LIONIZED | AP

⠀⠀⠀⠀"— Don't bother." The statement was swift, stern. The feline wasn't even bothering to stick to the shadows after a certain point, making it all the easier to pick up on her presence. An agitated breath follows, right hand resting on the hilt of his weapon out of habit. The left, after a tense moment of silence, moves up to carefully remove the mask that obscures half his face. Keeping a firm grip on it as the wind dashes along the wounded scar tissue, his back remains to the Belladonna woman as he continues to address her.

⠀⠀Careless. Careless, indeed. The Huntress is barely mindful of her surroundings, if at all. There's a sneaking suspicion that she herself has also returned rather abruptly in the same manner as the bull... but, rather than keep on her toes— she's allowed her senses to be dulled while a haze settles in her mind. It's only when Adam has already passed her does the Rose girl seem to make a sound of shock. His pace reaches to a stop, a low sigh before he glances back.

⠀⠀Like waking from a dream. A dream of dark nothingness— how long did it last? A night? A year? A decade? The city has not drastically changed... but it has changed. The Cotes Ward has taken the most noticeable changes— but the house he gained remains the same. How odd... How irritating. Adam cannot bring himself to sit idly, far too restless— bringing him to an aimless walk around the ward. But, in due time— a peculiar sight slips through the opening of his mask.

⠀⠀The silent one— the human woman who does not speak. But her silence is filled with a bubbling frustration that bleeds into the air around her. The ebony-clad warrior reaches to a stop, for it doesn't take long to be noticed.

@wiltingbeast​ SAID:   [TEXT] Blake. There’s something I need to bring up with you. Pick a time and place to meet, anywhere is fine.

   well, this is a text she wasn’t expecting. slightly worrisome as well– a place to meet, huh? she could simply leave whatever this is be alone, but….

[TXT] The Boardwalk.

[TXT] In an hour. I’ll be off work then.

          [TEXT] Very well. I’ll be waiting.

     His messages are short and to the point. To some, it comes across as cold and detached. One could even assume this was due to his... highly strained relationship to the other Faunus. And yet, the truth of the matter... Adam has always been like this, regardless of familiarity. However, it was less from cold indifference, and more due to a certain... awkwardness about him. A charismatic leader he most certainly is, and he’s always been capable of rallying his followers at a moment’s notice. Yet once matters became more personal, the bull was rather rigid. A lack of empathy, perhaps? His own personal walls a detriment?

     Thinking back on it, Blake didn’t seem to be bothered much by such blunt tendencies. Was it her admiration that made her push past it? A fundamental understanding of what kind of person he truly was?

     He can’t help but dwell on past matters as he waits at the Boardwalk. It wouldn’t be long before another fireworks show of SpiraleFES started, the crowds already looking for the best places for viewing the sky. Yet the bull’s absentminded thinking almost made him blend into the background, so utterly detached from the matters around him.

           CONVERSING   with Adam Taurus… isn’t exactly her favorite activity. If this were Remnant and things were normal ( relatively speaking ), talking would be the last thing she’d do. But this wasn’t Remnant, and nothing was normal; he’s saved her more than once, and vice versa. On top of all that, she’s even seen Blake converse with him; even so, it’s good to know Crescent Rose is right within reach— locked and loaded. 

           Her eyes dart between him and the wrap around his neck, one brow raised with a silent question. Truthfully, she knows exactly how he acquired it— or, well, she knows enough to assume. She’d seen him several nights ago, stalking toward the Mistwood. No one ever goes into the Mistwood by mistake these days. 

        ❛   How many did you take down ?   ❜   Ruby asks, a relatively simple question all things considered. She nods her head slightly, gesturing just beyond.  ❛   In the woods.   ❜

     ... A direct approach? It’s a bit unexpected, the corners of his mouth falling a bit. Even with the cloth around his eyes, she likely would notice the immediate aversion of his gaze. Truthfully, he hadn’t given much thought to that night lately-- aside from the occasional twinge from his recovering wounds. It was like a trance had overtaken him, plunged him into a violent dream...

     However, why would she even care about such matters?

          “... Hm. I’m not sure.“ The answer came after a stretch of silence, his body now shifting to the general direction of the Mistwood. “I’m certain some of them were wounded... But if any died, I never saw the bodies.”

          “... It’s rare for you to willingly approach me, Rose. What do you want?“

     Adam was still in a rather peculiar state of mind ever since the return of his power, but by now he’s been heading back out into the public more often. Staying alone in that manor means being alone with his thoughts... And so far, that’s only lead to getting himself injured. Even now there’s a white wrap around his neck, hiding a deep cut he had gotten from the Mistwood in his reckless venture. He’s hoping she won’t take notice... but the wandering gaze of those silver eyes swiftly dash that hope away.

          Well? This was always the goal, right?

     A strong summer storm had swept over the city before the sun even reached the horizon this morning. A steady downpour quickly settled in throughout the wards, the low rumbling of thunder from afar occasionally racing through the air. Most of the townspeople had no intention of being caught out in the rain, many already in the safety and warmth of their homes. Why would anyone willingly walk through this summer rain?

     Adam should have stayed inside today. There was no business for him to tend to. Yet he was too restless. The notification he had woken up to had clarified that something inside him had changed. From this day forth, he was finally back to full strength. His blade was as sharp as ever, his Semblance capable of tearing apart anything, without fail. Nothing was holding him back now.

          ... Right?

     How could this be possible? Doubt should have no place in his mind anymore. The mighty Adam Taurus, respected and feared by so many in Remnant, was finally at full capacity in this foreign land. And yet... Why does doubt continue to fester inside his heart? This very doubt is what compelled him to venture out today, deep into the Mistwood. A forest of mist and fear that kept so many others at bay... The creatures that lurk in the dark, the perfect prey to hunt. Adam made no effort to let anyone know about this sudden compulsion. If anything were to go wrong, no one would find him there. No one would look.

          Why should they?

          “... Maybe this ‘Forge’ I heard about will be somewhat worth my time.“