Misconceptions [Private w/ Al]

[Bartok Evergreen]

Bartok was having slight flashbacks to the time back at Signal academy when he snuck into the girl's dorms there. He hardly ever did it alone, some girl having invited him in or he had brought a guy along. What they did was always juvinile and most of the time harmless. Never good. Unless you counted young teenagers hanging out late at night not watching movies "good".

He was thinking back to those times because he was currently rounding the corner to a dorm that did not belong to him. Unlike Signal, these dorms weren't locked or seperated. Unlike Signal, he wasn't sneaking in with a guy or even with a girl's invitation. Bartok simply wanted to drop in and get a juicy scoop about two of his peers by talking to the girl involved, Al. He had hardly anything better to do this night but wasn't tired enough to go back to his dorm and simply lay there and wait for sleep. Bartok was the one to socialize and be around at least one other person.

So, he knocked on her door. "Al? It's me, Bartok. Is now a bad time?" He asked simply.

[Al Ciendra]

Al had just changed into her sleeping attire, a simple black tank top and gray pajama shorts were the only thing she was wearing at the moment, her mask laid on the nightstand next to her bed and her other clothes were stored away in her locker.
After changing Al hopped into her bed, landing on the soft mattress with a soft "pompf".
She sighed, she really wasn't tired yet, but she also did not feel like leaving her room anymore, her bed was much too comfortable and there wasn't a whole lot she could do outside, except maybe go into the city for some late night partying, but she hated those clubs, they were loud, bright and smelled like all kinds of things.
Plus there was a good chance some drunk party goers would try to steal her mask for a stupid prank, or some fuck boys wanting to see her face. She really rather would avoid a situation like that...maybe she could go with Ax at some point she would feel a lot safer that way.

Hm, someone was moving outside, probably someone going to bed a bit later than they should, or someone that just came home from a party.
Eh, what ever...wait they stopped in front of her room.
Oh, it was Bartok what was he doing here ?
"Oh sure, just a second."
Al said as she got up, putting her scroll on the nightstand, tugging lightly at her top to make sure it set correctly, even though it really did not matter, Bartok was blind after all.
Al got up and walked to the door, opening the door without hesitation, as she looked at the bat faunus, he was dressed like usual, and it didn't seem like he was stressed or anything, good, so it wasn't an emergency, that was something she had no energy to deal with right now.
"Here, come in."
Al said and went to sit back on her bed, leaning her back against the wall, leaving the door open for Bartok to come in and get settled in.
Her room was dimly lit, just a small lamp on her nightstand was turned on.
Besides that the room was fairly standard, there was a closet opposite to the bed, a small table right next to the window with two chairs to it.
Al patted a spot on the bed next to here.
"You can sit here."
She went a bit to the side to make some space for Bartok.
Once he sat down Al would turn to him, a bit confused by his evening visit.
"So how come I have the honor of this late visit ?"
Al asked with a smirk on her face, it was obvious that while this was unexpected
She was unsure why he had come here, was there something he wanted to talk about, or did he just want to hang out ?

[Bartok Evergreen]

Bartok waited until she opened the door and let him inside. He listened to where she stepped and stepped where she did inside. He mimed looking around the dorm while he snapped his fingers, the clear percise sounds mapping the place out with help of his ears. It was the standard dorm layout, but he didn't want to go bumping into some table that she had moved over. Even though it was the same as everyone else's, he still made the remark, "This is a nice place you got here." He took off his shoes, the things nice enough to wear to a funeral.

Accepting her invitation, he moved to sit with her on the bed. "Here, with you?" He asked as he sat down. "I didn't think I'd ever get the pleasure of you inviting me to your bed." He knew exactly how that sounded, and that was sort of why he said it. "I actually came to be a snoop and get some hot intel on anything that might have been, you know, going on between you and the mysterious masked Carmine Crest." He smiled like a fox, showing his teeth.

"Two masked people coming to the school at the same time? One a young woman, the other a young man? There must be something going on. Tell me everything!" He said and scootched a little closer to her.

[Al Ciendra]

Al disregarded Bartok's comment regarding her room, she had not even thought about decorating it so it looked just like the day she had entered for the the first time.
Well besides her gear that was spread around it.
Al sighed at the comment, of course he'd make a joke like this, she rolled her eyes yet smiled a little.
"Theres a a perfectly fine chair right next to the bed, you can sit there if you'd prefer that over my company."
Her voice held no malice, Al was just teasing him back a bit.

