Clara looked over the flyer Bak handed over to her, and then flippantly tossed it over her shoulder.
Joke matters set aside for the moment, now that she had finally touched the ground of St. Lucifer's once again, she felt herself reconnected to her network of sigils and sentries around the city.
She breathed in, and breathed out. The sensation of information, moving and being sorted in her mind, she had missed this.
...Much had occurred since she had been gone. But there would be more time for reflection later. She was already planning her next steps. One, two, three, four... Extending through the darkness, another path was presenting itself. The path to her web was open once more.
"She... is not just my sister," Clara began.
"She is another half of me. Would you like to be introduced?"The last part of her statement was aimed at her spectral double. Taking it as her cue, she dropped the leaflet she had been eagerly poring over and surged forward to meet the heavily armored girl.
"I've heard so much about you!" My name is Clara! I mean my name is also Clara! How close would you say you are with Clara? How much do you know about her? I just found out I know everything about her too because I am also her but-..." She rushed excitedly.
"How...I...Wha...Ye....," Bak said, still slightly reeling from the barrage of questions from
Other Clara. Bak couldn't even answer her because she had nothing but questions.
"That's enough for now," Clara said with a smile on her face, pulling her back with her very much physical hand.
A little too eager, but understandably so. Her second new contact in her short existence as a human being. But she needed to be reigned in, work had to be done.
"Since we're here, you can feel it too, can't you? Our power, scattered around the city." Clara said.
"My sentries, they are yours as well. As much as I would like for you to talk with each other some more, our work must be done.""Got it, got it. I'll go try to find Vittorio! Good luck over here!" Dream Clara said.
Dream Clara materialized her own Grimoire. Her appearance paled. She was still present there in her phantom form, but her mind was elsewhere now. Roaming their network. Finding connections, input, output.
They knew each other so well, she had known their first course of action without being told. Act on everything within their power to gather the distant strands of their web together.
"Now, how about this new member you speak of? He sounds intriguing." Clara said.
"Ummmmm," Bak started, fidgeting uncomfortably. "Which new member would you be speaking of? There are....many."
lara stood there for a moment, face buried in her palm.
"How about you start with the one you mentioned who wants to deal with the cult?" She said.
Clara had found the current date and time already of course, but how much could've possibly conspired in the last few weeks? Still, taking things one by one should've been a valid tactic.
"Oh, da! Ward." Bak said, sudden realization flowing over her. "I did not let him be member because way he introduced himself was very rude. He beat up Gabriel. You know him, the very strong useless boy that never attends meetings. I did not think it right to reward such behavior, so I have him cleaning up flyers...uhhhhh..."
Bak looked around the front yard, but didn't see Ward anywhere. "He must have moved around to back. He is prince from faraway country come to fight strange cult people that appeared after tournament. He says that they want powerful demon he has imprisoned somewhere, and he came to us because he likes that we do not follow rules."
"That is... an unbelievable stroke of fortune," Clara said.
"How noble of him to have us shelter him from his enemies. Did he ask a price, or did he ask to pay?"When Clara said unbelievable, she meant it more in the literal sense. More of a sceptical point of view that something would go nicely for them. Bak would understand, hopefully, but there was nothing wrong if she interpreted it differently.
"Ummmm..." Bak thought back, struggling to remember exactly what the boy had said back at the meeting. "He said that as long as cultists lose, everyone win. And something about bringing more of his family business into city. I do not know about that, but I think he is willing to play by our rules at least."
Would it be hypocritical for Clara to say she was tired of uncertain terms? No matter.
"Would you happen to be have a quick rundown on the rest?" Clara asked.
"Two you know!" Bak said excitedly. "Yuuto is one, the other is boy who fought Yuuto. Paint boy David, does portals? I thought we we're under attack so I emergency deputized them, but It was just Yuuto's scary father making huge racket. The other is Miss Celestine's friend Diana, from tournament. She said you tried to recruit her, and also that she is witch but I do not think so because she does not have beak or anything."
"Ah, the Dartagnan boy. I met him with you already, don't you remember?" Clara said.
"And Diana... She still remained here after all?"It had been such a time ago, but they had indeed met. On reflection, she was impressed with his initiative and attitude but of course it had irked her at the time. She also knew of the Shinobi's existence for a long time now. Nothing more to say on that matter, there were many things she knew and many things she didn't. The ninja just fell into the former category. That was all.
