Heya guys, it's been a little bit, but I promise I wasn't slacking off! I finally graduated with my degree in psychology, then after that I decided I was unhappy with the next few chapters and reworked them almost completely. But I'm proud of them now, so here ya go
"Good morning, Caspian. You slept for eight hours and four minutes. Would you like to see this morning's top news stories?"
Caspian pushed himself upright until he sat, rubbing sleep from his eye. A red light blinked across the wall of his darkened room, coming from the device on his headboard. A Breaking News alert, he realized. It could mean quite a few things- some celebrity's passing, a natural disaster, or, more recently, a Grimm attack.
"Yes," he confirmed out of curiosity.
"Six night employees have been injured after an industrial complex owned by Nautilus Incorporated was robbed overnight. Eyewitness testimony suggests the attack was perpetrated by the Red Claw, though authorities declined further comment. Losses include five Ray-Class airships and twenty units of combustion dust, estimated at 4.5 million lien. Anyone who has seen the airships is strongly encouraged to call the Port Cyrreine Emergency Line."
"4.5 Million?" Caspian repeated to himself in disbelief. "...This can't be good."
After classes, and the regular lunch at The Roots, Caspian was back in his room and in front of his mirror. A nice sweater, his favorite pair of khakis and best shoes, a spray or two of cologne. But still, did he look good enough for his first date ever? Every time he thought about it, his heart would beat faster and he'd have to take a few breaths to brace himself. He straightened his glasses and took a deep breath, finally turning around and making his way to the door.
His glasses were immediately knocked askew by Noxis.
"Oh- Sorry," Caspian said with a shy nod of the head.
Noxis's hair was untied, and the usual tousled spikes atop his head were flattened. He looked down at Caspian with little more than a grunt.
"You, uh, weren't in class today," Caspian noted.
"Yeah. I was tired."
"Oh, well, I have all the stuff we worked on today. I can send it to you."
"Sure, thanks," with the shutting of his door, the conversation ended. The whole interaction struck Caspian as a little odd, but his date with Cattleya was more pressing.
"For two, please," Caspian greeted the young woman at the counter.
"I'd like a table with a window, too," Cattleya added.
As Caspian waited for a table to open, he admired the restaurant's atmosphere. Marble floors, floor-to-ceiling windows along the wall that faced the shore, and a bar next to a rack of undoubtedly expensive wines. All the hallmarks of a high-end establishment. Every surface seemed to shine with the dim light of candles and wall torches. From somewhere past the bar, a piano played.
Upon being seated, Caspian switched from admiring the restaurant to his date. Her low-cut purple dress complimented her hair, and the light of the candle between the two danced in her eyes.
"Hm, we're late," Cattleya remarked.
"Yeah, I guess I should've expected a wait like that on a Friday, sorry," Caspian responded.
Cattleya undid her Holoband. She laid it flat, and extended a screen from it until it became a small tablet. She held it out to Caspian. "Can you take a picture of me?"
"Oh, sure," Caspian agreed. He took a few seconds to frame the shot, and took it. "I can't believe I've never asked this," he said, returning her device. "What made you decide to come to Sentinel?"
"It's a good way to make connections," Cattleya responded. "I see the way your sister's treated, she's basically a celebrity."
"Yeah, she's not a big fan of it though," Caspian added. He ran back through what he had just said. Was it dismissive? Overly negative? Those were her aspirations, and he had just cut them down. "...Maybe you'll like it more though!" he added with a smile.
"Maybe. Hey, could you take another one?" she asked, running fingers through her hair. "My hair was uneven." Caspian complied a few more times, until Cattleya was satisfied. She leaned back to poke at her Holoband.
"Do you know what you're gonna get?" Caspian asked.
"Not yet, no."
"The grilled salmon is their most famous dish, but I've heard the seafood salads are surprisingly good too," Caspian offered. He looked over his old-fashioned paper menu. "Oh man, the prices aren't even on here," he added with a chuckle. "That's not a good sign!"
"You're rich though, right?" Cattleya prodded.
"Oh, yeah. We don't need to worry about the prices," Caspian assured. The waiter came, and the two ordered. The plates followed some conversation, but after snapping a picture of her meal, Cattleya looked dissatisfied.
"Is everything alright?" Caspian checked.
"It's so... small," Cattleya noted.
"Do you want something else?" Caspian offered. "They have a lot of soups and salads and stuff too."
"Waiter," she called, flagging one down. "I'd like another menu."
"Oh, of course!" the waiter complied with a slight bow and a smile. She gave one. "I'll be right back for you."
"I'll just be a minute," Cattleya insisted. The waiter paused, glancing to the older couple a few tables down. After a minute or two, Cattleya looked up. "I'll do the sauteed abalone. With the caviar topping."
