RWBYFanon v5
RPG World of Remnant => The Vale Region => Topic started by: NotSurprised on February 17, 2019, 02:25:09 AM
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Iron is not having a good time. The very opposite in fact. Then again, when is he ever having a good time? However, unlike every other time, he had never felt this aggravated with his team. After all, his excellent leader had deemed that the relations within the team are not as strong as they should be, therefore they should spend some more time outside together in order to reinforce these bonds. Iron, being how he usually is, deemed the expedition a waste of time until Isabelle decided to make it mandatory for him. He tried his best to break free of the event, but his leader insured that he had no choice but to attend.
With that, Iron finds himself in the City of Vale after taking a bullhead out, waiting for his fellow teammates to show up. If he remembered correctly, Ayaka wasn’t planned to show up since she has a mostly cordial relationship with the team. On the other hand, Iron would admit that he isn’t exactly the greatest with human interaction, but he does feel that Lucina’s mere existence makes the team dynamics rather interesting for the rest of them. As he continues to wait, Iron would think about what he and his team should do for the day so that he can just get back home.
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The fact that she had to make Iron show up really did speak to the issues between them. There was never a particular instance that Isabelle could call back to as the cause. For whatever reason, they just didn’t get along. Neither of them were great with people, so it wasn’t all that surprising. All things considered, it could be worse. She had heard the horror stories from her sister of endless arguments and insanely petty squabbles, so Isabelle considered herself lucky. But even in Lyssa’s case, she at least spent time with her teammates and had some level of familiarity. Isabelle and Iron saw each other nearly every single day, and yet she barely knew any of his interests, hobbies or tastes. Teamwork was something they struggled with, and while wasting time in the city wouldn’t solve that, it was an important first step!
Belle had invited both Iron and Lucina to a day on the town. Whatever they might spend it doing didn’t really matter to her. She would have actually planned some things out if she had any idea what he would want to do… It was just more evidence that this was necessary, and all the more reason to invite him. Lucina had been asked to come along mostly as a backup, to salvage the day in case Isabelle’s ideas ended in critical failure and/or extreme boredom. Ayaka wasn’t interested in showing today, but unlike with Iron, they never had any problems communicating effectively.
After he had spent a few minutes of standing around, Iron would eventually notice the familiar faunus approaching him while greeting with a wave. Her outfit was as unfashionable as ever, plain shorts and a dark hoodie. As far as she was concerned, he wasn’t in any position to judge her wardrobe. ”Hey,” she called out with a slight grin on her face, stopping and standing beside him as she looked up. ”How much do you hate me right now?” Thankfully, she had spent plenty of time with people that didn’t want to be around her, so his indifference hardly fazed her.
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”Enough to want today to be over.”
With a deep sigh, Iron turns to face the short girl with a blank stare. It’s as if his face was stating “well what now?” and Iron was being very obvious about it. It seems like Lucina is going to be late unsurprisingly. It also seemed like his leader had no plans whatsoever. Iron sighed again - he’s sighing a lot actually, he should fix that - as Iron quickly gets on his scroll to see what they can do to get the day over with. Searching things up at a rather fast speed, Iron would look back towards Isabelle to voice his ideas for the day.
”Well, I am interested in brushing up on my archery skills, so I suppose we can make our way to a nearby archery range.” A brief pause as Iron looks back at his scroll to see what other options he can undergo to make the day go by faster. ”Or perhaps do what teenagers do and go to the mall. What’s your decision oh great leader?” Iron didn’t sound pleased near the end there, but Iron really didn’t care at all.
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Iron’s gaze was met with an equally blank expression, the girl blinking a couple of times before shrugging. Getting this far was unexpected, so yeah, she didn’t have much to say. In her mind, Isabelle tried to think of any notable locations that were near their current position, but the only things that popped into her head were bars. She had never asked, but Iron didn’t strike her as one who drank for fun. By the time she had thought of the mall, he was already typing away, bringing up a couple of suggestions before she could.
”Archery?” the girl quickly responded, her face lighting up a bit. He had either intentionally picked something that she had great interest in, or his own plans just happened to align with one of her favorite hobbies. Well, ‘hobby’ would be an understatement; Isabelle had spent nearly every day of her life in the past five years shooting a bow and arrow, and when they eventually graduated, she intended to make a living doing exactly the same. Based off the way he phrased it, and considering that this was Iron, she highly doubted that the idea had been thought up with her enjoyment in mind.
”Let’s do that!” She had already answered with enthusiasm before she remembered that Lucina was going to meet them at some point, but seeing as that wasn’t happening right away, it wouldn’t be a problem. ”Oh, then maybe we could hit the mall? I definitely wanna do some shopping, and I don’t think Luce is into archery.”
Maybe it was a rude assumption, but she had never witnessed her teammate holding a projectile weapon, let alone shooting a bow. If they weren’t finished by the time Lucina got back to her about meeting up, perhaps Isabelle would get to see for herself.
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With a shrug and a non committal expression, Iron would quickly bring up the location of the nearest archery range on his scroll. Memorizing the direction they’d have to move in, the scroll would return to Iron’s pocket as he starts following the path he looked up. A few steps in, Iron pauses as he seems to have forgotten that he has a companion that’s supposed to accompanying him. Normally, Iron would just keep on walking, but perhaps being more courteous would get Isabelle to leave him alone. Iron slightly turns to Isabelle with a bored stare before speaking in a rather disinterested tone.
”Well? We’re supposed to be improving our relationship aren’t we?”
This is probably the only time Iron is going to act as inviting and warm with his team members just so he doesn’t have to deal with this ever again. This is also probably going to be the only time he’ll be waiting on someone. Unless it’s not the last time, which means he’ll have to deal with wasteful expeditions outside the academy later on. Iron internally shudders as he’s reminded of the worst case scenario of today’s outing.
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Isabelle followed along and walked beside him as he went, giving Iron a mildly annoyed frown after his comment. ”Yeah… That is why we’re here.” That wouldn’t be too easy if he kept acting so aloof, she thought. She had to remind herself that he was at least trying. Not only that, but he had come up with something to do that would be entertaining for both of them, and she couldn’t say she had done the same. While on that train of thought, it occurred to her that she had never seen his archery on display.
”I have to ask, how long have you been shooting a bow and arrow?” The faunus stuck her hands in her hoodie pockets as they made their way towards the destination. Small talk had always been something Isabelle was typically awful at, but it came to her easily with subjects she was passionate about. Part of her considered asking why he didn’t ever try one in combat, but it didn’t really need an explanation. Many weapons had more practical use than a bow, and Isabelle likely would have used a more efficient option herself if she were talented with anything other than that and a blade.
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Iron didn’t intend to tune out after Isabelle’s comment. It’s just that he didn’t like small talk, so he’d always automatically zone out for more important things. After all, it was a waste of time, and there wasn’t much to gain from it. Though, he supposes that he should at least attempt to maintain the conversation since he’s being forced to anyways. Luckily, Iron tuned back in right when his leader tried to strike up a conversation.
A brief pause as Iron ponders over the question his rather timid leader had asked. How long has it been since he last used the bow and arrow? Iron distinctly remembered entering competitions for it as a prized heir should, as well as devoting so much of his life to be the very best at it at the time. Perhaps three years of his life? Maybe four? Iron shook his head as he stops reminiscing of a simpler yet naive time. ”Three years, purely for recreational purposes if that was going to be your next question.” Iron resettles back into the quiet moment between the two.
Normally, if small talk was to occur (and he was forced to participate), Iron would never contribute any discussion of his own towards the conversation. However, as they continued to walk down the street, Iron realizes that there is something he wanted to know. He wasn’t sure how, but he somehow framed his question in a monotone and stoic way, yet with some hints of curiosity.
”Are these ‘teambonding activities’ as you call them really necessary?”
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Iron’s answer certainly surprised her a little bit. If he did three years of archery just for fun, he had to be talented at a lot of things. Perhaps his desire to focus on his own interests rather than associate with others had something to do with that. She would have responded to his question with another, if he hadn’t answered it immediately. That left Isabelle with little to follow up with, resulting in another period of silence. Luckily, he brought up an inquiry of his own. Despite the nature of the question, the faunus smiled.
”Mm, I think so. Whether we like it or not, we are stuck together. I don’t want it to be hard for us to communicate during that time. If we know each other better, it’ll be safer to make assumptions about what each of us might decide to do on the battlefield. That doesn’t only mean knowing about each other’s fighting styles, but personalities too.” Isabelle briefly paused, rubbing the back of her neck for a moment before her hand returned to her pocket and she carried on. ”... Or something like that.”
