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I am making no money from this.
Chapter 64: Welcome Distractions
A matter of weeks had passed and for those students of Breaktide Academy who had been present for the events at the Crater, where the lives of many of the frighteningly devout worshippers of Grimm had been lost though a larger crisis had ultimately been averted, with the remnants of Salem's domain being left undisturbed albeit more thoroughly watched in case of further attempts to trespass and in that time life had steadily resumed a sense of scheduled normalcy, or as close to one as could be attained for those who sought to spend their lives battling against monsters that were literally the stuff of nightmares manifested in the physical realm; this routine was not as it had been however, a change owed to both interpersonal developments and to a much greater extent the ever increasing demands placed on the students by their Professors who had now abandoned every pretence and were driving home just how much more exacting the second year curriculum was and by the students themselves who, as was befitting of their status as students of such a prestigious school made sure to routinely push themselves harder and further in an effort to better themselves and be prepared for the next challenge to arise, no matter what it might be.
Especially with the next major challenge looming on the horizon being the qualifiers for the Vytal Tournament.
Of Team MARZ it was surprisingly Regalia who had tackled the ever-increasing expectations with the most aplomb and whilst the Racoon Faunus may not have been as well versed in academia as her peers she was fortunate enough to have a support structure in place in the form of friends who could come to her aid, with her own physical talents and single-minded determination being more than enough to carry her in other regards. Her sudden burst of verve had been as simple as it had been inspiring to watch, redoubling with each offhanded comment regarding the upcoming tournament and the travel to Neo Vale that it would require; for much of her life Regalia had wanted to be a Hunter and had absorbed as much of the culture of the Kingdoms through their media as she could whilst not being a part of them whilst at the same time inheriting the wanderlust common to her people and the prospect of competing in the Vytal Tournament, travelling to a place where she would be amongst prospective Hunters from all across Remnant and performing amongst them was simply everything she had ever wanted.
Athena-Jade and Zirconia had been as dutiful and meticulous in their studies as ever though a shift in their focus had been noted on by several of the people who were around them regularly as the two continued to act on their mutual feelings for one another in what little capacity they could, given their hectic and overly busy schedules. No titles had been used to describe their situation and the two had been careful to keep their displays of affection private lest they be seen by any prying or opportunistic vulture who might give details to the press and make the lives of the two young women, both accustomed to avoiding such things, harder than they needed to be whilst they were out in public on what they had jokingly come to an agreement and called 'Not-dates' as though the idea of calling them anything else were still somehow a tentative step too far. These 'not-dates' had been infrequent however, with the last instance being over a week ago as the two of them had been gradually overwhelmed by assignments, their own training and the brutal regimen of additional preparations that Astra was subjecting them to in preparation for both the tournament and any further missions that the senior staff of the academy deigned to entrust them with.
It was almost enough for the rest of Team MARZ to wish that the Deer Faunus were not taking their role so much more seriously than they had.
Astra was, in no uncertain terms becoming obsessed with improvement by any means once again though this time it was in a mercifully less self destructive manner than their attempts to unlock their Semblance through trial, error and sheer force of will had been. The leader of Team MARZ had, as part of their ongoing efforts to fully step into the role that they had been given and make amends for their failures and transgressions, perceived and otherwise begun studying every possible thing that they felt might give themselves and their team an advantage in the coming trials to such a degree that their friends would likely have found it far more irksome if Astra were not so earnest in their enthusiasms. Another facet of this newly rediscovered drive however was undoubtedly to do with their ongoing awkwardness with Wolfram Ironside; Astra and their now ex-boyfriend had, as they had promised one another tried with every honest intention to return to a friendship as close as possible to what they had previously enjoyed yet had been unable to entirely realise that goal. The pair spoke and were friendly enough on a regular basis, unavoidable given their shared classes and the proximity of their dormitories however their attempts to reconcile and continue in their usual friendly competitiveness had developed something of a tendency to go awry as neither team leader was willing to back down, creating an atmosphere of overly hostile tension where the two seemed far more like bitter ex-partners than either of them would like.
With another instance of such behaviour beginning to brew.
"All of it, you're seriously taking all of it?" Wolfram demanded, gesturing to the stockpile of Hard-Light Dust that Astra had requisitioned which was currently piled, with some consideration for safety atop their bench within the campus workshop which the Second Year students were currently occupying, their schedule accommodating time for weapon maintenance whilst Astra themselves merely rolled sea-green eyes at the sight of Wolfram's annoyance and countered with a shrug.
"It's been cleared, it there's a problem take it up with someone who can sign off for stuff-"
"I'm taking it up with you because you're the one sat there clearing everyone out of resources we need, right when the qualifiers are getting close-"
"No I'm taking the Hard-Light Dust, because I've got two shields with a Hard-Light generator in each….Same shields I've been using for over a year now, pretty sure you've noticed them at some point" Astra huffed, the challenge that came with Wolfram's insinuations about them possibly sabotaging the competition bringing the Deer Faunus to their feet; although the sight was less impressive than it might have been were the Deer Faunus a few inches taller.
"And that means what, that nobody else can experiment or upgrade our weapons because you've claimed the entire supply….You're on a team with one of Weiss Schnee's kids; you can't get your own Dust?" Wolfram's demand was enough to bring a scowl to Astra's features as they considered bringing team-mates and worse still families' into discussions or petty bickering marked the crossing of a line; the Deer Faunus however kept their cool and simply responded with another, more mockingly confident shrug.
"I get pretty privilege, deal with it" they gestured to Wolfram's bench where Berserker lay partly dismantled "I don't even get why you'd need to put Hard-Light Dust in that anyway….You've literally got a shield for a Semblance, how did you forget Wolfie you've made it your new go to move in every sparring match or training simulation for a month"
"Jackass" Wolfram snorted, some of their irritation leaving them as Astra's taunting almost perversely managed to calm them and restore things to a more normal level and remind him that the two were only having a minor disagreement, even if the chuckles from classmates as they noted that he had indeed become a little predictable in his strategies of late grated on his sense of self importance.
"Go check with Laser" Astra flashed a wicked grin "I'm sure they've got some Dust they've stolen….It might have been hidden in a sock for a while though, handle with care"
"I mean it's true but you shouldn't say it!" the clarion call of Laser's nasal voice cut through the workshop, proving that he had heard the comment and reduced the entire class to a fit of laugher in a rare instance of the blondes' thievery going unchallenged, largely because it was unknown exactly who the hypothetical Dust had been pilfered from and Wolfram, in a moment of daring brazenness took the opportunity to reach over to Astra's pile of requisitioned Dust and seize a handful.
Only for Astra's hand to close around his wrist.
"You don't get everything you want" Wolfram growled, voice suddenly low and dangerous which only prompted Astra's smile to tighten as they leaned in, becoming positively feral as they hissed out a retort.
"Fight me for it" there was a moment of tense silence that followed, the entire class being well aware of the history between the pair and left waiting with bated breath, many of them taking care to move their own tools and goods out of harms way in case this comment to be proved the one which pushed weeks of sniping and needling with varying degrees of good nature into a more serious altercation; the sound of tools, components and chairs being moved providing cover for that of footsteps approaching and Astra in their distraction, even with their keen Faunus hearing did not notice the presence of someone behind them until it was too late.
Regalia's arms seized Astra by the middle and she lifted her partner without ceremony over her shoulder and began carrying them away.
