A Lien Too Little [Private w/ Nym Magenta]

[Terra Fennel]

A slender figure leaned against the brick exterior of a bookstore, her tail lazily swaying, and her furred ears stuck through the hood of ratty grey hoodie. A heavy sigh was lost to the streets lightly dusted with snow as the wolf thumbed through the few lien she had in her wallet. How did the other students always seem to have money to spend? It seemed like if she wanted to do anything remotely interesting she had to have lien to spare. To spare? That was a joke. She scrounged and lucked out finding the occasional coin or stray bill, a lucky break that had dried up as winter prepared to settle in. Taking a little odd job here or there that she could do with little effort thanks to aura and dust had given a little, but not enough. Anything more would cut into her studies, training, and the leisure time she was scrounging money up for in the first place.

To top it off, Nym was back and wanted to hang out. The idea of catching up over a few drinks sounded wonderful, but right now, she could maybe afford one really crappy beer, let alone a drink she'd actually enjoy. An arcade was right out with how little money she had, but there had been one option that Terra had considered, but Nym was a woman of action and strength. How much would the vixen actually enjoy wandering a book store with her? At least she had enough money to buy one book, and she already had one in mind, so if her friend grew too bored they could wander the streets and find a way to occupy themselves.

She slipped her wallet into her pocket and put the troubles of money from her mind. The last thing she wanted was someone else to realize how broke she was and try to buy things for her. Terra leaned her head back and looked up at the sky. Even if her breath was just as visible as it had been back then, a sky filled with clouds and light snow instead of a floating city was a reminded of how much better things still were.

[Nym Magenta]

A bookstore? Why had she even thought about suggesting a bookstore?! Nym shook her head as she stepped off of a bus and double checked her scroll to see which way to go. Nym didn't care for bookstores. Libraries were alright. Nobody there hassled you about buying something or getting out. Occasionally if you were sneaky about it you could get away with sleeping in them. They were quiet. Bookstores? Full of watchful eyes and cameras looking out for strays and thieves, both of which Nym had been at one point in her life. She stuffed her hands into the pockets of her favorite hoodie as she pondered what she would even buy there.

Maybe if they had some decent sketch books or art stuff...

Her mind wandered as she saw the store just down the street. It wasn't the books she was here for, was it? No, it was the diminutive faunus standing in front of the store that she'd been eager to pick up where she'd left off with. She and Terra had just gotten started with some rather extreme training before a long term assignment had kept their friendship isolated to their scrolls for a while. Nym was looking to fix that! There wasn't that much of a crowd on the street and as soon as Terra spotted her she'd offer a friendly wave. "G'day, Terra." Her greeting came with genuine warmth and a happy grin. She'd seen the girl fiddling with her wallet, but didn't think much of it. Terra struck her as the intensely frugal type, if her clothes were anything to go off of. "Been a minute, eh? How ya been?"

[Terra Fennel]

The cold was finally starting to seep into her fingers, though she couldn't blame waiting on Nym. The wolf had already been wandering the city when her scroll had chimed. Terra rubbed her hands together and blew into her hands to warm them. The sound of footfalls on the sidewalk were slightly muffled by the snow, but the sound still drew her attention to the fox. Her lips parted in a smile and she waved her hand excitedly overhead. There was no sense in hiding her excitement after all. She'd been looking forward to the day one of the toughest people she knew came back to Vale. Maybe she'd even get to hear about the mission today. Provided it wasn't one that was too troublesome to recount or confidential.

“Nym! Stars it really has been awhile.” It was strange looking at the fox now. Somehow Nym seemed, smaller than she remembered. Maybe it was her mind playing tricks on her. The vixen still moved with the same strength, and she highly doubted she'd grown or that Nym had shrunk. The short time they'd trained together had been intense and left her shaking in her shoes, had made intimately aware of the girl's strength. More than once she'd woke up in bed with a start and cold sweats after a bad dream involving that weapon of hers, breaking through the icy sword she'd made and biting flesh. The wolf never considered it was her own timidness before that had made the girl seem larger than life. A timidness she was gradually shaking off as the days passed at Beacon.

“I've been well enough. Still trying to keep up with my training and studies, not that I've made any more breakthroughs. They still won't let me check out more advanced books yet.” Terra rubbed at the back of her head and her smile turned sheepish, but she still stood straighter than before. “How's it feel to be back?” The winter air didn't seem quite as cold now that Nym was here.

