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.
That fucking train. It went to shit so very quickly, and she suffered for it. Her arms had been subjected to a jet of boiling steam and a few days later... it wasn't looking good for her. Her forearms had to remain bandaged and "restricted" as much as possible without making her incapable of doing her usual tasks. However, everything hurt. Using anything with her arms sent flares of agony across her body and it made tinkering, crafting and workshopping that ever more harder. She was annoyed at herself for not realising a safe with such contents wouldn't have failsafes and security measures, but she was more pissed off that she didn't even manage to open it.
Not only that, she had to try and hide her injuries as much as she could around her friends and classmates. After all, she is now a terrorist, or at least the closest thing to being a terrorist without the terrorist part. It was always a struggle with each passing day, and sooner or later, someone was going to ask questions. Running her arms under cold water for the nth time today, she had been looking over new blueprints for possible bionic arms to tinker and test and see what happens. Odd notes and improvements were made on various scribblings all over the blueprints and scrap pieces of paper.
Whilst she was washing off her burns and rebandaging, the door would echo with a knock, causing her to flinch and freeze up. She wasn't ready, she needed to finish up, and whoever was knocking would probably not wait.
Post by Bianca Sabbato on Jun 26, 2021 14:08:28 GMT -5
I woke up feeling pretty restless. It was a weekend, so I couldn’t distract myself by going to the classes and partaking in the usual academic life. Neither would I be taking any mission until a couple days later, when I had already arranged to be in one. So I was just playing the waiting game for the moment.
I had picked up the old trusty violin lately. But you could only practice for so many hours before your focus started slowly drifting away as your brain turned into paste. So with that out of the way, I was also out of ideas.
Sighing. I sat on my bed and considered if I really wanted to subject myself to *gasp* being alone with my own mind for a little while. I soon discarded that idea without much hesitation. Had been feeling relatively well lately, so best to let sleeping dogs lie.
After this whole train ordeal and dealing with Ruqa. And all the stress that came from both things. I was wishing for nothing more than to relax and unwind. But just laying on my bed doing nothing all day seemed kinda wasteful.
I considered going to study or train for a while. But there had been quite a while since the last time I had a day to enjoy and just have fun... So I decided to check who was available to keep me company.
Kishka was busy with administrative shit after the mission. Opal was doctoring or butchering in some faraway place, and some other people were busy... Things with Berwyn were... Pretty cold as of then.
But just as I was about to give up, Chloro came to mind. And damn, it had been a while since I spent some time with her. So with a clear objective in mind, I got dressed on something comfy and made my way towards my friend’s secret hideout that wasn’t as secret as she believed.
On my way there, I made sure to pass by a nearby store to pick up some things. It wouldn’t do to arrive to bother her empty-handed. I needed a bribe first...
After a while, I arrived at Chloro’s workshop. Where she kept most of her stuff and crazy projects. A part of me was actually curious about what she had gotten herself into lately. I guessed I would soon figure it out.
Knocking at the door, I waited for a while. But it seemed like little Chloro was not answering yet. Which was weird. Arching an eyebrow, I knocked again, louder this time.
Still, nothing. Frowning, I proceeded to take out the big guns and began knocking in the most overt, obnoxious way I could muster. I figured out if Chloro wasn’t home, it wouldn’t do any harm. And if she was, then she for sure would come open the door for me.
After a while, my predictions came true, and the chameleon girl appeared as the door opened for me. Hands clasped behind my back, I stood straight as I addressed Chloro with a neutral expression.
-Hello, Chloro. I was looking for you. There is a question I need to ask you...- I called out, waiting for a second so she could start wondering what the fuck I was talking about. Before revealing the six-pack beer that I was holding behind my back and beaming at her.
-Are you thirsty?- Presenting the offering of peace, I tilted my head to the side. As if asking for permission to come in.
-It’s been some time since we hang out. So I decided to come and surprise you before I forgot what your face looked like. Hope you don’t mind?- I was expecting we would hang out if she wasn’t busy. Or bottom line, that I would hover around, drinking and catching up as she worked in whatever had her occupied that day.
But sooner rather than later, and whether she had let me come in or not. I noticed the heavy bandages that covered both of her arms. And my mood darkened a little. To fully cover both of her arms? It must have been something quite serious then...
-Hey... You okay? Don’t think those are a new fashion statement. Did you get hurt?- I asked, nodding towards her arms... I hoped it was nothing, but if she was hurt, I would be right on her ass about taking proper care of an injury.
And if that was not a product of an accident, but an injury caused by someone else... Things wouldn’t be pretty for whoever did it. That was for sure.
Once she answered the door, her arms now wrapped in freshly cleaned rags, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw it was only Bianca. It was good to see a friends face, especially when she was posing as said friend and not the terrorist biker. The rather upright nature of Bianca did give cause for concern, but when she pulled the drinks from behind her back, she gave a slight smile and opened the door more for her. Inside, it was a colossal mess. A medkit was situated on the workbench, open and its contents half spilled out. Her beautiful bike was in the middle of maintence, with it's engine suspended on a different spot. In one corner, was a variety of different sized poles with strange devices on top, and a small stash of Dust crystals. Chloro herself? Well, she was looking slightly different. She tried to do something with her hair, but it just wasn't going well, and was a relatively large mess. More akin to that girl from that one horror film she watched.
Letting Bianca in, she closed the door behind her and led her through the workshop to some sofas she had illegally acquired, with the help of Nastya. Plan was to get her a new bed for this place, so some bits and pieces of her belongings were laying around right now. Bianca drew attention to her arms, which made Chloro flinch a little on the inside, but kept her facade up. She pulled up her new tablet she used for many things now and began typing away, getting a message up for Bianca. "I just burnt myself badly whilst doing some routine maintence on the bike, split oil all down my arms."
