“I’m a pancake lady…making them cakes…I give the batter a stir…and the bowl a shake…do dodo do…”

Julia kept singing to herself, as she worked on her pancake batter, just as the sun was making itself more known in the dorm.

“Then we add blueberries…everyone likes that…I pour it in the pan…and the batter goes splat!”

“Woah! Pancakes!” Sola exclaimed, jumping right out of bed as the smell hit her. “Gimme gimme gimme!”

“Wait.” Julia said, holding up a finger, before laying it out on a plate. “There you go.”

“Thank you!” Sola let out, hopping over to the table, before scanning around the room. “Where’s Harley and Wess?”

“They needed some help with their weapons before your guys mission, so they went to see Jovie.” Julia explained, laying a few more out on some other plates. “Harley’s Buster Knuckles are on the fritz.”

“No surprises there.” Sola said, taking a huge bite out of her pancakes, right as she spotted the door to the study open up.

Out stepped Percy, visibly disoriented from the light and wearing what looked to be Julia’s pyjamas, before spotting Sola waving to her from across the room.

“Ri roomir!” Sola exclaimed, before swallowing. “How was your first night?”

Percy hesitated a bit, before signing back to her. [Kinda stuffy…]

“Hey, guess what I’ve cooked up?” Julia bragged, before showing off breakfast to her. “I figured you’d want a welcome meal.”

Percy’s eyes lit up, as she rushed over to grab the plate from Julia, only to stop herself.

Julia smiled, before handing it to her fully, as she went to grab the other plate.

“I’m gonna go see if Vanguard want some too. Be back in a sec!” Julia called out, as Percy went to join Sola at the table, only to stand awkwardly in the kitchen and lean on the counter instead.

Sola noticed and pulled out a chair for her, which Percy awkwardly stared at for a second, before taking.

Sola indicated to the pancakes, then to Julia heading out the door. “Pretty good wake up, huh?”

Percy nodded a bit nervously, taking slow bites of her breakfast, as Sola rested her head in her hands.

“She’s a real one in a million…I didn’t even ask her to make any, and she just did it.” Sola let out, smiling to herself. “Man, I’m lucky.”

Percy couldn’t help but agree in her head, as she focused on eating and trying not to cry from how good it tasted after so long without good food.

Julia stepped over the hallway to Vanguard’s door, knocking on it rhythmically.

“Hold on! I’m coming!”

A second later, Joleicia opened up the door and lit up once she saw Julia. “Hey, Julia!”

“Hey, Joleicia. I was jus…” Julia started, only to notice Joleicia’s apron, as well as the plate of pancakes in her hand.

Joleicia noticed Julia’s plate as well, before grinning.

“Oh my god!”

“Were you…?”

“I was totally about to come over and offer some! Is that…?”

“That’s what I’m doing right now.”

“Wha-is it National Pancake Day? Did I forget?”

Julia started laughing. “I don’t think that’s real.”

“Well, it is now. What’s the date?” Joleicia said, pulling out her tablet, as Julia couldn’t hold it together, almost dropping the pancakes.

Joleicia noticed and helped hold her up, before spotting Sola and Percy wandering past the doorway and out onto the balcony, as Joleicia briefly locked eyes with Percy.

“Whoa.” Joleicia let out, as Julia followed her gaze and turned around. “Who’s she? Wait, let me guess…a special guest of Harley’s?”

“Uhh, good guess.” Julia replied, before mentally running through how to explain everything and facing Joleicia again. “She’s…staying with us. For the time being.”

“Is she a student?” Joleicia asked, as Julia shook her head.

“No, it’s…Wicker related.” Julia admitted. “We’re keeping her safe from them. She might have info on who they are, so Faller wanted us to take care of her.”

Joleicia noticed Percy glancing back at her occasionally, visibly nervous in her eyes, before resting a hand on her hip. “She looks pretty jumpy.”

“She’s not super comfortable at the moment. We’re trying to be accommodating, but it still feels like we’re…” Julia started, before shrugging her shoulders. “…probing her for information?”

Joleicia looked down at the pancakes, before getting an idea and hopping on her feet. “Oh, oh! Let’s do a bit of cooking for her!”

“Cooking?”

“Yeah! It’s a great way to get to know people, and we’re both, like, really good cooks. If that’s not gonna win her over, then…well, we tried at least.” Joleicia suggested, before calling out into her dorm. “Hey, Lenin! Feel like a bit of cooking?”

“You should know the answer by now.” Lenin called back, popping his head out of the kitchen with his own apron, before noticing Julia. “…hi Julia.”

Julia waved to him, before handing off the pancakes. “Alright, that’s a plan. You butter the pan, I’ll butter up Percy.”

“You butter believe it!” Joleicia added, getting a hearty laugh from Julia and an eyeroll from Lenin.

“And that’s the forest where I fried a Wailing!” Sola pointed out, as Percy stared curiously across the training grounds. “And waaaaay in the distance, you can see Shanlin. I mean, not well, but it’s there.”

“Hey, Sola? Shouldn’t you be meeting up with Harley and Wess soon?” Julia pointed out, causing Sola to freak out and run back inside.

“I almost totally forgot! Gotta go, Percy!” Sola let out, rushing into the study to grab her bag and arm-cannons, before heading out the door and waving to Julia. “Those pancakes were magic! Bye!”

Julia felt her cheeks flush at the compliment, before turning her attention to Percy. “Sola didn’t scare you with too many Wailing stories, did she?”

Percy shook her head and smiled, before stepping back inside, as Julia rocked on her feet.

“Cool, cool cool…so anyway, I was just talking with our lovely, wonderful neighbours across the hallway…” Julia prefaced. “…and they suggested we cook something together.”

Percy blinked a bit. [Including me?]

Julia nodded. “I figured we can finish the pancakes, then we’ll cook something you want. Our treat.”

Percy felt a touch overwhelmed by how nice the offer was, before shaking her hands.

[Y-You don’t have to go out of your way.]

“Well actually, my day’s free anyway.” Julia noted. “And for all the times we’ve met, I still don’t know Percy very well.”

Percy hid her smile, before signing back. […to be fair, I don’t know her very well either.]

Julia grinned, before slinging an arm around her. “Well let’s find out together!”

———

“…it’s still dragging. I don’t know what it is.” Harley remarked, taking a few practice jabs in the air. “Every punch…is pulling me to…the left! Just a bit!”

“Perhaps that’s an arm problem?” Wess noted, as Harley stuck her tongue out, right as Sola started coming into view of the helicopter platform they were waiting by.

“Hey! Did you get the things fixed?” Sola called out, as Wess waved Artisan around.

“Fortunately. Artisan’s folding up like usual now.” Wess replied, just as Sola got closer, letting Harley pull her into a hug.

