Shards of Reminisce Ch.50

-Qrow Branwen-

The crimson canopy of Forever Fall stretched above Qrow as he moved through the forest, his boots crunching lightly on the perpetual carpet of red leaves. Everything here existed in varying shades of red—the trees, the grass, even the air seemed tinged with a bloody hue. It was beautiful in its own way, but after hours of searching, the monochromatic landscape had grown monotonous.

He paused, taking a swig from his flask before tapping his scroll. "Still nothing particularly interesting, Oz. Just more red... everything."

"Patience, friend. Our suspicions are rarely unfounded." Ozpin's voice came through clearly despite the distance from Beacon.

"Yeah, yeah." Qrow tucked the flask away and continued his trek. "So the pilot finally cracked, huh?"

"He was quite forthcoming once we made it clear the consequences of withholding vital information from us." Ozpin replied, a hint of amusement in his tone. "These unofficial transports have their uses."

Qrow snorted. "Always looking the other way when it's convenient. Those guys have been shuffling who-knows-what-else for years. Academy turns a blind eye until you need something."

"A necessary compromise. Their indiscretions provide us with... flexibility when needed."

"Like now," Qrow acknowledged, ducking under a low-hanging branch. "So our mystery passengers were a Faunus and some short woman with two-toned hair?"

"Indeed. The description of the Faunus matches Mr. Rak’han rather precisely, I may add. Though what business he might have in Forever Fall remains unclear."

Qrow frowned, he recalled that name and the big mess that her niece caused back in Vale.

"Still can't believe that little weasel got himself proper legal representation," Qrow muttered. "Must have friends in expensive places."

"Indeed. His rejection of our offer was... disappointing," Ozpin said. "Someone with his talents would have been much better in Beacon and helping others."

"Or been a plant," Qrow countered. "Never trust a guy who can afford to buy his way out of justice and then turns down a get-out-of-jail-free card from you. Means he's got better options."

"Which is precisely why I'm concerned about the energy fluctuation we detected," Ozpin said, his voice dropping slightly. "Too brief to pinpoint accurately, but significant enough to warrant investigation. And sending in a full team would only draw unwanted attention."

"So you send in the lone drunk instead," Qrow muttered, but there was no real resentment in his voice. He understood the strategy. One Huntsman could slip in and out without raising eyebrows. Especially one with his... particular talents.

"I sent in one of my most capable operatives," Ozpin corrected him.

Qrow was about to retort when something caught his eye. The uniformity of the red landscape was disrupted—several trees leaned at unnatural angles, their roots partially exposed. The ground nearby showed distinct indentations, almost like—

"Found something," he said, voice immediately dropping to a more serious tone. "Trail of uprooted trees heading northeast. Ground's disturbed too—small crater-like depressions every few meters."

He crouched, running his fingers over one of the depressions. "Something heavy was here, Oz. And it wasn't being subtle about it."

"Proceed with caution," Ozpin instructed, all traces of casual conversation gone. 

"Don't worry," Qrow said, standing and unfolding Harbinger to its sword form. "Subtlety is my middle name."

He pocketed his scroll and moved deeper, his red eyes scanning the treeline. The flask remained untouched at his hip—whatever lay ahead would require his full attention.

"Just my luck," he muttered to himself as he moved deeper into the crimson forest. "Always walking into trouble."

Qrow followed the trail of destruction, his experienced eyes tracking signs most would miss. The dense crimson foliage gradually thinned until he stepped into what should have been a clearing among the red trees. Instead, he found what could have passed as a battlefield.

The characteristic red hue of Forever Fall had been utterly obliterated here. Trees were splintered and uprooted, the ground churned and scorched in places. The constant carpet of crimson leaves had been blown away, revealing bare earth beneath—charred earth that told a different story.

"What the hell happened here?" he muttered, scanning the area with narrowed eyes.

Moving methodically through the clearing, Qrow pieced together the scene. Something massive had come from the eastern edge, carving a path of destruction. He crouched, examining peculiar indentations in the soil—hundreds of small, bottle-sized holes puncturing the ground in patterns that didn't match any Grimm behavior he recognized.

"Too small for a King Taiju," he murmured to himself, "wrong pattern for a Deathstalker and too big for a Boarbatusk." His fingers traced larger gouges in the earth. "But something big was definitely here."

