[Argent Steele]

I know you got hate in you. Most do.
Trick is to use it, 'stead of it usin' you.

But you know this. Vengeance is a motivator, not the motive.
Don't hunt 'em 'cause you been wronged.
Hunt 'em 'cause what they did was wrong.
There's a world of difference there, kid.
One makes you selfish. The other makes you a hero.

And I see a hero in you.

❝

People often said that the night was darkest before the dawn, but Argent had, in his time out in the wilderness, found that to be patently untrue. Oh, it was certainly a good adage to use when hope was flagging and one needed to encourage others who weren’t quite as used to a bleak situation - but the fact of the matter was that it simply wasn’t true.‌ If one took the brightest and hottest part of the day to be noon, where the sun was highest in the sky, then it stood to reason that conversely, the darkest part of the day would be at midnight, when the sun was on the other side of the planet. Of course, that was only true during the phases of the moon when it wasn’t showing as much light - but the moon changed its face from time to time, and oftentimes, there was more than enough light for one to see by, even if one wasn’t graced with good night vision. Which, thankfully, he was. And so the snake Faunus had volunteered himself for the darkest of the night shifts, taking over from Kishka who had been at it since the sun had set. Elena would replace him when he was no longer able - around one in the morning, perhaps two if he could keep himself going that long.

Argent had let the fire die down to coals earlier so as to not interfere with his night vision, but now he tossed the piece of wood in his hand into its dying embers and watched it char for a few moments before returning his gaze to the surroundings. Elena would need the light when her shift came, and so would Nikolas - so it was probably best not to let it die out entirely, just keeping it at a low enough level to provide heat without light. Earlier in the day, he and Elena had constructed a lean-to against the trunk of a tree when it had become clear that finding a convenient cave was going to be out of the question, and it was this lean-to which they had decided to camp in for the night. With her Semblance and his working in tandem, it was surprisingly easy to set things up - Ouroboros lopped large branches off without much difficulty, and Elena’s Semblance had turned what was usually a messy job of lining the top of the structure with ferns and other forest debris into a routine, if tedious, affair - and it was this fairly well constructed lean-to that they were starting to build a fire pit by when Carmim and Nikolas had shown up earlier, followed by Kishka at a later time. The little red drummer had left after a while, though, so now it was only the four of them.

Thankfully, the space under their small shelter had been big enough to accommodate more than two people, so the other three could rest while one took watch. If all went well, they would end the exercise having successfully completed all their objectives, and leave for the academy the next morning. Argent was fully expecting some twist to the exercise near the end, though - perhaps a broadcast that would require the students to shift their roles around, or kill some large Grimm gathering the faculty had tracked down, or even remain in the forest for another day or two to teach the more pampered students the necessity of wilderness survival classes.

Well, it wasn’t so much that he was expecting them.‌ Rather, the snake Faunus wouldn’t be surprised if such a scenario happened, even if he hoped it would not. But such hopes usually didn’t come through, so it was better to expect the worst and be pleasantly surprised rather than hope for the best and be disappointed.

The sounds of sudden movement had him on high alert and going for Ouroboros, but the Huntsman trainee relaxed afterwards when he saw Kishka making her way out of the lean-to, letting the weapon lie where it was. He’d had it out in its bow form across his lap for quick access, a few arrows stabbed into the dirt so that he didn’t have to draw one from a quiver and could fire a few shots quickly if or when it came to that.

“Kishka,” he acknowledged quietly with a dip of the head and a slight quirking up of the corner of his lips.

“Shouldn’t you be resting?”

WHISPER OF THE WYRM (SEMBLANCE): [RANK D]

SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: SPEED OF THE SCYLLA (SPEED) [RANK E]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: DANCE OF THE DRAGON (AGILITY) [RANK F]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: GLARE OF THE GORGON (MARKSMANSHIP) [RANK F]
SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: WINGS OF THE WYVERN (ACROBATICS) [RANK F]
SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: TALONS OF THE TARASQUE (MARTIAL ARTS)

OUROBOROS (WEAPON): [RANK F]

@ ● 745 words ● 745 total words

MADE BY MIZO

[Kishka Burzanova]

KISHKA BURZANOVA

It had been a long, eventful day. And Kishka was tired. So very, very tired. But even as tired as she was, she could hardly get her eyes to stay shut in the little campsite they had set up. She glanced over at Nik. Somehow, he had managed to last this long without fucking himself over somehow, so she was a little proud of him. He didn't die yet. Good for him. Then her eyes turned to Elena. Seemed she was still sticking around for whatever reason. Neat. She didn't have much of an opinion of the girl yet, which was arguably a compliment, considering a neutral opinion was better than a negative one. Argent seemed to be friends with her, from what she could tell, and that was good enough for her. Maybe that was what she was missing. Why she was so restless. She glanced at his empty spot, and then gazed out over to where the snake faunus was, where he'd just relieved her from her turn at watch not more than ten or fifteen minutes ago. Hmmm... Fuck it. Sleepy-eyed and chilly, she wrapped herself up in her blanket, holstered her umbrella at her hip, and grabbed Argent's blanket for good measure. She was a little surprised by how dark it was when she stepped out of the lean-to. Had the fire gone out? No, it was just low. Wasn't too necessary anyways- the clouds overhead were slowly rolling out of the way, and soon enough, they'd have a clear sky lit up with stars and the moon. For now, she just stepped carefully over to Argent, who seemed a bit startled by her approach. She smiled to herself, amused. He was probably the only person in the world she would have immediately forgave for shooting her full of arrows. "Couldn't sleep." She settled down beside Argent, softly nudging his shoulder with her head, like a cat, before turning to stare into the deep red embers in the fire. "Thought maybe you could use some company. And a blanket." She took the other blanket and draped it over his shoulders, saving him from the cold. Actually, she wasn't sure if he got cold like she did- what with his body temperature thing and all. Eh. He had a blanket now if he wanted it. She looked out into the night sky. This whole initiation thing was so dumb. It was pointless, and dumb, and stupid, and lame. It didn't benefit her at all! She had to help two nerds do their dumb nerd shit, and it didn't teach her any valuable life skills or anything. She only tangentially felt like a better huntress, and that was mostly because she'd spent the day basking in everyone else's blatant mediocrity. Which notable exceptions, of course- frankly, nobody at their camp needed these dumb objectives either, not even Nik. What the hell did Nik get out of carrying two even worse students across the finish line? Not a damn thing, that was what. She sighed, a very tiny, light sigh. Then smiled. It could be worse. At least now she was right where she wanted to be. Under the beautiful stars, with the one person she had cleared a spot in her heart for. It got her thinking... About all the times they'd shared together since coming to Haven. She treasured all of them. Even their very first encounter, when she nearly beat his ass for getting his ass beat. She'd been so mad that day, and he'd just looked so pitiful and sad. She looked at him now. His muscles had grown in some, and he sat up taller than he had back then. Her defenseless little garden snake was a king cobra now, and she was so proud. With a bigger sigh, she leaned against Argent, wrapping an arm around his back and burying her cheek into his shoulder. He made her happy, even when all this other shit pissed her off and made her mad. "It's a nice night out." To think, she'd gone from being friendless and bitter to having someone like him by her side, through everything. Some days, she could hardly believe it herself. It still felt surreal. Just as surreal as the cool air that surrounded them, and the massive painting looming over them. A nice night. Now that she was with him.

Notes// <3 | Tagged// @snek | WC// 733 | TWC// 733

✬

[Argent Steele]

I know you got hate in you. Most do.
Trick is to use it, 'stead of it usin' you.

But you know this. Vengeance is a motivator, not the motive.
Don't hunt 'em 'cause you been wronged.
Hunt 'em 'cause what they did was wrong.
There's a world of difference there, kid.
One makes you selfish. The other makes you a hero.

And I see a hero in you.

❝

Kishka was in one of her moods tonight, it seemed. Every so often, Argent noticed, she was more inclined to come closer than she usually did, and the frequency of it had been ramping up lately, though he couldn’t remember for the life of him when she’d started doing it. Maybe that was why she got along with Platinum despite the species difference, the snake Faunus mused to himself, obligingly taking a moment to take Ouroboros off of his lap and lean it against the other side of the fallen log the both of them were sharing, the better to return the favor of an arm around her waist. Similar mannerisms, perhaps, the better to relate to.

