SLVR

As Vivian gave her replies, Sylvia could only chew on her lip. The insistence on Lev's perfection made her gut twist uncomfortably before Vivian continued on to try and defend her parents. Sylvia knew it was natural to do so, but it still hurt to hear the young girl ignore all of the possible horridness her parents exuded. Once she got it out of her system, Sylvia finally heard the real reason Vivian wanted to talk. She nearly laughed at how fast the girl was going, struggling to properly process everything. Once Vivian asked if she was Lev's girlfriend, the silverette burst out into a fit of laughter. Her? Lev's girlfriend? He had only started to really see as a friend recently. Heck, when they first met he thought she was nothing but a synthetic hack! A freak who had stolen his only possibility of continuing on in his chosen career and keep his parents' love and approval! As if he would ever see her as someone datable. Besides, she was sure he had hit up something Abby after the whole dance fiasco.

Forcing herself to calm her laughter, Sylvia started to answer the younger girl's questions. "Ha... sorry, it's just... I'm just Lev's friend. His teammate, his leader. I'm not his girlfriend. Sides, I doubt he'd ever see me that way. We just got started being real friends, I don't think he'd ever consider me a possible crush, let alone a possible girlfriend! Besides, I just see him as a great friend. Nothing more." With that out of the way, Sylvia moved on to address the rest of the girl's questions. "As for girlfriends in general, no he does not. He actually tried to ask a couple girls out. The first one was more of a ladies' girl, and the second girl was mad she had been asked just after he asked the first girl out. It was a big mess, but so far I don't think anything's come of it. As for the hospital..." Sylvia's smile dropped as she thought of the events that led up to their hospital stay. "Well, I don't remember much since I was out with a fever most of the stay, but your dad came to give Lev some sort of Medicine. According to my dad and everyone else in the room, he didn't treat Lev well..." Sylvia hesitated, unsure how far to go in explaining the events. Her dad had made sure to fill her in on what she had missed, including the visit with Lev's devil of a father. Sylvia wasn't sure what to tell and what to keep out when explaining what happened to Lev. Should she just keep it vague? Would Viv even believe her if she said Lev's dad had hit him? Or would the girl get frustrated by the vague answer and try to drag it out of Sylvia? It seemed no matter what it was a lose-lose situation.

Deciding to bite the bullet, Sylvia kept on explaining. "Your dad insulted Lev for breaking the contract he had with your parents and forcing him to come to the hospital with some medicine he really needed. He then hit Lev before leaving. I don't know what this medicine was, but it seemed like it was really important and Lev needed it. I'm a bit worried what he's going to do now. If he needs that medicine and can't get it..." Sylvia stopped talking there, not willing to go any further down that rabbit hole. "Other than that, Lev's doing a lot better than he did earlier this year. At first, he kinda... I mean I don't know if he actually did, but Lev didn't seem to take it well that I was made leader instead of him. He didn't really explain why until your mom came to try and take him out of Beacon for not becoming leader. We visited Headmistress Wudnerland after your mom hit Lev, and we explained that she couldn't make Lev leave if he didn't want to. So, instead your mom said that Lev was disowned since he broke a contract he had made with your parents. It was kinda rough on him for a while after that, but he's doing a whole ton better now. Vance, Reyna, and I are making sure we're there for him if he needs us. As for his weapon, Lev's still using a rifle, though he's using a different rifle than the one he came to Beacon with." Puffing up her chest just a bit in pride, Sylvia explained, "I helped him make a new rifle that turns into a longsword. He wanted a fresh start with his weapon, and I happen to know a lot about making them." She smiled, her eyes glittering at the memories of the long nights working on Lev's weapon. Even if Viv hadn't taken her warnings to heart or reacted badly to Sylvia's mentioning of the Castors abusing Lev, she at least got to end on a happy note.
 
At first Vivian was taken aback by Sylvia's burst of laughter, but she quickly joined in with giggles of her own, knowing how silly it must have sounded. After hearing out her doubts about Lev seeing her as anything more than a friend, Viv scoffed. "Well, I think you're cute, so if anything does happen, you get my seal of approval!" She grinned, giving Sylvia a thumbs up. Once the hospital was brought up, however, Viv's cheery demeanor dropped again, and she remained quiet to hear every word the silverette spoke. She broke a small smile out when Sylvia ended off with Lev's weapon and how she had helped with it, but it was clear that the details about her parents came as an unexpected shock.

"...I mean...mom and dad, they...they've never done that before! I've never seen them hit Lev. I've never heard them talk bad about him. Sure, they're upset about the contract...but wait, you said disowned? Th-That can't be right! It's just a restraining order! They said it was just a restraining order!" Vivian gritted her teeth as Sylvia's information started to set in. Using her frustration as fuel, she began to force herself out of bed with a growl. "Th-That idiot, not telling me all of this! I could have helped!"

Viv barely got a leg over the mattress before she had to give up, her muscles forcing her down for rest. Her growling and teeth-gritting turned to tears almost immediately as she looked over to Sylvia, sniffling loudly. "I don't get it. They aren't bad parents, Sylvia! They aren't! Every night my mom tucks me in, a-and yesterday, my dad took me to get donuts before school. They say 'I love you,' and they give hugs and kisses to me! Last week I flunked a big test, and they only grounded me for that weekend! I make C's and B's on all the crummy papers we gotta write, but they just say that I can do better next time, then they hug me and take me to the mall! Wh-When I talk for too long, they listen! When I get scared, th-they let me sleep in their bed!" Vivian's coughing seemed to have finally ceased, but her sniffling and crying took its place without fail. Even so, she kept on going.

