Rogue Huntsman
Hazy
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"There we go."
Sylvius's voice; it'd changed since then. It sounded more sure of itself. More open. Smarter.
Devoid of real emotion.
"Home sweet home."
Kit's tingly skin felt the conditioned air of a room, her vision sweeping back into her gaze by the time her back was gently placed against a silk bed.
His eyes were the same. Scattered light bounced in the reaches of his irises, brimming in golden, sparking textures that tossed and turned wherever he looked. The same little golden storms that Kit's own marigold eyes could see.
They weren't always like that.
Kitsuki felt the mattress beside her head push downward beneath the hand of the Maestro son leaning over her. White hair rested in a scattered fan beneath her head, legs loosely curled to one side while he sat on her other.
A gentle hand drifted softly to her hair, brushing a few locks between his fingers as he smiled.
It was a sweet smile. A tender one.
It reminded her of a yellow viper. A snake whose slit eyes would squeeze and narrow as that wicked smile formed, its piercing gaze never wavering as it watched and waited.
Waiting for her to show herself.
"Oh, don't look at me like that. You knew I'd find you." His hand drifted down her smooth hair, letting her silken strands pull through his fingers before letting their ends fall to the soft sheets of the bed.
Her white hair nearly disappeared against its white surface.
She wished she could do the same.
"Now, before you go and try to disappear with that tricky little semblance of yours," he said, his voice taking on a sweet, sickening tone that always made her stomach twist and turn. "I had a gift fashioned for you."
An intricate, white box lifted into her view. Her eyes naturally gravitated to its luster. Its surface was reflective, cut hard at the corners to balance seamless angles with a hinged line to be opened. A gold motif of feathers scattered over the box's surface in asymmetrical clouds of flurries.
They reminded her of when the petals fell from the blossom trees back in Mistral.
They reminded her of Arex.
A sweet smell filled her nose at the thought. A calming, gentle memory that took her away from the ornate room she was placed in. From the invisible breeze fluttering in through the balcony window. From the white drapes held neatly up by golden ropes that framed her bed.
From the boy, delicately opening the jewelry box held in front of her, pulling out a gleaming necklace.
"I had it fitted to your neck. It's got a little Dust in it, so be careful," he explained.
She wasn't listening.
He gently sat her up, brushing her hair away from her nape as he leaned behind her. With care she wished he didn't reserve only for her, he slid the cool, humming metal into place.
The touch against her neck was chilling, its warmth forgotten in the subtle wind passing through.
When the clasp was fastened, a sudden breath drew in through Kit's nose as she felt a numbing tingle start to slowly spread from where the necklace touched her skin.
It crawled down and through her body, running a chill down her spine before it clambered down her legs, engulfing her.
She couldn't feel the wind anymore. The invisible, comforting current was gone. She couldn't sense it.
Her Aura. She couldn't feel her Aura anymore…
"That'll keep you in one place." A hand settled between her flattened ears, running through her hair. His touch grazed against the fur of her fox ears, and she flattened them further to keep away from his touch.
He pulled his hand away after that.
"If you wouldn't mind, I must attend to a guest," he spoke calmly, even soothingly. He was always soft spoken around her. Caring.
It had always ground into her. Grated at her.
Tore her apart.
"You stay right here. I'll send someone up to get you, if I need you." He kissed the side of her head, and Kit instinctively closed her eyes, trying not to feel the touch and the loving caress. "I missed you."
She wished they'd never met…
Sylvius's weight shifted from the bed to the floorboards. Her eyes fixed themselves to the sheets as he stood and moved to the door, knowing he was stalling himself to see if she would watch him go. But after he paused then opened the darkwood door, he left. She finally let out a chilled, shuddering breath.
She wished she'd never met him.
She wished he never found her in that orphanage. That he never became friends with her. Became friends with them, just to get to her. She wished she'd known he wasn't an orphan when he found all of them.
If only she'd known his kindness wasn't real. That she'd known his care for the others was just a way to get to her.
She wished he didn't have to kill them when the orphanage went under. That she didn't have to watch them die in the dark, wet trenches of an abandoned warehouse.
She knew he never felt anything when he took them. That it didn't mean anything when he unlocked her Aura.
S-She wished he had real words to say… when he broke her Affinity out and tore her voice apart.
She wished he'd never found her and taken over her life bit by bit. Like this was all some kind of game to him. A game he could control and watch from afar.
Kit closed her eyes and touched the necklace around her neck. The small chain sat too close and tight to get any purchase beneath it. It could've almost been considered a choker necklace, but its platinum chain was thin and gleaming with golden crystals.
She had half a mind to consider it a personal collar… considering it was measured to fit her slim neck perfectly.
Her fingers eventually drew away from the jewelry, pads falling lightly back to the bed as her motionless tails coiled together behind her.
Her legs, bent and curled at her side, slid against the soft blanket as she sat up, marigold eyes drifting down to the white covers beneath her as a small commotion reached her ears.
He'd said he had a guest to attend to. But she didn't know who.
She heard doors slamming open with a resounding force through her own door, the floor vibrating a little through the bed.
"You."
The voice that almost bellowed through the other room was deep, menacing, and held a tone of deathly seriousness.
She… recognized it.
Her ears twitched as she focused on the voice, fox ears turning to her door as she lifted her head slightly to listen.
"17 men died because you weren't the one to open your front door. And I don't like waiting."
That was… Ray.
"Shame. They were just mercenaries. Some probably had families. You just never know with these things, you know?" Sylvius's voice spoke back.
Kit's tails immediately tightened in their coil when she heard it. The way Sylvius spoke… the inflections he used, it reminded her of his manipulative facade back then.
Back when they actually trusted him.
The sound of heavy footfalls filtered through her door before Ray spoke again.
"Hired guns are ultimately expendable. They should have picked a different profession."
There was a pause for a moment, guns slotting back into holsters piercing that silence for a moment before Kitsuki heard Ray take a seat on something cushioned.
"But I'm not here for them. I'm here for you."
"Pity, I suppose… Would you like something to drink? Tavi's an excellent bartender in her free time."
"I appreciate the offer, but I have my own. Besides, I don't intend to stay long. I have other business to attend to, something I know you understand," Ray replied courteously, something made of heavy glass settling on a table.
"Ah, yes. I understand, mister Chroma. You're just looking for a little tidbit of information to help you along the way," Sylvius responded, a small sweetness starting to settle in his tone. It was making Kit nauseous. "Tavi, would you mind fetching our other guest? I'm sure Ray can spare a little time to meet her."
Kit's fingers immediately tightened into the blanket as her mind swam at the words, another quiver shaking through her fur as she started to hear the footfall of boots walking upstairs.
"Sure," Ray added carelessly.
"Perfect! Because I'm sure once you happen across the intel you want, you'll be on your merry way."
"Precisely…" Ray's response was slow and enunciated with a tiny hint of sarcasm.
The crystal knob to Kit's large bedroom quietly turned as the girl's eyes fell on the bed again, shaking fingers loosening her grip on the fabric of her sheets as Tavi walked into the room.
