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The cable car shudders beneath their feet as it takes off from the platform, causing Belle to let out a small squeak of fear. On instinct, she latches onto the woman next to her.
Trigger’s mask flashes a warm pink as the Proxy tumbles into her. She catches her without issue, holding her close enough to feel the shuddering breaths leaving her body.
“Scared of heights?” The sniper asks teasingly.
“Maybe a little,” Belle says with a breathless laugh. “Shouldn’t you be more afraid? Not knowing how high up you are must be terrifying.”
Trigger shrugs in response. “Not especially. Can’t be scared of what isn’t there.”
Belle nods and re-adjusts her position, leaning closer into her and gently holding the hands wrapped around her midsection.
“But… I do wish I could see the landscape,” Trigger says with a wistful sigh. “It’s been so long I can barely even remember what a sunset looks like.”
Belle hums and goes quiet for several long moments, drinking in the scenery passing below the cable car. Failume Heights has always been a beautiful place; but the evening only makes it even more breathtaking.
“The sun is setting now, only around half of it remains above the horizon,” Belle begins, nuzzling the top of her head into Trigger’s collarbone. “The colors… are warm. So, so warm. The oranges are glowing like the warmth coming off of a fire… while the purple is as deep as the embrace of a lover.”
Trigger rests her chin on Belle’s head, breathing in the scent of her. The faint hint of lavender shampoo… and a hint of perfume. She thinks it might be cherry blossom scented. All she knows for sure is that the smell is intoxicating. The sniper allows the smell and words of her lover to embrace her, swallowing her whole like a comfortable blanket, attempting to absorb her very essence.
“There are birds, too. I’m not too familiar… but I see a group of seagulls heading out towards the ocean. There’s even a falcon resting on the cliffside, protecting a nest full of eggs,” Belle continues, her voice dropping to a whisper. “The beaches are full. There has to be at least a hundred of them… but they're as tiny as ants from up here.”
Trigger lets out a deep hum without even realizing it, being lulled into an almost dreamlike state as she builds a mental image of the scenery around the cable car. The landscape feels real enough that she could step into it.
A gust slips through one of the open windows and brushes across her face, carrying salt from the distant ocean and the faint warmth of the dying sun. Trigger closes her eyes out of habit. Between Belle’s voice, the heat against her skin, and the steady pressure of her body tucked against her own, she can almost convince herself that she remembers the colors.
Belle adjusts herself slightly, just enough to take a glance up at Trigger’s face.
“Wow… there’s something here that’s even more beautiful than the sunset,” she says quietly.
Trigger’s mask flashes a deep orange. “Really? What is it? I want to hear everything.”
“It’s a woman. She’s beautiful… long blond hair, a steady bearing, and a gorgeous face,” Belle continues.
Trigger’s mask flashes a deep purple. “Wha-what?”
“It’s you, silly!” The proxy reveals, getting up on the tops of her toes to plant a quick kiss on the sniper’s cheek.
Trigger brings a hand up to hover over where Belle’s lips just were. Her mask starts going haywire, switching between pink and yellow at a blistering speed.
“That’s…” she begins before cutting herself off.
Trigger suddenly leans down, planting a firm kiss on Belle’s lips that lingers for several seconds.
“You missed,” the sniper says playfully. “Thankfully, I never do.”
Belle giggles at the cheesy joke before easing herself back into Trigger’s arms. The rest of the cable car ride goes by comfortably. She continues taking note of their surroundings, describing anything that her partner may want to know. Finally, the journey comes to an end, and the vehicle lurches to a halt on a platform above Failume Heights.
A girl with white hair, a large male panda Thiren, and a small female tiger Thiren notice their presence and begin to approach. The sniper realizes that they must be from Yunkui Summit. Their Ether flows are unusually controlled, even better than Belle’s. It’s more than enough to distinguish them from ordinary civilians.
“Ah, Junior! What brings you all the way to Failume Heights?” The short girl asks with a wide smile.
“Senior Fufu, it’s so good to see you!” Belle says happily before turning towards the other two. “You as well, Yi Xuan Shifu and Senior Yinhu.”
The four of them exchange bows, leaving Trigger standing awkwardly to one side, not knowing if she should as well or if that would be disrespectful.
After a second too long, she settles for an uncertain dip of her head. Belle immediately squeezes her hand, suppressing a laugh badly enough that Trigger can hear it in the way her breathing stutters.
“Oh, I suppose you all have never met! This is my girlfriend, Trigger!” Belle says, grabbing the sniper’s hand and leading her forward.
Trigger’s mask flashes a bright pink and she can feel her cheeks begin to warm. She waves nervously and mumbles a hasty greeting. It’s not like they just started dating or anything, but Belle introducing her as her girlfriend always sends her heart racing anyways.
“Ah, so you’re the one that’s stolen the heart of our Junior. We’ve heard a lot about you.” Yi Xuan says with a kind smile, bowing her head slightly.
“Thank you for taking such good care of her, it really means a lot!” The tiger says with a grateful smile.
