The ride back to Beacon wasn't nearly as emotional as the ride to Vale. Everybody was doing their own stupid thing. Be it making more calculations, gawking out the window again, or arguing with each other about the legitimacy of X-ray following the color naming rule set one hundred years ago.
"I'm telling you, it counts!" Xavier exclaimed, throwing his hands up angrily, "Ask Tanya!"
Violet placed her hand on her forehead in exasperation, "Tan', could you help us out here?"
The pigtailed girl in question lifted her head from her scroll briefly to look between the two of them, "Well, X-ray is definitely not a traditional color,"
"Ha!" Violet exclaimed, crossing her arms in an 'I told you so' fashion. Xavier's face turned down disappointedly.
"But the value of X-ray can be found to the far right of the electromagnetic spectrum of light, so therefor it counts, in a way." Tanya further explained, making Violet's jaw hang agape and Xavier's fanged grin broaden, followed by several excited fist pumps. "Xavier, I can deduce that your initials are a pun on the figure of 'X-ray', with your first initial being 'X' and your last name being 'Ray'."
"Yeah, it is. I never knew my parents, but apparently they were really smart at these sort of things." Xavier explained, a happy grin on his face.
"You mean 'knowledgeable', Canine?" Tanya tried to correct.
"Yeah, that."
Both girls' palms met their foreheads.
Hours later and team VRTX had found itself in its dorm room. Again, they all did their own quiet tasks. Tanya was doing the homework for herself and her two silver haired teammates, Ross was trying and failing to understand his History work, Violet was playing a mobile game on her scroll, and Xavier was making small tweaks and such to FLLFFL.
Suddenly, Xavier picked up a sound from down the hall. The slamming of a door, the fluttering of light and effeminate footsteps quickly darting through the hallway. His nose twitched as well, picking up the definitive smell of one Blake Belladonna.
"Guys, I think I should head out." Xavier said quickly, springing to his feet and moving quickly toward the exit.
"Wait, where are you-" Violet tried to question, just before their door slammed and Xavier was gone, "-going... God, I hate it when he does that!" She pouted, crossing her arms angrily.
"Should we pursue our comrade?" Tanya asked, raising her head briefly toward her leader and partner.
Just as soon as Violet would have answered, Ross received a message on his scroll. He struggled to open the strange technology, but soon viewed the message from Xavier that read: 'need 2 b alone faunas stuf'. Ross sighed and turned to his female counterparts, "I think we should just let him go on this one."
The other two members of VRTX came to Ross' side and got a quick view of the message.
Just then, Xavier was watching as the gloomy girl he'd been infatuated with, known as Blake Belladonna, pulled one of the ties on the bow atop her head. Slowly but surely, the bow came away; revealing two black cat ears. Before Xavier was a faunas girl, alone, scared and sad.
Just before her tears would begin to flow, Xavier spoke up.
"I'd always thought that bow looked a little bit like ears."
Blake quickly spun around, a frightened look on her face, "Y-you won't-"
"Don't worry," Xavier said without thinking, "Your secret's safe with me."
It took Blake a few short moments to remember who this boy was. He was the angry boy she'd met on the airship, as well as the boy who had surrendered when facing her in combat training. She'd be lying if she'd said she'd never thought about him, but that was a rare occurrence.
"You're that guy, aren't you?" She asked in a calm voice, "What was your name again?"
Xavier sighed, "I'm Xavier Ray, part of team VRTX." He told her, looking down a little nervously.
Blake nodded quickly, then moved to tie her bow once more. "Ray..." She said to herself, "Where have I heard that name before?" She quickly racked her brain, knowing that the name, 'Ray' had appeared before, but not being able to remember.
"You haven't!" Xavier said quickly, startling Blake a little, "I mean, I'm the only Ray." He quickly attempted to cover.
Blake nodded quietly as she finally finished tying her bow atop her head.
"What happened?" Xavier asked quietly, "Why were you running?"
Blake sighed once again, looking more closely at Xavier. To her, he seemed trustworthy, even if he wasn't the brightest bulb, as well as curious. "I lied to my team; I lied to everyone," She told him quietly, "Now I don't know if I can face them..."
"Then don't," Xavier said nonchalantly, catching Blake off guard. "Give them and yourself a little time; think about it." The wolf boy gave the cat girl a quick toothy grin, "You'll know how to deal with it in no time."
Blake couldn't help but smile as well, less enthusiastically, but definitely smiling. "That's not a bad idea, Xavier," She told him, walking past him, "I think I'll take you up on that idea."
