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 Kishka Burzanova on Sept 23, 2019 5:37:39 GMT -5
KISHKA BURZANOVA
Something in his laugh was like magic.
Had to be. The way it resonated with hers, it just took her away to some far off place, where they were the only two people there. Where nothing else mattered, and they could do anything. Just the two of them. She thought about saying as much, but they were still playing this game of trading questions, and something like that would only distract him. And she didn't want him distracted right now; she was genuinely curious about this. Who would he most want to fight?
His answer only half-surprised her, and she just rolled her eyes with a playful smile as he made a point of expressing that he wasn't at Haven to pick fights. "Fighting people's an important part of Huntsman training- and you gotta admit, it's fun." Probably moreso for her than for him- she was, after all, the superior fighter of the two of them, at least, as far as their more recent spars went. She had a feeling she couldn't hold onto that title for much longer, though- Argent was improving, and he was improving rapidly as hell. Way faster than she was, at least for the past few months. She'd let herself go, gotten a little stagnant. Of course, with Vytal on the horizon, she was putting in some work, and would continue doing so until she made it.
His first pick amused her just a bit. Of course, when he specified that the reason he wanted to fight him was explicitly because of their similar semblances, she was again worried about what he'd think of her little deal with Deraine from earlier in the day... Eh. They'd cross that bridge when they got to it. For now, she smirked, and gave a little laugh. "I was just talking to him earlier about Whisper and Polarity. Can you believe the smug ass thinks his semblance is objectively stronger than yours? Whisper can do everything Polarity can do, and then some. Shit for brains is thinking with his ego again, not his brain." She neglected to mention the duel they had agreed on without Argent's consent, of course. He'd have to squeeze that one out of her.
The second pick surprised her just a bit, but only because she, much like Colton, highly underrated Qiu'li as an opponent. He did specify it was speed and melee that gave Qiu'li the edge, though, so that seemed fair enough. A broken clock was still right twice a day, after all- even the crayon-eater had something akin to a purpose. Probably. She nodded slowly, chewing on that thought a bit with a thoughtful Hmmm. "Yeah, melee with mobility is always going to be a hard counter to a relatively stationary ranged opponent. Which means we've either got to get you moving faster, work up your melee chops, or just make your ranged attacks so perfect, nobody can close the gap in time. Easy." Her confidence in him flowed as freely as water in a stream. And it was genuine- she really did believe he could handle himself well, because after all, she had been training him for months, and she was no slouch.
And as if on cue, in perfect timing with her thoughts, he smiled at her and melted her heart into sizzling butter with his words. "Me...?" She didn't seem shocked, as much as very pleasantly surprised, her mouth spreading into a wide smile, and her eyes glittering a deep purple. She was almost at a loss for words, so just let his settle over her for a few moments.
"Well, just know I won't be going easy on you- you aren't the only one who's been training lately, you know." She stuck her tongue out playfully at him, before grinning the biggest grin she was capable of. Everyone at the Academy, and she was on his list of dream fights... She squeezed his hand a little tighter, brushing her fingers against his.
For once, his words (or rather, lack thereof,) managed to slip by her unnoticed, and she didn't bring up the fact that he was obviously about to say something before he changed the subject to her next question.
The mention of her sister shot a little pang through her mood again, as did the mention of Sanctum, to a lesser extent. But his description of it brought out another laugh. "Well, he wasn't wrong about Atlas- it's crazy, it really is a floating city. I haven't been, but I've seen pictures, and heard from Atlesian students about it. Sanctum, though..." She laughed again, amused at the image of students placing bets on sea monster kill counts. "No, we didn't see a lot of giant Grimm. Definitely didn't kill any- at least, not while I was there. No, it was a lot like Haven, but toned down some. There were a lot more regular classes, like math, science, history, et cetera... All those, but also a lot of combat classes, and some Huntsman trainee basics, like weapon maintenance, things like that. I wasn't an especially good student there, honestly- it was all too easy, and of course, Bel got all the glory for that anyways, so I was just coasting through, no reward." Fucking Bel. Always swiping up any achievements and accolades that Kishka had earned. Except for two. She grinned, thinking about those.
"Well, there were two classes I was great in, and I'm sure you could guess at least one of them. Probably both, honestly. For all the supposed 'leadership potential' Bel was always hyped up for, she sure as hell copied my notes in our Tactics classes. I've always been better than her at that, and she's too damn cocky to admit it." It was her crowning achievement at Sanctum, in fact- she skated through her other classes on arguably average to below average grades, but she truly excelled at anything to do with strategy. It was easy for her; coming up with plans was arguably why she made such a good prank queen. Slash supervillain-aspirant.
She grinned to herself, thinking about the other talent she boasted over Bel. It was less useful as Huntresses, but she still loved the stories that went with it. "And of course, I was also the shining star of the Sanctum Academy Theatre Club. If I had more time, I would even consider starting one here, but I'm too busy for that now. That was another thing Goldie could never do as well as me- she bombed every audition, until she ragequit the whole club, whining about how dumb plays are. Meanwhile, I, of course, played the lead in every production I auditioned for. She got so mad when our parents dragged her to my shows. Must have really burned playing second fiddle for once in her life." Maybe it shouldn't have made her so happy, thinking about how she beat Bel at those two things, in such a way that Bel threw a nuclear tantrum about them. It was petty, after all. But their entire sisterly relationship was based on pettiness, so it only felt right.
She felt like that was a pretty good description of Sanctum- plus, she wasn't really trying to go into too much detail about how lonely and angry she was most of the time she was there, because she didn't want to seem any more like Nik than she already did. There was only room for one angsty boy in the Burzanov family. So instead, she decided to counter Argent's school-related question with her own. "What about you- what was your favorite part of going to your boarding school? I know you've said it wasn't a very good time in your life, but I'm sure there had to be some things about it that you liked, right?" Well, hopefully, anyways- otherwise, her attempt at a sort-of-light question would definitely not have the intended effect she was going for.
Notes// w h o l e s o m e | Tagged// @emoselohw | WC// 1332 | TWC// 8536
Post by Argent Steele on Sept 24, 2019 14:32:27 GMT -5
I know you got hate in you. Most do. Trick is to use it, 'stead of it usin' you.
But you know this. Vengeance is a motivator, not the motive. Don't hunt 'em 'cause you been wronged. Hunt 'em 'cause what they did was wrong. There's a world of difference there, kid. One makes you selfish. The other makes you a hero.
And I see a hero in you.
❝
Argent laughed when she did, but shook his head slightly, the smile on his face still light and happy even though he was disagreeing with her more than a little.
"You're right, Polarity is weaker than Vector - but Colton's stronger than me. It's him that makes his Semblance strong, not the other way around. He's had a large head start, after all - his regular training, and then Sanctum, and now Haven. On the other hand, you've seen-"
There was an abrupt stop when he was about to name her, but he caught himself just in time, looking over to the lean to where Elena was resting, tilting his head ever so slightly in its direction before continuing. He was sure Kishka would catch up on it - Shadow Manipulation was, in theory, a power as strong as the one her own despised(?) sister held - but Elena, while she had been undergoing many private sessions at the hands of Shadecloak, still had lived a life that wasn't combat focused outside of the Academy before enlisting, and didn't make use of her power to its fullest extent. In similar fashion to how he had first been a farmer, then a regular student, and then a factory worker, she and some of the students here lived fairly regular lives before deciding to pursue their dreams of becoming Huntsmen and Huntresses. There was no shame in admitting that a life lived thusly would yield a different set of values and strengths than one spent training and learning how to kill the creatures of darkness and defend those who could not defend themselves.