“We all know how much she likes to help people, even if it means putting herself in danger,” the panda chimes in.
“You guys!” Belle says, her own blush growing.
Trigger nervously brushes a lock of blond hair behind her ear. Her focus shifts to the one standing in the middle; the tall girl with the white hair. “I’m assuming you are Belle’s instructor?”
The girl blinks several times, her surprise evident. “That’s correct. I’m Yi Xuan, High Preceptor of Yunkui Summit. How did you know?”
“Your Ether flow is almost identical, only being slightly more stable. You two look nearly the same through the way I see things. I can still tell you apart, though” Trigger explains.
“Woah, that’s so cool!” Ju Fufu says with wonder in her eyes. She quickly launches into a barrage of questions too numerous and fast to be answered.
“Woah now, let’s settle down,” Pan Yinhu interjects softly, laying one of his huge paws on her shoulder. “You’ll have plenty of time to talk to her later today.”
Trigger can sense Belle go rigid next to her as confusion fills her own mind. Later today? Why would she be seeing them again later? Before she can ask, she is interrupted.
“Oh, I mean, not today. Later. As in much later. Definitely not today,” Pan Yinhu explains in a panic, waving his hands back and forth.
“Relax, it’s just a simple mistake,” Yi Xuan says cooly before looking back towards the sniper. “He meant next time you guys are on a date here. We always look forward to having you in Failume Heights, so hurry back.”
Belle lets out a massive sigh of relief. Trigger glances at her strangely, but her girlfriend waves her off. She makes a mental note to ask her about it later.
The two groups exchange a final set of pleasantries and farewells before splitting up. The Disciples head towards the cable cars while the couple make their way towards the center of town.
“They seem like good people,” Trigger says as she watches them walk towards the cable car platform.
“They are! They’ve taught me so much, especially when it comes to controlling Ether,” Belle chirps happily, giving her hand a few small squeezes. “I know how you are about strangers, so thanks for doing that.”
Trigger squeezes her hand back.
“As a reward, let’s get some osmanthus cakes at Yum Cha Sin! One of my other Seniors says they are to die for,” Belle says, breaking into a jog while keeping her hand firmly in place.
Trigger gets dragged behind her like a dog on a leash, subject to her whims of excitement. The small smile on her face gives away that she is exactly where she wants to be.
Belle greets the hostess of the establishment with familiarity. In the blink of an eye they’re seated at an outdoor table with steaming cups of tea in their respective hands.
The air around the little table is thick with the smell of tea leaves, sugar, and flowers. Somewhere beyond them, porcelain clinks against porcelain while a kettle whistles. Belle shifts her chair closer until their knees touch beneath the table, apparently deciding that sitting across from Trigger is still too far away.
“And your osmanthus cakes. On the house, of course!” The woman says, setting the plate down with a small click.
“Oh no! Sweety, I can’t possibly. Please let me pay for us both,” Belle begs.
“Nope!” The now named Sweety says, popping the p at the end. “Not for you two love birds. I’ve been waiting ages for you to stop by.”
Before Belle can argue, the hostess runs away, making unconvincing excuses about inventory that she has to do.
“Well, she seems… generous,” Trigger says humorously, grabbing one of the cakes.
“Ugh, I can’t believe this! The audacity to not even charge me!” Belle says, crossing her arms with a huff.
Trigger smiles gently. Of course she would be mad about not being allowed to pay. Of everyone in New Eridu, she can’t think of many others that would be so incensed by a free meal.
“She’s just doing you a favor. It seems like everyone here loves you. Not that I should be surprised,” the sniper muses before holding the osmanthus cake up towards her girlfriend across the table.
Belle’s anger melts away in an instant. Blushing, she leans forward and takes a bite out of the dessert being offered. Instantly, her blue eyes light up.
“Oh, wow. Darling, you have to try this!” Belle says, not even bothering to finish chewing before speaking.
With Trigger’s curiosity piqued, she takes the same cake and bites into it. The aroma hits her first, and then the taste. A sweet and sugary front followed by an earthy and floral aftertaste. She can sense crumbs falling off of it and onto the table, but she’s too entranced to care.
“Woah…” she mutters, her mask turning orange.
Belle smiles mischievously and reaches her finger towards Trigger’s face. Slowly, she uses a finger to collect the crumbs that build up on her lip. Without breaking eye contact, she returns the finger to her own mouth and eats her ill gotten gains.
Trigger swallows loudly at the display, her heartbeat increasing to a frantic pace.
She opens her mouth to speak.
Belle’s phone rings before she can get a word out, bringing the two back to reality like a splash of cold water to the face.
The Proxy sighs deeply and fishes her phone out of her pocket, notably using the crumbless fingers to type in her code. After reading the ID, she makes a few excuses and gets up from the table, stepping a few feet away into a nearby alley.
Trigger is well enough used to things like this happening by now. Dating the most famous Proxy in all of New Eridu does have its drawbacks. The benefits are well worth it, however. She lets her focus shift to the steady thrum of Failume Heights. The chirping of nearby birds, the conversations of passersby, the calls of shopkeepers hawking their wares.
