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The camp they'd settled down in for the night was small and barren, but it was brought to life by all of the people who were stayed there for the night. The group was traveling the seas and titans doing a few quests for people here and there, finding work for the while. It was time to gather resources and rewards, it was time to train and grow stronger, and it was time to really get to know one another better. When you worked in a group of drivers it was important to get along, to befriend one another, to learn to trust one another both in and outside of battle. Surrounded by the thick of a forest, the dark of night upon them, the light and warmth of the fire was the middle of their camp. Makeshift tents erected, the night was growing thicker, but they were all still awake. Sat around the fire, enjoying the warmth of the fire and company. For the most part, anyway."No, no, wait..." Rex mumbled, waving his hand to stop Pyra. She perked up, her hands stilling from where they were attempting to arrange two sticks together. Tilting her head to the side, she waited for him to continue, but he simply stood and stared at the half-finished tent the two of them were working on for a moment. A hum in the back of his throat, he said nothing for moment upon continuing moment, before a quiet laugh from nearby interrupted the two of them.
"Told ya we should've gotten new proper tents. It's what ya get for rippin' our old ones." Nia said from where she was laid back, her head propped up against Dromarch as he made himself comfortable in the thinning grass and around his driver. He opened one eye to look at Rex and Pyra, before letting out a deep chuckle himself. Obviously amused by their endeavors, but slowly let his eyes fall back closed."We'll be just fine, Nia!" Rex shot back, shooting a glare at the girl who just smirked back. Her smirks were always different from her smiles, from the little fangs in the corner of his mouth. Pyra giggled from nearby, bringing Rex's attention back to the task they still had at hand. Mòrag was sat next to Brighid by the fire, watching the two of them attempt to build something structurally sound. Mòrag said little, and Brighid couldn't help but put a hand on her smile and hold back a laugh, before hearing a voice from nearby."Tora is cooooold..." Whined the Nopon, an array of different tools and parts around him as Poppi sat still. Though his voice snapped her back to attention, and she looked over at Tora, her eyes bright even in the darkening area. Brighid shook her head at the whining, before taking a stand from where she had sat down, approaching the fire with another step and holding a hand to the flames. Suddenly, the flames grew higher and wider and hotter, and the drivers sitting around it jumped as the flames came closer. "Please, do be careful!" Zeke huffed from the fallen tree he sat on himself, the log making the best makeshift seat for him to sit at. The rest had to take the ground, but not that they seemed to mind all too much. Gramps was sat in Rex's helmet next to Zeke's foot, set close to the fire and curled up within the curve of it. Brighid snickered a little at all of the driver's outbursts, knowing that she wouldn't let the fire hurt any of them. Mòrag smiled at her blade too, as she took her seat back next to her. Except for Tora, who called out thanks and went back to working on Poppi.Every driver was sat around that fire, and by their side, sat their blade. Nia curled up against Dromarch, already starting to doze off. Mòrag warmed herself with Brighid's flames in the chilly night, talking to Rex and Pyra about the proper way they should probably be making this tent. Tora always spent time with Poppi, working on her, checking that she was working properly. Yet, Pandoria found herself standing by a tree away from the fire entirely, her lights glowing dimly in the darkness. Zeke hadn't even wondered where she was, too busy talking to everyone else, and sat by his side was another blade entirely. One he'd summoned, a girl named Azami, who stared into the fire intently. Pandoria wasn't sure if she'd even blinked.Of course, she remembered when Zeke first awakened her. She'd been wandering around the city they were in at the time when Zeke ran to her, waving his arms to catch her attention. Jumping up, she ran to meet him in the middle and suddenly noticed the girl behind him. She followed him closely and stared at her intently when she looked at her. Though, Zeke spoke before she could even ask. ..."Pandy! Look! I summoned her! " He laughed, his smile broad and eye shining. Taking a step to the side, he used both hands to gesture to the new blade. Pandoria looked over the marionette of a girl, who said much of nothing, but Zeke was excited beyond belief. "Her name... is Azami! Wielder of evil and darkness, pulling the strings of shadows!"
It seemed to Pandoria like she was the one getting her strings pulled, but she couldn't even imagine how long and how many crystals it must've taken for Zeke to awaken her with his bad luck. Having seen its power up close herself, she was excited for him. Smiling at Azami, she turned and grinned at Zeke the same, putting her hands together and clapping quietly, her tail swirling behind her in joy. Nodding a few times, as soon as he saw it, he dropped his hands as she spoke up.
"That's amazing! She'll be a wonderful addition to our team."
"I know, right?! Soon enough, I'll pull another blade, and we'll all be unstoppable!" He laughed, and she couldn't help but laugh a little too. Azami said nothing but stared at Zeke from where she stood. Darkness and electricity - Pandoria couldn't help but wonder how the two of those would work together, but she supposed she would come to find out eventually.
...
Sighing, Pandoria rolled her eyes behind her glasses, before hearing a few voices from nearby and piping up. Other blades, away from the rest of the group, doing whatever they pleased. The young girl found herself wandering over, having nothing else to do anyway. Though the sight was certainly something to see on its own, and her thoughts of drivers faded into the background of confusion at the scene in front of her. "No no no! Stop moving!"
"I'm not moving!"