"Wh-When Lev was around, they were tough on him, sure! But he made perfect grades! There wasn't anything he couldn't do, and they knew it! They never had a chance to buy him ice-cream after a really hard test. They never got to say 'You'll do better next time.' But we still celebrated for him! Every quarter, once the report cards came in, mom would order this HUGE pizza for us, and we'd all hang out as a family! Lev watched cartoons with me in the mornings, and mom would make us both eggs. I like mine scrambled, but he likes his sunny-side up, and she'd do that for him!" Vivian's voice squeaked with tears and hiccups, but she was determined to make Sylvia see why she was so wrong about their family. "When mom tucks me in, dad would always go to Lev's room to do him! If Lev came back injured, dad always had stuff ready to take care of him! If Lev had trouble sleeping, dad would take him out for a drive around town, and he'd always fall asleep before coming home, and dad would have to carry him to his bed! See? You're wrong, Sylvia! Y-You have to be wrong..."

Vivian took a moment to let her voice rest and her tears dry. After sniffing up the last of her waterworks, she looked at the silverette once more. "...but you're my rival, and his friend, and...and you don't have any reason to lie to me, huh... So then why? Why do I remember all these amazing things about Lev being at home with mom and dad, because what you're saying to me just doesn't sound like my family at all!"
 
Sylvia's stomach twisted as Vivian tried desperately to defend her parents, to convince Sylvia that they weren't bad people. No matter what Vivian tried to say, Sylvia couldn't get the image of Mrs. Castor slapping Lev and threatening to take away his dream out of her mind. The woman hadn't just hurt Lev. She also hurt her teammates, had called herself and Vance horrible names to try and demean them. Nothing Viv could say would convince Sylvia that the woman wasn't horrible. She may put up a nice front in front of VIvian, but inside the woman was as cruel as the worst grimm. Sylvia chewed on her lip as Vivian asked her why her family had suddenly changed. The silverette wasn't sure what to say. For a few moments, she chewed on her lip. Leaning forward in her chair, Sylvia sighed and ran a hand through her hair.

Preparing herself, Sylvia got started trying to answer the girl's question. "I... I don't know, Viv. Maybe your parents have always been this way with Lev and just hid it whenever you were around. Or maybe it was the fact that he broke the stupid contract that brought up this kind of treatment, though I don't think that's it. Either way, I can't deny how they treated Lev. I know what I saw and if there's one thing I won't tolerate, it's people hurting my team. Your parents... They hurt Lev badly. I will never forgive them for what they did, no matter what anyone says or what they do." The silverette paused, trying to get her thoughts organized and figuring out how to reply to what Vivian told her.

"Viv... You said your parents take you out for ice cream after a hard test right? Things like that?" She looked up, watching the younger girl before continuing. "And you said that they never got the chance to do that with Lev because he always did so well. Well, Lev not making leader was his bad test. This was your parents chance to take him out for ice cream and tell him they still love him. Instead, they tried to take Lev out of Beacon. They tried to force him to leave, and when he refused, they disowned him. Viv, if your parents really loved him and cared for him then why would they do that? Even if it was just a restraining order like you said, who writes a restraining order against their own child just because they don't make leader? Being a leader is nothing special. He's still making perfect grades, doing what he can with the team, and he even had time to tutor me while keeping his grades up. He's still living up to that stupid perfect standard, but just because he isn't leader your parents nearly ripped all of this away from him! All because of a stupid contract! Most parents don't make contracts with their children, Vivian. Even if they do, they don't include restraining orders or disownment or any of that other stuff. Even if your parents were perfectly loving before, that might have been just because Lev was making perfect grades, that he was fulfilling that stupid contract." Sylvia realized she had started to raise her voice and quickly shut herself up, taking a deep breath as she tried to think of something else to say, something to diffuse the situation she had created. She couldn't think of how else to respond, starting to mutter an apology and keep her voice quiet in comparison to how she was speaking before.
 
Before Vivian could respond to Sylvia, the door to the room opened. Lev stepped through and closed it quietly, striding over to his sister in silence. After checking her head and running his fingers through her hair, he sighed. "That's enough."

"Lev, I-" Vivian tried to explain herself, how she was worried about him, and wanted to help, but he held a hand up to stop her.

"Enough, Viv. Our parents...our parents don't love me, but they do love you."

Vivian's face grew hot, and her eyes quickly puffed up with tears. "D-Don't say that, you jerk!" She sniffed, mustering the strength to punch her brother in the arm. "You're perfect! They have to love you! I love you!"

Lev winced. "Vivian, I'm not perfect. I wasn't born perfect, and I'll never be perfect. You need to stop thinking about me like that."

Vivian's eyes narrowed, and she quickly grabbed out towards her brother, clinging onto his shirt to pull herself into him. "You idiot." she huffed into the fabric of Lev's shirt, digging her messy hair into the seams, "You're perfect to me... My perfect big brother. You don't need to do anything to be that! Even if you never got accepted to Beacon, you'd still be the perfect big brother!" She sniffled for a moment, drying her face up before looking her brother in the eye. "I've only got one Lev, and I'll never get another. That's you, Lev. You're the perfect Lev, and you always will be, no matter what you try and change!"

Lev's heart wound up at his sister's words, and with a smile he scooped her up into his arms. "Alright, alright, I understand. I guess I can still be your perfect big brother...but that doesn't change the facts, Viv." And away went the smile. This time, though, Vivian complied with a nod of her head, and Lev continued. "The day is almost up. Reyna, Vance, and I saw your class starting to gather in the gardens. Now I need you to promise me something... When you get home, just let it go. Don't bring me up to mom and dad, don't try to convince them of anything...just keep working hard, okay? And don't push yourself too far." After getting her nod of agreement, Lev's smile returned. "...can you walk?"

