"Well then, perhaps we can sate each other's curiosity and then I might let you go off to Beacon." You offer, hoisting Kiba over your shoulder and flying off toward the mine.
Tugged along behind you, Summer shrieks, "Are we flying? How are we flying?!"
"Levitation enchantments." Is your bored response. It's perfectly safe, why do they always act like that when it comes to Levitation? "Do you know of the White Fang?"
"The civil rights group?" She asks in bemusement, still watching the ground below with concern. Honestly, it is ridiculous that even somebody who can feel your magical prowess restraining her free will still doubts your ability enough to expect the enchantment to fail at any moment.
"Is that what they were in your time? Well, they have since devolved into a violent mob of criminals and extremists."
Shaking her head in denial, the ghost argues, "No. That's impossible, their leader is well known for his restraint. The man wouldn't allow that kind of behavior, he knows it would set the faunus back half a century!"
"Of course. Well, it seems that quite a few things that are impossible have happened since your death." You scoff derisively at her blatant idealism. "If he truly is a man of such character, then he was probably overthrown since I happen to be playing host to quite a few faunus refugees and even an ex-member of the terrorist group who would testify as to their barbarism."
Summer remains in silent thought for the rest of the trip. Not that you're complaining, since it seems her information is both outdated and biased to the point of uselessness. When the three of you land at the temporary forest entrance to the mine, you send a message to Cattleya to have the kwama block it off again. No reason to leave an opening for whoever has been lurking around the abandoned city lately.
Strolling into the portal room, you chuck Kiba down onto Cattleya's bed after seeing that the distillery room is actually a little larger than intended, you have the undead kwama cease their digging. Instead of sending them back to the others working on the ship, you order them to use excess cuttle to reconstruct the boy's arms so that he can at least try to contribute to his own recovery.
Affairs in order, you message Raymond to let him know that the room is ready for furnishing. As you begin to prepare some of the saltrice, Summer asks, "What are you doing?"
"Making an alcoholic beverage to sell at my restaurant." You answer easily, earning an incredulous look.
"You... You can fly and resurrect the dead, but you run a restaurant?"
You shrug and continue working. "Among other things. Why, is it so bad to feed those in need of a good meal?"
"Well... no." She replies, obviously thrown off by such an altruistic sounding remark. As you'd intended, of course. "I guess I just expected... it doesn't matter. Never mind. So you run a restaurant, provide for the needy, bring back the dead, and teach children?"
"When you say it all at once, it almost makes me sound like a decent person, does it not?" You say in self depreciation, actually receiving a slight smile from her for the first time. It's almost too easy with some people. "Anyway, I believe it is my turn."
"Sure, go ahead."
Nodding politely in her direction, you state, "Assuming that this Hazel fellow you know was not your murdered... then that means that someone else came along and killed you both while you slept. Who would want to attack Huntsmen like that?"
All good humor flees as her expression hardens. "I don't know. The headmaster always gave these cryptic warnings when we were alone together during my time at Beacon, something about my eyes attracting the wrong kind of attention. Even without that, there are plenty of people that might try it; rogue Hunstmen, bounty hunters, bandits... I'll need to talk with Qrow, he might now more specifics with how close he is with Ozpin."
"Hmm... Well, we can look into it." You assure her, though you certainly won't put the development of your ship on hold for a large scale search. Hopefully the matter can rest for a while. "If the White Fang were not a problem in your time and the most recent war was a few decades ago, are there any large events you can think of that might be significant?"
"Umm... Mountain Glenn, maybe? It was a few years ago in my memory and you probably already know about it considering where we are, but it was also the end of Vale's biggest tech company, Merlot Industries. Since most of the survivors went to Atlas, it probably shifted the balance of power between the kingdoms. Other than that? Not much happened that I paid attention to other than personal stuff... I didn't spend much time in Vale proper. Patch was were my family lived and I really only left if I was needed for a mission."
More than a decade is long enough for whatever remained at the defunct company to have likely scattered to the winds, so that probably won't be too helpful. Writing it off as a curiosity to investigate if you're bored, but not a priority, you both note the thudding footsteps of a Goliath passing overhead again. The damned things definitely knew you were there, but your frequent movements between Vale, the mine, and the chasm seem to have dissuaded any real effort on their part to do more than let you know that they know.
Deciding to cut the questioning short for now, you announce, "Alright, I think I have kept you long enough." Sending a message to Louise and opening the portal to Kwama Korp, you continue, "This will lead to my establishment in Vale. Feel free to make your way to the bullheads, my apprentice will be waiting to escort you."
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'-f you see these people or have any clue as to their whereabouts, please contact the Vale PD.' The woman on the projector screen finished, light purple hair making Louise feel as though she'd forgotten something important.
When the woman moved on to talking about Dust shortages, the pinkette shrugged it off and went back to maintaining her weapon. Hinata was the one actually watching the news, refusing to leave the room after whatever her and Yang did last time, and Pyrrha was off trying to find the courage to 'apologize' to Arc... by which Louise assumed she had gotten fed up with being ostracized by the blonde half of Team DASY and was going to finish the job.
