Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Oct 26, 2021 1:21:17 GMT -5
Nico took a deep breath, the edge of the fear tempered enough that he could start to tell the difference between reality and memory. It was still a thin line, and the slightest wrong move could send Nico tumbling back over the edge, but he was back. For now. He tried to keep himself breathing, tried to feel the cold ground underneath him, the soft, textured wood of the door beneath his hand. He dug his fingernails into it, ignoring the feeling of a splinter beginning to wedge itself into the skin beneath his nail. He wasn’t sure he cared as long as it helped him feel just a little bit more real. A little bit more alive. He wasn’t somewhere safe, but he could tell already that this was safer than Minos’ ever had been. The old nobleman might have cared for him, but his home had never meant safety. His home had meant… he had Soothed Nico. He had Soothed Nico until he couldn’t feel anything else, and Nico had wondered for years if he was too broken to feel anything when he really should have.
“Please don’t do it again,” Nico gasped, hating the tears that had begun to spill from his eyes, hating the way his voice shook, the way he was openly exposing his weakness to Breeze. He may as well have said ‘here’s the way to hurt me, come and do it if you dare!’ Breeze was the worst person here to show vulnerability to, and yet… Nixo curled in closer on himself, forehead pressed against his knees hard enough to make his vision go comfortingly black. “Please.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Nov 25, 2021 1:54:36 GMT -5
Well…this was most uncomfortable.
Breeze felt torn. As a Soother, he had the ability to nudge emotions where he wanted them to go. As himself, he tended to be able to do the same with no Allomancy at all. There was a subtlety to all human interaction, he’d found…the art of manipulation. Allomancy gave him an advantage much as Kelsier’s daggers did, he thought. Tools, but not ones that would be useful if you didn’t know how to use them.
To hear Nico sound that way on the other side of the door felt…wrong. He used Soothing in battles, sometimes, of course…fear was as deadly a weapon as any other, when used correctly.
But he hadn’t meant to hurt Nico, just now.
“I don’t think doing it again just now would do me much good,” he said finally, his voice sounding off to his own ears. He felt…wrong. He didn’t like it.
The next time someone walked by, he was going to switch places with them. Damn Kelsier and his speeches and charismatic glory, Breeze couldn’t be manipulated into something that was going to make his mind feel as stiff and uncomfortable as his back did.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Nov 26, 2021 1:53:01 GMT -5
Nico didn’t know what Breeze had intended, he only knew what the end result had been. He couldn’t shake the feeling that dug through him, the dull sensation that meant there was nothing he could feel that was his own. It was a sort of helplessness, an inability to claw his way back to a version of the world where he could feel anything, including anger. He had been taught to hone his anger into a weapon, but only when his anger was dulled enough that it couldn’t cut anything unintentionally. It could only cut what Minos wanted it to cut. The realization made Nico sick to his stomach. He knew that Minos had never intended to help Nico avenge Bianca, but this… this went further than he had anticipated. Had Minos been able to direct who Nico was angry with? Had he been used as a weapon against his will? Had… had he leaned into anger when it was the only thing he could feel because Minos was making sure that nothing else broke through? Discomfort squirmed in Nico’s chest, though he tried not to let on as he wiped at his tears. He didn’t want to seem weak.
“Thank you,” he managed, wincing at the sound of his own voice. It sounded small, even to him.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jan 23, 2022 4:41:02 GMT -5
Kelsier was on the roof.
Ash swirled past him, but he didn’t notice it settling in his hair and on his clothes, catching on his eyelashes.
He was thinking. About his plans, and what they meant, and about the boy under his feet who didn’t seem to want him dead anymore. About the stars that had changed things. Or maybe things had already been changed, and the stars had just made it harder to ignore.
He was going to have to figure this out, he knew. But for now, he just wanted to acknowledge that there was a problem, and let that be enough.
He was thinking about his next mission, too, and their next training session. The two were close to each other, but they didn’t overlap. He had planned it that way, giving himself a little bit of time in between, just in case.
