Tiny Fractures
"Again!"
The wooden sword cut through the air with mediocre precision and was deflected easily by the Ardent Blade.
"Again!"
It was an improvement from yesterday, which was nothing but haphazard swinging. Swinging that gave Emerald a black eye and bloodied lip when her grip slipped and the sword came back at her somehow. From then on, Emerald left her Aura up at all times.
It was a bungle that Celestine had never seen before, and that said something. The powers of Aura surprised her when it was put into action- Emerald's black eye was barely noticeable in the midday sun. reading about it and actually seeing it in action were two different things.
Now the duo were just outside the town's gate, Celestine in full armour and wielding the Ardent Blade while Emerald wore a pair of shorts and had the shirt sleeves rolled up just past her elbows, though it did little to cool her down in the heat or prevent her from sweating profusely, it did make her feel a little better.
As the wooden sword swung horizontally, Celestine pounced a metre over it using her wings to give the extra boost, and as she came back down she hit Emerald in her side with the flat side of the Ardent Blade's blade. It was more than enough to topple Emerald onto her side. But Celestine had to give her some credit, while she was nowhere near the level Celestine was at- and she probably never will be- she was already forcing the Saint to hit a little harder. It was enough force to barely harm an adult, but for a child to demand that much force in the first place was an accomplishment in itself.
She was a determined girl. A determined and strong girl. More than she expected.
Though that must have something to do with the way Aura works. In theory, the healing abilities of Aura would mend torn muscle quicker, then leave it to be torn, repaired, then torn again, repaired, repeat however long one wanted and the mass of muscle would increase faster than a regular human or Faunus.
But for all of Emerald's strength, it was clear to Celestine that the art of sword fighting was not Emerald's style of combat. Her swings were too forceful and wild, she overextended herself too much as she swung and tripped herself over more often than not. It could be mended with time, but she wanted to find her strengths and build upon them first, teach new skills second.
"Have ya' tried hitting with the sharp part, Cel?" a voice stated matter of factually, "I hear it's the best way to use a sword!"
"I am not killing her, Cobalt."
Cobalt, as she learned over the past two days, had an affinity for the sarcastic, Marie's habit of abbreviating and the childish. Couple that with Marie's straightforward and mischievous humour and one had an...interesting dynamic of strangeness.
"I heard kidneys go well on the black market…"
"You are not taking Emerald's kidney, Marie. Do not fuel this…"
"But think of the money!" they both whined dramatically. Emerald jumped behind Celestine, who just rolled her eyes at the two.
She crossed her arms and glared at them, even flaring her wings outward. Cobalt relented and threw his hands up, "alright, alright, bad taste!"
Marie lifted a finger, "can we sell his kidney?"
"No! They're mine!"
Their bickering faded into the background as a small tug on her two-toned hip cloak was felt. She faced down under her right arm. A mop of green hair and two red eyes nervously glanced at her.
"I-I don't like sword fighting…" Emerald mumbled just as anxiously as always and Celestine met it with a smile,
"It is a weakness for now," she placed emphasis on the last two words, "however, we will work on your marksmanship!" she strolled over to where the messenger bag sat against the wall and knelt down to begging rummaging through it. Emerald curiously watched on as Marie and Cobalt continued to bicker,
"But have you considered; 'go fuck yourself?"
"Yes and I'd rather you fuck me yourself, you coward!"
"I have standards!"
Emerald stared wide-eyed at the two as they bickered, her head angled slightly to the side as she curiously took the sight of them in while the other two on-duty guards laughed openly at them. People are really weird...
Celestine came up behind her, purposely thumping her feet to alert the somewhat skittish girl, and held her hand out to Emerald, the girl's revolver in hand. When she didn't respond to her presence, Celestine tapped her other hand gently on Emerald's shoulder, causing Emerald to jolt at the sudden appearance of the Saint, "it is time to see how good of an aim you are,"
It was a disservice to call the revolver as such, it resembled more of a hand cannon; the barrel sat over a ruler's length by half and weighed a kilo or two. It chambered the traditional six rounds- though Celestine couldn't identify what type, but a guess based on the size and weight it could be a forty-five- and it was amazing the girl could wield such a thing, then again, at the Convents we were taught how to fire Bolters at younger ages.
Emerald took it in her hand and Celestine continued, "can you show me how it functions?"