[Nym Magenta]

Terra's energetic, eager response was exactly what Nym had been hoping for. It dispelled any doubts she might have had about their meeting. They were both happy to pick up where they left off. Which was good! Nym needed more friends that weren't Ax. Whenever the rocker's schedule didn't match up with Nym's she found herself woefully lacking in other outlets of social entertainment and fulfilment. "F'you need me t' get'cha anythin', jus' tell me, but...well, s'pose the school's onta somethin' what wif' focusin' on what'cha need t' know n' not what'cha want t' know?" Nym shrugged. She wasn't Terra's keeper! She was just a friend and one that wasn't all that interested in giving her lectures on what books she should be looking for at the school's library.

Books. Her eyes drifted towards the unassuming building they found themselves standing in front of. "Gotta say...I er...only suggested this place 'cuz I thought it might fit a nerdy lookin' type like you," Nym flashed her sharpened canines as she jested lightly. "What with me barely bein' literate I've neva' actually been in one'a these 'ere in Vale. 'M jus' glad y' knew 'ow t' find one." She could poke fun at herself too.

[Terra Fennel]

The fact that the offer Nym gave her was tempting was etched on the wolf's face. It would be a bold faced lie if she hadn't considered asking her, Ax, or someone to get her one of the books she needed from the restricted sections. It was certainly a stretching of the rules, and would likely get them both in trouble if either of them were caught. “I might just take you up on that. I'd hate to risk you getting in trouble on my behalf,” Terra paused for a moment. Hadn't they had a similar conversation before Nym left? “but you're just going to tell me it's no big deal aren't you?” A shake of her head shook loose a few flecks of snow that had clung to the fabric.

“I kind of had a feeling you recommended more for my sake than your own. I already know the book I'm wanting to buy so if you want to just go for a walk after, we can, and I can even make it up to you by brushing out your tail like I promised.” If she was insulted by being called nerdy, it didn't show. Not in a flick of the ear or a change in how her tail moved. What was the point in acting like she wasn't the type to be more than happy to sit with her nose buried in a book for hours. It didn't stop her from enjoying getting drinks out on the town when she could afford it.

[Nym Magenta]

A small, affirmative nod confirmed Terra's suspicion that it was no big deal. Any restricted books that ended up in Terra's hands would be hard for staff to supervise if they didn't watch them like hawks. She had to wonder why any books would be restricted at all when circumventing those rules was such a simple task. What did a restricted book even look like? No matter, the task at hand loomed in front of them both. "Ah, y'know yer right, I s'pose you neva' did end up getting 'round t' that," Nym mentioned with a chuckle. She'd definitely forgotten that was something that they'd talked about before. "Well, I don' think books're all that borin'. Used t' spend some time in libraries when I was growin' up. They were quiet n' calm." Usually. Sometimes they became considerably less quiet when someone found her sleeping in a corner.

She gestured for Terra to follow her as she turned towards the front door. "So, while I do plan on 'avin' ya make good on 'at, I d'no 'f it's gonna 'appen right away. 'Sides, I don' mind browsin' 'round. Might find somethin' I could like. Like, uh...some kinda drawin' journal or somethin'." She knew they existed. It sounded more fun than any regular journal could ever hope to be. Letting her imagination pull landscapes from her head and down onto whatever was in front of her was infinitely better than writing could hope to be.

[Terra Fennel]

“Thought so. Well, I appreciate it.” Sure enough, Nym brushed off the idea of getting in trouble like it was nothing. Terra had to admit to herself that it wasn't likely to get them into much trouble if they got caught. The fact restricted books even existed seemed weird to the medic, but with some of the incidents she'd had to treat from people trying to do things like ingest dust... Maybe it was better that books on the subject matter required certain classes on Dust before they could be checked out by students. That didn't explain why one's on semblances like hers were restricted too.

“We can brush it out whenever you feel like it. It's not something you should feel like you have to do.” Terra stepped with Nym into the bookstore. The air inside was warm and smelled of coffee and dust of the non-volatile variety. The store was small and cozy, with numerous book-shelves lining the walls and creating aisles that customers could wander through. A young man with a pair of small horns visible through his mousey brown hair glanced up from a book of his own as the two walked in. His eyes moved from Nym to Terra with a look of familiarity that was followed by him rolling his eyes.

“Are you actually here to buy something this time, or “just looking” like the last three times?” He made no effort to hide his annoyance at the wolf, but the bored expression never left his face.

