Nan is another word for grandmother for those that don't know.
This chapter was being written when chapter 6 went up and has gone through like 6 rewrites and is like the longest chapter which is awesome.
~§~
The door opened to reveal the lush forest that surrounded their little landing pad and the street filled with Faunus all walking along to do something.
"Home" Elster breathed as she took a deep breath of various foods and spices.
"Bloody boiling" said Tanith taking off her jacket as she put on some shades and looked around "so, let's just get it over with, you remember where your house is?"
Elster chuckled "I'd never forget"
"How are you doing?" Asked Tanith, taking her hand and looking up at her.
Elster bit her lip "I'm… nervous, definitely nervous" she looked at her robotic hand which she was covering up with a glove.
"It's okay" Said Tanith before she smiled "I'm here, and they'll be happy to see you"
"If your sure" Said Elster
"I'm sure" Said Tanith, standing on her tip toes as Elster leaned down, the two exchanging a kiss before Tanith shut the door to the bullhead and they both walked away hand in hand.
~§~
Kolf sighed at another boring day working at the landing station. He had taken it as an easy job but he didn't expect it to be this easy, he'd even considered just going away and lighting up somewhere.
The most exciting thing happening was a bullhead coming in (which was in itself rare). He watched it land and lazily walked over for the usual routine of identification when he stopped dead in his tracks at the familiar voice.
"Home"
He stood there in disbelief and shock. That was Elster's voice! But she was missing! He sneaked round and peeked to the side. There she was, unmistakable with the blue feathers in her hair that glinted in the sunlight.
He was about to run out, to say hello, to hug her, to punch her. To do something to represent his emotions when.
"Bloody boiling" came an accented voice and out walked a human mistralian girl with purple hair.
He listened to their conversation with his bat ears curiously, trying to decode their relationship until he watched in wide eyed shock as they kissed before walking away holding hands.
He turned and began to walk through the streets, no one would notice him missing at the landing station and he needed to tell the others
~§~
Elster and Tanith entered the crammed street, people busily walking by them as they strode towards their destination. Elster felt that Menagerie hadn't changed much except for the the additions of new houses and a more cramped feeling.
They turned down a side street and Elster felt herself start feeling sick with anxiety as they began approaching the turn to her house. Various scenarios running through her head as she walked, would they be angry? Would they be happy? Eventually the turn came and they stopped just before it, Elster taking a deep breath before turning round the corner despite her bodies protest.
Her house was the third house down, it hadn't changed much over the years except a fresh coat of paint and what appeared to be solar panels. She stood for a while and simply admired the house she had grown up in that she hadn't seen in almost 8 years before Tanith squeezed her hand, she looked at her and Tanith gave her an encouraging smile.
She smiled back and let go of her hand, approaching the front door despite beginning to shake and the feeling of vomit coming up her throat. She had to pause before walking any further. She took a deep breath before taking the last few steps and hesitantly raising a hand to the doorbell. She hesitated again before finally pressing the button, hearing her heart thundering as the sound echoed inside the house and she breathed deeply again, feeling Tanith come up behind her.
Soon she heard the footfalls from the other side.
This was it.
The confrontation she had been avoiding for four years.
The door opened and she heard a familiar voice say "How many times do I have to-" and then her mother appeared in the doorway. She had long green feathers in her brown hair and her brown eyes, which Elster noticed had heavy bags under them, widened as she saw who was standing in the doorway. Elster now saw she had a cup in her hands, which she dropped as she went slacked jawed.
It smashed on the ground and they stood like that for several seconds before her mother slowly reached forward and put a hand to her face, as if testing she was real.
"Honey! What's… wrong…" her father appeared, his brown feathers a contrast to his black greying hair as he carried the wood chopping axe. He stopped upon seeing Elster, his blue eyes widening and axe sagging in his grip.
"Elster?" Her mother said quietly, her voice shaking.
"Yeah" Elster nodded, unconsciously leaning into her touch "Yeah, it's me"
Suddenly she was enveloped in a hug as her mother launched herself onto her and hugged her tightly. She was shocked for a few seconds before she shakily returned the hug.
"You're here, you're here!" Her mother cried happily into her shoulder as she held her tightly.
"I'm here" she said reassuringly as she squeezed her arms tighter
Her mother let go of her as she grabbed her face and stared into her eyes "where have you been? What have you been doing?" Then she frowned and hit her chest, not that hard "Why didn't you come back?" she asked desperately and angrily.
"It's a long story" said Elster sheepishly
"Well come in! Come in" replied her father.
"Before I do" Said Elster stepping aside "this is Tanith, she brought me here, I'll explain more inside" she said. Tanith walked up, giving a smile as she put her sunglasses on her head.
Her parents blinked in surprise before both looking over Tanith, looking at her scars, tattoo and hair, her mother then smiling and shaking her hand "it's a pleasure to meet you"
"Thank you" said Tanith smiling.
They were ushered into the house- her house- and were guided to the kitchen where they were sat at a table. She looked around the room as her mother started making tea for them with the kettle, the kitchen hadn't changed much but it seemed that they had fixed that squeaky cupboard and gotten some fancier kitchen appliances, she felt Tanith nudge her and looked over to the door and froze as she saw a small boy peering at them, he had brown eyes and dark brown hair with white feathers in it and was looking at them in childlike curiosity.
Her mother sat at the table and followed her gaze, smiling brightly when she saw who she was staring at. "Oh, Bundi, come in"
The child stayed still for a few seconds before cautiously coming in and sitting next to his mother at the table "This is your sister, Elster. You remember the stories we told you about her?"
He seemed to brighten up at that "Elster?" He asked
"Yeah, your big sister" said her mother brightly.
"I thought she was dead?" Bundi asked with all the tact of an 8 year old
The kitchen descended into an awkward silence as Elster winced and Tanith grimaced.
"So did we" muttered her father and she lowered her head slightly, Tanith patting her back reassuringly as she felt guilt overtake Elster.
"But your back now, and that's all that matters… but why? What happened?" Asked her mother leaning forward.
Elster took a deep breath, now to explain "The last thing you heard from me was I was going on a mission with my team… it didn't go well" she said as she stared at her tea, the smoke rising up as next to her Tanith took a sip.
"How bad did it go? We haven't heard from you in four years" Said her father slightly baffled.
"They're dead" she said quietly, letting herself slouch in her chair as her arms flopped onto the table and her mother looked on in shock, her father's eyebrows raising as Tanith glared at him, slowly bringing her tattoo'd hand forward and wrapping it around Elster's.
"Elster…" said her mother sadly, her eyes dancing to the contact between the two with a questioning glance.
"Why are you wearing one glove?" He asked nodding toward the glove she had used to hide her robotic hand.
"I'd rather… save that for later" Said Elster after a short pause.
Her father narrowed his eyes but simply nodded "So where have you been for four years?" Asked her Dad leaning in.
"Pombo! Leave her be" Said her mother sharply
"No, no. You of all people deserve answers" Said Elster placatingly "I was… I was not at my best, I was eating less, I was staying indoors. I didn't even do phototherapy that much and I had limited human contact, I… I thought I was a failure and shut myself away. Then Tanith came along and she helped me so much when we started hanging out regularly and… one thing lead to another-"
"Wait, your in a relationship with this woman?" Asked her Dad leaning forward as he looked at them
"Yes?... didn't I mention that?" Asked Elster slowly.
"No" said her dad smiling slightly as he looked at them "though you weren't exactly doing much to hide it" he said amused as he looked at their hands which had became entwined during the story.
"Your dating a girl?" Asked her mother surprised
"Yes" nodded Elster "trust me, I was just as surprised"
"So Tanith" Said her father leaning forward on the table "what exactly do you do?"
Tanith perked up "I'm a bullhead pilot. I flew her in"
"She undersells herself, she's an amazing bullhead pilot, and she helps me…" she looked at Tanith lovingly "helps me a lot" Said Elster nodding.
"I can see you two love each other very much" said her father smiling "even though you're different species"
"Is that a problem?" She asked in challenge.
"No, of course not" reassured her mother
"I was just making an observation" Said her father placatingly "it's not a common thing to see, inter-species relationships"
"Tell me about it" Said Tanith smiling
"How did you get those scars you poor thing?" Asked her mother before quickly going wide eyed "if you don't mind me asking!" She said quickly as Tanith laughed.
"Its okay, I don't, I was out to pick up some students, but then I went down thanks to a nevermore. Then a certain someone rushed to my rescue, just got a bit scratched is all" Said Tanith as she took another sip of the tea.
