Chapter Eighteen: Trivial Tenacity.
"So…are we going to address the elephant in the room?" Oberon asked, sitting at the table with Thea and Rylee. After a moment of pause, they each turned to face the empty chair. It was where Neo would usually be sitting. Whilst the girl may sometimes be a late sleeper, she rarely got up after 10 AM. And it was now noon.
"Yeah…she's not really been herself lately, has she? Ever since she came back last night with the police, she's seemed…" Rylee began.
"Like a different person." Thea interrupted, with a sigh. "She hasn't said anything to us since she jumped out the window."
"That's because she doesn't talk." Rylee chuckled, trying to make light of the situation, only to be met with glares from the other two. It was particularly palpable from Thea, despite having her eyes covered. Rylee raised their hands in apology. "Sorry, that was uncalled for."
"Still, we have to cheer her up, somehow." Oberon mumbled, his hands fiddling with nothing. His eyes glanced over to Neo's curtain, hoping to see her peering down at them but was met with nothing. "Any suggestions?"
There was a moment of awkward tension in the room for a moment as the three began to wonder what might help get their leader back on their feet. In truth, she'd always kinda been independent from the group. Though she managed it all and did her job as leader, she was also somewhat detached, letting the group do its own thing during downtime and being on the sidelines, writing something in her scroll or notepad. Oberon had once asked what she was inscribing, only for her to hide the notepad and refuse to explain what she was writing or drawing. She always had such a serious face plastered to her, too. They'd all noticed it but brushed it off as her just trying to take the role of leader seriously.
"Well, it is Saturday, so we have today and tomorrow off. Maybe we could do a movie night? With all her favourite desserts?" Thea suggested. Honestly, the idea wasn't bad. If there was one thing that the group could agree upon, it was that Neo must've had some kind of ungodly metabolism. She ate so much junk food and never seemed to put on any kind of weight. Oberon had even asked Thea if she was hiding it with her semblance, but Thea had never detected her stomach fluctuate in size.
"I've no idea what kind of movies Neo would like. She kinda strikes me as the sort who'd love a good romance and action movie, but picking one which doesn't have a sad moment in would be difficult." Oberon mumbled. "We could play it safe with a comedy, but I've only ever seen her laugh when she's winning a game or when someone gets hurt in a particularly humorous way."
"It'd be like walking a tightrope when it comes to choices. Maybe we should explore other options." Thea suggested. "Like games. Neo quite likes playing games. Do you remember when she completely wiped the floor with us in Poker?"
"I'm still convinced she cheated." Oberon grumbled. He was so confident that she didn't have two aces… He lost a lot of money that night. So much for being the smartest person in the room.
"You're just a sore loser. Whenever she played a hand, we hit the cards with a mallet to prove there wasn't any illusions on it. Even if she did a non-corporeal illusion, simulating the card's trajectories would be almost impossible. She played you fair and square." Thea chuckled.
"I think we should…" Rylee began, only to be interrupted by a knock at the door. The three glanced to the door with a look of apprehension. In truth, it was very rare that they got visitors. They were always the black sheep of teams; avoided by bullies because they consistently got their butts handed to them whenever they poked fun at the blind and mute, and avoided by the popular because they didn't want to be seen with the weird group of misfits.
One of Oberon's floating hands twisted the handle of the door and pulled it open, revealing two people which none of them had been anticipating. It was Pyrrha and Ruby, surprisingly enough. Both were dressed rather casually in t-shirts and simple leggings, as if they had just thrown on the nearest acceptable garments to go out in, as opposed to walking around in their pyjamas. The three of them also noticed that they were smiling gently, but it was only to cover up the look of confusion in their eyes. Pyrrha poked her head around the corner when she didn't see who had opened the door, whereas Ruby simply wandered inside, as if she were stepping into a wizard's chambers.
"Wow, I didn't expect it to be so roomy in here! I knew we should've turned our beds sideways!" Ruby said, walking in the middle of the room and spinning around with her arms outstretched, before looking at the four different curtains and their various designs. It seemed that she was guessing which one belonged to which person, whilst Pyrrha approached the group, themselves.
