Chapter 4

Strawberry

The first week flew by, and before she knew it the weekend had arrived. The plan was to go shopping on Sunday, so for the free time on Saturday, Penny and Ruby announced they were going out before they snuck away from the Academy and into the military base. From there it was a simple walk over to Fathers' lab.

It was a simple maintenance trip, and Ruby was quick to say hello and then plug herself in to visit the simulation. Is she okay? Maybe all the attention was too much… Penny frowned as she watched her friend lie back and send her mind away.

"So, Penny. How has class been treating you both?" Father asked, smiling at her.

"Oh, it's been sensational!" Penny replied, grinning. "I have been learning so much! Ruby and I are doing well in combat class as well. Tomorrow we plan to go out shopping with our friends, and I hope next week we will be able to catch up with our other friends or make new ones!"

Father chuckled. "I'm glad you're doing well Penny. I'll get you and Ruby some spending money for that shopping. In the meantime"—He coughed several times—"I think you should go spend some time with Ruby in… her room."

"Right!"

So, Penny went over to her own table, already set up for her to plug straight in. She closed her eyes and felt the very familiar pull. When she opened her eyes, she found herself in the simulation pod. Quickly she pushed it open and got out, making her way down the hall towards Ruby's room. It was as it had been left, of course.

Ruby was sitting on the couch, dressed in only a baggy black shirt with a band logo of a Nevermore in stylised white on it and a pair of red shorts, flipping through channels on the big screen. Music played through the space, set on low. Penny recognised it as a band Ruby was a bit of a fan of, Alright Wakeup, with the current song being Asleep. Ruby's musical tastes had rubbed off on Penny over the years, so she didn't mind in the least.

"Ruby… are you alright? You rushed over very quickly…" Penny asked, sitting down next to Ruby, who shuffled awkwardly.

"Yeah, just… glad to not have to be around so many people for a bit," she replied, shrugging as her hands came up and rubbed the uncovered parts of her arms. Penny frowned slightly. Are her arms okay? She usually keeps them covered outside…

"If you're sure… Were there just too many people?" Penny decided to ask.

"Just… not used to it is all. Spent so long here, right?" She shrugged again as an awkward smile came to her lips. "Anyway. I thought we could watch a movie while Pietro does maintenance. Sound good?"

Penny nodded, a little unsure. "Hm. Okay." Ruby grinned in response, setting something up before hurrying out of the room. She soon returned with a tray carrying several bowls alongside two glasses and some bottles of fizzy.

"I've read a lot of good reviews online about this movie so… yeah. And I thought I'd go all out," she said, laughing a little as she set the tray down. The bowls were filled with popcorn, chips, and several kinds of candies. All simulated, of course, but they'd still be able to taste them perfectly fine.

"That sounds sensational! Should we get started then?" While she had some apprehension about how Ruby was feeling, there was no reason to ruin a good movie with it! So they sat next to each other on the couch and Ruby pressed play.

"Starlight, Starbright." The smooth voice of Ashtonio Banderas soon filled the air.

The movie began with a fantastic fight scene, the likes of which could only exist in fiction, if only because there weren't any giant humanoid Grimm like that, nor tiny fighting cats. At least, none that she knew of. As the movie went on, Puss's fear of death felt… important.

Penny hadn't really given it much thought before, but now that she did… it was a terrifying idea. Ceasing to exist. She and Ruby both now had a greater chance of survival, if only because their cores had to be destroyed for them to die. But yet… Ruby had been close once before, had she not?

I guess… in a way, near death brought us together. Penny glanced at Ruby, who was enthralled by the movie. It would be weird to be thankful for what happened to her, but would we have met otherwise? She shook her head. It wasn't good to think of such things. She should just enjoy the movie and being so close to Ruby!

Pushing it from her mind, she simply enjoyed the movie. Well, it did become the thing she was enjoying second once Ruby, seemingly unconsciously, started leaning on her. But Penny had no complaints.

Penny had never wished a movie was longer more than she did right then.

"To-day is gonna be the day we go shopping now~!" Orchid sang as the team gathered at the academy docks on Sunday.

"Are you certain those are the lyrics? They don't sound quite right…" Ciel noted, frowning as she held her chin in thought.

"Yup!" Orchid replied, popping the p. "Absolutely correct." Her grin gave away the lie, however she continued before it could be brought back up. "Anyway. Today we seek stores! And for that, we have to go to Mantle!"

