@argentaeglantine (Heyo. I'm moving this over here so we don't have to deal with the ask and answer boxes. Considering you and I occasionally write novels for replies...) (Here’s the OG post.)
It was her.
He held her at first just to assure himself it wasn't an illusion. His thousands of questions fading as he held her close. She would tell him in her own time. When she hugged back it slowly started to sink in. Then he held her for an entirely different reason. He was afraid she would disappear again...
It was actually her. She was here...
He smiled for the first time he had in what felt like years as that brief fear subsided. If he was honest with himself, he didn’t want this moment to ever end. However a howl from a wolf made him stiffen and pull away eyeing the direction it came from. There was nothing in the immediate vicinity.
Nature it seemed had other ideas. The worsening weather and the fading daylight only added to its end. He took a full step back to look at her. If he could think of any words to describe how she looked. That is aside from how elegant she always looked...
It was tired. The look on her face was something he’d seen many times on anyone who was still fighting the impossible odds. Hell, he even saw it in the mirror.
He smiled a bit again as he gestured for her to follow. He took the step up into his temporary home pushing open the door again looking back. “You’re in luck, I’m just about to start dinner.” He huffed out a small laugh. “I hope you still enjoy my cooking...”
He stepped aside a bit holding the door open for her.
What does their bedroom look like?Her room in the Eglantine house is on the second floor; turn left and it’ll be the first door you come across. It’s a pretty big room, having been the nursery for Gen and most of her cousins until all of them grew up or moved out with their parents (her relatives tend to move in and out). Everything in it has been handed down from previous generations, as with everything else in the house. Her bed is pushed up against the wall, and her closet and drawers are opposite it. There’s a window seat, and the window overlooks the street. The walls are off-white, the floors wood, the furniture showing its age–gracefully, just like its users. Her room is very spare; the only mark Gen has made in it is that she installed mirrors along one wall so that she could practice dancing in her room. Its placement gives her a good position to eavesdrop from the top of the stairs or watch what’s going on outside in the street.
Do they have any daily rituals?Gen does stretches in the morning, and makes a big deal about letting down her hair and brushing it before going to bed, never mind that it’ll be messed up in the night, whether from sleeping or other things.
Do they exercise, and if so, what do they do? How often?Daily, given what she’s doing for a living. She much prefers training to working out (not sure how to articulate the difference, it’s probably just a weird distinction only I make). If she has any reputation at all in Beacon, it’s probably being one of those people who always signs up for the sparring sessions.
What would they do if they needed to make dinner but the kitchen was busy?If the kitchen was busy, that means someone is already making dinner. In her old house, that wouldn’t be cause for worry at all; in the dorm, that means Silas or Christina or both are cooking, and she either has to wait with some trepidation until they’re done, or she’ll need to go in there pretty soon.
Cleanliness habits (personal, workspace, etc.)Living with a lot of cousins taught Gen that no matter how much of a super-organized person she tries to be, entropy will always take over. So while she tries to be as neat and tidy as possible, she’s always ready if incidents happen. She’s really big on personal hygiene though, always takes a shower in the morning, sometimes in the evening if it was a really rough day at training or coming home from a mission.
Eating habits and sample daily menuAgain, a product of growing up in a large family that emphasized good manners and maximum family time, she’s very used to eating with people and actually gets anxious if she’s eating alone. She’s one of those fancy, meticulous types who would put a napkin on her lap whenever possible. Obviously if she’s out in the field, that’s pretty different. Gen always eats healthy food, and prefers homecooked stuff.
Favorite way to waste time and feelings surrounding wasting timeTo her, there’s always something that needs to be done, so it’s often a strange thing for her to just be sitting around without anything to do. Sometimes though she doesn’t feel like spending her whole time training, so she might spend her time in the dorm, dancing or reading. She could hit up any of her friends if they’re free too, to hang out with them.
Favorite indulgence and feelings surrounding indulgingAn indulgence is definitely a guilty pleasure to her; she’s not one to simply indulge in things. She probably considers physical affection an indulgence, which would include sex. (Given how often she and Silas get it on I wouldn’t call it a guilty pleasure anymore, but oh well. For most of her other ships, doing the dirty is rare if not nonexistent, so in those cases the indulgence thing would still apply.)
Makeup?Rare, and only when she has to. Sidenote though, when I make her in all those doll makers, I often give her blue eyeshadow. Goes well with her eyes and her color motif.