Hopefully the lie was good enough, and Chloro would try and change the topic as quick as possible. Taking a drink and cracking it open, she took a swig before typing up another message. "I heard about the train mission, how'd it go? Mess up any bad guys?"
Post by Bianca Sabbato on Jul 14, 2021 11:44:04 GMT -5
As I entered the building, I gave a small cheer as I uncapped one bottle with my finger. Taking a small sip as I admired what I chose to believe was organized chaos all around me. I was greeted by a collection of machines in many shapes and forms, some familiar, some entirely new. It looked like Chloro had been busy... And in more than one way.
I knew Chloro stole. I was not stupid. But I let it slide. Should I have? I honestly don’t really care. I wanted to believe I knew Chloro well enough, and she was not a violent criminal. Sure, she stole a couple things here and there. But I highly doubted she ever tried to hurt people on purpose.
That was just not who she was. She was Chloro, my ratty friend who liked helping people down on their luck. Hell, I remember that she got pretty hurt distracting a Manticore during the whole mess with repairing the outer wall, so it was well worth it to let her have her fun.
I knew I was playing favorites, but I decided to follow my gut on this one. So I didn’t mention the overabundance of sofas, of all things. Chloro probably had them to house homeless people or something.
I couldn’t help but flinch when she mentioned oil burns on her hands. Talk about a painful injury.
-Ouch... That sounds painful. If you need that checked out, you could probably call Opal. Remember him? Blue-haired guy. He kinda looks like a girl. I think you met him before-
I said, half wanting to help Chloro. But also seeking to measure up her reaction. I still hadn’t given up on my quest to pair Opal with someone, so it was two birds with one stone if Chloro was interested in him... Speaking of interest.
-By the by. I can dig the new hair- I commented, openly admiring whatever the heck Chloro had done with her head. It was messy, kinda amateurish, but it still worked to a degree. So I wasn’t sure if that was by design or by accident.
-Looks very grunge- I settled for that. It was kind of an apt description with it being two colors and the like. -But a little rough around the edges- My attention momentarily slipped back to the bandaged hands, and I could feel something click in my head at the realization.
-Well, considering your accident with the oil and that. I guess that’s to be expected...- I commented, cupping my chin as an idea started brewing in my mind.
-I could help you a little with it if you don’t like it as it is. I’m good with my hands, and I know a thing or two about combative hair. You know?- I said with an amused smile. Grasping a couple of my locks in between my fingers and giving them a little twirl.
They were long as fuck, and a pain in the ass to maintain. But I liked my hair like that. So I was no stranger to getting out of hairy situations. In any case, I just left the idea in the air for her to pick up if she wanted. If not... Well, it still looked kinda good on her, so it was whatever.
Leaning against an almost empty table. I toyed with a pair of screws in my hand that I probably should have avoided touching as I listened to Chloro ask about how the train mission went. And if we caught any bad guys in the process.
-Meh. Not many, unless you count Grimm as bad guys. We caught one mouse girl and a fat glue man at least...-
And if his name was actually Carmim Clover or not, we still didn’t know. But I figured out sooner or later the brains at the police department would manage to get some decent info out of him. Humming to myself, I rememorated the rest of the story.
-But we couldn’t get them all. There was an asshole who was too strong for us to take down safely... And also a girl called Nastya and another Cassandra Wraith. Fucking bitches got a turret trailed on me, but I pulled trough-
I said with a bit of uncharacteristic harshness in my voice. But you tend to have that reaction when you talk about terrorists. Especially ones that directly oppose you and try to kill a lot of people just for... What? Human supremacy? Shits and giggles? Or whatever bullshit reason they told themselves at night so they’d be able to sleep more soundly.
-Didn’t know if they were dangerous or not when I found them. So I went for the arrest... Didn’t go all too well since they escaped... Should have just broken their legs and called it a day. You know? But I didn’t want to do that in case they were civilians-
Yeah... You kinda... Not go directly for the kill in each and every situation. Especially when information was as scarce as with that train mission. If I had done so, then I might as well have killed everyone on the train for that same argument. Needless to say, I preferred this alternative.
-But don’t worry, we’ll get them all next time. People like that often aren’t the best at staying out of trouble. They’ll probably try to burn an orphanage or bomb an animal refuge or something and get caught like that-
I said with a shrug, taking another, longer swig at my drink before setting the screws back in the table. -Either that or by tax evasion, amirite?- I joked aloud, laughing a bit as I shook my head at the idea. And the unfortunate tendency of criminals to get arrested for the most menial of bullshit.
I would have been content to remain on that topic, but there was something I absolutely needed to address first. Leaning forward towards Chloro, I looked at her with interest as my eyes slowly drifted back to her new hair.
-By the way, I was meaning to ask... Any reason for the change of look? Just feeling like trying something new...? Or maybe there is someone you are trying to impress? Anyone interesting you met?- With a teasing smile, I waited for Chloro’s response. It was clear that I was fucking with her, but if she really had something interesting in her life. She could be damn sure I wanted to hear all about it.
Bianca stated the obvious admittedly. The burns did hurt like a bitch, and they were still throbbing and sore after so long after the incident that caused it. She beat herself up much more over the incident however, as she failed to break open the safe in the first place, but Bianca wasn't ever gunna find out. What would she do if she learnt her best friend of many many years was Cassandra Wraith, the terrorist that eluded the huntress? As for the call to Opal, he probably could get it sorted... plus it had been many moons since she last talked to the guy, maybe she should. She gave a nod at the mention of Opal though, nodding in acknowledgement and knowing. As for her hair...
She gave a concerned look as she eyed the strands of her hair that fell on her face, before shaking it to the side. She didn't like this style, and her old style was becoming recognisable. She penned a message onto her scroll and held it up to her, with it reading "I'm trying to do something with it, but struggling. Wanted to dye parts blonde, I'd love the help." She gave a light smile and a silent chuckle. Then, the conversation was directed to the all-to-familiar mission that Bianca undertook... and the harshness that came from her did cause a partial flinch before she shrugged it off internally. She listened to the story more, and did feel bad for the turret incident. She took a moment whilst Bianca told her story, and penned another message, which would probably peak some intrigue.