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”... Hm. ‘Something like that’ you say?”
It didn’t sound like Iron disagreed, but it didn’t sound like he agreed either. Then, quiet took over the conversation as they made their way closer to the archery range. To be fair, Iron was pondering about Isabelle’s response. After all, was that really true? He was so sure that the team would suffice if they had stayed completely professional and offered the minimum necessary to be a functional team. At least, he hoped that they would all be professional. As Iron continued to think about the response, Iron realizes that perhaps he should offer more to the conversation.
”... If you wish to know more, I may be open to answering anything else.”
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Progress was always nice, and it had come along a little smoother than expected. Perhaps she had overestimated how cold and unapproachable he was. Reading people wasn’t one of her strong points. Isabelle didn’t want to ask him too many questions as she wanted to be as minimal of a nuisance as she could. After all, she had certainly gotten on his nerves enough for one day. However, this might be a slightly rare opportunity.
”Since you sound a little, uh, skeptical about needing to hang out like this, I wouldn’t mind hearing your opinion on that. I know I kind of forced you out here, but if you truly think it’s a waste of time, I’d like to know why.” The shorter woman glanced up at him as she kept on walking, another question coming to mind. ”And I guess while we’re on that… How do you feel about everyone on the team?”
While knowing how other people viewed her often made Isabelle feel self-conscious, she at least felt comfortable enough with him in particular by now that it likely wouldn’t upset her regardless of what he said. Even if they hardly talked, they did see each other constantly.
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Hm. That was an interesting question that Iron did not want to answer. Well. Sort of. It would certainly get the faunus to leave him alone, but on the other hand, it can backfire and every outing will be made mandatory for him. While trying to formulate the perfect response, Iron spies that they are about to arrive at their destination. With not enough time to have an entirely appeasing response for his leader, half truths and a little logic will be his ticket out of the conversation.
”To begin with, this could’ve been circumvented if we simply acted like professionals and just discussed the issues together, then move forward. While this excursion…” Iron pauses as he tries to contain some of his annoyance, ”works, it’s simply opens up for more extraneous activities. Not only that, but for others like me, the mandatory attendance would have only soured the relationship. I’m currently humoring you for your sake and perhaps my own.” Iron maintains his blank expression and the monotone voice in order to not reveal anything else besides what he said.
Right after that reveal, they reach the entrance of the facility, and as Iron opens it up to hold it open for Isabelle, he seems to be concentrated on the short faunus’ latter question. After a short moment of consideration, Iron proceeds to answer it. ”Well. Ayaka is an excellent student and combatant, so she has all my respect. However, she seems a little too prideful for her own good. As for Lucina, to be quite honest, she strikes me as a fool and incompetent. Though I suppose she has her good points, what little there may be.”
If Iron’s face was relaxed at first, it is much more serious now as he goes on to describe his leader somewhat honestly.
”As for you, you are timid. Socially incompetent. Weak. Though, some of that had been proven wrong when you showed some bite and leadership...” Iron pauses as he tries to regather more of what he wants to say for the best outcome, ”... You have a good head on your shoulders. You are the leader, and we will listen. You… are trying your best for the lack of a better word, and I can’t fault you for that I suppose.” Strangely, it sounds like Iron was being utterly respectful but also utterly rude. Brutal honesty one might say.
Iron turns his attention back to the open door before sending an “inviting” look - he sucks at expressions, 100% - with a little quip.
”Well, are we going to hang out, as you would say?
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The girl was silent, simply listening to what he had to say as they approached the facility. She didn’t totally agree with him that talking about it would work everything out. Not only had she given it a few attempts already, but she just wasn’t good at conversing like that. Bonding through activities and spending time together was much easier for her, and he was never one to take up her casual invitations to those kinds of things. Perhaps if she had simply been a little more persistent while not acting so demanding, he’d be more willing to come along. She made a mental note to consider both his and her own thoughts on the matter in the future.
His next set of answers wouldn’t come as too much of a surprise. Iron and Ayaka had a lot in common. Much like him, Ayaka took Beacon very seriously and was definitely a little bit of a loner, if somewhat less so. They could certainly butt heads, but the two got along fine. Isabelle rose an eyebrow as he went on about the other girl, not holding back on his criticism. Out of all three of her teammates, Lucina was the one whose company she enjoyed the most. Unsurprisingly, she definitely didn’t agree with him, but she was having a hard time coming up with any sort of argument.
Isabelle had believed that she could handle his opinions on herself without it hurting, and she was wrong. She had told herself that it wouldn’t get to her, and now she felt foolish. That familiar feeling of dread and regret washed over her as he confirmed her own insecurities, her mood visibly sinking in her expression. All things considered, he had gone easy on her. She knew that. Of course, the bad things he had stated outweighed the good.
Many things ran through her mind that she had almost expected him to add on towards the end, even after he did no such thing. Procrastination. A drinking problem. Fear of attachment, as well as dependency. Extremely and utterly average. Unlike her mother, Isabelle no longer believed she was a waste of space, but she still had a long way to go. As she usually tried to when thoughts like these came into her mind, Isabelle remembered what her sister had so affectionately told her. ’Oh my god, don’t be such a pussy. Stop wallowing in all of that shit, and before you know it, you won’t smell it anymore.’ Lyssa had quite the way with words, and it never failed to entertain her.
’You’re overthinking it again.’
While she had looked a little down for a few brief moments, Isabelle eventually snickered, shaking her head. Stepping into the facility, she looked back and up at Iron with a slight smile after thanking him for holding the door open. ”Okay, fair enough. While we’re at it though- You need to lighten up a little more, okay? I promise I won’t force you to do anything like this again, but I hope you’ll just do it because you want to.” She started making her way for the front desk, beckoning him with a gesture of her hand. ”Now let’s have some fun.”
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Iron spots Isabelle’s change in expression, and he’s pretty sure that it wasn’t a good one either. While he does feel a miniscule amount of regret for saying all of that to the girl, in the end, Iron crushes it since his honesty would be better for the faunus’ growth instead of lying and letting her be complacent. Iron didn’t really care for the brief moment of quiet they had after his response, being rather unsurprised when Isabelle seems to have gotten her act together and moved into the stadium.
With a quiet “You’re welcome”, Iron considers what the leader had said to him, especially about ‘lightening up a little more’. Well, consider would be the wrong word since it’s more likely to be an afterthought that Iron would not pay attention to. However, like he had said before, Iron would humor Isabelle for her sake. With that conclusion in mind, and not really caring to respond with an answer, Iron makes his way to the receptionist’s desk. Swiftly pulling out his scroll and bringing the facility’s app out, the familiar receptionist quickly inputs information into the computer in front of her before looking back up towards Iron with a professional smile.
”Welcome back Mr. Silvarious. Here to partake in fencing again?”
”Not today. Is the archery range open?” With a nod from the receptionist, Iron moves pass the desk and through the doors to reveal with inner parts of the facility.
Through the open doors, one would be met with a large stadium that houses an indoor track and field. It was very well maintained, with the stadium walls being adorned with various promotions of equipment, events, and even miscellaneous items like brand-name water. In the middle of the indoor field is various sections of different activities for what seems to be gymnastics and fencing. Looking towards the left of the track and field, there would be normal equipment for exercise, and moving deeper into the facility would reveal that there is private rooms to practice for some of the events hosted at the stadium. Off to right is an open archery range with the targets and shooting line properly spaced out and marked. Opposite of the two huntsman-in-training, there is equipment mounted to the wall that can be pulled off for use in the stadium.
Iron makes his way towards the equipment and starts to take off one of the recurve bows the two will be using. They seemed rather expensive with the rather pretty polish and how it had the additional attachments for competition such as sights and the center stabilizer. As he was taking the bow down, Iron frowns as he seems to be forgetting something. Soon after, the frown deepens even further as he seems to have remembered what he had forgotten! Iron puts the bow down as he quickly removes his lab coat to put on the chest guard and forearm brace over the rather tight sweater he had on. After that, he would quickly grab an extra of each and tossed them towards Isabelle, then gesturing towards one of the bows to see which one she’d be comfortable with.
”You’re familiar with the rules, correct?”
