As promised, here is a personal one-shot moment with Cross and Lin (and Tatsu, of course!)
It was a start of a new day at the city of New Los Angeles. It meant another opportunity to be productive. Even with the Lifehold Core secured and the fate of humanity mostly secured, that didn't mean that the adventure would stop there. There was always plenty left to do.
Exploring Mira has been the top item on every BLADE's to-do list.
Even for those that have been given the day off.
Cross fell into that situation after much 'persuasion' from Elma, which soon resorted into getting additional 'convincing' from Vandham. He wouldn't call himself a workaholic by any means, but he also felt that taking on missions was the only way to effectively pass the time. He had not taken much interest in anything else outside of BLADE work in New LA, except maybe for playing tennis at the residential district.
That, and taking naps under the trees in Deliverance Park.
He would debate that Noctilum had better trees to take naps on, but both Elma and Vandham knew that he wouldn't resist the temptation of fighting back against a hostile indigen there, even though most of the native creatures have started to leave exploring BLADEs alone due to having stopped the Ganglion from provoking them.
As such, he was specially quarantined within NLA for the day. He supposed he needed the break anyway, like everyone else.
His day began within the kitchen of the BLADE Barracks, deciding to boil himself a cup of herbal peppermint tea. He was no top-notch chef like Lin, which was why he relegated himself to simpler tasks, such as boiling water, which meant less work and less stress. He could've also scrambled eggs or heated up some leftover meat in the fridge, but chances were that he would somehow make a spectacular mess out of it and then receive an earful from Lin for ruining her kitchen.
No, he was going with the simple route of boiling his own tea.
"Friend Cross cooking something?" Tatsu called out to him, hopping on top of the counter to see. "Whatever it is, Tatsu find smell refreshing."
"He's making some tea, Tatsu," Lin clarified, walking into the kitchen. "Hey, Cross! Need some help?"
Cross shook his head no, appearing clearly focused with hopes that the boiling kettle would turn out right. Lin couldn't help but giggle good-naturedly.
"What is funny, Linly?" Tatsu asked.
"It's just boiling water, Cross," Lin reassured, casually leaning against him. "You're not dicing apart a cinicula's legs."
"… …" Cross gave her a low groan and a skeptical look.
"I promise you're not going to blow up the kitchen with just a hot tea kettle," Lin continued. "I won't believe it even if you somehow do just that."
"Challenge accepted," Cross quipped with a slight smirk.
"Oh, hell no!" Lin scolded playfully, pushing him away from the stove. "Not with that look you're staying in this kitchen."
"Linly, can Tatsu accept challenge of Cross?" Tatsu inquired eagerly.
"Do that and we're having fried tater Tatsu for breakfast," Lin threatened, causing the Nopon to yelp and run in place out of panic. "Tatsu, slow down!"
Tatsu wound up running on top of Cross's comm device that he left on the counter, causing the cowardly Nopon to slip and somehow fling himself over in the direction of the stove top, which was active and had a steaming tea kettle that was about to reach full pressure.
"Meh-meh-meh?!" Tatsu cried, knocking the kettle off into the floor and replacing the hot spot with his bottom. "H-H-H-HO-HOOOOT!"
The result was an instant red Nopon posterior with the Nopon that it was attached to attempt to fly away with his wings as the painful sensations continued to roast his little brain.
Lin face-palmed while Cross sweat-dropped and continued watching blankly at the antics Tatsu had embarked on while trying to cool down his flaming butt. The Nopon tried to use the spilled tea water, but it was still boiling hot and only made the pain worse. Tatsu scrambled about the kitchen like a headless chicken before climbing up the kitchen sink. In his frenzy, though, he turned the faucet handle on the hot setting and it only irritated his steamed rear.
"T-TATSU CAN'T TAKE NO MORE BURNING!" Tatsu screamed at the top of his lungs.
His last resort wound up bouncing over to the refrigerator, inadvertently bumping into Lin on her face, and using the rebound to land in the stored ice in the freezer section. Lin stumbled back on her feet before Cross quickly caught her by the arms.
"Ugh, that's smarts," Lin grumbled as Cross helped her stand up. "Talk about a 'Tatsu-maki Senpukyaku'… Thanks, Cross." She then looked around the kitchen to inspect the mess Tatsu made from his heat-induced trauma, from a few knickknacks knocked out of place to Cross's tea kettle and water spilt on the floor. "I'm really sorry for the mess Tatsu made. You probably were working really hard with it."
"Easy come, easy go," Cross sighed, shrugging.
He had half-expected something like this to happen, which did help mitigate his frustration a bit. And with Tatsu the way he was, he could only blame himself for not being as prepared for such an occurrence.
