'Thoughts'
"Talking"
[ System Prompt ]
———————————————————————————————————
"Hey Yang, how do I—"
"..."
"..."
"...INDECENCY! FILTH! PERVERTS!"
THUD!
The shed door slammed shut as Ruby fled, her face crimson. Inside, Yang and Altair froze mid-embrace.
"That was awkward," Altair muttered.
"Forty-five seconds done" Yang countered, tightening her grip as he tried to pull away.
"You're stalling."
"Ruby interrupted us! Ten seconds more!"
A silent struggle ensued—Altair pushing against her shoulders, Yang clinging like ivy.
"You're violating our agreement," he insisted. "Let go now please"
"Over my dead body!" she responded, tightening her grip around his body.
"You left me no choice" With a sigh, Altair's hands darted to her ribs.
"Wait—no! HAHAHA—STOP—!"
Yang collapsed, gasping, as Altair retreated to his chair. She lay dazed on the floor before bolting upright.
"My kiss! The deal was forty-five seconds and a kiss!"
"What kiss?" Altair feigned ignorance, edging toward the door.
Yang snagged his ankle, tripping him effortlessly. "Oh no, you don't."
"I was merely... repositioning?"
She hauled him up, unimpressed. "Pay up."
He brushed his lips against hers—quick as a hummingbird—and stepped back. "Debt paid."
Yang touched her mouth, grinning. "Technically. But next time? I'm collecting properly."
"Whatever you say, we should get some food" Resigning to his future fate, Altair walked out the shed with Yang in tow to their house.
According to Yang, and Ruby, their dad, Tai Yang, should be at Signal Academy all night, working on grades for his classes. After confirming with them, he chose to cook for them as a thanks for letting him sleep in the shed, and for bringing him breakfast to eat.
With the determination to amaze them with his culinary skills, he went into the house full of confidence. As he opened the door to their house, he was met by the sight of Ruby on the couch watching some video about Autonomous Systems.
"Oh—" Ruby glanced at the door before focusing back on her scroll. "The ingredients...are in the...kitchen" she muttered awkwardly. The memory of what had happened in the shed still fresh from her mind.
Yang flopped beside her, reigniting their squabble. She teased Ruby, whose face turned crimson. In retaliation she went to push Yang's face away, unintentionally setting off a playful fight between.
Altair stepped into the kitchen, leaving Yang and Ruby bickering on the couch.
( Not making a cooking sequence )
A few minutes later
"YANG CUT IT OUT! YOU'RE STARTING IT AGAIN!"
"NO WAY MY LIL SIS IS FINAL CONSCIOUS ABOUT BOYS I'M NOT LETTING THAT SLIP AWAY"
"YANG!"
Their little chaotic fight continued for a while, before they stopped. A sweet and spicy aroma of food reached their noses. They followed it to the kitchen where a bubbling Sichuan hotpot dominated the table. Crimson broth simmered fiercely, surrounded by meticulously sliced raw ingredients—thin meats, crisp vegetables, and plump mushrooms.
Altair hung his apron "Oh, perfect. I was going to call you guys, but since you're here go wash your hands"
"Uhh, what's this?" Yang asked with mild confusion. Most of the ingredients on the table were uncooked, and raw. The meat was still red, thinly sliced into strips. While the vegetables were freshly rinsed with water, droplets were still visible on their leaves.
"Hotpot, is this the first time you're eating it?"
"What's a hotpot?" Ruby asked tilting her head.
"..."
Confusion was written all over his face. Weren't Yang and Ruby half Chinese? How could they not know about hotpot?.
' Monty said before, "do you see Germany? Do you see France? No, so shut the fuck up." Maybe some cultural things just don't exist here '
( A/N: Monty did say it in a live stream back in a 2013 preshow livestream if you guys are wondering.)
"Go wash your hands first, I'll show you how to eat it"
"Sure?" Yang, still unconvinced that the hotpot was edible, went to wash her hands.
" 'Kay!" Excited to try something new, Ruby went to wash her hands right away.
Altair got to work. If this was the first they were gonna taste a hotpot, then he'll make it one of the best experience they could have.
Using the chopsticks he found, he put the daikon, potatoes, tofu and meatballs first. After a while, Yang and Ruby returned from the sink, and sat down beside him, with Ruby sitting beside Yang.
"Wait a minute, it's not ready yet. In the mean prepare your plates" with extreme concentration on his face, he began to put the shiitake mushrooms ( Or Fall mushrooms as they're called in Remnant ) leafy greens and meat.
A few minutes later he began to put equal portions of the starchy food on their plates, plus another plate he prepared for Tai Yang.
Yang and Ruby saw the vibrant colors of the Daikon, Corn and Potatoes, gulping as the aroma reached their noses. Without any instructions they ate their portions silently, then, without warning, they began to eat it vigorously.
"This...is insanely good" Yang managed to say between mouthfuls.
NOD!2x
Ruby nodded vigorously, not taking any time to talk, just savoring the flavors.
Sweetness and spice danced on their tongues, as the starchy components of the food brought the absorbed flavors of the broth. Then came the meatballs on their plate. 6 meatballs to be exact.
