TRP is a post-Great War AU RWBY RP set in Mistral City and Haven Academy with no canons, no rank claims, no maidens, and no god interference. We offer a progression system and site-wide events that change the setting based on player actions.
Post by Bianca Sabbato on Nov 23, 2020 23:58:06 GMT -5
I walked down the streets of the wind district in a crestfallen mood.
After the incidents during the White Nights Festival, I had broken my weapon trying to contain Holly’s semblance. The academy had offered to handle me a training spear for me to use for the time being, but I still was wary of doing so.
More likely than not. I merely held onto a small hope I could find someone able to repair it for a decent deal that didn’t involve selling one of my kidneys to be able to afford it.
But my search had been in vain until now. The ones skilled enough weren’t cheap. And the ones willing to make a discount for me needed either the original blueprints or an original reference by the creator to tune in the finer details.
Needless to say, I had neither of these. As I never wanted to know how a huntsman level weapon like Nereida had managed to fall into the hands of a Mistralian gang. Too many nasty implications for me to dare go there.
So yeah, I was still searching for a miracle when the vision of a girl around my age coming straight towards me took me out of my grove.
She came from around the corner, so being as distracted as I was in my own thoughts, I had no time to dodge her once she was upon me. So I ended up roughly colliding with her. And having to hold her arm to avoid pushing her to the ground.
-Sorry- I halfheartedly muttered after bumping into the dark-haired girl, moving past her and taking a discreet look back to give her a good look. I did this not only because I wanted to see if she was as hot from behind as she was from the front. But also because I couldn’t shake the feeling of knowing her face from somewhere else...
I shrugged off and made to keep going my merry way when some deeply rooted instinct gave me pause. Something felt... Wrong. Something didn’t feel quite natural at all. But at the same time, oddly familiar, although not in a good way.
Stopping for a while, I gave one more look to the woman who had bumped into me. And then all around me, to the myriad of paths, she could have taken to avoid doing so... Sensing something was fishy. I patted myself to see if everything was where it should be.
Money? Check. Grenades? Check (thank the heavens) A cereal coupon I never got to use, and that was most likely expired? Check. Scroll... Son of a bitch. My scroll was missing. That wasn’t good. It was where I stored all of my stuff, even the questionable things!
I turned around immediately. Discreetly closing the distance with the pickpocket. I didn’t wish for her to catch onto the fact I was suspecting of her and start running. I just needed to more or less catch up with her, and once she was inside the twelve-meter range of my semblance, then chances were that I should be able to literally stop her in her tracks.
-Hey!- I called out, getting closer and readying myself to pounce if she decided to break out in a run.
-Hey, you. Mind if we talk for a second?- I asked away. Arms crossed and a pretty unfriendly expression on my face. I didn’t have my weapon with me, but I was pretty sure I could hold my own without it for the time being.
If she willingly returned the scroll. I would let her go scot-free for now (It wasn’t a violent crime or anything like that, just the everyday quirks of living in Mistral).
If she ran. I would chase her down and take it back by force if necessary... And if she wanted to fight about it... Well, I guess I would need to fight her. I just hoped I didn’t. I was in a sour mood already, and the very last thing I wanted was having to spend the rest of my day carrying her ass to the police station or something.
And I’ll be dammed if I need to spend my free time with bureaucracy.
706/706 Words
Last Edit: Nov 23, 2020 23:58:32 GMT -5 by Bianca Sabbato
The events that conspired during this strange festival in the Wind District was odd indeed. Whilst not getting completely involved herself, she was certainly in the area as it unfolded. It was all odd and strange to her, as she didn't even know what the festival was celebrating. Then it turned into a riot and things got out of control. Things went flying everywhere but it soon became a bit too much for the chameleon, so she departed and wondered the streets. For what purpose? Unsure really, but she definitely decided to make some money along the way, picking pockets of valuables that could be pawned off later. Money was crucial here apparently, not like she could remember.
As she turned a corner, she noticed a taller girl with a face she recognised. Why she did, she had no clue but maybe she had some valuables. Utilizing her more braver approach, she walked towards the girl, "accidentally" bumping into her, whilst her hand slipped into her pocket and took the closest thing inside, a scroll. Once she made her walk away, she brought it out and began scrolling through it. First thing was an interesting weapon, some strange spear. Awfully huntress like, was she in the school as well? As she pocketed it and started to walking away, she heard the voice. Intentionally ignoring it, she continued walking until it spoke again, which now prompted her to stop in her tracks. A heavy and silent sigh came from her as she turned around and looked at the girl a few metres away.
A few moments passed as she just shrugged and gave an expression with her face saying "Well what?" As her hands slipped into her pockets, awaiting whatever this girl was gunna call her up on. These are the times she wished her voice actually worked but whatever, she'll deal with this.
Post by Bianca Sabbato on Nov 25, 2020 1:31:32 GMT -5
I felt relieved when I saw the prospective thief stop and actually acknowledge my existence. Instead of simply fainting ignorance in hopes I would be easily deterred by that and go away. But his, on the other hand, open up an entirely different can of worms for me to deal with.
