Author's note: I own nothing but my plot. I got news for everyone. I finally have an account that starts with P. Look at my Twitter same screen name for the link! If you want to support me and see continuing writing, you can show support the same screen name here. I'm not spoiling this chapter's plot! Now on to the story.
The rest of the trip was uneventful. The last of the gold bags were collected at noon, which signaled everyone going back to their respective headquarters since they exhausted themselves magically. Some so notably worn out that they needed to be taken ahead. Some like Sekke, who had loudly complained about being overheated. As well as some of the junior knights of The Coral Peacocks had to be taken ahead of everyone? So, they can rest up at their headquarters. But for the most part, everyone was just a little worn out and not really needed to rest up. Asta endured it even as his black Asta form dissipated; he pushed through the intensity of the heat, but the sun seemed to make him bake alive, but he was powering through it until he got back to headquarters, where they heard him running into the forest to the confusion of everyone but Yami.
"Hey, kid, the river is south of the hideout!"
"Thank you, Captain Yami!" He yelled out. Asta yell out clear enough for everyone to hear, most laughing and shaking their head, knowing he was cooling off after being on fire most of this morning.
But then everyone realized that there was a letter overhead that dropped on Captain Yami, the owl quickly taking off.
Ripping open the envelope quickly, he read it immediately; some noticed a secondary letter he discreetly read then tucked away into his pocket.
"Jack got himself in trouble already with Marx. He demanded to see Julius right now, he can't at the moment, but Julius has invited the kid, Jack, and two of the Golden Dawn members to some big meeting he wants to hold. Tomorrow."
"Did he state what's it was about?"
"It's probably about that woman we heard Jack talking to earlier today. And most of us got to speak to directly while they were saying their goodbyes."
"What did you talk to her about the Captain?" Vanessa seemed slightly jealous but intrigued.
"We talked about my homeland for a bit and asked me if I was one of those that had ended up washing ashore to the clover kingdom? She offered if I wanted, I could take a trip back to my homeland."
"Wait?"
"How?"
"Would she be able to do that?"
"Well, that's one of the things she hinted that, at least to me privately that things have changed." Taking a puff from his cigarette, he continued.
"She wouldn't tell me everything, apparently having a flair for the dramatics." Taking a drag, a slight smile rising from his face.
"Possibly, everything that she's been through didn't affect who she was and is; she's a tougher cookie than most if that's the case. Considering she has feelings for Jack the Ripper? I would assume surprises, and being dramatic is how they bonded, to begin with." He said with a wry smile and a chuckle.
"Now, if all of you are entirely done asking questions, you all have work to do. The house won't clean itself, that includes you, Noelle. I know Charmy wanted to restock the pantry in the market, and you're helping." Yami said matter-of-factly, in a way to those listening brokered no arguments.
Noelle nearly complained but thought better at the last moment. Restocking the pantry? That's a perfect opportunity to learn how to better person; as Secre says, I need to catch Asta's attention. Well, when he's ready to notice. Learning to cook from the resident best cook in The Black Bulls? It is my best shot at making a better impression.
"Vanessa, Grey? I need your expertise in something. Be ready in an hour." Nodding at them, who started walking to the house to wait in the living room.
"Zora, Secre you want to go, and train go on ahead? I know both of you are getting used to things; just keep an eye on things; if we get a call, be sure to let me know." Both nodded, heading to the woods somewhere.
"You four?" Looking at the group of knuckleheads left standing.
"Gauche, Magna, Luck, and Gordon take a thirty-minute break and then get to cleaning. Asta is going to be out of commission after overdoing it. It's up to you four to do his normal chores, and I want this place as spotless as if Asta were doing it and make sure the beasts are well fed."
"Then, can I visit Marie?" Gauche, as he always does, asks impatiently.
"You know what, Gauche? If you can actively participate in everything, I ask of you for a month? I will petition on your behalf to get you weekly visits. Deal?" There was a thud, and between the four, they realized Gauche had all but agreed to those terms. Suppose the bloody nose was anything to go by. Carrying him between the three of them, leaving Captain Yami with just Finral. Who already felt he would be working if the look in Yami's eyes was any clue? Today was going to be a long day.
"Finral, you're with me today."
"Haven't I done enough today?" Finral, unlike everyone else, started to complain out of everyone? He had been pushing himself and his magic. He had been portalling all day and night, so out of everyone, he would be the most worn out of everyone still left awake.
"No, it's about pushing your limits today. We're pushing yours, Finral, since you need to show that you can keep up with our junior knights. Since we have to give everyone their cut of the gold that was recovered from the volcano. As well as the cut the capital gets. Including the magical items we found. At least the ones that aren't broken." The way he said it, you could hear the malice in his voice; what we learned this morning still sitting on most of our minds.
