Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY or any recognizable characters from other series.
Letting out a contented sigh as I sit down in an actual bathtub for the first time in nearly three weeks. We made it to Higanbana around a half an hour ago.
We could have been here almost a week ago, if we didn't have to make detours to find a lake, river or some other body of water to reset my [Dry Skin] debuff. I didn't anticipate it being such an issue on our travels.
Having aura gives me a nice buffer of health in actual combat with a few exceptions over the three-week trip, my aura rarely dropped below thirty percent. Even though it was risky, I originally planned to search for places to reset the debuff when my health dropped below sixty percent if we didn't find a place on our path.
The first problem with my plan was the irritation of my skin after the third day, and by the fifth day, I was experiencing actual pain. We ended up having to go off course for nearly half the day. After taking out some nevermore, we found a pond that I had to hold myself back from leaping into while I was still fully dressed. After that, Nora wouldn't let us go more than three days without finding a place for me to wet my skin.
I submerge my head in the bathwater and stay there, enjoying the warmth. The lower health then irritation and subsequent pain are the worst, but even when you're near water, if it's outside, it's often very cold and somewhat dirty.
We were delayed by a week but we finally reached our first stop. I think we'll stay here a few more days than planned so I can just enjoy this bath and relax.
A sudden knock came from the bathroom door pulling me out of my thoughts and taking me by surprise, I breathed in sharply, forgetting briefly I was underwater. The burning sensation of water entering my nostrils caused me to immediately lift my head from the bath, hacking and coughing as I attempted to clear out my nasal passages.
"Rain, are you alright?" Nora asked from the other side of the door.
"I'm fine, what is it?" I say between coughs.
"Are you done yet, I'm hungry."
I look at my stats to see the red negative twenty percent that was previously next to my health is now gone.
It was midday when we arrived in the surprisingly well fortified village. There were a couple of hunters stationed outside the entrances and more inside, but most of them seemed to be staying in the village rather than protecting it.
"Give me a few minutes and I'll be out."
Getting out of the tub, drying myself off, and putting on the dirty clothes I had been wearing for the past few weeks.
We should look around and see if we can get any more clothes while we're here.
Leaving the bathroom, I see Nora sitting on the end of the bed. Familiar egg in its carrier strapped to her torso.
In the past month I've known her, other than the boost she got from unlocking her aura she's only gone up a single level. I need to find her a way to get more training or something.
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2 Weeks Ago
As the nevermore dives towards me again, its beak grinding across my shield that I had positioned over my head. As soon as I felt the weight of the attack leave my shield I lowered it bringing up my sword arm in an upwards diagonal slash, removing one of its clawed talons as it attempted to return to the sky. With the loss of its hind limb, its balance was thrown off as it flailed its wings rapidly as it remained in place while trying to ascend. During that brief delay keeping itself in place another bolt pierced the abdomen of the avian grimm bringing its HP to zero.
+175 EXP (44)
Level up!
HP, AP and MP restored.
Finally level 14, I had been sitting close to leveling for the two weeks we spent in Oniyuri. Due to Gunther and Helga, there were never any grimm near the village and I never got any quests, which meant that I spent the whole time doing nearly nothing while only five hundred EXP away from leveling.
I picked up the bolts that were left on the ground nearby after the nevermore disintegrated, brought them over to Nora, and handed them over to her. While she puts them back up alongside her crossbow, I check her stats.
Nora Brynhildr
Race: Human
Level 13
HP – 340
AP – 680
VIT – 34
STR – 25
DEX – 32
INT – 20
WIS – 19
CHA – 28
LUK – 35
Her stats are essentially the same as they were after she trained with Helga. When she got her aura she had two levels on me now thanks to my quests and the grimm we've faced, I've passed her up by a level. If this trend continues, she might end up well behind me in levels over time.
Index, is there a party system or something I can add Nora to?
There is a party feature, but I would advise not using it.
Why not?
It would be detrimental to Nora's growth if you added her to your party.
How would it be detrimental? Wouldn't it just make it easier for her to gain levels like she's already done?
You are misunderstanding how the level system works.
You do things, you earn EXP, and you level up. What is there to misunderstand?
The way you, as a gamer, gain levels is different from the way non-gamers do.
As a gamer, you take quests, kill for EXP, and when you have enough, you level up and gain stat points.
A non-gamer gains stat points from training, studying, and a variety of other things.
When you [observe] someone, their level is a tally of their stat points into a value you can understand.
Oh, so the way we gain power is inverse. As a gamer, I gain levels that give me stat points and others gain stat points that represent their level.
So Nora wouldn't benefit from being in my party because the way she 'levels up' is different.
Incorrect, if you added someone to your party, they would convert to the gamer leveling method permanently, making them a pseudo gamer.
Then what is the problem?
To level as a gamer, you need to gain EXP which is rewarded from killing and quests.
