Perhaps it was the beating Vacuan sun, or the fact that in truth, he still wasn't over the morning's events. Maybe it was the burden of responsibility that had been thrust upon him after learning that one of his close friends was potentially a vessel for incredible magical power. The enigmatic nature of an enemy they knew only in name, the knowledge that he had almost been cut off from his financial support system, the fact that he felt like a petty, impulsive fool after his duel with Qrow. So many negative things had happened in the span of a few hours that Roman just felt the need to get away, and stop trying to think about which particular thing was pissing him off at the moment.
When Bartholomew had suggested the group visit a dusty old museum of all places, Roman saw it as the perfect excuse to split off and pursue his own agenda. He had texted Kali to inform her that if she didn't hear from him before nightfall, she was to alert the others that he might be in trouble. Her total lack of response only irritated him more, and so, he had wandered off into the inner ring of small businesses and market stalls that hugged the steppe pyramid of Shade Academy.
Even in the middle of the day, the sounds of wild music and the heady scents of street food filled the air. Vendors hawked their goods loudly, from precious stones carved into kitschy shapes to expertly woven carpets to dust crystals that had suspicious scratches and imperfections where a company might etch their manufacturing logo. Roman couldn't help but stop to look over some of the wares, though he had absolutely no intention of buying anything. His mind was blank as he stopped near a market stand, looking over a group of fruits he had never seen in his life. All that really registered was just how colorful everything was, and the fact that something had suddenly brushed against the back pocket of his designer jeans.
Roman reached out to his side, grasping at the air before he even turned his head to look. His fingers wrapped around smooth flesh in a vice grip, and upon turning his attention to his captive, he found that he had seized a young woman's wrist. Though he was initially furious at the audacity of someone daring to try to pickpocket him, the sight of her caused his brain to shut down in an entirely different way than it had previously.
The woman was a head and a half shorter than him, and unusually pale for someone from Vacuo. Her shoulder-length hair was an odd mix of pastel pink with deep red streaks, though their haphazard placement suggested that they might be natural rather than dyed. What struck Roman as even odder was the fact that her eyes were equally mismatched, with each one reflecting a different tone from within her hair. Her arms were bare and quite muscular for such a small woman, suggesting that she, too, might be a hunter of sorts. She wore a crimson blouse with her cleavage exposed as well as a black corset that did wonders to emphasize her otherwise modest bust. Her outfit was topped off with a dark red miniskirt featuring pink pleats, and knee-high boots showing just enough of her muscular thighs to hold any young man's attention. They certainly held Roman's as she spoke to him in a thick, husky voice that oozed a practiced air of seduction.
"…you're perceptive, for a foreigner…"
"And you're slow, for a native," Roman shot back as he let the woman's wrist go. He quickly checked that his collapsed cane was still within his back pocket before folding his arms across his usual leopard-print sleeveless tee. "You picked the wrong mark, honey."
"Maybe I was just trying to get your attention the only way I know how," the woman taunted with a smile as she leaned forward slightly to give Roman a clear view down her shirt. "Or maybe I was going to give you something rather than take something of yours away."
"Yeah? And what would that be?" Roman asked, his voice full of suspicion.
"One of these," the young woman said as she produced a folded pamphlet from behind herself and held it forward. "There's a festival going on soon, and part of my job's getting the word out. Drinking, dancing, a lot of fire, a little public indecency… sound like your kind of thing?"
Roman blinked in surprise and gingerly reached out to take the folded paper.
"…that sounds like exactly my kind of th-"
The moment Roman's fingertips touched the paper, it crumbled away into odd, triangular shards that rained down upon the ground. Each shard fizzled away upon contact with the dark brown rock and scattered away amongst the errant flecks of sand. It took Roman a moment to realize that the woman, too, had disappeared completely, and he reached behind himself to pat at his pockets. His weapon and scroll were still where they belonged.
His wallet, however, was not.
"Shit!" Roman cursed, earning the momentary attention of those in his immediate area. The Vacuan citizens quickly averted their eyes, feigning disinterest as Roman desperately turned in place to peer through the crowd. "Did anyone see where that bitch went? Come on, help me out, here!"
In perhaps his first stroke of luck for the day, Roman spotted the woman's telltale hair a good twenty feet away as she seemed to melt into the bustling crowd of the market district. Without a second thought, he took off through the throng of people, slipping through gaps in pedestrians as best he could. It wasn't long before he ran right into a burly man's chest and bounced backwards to stare up at the bearded goliath.
"Sorry, man! I gotta go, someone just stole my shit…"
"Welcome to Vacuo," the bronze-skinned man said with an amused smirk before continuing on his way.
"Yeah, it's a real fuckin' treasure," Roman muttered as he returned his attention to where he had last seen the woman. She was long gone somewhere within the crowd, and Roman knew that the chances of recovering his belongings were slim to none. "Fuck…"
"Finally," Velvet groaned as she walked through the door of the team's usual haunt and stretched her arms up over her head. The scent of alcohol and steak met her nostrils immediately, and the faunus let out a sigh of content. "Why did we wait so long to get something to eat?"
"As I recall, someone wanted to make some modifications to her bike after morning classes," Sage accused as he brought up the rear of the procession. "Besides- any earlier, and it wouldn't be your friend's shift yet."