Though his next question had a much different reaction.
Her and Carmine, what ?!
She didn't dislike Carmine, he was an alright guy...but she had bareley talked to him, she knew almost nothing about him, though that was probably normal,
But besides this surprise Al snorted, before going into full on laughter, hearty and probably loud enough to be heard troughout the entire dormbuilding, which is why Al quickly muffled herself by holding a pillow to her chest and laughing into that instead.
"Out of all things, how did you get that idea ?"
Al asked, wiping a few tears away from her healthy eye.
"Just because we both wear masks were dating, thats kinda silly don't you think ?"
Al giggled a little, before finally stopping her laughter, she was yet grinning at Bartok.
"No Bartok, I'm not dating Carmine, I'm not dating anyone right now."
She kinda doubted she ever would, not that there wasn't someone she'd like to date but...it was unclear to her if she would ever have the confidence to actually ask that person out.

[Bartok Evergreen]

"Oh, you think me low enough to choose a chair over your company? Please." Bartok would scoot a little closer.

Al erupted into laughter that was so genuiene he was tempted to use his Semblance just to get a taste of it. He restrained himself and stayed proud with the fact that he had said something to make her laugh like that. The sound of her laughter and the way she kicked her feet a little was just so adorable and likeable. Gosh, he could hear that more. It was loud and he flattened his ears against his head, but he still liked how it sounded. Besides his ears moving he leaned back against the wall, thinking more on her laugh than what had actually made her laugh.

Al then shattered his whole perception of her and Carmine with her next words, even with laughter and giggles between them. "Oh, I-, uh..." He scratched his cheek. "I just, thought you two matched so well. That there would be some sort of kindred attraction. I thought it would be entirely romantic if you two were the only ones who knew the other's face and all that. Maybe the idea was better in my head than reality." He chuckled.

"Well, why aren't you dating anyone? It can't all be because of the whole mask thing, right? I mean, more people than I must have been able to tell how hot you are! Excuse the pun, if you would. And then you have the whole mask and cloak thing that shrouds you in mystery! You're practically the love interest with a sad past that romance novels would kill for."

[Al Ciendra]

"Yeah it was probably much better in your head. It does sound kind of romantic though.
Al pondered a little, Bartok may have a point, if it were two different masked people then it may even have worked, but Carmine was just way to distant for Al to make any real connection with him, plus she kind of had the feeling he was scared of her, for what reason Al could not explain to herself.
Bartok's next question did make her curl up a little, should she be dating someone ?
Was it wierd not to ? Al had no expiernce with this topic.
But an honest explanation was just that the past few days and weeks she had been thinking of a lot of things, that did not even slightly corelate to a romantic relationship. Her whole mask situation of course also did not help, unlike what Bartok was thinking.
She wore it for a good reason, one the literal blind bat could not relate to.
Al remained silent for a little, she did not know what to say to Bartok, but she should stick with the truth.
"I just have a lot of other things on my mind, unlike you I'm not chasing after every hot person I meet."
Al chuckled a little, just teasing him a little, mostly to make herself feel more comfortable by distracting herself from her own discomfort, which did not really help as her smile faded into another frown.
"But no, the mask or rather what isn't behind it does not make things easier."
She eyed her mask, wondering how things would be if she would have never needed it in the first place.
Well she would probably never have awakend her semblance, so this situation would never happen in the first place, Al chuckled a little, this thought was pretty ironic.

[Bartok Evergreen]

Bartok smiled as she thought. She did a bit of chuckling with her next words, but there was a hint of sadness or something like it behind her next words.

"I don't chase every hot person I meet. I already tried my hand at Ax when I met her, but she's not into guys. I leave those who are taken alone." Then he thought about what he had said. "Most of the time. Ssssome of the time. Sometimes." Then he scratched his head. "Ok, I broke enough relationships enough to say that. I guess I leave those alone who I actually want to get together." He laughed at that. "That's why I never chased you at all. But now..." He clicked his tongue and snapped a finger gun at her, both snapping at the same time. "I got free reign."

