The grind never stops, and Aleksandr wasn't either. He was taking and completing jobs at a breakneck pace, for he wanted to do all work that was available to him. No discrimination, or at least none that was conscious. Owing to his wish for blending in with the crowd, he was once again wearing simple summer clothes, a white t-shirt with black pants and sneakers. A droplet of sweat had formed below his ears. Today he was working with Raina Burke, a Marine Biologist. He had got into contact with her through her flier at the general request board. As of this moment, they were collecting water samples from the sea. From what she put on, she was very passionate about her work. He admired that. He wished he shared her enthusiasm. Aleksandr had never been as spirited about anything he had ever done as she was about her work. Perhaps that is why he was mediocre at it, possessing no great love for his professions. It was a pity. He had tried to follow his family but had failed miserably. Maybe it was a sign from the Gods, the Gods for whom he held great disdain. Did they not hate him as much as he had thought? It was a hard pill to swallow.

Raina instructed him on how to collect the samples, and he did as she told him. She was also collecting water samples on her own. It should've been her assistant instead of Aleksandr today, but her assistant had called in sick. He supposed it would be a good learning experience for him, and she would be a useful contact. After all, she was the best of her kind in Hargeon. She could come in handy in getting him much-needed later work. That was always appreciated. It kept him busy and kept the jewels flowing in. As long as he wasn't inside his head, he was doing good. He always had been his own worst enemy. Soon, they had finished collecting the samples and were now making their way to the lab.

"So, what do you study in Marine Biology, exactly?" Aleksandr inquired. He had a general idea, but he wanted specifics to satisfy his curiosity. "Well, I study the Ocean. Marine life, their life processes, their environment, pollution levels, etc. It's a wide field." she answered back with a smile. He hoped that he wasn't annoying her. "I wish they would dump less waste into the oceans. It's very harmful to aquatic life and the oceans in general." she spoke out. Aleksandr looked at her and nodded. "I agree, I hope it has been decreasing though."

"We'll see." she said. They soon reached the lab and began testing the samples. Well, she did. Aleksandr just handed her the equipment as she demanded from him. It wasn't his place to question her. He did not have nearly as much expertise in this field as she did (or any at all). "Hmm. It seems as though pollution levels have decreased somewhat." she mused. He thought he saw a hint of a smile on her face from this discovery. Well-deserved. "Salt-concentration and pH have also been improving." This time she could not contain her smile. Soon, they finished up with their work. She paid Aleksandr for the day, and he went on his way.

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Word Count: 556/500
SP: +1 Strength