Sorry about not having a chapter last week. Work travel is still delayed, but a friend of mine had a bit of a crisis early in the week and I was focused on that. Wasn't really in any mood to write with everything going on plus the madness of work changing my schedule every couple days. Even this week was rough, but I'm getting back into the swing of things and feeling better, even if the work situation continues to spiral. And the best part is, if they'd just listen to what I've been saying for a couple months now, we could've avoided all this hassle. Instead, I get to just sit here saying "I told you so" and repeatedly reminding my direct management that I'm the only one who knows what I'm doing. Fun.

He'd promised them a mission. He'd never promised what kind.

"A supply run?"

What? Had they expected to lead an assault on an Atlas base or something? "Supply runs are important." Blake didn't look like she agreed. Even Ilia turned on him, making him fully regret encouraging her newfound confidence. If he couldn't reason his way out of trouble, then he only had one option left - throwing someone else under the bus. "Sienna specifically requested it."

"Before or after you told her we'd be leading it?"

She certainly saw through that one quick enough. "It doesn't matter." Not to him. His two mission leaders certainly disagreed. "Sienna wants to test the waters a bit. Remind people that we're about more than just getting revenge on Atlas. We need to be seen helping the faunus."

Ilia finally piped up. "Aren't we already doing that?"

Thank you! At least someone was still making sense around here. Atlas and their SDC pals were the biggest threat to faunus everywhere, ergo an attack on one of them helped the faunus by hindering their abusers. It was simple. The more those in power had to worry about Adam and the White Fang, the less time they had to make faunus lives miserable. In other words, an attack on Atlas was helping faunus everywhere. Bonus points for hitting the SDC as well, like their avalanche had.

"I get it. It's all about optics," Blake reluctantly explained. "The average faunus won't see the benefit of our attacks. They don't understand we're fighting for the long term. To be taken seriously." An equal seat at the table. That's all the faunus had ever wanted. And yet, even after winning a war, they still hadn't gotten their spot. "Their struggling doesn't stop in the meantime. We need to remind them we still care."

"And supplying a village full of faunus is hard to argue with." Charity at its finest. Plus, who could object to free supplies to an innocent village. Even the White Fang's harshest critics would have a tough time painting that as evil. Not that they wouldn't try. By the end of the day, they'd probably spin it as trying to lure people into joining through false acts of generosity, only to force them to fight once they were in. A big sham just to bolster their numbers. Typical humans. "So, are you in?"

"If I say no, do I get a better mission?" He couldn't blame her for trying. Well, he could, but that wouldn't change anything. "Fine. Better than nothing, I guess."

"That's the spirit!" The one that got him out of an argument.

"But we're in control, right?"

Adam rolled his eyes, despite how useless that was behind his mask. "Yes. You're in charge. To a degree." Before Blake could complain, he specified, "You're to get the supplies to the village and return. I don't want you thinking you can change the mission halfway through." And have them attack a human settlement or raid a mining camp. He wouldn't put it past her. "How you accomplish the mission is up to you, but I'll be along for the ride. If I think you aren't taking it seriously or can't complete the mission, Sienna wants me to take over."

And he would, but only if he had to. They'd have to royally screw up to make that happen. Stealing their thunder just wasn't worth it otherwise. He dreaded to imagine the nagging and complaining he'd have to endure if he ruined their big break, even if it wasn't that big. It was easy for Sienna to tell him to take over. She didn't have to deal with the fallout, lounging around in her cushy headquarters in Menagerie while he had to juggle everything outside the island, including two very moody teenage girls. Grimm he could deal with, but he did not want to go toe to toe with the many horrors of Pubertis. Wait, had they already reached…oh gods. What if they hadn't? What if this was just the start of his own personal nightmare?

As soon as they were done, he'd be making sure Cerco had stocked Reyno with enough pads, tampons, and whatever other lady products they could get their hands on to last a lifetime.

Adam barely had a chance to shake off such terrible thoughts before Blake asked, "Wait, if we're in charge, does that mean you have to do what we say?"

He wanted so badly to say no and cut off whatever horrible schemes she had in mind. "Yes. Within reason." And that reason was his fear of Blake's smile and whatever ideas caused it. "I'm to support you on this mission, but for the most part, I'll just be staying out of your way."

"You promise?"

