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Chapter 20: Best Night Ever
A month had passed, the two weeks confinement to Halo Academy Team FADE and CLIR had been subjected to had come and gone without incident if one overlooked Diamond heading into Vale the very next day; which the Headmistress had thankfully been willing to due to her being escorted by a family member. In the weeks following their questioning of Rhodium Torchwick the students had kept a close eye on the news, watching for any sign that the Shadow Cadre were still in New Vale. No such signs presented themselves, the robberies seemed to have halted and their was no sign of the weapons the mysterious group of Faunus had acquired being used or sold, forcing Team FADE to accept that their quarry had indeed returned to Mistral.
It was early on a Saturday morning and Eagle Arc had just entered the bathroom of her teams' dormitory, Felix having finally left. She was in the process of stripping herself out of her pyjamas, leaving sculpted back muscles and well defined biceps and shoulders on display, muttering under her breath about the excessive amount of time her partner spent on his hair in a morning as she did so, that her Scroll began to vibrate; rattling noisily against the porcelain surface of the sink she'd left it on. Picking the device up a faint smile crossed her face at the sight of the caller, she'd been unsure whether she'd hear from them today
"Hey Mum" Eagle beamed as she accepted the video call and Antonia Arc came into view, she couldn't help but be concerned at the sight of her mothers' face which seemed to have aged since she last saw her "Are you okay? You look like you haven't slept for a few days? Are you doing all nighters in the lab again?"
"Eagle I'm fine" Antonia sighed with a bemused grin "Happy eighteenth birthday sweetie"
"Thanks" Eagle blushed "Wasn't actually expecting you to call" there was a moment where her mothers' expression darkened. Neither of them it seemed had forgotten the one year Antonia Arc forgot her daughters' birthday. The moment was brief ending when Antonia took in her daughters appearance, the camera capturing the freckled tops of her exposed shoulders and collarbones
"Oh, I'm sorry! If it's a bad time I'll call later"
"No, no, no" the words tumbled out of Eagle rapidly, despite whatever bitterness there may have been at how rare opportunities for the two of them to speak were she clung to each of them desperately
"So, how have you been? I've managed to speak to a few of your Aunts recently, they tell me you're doing well at Halo….despite some incidents"
"I'm doing fine, did you really call to lecture me? Because everyone else already did that weeks ago" Eagle grumbled. It was the truth, growing up in such a large family where almost everyone spoke to each other on a regular basis meant that being told off was an affair that could go on for days.
"No I called because I haven't seen my daughter in far too long and you only get one eighteenth birthday" Antonia paused "And I must say I can already see the difference the academy has made on you"
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?" Eagle asked hesitantly
"You seem more self assured, it suits you" Eagle blushed profusely under the compliment, internally wishing it were true and that she had the self confidence to actually talk around people outside of her immediate group of friends
"And there's the Eagle I remember" Antonia noted with a roll of her eyes "I erm….I didn't know what to get your for your birthday, I don't know what you're into. So I just transferred some money to your bank account" Antonia looked guilty and the admission seemed to pain her, something her daughter picked up on
"It's fine. Thank you"
"There's something else" her mother paused and it looked to Eagle as if she were mentally preparing herself "I'm going to be coming to New Vale soon, I'll be attending some conferences and overseeing the acquisition of one of our competitors, I'll leave Professor Eldritch to oversee things here….But there's also some things I want to talk to you about"
"Oh okay" Eagle blinked in surprise a few times as she tried to make sense of her mothers' apprehensive tone "Can't wait I'll introduce you to my friends, it'll be fun" whatever Antonia said in response was cut off by a knock on the bathroom door
"Hey Eagle! Are you using the bathroom or what?"
"Yes Arctus!" Eagle called back "And that's one of them now" she added with a wry smile to her mother
"I'll let you get your shower sweetie" Antonia sighed "I'll see you soon"
"Okay Mum, see you soon" the call ended and Eagle stared distractedly at the screen of her Scroll for a few moments before she finally replaced the device on the sink and went about her morning routine, only remembering midway through her shower that she hadn't actually told her friends that it was her birthday today.
On the outskirts of New Vale, far away from the interlinked monolithic towers that formed the inner city, Qrow Branwen sat on the couch of a home that was not his own massaging his eyes with the heels of his palms. His current headache was not the result of the previous nights' drinking, rather the amount of time he'd spent over the last few days in the basement of his home surveying various camera feeds and overseeing a mission. Winter may have been upon them but the steely and overcast sky outside was still the first natural light he'd seen in a frankly concerning amount of time and the warm lighting of his current location was not helping matters; nor was the assault the television was launching on his senses
"That is so cool!" his Great-Nephew gasped forcing Qrow's attention to the screen. The grizzled Huntsman couldn't help but snort and ruffle Tai-Jaune's hair after watching a little of the cartoon, Summer Pyrrha was currently sat in a chair nearby, absorbed in her colouring book
"You know this is a remake?" he whispered conspiratorially, the silver eyed child looked at him in disbelief and Qrow held up his hands in a defensive gesture "Hey it is ask your Aunt Yang, she used to watch the original when I was babysitting her"
"But were you in the original as well Drunkle Qrow?" Summer chimed in, apparently paying more attention to the conversation than he'd realised. Qrow ignored the use of the word 'Drunkle' a habit he knew he'd never be able to get the twins out of, instead he turned to Summer with a questioning look
"What do you mean am I in the original as well?" he turned back to Tai-Jaune when the boy tugged at his sleeve and pointed to a character on the screen. Qrow's jaw dropped and it took every ounce of self control he had to not launch into an expletive ridden rant. Instead he merely sighed and shook his head
"I'm gonna sue someone for this"
"For what….Oh, Sparrow Badness. But he's TJ's favourite character" the new voice belonged to Penny who had quietly entered the room. Tai-Jaune nodded enthusiastically in confirmation as his mother continued "Thank you again for babysitting for us, I should be back in a few hours. I just need to deal with some paperwork in the city and I'll probably do the weekly shopping while I'm out"
"That's fine, I was thinking I might take the squirts to-"
" .R.L docking sequence completed" the computerised voice of P.E.A.R.L, the onboard AI that originally been part of Penny's heavily modified personal Bull-Head and now encompassed the home she and Ruby had built together announced. The twins shot each other excited glances which only widened as they heard the sound of the front door opening. A shower of rose petals announced Ruby's arrival, followed by the giddy laughter of her children as the twins found themselves scooped up and countless kisses peppering their freckled cheeks
"I've missed you, I've missed you, I've missed you, I've missed you!" eventually she deposited them gently on the ground and made her way over to her wife, arms encircling Penny's waist as she whispered in her ear "I'll show you just how much I missed you later-" it was at this point Qrow cleared his throat, causing his niece to blush with embarrassment
"I thought you wouldn't be back until later?" he asked, stroking his greying beard absent mindedly. The mission he'd been overseeing was the one that Ruby had just returned from and had been situated on the Vaccuan border
"Ran into an old contact" Ruby shrugged "Got the Pearl refuelled quicker than I would have otherwise" the scythe wielder completely failed to notice Penny's mortified expression at the thought of whatever low quality, Vaccuan mined, possibly black market Dust was currently filling her transports' fuel tanks. Qrow merely shrugged
"Well I was gonna take the twins to Halo and maybe fly over to Patch tonight, figured I'd see all my nieces and nephews in one day" there was something in the nonchalant way that he said that made Ruby's eyes narrow in suspicion. Even fresh back from an operation and thoroughly exhausted she picked up on minor details.