And Diana. Had she stuck around after all this time? An apology was in order, but Clara doubted Diana would appreciate one through gritted teeth. She wasn't quite feeling appreciative enough yet, she felt.
"I can take care of Diana for me!" The other Clara said, suddenly appearing from behind them.
"Wha-," Clara said, surprised. She quickly regained her composure but it seemed like having a bubbly cloud of sunlight ever-present behind her was something she was going to have to get used to from now on.
"You would do that for me?" She asked. Suddenly doubting the intentions of the smaller girl, she narrowed her eyes and asked another question.
"Have you finished the task I set out for you?"The younger Clara shuffled her feet while trying not to look directly at Clara.
"No... but I want to meet her," She said shyly.
"I think I might have a good way to apologize with. You do want to apologize, right?"Well, she wouldn't be lying if she said she didn't, but it would be at least a little disingenuous.
"...I doubt very much that Diana would like to see me anyhow, so I suppose... you should just do as you like," She sighed.
"Sweet! Awesome! Thanks!" The younger Clara said.
In a few moments she was off to find wherever Diana had gone. They may have been one and the same person, but she couldn't really tell what exactly she was going to do.
She sighed once again. She certainly didn't know she was capable of using such words anymore. Maybe she would be capable of bringing Diana back into her good graces.
"Let's head back to the council room. Call the... Cult boy over to us so we can talk business." Clara said to Bak.
"Da, right away Tovarish." Bak said with a quick bow. She raised her FLAK cannon to the sky and fired. Explosion's resounded across the school as the air above was dotted with little black clouds of smoke, hoping to catch the attention of the boy hopefully still working up a good sweat somewhere with his cleaning duties.
Either the school was being threatened by a bomber raid, or Bak was trying to get his attention. Judging by the lack of craters being blasted into the school, he guessed it was the latter. Dismissing the disgruntled demon he'd summoned to help him sweep (that damn helicopter had dropped a LOT of fliers) once Bak was no longer watching, he made his way around the school.
Once he got closer, he saw the girl standing next to Bak. Immediately he felt himself subconsciously raise his guard. The way she held herself, the subtle way Bak's demeanor had changed in this girl's presence, and the look in the girl's eyes; all of those things triggered little alarms in his head. He didn't think Bak was in danger, nor himself, yet, but this certainly wasn't just another student.
"I must assume the fireworks were for me," Ward said as he came to a stop near them. "Well here I am. Someone you want me to meet?" he glanced at the girl next to Bak.
"Mr. Ward boy." Bak said, spreading out her arms toward the girl at her side with the look of someone partaking in a fun activity that she only got to do once in a blue moon. "Presenting person you have come here to meet, Tovarish Clara Deimos Erdrigan! Head of student committee and leader of Mephisto's school for Wickedly Inclined."
"Well met, Mr. Ward," Clara said.
"Ms. Tsarevna has already spoken to me about your circumstances."She returned a look of measured neutrality. Her eyes were unclouded and clear. The gaze she returned was amicable. She wouldn't be unpleasant. She wouldn't try to create a false impression of who she was. She would humour him if he decided he wanted to be a comedian.
But.
She knew what he was here for. He recognized her authority. That made things easier.
"This cult has indeed been a thorn in our side, but nevertheless is not a people who have specifically become our enemy," Clara said.
"We are, after all, just a school for misfits. A bundle of outcasts. I have connections, and I keep my bargains. Some of us have been hurt, yes. But what will we gain from this endeavour?""And most importantly, what do you hope to gain?" She finished.
"Well it's really very simple, miss," he began. "You stand to gain, or rather
keep your lives. These daft fools are waging a war on the gods. All of you gain your powers from them, so they won't think twice about waging war on you. As you've chosen not to reject their gifts, they will see you as either enemies or fodder to be slain and sacrificed to achieve their ends. It's an unfortunate truth that due to little events like your tournaments, the major schools are in the limelight. St. Laurels may be the biggest, but this school is their number one rival. It makes you a target," Ward explained. "As for me? These people are an old enemy of my family's. It would be easy to attach my name to their final defeat and expand my family's reach to the largest city in the world. However, my eventual gain does no harm to you, but the path to get there is to your benefit."
"To put it more concisely, if you enjoy living in this city I assume you would want to see it not remain a battleground for the next few decades," his expression hardened. "They've grown bold. They
will appear again."
