Fox felt as though he was going to throw up. Upon returning to the beach house, he and the other members of Team BASS had retreated to one of the upstairs bedrooms while the others stayed downstairs to discuss the ongoing situation. Fox hadn't asked his team to follow him as he walked silently up the steps, but he was glad that they had chosen to keep him company all the same. He had taken to sitting on the bed while Ghira and Sage leaned against the door and wall respectively, and Velvet started to pace. Fox's entire body felt both numb and warm simultaneously, as though he was gripped by a sudden severe fever. The boy knew exactly what he planned on telling Professor Ozpin the moment the headmaster was available, but he had no idea what his friends were thinking about the situation.

If all went according to the best-case scenario, they would simply stay out of it and let him choose. He didn't want to discuss the offer because he wasn't sure what he would say if any of his teammates questioned him. Fox had known what he would choose the moment the proposition was made, and he quite honestly felt like the rest of BASS had no right to question his choice. He wanted things to be simple and just come as they did without agonizing over the 'right' path.

Both fortunately and unfortunately, Fox was very used to not getting what he wanted.

"So…" Velvet said hesitantly, breaking up minutes on end of silence. The singular word caused Fox's heart to sink in is chest as he braced for the impact of the inevitable argument that was to begin. He knew it would be her. Ghira and Sage had a decent likelihood of leaving him alone, but Velvet? There was no chance. "…what are you thinking…?"

Fox took a long, sobering inhale, tucking his legs up and onto the mattress in a crossed position. He could 'see' Velvet's aura pulsating and flickering in a way that suggested she, too, was uncomfortable. It was a pattern of spiritual flux that Fox had grown used to recognizing in people… but it never gave enough detail. There was something missing from the way that he processed the emotions of others, as well as their intent. Something on offer to him that he didn't fully understand, and never would unless he reached out and seized it. The answer was clear.

"I'm doing it," Fox said with no hesitation. "I'm taking the deal, no matter what downsides or drawbacks Professor Ozpin hinted at earlier. I don't expect any of you to understand, but I also don't want to have to defend myself. I'm aware of the risks and implications."

"Can I ask you a question?" Sage proposed, keeping his eyes closed and arms folded. "I want to know something, more out of curiosity than anything else."

The temptation to deny his friend for the sake of avoiding conflict was incredibly strong, especially given the feeling of betrayal that lingered over Sage's triste with Cerise. Ultimately, Fox decided to trust that his friend's intentions were good, and perhaps there was something he was overlooking. After all… Sage seldom spoke unless it was important.

"Go for it."

"This is a total fantasy land scenario that honestly makes no sense, but I want you to seriously consider it anyway," Sage began. "Imagine none of the past couple days had happened- you hadn't gone through that portal, we hadn't found out about Salem… but somehow, for some weird, stupid reason, Professor Ozpin came to Vacuo at the end of his students' vacation and brought us into his strange little inner circle and offered to give you sight. Would you still accept?"

Fox blinked, realizing for the first time that soon, the gesture might actually have meaning beyond just 'feeling right' when his eyes got dry.

"…well… yeah. Why would that change anything?"

"Because I want to know how much of this is your guilt and feelings of inadequacy bubbling up and causing you to rush into the deal," Sage answered as he gave Fox a wary look. "Answer honestly."

It was exactly the question that Fox hadn't wanted asked, and one that was wholly expected. The immediate anger came to him all the same.

"None. It isn't about that, and I don't feel like explaining what it is about. You should be able to figure it out at least partially on your own," Fox said, trying to keep is venom to a minimum. "This is something I've always wanted."

"Is it?" Velvet asked, tilting her head. "I don't think I've ever heard you say 'I wish I could see' in a serious context. I mean, I'm not doubting you, I j-"

"Then why ask?" Fox demanded. "I never said that because it was never a serious option. I didn't want to make any of you feel uncomfortable or feel pity for me more than you already do, no matter how well you think you hide it. Can we just be done with this and wait for the professor? This is exactly why I didn't want to talk about this to begin with."

Ghira made a noise of discomfort as he remained in place holding the door shut with his back. Unbeknownst to Fox, the team leader shifted a bit and scrunched up his face before speaking in a low, contemplative voice.

"…we cannot, just yet. While I understand that you've made up your mind and don't want to be questioned about something so personal, and while I do believe that such an attitude and choice is entirely within your rights… I, personally, cannot let you do this without first pointing something out, regardless of how it makes you feel about me. My role as a leader is to try to help guide you all and make sure you're looking at the big picture. I am sorry, Fox, but there's something I need to say."

Fox let out a sigh and scratched at his scalp, feeling somewhat less annoyed with Ghira than Sage.

"Then say it. You've never steered us wrong before. The least I can do in return is hear you out, even if it's not going to do anything to change my mind at this point."

Ghira nodded, nebulous though the gesture was to Fox.

