Chance Encounter (Private)

[Nova Starr]

Nights in the city were something else.

None of the hustle and bustle of the working day, where people dragged themselves into work and walked the streets as if doing so pained them physically. No cars zooming around, parents dropping off and picking up their kids from schools, and taxis lifting disinterested workers from point A to point B. The Sun no longer beat down on the glass windows, turning the streets into a heattrap and roasting Vale's denizens.

At night, it was happier; for the most part. In the residential district, more people walked around with smiles on their faces, relishing the thought of returning home and kicking up their feet for some well-deserved rest. Downtown came alive as offices closed and bars, restaurants, and venues opened up, attracting people from all over for a joyful night out.

That particular night, it was approaching 10 o'clock when Nova appeared from an apartment building with one of her friends. She wore her casual clothes for a casual night out, black shorts with combat boots and a leather jacket over her star-themed crop top. Stopping outside for a brief little chat, they exchanged pleasantries and promised to revisit each other soon before finally departing with a short hug. Nova waved as she watched her friend go back inside, letting out a happy sigh. It had been a good night to round off a shitty week, and a hopeful start to the weekend.

And if it wasn't immediately obvious when Nova started her journey down the street, she'd had a little bit to drink. Not too much; she wasn't in any kind of state and her wits were still very much about her. But not too little either.

With one earbud on, she hit play on her scroll and started to go wherever the wind took her, which appeared to be the central square of the residential district.

[Forrest Waldstein]

Forrest tended to prefer the city at nighttime, when it was more calm. The normal level of activity during the day required some adjustment on Forrest's part. Back in Oakhearth, it was notably more quiet compared to the city. Especially during the winter, one could hear a pin drop nearly anywhere in the town. When in the city, Forrest naturally gravitated towards the scattered parks and the agricultural district. Strolling through the patches of greenery reminded him of home and the memories associated with home. Maybe he was reminiscing too much, or maybe he was starting to get homesick. Whatever the reason, thinking of Oakhearth made him feel nostalgic.

Perhaps a night on the town was what he needed to clear his head after a particularly hectic academic week. Forrest was once again was sporting his new outfit for going out on the town. He had deviated from his usual walking path through the city, avoiding an especially crusty and cantankerous elderly farmer in the agricultural district that he stumbled into one too many times. His new route brought him through the central square of the residential district. This was a place he had been at least once before, he had the slightest familiarity with this particular area, but nothing that was committed to memory just yet. He was minding his own business when he swore he passed by a familiar face. He stopped and turned around, calling out to...

"Nova? Is that you?" Forrest asked.

[Nova Starr]

Nova was occupied with absent thoughts as she watched the night sky above. Every so often, a sheet of clouds would break her line of sight with the stars, and she'd check her scroll for the time or try to find a new song to listen to until the bothersome clouds had moved on.

Some minutes passed. A few strangers passed by here and there, neither her nor them paying any mind to each other. That was until yet another stranger walked on by and, a couple of seconds later, said the most peculiar thing; her name.

"Yeah?" What the hell? Somehow, the voice was familiar. Nova had a feeling whose face would match it before she'd even turned around, and her hunch was proven correct when she saw who it was. A smile bubbled to the surface, albeit one laced with surprise. "Forrest?" She pulled her earbud out and stashed it away, backtracking toward him. What were the chances? "Hi. Wow. This is so weird?" She leaned in for a friendly hug, then took a step back. "How've you been?"

[Forrest Waldstein]

Forrest was not expecting a friendly hug from Nova, but it was a welcome surprise. It's been way too long since Forrest received any form of physical affection. The last time he could remember being hugged was... when his mother passed away. His great-grandfather Silvanus was nowhere near as warm as his mother, and didn't show affection the same way either. Though he seemed cold and distant most of the time, he typically surprised Forrest with the rare gift every now and then. Forrest hugged Nova back, feeling some turbulent emotions well up within him. Not wanting to get emotional in public, he repressed those emotions as best he could. He sighed as they released each other from the hug, as if sighing would somehow get rid of those turbulent emotions.

"I'm... good. Funny seeing you here, Nova. How are you doing?" Forrest asked in return.

He swore he picked up an unusual scent as he hugged Nova. Alcohol? Possibly. She appeared to be fine to Forrest, though. He, however, had not been drinking. If anything, Forrest gave off a pleasant, woody scent similar to sandalwood.

