The dulled sounds of birds chirping outside waft around my mind, as does her gentle breaths, the girl every so often in my grasp. An uneventful morning, I assume that it's morning anyways given how long I've laid in this bed. On one hand, it's given me plenty of time to think and try to figure out bits and pieces of the past.

On the other hand, it's given me way too time to think, and that's given me a headache.

God I'm fucking tired, I'm still waking up dammit.

'Thinking is quite the dangerous past time for you, I did say that you'd think yourself into a headache too, are you actually gonna fuck around here until she wakes up?'

I keep my promises, Adrian, you know how stubborn I am.

'Much to my displeasure, thank fuck we ain't gonna be here for long then.'

I blink away my thoughts and refocus myself, looking down to the girl. She squirms in my arms for a few moments longer, letting out a squeaking yawn soon after, her eyelids flickering open. Her golden eyes hidden behind her half lidded eyes, hazy and unfocused, her claws clenching and unclenching into my arms. She yawns and squeezes her eyes shut, shaking her head before flinging her eyes open. A confused look flitters behind them for a moment before she looks away, shuffling further into the sheets.

"You stayed…" She says in a low whisper, my ears feel strained just to hear it. She sounds… surprised for one, was she really expecting me to leave her-

Actually, I don't think I want to know the answer to that question.

'You already do.'

"'Course kid, I made a promise after all." I respond to her, my lips curling into a smile as I rest a hand atop her head, gently ruffling her hair. She pauses for a moment before pressing against the palm of my hand, purring mixing along with her gentle sigh of content. A soft whine comes from the girl as I pull my hand away, a dusting of red appearing on her cheeks as she looks down and away, shuffling around once more.

"...thank you." Her voice is a low squeak, an embarrassed and shy looking smile on her face as she looks up to me once more, though her eyes still flicker from place to place. An odd mix of hope and apprehension linger there, still.

Or maybe I'm overthinking it all, as long as she's happy and healthy, I am.

"Any time kid, any time." I speak from the heart with a resolute promise as I rub the back of her ears. A trill echoes throughout the room as her smile widens, pressing into my hand once more. I hope she knows that I mean that, too, I'll do my best to give her a better life than before.

'That wouldn't require too much effort on your part.'

All the more reason to keep it up, then.

"You ready for the day kid?" I ask her as I pull away. She mumbles to herself for a moment before nodding, pulling away from me. Might as well get up myself, then.

The chilling slither of the cold presses and digs into my fur as I leave the warming cocoon of the bed, a shiver running up my spine as I stretch my limbs, wincing slightly as the cracking of bones fill the air. The sound's slightly disturbing, now that I actually pay attention to it, but it feels fucking nice.

'You concern me sometimes, you know that?'

I'm well aware, I think it's funny personally. I let out a sigh of relief as I finish myself off after a moment longer, twisting my neck to look over the girl. Her maw opens wide as a long lasting yawn forces itself out of her, drooping eyelids sleepily looking over the room as she stumbles from one paw to another, hands scrambling to throw her scarf over her shoulders. I don't know why my heart swells so much to see her wearing it, my lips curling into a smile as she pats it down. Here I thought she was pretty awake, too, the girl looks like she's on the verge of going back to sleep. Can't fault her, the bed is warm.

"Here, lemme take care of that." I say aloud as I waltz over to her. The girl tilts her head as she hums, letting out a squeak as I tug the scarf off of her, visibly shivering. Don't worry kid, I won't take long.. I drape the scarf over her shoulders before wrapping it around her throat, just once, before letting the ends hang down her chest. I fluff and tug at the tip of the purple cloth around her neck for a few moments before pulling away. It's been a while since I've looked at the girl, out of a want to see how she looks rather than to check up on her.

Spots of white fur mix with brown on her small and gentle face, the light brown hair atop her head isn't long by any means, though it's longer than I remember, wild and uneven. White fur lines the tips of her hands and paws, along with her tail, swishing back and forth, a stark contrast to the brown that covers the rest of her. I remember once upon a time where her fur was a matted and icky mess, her chest sunken in till the point where her fucking rib cage was visible, the bones poking through the fur.