"Well, some of the other students. They never trained for it, and they've never fought Grimm before, coming here fueled on dreams and hopes. It's admirable, but it'll take time for them to catch up with people like Colton and you. Even I only got to fight Grimm a couple of months before I came to Haven, and I had a full fledged Huntsman-Huntress duo supporting me in case of danger. Most people don't have that coming in, and they can only do so much to catch up. The dropout rate is pretty high, after all - and we probably won't be getting many more Sanctum students until next year, when they graduate. Can't really blame some people for not knowing what to do and how to fight properly."
After mentioning Qiu'li, Kishka had mentioned a few counterstrategies to work into his style, the conclusions of which Argent had pretty much come to already. It was gratifying, the feeling of having made the same prediction she would based on the knowledge she'd taught him and his own experience. A validation that yes, one day he would catch up to her. But then she smiled the biggest smile he'd ever seen on her face, and his heart gave a little jump at just how happy she looked. He liked seeing her this way, this unabashed happiness that she only showed to him. It was a side to her that only he knew - him, and him alone. Without the incessant need to prove her own worth, without the cutting tongue she'd sharpened so well and would use at the drop of a hat on just about anyone who caught her attention, without the cynical, bullying front she put up when around everyone else. Just... pure happiness.
It was a memory he would hold dear forever.
He snapped out of the little spell her smile had put him under and asked her about Sanctum a little bit afterwards, keeping the conversation going, and listened intently as she spoke about the life there and how it was in relation to Haven. It sounded much the same, actually, the longer he thought about it. The part where Kishka had gotten her dues was good to hear, though - and so met with the usual smile he gave when he was speaking to her. That, however, was met with a good natured sound that sounded halfway between a snort and a half when she mentioned boarding school, his face taking on an exasperated look.
"The best part about Root Institution was leaving it behind," he said, dryly, a great deal more so than her description of Sanctum had been. He relented almost immediately with a sigh, however, scratching at the side of his face where scale met skin with a finger as he rummaged through memories he hadn't wanted to go through again.
"Well. The food was good. Better than just about anything I've eaten since, and that includes some of the pricier restaurants from the districts below. But a lot of it was just... well, it had the look, feel, and taste of stuff that only rich people force themselves to like, you know? Not particularly palatable, but stuff they make up to justify spending that much on it. And they had a big library, so I studied in depth what the professors wouldn't explain in class."
A low hum escaped him as he thought, shrugging halfheartedly with one arm.
"It was less... racially charged, surprisingly enough. Maybe because I was the only actual Faunus there, but all of the students and professors were polite enough, and certainly none of them flinched or called me a monster or tried to kick my skull in. Still kind of snobbish, though. I guess money will do that to you. I saw a lot of younger siblings or cousins or branch family children, though - less familial attention in general, so we had that in common, at least. The general idea I got was that it was a place for... Well, people like you, actually. If you didn't decide to go to being a Huntress and decided to take up a career in business or something. Children with a more successful figure that didn't get as much attention from their parents, or something along those lines. I didn't interact with people in Root much, though. It's all kind of a grey blur, really. Nothing really good, or really bad. Nothing exceptional, you know. Well, I technically have a diploma in economics and humanities from graduation, if I ever really wanted to drop everything and decide to be a business owner or something."
Argent huffed quietly, an uncharacteristic look of grouchiness on his face, before it settled into a more neutral expression as he started to move away from the topic. The hand in hers squeezed momentarily, and he glanced up back to the stars.
"Well, it's all behind me now, I guess. No sense in bringing it up again. I guess next you'll be asking me about the Schnee Dust Company, but that's a blur too. I wasn't in the best of mental states back then, so there really isn't much to speak of."
Looking back down to her, he thought about the smile he'd seen on her, and how it made him feel. It was something he wouldn't mind seeing again, and so he tailored his next question around it.
"So. Other than Golden Eyed Werewolf Slayer, what other comics really had an influence on you as a kid? Ever considering drawing some yourself, or going to work in that industry instead of being a Huntress?"
WHISPER OF THE WYRM (SEMBLANCE): [RANK D]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: SPEED OF THE SCYLLA (SPEED) [RANK E] SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: DANCE OF THE DRAGON (AGILITY) [RANK F] SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: GLARE OF THE GORGON (MARKSMANSHIP) [RANK F] SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: WINGS OF THE WYVERN (ACROBATICS) [RANK F] SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: TALONS OF THE TARASQUE (MARTIAL ARTS)
Post by Kishka Burzanova on Sept 27, 2019 2:03:27 GMT -5
KISHKA BURZANOVA
She pouted at Argent's words, and wrinkled her nose at the very thought that Colton was stronger than him. He did have a point, though- Colton was better-trained. With a massive head-start. But who gave a fuck about that? She gave him a year, tops. Couple months, if he kept rocketing forward at the rate he was going. Colton was on top for now.
She followed Argent's eyes to Elena.
She was a good example of someone under-utilizing a hard-hitting semblance, to be honest. She didn't know her that well, but given she was Argent's friend, Kishka was accepting of her. Like Argent was implying, shadow manipulation was at least on par with light manipulation. In fact, it may even be a hard counter- she wasn't entirely sure , seeing as both semblances were fairly rare. Theoretically, though, shadows could snuff out light, so if Elena actually trained her semblance to the level of Bel's, she would at least be able to cancel out Bel's attacks. In fact, if she were a little harder-working, and maybe pretended to care about going to Haven, she would make for a winning Vytal Festival teammate. But nah. Not at the moment, anyways.
Speaking of teams... She still needed to figure something out. She had very briefly toyed with the idea of teaming with Colton, but he was shooting for #1, and she couldn't have him trying to snub her on the 1v1s. Maybe she could snag Theia... She was pretty good, and a fellow Sanctum grad. But she also didn't know her well, and had a feeling their combat styles might clash just a bit- no good having two melees with ranged manip sem. Of course, that didn't leave many other options... Qiu'li ate paste, Carmim ate sand, and Aegle ate shit every time she got into a fight of any sort.
There was always...
No.
Nah... Well...
No, no, no.
That was silly. Wishful thinking, but it couldn't- they couldn't- should they? No. Nope.
The last bit Argent said evoked a smile from Kishka, but it wasn't necessarily one of agreement- in her mind, you could exactly blame people for not knowing what to do and not knowing how to fight properly. There was a reason Huntsman Academies held so many damn tournaments, after all. Pick the wheat from the chaff and all that. Then again- he'd been a piece of wheat, who would've gone unnoticed on the ground, if she hadn't picked him up and taken him under her wing.
Eh. Maybe you really couldn't judge books by their covers.
At least, not very well, anyways.
She continued on, about Qiu'li, and her strategies, and answer Argent's question pretty easily, before he returned the favor, when she asked about his experience at Root.
The look on his face was priceless, and got a giggle and an especially amused smile out of her. It was the answer she had expected, honestly- sounded like a real shitty place for him to have been. Definitely not where he belonged. She was glad he didn't stay on that path.
Because then he wouldn't have met her. And she wouldn't have met him.