"Sorry for the intrusion." She smiled, before almost bashfully scratching the back of her head, and looking around the room for a brief moment. "Has Neo gone out? I was hoping to ask them something…" She began to trail off a little as she noticed that one of Oberon's hands simply pointed to Neo's neapolitan-coloured curtains.
"She's in there." Oberon stated. "Hasn't gotten out of bed, I'd imagine. Something's…" He paused, trying to find the right wording. "Something's wrong with her. She's normally up and about around this time but… we think she's suffering from some kind of night terrors. We were trying to figure out a way to cheer her up."
"Night terrors? What makes you say that?" Pyrrha asked, her face twisting with anxiety.
"You're aware of her ability to conjure illusions, correct?" Rylee asked. Pyrrha nodded. "It seems that it also goes off in her sleep, since I once awoke in the morning for my early-morning shower, to find that Neo was sleep-projecting an illusion, which was likely a reflection of her dream."
"That's really cool! I didn't know semblances could go off in your sleep!" Ruby exclaimed, before covering her mouth with one hand. "I mean, not the nightmares bit, but…"
There was a moment of silence, whilst the group decided to brush off Ruby's silly outburst.
"Well…what does Neo like?" Pyrrha asked, trying to get back on topic. "Aside from desserts, that is." Indeed, Pyrrha had not forgotten about Neo's sweet tooth. In fact, it brought back fond memories from when they had bumped into each other and gotten lunch a couple of weeks ago.
"That's what we were just discussing since we're not really sure." Thea explained. "So far, we've suggested movies and games. Other than that, we're not sure what her hobbies are."
"Well…she likes fighting, doesn't she?" Ruby asked. "She's always got a big smile when she's in combat."
"I don't think that's the best idea for a 'cheering up' activity." Oberon sighed, feeling a phantom pain between his legs as he remembered his previous bout with the girl. "Maybe we've been going about this wrong. Perhaps the answer's been in front of us all along…" He mumbled.
"What're you talking about, Oberon?" Rylee asked, tilting their helmeted head in confusion.
"What's the one thing we know Neo loves more than anything else?" Oberon inquired, rhetorically. "Ice cream. What if we all went to a dessert shop together?"
"That's…actually genius. Sometimes, the best solution to a problem is the easiest one." Thea nodded, approvingly. "Actually…I did want to ask… I get why Pyrrha came, since they had a question for Neo, but why are you here, Ruby?"
"Hm? Oh! It's funny you mention it, actually. We both kinda met up on the way to your dorm. I wanted to hang out with Neo, since I wanted to hear her side of the story when she beat up Roman Torchwick! She was so cool! I'd have never thought she'd use her locker like a boarding rocket!"
"So THAT'S why she jumped out the window?!" Oberon exclaimed in disbelief.
After the group shared a brief laugh at the absurdity of the situation, they began to make plans to visit one of the nearby dessert shops which had once been the talk of the city. 'The Teaphoon.' Everyone was eager to pitch in ideas and put money towards the trip, because nobody wanted to be the one to go and wake the sleeping psychopath. Ruby didn't see the problem with waking the girl, so she volunteered.
Everyone watched with bated breath as Ruby climbed up to Neo's curtain and slowly pulled it open and peered inside. It was almost unnaturally dark within, and as her silver eyes scanned the room, she could only discern the shape of a figure laying in the bed. Upon the nightstand was a box of empty tissues; the contents were scattered in and around the bin at the foot of the bed. As she looked closer, the figure in the bed seemed to move. They rolled over uncomfortably, until they were face-down in the pillow. It was only then that Ruby saw a familiar-looking hat which had been knocked – or tossed – onto the floor, with Neo's parasol laying on top of it.
Ruby took another step closer, towards Neo, before looking into the mirror of the girl's dresser and looking upon herself. As one would expect, she saw herself…but her eyes were different. The whites of her eyes were blackened, leaving only the silver pupils upon a dark void. She blinked and rubbed her eyes, and everything was back to normal. Maybe she was just imagining things?
