The phone rang once.
It rang twice.
She didn't breathe, tapping her foot expectantly against the ground as she impatiently waited for the line to pick up. She had been waiting for too long to make the call. It had already been a week – seven days of nothing but impatiently pacing about an unfamiliar town, struggling to clamp down on the intense enthusiasm that threatened to completely overwhelm her. To keep herself from spilling the beans early and ruining everything she had been working so hard towards.
But now, with that innocuous little envelope sitting only a metre away on her bed, it was finally time.
Come on, come on, just pick up!
She couldn't hold it in any longer.
The call connected. A boyish voice spoke.
"Hey, this is-"
"I PASSED!" was Aeronwy Larkspur's excited scream, seven days' worth of holding back her enthusiasm ripping free of their shackles. Seven days' worth of waiting with the knowledge of her success breaking through the dam's walls. Seven days' worth of needing to keep her passing a secret no longer a limitation to be followed. "I DID IT! I GOT INTO SHADE! I'M A HUNTRESS!"
There was a single note of silence on the other end.
Then –
"Dad! She passed! Aeronwy did it again!"
There was an immediate shout in the background. "WHAT?!" Heavy footsteps, and suddenly ("Sorry Idris I am applying eminent domain!" / "Oi dad no fair!") there was crackling on the other end, as if there was a short struggle.
"YOU HAVE TRIUMPHED, AERONWY?!" boomed her father. "A TRAINEE HUNTRESS OF SHADE?!"
"I have! I am!" Even though she knew he couldn't see her, the redheaded girl couldn't help but nod vigorously. Her smile was threatening to eat up her entire face, but she didn't care at all. Not when she could finally tell her family that she had done it. That she had passed (and totally aced, mind you) the entrance exams. "I even took out a Boarbatusk!"
"MOST MAGNIFICENT! YOUR SUCCESS HAS MADE US TRULY PROUD!"
Immediately, there was the sound of another scuffle.
"Oi dad gimme it back and –" Her brother had clearly gotten hold of the phone again. "Right on, Aeronwy! I knew my big sister would be victorious! You were totally awesome, right? Totally showed them, right? No way you couldn't have gotten in!"
She gripped tightly onto the phone, feeling very relieved that her family couldn't see that her face had taken upon the colour of her crimson hair. And to think she had been worrying so much about failing before the exam started! Just because Shade was so huge didn't mean she should have been intimidated by it. Not when her family had been so confident in her.
"Of course!" she replied proudly, fighting down the redness in her cheeks. "Your big sis definitely won this thing! Pretty much aced it!"
"Heh, just wait, Aeronwy. I'll do even better than you when it's my turn to go!"
Her little brother's declaration only made her smile even more. "Don't get cocky, Idris. If you can't even beat me in fighting games, you're never going to win there either!"
"Watch m- oi hey Dad give back the phoooo-"
Once again, her father had nabbed the phone away from her brother.
"SHADE IS TRULY – no Idris, I must ask vital questions of your sister – FORTUNATE TO HAVE YOU!" continued the Larkspur patriarch in the same enthusiastic tone, briefly stopping only once. "But more importantly! When do you begin your conquest of all the classes?!"
"I don't think I'm gonna be conquering anything, pops," replied the redhead girl, scratching her cheek awkwardly. Her father's extreme excitement was ebbing slightly, having returned to an indoor voice. "But when I rock up next week, those straight A's are gonna be coming before you know it! Future number one Huntress of Shade right here!"
There was a warm chuckle over the line.
"You can certainly do it with that faith!" said her father encouragingly. "But, if it's in a week, are you able to return to the homestead? Are we to celebrate your GLORIOUS VICTORY?"
Aeronwy had thought about going home after the exams, but after her examiner jumped the gun on telling her that she'd passed, she couldn't help but want to stay near Shade. She wanted to get ahead on finding her way around and everything, even if they weren't letting her physically onto the campus grounds. She couldn't help it. Even if she was missing out on a party, there was just something incredibly grand about being so close to the Huntsman Academy.
She'd worked so hard towards the goal of getting in, and now that goal was a reality.
She couldn't tear herself away from it.
"Sorry dad," she answered apologetically. They'd understand. It was hard to explain, but whenever she looked out of her motel room window at the mighty ziggurat that loomed over the town, it was just … this magnificent thing that she couldn't escape. Because she had made it. She was a Huntress. "I don't think I can make it back."