[Al Ciendra]

It took a second to realize what Bartok had said, so that's why he wasn't acting around her like he acted around most other girls, because in his own head he wanted to give her and Carmine space, huh...that was oddly thoughtful of him.
But then again he did also mention breaking relationships...she really hoped that meant something other than what she just envisioned.
And there it was, that cheeky side of his, Al sighed a little, well guess this was happening now.
"Sure I suppose, just keep the fire jokes to a minimum please. Or would that be too much of a handicap when it comes to your pickup lines ?"
Al asked, with a somewhat teasing tone, while she was serious, since too many fire related lines would probably drive her crazy, she was also challenging Bartok, she hoped that he picked up on it, since it was more likely that Bartok would respond better to a challenge than an actual request.

[Bartok Evergreen]

Bartok put up both hands to the side as if he was offended. "You think barring me from the easiest lines for you is much of a handicap? It just means I can't settle for the easy stuff." He made the motion of straightening a necktie, which he didn't have. "I'll show you my stuff. That is, as long as you show me yours~" He flashed her a smile and his eyebrow bobbed up and down.

"I understand why you'd want the be done with those sorts of words, though. You've probably grown bored and tired of them. I may be a lot of things Al, but I am never a bore. Ask any girl from Signal." Bartok put his hands behind his head, smiling.

Then he frowned a bit. "You know, aside from the mask and the fire and the wolf, I don't actually know much about you. I can provide you with ample pick up lines, as I've just demonstrated, but having more knowledge about you personally would give me so much more ammuntion. So, tell me... Who was your first crush, even as a little kid?" Bartok would trasform from the one controlling the conversation to someone very keen on listening, like a child wanting to hear a story.

[Al Ciendra]

Al giggled at his response, she was happy her little tease had gone over like this, his response was also just as, if not funnier, it was nice to know that while Bartok was as witty and funny as ever he was still very considerate.
"I'm just messing with you Bartok, I know your much to creative to be bothered by something like this."
She replied, before he leaned back and sighed, the next question made her frown a little too.
Yeah, he really knew barely anything about her, but she also barely knew anything about him.
"Uhm...sure but you gotta tell me something about you too afterwards."
Al crossed her arms over her chest, as she just thought for a bit.
"Well uhm...I suppose my first ever crush was that one guy that worked in the local bakery in Azmarine. You know, always smiling, helps others out and just tall, fit and tanned and he was just super kind. He gave me some free cake after I finally recovered and got out of the hospital after....l-let's not go there."
Al did not want to thik of the past any longer than she had to, especially that event.
"Also...I guess he did not really count as a crush, since I was like 8 at the time, he was more so my fairy tale prince than anything else. But, I uhm..."
Al paused, should she really do this ? Well he did ask and maybe he was the only she could really talk about this right now, she had not even told her parents yet.
"...well I guess it turns out...I'm Bi, cuz...A-ax is super cool and I feel just super great when I'm around her. But...I don't know if I even have the guts to tell her, Ax is so awesome and...I dunno...sorry, probably a bad time to talk about this."
Man, she really was just the worst at talking about anything remotely serious.

[Bartok Evergreen]

"Why thank you. Not many people fully understand how flexible I can be." He said and nodded in agreement to her demand. "Of course. You give a little, I give a little."

Bartok listened and made soft sounds of agreement. "I would count it as a crush, no matter the age difference." He said. Then she surprised him. "Ax? Well." He couldn't say that hearing her praise someone else didn't prick his heart with something sharp. He wasn't crushing hard on Al or anything, but he liked her and his constant hopelessly romantic brain thought that since she was so comfortable just letting him into her dorm room and leaving her mask off, even though he was blind, that she felt comfortable and safe around him. Any woman feeling safe while alone in a man's presence was something to be noted, most likely interpreted as attraction. In short, Bartok thought Al was into him and because of that, his constant search for romance lead him to also be into her a bit. Oh well.

"Women, in general, captivate an eye with far more grace than men, and Ax is quite the looker. I've only been close enough to actually see her once, but that was all I needed." Bartok smirked at the memory where he realized how little she had been wearing at the time.

But Al wasn't talking about how pretty she was, more of how she felt about her. Normally he would be encouraging Al to go tell Ax her feelings, but Bartok had heard, through the grapevine but mostly with his very impressive hearing, that Ax and her best friend Nym had some... intimate complications, to say the least. He could not advise getting into the center of that mess and get involved with someone who literally bled their emotions onto others.

