I find myself on the balcony of a large coffee shop, taking in the view of Vale's streets below. The city's rooftops stretch out before me, creating a rather impressive sight that reminds me of my first days here. No wonder they built this balcony up here. Though right now, the view isn't what has most of my attention.

Across the table sits Levi, my first friend from Menagerie, looking strangely different in her baggy clothes - a far cry from her usual attire. She's been silent, staring into her coffee cup as if it holds all the answers she's looking for. Her lynx ears, usually perked up and alert, are drooping slightly, betraying her mood.

Can't blame her, really. I've just dumped quite a story on her, even if I carefully danced around the less-than-legal parts and my time with Neo and the bitch of Cinder. Some things are better left unsaid - for her sake, as much as mine. Though if I'm being honest with myself, there's a touch of shame mixed in there, too.

The silence stretches uncomfortably, and I slap both hands against my face, shaking my head to snap out of it.

"So that's pretty much it. My whole time in Vale. Any questions?"

The silence drags on for what feels like an eternity before she slowly lifts her gaze to meet mine. Her green eyes, usually sparkling with mischief and playfulness, now hold a myriad of emotions I can't quite read.

"Months, Ma'iq. Months." Her voice trembles slightly. "Do you have any idea what it was like? Checking my scroll every day, asking around the docks, the shelters or the market if anyone had heard from you?" Her grip tightens on her cup. "I thought something terrible had happened! That maybe you'd..." She cuts herself off, taking a shaky breath.

The cup slams against the table, making me flinch. My ears flatten against my skull as I look down, hand reaching to rub the back of my neck. "I... I'm sorry, Levi. I tried, I swear I did, but I trusted the wrong person. She promised she'd deliver a message to you, said she'd talked to you. Told me you'd get it in a matter of days, so I waited and waited and waited."

"Nobody ever talked to me, Ma'iq." Her voice softens, but there's still an edge to it. "No letter, no package, nothing. Not even a stupid postcard!"

Blake, you fucking liar! You could've just told me you couldn't do it! Why lie? WHY?!

"Fuck..." My face falls into my hands, everything suddenly feeling heavier. "Shit, I shouldn't have trusted her at all. This is so fucked... all this time I thought you just didn't want to talk to me after I disappeared. I kept waiting for your call or message, but nothing came." I look back up at her. "So I made one last attempt, went to the postal office. The fee was steep, but they guaranteed delivery to Kuo Kuana within a week, said they had experience with that route."

I slump against my chair, gesturing helplessly. "But here you are, already in Vale, so I was too late."

When I meet her gaze again, her expression softens, the anger giving way to something that looks suspiciously like concern. Her ears droop further as she drags a hand across her face with a long sigh.

"Getting yourself into trouble, trusting the wrong people..." She shakes her head, but there's the faintest hint of a sad smile tugging at her lips. "I guess I can't really blame you. You did try, and I know you aren't making excuses." She leans forward, a slight frown on her brow. "Next time, just use the postal service like a normal person, okay? They actually know what they're doing, unlike whoever you trusted with something this important."

"I know that now. It just sucks." I groan before clasping my hands together in an exaggerated pleading gesture. "If it's worth anything, I'm truly sorry for making you worry like that. It was never my intention to hurt you. I swear on whatever gods or sacred things exist that I'm sorry." My ears droop as well.

Levi mulls this over, chewing her cheek in that familiar way she does when she's thinking hard about something. Her lips press into a thin line as she finishes the rest of her drink, the silence stretching so long I start wondering if I should order another round just to have something to do with my hands.

Finally - finally - she lets out a satisfied sigh, and I watch as a smile slowly curls across her lips. "It's okay. I can't stay mad at you, anyway. You were always very dumb, so I should have seen this coming."

"Oi!"

"Come on now, Ma'iq." She fixes me with that deadpan look I know all too well, crossing her arms as her ears twitch a little.