She laughed again as he described the food. It was a pretty spot-on analysis of upper-class food. Well, probably- she did, after all, enjoy caviar, on the occasions she had it, such as big galas and events her mom used to drag her off to, and oddly enough, the girl's slumber party not too long ago. His second point, she nodded, smiling sadly, thinking about Haven. Haven was, in contrast, not an especially great place for a faunus to be, in spite of the larger numbers of them.
The smile faded some as he continued. Specifically at, "people like you."
She couldn't deny it- it was true. But sometimes the truth hurt. "Never." It was soft, quiet, spoken more to herself than to Argent. But resolute, and firm. She was a Huntress. She had to be. She could have done a lot of other things. But she wasn't doing them. She spent a lot of time telling people that she "had nothing to prove to anyone," but that was bluster and bullshit. She was at Haven for one reason, and one reason alone.
To prove herself.
To who? Hell if she knew. Herself, maybe? Bel? Her parents? The world? The gods? No idea. But she was going to prove it. Whatever "it" was. Funny thing, life.
Economics degree, though... She actually hadn't known that, so she was a little impressed. "It'll look pretty on the shelf, while we're out killing Grimm." She grinned, and didn't even immediately realize the implication she'd unintentionally hinted at there; we. While we're out killing Grimm.
Had they become a we? She gave his hand a gentle squeeze, just as he went to do the same. Seems so.
She laughed again, a bit louder, caught off-guard by his comment, which was rewarded with a "light" punch in the arm. Kishka's punches were often playful, but never light. She had, after all, grown up with Bel and Nik for playmates- light punches were weak punches, and weak punches earned you two more! Those were the rules. "Look at you, all grown-up; throwing all that sass at me. No, I don't need to know about that, or any more about Root, unless you're just dying to describe the taste of a single pitted olive wrapped in gold leaf and drizzled with melted truffle butter." She really hoped he wasn't.
And fortunately he didn't; instead, he just proved once and for all that he was the man of her dreams- bringing up comics. Aside from villainy, being the best, bullying classmates, and being a fucking theatre geek, she was above all else, a comic book nerd. And had been since she was a little girl.
Argent wanted a smile? He got one. Pure joy and elation, at the mere prospect of talking about her favorite issues, series he needed to read... All of it.
"Oh gods, where do I start? I think the first one I ever read was Arachnid Lad, but that one's a little mainstream now. I hear they've got a whole line of movies coming out, and a TV show in the works. But the old ones were way cooler, back before it go popular. Oooh, and Velvetina, an older one- not as old as Golden-Eyed of course, but it's about this rabbit girl who kicks ass with bionic cleats and a metric fuckton of one liners and quips. That one was so good... With ease, she fired off dozens of other comic book titles- Wings Man, Leopard Woman, Wallace Weasel, The Amazing Captain Croc, Atlesian at Altitude, Deathbet, Frog King, The Night Last June When The Man Made of Eels Conquered the Entirety of the Kingdom of Vale with his Grandmother's Secret Magical Tiara and A Semblance That Caused People to Dance Furiously Until They Died, and even a graphic novel or two, like Serpents of South Ground District, and The Silent Monk.
Sometimes, she wondered why she never put her encyclopedic knowledge of comics to better use.
Oh! And I couldn't forget about Diamond Duster, an absolute badass ex-huntsman who takes the law into his own hands. He's practically the reason I'm a Huntress!" She neglected, of course, to mention that it was because her and Bel were enamored with the idea of being a stony badass vigilante. If Bel hadn't insisted on going to Sanctum, she probably would have been pretty lukewarm to the idea.
But at the same time, what else would she have done? She shook her head, thinking about the next question. "As for making my own... No, it never occurred to me, honestly. I don't really like writing all that much, and I'm not much of an artist, unless you've got a thing for stick figures that I need to know about." She flashed him a wink and a grin. "I don't know what I'd be if I wasn't a Huntress, honestly... I guess I could be a lot of things. I don't know that I want to be anything else, though..." She paused for a long moment thinking.
If she weren't a Huntress... What would she be? What could she be?
She was smart. Much like Elena's semblance, that was often ignored in favor of other things. She kicked herself a lot for how much she didn't use her head, when she should have, but at the same time, it was frustrating. When she did have good ideas, genuinely good strategies and tactics, they were often thrown out the window by the band of ADHD dipshits with zero impulse control, because she either couldn't get them out fast enough, or because literally nobody listened to her. Except Argent, of course. And Holly, apparently.
Her parents ran a distillery. She had a guaranteed job there, upper management. If she ever wanted it.
She didn't.
It wasn't fulfilling work. Not like being a Huntress. As a Huntress, she could make a difference. Even if nobody ever treated her better than her sister, she felt like she could do more as a Huntress than as a desk jockey at a liquor factory. No thanks.
"I used to want to be an actress." It came out way faster than she'd meant, and she immediately looked down with a faint blush. "But that's a stupid, unrealistic dream. It was just kid stuff. I don't think I'd want to do it now." Which was true- her heart was set on beating Bel. And that meant being a Huntress, and most importantly, being better at it than her sister.
Acting was something she did enjoy, though. It made her happy, like comics. And while she would probably never open up about it nearly as much, or as freely, she could rattle off plays, quoting favorite scenes, down to the role, and who performed it best. It came naturally to her, too- a "born star," her old teacher had called her. Nah.
Stars didn't live in shadows.
She gazed back up at Argent. What question were they on? She moved on quickly, not wanting to dwell too long on her aspirations of theatrical stardom. "Alright, then. Question number four for you." She thought for a moment, as she nestled closer against him, enjoying the warmth and comfort he provided. She glanced up at the stars overhead, as she thought, smiling to herself. "This is a perfect night, you know... I'm glad I get to spend it with you..." For a moment, she forgot that she was supposed to be thinking up a question for him.
"What is it you like about math? Not saying there's anything weird about liking math- I think it's kinda neat that you're into it. What is it about it, though, that you like?"
Okay, maybe it was a little weird. But she was weird too. And that was just another we they had. They were both weird. In their own, very special, weird, little ways. She dangled their interlocked hands loosely as she spoke, appreciating the way they fit together so well.
The way she fit with him so well.
Maybe...
"No. Thinking crazy again, Kish." Even if she wanted to... Would he? She shook the thoughts from her head, and just focused on the sound of Argent's breathing, and the crickets and wind.
Post by Argent Steele on Sept 27, 2019 15:38:37 GMT -5
I know you got hate in you. Most do. Trick is to use it, 'stead of it usin' you.
But you know this. Vengeance is a motivator, not the motive. Don't hunt 'em 'cause you been wronged. Hunt 'em 'cause what they did was wrong. There's a world of difference there, kid. One makes you selfish. The other makes you a hero.
And I see a hero in you.
❝
Now that was a question that was hard to answer. The snake Faunus hummed quietly as he thought about it. It wasn't something he ever really had to think about before, and putting it into words was harder than he expected for that very reason.
"I'm... not really sure, actually," he said slowly, gazing at her as if that could help him give form to the tangled mess that was the cluster of reasons why he enjoyed struggling with the equations that cropped up in books and papers. It didn't really help that the moon, now high in the sky, was shining brighter than the small fire that was a distance away, and was framing her face in light. For some reason, he couldn't turn away, drinking in the details and becoming fixated on the wisps of hair that had come loose from her usual do, drifting gently in the night air. Argent blinked, and forced himself to turn away, focusing on a spot of dirt and the question she'd pose. The slightest hint of a red flush crept up his neck beneath the scales, barely visible in the moonlight - he hoped it would go away without Kishka noticing.