It wasn't even locked…
A quiet, reverberating rumble paired with a soft growl slipped into the air as those footfalls approached her bed. Long, lithe legs came into view as Kit felt someone sit on the side of her mattress, her eyes instinctively turning away from the figure.
"Aww~ Don't hide that adorable face, dear."
Slim, delicate fingers lightly lifted Kit's chin and directed it back to the voice, Kit's resolve to resist it long since crumbled away. She'd learned a long time ago never to do that.
Her dull eyes fell on Tavi's tanned skin and a sweet, unguarded gaze directed into her own eyes. A subtle smile formed across the woman's lips as Kit's pools of gold and orange met ones of predatorial, luminescent teal.
"Atta girl…" Tavi spoke softly, cocking her head to sway her thick, light orange hair. Kit wanted to look away from the slit pupils staring attentively at her face. As if she was noting every small, tiny action.
The fingers pressing tenderly against her skin curled ever so slightly and scratched purposefully beneath her raised chin, Kit's ears immediately fluttering back as her eyes narrowed in a silent whimper.
A twitch in her tails brought the appendages to spread out against the bed behind her, trying to hide their reaction as she tried to ignore the small pleasurable touch.
"I'm here to take you downstairs, if you wouldn't mind following," Tavi voiced softly, the affection in her tone making Kit a little lightheaded as her eyes traced over the toned woman's hair.
Her mind naturally followed the white streaks hidden in the tiger faunus's short tresses, gaze flicking over the mildly curled ends of the wavy locks. She found a little solace in the soothing way they swayed, and it kept her eyes partially busy for a few seconds, following the waves of Tavi's flowing hair.
"Come here, I'll get your boots on and we'll be down in no time. Syl is busy tending to our guest while he's here."
Kit's stomach twisted as the young woman's hand finally slipped down from scratching her chin and slid under Kit's supporting hand against the bed. Tavi lightly lifted it to help her to the edge.
The kitsune mindlessly let herself be pulled, her legs sliding from the comfort of the mattress as she slowly lowered her socked feet to the floor.
Her eyes trailed down as Tavi knelt against the floor, gentle hands lifting Kit's feet to slip them into the comfortable cover of her boots.
She was being so… tender with her. And it was all making her feel so queasy and sick.
"If you ever need something, don't be afraid to get my attention," Tavi said, her tone filled with a reverberating rumble again. "I'm your handler for whenever Syl's busy, so your needs will be met."
Kit held still despite wanting to squirm, feeling the woman's hands start to lift her other leg and slide up from the curve of her heel, grazing over the swell of her slim thigh. Her eyes immediately fell on the clothes the woman wore in distraction as that touch stopped at the underside of her knee, her other boot getting positioned into place to slowly slide into.
Despite being indoors, Kit's eyes traced over Tavi's light brown leather jacket. It was thin, draping down past her hips and falling in a curtain to the floor. Kit followed the cover to a strap clasped across the woman's upper chest to hold the open jacket in place.
She wore a black compression half-shirt tight over her chest just beneath it, most of her toned torso including her entire tanned stomach showing through her open clothing.
The woman's legs were longer than hers. Kit could tell, even though Tavi was kneeling on the floor in front of her. They were happily on show, topped by form-fitting white denim short-shorts decorated with a thin black belt and golden clasp.
And as she tied the white laces of Kit's boots, she noticed the woman wore boots too. They reached her upper calves, hugging her legs in laced, brown boots trimmed with black.
Kit's eyes finally found their way to the only unconcealed weapons fitted to the woman's attire; three black throwing daggers nestled in sheathes holstered to Tavi's right thigh.
Other than that, Kit couldn't see anything else.
"There we go," Tavi finally finished, nimbly pushing herself to her feet before offering Kit her hand.
Kit wished she could hesitate, but she silently slipped her hand into the one offered to her and let herself get pulled to her feet.
The trembling in her legs started to show in her tails as another small smile curled the woman's lips, attention falling to her as the tigress led her out of the bedroom and down the hall.
Dazed eyes traced over the carpet before they came to a balcony overlooking a living area, Tavi slowly leading her down the prominent stairs to get to the room below.
Sylvius was sitting with one ankle crossed over the top of his other leg, arms thrown back over the cushions of his large couch. He sat leaning comfortably into its spanning backrest, housing more than enough room for Kit and Tavi.
Shining gold eyes turned up to watch her descend the stairs, and she immediately dropped her gaze to the polished wood of the railing threading down to the base floor at her side.
Tavi was being so delicate and slow that Kit had half a mind to wonder if she was being shown off.
"There she is," Sylvius's voice spoke out again, Kit's ears immediately folding away as she felt Ray's gaze flick up to them. "I don't believe you two have formally met."
A deep inhalation was all she heard from the boy in the beanie.
"Then I regret to inform you that we have," Ray spoke without inflection. "Sorry to disappoint."
"Oh, don't get me wrong, you two have spoken," Sylvius responded, Kit's boots finally making contact with the ground floor as a guiding hand pressed itself to her back.
Her chin finally rose just slightly to look to the two platinum couches facing each other, a coffee table made of dark wood situated between them.
A bottle of acolyte and a half-filled whiskey glass sat closest to Ray, situated directly across from Sylvius. But she couldn't bring herself to look at him.
"But you two have yet to truly meet," Sylvius finished, one of his arms lowering a hand to his lap as Kit was brought to his side.
Tavi's hands moved Kit just a few more steps before she sat herself down on the couch first, Sylvius's gaze never leaving the kitsune as the tigress gently pulled Kit down onto her lap.
Strong arms wrapped securely around her as soon as she was situated, and her back went a little stiff as she was tenderly locked by the woman's chin placed over her shoulder.
When the kitsune finally brought herself to look up, Ray's eyes were completely uninterested in her presence, no hint of emotion crossing his face. "Well, feel free to introduce her whenever you feel like it, Sylvius."
"And introduce her I shall, mister Chroma. This is Kitsuki Aeolus, my white fox. We met in an orphanage," Sylvius said, her entire body tensing again as he brushed the back of his hand against her thigh.
Ray's face immediately fell into boredom, eyes still as narrow as they were before.
"I'll spare you the details of our time together, of course. It's a bit of a sensitive subject for the two of us," the Maestro continued, Kit drawing in a silent breath as he took his hand away. "Now that we're comfortable, though, why don't we get down to business? To what do I actually owe the pleasure of you being here?"
Ray sat up slowly, unfolding his arms before slipping a hand into his pocket to pull out his scroll. He set it on the coffee table, its four corners unfolding to project a screen.
"The village of Sukariko was attacked by mercenaries two weeks ago," the boy began, letting his fingers interlock as he leaned forward. His scroll displayed images of a village, its buildings alight in fire and its people running in panic. "The mercenaries themselves I have very little interest in, but the reason they attacked and who sent them has got me very intrigued… and irritated."
"Ah, so he has been busy," Sylvius replied, and for a moment, his eyes traced over to the side of Kit's face. Her blank eyes stayed neutrally on the table in front of them, but every nerve in her body wanted to run from those chasing eyes. "I assume you found me through his men's affiliation to my symbol?"
Ray nodded. "The rat screamed as soon as I broke his legs, spilling everything I needed to know. But what I don't know, and would very much like to find out, is why the five-year-old daughter belonging to the Luna family was taken, and where she is being held."
