Welcome back to another edition. I'm back from vacation and am now living in D.C.
Sorry if I had absolutely no consistency this past month. I had to get back to the U.S. and move here within a week to start work and set up my apartment simultaneously. It's been hectic, but I should be able to get on schedule again.
Anywho, onto more relevant things: JJK ended, cowabummer, but the fic goes on.
One of my Betas, Luxutor, has started his own fic. It's Danmachi x Castlevania and called: An old Belmont in Orario-
Do me a solid and show him some love.
Also, I want to show some love to another part of my team, Puresalty101. It's his birthday, and he's a big part of this project, so I wanna extend my thanks and wish him all the best.
I once again thank the members of the Discord, such as Chepa, Caesar, Hackerman27, and Jasonzzldude, for the mountain of fan art. You're all awesome.
Let's get into this.
BetaReaders: BFTyrant, Chris, Daki, Rockmean, Luxutor, Tupjunk, and Megadumbo.
…
*Scribble-scribble-Crash-Splash
As the ocean waves rolled back and forth, pushing their way onto the sandy shore until they receded from whence they came, a pencil danced along a sheet of paper.
Yuji sat on the edge of a dock, feeling the early morning sun against his skin as his legs dangled off the side, staring ahead at the horizon, not even looking at his notebook, moving entirely off instinct.
He was by himself, but still, he spoke as if someone were there with him.
"I've been thinking about you a lot lately and what you did for me."
Itadori's hand glided along the paper, slowly darkening a pair of shades, "Well, that's not entirely right. I think about you every day, but...somethin' tells me you know that already, even if you didn't want me to, I just can't stop myself. You-"
A seagull cawed as its shadow passed by overhead, but he continued, "Growin' up without a mom or dad wasn't easy. I mean, I had my grandfather, and that was enough, but after he was gone, I felt like I was chasing ghosts...and not just 'cause we were fighting curses and stuff but like, argh-"
His head slumped back as he watched the thin clouds, "You woulda given me a look for that dumb line. I just know it."
Yuji chuckled at the thought, knowing he would've gotten a line about 'wasting time on nonsense' for that one as his hand went back to drawing.
His brown eyes closed, "I knew I wanted to help people, but it never really clicked with me what that meant. Did it mean just killing curses? Or maybe even doin' someone's dirty laundry? I didn't know...I still don't know if I'm doing the right thing, but that's just the kinda guy I am, ya know?"
"I'm still that same idiot who swallowed a finger to try and do something useful. I get an idea in my head, and I go full throttle toward it, but sometimes, those broad goals just don't do it."
The vessel smiled, looking down at the artificial glint reflecting off those familiar sunglasses, "Then, one day, I met you, and you told me-"
'Jujutsu sorcerers are shit.'
And
'Work is shit.'
And that you were only here because you happened to be better at one than the other.
Yuji laughed, "Hahaha! For the longest time, I thought you were a stickler for the rules and nothin' else, and I really didn't know what to do with that, but-"
...
...
"Under all that doom and gloom-"
...
...
"You were the best...letting those small bits of gratitude keep you going, but it was more than that, you-"
...
...
The sorcerer blinked, fondly smiling at the flowing ocean waves, "You were done with this awful, short life, but you came back, not just because you were good at it. No, that's not the kinda person you were."
"You came back because you cared, and you couldn't sit by while a new batch of kids got thrown into the meat grinder, not while you could do something. I didn't understand it at the time. I just knew I wanted you to acknowledge me, I-"
Yuji shook his head, "I knew you were strict. I knew you expected the world out of me and constantly pushed me down. Whether or not I could do it didn't matter...because you didn't want me to lose myself, but-"
"Even if I only knew you for such a short amount of time-"
"Even if I hardly knew anything about you-"
"Even if you called me an idiot half the time."
His watery reflection distorted as a fish jumped across the surface, "I just wanted you to be proud of me because that would mean I was doing something right by being a little bit like you."
...
...
"I'm still like that, you know?"
"I realize more and more by the day that there's not one life-defining moment that changes your course forever, just a lot of small ones that build up into the kind of person you end up as."
...
...
"But if I had to pick one...one moment that's pushed me to take Gojo's place, to become the Strongest, even if it means throwing myself away bit by bit-"
Yuji pictured a tie wrapped around a pale hand as Cursed Energy flowed free with the wind, "Was meeting you because you taught me what it meant to take responsibility for your juniors, even if you hate every second of it, because seeing them live, and experience life in a better way than you ever did-"
Even if it's just delaying the inevitable-
The harsh truth that this world will take and take and take-
That you'll keep losing people you care about-
That you're just a part of a never-ending system of hatred, suffering, and loss until it's time for you to be replaced.
Delaying that for them by years...months...even minutes, or seconds so that they can live happily a little longer-
"That makes it all worth it."
...
...
Yuji tore the page from his book, standing up and laying it down on a reclined chair facing the sea, putting his notebook down to keep it from blowing away-
He watched it flow with the breeze, "I know I won't live to be your age, but if I could, I'd wanna be a fraction of the man you were."
The vessel pulled a table closer with an assorted plate of goods on top, cracking open a can of fruit juice before pouring it into a glass full of ice cubes-
He held the swirling drink in his hand, "I know this isn't Malaysia, but I hope it's good enough for now."
Yuji backed away, observing the sight for a moment before turning away, "I'll come get you later, alright?"
...
...
The wind gently pushed against the page, turning it oh-so-slightly to watch him walk away-
Revealing a pale man with short blonde hair, holding a glimmering pair of shades in his hand, his blue button-up and animal-pattern tie, with a gentle smile on his face-
A reflection of his last moment, but whole, not scarred and burned by the events of Shibuya-
There was a small bit of text written in Japanese on the back-
Kento Nanami.
You were the father I never had.
There are no more burdens for you to carry.
Leave the rest to me.
...
Minutes later
Yuji idly studied the beach house they were renting as he made his way back-
It was pretty fancy by his standards, but this was coming from the guy who lived in an apartment his whole life.
The place was a generic Oceanside escape, with that distinctive early 2000s vibe of modern but not 'too modern' that somehow felt nostalgic even if you've never been to one before.
TLDR, it was a big wooden building with creaking doors and crummy Wi-Fi, with a girl's room and a guy's room (meaning him, Nora, and Ren, because separating those two was basically impossible), all paid for by the absurd allowance Gramps gave him.
Yuji walked inside, ending up in the living room, seeing the wicker furniture and-
A long white ponytail hanging off the back of the couch-
And no one else in sight-
They just HAD to be asleep now, didn't they?
Seriously, when did he get so nervous around Weiss?
Talking to her had never bothered him before, but now...things felt different, but that's sort of a given after they-
Well, after they-
He awkwardly flushed, looking toward the floor as memories of their...moment came flooding back like a loop in his head.
Today was just a rollercoaster of emotions, wasn't it?
Yuji couldn't even blame anyone but himself for that one, and he definitely didn't regret that icy chill she gave him with just a kiss.
...
...
Okay, he wanted to talk to her.
We ball.
Itadori walked toward the couch, briefly stopping, seeing the heiress typing away at her scroll with one hand and the other scratching at a ball of fluff in her lap-
He leaned over the edge, "I didn't know Ruby brought Zwei."
Weiss bristled, her blue eyes shifting to the side in surprise, briefly locking with his before immediately looking away toward the floor, a twinge of pink coating her face, "...good morning to you, too."
