"They're calling it a what?" Velvet asked as Coco paced around the kitchen in their apartment.
"Oobleck said it'll be known as a Kalang Camazotz, but that's not what has me worried," Coco told her as Velvet continued packing clothes.
"What is it then?" Velvet asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Coco replied. Velvet sighed as she folded another shirt.
"If I thought it was, I wouldn't be asking," Velvet informed her.
"Where are they coming from?" Coco pondered.
"Oobleck hasn't figured it out yet?" Velvet questioned.
"He says that he's close," Coco told her, biting her thumbnail. "But if we aren't quick about it, more of them might find us first." Velvet smiled softly at her.
"We're leaving for vacation in a couple of days," Velvet reminded her. "Try to relax a little." Coco chuckled as she took another sip of her iced coffee, staring into it hard as her mind ground through several options that had presented themselves to her.
"I'm still thinking about the fact that Tawney didn't even want to try any of the brews I recommended," Coco said before looking up at Velvet with a devilish grin.
"Coco…" Velvet began.
"What?" Coco wickedly inquired as she stood.
"I know that look," Velvet replied.
"I'll be back in time for supper, don't worry," Coco reassured her. Coco grabbed her hat and sunglasses, leaving the apartment quickly before Velvet even had a moment to protest.
"Hopefully this doesn't turn out as bad as the time she forced Yatsu to drink coffee," Velvet muttered.
"There are few things that really get me going like music, you know?" Tawney asked as she sat at the lunch table with Cobalt. "I always listened to songs like Caffeine and the like to get me going before a big fight in the pits back in Mistral. A little bit of taunting can usually get me there too. If I'd be in the middle of a fight and a guy kept telling me that he was going to mess me up or break me in two, then I had something to prove and I couldn't let him win no matter what the outcome was. I would have died years ago if not for having an aura, my body has been through a lot."
"I fell out of a tree once," Cobalt chuckled. "That's legitimately the only bad thing that happened to me before I came here."
"Really can't get more vanilla than that, can you?" Tawney asked taking a bite out of her hot dog. He glared at her and sighed.
"Thanks," he replied sarcastically. Tawney chewed on her food, humming one of the songs that was floating around in her head before spotting Coco on the opposite side of the lunchroom, locking the doors behind her as her eyes met Tawney's and they both smirked at each other.
"This is it, isn't it?" Tawney asked removing her scroll discreetly as she stood and calling her locker. Cobalt glanced at her, trying to pry away the device but it was too late.
"Tawney, that's overkill! Glynda is going to murder you after she has to fix the roof!" Cobalt yelled at her.
"You going to help me or keep whining like a bitch?" Tawney asked.
"I am not helping, I know better," Cobalt insisted. "I know the odds even without using my visor."
"So you don't want Coco to get completely wrecked?" Tawney asked kicking over the table as Coco threw a small tasing device at her, the electricity striking the other side of the table. "She was really upset about that coffee thing, wasn't she?" Cobalt shook his head as he peeked around the table.
"You really have no idea, do you?" Cobalt inquired. "Even if you win here and now, you might as well sleep with one eye open. Better you, you might as well never sleep again. Coco will not rest until you've tried a variety of flavors and preparations, she won't eat until she's satisfied in knowing that you now have a coffee that you enjoy and drink on the regular. This isn't a game or competition for Coco, it's more like a religion, and the more people that join, the better she feels about herself and the world around her."
"Oh, Tawney!" Coco shouted out. "You have to know that you can't hold out forever." Tawney laughed hysterically.
"Neela is the only person that's ever beat me at anything, so we'll see about that!" Tawney replied.
"Why do I have a hard time believing that?" Cobalt asked.
"Shut up," Tawney growled. Tawney's locker crashed into the ground between her and Cobalt, forcing him to scream like a girl as he slid back, Tawney quickly gearing up. "Bring it, Coco!"
"Oh I intend to," Coco informed her as she stood over Cobalt, kicking the locker free from the earth and stifling a laugh as it crashed into Tawney. "Didn't see me there?"
"You might get the jump on me, but I make up for my lack of defense in overwhelming force!" Tawney shouted charging forward.
"Is this going to be graded?" Cobalt asked.
"Ignore him, he's dumb," Tawney told Coco as she rushed forward. Coco's mouth twisted into a smile, dodging two swings with minimal footwork before swinging in and landing an uppercut to Tawney's jaw. Tawney stumbled back, concerned and tinged with fright over the woman's speed. Tawney crossed her tonfas, blocking a flurry of blows that seemed inhuman as she blasted herself backward to separate the two of them.
