G.N. Chapter 35 (Patreon)

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Chapter 35 Farewell Mistral

“Presenting the one! The only! …Me!” Scarlett announced, stepping into the living room, dressed head to toe in her Mistrali best. Her Yukata was bright pink with magenta blossoms twisting and crawling up like a vine, all highlighted in striking dashes of white. She wore a light red obi, and the sash entwined about her middle was decorated in wisps of gold that danced about the fabric in the shape of a rushing breeze.

Himiko, who was usually so reserved, couldn’t help but gasp, “look at you,” she gushed, moving toward her eldest granddaughter. “Oh Mai, you wonderful woman,” she murmured, checking Scarlett over, “you look amazing!”

“Thank you, Grandmother,” Scarlett beamed, bowing politely.

“Oi, get on with it,” Saphron barked out. “You ain't the only good-looking one tonight, Scar!”

Scarlett snorted in amusement, stepping quickly back to the doorway, “Right, right… next up, let's hear it for Saphron!”

Saphron stepped into the living room with far more pizzaz twirling into the room expertly, her Yukata trailing a little from her efforts.

Much as she had desired, hers was very autumnal, rich brown and deep oranges, painting a picture of warmth and comfort. It was far from monotone as its base colour descended from that rich chocolatey brown, slowly transforming into the sunset glow of gold and orange. Accompanying this was a stream of burgundy flowers in a river of golden clouds that flowed along the robe's hem. Her Obi sash was a burnt yellow with a scaled pattern in deep red.

“Oh my, this is something… some might say out of place for the season but with such shading… you will be the envy of many,” Himiko appraised.

“Thanks, Grandma,” Saphron giggled, gently hugging the older woman, not for fear of her age but for messing with her attire. She had struggled quite a bit to get it all done right, and if it weren’t for Scarlett, she would likely still be struggling.

“Right next up!” Scarlett announced as Saphron moved to take her place sitting next to Himiko.

“Wait!”

“Huh?”

“One moment! Just need-… There! Alright, hit!” Jade hollered.

“… Give her your best, it's Jade!” Scarlett erupted, not losing a step.

Jade walked shuffled in, paying extra close attention to one of her tabi sandals; when she looked up, she immediately blushed as Himiko looked ready to pounce on her. “Um… hi,” Jade squeezed out, a little surprised by the intensity of her grandmother’s look.

“How does it feel? Are you comfortable?” Himiko asked, not looking away.

“O-oh, um yeah, just the sandals giving me a little trouble… D-do I look okay?” Jade enquired.

“You look perfect,” Himiko assured, beaconing Jade to come closer. “I love it, and I love that it's very, very you.”

Jade’s Yukata was black as its base but was utterly covered in colourful patterns and decorations. The most frequently occurring one was fans, but they weren’t just fans; they were fans decorated with flowers of different shapes and colours. She literally had designs on her designs. There was, but only a single break in the storm of colour on the black background, and that was Jade’s obi, which was a rich green with a secondary golden thread tied over the top of it.

She dyed her hair a brand-new shade to add to her colourful self. This time, a sakura blossom pink stretched from the top of her head down as one long, continuous line to her shoulder.

Her blush made her even more colourful.

“Thanks… umm, next!” Jade squeaked out quickly, hurrying to a spot next to Saphron.

“Haha, All right, finally showing of last for the girls who can dress themselves! It’s Sky!” Scarlett applauded.

Sky practically leapt out, and her excitement was almost palpable as she hurried over to Himiko, eyes bright and face split by a smile that refused to quit. “Granma, Granma, look at how pretty I am!”

“I can see! So pretty,” Himiko agreed, taking Sky’s little hands in her own as the little girl vibrated happily.

Sky was in a colour after he own namesake, the bright blue Yukata adorned head to toe in metallic silver sheen-like petals that showered about her and caught the light. It was as if her Yukata depicted the sky showering the world in gilded petals. Her Obi was deep blue, reminiscent of a dark sea, but this only made the yellow thread design even more apparent. Around her middle, a beautiful flock of golden birds circled along the dark obi, enhancing the skyward motif even more.

Sky happily giggled, soaking up all the attention her grandmother offered as she continued to fidget, the staccato wooden tapping of her tabi, a chaotic percussion. Himiko gently separated herself from Sky before looking at Scarlett.

“We are short one,” Himiko Observed.

“… Oh yeah!” Scarlett exclaimed, quickly ducking back out of the living room. Himiko listened closely and could make out the conversation happening the next room over.

“Jaune, it's your turn to model,” Scarlett exclaimed.

“… Pardon?” Himiko’s grandson replied, confusion obvious in his voice.

“For Grandma Himiko, now up, up, come on,” Scarlett bossed.

“But… but mine is not as colourful, why would she want to see?” Jaune asked.

“Because you are wearing it, now come on,” Scarlett grunted, clueing Himiko into the fact that Scarlett was attempting to shove her brother.

“Alright,” Jaune replied softly.

Suddenly, there were scampering feet, “No! Wait, stop, wait there… good, okay, wait for your cue,” Scarlett hurriedly instructed before she appeared again.

“Last but certainly not least, it's Jaune!” Scarlett announced, stepping away from the doorway.

Jaune walked into the room, and his eyes immediately darted to each of his sisters, his expression instantly brightening as he beheld them. “You all look wonderful,” Jaune stated warmly.

Sky quickly hurried over to her big brother’s side, “Jaune, look, I shimmer!”

“I can see that,” Jaune acknowledged.

“You look dashing, Jaune,” Himiko complimented, nodding appreciatively at Jaune’s attire. Jaune’s reaction to the compliment was his usual head cock as he seemed to give himself a once over.

“Really… I am far less eye-catching than my siblings?” Jaune pointed out.

His attire was indeed not nearly as extravagant as all his siblings, and truthfully, he had not wished it to be. Though he had come a long way from his youth when he had first returned from Yharnam, he still struggled with the idea of blatantly eye-catching attire.

Naturally, his family could overcome this with a few uttered words, but his wishes were solely at play with his Yukata.

It was charcoal black, with a splash of steel-like grey that cast depictions of waves and surf crashing and colliding, erupting into a foamy spray. A stormy sea silently raging at night, dancing furiously for all to see if only they could look closely enough.

Jaune liked it; the design was interesting, fun to observe, and related to the ocean. His opinion of Mai couldn’t get much higher after the woman gifted him that instructive manual, but his admiration of her work was certainly piqued.

