Fandom RWBY: Dust to Dust [Limited]

[Lucem]

After flying through the vast, open sky, practically blotting out the sun with its sheer size, the large airship finnally descended as it reached its destination. When the metal doors that cut off the students from the outside world raised into the cieling, the previous gray rectangle was replaced by the now visible sun, its rays shining brightly over the prestigious school they had waited so long to lay their eyes upon. This was Beacon, an environment of education that possessed a deep history, as well as a reputation for taking gifted students and transforming them into capable fighters that combatted the Grimm. The ones that defended all of Remnant from these forces of darknes were known as Hunters and Huntresses, the people that all those in attendance aspired to be.


Following their descension, it took little time for the sound footsteps and copious amount of voices to fill the area. With a mass of students having been cramped within a single vehicle for hours on end, their eagerness to spread out and stretch their legs was understandable. Whether new or old, all those that stood here on the ground of Beacon were all striving for the same goal.


Amongst these students was a boy who valued this goal above all else. Casting a shadow with his sleeve in order in order to block out the rays of sunshine, he waited for his charcoal eyes to adjust to the new, brightly lit environment. As he did so, he felt a sense of accomplishment wash over him, a small smile making his state of emotions visible to the world. After all these years of hard work, he knew it had all payed off when he had set his eyes upon the school grounds.


This young man was Alman Jasesphere, an accomplished student that had attended Signal Academy only but a few months ago. With the standing of his grades and overall performance within the school, he had managed to graduate early from and at the top of his class, no less. While it was not uncommon for prospective Hunters and Huntresses that displayed great ability to advance early, it was still quite an accomplishment.


His eyes having now grown accustom to the ball of fire in the sky, Alman brought the ivory-colored sleeve to rest at his side. Having only just arrived, no student wore the standard uniforms that were distributed here at Beacon. Rather than the ebony blazer and trousers, Alman's state of dress was a bit more casual.


Never being one interested in dressing extravagantly, Alman wore a two-toned coat with black and white, resembling the designs and patterns that could be found on his weapons. Matching with the top of his outfit, his legs were covered by a pair of dark pants that stretched down to the soles of his shoes of the same color. As for his raven hair, he prefered to keep it let down, rather than have it tamed in a knot. It felt more comfortable this way and it was always important for one to feel at ease.


As he attempted to find a directory of sorts that would help distinguish which direction he was to go, a loud click of static resounded over the intercom, followed by a feminine voice. "As of right now, all students will report to the assembly hall to hear from Professor Ozpin" Almost as soon as it it had sprung to life, the voice box had shut off with the same click, followed by a rough patch of static.


When the announcement had ended, a noticeable trail of students that had formed caught Alman's eye. All seemed to be filing into a large, wide-open room, filled with what appeared to be marble columns. With the herd seeming to be the only guidance available, Alman joined the flood of students, all signs pointing to this being the right location.


Upon entering, his thoughts were overpowered by the sheer volume of the conversations that filled the room. Hundreds of students were in attendance, showing that despite how rigorous the process for getting accepted into Beacon was, there were still plenty of talented youths that lived up to a great standard. It was no wonder why the school grounds were so vast.


The chattering only continued to grow, drowning all outside noise that came from beyond the set of double doors that served as the entrance. However, all talking ceased when the a patch of silver hair became visible in the large crowd. In almost an instant, the talk amongst students had become replaced by the tapping of cane, its owner now on center stage for all to see.


As Alman shifted in his position to see what had suddenly caused the silence, he eventually recognized the lone figure. The man clad in a mixture of black and green garbs was none other than the head of Beacon. With his distinctive glasses, it was clear to all that the one standing before them was Profesor Ozpin, the one that oversaw everything here at this institution.


Alman had only ever met Ozpin once prior to arriving at the school. Before his transfer was finalized, he was brought in for a meeting with a man. Their conversation had been odd, to say the least. Throughout its entirety, the stoic educator had seemed to be observing him, admittedly making Alman a bit uncomfortable. However, it wasn't as if he was harsh with his words. The man was actually quite affable and they had managed to have a pleasant conversation to a degree. However, the raven would deny his future overseer's offer of cookies.


The silence would continue for a few more moments before it would eventually be broken by the echo that resounded from the microphone that stood before the man. Everyone provided their undivided attention, not daring to speak a word and disturb what he had to say. Despite not having made any audible sound beyond the tapping of his cane, it was if Ozpin's mere presence demanded respect.


"Due to our tight schedule, I'll keep this announcement brief." Pausing in his words to clear his throat and adjust the drooping frames that met his nose, he continued shortly afterwards. "All of you have traveled here today in the pursuit of knowledge. You've come to hone your craft and to acquire new skills. When you have done so and finished your education, you plan to dedicate your lives to protecting the people of Remnant."





In the midst of the professor's second pause, multiple hopeful faces appeared in the crowd. The man spoke truth. The honor of becoming of a Hunter or Huntress was what they all strove for. Little did they know that their positive expressions would soon morph into that of surprise and some of shock, as Ozpin continued.


"However, as I look amongst you, all I see is wasted energy, needing some form of purpose and direction. You assume prospective knowledge will free you of this, but here at this school, you will come to learn that such knowledge will only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."





After the given speech, many students appeared unsure, contrasting to the optimistic expressions worn before. The energetic atmosphere had been replaced by one that was a bit more daunting. Following the words they had just heard, such a reaction wasn't very surprising.


In place of the now retreating Ozpin now stood a caped woman with a bun of light, blonde hair atop her head. Tapping the microphone a few times before pressing her mouth up against the piece of equipment, sending the echoing sounds across the room. As the woman known as Glynda Goodwitch, one of the staff members here at Beacon, began to speak, Alman recognized the voice as the woman that had resounded over the intercom prior to arriving in the assembly hall.


"You will be gathering in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready for the day that awaits. You are now dismissed."


With the orientation of sorts now over, the flood of students now began to retreat from the hall, some having undergone a change in disposition after the Ozpin's speech. Alman, while not one of these people that had become discouraged, now thought over the head's words. Fingers pressed to his chin as the man's voice still remained in his head, he exited the doors, looking to pass the time before nightfall.

 

[Pierrot]

Sabrina Kampfer

And the new-found friend

Sabrina stepped out of the airship with her new friend in tow. She made sure he couldn't escape her as she dragged him along.


She had been one of the first students on board the ship but he wasn't. Yet there was something oddly different about him from the rest of the gathered students who were brimming with vigor. At first glance he was human alright. Nothing about him seemed remotely Faunus at all. Though he did seem like the mysterious type and if video games taught her anything, mysterious people always catapulted you into grand adventures.


Sabrina navigated her way through the rapidly tightening cabin of the airship. As if they waiting for it to be filled to the brim before heading out. It was hard making her way through the odd collection of limbs and antlers and the like until she finally made to the other side where the mystery boy was seated.


At first glance his appearance was very strange. Perhaps he was the kind who liked different colors. What was strange was that people were crowding around everywhere except near him. So the breathing space was welcome at least.


"Your hair is weird. Oh yeah my name is Sabrina...Sabrina Kampfer. And you are?"


Sabrina extended her hand toward the stranger. Honestly, the world needed to be more visible with the exclamation marks on top of peoples' heads. The strange boy lifted his head to look up at the extended hand. He frowned and didn't take her friendly hand gesture, instead he replied with a dismissive tone.


"I wouldn't say my name so freely. You'll have to try and earn it."


He crossed his arms in front of his chest and looked away from her, clearly ignoring the fact that she had pointed our that he had weird hair. It'd probably take more points in persuasion to get him to cough up his name but Sabrina would have none of it.


"Aww c'mon. I won't tell anyone. It'll be our little secret. I'm a Kampfer and we don't just randomly blurt out secrets. What's the worst that could happen? I mean you already have my name and that just puts me at a disadvantage, all the more since I'm just a girl."


"Sure you don't." he mumbles, his amber gaze slowly returning to her. Sabrina would have to comment on his strange yet beautiful eyes soon, maybe that would soften him up.


"Also, as you've stated that you're at a 'disadvantage' since I've already learned your name, that gives me one more reason to not give you my own." He then shook his head, this action caused the long strands of his hair that framed his face to sway gently from side-to-side. To be honest, the hair was a little bit mesmerizing, the way the red and black strands just blended together.


"Why do you, out of all these humans cramped in this airship, want to know my name?"


"You must bliiiiind. I see antlers and cat ears and all sorts of ears too. And what's this about humans, aren't you human too? You look like one. As for my reason, I'm just curious."


Sabrina gestured to a concentrated chunk of the crowd where one could clearly see a set of antlers just popping up out of the sea of heads. This guy must have a few screws loose but she had to commit to the goal now. She started a conversation and she wouldn't dare walk away without his name, no matter how hostile he'd become. Perhaps a change in approach might work.


"Anyway, if I say please, will you tell me your name? Pwease mister mysterious stranger sir?"


The young boy looked like he was squirming on his seat, before replying with the same dismissive tone, but this time she could hear the irritation coming from him.


"Will you take no for an answer?"


"No, not really. But are you really so cruel that you'd let a girl to get on her knees and beg? I will if I have to."


Sabrina was fully prepared to kneel if it came down to it. She had more than enough space and she raised her voice just enough to make some people turn heads. She was just about to do so when the boy spoke.


"For Haven's sake. Keep it down." He muttered. "I'm Solace, Solace Halahala, now can you...can you not raise your voice or do anything that could seek too much attention? You've got what you wanted, now leave me be."


However, The boy was glaring at her but she had stared down worse, his amber irises narrowed, darting back and forth from her to the few heads that were turning their way. It wasn't the best possible start to their friendship but Sabrina was sure she could easily mend it.


"Solace huh? Okaaay. Speaking of Haven, I was supposed to go there but then some stuff came up and now I'm here. So where'd you gra-"


We have arrived at Beacon Academy. Welcome.


A voice filled the cabin as the airship stopped moving or at least felt like it stopped moving, it sounded like an automated message. The voice sounded synthetic. Everyone seemed to be lining up to where the exit was and the doors parted open for everyone to leave and enter into the Academy, the chaotic crowd was suddenly orderly and organized. Sabrina felt herself well up with excitement, she had somewhat made her first friend and now she was going to go to Beacon for the first time. In truth, she could barely keep all these emotions from flooding out.


"You're coming with me, let's go!"


Not wanting to lose sight of the only person she knew so far, Sabrina grabbed Solace's hand and yanked him to his feet then dragged him with her into the queue that was disembarking the airship. She wouldn't dare let go of the first soon-to-be-friend she'll make and he could have easily disappeared in the press of the crowd. Which was why her grip on him was extra firm.


Sabrina stepped out of the airship with her new friend in tow. She made sure he couldn't escape her as she dragged him along.


They were greeted with the sight of the school, which was reminiscent of an old castle. Freshmen like her populated the walkway toward what looked like the entrance into the academy proper. She took a sharp breath as she admired the view after stepping off the airship. It was the site where legends were made and where she would make her own legend as well. Sabrina would be the first Kampfer in Beacon. The first Kampfer to deviate from Haven.


A voice came from the speakers set around the campus. It was directing everyone toward the assembly hall for an opening ceremony headed by Professor Ozpin. Somehow she felt like she was supposed to know that name, but she just kept drawing blanks.


"We should probably go to the assembly hall...."