"Aren't there more stores in Atlas?" Penny asked.

"Well, sure, but they're a lot more expensive and I don't know them. So to Mantle we go!" Orchid decreed.

Ruby shrugged. "I'm sure it'll be fine, I hope," she said, though she wasn't very confident. At the very least they were armed and they could always call Pietro to get picked up. Orchid led the other three onto an Airbus, and soon enough they were away.

The glittering towers and spires of Atlas gave way to the darker and more function-oriented structures of Mantle. They still glittered and shone, but in an odd way, it was almost more… homely? The white and grey of Atlas made the yellowish-white lights appear colder, but down here the darker browns and greys made the lights seem warmer and more inviting.

Although, perhaps that was also the more orange-y colour from fireplaces and the like being mixed in more often.

No matter the cause, as they arrived in the airport, located in the centre of the city near a few of the transport hubs connected by huge cable to Atlas, they took in the sights and sounds of the old city. It felt more… lived in. There were more people out and about walking for one.

"Come on. I know a nearby mall we can hit up. It's got pretty good prices and a damn fine selection of stores to choose from if I do say so myself," Orchid explained, leading them away from the port and into the city proper.

It didn't take them long to reach the mall which was packed with people thanks to it being the weekend. From families to groups of teens or adults wandering around, everyone was busy with something. Orchid took a deep breath and exhaled, a smile ever-present on her face. "Man, I missed this place."

Ciel frowned slightly, taking in the appearance of the place. "I'm still not certain what the appeal of this place is…"

Orchid chuckled and patted her on the back. "That's because you think 'fun' is filling out paperwork and practising your salute! Now come on, girls! We've got some clothes shopping to do!" She pointedly ignored Ciel's indignant protests and instead began guiding them to one of her favourite clothing stores.

The other three girls followed her, albeit at varying levels of enthusiasm. Penny was just excited to be hanging out with her friends, while Ruby was still uncertain about her feelings on all this—though, as long as she wasn't made to wear anything she didn't want to wear, she wouldn't put up a fight over this. And of course, Ciel was still indignant over having her favourite activities dragged through the mud.

When they arrived at the store, Orchid led them to where they would be sitting and waiting while she helped each of her fellow Huntresses-in-training with their outfits. The first person she took to gather up some clothes was Ciel, and after she'd gathered them, she sent Ciel into the changing room to try on her clothes. As she sat next to the other two, she exhaled. "Man, I hope she likes at least some of the outfits I chose. I swear, I've never seen her wear anything but that military uniform of hers…"

Penny smiled brightly. "Don't worry, Orchid! I'm sure Ciel will like at least a few of the outfits you've chosen for her! Your taste in fashion is exquisite!" Not that Penny had much of a frame of reference for what made good fashion, but she still believed that Orchid had the capability to do what she wanted to.

Ciel began to leave the changing room, starting what Ruby would call a 'fashion montage from an old movie'. She sighed as she looked down at the outfit she was wearing. "Most of the outfits you chose are too… 'casual', but I suppose if that's the point, then clothes like this can work." She gestured to what she was wearing, a white jacket with black accents, a pair of jeans, and regular sneakers. "There is also one that's like this, but with a bomber jacket and a white shirt, and another with some sort of black jacket. I'll show them to you."

After getting a thumbs up from the three girls, Ciel returned to where she was before returning and showing off the other outfits she liked. They were exactly the ones she had said they would be, and Orchid had to admit that she looked good in a bomber jacket.

With three outfits chosen, Orchid deemed Ciel's portion of the fashion montage a success, although she was going to get more hands-on with helping the other two. So, she stood and let Ciel sit where she had been, then smiled. "Penny, come on, let's get some clothes!" To which Penny stood up and clapped her hands eagerly.

As they headed away from the changing area and towards the area where Orchid felt she'd find the kind of clothes she wanted for Penny, she couldn't help but have her mind drift to something that she had noticed. "Hey, Penny?" She asked, causing the girl to look at her with her usual brand of innocent curiosity. "So… you and Ruby. I've noticed something with you two."

Penny blushed and looked away. "A-Ah. Is that so?"

Orchid nodded, smiling slightly. "You're, like, really into each other. Am I right or am I right?" It didn't take much for her to see that, not only was she something of a romance guru (despite not having a boyfriend or girlfriend for years, but that didn't matter!), but neither girl was exactly subtle, anyone could see it with a bit of effort.