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Isabelle stood idly beside him as he spoke with the woman behind the counter, curiously peering around the facility. It seemed much bigger from the inside than on the outside, that much was certain. All the while, she still felt her mind nagging at her with those bad thoughts, but she was in a decent enough mood to push them deep down where they belonged. The shorter girl waited with her hands behind her back until he started to walk again, following him to the archery range.
When they finally arrived at their destination, Belle was eager to take a look at the tools they'd be using. After taking the gear that he tossed her and fastening it onto herself, she skipped over to the equipment. Had she known that they would be doing this today, she would have most certainly brought her own bow. Overconfidence was a feeling that she almost never had, but when it came to her ability to hit a target with her own weapon, Isabelle was definitely a little too sure of herself. However, when she inspected the bows on the rack, she couldn't help but feel a tad bit out of place. One by one, she would pick a bow and test it out, pulling the string back before slowly returning it to its neutral position. As she did so, Isabelle responded with a shrug. "Can't say I know them for sure, but I imagine it's mostly common sense. Don't point at people and be careful. Anything else?" She continued along with inspecting a few different bows before finally settling on the one that felt most similar to her own. It wasn't exact, but a few arrows would probably be enough for her to calibrate her shooting.
"I never spent a lot of time in ranges like this. Most of my practice was either at school, or the woods near my old home." A little smile came to the catgirl's face, looking down at her feet as she recalled one of the few fond memories of that place. "I definitely don't do this anymore, but... I used to practice on small game before I moved into the city. Looking back on it, that was... a little messed up. I couldn't do a whole lot with the things I shot, and my mom hated when I brought anything home. I'm much better off killing Grimm than rabbits and squirrels anyway." Returning her gaze to Iron, she noticed his sudden lack of a lab coat. It wasn't often that she saw him without it, so it caught her off guard a little, but she didn't mention it.
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”Of course, those are the common sense rules. I was referring to more competitive rules in term of archery, albeit however little there are.”
As Iron clarifies himself, he also gestures towards the targets that sport multiple colors representing the point values, as if it was used for actual competition before. ”In the case that you are not familiar with the rules,” and Iron didn’t particularly cared if she knew or not, ”A good refresher would be nice to get ourselves familiar with the activity.” Iron picks up the waist quiver with arrows as he starts to make his way over towards the shooting line. While doing so, Iron rolls up the sleeve on his right arm to reveal the toned yet scarred arm. He starts to extend and retract his arm to see if it retained flexibility before lining up with his left side facing the target.
”To state the obvious, which I hope you didn’t need since you’re familiar yourself, the goal is to fire all the arrows as close to the center as possible.” Iron begins to shuffle around on his spot in order to prepare himself for the shots ahead of him. ”There will be a signal for you to raise the bowarm and then fire the arrow before the countdown is over, then lower the bowarm with the next arrow ready. Thankfully, the range is outfitted so that a program would handle the signalling for an official proctor. Simple enough?” Iron pulls out his scroll and places it somewhere safe nearby, brining the app up and connecting it to their part of the range so that they can start with the activity.
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It was at that point that the faunus took note of the scars on his bare arm- Not a very alarming sight, but a surprise nonetheless. She quickly moved on from that with little thought, continuing to prep herself while confirming his brief line of questioning. "Yep. That's about what I had in mind." Isabelle placed her bow down to stretch for a couple seconds before grabbing it, testing the tension in the string yet again to familiarize herself with it. After getting her own arrow quiver ready, she gave a quick overall double-check. Everything seemed to be in order, as far as she could tell. A little eager to see his archery talents, she turned to give him a smile and nod. "Ready when you are."
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”Then let’s begin.”
Iron starts the program and tosses his scroll to the side, listening to the familiar voice that was common during his time in competition. He closes his eyes, breathing in and out as he listens to the countdown… The familiar sound of the starting signal rings out as Iron opens his eyes once more. His muscles move in familiar ways as the bow went up and began to pull the string back, eying the target and the path the arrow should travel. With the string at the anchor point on his face, Iron made sure to keep his arm straight and the pulling arm bent correctly. The sound of the countdown began once again, with Iron instantly letting loose the arrow. With a loud thud from the arrow’s impact, Iron looks at the target again as it seems he had gotten 8 points.
’Hm. Slightly rusty.’
With that, Iron would look towards Isabelle as he eyes her form as she lines up the shot. It seemed very analytical as Iron looked at all the minute details of the leader’s usage of the bow, as if Iron was judging or even learning from the faunus. Then again, no one would know since Iron doesn’t really do expressions very well and only has an intense look of concentration focussed on Isabelle.
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Isabelle readied her own bow, nocking the arrow on the string and getting into a stance. She let Iron take the shot first, taking note as he let it fly and sunk the arrow right into the eight-point line. After hearing about his experience, she knew he would be good, but it was still rather impressive for someone who seemingly hadn't done this in a long while.
The faunus didn't wait long after he went. Pulling the bowstring back, Belle carefully lined up her shot with the assumed arc that the bow would fire at. A few moments passed and she let out a deep exhale before releasing the arrow, shaft zipping through the air until it pierced the target in the seven-point line. Likely not even a kill shot. Her tongue pushed at the inside of her cheek as she frowned, quite annoyed with her lower score. She had spent so much time practicing with her own weapon that she had miscalculated this shot, even while knowing that such a thing would probably happen.
"Hmm... Again." That was all the girl said as she drew another arrow from her quiver, a somewhat more serious look on her face compared to ten seconds prior. Now that she had a better idea of what to expect from the bow, she could only hope that lining up the next few would be easier. Being outdone at the one thing she was good at would be rather embarrassing.
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Hm. The girl’s form was perfect, though it seems it had wavered since she only hit the 7-point ring. Most likely due to the lack of familiarity with the bow compared to her own, but regardless, the stance seems flawless in Iron’s eyes. With a smirk, Iron could only respond with an “of course” as the program starts to countdown once more.
Iron quickly fell into routine, breathing in and out until the drawing signal rang out once more. Again, his body moves in a familiar way. Extend. Anchor point. Release. The arrow follows its path as it hits the 9 point line this time, though it was close to being 8 points again instead.
”Used to your bow yet?”
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The young woman leaned forward as she watched his next arrow go, her hands and bow resting on the small countertop that stood between her and the archery range. She smiled a little as she saw his next shot land, unsurprisingly better than the last. It would be a lie to say that he wasn’t impressing her, as competitive as she had been starting to feel. Trying to keep in mind that this was more about having fun than anything else, she simply shrugged and readied her own arrow.
”Ah, I think. Let’s see.” Keeping the somewhat different trajectory in mind, she lifted her arms, pulled the string back and shot again. The arrowhead sunk into the target not a second later, a perfectly even nine points.
Her grin widened, giving a small pump of her fist and a cheery hum to celebrate the more well-placed shot. ”Much better, eh?” she said, looking up at her teammate with that amused expression.
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”Indeed. Now that I think about it, I must commend you for your bow skills. I’m sure I never made my praise clear whenever we worked together in combat scenarios.”
It wasn’t too unusual for Iron to compliment someone, but it wasn’t common either. In any circumstance, Iron feels a little weird about doing so, but that’s probably just because he’s trying his best to follow his leader’s suggestion to a certain extent. The draw signal rings out clear again, which leads to Iron setting up the shot once more for it to land true on the target.
X-10.
Iron knows he can hit the 10 ring, but hitting the dead center circle is rather rare for him. Iron gives a little smirk to Isabelle before time quickly started to pass in a rather comfortable silence between the two (in Iron’s opinion anyways).
Buzz
Thud
8.
It repeats again.
9. 8. 7. 8. 7. 8.
At his last shot, Iron knew something was off, but he wasn’t sure what. It was just the feeling he got from his stance. He never truly realized what was wrong until the arrow was let loose. Cursing under his breath, Iron starts to extend and contract his arms as it seems that his bow arm wasn't straight, and his other arm was too high. He didn’t even need to look at the target because he knew that the shot was bad. Unsurprisingly, the shot was bad and it landed in the 5 ring.
Then, Iron patiently waits for Isabelle to finish up her last few shots for the round and sort of appreciates her form.
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”... Oh. Thank you.” Isabelle seemed a little surprised by his compliment. It definitely wasn’t everyday that he said something kind, let alone about her. Rather than rubbing it in his face, she left it at that. After all, she would like to see him open up like that more often. Similarly, she didn’t gloat any further about her own shooting, even with how good it felt when the next arrow she released scored a perfect 10. Noticing that he had done the same, the girl figured it would only be proper to return the praise. ”I could certainly say the same about you, Iron.”