And now? She looks… almost healthy I guess, I hope that the food she's been given is enough to have her feel full for once, or at least filled enough. The once fearful look in her golden eyes replaced with a hope that shines in the meager sunlight, her face relaxed with a small smile on her face. She's still lithe and rather small, at least from what I've seen of keidrans, but she's still just a child and it's better than before, not like that's a high bar to reach. She's had food, shelter, she's at least been given some attention and care that a child should fucking deserve. Something that I've given to her.

A warm feeling stirs in my chest as I mull over my thoughts that cloud my mind. What is this feeling, pride? I'm no stranger to pride, but do I feel proud for myself, or for her? I sure hope that it's because I've helped her out of a want rather than a need and she's grown, rather than as a use to make me feel better for myself, and for whatevers happened in the past.

'You sure got a lot going on in your head. You having second thoughts bout the kid right now over any other time?'

No, not a chance. The only things I'd even entertain the thought of changing is whatever mistakes I might've made. I just, I don't know why I do it all, at least not for certain. And that makes me worry, what if I'm not making a real choice? She spoke as if she's more than just well accustomed to control, what if unlocking more memories just influences me to make decisions? I don't need to be the smartest person alive or need the best of memory to know that I've probably changed plenty.

Jesus fucking Christ, maybe that dream fucked me up more than I thought. It's too early for this shit.

"...Zeke?" Her soft voice brings me out of my thoughts, blinking rapidly and shaking my head. Shit, I was lost on my thoughts there for a while, wasn't I? Tch, that probably wouldn't have helped her feel more comfortable around me, for sure. I must've looked like a fucking creep.

'You manage that with minimal effort by the way, I'd consider congratulating you if I didn't get second hand embarrassment from your dumb shit. Or is it first hand? Fuck if I know. Hurry up and respond to the kid too, dumbass.'

"Sorry kid, I zone out occasionally, it happens. What's up?" I give her a small smile, as warm as I can, resting my arm on a knee.

"You're, uhm…" She trails off and touches her cheek, just below her eye. Eh? What's going on? I feel my lips morph into a frown as I mimic her movements, rubbing my fingers against my cheek before pulling away. It comes back wet, seeping into the fur of my fingers. I was crying? What? When did that happen? I didn't even feel my eyes stinging. "D-did I do something wrong…?"

I tear my eyes from my fingers and to her, her once peaceful face marred by worry as her lips curl into a frown, a whimper coming from them, yellow eyes shining with unshed tears. My heart clenches in my chest at the sight, forcing a smile onto my face as I wrap my arms around her, pulling her into my chest. She stiffens in my grasp as she whimpers again, my hand pressing atop her head, gently massaging behind her ears.

"I'm just, really really happy you're okay, that's all Mabel. These are happy tears, you've done nothing wrong, I'm not upset with you." I whisper to her in a soft, almost strained tone, the smile on my face feeling more genuine by the moment even as my throat clenches, a warmth stirring in my chest. Her whimpers slowly die down, her body relaxing alongside it, her cold cheek pressing into my chest. Comfort the girl first, think on your dumb ass later.

...Happy, huh? I don't think that's entirely a lie, at least to myself. I certainly am happier when I'm around her, that's gotta mean something right?

'Tch, you bloody sap.'

You know it, gotta get under your skin somehow.

'You manage that by existing.'

"Are you feeling okay, kid?" I whisper to her before pulling away, lips curling into a smile as I run my fingers through her hair. I remember when it felt like I was shoving my hands through a mass of grime and shit, I don't think I've really paid attention to how it feels nowadays.

"Mhm, m'warmer…" She says with a mumble, a small smile on her face, a hand raised to her face and rubbing a palm against her eyes. She mumbles underneath her breath as she does so before looking up to me, her smile widening ever so slightly. The warmth in my chest returns once more, renewed by the sight, her eyes opened wide and beaming in the light. God fucking dammit, she's gonna kill me one day.

'Weird mother fucker, I can feel my fucking teeth corroding from this, ich.'

You don't have teeth.

'You're not denying the first part.'

"Are you ready for the day?" I do have some plans on what I wanna do with her today, though I'd rather run it by her first before dragging her along.