“Hey, babe. I’m not as lucky.” Harley let out, pouting at her Buster Knuckles. “Even Jovie’s magic touch couldn’t fix the stupid goddamn dragging it always freakin’ does every few months like clockwork…”

“You can borrow my cannons!” Sola insisted, waving her arm-cannons about. “I don’t know how hard they’ll hit, but I don’t have much trouble with ‘em.”

“Aww, I don’t wanna bust up your cannons.” Harley insisted, kissing Sola’s cheek over and over. “You look so cute in them…”

“Haha, stop! Stop it!” Sola giggled, trying to get out, just as Wess watched their display, snickering to herself slightly.

Needless to say, once Ferris came into the picture and bore witness to all of this, her stomach turned.

“Oh, for…keep the PDA to a minimum, you two. No one wants to see that, and my hangover’s bad enough…” Ferris complained, appearing out from behind them, before spotting Wess. “That goes for you too.”

Wess scoffed. “I hardly think that’ll be a problem on my end.”

“I don’t know, Wess, I’m pretty alluring. You think you can avoid temptation?” Harley teased, trying to pose sexily, as Wess raised an eyebrow.

“The pose is doing you no favours.” She stated, cutting Harley pretty deep, as Sola started following Ferris onto the helicopter.

“So what’s this lesson you got for us?” Sola asked, struggling to get onto the helicopter with her cannons covering her hands, as Harley helped her up.

“Standard class stuff. Since you’re not doing internships, Faller wanted you to keep a semi-regular education for you guys outside of the teacher shadowing you’re doing.” Ferris explained, as the helicopter was starting up. “We’re heading out to Yue Wai to take care of a Raski nest that’s started to form.”

“No Wailing? Come on, Ferris, bring on the Wailing! We can take it!” Harley bragged, sitting down along with Wess.

Ferris just shook her head in annoyance, as she grabbed out her flask. “Last I checked, Venator’s take what work they can. Bit early to start getting picky.”

“Let’s at least wait until we’ve graduated to turn our nose up at these things.” Wess suggested, getting a laugh out of Harley and Sola and a glare from Ferris. “I’m kidding, miss.”

“Yeah, good joke.” Ferris said, right as the helicopter took off, heading somewhat in the direction of Shanlin. “…of course, that’s not the whole truth.”

Ferris tapped her foot. “…I’m gonna be using this trip as an opportunity to investigate a few things on Faller’s behalf, as usual. I’m only telling you this so you can keep the Raski off my ass while I’m getting work done, and so you stay out of my way too.”

“Wait, is it still a lesson, or just an excuse to have us help you?” Sola asked, sitting in Harley’s lap.

“A little of column A, a little of column B.” Ferris admitted, scratching her nose. “You guys really want a lesson from me?”

“Fair call.” Harley admitted, wrapping her arms around Sola. “We’ll probably have our hands full with the Raski anyway.”

“They’ll hardly be a problem. They aren’t exactly a Wailing-sized threat, after all.” Wess remarked, as Sola sat up to face her.

“Not that they’ve been a problem either!” Sola bragged, pumping her cannons proudly. “We could take on a Behemoth one!”

“Yeah, but then we’ll be stuck trying to one up that. You reckon they get any bigger?” Harley remarked, as the team laughed to themselves.

Despite her initial intentions, Ferris couldn’t help observing them as they joked to themselves, feeling her hand slightly tense up at the seemingly idle comments they were making.

Frankly, it didn’t feel right to just sit there and watch it happen.

“We’ll certainly give Team Spectrum a run for their money.” Wess chortled, right as Ferris’ foot hit the floor of the helicopter.

“…you know what?” Ferris said, before standing up and finishing off her flask. “…I actually do have a lesson for you.”

Ferris pointed at them, before crossing her arms over.

“Swap weapons.”

The trio looked at her confused, as Wess cocked her head. “I’m sorry?”

“Harley, give your punchy things to Wess, Wess, hand yours to Sola, and Harley gets Sola’s cannons.”

“…for the whole trip?” Harley let out, getting up. “I can’t even use them! They only work when they’re powered by Sola’s Whil.”

“Get creative.” Ferris insisted, before encouraging them further. “Go on. Teacher says.”

Harley sat back down and begrudgingly handed off her Buster Knuckles to Wess, refusing to break eye contact with Ferris, before Sola passed her cannons to her, doing her best to fit them around Harley’s much wider arms.

“Is that good?” Sola asked, as Harley stood up and tried waving them around.

“Kinda? Feels like I’m a videogame character.” She remarked, before squatting into an action pose. “Charge shot!”

“Uhh, Harley…am I wearing these correctly?” Wess asked, showing off the loosely fitting gloves underneath the gauntlets.

“Oh, right. You can adjust the straps…” Harley explained, as Wess quickly figured out how. “Yeah, there you go.”

“This feels so alien…” Wess commented, before sharing a glance with Ferris again. “I don’t know how you expect us to keep the Raski away with this holding us back.”

Ferris cocked her head. “I thought you were ready to take on a Wailing. Don’t tell me you don’t know how to throw a good punch.”

“Are you suggesting a demonstration?” Wess dryly offered, before catching Sola eyeing up Belvedere and Artisan, nervous about taking them.

Wess silently joined her side and picked them up, before struggling to make eye contact.

“…I don’t need to use them if you don’t want.” Sola insisted, as Ferris scoffed behind them.

“It’s just a swo-“

“Belvedere’s more than that!” Sola defended, as Wess finally looked back at her.

“…right.” Wess started, still looking somewhat cautious. “Sola, it’s not that I don’t trust you. Just…please be careful with them.”

Wess tentatively handed them off to her, as Sola went to grab them, before immediately being thrown off by their weight and nearly dropping them.

“I got it, I got it!” Sola assured, holding them up as best she could, as Wess forced herself not to reach out for them.

“Can’t I take them?” Harley offered, as Wess let out a loud scoff.

“Absolutely not.” Wess insisted.

“What, you don’t trust me with them?” Harley asked, failing to rest her cannon against her hip.

“I trust Sola to be careful. I trust you to hit hard.” Wess clarified. “You might just shatter them if you picked them up.”

“…you saying I’m buff?”

“The buffest.” Wess agreed, as Harley tried to hide a little smirk, right as Ferris clapped her hands.