Trying to retain her focus, Isabelle said nothing more. The repetitive periodic sound of the buzzer was only interrupted by the noises of arrows being released, flying and landing on the target. Again and again. It had initially been a rocky start, but as she fell into the rhythm, Isabelle’s true prowess with the bow would begin to reveal itself.
9. 10. 10. 10. Then an 8, a little bit of a slip-up, one that was quickly adjusted for and corrected. 10. 9.
By her last arrow, the bullseye of the target was loaded with arrows, hardly visible any longer. The final shot landed in the 9 zone, not far from the center.
The vast majority of the Isabelle’s training in the last few years had been spent hitting fast and mobile targets. Along with that, a bow was only truly effective on Grimm when the arrowhead struck them right in the skull. She had to be exceptional in order for it to be practical on the battlefield. Needless to say, a stationary target at a set distance was like a walk in the park compared to hitting the eyeball of a Beowolf.
None of those thoughts left the girl’s head, of course. Despite her well-placed shots, she didn’t feel or act very smug, simply looking over at Iron with a somewhat meek smile. ”I kinda wish I had my own bow, but... that was fun.”
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Iron pauses a bit, watching his score get demolished. It’s fine however, since it’s supposed to be a simple recreational activity. Plus, if he remembers correctly, his leader has done this for longer than he has, even making it practical for usage on Grimm. Not only that, but getting worked up over what’s supposed to be friendly competition was a waste of time. With that in mind, Iron gives a polite smile to Isabelle as he starts to retrieve the arrows from the targets safely.
Making his way back to his leader and handing her arrows back, Iron could only reveal a competitive smirk. ”Of course, so why not do a few more?”
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”Yeah, alright. I can do a few more.” They hadn’t heard anything from Lucina yet, so presumably they had some time to kill. Carefully taking her retrieved arrows from Iron, the faunus politely thanked him before sliding them back into the quiver with the exception of one. Nocking the arrow on her bowstring, she waited for the buzzer to go off again.
When we’re done here, I do wanna hit the mall. Still feel like tagging along?” she asked with a slight grin. Belle was under the assumption that he would, but she no longer had any desire to force him to join her.
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”Well, I believe I don’t have anything to do after this, so I’ll follow along until something else requires my attention.” Iron sounded slightly more accepting of team bonding activities, though there was still some sort of displeasure evident. Otherwise however, the two would have idle chit-chat as they continue to use the range for the next half hour or so
With the half hour up, Iron picked up his scroll and put it away. As he retrieves his arrows, Iron notes that the stadium is now a lot more busy with people using it to practice and work out. Also grabbing Isabelle’s arrows, Iron starts to move to put away their equipment while gesturing his leader to follow along. Arriving at the lockers, Iron began to put his equipment away and put his lab coat back on. With everything returned to where they were, Iron turns to Isabelle to grab her bow.
While doing so, Iron notices a few fellows glaring at his faunus leader, almost seem like they’re getting ready for some form of hostile action. With a scoff at their stupidity, Iron would coldly glare at them in return, making them turn away in fear. Some people that were spying the interaction seemed to be impressed by what looks to be Iron’s “protectiveness”. To be more accurate, Iron is simply just fulfilling his obligation to the girl. Not only that, but his previous run in with those same fellows ended up with him demonstrating why exactly Iron is a particularly dangerous individual. Iron had no time for foolish people.
With that, Iron’s gaze returned to Isabelle as he waits for her to handover the archery equipment.
-
Over the course of the half hour, Isabelle's focus and precision only improved, the girl landing 10 after 10 once she was in the zone. She had hardly noticed the increase in people around them until after they were done, her eyes beginning to wander the room as they made their way towards the lockers. It was hard for her to avoid wondering how many of the people around them had been watching her. A slight feeling of anxiety came over her, even while she was fully aware that she had been giving it her all. That probably wouldn't stop any particularly judgmental people from looking down upon her... and as her gaze fell on one small group of individuals, those feelings of doubt were immediately validated.
Hateful stares. Mildly threatening stances, as if prepared to step toward her at any moment. They weren't there to watch, they wanted to do something. She was positive. These kinds of encounters were not new to her, but it still made her sick to her stomach. A bit of prejudice towards faunus was one thing she could handle, but these fellows were clearly beyond that. She could see it in their putrid, glaring faces. Pure contempt. What was their plan? Would they follow her, or maybe make a scene right here? Would they berate her, or even try to harm her? Isabelle's awareness of her surroundings began to dissipate as she fixated solely on them, her perception of time nearly halting while an unreasonable amount of resentment began to boil within her.
It had been so long, but the memories were fresh in her mind. The looks on their faces brought her back. Back in those days, she was powerless to stop punks like these. As for right now, with hatred clouding her judgement, she couldn't help but want them to make a move. Her performance today had given her a surge of confidence, one that currently fueled her pent-up anger. She wished for an excuse to let her beat these imbeciles. Her semblance would take any one of them to the ground in an instant. She wanted to. She could be driving her knuckles into one of their faces before they would have the time to fucking blink. They deserved it, too.
The moment they turned away, Isabelle snapped out of it just as quickly. Her eyes shut and open once, then twice, suddenly aware of her heart racing as she stood there with her empty hand balled into a fist, entirely frozen in place. 'What is wrong with me?' Iron would likely see Belle's expression switch over from seething rage to minor shock as she absentmindedly handed the bow and equipment over to him. Surely, he had never seen her look as furious as she had in that brief moment. The faunus soon closed her eyes and shook her head, quietly mumbling, "Let's get out of here." A few minutes ago she was happy, and now she just felt disappointed in herself. She had thought about attacking them, and they didn't even take a single step in her direction. In her eyes, she wasn't much better. It hadn't occurred to the girl that her teammate had scared them off, and that Iron was likely the one responsible for avoiding such a confrontation. She was too flustered to even wonder why they turned away. For now, Isabelle was hung up on her shame and stupidity, starting to saunter off.
-
Watching Isabelle’s face contort into raw rage was rather impressive for Iron to see. He knew she had some bite, but that pure unadulterated hatred bumped up his respect just a smidge amount. Not only that but his fine leader also managed to reign in her emotions to avoid unnecessary conflict. Usually Iron wouldn’t extend any favors to his colleagues, but he does feel particularly informative at the moment. As Iron puts all the equipment away, he searches some of the pockets inside of the lab coat, bringing out two nice looking gloves that he quickly put on. Immediately, Iron flexes his hand as the familiar sound of electricity quietly cackles throughout the glove.
Surely, Isabelle wouldn’t mind if Iron took a little detour.
Following after the faunus as if he was a subordinate, Iron would quickly move away from Isabelle when they were close to the rather racist group. Any sound of fear or begging was cut short by a loud and sharp sound of pain as Iron put enough volts into their body to take them down for a few minutes. After all, Iron deems it fit that he should be the one to remind them of their foolishness. His cruel grin was rather obvious as he leaves their somewhat crippled forms behind, with any other bystanders just simply moving away (after all they’re used to things like this).
Catching up to Isabelle who was about to leave the stadium, Iron sent a direct stare to the desk attendant reminding her of his status. With a frown - albeit professional - the desk attendant simply looks away from the incident Iron had caused. In a swift and polite manner, Iron overtakes Isabelle to open the door for her.
”Do not mind those fools, they’re ants that do not know better.” Iron’s cruel smile is still evident until he quickly wipes it away for the sake of his leader. It’s now much more stoic and polite. ”Well glorious leader, would any mall do or do you have one in mind?”
-
The first peculiar sound behind Isabelle was ignored, the powering up of his gloves not noteworthy enough to encourage her to look back. Really, her mind was having a hard time paying attention to her surroundings in general, still in a slight daze from her seeing red moments ago. She had put a good amount of distance between herself and the punks when their sudden yelps hit her ears, finally bringing her to glance back. The first thing that Isabelle witnessed was them on the ground and in pain, much like how she had fantasized. The culprit was none other than her own teammate, wearing a smile bigger than any she had seen on his face.
Was it wrong? Probably. But she knew she couldn’t fault him for it, considering that she had thought about doing something very similar. If anything, his methods were more humane than tackling them and pummeling their faces in. But more than anything, the scene before her was simply hilarious. Her unsure feelings on the matter had mostly faded by the time they stepped outside, and while she had looked rather neutral up until that point, she finally let it out.