Often, when a robber stops after you confront them, it means they either have the security of being able to physically outclass you. And they do not consider you a real menace... Or they are confident enough in their skills to bullshit their way around the topic until you are ensnared in their tale. And either give up or are convinced of their innocence.
And right now, both of these prospects seemed like things I really didn’t wanna deal with. She even had that “silent bitchy demeanor” Some people like to put on when they trying to push you away. That pissed me off a little.
-Gonna cut the crap and go straight to the case- I declared, my arms still crossed and an unimpressed expression on my face. I suspected this girl was bullshiting me with her attitude. But I still couldn't prove it. -I just bumped into you, and now I don’t have my scroll. So why don’t you be a good girl and show me your pockets? And don’t worry. I’m a huntress, so I’m not robbing you-
Linking my hands behind my back. I gave one long step back to let the woman a little space to empty her pockets. She was already in my range, even if she didn’t know it. So no harm there even if she made a run for it. That would either put her at ease and make her more likely to cooperate if she was innocent... Or encourage her to do something stupid if she was as guilty as I heavily suspected.
Still. I was not going to search her over without giving the girl a chance to surrender first. That was plainly rude, and if she wanted to solve this without having to resolve to force. It was a victory in my books.
-If you are innocent, then I will apologize or something... But if you do have my scroll in there, I’ll have to ask you to hand it over... Or else I may have to search you by force...-
I watched as she put her hands in her pockets. That may have been really good or really bad. And I understandably didn’t have a weapon with me, so she may feel brave enough to try her chances with me... So, as a preemptive measure. I had already tensed my legs and was more than ready to tail-slap the shit out of her if she tried something funny. Small advantages of having 5 limbs, I guess.
Besides that. I couldn’t help but stare at her with quite a lot of intensity. I was damn sure I knew her from some other place. I just couldn’t fit all the pieces together... But if I was being honest with myself, if I knew her, chances are she was no good news as well.
-So, what is it going to be, missy?- I asked again, patiently waiting for a response and knowing I would most likely be contested with evasiveness and fake indignation... But that was fine as well it just meant I would need to take matters into my own hands (literally)
Chloro watched with intensity as she stared down the tall darker girl, with lacking expression in her face. Listening to the situation she was in, this woman was a "huntress". Whilst that might be true, even a huntress without being trained in tracking would have a hard time keeping up. So far, she's seen no one able to fully track her once she vanishes, so her confidence was high. So instead, the little thief took careful steps forward, closing the distance as each sentence was uttered from the taller girl. Empty her pockets was the order, and so she would comply. Not before getting a good look at the lizard. As she approached,she circled the girl to get a full look before standing just half a metre infront of her again.
Then, hands dove into her own pockets, pulling out todays hall. Three small sacks of coins, two scrolls, some half eaten bread, small bag of jerky and five kunai daggers, before pocketing most of it and opening the girls scroll, pointing at it then pointing to Bianca. A smirk formed under her mask as she opened what looked like a notepad on the scroll and begin typing away before handing it back over. "I don't often forget a face, so tell me why you look so familiar." A step was taken back as she pulled her mask down to reveal her face, a few scars crossing over her lips with a larger one poking from underneath the mask, coming from her neck. Her idle hand kept hold of one of the daggers, spinning it in her hand.
Post by Bianca Sabbato on Nov 26, 2020 5:44:28 GMT -5
I stood my ground as the woman started circling around me like a predator judging a potential meal. Completely undeterred, I stood trying to project as much confidence as I could to avoid things escalating further. Intent on convincing her that it was a bad choice to try and attack me, to the point I felt comfortable even with letting her get on my blind spots.
The truth is, there were no such blind spots at all. As we were standing on a dirt street. So I could theoretically attack from any angle I wanted as long as she remained inside my range... But that wasn’t something she needed to know.
I didn’t get why she needed to stand so close to me, though. Did she want to turn this into a vacuoan standoff? That was fine by me. She was actually doing me a favor by getting within my effective range. Now that my spear was broken, I felt more comfortable at close quarters anyway.
I squinted in suspicion as she started to empty her pockets. Taking immediate note of the five daggers in her possession before paying attention to the rest of her “belongings”. The fact that she had five of them meant that either she was good at throwing them, which could be a pain in the ass, or that she felt confident fighting with them in close quarters.
Nodding wordlessly. I accepted her handling the scroll back to me without lowering my guard for even a moment. Only once she gave a step back I finally gazed upon the screen to check if everything was as it should be. Finding instead a hastily typed note in a notepad app.
Bloody hell, another mute girl, at least this one could listen to my words. But this was like, the second one in a week. Plus, I had met that blind girl Nina as well. So were they handling disabilities at the vendor machines now?
Anyway. Once I actually read the content of the message, I felt a hole open up in my stomach. Turning my gaze up. I didn’t need to look at her face for long to know exactly who this person was. After all, a face like that wasn’t easy to forget.
And holy shit... I knew this bitch. She was a pickpocket and a very skilled one at that. I had crossed paths with her once in a while when I was a street rat myself. Not so often after Garrik’s band took me in. But I still felt I could remember her name if I tried hard enough.