"He was always quick with his tongue," Sylvius sighed, relaxing his hand back against his folded leg as he brought his gaze back to Ray. "Please tell me you killed him."
Ray leaned forward even further, the hologram slightly obscuring his face dissipating as he looked Sylvius dead in the eye. "Do I look like a merciful man to you?"
An amused hum slipped into the air as Sylvius smiled. "No. You don't. It's shameful, really. I can't lie, though, I have a little fun hiring squealers and giving them high positions. It gives me things to look forward to. Like this meeting with you. Though, I do wonder why they needed the girl…"
"The Luna family holds a very powerful political position, enough to draw even the Council's attention," Ray replied calmly, letting his body relax back into the cushions as he crossed his arms again. "Not to mention their bountiful silver mines."
"And my attention. I'm well aware of the Luna line in Sukariko, the same family a member of your helpful organization comes from. Makes me wonder if they plan to ransom her," Sylvius spoke back with a condescendingly knowing hum, Kit's folded ears starting to twitch at the tapping of his fingers.
"If they tried, I wouldn't be here speaking to you, but since I am, and since those idiots belong to you, I have come with the intention of bargaining for her location," Ray countered, delivering the words slowly. "I don't often deal with things like this personally, so as you can imagine, I feel confident that I have something of value to you."
"Oh, you being here is quite alarming as it is. I was sure to hurry to prepare for making your acquaintance, given your family name," Sylvius replied curtly, making a small gesture with his hand toward the boy sitting across from him. "However, I don't see value in too many things. What exactly did you bring to the table?"
For the first time since he arrived, Ray finally popped a smirk, allowing himself to get a little more comfortable in his seat across from Sylvius. "I'm glad you asked. But before I get to that, allow me to compliment you on your achievements. You practically run this kingdom, with your eyes and ears everywhere. Not to mention the world-class Dust industry you have going on for you. I must admit, I'm actually quite impressed."
"Ah, that's just a family trade. I hold nothing with it, save for my name," Sylvius responded, and Kit could literally hear the facade of a lie trickled into the veins of his tone. "It only makes garnering my interest much more difficult, seeing as I already have nearly everything at my disposal."
Ray's smirk widened even further. "A family of conductors and musicians suddenly switching straight to Dust excavation is nothing short of a miracle. And the fact that the Dust from your mines only comes in one element, that's rather intriguing."
Kit watched Ray lean forward, his smirk suddenly dropping in favor of a neutral expression. "Lightning Dust that yields ten times the power than what the SDC procures. Just like this little trinket yields ten times more heat than Dust from the same company."
Ray pulled a tiny, scarlet Dust crystal from his pocket, pinching its glassy surface between his thumb and forefinger.
"And you said that you had everything at your disposal?"
"Nearly everything," Sylvius responded with an intrigued tone, his eyes switching to the crystal held up into view. "So… you've stumbled across one yourself. I've been waiting for another to pop up."
"I bet you have," Ray commented as he rested back into the couch, turning the fiery crystal in his hand. "It's amazing what you can find with six years of free time on your hands."
"Oh, time can be quite the motivator. Believe me," Sylvius responded in kind, his eyes flicking up to meet Ray's again.
Kit was actually surprised Tavi hadn't said a word yet. She probably only spoke when prompted to, but the girl felt like she was getting bored.
The chin settled over her shoulder dipped back for a moment to move positions, finding its way to the other side of Kit's neck before settling down again.
Kitsuki was partially relieved at that, because it blocked some of the view she had of Sylvius sitting at her side.
"Tell me, what do you suppose the information regarding this Luna child's whereabouts is worth?" Sylvius asked.
Ray's eyes focused back on Sylvius's, response already in hand. "Now that I have your attention, I suppose I'm the one that begins the trade… As you can imagine, I have a lot more of this stuff, and I'm willing to offer a crate full of it, delivered to this mansion by the hour, should you give me what I want."
Ray paused for a moment, eyeing the tiny piece in his fingers before casually flicking it toward Sylvius for him to catch. "You can even have this little piece for free. As a show of my goodwill."
Sylvius's index and middle fingers clasped the small fragment, the action bringing the crystal into his own attention as he gazed at it.
Kit could feel his subtle activation of Aura, her ears immediately dipping down on her head as a trace of electricity fluttered into the air.
"Same crystalline structure…" Sylvius muttered, his Aura cutting off as soon as his voice filtered into the air. "I wonder if all the Dust Cores are like that."
His eyes eventually traced back up to Ray's figure again before smiling.
"You and I both know filling a crate is as small as a raindrop dipping into the expanse of an ocean. Well, I'd assume yours is as big as mine, in that case. Do you have an estimated diameter by chance?" Sylvius asked in interest, his hand lowering to drop the crystal lightly onto the coffee table between them.
"The bedrock where my Core is situated is difficult to mine due to the ambient heat, but I've done the math, and judging by the curvature, I'm about halfway around it," Ray replied calmly as he crossed his arms. "If I had to guess… it'd have to be at least 5.4 miles wide. Give or take."
Sylvius hummed for a moment, lifting his hand far enough to rest his elbow against the back cushion of the couch to support his head. "Interesting… Nearly the same exact size as my own. Give or take."
Ray quirked a brow in curiosity. "You think there's a correlation?"
"Perhaps. Knowing you, though, there's little to no chance of me seeing this Core of yours without showing you my own," Sylvius said, a comfortable smile forming over his lips now. "So, why don't we make it the first coordinate number of the general vicinity of your Core, and we can have a deal."
"You jump to conclusions far too quickly. I'm a man of science and results, and under different circumstances, I'd be happy to trade data with you for mutual benefit. But time is short, and your mercs made a mess of things," Ray countered smoothly, sitting up from his slouched position. "So, let's agree on one crate for now, then perhaps discuss further investigation over a drink once this all blows over."
Another hum slipped out of Sylvius, and Kit was already instinctively shrinking away from it on Tavi's lap.
"You know, I like you. Though, I'm more interested in the investigation than the pitiful supply. You are a man of science after all, and we're both looking for results. You can have the names and current whereabouts of the rest of those mercs as well, I have no more need of messiness under my name," Sylvius said with a small wave of his hand, soon withdrawing a crimson scroll from his golden jacket pocket.
"I'm glad I'm not the only one," Ray replied, donning a smirk of his own. "Though, now that the trade is agreed upon, I feel obliged to warn you that there's a small army of angry students on their way here. I intend to leave before I get dragged into their problem. So, I leave you with the knowledge that I'm very good at playing the double agent when it's of my own personal gain."
That… actually made Kit flinch a little, and a frown made it to Sylvius's face. "You know, loyalty is the only thing I ask for in those that follow me. The Chromas were never known to take sides, so I wouldn't sell yourself into the double agent category. You're simply neutral, falling into the side where a benefit is gained."
The golden-haired teen slowly stood from the couch, Kit's eyes tracking down to her legging-clad lap as the Maestro extended his hand.
"I am well aware of their arrival. I was merely just hoping to see you out before they arrive," Sylvius stated evenly, but his frown remained. "You shouldn't be too quick to betray people who trust you."