"Hm? Oh, right. Sorry, I'm all scatterbrained today."
The vessel grinned, "Mornin' Weiss. You're up early."
The Schnee took her hand off the corgi, to his disappointment, shakily grabbing a mug of steaming coffee off the table in front of her, "It's...nothing special, I'm just...following my routine. Early to rise soon to succeed and all that."
While usually true, this time it was a boldfaced lie.
Weiss looked dead tired.
Yuji hummed, "Dang, even on vacation? You're real dedicated, you know that?"
Before she could respond, he slumped forward a bit, "I didn't sleep much either, though, so I can't really judge."
Weiss lightly smiled as she sipped her dark beverage, "Not surprising. You're too high energy for your own good."
Yuji warmly chuckled, "Yeah, you're probably right on that one...I just had a lot on my mind last night, is all-"
He paused for a second as she continued to drink, but-
"About you."
*Hrk
Weiss sputtered into a coughing spree, making him wave his hands in panic, "Oh, shoot! You good!?"
She continued to cough into her hands, "W-W"
"Water?"
"W-Ack! Why?"
"Why what?"
She took a second, taking a deep breath before looking at him with an angry flush on her face, "Why do you just say these things!?"
"Huh?"
The Schnee shook her head, "For God's sake... y-you're going to give me a heart attack, you know that?"
Yuji raised his hands in surrender, "I-I'm just bein' honest is all! Last night was so great, and you were amazi-"
Her pale face turned beet red as she dropped her scroll, pulling Zwei closer to hide herself, "Stop-stop-stoooooop!"
The heiress groaned into the dog's fur, "...I can't take it when you're blunt like that."
Itadori tilted his head, "I only say it 'cause I mean it. I-"
His hand moved to her shoulder, "I really like you, Weiss, and I wanna do right by you."
stopped functioning, and she dug her face deeper into the dog's fur.
He stared at her, not sure what to do, "I can go if it's too much for y-"
She shook her head but didn't say anything.
The sorcerer leaned closer, "Then...what can I do?"
...
...
After a few seconds, she nudged the seat beside her with a knee.
Yuji took the hint, hopping over the couch and landing beside her, earning a blue glare from beneath the fur-
"...You have no tact."
He smiled, "Nope, none at all."
...
...
She huffed, "Next time, walk around the couch like a civilized person...please."
"Yes, ma'am."
...
...
Weiss turned to look at him more, "I-Is there anything you want me to do?"
Yuji shrugged, "Nah, not really."
"...You aren't making this easy."
"Makin' what easy?"
"You know-"
...
...
She hugged Zwei tighter, "...Us."
His eyes widened in realization, "O-Ohhhh...you mean us dating?"
She gently nodded, making him rub the back of his neck awkwardly, "Yeah...not gonna lie, I have no clue what I'm doing here."
Her flush deepened, "I don't either."
The vessel smiled, "That's alright. It's not like this is a contest or somethin'."
He reached out, gently wrapping his fingers around hers, "We've got time to figure this out."
...
...
Weiss sighed, "I don't like not knowing."
Itadori shook his head, "It's not like we don't know each other."
"...Two months."
"Hm?"
Weiss turned to face him, the side of her head using Zwei as a pillow, "I've only known you two months, and last night, we-"
...
...
She stared at his lips, "...You were my first."
The vessel flushed, "I...really?"
She nodded, and to her surprise, he sighed in relief, "Oh, thank God, I thought I was the only one."
He leaned in, whispering, "I was so scared you knew what a good kiss was, and I'd have chapped lips or somethin'."
Her blush disappeared to pure confusion. "...What?"
"Hey, the only thing I had to go off of was TV shows... don't tell anyone, but I almost did the pucker-up thing."
...
...
Weiss giggled, a tiny smile appearing on her face, "Well...I thought it was quite nice."
His hold over her hand tightened just a bit, "Me too-"
"But, I would've held it over your head forever if you tried to pucker-kiss me."
"...Seriously?"
The Schnee's smile grew, "A girl has standards."
He gave a goofy thumbs up, "Well, if yours are low, then look no further."
She playfully rolled her eyes, "Stop."
They just stared at each other for a moment.
Yuji looked toward Zwei, "So...Ruby brought him?"
Weiss nodded, scratching the pup's ears, "She snuck him in her suitcase."
"...why?"
Her head dropped, "I have no idea."
"No, I mean, like...this place was pet friendly, and we all like dogs besides Blake, so-"
"Again, I have no idea."
"...Huh."
...
...
He looked down at her still active scroll, "So...what were you workin' on?"
"Our schedule."
"...Our what now?"
Weiss smiled, looking down at her scroll before-
She glanced down at their interlocked fingers, "Can I have my hand back?"
Yuji tilted his head, "Huh?"
She lifted Zwei with her knees as she scratched his ear, "Well, I need my hand to show you, and...the other one is...busy."
Yuji deadpanned, "I'm below a dog on the pecking order?"
"Well-"
"No-"
"eh?"
His face became chiseled, "I understand."
The Schnee shook her head as his hand let go of hers, and as she flipped her scroll on, he leaned closer, putting his head right next to hers to her-
Annoyance-
No-
It was kind of cute-
Was 'Aw-noyance' a word?
...
...
Did she seriously just think that?
His stupidity had an area of effect. There was no other way.
Her finger glossed down a series of notes under each date, "I've already planned our activities for the next few months. I've added in important school events, date nights, and study sessions factored in as well."
Yuji made a face, "You can't really plan stuff like that, Weiss."
"Of course I can."
"No, I mean-"
He waved a hand, wiggling his fingers, "Where's the pazazz?"
"...I don't follow."
"Well, what if it's a no-go night, but it turns out we wanna do something? We can't just not do that 'cause the schedule says."
Her stare was dull, "You really need to use your words better."
"I'm just sayin' we might get bored and wanna mix it up sometimes. You can't predict stuff like that, or...at least I hope you can't-"
Yuji shivered, "Smart people like you spook me."
She nudged him with her shoulder, "I'm not a psychic, you clown. I just like having a routine."
Itadori hummed, slumping back into the sofa, "... We're real different, you and me. You know that?"
Weiss sarcastically scoffed, "The thought never crossed my mind."
"Then we're in big trouble, 'cause you're the thinkin' one in this relationship."
"Well, what would you do, then?"
"I dunno...I don't really mind planning things out, but going out every Friday with no mixin' things up makes this feel...rigid. Get what I mean?"
Weiss sighed, tapping along her scroll, "I...can try to free up my schedule more. This is just something we need to work around, I suppose. I don't want you to throw everything in your life aside for me, and I'm sure you know how mine is-"
The heiress idly petted the tiny dog in her lap, "I have a company to run someday, and my life could get...hectic-"
Yuji shrugged, giving her a smile, "I know, I just wanna be a part of it is all."
...
...
Her face went red, "Y-You will be. I just-"
Weiss' head dropped, "This is going to take a lot of work."
Itadori's expression faded a bit as he watched her typing away, "...Are you sure you're alright with me?"
The Schnee stopped working, giving him a glance, "What do you mean?"
He bit his cheek, "Weiss, there's a lot of stuff we gotta talk about...things I need you to know if we're gonna be together. I-"
The vessel grumbled, "I'd be a real piece of work if I wasn't honest with you, like-"
Yuji looked down to his hands, watching as the nails seemed to sharpen on their own before fading back to normal, "Look, I call myself human, and that's 'cause I think of myself as one, but inside I'm...other things too...things that make us different."