"I've heard of this Cassandra, a bit of talk in the ground district about her. Something about being a martyr to the poor and impoverished. Been targetting high societal members apparently. These are just whispers, rumours and ramblings, doubt there's any link between em." She gave a light shrug before Bianca asked if she had met someone interesting. Truth be told? She wasn't sure just yet, but the question enough did make her blush slightly. Nastya definitely had flimsy loyalty to Chloro, despite the save she provided. She was, however, incredible. Smart, intelligent, confident, she could learn from her a bit as well. After a few moments, she gave a small nod. "Yeah, yeah I have. Not sure what to do just yet. Had some ideas."
Whilst they had been talking, Chloro was tinkering with something. A glove-like contraption which had small wires and impliments coming from the fingers and down the back of them. Once finished, she would slip it on and give it a try, as a small but staticy keyboard would appear like a hologram. Flexing her fingers, she would start typing on the hologram keyboard and would swipe right once done, as a message would rotate to Bianca. "Speaking of ideas, I made this."
Post by Bianca Sabbato on Jul 24, 2021 17:43:06 GMT -5
A small part of me felt relieved that Chloro’s current hairstyle was not achieved on purpose. I had nothing against her if she decided to get weird with her hair. Live and let live, and all that crap. But just a couple blonde strands were much more my alley.
-You deserve it for trying to dye your hair alone- I told her in that strict teacher tone before laughing it off with a smile. -Will help you out with that later. I have the day free, so no biggie-
Then, it came the matter of Kassandra Wraith... And I was a little surprised that someone would give any credit to what Chloro told me, especially after what happened. Still, it made sense to a certain degree. Even criminals want to be well-liked enough so people will leave them alone to carry on with their plans.
-Of course, that’s the case... You gotta live somewhere, you know? Nothing wise can ever come out from causing trouble in your own neighborhood. Even we knew that- I told Chloro, unimpressed by the rumors that had been going around.
You take care of your area and don’t want too much crime in there. You want people to trust you so they won’t go calling the cops on you at the first opportunity. You want people to join you as soon as they run out of options...
Still, it felt bizarrely counterintuitive. Knowing that miss Wraith would present herself as a champion for the less fortunate.
-A martyr for the poor... Huh?- I said contemplatively. Taking the rim of the beer to my lips. I drank slowly from it as I made the idea dance a little around my head. After a couple minutes, I was ready to respond.
-That train was rigged to go out of control and crash full speed into the city of Mistral. According to some media reports, inside of it, there were 126 passengers. Men, woman, and children- I said with a neutral tone. Not especially mad, but informative and cold. I was just stating the facts. As they ought to be enough.
-Were they all high society members shitting on the poor? They didn’t look like that to me. They looked like innocent people terrified for their lives- Shrugging, I finished the first beer and set the empty bottle aside. As for why people were saying she was good? I had a response to that as well.
-People will try to defend anything when they are desperate, vulnerable. They will do any length of mental gymnastics to justify the fucked up people they chose to side with. Believe me, I know what that’s like-
Frowning at myself for letting that out. I gently shook my head as an apology.
But it was true. Feelings cloud your mind, and soon anyone offering a piece of bread and promising a better life can be seen as the next messiah.
This was extremely dangerous. The good a person does shouldn’t make it so you can’t see the frost for the trees. Maybe this woman was doing some good things, but in my opinion, she sent it all to hell when she decided to side with terrorists like the OAN.
-Didn’t want to go there... I’m trying to say that I understand why some people may think that way. Especially if she has been doing good around Ground District... But they need to look at the bigger picture. I cannot imagine how many gifts for the poor it would take to cover up the cost of a life. Even less for more than a hundred-
It literally escaped my imagination. I couldn’t fathom it, not after knowing how it was trying to make amends for your own mistakes. I did some bad things. I killed people. But I never attempted something like that. And the fact that people seemed quick to forgive it just because Cassandra apparently gave them a hand every now and then was sickening.
-Of course. I would be biased against Kassandra. But I think it’s fair to be so in this case. Jet Noir, Miette Legrand, Kassandra Wraith, Nastya Pozhar... All absolute trash if you ask me-
And that was precious coming from me. But I wouldn’t lie to myself and pretend I was ever that bad. As fucked up as we were... No, this was on another level.
But to be honest. I didn’t want to linger in such memories any longer, so the change of topic was a welcomed one. And soon enough, I was smiling again as my suspicions of Chloro having some cutey between her sights were confirmed.
My little Chloro was growing up so fast. I was so proud of her. Soon she would be breaking hearts left and right. It was almost enough to bring a tear to my eye... But before that, I needed some more juicy information about the lucky chosen one.
-Ohhh. Now that’s interesting... It is a guy, a girl? I need to know if I raised you well or not-
I figured out Chloro knew me well enough to realize I was just messing with her. And if she didn’t want to say anything about them... Well, I didn’t see why she wouldn’t. But if that was the case, I would have to wait till she introduced me to them.
Af for advice on what to do. I could say one thing. And one thing alone.
-Go for the neck- I told her, hitting my open palm with the flat of my other hand. Then it occurred to me that she may be looking for some legit advice, so I decided to take it a little bit more seriously.
-Real talk... Tell me a bit about those ideas. And about your mysterious, prospective paramour- Getting a little closer, I uncapped another bottle and started giving my full attention to the chameleon girl -I won’t lie and pretend I’m not interested-
But as we were discussing that, Chloro seemed to be done with her tinkering. And had a pretty cool glove to show for it.