"Though I'm going to have a hard time keeping my cool with King Clover if I have to face him directly. So, let's just drop this it off with an attendant, and getting out of there as soon as possible is the first thing we are doing."
"Oh, right, I don't blame you. I personally don't want to be anywhere near him, myself." Finral squaring his shoulders, knowing he was going to be worn out when the day was over.
"Come on, Finral, let's get them their cut first and out of the way. Picking up the sack to their left as he went through his portal with Captain Yami. Hoping they can finish their business with the castle quickly.
Vanessa was thrown over the couch, deep in thought. Not a bottle of wine in her hand after what she heard this morning, she felt was heavy enough? What if she got drunk now? She would make herself forget and knowing that things in The Clover Kingdom are that bad worse than even she thought? She'd rather be sober at this moment and has it all clear in her mind. Andromeda was one of the strongest women she had met, and she wondered if she could get her own teatime with her. If for no other reason, she seems more put together, then she was.
Her pain is more or less on the same level as her own, but she doesn't let it consume her. If she is willing to move back to the place that caused her so much pain, and she had made something of herself and pushed past it. Willing to fight an impossible battle? Grey voiced the thoughts of the room, whispering her words to the only person still awake. Since the guys were passed out on the other couches, they were magically exhausted, and Gauche passing out from shock and blood loss made them want to do the same thing. Leaving the ladies with relative privacy. Vanessa was staring at the ceiling, sightless and seeing nothing but turning when she heard Grey was talking.
"She was just a kid. That's a burden, a decision. I wouldn't ask for from anyone." Grey, well known for panicking and fearful behavior, actually spoke up to Vanessa. There was a slight waver, but she spoke without being unintelligible; that's a start.
Waiting on whatever assignment the Captain had for them mainly. They hadn't talked about it, it wasn't their business, but it didn't feel right to talk about this with Asta or Noelle here. It may not be their business, but it was clear they would be involved in this direction. Andromeda was right in a way it would ruin Asta's and much of junior knights' optimism; he more than most wants to push through everything. That determination and being stubborn was enough to achieve what you want. But the reality is bad things, roadblocks, and traps are set up for good people. The innocents get hurt and have to save themselves or die in the fallout. Andromeda, that guy Mars and I are the example of being told one thing and being treated like property until you run away or breakthrough what was done to you.
"That's a hard choice to stay and die, and her kids would die with her. Or live alone, and her children can live on without her. If I were in her shoes, I don't know if I could make such a hard choice." Vanessa said. Putting her head on the armrest, contemplating her own words.
Realizing that should never have been a decision that a thirteen-year-old had to make but was a reality for that woman they just met.
Considering her options, she made the best decision she could in such a limited amount of time. She had to sacrifice everything. Willing to do everything to make sure that they lived. Even the man she loves, if I'm right about the chemistry between her and Jack, was electric even from where I stood in the group.
"She was willing to leave everything behind to make sure that they survived. I wonder where her kids are now; that's the real question?"
"Knowing the way of The Clover Kingdom? Those twins she had? are probably still stuck in an orphanage somewhere. Maybe they are working, but it's doubtful. No one really takes the time or cares about the children that are parentless and have nowhere else to go." Vanessa said, remembering how many times she had seen a homeless child scrounging in the garbage and trying and failing her civic duty in trying to get them to an orphanage they had obviously run away from. Her own heart wishing that they could do better for them and by them but couldn't.
"No matter how much is changed, there are still some things that haven't, and that's one of them. No one wants to take the time and effort to raise a child whose parentage they can't trace back or doesn't benefit them. At least around The noble circle, that's usually the case." Grey spoke with some familiarity as she knows from a personal standpoint if the bitterness was telling enough about how she felt about it.
"A noble adopting a younger noble it's usually a power play or to drain their inheritance of the child. It's not done out of the kindness of their hearts, their usually ulterior motive, and it's disgusting, but there is no law against it." Her voice had a wave of hidden anger just under the surface. Shocking to her but letting Vanessa get to know for the first since they met.
"Compensation for taking a child that's not yours is expected, but there is no law about draining that child's wealth when they can't defend themselves. Among the elite, it's too common a practice. What happened to Gauche and Marie? Aren't outliers or something rare? But a systemic problem of power and money-hungry nobles." She said, her voice filled with venom.
"For the average commoner just living their life, that's just another mouth to feed that they might not be able to afford. At least when they're in an orphanage? Or donations and people take the time actually to care and make sure that the church is running."
"So, it would make more sense just to let them grow up in those churches and eventually become an adult. They may not have a Yule to their name, but at least they were fed three meals a day and had clothes on their backs for most of their childhood. Which is better than necessarily being adopted and possibly just suffering along with a new family that they're living with." She said those words with certainty from a place of both wisdom and a tinge of sadness.