He sighed, running a hand through his hair. Ash stuck to his fingers, staining them the same quiet gray as everything else.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jan 23, 2022 5:18:02 GMT -5
Breeze was going to have to talk to Kelsier eventually. He knew that, he just… wasn’t sure how to broach the subject. Oh, by the way, your new apprentice was lying about never having been Soothed before, and I Soothed him without thinking and sent him spiraling. Yeah, that would go over great. Breeze had far more self respect than to send Kelsier’s wrath down on himself in that way. He was going to have to hit all of those points in whatever explanation he gave, but perhaps he could downplay his role in it and emphasize that the boy had lied. Emphasize what he was slowly beginning to realize. Soothing had never been a weapon, to him. It had always been a tool. Someone had used it as a weapon on the boy, which meant… well, he was more dangerous than Breeze had anticipated if he had learned how to do the same. A sick feeling rose in his stomach as he paced.
Finally, Breeze couldn’t stomach waiting any longer. He stepped outside, staring up at the rooftop in the hopes he might catch sight of Kelsier there. It was hard to see through the mists, but that was the usual. If Kelsier was burning anything, he’d realize Breeze was there. And that was as good a place as any to start.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jan 23, 2022 5:35:52 GMT -5
Kelsier was lost in thought enough thst it took him a moment to realize there was someone below him.
That wasn’t too unusual, by itself. The building was a front. People were supposed to walk past, it just made it look more natural.
What caught his eye was that the person below him wasn’t moving.
He frowned, focusing on them. He as already burning tin, as he usually was in the mists, so it didn’t take long for him to realize who it was, and what they were probably waiting for.
Ah, Breeze. We’re the stairs too much to bother with?
Knowing his friend, it was probably just because it hadn’t occurred to him to come to the roof. The domain of the Mistborn. Or at least the people who wouldn’t die if they happened to slip.
Kelsier, who was both, didn’t hesitate.
He stepped forward, and tossed a coin, then followed it with his body, letting himself fall for a long moment before he Pushed down and slowed, just enough to land soundlessly and stroll towards the Soother.
“Nice night, isn’t it?”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jan 23, 2022 5:44:56 GMT -5
If Breeze had spent slightly less time around Mistborn (Kelsier in particular), he might have been startled by his friend’s sudden voice behind him. As it was, he just turned and gave him a lazy salute. He was going to make this as casual as possible. He wasn’t trying to make it a big deal. It wasn’t a big deal, except for the fact that he considered himself the expert on Soothing, and he had never considered using it as a weapon. It wouldn’t be a very good short-term weapon. It was something that would need to be wielded for a long time before it was effective. Wielded for a long time and in situations that would make the person being Soothed aware that they should be feeling something that they weren’t… he shook the thought away. If he thought about it too much, he started to get righteously angry, and that was Kelsier’s line of work. Just because the kid had been through a tough time didn’t make him trustworthy. It just meant he couldn’t trust his own feelings, which made him more dangerous.
“Ashy, my dear man,” Breeze replied, lifting a finger up as the ash swirled around them. He made a face, then wiped off a small bit that had landed on his finger.
“Why won’t you come inside and we can converse over wine like friends do?”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jan 23, 2022 5:55:30 GMT -5
Kelsier smiled, more out of habit than because there was something specific to smile about.
The mists may have been home to him, but he knew few people felt that way. Breeze in particular didn’t like getting his hands dirty when he could help it, in every sense of the term.
No, if he were out here, something had driven him out here. Kelsier gave the Soother a quick, piercing look, but whatever it was…he had a feeling he was about to find out. If it were urgent, he was confident Breeze would have gotten right to the point. The man may have been a bit lazy now and then, but he was far from incompetent, and he cared much more than he ever let on.
“You spend too much time indoors, or you’d be used to that,” he commented, but the smile didn’t leave, and neither did the ash already staining his nobleman’s clothes.
If there was wine involved, he was definitely about to find out what was on the other man’s mind.
“Far be it from me to argue against tradition,” he added, gesturing to the door. “Lead the way.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jan 23, 2022 6:02:02 GMT -5
If there was one thing the nobility enjoyed, it was white shirts. Breeze, always a fan of what little luxury he could get his hands on, also enjoyed white shirts. What he didn’t enjoy was getting ash on them. He let out a soft sigh as he realized that the one he’d been wearing would need to be washed thoroughly. He would do it, but he wouldn’t be happy about it. White was a difficult color to get clean, and wearing a vaguely gray shirt didn’t have the same striking appearance. He propped the door open for Kelsier, waiting for just a second once the Mistborn was inside to make his way to the kitchen and pour them both a healthy glass of wine. He sat at the table, staring at the glass for a long moment before looking back up at Kelsier.
