On The Other End of The Scale (Open)

It had started okay, things had been fine for a little while. Around a month ago Charlotte had received a letter, it had been written in a neat cursive style which had immediately drew the faunus in. The subject of the letter had been... confusing to say the least. While the writing was indeed pretty and the paper felt as though it were quite expensive the content of the letter was lacking to say the least. Summed up the person had essentially said "Hello, you seem nice. Your spider legs are pretty. So are the rest of your spider parts. Goodbye," through the use of long and convoluted metaphors. The writer even seemed to repeat themselves with some of the metaphors, and while they had been flowery and nice in the beginning but by the forth or fifth they had lost their lustre. Charlotte hadn't thought much of the letter on that day, assuming it just to be a one time occurrence but a rather pleasant one. It was nice to be gifted a compliment when she was suffering so with her appearance. There was no return address, no name had even been given; even if she wanted to she couldn't thank this person. She'd set the letter down and went about her daily business, almost forgetting it by the time she'd woken up the next morning... and found yet another letter. The wording was different but the handwriting and paper was the same. Addressing her by name and paying her compliments on her lower half. A part of her body that yes she needed some positive reinforcement on, but this felt like too much... almost... obsessive. Nothing was mentioned outside her lower half Again there was no return address or name and again Charlotte pushed it to the back of her mind, went about her daily business, setting the letter with the other on her desk.

By the time she received the forth letter she stopped opening them. Upon receiving the tenth she threw them all out. It was only then that the letters paused in their frequency, for two days there was a bizarre silence of sorts, but on the third came something most unexpected. All of the letters she had thrown into the trash arrived through her mailbox along with an additional one with a wax red seal on the envelope. Opening it she found the same handwriting and paper she had previously experienced but the letter's contents were horrible. Anger emanated from the page, disgust that Charlotte would throw out these unwanted compliments; these letters she could never have returned and by the third didn't particularly want to return. It was at this point that Charlotte came to a realisation, it was the opposite to what she had experienced up till now. Until now people had wanted less than nothing to do with her, until now people would try to ignore her on the street or force her to leave... but now... someone was obsessing over her abnormality. And if felt just as awful. To be thought of in this way and fetishised, she couldn't tell if it was better or worse but regardless the two were comparably awful.

It was then that Charlotte became even more terrified of her surroundings. She had a person going through her garbage, coming to her door every day and perhaps more. She stayed up all night, heard and observed the letter slip in at precisely five in the morning, but didn't dare open the door. From the corners of her eyes she swore she'd seen a person watching her on her daily movements around town, she began to question all she had seen... that was until today. The twenty fifth letter had arrived and she would take this no more, she was stressed and scared. At six she gathered the letters, opened and otherwise, as well as one other item. She made her way from her quaint little home on the city's outskirts to the very centre; arriving at seven in the morning. Shops were just beginning to open, some people were heading toward work. Without hesitation she placed the letters she had gathered on the ground, the additional item her she had brought was a rather simple lighter. A thin sweat on her forehead, she knew today was going to be the day she did this. While she had the gal and the will to refuse these advances.

She threw the letters at her feet, opening those which she hadn't already before dropping them without reading, and flicked the lighter on. Dropping it on the pile and taking a good few steps backward the paper itself first ignited, a small fire began to slowly burn away the pages, but when the flames met the lighter's inner fuel source there was a small explosion. The fire was contained, on hard concrete so only the letters would burn and nothing in the surrounding area, but it's flames burned bright and turned the paper to ash quickly. The few people around had begun to stare at Charlotte, as if her body were not enough to draw their eyes. It was then, emerging from an alleyway, that he arrived. A tall man and thin man, dressed in what could only be described as a snakeskin suit and jeans, ran out from the dark and began furiously stamping down on the letters in an attempt to stop their burning. Without hesitation Charlotte, hands glowing white as she utilised her semblance, threw a mass of sticky web at his legs the instant the flames ceased in their burning. He squealed in shock, meeting the ground with quite the smack. The normally polite faunus now towered over him, eyes closed as she tried to keep herself at peace, she clasped her hands and stood a good five meters back from him; prepared to begin questioning. While she hated to create a scene she had decided if it would rid her of this man she would endure it.

