Ma'iq RakhanRace – Feline FaunusAge 17Css: The pugilistLevel – 2 (4%)Mentor – Bke BeldonnaApprentice – NoneHP – 390 [45 regen per minute]MP – 1610 [350 regen per minute]SP – 1750 [200 regen per minute]STR – 24END – 31DEX – 30INT – 25WIS – 23CHA – 25LCK – 10

  I had barely gotten any sleep that night because my mind was preoccupied with thoughts of leveling up and sore muscles. After a short nap, the tter problem surprisingly solved itself, leaving me to only worry about what had transpired the day before. My mind was constantly checking the status window, with the numbers showing different values from the st time and a few additions.

  Why was my css listed as a pugilist? Could that be why other weapons felt so wrong in my hands? And, more importantly, could I change my css if needed?

  So many questions and so few answers.

  Another doubt to add to the list was the erratic increase of my stats, some much more than others, and I had yet to understand the reasons behind it. Especially intelligence, as I don't feel any more intelligent than I was yesterday. What is it based on? Is it a gradual change, barely noticeable as the numbers grow bigger?

  So much to think about and no one to guide me through everything.

  It's a good thing that Bke gave me the day off.

  Even so, I spent most of my morning resting in bed, thinking about my newly gained level rather than resuming my normal routine with the White Fang. It was all the confirmation I needed that the only way for me to get stronger was to kill Grimm.

  Yet, the idea itself is daunting, even with my aura unlocked.

  Last night's fight could have ended badly if it wasn't for Bke stepping in. The myrmidons just kept coming, and those are supposed to be the weakest variant in Menagerie after the Beowolf. Bke wiped out the entire wave in a single hit without breaking a sweat.

  Those monsters are scary to face no matter what, but it's just like everything in life. I need more practice, and I have a teacher who will help me through it.

  I already took the first step, so I shouldn't be overcomplicating things for myself.

  Finishing the task still feels like an uphill struggle, and I don't see any shortcuts to take.

  Rather than waste any more time and moping around, stressing myself out and losing my appetite, I should make breakfast and prepare myself for the day. I don't want to spend my day off cooped up in the house, but I could use the time to improve my weaving skill, which is still at a low level compared to my other skills.

  I could look for Levi to show off my new weapons or finally buy the scroll that's been eluding me for so long.

  A productive day is time well spent.

  Living in a tropical, jungle city has its advantages, including the abundance of fruit. With my current level in Cooking, preparing a fresh bowl of fruit sad is an effortless endeavor.

  My cooking skill hasn't increased in level for a while, so it's safe to assume that the complexity of the dish affects the growth rate. However, complexity also corretes with cost.

  But the knocking on my door interrupts my thoughts and my pns.

  I'm expecting Levi to visit, and she would usually call out my name while knocking. But whoever is behind the door isn't the extroverted lynx looking to hang out.

  I quickly go to the mirror in my bathroom to fix my hair and check if my clothes are presentable enough before answering the door.

  First impressions are always important.

  Unlocking the tch and twisting the knob, I slowly open the door and catch a glimpse of a pair of surprised amber eyes staring back at me. "Bke? You said today was my day off..." I throw the door open in mild annoyance as soon as I recognize the faunus standing behind it.

  I never thought she would come to my home, but I can't say I'm surprised since she's now paying for it in my stead. Of course, she must know the address.

  "That's not why I'm here," she huffs, crossing her arms.

  "Oh, did you come to redeem your offer for dinner?" I recall the offer I made yesterday. "It's a bit early, but there's no problem with making lunch instead of dinner."

  "Ma'iq, be serious," she hisses, revealing her disapproval of my innocent banter. But she doesn't sound or look angry, so it's an improvement.

  "I know, I know." I step aside to let her come inside. "Would you like some tea or water?"

  "I'm fine, thank you." She shakes her head as she heads inside and takes one look around my room, which was slightly better organized than the st time Levi visited.

  The bed is still a mess, though, but that doesn't seem to bother her in the slightest as she picks it as her cushioned seat.

  "So what brings you to my humble abode?" I ask, still wondering about the reason for her unexpected visit as I pull the chair from my desk and sit on it.

