[Erytheia Hellebore]

The noble warrior stood, and the people looked to her.

For she was a beacon - hope given form, yet still only human.
Within that truth there was great promise.
If one could stand against the night, then so too could anyone - everyone.

In her hand the warrior held a Rose. And her aura burned bright.

❝

Few things irritated Erytheia Hellebore these days, but Rin's recent reassignment to Atlas was easily the number one source of her frustration at the moment. It wasn't just the sudden removal of one of her closest friends and confidantes as well as the spanner in the works that represented for her plans, but the increased paranoia that such a move by her mother incurred upon her mental state, which already strained with the effort of keeping up with everything she'd put her mind to. How much information did Alramadi know - and more importantly, how much did she learn from that information? Erytheia had done the utmost best to frame the actions she'd taken as part of the normal plans to enrich the company, but one could never be certain when dealing with the Hellebore matriarch. The past few days had been a quiet but intense exchange of meetings and words with a number of people, said mother included, and trying to paint a comprehensive picture with that information.

Whatever the case, Rin was gone now - her departure abrupt as her arrival. Erytheia had made sure to make time to see her off - a tight hug, to show her gratitude for all Rin had done, a promise to see her again when it all came to fruition, and nothing more. Their time together was up, and with no further extension possible, the Hellebore heiress simply waved her cousin goodbye as the Argus Limited left the station. Rin would continue to spread her influence in the Atlas branch of the company's workings, much as Fern was doing for the Mistral branch. There were precious few others she could trust, and none more than those two - something she needed to remedy, and fast.

So it was that the day after Rin had left, a few months after the Vytal festival that had propelled them to prominence, Erytheia had invited the last remaining girl of what had once been Team HARP to a dinner date. Not in the romantic sense, of course, but she wanted to get to know her former team mate better. Specifically, she wanted to get a handle on how Rose was dealing with Rin's departure, as she knew that the other blonde had been close to Colton before he'd left the school, and losing two people whom you were in a relationship with in such a short period of time had to take a toll on anyone who still had a heart. And much as Rose liked to pretend otherwise, that heart was still present within her.

Dressed in simple wear, casual clothing that hadn't even been present in her wardrobe before Rin had made her way back into her life, Erytheia waited patiently for Rose at the seat of a roadside cafe in the Wind District. Dressed in a light red trench coat with a brown checkered scarf wrapped loosely around her neck and her blonde hair tucked into a ponytail instead of her usual hairstyle, she looked almost like any other young woman out to lunch, with only the fine gloves that she never took off hinting at her true status. Bringing Rose to an expensive restaurant would probably only serve to frustrate her, given the etiquette and rules that came with eating in such places - but at the same time, the Hellebore heiress didn't want to insult her by taking her to some cheap bar in the Ground District. This was a reasonable compromise on both ends.

She took a sip from the cup of chamomile in front of her, and brightened up somewhat when she finally caught sight of Rose, raising a hand up to wave gently at the other blond before motioning for her to come over and take a seat.

AIRTAFAE (SEMBLANCE): [RANK E]

PRAETORIAN ET ROSA: RADIX GLORIA (DURABILITY) [RANK E]
PRAETORIAN ET ROSA: ARBOR IMPERIUM (STRENGTH) [RANK F]
PRAETORIAN ET ROSA: RAMIS MILIA (MARTIAL ARTS) [RANK F]
PRAETORIAN ET ROSA: LAMINAE CHORUS (AGILITY) [RANK E]
PRAETORIAN ET ROSA: VIRGA AUGMEN (SPEED) [RANK E]
IRKALLA ARALI (WEAPON): [RANK F]

@ ● 626 words ● 626 total words

MADE BY MIZO

[Rose Phoenix]

❝I Was Lightning,

Before The Thunder❞

529 w./ 529 w. total

Gone...she was gone. Just like that, in the matter of a few days, Rose's life turned upside down. It was just like Ami when she left her. Colton graduated, robbing her of not only a potential rival and reason to strive for greatness...but also someone that she had developed feelings for. But there was something about Rin that set Rose's heart ablaze that confused and bothered her...fighting alongside her only strengthened that feeling deep down.