"So she saved you from some Grimm?" Asked Elster's father
"Yup, without a weapon as well" said Tanith
"I see" Said her father "and was this when your feelings for my daughter surfaced?" He said as he crossed his arms
"Well, it definitely helped" she said shrugging before blushing "but they were there from when I first saw her"
"Literally in our first interaction" Said Elster smiling as Tanith blushed more and rolled her eyes, taking another sip of her tea.
"So why were you attacking Grimm without a weapon?" Asked her father
"Well… I had bad memories associated with my weapons at the time" Said Elster "literally the first time I laid eyes on them in years I had a hallucination"
"I was there, wasn't pretty" Said Tanith
"Are you okay honey?" Asked her mother worried and concerned
"Yeah, I went to therapy thanks to some convincing from a certain someone" she looked at Tanith who smiled. "But I was cured about… the beginning of the Vytal festival" Said Elster
"Jesus, therapy took three years?" Asked her father.
"No, it only took about eight months" Said Elster
"Wait, so that would mean… you suffered from PTSD for 3 years and didn't do anything about it" Said her father shocked.
"Honey… we- we could of helped, we could of done something!" Said her mother as tears came to her eyes.
"No, don't blame yourselves, it was my own fault" Said Elster, quickly reaching out and taking her mother's hand "I… I thought of myself as a failure, to everyone. I blamed myself for what had happened… to the point where… where" she bit her lip worriedly at how much she should tell, then Tanith squeezed her shoulder and she sighed at the look on her mother and father's face, her brother sitting in confusion.
"I got to the point where I was ashamed of myself, I thought I was a coward, weak, pathetic… so I just… I just wanted to end it… all the pain, the shame and embarrassment" she felt a tear go down her cheek a she looked down at her untouched cup of tea "I had a gun… and… I t-tried to… to" she choked as her mother gasped and she heard her father's chair scrape.
Then she was enveloped in a hug, her father's familiar scent rolling around her and reminding her of her childhood, times in her life when her father had hugged her.
She realised how much she missed it as she slowly wrapped her hands around her father before a sob escaped her throat, then she was crying into her father's shoulder, her mother quickly joining the hug as her father pulled them both close.
"I'm sorry" She sobbed "I'm s-s-so s-sorry"
"Why's she crying?" Asked Bundi confused as Tanith looked at him.
"It'll be explained when you're older" Said Tanith simply.
They stayed in that hug for several minutes as Elster calmed down, eventually separating at Elster's insistence that she was okay now.
"I ugh" her mother sniffed and wiped at her eyes "I should be getting started on stew for tea, would you like some? I'm making my special stew"
Elster nodded shakily "Yeah, Yeah we'd love some"
"Why don't you go into the living room, only so much room in the kitchen" Said her father smiling.
"Okay, Yeah, yeah" Said Elster, nodding and slightly disoriented as she got up, Tanith helping her into the living room and she looked around the room as Tanith walked over and sat down on the couch.
Elster looked around, the room was large, taking up this half of the house. She saw the familiar decretive paintings on the wall, the stone mantle piece with the clock in the middle and surrounded by family photos and the new additions of little wood carvings.
She saw several pictures of Bundi as he had grown up, then she paused as she saw a picture of her, it was to the front of the pictures and was a picture she had sent them. She picked it up as she inspected it, it was of her graduation, she was grinning at the camera, one axe on her shoulder as next to her was her team, also all grinning.
"That was when you graduated" Said her brother as he looked at her.
Elster looked at him and smiled "Yeah, one of the happiest days of my life" she said as she put it back. Tanith stayed quiet and simply let the siblings have a moment.
"So you're a huntress?" He asked.
"Yeah, I'm a huntress" she said nodding as she inspected other photos.
"So how many Grimm have you killed?" He asked excitedly.
Elster chuckled and shook her head "you lose count after a while, hundreds at least" she said as she turned away from the photos and crouched down in front of him.
"Woah" breathed Bundi as Elster chuckled at his expression "can I see your weapon?" He asked excitedly.
Elster chuckled and reached into her left sleeve, pulling out her weapon in stick form.
"It's just a stick" he said a bit disappointed.
"Ah Ha" Said Elster as she pressed a button and the blades snapped out and Bundi gasped in amazement.
"Can I hold it?" He asked excitedly.
"Hmmm, Okay, But stay away from the blades and remember that it's heavy" Said Elster, quickly unloading the shot from it and putting it in her pocket as her brother carefully grabbed the handle and she let go.
He sagged momentarily before adjusting to the weight and looking at the weapon in awe.
"Bundi sweetie, please be careful" Said their mother worriedly a she poked her head in.
"Don't worry, I'm here" Said Elster.
"It's so heavy!" He said as he held it in a two handed grip "this is sooooo cool"
Their mother smiled "Nan is coming over"
Elster smiled slightly at the memories of her grandmother "Okay… I'm surprised she's still going"
"I'm telling her you said that!" Called her mother as she walked back to the kitchen.
"Nan is the best!" Said Bundi as Elster took her axe back before he dropped it.
"Yeah, She is" Said Elster smiling slightly
Then the door bell rang.
Elster stood as she heard her father go up to the door and begin talking with the people on the other side. Then there were several footsteps and Elster went pale as she thought of only one possibility. Then her fears were confirmed as four people entered the room.
One was similar in height to Elster, green scales dotting his lightly tanned skin with black hair and sharp red eyes, he was Nyoka. He was cold and harsh but was secretly a caring person, though he and Elster had butted heads many times. His eyes glanced at her before narrowing at Tanith.
Next to him was a short girl with long red hair and purple eyes, two curved horns with multiple piercings of gold and silver rings adorned them as they wrapped round her ears, she was Poli. Generally the gentle but excitable one of their group.
Next to her was Kolf, he had large bat ears aimed at her as his brown eyes looked her up and down in surprise while his brown hair still remained scruffy like bat fur. He was generally lazy despite his intelligence.
And finally there was Sehko, she was a spider Faunus, her short black hair and black eyes with green irises looking at Elster in curiosity. She was generally the one that caused the most trouble out of the group, being able to climb walls giving her the ability to get to places that others couldn't but also being the calmest, her general punk look, tattoos and several ring piercings in her eyebrows along with a tongue piercing and a stud on the left side of her nose making her stand out.
"Umm… hi… guys" said Elster awkwardly as she put her axe back into its stick form and slipped it into her sleeve.
Poli then squealed, jumping happily before leaping forward and wrapping Elster in a hug "I can't believe it's you! I missed you so much!" She shouted and Elster had to stop herself from falling over before she then pulled away "you've been alive all this time and you didn't tell us you, you… you… argh!" Said Poli thumping her in the chest several times before throwing her arms up and then crossing them and pouting.
"Where have you been?" Asked Poli "What have you been doing? Why didn't you try and contact us? Where's your team?"
"Woah, Poli. Give her some space" came Sehko's calm voice, it was always calm, no matter the situation. She put an arm between them and forced her back a few steps. Then she turned and looked Elster up and down before a tear came to her eye "god, it's actually fucking you" she said smiling as she hugged her
"Well you've changed" Said Elster smiling as she returned the hug.
"Oh yeah? Well look at you! Look at all this metal!" She ran her hands along Elster's many bracelets "And I know you became a huntress but damn, feel these muscles" she said as she squeezed one of Elster's arms. Then she turned and ruffled Bundi's hair "Sup little dude"
"Hi Sehko!" Said Bundi happily.
Elster noticed that Nyoka was still standing at the back. She guessed he was likely very angry at her, but he was still staring at Tanith who was simply staying in the background and pointedly not looking at him.
But Kolf walked forward grinning "I knew it was you, as soon as I saw you step out the bullhead"
"You were there?" Asked Elster
"I work there" he replied grinning "a nice little lazy job"
"Shouldn't you… still be working there?" Asked Tanith and the group finally turned their eyes to her.
"Well yeah, but when I said it was a lazy job, I literally meant it. Nothing lands there, they all land at the bigger landing station deeper in the city" he explained
"Oh, Elster just told me to land at that one because it was closer. It took me a few seconds to notice it considering it was just a field" Said Tanith
"Yeah, they did consider getting it concreted but decided it wasn't worth the cost, my name's Kolf by the way" he said extending a hand
"Sup, I'm Tanith" Said Tanith smiling as she shook his hand.
"This is Tanith" Said Elster quickly walking over "She's my girlfriend"
The group- except for Kolf- blinked.
