Brynn trailed behind the silvette as they navigated the den's hallways. It had vintage and antediluvian feel to it, unlike the mobile fortress that she had grown accustomed to. The heels of their boots thumped against the carpeted floors, it was the only thing that could be heard as the duo proceeded in silence.
The moment that she stepped into the Den, she had already found herself comfortable. The lobby was lively and bright, with its brownish hues and the presence of more people. People that would give smiles whenever she would pass by. God Eaters, mechanics, and just normal people.
It was bustling with energy, with life. A refreshing sight after seeing the modern, sleek, yet dreary furnishing that her previous home had. Well, if she could call that place home. The Den was warmer and wasn't as dull. It was worthy of being called a home.
She nearly forgot that she was an instrument in a war that had no end in sight. Nearly.
"We're here." She had been roused from her thoughts the moment that they came to a stop. It was the end of the long hallway, a big wooden door was what she came face to face with. Its lower part was slightly hidden by the other girl's smaller frame.
Alisa knocked on the door thrice before slowly opening it. All eyes turned to her before they noticed Brynn who had been sheepishly looking from behind the Russian. They let themselves in, the door closing with a soft thud.
Julius gave a curt nod and a small smile curled on his lips, "Ah, Vice Captain, we presumed that you wanted to explore the ghetto a little bit. We knew that you would find your way here anyways." She stopped herself from rolling her eyes, they just forgot about her. She would definitely bite his ear off later.
Not in that way.
"You weren't with us?" Romeo scratched the back of his head. "I didn't notice." Nana hummed in agreement.
She didn't know whether to feel hurt or murderous. She gave the male a sweet smile, by sweet she meant a 'I'm-going-to-feed-you-to-a-Vajra' kind of smile. The young Italian shrinked at the sight of it.
"Alisa," The man seated behind the desk had caught her attention, the Silvette beside her stood straighter, "I thank you for bringing our guest. I assume that you have completed the reports?" Alisa nodded.
"Yes, Do- Director." She corrected herself.
"I'll look into them later." He affirmed, his fox-like features had become more evident to Brynn as a smile appeared on his face, his already small eyes decreasing more in size. He had unruly grey hair, pale skin, and was clad in brown garments that resembled robes or what she read as a 'kimono'*. In comparison to the clothes that the people had on earlier, it made him stand out.
A pair of glasses were perched on his nose and another 3 pairs hung loosely around his neck by the metallic chains that they were attached to.
Certainly was an interesting character.
Turning back to the Captain he began, "I would like to first thank you all for coming on such short notice. I am Paylor Sakaki, the director of the Far East Branch." He gave a small nod, the smile that he had never fading away, "I have heard great things about your unit." He looked towards each one of them, Brynn couldn't help but notice that his eyes seemed to linger on her a bit longer.
Julius took the opportunity to introduce himself, "I am Julius Visconti, Captain of the Blood Special Forces." He reciprocated the curt nod.
"When I heard that Emil rescued you from certain doom, I just had to meet you face to face." They gave him a stupefied look. Besides Brynn who had a blank look on her face, same went for Julius and Ciel.
Nana was the first to break the silence that had crawled its way into the room, "Eh? But it was our Vice Captain that faced the Psion." The Far East Director turned to face the latecomer. Brynn didn't miss the mischievous look that played on his face. Her blood ran cold.
Something wasn't quite right.
"Ah so it was you after all? I thought as much. You have my thanks!" The look had disappeared as he thanked her. Brynn didn't move an inch, she continued to listen.
He then cleared his throat, as if a signal that things were just about to get serious. "You're obviously a talented group." He added in a compliment, "I don't want to waste a moment of that talent. Let's get you on a mission."
The ashen blonde girl suppressed the groan of annoyance that was threatening to release itself. She knew that they weren't on vacation, but couldn't they have even a small incy tiny break? They literally just stepped foot into the branch and now they had to go on a mission?
She knew that complaining wouldn't do anything, her peripheral vision had caught the questioning look that her Captain was giving her. He must have noticed the look of distress that was on her face.
He saw right through her, the way that she tapped her fingers against her leg's pale skin, the way her lips were pursed together to indicate her defiance, how her eyebrows furrowed ever so slightly. Within the few months that they had known each other, he was beginning to pick up the small body signals that she would send. He knew that she was upset over the fact that they were immediately being tossed out for a mission. But he also knew that she was too stubborn to back down from a task, especially one that dealt with Aragami.
