Our time in Halimuri comes to an end by the dawns arrival. The beds were surprisingly nice, the rooms concerningly well kept for such a cheap place, and the food far better than I had anticipated.
Having an actual, substantial meal after being victim of Summer's 'cooking' this last week was like a dying man finding a well to quench his thirst after days without water. I've never felt so grateful for something as simple as meat and potatoes in my life.
Her quaint get rich quick scheme bore quite the fruits for us as well.
Nothing substantial, but the Lien she pulled in was more than enough to cover the cost of our meals and lodging for the night, sparing us any potential risks to the meagre budget we have. I wager she could've earned a lot more, had the innkeeper not put her foot down after a certain point.
Thankfully, the place as a whole was quite accommodating, given we're complete outsiders with weapons on our person and no substantial form of identification to us.
Getting away from the town itself was more of a trouble than getting in, and a greater issue than I had anticipated, actually.
The unexpected arrival of a stray pack of Grimm shortly after we reached the forestry once more brought with it a small portion of EXP for me to feast on, as well as yet another display of Summer's overwhelming prowess as a combatant.
I've had hints beyond just the showing at Akarele to her true talents, moments where the hunter within breaches through her sunny demeanour. Perhaps a stray Grimm would fall into our path, an Ursai that sensed our Aura and came to hunt; dead and beheaded within the blink of an eye.
She's confident, but cautious. An admirable quality, if ever there was one. Her training has clearly borne fruit beyond just her capabilities in battle, as she thankfully has the mind of someone that wants a career of dancing with death.
That isn't to say she's beyond any level I could match, though. With the Stats I had given myself back in Akarele, my own strength had risen dramatically, and alongside it, my perception. Put simply...
I can see her now.
Those moments where she blurs, faster than the eye can see, or when she uses her Semblance and seemingly vanishes into thin air... I can track them.
Barely, mind you, I have to be focusing intensely on her form with the Eye and the strain of it is agonising, but at the very least I can follow her movements now.
Such privilege brings with it a small guess at what her Semblance is capable of, too.
The Eye had never given me much of an explanation for what it does, beyond just the inherent Weakness of Incredibly exhaustive and nothing much else, so I've had to make an educated guess at it.
So far, I've two real theories at hand.
The first guess is that she can almost... vanish from this reality upon activation. Akin to stepping into a separate plane briefly, some form of riftwalking perhaps.
A world she can see, traverse, and even hide in, but cannot fight from. She cannot interact with the real world without disengaging the Semblance first. It would explain why she blinks in and out of sight regularly in combat instead of remaining unseen the entire time, and also explain why her Semblance is so taxing.
Of course, knowing that all Semblances are related to Aura, be it in nature or usage, makes explaining how such an ability came to be quite difficult, but I'm sure it could be explained as... maybe becoming Aura itself for a brief moment while it's active.
...huh. That might just be it, actually.
Maybe her body becomes pure Aura the instant it activates, vanishing into thin air and occupying a separate plane of existence entirely. Maybe her 'sight' while in that state stems from seeing other forms of Aura, and perhaps she can 'see' the blight against the world that the Grimm exist as while it's active as well.
It's either that, and she's a regular riftwalker, or it's my... other guess.
I'll admit, this one was based on nothing but simple observation I had and some daringly stray thoughts. If anything it still relates to the previous theory, but this one comes with a catch. Put simply, I theorised that maybe she is indeed a riftwalker of some kind... but that she can't activate the ability at will.
Maybe there's a reason her body is concealed with such a thick cloak most of the time. Perhaps it involves some form of... folding. Her Semblance can only activate when she's situated between two things, two 'edges', and the cloak exists to constantly give a surface for her to 'fold' into.
...in case it isn't obvious, I don't have much of anything to work with in the form of real evidence. For all I know, it could be that I'm completely wrong, and her Semblance is just short-range teleportation, or invisibility.
As a matter of fact, it's quite likely I'm wrong.
