to be done. His pride was probably wounded, but honestly Cuore could care less.
She was smarter than the entire world, put together, likely, and he had requested her help.
Cuore sighed when she realized that half of the hydraulic systems weren't even listed in the layout of the ship. They were physically there, but his designs omitted them.
No wonder Luca went mad.
Her work was interrupted by another airship landing in the hanger, this one painted a garish purple color. Cuore squinted across the hanger and saw Ursula step off the ramp with a toss of her golden hair.
Perking up, she waved and called, "Ursula!"
The other young woman looked around and then waved back, hurrying over and then skidded to a stop once she entered 'Cuore's zone' where the floor had been cleared and the piles were neatly stacked and organized.
"Whoa, what happened?" Ursula asked, shocked.
Cuore grinned, "This is my work station."
Her friend flashed her a grin, "Well then, that explains it."
They embraced and her friend asked, "I'm glad you're still here! I wasn't sure if I'd get to see you this trip! How have you been?"
Cuore sat back down on the stool in front of her desk, "Well, fine, I suppose."
"That's it, just fine?" Ursula asked, crossing her arms, "Come on, what's been happening lately?"
Cuore nervously brushed at her hair, "Nothing, really. It's just been the usual."
The blonde princess was obviously disappointed by her lack of news, and Cuore felt a little badly.
The truth was, she hadn't done anything noteworthy. There'd been a quick trip to the Feymarch to resolve a scuffle between her Eidolons and some of the others. Old wounds were still fresh, it seemed, and sometimes things got out of hand. Luckily, Asura seemed mostly reserved to the fact that she was a summoner now, and that everything had worked out in the end. The Feymarch had been busy recovering, but it had very little to do with her.
Back home, things were normal. Blessedly so.
Leo went to classes, her mother studied, her father avoided boring meetings. Cuore was glad for the normalcy, for the stability there. She preferred nothing happening to a rush of activity. Besides, winter was always a little quieter in Eblan.
And it's not like she could tell Ursula about the possibility of another little sibling on the way.
Ursula drew her back to the present with a shrug, "Well, I can't say anything exciting has really happened here, either. Or in Fabul. It's just…life, you know? But hey, Ceodore said Leo was here with you?"
Cuore smiled at mention of her younger brother and nodded, "Yes, he is."
"So, where is he?"
Cuore chuckled, "He got bored watching me work and so I sent him off to find something fun to do. So far, he's been doing well to stay out of trouble but still keep himself entertained."
She laughed again and rolled her eyes, "Though yesterday, apparently he'd been trying to follow Kain around. Kieran bought him back down here to me and he spent the rest of the day disappointed because he failed….or something. I'm not really sure…but he was sulking."
Ursula stiffened, "Um…how are things with…you and…Kieran? I mean, you know…considering."
Cuore frowned at her friend, "Fine, why does everyone keep asking me that?"
Ursula stared at her, dumbfounded. "Why?" she repeated, "Because, Cuore, you two…I mean, you weren't exactly friends. I'm just concerned about your visit, is all."
She sighed, "It's fine, really. It's awkward, but that's to be expected."
"Then…he's been nice?" Ursula pressed.
Cuore gave her a half smile, "Is Kieran ever nice?"
The blonde chuckled, though her worry didn't seem to fade. Honestly Cuore was a little insulted people thought they needed to meddle in her affairs and friendships so much. She could handle Kieran Astor; she didn't need help, and besides, he hadn't even done anything this trip.
Ursula's attention had been diverted to the upper catwalk of the hanger, near the doors and mumbled, "Speak of the devil…"
Cuore followed her gaze and noticed that Kieran had entered and was walking, rather slowly, down the steps.
Ursula crossed her arms and commented before he had made it to meet them, "I was expecting Ceodore to meet me,"
Kieran snorted and hopped off the last two steps, "He tricked me into coming instead."
"So you're here to cover for him?" Ursula asked, rising an eyebrow.
Kieran shrugged, "Something like that. I'm not sure why you need anyone to meet you anyway."
Ursula sighed, "He and I will have words later about promises,"
A smile slipped to show she was teasing and she headed for the steps, "Hey, I'll see you later, you two!"
Cuore set up straight to wave her off, "Bye!"