He straightened up, frowning as he identified traces of smaller Grimm— mostly the claw marks that they leave when they enter into a frenzy. The quantity suggested a significant pack, which made no sense. That much Grimm activity should have triggered alerts, drawn attention from their monitoring systems.

"This doesn't add up." He took swig from his flask, the familiar burn steadying his thoughts.

As he moved deeper into the clearing, the signs of battle became more evident. Deep furrows in the earth indicated something—or someone—had been thrown repeatedly, dragged across the ground with considerable force. Blood spatter, already dried and darkening but fresh enough that wasn’t totally lost.

"Our strange duo got their ass handed to them," he observed grimly.

At the center of the clearing, something caught his eye—an object that didn't belong in nature. He approached cautiously, Harbinger still at the ready. Half-buried in the trampled soil lay what appeared to be a totem or idol of some kind, its reptilian features crushed.

Qrow crouched and carefully lifted the broken object. It was surprisingly heavy for its size, made of some material he couldn't immediately identify. As his fingers closed around it, an involuntary shiver ran up his spine—a cold, unsettling sensation that his instincts immediately recognized as trouble.

"That's not good," he muttered, examining the strange artifact. The craftsmanship seemed ancient, yet something about it felt… wrong.

He pulled out his scroll and connected to Ozpin again. "Found something, Oz. A clearing's been turned into a war zone—signs of major combat, but no bodies. Lots of smaller Grimm were involved, but there's evidence of something much bigger that doesn't match any known species, so I hate to suggest this but it might be another anomaly."

He turned the broken totem in his hand. "Also found some kind of reptilian idol or artifact. Deliberately destroyed. Thing gives me the creeps just holding it."

"Can you describe it in detail?" Ozpin's voice had taken on that carefully neutral tone that Qrow recognized as serious concern.

"Reptile features, unknown material. Heavy for its size." Qrow angled his scroll to capture an image. "Sending you a picture now. Might be worth showing to Oobleck. This feels... old."

"I'll be waiting, old friend," Ozpin replied after a brief pause. "Exercise extreme caution.”

"Got it," Qrow confirmed, pocketing the broken totem and taking one last look around the devastated clearing. "Heading back now."

As he turned to leave, the hairs on the back of his neck stood up—that familiar sensation that told him he was being watched. He paused, hand on Harbinger, scanning the treeline with practiced eyes.

Nothing moved, but the feeling persisted.

"Just my luck," he muttered again, setting off toward Beacon with his unsettling find. Whatever had happened here, Qrow was certain of one thing—it was far from over.

----------------------------------------------

-Ma’iq Rak’han-

Another day comes around and I find myself sprawled on the large sofa with Neo on top of me, her weight a comfortable pressure as my left hand moves absently, caressing her hair and giving her gentle headpats that make her lean into my touch. 

My mind's in that familiar haze.

I'm just staring blankly at the ceiling, thoughts drifting nowhere in particular. I probably should be doing something productive right now—training, working, planning my next move, or at least figuring out what the hell I'm going to do about the mess that is my life. A lot of things occurred quite close to each other after all. But I seriously don't feel like moving a goddamn muscle.

Yesterday I stayed in bed the entire day, since I practically spent the entire morning with my woman, changing turns who was topping. And today it's reaching midday and I haven't done a damn thing yet. Part of me feels guilty, but the larger part just doesn't give a shit.

I want to extend my break just a little more.

To clear my mind, I extend my right hand and grab the pipe, taking a long puff of the hookah. I exhale slowly, watching as the smoke billows upward, forming twisted patterns before dissipating into nothing. The sweet scent fills the room, wrapping around us like a comfortable blanket. I hand the pipe to Neo, who immediately takes a drag and—because I know her—blows it directly in my face, making me scrunch my nose.

"Really?" I mutter, but I can't help the slight twitch of my lips.

She grins mischievously, those mismatched eyes dancing with amusement at my reaction. I roll my eyes but find myself smirking too as I return the pipe back to its original place. 

Can't even be mad at her anymore. When did that happen?

Right, seeing her moaning face, that’s definitely a sight to never forget.

And yes, I'm smoking despite not gaining any benefits from it. Been smoking for a while now. Never thought it would be so relaxing and enjoyable that time would pass so fast. This was her recommendation and I can really see why she likes smoking this to unwind. The sweet burn in my lungs, the cloud that surrounds us—it's like we're in our own little world, separate from all the bullshit outside.

