The afternoon sun was bright overhead while Wisteria aimlessly walked around the city. She would go for these outings when she needed to think, and for this one she wasn't alone. A small, fluffy kitten mewed while the young woman cradled them, alternating surveying its surroundings and its carrier. Wisteria found them on the side of the street, and before she knew it the small animal was safely ensconced in her arms.
Wisteria had always liked animals. They were so much easier to be around than people. Not to mention being cute, and they reciprocated affection given them, though she would sometimes have to convince a stray or two she didn't mean them harm. But it was worth it, having a small furry friend to hold and take care of helped her process her inner feelings, and ever since coming to Vale with Creed, the need to have animal contact only strengthened.
Azure Knyte. The young man weighed on Wisteria's heart and mind since they first met. So much grief was tied to him. She wished that wasn't the case, but nothing seemed to lift the burden. She had never stopped thinking about him after he left her and Creed, something to this day the young woman couldn't understand.
Wisteria scratched the kitten's ear, going off the sidewalk and down an alleyway while she began to wistfully reminisce. Azure and Creed were the only thing close to family she had on this earth, and she cherished them both. They looked out for each other, as they were the only people in the White Fang they could count on. They weathered horrible trials, and paid for their lives in blood, some of which belonged to friends they'd lost along the way. Wisteria felt she owed those two an unpayable debt. But now the trio were fractured, and she had never felt more alone. Azure had left her and Creed after an incident between the two boys spiraled out of control. She still remembered patching up Creed while he told his end of the story, though it broke her heart to hear it. Now, Azure was back. And the worst part? It looked like he had moved on. He seemed happy. Calm. More than he ever was in Black Claw, and that tore deep into her being. She wanted him back in her life. To be close like she always felt they were, but…would that make him happy? Creed seemed to think so, as he was just as adamant to get Azure back into their lives. So she would continue to follow the snake halfblood's lead.
At least, that was what she believed she was going to do. But recent thought's of her last encounter with Azure only made things more complicated.
"Leave the White Fang and Creed behind."
That line looped inside Wisteria's brain. When Azure said it, her immediate reaction was to reject it. But time gave it staying power, and the half faunus kept mulling it over. Made her ask herself a few things, like was what Creed told her two years ago really how it happened? And if it wasn't, what would she do with the truth?
Did she even want to know?
Wisteria shook her head in an attempt to clear her brain. Stupid, of course she did. But…maybe a part of her was afraid to find out. She also owed Creed just as much as Azure, and the former kept looking out for her in the interim. That meant more than Creed probably realized, knowing his…idiosyncratic views. She would stay with the snake boy while the two of them worked to get their friend back. Then everything could go back to normal. It had to.
The kitten mewed for Wisteria's attention and the young woman took note of where her feet led her. The meandering took the two of them out of the alleys and backstreets, and now stood at an entrance to a small park. It was a hidden glen of flora in the towering structures of concrete. It was decently maintained, the flowers and shifting trees symmetrically dotting the manufactured soil beds. It was a mesmerizing find, and Wisteria decided to let the kitten explore this new area, gently placing it down. The feline looked back up at its carrier before bouncing its merry way forward to the gardens. Wisteria quietly giggled at the cuteness, perking up her mood. She followed after it, but stopped when she realized they weren't the only ones present. A young man was sitting on a bench covered by shade. A tall wolf faunus with black hair. The boy wore a distracted look while his eyes were glazed over. Wait, she knew him…
Lupin Grey. The leader of the second team the White Fang sent to infiltrate Beacon Academy.
Wisteria continued her approach, curiosity winning over unsurety.
"Hey, Rosy?"
Roslie glanced curiously over at Sonara, the pair of friends walking down one of Beacon's main hallways.
"Is it me, or have you noticed something's been happening?" the brunette pondered aloud, blue eyes meeting Rosalie's purple.
"Hmm? With what?"
"Team KRME!"
"Oh? What makes you say that?" Rosalie asked. Sonara took a moment to gather her line of thinking.
"Well," she started, "I think the first moment of noticing something was, like, the beginning of the semester? Remember that week Azure was gone for basically the entire time? Rember and the others looked really sad, but none of us felt comfortable going to see what was up."
Rosalie hummed; She did remember. Valerie was a bit sore after she was the first, possibly only, one to venture the situation and was immediately met with cold words from Azure at his return. They did seem to make up after that however, as the leader told them her and Azure would be going to the big festival dance together in the near future.
"After that," Sonara continued, " they always seem busy after classes doing…whatever it is. It just caught my attention, that's all."
