Chapter Text
“FUCK!” Wagner slammed her fist into the oak tree, a dark spot appearing on the tree as she stormed out of the field.
“Wagner, wait!” Orie held her hand out but it was too late. Wagner had slammed the metal door to the bathhouse. The ground seemed to shake with the echo of the door colliding
“She's nearly 18.” Lex sighed, playing with their silver whistle “You think that she wouldn't act like a little kid anymore.”
Orie's face looked like a hurt dog as the smoke of the battle stilled. It started as a friendly spar that Wagner brought up after mass to let off some steam. It had been snowing and too cold for them to leave, only recently mother spring spreading her fingers through the European world. Unfortunately it seemed the goddess of battle was still asleep, the duel ending with a crash as Wagner made a series of mistakes that embarrassed them more than losing. Now their legs and hearts ached with pain, the silence seeming more deadly than. Heat shot into the head of Orie and her knees buckled into the wet dirt.
“Orecchi! Are you okay?” Mika rushed to the side of the blue haired girl. Lex followed suit, handing her a cool carpi sun. It was only Kaguya who had looked away, back to that grated metal shed.
…
She couldn't do anything but tear everything. Her black sports bra and spats slapped on the wet black ground, dashing away the blue mirrors. The metal bar of the shower turned bright red as she manhandled it. It didn’t budge. Mocking screeches of rust came off the door hinges. The more heated power, the more the door waged its hand at her in retaliation. It took the door getting folded semihalfway all the way to the other side, stepping into the brick shower and avoiding frayed edges.. Despite the water being freezing, steam like a volcano exploded in the shower. Drops pattered, pattered, pattered. It felt like every single drop missed their boiling body.
I train every single day! They scratched scabs on her legs. I wake every day early and burn my EXS to a nub! Their legs started to itch. And I get embarrassed by an honor student? Someone who can’t even hurt someone if they cry wolf? Blood trickled under their nails.
How frustrating that a mutt can perform better than me! A lap dog! An executioner's version of a stuffed puppy! Her hand balled into a fist and both her head and hands made contact with the turquoise wall. Steadily banging on the wall her rage filled brain wandered. That blue hair had flowed like a proud flag in that bright Sunday sun. It seemed like every day she seemed brighter than the last. Chains pull her heart down to her feet. It was only just 3 weeks ago it was determined that Orie would head overseas, in an operation to observe the In-births over there. Orie was chosen over her. Why did that ache so much? Why did she sob the night she found out? Why did it feel like a new pin in her chest was added every week since then? The answer should have been rage, that they preferred someone so weak as their foreign affairs. Even though she was the shining star of the executor, their pick of a pathetic honor student was safe and whitewashed. For that alone, she should have been storming to talk to Adelheid. However shame pooled in the teenager's heart. It was obvious to Adelheid and her that wasn’t the only reason. The sight of seeing Orie getting on that train dreaded her. Orie surpassing their group of executioners and finding something bigger than Litch Kries. The thought of Orie being in a place being somewhere she couldn’t go filled her with something more than discomfort. Their core shook with every worry that exploded like fireworks. Why did Orie herself make Wagner feel small about herself, like nobody without her?
A guttural scream shot through the building. Stumbling away they raised the foot and started to kick at the wall, striking a recently faded spot that exposed gilded cracks.
…
Fever still stilled the blond teen as they tugged on their white tights. Standing from the wooden bench, their gray skirt came halfway to their thigh.
“You made her cry again.” Wagner's face distorted as Kaguya leaned in the doorway. Her black hair highlighted her mature figure, despite being a few feet away she already seemed like she was standing over Wagner.
“It’s not my fault she understood my frustration. Her biggest flaw will always be that beating heart on her sleeve.” Her eyes stared at the grated floor as she buttoned up their ruffled white shirt. The sigil for Kries on their collar was moved right in the center of their chest, the sharp point laying perfectly.
Kaguya stepped closer to Wagner as she slipped on her black loafers. "You've got some ash here.” Kaguya pressed a gray petal-like piece off of their golden bangs. It crumbled between the fingers of her long singers, dust trickling down to the floor in embarrassment. “You’ve got to start paying more attention dear.”
“It's from the hair curler.” They batted away the taller girl's hand. "There's no reason for you to be worried about my appearance. I don't need mirrors.”
“I never said anything about mirrors.” Kaguya smugly smiled. Wagner scowled. It seemed that Kaguya wasn't just here for a friendly chat. How upsetting it was, despite being more powerful, there was still an unexplainable gap between the two in-births that was deeper than EXS. Wagner didn’t recognize it before, but it was clear now. She was a mouse that had just walked into a sleeping lion’s den.
