The Peach of Immortality was the magnum opus of the Amrita Corporation’s work over the course of the last century. A single whiff of the divine fruit bore innumerable almost magical effects on an ordinary person, which was only magnified tenfold when that person was a descendant of the Fang Sisters.

However the alchemy involved was imperfect in only one regard, namely that certain effects would not last forever if care was not taken to maintain the blessing. 

When Jisoo had first ascended to become a xian, she had devoured an entire Peach which reacted to the potency of her bloodline. The effects it had on her body were tremendous, beyond the transformation of her mortal form. She went from a rather meek and shorter than average speck to become statuesque even by the standards of normal people. Moreover she acquired immense raw physical strength which pushed her far past the limits achievable by ordinary humans. 

Unfortunately Jisoo’s time away had destroyed her body in many ways which were not evident until she underwent a physical examination. Her months spent with heavy alcohol use and very little exercise had taken a heavy toll. It was no small wonder Jisoo had been defeated by Thomas Evans when she was in such a pathetic state.

I knew it would be hard to reach the level I was at before my departure… But I’m even worse than I imagined. Jisoo thought, and channeled her negative emotions into determination to finish a brutal workout under the careful supervision of her cousin, who watched from nearby as she struggled to complete one more repetition. 

An ordinary gym did not have the kind of industrial equipment needed for either herself or Grace to really sweat. Fortunately there was a decommissioned car manufacturing facility in city limits which the Amrita Corporation had purchased some years ago specifically for this purpose. Although even then some of the more exceptional members of their clan such as Grace had to go elsewhere for anything more than a light warmup.

The modified hydraulic press which Jisoo was currently using to work her legs and core could exert over one hundred fifty tons of force over any given surface area. In this case, that surface area was spread out over Jisoo’s shoulders and upper back. 

I don’t remember this being so damn hard before… Jisoo cursed to herself as sweat dripped down her forehead and past her eye. She was just one last push away from her goal of three sets of twelve on a one hundred fifty ton squat. When she was in her prime just over a year ago that would have been too light to be considered a warmup. Now that same weight had her red in the face and ready to pass out. Her quads burned in protest.

Grace raised her brow as the press began to get the better of Jisoo. “You’ll never pass the physical if you can’t even lift this.” She said pointedly. “That’s enough weight training for today I suppose.” 

Her cousin marched towards the press and placed her hand on the smooth metal platform next to Jisoo’s left shoulder. Without the slightest hint of effort Grace raised the press off Jisoo’s body and pulled her away from the machine. Once she was clear, Grace deactivated the press and observed Jisoo collapse to the ground in exhaustion next to her.

Jisoo feebly rolled onto her back and took deep breaths in through her nose then exhaled from her mouth. It had been years since she had felt this physically exerted, and for such a meager lift too which only added to the embarrassment she felt as Grace got on her haunches next to her. She attempted to rise into a seated position but was stopped by a firm hand on her shoulder which urged her to slow down. 

“Easy now. Drink some water.” Grace murmured soothingly and helped Jisoo up, then passed her a bottle of ice cold spring water. She guzzled down half the bottle before some went down the wrong pipe, and Jisoo burst into a fit of coughs. 

I’m so weak! Jisoo swore while Grace gave her a bit of room to recover. “That was terrible… I couldn’t even do that little.” She muttered despondently. “And to think I was only gone for a year.”

“Take a few minutes to breathe. I’ll go bring the car around and we can head to the martial arts gym.” Grace chided before she strolled away.

That’ll be a ton of fun I’m sure. Even when she was in the best shape of her life, Jisoo had still never really been a match for Grace in physical contests. Beyond just her remarkable raw power, her cousin was also an expert Muay Thai practitioner and a black-belt Judoka. There were few people Jisoo could think of who genuinely could pose a threat to Grace in the world, and all of them were part of their dynasty. 

Frankly the intense training regimen required of Amrita operations specialists had always seemed like overkill to Jisoo. The most difficult part of their assignments was typically the initial approach and the avoidance of potential witnesses. Once they were with their target the amount of bodyguards no longer mattered. A single trained descendant of the Fang Sisters was more than what any full paramilitary force could handle even on an open field. Therefore an equal amount of time was spent learning how to hold back significantly, otherwise an attack meant only to injure could result in broken bones or worse. 

