[Rose Phoenix]

❝I Was Lightning,

Before The Thunder❞

522 w./ 522 w. total

d strength| e stamina| e Acrobatics| f Dust

d semblance| F weapon| f martial arts

It was a strange thing to think about: empathy. At one point, she had looked down on those weaker than her and, to an extent, she still did. Rose was not a social butterfly and she mostly spoke with her fists or her sword. In Vacuo there was little room for empathy or kindness when there are only two kind of people in this world and only two. There's one who stays put in his proper place and the other with his foot in the other one's face...or so she had been raised to believe.

She had always been alone, even when surrounded by her clan. But bandits and brigands make for poor friends when all they care for is blood and money. She was an island amidst blood that was mired with her tears...tears that she shed only when she was alone. Things would be different at Haven, right? There was a hole in her chest like a great big pit and it hurt. A pain that she took out on innocents and those who were too weak to fight back. Redemption was the name of the game for Rosalia Phoenix and it was because of Colton Deraine that she chose Haven Academy as her receptacle for salvation. The crowds cheered her on after winning the Mistral Tourney, not knowing just how close they were to a murderer.

The girl was angry and filled with hate, but she wanted to change. She needed to change. Haven was supposed to help her with that, but since coming to the school she was the same. Rose nearly killed Colt during the exams from her own hubris against the Grimm and not to mention Holly was beaten down and torn apart mentally by her during the preliminaries. Though she had been slowly bridging the gap with the timid girl thanks to Kishka, who was someone that Rose had immediately gravitated to and became fast friends with. Maybe because they were both wild and somewhat mentally messed up?

Recently when she came back, Rose thought she could further change her mentality but no. Right off the bat, she had traumatized the new girl. Rin had trusted her to test her combat efficiency but Rose took it a step too far. She saw it as a duel rather than a test, breaking Rin's ankle for not going all out. In hindsight, it was an awful thing to do and perhaps Rose was changing because she had felt remorse for what she had done. But the pain had been dealt and it was difficult to find the girl to offer some kind of apology...how long was too long to say that you're sorry?

These were the things that Rosalia thought about as she walked through the hallways of Haven to her dorm room. She was regretting her actions and wanted to make amends, especially after Rin had given her some really tasty cupcakes! Her personality was a difficult one when it came to being nice, but perhaps she could try with the smaller red head...if only there was a way to just talk to her. To say...sorry.

© SETHANIEL OF adox 2.0 + WW.

[Rin Hellebore]

WORD COUNT: 621

Total: 550

TAGGED: Fluffy

Things weren't working out. Things weren't working out in the slightest. Every night, before falling asleep, Rin was on the verge of tears. Trying to keep herself quiet and unnoticed, so that she wouldn't disturb Erytheia's sleep. In fact, the petite redhead had done everything that she could to avoid disturbing Erytheia. To avoid the heiress to her name knowing that anything was amiss. It would do terribly for a mere servant to be disturbing the queen with trifles that had naught to do with her. Fortunately, the latest addition to the absolute array of disasters, although it had taken place in their room, had not alerted Erytheia to anything being wrong. Kishka had been fairly reasonable, for someone knocking on the door with the deliberate intent of teaching her a lesson. Granted, the first meeting hadn't exactly been pleasant, but it definitely could have ended many times worse than what it actually did.  Though it had made Rin aware of one thing. There were several individuals here at the academy who were currently eyeing her sideways. Several people willing to beat the everliving hell out of her if they could get their hands on her. As such, it seemed appropriate for Rin to keep a low profile. The petite redhead had changed her style. Wearing a hoodie with the hood pulled over her head, she looked nothing like her regular self. Hidden in shadows, slinking along the corners of walls, remaining mostly in her room. Rin had gone undercover. Rin had gone invisible. Afterall, if they could not find her, they would be unable to put their hands on her. Even if someone was to recognize her, the fact that she was so sheltered would prevent more problems from springing up. At least, so the girl had deduced, thus condemning herself to silence and loneliness.


Staying invisible and keeping your head low also came with an obvious downside. Namely, while looking down at the floor, Rin could not see who was walking around her. Some voices and footwear she could pair up fairly easily, though most individuals simply passed her by. Excuse me, sorry. Had become a fairly repeated response in the petite redheads repetoir. Like a flower in strong wind, Rin was losing her petals. Slowly retreating into herself, waiting for the next season of sunlight and rain. Hoping that she would be strong enough to blossom once the warmth returned. For now, she was content with sleeping under a veil of snow. As long as it wouldn't inconvenience anyone else, then Rin could survive. Just as she always had.


