Another chapter! Let's get started.
Cap'n Beowulf and TheSetupMage- While I approve, this would potentially take away from the plan I already had. Sorry.
Rohan- if I make Winter a Rose, which might happen, I already have a very specific cloak color in mind that will make things interesting…
Ninja6345- Winter will be getting more time with Aurelius (I call him "Blue" sometimes, too, mostly to people I discuss the story with regularily) in the next few chapters, but it's important to remember that their relationship is actually a bit more complicated than it appears to be on the surface: Winter knows she's in love with Aurelius, but thinks he's so unapproachable that someone like her wouldn't have a chance. Meanwhile, Aurelius has been using questions designed to force her to come to that realization to encourage her to discover it, which is meant to heavily imply his own interest in her and the fact he's aware she has an interest in him. The issue is that the two of them are in a similar position to Ruby and Weiss prior to Weiss learning about Ruby's cloak: Winter, like Weiss, took a while to realize she loves Aurelius, but, like Ruby, doesn't think Aurelius would give her the time of day. Aurelius, meanwhile, has a growing interest in her but isn't aware she's discovered her own feelings for him. As a result, the two of them are more or less dancing around each other, Aurelius trying to help Winter learn something she already discovered and Winter trying to find a way to win the heart of someone who, honestly, already cares for her.
This chapter's going to have a bit of Ruby and Weiss getting settled in, learning a bit more about Bastion's design, and potentially setting the stage for future events.
Chapter 52: Moving, Interior Decorating, and Encouragement
Bastion, Rose Quarter, with Ruby and Weiss
Ruby let out a happy squeal as she pushed the door open. "Come on, Weiss! It's going to be great!" she said as she carried the first box of her things into the room. Weiss rolled her eyes as she followed behind, looking around the living room. While there was plenty of open space, the room was fairly barren with white walls, a cream-colored couch, and a coffee table. A bark came from the door as Zwei ran in, looking around.
Weiss frowned before she spoke up. "We're going to need to do some decorating, Ruby… This home is kind of bland…" she muttered as she put down the box she was carrying, only to squeak when Ruby appeared in front of her and wrapped her in a hug.
"Yeah, but it's our home, right?" Ruby said with a grin, causing Weiss to smile as well before nuzzling her mate.
"True…" the White Rose muttered before glancing at the console on the wall. "Hey Ruby?" The wolf hummed. "What's the panel for?" Ruby stepped back to look.
"I don't know…" Ruby hummed before tapping something on it. "Wall color?" she tapped "red" and the walls shimmered, causing the two girls to step back as the walls turned pink before resting on a gentle, warm red. "Ooohh!" Ruby grinned before turning back to the panel. "What else can we do? Furniture, flooring, floor plan, temperature…" the two girls grinned at each other before Ruby pulled the console off the wall, walking through the room with Weiss. The two looked around while Weiss hummed. "You know, I'm probably going to miss the way the floor felt from living with Tai in Patch…"
Weiss looked at her with a smile. "We can make the living room based off that if you want." Ruby grinned before they got to work. Ruby quickly tapped and the floor was replaced with a hardwood flooring, causing Ruby to smile. "I suppose we can keep the red. I think we'd need the couch to be a black leather though…"
Ruby pushed a button before the couch shifted, looking up. "How about a fireplace? That'd be nice!" Weiss grinned and nodded, causing Ruby to tap on the console before a fireplace of dark granite formed across from the couch. Ruby hummed as they continued working through the room, another couch, a flat-screen TV, and a few chairs filling the room as the coffee table turned to a dark, rich wood. A few end tables and a book shelf in the same dark tone filled the room before the two nodded, satisfied.
They walked into the dining room before Weiss took the console from Ruby, grinning as she looked around. "I think we should do something a little… lighter in here, how about you?" Ruby nodded, smiling at her mate as the White Rose quickly went through making adjustments. The tan chairs and table were quickly replaced with dark wood and cream cushions. One wall gave way to a series of windows, looking out on the arboretum connected to the house to serve as a yard. A simple, dark molding lined the walls at the floor, ceiling, and corners of the walls with roses and snowflakes carved into them.
Ruby grinned at Weiss. "This looks nice. Nothing too fancy, but not plain enough to be boring either," the wolf said, causing Weiss to nod, a satisfied look on her face.
The kitchen went the way of the dining room, with the plain counters being replaced with a white marble, dark wooden cabinets, and dark appliances. Unlike the dining room, the kitchen had a modest tile floor. Ruby giggled before Weiss rolled her eyes. "What? I wanted something simple!"