If Rosalie had thoughts, she kept them to herself. The pair of young women walked out of the main lobby of the school and along the exterior main avenue, surveying the commotion upon them.
Since the beginning of the new semester, students from the other three Huntsman academies across Remnant had traveled to Beacon to celebrate the Vytal Festival, trickling in spurts so as not to overwhelm Beacon's staff at housing the equivalent of three whole schools worth of students in one day. The first arrivals from Haven, Shade, and Atlas Academy had all arrived between semesters, every class becoming melting pots comprising all four academies. Some old familiar faces had shown up from Haven that Rosalie and Sonara recognized as well. They caught up in their off time, yet one certain individual hadn't taken the trip yet. Which was why the duo of huntresses-to-be now dutifully watched the second arrival of Haven's student body. Over the course of a few minutes the sea of bodies thinned, small entourages at a time.
Sonara squinted for a sign, a tell, of familiarity. The uniforms Haven students wore were solid black, save white accents in strategic areas. Made gatherings of them surprisingly disorienting if just focusing on a large proceeding in motion. Onward the sea of monochrome ebbed past, waiving and greeting as politely as they could. They stayed until what they thought was the last person came into view, and Sonara visibly deflated in disappointment.
"Huh. I guess he didn't make it…" Rosalie mumbled, sharing her partner's emotions.
"He said he would be in this group though." Sonara claimed, "He and his team!"
"I know, Sona. I know. We can see if we can get a hold of him when we go back to the room, okay?"
Sonara groaned in unhappy protest. "Can we wait just a bit more, until the ship heads out? Just in case?"
Rosalie nodded after giving it some thought. There they continued to wait, still hopeful.
To their joy, the girl's patience was rewarded.
Stepping down the ramp, lost in his own world, was the individual both girls eagerly awaited to arrive. Charcoal black hair wafted in front of his hazel brown eyes in the late summer breeze. Sonara and Rosalie both knew this young man well, and the former kicked off the ground in a full tilt sprint.
"JUUUUUUUUDE!" the brunette shouted at the top of her lungs, every elongated step shaking the ground and kicking up dust.
In an instant, the young man snapped his attention to the oncoming human projectile. His eyes widened in alarm, arms raising in an attempt to make Sonara slow down. He could barely get the beginnings of a dissuasion out before the smaller girl made contact, literally jumping the last few feet, crashing into the boy, and sending the pair of them flying through the air for a good few seconds before coming down in a thunderous crash.
Rosalie sauntered hurriedly towards the sprawled out bodies. Sonara had gripped the poor lad in the tightest vice of a hug she could muster, giggling merrily. 'Jude', however, looked like he had the stars knocked out of him. Rosalie promptly pried her partner off the noir haired boy, helping him recover to his feet.
"Ow…" he mumbled, "I almost forgot what those felt like…"
"Hmhm~ Sorry Judas," Rosalie giggled lightly, "She felt like speaking for the both of us. It's great to see you! You okay?"
Judas forgot the momentary pain wracking his head when Rosalie shared her concern. He reflexively dusted himself off and cleared his throat, nodding. Sonara was positively bouncing with energy, and Rosalie smiled warmly.
Judas Arany. Rosalie and Sonara had known him for almost half their lives. Rosy had met him shortly after Sona had newly integrated into the family, on account of her finding the two in the middle of a street fight. She remembered having to patch both of them up and scolding them for causing such a commotion. Sonara knew him for even longer, when she was still a street urchin. The three teens basically grew up together, which is why when both Sona and Rosy left for Beacon, it made them a little sad Judas wasn't able to attend with them. However, Judas was put in with a recommendation from his mentor to be able to attend Haven, even put two years ahead of the standard age requirement of seventeen. Now they were back together, and all was right with the world again.
"Took your sweet time, Jude!" Sonara teased, "What kept you?"
Rosalie didn't miss the troubled look that crossed the boy's face at that question, but it was gone as soon as it came. "I, ah, had business to take care of. But I'm here."
"Alone? I thought you'd be with a team…?" Rosalie asked, glancing around for any others that were possibly looking for him. No sooner had she started to, three new faces appeared on the approach. A short wolf faunus, no taller than Sonara, reached them first in a hurried run. The girl's lavender hair was long, matching the fluffy tail that trailed from her behind. Her bangs were styled in a way it covered a part of her face, hiding one of her maroon eyes. A black newscap atop her head, and black and red striped stockings adorned her legs for personalized flair.