It was one of those days where Sal had to get out and actually interact with people and he wasn't exactly disliking it. The day was cloudy, blocking the sun from direct contact to the ground, the air was cool, the people were keeping a respectable distance... Today just seemed to be going right. Salzem walked through town, his black cloak covering his body in more shadow, the hood always pulled up over his face. It was a routine he consistently did whenever going out, a form of protection in his eyes... It made him feel safer... comfortable... Like everything was just how it was supposed to be... Without it, being out here among all these others would surely make Sal feel naked, exposed and perhaps even paranoid...

Ironically people were looking his way, curious to see just who hid underneath all that black and darkness but the cloaked figure hardly noticed or cared. He kept his head down, his hand cradling his flare gun tucked away in one of his pockets, almost anticipating something... And it appeared he wasn't wrong for being so cautious... There, in the center of town and among a crowd of staring citizens, was a massive spider-like faunus lady, her lower half seeming to consist of the entirety of the arachnid (minus the eyes and fangs) and the upper half consisting of an attractive but enraged woman though her anger seemed to be something she was struggling with.

Salzem's eyes widened in shock at the scene playing before him and, despite his instincts DEMANDING he get out of there, he actually stood among the crowd of watchers, trying to get a better look... Now that he was closer, he could see a tall, lanky thin-man tied up in (what was no doubt) the fanus' webbing, struggling and panicking in it's grip and embers glowed at the spider's feet, indicating something was burned recently. Sal always had an interest in spiders and, as such, he knew exactly what their feeding habits were. He had no idea who this woman was but if she was anything like that lower half of hers, this man wouldn't live to see the next couple of minutes. He had to do SOMETHING! What he was seeing now demanded it!

Salzem, his shaking frame hidden behind his thick black cloak, stepped ahead of the crowd despite his better judgement, a large shadowy mass rising from the darkness that manifested behind him. The black took the shape of a muscular man with abnormally long arms, sharp-nailed fingers, big hands and a skull-like head with it's jaw strapped shut. The creature's eyes glowed an ominus yellow and, without a single indication a command was given, the creature shot forward, the cloudy sky providing a (fragile) road on which the shadow-avatar could travel. The creature stood upwards of 2 meters tall, almost three, it's lower body fading into the light shadows the over-cast above provided, it's arms spread out either side, blocking the Spider's path to the entrapped thin-man.

"Hey." Salzem called, surprised how his voice didn't betray him. "What are you doing?" A dumb question to be sure, but maybe it would give her pause... Quietly he hoped not so that she would focus on his avatar and not him.

Heaving a deep sigh, finally unclasping her hands, she raised a finger to point at the man and begin communication only for a bizarre black wall to rush in front of her. Looking it up and down she frowned slightly, she had expected some resistance from the stalker but she hadn't particularly accounted for another interfering. She had assumed people would stay on the sidelines, watching or even attempt to ignore her as they so often did. Not to begin with of course but eventually.

She had first thought the creature may be some form of Grimm but quickly dispelled that notion upon it's inaction and defensive stance before the man. If it were such a beast it would have quickly set about mauling either herself or the stalker, pending how her anger compared to his fear... assuming he was feeling such and not some perverse pleasure; she was quite happy this beast had blocked her view of his face. Taking a step back, unsure what would provoke an attack from... whatever this was, and certainly wanting to avoid such, she briefly scanned the crowd which had formed. The one who had cast it, even before they spoke... it was quite obvious they were the one who had drawn this beast into existence. Black robes, hood pulled over his face, the two seemed to really match.

Turning her whole body to him now, lower body appearing almost as if it were dancing as she quickly turned to him, she breathed a deep breath in a real attempt to dispel her deep frown. The frown did remain though was... lessened in a way. More like a teacher disappointed in a young student than the deep rage she had been exuding toward the fetishist. In her proper and polite voice she responded, "It's impolite to ask questions without giving a name, not to mention sending something so bizarre and imposing forth without warning. My name is Charlotte Monochrome, a medical student at Syne. Now, if you would try again I'll answer your question but you most certainly don't need to use this barrier. I have taken a Hypocratic oath, he's in no risk of any real harm." At the mention of her name, almost as if a reflex, she curtsied. Not particularly deeply, due to the circumstance, but it helped amplify the polite air that surrounded her.