Was it Chloe? Chlora? Or something like that, I was sure. But her name wasn’t very important in the whole scheme of things. I was more interested in how this chance meeting would go from now onwards.
So yeah, It was a certainty that she knew who I was and the things I did years ago. And I had to run my stupid mouth as always, and tell her I was a huntress... Well fuck. Maybe I could fool her somehow? Make her believe she only knew my face in a passing way?
I took those kinds of extreme measures since I was making a conscious effort to make sure the least people knew about my past on Haven, the better. So I didn’t wanna clue her in if she was none the wiser.
-Dunno. Why would you know me? I had a couple matches in Vital. Maybe that’s the reason. And I’m a known quantity in the ground district for helping keep the grimm at bay... So it could be that- She already knew I was a huntress (a trainee in reality, but let’s leave that detail aside for now, again, not something she needs to know)
I noticed my tail swinging a little from side to side in expectation. It was a pretty distinctive part of me, so there was a chance she may put two and two together thanks to it. So I made my best effort to calm it down, trying to make myself the most unassuming and forgettable possible.
Maybe I could turn the conversation some other way? Distract her somehow for her to drop the topic. Welp. You know what they say, when in doubt...
-Why are you so interested in knowing? Planning to steal my heart as well? I noticed you were checking me out quite intently back there...- I asked with a raised eyebrow, knowing there were three possible conclusions to my little stunt.
Either she was freaked out, and I managed to shake her off by making her uncomfortable. Or she could be interested and, well... maybe I could distract her some other way?
Third option though. Was for her to see right through my bullshit and call me out on that. At this point, I wasn’t sure what could happen, but I readied myself in case she decided to put that knife she was spinning in her hand to good use.
Red eyes glared with the intensity of a fiery inferno as she kept her eyes on the taller faunus, taking in all the body language and expressions, tracking little movements as well as the swaying lizard tail. After years of reading body language, she could determine alot about someone from just how they move. And this girl was holding out on the truth. Truth be told however, the more she kept watching her, the more she started to recognise her. As she listened to her make her excuses and make a cute attempt to spin it on Chloro, her lips slowly but surely curled into a smirk then a sort of mocking smile.
With a quick motion, she pulled her scroll out and proceeded to type away, having memorised the contact number of the girls scroll. It was a long message, with a few follow ups too. "Whatever you mean by checking out, I was simply assessing a potential target. But it seems you've forgotten that little detail. I know who you are miss Sabbato. I do hope that bed and roof was comfortable before that little group was torn apart."
She continued, bringing up and new message and sending it through to her again. "It sure was unfortunately to see a 'friendly' face disappear from the streets when you joined them, but alas, it seems we've been brought together again. Training in Haven? Very impressed, then again you got gifted a hunter weapon, so you got a bit of an advantage, don't you agree?" There was a hint of bitterness in her messages as they came through, maybe some sort of resentment but her face remained relatively calm.
"I've been slumming it for a while since, and only recently joined Haven myself."
Post by Bianca Sabbato on Nov 26, 2020 13:17:40 GMT -5
When I saw her facade slowly transform into a snarky smile. I knew I had fucked up somewhere down the line. So I was half expecting the message that came soon after. I read it with an impassive face at first.
-Well, you were being awfully upfront about it. I expected better from you- I said sarcastically, almost at the same time her name finally came to mind. Chloro. Like what bleach is made of, I assumed.
Surprisingly (especially to myself). I took offense when she dismissed Garrik’s band as merely a “little group” as if it had been a tea party club...
And I don’t know why. But that phrase bothered me, it had no right to do so, as I would be the first one to talk shit about them... But that was the thing. I could do it because I was with them, I spent a great portion of my life with them, and as hard as it had been, I had to keep up to belong. What had this bitch done in the meantime? Sleep on cardboard boxes and steal from the elderly?
But what could I ask from someone like her? The very fact that she was alive and well as we speak was probably as much as I could expect... And now I was getting mad, and for what? To defend some assholes that used me as they saw fit?
Biting my lips, I spent a couple seconds to calm myself down before responding.
-Indeed. That group is, as you say, dead and gone. Good riddance and I hope they rot in hell- I called back, reaching an invisible cup toward her, as to cheer about this fact in the while that it took her to type another message.
Lowering my gaze towards my scroll. I very carefully read the incoming message. Being mindful to note every small detail and inflection on it. With a suspicious expression, I faced Chloro again, noticing how her mocking smile had turned into a neutral, almost stoic expression all of a sudden.
-Don't be naive. People like us are never gifted shit. I earned it- I replied, not bothering to hide the annoyance in my voice. This was a woman that lived her whole life in the streets. She needed to wake the fuck up if she thought faunus girls like us ever had something handled to us without strings attached.
-And I still have my weapons with me. The spear is just a pointy stick- This, I felt the need to add. Fuck her if she thought a shinny weapon was everything you needed to join Haven. It wasn’t as if they were giving scholarships to any hobo with a butter knife that came knocking at their doors...