Weiss kept staring at him, "I've seen you shoot blood out of your fingers. I'm more than aware you aren't quite normal. How bad could it possibly b-"
"I'm part curse."
...
...
"Pardon?"
Yuji let out a slow breath, "It's...really complicated and kind of impossible, but... that's the truth. If you want a name for it, people call us...me and my brothers, we're Death Painting Wombs, a mix between humans and curses."
Weiss turned to look at him, "I thought you said...curses were made of-"
"Cursed Energy, yeah. They... don't have bodies like you and me, not really. It's...really hard to explain it in a way you'd get, but-"
He grimaced, "... We're what happens when my mom gets to have her fun."
...
...
Yuji closed his eyes, looking up to the ceiling, "We were her experiments, all ten of us, and when I say we're different, you and me, it's not just personalities and stuff. It's inside, too."
The sorcerer raised an arm, "If a normal person loses a limb, it's just gone, but me? I just shove it back into its socket, and it works good as new...and you know how dangerous my blood is."
...
...
Yuji sighed, "This is just a really bad idea for you, is all, and I'll level-"
"You can do better."
...
...
Weiss dropped her scroll, raising her fingers to pinch between her eyes, "You-"
Here it comes.
"You are such a jerk sometimes, you know that?"
Yuji backed up in surprise, "Huh?"
She fully turned, sitting on her knees with Zwei in her hands as she glared at him, "Do you have any idea how hard it was admitting I liked you? I had, eugh!"
Weiss couldn't put the dog down, so she angrily pushed her forehead against his, putting her eyes an inch from his with an audible thunk, "Do you have any idea how hard it was for me when I thought you were a Faunus and I hadn't come to terms with it yet?"
Zwei started licking him and both of them ignored it as she ranted, "I liked you, and I hated it! Every second I thought about you, my whole world started spinning, over a...over a tiger! Then right when I accept it and think, 'maybe I can get over this...maybe...I was wrong,' you tell me you're human, and now you're-"
"I don't know!"
Weiss scoffed, "I've never seen a curse, I don't understand what the problem is!"
Yuji made a face, "I'm not sayin' there is one, but...I want you to know that we're different. I don't even know if we can-"
She pushed harder, "I-"
"Don't-"
"Care."
Weiss forced a laugh, "I don't care! After all this, I couldn't care less if someone's a human, a Faunus, or whatever in the world you are! I just don't! I wasted all my life being angry at people for things they can't control, and I'm not going to start doing it again, so just-"
"Stop trying to make a problem out of nothing."
She hmphed, looking to the side with a flush, "I wouldn't have asked you out if this was an issue, you moron."
...
...
Yuji slowly nodded, "Then...can we-"
The Schnee side-eyed him, "Can we what?"
"Talk about a real issue, then?"
"...Fine, what?"
...
...
"Can we do more than one date night a week? I really like spending time with you."
...
...
Weiss did what Weiss did best and forgot how to breathe, "...Are you serious?"
"Yeah?"
...
...
Her head dropped back onto Zwei in emotional defeat, unable to handle the Yuji rollercoaster, "I'll see what I can do...but we might have to start mixing our schedules if that's the case. What are you doing today?"
Itadori blew air from between his lips as he reclined, "Gotta help Ruby learn how to swim...you wanna help?"
"No."
He guffawed, "Why not?"
"Because I don't feel like getting kicked, and I don't like roasting in the sun."
"Kicked?"
"You'll find out."
"But...well, you are pretty pale...maybe I can get you an umbrella for the sun? I think Neo has one."
"I do not trust that girl."
He waved her off, "Neo won't do anything. She's scared of me."
"And...she still wanted to come with?"
He made a spinning motion with a finger near his head, mouthing 'Loco', and Weiss nodded in understanding.
The Schnee sat in silence for a moment, moving things around in her head, "I was planning on studying the material we're missing, but...I suppose I could do it outside and observe-"
The heiress gave a tiny smile as she leaned against him, "Someone needs to keep you in line after all."
Yuji smiled back, "I dunno, it might be kinda hard to focus with you around."
"You don't focus anyways."
"Well, this time, I got an excuse. How am I supposed to think when I got someone like you right there?"
Weiss closed her eyes, taking in the moment, "You'll have to manage."
His arm wrapped around her, "I'm not complaining."
...
Later on the beach
"Seriously, what are you wearing?"
"I told you, clothes!"
Yuji clapped his hands together, pointing them at the pouting scythe-user standing in front of him, "Boy-"
Ruby huffed, "I'm a girl."
He ignored her, "How are you gonna swim in a hoodie and shorts? You look like you're gonna shoot hoops with the freakin' fish."
Yeah, Ruby was having a Ruby moment.
The Huntress crossed her arms, "I have one on under! I just don't want people to see it!"
He pointed a hand in both directions down the beach, "Who's gonna see it!? It's just you, me, and Weiss over there!"
The Schnee didn't look up from her textbook.
The dark-haired girl kicked the sand, "Someone might!"
The vessel took a breath, closing his eyes, "You overthink this crap so hard, I swear. Who cares if someone sees you!?"
"I do!"
"You shouldn't! You wanna work in a job that makes you a mercenary-celebrity thing! People are gonna buy merch of you someday!"
The Huntress went pale as a ghost, holding her hands to her temples, "Stop-stop-stooop! I don't wanna think about that!...Just because it's easy for you doesn't mean it's fine for me, okay!?"
"It is easy! You're just making mountains outa molehills!"
"You do it then!"
Yuji looked down, "I'm already wearin' my trunks! Whaddya want me to do, wear a bikini!? 'Cause you're gonna have to loan me one!"
Ruby gagged, "EW NO!"
"It was your idea!"
"I NEVER SAID THAT!"
Weiss could only listen to this, wondering how it was possible that they made each other dumber by interacting.
Yuji rubbed his pink hair, "Then what do you want!?"
Ruby shook her head, "I don't know! Say something embarrassing!"
"How is that gonna help you swim!?"
She huffed, "Just saying, if it's not a big deal, then prove it. Say something really embarrassing, and I'll think about it."
Why did he have to do this when teaching her to swim was already a big favor?
Itadori shook his head, his features hardening as his hair fell over his eyes, "You asked for it."
A cold breeze washed over the area, and both Ruby and Weiss could feel the pressure around them grow-
What was happening?
What was with his mood shift?
Was Yuji finally going to open u-
Itadori put a hand to his chest, "I-"
Here it comes
"I used to put posters of hot chicks in bikinis in my room at my old school. Gojo sensei even gave it a thumbs-up."
His teacher saw...that?
And they talked about it?
Ruby cringed, her face becoming a raisin, "...Why did you have those?"
Yuji stood proud. He was strong, "I'm a guy."
He didn't feel Weiss staring at the back of his head as he sagely raised a finger, "Rube, I'm gonna give you forbidden knowledge. If a guy doesn't have pictures of hot ladies in his room, he has hot ladies on his phone."
...
...
Ruby just stared at him like she was about to puke, "Y-you don't do that here, right?"
The sorcerer shrugged, "I think Pyrrha would cry if I did."
He said that so casually.
A voice came from behind, "...Itadori?"
Yuji twitched, feeling a sudden chill go down his spine as he turned, seeing Weiss staring at him from her seat, "Y-yeah?"