“You know I’d never say no to having you around,” he’d replied in response to her words, with one of the small smiles that he’d found on his face more and more often these days. Haven had taught him so much that his travels didn’t, and one of its lessons had been how to properly interact with people instead of being a dead-eyed fish that could only respond to people with glares and irritation. Half a year in Haven was worth half a decade in Root, with its fancy heirs and heiresses and blue blooded nobles full of hot air and little else. Information rich, experience poor, one of the professors had said once, a few months before he was let go. Argent definitely understood that more than he had before. It was easy to look back on his Root days and wince at how he’d handled the situation then, but Root didn’t have anywhere near the audacity to correct students’ wrongdoings and various mental issues in a direct fashion. Haven did, and in the case of one particular professor, seemed to enjoy the act. This, coupled with the general temperament of the people who were his peers, meant that Argent himself had changed a great deal in a comparatively short amount of time.

Kishka and Evangeline had been a large part of that development, though the former more so than the latter. The small blonde girl was very emphatic, but a lot of the time he could just get her started on a topic she enjoyed, and as long as he paid attention and nodded at all the right places, she could go on for hours. On the other hand, if Evangeline was a attention deficit kitten who could be distracted with interesting baubles and little tidbits, Kishka was more akin to a hunting panther or cougar, who refused to let go of their prey once they had gotten hold of it. Interacting with her on a nigh daily basis had been frustrating at first, their relationship more antagonistic than friendly, but as he’d gotten better at responding and better at being a person, she’d softened up, and now the snake Faunus could safely say that she was one of the closest people in his life.

The night was cold, but Argent had worn enough to ward off the worst of its chill, and he found that it kept him fairly alert without quite seguing into discomfort, since the fire was fairly nearby.‌ The gesture of the blanket across his shoulders was appreciated, of course, but the warmth of his friend’s body beside him was decidedly more a comfort, and one he was more than happy to remain close to. He didn’t enjoy the company without an eye to security, however - given that he wouldn’t be able to grab Ouroboros as quickly as he could have if Kishka wasn’t around, the Faunus trainee instead made sure the thigh holster of his throwing knives exposed the hilts for easy access. Whisper would make them as lethal as any arrow, a fact that he was very grateful for. It meant that he could relax, just a little.

“It is,” he said quietly, looking up to the sky, where the shattered moon hung low in the field of stars. It was still higher than the last time he’d checked, however, and would continue to rise until everything was cloaked in silver light, just like the sun did at noon. Well, that was what it looked like to him, at least. He wondered what the other three humans in the group would see.

“I used to do this a lot with my mentors,” he said offhandedly, keeping his gaze on the moon. Despite all her gung ho energy and aggressiveness in the field, Jade was an astrology freak, and could name half of the constellations in the sky off the top of her head when they camped out and looked up at the sky like this. Shin had complained about it more than once, but never seriously. After a moment of reminiscence, he turned to her and offered up another smile, as soft and small as the one that had preceded it.

The stars were so much more visible here without the lights of the academy drowning them out.

“I’m glad we got to do it together, too.”

WHISPER OF THE WYRM (SEMBLANCE): [RANK D]

SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: SPEED OF THE SCYLLA (SPEED) [RANK E]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: DANCE OF THE DRAGON (AGILITY) [RANK F]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: GLARE OF THE GORGON (MARKSMANSHIP) [RANK F]
SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: WINGS OF THE WYVERN (ACROBATICS) [RANK F]
SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: TALONS OF THE TARASQUE (MARTIAL ARTS)

OUROBOROS (WEAPON): [RANK F]

@ ● 844 words ● 1589 total words

MADE BY MIZO

[Kishka Burzanova]

KISHKA BURZANOVA

If Kishka were prone to blushing, she probably would have as her heart melted just a bit. Instead she simply smiled, appreciating Argent's words, and his own small smile. She'd seen a lot of those lately, now that she reflected on it. Argent had changed quite a bit since the first month or two they knew each other. She had insisted on escorting him to his classes and otherwise inflicting herself on him with perhaps more aggression than she would have used now. She'd changed a lot too. Softer, sweeter. Change was hard, but this change was a gradual one, slow and imperceptible until it had already passed; she hadn't even realized it when it happened. One night, she fell asleep annoyed at him over some perceived slight, like having the audacity to miss a shot in one of their sparring matches, and the next day, she woke up wanting nothing more than to be next to him. Happy. She glanced over as Argent adjusted his weapons, and wordlessly set Lucky 13 by her side, just in case. But she doubted any Grimm would be coming to disturb the two of them- what interest did monsters like them have in positive emotions? If negativity drew them in, surely there was no better ward against them than what they were doing, sitting side by side and gazing up into the massive wonders of space. Her smile grew as he spoke of his family. Mentors, he always called them. But she knew they were closer to him than that. Closer than anyone could imagine, even. Bonds like those were rare and hard to come by. Her eyes wandered to the tree where her idiot cousin had decided to sleep, ignoring their perfectly good shelter. At least he was high up- always a good place to be. Family. It was a hard word for Kishka to say some days. Her parents did their best, objectively speaking, but it always seemed like they cared more about Bel's accomplishments than her own. They were twins- weren't they supposed to be equals? And Bel... That was a whole other subject. Thinking back to her earlier conversation with Colton, she had a lot of conflicting feelings about Bel. Resentment and wistfulness. Hate and love. She missed her, and she never wanted to see her again, all at the same time. What a warped, messed up, pair of sisters... But she had family here. She rarely expressed it to him, but Nikolas was one of her favorite people. He was her cousin, and she wanted nothing else than to protect him from being a big dumb stupid idiot. A hard task, surely, but hell, someone needed to do it. They didn't speak as often as they should, and from an outsider's perspective, it would almost seem like they didn't like each other. But that's just how things worked in their family. There was a saying- "Normal families all get along much the same. But no two dysfunctional families are dysfunctional in the same way." And if the Burzanovs were anything, it was dysfunctional. A rampaging moron without two brain cells to rub together, a black sheep in constant search for control and acknowledgment, and the result of filling a little girl's head with nothing but praise and admiration, until it popped and ego went flying out everywhere. A pretty apt summary. But Nik and Bel weren't her only family. Not anymore. She smiled back at Argent as he turned to her. He was always so sweet, when he was with her. "Me too." Her eyes returned to the shimmering stars above and the cracked, broken, moon. She always wondered how it got that way. One of her comics had it shot through by a huge meteor that crashed into Remnant, carrying with it a strange alien boy, who would one day grow up to be a brutal Atlesian general, absolutely ruthless in his self-given mission to defeat the forces that opposed Atlas, starting with the surrounding kingdoms. It was a silly explanation, but hell, anything was possible. "I'm glad we get to do a lot of things together." It was warm, leaning against the much taller faunus. If she wasn't so busy enjoying the night sky, it would have been enough to put her to sleep, right then. This was nice. Really nice.

Notes// 2cute | Tagged// @snek | WC// 727 | TWC// 1460

✬

[Argent Steele]

I know you got hate in you. Most do.
Trick is to use it, 'stead of it usin' you.

But you know this. Vengeance is a motivator, not the motive.
Don't hunt 'em 'cause you been wronged.
Hunt 'em 'cause what they did was wrong.
There's a world of difference there, kid.
One makes you selfish. The other makes you a hero.

And I see a hero in you.

❝

“Yeah.”

Ouroboros gleamed silver and green in the moonlight, and Argent let himself marvel at how new and clean it seemed. Subtle Calamity never had the level of detail that the twin blades did, nor did it have the snake motifs that trailed all around the weapon. Kishka’s idea, of course - he himself was never really the kind to make anything more than purely functional. At the time, he’d wondered if it was a bit too gratuitous, but afterwards he had to admit that it did look good once those designs had been translated from paper to reality. They looked so picturesque right now, those twin blades, looking almost like a still painting someone might put on their wall.

And they were something they had made together.

Another smile tugged at the corner of his lips as he remembered the days spent after class looking through designs in Haven’s library, the nights spent over a drawing board with so many reference books open beside them, and the unbridled enthusiasm with which Kishka had pursued the task, almost as though it was her weapon that she had been designing and not his. That smile drooped a little, though, as he remembered what had transpired at the forge. Platinum, holding a grudge from the earliest days of their time at Haven, and having decided that he was the one to receive her wrath, despite him having no part in the actual affair than proximity.

Human and Faunus weren’t all that different. Many people from both races had said it. So similar, in fact, that there had even been some who argued that the Faunus were simply part of humanity who had adapted in ways that their common ancestors had not. They had the same wants, the same drives, the same ambitions - and it was sometimes so hard to remember that what made them so similar meant that the worst parts of humanity were also the worst parts of the Faunus. Shin had said, more than once, that it was too easy for Faunus to see humans as the “other”, to see things in shades of black and white where there was only ever grey. Like two mirrors, the older snake Faunus had said, facing each other - bouncing light and shadow between them at all times. It was all too easy to fall into the trap of thinking that it was “us” versus “them”, to believe naively that all Faunus were good and all humans were bad, but that just opened yourself up to exploitation from the worst of your race, and blinded yourself to the best of theirs. Another lesson that he’d listened to but never really taken to heart - after all, it was easy to forget that when most of the interactions in his life had been with humans, and the few Faunus that were present were never regarded or regarded him with anything less than positive emotions.