I open my mouth to argue, then close it as my brain helpfully reminds me of all my choices so far. After a long sigh that turns into a defeated groan, I drag both hands down my face. "Okay, fine. I admit I might be a little slow."

The admission physically pains me, but hey, at least I can acknowledge it. So I guess it is some level of progress. But it is still difficult to come up with ideas or think ahead of some stuff.

"A little slow?" Levi raises an eyebrow, her smirk growing wider and more fox-like. "Didn't you knit an entire closet worth of plushies and never once think about selling them instead of letting them gather dust? Or what about that time at the ..."

"Alright, alright!" I throw my hands up in surrender, my ears flattening. "I get it. I'm an idiot. Can we please move on to something else?"

Levi bursts into laughter, the sound bright and genuine, making her whole body shake as she slaps the table and the tension from earlier melts away. Despite being the target of her amusement, I can't help but feel warmth spread through my chest. It's good to hear her laugh again.

I really did miss this.

She wipes a tear from her eye as her laughter subsides into giggles. "So, putting that aside, you mentioned unlocking your semblance - which is pretty cool, by the way. A storage semblance? I've never seen one before. Can you show me?"

"Sure, here." I extend my hand, happy to oblige.

With a familiar shimmer of energy, I summon a plastic cup into my palm, watching as Levi's green eyes go wide with amazement as the ice cream materializes in a soft glow. Her lynx ears perk forward in curiosity, tracking every moment of the process.

When it fully forms, I gently place it on the table and slide it towards her. She picks it up, examining it from different angles.

"Oh, thank you! But that was amazing - didn't think it would be so shiny and flashy." She comments as she grabs the spoon and digs in. The moment the first bite hits her tongue, her ears shoot straight up in delight.

"Strawberry! You remembered!"

I chuckle, shrugging with feigned nonchalance. "Of course I would."

How could I forget? Those walks were some of the best moments in Kuo Kuana.

My friend just nods happily and attacks her ice cream with enthusiasm while I watch in amusement, my tail swaying contentedly behind me.

The moment is interrupted by the waitress finally arriving with our order. Sure, they took their sweet time, but my story definitely ate up more than twenty minutes. The smell of fresh-baked biscuits wafts up from the tray, still steaming hot - made to order, by the looks of it. My nose twitches appreciatively at the aroma.

"Thank you," Levi flashes one of her winning smiles at the waitress, who returns it before leaving us to our food.

I pick up a biscuit carefully with a napkin, not keen on burning my fingers, and take a quick bite, savoring the sweet sugary taste. "So," I say after swallowing, "since you're here, I guess that means you found a place to stay?"

She nods, doing that thing she always does - dipping her biscuit in the ice cream. "Yeah, had to work a couple more months and pull extra hours to afford a somewhat decent apartment." Her ears twitch in slight annoyance. "Even then, I'll need a part-time job just to cover necessities. My parents will help with some costs, but..." She slumps her shoulders. "Vale is expensive."

I nod in agreement, thinking about my own expenses. A simple grocery run here costs thousands of lien, compared to the few hundred it would take in Kuo Kuana. Then there's transport, and don't even get me started on the utility bills - thanks to Cinder's dust heists, those prices keep climbing. Though that's not really my problem anymore, since I always made sure to keep some dust for myself from those heists.

"But I've got it all planned out," Levi continues, her eyes lighting up with that determination I remember so well. "Study in the mornings, work nights. Already sent applications to several shops - just waiting for responses now."

I nod again, more pensively this time. Part of me wants to help her avoid the rough start I had, but she's clearly got her shit together way better than I ever did. Leave it to Levi to actually plan things out instead of my 'react and hope for the best' approach.

Still, she did mention being short on money...

Yeah, I can help with that…. I want to help with that.

I reach down, pulling twenty thousand lien from my inventory and slide it across the table. "Here, twenty grand should cover your expenses for a while." I offer with a smile.

