Captaindrake123: Next chapter is here, but before that-wow, over 3,500 views, 30 favorites, and 47 follows so far, that's pretty good. Only complaint is that I wish people would review more.
Now to answer those said reviews here.
proiu: Don't worry, more is coming!
Guest: As for the aura situation, and whether or not Drake has one, that's gonna be explored at a later date.
Guest: Haha! That's a decent guess, but c'mon man, you don't think I'd make it that easy would you? I'll give you a freebie and say this, and will not confirm or deny anything else after this, but Jinn is not the connection between Drake and the Remnant Knowledge.
Gobert600: Glad you seem to be enjoying it!
GravityMassUniverse: Thank you for the feedback, I'm glad that my story's protagonist is engaging to read. Although I do wonder about what SI/OC story your talking about...
Guest: Thanks for the encouragement.
whitefri2z: Aw man, I was really hoping for more reviews, oh well. Anyway, while Drake does have a troubled past, he's not emo-goth about it, rather his mindset is one that let's him "Keep moving forward", he didn't let it control him and moved on. Does it still bother him sometimes? Yeah, but it doesn't cripple him or anything. There will be plot points later on about it.
AbsoluteProcrastinator: And my first review on this story for last, I'm glad you enjoyed the start so much and I hope you'll be just as entertained throughout the whole story.
Well, that's all of the reviews, I'm not gonna respond to all of them like this too often.
Onwards to the story!
Chapter 6: Science and Socializing
"And here is the bathroom" The man guiding me through my new apartment showed the lavatory, walked through the door, and then started turning on the faucet and flushing the toilet "Piping works great, you can check the shower too, it works as well, but it takes a while for it to get hot water" He turned off the faucet as he then proceeded to show the shower head.
I nodded, satisfied "That's fine" It would be somewhat bothersome, but I could deal with it.
Currently, I am in the middle of a showcase of my new apartment by my landlord while holding a box filled with all my belongings. It's a very small place, but it's not like I need that much space. It's been over a week since I showed up on Remnant, and I've finally got a stable enough income to afford an apartment.
Walking back out, he showed me the bedroom "One bedroom with a small bed and a dresser, there's a window right there" He pointed to the other end of the room, a small window in the middle of the wall.
He proceeded to show that it opened and closed perfectly "I like to run a clean place¨ He stated plainly but it leaked a certain warning tone in his voice, I caught the meaning behind it.
Don't fuck that up
"I can see that" looked around the room, it was small but cozy. Nothing is broken or dirty, although there is nothing extraordinary about it either.
"That means I expect you to keep this in order too, you're paying for any damages you make, and I expect you to keep it down at night" The half bald man said sternly, I nodded in understanding.
Walking out of the room, we're in the living space now. It was basically bigger than the two rooms combined that I was just in, but it also had an open kitchen with a counter. The kitchen itself was taking up a good amount of said space.
A fridge, a TV, and a single futon were all that filled these rooms "You'll have to buy your own utensils" He reminded.
'Mental note: Go out and buy pans, pots, and silverware' I nodded again, putting that thought away for later.
He looked around for a moment "Alright then…" Looking at me, the man pointed his thumb at the door "If you have any questions, or need to report a complaint, just come to me…" He grumbled something about loud neighbors.
Sounds annoying, I have to remind myself to get earplugs "Thank you sir" I thanked him sincerely.
"Bah!" He waved it off with his hand "Just call me Ash kid, I hope you like living here, it's not much"
"I don't need much" I assured, confident that it will be fine.
"Still...what's a kid like you doin supporting yer'self? Any family?" He asked curiously.
"…I'd rather not answer, it's personal¨ I said carefully, I feel my hands tighten around the box I'm holding.
I think he noticed because I can see his eyes softened "Ah...well, you said you were from outside the Kingdoms...it's none of my business, just remember that the rent is paid by the month"
"I understand" I nod again, he hummed in satisfaction.
"Alright then, you know where to find me" He walked to the door, and opened it. But before he walked out he turned to me one last time "Oh, and congratulations on the new place" He chuckled a bit before he walked out and closed the door behind him.
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I just stood in the same spot for a full minute. I have my own place now... it's giving me mixed feelings.
On one hand, I feel prideful. I'm surviving on my own, I have my own place and a steady job to keep me fed. I know how to cook, all I need is to buy some groceries and utensils. It is relieving not to have to live without a place to sleep.