"Al, Ax is awesome and cool. That's why you really hoped she hadn't seen your face that day on the beach, yeah?" He let out a breath. "Ax has got more complicated things going on at the moment that she needs to figure out. Things she's been struggling with for years." If he just went and told Al the whole thing and it got back to Ax that he did so, she might try putting that axe of hers in between his ears. "Liking her is understandable, but I wouldn't advise confessing anything with an idea of starting something with her."

He would be quite for a moment and let her speak if she wanted to before continuing. "So, what do you want to ask me, Bartok the Magnificent and Brilliant?"

[Al Ciendra]

Al listened to what Bartok had to say with a smile, she did not think having 1 on 1 talk with him would be this nice.
Al relaxed, stretching her legs a little as she leaned in to hear what Bartok was saying.
Besides him being a bit cheeky of course Bartok was supportive and just a great listener, well what else would he use those big ears for ?
Then her smile faded, almost instantly.
"W-what ?"
Al stuttered her reply as she felt a stinging in her chest, she crossed her arms again as she looked to Bartok in shock.
Ax had something else going on ?
Oh...
Al curled up again, she did not speak for a while as she was just thinking to herself, Al's first ever real crush, someone so cool and beautiful had something better to do, Al had a good idea of what or rather who it was but Al had never gotten the impression that Ax did not have time for her.
Maybe she was just being polite ?

Al wiped away a single tear that threatend to roll down her cheek.
She didn't want to ruin the mood like this.
"Yeah, I would have much rather shown her when I felt ready...not that it really matters apparently."
Al shrugged, as she stretched her legs again and slid down the wall to fully lay down, her legs now dangling of the side of the bed.
"Well what would I like to ask the oh so magnificent and brilliant Bartok ? Why did you come to beacon and why do you want to become a huntsman ?"

[Bartok Evergreen]

Damn it, should Bartok have not said anything at all? Not let his big ears do the talking? Al went silent and he heard her curl up, silent for a long while, Bartok let her have that silence, wondering if he should have just let her be and choose for herself whether to pursue Ax or not.

Then she did something that made his heart sink to his stomach. She wiped her face. He couldn't see it, but that was the movement of wiping away a tear. She had cried, even for that brief moment. It made Bartok want to cry, knowing that he had been the reason for Al's tear. He didn't know that that was the only one.

When she laid fully down, Bartok couldn't help but go to her. "No no no no, don't cry, Al." He would try to put an arm under her head and hold it, his other hand touching her cheeks as if to wipe her tears away himself. He noted how one side of her face felt very different from the other, much more scarred, but that didn't matter at the moment.

"I'm sorry I said anything! It wasn't my place. Telling others your feelings is important, it does matter. I'm sure that Ax would like to know that there's another person who likes her." Bartok smiled weakly. He just couldn't help himself but try to console a crying woman. It was something hardcoded into him. His perception of women was much higher than those who were hurt and cried.

When she asked her question, Bartok thought for a moment. This could help distract her.

Why Beacon? Why a Huntsman? "Well, I... My best friend, Erin. You met her at the beach party. We have been pretty inseparable since we were little kids, growing up in the same town. She wanted to become a Huntress, and I... well, my place had always been near her. Plus I love teasing her about everything. Thinking of us going our separate ways just didn't feel right. I didn't have anything else going on for me, with my blindness and all. I decided I would be useful and join her. She hated that I did that." He chuckled at the end, despite wanting to cry himself for making Al shed a single tear.

[Al Ciendra]

Al was a tad surprised as Bartok approached her to try and calm her down, it was really sweet, and she was half tempted to let him do so, but he was reaching for her face, which was something she did not appreciate.
As such, she held her hand over her face instead, gently pushing his hand away and preventing it from touching her cheek.
Though, she still could not help but smile, he was a hopeless romantic and as such a little dramatic but, this was still a very sweet gesture nonetheless.
"It's okay Bartok. It's better for me to know about this than going in "blind" and getting into something that would make either me or Ax uncomfortable."
Al said and sighed as she got up, leaning against the wall again as she just looked at her own feet for a while, this revelation was rather discouraging, but she did not want Bartok to feel bad about telling her this.
But he did not seem to phased, as he was answering her question, Al listened with piqued interest, it was very nice hearing his own story, Al did not get along super well with Erin at first, but it seemed she and Bartok just had that special bond together, it was honestly really cute seeing them together.
"That's really sweet, If I was her I'd be happy to have a childhood friend going to this academy with me...well that might also be because Beacon was and still is intimidating to me."
She rubbed the back of her neck, chuckling nervously, it was a bit embarrassing to admit this.
But something else was bothering her.
"Also... I know you just wanted to wipe away a tear, but don't touch my face without asking, ever. Goes under the same rule as me not wanting anyone to see my face."
She did not sound angry or upset, but her voice was firm and strict, something Al rarely displayed in her ever casual approach to things.