She was too headstrong and determined. Thus resulting with her often rushing into battle, thankfully, there hasn't been much casualties asides from her forgetting about her condition.
The director continued to explain what the branch was currently facing, a Psion Epidemic. They had been gathering around the front lines and they required assistance from his unit.
The briefing was nearly coming to an end when the door loudly opened, they all turned towards the orange male that was clad in a white coat. One similar to the Russian in the room. He wore orange colored pants that had a long black stripe and by its cuffs were vertical zippers. Underneath the sleeveless coat was a pale yellow top. His orange hair had been adorned with a yellow bandana which failed to keep his bangs from brushing against his face.
"Yo, Doc! I have the line up- woah!" He looked around excitedly, a wide grin revealing his pearly white teeth and a look of awe was evident on his face. "Is this the Blood Unit?" He questioned, earning a disapproving sigh from the Silvette that stood a few feet from him.
"Thank you, Kota. And yes, this is Blood." It was as if the words fueled the male's excitement even more.
He raised the clipboard that he was holding with one hand, "Great to meet you! I'm Kota Fujiki, Captain of the Far East Branch's 1st Unit." He introduced himself, the smile on his face and look of mirth in his eyes never fading away.
Brynn couldn't believe that someone as lively as him was a Captain. She had grown used to the well tempered Julius who seemed to be the total opposite of the young male that was in front of them. The two of them were interacting with each other now. She couldn't help but chuckle silently at the fact that the Far East was the polar opposite of Friar.
"Awesome!" He exclaimed after Julius finished introducing himself, "I'm still organizing the Welcome Bash, so feel free to look around 'til we're good to go!" Nana and Romeo's faces lit up at what he announced.
Nana, who was nearest to him, asked, "A party? For us? What kind of food are you gonna have? Will it be delicious? I bet it will!" The dreamy look on her face had not gone unnoticed. The blackette had been hearing rumors about the food that the Far East branch served. The best, according to the random articles that were floating around Norn. She was looking forward to confirming that hearsay.
Her 'best friend' sporting the beanie's look of delight changed to one of annoyance, "You can't just blurt that out, Nana! It's rude." Brynn no longer stopped herself from rolling her eyes. He was just as rude. Nana didn't mind anyways, she continued to rain questions on the newcomer.
"You'll have to wait and see!" He teased with a small wink, about to turn around in order to make an exit, "Prep is taking some time since-" He trailed off when his eyes met with brownish green eyes met with the caramel ones that Brynn sported. He blinked a few times, not noticing the warning that Alisa was giving him before pouncing on the girl and pulling her into a tight hug.
"Saerin! You're alive! Where the heck have you been for so long? They've all been telling me that you're dead but I know that you're too stubborn to die with just that! And you would never leave when you said that you would watch Bugarally with me!" He continued to ramble on while clutching over to the squirming girl. She pounded her fist on his chest in an attempt to break free, however the male's excitement was obviously greater than her physical capabilities.
'If I wasn't dead back then I'm sure that I'll die of suffocation right now!' She continued to squirm but the male tightened his grip.
"I'm finally taller than you! We have lots of catching up to-"
"Kota!" A loud smack and thud was heard throughout the room. Brynn was no longer suffocating and in an iron grip which was called a 'hug'. Taking deep breaths, she glanced down at the male who was writhing in pain. On the floor. He was trying to reach for the spot on his back which had been hit by the silvette.
Alisa saw this coming, she hadn't reacted quickly enough to stop the unit leader from attacking their friend's doppelganger. She sighed in disappointment for the nth time that day, "She isn't Saerin, apologize immediately." She ordered.
'Saerin?' Brynn couldn't help but grow even more confused.
Kota stood up slowly, managing to regain his composure as he scratched the back of his head. Giving a sheepish grin in the process and held up a peace sign. "I may have gotten overwhelmed, I'm sorry." He gave a small smile before turning back to the Blood Captain, not waiting for an answer.
"I guess that we'll be seeing each other pretty soon." He turned on his heel and made his way out, not noticing the death glare that the Blood Captain was discreetly doing.
"Geez, why do I feel like adolescent Soma is around." He mumbled, loud enough for the others to hear as he shut the doors behind him.
