Guldrin’s Gluttony: Family Bound by Speed & Food

Rindo stood, her posture fluid yet commanding, the kind of stance that could silence a room without a word. She dabbed the corners of her mouth with a napkin, a deliberate gesture as much for drama as for decorum. "Thank you for the meeting," she said, her voice smooth and layered with just a hint of amusement, as if she found the entire exchange mildly entertaining. "It was... enlightening."

She reached into her pocket and pulled out an ornate purple card embossed with delicate golden filigree. "My card," she said, placing it on the table with care, her fingers lingering for a moment as if to emphasize its importance. 

"If you need to contact me, use this. But a word of caution, give it to no one else. If I hear from anyone but you, I'll change the number faster than you can say 'classified.'" She offered a sly smile, then turned on her heel, her footsteps echoing down the corridor like the last notes of a symphony.

Outside, a sleek black car idled at the curb, its engine a low, comforting purr. The driver, a stoic female figure in a tailored suit, opened the door with practiced precision. Rindo slid into the back seat, the cool leather molding to her form as she leaned back and exhaled. The door closed with a muted *thunk*, shutting out the noise of the city and leaving her in a cocoon of quiet. For a moment, she stared out the tinted window, her mind racing with thoughts that swirled and collided.

There was so much to process, so much left unsaid. Her brother. The thought struck her again, as sharp and unexpected as the first time Beckman had mentioned him. 

Guldrin, the brother she'd thought lost forever, was alive. Not only alive, but under the protection of a family with a reputation as fiery as her cooking. The Toretto family. A small, wry smile tugged at her lips. Of course, they would be involved. Nothing about this could ever be straightforward.

Her fingers moved almost instinctively, pulling her phone from her bag. The sleek device felt reassuring in her hand as she tapped out a message with quick precision, her thumb hovering over the send button for a brief moment before she pressed it.

[Mother, you won't believe me. He is alive. Heading home, information in hand.]

Meanwhile, halfway across the world, the moon hung high over the courtyard, casting an eerie glow on the carnage below. Pools of blood reflected the silver light, mingling with the scattered remains of what had once been a thriving operation. The air reeked of death, coppery, thick, and suffocating. Yet amidst this chaos, a woman strode with an unyielding grace, her black hair streaked with hints of violet catching the moonlight. Her face, serene and beautiful, was a mask of cold indifference.

Her katana dripped with crimson, each drop falling with a sickening *plip* onto the stones below. The blade gleamed menacingly in her hand, a weapon that had seen more life extinguished in one night than most wars. She walked with the quiet confidence of a predator, her wooden sandals striking the stone with a haunting rhythm, *clack, clack* that echoed across the blood-soaked courtyard.

"Another disappointment," she murmured, her voice low and deadly. With a flick of her wrist, she sent a cascade of blood spraying off her blade, painting the walls of the courtyard. Her expression didn't change, her eyes dark and unreadable, as if this massacre were no more than a chore.

Before her, the last survivor, cowered, an Asian middle-aged man in an expensive tailored suit, his once-pristine attire now stained with blood and fear. He sat hunched on the ground, trembling, a dark puddle of shame forming beneath him. He had been a kingpin, a man of power and influence, but now he was reduced to nothing more than a whimpering child before the woman's unrelenting presence.

"What do you want, you crazy bitch?!" he shrieked, his voice cracking. "Why did you kill all my men?"

She paused mid-step, tilting her head as if considering his words. Her hair fell forward, obscuring her face, but the glint of her squinting black eyes beneath the curtain of violet locks was enough to send shivers down his spine. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft, almost gentle, but it carried a weight that crushed all hope.

"I. Want. My. Son."

The man froze, his jaw quivering. "We don't have your son! We never did!" he stammered, his words tumbling over each other in desperation.

Her silence was more terrifying than any threat. She took another step forward, her sandals clicking softly, each sound a death knell. Her blade, still wet with blood, glinted in the dim light. Her presence was suffocating, an aura of menace that seemed to draw the life from the very air around her.

She moved closer, her sandals clicking steadily, unhurried but relentless. Her gaze was unreadable, a void of emotion that made her all the more terrifying. "But you killed my family," she said softly, almost to herself. Her voice trembled with an undercurrent of rage so restrained it felt like a dam about to break. "Every last one of them. Slaughtered them like cattle."

"We did! But it wasn't us, it wasn't me! Ogre gave the orders!" the man babbled, his words tripping over each other in a frantic rush. "He said not to touch your son or your daughter! Please, I'm just following orders!"

Her lips curved into a faint, humorless smile. "How fortunate for you. I don't care."