A nervous chuckle escaped her lips. Her grip on Solace's hand tightened as she tensed. Sabrina was overcome with a nervousness that she wasn't accustomed to at all.


"Yeah I dunno where it is...uh mind taking the lead this time, Solace?"


So there you have it folks. The first half of mine and Ratchet's introductory post. We'll be collaborating on the second half soon

 

[Clockwork Star]

Lorelai's ride had been quite uneventful. As a Faunus you learn to take uneventful to mean perfectly pleasant - rather than the usual alternative. She'd deigned to spend the ride polishing Artemis, her staunchest protector and collaborator, but she noticed a couple glances going her way. It wasn't as if they were particularly menacing or unfriendly, but she simply smiled politely and stuffed the cloth back into her bag and folded her dear friend back up into her carrying size and went about her mental checklist.


Artemis? Check. Battle dress uniform? Check. Walnut brownies? Check. Toothbrush or, like, whatever else goes in the bathroom? Probably check.


Close enough, she resolved in her head. The morning had seemed like a blur and her acceptance had been marginally late. Aided by the fact her family lived in Grimm-infested forest, they'd gone through a couple mail men before the nearest city simply installed a mailbox in front of the wooded area. Unbeknownst to them, unfortunately. Already the typically calm deer-like daughter of a pair of hunters had succumb to a rising chaos.


The look on her father's face still tickled her, a smile creeping up on the corners of her lips. She realized someone might be looking and she didn't want to feel odd, so, her smile slowly faded to complacent placidity. Her thumb gently brushing Artemis' handle on her lap for the remainder of the ride.


The jarring juxtaposition of darkened air ship to sunlight stained exit ramp was enough to make her uncomfortable. When you live in the woods you always take some of the silence and space with you, but often when you enter the public domain that stoicism is unwittingly sapped.


That isn't to say she wasn't comfortable with other people, quite the contrary, but being shoulder-to-shoulder with strange people had never made her feel very safe. And it wasn't hard to assume at least one of them held a dislike for Faunus, even harder to not assume that one such a figure of misplaced enmity may be a master of a deadly weapon.


Her un-calm was unapparent on her softened features, gems dangling between her antlers on a nearly invisible string of silver - with beads of blue and green. Despite her mind's will to remain a shadow, she knew that appearing as a proud Faunus was the only option for her. And she was proud, of course, of her heritage. It showed in subtle ways like the way she carried herself, the confidence in her poise and the way she walked with purpose.


Lorelai wore an old brown leather jacket with beowolf fur on the collar. She wore that over the top of a thin white blouse that was tucked into blue jeans that clung to her hips, worn away to collections of soft fibers and little patches of pale skin. On her feet she wore soft leather boots, obviously of the same make as her jacket and much lighter than they appeared. Her hunting shoes. She locked Artemis into place above her bum and lifted her jacket to accommodate.


Even though she stood out with out trying, she had a way of finding the most quiet place in an otherwise busy locale. Of course, the nature of this pocket-sized peace was its ability to be disturbed. A rather odd woman was begging a similarly poised person - she assumed Faunus from the instant she saw him, one learned to smell their own after all. Lori's brow furrowed as she caught pieces of their conversation, but before she could intervene with an 'Is everything okay here?' it seemed to calm and a voice broke the noise in twain.


Being a bit tall, for a human female at least, she was able to gaze out over the sea of talent to the magnanimous headmaster. For some, his speech seemed to incite a bit of worry, but she could see what it was at the core. Lorelai would take honest over pseudo encouragement any day. It wasn't often one could trust the head of a prestigious, well, anything. His frankness was more than welcome.


Lori shifted the weight from her duffel bag from one shoulder to the next before pressing on after some of the crowd thinned in an attempt to seek this ballroom - she imagined anyway. Though, she found herself pausing and unsure of where to go. And so, she decided to wait for a moment to see if the pair truly knew which way to go before pressing on. This place was quite a bit larger than Signal, after all.

 

[Procculus]

Ascalon

The Weaponized Steel Eldest Sister

Was this what her brother had wanted? Would he have felt less, as they put it, heavy-hearted, if he was the one that survived their clash? Ascalon could not properly place her emotions in any given category, and had to resort to utilising metaphors that she had picked up from the various fiction literature she had perused prior to being sent here. She did not feel any heavier, and her mass was a definite amount, without the ability to increase or decrease. A system scan revealed nothing malfunctioning as well. Yet, Ascalon was not entirely functioning at the percentage set by her limiter. Gae Bolg's 'death' had affected her far too much to be considered positive for her development, and she concluded that this turn of events may cause several problems for her future allies. 'Worry', she found, tended to affect combat performances. If she continued to express her negative emotions, it would create complications for both her and her peers.


She wrung her hands and instead attempted to access unrelated data to the incident. She was vastly aware of the attention paid to her 'legs', if they were to be called that, by the prospective students of Beacon. She did not mind- humans and Faunus tended to possess curiousity when first introduced to foreign concepts. An upper torso of a girl of their age group in and legs of a machine was a pretty foreign concept. Their interest, however, would wane over time, especially if she did not entertain them. At the very least, they did not query about what she was, or attempt to wonder how a being like her could be part of Beacon. Unlike these organic beings, she did not have their enthusiasm, their drive. She was merely here to learn so that she may better serve Remnant as a weapon. Gae Bolg's wish still ended in futility. She was nothing more than a weapon. Would these people, human and Faunus, see her as one as well, when they knew what she actually was? As of now, they assumed she was a cyborg of sorts, half human and half machine, though that illusion was not going to last long.


She was interrupted by a clank and a hiss, and the doors of the airship swung open. She heard the gasp of awe rise from the students as the sight of Beacon greeted their eyes. Almost at once, they swarmed out in excitement, in anticipation, thirsting for the air that they longed to breathe for their whole lives. Each and every one of them, Ascalon realised, wanted to be a Hunter. They wanted to protect Remnant. Did she? That was an illogical question. Her wants were not of her own to decide. While she was given a free will, she was bound to be a weapon and a protector, no matter whether she wanted to be or not. She straightened up to her full height, bordering on six feet two, and moved slowly out of the airship, trailing behind the rest. Her foot had barely touched the ground when the speakers came to life around the students.


"As of right now, all students will report to the assembly hall to hear from Professor Ozpin."





Assembly hall? Ascalon accessed her memory. She had uploaded an image of the map of Beacon Academy into her system to aid in effective navigation through the Academy. Punctuality was paramount in education, after all, and in an emergency, she could plan the most effective exit route. Right now, the destination was a building called the 'Assembly Hall'. She located the relevant information, and started towards the area. A stream of students had already made their steady progress through the Academy towards the Hall. Ascalon concluded that a crowd of people meant that it was often the right place to be, and that relying on the student population's behaviour was better than relying on her immense general knowledge. She nodded slowly to herself and made a note in her vast memory.


Ascalon had previously been informed of the sheer amount of aspiring Hunters, numbering about thousands of them. However, surprise still registered when she set eyes on the crowd that had gathered in the hall. Any one of them could be her future ally, that she was sure of. She scanned the crowd with her optics, as if to pick out an optimal choice, analyzing their behaviour and their patterns, their clothing, their speech, their appearance. It was overwhelming to her. All of them had the potential. Being accepted into Beacon was, indeed, no trivial matter. She signed that previously tentative information off as confirmed and stored it away within.


As she organized her thought processes and gave a smile of acknowledgement and thanks to those who complimented her legs, the crowd fell silent. Ascalon focused her optics on where they had all turned towards, and zeroed in on a snow-haired man at the center. She recognised him as Professor Ozpin. Had it not been his consent, Ascalon would not have been standing here, looking across the sea of prospective allies at him. For a second, when the Professor looked up at the crowd, she thought his eyes met her optics. At that instant, a cold chill ran through her systems, despite her torso being of regular room temperature. It was the same when he had looked at her, studied her, back at her birthplace. Those eyes of his seemed to pierce through her. While she had nothing to hide, it made her feel as if she did. Perhaps that was what made him truly intimidating, quietening such a crowd as this with simply his presence and his cane. Humans like he were truly unique. She inserted an addendum to her files on Professor Ozpin, describing his strange powers of control over the student body. As he spoke, no one else did. Was he something akin of the command centre, where she and her siblings recevied mission directives from, to these students? What a strange concept. Furthermore, she did not detect any connections between Ozpin and them, no radio waves or otherwise. Was this what they called "authority"? One of higher hierarchy could command those of lower status with just the blink of his eye. Ascalon nodded sagely to herself once more and created a seperate folder on the effects of authority. She wondered if his authority extended to visitors, no matter who they were, to his Academy, and filed that under Pending Queries.


".....all I see is wasted energy, needing some form of purpose and direction. You assume prospective knowledge will free you of this, but here at this school, you will come to learn that such knowledge will only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."





Ascalon saw on the students' faces what registered as signs of distress, shock, horror, and anxiety. Words certainly carried a lot of weight to organic beings, Ascalon noted. Yet another lesson for her, she supposed. She would have to be careful when choosing her words when conversing with organic beings. Studying Professor Ozpin's facial expression led her to the conclusion that he had chosen these specific words to create this exact reaction. What an odd personality. She could not fathom how a man of such deliberately abusive and sharp tongue could garner such respect from his peers. Another item had been registered in Pending Queries, it seems. Lost in her processing, she had not noticed a blonde woman take the stage in the place of Professor Ozpin, until she spoke.


"You will be gathering in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready for the day that awaits. You are now dismissed."


From Ascalon's data relevant to Beacon, this woman was known as Glinda Goodwitch, in charge of Duelling and Physical Training, as well as known for her involvement with the orientation. Orientation with regards to what? The school's grounds, perhaps? Maybe the timetable, or the lifestyle of the students? Organic beings sure had a lot of odd words that explained nothing. She stepped aside to allow the students to stream past her in a steady flow as she prepared relevant data to navigate towards the ballroom. Out of the corner of her optics, she detected a slight hint of animosity hanging around the students, and they clamoured less than before. Her sound receptors received less volume of chatter as compared to before the announcement. Was it Ozpin's speech? He had somewhat insulted them, but it was a form of reverse psychology, was it not? Did they not understand his words, specifically "It is up to you to take the first step"? Ascalon, however, did not discount the fact that these were teenagers, and they often took many things at face value. This only meant she needed to watch her words much more carefully than she had already designated so as to not frustrate any of them. She ran over a select choice of vocabulary in her system after registering the most viable path to the ballroom, and exited the assembly hall. Communication was the base to nurturing good camaraderie, after all.

 

[Vol]

Solace Halahala

And a Side of Kampfer

He didn't think he would've had to stay long with Sabrina, after all since he told her to leave him be after he finally got to cough up his name. But soon after, Solace found himself yanked off his seat after an announcement of landing in Beacon, and then dragged right behind her, his hand nearly numb due to her painful grip as they weaved their way out of the airship and onto the walkway toward the entrance of Beacon Academy.


Solace, ignoring the throbbing pain of his hand, was in awe at the view of Beacon, lush greenery framed it's front along with water that was rushing alongside the walkway. He managed to hear Sabrina's sharp intake of breath before unconsciously doing the same. Beacon Academy was beautiful, much better than the sight back at his homeland.


A voice flowed from speakers that were placed around the campus, announcing that everyone should head to the Assembly Hall. Wherever that was.