"Hey kids, do you want to go into the city with Penny and get cookies on the way home?" at the mention of confectioneries the twins broke out into identical smiles while Ruby and Penny had a silent conversation through a series of knowing looks, eventually the copper haired android nodded and led their children out of the living room; allowing Ruby to turn her attention to her uncle with an accusatory tone
"What are you doing?"
"Going to Halo to see Corey and-"
"Uncle Qrow" Ruby's tone was unusually harsh, the loving mother replaced by the veteran Huntress and battle commander that every prospective Hunter aspired to be like "Do not lie to me in my own house. The one thing I insisted on when I started doing these missions for you is that we're honest with each other" Qrow, having no answer to that and having no desire to see Ruby angry gave her the truth
"It's Eagle's birthday today. I wanted to see my daughter on her eighteenth birthday"
"Qrow you can't" she murmured, deflating as she saw the crestfallen expression he wore
"I wasn't going to say anything or do anything, I think I've still got more experience in not drawing attention than you squirt" Ruby sighed, her uncle had been distracted since he'd learned of his daughters' existence; a fact she'd been made aware of soon after Qrow himself
"You promised her Mum that you'd let her be the one to tell her. Don't make this any more complicated than it needs to be. You'll be able to catch up on the time you've missed soon enough" Qrow gave a disbelieving snort
"I doubt I've got enough years left in me for everything….what if she hates me?"
"Hey!" Ruby snapped "Don't talk like that; you're not going anywhere yet old man….And who could hate you, you're the coolest uncle ever" Qrow ruffled her hair, for a moment seeing something of the energetic child she used to be
"Fine" he grunted "Maybe I should send her something anonymously, just a small gift" Ruby looked incredulous
"You can't just send anonymous gifts to young girls….How on Remnant have you never been arrested" Qrow's only answer was to declare that he needed a drink.
"You didn't tell us it's your birthday" Felix stated bluntly, an affronted look on his face as he regarded Eagle. Team FADE were currently eating breakfast in Halo Academy's canteen, Eagle having found herself sandwiched between Felix and Arctus, the cousins sharing mischievous looks
"I'm just not used to having people to tell" she mumbled, seemingly focusing intently on her cereal as she looked anywhere but at her partner "I didn't have friends growing up and my family already know when it is"
"Well you've got friends now and we're doing something for you today" Diamond informed her, her tone clearly brooking no argument
"You don't have to" Eagle squeaked out abashedly, face flushing
"No but we're gonna" Arctus grinned. Eagle couldn't help but look between the Bear Faunus and his partner, ever since whatever it was she'd walked in on following the incident at Rhodium Torchwick's drugs lab there had been an air of awkwardness between the two of them. They may have tried to deny it, but as Eagle had told them if there was one thing she was an expert on, it was awkwardness. The inseparable pair had devolved into countless wistful stares after one another and jumping away at the slightest physical contact as if it violated some unspoken law. Eagle, suddenly overcome with emotion wrapped her arms around the shoulders of Felix and Arctus, Diamond being on the opposite side of the table put her out of the knights' reach
"You guys are the best!"
"EAGLE!" a somewhat nasally voice bellowed, she and several other students turned to the source of the outburst only for something dark and soft to collide with her face without warning. Eagle found herself leaning against her partner for support, knocked back by the force of the impact; staring at the object that had been hurled at her in confusion. A three foot tall stuffed Ursa
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" the same nasally voice again and Eagle had the briefest moment to prepare herself before the owner of the voice tackled her almost out of her seat
"Aunt Nora!" Eagle returned the hug enthusiastically, becoming aware of Lie Ren standing in the canteens' entrance wearing a wry smile and holding his Scroll, having clearly filmed the incident. Then she saw the smirk on the diminutive professors' face, a look of pure mischief
"Aunt Nora no-" it was too late
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!"
"There are people here" Eagle's face had blushed the brightest possible shade of red to an extent that it almost glowed
"And they'll join in if they know what's good for them" Nora replied in a tone that could best be described as menacingly enthusiastic before returning to singing. By the time Nora finished, to a round of applause no less, the blonde teen was slumped over the table with her head buried in her hands to hide her utter embarrassment.