Pan Yinhu’s earlier slip returns to her mind for a moment. Later today. Trigger turns the words over once, then dismisses them. Belle has enough friends in Failume Heights that another chance encounter would hardly be suspicious. Probably.
The call ends as quickly as it starts and Belle shuffles her way back towards the sniper.
“Hey, sorry about that,” Belle says sheepishly, not taking her previously held seat at the table.
Trigger can tell something is off immediately.
Her heart rate has elevated by ten beats per minute. The inflection of her voice has changed as well, almost as if she’s nervous. Her Ether fluctuations… are much more pronounced. The training she received at Yunkui Summit has reduced it to near zero on average…
“Is everything okay?” Trigger blurts out before she can stop herself, worry overtaking her mind.
Belle seems taken aback. “Yes, of course! Why wouldn’t it be?”
“I… just wanted to ask,” Trigger says with a sigh. “What was the phone call about?”
Belle’s eyes widen considerably and her breath hitches in her throat.
Beats per minute has elevated to thirty over her average…
“I, uhm. It was Wise!” Belle says, nodding profusely. It almost seems like she’s trying to convince herself as well as Trigger.
She’s lying… beats per minute forty above baseline… Ether fluctuations are increasing…
“He’s off galavanting around with Miyabi again. Something about an ancestral home built into a mountain. Very snowy, he says. Quite cold,” Belle continues, rubbing her neck sheepishly.
“Ah,” Trigger says. “Well, I do hope he is able to keep warm up there.”
“Yep!” Belle exclaims with a giggle.
Several seconds of silence pass between them, almost thick enough to cut through with a blade.
“Uhm, would it be okay if I took off early? Wise reminded me that I need to adjust Fairy’s personality matrix,” Belle says, her eyes downcast. “I’ll make it up to you, I promise.”
Trigger tries not to let her discomfort show as she puts on her best smile. “Of course it’s okay. See you later?”
Belle heaves a sigh of relief before stepping forward. Stretching up to her full height, she plants a quick kiss on Trigger’s lips.
“Guess you’re not the only one who never misses,” she says with a giggle before heading the opposite direction.
Trigger smiles gently as the heat on her lips slowly recedes. Despite the warmth, a gnawing feeling of cold makes itself known in the back of her head. A subtle, creeping doubt.
She has never cut a date short… something is off… Belle might be in trouble…
It takes Trigger exactly all of fifteen minutes to decide that respecting Belle’s privacy and making sure she isn’t in mortal danger are not mutually exclusive concepts. By the one hour marker, she has already found herself a cozy sniper’s nest overlooking Sixth Street.
The wind ruffles Trigger’s long blond hair as she removes the covers on her scope.
Target is approximately one hundred and fifty-eight centimeters tall, heading Eastbound on Seventh Street…
The task is nearly automatic for her by now, like breathing or walking. Track the target, adjust the scope, take note of anything out of place. She could do it in her sleep.
Or even with her eyes closed.
Wind speed is approximately forty-five kilometers per hour, Southeast to Northwest… right in the middle of a force 6 on the Beaufort scale… not great but not terrible…
A small click sounds out as she snaps the bipod in place, nestling it comfortably against a small concrete barrier.
The Coriolis effect is negligible… barometric pressure negligible… humidity negligible…
Trigger lies down on her stomach, careful to conceal her silhouette. Rough pebbles of concrete dig into her skin, but she automatically shoves the sensation out of her mind.
Target has beautiful blue hair, stunning blue eyes, and needs to be protected at any and all costs…
Trigger shakes her head as she watches as Belle makes her way down the road towards Sixth Street. After taking a breath to refocus, she returns to her scope.
Focus… this is serious…
Belle stops at a familiar noodle shop, saying hi to a short man with a pair of robotic arms.
Trigger is well familiar with General Chop at this point. He isn’t a threat to Belle.
Everyone loves Belle here, how couldn’t they? She’s so kind, and considerate, and beautiful, and-
Trigger shakes her head again as she feels her cheeks begin to warm. She pulls her head away from the scope.
“This is hopeless. I’m not on just another mission. How am I supposed to focus like this?” She murmurs to a pigeon sitting on a nearby bannister.
Shockingly, the feathered creature offers no comfort nor solutions, shy of a small cooing sound.
“But… she could be in danger. Phaethon is a wanted Proxy with plenty of enemies. She could be being blackmailed or threatened. What if they took Wise hostage and told her not to tell anyone?” Trigger continues, her mind flooding with grim possibilities. “The Exaltists, TOPS, the Ravenlock family… there’s so many people that would want to hurt her.”
The pigeon tilts its head curiously, blinking its beady black eyes and cooing again.
“Obviously she’s not being unfaithful, you idiot. Of everything that could be happening, it’s the only one that’s impossible,” Trigger says, an edge of steel entering her voice as she rebuffs the avian’s accusations.