After a couple more puffs, my ears suddenly perk up as I remember something important. 

The gamer system. 

And the big red shard I absorbed days ago. 

With everything that's happened—the fights, the near-death experiences, the fucking chaos—I completely forgot about it.

'Status.'

Ma’iq Rakhan

Race–Feline Faunus

Age 18

Class: The pugilist

Level–25 (37%

)

Mentor – (Neopolitan)

Apprentice– Jeanne d’Arc

HP – 1120/1120 [90 regen per minute]

MP –2570/2570 [350 regen per minute]

SP – 4160/4160 [300 regen per minute]

STR–95

END–76  

DEX–87 

INT–56 (-2)

WIS–53(-2)

CHA– 57 (+3)

LCK–1 (+1)

Status: 

[The Big One protects yes, yes!]

BLOCKED [Ȳ̶̨̼ỏ̪͔͍ͯ͜͞ú̴̷͔̦̥͍̊͞ ̴̘̲̤̮̠ͦͣͣ̕̕͟c̷͍̩̭͚͔̯̩̓͒ͭ̈́̿̕a̢̡̛̻̭̝̗̗ͥ̉ͬ̀͗̌҉n̸̡̡̡͔͖̺͇̭̯̊̄ͧ͑̍́’̱̗̼̞̱͉̃̾ͬ͂́̃̈͟͜͟t̨̨̨̠͓̗̩̙̙͆̏̅̑̀̅ͮ ̬̙̳̬͖͎́͗ͧ͊̾͗͊͢͜ḛ̷̡̹̟͙̖͍̒̊̈́͌ͥ͞ŝ̴̸̶͍̺̹́̇̓̉͜c̺̀̆́̄ͩͪ͘ͅa̸͚̭̪̔̌̈́p͎͙͆̐e̞▒  (PERMANENT)

Apprenticeship: 25% of exp gained from apprentice actions.

Mentorship: 25% EXP increase

Lovers comfort: 15% increase from non-combat sources EXP (68:12 hours remaining)

Rested Experience: 50% increase from all sources of EXP (1 level worth of exp remaining)

Pack Mentality (27:33 hours remaining)

Sweet Memories (2:45 hours remaining)

Cloudy Pleasures (14:12 minutes remaining)

Medicated (5:11 hours remaining)

The Road to 30 : Provides a multiplicative 100% bonus to all sources of EXP

I blink a few times, processing what I'm seeing in my status window, my tail twitching with excitement despite my best efforts to play it cool.

Level 25?

That's... fucking amazing. But my mind quickly drifts back to that hellish fight—those newborn Grimm that seemed to materialize out of nowhere and swarmed me and got pinned down, making me think for a second that I would die there. 

Vale doesn't have newborns as far as I know, so where did they come from?

But then again, I remember that abomination spitting some kind of dark mist before their sudden appearance. 

Was that what created them? Like some fucked-up version of reproduction?

That's way too scary to think about, that those monsters reproduce by just breathing... but if that was the norm, Remnant would have been swallowed centuries ago. Either way, I'd better be prepared if I ever run into that shit again. 

I shake my head, refocusing on what matters. After surviving that horde of newborns, I gained a level from killing that newborn Ursa when I was on my deathbed. And reaching level 20 healed me from fatal injuries and unlocked class traits which were absolutely essential to my victory. Then killing that abomination pushed me the rest of the way, although it was Neo who unloaded an entire armory on it while I stood my ground, but I delivered the last hit by ripping its head off.

What really catches my eye is the massive boost to my strength stats. Very likely from all those blacksmithing levels I gained before the whole clusterfuck of a fight. Doing some quick mental math, I noticed that now every level up without increasing the level of my other jobs adds 2 points instead of 1. Except for charisma, which still increases by just 1 point—though I do have a temporary +3 bonus there and a +1 in luck.

Also don’t forget about the negatives  but they make sense since I'm enjoying a hookah, which is technically a drug and my head feels a little cloudy. A small price to pay for a moment's peace.

Not that I'm complaining. I'm just happy I gained so many levels from that cluster fuck. Something about high risk, high reward has never proven so true. Maybe I should find more shit to kill... but not today. Today I'm want to stay right here, with Neo, and this hookah. 

