"On your feet already."
As she stepped out of her portal, allowing the thing to instantly shut behind her, Raven found herself not near her tent but closer to the center of their latest campsite. Vernal had stepped down from where she'd left her, in the middle of helping gather some fallen towels and buckets for the weakest of the tribe. All picked up, she sent the dark haired girl on her way as their eyes met.
Raven gave her a nod, Vernal quick to move on after returning it.
That was along the lines of something she would've expected from Talon, but she supposed he rubbed off on Vernal more than the girl would ever care to admit. She'd taken it upon herself to compete with him and had been doing so for years, he a kind of goalpost for her. Not one that she would ever be able to reach but at least she had the drive to push herself and solid talent to go alongside it.
Raven turned her gaze on the distant dark haired girl, watching her trudge across the camp with those buckets held up by her slim arms, the small weight enough to slow her. She wasn't the kind of person they typically would've taken in and far from being able to survive long around here, no close family to help consistently offset her workload. Many followed in Talon's lead when it came to watching out for her but just as many refused to do such a thing for one they still considered an outsider.
Talon had been adamant about defending her.
And firmly against what Raven knew was the better alternative for someone too weak in mind and body to take advantage of the power she'd ended up with. It came with its own slew of problems, but the power of a maiden should be bringing far more to the tribe than clumsily done chores.
Dragging her eyes away from the girl, Raven made her way down the center of the camp and up into her tent, helmet removed and eyes closed as she dropped herself on the edge of the bed in its corner.
Tai, Yang, Summer. They felt distant as always, but she could tell that they were doing far better in recent years. Qrow too despite his current frustration and anxiety.
The parts of her semblance she couldn't control had caused her trouble here and there, migraine inducing at the worst of times, but it'd long since proved itself a reliable tool capable of saving her life. The same for Qrow's, the things it was capable, however minor they might be, having saved their lives a handful of times when they were weak enough for something as arbitrary as luck to make a difference.
Even though it wasn't nearly as useful these days, throwing away something that could save his life was foolish. On the other hand, that meant Talon could seal the semblances of others now. He'd be better able to defend himself with something like that.
Raven's brow furrowed as she focused in on Talon, the darkest presence of the few she was bonded with.
From the very day he was born, the boy exuded negativity like no other. It'd taken her by surprise, but she'd managed to wave it away after a time. She'd never been bonded to baby of all things, so it was easy to assume it was natural; babies were weak, unable to do anything on their own with their days spent crying.
Not much to be happy about.
The pit of despair that he was persisted as he got older, holding strong until they started training together. From there it began to lessen and her ability to just wave it away as natural began to crumble.
Then Yang was born, all but shattering that perception.
She cried louder than Talon ever did, constantly wanting something, but her periods of what at worse could be described as agitation, never matched Talon.
If all the negativity coming from him had nothing to do with his age, then there had to be a cause for it. Maybe it simply had to do with how smart he'd always been. It could be that it was simply in his nature, she having spent some time after Yang's birth trying to look into things herself. If the kingdoms were good for anything, it was information, the people behind those concerned with studying the oddest things rather than preparing to defend themselves. Depressive children was one such thing she read about, trying to learn all she could on the subject.
But that had never seemed quite right to her.
Raven sighed, pulling her attention away from her semblance, Talon's weighty presence still managing to pull at her mind despite the distance between them.
Maybe she was to blame.
He never brought it up, but she was sure he remembered more of his youth than others. And she'd never been particularly kind to or present for him after he was born, only doing what she had to until he came looking to train with her.
The way she'd treated him, unlike with Yang where she'd been more willing to attempt to give the girl the attention she demanded, had been a mistake. A failure she couldn't undo.
And Talon, strong as he was, able to bottle up all that he felt to the extent that no one else had ever noticed it, was steps away from returning to what he had once been.
Maybe Qrow was right.
Raven reached over to the dresser behind her bed, grabbing and opening up the old scroll on it. With a few swipes she found herself watching an old video. Recorded by Tai, it was one of Yang, just after she'd started walking around herself, running out and interrupting their training, Talon smiling as he made the girl laugh.
Even if Qrow was right, she couldn't take the risk. She'd already made the mistake of leaving Talon to deal with the unnatural fear, doubt, and uncertainty that plagued him once, no, twice over, the way she treated him in his youngest day probably only having made things worse.
