[Marion Linette]

Marion awoke that day with a renewed sense of purpose. After almost pissing her pants during the small mining operation in the random town of whachamacallit, she was determined to make the most of one of the many good things to come out of that whole horror show.

Namely, a certain young boy named Leo or something. Who had, by his own admission, agreed to help Marion in any way she wanted as a way to repay her for saving him from a Centinel ambush.

And since the boy seemed so eager to provide a helping hand, it would be cruel for Marion to deny him of the opportunity. So she had sent him some directions to a clearing in the forest some good ten kilometers outside of Kerch.

She had provided absolutely no means of transportation for him, though. So it was up to Lio to decide how to reach the agreed place. Once he was there, it would be a matter of searching for a couple minutes before he found Marion sitting on a tree trunk.

The blonde woman was distractedly reading a magazine. While gently singing a catchy tune in an angelical voice.

-Riding around the block. With a Glock. You ass finna get shot ♫...-

She stopped, however. As she noticed the new arrival. Setting the magazine on the ground, she got up and went to greet the boy with a friendly disposition.

-Heyo! Your name is Leo, Right? Whatever the case, I figured out a simple yet effective way for you to help me if you feel like you must- Getting straight to the point. Marion took a step back and gave the boy a good look. She hadn’t been able to do so in the dark mine, but now in broad daylight, she could guarantee that this kid would probably be up to the task.

-You seem to be in good shape, is that right? Lean, but athletic. Probably the perfect fit for my needs, if you ask me... You know, I could do this alone if need be. But it’s more fun to do it with someone else-

Marion began to comment, walking around Lio and looking at him in a way that might as well have reminded the faunus boy of some of the hungry beasts that roamed the Vacuoan deserts.

-Still... Better to do it in a secluded place. People could get in the way and ruin things if there’s a lot of us, so doing it in pairs with someone trustworthy is often the most effective-

With a small gesture, the woman motioned for Lio to follow her deeper into the woods. Where no one could hear him scream. This continued for a little while, and Marion wasted no time in small talk as she scanned the surrounding area with her eyes.

-Besides, I trust that you will be able to bring something new to the table. And that clone semblance of yours could come quite in handy for what I have in mind. Right, bunny boy?-

A couple seconds after saying this, Marion stopped and raised a hand to her chin. Pensive, she turned towards Lio once again.

-I mean... Bunny... Or is it a rabbit? I never understood the difference, to be honest. But if there’s any truth to the stereotype, you should be pretty good at this-

Giving Lio an encouraging smile and a thumbs-up, Marion waited for Lio’s response.

-Also, is it racist to say that? I’m not sure. Didn’t grew around many faunus, if I’m being honest. So being surrounded by so many tails and ears is a new experience to me. Not that I’m complaining-

And with a brief shrug on the woman’s part, they continued walking until Marion suddenly stopped. Carefully inspecting the area, the woman seemed to decide that they had found a good spot. So she half turned towards Lio once again, hands on her hips and a devilish smile gracing her face.

-Well... This looks like a good place. Shall we begin?- After a dramatic pause that probably went on a little longer than what was necessary, the woman took out a small electronic device from her dress and handled it to Lio. It seemed to be a radio.

-Basically, you’ll be helping me catch some game- She finally revealed, taking out a radio of her own along with a small map of the area.

-I need you to stand right here and start making some noise, bang some rocks or something... Once a big guy comes, just run for about... 200 hundred meters northwest, that’s where I set some cages, you are about to lead it there and get it inside however you can-

After giving Lio his brief instructions, the woman would give him an encouraging pat on the back. If Lio hadn’t brought any weapons, she would give him one of her daggers, just in case he needed to defend himself.

-And don’t worry about extraction. I can handle that. Plus, you have an aura! So there’s nothing to fear... Any questions?- At that point, it was up to Lio if he wanted to discuss things a little longer or jump straight into the action. And maybe reconsider his life choices.

---

873 / 873 Words

[Lio Agouti]

When the message from Marion arrived, Lio frowned. This might not have been an unusual reaction from the faunus but it was worth noting that he wasn't happy about being contacted by this stranger whose intentions were still a mystery to him.

He hadn't dared to forget what had happened, what she did for him while they were underneath the city of Bilohorodka. He hadn't known what the woman imagined his offering of favour was supposed to mean. Perhaps she thought it was some cultural quirk, or a sign of his trust. Or perhaps whatever meaning was ignored when the promise of willing labour was recognized.

Although he wouldn't wear it on his face, he was grateful. He was grateful for being saved as that time in the mine was harder on him than he let on.