"But considering the ways, Andromeda's life just seems to get better the minute she left the Clover Kingdom? That woman had a lucky star to pray to make up because her life is just so full of pain when she lived here. Or maybe fate was just on her side that day, who knows?" Vanessa said as she raises her arms into the air.
"This is the longest we've talked about you panicking or wanting to hideaway." Grey, for her part, starting to look a little anxious at being pointed out.
"Don't get nervous on me now! I was just pointing out you would be a perfect friend. If you didn't just start panicking every five seconds, you and I were the only ones around the same age here. You might as well be friends. We are the oldest woman in The Black Bulls; we should look out for one another, right?"
"That sounds nice, Vanessa!" Grey was falling back into panic mode. Noticing her panic wanted to ease it for a moment.
"Grey? If you want to change forms to feel comfortable, it's fine, you know, but we are going to work on your confidence, you hear me?"
"Too exhausted from the volcano to change my form even if I wanted to." She said, her voice both higher pitched, but there was a tiredness to it.
"What do you think the assignment from Captain Yami is going to be?"
"Honestly, with him, it could be anything? Or maybe it has to do with the letter."
"There seemed to be two letters he read over, not just one. At least we don't have to clean the house. I wonder who's getting bathroom duty. I know I'm glad it's not me." Vanessa said a slight shiver of when she was still a junior knight.
"Me too; I have nightmares of cleaning the latrine after Captain Yami is having tummy troubles." Grey, with a definite tremble though she seemed to be gaining more strength back.
Vanessa noticing the time, decided to take pity on them. Saving them from a tongue lashing and beating, she found one of Charmy's platter covers and a large spoon clanging them together.
"Wake up; Captain Yami is on his way." Which caused three of them to jump up and ran to do the chores without much reminding. Gauche, on the other, seemed to slide off the couch but got up and started on the floors in the living room, making the room sparkle. Putting a bandana and a mask on to start dusting. He was murmuring that all of this is for Marie. We both walked knowing that when Gauche had his motivation and "goddess" on the brain? Nothing would stop him from finishing and go above and beyond.
"Come on, Grey, you can make us a bench while we wait for the Captain."
"Sure, thing Vanessa." Nearly unintelligible muttering from Grey.
And the worst of her nerves are back in full force, to the sigh from Vanessa.
But at least we were seated when Captain Yami and Finral came back.
"Alright, you two, I got a favor to ask of you. Finral, don't even try to slink off just yet."
"See, Jack asked me for a favor since he wants to impress his lady love, he wants to borrow you two to give him a makeover. Seeing how you gave Finral that nice haircut Vanessa.
"But why me?" Grey asked, shocked to be involved at all!
"Simple, you can shift to his form to see if he likes the hair cut ideas and clothing. This way, we don't accidentally go outside his comfort zone and way outside mine too."
"Wait, Captain Yami, are you taking a shopping trip too?"
"No more questions, will you do it." his tone brokering no complaints would be allowed or acceptable.
"Of course," Grey said in that mumbling, hurried, anxious voice everyone was still adjusting to it.
"Happy to help, Captain Yami, but I will be comping that favor sooner or later," Vanessa caring extraordinarily little that others were around, flipped her hair a smiled at her Captain, who was distractedly looking elsewhere.
"Yeah, yeah, we're supposed to meet him in the capital's fountain square. Open the portal Finral, and then you can take half the day off. But meet us at the fountain at six in the afternoon; if you're not there, you're getting double duty tomorrow."
"Finally, you're here. I thought I would have to wait for ages, especially after you left the gold sacks. I thought you'd come right back with the girls."
"Come on now, Jack! You know I had to go and drop it all off for everyone else portions. You know, isn't it all about you I didn't leave you for last."
Captain Yami looks to his left, nobody noticing a very worn out and huffing Finral with black circles under his eyes; he desperately needed a nap. And that was clear to anyone and everyone to see.
"That's all. Finral! You can take a break to meet us back here at Sunset or double duty. "
"Thank you! Thank you so much, Captain Yami."
Looking only too happy to teleport back to the house the way his eyes looked, and even with the women passing, he didn't have the energy to start flirting with anyone today.
"Now that the annoying ride is gone?" Captain Jack turns to us; everyone admitting hearing Finral complaining was annoying.
"Let's get started; there's only so much time left in the day, and I want to make sure that I look perfect." There was a tone just under the edge of angry
"So, all this for the lady you were talking to last night?" Vanessa having her usual teasing tone.
"For the Lady Andromeda," Jack murmured very softly so that he wouldn't be overheard.
"I'd deck myself out to look like a king for her." He nearly crowed out loud.
"I need to look my best since I know for a fact. I'll be talking to Andromeda tomorrow, and there is that meeting with Mr. fancy pants, her, and The King. In the future." They could hear the barely contain rage, the bloodlust, and his anger.
