After finishing up at the museum, Andrew and Li Jing decided to check out the various organizations operating in the City and on Earth. While hunting was a decent way to earn credits, by collecting crystals and trading them in, for Andrew, that option was a bit too… risky. The safer option was to get a job, at least until he learned a trade like alchemy or enchantment. They headed to the City's library, using one of the terminals to access the information on the various organizations.

To start, there were three major factions each organization could belong to: Divines, Independents, and Separatists. The Divines were Bonded that believed that the Bonded should rule over the humans as gods. They believed that their protection was a service and worship was the payment they deserved for providing it. Organizations affiliated with this faction focused on activities related to the cultural and political climate of Earth. Many Bonded involved in these organizations would work as politicians or celebrities, becoming influential figures in Earth's society, or working behind the scenes to influence others in those positions.

On the other hand, the Independents believed that the humans deserved to live their own lives, developing on their own, without too much interference from the Bonded and vice versa. They believed that, while protecting Earth was important, it didn't give them the right to interfere in the lives of regular humans, and the humans had no rights to interfere in theirs. Their activities were focused on keeping the humans in the dark about the Outside, tracking down Bonded that abused their power, hunting down stray Beasts that managed to slip into Earth, and maintaining the Bonded's identities, ensuring the various human authorities wouldn't become suspicious. They were also involved in maintaining the City, creating a space that was just for Bonded, protecting the portals to Earth, and tracking and eliminating any threats to the safety of both the City and Earth.

The Separatists, on the other hand, believed that the humans and the Bonded should have little to nothing to do with each other, period. They believed the Bonded had been shackled by their obsession with protecting the humans, and that they should be free to explore and develop without worrying about Earth's defense. These organizations focused on exploring the Outside, taking new territories, and hunting. They were also involved in maintaining relationships with the other influential Beast groups in the region. Their main goal was to make the Bonded as powerful and influential as possible in the Outside.

Andrew considered the various organizations, disregarding the political views for a moment. It looked like, if he wanted to work on Earth, he should join a Divine organization. If he wanted to work Outside, he needed to join a Separatist organization. If he wanted a little bit of both, he could join an Independent organization.

Andrew considered the decision carefully. He immediately discarded the Divine organizations. He had no interest in getting involved in politics or fame or anything like that. Being in the public eye like that… he would rather live like a wild man in the woods. Discarding the Separatist organizations was a bit of a harder choice, but he really didn't have another option. As much as he would love to spend all his days exploring the Outside, hunting Beasts, and just being free, it was just too risky for him. No one would trust him with any truly dangerous task, and if he couldn't actually do the missions, he wouldn't be useful. That left the Independents. Honestly, it wouldn't be a terrible option. They had a decent mix of Beast and human work, both Outside and on Earth, which would give him some flexibility. Unfortunately, with his condition, the only jobs he qualified for were the low level ones meant for humans without powerful abilities, like manning turrets on the walls or recharging enchantments. They still paid, but not very well.

Andrew let out a weary sigh. "Damn it… I wish I could just fight in the Arena."

"You'd die." Li Jing pointed out.

"I know. I just wish I wouldn't." Andrew retorted petulantly.

Li Jing smirked, before turning back to her terminal, pulling up a page full of the Independent organizations. "Which one do we join?" She asked, pointing to it.

Andrew leaned in to study the list, before pausing and suddenly twisting his head to look at her as he processed what she'd said. "We?"

Li Jing cocked her head. "Is that a problem?"

"Well, no, but… I mean, you could do anything. Why do the shit work with me?" Andrew asked.

"Because I want to. I would rather take it slow, growing stronger with you, than try to rush to the top on my own." Li Jing replied.

Andrew blinked. "Huh… well now I feel all warm and fuzzy." He muttered, smirking as he made a thin coating of fur appear all over his body.

Li Jing snorted. "Dork."

He chuckled, turning back to normal. "Anyways, I guess we'll just need to look at the benefits, right?" Andrew muttered, turning to the list. "What type of organization are we looking for then? Do we want to focus on Earth? Or Outside?" Andrew considered the list.

Li Jing pondered the question thoughtfully. "Outside." She finally answered after a bit. "Less travel, plus a more regular schedule. It will be important for school."

"Right, school." Andrew sighed, before nodding in agreement. He knew she was right, but he'd been leaning towards Earth because he honestly wouldn't mind his school time being disrupted. Plus, he didn't think he'd enjoy just doing the same thing over and over. He looked over the shortened list. "Mostly base camp stuff… which, yeah, that would work. Plus, you could still hunt if we did that. Hey, do you think if we worked with the enchantment guys, they'd teach me anything?"

Li Jing shrugged. "We should work the details out with an actual person. See what the job actually entails, what skills we need."

"True. I'm probably being a bit impatient here." Andrew nodded, pulling back from the terminal. "So, what should we do now?"

"Dinner?" Li Jing suggested

Andrew grinned. "Dinner sounds good."

*

The two left the library and headed to a nearby restaurant. As they sat down for their meal, a thought occurred to him. "Hey, so, do you know how applying to join an organization actually works? Like, do we just look around and choose who we want to go with?"

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Mostly." Li Jing nodded. "There are a few that have higher requirements, but there aren't enough Bonded for organizations to be too picky. You do get more benefits if you're stronger though."

Andrew nodded. "So, we should probably focus on strengthening ourselves, huh? Better benefits are always good, right?"

Li Jing paused, before nodding. "That sounds like a good plan."

"Right. We should probably plan for a lot more hunting trips." Andrew nodded.

Li Jing grinned slightly. "When?" She asked, eyes twinkling.