No. He'd just said it to mess with them. Of course he promised! "Unless you need me, I plan to spend most of the trip riding in the back." Both to avoid overshadowing them and to give him some breathing room of his own. It would be nice to be normal for a change. No pressure. No demands. No one constantly asking him what to do. If they did, he could just point to the two, gullible saps up front. If they wanted to carry his load for him for a few days, then who was he to refuse.

"So, when do we leave?"

"We'll cover all of that in your mission briefing in…" Adam checked his scroll. "Twenty minutes."

"Twen…twenty minutes? As in…twenty minutes!" He wasn't sure what Blake meant. Was there some other meaning of twenty? "Twenty minutes from right now?"

"Actually, nineteen minutes now." And that was to the scheduled start. He firmly believed in being early to such things. After all, ten minutes early was five minutes late. So really, they had four minutes. That was plenty of time to head to the comms room, check in with Rusty, do a quick mic check, and-

What was wrong with Blake?

"You idiot!" Blake screamed as she ran through him, shouldering him aside as she sprinted for the bunkhouses and yelling gods knew what at him. Or maybe at nobody in particular. He couldn't tell, given how quickly she rushed off without once looking back. Even after she'd crossed the camp and slammed the door behind her, he could still hear her muffled voice.

Adam turned to Ilia. "What's wrong with her?"

"You really are an idiot." That didn't help, but at least she hadn't yelled it in his face. "We'll meet you at the comms room in ten. I promise."

Yep. It was official. Ilia was the best. Bar none. How she could somehow understand Blake, put up with her tantrums, and somehow make sense of everything was beyond him. If it wouldn't set off Hurricane Blake, he might suggest a promotion or something for Ilia. He had no idea what that would look like, though. This wasn't Atlas with dozens of ranks and titles to make sure they always had another level to aspire to. All of Alpha Squad were already officers. Now that he thought of it, what did that even mean? Sure, they held more sway, got more information, and the rest of the White Fang would listen to them, but was that because of some made up title or because they served Adam directly. And if they were officers, did that make him a higher ranking officer? Captain? Specialist? General? Did he equal a Winter Schnee or a James Ironwood in authority? Probably the Schnee. Ironwood mostly stayed in his office or in front of a camera, kind of like Sienna.

Specialist Taurus. How disgusting.

"Something on your mind, Adam?"

Nothing good. "Hey, Rusty. We all set?"

"System's green and ready to go," Rusty dutifully reported, as reliable as ever. He wasn't as skilled as Laurence, but the man worked wonders with the limited equipment Reyno had at its disposal. "Got Sienna and those Albain boys on the other end. I can patch them through once the girls get here."

"Actually, go ahead and patch them through." Blake was gonna have a cow when she realized he'd started without her. "I think I'll chat with them a little early."

/- - - - - - - - - -/

Adam hated being right.

Blake had walked in on his meeting with Sienna, took one look at the live comms device, and frozen. Sienna welcoming her seemed to set her off, sending her storming back down the hall with Ilia close behind. By the time Adam finished speaking with Sienna, the pair had come back, both shooting him menacing glares.

On the bright side, his apparent misdeed pretty much guaranteed him some peace and quiet on their mission. Sure, she'd made him do all the loading himself, ordering the rest of their small team to watch the perimeter. Bane, the only other member of Alpha Squad along for the ride, wanted to help but was quickly chased away by their rather impatient temporary leader. Once the trucks were loaded, he'd been assigned to a cargo truck. The only cargo truck. Blake had made sure he loaded as many supplies onto that single vehicle as she could fit, then made him squeeze in alongside everything by himself while everyone else got a comfy ride in the almost empty truck ahead.

Blake was scary when she was mad. Spiteful. Vindictive. Cold and calculating.

He'd never been so proud.

Though he'd have to take marks off for her execution. Sure, he envied the dead and all the space they got in coffins - those that could actually afford something so luxurious as a proper burial, that was - but riding by himself was fantastic. If she'd been thinking straight instead of fuming over somehow embarrassing her, she would've put him in the transport with everyone else. A long ride surrounded by people so obsessed with him they wore matching masks? He'd take the tower of boxes threatening to crush him in a heartbeat.

The first day had been a little worrisome. Someone - he wasn't saying it was Blake - had loosened a few of the straps, letting the crates shift way more than they should've. He'd never had to use his aura on a truck ride before, but he could go ahead and check that one off the old bucket list. A few adjustments and a quick check in the morning - somehow the straps had mysteriously come loose again - gave him a much smoother ride than the previous day. Now, four days in, they only had another day or so to go until they reached Furawa.