The Russian faced Brynn, "I apologize for his behavior, you just resemble a friend that we had before." She gave a delicate smile that Brynn reciprocated. "I wasn't expecting him to react in that way however."
Brynn gave a small smile, the small that masked the curiosity that was tearing away at her. Who exactly was this Saerin girl?
"We will head out in 30 minutes." Julius' voice rang through the hallway the moment that they stepped out of the director's office. The unit, now devoid of the members of Cradle, were getting ready for the mission that had been assigned to them by the director.
Although Brynn was trying to remain focused, she was having some difficulty. First, the curiosity was eating away at her, she wanted to ask but couldn't bring herself to do so. Second, they haven't eaten since they arrived. She was dying to try the good food that the branch was presumed to have.
She didn't linger in her thoughts for too long as a stern voice had caused her to blink a couple of times, "I will review the data that the director has provided with Ciel." Grey eyes were now fixed upon her, "Vice Captain, report to the operator and proceed to the God Arc storage room." He shot her knowing look. "We will meet you there." Brynn gave a curt nod, her lips in a thin line.
With that being said, they went their own ways, Ciel and Julius heading to one of the lounge rooms that had been provided for Blood. Nana sprouting something about heading to get some snacks, Romeo chiding her but following anyways. Gil opted to stay on the floor by the vending machine, he would have gone with the Vice Captain, but he knew that his presence wouldn't be needed.
Brynn managed to make her way towards the floor that she had come in, the main lobby. She was once again met with the bustling energy that the area provided, joyful noises that resonated throughout the metallic walls. The smell of cigarette smoke filled the air, causing her nose to crinkle at it.
Just when she thought that this place was perfect.
She made her way down the stairs which led to the counter. Each step drawing the attention of others, it was most likely because of the foreign uniform that she was wearing, the stoic look on her face. Or perhaps, the way that the uniform hugged her figure. She ignored the piercing and - if she may add - perverted stare that she was getting from a green haired male sitting on one of the couches.
She silently cursed whoever designed the Blood Unit uniform.
Finally stood in front of the counter and taking note of an orange haired girl who was busy typing away. Her pale hands brushed against the counter's cool surface. She took note of how good it felt against her fingers, her lips slightly curled downwards upon remembering the blonde operator back at Friar.eyebrows were furrowed in seriousness and she hastily spoke into the comm that she had on. The platinum haired female waited for her to finish, knowing that she won't be able to get anything from her in that situation.
"Soma, I'm putting you on hold for a few minutes." She finally announced and after a couple of seconds, turned to Brynn with a bright smile. "I'm sorry for the wait. I'm Hibari Takeda, I believe that you are from Blood?"
Brynn saw it again. The look of surprise and wonder, however the operator masked it with her professionalism. She shrugged the thought and gave a reply, "Yes, I have to come to sign us up for the mission that has been assigned."
She couldn't help but think that she sounded like Julius. She must be hanging out with him too much.
The operator, Hibari, gave a curt nod before turning back to her computer screen. She typed away, announcing a few details which Brynn would nod at. She faced the monitor towards the blonde, who began reading the details.
"Gboro-Gboro and Kabbala-Kabbala, hmm…" She read out the names, there were photos beside each Aragami. The Gboro-Gboro had a crystal clear one that would distinguish it. However, the other had a photo that was only an abstract of the colors purple and yellow. She couldn't decipher what the Aragami looked like.
Not that it mattered, it was indicated that it was an evolved Gboro-Gboro. Another oversized amphibian.
Usually, it was the Research Team's responsibility to update the database of the Aragami that would be discovered. She actually wondered how they actually managed that. However, since Psions are special cases, the Blood members would be assigned to further assess the Aragami. Thus why Julius and Ciel had been given documents to study.
Looks like they're in for a photoshoot later on.
She quickly memorized the mission details and gave the operator a thanks before heading to the God Arc Storage. She needed to check on her God Arc.
Brynn entered the lab with a blank look on her face. A face that was devoid of any emotion, trying to hide the curiosity that it's bearer was experiencing. She was met with the oversized screen, gold centered decor that the room had, and the lone woman in the wheelchair.
