"Let's hope this threat is dealt with as soon as possible, things could get pretty ugly if we let this fester for too long...on a more positive note, it was nice seeing the two of you again, feels like it's been ages," Remarked Aster with a smile, as he walked out of the Knights' headquarters with Colt and Ravella alongside him.
"Yeah, it's too bad we couldn't all get assigned to the same location...but it would've been kinda unreasonable to ask for that, especially after we already demanded to be put in the same squad," Pointed out Colt wryly.
"True, but still, it'd be nice if we could see more of each other. We should try to plan meet ups at least once or twice a month, it'd be a real shame if we all ended up drifting apart," Sighed Aster in response.
"Yeah, that'd really suck," Nodded Ravella in agreement.
"Well, I guess we should get going now. I'll see you two later, I-...," Began Aster, as he took out a Teleport Spell Card.
"Wait! It's almost lunchtime, so why don't grab a quick bite to eat before heading back? This is kind of a mini-reunion, so let's make it last," Suggested Ravella as she grabbed his sleeve, before letting go as she thought to herself, "Crap, I hope I didn't come on too strongly...I should've been more casual and chill, I wish I could do that over..."
"Hm...sure, why not? I've got some time to kill and I'm feeling pretty hungry, plus I'm sure Tacitus can handle things in Garnet City for about another hour or so, at least," Replied Aster after glancing at the time.
"Great! What about you, Colt?" Inquired Ravella as she glanced at him, narrowing her eyes slightly.
"Hm, based on her expression, she wants to get some alone time with Aster. Heh, maybe I should join them anyway, she's bound to give me a whole lot of dirty looks, and that's pretty hard to pass up on. But at the same time, I am rooting for her, so...fine, I'll play along," Decided Colt after weighing his options, before adding, "I wish I could, but I already have plans, I'm supposed to meet with Lexia for lunch in a bit. So, I've gotta head back."
"Oh, that's too bad. Another time, then," Replied Aster, as Colt took out his Teleport Spell.
"Uh-huh, let's plan something soon. Well, see you guys later, have fun!" Grinned Colt, as he activated the Spell and disappeared.
"Well, then, I guess it's just you and me, Ravella. I've heard that there are some pretty good restaurants here in the Capital, so let's treat ourselves," Suggested Aster, as he stretched his arms up.
"Yeah, sure, sounds good," Nodded Ravella nonchalantly, while thinking to herself, "YES!!! LET'S FUCKING GO!!!"
The two of them then made their way through the city, taking a bit of time to look around the place. While this wasn't their first time in the Capital, they never had the chance to really look around the place and sightsee at all.
Ravella did her best to appear laid-back, making some small talk while wracking her brain for topics of discussion to bring up, intent on making sure that this wouldn't be boring.
After a few minutes of roaming around, the pair came by a restaurant that they'd heard a lot of good things about from other Knights, and figured this was a good opportunity to give it a try.
They were shown to a table as they entered, before placing their order after going through the menu.
"Mm, the scents wafting around this place is really making my mouth water. Let's hope the food tastes as good as it smells," Remarked Ravella, as she picked up a glass and took a sip of water.
"Yeah, this place is kinda pricey, so I hope it's worth the price...well, considering the crazy amount of money I'm being paid, I can definitely afford it," Replied Aster with a wry smile.
"It is pretty surreal, I'm being paid more in a single month than the entire amount Raven and I saved up over the course of several years back when we were growing up. Honestly, it's kinda more money than I know what to do with," Grinned Ravella sheepishly.
"I definitely get that, I had to live on the run pretty much immediately after my appraisal on my tenth birthday, so I never earned any money at all before this. And now that I'm getting so much, I have absolutely no idea what to spend it on. Normally, I'd probably opt to save up to buy a house or something, but the Kingdom already gave us all our own houses, and pretty fancy ones at that, so I don't need to. I've been donating about half what I get paid to orphanages and such, but that still leaves a pretty sizeable amount leftover," Sighed Aster in response.
"I mean, it's a good problem to have, I'd imagine that most people would be pretty indignant if they heard us complaining about getting too much money," Pointed out Ravella with a laugh.
"Yeah, that's for sure. I guess the only real option is to save it up...who knows, maybe we'll end up needing it in the future."
"Mhm, or even just to pass it down to our ki-...I-I mean, the next generation, you know? Make life easier for them and whatnot," Suggested Ravella thoughtfully.
"Oh, I didn't even think of that. Yes, that's a good point," Nodded Aster in response.
"Hm, what about, like, vehicles and stuff? I know that it's a thing that a lot of guys want to own vehicles, though Raven never really showed any interest in them. But maybe that was just because it seemed like such an unrealistic thing for us back then."
"No, I can't say I'm particularly interested either. Plus, thanks to Tacitus, various types of Teleport Spells have become a lot more affordable and widely available, so I'd say vehicles are on the path to obsoletion," Mused Aster, before glancing up as he spotted the waiter who took their order walking over with a tray.
"Wow, that was pretty fast," Remarked Ravella in surprise, as the waiter set down their order.
"Yes, ma'am, we pride ourselves on our prompt service, while maintaining a high standard of quality. I hope it is to your liking," Replied the waiter with a bow, before giving them a polite nod and walking away.
"This looks and smells really good...let's dig in," Grinned Aster with an eager look on his face.
"It's so endearing how he's just being himself instead of trying to act cool or anything. Wait, unless he's just not bothering to because he doesn't see me as-...n-no, I can't let myself think negatively, I need to be optimistic and positive," Ravella thought to herself with a sense of determination, before asking him as she took a bite of her food, "By the way, what's it like being a Captain, I bet it's-...oh, wow, this is really good!"
