A much needed and welcome rest after the battle of the Fiertia was taken. Blair was a temporary member of the Eden's Zero. She just needed a place to stay in the meantime, while she plotted a means to get her revenge. That being said, after sleeping in the Eden's Zero for a day, there was something that crossed her mind. "Hey, Rebecca." Blair approached the B-cuber with her arms crossed.
"Hm? What's up, Blair?" Rebecca was editing a video. She didn't have the chance to post a video lately due to the events, but now that things were calming down she went right back to work. There was a lot to catch up on, and with her increasingly growing subscriber base, she didn't want to keep the waiting!
"You guys have a bath here, right?" Blair asked. "And…a place to change clothes? Not like I had a lot to wear on the Fiertia, Plus this maid outfit is kind of torn and tattered, no thanks to Weisz." Speaking of Weisz, he was still keeping an eye on Blair…
But hot damn, that maid outfit was a good one on a woman like Blair. So he couldn't help but stare a little bit. "I said I was sorry. It wasn't like you gave me much choice."
"Can it, and keep your eyes to yourself, pervert." Blair glared at Weisz. The tension with Blair was still a little high. Considering the fact that they fought, it was understandable. Blair just didn't have any plans to hide how she felt. That sort of bluntness made things just a little awkward.
Noticing this, Rebecca closed her laptop and smiled to Blair. "I know exactly where to go! I've been editing for a while now and could use the break. I'll tell the other girls to come along as well." She went to grab Blair's left arm, but Blair withdrew it quickly. "Ah?"
"Don't touch that arm, unless you're planning to offer me some Ether." Blair said bluntly. Touching her bandaged arm was not a good idea, but she was upholding her end of the deal by not intentionally consuming anyone.
"R-Right…" Rebecca almost forgot. Blair was very standoffish and felt like the type that needed to be dragged somewhere, or else she wouldn't go. Oh well. "Come with me. And don't you dare follow, Weisz."
"I'm not…!" Weisz held his hands up. To prove his point, he put his hands in his hoodie pockets, turned, and walked off in the opposite direction. He still wasn't entirely comfortable with Blair on the ship due to the nature of her abilities…
.
.
"Welcome to the Spring of Eden's!" Rebecca led Blair into the hot springs of the ship. The two of them had towels wrapped around their bodies. Sister, Hermit, Homura, Happy, and Kleene were already in the water.
Upon seeing Blair in a towel, Homura's hand covered her mouth. "Oh my…I think my heart skipped a beat."
"Whoa…" Blair was looking around; she was too entranced by the size of the room to really hear Homura's remark. This room was all for them!? It was massive! "Do you really need all this space?" She shrugged her towel off and dipped into the water, eyes widening at how pleasant it felt. Blair's expression was usually rigid, but she couldn't help how it relaxed upon entering the water. "Ah…."
"The water's nice, isn't it?" Kleene gave Blair a slight smile.
"…It's not bad." Blair kept herself at a distance compared to the others.
"The best way to bond with someone is to take a bath with them!" Rebecca gave Blair a wide grin. "You don't have to be so tense. You can relax while you're here. Also, wow! Your skin looks really smooth and healthy, I'm a little jealous…and your hair is really pretty too. Doesn't it bother you having it that far down? It practically touches the floor…"
"It…doesn't bother me…." Rebecca's sudden compliments took Blair by surprise, so she opted focus on something else. "Relax?" Blair pointed to Homura. As usual, the swordswoman was clearly struggling while in the heat. "What in the cosmos is that then?"
"I am….using this…for training…." Homura's face was red as she endured the heat. "…I am…more surprised in your ability, Blair. How can you endure this heat?"
Blair looked at the other girls. This was normal, she just had to adjust. "It's…not even that bad." Blair rolled her eyes and looked to the side. "…The guys aren't going to try anything funny, are they?"
"I think we've scared them out of doing that." Hermit said.
"But if they want to join in, I have a surprise for them." Sister was wearing her usual smile. Now, Blair wasn't exactly afraid of Sister, but if anyone on the Eden's Zero was the most unnerving…it was her.
"…You freak me out." Blair said it straight out.
"Good!" Sister just smiled. "But since you're here, you know you have to experience it at least once, right?"
"No, I'd rather not." Blair shifted backwards while in the water.
"Rebecca likes it!" Sister said.
Rebecca felt her cheeks heat up and she immediately shook her head. "DON'T BRING THAT UP?" The last thing she needed was Sister saying things out of context.
"…I have been curious, but my better judgment, and my brother, don't allow it." Kleene said, leaning against the side of the springs.
"…It's very intense training." Homura mumbled.
"What kind of training do you even do…?" Blair shook her head.
"Don't question it." Happy was leisurely floating in the water.
