Stardust
Chapter 8
Encounters
Two weeks had passed since Cerise and Smoke had faced each other in class. Cerise and Smoke had reached the point where they could talk to each other, granted they sounded like robots but still it was a start!
Their days of serving detention for the big lab blow up were done and after a day or two all the weekend was here and Cerise, Titania, and Citrine were heading into the city bordering Lighthouse Academy, Harbor.
So as the three got dressed by sheer coincidence in the same clothes they all wore during initiation. As the three left they all couldn't help but notice that Smoke was absent again.
The wolf faunas seemed to be doing that a lot lately and even Cerise was taking note of it.
As they walked along to the tram that would take them into the city Smoke's absence seemed to grow heavier.
Eventually Titania fell behind Cerise and Citrine as her steps slowed and she eventually stopped which it took Cerise and Citrine a few moments to notice.
Turning they looked at the girl whose purple eyes were cast downwards. "Something wrong Titania?" Cerise asked.
Titania bit her lower lip and she looked back towards Lighthouse and finally said "you two go on ahead. I'll meet you at the city square."
The two boys blinked and it was Citrine who spoke first granted it wasn't much.
"Uh…"
Titania quickly overrode him saying "it'll be fine, I'll catch up later!" And then much to their surprise Titania activated her semblance fairy like wings made of her aura sprouting from her back as she took off.
The two partners exchanged looks and then turned and made for the trams.
As Titania flew through the school grounds ignoring the calls to get down and eventually going into a stealth approach as she slunk through the courtyard and heading for a secluded part which had gardens designed to look overgrown.
The other three members of her team didn't know this but she saw Smoke coming here solo a day ago or so and though no one had brought it up Titania had noticed that Smoke seemed to have a lot more papers and books on his desk then the rest of them. What's more he seemed to be having trouble with his own grades lately which seemed more than bit odd when compared to the factor she'd been seeing lately.
Granted Titania couldn't really discuss this since Smoke seemed to be surly about it, Cerise had a shaky position with Smoke still and Citrine had trouble with Cerise because of Smoke so really it fell to his partner to solve the mystery.
Besides Titania thinks I doubt those two would think about this anyway.
Meanwhile as the other two members sat onboard the tram Citrine asked "hey is it just me or has Smoke been hoarding a lot more school stuff on his desk then the rest of us lately?"
Cerise nodded "it's not just you he has a larger amount of supplies then the rest of us lately."
Cerise would know this better than the others after all Cerise was the one who gave those to Smoke!
It was a part time job at Lighthouse Academy students could take up one of many that functioned on a rotation schedule he and Titania went through it both just a few days. Cerise was currently working in a large storage room laden with boxes filled with school supplies of every shape, size, and color.
As Cerise finished tucking a box back onto its shelf he hears a ring coming from the bell on the window up front.
In his work uniform consisting of black pants, shoes, and shirt with a blue apron and the academies logo in white on top Cerise headed for the window.
Reaching it Cerise stopped short seeing Smoke there and the two boys immediately began to wage war nonverbally for all of a second before Cerise came back to himself.
Since picking fights with customers was an easy way to get fired and Cerise needed the money so that meant…
Cerise let out a breath and then much to Smoke's surprise his face shifted to a neutral expression and the older boy said in polite if cold tones "how may I help you?"
Smoke couldn't help but blink at how robotic Cerise sounded before saying "uh… I need some supplies." Neither boy noticed how this interaction had no hostility for a change.
Cerise said "what do you need and how much?"
Smoke told him.
Cerise dropped his mask and stared at Smoke in slight shock which for some reason pleased Smoke.
"Can you repeat that?" Cerise asked.
Smoke complied.
Cerise blinked and opened his mouth to ask Smoke what on Remnant could the faunas possibly need all those supplies for but stopped short.
It was not his business and he was still mad at Smoke technically.
Closing his mouth he got what Smoke asked for. Taking his teammates Scroll he used it and interacted with the console to get the supplies checked out.
One of the great things about Lighthouse was that school supplies, books included were free.
Handing Smoke his stuff Cerise watched as the faunas left and Cerise couldn't help staring after Smoke…
Much to their surprise Cerise had kept up that façade as much as he could with Smoke and it made for a pleasant change for CCTS. Turns out all the times outside the Kingdoms had given Cerise a pretty good handle on such things if only for the sake of avoiding Grimm and before long Smoke mirrored him.
What does he need all those supplies for anyway? Cerise wondered to himself.
Cerise was broken from his musings when Citrine asked another question.
"So did you also know Smoke did not do so well on that quiz that was on the day before yesterday?"
Cerise looked at him sharply "no I didn't."
Citrine nodded "yup he did, Titania told me."
Cerise found it very odd that the boy who gave him grief for his academic performance the very first day of class would slip up himself later.
After that conversation the two boys drifted in a silence that was half uncomfortable and comfortable.