"Give me your scroll."
"...W-why?"
Her adorably sweet smile felt so bitter, "I wasn't asking."
It was at this moment that Yuji realized something-
You don't talk about looking at hot chicks in front of your new girlfriend.
...
...
Seconds later, Weiss was glossing through his files, "Why is your storage almost full? Didn't you just get this thing?"
Yuji didn't look up from him and a traumatized Ruby's sand castle, "I take lots of pictures."
"...Why is it all cats?"
"I like cats."
Ruby was digging a moat, mumbling something about drowning herself to forget what she heard.
The Schnee hummed, "W...what?"
Weiss leaned in, squinting in disbelief, "Why is there a file called 'absolute...unit,' and why is it taking up half your storage?...What is this?"
Yuji didn't look at her, "Click it."
"What is it?"
"Click it."
...
...
Weiss clicked it, and the entire device lagged before opening-
It was a giant, blown-up image of Zwei.
Yuji wasted 300 gigabytes on this.
The heiress shook her head, deleting it with a click before moving toward his contacts and making sure her profile picture was a flattering one-
It was the one he took of her smiling when she was sick.
She looked terrible
Weiss silently but happily kicked her feet in the air as she raised her scroll to get one of him. It was only fair.
...
...
Yuji hummed, "Soooo, ready to swim?"
Ruby dropped her head, her heroic image of her friend totally shattered, "To my grave, maybe."
He chuckled, "You know, that's kinda how I learned how to swim."
The Huntress looked up, seeing him fondly smile, "My grandfather threw me off a pier when I was five. He was old-fashioned like that."
...
...
Yuji tilted his head at her horrified expression, "What?"
Ruby dug her hands into the sand, "What-what!? Did he come get you!?"
"No, why would he?"
"You didn't know how to swim!"
"Yeah, but you kinda figure stuff out when you're in the thick of it. Plus, I was kinda a buff baby...wait, is five still a baby?"
"...no, it isn't."
"Oh, well, I was a buff kid then. I was all, 'Oh crap, ah, I'm drownin', I gotta kick my way to shore, and I did. I kicked as hard as I could and ended up crashin' into the lifeguard tower and broke it in one go-"
Itadori looked up at the clouds, "Then my grandfather had to pay for it, and that was the end of our beach day. Now that I think about it, that was the first time I ever heard him say he hated my mom...weird, huh?"
He happily nodded, "Moral of the story. If you let me throw you into the water, you'll probably learn to swim or...something."
Ruby's eyes were almost shut-
And her mouth was open in a 'what the actual hell did I just hear' pose.
She turned toward her partner, "Weiss, can you please teach me instead?"
Yuji went blank, "Eh? What'd I do?"
The sword-user turned a page, not even sparing her a glance, "No."
The hooded girl shivered, "But... I'm scared."
"Of water?"
She deadpanned, pointing a finger at the vessel, "Him."
Yuji chuckled, not realizing how close she was to filing a restraining order, "Aw, it's not that bad, Rube. Come on! What happened to the girl who jumped out of a bullhead after me?"
"That's different!"
He casually swung his arms, thinking for a second, "Well, yeah. Back then, you woulda hit the ground and got turned into pasta sauce. Now you're just gonna hit the water and get wet."
Ruby shuddered at how normal he acted about her potential death.
Itadori ignored her concerns and, without warning, shot his arms out, grabbing the girl by her waist and hoisting her over his shoulder before she could even react-
"W-what are you doing?"
"I won't chuck you far."
"Yuji, don't you dare!"
"Too late, bored now."
Ruby just now realized that Weiss was filming this.
Yuji grabbed the Huntress like a basketball and shot her like a three-pointer over the water, and the second her foot hit the first trace of liquid-
Ruby's face wrinkled up, her eyes going white as her arms flailed her arms in a slow-motion scream before-
*Poof
She dispersed into a cloud of rose petals-
Petals that were coming straight for him-
In the blink of an eye, Ruby reappeared, her legs pointed straight at the vessel's chest like a missile, and the second they made contact-
*THUD
The hooded girl stopped dead in her tracks, a horrid, visible shiver running through her entire frame-
Yuji accidentally used reinforcement for once, and she collided with what could only be called a brick wall.
Ruby hit the ground, and her face contorted into an expression of such pain that no noise escaped as she did nothing but twitch.
Oops.
...
...
One five-minute break later, after Weiss had gone inside with her footage.
Yuji sat cross-legged on the sand, trying to avoid the sad pout Ruby was giving him from a few feet away, "You know...I think I'm startin' to see the issue here."
She wouldn't look at him.
"You don't like change."
The Huntress made a face, "What?"
"Well, think about it. You mess around with guns. You shoot things and people and stuff, but water? That's where you draw a line?"
Yuji dragged a finger along the sand, trying to make sense of it, "You're from an island with nothin' to do, but you've never gone to the beach? It's just...it feels like you didn't learn how to swim on purpose, but I don't get why."
Ruby sighed, "No friends, remember?"
"Still got a family, dontcha?"
...
...
She looked away, mumbling, "Not a mom."
He leaned closer, "What was that?"
The Huntress seemed upset, "Nothing...nothing at all."
"Rube, you gotta tell me what the deal is if you wanna confront this. 'Cause I'm gonna level, when shit gets real, do you really think someone's gonna let it fly when you've got an issue like this? I'm not just talking about water. This whole thing is a problem with you-"
Itadori raised his fingers, "You freak out over little things that don't matter and get mad when someone calls you on it. It's messin' with your head, and you can't do stuff like this when you're in charge of people. That's how people get-"
She pushed the sand with a hand, "Get hurt, I know."
...
...
Yuji tilted his head, "Then, if you know there's something wrong, what's the issue?"
...
...
Ruby crossed her arms, "...I just don't like it is all. I-I like being grounded."
Yuji squinted, "Grounded...like, standing on the dirt?"
"No... it's, look-"
The short girl waved a hand, "This is Vale-"
"Yeah?"
"And Patch is part of Vale."
"Ahuh."
"And when I'm in Vale, things make sense. It's where I live, it's where my family lives, and-"
She mumbled something to herself, "Where she lived."
...
...
Yuji watched her for a second, "This is about your mom, isn't it?"
...
...
Ruby forced a blink, looking down, "She died when I was four. No body, no answer for who or...what did it. One day, my mom was just gone."
She slowly inhaled, "When I said I've never been to the beach. I lied. I-"
The Huntress looked off at the crashing ocean waves, "There's only one airport big enough to dock a bullhead on Patch, and it's right by the water. I'd go every day and just...wait. I'd wait until I was all sunburnt, and Dad made me go home, then I'd be right back there the next day, over and over, just waiting for my mom to come home."
...
...
Ruby pulled her knees close, "She never came home."
...
...
Seconds passed before she spoke again, "I always told myself I'd be like her...confident, strong, and brave enough to help people, but no matter how hard I try to do more...I choke."
"When we were kids, Dad wanted to go on a trip to Mistral, clear our heads, you know? And I stayed home with Uncle Qrow because I didn't want to miss it when she came walking through the door."
Yuji put a hand on her knee, "You're not afraid of water. You're...scared of leaving home, aren't you?"
Ruby nodded, "Some part of me is just waiting for her to come back, even when I know she never will."
...
...
Itadori looked up at her, "Did I ever tell you how my grandfather died?"