“Okay! Enough powwow! We’ll be at Yue Wai in a bit, so get yourselves ready.” Ferris declared, before turning to the window and muttering to herself. “It’s about time you get humbled…”

—-—TEAM VALIANT MISSION—-—

—-—TAKE OUT THE RASKI NEST GROWING NEAR YUE WAI—-—

—-—OPTIONAL OBJECTIVE: SWAP WEAPONS WITH THE TEAM—-—

~~~/~~~/~~~/~~~

It had been a fairly long trip for Essex.

Not on the Flash-Rail, mind you. That part was as expedient as ever. However, as she’d been warned before leaving to the Eastern Wayside, most of the journey was outside of the carriage.

Even as Essex had seen it before, Sola still emphasised just how undeveloped the Eastern Wayside was compared to the rest of Daysend before she left. Even the Western Wayside was more built up, but due to the massive presence of the Aishanara Forest and the large chunk of the north of the state was occupied entirely by Wailing, it made sense why development wasn’t a top priority.

This, unfortunately, meant that reaching fairly important places like, say, the Aurora Venator Agency, meant trekking through massive amounts of terrain, varying between plains, forests, tundra and crag, all on foot.

Luckily, this was one of many areas in where Essex excelled. Traversing rough terrain was her bread and butter, and the Aishanara Forest was something she was unfortunately very familiar with. This didn’t make the way there any less convoluted, however, or her constant choice of wearing a suit less of a hindrance.

Having arrived at Mykonori’s Flash-Rail station, she took a break to relax and refuel before carrying herself to a nearby car rental, asking them to take her part of the way to Distance Town.

Getting in, she was driven down one of the only roads leading out of Mykonori, running along the coastline nearby, stretching all the way to a nearby peninsula where Distance Town lay nestled.

This wasn’t her destination, though, as the driver dropped her off about halfway down its road, before pointing through the thicket of trees.

“Trace should be through that way. Just head to where you see a small cabin. He’ll point you in the right direction.” The driver said, before heading back to Mykonori, leaving Essex by herself.

Just as she began to break off from the main road, she spotted a notable splattering of colour staining the side of it, as she made her way closer and found it was a pile of flowers, all arranged around a makeshift sign hanging from a nearby tree.

Estelle + Chris

Taken too soon, their love still remains.

Essex stared at the sign, before glancing at the lines of trees leading to the forest.

No doubt taken by a Wailing… She thought, as she took a second to crouch down and pay her respects, before properly making tracks toward the cabin.

After a short walk through, she managed to come across the cabin in question sitting on a nearby hill, as presumably Trace sat outside of it on his chair, stroking his beard and casually reading a novel.

It took him a second to notice Essex, before he popped his head up and waved to her.

“Sorry! Nearly missed ya!” He called out, as he hurriedly went down to meet her. “Trace!”

Essex bowed. “Aerlo Decali. My title is Essex.”

“Oh, my apologies. I thought you were looking for passage.” Trace admitted, scratching his head. “What’s the clan doing out by these parts?”

Essex glanced up at her scythe, before shaking her head. “I am not here on Segaru Clan business. I was looking to travel to the Aurora Venator Agency.”

“So, you were here for that. Well don’t I look like a dumbass.” Trace groaned, as he pointed out at the vast mountainous tundra in the distance. “Alright, I’ve got some advice for you, but first, how good are you with that scythe?”

“I am training as a Venator.” Essex declared, as he cocked his head.

“What year?”

“Third.”

“…and you’re here without your team?”

“Dal.”

Trace stroked his beard again. “…I’m usually meant to turn away anyone who’s not a full-fledged Venator, or at least as capable as one.”

He gave Essex a once over, before shrugging. “But I can’t really stop ya, now can I?”

He grabbed Essex’s shoulder, before pulling her in and splaying his arm out. “Be warned! You’re dangerously close to Wailing territory. Even one step out of turn, and they’ll have your head!”

Essex debated whether to pull herself away, as he indicated to the wide, open space running beside the Aishanara Forest. “If you want the easier to navigate route, head straight and hug the side of the forest until you come across the agency however many kilometres away it is. Just a heads up, though, the route takes several days to traverse for most people. Not for the faint of heart.”

He then pointed back at the forest. “However, you could also make your way through the forest itself. It’ll cut your trip down by a few days, but you’re also more prone to getting lost, not to mention vulnerable to any Wailing lurking inside.”

He let go of her, as Essex cleaned herself off. “You’re vulnerable to Wailing no matter which path you take, but the choice is yours. Just don’t splinter off toward the coast, unless you wanna add several more days to your trip and get eaten by the Cassifer Devil. If you need any supplies, I’ve got some handy back in the cabin. I always say, pack more food and clothes then you think you’ll need.”

“Grela, but I am already packed.” Essex thanked, showing off her hefty hiking bag, her scythe strapped behind it, and her suitcase. “I was warned of this trip ahead of time.”

“I’ll bet. You Venators really stick your necks out for each other.” Trace stated, as Essex mulled over her options.

Despite how much she knew the Aishanara Forest and that her trip would’ve been shortened significantly, Essex found herself leaning toward the more open path hugging the forest edge. Call it the year she was trapped in the forest, but if she had to choose, avoiding it was always the best option.

“The open path.” Essex declared, before turning back to Trace and bowing. “I thank you for the advice.”

Trace started chuckling. “You won’t be so thankful if you come back missing a limb. Just don’t say I didn’t warn ya.”

Essex started making her way along the forest line, ready for her journey to start proper, as Trace waved back to her. “And say hi to Team Avalanche for me!”

———

“Hmmhmhmmmm…hmhmmhm…there we go…”

Julia felt a tap on her shoulder, before turning around and finding Percy staring at her expectantly.

“What’s up?” Julia asked, before Percy indicated to the cleaning products in her hand. “Oh, don’t worry, I’m just cleaning up before Joleicia and Lenin come over.”

Percy looked a bit embarrassed. [Should I…help?]

Julia looked embarrassed too. “If you…want?”

There was an awkward pause between them, as Julia stepped out of the way, letting Percy step forward and grab a spray bottle.

“Sorry, I usually clean around the dorm…I don’t really train as much as the rest of the team, so when they’re out, I just wipe away at stuff, except since they’re really nice, they tend to offer to help when they can, even if Wess is…well, I don’t want to say bad at it or anything, but inexperienced? Let’s go with inexperienced. Just more than the rest of us…she didn’t grow up in a grea…”

Julia only just locked eyes with Percy, who was just staring at her completely baffled, before she turned away. “R-Right, sorry, I was rambling…I talk about the team when I’m nervous…”

Percy scanned Julia’s face before replying. [You really think about them a lot, don’t you?]

“…I have to, I’m the leader.” Julia answered. “And…I mean, they mean a lot to me…I don’t know where I’d be without them in my life…”

Julia felt herself drifting off again, before remembering the point of their cleaning and readjusting. “N-Nope, I’m talking too much about myself. What’s…what’s with you? What’s going on?”

Percy’s took a second to take in her phrasing, before finding herself cracking up, as she let out a hearty, silent laugh, surprising Julia once she realised what she said and facepalmed.

“…I said that weird. Alright…” Julia said, shaking her head. “…okay, soft ball question. What kind of food do you like?”

Percy took a second to wipe some tears away, breathing in a bit, before signing back. [I didn’t really get much variety back with Wicker. Most of the food at the Organisation was…] Percy started before pausing a bit. […I dunno, ration…adjacent? Like bomb shelter food.]

Julia nodded along, as she parsed Percy’s signing. “Organisation? Shouldn’t we call it Wicker’s evil lair or something?”

Percy looked confused, before shaking her head. [No, it’s called the Organisation.]

Julia blinked, before leaning back. “What do you mean?”

[That’s the name of Wicker’s operation. The Organisation. That’s what he called it too.] Percy clarified, as Julia sat against the kitchen counter.