"Wha-what?!" Levi's eyes go wide as saucers, her gaze bouncing between me and the money like she's watching a ping-pong match. She frantically shakes her head, pushing the money back. "M-Ma'iq, I can't accept that much... it wouldn't be fair and..." She pauses, her face twisting into a frown as she fixes me with a hard look. "No... how did you even get this much? You said things were looking up, but this is a lot to just carry around and no offense but, you know we don't move this much money."

Well, it's actually part of the half-million Cinder tried to buy me off with, but that's definitely staying in the list of 'things Levi doesn't need to know.'

I calmly push the money back to her. "Bartender, remember? The base pay is decent, but the tips are where it's at. Can make two grand in a single night, and that doubles or triples on busy days."

Not technically a lie. Junior's club does pay well, and that's not even counting the... additional benefits of the job.

"I..." The words die in Levi's throat as she stares at the money, her expression a strange mix of emotions. Her hand hovers over it, moving forward only to pull back again, her lynx ears laying flat against her head.

I frown as I recognize that look because I've seen it before.

With Jeanne.

"Look, Levi, you helped me before and didn't give up on my stubborn ass when I was being an idiot back in Kuo Kuana. Consider us even." I pause, ears flicking forward as I add, "And if it really bothers you that much, you can always pay me back when you're on your feet. No time limit, no interest, none of that loan shark bullshit." I finish with what I hope is a reassuring smile.

Her green eyes meet mine, searching for something. Her ears flickering a little.. "Ma'iq... I just... I don't want to take advantage of you. You're already dealing with so much and-"

I raise a hand to stop her.

"Hey, nobody is taking advantage of anyone here. I'm just lending a hand that's all." I interrupt. "Besides, what kind of friend would I be if I let you survive on instant noodles and water for three months straight?"

That gets a small laugh out of her, though she's still hesitant. Finally, she carefully tucks the money into her sweater. "I... I swear I'll pay you back, Ma'iq." Her warm smile makes my ears perk up. "And thank you."

I shrug, unable to resist flashing a smirk. "You can always become my private pilot too. Just don't crash-land us on our first flight."

The girl snorts, trying to muffle her laughter behind her hands, but it only makes it worse. Her lynx ears quiver with mirth as she doubles over, shoulders shaking. "You're one to talk about accidents! Remember your BIG catch? You are probably the first guy to ever fish a person."

"That was ONE time!" I protest, but I'm fighting back laughter myself. "How was I supposed to know someone was swimming there?"

"The big floating balls marking the swimming area, remember?"

"Hush." I try to chastise her but end up throwing my head back, laughing instead.

We probably look like idiots to everyone else on the balcony, but I couldn't care less. It feels good to laugh like this again, both of us gasping for air between fresh waves of giggles. The earlier tension pretty much gone by now.

Eventually, we calm down enough to finish our food, which disappears in about five minutes flat. And there isn't much to do there so I head downstairs first to pay the bill, but as I'm about to return to the balcony, I spot Levi carefully navigating the stairs with her luggage, taking them one step at a time.

"Hey, storage semblance here, remember?" I catch up to her and touch her luggage, watching it dematerialize into particles.

"Huh, neat." She rolls her shoulders, clearly relieved. "Did your storage ever hit a limit?"

"Not that I know of," I shrug, although I don't want to make the illusion that it's infinite space, but I just keep adding more and more into it that makes me truly believe there is no limit.

Outside, I take the lead and summon my bike, enjoying Levi's wide-eyed interest as it materializes before us.

"Wait, you had your bike all this time?" She asks suddenly. "We could have skipped the taxi."

I let out a short laugh. "Well yeah, but... I didn't think you'd want to ride with me, especially before explaining the whole thing of what happened and, well… you were mad by then."

Levi presses her lips into a line and looks away. "Yeah, I probably would have told you off and left."

Fair enough.

I hop onto the bike and fire up the engine, gesturing for her to take the seat behind me. She hesitates for a moment before climbing on and wrapping her arms around my waist.

"It's pretty comfy back here." She murmurs.