At this point, anything is possible. My Eye hasn't exactly been very forthcoming about her, either. Summer is like a bag of mysteries, each one more intriguing than the last. Why do her eyes seem to faintly glow occasionally? Why does my own Eye refer to her as bright Light?
Questions for another time, unfortunately. Even if I had all the social etiquette of a rat and asked them to Summer's face, the chances of her actually answering them are slim to none. I'll just have to settle on crafting my own theories to the nature of her power, much like she has no doubt done for me.
Now then, getting back to where I was... a small pack of Grimm attacked us shortly after our exit from Halimuri and entry back into the forest, one Summer butchered within just the few seconds of their arrival.
I only barely managed to fire one shot from the Scholar's Folly upon seeing them, and yet still Summer had disposed of most of the Grimm before the Tetrad Wisdom round could even begin bouncing around.
Summer, after that small encounter, had then suddenly came up with an idea.
A rather... familiar one.
"You said you only just unlocked your Aura the night Akarele was attacked, yeah? That means you're about as untrained to fight with it as you could possibly be. Since I'd rather you not get kicked out at the doors to Beacon, I figure we could spar for a little while and see if I can't help you out a bit!"
I stare for her for a long moment, mulling over the idea.
On the one hand, this is something I absolutely need. Stats and Levels are brilliant, but when it comes to actually using Aura, let alone in combat, I've all the experience of a monkey with a crayon. On the other hand... no. There really isn't a downside to this, actually.
"Fine, then." I say, shaking my head at the way her smile lights up like sunshine the second I agree to such an idea.
"What did you have in mind, Summer?" I ask, folding my arms and taking several paces away from her in the clearing.
Her grin widens almost imperceptibly, Aura flaring to life around her body. An invisible shield around her to the rest of the world, but to my Eye it takes the form of a vibrant, silver sheen across her body.
"Freeform." She starts, Sundered Rose drawn and held against the ground in the blink of an eye.
"We'll spend a few minutes trading blows, and go from there. It'll help me get a decent idea of how you fight, and how it can be improved as well. You ready, Patchy?"
I open my mouth to answer her, but before I can even try the seal against my Eye clicks and shivers in a familiar way, an ability I had all but forgotten about, Divine Soothsayer, activating without my permission as-
Cold. The clocktower feels cold, much like how most of the island would to an outsider... and yet there are some that call it home. Vibrant, silver eyes stare into another pair of much the same shade, belonging to a young woman - and her even younger ward.
"How... how are you going to train me?" The young girl, Summer, asks. Her voice is a quiet, hesitant thing, yet her eyes burn with determination unmatched. In her hands lies an axe far bigger than any child should hold, and she holds it with reverence.
The woman stood opposite her - Lady Maria, my mind supplies - smirks.
Clothed in some of the finest garb Lien could buy, with a long cape hanging over her left shoulder and pale skin beneath her short hair, as white as snow - yes, her visage is undoubtedly one of terrifying beauty.
"...Freeform." Maria says, her voice an odd mixture of regal and soft. Atlesian, no doubt.
Maria's hands then lift to the weapons at her hips, drawing them against the air. Two blades, one a saber and the other a dagger, connected at the butt a moment later to form a double-ended blade. Outdated mechashift technology, I realise.
"I'll need to understand what you're capable of before I can properly begin your training. For that, we'll need to spar briefly. Are you alright with that, little light?"
The young Summer scoffs in annoyance, her eyes steeling a moment later as she holds the axe tightly, staring down Lady Maria with a mix of excitement and respect.
"...I told you not to call me that."
Lady Maria's smirk becomes a grin now, pleased with her apprentice's eagerness. She lifts the Rakuyo high, pointing it in Summer's direction.
"Until you give me a reason to do otherwise, I'll call you whatever I so please. Now then, little light... don't keep me waiting."
The young Summer's lips fall in a thin line, a determined focus taking over as she cries out and dashes towards her mentor, their blades inching closer and closer until-
"-Gah!" I shout, a choked sound, stumbling back in shock and falling to one knee as the stabbing sensation in my Eye worsens with every moment.