"I guess... it's useful. And it makes sense," he said at length, tilting his head slightly to the side with an unfocused gaze.
"The world is messy, you know? Grimm all about, ready to jump on any weakness they find. Bad blood between people and Faunus. Things that should happen don't, and things that shouldn't happen do. It's chaos from the wall to the next city, and there's not a lot I can do to affect it now."
"But on that sheet of paper, everything has rules. Everything can be reduced to a number, or a variable. If you do everything correctly, you'll always get the correct answer. If you don't, it's because you did something wrong somewhere, and you can find the mistake if you backtrack. It's... ordered, I guess. No matter how complicated the equations get, there's always a way to find the answer. A way to make everything add up."
There was a pause from him, and a small smile.
"Not at all like the real world. On the paper and in the equation, you know all the variables, or you can figure them out. Out here, you can only guess. And some things can't be calculated in numbers. How much of a value can you assign to an emotion? How much before it attracts the Grimm? There are so many questions, most of them without answers. Like I said - messy."
"Of course, the longer you fight, the more you know. And the more knowledge you learn, the better you become at being a Huntsman," he went on, starting to find his stride. Being a bookworm squirreled away in the corners of Root's library had allowed him to learn things that few others wanted to - or needed to, for that matter. Everyone knew the strength of a Beowolf and an Ursa, but few others could name the manufacturing process of red metals, or describe the way Dust crystals were cut according to type. Argent did, and could probably recall it if he had enough time or needed to write an essay on it.
"For example, knowing the tensile strength of wood, and stone, and other building materials help figure out what kind of fortifications you can throw together on short notice to defend against the kind of Grimm in an area that you have intel on. How many things working in tandem can multiply their force exponentially rather than linearly, whether it's armor or weapons or fortifications. How certain shapes can deflect force safely away and be extremely difficult to damage even when it's being hit with a superior force that should split the material..."
He trailed off there, a small light of embarrassment flaring in his eyes, and gave an awkward grin.
"...Sorry. I, um... I guess that doesn't really explain it. It's... fun. To do everything right and see everything fall into place on paper. Or at least, it's fun to me. Feels kind of satisfying. And it's useful for when we graduate and start really Hunting in earnest, which is a nice bonus."
It took a moment for his brain to catch up to his mouth, and Argent wondered why he had said we. Was it because she had said the same thing earlier, or because of his own desire to remain close to Kishka even up until their time at Haven was over?
"Kind of winning a duel, you know? Except instead of training your body and Semblance, you train your mind and memory. It feels good to win through effort and ability, to know that you're strong - and you earned that strength yourself."
There was a pause, and he turned back to her, golden eyes curious.
"Does anything do that for you, Kish? Something you've sunk a lot of effort into, something you enjoy doing? Other than comics, other than theatre..."
WHISPER OF THE WYRM (SEMBLANCE): [RANK D]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: SPEED OF THE SCYLLA (SPEED) [RANK E] SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: DANCE OF THE DRAGON (AGILITY) [RANK F] SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: GLARE OF THE GORGON (MARKSMANSHIP) [RANK F] SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: WINGS OF THE WYVERN (ACROBATICS) [RANK F] SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: TALONS OF THE TARASQUE (MARTIAL ARTS)
Post by Kishka Burzanova on Sept 29, 2019 16:17:20 GMT -5
KISHKA BURZANOVA
Sometimes it paid to be perceptive. Kishka's smile only brightened as she caught Argent staring at her, before hiding his face, right as a blush fell across it. He was so cute when he got all flustered. And blushing always made his scales stand out just a little bit more. Maybe he was finally catching on... Damn boy was oblivious, even with someone as bold and forward as her dropping the hints.
She blinked her thoughts away and focused on what he was saying.
It was a little bit strange to her- she'd never really thought of math as something more than a practical kind of knowledge- know enough to not be a dumbass, learn more if you need more. But it wasn't something that people did for fun. Except for Argent. So she was always a little curious about it.
She nodded at his explanation. Made sense. She didn't realize it went so deep, though; math was one of the things that kept him sane, held him together, in a crazy, cruel, unforgiving world.
In that lighting, numbers seemed almost beautiful.
"Structure." She nodded to herself as he paused for a moment. Her eyes sparkled as he noted the value of knowledge for a Huntsman or Huntress- that, she could understand. That was easy to grasp. It wasn't always something she especially enjoyed, compared to the fighting and the more Huntress-y aspects of the job, but she did take care to keep up on her history, science, literature, arts- all that. A well-rounded Huntress was better-suited to understanding complex situations from a variety of perspectives, after all.
And if her goal was to be better than Bel, that meant everything. Better than her at fighting, better at studying, better at leadership, better at math. All-around better.
As he continued, she couldn't help but stare lovingly at his golden eyes, while he spoke of logistics and tactical fortification. Not the sexiest avenues of discussion in most scenarios, but the passion in his voice, like a hint of lime, had her hooked on him like glue. If her face was framed by the firelight and the cracked and broken moon, then his was washed in it- his scales reflected the shimmering glow, and his skin and hair were radiant, as if he were a gleaming silver god, deigning to share his perfection with the mortals of Remnant.
That'd make for a good comic. She made a mental note to jot that down later.
And suddenly, the illusion came tumbling down as his face flushed with embarrassment and he smiled his adorable little grin, reminding her that he was not, in fact, a glittering deity, but a regular, very handsome, dork. Her dork. Her smile was perhaps the brightest it had been that night when he made the same slip she had, moments ago- there it was again. We.
It was also pretty bright, though, when he compared solving math problems to winning a duel.
That was something she could easily comprehend. Combat, in any form, had always appealed to her, ever since she was a kid. Arguably, it was the main reason aside from Bel and her comics, that Kishka wanted to be a Huntress- it was a passion of hers, just like theatre and comics.
Which was easily her answer to his next question. "You just said it, yourself; I like dueling. Training. Any chance I get to let loose a little with Lucky 13." She gave her weapon, still lying close at hand, a fond pat, before continuing, with a smile, and a spark of passion in her eyes. "I know, I know- must come as a huge surprise that I, of all people, love fighting." She grinned up at him, with a playful wink. "I do, though. Always have. Maybe more than most other students, honestly. You'd think having my ass handed to me by Bel so much would have put me off it, but I enjoyed our fights more than she did. For her, it was about conquest. Proving that she was superior to me. Fucking bitch." Her eyes rolled with her half-muttered curses.
"Not for me, though. I mean, okay, maybe a little bit. I know it seems that way to damn near everyone at Haven, except for you. Maybe Nik, if his one brain cell is focusing, I guess. And okay, yeah, I've got a reputation to uphold here, so I do care about winning, but that isn't what I like about fighting. It's just... Makes me feel alive. Gods, I'm a walking cliche." She shook her head, laughing at herself.
It was true, though- she felt her best when she was kicking names and taking ass. "Doesn't it do that for you, too, though? The action, the sweat, the boiling blood... I live for it. Like you said, some people come here with nothing. I didn't. I was born to be a Huntress, it just took me a while to realize it, even if I've been training for it for years. I think it might be why I get along with Colton- if you could call it that, anyways. He's the same way; craving a challenge. Fighting is fun. More fun than anything else I do." She sat up, leaning against Argent's chest- all her inching across him had paid off, as she had discreetly positioned herself perfectly to sit in his lap. She tossed him a sly smile, her face beaming with pride at her achievement.
