"Here you go." I tell some shifting about customers, placing their food down gently and still somehow making them jump. I look at one of the wide-eyed ones directly and I watch his throat flex to the demands of his gulp. Moving away back towards where Liada is otherwise taking it easy, I lean on the counter as she watches some pastries slowly brown.

On an Undwote-touched day, I imagine this warmth would be a nice retreat from the cold.

"You really should be saying, 'Here's your food, please enjoy' or something along those lines." she tells me under her breath, making my brow cock up. Moving onto my arms, my claws come together and squeeze. I hop my elbows away from the edge.

"Enjoy your food!" I call back to the whole shop and I turn back to her as she shakes her smirk-wearing face.

"People like it when you make a point of encouraging them to enjoy themselves. A sincere smile goes a long way in that regard." Liada explains, passing on her handful of years of experience to me and the brow goes back up.

"Uh, Liada, I don't need a mirror to practice my smile in. Other things are what have people acting up." I point out, my chitters becoming all the louder to emphasise that fact.

"They'll get used to it, just, try to let the usual behaviour die down while you're out here. Please?" she asks and I look down to ponder it, the details of my claws going on by. Easier asked for than done, very much so. I'll give her the benefit of the doubt and assume she knows it's not quite that simple but even then.

"I'll try." I say despite the concerns I have and she nods a little.

"Thank you." she goes, her head looking back towards the door as if she's expecting it to open. Following her gaze, I spot the many who clearly want to come in but they're quickly overrun with other wants. One man makes it as far as the door, his hand hits the handle and his eyes widen. Full pockets are patted and off he goes elsewhere, a lingering gaze keeping his eyes this way.

Liada's business is actively suffering right now because I am up and centre without even the decency of being covered up. People know what I am and I know from experience they take it better when I am dressed. I have the body of a well-known danger that people simply cannot afford to get comfortable around. Even with how this city has never had an osibindah problem before that didn't involve the name Nin.

While I never got involved with them too much, I have come to learn that one of the main duties of the city guard is what amounts to weed duty. My time in my witch guild has let me know we tend to get the backlog of jobs or the riskier ones so we can weaken the problem. Contracted Idiots as some like to say. A name with plenty of dead to back it up, the payday blinding them to the danger and all to the point laws are around because of it.

Not that any of it was given much consideration when I started working there. At this point, in fact, the tougher jobs are just being left for me. Though, at least now it's purely because of the experience I have as a fighter and the measurements they took on those test periods. Not really sure how measuring magic and giving it a number is meant to figure things out, but, clearly it works.

Even then, I know how the rooms tense up when I walk in, that silent wish I never come back...

"Much as I said I'd rather not stay up in my room doing nothing, it is probably for the best that I do." I remark to Liada as she shifts things about in that converted forge oven of hers. The tray rattles with haste and she looks at me with shaky eyes, a nervous twitch in her hands. Slowly, she starts to shake her head, a familiar glistening on her iris'.

"No..." she goes weakly.

"Liada, I'm only causing you trouble. I don't have the experience and you know full well many of the people who should be coming in aren't because of me. Look outside and come back with words that aren't excuses. My help is also a bit pointless, you can handle yourself fine." I explain and her hands cup my still-together claws. Looking up slightly while she looks down, I watch as she tries to find her words. Her eyes meet mine and she starts to smile, though it's wavering under the weight of her worries.

"It doesn't matter if I can handle it. I'd rather have you around. I like it when you are around, helping me... It's not something I'm used to..." she tells me, her eyes acting up as she shuffles back. Sighing, I pick myself up and go around to the back end of the counter. Pulling her into a hug, she returns it far tighter than I am giving.

"Shhhhh. Shhhhh." I go, rocking her from side to side. Her sniffles echoing up from my chest.

"I don't care if I start to lose money... We both make more than enough and I just want to spend some time with you. It's too normal that you're off elsewhere and-" she lets out further and I make her go quiet by pressing her head closer to my chest. She seems to find some comfort finding the gaps of flesh between my shell and although her sharp nails tickle, I let her carry on.

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

"Don't worry, if you want me to stick around, I will. I'm not going anywhere for the moment. Certainly for the rest of this day." I make sure she understands as she starts to move her head out of my grip and back up. She finds my eyes and smiles, coming back in to carry on the hug while her tail accidentally knocks about on the walls and doors back here.

"And what about the day after? And the one after that and the ones further away?" she asks and I 'uh' with uncertainty as I can't really guarantee anything. There's a lot at stake if I just stop doing my guild work and while she won't have the moral high ground in an argument, she could still try. I know more than anyone what it means to pursue selfish goals at the expense of everyone else.

