Riarshi strolled into the kitchen, feeling pretty good despite being completely rejected by Lillie. Not that he was trying to hit on her, or anything... He simply wanted to help integrate her into the fun and bliss of a social night with peers. 

Maybe another drink would help. 

Wanting to numb the awkward knot in his stomach, Riarshi walked over to the drink table and poured himself another mixture of rum and cola. With one swig, he downed it only seconds after it fizzed and popped at the top of the glass. 

His demonic nature made him mostly resilient to the poison, so he needed large amounts to feel the effects. He hated relying on chemicals to increase his charisma or relieve his stress, but tonight was hard enough to begin with. Lillie's reaction to his attempt at socializing only made it that much worse. There seemed to be no other option. 

Just as he finished pouring another drink to erase his embarrassment, he felt a gentle tug at his shirtsleeve. Surprised, he turned around to see the blonde-haired girl Felix had been talking to earlier, smiling and staring him down with glossy, bubblegum-pink eyes.

"Hey," she said in a low tone before moving in closer. She never broke eye contact with him. "Name's Nikki. What'cha doin' over here all alone?"

The drink table was set off in the far end of the kitchen, keeping unwanted eyes from peeking in on their conversation. The wall to their right drowned out the music bumping in the main room.

Riarshi gulped. "Just grabbing a drink. Oh, wait. I haven't talked to you tonight, right?" He chuckled awkwardly. "Sorry, I'm-"

Nikki cut his words off by sliding in until her eyes were only inches away from his own. She placed a hand up against the wall, effectively pinning him back against the drink table. Another found his wrist, where her thumb lightly brushed over a sensitive spot in his scar. 

Riarshi's heart throbbed in his chest from the contact. Something about her touch and aura felt familiar.

"I know who you are, mister," she murmured before pouting her lips playfully. "Hmm, you don't remember me, do you?"

"S-sorry. Can't say I do."

"Well," she shrugged, "you were nearly out of it, Mr. Hero." A smirk formed on her face as she worked her hand up along the length of his scar then down again. 

Riarshi shivered at the sensation, and her smile broadened at his tentative reaction. "Your entire right side was burned to the bone, and you could barely even breathe." Her eyes slowly traced up his arms and chest, then fluttered higher until she looked deeply into his. "I'm just happy my healing saved as much of your cute face as it did."

At first awed by the compliment and steamy attention, the gears then started to spin in Riarshi's head. 

He had used his demonic powers without restraint to defeat the demon at the Tryout. Because of his unfamiliarity with such power, the huge influx severely damaged his body to the point of hospitalization. Natural healing and doctor intervention helped reduce his injuries to a thin scar running from his right hand to his right eyebrow. However, without the help of a blonde who was the first to respond to Tabito's cry for help, he would've been in much rougher shape. 

Though exhaustion and pain had left his memory of that moment hazy, Nikki's intense and mischievous stare helped him remember.

"You were the first to heal my arm," he said. "Back at the Tryout grounds."

"And?" Nikki prompted, egging him on to continue with not only her words, but the strength of her grip on his wrist. 

Riarshi's eyes snapped open. Memories from before that fateful day came flooding in.

"And you... you were the one at the Grimoire a few months ago, with Leon." His eyes then narrowed. "You asked me if I wanted to be your little Lagic dog."

"Bingo," she beamed, placing a hand on his chest. "Small world, huh? But hey, I asked that question before I knew how strong you really were." She reached up and dragged her nail over his collarbone and up his neck. 

Riarshi felt his knees wobble. She again grinned at his reaction. "I usually go for the athletic type: muscles, magic, and - most importantly - stamina," she whispered. "I might have been at the bar with Leon, but you still fit that bill that night. Now, after seeing what that body can really do, let's just say I'm more than interested."

"Well, he's clearly not," a voice snapped from the entrance of the kitchen.

Nikki spun around, and Riarshi looked over her shoulder to see Hara with a murderous scowl on her face. Tabito and Leon stood behind her with concerned looks of their own.

"Oh? He's not?" said Nikki with feigned innocence. She pressed her chest up against his. "Then why do I feel his heart pounding against my... uh, more developed chest?" Nikki narrowed her eyes, glaring back at Hara while the corner of her mouth twisted into a small smirk. "His face is all red, too. Poor little baby gets embarrassed with thing's he's not used to, huh?" She pouted her bottom lip again and gave Riarshi's cheek a tiny play slap with her hand.

Hara's eyes exploded with anger. Tabito was conflicted between being proud or concerned. 

Leon wrinkled his nose. "Riarshi, don't listen to her. She's just playing games."

