{Present Day, Mt. Decima,

Higher-Class Residential District 9 PM}

While laying on the floor, on top of a laid out red sleeping bag, Isfet’s IceEye flutters open. She doesn’t have an eyepatch over her instinctively closed left eye socket.

Not worried about waking up in an unfamiliar area, the breathtaking, one eyed woman carefully sits up and wipes underneath her nose.

Flakes of dried blood stick to her hand and sleeve.

There is a sudden female voice heard in the corner of the room, but it doesn’t startle the cool, calm, and collected Isfet.

Bethany(chuckles): "Mornin’..."

Isfet slowly turns her torso, to see the notoriously promiscuous HFF soldier, sitting on a desk, her left foot on the accompanying chair.

While resting her right foot on her left knee, Bethany is carefully painting her toenails. There is a cotton ball between each one of her toes.

Bethany: "Don’t worry, we’re on your side and don’t want to be associated as allies with a psycho thug like Laban either.

This is a safe area for ya.

Girl’s Promise."

The color of the applied cosmetic is a matching sparkling gold as the previously exhibited nails of her current DæMon leader.

Bethany perfectly purses her lips and softly blows a stream of air to help dry the gleaming polish.

Even without any men present, her naturally lusty exuberance radiates throughout the room. Letting out soft, random, high pitched moans with every sudden movement.

She gets up and makes her way to the suspicious but awkwardly confused fellow female, sitting up on the sleeping bag.

While in her bedtime leggings, and without any shame, Bethany turns her body, shaking her hips in front of a now clearly uncomfortable Isfet.

Her glutes basically swing in the stranger’s face.

Bethany: "Umm, since you know the struggle, can you please pick my wedgie? My hands aren’t dry yet and these undies are like, literally in my ass..."

Isfet’s Eyelien looks around the room to make sure this isn’t a prank.

Bethany: "Plleeeeaasee, my hands aren’t done drying.

I’ll do you a favor once everyone goes to sleep tonight if you doooo."

Isfet cautiously and slowly pinches just below the waist of Bethany’s leggings and pulls down and away. There’s a distinct *snap* once she lets go and an unnecessary moan escapes the X-ray Eye user.

Bethany: "Thankieees!"

Isfet(blushing): "Where- where am I?"

Bethany goes back to sitting on the desk.

Bethany: "Welcome to the Sister Mountains, one of, if not the last bastion of logical safety in this apocalypse.

We’re currently at the same residence that took me in when I had nobody left.

The couple that owns this place has a set of quadruplet sisters, but they have opened their doors to anyone in need of support.

Just because there are places separate from ’Hell’ that claim to be sanctuaries, doesn’t mean we all have an actual place to call home...ya know?"

Isfet looks up at the slightly hanging crown light shade in the middle of the room, allowing just enough light to dim the room.

Bethany: "From what I was told, Madame MamMon saved you, as well as those other two, from the Icemen and that actual monster, Shelly.

She was gunna leave you knocked out and vulnerable to be eaten, but one of our leaders, MamMon DæMon, managed to save you. Then transported back here while you were unconscious."

Isfet looks at her dirty clothes and scraped palms.

Isfet: "So I lost to that young blonde after all..."

Bethany puts her right heel down on the chair, after removing all the cotton balls from between her toes, she moves her freshly pedicured foot besides her left foot’s set of already dried glimmering nails.

She looks at the newcomer in the opposite corner and lets out a soft laugh from her nose.

Bethany: "Haha! Don’t feel too bad about that, girlfriend.

Everyone within these mountains already knows how deadly and insane that heathen actually is. Especially when it comes to her sexy-ass hunk of a man, Katsu.

If it makes you feel any better, we’ve all lost to her at some point, but you’ll get another chance soon enough."

Isfet: "How long have I been here?

Is that woman you speak of still around?

I need to ask her about Esau!"

Bethany’s eyebrow rises as she twists the top of the nail polish bottle closed.

Bethany: "So she was serious, you actually do know that creepazoid?

He’s the one who basically started all the shit that happened tonight, even after MamMon explicitly told him not to act up."

Isfet glares at Bethany as she puts the bottle on the desk, then scratches her black and forest green stripped hair, recalling the events.

Bethany: "After we watched her agreement with Katsu on the highway, Madame MamMon used her extremely advanced Seiõr techniques to bring Petra, Steph, and I back to the Sister Mountains in the blink of an eye.

Like literally ’in the blink of an eye’...

She then left, saying she ’has a few more errands to run before Roronora City falls’.