She starts to laugh and a finger bops my snout, making me shake it back so I can blink my bafflement. She grins and gets back to work, making little work of moving about back here, its narrowness not even a minded concern for her. Despite all that I can do and have done, this agility is still impressive to me. Two very different lifestyles and we still have our small overlaps in what we can do.

"Now, I know you still want me to help, but, is there anything that needs doing out back? You seem bored and if we're both here there's little work for both of us." I bring up and she stops to look at the people walking out in front of the shop. She starts to nod and looks towards the back end of the shop, the bits she's long since made a habit of cornering off.

"Will you be able to go to the stock room and check my deliveries? I've got a few I need to get ready and it will save me time later as I can only really do it after work." she asks and explains in depth, making me smile before ruffling her hair.

"Sure, make sure to keep safe." I tell her and she puts whatever it is she's holding down as I go to move the barrier out of the way.

"There's nothing dangerous here!" she calls back and I let out a single noise of amusement as I set the barrier back in place. Closing the door behind me, it's not long for the front doorbell to go off and I keep a smile for a little bit. She said she didn't care about losing money, but, I am sure she loves to know that her business is doing well.

Ding, ding, ding, ding, someone's holding the door, ding, ding, ding... My smile goes away.

Remarks about what I am don't bother me much anymore, I no longer live the life I once did when I first became a student at Suhurlodst. Even mirrors cannot light a fire in my heart. What bothers me now is more so the knowledge that my existence actively hurts those that I care about. I was only paying attention to those walking by earlier, but the outdoor seats were packed as well. None of them had come in to buy anything and now that I am out of the way, everyone's rushing in.

I sigh as my chittering becomes a disturbed mess.

Shaking my head, I head on into the room Liada wants me to check out and I pick up a magic stone tablet. Shifting through the details, I come to the 'page' that details the progress of her orders. Gently touching some of the containers, I feel out the magic engraved into them and let my mind run rampant guessing their purposes. I notice a small pile of filled containers not with the others.

"Labels... Labels..." I repeat slowly and I turn one around. Double-checking the list, I put these ones into the boxes they're meant to be in and I smile when I spot Abbspri's name. Seems like he's been ordering a fair few sausage rolls and other meaty pastries for not only the regular customers but his place's quartet.

Going through the list again, I awkwardly find myself without a place to note anything down. I don't want to add details to Liada's tablet and I am clueless as to where I can jot things. Frowning, I simply mark off what I know is full and fine and make a point of reading what's on the boxes. Can just tell her which ones are not full still and she'll probably know the rest.

"Hmmmm. Spend five years fighting the worst criminal this city has ever seen. I've fought wyverns, rooted out osibindah hives, battled criminals and rogue witches and I am stumped by mere logistics for a small bakery... Keeping to the awe of it, how have you managed, Liada?" I go, putting the tablet back where I found it and head back out. Slowing down, a familiar feeling shivers across my body and I shake it off, not worrying about it.

Thankfully for Liada, it seems like she's done with everyone who came in during my absence. It being particularly marked with her finishing a transaction with one woman and the ca-ching of her register. Liada spots me and comes over, her hands entering her apron to be wiped clean of crumbs. Though, any cream, grease, sauces or jams are sucked off instead.

She smiles and offers me her thumb and I shake my head, a giggle leaving her as she licks the fine dark red line off.

"So, how is it?" she asks, quickly looking back to what she's got in the oven and what's on display right now.

"Anything that you had on the sides is put in with the bigger boxes and a couple now are filled out and ready to go when you need them to." I tell her and she slowly nods.

"What do I still need to fill out?" she asks, bringing out a small piece of stone to write notes on. I scratch the back of my head, the details not coming to mind. I shrug and she smiles, putting the notetablet away.

The shop starts to rattle and I look out the glass as the crowds out there start to make way for something coming down. A small government aircraft lands, its engines flaring with magical power and the door slides open. A well-dressed individual walks out and I quickly pick up on the deep colour of her fuchsia hair. The magic present in it shades it with darkness while little bits of dark-fire ignite as she brushes her hand through it.

"Odd." I remark as Inerish opens the door and the aircraft leaves to go back to whatever it was doing. Liada looks back and I take note of her glare as I also acknowledge how differently Inerish is dressed. Amythest lipstick with the same sort of shine as the gemstone itself and a completely different uniform. One that's far more showing of her form with a break in her skirt to show off a garter-belted thigh and she's even got a military coat on for no reason.

It's just dangling from her shoulders and I do not ever recall her having a hard-brimmed hat decorated with medal-like gaudiness. Liada heads to the till as Inerish comes to a stop at it, a wink coming my way as my eyes lock onto her fuller-than-usual lips. They shape themselves into an 'o' and a damning noise leaves them. Liada's eyes meet hers and while she glares, Inerish smirks, a relaxed confidence about her.

"Why're you even here?" I ask as deeply under my breath as I can.