“Less colourful perhaps, but you are still the same handsome young man, and a festival Yukata might just intrigue a few more sets of eyes,” Himiko shared, brushing her hand over the fabric and tracing one of the faint patterns. “This is a wonderful design… oddly captivating,” She appraised.

“It is,” Jade agreed appreciatively, “makes you want to follow the pattern.”

Jaune smiled, “I am glad you both approve.”

Himiko’s hand ran down Jaune’s long arm until finally she met skin, and her eyes jumped to his marked flesh.

The straight black dashes resembling slices into his pale flesh stood out boldly to her eyes.

She had only caught quick glimpses since Jade had given Jaune his Slayer Marks; she knew the rest of the strange symbol was just beneath the hem of his sleeve. Further above that, going up his whole arm was an intricate design of savagery, all done in such a manner as to draw attention to symbols that stood out as more than just mere etchings on flesh.

Jaune noticed her observation and grasped at her fingers, his soft grip comfortable and friendly.

Himiko smiled back; her grandson’s tattoos were eye-catching but not nearly as much as his smile. She joked but noticed more than a few eyes linger on him, especially before his age became common knowledge. With a bit of time, she was sure he would acquire no shortage of admirers.

“Right!” A loud clap rang out in the room, dragging everyone’s attention to Cloud. He had forgone a Yukata, not having found time to hop down to Madam Kuro’s. Instead, he wore a pair of beige dress pants, sandals and a white shirt over a singlet that looked like it was straining to remain on. “We all ready to go?”

Hella was next to him and gave a critical once over of her children and mother; in her arms, she had the twins nestled comfortably in their own baby yukatas, which had opposite colouration of each other. Her light summer kimono was a royal purple with emerald green thorny vines twisting about her legs with a bone white Obi.

Very much on trend for Hellebore.

Lapis and Lazuli were in yukata, which were two shades of blue with little butterfly designs. Though they were nearly identical, the base and accent colour switched between the twins. Lapis’s was bright blue as a base with dark blue butterflies, and Lazuli’s was the opposite.

The festival would be amongst the last nights they would have on the island.

Jaune had every intention of making sure it was a good one for his siblings.

YVYVYVYVY

“Have fun,” A voice trailed behind Arslan as she scampered out of her dorm, teasing laughter following her wake.

“Shut it!” She barked back, doing her best to glare at her roommates.

This only increased the giggling.

She would have her revenge, though; she just had to get her master to let her attend some sparing classes. Then, it would be her turn to laugh.

She hurried outside, walking as quickly as her outfit would allow her; she could spot her master nearly instantly as she was waiting for her. The added illumination around the campus helped as well. The shrine had transformed into a realm of paper lanterns and candle-lit ways that cast a warm glow through the night.

Hinata was waiting under one such lantern and was dressed in a manner not dissimilar to herself. Yukata were pretty much the norm for festivals on the Isle, and all the residents tended to get dressed up, visitors too.

Students who participated were no different, and the academy tended to encourage the student body to get involved with island-wide events. Arslan had asked about it once, and Hinata had been forthcoming in explaining that a sense of togetherness and community went a long way to encourage a positive atmosphere.

The students of Shrine were a part of the Isle of Gold and Himawari village as much as any resident, and their populations were tied. It made sense to try and promote that feeling of community to avoid any friction that could harm the positive vibes of the island.

“Ah, I knew Mai would do good work. Look at you,” Hinata smiled confidently, giving Arslan a once over.

“I still don’t know why we went through the effort; I never got dressed up for festivals back home?” Arslan argued.

“That was then, this is now… besides, you look wonderful,” Hinata argued, gesturing to her, “that yukata looks amazing on you, and you were cute to begin with, so it’s a match made in heaven.”

“… Thanks,” Arslan mumbled in an unsure fashion.

“I am sure the others will agree too, so let's get going,” Hinata commented hurriedly before the two began to depart.

They were not at all alone as they made their way to Himawari. Many fourth-year students attended as it was their last year, and they wanted to make the most of it. Arslan couldn’t help but notice several couples amongst the groups and occasional solos.

They tended to walk hand in hand or even pressed against each other as they made their way to the aptly named Lantern Festival.

Relationships weren’t forbidden or anything at Shrine. It was just that with full timetables, there wasn’t much time left for relationships. Arslan wasn’t sure how they managed it. Honestly, she was under the assumption that being in a relationship like that requires people to go on dates and stuff.

‘Where do they find the time?’

“So…” Hinata started, dragging out the word as she looked at Arslan from the corner of her eye. “You got any plans for the festival tonight? I know I invited you, but I half expected to see you exit your dorm with others.”

“Nope, just me,” Arslan shrugged, “And I don’t have any plans, really; I just figured I would tag along with you.”

“Hm,” Hinata chose not to get into the fact that she still held concerns about Arslan’s lack of social interaction, but considering where they were, she would let it pass.

Besides, she would soon have someone in her age group to interact with.

“Well… you should check out the games of chance,” Hinata advised, stepping closer to her student. “It’s poor form for us Huntsman to play the skill ones, and you students are included in that.”

“Ah, gotcha,” Arslan nodded in acceptance.

“Oh, also, find a good spot for the fireworks so you don't miss them; that would suck,” Hinata advised again.

“Noted.”

“Remember that if your sandal strap breaks, you must find a cute boy to carry you around the festival.”

“Yeah, oka-… What!” Arslan shouted.

“Damn, nearly had her,” Hinata muttered cheekily.

YVYVYVYVY

“Ah, there they are,” Hella pointed out, nodding towards an approaching Hinata who was bearing the widest of grins. Arslan was right behind her but had stalled at seeing them, her eyes wide and expression shifting to one akin to a startled doe.

“Oh, awesome, she brought Arslan,” Saphron cheered.

“She is so pretty,” Sky added.

“Hey, sis, were you waiting long?” Hinata greeted her sister, immediately becoming wonderstruck by the sight of the twins.

“No, we only just arrived…” Hella explained, knowing she was being ignored. “Would you like to ho-“

“Yes, please!”

Hella handed over both twins with a smile, Hinata immediately gushing over how cute they looked in their little yukata. Both twins had taken a shine to their aunt and happily began to chatter inanely with her.

“Um… Hey there,” Arslan waved, coming to stand next to her master.

“Oh, you look amazing,” Scarlett complimented immediately, eyeing Arslan carefully. Arslan shuffled on her spot, pointedly looking down.

“She does,” Hinata agreed before her smile came back all the more sinister, “Hey, Jaune,” She called out in a sing-song manner, making Arslan stiffen.