"It could be worse" Felix assured her as he patted her back
"How?" the incredulous demand was clear despite being muffled
"It could have involved puns" the Lion Faunus shrugged simply
"Oh you don't appreciate them?" Felix froze and turned slowly, behind Team FADE and Nora was his sister, smiling sweetly and flanked by her own team "That's cold guys….positively Arc-tic, the pun-ishment will be Grimm" Corvid finished by indicating to the oversized stuffed Ursa that Arctus had moved further down the bench to accommodate and Eagle couldn't stifle the giggle that escaped her
"Corvid, I'm glad to see you've been keeping out of trouble" Nora greeted her, the leader of Team CLIR smiled at even the slightest praise from her favourite teacher
"And I'll be sure to make sure Eagle gets safely back to the hotel tonight"
"Excuse me?" Nora's eyes narrowed
"Well she's eighteen now and I was on a mission for my brothers' eighteenth. I was planning on taking the pair of them into the city"
"When did you plan this?" Felix asked, mouth agape. He was at a loss as to how Corvid even knew it was Eagle's birthday
"When Professor Nora started singing" his sister shrugged "Rusty and Lux know a place"
"It's pretty upmarket, nowhere near as grotty as the dive bars Corey lurks in" Lux assured the professor, his partner bit back a retort that would no doubt have earned her a detention if uttered in front of a member of staff. Nora pondered for a moment before turning to Eagle's own team
"And you're all going as well?"
"Definitely" Felix nodded, Arctus silently agreeing
"We were wondering what to do to celebrate" Diamond added. Nora finally nodded, well aware she couldn't actually stop her niece from leaving the academy for an evening if she wished; instead giving her another hug and whispering in her ear
"Be responsible and if someone offers you a drink called a Strawberry Sunrise….just don't" she gave her a gentle kiss on the cheek and made her way towards the entrance where her husband was still waiting for her, clearly showing the recording of her tackle-hugging her unsuspecting niece if the cackling was anything to go by.
"So it's official then" Corvid's grin turned feral "I'm getting you two wasted tonight"
"I erm….I don't drink. Granddad's kinda strict about it" Eagle mumbled, Corvid seemed undeterred
"So it'll be cheap then, sweet" seeing the concern on the blonde's face she placed a hand on her shoulder "Hey if you try it and don't like it that's fine, there's still gonna be plenty of cute girls there though so you can still enjoy yourself. If you really don't like it I'll get you back here somehow….I'm sure I've got favours to call in with someone who can fly a damn Bull-Head"
"Okay I'll come" Eagle smiled, trying to ignore the sinking feeling in her stomach as the countless ways she could humiliate herself in front of the promised cute girls displayed themselves to her mind. Then another though occurred to her
"I've never been clubbing before, I don't have anything to wear"
"Neither did Cinderella, we'll improvise" Corvid winked making her love of the Volt Disney classics that Eagle herself adored known, Diamond was the one to offer a solution
"I left some of nicer stuff back in Mistral, wanna head into the city with me and pick a new outfit up?"
"Sure" the blonde chirped enthusiastically, realising that she and Diamond spent far too little time bonding as team mates, opening her Scroll she decided to check her bank account and see how much money she could reasonably spend "My Mum sent me-OH MY GOSH" her reaction piqued Arctus's interest, he leaned over and his team mate who was still sitting in stunned silence and his own pale blue eyes widened as much as her deep crimson at the numbers in front of him
"Holy shit" he choked out "I'm technically the heir to the Schnee Dust Company and I don't have that kind of money" Eagle merely nodded silently, struggling to comprehend the fact that she'd somehow gone from expecting a quiet and uneventful birthday to preparing for first ever night on the town with people that were beyond a doubt the best friends she'd ever had, and that she had over ten thousand Lien to do as she pleased with.
A wave of light and sound seemed to wash over Eagle as she stepped into the venue that Lux and Rusty had led them to, it was if she'd been subjected to an infinitely more pleasant variation of Lux's Semblance. Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club, New Vale's premiere gay bar was basked in the dim glow of countless magenta strobe lights that flashed to the tempo of the thumping bass currently resonating in her chest
"This place looks awesome" she squeaked out as Corvid slung an arm around the taller Huntresses shoulder and ushered her further inside, the rest of Team CLIR and FADE barely a step behind them
"Looking good tonight kid, you'll definitely get lucky" Corvid assured her with a wink, predictably causing her face to redden; though whether the lighting made it less noticeable or the older Huntress merely chose not to comment it was ignored. Eagle silently hoped that she wasn't just saying it, the jeans and pale yellow T-shirt she currently wore were more form fitting and far more expensive than her usual attire and she wasn't sure if she was entirely comfortable with the way they hugged her figure.
"Don't put pressure on her Corey" Felix sighed as he fell into step on his partners' other side and Eagle had to admit that being stood between the Xiao Long siblings gave her a distinct sense of security in the unfamiliar surroundings. Felix was currently wearing a more slim fit pair of jeans than she usually saw him in, remarkably for the Lion Faunus the knees of which were completely devoid of any stress or tears; accompanying them was the 'Pride' T-shirt his sister had given him for his birthday.
"I'm not" Corvid insisted with a wide grin "Fluffy, take the others and pick us out a table somewhere will ya?"
"No problem" Felix gave her a lazy mocking salute before turning and gesturing to Arctus, Diamond and Iris to join him. Eagle saw Rusty and Lux on the dance floor, the pair having apparently broken away from the group without her noticing.
"So where are we going?" Eagle asked, her tone a mix of apprehension and giddiness
"First round is on me" Corvid sighed "Which means your first drink is gonna be something special kid" the taller Huntress gulped audibly as they reached the bar and waited to be served. Corvid's steely grey eyes roamed over the list of cocktails with ludicrous names and even more ludicrous prices mounted above the bar, as such she failed to see a man perhaps a few years older than herself approaching Eagle, if she had seen the comb-over and spray tan sporting individual whose jeans, supported by a belt clearly worth more than the clothing they held in place and T-shirt crossed the line between slim fit and simply too small she would have positioned herself between them, Corvid knew sleaze when she saw it.