Furawa was like almost any other faunus settlement in that almost every resident came from a nearby settlement, seeking a place where they weren't the weird ones. Some had even been forced to move, chased out of their villages for being different. Ghira had worked with another faunus settlement to help get Furawa up and running a while back, and they'd been pretty much self-sufficient ever since. In fact, this would only be the second visit from the White Fang in the almost decade Furawa had been around. The first had been a nasty combination of a harsh winter, a wave of illness, and increased Grimm activity on the trade routes. This far out, any one of those could doom a settlement. If it hadn't been for the White Fang, Furawa probably wouldn't have lasted.

"At least they'll be grateful." It would be nice to actually see faunus benefiting directly again, instead of always playing the long game. Plus, he'd been told the leader of Furawa, a raccoon faunus named Linnae, was an excellent cook and planned to host a banquet in their honor. Sienna promised it would be worth it.

The generosity of the outskirts. It was amazing how the people that had relatively little tended to be far more willing to share than the spoiled denizens of the cities. People who never lacked for anything hoarded their excesses, somehow seeing little value in what others would give their lives for. And yet, the moment someone else had need, their seemingly worthless leftovers became treasures worth more than the lives of those around them. They'd carelessly toss out enough food to feed half a village, yet if a desperate soul dared to look in their trash, they'd be lambasted, chased, and even imprisoned for the crime of being in need.

Only those who had everything could afford such cruelty. Out here, where most people would work tirelessly just to make sure there was food on the table the next day, communities banded together and protected one another. The shared struggle made your neighbor family. Adversity had a funny way of forging bonds, building up settlements that would stand together against the impossible odds of life outside the cities. When you lived every day barely scraping by and in constant fear of the Grimm, you just didn't have time to worry about being petty. The greatest humanity had to offer were forged in the fires of adversity, and nowhere did those fires burn brighter than in the outskirts.

Adam's truck slowed to a sudden stop. He braced his arm against the nearest crate, just in case it tried to claim his spot. Once everything settled, he picked his way through the cramped enclosure to the back of the truck, carefully peeking out to see what was happening.

They shouldn't be at Furawa yet. The settlement still sat about a day's journey away. And yet, the little he could see showed an obvious clearing around them. A door ahead opened and shut. He slipped out of the truck fully, leaning just far enough to get a good look at what lay ahead.

Well, that would be a problem.

Blake and Ilia approached the group of armed men slowly, calling out a greeting that went ignored. They'd positioned themselves at a split in the road, blocking the intersection so the trucks couldn't pass. Beyond, Adam could see the random assortment of buildings that marked the village of Tsuin. The last stop before Furawa along the trail, Tsuin stood as Furawa's closest neighbor and trading partner. Linnae had even come from Tsuin originally, moving out to help found Furawa years ago. By all accounts, Tsuin had been a friendly partner to Furawa, even helping set up the settlement and offering reduced prices on trade for the first year to get them started. The handful of faunus that left Tsuin did so of their own accord, while most of the others in Furawa were driven from their homes in less hospitable towns. As far as human villages went, Tsuin had been one of the kindest to faunus in the past.

It looked like times had changed.

"Identify yourselves!" The leader of Tsuin's troop ordered, not yet aiming his rifle at the pair of girls but finger already on the trigger.

"We're merchants on our way to Furawa!" Blake replied, stepping closer but with her hands up to promise no hostility. Even without her yelling, he could hear her clearly from here.

"Merchants, you say? Then why not stop in Tsuin? Maybe we can do some trading?" His men laughed along with the offer. "Besides, we've got way more lien than those animals in Furawa. How much for everything?"

Adam's hand fell to his sword, but he held his ground. It didn't take a genius to know this wouldn't end well. Still, Blake and Ilia were in charge, which meant he needed to give them a chance. Hopefully they could defuse the situation and carry on without any bloodshed.

But if it came to it, it'd be human blood being shed, not theirs.

Blake looked a little worried, but Ilia stepped in before things could drag out too long. "We're actually delivering an order for Furawa. It's already been paid for." Meaning there wasn't anything for sale. Not bad.

But also not good enough. "You must've traveled far to get here. The nearest city is days away." And in the other direction, he didn't add. "Why not stop and rest in Tsuin for the evening? Take a load off. You won't make it to Furawa before dark. It can get pretty dangerous out there at night."

"We'll be fine."