The issue wasn’t urgent, but it was something that Kelsier needed to know about sooner rather than later. Breeze just needed to find the right words to say it. He reached out lightly, gently pressing at Kelsier’s emotions as he tried to figure out if Soothing would be necessary in this case. What might make Kelsier more willing to accept that Breeze had only done what was necessary? What was making the Mistborn feel loyalty or softness to the boy? What might he need to Soothe to make Kelsier just suspicious enough to take it seriously?
“I have reason to believe your pet nobleman lied,” Breeze said eventually, gaze locked on Kelsier’s.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jan 23, 2022 6:20:51 GMT -5
Kelsier ducked his head as he stepped inside, brushing himself off and leaving most of the ash behind him as he waited for Breeze to finish in the kitchen. He had to admit, he was a little bit curious to hear whatever the other man wanted to tell him. And to hear why it was enough to get him outside, but not enough to make him seem…well, in any hurry.
In fact, if anything, Kelsier thought he might be stalling.
Kelsier settled himself into a chair, accepting his wine, but not sipping it just yet.
He did switch on his copper, though. Not because he could sense Breeze’s touch on his emotions, just because he had met the man more than once, and he had a feeling this wasn’t something he wanted to be manipulated for, however well meaning it might be.
Whatever he had expected Breeze to say…the words out of his mouth were a surprise.
He lifted an eyebrow, looking at the man just long enough to give the impression that he might not quite agree with the wording, but he let it slide.
“That surprises me,” he said instead, his tone light. “What about?”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jan 23, 2022 6:26:17 GMT -5
Breeze’s eyes narrowed as he felt the copper. He wasn’t upset by it, of course, but it did make this more difficult. Soothing was a tool, and Breeze knew how to use it to his advantage. Without it, he wasn’t sure he knew how to navigate this. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to trust the boy just because he was noble. That would make him a hypocrite. As far as some people cared, Breeze had been noble once, too. He had decided that wasn’t the life for him and had ended up here. He knew better than most that people could change. He knew how deeply people could care while pretending they didn’t care at all. He wanted to trust the boy. He wanted Kelsier to be right, but the cost if he was wrong… Breeze couldn’t even begin to imagine what the world would look like without the Survivor of Hathsin. And on a personal level? He had already lost his friend once.
“Soothing,” Breeze said after a moment, swirling his cup around for a long moment as he considered whether eye contact was the best way to go here. He decided it was – at least Kelsier would be able to read the transparency in his gaze. “He said he had never been Soothed before. That is untrue.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Jan 29, 2022 16:12:27 GMT -5
Kelsier knew he hated the nobility more than most of his crew put together. For him, it was personal. It was his life and the person he’d loved torn from him, and it was every person he’d watched die since then, on the missions Gemmel had sent him on and in the streets and tucked into corners where they were either ignored or forgotten.
He felt no remorse for avenging them.
But this…it was different. It had to be, didn’t it? The boy currently occupying another room not too far from this one was worlds away from the people Kelsier despised.
Wasn’t he?
Not a good time for this, Breeze. I’m turned around enough as it is.
Not that he’d ever admit to that.
He studied the Soother, his hand resting against his cup without lifting it from the table.
“I see,” he replied finally, turning his mind to the problem at hand instead. If Nico had lied about being Soothed before…what would that mean?
It would mean he was a decent liar, at least. And that Kelsier would need to talk to him about it.
He frowned a little.
“Alright, I’m listening. What makes you think so?”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Jan 30, 2022 2:01:18 GMT -5
Breeze glanced at Kelsier for a long moment, wishing he knew the right thing to say. He took a sip of his wine, staring at the burgundy liquid for as long as he could manage before he felt the silence compelling him to speak. Blast, he thought, eyes narrowing. The whole ordeal would be much easier if he could just Soothe Kelsier through it. Unfortunately, he was being blocked out.
“I was guarding him, which you know isn’t what I signed up to do, but… that’s beside the point…” he forced himself to take a breath in, steadying both his thoughts and his temper. He didn’t like Nico being there. They both knew that, but for now he had to be level-headed enough to deliver a legitimate grievance.