-Looks neat. Is that hard-light?- I asked in genuine wonder. Reaching to try and press a key in the holographic keyboard if Chloro let me. It was easy to underestimate how good the girl had become with electronics and the like. But she was clearly on a professional level already, from what I could gather.
-I can see how this would be useful. Maybe you could even wire this to a text to speak device? Is that your plan?-
Chloro scowled for a brief moment before joining Bianca's laugh with her own silent chuckle. Dying her hair was honestly a skill that was beyond her grasp of understanding, but it was something she wanted done. Bianca should do the trick for what she wanted. The talk about this Kassandra Wraith was turning sour quick though. She kept her thoughts buried deep down of course, due to the... affiliation that Chloro had to both Nastya and Kassandra, but she can see Bianca's point. They were terrorists in the eyes of the many. Whether it had inflicted fear or not remained to be seen, and those citizens in the train most certainly felt fear.
Hovering her gloved hand over the static keyboard, she would type out a message before rotating it to Bianca to be read. "As you said though, desperation can lead to poor choices. Panic was definitely set on that train though, in my eyes anyway. Good that it didn't crash and blow up." But, it was bad to reflect on darker times. Yes, it's good to keep them in mind when progressing through life, but dwelling will lead to awful thoughts. So, of course Bianca would change to Chloro's love interest. She sighed and grumbled for a moment, before letting the holographic message clear before typing up and rotating another. "She's very smart, pale, blonde and is very witty and sarcastic. Essentially, if I could talk, it'd be me." A small blush and smirk would form whilst Bianca read the message, brushing some strands of hair behind her ears.
As for her tech, she gave a small nod. It was hard-light dust she managed to get a hold of from some contacts she knew around the streets. As for her plans, they were much grander and more incredible than this. Taking a second bottle after finishing the first, she would direct her attention to the open space near them, as she pulled on another glove with even more tech and wiring coming from. With multiple gestures, she would essentially open up a 3D blueprint schematic of a necklace / choker like device. Small, almost inelidgable notes point to different aspects, but keywords could be made out.
Vocal Cord Movements. Medical Science. Flesh and Metal combined. Cybernetic-esq.
She would turn back to Bianca with a sort of wide, semi mad scientist grin on her face as her hand fiddled with the hologram keyboard again. "I'm going to create this device and regain my voice with it. I'm going to try and learn some medical sciences and figure out how to hook up vocal cords, or damaged ones anyway, and use this device to detect vibrations and produce a voice with it. After so much time, work and effort, I'll gain that which I lost so long ago."
Post by Bianca Sabbato on Aug 22, 2021 4:37:13 GMT -5
As I read Chloro’s initial message about the whole train situation, I couldn’t help but get an ugly feeling deep inside my guts. There was something in the way the sentence was structured... Something that rubbed me the wrong way.
Desperation? Like... Of course, the people were desperate. They were going to die... Or did she meant something else? The huntsman? The terrorist? I could see it as well, but I didn’t know what it had to do with anything.
I simply didn’t get why she felt the need to bring that up. One couldn’t really mince words when you had to fucking type them into a machine...
Maybe I was just picking a fight over a problem that didn’t exist... As much as I don’t want to admit it, it’s really not the same without a voice behind the words, without the inflections and small cues. But bringing that up would make me a ninth-degree asshole towards Chloro, so I just let it rest for the time being. Better to focus on more positive things.
Like Chloro’s new pursuit, and I’m not talking about science here.
-Is that girl just as humble as well?- I asked with a raised eyebrow. Now that Chloro had fallen in my trap and opened the information floodgates, I could tease her to my heart’s content about it. It was only my holy duty, after all.
-Ohohoho... You really like her, don’t you?- I told Chloro with a grin, poking her in the shoulder in the most annoying way possible before subsiding a bit. Leaning back, I considered her words. I didn’t know this chick, but if Chloro had fallen this deep for her, then she was probably a good girl.
-Well... If she’s really so much like you, maybe she has feelings for you as well?- I ventured to guess. I had pretty much no basis for saying that, but a little encouragement is always welcomed.
-Maybe you should just tell her. Worst case scenario, you already have it out there. So there won’t be any misunderstandings if she starts feeling the same way...- With a soft smile, I took another sip from my beer.
First impressions are important, but they are not all that matters. You can just confess boringly and dazzle them later.
I mean... Mostly, I was talking out of my ass since my romantic experience could be boiled down to maybe one or two chicks. (One night deals and purely sexual encounters were a different classification) But I felt like It could work out that way... Maybe? Beats me, but I knew nothing would ever come out of it if Chloro never gave the first step.
-Also, a girl needs a name, you know? Would like to have some way to refer to her more than “mysterious Chloro paramour”- Rolling my eyes, I urged her to spill the beans.
-This girl is not someone I know, right?- Wondering aloud, I suddenly gave a step back as I stared at Chloro with a surprised expression on my face. -You are not talking about me, right?- I dramatically asked, covering my mouth with a hand in feigned bewilderment.
-Wait... I’m not smart. So it can’t be me- I called, blatantly ignoring the rest of her physical description that didn’t match in the least with me. Hoping to ease Chloro into the conversation a bit more.
Hell, I knew Chloro deserved someone to make her happy after all the shit she has been through and all the help she had provided. So I really enjoyed that she had her sights set upon someone.
Back to her voice device...I definitely didn’t know enough about science stuff to tell if everything was sound or not. But I trusted Chloro not to be bullshitting me with something so important to her as that. So I limited myself to stare at the pretty 3D model and nod in agreement.
-Yeah, It’s probably a good idea to learn medical science before you start operating in your own neck- I called out with a chuckle. The way she said things made it feel like a foregone conclusion, even though it was clear that the road ahead would be a long and harsh one.
Still, I believed in her. Nothing motivates people more than sheer necessity. And I knew Chloro really wanted her damn speech back, so she would probably move heaven and earth to earn it.