“Just that? Nothing special, just the Organisation?” Julia questioned.

[I never asked him why he did. I just assumed it was for a good reason.] Percy replied, before turning back to Julia. [It really is a stupid name, isn’t it?]

Julia giggled a little, before spotting the clock and suddenly getting back up. “Right, sorry, I got distracted. We were talking about food you liked.”

Percy nodded. [Right. Favourite food…]

Percy thought on it for a second, before snapping her fingers. [Desserts.]

“Okay, respectable taste.” Julia encouraged, now looking through the fridge. “Any in particular?”

Percy immediately perked up in preparation to answer.

[…tarts, pastries, cakes, pies, ice cream, crepes, chocolate…]

Julia was struggling to keep up with most of the hand movements.

[…donuts, danishes, lollies, candies, sweets, smoothies, spiders, you know when they put ice cream in soft drink? I love those…]

Julia’s eyes were starting to hurt from staring.

[…crème brulee, brownies, vanilla slices, tiramisu, cookies, sorbet, of course, and…sandwiches. I could usually go for one of them.]

Julia was thankful Percy was finally done, as she blinked a few times, before shaking her head.

“I’ll be honest…I got about five of those.” Julia admitted, before looking back in the fridge again. “But we could totally make tarts, if you want. Luckily, we’ve got most of the ingredients, so we can just whip them up real quick.”

[Tarts sound good.] Percy agreed, ready to join Julia’s side, before a cheerful knock came from the door.

“Oh, there they are!” Julia exclaimed, grabbing the door, as Joleicia popped through, making herself known.

“Who’s ready for some good cookin’ from this good lookin’ lady?” Joleicia remarked, dancing her way in, before noticing Percy in the kitchen. “Hi! Joleicia, leader of Team Vanguard! You saw me in the doorway earlier.”

Percy was slightly huddled in the kitchen, before giving a nervous wave, as Joleicia stepped forward and stuck her hand out.

“I know literally nothing about you, but your friends with Julia, so that bodes well!” Joleicia greeted, as Percy shook her hand fairly tentatively, before Lenin came in as well.

“You guys are so much cleaner with your dorm.” Lenin commented to Julia, before spotting Percy. “Oh, Joleicia told me about her.”

“Go easy on her. She’s a bit shy.” Julia asked, as Lenin gave a thumbs up.

“Don’t worry, I’m a people pleaser.” Lenin said, before saluting to Percy once Joleicia was done. “Yo.”

Percy just kind of looked at him, not really sure whether she should respond with a salute as well, before Joleicia made a space for herself at the counter.

“So, what’s the game plan?”

“Tarts. Percy’s a big dessert buff.” Julia said, as Joleicia’s eyes lit up.

“We’ve already got something in common! I’ll start getting some of the toppings ready.” Joleicia insisted, grabbing stuff out of the fruit bowl, as Lenin rummaged around the fridge.

“I think you’re out of milk. I’ll go grab some of ours.” Lenin insisted, before Julia went to look inside again.

“How’d I miss that?” She remarked, getting a few more ingredients out, before feeling a tug on her sleeve.

Percy found herself clinging to Julia’s side a bit, right as Julia noticed and found the worried expression on her face.

“Are you alright?”

Percy nodded a bit, trying not to glance at Joleicia too much, as Julia leaned in.

“You don’t have to worry, they’re good friends. Joleicia wouldn’t…” Julia said, before stopping herself. “…I was gonna say she wouldn’t hurt a fly, but she’s training to be a Venator, so that doesn’t really work. She’s really nice, though. A damn good sniper too.”

Percy mostly nodded along to placate Julia, as Julia could still see her hesitation and decided to move herself between Percy and Joleicia.

“Just stick with me. I’m sure you’ll open up a bit.” Julia assured, letting Percy stay close to her. “You focus on laying out the puff pastry, I’ll mix the filling.”

Percy went about doing so, still very much keeping to herself, as Julia made sure to keep close to her, just to assure that she was there for her.

———

“SOLA!!!”

“I’m com-“ Sola replied, only to trip over and fall onto the ground. “OW!!!”

“Okay…you’ve got this…” Wess muttered, watching as a few Raski surrounded Harley, dancing between her legs. “Just a few good punches…”

Wess tentatively tested the jet boosters on Harley’s Buster Knuckles, as they pulled her forward suddenly, giving her a good idea of how useful they were.

“Alright…that hurt, but I can use this.” Wess said, steeling herself and running over to the Raski, before throwing an overhand punch down onto one of them, taking it out cleanly.

“Haha! Take that, varmint!” Wess celebrated, right as one of them bit directly into her leg. “…bear with it, Wess…bear the pain…”

“Come here!” Harley let out, scooping it up in one of the cannons, before dropping it and punting it into the distance with her now free leg. “That’s what you get for biting her!”

“…phew…my thanks, Harley.” Wess said, just as she noticed Sola rushing over, before falling onto the remaining Raski with Artisan, using all her weight to compensate for her lack of strength to take it out.

“Yeah! I got one!” Sola celebrated, standing back up. “Not as many as with my cannons, but still.”

“Sola, please refrain from falling onto my weaponry in the future.” Wess pleaded. “That’s the easiest way to break them, or for you to lose an eye.”

“Man, why couldn’t Ferris give Harley Belvedere? At least she’d be good with it.” Sola pouted, as Harley waved the cannons around.

“I dunno. I’m kinda getting used to these.” Harley said, staring at them again. “Even if they’re missing the cool lasers.”

Harley got an idea, before slinging an arm around Sola. “How ‘bout you charge it up when Ferris isn’t looking?”

“I think she’ll notice that.” Sola noted, pointing to Ferris standing at the base of a few of the Eldos Mountains, Yue Wai being just a couple minutes away from them now.

She was visibly deep in thought, as Team Valiant slowly approached behind her, trying to meet where her gaze.

“Yo teach, what’s with the mountain watching?” Harley asked, trying to pose comfortably with the cannons.

“One of the locals mentioned rumours about Wailing calling these mountains their home and establishing bases around them.” Ferris admitted, turning back to them. “There’s also apparently legends of mountains that could control Wailing behaviour.”

She turned back around to them and scratched her chin. “I’m curious whether this might be something Wicker has access to…”

“Mind controlling mountains?” Wess asked, folding her arms and raising an eyebrow.

“Roll your eyes all you want, but this kinda stuff usually ends up possessing a lot more validity than you’d expect.” Ferris noted, before pulling her head back. “How’re the Raski’s?”

“Dealt with!” Sola insisted, as Harley tried to pick her up.

“They’d be dealt with a lot quicker if you let us use our own weapons.” Wess stated.

“I wouldn’t have to hear complaining if I’d brought muzzles.” Ferris remarked, facing Wess again. “I guess we’re all making compromises.”

Wess refused to break eye contact, just as a few Raski wandered out of the bushes, trying to grab Harley and Sola while they were distracted.

Sola instinctively aimed as if she had her cannons, before groaning and letting Harley take care of them with more punting.

“This is so annoying!” Sola let out, stamping her foot. “This doesn’t even work that well! My cannons are useless without me!”

“I mean, they look cool.” Harley said, before lighting up a bit. “Oh, I got an idea. Maybe we should ask Jovie to make some battery packs.”

Sola cocked her head. “Battery packs?”

“Yeah. They could store electricity in case one of us needs to use your cannons for you.” Harley suggested, scratching her head with a cannon. “Or so you could still use them if you got too tired.”

Harley pointed back at her. “You could wear them like a backpack!”

“OH!” Sola let out, nodding her head. “I like that!”

“While we’re at it, let’s ask her for some robotic fists.” Wess added, getting a giggle from Sola. “They can use your gloves for you.”

“Let’s cut out the middleman and just ask for a full ass robot.” Harley joked, as Sola kept laughing up a storm, before Harley just watched her enjoy herself.

Subtly, Ferris was also watching, having been distracted from her mountain gazing, as she couldn’t help staring at Team Valiant, casually joking to themselves, as if they weren’t entering the deadliest profession there was in Daysend.

…they still make the same mistakes… Ferris thought over. Of all this conflict’s ploys, this is easily the most vile…