Viv gave another nod as her brother slipped her to the ground. Her footing was unstable at first, but she found her balance and turned to face Sylvia with a somber expression. She held her ground for a moment, digging her toe into the carpet as if thinking through something, then stepped forward and gave the silverette a deep hug. "Thanks for talking with me." Vivian spoke, muffled once more by clothes. Realizing this, she raised her head with a grin. "I don't think I wanna be your rival anymore. You're more like a big sister to me! My perfect big sister." Vivian redoubled her hug, and would have stayed latched to the silverette for many minutes more had Lev not intervened.

"Alright, let's get you to your class. I'm not getting in trouble because you decided to play hooky from your tour." Lev chuckled before turning to his partner. "I'll be back in a bit. And, eh, thanks for keeping her company." With that, the brother and sister duo were off.
 
Sylvia kept quiet as Lev entered the room. She let the siblings talk it out, leaning back in her desk chair as she calmed down from the serious talk they had earlier. The moment was sweet, though Sylvia felt she was intruding as Vivian declared that Lev would be perfect as long as he was Lev. Despite trying to keep out of the conversation, Sylvia found herself brought into it as Viv turned to her, digging her toe into the carpet. Sylvia tilted her head, curious as to what the ravenette wanted. Vivian shocked her by deciding to just straight up hug her. For a moment, Sylvia didn't move. She certainly hadn't been expecting this. After hearing the thanks, Sylvia smiled and returned the hug tenfold.

"Aw, geeze, no problem." She responded, thinking that was all the ravenette wanted to say. However, Viv seemed determined to continue surprising her as she quickly declared Sylvia not her rival, but her big sister. The term shot her straight through the heart. A bittersweet weight filled her gut. She struggled to keep her smile up, her eyes burning as her throat started to close in around her. "I... Thanks Viv. You... remind me a lot of another kid I know. I think he would've liked you." With that, Vivian was forced away, Lev thanking Sylvia for staying with Vivian. As Lev lead Vivian back to her class, the silverette felt the dams burst.

Sylvia reached a hand up to brush away the tears starting to fall down her face. She thought back to how Vivian had acted. Was that what Zak would have been like? He had always been an energetic kid, running circles around Sylvia and always leaving her in the dust. Would he have been just like Vivian? Bursting with energy and ready to become a great hunter? Would he have called her his big sister? Would he be proud of her, happy to see her when he went on the signal field trip? Would he admire her like Vivian admires Lev? A pang ran through her body. Her heart hurt as she thought about could've's, should've's, would've's. Ripping open the wound one stitch at a time, Sylvia imagined how Zak would have interacted with her team, with Vivian, with herself. Would he still look at her with those wide starry eyes and bright smile? Or would he feel shunned, forever lost in his sister's shadow? There was too much he could've been, too much he should have seen before he was taken away. He should have been with Vivian on that field trip. He should have met her team. He should have had to deal with her embarrassing him. He should have lived a full and happy life. He shouldn't have died. She shouldn't have killed him!

Sylvia gasped as arms wrapped around her. Vance had come back into the room with Reyna a little while after Lev left. Once they got in, they found Sylvia staring off into space, unresponsive and crying. It took Vance wrapping himself around her to finally snap her out of it. Sylvia blinked as Vance hugged her hard, unsure what had caused his teammate such distress. She turned and curled into Vance's embrace, not saying a word as she hiccupped and cried. The rest of the night went quietly for the team, Sylvia not quite ready to talk and simply soaking up her teammates' presence.

A week after Vivian's visit, Sylvia had managed to drag Lev along with her to get herself a new tattoo and piercing. She had dressed casually, meaning a leather jacket, ripped jeans, and a loose muscle shirt. Reyna and Vance had gone off with their respective boyfriends, leaving just Lev to join Sylvia on her quest to the tattoo shop. "I'm really excited to show you this! I practically grew up in this shop! Whenever my mom would get a new tattoo or piercing she would always bring me along. They let me doodle and even play with some of their piercings while my mom got her stuff done. I even got to give someone a tattoo! It was a fake one, of course, but it was still really fun! I already visited them to discuss the design and stuff for the tattoo I'm getting today. Maybe we might be able to convince you to get your ears pierced or get a tattoo while we're there!" Sylvia rambled, practically beaming as they walked through the city of Vale. Slowly, the streets grew shadier and dirtier as Sylvia seemingly obliviously lead her teammate to this supposedly amazing and fabulous tattoo shop.

"It's just too bad Vance and Reyna couldn't come. I'm sure Vance would get a kick seeing all the cool designs, and Reyna's got a bit of a punk streak in her so I could see her enjoying it as well." Sylvia just continued to chat as they turned down a dark alleyway, lined with hole in the wall shops. Some seemed to be somewhat sanitary while others clearly looked like they dealt in the black market business. It took a while, but Sylvia finally stopped in front of a small looking shop. Its windows were tinted, customers unable to see what's inside as they proclaimed in bright letters, "The best tattoos and piercings in all of Vale!". The silverette smiled as she gestured to the graffiti covered walls and the rusty looking door knob. "Welcome to Tenko's Parlor! It's where I got my first tattoo and piercing and where my mom got all of hers." She gave Lev a big smile. A few letters were missing from the sign that proclaimed the shop "Tenko's Parlor" leaving it to spell out "Tnko' Palr" with faded outlines. Overall, the place seemed to be in shambles and ready to crumble at any minute if the outside spoke anything of what it looked like inside.
 
