Work Text:
Veena was doubled over, laughing. The tip of her heavy flowery long sword rested on the grass, her hands too weak to hold it up. H.B. glared at her through the mist of midges that surrounded him.
"Got you," she managed to gasp.
A moment ago he'd been proud that he'd been to first to spot the organic collectable. She had completely missed it, even though she had passed into the glade before him. Predictably, she'd been too busy scanning the sky for hostile indigen, a holdover from her time as an Interceptor. Even though she was learning the rules of her new division, she still tended to spend more time looking for enemies to the detriment of her skills at reading the whole environment. If she had turned just a little to her left, she might have noticed the twisted clay structure with its spongy holes. The air rustling around it was a pleasant lemony scent.
Typically, she sulked when he'd pointed it out. It was regrettable that she was still so touchy about her ineptitude. No reason to act that way, H.B. considered, since it was natural for someone with so little Pathfinder experience to miss obvious things. He'd prefer her to be grateful for the instruction she was receiving, but that was asking too much. At least she focused her attention as he demonstrated how to collect the sample, even if she didn't come as close as he wished. She was likely to miss something.
She had missed exactly all of the swarm of tiny insects that poured out of the mound. H.B. was sure he had missed none of them, and possibly had inhaled a cupful as a souvenir.
Veena coughed, wiped her eyes, and finally approached him. She helped to wave away the last of the pests. "Don't feel bad, H.B.," she said, and her smile was genuine. "Happened to me."
"Dare I ask?"
"Frye, yup." Her teeth sparkled bright. "I won't tell him, but I couldn't pass up the chance."
They continued along the jungle path. It was a simple mission, filling out the edges of the map, double checking that there wasn't a cave or grotto that had been missed, tagging the last few question marks that the Curators or Reclaimers had flagged. They'd hugged the valley wall, squeezing along the narrow shore of lagoon. Much of the area was surprisingly close to Frontier Nav sites. H.B. was dismayed that his division had been so easily satisfied by the obvious successes. The lacy edges of the lagoon were full of threats that might await BLADE.
He hadn't expected to be the victim, mind you, but it only proved his point.
It took the careful navigation of a twisted maze of narrow roots to reach the next clearing. The last one in this direction, by the looks of the smooth granite bluff that blocked the northern edge. H.B. groaned internally when he saw another one of the weird hoodoos, this time in the center of the glade.
"I'll get this one as well," he said chivalrously. "I might as well have a second helping."
"No, wait, let me," Veena said. Her lips curved, probably in memory of his previous embarrassment. Then she proceeded to do nothing at all, merely standing beside the insect colony, swaying gently.
H.B. grew impatient and raised his shield. If he was going to hack into the structure, at least he would have a little protection.
Veena blocked him, putting both hands on the top edge of his broad weapon. "I said wait," she said. For a moment H.B. struggled against her grip, then graciously conceded to her determination. Veena raised a hand to the sky, judging the clouds. H.B. recognized the gesture; he had taught her this, how to measure time by the changing color of the horizon.
"Yes, yes, sunset approaches. I understand some BLADEs extend their mission for the credits, but I didn't expect you to be one of them."
Veena dropped her hand and looked coldly at H.B. "It's not that," she said, and the chill was in her voice. Unless it was possibly hurt feelings. Veena was far more touchy than most of H.B.'s teammates.
Sunset did more than approach. It swept across Noctilum, and the steep walls cut through the colors and released night long before other continents were still basking in the glow. Nothing was lost, though, since Noctilum had its own source of light. Already the leafy tiles of the forest roof were edged in phosphorescent sparkles.
"Now," said Veena, and slammed her sword deep into the mound, straight to its hilt. The structure shifted, the rounded peak sliding onto the ground. H.B. flinched as the insects fled their home, then stared in amazement.
The swarm lit the area in warm amber light. They curled around Veena like a glowing veil, tracing her skin like shining honey. Every loop of her braid was now golden, and her eyelashes were tipped with sparkles. She twirled, and the swarm followed her every limb obediently. She lifted one hand slowly in a precise gesture, the thumb and first fingers in a feather light pinch, light shooting from the flick of her smaller finger. Then she stamped, once, her foot delicately angled. The swarm closed around her, brightening to a flare, before dispersing upward.
"That was why," she said, a hand on her hip and a look of challenge in her eyes.