Isabelle bent over slightly and clutched her abdomen as she laughed wildly, nearly bringing herself to tears. She felt a mix of emotions, but Iron’s gesture had more than improved her poor mood. Yet again, he was seeing another unfamiliar side to her. It took a good while for her to settle down again, taking some deep breaths and shaking her head. ”Oh, god…” she said with a chuckle, carefully wiping the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, ”... that was…” Another short laugh cut her off, serving well as a summary of her thoughts on the matter.
”Thank you,” Isabelle added with sincerity in her voice, looking up at her teammate with a face that was still quite red. ”I think that made my week.” Aware that he was still waiting on an answer to his question, she quickly followed it up. ”Uh, any mall will do. Whichever one is closest.”
-
Iron smirks at the rather surprising amount of cruelty hidden within the faunus in front of him. Though surprising, it still pleases Iron nonetheless. With a flick of the wrist, lightning no longer runs through his gloves as he proceeds to effortlessly take them off and return them to their spot within his coat. While doing so, Iron starts to move in the direction towards the mall he frequents. Once again stopping, Iron turns his head to look back at Isabelle with a blank stare, especially since he was supposed to have responded earlier when he made his way next to his leader’s side.
”You’re welcome, and do keep up while we make our way over there.” With that, Iron’s gaze returns to the direction he’s moving in, with a rather nonchalant manner as well. Presumably when the girl catches up, Iron felt the need to make a comment or two, ”Your control of your emotions was slightly impressive by the way, though it could use some work. Much better than some of our other teammates however.”
-
The short faunus quickened her pace for a moment to catch up with Iron, beginning to walk beside him. While she appreciated any compliment, his was a peculiar one in her eyes. ”Hmm, you think so? I don’t. I… did want to hurt them. Well, you know, before you actually did.” Isabelle snickered a little. After seeing it happen, she didn’t have any sympathy for the punks he had zapped. Still, the amount of anger that she had felt in that moment was unreasonable and immature. It would be best not to dwell on it; the thought of their expressions alone was enough to annoy her. Shoving those negative feelings to the back of her mind, Isabelle focused on the present, trying to think of places to visit at the mall.
-
”Now that we planned for the mall, might I ask what you plan for?” Iron didn’t really have a plan, though picking up more supplies would be nice. It also surprised Iron that he’s actually taking the time to try and extend the conversation. Maybe Isabelle’s insistence on relaxing is making an effect on him.
Iron also happened to realize he completely missed on responding to what Isabelle had said, so he might as well add on to what he said before while he’s at it, in the same generic and monotone voice as before.
”You were excellent, since you held back your anger for a more opportune time.”
-
Isabelle certainly took his words into consideration, but she didn’t say anything in response. With his plain tone, it was difficult to tell if he was being honest or simply saying it to make her feel better. The latter wasn’t very like him, but she also didn’t feel confident that what he said was the truth. Once more, she tried to forcefully revert her attention to their plans.
”Uhm… I know I want to buy some new clothes, maybe a pair of shoes. I’m also a little hungry now, so we could grab a bite to eat.” Other than that, Isabelle didn’t have a whole lot planned. He would probably be bored by the idea of just shopping for clothing, or at least she assumed so. ”But hey, we can wander around and look for other stuff too. The malls I visit usually have a new store or two every time I go. Oh, and Lucina might want to meet up by the time we get there.”
-
While Iron listens to what Isabelle seeks to obtain from their expedition to the mall, Iron also took the time to go over any materials he wants to pick up himself. He verbally agrees with Isabelle on getting clothing with a grunt, as it’s necessary for some further integration for combat. On the other hand, it would be a good idea for him to look into additional alternatives for his projects and testing.
Again, Iron seems very non committal about their current plans, and seems to be more focused on how to get by for the rest of the day. Hopefully it passes by without an excessive amount of boredom.
After some amount of time of idle chit-chat with a mix of peace and quiet, Iron and his leader finally arrive at the rather elegant mall. Opening one of the many doors at the entrance and shuffling Isabelle through it, the two finally find themselves in the rather large mall that’s filled to the brim with all sorts of people.
Quickly taking his place by Isabelle’s side and looking at all the stores around them, Iron looks at the faunus with a questioning gaze. ”You said Lucina will be here?” Iron frowns as he realizes how large scale the mall is, ”I hope we don’t have to attempt and find her. That would be less than pleasing.”
-
Isabelle shrugged as she peered around the building, then taking a quick glance at her scroll before stuffing it back into her pocket. ”I don’t know if she’s here yet. I’ll tell her to meet us somewhere in a little bit. In the meantime...” the faunus looked back up at the taller male, returning his curious look. ”Where should we go first?”
The vast mall stretched out for as far as she could see, small shops and well-known retailers lining the long, massive corridor that they stood in. The populated crowd that moved through the place gave Isabelle the slightest bit of nerves, but from the looks of it, she didn’t know any of these people. ’Good.’ A ways down, there were two particularly large sections on either side of them that would draw her gaze. On the right, a dimly-lit yet spacious room with tall glass windows, game cabinets lining the walls and neon signs advertising the coolest new arcade attractions. Her eyes quickly passed over it, her interest rapidly declining. And then on the left, one of the big department store chains, likely carrying every piece of trendy clothing in Vale. Isabelle didn’t have much of a taste for fashion, but it was certainly more practical to shop there rather than playing video games. Of course, there was also the food court on the far end of the path, though they would have to travel past a number of stores to get there anyway. While she was leaning towards starting with that clothing store, she had asked Iron first. The girl looked back up at him once more, awaiting his recommendation.
-
Iron gives an intense gaze at the arcade on their right. In fact it was so intense that it seemed like he was tempted to bring it up for the day. However, it softens as Iron decides to keep his leader’s interest in mind. Looking back, Iron realizes that his leader had been watching him when he was staring at the arcade. His face quickly reddens as he coughs into his fist to regain composure. Killing any sign of embarrassment, Iron returns to a more blank expression.
”You’ve stated that you needed clothes? I suppose we can begin there, perhaps picking up some items myself.” In contrast to the more expressive side of Iron shown before, his voice is now much more monotone, almost as if he was trying to divert attention away from his little situation. Plus, it’s not like he’s lying either, since Iron had been looking towards investing in more clothes for formal and combat reasons.
-
The faunus blinked a couple of times as she looked up at her teammate, a curious look on her face. She didn’t need to turn forward to tell where he was staring. Was the arcade really that interesting? Isabelle didn’t quite get it, but she held off on judging him for his tastes. To someone like her, who spent half of their life in the middle of some backwoods village surrounded by nothing but trees and dirt, video games were an enigma. Even her scroll, which was relatively simple, had taken her a while to decipher. Regardless of how little she understood tech, she knew that it had a certain appeal to some people, gaming in particular. Judging by the fixated look on his face, Iron just might have been one of those people.
Upon his looking down at her and brief act of embarrassment, the girl turned away, pretending as if she didn’t really notice. Isabelle had never seen him red like that, but she knew exactly how that felt. Rather than press him on it and tease him, she simply nodded in response to his answer and started off in the direction of the large clothing store. Along the way, however, it kept pulling at her mind. Today was supposed to strengthen their bond, and what would work better than involving herself in one of his interests? Whether he had intended it or not, Iron had done her the same favor by taking her out to archery practice. A little detour to the arcade at some point wouldn’t kill her, even if she would have to subject herself to failing at video games.
As the two walked amongst the dense crowd of the mall, Isabelle briefly looked up at her teammate again. ”... Do you wanna go to the arcade next?” Immediately, she realized that there could have been many smoother ways to approach that subject. It was probably a little rude to jump to that conclusion so quickly. Needless to say, Isabelle was not much of a wordsmith.
-
Iron followed along Isabelle when they made their way towards the clothing store, rather glad it seemed like she didn’t noticed. For a normal person anyways. Iron has a vague idea that Isabelle did notice and she’s just pretending not to. Normally, Iron wouldn’t care too much, but he has a reputation to uphol- Iron starts coughing in a harsh manner in surprise as it was done in a rather blunt manner. Especially since it wasn’t an interest he was seeking to share with his team leader.
”I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Iron began to deflect Isabelle’s rather blunt invitation, even though it was done in an obvious conflict of interest. He was interested in attending the arcade yes, but he also wanted to appease Isabelle so that they can be done for the rest of the day. Not only that, but when Lucina would join, it would make the day far too interesting for his tastes should they make their way to the arcade.