And then she vanished. Team HARP fell apart, despite the glory that they achieved. Everything went to shit and it royally...PISSED her the FUCK off!

For some time, Rose distanced herself from others in her class. She shut herself off emotionally and let the anger boil just beneath the surface, ready to explode in an eruption of pure unadulterated fury at whoever dared to poke this particular tiger. But the one who would approach her was not a person that Rose expected...and one who she couldn't ever attack anyway.

Erytheia Hellebore.

Out of all the people Rose knew, Theia was the only one that she showed outright respect for. Not only did they have a stand off in a fight, but she also saw what the heiress could do in the field. Both blondes shared an affinity for lightning and they complimented each other well in terms of combat prowess.

So when the fellow blonde invited her to dinner, Rose hesitantly accepted. But in the Wind District? Rose didn't own anything particularly fancy, so she spent far too much time looking for an outfit that didn't scream vagrant. In the end, Rose settled for a black tank top that showed off her midsection and a pair of denim jeans with only a few nicks and tears in the fabric. She slipped on her pair of worn leather boots and donned her usual red phoenix emblem jacket before heading out the door.

The wind picked up on her walk to the café, billowing her messy hair to and fro. What did the Class Rep want with her anyway? Rose was a mad dog on the brink of snapping. This place wasn't fit for someone like her...she was a brute. A weapon. So what did a pristine heiress want with someone like her?

Rose turned around the corner and glanced about for a few moments before spotting Theia waving casually. She returned the gesture with a quick but brisk wave of her own, jogging toward the table and pulling a chair back across from the other girl. Rose fell into it loudly and lifted her leg up to rest on her knee, gripping her ankle with both hands as she leaned forward.

"Uh yo, so...fancy cafe huh? Can't say I ain't familiar with the shit they dish here, so I'll take yer word for whatever froo froo junk they got."

Rose rocked back and forth in her seat, keeping her jade eyes focused on Theia but clearly expressing with her body that she was agitated. Her eyes widened slightly and her brows twitched up at the mere hint of anyone coming near her.

"So like, 'sup? What'd I do to get a date with the Princess?"

© SETHANIEL OF adox 2.0 + WW.

[Erytheia Hellebore]

The noble warrior stood, and the people looked to her.

For she was a beacon - hope given form, yet still only human.
Within that truth there was great promise.
If one could stand against the night, then so too could anyone - everyone.

In her hand the warrior held a Rose. And her aura burned bright.

❝

She had been thinking for a while now about how she wanted to approach this. Part of her had worried - still worried, in fact, that she would essentially be taking advantage of Rose's feelings in order to bring her into the fold. She didn't know how much Rin had told her, or if her cousin had even spoken of it at all. Knowing how much the younger Hellebore prized Erytheia's vision for the future, she was almost certain to keep it from the other young woman given Rose's personality. It wasn't something that really sat well with her - even if she did legitimately want to befriend the other blonde and ask after her wellbeing, she also couldn't deny that having Rose in her corner would help her own goals for the future. She wasn't sure how much better that made her than a common emotional manipulator, truth be told.

But she ignored that part of her, at least for now. There was time to sort out those feelings at a later date.

Instead, she focused on the here and now, smiling up at the waitress who brought over their teapot and a platter of shortcakes in varying flavors and assorted toppings. The Hellebore heiress poured Rose a cup of the Earl Grey before moving to fill her own, dropping in a cube of sugar and stirred it for a moment, letting it dissolve in the swirling liquid as she offered a small, slight smile to Rose, motioning for her to help herself as she wished.

"I wanted to speak with you. Regarding recent events."

Erytheia took her cup and saucer, held it in her lap, letting the smile fade into a more melancholy expression. In the end, she had settled on honesty as her best bet - Rose seemed to value being straightforward and to the point, so she would respond in that way and try not to think too much about how such a course of action could go wrong with the other's legendary temper and her already frayed nerves from Rin's departure. Looking up again, she tilted her head slightly to the side, watching the other blonde with a degree of concern.

"Things... have been hard on all of us lately. And it has affected you more than most, so... well, I was worried about you."

She offered up another smile, this one with more than a tinge of sadness to it.

