Introduction
Reverie: As a young kingdom, Reverie is far from stable. It is constantly under the threat of Grimm attacks and suffers heavy civil unrest. The current leading party are the Equalists, a pacifist group composed of mainly humans and some faunus, which believes in equal rights and is attempting to remove all forms of racism from Reverie.
Aside from the Equalists, there are two other major parties which are tied as the second most popular parties:
- Humans for Reverie (HFR): An allegedly violent human supremacist party which believe that faunus should not be treated as equals and that Reverie should become a human only kingdom. They are believed to organize attacks against faunus, some even fatal, within the city of Reverie.
- Faunus Liberalist Party (FLP): A faunus group which believes that the Equalists are not doing enough for faunus rights. It is said that they are directly connected to a faunus terrorist group which has committed various violent attacks against anyone they suspect of racism.
Faith Academy: Faith Academy is a separate entity from the capital of Reverie. It is both physically separated (being located at the 'head' of the dragon) and diplomatically separated; having its own set of laws and rules regardless of what is decided in Reverie. The heads of Faith Academy only interact with the leaders of Reverie with regards to the Grimm.
The main building of Faith Academy is a large central tower which extends multiple stories into the air, the upper floors being larger than the lower. Around the middle stories there are 4 bridges connecting the main building to 4 smaller towers. The larger portion of the towers are dormitories mainly for students (all students in one tower are part of the same year) but with some teacher dormitories in each tower to keep the peace if needed. The top few floors of these towers consist of a hobby area, gym, locker rooms and dueling areas on the roof and top floor.
The central tower has classrooms, lecture rooms, training rooms, larger gyms, dueling amphitheater style floors, a large dining floor, and much more.
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The Story So Far... Write a Post » as written by 5 authors
The schoolβs main bell chimed as the newly formed first year teams filled up the school amphitheater. Upon the main stage stood a number of teachers, some of which the students had already met during their introduction to the school, and others whom they would likely meet during the years that they would be at Faith Academy. Eventually all the new students were seated and the auditorium fell silent.
From the group of teachers, a single man then stepped forward; he had short white hair, and stern light-blue eyes. He wore a white, button up shirt with a blue vest and a black tie, which was tucked into his vest. Over that he wore an unbuttoned white blazer, with light blue lining. To complete his look he wore a pair of neat white pants, and black dress shoes. To his right side he had a walking cane, which for the most part, seemed rather normal and simple, though near the upper end it suddenly sports 4 βclampsβ which lock down on where the cane gets thinner and looks more like a stylized weapon hilt.
The man came to stand at the center of the podium. He looked over the gathered teens before finally beginning to speak;
βGood afternoon, young huntsmen and huntresses in training.β He paused, βMy name is Ijsbrand Schnee and I am the headmaster of Faith Academy. All of you have come here to better yourselves in the art of combat, to become warriors of mankind, never afraid to risk your lives for the betterment of all. You have not chosen an easy path, it is likely that you will face many, increasingly difficult obstacles throughout your time here and beyond.
All that you will need to overcome these obstacles stands within these walls, within yourselves. Itβs up to you to take hold of it, use it, and continue to grow through it.
Faith Academy has always been a symbol of hope to the people of Reverie, a testament to our will to overcome all that stands in our way. As our newest generation of huntsmen and huntresses it will be your duty to become your own shining lights in the darkness.β
With his speech complete he turned around, showing the back of his blazer which had the Schnee family crest sewn into it, and strode back to his position among the other teachers.
The podium was quickly taken by a woman with long sienna coloured hair, wearing somewhat formal light brown coloured clothing. Most of the students quickly recognised her as Miss Seraphim, the teacher whom had been organising their orientation and team selection. βClasses will begin tomorrow morning at 8:30, your rosters should already have been sent to your hand-helds. Feel free to spend the rest of today however you wish, though, please refrain from bothering you upperclassmen in the North, East and West towers. Thank you.β
She then left the podium, the other teachers following shortly, before a rather short man with very colourful hair, and very colourful casual clothing took center stage.
βYou kids can go now.β he statedly rather dryly, eliciting a slight giggle from some students.
Cafeteria
Many of the students had decided to go to the cafeteria following the speech in the amphitheater, among these students was team PWTR, sitting at one of the northern lunch tables. Despite only becoming a team yesterday, they already seemed to get along decently well.
βSoooo, you two already know each other?β Wynn said, leaning over the table towards Phenix and Tβwulf, eliciting a nod from them both.
βWe met a long time ago.β Phen replied with a smile. βHow about you? Do you know anyone around here?β
βOh, no. Most of my friends decided that becoming a huntsmen or huntress wasnβt really for them.β He answered, βPlus, everyone you donβt know is just a friend waiting to be made eh?β
βYou really have a lot of energy, donβt you?β Tβwulf commented
βOh cβmon! You canβt tell me you arenβt even a little bit excited!β Wynn replied laying his hands on the table, βI mean, weβre at THE Faith Academy! The tower in the woods! aaaaand we even got a pretty good team! Imagine all the amazing stuff that's gonna happen in the next four years!β
βIβll admit that I am a little delighted that weβre all at least able to get along well.β Regalia responded
βI think we all are.β Phen added
βWell, the three of you sure have an awful way of showing it.β Wynn sighed as he lowered his head onto the table, cause the three girls to giggle. Suddenly his head shot up again, βI know, how about something to drink? Iβm thirsty, you want anything?β He asked them
βWater, please.β Phen replied
Wynn turned his view to Tβwulf, βOh, uh, tea please.β she answered
βAnd you, Regalia?β he inquired
βIβll have whatever youβre having.β
βkaykay!β Wynn said, ejecting himself from his seat, before bowing. βIβll be right back with your drinks, Miladies.β With that, he headed to the center of the cafeteria were a small staff was providing for all the students. Along the way he looked at all the different groups filling the many tables; males, females, humans, faunus, it was bustling. After a little waiting, he found an opening at the counter.