“Depends. You finally get the book I was looking for, Teak?” Terra slipped her hood off her head and ran her fingers through her hair.

“Wait, you were actually planning to buy it? Really? I thought you were just making something up, or I'd have tried to get it sooner.” He motioned towards one of the aisles. “There's only the one copy, but it should be one of those shelves.”

“Thank you.” Terra gave a little two finger wave before making her way towards the aisle he'd pointed at. The way her tail moved as she walked between the bookshelves suggested she was quite excited to finally get a hold of the book in question. She wasted no time in checking the backs of the books looking for the one in question. Unfortunately she had no clue what a book based off a huntress's journal would even look like, just the published title and the woman's alias, The Winged Lance. “Nym, would you let me know if you see a book titled “Huntress Apotheca: An Herbalist's Guide to Remnant.”

[Nym Magenta]

The interior of the building was inviting enough. While dust and books held no special place in Nym's heart, coffee did. The complicated aromas were like a kaleidoscope for her sensitive nose. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. The coffee didn't seem to be anything too exotic, but it didn't present with the same burnt notes that cheap coffee tended to. The coffee here probably wasn't anything to write home about, but she was glad it didn't offend the senses. Not that the same could be said for the employee. Nym glared daggers at him for his snide remark, a sour look on her face. What a bogan. Were people not allowed to browse the shelves in his store?

But she chose not to make a scene of it. If Terra was that interested in buying a book from this place then it wasn't her place to ruin it. "I'll keep 'n eye out," Nym said as she helped Terra scroll through the shelves. Her eyes were glazing over as she inspected the tomes. She lowered her voice as they put some distance between her and the faunus who'd 'greeted' them. "Oi, what's that bogan's deal? Ain't people allowed t' browse in most stores without buyin' nothin'?"

[Terra Fennel]

“Oh, Teak? Eh, it's nothing personal on his part. I imagine it sucks to think you've got a customer only for them to walk out without buying anything. This will be the first book I've actually bought from him.” Her fingers ran along the spines of the book, ignoring the little price sticker near the bottom of each. The titles were all interesting, but it was the pen names that really held her attention. Each one was some Huntsman alias in this section. Written by men and women who had survived long enough to be seeing the end of their career in the future. Some may already be teaching at Beacon. If she had the lien she'd buy the whole lot.

“But this bookstore is practically the only one that hasn't kicked me out just looking at me in my worn out clothes. Might be the only faunus run bookstore in Vale for all I know. Only one I've found at least.” She crouched down to start looking at the books on a lower shelf, easily balancing on the balls of her feet. Terra sighed and rubbed at her eyes after they crossed trying to read the smaller print on the back of one book. If this took too long to find, she'd probably start feeling guilty for bringing Nym to a place she clearly didn't consider hanging out at for her own sake.

[Nym Magenta]

Her eyes scanned over the books as she listened to Terra talk. It sounded like she was listening to a younger, more insecure version of herself. Being bitched out for looking was bad for business. Guess what Nym's first words were going to be about this shop if anyone asked her? Personal or not, they didn't deserve to be treated like dirt. Her eyes glanced over at Terra as she mentioned her outfit. It wasn't doing her any favors. Looking disheveled wasn't a crime, but it was a bad first impression no matter how you sliced it.

"Well...y'd prob'ly get treated a lil' betta' if ya dressed a lil' betta'," Nym offered gently. "F'you spent a lil' bit'a lien from yer jobs on some newer clothin' then y'd fair betta' in otha' stores." She did have to wonder where all that money Terra was getting from Beacon was going. The girl looked like an ascetic! Did she have an aversion to spending money? When Nym had been a new student her wealth had been squandered almost the moment she got it. She'd never been very good at holding on to the stuff.

[Terra Fennel]

There was truth to what the fox was saying. Terra knew that and wasn't even afraid to admit it. If you walked in looking like a stray ragamuffin you'd be chased out of most places, regardless of if you were human or faunus. It didn't matter how pretty her tail or ears could look if the rest of her looked like waifish. It almost sounded like Nym was trying to convince her to go buy some new clothes instead of a book. For a moment she even considered it, before she puffed up her cheeks and shook her head. No, this book wasn't even carried by Beacon, but it would help her studies all the same.

