"You've got to sniff it, and I really mean sniff it."
"You realize how weird we look and sound right now, don't you?"
"Are you worried about looking weird or getting better with your semblance?"
Emerald looked away from me, glancing around us. Our conversation had mostly gone unheard, most people across the small fast food place too busy to pay any attention to what was going on in some isolated booth of the chatter filled place but those closest did give us some curious looks. Sighing to herself she turned her attention away from all that and focused on the plastic plate of fries in front of her, leaning down to take a breath of it as she closed her eyes.
Then, once her aura made its way over, a similar plate formed in front of me.
Its golden salted appearance, a few with burnt edges, was pretty good even under scrutiny. She might not have been able to turn her life around with the way she chose to use it, but she'd developed a pretty good eye for detail due to her semblance. Compared to her previous attempts the smell was spot on too, tempting me to take a bite despite knowing it was just an illusion.
A good attempt but it wouldn't mean much with her current limits.
"Open your eyes." I said. Emerald did as I said and the illusion firmly held despite that.
Covering up her own presence and conjuring static distractions to set up her thievery. By her own admission those were the two main ways she used her semblance, rarely bothering with the other aspects of it.
I reached down to the illusionary plate of fries, picking up one from the edge and gradually raising it up.
The illusion didn't fall apart immediately but holes were poked in it.
"You're putting too much focus on the weight."
"The salt on it doesn't have any texture."
"You're forgetting to change the distance of the smell."
With each correction she did a better job of fooling more than just my sight into believing the fry in my grasp was real. A fact that took a real toll on her.
By the time the fry was near my mouth, her face had scrunched up, left eye practically closed and genuine sweat beginning to build up. The second I placed it in my mouth and she had to try to throw my sense of taste into the mix, that overwhelmed her, the entire illusion fading away as a breath escaped her and her tense shoulders fell.
"I can't do it." She muttered as she wiped away her building sweat and nursed her forehead. Her semblance was causing her genuine pain, not just taxing her aura control. Was it a form of sensory overload? She was far better at fulfilling my requests when she had her own eyes closed and attempting to block out the world, which was far too big a weakness to take into a real fight if she wanted to use more detailed illusions during them. "Do I really need to be able to use my semblance like that?"
"Like I said, how far we take this is up to you." I said, leaning back. "But I know you can do it. You just need to stick with it."
"Right. The body adapts to the semblance." She muttered the last bit to herself, quoting some of what she'd been reading. I was a walking example of it. If my guess was right, then the reason her semblance didn't cause me any pain yet was because I was already used to taking in more information than others. Layering on an illusion and controlling it wasn't any trouble for me.
But that was on a small scale. How many could I trap in an illusion before managing so many different people's senses became that taxing on me? Would my aura run dry or would my mind crack under that pressure first?
"You're not from Mistral, right?"
"Nope." I said, the sudden question putting that train of thought on halt.
"Are you planning to stay here?"
"For now. I'll be leaving once I finished up my business."
Emerald glanced up from the plate she'd been staring at. "Can I-" Her eyes dropped right back to the plate, shifting in place. "-well, if you don't have a problem with it, can I go with you?"
My brow jumped up. First those sudden questions then a request like that? Something or someone must've put these thoughts in her head recently. While I wouldn't call her stupid, I did figure out pretty quickly that she wasn't the type to fully think through any big plans she made.
She wouldn't have been stuck doing petty thievery if she was with a semblance like hers.
"You know, with all the lien you've made so far, if you haven't somehow blown it all, you could probably live out a pretty comfortable live behind these walls for at least a couple years. That's more than enough time to find a way to earn some easy money that'll last you your whole life."
That route made a hell of a lot more sense for someone in her position. Why risk encountering more Grimm when the easy life most lived was literally just one decision away?
"Maybe." She admitted, looking back up, a shy smile forming. "But this is really working out for me. I kind of like the set up we have." Her lips fell into a frown. "Cinder could be a little friendlier though."
As long as she realized that, ultimately, it was her choice to make. That said, it wouldn't be right to let her make it right now. Not with what I was involved in.
Leaning forward, I waved for her to do the same until we were face to face.
"There are people I'm looking for across Remnant. People I intend on killing." Emerald tensed up, her eyes widening somewhat. "They're dangerous. Stick with me long enough and you could end up with a target on your back."
Vague but it was all she needed to know. If she was smart, she'd cut her losses, take the lien she had and live out that easy life for as long as she could.
It was silent but with my Sharingan, her unsure gulp screamed anxiousness at me. "These people." She whispered. "They did something to you?" She really did have a high opinion of me if that was her first assumption.
"Yeah." I might've decided to take action against Salem and her people long before ever crossing paths with them out of necessity but there was no room to deny how personal it was now.