The Faunus felt an even tighter hold on his hand after the announcement, causing him to utter a soft groan. Sabrina wanted him to take the lead for now, but he didn't know where to go either. Before he started to say something that were similar along the lines of, "Can't you go by yourself?", a steady stream of Freshmen started to head towards a certain direction to which Solace would've made sure that they were heading to the Assembly Hall.


Thinking for a second or two, he decided to keep her by his side but only temporarily. "I suggest that we should follow the rest of the students, they'll lead us to it, oh and can you stop holding my hand in a death grip?" Solace asked, as he struggled to wriggle his numb hand free. "Y-yeah. Yeah I didn't think about that one. I'm sorry about your hand. I just got nervous." Sabrina removed his hand from her grip and he let out a genuine sigh of relief while massaging his hand.


He then walked onwards, merging with the crowd of students that were heading to the Assembly Hall. Solace occasionally looked back at Sabrina to make sure she was following him or that he didn't lose sight of her amongst the mess of humans. At one point, once they reached the Hall, he took hold of her arm and secured a secluded spot for them to stand without getting squeezed or touching elbows with other Freshmen.


The Hall was buzzing with excitement and activity, voices continued to top other voices just to be heard. Solace felt a pang of tiredness from all the energy, and unconsciously his scorpion tail wriggled underneath his cloak. Suddenly, all conversations and voices simultaneously died down as a figure with silver hair, brown circular spectacles nearly drooping to the tip of nose and clothing that were a mix of green and black, stood poise on the centre stage. Solace heard whispers behind and around him that mentioned a name; Professor Ozpin, the Head of Beacon.


The Professor started his brief announcement with a beginning that made some faces look up to him with hopefulness sketched in their features. But soon after Ozpin continued on his second part of his speech, expressions changed to surprise and shock. Even Solace was taken aback by his sudden change of speech, but he found it true.


Ending his speech, a woman with soft-blonde hair that was shaped into a bun on top of her head took his place. Another wave of murmurs started, whispering the name Glynda Goodwitch. She explained that they will have to gather in the ballroom for tonight and prepare for the proper initiation tomorrow, then she dismissed the Freshmen.


After the orientation had finished, students retreated from the Assembly Hall. Solace caught some Freshmen looking glum and discouraged from Professor Ozpin's previous speech, as they trudged out of the Hall. The Faunus put one hand on his hip and looked at Sabrina. Since he had no idea how to pass time until nightfall, he decided to either explore Beacon by himself or do something else with the girl that had annoyed him from the airship.


"Well, do you have any ideas on what to do from now? We could part our ways from here, if you so wish."


"If it's all the same with you. I'd rather stick with you, you're like the only person I know in Beacon. Now let's find other people to expand our circle of friends yeah?" Sabrina responded with a very shameless smile.


Half of Solace felt disappointed that she decided to stay, although the other half of him felt relieved that he wasn't going to be alone. Conflicting feelings suck.


"I'm not much of a friend-maker, and you'll most likely scare or annoy them off- But lets go anyway."


And so, Solace headed to the exit of the Assembly Hall, alongside with Sabrina.


"Nonsense! Now lead the way Solster!"





Part 2 Collab with Solu- Pierrot :3

 

[Lucem]

As the light of the full moon radiated under the now darkened sky, the students of Beacon took shelter from the night within the ballroom of the large institution. Rows of sleeping bags lined the velveted floors, as those that were meant to make use of them neglected their much needed rest and remained awake. Despite the many light switches that wereavailable for use, they remained unused, the only source of light that made the activities of the children being several wax candles that were positioned around the room, made sure to be kept at a distance from the silk, maroon curtains.


Within the candlelit room, flames dancing in the crystals of the chandelier that hung overhead the center, many of the students took to socializing with one another. Whether they laughed as they engaged in amusing conversation or openly shrank and marveled at their close proximity to theopposite gender, they were forming bonds that would come to aid them during their time here at Beacon. Unbeknownst to them, they were fulfilling the very purpose for their gathering, these connections being a source of strength for many previous alumni. After all, no true Hunter or Huntress could find real power without the aid of close companions.


However, while many were taking well to the hidden exercise, there were still those that hadn't yet found their place. These particular students were relatively few innumber, but they certainly were around, situated in solitude. Among these, as it would turn out, was Alman.


Under the glow of one of the several flickers of flight, the raven-haired youth sat in his own small corner of the ballroom, one knee tucked to keep the book in hishands propped, while the other laid flat. While the others went about their night enjoying the company of their fellow man, the boy kept to himself in the comfort of relative silence. The only movements he made were subtle, comprising of flipping each page when concluding the last orremoving a stray strand of his ebony locks from his field of vision. Overall, he was in an almost tranquil state.


Despite what one may come believe by observing his apparently antisocial behavior, Alman did enjoy communicating with others and being in the company of another person. However, he lacked proper development in the area of social skills. While several other of his skills were finely tuned due to several years of dedication to training his mind and body, this was the very reason for his current situation.


By focusing on studying and preparing for his future as a Hunter, Alman isolated himself from the other students and people as a whole, with the exception of his master. As a result, he never truly gained the skills needed for properly conversing with others. While he knew how to be respectful and courteous to those that he met, his mind always drew a blank when it came to initiating interactions and felt awkward whenever attempting to take the first step.


So, now he kept to himself in a room full of prospective comrades, his immediate company only that of a book and a withering mold of wax. In his defense, it was quite the engrossing book. "Dust: An In-Depth Analysis of the Origins of Man". Alman was always captivated by anything relating to the mystical phenomenon, so the situation was still a good one in its own right. However, as the premature graduate ran his thumb over the line of black and white text, another student was experiencing far less pleasant circumstances.

-----

​

As the doors to the airship finally opened, releasing a subtle hiss as they separated from the platform, the single occupant within rushed out as quickly as humanly possible. When feet met pavement, a wave of relief had washed over the young man who was currently stretching his limbs in every direction. With a satisfying crack releasing from his stiff joints, the amber-eyed teen took in the fresh air that was now available. "Hello, Beacon!"


Senren Marbulos had been waiting eagerly in his makeshift bed for the following morning on the night prior to the first day of Beacon's new school year. However, the blond may have been overly anxious, as his boiling blood kept him awake well into the night, eyes finally shutting mere moments for sunrise. With a lack of proper rest, it was to be expected that he would end up missing his flight.


When he had finally awoken, it was an understatement to say that the boy was displeased. He'd spent months skipping rest for this one day and he was going to miss out on it for giving into the temptations of the sweet land of dreams. He would not allow himself to be stopped by a simple error in timing and he certainly wouldn't let the staff member that oversaw all transportation to stop him either, as they argued for hours on end.


Eventually, the man on the other end of the line would give in and have an airship arranged to collect the persistent teen. Feeling a sense of triumph over his minor victory, Senren would envision all the grand activities he would participate in and the extraordinary people that would join him in his journey towards becoming a full-fledged Hunter. However, at the current moment, there was one small issue.


Turning his field his vision from one side to the other, hand running through his head of golden hair, Senren's eyes narrowed when he came to realize something. Brow furrowing in frustration, the teen howled to the full moon that illuminated the night sky. "Where is everybody!?"

 

[Pierrot]

Sabrina Kampfer

The Night Probably Spent alone

Sabrina did make it a point to keep up with the only person she knew in Beacon. There wasn't anyone else knew after all, everyone was a veritable stranger and somehow she couldn't find a way to make a connection without coming off as too strong. Solace was right about her, she'd either annoy people away or scare them off and she was too afraid to find out. Perhaps that was what killed her momentum for the rest of the day. She brushed it off as nonsense mainly because she was confident that he'd stay with her throughout the day, that somehow he could act as a foil to her and their two-person routine that she was just trying to figure out in her head.


All that aside, she lost him. She had been adamant about sticking with him throughout the day and they even had lunch and dinner together. Nature called for her after dinner and when she was done with answering it, he was nowhere to be found. Sabrina would have continued looking for him had it not been the fact that it was the prescribed time for everyone to be gathering in the ballroom. Maybe just maybe she'd find him there. Even when he wasn't around she relied on his guidance, just follow the stream of students and she'd probably run into the ballroom sooner or later. Looking back it was probably common sense to do that it was just that she was too excited to stop and think for a moment.


The ballroom itself was large, large enough to accommodate all this year's freshmen for an entire night. The floor was littered with sleeping bags and even then there was still relatively enough space to move around unhindered. Some of the students had even erected makeshift camps at various spots around the spacious ballroom. Nothing but the light of candles placed at set intervals around the ballroom was used as a light source. There were probably light switch since through the gloom Sabrina could spot a number of light-bulbs on the ceiling but they weren't used. This was probably an attempt to set a certain atmosphere. It felt like it was a camping trip for her at least.


Camping was best enjoyed with friends. She was waiting for hers.


It would have been an easy thing to make a few more acquaintances if Solace hadn't been correct about her. True enough she could easily make friends with the right people. Not everyone could stand her after all and that was made apparent through the mixed reactions she got from people when she tried to start a conversation or something. It was a little bit demoralizing and it locked her in a subdued state to be perfectly honest. Sabrina was confident she could sleep all this off and be fresh and bright in the morning. The only problem was her excitement wouldn't let her sleep. It was probably midnight and there was still no sign of her new-found friend. Was he even a friend? Wasn't he just tagging along because she forced him? It was maddening enough that she began to question herself as she huddled away in her little section by the wall.


Her gaze was focused on the dancing of the flames of the candle in front of her. It'd at least calm her down or so she thought.


"Tch. Maybe I do come off as too strong..."


Meanwhile, elsewhere another person's story unfolds...

Maro Venizia

The First Day, The FNG

Maro's excitement hadn't exactly been conducive in the cramped cabin of the airship he rode to Beacon Academy, he was always bumping into people and they were also grumbling complaints or groaning or something. It was a motley mess of students that seemed to just willingly pack themselves into a cramped steel container soaring through the sky to bring them to where they will make themselves experts in the field of Grimm slaying. He would stop if he wasn't so excited for starting his new life and making a name for himself. Faunus and Humans mixed together in this chaotic symphony, chattering and chatting among themselves, making a few introduction. A pair of whom stood out, a brown haired girl and a guy with a two-toned hair. He studied the scene but soon found himself turning away. Whatever the issue, it was resolved and he couldn't jump in to fix it. So much for showing how reliable he was in the first few minutes.


A mechanical voice and a hiss of the rush air told him that the door was opening and everyone would probably fight their way off the ship. Maro himself had been standing for the duration of the flight and his feet were already aching by the time the airship landed. Still he braved the river of students and rode organic current that would bring them to where the Assembly Hall was. It was hard to believe that he'd be fighting alongside very capable people who would no doubt become legends in their own right but it was even more unbelievable that someone so mundane as he was stood side by side with them. It only increased his excitement. He could be very good friends with any one of these people. It wasn't just anyone who could enter Beacon Academy after all, one needed to be skilled and smart to make it in. He only possessed persistence.


He kept Iaito slung across his back as he entered the Assembly Hall. More like as he was brought by the crowd to the Assembly Hall. There was already a sizable amount of people gathered and it was just getting cramped. Somehow there was considerably more people than how many Beacon usually brought in. It wasn't a stretch to say that everyone here was especially skilled and Beacon wasn't just lowering their standards. If they did, they wouldn't be producing legendary Grimm slayers. The Assembly Hall was just as cramped as the airship that brought everyone to Beacon. Even the chaotic symphony of voices made its nest in the air of the Assembly Hall, soon to be evicted when Professor Ozpin made his appearance. THE Ozpin of legend. Maro was in the presence of a God and it seemed everyone else recognized the white-haired man too as the Assembly Hall grew progressively quiet. The silence was such that everyone was probably holding their breaths in while Professor Ozpin went about his opening speech.


