"What the fuck is that? I-Is that an ability?" Cameron sputtered out his questions, barely able to keep himself afoot.
The man stood in front of Aran, looked precariously at the long humanoid figure set out before him, brow knitted with concern. "Figured you all wouldn't have your Boons just yet, but... here we are. Guess I'm unlucky."
"You may be." Aran sighed out the words before walking toward the man.
"Woah... hey, lady. If you get too close, you're gonna start b-" His eyes widened as the air cooled around him, the hat of "The Pot" not looming over him as that liquid dripped onto his clothes. "W-Wait... what the hell, how come my heat isn't working!?"
"Feels better, don't it?"
The man attempted to create distance between himself and Aran before stumbling, his foot getting stuck within the melting concrete. "W-What the hell is this!?"
Aran pinched her chin, looking to her Boon with an inquisitive look in her eyes, "I think I'm startin' to get this a bit more. Hey, tell me, what's your ability called, dude?"
"Fuck off, like I'd tell you."
"Fair, then I won't say shit either. Except that you've lost."
"Huh!? Who the hell are you to have determined that, huh!? I'm not dead, and I still have my ace up my sleeve. No matter how cool this shit is, I can still hit ya with somethin' truly unbearable, y'hear!?"
"The ego on this guy, huh?" She chuckled, pointing at the guy and looking back at the group, causing the Twins to chuckle.
"Don't laugh when you haven't won yet. This is just a small hiccup--" A bullet is shot into the man and instantly melts, killing Cameron's hopes of interrupting this rambling. "Rude..."
Luce leaned onto the car, "Please, be careful. Don't get hurt."
Aran smirked, "Y'hear that. I'd be a bad bodyguard if I got hurt, yeah?"
"Come on! Come at me!"
Aran stood stock still, just watching the man with a smile.
"What the hell are ya doin'!?"
"Nah, you come to me, okay? If you don't come to me, then I'll keep waiting here. In that case, you're guaranteed to lose."
"The hell are you talkin' about!?"
Aran chuckled, watching with a wry smile across her lips.
When Aran returned from the military, she was greeted by the sight of one of her older brothers, a man in his 30s wearing a pair of sunglasses similar to Aran's, standing up straight with both hands in their pockets. "Didn't expect anyone to greet me during my return," Aran commented with a smirk.
"Wanted to pay respects to The Witch. Yet, only being in the military for such a short period, you're considered one of the more impressive persons of the family." He clapped, "Congrats, why'd you come back early anyhow?"
"I wasn't exactly happy with my work overseas, so I'm here to attain true joy," Aran said semi-sarcastically.
"And what's that?"
"Doing what I always dreamed of doing, of course." Aran began making her way out of the airport. "Being a Witch of Light."
She would arrive at the Caccia estate, greeted by one of the Twins. "Aran! H-Holy!" Nello, the only twin there at the time, ran straight back into the estate.
Aran cocked an eyebrow, confused for a moment as the gate was opened remotely, letting her in.
She made her way inside, and at the door, she was greeted by the Twins. "Luce's on his way-- how have you been!? You're back early!" The Twins yell simultaneously.
"In sync, are we?" Aran chuckled, "Yeah, I'm back. Back for what I promised."
Aran looked up to see Luce approaching slowly before stopping in his tracks. She sees tears welling up in his eyes before attempting to rush over to her, but struggling to do so, prompting her to push past the Twins to help him. Just as he was about to fall, she caught him. "You're back."
Aran had seen a Luce who had been worn down. All of those years apart, whatever had happened had led to this. Luce sat back down in his room, and the Twins and Aran separated themselves to talk.
Nero spoke, leading with a sigh. "The house... most of everyone hadn't treated him as well after the surgery, and doubly so because you left. They saw weakness in him, and he became quickly shunned. It didn't help that, recently, Father hasn't been himself. He's still... optimistic, or at least tries to be. He probably only does it for us in all honestly, he's always been selfless like that."
Aran propped herself by Luce's door, who was stuck sketching something at his desk. He noticed the light coming in and took a glance at Aran. Luce's face beamed, scrambling to get up, but Aran motioned for him to stay, closing the door behind her. "Sorry, we couldn't hang out immediately and such... I was workin' on somethin' before you came, so..."
Aran chuckled, sitting down behind him, sinking into Luce's bed. "It ain't a problem, Lover Boy. It's why I'm here."
"You always called me that. It caused people to misunderstand back when we were teens, y'know?" Luce lifted himself from his seat before sitting down next to Aran.
"What? Did you hate it?"
"N-No... but I can understand that misunderstandings can be frustrating."
"If I minded it, I wouldn't have kept callin' ya Lover Boy."
"You were always so close too, It wasn't just that." Luce averted his gaze.
"Got a problem with it?"
"N-No! Not necessarily, it was just... y'know, a bit embarrassing, but, like, I didn't mind it that much. I guess I'm more influenced by people's perception than I thought."
