(Welcome to the first of two flashback chapters. Let's get rolling.)

Grass and Sea

Uriah's POV 5 years ago

Mistral, love it or hate it. Can't deny the nobles are rich...and pretty stupid at times. Such as for example the one I'm behind right now, dressed up in colorful robes and neatly trimmed hair.

Time for my lunch money.

I slip a hand right into the person's pocket and...alright, got it. I pull my hand out and quickly race walk away into an empty alleyway. Now to count up my pay out, I look through the Lien and count up to...eighty of it. Alright, guess I can go buy some lunch now.

I pick up a small twig and stick it into my pocket, there's a loud snap of the twig and of a mousetrap. I stick my hand inside and pull out my wallet. A small leather thing, opening it up there's one thing inside besides a fake ID of mine.

A folded up yellow musical sheet, only thing I have of my mom. My mom's dead, and I never got to know dad...I don't want to go looking for whoever the hell he is, don't want to pick at a healing wound.

I've been on my own for a long part of my life, I know how to fight, cheat, steal and kill...gotta do it unless someone twice your size decides to shake you down for cash or wants to kill you for the hell of it. Thankfully I have someone watching out for me, guy's like a mentor to me

Huitzilo. Good guy, he's taught me some skills for thieving and the like...I can't help but feel that he and I have done more stuff, for some reason. Anyway he told me that he has a huge heist planned for when I'm ready, he'll split the loot with me. Anyways...off to lunch:

I head off to a little spot that I've come to enjoy, noodle place...never can't remember the name of it. But it's food is delicious, got noodles, chicken, beef, pork, all sorts of the good stuff. As I keep on walking I see more than a few shifty people. That's when I hear a snap

"Ow!" Someone yells out behind me, looks like there's a person with sticky fingers. I turn around and shove the person against the wall, it's a girl. Dark-skin, mint green hair, and blood red eyes. She's clenching her teeth and has an eye closed.

I scowl at her, "Guess you have kleptomania am I right?"

She grunts, "What's it to you?"

"Oh besides the fact that you tried to steal from me?" I growl at her, she spits at me but misses.

"I'm doing what I can to survive, asshole."

"So am I." I then let her drop to the ground, and seeing that...there's no people. What the hell was that? The girl coughs and groans, standing up to stare at me. "Come on." I say gesturing my head toward the general direction where the noodle place is. I then start to walk off.

"Wait. Where are you going?" She asks

I look back at her and grin, "You mean where we, are going. And we're going to go eat."

She looks hesitant, like I'm going to rat her out to the cops. A sting operation, "Why should I come with you?"

"Gotta help my fellow thief, besides...aren't you hungry?"

She looks down at her stomach, putting a hand on it before sighing. "Alright."

"Perfect."

Lunch for two please

10 minutes later

As mint and I enter the shop the smell of food fills up my sense of smell. Sounds of meat sizzling, cups being filled with drinks, people talking and laughing, it's bustling. The place itself is nice: wooden floors, comfy seats, paper lanterns the only lighting in the place besides the kitchen, the spots there are to sits are couches, a bar spot, circle tables and beanbag chair-like seats around small tables.

Nice and comfy.

I nudge the girl and take her to an empty spot, one of the small tables with the beanbag chairs. I flop down into mine and let out a sigh of relief, so comfy. Looking at the girl she standing there with a blank expression on her face.

"Come on, take a seat." I tell her, she looks at me for a moment before taking a seat. "Sooooo...what's your name?"

"Emerald. You?"

"Uriah."

And now commence awkward silence, add in a few glances to one another, plus looking through the menu, and a bit of waiting for one to break the ice. Insert food joke about me and this Emerald girl having the social skills that are...low. But I got what I want to eat down in my head, maybe she does as well

But thank God, a waitress is coming here with a basket of bread. Once she's here she sets the basket down, smiling. "You two on a date?"

I feel my face flare up from heat

"NO!"

"ABSOLUTELY NOT!"

And the two of us start sputtering into denial, just keep denying and it'll come true! Right? The waitress laughs, "Calm down, I'm only joking! So: what're you two going to eat?"

"I'll have the noodles. And my friend will have..." I look over at Emerald who seems to be still deciding on what to get. "I'll have...I'll have the same." we hand the menus to her and she nods. "Alright, I'll be back soon." She says before rushing off.

Now it's just us, and right now Emerald seems to be a bit...annoyed. "What's wrong?" I ask her tilting my head, she sighs and shakes her head. "I don't get it." She says

"Get what?"

"I tried to rob you. And now you're getting me lunch, I just...is this some kind of plan for you to get me to be your partner or something? Or you want me to slowly fall for you? Because if it's the second; not happening." She snaps with a frown on her face

"Calm down, it's not like that. Like I told you: gotta help my fellow thief...what with us being poor and stealing from people and all sorts of stuff." I tell her, I then smile. "Honor among thieves, as my mentor says."

Her expression softens and she sighs. Crossing her arms, "Sorry. It's just that...well...don't really trust people, what with some being rats and all." She gives a small smile, "I appreciate this though. You seem to be a good guy."

I shrug, "I try my best."

She laughs a bit. "I think you and I are gonna do fine together."

I grin at her, "Platonically orrrrrr?"

"Platonic and you know it you jerk."

"Awwwww, you hurt my feelings."

10 minutes later

Well, a few seconds ago we finished up our food. Pretty good all things considered...during the dear brief time me and Emerald joked around and the like. Like a drumming match between me and her using our chopsticks, nothing too exciting but it entertained us.

"So, you ready to go? Juuuuuust in case we don't come across one guy who's going to spout out we're thieves." I say, Emerald replies with a nod. I leave the eighty Lien I 'borrowed' on the table, and then the two of us walk out the place.

"That was pretty good." Emerald says, she sounds a lot more enthusiastic. Unlike when I was pushing her up against a wall after she tried stealing from me

"Yeah, it was-"

"Ahhhh, there you are my boy." A voice says

Looking to where it came from, it's Huitzilo: he's someone tdressed in black slacks, a blue jacket, a pair of gloves, and a black shirt underneath it. He has some soft features about him, first time I met him I thought he was a woman, he has shoulder-length blue hair and dull grey eyes. He's smiling right now

"Huitzilo!" I say a bit nervously, "I was just, umm..."

"Getting lunch? Don't worry, I understand you..." He turns his gaze to the left, "And who's this with you?"

"Well, Huitzilo...this is Emerald." I look over to my new friend and gesture to my mentor, "Emerald, this is Huitzilo."

She looks visibly nervous from the looks of things, like she's backed into a corner with no way of escape. Why is that? Mean while Huitzilo is smiling at her, dissonant and calm, with droopy eye-lids.

"So...how did you come and find us?" I ask him

"I followed you." He responds matter-of-factly

"Ooooookaaaaaaaay that's not creepy at all." Emerald says uncomfortably

"Sorry..."

"You're fine Uriah, glad to have seen Ms. Emerald's trick. Illusionary Semblance, correct?" He asks

"Yeah, it is."

"As I figured. Well have you ate Uriah?"

"Yes, I have."

"Good. Good, then you and I should be going." He turns around, "Come." I look to Emerald and pat her shoulder. "We'll hang out tomorrow, it was nice meeting you Sticky Fingers." I say with a grin

Emerald shakes her head, "You know it Paranoid."

With that I leave her, and follow my mentor. Strange how I made a friend out of her...note to self: keep the mouse trap trick handy.

Worked well enough.

(And there you have it, meant to publish this on Christmas as a gift to you all. But think of it has a post-Christmas gift, hope you all had a merry one and have a happy new year. Also, what do you think of Huitzilo?)