(November 10th, 5 months after Allen's arrival, Ozpin's home office)

3rd Person POV:

Ozpin was, for the first time in his long existence, mortified as he held his face in his hands. The lights in his home office were dim for two reasons.

One is that it was currently late in the night. The other was that he usually kept the room slightly dark when he was viewing the footage Timcanpy showed him. The holographic screen the golem projected had never shone as well during daytime unless it was monochromatic instead of color.

And honestly, he needed a bit of color in the morally depraved footage he was watching. He had asked Timcanpy if there was a way it could show him where they came from. At first, the creature projected the screen but all that showed was static like a television.

That went on for a month with Timcanpy appearing frustrated. In the second month since the little golem's arrival however, Ozpin gained a glimps of what he could only describe as another world. Less advanced, yet peaceful. No appearance of Grimm at all and no signs of Aura or even Dust. And yet, this strange world seemed somewhat peaceful.

Or, at least, semi-peaceful. Apparently, instead of racial discrimination against Faunus, who seemed to not exist at all in this world, there was signs of discrimination for something as foolish as pigmentation. He never thought something would make him think of humanity as foolish more than the discrimination against the Faunus, but this was an exact tie. Still at least they didn't have the threat of the Grimm.

Oh, how wrong he was. It was much worse and much more horrible. He watched Men, Women, and Children of all ages fall to these creatures called 'Akuma'. He heard the explanations of their creation. Of this 'Millenium Earl' that would appear to mourners who lost a friend or loved one and use them to call the souls back in some dark skeletal body that would then murder the mourner and wear their skin as their own. Worse, it would be the soul of the person who the mourner called from the great beyond.

It was at that point Ozpin would take breaks for days to keep himself mentally stable. He had an academy to run and worrying about this wouldn't and didn't help. He would have simply put it off completely until the thought of these 'Akuma' also arriving in their world worried him.

He spent an entire month upping surveillance and calling the headmasters of every academy to keep an eye out for strange events and disappearances. Nothing. That was his experience in the second month since Timcanpy's arrival, and so far, he's thankful despite the few months of nothing resembling these 'Akuma'.

If this 'Earl' had somehow come to this world, it wouldn't have been hard for him to accumulate numbers from the deaths caused by the Grimm alone leaving families of mourners. Probably could have taken over from the first week alone considering that, by the third month of watching this footage, Ozpin had discovered the not-so-fun-fact that Akuma could only be killed by either each other or the very, very little number of humans that possessed some strange weapons.

These... 'exorcists' as he had gathered from the bits of audio. And the random entries from a man with long vibrant red hair in his late twenties. Timcanpy had a large amount of footage of the man and his adventures. His fights against more of these Akuma. But the fact still remained that these things were made from the tainted souls of loved ones that were pulled back from their eternal rest.

As for the last two months leading up to today? It was mostly Ozpin reviewing the same footage over and over. It seemed like Timcanpy had reached a sort of block on their footage for certain things. Like they were repressing it unconsciously. Perhaps the golem was alive in its own way.

That did explain its eating habits. Where the food went, Ozpin would not, and did not want to, know. Carefully, he placed a hand over Timcanpy and gently lead the golem to closing his mouth and stopping the repeating footage.

"I feel that I can safely say that that's enough for now, Timcanpy. If you do manage to recover more of those... 'records'... then please let me know but I don't think I can bear to watch innocent lives crumble to dust anymore."

The golem looked up at Ozpin and then downward sullenly. Gently, the man picked them up, cupped in his hands.

"You must have been through so much. I couldn't even imagine how it must have felt to be a spectator in all this." Timcanpy looked up at Ozpin as he offered a gentle smile and patted the top of the golem with his index finger. "Don't worry. From what I've gathered with a few close friends, there's been no sign of this 'Earl' or his Akuma. You're safe here, little one."

Timcanpy visibly shook for a moment before flying out of Ozpin's hands and on his shoulder, much to the man's amusement. Standing up, he left his office and gently closed and locked the door behind him.

"Now, I believe you've shown me enough of your world. So, as an apology for keeping you cooped up in my home, how about I take the time to show you around our world. What do you say?"