Seemingly intimidated by the sniper’s glare, the pigeon flees to the skies, leaving her with only her thoughts for company once again.
Trigger sighs and glances back through her scope just in time to see her target leaving Waterfall Soup. However, she seems to have received some sort of container from the chef. Oddly, it’s completely black, concealing any of its contents.
To her shock, Belle walks right past Random Play and down the street.
What… I’ve never seen her go down that road before…
Suddenly, a man wearing a hoodie steps out from behind Howl’s news stand and rapidly approaches Belle, a briefcase in his hands. On instinct, her finger begins to hover near the trigger. If the man pulls a weapon, he’ll have a hole in his head within half of a second.
Instead, he seems to call to Belle, who turns around. A few words are exchanged and the man hands over the briefcase. As quickly as he comes, he goes, heading to the alleyway near Godfinger and disappearing from sight.
“That… was weird,” Trigger notes worriedly. What could the briefcase have? A bomb? Blackmail material? A case of contraband that Belle is being coerced to move?
She hates how much of the exchange is lost to distance. Heartbeats and Ether signatures tell her plenty, but they cannot tell her what words passed between two people. For perhaps the hundredth time in her career, Trigger finds herself wishing that lip-reading worked when you couldn’t actually see lips.
The distance only grows between the sniper and her target. Finally, she comes to a stop at a seemingly random, dilapidated structure at the very end of Sixth Street. Belle checks something on her phone, seemingly shooting off a quick text message, before knocking at the door. After several moments, it swings open. The Proxy casts a wary glance down each side of the road before stepping inside.
Trigger nearly jumps out of her own skin as her phone goes off in her pocket.
“Really, now?” She grumbles as she fishes it out, recognizing the tone as the one she set for Orphie.
‘URGENT MEETING. REPORT TO SCOTT OUTPOST BRIEFING ROOM’
Trigger groans, her gaze flitting from her phone to the building that Belle walks into. With her in the building, the sniper’s options are near zero. She can’t just breach the door and go in. What if it’s some sort of Proxy business? It could ruin her reputation if a clandestine meeting is interrupted like that. Reluctantly, she realizes that there’s nothing she can do right now.
If something really is wrong and Belle is in danger… my team can help…
The sniper picks up her rifle, popping the covers back on to either side of the scope, folds the bipod in, and slings it over her shoulder. Trigger takes one long, forlorn glance down at the street before heading towards the stairs.
The cloth of the tent’s cover rustles over Trigger’s fingers as she lifts it over her head. The familiar scent of gun oil, gasoline, and worn canvas fills her nose. An aluminum table has been set in the middle of the tent, surrounded by collapsible stools. Members of her team fill each one of them, except for at the head of the table where Captain Roland sits. Their heads all turn towards her as she steps inside.
“Good, you made it,” Orphie says in a relieved tone.
Though nervous and inexperienced, the young Lieutenant has been an excellent Officer in their squad. Trigger is certain that she would not have been called here if it wasn’t important to the girl.
However, an unexpected person is at the table. Anby, perhaps better known in this camp as Soldier 0, is sitting on one of the chairs. Trigger notes the Silver Squad uniform, being well aware of the reports regarding her recent… family reunion. Perhaps more strangely is her sitting next to Soldier 11. She tries not to let her gaze linger, but she can’t help but wonder why she is here.
Something else nags at her. Too many heartbeats in the tent are running slightly fast, and not one of them belongs to someone who appears to be in danger. Either she has walked into the strangest disciplinary hearing in Defence Force history, or everyone knows something she doesn’t.
“So, what’s the situation?” She asks while taking the only available seat, nestled in between Soldier 11 and Seed. The thin metal creaks under her meager weight, the many years of hard service
The mech pilot quickly averts her gaze away, making a small squeaking sound.
Ah, so that’s it, then…? Did Seed break regulations again and now we all have to have a safety briefing…
Going purely off of Captain Roland’s unenthusiastic expression, Trigger feels confident that she has hit the nail on the head. But, then again, that wouldn’t explain Anby’s presence. The Officer continues to shuffle and reshuffle the stack of papers in front of him.
Trigger next turns her gaze towards Orphie and Magus, the former shrinking away.
Her heart rate is elevated… fifteen beats per minute over her resting… did she wake up late today and Magus gave her a dressing down…?
What the hell is going on today…?
“Captain? Lieutenant?” She asks, her voice conveying the confusion she is feeling.
The room is so quiet that Trigger can feel her heartbeat thundering in her ears and the dull buzzing of the lights hanging from the tent’s ceiling.
Suddenly, Seed shoots out of her chair so violently that she sends the poor piece of furniture careening into the side of the tent, knocking down one of the aluminum poles and causing the whole structure to slag slightly.
“New Eridu is in danger!” She proclaims wildly, her eyes wide as saucers. “We have to act now or the whole city may be destroyed!”
Trigger doesn’t know whether to laugh or slap the girl upside the head for speaking in place of her Officers.