By the time the three of us took an entrance elevator into the mountain, hopped on a shuttle, and walked home, Madame MamMon was already waiting for us with your unconscious body."

Isfet’s eye skeptically narrows as she is told the time frame of the events.

Isfet: "Before tonight’s events, Don Laban had explained to the rest of those she considers allies, about her older sister’s existence, so I know from working with the Don, the capabilities of one of those unnaturally born women, but without a vehicle, it takes one day on foot to get back and forth between these mountains and Roronora City.

Even if this woman is as skilled and knowledgeable in Seiõr as the two of you claim, I find it hard to believe she can cover three days worth of travel, in less than thirty minutes."

Bethany does one last check, wiggling her 10 freshly painted piggies and also her manicure.

Bethany: "Yea.

We asked her why she dropped us off at the summit entrance, if she could have just brought us directly back home too.

She just said she had ’more errands’, then left."

Bethany feels Isfet’s skepticism rising due to her focus on not answering the question directly.

Bethany(sighs): "Everyone also doubted Madame MamMon’s capabilities, until we saw them for ourselves.

It’s funny, the way we process information as human beings.

All it takes is one experience, to make us change our overall perspective of this existence, all from the triggering of our senses.

This Seiõr magic, energy crap, has made the things in life that I once thought were simple, into a whole dangerous and convoluted mess."

Taking a deep inhale, then exhale, the Squad 1 member hops down from the desk, grabs the wooden chair and pushes it into the opening underneath.

Picking up the bottle of sparkling gold nail polish, she tosses it towards Isfet, still sitting on the thick red sleeping bag.

Even with her one eye depth perception, the surprisingly coordinated ex-Homie, snatches the tiny glass container out of the air, and looks at it in her palm.

Bethany: "Madame MamMon wants all us girls to paint our nails with this ’cosmetic Seiõr’.

Apparently, it helps increase our overall control while using certain techniques that involves our hands and feet.

All this talk about techniques, yet we’ve spent this whole time just thinning out the herd to see who CAN learn more about them."

Isfet(thinking): *Esau’s aunt gifted something like this to Edom and I when we entered their family.

Edom did say whenever she had used it on her fingernails, her healing technique was expedientially more effective and faster, but I never thought anymore of it...*

Bethany opens the creaky door to a brightly lit hallway, and she turns to face Isfet.

Bethany: "I’ll go tell Steph you’re up and let her know she can make an extra plate for you too.

Hope you aren’t a picky eater, heh.

There’s a few more mouths to feed tonight, so stew and rice is the menu."

From the hallway, the sounds of bare feet running down the hallway and two of the four younger crown siblings, run by.

Jamie: "Just have faith in us, Pauline! We have the power to fix it together!"

Pauline: "No, I’m only listening to Big Sister Stephanie and Tristy from now on, Jamie!"

Before Bethany can leave the room, Isfet let’s out a quick statement.

Isfet: "Th-Thank you..."

Bethany turns and smiles with a blush.

Bethany: "Oh it’s not me you should be saying that to, I’m just a gal trying to prove my worth is more than just my available body.

If it wasn’t for the two lovebirds who own this place, I would still be sleeping with strange creeps for a bed at night.

...I’m going to grab one of those lovebirds who you should be thanking."

She walks out and closes the door behind her. It gives Isfet a few moments of silence to think about what happened against Shelly.

[FLASHBACK]

{Within the highway forest, during the fight between Shelly and Isfet.}

Isfet: "Are you not afraid of those you leave alive, coming back and seeking revenge?

Surely you know humility and jealousy lie dormant within every human being, just like outrage and disparity."

An Iceman comes from the shadows to attack the beautiful Middle Eastern woman, but she looks at the ice creature and takes it out with one swipe.

Her Eyelien looks back up, but Shelly is no longer in the tree she last was seen in.

Shelly: "It’s Shelly, not Shirley."

From behind Isfet, Shelly has a soft smile that somehow matches her unique SeiõrShield.

Isfet gasps as she jumps forward and distances herself from the incredibly illusive, blonde beauty.

Now sweating, Isfet takes a moment to realize Shelly really is something different and her chances of beating such an actual ’Beast’ alone, are slim to none.

Shelly: "And well yea, duh, because I’ve always protected Katsu from bullies, sooner than later, those same kids I had embarrassed, would come back in groups for their revenge. I’ve accepted that metronome style of karma, ever since Katsu first praised me and brought purpose back into my life.

But we’re all supposed to get stronger, aren’t we?