Grace had to help Jisoo back to her feet and into the supercar, she was too weak in the aftermath of her failed workout to do it herself. The journey itself was not very pleasant; her cousin loved fast cars. 

We aren’t on a damn race track you know. Jisoo thought and groaned as Grace blitzed across the city towards their destination. Fortunately so early in the morning there was almost nobody on the highway, so the risk of an accident especially with all the car safety features was practically zero.

Still, Jisoo wished Grace would be a bit more gentle behind the wheel while her head was still very tender. Especially if they were about to work out again.

She raised her seat and turned the music down slightly. “I want to take a shower at home before we go to the tattoo artist later.”

“Have you decided on a design?”

“A nine-tailed fox. I am going to work towards a full sleeve.” Jisoo replied and touched her arm where she intended to get the tattoo. 

Before her departure Jisoo had wanted to get one, however while abroad never had the opportunity nor the desire anymore. At some point she might dye her hair if she could ever select one color.

By the time they reached the privately owned gym, Jisoo felt strong enough to at least walk inside without any assistance. Compared to the cushy, luxurious nature of most of the things in their life the gym was rather rough around the edges. Jisoo wouldn’t describe the place as dirty or unclean, but it was certainly very intense. Grace liked the place since the owner encouraged full-contact sparring and knew several world champions she could practice with whenever she was in town.

Jisoo was already in her gym clothes so all she had to do was wrap her hands while Grace went to the locker room to get changed. When she returned, they both stepped into the octagon shaped arena on the other side of the facility. Fortunately it was not a busy morning so they did not need to wait for anybody to finish up.

“I’ll go easy on you since you're probably pretty tired.” Grace mentioned and stretched. “Unless you don’t feel up to it right now.”

“This has to happen at some point. Let’s see just how much I’ve forgotten.” Jisoo replied and tightened her ponytail. 

As she expected, Grace was an insurmountable opponent. Even when she was intentionally holding back significantly. She fought very defensively to allow Jisoo to ease back into it rather than simply lay her out.

Jisoo landed a strike on Grace’s chiseled midsection, which she realized had done more damage to her own hand than it had to her cousin, who brushed the blow aside and simply pushed her several feet across the cage. The few times Grace did fight back and throw punches or kicks of her own were each enough to make Jisoo stagger and flinch in pain. 

Grace frowned. “Your stance is flimsy.” She noted and suddenly lashed out too fast for Jisoo to react. 

Effortlessly she swept her leg behind Jisoo’s knee and tripped her, which sent her right to the canvas with a painful thud. Jisoo grumbled and slowly returned to her feet while Grace put her hands on her hips.

“You also aren’t rotating your hips when you strike. There is no power behind anything you throw.” Grace critiqued. “Your lack of strength aside, you just don’t have the right form.” She murmured.

Jisoo blinked, and when she opened her eyes Grace had crossed the octagon in less than a second. She gasped and tried to raise her arms but was much too slow to avoid her cousin’s takedown, which once more sent her to the ground.

She hits like a bullet train… Jisoo thought, dazed. “Well I guess I’ll just need to-!” Before she could finish her sentence, the air in her lungs was forced out of her body.

Grace spun on her heel and plopped down on top of her chest, and refused to budge when Jisoo struggled feebly underneath her bodyweight. Try as she might, it was simply impossible for her to get Grace to even move an inch. 

“We need to have a talk. You weren’t yourself yesterday morning with Min. Something’s bothering you, and it still is.” Grace said pointedly and readjusted herself to get more comfortable at Jisoo’s expense. “So let’s chat.”

“Grace, this really isn’t the time.” Jisoo groaned and pushed against Grace’s firm ass cheeks, each of which were planted squarely on her bosom. 

Again, her cousin did not budge. “Not until you tell me why you don’t talk to me anymore.” Grace murmured. 

What? We talk all the time?! It was pointless to fight back so Jisoo simply accepted her fate to be a chair for Grace. Still, what her cousin had claimed made her furrow her brow in confusion. They spoke frequently and were typically in each other’s company, as they had been since Grace came to visit her in Norwich. Jisoo did not understand what she could possibly mean by that.