My breaths come in deep, frustrated heaves of air, my hand massaging the Seal as if hoping for it to lessen the pain I'm in somehow.
I don't even notice a pair of arms hesitantly taking hold of me until my ass is settled properly against the ground, Summer's concerned eyes staring into mine just a moment later as she frowns at me.
"Hey! Woah, woah! What's the matter, Anaxa? Are you hurt? You sound like you're in pain, but I don't really know what to do about that if I'm being honest-"
Her hand slides away from my back to begin softly slapping at my cheek between each word, no doubt to make sure I'm still cognizant and paying attention to her.
With a muted groan of pain and frustration, I smack her hand aside and go back to attending my aching Eye shortly after.
"I'm fine, Summer! In a bit of pain, yes, but otherwise fine. Your concern is appreciated, just as much as it is unwarranted."
She scoffs, her arm still held around me in what is unfortunately quite a comfortable gesture if I'm being honest.
"That isn't 'fine', Anaxa, you- jeez! You fell over and started shouting in pain, that's not normal. I was worried you were having a seizure or something, you dick!"
I sigh, pushing her arm away and slowly lifting myself onto two feet, the pain now dissolving into occasional bursts across my Eye instead of scorching agony.
"It's an unfortunate facet of my Semblance. That's all. Simply the price of knowledge. I understand we're both still in the tentative stages of this friendship, so I'll keep my secrets as just that - secrets, and not say anything else more on the matter."
She bites back a groan of frustration, unable to deny that we both have our fair share of secrets as she flutters around my person, brushing off any dirt or dust she might find from my body and doing one last check.
Immediately after that though, she comes to stand in front of me, just a foot of distance between us as she stares up at my eye.
"...you can trust me, Patchy. Even if only a little bit. I mean, we've been travelling together for a week. We'll be students at the same academy soon too, and hopefully be teammates as well... ifyoullhavemethatis-"
I blink, caught off guard by the sudden admission, before placing a hand on her shoulder to stop the slurry of hurried words coming from her mouth.
"Calm- just calm down, Summer. Yes, we've formed a friendship and the expectation is that we'll continue working together throughout our time at Beacon. It's not just a matter of having you, it's a matter of convenience. I had figured that was obvious, but clearly not if I need to say it aloud. I would obviously choose to be on your team if given the opportunity."
She stills for a moment in surprise, perhaps having not expected such a direct statement from me, before relaxing slightly against my hand. Part of me wants to pull away from her for risk of making the moment awkward, but a smaller, more daring part of me wants to keep that tiny point of contact... so I keep it.
"...if you're expecting me to reveal a deep secret, or the crux of my Semblance, then you'll obviously be mistaken. I know you're not naive, and I know I'm not naive enough to tell you so much, either. I suppose I'll just... start with something small, and tell you more as time passes, perhaps."
Summer blinks at me slowly, having not expected the honesty no doubt.
She then glances around for a moment, as if worried someone could hear, before looking at me with those same, vibrant eyes that damn near glow sometimes. Her hand lifts to rest atop mine on her shoulder, her touch both hesitant and painfully warm.
"Are you... are you sure, Anaxa? I don't want you to feel pressured or whatever. I wasn't trying to coax anything out of you, either, I just... wanted you to know that you could trust me. We're partners, after all. For now."
I sigh once more, having already made up my mind about this.
"Its fine, Summer. Even beyond just the simple advantage of travelling with someone who knows your power, I find myself... wanting to be honest, if only slightly. I'd rather not lose a friend so soon, after all."
She scoffs, shaking her head softly and smiling ever so slightly all the while. Her hand takes hold of mine, much more firmly now, pulling our conjoined hands to hand between the two of us now.
"You're not the only one, you know that? I haven't made many friends in my life, and I'd rather not lose the only one I have now any time soon, so... Whenever you're ready, Anaxa."
That's a surprisingly endearing thing to hear. I almost wish I was a much more sociable person now, if only so I could have a better idea of how to navigate a situation like this.