"Oh my gods, Judy! Are you okay?" she asked anxiously.
Hearing what the girl had called their friend, Rosalie and Sonara shared a curious glance.
Judy?
"Yeah, Kazuki. Just an…old ritual between friends."
Kazuki blinked in confusion, and the other two members of Judas' alleged team caught up to their other half. R-ritual? This is normal? She internally pondered. The small young woman quickly peered in the direction of one of the members; her own childhood friend. She remembered how many times he had bonked her on the head whenever they would talk. On second thought… It's not so bizarre considering our interactions.
"Look at that. Arany got bodied by a girl smaller than him." A young man with a dour look on his face bluntly mocked, adjusting some sort of dial on the pair of bulky headphones covering his ears. Judas glared lightly at the jab, shooting back "We're basically the same height, idiot…" but straightened as the other, a wolf faunus as well, twitched his ears and grinned, a frivolous air about him.
"My my, Judy. You've been holding out on us! Just when were you going to tell us you had two lovely girlfriends?" he commented coyly, watching as the other boy beside him rolled his eyes at his impish flirting.
"Judy?" Sonara and Rosalie commented simultaneously, and Judas flinched at hearing the despised nickname.
"Thank you, Flynt. Now they know too."
"Any time, bud!"
Sighing, Judas gestured to the three teens before them. "Rosalie, Sonara: these are my teammates from Haven. The girl is Kazuki, the taller one is Flynt, and the shrimp in headphones is Shuichi."
Shuichi's frown deepened, glaring. "We're basically the same height, jackass."
"Yeah, Noriker? I'm younger than you, so what's your excuse?"
"Screw you, that's why."
"You first, Asshole."
Judas cracked a satisfied smirk as Shuichi flipped him off, further adjusting knobs on his headset.
Wow. And I thought Azure could be a bit cold… Sonara thought to herself. Shuichi suddenly glared at her with his slate gray eyes through unkempt ash black hair, which caught her off guard. Did…did he know what she was thinking?
Kazuki let out a soft sigh, eyeing Shuichi to ease up, shrugging lightly when he scoffs and looks away from them all clearly tired of the company. Yup, that's about what I'd expect from Shuichi.
"Right then!" Flynt exclaimed, clapping his hands together to grab everyone's attention, "Best not to take all day. I'm sure we have accommodations waiting for us, and team SRET must be feeling lonely." the boy maneuvered to address Rosalie and Sonara, putting on his best friendly smile. "We here on team BSMA would be eternally grateful if you lovely girls could guide us across such unfamiliar grounds."
Rosalie bowed her head. "We'd be happy to," she accepted, Sonara happily nodding along with her, "The rest of our team are waiting for us as well."
"Brilliant! Lead the way, o rosen gilded maiden!"
As the team followed in suit, Kazuki couldn't help her curiosity. She wasn't too experienced with friendships, aside from Shuichi, and now Judas and Flynt. Fellow friends of her similar gender wasn't something she'd found easy to achieve. Most girls found her natural beauty intimidating and her quiet, timid demeanor as a sign of being stuck up. Watching Judas, the girl couldn't help but wonder if this was what it was like to have girl friends.
They had fallen into conversations, most of it was muffled by her own thoughts of course. But she couldn't help her eyes flickering between the two girls, hastily that is, out of fear of being caught staring. Rosalie, I believe is her name. She has very beautiful hair, such a nice shade of pink. And that outfit! So vibrant, I could hardly begin to picture myself wearing so much color. The smaller girl, Sonara, has so much energy, but she seems rather nice. Her eyes flickered back to Rosalie, noticing a small detail she had missed as a slight breeze danced across, dragging some of the girl's pareo along with it and revealing a section of her thigh that wasn't covered by her undershorts. Wait… how is she okay with that much skin exposure? I certainly hope she doesn't wear this getup during the cooler months, truly illogical she'll freeze.
The six teens, led by Rosalie and Sonara, arrived in the heart of Beacon Academy. Just like the pink haired young woman claimed, Valerie and Kyra were waiting for them. The leader of AMBR waved them down, a friendly smile gracing her beautiful face.
"Heya, Sona! Rosy! Were these the friends you mentioned?" the leader of AMBR questioned.
Technically, they said 'friend'. Singular. Kyra dryly commented internally, taking her own time observing the new faces.