So if someone gets butthurt from losing to me, if they are training, working harder, and getting stronger, that just means I have to keep training 100 times as hard.

That way they’ll never catch up, right?"

...

...

...

Shelly lands next to the unconscious Isfet and doesn’t look at her bittersweet victory.

Icemen can be heard approaching, and they start to appear from the trees in bunches.

Shelly sheathes her katana to her back and raises a foot to finally leave, a weak, shaking, hand grabs her ankle. Now making Shelly feel like the victor of an all bitter victory.

Shelly: "I’m sure you’ve noticed, more and more Icemen are starting to converge for Roronora.

I’ve tried to leave you conscious so you could escape from them, but there’s nothing left I can do.

I’m sorry."

While still looking forward, Shelly donkey kicks with her other leg.

There’s a sound of her sneaker bottom connecting to face, and the hand grabbing her ankle slides to the ground.

[END FLASHBACK]

Isfet(thinking): *The young blonde, she did show me a bit of remorse, even during a fight to the death.

If I hadn’t grabbed her ankle, I would’ve had enough energy to get away, but because of my persistence to help Esau accomplish our goal.*

Esau’s furious and heartbroken voice rings throughout her head, as if remembering the last time she saw her brother-in-law.

Esau’s Voice: *I swear, on my god-damned life and with the sacrifice of my happiness, Laban, you bitch!

I swear, you and I will feel the same emptiness someday!

I will strip you of all your joys, and I won’t rest, until you’re left in suffrage, throughout the rest of this existence with me!*

There is a knock followed by the sound of the noisey door opening. It makes Isfet snap back to the present and Stephanie’s adorable face, with her lime green eyes below exquisite eyelashes, pokes in.

Stephanie: "Can I come in?"

Isfet: "Are you the owner of this establishment, who that other woman was referring to?"

Stephanie takes a step in and allows the light from the hallway to enter the dim room. Again Jamie and Pauline can be heard scrambling on the hardwood floor, passing the room.

Jamie: "It’s just a splinter, Pauline! If you let me look at it, I’ll end your suffering!"

Pauline: "It’s fine, Jamie!

...owww...

I’ll just wait for Big Brother Tristan to return, he’ll do it!"

With a shaking head chuckle, Stephanie closes the wooden door to quiet the arguing sisters. She then turns the knob on the wall and from within the hanging crown lamp shade, more illumination spreads throughout the room.

From underneath her apron, the woman of the house rummages through the pockets of her pajama bottoms. There’s a slight happy realization as she finds whatever she was holding on her person.

Isfet’s face shifts from her usual stuck position, to awe, as Stephanie pulls out a cleaned eyepatch and brings it over to her new guest.

Stephanie: "You wouldn’t believe the random necessity for slings, wrist/ankle braces, and eyepatches when you have four overzealous and rambunctious little sisters to watch over, teehaaha!"

In full realization, with assistance from the thoughtfulness of the experienced older sister, Isfet notices Stephanie’s voice, and her laugh, have the identical beautiful calming tones of her deceased sister.

A snowflake falls from Isfet’s only available eye. Her hand raises to grab the gift but flinches back, unsure if she should.

Stephanie recognizes the possible apocryphal situation the stranger might be sensing.

She crouches down to eye level with Isfet, and gives a slight scowl with her two beautiful human lime green eyes. She stares deep into the Middle Eastern woman’s soul, but with a closed eye smile, she switches the vibe.

Stephanie: "I can put it on for you, if you’d like."

Isfet’s IceEye fills up remembering Nurse Joyce, and how Stephanie is treating a stranger with the same kindness.

Stephanie: "Believe me, I know how hard it can be to trust others, especially individuals outside of your ’comfort group’, but I promise, you can trust us.

We’ve all suffered hardships in life, gone through downs and losses, but if those of us who know how it feels to hurt, can stick together, in the end, we should all be happy as an even bigger family, right?

Teehaaha!"

Isfet’s bottom lip quivers while the hospitable young lady carefully puts the eyepatch on her guest.

Stephanie: "From what Tritty and Bethany have told me, that Don Laban woman has been abusing her power and deserves proper justice.

We are nothing like her, and all Erinyes territory has the opposite ideology of that dictator-like environment she was in charge of.

Here, respect isn’t earned, it’s given.

We’ll treat you with the kindness and respect every life deserves, but around here, it’s solely up to you, it’s your responsibility, on whether or not you gain more of that hospitality, or lose our trust all together.

By the way, I’m Stephanie, it’s my pleasure to be of any help you may ever need.

Teehaaha!"