Jaune, who had been curiously examining a small shrine covered in curious-looking talismans up to this point, turned about in response. Arslan was shifting again as he moved over quietly, smiling at the sight of his Aunt with the twins.

“Hello, Aunt Hinata,” Jaune nodded, “You look lovely this evening,” Jaune complimented politely.

“Charmer,” Hinata winked.

She was wearing her own Yukata, and it was easily of a similar make to everyone else’s, Jaune’s eyes picking up that it was also a Madam Kuro’s, as was to be expected. Hinata’s was a lovely orange that matched her eyes and was decorated with Koi that passed up over her white Obi to become Dragons with striking pearl scales.

“What about my dear student?” Jaune’s aunt inquired, hip-bumping an oddly shy Arslan, who gave her master a panicked glare. A glare that withered when she found Jaune’s Arc-blue eyes examining her curiously.

Arslan was wearing a silvery yukata that seemed to almost appear reflective in the warm glow of the lanterns. Her red obi stood out like spilt blood on the snow and was adorned with a subtle ripple pattern. The silvery plane of the fabric was decorated with dark olive-green bamboo. It was as if a garden engulfed in deep mist had been turned into a piece of clothing; it was an enchanting sight.

And Arslan wore it well; the tailor-made piece stood out beautifully on her dark skin and matched well with her platinum hair and the green of her eyes. Jaune nodded approvingly. He still was not the most well-versed in matters of attire, but his opinions and what Scarlett had taught him were in agreement.

“You look very charming, Arslan. That is a beautiful yukata, and you wear it well,” Jaune appraised. Scarlett gave her brother an evaluating look and an approving nod. Jade snorted quietly, shooting a look at her aunt, who was shushing her with her eyes.

Arslan was blushing, and though she was sure she had been caught, she brought her sleeves up to cover her face just as she had seen the headmaster do so frequently. “T-thank you… you look good also.”

And Arslan did look, noting that Jaune’s sleeves were a bit tighter than was the norm, and his obi blended in with his yukata. Her eyes eventually came to rest on his neck, and she had to blink there as she was unsure what she was seeing.

“Um, I think you have something on your neck,” Arslan pointed out, leaning to try and get a better glimpse of something she could see hinted at on the side of his neck.

“Huh?” Hinata joined in, glancing at her nephew curiously. Had she kept giving targeted looks at Jade, she might have seen the overwhelming look of pride that came over her features. “Oh, she’s right, you… Jaune… is that what I think it is?”

Jaune brought his hand up to his throat and pointed at where there was a hint of black traced onto his throat, only just visible from a front-on perspective. With his long finger gesturing, he asked, “Do you mean this?”

Both women nodded.

Jaune turned so his back was facing them and looked back over his face, featuring a quirked smile as he shot a glance at Jade, who was all but glowing with pride. With both women looking on, he lifted his hair, revealing what had been concealed by his blond locks.

“Whoa.”

“Holy shi-tuff… holy stuff,” Hinata finished, shooting an apologetic look at Hella, who was now scowling at her sister.

“When did you get that done?” Arslan asked, her eyes locked on the black ink etched into the back of Jaune’s neck.

Jade stepped forward, “Start of the week… it came out perfect,” she explained, an inflection in her voice that confused Arslan.

“… I didn’t think you were old enough for a tattoo?” Hinata pondered.

“In Vale… yeah, they are a bit stricter about such things… but here, in Mistral, on a little out of the way Island…” Hella trailed off, her message clear.

“What do you think?” Jade asked eagerly.

“It’s good, I like it,” Hinata complimented, “He literally has eyes on the back of his head, hehe.”

Jade looked like she was standing at the top of the world.

“Thanks, Jaune was a good canvas, statue still the whole way through,” Jade recalled with bubbly joy.

“Oh… Oh wait,” Arslan caught on, pointing to Jade, “You did this?”

Jade nodded and stood straighter, pridefully raising her chin.

“That’s cool; it looks wonderful, Jade!” Arslan complimented the girl.

“They all do; she did an incredible job,” Jaune spoke up, earnest enough to make Jade blush.

Hinata, however, heard what Jaune said.

“All of them?” Her eyes glanced back to the black on his pale skin and, this time, noticed that it was also on his fingers and his hand. “Oh my gods, you have more,” Hinata muttered, leaning close enough that Lapis began to try and palm a handful of Jaune’s robe.

Arslan, seeing where her master was looking, glanced at his other hand and found more tattoos there.

“Oh, there is a lot more,” Cloud expressed, half understanding but also proud. “Jade certainly didn’t pick an easy first project, but my mum would be ridiculously proud of her… Jaune’s Slayer Marks are something else.”

“Thanks, Dad,” Jade mumbled happily.

Jaune moved, letting his hair fall over the slayer marks on the back of his neck; he turned slowly so as not to upset Lapis, his hand instinctively coming up to squeeze his baby sister's little hand. “We should get moving; the festival has already begun; it would be a shame to miss something.”

“Right, you are Jaune, alright everyone, let's try to stick together, ok?” Cloud projected as he and Hella began to move towards the festival proper. Sky rushed to be in front of them, moving half a step faster, extra eager to get to the festivities. Saphron hurried ahead to keep Sky in check. She was old enough to know not to run off, but it was still a crowded area at night.

Scarlett walked at the same pace as her aunt, ready to offer help should the two young toddlers decide to cause some trouble. Hinata immediately began talking to her oldest niece, the two discussing all manner of subjects from Jaune’s new Slayer Marks, the festival and, of course, the twins.

Hinata adored the twins.

Jaune found himself making up the tail end of the group, this being his preference as he was able to watch over his whole family. Jade walked to his right, her face still decorated with a joyous smile. Arslan took up a more hesitant position to his left. Jaune didn’t mind, but he found it curious that she didn’t prefer to walk alongside her master.

“Are you all right?” Jaune asked, sparing Arslan a concerned glance.

“Oh!” Arslan let slip before shutting her mouth quickly, “… Y-yes, I am. I just wanted to not… cling to Master Hinata; it wouldn’t be fair to her…”

Jaune was about to tell her there was nothing wrong with wanting to be close to her teacher, but Jade beat him to the punch, “If that’s how you feel, then you are more than welcome to spend the festival with us.”

Jaune now looked to his younger sister with a modicum of surprise; he was well aware that her skills regarding social matters outclassed him, but seeing it first-hand was curious. He became even more impressed when Arslan thanked her and said she would like that.

