Three weeks after meeting Jenny Vasquez, Marron stood in front of her apartment mirror with scissors in hand and a determination that bordered on reckless.

"You're really doing this," Mokko observed from his position on the bed. He sounded amused.

"I'm really doing this," Marron confirmed.

For the last three months or so (she also couldn't believe it had been that long, in another world) she'd been pulling her long, curly brown hair into a ponytail.

But she was tired of how heavy it felt.

In light of her recent accomplishments (the coalition among them) she decided it was time for a change.

"You could go to a professional," Mokko suggested. "The Guild district has salons. People who know what they're doing with scissors."

"I'm a chef," Marron said, sectioning her hair with the same precision she used for mise en place. "I'm very good with knives. How different can scissors be?"

"That's not reassuring."

"Too late. I'm committed now." Marron made the first cut—a diagonal line from shorter in front to longer in back, releasing the weight that had been pulling at her scalp for years. Hair fell to the floor in dark waves. "Besides, it's just hair. It'll grow back if I hate it."

Lucy watched from her jar with concern, her red slime core forming a question mark.

"I saw someone in the market with hair like this," Marron continued, cutting layers now, trying to remember the shape she'd admired. Shorter at the crown, longer pieces framing the face, texture and movement instead of weight. "It looked so cool. Like she was unapologetic about her hairstyle. I want that."

"You are the furthest from invisible right now!" Mokko pointed out. "You organized a resistance movement."

"Yeah, and the Merchant's Guild still hates me," Marron said as she carefully snipped her hair."but I'd rather feel comfortable, than demanding change while my hair weighs me down."

She worked methodically, staring at herself in the mirror as she cut. Whatever she snipped on the left side, she tried to replicate on the right. It was far from perfect--Marron imagined a hairstylist would balk at her attempt.

But eventually, the woman staring back at her had a sharper hairstyle, instead of her usually flowy waves.

"Yes," she whispered. "now I look like I carry three Legendary Tools and won't apologize for having them."

When she finished, her hair fell in choppy layers—shorter in back, longer pieces framing her face, the whole thing giving an almost wild, textured look. It was intentionally messy, but in a nonchalant way.

"Well?" Marron asked, turning to face Mokko.

The bearkin studied her for a long moment, then smiled. "It suits you. And now you might not have people requesting you wear a hairnet while you cook."

Marron rolled her eyes at the memory.

"That human woman was way too concerned about my hair getting in the food. I haven't had a complaint since I got here."

"But still," Mokko said reasonably. "She had a point."

"And that was why I tied my hair up, and continued to do so, even after I got a hair net." Marron sighed.

Lucy burbled approval and formed an enthusiastic star shape.

Marron swept up the hair from the floor, disposed of it, and looked at herself one more time. Yeah. This was right. This felt like her—not the old her, but the her she was growing into.

"Alright," she said, pulling on her jacket. "Let's go to the market. I want to show Jenny that magic water thing she mentioned."

"The what?" Mokko asked, following her out.

"You'll see."

+

The street market had settled into its new rhythm after the decree crisis. Vendors operated under their partnership agreements, monthly inspections happened without major incidents, and the threatened closure had become just an unpleasant memory. The market thrived—if anything, stronger than before. The crisis had unified vendors, created alliances, reminded everyone what they were fighting to preserve.

And Jenny's cart had become something of a phenomenon.

Marron heard the crowd before she saw it—voices chattering excitedly, the sound of coins changing hands, someone laughing in delight. When she rounded the corner toward Jenny's yellow and white striped awning, she found at least twenty people clustered around the cart, all waiting for... something.

"—never seen anything like it—"

"she calls it magic water, and I have no idea how she does it!"

"It really does look like water, but tastes even better!"

Marron pushed through the crowd carefully, Mokko clearing a path with his bulk. Jenny was working at her cart with the efficient energy of someone in their element, serving drinks in clear glasses filled with… shimmering liquid?

"Marron!" Jenny spotted her and waved. "Perfect timing! You need to try this before the lunch rush drains my entire stock."

"What is that?" Marron asked, staring at the glasses of ice-cold water. There was a pleasant smell she recognized from back home--bananas.

Then her pink eyes widened at the realization.

"That's magic water!"

Jenny grinned. "Exactly. I never thought I'd find banana extract around here!"

She reached into her apron pocket and showed her a tiny bottle labeled "banana essence."

"An alchemist wondered why I wanted to have bananas extracted, but...it's just how we made it at home."

On her cart was a large plastic drink container, shaped like a round dome with a flat lid. Inside was completely clear water, frosty and glowing with mana-rich ice cubes. Floating inside was clear jelly, and customers were amazed at how refreshing it was.

"It took me weeks of trial and error," Jenny continued as she opened the drink container and used a large white ladle to pour the magic water into a plastic cup. "but I finally got it. And people can't get enough of it!"

She looked away to accept a few more orders as Marron clutched her cup like a lifeline to nostalgia. Cold condensation already formed on the outside, and Marron took a sip.

The sweet taste of banana spread gently on her tongue as the cold liquid poured down her throat. She couldn't get enough of it and drained her glass immediately, wanting more afterward.

No wonder people are practically throwing coins at her!

"This is incredible," Marron said.

"This is profitable," Jenny corrected, but she was grinning. "I'm charging five copper per glass and people are buying three at a time. Nobody in Savoria has carbonated drinks. It's all still water, tea, wine, beer. The concept of sweet water with gelatin is blowing their minds."

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