No matter. With one last deep breath, and a tentative tightening of our conjoined hands, I meet her gaze.
"...it's related to my Eye. The one that's covered up. As I said to you in Akarele, my Semblance was never tied to my rifle. In truth, I don't even know the full capabilities of it yet. All I know is that sometimes I get... flashes. Visions of a person's life. Information forcefully burned into me."
Summer tenses up slightly, realisation dawning in her eyes. I'm not giving her the whole truth yet, just as I had said, but I'm giving her an olive branch all the same. An offering of tentative trust.
She hesitates now, the question in her mind obvious to see.
"Did that... is that what happened just now? Did you get a 'vision' about me?"
I don't bother trying to stop the small smirk that forms on my lips, or the instinctual sarcastic remark that comes with it.
"Bingo. Right on the money - you're pretty good at this, Summer." I say, only to bite back any other comments I had planned to add when I see the uncharacteristically serious look in her eyes.
"...what did you see, Anaxa?"
It's almost easy to forget that the woman stood before me is a killing machine. Moments like these, however few and far between they may be, help to ensure I do not forget such a thing, though.
Perhaps it's a trick of the light, but I could almost swear her eyes are glowing faintly.
"Nothing substantial. Nor any deep secrets you may have been keeping- oh, and not a glimpse of you in the shower, either. I simply see... important events in a person's life, I think. Defining moments." I say, trailing off without realising, forcing myself to focus.
"As for what I saw in this latest vision... I saw you training with another woman in a clocktower."
Summer stills again for another moment, tensing in anticipation as her gaze hardens. Whatever secrets she may be keeping, they're clearly very important to her.
"...and? What else, Anaxa?" She asks, hesitantly, as if dreading the answer.
I sigh, my jaw tensing. Her hand clenches mine like a lifeline now, for reasons that I doubt I'll be made privy to anytime soon.
"That was it. I didn't see hours of your life, or years pass in a single moment. It was brief, only thirty seconds. I just saw your first time training together, an axe in your hand and the Rakuyo in hers. Nothing else, truthfully."
Almost immediately, the tension drains from her body, a short laugh spilling from her lips. Summer damn near sags in relief, her head resting against my chest in what is becoming a strangely familiar gesture now.
"Good. That's... that's good. I really don't like having my privacy invaded, Patchy. Even if you don't have a choice."
My mouth opens, halfway to apologising for that which I have no control over, before an idea crosses my mind and I smirk at her.
"You know, you're not the only one who can use a sub-par nickname here, Summer. I didn't see much in my vision, but I did catch one very interesting thing... little light."
Summer stills for a moment, taken aback by the words that I say as she tilts her head up to meet my gaze.
Something akin to a grimace flickers across her expression for a moment, before her lips then shift into a thin line. She's very clearly not impressed.
"...that isn't nearly as charming as you think it is, Anaxa. Using my dead Master's nickname for me might be the single least flattering thing you could do, actually... Man, you're really not good at this whole 'flirting' thing, are you?"
Indignation flashes across my features, my mind reeling after such a blunt response.
"You- what!? I- that was not my intention, Summer, not even close! I wanted to make fun of you, not flirt!"
She folds her arms, smirking now and lifting a single brow... This conniving little prick, she's using my mannerisms against me!
"Just trying to tease me, huh? Sure thing, Patchy. Whatever you say."
My eye twitches violently, taking several steps back now and summoning the Scholar's Folly into my hand.
"That's it. You wanted to spar? Fine. I won't let a bit of pain in my eye stop that. Come at me, Little Light. I'll show you that I'm not to be underestimated!"
Summer's smirk only seems to widen even further now, the Sundered Rose drawn and unfolded in the blink of an eye now as she shrugs her cloak around her shoulders.
"Now you're speaking my language, Patchy! Show me what you got. I'll whip you into shape for Beacon in no time!"
Our eyes meet half a second later, a silent signal of affirmation being passed between us and a grin forming on both of our lips. Neither of us says another word now, legs braced and Aura flaring to life as tension builds by the moment.