"Perhaps... just point me where to go when we hit the district."

With that, I kick into first gear and we're off.

The afternoon traffic in the Commercial District is a nightmare - packed streets, endless vehicle columns, and enough blaring horns to give me a headache. My ears flatten against my skull in annoyance. But once we hit the main avenue leading to the highway, I finally get to open up the throttle, letting the bike drive freely.

Increasing and lowering speed accordingly and passing slow cars until we reach the detour which I take.

As we approach the Residential District, I ease off the speed to give Levi time for directions. Surprisingly, we reach our destination quickly and I have to say, she's picked a decent area. Way better than my old neighborhood. Being a student probably helped her secure this place.

"Here it is." Levi points at a four-story apartment complex.

I smoothly bring the bike to a stop in front, taking in the building. Clean entrance, intact paint job, not a spot of graffiti in sight. The surrounding buildings look just as well-maintained, and there's even a small park down the street.

This is definitely a nice place. No doubts about it.

We enter through glass doors into what could pass for a hotel lobby, minus the couches. Behind a long desk, a lady with glasses seems more interested in her scroll than her computer screen.

Levi approaches the desk, leaving my side. "Hi, um, Levi Fang. I rented unit 205."

"ID please." The receptionist finally lowers her scroll, taking Levi's card with a bored expression. "One moment." She types away at her computer, probably running standard checks.

After a brief pause, she adjusts her glasses and returns the ID. "Levi Fang, unit 205. Everything's in order. Sign here and here." She slides over some papers, which Levi quickly signs. "Please review the coexistence rules in the pamphlet." A blue pamphlet joins a set of keys on the desk.

The whole process is surprisingly quick and professional - nothing like my experiences. Maybe it's because this is a better part of the district. Even Neo's place doesn't have this setup. Weird how different things can be just a few blocks apart. Or maybe it was Neo's deliberate choice as she doesn't want people to see her.

Levi beckons me to follow her into the elevator, which comes complete with some annoyingly catchy background music. A cheerful bell announces our floor, and we step out into a hallway that actually smells clean - like they actually care about maintenance here.

I should look at prices later. I could probably afford it now and I don't want to stay every day in Neo's place. My sanity won't hold.

When we reach unit 205, Levi unlocks the door, pushing it open to reveal her new home.

"Uh, this is much better than my old place." I count three distinct rooms - living room, kitchen, and bedroom, each with plenty of space. Someone could actually live comfortably here without feeling caged.

She collapses onto the sofa with a forced smile. "Well, it really took a while to find this place, and even longer to save up for the security deposit. Two months in advance plus first month up-front." Her feline ears droop slightly at the memory. "But looking at it now, all that effort was worth it."

I materialize her luggage in the middle of the living room. "So when do classes start?"

"Next week. Should be enough time to settle in and stock up on groceries for the month." She stretches out on the sofa, her joints popping. "Though it sucks having to travel so far just for shopping - everything's in the commercial district. Compared to Kuo Kuana, where I could walk to the market or the plaza. At least there's a bus stop nearby. Going to get an unlimited pass later today."

"Huh, neat." I can't help but be impressed by how thoroughly she's planned everything out. "Well, good luck. Just remember to be careful. This city isn't Kuo Kuana - plenty of assholes out there."

Although this zone looks much safer, nobody could ever be too trustful with this.

She groans dramatically, rolling her eyes. "I know, I know. My parents already gave me the lecture."

An awkward silence settles between us - that familiar kind that comes when you know it's time to leave, but neither wants to make the first move. I find myself glancing around the apartment one last time, memorizing details.

"Well..." I clear my throat, rubbing the back of my neck in that nervous habit I can't seem to shake. "I should probably get going. Let you unpack and get settled in. You know, that stuff."

Levi sits up on the sofa, her ears twitching slightly. "Yeah, I guess..." She pauses, fidgeting with her sleeve in a way that reminds me of our early days in Menagerie. "But hey, don't be a stranger this time, okay? You know where I live now, so no excuses."