But on the other hand, this whole situation I'm in felt even more real all of a sudden, I didn't even think that was possible at this point.
"Ha…" I let out a large breath, gently setting down the box and dropping my backpack on the couch, and then immediately slumping onto the said couch.
"...fucking damn it" I rub the bridge of my nose. I thought I would move out of my own house when I was eighteen, not sixteen, and lost on another planet.
Talk about interstellar real estate...
Finding that I didn't want to unpack at the moment, I took out my phone and went to Voice Memos.
I sat up straight and pressed record "Explorer's log, August 22nd, 10:09 a.m"
"Where to start? Its been almost a week since my last entry, been trying to save power as much as I can on my phone until I can make something to charge it"
I briefly checked the battery level: 19%
Should I be surprised that I still have it that high? I mean, I'm not really using the phone for anything other than looking up my notes, which I took pictures from back home.
"But suffice to say, I did it, I managed to get an apartment" I frowned "Not to say that there weren't a few bumps on the road, like finding out that I have terrorists watching me and nearly getting kidnapped"
"I managed to beat them and let them go-I couldn't turn them in without the police asking about why they were trying to kidnap me, and no way was I gonna kill them- and I came to the realization that they might be the reason I'm here"
Getting up off the couch, I started pacing, getting lost in thought as I voiced them "I mean, it makes sense. I appeared in one of the warehouses they've been hiding in, they were apparently secretly monitoring me after I escaped, and they sent someone to kidnap me...so at least I have an idea of who might have brought me here, but how or why is still a work in progress"
I paused and stood in place from my pacing "Other than that, nothing really important happened, over the course of the week there were no other attempts to kidnap me, or major reveals, or...anything, it was almost boring, just doing what I had to do to get by day in and day out"
It was surprisingly plain, I looked for an apartment and kept working, learning, and doing bunch of legal work to get myself an I.D. The immigration system was not nearly as chaotic as the one in the United States, but its still a tiresome and time expending process.
"At first I was paranoid, swearing to myself that I saw someone around the corner who was watching me, I always reached for my hidden throwing knives when I talked to a faunus customer or someone on the street. But I realized not long after that they would likely take their time after the recent failure before trying again"
That thought made me nervous on how much time they were taking to come after me again, every day that passes is another day where they are scheming for a way to capture me.
"It looks like I was right, and I didn't discover anything else that was strange or dangerous about the Remnant Knowledge or this planet-other than maybe these things called 'Grimm', but I'm honestly not sure whether or not to believe they exist: Soulless monsters that are creatures of darkness, don't need to eat or drink, and are attracted to negative emotions
Haven't tried anything with the Remnant Knowledge, and it hasn't done anything differently either. It just went back to randomly giving me information at random moments again. It's even mentioned the Grimm a few times.
"Yeah, kinda a bit crazy sounding...but I wouldn't rule it out, its mentioned a lot throughout their history-as in, every book has at least a few mentions of it, not to mention the fact that the Remnant Knowledge tells me their real and it hasn't been wrong yet, maybe they are monsters and its just propaganda saying they're soulless and don't eat?"
I shook my head "But I'm getting off topic-not enough battery life for that- it was an uneventful six days, full of studying of the world's history, working, searching for an apartment and...chatting"
That last one was a bit forced, I wasn't sure how to describe it, but 'chatting' is as close as I'm gonna get...
"And by chatting, I mean...well, remember when I said that it was almost boring? I've been spending some time talking to the girl I met on my second day here: Ruby Rose"
Yeah, me talking to an unrelated girl regularly. That was something to get used to.
It was most certainly not something I expected to happen, I suppose I could've seen her at Patch Delight or something from time to time, but not actively talk with her. I kind of figured she would've forgotten about me or something, maybe it was just wishful thinking.
"I...honestly wasn't expecting to see her again, but it looks like the universe had other plans, it started with when I met her for the second time at Patch Delight…"
Six days ago…
Standing near the exit of Patch Delight, right in the middle of a co-worker and a mother with her young son, a staring contest was going down between me and the red-hooded girl.
What is she doing here? To eat, obviously. But why at this exact moment?
Seriously, it's as if the universe has a bone to pick with me today. Throwing me one thing after another with the Remnant Knowledge hurting me, having a near panic attack, being assaulted and nearly killed by two terrorists, discovering that their watching me and might know that I'm not from Remnant, and now an awkward staring contest with a girl I helped and didn't expect to see again.