Right off the bat, he was already challenging them. Maro knew a challenge when he saw one but it seemed not everyone got the message. He was implying that they were incompetent and was challenging them to better themselves in the years they'll spend in Beacon. The others seemed to be murmuring discontent but they would probably understand the message later.


The rest of his day zoomed by in a flash. Maro grabbed some food after the opening the ceremony and then just followed his feet to wherever they'd take him. He could get to know people after the initiation he read researched about. For now, it was probably better to explore and see what he could see. After breaking free of the crowd that just seemed to disperse to nowhere, Maro dusted himself off and fixed the beanie on his head. It was settled, he would just pick a random direction and walk.


It was stupid is what it was.


Night had fallen and Glynda Goodwitch, THE GLYNDA GOODWITCH, had told them to report to the ballroom by tonight, that day's night and prepare for tomorrow. He was hopelessly lost and it didn't seem there were staff on hand to help him make his way to the ballroom. There wasn't even a river of students that would carry him there. It was problematic and he had spent a couple of hours stumbling around before making it to the ballroom. Mistakes were to be expected but this huge one on his first day probably would not give him such a good image.


Maro took a good long look at the ballroom from his spot at its entrance and whistled. It was huge and regal even in the candle light. The chandelier was lit and there were candles everywhere, just like there were sleeping bags and students everywhere but the ballroom at least gave people some breathing space and wasn't too stifling. Students were already huddled together in small groups or on their own, which meant that the time for introductions was probably a little too late. Still it was better he was late than not trying, after all, people only lose when they give up. Hopefully there were still people who were sociable but some of the groups were already turning in for the night while. He scanned the rest of the room and found himself staring at the faces of the people he was with on the airship, some of them were people he even accidentally bumped into on the airship.


"Well then. Who do I start talking to?"

 

[Procculus]

Ascalon

Her receptors crackled, intercepting stray radio waves, or was that an incoming transmission? Her question was answered when a voice, which she recognised as the untidy researcher's, spoke into her right receptor.


"Ascalon, do you read?"


"Affirmative. Please continue with further orders." Ascalon ran her fingers along the edge of her sword for one last time, and sheathed it at her side. As the sword clicked in place, the scabbard slid to the back slightly, and locked in place. Ascalon's legs whirred with slight effort as they lifted her torso from the ground. She had been sitting long, gazing out into the distance. One of the other students had suggested 'resting' for the moment, instead of wearing themselves out. The following day was to be a vital one and they required as much recuperation as possible. After making a note of that organic beings tended to see 'relaxing' as a way to prepare for future confrontations, Ascalon commenced an intensive research on the term 'relaxing', and attempted to simulate the various activities, limited as they were, that were considered 'relaxing'. As her brows furrowed in intense concentration at trying to 'relax', her ironically serious behaviour proved to cast her in a rather unapproachable light. After several hours of attempting, Ascalon decided to take a seat by the gates of Beacon, ensuring her weapons were in working order. While mentally, she was still exhausted from the incident with her brother, physically, as long as she received fuel, namely food and proper hydration, she was at perfect condition. She took to maintaining her rifle, and by extension, her leg. After that was done, she worked with her blade, examining its sharpness, and ensuring the sheathe still functioned as it was supposed to be. Before long, time passed, and night had fallen on the campus. At around the time that she gathered, with the dwindling population of students in the grounds, that she had to proceed to the Ballroom, a transmission from HQ had come in.


"Your supplies have arrived. Please make your way to the entrance of Beacon to retrieve them."


"Understood." Ascalon made her way down the steps towards the long pathway that led to the prestigious building that towered above all. The rhythmic whirr and clank of her feet as she made her way down the path was uninterrupted. The lights were, mercifully, switched on for easy navigation. As she neared the edge where the students and she had disembarked from the airship, her receptors picked up yet another sound. This time, it was human, and it sounded nearby, rather than a transmitted message.


"Where is everybody?!" it seemed to cry.


Ascalon's optics registered a shape in the distance, along with a long, olive-coloured bag at the side of the figure. As she neared it, it became clear to her that it was a young man, a head full of golden locks, who, she surmised, was the one crying out to the heavens. Organic beings sure had an odd way of 'relaxing'. Coming out here and exerting their vocal chords to wonder aloud where his fellow students were seemed highly unproductive and, not to insult the intelligence of organic beings, but, silly. She did not regard this as 'relaxing' at all. She halted at the side, bending down to retrieve the olive bag. Holding it within her hand, the bag's weight registered as a few hundred kilogrammes, packed full of ammunition, carefully transported Dust, several swords of similar make to the one sheathed at her side, and several spare parts she might require in initiating self-repair. She focused her attention on the young man by her supplies, taking note of his appearance. Out of a sense of worry that the young man might be remiss in whatever event was to transpire in the Ballroom, she reached forwards with her free hand and grasped his shoulder tightly. "Excuse me. If you are looking for the other students, you will be able to locate them at the -Ballroom-. Would you need any help in reaching the -Ballroom-?" Her speech pattern roughly mimicked the querying vocalisation of a regular organic being capable of speech, but the flat tone was still existent, especially when she said the word 'Ballroom'. Having registered that as an important venue seemed to have robbed it from being natural sounding when she vocalised it. She hoped the young man did not wonder too much about her odd accent.

 

[Lucem]

As the young man continued to frantically search in every direction to spot some sign of life, he grew increasingly agitated by the minute. His reaction was, for the most part, understandable. To finally arrive at Beacon and come face-to-face with nothing but emptiness, only the light hum of the airship serving as company, wasn't the most enjoyable thing in the world.


In the midst of his squirming and various outbursts, Senren failed to notice the approaching form of the woman that had made her way through the darkness. However, when he did, his reaction wouldn't be very calm. As the metallic clanking approached, he had grown momentarily paranoid before brushing off any ill thoughts that crossed his mind. 'Relax, Sen. It's all in your head.' This notion was quickly tossed aside, along with his composure, as his shoulder became locked in a vice-like grip.


The instant contact was made, the blond jumped in shock, sweat threatening to consume him after the unexpected sensation. Swiftly turning around, ivory-colored sneakers managing to kick up the particles of dust that had made the grounds of Beacon their home, Senren nearly drew his weapon to face whatever savage creature threatened his life. Thankfully, the small cylinder that hid in the pocket of his pants remained in its current state upon noticing there was no threat that needed to be vanquished.


Rather than the deadly monstrosity that had spawned within his imagination, Senren was relieved to see only a young woman in its place. With beautiful, long brown hair and piercing blue eyes, she was truely a sight to behold. However, with the teenager being who he was, he neglected these traits of hers in favor of the objects that protruded from her lower half.


Eyes shining with wonder and adoration, Senren marveled at the machinery that apparently served as the girl's legs. "Amazing!" His admiration was quite clear by the verbal outburst, hands gripped tight to display the intensity that overtook his emotions.


After a few moments of staring, Senren managed to restrain himself before the situation went on for far too long. Rubbing the back of his head in embarrassment, an apologetic smile adorned his face. "Sorry about that. It wasn't polite of me to stare." It mustn't have registered in his mind that he had done much more than simply gaze at the woman.


With his recent chain of odd reactions, Senren had momentarily forgotten that she had asked him a question before he jumped in surprise. The apologetic grin quickly turned to one of appreciation and joy after rembering the brunette's offer. "That would be great! Thank you!"


Rather than focus on the woman's tone of voice, particularly the accent that came along with the word 'Ballroom', the golden-haired teenager opted to ignore it. It didn't seem very strange to him, as he was quite eccentric himself. It wasn't exactly hard for him to direct his focus elsewhere, as he had failed to notice her presence, as well as the supplies positioned near him in the midst of his initial excitement.


After accepting the woman's gracious offer, Senren's eyes trailed over the olive bag that she held in her grasp. Wanting to return the kindness that she had extended to him, the young man held out his right arm. "I'd be happy to carry that bag for you. After all, you must be pretty tired after your first day of school."

 

[Vol]

Solace Halahala

Something to keep him off his mind

He didn't want to ditch her without a reason, since he did 'promise' to stick with her after the brief orientation was over. Though they didn't manage to acquire new friends as Sabrina had said, but Solace didn't care as much. If he hadn't had caught the eye of Sabrina Kampfer, he would've already locked himself away in a personal barrier. But there was a good thing about running into her and that good thing was that she kept him busy. Busy from the thoughts he decided to push at the back of his mind to think on later tonight.


He and Sabrina had lunch and dinner together, surprisingly enough, he enjoyed her silly antics whilst they ate. But as soon as she went off somewhere, specifically to the bathroom, his thoughts came back flooding to him. Family problems, he called them.


Solace's family didn't fancy him joining forces with humans, one could say they were similar to the White Fang, disliking humans to their very core. Back at the deserts of Vacuo they attacked any human that would come near them. He never gave it any thought why they were attacking them, he found it to be instinct on protecting their own territory. But he found out the real reason why they were attacking humans, whilst he was in adolescence.


Solace was rubbing his forehead as the thoughts continued to replay in his mind. He shouldn't be worrying over this since he just graduated to Beacon. But it wouldn't go away, so he briefly went to go get some fresh air. Hopefully Sabrina wouldn't be back until he was finished.


He breathed in the fresh air, filling up his lungs before letting out a long, tired sigh. Solace looked up at the starry night sky, realising how suddenly late it was. The sky looked the same back at home.


The Faunus didn't know how long he stayed outside, pacing around until one freshman called him back into reality, telling him to head back to the Ball room. Amber eyes widened slightly before complying, quickening his walking pace to follow the trickling stream of students. Solace looked back behind him, not finding the girl anywhere. He frowned then looked forward, thinking that she must've already went ahead without him. That or she would still be looking for him, he still had no idea how long he had spent outside.


When Solace and the other freshmen arrived at the Ball room, they were met with students loitering about the spacious room, the floor littered with their sleeping bags. The candles spread around the room was their only source of light and it gave Solace a sense of calm. After a few moments of staring at some of the mess that some Freshmen had made, he re-focused on his objective on trying to find Sabrina.


Back in the airship, Sabrina had pointed out there were other Faunus attending Beacon, or at least thats what he remembered she had said. But she was right after all, some antlers, tails, ears and etc were visible amongst the normal heads and bodies of Humans. Solace glanced down behind him, his tail hidden from view. Not everyone would want to be found as a Faunus straight away.


What it seemed like nearly forever, Solace spotted a figure huddling in one of the sections of the room. The reason why he spotted this peculiar figure, even though there were many huddling in their own corners like it, was because it was Sabrina. She really looked out of character, sitting alone and glum.


Solace's brow raised in a subtle teasing manner as he crouched down next to her.


"Have you made any friends yet whilst we were separated for a while? I'm guessing it's a no since you're sitting by yourself in a corner."

 

[Clockwork Star]

The quiet she was used to was becoming a threat to the friends she needed to make. Lorelai gave an impatient little huff, tugging her emerald bangs aside with a nervous gesture. She'd switched into her pajamas in the bathroom, figuring it might be a good idea, events considered. It felt odd being out of her normal clothes in such a "dense" population, navigating the cold floors with her bare feet - toes painted green (of course).