A bird cries out from the forest nearby. The wind blows ever so softly. A leaf falls from a nearby tree- and then we move, our bodies a blur as we dash forward, our weapons meeting in the middle with a thunderous, echoing CLANG.
...I would then promptly get my ass handed to me on a silver platter.
------------------------------------
[Summer Rose - Six Days Later]
"...Pinch me."
Anaxa frowns in confusion, his eye flickering between me and the downright gorgeous view from below where we are right now several times over.
"...beg your pardon?" He mutters, arms folding for the thirtieth time today, trying his best to hide the awe in his voice.
"No, I'm being serious. Pinch me. I must be dreaming, this place is beautiful. I feel like... like I'm committing a crime just be looking at it. Like I don't deserve this view."
Anaxa snorts, sighing and shaking his head. I'm sure he's rolling his eye right now, but I can't really tell from this side.
"Don't get me wrong, it's... well, no, it's an utterly wonderful city by the looks of things, but I'm not sure if I'd go so far as to call it 'too good for human eyes', Summer."
You see, he says that, but I can almost guarantee he's practically salivating right now. Trying to be all gruff and stoic- yeah right, buddy. I know you adore the beauty of this world deep down.
"I just don't understand how there can be so... so much. I mean, there's gotta be at least a few thousand people down there, no? Maybe even ten? How- that's so many!"
Anaxa huffs out a short laugh upon hearing that, leaning over and bumping my shoulder with his own.
"That's one hell of a generous guess. It's a city, Summer. One of the most well-populated places in Mistral. Ten thousand? No, try a few hundred. Maybe even a million depending on how dense the habitation of cities is in the majour Kingdoms. Behind these waterfalls and woods is a collection of people, in all shapes and sizes, that eclipses anything you or I have ever seen before."
He tilts his head enough to smile down at me, one of his hands lifting to the air as he gestures to Kuchinashi while he speaks.
...I don't think he realises how infuriatingly attractive that little grin of his even is. I think that only makes it worse. Damn you, Patchy.
"You don't sound very surprised at how big this place is." I finally grunt out, tearing my gaze away from his own to stare at Kuchinashi once more.
"Of course not. It was to be expected, given the nature of this world, that sprawling cities are common practice. Apes together strong, to put it bluntly. That doesn't mean I can't still be awed by the sheer beauty of it all."
...well, at least he's being honest.
On the subject of sheer beauty - holy frick. That's all I can really say, I don't have words.
Right now, Anaxa and I are stood on the edge of a steep mountain, with Kuchinashi itself having been built in the hollowed out core of said mountain. Utterly terrifying bridges and pathways link the city between the other mountains lining this radiant vista, where there are smaller... sub-cities? Extensions? Bits?
I really don't know anymore.
Point is, Kuchinashi is the main one, and the others are all connected to it. Terrifyingly high up, terrifyingly beautiful, and an absolute slog to reach in the first place.
For us, at least.
We saw the lights, so we knew something was here, but for a while Anaxa and I were convinced the city just didn't exist anymore, that we'd missed it or that our map was wrong. It wasn't until we scaled the mountain proper and actually looked down that we realised our mistake.
Wouldn't have been a problem if we'd come in from the North and seen the damn place beforehand, along with all the settlements around the lower areas in general, but our view of everything was blocked by the damn mountainside.
...worth every second, though. Maybe it's just the natural lighting from the sunrise giving it an unfair advantage, but this is undoubtedly the most beautiful place I've ever laid eyes on. I mean - there's even a waterfall! No, there's two! How do you compete with that!?
"...so, how are we going to get down?"
Anaxa's hesitant voice breaks me away from my gushing, his prior confidence all but vanished now as he leans over the edge and peers down at the city below. It isn't until a few seconds later that I actually register his words, my lips pursing in thought.
"...we jump?"
He pauses, as if the words had physically slapped him, before turning and levelling me with the single most flat look I've ever seen from someone in my life.