As she began to walk away, Xavier smiled, "Mind if I join you?" He found himself asking. Wait, what the hell!? Where'd that come from, you creep!? He internally screamed at himself.
Blake looked taken back by this, though her small smile returned soon, "Sure," she told him, "As of now you're the only friend I have." This Xavier guy seems to have a good heart, plus he's the only person who knows my secret. Leaving him alone could give him the chance to spread the word. Blake shook her head ashamedly. No, I don't think he'd do that. I'm too suspicious of him.
Xavier walked alongside Blake, one hand scratching the back of his head, the other sending a message to his team. 'need 2 go bac 2 vale forgot somthing the restrant probly guna stay a inn or somthing 4 the nite' He sent to Violet. He soon received a message entailing: 'Spelling is wrong, punctuation is wrong, capitalization is wrong and for God's sake use commas! Also, it's fine if you go, just check in with me every few hours.' Xavier smiled at Violet's little comment, just as he followed Blake onto the transport.
The two eventually made it to Vale. As they parted the transport, Blake sighed.
"You sigh a lot." Xavier said, scratching his head a little. Blake gave Xavier an annoyed stare, before turning to the street before her.
"So, you wanna find an inn to stay at first? Or, do you wanna derp around for a little?" Xavier asked her.
"I'd appreciate it if you would call it something else, but maybe we can find something to do." The cat girl responded.
"Sooo..." Xavier lifted his eyebrow.
"Ugh... we'll 'derp around' as you call it." She simplified, gaining a few happy fist pumps from her male counterpart. Through his stupid antics, Blake couldn't help but smile. "So is there anything you do for fun, Xavier?"
"Besides mess with Tanya?" Xavier asked, receiving a small stifled giggle from Blake that she dare not let escape, "I like to fly."
Blake frowned curiously at Xavier's reply, "You like to fly? Like in a bullhead?" She questioned, receiving a 'no' from her friend.
Xavier pulled FLLFFL out of the gunmetal sheathe on his back. As it slid out, small bits of light from the shattered moon and the streetlights glinted off of the shiny metal. "No, I like flying on my sword." He elaborated, holding his sword in his right hand. "This is FLLFFL, it's a poly-steel straightedge jet katana," Xavier tried to explain to Blake, gaining a mildly confused 'huh'. Xavier sighed, "It's a sword that can fly with a purple jet on the bottom."
Blake's eyes widened, "I think I've seen something like that before, but with a few differences." She told Xavier, placing her hand on the sword's grip. "Wow, this is actually pretty comfortable," Blake added.
Xavier was taken back by her earlier comment about seeing something similar to FLLFFL, but quickly tried to shake it off, "Only Rays know how to wield these things." Xavier told her, looking up and down the shiny poly-steel blade. "It's also got a small Dust compartment that allows the sword's exhaust to be modified. It's handy sometimes, but I don't really use it."
Blake nodded as the wolf boy spoke, now running her index finger across the flat of the sword's blade. "How does it fly, though?" she asked, looking back up at Xavier with her big yellow eyes.
Xavier shrugged, "It's got three buttons; one for the throttle, one for bursts and one for quick blasts of force." He told her.
"Interesting..." Blake said with her small smile, "You better not let Ruby around it or she-" Blake suddenly stopped herself, remembering what happened earlier; why she was here. "Never mind," She mumbled, "Let's just find an inn and get the night over with."
Xavier quickly picked up on Blake's feelings, "Uhh..." He lurched forward after Blake, grabbing her hand to slow her down, "You wanna try it?" Xavier asked in a fumble to catch her attention once more.
Blake turned around with a confused look about her, "What?"
"Do you wanna try using FLLFFL?" Xavier offered quickly. What the hell are you doing!? You never let anyone use FLLFFL! He yelled internally at himself.
Blake sighed for the nth time that night, "Sure." she replied, "But are you okay with it?" She asked for clearance on the subject. Xavier was wincing before her, like he'd been stabbed with something.
No, she can't wield your sword! One part of him yelled, Don't be a brat! Just let the girl swing it around for a bit. Another part scolded, while a more immature portion of him though: Hehe, girl playing with your sword... hehehe.
"Sure, I wouldn't've offered if I wasn't okay with it to begin with." He assured, while all of the childish and bratty thoughts in his head cried out in selfish anger.
"Fine, then." Blake said, "But first, can you let go of my hand already?"