“He began to speak with me, and he asked me what Soothing felt like. I decided to demonstrate, since he was asking, so I Soothed him. A flare of Brass against all of his emotions, just for a second, and when I was done… it was as though he had been struck or badly attacked. You know what a strong Soothing feels like as well as I do. If he had no experience with it, he wouldn’t have reacted as he did.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 2, 2022 18:05:40 GMT -5
Kelsier inclined his head, acknowledging the subtle complaint without addressing it. He knew the crew was divided over what they thought should be done with Nico. He also knew Breeze was firmly on the side that said Nico shouldn’t be here, and probably shouldn’t be anywhere else, either.
He was probably going to have to talk to him about that eventually.
“You Soothed him?” He asked, a little bit of his surprise slipping into his voice as he did. He probably shouldn’t have been, but still…Breeze was good at subtlety. Nudges here and there, an art. But a strong Soothing on all Nico’s emotions at once, without any warning?
Even if it had been brief…
“I don’t know, Breeze,” he replied finally, leaning back a little. “A strong Soothing can be frightening. If he didn’t know to expect it and he’d never felt anything like it before…”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 4, 2022 5:16:53 GMT -5
Breeze didn’t have proof that Nico had been Soothed before. All he had was his intuition. In some situations, that wouldn’t be enough. In this situation? If there was one thing Breeze was an expert on, it was Soothing.
“I very rarely Soothe every emotion at once,” Breeze allowed, obviously annoyed to have to make that concession. “I don’t know what the typical reaction is. But I am very good at reading people. There was more than fear in his reaction, Kelsier. There was something deeper. I know familiarity isn’t an emotion, but I could sense that it had been done to him before, and enough to elicit a stronger reaction than anyone I’ve ever seen before. It was dramatic enough that I genuinely believed he was faking the reaction at first. He wasn’t. I… I will give him that. He wasn’t attempting to deceive me, Kelsier, not in that moment. But I know he’s been Soothed before, and I know that means he lied.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 9, 2022 4:15:06 GMT -5
This was delicate. Not only did Kelsier have to figure out what had really happened, and what it meant for both the kid and his crew, he had to figure out how to have this conversation without upsetting Breeze any more than he had to. It wasn’t a situation he was used to navigating, not in his own crew, with people he trusted with his life and more.
Normally, he wouldn’t have been worried about it. But he knew the fact that this was about Nico made them both a little more on edge than they would usually be.
Damn . Maybe he should have just let himself be Soothed, and Soothed the other man back while he was at it.
“I know what the usual reaction is,” he mused. “The Lord Ruler does something similar to the people around him, I’ve felt it before. It’s much stronger than a regular Soothing would be, even if you were flaring, but…you’re right. It’s hard to feel anything, let alone panic.”
Then again, he guessed Nico hadn’t panicked until the Soothing had gone away.
He thought about it for a long moment, a small frown resting on his features.
“Alright. Let’s say for the moment that he did lie. What would cause that kind of reaction, hypothetically?”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 9, 2022 4:25:39 GMT -5
“I know the Lord Ruler has Obligators and Inquisitors to Soothe us all,” Breeze said after a moment, reluctant to even admit that. He didn’t think that level of Soothing would be enough to cause the reaction he had seen in Nico, but he didn’t know for certain. There was so much uncertain territory, and the only thing he could be confident about was that Nico was lying. Now he just had to convince Kelsier of that.
“Nico didn’t panic until I stopped Soothing him,” he added, tapping his fingertips at the base of his wine glass. He didn’t know how much effort this was going to take. He knew he would always be at opposition with Kelsier about the issue, but that didn’t mean he was just going to let it go.
“May I… make a demonstration?” Breeze asked after a moment, brow raising. “That much Soothing is… unpleasant, I’m certain, but by no means traumatizing unless it’s used constantly. A normal reaction to one burst of Soothing… I think Spook could demonstrate that. Couldn’t you?” he asked, raising his voice just enough that the boy would know for sure he was being spoken to if he was eavesdropping. He glanced at Kelsier, waiting for the Mistborn to stop him.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 12, 2022 1:57:57 GMT -5
“I know you don’t use it as a weapon, but the Lord Ruler does,” Kelsier replied grimly, shaking his head. “Trust me. An attack on the mind can be just as deadly as any physical one. Even more so, even.”