That single phrase… the sound of it twisted Kit's stomach enough to make her feel physically sick.
Ray stood from his own seat and extended his hand into a mutual handshake. "I only have interest in three of them, three that I'm sure you already know the identities of. As for the rest, do with them as you see fit, trusting me was always a gamble."
"I intend to. And that is the very reason why I'm happily entrusting you with valuable information that I have no reason to keep." Sylvius finalized the handshake before holding his thin scroll up with his other hand, a set of coordinates shining through its screen. "Do have fun while you're there. Crashing a party is most worth it when you can shock everyone in attendance."
"I run Sentinel, Sylvius. Surprises are my speciality," Ray replied confidently. "Pleasure doing business with you."
"The pleasure is mine," Sylvius replied.
Kit's downcast eyes found his golden gaze flicking back to them for a moment, and Tavi's chin lifted in recognition of the attention.
"Treat her to a meal and find her something comfortable to wear for bed. I'll escort our visitor to the door."
A subtle, affirmative growl rumbled from Tavi's throat, Kit feeling it in her back and shoulder as the kitsune dipped her chin further away from the invading eyes.
Please Arex… Just stay away…
"Alright, run this by us again. Ray went to duke douchebag's mansion of dreams? What for?" Dante asked.
"To seek information. The village of Sukariko is an important place to Sentinel, essentially its birthplace, and the town was raided by mercenaries that were under the command of Sylvius Maestro," GHOST replied informatively, shifting her weight on her holographic projector. "They've taken some of the residents there, holding them against their will in an unknown location. Ray's gone to find out that location."
"Wait, correct me if I misheard this," Weiss cut in, holding up her hand as she sat on one of team DICL's beds. "I got dragged in here by her," she aimed a pointed finger to Ciel before continuing, "so we can go after a Maestro? Do you have any idea who that is?"
"Doesn't matter and I don't really care. He took one of our own. That's reason enough for me to give him the heel," Dante replied.
"Aren't they just a family of music conductors?" Yang asked, who took it upon herself to kick back and lie down on the bed behind Weiss.
"You'd think so, given their history," GHOST replied courteously.
"The Maestros do have a strong music background, but recently their son has been flaunting their newest discovery in the Dust industry," Weiss informed. "They have a huge stake in the market for energy, and an even bigger monopoly on lightning Dust across the board."
"One that doesn't abuse Faunus labor," Blake interjected now too.
"Convenient cover at best. This guy's a lot more twisted than what he lets on in the public eye. He's also the one responsible for killing Kitsuki's partner before Arex. And taking her just a few minutes ago. "
"First of all, the public eye sees him like a prince," Weiss responded, eyeing Blake for a moment with a 'not now' look before turning it back to Dante. "Second, how on Remnant do you even know that definitively? Even the school official reports marked it as an incident with the Grimm."
Arex stayed silent throughout the ordeal. The only contribution she made was to rest her scroll on the floor to let GHOST speak from the middle of the small band of students.
She was more inclined to stay off to the side, near Ruby. But… all the reaper's been staring at since the conversation started was GHOST's little avatar, and occasionally at Arex herself. Something the phoenix tried to be ignorant about.
"I did investigating of my own through some… abnormal and obscure methods. All the evidence I gathered, and then him showing up and taunting us pinned the nail in the coffin in pointing to him as the mastermind behind it all. That and…" Dante paused a moment, looking off to the side.
"We also did some too, prior to his appearance," GHOST added. "Maroon Alister was paralyzed before he was cut down by Grimm. Using the cameras as focal points, electricity was forced into his body, rendering his muscles useless."
"That could've been anyone. The grounds for initiation aren't exclusive to students, and their borders aren't enforced at all. Anyone could've tampered with the cameras and loaded them with lightning Dust," Weiss reasoned.
She… really wanted it to be definitively proven it was Sylvius at fault here. And nobody else.
"It's true. I checked the after-mapping autopsy report to try to find anything I could, but found nothing. And… when I saw for myself how he died…" Dante shook his head and let out a sigh. "That wasn't a simple trap set up and left behind to do the rest of the dirty work. The bolts turned and seeked both Kitsuki and Maroon out with guided precision."
"It's still just speculation." Weiss's voice pitched a little in tone as she grew irritated. "We need definitive proof that Sylvius did any of that. Waging war on a Maestro is the worst decision anyone here can even make in this kingdom."
"Heh, yeah right…" Ciel commented from her bed with a scoff.
"Miss Schnee, you do know who I work for don't you?" GHOST asked, eyeing the girl with crossed arms.
"You, don't even get me started with you," Weiss cut back dryly, fixing the small avatar with a glare. "You and Sentinel are always attacking my family's company."
"Weren't you fawning over them a few days ago?" Yang asked, prodding Weiss's back with her leg.
The heiress sputtered for a moment. "N-No, why would I do that?"
"Because it was teaching your father a lesson in his poor decisions," Blake said. "And that it was actually helping cut back on Faunus labor under the Schnee name."
"I take both pride and satisfaction in siphoning money from your company, just so you know," GHOST quipped with a tiny smirk.
"Some of that money was actually going to our workers," Weiss responded. "You were cutting some of their paychecks in half, and if it weren't for my sister and the General, they'd still be working with half the pay."
"A lesson in humility for all of them," GHOST countered. "That money was wired into the workers accounts anyway, we don't have it, but we didn't tell you where it went either."
A loud clap from Dante silenced all of them.
"Understand this now. You can choose to believe in the truth that's been discovered and told to all of you upfront. Or you can choose to believe in a delusion and a fabricated truth meant to deceive others far less intelligent than we are. But one fact remains undeniable. Sylvius kidnapped Kitsuki; Arex and I saw him do it. And if I were a tad quicker, I would've gotten a piece of him for sure to have brought back as proof."
A few eyes strayed to where Arex sat, and the unfocused gaze she held on the floor finally turned up for a moment in a flinch after feeling that attention on her.
"I'd be more inclined to take her word for it than yours…" the heiress remarked, her gaze souring a little in regret at seeing the girl's reaction to all this.
"I don't think it matters who we believe, does it?" Ruby finally cut in. She shuffled her feet on the ground as she looked up to her team, silver eyes meeting with each of theirs. "Arex's partner was taken by someone. Shouldn't we help her get her back?"
"I'm not saying we shouldn't," Weiss responded in a more even voice, gaze glancing to Arex again before fixing her eyes on her leader's. "I'm just saying we can't just storm his manor without knowing for sure that he's the one we should go after. But if he's the one they saw… then I suppose it's unavoidable."
"Then we'll help however we can," Ruby concluded, casting her own eyes over to the phoenix sitting next to her before pushing herself to her feet.
"Are you sure?" Dante asked carefully. "Because if you're coming with us, you can't go at this half measure. You have to be ready to take down anything in your way."
"We'll be fine," Blake responded in place of her leader, leisurely standing up now as well from the corner of Weiss's claimed bed. "We've already done this kind of thing as a team."
"Hey, I thought we were being hush hush about that," Yang muttered, sitting up now.
"I'm keeping this blunt," Blake replied, casting a side glance to her partner. "We really shouldn't still be sitting around if we've agreed to help."