Leaning back on the table, I took a deep breath, content. I simply stared ahead, imagining how a talking Chloro would be like. Chloro was already mute when I meet her, so it was hard imagining even what her voice would sound like.
-What’s the first thing you’ll do? When you regain your voice, I mean...- I asked aloud, without really thinking.
And honestly, what the fuck was that question? The concept sounded funny even in my head. But I still gave it some proper thought... And now I was really wondering about it... What kind of voice would she have, if she would be able to do different voices, or if she’d be able to sing with it...
-What would you like to say... Besides “Shit! I can talk!” of course-
I knew it was a tacky question. But fuck it, I didn’t lose anything by asking.
Her eyes lit up slightly when Bianca would ask more about this mystery girl that she had set her eyes on. The girl was certainly more out there and loud than she was, and most certainly confident about her own abilities. Yet, as time went on between the two, Nastya was warming up and realising just how much of a genius and prodigy-like girl Chloro was. Her abilities to manipulate components and parts and electricity into interesting machinations was undeniable. Chloro would've moved to a strange attachment of kinds as they talked, fiddling with a screwdriver and connecting it to her keyboard gauntlet of sorts, stopping to type with it and spinning it around for Bianca. "No, she can be very cocky, but is reserved and nervous around new people. If you ever met her, she might not talk much and can stutter alot."
As for her name and knowing her? Well, 100% knew her but they had already talked about the name she was going to use at the expedition, being Haree. For now, it'll do as a more permanent alias for the means of keeping the hunters and huntresses in check and not after them. "I don't think you know her, but you might spot her on the expedition. Her name is Haree and she's one of the intern scientists coming with us. So, I'll be keeping near the scientists and keeping watch, helping with repairs and works, you know, my thing." One thing that Bianca said made her go red slightly was the potential if she liked her back. It was a doubt in her mind, but anything could happen. Hell, Chloro didn't think she'd like anyone after the incident about 9 years ago, yet here we are.
Whilst the 3D schematic of the voice modulator hung above them, the questions Bianca rose were valid ones, and Chloro still wasn't sure what she was going to do. She'll never get her own voice back, not 100% accurate at least, but she can try and blend vocal patterns, dialects that she remembered as well as blending together voices she already knew to try and create something new and unique to herself. The device in question also helped her with impersonations too, as she was aiming to design it with deception possibilities in mind. As for the first thing she was going to do?
Her face reddened once more as she reluctantly typed out the embarrassing message. "I don't remember if I ever told you, but I wanted to be a singer when I was younger, so I'm gunna sing my heart out first. Then who knows what I'll do after. I'll make sure you're one of the first to know about it though." She accompanied it with a wink and a light chuckle as she shut down the 3D image and fully installed this part onto her gauntlet and let loose with it, projecting a small Chloro sized Hard-light barrier infront of her. Seemingly happy with it, she would try another thing. Aiming her gauntlet to a scorched wall, and bracing that arm with her hand near her elbow, she would charge up slightly before firing off a small firebolt, soaring into the wall before exploding and dissipating. She gave a knowing nod and a smile back to Bianca before taking this attachment back off. "Hopefully I can have my weapon being just this with different attachments for more variety in uses."
Post by Bianca Sabbato on Sept 3, 2021 16:56:31 GMT -5
Okay. Two things became clear about this mysterious girl already.
First, that she was a scientist. This meant she at least would have many things in common with Chloro! And a shit ton of excuses for them to spend time together.
Second. Chloro REALLY liked this girl... This was the first time that I had seen her act like this. I knew she crushed on a girl back then... Back before everything happened. So from what I could gather, this was probably her first crush in a long time.
And my defeatist ass was already thinking about how hard it would be on Chloro if this girl rejected her. But on the other side, if they managed to hook up, it would be great for my favorite chameleon faunus!
So just in case, I would save a tub of ice cream and a bottle of vodka on the fridge. Either to celebrate or to drown sorrows away whenever Chloro goes for the confession...
-Haree... I will keep an eye open for her. Then- I said, so I could proceed to completely forget about her presence during the coming expedition. -Is that how you meet her? Working on some project together?- I asked back, making a little small-talk out of it.
Back to the voice-recovery topic, I smiled like a doofus when Chloro mentioned wanting to sing. I lowkey was hoping Chloro would say that. It was dumb, and it was tacky, but hearing her sing would be like... I dunno, like something I felt she deserved.
-If that’s the case, then I need to start getting back to the good old violin... Maybe try to write something to celebrate so you can sing along...- I said as the idea came to me. Tapping the rim of my bottle against my lips, I meditated on it for a few moments... Yeah, that would be nice.
It would mean picking back the instrument... But I felt like it was due time I started doing that. I also wanted to play with Carmim one of these days if I had the chance. So it would be two birds with one stone.
-Of course, all of this only after you have serenaded this Haree girl...- Returning the wink, I clinked the bottle against Chloro’s.
I hummed in admiration when she projected what appeared to be a light barrier out of her gauntlet. Even more when she tossed a ball of flames towards a nearby practice wall.
-If you had to make that thing from scratch. Might as well modify it all you want until it’s perfect- Yep, this power glove clearly suited Chloro better than any conventional weapon. Especially considering her skillset, more suited to sneaking around and surprise attacks than direct confrontation.
Quite the opposite to mine as well. I had a stick, a stick was good, and I was good with said stick. And that was about it... Still. Not every spear was the same. If that made sense.
-Damn. I wish I was as tech-savvy as you. Or at least that I knew something about weapon-crafting- I lamented with a small sigh. Leaning back and looking at the ceiling for a moment. Remembering the day Holly died...
The spear was good, strong. It was I who wasn’t strong enough. The one who let doubts cloud my judgment as always. That was why only a few pieces of Nereida remained. Some were lost, some broken, and some melted and turned to ash alongside Holly.
A suiting reminder, I supposed.