That was, until the day Ouroboros had been forged. While Platinum had warmed up and apologized later, it had still been a shock enough to snap him out of the mentality he’d fallen into. Platinum wasn’t a friend just because she was a Faunus as well, and Kishka wasn’t different from the common human just because she was far nicer to him than they were. Everyone was an individual, and what they were mattered far less than who they were. It smarted more than he dared admit, taking this long to figure out the true meanings of the lessons Shin had tirelessly given along the way.

But better late than never.

Shaking the errant thoughts from his head, the snake‌ Faunus let his hand trail over to her own, already close from leaning into him so, and clasped it gently. The gesture was usually one that she extended to him instead of the other way around, but tonight of all nights he was feeling unusually uninhibited and relaxed. There was something to be said about the warmth of someone else beside you, under a blanket, while the cold swirled around you like a shroud.

Actually, it was almost too comfortable. Probably not the best idea for someone on watch duty to be in danger of falling asleep at any moment. Argent blinked the sudden weight of his eyelids away from the comfort and straightened up a little.‌ Right. He still needed to keep an eye out.

“Can’t believe it’s been six months since we met,” he said, with a small chuckle at the memories of how things had been back then as compared to now. The slightly teasing lilt in his voice made it clear that he didn’t hold any resentment towards her for it, only amusement at how much things had changed in that short amount of time.

“We’ve done a lot together in that time. At least now we can go at it in the arena without you laying me out in front of the class in a few seconds. That was an experience, alright.”

WHISPER OF THE WYRM (SEMBLANCE): [RANK D]

SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: SPEED OF THE SCYLLA (SPEED) [RANK E]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: DANCE OF THE DRAGON (AGILITY) [RANK F]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: GLARE OF THE GORGON (MARKSMANSHIP) [RANK F]
SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: WINGS OF THE WYVERN (ACROBATICS) [RANK F]
SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: TALONS OF THE TARASQUE (MARTIAL ARTS)

OUROBOROS (WEAPON): [RANK F]

@ ● 834 words ● 2423 total words

MADE BY MIZO

[Kishka Burzanova]

KISHKA BURZANOVA

The sudden touch almost startled her, except for the fact that she was so comfortable, sitting with Argent under the stars, that nothing could have really shaken her up much. Her hand tensed up for just a second, as he gently pulled it into his own, but immediately relaxed, as she lightly squeezed back, digging her cheek fondly into his shoulder, a big smile spread across her face, as she continued to stare up at the night sky. It was so beautiful- felt so close she could reach out and touch it, but it was also so far away. She wondered if maybe some day someone would go to the moon. Like, actually stand on it, and look back down at Remnant. It was crazy to think about, but maybe some day, in the far-flung future... His soft, low, voice broke the still of night again, and she nodded in agreement. Six months... It felt like forever. What had started as essentially forced training had evolved into a partnership that she couldn't imagine living without, now. Losing Argent would be like losing an arm, or a leg. Maybe even more. Like losing her heart, or her brain. He was an irreplaceable, vital, part of her life now, and he'd changed her so thoroughly, it was almost like she was a different person than she once was. Happier. Less angry, less hellbent on her questionably nefarious ambitions. She still was, as she had so eloquently put it once, "a caustic bitch," and she still took the time out of her busy schedule for dumb pranks and wicked scheming, but she had really cooled down some since she and Argent had begun seeing one another on a more daily basis. She looked forward to seeing him, throughout her day, in fact. Woke up excited to see his face, hear his voice. He was her best friend. And maybe something more... No, no way. He definitely hadn't caught on to that, himself. Those feelings were, much as she claimed otherwise to all her girl friends, not entirely mutual. Or at least, if he did feel that way about her, he had yet to express it explicitly enough... More than likely, she would just have to do it herself. He was cute, and otherwise perfect, but damn, he could be a little oblivious. "Mmhm. Feels like yesterday. And ten years ago." She laughed, a light, airy, little giggle, as he joked about their first few sparring sessions. He had been a shrimpy little thing back then. And she sure as hell hadn't pulled any punches. "Yup, now it would take me a whole minute!" She grinned up at him, with a teasing expression. No, much as she joked about it, he'd surpassed her by far since they'd began training. Their first match, she didn't even give him the luxury of a private training session. She had insisted on volunteering the both of them for one on one combat in Shadecloak's class, and didn't give him much choice in the matter. He barely had time to ready his bow before she was on him. Caught one of his knives as it whizzed by her, and sent it back at him, to his surprise- was the first time she'd shown off her semblance to him. And then, while he was surprised, she bludgeoned his aura to hell with her umbrella, as he scrambled to do something at melee range. Nowadays, though, he had gotten so much stronger. And now he even had his new weapon! She glanced down at Ouroboros, beaming with pride as she remembered the day he came to her with the concept. A bow that transformed into two swords. It was badass, and more importantly, meant he had a defense against a rush like she had used against him that first fight. They'd sparred many times after that, and she still remembered the first time he'd won- it took all the self-restraint she'd had not to just grab him by his face and kiss him, then and there. She was proud of him, more proud of him than she was of anything else she'd ever had a part in, in her life. Him beating her that first time was a huge moment, and something she'd never forget. She smiled, remembering another fond moment they'd shared. "Remember the one mission we had, fixing up that village's walls? I swear, I never expected math to actually be useful in the field. I think we beat the other two by a solid hour and a half." It had been a while since she'd laughed and smiled this much- well, laughing and smiling this much because she was happy, as opposed to because she was being Kishka at someone. She looked into Argent's shimmering golden eyes, more radiant and magical than any of the stars above. "We make a great team, you know?"

Notes// uwu | Tagged// @snekman | WC// 818 | TWC// 2278

✬

[Argent Steele]

I know you got hate in you. Most do.
Trick is to use it, 'stead of it usin' you.

But you know this. Vengeance is a motivator, not the motive.
Don't hunt 'em 'cause you been wronged.
Hunt 'em 'cause what they did was wrong.
There's a world of difference there, kid.
One makes you selfish. The other makes you a hero.

And I see a hero in you.

❝

Argent rested his head against hers shortly after she leaned against him, feeling a sense of security that he hadn't felt in a long time. It reminded him of days just past and days long gone - days that had been but just over half a year ago and yet that felt so far away, days that been so long ago that he was starting to forget the details. A warmth that had been present, and then absent for nearly half his life, until he'd found it again with those who had trained him into the young man who'd come to Haven, and again with the girl beside him.

The thought gave him pause. He had never really thought about the nature of the relationship they shared, come to think of it. It had been annoyance at first, then gradual appreciation, until now he couldn't imagine going without her presence for long. She was definitely one of the two people he could call his best friends, but more than that, she felt like home.

Home. A word that he'd always associated with warmth and happiness, regardless of when and where.

Esmeralda Steele had raised him in a land that didn't appreciate their kind, in a world that had been wreaked by war and turmoil, and had done so alone and without help. Like the sun's gentle rays had coaxed seedlings from the tilled soil and helped them into flourishing, she had sheltered him, watched him grow, kept him safe. It was a debt that he hadn't yet repaid, and wasn't sure he ever could. Even if those gentle flames had gone cold, even if those embers had been scattered by the man who bore the name of the sun and yet was colder than any steel, it had been a quiet fireplace that for the longest time had been his only refuge - one that he would remember.

Shin Kurinji and Jade Gou had guided a young child along the path to heroism, and pulled a lost soul back from the abyss it was poised to fall into. Like the crystallized display of nature's wrath beat back the Grimm that haunted the world outside of the safe havens of the cities, the two of them had pushed back the darkness that had threatened to consume him after his manipulation into thievery at the hands and Semblance of the girl he never liked to speak of. They had kept him from falling down the path of the damned, opened his eyes to the injustices of the world, and taught him everything that Esmeralda couldn't and Arc didn't, the blazing bonfires of justice that lit up the night and showed him the path ahead, the ideals he would hold and follow for the rest of his life.

But Kishka…

He didn't know what she was, yet. Often, she had been the crucible in which he had burned away his weaknesses and the forge in which he had tempered his strengths. Just as often, she had been the blazing torch by which he had been introduced to fonts of new knowledge - training tactics, fighting styles, battle formations, and the arts of war. But beyond that, beyond what they had done together and what she had done for him, he liked having her around, and liked being around her. Perhaps this was what having a sibling actually felt like, rather than the mewling brats Nova had spawned that he'd never spoken to in his life. Despite thinking that, however, the title didn't seem to fit, and for a moment he wondered what else she could be, for someone who felt so much like family. Those musings, however, were interrupted when she teased him on the subject of the fights that he had never won until the week last, and his attention shifted once more to the here and now.

