#this request inspired me to put a weird team comp together

[johannstutt413]

(requested by anonymous) Pramanix, Cliffheart, Nearl, and Blemishine hanging out

While Margaret Nearl was living in Kazimierz for a time, she occasionally returned to Rhodes Island’s main ship to check in with the family members she could easily reach - wherever Mlynar had gone, he certainly hadn’t left a forwarding address, so it fell to her to see that Zofia and Maria were settling into their new roles without major issues (heh, Major, Kazimierz, bad puns).

Zofia was easy to find: training Operators or hanging out at the bar. While it was an open secret she was the Radiant Knight’s aunt (thanks, Maria), plenty of RI’s bachelors were more than happy to throw back a couple drinks with her, and every now and again Marge had to play gatekeeper on Whislash’s behalf. Not just anyone could be her uncle-in-law…

Maria, though, was trickier. She’d also settled into the rhythm of RI very well, which meant working with Engineering and getting into any number of messes. More specifically, the younger Nearl worked with Vulcan to help with weapon and armor maintenance, which exposed her to more Operators, which meant she’d made friends with dozens of Operators from all walks of life, and when Big Sister Margaret visited, she wanted to introduce her to them more often than not.

All that to say, when the Radiant Knight found Blemishine and Cliffheart sitting at lunch together, talking as if they’d been friends since childhood, it was pretty clear to her how she’d be spending her evening.

“Good afternoon, Nearl!” Ensia beamed at the new arrival before realizing how strange that sounded. “Actually, you’re both Nearls, aren’t you? That might get a little confusing.”

“Feel free to call me Margaret for clarity’s sake,” the knight entreated.

The Feline gave her a thumbs-up. “Thanks for that. Maria was just saying she wanted to introduce me to her sister, but we already kinda know each other, don’t we?”

“Oh, you do?” Blem cocked her head. “Did you ever go on missions together?”

“A few, yes, though rarely working directly together due to our respective roles as Operators,” Margaret explained.

Cliff nodded. “If she’d been fighting like she did at that Major you two were in, though, boy oh boy, things would’ve been different. Who knew you could use your light so offensively, too?”

“At the time, Rhodes Island needed more support than destructive power.” She smirked. “Your brother provided enough force during many of the most dangerous operations.”

“Encio’s a beast, yeah…Kinda scary knowing he’s got that kind of power at his disposal, and Anya’s literally the Priestess, and all I’ve got’s a grappling hook and some rocks on my skin, but as long as we’re all on the same side, it’ll be fine.”

Maria’s eyes lit up at the mention of the other SilverAsh sister. “That reminds me - do you know Anya, sister?”

“Not on a first name basis,” the Radiant Knight readily admitted, “but again, we’ve been on some missions together.”

“In that case, are you free tonight? We’re gonna watch a movie at Pramanix’s place - you can join us if you want.” Blemishine beamed ‘please hang out with us’ energy at her sister with every fiber of her being.

It worked. “I accept your invitation.”

“Great!” The mechanic turned back to Cliffheart. “Did Anya say yes yet?”

“Oh, yeah, like an hour ago. She asked if any of us knows how to cook or if she can order food now.”

The Kurantas shared a glance. “She can order,” Maria replied.

“Cool! Hopefully she can still do that.” Ding! “Oh, good, she can. I honestly thought she’d be asleep.”

“Asleep? I have often seen her on the Doctor’s couch…” The older Nearl had quite vivid memories of that, now that she thought about it.

Ensia chuckled. “Yeah, she says it’s peaceful in his office. Alright, I’ve gotta get back to it, but I’ll see you both tonight!”

“Definitely!” Blemishine stood up to leave as well. “I’ve gotta run - Chiave asked me to help him with something he’s working on. Said it’s a gift for someone; no idea who for, though.”

“Alright, I’ll see you tonight.” ‘Thankfully they left before the meal line closed…’ She quickly but deliberately grabbed a tray and hoped there would be something she enjoyed left to order.

-----

Margaret met Maria outside Pramanix’s door, dressed for a girls’ night in but still not completely prepared mentally. She wasn’t the kind to get rumors dissuade her, but the only interactions she’d had with the Priestess were said rumors or seeing her asleep. Who knew the sort of person Anya SilverAsh was?

Well, Blemishine, for one, as once her sister arrived, she happily walked through the unlocked door. “We’re here! Hope we’re not too early?”

“Hey! Not at all.” Cliffheart was on the couch, fiddling with the color settings on Anya’s television, as they walked in. “Need any help, Anya?”

“Another pair of hands would be nice,” she replied from…the kitchen? When Ensia didn’t get up to help, Margaret decided to see what the situation was.

In short: ice cream. Soooo much ice cream. “Nearl? Did Ensia not get up when she asked?”

“She and my sister are fine-tuning the television, I believe.” Laughter from the direction of the couch. “How can I help?”