"Especially fighting with you. Whether we're fighting each other, or fighting together. Doesn't matter. That's when I feel the most... complete. I don't know if that's the right word for it, but it feels right." Gods, he really had her falling hard. Ever since they first met- it had been annoying, and frustrating then, but now? It felt good.
Math was his slice of normalcy in a dangerous and unpredictable world. And he was hers.
Notes// c u u u u t e | Tagged// @snekeoandkishiet | WC// 1007 | TWC// 11,460
Post by Argent Steele on Sept 30, 2019 15:35:00 GMT -5
I know you got hate in you. Most do. Trick is to use it, 'stead of it usin' you.
But you know this. Vengeance is a motivator, not the motive. Don't hunt 'em 'cause you been wronged. Hunt 'em 'cause what they did was wrong. There's a world of difference there, kid. One makes you selfish. The other makes you a hero.
And I see a hero in you.
❝
Argent couldn't help but laugh along when she winked up at him after claiming battle was her calling. Of course it was. Kishka always did seem more alive when on the battlefield, whether that battlefield was on the arenas where Shadecloak pit the students against each other, or the missions where they got to use their abilities against the creatures of Grimm. She liked to fight, and he was well aware that to the rest of Haven, she must seem like a terror who instigated battles at the earliest opportunity. Whether it was crushing perceived insults to her rule, as she did with the few who had laid hands on him early into his time at Haven, or pushing and prodding verbally at others to rile them up, Kishka always did love her chances at combat.
That wasn't always a good thing, though. He had hoped finding more friends would temper her, lessen her tendencies to do just that. Partially because he missed her when she wasn't around and stuck in various forms of punishment, but also because he didn't want her to forever be known as nothing but her worst traits. Kishka was brave and smart and strong in a hundred different ways - if only more people could focus on that beyond her lashing tongue and her caustic personality, then everything would go better. Then again, people wouldn't be people if they could focus on the best aspects of others instead of their worst. And in Kishka's case, she showed a lot more of her worst than her best - at least, to anyone who wasn't already accustomed to her like he was.
Argent looked at her, resplendent in the moonlight as she talked and rolled her eyes and complained and laughed her sweet laugh that only he got to hear, and remembered. He remembered how in those early days she had humiliated him in single combat in front of the class. He remembered how she had singled him out for attention, day after day after day, until he was worn and frayed beyond belief. He remembered how she had countered his Semblance with her own and used it with far more skill than he did.
He remembered how she had pushed him to his limits and forced him to surpass them. He remembered the missions spent working together, finding out sides to her he didn't know existed. He remembered how she had stood up for him when his strength hadn't been enough to stand up for himself. He remembered how she had offered a hand and a kind word when he had returned from the internships, his recent brush with failure still fresh on his mind. He remembered when their fights had started to become less one sided, when her smiles had turned from mocking to surprised - and then again from surprised to approving, and then yet again from approving to proud. He remembered it all, and he wished so much that others could see what he did, could feel what he felt-
But that wasn't how the world worked, was it?
Kishka had shown him a comic before - a series of them, actually. The Tale of the Brothers Eldritch, one she considered a classic. Set in a world where alchemy magic reigned supreme, it told a tale of two brothers who searched for a legendary stone that could take their magic beyond the realm of human capability, in order to regain that which they had lost. In that world, there was a law that no alchemist could overcome, no matter how powerful they were. A law that was central to the story's tenets, and never changed no matter how much the protagonists matured and how much their strength grew.
Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost.
It was just a story, but the concept applied equally to real life as well. To make an omelette, one must break eggs. To make a fire, one must chop wood. Something had to be given for something to be given in return. Wishes and hopes didn't do anything on their own. One had to put in effort and sacrifice to achieve their goals. It was all too easy to wish and wish and wish for a better life, for more strength, but if one put nothing towards it one would gain nothing.
He wanted Kishka to succeed just as much as he wanted to succeed himself. He wanted her to grow beyond what most others could only see on her caustic exterior. He wanted her to gain a team she could trust, and people she could laugh with, people who could believe in her, and be able to beat her sister at the upcoming tournament at the end of the year.
He wanted her to be happy.
But to do that, she needed to rein in the worst of her impulses, to show vulnerability to people who might exploit it, to break down the barriers that she had constructed for years to push people away, embracing the narrative that she had been dealt. Maybe it was too difficult for her, or she just didn't want to. Maybe he could help, if only...
If only they were together more often.
The thought grabbed hold of him and wouldn't let go, and it brought back his old musing of joining her banner and his under a team in full force. The more he thought about it, the more it nagged at him. Could they? Should they? How would it work out? Would she even agree to it? Were they sacrificing more power with potential other teammates just so he could feel better about himself in her presence? What if they weren't strong enough together, and they couldn't win against her sister at the Vytal festival because of that? What if he cost her her victory?
Doubt is such an insidious thing. By the time you realize it's there, it's already worming its way into your heart, and you can't shake it off even when you know it's latched on. The snake Faunus, however, had the benefit of help in this regard when Kishka sat up in his lap and pressed up against him, far closer than she had ever been before. He could feel her body against his - her softness, her warmth...
"Whether we're fighting each other, or fighting together. Doesn't matter. That's when I feel the most... complete. I don't know if that's the right word for it, but it feels right."
Argent quietly closed his eyes and let himself lean forward ever so slightly, resting his forehead against hers.
"I feel the same way."
It was a strange feeling, this. Calm and anxious at the same time. His breathing steady, yet his heart pounding like a drum in his chest. She could probably feel it, as close to it as she was. Kishka had put something into words that he didn't know he needed to hear. That was the feeling he felt when she was around. Not just when they were fighting together, or fighting each other, but every time they went out to grab a bite together, every time they read a comic together, every time they sat together to watch a new show...
Argent swallowed, the sound suddenly very loud to his ears, the pulsing in them seeming to drown out everything else. In this time, in this place, where he didn't need to see or hear anything else, where all he could feel was her, closer to him than ever before...
"Hey."
His voice was a little strangled, and it cracked a little when he spoke. The snake Faunus didn't open his eyes, forging on as best as he could in the only way he knew how. Words failed him at every turn, but he pressed onward, keeping his chaotic thoughts from derailing into a complete mess. If his mind was a train right now, it would have been on fire, every single carriage with broken windows and flaming interiors flaring high into the night, a screaming conductor at the wheel stomping on nonfunctional brakes, and a pair of monkeys lobbing crystal after crystal of Dust into the furnace keeping the thing going. One wrong turn, one wrong move, and the whole thing would crash and go up in flames.
Argent really, really, really hoped that he didn't crash.
"So. Uh. Kish. Remember that, um. Thing? That you said you wouldn't, uh. Forget. Earlier?"
WHISPER OF THE WYRM (SEMBLANCE): [RANK D]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: SPEED OF THE SCYLLA (SPEED) [RANK E] SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: DANCE OF THE DRAGON (AGILITY) [RANK F] SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: GLARE OF THE GORGON (MARKSMANSHIP) [RANK F] SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: WINGS OF THE WYVERN (ACROBATICS) [RANK F] SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: TALONS OF THE TARASQUE (MARTIAL ARTS)
Post by Kishka Burzanova on Oct 2, 2019 14:39:45 GMT -5
KISHKA BURZANOVA
I feel the same way.