The taste? Phenomenal. Just like the starchy components, the meatballs completely absorbed the flavors quite well. Combined with the fat mixed in the meatballs, it turned into a flavor bomb.
"This is the one of the tastiest meals I've ever had" Yang shot a look of admiration and worship towards the boiling hotpot.
NOD!2x
Ruby nodded, still occupied stuffing her face with food.
"Get ready for round 2 then"
Motivated by their compliments, Altair was determined to cook everything to perfection.
———
Sigh—
' What's with Yang? She's been acting weird recently. Is it because she's going to Beacon? But it isn't like her to be this weird. '
An exhausted man was walking in a path towards a log cabin. On his hands were take out bags enough to feed 3 people plus an extra if needed.
' Well she is at that age, but isn't it a little late now? ' he shook his head, trying to get off that line of thinking ' Taiyang don't think like that, she isn't like other girls, she takes more from Raven in that regard '
He neared the door of the log cabin, finally relaxing a little bit.
' Whatever, I should just be happy that she's getting into Beacon ' as he reached for the door knob, with his senses honed from being a veteran huntsman, he heard three distinct voices coming from the kitchen, two girls, his daughters, and one boy.
Boy
...
...
...
' SOMEONE BROUGHT A BOY OVER! '
With the speed, befitting that of a huntsman; enhanced by the hysterical strength of a father, he burst through the door and immediately headed for the kitchen.
Only to see, a boy with white hair wearing a blindfold, laughing together with his two baby girls, sharing a meal together with a soft smile on his face. Gone was the urgency from his fears of hormonal teenagers in a room together. It was replaced by calm and peaceful thoughts within him that began to surge into another form of emotion.
"WHAAAAAHHH, MY DAUGHTERS ARE GROWING UP SO FAST"
The sadness and loneliness of a middle aged father realizing his daughters were growing up.
It was the first time Altair saw a grown man crying. And it was also the first time the two daugthers wanted to stop their dad from sharing his troubles with them.
"WHAAAAAAHHHHHH"
What a bad day for rain.
—————
After a while, Taiyang calmed down, and sat on the table, eyes puffing and snot slightly escaping from his nose.
The table had an awkward atmosphere, as they ate silently. Altair was... understandably worried and scared for his life, while Yang was just scared, Ruby, after witnessing her dad cry, just ignored everything to focus on her food.
"Sob...sob..."
Taiyang silently sobbed as he ate his food.
"This...is... insanely good"
To somewhat salvage the evening, Yang iniated small talk.
"Soooo, dad are you done with your work in Signal?"
"...yeah"
"..."
Let's just say it took a while before things got back to normal.
' What the heck am I doing here '
Cosmic sentencing.
After the meal, four individuals found themselves in the living room of the log cabin sat Altair, Yang, Ruby and Taiyang.
Yang and Altair looked nervous while Taiyang narrowed his puffy eyes on them. Ruby was just eating some cookies and milk, there for emotional support.
"So..." Taiyang said with his stern expression. "Who are you kid?"
If it was before he witnessed the man cry it would've scared him. However after witnessing Taiyang cry for the entirety of his meal, Altair more or less felt pity for him.
Before Altair could respond to Taiyang, Yang intervened.
"He's a friend of mine from Anima, he's coming to visit since he's also going to Beacon. He offered to cook for us as thanks" Yang lied smoothly, a bright smile present on her face.
"Yes, I offered to cook as thanks for letting me crash in just until the admission ceremony" Altair followed in the lie, though a small tug from his conscience urged him to tell the truth.
"I see. And when were you going to tell me that your friend is crashing in Yang?" Said with suspicion and distrust.
"Did she forget to mention it by chance?" Altair said feigning confusion.
' Let's throw her under the bus for this one '
Determined to not get killed, his survival instinct kicked in deciding that throwing Yang under the bus was the best course of action.
"Yang?"
"I...forgot" Yang glared at Altair for a second, communicating with him in half a second.
' WHAT THE HELL, AL '
' You only have yourself to blame '
Seeing her boyfriend abandon her at the frontline of battle, Yang lost hope, as the presence of an almighty enemy appeared behind her.
"Yang Xiao Long, may I, your father, have a word with you"
"...If I say no can I escape my fate?"
"No"
———
Morning arrived, the first day of Altair's new job arrived. After making breakfast for the Xiaolong/Rose household, he went out on [ Panthera ].
In the shop, he met the boss, who showed him how to do his job. Altair's main job was inventory and restocking. Hauling dust crates from the delivery truck, counting and listing merchandise, and restocking the product.
A pretty basic job, with decent pay. Such a shame dust robbies were frequent in Vale.
Ready for the day's work, he got changed to his work uniform. And so the numb, repetitive routine started. Welcome dust shipments, check if all products are received, count the merchendise one by one, forget what number you're at, repeat counting, list it, forget the number again, count again, list it properly, restock, realize you need to check inventory first, try to kill yourself, then watch over the shop.
Pain.