"Heh, Athena says you two need a time out"
"What the fuck? Tell Athena she's a dumb-ass!" Astra's frenzied retort was barely audible beneath the uproar of laughter that had taken over the classroom, with even the chief engineer overseeing the workshop turning away to hide the fact that he was doubled over and in hysterics at the sight of a brewing confrontation being so spectacularly diffused; Regalia for her part continued carrying Astra away from Wolfram with the same impressive strength that had seen her able to bodily lift and throw Creatures of Grimm, quickly searching for a suitable movie quote to retort with and settling on one, which whilst not accurate would suffice for the moment.
"Hey! I'm no one's messenger boy alright? I'm a delivery boy" and with that she continued towards the other end of the workshop, where Athena and Zirconia were hiding their faces in shared embarrassment at the scene; the Regalia humming a song from the same movie as she went.
The years indeed did start coming and not stop coming.
Events on the island Kingdom of Menagerie a few weeks prior had facilitated Chairman Damascus Nero, under his guise of the Shadowy Benefactor to reach out an establish contact with the former Doctor whose disgraced and discredited nature had done little to curb his respect for her, the presumably recently renamed and reinvented Aefen Cruor.
Someone whose expertise and insight promised to overcome some of the obstacles currently preventing Nero's greater vision from being brought into fruition.
The time that had passed had been spent largely in the roles that were beginning to feel steadily more and more like mere costumes to be worn instead of a true persona regardless of how closely they may or may not resemble what he considered to be his true self, or what he might be if tragedy and circumstances had not demanded that he grow and strive for the sake of all of Remnant; namely it was those parts of himself with which he entertained the public, or outsiders in limited capacity that been exercised of late as he had, against his own wishes but with encouragement and assurances that it would do him well from Zirconia conducted his more legitimate businesses in a more public forum. He had allowed himself to be interviewed by a handful of reporters from various sources, from those who sought to market his successes and turn them into a product in their own right which could in turn be sold to those with aspirations of wealth for its' own sake which had left a foul taste in his mouth as he found himself reminded of those who hoarded their obscene influence and did little to benefit the people with it, the Schnee families and the Antonia Arcs of Remnant, then to more constructive and tolerable if not enjoyable discussions on the matters of the various charities and foundations that he had either founded or directly aided across the Kingdom of New Vale which had been managed in a way to ensure that the outlets involved were those who would be most supportive of his greater goals when the time came to realise them, whilst naturally doing or saying nothing that could raise suspicions and taking great care to carefully redirect any conversation that bluntly broached the subjects of Grimm, Hunters or politics in general.
It would not do to make enemies just yet.
With the latest round of inane chatter from gossiping talk-show hosts whose content was malleable enough to fit any agenda concluded and endured, followed by meetings with the heads and other valued members of the Clara Die Novum Conglomerate and its' various subsidiaries to discuss the various takings, developments, mergers and acquisitions which would, unbeknownst to those speaking to him continue to fund his great work, Nero had finally been granted a reprieve and found the time to once again become the person that had been forged in the crucible of unspeakable pressure which existed just below the visible surface of his being at all times, the plotting architect guilty of crimes that he would once have been unable to countenance all in the name of the greater good.
A man who needed a lair and had chosen to give it a name as desperately juvenile in its' efforts to sound imposing as 'The Chamber'.
"I was beginning to think you weren't coming….That you'd had a change of heart and were going to swap all of this for luxury yacht somewhere; hell you could probably buy your own island and sail your hypothetical yacht there if those interviews are to be believed" it was the voice of Albion Herringbone which greeted him, expected and jovial as ever as the long-time friend, confidant and co-conspirator who was finding more enjoyment in his supposed role of mad-scientist than Nero was in his own position whirled around in his swivel chair in order to face the Chairman as he strode into the dimly lit Chamber, the light from the various screens of Albion's workstation framing him and allowing Nero only a brief glimpse at the specifics of what was being worked on.
"Maybe one day, when this is all over and we've made the Remnant that people deserve we'll be able to rest and I will buy a boat….Until then stop reading that nonsense and stop bothering Carmesi, he's not your errand boy"
"Right, right he's still your errand boy even after his mistakes put a city at risk" Albion snorted, lenses and golden frames of his glasses catching the many blinking lights of various computers and other machines as he shook his head.
"Carmesi's work, or rather the efforts of those I'm having him coordinate….As much as is possible, given their predisposition for sloppiness and disruption is something that will be important sooner or later, depending entirely on the efforts of yourself and Doctor Aefen" Nero replied evenly, his accent and stammer being allowed to filter ever so slightly into his speech in the company of an acquaintance who had known him for far longer than he had been managing his image to downplay such things.
"Nothing I hear from that loon makes me any more comfortable working with her" Albion noted with visible discomfort, running a hand through white hair which contrasted against his brown skin whilst his employer, whatever else their relationship might be remained unperturbed, though never entirely dismissive of the concern.
"She isn't one of the Path, or any of the truly dangerously deluded groups….Not in any way that counts for anything" Nero answered "From everything I can gather she isn't truly a believer, it was just convenient for her to use their….Do they consider it a religion, ideology? No matter, they were simply a convenient smokescreen amongst other things, all in the pursuit of her own goals"
"And if she attempts to use us in the same way?"
"Then she can be removed, it's us providing her people with the means to support themselves at the moment" Nero paused, blinking several times as he allowed a thoughtful scowl to make its' way across his face "I don't like that I said that, I don't like that I'm becoming a person who makes those kinds of decisions….I'm becoming like them, like the Hunters and their little cabals; tell me that you've made some progress?"
"Some" Albion was caught off-guard by the pleading note in his friends' voice and felt himself deflate as he added "But only through process of elimination….Aefen and I are slowly working towards a way to establish a channel of communication with the Grimm, through our specimen. Naturally I'm making sure that Aefen has as little concrete information regarding what we have as possible"
"Elimination is something" Nero breathed out "In the meantime I plan to speak to Carmesi, have him select promising recruits from the gangs that we supply….Patsies to act where he cannot be seen, it will soon begin to mobilise part of our plan; we can't afford to wait indefinitely-"
"This being the new additions to the plan?" Albion fought to keep a note of worry or accusation from his words, Nero detected it anyway and continued with a nod, hands spread wide in a calming gesture.
"Correct" he was thoughtful again, sombre as she weighed the severity of these new ideas "An intelligent Grimm, one that could communicate with us was of paramount importance….That Carmesi brought us one that by all accounts had enough intelligence to have desires of its' own and the ability to integrate itself into technology at that-"
"Is absolutely terrifying" Albion interjected "You should be terrified"
"Oh rest assured that I am, I worry about you every time I consider that you're here old friend" Nero answered with unshakeable certainty "But it presents opportunities to further our goals and change everything for the better, the kind of opportunity we cannot allow fear to dissuade us from taking"
"I agree with you" Albion sighed "And I know that we're ruined if the Hunters ever get wind of any of what we intend but these new adjustments-"
"They know nothing" Nero answered flatly "From the mouth of Ruby Rose herself, Zirconia asked her if there had been any developments following the little escapade that she and her team were taken on a few weeks ago"
"Using Zirconia like this-"
"Do you plan on undermining every decision I make?" Nero's scowled, the scarring along one side of his face which was hidden beneath his hair pulling the pallid skin pale as quartz eyes glinted in the gloom in sudden annoyance; Albion had once been amongst the most brazen of of their old group although that had changed in the years following the demise of Houndstooth.