Lorelai had removed the gems from her antlers and packed them away safely in her bag, extricating her sleeping roll and carrying both back into the ballroom. To a Faunus the ballroom proper was adequately lit. She traversed over and through already sleeping bodies and ecstatic , erratic pacing alike. With a full belly usually the only thing she wanted to do was sleep, but it was a little different this time. This was the night before one of the most important days of her life and that importance was certainly not undersold.


She watched some of her peers chittering and chattering away with one another, feeling wholly out of place. There seemed to be stragglers here and there, but the vast majority seemed to have formed little cliques. She wondered if that paradigm would be any indication of the competition her potential team would be facing. Though, Lori reasoned, it was likely they wouldn't be made to fight each other JUST yet. She knew, as the others did, that that would be a part of the process eventually.


Through all the noise her gaze eventually settled on a quiet little corner, a young man reading a book by candle light. There was space by him for a bed room and she figured, it would be perfect. He seemed to prefer the quiet, too, and that was just as well. She might not have to talk that much, or interrupt an already established group.


With a new purpose in sight, Lorelai moved quickly and quietly towards the young man. Starting to unfold her sleeping roll a couple feet away. "I hope you don't mind, but there's not much space left," she said plainly, it was easier to apologize than ask for permission sometimes anyway.


She sat cross-legged in the center of the roll and pulled her own book out, The Distance Between Our Souls. Philosophy 101 stuff, asking some beginner existential questions and attempting to disassemble the universe with thought rather than weaponry. Heavily tapping on the human-faunus prosperity note. The book was clearly read many times, folded pages, and spots highlighted in varying colors, notes written in the margins.


Lorelai passed more than the physical tests with flying colors, but she had a tendency to let both be downplayed. After all, she was simply happy to make it this far - especially as a Faunus. This was one of the most prestigious schools for one of the most prestigious occupations in the world. And that little factoid decided to sit right in her stomach, over the rather large portions she'd ingested out of more nervousness still.


"I'm Lorelai, by the way," she said, peeking at him in her peripheral. She decided for him that they were to be friends. He didn't have a choice in the matter.

 

[Lucem]

Before the Alman could make reach the thrilling conclusion to a long-winded explanation about how to properly contain Dust in its raw form, his eyes drifted off the page as he caught the sudden movement in the corner of his eye. Placing his thumb over the word he had registered last, he adjusted the rest of his head to where his central vision rested on what had suddenly approached him. To his light surprise, it was one of the many students that filled the luxurious ballroom.


Orbs of onyx trailed over her form, taking note of several features in a short amount of time. From her minty green hair to the majestic gems that were her eyes. Like most of the gathered students, her attire was suited for the current situation, unlike himself. Of all the supplies he had decided to bring along, no matter how minimal they were, never once had he considered nightwear. The clothing he wore was comfortable enough to use while resting, but perhaps it would've been a good idea to buy more appropriate clothing, considering he would be sharing a room with others for the rest of his tenure at Beacon. Perhaps he would purchase some clothing the next one he ventured out into one of the many shopping districts.


While her attire and facial features had caught his attention, it was mainly the ones atop her emerald strands of hair that stood out. Protruding from the top of the elder woman's hair were a set of antlers, making her heritage no mystery. It was as clear as day that the girl before him was a Faunus and of the deer persuasion.


While the skull extensions were certainly eye-catching, Alman didn't reflect on them for very long and focused on giving a reply to the woman's apologetic statement. "Of course not. Take all the space you need." As he spoke, Alman offered his fellow freshman a small smile, eyes closed in an attempt to seem more approachable. All the while, the young man hoped that what he was trying to convey as friendliness wasn't coming across as awkward or strange.


While many people considered Faunus to be of lesser worth than their Human kind, Alman was not one who shared this sentiment. While others lacked the ability to separate the good from the bad and group every member of their race, Alman knew better to judge others on the actions of those such as the White Fang. Just like Humans, there were good Faunus and bad Faunus, every one of them an individual with their own set of morals and ideals. He found the concept of racism disgusting and treated all beings equally.


Alman felt a bit of joy as the girl withdrew her own book. He was glad to discover that the two shared a common interest, especially when considering this was the first interaction he'd had all day. Unsure if it was by chance or some unknown force dictated it, he was glad to know there was the potential to form some sort of connection in this moment.


At her introduction, Alman extended his own greeting, light smile remaining on his features. "I'm Alman Jadesphere. It's a pleasure to meet you, Lorelai." Things were surprisingly going better than expected. At this pace, he may be able to make friend in the short amount of time he had spent here. Unfortunately, this pace would come to a quick halt.


Under the light of the tiny flame that burned on the wick of the candle, the silence prior to her arrival had resurfaced, only now with two students to share in its emptiness. With the only distinguishable sound between the two being the occasional turn of pages, the atmosphere was a bit uncomfortable. Of course, Alman remained calm and attempted to remedy the situation by striking up a friendly conversation. However, he would first need to find a topic that wasn't entirely random.


The gateway to the conversation would appear as the raven's eyes trailed over the cover of the book within the young woman's hands. "I've read that book as well, more times than I'm willing to admit in fact. I'm quite the fan of the author's other works as well." With the majority of his life being spent with his nose buried within a textbook, it was no surprise that Alman would come to be a bit of a bibliophile.

 

[Pierrot]

Sabrina Kampfer

A Friend Reunited

Sabrina raised her head to the source of the voice that she'd grown accustomed to hearing throughout the day. There was only one person that voice belonged to. A smile plastered itself on her face as her head completed its journey upwards.


"Welcome back, Solace. Where'd you go?"


"Outside. Needed some fresh air."


Solace sat down next to her.


"Oh okay...hey, Solster, what do you think they'd make us do tomorrow?"


"A test of abilities perhaps? That, or a task for us to try and accomplish."


He kept squirming in place and changing his position every now and then. Honestly, if he there was something bothering him Sabrina would be happy to help him with the problem.


"Oooh I'm not really all that good at finding stuff but I could totally rock a body count! Are you...are you uncomfortable or something Solster?"


Sabrina turned to face the boy next to her as she asked the question, hoping he'd spit the problem out so she bash its face in. A sigh escaped from his lips as he switched to another different position, his legs were now pushed up to chest.


"...I dislike sitting down on solid ground. But legs do get tired so I have to sit somewhere."


"So what you like sitting on air? You say some very weird things, Solster. Maybe you're just tired."


Sabrina unconsciously placed her arm around his shoulder and pulled the boy a little bit closer to her. It's what her siblings did to her sometimes to cheer her up or when they know she has a problem, maybe it'd work on him too. Except he shook off her arm, but at least he stayed in place. It wasn't a complete disaster.


"I'm not that tired to not notice on what you were doing. Don't do that again."


Ironically, Solace let out a small yawn despite saying that he wasn't the least bit tired.


"What about yourself? Aren't you tired?"


"Tired? Not really. I was just trying to make you more comfortable is all, you don't have to be so prickly. Okay, so I felt something on your back and I'm suddenly wondering what it is."


He looked back at her, a stern straight line on his lips and his brows furrowed. Sabrina wondered if she was treading very thin ice.


"You felt something on my back? I'm pretty sure you just felt my spine or my shoulder blade."


"Your shoulder blade and spine are both too deep. This...thing felt like it was right there on it...not in it. What aren't you telling me?"


"...What's the part of a scorpion, that's always positioned to readily strike and sting it's prey, called?"


Sabrina found herself in thought at the question and concentrated on it, although she looked like she was just spacing out.


"A stinger? I dont get..."


Was Solace saying he had a stinger on him? If so, she wondered why he still needed to go to Beacon. She let her hand fall on his back again and felt around for the stinger in question. And realization dawned on her face when this "stinger" just twitched all of the sudden.


"YO-you're a faunus? That's so cool! Can I see the stinger? Can I touch it too? Is it sensitive? Will you get angry if I touch it? Is the poison legit? Can touch it? What's it feel like to have a tail? Do you different ears too? I knew there was something different about you. So can I touch your taaaaaaaiiill?"


Sabrina kept herself from practically screaming out that the first guy she knew was a faunus. It was a new experience that somehow drowned out the previous gloom. Her curiosity threatened to burst her open. Except the boy started to inch away from her. She wasn't all that scary right?


"I'll answer your questions in order, if you would just SHUT UP FOR A MOMENT."


Sabrina made a zipping motion with her lips when Solster told her to shut up, she tried her best not be bouncing up and down as well. He was pissed and then he snapped and then he told her to shut up, which was what she did. Her gaze didn't leave his face though, studying it for whatever it was she was looking for. He did promise to answer her questions if she kept quiet.


"I'm quiet nowww."


"Alright, okay, thank you. No you cannot see it, not yet. I'll strongly suggest that you do NOT touch it, like you just casually did before. It's not highly sensitive, though it's sensitive enough for me to angry at you if you prod it. The poison...yes, I would say it's 'legit'. Having a tail like a scorpion is very uncomfortable, I would've preferred a smaller or softer tail."


Solace then took a deep breath and drawled out a "No" to every-time she asked if she could touch his tail. His message was clear and hopefully he'd be a bit more cooperative in the morning. He did seem a little stressed for just going out for air. Sabrina wanted to prod but thought better of it.


"Aww you're no fun at all. I think I'll try to get some rest."


Except she couldn't rest at all. Too much excitement was built up. Not to mention that she hadn't packed any pajamas too. Sabrina slipped into her sleeping bag and squeezed her eyes shut, but that only heightened her senses and made the nearby conversations a little bit clearer. She lay down on her side and had her back facing Solace. Hard solid floor didn't make for good beds at all, it didn't help that somehow the ballroom was cold.


"Put yourself in my shoes, would you prefer for your tail to be prodded at? I hope not. And that's a good idea, we should both try and get some rest..."


I wouldn't mind letting people touch my tail. If I had one.


"Hey, Solster? Can we share your cloak? I promise, I'll be quiet. I don't move around much in my sleep either."

 

[Father Gigantor]

Lana Spalding

Boisterous Wannabe Hero Huntress

Lana was certainly no stranger to being jammed unceremoniously into a moderately sized area like a sardine having grown up in a kitchen for most of her life, and it would take a lot more than a couple of faces next to hers to distract her from her burger, which she merrily munched away on while transfixed on a mystery novel. Arriving to the airship just a few minutes shy of the departure time meant that she didn't get the luxury of choosing a comfortable spot in the air-conditioned cabin, but there were worse punishments that she could endure for a one-for-one deal on cheeseburgers. She flitted around the cabin as she continued eating, surveying the masses of students with inquisitive eyes between each transition from page to page of her book, somewhat absentmindedly trying to take in the influx of new faces while simultaneously absorbing the contents of both her novel and her half-eaten burger. Needless to say, she wasn't very successful, and she soon grew bored, and opted to spend the remainder of the journey messing about with the projector screens on the side blaring out VNN news broadcast, attempting to change the channel to something more juvenile, and earning her cautious stares from onlookers.


The airship lurched to a halt and the exit ramp of the airship lowered as Lana scarfed down the last bites of her final burger, before surreptitiously crumpling the wrapers into one big ball and flinging it off the safety rail to a grisly, oily demise. She stretched several times as her fellow students rushed down the ramp onto the pier, as Lana trailed behind, taking a second to appreciate the sight before her.