But they both knew that. Breeze may not have used his Soothing to harm anyone, but he still knew how to wield it in a battle. It was one of the many things he was here for.
“Spook?” He repeated, lip twitching up in a small, almost amused smile as he shook the thoughts away. “No offense, Breeze, but the boy’s hardly unfamiliar with the feeling of being Soothed by you. Not to mention, he’d know it was coming, and at least a little about what to expect.”
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “But the idea of a demonstration isn’t bad. Tell you what…why don’t you do it on me?”
He dropped his copper as he spoke, one eyebrow raised as he waited for his friend’s reaction. Not that he thought demonstrating on Spook would have been the worst idea, but still…even if he’d thought it was the most practical, he worried about what being used as a test subject would do for the boy’s already questionable self-esteem.
Plus, if he knew exactly what it was that Breeze had done, maybe Nico’s reaction to it would make more sense to him.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 16, 2022 4:14:03 GMT -5
“If your issue is Spook knowing it’s coming, then doing it on you is no better, my dear man,” Breeze replied with a small shrug of his shoulder. It wasn’t so much that he wanted to mess with Spook, it was that the boy was easy to Soothe. Besides, he felt he would probably be glad to be included in something important. That, and he was closer in age to Nico, iso the result might be similar.
He wasn’t going to argue to the idea of Soothing Kelsier, though, even if it wasn’t his usual subtle touch.
“There’s no grace in a full force Soothing,” he muttered, though he knew why it was necessary. He hadn’t wanted to use grace on the boy, he had just wanted to show what he could do. And the boy had literally asked for it. But this felt… different.
With a small sigh, Breeze directed all of his Soothing at Kelsier, pushing down all of his feelings with the same strength he had used on Nico. It was only for a second or two, but it was bound to be shocking, even if Kelsier was braced for it. Shocking, but not traumatizing. Breeze was good at what he did. He knew how not to hurt people with Soothing, except, it seemed, in this instant.
“That’s all I did,” he said, turning off his brass and meeting Kelsier’s gaze. “Jarring, perhaps, but nothing to warrant such a strong reaction unless he had some prior association with the feeling.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 20, 2022 2:15:03 GMT -5
Kelsier waved a hand at that, both acknowledging and dismissing the point. He wasn’t too worried about knowing it was coming, since he was going to be focusing on the feeling itself instead of his reaction to it, but he could understand the concern. He wouldn’t feel the same shock Nico would have felt, knowing it was coming. There wasn’t really a way to replicate that without trying it on some unsuspecting Skaa kid who wandered by, and Kelsier felt he would have to draw the line there. Those kids went through enough already without anyone adding to it.
So he waited patiently, braced for what he assumed would be more disorienting than anything else.
When it came, it was more abrupt than he’d expected, the jolt of free fall without the comfort of control. He felt his emotions extinguished in his chest even as he tried to hold onto them, an overwhelming calm washing over him, peace -
It was barely a second, but Kelsier didn’t wait that long to flare copper again, pouring every bit of himself into the metal and the heat as his body used it. His eyes flew open - when had he closed them? - and there was a dark look deep inside of them for an instant before he blinked and it cleared, his emotions slowly settling back to normal.
He took a minute, letting himself feel them, letting the copper go back to a regular burn only when he was certain they were back. He hadn’t meant to react white so…abruptly. But even if Breeze hadn’t been as good as he was, he doubted he could have hidden it.
“Jarring, to be sure,” he said finally, forcing a smile that was more for himself than for Breeze. “And, I’m sure…perfectly innocent if you’ve never felt anything like it. Like I said…the Lord Ruler has a fondness for weapons that don’t get his hands too dirty.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 25, 2022 22:31:47 GMT -5
Breeze narrowed his eyes, unable to determine exactly what Kelsier meant. He couldn’t disagree that a sudden soothing was disorienting, but he didn’t think it was enough to inspire the reaction Nico had demonstrated. Kelsier had reacted instinctively, sure, but he hadn’t been panicked. Did that have more to do with his temperament than the severity of the Soothing?
“Jarring, but not enough to send someone into full panic. We know the Lord Ruler Soothes people as much as possible, but it’s not the same thing as that… and I get the feeling he’s experienced that before. He’s learned to fear it.”