"We're already a little behind schedule," Blake added, running with Ilia's attempt to defuse things. "We appreciate the offer, but I'd rather make up some ground tonight and have a head start tomorrow. So if you don't mind, we'd-

"Awfully well armed for a bunch of merchants."

Blake froze. Ilia glared back, refusing to back down from a challenge. "Like you said, it can get pretty dangerous out here. Grimm. Bandits."

"White Fang." Well crap. "Word is there's a bunch of those terrorists running around Anima, stirring up trouble. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

"Because we're faunus?"

Instead of being offended, the man simply smiled and nodded to Ilia. "Because of that mask on your hip."

Dang it, Ilia! What part of covert didn't she understand? She might as well have worn a shirt with their logo on it.

The men ahead were suddenly a lot more attentive now. Their leader slowly walked forward as he spoke, either more capable than he looked or a complete fool. "Here's what's gonna happen, little ladies. I'm gonna take those supplies off your hands. Lighten your load a bit. In return, I'll let you and your crew walk out of here unharmed."

"Thanks, but no thanks."

Ilia's antagonism didn't even phase him. "That wasn't a suggestion. Either you hand everything over and leave, or we'll take it from you and turn you over to the authorities. No one has to die today. We can all just go our separate ways."

He had no idea who he was challenging. Blake and Ilia probably didn't look that intimidating, but a lone gunman wouldn't last long against the pair. Surely he had to know they weren't just a couple untrained teens. The uniqueness of their weapons alone spoke of training. So either this guy was itching to become a martyr for humanity, or he had aura and some training himself. Enough to risk distancing himself from his backup but not enough to win a protracted battle. Otherwise, he'd have something a little more suited to his abilities instead of just a simple rifle.

A local sheriff, probably. Someone who could handle your average thug and maybe even a Grimm on a good day, but not much more. Probably fancied himself a real fighter, just because he hadn't faced a true challenge yet. The sort of armchair quarterback that watched reports of failed defenses and thought he could've done better. In his mind, he was the gods' gift to humanity, only for his talents to be wasted on some obscure village. Or maybe he saw himself as the ultimate protector of Tsuin, bravely sacrificing his chance at greatness to ensure the safety of those less capable. Either way, he likely had more guts than brains and would one day see both smeared across the wilderness.

Blake and Ilia weren't sure what to do, but reaching for their weapons clearly wasn't the right answer. Not when every gun suddenly aimed in their direction. Pleased with the reaction, their aggressor smiled wider. "Now, now, let's not be too hasty. So what'll it be, ladies? The easy way?" He dramatically lifted his own rifle to aim at them. "Or the hard-"

Adam cut through his words as easily as his rifle, shearing through the weapon just past the trigger.

"I have a better idea."

"T-Taurus!" Good. They knew who he was, which meant they probably knew just how outclassed they were. He could practically taste the fear in the air.

It wasn't very pleasant.

"You and your men stand down, and I won't paint the forest with your blood." To emphasize the threat, Adam loosened his blade just enough for them to hear the metallic screech and see the blood red blade shine in the sunlight. "Stand aside, or else."

Several guns hit the ground, with one guy even turning and running back to town as fast as he could. Cowards, but smart cowards. He would've been caught a long time ago if a bunch of idiots with rifles could best him. Even if they all fought, they wouldn't be able to bring him down.

Their leader didn't share their sense of self-preservation. In a panic, he dropped the severed weapon, abandoning the scrap to shakily draw a pistol from his hip. Adam turned, already bored with the whole encounter, and walked forward. The imbecile before him ignored his last chance and squeezed the trigger.

It smarted a bit, but Adam kept a calm face as the bullet pinged off his aura. A second also failed to do anything but annoy him. Adam grabbed the gun, feeling the heat of the barrel even through his glove. Aura kept it from melting through the fabric, but it still stung as the gun barked a third time, firing a third and final round directly into Adam's chest.

Adam twisted, wrenching the weapon out of the man's hand and tossing it away. With how long it took the moron to draw, he could've easily stopped it, but his almost lazy response had a much greater impact than another show of strength. What was the point of fighting if Adam could shrug off something that would kill a normal man? It only got worse as Bane and a handful of armed faunus poured out of their truck, further tilting the odds against the humans.

Their leader stumbled and fell back. "Tell your men to stand down. No one has to die today."

"S-stand down! Stand down!" A pointless request, as not a single man was still armed, having given up before the words ever reached their ears. Still, he could never resist turning someone's words against them like that.

