Chapter 8: Quiet Promise
Jorno rubbed his chin, eyes narrowing as he searched his memory. "Sakarame… I've heard that clan name before," he murmured.
Arisa cut in quickly, her tone low and guarded. "It's not important." She reached for the menu in front of her, using it as a shield more than anything.
Neta tilted her head, ears twitching, her tail swaying curiously. "Not important?" she echoed, her voice light but tinged with disbelief.
Jorno shook his head, his voice firm yet kind. "I know we just met, Arisa, but your last name matters. No matter your background or situation, your name should be spoken with honor, especially if it's tied to family. After all, a name doesn't define who you are. You define it." His words carried the weight of experience, his chest swelling with pride. "I wasn't proud of my upbringing either, or the choices my family made before me. But I still speak my name with pride, because I've proven we can do good in this world. Jorno Paneshki! That's my name."
There was joy in his voice, a brightness that filled the room for a moment.
Arisa's gaze lingered on him, sharp but softened by the faint curve of a smile. "I'll always be proud of my name," she said quietly, the edge of steel beneath her words. "And I will never forget where I came from." Her eyes fell back to the menu, closing the matter.
Jorno didn't press further. He simply waited with paper in hand, his approach stubbornly traditional even in a world drowning in Norad's technology.
Across the table, Neta's tail wagged faintly as she watched Arisa. She noticed the way Arisa's eyes skimmed the page, puzzled despite her efforts to mask it.
"Having trouble deciding?" Neta asked softly, her head tilted once more.
Arisa looked up, meeting her gaze with disarming honesty. "To tell you the truth… this is the first time I've ever seen a menu."
Neta blinked, tail slowing its rhythm as confusion flickered in her expression. Even Jorno's brows rose, caught off guard by the quiet revelation.
Neta's ears perked, and the puzzled look quickly shifted into delight. Her tail began to wag again, faster this time. "Really? Oh, that's exciting!" she said, leaning forward with both hands on the table. "Then I'll help you. Menus can be overwhelming the first time, but don't worry. I know all the best things here."
Her voice carried a cheerful lilt, Arisa felt no judgment behind the words, only genuine eagerness.
Arisa raised an eyebrow, skeptical of the cat girl's enthusiasm, but there was something disarming about it. "You sound like you've been waiting your whole life to guide someone through a menu," she said dryly.
Neta giggled, her bells chiming as her tail thumped against the side of her chair. "Maybe I have. It's fun! Food is meant to be shared, after all." She pointed at a line on the menu, her finger tracing the glowing script. "This one is Jorno's specialty, grilled starfruit skewers with honey glaze. Sweet and tangy, everyone loves them. Oh! And this" she tapped another item, "the ember stew. Spicy, hearty, warms you right up on cold nights."
Arisa glanced at the glowing names, her eyes narrowing slightly as if they were written in some foreign tongue. "Grilled starfruit? Ember stew?" she repeated slowly, her voice tinged with suspicion.
Jorno chuckled, scribbling notes onto his pad. "Trust her. She's never steered anyone wrong yet."
Neta clasped her hands together, grinning wide. "Why not try both? That way you get sweet and savory. It's the perfect first meal!"
Arisa studied her, the playful gleam in those blue eyes impossible to ignore. For a moment she hesitated, then she let out a faint sigh. The closest thing to surrender. "Fine. I'll try them both."
Neta's tail wagged so hard the chair squeaked against the floor. "Yes! You won't regret it."
Jorno smiled knowingly as he finished jotting the order down. "First time with a menu, first time with a proper meal here. Sounds like a good start to me."
Arisa leaned back in her chair, her expression unreadable, but somewhere deep in her chest that unfamiliar warmth stirred again. Fleeting, fragile, and almost welcome.
Jorno clapped his hands together with a grin. "Alright then! I'll get that started for you," he said with his usual enthusiasm as he turned toward the kitchen. "Make yourself comfortable," he added over his shoulder before vanishing into the back.
Neta remained at the table, her posture relaxed, that ever present smile still lighting her face. She didn't fidget, didn't rush. Just sat there, her blue eyes lingering on Arisa with a calm patience.
It was Arisa who finally broke the silence. Her voice was measured, but her curiosity pressed through it. "So… why do you have restrictors? And what exactly are they restricting?"
Neta stretched her arms across the table, the silver bands glinting as faint streams of yellow light pulsed through their engraved lines. With the movement, Arisa noticed something else, Neta's nails were painted a delicate baby blue. A small detail, but it looked unexpectedly cute on her.
"Oh, these?" Neta said lightly, almost as if she were showing off jewelry. The glow shimmered faintly at her wrists. "Well…" Her tail shifted, swaying in a slower, more uneasy rhythm. The innocence in her voice carried a faint tremor. "I can't really say why…" Her tone dropped softer, almost a whisper.