"No" Albion managed a gentle chuckle "I just remember the days where you treated her as though she was made of glass….How we've all grown….Damn it all I don't want to be too old to enjoy our new world"
"You won't be" Nero assured him with a chuckle of his own "And rest assured that no matter how much faith and trust I place in Zirconia, no matter how much she proves to us all every day that she's grown into someone more capable than we could ever have imagined….I still worry about her even more than I do about you"
"Especially now that she's dating the daughter of two of the Hunters we suspect to be among those shadowy cabals"
"Especially now that she's dating" Nero answered with a thinly veiled shudder, the admission reminding him of his age and giving him plenty of cause for fatherly concern even without the qualifiers and specifics that Albion had added.
That it was the daughter of Weiss Schnee and Gangrel Slate his adopted daughter was so smitten with was another matter entirely.
With classes concluded for the day Team MARZ had since returned to their dormitory, intending to shower and change prior to beginning whatever plans they had made with the limited amount of their day that remained, Astra however was late in their return and was only now entering the dorm as the last of the days warmth began to slip away, something admittedly caused by the weather as much as the sun beginning to slip towards the horizon now that the last vestiges of late summer had been abandoned in favour of a climate that was only marginally less warm than it had been but suffered the added indignity of being painfully humid, the sky that could be seen through the small amount of window not obstructed by one of the two pairs of bunk beds being a dull, cast-iron grey bruised with the faintest purple as the muggy, damp and claustrophobic air promised rain and thunder.
The reason for the late return, trailing after their friends by a little over an hour was that Astra had chosen to workout before showering, a reasonable decision that had seen them leave their final lesson of the day and make their way to the lockers behind Professor Altan's classroom to retrieve a pair of sweatpants and matching hoodie, interrupting something between a pair of first year students whom they had been gracious enough to ignore without a word before jogging several laps of the academies grounds and using Aura to push themselves until their muscles burned and that same lactic burning began to purge the lingering pent-up energy and aggression that their mild spat with Wolfram had left them with, followed by a callisthenics routine which went some way towards clearing their head. Now that they had entered Team MARZ's dorm the Deer Faunus saw that plans had been made in their absence, though seeing was a more difficult prospect at that moment given the steamy mist permeating the air and making the dorm as oppressively muggy as the air outside and suggesting that the rest of Team MARZ had been flitting in and out of the bathroom whilst the shower was running.
"Am I missing something?" Astra asked, sea-green eyes sweeping the room as a mildly, yet still amusingly befuddled expression took over them at the sight of Regalia perched on Astra's bunk and almost vibrating with eagerness in anticipation of something her partner was entirely unaware of whilst below and across the dorm Athena-Jade was at her own bunk, wearing sensible and durable clothes whilst at the same time her bedsheets were barely visible beneath what seemed to be more clothing than Astra had ever seen in one place, an impressive feat given how often they had replaced their entire wardrobe as they sought to reinvent themselves until settling on a style that they felt was theirs albeit those re-imaginings had been possible through thrifting and trading whilst Athena-Jade was in the midst of trying to put together an outfit that would comprise several designer and expensive elements, based both on appearance and apparently by how easily she could fit it into a small bag that she planned on taking with her.
"You're missing half an antler, a clue….Home, maybe? Call your folks anyway" the Bear Faunus answered, teasing in their response even whilst thoroughly distracted in a way that only those who honed their skills by irritating an older sibling could be.
"They're going on a date" Regalia informed her partner in a stage whisper whilst her bushy tail swished behind her, voice returning to normal as she added "It's cute, we never see Athena look this nervous?"
"Seriously?" Astra snorted "Have you not been paying attention-"
"Pest!" Athena hissed, silencing Astra with a flung pillow which they deftly avoided "Help me out or shush, I'm stuck between these two outfits….Which do you think; come one she's gonna be finished any second now"
"I think" Astra mused, taking a moment to both genuinely consider the decision that had been thrust upon them and also to add some theatrical tension that would no doubt grate on Athena's nerves, all whilst being surprised, yet undeniably happy that she valued their opinion on the subject "First outfit, but throw on that jacket there"
"Ugh, this is why I should have called Coral. Am I twelve?" she demanded, slightly snout-like and inhuman nose that marked her out as Faunus more than the retractable claws of her fingers wrinkling in feigned disgust as she made for the second outfit and began quickly, yet meticulously packing it. Astra was ready to retort to that yet, in a show of newfound self control took half a moment to consider their words, not wanting a second round of pointless bickering with someone they cared about in the same day an in that brief pause the bathroom door opened, allowing Zirconia to step through the steam and into view.
"Oh….Oh wow, you look great" Athena-Jade;'s voiced hitched and she wore an utterly awestruck expression that no amount of self control would keep Astra from teasing her about at a later date, though the Deer Faunus studied Zirconia's appearance and decided that, for the moment Athena could be allowed to gush over her partner.
The Grasshopper Faunus wore an outfit that was a striking departure from her usual monochrome darkness, though the bandanna that Athena had given her to cover the scar above her eye was still firmly in place wrapped around her head and partly obscured by falling waves of glossy black hair. An off-white tank-top which hugged Zirconia's noteworthy and curvaceous figure was complemented by a short-sleeved and loose button down shirt worn over it but hanging open and unfastened, the shirt featuring a floral design at odds with everything Astra had thought they knew about the often taciturn and mysterious girl, with flowers in pastel shades of the same pink and orange of her eyes, along with a pale green that matched the bandanna, a colour associated with Athena-Jade; this being paired with a skirt which reached to just below the point where her prosthetic legs were attached, the edges of the heavily faded pink fabric being frayed in a way that suggested that the garment had once been longer and perhaps more vibrant in colour; the skirt being practical in a way that Astra could not help but think Professors such as Ruby Rose would appreciate as it featured many pockets which would have been more at home on a pair of cargo pants but managed somehow to not look out of place.
"You're gonna get rained on wearing that and it's gonna get awkward" Astra noted, an attempt to sound sage and conversational in their teasing being utterly unsuccessful and being rewarded by Athena-Jade playfully elbowing the Deer Faunus in the bottom rib as she slipped by and eagerly snatched up both her own bag and Zirconia's, shouldering them and taking her partners' hand in hers whilst her space split into a smile that was entirely endearing, whilst Astra would have described it as 'goofy' in that moment.
"Ignore this jerk, they suck" Athena jerked her head in the Deer Faunus's direction, being treated to a rude hand gesture in return.
"I do try" Zirconia smiled as she and Athena made to leave.
"We're heading out, probably be back late….Don't wait up" she gave Astra a wave that was all mockery, albeit good natured as she departed with a sing-song voice.
"You kids have fun now, don't so anything I wouldn't do!" Astra called back despite the already closed door, matching the tone before lowering their voice and turning to Regalia "Where the hell are they going where they need two outfits each on a date?"
"They didn't tell me, heh I think Athena's got a surprise for Zirconia….She was excited and it was cute and did you see her face when Zirconia came out-"
"Yeah….We should have gotten that on camera" Astra breathed out, the comment an admission that they found the developing relationship between their two team-mates as sweet and frankly immensely enjoyable to watch as the rest of their peers.
"So, what are we doing for the rest of the day?" Regalia asked, leaping down from Astra's bunk with an unnecessary flip and landing in a crouch, the dramatics being offset by the fact that she had begun to suddenly exude all of the eagerness of a hyperactive puppy at the thought of any unspecified plans.
"Honestly, not plans" Astra shrugged, unzipping their hoodie and casting it aside "Don't wanna pick up on any of the assignments if nobody else is….Might hit the common room and see if I can pester some of the third and fourth years into talking about Vytal Tournament stuff, get some tips; maybe pull up some old coverage and study it….Might even hit the gym and go for another-what?"