"We and this city do not share a permanence. We exist in the shadows. We could abandon this place in a heartbeat. Erase all of our traces. Burn the foundations until there is nothing but ashes." Clara said.
"We would miss this city. But we will not be counted amongst the dead."On that last point, she was firm in her belief. Power, assets were replaceable. But the people surrounding her were not. She couldn't let herself get sucked into a losing war. That is, if war was truly the only option.
"You must be very confident in your assertions if you would tell me this Cult could lead a war that could span decades. This little school... our little games. I assume you already have a plan for them if you would seek us out.""You are, perhaps, but can the same be said for all those who follow you? You may well be left with nothing but a legacy of cowardice," Ward told her. He felt he might be pushing his luck again here, but he had to try. Hopefully this one couldn't throw fireballs or at least would let him see it coming. "Quite frankly, if this cult launched a direct and prolonged offensive, they'd lose within days. Their ability to retreat and gather power over time is their greatest strength. The problem I face is that I possess the knowledge and ability to face them, but not alone. I am barely more than a teenager, a child in the eyes of many, unfortunately, so those who are willing to listen to me are... limited. The hope is that with help and a concerted effort, such a prolonged mess can be avoided."
Ward took a deep breath, "My patron god has turned me into a living jail for a demon. If one can be trapped, then another can, thus leaving these cultists without a figurehead to follow and empower them. Given the opportunity, I believe I could tear them all down."
"I have no fear of being called a coward. I've already been accused of everything under the Sun. But your proposal will add sufficient value to us in the short term, I accept." Clara said.
She had a mind that they may be underestimating the cult's tenacity. This Ward made a point that they would attract the ire of the Cult just by existing, but if they hadn't up until this point, joining in such a foolhardy plan as a 'direct' assault of sorts was the equivalent of painting a target on their backs with their own paint.
Still, once again, she had her contingencies. She had her plans and plots, she knew a way to make sure she would have a way out of this.
"I do believe we can strike a deal," Clara said, extending her hand for her new business partner to take.
"Well, I'm glad we could reach an agreement," Ward told her. "My apologies if I said too much in the process." He already didn't like this girl, but no need to antagonize her just yet. He couldn't get a full read on her, but she was almost certainly out for herself and only herself. That didn't make it east to trust her. However, he did shake her hand. "In any case, planning can wait. I'm told you've been missing for a bit. No doubt you have other things to square away first."
"In a manner of speaking, yes, I suppose I do. I appreciate your concern and consideration," She said.
"I hope this becomes a fruitful partnership for the both of us."She already didn't like Ward. He didn't seem to... appreciate their unique position. Regardless, power was power. Their partnership didn't have to last until the endgame. The Cult had the potential to be a stumbling block, and it would be good to have it gone.
She wouldn't imagine it would be smooth, but it could be worth the effort to many of them. Yes... them. She'd have to reach out once again to regain the trust she had assuredly lost. The Ward boy may think that she was only out for herself.
Of course she was. That was her nature, but she could no longer imagine herself alone.
"I hope that girl will make things go well," Clara sighed.
Bak looked between the two, oblivious as a block of wood to the underlying tension of the conversation. She knew anything she said might just distract Clara or confuse the situation or just make herself look really stupid.
She took Clara's comments about being able to abandon the city at any time of the pile of things to think about later, like that curse remark from the demon girl or what was bothering Luigi so badly. There was one thing, though, that got her goat and she could bring it up now that negotiations seemed to be settled.
"Um, Tovarish? Are you sure we exist so much in shadows anymore?" She asked hesitantly. "I mean, Ward boy found us and St. Laurel's have been coming here and, well...," She gestured downwards, toward the fliers at their feet.
Clara pursed her lips and pushed out a sigh. Right, she had forgotten about that a little bit, but not exactly.
"Of course. Being in the shadows doesn't mean we're impossible to find," She began.
"Those in the light only have to look back to see us, after all. But we are supposed to be somewhat out of reach...""Ohhhhhh," Bak said, nodding her head. That made sense. People like that should be scared off when they came knocking or flying their helicopters. It didn't surprise Bak in the least that this was mostly her own fault. "I will have to work even harder to keep watchful eye on school then."
Clara gave her a look that didn't really mean anything in particular, but she reached out and patted Bak's head anyway.
"Don't think too much about it, it's not really your strong suit," She said.
"I can take of it if I so desire to, don't worry about things beyond your power."There was much to do, and she'd need Bak by her side. It was time to move on with the story.
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