That in and of itself was a startling discovery. No matter how much Breeze wanted to pretend otherwise, Nico was still a frightened child. The issue was that he was a frightened child with a lot of power and a vendetta against hope. If it were just that he was a child… Breeze wouldn’t have been nearly as concerned.
“I don’t know what it means,” Breeze admitted after a moment. “I don’t know if it was part of his former training or just… I don’t know, Kelsier. I don’t like not knowing. But the point is that he lied, and if he lied about something as innocent as being Soothed before, what else could he be lying about, especially if he promised you that he wasn’t going to lie at all?”
Breeze took a long sip of his wine, then lightly set down the glass on the table in front of him. He wanted to warn Kelsier against messing with the boy, but he knew he couldn’t change his mind. The simplest solution would be to kill the boy kindly. That way Kelsier would be safe… and it might be kinder to the boy too, rather than make him live somewhere in between. He clearly wasn’t noble anymore, not in the way other noble children were. But he would never be Skaa. In Breeze’s mind, he doubted the boy would ever even see Skaa as equals.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Feb 27, 2022 7:00:36 GMT -5
“I know. And you’re right, it’s different,” Kelsier told him, and even he could hear the note of regret in his tone as he said it. He hadn’t thought he’d been hoping to prove Breeze wrong, but there was the disappointment, the reluctance to admit that the Soother was right, and not because of pride.
It had nothing to do with his own feelings towards the boy, he told himself. It was the feeling he got when a plan went sideways. When his brother stepped into the room and pointed out all the things he’d done wrong that week. When a heist got complicated when he was already in the middle of the most complicated part.
It wasn’t, but Kelsier was no stranger to lying to himself, and there was no point in stopping now.
“I know,” he repeated, letting out a quiet sigh and pressing his fingers to his temple for a moment. “And I know you don’t like how I’ve handled this. I know you think I’m wrong, and to be honest, you might be right about that. But Breeze, you haven’t seen him lately, not like I have. You didn’t see him when we…ah, well.”
He let his hand fall lightly to his lap. Then on second thought, he picked up his glass and took a small sip instead, letting his hand rest loosely against its base as he put it down again.
“I’ll talk to him about it,” he continued. “The next time we train. Maybe he’ll have an explanation for it. At the very least, I’ll have some idea of why he might be lying about it in the first place. Even you have to admit it’s a strange thing to risk deceiving us about.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Feb 27, 2022 21:42:02 GMT -5
“When you… what?” Breeze asked, suspicion clear on his face. His brow was furrowed and his eyes narrowed, everything about him waiting for the other shoe to drop. If Kelsier had started to become attached to the boy… it was entirely possible that it would be too late to save him. Kelsier was always stubborn, but when he was emotionally invested in something… well, Breeze knew what emotions could do to a person. And no matter how much he wanted to, he couldn’t completely Soothe away whatever Kelsier felt for the boy.
“Word of advice, my dear man,” he said, swirling the wine around in his cup. He wanted to drink more, but he didn’t need his wits dulled. This was a difficult conversation to navigate, and he was fairly certain he was going to want something a little stronger than wine when it was over. “If you so desperately want to train a young Mistborn, I’m sure there are some among the Skaa who would be more than grateful for your guidance. This boy… regardless of why he’s lying, he’s dangerous. Even you have to admit that. He doesn’t even see us as human. He is part of the system that has put us all in this position, and I believe he will never stop trying to kill you.”
Breeze let out a breath, catching Kelsier’s gaze over the glass.
“With your permission, I’d like to watch one of your training sessions.” Breeze was speaking before he could think twice. If he were in his right mind, he never would have offered his time in such a way, but he was concerned. If being there during training could allow him a better grasp on the boy’s emotions…
“I think I could learn something about him. And who knows, maybe you could convince me that he’s not as much of a threat as he seems to be.” The last part was a blatant untruth. It would take a lot more than a training session to convince Breeze that Nico was safe to keep around.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Mar 7, 2022 2:16:35 GMT -5
Kelsier hadn’t forgotten Nico’s expression when he saw the stars for the first time. He hadn’t forgotten the way he had leapt into the air, the way he had burned, if only for a moment. He wasn’t even sure if he knew he’d done it. He’d had eyes for nothing but the pinpricks of hope shining impossibly far above him at the time.