Sal flinched slightly as the spider-like woman turned in his general direction, taking her eyes off the avatar and focusing entirely on him. However, her expression on her face was not one of directed anger, more of... disappointment...? She curtsied as well as a half-spider may, stating that her name was Charlotte, a medical student at Syne. She then chastised him for not introducing herself and that she would indeed explain who she was and what she was doing IF he conformed with this requirement. Not knowing what else to do, the hooded figure bowed his head somewhat in greeting, the shadowy avatar crossing it's arms in distrust. She assured him that she took a Hippocratic Oath to do no harm and that the guy in webs wasn't really in any danger but with what he just saw and how mercilously she took him down, he found that hard to believe.

"My name is Salzem Andez. We go to the same school apparently." His sanguine eyes flicked from her spider-half, to her woman half to the man in webs, a small nod to the side commanding the shadow to slowly hover out of the Spider's path to the man. Despite everything, he didn't want to start a fight with this woman. Not because of her spider-like appendages and uncanny appearance, but more because he wasn't sure if she deserved it... For now she seemed passive and rather polite and even expecting the same from him so for now, he thought the best thing he could do is play along.

"Why is this guy wrapped up?" He asked, removing his hands from his pockets and crossing them over his chest, looking between the man and Charlotte skeptically. "What'd he do?"

Relapsing her hands she was appeased by the man's attempts at politeness but certainly far from pleased by the lacklustre display, arms folded across the chest suggested one didn't want to talk and he hadn't stated his major even though she had freely given the same information. It was highly questionable but she didn't wish to waste time on it. "What he has done, as a human, you may never be able to properly understand. I doubt many faunus even do across their lifetimes, although... I suppose some experience it much more often than myself. No human could ever understand being looked at in that way. Though the other side of the scale, the hatred and range is better known, to be looked at in this opposite way is on the same level. That being the fetishisation and obsession with our inherent traits on what I assume to be some... perverse level."

Though she wanted to point and scowl at him but was much too polite to act on those impulses and so she simply gestured to him with an open palm, "He has been sending me letters and going through my garbage, that is the most I can guaranty. Letters consisting of obsessive ranting about my lower half and anger, threats included, when I threw away his letters. Letters I had no way to reply to and no intent to regardless. They continued and I sense that he did stalk me, as when I came out here to burn them in public; out he ran like a moth to a flame."

"You are no justice nor law enforcement, don't try to stop me from dealing with this. As I said, I have taken a Hypocratic oath. Regardless of that however with my body and semblance I can't do much to truly harm him, no matter how much I may want to. I hardly have the stable stance to throw punches and at the rate this body burns calories and the layout of my lungs; even if I threw them I couldn't throw many." She continued, Though it's doubtful you have given much thought into the other side of faunus abuse nor the inherent layout and affect these traits biologically, the idea of wanting freedom from pursuers should be understandable."

With that she turned back to the man in the snakeskin suit, still struggling and now even starting to loosen the bonds that bound him. Her hands began to glow white again and without hesitation she threw forth more web, securing his position. "Do you not understand what you have done? Do you struggle to see me as a living being? Just some plaything for you to observe, like trapping a spider in a jar once it ran across your floor."

The man didn't speak, simply wriggling in his restraints, and so Charlotte sighed deeply. Clasping her hands tightly.

Salzem's eyes widened as the woman got right down to business, stating hat he might not be able to comprehend her situation given his humanity, but that she was subject to fetish-like attraction... He listened silently as she explained that she had gotten anonymous letters from someone written in both lust and hatred, longing for one half and disdain for the other.