“Have I seemed cold towards you? If so I didn’t-.”

“That’s not what I mean.” Grace cut in. “What I mean is that you never tell me about your problems anymore. I know what happened to your big sister had a profound impact on you, and I know that you’ve been stressed about your marriage. But you never just sit down and tell me how you feel about your issues.” She professed. “I understand why you left in the first place… but I was also really hurt when you didn’t come to me first. You just left.”

“I… I had no idea you felt that way.” Jisoo admitted and felt a pang of guilt. Truthfully she had not thought of how those close to her had been impacted by her departure. 

Before she had traveled to Norwich, Grace had been her best friend. They developed a sisterly relationship similar to what she had originally had with Tae-yeon. 

Despite that Jisoo had ignored her cousin’s frequent attempts to get in contact with her up until a year later. “I’m sorry. I never considered how my actions would make you feel.” Jisoo apologized softly. “You’re my family, and my closest friend. I should never have excluded you from my life to begin with. Please forgive me.”

“…Thank you. I just wanted you to know that I’ll always be here for you.” Grace replied and mercifully rose from Jisoo’s chest to allow her to sit up. She took a seat across from her while both women sat in the center of the octagon. “So if you don’t mind me asking, what happened yesterday? Why did you seem so out of it before we met with Aunt Min?”

“I had a nightmare.” Jisoo replied with a shiver. “Well, maybe it was more of a bad memory. I relived the day I hurt my dad.”

“I see. That would explain why you weren’t yourself.”

“I wonder if I’ll ever manage to forget that day.” Jisoo whispered.

Grace shrugged. “It’s better to forgive yourself for what you did rather than try to forget that part of your life, wouldn’t you say?” She suggested. “You made a mistake, and you regret it. There is not much else you can do but learn from it.”

Have I really learned? Do I really regret my actions? I haven’t even tried to reach out to either of them to apologize or even see if Byung-ho is alright. Jisoo wondered. The Amrita Corporation had kept the Park Family under surveillance ever since her ascension. A safeguard in case Tae-yeon or Byung-ho attempted to leak information to the public. 

A social pariah like Byung-ho had little sway, however Tae-yeon was a different story. Before she had to take time away from practice and her career to care for her father, she had been an Olympic prospect. She used to appear on talk shows and public events, but had withdrawn for obvious reasons. Maybe one day she would find the motivation to pick up her bow once again.

Jisoo shook her head from side to side and forced those thoughts away. She would never improve her physical attributes until she was sound of mind. The longer she dwelled on the past the worse her performance would be. 

It was just a dream. Forget that part of your life.

Wu Yanlin was not a particularly confrontational person. While she was not a doormat either, she typically tried to find some form of compromise whenever she was faced with difficult people. For the majority of her professional career that outlook on life had taken her very far when combined with her ability to reason and make concessions when needed.

Unfortunately it was quite frankly impossible to ever reach a compromise whenever it came to Chen Grace. The heiress was absolutely nothing like her mother in almost every regard. She was lazy, crude, and above all else very rude to anybody who served directly under Lihua. 

What kind of brat would ruin her own mother’s office like this?! Yanlin thought to herself and watched the office sanitation workers sweep up the last remains of debris that still lingered after the incident over the weekend. Most of the bigger chunks of broken apart desk and wall had been picked up already, but the contractor who had since been asked to repair the wall itself where the desk had made a gigantic hole made another mess altogether. 

To make matters worse, Chen Min had paid them an unscheduled visit right in the middle of their repairs. All Yanlin could do was try to keep everything under control with the handymen and also tend to the needs of her superiors simultaneously. 

If I had ever done something like this my parents would have disowned me. That ingrate is very lucky her mother is so patient. Yanlin considered and walked across the hallway to another office where Lihua had temporarily moved. She carried some more tea and was allowed into the room. Carefully she set it down between Lihua and Min while the two women chatted idly amongst one another.

Lihua sat upright, in stark contrast to the elder of the two women who was very laid back. Few people commanded respect the way Chen Min did. 

“…the girl simply refuses to listen to anything I say.” Lihua was saying when Yanlin entered the office. “She would rather parade around the world in the company of harlots than do anything productive with her gifts.”