"Better." Adam resheathed his sword but kept his hand on its hilt, making sure they knew the threat hadn't diminished. "Now, if you'll kindly move out of our way…" The blockade abandoned their post, one guy even diving headfirst off the road, desperate to not be the last one in the way. "Good. We're not here to hurt anyone, so don't give us reason to. Despite what you've heard, we're not the monsters here."

Just him. A terrifying monster that had an entire squad of armed men whimpering and abandoning hope at the very sight of him. A monster that even the Kingdoms themselves feared and trembled before. He'd struck at the heart of Mistral, driven Atlas from their shores, and even shaken the very foundations of the strongest Kingdom in the world. A tiny village in the middle of nowhere wasn't even worth his time.

Or so they hoped.

"Let's get these trucks moving. The sooner we help Furawa, the sooner we can get home." And the sooner the so-called men of Tsuin could stop crapping themselves. His words helped ensure the White Fang that everything was taken care of. His men shoved their way back into their truck, leaving just him and the girls out. "Now, I hope that offer to take a load off is still open, because I could use a good stretch."

"Huh?"

"I'm thinking I might stick around for a bit," Adam elaborated, much to the surprise of everyone. "After all, if this is what passes for security out here, you might need some help." Talk about an understatement. How had Tsuin lasted this long against the Grimm. These idiots wouldn't last five seconds in a real fight. "Think I'll stick around and keep an eye on things until everyone gets back."

And make sure they can't send for help. A small place like Tsuin wouldn't have the capabilities to message the cities, but they could still send someone for help. Someone needed to keep an eye on them and make sure they didn't get a nasty surprise on the way back. Or an ambush on the road. They might even try to make the path unpassable to slow the White Fang down on the way back. Obviously, that risked Adam's wrath for such a pointless act of defiance, but he'd learned long ago to never bet on common sense. Either way, someone needed to make sure their exit route was safe and secure.

"Adam, can I talk to you a minute?"

Adam had a feeling they wouldn't be pleasant words. Beyond that, he didn't really like the idea of a bunch of humans seeing their arguments. It might make them realize the White Fang were just ordinary people. Ordinary people could be fought and killed. Monsters couldn't. "You and your men get back to town. I'll be coming to sample your hospitality shortly."

The men of Tsuin seized the chance to escape and hurried back to town, a few glancing back to see if he'd changed his mind and cruelly decided to cut them down as they fled. The rest understood there was nothing they could do if he had and kept their eyes glued on whatever safety Tsuin could offer them.

The moment they were gone, Blake did what she did best. Demand answers. "What do you mean you're staying here?"

"I'm staying." It wasn't up for debate. "Someone needs to keep an eye on them, and we can't spare enough men to guard them if I go with you." And as much as he wanted to keep an eye on them, the real danger was here, not in a village of friendly faunus. The pair of them could look out for themselves, and he could always count on Bane to help if anything happened. "Don't worry. They're so afraid of me, they'll probably spend the next few days hiding in their houses. I'll be fine."

"What if they try something?" Blake continued questioning, trying to find an opening. "Poison your food? Or attack when you're asleep?"

"Then there'll be a few less mouths to feed in Tsuin." He'd shown mercy once, and that was all they'd get. If they so much as thought about testing him again, he'd make an example out of them.

"I order you to come with us. I'm in charge of this mission, so you have to do what I say."

Did she honestly think that would work? "I'm officially off your mission. My new job is babysitting this town of idiots until you get back from Furawa." He'd miss out on the banquet, all so he could hang out with a bunch of people that both feared and hated him. He really wished he didn't have to, but there was no way he'd let Tsuin cause them any trouble on the way back. The easiest way to make sure was to watch them himself. "I have faith in you two to complete the mission, and when you get back, I'll be right here waiting."

"You won't take any stupid risks, will you?"

As if there was any risk against that lot. "I won't. I'll set up camp in the woods nearby and watch from a distance most of the time. Even if they try anything, I'll see them coming a mile away."

"You promise?"

What was with all the worrying? "I promise." Not like he'd be welcome in their village anyway. The biggest risk, yet again, would be boredom. Join the White Fang. Fight Atlas. See the world. Yeah right.

Blake wanted to argue. She wanted to find a way to force him to come along. She wanted the impossible. "Fine," she eventually relented, though her tone made it clear she'd hold a grudge all the way back to Reyno. Maybe even longer. "Stay. See what I care."