This torture repeated over and over again until Altair had enough and took a break, going to a nearby cafe to get a strawberry iced milk.
Finally, night came. The shattered moon hung high in the sky, shadows emerged, and a cookie addict entered the shop.
"Ruby, what are you doing here?" Exhuasted, Altair asked Ruby who just entered the shop.
"Oh, hey Altair. Just grabbing the latest edition of Dust weekly" Riby responded nonchalantly, as she went to the back.
"Just in time for the end of my shift huh" Altair went to the employee lounge, and got dressed back to his regular clothes. As he went to exit the shop, the sound of shattered glass entered his ears.
' And so it begins '
Altair summoned [Cross Wing] and charged forward. Shattered glass littered the ground as Roman's goons advanced. He kicked one aside.
Roman, startled, fired instantly. The blast launched Altair backward—his aura shimmering as it absorbed the impact. Recovering mid-air, he punched the ground to halt his momentum, then dashed toward the dust shop.
Inside, Ruby danced with Crescent Rose, her scythe gleaming under moonlight. Each spin cut down opponents. She fired the rifle, using recoil to launch herself at the next group—dispatching three goons in swift strikes.
Roman seeing the situation, steeped up to fight.
"Truly worth every cent, Red. But this is the end of the line!"
He tossed a Fire Dust crystal at her feet and shot it.
BOOM!
The explosion rocked the shop. Ruby stumbled from the smoke, coughing. As the smoke cleared, she saw Roman has disappeared from his spot. Her eyes darted, spotting the criminal climbing a ladder to a building's rooftop.
"Is it good if I go after him?" Ruby turned to the owner.
The owner nodded. With determination, Ruby fired her rifle, whilst activating Petal Burst. She shot up to the rooftop—where Roman and Altair were already locked in combat.
Roman fought with precision, using his cane to strike Altair in multiple angles in a fast paced rhythm. Altair blocked each strike, launching counter attacks after each strike, which were evaded by Roman.
Ruby rushed forward, planning to hit Roman with the use of her semblance, only to hit Altair as the two switched positions due to their fight.
Roman made distance, reaching the edge of the rooftop quickly. With a cocky grin on his face, he spread his arms outwards as another dust crystal made its way to their feet.
"I had fun, kids! But unfortunately mommy really hates it when dad's late"
With a single step, he dropped from the rooftop. A metallic sound emanated from the edge of the rooftop. A whirl of wind shot upwards, as bullhead slowly rose from the alleyway. Roman was inside the bullhead, his face clearly visible, with a smile dancing on his lips.
"TODDLES RED, WHITE!"
He yelled, the Bullhead's engines slightly muffling his shout.
"You're not getting away!"
With a defiant shout, Ruby unfolded her rifle into a scythe, beginning to fire at the Bullhead haphazardly, hitting the body, with pitiful clinks.
Knowing how useless it was, Altair shot the Bullhead's cockpit, hitting the glass.
But still their attacks did nothing against the Bullhead's durability.
With a mocking laugh, Roman threw another fire dust crystal at them. A bullet from him shattered the crystal, causing an explosion. Dust picked up, covering the rooftop with smoke and dust. The fate of the two unknown.
"Wohoooo! Huh?"
Roman celebrated, but it was for naught. The smoke and dust settled, revealing a purple circle of intricate design shielding three people from the explosion.
"Hmph!"
A beautiful blonde woman appeared, holding the purple circle in place with stern focus. She pushed up her glasses, firing purple light pellets that staggered the Bullhead mid-air.
With a gesture, she conjured a magic circle above the aircraft. Dark clouds gathered instantly, pelting it with a hail of ice.
A woman in red emerged from the Bullhead, shadows obscuring her face. Her golden dress glowed as she hurled a fireball—blocked by the blonde's circle. The fireball shattered into glass shards around the blonde, who flipped backward just as pillars of flame erupted from the fragments.
The blonde redirected the shards toward the Bullhead. Several embedded in its hull—but the pilot swerved sharply, deflecting the worst.
The crimson lady clenched her fist, as force shot out from her, disintegrating the shards into dust.
Ruby fired at her from the rooftop. The woman blocked the rounds effortlessly with her palms.
Altair summoned [ Corona ]. Twin rifles materialized beside him, firing hardlight rounds that pierced the Bullhead's wing. As he aimed again, an arrow whistled toward his head. He sidestepped—and went to aim again only to find the Bullhead vanishing into the night.
Sigh—
Exhausted, he dismissed his weapons, and turned to Ruby, who was gawking at the blonde woman.
"You're a huntress aren't you?" She asked with curiosity. "Can I have an autograph please!"
"Flip"
——
"Do you have any idea of how much damage you've caused into tonight's incident, not to mention the danger you've put yourselves in when you interfered in that dust robbery?!?!"
————————————————————
——————————————End
A/N: Yeah no. I was not able to write everything. Between getting rest, and writing, my body chose the former.
I don't think I'll be able to write things cleanly right now. Aside from getting sick, I'm also facing writers block.
So yeah. Tell me if there are probkems with my writing.
See y'all tomorrow
2,745 Words