I can't help but chuckle. "What, afraid I'll disappear again?"

"You better not," she warns, but there's a playful glint in her green eyes that takes any sting out of the words. "I know where you work now, remember? I'll come drag you out myself if I have to."

I shake my head, failing to hide my smile. Before I can respond, she suddenly lunges forward with surprising speed, wrapping me in a tight hug that pins my arms to my sides. "I'm happy you're okay, Ma'iq. And that we met again." She squeezes once more before releasing me, her expression warm and sincere. "And really, thank you again for the help. I will never ever forget this."

"Don't mention it... oh right!" I snap my fingers as an important thought hits me. I pull out a small notebook and pen, quickly scrawling down my scroll number. "Here's my number. Whatever you need, or if you just want to hang out, give me a call, okay? I can always make time." I tear out the page and hand it over.

Levi laughs as she takes it. "Finally managed to get your own scroll, didn't you?"

"Took me a while but told you I would get one on my own!" I thump my chest with exaggerated pride. Although it was given to me by the system, it is objectively better than any scroll out in the market, so zero complaints from my side.

Her giggles fill the room, and I find myself committing the sound to memory.

But I know I can't stay much longer. "See ya around, okay?"

She nods, understanding our time is up for now. But instead of a simple goodbye, she steps forward, grabs my collar, and pulls me down to plant a gentle kiss on my right cheek. "See you around."

I pull back, blinking in surprise at the unexpected gesture. But I manage a nod before turning to leave, closing the door behind me. I head for the stairs, not wanting to deal with that stupid elevator music again.

As I descend, I can't help the warm feeling spreading through my chest. I'm genuinely happy to have reconnected with Levi after all this time. The fact that she's forgiven my stupidity means more than I care to admit and that I am no longer alone in this city.

Things are truly looking up for me, and I wouldn't want it any other way.

My tail sways contentedly as I push open the building's front door, stepping out into the Vale afternoon. For once, even this city's chaos feels a little less oppressive.

---

Even with everything that happened this morning, I still have a night job. Which finds me behind the counter, polishing cups with what I'm sure is a stupid grin plastered across my face.

Nothing can get me down now.

"When's the wedding?"

A voice cuts through my thoughts.

"Huh?" I pause mid-polish, turning to find Melanie perched on her usual stool, watching me with that trademark amused smirk of hers.

"You look stupidly happy, so you're obviously getting married. When is it? Got a best man? We offer discounts for wedding nights and bachelor parties."

"Shut it, I'm just happy, that's all. Nothing wrong with that."

She quirks an eyebrow. "Maybe, but seeing you without your usual scowl or frown? Something special must've happened."

I blink, setting down the cup. Have I really been that grumpy? I thought I was carrying myself perfectly fine - friendly enough for a bartender, at least. "You're exaggerating. And yes, something nice happened. Of course I'd be happy about it."

"Meh, a wedding would've been more interesting." She crosses her arms with an exaggerated sigh, waving her hand dismissively. "Make me a simple drink."

I roll my eyes but comply, grabbing a freshly polished glass. A couple ice cubes, splash of soda, touch of rum, and finally, a few drops of lemon for that extra kick.

I slide it her way, and she snatches it up, taking a long sip before licking her lips in satisfaction. "Never disappoint."

The peaceful moment shatters along with glass as a loud crash draws our attention. A drunk bunny faunus is sprawled across his table, and as we watch, he hurls another glass to the floor. Great, more tiny shards to sweep up.

"Goddammit, a wasted drunk this early?" Melanie snarls, downing the rest of her drink in one go and wiping her mouth with her arm. She stalks toward the troublemaker like a predator ready to pounce.

I collect her empty glass and start cleaning it, unable to hide my amusement as she grabs the drunk by his rabbit ears and slams him face-first into the table before dragging him away, his protests echoing through the club. Kicking and screaming but totally helpless against Melanie's iron grip.