She remarked that he was no law-enforcement and, as such, should have no business stopping her from extracting her revenge in her own way. Of course, as she stated, he probably hadn't even given a thought to this plight that faunus face and she couldn't have been more wrong... Sal had no ill will or prejudices against those of a more animalistic persuasion, even one that appeared to be a spider-centaur like Charlotte. Despite what the majority of either side may think, he saw them as human... They thought like humans, breathed like humans, they ate and spoke like humans... The animalistic features to him were more like skincolor to a man or hair-color to a woman... Sure they could come in all weird colors and such, but if they had a heart of a person, there was no reason to see them as anything but.

"Charlotte..." Salzem said, his voice soothing, flipping back his hood to reveal his face, for what that was worth. "I'm not here to stop you. Not anymore. I'm here to help you." He approached the massive spider-woman, smiling at her sympathetically before expression mutated into a hostile glare towards the man wrapped in webs.

"Despite what the stereotype is, you're more human than this wack-job. Someone who does that kind of trash to someone like you deserves a pass from the oath or to be called human." Salzem stepped past the spider-woman, grabbing the lanky-man by the front of his jacket, his other hand cocked tightly into a fist, raised up by his head. The shadow took a similar stance, a hand gripping the man's shoulder tightly, it's other hand cocked into a fist as well.

"You may not be able to hurt this man, but I can. He deserves it."

Charlotte's brow furrowed, rather than the man's actions having the intended effect of gaining the faunus admiration or respect it had caused quite the opposite. "You're standing in my way for the second time now, you realise? You've chosen to get in my way and prevented me from dealing with this as I had wanted. Do you really think that a person who has taken a vow to not harm individuals would want others to harm them in their place? What kind of logical fallacy did you have to twist to come to such a conclusion? Not to mention to stop me from what you believed was hurting him, only to proceed to attempt to hurt him based on simply what I have said. That is quite dense of you, if you'll pardon such speech."

She took a stride forward, "Not to mention I am faunus not human. To call me more human is once again to put humans on that elevated level above faunus they have throughout history, are you thinking before you act and speak? It is insulting at best and disgusting at worst. Implying that being more human as you put it makes you greater or lesser rather than dealing with people on case by case. He is human and he has done awful things, not as a result of his humanity but as a result of his upbringing and mental state. He is a human who has been bad, being bad does not inherently remove him from humankind. Just as I am faunus and that's not bad or good, it is what it is."

She frowned and brought a hand to her forehead, "I said I wasn't going to hurt him, what makes you think it's okay for you to do that? In front of a doctor no less. Put him down and let me deal with this."

Salzem was actually rather silent, confused that she couldn't see exactly what he was doing here. He said that he was here to help her and he was which was why he didn't strike down this man with a vengeance already. If this guy was scared before, he surely would be now, caught between a massive spider-woman, a shadow and a hunter, all seemingly willing to hurt him badly (well... minus Charlotte). Perhaps it was because of his race that she refused to look past the surface and take cues from the subtle body-language of his (lack of) movement.

As if to prove this point, Charlotte went on a tangent, clearly disapproving of his choice of words. Clearly, she heard what he said "humanity" referring to the noun and not the philosophical state of mind all sentient beings must have. Mercy, kindness, respect, this was humanity but in hindsight, he saw that this was indeed a poor choice of words and this was reflected in her reaction. Why couldn't people just... just understand...?

Salzem felt the gazes of the crowd shift from the spider to him and he did nothing, only quietly retracting his fist and his shadow, the creature shifting from the man's shadow to his, shifting back in time with it's master. He let go of the man, dropping him to the ground once more before facing Charlotte, sighing in defeat.

"Like I said," Salzem protested. "I was trying to help you." He glanced at the man before flicking his hood back up over his face. "He was unhurt and would have been whether or not you stopped me. I am sorry if you took what I said the wrong way. What I meant to say was he was acting as scum would and deserves punishment."

Charlotte continued, "Whether or not you intended to hurt him, despite clearly stating it was your intention, regardless you were standing in my path and attempting to take my place. You weren't intent on helping me, you were trying to take my place in dealing with an event not inherently linked to you. Not to mention I didn't take anything the wrong way, I took it as a faunus being essentially called one-of-the-good-ones as if my whole race is inherently more dangerous than humans... have you spoken to many faunus?"