Reyna walked in with Vance to see her teammate crying. Vance made the first move, but the pinkette simply stood there for a moment, trying to infer what happened. Eventually she shrugged her shoulders and joined in on the hug, figuring she could just punch Lev for whatever he did and deal with the consequences later.

After Vivian's visit, Lev seemed more at ease. He didn't make any conversation about his family, he didn't bring up his sister, and everything seemed to go back to normal. With the Vytal Tournament on approach, the energy around Beacon seemed to make a sudden and active shift. Teams took to the fields like the dorms were on fire, and even teachers were out offering advice in their off time. The only people that didn't seem to change were SAGE. Whatever they were thinking, they seemed to have everything worked out already.

A week later, Lev found himself taking uneasy steps down a neighborhood that he didn't even know existed in Vale, much less near Beacon, accompanying Sylvia to her favorite tattoo parlor.

"Are you sure we're in the right place?" Lev spoke between sputters and coughs, the street air disagreeing with him, "I mean, it's a bit dingy around here. If this place is as classy as you say, I'd be surprised to find it around here..." He let the words fall from his mouth, but after thinking about it, he realized that was a lie. He knew, probably better than the rest of his team, that any place Sylvia recommended wouldn't be anywhere normal. It was a charming aspect about her in hindsight, but at the moment it just made the ravenette anxious. Good thing she didn't seem to be listening to him as she rambled on about Vance and Reyna missing out. Soon enough, Lev's partner parked herself in front of a dilapidated shack, lips spread wide and proud as if she had just rediscovered a gold vein. Lev simply stood, his back hunched and eyes squinted. There has to be something I'm missing...

"U-Uh, wow! It, uh...looks great." Lev finally forced out with a weak smile. "...lead the way, I-I guess."
 
Sylvia took no note of her teammate's uneasiness as she opened the door, a chime ringing throughout the store to let the owners know a customer was there. Immediately, the difference between the inside and the outside of the store shone. While the outside seemed not to have been cared for, the inside was clean and new looking. Light greens and browns held the majority of the color scheme of the shop, giving a peaceful and earthy vibe. Plants were scattered in the corners and random areas of the shop, some little waterfall statues dotting the tables and counter. The floors and walls held a Mistral vibe as various sketches and tattoo designs were hung on the walls. Mistral influences could be seen everywhere from the design of the tables to the small cat statute that sat on the cashier's counter, welcoming customers in. Everything held a scent of lavender and the area clearly looked more like a spa than a typical tattoo parlor. Though the equipment and chairs quickly told that this wasn't a typical spa. Overall, the interior seemed well decorated and far different from the shack vibe the outside had presented.

The man sitting at the counter looked up and practically broke into a grin as he saw Sylvia approach. Before he could greet the silverette, the girl brought a finger to her mouth, shushing him as she made toward the corner of the shop where an office room stood. The man seemed to nod and started to speak, "Hello and welcome to Tenko's Parlor! You here to make an appointment?" He continued to chatter as if on script as Sylvia snuck into the office room. For a few tense moments, it was quiet. Then a yell filled the shop along with Sylvia's laughter. Out of the office came a dark gray haired, tall man who carried Sylvia on his back as if she were a toddler. The man had green eyes similar to the silverette and just as many freckles. He seemed to have almost the exact same style as the silverette, his tank top and ripped jeans revealing tattoos trailing all up his arms and legs. Some even went up his neck on portions. The man also had his ears pierced, similar to Sylvia's own piercings.

As the silverette laughed, the man cried in fake pain as he played along with her. "Ah! So the great huntress has finally found me! Oh be still my heart, she has finally unearthed my dark den of illegal milk dealings! Whatever shall I do! Oh please, fierce huntress, have mercy on this poor, sinful soul!" He cried, flopping onto a couch with Sylvia still attached to him, causing the girl to squeal. "Please, oh brave huntress, spare me from the torture that is Vale's prison!"

Out of breath from the giggles and sudden ride, Sylvia took a moment to think it over before smiling down at the dark gray haired man. "I may spare you, oh evil milk dealer, but only if you grant me a tattoo of my choosing and a piercing fierce enough to strike fear into the hearts of grimm everywhere!" She declared.

The man seemed to think it over a bit before shrugging. "Seems fair." With that their game was over and Sylvia climbed off of the man. "Ah, I missed you kiddo. How've you been? I've been working hard on the design you requested. I think you'll really like it." Standing up, he seemed to finally notice his other customer and turned to Sylvia. "So, who's this pipsqueak? Another friend you've turned to the dark side of tattoos and piercings."

Sylvia beamed as she turned to Lev. "Lev, this is my Uncle, Sorrel Tenko. Uncle Rel, this is my teammate Lev." She introduced, glad to introduce one of her favorite people in the world to her teammate.

Sorrel looked Lev up and down before giving him a lopsided smirk, walking over and holding a hand out to him. "It's nice to meet you kid! So you're on the same team as my niece here, eh? I hope she doesn't pull you into much trouble. Though, she seems to have neglected telling me anything about her team when she came in asking for a new tattoo design. Mind filling me in a bit?" The man held a casual stance, taking in everything about Lev. Sylvia looked between Lev and Sorrel, her eyes brimming with hope as she waited for her teammate to respond.
 
Lev's impressions were immediately tossed aside upon entering the store. Even he, after being raised in an upper class home, was impressed with the interior decorating. The style fit the intent of the shop, but it still felt comfortable. The ravenette almost wouldn't have guessed this is where people went to have needles jabbed into their body for fun. He still hovered pretty close to Sylvia for the sake of being in a totally new environment, but he was, at the very least, at ease. Then his partner fluttered ahead and into the office as if the place were her own home, and Lev simply stood in wait. Then he heard the yell, which stopped his heart for a moment. Then he saw the man storm out of the office, which stopped his heart for another moment. Then he saw Sylvia hanging off the man's back, and Lev swore he was going into cardiac arrest. Too many surprises...what the hell is this place?