The girl gave a timid nod and flicked a switch. The cylinder swung out the side and six empty cartridges fell out when she tipped the bun barrel up. She must have used the last bullet on the Beowulf…
Celestine sighed, "I assume you do not have any more ammunition?"
"N-no…" Emerald hung her head and let her arms fall limp to her sides.
Celestine rested her left hand on the hilt of the Ardent Blade that sat in its new scabbard on her hip, "well, in that case we will get some more," she turned on her heel, digging up some grass in the process and motioned for Emerald to follow, which she did with insecurity but without hesitation.
As the two passed through the gate Cobalt and Marie were still having their spat amongst themselves; much to the ongoing amusement of the guards who were on duty and Celestine herself. Emerald just followed the Saint with confusion radiating from her.
"So, are you aware of the ammunition type it takes?" Celestine questioned once Emerald caught up to her. She shook her head causing her bob of green hair to puff out in a manner that Saint couldn't help but find endearing.
The two made their way down the main street that only had a handful of the usual populace out, the rest were inside trying to avoid the heat. Those who were out and about gave the duo a small greeting or questioned how Celestine could wear such armour in the heat and humidity. She answered the same way every time, "I have dealt with worse."
So it was no surprise that they had it in their heads she was from Vacuo, a wasteland of sand and heat if what she read was correct.
"W-what could be worse than this?" Emerald questioned with disgust as she lifted her arms slightly, the shirt stuck much to her annoyance,
The Saint glanced down in surprise at Emerald but answered anyway, "I have been to many worlds that have been hotter and far more humid than this one,"
It was Emerald's turn to look surprised at Celestine, "d-different worlds?"
Celestine gave her a side glance with a smile, "Yes, there are many out there and boundlessly different from each other," the two stopped on the sidewalk a few buildings down from the Armoury, "take Zayth for example; compared to Remnant it is a Death World,"
Emerald's head tilted to the side, "What's that mean?"
"A Death World is a world where the entirety of the flora and fauna are trying to kill the populace, for Zayth it is that they have been at war for so long, that they have destroyed any chance to survive outside specialised landships...that and they are still warring with each other.."
Emerald blinked unsurely, "uh, does R-remnant count as a Death W-world?" she spoke with slight nerves but a clear underlying scepticism shone through.
"I suppose with all the Grimm it would count as one, yes, but one on the latter end of the scale for sure," Celestine face the direction of the store once more and spoke over her shoulder, "Come along, we have tasks to complete, I can tell you more later if you wish,"
She knew Emerald wouldn't believe her outright, no sane person would, but she didn't expect the belief immediately. But if she could convince someone of power that there were other worlds out there… Is the Imperium even still out there or is this a separate galaxy... or realm?
She didn't let the question stick. As they entered the Armoury they found Karma rummaging behind the counter for something with a large fan running and completely ignorant of her new guests when she perked up with a hammer in hand, "Ah-ha!"
"I see the hammer is of vital import," Celestine teased playfully, causing Karma's face to go red.
Karma spun around, "Hey, it's a good hammer! It helped make your scabbard!" she exclaimed,
"Of course, my apologies," she spoke with humour. It was a fantastically made scabbard; a black leather body, a silver Locket with a gold reinforcement ring a few inches down from the belt, topped off with a golden Chape.
Karma gave her a half-hearted stare and slipped the hammer into her apron, "So, what ya' need?"
Celestine stepped up to the counter, "ammunition for-" she gestured to Emerald to come forward, which she did and reached up to place the revolver on the counter, "this revolver. I believe it to house forty-millimetre rounds, however, I am not certain,"
Karma picked it up with a low whistle and began to examine it closely; every part of the revolver was not safe from the smith's gaze or hands as she tore it apart with her eyes. She glanced at Celestine quickly out of the corner of her eyes bringing on a red flush on her face.
She cleared her throat and placed the revolver back on the counter, "Ah, yes it's forty mill…" she shuffled, "what Dust do ya' want with it?"
That was a good question. She faced Emerald who was giving Karma an odd look, "What Dust type do you want, Emerald?"
Emerald looked up to her with a free look, "fire…" then she stared back at Karma who was still eyeing Emerald's revolver for a second before facing Celestine,
"I, uh, should have some out the back…"she trailed off and backed out to the room behind the counter leaving Celestine with Emerald.