Regalia had flopped forward with a groan that managed to sound as though she were being forcibly deflated.
"Promise you won't be mad if I say this?" she asked cautiously.
"Sure?" Astra answered, now equally cautious in their own words as the question set them on edge.
"You're doing what you did before, last year….When your being an idiot" Regalia specified, halting in her speech until she took a deep breath and simply ploughed onwards "I get it, the tournament is coming up and it's gonna be awesome when we qualify and we should all be working hard for it….But you've trained or studied every day including weekends for the last few weeks, you're throwing yourself into stuff so much that you're not taking care of yourself again"
"I'm taking care-" Astra paused, considered their options and slumped down onto Regalia's bunk upon deciding that honest reflection might be more worthwhile than deflections "I get where you're coming from….Now I'm not with Wolfram and it's obvious that we're not getting back together I've just needed something to keep me busy, the party after we were at the Crater was okay but it just didn't have the same pull to it, Brooke invited me but we just didn't click….The tournament is something I want, so yeah I just threw myself at it with everything I had"
"You're gonna snap and do something dumb if you keep this up" Regalia countered matter-of-factly in a tone a little more stern than she had intended.
"Yeah I guess" the Deer Faunus sighed, taking a moment to remove the trellis-like structure that formed an artificial antler for a fresh Faunus attribute to grow into shape around and took the opportunity to gather their thoughts as they massaged the not-quite healed antler "Have I been that bad?"
"Not yet, but you're getting snappier again and meaner" Regalia answered with a total honesty that Astra supposed that they should thank her for and after a moment they allowed themselves to slump back, working out a crick in their neck before answering.
"Okay, let me shower and we'll head out….Might skip first period tomorrow if we get back too late. Wherever you wanna go, my treat"
"You're the best" Regalia beamed "I'll go make sure Clunker is fuelled up….Haven't had a chance to take it for a spin lately"
"Just promise me" Astra's tone turned pleading "That whatever happens we won't end up tagging along for Athena and Zirconia's date"
Team WULF had, like Team MARZ returned to their dormitory after lessons had concluded for the day only to depart once again in relatively short order, though with admittedly less fanfare or interesting plans that their fellow second year students.
Laser had been preparing to spend the evening in a rather slovenly manner, something that the chemically blonde boy considered a luxury that he was always willing to indulge and gorge himself upon, specifically in this instance by lounging in the common area with whatever snack and junk food they could scavenge whilst taking part in a small and largely impromptu gaming tournament; the Vaccuan scavenger had been found to have a level of skill at video games that was surprising given his upbringing and had, upon questioning confided in Wolfram that there were a few arcades in the seedier fringes of Vaccuo's centre which he had frequented in order to scrape together a little Lien to buy whatever could not be traded for or stolen, or else simply to get out of inhospitable weather during sandstorms or the wet season. This knowledge had also been enough to stay Wolfram's hand however the fact remained that Laser was lagging behind in several ongoing assignments and as such the leader of Team WULF had been forced to intercede and send Laser to the library to work, with threats of physical punishment that Wolfram hoped his friend knew were intended as jokes.
Ursinia's absence was more easily and succinctly explained, the towering Scorpion Faunus had not serviced her weapon to her complete satisfaction during the allotted time of the earlier workshop period and had returned in order to restore the Adventurer to its' proper gleaming gold and immaculate state. From there Ursinia had told Wolfram in conversation during the day that she intended to call home but wanted to use the CCT uplink in central Port Alistair which had been largely repaired after the battle that it had hosted only months ago to do so, it was her mother's birthday and with the sky outside promising a thunderstorm and possibly heavy interference Ursinia had not wanted to risk being unable to reach her family, a distinct possibility given the somewhat patchy Scroll reception that plagued her rural home and which, Wolfram noted was something that caused problem for Diabla from time to time as well.
The leader of Team WULF was currently unsure of where exactly Diabla was, but felt assured that he would encounter her soon enough as he traipsed through the hallways and corridors of Breaktide Academy.
Wolfram had allowed his mood to settle into a sort of restless agitation over the course of the day, one which had no current outlet, given that it had been caused by Astra and whilst the two of them were on better terms that he did not want to ruin by rising to the bait the Deer Faunus left for him Wolfram had also resolved to stand by his decisions and understood that playing along would likely lead to the two of them falling into bed together and in turn complicate things even further to a degree which he did not want to happen, no how gratifying it would be in the short term. In truth the constant bickering between the two team leaders had no malice in it at all, though it was steadily becoming more exasperating for Wolfram as Astra's behaviour was that which would once clearly have been described as flirting and now toed a dangerous line and verged on being too much; it left the teenage boy on the receiving end of it frustrated and pent-up in a way that cold showers had done nothing to correct. With classes over Wolfram had endured a brief workout session in the gym which had ultimately done little to help them focus outside of leaving his mind centred on the aching and burning muscles of his legs as he meandered through the campus in an effort to clear his head.
Reaching one of the many places where the walls were decorated with what could have been a museum exhibit centred on a single Hunter or famous incident and, as they had expected to, finding Diabla already present.
"Jaune Arc?" Wolfram noted with an arched eyebrow, studying the holographic image of an armoured, broad shouldered and blonde teen his own age with blue eyes and the information below it
"People always remember his partner more, or his family in general….A lot of his sisters are big names and his parents were both pretty capable from what I've heard. He was kind of a bad-ass in his own right though….And his taste in armour was clearly great, I didn't think he would've been one the Hunters you picked out to brood in front of though"
"He died defending Atlas and he wasn't even from there" Diabla noted "It hit me that if things had gone they way I wanted that could have been me….He's pretty well respected in Atlas, duty before everything and all that. Swords and shields were never my thing though"
"Okay as your team leader, your friend no matter how much you like to pretend you're too cool for that and….as someone who's lost family. Do not die trying to defend Atlas, or anywhere else if you can help it"
"Sir yes sir" Diabla's words dripped with sarcasm as she gave a lazy and mocking salute before becoming noticeably more upbeat as she added "I was showing this to Huckleberry….Anthill Farm is way out of the way and one of the places you have to go through if you're heading to Neo Vale without flying is actually the Arc's home town"
"Oh cool" Wolfram mused, taking a seat on a cold stone step whilst Diabla leaned against a railing opposite him "So you and her….You're definitely a thing then?"
"As definite as anything is" Diabla remained visibly guarded and squared her shoulder.
"Y'know, I don't think you've ever actually shown me a picture" Wolfram noted, interested to see what lay beneath his friends gruff and often-times grouchy exterior without the need for the extreme emotional distress or lives being in jeopardy which it often seemed to require.
"Here" Diabla brought up an image on her Scroll and Wolfram studied the picture briefly, being a little surprised at the fact that Ursinia's cousin was an aquatic Faunus but having enough manners and common sense to not voice that thought aloud, he could see the family resemblance between his partner and her cousin though this Huckleberry girl had the hard earned muscle of manual labour in a more lean and sprightly way than Ursinia and without the Scorpion Faunus's towering physique.
"Cute" Wolfram nudged Diabla playfully "So when did you two become official?"
"We haven't, not exactly" Diabla huffed, slouching a little whilst her features became conversely more hopeful and her fiery orange eyes seemed to shine a little brighter "You don't mind me sharing this stuff with you right? I know you and Astra are still-"
"I literally asked" Wolfram countered, being caught a little off-guard by a level of consideration that showed Diabla had grown as much as he had over the last year "It's a nice distraction"
"I….We….Look neither of us have had much experience at dating and the fact we're in different Kingdoms sucks. We've been talking and we've been talking about us meeting up in Vale and going out like it's set though, she's said she wants come to the Vytal Tournament and cheer us on and she'll save for tickets"
"We just need to qualify then" Wolfram murmured.