He left the question alone, though. He wasn’t certain why he wanted to keep that night to himself for now, but he did. Maybe he just wanted to figure out how he felt about it on his own before he heard anyone else’s thoughts, or maybe he was just used to the stars being a personal experience, not one to think about too hard.
“Why is this beginning to sound like an intervention?” He asked lightly, leaning back in his chair and eyeing Breeze. “I don’t need you to tell me what he is, Breeze. I’m the one he came close to killing, remember? I haven’t forgotten that. But…I was a part of that system once too, remember? I was never a true part of that world, perhaps, but it was Marsh who really understood what that meant, not me.”
It occurred to him suddenly that maybe that was what had disturbed his crew so much about this. Not all of them, but Breeze, Clubs…even Dox, though he seemed less willing to be vocal about it. Maybe it wasn’t just about Nico being noble. Maybe it was because he had put so much effort into being invincible that even they had started to believe it, and Nico was an inescapable reminder that he was far from it. That the Survivor of Hathsin could be killed like anyone else and the world wouldn’t mourn him any differently.
“He’s still shy,” he said finally, frowning just a little as he regarded the Soother. “And especially after what happened earlier, he’s going to be nervous around you in particular. I think he’s beginning to trust me a little. I don’t want to jeopardize that.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Mar 14, 2022 2:11:15 GMT -5
Kelsier wasn’t seeing sense. It was frustrating to realize that, but it was the truth. It was what they were all going to have to contend with. Kelsier wasn’t actually insane (although he was terribly reckless), but he did seem to believe himself immortal. He was good enough at tricking everyone else into believing the same thing that… well, he wasn’t wrong. Breeze was worried what Nico meant for Kelsier’s survival. He was a competent fighter, possibly one of the best in the world, but he had almost been killed by a kid on a revenge mission. A kid who could decide to continue his mission at any moment. The fact that Kelsier hadn’t killed him was one thing, but the fact that he was actively training him? The fact that he was freely giving him metals in an effort to teach him how to use them… it scared Breeze more than he cared to admit.
“You were not part of the system in the same way he was,” Breeze replied tersely, fist clenching around the glass of wine. “Neither was I, though I was more noble than any of you, once. You were not part of a House as big as his. You were not indoctrinated as freely. You never had the same expectations as he did! He’s still a nobleman, Kelsier! Deep down, he is. No matter how much you try to deny it. And worse than that, he’s a kid! How far do you think he’d be willing to go for his father’s approval? How far are some Skaa children willing to go for that very same thing?” He took a sip of the wine, forcing himself to breathe out.
“You are an adult, my dear man. You have made choices for us all before, and there’s nobody in Luthadel I trust more than you. But that boy needs to be handled carefully. If you think he’s beginning to trust you… Lord Ruler, Kel… I don’t want to disbelieve you, but he spent the last several years coming after you to kill you. Do you really think he could start to trust you in so short a time?”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Mar 19, 2022 19:58:39 GMT -5
Kelsier frowned a little as Breeze continued, the light, playful look in his eye finally fading to something more serious.
So they were talking about this right now, then. It was about the Soothing, of course, but if that was all it was, Breeze would have dismissed himself at this point, satisfied that Kelsier has been updated. But that was just the very tip of the iceberg and they both knew it.
“Careful, Breeze,” he said quietly, the slightest edge of a warning finally slipping into his voice. “I get enough lectures from Marsh already, I don’t need you starting. I haven’t forgotten what he is. I will never forget.”
He let the words hang undisturbed in the air for a long moment before his expression softened and he leaned forward, hands clasping around the stem of his wine glass.
“I know you mean well. And I know you’re not the only one who’s worried about how I’m handling this. But I promised him I wouldn’t kill him, and I intend to keep my word on that. I promised him he wouldn’t stay locked away forever, too, and that’s another thing I intend to keep. He is responding to the training, slowly. As for his father’s approval…”
Breeze wasn’t wrong to worry. Most people, somewhere inside them, were going to fight for that. It was human nature, and yet another thing Kelsier had lost at the Pits, if he were honest.
“I’m not saying he’s harmless,” he said finally, meeting the Soother’s gaze. “But he’s had opportunities to strike at me again. If he’s planning anything, he’s playing a very long game.”
I don’t want him to be harmless, he added internally. But he didn’t say it just yet. He had a feeling it wouldn’t help his case.