He would... try not to complain about having his favour being called upon and he would try to keep his promise. But still, he wasn't completely trusting about this entire ordeal.

Being ordered to walk outside the safety of Kerch was strange by itself. But the fact that this woman didn't bother to meet with him before calling upon this favour, how she wanted him to follow directions instead of guiding him to the meeting place in person was lightly distressing him. Back when he still travelled, he had trusted the directions of strangers and been decieved. To be required to trust such suspicious directions again, Lio wondered if he really was allowing himself to be lead like sheep to slaughter. Was his mind really had rotted enough to fall for such tricks again? No matter his favour owed to Marion, he valued his life, his freedom, more.

If this all meant to lead him astray or if the price of her request was too much, he would run away. Still his instincts ate at him. It might be better not to go at all, just save himself now. Why risk trusting this woman?

Gritting his teeth, Lio marched on. No, do not mistake his actions for obedience or trust. This was strength. It meant to go unafraid, to become a person who repays favours in kind. Even as he thought it, he recognized it was a weak reason to do anything, allaround. But still, he moved on.

As he walked far enough an angelic voice guided him. He followed the source of the song to the blonde woman from before, sitting on the remains of a tree stump, reading a magazine of all things. It was tempting to make reference to ocean sirens, women of the sea that lured sailors to graves of water and salt with the sound of their voice. Perhaps that comparrisson was more true than it should have been. After all, Lio followed her here with nothing more than a message; it would make a painful amount of sense that he was blindly walking to his doom.

He frowned, more at himself than at the woman. Was he always such a pessimist?

Shaking his head of those thoughts, he gives Marion his full attention.

"Greetings Marion. I come bringing warm winds. I would like to see how I can best repay you for your assistance last time," Lio says in a practiced tone, straight to the point.

Just at a glance, this woman reminded him of those pretty girls in his home villiage in Vacuo, who liked to imagine themselves in the fashions of the city. Women playing around like some kind of modern beauties, singing catchy pop songs, and reading fashion magazines. In addition to that, Marion talked like someone from one of the popular romance dramas the local aunties liked to watch. A sassy rich girl who knew how to get her way, although he assumed someone working with the Kozaks wouldn't typically come from that lifestyle.

Marion seemed to be judging him right now, getting a feel for how she was going to make use of Lio. At one of her comments, Lio raises an eyebrow.

Him? Lean and athletic?

"Are...you mocking me?" Lio asks, more confused than offended. How anyone could think that about him was beyond his understanding. While he wasn't emancipated after living with the Kozaks, he certainly wasn't a very good picture of warrior physique.

Walking around him, Marion's eyes watch him carefully and Lio couldn't help but feel like he was being observed like some kind of prey animal. Rabbit ears twitch in discomfort as he tries to categorize Marion's words which seemed to carry double meanings behind them. She seemed to imply something about the tasks they were going to do together.

He was a perfect fit for her needs. She could do it alone if need be but it was more fun to do it with more people. And she wanted to do it in a secluded place and it was something they should be doing in pairs.

Gods enlighten him please. Was this woman looking for able-bodied help or was she trying to fuck him?

Putting an end to that possibility right away, Lio eyes turn sharp as flint, suddenly standing more cautiously around Marion.

As Marion gestures him to follow behind her, the rabbit faunus rolls his eyes, feeling plenty displeased already, but follows anyway, like some kind of dog.

Whatever suspicions he had, he still had it in his mind to pay back this damn favour.

Marion continues to talk about the task he was being sent on without providing any exact answers on what that was. She brings attention to his clone semblance he showed off during the last Kozak mission and Lio's mind reels.

Oh she wanted to bring clones into the mix. Clone semblances had little downsides and could be applied to any situation with a bit of creativity. There were too many possible reasons she might need a clone semblance so he didn't think it worth his time guessing. That didn't stop him imaging possible scenarios and Lio freezes on the spot, a growing fear of what Marion's request would be.

It could have been anything from moving a large number of packages to clearing out active minefields.

Or it could be that.

"...don't call me bunny boy..." he pouts.

"I... think rabbit and bunny mean the same thing. Hares are their own different species," Lio answers plainly, seeing that Marion expected a response. "But what rabbit faunus stereotypes do you mean? What exactly are faunus like me, supposed to be good at?"

Did she mean the stereotype that rabbit faunus were meek and got picked on by bullies higher up on the food chain? Lio hated the idea that was what she thought he represented but he also hated the fact that it was hard to disprove that, given his past. But he doubted that was what she meant as he couldn't think of a way that a weak rabbit faunus would be considered useful. It had to be something else about him...