Penny looked around, as if looking for an escape. However, she eventually deflated and sighed, hanging her head. "Yes, that is… true. I do have a… deep fondness for Ruby." She looked up at Orchid. "B-But, I don't want to approach her about it yet. She has been through a lot, and needs friends more than anything else right now!" She nodded resolutely. "Once I am satisfied with the friendship quantity and/or quality she has, then I will consider broaching the subject." She rubbed the back of her neck. "Even if I don't know how to do something like that."

To say Orchid was surprised was a bit of an understatement. She hadn't expected such a mature thing to come from Penny, but she supposed the girl was full of surprises. "That's very thoughtful." She smiled, softer this time. "I won't pry any further then, but if you end up needing help when the time comes, you can come to me. I'm, like… the love master."

Penny grinned excitedly. "That's wonderful, Orchid! I will defer to your expertise when the time comes, instead of relying on the numerous articles I have researched on the internet!"

Well, I guess that was a bullet dodged. Orchid thought. She could only imagine the kinds of things Penny had been planning to do based on the guidance of some, as Orchid would call it, 'Astrapolitan ass bullshit'.

She picked out a few outfits for her friend. Penny had a specific kind of look about her, and Orchid knew a few ways she could 'modernise' her without taking away that general feel that she had to her. Once she had everything she wanted, she took Penny back to the changing room, waving to the others as she passed them with a smile. "I'll be helping Penny with these outfits," she explained before they disappeared into the changing room.

After the door was shut and locked, Orchid laid out the outfits. "Alright…" she muttered to herself, before saying to Penny, "Try this one first." She took up one of the outfits and had her try it on.

She donned a simple white T-shirt with blue accents, a blue coat that was wrapped around her neck via the sleeves and stopped at her lower back, and a plaid skirt that stopped at her thighs. Penny looked herself over in the mirror, analysing herself. "This outfit looks wonderful, Orchid! What's next?"

Orchid smirked at her own success before going on to have her try on another outfit. This one started with a black thin-strap tank top, then a burnt orange T-shirt with one side hanging off her shoulder, and a dark brown and burnt orange flannel. These two outfits may not have been her usual colours, but Orchid felt that Penny looked good in them either way. It seemed she agreed, because seeing this outfit just made her eager to try on more.

Several outfits came and went, some more traditional dresses, others more casual like the ones she had her first try, and while Penny seemed to like all of them, there were some that Orchid ruled as not fitting her style properly. Penny didn't complain, she wasn't even sure what her 'style' was, she was just happy to be here.

Finally, after gathering a selection of outfits, Orchid set the ones that didn't make the cut to the side and sent Penny on her way while taking the rejects with her to put them back in their proper place.

At last, there came Ruby, who Orchid felt desperately needed some more casual clothes. It seemed as if she just wore her Huntress attire all day, and that wasn't good for days off. Sure, gothic lolita was cute, but that didn't mean it was suitable for every day. Of course, Orchid still felt she could capture that same style with her.

Ruby was never one to talk much when it didn't involve Huntsman things, so Orchid didn't expect that much when she took her to go fetch the clothes she needed. Sure enough, Ruby had trouble thinking of things to talk about, although it was clear she wanted to, which was good: a failed effort was still an effort, after all. Orchid led the conversation mostly, although nothing nearly as significant as what she asked Penny. Just talk about where they were hoping to go after this, and what the plan was for the rest of the day.

After getting to the changing room, the clothes that Ruby wore were sorted out. She had insisted on clothes that covered her body sufficiently, and while Orchid wasn't sure why, she didn't pry and instead did what she asked. This led to a lot of outfits with jackets and jeans, some with sweaters, and at least one with a red and black flannel… all in all, Orchid felt that Ruby looked good with most of the outfits, and so most of them ended up getting the 'seal of approval'.

After all three had their clothes, they were free to head for the food court, which was definitely something that all of them had been looking forward to. Well, maybe not Ciel, but Orchid was happy to be back, while Ruby and Penny had apparently never actually been in a food court before, which meant they were going in totally blind. Thankfully for them, Orchid was there to guide them and not have them end up with the less tasty options.

For as shy as Ruby could be, she certainly ate enough for two people, and while Penny did much the same, she was at least a bit more restrained. Ciel, meanwhile, did her best to try and eat pizza with a fork and knife, while also patting out any extra grease on it with a napkin. This was, of course, complete heresy in the eyes of both Orchid and Ruby, but at least Ciel was eating it, which was a step in the right direction.