The madness continued as his partner and the man horsed around. Their play-conversation made Lev's chest constrict uneasily, like he was young again, but in his own world. His own world where he would stand in his father's office for a while, drink his medicine, be measured, and tossed away for the day. His own world where, at school, kids would get picked up by their relatives like that all the time while Lev would walk home with his sister in tow. 13 year old Lev didn't know any better, but now he understood what a real family dynamic was supposed to look like and feel like, and his own world started to feel like a time-out corner without any breaks.

Sorrel's hand was the first thing to greet Lev outside of his mental space. The ravenette looked up with a start, brushing his hair haphazardly out of his face before taking the man's hand and listening intently to what he had to say.

"Niece? N-Niece, right, you're Syv's uncle! N-Nice to meet you!" Lev sputtered out as he caught himself up on the details. "Yeah, I-I'm on her team. We...we, uh..." Lev started to flatline. His eyes narrowed in anger at himself. Of all the places to lose it, this was the worst. Casual conversation was one of his fortes, yet here he was, gasping like a headless chicken. Lev looked to his partner for some reprieve, unable to wipe the uneasy expression from his face.
 
Seeing how Lev was floundering, Sylvia quickly rushed in to save him. "Our two other teammates are hanging out with their boyfriends today so they couldn't be here. You just met Lev, but my other teammates are a pink haired titan named Reyna and an excitable wolf faunus named Vance. I can tell you more about my team later." The silverette turned to Lev and smiled. "Here, we'll pull up a chair for you so you can watch while Uncle Rel gets everything ready. What do you think? I spent a good amount of my childhood here so I know the place inside and out."

"That's right. Sylvia here ran around here all the time whenever her parents couldn't find a babysitter." Sorrel added, getting his equipment ready as he turned to Sylvia. "Where did you want your tattoo, kiddo?" The man started to clean his needles, grabbing the sketch from his earlier appointment with the silverette.

"My upper back. Right below my neck, in between my shoulders." Sylvia responded as she grabbed Lev a chair, offering him a seat. "Here ya go! Uncle Rel's also got some snacks and water and stuff if you want any. This might take a while so it'll be good not to go hungry during it." She smiled, ready to tend to her teammates' needs.

Sorrel finished cleaning his needles and responded to the silverette's choice. "Ah, well you know the drill! I'll get everything here clean for you while you get ready." Sylvia nodded, though she hesitated for a moment to leave Lev alone. Finally she left for the bathroom, leaving Sorrel and Lev alone once more. A silence fell over the room, Sorrel dutifully cleaning and readying his instruments as Lev sat awkwardly in his chair. Time seemed to stretch on as Sylvia seemingly took forever to get ready. Finally the silverette stepped out with her hair in a bun and a towel covering her chest.

The silverette bounced over to the table near where her uncle was setting up and laid down on her stomach. The silverette crossed her arms under her chin as Sorrel finished his preparations, coming over with his needles and design. "All right, Lev, I'm gonna sit next to you if it's okay. Then I just need to do the transfer paper..." With careful and precise hands, the man laid a piece of paper on Sylvia's upper back, just where she had specified. Carefully, he pulled the paper back, the design transferring to the skin as a guide for Sorrel. The tattoo design was of the team name, SLVR. It seemed quite simple, but the full design hadn't been tattooed yet. Getting his needle ready, Sorrel adjusted his gloves and leaned over Sylvia. "All right, kiddo, this is gonna hurt." With that, he started the process, Sylvia grimacing as she was reintroduced to the annoyance that was the tattooing needle.
 
Lev was thankful for the save, and for the chair, but it didn't make waiting alone next to Sylvia's uncle any easier on his nerves. Then the silverette came out with a towel, and blood practically flooded into Lev's face, turning it a soft shade of red. Playing with his hair was the only distraction he could offer himself while the silver haired duo got set up for the tattooing process.

The ravenette winced as Sorrel began his work. It didn't even look fun. If Sylvia thought he'd ever submit himself to this torture, she had another thing coming. Then again, as time passed, Lev at least started to see why the end result had so much appeal. Maybe...maybe it wouldn't be so bad? How deep does that needle go, anyways? It was too hard to see from the angle his chair was placed at. Maybe if I just look over his shoulder... Lev's semblance held strong as he used his fingers to climb up Sorrel's back. Soon he was crouched on the man's shoulder like a hawk, peering down at the needle from the perfect vantage point. Of course he thought about telling Sorrel about his new seat, but he seemed busy, and Lev certainly didn't want to distract him. Besides, he could see much better here, and...to be honest, the process didn't look any less painful, nor any more appealing. But the "S" in "SLVR" was complete, and Lev couldn't deny he felt a bit of jealousy seeing Sylvia get such a nice design permanently attached to her. There was something poetic about it, at least.
 
It took until they were halfway done with the L when Sylvia finally noticed Lev crouched looking over Sorrel's shoulder and practically sitting like a hawk. "Lev!" She chided, looking for once in her life properly annoyed. "What are you doing?! How did you even-Wait, your semblance. Lev get off of Uncle Rel! You're going to make him mess up!" She knew she probably sounded a bit whiny there, but gosh darn it, this was a permanent attachment to her body! She couldn't afford to have Lev mess this up for her!

Sorrel didn't even pause in his work, only taking a moment to see the boy crouched over before continuing his design. "He's fine, kiddo. I can't even feel him there." The man smiled as his niece huffed, focusing on getting the script for the letters just right. This wasn't even the hard part. Sylvia could start complaining once he added in the final pizazz.