"… Well, it's perfectly fine. But! Are you fine where you're currently staying? Are you well-fed and healthy? A Larkspur should not neglect their diet even in a far-flung land! If you need anything more, we will send it over!"
Her father was already bouncing back. It was such an overwhelming wave of infectious enthusiasm that Aeronwy couldn't help but burst into laughter. It wasn't that she didn't appreciate all his concerns and offers, but it was just too much sometimes.
Way too much.
"It's all g, dad," she replied between giggles. "Got all the stuff I need right here. Don't go crazy with sending anything else."
"Not even more weapons?" asked her father. "Are you sure? Were the ones you brought effective in your exam? The right weapons can decide a great deal!"
"I'm sure," she emphasised. "I got this."
"Very well then, I won't keep you. May the gods bless your efforts, BELOVED DAUGHTER! I'll be waiting to hear of you explo-"
There was the sound of another struggle, and her brother's voice appeared.
"And I'll beat every single one of them! So, go beat everyone else so you can lose to me!"
Aeronwy held in a smirk. "Keep dreaming. But anyway –" She glanced out the window at the setting sun. "– I gotta get some prep done for Shade. Talk to you guys later?"
"Yeah, seeya later, sis. Just remember that I'm 100% gonn-" A crackle. "May you be fortunate in your endeavours / Oi dad stop snatching the-"
The line went dead. The redheaded girl listened to the tone for another second, before throwing herself back onto her squeaking bed. She breathed out a sigh of relief. Her smile still hadn't left, grin trapped in position on her face. She'd told them. Her family knew she was going to Shade now.
She stared up at the cream ceiling, paint flaking off onto the slow-turning fan.
She'd gotten in.
She really was a Huntress now.
Aeronwy turned her head, cheek pressing down onto the soft mattress as her scarlet eyes met the simple little acceptance letter sitting mere inches away.
Just a little bit more, and she'd be a full-fledged trainee.
"Urgh," she groaned, rolling over onto her front. "Admin work."
This time around, the sight of Shade Academy reaching for the heavens was one that instilled a sense of awe and grandness rather than fear. The ziggurat was a colossal construction, its shadow looming over the ramshackle township in a manner that was almost threatening. She certainly had thought so on that first day. But now, standing at the base of the mighty pyramid, she could clearly see why it was the guardian and protector of Vacuo's powerless.
The home of every Hunter in the west of Sanus.
A powerful titan that dared any wannabe demagogue to disrupt the fragile order it maintained.
To strike at its people … and be crushed like ants in the process.
Aeronwy Larkspur took in a deep breath. The air was filled with a great multitude of scents, their variety stemming from the sheer number of trainee Hunters that had gathered here at Shade today from across Remnant. The rich, smoky smell of Dust from smoggy Vacuuan mines. The icy, metallic odours of Atlesian weaponry. The faint, calming aromas of dying Valic plantlife. The heavy, fragrant incense used in Mistralese perfumes.
So many people. Each and every single one of them a starry-eyed Hunter like her, filing into the ziggurat with their heads held high. She was itching to see their strength in action, and though the redhead wasn't sure on when she could do so, she was already feeling excited for the prospect. She wanted to challenge them and win, to prove herself in honest competition.
Making her way up the steps and into the Academy structure itself seemed like the thing to do if she wanted a chance to fight them. There was supposed to be a speech by the faculty before they were sent off to an initiation, but despite having already visited the ziggurat once during the entrance exams, she had absolutely no idea where all that was supposed to happen. The path they'd given her on the acceptance letter was unfamiliar, and all the rooms she was passing by were too.
She'd just have to stick it out and hope that she was going in the right direction.
Soon enough, she and a number of other new students found themselves exiting into a clearing, the bright Vacuuan sun immediately beaming down upon them after the relative darkness of the tunnel-like hallways. Aeronwy threw a hand over her red eyes with a wince, trying to protect them from the glare. That was way too sudden of a shift for her to handle! Maybe she needed to invest in sunglasses if she was going to be wandering around campus.
At least until she got used to the thing, anyway.