As a pseudo gamer, she wouldn't have her own system to give her quest.
At higher levels, EXP requirements become quite steep along with the decrease in EXP gained from killing things too far beneath her level.
Not only would she not have quests, she would not be able to level from killing grimm at a certain point.
Why even have a party system if it makes anyone I add to it unable to progress at a certain point?
The party feature is more beneficial to users who have access to the ID create function.
I see, since I do not have an ID create, my party system is basically broken as a result.
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Current Day
"You ok?" asked Nora now directly in front of me.
"Yeah, I'm fine", I replied, taking a step back. "Just spaced out a bit."
"Well, you can space out all you want after we get some food!" she says for too excitedly as she picks up her things and heads for the door.
"You don't need to bring your stuff. Well, at least your pack. It's probably always good to keep a weapon within arms reach" I say, while equipping my sword and shield.
It's not like we have anything worth stealing that isn't in my inventory.
Hooking her spear onto the harness on her back that was connected to her egg carrier. "Ok, but I won't leave the egg."
"I wouldn't expect you to," I say as I walk out the door.
I would be more concerned about it hatching and becoming bound to Nora since she has barely let it out of her sight the past month if Index hadn't told me that it's already soulbound to me.
Making our way down the hall and into the inns lobby. I see the receptionist give Nora and the rock-like egg she's carrying around the same confused look she gave when we first checked in. When she noticed I was looking in her direction she jumped a little and quickly returned to whatever she was doing before we entered the room.
After the time spent in Oniyuri where everyone got more used to me I started to forget that most people or at least it seems civilians under my level find me somewhat intimidating despite my age.
Leaving the inn, I gave a better look to the surroundings. The buildings were of similar design as Kuroyuri and Oniyuri, but far more plentiful. Higanbana was easily three times the size of the two previous villages combined, with the population to match.
We walked down the pathway, Nora appearing oblivious to the confused glances she drew as she excitedly looked around at all the buildings and shops we made our way past.
"So what do you want to eat?" I ask, bringing her back from going too far ahead of me.
"Something warm, I'm tired of eating cold food", she responds, speeding up again causing me to speed up my own pace.
That's understandable since we mainly ate food we got from Oniyuri the entire time we traveled and all the food we scavenged from Kuroyuri is at best room temperature.
"Yeah it would be good to have a hot meal. I don't really care what it is so feel free to pick what you want," I tell her.
Her eyes lit up at my statement.
"That's great. I had seen a place when we arrived and I really want to try it," she says as she grabs my arm and pulls me along at a faster speed.
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"All you can eat barbeque," I read aloud the sign in front of the location Nora nearly dragged me to.
"I had heard about places like this and I've always wanted to go to one and when I saw the sign when we first arrived I knew we had to go at least once while we're here and when you said I could pick well I already had my mind made up," Nora explained in a single breath.
Well, I haven't been to a buffet for a long time, and I'm already smelling the sweet smoky aroma of cooked meat wafting from the building before us.
"Yeah, barbeque sounds great," I say, watching the smile on her face grow larger at my agreement.
She grabs onto my arm again moving herself and me into the building.
Upon entering, the smell of the barbecue only intensified making me realize how hungry I actually was.
Not having a lot of time to focus on my growing hunger, I was pulled to the front counter.
"Two barbecues please," requested the excited Nora to the female host at the counter.
The hostess, a young woman with brown eyes and black hair looked down at my overly enthused companion with confusion.
Seeing that Nora wasn't going to elaborate any further about what she wanted, I stepped forward getting the woman's attention. "What she means is we would like a table for two."
"Oh," the hostess replied, then looked me over and then looked at Nora. "You two got lien?"
Looking down at myself then over at Nora. We are still wearing mostly the same clothes we had back in Kuroyuri. We have washed them on occasion but aside from my coat they are not in the best of condition. After we are done here, we should really get some new ones so we don't look like homeless street urchins.
Reaching into my inner coat pocket and pulling some lien from my inventory I showed the woman. Having seen the money, she told us it would be thirty lien for the two of us. After handing her the correct amount, she led us to a table.
As we were led further into the restaurant I looked around the establishment was quite large, full of booths most of which were packed with people talking, laughing, drinking and of course eating. The walls were full of different ornaments and nicknacks. There were pictures of who I would assume were famous hunters and huntresses that maybe visited or were from Higanbana.
The hostess stopped at an empty booth telling us it was ours for the duration of our stay and pointing in the direction of the food bar then left us going back to the front I would assume.
"Can we just go over there and get all the food we want?" asked Nora, her eyes fixated on the direction of the food.
"Well get only what you can eat, but yeah I'll show you."
Moving up to the food, I got myself a plate and handed another to Nora. Showing her she could just get what she wanted after which she went off on her own looking to grab some of everything. If I didn't already know she would inhale that food like oxygen, I would be worried about her wasting it.