But at least this one was a lot more tame and manageable compared to the others, so that was something.
But that didn't mean I knew how to handle it 'This is...weird, and kinda awkward' I'm not exactly sure what I should say to her, but I have a co-worker who needs help with the customers and a mother with her child waiting for things to move along, they take priority.
So making the decision quickly, I choose to direct myself to dealing with my job and source of income "I'll get clocked in right away" I answered Olive after breaking away from the staring.
The girl blinked at the suddenness of my statement "Uh...yeah, thanks" She said awkwardly, not that I blamed her, glancing at Ruby in confusion before she then proceeded to attend to the mother and son next to me.
I started walking and opening the door to the counter, I caught Ruby's distressed expression, making a reaching out motion as if hoping to talk to me-
"Later" I said, I'm not even sure if she heard it as I was moving to the back.
Also, what did 'Later' mean exactly? It was a half-baked response, too much going on at once for me to make a proper one.
I wouldn't be surprised if she left out of pure awkwardness of what just happened, I know I would've.
But I didn't have much time to think on it as I got to work and served the customers, taking orders by writing them down on a notepad with a pen, and delivering the food as quickly as I could.
I tried being extra cordial today, and it was definitely difficult with the constant stream of customers and no breaks, but at the very least the customers were less unruly than they were on my first day.
Hours must have gone by, walking from table to table, I had helped clean up, picked up some dishes, and showed some kids with their family how to make a paper airplane. The parents left a nice tip. The work, while tiring, was an excellent distraction to any other thoughts I might have had.
"Excuse me sir" I paused at the voice of a man, I turned around-
Deer antlers.
That was the first thing I focused on, a cold chill went down my spine as I recognized the man.
The ice cream vendor I met in the park "We've been keeping an eye on you" That vampire girl's words came to the forefront of my mind.
"Uh…" I was caught off guard, paranoia kicking in 'What is he doing here!? Is he watching me!? Is he with them!?' Scenarios ran through my head on ways to escape…
'Calm down!' I ordered myself mentally, composing myself, I was still in the middle of a public area and not in any danger of being captured, they're terrorists, not stupid "Um...yes, sir?" I asked, masking my fear with the tone fitting of one that is in customer services.
He smiled kindly "Yeah, I thought I recognized you, how is it going?" He asked curiously, pointing to himself "You remember me, right? The ice cream vendor at the park"
"Yeah…" I wasn't sure how to respond to that, it seemed so casual compared to my line of thought, and it made me hyper-aware, examining every detail around me to see if there was any danger "Um...fine, just...y'know, working" I said awkwardly, trying to remind myself that I'm in a restaurant.
"Ah, work is work right?" He chuckled "It's nice to see some kids getting work experience, don't see that a lot around here...speaking of kids, I take it you helped out that girl back at the park?"
I briefly wondered if I should even say anything to this man, so far he hasn't made any threatening moves, but the mention of Ruby did make me tense up "Um, yeah...I think she's doing better now" I said simply, pretending to rub my arm, but actually letting my hand brush over my hidden knives, taking comfort in the fact I'm armed "Why do you ask?" I asked cautiously.
He raised an eyebrow, pointing at something behind me "You didn't know? She's been sitting over there for over an hour at the very least, she seems to be waiting for something...or someone" He winked.
I blinked in confusion 'Huh?' Momentarily forgetting my paranoia, I turned my head to where he was pointing. He was right, Ruby was sitting at a booth by herself, slowly eating a sandwich, and there were at least three other empty plates on the table.
Judging by the clock, it wasn't an hour, she's been here for almost three hours, ever since I started my shift.
And the only thing I could think was 'Why?' I mentally questioned in bafflement, and saw her pause from her eating after noticing my staring.
She awkwardly waved at me.
I blinked again, making sure I wasn't imagining it.
I wasn't, she was still waving.
'Wait, the possible terrorist is still talking to you' I remembered and turned back to the man just as he decided to speak.
"I wouldn't keep her waiting if I were you" He chuckled, apparently turning around "Anyway, sorry for taking up your time, I'll let you get back to work" He then walked away, taking off a check from his table and going to the counter, mumbling something about "Young love..."
I was dumbfounded, not moving 'Just...what?' He just stopped to talk to me, and I'm not even sure if there were any hidden intentions or threats in it. I'm not sure what I was expecting…
A quick hello? An insinuation that I'm dating Ruby? That was definitely not on the list.
