So uh... yeah. I decided to remake Midnight Strolls after the story I was developing in my mind turned into yet another canon fix-it story with no real ending. Hopefully with this, I can come up with a proper ending for once.
Chapter 1:
Pyrrha Nikos the former child actress sits at the bar of Vale's Adventurer's Guild staring at her scroll. She scrolls through her bank account, looking at hundreds of millions of lien gathering dust inside. She closes the bank app and opens up her IMDB page on the internet, looking through the list of movies, tv shows, and advertisements she acted in as a child and as a pre-teen.
She smirks and feels a small spark of joy as she reads the glowing reviews, inspiring messages of life changes, and praises from her fans and critics. She comes across an article detailing the day of the Grimm attack on the set of the final movie she starred in and her pride swells. Pyrrha remembers that stepping up to fend off this attack and helping people during then after the attack was what ultimately convinced her to become an actual adventurer instead of pretending to be one on the silver screen.
But that spark of joy and feeling of pride quickly fades away when her crush and team leader, Jaune Arc, sends a message through the team JNYPBR group chat saying that Ozpin doesn't have special assignments for them and to take a break from training.
She lets out a deep sigh as she pulls up her text conversation with Jaune; rereading her flirting, looking at the photos she purposely sent to entice, and Jaune responding each time without taking a hint. Pyrrha rests her head on the bar counter with a thud while sighing out of frustration. "Why am I feeling so lost and unhappy?"
"What cha doin' Pyr?" Nora Valkyrie asks, popping up on the bartender's side of the bar while wearing a bushy fake mustache.
"Nora, get out of there before Coco catches you again." Pyrrha halfheartedly chides as she keeps scrolling.
"Pff, its fine. Coco's on break for the next 15 minutes." Nora replies, waving off Pyrrha. "But still, what are you doing?"
Pyrrha groans dejectedly. "I don't know."
"You don't know?" Nora parrots as she leans forward.
"I don't know." Pyrrha repeats herself as she sits up to look at Nora. "I somehow feel lost, unsatisfied, and... unhappy?"
"Is this about what happened earlier when Jaune accidentally blew you off to go pick up the package from the post office?" Nora asks in a more serious tone.
"Maybe?" Pyrrha replies, sounding very unsure of herself.
Nora lets out a worried sigh. "You need to take a break from Jaune and the team."
"And do what? I'd go crazy within an hour feeling like this." Pyrrha exclaims.
Nora stares at Pyrrha and then notices the request board behind Pyrrha. "Or you can take on a solo request and use it as a vacation?"
"Huh?" Pyrrha says as she looks over her shoulder at the request board.
"The request board just got some new requests put on it if that is what you want to do, Pyrrha." Coco announces as she appears behind Nora with annoyed look on her face. "I saw some requests on there that would be perfect for you."
Pyrrha contemplates the suggestion, her gaze shifting from the request board to Coco and Nora while they have a standoff. Pyrrha stands up, smoothing out her casual clothes, and strides towards the board as a feeling of purpose starts to replace her earlier despondency. "Perhaps a solo mission would provide a much-needed distraction from my problems."
The bustling noise of the guild fades into the background as Pyrrha scans the various requests pinned to the board, each detailing different quests and potential adventures waiting to be undertaken. Her eyes land on one request buried under the newer requests, calling for the extermination of a young, exiled werewolf on the island of Patches.
Looking at the request more closely; Pyrrha sees that requester is a concerned anonymous citizen, there's no time limit, and that the reward is low. The picture on the request shows a slightly overexposed shot of a snarling wolf head baring its teeth while squinting.
"Must be an unconfirmed report since this isn't an official government request nor is it a request from a local werewolf tribe." Pyrrha ponders as she recalls how violent and destructive werewolves can be once they've been exiled from their tribes. "I better check this out even if it turns out to be a false report."
Without further hesitation, Pyrrha tears the request from the board, ready to face whatever challenges await her on the island of Patches and perhaps find the joy of being a heroic adventurer again..
Pyrrha glances up at Nora and Coco in time to see Nora trying to escape Coco's clutches. She waves a quick goodbye to them as both of them engage in their tussle and makes her way out of the guild hall.
"This might be exactly what I need," she murmurs to herself as She heads towards her apartment to prepare.
The next morning...
Pyrrha holds onto the ferry's railing to steady herself as the boat moves through the waves and fog. The ferry is empty save for Pyrrha, a short, petite black haired postwoman. The postwoman dances with her hail bag as she listens to music on her headphones while holding onto a pack mule's harness that laden with packages. Pyrrha can't help but watch the postwoman skillfully dances in time with the rocking of the boat.
The cry of a Nevermore Grimm and the tearing of flesh grabs Pyrrha's attention and puts her on alert. Looking around, Pyrrha spots a large rock outcropping with an adult Nevermore sitting on top eating the dissolving corpse of a sea serpent Grimm. The Nevermore doesn't react to the ferry passing by and just acts like a normal bird.
Pyrrha looks at the Nevermore confused and apprehensive as she clutches the butt of her rifle in case something happens. She recalls reading reports of the strange behavior of the Grimm inhabiting the island and the theories as to why this behavior occurs during research last night.
The captain of the ferry sounds the horn, alerting Pyrrha and the postwoman that the ferry is on final approach. Pyrrha gathers up her luggage and camping gear as the mist thins out of enough to reveal the sleepy looking town and the island itself.
The ferry quickly docks and lowers the boarding ramp, allowing Pyrrha and the postwoman to disembark. The postwoman to dance walks off while carrying her packages and mail bag like they weigh nothing at all towards the Weiss's Import/export Co. building. Slightly dumbfounded, Pyrrha gathers her own luggage and camping gear then walks off the ferry as well into town.
As she starts to walk through town, Pyrrha notices that some of the residents look like people who would normally live in a fishing village or look like they're poorly disguised pirates. She passes by a black wolf and a brown wolf wearing police hats as they do stretches in front of the police station. Pyrrha makes a mental note that there is a pack of werewolves are living on the island as she continues walking by.
Pyrrha then passes by a woman with long wavy black hair and what seems to be horns on her forehead and an idly swishing spade tipped tail opening the General Goods and Potions store for the day. Turning onto the street leading to her destination, she passes by a smithy called Penny's Precision Smithing and gets a glance of an orange haired girl forging a shovel's blade with a gleeful smile on her face. A few yards later, Pyrrha passes by a cafe where an appetizing aroma blend of coffee and tea wafts out and almost pulls Pyrrha in to order a cup from the wheelchair bound owner.
Pyrrha stays strong and hurries along to arrive at the Misty Tavern Inn. She quickly enters and approaches the bar where she sees a mint green haired woman cleaning glasses.
"Um, excuse me. Is this where I check in?" Pyrrha nervously asks.
"Yes, it is and who might you be?" the woman asks, turning around to face Pyrrha and reveal her name tag stating that her name is Emerald Sustrai.
"Pyrrha Nikos. I booked a room here last night."
"The actress?!" Emerald exclaims.
"Yes." Pyrrha deadpans.
Emerald gasps excitedly then quickly recomposes herself and pulls a room key from beneath the counter. "Your room is ready. It is the upstairs and the first door on the left."
"Thank you." Pyrrha says as she takes the key.
"If you want a specific meal, drop by the kitchen door and tell my partner in crime, Mercury, will make it as long as you're specific about it."
Pyrrha nods her head in acknowledgment as she lugs her luggage and camping gear up the stairs.