But then again I pay attention again to my status window and what really grabs my attention are all these new status modifiers:

Lovers comfort 

Rested experience 

Pack mentality 

Sweet memories 

Cloudy Pleasures 

Medicated 

The Road to 30

That's a lot of new EXP related things. Surprising, but welcome as hell because that's a significant EXP boost—exactly what I want and need right now. I should use it to level up more jobs first.

It's a damn good excuse and motivator to get off my ass and start increasing all my levels, squeezing these bonuses for all they're worth before they expire. I'd be a fucking idiot to waste this opportunity.

I glance down at Neo, still comfortably draped across my chest like a contented cat. As much as I'm enjoying this lazy day with her, those EXP boosts are calling my name. Can't waste that kind of opportunity, not when I know how quickly the world tries to kill you if you're not strong enough.

Lover's Comfort is a very fitting name though. 

"Neo," I say, my voice breaking the comfortable silence that's settled between us. "I think I need to get up."

Neo just nuzzles against me harder, her small body surprisingly heavy as she grabs the hookah pipe, shoving it unceremoniously into my mouth. I take another deep puff, holding the sweet smoke for a moment before deliberately blowing it directly onto her face this time.

Payback's a bitch.

She giggles silently as she takes the pipe away and returns it to the table beside us, not bothered in the slightest by my attempt at revenge. 

Typical.

'Okay, five more minutes,' I think to myself, settling back into the comfortable warmth from earlier. My tail curls lazily around her leg, betraying my contentment despite my best efforts to hide it.

I will allow it, now it's the right time. Not like the world's ending in the next five minutes anyway.

As I lie there staring at the ceiling, my mind wanders back to that red shard I absorbed—the one that appeared right after I ripped that monster's head clean off in Forever Fall. Taking it was a risk, especially given how fucked up that whole situation was, but thankfully I didn't suffer any headaches or my system got corrupted again. 

Or whatever thing tried to reach out again.

Luck is smiling at me now. About fucking time.

I never really paid attention to what modifications it made to my system because I was too fucking tired at that time. So now seems like a good time to figure out what other changes it's given me.

One thing's for sure—I'm pretty convinced that "Road to 30" and "Rested Experience" bonuses came from that shard. Those alone make it worth whatever risk I took. Quadruple EXP from all sources?

That's the kind of shit I'd kill for... Well, I did kill a grimm to get those rewards. Funny how that works out.

First, I summon my scroll to my only free hand and check the store app.

All the new items are highlighted in red, and there are a lot of them—mostly food and toys, which is annoying because I don't really need that crap. But one thing that catches my attention are the medkits.

And fuck, they're seriously expensive—50,000 lien per kit. I could just buy one from a local pharmacy for a fraction of that price... Although I'm aware that items from my system store are better in every way. Maybe the stuff inside will do miracles. So maybe I should get one later after I pick up a normal medkit for comparison. Could be useful next time I'm bleeding out with my guts hanging out.

I minimize the store app with a flick of my finger and tap over to the library app. Just like the store, I'm greeted by a large list of new highlighted titles in that same aggressive red color. A good chunk of them have the prefix "Fairy Tales," which seems like stuff to pass the time, and also they are cheap too.

Just like the fairy tale of Davy Jones. 

But then again, those aren't important at the moment. What catches my attention is that in the list there are second volumes of the training manuals.

However, before I click to buy them all, my thumb stops right above the names as I notice that these next volumes are significantly more expensive.

Like the signet that cost me 75,000 lien—the second volume now costs a whopping 225,000!

Fuck... that's too expensive for me right now. What kind of robbery is this?

So I will not buy them yet, though my finger hovers longingly over the screen. For now, I need to earn more money so I can afford to make those purchases. Buying the apartment had taken a big chunk of my current balance after all.

Speaking about apartments…

I look down at Neo, still comfortably wrapped around me, her breathing soft and even against my chest. Then take another look at her luxurious apartment with its fancy furniture and expensive decorations. Way nicer than my new place, but still.

I still want to sleep in my own place all things considered, but I can give her a spare set of keys so she can drop by anytime she wants for a visit. Not like I can keep her out anyway..

Not a bad idea. I think…

I chew my cheek before sighing in exasperation and shake Neo a little harder this time. "Come on Neo, need to leave. We've been lazy long enough."

She grins mischievously and bites my shirt, tugging it a little before finally hopping off me.

Okay. That was adorable. 