For a heartbeat, she seemed withdrawn. But just as quickly, her tail flicked back into its usual cheerful wag, her smile returning. "But I can tell you what they restrict. It's my strength."
Her fingers drifted to the bracelets, fidgeting against the heavy metal as if their weight alone was reminder enough. Arisa's eyes followed the motion, quiet and attentive.
"They're very heavy," Neta continued, her smile thinning. "And they inject some kind of chemical into my bloodstream… something that stops me from—"
Arisa's expression hardened, her voice cutting through like a blade. "Injects a chemical? Did you ask for this?"
The question froze Neta. Her tail stopped mid sway. She clasped one bracelet with her free hand, her eyes falling to the glowing patterns. Her smile faltered for the first time, replaced by a silence that said more than words could. It wasn't hesitation so much as careful restraint, as though she was choosing what not to reveal.
But that silence was all Arisa needed to hear.
She could see the way Neta's smile had faltered, the stillness of her tail, the weight behind her silence. She hadn't meant to push so hard, and the last thing she wanted was to make the girl uncomfortable.
"Don't worry about it, Neta," Arisa said gently, her voice easing back from its edge. "We'll save that for another day."
Neta's ears twitched at the change in tone, her eyes flicking back up to meet Arisa's.
Arisa leaned slightly forward, this time softening the subject. "You said they're heavy? But how heavy?"
The question, light as it was, drew the brightness back to Neta's face. Her tail gave a cheerful thump against her chair. "I could actually take them off to show you!" she exclaimed, already half rising in her seat, her enthusiasm bubbling over. "But I can only take them off for five minutes, max."
From the back of the diner, one of the workers sighed audibly. "Oh god, here we go again…"
Neta shot them a playful glance, her bells chiming as she stood fully.
Arisa found herself smirking, the warmth of Neta's sudden cheer seeping into her own mood. Seeing her happy again… it's better this way.
"Alright then," Arisa said, settling back with a calm grin. "Go ahead. Show me."
Neta stood fully now, her bells chiming faintly with the motion. She clutched the metal band around her right wrist, fingers pressing into a hidden groove. With a sharp hiss, the mechanism cracked open, releasing a thin mist tinged with blood. The faint, metallic scent of iron drifted into the air.
Arisa's eyes narrowed as Neta dug her hand into the slit, prying it open. Rows of thin, cruel needles lined the inside of the bracelet, glistening with fresh red. Skin and blood stretched in faint strings as the band loosened, leaving behind dozens of tiny puncture holes carved deep into her wrist.
Arisa felt her chest tighten, her jaw clenching with a flash of anger. They dig into her skin… every time she wears it. Questions surged in her mind, but she swallowed them down, letting silence veil her thoughts.
Neta turned toward her with a bright smile that clashed violently with the grisly scene. She held out the open bracelet casually, as though it were nothing more than a trinket. "You should stand up before you grab it," she advised, her voice light.
Arisa arched a brow, suspicion etched in her gaze. Yet something in Neta's tone. Playful, yes, but edged with certainty, made her listen. She rose slowly to her feet.
Neta extended the bracelet. Arisa reached out, palm open, bracing herself as the cat girl let go.
The weight struck instantly.
It felt like the sky had collapsed into her hand. Crushing, relentless, impossible to hold. Her grip gave way at once. The bracelet plummeted and struck the floor with a deafening clang, sending up a cloud of dust and fragments of stone. Particles swirled through the air, blurring her vision.
Arisa stood frozen, shock rippling through her body. Her mind screamed at the impossibility of it. That something so small could carry that much weight on it.
Through the haze, Neta's voice rang out, distressed yet still oddly melodic. "Oh god, I'm sorry, Jorno!"
From the kitchen came Jorno's booming reply, equal parts frustration and disbelief. "Neta! Now I have to make a whole new batch!" The clatter of dishes and pans echoed loudly in the background.
Arisa stared into the fading dust, her heart pounding. The sight of the needles, the blood, and now this impossible weight, it only left her with more questions.
As the dust began to settle, a few of the workers hurried out from behind the counter, waving their arms and towels to push the haze away from the kitchen.
Arisa stood motionless, her eyes fixed on the near crater in the floor, the bracelet resting squarely at its center like some cursed relic. Only now did she notice the state of the diner itself. Fissures snaking across the tiles, patched repairs scattered in awkward squares, cracks that spiderwebbed underfoot. This wasn't the first time Neta had dropped it. Not even close.
"Neta," one of the workers called, already grabbing a broom, "we told you. Next time you wanna show that thing, do it outside."
The other, who had just finished mopping, smacked the wet mop against his own forehead with a groan.