"Then pack everything you need that's heavy hitting. I'm more than certain he's already setting up a line of defense to welcome us to the party. Let's shut him down every step of the way," Dante said. "When you've got everything you need, regroup at the air-docks for departure. We've got a long night ahead of us."
"Bullheads are parking as we speak," GHOST added.
"Please tell me you didn't just hijack academy vessels…" Weiss deadpanned.
"Don't be ridiculous," GHOST replied, shaking her head. "I stole them instead."
Arex stayed at the back of the bullhead. She kept her sneakers tucked up on the seat in front of her, the soft purr of the airship humming through the compartment air as she hugged her legs tightly.
She would've been listening to music, but the tension lingering in her chest and mind kept her from even thinking of distracting herself.
She was barely handling everything as it was… let alone keeping it all together.
"You okay?" a soft voice spoke up beside her.
Ruby had taken the seat closest to her at the start of the flight, but she hadn't said anything since they took off.
Arex was kind of dreading it, knowing it was coming.
"No…" the phoenix replied honestly, dipping her chin down to hide it behind her knees as she stared at the shaking floor.
"We'll get her back," Ruby assured, for what little it was actually worth. "We have a pretty big attack force, so I think we have a sure shot at it. Even if we have to fight through something."
Arex's gaze peered over at the reaper to see an awkward smile, soon turning reassuring, but still awkward. It… helped. A little.
"Or a lot of somethings. Whatever it takes," Ruby continued.
The girl was here, at least. She didn't have to be, but she was.
That spoke more than the words the reaper was trying to convey.
"Everything fine at your end?" Dante asked, touching the side of his left ear with two of his fingers.
Arex glanced up again to see Dante standing just inside the pilot's cockpit, remaining silent for a few moments before nodding a few times as his call continued.
"Guess there's no chance of you coming out to help right now then? It's fine, just making sure is all. Would've liked to have a hundred percent chance of success with you helping out, but we have it covered here either way. Okay. I'll give her the news."
Dante tapped his ear twice and let out a sigh, walking up to where Arex sat. The presence caused her eyes to drop back to the floor, peering just over her pressed knees.
"Good news. My partner, Niro, and Scarlet found your sister. She's not in any real danger or anything, but Inuba's taking care of her," he stated, taking the open seat on the other side of her.
Anoel really was taken, too. "Tell her thank you…" Arex muttered quietly, her arms finally shifting slightly as she adjusted their grip on her legs.
That explained where Niro went.
"Still… To think this guy actually planned things through this far ahead… It kind of makes me angry…" Dante added.
"What's wrong, handsome? Hate it when someone gets the jump on you?" a new, slightly familiar voice spoke.
The question brought Arex's gaze up again, and she caught the bright blue sight of that TA's hair. Elisia, the rabbit faunus that helped teach Dravus's class.
Dante somehow convinced her to come along, sort of. She was kind of the only faculty member they ran into at the docks.
She didn't stop them. She kind of just… jumped at the chance to come with them, after asking what they were up to. In fact… she seemed only interested because Dante himself was going.
"You wish," he replied back to her attempt to tease him, getting a giggle from the TA.
"Arex, can I have your attention?" GHOST's voice requested from Arex's pocket, followed by a pair of bleeps.
Arex slowly glanced away from the others around her again, catching a few stray glances from the rest of Ruby's team just behind the bluenette.
She brought her scroll out of her pocket and rested it on a flat area of her seat next to her, letting GHOST open its holographic projectors to show her avatar.
"We're quickly approaching the communication deadzone, and while you're inside, my subroutines will handle landing the aircraft. Though, my assistance after that will be limited," GHOST carefully explained. "I've taken the liberty of downloading a fragment of myself into your scroll. Note that she'll be limited in her capabilities."
"Any idea of what we're up against? Ground force numbers? Built in defenses? Etc?" Dante asked.
"I sent allied scouts ahead of time to give you a rundown, who are currently on location now, but I personally don't know what's in store for you all," GHOST replied, glancing to him.
Dante frowned. "Unknowns until we engage in combat… Brilliant…"
"Unfortunately, yes," GHOST agreed.
Arex's gaze made its way back to GHOST as her voice drew from her lips in a quiet tone. "Who're the scouts?"
"Kyzal Drave and Gabriel Stryker volunteered their services after hearing about what happened. I should think they'll also be helping inside," GHOST answered.
Of course they did… but Arex still smiled a little in thanks.
"At least we'll have recon on the ground when we get there. And added help overall," Dante mentioned.
Arex just nodded tinily to that. The more people they had, the higher their chances, she figured. But it all still startled her.
She wasn't used to this kind of response from anyone. Let alone people she didn't know all too well. It may have been just an obligation to them, or something they actually cared to do, but it still stood that they were willing to fight for someone else.
It was… almost kind of relieving. Knowing people like that existed near her.
"When we land, Ciel, Leo, ms. Fey and I will take the vanguard in the event we get an early Christmas greeting. RWBY and Arex will follow behind us in the center and clean up anything that might have a very low chance of getting past us. LMKN will cover our backs as we progress. Everyone okay with that?" Dante asked.
"Nice and dandy boss!" the tallest member said from LMKN, all of their faces new to Arex. The one who spoke was Nori, apparently, and Arex did her best to mentally note that connection as the boy replied with a wave to Dante.
It seemed Dante knew them, though.
Their leader, Bailey, had a blindfold over her eyes. Something Arex was curious about, once she noticed it.
"A team sandwich for Christmas dinner?" Yang voiced with a challenging smile. "Sure, sounds like fun. We'll keep the cute girl protected."
R-Right… That comment only reminded Arex of the last comment Yang gave her in the hallway.
"What happens if we get split up?" Ruby spoke up in question, her gaze glancing back and forth between her sister and Arex.
"I don't think we'll get split up until we enter inside, but in the event we do, try to stick with your groupings. Split off to them if you're able to. If not, stick with the person closest to you. Ciel, Leo?"
"What up big brother?" the young girl of the two asked Dante with her cheery voice.
"When we get inside, I need the two of you to stay outside and keep the perimeter clear. No one in or out unless it's us. You two already know how to identify imposters with the protocols I taught you, so if someone tries escaping looking like any one of us, you know what to do."
"Got it. Looks like we're crowd control today Leo!" Ciel smirked, elbowing her brother next to her.
He rolled his eyes. "My favorite…"
Things were… getting really locked down, weren't they…? Arex was suddenly glad there was someone here who'd actually done this kind of thing before.
With an actual plan in place.
"I won't lie to any of you. We're dealing with a very meticulous bastard who'll pull any cheap trick he can to make sure we don't progress forward. Whoever you run into will more than likely be thinking of how to kill you rather than avoid a fight, so don't give anyone an inch. Fight to win and move forward, understand?" Dante asked.
"Oh I'll be giving someone a couple inches alright, if you know what I mean," Yang commented back, Arex noticing the girl crush her knuckles together before cracking her neck.
It actually made her grimace a little…
Didn't that hurt?
"For what it's worth, we already came to that understanding in the dorm room," Weiss clarified, sitting between Blake and the blonde.