"Jesus, go away for 8 years and come back gay and ripped" Said Sehko chuckling as Tanith joined in.
"It was a surprise to me too" Elster said.
"She's human" said Nyoka
"She's also in the room" said Tanith
"She is human" nodded Elster, staring at Nyoka challengingly "want to make something of it?"
Nyoka opened his mouth to say something but Poli intervened, stepping between them with hands on her hips as she looked up at the man "Nyoka" Said Poli warningly, almost like a teacher.
Nyoka stared back at her before huffing and sitting down in an armchair, Elster blinking in surprise as she looked at Poli.
"Poli is a teacher" Said Sehko "it's kinda scary"
"She teaches at my school!" Said Bundi happily.
"Anytime she does the voice I get flashbacks" Said Kolf as Poli rolled her eyes
"I enjoy working with children" she defended.
"It's also not the only reason why he listens to her" Said Sehko, smirking as Poli blushed and Nyoka rolled his eyes.
"Oh?" said Elster, raising an eyebrow "really?"
"It was something that just happened" Said Poli shrugged as she rubbed arm.
"I'm glad it did" Said Nyoka, smiling warmly at Poli.
"That is so weird" Said Kolf shaking his head
"How long?" Asked Elster
"About… 2 years" Said Sehko
"And some how, still weird" Said Kolf
"Well then, what about you two, do you two want to tell something to Elster?" Asked Poli crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow.
Kolf's lips quirked upwards while Sehko actually blushed which made Elster stare.
"So I'm gone and you all can't control yourselves" Said Elster amused.
"Says the woman standing next to her girlfriend" said Kolf
Tanith smirked and looked up at Elster "he's got you there, you did struggle to control yourself around me"
Before Elster could respond her mother walked in "It's so wonderful to see you all" she said happily
"We come here regularly" Said Sehko in confusion as she shook her head.
"I know, but all five of you… it's surreal" Said her mother as she looked at them all before an expression of remembrance crossed her face and she ran back out, mumbling "stew"
"You guys visit regularly?" Asked Elster
"Of course" Said Poli "We were all pretty upset when you… disappeared"
"Someone had to stick around for little bro here" Said Sehko ruffling Bundi's hair again.
Elster looked at them before nodding "I'm glad you did"
"I made a promise, remember?" Said Sehko looking at her.
Elster blinked before she thought back 8 years ago.
~§~
A young Elster and Sehko stood aside from the others, Elster having pulled her aside saying she wanted to have a 'private' talk.
"What's up Elster?" Asked Sehko confused
Elster looked at her before looking over at her parents, her eyes lingering in her mother's pregnant belly "in some of my last classes of Signal, they've were really laying it on how being a huntsman is… dangerous… like deathly dangerous"
"Aw c'mon Elster, your going to Beacon of all places. You'll be fine" said Sehko with a grin which fell when Elster glanced back at her mother.
"Sehko, I just want you to promise me something" she said, her face and voice deathly serious as she turned back to Sehko, Sehko's expression matching her own but with a frown.
"What?" Asked Sehko
"If anything should happen to… me" she said the last part quietly "I just want you to… be there for him"
Sehko blinked "Woah Elster, that's overthinking this, surely" she said
"Please Sehko, you won't have to keep up this promise because I don't have any plans on dying" Elster then swallowed "but… if something happens. Be a sister for him"
~§~
"But why couldn't you?" Asked Sehko, her voice suddenly serious as she looked at Elster piercingly.
Elster looked back at her, her eyes glazed over. A hand grabbed hers and she was knocked out of it, looking down and smiling at Tanith who was looking at her in concern.
"My mind wasn't… it wasn't in the right place"
The room was silent for a moment.
"Fine" huffed Sehko "I'm an advisor to chief Ghira"
"You?" Asked Elster incredulously, ignoring the concerned looks that she was getting from the others.
"Me, I'm just as surprised as you are" Said Sehko
"Yeah, none of us really believed it either till we saw her at one of Ghira's official speeches" said Kolf
"Yeah, and I wish I had a camera cause your expressions were priceless" Said Sehko grinning.
"Surely you would've said something in our scroll calls" Said Elster
"Well, I was hoping to surprise you when you came back" Said Sehko awkwardly before throwing her arms up slowly "surprise?"
Elster chuckled "What made you want to become his advisor?"
"It's not that exciting, there's a council of us and we discuss laws and taxes and other shit that he's thinking of changing" Said Sehko shrugging "and I did it because, well. You were going off to be a huntress and there I was doing drugs in a back alley and needing one of you to take me home… I wanted to do something that let me change how life was" Said Sehko
Elster blinked, she didn't think she'd inspired her friends that much with her career choice "Well… for what it's worth, I'm proud of you" Said Elster
Sehko smiled slightly "thanks"
"We were all so proud of her" Said Poli
"Not exactly doing much to change the world" muttered Nyoka and Sehko rolled her eyes before glaring at him.
"Hey, I actually had to work to get to where I am, You just walked into the local white fang outpost and signed up" she shot back
Elster froze as time seemed to slow, Taniths grip on her hand becoming tighter.
"You alright Elster? You look a little pale" said Kolf
Elster was shocked and unsure what to do as her mind raced, she decided that as long as he didn't say anything, she would leave it for later. She looked at Tanith who was staring in shock at Nyoka, she squeezed her hand as a warning to not do anything.
"Nothing, it's good to hear that you've all… done well for yourselves" Said Elster smiling and trying to hide her emotions.
"What about you, what've you been up to for like 4 years?" Asked Sehko "And why are you wearing one glove?"
"Well-"
Suddenly the front door crashed open.
"Right, where is the little shit?" Asked an aged female voice.
"Living room!" Called back Elster's mother "and no swearing in front of Bundi!"
A small round woman walked into the living room and fixed Elster with a hard stare, her hair short and grey with a few withered feathers of the same colour still in it. She then rushed up and began hitting Elster- not very hard- with her frail hands.
"Where have you been you little shit! you tore this family up when you didn't contact us!" she said with each slap before then grabbing her and pulling her down into a tight hug "but I'm so relieved you're here and I want you to know how much I love you" she said as Elster inhaled the familiar perfume.
"Yeah… I deserved that" said Elster into her Nan's shoulder.
They soon separated and her Nan turned and greeted everyone else with hugs and how nice it was to see them as well.
"Did you miss me?" Asked Bundi a little disappointed at being ignored
"Ah! My little owl! Come here!" Said Nan as she threw open her arms and Bundi ran over and hugged her happily "Oh! I've missed you both equally"
"But me more?" Asked Bundi cheekily and Elster smirked slightly.
"Cheeky little swine" said Nan as she began to tickle the boy who yelped and quickly got away giggling.
Then Elster's father walked in and her Nan looked up at him neutrally, her father staring back with an equally neutral gaze.
"Pombo" She said stiffly
"Soru" replied her father equally stiffly
They stayed like that before cracking smiles and Elster looked between them confused but happy.
"Would you like something to drink?" Asked her father
"Red wine if you have it" Said Nan
"Of course we do. Elster?"
"I'm not thirsty at the moment" replied Elster
"Okay, apple juice?" Asked her father smiling at Bundi
"Yes!"
"What?"
"Yes please" Said Bundi.
"You must remember your manners as you grow" Said her Nan.
"Yeah, pleases and thank you's" Said Sehko "And then stealing if you don't get what you want"
"And what would you guys like?" Asked her father as he looked at her friends and Tanith.
"Apple juice" Said Poli and Tanith
"Beer" said everyone else.
"And who are you?" Asked her Nan as she looked Tanith while Nyoka got out of his chair, her Nan thanking him as she sat down.
"I'm Tanith" Said Tanith smiling as she also stood up and walked over to Elster who was sat down in the other armchair across the room, sitting on the left arm.
"Tanith is my girlfriend" Said Elster, slightly nervous as she looked at her grandmother.
Her Nan blinked before chuckling "well haven't you got stories to tell" she said. Elster relaxed and smiled, nodding as her parents came in.
"The stew will take a while" Said her mother as she sat down on the couch.
"Perfect, Elster can help us pass the time" Said her Nan.
Her parents and Bundi were sat on the couch, Bundi on her mother's lap to make space, her Nan was in the armchair. Nyoka leaned against a wall with Poli next to him leaning on him, Sehko sat on the couch next to her parents while Kolf sat on the ground with his back resting against the sofa underneath Sehko, her legs either side of him.
"I'll just start from the beginning" she said "when I graduated from beacon me and my teammates went on several missions. Your remember them right?" She asked tilting her head.