The Saint picked up the revolver from the counter and gave it a once-over herself; it definitely a fine weapon and the way it rested in her palm was comfortable and sturdy. The balance is a good one too if a little barrel heavy for my tastes.
Karma came back out with a large ammunition case that rattled slightly as she placed it on the counter. Before she opened her mouth, Celestine spoke,
"Do you have one of these in stock?" a proper ranged weapon could never hurt. It pays to be over-prepared…
Karma levelled a blank stare at her briefly for the interruption but answered, "Uh, no I don't, it's a hard model to get, you'll have to head to Vale or Ansel if you want one,"
Celestine handed it back to Emerald and looked at Karma, her head tilted, "Oh? Why is that?"
Karma leant forward and rested her forearms on the counter, "It's a military-grade hand cannon from Atlas, apparently the Rhino is the first iteration of General Ironwoods' models,"
Emerald shuffled her way next to Celestine as the Saint hummed, "very well," she glanced at Emerald, "we will be going to Vale in the future then. As for the ammunition?"
Karma lifted her left hand and let it fall on top of the metal box with a thud, causing Emerald to jump, "this box is all I have right now, it's not all Fire Dust but supplies are a little finicky at the moment,"
The Saint perked an eyebrow, "what type of Dust rounds?"
"A mix of Fire, Ice, Electricity and regular old bullets," she answered.
Another hum. Celestine shifted her stance, "How much for all the Fire Dust, Electricity and regular?"
Karma blinked largely, flipped the lid on the box and began to pull out the selected items. Five came out in one hand and were placed on the counter, then six, and twelve, fifteen, twenty-
"So I've got fifty-six all up, it'll cost eight hundred and forty Lien...not cheap..." she trailed off,
That much Lien was not something she could spend so easily; sure the Lien weighed down the bag over her shoulders, but it was not to be wasted with levity, "halving that would make it four hundred and twenty, yes?"
Karma put the numbers into the cash register's calculator, "yeah, twenty-eight rounds and four-twenty Lien, all in all,"
Emerald's eyes widened as Celestine casually handed over the Lien- the most Lien she had ever witnessed in her life- so casually! How were they going to be able to buy food!? Or-or pay for the hotel? What about- about- Emerald's lips trembled and a wave of nausea hit her stomach. Breathing became difficult while her vision blurred. Was it tears? She couldn't tell; only that it was like someone was tightening her chest.
Her breathing quickened.
"Relax," Celestine was now squatting in front of Emerald, "what is wrong?"
Celestine felt herself begin to worry as Emerald didn't answer, instead, she began to hyperventilate. Her eyes flickered with faint, misty blue flames and placed a hand on Emerald's shoulder, firmly gripping it,
"Emerald," her tone was firm. Celestine concentrated on the girl in front of her, "Relax,"
The word was both spoken and projected through Emerald's psyche with gentle force; enough to make the girl jolt in surprise at the second voice in her head. The panic attack lessened as the single word washed over her with warmth. Her mind eased but held the same worry and anxiety. Her breathing settled to a more normal rate if still a little fast.
"What is wrong?" worry was evident in the Saint's voice and eyes that still held the flames that flickered around her eyelashes.
Emerald brought a hand up and shakily wiped her eyes. Her red eyes flicked into Celestine's blue as the flames died out.
She was able to hold eye contact for a split second before dropping her head to stare at her feet. Her legs and black sneakers blurred and her lips trembled, "Why y-you spend so m-much Lien…?" she choked out into a tiny whimper.
Celestine caught onto what she was trying to say. Her other hand placed itself on Emerald's other shoulder,
"I have enough for the next few weeks, Emerald. Even if I did not I would have taken extra bounties or guard shifts to make up for it." Emerald glanced up at her with tear stains running down her face, "The Emperor has sent me here for a reason, I do not doubt He is not watching over m- us, as he does for everyone."
"Have faith. If not in Him, in me to protect you," Emerald nodded silently to the Saint.
Celestine squeezed both of Emerald's shoulders comfortingly as she stood to her full height and turned to the counter to find the ammunition already ready to go and Karma with a tiny, sympathetic smile.
A metal click, a bang and wood shattering as a bullet hit the target for the fifth time.
Emerald eyed the target with revulsion. The bullet hit, sure, but nowhere near the centre she was aiming at; it hit the fourth ring instead. The failure fumed her. It was a waste of bullets and Lien, she didn't want to prove she was a useless child. She didn't want to waste the kindness.