Beacon Academy truly seemed to be everything it was hyped up to be, it's towering spires and humongous walkways were unlike anything she had witnessed back at Signal academy. Her quest for heroism had lead her here, and if all went according to plan, she would leave not just as Lana Spalding, but as a proud huntress of Vale, hand of justice and defender of the meek!


Lana snapped out of her mindless daydreaming just in time to catch a female voice blare across the intercoms. "...the assembly hall to hear from Professor Ozpin" The message was short and abrupt, and she had barely enough time to hear it, but the large masses of students flocking towards the academy informed her of the announcements main message, slinging Reckoning back onto her shoulder and jogging towards the general direction the ocean of students were headed to.


Lana made her way through the double doors of the assembly hall, looking for a niche near a pillar she could jam herself next to where she could rest her belongings. Unable to find one, she compromised by finding a spot near the center of the hall and set Reckoning down to use as a something she could lean on. The hordes of students flooding through the doors seemed almost limitless, there were far more than she had encountered on the airship and she found herself vaguely wondering whether the floor would crack under the sheer mass of aspiring hunters. Whipping out her earbuds for some tunes was a tempting idea, but she judging from the words "Professor Ozpin" in the announcement, she soon wouldn't have the luxury of drifting off.





She was right, it wasn't long before a silver haired, bespectable figure was seen among them, followed by silence falling over the once raucous crowd like a bucket of ice cold water being dumped onto a fire. Lana had never seen Ozpin before in the flesh, but it was clear simple pictures did not do the man justice. He was tall and imposing, and his commanding presence filled the room, but strangely enough Lana didn't find him intimidating, on the contrary it was almost as if his mere appearance alone had enthralled her. No separate thoughts, wild fantasies or hasty assumptions, Lana's was focused solely on the man leaning on his cane, who now stood before the crowd ready to address them all.


"All of you have traveled here today in the pursuit of knowledge. You've come to hone your craft and to acquire new skills. When you have done so and finished your education, you plan to dedicate your lives to protecting the people of Remnant."


The air around Lana seemed to vanish, as she drank in the each and every word that escaped from his lips. The crowd seemed to meld into one collective blur as she focused ever so intently on the professor and his prose. Was it fear? Respect? Jubilation? Mere words would not do the feelings that swamped the young lass and indeed, what seemed to be the entire hall, enough justice.


"However, as I look amongst you, all I see is wasted energy, needing some form of purpose and direction. You assume prospective knowledge will free you of this, but here at this school, you will come to learn that such knowledge will only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."





The sermon had ended as abruptly as it had begun, but Lana was still reeling from the effects of it and stood there, staring blankly at where the headmaster once stood. A million thoughts had flooded into her mind that she could not decipher, but several words remained clear as day amidst the sea of conjecture within her brain.





"-purpose and direction..."





Lana snapped out of her trance for the second time of the day just in time to catch a tall blonde woman take the stand in front of the students. Glynda Goodwitch, was the name Lana fished out from her memory, recognising the lady she had addressed her application form to. Her voice echoed through the hall as she made her announcement.


"You will be gathering in the ballroom tonight. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready for the day that awaits. You are now dismissed."


With the events of the day drawing to a close, Lana breathed out a heavy sigh, her mind still preoccupied. Socialising right now seemed to be a fool's errand, so she hoisted reckoning and her belongings back onto her shoulder, and made her way towards the ballroom.


Then she remembered she hadn't a clue where she was.


"Uh, well what now?"

 

[Pierrot]

Maro Venizia

The First Encounter With the Crimson Beast

Previously on the Maro Chronicles...


Maro took a good long look at the ballroom from his spot at its entrance and whistled. It was huge and regal even in the candle light. The chandelier was lit and there were candles everywhere, just like there were sleeping bags and students everywhere but the ballroom at least gave people some breathing space and wasn't too stifling. Students were already huddled together in small groups or on their own, which meant that the time for introductions was probably a little too late. Still it was better he was late than not trying, after all, people only lose when they give up. Hopefully there were still people who were sociable but some of the groups were already turning in for the night while. He scanned the rest of the room and found himself staring at the faces of the people he was with on the airship, some of them were people he even accidentally bumped into on the airship.


"Well then. Who do I start talking to?"


All the students were already clumped up in cliques. Everyone had their partners and Maro didn't want to interrupt group interaction in progress. It just didn't feel right to just butt in without warning. That and he was deathly shy and interrupting people in general was out of the question. He needed to find someone who fit very specific criteria and that task grew harder with every passing second.


After some very fruitless searching and stumbling over the sleeping forms of the other students or navigating the mazework of makeshift camps erected by said students. Some people were sharing books and discussing what made books so booky, others were already capitalizing on the opportunity to snag some points in with the opposite sex. He just passed two very amazingly blatant examples of both scenarios. Everyone had their reasons for going to Beacon and all and he should probably respect that. After all, not everyone was like him in that they only got in through sheer luck.


Perhaps it was destiny, perhaps it was fate, perhaps it was some big hand in the sky telling him to go to this certain spot but that was when he saw her. The Crimson Beast. Any one of those three metaphysical entities were probably screwing him over by sending him directly to the final boss right off the bat. She was alone, looked disoriented and was packing that mean look on her face despite being obviously lost. Her red hair must probably match her Hunter's spirit or so his father used to tell him. A dangerous predator on the prowl was presented to him it seems, he would best her or choke on his own fear.


Maro's movements were as precise, calculated and graceful as a synthetic that hasn't had a proper oiling in last decade and developed a nice coat of rust. He slowly made his way toward his target, mechanically, clumsily. One wrong move and it'd be over, he'd be her patsy for the rest of his life, and he wouldn't have a say in it. Maro cursed the Venizia genes were almost everyone died young because they didn't exactly know when to quit.


Finally, he had finished the agonizing journey through harsh, rugged terrain but was yet to face the true challenge before him. He had planned out his plan of attack and it was perfectly planned or he planned it. A string of smooth, velvety words and the dropping the right hints and he would be set for whatever encounter would lay in his path on the harsh road of "talking to people." The Crimson Beast would need to remember he who bested her.


"Hello there, my name is Maro Venizia. Is there anything can help you with, miss...charming was it?"


Whoa where the hell did that last part come from?! ABORT! ABORT!

 

[Procculus]

Ascalon

She had forgotten that most beings did not take kindly to unannounced interruptions, whether they were 'relaxing' or not. She now wondered whether the young man was actually performing such a task or not, but did not feel as if it needed clarification. The young man had sprang away from her, about to ready his weapon, as evidenced with his stance. As Ascalon wondered if she, too, should take a hostile stance, the young man switched his priorities, and she detected a hint of relief crossing his features as he straightened up. Conclusion: She need not mark him as a hostile force, and he did not need to be neutralized. Had it come to blows, the bag in her hand would have made short work of him. Usually, most humans would lose consciousness after having exactly 94.76 kilograms thrown in their general direction. Such diagnosis did not include severe internal injuries.


His attention fell on her legs, just like every other regular organic being. By this time, she was almost used to it. However, his verbalisation stirred something not unlike self-consciousness within her personality module, and she found herself feeling abashed at the comment. Most would simply stare on at her without saying much, or offering a passing comment. Having an organic being unashamedly studying her make was undoubtedly quite jarring for her. When the boy straightened up and apologized, Ascalon found herself grasping for words. In her whole life of eighteen months, not many had apologised either for just studying her chassis. “It…”she started, paused to formulate a sentence, and then continued, her synthetic lips curled into a warm smile, “It is fine. You need not apologise. It is natural for,” she halted from saying ‘organic beings’, fumbled and continued, “humans to express curiousity at something interesting.” Thankfully, the young man did not comment on her voice. Perhaps he had experienced things much stranger than her way of speech.


“It pleases me to be of service to you. I have set aside the most effective path to reach the –Ballroom-. Follow me. Watch your step, please.” She angled her torso slightly, as if to bow, and turned towards the stairway leading to the gates of Beacon, taking them two steps at a time. When the boy queried if he could be of assistance with the load she carried in her bag, she turned to him, her face beaming. It was an odd feeling, to have someone try to help her. She was more used to helping others. In fact, she was designed and programmed with that in mind: assisting Hunters. Perhaps this feeling was what they called “joy”. After all, having an organic being attempt to help her for the first time in her life was not something to be easily forgotten. “It is alright. I do not tire easily. I spent my time... ‘relaxing’, not unlike most students, today. Hence, I possess enough energy to carry myself through approximately three days without further nourishment.” The fact that the bag weighed almost as much as she did was left out of the conversation. The young man’s build did not look like it could sustain 94.76 KG, even with both hands.


As they walked, she was reminded that bonds are first and foremost forged by the introductions of one another, usually starting with their names. For her, she supposed she would have to drop the front of her name. First Generation Anti-Grimm Suppression Weapon “Ascalon” did not seem to be an easily memorable name. She turned to the young man again. Hopefully, the first step to establishing a bond of camaraderie could still be made long after they had first made contact. “Excuse me. I have been remiss in my manners. I am called ‘Ascalon’. It is a pleasant occasion to make your acquaintance, sir.”

 

[Clockwork Star]

Lorelai truly did not mind the silence, she was perfectly content to simply read next to Alman without furthering the conversation any. In her mind, that was good enough. The ability to be alone while being next to someone in comfort wasn't always easy. It seemed as though Alman had difficulty with it, but she simply smiled and understood - she was certainly not going to judge someone she just introduced herself to for wanting to connect a bit more.


"You like Ikram Seong?" She almost gasped, her favorite author - no, one of her favorite people - and this little book worm she chose to bunk next to more than knew who he was? He liked him? The question she posed sounded much more like an affirmation for her own disbelief. As much as she loved Mr. Seong's work, she knew very well that he could be dry sometimes and terribly crass others. He wrote like he didn't care other people were reading it.


"I've read this book so many times I've had to glue the cover on. Twice," she blurted, suddenly wanting far more conversation than she'd originally thought. It also signaled that, unless he was hiding a tail of some sort under his jacket, and what a terribly unlikely thing that would be, she thought to herself, this was likely a human boy that enjoyed the philosophical works of a Faunus. Major brownie points.


"Have you read his poetry, too?" She queried, closing the book without looking where she left off. Truthfully, she'd read it cover-to-cover so many times that she'd started to skip chapters and re-read to affirm or re-assign meaning and her own ideology to certain parts of the book. She could nearly recite it from memory. "It's not as flowery as a lot of people seem to think of when they talk about poetry, but I think the simplicity he uses to communicate makes him a lot more vulnerable," Lori added without really waiting for him to answer. After all, Alman had said he'd read a lot of his other works.


With a little cough to clear her throat, she crossed her legs and sat up a little straighter, "The dedication to peace is infinitely more worrisome to those that would start a war than to fight back with gun and sword, but to ignore an injustice is to allow that injustice to exist and if we are to come together we must protect one another from those that would do any of us harm. What they are willing to do to the least of us, is what they are willing to do to the rest of us... that's what made me realize I wanted to be a huntress."


Lori blushed a little, realizing she'd just blurted and geeked and quoted without even waiting for some sort of response. She flicked her bangs again nervously and her eyes, rather than looking into his as they had been, fell on his book instead. Ah, a student of ancient myths as well as philosophy? She thought to herself. She enjoyed the ideas about creation and origination, but not half as much as she enjoyed studying the differences between pre and post human-faunus war literature - perhaps she'd get a chance to mention that if she didn't scare him off.