~~~/~~~/~~~/~~~

It had been about two days of travel for Essex, as she made her way around the Aishanara Forest. She’d gotten past most of the rolling plains by now and was pushing herself through the tundra. Sola’s coat was already coming in handy, but that didn’t temper her worries too much.

Despite her usual confidence in handling them, being so close to ‘Wailing territory’ was a constant point on her mind. She hadn’t seen any yet, fortunately, and was only hoping to see them once she was with Team Avalanche, but that didn’t mean the chance of one showing up was zero.

Especially with Mt Eldaros looming in the distance…

Mt Eldaros, colloquially referred to as the older sibling of the Eldos Mountains, lay smack dab in the middle of the tundra, far past what anyone would consider safe. Remains of safety barriers lay about what could be assumed as the border of the Wailing’s territory, which they clearly hadn’t taken a liking to. Outside of Team Avalanche’s patrolling, the borders weren’t officially recognised or anything, but it at least gave a marker to any passersby who was dumb enough to wander here about where they could expect to be killed.

After a thorough bit of walking, Essex decided to take a break for lunch, finding a mostly pleasant patch of grass to set up on, before grabbing out some snacks and pulling out her tablet to listen to Harley’s playlist.

Harley had set up a surprisingly good playlist for her, consisting of a lot of obscure ska bands Essex had never even heard of, as well as a couple favourites of Harley herself. She deliberately left one earbud out as she ate, however. Even for a second, she refused to completely let her guard down, her scythe comfortably by her side.

She stared back at Mt Eldaros as she ate, recalling the few stories she heard from townsfolk while travelling with the Segaru Clan.

Remarks about how it was really a beacon to the Wailing, drawing them in from all over Daysend.

Or that it was meant to house the Old Gods whenever they projected themselves into the living world.

People even said they’d heard the mountain letting out breath.

…of course it was nonsense, but Essex couldn’t help but find those stories fascinating. At least, as fascinating as a story could be to a Segaru Clan member.

Perhaps these theories exist due to the mountain’s distance? Essex pondered, taking a bite of her muesli bar. If it were more accessible to people, these sorts of lies would be easily dismissed…

Just as she found herself getting lost in thought, she found herself swinging back to the forest, staring inside at the empty darkness consuming the inside, no light, no life, not even a breeze…

She could swear she saw something.

…or maybe she just thought she did.

…

…I have stayed here long enough. She admitted, getting up and packing her things, before making tracks toward the agency once again.

———

“And if you lay it out like that…” Julia said, before laying out a couple slices of peach. “…you don’t have to worry about the toppings making it soggy.”

Percy mouthed the word ‘wow’ as she crouched down and stared at the finished, and delicious looking tarts, before noticing Joleicia crouching as well.

“These look incredible!” Joleicia exclaimed, standing back up. “You’re a real talent, Julia!”

“Hey, last I checked, there’s four people in the kitchen.” Julia insisted, visibly embarrassed, as Lenin went to grab his.

“Mmm…oh my god…” He let out. “These are so good…even better than the ones at the pala…”

He stopped himself and cleared his throat, before taking another bite. “…at the place I grew up, which was Mareau, known for its delicious food.”

“I’ll say. I’ve never been, but everything I’ve had from there is wonderful.” Joleicia agreed, grabbing hers and taking a bite as well, before noticing Percy hesitantly standing back. “Go aread…dig in! Enjoy the spoils of your labour.”

Percy jumped a bit, before quickly going to do so, as she took a bite and nearly melted at how great it tasted, only to remember Joleicia and Lenin were with her and downplaying her enjoyment.

Lenin noticed her shift in demeanour while Joleicia was eating, before glancing over at Julia and indicating to Percy, then to the door.

Julia picked up on what he was saying, as he grabbed Joleicia’s sleeve. “Come on, let’s go enjoy these back at the dorm. I’m thinking we should probably clean too.”

“Aww, we’re leaving already?” Joleicia moped, letting Lenin drag her, before waving back to Julia and Percy. “Bye guys, this was really fun.”

“Later!” Julia called back, watching them disappear, before turning back around and watching Percy go in for a second tart.

She barely held back her enjoyment, savouring every single bite while still making her way through it at a steady pace.

Julia sat back and watched her enjoy herself, treating the food so preciously, almost like she’d never get a meal like this again.

Cleaning off her fingers, Percy suddenly noticed Julia looking at her, before feeling like she should apologise and bowing.