"Hey freckles" Eagle jumped at the sudden contact as a man she'd never seen before casually placed a hand on her hip, mercifully it was removed in the process. A quick look to her left assured her that Corvid was still nearby "Mind if I buy you a drink"
"Erm, it's okay someone is actually buying me one. No thank you" she stammered out, words stumbling over each other in a rush. The man, who Eagle realised was actually shorter than seemed undeterred and tried to replace his hand on her waist. The Blonde stepped back unsure of who it was she bumped into
"I'm just being nice here, my name's Slick by the way"
"Your name's irrelevant, now fuck off creep" Eagle whirled around to see her rescuer, more surprised than she should have been to see Corvid glowering at the man, apparently named Slick
"She's a big girl, she can make her own mind up….how about you come and dance" Eagle visibly shuddered at the way his eyes roamed over her.
"Okay, perhaps I wasn't clear enough" Corvid hissed as she weaved around Eagle, before the blonde had the sense to try and intervene before the older student did something she might regret Corvid's hands had flown to the scruff of his shirt and Slick found himself lifted off of the ground and the crowd at the bar parted around them as people began to notice the scene unfolding. Corvid slammed the man into the nearest wall with a jarring thud and leaned into his face, every syllable clearly enunciated so that there could be no misunderstanding
"Bother my baby sister again and I will fuck you with a mining drill. For shock and ore" with that she released Slick, allowing him to fall to the ground as she strode back over to where Eagle stood amid the crowd of shocked onlookers and slung an arm around the gob-smacked blonde's shoulders, steering her back towards the bar
"Baby sister?" Eagle squeaked out, Corvid merely chuckled
"Well you're Felix's partner, so yeah you're basically extended family now" Eagle, being an Arc understood the sentiment and wrapped an arm around Corvid and hugging the shorter girl gently, unable to hide the smile on her face
"What in Oum's name happened" an irritated huff demanded, accompanied by the sight of Iris Ramal making her way to them through the crowd. Eagle scanned the club and saw that Lux and Diamond, while still on the dance floor seemed to be eyeing the security guards cautiously, clearly preparing to take them out if the situation called for it. The guards themselves were making their way over to where Slick had grouped up with what Eagle assumed were his friends, only to be confronted by Felix who was nose to nose with the lecherous man and obviously using his physique to intimidate; the five foot nine Lion Faunus flanked by Arctus and Rusty. The situation seemed to resolve itself as the security guards calmly escorted Slick and his friends out of the club
"Some trash tried bothering Eagle" Corvid shrugged, turning her attention to one of the barmaids who was not currently serving anyone "Sorry about that….Hey it's her eighteenth birthday today, can I get her something special to start her night off?"
"Unbelievable" Iris muttered with a resigned sigh "The sad part is it's not even record time" Eagle was surprised at how easily she could hold a conversation despite the volume of the music. Before she could reply she found a glass thrust into her hand and gazed down at the vaguely peach coloured liquid within
"Give it a try" Corvid urged her. Eagle braced herself and brought the glass to her lips, downing the drink in one, savouring the taste for the few moments before the burn of the alcohol reduced her coughing and sputtering
"What was that?" she managed to gasp out, Corvid gently patted her back and smirked
"Strawberry Sunrise….with a double shot of vodka added" Iris merely rolled her eyes and grabbed the tray containing the rest of the groups' drinks and led the pair towards the table she'd managed to find. Eagle following her wondering if the heat building in her face was due to her first taste of alcohol or the fact that Corvid had been right, the club seemed to be filled with girls of the exceptionally pretty variety
"Best night ever" she said happily to no-one in particular.
Diamond made her way off of the dance floor to where Arctus had saved her a spot at a quiet corner of the bar. Over the course of the night the group had begun to drift apart, each of them agreeing to meet later and head back to the hotel which Corvid had already booked rooms at. She'd so far failed to convince her partner to join her for a dance, though turning to face him she knew without a doubt that he'd been unable to take his eyes off of her the whole time; Diamond also knew she'd be lying to herself if she said she didn't find that fact exhilarating.
"Come on dude, just dance like nobody's watching" she insisted with a laugh, the few drinks she'd had thus far thankfully dispelling the awkwardness that'd been forming between the pair. Arctus grinned as he handed her another glass
"Maybe if something I recognise comes on" the Faunus conceded. Diamond rolled her cherry red eyes and hopped onto the barstool next to him, fully aware of the glances he was stealing. The outfit she'd bought for tonight consisted of a pair of shorts and a shirt that exposed her midriff and though her teeth had chattered from the cold the whole trip to the club, it was worth it to see his reaction.
"Fine" She sighed playfully before taking a sip of her drink, struggling to remember how many she'd had thus far "Seriously though big guy, you never dance when we're out together. Have you just never danced with a girl before?" Arctus gave a somewhat defeated looking shrug
"I can't dance in general" he chuckled softly before pausing for thought "I've never actually dated before either" Diamond nearly choked on a vibrantly coloured cocktail as two thoughts collided with one another in her mind. 'Does he think this is a date' being the first, rapidly followed by the question she asked
"What? Dude how?" She was genuinely baffled. As far as Diamond was concerned either girls in Atlas had vastly different standards or she was missing part of the picture.
"Upper Atlas is still kinda racist despite what everyone says" Arctus shrugged "Not in the way it used to be, I've been told I'm 'well spoken, considering' by people who know damn well who I am more times than I can count"
"Dude that is fucked up" Diamond gasped
"Yeah" Arctus grinned "So I've never dated because most girls in Upper Atlas only want to make out with a Faunus for the sake of curiosity, they don't their parents knowing. So a few drunk kisses at fancy parties neither of us really wanted to be at is all the experience I've got….what about you?"