It was completely coincidental that Nora would pick a place like this to eat, but after the bland food we've eaten over the past few weeks, I couldn't let this opportunity pass. Now on my own I look around to see if there are any cameras or the like. Not finding any, I proceed through the cooked meats, adding some to my plate while subtly sending pieces to my inventory. Compared to what we did in Kuroyuri, this is definitely stealing, however I will only be taking enough for a few meals but this is also for Nora, whose meals are much larger than the average.
After filling my plate, I head back to the table to find that Nora has already returned.
I take my seat across from her. Watching as the mountain of food disappeared into the abyss known as Nora's stomach.
"I see you're enjoying yourself" I say to her.
"This is all so good you should try these little sausage thingies" she says pointing at a second plate filled with tiny sausages. "Well not these ones exactly these are mine but you can get your own" she continues as she pulls the plate closer to herself.
"I'm fine, I got my own food right here" I gesture at my own single and less stacked plate.
Pulling down my scarf I start to eat.
I forgot how much food just being warm could make a difference in enjoying a meal. Before I even realized it, I had finished the piece of rib in my hand. I reached towards my plate for another piece to only grasp at air seeing my plate be pulled to the side of the table.
My eyes followed the plate, noticing it was being pulled along by a hand. My gaze traveled up the arm, encountering the face of a scowling man.
"Excuse you?" i say to the black haired man, his eyes narrowing at my statement.
Fuck, does the guy work here or something? Did he see me take all that food?
"You should leave, you're ruining everyone's meal," he said.
"What?" I say back in confusion.
"What are you stupid? I'm saying get out you filthy animal brat!" the man says getting louder.
The fuck is this guys problem?
I look over at Nora who, at this point, has stopped eating and is staring at the situation wide-eyed. Apparently seeing my confusion, she points towards her mouth and mouths the word teeth.
It then dawned on me what was going on. I had all but forgotten about the whole faunus racism thing. In Oniyuri, no one seemed to have an issue with me, and those few who were standoffish I assumed it was because of my eyes. I wasn't even wearing the scarf to purposely hide my teeth anymore, it was just something I got used to wearing.
The man who I guess had grown even more annoyed with me as I had started to get lost in my thoughts grabbed me by my wrist and attempted to pull me from my seat.
More by instinct than any conscious effort I pulled my wrist back from his grasp with ease. He reached for my arm, but I knocked his hands away.
By this point we had caught the attention of everyone in the restaurant. Some were cheering on this failure of a person to hurry up and throw me out, while a few others were telling him to leave us be.
Giving up at trying to force me out of my seat he looks over at Nora then to the spear resting in the booth next to her. Then looks around me seeing my shield sat in the booth behind me.
"You two are," he says, taking a step back.
Using [observe] told me he was only level 4. He's just a regular civilian and now he realized that we're not.
His buddies who before were seated across from us raised from their seats. I reached for my shield. I leave my sword in its sheath on my hip. I won't use it against a bunch of civilians, but I can knock them around with just my shield if need be.
Before I could see if they would run or try to attack me, a tall and muscled woman stepped in between us.
"No fighting" was all she said.
Next a clearing of the throat caught our attention, and there stood the hostess from before.
"You two leave" she said pointing at Nora and myself.
"We didn't do anything, he was the one who started all of this" I nearly shouted pointing towards the racist prick.
"We don't serve faunus here, you covered those fangs and sneak in, now leave" she says pointing to the exit.
I stand there flabbergasted at her statement. Looking towards the muscled silver haired woman who was still standing between me and the other group By the look on her face she was also blindside by the turn of events. The prick and his cronies were giving us smug grins.
If i'm going to be kicked out anyway, this guy is aleast going to have something broken for disturbing my first good meal in weeks.
The smiles on their faces vanished as they saw the look I was giving them as I started to raise my shield. but it was pushed back down as I saw Nora next to me, her hand on top of it.
"Let's go somewhere else, the food here sucks" she says with a smile on her face.
I sigh, letting my building anger and frustration dissipate a little.
Her spear already attached to her harness, she takes my hand and leads us to the exit.
Once outside, I see near the side of the door a sign of a head with animal ears and a giant x over it.
I let out another sigh.
"I'm sorry. I picked this place. I didn't know they would kick you out. I'm sorry" Nora apologized while looking dejected.
"No worries, this is in no way your fault and I'm more mad that they ruined your first buffet experience."
"We'll just have to go to another in the future to make up for this one then" she says, seeming more cheerful.
"Definitely, also thanks for calming me down back there, I was close to breaking their faces."
"No problem, but I would have gone for the legs," she says, walking off.
Following behind her "Yeah, that sounds like you."
Author's notes: This chapter was a tough one. I had writer's block for like four days trying to figure out what I wanted to go down while they are in Higanbana.
So yeah, Rain has a party feature, but in the long run it will hinder more than help for the time being. I hope the explanation as to why was understandable.