Her heart fluttered. In a moment, she was reminded of why she was thankful for the small moments they had alone with one another, where she could allow herself that vulnerability, where she could escape from the hardhearted shell she had built for herself over so many years. And yet, she let that thought pass her by, as she could do nothing but focus on Argent. She couldn't even say anything in response- she was just lost in a wash of golden light, stuck in his perfect eyes. Her breathing aligning itself with his pounding heart, as she became fully aware of how close they were. Closer than they'd ever been, as she sat on his legs, and rested his head against hers.
His skin was warm against hers. She could have stayed like that forever, just basking in the feeling of being close to him. They didn't need words; what had started as an antagonistic relationship, where she had to force herself into his daily routine just to beat the weakness out of him, had evolved into a closer friendship than she'd ever had. He made her feel whole. Worthy. Beautiful. It was like he drew out all of the things she couldn't see in herself, and showed them to her, every time they were together- being with him made her feel like she was herself. He endured all the bullshit, all the posturing and facades, and now, here he was, with the real Kishka. The one that even she'd long forgotten about, underneath the act she put on for the world.
He made her feel special. Wanted.
Nobody else did that for her. Nobody.
Hey.
His voice soothed her. She closed her eyes and just let him speak into her heart. She loved everything about it. The rustic charm, the softness, the deep, mellow, tones. Even the way his nervousness made it crackle, fizzle, and stretch. She breathed it all in, and let the single word pour over her. If his mind was a burning train, veering dangerously close to falling off track, hers was like a hot spring. Still on the surface, as tranquil and relaxed as she could be, with bubbles rippling up from deep within her, and steam drifting on gentle winds overhead. She never wanted to leave this moment.
Time felt slower, between his words. Like they could sit here for days, months, decades. Just the two of them. Sitting. Being. At the moment, it felt like all she wanted, and more.
Remember that thing? That you said you wouldn't forget?
Already forgotten.
"Yeah. 'What if you and I.' Blank. What if we what?" Her voice was soft, almost ethereal as she answered him, halfway in a dream, opening her eyes to study his face. She didn't even need an answer. All she needed was him. Right then, right there, just like that, for eternity. Nothing else mattered.
She loved him.
She let the words ring through her mind again, letting them hang over her. It was the first time she'd thought them. At least, the first time she'd thought them in that way.
She.
That was Kishka. Chernyy Kishka Burzanova, daughter of Tatiana and Vasily Burzanov. Twin sister of shitty, stupid, Belyy Burzanova. Sanctum graduate. Amateur actress, comic book enthusiast, lover of fighting and combat. Dyed her hair purple to distinguish herself from Bel. Made a routine out of picking fights with classmates. Loved pulling pranks. Angry a large percent of the time, but never with him. Not anymore, at least.
Love.
Something she didn't even know how to contend with. No clue where to start. But it was the right word. The only word. It boiled her heart, set her blood on fire. She didn't notice, but her heart was thumping as fast and as hard as Argent's. It could have drilled a hole right through her chest, and she wouldn't have noticed a thing. All she could see was-
Him.
Argent Steele.
She'd known him for six months. Half a year. 2.5% of her life. In the grand scheme of things, no time at all. But she couldn't imagine life without him. Life before him felt distant and wrong. He was perfect. Not in the sense of having no flaws. Everyone's flawed. But perfect in her eyes. Perfect to her. Perfect for her. She glanced up with her eyes, gazing into his, so close to her face, she just knew he could read her mind. She waited for him to speak.
She had a feeling she already knew what he was going to say.
Post by Argent Steele on Oct 3, 2019 13:47:24 GMT -5
I know you got hate in you. Most do. Trick is to use it, 'stead of it usin' you.
But you know this. Vengeance is a motivator, not the motive. Don't hunt 'em 'cause you been wronged. Hunt 'em 'cause what they did was wrong. There's a world of difference there, kid. One makes you selfish. The other makes you a hero.
And I see a hero in you.
❝
The snake Faunus kept his eyes closed for a few moments longer, trying to marshal his thoughts into something resembling coherence. It was an important moment to him, and he wanted to get it right, more than anything else he had wanted so far. He didn't want to end up a stuttering mess like he had just earlier, and he certainly didn't want to fumble his way through it like a buffoon. No - she deserved better.
Argent opened his eyes.
The nervousness was pushed down as much as he could, though it still managed to plague him in his pounding heart and the tingling sensation that felt like a thousand invisible ants were crawling over his skin and under his scales. His voice still hitched slightly despite the effort, but he pushed on anyway, before he lost his nerve, pulling back from the forehead touch enough to glance nervously downwards - and then immediately shift his gaze to the side when he remembered that doing so would have him staring at her body for the duration, seated as she was in his lap. A deep breath flowed through him in a bid to center himself, coming out in a deep sigh before he looked up to meet her eyes again.
"Kishka."
There was a pause to gather his thoughts again, and the start this time was slow and halting, just as he had been when he first spoke about math and how it could be used in the world. The words were coming from his heart, bearing the feeling that no premeditated speech could ever hope to reach.
"This is really selfish of me," he began, gaze dipping for a moment before looking back at her.
"I don't have your strength in combat. I don't have any swordsmanship, or hand to hand combat training. I don't have your skill, or a lot of stopping power behind my Semblance. I can't even fire a gun without missing everything after the first shot. You of all people would know that, considering that you're the one who's been building me up and helping me get stronger. There are probably a host of better options out there you could choose. Stronger, and faster. You probably already have someone else in mind, too. But, well..."
"Fighting with you, fighting against you - like you said, it's something I like doing. It... you, manage to put my heart at ease. Even when my fingers are numb from shooting Ouroboros or Subtle Calamity, even when the trapped heat starts to eat away at my stamina and strength, even when I'm bruised and aching all over... somehow, it never feels as bad as it should when you're with me. I don't feel like this with anyone else, and I don't think I ever will. Maybe it's rude of me for thinking only of myself, but... even if you say no, I still wanted to ask. Even if it never comes, even if you'd prefer someone else, I wanted to ask all the same."
A long, shuddering breath came from him, one he didn't know he had been holding.
"Kishka Burzanova. Would you have me as your first team member?"
WHISPER OF THE WYRM (SEMBLANCE): [RANK D]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: SPEED OF THE SCYLLA (SPEED) [RANK E] SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: DANCE OF THE DRAGON (AGILITY) [RANK F] SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: GLARE OF THE GORGON (MARKSMANSHIP) [RANK F] SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: WINGS OF THE WYVERN (ACROBATICS) [RANK F] SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: TALONS OF THE TARASQUE (MARTIAL ARTS)
Post by Kishka Burzanova on Oct 3, 2019 20:32:11 GMT -5
KISHKA BURZANOVA
He pulled away from her, and she started to follow, but restrained herself, just smiling up at Argent in her dream-like state. Being near him was blissful. She couldn't help it. She did have to stifle a giggle, though, as he awkwardly attempted to stare downward again, catching a great glimpse of her eh... distinctive fashion choices. And of course, to make his nervous state a little easier on him, she threw him a little wink and a proud grin, adjusting her posture to better display her stylishly-dressed assets. Then he said her name, and she relented, smiling patiently at him as he spoke, slowly and piece by piece.