“Grace has always been a very rebellious young woman.” Min agreed and took a sip of her tea. 

Yanlin remained completely silent and simply waited for further instructions, although neither Lihua nor Min seemed to notice or even care for her presence. If they required her assistance with anything a hand gesture would suffice. She was probably one of the few secretaries around who actually enjoyed it when the higher-ups came to visit. It provided a valuable opportunity to prove their worth and exemplary service, the trick was to not step out of line and avoid foolish mistakes.

The matriarch of the dynasty continued. “However she is a remarkably effective operations specialist. She handled that unpleasant business in London last year very well.” Min remarked. “Her off-duty mischief aside, your daughter deserves high praise.”

“I believe that you are far too patient with her… but I am proud of her accomplishments. Although I doubt she would ever understand that.” Lihua conceded with a slight twinge in her voice that bordered dangerously close to regret. 

The pains of being a parent. Yanlin thought and struggled to keep the bemused smirk off her face. Gods or not, the hardship of motherhood remain the same.

“Now onto the matter at hand.” Min said pointedly, which immediately captured the attention of everyone in the room. “I have finalized my selection for the three judges to review Jisoo’s marriage proposal. On the topic of Grace, I have already informed her that she will represent the Northern Chinese Branch.” 

“Of course. I am sure she will take this assignment seriously, she and Jisoo are exceptionally close.” 

“As for the other two, I have chosen Nishidate Satsuki to represent the opinion of the Japanese Cadet Branch.” Min proclaimed. 

Nishidate Satsuki? Yanlin thought in concern. She recognized her name by reputation alone.

At the mention of that name there was a very slight change in the demeanor of Chen Lihua. If she had not served under Lihua for so many years, Yanlin might have not noticed. Evidently Lihua had thought of the same thing.

Satsuki was an internal investigator. Her primary task was to ensure the absolute loyalty of all clan members and employees. As such, her authority was second only to Chen Min herself. Was she not the one who had been tasked with the investigation into Chen Keqing all those years ago? It seemed unfair to pair her with Keqing’s daughter if that was the case.

Lihua cleared her throat. “I understand. I shall have accommodations made for her imminent arrival in Beijing.” She stated. “And the final representative?”

“Nang Yai Saefong.” Min replied crisply. “She will represent the Thailand Branch.”

What?! This time it was impossible to keep a straight face and Yanlin shifted her weight in noticeable discomfort. Lihua also could not help but widen her eyes in surprise, although only for a brief moment before she regained her composure. 

Nang Yai… she’s coming here? A chill went down Yanlin’s back at the thought. She was not a woman prone to give credence to rumors or hearsay that occasionally made their way across the seas. What truly gave her conniptions was the knowledge of how even women like Chen Lihua reacted to Nang Yai. If Lihua, the matriarch of the entire Northern Chinese Branch shivered at that name, then there had to be some credence to her reputation. 

Lihua nodded her head slowly. “As you wish. It will be an honor for my house to host such a guest. And of course we will take every precaution to ensure her comfort.” She promised.

“Excellent. Expect their arrival by the end of this week.” Min responded with a knowing smile. “For obvious reasons Nang Yai shall bring her interpreter. Please ensure that she is treated as you would a family member as well.”

“…I will make sure of it.”

In Norwich, tattoo art was a very rare practice and used equipment that Eren determined was probably not very safe. However in his young teenage years he had done far more foolish things than allow the resident artist in Northside carve a scorpion into his arm with a modified ballpoint pen.

It could take hours to complete a tattoo. Typically, several sessions over the course of either a few days or in some instances a few weeks were required to finish a bigger piece. And that was under normal circumstances and ordinary tools. Eren had no idea how long it would take a speck tattoo artist to finish his work on a woman a hundred times his size, armed only with what appeared to be a thin piece of bamboo and a sharp needle at the end.

Daisuke was a very quiet man, in stark contrast to his ‘biggest’ client who greeted him excitedly. Grace had decided she wanted another tattoo, and insisted that both Jisoo and Eren get one as well while they were all in Beijing together. A monumental task for one person, especially when two of his three clients were gigantic. Eren almost changed his mind out of pity, since he imagined Daisuke would need to spend the next several weeks of his life on them alone. Of course he changed his mind when he saw the unbelievable amount of money Grace intended to pay him for his services, which was just over four billion dollars for their tattoos. 