Turning away from the boy, back to the man laying on the ground, he grasped at the webbing around his chest; haphazardly lifting him slightly off the ground. "Listen well and listen closely, you are not to approach me ever again. If you are to I will get the law enforcement involved, for this sexual harassment you'll lose money and you'll potentially lose your freedom." Reaching into his jacket pocket she retrieved his wallet, full of lien cards but in addition was a drivers licence. Removing this, as well as pinning one of the lien cards behind it, she returned his wallet, holding the card up before him; "I have your name and I have your face, I even have your address. If I hear even a murmur across my web about you stalking faunus again, regardless of their trait, I will have you tracked down and taken in. You won't be allowed within a mile of any faunus, they'll probably ship you off to an Atlas jail. News will travel quickly of your perversion, I doubt they'd take kindly to that behind bars."

The seriousness in her voice was coupled with her blunt politeness, giving the impression that she wasn't just going to forgive and forget the man's actions. The potential of being shipped far from his home also must have rocked him to the core. Drawing her hand over the webbing, it was loosened, the man quickly rose screaming apology after apology as he ran.

"Take your place!?" He protested, clearly offput by her accusations. "I was trying to help and to talk to you as a 'person' not a faunus, human or android... I AM trying." Bah. He shook his head silently and flipped his hood back up, watching as she spider turned back to deal her offender, stating that she would get the law involved if he ever harassed her again. She then dug out his ID, assuring him that if he ever did this again to any faunus, she would give his information to the authorities and they would toss him in a cell. To be quite honest, he was rather humbled by how professionally and directly she dealt with the situation... She ran her hand along her webbing, the ties binding the man loosening and making it easy for him to escape. Screaming an apology, the pervert disappeared into the same hole he slithered out of, leaving only the unintentional guilty party and the unintended victim alone together... He took a step forward, holding up his hands in a sign of concession, showing that he wasn't intending anymore offense, regardless of how she took what he said next.

"Listen, Charlotte, I'm sorry that what I was trying to do offended you, if what I was trying to say came out wrong... I didn't mean any of that and I know my intentions probably don't matter." His feet shuffled uncomfortably... not because he didn't like apologizing, but he was afraid this too would go south for him.

"Hey, my name is Salzem Andez..." He introduced himself again. "And I hope we can be friends or something... I don't know... I'd like to be."

With that, he started to walk away, back on his route through town.

(POSSIBLE EXIT. DEPENDS ON WHETHER CHAROLETTE STOPS HIM OR NOT)

Having watched him freely run free Charlotte turned to the remaining embers of the letters, unwilling to stomp them out for fear of setting her fur covered legs alight, she would simply let them burn out. People wouldn't be stupid enough to roll around in them and even if they were she was there to fix them up. Stupid as it would be for her to have to, she would do it. Turning back to the boy, clearly still uncomfortable and unhappy with the resulting rift between the two, Charlotte rather than ignore him or try to make some halfhearted statement of neutrality simply gestured with her hand for him to follow.

"You, come with me. If you want to be friends and are getting so beat up about this then we can have a talk. Perhaps I can better explain things to you over tea and biscuits, my blood-sugar is quite low after all of this. I need calories to function." And with that Charlotte began to lead the boy, as well as she could the eight legged girl wasn't the fastest of walkers, toward a nearby cafe. There she drew a number of eyes from customers, albeit briefly before they returned to their drinks, the waitress though visibly surprised at first set down a menu on the table before leaving to tend to other customers. Rather than sit at the table as a traditionally formed person would do Charlotte moved the chair out the way and simply crouched next to the table.

Salzem was surprised when Charlotte actually stopped him, offering to explain her plight of tea and biscuits. He didn't expect her to want to conversate so quickly after he messed up their first encounter. He honestly didn't expect her to talk to him again at all but yet... here she was, this spider-woman giving him a second chance...

"Oh... Okay then..." He agreed, following her to the nearest café. Despite people knowing exactly what a faunus was, people seemed almost off-put by Charlotte's entrance, no doubt due to her unique lower half. He kept his hood up mainly so he couldn't see the people staring at him as well for associating himself with such a unique individual, keeping his view directed at what was in front of him. The two sat down at a table (rather he did, Charlotte merely squatted on the other side), the hooded figure picking up one of the menus they were given and browsing through it casually.