Andrew paused. "Uh… how about next week? I mean, until we hit two hundred, we can't even participate in tournaments. Seems like a good target, right? We should probably hunt every week, maybe only taking weekends off, until we hit that. I'd even say this week, but… well, my brother is having friends over and it'd be weird if I just disappeared, you know?"

Li Jing nodded in understanding. "How old is your brother?"

"Twenty-one." Andrew answered simply. "They're his college friends, so they're staying at our place for the duration."

Li Jing nodded again. "Do you have other siblings?"

Andrew nodded. "I have three sisters as well. How about you? How many siblings do you have?"

Li Jing held up all five fingers of her hand. "Three brothers, two sisters." She elaborated.

Andrew nodded along. That size was fairly typical. Most Bonded had large families, to maximize the chances of one of their children being Bonded. "Did that cause you any problems? I know China has that whole one child policy thing going on."

Li Jing shook her head. "The Bonded don't need to worry about that."

Andrew nodded. "Gotcha. What is it like growing up in China?"

"It's fine. Quiet. Position is very… important there. With my family's position, we can't carelessly interact with anyone. We have to remain… distant. It leaves little room for socialization." Li Jing explained, a slight swirl of depression coloring her emotions.

"That… doesn't sound fun." Andrew responded awkwardly. "I- well, I know what it's like to be isolated like that. At least I deserved it though… being stuck like that just because of your family… that sounds awful."

Li Jing looked up at him, frowning slightly. "Deserved it?"

Andrew froze, not even realizing he'd let that slip out. "Uh… I-it's complicated. I- I messed up once and- there's just some things you can't come back from." He finished in a low, depressed murmur, a dark expression filling his face.

Li Jing's frown deepened as she reached out to grip his hand. "Stop that." She demanded in a firm tone.

Andrew looked up in surprise, not expecting that response. "S-stop?" He stuttered in confusion.

Li Jing nodded. "Stop giving up. No one is irredeemable."

Andrew's expression fell and he shook his head. "You don't understand. You don't know what I've done… it isn't something I can just walk away from."

"So don't. Make it right. But don't just condemn yourself. That doesn't fix anything." Li Jing retorted, her gaze becoming firmer as she stared at him.

"But what if there is no solution? What if there's nothing I can do to make thing's right?" Andrew responded in a pained voice. How could he pay for taking someone's life? How could he fix that? There's just no way. You can't just replace a person. You can't fill the void of their existence. Andrew knew that the Clans had made sure Eric's family was well taken care of after what happened, but that didn't actually make things better. Their son was still dead. Nothing would change that.

"Does making yourself miserable about it help?" Li Jing replied. "Do you think whoever you hurt would feel better by seeing you be miserable?"

Andrew thought back to Eric and their relationship. "Probably?"

Li Jing froze. "Uh… well, they shouldn't."

"True…" Andrew nodded slowly. Taking pleasure in someone else's misery, even if they'd hurt you, wasn't a good mindset to have. He knew that. It was why he'd never felt good about Eric's death, even after everything he'd put him and Benjamin through.

"So is making yourself miserable helping?" Li Jing continued.

"No…" Andrew answered slowly, frowning as he saw where Li Jing was going with this. Yes, his misery wouldn't do anything to make the situation better. But… it also didn't seem right to be happy after what he'd done… Andrew rubbed his temples as his head began to ache. His parents had raised him to believe that people should take responsibility for the consequences of their actions. It didn't feel right for him to just be fine after what he'd done.

Li Jing sighed, shaking her head. She reached out and poked him in the forehead. "Stupid. Stop creating your own problems. Life makes enough on its own."

"I'll- I'll try." Andrew sighed. "I just… I don't know if it'll be that easy."

Li Jing nodded, gripping his hand a bit tighter. "I'm here if you ever need to talk." She assured him.

"Thank you." Andrew replied, shooting her a quick grin. "So, uh, where were we then? Before I turned this into an Andrew pity party."

Li Jing rolled her eyes, smirking lightly. "Growing up. How was America?"

"Oh, right… Well, uh, disregarding school, it wasn't so bad. I spent most of my time in the woods, exploring, making friends with the animals, developing my territory, stuff like that." Andrew explained.

Li Jing cocked her head. "How do you make friends with animals?"

"The Monkey side." Andrew replied. "Animals really respond to emotional messages, and they don't really have a concept of lying, so they're rather easy to get along with. You just keep sending positive vibes and they just hang. Especially if you give them some food."

Li Jing clicked her tongue, pouting slightly. "Lucky. My ability just gets people wet."

Andrew grimaced slightly. "Yeah, well, they're still animals… you can't really have a conversation with them or anything, it's just some companionship. Plus… getting too attached can cause problems."

Li Jing frowned. "How so?"

Andrew sighed. "Animals die. From old age. From each other… From humans. If you hold on too tight to them, it'll just cause pain."

Li Jing nodded slowly. "Like how the older Bonded talk about humans… we can't stay too long in their lives without causing each other pain. We're simply not the same."

Andrew frowned. "Well that's depressing… I hadn't even thought of that. It doesn't even take that long, does it? By the time they're all in their forties, we'll still look like we're in our mid twenties… suspicions will grow, and we'll need to move on, finding new friends, slowly getting out of touch as we find ourselves too old mentally to socialize with the younger generation, but too young physically to be with the older, not fitting in with either."

Li Jing reached out to poke him in the forehead again. "Stop it. We still have each other."

Andrew smiled lightly. "Yeah. I guess we do."

The two continued to chat over dinner, before ending the date with a walk through the park, which ended up as less of a walk and more a series of secluded makeout sessions. Unfortunately, as it grew later, the two had to separate for yet another week. As Andrew stepped through the portal back home, he looked back at Li Jing with only one thought in his mind. It was going to be a good summer.