[Bartok Evergreen]

Bartok smiled weakly at her seeming recovery, but he didn't hear the sniffles or the shakiness in a voice that told of continued tears. Maybe he had consoled her with just that gesture. He let her sit up and comment on him and Erin. He chuckled and was drawing in breath to say something when she continued. Sternly.

Right. Her face. She didn't sound angry but his ears still drooped. "I'm... sorry. I just don't like it when a girl cries. Especially if I caused it. But I'll ask next time I have the urge." His ears twitched before they stood tall and proud again. "Won't be much longer if you keep allowing me in your room late at night like this~" He said with a double snap of his fingers into finger guns and his tongue slightly sticking out from his too-white teeth.

"So, my question. If you don't have anyone here with you and it's intimidating, why are you here? What makes you want to become a Huntress?" Bartok asked.

[Al Ciendra]

Al was a bit sorry for scolding Bartok like she did, he had only meant her well after all but her worry faded quickly as he already went back to Bartok being the usual charmer.
°Well, let's hope that next time you have the urge to touch my face it's not because I'm crying."
She smiled back to him, glad that the mood was back to being this relaxed.

Al crossed her legs, her arms still crossed over her chest.
°Well, I sadly don't have a super profound reason or some noble goal for why I want to be here. I just really like fighting and getting better at fighting. Soooo why not make a career out of it ?"
Al shrugged, taking a deep breath.
°And I really just don't want what happened to me to happen to anyone else... I just gotta get strong first to prevent that."
Al looked to the side, laying a hand on the right side of her face, as skin that she could no longer scratch began to itch.

[Bartok Evergreen]

"Better than a mercenary, and with a whole lot more perks!" Bartok agreed. When she mentioned 'what happened to her', Bartok made a small click of his tongue to see that she was touching her face. Something about it must have been really messed up, considering she always had it covered except for around him. Bartok couldn't see anyhow, so what was the point? She probably wouldn't let him touch her face, not yet. But if something like that had happened, she was bound to have other scars. And as far as he could tell, she was lightly dressed at the moment.

"Would you mind if I felt your other scars? Not on your face?" Bartok asked, sincere. "I just... thought that you may have more and I would like to see more about what you've gone through. Plus your skin is probably like velvet with it always covered, would be fantastic to touch." He chuckled. It just didn't feel right if he didn't add something more to it. A hand of his was lifted already, though hanging back so as not to intrude like he had before.

[Al Ciendra]

Al was a bit taken back by his request and was about to deny it.
They were alone and while Bartoks charm was a bit missplaced at times, Al did not take him for an untrustworthy guy.
Plus it had to be frustrating to not be able to see what other people looked like and he had already been pretty close to her before...

Al sighed as with a bit of hesitation Al lifyed her top, curling it up so it was only covering her chest, leaving her stomach and the largest and thickest scar on her body, one that spread across her entire abdomen, free too touch
"Please, just don't make too many flirty comments okay ?"
She offered her arm to him, letting him feel along it first before then hesitating just a little to guide his hand towards her stomach.
She made sure that she was ready to stop him from touching anything she did not like, should his hand begin to drift.

[Bartok Evergreen]

Bartok and his hopelessly romantic imagination totally thought for a brief moment that she was going to take her entire top off. But the soft sounds of moving cloth ended shortly, she probably just hiked it up a little to show more scars. Upon her request, Bartok couldn't help but say, "You're letting me touch your body but don't want me to flirt? That's a tall order Al, but I think I can make the exception for you." He snapped one finger gun before he felt her arm touch his hand and he began lightly running his fingers over it.

His movments were slow and non-invasive, hardly pushing on her skin as it gently stroked her arm and moved around, getting a picture for her arm's profile and length. She was a lot more muscular than he would have thought. Maybe those girls that make it into Beacon are the much more dedicated ones, those who understood the importance of a strong body to do their jobs. And he could feel where the skin texture changed. Those would be scars. She... had a lot of them. So much of her skin was scar tissue, she must have been really torn up. Hopefully she got these over a long period of time and not all at once. That would have been horrific to go through.