It was precious how he was struggling with whatever revelation he had to make. Very endearing. And the more he said, the more she realized exactly how correct her assumption was about what he was attempting to tell her. She had been thinking much the same thing, their entire conversation- it was an obvious conclusion, she thought. But he seemed so damn apologetic about it. Why? Was she that scary? Not to him, she hoped- he was the only person she didn't want to intimidate.
You probably have someone else in mind.
Her smile deepened. It was almost amused. She really didn't have anyone else in mind. Well, that wasn't necessarily true- she had brought up a potential team-up opportunity with Holly earlier, but hadn't fully decided one way or the other on that one. She'd definitely have to get the girl training with her more regularly first. But it was a start. But it was also not set in stone- not like this would be.
Kishka listened attentively as he continued his spiel, right up until he got to the kicker. He really was asking if he could join her team.
She had to love how well he knew her- any other person making that offer would make it as the team leader, or under a pretense of equal partnership. The way he phrased it was almost as if he were asking to be her vassal- a knight swearing allegiance to his queen. Her heart melted like warm butter.
She just shook her head, slowly, grinning ear to ear. And then she punched him again. In the chest, one of her hard play-punches. And she laughed. "Argent, you're an idiot." And she laughed some more.
Then she let go.
Her body moved without thinking; she stretched up, her face tilted to the side, and her eyes closed, as her lips met his. Her arms pulled her into his chest, and held him tight as she let herself fall into his very being, finally giving in to the desire she'd had damn near since their first meeting. She could feel his breath, warm and sweet, and she relished in his surprise and initial confusion. It was better than any other kiss she'd had before, and she knew in an instant his were the only lips she ever wanted to kiss again. She held on for a little longer, as long as she could, before reluctantly pulling herself away, back down to reality.
If she could put any moment of her life on replay, it would be this one.
"But you're my idiot. You might not be as strong as me, or as skilled, or as confident, or as well-trained. But..." She grinned up at him, the starlight dancing in her eyes, open wide with radiant, purest, joy. The adrenaline from that kiss was still coursing through her, and pushed her on as she continued. "You've been putting in a hell of a lot of work. We've been putting in work. Argent, I trust you. I trust you with my everything. The best parts of me. The worst parts. So don't you ever ask me such a stupid fucking question again, okay?" She gently rammed her head into his chest, throwing her arms around him, dying to feel his heat again, to cling to him and never let go. "Of course you're on my team. I wouldn't let you team up with anyone else. And together?" She pulled her head away momentarily to glance up at him, a gleeful mischief in her expression.
"We won't just win Vytal. We're going to kick everyone's ass! Starting with eh..." She laughed a little sheepishly, her face reddening just a tad bit. "Starting with Colton Deraine." She dug her face back into his chest as she continued, muffled by his shirt. "You and him. One on one, in Shade's class. No semblances. In uh... Four days. I know you can do it! I believe in you! I believe in us!" She laughed, and it was her most musical, freest laugh.
In all truth, she wasn't sure if they could win at Vytal, no matter how good they got between now and then. Competition was stiff, and she knew her sister and her team would be there. She hoped to fight them, even though she knew she had a snowball's chance in hell. Colton's words had inspired and encouraged her, in spite of what she thought was supposed to be discouragement and a reality check.
Hell, she wasn't sure Argent could beat Colton. She'd really fucked him with the whole no-semblance challenge- Colton was strong without his semblance, even though he did way over-rely on it. But Argent's semblance was his best asset against Colton. Hopefully, he could still pull off a win.
No.
She knew he could. She really did believe in him that much.
He would win. And she would help get him there.
As a team.
A team. The word filled her with excitement, like she was a kid discovering her favorite comic book heroes for the first time, all over again. She had a team now. Maybe just one member, and a possible second, but she had a team! Her very own! And Argent was in it! She couldn't have been any happier.
This was by far the best night of her entire life. And she was going to cherish every second of it.
Post by Argent Steele on Oct 5, 2019 12:05:53 GMT -5
I know you got hate in you. Most do. Trick is to use it, 'stead of it usin' you.
But you know this. Vengeance is a motivator, not the motive. Don't hunt 'em 'cause you been wronged. Hunt 'em 'cause what they did was wrong. There's a world of difference there, kid. One makes you selfish. The other makes you a hero.
And I see a hero in you.
❝
The words left his mouth, and for the briefest of moments, Argent felt a strange sense of relief. He had never been the best at expressing himself at anything other than with logic and reason, even after he'd gotten better at the art of speaking as a whole in the past few months. To have finally put his true feelings forth had been a herculean effort, especially knowing that it had been a long shot in the first place. But now that was behind him, and he could focus fully on what was to come.
And at the thought of that, the train finally crashed.
After the initial relief at having actually managing to say it, the mental composure the snake Faunus had managed to maintain thus far crumbled like a cube of sugar in a hot cup of tea. Worry and anxiety flooded his mind now that the possibility of failing to deliver that had been keeping them in check was gone, sloshing around in his skull like water in a bucket freshly pulled from a well. Part of him wondered if she would laugh at him, or if she would laugh with him - for being so sentimental and prioritizing feelings over results. Another part of him felt guilty for putting the choice to her - wanting to face and fight her sister at the Vytal tournament was something she had been yearning for for the longest time, and he knew how important to her it was. To bring him with her and lower her chances of forming a strong team, or to leave him, one of her closest friends, behind, to pursue her dream, a dream that she had held for far longer than she'd known him? The answer seemed almost laughably obvious, especially given that not a few days before she had been complaining about how she couldn't find the right team composition to group up with.
Despite all that he had spoken to Alexandros earlier about how Huntsmen and Huntresses were to be the shield and sword of humanity, about how they were to be the shears that cut away diseased branches of humanity away from the tree so that the rest could flourish, and how they were to become those vaunted heroes that so many held high - Argent had his own, far more private doubts about his ability to fill that role, doubts that he never told anyone else. He hadn't been to a combat school. He hadn't been trained from a young age in the arts of war. He couldn't even shoot a gun properly. What was he, other than a farm boy from the border with a penchant for putting numbers in order on a piece of paper or a screen, one whose mother had married into enough money to send him off to a decent school for a small amount of time? To be sure, he could throw things harder than they ought to be thrown, but everyone else here could do that to varying degrees, and some had been throwing things much harder and for far longer than he had.
Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost.
Everyone was working hard. Everyone had been working hard. The numbers didn't lie, after all - if people had been putting in the same amount of effort that he had for much longer than he had, then it was obvious that the amount of effort they had dedicated into learning how to be a Huntsman or Huntress would outweigh his own efforts by quite a bit. For the best odds of success, Kishka would be better off teaming up with those other strong students, maximizing the chances that she could finally face her sister and even win, if those odds were enough in her favor.
...No. That's not it.
He couldn't lie to himself, not even by omission. Reasons upon reasons upon reasons, a thousand excuses to not have to face the truth - but he couldn't do that. Not now, not here, not in this moment when she was so close and was all he could think about. He shouldn't have asked not only because he wasn't as strong as the other options she could have - shouldn't have asked not only because he would be forcing her to choose between friendship and ambition - he shouldn't have asked because he was scared. Of what her answer would be. Of knowing what her answer would have to be.
People left him. People always left him. His friends had left him, when his scales had started to grow. His mother had left him, when she found someone else to love, and had new children to replace him with. He knew that one day, Kishka would have to leave him too, in pursuit of her own dreams and hopes - but he didn't want it to be so soon, two and a half years too early.
I don't want her to go.
