Sound asleep with her purple hair in a braid, Lavender was curled up and laying on Baren's lap. The old warrior sitting with her legs crossed while leaning back against the couch. Her left hand gently resting on the small girl's shoulder. Her eyes closed as she quietly listened to the sound of an older video game. Breathing softly, she very faintly smiled at the sound of footsteps.
"Lav, what the heck? Why didn't you wake me? It's nearly your bedtime and I haven't even made dinner yet. What's-" And old man with gray hair that had streaks of red stepped out in a red shirt, gray sweatpants and slippers. His brow furrowing as he tensed up at the sight of a stranger in his house. "Who the hell-" He stopped himself then slowly blinked. "Blaire...?"
"So little Reed is the big man in Moss Manor now, huh?" She let out a soft chuckle, shaking her head as she looked over. "I honestly never thought I'd see that day. Though, I guess you're not so little anymore." She chuckled a bit more with a grin. "And it's just Baren now."
Blinking, he stood still for a moment in disbelief. Taking a few seconds to fully process everything, he quickly shook his head. Flashing his teeth, he narrowed his eyes at his granddaughter. "Lavender!" He shouted, his voice rumbling as he walked towards them.
Jerking awake with wide eyes, the small girl jumped up to her feet and stumbled slightly. "Gr-Grandpa! I-I was just taking a nap!" She glanced out the window at the darkened sky. "U-Um, Auntie Baren came over to visit you but you were asleep!"
"Have I ever even mentioned Blaire to you?! You let a complete stranger through the gate!" He crossed his arms and glared.
"Actually," Baren held up her hand. "I jumped the gate. She just let me through the door."
He blinked, a small noise escaping his mouth as his eyebrow twitched. With his nostrils flaring, he turned away from her and back towards his granddaughter. "You let a stranger into the house!?"
"Well... um... yes, but no..." She glanced down, loose strands of her purple hair falling over her eyes. "She said she was family... so I thought it was fine... and she seems nice..." She swallowed, nervously poking her fingers together. "She played games with me like you do..."
"That... Hrmg!" He reached up, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Lavender..." He groaned out before rubbing his face. "Just..." He took a deep breath and pointed. "Go make me a thing Griffy Pop. And grab a bottle of bourbon while you're at it."
"Yes, sir." She mumbled softly before scurrying away.
Raising an eyebrow, Baren leaned back with her left arm resting over the back of the couch. "She calls you sir?"
"When she knows she's in trouble." He crossed his arms, standing up straight as his jaw tightened. "What the fuck are you doing here?" He finally let out, tapping his finger against his arm.
She grinned, her nostrils flaring as she exhaled. "Well you seem a little upset. Do you need a kiss like when you were a little boy? Will that make you feel better, Weedy?"
"I told you to stop calling me that decades ago." He moved his hands to his sides while stepping forward.
"And what are you going to do about it?" She stood up, her arm moving behind her back as she came face to face with him. "Huh, Weedy?"
He let out a low growl, flashing his teeth. He narrowed his eyes, glaring at her smug expression for a few seconds before sighing. He shook his head, softly exhaling before reaching out and wrapping his arms around her. "Damn, you're still a smart ass bitch."
"I prefer the term fun, if anything." Baren chuckled, hugging him in return with her sole arm while patting his back.
He scoffed, shaking his head as he pulled away. His expression softening. "It's been a while. A long while..." He motioned with his hand, slowly sitting down on one end of the couch. "I haven't seen you since... the incident in Mistral. Since your wounds healed up. I just assumed..."
She inhaled slowly before sitting down beside him. "Well you assumed wrong." She smiled towards him. "You can't kill me. Nobody can kill me. When I die, it will be on my own terms. Not someone else's."
"So what exactly happened to you? What have you been doing?" Reed raised an eyebrow. "And why decide to come and visit now after so long?"
"I was around. I'm traveling with a young protegee of mine and her friends. We're heading to Vytal and were passing through Mantle. I thought I might as well make the trip up here." She took a deep breath. "I don't know if I'll ever be around here again. I prefer the solitude and peacefulness of the forests in Sanus over this concrete and technological jungle."