‘No matter,’ Jaune thought to himself; it was lovely to be with his family, and Arslan was most welcome, seeing as his aunt was her mentor.

That was a bond like family.

He had thought of his own mentor in much the same manner.

YVYVYVYVY

The festival was quite rambunctious; all around, stalls of all kinds were illuminated and painted in bright, flashy ways designed to capture the eye. The smell of confectionaries filled the air with an aroma bound to stir an appetite. The night was filled with laughter and enjoyment as people partook in games and enjoyed music.

Jaune found it all around pleasant, though he usually found his mood souring in the presence of large groups of people; the general atmosphere made such rather tricky. Jade was enjoying the pleasant sights as much as he was, and Arslan made a perfect companion as though she was still only a first-year at Shrine; she was a Mistrali native and thus a well of information.

“We have festivals at home, of course; we have a lantern festival as well,” she explained to Jaune, who had grown ever more curious about Mistrali culture since his arrival.

“Is it pretty much like this one?” He asked, not breaking eye contact with Arslan.

The shorter girl looked about, her lips pursed, “A little; Jiégěng isn’t as close to any water, so we make our lanterns float.”

“Float-”

“Why does water matter-”

Jaune and Jade asked at the same time.

Arslan gave a half-shrug, “I don’t really get it myself, but Mistral has always been kind of big on the sea and the sky… here, look,” Arslan beckoned, stepping up to a bench and climbing up.

Jade followed suit, but Jaune settled for standing next to them as he was still marginally taller than them despite the height they gained from the bench.

Arslan pointed outward her finger trailing the festival path, “See how the lanterns form a path that goes all the way down to the sea?”

Jaune and Jade did indeed see. The glow from the festival lights carved a path that led to the docks where lanterns were even out on boats and buoys and some floating by their own means. It was as if the light was being dispersed into the ocean, and even at their current position on the opposite side of the village, it was quite the sight.

“Oh cool… they look like fireflies,” Jade complimented, eyes alight with a passion familiar to her siblings. Jaune was sure this scene would be used later as inspiration for her next piece; Mistral had been nothing if not fruitful for his sister in that regard.

“… So, in your village, they float the lanterns?” Jaune questioned, turning his head towards Arslan.

“Yeah, we do the whole path thing as well, but when you get to the end-“

Arslan found her words coming to a halt when she turned her head and saw her face in line with Jaune’s. The boy’s bright blue eyes were quite close to her own, and once more, she was struck by that odd sensation that made her heart feel funny.

Jaune just cocked his head, wondering why she halted her explanation.

“… Arslan?” Jade spoke up, causing the older girl to shake off her odd silence.

“Right, sorry… w-when you get to the end of the trail at Jiégěng, there is an area where everyone gets a chance to light a lantern and let it float off,” Arslan explained, making it a point not to meet Jaune’s direct gaze.

“Do you tie balloons to the lanterns?”

“Nope, the lanterns float using the heat of the candle you put inside. It's actually kind of cool,” Arslan explained to Jade.

“… I think I would like to see that,” Jaune stated.

“You too, bro?” Jade cheered, hopping off the bench.

“Indeed, who knows, maybe Arslan will be kind enough to take us one day?” Jaune iterated, moving to the side so Arslan could hop off the bench more easily.

Arslan felt her face warm, “Ah… yeah, sure, I guess if the chance ever comes up…”

“Nice,” Jade exclaimed before noticing that the rest of the Arcs had begun to move on without them, “oops, we better get going.”

The three continued on their way, but now Arslan couldn’t help fidgeting, her eyes constantly bouncing between the Arcs. Jaune more than Jade, and her eyes tended to linger on the tall boy.

It wasn’t just his face, though. She found her eyes pulling towards the side of his neck where she could make out a hint of the black ink curling out from beneath his hair. This led her to look at his hand, where she could see an even larger trace of the art that now called his skin home.

As she was on his left, she could only see what looked like a swell of shadow that seemed to bloom beneath his sleeve, coiling in a swirling, chaotic fashion and bleeding onto his fingers. Arslan had to give it to Jade; the design was… something else.

She found it difficult to look away.

Then, there was a hand on her shoulder.

Arslan was startled but found that she had been guided around a passerby, Jaune glancing at her from the corner of his eyes, a quirked brow crowning his curiosity.

Arslan felt a wave of embarrassment beat down her curiosity as she realised that had it not been for Jaune; she would have walked face-first into a total stranger.

“T-thank you…”

“No worries,” Jaune replied evenly.

“So,” Jade spoke up, watching as Sky bounced between stalls, Saphron on her tail the whole while, “What would you say is the best part of festivals like this?”

Arslan had to give that some thought; she hadn’t been to a festival in a couple of years, but from what she recalled…

“I don’t know,” Arslan admitted, “I always enjoyed trying out the games, but Master Hinata warned us that it was considered rude for us students to try out the ones that aren’t games of chance.”

“Oh well, that’s no issue; then we will just see how lucky we are all feeling,” Jade proclaimed.

“Look,” Jaune pointed to a nearby stall’s sign, “says ‘Huntsmen and students welcome,’ I guess we just look for signs like that.”

“Cool, let's check it out!”

The three found themselves in front of a stall operated by a very old-looking Faunus; he was missing an arm but had a coy smile on his wrinkled face. The old Faunus looked at the three of them beneath his hand-woven hat. Upon spotting Jaune, he tensed, his smile faltering, but that quickly passed as it returned to its previously sly nature.

“Evening, wanting try your luck?” The old Faunus asked.

Jaune leaned down, his eyes scoping out the stand, tracing along numerous strings that seemed tied to several different prizes. “… How much?”

“Ⱡ1,000,” the old man explained; Jaune merely raised a brow. That was about the price for a decent bowl of ramen. He eyed the many prizes again, while many would make such a price more than worth it… it was all still up to chance.

“Eh, first one of the night, may as well,” Jade spoke up, quickly paying the man before examining the strings. There were a myriad of coloured strings, and all of them ran about the shop in a confusing maze of threads that made it difficult to trace.

But they also dipped out of sight.

At points, the different tethers would fall below the counter where it would be impossible to tell which direction the strings went or if they went anywhere at all. Jade understood that this was the point, so with a shrug, she yanked on a random Beige string.

From the back of the stall, a box clattered off its shelf, the one-armed man reaching back and bringing it forward. “Ahh, incense sticks, not bad, young lady,” the man said, his smile not faltering for an instant.