She raised her katana, its blade catching the moonlight in a flash of silver. The man's eyes widened in sheer terror. "No! Wait, please, I'll tell you anything! Spare me! I swear, it wasn't us, we didn't touch your daughter or son!"

"Swear all you like," she said, her voice dripping with disdain. "It won't bring them back. And it certainly won't save you."

Just as she raised her katana, her phone rang, indicating a text. The sound was jarring, out of place in the grim tableau. She froze, her grip on the hilt tightening as the ringtone echoed through the courtyard. Only one person had that number. Her daughter. The phone was for emergencies only, for when danger loomed, or if she found Guldrin.

The man seized the opportunity, his eyes lighting up with a flicker of hope. "Answer it! Please, answer it! Don't mind me, I am not going anywhere, I swear." he begged, clinging to the faint chance that this interruption might save his life.

Her grip tightened on the hilt even more. She was about to deliver the killing blow when a faint vibration against her side gave her pause. She blinked, her free hand slipping into the folds of her kimono, pulling out a blood-smeared smartphone. The screen glowed faintly in the dim light, displaying a single message.

[Daughter: Mother. You won't believe me. He's alive. Heading home, Information in hand.]

For a moment, everything else vanished. The blood, the bodies, the trembling man at her feet, all of it faded into nothingness. Her dark eyes widened ever so slightly, a flicker of emotion breaking through her cold mask. Her katana lowered, its tip brushing against the ground as she stared at the words on the screen. Alive. Guldrin was alive.

Her breath hitched, and she exhaled slowly, her chest rising and falling as she fought to steady herself. The world snapped back into focus, the weight of reality crashing down. She slipped the phone back into her kimono, her expression hardening once more.

The man watched her with a mix of hope and dread. "You're... you're letting me go?" he whispered, his voice trembling.

Her gaze snapped to him, cold and piercing. Hope flickered in his eyes, only to be snuffed out as she took another step forward. The blood beneath her sandals splashed softly, mingling with the dark puddle forming around the man's knees.

"Letting you go? I don't leave loose ends," she said, her voice as calm as ever, as if she were commenting on the weather.

"No! Please-" His plea was cut short by the swift, brutal arc of her blade. The katana sliced through his neck effortlessly, severing flesh and bone with a sickening *schlkt*. His head toppled to the ground with a hollow thud, rolling a few feet before coming to rest, his lifeless eyes still wide with shock.

Blood sprayed in a violent arc, painting the stones and her kimono with fresh crimson. She stood still for a moment, the katana hanging at her side, its edge gleaming in the moonlight. Her breathing slowed, and she wiped the blade clean on the man's expensive suit before sliding it back into its sheath with a practiced motion.

The courtyard was silent once more, save for the faint rustle of the wind and the steady drip of blood from the stones. She turned on her heel, her sandals clicking softly as she strode away from the carnage. Each step took her farther from the scene, but her thoughts were already far ahead, fixated on one name. Guldrin. Her Guldrin.

A faint smile tugged at her lips, though it carried none of the warmth such an expression should. The world had tried to take everything from her. It had stripped her of her family, left her drenched in blood and vengeance. But it couldn't take him or her daughter. Not now. Not ever.

As she disappeared into the shadows, one thought crossed her mind: Nothing would stand in her way. Not anymore.

-

–

—

Short. To the point. She knew it would be enough to set her mother in motion. Unohana Goldblood was not a woman who dallied with pleasantries when it came to matters of family, well her kids, the rest, she never cared about them. 

For years, Unohana had searched tirelessly for Guldrin, her focus unyielding, her determination unmatched. Rindo could still recall the days when her mother would stand by the window, her gaze fixed on the horizon as if sheer willpower could bring him back.

And Rindo? Rindo had thrown herself into her own world, into cooking, into living her dreams at Totsuki. She told herself it wasn't her fault, that she couldn't have known what would happen. But deep down, she knew better. She had been his older sister, his protector. She was supposed to watch out for him, it was her job to take care of him, but she gave the job to her maid. Instead, she had been chasing accolades and dreams while he had slipped away. The guilt sat in her chest like an uninvited guest, always there, never welcome.

Even if she had been relentlessly searching for her little brother to make up for her mistakes, the fact remains that she lost him. She trusted her maid, but for some reason, both Guldrin and the maid were gone.

By the time the car reached the private airstrip, her resolve had hardened into something unshakable. The plane was waiting, its sleek silhouette illuminated under the pale wash of runway lights. The quiet hum of the engines called to her, a siren song pulling her forward. She didn't hesitate as she boarded, her heels clicking softly against the metal steps. 