Me and Grace haven’t really spoken as much since I saw what she did to Thomas and Alice… Eren realized and glanced up at the leviathan woman to his left. Although he had spoken about it with Jisoo and expressed his approval, he had not had a similar conversation with Grace just yet. Were they still friends? Before all of that he had really liked her. Now he was unsure what to think. 

Grace occasionally looked up at the table where her cousin laid flat on her stomach, with a pillow propped under her chin. She had removed her top and allowed Daisuke to work on her arm and a bit of her shoulder. Today he would work on the outline, noticeably without a stencil. His tiny body was made visible only by the occasional glint of his glasses which reflected from the light above the table, focused squarely on the monumental task ahead of him. Jisoo’s well-toned arm was a massive canvas, and would take a very long time to finish the outline alone. 

The needle he used was specially designed with a type of golden crystal, a gift from Grace which could pierce their skin which apparently was infinitely more durable than an ordinary person. A latent side effect of their bloodline, Eren assumed. 

“Have you decided what you will get?” Eren asked conversationally in a neutral tone. In the past he would have been just fine to lounge around on Grace’s lap, but with recent events he was more hesitant. 

She indicated towards her hip. “A tiger at war with a dragon. I’m really interested to see how it will turn out.” Grace replied, enthused at the idea. “Although I did consider an oni style design as well…”

“I’m honestly not sure what I want just yet.” Eren admitted. I barely know of any mythological creatures or anything that would look cool. Nevermind something with a deeper meaning. 

Grace crossed one leg over the other. “Hey Eren… we haven’t spoken in a while huh? Not since what happened in my hotel room.” She said pointedly as if able to read his thoughts from before. “I never had the chance to apologize. You really were not meant to see any of that just yet.”

“It’s okay. I guess it’s better to have seen it now than later on.”

“That’s a good way to look at it I suppose. I’ll admit, I did not think you would have approved of what me and Jisoo were up to.” Grace mentioned. “Most people don’t understand why we do that sort of thing.” She professed.

Eren glanced up towards her. “What happened to those two was personal, at least for Jisoo it was. One of them tried to kill me and the other defended her.” He mused. “However this was not the first time either of you have shrunk people. Nor is it the only reason.”

“You are correct. Sometimes, or as a matter of fact most of the time it is not so personal as Thomas or Alice. Those two were an exception in that regard.” 

“So… why do you shrink other people then? How does that contribute to the future the Amrita Corporation wants to achieve for everybody?” Eren asked. 

Grace paused and considered his question before she replied. Insofar she had not seemed bothered by his inquiries, nor did she seem to care what he had insinuated with that last remark. 

She scratched her chin. “When the Fang Sisters reached the conclusion that The Diminution was the last chance for humanity, they made one critical mistake. They assumed that humans would look after their now shrunken neighbors so to speak.” Grace responded. “Specks are the solution to many of humanity’s woes. After their arrival the natural environment improved drastically for instance. However since that time the speck population has become a sliver of what it once was, due entirely to human cruelty.”

“Their work has been undone as a result.”

“Exactly. It is already estimated that specks will vanish within the next few generations, most likely by the turn of the century they will be a memory.” Grace implied. “So there is no harm in removing those people, to prevent further senseless death upon specks. The pleasure me and Jisoo derive from that process is merely an enjoyable side benefit.”

“So how does that work on a global scale though?” Eren asked, a little confused by the logic Grace proposed. It’s impossible to just outright kill every single person who hates specks… You would probably wipe out almost eighty percent of the human population.

Grace chuckled. “That’s a very good question! Unfortunately I am afraid I cannot tell you more about our plans to fix the world. One day however I promise you will know everything.” She extended her palm towards him. “I understand that it is incredibly frustrating for you right now, but please just trust me and Jisoo. We only want what is best for humanity, and my friendship with you was not a lie.”

“Ultimately that’s all I really am Eren. Your friend, who just wants to make the world a better place.” Grace murmured as he hesitated to step into her hand. 