Xavier looked down at his hand grasping hers, then quickly and awkwardly let go. "Sorry." He apologized, just before tossing his sword up and grabbing the blade, offering the handle to the disguised cat girl.
Blake nodded, moving toward the handle of the blade and taking it from the wolf boy gently. Despite how long the blade was, being four feet, the sword was surprisingly light. Probably lighted than Gambol Shroud's sword half.
"Surprised at how light it is?" Xavier asked, cocking his head knowingly. Blake simply nodded, producing a small chuckle from the wolf faunas. "That's because its crafted from poly-steel. Both the blade and the handle." He tried to elaborate, "But I digress. You probably wanna learn how to fly." Blake nodded once more, holding FLLFFL in a similar fashion to Gambol Shroud's gun-tana. Xavier sighed and made a quick 'tsk'ing sound, "You need to hold the blade end forward."
"Like this?" Blake asked, holding in before her in a style similar to that of a samurai. The sword was centered, the blade extended before her at a slight angle upwards.
"Yeah, if you wanna torch yourself with the exhaust." He snarked, gaining an annoyed look from Blake. Xavier put his hands up defensively. "Okay, okay," He murmured, "Serious Xavier is best Xavier, apparently."
"How do I hold it?" Blake questioned abruptly.
Xavier inwardly chuckled at the cat girl's forwardness. She's really getting into this. He thought. "Alright, are you right or left handed?" He asked her, opting the girl to raise her right hand. "Righty, then." Xavier moved to Blake's side quickly, "You'll wanna hold the nozzle, or pommel end off to your right."
Blake did as she was instructed, holding the blade off to the right of her waist.
"Good," Xavier congratulated with a smile, "Now, the button at the top is the throttle, so I don't think you-"
Fwoosh!
FLLFFL went screaming out of Blake's grip, soaring on a trail of blue flame, stopping once it stabbed into the side of a building.
"-should push it..." Xavier finished, both he and Blake looking at the blade stabbed one hundred feet away from them.
The two stood there beside each other, staring at the sword awkwardly. Soon enough, Xavier began to laugh, much to his counterpart's dismay.
"Hey, I tried to hold on!" Blake growled at Xavier, who was struggling to stop laughing.
"J-just the way t-that you- pffft!" He burst into another spell of uncontrolled laughter, bending over and holding his stomach, "-an-and the look on your- bwahaha!"
Blake tried to stay angry at the wolf boy's insensitive laughter, but as she replayed the events in her head, she couldn't help but smile, even giggle a little.
Xavier quit laughing when he heard Blake's laughter. It was quiet, gentle and above all: adorable. "Your laugh sounds cute," Xavier told her shamelessly, a wide grin about his stupid face.
Blake quickly pucked in her laughter, pursing her lips as to not expose any more of herself.
Xavier made his way over to his sword, still lodged into the red brick wall of some kind of bar. His hands gripped firmly around the handle, he grunted shortly as he yanked FLLFFL from its place in the bricks.
Blake watched the wolf boy with a layer of wonder. He's definitely not the smartest wolf in the pack, but I can see past that. She thought as he made his way back to her, sword in hand. Maybe he's worth spending more time with. I mean, he's definitely got a good heart. Xavier then held his sword out for her once more, an ernest nod encouraging her to take it. "Thanks." She said simply.
Blake reached out, grabbing the handle of the sword once more, her hand touching Xavier's briefly before he let go. "So..." Xavier wondered, scratching the back of his head, "Want some more 'hands on' training?" He asked bashfully, his pale blue eyes darting between Blake and the floor. Blake blushed lightly, before nodding with a small smile.
Xavier moved behind Blake, his hands around the sword's grip, as well as the girl's hands. Blake's back was lightly pressing against Xavier's frontside, bringing a light shade of red to his cheeks.
"Okay," Xavier began, moving Blake's and his own hands into the position from before, "You should brace yourself; channel your aura." Xavier instructed, gaining an affirmative nod from his counterpart, "The force could hurt if you don't. Like your teeth are being pulled out slowly." He explained, the girl's eyes widening nervously. Around Blake hummed a black outline; her aura, growing slowly but surely. Xavier channeled his own soon thereafter, a pale bluish silver glow surrounding him. Their auras touched, danced like two rivaling flames, then melded together and grew.
"Good," Xavier told her, gaining yet another nod from the girl. "Now, I want you to spread your feet away from each other," He told her, using his own feet to nudge Blake's feet into a sturdy stance, which he shadowed just on the outside. "You ready?" Xavier asked Blake quietly, leaning in closer.