"We are indeed!" Flynt affirmed, putting on his best smile. The slender faunus smoothly moved ahead of the pack, oozing charm. "Most that know me call me Flynt. But you…You can call me whatever you like, ladies~"
Kyra could feel the vomit churning in her stomach. Valerie, however, took the flirting in stride, cracking an entertained grin. "You don't say, handsome?" she reciprocated, raising an amused eyebrow, "Anything~?"
"If it meant hearing your voice, anything." Flynt commented smoothly, eyes sultry. Valerie drew close to meet his gaze with one of her own. To the onlooker, it looked as if they were seriously into each other.
"Oh gods, there's two of them…" Shuichi snidely mumbled under his breath, shaking his head as Kyra slid next to him, sharing in his aura of intolerance. The white haired girl patted him on his shoulder, and if it improved his mood, Kyra couldn't tell.
"Tell you what," Valerie sweetly told Flynt, taking a finger to trace the details on his uniform's top, vivid red eyes mesmerizing. "I know exactly what I'm gonna call you, sweetie~"
Kazuki could feel her hyperactive brain begin to short circuit and cheeks flush red in secondhand embarrassment. Staring at the two young adults in sheer disbelief, she couldn't fathom what was going on before her. They were being so…so bold! How on Remnant were they doing this? Beside her, Judas could barely hold his own fits of laughter in. Even Shuichi watched in fascination.
Flynt, however, could feel his practiced persona begin to slip. Usually he'd be shot down or the receiver would react in a way he had anticipated. Valerie hadn't just reacted unexpectedly, she actually took the gilded quips and built upon them. That, in particular, he wasn't ready for.
"O-oh really?" he posited, doing his best to appear unfazed, "Well, don't leave me in suspense."
Intently, Valerie's finger went up Flynt's sternum until it rested at the tip of his chin, her vibrant crimson eyes studying him while she coyly smiled. She held him there, the wolf faunus forgetting to breathe.
"Mmm…never mind."
Valerie abruptly withdrew and strode back to the academy, and Flynt blinked. She only stopped to drink in the stupefied look on the tall boy's face, her impish grin widening when hearing Sonara's hearty laughter at the antics.
"I'm Valerie." she threw over her shoulder as the rest of AMBR began following their team leader, "Try not to be too sore about the teasing. Okay, Pebbles~?"
Flynt stood motionless, gobsmacked. All he could do was watch as the first girl matching his antics strutted away with the rest of her group. Judas, no longer keeping it together, hurt his stomach from laughter tearing its way out of him. Shuichi cracked a smile, a rarity so sparse you could call it mythical. The boys followed after AMBR and past the tall faunus, and after Kazuki gave Flynt a consoling pat on his shoulder, they caught up. The small group of teams mingled while moving into the school proper, with the exception of Shuichi and Kyra comfortably distancing themselves from their chattier teammates. BSMA did their best to familiarize the new area while AMBR gave them the grand tour.
Lupin looked out at the gardens without really seeing them, his mind muddled. He held a pencil in his hand and a small sketchbook sat in his lap, open to a blank page.
The meetup with SWAN had been odd, to say the least. Seeing his sister defer to someone who wasn't in charge of her was weird, she usually refused to let anyone take her role as leader, but that wasn't it. Something about Creed set his nerves on edge, and he couldn't quite place a finger on what it was.
Something hit his leg softly, and Lupin looked down. To his amusement he found a small, fluffy kitten batting at the hem of his jeans, focused on a loose string. He watched for a moment as the silly creature played, rolling on its back and revealing its tummy. With a laugh, Lupin leaned down and ruffled the kitten's fur, earning a few surprised squeaks.
"What are you doing out here all alone?" he asked it.
The kitten sat up, happily bopping its head against his hand. It purred loudly, clearly pleased with his attention.
A nearby rustle caught Lupin's attention and he looked up, surprised to find the semi-familiar form of Wisteria Dawn watching him from a small distance away.
"Hey," he greeted with a wave. "What's up?"
Wisteria cocked her head, confusion flashing across her face and awkwardly raising her hand.
"I don't know if you remember me, I'm-"
"Lupin. I remember."
Lupin smiled and got to his feet, tucking his sketchbook away.
"How're you doing?" he asked, walking over to her.
"Fine."
Concern flashed across Lupin's handsome face and he frowned.
"You don't look like you're fine," he commented. "Is something wrong?"
She kept watching him, the silence stretching on.
"No," Wisteria said eventually. "Everything's fine. I was just thinking."
"Me too," he admitted. "Everything's been a little crazy since getting here, hasn't it? Especially with the tournament coming up. Lasair's ecstatic for team matches to start up, I think he wants to show off. Are you guys competing at all?"
