Deciding Green

Emerald Sustrai tossed and turned in her hammock at her hideout, an abandoned building heavily damaged from an old Grimm attack. She replayed Silva's offer over and over in her head. Part of her wanted it to be true, but the more realistic side of her was trying to figure out Silva's angle. Emerald's personal experience tells her that he wasn't a creep that was after her body; she had to kill a few of those types in the past. The mint-haired thief huffed in annoyance at being unable to sleep with her mind constantly asking questions.

Emerald got out of her hammock and went through the books she stole to find something to read and relax. After looking over the books, she picked one that she grew fond of due to the main character having some similarities to her. The book's title was "Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone."

Emerald smiled as she got back into her hammock, turned on her Dust lamp, and got lost in the wizarding world.

***

Raven Branwen was bored out of her mind. After the first two days, she realized that she really didn't have anything to do aside from training and making tea. Mistral had a bounty on her head, so she couldn't go out and enjoy what the city had to offer. Raven started to poke around Silva's airship to see if he was hiding anything... private like most boys his age. The former bandit found it doubtful that due to Silva's maturity and experience in the pleasures of the flesh, he might not have anything along those lines.

Raven did find a series of papers labeled "Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban." She started to read it out of curiosity and found it mildly interesting but was disappointed that the story was incomplete. The former bandit put the papers back and found another stack of papers titled " The Heaven Defying Demon Empress book 3," along with related books 1 and 2. Raven started book one and soon found this more to her liking than Harry Potter. She brewed herself some tea to enjoy while she read and commented to herself.

" To think Silva would become a writer looks like I don't know him as well as I thought."

***

My name is Silva Branwen, and right now, I am waiting for Emerald at the Upper Cairn's inn. As I waited, I continued where I left off with my book, Heaven Defying Demon Empress. So far, I am pleased with writing my Cultivation novel, with a female Main Character and plenty of yuri action. A devilish woman who refuses to accept her lack of talent on the path against heaven and earth and aims for strength, so she never lowers her head ever again towards her so-called betters. Now I need to work out how she handles the new continent to further the path of her Dao and her personal strength.

As I continued to write, I placed an order to placate the innkeeper about my taking up a table. They have had some decent riblets and a rich sauce to go with it. As I ate and wrote, a random memory came to me, the decoy Maiden that Raven used, April, who took up Vernal's name; what happens to her now that canon is most likely gone. Hmm... not my concern. I briefly smile at finding out the decoy Maiden's name in Volume 5 when Yang and Weiss talk with Raven; I only found out because I had subtitles on as I rewatched it one time.

I looked at the time and saw it was 30 minutes after 12. I sighed and decided to give Emerald more time in a faint hope that she was just running late. As I wrote, I heard someone call out.

" Hey, you! Hey, don't ignore me, you dumb animal!"

I looked to see what was happening and saw a drunkard stagger toward me; oh joy, a racist, I sarcastically thought. The drunk man started to rant at me.

" You, you think that you can just sit here like a person, a person like me."

I sighed and put away my papers to ensure they didn't get dirty because drunken shenanigans and racism rarely, if ever, mixed well. I stared down at the drunkard, and he apparently didn't like that.

" What's that look?"

The next moment the drunken man swung the bottle in his hand at me, and I caught his hand before the bottle could break against my head. The man tried to break free from my grip.

" L-let me go, you worthless beast!"

I enhanced the strength further with Aura and twisted his hand and wrist, making the drunkard fall to his knees and cry out in pain. I stood up and asked everyone in the inn, my voice dripping with disdain.

" Does anyone have any issue with me dealing with this trash?"

" Let me go you-."

I twisted his hand and wrist even further, and I heard a sickening crack making the man cry out again in pain as I looked around for anyone to try and stop me. My eyes rested on the innkeeper, and he just shrugged, not minding my actions. I then said to the drunken fool.

" Looks like you aren't well-liked."

I let him go, and he fell to the floor, clutching his wrist. The now sober man glared at me and growled as I looked down on him, then said.

" Don't think you can get away with this, freak!"

As he got up and tried to run, I grabbed his shoulder, and before he could say anything, I used my Aura enhanced strength to send him flying through the door with a smack. Feeling pleased that I sent the racist flying, I checked the clock and saw that it was a bit past one o'clock. I sighed in disappointment as Emerald made her choice and left the inn after paying the bill. As I exited, I heard a familiar voice.

" You certainly were expecting me to show up."

I turned to see Emerald leaning against the wall of the inn. I looked at her curiously and asked.

" So, what's your decision?"

" I am... willing to give you a chance."

Emerald paused then said, looking guarded.

" But I want your guarantee that I can leave when I want!"

" Sure."

I didn't mind her condition and smiled at her as I extended my paw toward her.

" Glad to have you, Emerald."

She took my paw and shook it. It looks like I have a new companion, and now I think it's time I went to check up on the girls at the condo and then back to Mistral for the Regional Cup. Emerald then asked me.

" Can we grab a bite to eat?"

I grinned at her and replied.

" I can do something better; how about I treat you to a home-cooked meal."

I opened a portal and gestured towards the surprised thief.

" Ladies first."