Was there something I missed? Am I overthinking this? I mean, it's one heck of a coincidence to run into him here after being assaulted by White Fang terrorists, now he's here during my shift. And what's with Ruby eating here for almost three hours-?!
"Drake!" I snapped out of my thoughts at my manager's voice "C'mon, we got customers! Your not on break yet!"
I'm still on the clock, and I'm just standing in the middle of the restaurant like a dumbass "Sorry sir, on my way!" I quickly got back to work.
But as I worked, my thoughts persisted 'Okay, if that guy is part of the White Fang, what was he trying to accomplish?' Probably just scouting, but I doubt he got any new information with those questions 'Or maybe he's not part of the White Fang at all and was just saying hello, but this is one hell of a fucking coincidence then, and I'm not taking chances if it is'
There was nothing I could do about it at the moment but keep my guard up, I was safe for the moment at least 'Putting that aside, what about Ruby?' I glanced at her table, she was still there, glancing back at me 'Is she...waiting for me to talk to her?'
It was the only thing I could come up with, you don't just stay at a restaurant for over three hours by yourself for no reason 'Why doesn't she just ask for when I'm gonna get off then?' It would be a lot more doable to come by just before my shift is over.
Maybe because it was awkward to ask about that? She didn't strike me as socially adept, not that I'm one to talk.
Glancing at her again, I made the decision to go talk to her on my upcoming break if she was still there by then 'Why does she want to talk to me in the first place?' I had no solid ideas on that end, she could be just trying to thank me again, but I seriously doubt she would wait that long to give a simple thank you.
It wasn't long before it was time for my designated break, it was a lot calmer in the restaurant now so I could afford to take it "I'm gonna take my break now, you got this covered?" I asked Olive anyway just to be sure.
She looked back at me and smiled, professional but honest "Yeah, I got this, just got off mine anyway" She waved a hand dismissively "Go ahead, I'm fine"
Having the go-ahead I took my hat off and clocked out for my fifteen-minute break, and walked over to Ruby's table.
The red-themed girl that I was thinking about was playing on her scroll, occasionally making a "Hee-yah!" as she pressed a button that made a laser blast noise-
Knock. Knock.
She immediately looked up at me when I knocked on the table, I took some amusement from her wide eyes at my appearance "...were you seriously sitting here for three hours just to talk to me?" I asked bluntly with a raised eyebrow.
Ruby was silent for a moment, looking anywhere but at me "...y-yeah" She said quietly, embarrassment very present in her posture and tone.
"You do realize you could've just asked when my break is or when my shift is done, right?" I asked rhetorically.
"..." She shyly looked to the side "...I-I tried to, but then I realized it was kinda a weird thing to ask…" So I was right.
I suppose it is, some girl asking about when an employee's shift ends could cause some misunderstandings. But still, to wait three hours...
Shaking my head, I sat down at the other side of the booth.
.
.
.
Awkward silence ensues.
I think I assumed too much when I thought she would start the conversation 'You were the one who wanted to talk to me, right?' I think to myself, feeling uncomfortable.
"U-Um…" She spoke up a little, twiddling her thumbs "It's...nice to see you again!" She let out awkwardly, trying to start some semblance of a conversation.
Yep, that's what we're doing right now apparently "Yeah, you too…" And me being the anti-social bastard I am, went along with it.
"So, you got a job here?" She asked curiously, pointing at my uniform.
"Yep, got it yesterday" I answered, pulling at my name tag to solidify that fact.
"Oh, it pays well?"
"It's decent" it was not the highest-paying job, but it was enough to suit my needs.
"Cool" She nodded her head slowly, tapping her fingers against the table.
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After another drag of awkward silence, I couldn't help the frustration and awkward sensation getting to me 'Ugh...I hate this, first I was assaulted, did hours of non-stop work, and now I'm having awkward silences with a girl I don't even know why is talking to me on my break' The universe did not seem to want to throw me a bone today.
"Gah!" Ruby grunted all of a sudden, which surprised me and nearly made me jump in my seat, shaking her head while looking at me apologetically "I...sorry! This is weird...right?" She gestured between us with her hands.
I couldn't help but agree "Yeah, it is" I admitted easily.
"I mean, we had no problems talking before, right? It's not like we don't know each other" She said as a matter of fact.
Well, I distinctly remember it being awkward at first, but afterward, it was fine, us both casually about our interests and such "...I think we can both agree neither of us are very social" I shrugged, trying to be casual about it.