"Ah, but this reminds me!" Homura's attention went to Blair, more focused and determined than before. "Blair, you use swords, do you not?"
"Yeah?" Blair glanced at Homura. "I mean, I don't exactly have them on me right no…"
Homura shot up, standing up with two swords in her hands. "I would be honored to witness your skill in combat! Please, fight me!" The others just stared.
"…" Blair was silent for a minute. "…No? We're in the bath, naked, and unlike the rest of you, I don't carry weapons into a place like this."
Homura deflated instantly. She sank into the water. "…My apologies. I got excited at the notion of fighting someone such as yourself."
"You do this so often, I'm starting to worry that fighting is the only thing on your brain sometimes…" Rebecca said with a sweat drop. Homura had a habit of challenging someone to a fight while in the bat. She still remembered what happened with Elsie…
"I'm not yet close to my teacher in strength, even after all of this training." Homura said as her swords vanished. "Fighting stronger opponents is the best way to get there. The cosmos is big, and we have many powerful enemies ahead of us. I only wish to do my part in the coming battles. I don't wish to be a burden like I was over the last few days. It is an affront to my teacher and the will of hers that I've inherited."
To Blair, that came out of the blue. She didn't say anything, but just glanced away. "…"
"You weren't a burden." Hermit shook her head. "You're our friend, so of course we were going to rescue you. Besides, everything worked out in the end, right?"
"Yeah, it was nothing!" Kleene told Homura.
"If anything, we kind of kidnapped their maid, huh?" Sister remarked, attempting to get a rise out of Blair. But Blair was a stick in the mud and didn't take the bait. "Come on…react."
The talk of friendship and the comradery just rubbed Blair the wrong way. So she stood up and just walked out of the water and to one of the stools nearby. "I'm just gonna wash up." Blair said, preparing to wash and scrub herself down.
Rebecca watched Blair walk off, letting out a quiet sigh as she turned to the others. "I guess it was a lot to ask for her to open up to us on day two." Silence lingered in the hot springs for a few minutes.
"Oh, Rebecca." Blair spoke again. Nobody expected her to. "…There's something I wanted to ask you. You said you knew that Jigan was going to try and drop Weisz and I, right? …How?"
Uh oh. Rebecca wasn't sure if she should let Blair know about Cat Leaper yet. Even outside of the Eden's Zero, there were very few who knew she possessed this power. "…I just had a feeling, that's all." For now, she decided to keep Cat Leaper a secret. While they were trying to be friendly with Blair, they still couldn't trust her fully. Not enough for that information.
"…Mm." Blair wasn't satisfied with that answer…but, considering she wasn't willing to share everything about herself, she thought it was fair. "Fine, that's fair." She shrugged and went back to washing her hair.
"Wow, she saw right through you…" Kleene let out a small snicker.
"…Another question." Blair said. "…You're a B-Tuber, right?" She only vaguely knew the name.
"N-No, B-Cuber." Rebecca corrected. "B-Tubing is when someone uses an avatar instead of their real face…it's similar, but different!"
"An avatar…?" Homura tilted her head.
"I guess so they can hide their face?" Hermit said. "…I guess I could see the appeal." The longer she thought about it, the more curious she became.
"…I see." Blair fell silent again. This time, she didn't have any more questions.
"…I can't tell if she wants to talk with us or not." Sister had a deadpanned look. It was too early to try and figure out how Blair's mind worked.
A few more minutes passed, and Blair was done. She wrapped the towel around her body once again and stood up. "I'll be waiting outside. I'm done." And she just left.
"…She's pleasant." Sister practically snorted.
"I did a little bit more research about Therions." Hermit's voice made everyone turn to her. "I was curious…and you know what? All the information I pulled up yesterday was indeed written by the same person. Vanessa Viscard."
"Really? So that story she told us yesterday wasn't a lie, then?" Sister was interested.
"It doesn't seem like it. That woman was the only source of information on Therions that I could find. At least, anything that went in depth." Hermit answered.
"But isn't that strange?" Homura tilted her head. "Blair said she was responsible for destroying her planet, correct? But if a planet really was destroyed, wouldn't there be more news about it? I don't think anyone would lie about something like that. She said revenge is the only thing keeping her going."
"There wasn't a name or anything mentioned about a planet being wiped out." Hermit crossed her arms. "But I don't think Blair is lying…yet something doesn't add up."
.
.
Once the time in the bath was over, Blair was guided to the dressing machine by Rebecca and Homura. Weisz and Pino tagged along as well. Blair just stared at the machine. "What is this thing?"
"With this machine, you can get a new outfit." Weisz explained. "There are a lot of options, so you can pretty much put on anything you want. Anything."
"Watch!" Pino happy stepped forward into the machine. In just a few moments, the small android emerged in a cute cat outfit. "Tada!"
"You're so adorable, Pino…!" Rebecca clasped her hands together.