"I was actually dating someone right up until I left for New Vale, we'd been together since my first year at Sanctum" Diamond admitted with a fond smile despite herself, realising that she'd never actually mentioned her ex to Arctus in passing before and wondering if that had been a subconscious decision or just coincidence
"Seriously? Is that why you didn't go to Haven?" Arctus's words were beginning to slur, evidently his own drinking had begun to take a toll on him
"More the other way round, I decided I wanted to see more of Remnant and he got clingy so I ended it. Haven's a nice place. I managed to sneak in once"
"You broke into a Hunter Academy?" Arctus stared at her disbelievingly, his tone somewhat awed. Diamond merely shrugged her shoulders
"It was the Vytal Tournament in Mistral last year. His team made it passed the first round and I climbed in through his dorm window to congratulate him….ended up staying the night" She wasn't sure what made her add that last detail, though she reasoned it was probably the drink. Arctus's body language changed as he processed the information, he visibly shrunk in on himself and Diamond cocked her head in confusion
"What's up?"
"Nothing, it's dumb" he mumbled. She refused to relent however and merely stared at him until he answered. Eventually he spoke again "Look….You know I think you're the coolest person on Remnant right?"
"Dude, you're a dork" Diamond tried to laugh him off, inwardly she didn't know whether to cheer or panic. Her heart beat a little faster as she realised this conversation might be going in exactly the direction she wanted it to.
"No seriously, you are" Arctus took another sip of his own drink, bracing himself "It's just I really like you Dee. I know we're not dating but honestly thinking about you with someone else like that….I told you it was dumb" he trailed off drunkenly
"Yeah it's dumb" Diamond snickered as she placed a hand on top of his "I'm here with you and you're getting jealous of my ex? That's extra dumb….and stop calling me Dee" she added with a pout, ever since her team had learned of the nickname her father had for her they'd used it at every opportunity. After a moment Diamond realised that Arctus hadn't taken his eyes off of her
"Diamond….what's going on with us?" he sounded as if he were scared of what the answer could be "We almost kissed a few weeks back and it's been weird since. I already said I really like you, but I just want us to be back to normal. If you just wanna be friends-"
"Big guy" Diamond cut him off gently, smiling ear to ear as she leaned over in a bout of alcohol induced bravery and pressed her lips against his cheek. When she pulled back she was pleased to see that her lipstick had left a clear mark on his pale skin. Arctus raised a hand to his cheek tentatively, wearing an utterly adorable shell-shocked expression. Diamond let him flounder for a few seconds before speaking
"You're my best friend. You're the sweetest guy I know and you're way cooler than you give yourself credit for. If I was gonna date any guy at Halo it would be you"
"So-"
"But" Diamond pressed a finger to his lips "The whole dating thing is awkward at first, why ruin what we've already got with that right? How about we just hang out the way we always do….and if something happens between us then cool" Arctus clearly needed no time to consider the proposition
"Great, I've missed hanging out with just the two of us" he paused and a sly smile crossed his face "And well, everyone seems to think we're dating anyway" This made Diamond snort with laughter, something she would continue to deny for the foreseeable future. The lighting in the club changed as a new DJ began their set, shifting from magenta to cycling through the colours of the rainbow flag in time to the beat of a song, a song that Diamond realised that she knew and wasted no time grabbing Arctus's hands and sliding off of the bar stool
"Come on big guy, we've gotta dance to this" whatever he intended to say was silenced as she leaned in and brushed he lips against his in the lightest possible kiss, deciding as she did so that the drink she'd left unfinished at the bar would be her last one of the night. The kiss ended as suddenly as it began, though the contact robbed Arctus of the urge to complain and the two of them made their way onto the dance floor blushing and smiling like lovesick drunken idiots.
As the group had begun to break off over the course of the night Felix had found himself hanging out with Corvid; something he was more than okay with as he would freely admit his older sister was cool. Corvid it turned out, was familiar enough with members of third and fourth year students that some of them came over for a brief chat and occasionally a dance, which admittedly left the Lion Faunus feeling like a third wheel for brief periods. Currently however they were the only people at their table, holding the fort as it were. Corvid's voice broke through the buzzing in Felix's head, the blonde realised he was starting to get a case of 'The spins' and his next drink should probably be non-alcoholic
"Ah, it's finally worked" his sister cooed, leaning forward in the exceptionally comfy chair she occupied
"What has?" Felix slurred out, following her line of sight he saw that Diamond and Arctus were dancing together, bodies almost flush against each other
"Her hip-nosis" Corvid winked, indicating at the way the silver haired Mistrali swayed as she moved.
"Terrible" he chuckled, clearly referring to the pun. He thoroughly approved of Arctus and Diamond finally acting on their painfully obvious mutual crush, whichever one of them it was that had made the move. His eyes scanned the dance floor eventually stopping when he saw Lux and Rusty, the Vaccuan gunslinger having some truly spectacular footwork and a clear confidence in his own body that left Felix's drunken mind struggling to keep up
"Yeah that was my reaction as well" Corvid had obviously spotted what he'd been looking at "For some reason everyone expects Lux to be the one who dances like that"
"I mean he duel wields rapiers….and no Arctus hasn't shut up about that yet" Felix threw in the aside with a smirk "Just makes sense that he'd be the one with the moves" Corvid snorted derisively
"Let's both be honest with ourselves shall we" she laughed "It's 'cos he's a rich kid with purple hair and a suit worth as much as your car"
"You leave my car out of it" Felix grumbled defensively, earning himself a laugh from his sister
"So are you actually gonna go dance with someone tonight?" she asked him, clearly trying to prod him into a reaction
"Are you?" Felix attempted to counter, flagrantly ignoring all of her previous dances
"Yeah I just need a sec, that last drink hit me like a truck" she admitted with a drunken titter "Besides, you need to get your eyes off of my partner's boyfriend" her tone turned a little more serious and Felix slumped back in his seat unsure whether he should laugh or groan
"What, he's my type" he shrugged "Doesn't mean I'm gonna do anything about it. Come on I'm not that scummy"
"Oh, you who hasn't actually a kissed a guy has a type now?" Corvid teased "Do tell, I've gotta hear this"
"Oh fuck off" Felix laughed off his sister's prodding, seeing her still leaning forward expectantly he decided he may as well give her an answer, embarrassing as it was "I like buff guys, anyone that looks that they could kick my ass….that probably says something about me" Corvid had taken another sip of her drink, Felix's words made her spray it out in a fit of drunken laughter
"Oh my Oum that's priceless" she cackled "I've gotta tell Rusty how much you probably enjoyed that sparring match where he put you in a headlock"
"Sis I love you but you're a bitch sometimes" Felix groaned "But seriously though, Professor Ren-"
"No!" Corvid cut him off "Do not say you're Rensexual. It doesn't matter where you are, Professor Nora can hear you" the two of them managed to maintain eye contact for a few moments before breaking down into another fit of giggles. As they eventually managed to compose themselves Corvid turned her attention to the dance floor, keeping an eye out for anyone she recognised until a thought struck her
"So what about that Nikos guy in your year? he's pretty buff"
"What? No!" Felix exclaimed "Me and Helios are just friends….kinda" Felix could honestly admit he'd never thought about his classmate in that sense, possibly due to their brief animosity at the start of the year. It was odd now he thought about it, Corvid was right; Helios was definitely his type.