Intellectual pursuits?Definitely reading.
Favorite book genre?The nerd she is, she likes reference books–nonfiction in general, really. She likes fiction but doesn’t always have time to read them, so she’s picky about what stories she reads. If there are any bestselling fantasy series in Vale, she’s never read it; she prefers short stories and novellas.
Sexual Orientation? And, regardless of own orientation, thoughts on sexual orientation in general?Definitely demisexual. She doesn’t see it that way though, if that makes sense–she just doesn’t fall for someone or become attracted to them unless she knows them fairly well. She’s never been bothered much by questions of her sexual/romantic orientation, nor do the orientations of others bother her. (I personally headcanon, and hope that this is so in canon, that Vale and/or Remnant in general is much better with this kind of thing culturally and politically, so that kind of thinking might be more prevalent.)
Physical abnormalities? (Both visible and not, including injuries/disabilities, long-term illnesses, food-intolerances, etc.)Gen has many scars; a bad-looking one that covers one of her arms is about the only one I’ve mentioned consistently. Certainly nowhere near as many scars as Silas, and her clothes tend to cover most of them up (I imagine her otherwise smooth legs are very marked), but quite a few. I’ve never delved into the subject of any mental illnesses much, but she has gone through some traumas in her life.
Biggest and smallest short term goal?Getting high grades for the semester, and dance more.
Biggest and smallest long term goal?Become the best there ever was an accomplished Huntress, and graduating Beacon.
Preferred mode of dress and rituals surrounding dressNot exactly casual, but definitely not fancy-dress either. Her blouse and corset and heels say “lady” but they’re not exactly restrictive (her corset, at least, isn’t tightly strung to completely change how her body looks). She always wants to look her best, even though she might eventually get those nice clothes ruined. (I see you smiling over there, Silas. Shush.) She really does like corsets though, and she often laces them up on the front because there isn’t always a second person who’d help her lace them up from the back.
Favorite beverage?When it’s not alcohol (notably bourbon) it’s coffee and tea.
What do they think about before falling asleep at night?Anything really. Although, since she shares her bed with Silas, she often wonders if he’s going to wake her in the night or not. But that’s much better than worrying about what might happen, either the next day or in the future.
Childhood illnesses? Any interesting stories behind them?Gen probably contracted the Remnant equivalent of chickenpox or greyscale when she was little, and uncomfortable stories from the experience.
Turn-ons? Turn-offs?While not the most eloquent flirter, Gen likes smooth-talking in people she likes. If not, then really honest, endearing affection. Like she’d be snuggling with someone and they’ll be exchanging sweet nothings and then she kisses them and suddenly gets the “I want to make love to you” feels. Turn-offs are…well, being too pushy or cocky.
Given a blank piece of paper, a pencil, and nothing to do, what would happen?If she’s neutral, she’d write down little notes from class, stuff about Grimm or battle tactics. If she’s really relaxed, she’ll make some clumsy sketches of the room she’s in, or the view out the window.
How organized are they? How does this organization/disorganization manifest in their everyday life?As mentioned earlier, she’s a neat person, but is used to other people changing or ruining how she organizes things, so she’s learned to adjust accordingly rather than be annoyed and try to keep it the way she wants to. This definitely helped when Silas moved in and put all his stuff with hers; she just got used to having beef jerky and weapons under her bed.
Is there one subject of study that they excel at? Or do they even care about intellectual pursuits at all?Gen very much cares; she’s well aware that being a Huntress requires more than fighting good, and she studies hard accordingly. She’s not a star student, but she does well in most subjects most of the time.
How do they see themselves 5 years from today?An official Huntress, traveling the world and earning respect, both for herself and for her family. She’s determined to show that the past for them is dust.
Do they have any plans for the future? Any contingency plans if things don’t workout?If she somehow never becomes a Huntress, she would be very disappointed, but she already knows that one doesn’t strictly need to be a Huntress to hunt down Grimm. Despite her family’s mistrust of them, she could become a mercenary, despite the slippery morality slope that would put her on.
What is their biggest regret?Gen blames herself for Ferro’s death, and is always haunted by the fact that her beloved cousin never grew older than seven.
Who do they see as their best friend? Their worst enemy?Her best friends would be her teammates, Silas and Christina, and Lie Ren. No ‘worst enemy’ comes to mind other than the Grimm, although I remember her being antagonistic to some characters over at the RP blog.
