Konnichiwa, konnichiwa! Planeshunter desu! How's everything been? Today I bring you what's probably the shortest chapter I ever wrote. Sorry, sorry, It actually should've been the second half of what I posted last time, but I decided to rush that one for… reasons.
That said, Everything will be OK (What if?), 始まります!
PuBa: Thanks! I try my best to please. If you are fine with some pointers from humble ol' me, I'll be happy to oblige, just send me a PM.
-"Who would've guessed you were the old man's grandchild?" -Laughs Yang a while later, as the three old schoolmates sit on the same table- "What have you been up to since… you know?"
-"Well… Team CRDL split up" -He answers with a sigh- "Dove and Sky went back home. The only reason Russel is still with me is cuz we grew up together here. Not that I can blame anyone, it's hard to be apart from the family now that intercontinental communications are down..."
The girls look at each other, who's this serious-looking guy and what's happened to the school bully?
-"So... What about you girls?" -He asks after a long glup- "Where are the little leader and the stuck-up Heiress?"
-"We are… trying to group up" -Answers the blonde- "Weiss is stuck with her father in Atlas, we are in our way to pick her up. Ruby went to Mistral with what remains of team JNPR… guess they are JNRR now."
Her bad joke goes unappreciated as the boy's gaze hardens.
-"You girls are going all the way to Atlas? That's dangerous, even for two…Hunters." -He steals a glance towards Yang's arm before noticing Blake's expression and hurriedly continuing- "Hey, I mean no offense! But things are really bad, if one pays heed to what travelers say. I'm genuinely worried."
-"Yeah, no harm done" -Yang cuts her partner putting her hand on her shoulder before she can say something sharp. She's pretty sure Cardin means well, and Blake would think the same, if she wasn't busy being so overprotective- "The worry is appreciated, but my partner is strong, we'll be fine till I can do something about this arm."
-"You know her strength better than anyone..." -Cardin starts, trying to smother the mood, but then he reaches for his jug and gives another long glup before setting it aside with force and locking eyes with Blake- "Actually… back in beacon there were rumors about you being a faunus in disguise."
Those words instantly freeze the atmosphere, and the brunette holds his gaze in silence. That looks bad, and suddenly Yang is not so sure about Cardin's intentions. But before she can decide in how to act, the guy continues.
-"Not that it's my problem, mind you." -The mood relaxes again- "But some people out there blame the White Fang for everything that happened in Vale, and they are not the kind to stop and check further than some horns or an extra pair of ears. If I had some of those, I would be extra careful about hiding that short of things while traveling."
-"Well, that encounter deserves some… reflection, don't you think?" -Now up in the room they rented for the night, Yang stretches, commenting their last conversation- "Who would've thought that Cardin, of all people, would mature so much? I'll have a hard time remembering the school bully from just half a year ago."
-"Conflict splits people, but hardship often pulls them together too" -Blake's words are deep, but her tone is light, and there's a faint smile in her lips. She's quoting a book for sure- "You heard him. All those stupid reasons he felt he had to be a jerk amounted to nothing in front of real trouble."
-"'Did you see how awesome Velvet looked, kicking all those paladins back then'" -Yang poorly impersonates the big guy- "'Harmless girl my ass! I'll have to ask her out next time we meet!' Even if it was just a joke, the guy has gone a long way!"
-"A shame that their team split" -Follows blake in a soft tone, while getting ready to go bed- "But I can understand it. It's thought, not knowing how your friends and family are…"
Uh, oh… Yang thinks. The cat girl has been slowing down as she spoke, and now she's practically still. I have to do something before she gets all sad and blue. So, failing to think of something intelligent to say, she tackles her half-dressed partner, and both fall on the bed in a tangle of arms, legs and clothes. The brunette lets out a small cry of surprise and tries to struggle her way out of the situation.
But she was caught unaware, and Yang was expecting her reaction. In an instant, the blonde comes on top, holding her prey between her knees and pooping her nose with her best 'Nora wins' smile.
-"That won't do! That won't do at all!" -She reproaches- "I won't have you getting all emo on me now. Come on, we are in a journey to reunite with our friends after all!"
The reward for her good deed is seeing how a surprised expression melts into a warm smile. And then she gets swiftly counterattacked out of her mounting position.
-"It's true, but if you try to surprise me like that again, there will be…" -There's a predatory glint in her amber eyes as she utters her threat- "Consequences!"
She is not alone, she has not given up. She has the best partner anyone could hope for, and she is going to get her team back together. That doesn't make everything magically right, but things are looking better. Definitively, everything will be OK.
And that's it! As I said in the foreword, this should be part of last chapter, and not one by itself. But as I mentioned last time, I'm moving to another country soon and things look a bit… terrifying. Dear me, it's not my first time doing this, but as much as I enjoy a change of scenery, I'll never get used to the nervousness of the first days.
Anyway, I have no idea how this will affect my writing. I could disappear for a while (god forbids), I could become more prolific (actually, that could be bad too, as I'm supposed to be working and studying, If I write anymore, I'll be stealing time from those other things...), or it could all remain more or less the same. Only time will tell.
There, I'd say a fair warning is fair.
Now, while I could extend further talking about any random thing that happens to cross my mind (hmmm… peanuts...) I think I won't. With this, I bid farewell until next ime!
-Planeshunter.