“It's not like I can take any more odd jobs for some spending lien than I already do. Not without it having a negative effect on my studies or stopping me from going on missions.” Terra looked up at from where she was crouched on the floor before shrugging her shoulders. “I know you're right, and you don't exactly get a second first impression, but I've got to work with what I have. I'd probably be better off just wearing my Beacon uniform everywhere.” It wasn't the first time she'd considered that option, but one of the things she loved about Vale was how everyone dressed differently.

[Nym Magenta]

Nym turned to look at Terra with a puzzled expression on her face. Odd jobs interfering with her missions? Just what in the world had this girl been spending all of her lien on?! Nym couldn't figure it out. There was the stipend from Beacon, the bounties from missions, and Terra had never given any outward sign that she was spending her money on, well, anything! What was going on here?

"Terra...what in the bloody 'ells are ya spendin' all'a yer lien on? Why would'ja need t' take any odd jobs fer lien t' buy some clothes?" She sounded as baffled as she looked. "'Tween yer missions n' the stipend from Beacon it ain't that 'ard t' get some new threads or jus' get what'cha 'ave tailored up." Nym had been too attached to the clothes she'd come to Beacon with and had ended up spending a large sum of money to get new ones custom made for her. Terra had options! What could she possibly have been choosing over them?

[Terra Fennel]

As confusion formed on Nym's face, the wolf found her stomach sinking. Her brow knit together and she turned her attention back to the books hoping to find the one she sought. With as rough around the edges as Nym seemed to be and the way she talked, she was the last person Terra expected to have something to say about her not having much money. Her ears went back as the girl questioned her spending habits, despite her not having much to spend in the first place.

“Odds and ends alright? A couple books here and there, the occasional soda or candy, a small radio so I can listen to music while I study, things like that.” Terra sounded as if she was on the defensive. The last thing she wanted was to be judged for being broke. “I've already applied for a few work positions at Beacon, but I haven't... heard... back...” Her words trailed off. Something Nym said clicked and it was her turn to look confused. Had she heard that right? Between her missions and stipend? There were a lot of words she had trouble understanding until she figured them out from context or looking them up, but she knew stipend.

“Missions? Stipend? Wait, wait, wait!” Her search for the book was forgotten for a moment as she stood up even more confused. Had she missed something? Was Nym confused and just thinking about something the older students got maybe? “I do missions every chance I can because there's just not enough medics to go around, but.. am I supposed to be getting paid?” It wouldn't make since to just hand her lien after a mission though. The gears were turning in her head and her eyes were darting around as she was putting the pieces together in her head.

[Nym Magenta]

The pieces began to fall into place. The more Terra explained, the more Nym's expression changed from confused to amused. The poor wolf, she'd missed something during orientation or someone had dropped the ball on talking to her about her compensation. Nym's chest swelled with excitement at what she was about to reveal to Terra. It wasn't every day that a former pauper got to see the live reaction of another person who was equally destitute find that they weren't living in poverty any more. Laughter, effervescent and soft came pouring out of Nym's mouth at Terr'a final question. She reached into one of the pockets of her coat and fiddled around before retrieving a small card and handing it over for Terra to examine. It bore the mark of Beacon as well as Nym's personal crest, a purple hourglass that was ever so slightly made out to look like a fox. Her shortened name was also affixed to the card face, 'Nym Magenta.'

"See that card? Take a good look, 'cuz there's one wif yer name on it floatin' 'round Beacon. Prob'ly got t' talk t' some professa' in the 'ead office or some pencil pusher'r somethin' t' make sure ya get it, Terra, 'cuz y' are gettin' paid." Nym leaned forward to tap lightly on the little piece of plastic. "S'tied t' some account Beacon set up fer ya, jus' like they did fer me, n' a set amount'a lien gets put in it ev'ry month. 'Nuff t' 'elp cova' livin' expenses fer those'a us who 'ad the talent t' get t' Beacon, but didn' 'ave the money t' keep us livin' 'ere. S'called a 'stipend.' And the jobs yer doin'? The extra ones? Yer gettin' paid fer 'em. You don' gotta sign nothin' or double check. F'you registered fer a mission n' it was successful then y' get paid fer it. S'not the same pay you'd get if you was takin' jobs as a fully fledged 'untress all on yer lonesome, but s'a pretty penny fer someone who ain't payin' fer room n' board n' food thanks t' Beacon."