[Nova Starr]

"Yeah, I'll say." Their meetups had been coincidental thus far, but welcome. She liked his company, especially when it balanced out more 'extreme' personalities such as a certain mutual faunus friend of theirs.

Asked how she'd been, Nova thought against dredging up her feelings about the week and offered Forrest a smile instead. "Great, yeah, just meeting a couple of old friends in town." She threw a thumb up over her shoulder, though it did little more than point out the general direction of where she was coming from. "Just, bleh, needed to get away from school for a while. Blow off some steam for the night, y'know?"

She was more interested in what Forrest was doing in the area, doing little to hide her intrigue. "How come you're in this part of town? Date night?"

[Forrest Waldstein]

Forrest also enjoyed Nova's company. They did share a common interest in the stars, and he valued her confidence and determination highly. Forrest nodded in agreement with the statement about getting away from Beacon every now and then. However, when asked about what he was doing in this part of town, he couldn't help but blush slightly.

"I wish..." Forrest replied with a slight chuckle, briefly unable to make eye contact, but shortly returned his gaze back to Nova. The truth was that he was simply too scared of rejection to be found dating, even though he desired a long-term girlfriend. He wanted to keep that tidbit of personal baggage under wraps, at least until he was absolutely certain he could trust Nova.

"I'm really just here for a walk to clear my head. Too much homework and tests have taken a toll on me." Forrest continued as the slight blush on his face faded, hoping he didn't make the situation too awkward. Though it may have just been his own perception of the situation.

[Nova Starr]

'Aw...' Nova couldn't tell what it was she felt after Forrest shied away; either guilty for making him uncomfortable or a little soppy about seeing him that way. Either way, it didn't seem to outwardly phase the boy too much, and she took a mental note to reign things in just a little a bit.

"School got you down too, huh?" That, Nova could emphasize with. Between classes, homework, mandatory reading, training, keeping on top of mental health, eating, and socializing with old friends, new friends, family? Her foundations were beginning to crackle. "There's a lot to keep on top of; a lot more than I anticipated, anyway. Do you think they have a class to teach us how to deal with it all?" Although she chuckled, after hearing that idea out loud, it didn't sound like a horrible idea.

[Forrest Waldstein]

"If only they did." Forrest responded with a small laugh. Forrest also believed that would be a good idea. Now how would they pitch that class idea to the right people...

His thoughts were interrupted by the slight growl of his stomach. Then it clicked in Forrest's head; he had been walking for so long that he didn't stop to eat dinner. This wasn't the first, and certainly wouldn't be the last time Forrest got a little too distracted by walking through the beautiful patches of greenery in the city.

"Well in that case, I think I should go somewhere to eat a very late dinner." Forrest noted with a slight chuckle.

"You hungry too?" he added.

[Nova Starr]

She hummed indecisively, quickly checking her scroll for the time. Just over 10 o'clock. Even if the bigger restaurants were closing down for the night, it was early enough that they'd still find a few hole-in-the-wall type places open for service. "Maybe just a tiny bit?" she replied, pinching her index finger and thumb half an inch apart. "Trying to eat healthy since that midnight food hall raid ended... y'know, badly. But I've been good about gyming lately, a little snack couldn't hurt."

Indeed, when she checked out the nearest food places on her scroll's map, some good choices were nearby. A surprising amount, even. "Ugh, I really miss having so many late-night food options nearby. That's the one thing I hate about living in Beacon compared to the city." Moving to Forrest's side, she angled the screen so that he could see it too, offering him to take hold of it he wanted to. "You pick. Or, well, your stomach can pick."

[Forrest Waldstein]

Forrest smiled a bit at the joke with his stomach choosing where to go as he took Nova's scroll to narrow down their options. The way he handled a scroll was still somewhat awkward, as he was still getting used to such technologies. He found a place still open that specialized in Mistrali cuisine. Forrest was brought back in his younger days in Oakhearth when a caravan came through, bearing goods and foods from Mistral. He remembered eating some kind of wrap with meat, shredded cheese, tomato, and some type of savory white sauce. Forrest couldn't remember the name of the dish to save his life, but whatever it was, it was delicious. His mind was set on this restaurant.

"The Eastern Eclipse seems like a good place to me. Do you like Mistrali food?" Forrest said as he handed Nova's scroll back to her. The scroll awaited an answer for the prompt on its screen to provide directions to the restaurant.

[Nova Starr]

After Forrest handed back her scroll, Nova booped the prompt and the display came alive with directions for them to take. "Mhm," she responded, nodding energetically. "It can be a little spicy sometimes, that's on me having the tolerance of a baby. I have to add mayo to like, everything that's even a little hot."