...
...
"He had lung cancer, a treatable one the doctors caught early, and I was getting ready to take care of him, to help him beat this; even if I had to drop out of school to do it, I would have... but one day, he sat me down at the table and told me-"
"He wouldn't do it. My grandfather planned to skip chemo and just...let it happen."
Yuji looked up at the endless blue above, "I didn't understand it. I begged him every day to reconsider it, to not just...give up like that, and he'd tell me that he was done, that he had lived enough and didn't want to go through all that pain just for a chance at a few more years."
...
...
"The Doctors euthanized him almost a year ago, and I was the last person he ever spoke to."
Ruby let off a tiny gasp, dropping her hand on his, but he gently waved her off before he could speak-
"There's...a tradition in Japan when someone dies, and they're cremated...their family spreads the ashes out on a table, and picks up the bones one by one, then passes them to each other with chopsticks before putting them in the urn. It's meant to help give some closure... like the whole gang is doing something together one last time to honor them, you know?"
...
...
"I was the only one who was there to do it, and that whole time I was putting what was left of him away, his last words just kept bouncing around in my head."
"don't end up like me,' and it was only then I knew why he didn't go through with his treatments."
Yuji closed his eyes, "He didn't want to be a burden, so he left, giving me one last piece of advice. He told me to help people. There weren't any instructions that came with it, and I've messed up a lot along the way, but I've always tried to live up to that, but I'm not him, and you aren't your mom."
He raised a hand, dropping on Ruby's head, "No matter how hard you try, you can't be someone else. The things that made them so great can't be repeated, and you shouldn't want them to be. What we're left with of them are the fragments, those memories of better days that make up part of who you are, not all of you, but you shouldn't live in those past moments either."
The Huntress stared down, "It's not that easy, I can't just-"
"Do me a favor. Take a breath, hold it, then let it out after ten seconds."
The time passed, and she exhaled.
Yuji nodded, "Now, who did that? Was it the person you were all those years ago or the person you are now?"
The vessel looked at his hand for a moment, "Ruby, I'll say it honestly. Time is never on your side, and if you live in your head for the rest of your life, when something terrible happens, you'll be caught off guard and filled with even more regrets."
He wrapped his hands around her and pulled the girl in for a hug, "Your mom...my grandfather...and all the people we've lost are never coming back, but right now, you and me, we're still here, so-
"Not for me-"
"Not for your mom-"
"Not for anyone but yourself-"
"Live."
...
...
Her silver eyes watered before slamming shut, and she wrapped her arms around him.
...
...
A bit later, Weiss would poke her head out one of the windows and see him tossing a laughing Ruby into the water-
She was still wearing that goddamn hoodie.
...
Later
*Crack-Crack-Boom-Boom
The bushes parted as Yuji crossed through, following the sounds of grunting and explosive impacts, coming through to a clearing, seeing a battlefield of destroyed trees and a-
"WOOOOOOOOD!"
*CRRRRRR
A log exploded into shrapnel as a figure emerged through the haze of sawdust, rubbing a hand through her short orange hair-
The vessel's eyes widened, "Nora?"
She turned to face him, putting her hands on her hips and giving a wide smile, "Oh, hey, Puji!"
"He-...Puji?"
Wasn't that Chinese or something?
"Yeah! Ren told me it, and it sounds like your name and-"
"What's it mean?"
"I dunno, he said 'popular' or something."
So...Ren really was Chinese?
Yuji had his suspicions, hearing tales of ancient sorcerers from those lands, but to think, his friend was...wait-
Could they even be friends anymore?
I mean...their countries hate each other-
And that means you have to hate everyone from the country yours hates, right?
...
...
Yeah, that didn't even cross his mind. It's wild that people think like that.
Itadori swung his arms, watching the resident ginger tapping a fallen branch with her bare knuckles, "So, what's with the Minecraft in real life?"
Nora picked up a woodchip and tossed it in her mouth, grinding it down to a toothpick with her molars, "I still wanna try that game-"
"Nora-"
"Huh? What?"
"The question...you know...the-"
...
...
He deadpanned, "I forgot what I said."
"Me too-"
Shit.
...
...
The sorcerer eventually looked down at the mountains of logs around them, a dim lightbulb fizzling over his skull, "Oh! What's with the wood?"
The hammer user shrugged, "It's for a fire."
"Why do you wanna make a fire?"
"Bored."
...
...
"Nah, that's valid. Can I help?"
"Ye."
She slammed a hand onto an exposed trunk, casually tossing it with the flick of a wrist, and he flicked it with a finger, shredding it into scraps.
It went on like this for a while, with them playing hot potato with pieces of trees because that's what superpowered morons do when they have nothing to do.
But eventually-
Yuji hummed, "So...make any progress with you know who?"
The blue-eyed girl huffed, lashing out a sideways kick, severing a log in two, "Nooooo-"
"Why don't you just tell him?"
"I do! I've done it like ten times!"
"Eh? Then...he doesn't like you back or-"
The hyper teen growled, lurching back before slamming her skull straight through another projectile, "He does! That's the annoying part! If Ren just told me no, I'd move on with my cute little shoes, but then, he's all, 'Nooo, it's not the right time-'"
She was shockingly coherent when it came to Ren-
Usually, Nora was-
Kind of a nutcase.
She still was one, but her hyper-fixation made her lock in, apparently.
Yuji nodded, "That's rough. What's his damage about you two anyway?"
The Valkyrie blew a raspberry, "That's a story-"
"You know we're buddies, right? You can tell me stuff."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah."
"Oh yeeeeeah?"
"Yeah."
"Then you gots to tell me why you're so interested. Thems the deals."
He sipped an imaginary cup, "It's tea, sister, and I'm bone dry on Drama Hill."
"What drama? Our team is like...pretty good with that stuff."
"Fair, but like... drama is just work, and that's eugh-"
Nora scoffed, "I know, right!? I tripped Pyrrha down the stairs, and she said sorry to me! I wanted a fight!"
Yuji paused, "You did what now?"
"...Nothing...so you gonna trade tea for tea, or are we just gonna sit here with these dry-ass biscuits?"
"Ass-biscuit?"
Her face became chisseled, "Yes."
Yuji forced back a laugh, looking more like he spazzed out than anything, but regained his composure, "I uh...shit-"
"Ass biscuit and shit?"
He tried not to laugh again, waving a hand, "Chill-chill, look...I gotta tell someone about this, but you can't tell anyone, alright?"
Nora saluted, "Kay!"
The vessel trusted her about as much as he trusted Gojo around his snack cabinet-
On some level, Itadori would never forgive him for saying he didn't want anything from the store and then stealing his chocolate after faking a mission-
Ijichi drove them and everything!
Yuji unnaturally zoomed closer, leaning toward the ginger's ear, "I...no-"
...
...
"Me and Weiss are a thing now, alright?"
...
...
Nora paled as if she realized something, "Ohhhh... that's bad."
"Huh? Why?"
She raised a finger, "Well, Pyr has a...-"
"She has a what?"
"Never mind, it's nothing."
"It doesn't sound like noth-"
"But-but-buttttt!"
Nora slammed her forehead into his, "Do you know what this means!?"
Their eyes locked-
"We can go sledding whenever we want-"
"We can go sledding whenever we want-"
"YES!"
They shouted in unison, slapping their hands together with an audible thunderclap.
Was it gross if they ate Weiss' snow?