"Only a minute?" Argent asked, putting on a poor impression of being hurt by the implication that he could only last that long against her, one that crumbled almost as soon as it had come. The snake Faunus rarely laughed, and it showed in the way his chuckles were always low and muted and strangely hesitant - never the large guffaws or full bellied laughs of those of more cheerful disposition often exhibited, or even the sweet and joyful laughter Kishka was displaying even now. But even so, they were still genuine affairs, and the smiles that followed, like one did now, were far more natural and at ease than when they'd first met.

"Come on, Kish. Ninety seconds, at least."

The smile only broadened slightly at the mention of one of the missions they had gone on together, a short nod with his cheek brushing her hair being the answer. It had been one of the missions they had gone on together, fixing up the walls and fortifications of a nearby village over a weekend. One of the smaller lead ups to Doctor Yuki Haragitanai's own take on the internships that they'd gone on with a few others, most of which had disappeared from Haven afterwards.

"Hardly math, that one. More logic than anything. And it helped that we had Semblances that were directly useful for building - better than detecting living things, or moving fast, or turning into stone are, anyway."

Surprised by the sudden movement as she turned to face him, the snake Faunus glanced over to her in return. For a long moment, golden eyes met hues of amethyst and were taken in, before her next words shook him out of it. Looking down at the fingers of his hand, intertwined with hers, the snake Faunus couldn't help but grin a tiny grin and look back up to meet her gaze again.

"Yeah. Yeah, we do."

An errant thought struck him, the words coming out of his mouth before he had time to think it through.

"Yeah. Yeah. Hey, Kish, what if you and I-"

Then the countering thoughts struck him like a hammer blow, and his face fell ever so slightly. No, he supposed it wouldn't work, would it? Teams needed to have different members with differing roles, something she'd impressed on him time and again. The two of them were similar enough that it probably didn't justify the both of them on a team together, even if by all logic they would fight better in tandem than any others due to knowing how well each other worked. It was probably for the best to find others whom they worked well with, even if it did mean they would spend less time together.

"Never mind," he said instead, smiling again. This one didn't quite reach his eyes, but he squeezed the hand held in his once again, as if to reassure both her and himself that he was okay with the decision he'd made.

"I just had a moment, that's all."

Silence reigned between them for a moment before the fire crackled, and the snake Faunus cleared his throat.

"You know, I never did ask if you managed to finish the objective for this initiation…"

WHISPER OF THE WYRM (SEMBLANCE): [RANK D]

SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: SPEED OF THE SCYLLA (SPEED) [RANK E]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: DANCE OF THE DRAGON (AGILITY) [RANK F]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: GLARE OF THE GORGON (MARKSMANSHIP) [RANK F]
SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: WINGS OF THE WYVERN (ACROBATICS) [RANK F]
SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: TALONS OF THE TARASQUE (MARTIAL ARTS)

OUROBOROS (WEAPON): [RANK F]

@ ● 1180 words ● 3603 total words

MADE BY MIZO

[Kishka Burzanova]

KISHKA BURZANOVA

She found herself laughing and smiling so much more when they were together. More than she ever had, ever since she was little. Before things got so bad. When she still had a sister in her life. They had been happy then. And up until she met Argent, she hadn't been happy since. It was an odd sensation, and one she tried not to think about too much- being so unhappy for so long. It wasn't exactly a good feeling, but now it almost felt like a distant dream, like something she saw happen to someone else in a movie. She was happy now, and that was all she could feel. It felt good. Warm. Home. That was something she hadn't felt in a while. She loved her family, despite the fact she spoke of them so little, and seemed only to go home to get things she needed. She hadn't spoken to her sister in over a year, and the last conversation they'd had was just Bel berating her for being held back again at Sanctum. It didn't end well for either twin- their fights rarely did. Her parents were another story. They tried, and objectively, she was aware of that. But when you have two daughters, and one is essentially the perfect prodigy, while the other is a difficult little asshole, it's not hard to imagine where their attention was placed. But while it was probably something anyone could have predicted, that didn't change the fact that it really did hurt sometimes, thinking that the two people who were supposed to love her the most, had, just like all the rest, chosen her shit sister over her. Except for Argent. Argent didn't choose Bel. He didn't even like Bel, (though he also hadn't met her yet.) He was, quite possibly, the only person in the world who she could truly call hers. Not Bel's. That was the best part about having a twin for some, but the worst for others, and Kishka was in the second camp; sharing everything was hard. And when Bel stopped sharing, it was even more painful. She just started taking Kishka's friends, their parents, everything. In the end, the only things she had left were acting out at Sanctum, and the handful of things she could beat Bel at. Their tactics classes were her favorites- she had excelled in those, while for once, Bel had to fight hard to maintain a half-decent grade. And when they both joined the school's theatre club, Kishka aced her auditions, snagging lead roles, while Bel quit two weeks in, because she couldn't hack it. But nobody cared about those accomplishments, those skills. All anyone saw was the golden child's perfect semblance and superior combat proficiencies. Except for Argent. He appreciated the things Kishka was good at. He appreciated Kishka. Just for being herself. Hell, in spite of herself, sometimes- she knew she wasn't necessarily very likable, but the fact that he'd stuck with her for so long after their initial encounter really did mean a lot to her. "Hey Kish," She smiled. There weren't many people who she let call her anything but Kishka. But she loved it when he called her Kish. There was no explanation for it, just a warm, comfortable feeling in her chest. "What if you and I-" He stopped. Her head cocked to the side. Argent tried to recover and change the subject, but she wouldn't be forgetting that question, and the little narrowing of her eyes with a single arched eyebrow expressed that well, before she shook her head, returning to a soft smile. "Don't think I'm letting you get away with that half-sentence, now. But I suppose my winning this midterm is pretty important, so I'll take the bait for now." She passed him a sly grin, before sighing, thinking back on her frankly stressful day. "I'm not entirely sure if I finished my objective honestly. There was a really weird fox chick who strung me up in a fucking snare trap. Not Niraya, of course, she would never do that to me. Already forgot her name, but bitch was fucking nuts. Orchid, so I answered all her dumb questions, but who fucking knows if she's still even out here? Wouldn't surprise me if she left. Then I helped this kid, Poison Iv- Holly, I mean, I helped her kill some Grimm, but she barely seemed interested in passing, I feel like she just went along with being launched. So I don't know if either of them are still here." She did hope that Holly at least didn't quit halfway through, though. She actually kind of liked the girl. She wasn't quite a definitive friend yet in Kishka's mind, but she would definitely add to her friendship quota. Her smile soured just slightly, as she remembered her interactions with Colton as well. Ugh. "I also ran into Deraine earlier. Hmmm... You know how people have best friends? That asshole is like my worst friend. Tolerable to be around, and sometimes entertaining, but he just pisses me off so much." With an exaggerated sigh, she buried her face in Argent's chest, resting limply there as she half-mumbled into his shirt, "Also I may have told him-" Realizing that she wasn't entirely ready to make that confession yet, she snapped back up, and beamed at Argent with a bright smile, speaking quickly in the hopes that he didn't quite catch what she had said. "Anyways, fuck Magneto, what were you saying? About my mission? Yeah, I'm not too sure if I'm done, even though I think I might be. What about you? Need any help with your answer-gathering? You know I'll always help you with anything I can." Her smile sweetened, and she squeezed Argent's hand just enough to express her fondness for the snake faunus. Fondness that would possibly be getting him into some very hot water, in a couple of days... But no way Colton was going to win! And even if he did, then she'd just yell at him for cheating, regardless of whether he did or not. It was how she defended her loss in Mistral Regional, after all. Damn cheating bastard.

Notes// :Luv: | Tagged// he@re | WC// 1038 | TWC// 3316

✬

[Argent Steele]

I know you got hate in you. Most do.
Trick is to use it, 'stead of it usin' you.

But you know this. Vengeance is a motivator, not the motive.
Don't hunt 'em 'cause you been wronged.
Hunt 'em 'cause what they did was wrong.
There's a world of difference there, kid.
One makes you selfish. The other makes you a hero.

And I see a hero in you.

❝

The snake Faunus gave an awkward, slightly shy grin in return to her sly smile and the very clear indication that she'd seen through him. She always did, come to think of it - but he of all people knew that if she hadn't been there to coax what he really meant out of him when his words were still stilted and stumbled out of his mouth like someone falling down a flight of steps, he would have never gotten better at talking and communicating with other people. And he still appreciated it - as much as he had improved with words, it was still nice to know that she could tell what he really meant, as far as things went.