Afterwards, with clothing acquired and food eaten, their time at the mall was finished for the day. While there was a lot more Orchid wanted to do with them here, it could wait for another day. Ruby looked like she was on the verge of being overstimulated by how many people there were, and that was more than enough reason for them to leave now.

It happened as they were walking back to the airport. Despite the drain on her energy, Ruby felt extremely satisfied with how the day had ended up going. Though she certainly wasn't keen on repeating it for a while. But as they walked down the road…

"-ew!" A small voice cried out in pain, high-pitched and weak. Ruby frowned, her eyes furrowed as she focused the sensors in her ears. "Mew!" it cried again.

Glancing around, she walked off the path and crossed the road, heading into an alleyway. Her team let out confused sounds behind her, but followed after a moment. She didn't understand why, but she felt compelled to seek the source of the noise. There, at the back of an alley, was a cardboard box. Ruby gingerly opened it…

Inside was a small cat, with pure white fur and red eyes that glared at her in pain. Red stained its fur in several spots. Blood from wounds. It was weak, dying. Lying in a pool of its own blood.

Staring into its eyes Ruby felt as if she was looking into a mirror, with herself from a decade ago staring back at her. She swallowed and reached in slowly, letting the cat sniff at her fingers before she gently touched it.

"A cat? It doesn't look like it has long," Ciel muttered, having caught up with the others. Orchid elbowed her immediately after. But Ruby ignored them; she couldn't pull her attention away from this poor animal.

Gingerly, slowly, she picked up the cat and held it close. Its breathing was slow, and its meowing had stopped. It just looked at her, waiting to see what would happen. It's… so small. So weak. Like I was…

"Ruby?" Penny asked.

Ruby took a deep breath, before something called from deep inside her. Letting it flow forth, she began to speak: "For it is in hardship that we seek rebirth. From rebirth, we are made anew, and become greater than ever before. I release your soul, and by my hand, protect thee." She didn't know where it came from or why, but it felt right.

Her body glowed with red light which seeped over the cat, glowing brightly as it turned brighter and brighter, ending as its own light red colour. Immediately it perked up, its wounds glowing softly as its newly awakened Aura sought to heal it.

She stood up slowly, clutching the tiny thing to her chest. "We need a vet," she said, turning to the others.

Orchid nodded, her face serious. "Right. I know a place, right next to the mall." She then turned and led them out of the alley and back towards the mall. They rushed down the street, though Ruby took care not to jostle the cat too much. Despite its Aura working overtime, it was still new to the concept. The cat couldn't control it enough to heal properly.

The place Orchid brought them to was a small place. It was a little tight inside, but it still felt welcoming and calm. There was a bored-looking lady with a light tan behind the counter in a singlet and jeans showing off her lean muscles and elaborate arm tattoos of animals and fire with a bunch of piercings and a mop of dyed crimson hair, which was shaved a bit on the left side. Her eyes narrowed with interest as they approached. "Yo. Welcome to The Purrfect Clinic, how can I help?"

Ruby stepped forward and held out the tiny cat. "Um! He needs help! I unlocked his Aura but…"

The woman immediately became more serious, gently taking the cat and nodding to herself. "Good thing too. I'll take care of them. Wait here." She then walked into the back and vanished from sight.

Ruby let out a heavy sigh and found a nearby seat to collapse into.

Ciel folded her arms. "Well, he should be fine now. I recommend we return to Atlas."

Orchid groaned. "We can't. For one, we gotta be here to pay. For two, the cat's our responsibility!"

"I understand, but we can't take care of them. Atlas Academy doesn't allow pets, and we're only students with limited funds. Besides, we'll miss our next flight if we take too long." Ciel argued.

Maybe but… still… Ruby didn't know how to argue that, but she knew that she wanted to look after this cat. It was a gut instinct. "Ciel…" Ruby interrupted the pair before an argument could spawn, "could you go see how the next flight is looking? Maybe if you explain they'll wait for us too."

She considered for a moment, then nodded. "A sound idea. I shall hurry and be back shortly with news," Ciel said, before turning on her heel and marching out the door.

"... Alrighty, what's the plan here Ruby?" Orchid asked, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I want to look after them. I don't know why but I know that I do. Even if I have to… hide it." Ruby replied. "I uh… I probably need help…" She wilted a little, unsure of her decision.