"…if you do this… you're beholden to him forever. I would fully expect an apparent deity capable of granting sight to someone born blind is equally capable of taking it away. Any request that man makes becomes a demand with a dangling threat looming overhead should you choose to resist. Any disagreement between us, or even Professor Gumo and Professor Ozpin, and your side is automatically assigned. Once you have this gift, I can't imagine ever trading it back, no matter the moral quandary involved. What I mean to say in no uncertain terms is that this is binding, Fox, whether he presents it as such or not."

"Do you really think I haven't thought of that?" Fox asked, his shoulders slumped. "That I would just ignorantly rush into something like this without understanding the strings attached?"

"No, I do not," Ghira admitted. "But it needed to be said aloud. If you go through with it, I will not blame you. I don't think any of us will, and I can say that I would likely make the same choice."

"You wouldn't," Fox denied as he transitioned to lying back atop the mattress. "You would say you would, but probably right at the last second… you wouldn't let yourself be compromised like that. You don't do debts, or anything morally questionable that might affect other people in the long term, especially friends. A perfect opportunity for everything you've ever wanted could pop up, and if it hurt one of us, you'd wave it away in an instant, Ghira. Don't pretend like you wouldn't to try to make me feel better."

"He's right," Velvet agreed as she moved to sit down next to Fox and put a hand upon his thigh while looking at Ghira. "You're too good to trust in the unknown when it could cause problems. I'm not. Sage?"

"Does it matter what I would do, here?" the burly hunter asked, looking somewhat agitated. "All that matters is Fox's choice, and it's a personal one. We've all done things that seemed like a good idea at the time, but ended up causing problems for other people later."

"You don't say?" Fox said flatly as he closed his eyes. "I've made up my mind. I can't afford to have doubts right now. It could be minutes to hours from now, but… can we please stop talking about this?"

"It is alright to be afraid," Ghira reassured as he, too, moved to sit on the mattress on Fox's opposite side. "You are worried that we may sway you away from Professor Ozpin. I understand… but no responsible friend who actually cares about you would simply sit back and let this happen without a thorough examination of wh-"

A knock came at the bedroom door, causing Ghira to trail off. Fox's expression had twisted into a grimace, and he hadn't breathed since the last time he had spoken. His chest felt like there was a boulder resting atop it as his mind raced through every possibility he could think of. A few simple words within the next several seconds could grant him what he had wanted most in the world, at an unknown expense. A few others would keep him and his friends safe, while leaving him as he was. No one moved or said anything as they waited for Fox to speak.

Cerise had thought she would fly up the steps the moment she was called. Instead, the journey to the second floor was arduous and seemed never-ending, like her legs were saddled with weights almost too heavy to lift. Every step up every stair took a concentrated effort, and for some reason, her heart was filled with dread. Of all the situations she had gotten herself into and helped Team BASS out of, she had never encountered one so ambiguously fraught with tension. Cerise had no idea what to say to comfort Fox, or any idea what she would need to do otherwise. Sage awaited her just outside the door, his face pale and usually neutral expression replaced by a heavy frown.

"He's…" Sage began, finding it hard to express what he was thinking. "…he's not taking it well. I guess that's to be expected given what it must feel like, but…"

"He needs time," Cerise said, unsure of where her boldness and certainty was coming from as she moved past the man and opened the door. "I'll do what I can."

Upon walking inside the bedroom, it at first looked as though Fox had somehow left. It took Cerise a second to see the open balcony door and her friend standing outside, facing the ocean. Once again, it became difficult for her to find the strength to drag herself forward as she wrestled with what was likely about to happen. Slowly, without really thinking about it, she moved toward Fox and eventually reached the railing. As she gripped her hands around the metal, she kept her eyes forward, not yet wanting to confront reality. Fox did the same as he spoke in a low voice.

"…I never really… got it before," the boy explained. "What you all were talking about when someone would say something is beautiful. It never really made any sense to me."

"Guess I've never really thought about it," Cerise admitted as she watched the tide slowly roll in and then recede. "Just in general, I mean. Some things are, some things aren't. Can't even imagine what it's like from your perspective. It must be wild…"

With a deep inhale, Cerise looked up to Fox's face to find his cheeks glistening with tears. The whites of his eyes were totally bloodshot… and where they would have normally been featureless and milky otherwise, there was instead something new. Irises of an intense, deep blue surrounded the boy's pupils, somehow looking both out of place and like they should have been there all along. Fox finally turned his head to look over at her as his breath caught in his chest, and Cerise watched as his eyes darted back and forth, taking in her every detail. She, too, forgot to breathe as she stood completely rigid, awaiting judgment, or commentary, or for something to be said about her appearance.

Instead, what she got first was a tear leaking out of one of Fox's eyes as he rushed forward and wrapped her in a crushing hug.

"I get it now," Fox said as he squeezed harder and Cerise returned the gesture. "Words don't do it justice. It's all beautiful…"

Author's Note:

Needless to say, this will greatly change the trajectory of Fox's arc moving forward. Next time, things get moving with Summer's Maiden powers and the path forward against Salem…

-RD