Kishka had sighed, then started out talking about her day - and Argent's attention was immediately drawn to the fact that she had been actively targeted by a fellow member of the class to be effectively blackmailed into giving up the information she needed. It would be blatantly obvious to the dark skinned Sanctum graduate, too, considering that he paused and went very still immediately afterwards while she was still talking about Holly and Colton. Golden eyes narrowed to a slit, seeming like nothing quite as much as a mamba coiling to strike, only to suddenly widen and lose their intensity when his friend flopped into his chest, glancing down in surprise. Gingerly, the hand not already holding hers went to try for an attempt at comfort by patting her head, only for her to launch herself upwards nigh immediately. So much for that.

"I may have… played the system a little," he admitted, looking somewhat sheepish. It was a rare look on him - Argent usually wore an expression of neutrality when around most others, Kishka and Evangeline being the two notable exceptions, though he had been getting steadily better about that since they met. But if there was ever cause for him to feel embarrassed, it had rarely, if ever, happened at Haven so far.

"Me and Elena traded five pieces of information earlier today, when we ran into each other in the first few hours. There's no rule saying two Orchids can't use information from each other, so that's what we did. Spent a bit of time split up, then we grouped back up in time to fight off some Grimm with Nikolas and Carmim, but we managed to get the shelter done before nightfall."

Argent took a moment to look up at the form of the sleeping Nikolas, firmly tied to a tree bough, and exhaled a long, slow breath.

"Not that some people appreciate it," he murmured, still somewhat disbelieving that the other male had gone through all the trouble of helping them out only to insist on sleeping on his own. His bones would be aching in the morning, when Elena woke him for his shift - the snake Faunus knew that much from experience, at least. Pressing his lips together tightly for the briefest of moments, Argent shrugged it off and returned his attention to the member of the Burzanov family he was significantly closer to.

"I have everything I need, but I'd like you to tell me something, too. I got five from Elena and one more from a newcomer that I can use as well - Alexander? Alexanathos? Alexandros - yes, that's his name. Three different people for more than five pieces of information is good enough, so Shadecloak and Van Sange can't complain, really."

Tapping his fingers against his leg, the snake Faunus glanced over to the lean to where Elena was currently sleeping, tilting his head slightly.

"Actually, when I go to change shifts with Elena, why don't you ask her to add a couple of yours to her list? That makes two Orchids as it is, which should meet all the requirements. Plus, she gets to show that she didn't just talk with me for a while and leave it at that.. I think it's a win-win situation for you both."

With a small huff, he leaned against her, the comforting warmth of her body heat against his own only serving to remind him how irritated he was at her getting snared by some other student. Of course, he was well aware that Kishka could be her own brand of menace, but Argent had had decent success in reining her in when it had become clear that time spent in punishment was time they couldn't spend studying or training together. And she had certainly never done anything as rude as treating another student like a prey animal to be trapped and butchered.

"And about that fox girl," he began, casting his glance idly about to check for Grimm again before he turned his attention back to the dark skinned girl pressed up against him.

"I don't remember her name, but I do remember her number when Shadecloak called it out. Number Sixteen. Orchid, like me. I was about to suggest that you tell me whatever you told her so that I can submit it and cancel it out. It'd make sure she at least gets nothing from what she did to you, but…"

And here he sighed quietly, sagging slightly in disappointment.

"I distinctly remember Shadecloak saying it'll reset your progress if the people you help fail along the way, but I don't know how it'll affect your score if they fail at the end. We should probably play it safe. Best not to fool around with that kind of stuff when during an exam exercise as important as the mid-terms. It'd be a shame if we couldn't go on missions together because I wanted to get back at Sixteen for messing with you."

WHISPER OF THE WYRM (SEMBLANCE): [RANK D]

SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: SPEED OF THE SCYLLA (SPEED) [RANK E]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: DANCE OF THE DRAGON (AGILITY) [RANK F]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: GLARE OF THE GORGON (MARKSMANSHIP) [RANK F]
SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: WINGS OF THE WYVERN (ACROBATICS) [RANK F]
SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: TALONS OF THE TARASQUE (MARTIAL ARTS)

OUROBOROS (WEAPON): [RANK F]

@ ● 950 words ● 4553 total words

MADE BY MIZO

[Kishka Burzanova]

KISHKA BURZANOVA

She arched a playful eyebrow at him. "Oh?" My, my- what sort of tricks was Argent learning from her? She loved the look on his face, just slightly bashful, with a hint of mischief. Even though his idea of playing the system didn't seem especially nefarious, it was cute watching him speak of it as if he'd pulled off a genius level prank. It was precious, and she felt a familiar surge of pride towards him. "Way to go, Mr. Rebel Streak. You guys did do a nice job on the shelter. Very cozy, no matter what Dumbass McTrainzapper might think." She stared off in her cousin's general direction and just shook her head. He was such an idiot. Such a hopeless, hopeless, hopeless, idiot. Her attention was back on Argent though, as he continued speaking, and she smiled pleasantly. Oh? He wanted her to tell him something? Huh... What to tell him, that she hadn't already told him...? He'd known her for long enough that he'd broken through most of her walls, learning tons about her in the process. And in return, she knew much about him. But they didn't know everything about one another- six months only went so far, after all. Hmmm... What then, could she tell him that he didn't know? She puzzled over that thought for a moment, until he spoke up again. This time, the look on his face was different- he seemed a bit troubled, as if he were thinking hard about something unpleasant. "Sure thing- I can give you both plenty of things, if you want, just to make sure you've got plenty to work with. Not a problem at all." But before she could start coming up with things to say, he brought up Ume, and her eyes sparkled with curiosity and delight. Oooh, she hadn't seen Argent get this mad in a very long time. Maybe never- he seethed quietly, in stark contrast to the huge open flames she was known for, but she could definitely tell he was mad about what had happened to her, especially as he leaned into her, protectively. She, of course, leaned into him a bit more, embracing his warmth. And embracing his more devious side. She grinned ear to ear, with a little laugh as he explained his master plan. She really had been rubbing off on him! It was a dastardly scheme, one even she hadn't thought up, so she was more than impressed. It was a genius way of getting back at the fox girl for her ridiculous setup- she'd fail the midterms, unless she had the foresight to pull that shit on some other unsuspecting students, and even if she didn't fail, Kishka wouldn't be helping her win. Which, honestly, she had no problem with. But, of course, there were risks, as Argent pointed out to her. There was a chance that this could backfire on her, after all, but not a very good one. She shook her head with a smile. "I think it could work. And I think you're an absolute mastermind for coming up with a scheme like that- I'm helping you and Elena out too, so I think I should be in the clear, even if she does reset my progress, since that would only be progress from early in the morning- before I ran into her. Let's do it." It took her a moment, though, to actually remember the story she'd told Ume. It was all fabricated, and she hoped Argent would see the humor in her choices of lies to tell her. "I think you know me well enough to guess that I didn't tell her anything useful anyways, but it should be even funnier undoing even that much progress. Serves the bitch right. I basically told her I was a wolf faunus, who grew up on a farm in Pine Crest, and made a lot of enemies there, among the group of faunus-hunters that remained after the Great War. To escape them, I ended up in a boarding school, but when a real bastard, the golden-eyed Milan Nocturne, came after me, determined to end my life. Of course, I fought him and his men, but I escaped, and began working for the Schnee Dust Company, before I ended up here in Mistral, under a new name and identity." She grinned as she retold her tale with great drama and enthusiasm. It should be fairly recognizable, even being the weird mishmash it was. After all, it was one part Argent's life story, and one part the origin story of her beloved comic book character, Alabaster Naples, the villain of the series, "Golden-Eyed Werewolf-Slayer." A series that she, of course, forced Argent to read many times, because if it was her favorite (in spite of its arguably outdated and unpleasant morals) then it ought to be his favorite too. Only if he rooted for the "bad" guy, of course. Milan Nocturne was an absolute tool, and a definite icon of anti-faunus hate groups. Worst comic book hero ever. Shifting her sitting position, she decided to turn so she could lay across Argent's lap, gazing up at his face with a playful smile, her head resting on his leg. A comfortable place to lay and stare up at the stars. And at the brightest star in her life. "Alright, so now you've got the fake story I told her- I've been trying to think of things I haven't already told you. Ask me some questions- what do you want to know about me? We can make it like a game! You ask me something, and I answer, then I ask you something and you answer. Not because I need answers- I just wanna know more about you. Like what you were about to say a few minutes ago, which I'm sure you were hoping I'd forget about. But which you also definitely knew I wouldn't." She grinned, her teeth and purple eyes sparkling up at Argent. This was going to be fun. Way more fun than being interrogated five meters in the air, anyways. And she really was curious. She knew Argent pretty well, better than most people she could think of. But she didn't know everything about him. She wanted to, though.