"Yeah, you talked to us about them whenever you called" said Kolf and Tanith sensed his slight hurt.
"Alright, well. We were on a mission to a village that had fallen out of radio contact. When we got there it was a burnt husk, completely destroyed, no survivors" Elster paused her story and looked at her little brother who was staring at her, wide eyed.
"It's going to be getting a bit…" Elster trialed off
"Not child friendly?" Guessed Poli, who was looking at Elster in concern
"Yeah" said Elster.
"I got the best hearing" Said Kolf as he stood up.
"Bundi, go with Kolf" Said Elster's mum
"But I wanna hear the story" whined Bundi
"You'll come back for the rest" she assured and the child huffed before sulkily following Kolf from the room.
"Alright, well… Lelouch was the first to go. The Grimm got to him as we were running, I could tell by… his screams" Elster tailed off into silence as she relived the events in her head, the rest of the room expressing fear and sorrow, either through Tanith's sense or facial expressions.
"Next was Brian, he tried to get to him.. but he failed. Ulrich pulled me along and tried to get me going, but in my moment of hesitance…." She trailed off again, sniffing and quickly wiping her eyes.
The thought of what could have been if she hadn't hesitated, would she of been here? Would she be here with her team? Ulrich cracking jokes while she joined in, Lelouch pretending to hate it and Brian smiling in amusement as they told tales of their missions. Would she of known Tanith? She didn't know if she was capable of making that choice, would-
She was knocked out her thoughts by Tanith giving her a gentle nudge and squeezing her hand. She flashed her a grateful smile before turning back to her family and friends who were looking at her in sympathy.
"He was charged by a creeper, got him in its jaws and took off into a building… his last words were him telling me to run, then…" Elster closed her eyes and shook her head "I was running through forest for a few days. Made it to a town and collapsed, woke up in hospital hoping it was a dream… I felt… still feel, a lot of guilt… I suffered from PTSD and survivors guilt, I shut myself away, focusing on my job"
"So, you've been doing something else for three years?" Asked her Nan as Kolf re-entered with Bundi.
"Yeah, air traffic controller… I worked all the jobs… I essentially was the air traffic control tower" said Elster smiling slightly.
"That doesn't sound legal" Said Sehko
"Or healthy" Said Poli
"Or fun" Said Kolf
"I requested it that way specifically, I shut myself away from others and used work as a distraction… a coping mechanism" Elster shook her head "so that was my life for a while, then Tanith came along"
"She struggled to ask me out" Said Tanith smiling
"Yeah" Said Elster grudgingly "But we don't need to focus on that, what we need to focus is you almost dying and then me asking you out after you woke up. We dated and Tanith convinced me to go get some therapy-"
"Therapy?" Asked Poli
"For my nightmares" Said Elster "I would get regular nightmares, but that's over now, I'm fine"
"Yeah, trust me, this is a lot better then it was about… 9 months ago" said Tanith
Elster nodded "she's right, anyway went to a few therapy sessions with this amazing doctor and I was cleared a month and a bit ago" she looked at Tanith and smiled "But Tanith has been a real help"
"I'm glad my daughter had someone for her" said her mother
"Yeah well, I tried my best" Said Tanith shrugging lightly
"And you did a pretty good job" Said Elster smiling as she reached up with her left hand and grabbed Tanith's hand.
"Why are you wearing one glove?" Asked her Nan suddenly and everyone stared curiously.
"Well I guess nows a good a time as any" sighed Elster as she grabbed the glove then paused and looked up "I just want to say that I'm okay"
That caused everyone to look concerned as she finally pulled the glove off, revealing the robot hand to the room.
"Elster…" whispered her mother in wide eyed shock.
"That feels like important fucking information to reveal" Said Sehko as she stared.
"Probably, but I figured it would be better to reveal it to everyone at once just so I could get it out the way" she shrugged as she wiggled the fingers.
"How… when?" Asked her father.
"About… two, three weeks ago" shrugged Elster "just an accident on a mission"
"An accident" echoed her Nan.
"Can I see?" Asked her mother but shook her head when Elster offered her hand toward her "the wound, can I see the arm?" Elster paused "you don't have too!" Said her mother quickly upon seeing her daughters reaction "I'm just-"
"It's fine" assured Elster as she grabbed the gauntlet "you're bound to see it anyway, I can't really wear it exposed to the heat of menagerie for too long anyway, don't even get me started on the sand" she gently pulled the hand off.
"Does it hurt to take off?" Asked Poli
"No, only painful part was the surgery" explained Elster as her mother grabbed her stump, her fingers running over the scars "had to go through a few hours of painful surgery"
"How?" Asked Nyoka suddenly "how did you lose it?"
"It's embarrassing to be honest, considering the circumstances" said Elster "just a stupid mistake" she took a deep breath "I found myself in a group of Beowulf's and… I wasn't focusing on my aura and it broke"
"How long have you had the hand?" Asked Sehko
"About… a week now" Said Elster as she did the math "it was made by Tanith"
Tanith blushed "I helped make it" she said with a small smile "it was mostly the towns blacksmith"
"Yeah well, close enough. She painted it for me about 3 days ago and so far it's worked perfectly"
"What's it like?" Asked her father
"Weird" Said Elster finally as she picked the gauntlet back up and slipped her stump in "it feels like a normal hand… but I can't feel anything through it" she explained.
"It's made to also function in water" Said Tanith looking at the hand "but she can't wear it too much around sand because it gunks up the mechanisms" she explained
"Well, at least you have a hand" Said Poli
"I'm not that…" Elster struggled to find the words before sighing and starting again "it's not like I don't care that I lost the hand, it sucks and I'm sort of sad. But like, I'm not letting it hold me back and I mean, I have a prosthetic that functions like the real thing" explained Elster
"How does it work?" Asked Bundi curiously.
"They implanted these special sensors into my arm" explained Elster before looking down at the prosthetic "it's why my arm looks… the way it does" she said quietly before shaking herself "but yeah, these parts" she patted the sliding metal covers "these detect the sensors and translate movement from my nerves to movement of the hand"
"It must hurt to have them in your arm" Said her grandmother.
"No" said Elster shaking her head "they're really small and you can't even feel anything if you press the arm"
Her grandmother nodded before then frowning and sitting forward slightly "you haven't explained something yet"
"What?" Asked Elster curious
"Why didn't you come back, four years ago?"
Elster paused as she looked at her grandmother, then at her lap as all eyes focused on her.
"It's… complicated" she finally said "there's so many factors and a lot of them are because I was just… in a really shitty headspace at the time" she rubbed her face a moment before looking back up "I thought of myself as a failure, I had let my team die while I lived and I felt I didn't deserve to be happy. I was supposed to be a huntress, I'm supposed to protect people, but my teammates are dead and 3 years down the line I'm still upset"
Elster paused and took a deep breath "I knew that if I came back, everything would be okay, you would support me and help me move on… but I didn't feel as if I deserved that. It didn't feel right for me to just suddenly come back after four years of scroll calls and letters and…" she looked at Bundi "there was a part of me that felt like I shouldn't come back, you were happy and you had Bundi, you wouldn't want your damaged daughter back when you need to focus on him, making sure he doesn't become like his sister"
"No Elster" said her mother quietly, tears in her eyes "never"
"I know looking back now after having therapy that these thoughts are stupid, that I was stupid" assured Elster "but those were my thoughts for three years, before my life started getting better" her hand drifted over and grabbed Tanith's who gave her a little encouraging squeeze "when things started looking up for me…" she trailed off as she tried to find the words before she huffed and stood up, feeling restricted in the armchair with everyone's eyes on her as she pacing around "it's hard to explain"
"Please Elster, just try your best" Said her father
Elster looked at him before nodding "I thought… that you would want nothing to do with me, what sort of person was I to just disappear for 4 years to suddenly just come back into your lives and dump my problems on? I assumed you would've all moved on and… and me coming back would've just… made you all hate me"
"I'd left you all with nothing, I'd left Sehko with the responsibility of being a sister in my place. I haven't been a part of his life for 8 years what right do I have to come back and shove myself in when you're all living nice and happy"
A silence descended upon the room as Elster finished her explanation, Elster sitting in quiet agony as her friends and family looked at her and each other, Elster taking comfort as Tanith's hand squeezed hers.
"Well" Said her father finally "those were some… silly fears"
Elster snorted "I know someone who would agree with you" she muttered, her eyes trailing over to Tanith.