"So... what was all that about...? From the beginning?" He asked, setting down the menu just as quickly as he picked it up. "You said he was... sending you letters. How long had that been going on...?" A waitress would come by not long after he asked that question, Sal ordering some biscuits (on his own tab of course), a chocolate scone for himself and a glass of ice water. The woman would then turn to the faunus, doing her best to keep her eyes off of that crouching arachnid lower-half, almost gluing them to Charlotte's face.

After taking the order, the woman would scamper off, leaving them relatively alone again, though Sal could feel the probing eyes of those within the restaurant...

Charlotte, simply ordering a pot of tea and milk, then returned to the boy before her. Clasping her hands once more she leaned into the table in order to appear more naturally sitting at it. "I have already explained it from the beginning, for days on end I received letters, had some stranger going through my trash and was evidently being followed by him even in the early hours of the morning. That's not quite why I brought you here, that situation has concluded for now and I have no further reason to make mention of it. Instead we're here to talk about the question you didn't answer."

"When I asked you if you'd met many faunus, rather than answer, you elected not to. Which most probably suggests this is one of your first interactions... are you perhaps new to Bellmuse?" Charlotte seemed to pause for a moment in thought, "I'm also going to explain to you why your allusion to the term Humanity, being more human that someone else, really shouldn't be used when you're communicating with faunus as you were. Although, I'm sure by saying it out-loud you probably better understand already why the term is rather... anti-faunus if you would? The idea that a word elevates one person over another and yet that word, which is supposed to indicate morality and kindness, inherently leaves out a large portion of the population. You can probably understand the... less than stellar origins of the term throughout our history."

Salzem nodded as Charlotte asked if he was new here, but also confirming solemnly that this was, indeed one of his first real conversations with one of her kind. The spider-faunus then went onto explain why "Humanity" had seemed offensive to her, apparently because it seemed to elevate one race above another. He looked at her, confused by that, not quite understanding what she meant. If he called her sub-human, than yes, yes indeed he could see her being offended and her reasoning being justified. She stated that apparently using the name of his race to emphasize their most endearing traits and then recognizing that she too shared some of those traits somehow excluded the other races from sharing in those traits. Or, she seemed to draw conclusions that he was somehow saying that humanity was dominant and that they should act more like them. He didn't honestly know. He hoped he could understand.

"Like I said, I'm sorry for that... When I said 'humanity' and that you were 'more human,' what I meant was that the goodness in you, the positivity humans strive for seems more obvious in you than it did in that guy. We humans like to think of ourselves as naturally good, you know? Even if our actions don't reflect it as often as we'd want." He shifted uncomfortably in his chair, trying to find a way to say this without angering Charlotte any further. "So Humanity, in that sense, is a person's natural goodness and when I meant "more human", you seemed to appeal to your goodness and virtues more than that guy. I'm sorry if that phrase seemed to exclude and I understand why it may seem that way. I'll try to come up with something more... inclusive."

You've just explained the exact problem with the phrase. The word so common in the dictionary that's in one species name but not the other. Yet when a human fails to show those traits you attempt to cast them out of your species with the ideas of subhuman, inhuman and monsters. Even the common cry of that's inhumane... the choice of having that be how the word is set out and how that word exclusively means the likes of virtue is the problem. Something inhumane when divided as our world is, does that make it faunus? It would in some people's eyes for certain. The wording cuts a massive chunk of the population out of the equation inherently and makes it seem as though we mimic your traits rather than have them ourselves."

Charlotte heaved a deep breath as the woman returned with the drinks, Charlotte poured the milk in first and decided to give the tea itself a little longer to brew. It was typically the case that cafes made it weaker than she wanted. "Indeed though, it appears you at least understand the problematic nature of the term now. I don't think a good substitute particularly exists in the lexicon currently however, perhaps with time a superior word will arise." She gently allowed herself a smile, relaxing now that she believed that aspect of the conversation had concluded, "So, you didn't answer me when I asked but it seems like it. Are you new to the island? Have you visited the school yet? What's your major?"