Still waiting for the chance to show off her colors and scent. Perhaps waiting for nothing. Rin had never once blossomed. Perhaps it was for the best if she just wilted away. With the shame and guilt of being a failure to her family. 

With the shame of having murdered her own mom.

[Rose Phoenix]

❝I Was Lightning,

Before The Thunder❞

552 w./ 1,074 w. total

d strength| e stamina| e Acrobatics| f Dust

d semblance| F weapon| f martial arts

She walked with her hands jammed in her jacket pockets with a frown upon her face. There was a fair trickle of other students traversing the hallway, but Rose didn't bother dodging any of them. Her mood was so lethargic that the blonde walked in a straight line, which made the other people in traffic avoid her. There was a lone guy who didn't know any better and he tried to confront her, which was a piss poor idea. Rose gave him a sharp, deadly glare that would kill and snarled at him. Red lightning cackled around her menacing figure and that was enough to send the punk running.

Things were going poorly for her since none of her goals were lining up. It could be considered whining and maybe she was behaving like a child, but Rose wasn't making any progress. She became a bit stronger since enrolling and she was already excelling in her mission to becoming a Huntress. Or so she thought. What did it mean to be a Huntress? Defending those who couldn't defend themselves? It was an amusing thought, considering Rose used to harm those same innocents not too long ago. Did she even deserve a second chance after what she had done or was she a victim of circumstance? Damn it, she was complaining again!

More people weaved past the unstoppable force that crossed her arms in deep thought. Though they gave her dirty looks, not a single one dared to speak up or challenge her. For whatever reason Rose, who was completely zoned out, had caught something out of the corner of her eye. She wasn't sure why, but out of all of the students who wore everyday clothes or Academy uniforms...this person was different. For one thing, they were very short. Like even shorter than Rose herself! But it was the hoodie get up that they were wearing that caused her to stare in confusion. Who in the hell dressed like that? If the goal was to be incognito, then it was an utter failure.

As she passed by the figure, Rose spun on her heel and jogged toward the person and cut them off. She put a hand out and guided them to the wall, pressing her hand against it to lean in and observe who they were and...it was Rin! Rose blinked in mild surprise at how the world seemed to align like that.

"Oh! Rin, I'm sorry. You were so suspicious that I wasn't sure what to make of...you know what nevermind."

She took her hand away to seem like less of a threat and crossed her arms while tapping her chin in thought.

"Actually, if you have a minute I've wanted to talk to you if that's alright. Nothing bad or anything like that, but I wanted to clear the air between us. I did some shit that's pretty terrible to you and I get it if you don't wanna hear me out. Just wanted to give it a shot, ya know? I'm rambling..."

In her mind, Rose actually didn't understand why she was rambling or why she was trying so hard. Was it her way of trying to change or did she legitimately want to be friends with Rin? Who knew, especially since she barely knew the red head.

© SETHANIEL OF adox 2.0 + WW.

[Rin Hellebore]

WORD COUNT: 494

Total: 1115

TAGGED: Fluffy

It's an odd sensation. Normally, people are constantly thinking about something. Worrying about something. Preparing for something. They are trying to learn new things, contemplating their place in life, their next moves, their next destination. Dreams, goals, ideals on one hand. Troubles, problems, dilemmas on the other. Weighed equally within the mind. To constantly move forwards towards a better life for the individual. For Rin however, everything had gone silent. There wasn't really anything to worry about, nor was there anything that she was thinking of improving upon for tomorrow. The contemplation that, perhaps she deserved all of this, had a been a brief droplet of thought in an otherwise quiet ocean. It was like a lot of the things currently in the petite redhead's life simply didn't matter. They were irrelvant, pointless, or simply out of her control to interact upon. The only lingering care that remained  within her was to keep Erytheia, Rin's cousin, out of all the mess.  


So when Rin was blocked, an arm forcing her up against the wall, somewhat shoving the girl to the desired destination, Rin simply backed up into the wall with a low bump. Aside from an audible oomph from her nose, due to the air in her lungs being exhaled rather sharply due to said bump, there wasn't much of a reaction. Just a somewhat bland glance, before she returned to looking down at her own shoes. It was Rose, one of the individuals that had proven to Rin that it simply didn't matter. Voice quiet and meek, without stutters. "...No need to apologize. It's fine. It's okay." Rin offered a smile that was about as fake as they could be. There was no warmth in it. No embrace. No life. Perhaps that is why it cracked so quickly, returning Rin's expression to a rather bland one. Taking a deep breath, as she let out a soft sigh. Not an unpleasant sigh, nor a sigh loaded with any kind of emotion. It was just a deep breath, as if Rin was drowning.