"M'still sleepy, but I think so." Her voice still sounds so soft, like the gentle ringing of bells in my ears. My hand slides from her hair to her face, cupping her cheek with a smile still on my face, rubbing a thumb against it. The colour of a faint pink tinges the white of her cheeks, a purr coming from her chest while she presses against my hand with a half lidded stare. I still don't know how pink shows through fur, though I'm not gonna complain about a cute sight.

"I want to go out to town to meet with a friend, do you remember Edward?" She purrs for a moment longer before flickering her eyes open, her ears twitching and tilting.

"Edward…?"

Not entirely surprised she doesn't remember him well, not like he's one for conversation normally.

"He's my friend, the human dude, not the super old one though." She hums for a moment before nodding, her smile falling for a moment, as does my heart. She doesn't like him, though I shouldn't be surprised by that, he doesn't like her either.

"I think so, are you gonna take me to him?" She asks in turn, her voice dipping further still. I frown and tilt my head to the side. That's, a really weird question to ask, the fuck does she mean by that?

No, I don't think I wanna know. I'm just going to chalk it up to whatever nightmare she might've had once upon a time and nothing more. It'd be best to clear up the air over anything else.

"No, I want to meet him, we're friends, even if he can be a bit prickly at times. It's just been a while since we've hung out is all, and I don't want to leave you here alone. Anna's nice and all, but I know you're not comfortable with humans." She seems hesitant to respond, her eyes wandering and looking down to the floor, wringing her hands together, lips pursed together. It's not a happy sight, a chill stirring in my heart as I see it. I try to push down the growing pit of cold as best I can, reaching up and cupping her other cheek with my spare hand, gently bringing her face to look up to me once more.

Unsure eyes stare back to me, wavering and uncertain.

I fucking loathe the sight, I can feel the image burn in my mind.

"Mabel, I won't force you to come if you don't want to, I'll never force you to do anything. You have a choice here." She leans into my hands, a soft whimper coming from her as she does so. She still seems hesitant, though she doesn't seem as stiff at least. "I won't be upset if you say no, you can stay here, I'll always come back for you."

'That's not a promise you know you can keep.'

It's one that I'll try to fulfil regardless. She seems calmer now, a little more soothed, more apprehensive than anything else, her lips pursed together as she mumbles underneath her breath. I won't push or pressure her for an answer, I'll keep on the affection for as long as I need it to.

'How long do you have to keep assuring this kid anyways? How many times have you had to tell her this? Don't you get tired of it?'

I'll do it as much as I need to, I'm stubborn enough to keep at it. I… don't think I'd be able to say that it won't be annoying some time in the future, not with any certainty anyways, but that doesn't mean I'll stop. She's just a kid who went through some tough shit, shit that a kid shouldn't know about, let alone think of happening. She was never given the choice to know anything else.

That's why I'll always give her a choice, even if I dislike the outcome, for a choice at all is better than to be dragged around by the whims of another. The mere fucking thought of it boils my blood.

"O-okay, I'll try." The frown on my face fades away into a sad feeling smile as she nods, an uneasy look still on her face, though it's mixed with determination at least. And I couldn't be prouder.

"Thata girl, that's all I'll ever ask of you, if I ask at all. If you're worried about anything at all, you can tell me, okay?" I pull my hands away from her at long last, the girl nodding once more.

"Okay!" Her voice is back to that delightfully chiming tone, much to my delight, her toothy grin a bright beam of light. That's the expression and attitude a kid should have. A growl disturbs the conversation, raising an eyebrow as I look down to the girl with a lopsided smile. The dusting of pink returns to her cheeks, her clasped hands moving up to cover her stomach.

"Heh, wanna get some breakfast then kid? I'm sure Anna would cook something up for ya." She doesn't respond verbally, the pink on her face darkening ever so slightly as she nods, letting out a happy sounding trill as I ruffle her hair. "Let's get going then."

I quickly fix up her scarf before standing upright, making my way over to my pile of things. I slip the cloak on easy enough, opting to shove the gloves into a pocket for now, I don't think it'd be comfortable wearing that while eating. I purse my lips together as I look over the chest, the charred remains of that breastplate appearing in my mind.