As her eyes adjusted to the sudden influx of light, the crimson-haired girl decided to take a look around. The floor beneath seemed to be made of a white stone, and it definitely felt like it to her tapping feet. It was unfortunately a bit shinier than what she would've liked, though, and that was something that the narrow, clear ceiling so far above them was probably responsible for. It was also responsible for the crick in her neck from needing to crane upwards so much! She could see other floors of the building too, with each seeming to surround the "square" that made up their clearing. Pulling her gaze away from above her (which something her neck really dug), Aeronwy decided to check out what was on her level. There were a few decorative plants in the corners of the room, and a small, raised platform sat in the centre, directly beneath the ceiling glass. That was probably where the speechmaker was going to stand.
She pulled out the crumpled acceptance letter from the breast pocket of her white shirt. It looked like there was still a decent chunk of time before the speech.
That explained why there were so many other students milling about too. They were waiting for something to happen – just like her.
Must be pretty boring, huh?
Maybe it could be a good idea to talk to one of them. See what her fellow students were going to be like and if they would be a good fight or not. And maybe even make friends. Aeronwy allowed her lips to quirk up into a grin. It was decided, she was going to go meet some new folks.
She began to step forward.
"That's a beautifully radiant smile you have there, comrade," spoke a voice from her right. "Any chance you could flash it this one's way? This dark heart doesn't know the light of love."
Aeronwy turned around. The speaker was a cerulean-haired girl garbed from head-to-toe in a blue, hooded tracksuit, a sight that immediately had her double-take. Even if it was cooler than usual this time of year, they were still living in a desert! For what reason would somebody wear a tracksuit in Vacuo of all places? It boggled the mind. Yet that was not what the redhead was focusing on the most: that honour went to the stranger's face.
Beneath the other girl's electric blue eyes and surrounded by eerily (almost ghost-like) pale skin was a … mouth-looking thing that she couldn't describe in any other manner than "freaky as hell". Especially when it was "open". There were saw-like objects in that gaping maw, radially organised, and she was pretty sure she could glimpse something more beyond that darkness. A prominent, beak-like thing was attached to the outside of the hole, and even though she didn't know anything about it, Aeronwy was almost sure that it could crush her hands with ease. And was that a tongue? She tried not to recoil, schooling her face. What was up with this person?
Is this girl a mutant?!
Despite her efforts, the other girl had clearly noticed her discomfort.
"Can't appreciate a fine, non-mammalian organ then?" piped up the eerie-looking girl with a sad shake of her head. "Drat, another chance gone thanks to incompatible tastes."
She seemed to perk up almost immediately, and proceeded to … grin … at the awkward Aeronwy.
"I'm Hafgufa," she said casually, holding a hand (a perfectly human one) out in greeting. "Linna Hafgufa. Cephalopod, if you didn't already notice from this beautiful face. Makes it hard to get with the girls though. Your people just don't have the eyes needed to appreciate it."
Her electric blue eyes immediately leapt up to meet Aeronwy's red.
"Though this comrade thinks your eyes are perfect the way they are."
There was a beat as Aeronwy held the gaze, fumbling for something to say.
"Uh, your pick-up lines are really shitty?" she blurted out. "I mean, um, no offense, mate, but I'm not feeling them. At all. I could probably do way better."
The Faunus in front of her (because mutant was definitely off the list, which Aeronwy felt pretty uncomfortable about having put onto it in the first place) blinked in surprise, as if nobody had actually focused on the actual pick-up lines themselves. Especially though they super cheesy. Aeronwy had watched cartoon characters with way better skills in that field.
"You sure they're bad, comrade?" Linna questioned, trying to look as if the fact had definitely not occurred to her in the slightest. "Is my mouth not the something that's ruining the appeal?"
This wasn't what Aeronwy was thinking of at all when she decided that she was going to meet new folks. It was completely off-target from what she was thinking of.
"I'm not into your mouth," she said honestly, feeling incredibly awkward as she did so. And not only did that sound weird, did it count as being racist? She tried to push on. "Sorry, but other than that, those lines don't work either. They're pretty shite – uh, lame."
Linna didn't speak for a few seconds, pulling the still-proffered hand back and crossing her arms. "Missing out on a beauty like me then," she said with a shake of her head and a tutting sound. "But I'm pretty curious: are you sure that you can beat my pick-up lines? They have not gotten me stoned by angry mobs, ohohoho."
"What." Aeronwy didn't expect that. "… Stoned?"
The Faunus waved dismissively in her direction. "Ah, not to worry, comrade. It was joke, just like you say my pick-up lines are. But you sure yours can be better?"