"You're tooooootally moving."Korra bit her lip, holding her claws carefully and scratching into the bark of a tree. Roc was next to the tree, holding a very odd position. Pandoria stared for a few seconds, squinting closer at what Korra was scratching into the tree. It seemed to be a portrait of Roc, carved awkwardly and jagged into the bark. Approaching a few more steps, Pandoria was almost surprised to find her own voice slipped out without even thinking about it. "I like the feathers." Of all the things to say about - how the proportions were a little off, how the pose was completely awkward, about how she could've been doing this in the dirt much easier - she had to go feathers? Korra turned around at the voice, and Roc dropped his wings, and suddenly, Pandoria was the center of attention."Aw, thanks!" She laughed, placing a clawed hand on her hip, "That should mean something, coming from a Special Blade like you, huh?" Roc relaxed from his position, walking up next to Korra and leaning against the tree his picture was being carved into."What's that supposed to mean?" Pandoria asked, crossing her arms over her chest and feeling her tail graze the ground lightly as it dangled back and forth. Korra laughed, sticking a tongue out at her, and Roc rolled his eyes. Or at least, Pandoria thought he had. It was a little hard to see in the dark, but she was so bright herself. Lit up in the dark. Korra herself, too, was naturally bright."Y'know! A Special Blade. A Driver's obvious favorite blade. Like Nia has got Dromarch." Korra explained, and Roc jumped in with a comment himself. "And Rex has got Pyra!" He added, and the phrase clicked in Pandoria's mind all of a sudden. Glancing behind her shoulder, she could see the camp she walked away from. Nia had completely fallen asleep against Dromarch at this point, and Rex and Pyra were jumping in excitement over completing their tent at last. Though, she looked at Zeke, talking to Azami as she nodded in agreement slowly as he went on and on. Looking back to Korra and Roc, she saw Korra's eyes focused on the camp as well as Pandoria spoke."Sure, I guess. I thought all blades were equal in their driver's mind, though." She pointed out, and Roc laughed.
"They've all got their favorites! It's only natural. Though, we've always got another chance to be a driver's primary weapon of choice, so we don't really mind all that much. Just the way it is with drivers who use more than one blade, y'know? Us secondary blades gotta stick together! So -""Hey, hey, wait." Korra interrupted him, reaching over and tugging on a feather gently to get his attention. Ignoring his hiss, she took her hand and pointed through the trees behind Pandoria. "There's Azami! I wondered where she'd gone and went." As Roc arched his neck to see what she was pointing at, Korra turned back to Pandoria, who stood at attention in her gaze. Her tail standing up now, as Korra laughed gently. "Feeling a little jealous, are you?" "Jealous...?" Pandoria asked, confused by the word. It sounded familiar, but all at the same time, she didn't know what it meant. Korra looked at her with a raised brow, before walking over and putting her arm around her and pulling her closer."You know! Jealous! When you see your driver with another blade, don't you feel jealous?" She asked, and Pandoria continued to give her a confused gaze. Until, finally, Roc saved her from the shining gaze of Korra's eyes and smirk with an explanation."When you don't like someone just because they have something that you want. That's jealousy." He answered, and Pandoria glanced over her shoulder again the best she could with Korra holding onto her like this. Not liking someone just because they had something you wanted, she thought, thinking of Azami and Zeke sitting together by that fire. She had been Zeke's only blade for the longest time, the two of them - and only the two of them - wandering around together. Pandoria had gone from always being Zeke's blade to... she couldn't remember the last time he'd used her in battle. All because of Azami. Just because she was new and interesting, and Zeke could be easily distracted by things he wasn't used to. She was Zeke's blade, wasn't she? And yet she had only a sparse conversation or two with him over the past day. "I... I think -""Oh please. Jealousy is such a gross word." Another voice distracted them from their conversation, and the three blades turned to face Vess, who shook her head as she approached them. "Jealousy is a gross emotion in of itself. Now, come on, it's getting late. We should all head back to the camp. If you stay too far out, you could get lost, or just cause a commotion that will get all of us in trouble. Let's stay close and rest, how about it?" She offered, gesturing them all back to the nearby camp. Korra pouted, letting go of Pandoria and sighed as she headed back towards the camp."Fine! Fine. Roc, your picture will have to get finished tomorrow." She sighed, and Roc chuckled. "I was getting sick of that pose anyway." Vess headed back herself with a content hum, and Pandoria found herself standing with a whole new batch of questions for herself. Jealousy. Jealousy. Her thoughts were shoved away when she felt a hand on her wrist and looked up to see Korra smiling at her. "Seems you're starting to get the Secondary Blade treatment, huh?" She laughed, dragging Pandoria along back to the camp. Pandoria said nothing, though, her thoughts spinning around in her head all of a sudden. I'm jealous, she said to herself, looking at Zeke and Azami as they walked back into the light of the campfire. Backing up, she leaned against a tree and slid down to the ground. Vess and Korra were talking, and Roc took a seat himself by the fire to warm himself. With the light of the flames barely lighting her up, Pandoria stared at the dirt she sat on, scratching with a single nail into the ground. Through the mess of confused feelings, a single thought resonated with her, striking through her head. At last, everything she's been feeling was encaptured all within a word.
I'm jealous.