Notes// so evil, am proud| Tagged// @snek | WC// 1056 | TWC// 4372

✬

[Argent Steele]

I know you got hate in you. Most do.
Trick is to use it, 'stead of it usin' you.

But you know this. Vengeance is a motivator, not the motive.
Don't hunt 'em 'cause you been wronged.
Hunt 'em 'cause what they did was wrong.
There's a world of difference there, kid.
One makes you selfish. The other makes you a hero.

And I see a hero in you.

❝

Listening to her, Argent couldn't help but laugh again, recognizing the story for what it was. How could he not, after all the time spent at her side reading through it with her? One of the oldest comics, made back in the days when comics were just coming out, with various adaptations in nearly every medium. Radio dramas and television serials had been made from it, and he'd even heard that they would be rebooting the franchise for a movie in a few years. despite the source material being so outdated he was fairly certain it had at least two decades on him.

"Golden Eyed Werewolf Slayer? Really?" he asked, half incredulous and half amused, shaking his head as if that could convey his disapproval for falling for such an old story even if Kishka had managed to sufficiently disguise it with portions of his own life. Especially for such a pervasive figure in popular culture as Milan Nocturne - though said figure's popularity had been waning since before the Revolution. Not nearly enough, though. Still, Sixteen had been a Faunus. Perhaps she had grown up in Menagerie, that vaunted place beyond the ocean, often mentioned by humans and Faunus alike as a place where his people flocked to stay, and simply hadn't heard of the story before. Nevertheless, he supposed he should have known that Kishka was too stubborn to give up any information by force, and felt a quiet satisfaction manifest inside him at the thought.

The dark skinned Burzanova proceeded to lie down on his lap while he was entering the false information into his Scroll with the hand that wasn't occupied in holding her own, which surprised him a little, but Argent took it in stride and kept at it, only letting another sheepish smile slip through when she mentioned again that she hadn't been fooled. Well, he'd always known she was a persistent young woman who wouldn't stop until she got what she wanted. She hadn't changed that much, at the very least, in all the time he'd known her.

"Okay, okay," he chuckled, shaking his head in mock disbelief, before squeezing her hand again, a gesture of affection.

"But not just yet. You can have a laugh at my expense later, alright? When we're done trading stories."

The snake Faunus' smile softened , slowly faded as he turned to thinking. Argent pressed the knuckle of his index finger to his chin, thinking for a few moments for something easy to ask about and mulling over what he did know about his female friend already. Given how closely Kishka was watching him, it would be fairly easy to note the way he blinked and the way his eyes lit up ever so slightly when an idea came to him, a mannerism that just about no one else in Haven could know except her, with how inexpressive he was normally anyway.

"Let's see. Something easy to start with… oh, I know. Where'd you grow up? I know it's somewhere in Mistral, but you never told me where exactly."

WHISPER OF THE WYRM (SEMBLANCE): [RANK D]

SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: SPEED OF THE SCYLLA (SPEED) [RANK E]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: DANCE OF THE DRAGON (AGILITY) [RANK F]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: GLARE OF THE GORGON (MARKSMANSHIP) [RANK F]
SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: WINGS OF THE WYVERN (ACROBATICS) [RANK F]
SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: TALONS OF THE TARASQUE (MARTIAL ARTS)

OUROBOROS (WEAPON): [RANK F]

@ ● 510 words ● 5063 total words

MADE BY MIZO

[Kishka Burzanova]

KISHKA BURZANOVA

She laughed again. He was good at making her do that. Of course he picked up immediately on her deliciously falsified story. She had beaten Golden-Eyed Werewolf-Slayer down his throat the moment he first asked her what she was reading all those months ago. For all its faults, of which it had many, it was, after all, her favorite series. Not that she was eagerly anticipating the movie or anything- it was long overdue, and the writers were too Atlas City to understand the finer points of the story- they just wanted action, explosions, and Hickory Greene in the starring role. Ugh. The comic was better, and the story was so outdated, she was sure they would butcher the source material in the name of not offending anyone. But the whole thing was offensive! She only liked it because she liked the main villain, and the fact that he won pretty often. In theory, it was the writers' way of saying the "Faunus threat would one day destroy all of humanity," but she always saw it as a win for the little guy. Knowing the current film industry, though, they would ruin the villain, and make the hero into a shitty generic badass instead of a ruthless war veteran racist. Absolute garbage. Fortunately, though, she was too distracted by Argent's face, shimmering eyes piercing the darkness of the night, to think about how her favorite fictional character would be ruined by corporate executives looking to make a quick buck off of an old story. She grinned up at Argent, her own eyes playful, as he replied with a bit more than a little exasperation at her insistence on getting those answers she desperately needed. "I'll hold you to that." Trading questions back and forth was, after all, her idea. And she didn't mind a little waiting- Argent was always such a tease anyways, whether he acknowledged it or not. Probably relished the satisfaction of holding her on edge for as long as he could, until she finally got what she wanted. That was fine with her, though- she'd get what she wanted by the end of the night, no matter how long he tried to distract her from it. His question was a good one, though. She glanced up, staring off to his right, into the trees, from her position across his lap, thinking. Huh... She'd been thinking about her childhood a lot today, and it seemed a little poignant that for once, someone was asking her to talk about it, as opposed to her just bringing it up, thinking out loud. And of course, that someone was Argent. She smiled, but it was a little sadder than it probably should have been. "Mistral. But you know that much." She paused for a moment, remembering the first time she had left her family's home, to attend Haven. She still visited some weekends, but not nearly as often as her parents would like. And much less often than most of the other Mistral natives who weren't either orphans, or Nik. It had been... Liberating. Finally, somewhere she could do her own thing, without being compared to her twin. Bel. Her mind always floated back to her when home was brought up. Always. And why not? They'd shared so much, as kids. Hell, they were twins- they were sharing everything literally before they were even born. With her away in Beacon, her parents traveled more often than they had when she was a kid. It was expensive to travel in relative safety, especially as often as they did, so her financial support from them wasn't what it once was, when she was growing up. Not like things were when she started at Sanctum. But "Bel needs to see her family from time to time," and "what if Bel feels a little lonely all the way in Vale?" It was never, "Hey, maybe Kishka misses her sister, and she should catch a ride home on the fucking high horse she always seemed to be on." Because that would be too easy. No, instead, everyone left her to go visit Bel. And after the third time she refused to go with them, they stopped asking her. She was "too busy," they'd tell themselves. Which was what she told them. But still. It still hurt not to be asked. Sometimes when they were gone, though, she'd come home just to have the place to herself. She'd have to bring Argent some day. "I grew up at my parents' home here, in the city. On the outskirts of the Cloud District, cordoned off behind a little patch of trees. It's kind of nice, I suppose. Lots of rooms, a lot of space, huge yards and a pool. There's a garden in the back, and a greenhouse- my mother always loves fresh produce. She never tends them anymore, though, we just have gardeners to do that. It was fun for her, for a year or so, then she gave up on it." Maybe she was projecting a little too much, there. "Me and Bel shared a room until we were twelve, and at that point, they had to put us on opposite ends of the house to keep the fighting to a minimum." She laughed, quietly, a little dryly. They were always fighting back then. For no good reason, too. Funny how things never changed. Her tone shifted a little, returning to a state of lighthearted playfulness after its brief stint into melancholic introspection. "We should go there some time. Just me and you. My parents are leaving for Vale in a week or two, we'd have the whole place to ourselves. Just us." She smiled, that thought filling her heart with more warmth and happiness than she could properly express. Just us. "Hmmm... Okay, here's one for you." She hesitated for a moment, but she was really curious. He had told her a bit about his childhood, but not everything. He'd left out a lot of details, and some things just weren't all there. "What was your mother like? I know you told me about the farm, and her remarrying, but what was she actually like?"

Notes// d e p t h | Tagged// h@e@r@e | WC// 1032 | TWC// 5404

✬

[Argent Steele]

I know you got hate in you. Most do.
Trick is to use it, 'stead of it usin' you.

But you know this. Vengeance is a motivator, not the motive.
Don't hunt 'em 'cause you been wronged.
Hunt 'em 'cause what they did was wrong.
There's a world of difference there, kid.
One makes you selfish. The other makes you a hero.

And I see a hero in you.