 

[Lucem]

Senren gave the young woman a puzzling look at her sudden mention of nourishment and relaxation. It confused him a bit, but he didn't dwell on it for very long. At the moment, he was a little disappointed in the fact that he hadn't been able to help. 'Oh well, I guess I'll find another way to pay her back.' He didn't like to leave a favor unreturned and he would rember to find a way to reciprocate the kindness he had been shown in due time. If the boy had any redeeming traits, this would certainly be considered one of them. However, he could be a tad overbearing with his drive to help people.


As the pair walked towards the gates of Beacon, Senren kept his eye on the trail they walked. He wondered why the students had been required to retreat to the ballroom for the night. Of all the places to go, it certainly seemed strange. In his opinion, the best place to be at the end of the day was a bed, wrapped in a ball of clean sheets and fluffy pillows. Oh how the idea of sleep consumed his every thought. After the hectic chain of events that had occurred throughout the day, he was just about ready to pass out.


As the boy daydreamed about the ones he would have in his future state to unconsciousness, he was brought back to reality by the familiar monotone voice of the girl he had been following. The previous fatigue that has been plaguing them during their track vanished instantly upon hearing her introduction. With a large grin stretching throughout the lower portion of his face, the blond quickly responded with the same enthusiasm he had maintained since their initial meeting.


"You can drop the 'sir'." Raising his right arm, the boy directed the attention to his face with a sudden thumb gesture. "The name's Senren Marbulos! You can just call me Sen for short, if you'd like!" Contrasting the girl's refined and flat-sounding greeting, his was full of fire, leaving little to the imagination of what his personality was like.


After the two had made their formal introductions, Senren had finally come to notice how different this girl was and made no attempt to hide how he felt. "You know, you're a little strange." While this could definitely be taken as a negative comment, the growing smile on the young man's face seemed to counteract this. "I like that about you! I'm a little strange myself!" While his choice of phrasing was certainly odd, the hearty laugh that followed afterwards proved his statement to be genuine.


Keeping his gaze on the girl, he continued his movement to the gates of Beacon. "I hope we can be good friends, Ali!" Awkward decision to give a nickname to someone he had just met aside, Senren was trying his best to make sure his goal of gaining new comrades here at Beacon would be reached.

------

​

Alman hadn't been quite sure what to expect when he attempted to strike up a conversation with the girl across from him. Being his first actual casual conversation with someone within his age group in several years, he had some thoughts that it would take a bit of time before they could become comfortable around each other. However, it seemed as though he flipped a switch upon mention of his appreciation for the works of Seong.


Alman was slightly taken aback by Lorelai's sudden outburst. However, the feeling of mild surprise quickly turned to one of amusement. While it may have appeared a bit strange to others, he saw the reaction as something positive. In his opinion, it was good to have something one could be passionate about. Judging from what he had seen so far, it was clear that the young Faunus had a passion of her own.


Giving the prospective Huntress his undivided attention, Alman nodded in in response to each of her questions, a small smile still adorning his face. It seemed as though their views were fairly similar, as he found the nodding continue in agreement. He would continue to do so until she had said all there was to say. It was never polite to interrupt someone in the middle of a sentence.


When the Faunus had finally paused after her enthralling vocal performance, he was initally a tad confused after her following reaction Noticing her displays of body language to signify her sudden realization of what had just occurred, Alman offered her a reassuring glance. He rather enjoyed listening to her and hoped that they would continue to have such conversations in the future.


Catching her glance at his own piece of literature that laid folded in his lap, Alman raised the lather cover to provide a better view. "It's actually quite a dull piece of work if the topic doesn't interest you." Letting his fingers trail over the golden trimmings along the spine, he looked at the book with a fond expression.


"I've been enamored with Dust since I was a young boy, so even the smallest details can capture my full attention. This particular book was a gift from my master as a gift for my graduation last year." The fond look remained as he thought back to the middle-aged man that served as a mentor, as well as an honorary uncle in his time of need. While the Hunter was, to say the least, a bit eccentric, he was still grateful for giving the child he had once been a chance to prove his worth.

 

[Father Gigantor]

Lana Spalding

and The Patron Saint of Normality

Unlike in the hall previously, it didn't look like Lana would have the luxury of having her own personal swarm of sonorous students leading the way for her. Unlike when the first announcement had been made, there was still a fair amount of time between then and nightfall, meaning that people would have enough time to socialise, explore the school or engage in general dicking about. Most of her friends from Signal either had either not graduated, or had opted not to go to beacon, leaving Lana helplessly watching the crowd around her slowly coagulate into distinct groups of varying sizes amongst themselves.


Lana slowly waded her way towards the crowd, scanning the groups as she did so, hoping to find a vaguely familiar face amongst them, but to no avail. Barging headfirst into group conversations wasn't exactly the best way to make herself friends on day one either, and she could do without being branded as a pariah on day one, so she decided to exit the hall as quickly as she could, lest she suffocate to death in the rivers of idle banter and claustrohphobia. As she neared the edge of the room, she decided to give the place one last, hopeful sweep for any signs of familiarity, which was as she had expected; fruitless. What she hadn't expected however, was the sight of a male student, apparently already in the process of trudging his way towards her.


Lana stared quizzically at the boy drawing ever closer to her, who appeared to be the single most normal person Lana had ever seen in Beacon, maybe even in all of Vale. Lana was almost certain that if she had whipped out a dictionary to look up the word "average", she would have been greeted by a picture of the person now standing only a few meters away from her. He was dressed from quite literally from head-to-toe in black, with black sneakers marking the start of his legs, to a black beanie capping off his mop of unsurprisingly black hair. The only thing that stood out was his white T-shirt, emblazoned with a logo that probably made as much sense to him as it did to her. (I.E: None at all.) The only thing breaking this mould of mundanity was the Samurai sword strapped to his side, but even that was still relatively low-key compared to the armaments of the students surrounding them.


"Hello there, my name is Maro Venizia," he said, staring right at her, a coy smile plastering his once inexpressive face. "Is there anything can help you with, miss...charming was it?"


Lana stared at him for a good ten seconds as her mind tried to process the words that had escaped from his lips. She was unmistakably being hit on, nary several nanoseconds after just learning his name. She wasn't sure whether to be impressed, or downright terrified at this display of forwardness by this one otherwise unassuming Maro Venizia. After what appeared to be an eternity within Lana's mind, she hastily cleared her throat, trying not to blush as she forced a sly grimace onto her face.


"Well now hotshot, you sure didn't waste a second there. Of course, the answer to that depends on who's asking of course..."

 

[Procculus]

Ascalon

They neared the ballroom, and Ascalon could detect something akin to fatigue plaguing the blonde young man. It was natural for both humans and Faunus to get tired just from waiting. In accordance to some of her findings, boredom could sap a person’s energy faster than engaging in strenuous action. Maybe she should have requested that he carry the load that she carried with her. That way, he would not have felt so tired. Though, now that she thought about it, he probably would not feel anything if he was given something this immense in weight. Either way, the young man was not going to find any rest and recuperation soon unless she hurried along to the ballroom. The hiss of her pistons quickened as she took a much more rapid pace towards the solitary building that would house the students for a night.


“-Senren- -Marbulos-.” Ascalon’s facial expression seemed a little pensieve when the young man introduced himself. Her mind was registering this information, storing it within relevant files. It was indeed getting a little problematic referring to him as ‘young man’, and she was deeply thankful that he would offer his name to her. She repeated the given information for a while, until the mechanical expression of it sounded less so. “-Senren-. –Sen-ren. Sen…ren. Senren. Sen. Yes. It is less taxing on my energy resource if I address you as -Sen-. I will make a note of it. Thank you.” She smiled a little smile, her face brightening. The energy that exuded from Senren, her companion, was contagious, it seemed. There was something about his cheer that easily spread to those around him. As far as she knew, emotions could not be transmitted through air or water molecules. This was quite strange. Perhaps it was an organic being function that she was unaware of. It would come in handy, this information. A positive energy begets more positive energy. Ascalon nodded sagely for the third time today, as she continued towards the ballroom.


“You know, you’re a little strange.” How direct of him. She did not hold anything against him or his statement, however. Honesty, after all, was the best policy. Once again, she appreciated that he told her directly rather than conceal it within himself, like almost every organic being she had met so far. “I like that about you! I’m a little strange myself.” Was he truly? As far as she could see, he was completely normal. A wholly functioning human with no defects whatsoever. A little strange…did he mean his personality? To her, it seemed as if he was but a highly active young man, with a powerfully optimistic aura around him.


Good friends? Ascalon turned away from him, and pushed open the doors to the ballroom, and the noise immediately greeted her entrance. Her own smile fell slightly, now seeming a little forlorn. Perhaps they would be friends. Nevertheless, once her true disposition was revealed, would he still see her as a friend…or a weapon, like all of them did? Her personality module sent an odd sense of pain through her, and she, out of her installed human reactions, grasped at her chest, and gripped at the cream-coloured sweater, at where a heart should exist in a regular human being’s body. It hurt…but she did not receive any external injuries.


‘Ali’. This was what was called a nickname, was it not? Maybe it would not be as bad as she thought it would be. Already, this young man was warming up to her. She dropped her supplies at one side with an almighty thunk that resounded through the ballroom, and nodded to Senren Marbulos, attempting to recreate her previous smile. “I do hope so too, -Sen-. I really do hope so. Maybe one day…” She shook her head, her brown locks thrown across her face to and fro. She pushed them away, her turquoise optics casting a gaze towards Sen. “Pardon me. I was thinking upon my sentiments for a moment. Do get some rest, -Sen-. The following day will tax us in energy, so sufficient sleep and preparation is tantamount.”

 

[Pierrot]

Maro Venizia

And the battle of wills

"Who is asking? Why that'd be me of course. I want to know how I can help you."


Maro was clamming up but he had already fired his shots. It'd be bad not to commit to it after that display. He wouldn't dare be the embarrassed one in this situation and had managed to cough out that response. So far it was probably manageable but he knew this had to stop somewhere. It would be a simple matter to just play it off as a slip of his tongue and they could both laugh about this afterwards. That was probably for the best, after.


"Hmmm, well you could buy me a yacht, a private island and a host of male supermodels to wait on my every need, but I doubt you could do that can you, boy? How about you just stick with an introduction for now, hmmm?"


Sweat ran down the back of his neck as he addressed the girl who could easily gobble him up alive or at least look like she could. His knuckles turned white from the clenching as he stared down the predator. Before he could even get another word in, she already began challenging him and he was one to always face challenges head on.


There was just no way he could lose right?


"I'm sure I can pull all of those off except for the last part. You don't need a host of male supermodels when you've got me. I'll be a legendary huntsman, just you wait, miss."


"Legendary huntsman huh? Careful, I might just hold you to that promise. Always remember though, ain't no better hunter out there than yours truly, and you best remember that if you wanna dine with danger."


"I think I've got what it takes to slingshot past you and leave you in the dust. Call me Atlas, the one from the books, because I'm about to carry you to that Legendary status. Danger is something I've grown accustomed to, miss. There isn't anything I'm going to back down from!"


"Atlas huh? You think you have what it takes to match up to these Pillars of Hercules? You might be accustomed to danger, but you'll never truly master it if this is your idea of impressing it. Try again when you've got your act together."


The mysterious girl must have been flexing when she mentioned the Pillars of Hercules. Though it was hard to actually tell with the outfit, she did look like she was flexing though. It was a bit hard to tell, but he had to come up with something to counter that. Maro had rode in this far with just letting his mouth take over. What was the harm in continuing to do so?