βOne glass of water, a cup of tea and two cherry sodas, please.β He said to the somewhat elderly lady behind the counter, who nodded and quickly began gather his requests on a tray. He placed the required amount of money on the counter before once again looking around at all the other gathered students. Eventually he looked to his left and noticed another male student also waiting for his order to be completed. He was slightly taller than Wynn, and was dressed way too warmly for indoors, in his opinion, with a bottleneck jersey and a scarf. βHeya!β Wynn said with a smile, βWaiting for your order too eh?β
The other student turned to look at him, clicked his tongue and turned back to the counter.
βHey! What was that for?β Wynn questioned. The other student had now become visibly irritated.
βBugger. Off.β He stated, before picking up his drink and walking away.
Wynn stood there, puzzled by the situation. βWhatβs his problem?β he wondered to himself as he picked up his tray of drinks and headed back to his teammates.
βWell, that was weird.β He stated as he sat back down with the group, quickly retelling the strange encounter.
βThat was Yale Khamun.β Regalia stated as Wynn had finished his tale, βDonβt bother wasting your time trying to be friends with him, heβs all round rude and racist.β
βYou know him?β
βItβs a long story.β She sighed, βHonestly, Iβd suggest staying away from most of team IVRY, theyβre all a bunch of pretentious jerks, aside from their leader.β
Elsewhere in the Cafeteria
βSo, this is what Iβm stuck with.β Raven sighed as Yale returned to the cafeteria table at which team IVRY was gathered. βAt least you arenβt a bunch of weaklings.β
βYou got a problem, Prick?β Viridian was noticeably irritated by his comment
βIf you donβt like it, just leave.β Yale stated nonchalantly as he continued to drink from his cup of tea
βGuys please.β Indu intervened, βFor better or worse, weβre a team now, canβt we at least try to get along?β
βWe all know that is never going to happen.β Yale commented
βExactly,β Viridian agreed, βJust stay out of my way when a fight comes round.β she said as she got up and left.
βWell, glad thatβs sorted.β Raven said as he too got up and left
Indu turned her gaze to Yale, who finished his cup of tea and then left as well, without even making eye contact. She dropped her head into her hands and sighed, βThis is gonna be horrible.β she thought to herself
Slate couldn't help the half smile, even if it was a nervous one. His team sat around him, the girls listening to Hart's... Vibrant... Retelling of what he and Slate had been doing before they'd ran into the girls. The skinny boy had some problems on the field they'd need to work on, though you wouldn't think it from his story. The girls shared a sideways glance, holding down their giggles. Slate looked down at the table, and blinked.
"Is that all you've got?" He said. Hart fell quiet, and quickly looked down at his, mostly junk, food and back at Slate.
"Uhhh, yeah?" He replied. With a huff, Slate passed an apple and half of his sandwich to Hart. He pointedly ignored Lavender's smirk.
"Already taking the team leader stuff seriously, huh?" She said.
"I'm gonna need the practice." Slate replied.
Why he'd been the one picked to lead SSHL, Slate really couldn't say. From what he'd seen of their work during team selection, Sherry's easy misdirection and Lavender's bravado, even Hart's technique, despite his problems. They all had an area of expertise, but surely one of the others had to be better with people than the faunus who'd barely ever talked to another person beyond his family.
"You might need less practice than you think." Sherry commented. Slate blinked.
"You picked out this table, where you can see every exit, while still being between them and us. You're also already making Hart feed himself like an actual human being." She explained. Hart nodded enthusiastically, cheeks filled like a chipmunk. Lavender draped herself with one arm over his shoulders.
"Then you've got the fact that you were more worried about keeping me and Sherry flush in dust cartridges. Why do you even carry them if you can't use them, seriously? Face it, you're already acting like you're our dad." She added with a smirk. Slate flushed a little, chuckled and half heartedly pushed Lavender off. The girls backed off, satisfied with their handiwork.
While the rest of the cafeteria was a humdrum of casual chatter as the new teams were desperately trying to make the most out of their one day of relaxation talking with one another to try and start gelling (With one very clear exception), there was one table that was maybe a little too rambunctious.
"Time to get this party started!" Shouted Jasper as he leaped onto Team JADE's table almost knocking aside their food and began air guitaring as if he were on a live stage, garnering much laughter from the tables around them and from Arsenic who was holding her sides.
"Stop monkeying around," Said Ecru sternly as he pulled Jasper down by his belt onto his chair, ending Jasper's fun as he did so, much to the relief of Damask. Talon then went about resuming eating his meal in what little peace he had managed to make for himself.
"To think we've got you as a team leader," Damask sighed heavily. "At least we'll gel well on the battlefield."
"That we will, Dama." giggled Arsenic, "And we'll have a blast while we do it. Man the parties we could have..."
"I hear you there Sister!" Cried Jasper who quickly shoved a banana in his mouth, wolfing it down with a noticeable lack of manners. "Though I can tell you and me are gonna be the life of the party, Talon isn't exactly what you'd call a party animal." He gestured with his thumb towards the silent young man, who quite blatantly ignored him in favour of the steak laying on his plate.
"He doesn't talk much, does he?" Damask asked Jasper. "I get the feeling he's one of those strong, silent types."
"You're definitely right there Dama!" Jasper laughed, wolfing down another banana as he did so, almost choking on it, making Ecru has to pound his back to stop him choking to death, whereupon, Ecru returned to his food, much to the laughter of Arsenic.
"I never said you could call me that, Jasper!" Damask hissed angrily. "Only Nic gets to call me that."
"Well Talon is one of those guys who only speaks when it's necessary," Explained Jasper, completely blanking Damask to her annoyance. "He's always been this quiet, grouchy guy since I met him back when I was a kid."
"Damn, you two have been together a while, huh?" Arsenic said in awe. There weren't many who attended these schools who had such long standing relationships.
"You both must be pretty close." Damask said expecting a similar response in return.
Talon wiped his mouth with a napkin, folding neatly and placing it on his empty plate. "Not really, he's a pest I haven't had the luxury of shaking off yet." He then presumed to start sipping his tea.