“It's commendable that you want to fix the tussle we have found ourselves in.” Their legs and arms crossed, looking directed in the eyes of the beast. “It seems all your braindead sheep have maddening definitions of peace.”
“That’s not fair Erika!” The black hair girl pouted like a kid wanting candy. “You’re basically the same side of the coin when it comes to justice.” She smirked as Wagner approached her.
“I do not care about justice.” The blond brows furrowed. “ I care about getting the dirty work done. Something that every executioner should be able to do, and that Orie can’t until someone drills into her.” Her finger pressed into Kaguya's silken chest glaring deep until- Shit. Wanger stepped back. Her feelings were bare for a moment.
“Hmn?” The lions were awake now. Kaguya bent deeper, their noses were so close it felt like they were sharing the same air. “Did Silvaria tell this to you about our dear Orie? Or was this your creative input?"
“It's obvious to everyone that's wrong with that mutt.” They couldn’t do anything but bare their fangs at the threat. “I suggest you open your goddamn eyes and back away from me.” The aura had shifted in the room. A black cloak enveloped the two girls, bitter and smelling like gunpowder and the night.
“If it was obvious to everyone wouldn’t they not have given her the job? I think you’ve found an blind spot in their plot.” Her voice had dropped, hollow like a lagoon. The fire that was dominating her insides seemed to extinguish at that very spot. She was fully in the jaws of the beast, and they were closing inch by inch on their fragile body.
“Y-You!” Her face felt like life was gone from it, icy drops of sweat dragging across her skin. “If this is your way of trying to find something in me, you are surely mistaken about even finding a sliver!”
“Do you think there was a reason that you were in that room when they announced that Orie was leaving. Do you think it was to purposely rile you up, or was something deeper..” Kaguya eyelashes raised like curtains, and her eyes yellow like a full moon sent waves into Wagner's brain. “Did they realize that this connection is deeper than you even imagine?”
It was dead silent. The air was stale and fragile, like sands of time stood sideways in their clock. Wagner felt like she was nude in the middle of winter. It seemed like she could feel her organs swashing in their body, her heart pounding like a car engine. She inhaled a whimper, stumbling back. Her head hung low as she once again made contact with the bench. A rough exhale blew through her. She had lost.
“What do you want from me Jingu?” Her eyes looked like a corpse as she looked up pathetically .
Kaguya leaned back on a steel locker, loosening her fangs. “we don't have much time with Orie. Soon our beloved Ballardiae won't have much time to talk with us again. I suggest you learned a better way expressing your emotions before it's too late.”
“I'm not going to change in a few months for a girl.” Wagner hissed, but it was clear that the bite she had earlier was now muzzled up.
“You can't change that crazy personality in years sweetheart.” That left Wagner to growl at the Black hair girl. “I'm just saying that you just need to lighten up. Maybe if you are a good girl, they'll let you go with her!”
Silence once kept in the world just for a second. “Fine” Rising from their timeout spot once again, they dragged their feet to those steel blue lockers. The keys stumbled in their rigid hands, before sliding a bronze key in.
“Just-” Kaguya perked up at the teen, whose cheeks were slightly pink with her weighted words. “Just make sure that you know I'm trying.”
“I understand, and I won't tell either.” She winked. Wagner twitched.
Carrying their bags out, while nothing was said it was clear that they both had decided to call a truce that day. They walked down the long window corridor, and as the sun started to break into the hallway, it highlighted a blue hair figure, standing like a monolisk in the middle of the hallway.
“W-Wagner!” Orie still had that pathetic dog expression, how upsetting that she still hadn’t moved on from this insignificant tussle. “Wagner, are you hurt anywhere?”
Idiot. She could feel the bitter look . You’re the one who’s all bandaged up. The young woman's hands were covered in tiny white tape, and cream bandaids and red marks stuck out on her milky white legs. Was it due to this that she felt something that wasn’t rage? Those wide eyes, the slightly frayed hair edges, her pink puffed lips. It made Wagner’s face uncomfortably hot and their chest squeezed. She held her head low as she approached Orie. But just as she was going to leave, keeping the spiral going, their heels dug into the ground. For a few seconds it even seemed like her breathing stopped. Orie tensed as she turned to see her better as a sharp inhale came from the back of the blond teen’s throat.
“I-I’m- I’m sorry.” It was barely over a whisper.
“W-What?” Her voice ticked light with confusion.
“I said I’m sorry! I’m apologizing to you mutt, GOD!” She turned her bright red face away from Orie, stomping down on the ground. Her loafers sounded liked combats boots as she nearly ran down the hallway, leaving the blue hair girl with a cute bewildered look.
Kaguya giggled as she crossed her arms, putting one hand on her lips. I said I wouldn’t say anything... Wagner’s curls bounced as she got further and further. But at this point…she might say it herself.