  "I... I read a book on how to properly teach someone," she blurts out.

  "Oh... so I guess you want to use what you just learned, right?"

  "Yes."

  I lean closer to take a better look at her face and quickly notice bags forming under her eyes, revealing that she had pulled an all-nighter just to become a better teacher.

  That's pretty moving. I can't bring myself to reject her attempts now.

  "I mean, sure? It's still weird, but not the bad kind of weird, if you catch my drift."

  "I do."

  I scratch the back of my head. "Okay... so what are we supposed to do?"

  Bke takes a deep breath and exhales. "You told me you came from Vacuo, trying to escape their lifestyle."

  I raise a finger in response. "Correction. I come from the Kingdom of Vacuo, not the city itself. Just a ramshackle vilge built in the dry desert." As I raise a second finger, I continue, "Secondly, I was tired of fighting every day to protect the little I had or worrying about bandits coming to attack any day."

  "That sounds harsh."

  "Well, yeah, because it is. Sorry if your vilge caught the eye of Branwen splinter groups." I cross my arms and lean on my chair, my mind recalling short moments in that forsaken desert.

  "Aren't they supposed to only operate in Mistral?" Bke asks, tilting her head slightly to the left in confusion.

  "Splinter groups. Maybe they left to form their own little murder clubs or they're just idiots stealing the name, but they do act like the real Branwen tribe," I expin.The faunus girl grimaces. "I... read stories about them."

  "Believe me," I say, looking at the floor and thinking of the past. "They're all true."

  "Ma'iq..." she sounds very apologetic.

  "Oh, no, no, no," I frantically deny her assumptions with my hands. "They didn't attack my vilge or someone I knew and cared about. When I finally left, I came across many of their victims and raided vilges."

  Burnt houses and corpses littered all over the pce. That sight engraves into your brain pretty fast. Or the typical scene of refugee caravans pleading for any help to reach another settlement before the Grimm catches them.

  It's not a pretty sight.

  "But why come to Menagerie? Usually, everyone's choice is Vale," she states.

  "Vale is a beautiful city but... I guess it's complicated to expin. I'm a faunus." I point to myself and then to her. "You can probably blend in if you wear a hat, but for my part? I stand out like a sore spot." My ears fp a few times to reinforce my point.

  "Wait... can you move your hair to the side?" Bke's request is a bit surprising, but her eyes and tone show genuine curiosity.

  "Sure." My hand slowly moves the strand of hair from the side of my head.

  Her eyes widen as she stands up from the bed and walks closer for a better look. "You don't have ears?"

  "Hey, for me, having four pairs of ears is weirder than two. Like, how do they even work?" I snap at her and cover the spot, making her flinch in realization of her slip of words.

  "I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." she quickly tries to backtrack, but I only ugh in response.

  "I'm messing with you."

  She gives me a dry look.

  It's not really an issue or a sore spot. Maybe the first day was strange, but so was the rest of my body.

  "Besides, how am I supposed to hide this?" My tail moves to my right side and pyfully waves.

  If I was a monkey faunus, then my tail would be far more involved with my daily life. Instead, it's just there.

  "Or this?" I open my mouth wide to show her my sharp fangs.

  "So Menagerie was your only option." She says, taking a seat on my bed again.

  I nod before leaving my chair to go to the kitchen counter to make a quick drink, much to Bke's confusion. "I will grab something to drink, if you don't mind."

  As I walk up to the counter, I open the drawers where a few gss cups are stored. I grab one and take a deep breath, savoring the cool air conditioning in the small apartment. I reach for a pair of lemons from the straw basket below, feeling their rough skin under my fingertips.

  "I don't regret my decisions, except for the first day. Getting robbed and living in a shelter for a couple weeks was a pretty bad experience," I continue as I pour water into an empty cup and slice the lemons.

  "I'm sorry for that. My father and the guards try their best to keep crime at a minimum," Bke says.

  I squeeze the lemons and add a few spoonfuls of sweet white sugar, stirring the mixture with a spoon.

  "I know. Don't worry about it. However, I'm really grateful that Kuo Kuana has so many… systems in pce to help people pull through difficult times. If this had happened anywhere else, I'd probably be rotting on the streets or dead under a bridge."