"That was cold Talon!" Jasper cried as Damask and Arsenic start laughing. "If that's the way you feel take this!" He quickly grabbed a pudding from a passing student jumped back from his chair and threw it at Talon, who casually swayed his head out of the way. The pudding carried on soaring past before striking Viridian as she was leaving the cafeteria. She stood stock still, glancing at her now pudding clad shoulder, watching it drip down her arm onto the floor beneath her. The cafeteria began roaring with laughter, although there was a few teams who did not join in down to three very clear factors:
1) The look in Viridian's eyes was anything less than friendly.
2) Those teams had seen her fight and were not too thrilled about pissing her off
3) Those teams also knew of her more than fiery temper, which was quite clearly about to boil over
"Who threw that?" She asked in a tone of controlled rage. The room immediately falling silent as she opened her mouth. With no one being forthcoming with an answer she looked around her and then spotted Jasper, trying to sneak away through the crowd. Even she knew that no one would try and run away unless they were guilty. Almost as quick as lightning she sprung over to JADE's table, and quickly grabbed Jasper by his jacket collar.
"Hey let go you crazy bitch!" Jasper shouted as he struggled to get free of Vi's death grasp on his coat. "I didn't do anything!"
"My shoulder says otherwise, monkey boy!" Vi shouted angrily as she reach over and grasped his shoulder with her left hand, sending waves of pain through Jasper's shoulder as she did so. "You're gonna pay for throwing that at me."
"Ouch, you're crushing my arm!" Jasper cried in pain, he swung out with his leg, bu missed Vi completely as she moved out of the way of the oncoming appendage. "You know guys, this might be a nice time to...."
"Put him down," ordered Talon as he placed the knife he was using against Vi's neck, his cold eyes burrowing into the back of her skull.
"You're Ecru Talon right?" She asked in curiosity as she threw Jasper forward, he landed heavily on the floor and lay groaning from the impact. "Well this is a fight I'd want to have." Vi said in an excited voice.
"If you attack him then you'll have us to deal with too!" Shouted Arsenic as her and Damask stood up from the table and approached her and Talon.
"Works for me." Vi stated bluntly, cracking her knuckles and neck as she did so, causing a few winces from the other people watching the confrontation. At that point a voice sounded from behind Vi.
"Vi what's going on?" Asked Indu as she rushed to her teammate's side.
"I'm about to pound these guys into the earth. And if you try and stop me, I'll do the same to you." Vi said without taking her eyes off of what she considered her foes in front of her. Indu was not too pleased by Vi's comments but then noticed the pudding stain on her left shoulder and then looked down at the now rising Jasper, who had just gotten off his back after Vi had thrown him.
"Did that boy do that to you?" She asked sternly, causing Vi to look at her leader in a confused manner.
"Uh, yeah...why do you care?" Vi asked quizzically.
"Because despite the fact, I don't want to have a fight, I cannot overlook any form of disrespect to my teammates now, can I?" She said flatly.
"Oh so my big bad teammate got disrespected, did she?" Said a male voice from the door. By this point some of the casual chatter had returned to the cafeteria but there was a still a fair few onlookers for the altercation. "I'm unsure whether I should care or not. I mean, I wasn't offended but what I saw, in fact I laughed a bit." Raven stepped out of the crowd, his charismatic demeanor drawing a lot of attention. "I'm more surprised you haven't actually hit anyone yet, Viridian. This isn't exactly a great showing for team IVRY is it?"
"Wait those three are from Team IVRY?!" Said an onlooker.
"Oh god, JADE's dropped themselves in it now." Said another.
"That team is a bunch of jerks right? I heard they weren't exactly the most friendly people in the entrance exams."
"Friendly? They're dicks!"
Raven looked around at the gossiping onlookers and sighed. "I wonder if it's jealousy or what, but we're definitely above them in terms of skill and strength. It might go a long way to remind these peasants who they're dealing with."
"I thought you said we wouldn't get along?" Said Indu with a small smirk on her face.
"Who said I'm doing for you? It's all about reputation. Vi here was disrespected and I'm not having my team's reputation tarnished because of some layabout lowlife." Jasper looked at Raven with a gaze of indignation in his eyes. "And I'm fairly sure that if Mr Yale was here, he'd join in because a Faunus was involved in disrespecting us." Raven gestured smugly at Indu, while Vi smiled simply. "Quite honestly the only one who cares about camaraderie here is you, my fearless leader. The three of us, do not care in the slightest about each other, just our reputations and our standing. As long as we're the strongest, we don't care about each other, or this place."
"Never thought I'd be agreeing with you twice." Laughed Vi.
"God I feel sorry for Indu right now." Arsenic said sadly. "That team is full of jerks from the sound of it."
"BREAK IT UP!" Shouted an authoritative voice from the crowd, who immediately began returning to their seats as quickly as they could, leaving the small group of IVRY and JADE alone. "Ecru drop that knife immediately." Ecru immediately placed his knife down next to his plate and resumed sitting in his chair.
"Well that's put a dampener of things." Sighed Vi. "Although what's to stop me from whacking that Faunus dick over there?"
"Well that would be me, Miss Boudic now wouldn't it?" Said the same voice from beside her. She turned to find Kamar Lucifer standing beside her, causing her to jump back a few feet.
"Jesus teach, don't do that." She said as she tried to regain her composure.
"I think I'm well within my rights, Viridian." Kamar spoke in a very pleasant yet eerily commanding tone. His presence radiated authority and power, much like the headmaster's did. "Now leave the cafeteria if you wouldn't mind? I'm sure you've had enough excitement for today."
"I'm sorry sir, but we can't leave at such a time." Raven proclaimed, his ego dripping from his words. "I'm pretty sure you can, you pompous blowhard." Laughed Jasper, eliciting a ripple of laughter from the tables around them. Raven glared at Jasper, his rage begin to seethe through him. The same could have been said of Vi at the remark as the person who had insulted her was being protected by this figure in front of her. Even Indu was getting irritated by the insults being flung at her teammates.
"That does it! I'm going to knock your teeth down your throat you mealy mouthed whelp!" Screamed Vi as she tried to rush past Kamar to get to Jasper.