"They may have been silly" continued her father "but they were still your fears, they still caused you pain which doesn't make them any less real"
Elster looked at him in shock as he continued "I wouldn't of cared if you had come back at your worst, I wouldn't of cared if you came back four years from now or ten" he stood up and walked towards her, placing a hand on her shoulder "all I care about is that you came back, and that you're here"
Elster wasn't quite sure when she started crying, but she was as her eyes became blurry. She took a few steps forward and they hugged, Elster holding him tight as happy tears fell from her eyes.
~§~
The afternoon wore on, Elster recounting the four years in further detail. She was interrupted when her mother suddenly shot up screeching 'stew!' and steam rolled out the door, Elster's father on her heels.
Several minutes later they were all served stew, and Elster decided to ask her own questions of her family and friends. The afternoon eventually turned to the evening and her Nan was the first to go, hugging Elster for several minutes before she finally walked out the door.
Then Nyoka and Poli left, Poli saying she had work tomorrow which seemed to remind everyone else as Sehko and Kolf left a few minutes later. Then her mother forced Bundi to bed, Elster and Tanith quickly going back to the bullhead to collect their things before coming back.
Now Elster was walking up the stairs and looking at the single hallway that made up the second story, two doors on the left and one door on the right, personal pictures of her parents wedding and a few of her own baby picture along with new ones from Bundi.
Tanith behind her walked forward and indicated the first door "is this it?"
"No, that's Bundi's I'm guessing" Said Elster as she walked along, past the door on the right and going to the second door on the left "this one though" she said as she opened the door and Tanith walked in in wide eyed curiosity.
Tanith looked around Elster's old room as she put down her bag. It was decorated blue with various knick knacks spread around, Grimm figurines and pictures Elster had taken when she was an amateur.
The bed was a single mattress on the floor due to space and dust decorated everything in the room.
"We ugh… gave your bed frame to Bundi because of money and-"
"It's fine mum" said Elster waving her mother off and smiling at the sight of her room "we'll be alright"
"Okay then" she said before a mischievous smile appeared on her face "now, I was a young adult too Elster but-"
"Mum please"
"-as I'm sure you're aware the walls are very thin so-"
"Yup, got it mum love you too!" Said Elster loudly as she shut the door, closing her eyes as she heard her mother's laughter from the other side.
"That was entertaining" commented Tanith as she walked up to the window and looked out to see the street in front of the house.
"I was going to lean on the side of embarrassing" Said Elster.
"Do you not remember when we had to convince my dad to let us sleep in the same room?" Asked Tanith raising an eyebrow before walking away from the window and beginning to get changed.
Tanith got changed into pyjamas (simply one of Elster's shirts over a pair of booty shorts) while Elster took off her prosthetic and applied the cream and compression garment, still being a little clumsy with only one hand but determined to try and do it on her own.
Tanith looked around before turning to the bed which Elster was fiddling with and piling up pillows at the end near the wall.
"So, how are we going to-" Tanith was cut off with a gasp as Elster picked her up by the waist, Tanith wrapping her arms and legs around Elster.
"Like this" Said Elster as she slowly got onto her knees and shuffled forward before laying her back on the mattress, her back and head supported by the pillows as she sank into them.
"This works" agreed Tanith as she slid to the side of Elster and felt her back pressing into the wall, then Elster tugged a blanket around herself then down Tanith's back so she was comfortable.
"Of course it does, I thought of it" Said Elster smirking.
"So, how are you feeling?" Asked Tanith "was it as terrible as you thought it would be?"
"It went a lot better then I expected" Said Elster quietly
"After meeting your parents I don't understand why you thought it would go bad" said Tanith
"Well, as we've established Tanith" Said Elster dryly "I'm pretty stupid"
"Not always" Said Tanith before smirking "I mean after all, you fell in love with me didn't you?"
"I suppose I was pretty intelligent there" said Elster smirking.
"I'm still marvelling at the fact that we both have functional families" Said Tanith "like our parents aren't divorced or fighting or have any problems"
"Mm" hummed Elster "I'm thankful for that honestly, my father and grandmother didn't used to get along so well"
"I'd say that it's surprising nothing went wrong majorly while you were gone but… Nyoka…" Tanith trailed off and looked up at Elster, her eyes not adjusted enough to see the look in Elster's eyes but even if she couldn't she could feel Elster's disappointment, sorrow and shock.
"Yes, I… I don't really know what to do about that" Said Elster finally
"Well I cant exactly tell you what to do I'm afraid, they're your friends who all seem like nice people by the way!" Said Tanith popping her head up and staring at her.
"Look, I know Okay? I was an asshole" huffed Elster letting her head flop back.
Tanith bit her lip guiltily, feeling Elster's own guilt and irritation "Sorry" apologised Tanith "I know this is a really stressful time for you"
Elster didn't say anything for a moment before letting her hand trail up Tanith's back and began to ran it through her hair "I dunno what I should do, I want to smack him, to lecture him, to do something. But I've been gone for 8 years… I can't tell him what to do"
"Quite a pickle" murmured Tanith.
"It is a fucking pickle" muttered Elster "a massive fucking pickle in the shape of Nyoka with the words 'I'm in the white fang' above it in flashing text"
Tanith looked up at her amused "I think someone's a bit stressed" she said.
"Mm" hummed Elster.
"Luckily I know the cure" Said Tanith slowly as her hand began to trail up from Elster's stomach and up her chest, going closer and closer to- "but" said Tanith, halting her movements "I heard your mother mention thin walls" she said teasingly, letting her hand go back to its place on Elster's stomach.
"Fuck you" Said Elster.
"Language!" Came a muffled shout from the other side of the house and Tanith laughed loudly while Elster blushed and closed her eyes groaning
~§~
Elster would admit that waking up in her old room was a surreal experience, especially with the fact that beside her was her sleeping girlfriend.
Elster tried to shift herself carefully but Tanith ended up stirring and cracking open an eye "mornin…" she croaked.
"Good morning" smiled Elster, leaning down and kissing her nose "how are you?"
"Comfortable… and warm" she said, her eye falling back close "this room smells a lot like dust, but this bed smells a lot like you"
"You're a bit of a weirdo" Said Elster as she lay back down in the pillows, hands behind her head as Tanith cuddled her side.
"Whatever Miss 'I'm going to completely cover your neck in hickeys to let everyone know we sin'" shot back Tanith tiredly.
"I'm just showing my affection for you" responded Elster
"More like your marking me for others to see" Said Tanith and Elster blushed with a smirk.
They lay there in a comfortable silence for a while, Elster looking around her room while Tanith's breathing got heavier and heavier until she was back asleep. Then Elster felt her stomach gurgle and sighed as she looked down at a content and sleeping Tanith.
She tried to move without waking her but that was an impossible task as Tanith cracked an eye open and glared at her reproachfully "I'm gonna go make something to eat, come down when you're ready" she said slightly apologetic as she slipped from Tanith's grasp and Tanith groaned before moving over into the warm spot and curling in on herself "maybe a cat faunus" Said Elster playfully and Tanith grunted.
Elster opened the door quietly, closing it behind her and creeping down the corridor. The stairs were a bit more tricky as they creaked, it was the third and tenth one if she remembered correctly as she avoided those steps.
Elster meandered into the kitchen and looked around the familiar place before smiling as she thought of something she could do. She began to go through cupboards and compile ingredients.
Her mother liked coffee with milk and two sugars, her father preferred his coffee black with one sugar. Her parents however both had different varieties on what they liked to eat and she had no idea of what Bundi would want, her movements pausing as she realised she didn't really know her brother at all.
"Elster?" Asked a voice behind her and she jumped, the coffee container flying into the air but luckily the lid was on, stopping a mess from being made as she caught it and turned to see her brother.
"Oh, Hey Bundi" Said Elster as she put down the coffee "what are you doing up?"
"I usually wake up early" shrugged Bundi "I usually have to wait till mom wakes up before I can have breakfast"
Elster nodded before she smiled suddenly "what does mom usually give you for breakfast?"
"Varies" shrugged Bundi and Elster deflated slightly "can you do pancakes?"
Elster perked up again and chuckled "can I do pancakes?" She said rhetorically "I'm the queen of pancakes"
"Moms pancakes are the best" argued her brother as he crossed his arms.
"Moms pancakes are pretty good" agreed Elster nodding before snapping her fingers "I'm the princess of pancakes then"
"No one can be anywhere near as good as mom" said Bundi
"Sounds like someone wants…" Elster trailed off and quickly opened another cupboard, pulling out a bland cereal box "oatmeal flakes?"