"Mm, I know, right?" Nodded Aster with his mouth full, before answering as he swallowed his food, "As for your question, well...I'm still kinda getting used to it. Having a bunch of people call me 'Captain' is kinda weird, and the sense of responsibility that comes with the position is a bit of a burden, I definitely feel the pressure of it, even though things have been relatively easy so far. What about you, Ravella? How does it feel to be a Knight now?"
"It's kinda hard to describe, I've got a lot of mixed feelings about it still. I always wanted to be a Knight when I was a kid, but after everything that happened, I totally lost interest in that. Plus, I thought being a part of the most wanted criminal group in the nation was pretty damn cool too. So, I think my overall feelings about it are kinda neutral," She replied after taking a moment to think it over.
"Well, at least you've got Raven and Celia with you, while I'm stuck with Tacitus. I mean, don't get me wrong, he's my best friend and all, but his laziness and constant attempts to slack off are a real pain to deal with," Aster sighed wistfully.
"I mean, it's not much better for me...I always feel like a third wheel around Raven and Celia, even if they insist that I'm not. It also makes me wish I got a fairytale romance of my own...how about you, got any romantic prospects on your horizon?" She asked him, waiting with bated breath for his response.
"No, not really. I mean, I'd be lying if I said I had no interest in romance at all, but honestly, it's not something that I've put a whole lot of thought into. I am curious about it, sure, but I doubt I'll actively seek it, at least no anytime soon. If it happens, it happens," He shrugged in reply.
"Not sure how to feel about that...on the one hand, that means he doesn't have anyone that he's into at the moment. But on the other hand, this might make it difficult to get him interested in me," Ravella thought to herself, feeling a bit conflicted, "I probably shouldn't keep pushing this topic too much, it could end up backfiring. Yeah, I don't need to rush, I need to be patient and try to let things work out naturally. I just need to be careful not to take things too slow..."
The two of them continued eating while chatting, Ravella doing her best to hold back from bringing up the topic of romance again, and just let the conversation flow naturally.
They were both enjoying each other's company, Aster had been missing the other Irregulars immensely, after being around them almost everyday for so long, and now having gone without seeing any of them in weeks, except for Tacitus.
He was incredibly grateful to all of them, he'd been resigned to being alone for the rest of his life after his appraisal, so to then get so many close, trusted friends in his life was something he really cherished and appreciated.
Anyway, it wasn't long before the two of them finished off their food, before paying the bill and heading out, feeling pretty satisfied.
"I'm definitely coming here again. It was very much worth the price, not only was it super tasty, but the portions were pretty massive too," Said Ravella with a content sigh, lightly patting her stomach.
"Yeah, that was a great meal, I'm absolutely stuffed. This was a lot of fun, it was really nice. We should definitely do this again," Replied Aster with a nod.
"I know he probably means doing this with the others, not just with me alone again, but still, it's pretty nice to hear that. I guess that means he had fun, at least, so I'm glad. But it's also kinda disappointing that it's over now...I know this wasn't really a proper date or anything, but I still wish we had at least a little but more time. But we both need to head back, we are on duty,after all...plus, I don't want to annoy him, so it's best if we end on a good note," Ravella thought to herself with a quiet sigh, as she reluctantly took out her Teleport Spell.
"Alright, I should really head back now. I'll see you later, Ravella," Remarked Aster, as he took out his Spell Card.
"Yeah, I-...wait. Hold on, you've got something on your shoulder. Lean down a bit, ill get it," Replied Ravella, walking over before placing her hand on Aster's shoulder as he leaned down, before giving it a slight pull to lower him a bit further and stood up on her tiptoes, leaning forward and pressing her lips against his cheek, before moving back and adding, "See you later, Aster."
"H-huh? Wait, why-...?" He began in bewilderment as he touched the spot on his cheek, before trailing off as she suddenly activated the Teleport Spell and disappeared...
Meanwhile, in Opal Town...
"Hm? Oh, hey, sis, welcome back. How was the-...uh, what's wrong?" Inquired Raven, as Ravella appeared in the Knight outpost, before promptly burying her face in her hands and letting out a groan.
"I...I can't believe I did that!" She exclaimed as her face turned bright red.
"Hey, what's going on? Is everything okay?" Called out Celia, as she jogged over with a look of concern.
"Uh, not sure," Responded Raven in bemusement, as Ravella let out a groan.
"Th-that was too much, I-I went way too far! That was too far, wasn't it!?" She cried as she grabbed her brother by the shoulders and shook him.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, just calm down and tell us what happ-...," He began.
"I-I bet he's totally weirded out by me, wh-why did I do that!? Stupid impulses!" She exclaimed as she broke down into a flustered mess, the other two trying to calm her down, but to no avail.
Back in the Capital...
"Uh...what just happened? Why'd she do that?" Aster muttered to himself, his face heating up slightly.
He was more than a little caught off-guard by what had happened, and it had him flustered. He was having trouble processing and making sense of it, despite the relatively obvious answer.
What he'd told her was true, he'd never given much of any serious thought towards romance, so he never considered the possibility that someone would be interested in him in that way.
"Where did that come from? Maybe she was just teasing me or something? She didn't seem particularly flustered or anything, so maybe that's it. It did really surprise me though...and the feeling of her chest on my arm when she leaned in was pretty pleasant too-...n-no, stop it, that's creepy, don't think about one of your friends like that! She'd probably think I'm some kind of pervert if she knew what I'm thinking. O-okay, justcalm down...she was probably just messing with me, trying to tease me or something. I shouldn't overthink it or read too much into it," Aster convinced himself, before taking a breath to compose himself and holding up his Teleport Spell, "Alright, time to head back. I shouldn't give this any further thought. Wait, unless...what if I'm wrong, and she actually-...nah, there's no way."