"Still, he could accidentally knock something off or do something to throw off your focus! Lev, get off of my uncle now!" The silverette was starting to sound seriously pissed, a far cry from her usual calm and easygoing demeanor. She couldn't properly look at Lev without risking ruining her tattoo, so she was forced to simply stare ahead, hoping that the raven haired boy would take her word and actually get back into his seat.
 
Lev was right startled when Sylvia raised her voice. He could feel the anger. It wasn't something he was used to, that's for sure. He was about to get off then and there, but Sorrel chimed in with an okay, so Lev stayed. He didn't necessarily want to make his partner mad, but...

"Syv, you know me better than that." Lev smirked. Yes, he didn't want to make Sylvia angry, but at the same time, he did. Being in this store, being around Sorrel and Sylvia, and being around tattoos of all things made him feel like a kid again, and gods knew he skipped his rebellious phase for good reason, and that was coming back to haunt him in full force...or rather, it was coming back to haunt Sylvia. "I'm not even a fly in the room. If your uncle wants me off, I'm sure he'll let me know. Besides, it's my semblance. I couldn't move him even if I drop-kicked his arm to the right..." Lev paused, wondering if he was taking it too far before shrugging. "You'll be fine. If you're gonna shove me into a tattoo parlor without any proper warnings, the least you can do is let me observe up close."
 
Sylvia groaned as Lev made his arguments. "Okay, okay, but this is permanent, Lev! I wanna be careful with this!" She could practically feel his smirk, fueling her annoyance. "Besides, You could observe other ways! You don't have to be right there on Uncle Rel! Besides, what if something did happen! Then I'd be stuck with a crappy tattoo and it would be all your fault because you decided you needed a birds eye view!" The silverette knew she should calm down. Really, her uncle could have a freight train running right behind him and still be able to deliver a perfect tattoo. Lev perched on his shoulder would be nothing. Besides, Lev being curious might convince him to get a tattoo or piercing of his own. Still, the silverette couldn't help the underlying worry that something would go wrong. So she continued to argue with Lev as her uncle chuckled at their banter.

Once the letters were done, Sorrel changed out his needles. Switching his gloves, the man came at it again with new precision as he started to add color to the tattoo. Each letter seemed to get a gradient to fill it in. The S went from a silvery gray to a light, peaceful green. The L started from an inky black and morphed into a fiery red. The V began with a muted brown that bled into a deep amber while the R started off completely white and transformed into a muted pink. The colors seemed to leak from their letters, giving the whole tattoo a watercolor-esque look. Once the man was done, he tapped Lev's shoulder to let him know to get down. "All right, Sylvia. Your tattoo is done. Give me a second to get you a mirror and you can go see it. I think it's one of my best works yet." As soon as Lev got off of him, Sorrel took off his gloves and stretched, searching for his hand mirror to show the silverette.

Sylvia slowly sat up, clutching the towel to her chest to keep some modesty as she showed off her back to her teammate. "So, how does it look?" She asked, her anger starting to simmer down as she waited for the verdict. It seemed everything turned out okay, but Sylvia wanted to see it herself before she would let Lev off the hook for deciding he needed to stand on her uncle and possibly risk messing up her tattoo permanently.
 
Lev was surprised that Sylvia still listened to his reason despite getting a bit hot in the head. Sure she was still trying to dissuade him from his antics, but she wasn't clamping down on him like he expected. She really was something else. "I'll gladly take the blame if something goes wrong. But it won't, so relax!" She didn't relax, but Lev didn't mind. Having someone to argue with felt good for once, even if he was just doing it to get a rise out of his partner. Their banter continued until the tattoo was complete, and with a satisfied huff, Lev hopped away from his perch to look at the full piece decorating Sylvia's back.

At his partner's question, the ravenette chuckled. "It looks great. Reminds me of the team. Y'know, I think I really helped out with this one. Maybe next time your uncle will let me hold the needle." Lev felt comfortable with his wit, but his face was quickly turning red again. Some part of him wanted to quip that this was the second time Sylvia had put him into a situation where he was staring at her bare back, but he shook his head against the thought. I'm just doing what any good friend would do. I need to get my head out of the gutter...
 
Sylvia smiled at Lev's assessment, but quickly lost it as Lev insinuated he had truly helped the process. "Yeah, no. Uncle Rel isn't going to let you anywhere near a real needle any time soon. Sides, you didn't help at all! If anything, you risked messing my tattoo up permanently!" She huffed, about to go on when Sorrel came back with a handheld mirror. Calming down, the girl took the smaller mirror before walking over to the full length mirror next to the tables of equipment. Looking over the final product, her smile practically split her face as she turned back to her uncle. "Oh my gods, it looks so amazing! Thank you so, so much, Uncle Rel!" The silverette set the mirror aside and threw an arm around her uncle.

The older man smiled, ruffling Sylvia's hair. "You're welcome, kiddo. Now, you ready for me to put the bandage on or did you want to get some pictures? And you know the drill right? No submerging, no direct sunlight, no tight clothes, no picking at it, moisturize every day-" Sylvia interrupted her Uncle by shoving her scroll in his hands.

"Yes, I know the drill. Now could you take a picture, please? I wanna send it to my teammates and mom and dad." She adjusted herself, smiling as she heard the tell tale camera sound. Taking her scroll back, the silverette gave Sorrel one last hug. Sorrel grabbed the first aid kit near his workspace and got started bandaging the tattoo up. Once it was all covered, he sent Sylvia back to the bathroom to get her clothes back on.