"Pfft yeah so are Arctus and Diamond and right now they're – Oh my Oum they are actually adorable together!" her voice shifted to a squeal of delight as she watched the pair. Felix rolled his eyes while privately agreeing with her assessment
"Yeah but they're both really into each other, it's about time" he paused for a moment trying to find words in the drink fuelled haze that was currently clouding his thoughts "I don't just wanna hook up with someone because they're there y'know? If I date someone I want it to be special….I want what our Mums have got" Corvid turned to him, giving him a strange look before leaning over to ruffle his hair
"Awww, I've gotta tell 'em you said that"
"What? No!"
"It's adorable, my baby brother's a romantic"
"Oh my Oum Corey shut up!" Felix flopped forwards dramatically which only fuelled his sister's hysterics. Their antics must have been audible to those nearby as only a few moments later a voice struggled to be heard over the crowd
"HEY COREY, HEY OVER HERE!" the Xiao Long siblings eventually managed to find the source of the noise, spotting Corvid's fellow second years Team CAMO whom Felix knew by sight and first names only; Ochre, Maroon, the muscle of the team infamous for his sub par performance in last years' Vytal Tournament, Alizarin and Carat, the Rabbit Faunus with the hilariously unfortunate name.
"HEY!" Corvid leapt out of her chair, swaying more than she'd admit as she did so. Felix knew his sister had been on at least one date with Carat before and so was naturally surprised when she pulled Alizarin, one of the female members of the team, closer and planted a sloppy kiss on her lips which was hastily returned
"What the fuck?" Felix mouthed out, both confused and somewhat appalled, drawing a laugh from the second years.
"Yeah, they do that sometimes" Maroon grunted with a nonchalant shrug at his partners' current situation as he took one of the empty seats.
"And on that note" Felix sighed as he rose to his feet, the alcohol and reminder that his sister was a lot freer with her affections than he was having an effect on him "I'm gonna go vomit my soul up"
Eagle had slunk into a dark corner of the club at some point in the night, she really liked the nightclub but she had also begun to develop a headache which the flashing lights did nothing to assuage. Shortly after she'd been joined by Iris who had admitted to being on 'parent duty' as she called it; remaining relatively sober in case a clear head was needed at some point during the night, though she'd still helped herself to a few beers. As such she'd stayed near Eagle, making sure that the blonde on her first night on the town was okay, something that Eagle herself greatly appreciated as it afforded her plenty of opportunities to steal glances at the exceptionally pretty second year Huntress. Her crimson eyes roamed over the dance floor as she entertained the idea of asking Iris to dance; the alcohol currently making her chest burn and face flush seemingly daring her to try. She spotted Arctus and Diamond and fought the urge to gush at how cute her friends were, Lux was currently leading Rusty to the bar by the hand and Corvid had just made her way onto the dance floor with a girl that she was-
"Iris did you know that Corvid has a girlfriend?" Eagle's eyes bugged out at the display her partners' brother was putting on
"Huh?" the dark skinned Huntress turned her attention away from her Scroll where she'd been seeing if there was anywhere they'd be able to get food on the way back to the hotel; a bemused smirk forming on her face when she caught sigh of her team leader
"Nah they're not together" she explained to the evidently somewhat naive blonde "They just make out when they're drunk sometimes….If I remember right Corvid went on a date with her team leader last year"
"So she just makes out with people in clubs as a friend?"
"Pretty much" Iris shrugged, having had a year to accustom herself to such behaviour
"I wish I could be that confident" Eagle whined, her voice almost lost to the steady thumping of the bass
"So what's stopping you?" Iris's question caused Eagle to turn and stare at her, drinking in the sight of her in the lacy red dress she was wearing, sleeveless and leaving the entirety of her golden cybernetic left arm on display; evidently she allowed her eyes to linger for a little to long as Iris sighed before reprimanding her
"You're staring at my arm" her expression softened as Eagle's hands rushed to her mouth, a muffled apology already half formed "It's fine I'm used to it by now, It's just that I like you guys 'cos none of you stare at it, you just accept it for what it is"
"I think it's because we all knew somebody with prosthetics already before we met you" Eagle suggested thoughtfully "My Granddad lost a foot when he was a Huntsman. One of Felix and Corey's mums has a cybernetic arm….and I think I remember Arctus and Diamond both mentioning that their dads have prosthetics"
"Yeah that might explain it" Iris mused "I mean I suppose I can't really complain about people looking at it when I painted it gold. Some days I want everyone to know I'm bigger and better than the Grimm that did this to me, some days I don't want the world to see me 'cos I don't think that they'd understand….Fuck this is why I don't drink much, I get morbid" she trailed off
"Wanna talk about it?" Eagle offered "I mean if you don't it's fine, I don't wan to pry"
"This isn't my first prosthetic, I lost my arm when I was ten so I've had a few others as I was growing" Iris admitted
"Oh my Oum" Eagle gasped, horrified at the news "What happened"
"My parents moved to Menagerie; there was a lot of opportunities for skilled people building the settlements" Iris paused and shuddered, Eagle didn't consciously register that she'd moved but she found Iris's golden hand in hers nevertheless. Iris continued "There's a lot of Grimm between the settlements, we were driving from Port Alistair back when it was barely built to the village my parents were gonna help build. When we stopped for lunch I was playing, I went too far off the path….The Beowolf saw me before I saw it. It didn't actually bite my arm off, there just wasn't a doctor who could save it for miles"
"How did you get away?" Eagle whispered, eyes wide with shock.