-I do feel kinda naked going without my old spear. I’ve tried new ones, but... Dunno, either too heavy or too light, balance’s not right, or my aura doesn’t stick well to them... It ends up feeling like I’m fighting with a toy instead of a weapon-
Hell, most of the things I used nowadays always ended breaking down or discarded by the end of the mission. Since I really believed I could trust more on my fist than in those weapons most of the time.
I could work to a certain degree with other tools... But it was not the same as before. I felt like my fighting style became all skewed without Nereida.
Bizarrely, I had grown attached to that piece of metal. How could I not? It pulled me through the worst possible scenarios. Shit, it was almost a part of myself in my eyes...
-...I guess that’s my own fault for specializing in a single thing for so many years... So cheers to you, keep it as versatile as you can-
Standing straight once again, I gave another small look to Chloro’s multiple projects. All in all, it seemed like the girl had everything figured out for the time being... I was a bit jealous of that, but in a good way, I wanted to believe. I just would have liked to have a plan of action like most people seemed to have around me...
-How’s everything around here lately? I know you like to check out the lower districts every now and then. Is it all cool? Anything they need help with?-
I had a couple free days before the next mission, technically. And it was stillness what most messed up with my mind. So any chance of doing anything at all was appreciated. And it had been a hot minute since I went there to kill Grimm and help people around.
Still. After everything that happened with the Kozaks on Ground district. I didn’t know how welcomed I would be on it... But that was fine. I didn’t really need to be welcomed. I just needed something to do.
Bianca could read Chloro quite well whenever it came down to romance and relationships. Hell, she even helped her try and hook up with people in the past from the school but either she turned them down or they did. She never felt comfortable simply "hooking up" with people, considering Misha was still her first "love" in a sense. She never managed to confess but she still was and it always played on her mind, heart and soul. As for Haree though, she was a massively reckless version in a sense. Haree was chaotic as all hell, and loved a good time doing stupid stuff, Misha just loved a good time doing stupid shit. It made Chloro smile a bit more when Bianca said she would look out for her. Even if she was the terrorist she tried to arrest previously, but that was just nitpicking now. As for how they met, Chloro had a stupid story set up already, and typed it out in short for her. "No actually, she was the one who caught me stealing scrap tech from her lab, and kindly offered her opinion on something I was working on, and recommended something else for it. From the whispers in the Council, the next project was a mining expedition to the lake, and I have been drafting up ideas. She helped me with one idea in the end."
Not entirely false, not entirely true. Just that little sweet spot in the middle. Haree DID help with her ideas, but not for the expedition. The conversation flowed to a more "vocal" topic and hearing Bianca offer to play the violin for it and even offer to write a little piece, it warmed her. If Nastya hadn't come around, maybe she could see herself falling for Bee. She always offered to help her, with no cost in return. Maybe it was repayment for all the times she helped and saved Bianca during their homeless years. Maybe she did this out of duty to Chloro, but it mattered not. It was just nice that someone was looking out for her after so long. She never doubted it before, but confirmation was always appreciated.
As for her tech advancements she had been making, she gave a light thumbs up before Bianca began her talk about her old weapon. It made her frown that she still struggled to find someone to fix the spear. After all, it was an extension of herself, so she smiled wide when she remembered something she had also been working on. Chloro was never not working on a project though so it shouldn't come as a surprise as she signalled to Bianca to hold for a moment as she ran off into one of the back rooms, only to come back with a huge, seven foot spear with a jagged edge on one side of the tip, and a larger rear of the spear than usual. She would hold it out to her, struggling a fair bit as it was pretty heavy for Chloro, she was no weightlifter. With her gauntlet, she projected another schematic of a spear, which would turn into a hoverboard as well with the help of gravity and wind dust combined. The spear form would also have a rocket booster of sorts on the end, to speed up spear throws or thrusts if need by, capable of catching people off guard. "I've been working on this for you, whatcha think?"
As for the Ground District? Besides the typical crimes and other stupid faunus racism nonsense, it was doing well. She had been fortifying some smaller hideouts for a few of the more vulnerable, and making sure some of the kids can keep armed and capable of defending themselves. "I mean, as for the district as a whole, I can do with some help moving materials to one of my less fortified hideouts so I can reinforce it."
Post by Bianca Sabbato on Sept 18, 2021 20:01:31 GMT -5
I stared at Chloro with a dumbfounded expression as she started describing her first time meeting this Haree girl. I don’t know what I was expecting, but being found out and somehow getting a girlfriend out of it somehow felt like a very Chloro thing to do.
-Well. That would be a movie-worthy beginning for a romance story. Gotta give you that... Just try not to get caught very often!- Bending over to laugh, I slapped my knee as I tried to process whatever the hell that story had been.
-I have to admit. It is surprising how cool Haree was with it, though. I can see why you say she is so similar to you. She sounds like a riot-
As we turned towards the topic of weapons. I could only open my mouth in surprise and cautiously step towards Chloro when she pulled out a bigass spear for me. Admiring her craftmanship as I approached with unveiled interest in my eyes.
-For real? Aww shit, thanks, Chloro-
I said, grabbing the weapon with both hands and giving it a good feel as I smiled like a doofus. It was heavy, especially in the butt. And considerably longer than myself. I tentatively tried to bend it, but it didn’t yield. I tried extending my aura around it. But found myself lacking a bit with fully covering the entire length of the blade.
But that was understandable. I wasn’t going to ace it on my first try with something that big. Something with a good amount of small parts inside and outside that I had to keep into consideration. But all in all, it looked like some really high-quality weaponry.
-It looks pretty clean. So I’ll try it out soon enough, see what you are capable of making... I’m interested in using more dust now that I can afford it-
Humming a little to myself, I kept twirling and testing the spear while Chloro explained its functions.