Neta's ears dipped slightly as her tail curled tightly around her thigh. She scratched the back of her head with an embarrassed grin. "Hehe… s-sorry."
Arisa crouched slowly, her expression unreadable. She extended her hand toward the monstrous band, her palm hovering just above it for a breath before finally gripping the cold metal. It bit against her skin, impossibly heavy.
She braced, veins rising along her forearm as she began to lift. Inch by inch, the bracelet rose, her muscles straining with the effort. Her breath grew shallow, her jaw clenched tight, but she did not falter.
Neta's tail loosened from its nervous coil, her eyes widening in surprise. "Oh… that's a first."
Despite the faint compliment, Arisa's body shook from the effort, every motion deliberate, controlled. At last, she managed to raise it high enough to place it carefully back into Neta's waiting palm.
Neta accepted it casually, as though it were no heavier than jewelry, her smile returning as if nothing about the moment was extraordinary. Arisa, by contrast, exhaled sharply, a ragged gasp escaping her lips as she let go.
"Woow… you're strong," Neta said, disbelief softening her usually playful tone.
Arisa looked at her, sweat dampening her brow, shock clear in her eyes. "Me? Strong?" she repeated, clutching at the arm she had used, feeling the strain deep in her muscles. The words carried genuine confusion.
Without hesitation, Neta slipped the bracelet back onto her wrist. The moment the metal touched her skin, the device snapped shut with a terrifying speed, the hiss of its seal cutting through the air.
Neta's body jolted, her shoulders stiffening as if electricity had shot through her veins. A sharp sound escaped her lips. Half gasp, half moan. Raw, involuntary, and gone in an instant. Her smile returned almost immediately after, but Arisa had seen it. She heard it.
Ten minutes scraped by in the warm hum of the diner. Neta and Arisa now sat at a new table, Jorno had already set their plates down. Small, fragrant arrangements that looked half familiar and half like something from another world. Arisa stared at hers with a quiet, stunned curiosity. Glistening slices of starfruit threaded on skewers, a bowl of ember stew sending up gentle steam, a compact stack of sweet fried dough puckering with honey. The colors and scents were new to her, sharp and alive, and the sight of them made something like wonder flicker across her face. Neta practically glowed beside her, eyes bright as she watched Arisa's first hesitant tastes turn into eager, pleased bites.
They fell into easy conversation, voices low and bright over clinking cutlery. Two strangers trading small confessions and laughter as if they'd always known the rhythm of each other's words. Neta talked with the casual intimacy of someone delighted to share favorites. Arisa answered with short, guarded sentences that softened in the spaces between mouthfuls. From the kitchen window, Jorno lingered, hands still dusted in flour, watching them with a slow, private smile. He'd seen people warm to Neta before, but this felt different. Not the rote kindness or curiosity of a passerby, but something genuinely protective, something like care. He turned away with a soft, almost sorrowful grin and went back to work, letting the moment be theirs.
[[Time: Midnight]]
Neta's lids were closed, the bells at her collar no longer chiming a note. Her hands curled under her chin. She was asleep. Five empty plates sat like trophies beside her, evidence of her hunger and delight. Beside Arisa were only two, the food untouched now as she watched. Arisa leaned on one elbow, chin cupped in her palm, eyes fixed not on the sleeping cat girl's face but on the band of silver glinting at her wrist. The memory of the needles, the hiss, the way Neta flinched at the bracelet's bite tightened something in her chest. Her other hand clenched under the table until knuckles went white. Quiet as a winter thought, she made a promise she didn't speak aloud "I'll figure it out. I'll make sure you never wear those again.." No one heard the vow but Arisa herself. The sleeping girl who, for all her daylight smiles, carried a wound Arisa meant to unmake.
Jorno appeared at the table almost silently, his voice low and warm. "Never seen her sleep on the job," he said, glancing at Neta dozing peacefully beside the stack of empty plates. "She must feel safe around you." His smile lingered, but there was a note of meaning beneath it that Arisa didn't miss.
Arisa's eyes shifted from him to the old brass clock on the wall, its ticking suddenly loud in her ears. Realization hit her and she straightened sharply. "Shit… sorry about that. You can give me the bill."
But Jorno only wagged a finger, the gesture firm. "I have a rule here," he said, his tone softening but edged with weight. "I will never charge Neta for food. Never."
There was gravity in his words, a kind of promise forged long before Arisa walked into the diner. She felt it. The sincerity, the unspoken history tucked inside those simple syllables. Her expression hardened, her violet eyes narrowing with seriousness as they fixed on him.
Jorno let the tension breathe for a moment before his smile returned. "Since you offered to pay for her… it's on the house."