Kieran watched her go and then sighed, "I walked all the way down here, and for what?"
Cuore tried not to grin at his expense and leaned her elbows on the table in front of her, averting her gaze away from him though she commented, "Seems like Ceodore is going to be getting more than one talk later,"
Kieran glanced at her, and she paused, hand poised mid-air to pick up her pen where she'd left it.
There was an awkward pause and then they both looked away.
"So much for telling everyone nothing is wrong…" Cuore thought, flustered. She had no idea how to act around Kieran or what to say. She always started to be herself and then lost her nerve to actually speak.
The pause continued for a moment before Kieran turned all the way around, remarking, "Well, at least this place looks better since you've been here."
Cuore watched him leave and chewed on her lip, wondering if she should have tried to jump on that comment and form a conversation out of it. But what sort of conversation would it be? A halted one, no doubt, like every other one they'd had.
Cuore groaned and slumped in her seat, pushing the distraction away and once again focusing on the whole reason she was here.
Airships.
Kieran wasn't sure what task he loathed more; gate duty at night or clearing the roads to Baron for idiotic travelers deciding to wander alone in the dead of winter.
He swatted a Helldiver away from his face with the flat edge of his swallow, but the bird turned sharply away, curving at the last second and fly upwards.
He'd lost count of how many of the pesky monsters had swarmed, but he knew for a fact that he and his comrades had yet to take any of them down.
They should have brought an archer with them, but no one had known it would be birds attacking and not some of the other creatures that occasionally snuck about.
"I can't shake him!" one of his comrades shouted.
Kieran glanced towards the voice to see Hobby, by far the most theatrical of his roommates, running in circles while a Helldiver repeated struck at his armor.
Tycho hesitated as he watched, looking reluctant to strike, "Well, stop running! I can't hit him if you're both moving!"
Kieran thought they were being dramatic. Yes, the little monsters were obnoxious as hell with the way they darted in, pecked you, and then flew away, but they were hardly light threatening.
He flinched as one of the birds swooped down on his head.
He tried to push his blade upwards to skewer the bird, but all he got was a set of feathers as the creature flapped away.
He frowned but was distracted as Jansen, the final member of the group and one of the most annoying people Kieran had ever met, triumphantly declared he had finally gotten one.
"Great, he'll be unbearable to live with now," Kieran thought, annoyed.
The man they were attempting to apparently rescue from the Helldivers was cowering behind his cart of wears, and would occasionally shout unhelpful advice out to them.
Kieran almost wanted to let the man get at least one nasty peck mark for their troubles.
Suddenly there was an uproarious cawing from the remaining birds and they all flew to land in branches, surrounding the company.
"Uh…" Hobby said, backing up, "What are they doing?"
"Getting ready to attack," Kieran snapped, "I'm pretty sure they're pissed off you just killed one."
He gestured with his swallow to the dead body of their friend, and Jansen shrugged, "Well, one of us had to do something,"
"But Helldivers are notoriously familial," Kieran retorted, glancing quickly at the other man before returning his attention to the branches. "Not to mention territorial and probably hungry. It is winter."
"What's your point?" Jansen asked, sounding unimpressed.
Kieran sighed, "My point is that they're going to be highly aggressive!"
He was proven correct when the cawing abruptly caught off and the birds became deathly still, only to shoot from their branches with surprising speed.
Hobby could only mutter an; "Uh oh." Before the birds were upon them.
Their talons raked like knives, and Kieran winced at the harsh sound of nails against metal as he raised his gauntleted arm to protect his face.
It didn't really matter, as another one got a partial score across the back of his neck. He winced and turned, batting one bird away with his arm while he impaled another.
There was one good thing about the Helldivers being frenzied; they weren't as swift or organized, they were berserk. It made them easier to hit.
Kieran lost track of how many birds he cleaved, impaled or otherwise killed, but after a few minutes, the ruckus had died down and the snow on the ground was stained with the oddly colored purplish blood of the monsters.
Hobby was busy shaking his sword in an attempt to remove a Helldiver's body from it, but he seemed to be making little progress.
Kieran rolled his eyes and turned away, looking instead to the merchant who had finally decided to stand up, though he was anything but thankful.
"Sure took you long enough! I had no idea I'd be confronted on my way to Baron. Haven't been here in years, and this is the welcome I receive."