[S-Sorry…] Percy signed, only for Julia to throw up her hands.

“It’s fine. I just haven’t seen you that happy before.” Julia admitted, smiling. “It was really nice.”

Percy was visibly hesitant, as she signed back to Julia. [No one’s…no one’s been this nice to me…well, he was, back when…]

Percy stopped for a second, trying to work up the nerve, as she glanced up at Julia’s curious face and only saw trust.

[Wicker…] Percy signed, before feeling her hands start to shake. [He…]

[…he’s my father.]

Julia’s eyes widened, as she stepped back a bit, before really taking in what Percy was admitting to.

“I didn’t…” Julia started, before regaining some composure. “I…thought you just worked for him.”

[He adopted me a few years back.] Percy admitted, sighing out. [I was living in Cima Dela without a home, jumping from place to place, just living off scraps. Then, when he was on a trip to the Western Wayside, he found me…and my abilities.]

After saying that, Percy went and turned the tap on and ran a bit of water over her hand, as Julia watched it absorb into her body, before coming out of her other hand as a puff of steam.

[My Whil lets me turn things into gases. I place it in one hand and project it with the other.] Percy clarified, before she noticed Julia staring more intently at her hands.

Julia realised she was staring, before laughing awkwardly. “Sorry. That’s a really cool Whil you’ve got.”

Percy clicked her tongue. [Wicker thought so too. He offered me a place to stay and a job, if I was willing to move to Central Point and help him with…]

Percy tightened her hands.

[…Wailing capture.]

Julia paused for a second, before cocking her head. “Wailing capture?”

Percy nodded. [I’d never had a family before, or a say in anything, and now I could choose what I wanted to do. But…]

Percy wandered out of the kitchen, before sitting against the couch, dipping her head slightly. [Obviously, it was too good to be true. And after the break in…well…]

…xplain yourself.

They broke in, I tried to run them over. What’s so hard to understand?

You think we can justify that?! A whole Venator team with tire marks over their dead bodies?!

They could be Wailing markings with enough convincing.

Can I sugg-

Butt out, Salaire. You were floundering the entire time from a single punch to the face.

Well…those security staff he hired were of no help! Incompetence, all throughout this building! I was doing what I could to take advantage of th-

Salaire…stop talking for two seconds.

You heard the man.

Don’t think you’re off the hook, Rosalind. You let them get away. This is on you.

…you don’t have to worry. I’ll get them next tim-

Next time? You’ve had enough next times with those students. From now on, you stay away from that team without my direct involvement. One more failure from yo-

Five against one and you’re blaming me for losing? Actually, make that six! Six against one.

There was another student?

…nope. Your perfect little ‘daughter,’ get this, was helping them escape. I don’t know what was going through her feeble little mind, bu-

Jules?

Yes, Jules. She grabbed some of the tranquiliser and shoved it down my throat to hold me back. My mouth’s still a bit teal, if you want a look.

I can vouch for that. Rosalind came complaining down the hallway after it had happened. She was dragging her leg while chasing after the Venator team.

Still more helpful than tubby over here…

…where is she right now?

I threw her against the wall, but she’d left when I checked it next. Knowing her, sh…

[…I couldn’t stay.] Percy insisted. [I really couldn’t stay after hearing that…but I still had nowhere to go…]

In a fit of joy, Percy smiled to herself, before jumping up from the couch. [Then I remembered Sola’s promise back when the academy was under attack. She said I could come back here whenever I needed.]

Percy ran up to Julia excitedly. [She spoke so kindly about all of you. Wicker always spoke about how Venators were vile thugs, only good for killing Wailing and following orders. But I should’ve realised he was wrong sooner. About everything…]

Julia reached out and held her hands. “Well, don’t blame yourself. It’s not like you could’ve figured it out anywhere else.”

Percy grinned back at her, before taking her hands back. [Part of me wishes I was lucky enough to join a Venator team. You all seem so happy together.]

“I hate to admit it, but I think we’re kinda the exception.” Julia laughed, rubbing her neck. “Most teams aren’t as close as us. Especially since we’re all dating at least one other member.”

Julia only just noticed that Percy had hopped over to the tarts again, thoroughly enjoying the spread, before deciding to join her and grabbing another one herself.

She held out her tart, as Percy noticed and jokingly made a toast with her tart too, getting a laugh from the both of them.

It was sweet.

———

“You get a good look?”

“Somewhat. I don’t really know what I’m looking for.”

“You see a big pile of sticks?”

“Yes?”

“That’s what you’re looking for.”

“Oh. Well, I’ve found it.”

Harley made a point to peer through the bushes as well, getting a good look at the Raski nest, as several skittered out and hurried in, a network of rodents passing food and supplies between each other under a covering of brush down a small clearing.

“So, in actuality, the nest is real big underneath.” Harley emphasised, coming back out to talk with Wess and Sola. “The top part we can see is for storing food while they build and breed underneath.”

“Ew…” Sola let out, as Wess stuck her head back through.

“However, they also take a while to adjust to sunlight after going underground, so if we can take out the covering, their food’ll be exposed, and the remaining Raski will scatter off and die out without the support of the nest.” Harley clarified, as Sola stared up at her in fascination.

“You’re so smart, babe!”

“Perks of growing up on a farm.” Harley bragged, looking visibly proud of herself. “These little buggers are all but gone in the Southern Wayside, and we’ve made damn sure they’re not popping up again.”

“The nest is completely surrounded, though.” Wess noted, watching the Raski basically patrol around it. “I don’t see how we make it through without being swarmed.”

As the trio thought on this, Sola stared down at Belvedere and Artisan, catching a slight glint of sunlight, before quickly getting an idea.

“Wait! I got it!” Sola said, pointing back at Wess. “Do the Buster Knuckles still have fuel in them?”

“Yes, there’s still a good amount.”

“Okay.” Sola said, now poking her head through the bushes. “So what if I reflect light off of Artisan and point it at one end of the nest to create a small fire?”

Sola dictated with her hands. “Then Wess can come in from the other end and use the Knuckles’ jets to create an even bigger flame to burn the cover away.”

“Then I can come in and smash things up?” Harley offered, as Sola shook her head.

“Then I can jump on your back and power the cannons so you can blast through the exposed nest!” Sola clarified, as Harley nodded along.

“Nevermind, that’s way better.” Harley said, before getting up. “Let’s get in place, Wess.”

“Naturally.” Wess replied, as they hurried around to the other side of the clearing, letting Ferris observe Sola on her own, surprised by just how much she was rising to the challenge.

She was mostly hanging back at a safe distance, letting everything play out and trying not to interfere. She kept assuring herself the team were only dealing with Raski, but her instincts couldn’t help getting the better of her.