"Eugh!" Cringed Bundi "Dad always eats that for breakfast, no! Pancakes please" begged Bundi and Elster smirked slightly as she found out what to give her father for breakfast.
"Pancakes coming up" she said as she gathered ingredients "want something to drink?"
"Hot chocolate!" Said Bundi eagerly and Elster nodded as she began to prepare both ingredients and drink at the same time.
She prepared in silence for a moment before Bundi piped up "so you're a huntress" he said matter of factly and Elster rose an eyebrow to herself even as she nodded "that means you must have stories"
Elster paused before nodding again "oh yeah, I've got a couple" She looked over her shoulder "wanna hear about the time I took on an Ascalaphus?"
"Yeah!" Said Bundi eagerly
"Okay, so this was in Sanus, deep in the wilderness" began Elster as she delivered a cup of hot chocolate in front of Bundi before going back to mixing together ingredients "this village had requested aid from an Ascalaphus that was attacking them" said Elster before turning and facing her brother as she let the pan heat up "an Ascalaphus is massive, with two massive wings and a set of sharp talons, but its main weapons is its screech which can deafen people if they hear it too long" she said, Bundi looking at her with wide eager eyes.
"The only armor they have is this skeletal plate on their face which makes them look like an owl. So we arrive at this village right after it's been attacked, a house is on fire and a crying mother tells me her kids in the house"
Bundi's mouth opened in shock as Elster turned around and poured some of the mixture to the pan "so of course I have to run in and the whole pace is submerged in flames and smoke, I could barely see" said Elster as she watched the batter carefully "but I find a door and kick it open and luckily it was the kids room"
She heard a sigh of relief from her brother and she smirked "so I rush over and make sure the kids okay, I then pick him up and turn back to the door, ready to leave" she turned around suddenly, her brother jumping in surprise "but, the door is now covered in flame as the fire spreads into the room"
Bundi stared in shock again as he listened to the story "so I load one of my axes with a wind dust shot and fire at the nearest wall, blasting it open to reveal the outside which I quickly run through just as the room becomes completely engulfed in fire"
There was movement from upstairs, not the room directly above them which was her parents room but one of the rooms above the living room which could only be Tanith. She smiled as she grabbed a glass from a cupboard and opened the fridge, pouring Tanith a glass of apple juice before continuing her story as the footsteps descended the stairs.
"So I give this child back to his mother and she's very grateful, then I look around but luckily it was the only house on fire" said Elster as Tanith entered the kitchen tiredly "morning" said Elster as she pushed the glass toward Tanith who took it, walking up to Elster and kissing her on the cheek before going and sitting at the table on the other side of Bundi.
If Bundi thought it weird he didn't say as he said a cheery good morning to Tanith who gave a groggy one back "Tanith" said Elster lightly and Tanith looked up at her "pills"
Tanith squinted her eyes before nodding and getting up again, walking out the kitchen.
"She's a bit slow until she takes her pills" Elster stage whispered to her brother "her pills give her a bit of an energy boost" her brother nodded and she smiled before grabbing the pan and wiggling her eyebrows "wanna bet I can flip it?"
"Mom can't flip it" said Bundi "so I don't think you can"
Elster rose an eyebrow and without looking away from her brother flipped the pancake, it flew up and did a few circles before splatting down, cooked side up in the pan. Her brothers eyes lit up in amazement as he stared open mouthed "never doubt me again" she said faux serious and her brother nodded.
"All praise Elster, goddess of pancakes" he said, pretending to worship her and she laughed as she put the pan back on the oven top.
"Recognition I deserve" said Elster "now where was I? Oh yeah. So I look around and eventually find the leader of the village, however he… doesn't take me seriously at first" said Elster slowly.
"Why didn't he take you seriously?" Asked her brother and she quickly thought before sighing.
"He was an old man very much stuck in his ways" said Elster "and this village was very… patriarchal, males hold the important jobs while women stay at home to look after kids and cook for their husbands" said Elster
"That sound's stupid" said Bundi
"Oh yeah, you wouldn't see anything like that nowadays" lied Elster "but yeah, didn't take me seriously because I'm a woman and a Faunus. When I told him I was flown in he insisted on seeing the pilot, so I take him and the look on his face when Tanith was revealed to be the pilot" Elster chuckled and shook her head as she heard Tanith coming back.
"Somebody say my name?" Asked Tanith groggily as she entered the kitchen
"Hey, just telling him about the Ascalaphus" said Elster as Tanith sat down and grabbed the apple juice glass, popping a pill in her mouth and swallowing it with a mouthful of juice.
"Oh" said Tanith before leaning over and stage whispering to Bundi "she means a giant owl"
Elster chuckled and shook her head as she lifted the pan and walked over to her brother, depositing a plate in front of him followed by letting the pancake slide onto it "yes, a giant owl" said Elster as she went through cupboards and delivered various toppings onto the table "pancakes?"she asked looking at Tanith who nodded.
"Yes please" said Tanith as Bundi put on a topping and cut a piece off, taking a bite.
"Oh my god" he whispered to himself
"I know right" said Tanith
"But yeah, the leader initially declined our services" said Elster continuing the story "but when I told him that if he declined then before another hunter came along an owl would destroy his village he reluctantly agreed" said Elster.
"That was entertaining to watch" commented Tanith
"What next?" Asked Bundi excited
"Well we were told to go to his house" said Elster as she watched the batter in the pan "but then we were late and he didn't answer the door so we just went into the village and asked the folks there" she took the pan off and again flipped the pancake before putting it back on the oven top "so all evidence points to this shaman who attracted the Grimm"
"How?" Asked Bundi through a mouthful of pancake.
"He was fear mongering" said Tanith.
"He was telling the people that something they had done had angered the gods and that they would smite or curse the village" said Elster
"Sounds silly" said Bundi
"You've gotta remember that these people are deep in the wilderness and don't have much of any technology" said Elster "so the shaman telling them the gods are gonna curse them? They believed it and that fear, that negative emotion brought the Ascalaphus to them"
"So what did you do?" Asked Bundi curious.
"We ugh… had a little chat with him" said Elster and Tanith nodded
"A very serious one" said Tanith
"Yeah, and he said he wouldn't do that anymore" said Elster "then we went back to grumpy man who began to try and tell us off for not waiting when suddenly the Ascalaphus attacks" said Elster, walking over to Tanith and depositing a plate and pancake in front of her, delivering a quick kiss to her hair as she passed by.
"So Tanith runs to her bullhead while I try and find the Ascalaphus, it doesn't take long because it actually comes to me by landing right I front of me" Elster turned as the batter sizzled behind her "it was massive, at least 20 meters, maybe more. It cast a shadow over me as it reared it's head back and let out that piercing screech"
"That sucked" said Tanith nodding
"What did it sound like?" Asked Bundi
"Like knifes being rammed into your ear" Said Tanith
"Luckily my aura protected me as I ran forward and jumped with help from my weapons and aura, latching on with my axes and hanging on for dear life as it took off into the sky" she flipped the pancake high in the air before letting it continue cooking "so I'm hanging onto this Grimm chest and have to begin moving toward its side to hopefully try and climb on it's back"
"While it's in midair?" Asked Bundi shocked
"Yup" nodded Elster "exciting day. So I'm standing on the back of this Grimm, Tanith is in her bullhead and distracting it. Then it throws its head back to screech and I run up to the back of its head and splice, it begins coughing blood from the mouth and gargling" she smiled as she turned with the pan in her hand "then it's head turned fully to face me"
Bundi looked at her, enraptured in the story as she slid another pancake onto his plate "it's eyes were at least the size of this pancake" she said smiling as she walked back and started another one "and they're both staring at me"
"What happened next?" Asked Bundi excitedly
"Yeah Elster, what happened next?" Asked Tanith with a smirk on her face.
"Tanith in her bullhead began to shoot the back of its head and I was hacking and slashing its back, then it dove and began to fly fast so I had to dig my axes into its back to stay on" she explained "but I decided to take a slight risk and using my aura I stood up and slowly walked along its back toward it's wing"
"I was watching her very confused" commented Tanith.
"You usually are" Said Elster smirking as she flipped the pancake "but yeah, I raise my axe and slice it's wing clean off. And then we begin falling, and we were very high up" Elster turned to Bundi "While I was in midair I quickly had to look through my pouches and find the wind dust shots, then I aim at the ground and fired, slowing myself just enough to land safely"
"You got a photo of the Grimm dissolving" Said Tanith.
