RWBY Through Worlds (End)

BC119: Deliverance Day (Heroes)-6

[Opener: "Safe Ship Harbored"--The Crane Wives]

Cinder ended up paying for some more activities so that Esmeralda could try them.

Esmeralda did better once she'd been shown how to get the hang of it. Hamish apparently had spent way more time doing this than anyone who was not lonely and bored likely would have.

Cinder only tried one or two. She thought it was dumb still.

But being bored gave her plenty of time to think.

Against her will, she kept glancing towards Royal. He wasn't that far away; he was still with Mercury, Neptune, and Sun. They had some kind of competition going over who'd win the most games.

Royal was pretty easily winning that, since no matter how good they were, these games really depended on knowing how to move just right.

It was annoying the vendors, who intended to keep most people playing for more than one round.

"I knew you'd be our secret weapon," Sun said. "Now, I think we need to find some poor schmucks who we can make a bet with that only you could probably pull off. Someone who's pride has been wounded by failing one of these dumb games."

"I don't really think betting on it is necessary," Royal said. "Sometimes the best satisfaction is just knowing you can win and not having to prove it."

The other guys looked at him like he was crazy and then started laughing.

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Meridian said, joining them. "And it's no way to impress the ladies."

[I think Bakugo Katsuki would agree with them on this.]

"Don't look now," Mercury said, "but Cinder is so checking you out."

Royal looked, of course.

Cinder had been watching them, but she turned away so fast she hit the post of the tent she was standing under.

"Oh, are you okay?" Esmeralda asked her.

"Yes..." Cinder growled.

"Gotta watch for those," Hamish said. "Sometimes they're right in front of you."

Cinder gave him a look of scorn before she realized he was mocking her, and then she glared.

"Who do you keep gawking at anyway?" Hamish turned in curiosity to look. "Oh, there're the boys."

He gave them a salute.

"Aw, that's nice," Meridian said. "Hammar is keeping that quirky new friend of yours and her salty bodyguard company. The man has a heart of gold, larger than the big oasis lake."

"Maybe he just didn't want to hang around us," Sun said. "Does Hamish like any of us? He never says anything when we hang out, dude."

"Oh, he likes you all fine. He's just shy," Meridian said. "Never one for words. Pretty sure that's why he didn't strike out alone after our team split. But he keeps me reined in. Or he did, before I had a Weiss. Poor bloke is probably lonely, but he's never had luck with ladies. They think he's dull."

"Or stupid," Mercury said.

"Eh...stupid is not as big a turn off in Vacuo as dull," Meridian said. "Look at Sun here."

"Hey!" Sun said.

"Well, he's not wrong," Neptune said.

"Whose side are you on?" Sun shot back. "You're way dumber than me anyway."

"You're both equally dumb," Mercury said.

"Can you even read?" Sun said.

"All right, gents," Meridian said, "let's not get carried away. If you want to settle this, let's just have a test of wits. I'm sure I saw one of those escape rooms around here somewhere. Weiss never wants to try it, but I think it'd be a good time."