She lightly giggled "Yeah, I guess so"
I couldn't help a light chuckle in response, the awkward atmosphere slowly disappearing 'Well, that's a little better' I briefly felt a spike of paranoia and glanced at the other tables and out the window, wondering if the ice cream vendor was watching, but didn't see any sign of him and relaxed "So uh, how are you doing?" I asked curiously, wondering how she was after that day.
"...better" She said, I could detect the hesitance in her voice easily, and she must have realized it too as she held up her hands and lightly shrugged "I mean, it's not 'better' better, but it doesn't bother me as much"
"Those girls not bothering you or anything after all that?" I asked in slight concern, though I doubted they would actually mess with her if she was the sister of the most popular girl in their school. At least not directly.
"Um-no, actually, they pretend I don't exist" She cringed for a moment, face scrunching up a little before becoming a little despondent "Can we...not talk about them?" The ask for a change in topic was not unwarranted.
Probably shouldn't have talked about it so casually, I feel like a jerk now "Yeah, sorry…" I apologized sincerely.
"I-Its fine!" She assured me quickly "I mean, if they don't care about me, I shouldn't care about them and think about it, right?" Ruby smiled weakly.
That's more avoiding the problem than confronting it, but the fact that she's not letting it get to her too much anymore is a good sign "Yeah, that sounds right" I sighed "So uh, why did you want to talk to me anyway?" I asked, deciding to stop dancing around the question.
My break only lasted fifteen minutes, and at the rate we were going the question wasn't gonna be asked.
She seemed to freeze up for a moment, looking nervous "Oh-um...yeah, that!" It seemed like she momentarily forgot it herself "I guess I just...wanted to say thanks again, I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there, and...you really helped me out"
Well, it does make me feel a little good to know that she appreciates it, I don't just have a heart-to-heart with anyone.
Ruby rubbed the back of her neck "I guess having someone who went through that before talking to me helped…" She paused "Um, if you don't mind me asking, what exactly happened to you-?"
"I don't wanna talk about it" My answer was immediate, so quick to the point it made Ruby flinch.
"O-Oh, sorry…" She apologized meekly.
My strong gaze softened at the girl "...no, I'm sorry" I apologized with a tired sigh, trying to relax "I'm not trying to be rude or anything, I just...don't like talking about it, especially to people I barely know"
I've only known Ruby for barely a day, trust is earned to get that kind of information about me, and it's definitely not done in a day.
"Oh, I get it" She seemed to relax a little "I guess it would be kinda uncomfortable for me too"
"Well, I guess you gathered I'm not the most trusting of people you'll ever meet" I shrugged, not really bothered by it, it was just something that I've accepted was part of me, if I went through what I did, and not hesitate from trusting someone, well, then something would be fucking wrong with me "It's not that I think bad of you or anything, it is just a very private thing to talk about for me"
Ruby nodded in understanding "...but yeah, still, thanks...I really can't say that enough" She told me again.
'You're getting a little overboard with the thanks now…' It was starting to get uncomfortable, I was just trying to be a decent person and not leave her to cry in the middle of a park by herself "Look, it's fine, I appreciate the thanks but all I did was hang out with you until you felt better"
"...it still meant a lot to me" Ruby pouted in annoyance with crossed arms, apparently not happy with how I worded it, trying to look angry but ending up looking cute instead.
I rolled my eyes a little, but it was still embarrassing to be told that "Was that all? Waiting three hours just to thank me again?" This girl sure was determined then, it would be both stupid and impressive at the same time, stupid for the reason it was done, impressive because of the amount of patience she had.
Ruby seemed to be embarrassed to be reminded of that again, but quickly composed herself "Um...yeah!" She said, tapping her fingers on the table again "And also, uh…I dunno if you would want to or not...but..."
'Something else?' I think to myself 'Does she need something?' I wasn't sure what she could possibly want from me though. I just kept staring at her in confusion as she stumbled through her words.
"I mean-you don't have to, it's totally your choice and everything, and it might be kind of weird to ask but-..." She completely stopped when she saw that I had no idea what she was talking about.
Ruby nervously looked down, taking a moment to herself, seeming like an eternity before she started taking a deep breath and-"Doyouwannahangoutagain!?"
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.
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'Huh?' I questioned for the second time, her words went by really fast and I'm not sure I heard that right "...come again?" I asked for clarification, wanting to make sure my ears weren't hallucinating.