And then, the third message came through. And as much as I tried, the widening of my eyes surely delated how I felt about it. Swallowing harshly, I made a great effort to compose myself, not let any cracks show in my armor, but I was pretty sure the girl had managed to see straight through me.
I couldn’t help but to sight when I read she had joined Haven. I really, and I mean, REALLY didn’t wanna be forced to accept Nova was right when she said the standards of Haven were at an all-time low... But a part of me couldn’t help but feel this was the case.
Maybe I was being a little judgmental and Chloro had more than enough skill to be added to Haven’s rooster... But it also spoke volumes of a person when they decided to jeopardize such a great chance by wandering the streets of mistral in search of loot. Even when the school pretty much provided anything we may need to survive and thrive inside its walls.
-Well...- I started, trying to find the right words for this situation. -Congratulations... I guess... Why are you still coming here to steal, tho? You shouldn’t have any need now that you are a trainee- I asked with incredulity in my voice. Sounding maybe a little more accusing than what I had intended.
But it kinda pissed me off, to be honest. How I had to go around pseudo-straight-edge to avoid getting kicked out. And Chloro felt comfortable enough with still doing this bullshit.
-And... If you please. I would prefer it if you avoided mentioning exactly where you know me from... I hope you may find this reasonable?- I asked, trying to stand my ground about it. The last thing I wanted was to give her something to blackmail me with. But I also didn’t want her accidentally mentioning it around as if it was no big deal.
I still had a bad feeling about this. But there was not a lot I could do about it. Sometimes, you just have to soldier on till the shitstorm has passed.
Chloro paced left to right as she wrote out the texts for Bianca. Her face remaining stoic and expressionless as she stepped, eyes occasionally darting to the lizard. She had a few points, and Chloro would address them in due time, but the first thing she definitely wanted to address was the possibility that she would leak the information about Bianca's criminal identity to the school. Chloro was many things, many terrible things, but a snitch was not one. She placed her free hand on her chest and bowed slightly as she sent the quick message. "Secret is safe with me, you have my word."
Now, for being naive. Chloro admittedly, was naive. But when it came down to the systematic racism and the treatment the faunus as a whole get in the city and in process, the world... she was far from it. It was that racism that got her on the streets, the same racism that killed her home and set it ablaze.
The same racism that silenced her voice.
As she stood up from her bow, her face became a small snarl as she somewhat "calmly" tapped away at her scroll. "To make the baseless assumption that I'm naive about the issues around faunus is cute. It's the reason we both came to the streets to begin with. I'm sure you earned your spear, as I earned my blade and crossbow. Gifts do not come to the faunus, which is why I steal. Some of the faunus on the street aren't so fortunate to be blessed with out skills dear Bianca. So they cannot defend themselves. That is why I roam the lower districts on my time off."
Her fingers continued as she felt she had to project her reasoning to the girl. Sometimes it pissed her off when people accused her of "squandering the opportunity to be in an academy". She was using her training to better the homeless, and Bianca above all should've known that. "You're right, I don't have need for it. But others do, others that aren't as deftly gifted as me. Others that aren't as strong as you. Do you know how I got into Haven? I used the same skills on the streets in that tournament. When your opponents have never slummed it, they don't know how the rats fights. It is with these skills that I learn and adapt which will bring safer times for the homeless in Mistral. You should know that."
"As for your "pointy stick", I noticed you broke it at the festival. If you need it fixing I can try, but I'm learning mechanics and engineering as of recent, so I can't promise anything."
Post by Bianca Sabbato on Nov 27, 2020 10:12:50 GMT -5
-Thank you. Sincerely- I replied, bowing in kind at the mute faunus And meaning every word of it.
Knowing she didn’t plan on using her knowledge to gain an advantage over me managed to put me at ease. Things would have really gone to very nasty places if she decided otherwise. Both for me and for her, so it was a major relief.
I mean, what options would I have?
Either to be her personal slave until she grew bored of it only to avoid her spilling the beans. Or I would have to figure a way to get rid of her... I mean... Get rid as in, trying to get her expelled, not kill her. That’s probably an unnecessary clarification, but one that I feel necessary considering the topic at hand...
I did notice that my small remark seemed to piss her off somehow. As was evident first by the expression of her face, and later by the angry text the chameleon sent my way... And, like. Apparently, I had touched upon a delicate topic or something.
-Alright. Chill, Chloro. I was just making a snappy response. I don’t need a full lecture on it. You said we both know about it, so I get it, girl- I exclaimed, putting my hands defensively in front of me as to placate the thieve’s mood.
-And I’m not gonna judge you. As long as they aren’t violent crimes. The good you can do as a huntress vastly outweighs one scroll or two stolen from time to time. So I’ll pretend I didn’t see a thing- I said, making a charade of putting a blindfold over my eyes as I sent a gentle smirk in her direction.
An eye for an eye, after all. She had kept my secret, so no use in being an asshole to her about a little pickpocketing. I figured out I had overstepped my boundaries with my question (It wouldn’t be the first time)
-Most people fight like imbeciles, Chloro. They just come straight at you swinging a sword without a plan or start doing pirouettes like they are part of a circus troupe. It takes some nasty experiences to know which shit works and which doesn’t- Like the ones both of us had to live through, that was left unsaid, but no more than a quick look to Chloro’s ruined neck was enough to confirm that.