Reaction to sudden extrapersonal disaster (eg The house is on fire! What do they do?)Make sure she can keep herself safe and then keep as many other people safe as possible. (I’m using the context of the Battle of Beacon for this, since it’s as big an extrapersonal disaster as it can get.) If there are enemies, they are to be eradicated with extreme prejudice. Gen trained herself to react quickly, so that even if she is caught off-guard, she can pull herself back up and get things done.
Reaction to sudden intrapersonal disaster (eg close family member suddenly dies)The immediate reaction would be silent grief. She might cry, but only when alone or with other people she’s close to. After that she’ll do her best to get on with daily life and help with putting her loved one to rest, but for a while she’ll have a hard time finding comfort in anything.
Most prized possession?Other than her weapons, her dancing shoes, especially the pairs that had been gifted to her.
Thoughts on material possessions in general?Gen is well aware that they don’t strictly matter in the end, and tries not to be too attached to any of her possessions, even her weapons; but that doesn’t mean it’s not okay to have them, or to like having them.
Concept of home and family?She finds it difficult to believe that “the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb”–for her, both are as thick and strong and impossible to cast away.
Thoughts on privacy? (Are they a private person, or are they prone to ‘TMI’?)Definitely private–almost intensely so. Gen never tells anyone anything they didn’t ask for/about, which leads to her keeping more things from people than they might expect; that’s rarely purposeful, and done out of force of habit. When she opens up to someone, she tends to see it as making herself vulnerable to having her emotions and trust exploited, so no matter how nice a person seems, she wants to keep herself from getting emotionally hurt. She is even more guarded when her relationship with someone is loaded–for example, with someone who’s prone to believing the stories about her family being traitors still.
What activities do they enjoy, but consider to be a waste of time?Gen wouldn’t engage in anything she’d consider a waste of time. Shopping. For anything.
What makes them feel guilty?Having to lie, either outright or by omission, for any reason; having to influence events or a person’s thinking to reach a more positive outcome (she detests having to be the manipulator, even if it’s for a good reason); having to make a choice between good things (say, having to save only one of two people she loves).
Are they more analytical or more emotional in their decision-making?Ideally more analytical, but sometimes Gen has the desire to prove herself for whatever reason, and that will influence how she does things.
Would they consider themselves a Type A or Type B personality?Gen fits Type A so much she could almost be a stereotype.
What recharges them when they’re feeling drained?Other than the obvious–rest–it helps for her to have someone she’s close with, either to hug or talk with or just share some silence with.
Would you say that they have a superiority-complex? Inferiority-complex? Neither?Lowkey an inferiority complex, maybe; but it’s not a major part of her personality.
How misanthropic are they?Not as much as she could be, especially given her experiences with people in the past.
Hobbies?Mainly dancing and taking walks.
How far did they get in formal education? What are their views on formal education vs self-education?So far she’s completing all of her education as a Huntress, and as far as she’s concerned she’ll finish it with flying colors. Gen is pretty confident in how Hunters are trained and taught, so she holds formal education in high esteem, but she’s aware that self-education can be just as, if not more than, effective.
Religion?We’ve been told nothing of religion in Remnant, though I headcanon that the Eglantines in particular would follow a very old religion, and that Gen was raised in its practice.
Superstitions or views on the occult?She isn’t very superstitious, and doesn’t bother asking questions about the unknown; if asked she would say she’s too busy with what she does know and can still know. She doesn’t scoff at superstitious people unless they’re being truly ridiculous about it, and if something out of her worldview is introduced, she’ll try to adjust accordingly, which is probably easier said than done.
Do they express their thoughts through words or deeds?Being very taciturn, she often relies on her actions to convey her feelings. That might make it difficult to get through to her sometimes, because it might not be clear to the other person/people what she’s thinking or feeling. She could try to explain it in words, but she’s not very good with them.
If they were to fall in love, who (or what) is their ideal?The one “requirement” she might have is for her significant other to be a Hunter as well. Someone she can work well with both in the battlefield and in everyday life, someone who understands her and doesn’t throw away her trust.
How do they express love?Again, with actions; though she knows how important it is for some people to hear “I love you”s and other things, so she tries to do that too. Probably the biggest gesture she’d attempt to express her love is by putting herself in harm’s way for them.