"Let me make it up to you!" Lin proposed. "I'll make some new tea for us and make sure Tatsu doesn't screw up this time."
"Tatsu sorry for ruining Cross's tea time," Tatsu mumbled, having been weakened from his hysteria while adjusting the position of his large sitting muscle in the freezer to affect the parts that were still burned.
"K, I'm gonna clean up this mess," Lin announced with a kitchen rag towel on hand, but paused upon seeing Cross already a step ahead in mopping up the spilled water. "Don't start without me!"
Wanting to make up for crashing the onset of Cross's day, Lin helped clean up the messes Tatsu made while starting up a fresh new pot of tea to boil. Cross was impressed on how timely she enacted and had learned that these were side activities she would do whenever she was stumped on solving a mechanical problem. She claimed that doing new activities refreshes the mind for the next time she would attempt at the problem again.
Cross was reminded of her last homework assignment of providing a way for Skells to fly, which was certainly easier said than done. She had to make due with available resources and only after thoroughly exploring Mira did she manage to find appropriate substitutes for materials to stabilize the Skell flight modules.
As a result of Lin's determination and Cross's inclination to see her dream come true, the creation of the Skell flight module was a success and the growth of humanity was viable to soar and reach new heights as previously inaccessible locations throughout Mira were now accessible.
He was proud to have witnessed this plucky thirteen-year old gain her wings and succeed the vision that her deceased parents had originally started.
Proud almost like a father would have been.
As Cross watched Lin prepare the tea and keep Tatsu on a leash, he thought back to that day and wondered if her parents, within whichever afterlife they were in now, would be very pleased of their daughter right now. It seemed that both he and Elma had served as sort-of parental substitutes for the gadgeteer genius since they had formed the new Team Elma.
He was about to open up the interface of his comm device and go over the placement of his probes on FrontierNav right as Lin walked up to him and offered him a steaming delicate cup of the peppermint tea he had attempted to make earlier.
"It's ready," Lin said sweetly, holding the tea plate containing the cup up.
"Thanks," Cross nodded, accepting the cup.
Lin rose up an inquisitive brow.
"Why are you holding your tea cup like that?" she inquired, indicating that Cross was gripping it at the outer rim with his fingers instead of using the handle.
"You remember full well what happened," Cross simply responded.
"That wasn't your fault," Lin sighed. "That tea cup you had then was super ancient. Its handle was bound to snap off at some point. I'm the one who should be sorry for not paying attention to which cup to give you."
"Still not going to risk it," Cross mumbled, taking a slow sip of his tea.
"I just find it strange how you're handling the tea cup," Lin replied, holding her hands up. "Elma is right that you can be stubborn about even the most menial of things."
"Did she send you to babysit me?" Cross asked wryly.
"How'd you—Never mind that," Lin denied. "We have a day off to ourselves. How about after tea we walk around NLA and see what's new with everyone?"
"Tatsu like idea Linly suggested," Tatsu spoke up, flailing his limbs and wings in an attempt to get down. "Can Tatsu join friends on walk through NLA? Tatsu will be on best behavior this time."
"Yeah, that's fine," Lin answered, holding up her own tea cup to drink. "Just as soon as we've had our tea and crumpets."
The outside weather for NLA was clear. As Cross, Lin, and Tatsu noted upon leaving the BLADE Barracks, activity throughout the administrative district was at an all-time high. Finding the Lifehold Core had certainly played as a huge motivating factor in getting everyone working hard, including the xenos that have entered into treaties with the humans. There were some Ma-non and Nopon BLADEs going about in their respective divisions as far as the eye could see. There were even more Wrothian BLADEs seen going about than yesterday.
It seemed that there was additional enlistment before any of them figured.
Upon walking through Armory Alley, the trio was greeted by many BLADE operatives that were practically major fans of Team Elma. Even the mighty Tatsu was happy to greet his adoring followers. Lin was enthusiastic in sharing the love back with open waves while Cross responded back with a simple smile and wave that managed to melt the hearts of many female BLADEs that looked his way.
He wasn't accustomed to all the attention despite the fact that he was considered one of the few BLADE agents who quickly rose in the ranks from a rookie to a veteran. He only did what he had to because it gave him purpose.
His purpose now, as he felt, was continue exploring Mira as part of Team Elma and figure out its mysteries for the sake of mankind. It was something that both he and Elma had agreed upon that they would discover hidden areas together and with Lin and Tatsu as well. There was no pressure in exploring with the Ganglion out of the way.
They passed by L's shop, to which the jolly Miran wanderer called out to them as means to promote and advertise his shop.
"Well if it isn't three-quarters of Elma's team humbly gracing our store," L greeted. "How, we may ask, is your day running?"