Well that was uncharacteristically… serious…
Several seconds of palpable silence pass as everyone in the room stares at Seed, dumbfounded. The spell is only broken when Captain Roland facepalms so loudly it could have been mistaken for a clap of thunder. The sound acts like a bell sounding in a boxing ring, causing everyone to launch into action.
“Seed is being… dramatic,” Anby pipes up softly. “The real purpose of this meeting is to discuss something of great importance, burgers being included in our rations.”
Captain Roland facepalms, again. Trigger considers calling a medic to check for a traumatic brain injury due to the sheer force of the impact.
“Idiot,” Captain Magus mutters, her mechanical eyes narrowed in anger.
“Soldier Zer-... I mean Anby, is correct. That is actually the purpose of our meeting here today,” Soldier 11 says sternly, her poker face remaining unwavering.
Trigger’s disbelief completes with frustration in her mind to find out which is going to make her snap first.
Anby sits up straighter in her seat, oblivious to the mood in the room. “Burgers are a complete meal unto themselves, containing all of the major food groups in a single, compact, and delicious package. Issuing these in the Defence Force’s MREs would vastly improve our soldier’s efficiency in the field. Not to mention the improvement in morale.”
“We could also add optional spicy sauces on the side to allow soldiers more choices,” Soldier 11 adds with a sagely nod.
Trigger’s jaw hangs open, long since tiring from containing her shock.
In the meantime, Seed has retrieved her office chair and has begun spinning in circles while sitting in it, blowing raspberries all the while.
Trigger’s frustration boils over and she suddenly stands from her chair, unwilling to put up with the useless discussion any longer. If her squad wants to play games, let them. But she wasn’t about to be a part of it; not with so much at stake. Without a word, she turns around towards the exit to the tent.
“Wait!” Orphie exclaims, standing from her chair and reaching a hand out.
Against her better judgement, the sniper turns around, only to see that every member of the squad is looking at her worriedly. Orphie seems on the verge of her own panic attack. Even Magus’s mechanical eyes carry concern.
“If there is nothing important, then I need to go. Belle may be in danger and I could be out there trying to help instead of wasting my time with this nonsense,” Trigger snaps, her emotions boiling over. “I don’t have time to explain everything now. But I hope you can excuse me if I relieve myself.”
The room goes silent as everyone at the table looks nervously between themselves. Anby looks to Soldier 11, Orphie to Magus, and Seed to Roland. Finally, they seem to come to a quiet conclusion.
“If Belle is in trouble, then let us help!” Orphie pipes up with a smile.
The sudden change throws Trigger for a loop. The seemingly random purpose of the meeting has been abandoned with the same confusion and brashness that it was introduced with. A sudden attack, a discussion about MREs, and now this? Has the outpost's water supply been laced with some sort of drug?
To her shame and despite her reservations, she can’t help but feel like she needs all the help she can get. Enough time has been wasted already.
“Alright, fine. If that’s going to be the case then we don’t have any time to lose,” Trigger says, turning to leave the tent, her mask glowing a steady green. Her mind is already spinning with ideas on how to utilize their abilities.
She doesn’t wait and see if the team follows her.
“Team one checking in, we’re all clear in this sector by Waterfall Soup, over,” Soldier 11’s voice says over the radio.
Trigger, keeping her focus on her scope, reaches a hand up to her earpiece and presses the transmit button. “Understood, team one. Let me know if anything changes, over.”
Wind ruffles the sniper’s clothing and long blond hair as she sits hidden in a tall building. From her new spot, she can see even more of Sixth Street. Her years of training and experience has taught her to never use the same location twice to make her nest.
“Team two checking in, Box Galaxy is clear as well. Except for three cute little Bangboo~,” Seed chirps over the radio. “Ehn-Nah? Ehn!”
Trigger sighs deeply as the transmission comes to a close. This was closer to the Seed she was expecting to see at Scott Outpost. Her and her love of Bangboo.
“Team two, let’s make sure we’re focused on the task at hand, over,” the sniper says, pressing on her earpiece.
“Yeah yeah, we know! Ehn!” She answers back, irreverent to Trigger’s reminder.
“Great,” she says to herself, not bothering to say it over the radio.
Trigger can’t stay mad at Seed no matter how hard she tries. The young girl has more than a few screws loose, obviously. But she’s basically the younger sister of the entire group. Despite that, her eccentricities can cause some frustration on an operation like this.
The soft flapping of wings draws her attention away. A pigeon that she swears is the same one from earlier in the day lands only a meter from where she is laying.
“Here to criticize my deductions again?” Trigger says with exasperation.
The pigeon coos once.
“I’m not accepting tactical advice from a bird,” she mutters.
The pigeon coos again, somehow sounding smugger this time.
“This is team three, we’ve spotted the target by Coff Cafe,” Orphie says as the radio crackles to life once again.
Trigger’s finger flies to her earpiece as her heartrate skyrockets. “Team three, what do you see, over?”