The excitement was noticeable as the golem vibrated on his shoulder. Granted though, he'd probably need to explain later Timcanpy's existence out in public.

Allen's POV:

I could feel it. My lungs burning. My skin heating up under the tracksuit. I could barely remember how long I'd been running now. Or how far. All I could remember is why.

I... I tried. I tried so hard to forget. Forget everything. But it's impossible when the biggest reminder is attached to you as your own limb. I stopped quickly to catch my breath. And to make sense of my surroundings. You never realize how out of breath you really are until you slow down. The fatigue is always there, regardless. It's when you stop that your body has time to realize just how worn out you truly are.

Better to be physically tired then emotionally though. The nightmares haven't gotten better. But they haven't gotten worse either. And I still get some days of peaceful sleep. On days like this however, I can't have a good night's rest unless I tire myself out. Normally, that's why I'd work so hard during the day, but Tukson closed the shop for the day earlier. Something about a visitor for a favor, I didn't ask for the specifics and all he told me was that he owed the person's father a favor. Although, the person never showed up.

So yeah, I chose to run for God knows how long now. Through the markets on the street and in front of stores that were open late at night with shoppers and their families happily laughing and spending time together. Despite the threat that looms outside their walls, the citizens of the city somehow still manage to smile. I couldn't help but smile at the sight. It always seemed to calm him down. That and one other thing.

'Dream of Anything~

I'll make it all come true~

Everything you need~

Is all I have for you~'

At first, I was unsure of what to make of these 'headphones' when I bought them last week. But when Tukson introduced me to this world's version of music? Something about it made me smile. It had nothing similar to the wordless orchestra and folksongs I'd heard during my travels in my own world. It had soul. Not to say that the music I originally listened to didn't have it either, but this one felt more storytelling and conversation like.

This song, 'Gold', was filled with promises. Like a mix of a lullaby that a mother would tell a child mixed with the sounds that would bring anyone to their feet to move and dance. It filled me with energy yet kept me calm. A great investment since it helped him relax before he went to bed on most nights. Although, I would occasionally find myself with my head tilted weirdly or in an uncomfortable position because I forgot to take them off.

But can anyone blame me?! This form of music is so strangely addicting!

Ahem

Please ignore that little outburst. Anyways, after another half hour of running, I soon found myself in an alley. The walls were close to each other, which made the next thing that I'm about to do easier. Legal? From what I heard, no. But that didn't stop me from doing this plenty of nights in a row. I jumped on the closed dumpster and then up on the building on the left, grabbing the ledge quick before using my momentum to jump slightly higher to the building opposite to me and then going back in forth with the motions until I managed to get a grip on the ledge of one of the buildings roofs.

A few requirements for this were practice, a trained body, resistant shoes, and spite. And I had it all. Wouldn't have survived most of the things I did if I didn't. As for why I would climb like this in an unsafe and illegal manner? A view. A view of the city. A view of the market. A view of the lights at night. I paused the music and let the headphones hang around my neck as I took it all in. Artificial lights from the streets and the natural lights of the stars and moon mixing together.

Most wouldn't waste their nights randomly to just climb a building for this view, but that's what made it special for me. It's something I could do and enjoy by myself. That and I saw it in one of those picture books that Tukson has in the front of the shop.

What were they called again? Comics! That's what they were! And he said they were unrealistic. Psh. Showed him! Well, not literally. Again, what I was doing was barely legal.

...And oddly enough, that fact is kind of exciting. Although, I should probably head back. Maybe after a little while longer. At least, that's what I thought till I heard a creaking behind me.

"What the- HEY YOU BRAT! I THOUGHT I TOLD YOU TO STOP COMING UP HERE!"

And that's my cue to leave. I didn't think for a second as I proceeded to run off the ledge with a laugh, much to the horror of the person who caught me on the roof. As for my plan? The fact that I've done this plenty of times and know about the fire escape ladder I managed to catch on my descent before sliding the rest of the way down safely and taking off in a sprint.

I wonder if this is what they call being an adrenaline junkie. Still, can you blame me? I never really had a chance to enjoy making a bad decision that wouldn't harm anyone. At most, it's minor trespassing. And, honestly, it feels kind of great to act my age!