“Eh, what the heck,” Arslan stepped forward and put her money on the stall. Unlike Jade, she evaluated each string before finally settling on one she liked. “This one,” she whispered before tugging on a milky white thread.

A tiny matchbox fell from the roof.

Arslan slumped, “dammit.”

“Ah, better luck next time, miss,” the old man offered, handing the matchbox to Arslan. “And what about you, my tall friend, wanna try your luck?”

Before Jaune could say anything, Jade was already pushing him forward, “Be a good brother and win me something.”

“Siblings, eh, always so bossy,” the old man joked.

“I suppose I will play,” Jaune spoke calmly, handing the one-armed Faunus his Lien.

“Have at it.”

Jaune’s strategy was quite different from both Jade's and Arslan's; instead of looking at the many threads, his eyes remained locked on the old man’s. His left hand moved slowly, hovering above the threads and drifting over the individual string.

Arslan took this as a chance to glance at his tattoos, seeing that there was a lot more ink the further up his arm you went.

Then Jaune’s arm froze.

“Sister, what prize would you like?” Jaune asked out of the blue.

“… The calligraphy set, on the right.” Jade declared.

“Ah, very well.”

Then Jaune’s hand moved again, and he quickly grasped a red string.

‘But the thread on that calligraphy set is purple?’ Arslan thought, confused.

Yet when Jaune tugged on his chosen thread, the calligraphy box slid from its shelf onto the cushions below. Jade let out a loud whooping cheer. The old man’s smile transformed as he picked up the prize. Arslan was wondering what other threads were tied together.

“That was a mighty fine choice; mind letting an old man in on how you managed to pull that off?” The old Faunus enquired, his smile now somewhat begrudging.

Jaune held out his left hand, his palm facing up, and Arslan discovered yet another new tattoo on Jaune’s body. A strange, peculiar star inscribed across his palm, with an eye in the centre, the strange glyph seeming to stare upwards.

The old Faunus spotted it, too, his hand stalling for a moment as he blinked at the glyph now facing him. Then Jaune spoke, “Just seemed like the right thread.”

The old man’s smile twitched, “Heh, well, I can’t really argue with that logic, can I? Here you go; I hope your sister enjoys.”

Jaune took the package and immediately passed it to his sister, “you should give this to father since he is on bag duty.”

Jade nodded and hurried off to Cloud.

As Jaune and Arslan trailed after her, Arslan couldn’t help but feel a conflicting wave of anxious energy and that awkward feeling that made her chest light. A glance at Jaune showed the tall boy wholly at peace, his expression calm as he switched between examining the festival and checking on his family.

Then his eyes found her.

Arslan couldn’t help but be shocked by just how expressive his eyes were, how they could immediately communicate his curiosity despite his face hardly moving.

“Is something the matter?” Jaune asked.

Arslan panicked, “No, no, no, sorry, I was just looking at your face.”

“Oh, all right,” Jaune nodded.

Arslan prayed to be struck by lightning, but alas, the sky remained clear of clouds.

“So… do you feel like checking out any more stalls?” Arslan enquired, looking around for Jade but spotting that the girl had gotten swept up into something with her young sibling.

“I am… indecisive at the moment. I have been looking to see if there is anything worth testing my luck for, but… nothing has piqued my interest yet,” Jaune explained.

“Ah… that’s fair,” Jade mumbled, finding it difficult to talk to the quiet boy.

“… And you?” Jaune replied after a beat.

“Huh?”

“Is there anything you wish to do at the festival it would not do for your own wants to be ignored,” Jaune announced sternly.

“Ah… I… I was told the fireworks are something to see,” Arslan uttered, recalling her master’s advice from earlier.

“Fireworks… hm.”

“What?”

“I… I don’t think I have ever seen fireworks,” Jaune explained.

“Really?” Arslan yelped; she was genuinely shocked to hear such a thing. Mistral loved their firework displays, so much so that there were several throughout the year.

“Mm, not that I can think of to the best of my knowledge… well, unless Dust explosions count, I have seen a handful of those,” the tall boy admitted.

“No, they don’t,” Arslan hurried to confirm. “Well then, this is good; we will have to make sure we find a suitable spot to watch them from.”

Jaune smiled, “Sounds like a plan.”

Arslan looked at a nearby poster of a schedule and saw that the fireworks weren’t until near the end of the festival.

“Eh… we will have to find something to do in the meantime though… sorry. I guess I’m not really proving to be the best guide, huh?” Arslan apologised, scratching the back of her head bashfully.

“You are not here as a guide; there is no reason for you to act as such… it is enough that you are present,” Jaune explained.

Arslan stood no chance at halting the heat that rushed to her face, “R-really?” She breathed, shocked by Jaune’s out-of-the-blue proclamation.

Jaune nodded, “In truth, I was not sure if we would get to see you again before our trip came to a close; this is a most pleasant turn of events.”

“W-…why, though?”

“… We, meaning myself and my sisters, assumed you would likely want to attend the festival with friends,” Jaune informed Arslan, his shoulders rolling as he did.

“Ah… well…” Arslan swallowed loudly, “I-I am… aren’t I…”

Jaune slowed and turned to her, perturbed by her words, his eyes blinking curiously.

“Y…You are my friend,” Arslan managed to eke out. “R-right…”

Jaune smiled, a pleasant hum sounding in his throat, “Well, I didn’t want to presume, but I see no reason why not. I would be quite pleased to be your friend.”

Arslan had never been so tempted to perform an out-of-the-blue backflip.

“G-good!” Arslan exclaimed, her face split by a toothy grin. “Great! Really great!”

“Yeah, it is,” a voice peeped from behind Arslan, startling the usually stern girl who was really beginning to get quite sick of these weird feelings.

She wasn’t usually this damn jumpy.

She stumbled into Jaune, but no further, as the boy was uncannily solid despite his lithe frame. Quickly righting herself and shooting an apologetic glance towards Jaune, she turned about to find Jade standing there calmly with a smile that, at best, could be described as impish.

“Hey.”

“H-hi…”

“So… you’re friends now, huh?” Jade said while lifting her eyebrows.

It was Jaune who nodded, “Yes, we are; I guess I can say I have two friends now,” Jaune informed his sister in a manner that, for him, was practically cheery.

“That’s great, bro,” Jade said in a sickly-sweet manner, “Hey, Arslan… do we get to be your friends as well?”

“W-we…” Arslan looked up and found every single one of Jaune’s sisters looking at her.

Well, except the twins, they were busy looking at some sparklers.

“Yeah, come on, aren’t we as close to you as Jaune?” Jade interrogated, her tone unchanging.