Argent opened his mouth, ready to take back his words. Ready to play it off as the errant thoughts of a sentimental fool, to try and mend whatever rift it might have caused between them. Then Kishka drove those thoughts from his head, along with the air from his lungs, when she smacked him right in the solar plexus. There was barely enough time to suck in a breath before she pulled him close, and laid her lips on his.
For a long moment, it felt as though everything had gone silent. The crackling of the flames, the rustling of the leaves in the trees around, the quiet whistling of the wind blowing through the empty forest - all of it gone, returned to the void. For that moment, she was his entire world, and nothing else existed.
She drew back, smiling at him with that light in her eyes and that smile on her face, and he could feel a different kind of heat than what he was used to collect in his chest and begin a different kind of burn. He couldn't tell it, himself, but right now, he was the reddest he had been in a long time, the skin obviously so where it wasn't covered by scales - his neck, his ears, and his face all nicely tinged with a shade of light crimson.
He listened as she spoke, first in stunned disbelief, and then in growing hope and relief, and when she flung her arms around him there might have been the barest hint of wetness in his eyes before he squeezed them shut and hugged her as tightly as he was able, his heart pounding in his chest as hard as his swords or arrows would have smashed into any Grimm. Kishka had accepted him. She would stay with him. She wouldn't leave him.
She wouldn't leave him.
It took a good minute for her words to sink in, as intoxicated as he was by her presence and as drunk as he was on her acceptance. A duel. With Colton. Without the use of his Semblance. Those were challenging terms, and even in his current state, where his heart was twisting like a leaf in the wind and he felt like he could take on the world, he wasn't fool enough to forget the disparity between the two of them. The gap in skill between them was large, perhaps large enough that he couldn't overcome it in his life. The numbers didn't lie. They never had, and they never would.
But that didn't mean he couldn't try.
"I don't know if I can win that," he said, the words coming out as gentle and soft as only they could with her. The snake Faunus let himself relax, and held Kishka to him, resting his head against hers and feeling the warmth of her presence. It was a comforting feeling, one that he hoped he would never have to relinquish. One that he would fight with all his strength to protect, as lacking as it might be.
"But I'll do my best. For you."
WHISPER OF THE WYRM (SEMBLANCE): [RANK D]
SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: SPEED OF THE SCYLLA (SPEED) [RANK E] SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: DANCE OF THE DRAGON (AGILITY) [RANK F] SERPENT'S BENEDICTION: GLARE OF THE GORGON (MARKSMANSHIP) [RANK F] SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: WINGS OF THE WYVERN (ACROBATICS) [RANK F] SERPENT’S BENEDICTION: TALONS OF THE TARASQUE (MARTIAL ARTS)
OUROBOROS (WEAPON): [RANK F]
@ ● 1358 words ● 12292 total words
MADE BY MIZO
Last Edit: Oct 5, 2019 12:26:26 GMT -5 by Argent Steele
Post by Kishka Burzanova on Oct 5, 2019 14:17:02 GMT -5
KISHKA BURZANOVA
Everything about this moment was perfect. His face was red as a beet, only accentuating his silvery scales, and the look in his eyes was magical, confirming that she'd been correct about how he was going to respond to her doing that. It was the response she had been hoping and dreaming for. He hugged her tight, and she could feel nothing but his body around hers, filling her with comfort, safety, and a serene peace of mind. She felt good, in his arms.
So good, she almost didn't notice as she spilled all of the beans about Colton's duel challenge, which she had definitely, one hundred percent, instigated, entirely on her own. She had to! He had challenged her. More importantly, he had insulted her man, and that was a crime that was unforgivable. She simply would not tolerate it.
But before she could go and say anything else about that, Argent spoke, softly, and honestly. She smiled apologetically at him- she knew the odds weren't exactly in his favor, when she'd issued the challenge. But she believed in him. She really did. And her smile widened into one of pride, as he finished his thought, before she pressed her head into her chest, beaming. "I know you will."
If this were a dream, she never wanted to wake up.
The whole conversation with Colton drifted past her mind, fading into memories. It didn't matter. What he'd said, the anger and fury she'd felt- they were gone, like early morning mist, melting away in the sunlight of the day. All there was, was her and Argent. She didn't say anything for a good little while, before she glanced up at him with a grin across her face, a gleam in her eyes. "I've wanted to do that for so long, you know." She had. Ever since their first meeting. Although, in hindsight, she was glad she'd waited- kissing him then would have been a horrible idea, she would have been way more angry and aggressive about it, and he would have been confused and probably terrified. It would have been way too fucking awkward, and probably would have ruined what seed of a friendship they had just begun to plant then, so long ago. It was a little funny to think about now, now that they had come so far.
She stared up at the stars, and she could have laughed, because none of them, not a single one, was as beautiful as the man she felt against her skin. Not one was as beautiful as he made her feel. "I'm really glad we got to spend tonight together, Argent. You make me happy. And you just made me even happier- I just know we're going to crush everyone else in Vytal now! Me and you, a team! Plus uh... I guess whoever else we can get on board? I might have found a potential candidate earlier today, and now that I know you're with me, I think she'll work out even better." Her eyes burned with determination and a scorching hot flame. Not even in his sweet, tender, embrace, could she forget about her mission.
But Argent had thought about it all wrong- he thought she would be choosing him over beating Bel. That was a stupid notion, though. By choosing him, she was practically guaranteeing that they could beat Bel! He was her rock. She could count on him for anything, and she knew he was a good fighter, because she had forged him into one in the harsh heat of her training regimen, in the tough love of her teaching. He was reliable. Strong. Brave. Not a dumbass, like most of their classmates were. She hadn't seen it before, not until Colton mockingly suggested it to her, but Argent was the ideal team member for her Vytal team. And for her proper team at Haven, even after Vytal. And why not? They got along well, and when working together, they were synchronized. Better than most other pairs, even.
Deraine had meant it as an insult. But she was going to prove him wrong, starting when Argent pounded his ass into sand. Or at least gave a good effort. It didn't matter if he won or not, she could spin it whichever way she needed to, and at the end of the day, they would be getting a lot of good intel for Vytal, on the off-chance they had to face off against Colton's team. It was well worth it in the end.
She snuggled into him again, just glad to be close. "We're going to be the best team." She was getting tired, finally, the whole day catching up to her. They had been talking for so long, she hadn't realized that her reason for coming out to see him was because she couldn't sleep before. Stretching upwards, she let her lips lock onto his once more, this kiss a little softer, a little less forceful, a little sweeter, and a little less sudden. Gentler than the first.
She pulled back after a moment or two, with a very pleased smile spread wide across her face. She could kiss him all day. Kiss him forever, even. Hundreds and hundreds of little kisses, every minute, and they would never get old. She could never grow tired of them. No matter how many they shared, she felt like there could never be enough. "Happy birthday, Argent." She beamed up at him with eyes filled with love. With those final words, she gave in to her body's weariness, wrapping her arms comfortably around Argent, and leaning against him as her eyelids drooped shut, and she quickly dozed off, falling fast asleep.
As she fell into a sweet, peaceful, slumber, she could hear only the steady rhythms of Argent's breath, the soothing drumming of his heart, and the chattering birds and insects of the cool night. It had just begun to rain, the clouds finally returning over the sky, and sprinkling them with a very light mist, foreshadowing the storm that was soon to come. But for now, all that mattered was that she had him. He was hers, and finally, after so many months, he had caught on to that as well.