"There's something of a folk story in Menagerie" Iris whispered back, starting to enjoy telling her story to such a receptive audience despite how bleak it was "The legend of Cardin Winchester. They say he did terrible things before the war and came to Menagerie to find peace wandering between the settlements, helping the lost. All I know is that ten year old me, screaming in pain and fear and about to pass out from blood loss saw a man in battered armour carrying a mace come out of nowhere and take a Grimm's head off with one swing….honestly it's why I made my weapon a mace, I've never managed to get that image out of my head" Iris decided that Eagle didn't need to know that she'd returned to New Vale with her mother soon after, her parents divorcing and her father still living on Menagerie; the younger girl certainly didn't need to know how Iris had laid awake at night blaming herself for breaking her family apart for a very long time. She found herself brought back to her, admittedly inebriated, senses by Eagle squeezing her hand and raising it to her lips, planting a drunken and uncoordinated, but gentle kiss on the back of the mechanical hand
"I just want you to know that I think you're really cool and really, really pretty and the arm doesn't change that at all" this was followed by a hiccup that alerted Iris to the fact that she should probably keep an eye on how much Eagle drank from now on
"You're sweet kid" Iris smiled, blushing a little "So if you're such a charmer how come you've never made a move on any of those girls in your own year that you like?" she was well aware of the blondes' feelings towards her and was looking for a way to let her down gently. Eagle's voice came out in a dejected mumble
"I'm really not pretty"
"Excuse you?" Iris was struggling to process what she'd just heard
"I'm not" the blonde insisted, slouching slightly as she folded in on herself "I've got small boobs, I'm too tall and I hate my shoulders. Girls that like girls aren't gonna like me, I look like a guy" Iris firmly turned Eagle to face, making sure that she was paying attention and speaking slowly
"That is the biggest heap of Ursa shit I have heard in my life and I will go to your home town and slap whoever told you those lies right now Eagle Arc"
"But I"
"No buts" Iris steam-rolled over her flustered objections "You have a body that any Huntress would kill for and some cute freckles and dimples; work with it! You could have gotten a date with one of those girls you like by now if you'd made a move" Eagle stood in stunned silence before a hopeful whisper escaped her
"You really mean that?"
"Yes, you just need a confidence boost" Iris thought very carefully about what she said and did next, weighing up the pros and cons as much as her tipsy state would allow, before finally settling on 'Fuck it'
"Eagle, you know I'm straight right?"
"Figures" Eagle sighed good naturedly, she'd honestly suspected it and accepted the fact that this particular crush would go nowhere
"But" Iris gently placed a hand on the blonde's waist and pulled her a little closer "Since it's your birthday, I want you to understand that this is a one off"
"Uh huh" Eagle nodded as she blushed brighter than Iris thought possible. With confirmation received she cupped the slightly taller girls' cheeks and pulled her down into a gentle kiss, Eagle's hands moved uncertainly to her waist as Iris gently took her soft lower lip between her teeth and causing the blonde to whimper into her mouth. After a few moments they broke apart, Eagle wide-eyed and wearing an impossibly broad smile
"How was it?" Iris asked with a sly grin
"That was my first kiss" Eagle admitted "It was perfect" Iris realised that a new song was starting and seized the blonde's hand
"Okay, now it's time to get out there and knock 'em dead" Eagle's euphoric expression faltered as she found herself led towards the crowd.
"Wait what?"
Far from the towering structures of New Vale and nightclubs filled with flashing lights, deep within the Old Vale Exclusion zone a lone Beowolf sprinted through ruined streets illuminated only by the stars, beyond even the reach of the spotlights mounted on the defensive outposts of the wall designed to keep such creatures locked within the abandoned metropolis.
The Beowolf bounded towards a gutted shell of a warehouse as the shriek of a Nevermore overhead pierced the night. If the Grimm were capable of reading it would have seen an old rusted sign bearing the words 'Kenwood Industrial Estate' crossed out and crudely replaced by 'The Kennels' in faded spray paint. However the Beowolf was an Alpha barely deserving of such a title, the head of a pack of perhaps two dozen Grimm spawned from a miniscule pool of darkness within the exclusion zone; what intelligence it had was being put to use in avoiding what was hunting it. The Beowolf managed to slink into the warehouse, the malevolently glowing eyes of the Nevermore momentarily available through holes in the roof as it circled overhead; cawing out ceaselessly and within a minute another sound began to reach the Beowolf, it's ears pricking up and a frightened whimper escaping it as it's limited understanding made sense of the fact that the several sets of paws it could hear approaching would mean its' end.
Preparing to pounce the Beowolf snarled, several pairs of eyes came into view, bloody pinpricks in the darkness followed by the bone masks which they were set in; Beowolves from a rival pack.