"There is no poor air between us, Rose. I believe that you behaved in a way you found correct, and if you didn't, you know yourself not to do it again. So no harm done... and if you are angry at me because of Colton, I understand. I am sorry for being a tattletale. I accept any punishment you might deem fit." Rin gestured to her ankle, which seemed to be sitting on her leg correctly. Afterall, she seemed to have very little trouble walking, nay, sneaking her way around. Beyond that, she just stood there, looking at Rose's shoes as if they were the most interesting thing in the world. There were many things that were broken. Yet, broken was the way things were meant to be. It was the way of the world. It was the nature of being cursed. It was about time Rin accepted her lot in life.

[Rose Phoenix]

❝I Was Lightning,

Before The Thunder❞

434 w./ 1,504 w. total

d strength| e stamina| e Acrobatics| f Dust

d semblance| F weapon| f martial arts

It was just like before...as Rose slammed her hand against the wall and saw the look on Rin's face. The straight, serious look that bordered a certain lack of interest was the same as Erik's. So many days were spent holding each other for comfort from the arena, laughter at any small thing to distract from the terror of combat, and the quiet moments when they cried together with the knowledge that they would never be free.

Yet when the two were forced to fight each other, his expression was blank. Even when she drove her blade through his abdomen, Erik just stared at her without even a grunt of pain. Pouring crimson regret and studying the betrayal on Rose's face as his the light in his eyes faded. She wandered the desert alone with his blood decorating her with shame and regret.

Rose saw the artificial smile that Rin gave her and it made her heart sink. Ever since she had hurt Rin, it was all that she could think about. She screamed into her pillow from frustration nearly every night for fucks sake!

"No, it isn't okay!"

She gently pulled the hood back to reveal Rin's face and carefully tilted her head at an angle to look into the red head's eyes. Emerald met Amethyst as Rose studied the girl with wide eyed intensity.

"This isn't about a simple apology. What I did was beyond terrible and I never even approached you to see if you were okay...I'm a real jackass sometimes...It was my biggest mistake since coming here."

Rose took a step back to give Rin some space, not wanting to make the girl feel uncomfortable, and noticed as she looked down that her hands were shaking and her knees were weak. What in the hell was happening to her?

"I want to be your friend, Rin. I really do...sometimes the high is worth the pain. I want to try if you'll let me."

She clutched her arm tightly, feeling heat build up across the back of her neck as her face flushed. Rosalia Phoenix, the power mad dictator queen of Vacuo who could make good guys go bad for the weekend, was on the verge of tears at the thought of Rin hating her.

"I um...think you make delicious and cute cupcakes." She whispered abashedly.

Rose felt her lips quivering, which frustrated her immensely. Somehow this small red haired girl put her more on edge and made her feel...scared to be rejected. It was a feeling that was unfamiliar to the normally fearless warrior and that terrified her even more.

© SETHANIEL OF adox 2.0 + WW.

[Rin Hellebore]

WORD COUNT: 797

Total: 1912

TAGGED: Fluffy

This was quite the opposite reaction compared to the Rose that the petite redhead had met an amount of weeks ago. Barely had Rin managed to finish speaking, before the blonde loudly exclaimed that things weren't okay. It was a more animated and emotional response than Rin had expected.  There was a light hint of surprise and unease, though it quickly faded back into a void of indifference. The apology was also significantly more emotional than Rin would have expected. For Rose to be openly and willingly adding negative adjectives to herself came as a surprise. Though, to the redhead, that was unacceptable. The one who was at clear fault was herself. To have someone else take pity on her to this degree... It meant that not only was Rin pathetic, she also made others feel pathetic. Truly a huntress for the ages. So. before Rose got to continue debasing herself, Rin shook her head  from side to side in an equally as animated fashion. The blonde wasn't going to be allowed by Rin to feel that way about herself. Especially not when Rin was the one at fault. Being a cursed, horrible creature. 


"I did not know my place. I did not approach the combat with the respect or dignity you deserved. I dishonored you, underestimated you. I have no right to complain that you punished me for my vile behavior... nor were you a jackass. I already iterated, it was entirely my fault... besides, no harm done, right? My ankle is fine and I walk around just fine, so... don't even mention it." 