Reaching Harbor the two began to navigate through the streets and its people Citrine watching with no small measure of amusement at his goggly eyes.
Meanwhile back at Lighthouse Academy Titania was tucked into the branches of a tree hidden by foliage. This corner seemed like a good place for troublemakers to convene.
She knew about such things all too well. And before long she saw Smoke come into sight and wait by an old stone bird bath.
Before long four people came into sight and Titania's eye went wide. She went to the same preparatory school as Smoke and she knew of Angelo and Parker Blanc and they were bad news.
The twins were still wearing the same outfits they wore back then. Grey jackets, shirts, pants, and shoes. The only difference being the symbols placed on their right breasts. Angelo's was a broken white heart with devil horns. Parker's was white broken heart too but no horns instead it had a dagger pierced through it.
Who Titania didn't know ere the two boys who followed behind them, their teammates Titania assumed.
The first boy had brown hair and eyes with a solid build. He was wearing a nearly all brown ensemble consisting of a hooded cape, padded jacket and pants with boots. Around his forehead was a headband just a shade lighter than the rest of his outfit and on the center was the boys symbol a brown arrow surrounded by a jagged shape that put Titania in mind of a crater or explosion.
The other boy had blonde hair and green eyes and seemed rather pasty. He was wearing a jacket, jeans, shirt, shoes, and a beanie all in shades of green. Titania didn't see a symbol anywhere on this one.
As Angelo and Parker approached a now cringing Smoke the female twin said "Carver so nice to see our pet wolf! Do you have our homework done yet?"
As the blond boy stood still the other boy leaned against a tree and watched the proceedings.
From her position Titania watched firmly from her position though on the inside she was ranting to Smoke about bullies.
As Smoke handed the duo their stuff Angelo snatched it and said "good wolfy, we'll give you the next homework assignments soon. I know you can handle them despite it being ahead of your coursework. We wouldn't want my dad to give your dad any grief under his command after all."
Twisting to look at the boy leaning against the tree Angelo says to his partner Pietro "Pietro, you sure you don't want any of this?"
Pietro Brown nodded and said "I'll pass thanks though."
From her position in the tree Ttitnia had frozen but for her eyes which had narrowed as she watched the events taking place but her pupils practically glowed as she seethed with rage.
Angelo looked Pietro up and down and said "I still think that cape of yours is stupid." Pietro shrugged and Angelo faced Parker and said gleefully "come sister we have a free weekend ahead of us."
Cackling the twins left and once they were out of range the blonde boy left out a breath.
Pietro looked at the blonde boy and once Smoke left with looking at either of them he said "you okay Lee?"
The boy Lee Weed looked at Pietro and said "yeah it's just Parker can be a bit…much. I don't know how you handle Angelo though Pietro?"
Pietro Brown shrugged and said "this is our team, and even if I don't like them I will stay" Pietro paused for a moment as he glanced up. He thought he just saw something purple but after staring for a moment and seeing nothing finished "loyal."
Lee opened his mouth to ask Pietro what was wrong but Parkers voice called "Lee!"
The boy squeaked and using his Semblance, speed he went to his partner's side and after a moment Pietro followed and no one noticed the blue line tucked amonst the grass on the base of the bird bath…
Meanwhile Titania flew through the gardens at a high speed a frown on her face. She needed to talk to Cerise and Citrine now.
About an hour later had her in Harbor's main square and she spent about ten minutes looking she found Cerise and Citrine sitting on a bench eating ice cream.
Cerise seems to be handling money well Titania absently noted as she trotted up to them.
As she reached them the two boys stood up and looking at her Citrine asked "Titania what's wrong?"
After the girl caught her breath Titania opened her mouth to speak and paused. Team leader Cerise may be but given his relation to Smoke lately she wasn't sure how to handle him. Floundering for a few moments Titania finally settled for a "we need to talk."
Cerise blinked and Citrine stared.
Cerise opened his mouth to ask her about what and his eyes were drawn to a monitor past them and getting sidetracked he pointed and asked ""what's that?"
The other two blinked and they turned their attention to Cerise's focus and Titania's eyes brightened as she got sidetracked too.
"Oh wow! That's coming here? I've been wanting to see that at least once."
None of them noticed how Citrine had gone so quiet.
Then all three of them tensed as they heard a voice call out.
"Citrine is that you!?"
Citrine felt an abyss begin to open in his stomach.
As the trio turned around to face two adults Citrine couldn't help the uneasy smile that came to him as he said "hi Mom, hi Dad."
Author's Note: Alright so this chapter's posting along with the new bios for Pietro and Lee marks the end of my big super update which I began months ago. I hope you like the new chapter as I worked on a bit and sorry for the delay. I hope you liked my bad APPL. The next chapter may be a bit in coming as I have a new one shot coming up, some drawings and then a chapter of Shades of Pink but stuff may happen but chapter nine will be along. I do not own RWBY in any way, shape, or form. My OC's are my own design. Reviews welcome.