“So, you're really Zero?” Niko asked as the five of them made their way down the street. When Jake nodded, a small whistle left his mouth, surprise clear on his face. “Gotta admit, I never expected the rising star to be so young.”

“Yeah, you’re like, what, Senior Academia age? To think you’d be doing this instead of studying,” Andy added, chuckling.

Hearing that, Jill couldn't help but imagine Jake being an Academia student. Dressed up in a uniform, going to classes, studying for an exam.

As the picture continued to form in her mind, she felt…off. Like she was treading on accursed ground. Shaking her head, she pushed the image aside. She could ruminate on that image later.

Bringing her focus back to the others, she watched as the two of them continued to ask Jake questions. With each question thrown at him, Jake only gave curt answers, with some only met with silence. It was rather amusing, watching the two badger the young man with questions. It was like they were birds floating around a Drakrel, poking and prodding at it to get a large response.

Breaking away from the sidewalk, they made their way through the back-alleys,

‘Man, I haven't been here in a while,’ Jill thought as she took in a breath, the heavy spices hitting her nostrils. She turned her gaze towards the menu on the window, raising a brow at the new additions.

Man, she must not have visited for a while. Although, she would be lying if she said that she wasn't exactly curious.

“Never took you for being into Jamu food,” Andy said as they looked over the entrance, “Still, the place seems packed. You sure we’ll all be able to get a seat?”

“Ah, don;’t get your hair in a knot. Everything will be fine,” Jill waved off before making her way into the restaurant. Pushing the door open, she was met with a sight that she had missed for a while. The sound of kitchen utensils clanging against each other. The scent of various spices. The warm paintings of the landscapes.

“Ah, Jill! It has been so long since I've seen you! How are you?” the server greeted her, a smile on her weathered face. Upon seeing her grin, Jill couldn't help but smile. She missed this, to be honest. The warm familiarity, the smell of spiced meats. It was like she was in a relative's home, waiting for a feast.

"I'm doing well, Madhu. Good to see you, too," Jill responded, giving her a slight nod. She pointed to the others, who followed in shortly after her. "I have some friends with me. Think there's an open booth?"

Upon hearing her question, Madhu rolled her eyes, amused at her sudden request. Turning on her heel, she made her way between the packed tables, Jill and the others following behind her. Eventually, they arrived at an empty booth, which Madhu gave a small, but exaggerated bow.

“Here is your booth, dear guests. A server will be with you soon,” she said before walking off, giving her a small wink.

As she and the others slid into the seats, Jill found herself looking at the photos and artwork framed on the walls. As she scanned through them, she found one that made her pause. A young woman stood in front of a brick wall, a large grin on her face. Dressed in detailed Starsilver armor, she wielded a war hammer in her hands. A large grin was on her face as it rested over her shoulder.

‘Never knew that the kid went through Starfall,’ she thought as she began to look through the menu. She had heard that Madhu’s niece had gotten into an out-of-region Knight Academy. To think, she went to the Platinum Star’s resting place and fully went through their training.

As they all got settled into the seats, one of the waiters came up to their booths. They seemed new, a sense of eagerness seeming to come through them.

“Hello, my name is Hana. What can I get for you four?” the girl asked, a smile on her face.

As soon as those words left the girl’s mouth, Jill felt the stares of the others on her. A silent question hung in the air, hanging under the relaxed looks.

'Why did she say ‘four’?’

Before she could say anything, it seemed like Jake was already in motion. He leaned over towards the waitress before grabbing her shoulder. Jumping from the sudden feel, her head snapped towards him, surprise clear on her face.

“Oh! I-i didn’t see you there,” Hana stammered, “How can I help you?”

“I’m with them, so place my order with them,” Jake said before gesturing at the others. Seeing the girl nod, he slunk back into his seat before grabbing a menu and scanning through it. It was like he had grown used to it. As if people looking him over wasn’t anything new for him.

“Alright then, what are you all ordering?” Hana asked as she turned back to the others, a smile on her face. Yet, it was shaky, as if trying to ignore him, to push away…something that was weighing on her.