"Are you really this against just trying it?" Coco questioned. "Just a sip on a macchiato? Or cappuccino?"
"I am that against it!" Tawney stated. "I do not like coffee!"
"You can't know that!" Coco shouted.
"How did I end up in the middle of this?" Cobalt muttered.
"I won't come quietly!" Tawney declared. Coco smirked once more as she charged her student.
"I was hoping you'd say that!" Coco informed her.
"Cobalt!" Tawney called out as Coco reached her. She backflipped, this time kicking Tawney in the jaw and sending her reeling.
"I told you this wouldn't end well," Cobalt reminded her.
"Useless," Tawney claimed. "Except…" Coco charged in again and this time Tawney dodged, sticking a device on Coco that looked similar to the one she threw before. "He doesn't listen well." The device shocked Coco, stopping her in her tracks for a long minute as Tawney kicked the doors open and left the cafeteria.
"Cobalt!" Coco scolded through gritted teeth. He found his feet and made his way to the closest exit.
"That's my cue to leave!" Cobalt replied.
"So who wants to help?" Tawney asked. Team NITE looked at her from their beds and Eliana yawned.
"No," Titus answered for them plainly.
"Really?!" Tawney fired back.
"Really," Ilia said with a shrug.
"Guys! Come on! We don't have anything that we have to be doing for the next several days! Exams are over! We can't start our vacations until after the seniors are gone because we have to clean up the graduation ceremony stuff! I haven't been that bad to you guys, have I?" Tawney pleaded.
"I'll help," Neela replied. Tawney's face twisted into a frown.
"Anybody else in here?" Tawney asked.
"Did you try asking your team?" Eliana asked as she checked her scroll and read the message she'd just received.
"Yes. Lykos and Bái weren't around to offer their services, and Cobalt said that it's too late for me and I should just give up," Tawney informed her.
"I'm with Cobalt," Titus replied. Tawney groaned and balled her fists.
"Who asked you anyway!?" Tawney shouted.
"You did?" Ilia noted.
"It's fine!" Tawney yelled. "I can handle this by myself then!"
"It's not all bad is it?" Eliana asked her. "I mean, you're the Maniac, you can probably manage for a couple of days before you have to forfeit." She leapt down and stretched, opening the door to the hall. "Or maybe you're counting on Coco forgetting when she leaves for vacation? I mean, it seems like a slim chance, but possible."
"Ideally, yeah," Tawney agreed as Eliana stepped out of the room around the corner.
"Wish we could help, really," Titus said.
"I don't believe you for some strange reason," Tawney grumbled. He shrugged.
"It's game night," Ilia informed her. "Can't miss game night."
"We can help tomorrow if you want," Neela added.
"If by 'we' you mean the rest of your team, then I'm all for it," Tawney spat. Neela's scroll vibrated and she removed it before chuckling lightly.
"Want to join us for game night?" Ilia asked her.
"No, I don't want to be restricted to such a small space for long," Tawney replied. "Was actually thinking of roughing it out in the woods for the next couple of days. I only have one more of Cobalt's trinkets left, and Coco is way more spry and passionate than I possibly could have anticipated."
"Sounds like a great time," Neela laughed.
"I feel like your being sarcastic," Tawney growled as she stepped out of the way of Eliana who was returning and took a sip of the drink she'd retrieved.
"Want a sip?" Eliana asked. "You look like you could use something to drink after the rough time you had in the lunchroom earlier today."
"I could," Tawney thanked her, taking the cold cup and holding it for a moment.
"I wasn't," Neela assured her. "I've always enjoyed sleeping under the stars more than sleeping inside, but I guess that kind of one of those 'old habits die hard' kind of things. We slept outside every night when I was younger."
"It's true," Eliana beamed. "It was all but impossible to get her to come inside half of the time."
"Sure," Tawney agreed not completely convinced. She looked at the drink in her hands. "What is this anyways, Elli?"
"Just a shake," Eliana said shrugging. Tawney set it down on the dresser, staring hard at Eliana whose lips turned up on the ends.
"You too?" Tawney asked readying herself.
"I'm not going to fight you," Elaina informed her. "I just want you to take a drink of the shake. The mocha flavored milkshake that a certain someone dropped off for you to enjoy." Tawney fled quickly down the hall, Eliana poking her head out and yelling after her. "You can't avoid Coco forever!"
"We'll see about that!" Tawney called back. Eliana closed the door behind her as she stepped back into the room, taking another sip of her shake.
"What flavor is it, Elli?" Neela asked.
"You know what my favorite is!" She smiled. Neela sighed.
