AN: Alright, so, I'm posting this a day early because I'm going to an anime and gaming convention over the weekend, and didn't want to post at like, ten o'clock at night, haha. Not much else in the way of notes for this one. I hope you like it!
Read, enjoy, and please review!
Cutting Words and Bold Challenges
It was so strange how time could both stretch on for an agonizing eternity and yet also seem to pass with but the blink of an eye. The welcoming speech seemed to last forever, and the demonstration put on by the current senior class wasn't enough to keep Diana's attention, but it seemed like both passed before Diana could even really process that they had even started. Dinner…she had mostly picked absently at her food, and what little she ate may as well have been made of ashes, for all that she tasted of it, even though Luna Nova had gone all out, given their much better budget. No, her attention was drawn time and time again to the table placed in the shadowed edge of the room where Akko sat, and it must have been intentional, putting her so close to one of the side doors leading into the expansive hall. Time and time again, the door would discretely open, and someone would slip into the room and make a beeline for Akko, often crouching or kneeling beside the Japanese witch, exchanging a few words, and then leaving again. For that matter, Diana had been paying enough attention to the overall mood of the event to see that while most of her peers were appropriately merry to match the tone of a reunion, certain clusters and groups and individuals were uncharacteristically solemn, and the one thing that they all had in common…was Akko.
She seemed to be at the center of the grim undertone that was almost painfully obvious once one knew what to look for. While those witches who were notably removed from the festive spirit shared by the majority of those in attendance did interact with one another, they most often went to Akko, as though she were the one around whom they all orbited, the one most knowledgeable of whatever it was that was bothering them. It was as though she were the one they depended on, their leader. And their brief meetings and hushed conversations were masterfully done, never loud enough to be overheard by anyone not already in the know, and it had floored Diana when she saw just how they did it, especially given the simplicity of it.
They had guards, or rather, interceptors.
If someone unwanted approached too close to a conversation they weren't meant to hear, then one of the witches who was a part of whatever this whole thing was and who was standing watchfully nearby would swoop in and redirect the clueless witch, who probably didn't even realize what had happened. The fact that there was no lack of coverage, that absolutely no one got close enough to hear something they weren't supposed to was both incredibly impressive and yet at the same time troubling. Parties, especially parties with alcohol involved, were chaotic, but they were able to react fluidly to that chaos, maintaining absolute secrecy.
They were incredibly organized.
Diana had been tempted to try her own hand at approaching Akko during one of those secret conversations, but had hesitated before deciding to merely remain at a watchful distance, and it wasn't long before she was glad for the choice…one witch, visibly drunk, had brushed off the first interceptor, only to have someone else accidently spill a drink on her, and by the time the flustered apologies and a hastily applied cleaning spell was done, the secret conversation had ended, the group dispersed, and the witch that the drunk partier had been trying to budge in to talk to happily met with and spoke with her friend.
And this went on throughout the event, though such conversations and meetings naturally diminished during dinner when everyone was seated, which had given some time for Diana to focus more of her attention on Akko's table, only absently reassuring Hannah and Barbara as they asked her with increasing worry if she was alright. She didn't even notice the glances that her two friends shared with each other, nor did she notice when Barbara tilted her head leadingly towards Akko's table, prompting an alarmed look in Hannah's eyes as she silently mouthed 'does Diana know about-?' to her fiancée, but Barbara could only answer with a hesitant shrug.
In fact, so focused was Diana on Akko's table that it came as a surprise when serving goblins began to make the rounds, collecting empty dishes from tables, and Diana blinked down at the half-eaten apple tart resting on a plate in front of her. She didn't remember eating any of it. Then her head snapped up in alarm as Headmistress Holbrooke stood at her place at the head table and began making her closing remarks, and Diana came close to panicking. She hadn't spoken to Akko at all, and the reunion was almost over. Worse, she had no idea even what she'd say to Akko!
The all-encompassing sense of panic only served to make the final moments of the reunion pass all the quicker, and soon there was the dull roar of conversation and chairs scraping as they were pushed away from tables after Holbrooke officially ended the reunion, and Diana watched with something coming very close to horror as Akko stood, said a few parting words to her table, and then slipped out the side door.
Diana exploded out of her seat, the chair teetering dangerously for a second, coming close to falling before it righted, and she frantically grabbed her night cape from the back of the chair.
"Diana? What's wrong?" Hannah asked as she, too, rose out of her seat, worry clear on her face.
"Akko just left! If I hurry, I can catch her!" Before either Hannah or Barbara had the chance to retort, she was rapidly making her way through the eddying crowd, completely blind and deaf to all those who attempted to get her attention, so focused was she on that side door. But despite the haste with which she moved, the hall that greeted her when she burst out the side door was completely empty, and her heart sank. No, I can't let it end like this, I have to talk to her!