"Yeah, we do" Diabla's signature look of steely determination set itself in place and the two members of Team WULF most known for their impressive work ethic and a drive and resolve which could border on frightening both boring into one another's eyes with their own for several tense, lingering moments before the two of them spoke in unison.
"Wanna go get some last minute training in?"
Athena and Zirconia had thoroughly enjoyed their date despite every conceivable circumstance seemingly conspiring against them to ensure that things were otherwise.
Whilst planning the occasion in private, in order to ensure that she could sufficiently wow her partner in a way that a much more mundane coffee date would not, though those particular outings had been enjoyable in their own way the Bear Faunus had spent a considerable amount of time contemplating everything that she knew Zirconia liked or was passionate about, discarding the idea of an anime convention quickly as there were simply none available, whilst the Grasshopper's love of the violin seemed better suited to gifts than dates and Athena could readily admit that the programming abilities her partner used to create custom challenges for training sessions were entirely beyond her; eventually though an answer had come and the clarity left Athena smiling both at how utterly obvious is was and just how much it said about the girl she was so taken with.
Zirconia Shadowmoon loved to help people.
The Grasshopper Faunus had lamented several times since the students' return to Breaktide Academy that she wished that there was more she could do to aid the people of Port Alistair outside of mention specific instances or areas to her legal guardian and hope that Damascus Nero had a charity or foundation in his sphere of influence that could be turned towards the task. Athena-Jade could remember that her brother and his wife had, early on in their dating spent some time involved in charity work which they had been able to continue to some degree in their career as Hunters, with Athena having been able to accompany them on a handful of occasions when Team FADE were operating in Atlesian territory; these two facts collided in her mind and she then thought back to all of the different places that she and Zirconia had visited together during their first year, remembering with a fond smile how much the two of them had enjoyed the zoo and how obvious it had been to everybody except for the two of them that they had effectively been dating in all but name for some time without every considering it.
With a plan taking shape in her mind Athena-Jade had made a call to the zoo.
The tourist attraction had thankfully escaped the damage wrought upon the city for the most part, although a few outer areas away from the animals enclosures had needed to be replaced and there was also a staff shortage as students looking for part time work as they studied in Port Alistair had begun to take other opportunities elsewhere at the last minute; Athena had used this to her advantage, along with leveraging her families' name and public image in a way that she would rarely consider in order to explain to the person in charge that she and her partner, by virtue of having their Auras unlocked would be able to help tend to even the most dangerous of animals without risk and that she was willing to play a small part in the zoos' next advertising campaign in exchange for a chance for the two of them to help out.
Things had gone remarkably well initially, Zirconia had simply adored the idea and the two of them had enjoyed themselves immensely; the two of them combining the hard work and effort of helping zookeepers deal with animals whose sense of security had surely been as badly shaken as any of the cities' human or Faunus inhabitants with all the antics and tomfoolery of a date, not limited to taking many selfies that would have been nauseatingly saccharine were it for the fact that they included several deadly predators lounging around the two of them, with Athena-Jade being oddly fond of the hippopotamus whilst Zirconia was reduced to hysterical laugher by one of Atlas's carnivorous penguins. Proceedings had been brought to a premature end however as the storm that the bruised-purple sky had been threatening to unleash for hours fell upon them in a torrential downpour, prompting the zookeepers to usher the two student Huntresses away whilst Athena-Jade and Zirconia had frantically rushed for cover as the rain came down at an angle which limited how effective the snowy haired girls' glyphs could be; a situation made all the more annoying by the reminder in the back of Athena's head that Astra had been right, though this was offset somewhat by the blush that coloured her cheeks every time she caught even the briefest glimpse of what the rain had done to her partners' white tank-top.
From there the date entered its' second phase which was thankfully indoors, though still it was from this point that things had began to deteriorate from the vision that Athena-Jade had hopefully set out for the night.
The two girls had changed into their second outfits, an idea that Athena had suggested for the sake of not spending the rest of the evening with the lingering smell of recently mucked out enclosures only to be mildly irked when a lack of opportunity to properly freshen up as she changed, combined with her change of clothes being rumpled in her bag and the rain leaving her bedraggled and soaked again within moments of stepping outside left the end result far from the desired effect; though naturally she was left momentarily stunned by the sight of Zirconia whom she felt managed to look effortlessly stunning even here.
At this point the two had made their way to the nearest cinema where Athena had booked tickets, a movie date was something that the Bear Faunus had considered a little too cliché and predictable at first but reconsidered after hearing Zirconia mention the movie enthusiastically in conversation with a classmate; once arriving disaster had struck again and the pale and sodden Bear Faunus was left struggling not to feel like an utter imbecile upon receiving the twin blows of herself and Zirconia being recognised by a crowd of loud and obnoxious teens who were evidently there to see the same movie and some gross mistake leading to the seats that Athena had booked being in the wrong place; leading to she and Zirconia being all but surrounded and unable to properly enjoy the movie or one another's company as the knowledge that many of the people around them had their scrolls at the ready despite the rules of the cinema, watching like hawks for anything that they could sell to the press.
Not that Athena would have dared to try and make out with her partner at the back of the darkened movie theatre, even if they had been alone.
The movie itself had been enjoyable however and once it was over the two had set off into the night, the familiar chill of Menagerie's evenings being worsened by the lashing rain which fell in freezing sheets of water that threatened to become sleet at a moments' notice, only for the night to reveal that it had one final insult to deliver in the form of the last bus back to walking distance of the academy being nowhere to be found.
Leaving both Athena and Zirconia making their way deeper into the city in search of a taxi.
"You've been quiet" Zirconia noted, gently squeezing the hand she held in her own before rubbing at its' back with her thumb "Are you okay?"
"Yeah….I just feel like things went completely wrong tonight" Athena's answer was a forlorn and dejected mumble, punctuated by a raucous cheer of something barely intelligible from a group of smokers braving the rain to linger in the doorway of a bar that the pair were passing "It didn't go that badly right?"
"Athena I can promise you that I had a lot of fun tonight" Zirconia answered, her usual quiet rasp warm and she moved a little closer to the shorter girl with her next step, so that they brushed against one another with every movement.
"Really?" Athena's blue eyes showed her incredulity at that "I mean the zoo was definitely fun but….Ugh, I suck for everything after that"
"You're hardly to blame for the weather, the mishap with the tickets or those….Characters, I don't trust myself to call them anything more descriptive that clearly wanted to bother us" Zirconia gently brought the two of them to a halt, deftly stepping under the small canopy of a nearby cafe that was currently closed so that they might be soaked slightly less as they spoke, the Grasshopper Faunus taking her partner and date's hands in her own.
"Maybe" Athena shrugged "But I….Damn it I don't care if this sounds sappy, I just wanted to wow you tonight"
Zirconia was left blushing at that, her normally unflappable mystique shattered in an instant that took several seconds to recover from before she could finally clear her throat and offer an answer that was rendered far less suave that it might have been otherwise.
"You manage to wow me on a daily basis" mismatched eyes twinkled with rare mischief as she leaned down and whispered something more forward than even she expected of herself "And not just when you stretch and flex when you think nobody is looking"
"Pest" Athena attempted the same teasing tone she would have used with anybody else yet it was coloured by the way her voice hitched and she needed to swallow to keep her cool before continuing "You're cool, even when you're trying too hard to be and somehow making it work for you, you're one of the most caring and thoughtful people I know, you're absolutely gorgeous even everything that can go wrong is going wrong….Oh and when I stretch like that, I know you're looking"
The wink Athena-Jade gave her at that left Zirconia's mind entirely scrambled save for the realisation that the tables had been turned on her.
