"Ya oughta test each new power ya get thoroughly, but we can go over that later," Baelvyr threw in.

"Right," Beth replied before re-focusing. "What else? Uh, I can see into the infrared. It's not quite like an infrared camera or app, it looks a little different, but I can 'see' heat now. Beyond that, I can see the information of items, which I'm actually fucking psyched about, and I can also see the tiers of the skills I have, as Jaq mentioned."

"Any problems adjustin' to high light levels, even what we're in now at noon?" Baelvyr asked.

"Uh, no, not really. My eyes weren't ever really light sensitive like some peoples’ can be, and I can see perfectly fine in bright light as well as dim," Beth answered. "It's actually such a huge improvement, even if it felt like drills of molten metal were grinding into my eye sockets when I used the upgrade item."

"Yeah, ya get a lot of pain in this line o' work," Baelvyr chuckled, Beth feeling her teeth rattle a little from it.

"Home sweet home," Jaq commented then, and they emerged from Baelvyr’s gouge of destruction a moment later to see the CRA Hall. The group walked up to the front, Baelvyr picking Beth up like a small doll and setting her on the ground as they entered the lobby.

Beth looked around to see a number of familiar faces in the lobby, which was rather worrying. It wasn't just her sisters and Sabs, but her parents and Zack as well as a couple of other adults.

"Elizabeth!" her mother exclaimed, rushing over to her and quickly embracing her.

"Ouch! Fuck!" Beth cursed, shaking herself loose.

"Beth, what's wrong?" her mother asked in alarm, looking her over, actually taking in the damaged state of her armor. That, and all the blood she was coated in.

"Nothing much, just quite a few fractured and broken bones," Beth grunted in reply, cradling her left arm. "It's already healing; I just need some time to rest."

"My God, Beth," her mother gasped. "Are you really alright? Can I help you somehow?"

"Mom. It's fine," Beth grunted, patting her mother on the shoulder with a small chuckle.

"And who is this?" her father asked as he stepped up to them, Zack and the other new people following behind. The rest of the girls hung back, other than Sabs, not wanting to get tangled up any more than necessary. Beth watched as Sabs approached her while her sisters quickly slunk back into the members-only area of the building.

"This is my instructor, Baelvyr," Beth introduced, pointing at the ten-foot wall of metal and muscle as Sabs silently slid up to her and wrapped an arm around Beth's waist. "And this is the guy in charge of the shop, Jaq," Beth continued, waving a lazy thumb at Jaq while he glowered at her back.

"Be nice, Beth," her mother admonished, wagging a finger at the teen.

"Hey, I didn't call him a miserly weasel," Beth replied, holding up her mostly healed right hand in defense.

"More and more, I understand why he is your instructor," Jaq muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Beth asked crossly, half twisting to glare at him.

"He finally got a student because he, at last, found someone of even lesser intellect," Jaq responded coldly.

"Hey!" Beth exclaimed after a moment, but Jaq overrode her.

"Jaq Rezzar," he said to the group with a small bow. "I am the Commissary Officer for this branch of the Combat Ranking Association White Hall."

"A pleasure, Mr. Rezzar," her father replied immediately, extending a hand which Jaq shook in a quick, firm motion.

"Military?" Zack asked simply.

"Forty years in the 1st battalion, 1st company of my home empire. Indomitable Company, they called us," Jaq replied with a nod.

"Oorah," Zack answered simply, that shared armed forces spirit already evident amongst the two.

"So, I need to go pass out," Beth interjected. "And before I do that, would someone like to tell me why everyone's here?"

"Sure sweetie, but before that, could you maybe tell us what happened to your eyes? Are you sure you're alright?" Beth's father asked, followed by a couple gasps from slower member of the group and a "My god!" from Beth's mother.

"It's cool, I'm part of the freaky eye club now," she replied with a grunt. "It's a power I got for clearing a dungeon. Works like a much better form of Identify. Oh, and makes my eyes look like this." She lifted her right hand and pointed at one eye with her index and middle finger each, realizing she still had one gauntlet on at that point. Grumbling, she started messing with it before Sabs grabbed her arm and removed the gauntlet in a quick motion. "Thanks, babe," Beth said, leaning forward and kissing Sabs.

"Beth! Not in front of everyone," Sabs cried, blushing furiously.

"What?" Beth asked a little foolishly in response, Sabs realizing Beth was playing when she noticed the slight smirk on her girlfriend's lips.

"Ahem," her father cleared his throat, re-centering them. "I don't want to keep Mr. Rezzar or Mr., uh, Baelvyr any longer than necessary, so I'll explain quickly. We're here hoping that we can get some materials and resources from the CRA, as we are now having problems with the power and water in the neighborhood."

"Do you know what, exactly, you need?" Jaq asked calmly.

"Mr. M'Tun was helpful in explaining some things, I just don't know that we have enough money to cover everything," her father replied with a nod, eliciting a groan from Beth.

"What is it, Beth?" her mother asked worriedly, reaching out to grasp Beth's right hand.

"What else?" Beth asked with another groan, holding her still healing left hand up over her eyes. "I'm going to have to play town piggy bank again."