Sighing, Sorrel sat down and turned to Lev. "So, how was that for your first experience with tattoos? I could probably fit you if you'd like to discuss a tattoo." The man teased, chuckling before changing the subject. "Honestly, I've never seen Sylvia get so worked up over something before. I'm glad she's got a friend like you to bring new sides out of her." Seeing that Sylvia was taking her sweet time, Sorrel jumped on the chance to ask about his niece. "So, how is she doing? I know if I asked her, she'd probably just say she's fine. I heard from Lena that you both kinda got yourselves into some trouble and ended up in the hospital." Turning to the raven haired boy, Sorrel gave him an apologetic smile. "Ah, sorry, this probably is just using you a bit, but I'm a worried uncle, ya know? I'm taking any chance I get to get an honest answer about her wellbeing."
 
Lev simply smiled as Sylvia chewed him out on his antics. On the surface, he felt bad about making her stress out so much, but deeper down, Lev knew how much he craved his partner's attention. Again, he felt like a kid, but instead of parents who paid him the littlest mind no matter what he did, now there was Sylvia. He felt immature and hyperactive, flighty and somewhat empathetic; Lev felt the weight of his upbringing lifted from his shoulders as his partner chided him, and he couldn't stop his grin from growing as a result. He had to rub away a tear or two before Sylvia or Sorrel saw, wrapping his head around what he had missed growing up as he had.

Once Sylvia went to the bathroom, Lev took a breath and let his usual calmness take over again, closing his eyes to meditate on the amount of times he had been overcome emotionally over the past few months. Sorrel's voice quickly broke him away from his trance. "Heh, it was interesting, but I don't think it's for me. My skin is kinda sensitive as it is." Lev met the man's chuckle with one of his own, and fell into the flow of the subject change with ease. "Honestly, I didn't think she had it in her to get angry over anything. Nice to know she's human..." Lev paused, thinking for a moment before realizing how poorly he worded the phrase. His eyes blew wide open as he turned to meet Sorrel's eyes. "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to say it like that! O-Of course she's human! Her legs don't even mean anything to me!" Lev paused again, his brows tying themselves into knots over his misery with sounding appropriate." W-Wait, no, I mean they don't sway my opinion of her! She has gorgeous legs! The best! I'm not stupid! I just...I-I mean, she..." Lev grimaced and turned away with a cough. The happiness he was feeling regarding his bout of immaturity was quickly wearing down, and now he realized why it was such a good thing to leave it behind in the first place.

"She's our team leader...and knowing that she can lose her cool makes us, or at least me, feel better about taking up the mantel when she's struggling. It's a good thing...I'm just glad I can be there for her." He concluded with a sigh, twiddling his thumbs as he sorted through his emotions. Lev knew he was wearing his feelings on his sleeve at that point, but it was better to word-vomit now rather than have a total meltdown in front of Sylvia. As Sorrel asked his questions, Lev returned his eyes to the man, smiling as he voiced his worries.

"It's no problem, seriously. I'm already well aware that she doesn't keep people up to date on that stuff." Lev found his ability to laugh once more, and smiled at his quick recovery from his previous verbal panic. "She honestly is fine, though on a scale, I'd put that as a below-average rating...I don't know, she doesn't talk about herself. She's the den-mother of the team, always making sure she knows what the deal is. She's chewed more information out of me than most of my family ever had interest in, and I'm sure our other teammates could say the same thing. Vice-versa is a different story. We can suspect her all we want, and it could be as plain as day, but getting a complete story out of her is like pulling teeth... That's why I made the, uh, relatable comment before. It's tough to see her making life better for us all the time without any care for herself. She's no machine..." Lev thought another moment before deciding to stick with his phrasing, "...but she tries, probably without thinking about it, to make herself seem like one. Seeing her in the hospital, legless, made that clearer to me... Heh, maybe I should be sorry. I'm probably not giving you any information you want to hear. Truth be told, I'm probably as worried as you are."
 
Hearing the boy speak to him in a much calmer fashion than before made Sorrel smile, though the smile quickly turned into a curious smirk as Lev started to panic over a few misplaced words. As the raven haired boy struggled to backtrack, Sorrel couldn't help but laugh. Before he could try and tease the boy, Lev moved onto a more serious tone. The older man listened patiently as Lev explained the situation, ending with a returned sentiment of worry. For a few moments, Sorrel was quiet, taking in this new information. "You know..." He started, turning to Lev. "If my niece didn't have prosthetics, I might have been a bit offended that you so brazenly implied your attraction to her by calling her legs, "gorgeous". Thank gods for you, she's got prosthetics and I understand where you are coming from." The man smirked, enjoying watching Lev squirm for a bit before laughing and waving off the teasing threat.

"Ah, well you don't have to worry because you're telling me exactly what I want to hear. Sylvia's got friends who not only are worried about her and care for her, they also are working to try and pull her out of this shell she's got. I couldn't ask for anything more from her teammates." Sorrel ran a hand through his hair, sighing as he looked over at Lev. "So thanks for that. Do you think you could keep me updated if something important happens? I'll have Sylvia give you my scroll number so you can keep me informed." Just as Sorrel finished, Sylvia came out of the bathroom, jacket over her arm and shirt back on. "Well that took you long enough, kiddo!"

Sylvia rolled her eyes at her uncle's impatience. "Well, I was sending the picture to my teammates and Mom and Dad! And I was trying to be careful so I didn't do anything to mess with it!" Crossing her arms, she nodded toward the corner of the shop where a wall of piercings laid. "I believe you also owe me a pierced eyebrow." She smiled as Sorrel gave an exaggerated sigh and headed over to the area with Sylvia in tow. The process was a heck of a lot quicker than the tattoo, Sylvia now sporting a small stud just above her left eyebrow. With last hugs and well wishes, Sylvia and Lev were off back to Beacon.