"I've been skipping Roman's stuff for too long," I mention as I sit up, stretching my arms above my head until I hear a satisfying pop in my spine. "Not like I care about his opinion anymore but I don't want to be on his even shittier side. Because I know he will do something out of spite."

Neo rolls her eyes dramatically before sauntering off toward her bedroom to change her clothes. She's wearing only an oversized shirt that barely reaches mid-thigh, giving me a tantalizing view as she walks away. Not like I need to imagine playing with them anymore….

Should have sneaked a slap to those cheeks but oh well. Next time.

After she closes the door of her bedroom, I summon a new set of clothes and quickly change, not wanting to be caught half-dressed if she decides to pop back in unexpectedly and start poking my stomach like she loves to do.

Just as I finish tugging on my boots, Neo returns in her usual semi-formal, fashionable clothes and her parasol twirls idly in her hand. 

We leave the apartment together, the door clicking shut behind us and moving outside. Neo hops onto her bike while I summon mine from my inventory, the familiar weight materializing beneath me. Together, we ride toward the warehouse, weaving through Vale's streets at fast speed but not at ridiculous speeds. No need to attract unwanted attention from the VPD today.

After she stashes her bike in an inconspicuous location and I return mine to my inventory, we enter the warehouse, which is now bustling with activity, like a lot more people than before. These guys now are moving crates around or loading them with plastic bottles and even small barrels branded with warning signs.

Whatever that woman is planning, it's escalated since I've been gone. What is she even planning to achieve? 

Neo tugs my hand to get my attention. She points to where Roman is currently talking with Cinder.

That sours my mood instantly. Just seeing that bitch is enough to ruin my day as I don't want to deal with her in any way. 

And to make it worse, the bitch has brought her lackeys. Emerald stands slightly behind Cinder, her red eyes scanning the warehouse warily. When she spots me, she narrows her eyes dangerously but quickly looks away. Probably still nursing her wounded pride from our last encounter. Mercury leans against a stack of crates, looking uninterested and lazy but I know that's just a facade. The bastard is always ready to strike.

"Great," I mutter under my breath, my ears flattening against my head. "Just what I needed today—a full reunion of assholes."

Neo's lips quirk upward in amusement as she squeezes my hand once before letting go. At least someone's enjoying this.

But it seems the thief has like a sixth sense as he turns his head, and I can see his frown change to a mocking sneer as he spots me. Here we go.

"Well, well! Look who finally decided to grace us with his presence!" Roman announces as he extends both arms with theatrical flair, twirling his cane before pointing it directly at me. "The stray decided to crawl back from its hole after all. What's wrong? Did life outside the alley get too complicated for you?"

Fucking great. He just brought the entire attention of the warehouse to me. I can feel dozens of eyes turning in my direction, including those of Cinder and her minions. And was it really necessary to say it like that? Racist prick.

"Miss me that much, Roman?" I call back, keeping my voice casual despite my ears clearly saying otherwise. "I'm sooo touched. Really."

Cinder turns around, her amber eyes narrowing as they lock onto me. The temperature in the room seems to drop several degrees at that moment.

"Where were you all this time?" Her voice is deceptively soft, but there's a dangerous edge to it that makes my hair stand on end. "You had one job to do, you stupid cat. Or is your brain so small that you can’t even understand something so simple?"

I could say—and desperately want to say—"fuck you" right to her face, and spit at her ace but survival instinct kicks in. 

Better to just lie to this bitch.

"Somebody tried to kill me and left my shoulder very fucked up." I reply with a shrug, keeping my tone casual. "Had to stay in my bed, get stitches and let my aura recover before I could return. Can't work with a hole in my shoulder, after all."

Not exactly a lie. That creepy person with glowing eyes tried to kill me in my sleep before I turned the tables. And Neo did get rid of the body afterward.

"Uh huh," Cinder responds, her lips curling into a knowing smirk. "So wounded that you were having fun in the commercial district, weren't you? Shopping and dining with that Malachite girl. She enjoyed it so much that she took you to a hotel where she spread her legs to you."

Well, fuck.

But how does she know my small outing with Miltia? Although, we didn’t fuck at the end so she wasn’t watching the whole time…

Or was I just unlucky?

"Many Faunus around, you know?" I try, my ears twitching a little despite my attempt to appear unconcerned. "Could've been anyone."

