In a random village*

After several days of walking, battling a few Grimm, and resting by a nearby stream, Cole and Ilia found themselves in a small town, currently seated in a quaint restaurant. However, things took a turn for the worse when Cole asked a rather inappropriate question, prompted by the reluctance of anyone else to address it. As a result, Ilia discovered what had been bothering Cole, and their conversation escalated into a heated argument with an uninvited participant who lacked tact.

"I'm simply suggesting that not every human behaves poorly. I was just wondering if being a Faunus meant you exhibited traits of your animal counterparts," an individual seated behind them remarked, just as Ilia hurled a bowl of rice in his direction. The bowl missed its mark, shattering against the wall and leaving rice stuck to the restaurant's surface.

"And I already told you that I don't know. You should mind your own business and let me enjoy my meal in peace!" Ilia exclaimed, while the waiter promptly replaced her rice and discreetly retreated, fearing her temper.

Cole chuckled as he savored his food and suggested, "Could you please stop bothering us and let us eat, as she asked?"

"Fine," the interrupting individual muttered, leaving the two to themselves. Ilia resumed eating but couldn't help thinking about the risks of returning to camp alone, contemplating the dangers posed by both Grimm and Adam's faction. This realization left her frustrated.

"Why don't I order you some dessert?" Cole offered, but Ilia ignored him. After pondering one universal truth, that every woman, human or Faunus, appreciated an expensive dessert when upset, she remained silent on the matter.

"Excuse me, I'd like to place an order!" Cole called out, attracting the waiter's attention. With a respectful tone, the waiter approached them, paying no heed to Ilia's presence, and inquired, "How may I assist you, sir?"

"I'd like to order cherry powder puffs and a side of chocolate fondue with the freshest berries for the lady," Cole requested. The waiter nodded and replied, "Certainly, right away, sir."

Ilia raised an eyebrow but decided not to press the matter further. However, her curiosity grew when she overheard another waiter addressing Cole as 'sir' or 'm'lord.'

A few minutes later, the same waiter returned with two trays-one containing melted chocolate, cookies, and fruit, and the other holding cherry powder puffs. "Dessert for the lady," the waiter announced before leaving with an 80 lien tip from Cole. "Thank you, sir."

Ilia said nothing as she savored her dessert, while Cole enjoyed his rice with spinach, broccoli, and chili pepper chicken on the side. After enduring the attention and hushed discussions about Cole, possibly being royalty, or something along those lines for about ten minutes, Ilia couldn't hold back any longer.

"Alright, that's it. What's going on here?" she asked.

Cole looked up from his half-eaten meal and inquired, "What's bothering you now?"

Ilia, her face reddening with anger, retorted, "Everyone here keeps calling you 'm'lord' and 'sir' every time you ask for something. What's all that about? You're getting special treatment, while I get ignored, at best!"

Cole let out a sigh, took a sip from his glass, and met her gaze with a hint of sadness. "Do you really think I enjoy this kind of attention? I don't. I might be a significant figure to them, but I'm just a 21-year-old who happened to be born into a family with its own secrets." He reached for the wine bottle and drained half of it, adding with a mournful expression, "My noble birth and my late sister used to be respected around here, but we hold no political power in Mistral anymore, especially with the Faunus… at least we used to. It turns out my mother was a council member turned Huntsman who actively helped everyone she could. Despite her noble status, she ran off to live a simple life in a remote village in the swamps of Mistral. But now, the Faunus who knew my family treat me like nobility. Everywhere else, I'm a wanted criminal."

Throughout the meal, Ilia noticed Cole becoming more subdued. After a few more minutes of silence, she looked up at him, seeing the toll his family's history had taken on him. So, she did something she wouldn't have done for just anyone.

Cole flinched when Ilia gently grasped his left hand and held it firmly. She said, "I'm sorry for your loss… I didn't know…" But he quickly withdrew his arm, sounding irritated, "It's fine. It's not like everyone knew who I was or anything." He finished his beer and left 175 lien on the table, saying, "I'll be at the inn. Ask for me, and they'll show you to a room."

Ilia watched him leave the restaurant, feeling guilty, and ran after him. Using her senses, she located him at the inn near the front desk.

"Room for two, please," Ilia quickly requested, standing beside Cole and trying to catch her breath.

The receptionist glanced at Cole and said, "Oh, Lord Foster, it's such a pleasant surprise to see you again. Look how much you've grown." She smiled and looked at Ilia. "Good to see that you're still making new friends." Cole responded wearily, "I'm not a Foster, miss. I'm a Valentine." The receptionist's smile briefly turned into a glare, but she quickly concealed it as she pressed a button under the desk.

"Good, nonetheless. As always, may your stay be a pleasant one, and stay as long as you want," she said, handing Cole a key card with the number 1108 on it.

As they walked to their room, Ilia noticed the inn's vastness, the numerous rooms, and the large indoor pool and hot tub. "This place seemed smaller from the outside," she murmured while gazing at the immense 20-foot deep pool.