Aeronwy frowned at her conversation partner. Did the other girl really think that she couldn't come up with something better than that nonsense? Just because she didn't go for the romance thing at all didn't mean she couldn't beat something that was totally trash. She'd prove it. Show that there was no way she couldn't make something up that was better than Linna's crappy lines.
"Watch me," she declared confidently, slamming her fists together. "No matter what, my lines are no way gonna be as shite as yours."
Not when it's like they're almost purposely crap or something.
"Then lead on, comrade!"
If Linna actually had a normal human mouth, Aeronwy would've sworn that the Faunus girl was smirking.
There were ten minutes remaining until the speech was to begin, but rather than wait like a normal person, Aeronwy Larkspur was instead lurking behind a potted plant alongside her newfound Faunus companion, trying to pick out somebody to use a pick-up line on. To be more precise, it was Linna who was trying to scope out people who she considered to be "fine-looking comrades, ohohohoho" while the redheaded girl spent her time on shaking out anything that could work as a line from her romantically-deprived brain.
Even though the goal was to just make up a better pick-up line than Linna's atrocities, Aeronwy wanted to take this seriously. It was just wrong for her to not put one hundred percent into things, not even if they were super minor like … whatever she was doing right now. But regardless of that, if there was no passion, there was no work! That was what she had always been told. If she didn't put everything into it, then how could she win?
"That girl looks right down your alley," declared Linna triumphantly, pointing towards a dark-skinned young woman clad in ornate armour and wielding a sword and shield. "You are comrades in the red eyes, and her hair is just as long as yours!"
"I don't have a type?"
Aeronwy was ignored, with her Faunus companion immediately moving on to the next woman to walk into her line of sight. "Then what about her? She has a mature air, and the red and black hair is similar to you as well!"
The redhead stared. She had to. "That's a teacher."
"Semantics!"
"Mate, Linna," said Aeronwy finally, staring down at her companion, "I'm not actually trying to land somebody. This stuff doesn't even work. I'm just here to prove that whatever pick-up line I come up with is way less stupid than your crappy stuff. You can do whatever later."
"But, comrade –"
"Aeronwy. Aeronwy Larkspur. Shoulda gotten that outta the way quicker."
"– Aeronwy, you seem like somebody who wants to do things properly," continued Linna without missing a beat. "Why not just tell this supposedly superior line of yours to a girl I point you towards instead of picking at random? The speech starts soon, after all, and I have put thought into this, yes?"
The redhead sighed. "Fine, hit me up with your directions. Anyone's gonna think my lines work better, got it?" Though, she was still a bit short on them.
Linna's cephalopod mouth twitched in a creepy manner that Aeronwy thought could probably be associated with a smile. "Then," she began, gesturing towards a ginger-haired girl wearing a long, red dress that seemed Mistralese in fashion, "try them out on her!"
"Get ready to lose this, Linna." Aeronwy was definitely not going to fail.
She popped out from behind the potted plant, wondering why the Faunus kept choosing girls with red on them as she began to walk towards the 'target'. Was that the entire reason she was approached in the first place? Having a taste for a colour was perfectly fine and all, but she personally though that was just really weird to her.
There an octopus that likes red or something?
Still, she'd gotten a chance to meet someone new thanks to Linna, and maybe if the target of her half-baked pick-up line thought it was funny enough, then two someones! That would be pretty nice, and as Aeronwy got closer to the other ginger, she decided that was exactly what she was going to do. Make sure that even if her line didn't work (because they never did), she could at least get a name out of the girl. And see if they were a good fight.
The looks didn't say much on that front, though. Now that she was closer, Aeronwy realised more clearly why the getup looked Mistralese to her; the outfit worn by her fellow redhead (albeit with the other girl's ponytail more orange than red) was incredibly reminiscent of a shrinekeeper's. She hadn't seen any of those in real life, but it really did look like a touristy picture for a Mistralese holiday brochure come to life.
"Yo," she said in greeting, throwing out a casual salute and a smile as she approached to catch the other girl's attention. "You got a sec? I need to ask you something."
Her response was a level stare. "What do you want?"
Here goes. You watching, Linna? I'll show you how bad you really are!
"You really make that outfit work," said Aeronwy Larkspur, beginning her attempt. "Were you blessed by the gods to do that, because it looks divine."
Someone somewhere behind her began to choke.
Except the reaction she got was completely unexpected.