She picks up her rifle and pivots to another corner of the building where she will have a better angle on Coff Cafe. After glancing through her scope, she fails to spot a signature head of blue hair. All that meets her gaze is the form of Tin Master, hard at work in his shop. Where is she?
“Team three, confirm that sighting, over?” Trigger says into the radio, an edge of urgency entering her voice.
Only silence follows.
“Team three, come in?”
More silence.
“The target has entered Error 404 and is proceeding to the music club, over,” Magus says over the radio, breaking the silence.
Not wanting to waste a second, Trigger slings her sniper rifle onto her back and reaches into a nearby backpack that she brought with her. She secures one end of the rope to a sturdy looking pillar and clips the other end onto her belt. Without hesitation, she throws herself over the edge of the building and begins rappelling down rapidly. After only a few seconds, her feet touch the sidewalk.
Trigger ignores the gasps of nearby civilians as she sprints down the road towards the music club. Taking the stairs three at a time, she catapults into the lower levels of Error 404, her head on a constant swivel. However, after a minute of searching, she comes to a conclusion.
Belle is not here.
But, then again, neither is her team. Why would they call in that they saw Belle and not pursue?
“This is team one, we can see the target entering Random Play, over,” Soldier 11 says calmly over the radio.
Once again, Trigger makes her way up the stairs three at a time. Sixth Street residents part to either side of the road as she sprints past. Hopefully, this wild goose chase is about to come to an end. She rounds the corner and comes to a stop in front of the video rental store.
No members of her team are in sight.
The hairs stand up on the back of Trigger’s neck and she reaches for her weapon. Something feels very, very wrong. Where is her team at?
Slowly, she reaches for the door handle and enters Random Play.
“Surprise!”
The sniper raises her rifle, nearly pulling the trigger as her combat reflexes kick in.
“Woah, woah! Friendlies!” A familiar voice says urgently.
Confusion fills Trigger’s mind as she slowly lowers the rifle, recognizing the figures standing in front of her. Her visor flashes a bright yellow as the shock slowly leaves her system.
“Belle?” She asks hesitantly.
“Well duh, who else would it be?” The girl responds with a giggle.
Belle runs forward and wraps her in a warm hug.
It’s at that moment that Trigger realizes they aren’t alone.
The front lobby of Random Play is more packed than she has ever seen it. Wise and Miyabi stand in the background, waving shyly at her entrance. A few shopkeepers from Sixth Street are present as well. Most notably, the rest of the OBOL squad stands off to one side, looking upon the couple with warm smiles.
“Time?” Magus asks, turning towards Orphie.
“Seventeen point eight seconds,” the Lieutenant reads off of her watch.
“Damn.”
“Hooray!”
Soldier 11 and Seed say, respectively. A quick flash of shining light is visible as a stack of Dennies change hands.
“Wha-what’s going on?” Trigger asks in confusion.
“Seriously? You don’t even remember?” Belle asks as she looks up at her, a small smile on her face.
“It’s your birthday, Sergeant,” Magus says in her robotic voice.
“Seed and I were betting on your speed. The time from when you got the call at Error 404 until you opened the door of Random Play. Seed bet under twenty seconds and I bet over,” Soldier 11 says with a huff, clearly not pleased with how the bet shook out. “Seems like I should have had more confidence in your speed.”
“Ehn-Nah!” Seed seemingly agrees as she counts through her new wealth.
“My birthday?” Trigger asks nobody in particular.
“Yes, Charry, your birthday,” Belle says with a giggle. “Unless today isn’t April twenty-first.”
“I… completely forgot.”
“Well, luckily I didn’t. Happy birthday, my love,” Belle says, standing up on her toes to plant a kiss on the sniper’s lips.
The following time is filled with laughter and pleasant conversation. As they speak, more and more people begin to file into the shop to pass on their best regards for Trigger.
Victoria Housekeeping has prepared a veritable feast for the partygoers consisting of chicken, beef, and vegetable skewers grilled to perfection. Trigger can hardly keep the grease from running down her chin when she takes a bite, savoring the smokey flavor.
Von Lycaon is manning the grill with intense, one-eyed focus in the back parking lot. His apron stating ‘Do Not Pet The Chef’ takes the edge off of his intimidating aura. The smell alone draws in passersby from the street, who promptly receive their own plates overflowing with food.
Wise has to get physically involved keeping Alexandrina away from the food prepping area, coming up with a variety of cleaning and organizational tasks for her to focus on instead. If Belle’s stories about the ghostly woman are true, then he may well have saved lives with his actions.
The Yunkui Summit members show up next. The panda Thiren, that Trigger now knows as Pan Yinhu, is carrying a massive wooden barrel on his shoulders.
“Ah, Junior. Know of anywhere I can put this?” The massive martial artist asks shyly.
Belle is quick to guide him to the front counter of Random Play. Promptly, the barrel is put down with a heavy thud that draws the attention of everyone in the lobby.
Trigger’s attention is taken when the white haired Yi-Xuan steps forward, holding out a hammer and spigot.