Then the door to the main hall shut behind her, and the noise of the ending reunion was almost completely cut off, allowing her to hear…
…There! Footsteps, fading quickly, to her right! She whirled, night cape flaring sharply behind her as she took off at a run, chasing after those footsteps. It only took turning a corner and running up a short flight of stairs before that striking outfit and the long dark brown hair came into view, and Akko paused, head tilting to the side as she undoubtedly heard Diana's rapidly approaching steps, and the Japanese witch heaved a sigh as she began to turn.
"Amanda, I told you we'd link up at the meeti-" she started, Japanese accent that had been so pronounced during their years at school now almost completely absent. But now, her words cut off with a sharp finality, eyes widening with surprise as they fell upon Diana. Then her expression turned neutral as she gave a curt nod. "Lady Cavendish."
Why did that hurt so much? Why did that impersonal greeting feel like a knife through her chest? Why did Akko's impersonal expression feel like someone was tearing at her heart? Especially since…yes, now that Diana really looked at Akko's face, it wasn't dispassionate or neutral…it showed a very careful blankness, the normally very expressive features reminding Diana of nothing, nothing at all. There was no anger or passion or joy…Akko's face might as well have been the vacuum of deep space, cold and empty, and Diana faltered, uncertain what that meant. She had expected anger, or bitterness, or even that ice-cold glare from before. Akko was looking at her like she was a speck of meaningless dust, not someone who had been close friends with her for more than two years.
"Akko…" Diana breathed, fear rippling through her breast like a wounded dove, and Akko flinched, face twisting into something dark and ugly for a split second before it returned to that frightening emptiness.
"I'm sorry, only my friends can call me Akko. Refer to me as Kagari-sensei, or not at all." With those clipped words that pierced Diana's heart with their coldness, she turned her back on her and continued to walk down the hall.
"Wait, Akko, I need to talk to you!" Diana cried, immediately stepping after the one who needed to know the truth. But Akko didn't react, and Diana felt the tears start to gather in the corners of her eyes. No, not like this! "Kagari-sensei, please, I need to-!"
Akko whirled back around, her hair flaring out behind her as she fixed a livid glare on Diana that froze the rest of her words in her throat. "You need to what, Lady Cavendish? You need to apologize? You need to simper and fawn and hope that poor, simple Atsuko Kagari will just roll over and forgive you? Well, fuck that!" she spat.
Diana recoiled a half-step, trembling hand flying to her chest at the harsh word flung at her, but then the shock passed, and a flicker of her own anger answered Akko's. "The Akko that I knew in school wouldn't ever talk like that!" she snapped, but whatever reaction she was hoping to goad from Akko wasn't what she got as the brunette narrowed her eyes.
"The Akko you knew didn't have her heart broken by the one woman she was falling in love with yet," she hissed, voice quivering with rage, and again she turned and continued her way down the hall.
It was an impulse, really. Everything was going absolutely disastrously, and Diana panicked. The only thought that ran through her mind wasn't even a fully formed thought, but rather an urge that demanded that she make Akko heed her words, force her just stop and listen! She darted forward, hand flitting out, reaching for and just barely grazing Akko's arm and-
"DON'T TOUCH ME!"
The cry echoed down the hall even as Diana was backpedaling, heart hammering in her chest as she stared at Akko with wide, frightened eyes, clutching her now bleeding hand, trying to staunch the blood flowing from her fingers while keeping her wounded hand well away from her clothes.
Akko's dress…well, no, it really wasn't a dress, it really was like armor, wasn't it? Not just in form, but in function…it was living armor that changed form to react to threats. Akko was staring at Diana's bloody hand with wide, shocked eyes, and even through the shock of having her fingers get cut by the spikes and barbs that had fairly erupted from her sleeve, even through the pain and surprise, Diana could have sworn that there was hurt and regret in those eyes. Eyes that were fixed on Diana's fingers, a sickly green tinge to her face. Then she looked up, locking eyes with Diana. "Don't touch me," she repeated, far softer this time, voice almost begging, and this time, when she turned and fled down the hall, Diana let her.
Well…fuck. The dark thought seemed wholly appropriate for the situation, Diana almost snarled to herself as her wand came out, casting a quick healing spell that closed the cuts, only the blood on her fingers revealing that she had been hurt at all.
"Wow, congrats, Diana, that went perfectly."
The snarky voice caught Diana by surprise, and she spun, wand rising threateningly reflexively…only to remain raised once she recognized the woman standing before her, almost casually leaning against a doorjamb. "Amanda O'Neill."
The American grinned, though there was precious little mirth in the expression that didn't even come close to touching bright green eyes, and Diana shuddered as she remembered how her most recent nightmare had ended. "'Sup, bitch?" Amanda said, tone deceptively light.