"It's not that bad, Beth," Sabs said quickly, patting her girlfriend's back in a reassuring manner. Beth just grunted in response and looped her left arm around Sabs' shoulders and leaned down to kiss the short girl on the temple. Sabs grumbled but didn't vigorously protest the treatment, especially since nobody else seemed to be ready to make fun of them over it.

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"How many homes?" asked Jaq, looking at Thomas and Zack for the answer.

"Two hundred," Zack replied promptly.

"Hmm," Jaq responded, frowning slightly and glancing at the ground for a moment. "If you just want the equipment, I can get it for you in two days, at a price of four golds. If you want help in installing the equipment, that would cost at least three more golds, if not quite a bit more."

Beth groaned as everybody else looked at each other. She held her left hand out, palm down, to Jaq, who extended his hand. Seven gold coins fell from her hand to his and disappeared, Jaq nodding in response. "I will have the equipment the day after tomorrow, and I will have someone give at least a moderate amount of assistance in installing it."

"Just like that?" Rachel asked, blinking at the uniformed man.

"I believe in operating efficiently," he responded in a slightly caustic tone, getting a snort from both Beth and Baelvyr in response. He frowned, glaring at the two before moving, looking like he was taking a single step forward but, instead, disappearing with a mild *boom*.

"Asshat," Beth muttered, receiving a reprimanding "Beth!", from her mother and an "I heard that," echoing from deeper in the building. Beth just snorted at both, starting to walk toward the back of the room while dragging Sabs with her.

"And where are you going, young lady," her mother asked in a warning tone.

"To heal, and, you know what, I like Jaq's trick," Beth replied a little hotly. She reached down and grabbed Sabs around the waist, easily lifting her off the ground even with an injured arm. She pulsed Swift, which had leveled from her recent exploits, at maximum and shot off. The senior enforcers could still see her quite clearly, but she became a blur to everyone else but Blood, who activated her own Swift and followed.

"Elizabeth Anne Bell!" she heard her mother exclaim in an exasperated tone as she shot down the hallway. She made it to the elevators to the underworks in record time, rolling Sabs around when she stopped so she was holding the short girl in both arms. She gave her girlfriend a very firm, deep kiss on the lips, not even breaking for air when the elevator arrived. She stepped in and let Blood tap the proper button with her nose, continuing to snog Sabs quite heavily.

When the elevator opened, she continued the kiss, now walking behind Blood as they traced the familiar route to their room. She finally had to break the kiss off, digging in her pouch for her key.

"Damn Beth, horny much?" Sabs gasped, clutching at the taller girl as Beth got the key out and opened the door.

"Well, yeah, always," Beth answered with a chuckle. "But Blood and I also just came very close to dying, so I'm a little more on edge."

"Beth! What happened?!" Sabs exclaimed, eyes widening as her hands clasped her worriedly.

"I don't know if you were there the first time Baelvyr talked about this," Beth said as she carried the small girl over to the couch, "but there are a bunch of shitheads out there running around."

"Language," Sabs interrupted, getting an eyeroll from Beth.

"Whatever," the tall girl replied, setting Sabs on the couch and starting to strip off her armor and equipment. She had jammed her gauntlets in the top of her pack and just left them halfway sticking out, not worried about them for the time being. She started to take off Blood's new equipment before Sabs stopped her.

"Beth, let me," Sabs said, starting to remove the frost iron from Blood's harness.

"Just toss it somewhere," Beth grunted, starting to take off her torn, bloody, dirty clothes. "Blood and I need to wash."

"I'll get some food ready," Sabs replied quickly, helping Blood finish with her harness as Beth finished stripping. The tall girl led the wolf into the bathroom as Sabs neatly stacked the frost iron plates and cleaned up Beth's scattered equipment. She then proceeded into the kitchenette as Beth and Blood entered the shower and started washing. The two were thorough, Beth washing herself first as Blood soaked and made sure all her cuts were closed from Jaq's potion vial.

The shower didn't take particularly long, and Beth used the air-dry function the incredible shower unit had to help get a big head start, especially for Blood, before they destroyed a pile of towels. They only wound up using four towels in total, Beth draping a towel over her shoulders as she exited the bathroom. Blood went over to sit next to Sabs as Beth headed for the bedroom to get some underwear.

"Beth! You know most people would be more concerned about covering the bottom than the top?" Sabs exclaimed as Beth walked, nude, across her line of sight.

"I told you, it doesn't bother me," Beth replied as she moved to the bedroom door. "Sorry, though, I forgot you're still bothered by it."

"I mean, I'm not bothered by it, really," Sabs said with a huff. "I just need time to get used to it."

"Yeah, sorry," Beth apologized again, emerging from the bedroom in boxers and a bra, using the towel to rub at her hair a little more, thinking she needed a quick haircut.

"God, you're fucking gorgeous," Sabs blurted, staring at Beth rather intently.

"Fuck, that's good to hear after the day we've had," Beth replied with a throaty laugh, walking over and stopping directly in front of Sabs. She leaned down, placing both her hands on the back of the couch just above Sabs' shoulders before planting a very warm, firm kiss on Sabs' lips. Sabs moaned a bit in response, reaching up with her right hand to tangle it in Beth's hair. The two kissed for more than a minute before there was a *ding!* from the kitchenette, causing the two to break off.