She gently retrieved the card and pocketed it. "So, yeah love, I think y've got more'n enough money t' get some new threads n' a few new books. Thought it was a bloody trick when they first 'splained it t' me, but s'real. N' on the condition you'll pay me back layta' someday I c'n cover yer expenses t'day if ya feel like spendin' some'a that money without 'avin' t' do the borin' paperwork shite." Whether or not Terra needed Nym's help spending her money wasn't all that meaningful. If Terra would rather spend the money herself, that was fine by Nym. She'd walk her right to the student services office herself if that's what she wanted. What she really wanted was to see the look on her face when she could finally buy the things she wanted without it being a bloody sacrifice! "But f'you wanna get that card now we c'n find yer book n' ditch this place. Or, y'know, neitha' those things f'you got a dif'rent idea."

[Terra Fennel]

Laughter at her ignorance and confusion wasn't something new to the wolf. It came with the way she grew up, the lack of proper education that she was having to catch up on while keeping her huntress studies under control as well. That laugh was always sharp and cutting, something cold to the edge of it. The laughter that left the dark haired vixen sounded bubbly and light, cute even. It didn't ease the wolf's confusion nor did it give her any answers to the questions bouncing around in her head. The card Nym pulled out and handed to her did. She'd seen similar in the hands of other students, but she'd never questioned why she didn't have one.

Terra turned the card over in her hand, running her thumb over Nym's symbol. More than one instance of thieving had made her aware that these cards were an good as lien back in Mantle, and oftentimes better. An entire account of lien was attached to this thing, and by what Nym was saying, she had one sitting there, almost entirely untouched simply because she didn't know it existed. It was likely so much more than a handful of crumpled lien towards a stray looking faunus who'd been too stupid to negotiate how much she was doing the job for, or the pittance it ended up being because a faunus's work wasn't worth as much. Nym seemed so proud of it, happy even that she got to tell her this. There was no resistance from the wolf when the card was reclaimed.

“Do we-” Terra's voice was quiet and she tried to stop it from cracking to no avail as she asked the first question that came to mind, “get paid fair?” No amount of faith that the headmaster wasn't the type of man to allow the faunus students to get paid less could stop a question that came from a lifetime of experience. If the answer was no, she knew it could be addressed even, but she had to know. She rubbed her nose on her sleeve in an attempt to preempt a sniffle that came anyway. “I've um- I've done missions every time they need a medic...” It was impossible for her to completely understand what that would mean. She'd wondered for months how students who came from similar situations seemed to have so much.

[Nym Magenta]

Oh, the softer, quieter tones of Terra's shaky voice were music to Nym's ears. Her heart was ready to burst with equal parts giddy elation and empathic relief. Her friend was very quickly coming to terms with the end of her life of poverty. No, she didn't need to wait until she'd graduated from Beacon to start making a living. She was making it right this second, and by the sounds of it she had already amassed a sizeable nest egg in her ignorance and inadvertent frugality. She put a hand on Terra's shoulder and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"Yeah, same's anyone else does. Seen the numbah's meself. N' I ain't so good at knowin' 'bout lien, what stuff's worth, what's a lot, but if you ain't spent a single one since ya got 'ere then...that's...quite a bit, love." She wasn't sure exactly how many outings Terra had been on, but they were easily worth the effort. Earning more than her monthly stipend was worth was possible if she really tried.

[Terra Fennel]

The same as anyone else. Anyone. A choice in word, ever so small but it made a world of difference. Not “anything,” it wasn't being compared to the people who would use anything to justify paying faunus less. Terra's efforts to hide her emotions were failing as she sniffled again. It was second nature to just take as many little odd tasks as she could for a pittance if she wanted something. How many hours of searching for lost lien, or odd delivery jobs had gone just into the amount she had in her wallet, or the time in a bar with a few friends? A single book shouldn't be such a hassle to buy, but here she was with yet another set of struggles becoming a thing of the past.

“I don't think... I don't think I'd have ever figured it out on my own. Thank you, Nym.” The fox may not have been the one who'd handed her the lien that was waiting for her back at Beacon, but that detail didn't stop the wolf from trying to step forward to give the girl a quick embrace. The original reason for coming into the bookstore seemed to be temporarily forgotten, and while the commotion caused by the two girls had drawn the attention of Teak, he merely poked his head around the corner before silently returning to the front.

