"She's not too young to be like, I don't know, watching this?" Alex looked over at Aria while hefting Terry, his green plastic bong in the shape of a dragon.

"WE DON'T HAVE LUNGS. AND CAN'T CULTIVATE LIKE YOU. IT IS FINE. SHE MUST LEARN." Beepy intoned from Alex's bed where he sat next to his brother. He and Zippy were back, though had offered no insight into what their nighttime adventures might have been. They were also already in big brother mode towards their new sister, having promised to show her the way of drones.

"Nah, don't make a big deal out of it," Mary said while looking over to Aria. "She's gotta learn what goes on in the world. Plus, she can handle it."

Aria, the newest addition to the gang, gave a proud little smile from Alex's messy desk.

"Yeah, I'm good," Aria waved nonchalantly, trying to look like it was no big deal she had gained sentience just last night. "I promise I won't touch your gong. I can totally handle it."

"You sweet summer child," Mary laughed. "Yes, please no messing with Alex's gong. That goes for you two, Beepy and Zippy."

Both upgraded mechs protested with electronic beeps, and Beepy made sure to up his drama by waving his arms like he was in an Italian sitcom show.

Mary and the boys had agreed to watch over him during his cultivation. It was necessary, as you could never know what would happen when you cultivated with a Core with zero information about it. The options were to smoke it, slam it into your veins, or get it refined at an Apothocery, and suck on it like candy. That was way too expensive, especially for the higher tiered Cores, and if Alex was being honest with himself, this was the way for him. Some people said the only real way. Smoke it, hold it, and hope it.

Alex had scanned the forums, and not a single hit had returned for the [Brilliant White Heron Core]. Emilio had given him something truly special. It, however, would have surely been more than he could afford to refine, so smoking it was the way to go. He also knew that Mary and Emilio expected him to finally use his upgrades, and after hanging out with Snu until the late afternoon playing games, he felt like he was in a perfect headspace.

Time to upgrade even more. Core first to get it Settling, then use my Skill upgrade on…hmmm…Running? Phantom Step? I don't know if I can handle Brody being more of a shithead…

"Here goes nothing," He looked at all of them and picked up the Core. "If I start acting weird, you have my full permission to restrain me. Any bets on what it's going to do?"

"Iunno," Mary said. "Probably be able to fly, knowing your recent luck. Rich goth girlfriend, sick job, the best, coolest, most badass friends."

"Umm, maybe you'll be able to eat more fish? A lot more fish? Maybe you'll grow feathers? That'd be cool, right?" Aria guessed and laughed at her own bad joke. Thankfully, Mary didn't pull a Mary and come down with the snark hammer.

"PERHAPS DANCING?" Beepy guessed.

He didn't understand what Zippy toned out.

Alex didn't like cultivating. Yet he still loaded the Core into Terry's belly chamber. He didn't like the risk of fusing Monster Essence with his own Core, didn't like the risk of potentially being forever brain fried, or losing a Title, or maybe turning into someone else entirely. No, he didn't like metaphysical brain changes performed with a plastic 'gong' named Terry at all. Each time someone spun the System wheel, the rewards could be amazing, or you could end up thinking you were a slug that was the second coming of some God. Still, he exhaled as much as he could and twisted Terry's nose for good luck, just like he had every time.

Alright, Heron, what kind of upgrade are you going to give me?

The [Brilliant White Heron Core] cracked like glass shattering under murky water. Instead of smoke, threads of pale light were pulled into Terry's swollen belly chamber until it glowed like a lantern. The burning Core smelled sharp and clean, like rain on stone, then shifted to a rusty coin. Alex pulled slowly, tasting incense and pond scum, his tongue going half numb.

The Core twisted, cracked, and let loose a flare that lit Terry's plastic eye sockets. Alex's head buzzed, with vision sharpening too crisply. He knew what was coming. Nate Paddy's voice, the older street rat that taught him how to Cultivate, still haunted him. 'Big pull or you're wasting it." Good advice. Mind you, Nate had been swallowed whole by a goddamn mailbox Monster shortly thereafter.

Alex braced, his lungs screaming, and ripped the final pull. The Core went brittle, burst apart into light, and every feather of smoke dove down his throat at once.

He didn't have time to lay comfortably down before he was something else. Unbeknownst to him, Terry fell to the floor. Aria gasped, Mary giggled and called him a dumbass, and Beepy and Zippy inched their way over to analyze Alex through his Cultivation. Alex just collapsed to the floor.

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He was tall and patient. The river swirled around his legs as the morning fog lifted. A bit of silver flashed, and his beak darted down. A fish. He swallowed it whole. He was a heron, a good heron, and herons were meant to fish.

His vision flashed.

Now he fished for his mate. She preened beside their nest, long neck with one strange feather bending in sweet song. He loved her weird feather. He brought her fat perch, wriggling carp. She sang louder for him.

Then he found something else. A coin glinting in the muck. So, he brought it to her awkwardly in his beak, because it stood out like her feather. She loved it even more than fish.

He hunted more shinies. Bottle caps, smooth glass, little glowing pebbles at the bottom of the lakes and ponds that made her and him stronger, but he didn't know why. Each gift won him another song. Each gift made her song stronger, and in turn, him a better heron.