Why do I feel so conflicted about this? Really… What has Grace ever done to me or anybody else that was unjustified? Is her family even wrong about any of this? Eren considered. They shrank half the world’s population in an attempt to save it, and now have come to realize that humans cannot be trusted on their own to keep that blessing or to protect the ones affected. 

Jisoo and Grace, they both kill people. In terrible ways no less. But I wonder if the people they do that to would have batted an eye if the same thing ever happened to a speck? Exceptions like Thomas aside.

Eren stepped into Grace’s palm for the first time in quite some time. She smiled and curled her fingers around him affectionately, then nuzzled him against cheek in a kind of brobdingnagian hug.

“Jisoo is really fortunate to have found someone like you. She was right, I think only a speck could understand why what we do is necessary.” Grace told him. “Aside from that… I am very happy to call you my friend Eren. I hope you feel the same way about me.”

“I do.” He replied without hesitation. “You and Jisoo mean everything to me.”

After nine hours spent on the table, Jisoo finally decided that she had enough and asked to stop for the day. Daisuke had completed most of the initial outline which would form the tattoo on her left arm, however many more full day sessions would be required not only to finalize the outline, but also to shade it. She imagined that process would take at least a month to complete even if she saw him every day. 

Daisuke gestured towards a mirror and allowed her to see the fruits of his labor, which even incomplete still looked very impressive. The outline of the nine-tailed fox coiled around Jisoo’s arm, with its snout closer to her wrist while the tails wrapped around her forearm and bicep upon a background which would later become clouds. It was already beautiful.

The speck applied some kind of protective ointment to her still tender skin then had Grace wrap a thin plastic film around her arm to protect the still fresh ink. She also paid him for the day and excitedly scheduled the next appointment. Daisuke simply nodded and waved them farewell as the trio departed. 

Jisoo flexed her arm and stretched, happy to be off the table. “He is a pretty odd fellow… does he speak any Mandarin?” 

“Most of his clients do so he has had to learn, but Daisuke really doesn’t like to talk much.” Grace explained while she led them down a nearby street market in the mercantile part of town. “He nearly lost everything a few years ago… the Japanese government arrested him and closed his shop in Tokyo.”

“Why? I thought the taboo around tattoos was pretty much gone in Japan?”

“For the most part yeah. But the real issue actually has more to do with Daisuke himself. He was arrested for drug possession.” Grace replied. “It carries a very severe sentence and they were going to put him away for a long time. I saw his portfolio online and bailed him out of prison.”

“A speck managed to get his hands on drugs?” Eren asked, bewildered at how that was possible. He had no idea how specks day to day life went on in Japan, but he couldn’t imagine it would be easy for them to find a dealer. 

They picked a small noodle shop and took a seat outside. The pleasant aroma of various oils and seasonings wafted from within, which made Jisoo’s stomach rumble. She placed Eren on the table and let him sit down in the many seats provided for specks which were on the table itself. Although there were spaces for specks to eat and walk around alone provided in their own pathways, integration was equally common in the city. A very stark contrast to Norwich.

Grace slipped off her coat. “Daisuke could never prove it, but what really happened was that one of his clients framed him after a petty dispute over his bill.” She told them. “Shortly after they argued his shop was subject to a random search and the police found amphetamine there. The judge in the case was a really old-fashioned type who hated tattoos to begin with and gave Daisuke the maximum sentence.”

“That’s awful… at least you gave him a new life.” Eren murmured.

“I did what I could, but he cannot return to Japan and lost custody of his son. He doesn’t really have any family or connections in China. Despite how much I pay him he never buys anything nice for himself. Frankly I think tattoos are all he has left.” Grace noted with a twinge of sadness in her voice. 

All of that happened to him and none of it seemed to be because Daisuke is a speck… It's just a terrible situation that came from many other factors. Jisoo thought to herself. The world can be cruel regardless of who you are.

Grace got up in order to get them all something to eat. This entire night was her treat so she decided to pay for everybody, not that the price of street food would have made much of a difference to her anyways. After she left Jisoo turned her attention to Eren, who yawned and rubbed the slight bags under his eyes. 

Since he had returned to Eureka they could no longer sleep in all the time which was a shame, but the difference in time zones often meant he would be up well past midnight. 