"…" Blair stared at Pino for a second. It felt like she wanted to say something, but ultimately she didn't. Instead she turned her attention to the hands on the machine.
Before she could open her mouth, Homura spoke. "They may or may not be as bad as you expect."
"That doesn't help anything at all." Blair rolled her eyes.
"Also, Weisz…don't you dare remove parts." Homura stared at Weisz.
"I wasn't going to…!" Weisz said. He could feel Blair's glare on him when Homura revealed that information. Why did Homura choose to reveal the worst information at the worst time!? "There are a lot of options. Just pick something."
Blair walked over to the console, practically shoving Weisz aside as she did so. She scrolled through the options, furrowing her brows. The fact she was actually taking her time with this surprised everyone. "Why are there so many maid outfits? And bunny costumes? What even are these?"
"Tasteful." Weisz replied. He couldn't lie, he was kind of imagining Blair in some of those outfits. But the tension between them was enough to where he wouldn't comment on it. He didn't feel like being threatened right now.
"Hmmm…" Blair was on this for about ten minutes until she saw something she actually liked. "Finally, something good." She then stepped into the machine, where the hands started to creep forward. For a moment, she had second thoughts about this…but the hands already grabbed her. "Ack-! Where do these things think they're touching!? Hey, not there!"
"You'll get used to it." Rebecca closed her eyes, a weary smile appearing on her lips.
Eventually, things calmed down and Blair emerged from the changing machine in a new outfit: A red shirt that exposed just a bit of her cleavage from the underside, black shorts, thigh high stockings, and armored leg guards/shoes. To top it all off, she had a black coat that had a cape attached to it. "You know what…I like this a lot, actually." She seemed so please.
"It's so edgy…!" Weisz and Rebecca thought at the same time. They weren't sure what to expect, but they didn't think Blair's fashion sense leaned into this kind of aesthetic.
"I detect Blair has a preference for darker, crimson colors." Pino lifted a hand as she spoke. The analysis was clear as day.
"Interesting…." Homura said. Why did it seem like she was into that style?
"This is SO much better than the maid outfit! I hated that thing." Blair actually seemed content. This fresh new style was right up her alley. "Now we're talking."
"W-Well, as long as you like it! I think it looks nice on you." Rebecca wasn't lying. Somehow, that dark style did work for Blair.
"Yeah…it sure is a style." Weisz scratched the back of his head.
Now that Blair had a decent outfit, she felt her stomach rumble. She heard it too. "Eugh…hungry."
"Ah! I think this is a perfect time to take her to the kitchen." Rebecca turned to Weisz. "So, you two play nice now!"
"Wait, huh?" Weisz pointed at himself.
"I have to finish my video!" Rebecca said.
"Oh! And I have to resume my training!" Homura quickly nodded.
Weisz felt like they were just dumping Blair on him. Well…whatever. He was planning on keeping an eye on her anyway. "Fine…" The two girls left, leaving him with Pino and Blair. He and Blair looked at each other, the tension between them still palpable.
"Show me the kitchen." Blair said. Weisz let out a sigh and just walked, Blair following.
.
.
Shiki, Couchpo, Jinn, and Laguna were in the kitchen. Blair, Weisz, and Pino joined them. "So…this is it?" Blair asked.
"That's right! This is the Eden's Kitchen!" Couchpo exclaimed.
"And this is the place you protect, huh." Blair couldn't even glance Couchpo's way. She found it hard to believe this civilian was on a ship with all these Ether Gear users.
"That's right!" Couchpo was completely unfazed by Blair's skepticism.
"Right…" Blair just took a seat. "…So, what's on the menu? I hope it's Ether. That's my preferred food."
"Actually, we do have that." Shiki said. So far there were no problems with Blair, so he had no issues trying to be friendly to her. "Sister prepared some for you." As he said this, he handed Blair a can of Ether.
"Huh." Blair took the can in her right arm. "I guess I can eat this."
"…Question." Weisz spoke up. "You say you've eaten people, right? Do you actually, like…you know…"
"No!" Blair gagged at the thought. "I don't eat people like /that/. That's disgusting, gross, and messy. I do it like this." She took the can of ether with her left hand and crushed it. The ether within was absorbed into her body that way. "I just suck away the Ether that exists in something with my arm. I don't sink my actual teeth into anything."
"…That's a relief." Laguna remarked quietly. It would've been very messy otherwise.
"Mmm…" Blair furrowed her brows after consuming that Ether. It wasn't terrible tasting, but it didn't feel like it would tide her over for very long.
"That's the look of someone who's still hungry." Couchpo recognized that look anywhere. "Ether is good for the body to have, but I'm sure even a Therion can't function on an empty stomach! When's the last time you had real food?"
"That's not exactly…" Blair trailed off.