"You're welcome." Jansen muttered.
For once, Kieran agreed with the blonde man and found the merchant's attitude annoying. Besides, what moron traveled around with his cart full of wears in the dead of winter? It was not trading season. He was lucky a snowstorm hadn't come up instead. They would have been powerless to help him, then.
"Well," Tycho said diplomatically, "At least it's over now and we'll escort you the rest of the way."
The man snorted, "So what? You've not impressed me so far,"
Kieran squinted at the man, finding his almost annoying accent familiar. That and his hat.
"O'aka?" he asked, still unsure.
The man returned his attention to him, though he didn't seem to recognize him, "Eh? Have we met, lad?"
Kieran was faintly relieved to know his memory was as good as he thought and he smiled slightly as he replied.
"Kieran. Kieran Astor."
Now O'aka's expression change and he blinked twice before finding his voice again. "Kieran?" he repeated, "The little boy that always had that ratty notebook with him?"
Kieran winced, somewhat embarrassed about the mention of a notebook he still held. Granted, it was rattier then ever; burned from the fire and damaged beyond belief.
But that was a depressing thought, so he didn't say anything aloud.
"Guilty as charged," he commented instead, shaking the man's hand. "I haven't seen you in years."
O'aka chuckled, "Yes, been around the world and back, I have." His features turned guilty, "Listen, I'm sorry I've not been in contact. Heard about what happened, I did, but…"
He trailed off regretfully and Kieran shrugged, waving a hand to dismiss his comment. A year ago he probably would have snapped the man's head with a few choice words, but he'd wasted enough energy on being angry with people for no reason.
He had no next of kin, but that didn't mean it fell on old family friends to take care of him.
"Don't worry about it." Kieran assured him, "Things happen. It is good to see you again, though."
"It is!" O'aka agreed, back to his cheerful self, "Didn't recognize you, lad,"
Tycho snorted, "Why would you want too?"
Hobby, finally recovered from the attack, nodded, "Yeah, not much to see."
Kieran rolled his eyes in an exaggerated motion while facing O'aka so only he could see the action.
Jansen had the last word, "Didn't know Kieran was able to make friends,"
Kieran glared over his shoulder, "Shut up, Jansen."
They snickered, he just glared for a second more before returning his attention to O'aka. Sometimes he surprised himself that his roommates weren't dead yet. He was not a patient person.
"Why are you traveling in winter? A merchant as experienced as you knows this isn't a good time for trading or errands,"
O'aka sighed, "True, true, though my last adventure left me in need of a change of scenery. Kaipo's too warm even in winter, I say."
Kieran tilted his head, "Kaipo? Then why are you on this road, shouldn't you have-"
O'aka cut him off, "Hate to admit it but I tried to go to Mist. Got scared in that cavern though. People say it's haunted, you know. I sure felt like I wasn't welcome."
Kieran decided to not bother telling him it wasn't really haunted. Besides, as much as O'aka was a family friend, he was also irritating as a merchant. Mist would likely have kicked him out within a day even if he had made it to their borders.
They began their trip back towards the city, and thankfully the roads seemed mostly clear of anymore monster activity.
"Before Kaipo I was in Troia for a while." O'aka explained as they walked. Kieran opted to stay away from his comrades and walk next to the merchant instead.
"Weird place, though it is as beautiful as people say." he finished.
Kieran glanced curiously into his cart, "So, what are you transporting that couldn't wait a few months?"
O'aka shrugged, "Bits and bobs. The usual items and some Troian herbal remedies. Also have some old hovercar parts. No one anywhere but Baron will even look at them, I suspect."
Kieran paused, "You…wouldn't happen to have an old exhaust manifold, would you?"
There was an awkward pause and O'aka chuckled nervously, "I've not clue, lad. What does it look like?"
He sighed and then attempted to explain, "It's…a device with usually two or three tubes wrapped up and around."
O'aka stopped walking and dug around for a moment while Kieran waited patiently at his side, casting a lazy glanced up the road where the other three escorts were getting further and further ahead. Obviously they were eager to be out of the cold and couldn't care less about the merchant.
"Is it…this?" O'aka asked, holding up an item.
Kieran nodded, "Yes! Exactly that."