"I said stop." Kamar spoke flatly, causing Vi to stop in her tracks. The hair on the nape of her neck began to stand on end. "When I say you should do something, I expect it to be obeyed. Now for the last time, leave the cafeteria and take your teammates with you."
_________________________________________________________________________
Moments Later
Team IVRY had left the cafeteria under escort by Kamar, leaving the rest of the Teams to carry on enjoying themselves in their absence.
"That teacher was scary, wasn't he?" Jasper said as he shook a little from a bit of lingering fear.
"Well he would be. That was Kamar Lucifer, the leader of Team Kuro, one of the strongest teams not just in Reverie but in the entire world. Most of the teachers here were in such powerful teams. I wouldn't really wanna tick off any of them if I could help it." Arsenic explained.
"But to think that IVRY were planning on disobeying him." Damask said in disbelief.
"They were? Wasn't it only Vi who decided to go for me?" Jasper asked with quite blatant curiosity.
"She might have been, but you weren't paying attention to the other two were you?" Damask explained.
"It's all explained by the look on their faces." Talon stated calmly. "Team IVRY would be one of, if not THE, strongest team in our year. You have three people who are very prideful and egocentric who will not have their pride be besmirched or their reputations. And their leader is someone who would do anything for her teammates. While there aren't any ties of friendship, they will fight anyone who disrespects their team. That's the only bit of cohesion they have," Her resumed drinking, allowing Damask to finish off his explanation.
"Basically, by disrespecting Raven and Viridian, you disrespected their team. For such a prideful team, they can't and won't overlook it.
"So what you're saying is?" Jasper asked much to Damask's displeasure, shown quite clearly by her ead dropping to the table with a large sigh.
"Don't be an idiot and we might actually survive this year." Arsenic stated bluntly.
"Ah, why didn't you just say that sooner?!" Jasper said with quite a large laugh following, causing Arsenic and Damask to join in.
Team KOHL sat in their table, awkwardly. While most of the new teams were excitedly trying to get to know each other, the four freshmen sat there, eating in silence. Krimm Sohn, the team's unwilling leader, scanned the surroundings, trying to figure out his course of action.
Krimm cleared his throat. "So..." he began, "...uh, anyone..?"
Before Krimm could continue, a fight erupted somewhere near them. Apparently, two members of teams IVRY and JADE crossed paths, and it did not seem to go well. Laurel and Oxford carefully watched the two in their exchange, and decided to intervene. As they stood up, Krimm grabbed them by their wrists.
"Hey!" Oxford yelled, "What gives? Don't you see that that witch is being a bit unreasonable?"
Krimm remained expressionless. "Aren't you a bit unreasonable for drawing your weapon to deal with the situation?" he pointed out, shifting his eyes to Oxford's free, right hand, which was reaching for the short sword. Oxford growled at Krimm, the former's Semblance beginning to manifest. Krimm remained undaunted, simply staring back at him, tightening his grip while he was at it.
Oxford's semblance has emerged only its right arm, which was reaching for Krimm's neck. Krimm let Laurel free of his grasp, but the Faunus did not leave. He, as well as Honey, stared at Krimm and Oxford as they engaged in a stand-off. Krimm pointed the fingers of his left hand at Oxford, whose semblance grabbed Krimm's shirt. The former's fingertips began to glow, and Oxford's semblance began to rise...
"Stop it, both of you!" Honey shouted, standing from her seat. Krimm's fingers stopped glowing, and he let Oxford go. Oxford, in turn, withdrew his Semblance and sat down. Seconds after the latter's Fighting Spirit vanished, Laurel seated. Honey remained standing, looking at the two with clear disappointment.
"Guys, a fight just broke out," she said, "let's not make another one, got it?!"
"Yes, ma'am." Krimm and Oxford replied, as if being spoken to by a teacher.
The four watched on as a teacher escorted the members of Team IVRY out of the cafeteria. Honey then sat down and sighed in relief. Krimm looked at Team JADE, seeing that they have grown closer together, in comparison to his team.
Oxford, however, shook his head. "Well, at least they've been dealt with."
Laurel, seeing Oxford's disappointment, chuckled a little. "Can't believe they even tried to get the joker, especially after he showed up." he said, sipping his drink, "That's Kamar Lucifer for ya. He showed 'em, alright."
"Ka-Kam-Kamar Lucifer?!" Oxford stuttered, "Here?! No way!"
"He just walked outside. If you're lucky, you can get his autograph." Laurel joked.
"Shut up!" Oxford yelled, slumping in his chair, mumbling on about missed opportunities and something about justice.
"If ya wanna beat IVRY..." Krimm started, peeling off the skin of his banana, "...there is one thing you could do, Oxford."
"Yeah? What'd that be?" Oxford asked sarcastically, much to Krimm's annoyance.
"Maybe..." Krimm said, putting down the peeling of his finished banana, "...just maybe, we could defeat them if we start working as a team..."
Oxford looked at Honey, Laurel and, lastly, Krimm. "So...what exactly are we gonna do?"
"Simple." Laurel interrupted, finishing his drink before slamming the glass onto the table. "Be a team."
"Really?"
"Yeah, really." Honey added, "If IVRY is weak as a team, we could at least be better than them with that before we get to anything else!"
"So..." Krimm spoke, resting his chin on his fingers, "...what'd you say?"
Oxford grinned. "Let's get started."
"See?" Laurel chuckled, slapping Krimm and Oxford's backs, "We're startin' to get to like each other a bit more!"
________________________
Meanwhile...
Merkur was walking around the campus, happily humming to himself. "This is it...This is it!" he thought to himself, smiling as he did, "This is his first day! wonder how he..."
He heard some commotion from the cafeteria. Readying Bite the Dust, Merkur rushed to the cafeteria, only to find Kamar and three students. Curious, he went closer to them.
"Yo, Kamar!" he said with much pep, "What's going on here?"