Was that like...dandruff? Where did it come from?
More importantly-
Weiss' name sounded kinda German...wait-
...
...
Yuji is Japanese-
Weiss is German-
Oh my God-
Are they a World War Two power couple?
Nora looked around before grabbing two logs, slamming a foot against the top of both, making makeshift chairs as she dropped onto one, motioning him to the other.
She clapped her hands, "So...you came to me for advice-"
Yuji tilted his head, "What?"
"Girl advice."
"No, I-uh...what?"
She scholarly raised a finger, "You see, girls are like a nice piece of chocolate. They're nice and sweet, but if you leave 'em alone and open on the counter for too long, they get hard and gross, but they're still good inside! Just...harder to get into, I think?"
"It's hard to take you seriously when I've seen you lick syrup off the floor-"
"...What were we talking about again?"
"Y-huh? You and Ren...I think?"
"Oh, right. So, uh..."
The ginger hummed, tapping a foot as she drummed on her thunder thighs, "Well, I had a mom, that's...true, and, then, I didn't. Things were bad, and then I met Ren. The end!"
Itadori clasped his hands, "Nora, you gotta give me more than that if you wanna-"
"I don't like talking about it."
She seemed very cold.
"..."
"Okay?"
He raised his hands in surrender, "Alright-alright. You're a tough nut to crack, you know that? I mean, we really don't talk about serious stuff all that much, you and me."
She shrugged, "Why talk about sad stuff when there's good right in front of you?"
"It's not that easy for some people."
"Like you?"
His eyes widened, "Huh?"
...
...
Nora leaned closer, "...I was homeless, alright? I've done things and seen things I don't like thinking about. You've gotta think I'm a dummy if you think I don't know that look you get on your face...like you're somewhere else."
Itadori took a slow breath, trying to ignore the looming distortion standing right behind her with that same wicked grin strewn over his armored visage.
He was always there.
Just watching.
The vessel looked away, "This is about you."
Nora bobbed her head, "Mhmmm, see? We both have things we don't like dealing with."
He rolled his hand around, "I don't think there's ever a way to deal with them. You just gotta-"
"Learn to live with it?"
"Somethin' like that."
...
...
Nora put a hand to her chin, "This might sound...real, but...do you ever regret it?"
...
...
"Killing people?"
Yuji's expression faded into utter neutrality, "No."
"Not at all?"
"What is there to say, Nora? Do I wish things in my life coulda gone down differently? Do I wish people could just leave each other alone? 'Cause I do every single day."
His hands hung toward the ground, "I say it a lot, but I mean it. From the bottom of my heart, I hate this. I hate having to fight. I hate having to hurt people, but sometimes, you don't have a choice when the alternative...when doing nothing is worse."
Yuji couldn't help but think of Mahito's victims-
Innocent people morphed into something monstrous and inhuman. They didn't ask for it, and neither did they deserve it, but if someone didn't put them down, then they would have caused unbelievable harm-
It needed to be done.
He sighed, "Sometimes, there's just no good answer, and you've gotta make a selfish choice and live with what comes after."
...
...
Nora visibly shivered, going quiet for a few moments before-
"I think...Ren is scared of me."
Itadori paused, "Why would you think that? You two are always together."
"I know. It's because we're always together. He...I-"
The hammer user groaned, kicking tracks into the dirt, "Gosh, I hate talking about this...when I was homeless, he and his parents took me in, and things were good for a while, but...that ended, like it always does. Kuroyuri, where we're from. It fell to Grimm, and not many people got out, then it was just us, and Ren, he... didn't take it well."
Nora watched the breeze drift over the tree line, "I knew how to survive on my own, but I didn't know how to take care of someone else. I didn't even think I could care about someone else after my mom, but...I did. I just...I didn't want him to do the things I did."
Yuji nodded, "You took care of the dirty work, didn't you?"
"I was the thief, the girl who would shank someone and run off with their groceries or wallet or whatever, but Ren didn't want that for me or for us, so we promised to get stronger together, become Huntsman and Huntress and...maybe make up for all the bad I did."
Nora rubbed her arm, giving a pained smile, "I've always liked him. He was the only person who didn't look at me like I was garbage, and it only got worse the more time we spent together. I don't even know how many times I've told him, but...he always plays dumb, or if I push hard enough, I get a 'it's not the right time.' I can't help but think it's because he knows I'm-"
...
...
She faked a smile, "Damaged goods."
Yuji shook his head, "Ren isn't like that, and you know that's true. He's just-"
He sighed, "Look, some people just aren't good with emotional stuff, and Ren has always been a little...particular about things. Heck, I can hardly get a smile out of the guy, but when it's just me and him having guy time?"
The sorcerer gave a recurring smile, "Nora, you're like, all he talks about."
Her blue eyes shimmered a bit, "R-really?"
"Well, yeah. You two have always been a bundle package, you know?"
"Then what's the issue? Why can't we just...you know-"
"It's different for everyone. Some people wanna take their time and do things slow, but idiots like me just dive into shit."
Itadori laughed, "Between you and me, I'm still freaking out about me and Weiss. She's got big plans, and I'm not really like that. I kinda just go with the motions, and you're definitely like that too...I think-"
He clapped his hands together, "I think you just gotta tell him you need to have a serious talk and come up with a plan. Who knows, maybe he's waiting for you to finish that Huntsman-Huntress thing first."
The ginger made a face, "I dunno, I just...changing what we have is spooky, you know?"
Itadori sadly smiled, bringing his hands together, interlocking his fingers as his middle ones pointed upward, "It's not always a bad thing. My teacher once told me that 'with a strong foundation and a little bit of sense and imagination, it just takes the slightest trigger to change a person.'"
...
...
He met her gaze, "My point is that life is a chaotic thing, and it's gonna keep hurling that chaos in your direction, and it's gonna change you just like you're gonna change the people around you. Hardly a year ago, I couldn't even control Cursed Energy. Now, I'm hitting the big leagues because things forced me in that direction, whether I wanted them to or not."
Yuji smiled, "You're a chaotic person too, so change what you can rather than get caught up in the storm without an umbrella. Get what I mean?"
Nora tilted her head, "You think I'm chaotic?"
He deadpanned, "You're a nutcase, and you know it."
They laughed at that one.
Him, her, and a remnant of a bygone Curse.
...
Later
*BOP
"I got it!"
Neo served a volleyball, sending the object sailing over the loose sands as a certain blonde went chasing after it, soon diving, stretching her arms to their max before-
*CRASH
The ball shattered like glass, and Yang hit the ground emptyhanded in a tumble.
The bombshell growled, clenching a fistful of sand, "I am so tired of you and your shit, you know that?"
Pyrrha walked up beside the quiet girl who was still giving a smug grin, with the real ball loosely held in her palm, "Now-now, it's just a game. We don't need to-"
Yang spat a mouth full of dirt out before swiping a finger over her tongue, "Easy fo...PTU! You to say! She's on your team!"
Neo gave a closed eye smile, waving a hand through various symbols before-
"I dunno what that means!"
The thief snapped a finger, and a sign appeared over her head-
'Translation apps exist, blondie.'
"Why do I gotta do that?"
Neo forced a pout, and another sign came up-
'Sorry for being born wrong.'
Yang froze, seeing the judgmental glares from Pyrrha and her own partner, Ren-
"I...I didn't mean it like-"
Neo was giving her a shit-eating grin.