"Hmm." He exhaled, slowly nodding. He then scoffed, shaking his head. "A protegee, huh? I never expected that from you. It's hard to imagine you settling down and teaching someone. You've never been the teaching time in all the years I've known you."
"I've actually done it twice." She chuckled softly to herself, her shoulders bouncing slightly. "Eight years or so after I lost my arm, I had spent the last of my lien on a bottle of sake." She sighed a bit, lowering her head slightly. "My clothes were rags. My hair was knotted, not like I could cut it anyway. I think I had finally given up. But..." She exhaled, smiling a bit as she shook her head. "She was a young girl, twelve I believe. Green hair, just like Wuile."
Baren shook her head, smiling to herself as she leaned back a little. "She and a few other kids were picking on a Faunus. Mainly the others were doing it, not her really. Though I didn't really care back then. I got up, stumbled, dropped my bottle and it shattered and startled them. I'm assuming they saw the hostility in my eyes because after that they all scattered. Well, except for her. Instead of running, she stepped over to help me stand. She saw my distress and wanted to help. Even offered to take me back to her home which surprisingly enough was built on the floating islands over Lake Matsu. Both her parents were Huntsmen and they definitely liked living on the edge."
She moved her arm over her chest, staring down at her feet. She closed her eyes, scoffing softly as she grinned. "She helped me out of my rut, and in return I taught her to wield a katana in one hand. Or in her case, a katana in each hand. She also adored your wrestling career and barehanded fights against Grimm. I'll never know how." She shook her head, rolling it back. "And then somehow two decades later, I end up with her rebellious daughter."
"I see..." Reed nodded slowly then began to chuckle a bit. "So you did keep up to date with me after you left. How sweet. I knew you had a soft spot. I knew you couldn't resist me." His smile changed to that of a different kind. This one being much more playful.
"Hardly." She rolled her eyes. "I'm honestly surprised you have a granddaughter. Not to mention a child of your own and a wife."
"I'll have you know many women would fond over me in my youth." He crossed his arms. "And I had the strength to wait until I found the right one."
"Right, sure, of course you did." She smiled and nodded. "Because little Weedy would never try to kiss his big brother's girlfriend."
"It... it was one time. One time over forty years ago." He let out with a soft sigh, his head lowering between his shoulders. "Feels like a lifetime ago..."
"That's because it was." She softly added.
As the night went on, the two of them talked and talked. Catching each other up on the years they've missed. Violet fell back asleep on Baren's lap as the two old timers eventually fell asleep on the couch themselves. Morning came and despite the young girl's pleas for her to stay, the old warrior had to leave. Though not without promising to one day return to play Slum Brawlers V with her. And despite Reed's offers to give Baren a personal flight back down to Mantle, she had her own way to return to the city below...
Standing on the edge of Atlas, the old warrior stared down at the dimly lit city below. With her toes hanging over the edge, she slowly inhaled before closing her eyes. As the wind blew, it rustled against both her hair and clothes. She paused for a moment, taking everything in before she held her left arm outward. She leaned forward, pushing off with her heels as she fell forward. Keeping her arm straight, she slowly moved it up towards her head as her body began to flip over. Eventually, she began to fall with her back towards the ground. All three of her limbs pointed upward as her clothing and hair fluttered up. Her body crashing through an old worn down building. Laying still for a moment after she stopped falling, she sighed and sat up while dusting debris off herself. She went to stand, only to blink and stare at who she saw.
"What... what the FUCK?!" Kris shouted, her eyes wide as she kept herself as far away as possible with her back against the wall. Her hands trembling as she took several deep breaths.
Blinking, Baren glanced at her. Her brow furrowed as she eyed Elise who was pulled back in the corner of an aging couch with wide eyes and Cheyenne who was sitting on the floor in shock and frozen in a scrambled position. She quickly turned to face Kagami who was on one knee with her hand reaching for her weapon. "What did you do?" She asked bluntly while rising to her feet.
"Nothing!" She quickly defended herself. "Nothing I swear!" She slowly pulled back, clenching her jaw.
"Kagami..." She flashed her teeth, slowly approaching her.