"You know, I make a pretty decent hot dog. Would you like to try it?" Jinn asked. He didn't seem aware of his phrasing, but Weisz sure did.
"Dude!?" Weisz shouted, but Jinn just looked at him with confusion. He absolutely didn't catch it.
"I knew it." Couchpo brought up the automated menu. "You look like a girl who enjoys spicy food, I can tell that just by looking at you. So, for you, Blair! We'll order a curry burger!"
"A…A what?" Blair blinked.
"A burger that has curry in the patty! The spices will explode in your mouth upon the very first bite! I think it's something you'll enjoy." Couchpo was confident in this. Considering the contents of her channel, it made sense.
"I like the pizza burger…it really tastes and looks like a pizza!" Shiki was having one right now, actually.
"…Doesn't that just make it a pizza?" Blair questioned. Before she could question anymore, Couchpo was shoving a curry burger into her hands. "Eh…"
"Go on, try it!" Couchpo was not letting the issue go. As far as she was concerned, everyone deserved to indulge in the joys of good food and eating!
Blair sighed and rolled her eyes. She bit into the curry burger and felt the spices explode in her mouth. Everyone was waiting for her reaction with bated breath, but Blair…she just kept biting into it, eventually finishing it within a few minutes. "There, I ate it. Happy?"
"…That burger is so spicy, and she was unfazed." Jinn was shocked. "…I guess she wouldn't be bothered by my hotdog either…"
"STOP IT." Weisz shouted.
"So…how was it?" Couchpo asked. "Did you feel the spices dance across your tongue?"
"No." Blair shook her head. "I didn't taste anything. Because I can't taste anything. Not when it comes to food, at least. I can taste Ether and blood…that's it." That revelation took everyone by surprise. Suddenly the atmosphere in the room grew heavy once again.
"…Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't know." Couchpo felt a little bad for pushing the burger onto Blair.
"It doesn't matter." Blair waved the apology off. "My actual stomach was empty…so if nothing else, the food here is good sustenance. I just don't care what I eat, I won't taste it anyway."
"I don't have receptors for taste either." Pino said in an effort to make Blair feel better. "So I know how it feels."
"That so?" That was all Blair had to say. She stood up from her seat and started to walk off. It was hard to tell if she was in a sour mood or not. The aura she constantly gave off was that of a person that didn't want to be bothered. "Whatever." With that, she just left. It was an unceremonious exit that just made the tension in the air even thicker than it already was.
"I feel bad…" Couchpo sadly bit into a burger.
"She doesn't make it easy, I can say that." Laguna was silent, simply because he wanted to see how things turned out.
Weisz groaned and took a seat, looking towards Shiki. "Are you really okay with dealing with her for the foreseeable future?"
Shiki swallowed his burger and gave a quick nod. "So far she hasn't caused any trouble. She might be difficult, but I don't think she's bad. We just need time to figure her out a little more. I can't say I trust her entirely, but until she does something that goes against our agreement, I don't think we have to worry." Despite Shiki's growth over the years, he still wanted to give Blair the benefit of the doubt. She didn't seem like the deceitful type…but there was an air of selfishness around her that he was wary of.
"It would be nice if she didn't shy away from details in her background, but there's nothing we can do about that." Jinn understood that completely.
"The best we can do is just wait for her to open up to us, if that happens at all." Laguna surmised. "Even if it doesn't, listening to the way she talks and paying attention to her body language will help us learn how to interact with her."
"Is that your experience as an actor talking?" Pino asked, and Laguna nodded.
"Watching a person's reactions is important." Laguna says, staring down the corridor where Blair walked down. "For example: as nonchalant and dismissive as she was about the burger, I can't help but think she was truly curious as to what it tasted like. This is only my assumption after knowing her for a day, so it can be taken with a grain of salt. She could just as easily felt annoyed about the situation as well, or both."
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen her smile at all yet…" Pino frowned.
"I see. Not even a fake one?" This only made Laguna more curious. "If one cannot even force a smile, it cast doubt on their ability to endure…but again, it's not wise to read into this too much so early." Switching the topic off of Blair, he turned to Shiki. "What are we doing next?"
"Tomorrow, I'm going to ask Hermit to look into the other locations of the Black Moon Star." Shiki explained. "I don't think we should pursue it to the Black Moon, but we need to ensure it doesn't fall into the wrong hands."
Blair was walking down the corridor, returning to the room she was using to sleep. Her stomach growled again and she groaned lowly. The burger did help, somewhat…but it wasn't enough. That can of Ether was a piece of candy compared to what she really needed to fulfill her appetite. Blair was a hybrid of human and therion. That did terrible things to her stomach and nothing felt like enough. "Still so god damn hungry…" She would never get enough Ether to…wait! She had an idea…something crossed her mind, and she knew exactly where to go, too.