"I fully support you, Ruby!" Penny said with a wide smile.

Orchid nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I don't care about silly rules like 'no pets', let's get a pet cat! Fooling Ciel will be easy peasy."

"Oh cool, you aren't just dipping," the clerk said as she came out of the back, using a towel to wipe her hands clean. "The kitty will live. I'll keep her in for a few days to make sure she recovers. And yeah, I checked, it's a girl. Also checked if she had a chip, but no dice. She's definitely a stray."

Ruby stood up, her hands wringing together. "So uh… um. What do we do?"

"Well, I can see you're all kids, so I'm not gonna charge you full price. That said, I still gotta cover the costs. So we can pay at once, in instalments, or… well I have a friend you could work it off with. After that… you want the cat?"

After a moment to think, to be sure she wanted it, Ruby nodded. The clerk nodded back and came out from behind the counter, grabbing at various items from around the store. "If you're gonna look after a cat, you'll need a lot. Indoor or outdoor?"

"Uh… it's at the Academy so it'd probably be hard to let her outside, right?"

"Probably. Alrighty… so food, a week's worth of litter at least, a litter box, a couple of toys, some treats, and the meds she'll need going forward." She placed each item onto the counter, making quite a pile. "This should do you for a few weeks. Oh, and this." A few pamphlets were added to the top. "Guides for rookie cat care."

"T-thank you! Um… but… we did spend most of our money already…" Ruby grimaced.

"Mhm. You're all Atlas students ain't ya?" At their nods, she continued. "Cool, cool… okay so I know a certain graduate who'd be happy to pay for this. All you'd need to do is come by next weekend, I'll introduce you to her, and then you just gotta do a job for her. If you don't want to, we can just do some instalments."

The trio shared a few looks. "And what would she want us to do?" Orchid asked.

"Walk around the city. Help people out. Stop crime. That kinda thing," the clerk replied. "Her name's Robyn Hill, and she's chill. Way more chill than any Specialist."

"Sounds reasonable," Orchid said, turning to Ruby. "Can't hurt. I don't exactly have much income right now…"

Ruby frowned and glanced at Penny. "Neither… I can probably pay for whatever she needs later but… all at once?"

Penny shrugged. "From what I know, Robyn Hill is not known for anything shady." The clerk snorted but otherwise didn't interrupt.

"Right. What do we do about Ciel?" Orchid asked.

"Well… we can pretend someone else took the cat and that we just need to pay off the treatment?" Ruby said, shrugging. "I'm more focused on the cat…"

"Sounds like you'll do it. Pop round sometime around midday a week from now. I can have the cat delivered to you once she's healthy enough, if you want. I know my way around Atlas. She'll need a name though. Come on." The clerk motioned for them to follow and led them into the back, where the cat lay bandaged and recovering.

Ruby felt compelled to step forward. The cat opened her eyes and gazed into Ruby's. Red eyes stared into silver. They kinda… look like strawberries… Ruby thought. She reached out a hand for her to sniff. "Hey… Strawberry Cheesecake. Do you… like that name?" The cat replied with a soft meow, a cold stare, and then bumped her head against Ruby's hand. "Uh…"

"Sounds like she accepts." The clerk said, laughing. "Strawberry Cheesecake, eh?"

Ruby nodded. "I just… the name came to me. I don't know." She looked away, blushing in embarrassment.

"I've heard worse. Let's trade details and I'll keep you up to date."

They traded scroll numbers and what dorm they were in and how to order food and such online. The clerk was adamant that she could stealthily deliver to them without a problem. So everything was set up perfectly fine. Trading scroll details also gave them something else:

The clerk's name was Amaranthe.

Afterwards, they departed the store and met up with Ciel, tugging along an extra bag or two. Thankfully they made their flight and got back to the Academy without a problem. But they still had an issue to think about: hiding the cat long-term.

For help, Ruby and Penny turned to Pietro while Orchid distracted Ciel with a sparring match. They needed something in their room to store the cat items, and hide the cat herself, without Ciel noticing. He quickly saw through attempts to be vague, but he thankfully supported them.

So it was that they had a nice hidden compartment installed in the room, which only they knew how to open. Pietro made sure it would be safe and healthy for Strawberry to stay in there for long periods with heating and cooling and proper airflow too, plus he modified a cat collar Amaranthe gave them so that it could open and close the cubby as Strawberry needed.

