"Oh, crap…" Neptune vaguely remembered the young woman tugging him down to her level by his tie. He remembered she'd been important at some point in his life, he just couldn't quite place where he knew her from. The sharp, jagged teeth; the gilled throat; the smell of fresh, beachy air that followed wherever she went; the clammy, webbed hand wrenching him down to meet her cherry eyed gaze. It took a minute to come to him, sweat gathering at the back of his neck, ears burning as he uttered the name that'd been so fleeting just moments ago.

"N- Nerissa? Nerissa Finwood," he asked incredulously. The name itself was like fire in his mouth. The woman growled, releasing him with a strong shove that nearly toppled him over his heel. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Close enough for your first try," she scoffed, already regretting this reunion. She wasn't exactly thrilled about finding Neptune, but her curiosity had gotten the better of her.

The toothy grin, periwinkle hair, raspy voice and blood red eye all made Neptune's chest feel tight. Just being around the woman made him feel as if he should be running instead of… whatever it was they were doing.

"Where do I know this girl from?" Neptune tucked his tie back into his sweater, trying his hardest to remember.

"Um… yeah… thanks," he asked confusedly.

Nerissa fixed her hair, pushing her bangs to ensure they properly covered her right eye. So much about them had changed since she'd last seen him- from her haircut to his fashion sense. She was also certain that the last time they had seen each other she'd been distinctly taller than him. That was a change she didn't appreciate at all.

"Guess it has been a while. The undercut is definitely an improvement over the mullet-thing you had once upon a time." she admitted.

"Mullet? What're you- oh!" The memories he'd been searching so desperately for hit him hard as an Ursa. This was the girl who was always better than him. The girl who'd made his life hell for years! Whatever mundane activity he participated in, she'd learn about it and rob him of whatever enjoyment it'd afforded him. Whether it was a card game or knot tying or ultimate frisbee… She'd be there.

"Fuck, it's you," he whispered breathlessly.

She watched with a little too much pride as his expression dropped. She could practically feel the realization dawn upon him, his shoulders tensing up as if under intense pressure.

"There it is," she said cheekily, offering him a webbed hand to shake.

"Missed you, Sharkbait."

He wanted to smack her hand away. To shout and tell her to go away. Everything about her brought back some new memory he'd tried to repress. The way she'd sunk those razor sharp teeth into his arm during a fight. The way she'd made a fool out of him during their time together. The way she'd stared at him with those sharp, piercing eyes, cutting him down with just a look.

"My name is Neptune."

Nerissa chuckled, raising her hands in the air, feigning innocence. Truthfully, she was perfectly pleased to see the lasting effect she'd had on him, pressing old buttons that still elicited the same reactions they had all those years ago.

"So sorry," she apologized dramatically, placing a hand over her chest, pretending to be hurt from such a response over a simple mistake. Her lopsided grin betrayed her true intentions.

"It's been awhile, Neptune." He cringed as she spoke his name. Somehow this was objectively worse.

"Why are you here," he asked accusingly, taking a half step back more out of reflex than conscious thought. He didn't want her here, around his new friends and classmates he'd gotten so close to. He was afraid. Once she realized the friends he'd collected in her absence she'd sink her teeth in and wouldn't let go. Nerissa matched his step, shrinking the distance between them. She wouldn't be cowed by his height- intimidation an art she'd perfected over years of practice.

"I'm in town for the Tournament," she explained with a grin.

"Wondered if I'd see any familiar faces on the roster and… lo and behold, Neptune Vasilias, Team SSSN was on the first page I glanced at.."

"Shit. Shit. Shit, shit, shit." His mind was racing as he pieced together what she was telling him- and what she wasn't telling him.

"The Vytal tournament? That tournament? The tournament specifically held for student Hunters around Remnant? … that tournament?"

"Got it on the first guess this time. You're on a roll, Neptune." Nerissa took another short step toward him, close enough she could feel his cool, shaky breath against her forehead.