The bill for their meal came out to a few hundred lien, plus a generous tip. They took the Main Line, the underwater subway between Sentinel and Downtown, back to the academy. As night had fallen, the water was an inky black.
"Wanna come back to my dorm?" Cattleya asked, once the lights of Cedar Hall were visible on the hill.
Caspian started. Back to her dorm, he reflected. Was that code for something? He realized he had absolutely no frame of reference, but the date seemed to have gone well.
"Oh- uh. Yeah, sure," he stammered.
Caspian and Cattleya made their way to Cedar Hall. Upon arriving at the door at the end of the third-floor hallway, Cattleya raised her Holoband to the lock sensor, and the two made their way inside. It looked much like Team CRLN's, but with a less
impressive view and a sofa in the corner. A familiar girl sat at the side opposite the door, turning to Caspian as it opened. Moka, Caspian was fairly certain.
She grinned and stood to greet Caspian as he followed Cattleya into the room. "Hey! You're the guy who saved all those people during the Entrance Exam!" she recognized. "I'm so glad you got in! I was actually interviewed by the news that day. I was totally on your side, but they ended up not using my interview because I got all worked up and ended up using some language they didn't want airing."
"Moka," Cattleya interrupted.
"You know? They show news every night about murder and crime, but accidentally drop one F-bomb and the microphone is ripped away faster than a-"
"Moka. We're going to be needing the couch."
"Okay, so just the living area," Caspian assessed. "I can handle that much."
Moka nodded. "Okay, okay. I should probably get some homework done anyway," she replied, turning back to the couch to close her behemoth of a laptop and shove it into her bag. "You know I'm actually more productive when I'm at the library. When I'm around here I always get distracted. Oh! But it's raining now, so maybe I'll just go down to The Roots. If it's not too loud I should be able to-"
"Just go."
"...She seems nice," Caspian noted once the door was shut and locked.
"You don't have to live with her," Cattleya argued. "Gods, she's obnoxious. Like, she never stops talking. Plus, she's brought back like six different guys since the start of the year, and spends every other weekend who-knows-where."
"Huh," was all Caspian had to offer. She really did seem nice though, and he felt bad for ousting her so bluntly. He didn't even get the chance to thank her for her support. Not that it was entirely his fault- she was talking so fast it was near impossible to get a word in edgewise.
Moka walked through The Roots with dinner in one hand, and the largest coffee the Skye Café would sell in the other. It was the dining hall's peak hours, and every table was either filled or dirty.
"Caspian would abandon us on a night like this?" a young man's voice lamented. "There's too much to discuss! Does he know what's at stake?"
"What happened last night is troubling," the white-haired girl next to him agreed, her voice hardly surpassing a whisper.
Moka turned her head, smiling as she made eye contact with the lanky redheaded boy at the far end of the circular table. She approached him, and the two that sat next to him. "Hey! You're Caspian's friends, right?"
"That's us!" Rowan confirmed.
Snow cocked her head. "Who are you?"
"I'm Moka, Cattleya's partner! Nice to meet you guys."
"Allow us to introduce ourselves," Rowan greeted. He began to indicate his friends one at a time. "This is Snow. A girl of few words, and fewer emotions. This is Ichigo, our obligatory hacker friend. And I'm Rowan. When Cas isn't around, I lead this group."
"We never put that to a vote," Snow contended. "All leadership decisions must be approved by at least a three-to-one majority."
"Maybe Snow should be second in command..." Ichigo pondered.
Rowan ignored him. "We are the Knights of the Round Table!"
"More like the Nerds of the Round Table!" Moka teased.
"That was corny and you know it," Rowan accused.
"Yeah, I'll own it. It was bad," the faunus admitted. "Do you guys mind if I sit here?"
Rowan's eyes widened a bit. He looked between Ichigo and Snow for a few seconds before offering her a seat.
"Were you guys talking about those ships that got stolen?" Moka inquired. She raised her coffee up to her lips and tilted her head back for several seconds. "That's crazy, right? Four and a half million lien!"
"And it's the first time the Red Claw has done much of anything since we started here," Ichigo added. "I'm a little worried about the fact they have airships now..."
"It's just a few of 'em though, right?" Rowan attempted to soothe.
"Five Ray-Class airships and twenty containers of combustion dust were reported stolen," Snow recalled. "Not only does combustion dust power airships, it is also highly volatile."
"...So, what brings you down here, anyway?" Rowan asked, looking to the newcomer opposite him.
The table shook as Moka set her laptop down in front of her. "I just came down to eat and get some homework done, don't mind me!"
"How old is that thing?" Ichigo marvelled, leaning in with a dumbstruck look.
"I got her used when I was like twelve, so... I don't know!" Moka answered. "But after all this time, Ol' Bessie's still kickin."
"I gotta admit, that's impressive..."