"Nothing...?" She squeaked out while raising an eyebrow. She awkwardly smiled, letting out a weak chuckle as she sunk down.
"I hate all of you." Kagami mumbled as she and her team walked down the streets of Mantle during the late hours of the night. Her left hand gently rubbing at the back of her head.
"We were just telling her the truth..." Kris quietly defended herself while gesturing with her hands.
"At least it didn't bruise." Elise chimed in.
She groaned softly, pressing a little harder on her head. "I feel a bump."
"And you wonder why Kris told her you attacked Caesar." Cheyenne softly exhaled. "Baren is terrifying with that glare of hers."
"But I didn't- you know what, whatever! I give up!" She tossed her arms out. She took a deep breath, glancing around at the street signs. "We're almost there... come on." She spoke quietly as the four of them stepped into the shadows.
The four of them after a more than disgraceful Huntsman helping arm Rey and his misguided revolution.
Walking silently through a dark alley, the four girls made their way towards a back door. Stepping up by it, Cheyenne gripped the handle and took a deep breath. The metal rusting away. Her fingers tightened as she forced a quick turn. There was a loud snap before the door quietly began to creak open. "Remember, Azure wants him in good shape..." She whispered.
"Yeah, yeah. No kicking his ass." Kris softly exhaled, slowly taking point as she switched her red and white weapons to green and black. "Just... a quick knockout..." She trailed off, blinking as her foot kicked something. Or someone. She pulled back, her eyes going wide at the sight of an unconscious Atlas soldier. "What...?" She quietly let out.
Narrowing her eyes, Kagami switched her sword into a reverse grip. Cautiously, she moved farther into the small weapons shop. Stepping over an unconscious thug, she swallowed slightly at the state of the shop. A fight had clearly happened. Boxes of ammo were scattered all over and glass was shattered. Sighing, she slid her weapon away.
"What even happened here?" Elise quietly asked, sliding her baton away as she spotted another Atlas soldier and brute unconscious on the floor.
"Well on a good note," Kris chuckled, stepping towards the counter as she leaned over. "Our little arms dealer is back here." She pointed before standing up straight and holding out her hands. "Makes our job a whole lot easier. And Azure has another one of Rey's goons behind bars."
"But aren't you worried about what happened here?" The deer Faunus glanced towards her, her hand resting on the handle of her war club. "We don't know who did this. It could be an ally or-" She was cut off, a voice interrupting her from the shadows of the shop.
"I'm hardly an ally, little girl." The condescending voice of Cin Astro echoed in the darkness, bouncing off the walls of the building. He slowly stepped out, his hand trailing across a shelf and knocking a few items off. Each of them falling to the floor and clattering. "It's been a while..." He grinned, reaching behind with his left hand to pull out his flask. His eyes trailing towards Kagami before back at the others.
"Did you do this?" Elise demanded, taking a step forward towards him.
He chuckled, flashing his teeth before taking a very long sip. "No. I didn't raise a single fist." He eyed his flask, looking at it before sliding away. "Though, I may have instigated it." He gestured with his hand, a smug and cocky look in his eyes. "It's been a while, hasn't it." He looked back towards Kagami. "Oh you never would have imagined my surprise when I saw you of all people here of all places."
The jadette stared at him for a moment, her brow furrowing as she took a step away.
"Do you... know him?" Kris raised an eyebrow towards her leader.
"No?" She let out in a confused tone before eyeing the man again.
"Really? Really now? You don't remember the man whose life you ruined all those years ago." Cin let out another chuckle, running his left hand through his blonde hair as he flashed his teeth. "How about I ring a few bells, hmm? I still have a lesson to teach you for attacking first."
She tilted her head, staring at him for a moment. Confusion filling her eyes before something seemed to click in them. That arrogant voice. The smell of alcohol. Her body pulled away, her eyes widening as her face paled more than usual. Her pupils dilating and shaking as her vision began to blur slightly. Her fingers trembling as they began to sweat.
"Ah, there's that look." He grinned, leaning his head over as he crossed his arms. "Oh I've been waiting so long to see that look."