"If you expect me to say that the wardrobe malfunction earlier was intentional, you will be sorely disappointed" Zirconia almost purred, taking half a step further into Athena's space so that she could feel her partners' breath against her as the two continued the back and forth of their flirting, the way Athena's eyes darted downwards by the merest fraction betraying her before she answered.
"Please I have some class" she laughed.
"I know" Zirconia beamed "An entire movie and you didn't make any crass or overt attempts to get physical"
"I….We, are we…." Athena trailed off, the line of thinking her mind had set out on involving far too many uncertainties and things that should be discussed properly, preferably somewhere warm and dry and so instead she managed a chuckle "I'm not gonna try and put my tongue in your mouth in front of a room full of people, no matter how dark it is"
"Well we're outside now" Zirconia gestured broadly, the presence of a few passers-by clearly meaning little in the face of the sudden bout of bravery that had overcome her without reason "And I think we've both been hoping for the other to make the move….I've been hoping you would try and kiss me all night"
It was once again Athena's turn to be left floundering for a fraction of a second before the feeling of her heart hammering in her chest and her entire body being faintly electrified spurred her onwards.
"Okay" the word was whispered and instead of reaching up the Bear Faunus created one of her glyphs at her feet, using to step up so that she was position just a little higher than Zirconia before gently reaching out and cupping a delicate cheek with a calloused hand, brushing dark hair aside and stroking for a moment as she gathered her nerves before slowly reaching forward and bringing their lips together. The times they had both kissed one another's cheeks had been gentle and this began much the same way, slow and tentative yet the two of them quickly became more bold and as Athena's tongue brushed faintly against lips that parted to allow it Athena felt her partners' hands cup her cheeks as Zirconia pulled her close, everything about the moment speaking to a lack of experience which only seemed to make things feel more genuine as simple want outweighed technique, Zirconia's hands slipped trailed slowly down Athena's neck and came to rest on broad shoulders whilst the Bear Faunus carefully took hold of her partners' waist as the two continued to kiss until the feeling of Athena's teeth, sharper than most tugging gently against her lower lip was enough for Zirconia to pull back, becoming fully aware once again of the fact that the two were in public.
"That was….You certainly wowed me" mismatched irises were almost lost between wide pupils and her words were breathless as she leaned her forehead against Athena's for a moment, the smaller and paler of the two girls taking a moment to compose herself before speaking in a voice that was cautiously optimistic.
"So, we haven't really given a name to what we're doing...With the not-dates and stuff" she hesitated "But I really want to, so are we…."
"We are" Zirconia answered without hesitation and Athena's response to that was the only one it could have been, a vigorous whoop of triumph as the ecstatic Bear Faunus performed a small jig of utter happiness whilst still perched on her glowing Glyph.
The two girlfriends being so entirely content that even the realisation that one of the passers-by had paused to snap a few quick photographs could do nothing to dampen their mood.
"Well this didn't go to plan" Astra noted with a sigh.
"We had a plan?" Regalia countered with all the bubbling positivity that had come to define her, a personal cheery brightness which remained entirely unaffected by the booming thunder which split the sky at her words as lightning flashed somewhere far out in the distance and rainwater continued to pound at the ground around them in a forceful downpour; though Astra noted that Regalia's ability to remain upbeat might have been somewhat helped by the fact that her own outfit featured hoods and a practical, waterproof layer whilst the Deer Faunus themselves was unable to enjoy such luxuries due to their antlers and was becoming annoyingly aware of the way that the water soaking their dyed-black Mohawk was causing individual spikes of hair to tilt perilously.
"I thought you did, I was just along for the ride" they noted with a grin as they shifted their weight to make themselves a little more comfortable. Upon leaving Breaktide Academy at Regalia's urging the two of them had sped through the city on Clunker, first in search of food as neither teen had thought to visit the campus canteen beforehand and then afterwards, once filled with Vaccuan food that Astra had paid for and would likely not have been brave enough to consider some of were it not for their partners' presence they had made their way through the less travelled parts of Port Alistair in search of something that could occupy by their time whilst hopefully being inexpensive.
Results had come after Regalia had brought her jetbike to a steady prowl that was far slower than the usual screaming blur of motion which she often favoured for the simple thrill it brought and made her way through areas that she had become acquainted with to varying degrees over the summer, places which the rest of her friends were unaware of for the simple fact that they had been unexciting and uneventful places, mundane parts of a city that could be found in any like it of interesting only to someone with a head for exploring such as the Racoon Faunus herself and to those who called them home even before the Grimm had laid waste to them; since then areas that spanned several streets had, like the apartment block she and Astra had visited some weeks ago been emptied of life, reduced to ghost towns when not occupied by those working as part of the restoration effort. One of these areas however had not been so vacant as first thought as, much like with the questionably legal party in an abandoned factory that they had visited Astra and Regalia found a place where teens and young adults had come to enjoy themselves.
Leaving Astra to explain to their partner, with limited first hand experience, the realities of illegal street racing.
Astra, whilst not quite a devoted car enthusiast in the same way that their brother was with his modified muscle car or their father who spent much of his life working with vehicles was still intrigued by the loud and brash affair, being surprised to see that once again the police were willing to let things happen; though it seemed that with much of the cities' underworld being hampered by the effects of the late Rowan Oralie and her Benefactor's involvement the authorities were willing to overlook such relatively harmless activities until a more potent threat raised its' head.
The event was as a party as it was unsanctioned sporting event, with dozens of cars that had once been cheap and low maintenance having been modified to the part of unrecognisable and entirely unique each gathering a small crowd as their trunks were opened to reveal deafening arrays of speakers whose bass had made the tarmac tremble and Astra and Regalia had quickly found themselves integrated and accepted into these groups, the fact that Astra's appearance in the news was still recent enough that the two of them we re recognised as student Hunters apparently largely inconsequential as Regalia was offered the chance to compete in the illegal drag races multiple times in a short period by various drivers whose ego would not allow them to ignore the chance to claim victory over a Hunter and test their abilities, though ultimately the former nomad declined whilst Astra for their part simply mingled, using the gathering to seek out any untapped avenues of acquiring a cheap car for themselves only to be left disappointed once again.
The coming of the thunderstorm had largely brought the gathering to an end, with races being deemed too much of a risk and many attendees choosing to leave rather than stand in the rain, which had left Astra and Regalia taking what limited shelter they could as they held their conversation and watched the last, lingering racers and car enthusiasts pack their belongings.
"Heh I didn't have much of a plan" Regalia shrugged "I just wanted to take your mind of other stuff so you'd stop pushing yourself too hard….I guess that worked"
"At the expense of my hair...and my make up" the Deer Faunus replied with mock horror, gesturing to a Mohawk that would likely need to be recoloured at the first opportunity, whilst the dark eyeliner that had become a staple part of their outfits was smeared and running.
"Yeah but you make it look cool though" Regalia answered with an earnestness which made it hard to argue or refute "Like that moment in every action film right before the hero wins, y'know the part where it looks like they might lose but then pull off something incredible"
"Warning, heroic when wet" Astra snorted, though unable to keep a smile from tugging at their lips as their partners' appraisal filled them with pride that managed to supersede their concerns for vanity and appearance "Seriously thanks though….But I don't wanna think about winning anything right now, it'll make me think about Vytal Tournament qualifiers at the end of the week and this is gonna be me last chance to properly relax"
"Well at least you're trying to relax now instead of being stubborn" Regalia answered.