He offered her another friendly smile, not put off by her awkwardness. Lots of people were awkward when meeting new folks.
"No," Wisteria told him, "I don't think so."
"Bummer, I'd love to see Starr get her butt whooped," Lupin laughed.
Wisteria's eyebrows drew together slightly. "Why do you want to see your sister lose?"
Lupin shrugged. "We're not on good terms and I know it would tick her off to lose. It's fun getting under her skin sometimes. If she lost a Vytal Tournament match it would give me ammo for ages."
"Oh. I see."
There was a loud meow, and they both looked down to find that the fluffy kitten had followed Lupin and was now sitting between them looking up with yellow-green eyes.
"Back for more attention?" Lupin laughed, crouching down to pick the cat up. "You're worse than Aeryn."
The kitten didn't care, rubbing excitedly against Lupin's jacket and purring away.
"Heh. Silly little thing," Lupin said fondly. "You like cats?"
He looked back to Wisteria, whose eyes were on the feline.
"Yes," she said, and Lupin gently gave the kitten back to her. Once the feline resettled, she studied the boy quietly. "...Why are you here?" she asked after a moment.
Lupin chortled, plopping back on the bench. "Contrary to popular belief," he commented, "Even I need time away from people."
"Really?"
"Well, while I admittedly enjoy sightseeing secluded areas for fun, I wasn't really in the mood for it today."
The joke earned a small giggle from Wisteria. It was a nice change of pace for Lupin, having an innocent conversation with someone new. The small girl, whenever he saw her, seemed tense behind the air of disinterest she projected. Maybe it was because Starr tried carrying herself in a similar matter, but when Wisteria did it, he could tell she was attempting to hide her feelings. About what, he didn't know.
"For real though, I…appreciate my team, but they can be a lot. So I'll find a place like this. Be with just me for a while."
"I…kinda get it."
"I bet. So," Lupin gestured to the empty space on the bench. "Feel free to voice your thoughts."
Wisteria analyzed Lupin. She decided to take up the offer, daintily sitting down and petting the kitten. The woman didn't feel comfortable looking at Lupin directly in such close proximity, so she focused on the small animal. Lupin noticed her meekness, but didn't pay it any heed, resuming his doodling. Time passed by quietly, the wind blowing through the trees, and the scratches of pencil on paper filling the void.
"I…" Wisteria said eventually, trying to find the words, "I don't know what to do."
"What about?"
"...Someone close to me and Creed. We lost touch a long time ago, but they've come back into the picture."
Lupin halted his scribbling. This rang an uncomfortably familiar bell.
"An old friend?" he asked.
"Mhm. We tried reconnecting…but I don't think they want anything to do with us anymore."
"What makes you say that?"
"I tried some time ago talking with him on my own, but…it didn't go well."
"Oh…I'm so sorry, Wisteria," Lupin consoled. "I get how you must be feeling."
"You do?"
Lupin leaned back in his seat as he nodded, twiddling with his pencil. "That's actually part of why I'm out here today," he admitted, "I'm facing my own consequences of a falling out with someone."
The news took Wisteria by surprise. What were the odds they had similar problems?
"What happened?" she asked.
"Oh, it's nothing you need to worry about. It's my cross to bear."
"Try me."
"No, no, it's okay."
Wisteria pouted at Lupin's attempted dissuasion. The glare she gave him chipped away at the wolf boy's hesitation, raising his hands in defeat. Closing his sketch pad, Lupin took a deep breath.
"I got close to someone while being a scout for new members," he recounted. " We met at Sanctum Academy, back in Mistral. At first, what stood out to me was how much of a little gremlin she was. She instigated a lot of things we both should've gotten in a lot of trouble for, but…I didn't care. It was the most fun I've ever had."
"She sounds…interesting."
"Haha. Yeah, she made life vibrant for me. Looking back, that time we spent together was the best time of my life." Lupin admitted nostalgically, smiling slightly before a regretful frown replaced it. "But she didn't want to be a part of the White Fang, and they punished her for it when I told them."
Wisteria's gut twisted when she heard that. A mew from the kitten snapped the woman's attention to it, realizing she had reflexively held the animal a bit too tightly for its liking. She apologetically petted it until it was content again.
"Sorry," Lupin amended, "I guess that isn't a story two White Fang member's should be discussing, huh? I just…don't really have someone to talk to about this kind of stuff. Not anymore."
Wisteria shook her head. "No, it's okay." she assured, "I…I know of the White Fang's cruelty and hypocrisy."