"I know, but the people we're likely to face are way above the level of that rent-a-tux Torchwick and his people. Whatever people we might run into will more than likely be skilled fighters and highly dangerous. Don't hesitate for the slightest moment," Dante stated, keeping his voice clear in the subtle shake of the bullhead.
"We get it," Ruby replied, though Arex caught a slight frown on her face. "And Torchwick is still a menace to deal with. He's still out there. But I know what we'll face in there will be different."
"We'll be able to handle what they throw our way," Blake added in as well. "We know the risks."
"At least you get it then…" Dante sighed as he stood up and stretched his arms in preparation.
It was right about then Arex started to feel the aircraft start to decelerate.
They were touching down sooner than Arex thought they would. But, if she were being honest, the only sense of time she had left was being eaten away by her nerves.
The bay doors were opening before she knew it.
Arex's group walked carefully through the woods toward the mansion, running across absolutely nothing so far as they followed Dante's small group at the head. GHOST had been disconnected before they landed, which was inside the bounded deadzone, only the fragment communicating periodically through text on her scroll.
"Ah, so this is where you guys were," Dante's voice broke the silence of the walk, and Arex's gaze found its way forward again to see two figures standing by a tree just ahead of everyone. "What's up you two? What're we dealing with so far?"
"This is a mess, y'know…" Gabriel replied as he lowered a pair of binoculars from his eyes to face the group. "Got mercenaries everywhere."
Arex always really saw him as a rugged cowboy from a distance, whenever she did see him around from Ray's team that is. But seeing him up close, and catching a glint from his chest-armor beneath his coat, she realized he really embodied the image she first had of him.
He even had holsters at his hips, and cowboy boots. But the holsters only had glimmering playing cards in them…
"They're heavily armed too, military-grade weapons," Kyzal added while looking through the scope on his sniper rifle. "Don't be surprised if they know how to use them."
Kyzal was from Ray's team too, Gabriel's partner. And Arex honestly never really saw him around much, if at all. The boy dressed in black and kept to the shadows for the most part… and his weapon pretty much explained why he acted like that.
He was a sniper. Probably most used to working alone.
"How many did you count?" the white haired teen asked.
"Too many, they kept switching positions, and from this distance it's hard to recognise faces," Gabriel replied as he stuck a toothpick inside his mouth.
"Yeah, but give me an estimate to work with dude."
"Thirty to forty. Like Gabe said, it's hard to tell," Kyzal replied neutrally. "Gods know how many this guy has inside."
Dante touched his chin. "Thirty to forty huh… Not too bad…"
"Yeah, if you only want to be a little shot to death," Gabriel countered, rolling his eyes.
"Sixty seconds."
"What? Timing yourself until you process what we just said?" Kyzal asked, momentarily peering behind him.
"Sixty seconds or less and I'll have the area clear for us to step inside," Dante remarked with a grin on his face. "Up for some betting anyone?"
"The hell…?" Kyzal muttered as he re-adjusted himself and looked through his scope more seriously. "Is that…? Why the hell is Ray walking out of the mansion?"
Dante dropped his smirk and squinted his eyes in response. "You're kidding me…" he spoke, bringing up a dimmed holographic display. "Arex, ask Ghost's fragment if she knows why Ray's walking out of duke douchebag's manor like he made the deal of a lifetime."
Arex was still getting over the shock that slipped down her spine at hearing Ray's name, but she did as asked. She thought he'd already visited the place to get his info.
The fragment in her scroll only responded to text now, so she relayed the message through her keyboard and sent it into a message thread.
'I already told you, he needs information on what happened at Sukariko. Sylvius Maestro was the only lead. It seems the meeting wasn't as quick as he would have liked.'
The phoenix frowned a little at that, but made her way forward to show the message to Dante at the head of the pack.
"Sukariko… You mentioned that was the birthplace of Sentinel, or something relevant to a degree for him?" Dante asked.
"Why don't we ask him before he disappears again? We haven't heard from or seen him for nearly four days, so we've got a bit of a bone to pick," Gabriel answered him as he slipped his hands in his coat pockets.
"Normally I'd say pick that bone, but you'll have to save that for later. Right now, it's best we let him walk out of here," DICL's leader replied.
"Let him walk away? So you want him to disappear?" Kyzal questioned skeptically. "You understand that he's just walked out of the mansion that we're about to break into, right? He's probably got information that can help us. If he shares it, anyway."
"I get that, but if we tip off Sparky, he's likely to kill Ray here and now and make him fertilizer for his lawn. You don't want him to get deep fried, right? Let him pass."
"You really think anyone here was about to just run down there and speak to Ray in front of all those mercs?" Kyzal asked in retaliation. "You must think we're stupid as hell…"
"I always say never to underestimate stupidity… But that's not why. Maestro, as far as I can tell, not only controls lightning, but he might be able to potentially worm his way into electronics given he's jamming our Scrolls as we speak. If we ping Ray now and ask him out for Sunday brunch, he might know somethings up, kill Ray, then be alerted to our presence here."
"Assuming he doesn't already know we're here, you guys weren't exactly discrete with your landing," Gabriel commented while shrugging. "And I mean, if he's already blocking comms, then it's pretty obvious he knows something's up."
"As far as he knows, we can be anywhere in the area, but he doesn't know exactly where. We could be near the mansion or far away from sight for all he knows. As for the jamming… I have a hunch that's a safety precaution he already had in place before us."
"You keep telling yourself that, man… This whole thing smells fishy to me," the cowboy countered carelessly as he let his weight rest against a tree.
"Is Count Montecristo back inside?" Dante asked.
"Long gone, Ray's just walked outside the compound," the sniper replied from his crouched position.
"Then it's time…" A pristine, white longsword with black detailing appeared in Dante's hand from a burst of his white and black Aura.
The glint of it caught Arex's eye when it was drawn. Was that his… actual sword?
It didn't occur to her until now that she'd never actually seen it before. But that was just another thing to add to the list that she wasn't really paying attention to right now.
Her mind was scarce and fragmented as it was, and really only had one focus.
Everything else kept feeling like a haze around her.
"Gates have opened, Ray's walking away. Now can we question him? Since you seem to think you're the head of this operation and all," Kyzal spoke a little bitterly.
"Alright, let's move to intercept him then before we head inside."
"Or before he's gone in the blink of an eye," Gabriel added, pushing away from his tree.
"I've got him pinged," Dante stated tapping the side of his head. "We'll be able to follow him even if he gets out of view."
"Ray!"
Arex grimaced as Gabriel's call garnered the attention of the beanie-wearing teen, Ray's head slowly turning to face the group from his trek through the trees.
She hid herself amidst the small crowd, but that purple gaze still picked her out of it for a few lingering seconds.
"Where the hell have you been?! We've been looking absolutely everywhere for you!" Gabriel's arms were out wide as he quickly approached him, Ray stopping in his tracks to slip his hands in his jean pockets.
"Out." The boy's response held no inflection as he regarded his teammate neutrally. "The better question is why are all of you here?"
He… didn't know? That must've meant Sylvius was hiding her on the inside, or Ray just didn't care if he did see her.
"Maestro kidnapped Kitsuki for god knows whatever reason," Dante started. "We're here to take her back."