In the Mess Hall
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As Sienna led her companion through the cafeteria, she strode with her arms behind her back. Her sharp features and cold gaze should have been intimidating to the younger teacher, but the auburn-haired woman kept striding forward as though she werenβt in the presence of one of the most dangerous Huntresses in the world. Her black-haired companion trailed a step behind her, allowing herself the space to be able to both listen, and to survey the eating space. Her eyes scanned as a machine would have, taking in the more notable faces of the first years as she passed them. Her heels clicked on the cement floor as the tables around her would whisper of her coming, some of them in awe and others in fear. Sometimes, she couldnβt actually tell the difference. She had often noticed that teenagers were harder to read than most people.
βIβm telling you,β Sienna gushed. βThat team is going places.β Her darker haired companion frowned and furrowed her brow a bit.
βI agree,β she stated in a quiet, yet authoritative tone. "Although, you shouldn't play favorites." Sienna looked back at her, a patient smile ever present on her features.
βTeam PWTR is a gem,β she repeated, the pride evident in her voice. βTheyβre a very well coordinated and balanced team, and that is rare among first year students.β
As the two of them continued walking, a commotion drew their attention to the edge of the cafeteria. Both of them looked on, one in slight indifference and the other in irritation, as the members of team IVRY and team JADE faced off in a verbal confrontation. Or, at least what looked like a verbal confrontation that had yet to turn physical.
Of course, Sienna had turned the corner so to speak, her smile and patience both gone in a flash. The older woman at her side couldnβt help but raise a brow slightly as she watched the young teacher fume about in her way. It was then that the two of them noticed Kamar, another colleague, breaking up what would have soon turned into a violent and destructive deathmatch. Sienna was noticeably calmer at the sight of him, and turned on her heel to leave the cafeteria as Kamar escorted team IVRY away, leaving team JADE behind to talk amongst themselves. The older woman stood, looking quite uncomfortable and awkward, her black hair twisted into a tight, braided bun, and her heels suddenly feeling less stable than they had a moment ago. She crossed her arms, her yellow eyes following the six figures that disappeared behind the doors of the mess hall entrance.
She was well aware that the students were watching her. She was tall, very tall with her heels, and quite intimidating with her broad shoulders and hardened muscles. Her jaw clenched as she exhaled sharply through her nostrils, causing a few of the nearer teens to flinch, and she made her way outside and into the hall to find Kamar and Sienna confronted my Merkur, who had idiotically drawn his weapon. She waited for the inevitable, and stifled a quiet snort of irritation when it came.
βHow dare you draw your weapon on campus, Mister Quinton,β Sienna scolded. He frowned, looking quite taken aback.
βWha? I was just-β
βA-bup-bup,β she interrupted sharply, holding a single, accusatory finger inches from his face. βI donβt care what you were doing, Merkur. You know the rules! Teacher nor student is ever allowed to draw their weapon on campus unless in sanctioned areas.β She scowled when he refused to respond, lowering her hand and placing it on her hip. βI think you should come with me,β she said, leading him away by his ear. By this point he had put his weapon away and was complaining that she was pulling too hard. He was hunched over as she led him towards Ijsbrandβs office, making him look rather pathetic.
The three delinquent students of team IVRY stood not far off, two of them watching with amused faces as Sienna and Merkur eventually walked out of sight. It was then that the older woman approached Kamar quietly, his gaze shifting to her as she moved to his line of sight. He smiled to her.
βEbony, hello,β he greeted with a wave and a forced smile. βI see youβve returned,β he remarked, gesturing to the small travel pack that hung from her left shoulder. She grunted. βHow did everything fare? The job went well, I presume?β She shifted the bag a bit and looked away before answering.
βAbout as well as it can go when the only thing your patron wants you to do is gather the bone masks of dead Beowolves. It was rather disgusting, actually,β she spat, bile rising in her throat. Kamar gestured to the bag.
βI assume thatβs what lies in there?β
βYes,β she deadpanned, her stare just as blank and expressionless as her words. Kamar laughed before he turned to look through the windows at the clocktower that lay on the other side of the courtyard. βAh, I should be going. Classes will be starting tomorrow, and lesson plans are always a good thing to have. Iβll see you later, Ebony.β He nodded his farewell to her as he turned, heading to the largest winding staircase a little faster than was necessary.
Ebony turned, catching the eyes of Indu, Viridian, and Raven. She cocked her head at them for a moment, and the largest of them spoke up.
βEbony? As in, Ebony Azoth?β Viridian asked, almost sounding impressed. Almost.
βIndeed I am. You would do well to remember that while in my class,β she remarked. She shot a look at each of them in turn, her eyes lingering on Viridian before she followed in Kamarβs footsteps, making her way to the central staircase of the Academy.
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In the Dorms
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Phen collapsed onto her bed with a heaving sigh, while Tβwulf sat by her with a much less audible one. Wynn and Regalia both inspected their side of the room, looking at the knick knacks that had been used to decorate it. There were several writing utensils scattered on dressers and desks, and many packets of unopened paper. Both sides of the room looked as though they had been poorly prepared for their new inhabitants, and it was visibly irritating the four of them. They had all expected a nicely kept room with four beds, not two. Regalia turned to Phen and Tβwulf.
βThese rooms seem a little small for four people, donβt you think?β she asked earnestly, twirling one of several ownerless pens between her fingers. Phen shrugged.
βIβd say it would be reasonable for two people, maybe three.β
βFour is a stretch, though,β Wynn finished for her. He turned to face them as well, gazing around the room as a whole. βClasses start tomorrow, sure, but how are we supposed to wake up on time if we canβt even sleep?β
βThatβs a good question,β Regalia agreed, humoring him. βWe canβt share beds can we? It would end up being quite awkward because of the one boy we have on our team,β she said, gesturing passively to Wynn, who nodded his agreement vigorously.
βIβd rather not be bedded on the first night.β He waggled his brows, causing Phen and Regalia to laugh.
βItβd be easier if we had the correct number of beds, too,β Tβwulf added, causing another round of laughter. Wynn smiled.
βIβm only hoping that IVRY has accommodations as annoying as ours,β he joked.
βWynn.β His eyes shot to Tβwulf, who had spoken rather quietly.
βYes?β he questioned, forcing them all to become aware of the deafening moment of silence Tβwulf had caused.