I know it seems like a major difference from how I was most of my life, but I don't have to fight Akuma in this world. The Grimm are a threat but it's different from how I've fought originally. At least with the Akuma, taking down the Earl and purifying the Noah family was the end game. Without them, the Akuma would have died out and unable to keep their form since the dark matter they were made from was connected to the Earl himself.

With the Grimm, most of the textbooks indicated that they've been around since the beginning of Remnant's recorded history. They share a dark aura similar to Akuma but no trapped suffering souls. And even if I decided to become a Huntsmen, I'd have to train with a proper weapon instead of relying on my Innocence. God knows how I'd have to explain my arm transforming and changing sizes to a claw as big as a building.

And if I did somehow explain it, I'd have to get used to 83 percent synchro rate all over again. While my physical abilities are stronger regardless when using Innocence, Crown Clown offered defense, speed, agility, and a multitude of abilities. Cross α only offers an expanded area of attack. And I do have some techniques I can use to affect wider range of enemies but only a handful. I wasn't even lucky enough to have kept Cross β. A long-range weapon would have been appreciated earlier when I was still in Mt. Glenn.

And I haven't even had a use for my cursed eye, which also seemed to revert back to level 1. Instead of the black and white view that it gave me during level 2, or even being able to communicate with the soul of an Akuma he was viewing, it simply showed me the... 'auras' of others? It still felt weird finding out the residents of Remnant could manifest their soul in an exterior form as an ability. But his eye was currently allowing him to see even those whose aura wasn't awakened. Did that mean the souls of the people of Remnant had a different density of sorts? Maybe they were of greater quantity? Or maybe something else is at play.

No matter how much I searched in Tukson's collection, I couldn't find anything on how aura first started to awaken. Just that it, along with the Grimm, are the oldest recorded topics in the history books taught at most of the schools up to Academy level. And, if I had to be honest, a simple curiosity in the subject isn't enough for me to go to a combat school!

I! AM! NOT! FIGHTING! AGAIN!

…

And looking around, I seem to find myself in public.

With people all staring at me weirdly.

…And I'm slowly realizing that I might have yelled that out loud...

I'm... just gonna head back to the apartment.

(November 11th, Morning, Tukson's shop)

3rd Person POV:

Another peaceful day in Remnant as Allen simply skims through a textbook on 'The Fundamentals, Practices, and Uses of Dust' behind the counter of Tukson's Book Trade. Unfortunately, an exceedingly difficult requirement as the elemental material was the cornerstone to many of the advances in technology that Remnant had. And he barely understood the science of his own world.

His teacher, General Cross, never really made it a priority. Kamui and the rest of the science division were the ones to even teach him. And the only information he actually bothered to familiarize himself with was what they knew about Innocence, the requirements to process it into a weapon, fundamentals of archeology, and basically anything to either search ruins for Innocence or find traces of Dark Matter from an Akuma.

All in all, absolutely useless on Remnant. Except if he ever has the need to perform the bare minimum maintenance on his left arm. But there are very, very few situations that would involve that. So yeah, he had to start from scratch. Completely from the bottom up. And frankly, it was a HEADACHE. He'd do anything right now for a break.

Ring

The front door of the shop chimed as a teen no older than Allen with messy blond hair, an open jacket with no shirt underneath, and blue cargo pants. And a tail as well that was currently holding a duffle bag that looked way too full.

"Yo, Tukson! You here buddy?"

Allen blinked at the casual greeting of the guy. He couldn't make heads or tails of the him or how he could know Tukson. Too young to be a friend. And he doubted he was here for a delivery since even the snacks the shop sells comes with new shipments of books. And those shipments come in every two weeks, beginning and middle of each month. And that was usually for small shipments that would sometimes be cancelled. After all, they weren't a library.

So, with that expert deduction, Allen could assume that this man...

"You're the guy who was supposed to arrive yesterday, weren't you?"

The new arrival laughed at that and scratched the back of his head. "Yeah, turns out, the airship my old man sent me on had a drop off on the other side of the city."

That was understandable. Tukson's shop was closer to the docks instead. The airships would land of either two locations. Beacon Academy for new students and Huntsmen or the Northern end of Vale for commercial use. There's also landing pads to land Bullheads around certain areas of the city for travel to villages outside.