"She's not 'my friend', she's a friend of the group," Velvet said with a roll of her eyes.
"I don't like her," Sage replied.
"We know," Fox said with a grin. "That's what makes it even more fun."
"Settle, children," Ghira reprimanded with a hint of amusement in his tone as he guided the team to their usual table. "Besides- it looks like we're safe, for the time being."
"The calm before the storm," Sage mused as he sat heavily into one of the sturdy wooden chairs and rested his forearm atop the surface of the table. "Speaking of people I don't like…"
"What, we're talking about the population of Remnant?" Fox joked as he slipped into the seat next to Sage.
"I like lots of people!" Sage balked. "I even like one of them on this team."
Velvet and Ghria exchanged a look. The woman was the first to lean across the table, batting her eyes sweetly in her teammate's direction.
"I plan on ordering a big lunch, and you can have the leftovers."
"That doesn't change my stance," Sage said with a confident smirk. "Interpret as you will."
"We all know he loves me best," Fox proclaimed as he drummed his fingers atop the table. "I don't need food to win someone's heart."
"Food is the only way to win someone's heart," Velvet rebuked. "A relationship without good cooking is doomed to fail. It just breeds resentment and longing for a partner who knows their food."
"I wouldn't go that far," Ghira considered, "but… I'm somewhat inclined to agree. At least one person in a couple needs to know how to cook. Spending every day in a tavern isn't feasible."
"And why the hell not?" Fox asked. "I'll marry this table if meat keeps appearing on it."
"You might as well admit that she's your only option and propose now," Velvet mocked. "I'm sure you'll have beautiful children."
"And several splinters in interesting places," Sage added as he looked toward the swinging saloon-style doors and the figure rushing through them. "Here comes trouble…"
"You're late!" a portly little man bellowed from his place behind the bar at the far end of the room. "Get dressed, get moving, and get to your t-"
"Yeah, yeah," the woman replied as she walked into the tavern, seemingly unbothered by the man's boisterous yelling. As she walked, her two-tone hair elongated and twisted itself into a ponytail, and her short skirt extended down into a pair of pants as an apron unfurled from her belt. A pad of paper and pen manifested into her hands, and she made her way straight to Velvet's table with a mischievous smile. "Orders? The usual?"
"I believe so," Ghira answered as he eyed the group for any objections. "How goes it?"
"It's goin'," the woman answered as she jotted down a few lines upon her notepad. "Managed to snatch a few wallets making my way here. Good haul today."
Sage let out a grunt of irritation, while Fox offered the woman a grin.
"Nice. Anything interesting?"
The woman merely shrugged, placing the back of her pen up to her lips as she mulled over the question.
"One of the guys I lifted from was pretty cute. Not as cute as you, of course."
"Cerise!" the man behind the counter called again. "Get into the kitchen! We've got piles of plates waiting!"
"Sorry, I'll be back to catch up in a bit," Cerise apologized before hurriedly making her way toward the angry man.
"I don't see why you all like her so much," Sage grumbled. "She's going to get herself in the kind of trouble no illusion semblance can worm her out of, one day."
"She brings me meat," Fox said simply.
"So… are you going to marry her?" Velvet asked, a curious lilt in her voice.
"I just might," Fox answered. "Is she hot?"
"Does it matter?" Ghira replied. "And before you start, I ask that because her personality, cunning, and intellect should matter to you more than her appearance regardless of your inability to see her."
"Oh, they do," Fox reassured. "But still… is she hot?"
"Hotter than me," Velvet answered.
Fox slowly turned his head in Velvet's direction, seemingly considering her with his glossy eyes.
"…are you hot?"
"She's a solid six out of ten," Sage cut in.
"Excuse me?" Velvet asked, leaning over the table with a look of disbelief.
"Did I say you were the six?" Sage asked, wearing a smug expression. "Or Cerise?"
Velvet let out a low growl as she narrowed her eyes.
"You'd better make it known fast."
"I'm at least an eight," Cerise answered as she came back to the table and began distributing mugs of a frothy liquid, of which she held two in each hand. "Good to see you all again. It's been a while."
"A whole 48 hours," Ghira said with a false sense of wonder. "How ever did you survive without the entertainment and financial compensation we provide?"
"By flirting with the more naïve customers for tips," Cerise replied as she rolled her mismatched eyes. "I'll make the rounds to shut the boss up, and then come join you to hear about anything interesting that's been going on. Got anything juicy for me?"
The members of Team BASS all looked to Ghira, who furrowed his brows and remained silent for just a second too long.
"…oh, that's a confirmation if I've ever seen one," Cerise said happily. "Can't wait to hear. Be right back."
As the woman took off again to pick up more plates, Velvet leaned in closer to her leader and spoke in a hushed tone.
"…do we tell her about our new friends?"
"I think we should," Ghira replied. "Besides- if we want to catch them in the event that they're hiding something… she's our best bet. We won't have to do anything more than plant the seed. She won't be able to resist looking out of her own curiosity."
Author's Note:
Enter another key player. What exactly her role is might be in the future should be easy to figure out… in part. Other parts, not so much.
-RD