"My father used to leave my sister and me by the pool while he drank and gambled in the alley outside. Come to think of it, my sister taught me to swim here while my mother worked as a guard for a month or so," Cole reminisced, smiling sadly toward the pool.

"Maybe he's not so bad after all," Ilia thought as she followed him around. After they found their room and got settled in, she watched Cole yawn, stretch his arms over his head, and then walk into the bathroom, locking the door behind him.

She decided to turn on a small speaker with a touchscreen and selected a heavy metal album titled "The Right to Survive." As she began to undress and wrapped herself in an extra bathrobe, preparing for her shower, it seemed she would have to wait a bit longer since Cole was getting dressed in the bathroom.Eventually, Cole emerged from the bathroom in thigh-length boxers, a black short-sleeved shirt, and fresh bandages around his left arm, albeit to her disappointment, even though his bicep was also wrapped up. His white hair with brown highlights, still halfway down his head, caught her attention, as well as his exposed scars, which weren't too severe."It's not like we're children at a sleepover," she commented, watching him as he finished drying his hair.He rolled his eyes and gave her a stern look, stating, "Well, unlike most people, I'm not oblivious to the wandering eyes of a woman, Faunus, or human. They all deserve some semblance of modesty and respect, just as I do." Pausing to notice her blushing while staring at his body, he continued, "But that being said, just because we're sharing this room, that doesn't mean I'm comfortable with you being in here."Saying this was a wise move on his part since they barely knew each other, but she took it personally and glared at him. He knew that if they continued, it could lead to a fight. However, Cole realized he couldn't let it get to him, so he decided to lie down near the edge of the bed. His audible sigh indicated the bed was quite comfortable to him. Ilia walked into the bathroom with a scoff, closing and locking the door behind her.Turning on the water to test the temperature, she smiled softly, thinking, "And here I thought he used up all the hot water." She then stripped and stepped into the shower, immediately finding solace in the hot water as it washed away her day's stresses. Her tough exterior melted away, allowing room for some thoughts about Cole as a person and his respect towards Faunus, even though he was human. "I guess he's not so bad," she pondered while washing her body with a loofah and some watermelon-scented soap she had acquired from a store a week earlier. "He is a bit of a jerk, but at least he knows how to treat women… Maybe someday he'd-no, bad Ilia, stop that!" She scolded herself, shaking her head to dispel such thoughts. She was adamant about not becoming like Blake, refusing to fall for any human in any capacity. "I'm a member of the White Fang, not some filthy human lover," she reminded herself, growing angry at the mere idea, but she couldn't let her façade slip.

As far as Ilia knew, Cole had a fairly decent moral compass. Adam respected him enough to ask her to keep an eye on him, even though she wasn't exactly thrilled about it. However, there was one thing she couldn't figure out – Cole's ultimate goal or destination.Shaking her head, she dismissed the thought altogether, choosing to cut her shower short. She quickly dried off, got dressed, and left the bathroom. It slowly dawned on her that there was only one bed in the room. Cole seemed to realize this too when Ilia stood there for a few seconds before he grabbed one of the three pillows and prepared to lie on the floor. This prompted her to stop him, asking, "What are you doing?"He looked at her with confusion and replied, "I'm sorry, but I'm not comfortable sleeping in the same bed with a stranger, especially if you don't trust me and probably want to kill me, considering I'm a 'filthy human.'""Oh, come on," Ilia responded, a touch of exasperation in her voice. "I practically took care of you and kept you safe while you were sleeping in a tree, for God's sake.""I don't care; I'm sleeping on the floor."She sighed and then asked, "Well, can you at least sleep behind me? We are technically criminals, after all. There's safety in proximity, you know?" Cole froze for a few moments, thinking it over and trying to process what he had just heard."It wouldn't be the first time I've had to do this," he sighed and reluctantly agreed, "Fine, but if you try to cuddle up to me or do anything weird, I'm sleeping on the floor." She nodded, blushing as she lay down on the bed in the same position as she did earlier. Feeling Cole's back against hers made her blush even more, and she let out a quiet 'eep' sound.It took a full hour for her to calm down enough to fall asleep, but unfortunately, Cole couldn't sleep. Instead, he used his abilities to sense the room and realized Ilia's body wasn't cooling down. He turned on the fan on low to cool himself off, but this just made her scoot closer to him, which annoyed him. He asked, "Didn't I just say you'd sleep alone if you-" She rolled over and tiredly said, "I'm a chameleon Faunas, Cole. I get cold easily."Cole huffed and turned off the fan before lifting the covers. "Come here before I change my mind," he said, still blushing a bit. She looked at him, blushed dark pink, and scooted into his arms, allowing him to warm her up with his intense body heat. He took notice of her blushing and asked, "Am I making you uncomfortable?""N-no, it's just… you're really warm, is all.""Uh, thanks… wait, I thought reptilian Faunas used special dust crystal clothing to keep warm, or they just used their aura," he asked, somewhat sarcastically. This made her roll over and scoot out of his arms. She replied with a tired huff, "Long story short, I never had mine unlocked, and not everyone wants dust crystal-enhanced clothing. Especially since many others can't afford it."He frowned, let her go, and rolled over, clutching his pillow in his hands. Inadvertently, he ended up ripping the other side of the pillow with his newly grown claws but decided to ignore it.