Gently and slowly and without comment or much expression, he felt up to her shoulder before she guided his hand down to her stomach. Wow, her abs were a lot like his. That is to say, very apparent and strong like iron. The skin stuck to the curves and his fingers ran over the bumps upwards until they hit the very large scar at the upper stomach region, and with a single click of his tongue he could tell he was very close to her chest. He felt how wide the scar was and was saddened. Saying that she had gotten merely injured was an understatement. He felt along it and it seemed to go all the way around.

Damn, Al had gone through a whole ton of pain and still remained so cute and innocent-sounding. She was quite a strong-willed gal and that appealed to him greatly.

Once he had enough of a picture of her, both mentally and physically, Bartok retracted his hands with a low whistle. "Alright, not joking, have I ever told you how stupidly hot you are?"

[Al Ciendra]

Al was a bit nervous while Bartok was feeling along her stonach, his touch even made her shiver just a little considering that he was much cooler than the pyromancer.
But a smile formed on her face, it was good too ser him keep her plea in mind, this was still wierd but also kind of nice.
That was until he stopped and the literal second he let go flirted with her.
While that annoyed her a little her face still flared up red, just a bit.
"Thank you...I uhm..."
Her thanks was genuine but followed by more awkward stammering, as she pulled down her top again.
She just looked at Bartok for a bit, unsure what to really say, she had assumed that Bartok was going to ask more about her scars with how interested, or rather worried, he was about them.
But she got a different idea to break the awkward silence.
"Soooooo I let you touch my body, now you'll have to show me your eyes! As funny as those silly googles of yours are I wanna take a look umderneath."
Al leaned forward, propping herself up on the bed with her face relativly close to his own, she was staring right into his googles, her own emerald colored eye full of curiousity.

[Bartok Evergreen]

"My... eyes?" Bartok asked. "Uhm, sure. No one really asks to see them. Is the, uh, are the lights on? I'llturn them off." Bartok wasn't afraid to have her face so close to his, but he wasn't about to take off his goggles with the lights on. He got up off the bed and turned off the lights and opened the curtains to the window. He hoped the moon was shining through and would allow her to see him alright. "This isn't some romantic move, I'm just really sensitive to light. The moonlight from the window should be enough to see my eyes, right?" He said as he returned to his position on the bed, getting close to her face.

After a breath, he reached up and slowly removed his goggles before shaking his hair out. His eyes were closed and he slowly blinked them open. His eyes, though unfocused, were a bright crimson red.

This close and in this dim light, he could see Al's face alright. She was still blurry, but he noticed one emerald eye in good detail. The other was either white or melded into her face, he couldn't pick it out other than where it should be. The one eye he could see was a gem, bright and shining in the moonlight. It was a pretty eye, and his eyes slowly focused on it.

[Al Ciendra]

As Bartok got ready, Al turned away from him, effectively hiding the right side of her face, considering what he had just explained.

The green eye Bartok could see widened as they locked their gaze, Al was surprised, she would have bet money that Bartok's eyes were some milky white explaining why he was almost blind, but instead he was sensitive to light, that's something she should remember.

But no, they were a bright crimson red, wow that was actually pretty cool, Al found herself just staring at them for a bit, studying them while still remaining cautious.

But then something clicked with what Bartok just said.
"So you're light sensitive, that explains a lot of stuff, but what's stopping you from seeing normally in darkness I mean I assume you have night vision like most of us ?"
She asked, tilting her head, which may look a little strange with the way her head was still turned.

[Bartok Evergreen]

Bartok was silent as well as they looked into eachother's eyes. Bartok had about a million lines he could say at this moment, but he had already pressed it with that line where he called her hot. Al didn't want anything like that, and Bartok could be a gentleman when he wanted to.

Then she asked a question that Bartok had tried to answer himself before. "Well, I'm not just sensitive to light." He answered. "That's a reason for how dark the goggles are, but I'm also very over the line for being blind. I actually only recognize things I'm seeing when I want to, otherwise it's just up to these bad boys." He grabbed the tips of his large ears and wiggled them around a little. "For darkness specifically, well, I can see your pretty face right now just fine." He couldn't help but slip that one in. "It's a bit blurry," He said, squinting a little, "But my blindness still limits what I can see past a inch or two from my nose."