I was interested in the extra kick I could get of the rocket attacks, although I had to admit I wasn’t sure about the hoverboard deal. Mostly because I suspected I was more a danger to myself than anyone when riding something like that.
-A hoverboard? Not sure I’ll know how to use one... Especially considering they are made for biped individuals. And I’m...- I pointed to my tail and gave it a little twirl to emphasize my point. -Middle of the line there, or something. But just the fact that you could mecha-shift something like that into something this small...-
It was impressive and opened the door for many things we could work out in the future. So I was pretty excited to see where it all would take us.
Speaking of which. It seemed like Chloro actually had something for me to help her with. Wich came as a relief because I was already feeling like I needed to do something to repay Chloro for the neat new gift!
-Will do that! I’m just itching to do something- Pumping my fist on the air, I wholeheartedly accepted my fate as the one who moves heavy stuff. Being the lift was a noble goal in and out of itself. If it would help the people down here in the ground district, the better.
-Same if you want to test weapons or the like. You know I’m pretty durable, so if you need a moving target, I don’t mind helping. I need to keep working on my defense, so I also get something out of it-
One Thumb pointing towards the scorched wall where Chloro had tested her fire attack before. I winked in her direction before laughing a bit at the absurdity of myself being so giddy to become a living test subject for Chloro’s machinations.
But I really didn’t mind. I liked being around the mute woman. Dunno. I felt at ease there. Sipping beer, talking about whatever new crazy invention Chloro had in store, it was a good time.
After a few moments of silence, I leaned against a wall, spear still in hand. An easy smile rested on my face.
-… You know... I really like having you. Just to mess around, I really feel like I can let loose and not be tiptoeing around you-
Along Kishka, Chloro was probably my best friend now... And shit. That still felt so weird to say.
-I mean. I have Kishka... But since we kinda work together... How can I explain it? I love her, but I feel like I can’t truly forget about work with her. You know- Not like I thought less of my relationship with Kish. But I knew that my interactions with her had been limited at best until the incident with Holly happened.
Then we started training together often. And Kish was chosen to lead the golden wings and picked me for the team... It made me happy that she did. And we grew a bit closer from that... But there was still this thing at the back of my head. This shadow, peeking from behind the corner when I stopped to think about my friendship with Kishka.
It was likely that we would have never become friends if not for Holly dying... And that was... Yeah, not the most pleasant realization to have. That if I could turn back time and stop Holly from losing control of her semblance, then we would have never become friends, but... Well... Kishka would probably be happier.
-And work is... What it is...- I said with a bittersweet smile. Wishing that I could smile for real when I talked about my job. But knowing that I could not... And I kinda hated myself for that, but at the same time, I found it fitting that I didn’t enjoy being a huntress... Yeah.
Frowning a bit. I kept talking, my gaze set on the floor except for the occasional glance at Chloro’s direction to gauge her reaction. To see if it was okay to keep talking or if I should shut my mouth.
-Still wonder about it. If It’s okay for me to do this... Given a chance, If I wouldn’t have chosen something else... If it really has any value like this- Taking a long, slow drink from my beer, I rested the bottle on the floor. I remained silent for a moment, looking at the empty wall ahead without paying too much attention.
I clutched Chloro’s spear in my hands. Wondering if it was actually right... If I was worthy of everything people gave to me...
-I guess I admire you for that... With your knowledge, with your skills... You could be anything you want, and yet you still want to help people. Putting your life in the line even-
Maybe that’s the reason why I liked seeing Chloro do well and be a little better. Not only her but also Kish, Opal, Carm... All these amazing people who were everything I was not.
-Well... Didn’t that came out of nowhere!- I called out loudly. With a plastic smile falling back onto my face as I made a gesture to laugh everything off. -Ignore my ramblings! I probably hit my head during training or something-
Chloro blushed and scowled at Bianca, before punching her arm as she teased her for being caught whilst stealing. She doesn't reveal herself unless for some ulterior motive, but she let Bianca have her fun, she'll get her back someday. Bianca did give some more praise and compliments to Haree whilst they spoke about her love interest, but after all she would do many things for the mystery girl. She put her neck on the line to save her, so she was expecting her to stick about for just a little while. Bianca was very impressed by the new weapon it seemed, and whilst she might never use the hoverboard function, she wanted to add something that was a possibility if she ever needed to get away from an encounter quick as she wasn't fast at all.
The lizard agreed to give Chloro a helping hand when it came to fortifying a few different hideouts for others, which made her happy, whilst she also offered a counter offer, an able body to help test the functionality of weapons and gadgets she creates. She raised an eyebrow before giving her a confirmation nod and smiling. That would make things progress at a much faster rate which made her glad. It would go quiet for a little while, so she took a bit of time to fiddle with her gauntlet and make some adjustments and additions to the tweaks of the weaponized attachments she had created before Bianca began talking again, and it made Chloro chuckle to herself lightly before bringing up her hard-light keyboard. "Christ woman, buy me dinner first if you're gunna be sappy." She smiled and laughed at the response she made and spun the display for Bianca, but as she listened more and more, the more she began to frown.
When it went silent again after Bianca laughed the situation off, she shook her head and lightly hit her upside the head as she began typing out a lengthy message. "You're also helping people in your own way. Being part of the kingdoms elite huntsmen force means you're tackling the big bad things. I'm just doing more mundane things to help out around the kingdom. Let's not also forget where we've come from. We could've simply continued what we were doing, become big shot criminals and make it even harder for huntsmen to do things without issues rising in the city. I'll be the first to admit, I do things to further my own goals as well as helping out others. The more I tinker and learn, the closer to a voice I get. Figure out exactly what you want, then do what you can to achieve the goal, just make sure to minimise the feet you stand on to get there. Things won't be as easier as they are now Bee, but we never enjoyed an easy life did we?" She gave a light smile as she spun it to be read through.