-So you can outsmart them if you show them something outside their shinny manuals. Still, congrats about it-
I was also glad to see she was putting her potential towards some other things, though. Stealing, yes. But not only for her own selfish gain, but to try and help others, in whichever way she could... I didn’t know, nor expected that from her, it was a welcomed surprise.
-And no. I didn’t know that. I don’t think we got to know each other that well. Or at least well enough for me to know you still held those values... That’s really nice from you, gotta admit, you are probably way better than me in that regard... Would like to hear more about that, some other time-
At least, she seemed to have things pretty figured out. Whilst I was still unsure of my own role to play. Still insecure about if I was doing this to really help other people, or only to help myself... But... That was probably something better left for another day. I kinda had more pressing matters right now.
So I would keep procrastinating on it. Like I had ever done since joining Haven. Pushing that issue aside until it’s out of my sight and my reach...
Welp. Onto weapon talk.
-I’ll try to see if I can get it fixed somewhere else then. I appreciate the thought. So once you are better at it, I’ll let you give it a go if I haven’t managed to get it done- Some pieces had been lost in the commotion, as it was with everything in life. So I wasn’t sure if the weapon could be fixed at all, even by expert hands.
Chloro stopped moving when thanks was given from Bianca, knowing they had a mutual understanding of the situation both were in. Both from the streets, both with a history of bad actions, both not wanting to throw the other under the bus. The criminal life was infectious, as it came with some incredible highs if done right, but some horrible lows if caught. Surprisingly, both of them didn't get too caught up in anything. Many things could've gone wrong but here they are, becoming "better people", or something stupid like that.
Chloro would never become a good person in the eyes of many, but she only cared for the eyes of few. If they thought well of her, she didn't mind the ridicule of others. The fact Bianca hit the nail on the head about imbeciles caused a silent laugh from the girl, shaking her head as she went back to texting her. "I'm surprised they were so bad in all honesty. To think, people who've been trained to become huntsmen, bested by a lowly thief from the backalleys? It was too good. I do thank you about the chance incase I get better at engineering, my semblance lets me do some weird things so if I learn more about mechanics and stuff, it could do even more."
Although, she sensed something was a bit off with Bianca, and with what she spoke, seemingly with a half heart, something was on her mind. Studying her body language, she could get some grasp on it if combined with the words she spoke. "Bianca, even if you think I'm better in that regard, it doesn't stop the fact I do bad things to do good. You don't do bad things to do good, I'd say you're better off than me, and always will be. Whatever your reasoning to join the academy, it can change on the circumstances. I joined initially to get off the streets, but I know now that I can help my friends who are still there with what I learn and who knows? Maybe they will have a better life at the sacrifice of my own."
Post by Bianca Sabbato on Dec 3, 2020 3:20:14 GMT -5
-So you got your semblance? That’s neat! What does it do? Mine lets me do this funky stuff...- I said, a shade of genuine excitement on my voice. Yeah, semblances were a safe topic. As I was finishing my sentence. I made a fist-sized portion of the ground rise up and hover a couple centimeters away from me.
With a little focus on my part, I shaped the ground into the sharp shape of a dagger and hardened it so it would become as dangerous as the real deal. Without a second doubt, I gently threw it into Chloro’s direction. Not a violent, offensive trow. But kind of a “here, catch” type of throw.
Even then. I had to admit that making weapons was not my strong suit. I was trying to work around a way for it not to be so aura intensive. But the fact that my weak-ass aura reserves were so limited was something that didn’t help one bit. But that’s life. I’d get to solve it eventually... Probably.
Whatever the case. She was free to do with the dagger as she pleased. It would be back to being crumbly dirt as soon as she walked outside of my range anyway.
Realizing that asking another person for their semblance may be seen as reckless by people so used to living in the streets. Where every man is a wolf for the fellow man. I decided to give her a little encouragement, but to make it clear I wasn’t pushing her if she declined.
-Only if I if you want to tell me, of course. We are going to be classmates so we'll eventually find out about it. But if you wanna keep it to yourself for a while, your call. Girl- I said with half a smile on my face. It was only a topic of conversation, after all. So more power to her if she wanted to keep quiet (snicker) about it.
Another message ringed in my scroll, and I lowered my gaze to see what it was about... The contents were... Divisive for me, as a matter of speaking. On one hand, it was a welcomed surprise that Chloro was being so kind about this; but on the other, I was worried about how easy to read I had become.
I had probably lowered my guard since Chloro knew me from before. So there was no need to put a fake persona in front of her. And with everything that had happened lately... I was... Probably not in a very focused mental state.
Raising my gaze towards Chloro for a second. I quickly returned to the scroll, troubled as I was. To think of a proper response to that... I didn’t know how, to be honest. My mind and feelings seemed to be at odds with one another. As I suddenly wasn’t so sure about my place in the world.