“We at Suibian Temple would like to thank you for taking such good care of our beloved Junior,” she says, raising her voice for those in the corners of the room. “We would like to offer you the honors, if you’ll have them.”
“A cask of Failume Height’s famous rice wine! Brewed fresh for your enjoyment,” Pan Yinhu interjects excitedly. It’s clear that this is just as much a gift for him as the partygoers.
With a smile, the sniper accepts the tools and makes her way over to the wooden barrel. Belle stays close, hands on her shoulders for guidance.
Trigger runs her hands across the barrel, letting the rough wooden texture brush against her fingertips. After finding a spot she favors, she sets the spigot in place and swings the hammer, landing it perfectly in the center. A hollow thunk fills the lobby as the spigot enters on her first try. A splash of rice wine follows before stopping.
“I told you! She never misses!” Belle says with a laugh, nuzzling her head into Trigger’s shoulder.
Embarrassment warms her cheeks as her mask flashes a warm pink. “It’s just a barrel.”
Pan Yinhu feigns indignation as his precious creation is called such, drawing laughter from many of the partygoers. Regardless, he steps forward with a set of hand-carved wooden cups, filling them each with the clear liquid. Trigger and Belle receive theirs first, followed by everyone else in the room.
A moment of silence passes, none of them wanting to be the first to speak or take a drink. Belle rolls her eyes and steps forwards, pushing a blushing Orphie towards the center of the room. The poor girl's face is nearly as red as her hair. Although it can’t physically help, Magus uses her head to push her as well. Wordlessly, the partygoers part to give her room, forming a circle in the center of the lobby.
“Come on, you said you wanted to give the speech!” Belle whisper-yells.
Orphie glances around in a panic for several moments before her green eyes land on trigger. With a smile, the sniper gives her a silent nod of support.
Rallying what bravery she can, Orphie opens her mouth.
“I, uhm, wanted to say a few words,” she says, holding up her own cup. Her hands are shaking so violently that splashes of the liquid fly out and hit the wooden floor. “Trigger, no, Charon. Has always supported and been patient with me ever since I joined the OBOL squad. I think a lot of us can say that she always has our backs, no matter what. A-and, I thought it was time to show my appreciation for how much she’s guided me through the years. She’s like an older sister I never had. S-so, let’s toast to her!”
“Hear, hear!” The crowd echoes excitedly.
Trigger is frozen nearly solid at the words and attention she is receiving. For someone who is used to never being seen and only seeing, it’s a lot to process. A quick squeeze of her hand, courtesy of Belle, brings her back into the moment, the ringing in her ears giving way to overwhelming applause.
“Thank you, Orphie, you did very well,” Trigger says with a smile.
The Officer somehow blushes even harder, brushing a lock of red hair behind her ear. “Th-thank you.”
Seed is the first to break away from the crowd, nearly bowling over Soldier 11 as she rushes forward with a poorly wrapped package clutched against her chest.
“Present time!” she announces, shoving it into Trigger’s hands before the sniper has a chance to protest. “Open it! Open it!”
Trigger carefully works a finger beneath the excessive amount of tape. Whatever is inside is small and surprisingly light. After several seconds of fighting with the wrapping, something hard and smooth drops into her palm. Her fingers trace over a round little body, two long ears, and a tiny pair of feet.
“A Bangboo?” Trigger asks, her mask glowing orange.
“An OBOL Bangboo,” Seed corrects proudly. “I painted the uniform myself!”
Trigger turns the little charm over between her fingers, finding a small metal clasp attached to its back.
“I suggested something more practical,” Soldier 11 mutters from nearby.
A laugh escapes Trigger before she can stop it. She closes her fingers gently around the charm. “Thank you, Seed. I’ll put it on my rifle case.”
Seed freezes, clearly not expecting the gift to be taken so seriously. Then she throws both fists into the air.
“Yes!”
The room erupts into a hundred conversations following the toast. Trigger and Belle stay attached by hand as they are approached by more and more people. Many say their congratulations to the happy couple, wishing them a bright future. Eventually, more familiar faces begin to make an appearance.
For the next several minutes, Trigger barely gets a chance to breathe. Hands clap against her shoulders, cups tap against her own, and familiar voices seem to come from every direction. General Chop presses another skewer into her hand before she can finish the first. Tin Master insists that her next coffee is on the house. Even Howl gets carried through the front door at one point, his excited barking adding another layer to the overwhelming noise.
Normally, a crowd this dense would have Trigger searching for the nearest exit. Too many footsteps. Too many heartbeats. Too many Ether signatures overlapping until they blurred together into a mess that made her skin crawl.
Tonight is different.
She recognizes nearly every voice. Every hand that touches her does so gently. Nobody wants anything from her. There is no target to watch, no perimeter to secure, no rifle scope narrowing the world down to a single point.
They are simply here for her.
The realization settles strangely in her chest. Trigger tightens her grip around Belle’s hand without even thinking about it.
Belle squeezes back.
“You doing okay?” she whispers beneath the noise.