He smiled a little when Charlotte commented that maybe a new word would arise to encompass all races... Maybe... He hoped so. She then went on to note that he didn't quite answer her question when she asked if he was new here and went on to ask a variety of different questions. He struggled to keep up.

"Uh... Yeah... I'm a little new here... I guess I need to work on making that less obvious, huh? Uhm... Yeah, I've actually been to the school... It's really big actually. I'm still trying to find my way around. As for what I major in, I was always supposed to be a hunter when I grew up so I chose combat. My parents, you know...? Want the grimm gone as much as anyone I guess. "

He smiled sadly at that, his eyes seeming to dull as they lost focus, shifting off to the left as old memories began to crop up. He saw himself running as the grimm tore his village asunder. He remembered the sound of collapsing wood and shattering of metal, the clashes and battle-cries still raging as he fled from home.

After a second of reliving that.... experience, Salzem blinked, his focus returning, smiling at the faunus before him apologetically.

"I'm sorry... I spaced out... Something just crossed my mind."

Finally she poured her tea, almost amber water mixing with milk to form a creamy brown. She took a silent sip as the boy went on to give some rather... sparse details it was almost as if he was struggling to keep up in conversation. Perhaps it wasn't just faunus he had struggled to communicate with, Charlotte internalised, maybe he's had a touch of trouble talking with people period. Said something about parents distaste for grimm also, perhaps he was from a hunting family? Or simple tragedy had struck as was all too common in this world. There was no way to be sure but no reason to pry deeper into what was distressing him.

"Yes well I'm sure most people have their reasons for a career in combat, it's quite rare that one would be willing to put their life on the line for simple wealth or glory. It's more typically the want to make a difference or change something, though I suppose it's not impossible that one would simply be in it for the cash." She responded, taking another sip, "If you've got somewhere more important to be then feel free to go, I'll be here for much too long anyway; I've got to regain my stamina. Before setting out again, this body of mine burns far too many calories far too quickly after all."

"Huh?" He asked, confused by her offer to let him go. "Oh... no no, I have nowhere to be, I was just remembering something... It's not important. So, Charlotte, you said you took a vow to do no harm, right? You're a doctor...? What made you want to practice medicine?" He thought it was a reasonable enough question, after all she did just ask him what his major was. He imagined her in a typical nurse's uniform from the waist-up and that crawling spider-body below her and he couldn't help but feel somewhat sympathetic... People were already distrustful of doctors and he couldn't imagine what they must think of her.

"Was it always an ambition or did someone inspire you?"

Sal grabbed a bite of a biscuit, careful to keep it above the plate so that the crumbs didn't get everywhere. He smiled at Charlotte as he swallowed, genuinely interested in her take on medicine. He imagined a doctor would say something like I always wanted to help people or I was inspired by this or that doctor to step forward and save lives... It wasn't EXACTLY what he was hoping for, but it was what he expected. It was kinda like a political slogan, something that sounded nice on paper and was meant to inspire others but in actuality it often didn't have as much room in fact as one might want.

He contemplated the tragic back-story as well because everyone and their mother had one nowadays... between the grimm, the blatant racism between humans and faunus, there everyone nowadays could come up with a dark story to tell.

"Well if you are so intent on staying I suppose I could explain that much. It began when I washed up on the beach of this very island in a shoddy wooden boat, as a child, and was quickly surrounded by townsfolk... some of which weren't the best minded about a recent storm at that time and seeing what in their eyes was a monster from the ocean... yeah they were pretty harsh racists and it wasn't the best introduction to Bellemuse but my soon to become adoptive mother took me away from that situation; a racoon faunus herself. She herself is quite powerful, knew of aura and the coming creation of the school, so she unlocked my aura. As much as I did naturally want to help people, having a semblance which allowed me to do so certainly pushed me toward it even further. It is through the violence and the discomfort I am perpetually shown however that I gained the will and courage to take that vow, otherwise I would have much more reason than most to get violent."