The petite redhead was repeating the same notion before. That nothing had broken beyond what the nurse could fix. In reality, all ít had been, was a day or two of pain and limping around. For a huntress, that wasn't meant to be a big deal. Compared to other beatings Rin had taken throughout her life, it wasn't a big deal. Just more water under a bridge. Simply more obstacles that had to be overcome on the journey to becoming a licensed huntsman. It then struck her, that Rose was continuing to be different to her regular self, as the blonde extended an invitation of friendship. Immediately Rin felt torn into several different aspects of her own personality.


One side was arguing in the back of her mind with sheer naivety. That this was the best thing to have happened ever since arriving at Haven. Not only was Rin going to have a friend, said friend was also a powerhouse! It meant that, while having someone she could talk to instead of feeling lonely, she would also receive some amount of protection from the individuals which wished to be cruel. A complete win!


The more pessimistic part within Rin wanted to look around in careful detail. Trying to find the group of pathetic lowlifes that were waiting to jump forth from their corner and laugh openly at Rin for believing she had a chance at making any friends at Haven. This was all a setup, all a scheme. There was no way that anyone would care enough about her to go to these lengths to apologize. Nor would anyone be so shaken by her pressence. Impossible.


The third part was looking at Rose with indifference. Figuring that whether Rose was an ally or an enemy, in the long term it would make very little difference. The curse would remain in place. The deeds of the past would remain as they were. The future would simply be more of the same. It meant that Rin would have nothing to gain from interacting with the blonde. On the opposite end, Rin would also have nothing to lose. As such, this part of Rin would just roll with whatever she was presented with.


In the end, these three fragments of widely varying reactions were all jailed within, as the resposne that came from the petite redhead was an odd combination of all three. Withdrawing a step towards the wall from the uncertainty, her eyes darted around, looking at the scenery, while her arms defensively grabbed her left shoulder, gently rubbing. The voice was indifferent, yet with the slightest hint of hope. A so brief, barely growing sprout of wanting things to be better, masked behind a veil of truly not believing things would ever work out. "...Okay, I guess."...


...The followup question then simply received an almost instantaneous reply. Much in the same vein as the first. Rin knew her place. Knew what she was doing and why she was doing it. Even so, her mind was slowly drifing back to silence, as she softly returned onto autopilot.  "...It was my apology. I am glad you appreciated them. I could always bake you some more."

[Rose Phoenix]

❝I Was Lightning,

Before The Thunder❞

600 w./ 2,104 w. total

d strength| e stamina| e Acrobatics| f Dust

d semblance| F weapon| f martial arts

She didn't understand what Rin was saying, regardless of how hard she tried. To think that the girl believed she was being punished for not knowing her place. Rose did yell at her subordinates when they were out of line and on occasion she would be challenged for her position of leadership. This was a fight to the death, so there were plenty of weaker fighters who were cut down by her blade. But this was a hierarchy that she set up to keep her men in order...to think that civilized families shared the same mentality as lowly thugs was baffling to Rose.

It was a maddening thought that a family could treat their own in such a manner. Did they beat her like Rose's men beat each other? Or yell at her when she spoke up against them? It was a horrible thought to think of and actually made Rose hate civilized culture even more than she already did!

"Don't even mention it..." She whispered the words sullenly. "I can't stop thinking about it."

Rose shook her head furiously, blonde ponytail bouncing around her head like a whip. She couldn't figure out why Rin was like this, though it didn't anger her. No, instead it upset her. It made her realize how awful of an experience Rin was going through, especially after what Rose had heard about Holly. Things were rough for the petite girl...and then she noticed something.

Rosalia was crying.

Tears fell down her cheek and she sniffled slightly at the shaky feeling in her limbs...the sunken feel in her chest. Yet, as it sunk, it also swelled. Just talking to Rin seemed to lift her spirit, but also make her stomach feel tied in knots. Confusing and terrifying at the same time for the sword maiden. Was it a notion of regret or something more? Frustration was the sole emotional state that she was in as she trembled.

While she wasn't the greatest at reading people, she had noticed that Rin's gaze wasn't fixed on her feet anymore. There was even small hints of elation in her voice that offered hope for their friendship! It was faint, but Rose was taking anything that she could get at this point. A rational person would ask what the former bandit would gain from this and Rose honestly answered her own question: An end to loneliness and someone who she could talk to at any time. It was odd, but after her team abandoned her...there was a void in her heart. Rin also knew how to make pastries!