Once Sola spotted the duo on the other side, she propped up the shield, aiming a beam of light at a part of the dried-out sticks making up the covering, before a small line of smoke emerged from it.

The Raski’s took notice and hurried over, attempting to frantically pat it down with their tails, as Wess and Harley used the opportunity to hurry over, with Wess turning the jets around as she ran.

“So just hold the button and get ready for the pushback.” Harley assured, as Wess quickly did so, lighting the covering much faster, while Harley held her in place with the cannons.

Having dealt with the smaller fire, the Raski’s turned to find the much larger one enveloping the nest, before rushing over to attack their intruders.

Wess had managed to burn a good amount, as she started taking swings at the Raski jumping up at her, before calling out to Sola.

“NOW!!!”

Sola quickly sprinted into the clearing, weaving through most of the Raski, before climbing onto the nest and jumping onto Harley’s back, as she aimed the cannons down at the mostly destroyed covering.

She slapped her hands onto the sides of the cannons, as light built around their barrels, before blasting light into every hole making up the nest, blinding the surrounding area with white for a second, right as a rumbling came from the ground.

All of a sudden, countless Raski emerged from underground, scattering out and smacking into each other from the blinding light, before all scattering further into the woods, slowly dissipating until nothing remained of them except for the ashes of their nest.

“Phew…like clockwork, ay Wess?” Harley called out, as Wess got down from her tiptoes.

“…ugghh. Disgusting things…” Wess shuddered. “Mission accomplished, at least.”

“I’d say so!” Sola exclaimed, before high-fiving Harley’s cannon, right as Ferris came down to join them.

“Wow, amazing, you totally did it. No one saw that coming.” Ferris let out, giving them a slow clap, as Wess gave her the side-eye.

“You’re welcome. How did your investigation pan out?” Wess asked, as Ferris stroked her chin.

“I’ll need a more thorough look into it. But now that the nest is gone, that should be a lot easier to do in my own time.” Ferris said.

“So what was the point of the lesson?” Harley asked, still holding Sola up.

“…teamwork. Ingenuity. Out of the box…stuff.” Ferris admitted, scratching her neck. “Nothing specific, really. Just good core values when you’re out for yourselves.”

She turned around without much more elaboration. “About time we head back.”

—-—TEAM VALIANT MISSION—-—

—-—TAKE OUT THE RASKI NEST GROWING NEAR YUE WAI—-—

—-—OPTIONAL OBJECTIVE: SWAP WEAPONS WITH THE TEAM—-—

—-—COMPLETED—-—

“Don’t wake me, Wess. I’m just getting some quick shut eye.”

“I’m doing the exact same thing. How could I wake you?”

“A princely kiss maybe?”

“…you’re intolerable.”

The duo quieted down after, lying on their respective seats, as the helicopter took off and headed back for the Venator Academy.

Ferris stared at Sola across from her. “Don’t feel like joining your friends?”

“I have too much energy for afternoon naps.” Sola admitted, grabbing out a bag of butterscotch, as Ferris rolled her eyes.

“Figures…”

The low drum of the helicopter did little to block out the thoughts drumming in Ferris’ head, as she cautiously looked back at Sola, idly minding her own business.

“…Sola.”

Sola popped her head up.

“…do you think I’m a good teacher?”

Sola thought on it for a second.

“Not at all.”

“…I deserve that.” Ferris admitted, scratching her head, as Sola kicked her legs.

“Well, you can be. It really depends though.” Sola clarified. “You teach well when you care about what you’re saying, and when you think you’ve got something important to teach.”

Sola sat up properly to face her. “You don’t teach me well at all.”

“I think we’ve both realised that at this point.” Ferris agreed, tapping her foot. “I can’t help it. Faller wanted me to pretend to be a teacher, but I never acknowledged I’d have t-“

“Teach?”

“Be an example.” Ferris corrected. “What the fuck am I meant to educate you on? How to hate yourself? How much the Venator industry sucks? You’re not gonna listen, I’m everyone’s least favourite teacher. I’m either drunk or asleep most of the time, and that kind of thing gives you a reputation. That didn’t matter at first, but then I got used to this…”

Ferris shook her head in frustration, before throwing her head back.

“…you kids scare me.” Ferris confessed, staring up at the helicopter interior. “You’re all jumping at the chance to get killed by the Wailing, and I just have to watch you go off and do so.”

Ferris sighed out heavily, as she sank into her seat more. “I don’t know how I’m meant to be comfortable with that…”

“…maybe it’s a good thing you’re not comfortable with that?” Sola posited, as Ferris scoffed to herself.

“Thanks for the cold comfort.” Ferris stated, facing away from Sola. “But don’t waste your energy on me…it’s better spent on them.”

Even without indicating, Sola knew what she meant, as she watched over Harley and Wess rest, gently breathing.

“You remember how lucky you are.” Ferris demanded. “Venators breed like Raski, but good people in your life don’t always stick around. They have a tendency of disappearing on you when you really don’t want them to.”

Sola lifted her head. “…is that from experience?”

Ferris kept her mouth shut, as the remainder of the helicopter ride was entirely silent on both ends, before they eventually landed back the academy.

“Good job. Passing grade. You guys really knocked it out of the park.” Ferris let out, waving to the trio before she quickly headed off, only to feel Sola tap her shoulder.

She spun around to see Sola holding out a butterscotch.

“You know, you don’t have to totally shut yourself off.” Sola said, handing it to her. “Just because good people leave doesn’t mean new people don’t come along.”

Sola smiled back at her.

“They’ll find you.”

Ferris watched as Sola joined back up with the slightly groggy Harley and Wess, doing her best to help them back to the dorm, before she felt a small tear form in her eye.

Quickly noticing and wiping it away, she suddenly jumped at the sound of footsteps behind her.

“Ferris.”

Fortunately, it was only Coatsworth approaching, as Ferris tried to calm herself. “Geez, announce yourself. You checking up on me?”

“Faller was curious how well it went. How was the excursion?” Coatsworth asked, as Ferris gave a noncommittal shrug.

“You can tell him it was paint by numbers. Nothing to report.” Ferris said, turning to watch Team Valiant head back home.

She turned back to Coatsworth, still staring at her curiously, before she looked down at the butterscotch.

“Hey.”

Ferris cracked her neck. “I heard about this, like, edible wood place from Faller in Detu City. I think I might hate it, but you feel like taking an excursion of our own?”

Coatsworth blinked in confusion. “…this…is…very out of the blue.”

He thought on it for a second, before squinting at Ferris. “Edible wood?”

“I’m probably paraphrasing. I tend to tune him out most days.” Ferris admitted, before indicating in the direction of the Flash-Rail station. “I’ve got the evening free…figured we could use the chance to talk about stuff.”