The human woman comes to a halt, taking a look around the area as though she was looking for something. Lio wondered if by following her, he was getting more lost in the woods without anyone to help him. While simply being lost wasn't something that caused undue concern, being lost together with this woman brought a whole new host of fears.

She turns to him with a smile on her face that Lio discovers he finds terrifying.

She says it was a good place to get started, gives him a hungry look, and pauses for an eternity. Lio almost has a panic attack as he tries to figure out what exactly she means when she brings out a radio in front of him.

Ah. They were going hunting. Or, he supposed, to be more precise, she was going hunting. He was just live bait lining the trap.

Thank the various gods of Vacuo for that.

"Oh. So you wanted my help hunting something? That seems reasonable enough. I'd like a part of the creature when we're done with it." Lio says, assuming what they were hunting was going to be edible.

Lio takes the radio from Marion and holds it in his hands. He did have an interest in these things after he saw other Kozak's using them. What a novel invention.

"Roger roger," Lio says, in his ignorance not actually pressing the button down.

Doing his own survey of the area Marion brought him to, he tries to see if he can spot the cage from their current position, as well as any hints in the environment for what kind of animals that passed by in this area.

"Why do you need cages?" Lio asks warrily, suspicious of this plan already. "....You want this thing alive or something?"

"Are we not hunting for food to bring back to the Kozaks? I'm not sure what kind of large animals you have in Mistral," Lio admits, hoping for clarification on the subject of what they were capturing.

"In Vacuo, tons of stuff is big enough and willing to eat you. I visited a sea port once where they had mole crabs. Big crabs the size of bears. They told me it was a delicacy too but I didn't think it tasted any better than their smaller cousins..." he says, not able to help himself from bringing up random stories for a bit of small talk. Other than that, he wasn't sure how to talk to this woman who kind of intimidated him.

"What do you mean by 'extraction'?" he mutters, still lost for details when he pauses.

"You actually want me to get into the cage," Lio realizes, looking up at her.

"You... want me to get into the cage along with the big animal I'm supposed to lure in," Lio says, looking at Marion, begging for clarification, trying to see if the woman wanted to fill in the details he was missing.

The rabbit faunus shakes his head and folds his arms. "If you want me to run into a cage, blindly, with nothing but your word to guarantee my safety, the Kozaks must have more fools than I thought." he says, determined.

"This 'favour' certainly isn't worth that. There are limits to this. You know, rules of conduct about this kind of thing..." Lio says when he realizes she probably didn't share that kind of culture around 'favours' like in Vacuo. He quickly rephrases.

"You know, value for value. Respect. If you asked someone to help you lift packages on moving day you wouldn't appreciate it if they asked for a favour that was too much. If they demanded you to, I dunno, buy a house for them, just because they helped you that one time, you'd be pissed." he said, trying to convince Marion to rethink this arrangement.

"I'm am grateful for you helping me with the Centinels but this is a big ask, understand?" Lio says, tapping his foot with a look of silent communication. While left unstated, he was asking Marion to choose a different favour, to try and gain his confidence, or change the deal into something he could agree to easier.

---

WC: 1860

Lio’s Colour Hex: e6bc19
Clone Sem [D]
Shovel [F]
Non-Com Strength [E]
Martial Arts [E]
Durability [F]

[Marion Linette]

-Bah! You are young. You will have time to build more muscle if you want- Marion said, patting the bunny boy in the back even as he pouted and asked not to be called that way. Marion couldn’t help but smile as Lio complained in the most endearing of ways.

Fuck. The kid was adorable. It would almost be a shame to have him run around being chased by Grimm... Almost.

-Aren’t rabbits fast runners with good hearing?- She asked, a puzzled expression on her face when the boy asked what she was referring to... Honestly, what else could have been? That they shit squares? Unlikely. That they have lots of sex? Marion doubted it could be that, if that were her intention, she would have invited him to her suite, not to the middle of the forest like some kind of weirdo...

Lio was a little strange. But at least he knew how to crack a joke! Keeping a part of the Grimm to himself? Marion knew that even if Lio hailed from the middle of nowhere, he would b aware that Grimm disappeared when you killed them. Everybody knew that, after all.

-Ha! Funny. I like your sense of humor-

What she didn’t understand what his bewilderment at the fact that they were going to use cages... Did he believe that she liked hunting them for sports or something? She guessed that would be a valid assumption, but everybody knew she was the crazy (But beautiful) Grimm lady. Who liked making Frankenstein monsters to suit her needs and the like. a

Unless... No... It couldn’t be... Or could it?