βWhat was with Yale?β She cocked her head to the side curiously, as though she were a dog. βHe seemed to be very impatient towards you.β
βI know him. Heβs a real prick, that one,β Regalia answered for him. βLike I said, heβs racist. Dislikes Faunus to his very core.β Tβwulf frowned, and so did Wynn. βBut Iβve never heard of someone getting so irritated by a faunus so quickly, not even Yale.β Phen nodded.
βIt seems to me that you in particular are more maddening to him,β the redhead observed. βMaybe he knows you from somewhere?β
βOr maybe heβs just bitter,β Tβwulf reasoned quietly, her eyes sliding to the window and drinking in the night sky carefully. Wynn watched her for a moment before looking to Phen quizzically.
All she could do was smile and wave his unspoken question aside.
βIβm sorry, I can be a downer sometimes,β Tβwulf apologized, freeing her gaze from the moon. βJust comes with the lack of social skills, I guess.β
βNah, youβre not as bad as some people Iβve met,β Regalia reassured her. βDespite it being the first day, Iβve noticed a lot of people already talking about you.β
βWho, me?β Tβwulf said incredulously, sincerely confused.
βWell, you are a looker, and you seem to have a following already,β Phen answered, nudging her with a playful elbow. Regalia, Wynn, and Phen all laughed at Tβwulfβs innocent blush.
βThatβs not funny, Phen,β she sighed with a light and exhausted smile, placing her head in her hands. Phen patted her on the back.
βAw, Cub. Donβt worry about anything. Weβre all kinda awkward on the first day.β Phen kept a reassuring hand on her shoulder as Tβwulf looked up at each of them in turn.
βNo more fanclub jokes,β she insisted, shooting a glare at her longtime friend. Phen laughed.
βAlright, Cub. Alright.β
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Central Tower
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Ebony looked over her papers, studying the name and face of each first year student. Her eyes scanned their profiles systematically, only shifting from paper to paper every so often, and lingering on those she found intriguing. As she finished, she quietly swiveled in her chair, taking in the night sky through her large office window. She took a deep and calming breath, standing from her chair to move soundlessly closer to the glass, her heels having been long discarded underneath her desk. Her bare feet thanked her every step, and she curled her toes as she stood before the open expanse of the autumn forest. She placed her fingers upon the cool surface, leaving nary a fingerprint behind as she studied the land outside, as she had done thousands of times before, before allowing her eyes to find their favorite sight: the moon.
She contemplated the day to come as the clock struck midnight and let itβs chime ring throughout the campus. Itβs melody reminded her of her own first night as a student, feeling both fear and anticipation of what was to pass. Her eyes softened as they found the silvered light washing over her as a cloud moved by. Her heart beat in the rhythm of the clock towerβs song, and her teeth chattered every time a new note was struck. After what seemed a rather enjoyable eternity, it ended. The tune echoed for several seconds afterwards, leaving her with an empty thought of sleep.
She didnβt outwardly react to the shuffling she heard, instead allowing it to continue for a moment longer before acknowledging it. Shaking her head to rid it of tiredness and turning it slightly to see behind her, she regarded Sienna with little more than an exhausted grunt.
βYou seem tired,β the younger teacher remarked, stating the obvious as she stepped around Ebonyβs desk to join her by the window. Her words were met with silence - an occurrence that was not uncommon when talking to the world-weary huntress. For most, the silence would have been awkward and uncomfortable, but Ebony knew that Sienna didnβt mind it. βI know you turn it down every time, as you have ever since I began working here, but my offer for a neck rub still stands, you know,β she spoke with a noticeable tone of mirth, breaking Ebonyβs quiet stupor. The older of the two allowed her eyes to meet Siennaβs for a moment, fully acknowledging her for the first time since she had entered the room.
βWhen have I ever said yes to your neck rubs, kid?β she replied, demonstrating her rare sense of humor. Sienna laughed.
βI knew youβd say no. Just thought Iβd continue my routine of checking on you to make sure you arenβt being all broody.β She turned, her socked feet making hardly a sound against the marble floor of Ebonyβs office.
βThose notes you left,β Ebony whispered suddenly, yet quietly. βYou want me to use them, correct?β
βYep,β Sienna affirmed with a nod, not turning to look back as she opened the door with a slight squeak. βIβll see you tomorrow, Ebony. Or rather, today,β she whispered, throwing her a smile as she shut the door behind her with a soft click.
Ebony looked at the black lacquered door for a moment before she returned her gaze to the vast expanse of dangerous forest and hillside. She listened through the glass to the howls of Beowolves and the screeches of Nevermores.It was shaping up to be an interesting year - in more ways than one.
Central Tower
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Merkur paced in his office. It was a standard office, practically identical to those used by the other teachers at the academy, until it was assigned to him. The walls were plainly white, the desk was a bunch of chrome rods welded together and topped with a glass sheet. While other teachers had their offices rather spacious, with some standard ornaments and their weapons neatly mounted somewhere, Merkur had steel cabinets and tables cluttered with assorted parts, wires, piping, circuitry, and things some would refer to as "junk". On one of the tables was a machine similar to Merkur's weapon, Bite the Dust, albeit smaller, comparably incomplete, and bearing a "02" painted on it. Merkur sat in his office chair, one of the only two things left from the original office (the other being the door), and looked at his computer.
"Well well well..." he told himself, "What do we have here?" Merkur gazed upon a set of blueprints sent to him by a colleague of his in a joint program of the kingdoms of Remnant. The plans were for a proposed mechanical suit that would be used to aid Huntsmen in dealing with Grimm. It was...less to say "different" than most mechsuits, mainly due to its shape. Before Merkur could finish looking at the designs for the weapons, he heard someone knock on the door.
"Hold on a sec!" Merkur shouted, closing all windows displaying the blueprints and the computer itself. He then opened the door, only to find Krimm standing in front of him, with his usual blank expression. "Come in." Merkur said, moving aside to give way for the boy. Krimm entered the room and stood still near Merkur's desk.
Merkur sighed as he closed the door and sat behind his desk, motioning Krimm to face him. "You have summoned me." Krimm said with some irritation.