"This party's boring me," Nikki sulked, turning back toward her victim while ignoring Leon's words of warning. She leaned in close, slowly breathing along his neck until her lips met his ear. "My room's not far from yours. Let's go back and have some fun." Her eyes flashed with desire. "Maybe if you're a good boy, I'll give you permission to enter... But only if you beg."

Whatever temptation he felt in that moment suddenly vanished. If this occurred at any other time, Riarshi's pulsating hormones would've made him succumb to the tempting offer. Something inside of him surged with magical power, but he wasn't having any of her act right now. 

Common sense overruled male instinct. 

His cheeks flushed red, though not due to embarrassment or growing lust. A silent rage grew inside of him, frosting over his innards. He had enough of her, he...

"He's not gonna fall for your manipulative shit, Nikki. Now get off him." Hara's voice boomed with grit and scorn. There had only been a few times Riarshi had heard Hara this upset - most of which were ironically at him. "You're just pulling that shit 'cause you know Leon's right here. What was your plan, huh? Make Leon jealous so you could get them pissed at each other? Keep all that crap in high school. You did this all the time there, too."

Riarshi felt Nikki's grasp loosen on his wrist. He released the breath he held for the last few beats. Maybe Hara's interference would save him that night.

Or maybe it wouldn't.

"Listen, you," Nikki snapped, dropping her sweet facade. "I can do whatever the hell I want. Leon and I are done. And just because no guy ever thinks that Ms. All Powerful is hot shit... don't get all pissy with me because guys don't react the same way around your 'daddy issues' ass."

The moment Hara's face went white, frostbite blue flashed in Riarshi's eyes. A spark-enveloped hand snatched Nikki's wrist off his chest and twisted.

He was done.

The painful yelp that escaped Nikki's lips shot through the room. Conversations came to an abrupt halt, and all eyes fell upon them through the small opening in the kitchen wall. 

"Oww! Let me go!" she screamed. Pooling tears and undeniable fear filled her once playful eyes. 

He squeezed her wrist tighter, expecting... wanting... to hear a snap. Something in him wanted to cause pain, to hurt. "Don't you dare talk to her like that, you spiteful bitch," a deep and venomous voice growled from Riarshi's throat.

Nikki's breathing turned frantic as she stared deep into Riarshi's hateful blue eyes. She tried ripping her arm out of his grasp, but some unconscious force kept it locked within his hand.

"Did Felix put you up to this?" he grunted.

Blonde locks fell over her face as she squirmed. "Oww! Y-yeah he did! Dammit, let me go, you asshole! You're freaking insane! Y-you're trying to kill me, just like those others you let die!"

Pain exploded in Riarshi's chest. Before he could reflect on it, he noticed Felix bolt toward him from the other side of the room with his maroon eyes glowing. The asshole was looking for a fight, and who was Riarshi to deny him? 

Riarshi tossed Nikki's wrist away, and she tumbled backward into the counter. Blue sparks burst around his legs and arms.

He was ready. He didn't care what happened next. Expel him from the program. What did it matter? He didn't belong there anyway, not with the burden of four souls weighing his heart down, pulling it into the ground to lay alongside them. He'd buried the guilt he felt with conversation and booze, but Nikki's words brought it back to the surface.

Riarshi widened his stance and raised his arms in a ready motion. The voices of others begging them to stop were dulled by magic-enhanced concentration. He had to anticipate where Felix would attack from first. 

What would he do? How would he attack? Apart from his friends, he hadn't a clue about any of the other interns' magic.

Before blue and maroon clashed in the A-wing common room, a huge, hairy, and muscular arm wrapped Riarshi into a crushing choke hold. Despite his cheeks being squeezed up his face, slightly blurring his vision, Riarshi could see Leon and Felix coiled up in a tangle of green plant vines sprouting from Cole's fingertips. Leon tried clawing his way over to Felix, his own yellow eyes and buzzing particles glowing along his face.

Riarshi couldn't fight back, he was wrapped too tightly in the arm of this mysterious beast. He lost the will to anyways; the muscles constricting his body and neck had squeezed the icy swarm from his chest. His eyes faded to their natural hazel.

"Everyone relax and sit down," a deep, animalistic voice boomed out from above Riarshi's head. Everyone in the room instantly found a chair and sat in silence.

An audible huff sent a blast of hot air through Riarshi's hair. "We knew something like this might happen somewhere down the line, but not this early on in the semester." 

Riarshi felt himself be turned to the side as the beast looked around at the interns. "It's clear there's some bad blood between some of you kids. Listen, I don't care what's happened between any of you in the past. You all have to grow up and put it aside. You're all Hero Interns now, and we're all part of a team. The POH comes first before any of this childish business."