"Can I see it?" Asked Bundi excitedly.
"My camera and other photos are in our room, I'll show you later. But yeah, that's the story"
"That was so cool!" Said Bundi through a mouthful of pancakes.
"I'm glad" Said Elster, then she smiled knowingly as she heard movement from upstairs, quickly turning the kettle on to re-boil the water as she got the two cups ready.
Then the familiar creaking of feet coming down the stairs echoed through the house before her father entered the kitchen, a bemused expression on his face as he looked round the room.
"Morning" said Elster looking up at her father "your taste in food is so boring, yet you married a cook" Elster shook her head while she grabbed a bowel and pushed the cereal box toward him.
"I like them" he defended as he poured them into a bowel.
"Wow, playing into your Faunus traits there much" said Elster as she slid a cup of coffee toward him.
"Look whose talking" he said with a grin "why did we have to stop every few minutes when we went for a walk?" He asked and Elster blushed and looked back down at her pancakes "oh yeah, we'd come home and you'd have an assortment of small shiny stones in your arms" he said chuckling before pointing at her "and look at you yesterday, if you had walked past our room dressed how you were I imagine we would've been woken up"
"She hasn't changed" said Tanith "anytime we're in a market it's always 'no Elster' or 'Elster please do not buy the shiny thing that has caught your attention'"
"I don't like this" said Elster shaking her head a she turned, pointing fingers at both her father and Tanith "I don't like this 'bully Elster' meeting"
Tanith and her father both laughed as another set of footsteps thudded down the stairs and her mother made an appearance with a frown on her face.
"And what do you think you're doing?" She asked as she looked at Elster.
"Ugh… cooking… breakfast?" Said Elster hesitantly
"I can see, but that is my job and is part of my routine to cook for everyone before I head to work" said her mother, walking forward and lightly pushing her aside from the pan. "Sit down and I'll get you something to eat"
"I mean, I don't mind cooking" Said Elster, internally relieved that it was just her mother being a MotherTM.
"But I feel better knowing I've fed people" her mother said as she looked at the pancake in the pan before turning to Bundi and walking over "may I have a slice Bundi?" She asked and Bundi begrudgingly agreed.
Her mother picked the slice up on a fork and after an inspection she put it in her mouth. Elster realised she was holding her breath as her mother chewed before a smile appeared on her lips "I'm glad to see your skills haven't gone away"
"I tried my best" shrugged Elster before tilting her head "so you got a job?" She asked as she leaned against the counter "you didn't mention that yesterday"
"Well it's hardly important" waved off her mother.
"You didn't have a job before though" pointed out Elster "you were the awesome stay at home mum"
Her mother laughed lightly "I'm flattered… it just wasn't fair that your father was the only one doing work and bringing in money" she said, something about her voice when she said that making Elster feel like things were off, the feeling intensified when she looked at her father's face and saw a regretful expression.
There was then a sharp knocking at the door, her mother and father both scowled. "What fucking time does he call this" muttered her father as he put down his cup and walked toward the hallway.
"Who is it?" Asked Elster confused.
"Just a nuisance" said her mother scowling as Elster heard her father talk in an angry tone with someone at the door, it went on for a few minutes before the door shut and her father stomped back into the kitchen.
"He's given us another letter" Said her father as he slammed it on the kitchen counter, Elster's eyes snapping and scanning it. Her eyes reading the words before they widened. It was a debt letter, telling her parents that their debt was currently at 8,000 Lien.
"Why has he given us another letter, we already know about it" Said her mother angrily
"I don't know, it's going on the fire anyway" Replied her father.
"You're in debt?" Asked Elster, slightly shocked.
Her parents paused and looked at her before back at each other, her mother eventually turning to her with closed eyes "it's nothing, really. We're managing"
Elster looked at her mother, her eyes going to the bags and tired expression on her face "that's why you've had to get a job" Said Elster in realization.
"It's fine sweetie, really" said her mother coming forward and grabbing her hand "please, you don't need to worry, we're managing it just fine"
Elster looked over at Tanith who was staring at her with a neutral expression before she went back to her mother "I can pay it off, I have the money and-"
"No, absolutely not" Said her mother sternly
"We're fine Elster, you don't need to do anything" Said her father
Elster looked between them desperately "but I can-"
"No Elster" said her father in a final voice before coming forward and placing a hand on her shoulder "having you back is enough, you don't have to do anything else for us"
Elster looked up into his eyes before gritting her teeth and looking to the side "fine"
"Thank you" said her father, giving her a hug which she returned after a few seconds.
Her mother smiled before looking at Bundi then at the clock "c'mon Bundi, eat your breakfast, you've gotta get ready for school"
"I still have to go in?" Asked Bundi incredulous
"Yes you still have to go in" said her mother in an 'obviously' tone of voice.
"But Elster's back" he said pointing at Elster
"And I'll still be back when school finishes" Said Elster smiling "you need to stay in school"
Bundi groaned and rested his cheek in his fist as he ate the last of his pancakes "schools soooo boring though" he said and Tanith's lips quirked up in amusement.
"How about if I take you in?" Asked Elster and Bundi perked up wide eyed "will that encourage you?"
He nodded vigorously as their mother bit her lip "you don't have to Elster"
"Well you've both gotta be in work soon don't you?" Asked Elster "I'm guessing Dad still works the same times and I'm assuming you have to work pretty early"
Her mother sighed but nodded "thank you" she said, giving her a hug and kissing her cheek "I'm so glad your back" she said quietly as Elster returned the hug, then her mother separated and turned back to the stove "now let's get you something to eat"
~§~
Breakfast passed by comfortably, Elster and her family staying in the kitchen for twenty minutes before she and Tanith went back upstairs to get dressed. Elster bit her lip as she pulled on her cargo pants and turned to Tanith who was slipping on a shirt.
"Hey" She said, reaching out and grabbing Tanith's arm, Tanith looking at her inquisitively "I want to pay off their debts, but I know that I was willing to do that without consulting you and I'm sorry" she said.
"Elster it's fine" Said Tanith "I mean, it's not exactly a lot is it? I mean, refueling the bullhead is more expensive"
"I know, but I should've talked to you about it"
"Hey, stop worrying. I'm actually pretty happy" assured Tanith, standing on tip toes and pecking her lips "except…" she trailed off and scrunched her face up "it sounds so racist when I say it out loud"
Elster simply rose an eyebrow and Tanith sighed "I just… don't exactly feel confident to go out into Menagerie… alone"
"Oh" said Elster nodding "well, I wasn't willing to let you go out alone all things considered" she said "as a human you will stand out, and considering the white fang is around and we don't know who's a member and who's not" she hugged her "I won't let you go out alone unprotected"
"I know" Said Tanith.
~§~
Their parents had left several minutes ago, her father to his logging company and her mother to the restaurant she now worked at. She had watched her brother come downstairs in clean clothes and place his shoes on the floor and now she was watching him tie his shoelaces while Tanith leaned against the wall.
There was knocking at the door, Tanith and Elster looking up from Elster's bother doing his shoelaces to the door. Elster walked over to the door and opened it to see Sehko on her doorstep, her appearance disheveled like she had walked here very fast but her clothes were much neater and less punk then her normal look.
"Elster" Said Sehko "I know you just got here and you probably want to spend time with your family but I need your help"
"Well I mean, my parents are at work and I'm going to take Bundi to school with Tanith" she said "so what's up?"
"Your taking Bundi in? I'll join you and we can talk on the way" Said Sehko.
"Well come in for a few minutes" Said Elster stepping aside and Sehko stepped inside and Elster looked down to see she was wearing formal boots rather then her thick black leather ones "this is an interesting appearance"
"Oh please, I've got a whole section in my closet dedicated to formal clothes"
"Formal" Said Elster amused as she looked at the leather jacket she was wearing over a button up shirt and tie.
"Well we're not like the normal politicians, we just need to look slightly more respectable than usual" she said before smiling at Bundi "how you doing Bundi?"
"Elster cooked me breakfast!" Said Bundi as he finished his shoelace and picked up his backpack "she made these amazing tasting pancakes which were awesome!"
"Wow, where are my pancakes?" Asked Sehko faux hurt.
"I'll make something for you later" Said Elster
"I'll hold you to that Castle" Said Sehko pointing
"I'm sure you will" smiled Elster.