"Yes, I did." Merkur replied, dropping a few folders onto his desk. "The higher-ups are not-so happy about today."
"Why? I did pass the initiation, and I did not compromise the project in any way." Krimm said, returning to his usual monotonous voice.
"No, no, that's not it. They were not pleased with your performance with your team. Can't believe that they'd really expect real people to be similar to the simulations, especially the ones who're working with you..."
Krimm sighed. "Perhaps they are disappointed in the manner I led the team. I knew it. It is difficult. I was not programmed for this."
"You did splendidly, Krimm. They're not pulling the plug on this, okay? Relax."
Silence fell upon the two. The only sounds heard were those of the air conditioning unit and the echoing of the sounds of the Grimm outside.
"She would be proud of you, kid." Merkur said in a melancholic tone, looking at a photograph. The photo was of a couple, a man and a woman, at a seaside park. Upon close inspection, one would notice that the two are wearing identical rings.
"She would." Krimm said, looking at the picture as well, focusing more on the woman. The two were quiet, once again. The veil of silence was broken by a beep from Merkur's communicator.
"Ebony..." Merkur mumbled, standing up and grabbing a few files. Krimm stood up as well, opening the door for Merkur. "See ya around, kiddo." Merkur said, patting Krimm's head before walking to Ebony's office.
-------------------
Dorms
-------------------
Honey, Oxford and Laurel looked around their dorm room. Before they placed in their things, the room had a pair of bunk beds, one of which has its posts wrapped in duct tape, a couple of desks, some pens, pencils, papers, and books that were not theirs, and the ripped, indistinguishable remains of a poster. Now it had a three beds, one placed at the end of the room. There were also two desks, each with labelled containers, and had whatever collectibles or items the team's members wanted to decorate them with. A few new posters were placed, and the old one was the first resident of the new disposal bin. The room is comparably cleaner, more organized, and less of an eyesore. There was, however, one problem left...
"I am not getting on that bed." Laurel said, pointing at the one at the end of the room and shaking his head. Honey and Oxford sighed. The bed had one of its legs glued together and wrapped in a thick layer of duct tape, like the other legs, but this one leg in particular looked as if it would give in at any moment.
"Well neither am I nor Honey here." Oxford mockingly said. Honey nodded to this, and her face bore a concerned expression.
"Maybe Krimm wouldn't mind..." Laurel said, smiling weakly.
"He wanted to get rid of it! You're the one who told him to keep it, bozo!" Oxford shouted, slapping Laurel's hat off the faunus' head.
Laurel pushed Oxford onto one of the desks before picking up his hat. "Don't touch the hat, boy..." Laurel growled, poking Oxford with the hat before putting it back on his head. Oxford shook his head and reorganized the scattered objects, just in time for Krimm's return.
"I'm back." Krimm said, closing the door behind him. When he tried to lock it, the door fell down (for no apparent reason) on the hallway's floor with a loud "thud!". The four of them looked at it for a while, nervously hoping that nobody else has noticed.
But of course, somebody noticed. After the door hit the floor, Krimm was alerted by a shift in attention from a few beings in the rooms next to theirs. The room left of Team KOHL's had what appear to be three girls and a boy, the boy and one of the girls being Faunus. They appeared to be alerted by the noise, logically, as Krimm notes. Krimm ignored the inhabitants of the room to the right of his, but he was certain they were alerted, too. What would happen next would depend on how they would act.
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Central Tower
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As Merkur was going to grab the doorknob of Ebony's office, he stepped back as someone opened the door from the inside. Much to his chagrin, it was Sienna. The mad professor shot the woman a displeased look. This look, combined with his messy hair and unkept labcoat, made Sienna make a similar face, but she quickly cracked a small smile after a second or so. Sienna closed the door behind her, leaned against it, and folded her arms.
"Sienna." Merkur said, putting his free hand to his hip, slightly turning his head away from her, then shifting his eyes to look at her.
"Merkur." Sienna smirked.
Merkur dropped the pose and sighed. "Did you offer her another neckrub session? Come on, why don't you offer me any?"
"Because, Mister Quinton, you are..." Sienna circled Merkur, thinking as his gaze followed her. "...well, less to say, you are annoying, loud, and you smell." she said, ending with a smirk.
"So, kinda like you then, eh?" Merkur smiled back.
The two smiled at each other for a while, then Merkur remembered his business with Ebony. "Well, nice talk." Merkur said before implying (through some rather quirky motions) that he wished to enter the room. Sienna seemed to understand this and slowly walked away, looking at him all the way. Merkur looked back at her as he entered the room and shut the door. Afterwards, the two sighed and continued with their business.
Turning around, Merkur saw that Ebony was busy with something. He opted to leave until he saw the document she had in her hand. It was a profile of Oxford Legend, one of Krimm's teammates. In her other hand was Krimm's profile, which was held with a couple of other profiles. Merkur coughed, hoping he got her attention. Ebony lifted her head.
"So," Merkur started, "you wanted to see me?"
βI did want to see you, Merkur,β she almost whispered, looking as tense as she sounded. βItβs not about the students, however.β
βItβs not?β he questioned immediately, curiosity piqued. βThen what else could this possibly be about? I have work to do, you know.β
βWe all do,β she snapped, fixing him with a cold glare before she returned to her desk. He followed her for a few steps, standing quietly before her rather expensive-looking black desk as she folded her hands and rested her chin atop them. She was still staring at him. βYou know that because of our lack of contact with the outside world, Reverie has been relatively cut off from the other kingdoms.β
βYes,β he agreed, nodding as he shuffled the papers in his arms.
βThe Cross Continental Transmit System,β Ebony said plainly, as if she assumed he already knew what she was asking of him. βIt is essential that we become a part of it. Our lack of contact with the other kingdoms, along with the civil unrest we have been seeing for the past thirty years, is crippling us. Without the intervention of an already existing government, the Equalist party may very well be overrun by one of the Supremacist parties. We cannot have that.β Her eyes narrowed as she shifted her gaze to nothing in particular, thinking about possible outcomes for such a future. None of them were bright.