Lupin blinked in surprise at the venom in the girl's voice. It was intimidating, and the wolf faunus wasn't expecting such vitriol. Admittedly, he didn't know much at all about her beside him, or Creed. They seemed like a packaged deal, but when he decided to look into their history, the young man couldn't find anything. No one in the brotherhood seemed to know them, and the leaders up the chain of command dismissed his inquiries on the basis of "unnecessary for the mission". All he could learn was what was shown to him, and what he'd just learned was that there was more faunus hurt by the very group championing the ideal of 'equality' for their people.
"I'm sorry, that's awful to hear," the boy consoled, "Hard to believe there used to be a time when this would never have been tolerated…"
Wisteria cocked her head quizzically. "What do you mean?"
"Well, I've been a member basically all my life. I've seen what the White Fang used to be, and…what it's become."
"Oh. I've only been a part of it for five years."
Lupin nodded, archiving another piece to the puzzle that was Wisteria in his mind.
"Was this friend of yours with you and Creed in the White Fang?"
"Mhm. We were initiated together."
"I see. And then he left. Did he ever say why?"
"No. He didn't say a word before he disappeared. He even seriously hurt Creed when he tried going after him."
"Woah. That's…woah."
"I know that sounds bad. I do," Wisteria admitted, softly caressing the kitten, "But even now, I still want to believe the boy that helped Creed and I when we were in need is still there."
"He's really important to you, isn't he?"
Wisteria paused. She managed to nod as pink flushed to her cheeks, and Lupin grinned warmly.
"Then as one with a similar struggle," the young man commented, "see if you can find the time to try to mend broken bridges again. Get his side of the story. There might never be a 'right' time for it, but if it's important you'll make the time for it."
"A-alright," Wisteria agreed, "but in return you should try to do the same with yours!" the small girl imposed, and the boy agreed.
Suddenly, Wisteria's Scroll began to ring. Putting it on speaker, she answered with a soft "Hello?"
"Wisteria! My favorite doll!" a familiarly boisterous voice greeted on the other end. "How goes the wandering?"
Lupin felt a frown creep onto his face. Creed.
"It's fine," Wisteria answered. "I've been with Lupin."
"Lupin? Oh, Lupin!" Creed exclaimed, "How nice of him to keep you company. Is he still with you?"
"I am," Lupin said curtly.
"Oh! Hello there, friend! Listen, I hate to take such good company away from you, but Starr has a mission that she and Wisteria are going to be running. We need her back, pronto."
"You don't say?"
"Indeed I do! Top brass are getting the girls to go to that festival dance that all the school members go to, or whatever. Starr has the full details for her."
"Really?" the lupine questioned. "If that's the case, why haven't I gotten something similar in regards to having my own member join them?"
"What? They haven't told you yet?" Creed asked, sounding genuinely shocked. "Talk about weird. Maybe they thought we'd relay the info to you, and we'd collaborate. Regardless, I'm sure you can talk with your sister and work something out."
Lupin hummed. Something about this didn't sit right.
"I'll be back soon, Creed," Wisteria promised.
"Spectacular! Don't keep us waiting, doll! Oh, and Lupin?"
"Yes?"
"Thank you. For watching out for one of my favorites. I'd love to spend some time with you and pick your brain, when you're free!"
"I'll…keep you posted," Lupin answered, not bothering to hide his unenthusiasm.
"I'll hold you to that! Ciao!"
One electronic beep, and Creed's voice was gone. Wisteria tucked the Scroll away, petting the kitten with mild disappointment. She wanted to spend a bit more time with it, but duty called. Getting to her feet, she handed the small creature to Lupin.
"I gotta go," she stated.
"Alright. I'll keep this little one company until they feel ready to leave," Lupin assured her. Wisteria turned to start heading out, but the wolf faunus quickly called her back after remembering just what he had been sketching. In one quick motion, he deftly tore out his sketch and handed it to the younger woman. Upon seeing the image, Wisteria's eyes widened, and Lupin's smile grew the biggest it had been that day.
It was a drawing of Wisteria and the kitten. Lupin had captured them sharing a moment of serene calm.
"Th-Thank you," Wisteria whispered, touched.
"You're welcome. Think of it as a little gift between new friends."
"We're…friends?"
"Of course! You're pretty easy to talk to, so I'd love to have more of these moments with you."
Wisteria smiled. After giving Lupin a final goodbye, the young woman made her way out of the garden, her scarf flapping softly behind her.