"And you're in Mistral for one of these people?" I nodded. "Then…if I use my semblance to help, I can-Ow!" Emerald recoiled, a hand instinctively shooting up to her forehead where I flicked her.
"Don't be stupid. That stuff doesn't involve you. I'm just warning you ahead of time." I said as I lowered my hand. "We wouldn't be friends if you had to do something like that to keep traveling with me. Just think about it for now and make your choice when I do leave."
As she rubbed at her forehead, the strained thin line she'd been trying her best to maintain, curved upwards into a bigger smile, Emerald nodding.
I see why it had been so easy for a far more manipulative Cinder to gain her loyalty. The initial defensiveness she had never resurfaced, at least when it came to me, it a way to help her survive on the streets. Naturally, being forced to adopt that way of living would've left anyone a little desperate for friends. Just by consequence of being nice to her I'd ended up securing more loyalty than someone in her position should have.
She was a bit simple minded, especially for semblance with as much potential for chaos as hers, but I really did like her.
Hopefully she did end up choosing that easy life. If not, better I be the one with her loyalty than anyone working for Salem.
XOXO
Friends were a risk.
It was one of the first lessons she learned getting by on the streets.
Emerald looked from the book she was reading, watching Talon, who was in the middle of eating some kind of chocolate covered strawberries the store they sat outside of served, nonchalantly show off some aura exercises to Cinder that neither of them could recreate yet.
It'd be one thing if he only ever showed up when it concerned work but she didn't understand how Cinder could watch him go along with so much that didn't benefit him at all, from these frequent teaching sessions to just wasting money hanging around the city, and act like he was most people. She was right that they didn't know much about him, that admission he intended on killing people still a shock to Emerald, but he obviously cared about others unlike most.
Even back when she was kid, still figuring out how to get by, other kids were more likely to steal what little food she managed to get her hands on or abandon her the moment a plan went south. Still, though rare, there'd always been a few kids who actually tried to stick together and help each other.
They never lasted long.
Friends simply hadn't been the way to go. It'd been better to toughen up and act like those other kids who actually survived even if it meant being alone.
Talon reminded her of those nicer kids.
"You ready, kid?" Stepping up from the busy streets, the same dark haired man she'd seen Talon leave with the other night, stood beyond the slightly elevated railing that separated the shop's tables from the rest of the street.
"I'll see you two around." Talon said, as he finished his last strawberry then jumped over the railing, waving as he disappeared into the crowds alongside that man.
There was definitely some kind of familiarity between those two. They hadn't taken on any new jobs since that man showed up and, even if he didn't seem like he'd make a big deal out of it, she couldn't imagine just anyone deciding to call Talon of all people something like kid.
Well, it was probably fine.
Except for the part where him leaving left her with Cinder.
"Here." Emerald said, closing the book and sliding it over to her. She thought she could get by without buying any of those books but with the way Cinder was, she should probably just get them to avoid having to deal with her.
"You can borrow it." Cinder said, the simple gesture smacking Emerald like a punch. She was letting her take it?
Cinder never opened her eyes, refocusing on her aura the moment Talon left with that man.
You could just say sorry. It took a lot of effort to hold back that thought trying to rush out. "Thanks. I'll bring it back." She said instead, rising up and leaving, book in hand.
Cinder reminded her more of the kids who did manage to get by.
They were never happy.
They could end up with plenty of food after screwing over others, but it never changed that simple fact, the thought of what was next and suspicion of others far too overwhelming to ever worry about something like enjoying any of that food.
She knew it all firsthand. After all, it'd been how she forced herself to live most days, any moment of enjoyment one that wouldn't last.
There was no way anyone actually wanted to live like that.
XOXO
(A/N: For as much as she'll be around, in terms of POVs, I don't really consider Emerald's that important. It sounds kind of mean to say but her perspective on main events generally won't be as important or interesting as others so I'll always end up choosing their perspectives over hers when I feel a switch from Talon's might be needed or adds something. Still in this bit of downtime before the next major plotline, it was about time for a little look into her mind.
All in all Cinder is obviously lucky. Talon, for his own reasons, has a vested interest in bettering her life and perspective meanwhile Emerald, due to her own past, can emphasize with Cinder's volatile attitude even if she can't fully brush it off or minimize it the way Talon can. That's bound to have an affect sooner or later. Or maybe it already has.
See what I mean, I literally just boiled down the point of Emerald's POV to why she's more willing to try and be friends with Cinder. The things that are important to her are so normal that her POV only has specific use cases which usually involves supporting what's going on with the other characters.
I guess that's just how stories are. Every character has their role to play even if I like to try and treat as real people when I'm planning and writing. But that's enough about me running my mouth about what I'm learning from my own writing.
Link for those who want to read ahead and or support me in another way:
patreon .com/ thirdratewriter
Things are going to pick up again but I hope you and enjoyed this chapter.)