-I did some horrible shit to get by, Chloro. Unlike you, I took the easy way and joined a gang. And you should know damn well about the kind of stuff those groups do...-
I admitted. She knew it, and I knew it. No reason to beat around the bush with that one. And never once in those years had I stolen or put myself in danger for anyone that wasn’t myself. So I found it pretty illogical that Chloro said so confidently that I was better than her.
-And now... I’m here. I have no idea why, to be honest... I guess I could say I also joined to have a better life. But I’m not sure if the good I may be able to do will ever outweigh the bad...-
After all. What had I accomplished? Killing grimm in the outskirts? Going to Kerch to kill a lot of people without skipping a beat? Beaten a bunch of kids in Vital when I couldn’t care less about the tournament per se? Was that all the good that was in me? The only thing I was good at doing had to be... That?
-And the few chances I had to do good... I ended up wasting, as I always seem to do- Yes... After all, I couldn’t save Holly from herself. I couldn’t stop her from going berserk and getting herself killed... I didn’t stop Ryan from putting a bullet on his head either. Dumb luck and the idiot forgetting to turn out his aura had saved him. Not me.
Drawing a deep breath. I shook my head before facing the thief again. Letting a little more of my tiredness show up, but trying to stay positive anyway.
-I’m sorry... It’s been a tough few weeks... But that has nothing to do with you. I’ll cut it out- I called out, dismissing the line of thought completely. I didn’t want to freak out Chloro. Coming with stuff this heavy so soon after meeting back with her.
-And you shouldn’t think about it as sacrificing your life. You are important too, you know? So cut yourself some slack. Chloro. You are doing good work there...- I tried to impress on her. Putting my hands on my hips to let her know I wasn’t relenting on that one.
-...Maybe I could join you one day? Not in stealing. But I know of a couple ways to get money. Doing missions from the board and the like. But I’m not as knowledgeable as you when it comes to actually make the reward money go to the people who most need it... So I could do that?-
That sounded like a nice change of pace. To be honest. I couldn’t relax in my training. Now less than ever. But I could cut some corners to make it happen. I didn’t need to practice my instrument so much, and things like theoretical studies and social gatherings could also be trimmed down a little...
It seemed that Bianca was comfortable enough now to disclose some information about exactly where she went years ago. Joined some gang or whatever. To be fair, a lot of the people she helped joined some gang or other, as they could support themselves in whatever way possible. People get desperate after all, but somehow Chloro has always had the patience of a saint, always waiting, always watching. Could call her a Watcher or something, as before she joined the Academy, she knew most of what was going around in the Ground District, as you could count she was everywhere and nowhere at the same time with relative good chances of being right. The homeless get desperate sometimes, and that's okay.
She looked around for something that was locked, before spotting an abandoned shop nearby. Beckoning the tanned girl to follow, she swiftly moved to the do, testing it was locked before placing her hand on the door and focusing for a few seconds, before a loud click came from the handle, and she opened it up with ease, now seemingly moving alot faster having opened the door. Once Bianca was inside, she would close it after her and redo the same thing again, but this time locking the door. She had a Skeleton Key if you will, or was a Skeleton Key anyway. "I can open and lock any sort of door or lock, and it let's me move quicker after doing said thing. Nothing fancy, definitely not as fancy as your rock dagger."
She then gestured to a dusty chair which she patted down and pointed at, gesturing to sit as she climbed onto the counter and began typing in her scroll. Things were bothering Bianca and she shouldn't be so worried about it all. "Theres nothing wrong with taking the easy was out. People get desperate and try for a better life for themselves. Not gunna fault you for joining that gang. I mean, there definitely were better ones at that time but you got yourself out of a shitty situation, and then again did the same when the gang collapsed. You're in Haven. As for those wasted opportunities, you cant save everyone. That's still something I need to remember, and it's good advice. After all, you cant save people if you cant save yourself first. If you're in a bad place, make sure youre out of it before offering help to others. This makes me sound like a hypocrite because I cant save myself anymore unless they have some voice recovering technology that wont make me sound like a robot, but I can dream huh?"
She would send the lengthy text through, before continuing to tap away. "Did you know that I wanted to be a singer or a musician when I was 10? I told my parents the day before our town was raided and everyone was killed, and they said I should keep trying with my singing to get better. I wont forget what they said. 'No matter what someone will say, another person will find your voice beautiful.' Theres never a day I dont think about the deceased, those I couldnt save back then and those I still cant save now. I cant bring back the thugs i had to kill to survive, and I cant bring back those I loved the most. Not everyone can be saved, and it's something I've accepted way too early in my life. I think it's time you learn what you can and cant save, before you cant save yourself. Doors always open if you need help of any kind, I dont turn people away, and I certainly wont turn a fellow street rat." The second text sent through as she gave a soft smile. There wasnt a time she didnt smile unless in combat, and it always hid something more sinister that was kept hidden from others. This was a first for her as well.
"If you're going out on missions to get the money, then I want to come with. Of course you can help me though, It gets lonely sometimes."