-
Isabelle’s eyes narrowed as she heard that peculiar response. ”Do you… not know what an arcade is?” She already knew the answer to that question, of course, but his sudden jump to denial had confused her. The fact that he didn’t just say “No”, or any other ambiguous response, totally confirmed her suspicions. It was incredibly obvious that he was trying to pretend like she was wrong, and she hadn’t even said it aloud yet.
”... Look, I’m not going to judge you if you wanna check the place out. It’s super normal to play video games. Luce does it, like, all the time.” Now that she thought about it, he probably wouldn’t like being compared to Lucina at all... She paused for a moment, but made sure to get another word in before he could shut her down again. ”Besides, it’ll be fun anyway. I want to go.”
That last part was kind of a lie. But today was about having an enjoyable time together, and she wouldn’t be a very good teammate or friend if she didn’t at least try to take part in an activity he enjoyed. While he was clearly trying to pretend like he wasn’t interested, she knew better. Isabelle now had in her grasp what she could only hope was the key to seeing him have fun, and she wasn’t going to let that opportunity slip by so easily.
-
Iron seems to be a lot more frustrated. A slightly reddening face, the rather small movement of his mouth turning into an angry frown. It was very obvious for a second until it seems to return to much more of a neutral feeling. Iron would not show his face as he quickly turns his head away from Isabelle - especially after being compared to Lucina - as a surprisingly soft voice comes out of Iron. ”...Alright. If you want to.” It seems that Isabelle’s determination has returned to bite back at Iron, and it left Iron with some conflicting feelings about the whole situation again.
However, Iron would not make that obvious as it seems that his face returned to a blank expression once more when he turned back to Isabelle. ”Well, let’s make our way to shop for clothes, then I suppose Lucina can catch up with us later.” While Isabelle was leading before, Iron would start to lead the way himself into the clothing store, even physically dragging her along as if he wanted to get this over with. Especially since Iron can hang out in the arcade for the bit, but mostly to be done with everything.
-
Isabelle had no desire to act rude or judgmental, but upon seeing that expression on his face, one that he had never made before, she couldn't help but let out a chuckle. After all of this time of never knowing what he was thinking, it turned out that Iron was a little easier to read than she had previously assumed. That was until he turned his head in the opposite direction, leaving the faunus a little curious. Either way, she had been given the answer she had been looking for, which brought a triumphant smile to her face.
"Good! ... Uh, we can-" Suddenly cut off by him lightly tugging her along by the hand, Isabelle stumbled a little before catching up with his pace. While initially it had caught her off guard, she laughed again only a moment later. Maybe he didn't want to be here, but she found herself having fun. That wasn't something she could say too often, with the many stress factors within her life that fought against that.
Dragged into one of the bigger stores of the mall, Isabelle peered around its large interior, the first thing she noticed being the large signs indicating all of the different sections. Men's, Women's, Children, Travel, etcetera. Realizing a sudden dilemma the shorter girl tugged back on Iron to get his attention. "So... Should we split up, or...?" They could certainly stick together and go wherever they needed, though traveling individually and then meeting back up would work just as easily.
-
This whole day has Iron off his guard, and Isabelle’s laughter and amusement is not making any better. Though, he supposes that it is sort of pleasant to the ears compared to how they interacted before. That’s only a minor benefit since he’s still in a pretty bad situation for the rest of the day. Looking back to the faunus and back forwards in the direction he’s moving, Iron found himself inside the store, noting the very same sections that Isabelle had saw. Some of the outfits already seemed gaudy and excessive, but he supposes that Isabelle would want to take part in some of those.
Having not let go of Isabelle’s hand when she tugged back, Iron would think to himself. Although it’d be easier, Iron really didn’t feel like splitting up to give himself false hope that today will be over, so it would be better to just stick together to get what they need. Plus, there’s an opportunity to be had. ”We’ll stick together. It’ll be simpler that way and the item management would be feasible.” Looking at the sections, Iron would look back to the girl with a teasing smirk, ”I suppose you’d want to go to the children’s section?” A dig at his leader’s height would be too bad, and it’ll voice his displeasure in a way. Or maybe it’s just amusing to do so. Who knows what goes on in Iron’s head.
-
"Perhaps she would, maybe she'd find something her size." A strict yet sultry voice said, approaching the duo with a katana on her hip and a few bags in her hands. She was, of course, their teammate, Ayaka. "I jest of course."
Coming from her own shopping, Ayaka found the two wandering about and decided to make herself known. Wearing an asymmetrically-folded jacket, a brown flat-cap, shades hanging off a chest pocket, and her signature pants, cut high on the left thigh, Ayaka looked quite fashionable despite her rough cut clothes. Remnants of a face mask seemed to be peeking out of a jacket pocket too.
She declined the invitation beforehand because she needed to prioritize a certain sale. One that she'd rather not let be known. Of course, she couldn't just ignore her team when she saw them, all she needed to do was keep a certain thing hidden in the inconspicuous black bag that she held. Subconsciously moving the bag out of sight she offered a small nod, at both the team leader and the rare sight that was Iron. Perhaps he finally decided to climb out of whatever hole he'd have been hiding in the past few weeks.
"I'm sorry, I had to prioritize something earlier so I couldn't meet up. I may be heading back soon, though." Ayaka stated in a calm manner, clearing her throat as a tiny tinge of red tinted her ears. That particular thing, as it turned out, was a sale on a certain limited edition doll she had been eyeing the past few months. Professionally made and quite popular because of the show it came from. Ayaka, however, only cared about the outward appearance. She couldn't find the time to watch something as childish as a cartoon in front of her team. "I see Iron is alive. Are you two...on a date perhaps?"
Fortunately the sale was on the other side of the mall, though she hoped the two wouldn't pry on what she bought.
-
Any and all amusement slowly drained from Isabelle's expression as she heard Iron's jab at her height. Her blue eyes locked onto his, and she gave him an intense glare. It didn't contain the same irrational hatred as the look she had made towards the group of punks earlier that day, but he could most definitely see a hint of her cruel side. She didn't want to be offended, as he was clearly just messing with her, but she couldn't lie to herself. It made her feel bad. But rather than dwell on those feelings, Belle turned her head away and huffed out of annoyance. Don't let it get to you, she repeated in her mind.
"Shut up, nerd." It was a shame that she couldn't think of any better insults than that for him, especially given how eccentric he could be. That would have to do for now.
As if one person mocking her wasn't enough, she heard Ayaka chime in from behind, making her grit her teeth as her cat ears folded flat. Her teammates presence wouldn't have been unwelcome, but it was a rude greeting to say the least. All of a sudden, it felt like Isabelle was the one that didn't want to be there. "Oh, hello Ayaka," she said at a louder volume than normal, her tone dripping with sarcasm. The faunus turned to face her other teammate with that unamused expression still on her face. Unfortunately for the other woman, Isabelle took note of the subtle way she moved that bag out of their view, along with her unusual body language; she didn't look as confident or aloof today. 'Odd...' Belle wasn't exceptional when it came to social awareness, but she knew a thing or two about hiding stuff from people. Calling her out on it as a potential way of retaliation had been her plan, but that quickly got sidetracked when her teammate posed a question.
"D... Date?" Isabelle could feel her cheeks flushing red immediately. A quick tug of her arm pulled her hand out of Iron's, and it returned behind her back to clasp with her other hand. Of course they weren't on a date, but she could easily see how it had been interpreted that way. Yeah, she had just about reached the point where she wanted to crawl into a hole and die there. "No, we are not."
She felt a need to get the attention off of her, regardless of how little the other two may have cared. That brought her back to her previous train of thought from before the soul-crushing embarrassment. "... What's in the bag, Ayaka? Did you decide to buy real pants for once?" The girl knew it was a lame insult the moment she said it. She didn't even dislike her pants! They were very nice to look at! But she couldn't let herself be mocked without some sort of response, especially not from these two of all people.
-
The rather weak insult was ignored in favor of the appearance of his teammate. ”Mmm. Good to see you Ayaka.” Iron had sent out a rather cordial greeting, but there was a level of smug underlying the greeting. ”Are you jealous? I suppose you would be, though I must wonder who’d you be jealous of..” If the smug in his voice wasn’t obvious before, it’s distinctly obvious now since Iron is deadset on teasing both of them regardless of the dignity he’s going to lose today. Iron would proceed to sigh and continue with his teasing. ”I mean, after all, Isabelle is such a lovely lady, and I myself am quite the gentleman.” While amusing as of right now, future Iron would be full of regret at his rather undignifying actions, but that’s for another time.