Before the Beowolf could rush forth and tear at the throats of its' attackers the wall beside it was torn asunder in a cacophony of steel groaning in protest as it collapsed; the tusks of a Goliath ploughing through the warehouse. The Beowolf yelped in surprise, the sign of weakness being the signal for the eagerly snarling members of the other pack had been waiting for; within seconds the Beowolf found itself pinned down by fangs and claws in its' flesh and struggling in futility as something approached it. A low whine escaped its' lips as it recognised what approached it was the Alpha of the much larger opposing pack; the beast walked on its' hind legs and even to the Grimm's limited mind something about it seemed fundamentally wrong.
"Alphas have a link to the pool that spawned them; I need to take yours" Phobos growled at its' captive "Your pack is my pack now" with that he lunged forwards, his jaws closing around the other Grimm's throat in an explosion of dark mist.
Authors Notes:
There you go, some fluff to make up for the angst of the last chapter.
Not much to say here
Now let's summarise:
The quick explanation about why Diamond didn't get expelled lie Goodwitch promised was to try and style out the fact I face-planted into a plot hole.
Eagle was unsure if her own Mum was going to call her on her eighteenth birthday, let that sink in for a sec.
So Robotics expert Antonia Arc is heading to Vale….do we know of any groups that might possibly looking for tech support?
We know what she's coming over to talk about right?
Also what if I told you that Professor Eldritch isn't just a throwaway name and they'll become important much later on (Because I play the long game). What if I also told you his first name was Ozymandias….
Qrow takes his Batman act seriously.
'Sparrow Badness' Hunters are famous, Team STRQ are legendary and Qrow was the last of them to retire from active duty. You KNOW that there would actually be references to him in pop culture after the war. (I wonder if getting your alcoholic drink officially endorsed by Qrow would help or hurt the image).
Domestic Nuts & Dolts, you love every second of it and you know you do.
Penny's Bull-Head AI co-pilot has been expanded to her house it's like JARVIS from Iron Man now. I might expand on that at some point.
Poor Qrow, he's trying to do right by the kid he never knew he had; he really is.
Also it's fun to write how Qrow and Ruby's relationship has progressed over the last twenty years.
"if there was one thing she was an expert on, it was awkwardness." may be the most relatable thing I've ever written.
If you think Nora wouldn't hurl a three foot tall stuffed Grimm at her niece as a distraction before tackle-hugging her and singing happy birthday in a public space, then you don't know Nora.
Corvid, Felix and Eagle all love Disney movies (I mentioned it in Chapter 09 but it's fun to bring it up from time to time).
Yeah Antonia Arc owns Poly-Tech, she's not as rich as the SDC but she can give her daughter enough money to put a deposit on a house as a birthday present.
Sargent Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club…..I regret nothing. The best part is that it fits the colour naming rule.
I'll admit I've actually never been to a gay bar, I went with basically a standard nightclub….replete with the obligatory straight male hitting on everything with a pulse and wearing a belt worth more than his jeans because why the fuck not.
"Shock and Ore" may be my favourite Corvid pun so far.
Hopeless cinnamon roll tall lesbian is not to be bothered, she's protected.
Strawberry Sunrise with a double vodka….because of course.
Ah Diamond Dust….at this point I'm just torturing my readers with it.
The commentary on racism in Upper Atlas; topical.
Diamond makes sense to me. Dating is awkward, dinner dates are the easiest way to kill any pre-existing chemistry. Fuck all of that.
Yes she kissed him. Don't squeal yet….That one doesn't count as their first kiss.
Nope "Hip-nosis" is my new favourite Corvid pun.
I stand by the thing with Lux and Rusty, out of the two of them Lux is the one you expect to have moves.
I love writing the Xiao Long siblings banter.
Yes Felix likes guys that can kick his ass….Felix "Only five foot nine 'cos they can't stack bad-ass any higher" Xiao Long, is actually a total bottom.
Felix is a closet Rensexual who is partnered with Ren's honorary niece….who is also his Mum's cousin. Tense.
Felix and Corvid are opposites in one sense, Felix wants a relationship like the bees, something really sweet. Corvid is an expert in casual hook ups, like Tai but she goes through other peoples' teams.
Iris saying "I don't want the world to see me, 'cos I don't think that they'd understand" you know EXACTLY what I did there.
Iris's backstory is more than a little sad, but it also explains what happened to Cardin Winchester. In The Downward Spiral he told Velvet that his Dad was actually a Faunus, Cardin is one of the rare cases of a child of mixed heritage having no traits; his Dad was abusive to him and his mum and denied that Cardin was his before eventually leaving. A lot of Cardin's issues came from that, now he lives on Menagerie, the Faunus homeland finding some kind of peace with himself.
Eagle is really self conscious. I have an image in my head of her kinda looking like a young Gwendoline Christie.
Eagle got her first kiss. ARE YOU HAPPY NOW READERS? ARE YOU?
The Warehouse in 'The Kennels' is a callback to The Downward Spiral, it's where Adam Taurus and Velvet Scarlatina first met.
Without Salem leading them the Grimm hive mind isn't a single cohesive entity, what Phobos is doing is unknowingly reconnecting it one consumed Alpha and small spawning pit at a time….Though a lot of what I'm doing with antagonists in the first year arc is set up for later.
Thank you to SumoSnipe, FleetOfWarships, Ferrous, TigerRose, Fluffyfirefly, ShadowAlex2000, ShadowWolf and Arkanes Shippou for their reviews on the last chapter.
Thank you for bringing that plot hole to my attention.
Rhodium is gonna be someone you love to hate, like just when you think he's gonna do something that makes him redeemable, he'll top it off with something horrific (Yes I'm referring to something specific I have in mind).
Merc as an utter Dad is hilarious to me and with him being a pilot now I can have him drop in at any time for effect.
Oh the reveal on the Tribe will be great, it sets up second year.
Sorry to everyone who got emotional over the argument between Blake and Felix.
It depends what you mean by dark, I have no aversion to killing and maiming characters if the story calls for it (Although it may actually be less common in this story than The Downward Spiral) but there are certain subjects I refuse to tackle in my writing.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.