Holy shit, this guy was serious. Marion stopped to stare at him in awe when the realization struck her. Lio genuinely believed they were going to hunt animals... Marion barely registered the story about bear crabs or something before he started saying something that to Marion sounded like complaints about entering the cages.

-Well, yes. That’s what we do. But it’s not so bad. We have special cages for that- Marion began. But was cut short as Lio unleashed a barrage of concerns and corrections about Marion’s attitudes that were starting to get on her nerves.

-A fool, huh?- She asked with a scowl. Glancing sharply at Lio. Linking her hands behind her back, Marion stood straight, taller than before, and thinking that the kid really needed to learn to shut his mouth.

-Maybe I am. When you mentioned being indebted, I assumed you meant it. And willing to repay for the aid given with something of similar value-

If Lio had only told her that he was indebted to try and be nice. Then Marion didn’t appreciate it. She liked directness, much more than what people assumed. If you want something, you say it. If you say you are willing to do something, well, you better do it.

-I didn’t demand anything. This was your idea. Remember, son of Vacuo? If you only wanted to help with menial shit like moving boxes, you could simply do it without needing this much theatre-

She said, raising and letting her shoulders fall in a gesture of disappointment. Marion knew she wasn’t the epitome of work ethics. But she believed she had to work hard to be where she was now, one way or another. But people nowadays liked to half-ass things, expecting everything to come to them in a silver platter.

It was not as she didn’t know what that was like. But she knew she was a hypocrite. Embraced it, even... And now, she was very curious about how Lio would react when he realized Marion’s intentions... So she decided to get to it already and stop beating around the bush.

-I don’t hunt animals. Everybody who doesn’t live under a rock knows that, so I thought it was implicit. I am in charge of caging and preparing Grimm for their use in the Kozak military-

And it was technically done for a good reason. Even besides the increase in firepower, it was easy to weave a good argument in favor of using the Grimm. The more they were sent to battle, the fewer soldiers had to risk their lives. So it was kind of a victimless crime.

Well. The other side probably had victims. But they were the other. So they didn’t matter to Marion. And she would laugh at anyone’s face if they pretended they cared about them.

-If it's too much for you, then I can walk to an Iron wolf and get myself someone who won’t waste breath and will actually just come and do the job... I just believed it would be better and safer to do it with you since you have a good aura and a semblance to save your ass if you are in trouble, and they don’t-

As much as Marion was using manipulation to try and coax Lio into complying. She wasn’t lying when she said it was a job better left for a couple who trusted each other. She had someone to do that with before, but Alina kinda shot him in the head when she captured her.

No hard feelings about it, just stating the facts, and the facts said that now Marion was missing a person whom to hunt Grimm with. So why not teach someone who showed potential?

-It’s not the first time I’ve done this. You know? It would look pretty damn bad on Alina and Sinopia if this was unsafe beyond what was acceptable, and they let me do it freely-

After all, Marion knew damn well that she would not have a good time with Alina if she got the news of people dying under her care... It absolutely would happen eventually. Of that, Marion was sure (Just as she was sure someone would die one day cooking Alina's pancakes. Because statistics be like that). But she was taking enough precautions so it would be an isolated case she could blame on a freak accident.

But she would cross that bridge when the time came. And having someone like Lio to help around would decrease the chance of that happening.

-You are more skilled than what you give yourself credit for. I’m not blind to the obvious, and I know what I saw in the mines- Not only an independent clone capable of fighting but also with enough skill to hold a swarm of Grimm even for a second, it was already more than what most people could do -So I wanted to give you something that wouldn’t have your skills wasted-

Relaxing both her tone and her posture. Marion leaned against a tree, wanting to give Lio some space to think things for a second.

-Someone has to do this job, and it's not an undesirable position at all, you know? Working together with an Osaul. It could do great things for your standing within the Kozaks, besides acquiring a coveted skill... And you seemed eager enough, so I believed that was your intention-

Tying her hair into a ponytail. Marion fastened some belts and tied some knots on her dress, immediately making it more form-fitting and more suited for physical activity. Doing some small stretches in place, she faced Lio once again.

-If you still want to give it a chance, I can do a run by myself first. So you can see how trustworthy is my word-

And if he wasn’t willing... Well, his loss. She would have to actually do things alone. Which would be more dangerous, but Marion was no pussy, unlike someone else in her opinion.

---

1270 / 2143 Words