Charlotte paused at this thought, taking a sip of tea, "When one is pushed down they have all the more reason to spring back up. It even perhaps powers their rise further, if I didn't impose these restrictions upon myself I may have been drawn into physical conflict rather than the simple verbal I engage in. This is why I am so defensive of my vow and would not want another causing harm in belief it is what I want."

Sal listened to Charolette's story with a saddened expression, her life seemingly marked by tragedy. Of course, who's wasn't, but hers seemed especially bad. While the hunter at least had a family around him that loved him before they died, she as a child was washed up on some beach after a storm that left her stranded in a town that hated her because she was unusual. As he listened, he grew more hopeful. Though, while he story about her rising above adversity and violence, only indulging in verbal conflict from time to time it was a larger-than-life story and he was skeptical. She seemed firmly dedicated to her cause of not causing harm but the fact she can fling insults and accusations with a venom not seen since the enraged, defensive mother, it seemed to indicate she had some desire to cause pain... to hurt... she simply didn't do it with her claws and teeth.

"Do you hate that man, Charlotte?" He asked after processing her story. "I heard the things you said... your tone of voice. It was one of the reasons I intervened in the first place. It sounded like you were this close to stringing him up in your webbing... and then it sounded similar when I was turned on soon after..." Realizing his question sounded more like an accusation, he quickly backpedaled, his voice taking on a more stuttering, apologetic tone.

"T-the reason I ask is because I don't think I'd be so restrained were I in your place... its a nice thing to think that you're in control before and after the fact but in the moment... It must be the hardest thing to keep to just verbal jabs..."

"Of course I hate racists and fetishists of that ridiculous sort. However... the tongue alone is what's required to keep people in their place, empires can rise and fall on a word. The idea that I'd ever have to resort to actually hitting someone to get my way would mean one of two things. First; perhaps my argument isn't persuasive enough. Perhaps I don't understand why I feel the way I do truly enough. Second; their jaded senses make it such that they would listen to no person. They are destined to end up in jail or certainly some regretful position, that is the job of the authorities to handle and not my place." Charlotte responded, "If you think it is so difficult, you need to think on your past actions a little harder. If Grimm are brought to areas of hatred in the world, pockets of anger, is it not more sensible to convince people than to fight them? It is best if we can band together, for what lays outside the walls wants us to attack one-another."

She sipped her tea, "Besides, on the minor scale at least, violence rarely even works. There are two kinds of people; those who will tell you their truth immediately and those who never will. It is the reason torture doesn't work, the spirit is either too strong or too weak. It is uncommon that one is midways between the two. War of course is different, yes, but in one to one confrontation of ideology violence is typically of no use. They're either stuck in their ways, lost to them, or open to conversation."

She chuckled slightly, raising her cup to hide it "Besides, have you seen this body of mine? As a medical professional, I can assure you, the weight to my punches is akin to that of a child. When a person throws a punch, they have to step into it and use their footing to put power into it, with my weight spread this wide and hard I am incapable of shows of muscular feet.

Salzem nodded, drinking in what Charlotte had to say. She tried to justify to him her motto of peace and while she made a compelling argument... Salzem couldn't agree...

"Maybe you're right..." He sighed, getting up from the table. "It was a good talk but I have to go... Maybe we'll see eachother around the school sometime..."

With that, Salzem pulled up his hood and made his way out of the café...

(Sorry for the small post... Exit)

"Ah, I see, well thank you for talking with me. I'm sure we will indeed meet again." Charlotte simply responded, taking a drink of tea and lightly waving to his back. Breathing a sigh, he hadn't left any money at all, she supposed she would just pay his way... rude as it was of him to neither ask nor leave money to pay his part, albeit smaller than hers it was rather... un-genntalmanly. Perhaps she had simply scared him with his analysis and explanation of faunus human dynamics, as well as that of a non-violent mindset. Raising a hand to a passing waitress, she ordered herself some food; specifically a rich chocolate cake which any would view as a desert rather than an actual meal.

However Charlotte could and would burn off the sugar by walking to her next destination. The large under-body that was the result of faunus traits not only was a pain to warm but it was also difficult to keep fuelled for movement.

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