Post by Bianca Sabbato on Dec 6, 2020 4:26:32 GMT -5
-Are you kidding? Mine is really straightforward. So one way or the other, there are a lot of semblances in Haven that can do exactly what I do, and better-
No one messed with Carmim’s boops. After all. But even putting that one aside, you had things like Argent’s vectors. Theia’s lightning. And whatever the fuck was Fable’s semblance. So mine was nothing to write home about... This little thing, here, however.
-But yours... I don’t think anyone can do what you can... This would be excellent for scouting and urban environment missions... Hell... Can you cheat with it? Like. Carry a lock with you at all times and unluck it to get a speed boost?- I asked, genuinely excited about the possibilities. As with most things, I trusted the ingenuity of a street rat to be the best teacher to bring out the maximum potential of a semblance.
No wonder you managed to survive on your own. This semblance was sick for a thief. Little Chloro couldn’t have asked for anything best suited to herself.
As I waited for a response, I idly took a look around the shop. It seemed to be an abandoned convenience store. Everything of value had already been looted ages ago. So I wasn’t expecting any treasure. Still, I was merely curious. But nevertheless, I sat down when the mute girl instructed me to do so.
Her topic of conversation was an unexpected one, to say the least.
-What...? No. I don’t need saving. Chloro. Don’t know what made you believe that. Nor what you mean by it... I’m fine- I said, taken aback by the sudden suggestion there being a need to... Save me? What did that even entail? Had I walked into a self-betterment program without realizing? Was I being more caustic than what was necessary? Who knows.
She did bring out a good point though. That of people needing to get out of unhealthy places and situations to improve their lives... And Haven was... Well...Let’s just say. I simply didn’t feel that safe in Haven anymore. More specifically, I didn’t feel like they cared about us as much as they should.
-Well... Even if I am in a bad place. I can handle it. Life is shitty. So what? It’s what it always has been-
Sadly. I cared to digress with her ideas. You don’t need to be fine to help other people. That’s hippy self-love bullshit. Feeling good with yourself won't stop a 7-ton vine from crashing into civilians. It won't stop a shower of napalm from endangering an entire street.
Feeling good with yourself won't stop your friends from dying while you stand there helplessly. Being strong and being prepared was what would stop that.
-Nothing’s gonna happen to me, and even if it does it’s no big deal. It will be my fault alone. But it’s my work to save people. I signed an unspoken pact to put the lives of other people over mine when I joined Haven. And I’m more than fine with that...-
I would have time to think about myself when I was able to save anyone. Until then, some things rightfully took priority over some petty feelings.
-So don’t stress it. I’ll ask for help if I feel I need it. But for now, I don’t have time for that. I know that you are only trying to help. But, to be honest. We are still basically strangers, so it’s a little...- I said, a little more defensively than what was warranted by the proposition.
Anyway. I was more than happy to change the topic. I didn’t know Chloro wanted to be a singer. And the irony wasn’t lost on me. I could have commented that I wanted to be a teacher or something to try and lighten the mood, but that would only be rubbing it on her face.
I could have tried to give her vain hopes of ever having a voice suitable for song and music. But that would be plainly lying to her and trying to play the “nice” card. So instead, I nodded in understanding, no need for empty words when the only reaction to something like that was an obvious one.
Into the topic of missions. I was a little skeptical. I had never taken a mission before beside Kerch since I decided it was better to simply offer myself to clean the outskirts of infestations for free. Since people who need it the most are not going to be able to pay to put a reward on the board.
But I knew damn well I wasn’t going to be looking for easy, nor safe missions. Time was a limited resource, so I needed to pick the ones that would most serve me in improving my skills as a huntress... Experience is the best teacher after all.
Thing is. I wasn’t sure if the girl was cut for that. She seemed awfully thin. And even if she had managed to make a living for herself during these many years. The skillset of a warrior was not the same as that of a thieve. She can be useful in a lot of missions right now, maybe even the best pick of them all... I just wasn’t sure if our lines of work were compatible.
-Are you sure you wanna come into missions with me? I’m only fitted for search and destroy. Quick to finish, no bullshit involved... And that makes them some most dangerous ones... You have just joined Haven. I would like it if you took some time to adapt before you think of doing those ones-
I said, brutally honest. But I kinda had to be. I needed to know that she was ready before blindly taking her on a mission she wasn’t prepared to... I didn’t want to get her killed...
-...To be fair. In theory, freshmen shouldn’t do those, but you know how we are. Everyone is a freshman, so someone has to do them...- Sighing heavily. I crossed my arms and looked at Chloro with a serious expression.
-So I need to ask you. Do you legitimately consider yourself ready for it? We can go into missions together if you are, but I don’t want you to half-ass this and either die or slow me down. Going to be blunt with you-
Mistral itself wasn’t in a situation where we could afford half-assing things. I had learned that lesson to heart with the death of Holly. So I would stop playing nice and getting serious already. Even if it meant hurting some feelings along the way.