Blake stormed back to the truck before he could say anything. Slamming the door and making the driver look all sorts of uncomfortable. "Keep an eye on her," he urged Ilia before she chased after her friend.

By the time he neared Tsuin, he could already hear the sound of the trucks' engines fading in the distance. "Three days," he reminded himself. Four at most. Then he could ditch this dump and head back to Reyno to relax. He just had to endure the next few days of watching a bunch of boring villagers go about their boring days.

And deal with the staring. Even from here, he could feel every eye watching his approach. Word spread quickly when there weren't that many ears to spread it to. People peeked around corners, watched from windows, or just gawked in the streets at the monster approaching their town. He knew he had to play the part, standing taller as he marched on their village without a care in the world. His hand rested lightly on his sword, in no rush to draw but always ready should anyone try to play hero. People whispered. Others shot him evil looks. Someone yelled a slur and ran, his friends bravely blocking the alley to cover the retreat.

This was going to be a long three days.

/- - - - - - - - - -/

Blake's return couldn't have come soon enough.

True to his word, Adam spent most of his time in the forest, ignoring the town he was apparently terrorizing. No one dared venture anywhere near the trees, afraid to incur his wrath. On the bright side, since they had no idea exactly where he was camped, they just assumed he was everywhere at once, making his job significantly easier.

At least on that front.

What he didn't appreciate was how their fear started to lure Grimm by the second day. He'd set up camp on the opposite side of town, knowing what was coming. Any Grimm between Tsuin and Furawa would likely be dealt with by Blake and Ilia, but the other side had no such protection. If only the residents of Tsuin knew that their so-called oppressor spent most of his time defending them.

At least the Grimm provided a decent distraction. Better than staring at Tsuin all day. None of them tried anything, meaning there were no little rebellions for him to put down. He'd ventured in once or twice a day, always at different times. He figured that would keep them on their toes and too afraid to plan anything if he might show up without warning and discover their plot before it could take shape. He spotted the arrogant leader from before on one of his trips and had to fight not to laugh when the guy tried to run, tripped, and faceplanted on the pavement. They talked a big game against a couple of girls, but it seemed his bravery didn't hold up against the legendary Adam Taurus.

For once, all those stupid tales were paying off.

Still, when he first spotted the trucks returning, he nearly ran to meet them. He could've hugged Blake when she angrily ordered him to load up for the ride back. She probably would've died of embarrassment if he tried. Instead, he simply hopped in the back of the nearest truck and settled down for the long ride home.

At their first stop, Ilia caught him up on everything. Furawa was fine and had spoiled them rotten on their arrival. True to her word, Linnae and a few others whipped up a huge feast for everyone. Ilia even saved him some leftovers, and while he knew they were better fresh, the reheated meal still tasted a million times better than the field rations he'd been eating the last few days.

All in all, the mission was a complete success. A few Grimm, but nothing the two of them couldn't handle. If anything, killing them so close to Furawa only made the White Fang look better in the faunus' eyes. They'd unloaded their cargo and swung back without a single problem. And thanks to Adam, Tsuin hadn't so much as lifted a finger when they passed.

Unlike their first mission with him, there were no hidden surprises on the way home, either. They were welcomed back to Reyno as heroes, despite not having done much of anything for once. It felt like such a relief to have a mission go smoothly for once. Word would spread, especially among the faunus communities, which should bolster their reputation even further. No injuries. No complications. No angry news reports. Even his after action report to Sienna went smoother than usual.

A solid win for the White Fang.

The only easy day was yesterday. Honestly, a pretty simple mission compared to their usual. A little resistance, but nothing they can't handle. Definitely won't be any consequences down the road or anything.

Meanwhile, I'm back with making names for things and actually being pleased with the results. Had to slip in a Robot Chicken reference with Pubertis (couldn't resist), but the town names actually worked out better than I originally expected. Wanted sort of a pairing thing while still maintaining the Japanese flower naming convention. Stumbled upon the twinflower, which fit nicely. In Japanese, it's Tsuinfurawā, so I just split the name in half for each side (twin for Tsuin and flower for Furawa). Didn't occur until later that Furawa also starts with "fur." Just the sort of accidental Stupidity you've all come to expect.

Anyways, I'm still not sure about potential schedule impacts from work going a bit nuts, but I fully intend to have a chapter out next week. We've also got a major event getting close that I've had in the works for a while now, so time to pick it up and charge headlong into more trauma...I mean, fun! Yay!

Next chapter: Absolutely no one complains about the perfectly innocent mission.