"Food," Beth grumbled, turning to go get it, but she was pre-empted by Sabs before she could move.

"Sit, Beth," the older girl commanded, hopping up and gently pushing Beth down onto the couch. She made her way into the kitchenette and returned a moment later with drinks for the three of them. She made another trip to grab a plate of food for both of the other girls before sitting with Beth.

"Not hungry?" Beth asked before digging in.

"It's just after lunch, Beth. We all just ate," Sabs replied.

"Oh. Right," Beth answered in between bites, shredding the food in front of her.

"I put more in; for both of you," Sabs said as the other two tore their meals apart.

Beth leaned forward and pounded her chest for a second as she reached for the sports drink before letting out a massive belch. "Thanks, babe."

"Seven-point-five," Sabs replied. "And you're welcome. Both of you." She reached over and scratched Blood behind the ears as the wolf paused to chew and swallow.

"Damn, gotta try harder," Beth mumbled before finishing ripping through the first meal pack in a minute.

"It'll be a few minutes for the next ones," Sabs said with a shrug, turning into a squeak as Beth grabbed her by the hips and pulled Sabs into her lap, facing Beth. The taller girl leaned down slightly, wrapping her arms around Sabs fully at the same time, planting a very warm kiss on Sabs' lips. The two kissed for minutes, only breaking apart for air when Blood sent 'Breathe, sister,' through their bond.

"Hey, no comments from the peanut gallery," Beth shot out with a grumble as she and Sabs panted lightly.

"What?" Sabs asked, eyes scrunching and brows climbing.

"Oh, uh, Blood and I can talk now," Beth explained clumsily.

"Again; what?" Sabs asked.

"Uh, I can hear her through my bond," Beth explained a little more cogently. "We can fully talk to each other mentally, like telepathy, I guess."

"Oh my God, that's amazing," Sabs exclaimed, leaping up and grabbing onto Blood. She wrapped her arms around the wolf's large neck and started scratching her vigorously. "I always knew you were super smart; glad I was right. I love you, Blood."

'I love you too, mate-of-my-sister,' Blood sent to Beth.

"She says, and I quote directly, 'I love you too, mate-of-my-sister,'" Beth said.

"Well, I guess I am," Sabs laughed lightly, continuing to stroke Blood. After a moment, there was another *ding!* from the kitchenette, and she got up to get more food.

"We don't bother you, Blood, her and I carrying on?" Beth asked Blood.

'No, sister, it does not. In fact, I must commend you for securing such a short, lithe, cute mate. She is very beautiful,' Blood replied.

"Well, I guess we know your type," Beth responded with a giggle.

'Indeed. I am quite enamored with your sister. She will be an incredible beauty in a few years,' Blood sent.

"Wait, which sister? You mean Soph?!" Beth exclaimed.

"What about Soph?" Sabs asked as she set the food down and climbed on the large couch.

"Blood has a crush on Soph," Beth stated matter-of-factly.

'It is not a crush! It is a recognition of great beauty,' Blood responded petulantly.

"It's a crush," Beth replied with a nod before digging in to her food, Sabs giggling at the way Blood could make such an immensely put-upon face even with lupine features.

Beth and Blood finished their food relatively quickly, Beth leaning back against the couch with a sigh as Sabs cleaned up the dishes in just under a minute. She rejoined Beth on the couch, chuckling at seeing Beth sprawled out, arms across the back of the couch and legs akimbo up on the coffee table. She leaned against Beth's side, propping her feet up on the coffee table as well, frowning a little as she noticed how much further Beth's legs reached out compared to hers.

"You know, I really want to just take some time off here," Beth said. "I know we spent some time together when I took the elixir, I guess...what, just a few days ago? But I want to chill for a day where I'm not just sleeping the whole day."

"I'm happy to stay here, if you want," Sabs replied with a grin.

"Of course, I want," Beth answered with a chuckle, leaning down a kissing Sabs briefly. When she pulled back, she said, "Hey. The eyes don't bother you?"

"Beth, your eyes before were really pretty, but now they're stunning," Sabs replied. "I think you look even more fierce and beautiful, with the silver and blue."

Beth leaned down and gave Sabs another quick kiss before slouching back on the couch, letting her right arm slide down around the older girl's shoulders. The two sat like that for a while, watching a video by a group of commentators breaking down a high-level fight in detail. As interesting as Beth found the subject, she was pretty quickly having trouble keeping her eyes open. As she half nodded off for the second time, she lurched back awake with a grumble before standing up and stretching a little. She turned and easily scooped Sabs up, receiving a small grumble in response, before carrying her back into the bedroom, shutting the door behind them.

Beth flipped the light off before climbing into bed with Sabs, setting the small girl down before lying on her side beside her, allowing Sabs to adjust her position as she wanted. The older girl rolled away from Beth before sliding back into her with a slight wiggle, pressing firmly against her. Beth carefully slid an arm under Sabs' head and wrapped the other around her midriff before almost instantly passing out.

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