"I know what it is like to lose someone close to you. And... I wish someone had been there for me when it happened. I might be over stepping my boundaries, but... Mm. I wanted to help, in any way I could. I do hope I am not being... too much of a bother?"

AIRTAFAE (SEMBLANCE): [RANK D]

PRAETORIAN ET ROSA: RADIX GLORIA (DURABILITY) [RANK E]
PRAETORIAN ET ROSA: ARBOR IMPERIUM (STRENGTH) [RANK F]
PRAETORIAN ET ROSA: RAMIS MILIA (MARTIAL ARTS) [RANK F]
PRAETORIAN ET ROSA: LAMINAE CHORUS (AGILITY) [RANK D]
PRAETORIAN ET ROSA: VIRGA AUGMEN (SPEED) [RANK E]
IRKALLA ARALI (WEAPON): [RANK F]

@ ● 459 words ● 1083 total words

MADE BY MIZO

[Rose Phoenix]

❝I Was Lightning,

Before The Thunder❞

586 w./ 1,15 w. total

She sat quietly in her chair and watched. Waited. Theia was calm and collected, a stark contrast to Rose who was a tumultuous cacophony of rage and anger. So much so that even sitting was causing her to tremble. Yet she managed to control her berserker fury and listened to Theia speak.

The girl blinked down at the teapot which was elegantly lifted and poured into a small cup on a saucer. Steam wafted up to tickle at her nose as she leaned over it, looking clueless while sniffing.

"Damn this is a small ass cup. Like how the hell is this 'sposed ta quench her thirst? The fuck man..."

Rose tentatively wrapped her forefinger through the handle and raised it to her lips, easing the hot liquid carefully. The bitterness immediately hit her and she wanted to spit it out! Though, Theia stuck her neck out to see her...so Rose gulped it awkwardly. Her hand shot out to the sugar cubes and snatched up a small handful, plopping them all in to dissolve.

"G-good...shit. Blech."

The sad look on Theia's face went unnoticed to Rose, who was far too busy poking at the shortcake. It gave some slightly resistance but also felt spongy. So she picked up a small one with a cute little strawberry on top and shoved it in her mouth unceremoniously. The sweet decadence exploded in her mouth and immediately washed away the nasty taste of the tea!

"Hlly fck!" She mumbled with her mouth full, spewing bits of crumbs onto the table.

She downed the cup of sugary tea in a loud gulp to ease the cake down her throat and a resounding sigh of pleasure exhaled from deep within her breast. Though, when she glanced at Theia, she now recognized the expression given. What was that look? It was starting to really weird her out and-

"Affected...me? Ya mean like-"

Rose shakily set the cup down and brought both legs up on the chair, feet pressing against each and hands on her thighs. She was looking down at the ground with an exaggerated frown splayed across her face.

"Oh. So that's what this is about. Ya mean...Rin."

Gone. Rin was gone. Thoughts of a team went up in smoke. Going out dancing at the prom? POOF! That sweet smile, those beautiful purple eyes...no more. She didn't fight it. She could have, but didn't. Just...left.

"Like all the rest." Rose murmured.

Her eyes widened suddenly when she realized that last line was spoken outwardly. Shit...keep it together, girl. You survived Erik, let Ami walk, saw Colt book it...you can live through this.

"I uh...yeah, no. Yer not botherin' me, Theia. Shit happens and she wasn't fittin' in here. I could see it, ya know? Rin looked fuckin' miserable...but-"

Fable. The fox appeared suddenly in her mind, as if conjured up. Rin always made her feel strange and somewhat unsure, but Fable brought up a smile. Even now in this awkward situation...Rosalia was grinning stupidly.

"Look, what's done is done. No point in cryin' over spilt milk, 'specially when dairy tears up my insides somethin' fierce. 'Sides, I bet ya got shit on yer own plate yeah? Why're ya wastin' yer time on lil' ole me?"

Rose leaned forward and grabbed another cake, not once glancing at any silverware or caring what anyone around her thought as she crammed a whipped topping dessert into her maw. Bright, slightly glistening green eyes studied the Hellebore heiress with deep curiosity as she munched rudely.

© SETHANIEL OF adox 2.0 + WW.