rogue castriel. d1. fin.

You come from old money.

No inflated legacy, no infamous name, no competitive edge with the Castriels. They simply sat on a fortune as old as the games itself until their business fell to pieces. Slowly they were replaced by bigger and better competitors, and Castriel Senior realized the family was on the path to impoverishment. When he confessed the information to his wife, they vowed to spend the last pieces of the dying fortune on their two daughters - Rogue and Rune. The girls would be raised with wealth and comfort, and once they reached adulthood they would become the future of the family. What they did with the last of the money would be up to them, but they would be prepared for it. A parent must always set their children up for success.

As a child, you had no idea what that meant.

Life was easy going. You didn't know the stress your parents faced because they wouldn't let you. Every fancy doll house you asked for would appear in your bedroom the next morning. Every special dinner you asked for would be cooked that evening. You're ashamed of it now, but how were you supposed to know?

Your sister was guilty of it as well. Both naïve, both innocent. You were always envious of her beauty because what did you have? Spunk? That wasn't enough. You needed something else, a new challenge to conquer. Your confidence was worth the sacrifice.

Such unwavering determination, your father said. That was your most impressive trait. It was why, despite his hesitation, he agreed to enroll you into the Career Academy. You made the request because you wanted to be something different. If you couldn't be naturally delicate, beautiful, and creative, then you could be powerful instead. Your father gently asked you why you wanted to be a warrior instead, if you were sure of it - you insisted yes. You wanted to be tough and strong! It looked fun!

It was not fun, in fact. Not at first. You cried in your bedroom because of how difficult it was. They pushed you, knocked you down until you had bruises, found your limits and exposed them to the entire class. You suddenly didn't feel like you were strong enough to continue, but father had already paid for it and you couldn't let him down. You promised him it would be worth every penny. When you said you would be a career, you meant it.

So you didn't give up.

You trained, and trained, and trained, until you found your strength. Your muscles became toned and your mind hyper focused. Fighting became second nature - you just did it, no questions asked. It didn't matter who the opponent was. You were not the top of your class by any means, but you had become something more. Something your older sister was not. And that felt good! You were younger, yet you were stronger. You would be the protector; not every younger sister could say that.

You were proud of yourself, and everybody else was too. Father praised your fitness and Rune begged to see your fighting styles. It was relieving to know that your sister did not want to compete with you. You each had your own talents, your own interests. There was nothing to bicker about.

For awhile, at least.

When she started disappearing for long periods of time, you worried about her. What could possibly be so important that she was staying out past 3am? A boyfriend or girlfriend? A party? You waited for her one night, and all she offered was a blank stare. "I was out with friends," she claimed. What friends could be so important? You had your own friends in the career academy, and you spent time together during the day. Why would you need to see them at night instead of sleeping?

You followed her instead and discovered the truth - she had associated herself with criminals. A girl gang! You were shocked, appalled, and you had no choice but to confront her. Her responses were cryptic, "This is for the good of the family." "These are my friends, Rogue." You didn't understand. Why did she need criminal friends? How did that help the family?

She had to remind you of the family's fortune. How one day, they would not be able to live the lavish life they were raised on. You only made it run dry even faster with your need to become a career. Rune also insisted that these friends were her family, and that every last penny was for the Castriel benefit.

You chastised her anyway. How could these criminals be family? You were her family.

She criticized your friends instead; "How many of them actually care about you? How many would fight for you? Put themselves in danger for you?"

You knew the answer already - none. Career friendships were superficial. It was about company and pack numbers, not the individual. You realized then she had something that you did not, and somehow criminals were holier people than careers. And as it turned out, they even taught Rune how to fight. She wasn't nearly as skilled as you, but she could hold her own in a duel.

In the span of a few minutes, your life became lonelier than you could've ever imagined.

You vowed to change that.