Ruby seemed to calm down a little, but still looking up at me nervously, like she was mustering up some courage to say her next words "Do...do you wanna hang out again?" She said, at a much more normal speed this time- "N-Not like right now! Your obviously busy-but, like maybe when you're not busy?" She gave a hopeful look.
'...is she serious?' I thought to myself as she waited for my answer, being very surprised by the question 'I know I helped her and all, but..is that enough to warrant this?'
Why did she want to hang out with me? Gratitude? Is she just trying to return the favor?
That would be troublesome, especially in my current situation. I don't need her feeling like she owed me something, and I didn't feel like she did.
"Look…" I awkwardly rub my neck, hoping to clear this up as soon as possible "You don't have to feel like you owe me anything or something, so-"
"N-No!" She immediately waved her hands profusely, stopping me mid-sentence "It's not like that...I just..." She paused for a moment before deciding on her next words "I had fun"
The amount of sincerity in her voice when she said that made me take a mental step back "What?" I asked, I was not ready for that.
"I-I had a lot of fun with you that day" She admitted with a shy smile, scratching her cheek "I can't remember the last time I had so much fun with someone, even after what happened, I still think it was one of the best times I had in awhile...and...I'd like to get to know you better" Ruby scrunched her shoulders up a bit "But...I-I don't know if you felt the same way, maybe you were just being nicer to help me…"
It was a silent question she made, and it seemed like she dreaded the answer.
Did I enjoy myself back then? When I look back on it I remember paranoia, worry, and concern for my well-being.
...but I also remember forgetting those problems, if only temporarily, when I walked around town with a red hooded girl. Just casually talking, a few jokes here and there, nothing dramatic, and everything normal.
I usually hate talking to people, but I didn't hate talking to her, if anything I think it helped me deal with my current situation. Something else to focus on other than the utter insanity that is being sent to another world.
So if I were honest, I would say I did have fun, if even only a little. Just like her, it's been a long while since I enjoyed hanging out with someone that much.
But that doesn't mean it's a good idea to encourage her to be near me, I still have to be cautious as to those around me being in an alien world and all, and that's not to mention the big problem of the White Fang.
Is this safe for her? Hell, is it safe for me?
"Hey Drake" I looked to my left in surprise to see Olive "Your break almost up? Could use a bit help with the dishes here" My coworker asked as she pushed a cart of said dishes, being understaffed the place doesn't exactly have bus-boys.
My eyes automatically looked for a clock- 'Whoa, I only have a minute left' I didn't even realize so much time had passed.
How much of that was just awkward silence or talking? 'Great use of a break Drake' I thought sarcastically "I have a minute, I'll be with you soon" I said, and she glanced at Ruby before nodding in understanding.
I slowly move up out of my seat, Ruby was staring at me in uncertainty the entire time, I pointed towards the counter "Um...I have to get back to work" I said awkwardly.
She looked down at the table, her voice quieter "Oh...yeah, it's fine" Ruby's face was crestfallen, refusing to meet my gaze.
And I felt like I just kicked a puppy. While my face was neutral, it wasn't a pleasant feeling to see her down like that.
'It's probably for the best...right?' I turned around, but didn't take a step forward, my feet locked in place 'C'mon, you've been over this, you were just assaulted after trying to help someone, don't give into your conscience now!'
But that was the thing, it wasn't just my conscience. And it wasn't the Remnant Knowledge or anything, but rather I felt like I was undoing the work I did. To help her get over what happened, only to ignore her later on was practically a spit in the face. To help her and then just turn my back...
And it wasn't even that I didn't want anything to do with her, but that I am trying to focus on my own safety, I don't know if I can trust anyone.
But am I taking this out of proportion? It's not like I should avoid all social contact (as tempting as it sounds) just to keep myself safe, is it too much to ask to just talk with her every now and then?
'Am I playing it safe, or am I being paranoid?' That was the question, and I briefly realized it was probably the latter. It's not like Ruby was a faunus, so she can't be a part of the White Fang, and no one is gonna come after me in broad daylight.
Not to mention the fact that if a huntress-in-training goes missing, they won't be able to cover it up. Her dad knows the Chief of Police and they would likely investigate it immediately.
Keeping all these facts in mind, there's also the chance that after a while she would just stop coming if it got too inconvenient, make new friends, and move on.