"Yeah, if you wanted to arrive closer to the shop, you could have chosen the docks instead." Allen let out a humorous chuckle. "Then again, if you did that, you'd probably have to sneak on a cargo ship or something!"

Allen began to laugh a bit but slowly went quiet as he noticed that the new arrival was smiling brightly.

"...Please don't sneak on a cargo ship." He pleaded.

"Too late. Already put the thought in my head." The blond responded with a grin.

Allen let out a groan as he groaned into his hands. As he set them down, he was met with a pair of blue eyes barely an inch away. The sudden appearance of said eyes caused him to fall backwards and out of his chair from surprise. "Don't sneak up on me like that!" He screamed angrily.

The teen in front of him blinked blankly before smiling nervously. "Sorry about that. It's just I've never seen a fellow Faunus that has a trait like yours." Allen managed to himself from sweating nervously at the comment but couldn't fight the look of surprise as the teen extended a hand to him while leaning over the counter. He accepted it as the blond helped him to his feet and began shaking Allen's human hand. "The name's Sun. Sun Wukong. Sorry for the late introduction. And for, well, being late in general."

"Allen. Allen Walker." Said teen had to look up slightly as the newly introduced Sun was above him in height by three and a half inches. "What did you mean by 'a trait like yours'?"

"Well, I've seen and even heard of some who had claws but your whole hand looks like it has those things bugs have. What were they called again."

"You mean an exoskeleton?" Allen asked as his shoulders sagged from being compared to a bug.

"Yeah, that! No offense though."

"Some taken." Allen couldn't really take too much offense to it. His left arm's pitch-black texture from the shoulder down was smooth and felt normal like human skin. But his hand had a hardness and a smooth shell-like texture that would stick out from the joints in his left hand and cover even the fingers. "But what's so weird about it? It's rare but not exceedingly rare to have such a trait."

"Well, yeah. But most Faunus traits mirror if they're on limbs. Save for tails. And occasionally horns. But there have been cases of randomized traits when it came to reptilian. Still though, even with all that..." Sun looked down on him for a minute and Allen could already feel like an insult was about to be thrown at- "MAKES YOU EVEN COOLER!"

...him. "What?" He had to take a second to comprehend the excited expression on Sun's face. "It makes me... cooler?"

"Heck yeah, man!" Sun yelled. "You're like one of those comic characters or the ones in those action shows with some cool limb or prosthetic where some ancient power is sealed in and you're always holding back! That's one of those cool themes. I wouldn't say I'm jealous because my tail has gotten me through some tough spots too, but it is definitely rad in its own way-"

Sun paused as he stared at Allen, who blankly looked at him while a few tears trailed down his cheeks. "H-hey man, you alright?"

Allen blinked a few times to clear his eyes, rubbing them with his right hand to wipe the tears off as his voice had a slight croak to it. "Sorry. Sorry. It's just... that's the first time a person didn't outright call it monstrous or disgusting or anything similar. Getting a compliment for it is a new feeling."

"Wait, do your customers insult you?" Sun gasped. "DOES TUKSON INSULT YOU!?"

Allen shook his head. "No, no! Nothing like that. I don't think they even know that strange traits like mine exist. And they're not put off by it as much so I can usually relieve any worries they might have by just being as polite as I can. As for Tukson, he never insults me." Allen blinked and placed an index finger over his lip as he adopted a thoughtful expression. "At least, he never insults my arm. He does yell for some things. Hm..."

Ring

The front door's bell rung once again as the man in question walked through, even more annoyed than usual and with his Scroll to his ear. "I already told you; I checked the police stations. Your brat isn't there. Did he get on a wrong flight?"

Allen and Sun watched as Tukson moved around them and into the backroom. The two looked at each other for a moment while the shop's owner still argued over the phone, the conversation echoing.

"I waited for six hours yesterday with a sign! How could he have missed me? I even checked that hotel you told me he stayed at! There was nothing!"

Allen looked at Sun suspiciously, already putting the pieces together on just who Tukson was mad at.