However… Iron would sharply turn to Isabelle with a face full of false hurt from her response, one that looks real enough to suit his desires of teasing the faunus. ”Oh? I thought we were on a date! It seems all my planning was for naught, how cruel.” Iron played out the hurt victim perfectly. The heartbroken expression, the slight shuffling of feet in awkwardness, hell, even the slightest movement of his hands to show the feeling of hurt! While doing so however, Iron would eye Ayaka to see what made her so… un-Ayaka. After all, if he’s committing to the all-in, might as well try his best.
Iron wish he could make up an excuse about how this is all for information gathering and realistic reasons, but that’d be wrong.
-
"It's nothing important." Ayaka quickly replied, nonchalantly lifting the bag, "Just a bundle of fabric and whatnot."An adorable bundle of fabric. She thought, quickly moving the bag out of grabbing distance.
"I've been thinking of improving my combat attire, as well as some casual apparel." Did that sound normal enough? Best to just change the subject, and luckily enough Iron took the bait.
Unable to resist a groan at his claim of jealously Ayaka sniffed, "I feel no such thing nor do I feel the need to participate in such fruitless excursions for the sake of vague romantic attractions." Who needed relationships anyways? True, Isabelle and Iron weren't on the unattractive side of the spectrum but Ayaka had always seen them as allies at the very least.
The red tinge spread slightly to her cheeks, tinting them a healthy pink as she entertained other thoughts despite her stony expression. She'd be lying if she said she didn't ever think about dating, but that was not on her immediate concerns as of late.
Wait...did she just fall for her own diversion?
She cleared her throat once more, wondering if she needed water, and said, "So, considering Iron's so out-of-character performance, I'm guessing Isabelle was right. What do you plan on doing next, though? If you're planning on buying stuff for the dorm I guess I could assist. If not, I'll be one my way if you two want to be alone again."
Maybe she should buy some other stuff to cover up her initial purchase. It was another matter altogether to hide the damned doll later...Claim it a gift for a relative? Maybe? Anyways, whatever choice they made she had to get her story in order.
-
The answer that Ayaka provided Isabelle with was strange at best, but there wasn't much she could do other than give a doubtful "Mhmm," and leave it at that. Iron's unusual display soon took up most of her attention, making the girl raise an eyebrow.
Honestly, it just seemed like a joke. Him calling her a 'lovely lady' had her certain of that, at least for a few moments. But as she watched him fidget in place, part of her had to wonder if there was a possibility that he wasn't messing with her, and that he had actually believed that something was going on here. Whatever that thing was, she didn't even know, but that brief moment of considering it was enough to set the girl into a panic. Could she really be on a date and not realize it?
'... No, you idiot.' The perpetual blush on her face deepened, but she quickly shook her head. Nope. There was no way he was being serious. It was just so outside of his usual behavior that it had caught her off-guard. She should have been glad that he was loosening up a little, but apparently that just meant he was going to start teasing her relentlessly. Talk about a plan backfiring.
"That's not funny," the short faunus scolded Iron with a serious look on her face, most likely failing to intimidate or concern him at all. "I don't know why I even want to hang out with you jerks." Despite the annoyed look on her face, she didn't truly mean that; it probably still beat hanging out with her bitch of a sister.
-
Well. Iron’s ruse had been easily revealed, though he wasn’t too surprised that it was. Deciding to finally stop acting like a lovesick dolt, Iron returns to his blank expression to properly converse with the two. However, it quickly returned to something out of character for him as Iron would bring up the hand that held Isabelle’s hand close to his face. Flexing it open and close as if considering something, Iron would intensely concentrate on the feelings he had gotten. Almost under his breath, Iron would voice his forbidden thoughts instead of continuing any form of normal conversation.
”Hm… how delicate.”
Without context, it sounds extremely strange. With context, it still sounds strange but at least Iron’s reasoning was clear. Iron always struggled with things that required a finer touch when it came to his projects, and usually Iron would just brute force it or take extensive lengths for it to not get in the way. However… Isabelle’s hand was a mixture of being soft yet firm, presumably from years of hard work and combat. Iron would sincerely consider recruiting Isabelle for a few of his projects.
Though, for what Isabelle and Ayaka sees, it’s just Iron being shocked about what Isabelle’s hand felt like. What a loser.
-
"Are you that starved for affection that something as simple as hand-holding amuses you?" Ayaka taunted, a single eyebrow was raised and her arms were crossed. Whatever the reason it's not like she had any right to be saying so either...though something as simple as that was silly. "Perhaps you should leave your cave more, Iron."
Letting out a sigh, Ayaka darted her view about wondering what would be good to pass the time. Perhaps the two were on a date, but now that she was here she might as well entertain herself. Several passers-by caught the girl's attention, not particularly because they were of any importance, but because some of them carried the same doll as she did. Small, cuddly, and something she wouldn't be caught dead with in public, Ayaka moved her inconspicuously conspicuous bag out of view once more and coughed to draw the attention of her friends.
A drink, maybe that's what she needed. Something to quench her thirst and perhaps a meal as well. That's what normal kids her age did anyways during outings, wasn't it? "Is there anywhere I could get a glass of water? I don't come here a lot and I am feeling quite hungry."
-
Isabelle didn't exactly spend a lot of time touching other people, but it was still hard for her not to be caught off-guard by his strange reaction to doing such a thing. It wasn't atypical behavior for him to be socially weird, but at the same time, she had never heard anything like that out of him. It wasn't too rude, but it wasn't exactly a compliment either. "Uhh..." Ayaka's response only made her more uncomfortable. The word she had chosen, 'hand-holding', Isabelle believed it had a certain implication to it that she didn't like. Yes, they had literally been holding hands, but it wasn't anything that was supposed to be affectionate at all! Just the thought made her feel uneasy. Not because of Iron in particular, but thanks to her deep-seated insecurities that made her feel not good enough for anything of the sort. If Ayaka really believed they were on a date, she would never hear the end of it from her teammates, and she didn't need the reminder of her utter failure of a romantic life.
Somewhat predictably, Isabelle didn't voice any of these thoughts. She silently folded her arms together and looked away from them both, her face quite obviously flustered. She knew she shouldn't have cared about what other people thought of her, nor should she spend so much time thinking about such trivial things as holding hands. Pushing it down like always, she cleared her throat and looked back at the other two.
"... Let's buy some clothes. Since we're in a clothing store, where they don't sell water. We can get your stuff first, Iron."
Pretending like it had never happened didn't exactly put Isabelle's overactive mind to rest, but if she could move on with the day, it would work well enough. That didn't stop her from thinking about how his hand had felt, now that the thought had been introduced to her brain. Maybe he was weird, but her exposure to human contact was also lower than average. It was impossible not to dwell on it a little, but she didn't want to fool herself into thinking that it might have been more than it was. In reality, the two of them were just really, really awkward.
-
Iron frowns at the two of them, and immediately straightens his posture as he composes himself in spite of their silliness. Surely, there was nothing wrong with his actions, and the two clearly do not understand the complex logic behind it. Clearly Iron would have to play Ayaka’s little game and take her bait. ”May I remind you that you as well live in that so-called ‘cave’?” Iron leans in a somewhat aggressive manner to get in Ayaka’s face with a full blown smirk to continue with his comments. ”You should stop projecting your own issues and desires onto other people, it’s unbecoming of you.”
Iron would’ve continued to prod at Ayaka for their verbal skirmish, but Isabelle’s ‘order’ stopped that in its tracks. On that same note, Iron wasn’t too sure on what’s going on with his leader, but he supposes there wouldn’t be much to dwell on as it’s clear she doesn’t want to talk about it. With a shrug, Iron would lead the two off to the part of the store for his sweaters and coats, not before making a quip directed towards Ayaka.
”I suppose while we’re on our way, do you want your hand held? Might as well fulfill your impure desires with someone respectable enough.”
-
Ayaka sniffed but couldn't help but hide the tiniest hint of a smile. "I have no reason to. I don't need you to guide me nor am I a child that would stroll off chasing ants. Whatever conclusion you've come to to think such a thing, I'm sure it would need a little bit more thought. " The idea did tint the tip of her ears pink but her face remained hard as stone. "Maybe an mechanical head would help as much as that third arm of yours world."