“So how is progress going on the product? Will there be a prototype ready before quarter one?”

“The company recently went through a complete overhaul. Maddie fired over seventy percent of the staff.” Eren revealed. “After I returned she asked that everybody apologize to me for what happened in Norwich. Anybody who refused she fired on the spot.” He explained.

Jisoo blinked in obvious surprise at that. 

She really fired people who disapproved of Eren working for her? That’s… shocking to say the least. Jisoo crossed her arms. “Really? I can’t imagine that went over particularly well. Especially if so many people left.”

“You really should’ve been there. Maeve even got her licks in and made quite a few people upset.”

“What about the people who stayed? Was it because they just wanted to keep their jobs or do you think they were genuine?” Jisoo asked.

Eren thought for a moment. “Of the ones who stayed, Desmond Lewis and Leah Cohen seemed the most genuine. Leah is also a teacher at a school in California.” He said. “She made the news the other day when she had her elementary school students run a canned food drive for specks in their local commune.”

“I heard about that! The media never released the teachers' names to protect them from all the harassment they were getting from around the country.” Jisoo mentioned. 

Hmph. Maybe Madeleine isn’t so bad after all. She really did seem shaken after she saw what happened in Eren’s commune. Jisoo reconsidered. Of course she still was not particularly fond of the woman, and probably never would be, but she could at least admire Madeleine’s willingness to see the error of her ways. 

However, what of all the people who had made a fuss about leaving? Eren had mentioned something about that. “So how did she handle the worst people in the room? Any particularly egregious examples?” 

“Well there were three or so that started to shout and stuff before Maddie kicked them from the virtual room.” Eren told her. “But they were all fired so-.”

“What were their names?” Jisoo cut in. 

Eren paused right before he replied on instinct, suddenly more uncertain on whether or not to answer that question. Shit… I sounded way too eager to ask that didn’t I? 

In the restaurant she could see that Grace had paid for their food and was on her way back to the table. Once she got back, Jisoo was doubtful she could steer the conversation back to this topic easily since Grace would want to pester Eren about his tattoo design some more. 

He glanced away for a moment. “It doesn’t really matter now. Maddie already humiliated them in front of everybody and they lost their jobs.” Eren reasoned. “Frankly I would prefer to forget all about them.”

“Well it does stand to reason that they might try to get back at Madeleine or Maeve in some way. She’s a young woman living all alone and she lives with a speck. We should think of her safety and maybe inform the authorities?” Jisoo suggested. “Think of what happened to Daisuke in Grace’s story. Over a petty dispute someone ruined his life. What if these people try the same thing with Madeleine?”

“Jisoo… please just let this go.” Eren said quietly while she raised a brow. “We came all this way to get back to your old life right? You’ve got much bigger things to worry about than some morons back in that cesspool.” He said.

Before she could retort Grace returned to the table with two steaming bowls of noodles and a big smile on her face. She set one down on her side of the table and one next to Eren. 

Fine. I’ll find them myself then. Jisoo thought and took a deep breath. She feigned a smile and nodded affirmatively to Eren, which he seemed relieved by. 

Grace handed her a set of chopsticks. “Don’t worry I made sure they made it strictly vegetarian with this really nice herbal broth. I actually skipped the meat myself this time too.” She said conversationally, oblivious to the topic she had just wandered into. “I wasn’t interrupting anything important was I?”

“Oh not at all, I was just asking Eren about how work has been going.” Jisoo professed and filled a small bowl with a single noodle and some broth for Eren to dig into. “Although now we should probably figure out what kind of tattoo the two of you are getting.” She suggested and began to eat. 

Jisoo listened as the conversation switched to something more positive, even while she inwardly considered her options on how best to proceed. Eren seemed convinced that she had no nefarious intentions, although she made a mental note not to ask him about it again. Clearly he still had his reservations.

I’m half the world away from Norwich and don’t have much to go on except a vague description… but I do have access to Eren’s computer, and the minutes from Eureka’s meetings should be somewhere there. Hopefully they weren’t deleted.

After that’s done I can have a word with Lianfei. Her daughter just started field work right? Maybe she would be willing to take an easy assignment to start things off?