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Mar 29, 2022 0:59:13 GMT -5
There was something scary about Kelsier when the note of joviality was stolen from his tone. It was easy to forget that he ws the Survivor of Hathsin. It was easy to forget that he wasn’t the same happy go lucky thief who had left all those months ago. This Kelsier was something different. This Kelsier had killed. It was something Breeze was painfully aware of, but in moments like this it was all the more clear. He watched his friend, part of him wishing that Kelsier hadn’t needed to become this. The other part was drawn in by him, as always. That was the part of him that trusted Kelsier above all else. The part that could be convinced that Kelsier could defeat the Lord Ruler.
“You could convince me to walk over the edge of a cliff without Allomancy, my dear man. You know that. You know I will defer to your judgment. But you should know that I’m worried. You should know that I don’t trust him, and I believe he has something up his sleeve. I don’t know it is, Kelsier, but it’s something.”
He let out a breath, taking a slow swig of his wine before he glanced back up at Kelsier.
“It would be wise of him to play such a long game. You’re teaching him how to use Allomancy properly. You’re showing him your technique. If I were in his shoes, I would wait to strike until I had learned as much as I could from my enemy. But I’m no great strategist, and I have a feeling I’m a great deal lazier than the noble boy.” He let his gaze slip back down, swirling the wine glass absentmindedly.
“I just thought you should know. I won’t tell you what to do with what I saw.”
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on Apr 8, 2022 16:37:40 GMT -5
Kelsler leaned back a little, almost regretting his tone, though he had meant what he’d said. He was already uneasy about this choice, but what was he to do about it? He was uneasy about the situation in general. And for better or for worse, he had made a promise he had every intention of keeping, if he could.
“I know, my friend. And I know better by now than to dismiss your concerns,” he told him, meeting his eyes. “But the truth is, even if you’re right…what good does it do me now? I could kill him and be done with it, I suppose, and maybe I should. But I would be no more sure about that decision than I am this one.”
He sighed, shaking his head a little, a wry smile touching his expression. “I’ll talk to him. I swear it. But I know I can get through to him, Breeze. Maybe he will try again, maybe he will betray me, but at the very least, I can make sure he has a choice about it first. What happens after that is up to him.”
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Transgender
strider
No mourners, no funerals
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Post by strider on Apr 14, 2022 14:49:46 GMT -5
If it had been anyone else, Breeze may have pushed harder. Or maybe nobody else would have been able to get him to care enough to push at all. But the plain truth was that, no matter how worried Breeze was about the boy, his trust in Kelsier was complete. If Kelsier thought this was the right path, then Breeze was inclined to believe in him. Even if he was apt to be more cautious of it than Kelsier was.
“I hope you know what you’re doing,” Breeze murmured, shaking his head and tossing back the last of his wine. “Of course, my dear friend, I believe in you, but… I think this situation is more fragile than you think it is. Or perhaps just than you’re willing to admit. But if you say you’ll talk to him, I believe you will.”
It wasn’t Kelsier that Breeze doubted. It was the boy. Frankly, it didn’t matter to him whether it was fair to the boy or not. Things weren’t fair for anyone. If the boy had been turned into a weapon, that wasn’t anything to do with Breeze. His crew couldn’t be responsible for undoing that damage - they had more to worry about than one noble boy.
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Post by ®Hawkpath® on May 19, 2022 17:12:11 GMT -5
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After the talk with Breeze, Kelsier had stepped out. His mind wasn’t changed, and he wasn’t reconsidering, but he did need to clear his head, and the best way to do that had always been the mists.
It had been a training night, originally. Kelsier regretted putting it off, and regretted not telling Nico why even more so, but what could he say? That his crew was worried he was being stupid for keeping him alive? That there was nothing at all he could say to convince them otherwise?
So he went for a walk. Hammond was on guard duty, at least. He hadn’t explicitly told Kelsier he talked to Nico, but Kel knew his friend well enough to guess as much.
Now, he stood at the door. He was only a day late, but he knew firsthand how long a day could feel…Nico didn’t have to look forward to their training to miss it. It was still a chance to get out of his room and do something, even if he didn’t like the company.
He knocked, as lightly as he could. He probably should have taken him yesterday, really. Or at least dropped in to explain why.
He’d just have to do what he could to set it right now.
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