She wouldn't be the reason for anymore of his pain.
He would make his choices and she would be there for him.
XOXO
Emerald tried to stretch only to wince, a groan leaving her.
She regretted this whole week. At first, she'd thought it wouldn't be all that difficult. A little bit of aura practice, then onto what she was pretty sure qualified as tag with some basic punching exercises thrown in. Knowing how intense Cinder was, she'd been surprised to find out she spent her time doing stuff like that rather than whatever other crazy training out there existed.
Then the second half started and she learnt how hard Talon could hit. And how serious he took the whole thing. She'd expected things to end the moment she no longer had enough aura for a basic shield but that didn't stop Talon from putting her through the ringer.
What kind of people decided to spend every day of the week like this back to back?
Heat swept across her face.
Emerald opened her eyes, forcing up her arm and wiping away her cold sweat as she looked to her side. Cinder, the pair of serrated blades from Talon's weapon in hand, was heating them up. The heated glow, for now only on the blade itself, was constantly beginning to fall down to the handles, Cinder struggling not to fully heat up that area.
"I don't know how you have the energy for that." Emerald said, grunting as she forced herself off the training room's floor and to a sit.
"You'll get used to it." Cinder fed her that line again as the blades lost their glow and she brought them together, rubbing at her hands. The adaption her semblance caused wasn't so obvious, but Cinder's was. Emerald was pretty sure her aura shield protected her from the distant heat but not what she was creating at point of contact. Cinder just had a crazy tolerance for heat, able to handle temperatures that Emerald couldn't be convinced to get close to without injury. As long as she was careful, she didn't get burnt at all.
Rather than risking her weapons, Talon let her borrow his to save her the cost of buying replacements.
His weapon must've been made of some sturdy stuff not to have that problem.
Either way, it was finally the weekend.
"Want to grab something to eat?" Emerald asked as she forced herself to a stand, more aches keeping her shoulders drooped. She would've preferred Talon's cooking, all of it actually really good, but he said he'd be busy, having left right after they finished up training.
Cinder, making another attempt only for the glow of the blades to fade away before it could fully brighten, lowered them and nodded. Emerald wasn't sure if it was their talk, a conversation about killing of all things not one she ever expected to have, or them training together but Cinder was the nicest she'd ever been.
That didn't mean much when nice for Cinder just meant not brushing people off or killing every conversation on the spot, but it was something. An accepted invitation, even if it was just out of convenience or lingering suspicions about assassins, had to mean something.
Together they left the training building behind and headed out on the busy streets. Cinder slowed her steps to match her trudge forward, silently leading the way towards the usual food places they tended to visit when Talon was teaching them more about aura. At this point they'd probably have to visit a completely different level of Mistral just to try out new food, Talon always going out of his way to choose ones they'd never been too.
It made some sense that someone that went out of their way to try new food could cook.
Didn't make it any less funny to see him that goofy apron of his though.
"If it isn't miss bad attitude." As they turned the corner and stepped out onto the streets that was more of a hub of shops and restaurants, the crowds of people spread out rather than packed in one place, the twins stepped out from a nearby store. "And Emerald, right?" Melanie added looking between the two of them. "Talon isn't with you?"
"He had his own stuff to take care of." Emerald said. She'd been a bit hesitant about dealing with anyone from Spider even if they did know who she was, but these two didn't seem all that bad.
"What about you two? Busy?"
"Just grabbing something to eat."
"We're just finishing up some deliveries. You got a problem with us going with?"
Emerald looked towards Cinder who shrugged, the pair barely paid any attention. She didn't even stick around for conversation, taking the leads towards the distant restaurant that caught her eye.
"Typical." Melanie said, the sisters falling in beside her as they followed after Cinder. "I bet she's got to be a pain in the ass to travel around with outside the city."
"Not really." Emerald admitted. Cinder was prickly, conversations with her still a bit difficult and the girl meaner than she needed to be, but when it came to their time beyond the city? She fought without complaint, handled watches with Talon when they camped out, and didn't have much of a problem with being out in the wilds for a long time unlike her. "Cinder is good at that kind of stuff."
Now that she experienced the training Cinder put herself through, it made sense why hard stuff didn't bother her much.