Arisa's gaze drifted back to Neta, to the silver bands still locked around her wrists, and then she rose fully from the table. She turned back toward Jorno, her voice quieter but firm. "Thank you. I'll be back again… I'll pay you then."
He chuckled, a deep, warm sound that tried to cut through the heaviness. "You coming back will be enough."
Arisa's lips curved into something faint, almost fragile. The shadow of a smile. She turned and began walking away, boots tapping against the cracked tiles.
But after only a few steps, she stopped.
Jorno noticed immediately, his brow lifting as he turned to face her.
"Tell Neta…" Arisa began, her voice steady, "that I enjoyed my time with her. And thank you."
Jorno's smile softened in reply, but before he could speak, Arisa turned fully toward him. Her expression sharpened, the faint smile gone, replaced with raw determination. Her violet eyes glowed faintly, the familiar cold light cutting through the dim diner.
"There's something more going on here," she said. "You're good at hiding it… but my eyes can see through lies. I'll figure it out. Maybe not today. But I will."
The air seemed to thicken around her words. Jorno's smile vanished, leaving him momentarily frozen in shock.
Arisa didn't wait for an answer. She turned away, her steps steady and final, and pushed through the diner's door. The bells chimed softly in her wake, leaving the warmth of the diner behind as she vanished into the night.
—-
Arisa retraced the same path she'd taken to get here, her boots carrying her down streets that felt emptier now. The laughter of children had faded, doors were shut tight, and a hushed calm had settled over the neighborhood. Only the faint hum of the distant city carried through the night air, the buzz of towering lights and machines, too far away to disturb this small pocket of peace.
Her hand slipped into her pocket, fingers brushing against the small device hidden there. The thought hit her like a jolt. "Damn it… completely forgot," she muttered, palming her face with a groan. "Come on, Arisa. Get it together."
She slowed her pace, caught between irritation and weariness, and whispered under her breath, "What would Manko do?"
The answer was immediate, almost like his voice was shouting inside her skull "Go to the bar!"
Arisa let out a long sigh, rolling her eyes skyward as if he could see her. "You would say that…"
Still, she couldn't deny it. After everything that had happened since leaving home, a drink or two didn't sound like a bad idea. It was late, and realistically a bar was probably the only thing still open at this hour. So she decided to wander further along the quiet street, her steps steady, her gaze scanning for dim lights or the murmur of voices that might lead her there.
She didn't want to return to the chaos of the city just yet. Not after the fragile peace she'd found in this neighborhood, tucked away from the towering buildings and endless glow of Norad.
The streets stretched on in silence, lamplight glowing in thin pools against the cracked pavement. Arisa's boots echoed softly, the sound almost swallowed by the vast hush of the district. Here, the air felt calmer than the city's neon chaos she'd first walked through. More honest somehow, though worn and tired.
She passed shuttered shops, their signs dark and cold. A lonely cat darted across her path, its shadow stretching long under the pale glow of a streetlamp. Somewhere in the distance, a dog barked, then all was quiet again.
It was only when a dull thrum carried faintly through the night. Laughter, voices, the muffled beat of music, that her pace slowed. Ahead, tucked between two old stone buildings, a weathered sign swung gently in the night breeze. Faint light spilled out from beneath the door, warm and amber, and the scent of smoke and roasted meat drifted into the street.
A bar.
[[Location: Norad, District three. LV street, Live & Drink!]]
Arisa stood outside for a moment, hand resting at her side, staring at the crooked sign that read 'Live & Drink!' Manko's voice rang in her head again. "Go to the bar!" She exhaled sharply, almost a laugh, and pushed the door open.
Inside, the air was thick. Warmth clinging to her skin at once. Laughter rolled through the haze of smoke, clinking glasses and muttered conversations blending into a chaotic symphony. Old wood groaned under boots and mugs, the whole place alive in a way the streets hadn't been.
Arisa's gaze swept the room. Patrons crowded around the counter, others hunched over games of cards, a few slumped in corners half drunk. But one presence pulled her attention instantly.
She didn't notice her face first, or her voice. It was the aura.
Across the room, lounging with an easy confidence, sat a woman who seemed to bend the atmosphere around her. Blonde hair tipped in pink caught the glow of the lanterns, messy but intentional, framing eyes that burned neon like fire under glass. She laughed at something a patron said, the sound bright and playful, and even in the raucous bar, heads turned toward her without her asking for it.
Arisa froze, her pulse skipping in her chest. This wasn't just anyone.
And then, as if she had felt Arisa's eyes on her, the woman's smile curved into something sharper. Her neon gaze flicked across the bar, locking onto Arisa's with disarming precision. She leaned back in her chair, crossing one leg over the other, and raised her glass in a lazy toast.
Arisa had never seen her before and yet, in that moment, she knew she wouldn't forget her.
Chapter 8: Quiet Promise
END