❝

Argent stilled for a few moments, and then smiled again - but there was a lot less mirth in this one than there had been in the last. The same movements of his face, the same curl of his lips - but the joyful light in his eyes had dimmed with the advent of the topic - and with it, the past that he'd worked so hard to put away yawned open like a hole in the ground, gaping and wide and ready to injure anyone who fell. A dull ache pulsed in his chest, and he broke eye contact, looking away for a few moments to collect himself before he next spoke. Unlike his usual quiet and focused self, the Argent before Kishka now was hesitant and unsure, and when he opened his mouth the melancholy behind his words were clear, despite the slightly forced injection of something clearly intended to resemble humor.

"Well. You do know how to pick them."

There was a pause. His eyes were no longer focused on her with their usual golden intensity - they looked in her direction, but they didn't see her, clouded by the mists of the past and the debris of memories once buried. The grip on her hand slacked and loosened, like crumbling dirt.

"My mother was..."

The snake Faunus swallowed, his throat suddenly dry.

"My mother was beautiful. Kind. Strong. Wise. She was everything. There wasn't ever something that she couldn't do, it felt like. I don't... I don't worship the gods, but if gods really exist, then she must have been one of them. That's how I feel. Felt."

The hand in hers squeezed gently, as if reassuring himself of something, and with a sigh as he closed his eyes, the wound up tension that had seemed to grip the snake Faunus ever since he'd started talking bled away, the tense body beneath Kishka, or what she could feel of it, slowly starting to loosen up once more. Without opening them, he spoke again, rubbing at a temple with his free hand, Scroll lying forgotten on the log they were sitting on.

"Sorry. It's been... a while since I've thought about her. Or talked to her."

Argent opened his eyes and raised his head, looking at the stars above.

"My scales didn't grow in until I was a kid," he said quietly, voice filled with a quiet melancholy.

"I had friends, you know. Friends who I could play tag and ball with. All the stuff a regular, poor village kid could do. We did that together, and I figured that things would continue like that forever. Usual kid thoughts, you know. "

Letting go of Kishka's hand, Argent raised it upwards, watching the thin band of scales that started from his hand to where his uniform covered them at the wrist gleam bright in the firelight. The sleeve had fallen away, showing a larger patch than usual.

"I had normal skin, back then. And one day it started sloughing off. Tearing and peeling. Like an infection. The doctors thought it was a disease, too. But it wasn't, of course. These were growing underneath. It wasn't sickness. It was a molt."

With a quiet exhale, he let his arm descend again, resting it on her belly in a sort of half hug.

"I lost a lot of friends. A lot of people who used to know me. All of them thought I was a monster. So my... mother. Was really all that I had, back then. Teacher. Parent. Guide. She did everything for me, when no one else could or would. I wasn't a very curious kid, so the farm and the woods around became my entire world for a while. No one would teach me, so she went to learn instead and taught me from there. She was everything to me - and then Nova came. And suddenly, I wasn't her everything any more."

Another sigh, another squeeze of the hand before Argent exhaled sharply and glanced around, checking for Grimm before looking back to the closest friend he had at Haven Academy.

"Sorry. I guess that came out wrong. Anyways, um. She used to be a slave in Mantle. She didn't tell me much about those times, either. She... killed a wolf once with the shotgun we kept beside the fireplace. It was going after the chickens. She sang a lot. Whether we were working the fields or washing clothes or cooking... She liked peaches. She liked them a lot. We traded wheat for them a couple of times with caravans who used the Pine Crest route. Her favorite radio serial was... Cirque de Symphony. An old Mantle creation. She changed out an entire section of wall in the cellar when one of the water barrels burst and soaked all the wood..."

Another pause, before he forced another of his small smiles.

"And that's about all I remember for now. Did you want to know anything else about her?"

Where they would go next was determinate on whether Kishka would want him to dredge up even more memories of the old days, or if she would be satisfied with that. He would explain what he remembered or knew if she did, but if she didn't, then it would be his turn to ask, and he would skip that section entirely.

"Well. Why're you and Nikolas at odds so often? I know about- I know enough about you and your sister, but you never told me about how that works out."

WHISPER OF THE WYRM (SEMBLANCE): [RANK D]

SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: SPEED OF THE SCYLLA (SPEED) [RANK E]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: DANCE OF THE DRAGON (AGILITY) [RANK F]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: GLARE OF THE GORGON (MARKSMANSHIP) [RANK F]
SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: WINGS OF THE WYVERN (ACROBATICS) [RANK F]
SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: TALONS OF THE TARASQUE (MARTIAL ARTS)

OUROBOROS (WEAPON): [RANK F]

@ ● 918 words ● 5981 total words

MADE BY MIZO

[Kishka Burzanova]

KISHKA BURZANOVA

Kishka offered a sheepish smile to Argent as he attempted (and failed) to mask his reaction to her question with a hint of a joke. "Sorry. If you don't-" But he went ahead and answered her anyways, despite his initial reservations. There was so much sadness in his voice, she felt like it could cut the clouds drifting by in the night air. His hand loosened on hers, and she gently squeezed it, looking into his eyes with quiet encouragement. What had seemed like it should have been a fairly easy question definitely ended up digging at him a lot, and she reached out to wrap an arm around him, resting it against him as he spoke of the woman who meant so much to him. If Kishka were especially prone to crying, she probably would have been, as he described Esmeralda Steele. For someone who didn't talk too much, he sure as hell had a way with words, when he needed to. It was poetic. And the way he corrected himself, tacking on that 'felt,' at the end... It was like a punch to the chest. "Argent..." Her voice was quiet, and sad. But the faunus shifted and relaxed a little, returning the gentle squeeze of the hand she had offered him earlier, and closed his eyes, before speaking again. She had known his childhood wasn't easy, but she didn't know how hard it was for him. How could people be so cruel? Just because he looked different from them... And his friends, no less. It wasn't like that was a hard thought for her to grasp- much the same had happened to her, for entirely different reasons. First, it was Bel taking all of her friends away, but even the few who didn't follow her sister away disappeared when she started gaining a reputation at Sanctum for delinquency and rebellion. Nobody wanted to be friends with trouble, even though trouble was mostly just troubled. She was so busy being sad and angry for him that she didn't notice his hand slipping out of hers, and for a moment, her hand jolted up, to catch his again, but not more than an inch or so, before she caught herself. She too watched as his scales glimmered in starlight. And she was overwhelmed by a powerful urge to find those little bastards who rejected and abandoned him, and punch them until their faces were bruised and bloody. It wasn't fair. The same sentence had echoed through her mind the day she'd met Argent. Those asshole guys beat the shit out of him for no reason at all. Not that they didn't find out the hard way that karma is not only a bitch, but a badass bitch with a steel umbrella. A lot of things in life seemed unfair. Unjust. "A monster...?" She stared up at him, her eyebrows twisted in thought, as she gently reached out and touched one of the patches of scales on his face. They had been one of the first things she'd noticed about him- both the missing ones, and the ones that weren't ripped off in the fight. Her fingers brushed lightly against some of the ones that were torn off that day, having finally grown back in again. "If I'd known you back then, I would have kicked every single one of their asses. They're the only monsters in that story. Your scales are beautiful. Just like the rest of you. It shouldn't take much to see that- I'm glad you found new friends, here. Ones who deserve you." She took his hand again, as she lowered her own, closing her eyes and pressing her head against him as he continued on. He continued to speak about his mother, but she was still stuck on the way he'd been treated growing up, so she didn't catch all of the details. It sounded like she was an exceptional woman. But she, too, had left Argent all alone... It wasn't fair. Not a bit. He asked if she had any more to add, and she simply shook her head. Those memories seemed far too painful for her to want to stir up any more. He continued, and like a charm, his next question drew her out of her melancholy almost immediately. She laughed. A surprised, off-guard, laugh, as her eyes opened again, shining with amusement. It hadn't been intended as a particularly funny question, of course, but to her, it was hilarious. Her laughter continued for another second or so, until she was certain he had really meant it, and by that time, her eyes glistened with a few faint teardrops, from her small fit of hysterics. "Me and Nik? We don't- We aren't-" She wiped the mist from her eyes and sat up a bit, looking off towards Nik's tree, and snickering one last time before she regained her composure. "I know it might not seem like it, at a glance, but me and Nik don't hate each other or anything. Not at all like me and her. Actually," She paused for a second, scrunching her face up as if she were weighing the pros and cons of what she was about to say next. "Actually, much as it pains me to say it, he's probably the closest person to me in my family. I know, right? Nikolas Burzanov- close to anyone!" She laughed again, shaking her head. It was so dumb, but still. "Until I met you, though, he was the only person I had who didn't treat me like I was..." She trailed off. She couldn't complete the sentence. Less. Not good enough. Second-best. Worse than Bel. Trouble. Too much work. She closed her eyes and took a breath, smiling again when she opened them, and continuing as if she hadn't left that sentence incomplete. "We don't exactly talk much, but nobody in our family does, really. It's just the way we are, I guess. And when we do talk, it's what you've seen, and what you can imagine- he's an asshole, I'm a bitch. We butt heads, call each other names, sometimes throw things, and scream until our voices are hoarse. Or well, I do, anyways- he doesn't scream nearly as much as he should, it'd do wonders for the stick of dynamite stuck up his ass." She gazed up into the sky, smile widening as she took in the stars. A light sigh escaped her lips and she squeezed his hand a little tighter, pulling it closer. "We used to stargaze a lot." Years of childhood came back to her like waves crashing against the shore, stirring up sand and seashells and sending mist into the air. "Me, and Nik... And Bel. When we were little. After a long day of playing dumb kid games outside, which usually just meant us dragging Nik along on our adventures, it was always nice to lay down in the grass, and just stare up at the sky. The stars are incredible on a clear night like this, up on top of the mountains in the Cloud District..." She found herself longing for those simpler times, more and more, as years rolled by. Before everything got so hard... She was quiet for a few moments, before inhaling slowly, and continuing where she left off earlier. If Argent could open up to her that much, she had no excuse not to do the same for him. "Less. That was the word I was thinking of earlier- Nik was the only one who never thought of me as less. Hell, if anything, I think he almost prefers me over Bel nowadays. Thinks she's a snobby holier-than-thou asshole. Which she is. And worst of all, she's a liar. I can be sneaky, manipulative, and sometimes I go overboard with my temper, but at least I'm upfront about it. Not her- if I fuck someone over, I stab them in the front. She's a backstabber, and she does whatever she thinks she needs to to get ahead, then pats herself on the back for it. She's got this whole Hero Complex, thinks she does shit for the "greater good," but the only good she does anything for is her own good." She sighed. "I'm not less than her. I'm better than her. But nobody can see that, not even our own parents. So what that she was born with a light manipulation semblance? I'd love to see that shit step up against Lucky 13's new upgrades. I'm stomping her golden ass into powdered gold leaf at Vytal. Then everyone will finally see..." She realized she was half-talking to herself at this point, and with a shake of the head, returned her attention to Argent. "But uh... Anyways, yeah, me and Nik are good. He's family. That's more than I can say for the rest of my blood relations." Hmmm... Now it was her turn to ask a question. She decided against venturing deeper into Argent's childhood, in part because she wasn't in the mood for gloom and depression, or for rage and anger, and if they kept throwing hardballs at one another, that's all they'd end up with, along with every Grimm in the forest. So she went for something a little lighter, but no less interesting, a shiny hint of a smile sparkling on her face. "Okay, so that's two from you, this will be two from me- name the three classmates you really want to beat in a fight. Any three. I'll tell you mine; Colton, that new Phoenix girl who kicked his ass, even though he technically won, and Evangeline. She caught me offguard in class, and it was totally not a fair fight, because of shitty stupid Deraine, who won't stop bringing that shit up and laughing at me about it." She grinned, trying to shove back all the nostalgia and sadness from the last question deep down inside, where nobody could find it. "Okay, that was a freebie- doesn't count as a question you asked, I just wanted to tell you my three. So who would you want to take on? Anyone in particular?" Surely, he had to have at least a few people that he just wanted to knock the pants off of, or maybe he just thought it would be a fun challenge taking them on. Or, who knows, a rematch for a fight he lost a long time ago? Any of those would be pretty fun and interesting options. There were plenty of reasons to pick a fight, after all, and he definitely had to have some good ones. Of course, she sure hoped Colton Deraine was in his top three. Because oh boy, did she have a surprise for him, if he was...