"And knowing my luck and that of your fancy pants Captain as well, we're probably going to all be dragged into a meeting and talking to her, so I might as well look my best I felt like I look like an uglier version of the kid she used to know. "
"Don't put yourself down, Captain Jack; you're plenty handsome!" Grey rebutted her voice fast and high pitched but understandable her own nerves murmuring something coherent was shocking, to say the least.
"Well, isn't that sweet of you to say, little nervous one." Captain Jack laughed his trademark laugh while patting Grey on the head with a friendly air about him. Vanessa and Grey felt less scared; most knights were a little terrified of captain Jack and captain Yami. They both have pretty short tempers and will shred you to bits if you look at them funny. How Yami nearly crushed Asta's head during the knights' entrance exam can tell you that.
"Still want to look nice, so I'm glad you two are helping."
"I would've asked one of the girls I have on my squad, but they don't really have any fashion sense."
"So, I'm grateful captain Yami could lend you two to me for the day at least half a day."
"Hey, now don't go using them up completely; I need their help too."
With a raised eyebrow from Vanessa, he sighed and continued.
"If you haven't noticed, especially after The Star Festival? With Asta and everything else has been going on with the squad?" Vanessa nodded, remembering how that went with a frown.
"One thing has been made clear we are The Black Bulls of old to everyone else. We are going to have to have fancy clothes for when those awards ceremonies pop up."
"Keeping that in mind, and we can't always be in uniform, I thought it made sense for me also to get some new clothes. Also, the fact that Julius even said I might need to get some new clothes." He said when he took a long drag from his cigarette.
"With the way I act? And the way we are progressing were going to be asked those fancy puffed up events more and more." Looking at both of us with grey squeaking in shock.
"If I learned anything from Julius, it's leading by example. The squad is going basically needs to dress the part or get mocked. Constantly having the crowds keep turning on us again and say that The Black Bulls are cheating forever." Captain Yami then grit his teeth. The words out of his mouth filled with anger and venom. In his eyes, a fierceness as when he fought Veto of The Eye of The Midnight Sun that same annoyance and anger.
"King asshole made it clear that if we're not dressing the part, the crowd is not going to take us seriously. Unless we look like some puffed peacocks when they need us to be paraded out."
"So, I can count on you to make sure I don't look like an idiot, right?" Captain Jack added on, knowing similar remarks about his own squad had been made.
"I know even Julius was a little annoyed about how the crowd just turned on us during the star's ceremony." Captain Yami said, sounding just as annoyed.
"The crowd decided allowing years records past the cloud what's going on presently and things that have changed." Everyone, even jack, was solemn in solidarity.
"So right now, at this moment, I want to look my best when these things happen, even for one moment, look a little more professional. Can you do that, Vanessa, Grey?" Yami said, looking at both of them.
"Of course, captain, you can count on us!" Vanessa and Grey said together in unison, looking at each other; Vanessa, with a little bit of shock, and Grey had a surprised look on her face.
"I should hope so too, you two." There was slight smiling quirking out captain Yami.
The rest of the afternoon was making sure Captain Jack looked his bath while at the same time making sure that Captain Yami look just as good though he was not up for a haircut. Not that Vanessa minded that aspect, it took a lot of convincing to make sure that Jack took a really nice-looking hairstyle. And considering they do he had before right now, he was getting a lot of appreciative looks from the female Nobles milling around the capital fountain.
It was almost like a new him as well as all the clothes that we picked out. He left the store in his Green Mantis uniform. Still, the clothes we picked out were really nice, putting in some formal outfits and casual clothes, almost like he hadn't really shop for himself for a while, but it was nice to hang out with Vanessa, and it was helpful for Grey. It's great for her to step out of her comfort zone. Interacting with Jack and Captain Yami actually helped her break the mold a little bit.
She stops being so nervous though she would start panicking every time a salesgirl would show up baby steps, baby steps. And for the most part, it was a lot more easy-going than either one of them thought it was going to be. Even Captain Yami got many clothes that I don't think he would've bought his own either. And I made the day really for both of you.
Final note: If I said that you really like the story and I want it to continue? To give it your attention, your praise your comments. It's because readers like you give me the strength and the desire to keep writing. I like Captain Jack as a concept as someone similar to Yami but in a somewhat different way. Yami picks the oddballs that don't fit but have strength and potential and are obviously overlooked. Captain Jack has a squad of commoners that everyone would overlook, but he picks those no one could see that much potential. Like, look at Sekke; even with Asta pummeling him into the ground, he wouldn't have been picked by many squads at all regardless of how he performed. He didn't wow anyone with his power. He could have easily ended up the errand boy of the Blue Rose Squad. Considering most people don't even think of using Captain Jack as a somewhat main character, I have to assume. I always write whatever I want to write. Anyone who's followed my fanfics and me as a fanfic author would test that I just do whatever the fuck I want. If you like the story? Follow shows support because that lack of support creates a lag in how I write.