Blake was surprised at the close contact, causing her to blush, but she nodded, "I'm ready, Xavier."
A wide grin spread across Xavier's face, "Hold on, then!" He warned, a level of excitement riddling his voice.
Both their grips tightened and Xavier pressed on the throttle.
The two of them blast off the floor below them, leaving a blotch of charred cement and a trail of blue exhaust behind them. As they soared through the sky, the color left Blake's face. She lost all composure as she let out a cheerfully frightened scream.
Xavier was cheering like a maniac as he flew around with Blake. Her grip began to loosen and he moved to hold her waist, hugging her to him as she let go. With one hand gripping FLLFFL, the other wrapped around the cat faunas, Xavier flew.
Blake held tightly to Xavier's waist, tears in her eyes from the speed they jetted across the night sky. Behind them, an elaborate trail of corkscrews, loops, spirals and other figures were formed from the remnant exhaust from the sword they flew on.
Blake looked up at Xavier's face, his icy blue eyes wide with excitement, his face covered in a stupid fanged grin, his unkempt silver hair whipping wildly in the starry night sky. He was having the time of his life and Blake was entranced by it.
Xavier briefly looked down at the girl in his arms. There's a girl in my arms. He acknowledged happily as he watched her. Blake's expression was filled with excitement, her bright yellow eyes wide with excitement, her mouth in a bright smile, her skin pale from the exhilarating speed, her long black hair fluttering around her. My god, she's beautiful... He told himself. Blake's arms hugged tightly around Xavier's waist as they flew around the night sky.
After an hour or so of flying, the two eventually touched down on solid ground. They landed on a bridge that was close to the dock, overviewing the majority of the city.
Xavier's feet hit the ground and he stood up just fine. Blake on the other hand was wobbling with each step, her face bleach white from the exhilarating ride. Xavier chuckled to himself as he stopped her from falling forward.
"Don't worry," He told her, "It took me a while to get used to it." The wolf boy's arm was wrapped around Blake's chest from behind, holding her while she tried to catch her breath. Soon enough, the color returned to the girl's face, as well as a shade of red from the sudden close contact.
Blake squirmed out of Xavier's hold and attempted to straighten herself out, as every article of clothing on her was ruffled or crooked in some way or another. "Sorry." She quickly apologized as she fixed her bow atop her head.
"Can you walk on your own?" Xavier asked Blake, gaining yet another nod. Xavier rolled his eyes, "I take it that you like to nod and sigh a lot." He muttered, gaining another annoyed glare. Instinctively, Xavier threw up his hands defensively once more.
After short walk and debate about the 'proper' way to wield a katana, Blake and Xavier began to tire.
"Think you wanna hit an inn or something now?" Xavier asked, he feet beginning to drag with each step.
Blake sighed, as usual, then turned to Xavier, "Sure thing." She replied, "Do you know a place?" Xavier simply shrugged and shook his head. "Well, then we'll just have to wander around 'til we find a place."
Xavier nodded, then the hunt for an inn began.
It took about forty minutes to find a small inn located near the docks. The manager was reluctant to let the two teens have a room, but they assured him that they were just looking for a place to sleep. They ended up renting a room with a set of bunk beds near a large window.
"I call top bunk!" Xavier cried immaturely as he literally jumped from the floor to the bunk above him. Blake rolled her eyes at his childish antics and slid under the covers of the lower bed.
Before Xavier would have passed out for the night, Blake's voice cut through the dark silence.
"Xavier, thanks for teaching me to fly."
Xavier's mouth curled into a happy grin, "No problem, we can fly again any time you want."
"Good night."
"G'night."
With that, the two student's eyes shut and their day was over.
Dear God. That took SOOO many rewrites! Seriously, every draft before this was so awkward or corny that I'd scrapped it six times before I had my friend read it over and tell me what to add and what to remove.
If you haven't noticed, this is a Catscan devoted chapter.
Sorry if you're a bumblebee fan, but I thoroughly believe that Blake is straight. As well as Yang.
I wanted to prove that Xavier and Blake do indeed have chemistry. I'm not a Black Sun hater, in fact it's one of my favorite canon ships.
I hope I didn't butcher the way Blake acts. I'd actually watched the Blake-heavy episodes of the show several times before writing, so yeah...
I've also noticed a lack of reviews. I LOVE seeing what people have to say about the story (Even if it's people bitching about the exclamation points).
Read and Review!
Artisan Out!
Next up: Everything went numb.