"So?" Ray asked in response. "How's that working out for you?"
"Pretty good. We're about to ask him out to dinner and then a movie, chuckle brother."
"Good luck getting through the multiple layered security systems and the small army of mercenaries then," Ray replied. "Oh, and the trigger-happy Affinity users too."
There were Affinity users inside…?
"This guy's got Affinity users too? That makes things a little more complex…" Elisia said with a sigh.
"Anything else we should know before we head in?" Dante asked.
"Yeah, your fox looks really unhappy in her new home. That asshole is hooked onto her like a fucking addict," Ray's voice dropped an octave as he said that.
So he did see her… A heavy grimace hit Arex as she grabbed her arm, letting her gaze fall away from Ray as his voice settled in the air.
That confirmed it. This was really the guy who made Kit such a hollow shell.
"I'd go into detail, but I don't want to demoralise you before you start this little crusade. But, if you're wondering, she's fine. Physically, at least," Ray informed, and for the most part, his gaze stayed on Arex as he said that.
Ray pulled his left hand out of his pocket along with his scroll. When it opened, he cursed under his breath before putting it back inside. "If you'll excuse me, I have somewhere to be."
"Y-You're leaving?" Arex muttered out instinctively, almost startled by the way her voice wavered with her breath. But by now, she really didn't care how broken she sounded.
His dimly-lit violet eyes snapped to hers before he replied. "Is that a problem?"
She easily shied away from the eyes, stance already wavering as she looked down. "I get that you have other places to be…" she started, a response she was used to giving by now.
Being associated with Niro for so long, she had to get used to that kind of thing.
"We're going in there blind to get her back. C-Can you just tell us the route?" her voice faltered again by the end, but she knew it wouldn't be getting more clear anytime soon.
Ray's eyes stayed on her for a couple of painful seconds, their critical focus boring into her before he extended his hand expectantly.
"Scroll."
She froze up under the single word. Her eyes only registered his hand a few seconds after he held it out, and she mindlessly lifted the scroll she'd been clutching just far enough to drop it into his grasp.
He fiddled with her scroll, opening it up and navigating the menus before Arex caught a glimpse of the Sentinel operating system loading up. "I won't waste time being your personal tour guide of that place, but…"
He paused as he pulled his scroll out again and held it over Arex's before a small bleep emanated from both. "I can at the very least give you a 3D scan of the mapped out route I took to get to where he's keeping your partner."
He put his scroll away and closed Arex's before offering it back to her. "Don't think it'll be easy, those pieces of shit will be going all out just to stop you from seeing her face again. Let alone walk out with her alive. But she's likely being held in a bedroom somewhere upstairs."
When Arex sheepishly took her scroll back, Ray slipped his hand back into his pocket. "As for the rest of you, you're all as good as dead. I'll be looking forward to your funerals."
At least he was willing to give them that much…
Arex turned her gaze down to see GHOST already mapping everything out through the 3D scan, and for what it was worth, she'd already calculated the likely risk of obstacles along the way.
Given what Ray noticed on the way in and out.
"Thanks for… at least helping," Arex murmured.
"That map isn't complete, just so you know. I recommend not relying on it, keeping an open mind on alternate routes," Ray replied, bringing his messenger bag around and digging through it before pulling out a set of black, metal devices and a large red crystal. "You'll also need these. I trust you'll know what to do with them."
Arex carefully took hold of the other objects he handed over, part of her wondering what the Dust was for. But, she recognized the other device as a communications tether.
"These'll get GHOST into the system, won't they?" she asked.
"You find that fucker's servers, and they'll do more than that," Ray responded in kind.
She numbly nodded to that.
Ray took a couple of steps forward before turning to Arex and beckoning her to follow.
He was… pulling her aside?
The girl pocketed the few things she was carrying, or what fit into her pockets anyway, and silently followed him to get out of hearing range of the rest of the lightly muttering group.
"I know what she means to you, but take a second to think about this whole scenario," he quietly spoke, donning a serious expression as he looked down at her. "I don't approve of this. Any of this."
She grimaced at that. Again. But what was she supposed to do?
"Dante and his team? Sure, they'll walk out. But these inexperienced Beacon students? They won't nearly be enough to get you in and out of there. So you know, I've got about 30 hostages to save, but the slightest sign of danger, even a hint that you're about to die, and I will be pulling you out of there, kitsune in hand or not."
He paused for a moment to stare at her, and she quickly diverted her own gaze to get away from it. She immediately did what her nerves knew best and lightly grabbed at her arm, feeling herself shrink away again.
"I'm not leaving without her," she quietly murmured.
"And if you die, you want her to live the rest of her sad existence with that asshole? Knowing that you died in vain to rescue her? A girl you barely know?" Ray questioned incredulously.
"We don't barely-" Arex cut herself off as she glanced back to him, but only found herself partially trying to find his eyes through her avoidance. "I can't leave her alone with him."
"Then what of your sister? What the fuck do I tell her when you're dead, Arex?" Ray spoke harshly. "Think about this. I'm trying to keep you safe, and you picked the worst time to go on a goddamn crusade."
The phoenix let her gaze fall away again at the mention of her sister. She'd been thinking about that on the way up… and what might happen if this didn't work. "I know what you're trying to say… and I get that. But this isn't something I can walk away from… like you want me to. Kit's in there with the one person she's afraid of, alone, and I know I'm not as competent as you or anyone else here at fighting…"
She finally managed to bring her eyes back to him as she gripped her arm tighter, the weight of her light sword somehow feeling heavier against her back.
"But I know I can at least do this much to get her back…"
Ray sighed heavily before he put two fingers in his mouth and wolf whistled, and before anyone could register what happened, a bright, silver slash appeared in the air behind him before it opened into a mirrored surface.
"You have one hour. After that, I'm coming back to get you. Whether you have her or not."
Arex's eyes glanced to the bright rift for a few seconds longer before she found herself nodding again.
Inside the rift, she could just barely make out Argent's image just on the other side of the opening.
"Noted," she muttered, but her voice carried into something else too. She… actually sounded relieved, and felt the tiniest hint of confidence slipping its way into her tone and nerves. "And… thank you."
Ray nodded once before stepping through the portal, sparing her one last momentary glance before the rift closed behind him.
Everything was eerily quiet after that.
Co-Author: HydraFlow
Co-Author: andy2396
I'm part of a Discord server now? Link below.
Alright!
So, the necessary setup is in place. The raid party is prepped, the subgroups have been assigned, the sub-commanders know their roles and have the necessary communications nicely set up, Leeroy Jenkins is banned…
We're ready to storm a castle.
Arex may have been scatter-minded throughout the majority of this, but I hope she's steeled herself now that she has the comfort of help on her side. She needs to take her waifu back.
This is going to be pretty Arex-side heavy, as a heads up. Her rescue mission isn't going to go as quickly as Niro's did…
But I hope it'll be interesting nonetheless.
It won't be a curbstomp this time.
On a side note, Yakosh helped beta read the first half of this chapter. That helped get the content edited and released, so I thank him for that.
For now, Favorite and Follow the story.