If this person were to get into a fist fight, what is their fighting style like?Savate.
Is this person afraid of dying? Why or why not?Only if it means that her death will not help her goals–protecting her loved ones and her kingdom–or worse, stop her from accomplishing them. Gen knows that there’s a bigger war out there to be fought, and she wants to be on its front lines.
He tried to register the fact that someone was pulling him up. Whoever it was they were being gentle, so it wasn’t one of the people who’d left him to bleed out or…drown? He could feel the water slipping off him.
Pain was shooting up and he forced an eye open. Despite the near midnight sky and blacked out apartment, it still hurt to see. He blinked rapidly a couple times getting his vision back.
She was starting to patch up some of his major wounds. It was always nice to see a familiar face after a near death experience. He looked past her following the water trail to the bath tub. He made a note to himself, to not break into rundown apartments without back up arriving first.
Now that he oriented himself he remembered what happened. A shrapnel mine and several assailants most scattered. “Black coat. Likes axes.” His eyes widened a bit. His next words came out near silent. “Check corners.”
“I was... Gods - maybe seven? Yeah... Seven, when I first had to kill someone.” Mercury rubs his fingers against the nape of his neck. “I was an absolute runt - maybe seventy pounds soaking wet, and this asshole picks me up by my throat for taking a half-rotten apple. So I do the stupid thing - I throw the apple into his mouth. See, thing I didn’t count on was the apple was stupidly soft, and it lodged itself in the back of his throat before either of us realized what was going on. I could have taken it out, but I watched instead. I mean - I didn’t really get what was going on to be honest - I thought he’d swallowed it until he started spasming and trying to breathe around it.”
Mercury leans back in his chair, eyes staring into space. “I didn’t even know I killed him until he stopped moving.” Mercury’s smile twisted then.
“I didn’t feel anything afterwards but vindictive - it felt good, to finally get payback against them - all of them.”
Christina Milaki was a girl who lived in dreams, adored the fantasy of the noble Huntsmen and Huntresses whom hunted down evil, cleansed the world and came home to drinks and food and warm family embraces.
Was.
As a blast of plasma sheared another Ursa in half, her blade ripping through another’s neck with the sort of familiar disconnect one would normally have with slicing a mushroom- and the same sensation- she couldn’t help but muse on it as she stopped, turning on her heel as she scanned the area for her teammates and/or any Grimm.
Expectation: Initiation would go smoothly, she’d find a team, she’d be happy and have a good time at Beacon from day one after getting accepted.
Reality: Go into the forest, nearly get killed but get saved by another student, find two more, the three of them got ripped apart while her leg was pinned under a tree trunk. Make it out barely, end up in one of the old dormitory buildings for 6 months until an opening opened up or made itself known.
Expectation: An odd job, a few students grouping up to clear a small village out so the residents can settle in again. Quick and easy.
Reality: Eight of them went in, only she and Argenta would make it out, along with a bag of Scrolls and a barrage of questions what happened.
Expectation: Get welcomed into Team Scarlet, things are standoffish initially, one of them is hostile-ish toward a Faunus but that fades over time toward a working respect for one another.
Reality: Friends almost immediately, there’s no real squabbling past alterations to the grocery list- she liked Oreos, dammit, and so what there was no room in the cabinet? There was counter-space!
She was glad that it did, though. As she looked down at her hand, a small pair of scars from a kitchen mishap that established that the three could not work in a 1-woman kitchen simultaneously, a smile crossed her face.
The life of a Huntress was a messy one. It was horrible, sometimes. The road that led her here, to this forest clearing amidst ash and Grimm corpses, it was paved with bone and blood. But as she looked down at her Scroll checking the map, and saw the wallpaper she had-
All four of them standing in the dorm bedroom; Argenta on her left, smiling naturally- a sort of stage smile due to the unexpected nature of the gesture, Silas throwing a peace sign, Evelyn sorta staring at the camera with no real opinion on the act in the back, still clearly visible due to being the tallest on the team.
She knew that it was all worth it. Because she had a family.
a((Sorry about my absence. I don’t know when I’ll be back.
What with school picking up again, and my dysphoria getting worse, I honestly think the less time I spend in my character’s heads, the better.
I don’t know when I’ll be back. Perhaps in the holidays when I have some time. In the meanwhile, if you want to talk to me, send me an ask, asking for my facebook or skype or hangouts, and I’ll let you know.