  "Don't be so dramatic," she sighs and rolls her eyes.

  I shrug, then took a sip of my finished drink, only to immediately spit it out and gag as the revolting taste of two incompatible fvors burned the insides of my mouth. "What... the fuck?"

  Recovering from the sudden outburst, I immediately check the small jar that was supposed to have sweetened my drink, not salt it. "Why the fuck do sugar and salt look so simir?"

  It was such a stupid mistake, and I had been too distracted to notice something so simple.

  Bke can't help but muffle her ughter with her hand, but eventually gives in and giggles openly.

  As for the drink, it is utterly ruined beyond repair. The best course of action is to pour it down the sink and serve myself some water to wash my mouth, as the gross taste still lingers on my tongue.

  I quickly return to my seat, pying off my embarrassment as if it didn't occur. But my attempt at nonchance is quickly met with a serious question from Bke. "I want to know why you joined the White Fang."

  I can feel my ears perk up at her direct question. "Oh, do you want the patriotic and idealistic white lie, or the brutal honesty?" I ask, my tone serious.

  Bke is taken aback by my question but quickly regains her composure and takes a deep breath. "Honesty," she says firmly.

  I pause for a moment, considering my words carefully. "I wanted to learn how to fight. Street fighting can only take me so far. However, I must say that I don't like the whole propaganda you all spout and rant about, given the chance."

  Bke's face turns into a deep frown. "It's not propaganda," she says defensively. "We do care about the lives and rights of all the faunus of Remnant."

  I hold up a hand, cutting her off before she can continue. "And I believe you, Bke. But the political side is not really my thing, you just have to accept things as they are. After all, we are faunus, not humans." I say as I lean back in my chair. The idea is ridiculous and depressing the more I think about it. If I had a drink with me, I would have gulped it down in a single go.

  However, my answer seems to have struck a nerve within her, causing her hands to clench into fists. "I won't accept that. We must fight to change this wrong perception, not enable it."

  I raise my hands in a pcating gesture, "Whoa, whoa, that's why I don't like political stuff. It quickly derails personal and emotional opinions. I'm just the action person, just point me where to go and I will."

  Politics really sucks.

  "Even if that means hurting others?" She growls.

  "Of course not! Where did that come from?" I snap, my tone sharp enough to make her flinch.

  "I… sorry." Bke apologizes, her ears drooping as she looks down at her feet.

  Our outbursts create an awkward silence between us, and I find myself regretting my harsh words. I bite my lower lip, trying to think of a way to smooth things over.

  Then, a possible solution presents itself. It's not a good one, but it's the best I've got.

  I stand up and csp my hands together, trying to inject some positivity into the conversation. "We shouldn't get too depressed with these heavy thoughts!" I say, my tone cheerful. "I promised you a dinner, so let's make it happen. Although, I guess it's more like lunch now, huh?"

  Bke looks up at me, her expression still troubled. "You're really not going to stop until I cave in, are you?" she asks, a hint of a smile pying at the corners of her mouth.

  "Yup," I reply with a grin.

  [Affection with Bke Beldonna increased by 1, 01/100]

  "Fine, just nothing greasy," Bke says, rolling her eyes and crossing one leg over the other.

  With her approval, I head to the kitchen and grab all the necessary tools before opening the small fridge.

  "You're going to absolutely love this one," I say, taking fresh ingredients from the fridge and pcing them on the cutting board. "The recipe came to me in a dream."

  I don't know the name of the dish, but it's interesting and doesn't look too complex. It involves small slices of fish wrapped around rice and vegetables.

  The cat girl immediately perks up when I pce the reddish sb of tuna on the cutting board and begin sharpening the knife.

  Though I occasionally have cravings to eat it raw, after fishing and dealing with marine animals for so long, those urges have become fleeting thoughts. I watch as Bke's gaze lingers on the fish, and I raise a brow at her, a smirk tugging at the corner of my lips.

  She clears her throat and averts her gaze, but I can tell she's still gncing at the tuna from time to time.

  As I slice the tuna into thin pieces, my mind wanders, and I find myself wondering if Bke has any other likes. Does she enjoy knitting?

  I think, it would fit her personality.