"Yes," said the girl in front of her, expression unchanged and brown eyes continuing to stare her down. "They have also tasked me to maintain their shrine in my town. It's how I supplement my spending money."
There was a thud behind her, one followed by gasping laughter.
This wasn't how Aeronwy was expecting things to go at all! She thought it wouldn't be too crappy of a line if she referenced the shrinekeeper look in a way, but was the girl actually a shrinekeeper? Who had taken her words at complete face-value? The redhead awkwardly scratched the back of her neck, glancing away from the other girl for a second. That challenge didn't seem to work out.
How am I gonna be judged as better now, anyway?
"That's uh, pretty cool," Aeronwy continued, deciding to push on. "Explains the clothes. But why are you still wearing them out here though? Don't you just leave it at a shrine?"
Even if that contest about the pick-up lines wasn't going to resolve itself, she could deal with it later. For now, she was moving on to the next stage of her plan: meeting another new person!
The shrinekeeper immediately looked down, expression flat even as she seemed to hesitate over her next words. Aeronwy blinked. Was the other girl blushing too? There was a slight hint of red to the cheeks, but she was pretty sure she hadn't said anything that could've been taken that badly, right? Except maybe that pick-up line but that was too long ago – it'd already been nearly a minute.
"Uh, you alright there?" the redhead asked. "What's up with your clothes again?"
"… I do not own anything else." She was definitely blushing somewhat.
Aeronwy gave her a friendly pat on the shoulder. "Eh, don't worry about it," said the redhead reassuringly, grinning at the girl. "If you want, I can help you buy some stuff. Or I could lend you some of mine? Oh yeah, nearly forgot –"
She held out her right hand. "– I'm Aeronwy Larkspur, nice to meet you."
The other girl gingerly took it. "Mito," she replied in her reserved tone, the red draining from her cheeks. "Kozuka Mito. I very much appreciate your offer."
Alright! I guess I should try look around some shops-
"I cannot believe you actually went ahead, comrade!"
Oh right, nearly forgot there.
Aeronwy turned around, gaze meeting that of Linna's electric blue eyes (she was getting used to the mouth, but she didn't really like looking at it). The cephalopod (she probably should've asked what type earlier) Faunus had a certain twinkle in her eye that the redhead immediately focused on, a suspicion from earlier beginning to gnaw at her mind.
"Did you actually know your lines were crap from the beginning?" she asked flatly.
Linna gave her a thumbs-up. "That is correct!"
Wait, then this contest didn't mean anything?!
"That means it doesn't even count as a win! Why the hell did you say those crappy lines then?"
The cephalopod Faunus tapped held a pale finger up, stemming any further confused questions that would have come her way from Aeronwy. After a second of silence, she answered.
"Gimme a million lien, and I might tell you," she said jokingly. "But for a serious answer, comrade, I thought it would be funny, ohohohoho."
Aeronwy crossed her arms. "That's why? And you just let me go along with it?"
"It was funny," admitted Linna once again, before she shook her head with a sigh. "But I am genuinely saddened that you shake her hand but not mine. My hand has appeal too, you should know. Calluses show hard work in the mines, ohohoho."
Blue eyes flickered towards Mito, who (even if her expression didn't seem to have changed much) was probably very confused by Linna's sudden appearance and their conversation. Although, Aeronwy noted, she didn't look like she found the Faunus' mouth to be freaky at all.
"Linna Hafgufa, charmed to make your acquaintance," introduced the tracksuit-wearing girl smoothly, winking at Mito. "I hope we have a fruitful time together here at Shade."
"Mito," said the stoic shrinekeeper girl in response, imitating Aeronwy's action from before and holding out her own hand for Linna to shake. "I share your sentiment."
Linna's eyes brightened, and she unhesitatingly took the hand, although not without giving Aeronwy a look that said: "See? She's polite enough to shake my hand!"
The redhead mentally pushed Linna higher up on her priority list of people to grab a fight from.
"So what are you fine comrades up to this fine day?" asked the cephalopod as the exchange ended, ignorant of Aeronwy's growing desire to start a fight. "I myself feel lucky to be amongst two pretty girls, ohohoho."
"I have been waiting for the headmistress' speech," answered Mito, the stoic-looking young woman turning towards the empty stage at the centre of the room. "It should be starting soon."