Setting them off, Nova followed the directions on-screen to press deeper into the city. "I ate it quite a lot growing up, my Dad has relatives out in Mistral." A smile infected her. "Whenever he visits them, he'll come back all excited about making some new dish that he found, but bless him, he always uses way too much spice." There's no better motivation for learning how to cook than when a parent tries to make their daughter breathe fire every meal.

"What's the food like where you're from?"

[Forrest Waldstein]

"For living in a remote village in the forest, we actually only ate meat rarely. That was typically reserved for very special occasions. Most of the time, we ate lots of green leafy vegetables, bread, and fruits. The food was pretty bland though, since we don't exactly have the means to produce spices and seasonings. It was a miracle to get even the smallest amount of spices from trading. A fight almost broke out over who got the last of it once." Forrest laughed a little, remembering the absurdity of that situation. With how much Forrest trained, his slim physique would make sense given the lack of protein in his diet growing up. Though with better access to such foods, it was likely that he would grow a good amount of muscle given enough time.

"You said you were from the city, what's that like?" Forrest inquired.

[Nova Starr]

Though she longed for adventure, Nova had never strayed too far from central Vale, save for the hill she stargazed upon outside the city walls and a friend's homestead a few miles out. She didn't know anything about the remote villages of the Kingdom, so to learn about what life was like out there intrigued her fiercely, even if first impressions about the cuisine left a lot to be desired.

"Well, the food's a lot better in the city than out there, I bet." The girl smiled, then thought a little more. "I don't know, I don't really have anything to compare it to. I've only ever life here and in Beacon, and Beacon's just more of the same city life, but also less of it, you know?" She shrugged, continuing. "Vale's loud and busy, but you're only ten minutes away from everything you could ever want. It's super duper safe from Grimm, too." One of the safest places on Remnant, even. A thought occurred to her as she looked up to Forrest. "Where you're from... how's the situation with the Grimm out there?"

[Forrest Waldstein]

Now that was an intriguing question. Forrest appreciated the interest in his hometown. His eyes seemed to subtly brighten with excitement.

"For the most part, its surprisingly safe. My hometown, Oakhearth, has good defensible geography. It's about three miles west from the treeline, so most Grimm don't come from the east because of the mountains. Plus, the north and south have very dense forests and rivers protecting the town. We typically have to worry about Grimm coming from the west, which means they'd be fighting uphill. Overall, the most dangerous times for Oakhearth are late autumn and winter. Without any leaves on the trees, we're more susceptible to airborne Grimm attacks. What also helps is that we have an experienced militia to protect the town, we call them the Rangers. My great-grandfather is the commander of the Rangers and the town Elder." Forrest explained.

[Nova Starr]

Nova loved an impromptu geography lesson. Oakhearth didn't ring any bells, although she listened with interest all the same and was pleasantly surprised of what little Grimm struggles the village had. It all made sense at the reveal of the Rangers. "Wow, Oakhearth doesn't have to rely on Huntsman nearly as much as other villages. So, wait, why go to Beacon? Why not train with the Rangers?"

Her focus slipped away from the screen just long enough that they'd nearly missed a turning, which the scroll's voice assistant kindly pointed out to them. She chuckled, letting an 'oops' go before turning down the new street. A restaurant's sign shined brightly on the otherwise lightless road just a little further down.

[Forrest Waldstein]

"Well, there's a couple reasons. The main one being I'm following in the footsteps of my late father, who also attended Beacon. The second one is because my great-grandfather believes I'd be wasting my potential as a Ranger, especially after I developed my Semblance. Also because my relationship with my great-grandfather... is a little strained at the moment. So we needed the distance, to let things simmer down..." Forrest trailed off towards the end of his sentence, ending in a somewhat somber tone.

I can't believe it took Mom dying to make him feel sorry enough for me to attend Beacon, the arrogant bastard... Forrest thought bitterly as they walked closer to the Eastern Eclipse.

"So, what was your life like before attending Beacon?" Forrest asked as they approached the doors of the restaurant, hoping to steer the conversation away from the rocky relationship with his great-grandfather. Forrest walked ahead of Nova a bit to hold the door open for her.

[Nova Starr]

Having heard him trail off, Nova looked to the boy with her brows raised in sympathy. Whatever the cause of it, the rift between Forrest and his great-grandfather was evidently an open wound. She didn't intend to press him on the details. "Well, I'm sure your Dad would be proud of you?" she suggested, smiling and nudging his arm with her elbow in an attempt to brighten the mood.