By the end of the night, Cattleya had cuddled up to Caspian on the couch. He was uneasy at first, not knowing the first thing about how to position himself, or where his hands should go. He was certain she could feel his pounding heart. He eventually became used to it, and admittedly, it felt good to finally have someone to hold.
Later into the night than he expected, Caspian decided it was best he headed back. He gathered his things, and stood by the door to bid a goodnight. Cattleya followed him.
"Well I had a really good time tonight," Caspian concluded with a slight nod.
Cattleya stepped toward him, a smile drawing across her lips. "I did too. Want to do this again sometime?"
"Oh- yeah! Of course," Caspian stammered. He held his arms out awkwardly for a hug, and Cattleya accepted.
After a few seconds, she pulled back slowly, smile still on her face. Caspian's eyes widened as she began to pull him in and she raised her chin, eyes closing with lips pursed.
Still not knowing exactly how, Caspian followed her lead.
The oblong hull of the Bluefin-Class airship descended into the alcove at the crest of a skyscraper in Port Cyrreine. Headmaster Skye sat passenger in the cockpit, his eyes narrowing behind his glasses as they approached. The words "Nautilus Incorporated" loomed in front of the window.
"Biometric scan required," a mechanical voice prompted from the control panel. A blank screen appeared between the pilot and the Headmaster, who planted his hand evenly upon it.
"Sending biometric data. Please wait." With a slight pulse, the screen flashed green. "Clearance granted."
Fins of white steel folded out from within the structure, supplying the ship a place to land. A broad door, which had previously opened to a fall of several hundred feet, slid open, revealing a sleek corridor of chrome and azure. The Headmaster's steps and the beat of his cane echoed as he approached the end of the hall alone, and arrived at a final door. He raised his hand to it, and was allowed in.
Windows swept across the far wall, granting the office a panoramic view of the bay. Only a handful other buildings crept up to rival the height of the office, including Frontline's own headquarters a couple miles toward the sea. Inside, an android woman stood at the side of a tall black desk, under a glowing hologram globe.
"Headmaster Skye. You've arrived," greeted a dainty, refined looking man with tightly groomed dark hair, and a tailored seafoam blazer to match his eyes.
"Delmar," Headmaster Skye acknowledged. He turned to another, bald and seemingly twice the size of the first in both height and breadth. His suit was a stone grey, and a salt and pepper beard covered his broad chin. "Griswold."
"Go on, have a seat," the man named Delmar welcomed. "Would you care for anything to drink?"
"I don't need anything, thank you."
"Well then, I see no reason to drag our feet any longer," Delmar addressed. "Several of my airships have been stolen by the Red Claw. We need to address safety concerns for the upcoming Vytal Festival, and the loss of property."
"I have no concerns about the safety of the Vytal Tournament," Griswold Baine assured in his husky voice. "Headmaster Skye and I have already agreed on an extension of existing safety measures, which includes a hundred more Organic Androids than originally planned."
"Your androids were in my shipyard when we were robbed," Delmar pressed. "If I can't trust them to watch over a few airships, how can we be certain about the Vytal Festival?!"
"You've registered the ships' serial numbers, correct?" Headmaster Skye inquired. "You must be able to track them down some way. If you're unable to recover them, if any ship with a matching serial number comes close to Port Cyrreine during the Festival, we'll have advance warning."
"I can track them down. That is exactly why I called you here today," Delmar hinted.
The Headmaster's look prompted elaboration.
"You own Sentinel Academy, the finest huntsman institution in Vale," he said. "You've got a wealth of young talent, and a handful of professionals at your disposal as well. You should have no issue taking them back."
"Can I expect compensation?"
"Compen- Do you know how much was stolen from me last night?" Delmar snapped, wringing his hands in an attempt to regain his composure.
"The estimates said 4.5 million lien," the Headmaster recalled.
"No small sum, to be sure, but it couldn't have put you in too desperate a spot," Griswold added.
"That was wrong. The real losses are nearly three times that. The number was downplayed to ease public concern."
Headmaster Skye nodded in understanding.
"You know what else went unreported?" Delmar pressed.
"Enlighten me."
"The Red Claw stole gear I was commissioned to produce by Vale's military. Guns. Ammunition. Dust-powered anti-aircraft weaponry. No one is supposed to know about half of the shit they stole, let alone own it." He leaned in. "Your compensation is this city's well-being."
Headmaster Skye sighed. "Alright. Track them for me, and get back to me with a location so I can send someone to stake it out," he decided. "We'll have everything returned by the end of the week."
Griswold Baine and Headmaster Skye walked toward the airship pad together, leaving Delmar in his office. Just before the door, Griswold stopped the Headmaster with a hand on his shoulder.
"Excuse me for pressing, but have you lent anymore thought to my proposal?" he inquired.
Headmaster Skye bowed his head, then looked up to the suited man with a single nod. "I'm in."