After a few minutes of walking, Sylvia broke the silence. "Hey, thanks for coming with me, Lev." Sylvia glanced over at her teammate, a skip in her step as they headed back to their dorm. "It was fun getting to show you the tattoo parlor... Even if you had to go and try to ruin my tattoo." The silverette bumped Lev's shoulder as she teased him, a smile growing on her face. The day seemed to end just as great as it started, with Sylvia having a new tattoo and piercing to show off along with the Vytal Festival growing ever closer. It was nice to get in some team bonding time before they started battling for Vale in the tournament.
 
Sorrel's first comment made Lev choke. He thought he had gotten through that minefield unscathed, albeit in a bit of a panic, but no. The old silverette made sure to make him wriggle like a worm while he had the chance. Lev would have dug himself into an even deeper hole had Sorrel not changed the subject soon after.

"I-I'd be happy to keep you up to speed." Lev sputtered, still thinking about whether he should be defensive about his previous comments or not. Just then, Sylvia came out, and Lev felt his heart wiggle around in his chest, readjusting to an environment with Sylvia in it rather than enjoying a chat with what felt like a kindred spirit of sorts. The ravenette stood by as his partner made demands for a piercing, receiving her wish before he could intrude like he had with the tattoo. After goodbyes were said, the two partners were on there way again, Sylvia still giving him heat on the whole tattoo business.

"Hey, you should be glad it was just me." Lev responded with a smirk, giving his partner's shoulder a shove back, "If Reyna or Vance had been there, they might have tried to pull me off, and that definitely would have ended badly. I would think you'd be happy I'm showing so much interest in the whole tattoo thing, and even happier that I have a semblance that won't get in the way of anything. I can't tell who you doubted more, your uncle, or me." He teased her right back as they moved on, coming to terms with the environment of dark streets and sketchy storefronts. After talking with Sorrel, something just...clicked with Lev. Maybe it was because someone finally knew how he felt, or maybe it was something else he just didn't catch, but the ravenette felt infinitely more at ease now than he ever had before. That was just the attitude he needed for the upcoming Vytal Tournament.

Reyna, however, was not in the same healthy state. She got home late, tears in her eyes, wrinkles in one of her many dresses, hair a mess from her own clawing fingers, and makeup runny from various fluids making their way down her face. The first person she walked to was Vance, shoving her face into his chest without warning and breaking into sobs. They weren't the fear-driven sobs that she usually dealt with. Rather, these were something obviously different; they were desperate, and childishly upset. It didn't take long for her to reveal the reason why.

"H-He broke up with m-meeeee..." She cried, clutching onto her faunus partner before remembering her stash of pillows. Quickly, she snatched up two of the large, white, memory-foam stress relievers, crushing them between her biceps as she sat back down on Vance's bed. Her makeup ran freely into the white of her pillows, but she didn't seem to care. Lev felt a rare pang of sympathy for the pinkette, taking a swift glance towards Sylvia before going into the bathroom, reappearing with a box of tissues and a packet of wet-wipes. Reyna only coughed out a quick "th-thanks" before returning to her crying, stubbornly remaining on her partner's bed until she was done with her tears, whenever that would be.
 
Vance had not expected to be comforting his partner after coming home from a lovely date with his boyfriend. He had expected to come home, have some fun chatting and admiring Sylvia's new tattoo, and go to bed. Instead, he got a teary Reyna who threatened to break him in two before remembering her pillows. Almost whining, the wolf boy hugged Reyna and rested his head on hers. Whatever reason Uriah had for breaking up with Reyna, it wasn't good enough to account for the tears and pure desperation that seemed to fill her. Vance swore that the next time he saw the upperclassman, he would deck him. Nobody, nobody, made his teammates cry.

Sylvia received a similar shock as she quickly switched into mom mood, rushing over to Reyna and offering her support. "Oh gods, sweetheart, are you okay? Oh honey..." She ran her hand through Reyna's hair, vowing that Uriah would get a piece of her mind after this whole thing. "Uriah broke up with you? Did he say why? What happened, sweetheart?" Sylvia asked, wiping away tears and helping Reyna take off her makeup and hopefully relax a bit. Of course, this was exactly what her team needed before a big event. Some dick coming in and breaking their youngest members' heart. "You two seemed so happy together... Did he hurt you?" That question caused a growl to raise unconsciously from Vance. The wolf boy had looked sympathetic when Reyna first came in crying and trying to get over the heartbreak. However, thinking of the possibility that Uriah could have hurt Reyna... His ears flit back, his eyes practically narrowing as he glowered at nothing in particular. Sylvia focused on getting answers and comforting their youngest. She could go punch Uriah later. For now, she had a young heartache to take care of.
 
Reyna sniffed hard, shifting her position so her chin rested on the top of her makeup-stained pillows. "N-No..." she began, taking a wet-wipe to clean her face of its smudges, "he didn't hurt me, a-and...and he..." Reyna was fighting hiccups and tears both making monumental victories over her, "th-that jerk just b-buckles like that! Y-Yesterday we w-were going steady, but....b-but..." The words didn't want to come out. The pinkette looked to Vance, then to Sylvia, and even to Lev, evaluating what she wanted out of her team.

"...H-He said Azule told him to...th-then he just left me at the restaurant! S-Sure, he paid for the food, b-but I wasn't even finished, and I got this dress just for toniiiiiight!" And the tears fell once more, twice as hard, as she buried her face deep within her pillows.
 
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