'You got a plan for that, don't you?'

Potentially, I'm still thinking about a few things, might have to ask around. It's not like I know many people here. Gerome on the other hand...

'And just like that, I'm worried for our safety. Your plans are shit most of the time.'

I'm aware. Besides, that's not a problem now, is it? For now, this is just breakfast time, with a cute kid that needs to eat.

I'll work it out later, her first.

….

"Zeke, we're not having this conversation again."

"But I'm not hungry, Anna, come on."

"Either eat the food or I'll shove it down your throat."

"Do you treat everyone like this?"

"You're a special case, kid, a very special case." The tone of her voice sounds as if it's half amused and chiding, the edges of her lips curling into a faint smile as I huff, hunched over the plate, stabbing the bits of meat placed atop it with a crude knife.

I'm not hungry, dammit, and if I ain't gonna eat it, why not give it to the kid?

'But it tastes fucking good dammit, fuck you being hungry or not, I don't have taste buds of my own, so I'm stuck waiting for you to do shit. Hurry up and eat you bastard.'

I grumble underneath my breath and shank the offending piece of meat and shove it in my mouth, giving the elder woman a glare, a smug triumphant smile on her face, poorly hiding it behind a sip of her cup. It tastes good, real fucking good, as does the rest of the food she cooks. I just wish that she wouldn't be so stubborn, I know when I'm hungry or not, I'm not a child.

'You certainly act like one. Haven't you ever thought about that, though? Why don't you feel hunger?'

No idea, maybe I just never ate too much in the past? Hell, it could be a basitin thing. I don't think I lack the feeling so much as I haven't felt the feeling just yet, I haven't exactly felt the need to be pushed so far. Recently anyways. Besides, the less I need to eat, the more I can give to the kid, should she need it.

I cast a glance over to Mabel, it looks as if the girl's engrossed in her own meal to notice what's going on. A bloodied slab of meat hangs from her grasp against the plate beneath, an almost guttural growling coming from the girl as she bites and tears into the thing. She stops occasionally to righten herself, gold eyes looking down to the scarf wrapped around her neck before returning to her food. Despite her ravenous behaviour, she's taking enough care to not get anything on the scarf at the very least, specks of blood line the edges of her lips, the rest pooling atop the plate.

God, she's so fucking cute.

'God that's fucking disturbing, both you and the kid.'

It's not my fault that you don't know what is and isn't cute. I feel the edges of my lips twitch upwards as I stick another forkful of the food into my mouth, enjoying the taste and sight. I'm just glad she's happy today, more than anything.

"So kid, what's your plan for today?" Anna's question brings me out of my thoughts, eyes shifting from the girl to her. Her once triumphant smile seems to have fallen away, a more polite and warm one taking its place instead.

"I'm just gonna head into town for a bit to meet up with Edward, if I find him anyways." I answer in turn, stuffing my mouth with another delicious bite. I'm not really sure where the guardsman is to be truthful, we haven't exactly spoken too much about actual things, last time we met was for fun and for food more than anything. Can't fault him, he has his own job to do, and I have my own things to tend to.

I assume that he's at the barracks then, where else could he be? I suppose he could be at home, wherever that is, assuming he doesn't sleep there. It could be possible. I'm not happy about the thought of meeting his uncle again should it come to that.

"I see, are you taking Mabel, then?" I nod in response, my eyes shifting over to the girl in question. Still biting away, her ears twitching every so often. I hope she does okay, surrounded by so many guards, human guards at that. "I see."

The conversation trails off after that, the woman continuing to drink her drink, the gnawing of meat filling the air. If I even so much as think that she's too anxious, I'll drag the both of us out of there. There's a pensive expression on Anna's face though, half lidded eyes shifting between me and the kid. What's she thinking?

I pause mid bite, pursing my lips together as I glance towards Mabel, drumming my fingers against the table. I certainly hope she's not thinking that.

"I'm not forcing her to come along." Piping up certainly seems to take her out of her thoughts, an eyebrow rising as she stars.

"Hm?"