“Y-yeah, of course… um, do you guys wanna be friends?” Arslan asked.

“Yes, yes, we very much would,” Scarlett spoke for them, her eyes drifting from a confused Arslan to rest on her meddling aunt.

“Hey, Jaune,” Saphron called out, pinning her aunt in from the other side, “would you three mind grabbing some food? Anything is fine, we’ll wait for you here, ok?”

“Sure, shall we?” Jaune addressed Arslan and Jade, already intent on heading in the direction he could smell pork from.

As soon as the three were out of hearing range, Saphron turned to her aunt with a look that screamed judgment. “You did this,” Saphron accused in an annoyed fashion.

“… Did what?” Hinata tried to play innocent, using the twins as shields.

“You know what,” Scarlett backed her sister up.

Sky, though not nearly as sure as her sisters on what was happening, was more than willing to copy her older siblings by crossing her arms and glaring at her aunt.

Cloud chuckled, wrapping an arm around Hella as they watched Hinata get interrogated on three fronts. “Isn’t that sweet? They are all acting so protective,” Cloud whispered to his wife.

“Mm,” was Hella’s succinct reply.

“Oh,” Cloud's laughter grew in volume, “they’re not the only ones I see.”

“Hush you.”

“Yes wife.”

YVYVYVYVY

Arslan found that being Jaune’s friend was a peculiar shift in their relationship.

When they were merely acquainted, Jaune could be described as polite but distant; he wasn’t rude, just quiet. But since he had declared that they were indeed friends, he had become… warmer.

From walking closer to her, asking her questions more frequently, and even buying her things on one occasion. She had apparently been looking a bit too intently at some yakitori and soon found some in her hand. It had been startling, but so was the smile he gave her when he handed her the snack.

He was nice…

Arslan would bounce around the whole festival guided by Jaune and Jade, though it was mainly Jade leading the charge. They would check out food and game stalls, though for most only Jade would play and even, at one point, a talisman stall done by a shrine keeper.

Jaune had become a little peculiar around that one as he had made sure to make it clear that he would very much not like a talisman.

When Jade asked why, he chuckled.

The noise was enough to make Arslan’s stomach do… exciting things.

He had explained that he already had plenty of talismans ‘for fortune and what not,’ Jade had given him them after all. This made Jade give off a very giddy energy and made Arslan even more curious to see the full extent of Jaune’s tattoos.

But as the adage went, time seemed to fly by; between eating good food and Jaune using his apparent ‘devil's luck’ as one stall operator called it, they had come upon the time for fireworks. Jaune had sent Jade off to their father with all the stuff he won for her.

Leaving Jaune and Arslan alone… again.

“Hmm, it seems we should have gone with Jade…” Jaune opined, seeing the gathered crowds.

“I’m sorry,” Arslan apologised sincerely. She was genuinely regretful, but another part of her raged at the conspiracy she was beginning to suspect she was a part of.

The strap of her tabi sandal broke.

‘Dammit, Master! I swear if this was you!’ Arslan raved in her head.

“It is no real issue… Jade is with the family, so she is fine,” Jaune shrugged.

“Huh? How can you tell?” Arslan asked.

Jaune pointed at the back of a young girl sitting atop the shoulder of a giant of a man.

‘Oh,’ Arslan realised that Jaune probably hadn’t lost sight of his family this whole time… they were all just so damn tall that they stood out without trying.

“But it seems, despite your warning, we won't be able to get to the best of spots… unless…” Jaune trailed off, his eyes narrowing as he looked about.

“You got a plan?” Arslan asked, focusing on the dilemma at hand because it let her ignore the funny feeling in her gut and the rage she was suppressing for her master.

“… Yep,” Jaune nodded before looking her over critically. Arslan tried not to blush; she really did… he just had very intense eyes.

“What’s your range of movement like?” Jaune mumbled, pointing at her yukata.

“Not great, but I got shorts on, so I can fix that,” Arslan answered before looking around to ensure no one was looking. “Here, help me to that shadowy spot.”

Jaune did so, proffering her his arm to steady her hopping as they moved off the path to a section of an alley just outside the primary way of the festival. Once slightly concealed, Arslan shuffled her clothes, spinning her obi about her waist and loosening it.

Then she thought about what she was doing.

She thought she was blushing before, but clearly, that had been nothing compared to what her head was doing now. She felt inflamed from the base of her neck to the tips of her ears… but then she looked at Jaune, who was pointedly not staring at her.

It didn’t stop her blush, but it stopped her from praying for more lightning.

“D-done,” Arslan announced, having refixed her obi more loosely to allow her legs more freedom.

Jaune nodded, “Good, now… do you want me to carry you?”

Arslan snorted, “No, thank you, just point me where we are heading,” Arslan shook her head, refusing to play the part of pawn any longer.

She would have revenge, and it started here.

Jaune nodded and pointed towards a building with a mast sticking out of it; it was a pub built out of the husk of a ship. It would be an exciting sight if there weren’t another close by the shore. It was a tried and true design.

“That is a heck of a climb,” Arslan admitted a little hesitantly.

“Don’t fret, I will assist, but we better hurry.”

Away from the festival lights, the town was incredibly dark, but Jaune quickly guided them to the building all the same. Arslan trusted that he knew where he was going, so instead, she focused on moving with one broken sandal. She spent half the time hopping, but they made good time and reached the closed pub quickly enough.

Jaune was able to heave himself onto the roof with a slight jump before turning to Arslan and holding out his hand. She knew Jaune was strong, but it turns out he could literally throw her around as he hauled her up with silent ease.

“Thanks… now what?” Arslan asked, looking at the tall mast.

“You scared of heights?” Jaune quickly checked, earning a shaking head from Arslan.

“I’m going to be a Huntress; of course, I’m not afraid of heights,” Arslan deadpanned.

Jaune smiled, “Good, then I will give you a boost. Try getting as close to the crow's nest as possible, ok?”

“Um… alright,” Arslan nodded.

Jaune put his back to the mast, cupped his hands, and instantly, Arslan understood the plan. She should have taken a moment to realise this was probably not only dumb but potentially dangerous.

And maybe a little illegal since they might be trespassing.

But seeing Jaune’s reassuring nod in the dim light did away with her worries and had her instead grabbing her yukata with one hand and kicking off both of her sandals. With her legs free, she sprinted forward and hopped onto Jaune’s waiting hands in a crouch.

Then she got to experience flight.