"And only one with an extra pair of ears and a tail," she counters immediately, her voice dripping with condescension. "Do you take me for a fool? Or perhaps you've forgotten what happens to those who waste my time?"

Shit. There goes my excuses.

Cinder walks toward me with her lackeys right behind her, like the loyal strays they are. Emerald's hand hovers near her weapons, and Mercury's stance shifts subtly. Cinder leans forward, glaring at me with those unsettling amber eyes that seem to want to burn me alive.

"You know," she says, each word carefully measured, "I'm beginning to question your value to this operation. Or if you ever put any sort of thought about my proposal."

I frown and stand my ground, all my senses on high alert if she tries to lash out. I only need to avoid being touched by her—I've seen what those hands can do, and I'd rather not become a pile of ash.

"I didn't miss a deadline," I reply, keeping my voice steady. "I completed all your past jobs too, one missed is not a big deal and you all seem to have figured it out already."

I gesture to our surroundings, the workers already back to their work, seemingly wanting to forget what is actually occurring. 

Smart move. Nobody wants to be caught in the crossfire.

However, her gaze suddenly shifts to Neo standing beside me, and I instinctively move to block her line of sight. Something she doesn't like, as her brow furrows for a moment.

I just bare my fangs at her in response, because this time I won't back down.

Neo is MINE.

"I don't know where you've gotten this newfound confidence," she continues, her voice carrying that same dangerous tone. "But I'm tired of stupidity and delays." She raises one finger, and it ignites with a flame so hot I can feel it from where I'm standing. The orange center of the flame dances almost hypnotically. "Don't forget your place. Get. To. Work. The next time I have to remind you, it won't be with words."

She snuffs out the flame with a flick of her wrist and turns on her heel, her lackeys following close behind. Emerald throws me a cold glance as she passes, but she remains silent, seems she has learned her lesson to keep her mouth shut at least.

When Cinder finally disappears from view, I let out a breath I didn't realize I was holding.

"You're a piece of shit, you know that?" I turn to Roman with a deadpan stare.

"I don't talk with mangy animals," Roman waves his hand dismissively, adjusting his bowler hat with the other. There's genuine anger behind his eyes—not just his usual theatrical disdain.

"Fuck you," I spit back.

Roman ignores me completely after that, focusing instead on something he's writing on another whiteboard and he starts mumbling loud incoherent words.

I glance at Neo, who gives me a subtle nod toward a stack of crates at the far end of the warehouse while she goes towards the thief.

Well, now each one of us has something to do I guess.

Time to get to work and stay out of Cinder's way—for now.

First I get to work on the crates once more, not bothering to acknowledge anyone else in the warehouse. It's better this way—head down, focus on the job, stay out of trouble. Not like they can give me any trouble realistically speaking.

Back to an old and boring routine of stacking crate after crate and storing them in my inventory before dropping everything inside a shipping container and then start organizing everything.

That's how hours pass by.

After completing a single shipping container, I decide to take a break, perching on top of the one I just filled. Yeah, it was a very unproductive use of my time, better do something actually useful.

So I summon some colored yarn balls and the big needles from my inventory and start weaving. My fingers move almost automatically, twisting and shaping the materials together. It's oddly soothing, this repetitive motion—twist, fold, weave, repeat. The beginnings of another bird plush with the bushy brow take shape between my hands.

Don't wanna miss out on those bonuses after all.

But that's when my scroll buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out, expecting Neo to send something she finds funny or want to mess around. Instead, I see Levi's name on the screen.

A smile involuntarily spreads across my face. It's been a long while since we've talked after all.

What does she want to talk about?

'Maiq! virtual poke You promised we'd keep in touch! How dare you disappear on me again!'

I chuckle at reading that. Classic Levi, always straight to the point.

'Life been a bitch. But I kinda sorted it out.'

'Aww, having a rough time with work? Want me to come teach your boss some manners? I've been practicing my right hook!'

'I'd pay good money to see you take on Cinder.'

'Careful what you wish for! I might just surprise you. The academy has this adorable little gym, and I've been putting it to good use between study sessions.'

'Speaking of which... GUESS WHOSE BRILLIANT BRAIN JUST CONQUERED NAVIGATION AND ATMOSPHERIC PHYSICS???'

'Not you.'

'So MEAN! And after I was about to share my celebration cake with you too!'

'Heh'

'But seriously, perfect scores across the board. Three all-nighters and enough coffee to kill a normal person, but I DID IT!'