Stepping through the door propped open by Forrest, she thanked him and began to soak in the place's interior. "Honestly? Pretty much the same as it is now." Her attention had returned to Forrest as she spun around to face him. "Let's see. I went to normal school when I was little, then figured I'd follow in my parent's footsteps and enroll in Pharos. They went to Beacon too so the whole Huntress thing was inevitable for me," she said, air quoting Huntress.

"I mean, I did a lot of cooking and baking? My best friend lives on a farm so I'd visit a lot, do some stargazing... get baked sometimes, etcetera. Oh, I worked as a waitress near my parent's house, which was like, the absolute worse job in the universe." She rolled her eyes at the memory; it wasn't hard to imagine why. "Just an average city life. I'm... jealous of you, honestly. You know what's it like out there, in the real world."

[Forrest Waldstein]

At first, Forrest seemed to be surprised when Nova said she was jealous of him living out in the "real world". The surprise wouldn't last though, as his face furrowed into a sobering expression. It was the unmistakable face of a young man who has seen some serious shit.

"I don't blame you for wanting a more... adventurous life. It's not something I can lightly recommend, though. In the city, you have it easy compared to those who live out in the sticks. Just because Oakhearth is fairly safe doesn't mean that it's paradise. I've known people who have suddenly gone missing, or worse... Not to mention the fact that sometimes you have to make critical, split-second decisions that could spell life or death for many people, or even yourself... It takes so much hard work to maintain civility in the wild woods we call home." Forrest stated with severe conviction, a starkly different side he hadn't shown to Nova before. A brief few seconds passed, and Forrest's face and body softened as he took a deep breath.

"...Sorry, that came out harsher than I intended. I guess what I'm trying to say is that you shouldn't take the life you had for granted. We all want an easy life, we just don't have a choice in what hand we're dealt..." Forrest continued, returning to a softer, calmer tone of voice.

"I think I might just be hangry. I shouldn't keep my stomach waiting much longer!" Forrest added with a smile, hoping the humor would temper the mood and assuage the guilt he felt for the intense moment just a minute ago.

[Nova Starr]

Throughout Forrest's discouraging speech, Nova remained silent, stunned and uncertain of what to think, much less say. She couldn't pretend to know what he'd seen in his life, but it wasn't all sunshine and roses, nor did the grass seem to be greener on the other side.

"No, don't be sorry. You're right." She looked away, her tone less animated than before. The waiter approached them, and, after exchanging pleasantries with the two, led them to a table near the back of the restaurant. Ordering just a still water, the waiter would ask Forrest what he'd like to drink before scurrying off to the back.

"Crap, where was I..." She quickly caught back up with her train of thought. "Right, yeah. Vale's nice to settle down in, sure, but living here limits your worldview so much. I know that I'm one of the lucky ones that don't have to worry about the Grimm or whatever, so I shouldn't talk about it like it's such a bad thing. I just... okay, imagine a chicken in a coup?"

She hadn't thought about where she was going with this. "So... she's safe from the fox but the farmer's still there, milking her for everything she's got. Wait, no, she's not a cow. Uh, the farmer's stealing her eggs?" She let the analogy hang in the air for a moment, then facepalmed. "What am I saying? Obviously, the farmer's way better than the fox. The point is, the real world is out there. The coup is just a cage; which is a good thing for most. Just, not this one chicken."

[Forrest Waldstein]

Oh man... I really screwed the pooch on this one, didn't I?... Forrest thought, the present sensation of guilt only building up when seeing her reaction. He didn't mean to attack her innocent wanderlust so harshly. As the waiter approached, Forrest also ordered a still water.

Forrest listened intently as she fumbled through the analogy, the guilt from his intense speech clearly visible on his face. He waited patiently as Nova continued, hoping to find a way to remedy the situation.

"I see what you mean, you don't want to stay cooped up in the same place forever. I totally get having that feeling of wanderlust. I mean, I was pretty excited to leave my hometown and attend Beacon. I guess I'm just... scared of losing what few people I have left. Both of my parents are dead, and my only surviving family member probably hates my guts... I don't know... I didn't mean to upset you for wanting to see the world, I overreacted... I just know that some places are more dangerous than the city, and you're a good person who doesn't deserve to get hurt. But also, it would be... wrong of me to shelter you from the realities and dangers of the outside world. I guess that's the issue I'm trying to solve..." Forrest explained, hoping that what he said would rectify the situation.