Neutral ground, a sanctuary where they could plan the future without interference; that is what she needed, to return home, to a place that only held reminders of the past before it all happened.

Settling into her seat, Rindo glanced out the window as the jet began its ascent, the lights of the city shrinking into a sea of darkness. She leaned back, letting the hum of the engines fill the silence, her thoughts circling back to her conversation with Beckman.

The General was sharp, Rindo had to give her that. Every word out of Beckman's mouth had been measured, calculated. The woman was skilled at manipulation, at pulling strings without leaving fingerprints. Her interest in Guldrin wasn't just about helping her family or a reunion, it was about leverage, and power. Rindo had seen it before, the way people could become pawns in a larger game. And she had no intention of letting her brother be used like that. Not again.

As the plane leveled out, Rindo pulled out a small notebook and pen, her mind already working through the steps ahead. She jotted down names, ideas, strategies, the pen moving with a frantic energy that mirrored her thoughts. Every so often, she paused to doodle in the margins, a bowl of ramen here, a caricature of Beckman there. It was a habit she'd never grown out of, a way to channel her thoughts and keep her hands busy.

And then there was the matter of the Toretto family. She knew their reputation, tight-knit, fiercely loyal, and not afraid to throw a punch when necessary. If Guldrin was with them, then he was safe. But she needed to see it for herself, needed to meet the people who had taken him in and protected him when she hadn't been there. The thought made her stomach twist with equal parts gratitude and anxiety.

She was amazed at how fate works; once upon a time, Jack Toretto saved their family, and his son saved Guldrin, Fate is mysterious.

The flight was smooth, the hours slipping by in a haze of planning and reflection. By the time the plane began its descent, Rindo felt a renewed sense of purpose. The island came into view, its familiar outline a welcome sight against the backdrop of the endless ocean. As the plane touched down, she gathered her things, her movements efficient and purposeful.

—

–

-

Far away from the governmental dealings, Guldrin and Shiro were blissfully unaware of this meeting and the currents it would bring. 

The hum of the fluorescent lights in the garage basement was barely audible, blending seamlessly into the steady, rhythmic sounds of the world above. Guldrin sat cross-legged on the cool concrete floor, his trusted record-keeping book resting in his lap. 

Each page bore records of his disciplined obsession, filled with columns of neat, precise handwriting, evidence of countless hours spent documenting the peculiarities of his life with a system that seemed as enigmatic as it was generous.

Beside him, Shiro reclined on a beanbag chair, her golden eyes glinting with curiosity as they flitted between Guldrin and the pages before him. She twirled a strand of her snowy hair absentmindedly, her expression an effortless mix of amusement and intrigue.

The silence between them was companionable, punctuated only by the faint clink of tools in the main garage above. Letty's new hire had taken over most of the daily grunt work, leaving the two of them to their own devices… literally.

"So," Shiro began, tilting her head just enough to peek at Guldrin's notes, "you've been staring at that thing for hours. Found anything groundbreaking yet, or should I prepare for another 'hygiene is important' lecture?"

Guldrin didn't glance up from his notes, though the corner of his mouth tugged upward in a knowing smirk. "You're hilarious. Really. And for the record, hygiene is important. If you'd stop pulling all-nighters and actually took morning showers, we wouldn't need to have those talks."

Shiro raised an eyebrow, unimpressed but amused. "This coming from the guy who once tried to convince me brushing his hair wasn't necessary because 'it just falls into place naturally.' But fine, what's so urgent? Enlighten me, oh wise one."

"Gladly," Guldrin said, his tone dripping with mock seriousness as he set his pen down and leaned back. He tapped the open page of his notebook for emphasis. "There's a pattern to all of this, a really big one. And that accumulated rewards feature I gained when Emily fell asleep last time? That's a total game-changer."

Shiro tilted her head, intrigued despite herself. "Alright, genius, dumb it down for my inferior brain. What's this pattern, and why should I care?"

"First off," Guldrin began, pointing at her with mock offense, "you should always care when I've cracked a system. Secondly, this is big. You know the daily sign-ins, one reward per day, handed out like clockwork? Sometimes it's super useful. Other times…"

"Like the enchanted toothbrush." Shiro's lips twitched, the beginnings of a grin forming. "That thing was so ridiculous."

"Don't knock it!" Guldrin exclaimed, pretending to be affronted. "That toothbrush has saved me hours of effort. If I could reverse-engineer it, I'd make a fortune. But I digress. The point is, this new feature doesn't only give you a daily reward, it lets you bank them. If I don't sign in for a few days, the rewards don't disappear. They accumulate. And here's the kicker: the longer I wait, the rarer and more valuable the rewards become."