With a soft grunt, he sent her flying. Not a measly few meters, no, she reached the crow's nest and grabbed onto its base. She scrambled, quickly pulling herself up, the railing providing plenty of handholds. By the time she turned back, Jaune was already halfway up the mast; all she had to do was offer a hand he swiftly latched onto.

Arslan grunted in surprise.

‘Shit, he is heavier than he looks!’

Jaune, thankfully, didn’t expect her to pull him up alone and quickly used his other hand to yank his whole body up with an ease Arslan was a little jealous of. Once up, he smiled, and Arslan grinned.

“Nice spot,” she complimented.

“It is. Will we be able to see the fireworks from here?” He asked in concern.

“Oh yeah, and this will be great for your first time,” Arslan nodded before her eyes widened, and she quickly pushed Jaune’s head towards the bay. “Look, it’s starting!”

Jaune hurriedly turned and got to witness as the night became awash with light, colour and noise.

It was beautiful.

Arslan had seen fireworks a few times, but they were always fun to watch. She would have been happy to sit back and watch the show if there hadn’t been something even more enjoyable to see.

The look of wonder on Jaune’s face.

Arslan smiled, taking in how his usually small smile was replaced by one with slightly parted lips. His bright blue eyes reflected the light as readily as the ocean itself and made the many burning colours dance in them. The sea breeze played havoc with his long hair, whipping it about the crown of his head as he looked out over the water where the darkness of night was all but obliterated.

Then her eyes darted back to his lips.

‘I want to kiss him.’

It was a weird thought, an insane thought and Arslan had to wonder if she was possibly losing it as she had never kissed anyone save her mother and father.

But… it persisted.

It was then, atop high above the Himawari, as lights danced over them both, that she finally realised what was happening.

‘Oh shit, he’s cute!’ Arslan dreaded as pieces began to fall into place.

She had a crush.

She was lost in silent panic, trying to come to terms with things, when she glanced back at Jaune to make sure he hadn’t somehow realised her sudden dilemma, but…

But he was still watching the fireworks.

Arslan found a smile taking over her face despite her internal panic as Jaune watched the light show as if it was one of the most extraordinary things he had ever seen.

‘Oh… shit… he’s cute…’ Arslan thought a lot more calmly.

Instead of more panic, Arslan decided that Jaune had the right idea, so she settled beside him and watched as every colour one could think of painted the sky in a flash of fire and noise.

“… So, what do you think?” Arslan asked between thunderous bangs.

Jaune turned away for the first time, that same wonderous smile on his face. “I love it,” Jaune admitted.

Arslan smiled back despite the heat she felt in her ears.

“I’m glad,” She nodded.

“As am I, this was a good plan… thank you, Arslan,” Jaune spoke earnestly.

“Eh… you would have seen them anyway, though,” Arslan waved him off bashfully.

“But not from up here… thank you,” Jaune nodded.

Now aware of what that feeling was in her chest, Arslan was doing everything in her power to beat down a giggle that she knew wanted to slip out. Crush or no, she would not giggle; she had standards.

“… This has been a really fun trip,” Jaune spoke aloud, “thank you for pausing your training to hang out with us; the girls all really like you… you’re a good friend.”

Arslan felt the feeling in her chest tighten.

‘Right… trip…’

“Hey Jaune… what are you going to do… in the future and stuff,” Arslan asked suddenly, the words leaving her mouth before her mind could latch on to them.

“Hm? …I don’t know… see what comes, I suppose,” Jaune shrugged.

Arslan hummed, her hands clutching at the railing of the crow's nest. “… I think I am going to sign up for the Mistrali Regional Tournament… I want to win.”

“That’s the tournament held for up-and-coming Huntsman, right?” Jaune recalled his sisters watching it at times.

“Y-yeah… people who do well almost always get let into Haven… you know, by the time I’m in Haven, the next Vytal festival will be held in Vale…” Arslan pointed out.

Jaune blinked, “So it will.” Jaune’s features shift, “I will have to attend to wish you well then.”

“R-really!”

“Of course, we are friends now; it would not do for me not to make an appearance,” Jaune stated adamantly.

Arslan was on a high of emotions that she could hardly contain, “Then I’ll do it! I’ll get into Haven and make it to the Vytal Festival… and you promise you’ll be there?”

Rather than respond verbally, Jaune held out his right hand for her; Arslan blinked, looking at the proffered limb, the ink that danced in the shifting light of the fireworks distracting her. Then Jaune spoke, “It’s a promise.”

Arslan practically lunged for his hand, grasping it with her own and shaking it.

‘His hand is so much bigger than mine…’

With their pact made, Jaune and Arslan would watch the rest of the fireworks before making their way back down to the ground. Much to her embarrassment, Arslan wound up slipping near the end of her descent, but Jaune was able to catch her with ease, placing her down gently without so much as a word of acknowledging that he had held her.

They would then hurry back through the shadowy village towards the warm glow of the festival, Arslan giving up on her sandals as a bad joke and settling for having dirty feet. They met up with Jaune’s family just outside the festival.

“Hey, where were you two?” Scarlett asked first, eyeing them both, her expression slowly transforming as she did.

“Forget that; what the heck happened to your yukata?” Saphron jumped in loudly.

Arslan blinked, then looked down.

Her yukata was open enough at her legs that you could nearly see her shorts and was also partially hanging off one of her shoulders… and she had just returned with their brother… from the dark.

‘Oh… fuck.’

Arslan would have to be blind and dumb to miss the intense stares she received from nearly every female present. Arslan’s head shifted to her master and saw Hinata wearing the widest of shit-eating grins.

Arslan groaned as embarrassment again flooded her whole body.

‘Damn you, Master!’

YVYVYVYVY

The day of the Arc’s departure from Mistral was a sadly very hurried affair, with schedules to keep long goodbyes had to be forgone for the far more preferable short and sweet.

From the landing bay at Shrine campus, the Arcs were seen off by Himiko and her direct staff once more. Hinata was again the last to arrive, but this time, Arslan was already there, wanting to say goodbye to her new friends.

There were many hugs and teary farewells, and Arslan confirmed her pact with Jaune.

“Remember, the Vytal festival in four years,” Arslan reminded him.

“I’ll be there,” Jaune nodded, shaking her hand.

“G-good… have a safe trip,” Arslan smiled as she bid him farewell.

Himiko was next, stepping forward and asking silently for a hug. She had learned throughout the vacation of Jaune’s hesitancy concerning intimacy and had adapted quickly. Jaune, nonetheless, had also grown closer to his grandmother and thus had little issue embracing her.