She knew what she was doing.
The fistfighter cracked her knuckles, "Oh, you are so dead."
Ren tried to reach out a hand, "Yang, you can't just beat up people with disabilities."
Neo held up a fake wooden sign with painted-on words-
'Mine are physical. Hers are mental.'
The ice-cream-themed girl holding her fingers like an 'L' over her head was the breaking point.
Yang roared as she launched across the beach, slamming straight into-
*CRASH
Neo exploded into fragments, sending the blonde headfirst into the sand, soon emerging with a scream, "ARGH! IT'S IN MY HAIR!"
Pyrrha sighed as the light above her distorted, and the real Neo appeared, riding on her shoulders, "Were you planning to do that?"
The quiet teen snapped a finger, and another sign popped up, 'I didn't even plan on coming here, but pissing her off makes me wanna stay.'
"You're playing with fire, you know that, right?"
'She can't fight, so it's more like playing with a big baby.'
Yang's hair ignited, sending the sand scattering off in every direction, "Oh, I can't fight, huh!? How about you prove it!?"
Neo shrugged, and to Pyrrha's embarrassment, the girl gently patted her face in thanks before jumping town, pulling out her umbrella, and letting it loose as its expanded wings blocked the sunlight from hitting her.
The invincible girl looked to her teammate, "Ren, should we stop this?"
Lie shrugged, "Nah, I kinda wanna see where it goes."
...
...
The redhead deadpanned, "You're a bad person, you know that?"
"I prefer the term 'engaged audience member.'"
"That just sounds like you don't want to do anything."
"Exactly. Because I don't wanna do anything to stop it from happening."
Ren wasn't always a firestarter, but that didn't mean he'd put one out if it looked entertaining.
It was an old-school standoff-
The fiery hero of the day, Yang, the dragon girl with a dream-
versus-
The thief and maniac of the night, Neopolitan, the cold-hearted wild card.
The quiet girl gazed up to the sky as imaginary spotlights circled them, with a giant bell ringing overhead-
*Ding-ding-ding
Yang charged in, her form composed, throwing a test punch from her left, short and concise, having improved from her previous bouts, with no room for err-
Neo smiled, and with the flick of a wrist, her parasol flipped upside down, kicking up a wave of sand, splattering it straight into the blonde's eyes-
"GAH!"
Yang winced in pain, stumbling over her feet as she clawed at her face, "THAT'S CHEATIN-WAHH!"
With the click of a button, the mute girl's umbrella collapsed, and like a sword, she went for a low swing, crashing straight into Yang's ankles, sending the fistfighter to the ground with a grunt.
Yang could hardly look up, unable to keep her eyes open, but could see the umbrella pointed in her face. She sighed, raising her hands in defeat, "Fine. I give...but only 'cause you're playing dirt-URK"
Neo stuck the tool between the girl's teeth, snapping a finger as a sign flickered overhead, 'There's no such thing as cheating, only winning.'
Yang couldn't read it, and once the quiet teen realized it, she handed her a water bottle-
The blonde raised it overhead, ready to douse her eyes, "...Thank-"
*CRACK
It was another illusion, leaving her sitting there with sand in her eyes, confused and annoyed.
"Really?"
Neo smiled, handing over the actual bottle, and once the fistfighter gave herself the window wiper treatment, she looked up to see another sign-
'I'm only telling you this because I want to get out of the game. Anything you aren't willing to do is an advantage someone else has over you.'
"And how was that gonna help me beat you?"
'Fire dust your semblance = hot.'
"And?"
Neo rolled her eyes, 'Hot sand = glass, and broken glass = owie to walk on.'
"Yeah, but that's a loss for me too! If I can move then-"
The mute teen flexed an arm and mouthed the words, 'Yes, you can. Tough it out. Think. Being muscley doesn't win fights. Being creative does.'
Another sign popped up as the ice-cream-colored girl watched the clouds, 'Environment, skills, personalities, anything can give you an edge if you use it right.'
...
...
Yang sighed, "Fine...I'll...try to think of some new moves or something."
'Good.'
...
...
She scratched the back of her head, "Sorry for, you know...I didn't mean anything by it-"
'A disability is only one if you let it be one.'
"What does that mean?"
Neo raised a finger to her lip and winked, mouthing the words-
'I can't talk, but I also have no tells.'
'Wanna guess what I'm thinking now?'
Yang smirked, "I have some ideas."
'Everyone does.'
Neo offered the girl a hand, pulling her to her feet before walking off. A message appeared on her back as she went away, 'Assumption is the death of many fools.'
What was the tone of this conversation?
It felt like it went in so many directions at once.
...
...
There was an audible yawn as Yuji walked out of the woods with Nora riding on his back like a monkey, and the vessel soon turned, coming up beside his teammates-
He gave a two-finger salute, "Yo."
Nora slammed her heels into the sorcerer's ribs, pointing off at a distant road heading off into town, "To the arcade! Go-go-go! Mush!"
Itadori didn't react, mumbling, "In a sec. We gotta ask if they wanna go. Remember, more hands means more games and more games equals-"
She rubbed her Gollum-like hands together greedily, "Ooooh, more prizes...with that many tickets we can get...the precious."
Neither of them batted an eye at the ginger. This was tame for her standards.
Pyrrha tapped her chin, "What's the precious, again?"
Ren hummed for a second, "If I had to guess, she wants that giant Garmfelf doll in the window."
"That's the cat that eats linguini, right?"
Yuji kicked the sand, "I hate knockoffs."
The redhead looked at him, "What's a knockoff?"
He pouted, "Nothing...nothing at all."
They never understood his references anyway-
None of them had any culture.
Yang noticed the group talking and made her way back, noticing the shirtless vessel-
She waved, "Sup, Pinkie?...Wait a sec-"
The blonde squinted, looking him over like something was weird-
Well, aside from the fact that Yuji was built like a brick shithouse, even by Huntsmen standards
A lightbulb dinged over her head, "Where's your tats?"
His stare dulled ever-so-slightly, "They come and go."
"They do that?"
Yuji shrugged, "They aren't really tattoos, ya know? Some sorcerers just have marks like that. I mean, you've seen the one Choso has on his nose-"
Ren chimed in, "I always thought it was some religious thing."
Itadori waved him off, "Nah, Choso was born with it. He isn't the type to pray anyway. He's more of a 'do it yourself' kinda guy, but I guess you've gotta be when you've got as many little brothers as he does."
Yang put a hand on her hip, "Then what's the deal with yours?"
He stiffened up, "It's...complicated family stuff."
...
...
Itadori waved his arms, "Oy, don't gimme those looks. Sorcerer crap is pretty hard to explain! I've got four eyes, and two of 'em change colors; there's a lot of weird goin' on here!"
Pyrrha sighed, "You aren't weird."
Ren scoffed, "Nah, he's weird-"
"Ren!"
"Hey, I'm just saying he's weird, but he's our weirdo."
Nora pouted, "Can we go now?"
Lie raised his hands indifferently, "I'm fine with whatever. I think we're done here anyway, right?"
There was a collective nod, but as the group turned to leave, Yuji paused, putting Nora down, "Hey, you guys go ahead, I-uh...gotta talk to Yang about somethin'."
Pyrrha gave a strange look but nodded, "Alright, just...don't take too long."
The vessel gave an awkward thumbs up, and as they left, the blonde could only stare at his back as he watched them go.
...
...