"I'm not forcing her or anything, I just don't like the thought of her being out of sight too often is all. If she didn't want to come, I wouldn't force her, and if she changes her mind at any time I'll bring her back." I try to keep my tone as even as I can, even as my throat clenches at the thought of it, maintaining eye contact. The woman chuckles oddly enough, low and barely audible, but it's there, the melancholic look on her face residing beside a sad smile.

"I know kid, you aren't that type of person."

"I wouldn't fault you for thinking it, given how the people here are." I sigh and frown, resting my fork on the emptied plate. I've heard and seen plenty about how people treat keidran here, and I've seen just as much, but I've seen a fair few who at least treat them with some respect. Maybe not the best in all cases, but it's a start, so perhaps there's a chance for them to live in some form of harmony, given enough time.

"I didn't, I swear to the masks above. Maybe if you were someone else I would've, but you don't have that heart, kid." Even though her voice is soft, and her smile warm, I still can't help but grimace. I know that she doesn't know who I was in the past, from whatever fragmented bits I can remember, but I don't think most affiliated with the Templars treated them highly.

"You know I wasn't always like this." I mumble flatly, sparing a glance to the kid. She's since finished her meal, her head tilting and ears twitching, small frown and confused expression clear on her face. Would I have hurt her, did I hurt someone related to her?

What a fucking mess. At least I'm getting something from those memories now, even if they're not the best.

I jolt in surprise as a warm feeling presses down on my shoulder, blinking and shaking away my thoughts, looking up to match Anna's stare, that sad smile still on her face. I didn't even notice her approaching.

'You're a little bit distracted, dumbass.'

Just a little bit.

"Listen, kid. I've been alive for a long ass time, I've seen real fucking terrible people. I've worked with them, why do you think I left?" Her tone is firm, as is the grip on my shoulder, I can feel her blue eyes boreing into mind. Her smile drops as she sighs, her grip softening ever so slightly. "I've done things I'm not proud of, kid, whatever zeal I had when I was younger is gone with the passage of time. Sometimes you need time to understand yourself, sometimes you need a whole new perspective."

A whole new perspective? What does she mean by tha- Ah, right.

"I kinda forgot that I told you about my… unique condition." I mutter in response, a bitter feeling smile on my face. Fuck, I sometimes forget about that myself. I'd prefer to forget some bits of it to be honest, the shivering memory of the void isn't a pleasant one. "Still, that doesn't mean that I'm free from what I've done."

"Of course not, but that doesn't mean you can't atone in different ways." I can see her eyes shift away from me before returning. I purse my lips together and hum, looking away from her for a moment, tips of my fingers drumming against the table.

"I know, I know, it's just rough sometimes. Doesn't mean I won't try when it comes down to it, I'm too stubborn." I respond after a moment, looking up to her and winking, faux feeling cocky grin on my face. She chuckles, her hand shifting from shoulder to head, ruffling my hair.

"Going headfirst into it then, kid?"

"You know it."

"Ah, such youthful bravado."

"You're just old." I snicker to myself as she rolls her eyes, lightly whacking my shoulder with a hand before grabbing my plate.

"No respect for elders, kids these days." She trails off with a grumble, though I can still see the faint smile on her lips. She grabs Mabel's plate too, a confused look still on her face, though she smiles and dips her head as she passes her.

"Thank you Miss Anna!" I can feel myself melt on the inside as she chirps aloud, a bright smile on her face. Anna smiles in turn, planting a hand atop her head.

"Any time, dear." Her voice sounds so motherly, the smile on her face soft and genuine as she ruffles her hair, Mabels ears twitching as she nudges against them. "Be sure to look after Zeke, will ya? He doesn't have his head on straight."

"Hey!" My exclamation only fuels the woman's glee, her smile widening as she lets out a bark of a laugh, waltzing away and to the sink. "We'll be back later tonight, okay?"

"Don't get into too much trouble, kid." I roll my eyes and shove myself off of the seat, walking over to Mabel, ruffling her hair with a hand.

"Ready Mabel?"

"Mhm." She pushes herself off of the seat in response, a small smile on her face as she rests her hand atop her stomach, golden eyes flickering in happiness. Nice and full, hopefully that'll last till lunch.

'We're gonna get food, right?'