They stared at each other for a few moments before Sehko shook her head with a grin "Sorry, it's just…" she reached out and grabbed Elster's shoulder "your really here"
Elster smiled and nodded, patting her hand "Yeah, I'm here"
Sehko nodded before looking at Tanith "and hello Tanith, we don't exactly know each other well but I'm sure that will change in the future" she said with a smile.
"I look forward to it, right now though I'm playing the 'Elster's support' and sticking to the sidelines unless she needs me" Said Tanith.
"I would've laughed at the idea of Elster needing support years ago" Said Sehko sadly.
"Well we all need support, one way or another" Said Elster.
"That sounds like something Crox told you" teased Tanith.
"As a matter of fact, she did" shot back Elster
"Whose Crox?" Asked Sehko
"My therapist" Said Elster and Tanith at the same time before Tanith coughed and shook her head "I mean her therapist"
Sehko looked at her for a moment before nodding "right"
"She's a nice lady" said Elster quickly trying to distract Sehko "I hope you meet her one day, not under the circumstances I did" she clarified and Sehko smiled
"Well with the way this job is sometimes I often think I'll need a therapist soon" she said and chuckled.
"I'm done!" Announced Bundi standing up.
"Let me see" Said Sehko and Bundi held his leg up and Sehko scanned it before nodding "good job" she said, ruffling his hair causing him to duck out of her reach indignantly. Sehko grinned before looking over at Elster "he struggled to learn how to tie his shoelaces"
Elster nodded but didn't say anything, watching regretfully as her brother walked outside.
"Hey" Said Tanith drawing her attention "you're here for him now, okay?"
Elster blinked before nodding, Sehko patting her on the back before following Bundi out as she and Tanith followed her. She heard Tanith huff slightly at the warm sun beating down on them.
"How can either of you wear jackets?" She asked exasperated.
"Because style come above heat" said Sehko.
"And being exposed to heat for most of our lives has made us immune" Said Elster
"That's not how that works" frowned Tanith as she pulled on her aviators.
"Think back to Atlas, you were in your element their!" Said Elster
"Yeah Elster, let's think back to Atlas, the best time of our lives" grumbled Tanith sarcastically.
Elster shook her head and grabbed her hand, Tanith's hand automatically grabbing hers as they began to walk through the city.
"So what seems to be the problem?" Asked Elster.
"Well, There's this big melon plantation out near the south east of Menagerie, and I mean they're a massive exporter for us. But they have a Grimm problem and workers are refusing to work" explained Sehko
"Understandable" nodded Elster "do you know what type of Grimm?"
"We're not 100% sure but we think it's a Nidhogg" Said Sehko and Elster grimaced slightly.
Nidhogg's were Grimm that looked like a cross between a lizard and a mole and were the the size of a man, covered in fur and bone plating around their limbs and face, their feet specially designed for digging in large paddle shapes with sharp wide claws because they dug large burrows.
"Okay" said Elster finally "I can deal with that but…" she looked down at her prosthetic "I'm still not really used to this, this will be the first contract I've taken since losing my hand, and honestly are you sure you want to pick me for this?"
"Anything you have to do to get rid of it will be acceptable, we just need to get this place back in business" Said Sehko "I'll need to take you to Ghira, but yeah, your probably gonna be hired for the job" Sehko turned to her "I trust you can do this"
Elster stared at her before nodding "Tell me about Ghira, I wasn't here when he came into power" Said Elster "What's he like?"
"He's a wise man who cares a lot about his people" said Sehko "he's a great guy as well, I've had tea with him a few times"
"Didn't he used to be leader of the white fang?" Asked Tanith
"He was the peaceful leader of the white fang" said Sehko "and that reflects in the way he rules Menagerie"
"I like him" said Bundi happily.
"Well he must be alright then" Said Elster
"He is, just don't mention daughters around him, it makes him sad" Said Sehko
"Why?" Asked Tanith curiously.
"His… his daughter ran away when he stepped down from the white fang, she ran off to join them" said Sehko quietly.
"Oh" said Tanith
"How should I address him?" Asked Elster
"Chief Ghira will do, if you're a friend you can just call him Ghira" Said Sehko.
"Alright" nodded Elster slowly "why did you choose me?" She asked "surely there's other hunters"
"There are" nodded Sehko "but we couldn't just put this in a board and wait for a team to pick it up, we need this dealt with quick, like today quick"
"Okay, considering you only found out I was still alive yesterday this seems very short notice for you to inform everyone on your council about me" Said Elster
Sehko fiddled with her fingers "well… they're gonna know in an hour, when I introduce you to Ghira"
Elster couldn't help but chuckle "some things never change"
"Hey! I'm a professional!" She said indignantly.
Elster chuckled again as they turned a corner and at the end of the street a large building looked, a dirt yard surrounded by a fence and filled with happy children and some watchful teachers. Elster looked at the school building that she had once attended.
"It's been going for nearly 30 years now" Said Sehko as they approached, a familiar set of bejeweled goat horns and red hair standing amongst the teachers.
Poli looked among the children worried before looking up at the street and her worried expression left and it broke into a large grin as she strode across the yard them.
"I was beginning to get worried" she said as she looked at Bundi then at Elster.
"I volunteered to bring him in" shrugged Elster.
Poli nodded distractedly and just looked at her before then happily squealing and pulling her down into a hug. Elster blinked before adjusting her head to avoid the points of her horns and wrapping her arms around her. Then Poli pulled herself away and put her hands to her mouth apologetically "Sorry, it's just… it's so good to see you" she said
"It's fine" waved off Elster "I've been pulled into about ten hugs since coming here, I'm used to it"
"I'm glad, hugs are great" Said Poli matter of factly before turning to Sehko "Sehko, I'm going to hug you"
"Okay" said Sehko and they hugged before separating from her and looking down at Bundi "are you ready for school?"
Bundi looked at her before turning to Elster with a worried expression "you'll still be here?"
Elster looked down at him in surprise before crouching down to his level "Yeah, of course I will" Elster paused before putting her hands on her brothers shoulders "I know I've been a terrible sister who was never there for you for 8 years, but I'm here now and I won't disappear"
Her brother looked at her before leaping forward and hugging her around the neck, she wrapped her arms around him in return and they hugged for several seconds before her brother finally separated "Okay"
Poli wiped her eyes and placed a hand of Bundi's shoulder as Elster stood up "c'mon little guy" she said and with a final wave they walked into the school yard.
Elster turned to Tanith who rose an eyebrow "I'm not gonna give you a hug, you've filled your quota" she said smiling
"Fuck the quota" said Elster as she wrapped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her along as Sehko lead the way.
"Considering we're gonna be talking business soon I just want to say that I'm surprised you didn't get any nose or lips piercings" Said Sehko looking at her ears and then at the bracelets on her arms.
"Well I didn't quite like the idea of doing that, plus then I'd be stealing from you spotlight" Said Elster and Sehko rolled her eyes.
"Do you sleep with the bracelets on?" Asked Sehko.
"God no, that would be super uncomfortable" Said Elster shaking her head.
"She takes them off and puts them on each day and night" Said Tanith "gets a bit annoying"
"Especially during sex" commented Sehko and Elster laughed while Tanith blushed and spluttered.
"Yes, they can be quite distracting" smirked Elster.
"How were your parents this morning?" Asked Sehko when she had finished laughing.
"They were fine, tired and happy to see me but yeah, morning was great… this whole trip has been great" Said Elster, then her mind wandered to this morning and recounted the events before she frowned as she remembered the debts her parents owed "did you know that my parents are in debt?" She asked
Sehko put her hands up and shook her head "I've known but it's out of my control, I offered to help 'em and they refused so I have no clue what to do"
"Do you know where the people who want the money are?" Asked Elster.
"Well yeah, they're actually on the way to where we need to go" Said Sehko "Why? Huh!" She gasped and put her hands to her cheeks "are you gonna go in there and like beat them up so they leave your parents alone?"
"No, I'm going to go in their and give them what they want" Said Elster
"Your gonna pay off your parents debts?" Asked Sehko incredulous.
"The least I could do" shrugged Elster
"And your parents know about this?" Asked Sehko
Elster looked to the side and tilted her head from side to side "they may… have told me not to"
"Huh! Elster Castle! I thought you were a noble and law abiding huntress!" Said Sehko, clearly having a lot of fun.
"This isn't breaking the law, this is going behind my parents backs to do something they told me explicitly not to do- it's breaking the law" nodded Elster in defeat and Sehko laughed while Tanith chuckled beside her.
Elster found herself smiling as well as she looked at Tanith then at Sehko who was still chuckling with an ear splitting grin. She was home.