Diana grimaced, looking Amanda up in down, taking in her worn black t-shirt bearing the logo of some rock band or another and the dark grey denim pants that had tears and holes all through them, and a pair of beat up black leather boots completed the ensemble. Amanda looked more like a punk than ever before, with multiple piercings in her ears and nose and a half-sleeve tattoo of dragons erupting from her elbow and clawing their way up her upper arm before disappearing under the shirt's short sleeve. She was more tanned than she had been in school, and her form was lithe, her dancer's grace only accentuated by the bands of whipcord muscle that danced under her skin as she moved. Her vibrant dual-toned red hair was now styled in an undercut, and even through the ire of meeting with the obnoxious American again, Diana had to (very) grudgingly admit that the overall look suited Amanda very well, though she'd never say the words out loud, even on the pain of death. "I see you saw fit to dress up for the reunion," she sneered, and Amanda threw her head back, laughing.
"That stuffy event? Hell no, I'm not here for that. Couldn't pay me enough to do that. Nah, I'm here on other business." The grin returned, disconcertingly shark-like. "Nice to see you doing so very well with Akko. You regretting being a…oh, what phrase do you Brits love to use? Ah, yes, a 'right fucking cunt,'" she mocked, affecting a terrible British accent for the insult. "Y'know, I would've thought that you'd be smart enough to leave well enough alone, but I guess even the smartest people can be fucking dumbasses."
"Shove off, O'Neill, I'm not in the mood," Diana snapped.
"Funny you say that, because I am actually really in the mood," Amanda retorted, eyes glittering dangerously just as a group of their once classmates appeared around the bend, their conversation stopping as they spied the two of them. Amanda glanced at the small crowd before returning her attention to Diana. "In the name of the Nine Olde Witches, I invoke the right to demand a contest." She raised her voice so that she could be heard clearly over the gasps of the other women in the hall, and Diana couldn't help the disgusted grimace that took to her face once she realized exactly what the American was doing. She wouldn't dare!
"I, Amanda O'Neill, do formally challenge you, Diana Cavendish, to a duel," she intoned, words incredibly formal as she followed the script that had been used for centuries. "If you have the courage to face me to prove your skill earned in the years between our last meeting, then we shall test our mettle against one another." Then she sneered, words reverting to a tone and style more befitting her rebellious and pugnacious mannerisms. "But hey, if you want to be as big a coward as you were a decade ago, then that's fine, too. Either way, I'm gonna make you pay for what you did."
Diana sighed as the crowd of witnesses erupted into excited titters. I stand corrected. She would dare. That's JUST what I needed today. But then she gave it some thought. Perhaps this was actually a blessing in disguise. At the least, it'd be a way to work off the stress of some of the emotions that still roiled through her.
Her voice rang out as clear as a bell as she answered. "I, the Lady Diana Cavendish, Countess of Wedinburgh, do accept your challenge, Amanda O'Neill!" Then she leveled the most disdainful, glaring sneer she had in her inventory on the belligerent American, pleased to see her flinch and lose just a tiny bit of the smug arrogance about her. "And by the Nine, I hope you are ready for just what you are inviting upon your person by challenging me to a duel of magic!"
Amanda scoffed, that arrogance returning. "Who said anything about magic? Only a fool would challenge you to a magic duel. No, I'm challenging you to a duel by blade. Let's see how high and mighty you are after I kick your ass seven ways to Sunday!" With those words, Amanda turned and started to head down the hall, towards the exit that would lead to the athletic field.
Which, as it just so happened, was a terrible mistake on her part. Had she been paying a bit more attention to Diana, she might have noticed the confident smirk that settled on her face. For Amanda had made a major tactical error. Everyone knew about not getting involved in land wars in Asia and not getting into contests with Sicilians when death was on the line, but what Amanda didn't know, what very few people in the world actually knew, was Diana's own skill with the blade. Amanda also didn't know that Diana had been keeping fairly close tabs on not just Akko, but the others on the red and green teams.
Case very much in point, Diana knew that Amanda, besides being a champion broom racer and professional daredevil, was also involved in the Society of Cultural Anachronism and was one of the leading developers of the new but wildly popular sport of broomstick jousting. What was more, Amanda's success was very much dependent on her being flashy and popular, and even without trying very hard, pretty much anyone in the magic world was quite familiar with O'Neill and her entertaining aerial combat matches that generally featured sword fighting at some point or another. As such, Diana was absolutely confident that she knew far more about Amanda's capabilities than Amanda knew of hers. And while she knew that Amanda was (regrettably) her better with the sword, she was also fairly sure she could manipulate the hotheaded woman into agreeing to a match that Diana could win. Pride goeth before the fall, O'Neill, and it's like Sun Tzu said, if you know yourself and you know your enemy, you need not fear the results of a thousand battles, and I know much more about you than you do me. She followed after Amanda, mind racing as she began to carefully plot on how exactly to play the redhead like a fiddle. New plan. Duel Amanda, best her and blow off some of this frustration and anger, and then go to that meeting. For better or for worse, Akko and I are likely going to be interacting far more than she realizes, these next few days. Her eyes narrowed as she focused on Amanda's cocky swagger as she led Diana and the growing group of spectators on towards the athletic field. But first, Amanda.
…is it bad that I'm going to enjoy this far more than I should?