"We jump? That's your big plan? You- please spend longer than three seconds thinking about this, Summer. I quite like having my insides not be outsides."
I scoff, waving a hand in the air and taking a peek down at Kuchinashi beneath us.
"Psh! It's a good idea! We've got Aura, so we should be able to shrug off the damage just fine... Maybe. We can call it... training? Practice? Yeah, practice. We're just making sure that, if we ever happen to fall off a cliff, we'll be ready!"
Patchy's lips don't even move, a vein in his brow twitching now as he takes a deep breath to calm himself.
One of his arms move away from their folded stance, lifting high enough to make me think he's about to pull my hood over my head again, before his hand settles on his head.
"...I don't think cliff-jumping is commonality among Huntsmen and Huntresses, Little Light. This is, quite possibly, the single worst idea I've ever heard in my life and- oh, who am I kidding? You've already made up your mind, haven't you?"
My grin widens. His exasperation deepens.
"Don't act like you're not considering the idea yourself. You've got a pretty strong Aura for how juvenile it is, Patchy. I'm sure you can handle a little bit of terminal velocity."
He scoffs, shaking his head at the absurdity.
"A little bit of terminal- no, Summer! Funnily enough, I'm not sure if I can actually! I'd rather not become a smear on the roadside so you can practice your... landing strategy!"
My excitement builds more and more with every word he says, glancing between him and the edge of the mountain several times over with each second that passes.
"Landing strategy? Sounds smart... I like it, Patchy! You've got the mind of a daredevil hiding away beneath all that stiff exterior!"
He scoffs, pulling his hand away from massaging his temples to grab me by the shoulder, making sure I don't get any ideas.
...it's cute that he thinks he can stop me.
"That wasn't an invitation for you to take it as inspiration, Summer! I was mocking the absurdity of your idea, not encouraging it- there's not a snowballs chance in hell of us surviving a fall from this height! Stop trying to turn this into another one of your 'learning opportunities' and back away from the-"
I take a single step closer to the edge before he can finish. His brow twitches once again.
"Hm? Something wrong, Patchy?"
He sighs, as if losing years of his lifespan in just a single deep exhale.
"...you know damn well what the problem is. The fact that you're so confident tells me you at least have some measure of experien..."
He stops speaking, his singular eye widening for a moment as he looks at me, no doubt seeing something given the weird little fire around his eyepatch again.
"Oh. You've never even done this before. You're... Summer, this is officially the stupidest idea I've ever heard in my life. You're basically just hoping that we can survive a two mile drop with nothing but grit and some willpower, aren't you?"
"Yup!" I say, cheerily, not bothering to elaborate and watching as his patience seems to wither by the second.
"...have fun with that, Summer. I think I'll settle for taking the long road down." He says, turning and walking back towards the sloped edge of the cliffside, not even sparing a glance to me as he walks off.
"Oh- come on! This could be fun! ...Don't be such a spoilsport all your life, Anaxa!"
He doesn't say anything else in response, just waving over the back of his shoulder and making headway on the slow, boring walk down the mountain.
I stay in that spot for a long moment, glancing between his retreating form and the edge of the cliff several times over, before sighing and reluctantly following after him.
For hissafety, I tell myself. In case he finds a Grimm he can't beat without me.
------------------------------------
"...I'm not flying in that thing."
I can't help but sigh, fingers pinching the bridge of my nose as Anaxa stares at the 'Bullhead' with something akin to disgust.
"Patchy, we have been walking for almost two weeks in the hopes of reaching this exact moment. What the... frick do you mean you refuse to get in?"
People walk past us in droves, of all shapes and sizes - a hell of a lot of Faunus, too - and they all make sure to give us funny looks when they do. Bullheads come and go from the docking station in tandem with each wave of passengers, only making the situation that much worse.
We're stood here. In the middle of a packed station, staring at our would-be ride to Vale, and yet now... Anaxa has decided that he has a fear of flying, apparently.
Because of course he does.