"Stupid...fucking-" she uttered under her breath with a scowl just low enough that Celestine didn't hear it.
Celestine stood just behind her acting as an instructor and impromptu shade for the overheating girl. It was clear to her that the heat was wearing on her; the way she stayed in her shadow and fidgeted with her shirt and shorts that stuck to her back and inner legs respectively.
"You have one bullet left, Emerald. Make it count as much as you can," she noticed how Emerald's shoulders stiffened and her body locked up at her voice. She let out a soft sigh and gently pushed down on Emerald's shoulders and used her left foot to gently position Emeralds' in the correct stance.
She then placed both her hands over Emeralds, mimicking the girl's stance and using her own to correct it as much as possible, "relax your elbows and wrist, they are too stiff."
Emerald reluctantly did so, "good. Now take a breath and relax," she felt Emerald's chest expand and compress with deep breaths and her arms slacken slightly,
"Very good," the smile could be heard, "now, only squeeze the trigger when you exhale and once you have your target in sight, okay?"
Emerald nodded gently and took one more breath before she closed one eye and aimed at the centre of the target. Celestine slowly released her hold on Emerald's hands and backed away slowly and carefully, as not to startle her.
Emerald released the breath gently and slowly squeezed the trigger. The pin snapped forward and the revolver fired harshly. The snapping of wood could be heard as the bullet hit its target true, leaving Emerald slack-jawed. She dropped her revolver and ran up to the target to get a closer look at it.
Celestine looked on with a smile as the girl began to celebrate her first victory of the day. It was a stark contrast to the girl's mood from just a few moments ago and the breakdown in the armoury, but Celestine knew first hand that a small victory on a bad- even terrible- day could do wonders for morale. And the small victory of hitting the target just below the centre was all Emerald needed…
The girl glanced back over to Celestine as if she just remembered she wasn't alone and immediately stopped her small dance of celebration with a very visible blush and owl-like eyes.
Celestine laughed at her clowning and picked up her revolver off the grass, "Come on Emerald, you look very exhausted,"
She handed it over to her when she got close enough and they began to make their way back to the hotel. Emerald walked in self-imposed awkward silence, refusing to meet Celestine's gaze or blatantly amused smile. Or anyone's gaze for that matter.
The Saint suddenly ruffled her hair gently, "you did good, Emerald,"
It was small praise, but praise nonetheless and it made Emerald's cheeks heat up further and she played with a set of stray hair, causing the Saint to laugh more.
Even once they were back in the hotel room, Emerald refused to meet Celestine's eyes. Celestine dropped the playful humour yet kept her smile, "Emerald."
The girl reluctantly faced her. Celestine's smile grew slightly, "you did well, be proud of that,"
Emerald's lips twitched but remained neutral while her face lightened. Celestine spoke again, "go get in a shower, I will get in one once you are done,"
Mint hair bobbed up and down as she rushed to collect a singlet and shorts plus a towel and bolted for the shower with a minor spring in her step. Leaving Celestine to take her armour off alone.
She pulled the window closed to stop the stale wind that began blowing in and closed the curtains shut as well. Then slowly but surely she stripped off the armour down until she was in nothing bar the Fibro-muscle layer when Emerald emerged from the bathroom. The Saint picked up her own singlet, shorts and towel and made for the shower.
When she got out she found Emerald at the desk fiddling with her revolver and the Ardent Blade, with only the bed somewhere she could sit she picked up the book on The Great War and took her place on the bed, her back against the bedhead and her legs split slightly.
Just because she could deal with the humidity, didn't mean she wanted to.
She flipped it open to the last chapter she was on, 'The Vytal Peace Accord and the Years After.'
Peace.
A strange concept that was just that to her, a concept. She knew the meaning of it but not the practice of. Was this, right now, peace? The quiet to use as she wished, no immediate conflict, no death, no horrors to purge; was this It? I suppose it is…
She continued with her readings and discovered just how woven the Huntsman Academies were in this world's history; their very conception was birthed by the war. Even years past the end came the birth of the Schnee Dust Company by the hands of Nicholas Schnee, the colour naming rule and even something called the Vytal Festival.