And two days later, a mysterious package appeared outside their dorm while they were coming back from classes. Orchid once again worked to distract Ciel, asking her to a trip to the library for learning resources, so that Ruby and Penny could work in peace.

Ruby opened it up and there was Strawberry, looking a little confused but otherwise fine. She no longer was wrapped in bandages, but she wasn't healed yet either. Some rest and medicine would help with that though.

They introduced her to the dorm and the cubby, and how her collar worked. Strawberry was pretty quick on the uptake, thankfully. She even knew Ciel was coming before Ruby and Penny did, surprisingly, and reacted by hiding in the cubby and closing it. Exactly as they had wanted.

Ruby had to hold in a squee at Strawberry's speedy learning and reaction time. Gah! She's so smart and adorable! I definitely made the right choice! Yes, she was sure of it now. She'd done the right thing.

And so, team ROSP gained a new member, a member that one of the team didn't know was in the room…

Shadows lurched and twisted, forming beasts of black that tore at the wooden walls, shaking the tiny cabin with their might. The planks splintered and shattered, allowing inky black claws to breach through the wallpaper, ripping it open. Roars sounded through the air like a wave of thunder, shaking existence itself.

In the centre she lay, curled up into a ball and shivering under the terror of the attack. She screamed and cried and wailed, wishing for help, for salvation, for anything and anyone. She couldn't bear it.

The walls crumbled, and the beasts broke in. The cabin fell apart, her flimsy shield shattered and gone. Splintered into the tiniest of pieces. The shadowy monsters hurtled towards her and-

Were cut apart by a gentle green light. It shone brightly, as if it was the sun itself, shedding brilliant light and warmth all around it. Like a blade, it cut the monsters, stabbed the beasts, severed the shadows. It saved her, freed her, shielded her.

The cabin was gone, but she now had a light to protect her…

Something was off, she knew. Her light sleep disturbed by that feeling in the back of her head. She got up, stretched, and padded over to the odd door that opened when she pushed her collar close to it. The wider room beyond was much more open, but the one who wore blue would probably throw her out if she was seen there. A familiar result.

Her mother had abandoned her, for being the runt of the litter, for being weak, and slow, and looking odd, and not growing right. But for all her problems, she felt smart. But that hadn't saved her from the other stray animals on the streets.

The one in red however had saved her. By awakening something deep inside, she'd healed. She felt stronger, safer, and now had a home. It felt right. That was also when the tingles in her head started.

It was odd, and came and went without any advice on what it was. But she was starting to understand, as she walked over to the beds and started to climb the ladder. There were different tingles, different feelings. As if each of the four in the room had their own.

It tingled for a variety of reasons, and she wasn't sure what they all were yet. But there was a big tingling at that moment, a feeling of 'red' and 'panic' pulsing through her mind. So she climbed up onto one of the top beds and slunk across the incredibly soft bedding. There the girl who saved her lay, her face twisted into a grimace.

You saved me, so I'll help you. That was what Strawberry the cat decided as she curled up on top of Ruby's chest and started to purr. The weight and the warmth and the vibration struck a chord in Ruby, and slowly, ever so slowly, her face relaxed. The tension drained from her body.

Satisfied, Strawberry kept on purring as she stood up, kneaded a little and then sat back down, tucking her paws under her body so that she loafed.

Overall, she felt that life was finally good.

Log: Fifteen

"Truly, this site has proven one of the best yet. Previously I have struggled with either too few Grimm or far too many, but here we have an almost perfect middle ground. Enough that I do not have to wait to acquire more, but not so many that it is difficult to capture them.

"I must thank the SDC for their terrible working conditions being just bad enough for my purposes and no more.

"Reports from [ERROR CORRUPTED] show that my headquarters has seen a large reduction in Grimm activity. Perhaps my experiments draw the ire of the Grimm? Hard to say. If one of my hypotheses is correct, then it wouldn't be far-fetched at all.

"Next, I shall begin investigating the exact changes made to the local Grimm. What is it that earns them resistance to the cold, exactly?"

A/N: Thanks to ToastyAuthor, this chapter eventually managed to be made, as they wrote much of the shopping scene. They also helped with Ruby's chant to awaken Aura. As we know from Pyrrha's speech, even animals can have Aura, so here we see a cat getting not only Aura, but the inklings of a Semblance as well. Strawberry is the bestest tiny albino cat, and I will take no disagreement.

I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next time.