"I’ll have the fried Bladetrout," Jake said before handing over the menu. Nodding, Hana took the menu out of his hands before writing down his order. Her gaze then shifted to the others, the question silently hanging in the air. Yet, there was something else in her eyes. An urgency, as if she was in front of something she very much doesn't want to be. As each of them ordered a dish, the waitress wrote down each one, her hand shaking.

As soon as they finished, she took the menus away from them before walking off, almost eager to leave them be. Now out of their sight, a heavy silence began to weigh on them. It was clear that her reaction was abnormal. Turning their gazes to the source, she saw Jake on his Mercell, seemingly unaware of the looks sent his way. It was like he was unaware of the waitress's response.

'Maxim acted weird, too,' she thought as she furrowed her brow. He seemed freaked out, like he saw a ghost or something. Even when he told her and Doctor Andros that he was fine, she could tell that something was off. He never had this response to someone becoming a part of their group.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

'What exactly are you?'

“So, Jake. Mind if I ask you a question?” she found herself asking, breaking through the heavy silence. Seeing his attention turn to her, she saw…confusion wouldn't exactly be correct. It seemed more calm, yet still questioning. “Have you ever had any Jamu food?”

“No, but I had something similar,” Jake answered, catching her off guard. He usually gave a non-answer or avoided the question. For him to give a straight answer was rather surprising.

“So, you must've lived near a transport route, huh? ,” Andy said, leaning back into their seat. Seeing Jake nod, they let out a small chuckle, only for them to go quiet. Furrowing their brow, they leaned forward, staring at the boy. “Wait, then why do you talk like that?”

“I don’t follow,” Jake said, lilting his head. Yet, when Jill heard that question, something in her mind clicked.

Speech that was sharp, yet clear. Words that seem to carry a hardened shape. An even tone, as though each letter had a weight.

She had heard this before, before coming to Northwater. Memories of passing scenery and sitting under the stars came to her mind. The scent of burning wood, the feeling of the ground underneath her fingers.

“Your way of speaking, it’s the Semidis dialect. Did you not know?” Andy said, both confused and surprised. Seeing Jake shake his head, Andy furrowed their brow before leaning back into their seat.

“Never would've thought that you were a nomad,” Niko muttered, looking the boy over. The usual half-smile on his face was gone, replaced by a look of curiosity. "What brought you to Northwater, of all places? Not to crack the stone, but it doesn't have anything very interesting."

To that question, Jake shrugged. "I sorta ended up here," he said. Yet, something about his words felt…off to her. Why would a nomad of all people choose to come to the Duskfrost region? Not only that, but to then come to Northwater of all places seemed rather strange. There were many other places in the region that would serve as a better resting point. Smaller cities and towns with the facilities for restocking supplies. Waystations designed to not only restock transports, but to serve as a way to rest and plan.

Before she could bring it up, someone suddenly appeared in front of them. It was an older man, his skin almost stretched against muscle. Yet, despite that, a warm smile painted his face.

"Here's ya food," the man said as he set down the plates in front of them. As their dishes arrived in front of them, a cacophony of growls came from each of their stomachs. They all looked at each other, faces ranging from stoic to embarrassed.

"Well, everyone. Let's eat," Jill announced. At her word, everybody began to dig into the plates given to them.

Scooping up a spoonful of the curry, she shoved it into her mouth. Her eyes widened as waves of flavor from both the fish and spices washed over, driving her to pick up her pace. As her and the others ate their fill, she felt herself going back to when she first found this place. The feeling of vague interest as she stepped into the restaurant. the wrappings of comforting warmth in each bite, as if she was camping by the sea. Turning her attention to the others, she found them enjoying their plates.

Well, all except one.

Jake seemed to be impassive to his plate. His face hardly changed as his fork dug into the cooked flesh. no hint of enjoyment nor disgust. Instead, it was simple acceptance. Like it was a source of fuel and nothing else. Seeing that, a part of her felt sickened, although she was able to push it down.