"Strawberry," Neela stated. Eliana nodded.
"Clever," Titus told Eliana as he moved to the closet to remove the game. "I only wish that I would have thought of that."
"Me too," Ilia agreed. Eliana blushed and waved them off.
"It was nothing," Eliana chuckled.
Cobalt sighed as he walked out to the middle of Forever Fall and looked around for Tawney, her instructions for where to meet him had been extremely vague, but maybe they were left that way on purpose. It was dark and he could hardly see anything even with the assistance of his visor, the occasional Beowulf howl causing him to jump slightly as he glanced about for friendly or foe. He shrugged it off and kept trekking. How far was halfway in? Couldn't she have used an easier point of reference? Like the large tree in the middle that was rumored to be as old as the forest itself? Or the old abandoned train depot?
He really didn't understand why Tawney would go to all this trouble. Was she really that against a cup of coffee? Had she had a traumatic experience with coffee earlier in her life that had spurred this on? And who was to say that Coco hadn't followed him out there, or maybe Tawney was counting on it… Maybe Tawney was back in the room and had sent Cobalt out there knowing that he would prove to be the perfect distraction! Maybe Tawney was more clever than he gave her credit for. If it was just a clever ruse, he would at least wait for an hour or so and give Tawney her money's worth.
"Hello, Cobalt," Coco said standing directly behind him.
"Hey!" He shouted. "Mrs. Adel! What is going on? You know, I know that the forest here is off-limits during the evening since it's 'dangerous' and all, but I thought to myself, this is such a lovely night and the moon just looks perfect, maybe I'd meet some attractive woman out here and have a lovely time. Not you! Total coincidence! And not anyone else from the school either, just maybe a wisp, or nymph, or a succubus. All those strange creatures that, you know, remnant might have that are usually involved in only the most passionate activities. I mean, if there's magic, anything is possible, right?"
"I know why you're here," Coco replied coarsely.
"Well, I mean, I just told you, so…" Cobalt began.
"Finish the last few touches on Bái's weapon yet?" Coco asked. "I'm guessing that it would probably help if you could see the gauntlet." Cobalt froze in his tracks as he had slowly been creeping away and turned back to face her, Oobleck appearing from the tree line with Orion's weapon. Cobalt looked at it in disbelief as he glanced at Coco who nodded, but Oobleck snatched it back as he reached out to touch it. "Where is she?"
"You're playing hardball and you know how badly I want to cave!" Cobalt shouted. He bit his lip. "I don't know what's going on here, but this is going to make it worth my while."
"Just tell us where she is first," Oobleck instructed him.
"I'll make contact," Cobalt replied removing his scroll, salivating over the thought of getting his hands on the weapon in front of him. "Hey, Tawney! No, I'm just wondering where the hell you are since you told me to meet you out here in the woods and I've been waiting for about fifteen minutes now. Of course, I'm alone, who the hell else would I have brought with me? Coco got Elli? You sound like she kidnapped her or something?" She looked at Cobalt who shrugged in confusion.
"Tell her whatever it takes," Coco mouthed.
"Listen, the only way that this is going to work is simple, you don't need to meet out here with me at all," Cobalt told her. "If she is following me and you're afraid that she is, just head back to the dorms. She'll be out here following me aimlessly, and you'll be free to get some shut-eye and trust me, I can be really convincing as far as getting lost is concerned." Cobalt waited for her reply. "Great! See you in the morning then! Later!"
"Oh, Cobalt," Coco hissed. "To think that it would have been so easy to get you to hand over Tawney."
"What can I say, I'm a sucker for technology and Tawney brought this on herself," Cobalt informed them as Oobleck gave him the weapon.
"Make sure you return it to the lab before dawn!" Oobleck informed him as he took off towards the school. Coco looked at Cobalt.
"This is all fun and games, but if you ever turn in one of your teammates under the premise of getting to look at some new high-end technological gadget of sorts, I'll end you personally," Coco informed him. Cobalt gasped and took a step back.
"What kind of madman do you take me for?" Cobalt asked.
"What's her next move?" Coco asked, brushing him off. He shrugged.
"Your guess is as good as mine," He replied, examining the glove. "Says she's going to get some sleep, but I'm not convinced, you really got in her head." Coco smiled.
"Good," Coco said, rubbing her hands together. "Maybe next time she'll take my advice instead of having to question it." Coco made her way back up to the campus, leaving him in complete darkness, only insects and the occasional hoot of an owl to keep him company. Cobalt scoffed and tossed the weapon away.