But centuries of shadowplay and battle left questions and discrepancies in her mind; could Atlas be held in the air by gravity Dust? If so, where does that much Dust come from? What was the purpose of placing Atlas in the air other than 'a beacon of hope'? It didn't make sense when Beacon Academy existed, it felt redundant. What Semblance did the 'Warrior King' have that let him decimate such a large swath of the Mistrilian and Mantle armies and what happened to his sword if became a tradition to hand his cane down to the next headmaster?
She knew from experience that a sacred artifact like a sword doesn't go missing so easily. There was just enough to satisfy the public but vague and shallow enough to not reveal much.
A ping from her Scroll caught her attention. She bent over the side of the bed and fished it out of the bag then sat back up. A message notification pinged visually and she tapped on it, taking her to a service message,
"Dear Citizens, the Cross Continental Transmit System is now online and ready for use after emergency repairs. Atlas and General Ironwood of the Atlesian military apologize for any inconvenience." she read in a mumble and placed the Scroll back on top of the bag.
As she pulled her head back up she noticed that Emerald was missing from the desk, the revolver and Ardent Blade were still there, the girl was not. She glanced at the bathroom to find it still open and the light off- she stiffened as a pressure was felt on the bed on her immediate right and a pair of arms snake their way around her thigh, a firm pressure pushed into her upper hip.
She looked down to find Emerald burying her head into the gap between her hip and the bed and tightening her grip on her thigh she spoke softly, though it was muffled Celestine could just make out what she said,
"Than' you,"
Instead of replying, Celestine placed her right hand on Emerald's head and stroked her hair gently, if a little awkwardly and with a rare, timid smile of her own as Emerald squeezed a little tighter.
She didn't know what time it was, but it must have been late as the sun was no longer shining through the gaps in the curtains and she finished the book long ago and had taken to stroking Emerald's hair gently. The girl had fallen asleep somewhere in the middle of her reading and never let go of the Saint.
Celestine lifted her thigh slowly and gently, then pulled Emerald's arm out from underneath it. Emerald wriggled uncomfortably and the Saint let her bury her head into her side.
Celestine owlishly blinked at her, this...is odd…
And by far not something she was used to.
A harsh knock at the hotel room's door echoed through the room and Emerald stirred again. Celestine gave her hair a few more strokes subconsciously and got off the bed.
She strode over to the door expecting the owner of the hotel but when she swung the door open gently, on the other side was a man she hadn't expected to see just yet standing with his arms crossed and a rather disgruntled look on his face,
"Ya, have no idea how damn annoying it was trying to find you," Qrow spoke with a grumble.
"You were tracking me?" it a little disconcerting,
Qrow's Scroll beeped and he pulled it out of his pocket, read the new message and grumbled under his breath, "oh, now he gets the Scroll number…" he sighed, "It's damn important and I need a drink, so put on some pants and shoes,"
"A little demanding aren't you," it wasn't spoken as a question but a fact,
Qrow sighed again, "look, Celestine, this is really important," he glanced over her shoulder and wings to Emerald-who was still asleep and continued in a softer voice, "and she ain't ready to hear it,"
Celestine eyed him for a moment then sighed, "alright," she agreed with a nod and walked back into the room to pull on her pair of sneakers, place the scabbard's belt around her hips with the Ardent Blade and left a message on the Scroll's main screen for Emerald if she were to wake up while she was gone.
She exited the room and locked it, "I assume by 'drink' you mean alcohol?"
Qrow nodded, "yeah, findn' you was a bitch and a half,"
She hummed as they made their way out the hotel, "so, what was it you needed to find me for?" She held the door to the hotel's foyer open for the both of them.
"Your powers."
"Oh?" Now that was interesting to her; someone was interested in her capabilities?
She glanced at Qrow as they made their way to the bar, "Well, it was bound to happen eventually,"
Qrow opened the door to the bar for her and followed her in.
It was a regular bar; immediately across from the entrance was the bar itself surrounded by chairs, to the left was a staircase that led to a second floor. Both floors had tables scattered across them and booths along the walls.
Qrow gestured to a booth in the corner that was empty, "you go score the booth, I'll order the drinks,"
Before she could protest he was at the bar ordering. She sighed to herself and made her way through the moderately full bar to the booth. It was surprisingly loud and cool in here, but not obnoxiously so in either case. If anything it was somewhat welcoming and calming; everyone was carefree and relaxing between friends and partners,
"Is this what Guardsmen do in their downtime?" she asked herself aloud as she watched a group of friends dance to the music erratically but with smiles covering their faces.