"Kagami?" Elise stepped towards her leader, grabbing her wrist and pulling her around. "Kagami, are you okay? Who is-" She blinked, her friend's eyes locking with hers. In an instant, she disappeared into a cloud of smoke, leaving the three of them behind. "Kagami?!"
"Alright!" Kris raised both her weapons and took aim. "Who the hell are you?!"
"A simple man." He smiled back and began to step away. "Hmm... Kagami..." He muttered under his breath before glancing out the front window at flashing lights. "I'd advise leaving before you get in trouble." He winked. "Till next time."
The three girls all glanced at each other, Elise eventually sighing as she darted towards the back door followed by Cheyenne. The red head kept her glare, her jaw clenching. "I don't like you." She spat out before quickly retreating.
Having left before, it didn't take long for Kagami to stumble back inside the worn down building she and her friends were hiding in. She couldn't breathe. Her entire body was shaking uncontrollably. She couldn't think. Her heart was pounding inside her head. The smallest of sounds were overwhelming. Falling to her knees, her head sunk between her shoulders as she wrapped her arms around herself. She lowered her head, her hair covering her eyes as her shoulders began to bounce.
A few seconds later, Baren quickly slid next to her, both her eyes wide. "Kagami? Hey!" She raised her voice before lowering it. "Okay, okay." She took a deep breath, leaning forward and wrapping her arm around her. "Let it out. I need you to calm down before speaking." She swallowed, her hand moving towards the back of the girl's head. Worry filling her eyes.
So this has nothing to do with MACE and you can just skip it and it will be fine, it's just something that happened earlier today that I feel deserves to be shared with the world.
For the sake of this story I'm going to call this woman Stacey. I don't know her real name but after we left the store my father had a Coke with the name Stacey on it. And so yep.
Anyway, for some context, my parents are old and can't do much on their own and have poor money management skills. I do my best since planning and doing things precisely is a strong skill of mine but things are still a little bumpy.
On Sundays we go to the store so get things we need. This week it was mainly laundry and person hygiene stuff along with whatever my dad wanted to put in the cart. But before we went to the store I drove my dad to the gas station because he needed a carton of cigarettes. Which he got using his credit card.
Well at the store I'm waiting up front after getting everything we need for my dad to get done getting whatever he wants. While I'm waiting there an older woman with like six things in her cart accidentally cuts in front of Stacey. Stacey says it's fine because she has a full cart compared to her six items and lets her go ahead. I stand there and smile because I would normally do this for people as well. And I'm just happy someone else does it too.
As Stacey keeps moving to find another line, my dad shows up and we get in line. Stacey gets in line behind us. The cashier rings everything up and it's XXX amount. My dad goes to use his credit card again but this time it bounces. I have really bad social anxiety and I'm like "oh shit." He attempts to use my mom's credit card but that also bounces. At this point my anxiety is dying on the inside. My dad tells the cashier to put everything aside and he'll be back he just needs to go get cash from the bank real quick.
And Stacey who is behind us steps forward and really softly asks how much it is. The cashier says XXX amount and then she offers to pay for all of it. My dad tries to tell her it's okay and he just needs to go to the bank but she insists and moves up towards the register.
At this moment my anxiety got to me. I couldn't speak and honestly I don't even think I understood English in the moment because Stacey was talking and I didn't get any of it. My dad thanked her multiple times before we ended up leaving. It wasn't until I got to the car I calmed down and realized I didn't say thank you. I tried putting the groceries into the car as slowly as possible along with slowly walking the cart up but she still hadn't come out by the time I finished and I had to leave.
So now I'm sitting here wishing my social anxiety wouldn't have stopped me from saying thank you to Stacey. I feel like a terrible person for not. It might not seem like much but it honestly meant a lot. She'll never know how much. And well, that's it. It was just one of those moments you see in movies and shows and think it'll never happen in real life but somehow it does. And with everything that is happening in the world it seems fair to share the goodness in the world.
That's it though. Merry early Christmas if I don't post again by then. Here's your friendly reminder to be nice to people, even if they're strangers and even if they don't deserve it. You never know how much something can mean to someone.