Another step forwards, and she was right up next to Neo, now. Her two-toned hair seemed to have various white streaks running through the pink section and seemed oddly matted and tangled. It was a peculiar cacophony of brown and pink upon a sodden pillow, which Neo was clutching tightly with her arms underneath. The duvet was basically tied in a knot around her waist from how messy and untidy it was, likely due to her tossing and turning in the night. Even now, it was difficult to tell whether Neo was awake or asleep.
She reached out a hand, aiming to gently take her by the shoulder, but hesitated. She drew a deep breath and then… placed that hand down upon Neo's bare shoulder. She felt warm, like a lightly toasted marshmallow. Maybe she was running a fever, and that's why she wasn't up. Had anyone checked if that was the case before assuming that the problem laid deeper? It was too late to back out, now.
"…Neoooo?" She whispered. "Neo? Are you awa-!"
Ruby was interrupted by Neo suddenly whirling around and punching Ruby in the stomach. Fortunately, Ruby had her aura up by instinct, ever since she began having second thoughts. As such, the strike had simply knocked the wind out of her, somewhat, and she stumbled backwards with a look of shock on her face. Even more stunned, however, was Neo herself. Her face had gone from a sudden look of annoyance to immediate regret. Ruby almost swore that she saw another strand of her hair turn white as she reached out a hand and sat up, as if to check if Ruby was okay.
"Ha…ha… I guess you were awake, then!" Ruby chuckled, trying to be cheerful and friendly, considering the circumstances, but Neo didn't seem amused. In fact, her lips were already trembling, and her white eyes were watering. Wait…were her eyes always white like that? She could've sworn they were pink and brown before…
"Hey, it's okay! Didn't…" Ruby smiled, wincing slightly, and stifling a cough. "Didn't hurt a bit." Even though it was true, she knew that she wasn't being very convincing to the poor girl. She decided to change the subject. "We're going to a dessert shop, and we want you to come with us. It'll be fun! Are you up for it?"
Ruby watched as Neo studied her carefully, as if she were trying to decide whether or not it was a good idea. Slowly, she nodded and stood up from the bed. She was wearing a simple white bra and pink, loose-fitting, soft shorts. Ruby watched awkwardly as Neo walked to the wardrobe and opened it, as a black curtain appeared between the two of them. Less than a minute later, the curtain had disappeared, and Neo stood dressed in her usual attire which Ruby recognised her by… except she wasn't wearing the hat or neck scarf. She wasn't even bringing her parasol, which was odd because she took that everywhere. Ruby decided not to question it, though. It was clear that she was going through some problems, and she should cope with them how she feels is best. Such was her naivety.
The two short people then emerged from Neo's room to a non-existent round of applause, as the other four people in the room silently celebrated Ruby's courage, and Neo's patience. They could tell that Neo seemed a little surprised to see Pyrrha there as well. Oberon surmised that she might be feeling a little embarrassed to be seen in this weakened state in front of the star pupil of Beacon, whereas Pyrrha was just glad to finally get around to spending time with a worthy opponent once again.
They took the airbus down into the streets of Vale, with some of the group making awkward small talk to try and fill the silence. In truth, it did little to hide their anxiety regarding the leader of Team NTRO, who had spent most of their time simply staring out the window with a lifeless look in their eyes. Each of them silently hoped that things would improve when Neo was united with her favourite things. It was only a short walk from the landing zone to the destination in question. The Teaphoon was a rather small establishment, but it had all the right bells and whistles. Quaint décor, large windows, fancy menus and, most importantly, good food which made it all worth the visit. Since Oberon had already made a reservation, they didn't have to worry about waiting times. They were quickly seated in a large, semi-circular booth. From left to right, they sat in the order: Ruby, Thea, Oberon, Rylee, Pyrrha, and Neo. It made sense to them that the smaller individuals should sit on the ends, so getting up wasn't so much of a hassle if someone else needed to use the restroom.
Shortly after placing their orders and receiving their drinks – which arrived only a minute or so after ordering – they began to wonder how best to converse with Neo, who seemed to be staring off into space and taking long, deep breaths. Asking what was wrong too directly could have adverse effects to what they were hoping.