Melanie wasn't convinced but didn't say anything against it, the four of them soon seated just outside a place that served food the spicey side. She couldn't help but wonder if that preference was another sign of the effect Cinder's semblance had on her or just a coincidence.
"We heard that you handled that Marcus Black guy." Miltia, surprisingly enough, spoke up after their food was ordered and brought out to them. "Did you all really fight someone like that?"
Emerald couldn't help but frown, nausea threatening to rise up, the name alone bringing up things she'd rather forget she ever saw.
"No. Talon handled that." Emerald said, trying to put it out of her mind.
"That guy really doesn't mess around when it comes to that kind of thing. I thought he'd let mom handle things for him, but he went back to the market himself when he got back." Melanie said, Cinder actually looking up from her food. "I know that girl over there won't help and Talon likes to play all professional, so I need you to figure out his type for me."
"I'd like to know too." Miltia piped in.
Cinder instantly lost interest in the conversation, attention dropped back to her food. They hadn't really been back to Miss Malachite's so while they knew Talon killed whoever was responsible for hiring that assassin, neither of them knew anything more than that.
"Isn't this the kind of situation where you should just be yourself?" Emerald said, unsure of how she was supposed to help with something like that.
Melanie sucked her teeth. "If he was just some typical nobody maybe that childish bullshit would work. We need to know what kind of girls he's actually interested in to make some progress here."
"You're obviously not it." Cinder said as she ate, drawing all of their eyes, Melanie crossing her arms and raising a brow.
"Oh? You sound a little defensive there to me." She said. "Is that jealousy I hear?"
"Over being loud and ignored?"
Miltia snickered a little. "She has a point."
"Shut it you. Its not like you're having any better luck." Rather than any argument Emerald started to expect was coming, Melanie actually smiled, or maybe smirked, a little. "Look at you. I didn't think you knew how to poke a little fun without that attitude of yours getting in the way."
Cinder just looked away, returning to her food.
After a few more questions from them, most about Talon like whether or not they'd ever seen him without his glasses, the conversation moved on. Cinder didn't say much, only occasionally dropping comments, but otherwise uninterested in the things they brought up. The pair were pretty interested in hearing about what places beyond Mistral's walls were like while also trading information on a few different shops behind them.
If she didn't know beforehand Emerald wouldn't have thought either of them were part of a group like Spider at all.
Soreness and aches aside, she was in better mood by the time they finished eating and split up, the twins headed back to their business while they made the long, long climb back up towards the apartment building, the stairs even worse than she remembered.
At least it was the weekend. She could just sleep in and spend the whole day in laying around instead of that torture those two called training. Or maybe she should strike while Cinder seemed at least more willing to talk?
"Hey, are you planning to do anything tomorrow?" Emerald asked, partially trying to use a conversation to distract herself from the long walk climb.
"No."
"Want to hang out then? I could bring up a movie or two."
There was a pause this time, but her answer was as simple as the last. "Alright."
Emerald smiled to herself. She still had her doubts but maybe they actually were friends at this point?
As they reached the top of the stairs and began crossing the upper streets, their apartment building's entrance already in view, she put that thought on hold, surprised to see Talon standing just outside of it at the bottom of the steps. She picked up her pace a little when she saw who stood at the top of it, forcing her way through moving crowds.
"Fight me." Mercury demanded, staring down at Talon.
XOXO
Powerstone Goal: 600
(A/N: I don't think I've directly referenced it yet but now that the inner workings of Raven's semblance is fully up in the air, the way she's treated Talon in his youngest years weighs especially heavy on her since she's technically been the only one aware of the pain that naturally came with his reincarnation but did absolutely nothing about it. Speaking of that, if there's anyone who might be able to naturally pick up/discover the fact that his soul his older than his body besides Ozpin and Salem, it would absolutely be Raven.
I honestly find it amusing/sad that she can be the cataclysm for some development that Talon very much needs but she's straight up too afraid to risk forcing him into anything. I think some might call it an overcorrection? Raven's personality really doesn't make it easy for her to make the right calls as a mother but hey, she's trying to be a better one. To Talon at least. She really should listen to Qrow about Yang.
Anyways, here is the link for those who want to read ahead for anything I'm writing:
patreon .com/ thirdratewriter
Oh, and the spring maiden is still walking around. That's a thing.)