"At least send me a damn photo of what he looks like! You've only giving me a name you bastard!" He yelled from the back of the store as both Allen and Sun winced. Things went quiet for a moment before they heard footsteps and Tukson's head peaked out from the door frame. He brought his scroll up to his ear once more.

"Shot in the dark but the kid took more after his mother, didn't he?"

…

"I see. Listen, I'll call you back later, Xuan."

Tukson ended the call and stared at Allen, who nodded and stepped away from the counter, calmly avoiding Tukson as he tackled Sun to the floor and had him in a headlock, yelling at him.

"YOU BRAT! DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW LONG I'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YOU!"

Allen watched with a calm face, shaking his head in exasperation as he watched Sun attempt to tap out. "I give up! Uncle! Uncle!"

Sun curiously looked around the apartment from his spot on the couch. "Wow. This place is... kinda monochromatic."

"I know. But I have to be honest, monochromatic colors have always kept me calm." Allen replied as he took out a few plastic containers from the fridge and set it down on the kitchen counter. "I hope you don't mind?"

"I don't." Sun replied as he munched on one of Allen's protein bars. Allen handed a few because, unfortunately, he ended up eating most of the food they prepared for Sun's arrival yesterday. Sue him, he was hungry and he spent all morning preparing the food with Tukson yesterday. It got slightly cold but it was still good. "Still, there's not even decorations inside dude."

"That's because I'm not planning on making it a permanent stay. Believe me, I like working here. But I don't want my future to be revolved around this tiny shop. No offense to Tukson, but I want to see this world a little more before boxing myself in at one location."

"You know, I can kinda guess where you're coming from." Sun replied. The blond teen getting up and stepping beside Allen in the kitchen as he watched him start to place some of the leftovers in the oven. "Wait, why not just heat them up in the microwave?"

Allen shook his head in disappointment. "While a microwave is quicker and easier, I've discovered that an oven, while slow and requires to be preheated on occasion, warms the food up much more evenly and gives it a fresher taste and texture."

Said food being warmed up was a spinach pie with cheese called a Mistral Mirage, which Allen could compare to Spanakopita on Earth, and a serving of baked Mac N' Cheese. Allen went to wash his hands at the sink, but still continued conversing with Sun.

"So… what brings you to Vale during this time of year? I know the schools with start up soon within a few months. Unless you're planning on transferring to Vale instead?"

Sun shook his head with a shaky grin and scratched the back of his head before he leaned off the counter with his back facing it and crossed his arms. "Not exactly. See, I, um, might have gotten into an argument my team back home."

"You're team?"

"Yep. I'm training to be a Huntsmen!"

"Really? Where's your weapon?"

Sun winced. "Well… 'most' of them are in my bag?"

"Most?" Allen repeated.

"Weapon construction isn't my thing, but it is really well made and I crafted it to suit my style, you know? I mean, what kind of person would use a weapon they have no familiarly with?"

Allen nodded at the logic. "Okay… but what does that have to do with 'most' of your weapons being in your bag and an argument with your teammates?"

"Well, I made my weapons to suit me but the materials in Mistral are extremely durable."

"Isn't that good for a weapon?" Allen commented, turning off the water at the sink and drying his hands. "If it were me, I wouldn't want my weapon to break if I was being mauled by a Grimm." The irony wasn't lost on him since almost half a year from today, he still hasn't managed to activate Crown Clown past Cross Alpha.

"Normally, that'd be the case. However, mechashift weapons are different. Not only do you have to account for the size when choosing the material, but also how the weapon moves and how quickly it transforms. My own weapons are… more compact. They're made to combine with each other. But the the materials we have can't be resized so we have to be very careful when designing mechashift weapons that both shoot and transform. Otherwise, you end up blowing the barrel when you try and fire it."

It didn't too long for Allen to put two and two together. "It blew up in your face, didn't it."

Sun nodded embarrassingly.

"And you're teammates had to save you from a bad situation when it happened, didn't they?"

Once again, Sun nodded.

"And after this fiasco, they tried to convince you to either redesign and or completely change your preferred weapon which meant that you'd have to adapt a new style from scratch. And you ended up arguing with them in which you were crude with your words."

"Wow." Sun looked at Allen with wide eyes. "You planning on being a detective?"