Ruby smiled, wrapping her arms around the girl and giving her a peck on the cheek. "I wasn't laughing at that… I was just thinking about how amazing it is that you could be raised the way you were and still prefer a simpler style," the wolf said, missing the subtle smile from Weiss.
"Yeah, I guess it is…" she muttered before they continued on.
The next room they looked at was the bedroom. When they finished, it had warm, clay red walls. The bed had been converted into one with a frame made of oak with cream colored sheets and a comforter. The bedroom floor was covered in a light tan carpet. The wall facing their yard was replaced with a window, a set of curtains on a track resting in front of it. Ruby let out a giggle before she hopped onto the bed. "Gods, this place is amazing!"
Weiss hummed. "If all of the residences and other locations in Bastion are set up like this, I can see why it would take a full century to build…" the White Rose muttered, getting a nod from Ruby.
"I don't know much about the Materia lattices that would have been used to make this yet, but I know for a fact that if Aurelius was working on this by himself without any other Dust Sages, it could easily have taken him hundreds, maybe even thousands of years…" Ruby said, looking out the window. She started tapping the console, watching as day turned to night, clear skies were replaced by storm clouds, and rain replaced by snow before reversing everything in the small arboretum out back.
Weiss hummed, not paying any attention to Ruby's antics behind her. "I think we should try to get a few paintings from downstairs, maybe a full team portrait," she stated.
Ruby glanced up briefly before looking at the other settings. "Probably would be a good idea. I think I'd like to get a painting of my mom and dad if I could…" She paused at one setting that made her smile. "Full soundproofing, huh? I could see using that for the bedroom…" She glanced back at her mate with a smile. "Maybe one of Winter too? It'd be nice, I think."
Weiss nodded, not noticing as Ruby hit another option on the control system, causing the ground in the arboretum to sink before filling with water. "It would be nice to have a bit of decorations around here." She heard a faint tap as the pond filled back up behind her, being replaced with a gentle hill. "I don't think this system can recreate paintings or portraits though…" A final tap caused her to whirl on the Red Rose. "Dolt! I'm trying to talk here! What are you doing?!"
Ruby stammered out meekly as Weiss looked at the screen, blinking at the last change made. "I-I just thought… maybe we could have a hot tub?" Ruby asked more than said. Weiss looked out the window to see a small hot tub situated by a stone patio just outside the door leading to the arboretum down below.
Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose and let out a sigh. "You couldn't wait until later?" she said in frustration, causing Ruby to hop up and wrap her arms around the White Rose.
"I'm sorry! I just thought my beautiful angel would like the chance to relax on a cold fall or winter night…" Ruby said meekly, getting a deadpan look and a blush from Weiss.
"Did she just call me her angel?" Weiss thought briefly. "Ruby, why would we need that? We can control the enviro-" Weiss paused as she quickly understood. "Oh… We could make every night like that, couldn't we?" She got a grin from her mate, causing her to roll her eyes. "You're such a dolt, you know that?"
Ruby grinned. "That's part of why you love me," she said, snuggling against the White Rose, getting a smile in return.
"You're not wrong… How about we make a few more adjustments, finish unpacking, and then check on Yang and Blake?" Ruby nodded and the two hopped up, going back to unpack before Ruby grabbed Weiss arm.
"Weiss… I know you're still struggling a bit with that thing Winter asked you to do, so if you want I can tape a few notes to the mirror so you can have something to help…" Weiss smiled meekly before giving her mate a peck on the cheek.
"Thanks Ruby, I'm glad I have your help…" she muttered before pulling the other girl out of the room.
Citadel, Bastion Lower Lattice Array, with Aurelius and Winter
"So, what is our purpose down here?" Winter said, causing Aurelius to look at her in mild annoyance. All light in the massive chamber came from the Spire Crystal located behind them, taking up the center of the room, and the countless lines of Dust carved into the floor, ceiling, and walls like a massive circuit board.
"I am down here because the primary Materia Dust control matrices that direct power throughout Bastion need to be checked regularly to ensure everything is working properly. You decided to follow me for some reason," the Blue Rose muttered as he searched through folded panels attached to the walls, causing Winter to blush.
"Great… first his every look makes me blush and now I'm following him around like some lost puppy…" she thought to herself. "I was curious to learn more about the Bastion. Perhaps with enough knowledge, it could be reproduced," she said, getting a laugh from Aurelius.