A different song took the previous one's place and the dancing groups took their seats, she closed her eyes and let out a breath from her nose, listening to the drums play their opening beat. Compared to the hymns and chants she knew off by heart, these held a more personal touch. The hymns reinforced faith and boosted morale in the darkest moments, whereas this portrayed emotions and told stories.
"So it turns out this ain't a bar," Qrow materialised in front of her with two glasses in his hands and took a seat across from her bobbing his head to the music, "It's a Cocktail Bar, I'm amazed this town even has one!"
Celestine opened her eyes and blinked at him, "what is the difference?"
The man laughed, "not a bar goer I take it?" she shook her head, she never had time for this, "regular bars are for the white collars and serve your basic beers, wines and spirits, Cocktail Bars do more than that!" he gestured to the tall colourful glasses,
"They specialise in making mixes and fancy shit! And are more aimed for a fun night out than relaxing,"
Celestine nodded in slight understanding, "and the loudness helps you speak without being heard, correct?"
Qrow nodded while taking a gulp of his drink, "yeah, that too!" he eyed her funnily, "well?"
"Well what, Branwen?"
"You gonna drink?" he pointed to her glass that sat untouched,
She picked it up and observed it from most angles curiously then gave it a sniff for good measure before taking a sip. It was fruity but had a kick of an aftertaste and overall nice,
"You know," she started normally but the music changed to something...electronic was the best way for her to describe it, forcing to speak louder, "this is the first thing I had in a long time!"
"I thought you said you didn't drink?" Qrow responded after another gulp,
The Saint shook her head, "You misunderstand me, Branwen; I haven't had food or drink for centuries!"
Qrow's face morphed into a look that could be read as 'are you serious right now?' and Celestine took another small sip of the drink and lent forward, "my powers. What about them?"
"They let you not need food apparently!" he retorted sarcastically,
"Among many things graced by the Emperor, yes!"
Qrow wore a look of consideration then spoke, "that includes controlling weather? It's fucking hot around here!"
Celestine laughed at the question, "No! I am capable of a great many things by His grace, but weather manipulation is not one of them!"
Qrow gave her a look, one she couldn't decipher before bringing his drink up to his mouth and took yet another large gulp, almost finishing it. She matched it with a measured sip of her own.
"So," he lent forward, " I saw the bandit's and Grimm from Arcadia and spoke to the Guild here. That begs the question; what are you capable of?"
Her eyebrow quirked and amusement spread across her face, "are you sure you would believe me?"
He nodded, "I've heard a lot of unbelievable things that turned out to be true, try me,"
She held up a hand and counted as she listed them off, "My wings are a mental projection, my sword combusts when I will it to, my life is unending, before I arrived here I could will my foes to die, teleportation is a capability I have yet to test out here-" she brought up her other hand- "I can resurrect those whose faith in the Emperor has remained unyielding and,"
She focused on Qrow's presence in front of her. Her mind's eye took in his mental form and being; a form clouded in dark and an overbearing light holding stubbornly on. Though the smallest of inconsistencies stood out as a green form of dust. Or at least, that's how her mind described it to her. It is most likely what Aura looks like on the metaphysical level.
She ignored it and projected with blue flames in her eyes, "telepathy is another skill I have been granted by Him, Branwen,"
Qrow's eyes widened and he sat back in his seat, his mouth flapping up and down for a few moments. His hand collected his drink in a single swoop and he downed what was left of it in one go, "you've got one hell of a package, with telepathy as a semblance. Also, cut out the eyes, you'll draw attention,"
She cut off her powers with a small frown, "I do not see how such a thing would draw the attention of the negative kind,"
He groaned into a hand then stared her in the eye, "Look, Oz will give you a full rundown with Ironwood and Glynda, but there are...others out there who will want you dead or to work for them, so don't go flaunting it, Spring,"
Her brows flattened, "I have many who wish me dead. None have succeeded in that task for centuries,"
"Look," Qrow sighed through his nose, "I'm not allowed to say much, but if anyone other than myself starts fishing for information on your...capabilities, don't give it to them, bullshit your way out or something,"
Her tone became mono as she sat taller and queried, "do you know who?"
He shook his head gently, "no, been tryn' to figure that one out for a while now… but family stuff got in the way and our enemies have gone to ground,"
She rested her back on the seat and crossed her arms over her chest, "unknown enemies...I have faced worse…"
"Oh, like what?"