Probably.

'Fucking sweet!'

I chuckle to myself and begin to lead us out of the house, feeling the tugging of Mabel's hand on the edges of my cloak, following alongside me. I let out a sigh of relief as I open the door, the warm wash of sunlight spilling onto me. Nice and warm, how lo

"...hey, Zeke?" I blink and stop mid step, twisting my head to turn to her.

"Yeah? What's up?" There's a strange expression on Anna's face, her lips pursed together, eyes shifting from spot to spot.

"I might need some help with something tonight, if you're free." She asks with a sigh, her body looks oddly torn. I blink once, then twice, tilting my head. Eh? "If you're busy then I under-"

"Oh no I'll be fine with helping you, I'm just surprised you asked is all."I cut her off, almost fucking the conversation entirely, at least I managed to fumble it into less of a fuck up. She looks almost surprised by that, but she lets out a breath of air, her body relaxing ever so slightly.

"Thank you, Zeke."

"No worries, you can fill me in when I get back, it's no big deal."

"You aren't going to ask what it is, or?" She raises an eyebrow as she questions me, her tone light and airy. Is she surprised that I'm not asking questions?

'People with their head on straight would ask what they need, first of all.'

Good point.

"Nope, I'll rather have the information fresh in my mind so I don't cock it up later." I respond with a shrug, leaning against the frame of the door. "Besides, you've helped me plenty, this is the least I could do."

"Thanks, Zeke. Now hurry off, you got places to go, and I've got things to do." I roll my eyes as she makes an ushering motion, dipping out of the house.

"See ya later woman."

"Bye, Miss Anna!" I can't help but smile a little as the door shuts behind us, burying my hand into Mabel's messy hair, massaging gently.

"You really like Anna, hm?" I half ask and half ponder aloud as I guide the both of us away from the little cottage, smiling wider as a welcoming breeze digs into my fur. Early morning sun still shines down upon us, for now at least. This is a good morning.

"Mhm, I like her food." I look down to her as she responds, a delighted smile on her face, her eyes shut and nudging into my hand. That's a fair enough reasoning to like her, to be honest, it is pretty nice. The conversation ends soon after, turning into a comfortable silence as we trek up the hill and towards the town,

I'm pretty excited to see him again to be honest, I hope he's been doing well.

'It'd be best to savour what time you have left with him.'

I sigh to myself, bringing the girl closer into me, borderline wrapping my cloak around her. I know I should, I think I've squandered enough time.

He's my first friend after all, and my best. I miss him.

….

The walk was thankfully without interruption and peaceful enough, the only thing to note being the wary sidelong glances from some humans walking about, though they gave us no thought beyond that. Maybe today's just a lucky day, or they're getting used to me, either or.

"Are you sure you're okay with this, kid?" I ask the girl, looking down to her with a small frown. I'm still apprehensive about this, even though I'm the one that asked her, I don't want her to feel forced. She doesn't respond verbally, the girl nudging into the side of my leg as she looks up to me with a nod, lips set into a determined line.

I smile and brush my fingers against her ears, gently digging behind them. I'm proud that she's making the attempt, even if she doesn't feel entirely comfortable. I shove the door open and guide the both of us into the lobby, surprisingly enough, there aren't many guards around. Just the one at the counter, slumped over in his chair, leaning on a palm, his face covered by his helmet.

Maybe today's a lazy day for them too, hell if I know. I hope this dude's less of a hassle than the last one. I feel Mabel clutching at my cloak as I approach the man, the girl relaxing as I continue to ruffle her hair.

"Er, hey?" I call out to the guard as I stop in front of him, raising an eyebrow. He doesn't respond, his chest rising and falling with gentle breaths. Is he sleeping?

'Lazy bastard, you got a job to do dammit!'

I purse my lips together and knock my knuckles against the wooden desk, once, then twice, then a third time, each with more force than the last. He finally seems to rouse after the third wrapping, his head slowly shifting upwards, planting his chin atop his palm instead..

"Mn? S'going on?" His voice sounds groggy, lolling out of his mouth lethargically. Doesn't sound like the most energetic fellow.