'...I already talked myself into it, didn't I?' I sighed, glancing back at Ruby, she didn't move to leave the booth, rather just kept looking sad and staring at the table, and it only made me more resolved to do this "Well…my shift ends at five-thirty" I commented casually, seeing her look up in surprise "I dunno if you have something else planned, but I don't mind continuing this conversation later if you come by around then"
"Um...s-sure!" The mood shift from sad to happy was instant, a bright smile and an excited look accompanied it "I'll be there!" She said enthusiastically.
I nodded "I'll see you then...and by the way, I'll probably be working here a lot over the week, so if you drop by you'll probably see me" I said before making my way back toward the counter.
It surprised me how happy that made her, but I quickly dismissed it as I checked in. I don't mind talking to her every now and then, it was unlikely it would be dangerous, and I doubted that she would come by too often anyway.
"I was wrong" I stated firmly into my phone, my voice almost frantic "I literally could not have been more wrong, she came by almost EVERY day"
"She would come by and talk with me on my on my break, and go on a walk with me around town after my shift was over, the only time she didn't visit me was apparently because she had to study for a test"
I really didn't expect her to visit so often, but I can't say it really bothered me either. It was surprisingly dull throughout the week as I didn't have anything like school or something to keep me occupied, there's only so much I can read about Remnant, search for an apartment, or do legal paperwork before I get restless and need to step away from it.
And her weapon talks were very interesting, I've learned a lot about this planet's weaponry just from a week of talking to her, how it was apparently common now for huntsmen to have a mechashift function on their weapon.
'Wow...I sound like an alien invader gathering intelligence' I thought with amusement.
I continued "But other than that there's nothing else to report, I'm planning on going to the Department of Patch-which is our equivalent of a state department- to get myself identification forms" It was better to get that over with as soon as I could, right now I got a temporary paper identification they've given me, and was the reason I was able to get an apartment.
My phone beeped, I looked at the screen and saw the battery: 10%
"Battery's almost dead" I stood up from the futon "I have a place to live now, it's time to get to work" End log.
Setting my phone down on the table, I brought up the big box I was carrying and started sorting through it "Let's see here…"
I don't want to risk plugging my phone into the power grid in case something goes wrong, I'd rather test that out later with something less valuable. So for now I'll have to make my own power source.
Taking out some acetic acid, or vinegar as most people call it, I also took out some aluminum and copper I had bought at a hardware store. 'Time to make a battery'
A chemical battery is composed of three things: A cathode, an anode, and an electrolyte. The basic idea of a battery is sticking two different metals inside of a solution and you'll have electricity.
One metal, the anode, loses electrons, while the other, the cathode, gains electrons. When placed in an electrolyte, the ions in said electrolyte react with the metals to produce an electric charge. The electrons from the anode want to go to a place with fewer electrons, the cathode.
The aluminum will act as the cathode and the copper as the anode in the battery I'm making, acetic acid makes for a decent electrolyte and should be enough for my purposes 'Not exactly a permanent solution, but it'll do for now until I can get more materials'
It didn't take long to make it, pouring the acetic acid into styrofoam cups, putting a lid on it, and then poking holes through said lid to put the aluminum and copper strips in. I then took out a voltmeter from the box to test it.
A lot of Remnant's and Earth's measuring systems were the same, but at the same time, some of it was different. Thankfully it wasn't too difficult to translate it over to my unit of measurements, but I found it odd how Ohms were called Oums here. Just a one-letter difference and I couldn't find anything on it with a quick search.
Shaking my head, I placed each probe on the positive and negative terminals "Hmm… one-point-two volts" That was better than I was expecting, but it was not enough.
So I made five more, tested them, and once I confirmed they were producing voltage and current I connected them in series 'That should be around seven-point-two volts' And a phone needs at least one amp to charge, and the requirement from that was proved to be met with a quick test from the meter.
"Moment of truth" I muttered, sincerely hoping this would work.
I scraped off the insulation of the cable-I can always fix it later- seeing four wires: Red, black, white, and green. I'll only need the red and black wires for this, connecting them together with the wires from my batteries...
A beep sounded from my device, and I saw the sweet sweet victory message: Battery is charging.
"I'm a genius!" I smiled in victory, now I could just leave it off and let it charge for a while.
From what I gather, Remnant doesn't have a basic concept of chemistry like Earth does. It wasn't as bad as I originally thought, it's not like they don't have any, they obviously study things like the chemical reactions of the human body, but it's not pursued in the aspect of power or making materials-at least not without dust. Using different types of dust and mixing them together, and also using dust to mix different materials, and more uncommonly called 'Dust Chemistry', which was where the misunderstanding between me and Ruby came from when I explained it to her.