As for Ruby, the younger girl was in the unfortunate position to be dozing beside Louise after a particularly arduous match-up in combat class when the pinkette's scroll let out an obnoxious klaxon sound that she'd picked out to alert her to when a specific person was trying to contact her.
Ignoring her team leader's surprised squawk, the pinkette looked to see what her teacher had sent. 'Kiba summoned the ghost of your teammate's mother. Since I have no immediate need of her services and she wants to see her daughter, I am sending her into your care. Meet her at the bullhead station and try to build a positive relationship with her, she should be able to help with much of your studies. Aura included.'
"I'm going out for a while." Louise declared, covering her disassembled blade attachment and holstering her sword-wand.
Rubbing the sleep from her eyes after having fallen asleep during the scroll's droning, the girl replied, "Alright... Where are you going?"
"Out." Louise answered curtly, pulling the door open. "Oh, make sure your sister is here by the time I get back."
"But it's almost time for dinner!" Ruby's whine chased her out the door, but she ignored it with grace.
--------------------------
Arriving at the landing pad to see a translucent woman in a white hood standing in a shadowed corner, Louise assumed her to be the one she was looking for.
Approaching and removing her helmet, the pinkette gave a small bow. "Good evening, my name is Louise Françoise Le Blanc de La Vallière."
"That's a... pretty name, dear." The woman patronized with a strained smile as her eyes rested on the large burn scar. Catching herself staring, she cleared her throat and said, "Excuse me, was there something you needed, sweetie?"
Eye twitching, Louise bit out, "I'm here to escort you to your daughter, Mrs. Rose."
"I'm sorry?"
You should be! Louise thought with a frown. Even now after she'd finally started to show signs of budding maturity, years sooner than Karin had developed breasts of her own, it wasn't fast enough and everyone still thought she was a child. Damned cherubic features, Cattleya didn't have to deal with this indignity.
Sighing, the pinkette held herself back from making a big deal about it and simply explained, "Master Cynric wants me to take care of you, I am on your daughter's team at Beacon. I'll also have you know that I'm older than most of the first year students and even some second years."
"So you're-"
"Not a child? No, I'm eighteen."
"Oh... oh crud, My bad. You just look so young." And now it was clear where Yang had gotten her 'colorful' personality from. Well, she wasn't actually as bad as the blonde, but the resemblance was there. Come to think of it, she could see a little of Ruby in the ghost's mannerisms as well, though not nearly as much.
Probably because she died while the girl was so young. If only we were all so lucky.
Shaking her head at the morbid tangent, Louise thought back to what had actually been said and nodded. "Yes, I know. Just... please try to remember that in the future."
"Right. Umm... Sorry, I'm Summer."
"A pleasure." The pinkette replied with a polite smile. "We should probably go now."
Climbing aboard the hourly public bullhead before it was too late, the two of them sat across from a bunny eared faunus. Not wanting to reveal anything unnecessary and Summer being too preoccupied with the impending reunion, the two of them sat in awkward silence. Probably for the best, since the bunny-girl was already eying Summer suspiciously while pretending to read her scroll.
Louise blamed the translucence, it was pretty noticeable in good lighting like in the passenger area of the vehicle.
When they finally made it to the cliff-side landing pads, they hurried into the nearest building and Louise did her best to avoid as many people as possible. This was made easier thanks to her skin tingling to let her know when people were around a corner she was turning, but there were still a few times when there was no avoiding students. Luckily, they could simply shove Summer through a wall to avoid any questions, but it was a close thing.
Eventually, they arrived at the door to RPHL's room.
Louise pulled out her scroll to unlock it, but Summer had another idea; the spirit ran straight through the closed door. The ensuing screams and shotgun blast, followed by more screaming were... not what she'd hoped would happen.
"How dare you wear that face!" Throwing the door open, Louise saw Summer deflect Yang's arm toward the ceiling in time to avoid a blast to the face. Punching out with her other arm didn't work any better and the flaming blonde demanded, "Who the hell do you think you are?!"
"I'm so sorry." Summer said, teary eyed and not really helping the situation since that only sent Yang further into her rage. Attempting to headbutt a ghost is a terrible idea and Yang sent herself sprawling on the floor. Ruby was pale and appeared to be in shock while Hinata looked to Louise in confusion, obviously hoping for some direction.
Holding her sword-wand in the air, Louise let off a small explosion to catch everyone's attention. With all eyes on her, the pinkette stood straight and said, "Enough! Yang, Ruby, she isn't an imposter. This is really your mother."
Status: Healthy
Magicka: (12000/12000)
Choose 1:
[] Explain that Master Cynric brought her spirit back with magic like Ozpin's... only better, because it's Master Cynric.
[] Lie and say that Master Cynric found her wandering the streets in a daze, asking about her children.
[] Write in.