"Wolfram wanted us to take time to figure out who we both are, I guess who I really am is a stubborn idiot" the Deer Faunus managed a weak smile "Thanks for putting up with me"
"You've got a friend in me" Regalia almost hummed the words, a tune which made it abundantly clear which favoured childhood movie she was referencing before she added "And, I don't know anything about this really but heh, even if you and Wolfram don't get back together again-"
"We won't, I really can't see it now" Astra sighed.
"You already had someone invite you to that party just 'cos they liked you, there's gotta be somebody else out there who thinks you're cool-"
"That is the most unflattering way could possibly have worded that" Astra noted
"Keep interrupting I'll absolutely flatten you" Regalia waggled a finger, purple eyes peering out from beneath her hood "I'm trying to be helpful over here"
"The help is appreciated" they laughed, giving her shoulder a gentle and playful nudge "And if we happen to meet anyone else who thinks I'm cool I'll be sure to ask if they've got a friend who thinks you're cool so-"
"Don't do that" Regalia gave an empathic shake of the head which sent droplets of water pattering out in all directions and caused Astra to cock their own head in mild surprise for a moment.
"Don't swing anybodies' way?" they asked, entirely conversational with a deliberate effort to not make the topic more heavy than Regalia was comfortable with "That's no problem, completely normal"
"It's not that, or maybe not exactly" Regalia mumbled, taking a second to consider her thoughts before leaning against the handlebars of her bike as she explained "Like dating and stuff is something I'd maybe try but….Heh, y'know how most people think someone is hot first and then try to be friends with them so they can date, I-"
"Do things the other way around?" Astra's question was answered with a playful swat from Regalia who once again wagged a finger, sodden bushy tail flinging out more water as it twitched behind her.
"What did I say about interrupting, just listen for once" her smile indicated a lack of any real annoyance as she took a steadying breath before nodding "But yeah I guess, I'm kinda put together backwards like that?….odd little duck in everything. I don't think I'd mind if it was a guy or a girl or whatever but I just don't think I could think of someone I wasn't already friends with like that, which is awkward when you grew up in a clan where most people are kind of an extended family"
"Demisexual" Astra said bluntly, suddenly serious enough to overlook Regalia's use of the nickname her mother used as term of endearment and instead focus on identity struggles close in some ways to those that they had grappled with years prior "There's a word for it….Or a label you can try on and see if it fits"
"I haven't heard that word before" Regalia noted "But heh, I didn't really go looking for books about this kinda stuff when Clan Aiktishaf were visiting settlements, I wouldn't know where to start and there's always been other things to worry about while I've been at Breaktide….So, I'm not weird?"
"I mean you've put paprika and chilli powder on ice-cream just to see what it was like one time, so you're definitely weird" Astra laughed.
"Some girls just want to watch the world burn….Or taste it" Regalia couldn't quite manage the accent she was aiming for and the result was one which left both she and Astra reduced to peals of laughter until the Deer Faunus let out a final, slow exhalation and murmured.
"Y'know this means we've gotta qualify for the Vytal Tournament now right? No excuses" they gave their partner a serious look that gave way to a broad smile "Pride….and Faunus Pride in Neo Vale; you've gotta come see those for yourself. I'd be a bad friend if I let you not"
"Come on, let's back to the academy and out of the rain….You're gonna catch something and none of us will be going anywhere" Regalia laughed as she swung herself into the saddle of Clunker with a single motion whilst privately feeling as though her heart had expanded in her chest with a happiness that left her almost vibrating at the new information and the possibilities that Astra had presented.
Chairman Damascus Nero was currently, for all of his wealth, power and influence over both the legal and illicit parts of the city he called home and the larger world around him, tired and lonely.
Evening had given way to the hours of late night where it was truthfully unwise for a man in his position to still be awake if rest was an option, however that rest would simply not come as his mind continued to race against his will until calming classical music wafting throughout his penthouse apartment and the application of expensive cognac in moderate amounts dulled its' workings to the point where his thoughts could at least be managed, leaving the man who had never in his wildest imaginings as a college student or in the beginnings of his career in a much more humble role imaging reaching his current status to stare out at the city of Neo Vale which stretched out as far as the eye could see below him and whose monolithic hive-towers, holdovers from the cities' previous iteration lined with enormous neon advertisements rose up and painted the night sky in a garish colours to form landmarks all whilst the various aerial platforms loomed overhead, the occasional transport flitting between them with their wing-mounted lights blinking and the far larger capital warships which patrolled the Capital of Neo Vale roamed slowly in the distance, resembling a pod of half a dozen colossal whales traversing some vast, black ocean.
The loneliness and the exhaustion were intimately connected and both part of the same self-perpetuating cycle that had motivated Nero and informed his every decision for almost a decade, ever since his life had been torn apart in Salem's second campaign against Remnant.
Nero was exhausted because the efforts involved in controlling so many factors in his public facing role and managing that public image and persona, antithetical as it had become to his genuine self left him so, all which was done in turn to further his true aims and the plans he had put in place to realise them and these plans had, by necessity left him with very few people with whom he could relate as every waking moment, as well as a considerable portion of those dreams which were not plagued by nightmares was devoted to some aspect of his master plan. The thought was enough to irk him, more so with the alcohol in his system yet his only outward sign of emotion as he stared out at his city was in bringing his left hand, bare unlike his right up to rub at the chemical burns and scars which crept up from beneath the collar of his shirt and marred his jawline as he considered what had been lost to the years which had followed the initial tragedy.
His few remaining friends were reduced to co-conspirators and the orphaned child of two of his dead friends was now a spy on his behalf, which no amount of pride in her abilities would keep him from seeing as a failure on his part.
The morose thoughts were interrupted before they could spiral out of his control by the sound of his scroll vibrating against the surface of the coffee table behind him and upon hearing it Damascus turned away from the window, blinking as his blunted senses took a moment to readjust to a properly lit room again after staring out at neon-speckled darkness for so long though he maintained his dignity by managing to cross the room and take a seat on a ludicrously expensive but equally comfortable sofa without stumbling and both turn down the music which played throughout his home, simply to create an ambience that the lack of other people had stripped away from it with one hand and pick up the scroll with the other without fumbling either device.
The incoming call was an audio only call from Zirconia and Nero paused, sobering up with rapid clarity as unbidden thoughts suggested themselves darkly to him; an unscheduled call at the current hour suggested that something of importance had happened and given that his wards' current role in the plan was limited to observing her professors it seemed somehow more likely that the developments would be worrisome.
Nero focused himself and answered the call before it could go to voicemail.
"I'm sorry for calling so late, I just wanted-more needed to speak with you and I was hoping that you might still be awake now rather than having to wait until morning and having to try and work around classes and your meetings" Nero's eyebrows raised slightly, though the gesture naturally went unseen by Zirconia whose voice was more breathy and excitable than its' usual reserved and measured rasp, each word positively vibrating with some barely constrained energy.
"I was awake" Nero answered cautiously "Zirconia….Is everything okay?"
"I'm fine, better than fine" her voice continued to be filled with an unfamiliar chirpiness and Nero fought to suppress a scoff as he heard her faintly hum a tune he recognised from one of the animated shows she had always enjoyed, allowing her to continue for a moment before speaking again with a hesitance that was outweighed by his need for information.