Notes// what a rollercoaster | Tagged// @:snake: | WC// 1800 | TWC// 7204

✬

[Argent Steele]

I know you got hate in you. Most do.
Trick is to use it, 'stead of it usin' you.

But you know this. Vengeance is a motivator, not the motive.
Don't hunt 'em 'cause you been wronged.
Hunt 'em 'cause what they did was wrong.
There's a world of difference there, kid.
One makes you selfish. The other makes you a hero.

And I see a hero in you.

❝

Somehow, it seemed that Kishka always had just the right way to snap him out of any mood that he'd gotten himself into. A duel to work out lingering frustration, a kind word to chase away doubts, a prank and a bout of laughter to keep his mind away from sadness. Frankly, it was hard to imagine a life without her now, and he wondered what it would be like when their time at Haven was over and he would go back to stand by Shin and Jade's sides in making the world a better place. It was a question he'd asked himself before - and one he'd never managed to find an answer for. Even now, he quashed those thoughts and banished them in the feel of her warmth, her weight - the comforting, reassuring presence that was her, lying against him, and the warmth of her hand on his face and in his own.

And then she laughed, long and high and sweet, and he had no further trouble letting those thoughts go.

"I know it might not seem like it, at a glance, but me and Nik don't hate each other or anything. Not at all like me and her."

The snake Faunus raised an eyebrow at that, the smallest of a disbelieving curl at the corner of his lips. "Really," he said with a flat tone, more of a statement than a question. It certainly didn't seem that way to him.

She laughed again, and this time he laughed with her, adding his low chuckle to hers. The thought that Nikolas, of all people, being close to anyone when all he seemed to do was push others away - as well as the thought that that was what affection from Nikolas looked like. Insults and vitriol, with the occasional actual fight thrown in for good measure. Still, what he had seen so far must not have been everything between them, or what he could see wasn't exactly indicative of the actual state of things between them, if Kishka was ready to speak of Nikolas in such glowing tones.

"That's good, then," he'd nod, a little redundant, when she mentioned that Nikolas was family. Her next question had another pause from him, though - this one thankfully born of thought and consideration rather than emotional turmoil.

"You know, I've never really thought about that," he said slowly, thinking about the other students and flipping through their profiles mentally. He couldn't speak for the newer batch of students, but out of the few who'd remained from his first day to the current one - Haven seemed to have quite the turnover rate, after all - he didn't really have much animosity towards anyone. Not even the few who'd decided to kick in his teeth in the first week - Kishka had exacted disproportionate retribution on his behalf soon after, and once his Semblance had started growing in he'd been able to hold his own well enough that what little desire they had for direct conflict had been quelled for good.

"I didn't come here to fight people, really. But if I had to pick... Colton, maybe. His Polarity and my Whisper have enough in common that I can learn from his strength at throwing it around. He's a good milestone that I can aim to surpass, even if it doesn't happen, and I guess fighting him is the best way to learn what I can from his style. It's not like we haven't all seen how he fights before, but there're some things you can only learn from direct combat."

A few moments of silence, pondering what next.

"And on the other side of the coin, Qiu'li, probably. You know I have problems with getting rushed down by people skilled in melee, which was why I swapped to Ouroboros from Subtle Calamity in the first place. And Qiu'li has that strength in spades - I think he's the only one to take on Colton on a more or less even ground so far. Baring the new girl, I mean. I missed that fight and haven't had the chance to review the tapes, though, so I don't know how she handled it. I met her earlier, though. Very aggressive, but so is Nikolas, especially against Grimm, and that doesn't translate as well to human opponents, as we've seen. Qiu'li's style is a direct counter to mine, so fighting against him will show me the weaknesses in my own and how to plug them. That's how I hope it'll go, at least."

Then he smiled again, looking down at her, a little closer than she had been before.

"Though if there's anyone I really want to fight with, it's you. You've been training me for so long that I feel like it's the best way to show that all that effort didn't go to waste. If I can win more than just that one time, then, well..."

The thought of asking her to be on his team crossed his mind again in spite of himself, and he shooed it away with a quick mental shake of the head.

"Ahem. Speaking of that - both you and your sister graduated from Sanctum Academy, right? I keep hearing good things about it, and all the students who came from there seem to be pretty well trained, but, well - what's it like? Is it anything like Haven? The mission to Argus didn't really give us time to sightsee, but Shin told me once that giant Grimm come out of the sea on a regular basis and the students put bets on how fast they get to kill them. But he also told me Atlas was built on this floating rock in the sky, like that old play - Howl's Flying Castle, I think it was - so I always figured he was pulling my leg."

WHISPER OF THE WYRM (SEMBLANCE): [RANK D]

SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: SPEED OF THE SCYLLA (SPEED) [RANK E]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: DANCE OF THE DRAGON (AGILITY) [RANK F]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: GLARE OF THE GORGON (MARKSMANSHIP) [RANK F]
SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: WINGS OF THE WYVERN (ACROBATICS) [RANK F]
SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: TALONS OF THE TARASQUE (MARTIAL ARTS)

OUROBOROS (WEAPON): [RANK F]

@ ● 971 words ● 6952 total words

MADE BY MIZO