At Lantern's Call (RWBY x oc)

ch. 3 : a promise of help

Neo had always loved circus food. Not as much as she loved ice cream, of course, but it was a close second. The best type in her opinion was funnel cake. I mean, how could doughnut noodles covered in powdered sugar not be the best?

That hunger is what prompted her to seek out the red and black tent that had been erected near the center of Vale. She had the weekend off from helping Roman with the White Fang at Mountain Glenn and she saw the sign that stood at the southern entrance to the city. It was the perfect way to pass time and possibly get some sweets.

What she wasn't expecting was to find the tent completely empty besides a table and a single chair, the table supporting a large piece of the aforementioned dessert on a plate and two maske with a note stuck to the top one.

Of course, almost every red flag Neo had was going off right now. There was an empty tent. With a generous helping of a dessert she had not said a word about. And these two masks.

Now what would you do if you encountered this situation? You would get the hell out of there as fast as you could, right? So what did the half-n-half girl do? She sat down to eat, of course. I mean, she kept her guard up, but she was pretty hungry, so why wait? As she ate she read the note and regarded the masks with a curious attitude.

The masks were both plain bone-white ovals with large somewhat circular eyes set near the middle. Each eye had a long curved line passing through it, almost like scars from ancient battles.

The note was... unnerving, to say the least. It read as follows.

"Well met, Neopolitan. I am Grimm, master of the troupe. I apologize for being absent when you visited, but I had urgent business that could not wait. The funnel cake is fresh, the masks, yours to keep. Each mask has one use, when worn the first time, no decisions are made, but I will personally help with whatever situation the wearer finds themself in when I am called. Should you choose to dawn the guise of this troupe a second time, you will serve the heart till your final breath, but will be protected, strengthened, and cared for by all my kin. I would suggest that you do not rush to wear the mask until you find yourself in your time of greatest need. It is your choice as to whether or not you heed my warning. I bid you good day and happy hunting."

Neo searched for any reason for her to not take the note seriously, but she could sense that it was as Grimm said. The masks gave off an aura of protective control, as if crafted for the sole purpose of protecting those who wear them. Deciding that she should heed the warning given to her, she stowed both masks, and, having finished her dessert, Neo made her way back to Mountain Glenn.

For the entire trip, the mute pondered the note. Thinking of the one who wrote it made her shiver in fear while also giving her a sense of warmth. Someone cared for both her and Roman. Someone saw them for more than a criminal and an assassin.

While he was working to complete the Mountain Glenn plan, Roman wondered why his partner seemed to glow with silent happiness. Finding no other possible explanation, he figured that someone had bought her ice cream while she was away.

It warmed his heart to see that his partner was happy.