Whatever had grasped Riarshi then started moving, shaking the ground with each giant step it took out of the common room and into the long A-wing hallway. It finally released its grasp, and Riarshi fell clumsily to his feet onto the hallway rug.

Riarshi turned around to see Kinson. Well, what was probably Kinson. What stood before him looked to be half-man, half-gorilla. He stood two feet taller than he did earlier, and his usual skinny arms and legs were instead covered in long, black hair and raw muscle. The chestnut-brown glow from Kinson's eyes faded along with the extent of his beastly form. This must have been his magic.

A hard frown was chiseled on Kinson's shifting face, and a second of silence fell between the two of them.

"I'm sorry Kinson... I-"

"Listen, Riarshi," said Kinson, his voice surprisingly soft for an ape transitioning back to a human. "I heard and saw the whole thing. Nikki was clearly harassing you and was extremely out of line when talking to Hara. Just know that I'll have Cole speak to her about it and he'll decide whatever happens from there. But that doesn't excuse your reaction either." 

There was a hint of disappointment in his voice, but for some reason, it may have also been a tinge of sadness. Kinson sighed heavily. "Riarshi, hear me out, I know how you feel-"

"You don't know anything about the way I feel," Riarshi snapped. His nails dug into his palms. "You don't even know me. You know nothing about me, about everything I've had to deal with. Everything was fine until Felix-"

"Put you at fault for the Tryout victims... I know, I've heard." Kinson looked at Riarshi thoughtfully. "I could tell you weren't in the best state of mind tonight. That's why I wanted Wells to talk to you, 'cause she can usually cheer anyone up. Sorry, I didn't think it was this serious. But lesson number one about the POH, word goes around quick," Kinson shrugged.

Riarshi bowed his head. He wasn't quite sure what to say. Kinson stepped closer and placed a hand on his shoulder. Riarshi looked up at his new squad leader.

"You've probably heard this from your friends already, but you can't let what he says get to you. That attack wasn't supposed to happen, and you weren't obligated to do a damn thing. Look at what everyone else did at that tryout: they cowered in the corner, cried, and begged for their lives. Although I can't blame them, if I was eighteen and staring death in the face, I don't know what I would've done myself."

He pointed to Riarshi's chest. "But you, you actually stood up and did something. You fought back and beat that demon. While others ran away, you freaking ran towards him and risked your life. That is why people are calling you a Hero around the country, Riarshi."

Riarshi's eyes met the carpet below. "He told me all the other interns think I'm a scumbag who just wanted the spotlight. He claims I held back and let those people die."

An odd grin grew on Kinson's face. "Who gives a shit?" he shrugged. "Let them think that. You and your friends know the truth, and that's what matters. Baseless words mean nothing. Heroes are criticized on a daily basis, and you know what the best ones do? They take all the hate, pain, and struggle that others throw at them and place it on their backs. Then they turn around, smile, and ask, 'who's next?'. It's not the words we speak or opinions of others that define us, it's our actions."

Kinson patted Riarshi on the shoulder with his hairless, human hand and gave him a knowing smile. "It's just like offering someone a pool stick, or starting up a conversation with someone stuck in their shell. What we do says more than words - and you chose to act that day. You won't convince haters with promises or arguments. They'll always talk. The only way to silence them is with actions and results they can't deny. Show them you're a true Hero, then they'll learn."

The heat radiating from his quad leader's hand melted the cold in his heart. Riarshi could hug Kinson right now.

Kinson wasn't using his magic to hold Riarshi in place while berating him for his stupid actions several minutes ago. Instead, his squad leader spoke to him as though he was an equal. This was a human to human connection, both on similar levels despite one being an Intern, and one an official Hero.

Riarshi felt lighter, and the tension in his body faded, allowing a smile to creep up on his face. "Thank you, Kinson."

Kinson smiled back, dimples forming along his fully human cheeks. "No problem, squad mate." He looked back toward the common room entrance then back to his understudy. "Hey, it's late. I'd say it's best to head off to bed for the night. No need to rejoin that awkward mess of a party. You'll get to know each other soon enough on your missions or during your time here in the dorms."

Riarshi nodded. It really was late. His buzz had faded and his brain craved sleep. All his other worries could wait until tomorrow.

After waving goodnight to Kinson, he turned and strode down to the end of the hallway. His shoulders slouched, and a feeling of intense fatigue brought his feet to a dragging halt at his door. He opened it, walked in, and shut it softly.

His first day in his new home had been a bust, but he had received a newly lit flame of motivation. He felt like his old self, but in a good way. Come Monday, when missions officially began, he'd show everyone that he belonged there in the POH.

He'd prove that he was a true Hero.