“Thank you. Everything’s out of the freezer, but there’s some stuff in the fridge still...”

Two pairs of hands, even one completely unfamiliar with how their possessor’s host had her kitchen laid out, made quick work of what would’ve taken just long enough for the Priestess alone to cause the ice cream to start melting. Not that it mattered terribly much - Kjera was always a prayer away, after all - but it set Pramanix at ease that the older Kuranta sister, like herself, was the more mature sister.

With Anya’s sundae bar put together and the TV’s color balance perfected, everything was ready for a classic Kjerag movie night. The SilverAsh sisters sat on either side of Maria on an absolutely luxurious couch by Rhodes Island standards - it was wide enough for everyone to share, and comfortably - with Margaret next to the Priestess. As spoons clinked and the previews began, Blemishine asked, “What movie are we watching, Ensy?”

“The movie I was telling you about the other day,” the Specialist replied. “Weiss plays the lead.”

“Ooh, ‘Love Thaws in Snowfall?’ You made it sound cool, although I’m not sure I’ve seen a Kjerag drama before.” The mechanic glanced over at the Knight, who was even more lost because the name ‘Weiss’ was unfamiliar.

Anya whispered to Margaret, “You know him by his codename: Operator Courier.”

“Courier?” She vaguely remembered him from a couple of operations. “He’s an actor?”

“Only when Ensia can convince him. Especially if there’s an excuse for him to take off his shirt in a hot spring.” A pillow launched at Pramanix from the other side of Blemishine; it didn’t phase her in the slightest.

‘An excuse to take his shirt off’ was definitely underselling it; by the end, the Nearl sisters had seen more of the Itra’s body than most of Medical, although the filmmakers were very careful with their angles throughout. Cliffheart was thoroughly teased by her sister and friend - during a particularly steamy scene she got a brain freeze - and even though the Radiant Knight was quiet for most of it, she enjoyed herself. Listening to Maria gasp and giggle with her friends was a new treat almost sweet enough to keep her mind off the ice cream.

Almost. “Can I get you another sundae?” Margaret asked Anya as the credits began to play.

“Are you getting one for yourself?” She glanced at the pair next to her, who were busy teasing each other about their reactions to the spicier moments of the movie. “If you are, I’ll go with you.”

“As you’d like. Maria, do you want anything while I’m up?”

Both younger sisters shook their heads despite only one being asked. As Nearl and Pramanix walked into the kitchen, the Feline closed the door behind them and sighed. “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course.” The Kuranta went to the half-empty tub of vanilla ice cream, counting out three scoops. “This is as good a time as any for us to get to know each other.”

“That’s one way of putting it…You’re a married woman, if I’ve heard correctly?” The Priestess scraped out the last of the coffee ice cream gallon she’d had mostly to herself.

The question caught Margaret off-guard enough that she almost lost her bowl; fortunately, her arms were almost as fast as her legs, so disaster was averted. “Married? This would be the first I’ve heard of it.”

“Oh. So you and Operator Shining are just friends?” A blank stare from Nearl as Anya chuckled. “That answers that.”

“As far as we’ve made clear to each other, there’s nothing of a romantic nature between us.” Where were the bells that rang in her ears just then? She didn’t see them, certainly.

Pramanix topped her ‘sundae’ (just sloppily stacked spheres of coffee ice cream) with a pile of chocolate syrup as she continued. “That’s what I get for trusting the local gristmill, I suppose. Are you seeing anyone?”

“I haven’t had much time for a romance…” Well, that was half-true. “Outside of novels, at least.”

“A fellow woman of culture; just as I’d hoped. I’m looking for some suggestions for new books. Are there any you’re particularly fond of?”

That was like asking if fire was hot. “I have a few.”

“Fantastic. Let me just see how they’re getting on.” The Priestess popped her head out the door, made a mental note, and closed the door again. “They’ll probably head to Ensia’s room soon. Follow me to my study?”

“Um, certainly…Ensia’s room?” Were they-

Anya giggled softly. This Kuranta was an open book, and all the pages were fun reading. “Blemmy’s planning a climbing trip with her. I asked them not to talk about it around me because they make me tired just listening to them.”

“I see.” A sigh of relief. ‘She would tell me if that was what was happening.

“Don’t worry about them too much. They’re both adults.” A snicker as Nearl blushed.

If she was this red before they’d started talking about their novels? Not even Flametail’s hair would be able to compete by the time that conversation got underway.

#arknights #arknights fic #nearl (arknights) #blemishine (arknights) #cliffheart (arknights) #pramanix (arknights) #it took a hot minute #but now that it's finally come together #this request inspired me to put a weird team comp together #USSGG plus the Nearls plus the SilverAshes with Lava and Hibiscus to fill the final slots with more siblings #it works but that might just be because they're all E2'd (almost all at least >.>)