Coatsworth was clearly running through responses in his head, trying to find the most appropriate one for the situation, eventually landing on…

“….that sounds nice.” Coatsworth nodded. “Can my dog come along?”

“…sure, bring ‘em.”

“What about Seears?”

“That’s pushing it.”

“Can he wait with my dog?”

“He’s gonna ruin my appetite, and I’m already in two minds about this place.”

“So-“

“Hard no.”

“…that’s fine.” Coatsworth agreed, walking with Ferris to the station. “We can work up to that.”

“…we’re getting beer on the way.” Ferris added, now walking a bit faster than him.

~~~/~~~/~~~/~~~

The weather had turned sour over Essex’s journey. She was fortunate to get mostly clear skies during her travels, making a majority of the trek a breeze for her, but as she closed in on her last day, the tundra-turned-arctic slowly built up with snowfall, before a massive blizzard swept through and made itself home.

Essex had mostly prepared for this, as much as one could prepare for a blizzard, but still had to resort to travelling through some of the Aishanara Forest in order to avoid the worst of it, despite her best wishes.

Eventually, after her numerous days of travel, she managed to spot the orange glow of lights out in the arctic and through the blizzard. She quickly pivoted toward it, trudging through the snow as best she could, even using her scythe as a makeshift shovel to help make her way toward it.

Luckily, the blizzard was starting to die down as she approached, right as a familiar voice rang out from the direction of the lights.

“Hey! You made it!”

Essex lifted her head and noticed the man who’d approached her during the tournament with the internship offer, as he waved to her from the front of the agency building.

“I knew you would. Wailing should hardly be a problem for you.” He remarked, grinning proudly, before taking off his sunglasses. “Nice weather, huh?”

“No, it is not.” Essex replied, finally making it under proper cover, as he cracked up again.

“There’s that brutal honesty.” He joked, before turning to the building. “Welcome to our slice of paradise. It’s cold as shit here.”

He waited a beat while Essex delayered herself, before speaking up again. “Riley, if you were curious.”

Essex turned to him. “…I thought you had said you don’t like giving out your name.”

“To strangers, but you took the initiative and made it here.” Riley answered, opening up the main door. “And now you know what to call out if you need me.”

Right as he opened it, Essex made a point to lay on the ground in front of the door, before Riley noticed and faced her.

“Were you that hungry?”

She lay out her scythe in front of her, before it clicked for Riley as he massaged his forehead. “Right, right, I was told about this, the Segaru thing…we give you permission to stay here.”

“Grelo.” Essex thanked, standing back up. “Trace says hi, by the way.”

“Does he now? That old softy.” Riley remarked, before waving his hand out. “The Aurora Venator Agency, in all its glory.”

Despite not having been in many, Essex noticed the interior’s similarity to a lodge, made almost entirely of wood and decorated with everything you’d expect. The main room resembled a lobby, with a communal area covered in memorabilia and mounted Wailing heads, and even what looked to be a reception desk. A few doors and a staircase hinted toward the building’s actual size, with one even labelled ‘Head Office.’

“I know, it’s nothing fancy.” Riley excused, waving his hand. “But I don’t care, so keep your opinions to yourself.”

“Even if I believed that, I would not have said it.” Essex pointed out, looking around herself. “Where are Team Avalanche?”

“Oh, I see, keen to meet the talent, huh?” Riley joked, turning around. “They’re out patrolling at the moment due to the freak blizzard. You can meet them properly in the morning. We’ll also get you a meeting with the boss, but since you just got here, we’ll let you settle in.”

He waved his hand to the staircase, as Essex took herself up there, heading down the hallway before finding the door labelled ‘Guest.’

It opened out to a small little living area, no bigger than the study back at the academy, fitted with bedding, a closet, even a small bathroom.

“The kitchen and laundry are further down the hall. If you need anything extra, I’m usually hanging out in the main lobby, or I’m out running errands.” Riley mentioned, as Essex sat down on her bed. “Cozy? Need tea or something?”

“I’ll be fine.” Essex assured, as Riley stepped out.

“Alright, have fun.” He said, ducking off back down the hall, as Essex took off her coat, before splaying out on the bed and pulling out her tablet.

Essex [I have arrived at the Aurora Venator Agency.]

Julia [I saw reports of a blizzard, did you make it through alright?]

Sola [Whats the agency like? Did u meet Team Avalanche already?!?!]

Essex [I made it through fine. Its died down.]

Essex [They’re out patrolling at the moment. I will have to wait until the morning.]

Harley [SEND US PICS!!! WE WANNA SEE YOU IN YOUR COAT!!!]

Sola [PLEASE PLEASE PLESE PLEASE PLEASE!!!!!1!!!]

Harley [Wess is trying to take my tablet away! SEND THEM QUICK!!!]

Wess [Ignore them, Essex, and just enjoy yourself. I’m sure the trip there was harrowing enough, and you deserved a solid rest. -Wess]

Julia [What Wess said. Get some well-earned slep.]

Julia [*sleep]

Essex smiled at her tablet, before resting it on her chest, as she stared up at the wooden ceiling, curious about everything her time away could entail, and whether it was something she was ready for.

———

“We can do this again, if you feel like. I’m usually cooking for the team anyway.”

Percy happily nodded along, enjoying their second batch of tarts even more than the first, just as the dorm opened to Wess rubbing her eyes and Sola dragging Harley in.

“Whoa. Did Ferris put you through the ringer?” Julia asked.

“Somewhat. We were stuck swapping weaponry.” Wess explained, waving her hand. “Using Harley’s gloves exhausted me.”

“Buster Knuckles…” Harley let out, collapsing onto her bed. “Sola…cuddles…”

Sola was very tempted to do so, only to spot the fresh tarts in the kitchen and immediately be torn about which the take.

“Good to know Essex made it okay.” Julia stated, as Percy found herself subtly hiding behind her again.

“She’s a trooper, that Essex. No blizzard was holding her back.” Wess noted, taking a bite of a tart, before holding her hand to her mouth. “Oh my…Percy, did you make these?”

Noticing her hands shaking a bit, Percy opted to just point between her and Julia.

“Well, seems we have two excellent cooks in this dorm.” Wess complimented.

“The secret ingredient’s friendship.” Julia joked, as Percy found herself snickering, before Sola dived in to get one herself.

“Traitor!” Harley called out from the bed, as Sola grabbed a few.

“Sorry, babe! I’ll get you some too!” Sola called back, before taking a bite and turning to Percy. “Whoa! These tarts are magic! Thanks!”

Percy felt her cheeks flush, as she gripped Julia’s sleeve again, hiding a nervous smile, before Julia laughed to herself.

“She says thanks too.”