[Nova Starr]

Nova's demeanor became softer upon learning that Forrest had lost his Mother as well as his Father. To lose one parent would break her, but to lose both would be a pain that evaded description. After that, his hesitancy about selling the world beyond the wall was beginning to make a lot more sense for her.

"Forrest..." She dragged her eyes away from the table to the wall next to them, then finally to Forrest. "I had no idea about your... look, I overreacted too. Your concern is valid. Like, really valid." She offered a smile, albeit a weak one. "But, we wouldn't be going to Beacon if it wasn't dangerous out there. I think it's inevitable that we'll all get hurt someday; my folks usually come home a little beaten up after missions. Once we're ready, we have to do our best to protect ourselves and others, and learn from any mistakes that we make along the way."

After finishing her point off with a sigh, she began to feel a little less tense and a little more comfortable, and leaned into the backrest. "Thank you for being honest, though. I... do idolize life outside of Vale sometimes. It's healthy to be reminded that it's not a perfect world out there."

[Forrest Waldstein]

"No problem, Nova..." Forrest responded.

A brief silence fell over the two as Forrest pondered what to say next. He felt relieved, having found common ground with Nova. The last thing he needed was someone else to hate his guts. One person that probably despised him was enough, he didn't need another one in the mix. With that matter settled, he couldn't help but think back to that one thing she said earlier. It was a nagging sensation at the back of his head, a mental itch he had to scratch.

"So earlier when you said you would get baked sometimes, that means what I think it means doesn't it?" Forrest inquired, hoping that the question it wouldn't open up a can of worms, but also internally worried that it would.

[Nova Starr]

She didn't think about all that much as silence loomed over the pair. There was a lot to digest; new perspectives of things Nova thought she'd figured out already, doubts about the future, yet a deeper understanding of why her chosen path was the right one for her. It was too much to process in the middle of a food joint, thus it would have to wait until they were back in Beacon where she could be truly alone with her thoughts.

"Hm?" For some reason, what Forrest said next caught her entirely off guard. As her gaze snapped from the tiled flooring to Forrest's green eyes, she seemed to wear a veil of innocence, taking a second to digest what he'd asked.

And then, as if her lips were an egg containing a smile, she began to crack. Bursting into unabated laughter, she covered her mouth quickly and sank into her seat, trying to go as unnoticed as possible as she allowed the giggles to pass. It was a few seconds before she could open her eyes and look at Forrest properly, though she had to keep her mouth covered lest her smile grow too big again. "I'm so sorry, I don't know what's wrong with me. It's just- so random."

Another giggle passed through her system, and then she finally nodded. "Yeah, it's totally what you think it means. Beacon doesn't exactly screen for that kind of thing. Come on, you're from the sticks, right? You can't tell me you're completely innocent of enjoying a little... nature's gift."

[Forrest Waldstein]

As Nova began to crack into laughter, Forrest's face grew bright red. He felt as if he had made a complete and utter fool of himself. All he wanted to do in that moment was crawl into a hole and die of embarrassment. It was not the first time simple curiosity did this to him, and likely wouldn't be the last. He facepalmed in shame as he began shrinking away from Nova. He peeked through the spaces between his fingers, hoping there wasn't any witnesses to this display of social folly.

She probably thinks I'm a huge dumbass for asking that stupid question, doesn't she?... Forrest thought as her laughter continued.

To his surprise, she actually answered the question. He slowly returned to his original position as he worked up what little voice he had left in him after that harrowing moment.

"Uh... no... My great-grandfather would beat me senseless if he caught me doing anything like that." Forrest replied.

"Sorry if I sounded like a complete dumbass... I just haven't heard anyone say it like that before." he continued, hoping that it would save what little face he had left.

[Nova Starr]

"Oh, uh..." Though she maintained a smile, the corners of her lips drooped slightly. In what was becoming a theme for the night, she hadn't expected that response from Forrest, and it showed in her demeanor as she attempted to save face. "Hey! No dumbassery here, I promise. You're fine." Sending him as reassuring a look as she could muster, Nova backtracked a little. "And that's a real bummer. About your Grandpa, I mean. My folks aren't exactly fans of it either, so I keep stuff like that from them all the time; everybody has secrets in this city. Plus, what they don't know won't hurt 'em."

The waiter's boots were soon heard plodding around the back, and he emerged with a jug of water and a few glasses for the pair to use. "Sorry for the wait," he said, a nervousness to his voice. "We had a spillage in the back. Uh, what can I get you two for food?"