"I'm uh, looking for Edward, have you seen him around?" I try to ask as politely as I can, keeping a level tone with him, fucking praying that this goes better than last time. The guard doesn't respond immediately, letting out a long lasting yawn.

"He's uuuhh, probably in the trainin field or somethin, out tha back." He manages to answer after a moment, still yawning mid sentence, his head bobbing into his hand, jabbing a finger towards a door.

"Thanks, I think."

"Noooo problem." He slurs, dismissively waving us away with his spare hand, returning to laying his cheek on a hand, as a makeshift pillow. I keep an eye on the man as I drag Mabel away, towards the door.

That was a weird experience, better than I expected at least. The door does open out to the back of the building thankfully, into an open and plain field. It's empty, other than a singular figure with their back turned to us, barely paying attention as the dirt blows in the wind. Blonde hair sways along with the movement of the wind, dressed in plain clothes with a quiver stuck to his back.

So he is here, didn't think he'd be doing this though I hum aloud as we approach, Mabel's grip still firmly latched onto my cloak, ears twitching along with the wind. Even still, Edward doesn't seem to notice us, too engrossed with the bow in his hands. He draws the bowstring back, his arm straight and true, stalling for a moment before letting the arrow fly.

It sings through the air before sticking into the target, not exactly hitting the bullseye, but still a good shot. At least I think so, I don't exactly know how long he's been practising it, but I imagine it's one of the few ways of ranged attacks other than magic. I haven't seen people use bows very much.

'You've definitely felt it.'

I can't exactly forget about that, can I? Shit was fucking painful, and Lucy tearing it out didn't help either.

"Didn't think you'd take up archery." I pipe up, breaking the silence. He lets out a yelp of surprise and jolts away, twisting to turn to me.

"Fucks sake, where'd you come from?" He borderline screams his question, raising his spare hand to his chest as he heaves for breath, the shock on his face slowly fading away.

"I walked here, with my legs, I've heard it's a good way of getting around." I respond with a grin and a wink, chuckling as the man groans, raising a hand to rub his temple.

"You just caught me off guard is all, I didn't think you'd come here." He says with a sigh, letting his arms fall to his sides. His lips curl up into a soft smile, even as his gaze shifts from Mabel, then back to me. "Didn't think you'd bring her here, too."

"I didn't really want to leave her alone. Er, sorry if that's an issue." I smile awkwardly and rub the back of my neck, an anxious feeling rising in my chest. Maybe I should've thought this through a bit more, shit.

'Why the fuck is he the one that actually makes you worry bout your actions before things go to shit?'

Fuck if I know.

"It's fine." He says after a moment, letting out a dejected sounding sigh as he slouches further stull. "I know how stubborn you are, she's your problem. I'm more worried about the other guards here being… you know."

"People who hold a slight disdain for my continued existence?" I finish off his sentence with my own, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, that." He admits with a small wince, rubbing at his arm with a hand.

"Eh, I'm used to it." I wave a hand dismissively. I overreacted a little bit last time, but I should get used to it eventually, so maybe that's not entirely truthful just yet. "Besides, the dude at the counter seemed pretty chill."

"The guard that was stationed there?"

"Yeah, told me where you were and everything." Edward pauses for a moment, pursing his lips together into a tight line.

"He was asleep, wasn't he?"

"Does he do that often?" Edwards groan of distaste is a good enough answer, the man burying his face into a hand. "That aside, what've you gotten up to lately? I haven't seen you around much."

"I haven't been doing anything of note, I've just been… doing whatever I guess." He responds with a sigh and a shrug, it sounds rather dejected, actually.

"Hey, are you okay?" I ask with a frown, tilting my head as I look him over. He doesn't look as tense as he was before, but something about him seems… pretty fucking off. There's something on his mind.

"Yeah, kind of, I think so? Sorry, I've just had a lot on my mind lately. I'm not good with the whole… socialising thing, you know? And being back here doesn't help me too much, either, everything just seems just that little bit off." I nod along as he speaks, the grip on the shaft of the bow tightening and releasing irregularly, his spare hand rubbing the back of his neck as he looks away. "I know that we met up a bit ago at the inn, but I've been meaning to catch up with you again to actually do things, I've just put it off."