"Pillars of Hercules huh? Impressive, now allow me to school you on how to use them. In fact, you can call me professor Prometheus while we're at it, because I can teach you things you would never think of."


"Prometheus is right, because all I hear is the squawking of birds, along with your clear absence of guts. I doubt you've got anything to teach me either Professor, after all you can't improve on perfection."


"I think you said 'incompetent' wrong. I'm pretty sure I can floor you with just a hand too. I mean would, but then I have a policy of not hitting girls if I don't have to. Common courtesy and all, you know."


"How chivalrous, I'd show you otherwise but I have a similar policy myself. Wouldn't want to get myself a homicide conviction now would I? But you'd better pray you don't find yourself in a situation where I have to though. What a bother it'd be to inform your next of kin."


"I'd rather not want to meet your parents that way too. Informing next of kin is oh so hard to do after all, personally I mean. I'm not saying I can totally take you with one hand, but I can totally take you with just one hand. I even bet that I can rock a higher body count than you could ever hope to achieve in tomorrow's initiation!"


This was probably the harm in letting loose and making his mouth talk unfiltered. It had take him a scant few seconds to realize the gravity of his comment. He was effectively challenging her, even though he was fresh out of Signal and performing way too averagely to compare to the Crimson Beast. Still, there was nothing for it. This was a battle of wills and Maro would not stand losing this fight, he'd show her tomorrow just what he was made of.


"Body count? Ha! You couldn't even kill my boredom, let alone a single Beowolf! You're in over your head, but i can certainly imagine you'd spend a lot of time taking things with one hand. Make sure you don't chip a nail during in the process."


"I'd probably chip a nail, but it definitely won't be mine. Besides, I don't even need to kill your boredom because it died the moment you started talking to me! I'm pretty sure I have other, bigger thing to kill than your already dead boredom."


"If it's a big thing you're looking to kill, you might want to start with your ego, I'm surprised you managed to fit it through the front door. But I think I've already done an excellent job of that, wouldn't you agree?"


"Excellent job of doing what? Nothing? For your information, I made my own ego fit through that door. Me! No one else! In fact I'm pretty sure if we rumble right now, I'll be coming out on top! I know which part of my sword goes into you, miss charming. I don't even know your name yet."


"Hmph! The name's Lana Spalding, and don't you forget it! You'll need it so that you can scream it once you find out who's the one really on top!"


Maro fell silent at Lana's recent comeback. It was loaded with too much innuendo, looking back though, he had set up parts of it as well. It sounded so wrong yet the girl was too blinded by her own competitive spirit to stop and think about what she just had said. His face became two shades redder that it usually is and his comeback literally died in his throat. There was nothing for it, he lost this battle of wills and needed to escape the battlefield. In an effort to leave the scene, he began inching backwards away from Lana, his head bowed low so she couldn't see just how red his cheeks turned.


It was a battle well-fought at least. The exercise of out bragging Lana was surprisingly draining, it was either that or both lost track of time and that it was probably close to 1 in the morning. Maro did arrive at the ballroom around midnight and he spotted then challenged Lana shortly after that.


It wasn't over yet, though, not until he defeats her in terms of kills in tomorrow's initiation. He had read that it usually involved searching for a specific item in a forest that has a number of Grimm living in it. Perfect for a massacre, which was also what he could say about the floor. He didn't have a sleeping bag and the air actually seemed a smidge too cold for his tastes. His body would be very sore in the morning, at least. A massacre in its own right.


With nothing for it, Maro resigned himself to the solid floor of the ballroom. It would have to do at least until he gets a dorm room and a bed of his own.

 

[Father Gigantor]

Lana Spalding

No refunds.

"Hmph! The name's Lana Spalding, and don't you forget it! You'll need it so that you can scream it once you find out who's the one really on top!"


The words had barely escaped her lips when Lana reanalysed and identified the horrific implications she had laced her comeback with. Nineteen years of existence seemed to flash before her, as an entire lifetime's worth of regret, embarassment and sheer self-loathing flooded her as she stood motionless, unable to bear the prospect of facing the sight of the entire sophomore population of Beacon academy potentially staring at her. It seemed that the most favorable course of action would be to feign ignorance, so long as it looked as if she hadn't done it on purpose, she could at the very least, pass the whole thing off as manslaughter instead of full on first degree murder.


The ruse seemed to work, as the boy, likely just as mortified as she was, slowly backed away in the direction of his belongings. Even after he had disappeared from her view, she continued to hold her position for another few seconds for good measure, just in case there were any onlookers still up at that ungodly hour. After the full eternity was over she glanced around, to her relief only the several students remained, either attempting to hide under their covers as she turned, or pretending not to notice entirely. At the very most she'd only be labeled a freak by several students, instead of by the entire cohort. Still somewhat in shock, she made for the bathrooms, intending to wash up and head to bed as fast as she could, so that she could leave the whole incident behind.


As she returned to the Ballroom, she quietly returned to her corner, where she set up her sleeping bag and kept her toiletries and gave the hall one last glance. Almost everyone was asleep by then, save the odd student reading in bed or browsing their phones. As she was about to finish her sweep, something neat rhe ground caught her eye. It was the same Maro boy, curled up on the cold marble floor, likely freezing his pants off in the chilly night air without anything to cover him. She wondered several for several moments about her next couse of action. She wouldn't mind helping, but she wasn't entirely sure that she hadn't completely traumatised him, adding to the fact that an aching opponent would mean an easy victory during initiation, the odds seemed very much against the poor chap's favor.


Sighing, she returned to her bag and fished out a cotton towel from it. She didn't have a spare blanket, but she sure as hell wouldn't be giving up her cozy sleeping bag, plus it wouldn't hurt to have a sliiiiight advantage tomorrow. Walking towards his spot, she unceremoniously threw the towel at him, making sure to aim directly at his face.





"Here! Catching a cold won't do you any favors tomorrow, winning is fun and all, but it'd feel like I'd beaten up a hobo or something. B-But that doesn't mean I'm not going to win, you hear me? I'll squish you like a bug!"

 

[Pierrot]

Maro Venizia

To lick one's wounds

Maro replayed their conversation in his head over and over as his body tried to get used to the rock solid floor and the lack of anything blanket-like to ward against the cold. He hadn't exactly taken into consideration that one needed to bring their own sleeping bags for the first few nights and would probably pay for it in the morning. He was confident, at least, that he could sleep anywhere and that this floor would pose absolutely no problem whatsoever. This was just a trial, another challenge on the road to being a legendary huntsman and out on the field, it was barely comfortable. Learning to sleep without a sleeping bag on any surface might come in handy.


Still a sleeping bag would have been very nice.


As if things weren't already bad enough, Lana probably already saw him as an enemy. He came with the intention of making a connection and probably getting a friend out of it. Maro didn't expect to have the conversation quickly degenerate and shove a rival his way instead. However, that was much more desirable than not doing anything at all. It meant that he had someone's attention with probably a lot of bad intentions as well but attention is attention after all, at least someone knows him. He'd just have to beat her tomorrow to show her that he can keep up and more.


Everything became black for a short few seconds. It also felt very fluffy and somehow smelled like one of his sister's things, it had that lingering "girl" scent on it but somehow it wasn't as nice as his sister's, in a way, it smelled nicer. Whoever owned it must keep themselves well kept at all times though why would it suddenly just appear out of nowhere and why him and who did this? He would be answered in a few moments.


"Here! Catching a cold won't do you any favors tomorrow, winning is fun and all, but it'd feel like I'd beaten up a hobo or something. B-But that doesn't mean I'm not going to win, you hear me? I'll squish you like a bug!"


Maro turned to face the source of the proud voice. It was Lana and despite her words, he couldn't shake off the feeling that she at least cared a little bit, just enough to make tomorrow an even a fight as she could. A small smile crept on his lips as she continued talking and finished her piece.


"Are you sure you want to give your rival an advantage? I'll have you know I can sleep anywhere...almost anywhere. You're only making yourself lose here."


Contrary to his words, his grip on the towel tightened in the event she might dart forward and reclaim what she had given him. He wouldn't dare let it go, not after realizing how warm it could be under this thing and how nice it smelled.


"T-thank you anyway. I like a girl who likes a challenge. I mean I like people who like challenges. Well g-goodnight."


Maro turned away from her and used his arm as a pillow and let the towel blanket whatever part of his body it could blanket. Tomorrow would be a very long day.

 

[Vol]

Solace Halahala

That went better then expected.

Solace was already in a comfortable position, arms and legs tucked in and his tail slightly curled underneath his cloak. When he was about to drift to unconsciousness, Sabrina's voice pulled him back.


"Hey, Solster? Can we share your cloak? I promise, I'll be quiet. I don't move around much in my sleep either."


The Faunus scrunched up his face but tried his best to keep his eyes closed. Should he share his cloak? No, then that would mean his tail would be a bit exposed. Why didn't she bring her own sleeping bag? If she forgot her sleeping bag, does it mean she forgot her spare clothes and bathroom necessities as well? These strange questions were running through his head and he forgot to actually answer her question.


Solace opened his mouth to speak but closed it again. Maybe he should pretend to be asleep by now, he was terribly tired already.


"Solster? I guess he is asleep. Well then so much for that, good night Solster."


Well that went better than he expected. Solace rolled his eyes beneath his eyelids. Yhe floor isn't a bad place to sleep on, in his opinion, since at one point he just slept on plain dry sand. Sabrina would just have to deal with it for now, hopefully tomorrow they'll be assigned dormitories, or some form of place to sleep in with a bed.


Solace did feel a bit guilty but then again, it was her fault on not bringing a sleeping bag along.


His consciousness started to slowly dissipate, and soon after he fell asleep. The unknown test they have to initiate tomorrow was playing in his dreams. It wouldn't be too hard, would it?


Lookatthisshortasspost

 

[Clockwork Star]

He's polite, Lorelai thought to herself as she returned a smile, settling back into her more usual stoic demeanor. "Dust can be enthralling in the right contexts, I think," she returned with a smile, "I enjoyed studying it, but it was never really a favored subject. Still very interesting. Do you use it when you fight?" She asked with a suddenly reserved look, unsure if he would take it to mean she was spying on him to get a leg up on the competition. Her time spent among humans had made her wary, even if it hadn't softened the hopes she held for them.


At the risk of seeming suspicious she deigned to shift the topic before he had a chance to answer, that way he wouldn't have to feel pressured if he didn't want to answer it. "Your master?" Her look was almost quizzical, and it was a bit puzzling to her. She understood the concept, but not the execution as her parents had been the one to teach her.


Lori owed so much to her parents, she realized.


It seemed as though it was later than it felt, the electric tension in the air and the weight of anxiety had a way of making the time tick in the most uneven of ways. One moment it was shooting past like a star and the next it crawled to a halt like a salt-singed snail. Lori felt the tired in her bones, but not her head. Little things ticking down, checklists on checklists. Little observations about those around her, about the quiet boy next to her.


The quiet ones bear the loudest secrets, whispered a little voice from long ago, the nostalgia of her father's smile caused the corners of her lips to upturn in kind despite the rather ominous warning. It was something to think about, though. Another paranoia, another checklist.


Lorelai's neurosis remained locked and chained underneath a placid smile laced in ever-dimming candlelight as she sat and observed.