[Al Ciendra]

Al felt her heart skip a beat when he said that he could atleast somewhat see her face, damn, she had underestimated the blind bat.
Instinctivly she covered the right side of her face with her hand, she was half tempted fo grab her mask from her nightstand and put it on just to be safe.

But she was just sitting there, not doing or saying anything.
She was just thinking, Bartok was her friend, he was annoying at times and his behavior was a bit questionable, but he was probably on of if nof the kindest person Al had gotten to know during her short time at beacon, it was fun to be around him.
Plus she had already gotten this far, she could not let this stupid injury rule her life.
"Bartok, please keep this a secret from everyone, okay ?"
Al lowered her hand and turned to face Bartok.

[Bartok Evergreen]

Bartok wasn't one who really read people's facial expressions much, or read much of anything, but even he could tell that she didn't like him being able to see her face. Which he understood. It was something bad and she was ashamed or embarrassed or disgusted by it, and didn't want anybody else seeing it. But he stayed where he was, gazing into her good green eye. It had been a really long while since he had done this with anybody. Erin was the last one, and that must have been over a year or two ago now.

Then, Al made him promise, Bartok nodding his head, and she turned her head.

Bartok hadn't seen much in his life, and if he had to honestly rank the things he had seen, the right side of Al's face would have to be the worst thing he had seen. The skin was thin and mottled enough to see the bone and the pink of the muscle underneath. It didn't so much disgust Bartok as much as it made him want to weep. He didn't like it when women got slapped, and Al's whole face had been violated. Tears welled up in his eyes and he put a hand on Al's shoulder.

Grimm had done this. Not any person, but actual monsters. If there was any reason for him to become a Huntsman, one was showing him her face. A small fire lit within Bartok that had nothing to do with Al's Semblance.

The amount of trust Al had just put in him was astounding. To his knowledge, no one had seen her face before him. With how she reacted on the beach, Al was so scared that her crush, Ax, had seen it that she had almost cried in fear. Bartok couldn't betray that trust in anyway, or he'd be asking for a ruined friendship and perhaps more burnt pieces of himself than living.

This whole time his eyes did not leave Al's ruined side of her face, and the tears left small streaks as they went down the side of his face. He did notice, thankfully, that the line of ruin didn't touch her mouth or lips. One of the most beautiful spots on a woman was still preserved for Al. Bartok, out of pure habit of being in girl's rooms with the lights off, felt the urge to kiss her at that moment. With a sudden blink he stopped himself. That was very much not what Al would like. She wasn't a girl that he swooned to let him into her room.

He pulled away slightly, leaving that side of her face in a blur. "I'm so, so sorry that this happened to you Al..." Was all he could think to say, his voice a little hoarse with the tears.

[Al Ciendra]

Al did not expect this reaction at all, she was expecting Bartok to be sad and feel sorry for her sure, but in the dim light of the moon she could see Bartoks cheeks glisten with tears.
For him to be this empathetic to her old wounds was very touching.

All that tension she felf before faded away, as a small smile of relief could be seen on her face.
Though she was a little unsure what she could do to console Bartok.
"It's okay, I'm just happy I finally managed to muster up the courage to show my face to someone. Thank you Bartok."
Her words were full of sincerity and happiness, with a beaming smile, that yet faded into a bit of an unsure expression as she scratched the back of her head.
"Though, I'm still not good at this emotional stuff so just, c'mere."
With that Al spread her arms for a hug, hoping it would help Bartok feel a bit better.

[Bartok Evergreen]

Even with the blurriness of his vision, he could see her honest and beautiful smile. Then it was gone, and he wished he could have seen it more. She spread her arms and... Bartok wasn't sure what she wanted from him. He wasn'ttotally clueless, but he wasn'tsure if she wanted a kiss or a hug. He was used to the kisses, but Al didn't seem like she was wanting a kiss. Probably. Either way, best to go the safe route. He leaned forward and hugged her, his arms wrapping around her back and holding her lightly.

Bartok, being blind as he was, hadn'tbeen able to see Al's chest during any time or at the beach. He had supposed her smaller, it just fit her demeanor and shyness more in his head. With his chest was pressed against her caused his ears to stand straighter and his face to blush.