"At least you might still have aura. I wasn't born with one, but I do have this," he held up his hand and created blue and orange-gold sparks over his hand, then placed his hand on the bed. He added, "If you tell anyone we shared a bed, I'll kill you."

She chuckled and snuggled up to him, saying, "I won't breathe a word to anyone, I promise." Not long after, Ilia fell asleep, and so did Cole.

Terrifying screams reverberated through his head as he hurried up the elevator shaft, climbing the walls and leaping to the sides to avoid debris blowing from the walls. As he reached the top, he was breathing raggedly and held up his hand to blast Raven, but nothing came. His lightning was completely gone, rendering him powerless to stop what was happening.

Soon enough, she turned around, holding Weiss by her throat, and heard Raven chuckle, "You can play hero all you want, but we both know you will just end up failing them like you did long ago." Everything was in slow motion. He took off in a dead sprint, screaming for Weiss as she did for him. Raven laughed and dropped Weiss from the building. He roared, tackling Raven off the roof, and used her own sword to stab her in the stomach, using her body like a springboard.

"NOOOOO!" he wailed, falling toward her, reaching out for her quickly descending body. Their hands grazed the tips of their fingers before the ground came, ending both in a wet splat, killing them on impact.

Sometimes speed is just desperation to compensate for a lack of power. Cole had a well-balanced skill set, but even he couldn't do it all.

Most ears that caught his screams would've just ignored them, but Ciri and Geralt heard it. "I'll take care of it. Go make sure no one gets in the way," Ciri whispered. Geralt snuck out the window while Ciri went out the door to the halls, creeping toward the room from which the scream had come. What she saw made her blush harder than being caught in the act by her father; sometimes fate wasn't as cruel this time around.

The man from five days ago sat on the edge of the bed next to a sleeping woman. He was sweaty, shirtless, with flowing auburn hair and white highlights, which touched just barely past the waist of his pants. The pants loosely hung from his frame, indicating he'd either lost weight or trimmed down since she'd last seen him.

"Guess it was just a false alarm," she uttered quietly and snuck back to their room.

From his angle, Geralt saw that the girl was wide awake but stayed quiet and gave no indication she'd woken up to his nightmare. "Either an old flame, or she's a bodyguard… either way, they seem fine for now," he thought, turning back to their room.

Just as he passed two windows, he caught a boy mumbling, "I can't believe he's in the hotel." Geralt thought nothing of it and slid back into the room. Opting to sit near the table, he picked up the plastic plate called a scroll and tapped in a four-numbered pin to call the front desk. Ciri was already in the room, shaking her head, and walked to the bathroom to cool down before going out to hunt. She knew that a clouded mind could definitely get you killed.

"Ciri, are you okay?" Geralt's voice came from the other side of the door.

"I'm fine, Geralt. I just need some time to clear my mind," Ciri replied.

"Ciri, I'm not sure if you're aware, but I know why we've been following that boy, and it's not for protection from a distance," Geralt said, no longer concerned about boundaries. He knew he needed her to make a choice between their mission and trailing them.

Ciri let out an exasperated sigh, opened the bathroom door, wearing a bathrobe, and glared at Geralt. "Geralt, I'm going to take a shower because I don't want to smell like a troll's foot. And I doubt you actually know why I'm trailing them."

Geralt was about to say something, but she ignored him, returned to the bathroom, and locked the door behind her.

"If only you could see how much she's grown, Yennefer," he said as he walked over to his bed and began packing his gear. He decided to reflect on memories of better times: Yen and Ciri sleeping on a couch in an inn after a few days of stress, Ciri first learning magic and how happy she was, His first hunt with her when she killed a ghoul on her own, When Ciri got her first sword, The moment when Geralt found her in that cabin and she hugged him tightly after his fears weren't confirmed, believing she had been dead. He cried when he thought she was dead in his arms, and more tears flowed with happiness when she hugged him back. In that moment, she made him forget he was a Witcher, though he'd never admit it to anyone.

With his swords cleaned and sharpened, crossbow and bolts repaired and stocked, oils stashed, and provisions packed, he murmured, "You were my greatest success," as he grabbed the violet sash and tied it to his hip.

Hey there,

I just wanted to say a big thanks for diving into my story. Seriously, it means the world to me that you're giving it a shot. I hope you have a blast with these characters and their adventures.

Writing this has been a wild ride, and I can't wait to hear what you think. So enjoy the story, have fun, and feel free to drop me a line anytime to chat about it.

Catch you on the flip side,

Comment anything you think could be worked on at: H6pp1n355_in_misery.

Found on reddit

Criticism is appreciated.