"Actually, I planned on building up my basic academics before choosing a career. And preferably something more peaceful. But back to you, you ended up arguing with your teammates on this but couldn't you have gone to your leader for assistance or at least to come to a middle ground?"

Sun stayed quiet while Allen read his face. It wasn't an expression that said 'Oh, I didn't think about that.' It was something else until it hit him.

"Oh my God, you're their leader."

"Y-yeah."

"…Those poor fools."

"HEY!"

"Sorry, sorry." Allen apologized. "But still, why didn't you just ask for help or rely on them?"

"Because a leader is supposed to be who the team relies on. If I asked for help on how to make my own weapon, they'll think I'm incompetent."

"I think you kinda proved that by going this route."

"Yeah…" Sun frowned. "Guess I did."

Allen looked at the blond near him, trying to figure out some words of wisdom or anything that can assist him. "Look, I won't tell you how to be a team leader or a huntsmen or anything like that, but you really should ask for help. There's no shame in it when it comes to your safety or how you function. And this was your weapon. Something that would have cost you in front of the Grimm. Or maybe you're ally's where they need you to cover their backs."

Sun shut his eyes, but Allen continued.

"Could you imagine what it would be like if your teammates, your friends, the ones who put their trust on you died because your weapon jammed or broke because you tried to go it alone?"

Sun groaned. "I don't want to imagine it. That's why I'm trying my hardest to be a good leader though and take care of this. But I also needed space because I don't want to see the disappointment from me failing their expectations."

Allen sighed. "Okay. That seems reasonable. But, let me ask you this. Did they tell you their expectations? Or did you assume that they wanted you to be the best leader imaginable. Because I hate to break it you, but no great leader starts off as one. They learn through trial and error but they still retain the trust of their fellow man."

"I think I lost their trust."

"Once again, your assuming. Look, give them a call. Tell them your thoughts. Talk it out calmly and ask them what you can do better."

"Okay. But I'm not changing weapons."

"That's fine. You did say you came to Vale as both a break and to get new materials, right?"

"Yeah?"

"Well, while you take care of contacting your teammates and figuring out what you can do better from each other and unwind, I can ask around for any weapon shops to visit and give you directions to them. That way, you can split your time to important tasks because, from personal experience, waiting to apologize to the last minute blows up in your face."

"…You really think I can be a better leader?" Sun asked.

Allen gave him a smirk. "Well, sure. But trust me when I say it's not gonna be easy. You'll more than likely embarrass yourself trying to be better but it's honestly worth it in the end."

He quickly glanced at the clock on the oven before grabbing a mitt and begin taking out the food. "For now, we'll leave it at for tonight. Now, it's time to dig in. Mind grabbing some plates from that cabinet?" Allen tilted his head to the right to a cabinet near him.

Sun nodded. "I gotcha."

Sun groaned on the couch, letting out a small burp as he let the food digest. Meanwhile, Allen was washing the dishes, completely unaffected.

"How," Sun groaned out. "How do you eat that stuff and still move around like it's normal."

"I have a high metabolism." Allen commented. "It's unnaturally high which is why I have those protein bars but also need to eat larger portions."

"That's unfair. It's like an 'all you can eat' card. You're lucky."

"Not really. Just because I can eat a lot doesn't mean I always enjoy it. If I eat below a certain threshold, I can get tired easily. And I also have to rely on cheap protein bars a lot throughout the day or one majorly big meal every few days with regular portions. The protein bars cost less, if you must know."

"Oh." Sun replied. "Yeah, I guess that can be a hassle."

"It is." Allen answered. He quickly shut off the water and began drying his hands. "Anyways, you must be pretty tired. You can take the main bedroom for your stay here."

"Nah, I don't wanna take your bed man. Plus, I'm gonna be here for a good 10 days. Where would you sleep the whole time?"

"Well, I mostly crash on the couch after my night shift."

"Wait, Tukson makes you work at night?"

"No, I work at a nightclub during this time. Got a break today and tomorrow though. Short shift but pays well."

Sun raised an eyebrow at him. "Bit bit of a workaholic, aren't you?"

"Helps me sleep at night."

"What, fear of the dark?"