Having enough of their little jabs at each other, Ayaka broke off and turned towards the clothes strewn about. Casual wear seemed to dominate the racks while a few fashionable assortments caught her eye. Luckily, none of them were hoodies. The ubiquitous jacket seemed to be everywhere lately and she didn't want to be seen next to someone wearing one all day. She was the daughter of a seamstress after all.
A few thoughts came to mind with Iron's style, but not really knowing his preferences she went ahead and tossed him a few hangers with a couple of plain but cool colored dress shirts. Even those would make her caveman of a teammate look decent in public. "Here, try this on." She practically commanded, "Maybe Isabelle has some stuff for you to try too. Mind you these are not for combat."
-
Iron catches the clothing thrown at him, with his face twisting in slight displeasure as he glances over the recommended articles. While he’s not against it, Iron supposes that extra clothing would help and things other than sweaters would be better for any more excursions. Iron’s gaze scan the store for a nearby fitting room before frowning once more as it would take too much time with everything that needs to be done.
Well. Iron is someone that knows how to keep things simple to get things done. Swiftly removing the hanger from one of the dress shirts, Iron quickly removed his coat and sweater. It briefly revealed his upper body (as if Iron really cared), but he quickly put the dress shirt on before anyone else would notice. To be honest, Iron appreciates the feel of the shirt as he twists and turns as the fabric moves with him. Though, it does feel rather tight around the torso.
”Hm. You have good taste, I suppose. Do try to keep it civil as I look for similar clothing of my size. Please watch over my sweater and coat.”
Iron picks up the two clothes off the ground before deftly tossing it in the two's direction. With that, Iron leaves the two alone as he starts to browse similar articles nearby of various colors and sizes. However, he’s still within earshot should his attention be required, in many different ways.
-
Isabelle's eyes shot back and forth between her two bickering teammates, her annoyed expression slowly shifting into one of disappointment. It was a rare occurrence for these two to interact without them feeling the need to argue about something, so she was used to it by now. Her attention drifted away from the pair as she turned and peered around the store once again. Seeing the variety of clothing served as another reminder of how lacking her wardrobe was in both color and variety. She pursed her lips. Lucina had not contacted her yet, so she probably wasn't going to be here in time to give her advice on that. Iron didn't really strike her as someone who knew a lot about women's fashion. That left her with Ayaka as the only option. Her tastes were odd, but she could put together an outfit much more than Isabelle could.
Turning back to her teammates, Isabelle suddenly noticed Iron... taking his clothes off? 'What did I miss?' Not a moment later, he put on a dress shirt in its place. She stared at him out of perplexity for a couple seconds before simply shaking her head. The look suited him, but she was a little too distracted by his behavior to comment on that.
"Changing rooms are a thing, you know. They exist," Belle mused quietly while catching his coat and sweater out of the air. The faunus let out a sigh as he walked off, standing in place as she got to work on folding the articles for Iron. "Hm. I could use a break from him."
Once his clothes were neatly folded into a small pile that she held under her arm, Isabelle looked up at Ayaka. There was a brief moment of silence, of hesitation, but she made herself fight through the embarrassment. "Hey, Ayaka. Would you, uh... Would you mind helping me pick out some new clothes? Maybe?" Her meek tone made it obvious that she felt uncomfortable asking. However, this was the best opportunity she was going to get. Iron wasn't there to make comments on her lame fashion sense, though she assumed she would have to bear some of that from Ayaka too.
-
Face blank as a rock, Ayaka watched as Iron slid into the clothes she offered. Simple, maybe a bit on the small side for him, but overall clean and sleek. It reminded her of the time when she helped out at her family's tailoring shop; though she did get told a lot to not glare so much at people as she took their sizes.
Stepping aside as Iron tossed his clothes, Ayaka noticed Isabelle approach soon after with clothes in hand and a fidget in her step.
Once his clothes were neatly folded into a small pile that she held under her arm, Isabelle looked up at Ayaka. There was a brief moment of silence, of hesitation, but she made herself fight through the embarrassment. "Hey, Ayaka. Would you, uh... Would you mind helping me pick out some new clothes? Maybe?" Her meek tone made it obvious that she felt uncomfortable asking. However, this was the best opportunity she was going to get. Iron wasn't there to make comments on her lame fashion sense, though she assumed she would have to bear some of that from Ayaka too.
Ayaka stared blankly before tilting her head. To be perfectly honest she saw nothing inherently wrong with Isabelle's state of dress. Maybe because she herself didn't care what other girls wore. However, she did see why her feline friend would be distraught, hoodies weren't exactly on the fashionable side.
Rows of clothes laid before them on racks and shelves, certainly something here could satisfy her needs. "Sick of hoodies?" Ayaka quipped flatly, head tilting towards a hooded mannequin. The mannequin stared flatly in response. Rude.
It took a moment, but Ayaka quickly approached Isabelle and inspected her from head to toe. Small of frame, though not inherently scrawny, loose clothing would flow well on her. Pale skin, so best avoid anything too garishly bright. The ears limited the number of hats she could sport, but there were always ones that were Faunus-friendly too. Same goes for skirts and pants, a quick fix could suffice to accommodate her tail.
Grabbing a few outfits, Ayaka silently lifted one after another in front of Isabelle, trying to make heads or tails of which one to use. A small white blouse, a fashionable coat, a large baggy jacket, some hot pants, a beanie, and both slacks and jeans seemed to have zoomed pass the girl's silhouette in flash. Mix matching stuff was difficult and when it came to girls one had to take the personality into consideration as well.
"Street wear or something more...frilly?" she murmured, looking at Isabelle like a dress-up doll. Ayaka scratched her head while ignoring the fact that she left her 'special package' on the side for just anyone to pick up.
-
Isabelle reeled back ever so slightly as Ayaka tilted her head, bracing herself. Despite her worries, the response she had gotten was not quite as harsh as she had been prepared for. Okay, maybe her clothes weren't that bad, but within her own team, it was still blatantly obvious that she had the most bare-minimum fashion sense out of them all. For a good while, she had been quite content with that. No need to draw unnecessary attention to herself. However, she had come to accept that living under a spotlight was an inescapable truth in their line of work. Avoiding the public eye was a foolish thing to hope for, so perhaps it would be better to try and look her best after all.
On a deeper level, she had grown tired of her current self image after realizing what she had the potential to be. She wanted to look cool like everyone else. Even though she wouldn't admit it, she wanted to be popular. A pipe dream, maybe, but everything started with baby steps.
"Something of the sort," she responded to her teammates inquiry, glancing off to the side. Isabelle still sort of liked the clothes that she wore, but she also knew she could do better. It seemed that Ayaka agreed, holding up a number of different outfits to 'test' on her. Her eyes watched each and every one, and for almost all of it, her brow was furrowed with doubt. Yep, she had zero clue as to whether or not any of this looked good on her. Apparently she needed all the help she could get.
At Ayaka's next question about style choice, Isabelle hummed softly in response. For her, both options seemed a little vague, though that was mostly due to her painful lack of knowledge on the subject. Street wear... 'What exactly is that?', she had to wonder. It sounded like something Lucina would wear. However accurate that was, she didn't truly know, but she did know that she liked the way Lucy looked. Whether her guess was right or wrong, it didn't sound like something that would fit her. A little too cool, maybe.
"Frilly, I suppose." Isabelle didn't own anything particularly cute, nor did she believe herself to be all that adorable. However, she had received that as a compliment enough times to have some hope of pulling it off. The idea of dressing up in something pretty outside of rare occasions didn't sound all that bad.
As Ayaka took her response into consideration, it occurred to the faunus that she was still carrying Iron's clothes. It was mildly annoying to have had that task literally thrown onto her, and she was more than ready to pass it off already. "Mind if I put these in your bag, Ayaka?" By now, she had already forgotten about her teammate's unusual behavior when it came to the shopping bag in question, so she didn't feel that it was asking for too much.
-
And thus, one metal boy returns, this time with a bag full of newly found shirts. He will be so fashionable now. Though, he doesn't quite care about that at all now that he thinks about it. Iron just raises an eyebrow at the two, who seems to be looking into clothes of their own! He honestly thought he was get left hanging here because apparently a nice coat isn't fashionable whatsoever. His normally dull voice seems to actually have some life in it now. "I have returned, and it seems you two are doing some shopping of your own as well." He pushes up his glasses a bit, seems that it had loosened and started sliding off his nose. He'll have to fix that. "... Do we have the Lien for this?"
It seems more pointed towards the two rather than himself, due to the fact that, well, he makes Lien on a nearly daily basis...