Crap. Nova's eyes widened a little as she realised she hadn't even looked at the menu yet, though she quickly figured out a solution to her quandary, and would wait for Forrest to order first before telling the waiter she'd 'have what he was having.'

[Forrest Waldstein]

Forrest reassured himself as the waiter approached. He took a brief look at his menu before ordering, his eyes quickly scanning over the words on the menu.

"I'll have the Mistrali wrap, please." Forrest spoke to the waiter, also hearing Nova ask for the same meal.

"Would you like the wraps mild, medium, or hot?" inquired the waiter.

Forrest remembered a statement from the conversation with Nova a moment ago, and so he spoke up.

"I'll have it medium, she'll have it mild." replied Forrest.

The waiter quickly scrawled the order on his notepad stating that he will put in the order, and that he'd be happy to help if they needed anything else before walking briskly to the kitchen.

[Nova Starr]

The plan worked like a charm, and despite having told Forrest about her heat intolerance just a short while ago, she was still pleasantly surprised that he'd ordered the mild option on her behalf. "You remembered? Thank you," she said, in genuine relief. "If it's anything like Dad's Mistrali wraps, medium would send me to the infirmary. Mild's still gonna blow my head off, but... worth it." Time would tell how her tastebuds would fair against the delicious street food staple.

Finally, any residual heat from their tense conversation had all but dispersed, and an air of normalcy surrounded the pair once more. "So I won't force you to try it. You know, the green. But if the urge to loosen up ever hits you, just let me know." Happy to leave the topic there if Forrest wanted to, she sent him a smile, then sipped her water.

After looking around, she noticed that most of the other diners were older, either in couples or dining alone, and were, for the most part, drunk. "Hey, we struck gold here. Trust me, there's nobody pickier than grumpy old people. If this is the restaurant's usual clientele? This food is gonna slap."

[Forrest Waldstein]

"No problem, Nova." Forrest replied with a smile. He was just happy to help since it was a nice thing to do. Silvanus taught him more than just how to fight, after all. Some other key traits that Silvanus imprinted onto Forrest was to ensure he was polite and respectful to everyone. Despite their rocky relationship, Forrest still admired and respected his great-grandfather.

"Yeah, I'll let you know about that." Forrest added when the conversation drifted back to the green. Of course, that fear of Silvanus finding out still lingered at the back of his head. It was something that he would have to think about in the meantime.

"That's true. I know just how picky grumpy old people can get." Forrest continued. The mention of old people made his thoughts drift back home again. There was no shortage of elderly people in Oakhearth, mostly since they were respected, protected, and taken care of. Forrest took a sip of water and paused to think of other conversation topics.

"Just curious, and I hope it's not too weird of a question, but what made you think I was on a date night earlier?" Forrest inquired.

[Nova Starr]

Possessing an almost uncanny weirdness tolerance, Nova thought nothing of the question, yet her surprise was still evident. "Hm." What reason could she give beyond being a nosy little lark? Perhaps it was his presence in a part of the city less travelled by students, the outfit she'd never seen him wear before, or any of many possible reasons, but the one she settled on was the one she thought most truthful.

"I dunno. Out here all alone, late on a Friday night? It's the first thing that came to mind. Huh. Thinking about it, if you were on a date, she'd still be out here with you, I guess... o-or he would! They would!" Quickly thinking about how to get out of her word-vomit-induced ditch, she kept going. "The human, or Faunus! Or... person." Nova caught her tongue before she could dig the hole any deeper. Embarrassment radiated from her cheeks as she planted her head in her hands. "The lucky person would still be out here with you."

[Forrest Waldstein]

It seemed that Forrest's awkwardness was starting to become contagious. Nova always seemed cool and collected, so seeing her awkwardly splutter like this was really... different from what he was used to. Of course, Forrest would try to rectify this situation.

"It's alright, Nova. You got it right the first time. Believe me, I wish you were right in assuming I had a date." Forrest replied, hoping that what he said would help her collect herself.

"I don't know... I'm really unlucky in that department and I have issues..." he added. It seemed that Forrest was going to continue but had to bite his tongue before the words got out.

No, don't say that, Forrest... You'd probably just make things worse by saying that... Forrest mused, knowing it was definitely better for him to keep his mouth shut.

"So yeah, it's probably for the best if I just left it at that..." he concluded, hoping she wouldn't press him on that.