Allen shook his head. "No. Something a bit more personal. I'd rather not talk about it."

Sun raised his hands. "No problem. I can behind that. Besides, I'm already feeling tired. You sure you still want to offer the bed? I'm more than capable of sleeping on the couch. Honestly, as long as it's soft, has a pillow and blanket, and isn't the dirt."

"The dirt?"

"Huntsmen also train for times that a mission leads them into the woods or places where shelter isn't readily available."

Allen nodded. "Makes sense. But honestly, it's fine. It's mostly personal preference. Didn't always have the comfiest places to sleep growing up anyways."

Sun blinked. "Okay… not gonna ask more on that unless needed."

"I appreciate it. Usually, most try and pry when the reason I mention anything like that is to end a conversation."

Sun let out a laugh. "Nope. I'm more of a 'focus on the present and worry about the future later' kind of guy."

Allen shook his head with a smirk and made his way to a cabinet, grabbing a blanket and tossing it to the couch before then heading to the bedroom to grab a spare change of clothes. He called out behind him right before he left the room.

"Your history teachers must find you absolutely charming," Allen commented sarcastically.

(November 12th , Early Morning, Tukson's)

Allen contently hummed to himself while numbing on a protein bar and enjoying some scrambled eggs from the small table in his apartment. Sun sat on the couch, curiously flipping through the limited channels from the holographic television in front of him.

"Dude. Why do you only have news, shopping, and romance show reruns from Vacuo?"

"Tukson never had any memberships to other channel services. Plus, there's more than just those channels. There's movies too. I personally like them."

"They're also reruns!"

"What about the cartoon channel!"

"Allen. Please tell me you're not entertained by old movies that came out nearly half a century ago AND CARTOONS FOR FIVE YEAR OLDS!"

Allen's eyes widened in shock. "…They're an age restriction to the cartoons?"

For the first time since he got to Vale, Sun was left completely speechless and wore an expression outside of a smile. "…Okay, I'm making it my goal, MY PURPOSE, to introduce you to more pop culture."

"W-why would there be a culture to popping things."

Sun stared at Allen, trying to form words. Meanwhile, the white haired teen had finished his meal and went to wash it at the sink. "Anyways, I was thinking for this morning, we can try and check out the local weapon shops for materials. I ran it by Tukson earlier and he sent us a few recommendations."

To add onto it, Allen took our his Extension and faced the screen toward Sun, who had gotten up and looked at the device over.

"Woah. An Extension? Usually, you see those in crime movies."

Allen raised an eye-brow. "There are illegal movies?"

"What? No, that's not what I meant. Crime movies are movies with stories whose characters are criminals or commit a crime."

"And people enjoy watching these characters break the law?"

"Yeah. It's fun."

"…Okay. Back on topic, some of these locations are places that Tukson knows personally.."

"Why would a bookshop owner visit a place for weapons?"

"Poker."

Sun raised an eyebrow at that. "Poker?"

"Yep. A lot of the shop keepers in the district have poker nights every Sunday." Allen pocketed the device and went to dry his hands, leaving the recently cleaned dishes to dry on the rack beside the sink.

"Okay. What else?"

"…That's kind of all I had planned."

"What?"

"Yeah, I mostly just study between jobs anyways. And I go for the light jog or two. Other than that, and some places to eat and shop, I really don't know what else to do."

The blond teen in front of Allen just groaned. "Okay. Then how about we try exploring Vale a bit? Because you seriously need to go out if your best source of entertainment are those poor excuse of channels that you have."

"I really don't see the problem with them."

"Exactly my point! Plus, and really think about it, when was the last time you really let yourself let loose? Have you ever bought something you don't need or rarely use?"

"No? Why would I?"

"Because it's fun."

"Seems like a waste of time AND Lien."

Sun nodded. "True. But just give it a try. I'll even pitch in here and there. Well, somewhat…"

Allen thought about it and sighed. "Okay fine. But I'm not draining my wallet."

"Yes!" Sun cheered. Alright, I'll grab my duffel bag with my weapon, you get whatever you need, and we'll make a day out of this."

Allen shook his head amusingly. But, in all honesty, what's the worst that could happen?