He even learned to get things that his beak couldn't reach. Even if they were stuck in a rock, or under layers of mud. He was a good heron, and his beak could get anything he wanted.

Another flash.

The colony was ruled by the Great Blue. Big scary bird. One fish a day for every heron, the rest for him. His feathers shined with stolen light. And stolen fish. He grew swollen on the colony's tribute, wings strong, eyes bright. But the others bent their necks and obeyed.

Another flash.

But he kept sneaking. He pulled coins from eel dens, Relics from riverbeds, even pried Cores from human docs under moonlight. No mud was too thick, no current too strong. If it was shiny, he could get it. All for his mate, and the love of getting the shinies.

His mate's nest glittered brighter than any other. Her one strange feature glower white as she sand, the strongest voice in the colony. He loved her song, and her strange feather.

Another flash

But the colony weakened. One fish a day left them thin, with trembling wings, and drooping necks. Their songs faded to croaks. The Great Blue grew fatter with feathers shining like stolen stars. He took everything, especially the Heron's shinies.

The Great Blue came for them. Saw their nest stuffed with hidden treasures. He struck to tear it apart. Their eggs cracked, and his mate shrieked. Blood flecked her song until it too broke.

The Heron had lost his mate and her song.

Another flash

The Heron, who at some point had become the Brilliant White Heron, bent his neck like the others. Inside though, he was sharp.

He found one last treasure that was not a treasure. A pearl case covered a sharp pointy the humans used. It was hollow, save for the shiny metal within. Every heron knew you shouldn't eat those.

He offered it. And the Great Blue seized it, swallowing the shiny whole.

And over the course of a few days, the Great Blue shrieked and spat blood, deflating from the gash within.

Another flash

His mate was gone, and there was little point to get shinies without song. But the colony stirred once more.

Songs returned. Herons lifted their necks again. Fish returned to their bellies whole. Their wings were strong once more.

The Brillian Heron's body was tired. His nest and mate were gone, but the colony was free.

He didn't know what to do, so he figured he might as well go look for the best shiny. The Brilliant White Heron left his flock and went looking for the best shiny he could find in a land far away.

He was still tall and patient. A great heron, and there was always a better shiny to find.

With nothing much to do, the Brilliant White Heron flew off towards the shiny city he just bet had some good treasure.

This time, Alex didn't spring up like he'd been shocked awake. His shirt was slick was sweat, and his body ached brutally. His Core didn't feel like it was going to explode out of his sternum, but it felt full to the brim with Essence that wasn't his. That's what he realized there was a miniature doll's face pressed up to examine him.

"What the hell, Aria!?" Alex yelped, jerking back.

Aria squeaked, scampering backwards with little limbs. The noise roused Mary, who rubbed her eyes and groaned from her sprawl in the bean bag.

"Mmmph. Screaming at the new kid?" She yawned and stretched. "So, how was it?"

Before Alex could answer, Zippy swooped down and caught Aria mid-scuttle, depositing her safely next to Mary.

Aria pouted, folding her arms across her sweater. "I was just checking to see if you died!"

"Alright," Mary interrupted. "Too morbid for day two," She turned her attention back to Alex. "Seriously, how was it? You were out for like…uh,"

Alex forced himself up into a sit. His room was dark, lit only by streetlight glow slipping through his blinds. It was night outside, with all that night brought. Monsters squirreled, birds called back sharply to one another, and what he swore were two garbage cans beat the crap out of each other a block away.

"It's night?" Alex muttered, reaching for a glass of water handed off by Zippy.

"SIX HOURS, ELEVEN MINUTES, FORTY-EIGHT SECONDS," Beepy announced. Then, after the smallest pause. "CAN YOU DANCE NOW?"

Alex flopped back onto the ground exhausted. "No, I don't think that Core made me dance. No idea what the heck it's going to give."

"So…" Mary's voice took on that evil edge she saved for torment. "You made it, that Core is Settling…and you still have upgrades to use."

"Ugh." Alex pressed the heel of his palm into his eye. "Can I just do it tomorrow? I just have a whole savior and sacrifice arc!"

"Tomorrow?" Mary laughed. "Aren't you meeting your new coworker tomorrow? Gotta be your freshest self. No, no. You promised. Tonight, and sleep it off."

"Uuuuuuuugh," Alex groaned, flopping around again. "My Core kills."

"Is he always like this?" Aria asked.

"YES." Beepy answered before booming out. "BATTLE TACTICS, ALEX. ME AND ZIPPY CAN HELP. PICK THE BEST, MOST OPTIMAL SKILL UPGRADE."

Zippy toned in enthusiastic agreement, and even swooped a tight circle over Alex's head, which made Aria giggle and cheer, before the mech landed squarely on Alex's chest and stared down on him.

"Can I help too? I've never seen anyone upgrade before! Too bad you didn't die!" Aria cheered.

"Aria," Mary groaned. "We're going to have to work on that whole no filter thing," She then turned back to Alex. "You've got a whole audience, free upgrades from work, and a new coworker you have to be slick to meet tomorrow. Don't disappoint us, champ."

"Finnnnnne," Alex moaned. "But order food. I'm starving."

"Chinese or Thai?"

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