Their batteries don't even have regular chemical reactions, instead, it uses a small amount of lightning dust, the material around it containing it and absorbing the charge to be used in everyday appliances, it still works like a battery circuit-wise, but the workings on how the electricity is made are completely different.
Don't get me wrong, dust is clearly a good and versatile resource, but this kind of over-reliance is practically ridiculous. It was kinda scary how reliant they are on it, I mean, what would happen if I introduced them to non-dust-related resources?
'The SDC would probably send assassins after me' I shiver at the thought, I have enough problems as it is without a corrupt company on my ass.
'I think I'll follow the prime directive on this one' I decided, it wouldn't do to interfere with a planet's natural development anyway...although it was nice to entertain the thought of being rich for a moment.
Looking down at the box again, I smirked deviously while rubbing my hands together, and began rummaging through it again, pulling out beakers, flasks, metal pipes, cotton, sulfur, baking soda, and household products I found with useful ingredients.
I held one of the pipes in my hand "This is gonna be fun"
I'll need to set up a lab table later for bigger experiments and more complex creations, but for now, let's just see what I can make.
When I'm done, I'll show the White Fang science the likes this world has never seen before!
Captaindrake123: Oh no! Someone gave Drake a bunch of chemicals and equipment!
Drake: Hehe boy…
Captaindrake123: Yeah, you probably guessed it with the 'statistics of life on alien worlds' and the chemicals he carried to go camping, and any other hints I gave you on the last chapter, Drake is a science nerd. Clearly not your typical glasses-wearing 'I'm bullied a lot' nerd, but rather the nerd that can both kick your ass and make cool stuff.
Drake will be using his Earth knowledge to his advantage, and I can't wait for you to see how he does it.
Please leave a review, and any constructive criticism is appreciated.
…
What?
…
Ugh, fine, I spoil you guys you know that? Here's an omake.
Omake: An Older Sister's Concern
Ruby was hiding something.
That was very clear to Yang Xiao Long, her little sister was hiding something. Her dad had noticed too and just chalked it up as 'teenage girl' stuff, but Yang knew better.
Ruby never talks about her group anymore, whenever she asks Ruby what they were up to she just gives a plain answer like "Oh, it was fine" or "Nothing interesting"
She knew for a fact that her little sister was not talking to them anymore for some reason, that there was something bitter going on there from what she got from Ruby's expressions, and she tried talking to them herself once... but they ran away when they saw her coming near. It was beyond weird.
But what caught Yang's attention the most was the fact that her sister went out so often now, always looking excited as she went to leave, and she always gives an excuse like "Testing Crescent Rose's mods" or "Special training"
Yang didn't buy it for a second, because for one, sometimes Ruby would come home with ash on her face.
"What happened to you?" The blonde questioned, pointing at her sister's face as soon as she entered the door "You look like you stopped by a volcano"
"U-Uh…" She nervously whispered "Y'know, had some dust problems, hehe!" She laughed cutely, acting like she made an 'oopsie' mistake.
"Uh-huh…" Yang said slowly, not buying it, she knew her sister's tricks. But she let it go, because she also knew that asking about it wasn't gonna yield any results. She already tried that once, and Ruby immediately clamped up and denied anything before heading to her room.
'What is she doing?' There were a lot of guesses she made, but she dismissed them all 'What is so important she would hide it from me? Why is her group so distant from her now? Why is she going out so often?'
But a thought came to mind that coincided with all she had seen '...wait…' She stopped, realization dawning on her '...does she...have a boyfriend!?'
It all added up in her mind, yet another part of her couldn't believe it. Her own little sister entering a relationship and not telling her about it.
But from what she knows, it actually did make sense.
Distancing from friends? Check.
Going out very often with bullshit excuses? Check.
Keeping secrets from her protective older sister and father? Check!
She heard about the signs from school hundreds of times, saw them in person, and became distant from a few friends because of it herself.
Did her little sister get a boyfriend? Or a girlfriend?
She couldn't be sure, it could be something else, this was just guesswork after all and it was not like she had actual proof, but if that was the case…
Yang looked up towards the bathroom where Ruby was washing her face while humming "I might have to pay a visit to someone" Yang muttered, reminding herself to load Ember Celica later.