"I don't mind it. If I don't mind it, do you?"
"It's still a bit embarrassing, no?"
"Who gives a shit about that, huh? It ain't public indecency, right?"
Luce shook his head, chuckling to himself, "You're crazy. I guess I'm not one to talk, look at how I was as a kid."
Aran leaned in close, causing Luce to fall onto his back, "Yo, how'd you feel about that then. Back when people thought we were together?"
"H-Huh!? Why are you askin' that?"
"Curiosity."
"W-Well... I... I dunno, I just... since you didn't mind it, I just thought..." Luce's eyes started watering again.
"Sorry, too much?" Aran took a handkerchief out from her breast pocket, patting down his eyes.
"S-Sorry. My eyes have been sensitive recently."
"It's alright, Lover Boy."
Luce sighed, just accepting the title.
"I'm becoming your aide, y'know?"
"You are!?"
"Of course I am." Even if I die. I won't bring misfortune. Out of sheer force of will, I'll find my way out of this curse. In all honesty, I blame myself for what happened to you and your father. But I'll push through it. I'll change my title to a Witch. I'll be your Witch, because that is the position I deserve. Nothing more. I'm not an ambitious sort after all. I just want... "I'll be yours, alright?"
"H-Huh!? I f-feel those words hold a lot of weight!"
Aran burst out laughing, "I mean it, tho, I'm yours, I'll do everything in my power to protect you, okay?" Aran placed a hand atop Luce's head. "Alright, I'll leave ya be now."
"O-Okay..." He nodded.
Aran left the room, slumping into the wall beside her. "I was really pushin' it, huh." Face flushed before knitting her brow, determined. I'll change that perception... I'll change it. It can be changed, which is how I'll win this. Luce, you'll get through this. I swear it.
In the present, "I swear it." A turtle-shell ring is held tightly within her grasp before she puts it onto her middle finger. Luce immediately recognizes it, his face flooding with embarrassment. "Alright, asshole! I'm gonna pummel you into the dirt, okay?"
"And how the hell are you gonna do that, huh!? If you get too close to me, you'll burn up!" He began cackling before he was decked in the face by a massive fist coming from behind Aran. The Pot itself can attack, its massive body leaning forward, looming over the beaten-down man.
"Don't get too close, you might lose your face."
"Y-You bitch!" The man attempted to get back up onto his feet before one of the droplets scraped some of the skin off his face, blood leaking from the wound. "W-What!?"
"Oh? Seems it affects people, neat."
"W-What the hell is this!?"
"Still figurin' it out myself, y'know? Come on, come toward me. I have no reason to come toward you, dude." She chuckled, still wearing a wry smile on her face.
Luce lamented, "There isn't anything we can do, we have to leave it to Aran..." He paused, took in a deep breath, "KICK HIS ASS!" Hope filled his eyes, and the others began cheering for Aran as well.
"D-Damn you..." Their assailant growled. "Fine!"
He sprinted straight toward Aran, struggling against the Muddy Ground below him, and just when he was about to swing, Aran stepped back. "Jeez, you are still hot as hell, huh? I can feel you boiling from over here~!"
"You!" He soon regained his composure, his wound sealing itself from the heat. He goes into a turtle-stance, leaving only most of his clothes to be degraded. "I'm done with your games." The heat around him increased significantly as he lifted one foot over the ground below him, the ground almost solidifying where he would step next. Then his back foot stepped forward next, creating a platform that he could walk on with his head. "I don't quite get it yet, but it appears that this is working."
"Don't get hurt! Aran!" Luce cried out.
"I already said I won't!" Aran chuckled, squaring up with her attacker.
An exchange of fists was made, Aran dodging every attack made by the man in front of her without swinging her fists once. Sweat beaded upon her brow, but she powered through the heat.
Aran sighed, "You know, if I broke my promise now, that means my will isn't worth shit..."
"Why would I care? I'm tryin' to kill you!"
"One's will can defy their fate. If my will is destroyed, I'll never be able to defy fate. So... is that a satisfying answer for ya?"
"What the hell are you saying!?" He growled in pain as one of the droplets had pierced his body, and in reflex, he swung at Aran, tripping over himself and falling into the sludge below.
"I'll defy fate. That's what we're meant to do as humans, right?"
The rain stopped, and the man attempted to pull himself out of the ground, but found himself suddenly stuck within the cement. "W-What!?"
"This is my win! Pretty easy if I say so myself."
"W-Wait!"
Aran cried out as her Boon launched a kick into the man's back. It lifted its foot, launching it down once more, again, and again, and again, and again, and again. Over and over until Aran was satisfied, each slam to the ground sounding almost like a gunshot had gone off, blood flung into the air violently with each stomp. "RAAAAHHHHHH!" She cried out, continuing until the man was just a bloody mess on the floor, barely gasping for air. Aran was left panting after she was done, wiping sweat off her forehead with the hem of her shirt.
"Guess we won, huh?" Aran smirked.