"Did I ever tell you how Neo managed to get into Beacon?" Pyrrha asked, suddenly, drawing the attention of everyone at the table. It was an abrupt question, which had come quite out of the blue in the middle of a silent table. Neo glanced over with a look of apprehension but didn't seem to object to the subject matter.
"…How do you know that?" Thea asked, wondering why Pyrrha, of all people, would know the details of another student's admission into Beacon.
"Because I was there, of course!" Pyrrha beamed, as she went on to recount how the two had bumped into each other and she had explained her situation over a meal at a café. Then, how the two had fought, and Neo had beaten her, despite her doing her best. "And so, I tapped out, knowing that it would be folly to continue. And the rest, as they say, is history."
"Sounds oddly similar to when she and I had our duel for leadership. Back then, I was harsh and thought myself to be better than my peers. I was shown that I don't know everything, and I am not a perfect person. She humbled me, I suppose is the word." Oberon sighed.
"She really had you by the balls at the end, too!" Rylee snickered, causing the table to giggle, and Neo's lips curled upwards slightly when Oberon gave Rylee a shove.
The food soon arrived, and everyone took the time to dig into various desserts, from cakes, to meringue, and from brownies to – of course – ice cream. Without trying to make it obvious, everyone at the table had an eye on Neo and, whilst she appeared apprehensive about the large bowl of neapolitan ice cream which Pyrrha had suggested, they seemed to be enjoying it quite fervently. With each spoonful she consumed, the next spoonful came with less hesitation. Ruby even noticed that the colour was slowly returning to her hair and eyes, too. What if the true source of her power was dessert? Nah, it couldn't be, right?
"Feeling better, Neo?" Ruby smiled, having just finished the slice of cherry pie which she had ordered. Neo glanced up from her ice cream and smiled to her for a moment with a nod, before picking up her mug of tea and taking a sip from it. Ruby beamed and lifted her own mug to sip from as well. Pyrrha smiled at the two of them for a moment, before she noticed something suddenly shifted in Neo. Her heterochromatic eyes suddenly drained in colour once again and she dropped the mug of tea, causing it to land in the remainder of her ice cream. This completely ruined both refreshments, as the tea melted through the ice cream and the bitterness undermined any sweetness which the frosty treat once housed.
But the most unsettling thing was how Neo hadn't even reacted to the destruction of her ice cream. She was frozen in place, with her face beginning to develop a large fracture on the right side, before it smashed like a porcelain doll, revealing a look of pure horror on the right side of her visage, and the gentle smile she had been wearing twisted into a hideous grin, which suddenly split, leaving only Neo's horrified look on display, much to the shock of anyone watching. And yet, before they could say anything, Neo looked at each of them with an apologetic expression, before she simply shattered entirely, leaving behind only pink glass fragments, which dissolved upon contact. A wave of despondency washed over them like a rising tsunami.
"…What just happened…?" Ruby asked, blinking in disbelief. "…Did I do something wrong?"
Silence. It lasted for a daunting moment, before Rylee quietly spoke up.
"I didn't want to say it earlier…because it feels like private information…but I think we need to understand what's causing Neo to act like this if we're going to be able to help."
"So, you mean you know what's traumatising her?" Oberon asked.
"Not exactly. But I think it has something to do with that dream I saw. This'll sound crazy, but…Ruby was in that dream. Something…bad… happened when she drank from a teacup. Maybe when she saw Ruby take a sip of her tea, it triggered some kind of flashback to that moment…?"
Writer's Note:
Thanks for reading this far. I hope you've enjoyed what I've written. Thank you for your reviews, thoughts and views as well. Things have finally gotten into motion. The board is set, the pieces stand ready. With that being said, it is time to play the first move. Unfortunately for our protagonist, she still doesn't know which colour pieces are hers.
Eagle-eyed readers might have noticed that this chapter is different to the others. That is because it is the only chapter so far which doesn't feature Neo's perspective or direct thoughts. Just what others saw or thought of her in the moment. I wonder...is this an omen of things to come?