He took it and looked it over, "This is in pretty good shape, too. It looks like it only needs a slight conversion to this one end to hook it into the catalytic converter…"
O'aka chuckled again, "You and your airships. Maybe I have some other parts for you, yes?"
Kieran shook his head, "It's not for me. I…well, it's a long story."
O'aka looked like he wanted to ask more questions, but Kieran just held the manifold out to him again, "But, I know someone who might want to buy some old parts for you."
The merchant surprised him by pushing the machine back into his hands, "Take it. You're the only person I know who gets so excited over old metal."
He regarded him skeptically, "Are you sure?"
"Yes," O'aka said, tipping his hat to him, "Consider it a gift from an old friend."
Kieran grinned, "Thanks."
They started walking again and the merchant gave him a puzzled look, "Might I ask, though. If you don't work on airships, then what is that for?"
Kieran hesitated, not sure how to properly word the purpose of needing this item.
"It's…a gift." he settled on. Inwardly, however, he tacked on; "A peace offering, more like…"
The castle was quiet when they returned and Kieran received a few confused looks as he walked the hallways carrying his new manifold.
It took him a few minutes to find Cuore, and when he did she trailed off mid-sentence in her conversation with Ursula.
The blonde princess noticed the disturbance right away and glanced between the two of them.
Kieran stopped a few paces from them and hesitated, wondering how he was going to bring up the purpose of seeking her out.
As usual, Cuore averted her eyes and would be of no help to this conversation.
Kieran decided to be direct since he usually was anyway, and held the exhaust manifold out to her.
"Here,"
Ursula wrinkled her nose, "And we would want that….because?"
Cuore carefully took the item, "An exhaust manifold…"
"I know you need one to replace the burned out one on the airship. You'll need to convert the junction port on the side," he explained, pointing to it. "But other than that it's in good shape."
Cuore blinked at the item in her hands, "How did-?"
"You mentioned that you needed one," he reminded her, surprised she forgot telling him that.
She paused, as if thinking about it, and starting to walk forward, "I did, didn't I? I'm amazed you remembered…"
He frowned, "I do listen to you,"
"I'm surprised."
"That what? I'm not a complete jerk all the time and only occasionally?"
"That isn't what I meant," Cuore murmured, shaking her head. Kieran sighed and grabbed her arm, pulling her to a halt.
"This has to stop." he said.
She was staring at him anxiously so he continued, releasing her arm, "I'm worried that you're going to take everything I say the wrong way. I thought we were on good terms. I thought we had settled everything. Please, let me know if I was mistaken."
She visible sagged, "No, no, we did, I'm…worried too, about offending you. I…don't really know…what to say to you."
"It's not just words," he grumbled, annoyed, "You won't even look at me."
She bit her lip, eyes averted to the side, proving his point. "I'm sorry,"
Kieran groaned, "I don't want an apology, I want things to be less awkward between us."
Cuore sighed and finally looked at him, blue eyes troubled, "Things are never going to be normal with us, Kieran. You know that, right?"
He frowned, "That's not-"
"What do you see when you look at me?" she demanded.
It was a trick question, he knew that.
"Not a Maenad if that's what you're implying." Kieran retorted, looking away, "And I don't appreciate you thinking you know who I am, because you don't."
Cuore sighed and they stood in silence for a moment before she spoke up again, "I don't want to hurt you."
Kieran had already planned a few more things to tell her, heatedly, but her words made them fade and he blinked at her, surprised.
She didn't want to hurt him? What did that even mean?
He was more confused than anything, and perhaps, slightly touched that she was that concerned about his feelings even if she'd gone about this entirely the wrong way.
Cuore must have taken his silence to mean something bad because she winced and averted her gaze, turning the mechanical device over and over in her hands.
He decided he had to say something to break this awkwardness but then he glanced in annoyance at Ursula, who was just watching and hadn't said anything. He'd almost forgotten she was there at all, but once his gaze rested on her she shifted, knowing she was found out.
"Awkward turtle," she mentioned with a hesitant smile.
Kieran frowned at her, "Not helping Ursula. Can you go…bug Ceodore or something? I need to talk to Cuore. Alone."