"So," Jill started, grabbing the attention of the others, "What do you all think of the food?" While the others gave general affirmations, her gaze stayed fixated on Jake's face. She wanted to see him have some kind of opinion. Enjoyment, distaste, anything!

Noticing her pointed stare, Jake set down his fork before going silent. Leaning forward, she held her breath as she watched his face. Gauging for any twitch in his eyes, any shifting of his mouth. After what felt like minutes, he eventually spoke.

"The fish is well cooked and the spices balanced," Jake said. Hearing that, a wave of snickering and half-choked laughter came from the others. Even Flann, in all her pseudo-nobilitas, was chuckling at her failed attempt, a small smile on her face. Either unaware of the reason for the laughter or uncaring about it, Jake went back to eating his meal.

"Damn, and here I thought you'd praise it," Niko chuckled. He bumped his elbow into Jake's side, a cheeky smirk on his face. A light flush of pink painted his cheeks, the wine he ordered showing a clear effect. "Guess it doesn't match food from home, huh?"

"My family is dead, so I don't have anything to compare it to," Jake stated, his voice even. Silence washed over the table at his statement. Gone was the amused looks and small laughter, replaced by an uncomfortable quiet. Gazes shifted to and fro, each one eventually landing on her. As she felt each of their eyes land on each other, the small pit in her stomach seemed to grow. Taking in a breath, she mouthed an order to them.

'Ignore it and eat.'

Each one nodded at her command and went back to eating, with Jill doing the same. They ate in silence, the words needed to break it hard to find. Once they finished their plate, Jill got up from her seat before making her way out, the rest following short.

Once they stepped out of the building, the others gave their goodbyes before walking off. Left alone with Jake, Jill felt...uncomfortable. Who wouldn't feel awkward after that moment? She tried to get him to speak about himself, only for what was most likely a sore spot to come up.

"Why are you trying to pry into my history?" Jake suddenly asked, breaking through the silence between. Her eyes widened as she snapped her head to face him. Questions ran through her mind, each one replaced by another.

'Was it that obvious? How long did he know? If he knew, why didn't he say anything?'

"Well...I guess I wanted to know what you're like," Jill answered, shrugging. At her answer, he turned his head to meet her gaze. As their eyes met, she saw something behind his gaze. Confusion, or at least what counted as it for him. Seeing the blank look on his face, she couldn't help but frown. Was it that rare of a concept for him? "Has nobody done that for you?"

At her question, Jake went silent before shaking his head. It seems that she was the only one who actually wanted to know about him. Not only that, but he seemed to have accepted the solitude.

Seeing his response, she couldn't help but feel a sense of...pity for him. Gone was the image of a young and mysterious (if somewhat aggravating) Bloodletter. In place of it was a lost child, a boy left alone to fend for himself. There was nothing that was supporting him, nothing that cared if he so much as existed. One who had to grow on his own, with nothing more than a vague sense being his guide.

'At least it explained a lot,' she thought, a bitter smile on her face. And here she assumed that he was a Grim-Feathered bastard.

As the silence slowly began to creep up between them, an idea began to form in her head. While she had no idea if it would work, it wouldn't hurt to ask. And if he said no, she tried.

"Say, you cool with us being friends?" she asked, cutting through the silence. At her question, Jake tilted his head, the same blank look on his face. Yet, there wasn't any pseudo confusion in his eyes. Instead, he seemed to be waiting for something. She let out a small sigh, making a mental note to get him used to not wanting in return. "I don't have anything I can give you, but I also don't want anything from you. I just want to hang out with you more often and chat. So, what do you say?"

At her request, Jake seemed to weigh the option given to him before nodding. Mentally fist-pumping, she gave him a toothy grin as she patted his shoulder.

"I'll see you later then," she said before walking off. While it wasn't what she intended, it worked out well for her. 'A win by the enemy's folly was still a win' or something like that.

Anyways, the hard part was over and that was enough.