"Hello, Brynn. I apologize for calling you at a time that you are preparing. However, I cannot let this pass." There was a curl in her pale lips as her blue eyed glimmered with the same whimsical look that it always had. The Vice Captain expected that she would be used to it by now, seeing that face multiple times and engaging with her. It was quite the contrary, she was being more and more uneasy as time would pass.
The other blonde noticed her silence and gestured her hand towards the couch, "Now, now, have a seat. I've prepared some biscuits and tea for you. Or would you prefer coffee?"
Although hesitant, Brynn made her way over to the plush couch and took a seat, "I appreciate the hospitality, Dr. Rachel. However, I'll have to refuse your kindness for now." She gave a small smile as she examined the other's covered eyes for any change in emotion. It remained the same, followed by a giggle.
"You have grown, Amaryllis." She felt a cold run through her as the other said the name. It was always the same reaction. "It's quite nice to see your development in terms of persona and adroitness in the battlefield. I noticed that you have also labored to craft new God Arc."
Of course she would have known. Brynn hid the surprise in her face quite skillfully as she answered, "Thank you, Doctor. Yes, I have been trying. Although, I admit that I haven't been putting them to use." Rachel's smile deepened.
"I'm aware. You are quite attached to your Auricle after all. Quite a fine specimen actually. Sadly, we do not have ample time to discuss things deeper, so I must explain why I have summoned you." The lame woman turned towards the computer screen and picked up the wireless tablet that was placed on the table, alongside with the biscuits which remained untouched. An image of her God Arc appeared along with a few numbers which she couldn't decipher.
"I would like you to leave your Auricle set here for the meantime." Her breath got caught in her throat as she bit her lower lip to prevent herself from saying anything. "As mentioned before, studying you in battle would extremely help with the development of the God Arc Soldiers. It has, but the stats coming in are quite slow. Being able to analyze the God Arc itself would allow more information to be revealed and studied." There was a slight pause before the gold haired woman turned to her again, "That is, if you accede."
Leave her God Arc? That would mean not just Auricle, but Cuivre and Agrent as well. Could she really do that? Her God Arc was her partner her crime, what kept her safe and capable of slaying aragami. Although she couldn't exactly remember, she knew that she had gone through a lot with it.
'But, it would help with the God Arc Soldiers, right?' She began to ponder. 'That would mean, less casualties for the God Eaters that were to be sent to battle.'
It was with that thought and she finally knew her answer.
"You'll keep him safe, right?" She had always referred to her God Arc as a him. Even Rachel wasn't faced by the personification that she had just given.
"Of course," she reassured the younger blonde, "he will be safe."
She had been dismissed and had just walked out of a room, there was sorrow in her face, but somehow she knew that what she had done would help them in the future. As she turned towards the elevator, a familiar figure had caught her attention.
"Oh~ You're being quite obedient, Eos!" There stood the brunette, a twisted smile on her face as she acknowledged the Vice Captain. She had been standing in front of the elevator, and judging by her appearance, she had been waiting.
"Why are you here?" Brynn asked in annoyance, she was holding herself back. Just a little more and she would throw the mysterious woman over the railings.
The brunette put her hands up in the air in a mocking manner, "Calm down, keep that face up and you'll end up with wrinkles before you turn 25." She growled. "That is, if you live until your 20s." There was amusement dripping in her voice. Brynn sighed, she knew that she was baiting her. She wouldn't fall for it.
"Whatever," she walked towards the elevator, but had been blocked by the slightly taller woman, "what do you want?" She asked in a calmer manner. Nessa cracked a grin.
"You're really something, Eos. Anyways, I just wanted to let you know that I feel nicer." Brynn rolled her eyes at this but said nothing. "I've decided to let you have glimpses of your past from time to time instead of just surprising you with one 64gb of stored memory." Before Brynn could respond, a finger had been brought up to her lips, "Not only that, we also have a bonus! In the process, you will also keep your precious Astraeus."
Brynn's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, who was Astraeus anyways? And what's up with the new 'prizes' that the girl was offering her. She knew something was off, but before she could protest, the strange woman walked in the direction that lead to the lab. "That's it for today! Got to go, Eos! Keep up the goodwork.
She wanted to grab her, to further inquire, but something had been preventing her from doing so. She couldn't understand what she was feeling, could it be?
"Too bad she didn't know that you liked sweets, huh?"
Fear. She was feeling fear.