Cinder held apart blinds, scanning the dark streets and alleys below from window tucked in the corner of the wall her bed was centered against.
There weren't many people out and about this late. There were more than usual but still not much compared to how busy Mistral was during the day, isolated groups going about their business while loners kept to themselves, at times ducking into the alleys. Shady people were nothing new even in this upper part of Mistral so none of it stood out as strange either.
Strong as he was, she couldn't help but be skeptical before.
Would Talon really kill someone? She got her answer when she saw the corpse of that assassin Marcus Black. He wasn't just willing, but it'd been so easy for him he managed it quickly after rushing ahead of them back then.
He'd handle the person behind hiring that assassin, there was no question about that.
"You know I didn't take you for the movie type." Cinder turned. Emerald was on her couch, sorting through the couple dozen movies cases she'd been building up a collection of, all of them spread out across the coffee table's glass. A pair of cases still in her hands, Emerald looked over the edge of the couch. "So, is it just me you don't like or do you not like seeing stuff on the big screen?"
"I don't like the theaters." Cinder said, looking back out the window. Too many people stuffed in a dark room with one giant distraction. She'd gotten caught up in the distraction the first time but sitting around in a place like that for so long was just asking for something to happen.
"Really? So, if brought up a movie for us to watch, you'd actually let me in?" Cinder hummed, scanning the streets again. Still nothing suspicious and no sign of Talon. "You really think there might be other assassins?"
That possibility was the whole reason she had Emerald come up here with her. Cinder didn't get how she could sit there looking through movies just assuming that only one had been hired, but either way, Emerald could hold her own and her semblance should help if one did show themselves.
It was smarter to assume the worst and treat things as if they were still out in the wilds. At least until Talon returned. There wouldn't be much reason for anyone to try and kill them if the one paying them was dead.
"Hey, Cinder." Emerald said, her voice lowered. "Have…" She paused, trailing off, before starting again. "…have you ever killed anyone?"
What Talon did, then the sight of Mercury dishing out his anger, must've been getting to her. That latter bit had been stomach turning but considering what his father had done to him, it was nothing surprising.
She found it revolting how many behind and beyond these walls thought they should love their family for no other reason than they were family.
"…I have."
She heard Emerald shuffle. "How many have you killed? People I mean."
Her stepmother.
Her stepsisters.
Her mentor.
She'd stopped keeping track after that, more than a few thinking that a lone girl made for an easy target.
"I don't know." Cinder muttered, stilling her shaking hand. She never hesitated when her life was on the line. Talking about it should be no different.
"Does it…How do you…" Emerald started one question only to trail off, attempting to find another. It took her several attempts before she put together an actual question. "How-How does it feel? To kill a person?"
Sickening. The rising taste of bile. The turns and twists of her stomach. The drop of her heart. The sensations since those first kills had never gone away completely, plaguing her the few times she thought back to it and all of her nightmares.
Cinder took a silent breath, suppressing all of it as she looked away from the window. Emerald was looking down into her own lap rather than over at her.
"Why are you asking me all this?" Emerald was content to attach herself to Talon and pretend like the ugly reality of the things they would have to do sooner or later didn't exist. Seeing him kill an assassin with no help from them should've made her feel more secure in that foolishness.
"Talon said he's going to be leaving Mistral once he's finished handling some things here." She figured as much. "He said I could come with him too, but-but I want to actually be able to help him. I'm not strong enough to really make a difference in fight so thought if I could-could…" She trailed off again.
Cinder didn't understand why she would be prioritizing making herself useful to someone over getting strong enough not to need to be, but at least she was smart enough to know she could be stronger rather than playing pretend like all the people in this city.
"We leave to train together in the mornings." Cinder said, leaving it there, and looking out the window again. This time she spotted Talon walking alongside Qrow beneath a distant streetlamp.
Was leaving Mistral with him an option?
XOXO
Heat rushed up to my face as I pulled aside a pot lid, steam allowed to flow freely. After checking the softness of the rice within, I placed the lid back over it, made sure all the stove's knobs were exactly where I set them, and nothing was moments away from a messy fall, before turning.
"It looks like I might not be able to blame any more lost bets on your semblance." I said to Qrow who sat on the other side of the kitchen island. With that circular sigil on his neck, no random bits of aura was leaving his body like usual. It only maintained its usual cool composure, not doing much in the way of movement.
"I'm not going to hold my breath yet." Qrow said, still doubtful. He already knew that certain semblances might not react the same way to passive one's like his, the fact that I couldn't copy it a constant reminder that we couldn't be quite sure this was working yet.
The only sure thing we'd ever concluded about his semblance, both through his own experience and my ability to see his aura, was that it was hyperactive in actual combat, especially when he was being pushed. The Grimm we'd encountered beyond the city since I placed that seal on him hadn't been good enough for that.