Aeronwy frowned at those words. She reached into her pocket, pulling out her Scroll and bringing up the screen. It was already a few minutes past the stated start time. That was really weird. Especially with no sign of Shade's chief Hunter or even any other teacher. Shouldn't there have been even one person around for preparations? Even that one Linna tried to point out earlier had left the room without them noticing too!
Guess they're really late?
She wasn't the only one to notice. A number of other students around them were too.
"Man, we've been here for an hour," complained a tall blonde boy across the room to his shorter, glasses-wearing friend. "Just can't believe it. And the teach is late too. Can you believe it?"
"Is this okay?" piped up the childish-sounding boy with tattoos who had been sneaking around. "I wanna hear the speech!"
"What if they have been beset upon by trouble?" the armoured girl standing only a metre away from Aeronwy murmured to herself. She immediately recognised the dark-skinned student as the same one Linna had shown interest in from before. "If they have, should we lend help …? It would be improper not to otherwise."
And, as if noticing that Aeronwy's presence, her gaze turned towards the redhead.
"Oh – you heard," she said. "Are you also wondering why the faculty is missing?"
The redhead glanced down at her Scroll again. The clock was still continuing to tick.
"Yeah, they're seriously late," Aeronwy agreed. "They should really try to be more on-time."
"I did, but there were issues my colleagues needed to resolve," announced a strong, measured and incredibly familiar voice. Aeronwy (and numerous other students) immediately swung around to find a dark-skinned blonde (although this time in a suit?) striding through the crowd as if she was the master of the place. The examiner she'd gotten during the test: Niloufar Kərəsāspa.
With only a slight nod in Aeronwy's direction, the examiner and faculty member made her way through the sea of students, emerging onto the raised stage before adjusting the microphone hanging from her ear.
"Apologies for the delay," Niloufar began in a controlled tone, scanning the body of students with her clinical, silver eyes. "Unfortunately, the headmistress is unavailable today, so I will be making this speech. I am Doctor Niloufar Kərəsāspa of Grimm Studies. You will likely be seeing more of me very soon."
She paused for a moment, allowing her explanations to sink into the students' minds.
"In the place of the headmistress, I would like to welcome all of you to Shade Academy. It is evident that you all were all passably strong enough to be accepted here, and for that accomplishment, I offer you congratulations."
"However, do not get too comfortable. While you all may be good enough for entry, that level of strength will only render you victims to the Grimm hordes that stalk our borders!"
Her voice began to rise in volume.
"We will train you to better survive their multitude varieties, but if you seek to be more than unexceptional nobodies, it will be your responsibility to obtain that power, to find the strength needed to destroy the creatures that threaten your lives. Shade will not coddle you."
"If you attempt half-measures, there will be absolutely no chance that you will survive, let alone become a supposed 'hero'. It is your responsibility, not ours and not your peers, to ensure that you are prepared as much as possible against the foes that shall descend upon us."
A growl emerged from her throat.
"Let no hardship deter you from searching for that promised victory. Do not falter against the murderous nature of the creatures of Grimm. If you dare take a step back, well –" There was a shift in her eyes. "– None of us will be bringing your corpses back from the desert."
She stopped, taking in the silence that had overwhelmed the students.
"Initiation will begin tomorrow," added Niloufar, interrupting the redhead's thoughts with the casual remark. "This will be a chance for you to meet your allies against your would-be killers. Do not waste this opportunity. You will be allowed to rest in the Academy ballroom tonight."
A hint of a smirk. "I guarantee that you will need it."
And just like that, the speech was over.
Aeronwy stared at the retreating back of her examiner, the blonde woman already leaving the stage for the side exits while the student body tried to wrap their minds around the contents of that speech. She definitely found it to be pretty strange and morbid, and if any of the faces of some nearby students was any indication, they were too.
Yet …
The redhead glanced down at her right palm.
It sounded so inspiring too.
Her hand clenched into a fist. It was like the examiner was looking down upon them, like they were nothing but overconfident nobodies who weren't going to mean anything. Even though she'd won against a full-fledged Grimm by herself in the test before the time ran out.
She was pumped. If Doctor Niloufar didn't think she was good enough, then she'd show her.
"You look like you're thinking hard, comrade," said Linna from next to her.
A grin slowly found its way onto Aeronwy's face.
"Yeah," she said. "Yeah I am."
She punched her fists together.
"Just thinking about how fun initiation's gonna be."
I'll show you my resolve there, teach.
Aeronwy wasn't going to be some half-baked Huntress.