'Congrats. Never doubted you for a second.'

'It was partly thanks to you, you know.'

'Me?'

'Yeah! Without your help, I'd still be working double shifts just to make rent. Instead, I actually had TIME to study. Who knew that was the secret to passing exams?'

'Your welcome.'

'SO! I'm celebrating tonight with a proper feast. Nothing super fancy, but there WILL be cake. Want to help me eat it all?'

I pull my gaze away from the screen and blink but then my lips curl into a smile.

'I'll be there. Hopefully you learned a few cooking tricks from me.'

'Ha! Don't worry, I've been practicing!'

'Leave the fancy stuff to me'

'Deal! See you at 7! Don't be late or I'm claiming ALL the frosting for myself!'

I tuck my scroll away, still smiling. It'll be good to see her again. Something normal for once.

I guess, it’s a good way to end my day. Having a simple conversation with somebody normal and dinner.

I return to my weaving, but instead of finishing the bird, I set it aside. A new idea forms in my mind as I recall how Levi always loved the bird plushies I made back in Kuo Kuana.

This time, though, I want to make something different. Something that'll make her laugh.

I select some bright green thread and start weaving it around a circular frame. My fingers work deftly, creating a round base for what will become the head. I add small indentations for the eyes, twisting the wire frame to give it structure. The snout begins to take shape—short and rounded. Two small round ears begin to protrude from the top.

As I work, I imagine Levi's reaction. She'll probably roll her eyes at first but then she'll smile, and maybe her ears will flicker.

I carefully weave in darker green accents for the nostrils and eyes, making sure they're symmetrical. The pig is taking shape nicely, its round form and distinctive features becoming more defined with each pass of the thread. I add some lighter green highlights to give it dimension, my tail swishing with concentration as I focus on getting the details just right.

It's a stupid little green pig. It also appeared in those weird messy dreams that I had back in Kuo Kuana.

I smile as I continue weaving, my hands working almost independently of my thoughts now. At least some things in my life aren't complicated.

And done, one cute piggie ready as a gift.

[Novice Weaver job has increased by 1, 33/50]

----------------------------------------------

-Neo Politan-

Neo knew something was wrong when she saw that annoying woman hanging around and her Dum-Dum looking more bothered than usual. Though it definitely made her heart flutter seeing her kitten standing between them - so protective! 

He was absolutely getting a reward for that.

Though if she was being honest with herself, the "reward" was more for her than him. She absolutely loved how rough he got with her, leaving her pleasantly sore and limping afterward. 

Either way, she had important work to do. Using her semblance to blend with the surroundings, she began her investigation. And sure enough, there was that freak with the glowing eyes, snooping around where he didn't belong.

Although, why wasnt that person with Cinder?

Whatever…

So really, it wasn't surprising at all when she slipped behind him, wire in hand, and went to work.

He struggled - oh, how he struggled! Thrashing, clawing and gurgling at the wire cutting into his throat. Of course he tried to pull out his knife to attack her but a nice kick to the hand broke all his fingers so… nope!

Part of her wished she could play a little longer, cut him up really good and have him scream and whimper a little but her kitten seemed happy about something, and she'd be damned if she let some creep take that away from Ma’iq.

Yep, Ma’iq is hers. But not gonna call him by his name yet, but he is REALLY close to getting that point.

She'd followed the freak around enough to know his patterns, which was why she felt confident taking him out so quickly and efficiently. When he finally stopped resisting, she released the wire and watched him collapse to the ground, a pool of blood quickly forming beneath and the glowing eyes dim completely.

Just to be sure, she delivered a hard kick to the body. 

No reaction.

Now she needed to dispose of the corpse, but first - that gas mask had to come off. She wanted to see exactly who had been causing all this trouble and made her nervous and have the audacity to make her believe that she fumbled with her job.

She knelt down beside the body, then hesitated. An uneasy feeling crept over her. She knew it couldn't possibly be the same person from before - not after what she'd done - yet everything about them had been identical. 

The movements, the mannerisms, the build.

It was impossible for a person to come back to life after being chopped to pieces, dipped in acid and then thrown into the ocean. Semblance or not, it was impossible.

Taking a deep breath, she ripped the mask off.

And let out a sigh of relief.

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AN: A stabby psycho gf comes with its advantages it seems.

And the grind obviously needs the buffs bonuses to accompany it.