She smiled, "What? Got something to say?"
Eventually, Itadori turned around; the look on his face was uncomfortable, to say the least, "Yeah...I-uh...kinda do."
He sighed, "Look, last time I asked about you and me...I didn't really know what to think, but I did...a lot since then-"
Yang raised a brow, "What are you trying to say?"
"I'm not good with this sorta thing, and you aren't the type to beat around the bush, so I'll just say it. I don't like it-"
"Like what?"
He wagged a finger between them, "This. The 'I don't really know what we are' thing we have going. Yang, I don't have a lot of time, and I don't wanna use the moments I've got working with a maybe-"
She crossed her arms, "It's not easy for me. You know that. With how mom is and...I just don't like rushing things."
"That's fine, but...it's not for me. Sorry, but-"
"You-"
She winced a bit, "You're seriously doing this?"
"Look, it doesn't have to change much between us. I'm happy to just go to back to-"
She turned back toward the house, walking off, "I'm not doing this right now."
He tried to reach out a hand, "Yang. We gotta talk about this."
She just kept walking.
The sorcerer stood there, feeling like an asshole, but this was just one of those things that had to happen.
Eventually, he met up with his team, but that awkward feeling never left his stomach for the rest of the day.
Relationships suck.
...
That night, on the streets of Mistral.
"I'm telling you, man. I was THIS close to sealing the deal!"
"Riggght, and her ordering an angel shot was what?"
"She musta thought I was a gift from God."
"Yeah, one you send straight to prison, maybe. You really gotta learn how to take 'no' for an answer, man."
The blue-haired teen shook his head, putting a hand on his monkey-tailed friend's shoulder, "Sun-Sun-Sun, one day, I'm gonna teach you the moves."
The Faunus scoffed, brushing his hand away, "Which one of us has had a girlfriend again? Oh wait, not you-"
"Hey!"
"Must be that lame-ass haircut."
The teen rapidly swatted at his head, "What's wrong with my hair!?"
The blonde laughed, pointing a finger at his friend, "That's your problem, Neptune. You're so superficial. Chicks don't like guys who are freaking out about a chipped nail. They like-"
Sun pushed his jacket out with his thumbs, "The Danger."
Neptune huffed, "You? The Danger? Is that really what you're going with?"
"Got a problem?"
"Eh, you might look a little dangerous since you dress like a bum."
"It's called style."
"It's called the bargain bin."
"Don't make me kick your a-"
A new voice echoed out, "H-hello? Can you please help me?"
The two teens paused, looking toward a glimmering street light, and beneath stood a girl, no-
A woman.
She was pale, with flowing dark black hair and gorgeous amber eyes, her mere stare sending a chill down their spines, but whether it was from her beauty or something else, who could say?
She wore a dark red dress that clung to her frame in just the right way, ending right over her knees, and as her hand hesitantly reached up, wrapping a finger around her black choker, the woman shakily spoke-
"You're...you're Huntsmen, right?"
Neptune glanced at Sun, raising his eyebrows up and down, mouthing the word, 'dibs.'
He crossed the street, confidently striding over, "What gave it away? The clothes? The weapons? Or...did you sense 'The Danger?'"
Sun deadpanned, "Really, dude? Stealing my-"
Neptune shushed him, and to his surprise, the woman giggled, "No...it's just-"
She shyly looked away, "You Huntsmen are always so handsome."
He looked to his friend, mouthing, 'I am so in.'
Neptune scooted closer, "And what exactly can this Huntsman help you with, miss-?"
"F...Fire...Miss Fire."
Sun paused, crossing his arms, "Your name is...Miss-Fire?"
"Y-yes?"
Neptune rolled his eyes, "Dude, don't diss a lady's name, it's rude."
He adjusted his jacket, "Sorry about him, ma'am. He's kind of bad with women, gets the creeps."
The fiery woman giggled, "And you don't?"
"N-not at all!"
His voice cracked when he said that.
Sun sighed, "Okay-fine, we're Huntsmen, but we're like...students. Do you want me to call someone in or-"
She shook her head, "No, that won't be necessary. I just...I'm new to the city, and I got lost. I don't want to wander alone at night. Could you possibly? Oh...I don't want to be a burden."
Neptune scooted closer, "A pretty lady like you could never be a problem."
The shy lady smiled, "You're...sweet. I was hoping the two of you could possibly...walk me home?"
The Faunus shrugged, walking closer, "Yeah, I guess that's fine. I mean, how far do you, oof!"
Neptune shoved a hand into his stomach, "Uh-uh, both of us? Are you sure? This seems kinda like a...one on one thing, you know?"
Sun shoved him off, shaking his head, "Dude, she's older than you; she ain't interested like that. The lady just wants some help is a-"
Neptune quickly looked back at her, "How old are you, miss?"
Sun shoved him, "DUDE!"
She suggestively smiled, walking closer, whispering something the Faunus only heard traces of-
'Old as you want me to be-'
'You can call me-'
...
...
Neptune went stone cold, "Sun, you gotta go-"
The blonde guffawed, "Wait, what!? You can't just-"
"Just do this for me, okay!? I'll cover you for anything if you do!"
Sun put his palms to his face, "Holy...This isn't a good-"
He looked back, and they were already walking off-
Neptune was giving him a thumbs up.
The monkey-Faunus kicked a stray rock as he walked away, "God damn it."
...
...
Minutes later
Neptune and the mysterious beauty were walking down a series of side streets and alleys, accompanied only by the occasional street light illuminating the way through the darkness.
The teen hummed, "So...where you from?"
She smiled, her eyes forward, "A place."
"Aaaaa-place that I know?"
"Probably not, but who knows?"
"Do you...know anyone from here?"
She tilted her head a bit, "Know is a strong word, but you could say I'm here for work."
"Oh? What kinda work do you do?"
"...Odd jobs. Whatever my...boss...asks of me, I do."
"Is the pay good?"
...
...
Neptune bristled at her silence, "Sorry if that was uh-"
Her smile grew as those bright yellow eyes seemed to glow in the night, "It has its own rewards...so, why did you become a Huntsman?"
"Heh...what's not to like? The pay is good, and you get to market yourself and all the styles you want, you know?"
...
...
Her tone grew cold, "Is that right?"
He remained unaware, his smile growing as he rubbed the back of his head, "Well, uh...yeah...we, uh...choose our outfits and weapons...it's like a brand deal!"
Neptune raised a finger, not noticing as she stopped walking, "This one time, my teammates walked in on me with group outfits, and they were so-"
He paused, looking back, "Where did you-"
There was a flash of yellow flame as those orbs drifted past-
Her palm grabbed the side of his head, blasting off the ground in a burst of energy, slamming him face-first through the brick wall of a building, shattering his aura in an instant-
Neptune slumped to the ground, a bloody mess, out cold.
...
...
The woman raised her pale hand, coated in red liquid, a genuine smile crossing her face as she watched his unconscious form squirm, "Still got it."
She pulled out her scroll and dialed a number. Then, as the other end opened with a click, she mumbled, "I've got another one for you...try not to waste this one as quickly as the others. People are starting to notice."
...
...
Moments later, the woman would scoff, ending the call as she grabbed the teen by his hair, dragging him off into the darkness, "All in the name of 'scientific progress,' he says."
Cinder spat, "Why the fuck did Salem send me here?"
…
That about does it for now. Take it easy, and I'll see you all next time; cheers.
Discord:
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