Yep, she definitely read into her body language way too much and got the wrong idea. Maybe another time then. In response to her saying she's fine, she just gave a solemn nod before letting the subject change. As for her semblance, she did pull out a small lock from her pocket with a sly smile before tapping away at her scroll, letting a low hum-like chuckle. "I have thought of what I can do, and hopefully I can jam and break more things than just locks later. Maybe even weapons." She looked to the locked front door, wondering to herself what to do with herself. Whilst Bianca had some good points in her "I'll be fine" speech, she thought to herself. It was a usual thing she told some of the homeless, to work on themselves first. Yet, sometimes she felt like a hypocrite when she didn't do it herself. She was constantly risking herself for the betterment of others, it just came second nature.
However, it was mission talk now and Bianca definitely had some high demands, which was completely understandable. Search and destroys seemed to be the most dangerous, as it was high value targets that needed to be gone first, and that's what it was dubbed for... and yes she had to admit, her skill set was not 100% for Search and Destroy, because she simply didn't have the semblance nor the skills to destroy. However...
A smirk formed on the girl as she shifted off the counter and stepped infront of Bianca, looking up at her before down to her scroll and sending through a text. "I'll be frank, and say that no. I'm not 100% ready for those missions, the risky and high fatality rate missions. But time is not our friend, it is very much more of an enemy than the Grimm is. The people that aim to kill her will not hesitate and the Grimm certainly won't either. No one is ever truly ready. No, I might not be the best for the "Destroy" aspect of Search and Destroy's. But I'm most certainly capable of the "Search". I don't half ass things, I do it or I die."
Post by Bianca Sabbato on Dec 12, 2020 7:16:02 GMT -5
I was glad Chloro didn’t push the issue. After what happened with Holly. I wasn’t feeling in the mood for a therapy session. Nor did I have the time to waste in such things.
To be honest. I hadn’t expected the thief girl to be this straightforward with her intentions. In a way, it was admirable that she wanted to help people this much, and even me, who was nothing but a faraway acquaintance to her, and a known criminal.
And I’m not gonna lie. This made me a little wary at first. It is really unusual for someone to offer any assistance without expecting something in return. Hell. Even Haven was like that. They provided food and a roof, but only if you agreed to go on missions and answer the call to a dangerous operation like Kerch had been.
But in the end. I decided to trust the girl for now. It was still plausible that she was just a good person trying to do good... Which was strange, considering her upbringing, but not unheard of nonetheless.
-Great minds think alike, it seems- I joked when she produced the small lock from inside her pockets. Yeah, that was really neat. It meant that even if a situation turned out dangerous, she could still activate her semblance and turn tail in a pinch.
In turn, this meant that there was a greater chance she could flee if something went wrong during a mission. Say we got overwhelmed. She could run away to safety while I distracted them.
Maybe she could go get help or allow me to go all out with my semblance without being afraid of hitting her. Or even just surviving herself was a net positive.
Cupping my chin with one hand. I really began to consider bringing Chloro with me as a real possibility.
The girl could be a valuable asset in missions. She seemed stealthy enough to scout ahead in search of grimm without being detected and nimble enough to avoid some damage or at least get herself out of the way of danger while I tackled the more challenging enemies head-on.
Hell. If she had ranged capabilities. She could be an excellent partner for my mele oriented fighting style. And those kunai of her were looking awfully like throwing knives to me... So yeah. She could easily help me overcome some of my most glaring shortcomings and all of that. After all, you cannot beat every problem by beating it in the head with a stick.
Chloro seemed to think alike. Even admitting she wasn’t the best at the destroying part of the mission. Or at least that was what her little message said.
-Sadly, you are right. Time is now a limited resource. But that doesn’t mean that we need to throw you straight to the fire. I’m sure we can find some of the less dangerous search and destroy missions first. Until we get used to one another’s skillset- I replied, diplomatic in my way of speaking to Chloro, this was serious business after all.
-You’d still need approval from the academy. I think. But as for myself, I accept you tagging along. I’ll take your word for it. You don’t seem like one of those overly confident idiots that get themselves killed on their first mission. So I have a fair degree of trust in you-
I called out, a slight smile crossing my face. I was optimistic about this girl. She knew the streets better than the great majority of people, so she would know which risks were worthy of taking and which weren’t.
Still... There was one last issue to address. And it was the fact that as much as my logical brain didn’t pose any further excuses to deny Chloro. There was a far more important part of me that needed at least a little reassurance.
Cringing a little. I steeled my resolve and decided to ask a favor.
-One last thing... And I don’t want to be a dramatic bitch. But if things look dire, I want you to get the hell away from there no matter what happens to me. Chances are either I can survive, or having you near wouldn’t change the equation too much. Sorry to have to say that-
To be completely honest, besides all of this chitchat and logical arguments, I simply didn’t want anyone to die because of me... Least of all, a prospective huntress, who by herself could probably do much more good to the world than what I could ever be able by simply hunting grimm.
And I knew I was patronizing her. But those words were also the truth. If she wasn’t confident enough in her fighting abilities. Then chances were she wouldn’t make a difference if we had to fight against something I could not kill.
However, that could change. She could get stronger and better at her own niche. But that wouldn’t happen if I sent ourselves on suicidal missions.
Little by little. Step by step. We would grow stronger. Killing ourselves for it simply wasn't worth it.
I looked at Chloro, eager to hear (well, read) her response.