"I mean, look at it! This thing is downright- it's a deathtrap, Summer. Look at those jets, the joints they're on are thin enough for Nevermore talons to make a meal of! That's not even mentioning the wings, even I could tear through them! This thing is a steel-plated suicide box!"
The pilot, a mercifully patient man, looks almost hurt by Anaxa's words. He glances between my companion and the bullhead in question, scowling now as he fixes Patchy with a look that screams annoyance.
"Look, buddy, you paid for the cheapest option. You got the cheapest option. It ain't comfy, it ain't cozy, but it's safety approved and it'll get you there in one piece. I should mention that I don't do refunds. Keep talking, and I'll find another passenger."
Anaxa takes one more look at the bullhead, that same flame around his eyepatch being the only sign I have that he's using his Semblance to see somethingI don't.
His eye then shifts back to me, before resignation takes over and he reluctantly gestures to the aircraft.
"...fine. After you, Little Light." He mutters, head hung low and hand held high.
I scoff at the gesture, pushing aside his hand and walking backwards up the ramp toward the passenger cabin.
"I told you the first time, that isn't nearly as cute as you think it is, Patchy."
He snorts in response, patting the pilot's shoulder in some form of apology before following after me, his steps slow and measured as he walks into the cabin.
"It doesn't need to be cute, Summer. It just needs to piss you off. Such is the magic of a teasing nickname. Besides, if you truly hated it, you'd have made sure I didn't say it again. I'd wager you're secretly a fan."
My eyes roll at the mere idea. He's right, but I'm not gonna let him know that obviously.
"You wish, Cyclops. Now, are you gonna stand around all day, or are you gonna take a seat so we can finally get the boring part of this journey over and done with?" I say, gesturing to my side as I sag into the bench.
He blinks at me, confused.
"...you want me to sit next to you? Not opposite, not on the same side, but deliberately as close as possible? ...If you just wanted to use my shoulder as a pillow and sleep the journey away, there were far better ways to ask."
He grumbles the words like he's annoyed, but he still doesn't hesitate to take the offered seat, sagging with exhaustion the moment he sits down next to me.
I don't bother waiting before I lean over and rest my head on his shoulder, heaving the same exhausted sigh as he does the moment I relax against him.
"Guilty as charged, buddy. Now, shut up and let me get comfortable. If you're lucky, I'll let you share my cloak as a blanket."
He scoffs again, but makes no effort to move away, his gaze pointedly not meeting mine. Grinning in victory, I tug on my cloak and pull it around the both of us, thick white fabric acting as our own blanket for now.
Several minutes pass in silence just like that, the bullhead slowly lifting into the air and the gorgeous views of Kuchinashi fading into the background through the window's view.
Just as I'm about to close my eyes and try getting some sleep though, Anaxa's head slowly falls to rest atop my own, his arms still folded beneath the blanket. His voice, usually so sarcastic and smug, is almost soft for a change as he speaks now.
"...just a few more days of travel. Then we'll have finally made it to Vale, and Beacon will come after. In spite of everything, this journey has been... fun. It's been really, really fun, and it's all thanks to you."
His words are barely audible by this point, spoken so softly that I'd have never heard them if I wasn't keenly listening. It's cute. It's really, really cute but I can't say that out loud because he's already speaking again and-
"Thank you, Summer. For being my companion."
...damn.
You're playing dirty, Anaxa. That's unfair.
"You're right. It was... nice. A lot more than I thought it'd be." I say, hesitantly moving my hand beneath the cover to rest atop his own.
"Here's to the next four years of our lives together at Beacon, Patchy. Looking forward to every moment."
He laughs softly, hand shifting beneath the cloak-blanket to lace our fingers together. I'm all the more thankful for the fact that he can't see my face right now because I'm almost certain he'd start laughing at me.
"...yeah. Looking forward to every moment." He says, voice a low murmur.
And just like that, the conversation ends. We both fall silent, relaxing in the peace of this quiet moment and the warmth around us.
For the first time in a long, long time... I don't feel so alone anymore.