Trigger nods after a moment, her mask glowing a soft pink. “Yeah. I think I am.”
“Man, I really thought I spoiled the surprise earlier when we met in Failume,” Pan Yinhu says with a breathless laugh, wiping a sheen of sweat from his brow.
“It’s only thanks to Shifu’s quick thinking that the surprise wasn’t spoiled!” Ju Fufu chirps happily.
Yi Xuan clears her throat, remaining stoic. “Well, I would hate for my Junior’s well laid plans to be wasted.”
Before Trigger can interrogate the three any further, Wise wanders over with a half-empty cup in one hand. Miyabi follows a few steps behind him, looking considerably more composed than everyone else in the room.
“For what it’s worth, you almost caught us about six times,” Wise says.
Trigger turns toward him. “Six?”
“Minimum.” He points accusingly toward Belle. “Your girlfriend has been running this place like a military command center for weeks. Schedules, alternate schedules, emergency alternate schedules. I had to memorize three different stories about where I was supposed to be today.”
“You only needed to remember one!” Belle protests.
“That changed four times.”
Miyabi raises her cup to her lips. “Five.”
Belle stares at her.
“The mountain story was revised this morning,” Miyabi explains calmly.
Trigger’s mask flashes yellow as the pieces begin arranging themselves into an increasingly ridiculous picture. “So you weren’t at an ancestral home built into a mountain?”
“No,” Wise says. “I was in the back room of Random Play moving tables.”
Miyabi’s expression remains perfectly neutral. “In Belle’s defense, deceiving you appears unusually difficult.”
“That is the nicest possible way of describing today,” Wise says.
Trigger slowly turns back toward Belle, amusement beginning to overpower her embarrassment. If all of this had really been arranged around her without her noticing the purpose, there was only one question left to ask.
“Just how long have you been planning this?” Trigger asks her girlfriend incredulously.
Belle exhales dramatically and giggles. “At least two months. Surprising the most perceptive person in New Eridu takes careful planning, you know.”
Trigger blushes and looks away. “I… thought you were being blackmailed or maybe threatened. I’ve been watching you all day,” she admits with a hint of shame.
Belle uses two of her fingers to tilt the sniper’s chin upwards. “Don’t worry, I was well aware you were watching me the whole time. Honestly, I would be surprised if you weren’t.”
“W-what?”
“You heard me. Everything was planned down to the finest details.”
“So, the case that General Chop handed you at Waterfall Soup?”
Belle’s chest swells with pride. “Ingredients for Lycaon’s famous yakitori. Concealed just enough that you couldn’t tell.”
“And the hooded man with the briefcase? What did he have?” Trigger asks curiously.
“Ah, you’ll have to be patient with that one. It’s a surprise for later. I’ll find you after the part and we can go somewhere quieter,” Belle says teasingly. With a wink, she melts into the crowd, leaving Trigger equal parts confused and ecstatic.
“This is odd… why is nobody else here?” Trigger says in confusion.
The beaches of Fantasy Resort are deserted, absent of its usual thrumming crowds. The only movement she notices is the gentle rolling of waves and the occasional seagull.
“Well, I know the owners quite well. I actually helped them in setting this whole place up,” Belle reveals.
“And you asked them to close the resort for an entire night? Wouldn’t that cost them a lot in sales?” Trigger asks.
Belle shrugs. “They didn’t mind. Trust me when I say that money isn’t an issue.”
Trigger hums in response, accepting the explanation. After walking down the beach for several minutes, they step onto the dock. The rickety old wood creaks and groans as they walk across it. Finally, they come to a stop at the very end, staring at the moon as it reflects against the tranquil water.
Belle suddenly reaches into her pocket, pulling out a small object. “Well, I know that you prefer privacy for intimate moments.”
She holds it out towards Trigger, her heavy blush still visible even in the dark of night.
“Happy birthday, my love. I hope you like it.”
Trigger feels her heart skip a beat as she reaches her hand out to grab the object. The first thing she notices is the cold touch of metal against her skin. She runs her fingers over the surface, quickly recognizing it as a harmonica. Raised bumps catch her attention and she quickly recognizes it as braille.
‘To This Birthday and Many More. Love ~ Belle’
Trigger’s throat tightens with emotion. “It’s beautiful. I… don’t know what to say.”
Wordlessly, Belle takes a step forward, putting her hands on either side of the sniper’s mask. Slowly, she begins to remove it.
“I… won’t be able to see anything without it. What if someone sees? What if there’s danger?” Trigger asks nervously, already becoming conscious of her surroundings. Her scarred face has always been a point of shame for her, as her girlfriend is well aware.
“Let me watch over you, for once. Nobody will get past me,” Belle says quietly before removing the mask.
Gently, she guides the sniper downwards until they are both sitting on the edge of the pier, their legs hanging off of the edge.
Belle’s head is nestled into Trigger’s neck as she plays a hauntingly beautiful tune on the harmonica. One that carries notes of triumph and mourning. Her only audience is the person she loves the most and the gently rolling waves of the sea.