“Be safe grandson… and… I know that you will be great no matter what you choose to do,” Himiko affirmed softly.

“Thank you, Grandma Himiko,” Jaune whispered in Mistrali, noting how his slip in formality made the older woman beam.

“Cheeky boy,” Himiko teased.

Hinata was the last to say their goodbye, though hers had none of the peace of the other two. Instead, she just threw herself at him, whining the whole while. “I don’t want you to go! Jaune, can't you stay with the twins and live here? We have the ocean!” Hinata bargained.

“Sorry, Aunty. Afraid not,” Jaune comforted as best he could, looking to his mother for help.

“Sister, release my child,” Hella ordered tiredly.

“It’s not fair you have so many. You should share,” Hinata whined.

“Go make your own, dammit, now give me back my son,” Hella ground out her usual cool gone in the face of her sister’s teasing.

“Mother, Hella is being unfair,” Hinata sobbed.

”Girls play nice,” Himiko said uncaringly, too busy saying her goodbyes to Sky to referee.

Eventually, they all managed to get aboard their flight, no thanks to a clingy Hinata who had looked far too tempted to run off with the twins. The trip was much the same as the one over, though with no exciting sea life to see them off.

Issues didn’t arise until they reached Northguard.

“The fuck do you mean my flight is cancelled!” Scarlett roared into her Scroll using her pissed boss voice. There was a break as the person on the other side of the call made some excuse that did nothing to curtail her wrath.

“Oh ok… so I hope you realise when I get back to Reach, I will be launching an investigation into who exactly had the fucking audacity to reclassify any of my fucking flights,” Scarlet threatened to whoever was on the other side of the Scroll before hanging up with such force Jaune was surprised the screen didn’t crack.

The rest of the family went to speak, but Scarlett just held up a finger, asking them to wait as she quickly made another call.

“… Hey Matt?”

“…”

“Hey, cutie, yeah, I’m nearly home. I need you to help me for a moment… yeah this is a work call, sorry.” Scarlett apologised, her previous wrathful tone wholly gone as she talked to her paramour.

“Yuck,” Saphron gagged, “Jaune, keep covering the Lazuli’s ears; she doesn’t need to be subjected to this,” Saphron teased, currently holding her hands over a baby twin's ears. They had been all aware of Scarlett’s angry boss voice and quickly moved to protect the twins.

And Scarlett from her mother’s vengeance.

“Cheers, mat, yeah, seven tickets… fuck it make them first class and have Mr Brown alerted that someone messed with my terminal,” Scarlett instructed.

“…”

“No, that’s all, see you soon, cute stuff… Oh, and keep your evening free; I missed you,” Scarlett finished, hanging up an eager smile on her face.

“Hm, you were right, Saphron,” Jaune nodded to his older sister. Just because he didn’t hate Matt did not mean he had wanted to hear that.

“What about us? We don’t need to be hearing that either!” Jade complained.

Luckily, it seemed money and two grumpy as-all-hell Huntsman really do get things moving as the Arcs were quickly escorted to a flight that had just come in from Argus. Unfortunately, the fact that it was only stopping to refuel forced the Arcs to spread around the first-class cabin for the most part.

The luxury was an excellent trade-off, and Jaune still managed to keep close to the twins in case his parents needed help settling them.

Scarlett got her own seat a bit away, and Jaune spotted her immediately begin texting someone on her Scroll. Judging by the speed at which she was doing it and her shifting facial expressions, she was having at least two separate conversations.

Jade and Sky wound up in a pair of seats a few seats down from Jaune, both curled up watching a movie together.

Saphron was the odd one out, nearly at the opposite end of the plane, but when Jaune approached to check on her, Scarlett quickly yanked him back.

“Huh? Scar-“

“She’s fine,” Scarlett told Jaune, “I think she wants to be alone right now, so give her some space.”

“Why is she okay?”

“Oh, she’s fine,” Scarlett smirked, “She’s made a friend.”

YVYVYVYVY

Saphron hadn’t minded getting the seat away from her family; she had just spent a whole vacation with them, so a bit of space was a welcome change.

This was proven to be a fantastic decision when one of the most attractive women she had ever seen sat beside her. She had short dark brown hair that was primly cut and styled, olive-brown skin, and a set of brown eyes that became Saphron’s whole world for a moment.

She was dressed in a business fit that had Saphron questioning several things about herself as she gave the young woman a quick once over. She wore a white button-down top tucked neatly into a navy-blue pencil skirt that reached her knees. Below that was a pair of tights that made Saphron feel some kind of way and a pair of sharp heels that did things to this woman’s legs that should be illegal.

Saphron gulped.

This was a mistake as a pair of the deepest brown eyes she had ever seen turned to her.

Saphron felt her mouth go dry as the gorgeous woman began to speak.

“Oh, hello, did you just get on?” She asked, realising that Saphron hadn’t been on the flight for the first leg.

“Oh umm yes, hi, ah, I’m Saphron,” Saphron managed to get out, internally raging at herself for nearly blowing things.

“It’s lovely to meet you; I’m Terra,” The woman introduced herself, making Saphron’s heart skip.

“N-nice to meet you,” Saphron stuttered, internally screaming.

Evidently, Terra found her awkwardness amusing as a melodic giggle filled the air. Saphron wanted to hear that giggle for the rest of her life.

“So, where are you off to?” Terra asked politely.

“Oh, I’m heading to Reach,” Saphron answered quickly.

“Me too!” Terra happily exclaimed. “I got a super cool opportunity to be a part of this super important deal with some shipping company. I am really excited; it's my first time in another country. How about you?”

“I live there,” Saphron explained.

Terra gasped softly, “That’s great! Can you tell me what it’s like? I’m a little nervous.”

‘How funny, me too!’ Saphron thought before beginning to talk a little bit about Reach. She had only been talking for about a minute or two when her Scroll buzzed.

She quickly excused herself before checking her messages.

Big Red: She seems ~nice~

Sapphic Sis: If you ruin this for me, I will crash this entire fucking flight.

Big Red: Oh, so she’s really ~nice~

Sapphic Sis: Stop msging me! I am busy.

Big Red: Yeah, you are ¬‿¬

Sapphic Sis: Scarlett!

Eventually, Scarlett stopped texting, and Saphron was able to spend the rest of the flight talking to Terra.

Though it seemed way too short, it ended with Saphron getting Terra’s number.

It was the best flight of her life.

A.N.

That’s it. I’m done; I did it. Stand by for a big post