Shiro blinked, her skepticism giving way to interest. "So, it's like the system's version of compound interest? Skip days, earn bigger rewards?"

"Exactly." Guldrin's voice gained momentum, his excitement contagious. "It scales exponentially, two days, four days, eight days, sixteen, thirty-two. The longer I hold out, the better it gets. And I'm almost at thirty-two days now. You should've seen the reward at sixteen, it was insane. A futuristic drone, leagues above anything we have ever seen before… If thirty-two's any bigger, I might actually become OP."

"You? OP?" Shiro smirked. "Finally, a feature worth signing up for, and if you become OP, so will I, it's a win-win."

Before Guldrin could retaliate with a witty comeback, a soft, glowing light interrupted them. Both turned to see Emily, the tiny, fluffy cat companion who had been napping in her usual spot. Only now, she wasn't napping, or tiny. Her entire form radiated a soft, almost ethereal white light, and as they watched, wide-eyed, her petite kitty frame began to shift, Guldrin felt as if he could see spectral chains snapping around her.

The glow intensified for a moment, then slowly dimmed, revealing Emily's new form. She was no longer the small, skinny kitten they'd grown used to. Standing before them was a fully grown, elegant cat, her sleek fur shimmering faintly like moonlight on water. 

A soft, melodic voice had replaced her once childlike mews. "Well, that was unexpected," she said, stretching with an almost otherworldly grace. "I feel fantastic."

"Emily?" Guldrin said, blinking rapidly. He wasn't sure if he was more shocked by her transformation or by the fact that she was talking out loud in a mature, womanly voice.

"Who else could have such magnificent fur?" Emily replied, giving him a look that could only be described as smug. "Although, I have to admit, this feels... different. I think I'm evolving."

"Evolving?" Shiro repeated, her eyes narrowing with curiosity. "What kind of evolution? And why now?"

Emily hopped onto the table with an ease that suggested she wasn't quite used to her new, larger body but was already adapting. "It's connected to the system," she explained. "The accumulated sign-ins feature is part of it. Every time you pushed the system's limits, it affected me, too. Your progression, and your decisions, have been fueling my growth. This new feature? It's tied directly to my evolution."

Guldrin stared at her, still trying to wrap his head around everything. "So, wait. You're saying the system's been upgrading you because of how I've been using it?"

"Precisely." Emily's tail swished with satisfaction. "Think of it like this: the system rewards progress, right? Well, I'm a part of your progress. As you grow stronger and more strategic, so do I. And now, I'm not stuck sealed and chained as a kitten… I'm on the verge of something bigger. I can feel it."

"Bigger?" Shiro echoed, leaning forward. "Like what?"

Emily's ears twitched as she considered her answer. "Humanoid, I think. Not yet, but soon. I can feel the potential building. It's like a new form is just out of reach, waiting for the right moment."

Shiro raised an eyebrow. "So, what? You're going to turn into some kind of magical cat girl sidekick?"

"Possibly, but, make no mistake girly, I am the Queen, not the sidekick," Emily said, her tone light but with an edge of seriousness. "But let's not get ahead of ourselves. For now, this new feature, accumulated sign-ins, is key. It's about growth. Your growth, my growth, the system's growth. It's all connected. And before you ask, no I don't know more, I should, but it has been sealed… It seems you need to discover it before I can remember or access these details."

Guldrin finally found his voice, shaking his head in disbelief. "Okay, let me get this straight. You're saying my ability to hoard sign-ins for bigger rewards somehow triggered your transformation? And now you're glowing, talking, and might eventually turn into… A cat queen?"

"More or less," Emily said with a wink. "But don't think for a second that this is all about you. I've been putting in the work, too, keeping this system running smoothly while I sleep. Speaking of which, maybe you could thank me once in a while?"

Shiro burst out laughing, and even Guldrin couldn't hold back a grin. "Alright, alright. Thank you, Emily. For... whatever it is you do in the background."

"You're welcome," Emily said, settling herself on the table and curling her tail around her paws. "Now, let's focus on that thirty-two-day reward. I've got a feeling it's going to be something extraordinary. Or a rotten fruit, who knows?"

As Guldrin and Shiro exchanged amused glances, Emily began grooming herself with an air of dignity that only a cat could pull off, as if her transformation was the most natural thing in the world. Despite the absurdity of the situation, there was something undeniably heartwarming about it. Their little team was changing, evolving, literally in Emily's case.

(Give me your POWER, Please, and Thank You! Leave reviews and comments, they motivate me to continue.)