[Nym Magenta]

Nym could feel her own eyes starting to water and the familiar hitch in her throat that came when she knew she was on the verge of tears, but it wasn't because she or Terra were miserable enough to burst into sobs in a bookstore. She'd learned from Ax just how good it was to cry from relief, from the release of a tension that was so great and overbearing that it's release felt like the weight of the world coming off your shoulders. It didn't take a semblance that let you feel others emotions to share them every time. There were moments like this where Nym could feel it all the same. When Terra stepped forward for a small hug Nym stepped in too and wrapped her arms tight around Terra, pulling the girl into a very warm and very firm embrace.

"Should'a seen me when I learned it," Nym said quietly enough so only their sensitive ears could hear. "'Ad t' sprint t' the nearest toilet t' lock meself where no one'd spot me n' I bawled like a baby. Snot n' tears n' sobbin' like I was a lil' lass again 'till I was 'oarse when I found out I wasn' eva' gonna worry 'bout goin' 'ungry again n' I might be able t' start buyin' stuff fer meself instead'a stealin' it." How desperate had Terra been when she was younger? Had she needed to take what was hers via guile or force before? Nym had done both. Maybe Terra had too. It just felt like she ought to know she really wasn't alone here at Beacon.

[Terra Fennel]

There was a surprising strength in the smaller girl's arms. She'd felt that strength in a fight as it collided against her summoned dust, danced and scrambled to stay away from it, to hide from the chain-sword Nym had been swinging. Strength was a refuge too, a moment in time to take in the realization more had changed than she'd ever expected. Laughter muddled by tears was muffled against Nym's shoulder. Had she been told the story before she'd experienced the relief first hand, she wouldn't have believed it. With that feeling fresh in her heart, like a stone had been lifted from her chest so that she she could breath, it was harder to imagine someone not crying tears of joy over it.

“I believe it... I- Stars, I didn't even know how much of a weight it w- was until it was gone.” Terra started to pull away, her eyes red and watery, but it was clear she was still trying to fight against letting too many tears be shed here. “Prolly a good thing I have to fill out paperwork first. It'll g-” She hiccuped and scrunched up her face in a brief pout. “It'll give me a chance to think about what I actually need before going on a spending spree, but-” There was a bit of mischief in the smile that formed on her lips. “who's to say you can't give me some ideas on things I might need. After I get my book of course.” She hadn't missed that Nym had sounded like she wanted to take Terra on said shopping spree right now.

[Nym Magenta]

Terra was holding herself together a lot better than Nym had. Perhaps it was a difference in just how lonely or desperate they'd been in the years they'd spent clawing out a living from the dirt. The fox wasn't about to start comparing the depth of their suffering. It never made her nor anyone else happy. It was a habit she'd struggled to break, but wallowing in self pity and anguish wasn't becoming of a huntress. She squeezed Terra tightly one last time before letting her go, eyes still shimmering as she took a half step back.

"Throw caution t' the bloody wind, Terra. Who gives a dingo's arse what'cha need?" Nym reached out and softly punched Terra in the shoulder. "F'yer anythin' like me y've been spendin' too long thinkin' 'bout what'cha need. Fuck that. Spend it all on candy n' cute clothes if ya want, y've earned the chance t' jus'...jus' 'ave a little selfish 'appiness, eh?" She sniffed once and let out her own shaky laugh. "Ate so much ice cream I got sick. Maybe uh...don' go that wild, but...maybe do. S'yer life, you get t' choose what t' do t' make yerself 'appy."

[Terra Fennel]

Terra took the playful punch with a slight sway and she wiped at her eyes for hopefully the last time. Was there a particular reason to even be cautious about what she spent? More than most she was aware of how dangerous their career choice was. She had patched up numerous students on missions by now. From a young man overwhelmed by the poison of a deathstalker, to the intense moments of stemming the life flowing from a wound in someone's neck made by a beowolf's fangs. The memory still made her shudder whenever she dwelled on it, but she'd saved them in the end.

“Maybe you're right. I've gone without for most my life. I can cut loose for a change now that I actually have the chance to do so.” The wolf wasn't even trying to hide the wide smile as she knelt back down to find the book she was looking for. “I can think of quite a few things I've been wanting, and that's just the stuff I know's out there. New clothes, maybe even a proper huntress getup, every book I've ever wanted, and maybe even a visit to...” She trailed off for a moment stopping herself from mentioning the store name out loud. A new thought spilled from her lips as if she hadn't just stopped herself from saying something that would embarrass her. “Definitely gonna eat myself sick on candy. A creepy van with “Free Candy” painted on the side would probably work on me.”