"If you're as good as you think you are, you and I have a pret-ty good chance of getting pit against each other, don't we?" Through a flash of teeth, it was obvious it wasn't a question. It was a threat. Neptune nearly cringed at the thought. She most likely remembered his semblance and would lose the advantage of surprise. She probably even remembered his fight style from when they'd been forced to spar as kids. But he wasn't a kid anymore…

"Might not end too well for you, Finwood. Getting your first loss so quickly in the tournament just might discourage you from Huntressing ever again." Neptune smirked holding his ground. He refused to let her intimidate him, even as she flashed her teeth in a quick smile. Nerissa was taken off guard by his response- she remembered only a few instances he'd ever stood up for himself. This cocky arrogance was a surprise she'd need a moment to process… just a moment. She gave a sharp, barking laugh and gave him a swift slap to the arm.

"That's what I like to hear, Sharkbait! Some guts I can play with while I maul you on the field." He flinched from the hit. She was strong, and the feel of her webbed hand against him brought back too many memories. His hand twitched towards his weapon before he could even stop himself. Years of anger coming back to be projected at the woman.

Her expression slowly fell as she watched him. She took a half-step back, away from him. As it turned out, Neptune had grown up to be a little intimidating himself. This was getting less fun for her, but she was stubborn. She wouldn't lose this little match between them. Grinning, she batted her eyes at him.

"Oh? Sharkbait, are you trying to start a fight? Do I have to call Camp Counselor Gwen to hold your hand and buy you pizza again," she teased.

"I didn't mean to do that," he thought desperately. He definitely didn't want to fight her. Not now, with this much raw emotion eating away at him. But backing down from Nerissa F Linwood was not and option.

"Start a fight? I thought you were always down for a friendly sparring match? Or do those only count if they're behind the showers?" He winked playfully at her, playing on his strengths. Neptune Vasilias was known for his playful winks that made the ladies swoon and he hoped to catch her off guard.

Nerissa hadn't been expecting that. Sharkbait standing up to her so confidently was beginning to make her nervous. It was strange to see that the little brat she used to pick on had managed to grow a big enough pair to talk back to her. She wasn't sure how to handle this new Neptune. She couldn't help but feel proud of him- bullied no longer. Not that she'd ever admit that to him.

"Spar? With you," she laughed dryly, smiling from ear to ear. She clicked her teeth at him teasingly before continuing.

"You may have sprung up a few feet, but your record against me doesn't look very good," she reminded him. Nerissa never would've believed poor Sharkbait would be the one getting himself into a fight with her.

Everything about her set him on edge. Her raspy growl of her voice, the click of her teeth as she spoke, the faint smell of the ocean that clung to her. Speaking to her was like tearing off a scab, but he'd talked himself into a corner with no way out but through.

"All talk and no bite today, Finwood?"

Nerissa's eyes glinted at his invitation. There was no mistaking it now, it was more than just banter- he was begging to get his ass kicked. For old time's sake, she decided to take the proverbial bait. Her posture shifted, shoulders arching back, webbed fists clenching. She tilted her up, showing off her gilled throat, egged on by his comments.

"You really want to fight me, Sharkbait," she said sharply, punching a fist into an open hand for emphasis.

There were a million and a half other things Neptune would rather be doing than sparring with his childhood enemy. He'd even try going for a swim before this.

"Bring it on, chum," he says smugly, slipping his weapon off his back, already calculating the best plan of attack.

"Tell you what, Nnnneptune, I'll make this a fair fight," she mused, sliding back on her heels and moving into a more prepared stance. Producing her own weapon, she placed it on the ground and kicked it away. It skittered across the ground, before finally sliding to a stop. She grinned widely and licked her lips.

"Fair enough," she thought to herself.

"Same rules as before? No hair pulling, no biting," she asked with a flash of her teeth. His arm burned as she teased him, the memory of the pain rising to the surface of his skin.

"I'm not the same guy she used to bully all those years ago," he thought to himself as he looked from Nerissa's weapon into her gaze. He didn't need friends to help him this time. He wouldn't need his weapon for this fight. He'd trained for years to learn to fight, he's killed hundreds of Grimm with ease since the last time she'd laid a hand on him.

"I can take her."

"Those rules go doubly for you, fish-breath." Neptune dropped his gun on the ground, kicking it across the floor to join Nerissa's weapon and raised his fists, sinking into his own stance. His remembered the underhanded tricks she used the most- leg sweeps, sand thrown in his eyes. If he dropped his guard for even a second and she'd do it all over again. He was ready for anything this time.