As she would read, Chloro would continue with another. "Now if you do buy me dinner, I expect it to be a nice meaty meal with steak or burger, otherwise I'll be very upset. I remember you dining out well with that big singer women, I expect the same treatment!" Of course, Chloro wasn't too sure what she was asking here, as she didn't know the specifics of what happened with that popstar.
Post by Bianca Sabbato on Sept 20, 2021 22:40:50 GMT -5
I understood what Chloro said. But there was a clear differentiation between what was selfish and what was selfless in Chloro’s actions. Creating hideouts for people to lean on was entirely selfless. And tinkering with machines to regain her voice was probably selfish.
The problem was that I couldn’t really tell apart what I was doing for myself and what I was doing for others. And I wouldn’t pat myself in the back for not being a crime lord... That was like... Basic human decency.
But she was right about things never being easy... Maybe I needed to do like Chloro and seek other ways to do good besides being a Huntress? Helping Chloro here in the slums could be a way to do it...
Maybe I could help with building a few houses? My semblance couldn’t properly construct things. But there was something to be said about someone who can move a few tonnes of material around with ease.
Or... Perhaps... Would it be responsible if I unlocked a few auras? I didn’t want to teach them how to fight. Not enough time to properly do it, so it would just build their confidence and get them killed... Whatever the case, I could always help in other ways that didn’t involve... Huntress things.
-I get what you say about solving problems, fighting Grimm and that, but... It’s a bit more complicated. Like... Let’s say I stab a bad guy with this spear- Gathering a good chunk of dust particles and pebbles from across the room into a vaguely humanoid shape. I gave the new spear a twirl before thrusting it at the figure.
-...Would you praise the spear and commend her work when it didn’t have any other choice? The spear didn’t decide to do it by herself. And the weapon can’t resist. She’s just going through the motions-
I decided to be a bit pushy with it. Although I wasn’t sure what I wanted to get out of all that. If I wanted to play the pity-party game or have someone stroke my own ego... It was just that Chloro was there, and I trusted her enough to be alright with it.
I guess I just felt like talking about it. In a way. Even if I believed it a bit pathetic on my part. The words were well received. They helped a bit.
Rubbing the back of my head. I looked away for a bit, feeling a little silly -Dunno... Just something that got in my head lately- Nothing new. Just some stupid thoughts which came out of nowhere. I didn’t want to linger on them. It was just that I couldn’t help it sometimes. But putting them into words somewhat eased it.
-...Pretty much, I just wanted to vent... Since it seems like I’m going through a midlife crisis at 20. Soon you’ll be the one helping me dye my hair once the grey hairs start popping up!-
And with that, I turned to read Chloro’s second message. The one about buying her dinner... And that immediately gave me pause! Even making me blush a little as a cheeky smile started creeping up my face. If there was a way to take me out of my funk, it was that.
-To treat you like I treated that singer...?- I asked, dumbfounded for a moment before it was my time to laugh my ass off like a hyena. Bending over and holding my stomach.
-.. Chloro...- I began, cleaning up a tear running down my cheek -I don’t think you really know what you are asking!-
Holding the spear to my shoulder. I leaned forward towards Chloro. As if I was about to tell her the best-guarded state secret in all of Mistral.
-Like... I didn’t JUST have a meal with that woman. You know?- If how I said it wasn’t enough to clue her in, the way I wiggled my eyebrows should surely do the trick. Wich prompted me to laugh again.
-I mean... Sure! If you want! But would find it a bit weird after having you gushing out about that Haree for so long!- Shrugging off, I shook my head as I walked to put the spear against a wall. A small chuckle escaping my lips every now and then.
-Anyway! I guess the steak dinner is fine. I’m hungry- I said, and I meant it. Now that Chloro mentioned food. So I took out my scroll and started dialing a number before realizing how stupid that idea was.
-Oh right... Most takeout doesn’t come here. So... You have a bike we can use to get ourselves something, right?- Glancing aside, I realized I was finishing the last beer of the pack. That wouldn’t do... -Besides, we need to get more booze... What do you want? I bought beer already, so now’s your time to choose what to drink-
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Last Edit: Oct 15, 2021 18:44:26 GMT -5 by Bianca Sabbato
Chloro listened to Bianca's ramblings and concerns about helping the general public with issues and killing Gimmm to keep the kingdom safe and she just let out a small sigh before lightly swatting Bianca's head. She was being stupid firstly, but secondly she was thinking too much about the big picture when that isn't really her specialty or her job. Pulling up the keyboard again, she used both hands this time to get the message out slightly quicker. "You're being stupid. Your main job is an elite huntress. You help the kingdom by keeping the majority of inhabitants safe. In a sense, you are a pawn to be used by the Council, as shitty as that sounds. Where evil crops up, you answer the call. Me? I can't do that in the same capacity as you or Kishka can. I sit back, I man the control room. I get you in. You get the job done. I get you out. Does that make sense?"
She would continue typing, turning herself so she can read as it happened. "If this was a war, for examples sake, you are a soldier on the frontlines. Kishka, being the leader of the Golden Wings, is a general. Me? I am logistical support. Once finished, she would give a small smile, hopefully clearing it all up. After however, Bianca would start laughing about the comment Chloro made about the singer. She frowned at her, with a tilt of the head, up until she did the eyebrow wiggle. Feeling her face burn up, she would jab Bianca as hard as she could in the hard (which wasn't hard), and turn away, sticking her middle finger up before showing a message over her shoulder. "Shut up! I didn't know you did all that! Oh my word Bee!" Before she would let it linger a bit before turning slightly, looking to the floor. "I still haven't even done anything like that, I would have no clue, be a bit shit in comparison I'm sure."
Feeling a bit shit for herself, she would turn her attention to food as a whole, giving a nod and trying to calm her face down. Maybe she did want that? Who knows. "Steak dinner is good, you're paying and I'll drive." She would start with the winch to bring down her bike she had been working.