The blonde princess hesitated and looked at Cuore, as if making sure she had her consent to leave. Kieran felt slightly insulted but also understood and merely waited impatiently while they had their no-word, girl-chat.
Finally Ursula nodded to Cuore and turned, catching Kieran's eyes before she moved away completely.
The look on her face was a warning.
He frowned, annoyed she thought he was going to make the situation worse.
"I'm the one suggesting we fix this!" he thought, waiting for her to move far enough away where she couldn't eavesdrop before he returned his attention to Cuore.
She hadn't moved, but she was finally looking at him…
…With a petrified, preoccupied expression.
His frown deepened and she started chewing her lip, looking more anxious by the second.
Kieran finally sighed and rubbed his forehead, "Look, I…"
He what?
Wanted to be friends? Wanted to forget that there was a history between them? Wanted to ignore all the darkness that had happened?
Cuore took a deep breath, speaking slowly as if she was picking her words carefully, "I…appreciate your…dedication to trying to…maintain a sense of civility between us,"
Kieran frowned again, "I sense a 'however' coming,"
"However," she said, shooting him a sharp look as the word left her mouth, "I feel like…we shouldn't…force this."
"Force what?" he asked, exasperated, "You're the one who suggested we try to be friends, and now it's like…it's like you still think I hate you or something."
Cuore looked mildly annoyed, now, "I know what I suggested."
"Then what is the problem?" he asked, irritation seeping into his tone.
Cuore looked away, glaring at a wall, "I…don't know!"
She sounded genuinely confused by their lack of success in mending the relationship and Kieran took a couple of deep breaths, hoping to keep any negative emotions from his tone.
"Are you…" he hesitated, "I told you I didn't hate you, and it was true, but do you…hate me?"
Her eyes shifted back to him with a startled sort of dismay on her face, "What? No!" She swallowed, "I don't hate you, and I know you don't hate me. I'm…concerned that we're going to end up hurting one another again. I'm worried that just by being here I'll make things challenging for you."
Kieran was surprised by how unsettled she seemed about the situation, and it would have been so simple to let everything go right then and there. They could decide to avoid each other for the rest of their lives.
That would be the easy way out, but Kieran didn't really like to do things the easy way.
"I'm willing to take that chance, Cuore." he told her, watching her expression carefully. "I'm worried too, but our only options are to get along or pretend we don't even see each other. Considering we have the same friends, the latter will be difficult."
Cuore relaxed somewhat at his dry humor and she hadn't looked away yet, which was progress.
"Then…we start over? Again?" she asked. This time her voice was coy, almost.
Kieran nodded, "Yes, if we must. Are you willing to take the chance?"
Cuore nodded, smiling hesitantly, "Yes, but do you promise that if…I say something…that you won't be offended? I'm…"
She left the last word unspoken so Kieran offered, "Sarcastic?"
Cuore giggled and nodded, brushing some teal hair behind one ear, "Yes, sarcastic, mocking, a little sassy."
He shrugged one shoulder, "You have no idea who you're talking too. You have to promise to do the same, and to keep eye contact. It makes me…nervous when you get so jumpy."
Cuore smiled, this time looking like she meant it, and nodded, "I shall try."
Kieran held out his hand, "Friends?"
"Friends," Cuore agreed, with a nod of her head and a shake of his hand.
Author's Note: I had not intended for the first chapter to be so...long. But, I doubt anyone will complain, will they?
There's a few notes I want to go over about this story. It's tagged under "Mystery" as well as adventure because there will be a sort...crime-ish element to this. (I meant it when I said there would be different themes for future stories,) and as such, be watchful when reading for clues of the overall plot. I've already dropped some in.
Just think of this as Law and Order: Final Fantasy.
Also, there will be three POV in this story that we will switch between; Cuore, Kieran and Leo.
There will also be quite a few 'guest stars' as it were that will be orignal characters. Remember, we have to build up a suspect list! I'll try not to have it be annoying with them present, though. Nothing as annoying as OC 'splosion.
There's going to be...some world building with this story. But, not what you might expect. In fact, I'm hoping no one will riot...
I'll mention more in other A/N, but for now, there was chapter one! Reviews are greatly appreciated!
PS. Yes, there is a joke with the names of Kieran's roommates. No, I'm not telling you what it is right away. Props to anyone who gets it.