I look forward to seeing REVIEWS for this. You'll be introduced to a LOT of concepts of mine. Feel free to give me your thoughts.
Cya XP
Also! If you wanted to speak with me more freely, I'm part of a Discord server with a handful of authors. Feel free to drop in and say hi and stay if you want to stick around.
[ discord . gg / YU8A6Bp ]
Don't forget to remove the spaces if you do use the link. FFN is finicky with formatting.
Omake: by us three
"What are we buying first?" Nira asked, kicking her legs idly over the bend of Ano's arm.
She was being held in a bridal carry.
Why?
Because they kept losing her.
"Why don't we start with filling your wardrobe first?" Arex offered up, already exhausted from the trip to the mall. And it wasn't that it was only just starting, either, but they'd only just made it into their first clothing store.
Kit's hand slipped into hers for moral support.
It was greatly appreciated.
"What about the underwear?" Nira voiced again, peering through her disheveled bangs as a certain phoenix's hands busied themselves with kneading the captured girl's head.
"W-We'll get that later…" Arex groaned. She hated this.
Rae was immediately dragged deep into the store by Lylac with a big frown on her face, disappearing into the 'Lady's Underwear' aisle with her sneakers screeching against the tiled flooring.
Nira's eyes watched the pair disappear with mild envy before climbing out of Ano's arms, following after them.
"Ly is going. So we should all stick together for it, right?" Nira asked over her shoulder, stopping between two hanging arrays of clothing to look back at Arex.
Almost for permission.
Damnit, she didn't have to use that cute gaze on her…
"F-Fine. Do you even know your sizes?" Arex murmured back, squeezing past an adoring Ano to follow Nira into the underwear section.
"Mhm. I know my sizes," Nira replied with a sure nod of her head.
It kind of caught Arex off guard a little. "Makes things easy, I guess."
"But I don't know what color I want. Do you think I'd look better in black or pink?" Nira asked, pulling up her size in both.
"W-What? It's not like I'm going to be seeing it," Arex replied in a mild stun. U-Unless… "Wait, why are you-"
"Probably black, since that's always been your thing," Danni suggested from the opposite end. "What about this? Any good?" she asked Inuba, lifting up a shirt on a hanger.
"I would imagine so. You could use a dressing room if you wish to try it on," the kitsune stated.
Nira quietly put the pink pair away before taking the black set with her, glancing back to Arex with an innocent smile. "I was planning ahead for when I pick out a bathing suit. Do you think we can all go to the beach at some point?"
Arex felt Kit's arms encircle around her stunned frame from behind as she tried to swallow down her unsureness, still caught off guard by the way Nira looked like she'd done this before. "S-Sure."
"We do have that place," Danni commented, looking over two shirts and humming to herself.
"Oh, you have a place near the beach?" Nira asked, Arex mesmerized by the way the girl plucked specific articles of clothing off their racks with a natural ease. She was only glancing at them with a quick nod each time, hanging them over her arm as she went.
"Well, to say we have a place near the beach is a bit… simplistic," Inuba stated, handing Danni another shirt as she looked in their direction.
"We practically own a beach," Danni commented with a shrug.
"Hm… that works too," Nira replied, her cute voice trailing for a moment before Arex noticed her eyes lock onto something in another aisle.
Rae's arms were crossed, her head of curly blonde hair just visible without its beanie on over the racks as Ly shoved different clothing items into the girl's chest, forcing her to carry them.
"Nira, honey," Anoel spoke up, stepping into the aisle too now as she plucked the girl's collected clothing from her arm. "Why don't you go help Rae get changed. I don't trust Ly alone in a dressing room with the poor girl."
"And I don't trust you offering to help Nira change later either," Arex offered up, sending a pointed glare Ano's way.
"I don't mind," Nira replied, drawing an annoyed look out of Arex, but an excited squeal out of Ano. "I'll go help Rae."
The girl disappeared around the aisle, far too short for Arex to keep watching her head of raven hair work its way over to where Rae was.
But she easily heard the girl's cute voice over the clinking of hangars.
"Hi. Ano told me to help you try your clothes on."
"You could do me one better and knock me out right now…" the girl mumbled with what could only be considered as a pout.
Arex and Kit quietly made their way around with Ano after them.
"I can arrange that. But everybody would be mad at me, so… Can't," Danni said with a shrug. "Ah, that one's too small. If I try fitting that on, it'd probably tear," she said to Inuba.
"A-Ah, y-yes… I would imagine so, given…"
The kitsune stopped speaking, averting her gaze from Danni who seemed completely preoccupied with what was going to look best.
She actually seemed to be having fun.
Arex was wondering if anyone else was at all curious how Nira looked like she'd done this thousands of times already…
"Here, this looks like her size," Nira offered up, plucking a pair of violet underwear off the rack before offering it to Ly.
It was in Rae's perfect size, despite the girl wearing baggy clothes over Arex's sleek sweatpants. It shouldn't have been possible to see her frame through that hoodie.
"Yeah, that works," Ly chirped in response, taking the underwear and placing it on the small pile of clothes Rae was already holding. "Now all we need to figure out is the bra size."
The blonde adopted a smug grin as she gazed at Rae mischievously, the poor girl averting her eyes.
"Want me to figure that out in the dressing room?" Nira asked distractedly, hands fingering through a few layers of clothes before plucking out a sweater.
Arex couldn't help but notice just how similar it was to hers.
Apparently, the girl liked her sweaters.
"Well, you sure look like you know what you're doing, so knock yourself out," Ly replied to Nira with a bright, excited smile.
"Huh? You need to go into the dressing room for that? Can't you tell by looking?" Danni spoke up, looking through a rack of skirts.
Nira hummed to herself as she stepped up to Rae, the five-foot short girl looking up at Rae's eyes for a moment before staring at her chest.
"Wouldn't it be more accurate to see her naked?" Nira asked as she did, tilting her head in thought as she poked lightly at Rae's baggy clothes.
The blonde was immediately in favor of stepping back from the touch.
"Yeah, but we got a thing called predictive calculation. Take her body shape into account, the thickness of the clothes, and you get a very close size. Or you know, spot on if you're good enough," Danni said with a shrug. "She's 38C by the way."
"Can you not talk about me like I'm not here?" Rae finally spoke up, frown somehow deepening more than it already was as she continued to avoid Nira's curious prodding.
"Are you sure she's not 36C?" Nira wondered, following after Rae until the girl trapped herself against a rack of clothes. Then pushed the blonde's baggy top flush against her chest to get a better gauge of her size.
"I'm sure. Just like I know how you're 28B. And Inuba and I are 44E."
"M-Master!" Inuba quickly sputtered out in shock.
"What? I'm proving the point that I know what I'm talking about."
"Point to take away from this," Anoel commented, stepping over to Ly to rest her hands on the woman's shoulder, then prop her chin up on them. "Danni's been staring."
"Heh, barely Ms. 30C. I've just got good eyes is all," the girl said with a smug smile.
"Suure," Anoel replied, glancing at the white-haired girl for a moment before pecking Ly's cheek. "Think we should get a group picture? Really relish the moment?"
"Oh, this is something I never want to forget…" Ly replied with a tone dripping with smugness.
Oh god…
Nira looked excited again.