As his ear stood at attention, one of his large bat ears rubbed against Al's wolf ear. His ear twitched at the sensation, but eventually relaxed. It was strangely... intimate? He never had his ears touch someone else's.

Bartok swallowed and, while hugging her, said, "You're very welcome, Al. I'm, uh, glad you trusted me with something like this." Bartok was a gentleman for sure, but a baser part of him didn't want to leave this hug. Compared to his long limbs, Al was something small he could hold easily. But once he felt like it had gone on long enough, he would let go and pull back.

[Al Ciendra]

Al loved her hugs, it was always so nice to be close to another person, especially since she had just bonded this much with Bartok.
Her chin rested on Bartok's shoulders, her arms around his lower back.
She should really give more hugs to her friends, though that probably wasn't a good idea considering she wore a chest plate most of the time, that may not be too comfortable for other people.
Eh, just means she HAD to give more hugs while in her school clothes.

Al had her eyes closed for most of this, that was until their ears touched, she looked a little surprised but giggled, wagging her ears a little while still hugging Bartok.
She herself could remain like this for a while, but she did not want to give Bartok a heat stroke.

Al let go, now just kneeling in front of Bartok.
"Well, it just felt like the moment was fitting."
She shrugged a little, still not quite sure how she convinced herself to actually try this.
Though Al noticed something, Bartok seemed to be nervous, the usually calm and charming Bat had lost his composure.
She had heard him gulp and heard it in his voice.
Al grinned, her fangs glinting in the moonlight.
"Speaking of feelings, what's got you so nervous ?~"
Al asked, learning forward, her hands on the bed supporting her as she tilted her head with a sly smile on her lips.

[Bartok Evergreen]

One thing Bartok wasn't expecting was how warm Al was. He though it was his own flustered self heating up, but as they remained in contact he realized that she was just this warm. He remembered having her on his shoulders and he thought the heat had been from the sun, not Al. A sliver of his mind went down a dirtier path of how much hotter she could get, but Bartok pushed it away. With normal girls he would probably continue entertaining the idea, but not with Al.

When they parted she leaned forward and asked him why he was nervous. Bartok still couldn't make out details, but he could very well see the vague color difference between her tank top and the skin of her neck and collar. In no way could he admit that he was nervous because of her chest. Al was self conscious enough and Erin sometimes complained about her own bust getting in the way of fighting.

Bartok reach up and lightly touched his ears. "Just, no one has touched my ears except for Erin, and no one has touched ears with me. It's just odd, is all." He chuckled at the end. He couldn't see her face too well, but he could tell she was smiling. That was good.

"How did you get those scars, if I can ask that?" Bartok asked, trying to move the subject away. "Not just the ones on your body but your face as well."

[Al Ciendra]

Al was a bit surprised, now that he mentioned this, it did feel kinda odd, but she kind of liked it.
Her ears wiggled a little as she recalled the feeling, smiling a little.
"It might be a bit odd but it did feel kinda nice, kinda like those nose rubs some people do as a gesture of greeting each other."
Al pondered, just rubbing her chin as she leaned back again, her hand and smile then leaving her as he asked his next question, it was an inevitable question.
So she did not mind it much.
"I was mauled by a grimm when I was 8, a griffon to be precise. Me and my older brother were out playing and that thing somehow managed to sneak into town, it lunged at my brother the second it saw us. I did not want my brother to die so I attacked it with some nearby pebbles, as you can tell that was not a good idea, as I simply pissed it of. It slashed me with it's tail, causing the scar on my gut and elbows, then just started cutting at me..."
Al was silent for a bit as she took a deep breath before she continued.
"Then...then it tore of my face. That stress caused my semblance to manifest and I burnt that oversized tweety to a crisp. I passed out afterwards but from what I'vebeen told Inren got the guard to help and they brought me into the hospital immidiatly, thats how I just barely survived."
Al sighed once more, shaking her head a little.
"I don't like to think about it, but as horrible as what happened to me that day was, I came to terms with it and I can't help but think that otherwise I would not be were I am today and I am pretty darn proud to be where I am."
Al smiled again, he could see a hint of melancholy but it was still a genuine smile. her right hand just gently rubbing what was once a beautiful face before she lowered it back into her lap.
"I hope that answers your question and sorry if that was a bit too much detail."
Al just realized that she may have went overboard, Bartok did tear up when he saw her face, she hoped he could handle this a bit better.