"Blood cults for one," she responded.
"Convenient, there's a Grimm worshiping cult in Mistral that's getting around and making everyone's lives harder," he yawned, then eyed Celestine's drink, "you gonna finish that?"
She glanced down at its mostly full state for less than a second before downing it in one go. The aftertaste hit with the force of a truck and she began to cough and hack, that was a bad idea!
Qrow sat laughing at her expense until she stopped long enough to glare at him. He just met it with a shit-eating grin as he checked his Scroll, "It's ten now, you should be getting back to...uh, what's her name?"
Celestine stood and stretched her back, "Emerald, and you are right,"
The two left the bar as a handful of people entered, one of which was Karma who gave Celestine a light smack on the shoulder as they crossed paths, and made their way back to the hotel. Apparently, Qrow booked a room for the night before meeting her.
They parted ways in the foyer, Qrow staying on the bottom floor and Celestine made her way to room twelve.
As she took her shoes off at the door, she found it in the same state bar Emerald, who was curled up under the covers and clutching a pillow tightly in her sleep. Instead of getting in the 'bed' on the floor she had been sleeping in for the past week, Celestine collected the blankets and laid them back on the bed gently along with the pillows, and got in on the side closest to the window.
A/N:
The end of this chapter went through so many damn rewrites; so much was going to happen but then I realised it was kinda cheap so it got scrapped- along with what was going to be the next chapter- and I'm gonna go about it in a different, slightly slower way 'cause it allows character/relationship development and a few other things to get planted first.
If you're curious, the title refers to Emerald and is a song by the same title by Illenium. I came up with Em's breakdown while listening to it and I think it sums up my version of Emerald. At least on the surface it does.
I'm not copying the reviews here this time 'cause they're long. If you, the reader that is, want to read them you know where they are.
YermakGundr: Honestly, her adopting Em was random for me and I like the direction I'm taking it with the developing mother/daughter thing and yeah, she would make a good one, especially with how (...loyal? Obsessive? I mean, they are a quality of the Sororitas...) she is. The problem is her lack of faith, which is a vital part of what makes a Sister and gives them the ability to perform miracles in and outside of battle.
I assume the derailing of canon you are referring to is Celestine's nerf? If so, the slight backflip from following canon is a little jarring, but I tried to keep it one that isn't a shit one made to serve as a plot device that changes everything. Sure it does serve the need for her to have a challenge but that's it, not to make her a punching bag and die every five seconds because of edgy immortal fanfic. If I make any future changes, which is unlikely to be consciously made, it will be done with a lot of consideration on its impact on both the story and the readers.
If it's referring to the implication to other Primarchs returning in the Imperium; It was an impulse decision on my part to try and justify why Celestine is in the RWBYverse. It didn't work, but the Imperium and its ongoing events are not the focus of this story. Maybe events that involved Celestine, i.e Cadia, might get touched upon later, IDK.
And finally, if it's Guilliman's convo with Celestine, it does have some role with her, it should be obvious if you look closely at it and her current mindset. They are connected but I'm trying to be subtle and in character.
Yeah, GW can't keep shit in line at all from Celestine to the SPHESS MAREENS or Ad Mech or the T'au or- you get the point, GW can't keep lore in line. *nervously glances at Our Spiritual Liege*
And you got the mindset I'm trying to write Oz with down to a T.
And I personally really like the idea of Oz being happy with the status quo at this point in RWBY; Salem is off in a corner, he has his academies and kingdoms, the only thing threatening him (from his point of view) is politics and a potential war that can be swayed easily and he'll willingly turn a blind eye to anything that'll draw attention so he can keep his self perceived peace. But I don't think that'll be this Ozpin.
Salem: *exists*
Celestine, when she finds out Salem also exists: *holds a flaming Ardent Blade* "I'm 'bout to end this Heretics' whole career!"
Heheheh. Sort of Obvious plot points are obviously sort of obvious… you are so very close yet just a little too far away from my plans. *Laughs in Atlas arc*
E: yeah her nerf was something I took into consideration on knowing a lot of lore fanatics, like myself, would react. I tried to make it as useful to the story as possible and the least intrusive to Celestine as I could.
Now, it's like 12:30 at night as of posting this and I haven't had sleep for a few days cause insomnia is a bitch. Good night.