"This isn't as simple as the eighteen-month construction of Amity Colosseum, Winter," he said, gesturing towards a nearby wall covered in hundreds of barely-visible lines of Dust. "Beyond maintaining our defenses and keeping Bastion airborne, these lattices ensure that we maintain an atmosphere around the structure at any altitude, keep temperatures stable, and even make the interior of the city fluid, just like Loki. Every residence, arboretum, and place of business is set up so that parts of it can be changed, from the exact division of allocated floor space, materials everything's made out of, and contents of each room, to the exact nature of the walls, climate, and time of day for the arboretums."
Winter gaped at him for a moment before speaking up. "How is that possible?"
The Blue Rose hummed. "Through a complex series of lattices like these. When Bastion was built, every surface needed to have Materia Dust carved into it to ensure all required properties worked, with it being expanded on and updated as new uses for these lattices were discovered. Something the size of Amity Colosseum would take anywhere from five to ten years with a group of twenty Dust Sages to get every line, circuit, and junction carved… and there's currently only three Dust Sages alive that have the level of skill required for such a feat. Each of us might be able to do the work of four or five in this regard, but that still means we'd have very little time to rest…"
Winter looked around the room. "What would happen if part of the lattice is damaged?"
"If given time, it would eventually repair itself, perhaps even reconfigure itself to become more durable or efficient as well. The issue is, the lattices tied to major systems can't be left to repair themselves if damaged."
"Wouldn't it expedite the process to include that function from the beginning of construction and use the methods required to control the lattice's flexibility to direct its expansion?" Winter asked, causing Aurelius to freeze up. "Did I say something foolish?" she thought nervously.
"I mean… it's theoretically possible. That specific function wasn't discovered until Loki was created and we spent the next decade incorporating the self-repairing and self-modifying functions into the lattices and matrixes already carved into the entire structure. The thought of using the function that many people are using to reshape parts of Bastion to their needs as a method of creating a new lattice escaped me." He looked at Winter with a genuine smile. "You've proven to be a quick learner and a fast thinker, Winter. I appreciate your perspective on this."
Winter looked away quickly to hide the blush and smile on her face. If his smile was enough to make her blush, hearing his praise made her feel like a schoolgirl that finally got her crush's attention. Not only that, but the fact that she'd thought of something he didn't was strangely satisfying to her. "He's not perfect or infallible… Perhaps I might actually have a chance with him!" She took a deep breath, quickly regaining control of herself. "I'm happy to be of assistance, then." Aurelius nodded and went to continue on when Winter spoke up. "Since you've made Weiss a Rose, is she going to be trained in how to do this?" She gestured to the glowing walls.
Aurelius hummed. "If she wants to learn, I'll teach her. Considering her fighting style and reaction to learning the origin of all Dust used outside Bastion, the Dust chambers that power Myrtenaster might be replaced with an Animus Dust crystal to ensure she doesn't run out. Even if I didn't, I expect she might quickly learn how to create Dust on her own, which would potentially benefit her team since three of the four members have an Elemental aspect to their semblances."
Winter looked at him briefly. "So, you believe she might be a prodigy with Dust manipulation?"
Aurelius glanced over the last bit of the lattice, humming slightly. "Perhaps. While it's a part of her past she doesn't want to acknowledge, her status as heiress to the SDC means she's spent more time studying Dust than most people alive today. It's entirely possible that both of you would have an advantage in learning the secrets of utilizing Dust if you chose to pursue it." Before Winter could respond, Aurelius glanced at her. "It seems the array is still functioning as well as it should be. Perhaps you'd like to get something to eat so we could continue our discussion?"
Winter blinked in surprise, trying to control herself. "Get something to eat? Like a- no, control yourself, Winter! He is not asking you out on a date… even if it would be nice…" she took a breath before nodding. "Very well. A meal and conversation would be nice…" she said before following the Blue Rose out of the chamber, barely suppressing the traitorous part of her that wanted to squeal.
This chapter's done. The ability of the Bastion to reconfigure came from both a practical standpoint (making it easier to modify areas deep inside the Core section) and a story standpoint (it gave an excuse to show how Ruby and Weiss might decorate, but it also gave a funny/cute scene of Ruby casually playing with the newfound power she and Weiss have over their home while talking to Weiss) as well as to expand a bit on things. This also gave A way for Winter and Aurelius to interact by having her follow him down there and then start asking questions.
Likewise, Winter and Aurelius going out to eat with Winter trying desperately to remember it's not a date seemed funny to me. Winter almost having a "Senpai noticed me!" moment was too much for me to pass up as well.
Also, I was thinking of having Ruby and Weiss have little pet names/nicknames for each other, same with Blake and Yang. Right now, Blake would obviously be "kitty" or "kitten" and I think I'll have Ruby call Weiss "angel," but this still leaves one for Yang and Ruby. If you have any suggestions, feel free to share them.