"Uh, it's good?" Lin responded, feeling somewhat sure that was what L was asking. "How's business, L?"
"Why, it is booming beyond our wildest imaginations!" L exclaimed. "Thanks to your help in gathering the materials needed for our tinkering, we've been able to open up new rows of products to expand our business with."
"Tatsu glad L's shop is successful," Tatsu commented. "Tatsu feels that L should offer Tatsu sixty-forty cut in profits for all the help Team Tatsu has given."
"Tatsu, you sleazy little potato," Lin scolded.
"Ah, but you already share in the bounty of prosperity we have," L replied, much to their confusion. "You must give thanks to our Special Assistant Manager, Cross, and his wonderful recommendations that have caused the joyful delights to beam from the eyes of our customers."
"We do?" Lin and Tatsu asked, looking at him.
"His shop is interesting," Cross explained with a quick shrug. "I figured it was the least I could do after all the help he's given with some missions."
"Indeed," L concurred. "And with Cross having pronounced his BLADE status visiting our little shop, the effect of dominoes took place and other BLADEs were lured in like moths to candles. We had more credits than we could do with them, so we agreed to split the proceedings fifty by fifty."
"How was I not informed of this?" Lin complained, miffed that she was out of the loop.
"The proceeds went to Elma," Cross explained. "Did she not tell you?"
"Oh, that girl owes me big for this," Lin muttered with a tightened fist.
"Tatsu want payback on Elma not telling," Tatsu announced.
"Settle down, children," Cross advised. "With all that she's done for us, you really think a few credits is worth pulling off some revenge scheme on her?"
Lin and Tatsu glanced at each other before looking down shamefully.
"I suppose not," Lin said. "She, or you, could've at least told us what's been going on."
"Tatsu in agreement as well," Tatsu mumbled.
"Look, she's probably been too busy that she might've forgot to let you two know," Cross reasoned.
"She's doing some official work with Vandham, Maurice, and Nagi," Lin mentioned. "Otherwise, she'd be out here with us. More specifically, you."
"Come on," Cross ushered gently, taking Lin by the hand. "We're losing daylight. Let's head over to Deliverance Park. You said that's where you'd spend your downtime at."
"Yeah!" Lin exclaimed, eager from hearing the aspect.
"Many lucks to you, friends, as you enjoy your off days!" L called out as he waved good-bye to them.
"I don't even…" Lin sighed from hearing him.
From fully passing through Armory Alley and walking around the front of BLADE Tower, the trio found and boarded the elevator that would deliver them closer to the residential district. They passed by the cathedral area, observing a few people and some xenos who were curious of the relgions humans believed in.
The residential district wasn't as bustling as the administrative district, but was just as full of life as anywhere in NLA. Humans and xenos alike were walking down the sidewalks and living the peaceful life they dreamt about.
The walk had been fairly long and it was some time in the afternoon at this point, but Cross, Lin, and Tatsu had arrived at Deliverance Park. Lin and Tatsu were quick to play and run off while Cross opted to sit on a bench and watch them from afar. There were a handful of people enjoying the quaint environment the park offered.
Cross also noticed Hope being the hope bringer that she has been, giving out sound advice or listening to others pour their hearts out to her. Even with Ornella gone, she still strove to do what was morally right. In spite of the trials she had been through as far as he knew, Hope turned out well as a strong BLADE and a beloved figure for others to look up to.
With this mindset, he glanced back to where Lin and Tatsu were frolicking. It was still hard for him, and anyone for that matter, to imagine her as an actual thirteen-year old with all the experience and work she did. She was practically the youngest member of BLADE, as far as he was aware. She had accomplished more than a regular thirteen-year old girl her age would've done.
To top it off, she had the rest of her life to look forward to. She certainly had a lot more years left than every other older BLADE, presuming that everyone regained their real bodies and began to age again. It gave him additional fulfillment with the father-daughter-like dynamic have been established between them.
In any case, Cross wanted to see her reach her greatest potential for as long as he was with her.
Just as any parent would want to see their child soar.
I'm surprised I was able to update this quickly. I have a tough semester this time, so don't get used to frequent updates. I will try to get as much done before I become fully immersed in school.
Again, I want to say that I love L, even with his questionable and mysterious nature. Supposedly, his concept art originally gave him a more sinister role, given his general appearance and his full name being an anagram? I wouldn't know. I don't have the concept art book. In any case, I look forward to when I get to write about him.
I figured I'll be going by the order in which the main characters are recruited, with Irina being next. The other recruitable characters will probably be in alphabetical order. Same with the DLC recruitable characters, in which it would be Alexa, Bozé, H.B., and Yelv.
Anyway, please review!