The moment, however, when Rose noticed Rin's voice drop slightly...she bit her lower lip and acted. Just as Rin had stepped back toward the wall, Rose stepped forward to press her body against the red head. She lifted the hood up for the girl and slid inside of it to press her lips firmly against Rin's, holding the pressure for several seconds that felt more like an eternity. The world went blank for that period of time as this kiss felt...different than any other. A slight wet sound came from their lips as she pressed again and breathed in Rin's breath.

Rose let Rin go and took a small step back while gazing at her. It was a spontaneous thing and the only thing that she could think of doing at the time...and yet it did something to her. Rose was shaking more and it was difficult now to focus on her environment.

"I...I...that was nice. I mean, I didn't mean to if you didn't like it...ah shit um...I like cupcakes."

© SETHANIEL OF adox 2.0 + WW.

[Rin Hellebore]

WORD COUNT: 678

Total: 2590

TAGGED: Fluffy

The emotions welling up within Rose was frightening the petite redhead. There was hints of anger, frustration, fear and desire, all thrown haphazardly into a storm that was now making the blonde's eyes wetten. If the girl could have backed off further, then she likely would have. The wall at her back prevented it. So iustead, Rin was waving her hands in front of her body, dismissively, not quite sure precisely what to say to the blonde. For this whole interaction, one thing had become clear. The blonde was far more invested in what had happened during the sparring match than Rin was. Of course it had been an unpleasant experience. Of course being isolated and then running directly into Holly had been awful. At the end of the day however, these were just the happenings at Haven academy. As a huntsman, Rin was bound to find herself in dilemmas and situations a thousand times worse than these. Therefore she had relatively little trouble brushing it off and adding it to the ever growing pile of crap that was her past. So precisely why the blonde wasn't able to understand that it truly wasn't such a big deal, baffled her. Clearing her throat, so as to get Rose's attention, the girl attempted to explain the situation from her point of view. 


"I think you may be more invested in this little dilemma than I am. Truly, you need not waste a second thought on it. I believe I will face much greater challenges as a huntress than a broken ankle. In a way, you just helped prepare me for terrible situations. So please, forget about it." 


In a way, Rin was more empathetic and warm, perhaps because Rose seemed so on edge. The tears in her eyes, the trembling of her body. Whether Rin had wanted to or not, it was in her nature to care about others. To wish to see others happy and succeed. Regardless of what it would mean for her own well being in most cases. Not that Rin would intentionally seek to harm herself if it could benefit someone else. It was more a matter of doing what needed to be done for the betterment of everyone. In this case, showing a little compassion and attempting to find the positive aspects. Even if said aspect was her own broken ankle. 


In that frozen frame, a brief few moments passed, without either of them doing anything. Rin was still somewhat unable to leave. Rose seemed like she wished to say or do something, causing the girl to slowly drop her gaze towards the floor again. The awkwardness was mounting. Right up until a point where Rin decided it was time to disengage from the conversation, as the awkwardness had reached a point she could no longer deal with quite as easily. "Right, well, I will get going then. Please, spend no more thou--" Before Rin got to finish her sentence, Rose had stepped deep inside Rin's personal space, causing the girl to freeze up entirely. The blonde's arm lifted her hood, as Rose leaned in... Rin closed her eyes shut completely, tensed entirely, expecting something awful to happen.


...Instead Rin was greeted by a breath against her own. A soft, moistness against her lips. Warmth. Blinking once, confused, what met her was not at all what she had expected. Not at all how she could have predicted this encounter to go. Startled, yet not in any immediate alarm, the girl wasn't sure how to react. As Rose stepped backwards, Rin's cheeks flushed red. What what what. What on earth was this. The blank expression was completely gone.... and surprisingly or perhaps unsurprisingly, the stutter fluttered across her speech.
"I u-uhm g-got c-class t-though.. s-s-so m-m-maybe a-a-another.. t-t-time.. Y-yeah...?" Without really waiting for any response, Rin just began darting off, completely on auto pilot. Almost falling over her own legs as she attempted to scurry out of there, Rose could be certain she had had a massive impact... Though perhaps not clearly good or bad?

[Jay]

XP Distribution:

Rose Phoenix: 21 XP
113 + 21 = 134

Rin Hellebore: 26 XP
96 + 26 = 122