"Guess we'll have to have ourselves a fight. I'm heading to some local training rooms anyways." I said, idly noticing Emerald's approaching presence through my telekinesis.
With Cinder not so much a flight risk I tended to keep the range of it just around my own room but with the possibility of a few lingering assassins who hadn't got word of what I did last night, I was keeping an eye on the entirety of our floor alongside the ones directly above and below us.
I guess the two must have planned something, Emerald meeting Cinder at her door.
"Thinking you'll win?" Qrow asked, brow raised.
"Depends." I said, smirking a little. "Should I fight with or without my semblance?"
"Sounding real full of yourself there, kid." Qrow said chuckling, though that amusement soon fell away after a took a sip from the glass of juice in front of him. "You sure you want to keep training that girl? She's got the kind of look your mom has and we both know how she can be."
I shrugged. "It's a dangerous world. Some people don't have any choice but to be dangerous themselves if they want to survive." I said. "Besides, she isn't that bad. A bit on the meaner side maybe but that's nothing I'm not used to."
"Whatever you say." Qrow shifted a look crossing his face that gave away what was coming. "You sure she isn't more your type?"
I couldn't help but snort. Me and Cinder?
"Yeah, that'll never happen." I said, turning back to the pots again. Befriending her was one thing but knowing what she might be capable of? Not to mention what she's already been through? Assuming she could even look at another person like that, I couldn't help feeling a little sorry for whoever ended up being said person. She could barely bring herself to directly ask about or apologize for anything weighing on her mind without some kind of encouragement.
Me and Cinder? The whole idea just sounded troublesome.
"Shouldn't you be more concerned with your own love life? You're getting on in years, Uncle Qrow." I said, glancing over my shoulder. Qrow just shook his head, taking another drink. Age aside, if the semblance he considered so problematic was really done away with, that was one less reason for him to avoid sticking around people for too long.
Maybe he would actually settle down like Dad or at least enjoy himself more back in Vale instead of running around everywhere for Ozpin.
But I guess that was something for him to worry about on his own time.
"It's open!" I called out, telekinesis used to unlock my apartment's door and bring my shades to me. Whatever they had going on, it looked like I was going to be included in it, Cinder and Emerald stepping in together, the door locked behind them.
"Morni-pffft!" Emerald's greeting derailed into a laugh as I turned to them, her finger pointed at my apron. "You lo-look so stupid in that thing." She said between laughs.
She really found some clothes and a few words that funny?
"I'd look stupider walking around with stains all over my clothes." I pointed out, giving Cinder a nod. "You two need something?"
Cinder didn't say anything, taking the stool at the edge of the kitchen island, the middle seat between her and Qrow left for Emerald. After a few more stifled laughs Emerald was the one to answer. "Cinder mentioned that you guys do more training for stuff other than aura in the mornings."
That was kind of surprising. Even if she was warming up to Emerald, as obsessed as Cinder was about getting stronger herself, I didn't think she'd do something that'd arguably take away from me training her.
"You want to join us?" I asked, Emerald nodding. "I guess you're sticking around for breakfast then." I wasn't exactly making enough for four, but I guess I could give up my portion for her.
She was going to need it.
While Emerald questioned my ability to cook, I finished up the food without any problems from Qrow's sealed semblance, serving each of them a plate. Qrow gave up his to me, leaving the apartment ahead of time, the rest of us moving to follow after him once we were done with our food.
Emerald and Cinder already stepping out of the apartment, I stopped as I rounded the kitchen counters, sword flying into my hand. On the edge of the island, somewhat hidden amongst the kitchen essentials I kept on the island for cooking, was a small plastic canister. As I grasped my sword, I used my telekinesis to bring it into my hand, twisting it around to see the label.
Burn cream.
Chuckling to myself, I sent it back to where Cinder had tucked it away.
She really was the type who showed how she felt rather than saying it. The latter was a lot simpler if you asked me but a sorry was a sorry. Not like I was ever going to hold a genuine mistake like that against her.
XOXO
Powerstone Goal: 800
(A/N: A bit of a heavier talk between Emerald and Cinder, the latter finally giving us an even deeper perspective on how she views killing. It might actually be a bit more in line with normal people than all of you may have expected. Our boy really showed up soon enough to stop her fall into the worst version of herself.
We've got some calm chapters coming up again before some extremely important stuff I've been waiting on finally gets tackled. Can't wait to have all that ready to go.
As always, here's the link for those who want to read ahead for anything I'm writing:
patreon .com/ thirdratewriter
I've been doing a bit more writing than usual lately which is absolutely a good thing but I might not be as active in the comments as usual. Typically I try to stick around for a good while after posting but between editing and just general writing for more than one story, not focusing on that when I have the chance kind of sets me back. So yeah, I'll still try and respond where I can but my efforts to try and be able to consistently write for more than one thing at once is taking priority at the moment.