That's oddly entertaining to watch.

Back to work, though. As I'm taking inventory of the bottles, I notice we're out of gin. Better head to storage for a restock. I grab the "Will be back" sign and set it on the counter before heading off to fetch more bottles.

Humming a different tune under my breath, I make my way down the dimly lit corridor leading to storage. The music from the club grows muffled as I get further from the main floor.

"Let's see... gin, gin, gin."

My eyes scan the shelves as I enter the storage room, trying to remember where Junior keeps the imported stuff. The room is packed with boxes and crates of various alcohols, drinks and other less than legal stuff, all organized.

My ears twitch at the sound of approaching footsteps, but I decide to ignore them and grab the bottles so then I can head back to the bar counter. Except that I shouldn't have ignored the footsteps as my heart jumped to my throat when I almost collided with Miltia, who yelped in surprise.

"Whoa!" I stumble back, barely managing not to drop the bottles. "Sorry, didn't see you there."

Miltia takes a quick step back herself, her usual composed expression briefly flickering with surprise before settling into something I can't quite read. "Oh. It's you."

There's an awkward pause as we both just stand there.

"Just... getting some gin," I offer lamely, holding up the bottles as if they weren't obvious enough.

"Right." She shifts her weight, green eyes darting away before coming back to meet mine. "I was looking for some wine."

"The wine's on the top shelf," I point with my hand still holding a bottle. "Next to the-"

"You know," her grin widens, "I saw you earlier. Working the bar with this... interesting smile on your face." She takes another step closer, backing me against the shelves. "Got me curious all over again."

My ears twitch and shake my head, smirking back at her. "Just had a good day, that's all."

"Oh?" Miltia's eyes sparkle with mischief as she leans in. "Must have been very good to have you grinning like that."

"Maybe it was," I reply, my tail swaying playfully behind me. "Or maybe I just enjoy my job that much."

"Really now?" She cocks her head, clearly not buying it. "And here I thought those smiles were reserved for... special occasions." Her eyes flick meaningfully to where she has me backed against the shelves.

I let out a low chuckle, deciding to play her game again. "What can I say? I'm full of surprises."

"Hmm," she hums, running a finger along my arm. "I remember. You were quite surprising that night."

"Before your sister so rudely interrupted?" I raise an eyebrow, matching her playful tone. "Could've been even more surprising."

"No surprises here." Melanie's dry voice cuts through the moment like a knife, causing us both to jump in fright and turn to look to our side. She's leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed and looking thoroughly unimpressed.

"Are you fucking serious, sister?! Are you stalking me?!" Miltia loses her composure.

"Haha, as if." Melanie rolls her eyes, examining her nails with exaggerated disinterest. "Did you forget that we throw out guests from the back door?" She gestures over her shoulder with her thumb. "Just finished taking out the trash, actually."

Right. The drunkard from earlier.

Miltia opens her mouth, likely ready to unleash a tirade, but instead lets out a frustrated cry that echoes through the storage room. She snatches a wine bottle from the shelf and storms past her sister, her heels clicking angrily against the floor as she disappears down the hallway.

Melanie's eyes follow her sister before shifting to me, one eyebrow raised. "Didn't learn your lesson the first time, huh?"

I hold up the gin bottles defensively. "Just restocking."

"Sure you were." She pushes off the door frame with a smirk. "Better get back to work."

She's halfway out the door when she pauses, glancing back over her shoulder. A different kind of smirk plays across her lips - almost genuine. "By the way..."

"What now?"

"Keep that smile from earlier. Actually suits you better than the usual brooding." Her voice carries an unusual hint of sincerity before switching back to her typical teasing tone. "Even if my sister's activities aren't the reason for it."

Before I can respond, she's gone, leaving me alone in the storage room with my gin bottles and confused thoughts.

However, I shake my head to clear my thoughts.

Better get back to the bar before any more surprises show up. Though I can't help the small smile that returns as I think about the real reason for my good mood today.

---