"Bah, don't worry bout it dude, I getcha. I ain't gonna get mad cause you had shit on your mind, it's only human. I'm here if you need anything though, you're my friend after all." I beat my fist against my chest as I grin, one that I hope looks wide and proud enough, giving the man another wink. It certainly seems to raise his spirits, his back straightening ever so slightly as his lips curl upwards.

"Thanks, Fuzz." It feels really nice to hear that little nick name from him, a joyous feeling stirring in my chest as my smile widens. Even though he looks a little less strained, I can still see the weariness that clings to his face, his smile looking that little bit strained.

He's still got stuff on his mind, I shouldn't expect my words to magic it all better, but maybe I could help that little bit more.

'Ich, I already know how this is gonna go. This is not what I meant by savouring the time you have left with him.'

"Wanna spar a little?" I quickly ask, Edward's eyebrow lifting ever so slightly.

"You want to spar? Seriously?"

"Yeah, I like to spar with you, and it'd get both of our minds off of things. And we'd get some practise in, it's a win win in my books." I explain further, the man cupping his chin while he hums.

"You don't have your sword with you, you know that right?"

"Come on, you have to have some swords laying about, right? We could just use those."

"I don't think you'd be accustomed to how our swords feel, given the type of blade you use, you'd be at a disadvantage." He sounds so analytical when he speaks, though at least his voice sounds less fragile.

"You'd need all the advantages you can get, Edhead." That little jab certainly gets a reaction out of him, the man scoffing as he rolls his eyes, lips morphing into a lopsided grin.

"Which one of us won last time, Fuzz?"

"And who won before that? We're one to one so far, are you getting cold feet~?" I wink as I tease him, his chest puffing out in pride, the grin on his face is cocky and proud as the atmosphere that surrounds him.

That's the Edward I know.

"Not a chance. I'll see you in a bit." He brushes past me as he marches, twirling the wooden bow in his grasp with a barely restrained vigour.

'For fucks sake, the both of you are bloody brutes.'

Hey, this is a god damn mission success! I got him out of his rut, didn't I? It works. The tugging on my cloak brings me out of my thoughts, humming aloud as I look down to the kid.

"Hm? What's up kid?" I ask as I kneel beside her. She looks a little confused, judging from the tilt of her head.

"Are you two fighting each other?"

"Yeah, it'll help him out a little bit." That answer only seems to confuse her further, her hand squeezing at the hem of my cloak.

"Help? Doesn't fighting mean you hate each other?" I smile and bring the confused little fox close, squeezing lightly while I ruffle her hair.

"We're friends, just really weird friends. People fight for different reasons, sometimes it's for themselves, sometimes it's for others, sometimes it's just fun." I explain to her before pulling away, cupping her cheek with a hand, massaging lightly. She nods along, but I don't know if she really understands what I'm saying. I don't blame her, the situations a bit odd, and she's just a kid.

"Do you f-fight for others, then?" She asks quietly, leaning into my hand. I feel my smile turn sad, rubbing the fur of her cheek.

"I'd do a pretty poor job at protecting you if I went around trying to fight everyone, you know." That answer gets a little giggle out of her, her lips curling upwards into a bright grin. Now that's a fucking smile to fight for. I pull my hand away from her and fiddle with my cloak, untying it and bringing it around her shoulders. "You'll 'protect' my cloak while we do our adult stuff, right?"

"Okay!" She chimes up with another giggle, delight dancing behind her golden eyes while I tie up the cloak, fluffing and fixing the scarf underneath. It looks a bit stuffy, but at least she's warm and snug.

'It looks weird.'

It looks fine, it's not like she's gonna get up to anything anyways. I pat her head before standing upwards, rolling my shoulders in preparation.

What's a better way to let off some steam than a fight, anyways?

Authors note: Sorry for the slightly late chapter here, it's a little bit longer than normal because of that. I've been distracted by Bioshock a fair bit lmao.

I feel as if this chapter is a little bit sloppier than normal, but I don't know why, I think I might go over this some time soon to double check a few things, so here's hoping you all can read it.

The update schedule is the same, this little delay won't change it permanently.

Hope you all have a good day.