"Have you….Taken something?" he thought back to his own college days, distant as they felt "You're not acting like yourself. If you feel unwell then go to the medical wing-"
"Damascus I would never" Zirconia interjected roughly, her voice immediately returning to something much more familiar in its' aloof coolness "I simply had good news and I wanted to share it with you before somebody else took the opportunity away from me"
"Good news?" Nero was intrigued now, yet mollified nonetheless as his curiosity took on a less urgent nature.
"Athena-Jade and I are now 'officially' an item" the emphasis Zirconia put on the word seemed more suggestive to Nero of the distaste she had for the trivialities of gossip than any sense of trickery though before he could ponder further she continued "We had something of a discussion about how we feel recently and have been managing to spend time together when we can, we were on a date this evening and our picture was taken by somebody who will no doubt sell it to the press….That being said, feel free to enjoy a day or two of being able to act without fear of having the tabloids hounding you for inane interviews, they will likely be preoccupied"
"Oh, I see" Nero was momentarily left blinking in mild surprise that the reason for the call had been so mundane, until his thoughts seemed to catch up with him and understanding came crashing down upon him.
"Oh!" he exclaimed softly with an emphasis that bordered on teasing "I see!"
That the young woman he considered his daughter had chosen to come to him and discuss this development so readily gave Damascus a sense of pride and soothed him, providing proof that not all of his sacrifices had been in vain and reminding him of the shape of the bright new tomorrow he would build for all of Remnant.
Author's Notes:
Two more chapters to go and it's a mid-season finale two-parter.
Then after that things are gonna get different, I think you can all guess why, I've dropped enough hints and reminders.
I'm also writing this a few weeks before I'm due to post it so I might take a week or two away from writing to just get myself back to a point where writing and posting are more connected, I've noticed I tend to lose sight of things and take a dip in motivation when that's not the case.
But anyway, let's summarise shall we?:
Yay time skip.
So a quick recap on how things have been going for Team MARZ.
So the bickering between Astra and Wolfram was partly because having them be each others' bitchy ex was fun, but also partly because making it clear that things aren't entirely okay between them is laying some ground work for the mid-season finale where it's gonna come to a head….Hint hint.
Regalia is the MVP, she can and canonically has suplexed a Grimm and just carried Astra over their shoulder like a sack of spuds while quoting Shrek.
So Nero hasn't been directly working on big evil mastermind plans as such, but he has been doing some background work and laying the foundations by managing his image and getting his hooks into the media.
He knows damn well that The Chamber is an edgy try-hard name and he's embraced it, if only to keep himself level.
So Albion and Aefen are working on putting Gestalt Prime back into their body, so Nero can have a chat with them.
"I don't like that I'm becoming a person who makes those kinds of decisions….I'm becoming like them, like the Hunters and their little cabals" very telling.
It's been implied before but it's being said now, Nero only originally wanted an intelligent, sentient Grimm but Gestalt-Prime being what they are changed things in ways that will become apparent later.
Nero really was as over-protective of Zirconia as she implied back in the day, which is understandable considering that Nero had lost his own partner (The photo from a few chapters back) and Zirconia had lost her parents and her legs below the knee.
"You're missing half an antler, a clue….Home, maybe?" yep, Athena-Jade Slate is a middle child.
Everything about the AJ, Astra & Regalia interaction was fun to write.
Zirconia Shadowmoon, confirmed floral shirt wearing lesbian.
No random rebounds with an off-screen character for Astra, they're too focused on kicking ass.
Also shout out to both Regalia for standing up for herself and stopping her partner from being an idiot and also to Astra for handling the criticism well, growth.
Normal things like hanging out with a few friends, a games console and some snacks are luxuries that Laser never really got to experience, or things that have entirely different connotations to him.
Wolfram and Astra could absolutely end up having any of their arguments turning into sex but it would absolutely do more harm than good in the long run.
Firstly, Jaune Arc: Gone but never forgotten.
Secondly, Wolfram being a fan of 'Arc Armour' is great and thirdly….Diabla being a fan of Jaune Arc as he was written in Downward Spiral makes sense, in a kind of bleak way.
Diabla and Wolfram bonding is always fun to write.
I'm not sure if the AJ & Hops date scene went as well as it could have, it took a while to get to the point and it's indicative of a change I've noticed in my writing style; people used to like my dialogue but it's feeling like the balance of my writing is moving away from that and I don't really known why.
Also….Bless everyone who has had a date go completely belly up.
AJ really did pull out the stops for that one, the penguin thing was actually inspired by a date I went on with an ex-girlfriend to London Zoo.
White shirt in the rain….We're not going full anime fan-service here, have the crumbs and enjoy them.
Shitbag teenagers can ruin any trip to the cinema.
Well would you look at that, the two dorks have figured out how to flirt a little.
FUCKING FINALLY! Do you know how long I've had this point in my head and been looking forward to getting to it.
Also, I don't actually watch Owl House but "That was….You certainly wowed me" is up there with "Crikey" right?
She did a little happy dance on her Glyph.
Astra is not waterproof.
Illegal street racing….Because my city had a massive scene when I was a teenager and it was one of the spots you'd see everyone on a Friday night.
I keep mentioning Astra possibly getting a car.
Tournament qualifiers are at the end of the week.
The Shrek reference and now the song from Toy story, Regalia is on a roll this chapter and has honestly been an overall joy to write.
Astra, Wolfram's bi awakening and helping Regalia figure out her sexuality.
Also….With Regalia being Demisexual and saying that the gender of a partner wouldn't matter, there are actually no straight members of Team MARZ.
The paprika and chilli powder on ice cream….I speak from experience when I say don't do that.
All evil masterminds are lonely and tired….It's interesting to see some of Nero's thinking though.
Despite how fucked everything Nero is doing looks from the outside, he is completely convinced that it's the right thing to do and Zirconia is one of his driving forces; he wants to build a better world for his adopted kid….How many villains would have the implied background full of loss that Nero has and just be motivated by revenge? I wanted to do something else.
Two things to note here, one that whilst Zirconia has never called Nero her Dad she was so excited about her and AJ officially dating that she had to tell somebody and he was the first choice without question….Secondly that Zirconia is usually so reserved that when she goes adorable golden retriever puppy mode it genuinely sounds like she's high.
Thank you to Lurkweed and MajorBrony95 for their reviews on the last chapter.
Yay for FF being operational again.
I mean it's basically suicide by Grimm and I'll be honest...As someone who's worked in factories around a lot of heavy machinery and people who have worked there a lot longer than me, I've heard some stories about people offing themselves or getting killed in ways that are pretty up there.
Yeah, setting the Crater off fully would be bad….That is something to keep in my back pocket for much later in the story.
Movie quotes are Regalia's thing, in AJ's defence Astra has tried and failed with witty one-liners as well, they're just not a team who does it.
Of course Nero is recruiting other evil geniuses, can't just rely on muscle.
Not so much that they tracked one Grimm, hell they might not have even seen the bird….It's more a case of educated guesses based on having more information than everyone else; everyone else knows about the Spawning Pit at Hammerfall and the Crater but Nero and co are the only people that know that destroying that stuff is having an effect on Gestalt-Prime, they're the only ones who put two and two together in that regard because nobody else had the full picture or was really looking, since they think Gestalt-Prime is dead.
Everyone has peeked at Ursinia at least once, she's six and a half feet tall and pure beef.
Congrats, Regalia is indeed Demisexual...As for other Aspec characters, there is Car the Aromantic, Asexual, sex repulsed Shark Faunus.
As always thank you to everyone that reads this, with a special thanks to those of you that follow, favourite and review.