"Does she take me for an idiot?" Cobalt chuckled as Tawney leapt down from the trees and took a deep breath. "Cheap fake…"
"You don't think she'll come back, do you?" Tawney questioned. Cobalt shrugged one of his shoulders as he looked in the direction of Beacon.
"How can I possibly know that? It's like the two of you are playing a game of chess and the rest of us are just pawns," Cobalt explained.
"I think I'll need to go into Vale for the night," Tawney muttered. Cobalt laughed manically.
"Vale! At this time of night?" He asked her angrily in a whisper to avoid yelling. "How the hell do you suppose that you're going to get there? I'm starting to think that things are getting a little out of hand here."
"Well, you go ahead and think that. I've got a cliffside to scale," Tawney said stretching as she began to walk away.
"Listen to yourself," Cobalt urged. "It's just coffee."
"It's a principle issue," Tawney insisted.
"You're insufferable!" Cobalt grunted.
"Well you won't have to see me for a few days, so don't worry about it," Tawney called back. Cobalt hurried after her.
"Tawney, as your team leader, I demand that you come back to the dorms!" Cobalt shouted. She moved to him swiftly and covered his mouth.
"Shut up!" She scolded. "Or what? It's not like I'll get in trouble or anything for going to Vale for a few nights."
"How do you plan on getting to the bottom of the cliff?" He asked. She chuckled taking leave once more.
"I have a landing strategy," She noted.
"Fine, go, whatever," Cobalt told her. "But don't say that I didn't warn you." Tawney froze, eye twitching as she glanced back at him.
"Warn me?" She repeated, walking back to him.
"I'm sure that Coco has already thought this through and knows that you're planning on making a run for Vale, it's too obvious! Not to mention, it'll probably be the first place that she thinks to look after they wait outside the dorm for some time and realize that you aren't coming back," Cobalt detailed. Tawney shook with fear as she gritted her teeth.
"What the hell!" She cried out. "I'll be found no matter what I do."
"So beat her at her own game!" Cobalt suggested.
"How?" She begged, gripping him. He smirked.
"Well, we checked all of the places that I expected she would have been, but we had no luck," Coco told Oobleck as she walked down the hallway with him hot on her heels. "I just don't understand how she could have completely disappeared, I had all of this down to a tee." She unlocked the door to the teacher's lounge and opened it, throwing the lights on to find Cobalt who had set the fake weapon on the table before him, and someone sitting in the chair beside him, facing in the opposite direction.
"She did it," Cobalt stated, smiling.
"Beg pardon?" Oobleck asked.
"Oh, I know, Dr. Oobleck that you were genuinely just here to make sure that Tawney would be properly educated on all of the health benefits and what not of coffee among other things, but Coco was simply playing this game because Tawney had been defiant and Coco needed a challenge, but we've taken that challenge away, meaning that Tawney has won," Cobalt explained to them.
"Is that true, Mrs. Adel," Oobleck asked. Coco gave a cockeyed smile and nodded.
"Close enough, but I did really just want her to try a cup too," Coco added. Cobalt chuckled.
"Fair enough," Cobalt answered. "So we decided that the only way Tawney would be able to escape her fate would be to sacrifice herself to a pack of Grimm, or leave the kingdom."
"And leaving the kingdom seemed kind of expensive," Tawney said turning to face them, occupying the seat next to Cobalt with one of Coco's mugs that Velvet had bought her in hand, sipping on what appeared to be a cappuccino. "This is awful by the way."
"My work here is done!" Cobalt announced leaping to his feet.
"Why did you do it?" Coco asked. "Was it because it was a fake?"
"No," Cobalt spat. "It's because I couldn't get any sleep with the two of you driving me mental!"
"You're one to talk," Coco nagged. "You weren't chasing Tawney around all day, I could have been packing!" Oobleck shook his head and left with Cobalt to ask him more about the new Kalang Camazotz.
"You want the rest of this?" Tawney asked. Coco took it from the girl and sipped on it as she sat down beside her.
"If you're not going to finish it, then yes," Coco replied.
"I say that next time we go in together on making Cobalt do something," Tawney suggested. Coco raised an eyebrow.
"Like what?" Coco pried.
Shenanigans! Next time, something a bit more serious in Chapter 122 - Taken!
A big thank you to Helihi, Cadhla182, Carlomontie, Nliast, Y8ay8a, Sa-Dui, Diyaru4500, Demize00Zero, TheCipherNine, SketchHungry, Ookaminoki, Lightning-in-my-Hand, and Dishwasher1910. All of their artwork can be found at Deviantart, you can search Silent-Celica and under my favorites tab, I have a collection for NITE.
Until next week, stay classy, and make sure to wash those hands!