βSo, you think that the CCTS is the key to stability?β Merkur inquired. Ebony nodded, swiveling in her chair to face the window yet again.
βIt is absolutely the key. Without it, we are silenced,β she replied. βIt is one of the only ways, if not the only way that the suffering in this place can be ended.β
βBut the Grimmβ¦β Merkur began, only to be interrupted.
βThe Grimm are not as unintelligent as the rest of the world seems to think they are,β Ebony interjected, looking back at her colleague. βThey are smart, and because we spend so much of our time defending against them we ought to know that by now.β
βAnd just how, exactly, does becoming part of the CCTS tie into stopping the Grimm and saving our people?β he asserted, glowering at her as she contemplated her answer. He waited, for several agonising seconds, before she answered.
βBecause if we do not, Reverie may very well be destroyed.β
Merkurβs eyes widened, and he looked as though heβd had the breath knocked out of him. Ebony took that as her cue to continue.
βThink about it. The CCTS, for as long as it has existed, has allowed for almost instantaneous communication with those that live across the world from one another. That means it can provide instantaneous warnings, instantaneous information, and under the right circumstances, very reliable protection. The other kingdoms are able to live in a somewhat peaceful harmony because of it, but we are outside of itβs protection. If we were to be integrated into the system, it would provide us with allies and a wealth of information that we do not yet have.β
Merkur blinked, nodding in understanding and turning his gaze to his feet, still covered in an odd residue he had yet to clean off. He suddenly seemed to remember something, and snapped his head up, nearly shouting; βWhat about the smaller relay compounds they set up in the south and southeast? Those should have already connected us to the system.β
Ebony nodded from behind her hands. βIt is true that the smaller towers allow us access, however limited it may be. But you must remember, Merkur, those are just relay towers. Smaller stations with satellites for maintaining their loop of communications. They are similar in function to a mountain outpost: meant to let them keep watch over a region that is unfamiliar to them. One of them was already destroyed, and they are located so far away from any viable human or faunus civilization that they are completely useless to the people of this kingdom.β
Merkur seemed to be at a loss for words, struggling to formulate a response.
βWe lack the ready access to the security that the CCTS provides for the rest of the βcivilized world,ββ she remarked bitterly. βThat is why a proper tower is needed in order for us to reach the stability and peace we have strived towards since the inception of Reverie.β
βThen what do you suggest we do?β he managed to bite out through his teeth. Ebony could clearly see the conflict in his eyes; could see that he was imagining the destruction that could follow.
βFirst, I suggest that we bring this to the attention of Ijsbrand,β Ebony said. βWe cannot do anything without his say so.β
βWell we certainly canβt get involved with the parties under the name of Faith Academy,β Merkur reasoned, placing the files gently on Ebonyβs desk. βThatβs against the Headmasterβs policy.β
βYou are exactly right. Which is why we wonβt address them as teachers, but as individuals. With Ijsbrand to give us leverage, they will likely at least listen to our words.β Ebony rose from her seat, tucking her button-up into her slacks and grabbing her blazer from the back of her chair. As she pulled her blazer back on and buttoned it up, she bent down to reach for her heels. βHeβs a night owl, similar to myself. If weβre going to bring this to his attention, it needs to be now.β
Merkur nodded his agreement as he followed her swiftly out the door to her office, and they began following the long, winding halls of the upper floors of the academy.
Ebony began to walk the path to his office by instinct, allowing herself time to think.
The CCTS would give us a great edge against the Grimm. Being able to instantly communicate with one another would be a blessing in this young kingdom. No longer needing landlines would save us from having to send civilians to their potential deaths in attempts to repair them, and we could protect them much more effectively. And how to convince the parties to agree with us? The Equalists will no doubt see reason, but the Supremacists⦠they will be another challenge altogether.
βEbony?β Merkur said quietly, jolting her back to the present. She grunted her acknowledgement and he continued a bit shyly. βWhy did you choose to share this information with me?β
βYou mean to ask why I shared it with you - and not someone else?β she spoke matter-of-factly as she rounded the corner.
βYeah,β he replied sheepishly. βIt seems more like something you would have discussed with Sienna or Kamar.β
βThey were my first choices, and I have spoken about it with them beforeβ she affirmed with a slight nod, taking the wind out of Merkurβs sails.
βOh,β he responded meekly, rubbing the back of his neck and watching the wall as it passed.
βBut if you must know, I told you this tonight because you are intelligent, Merkur. That is not to say that Sienna and Kamar are not, but you have a certain conviction that I knew would help not only to convince others of the importance, but could also be the very thing that carries this vision to fruition. I know I cannot do it without Ijsbrand, and I decided to ask you for your help because you would not only ensure that it is done, but done well.β
Ebony could practically feel Merkur swelling with pride behind her as they came to a halt before the office doors of the Headmaster. They stood in hushed silence before Ebony finally opened the larger double doors and entered with her colleague in tow. As the doors came to a close behind them, surprisingly quiet for such large things, the both of them took a moment to take in the oddly decorated space.
The office itself was an awkward crescent shape, and with windows allowing in great amounts of natural moonlight, it was bathed in an eerie silver glow. Directly to their right was a radio console in relatively decent condition, although there were obviously frayed wires and a lot of makeshift patchwork on the metal frame to the console. The screen itself displayed almost perfectly, however, and on it was a list of known contacts. To the left of the desk located central to the room was an easel, used by Ijsbrand for painting. Ebony had lost count of the number of times she had entered to find him hard at work on one of his masterpieces. He also loved to draw, made evident not only by the large stack of blank paper on his desk, but also by the numerous pieces of pencil art heβd strung up around his office. In fact, the walls were nearly plastered with them. Ebony could clearly make out the scenes of several illustrations, but the ones that caught her eye time and time again were the portraits of every graduating class. He did them each year, and would even go so far as to draw every team a picture of themselves as a graduation gift. Ebony had even once noticed a picture of herself hard at work teaching her fourth year students, but she had yet to guess when it had been drawn, or when he had been in the room to see it.
On the other side of his desk sat a long, rectangular case meant for storing the extra blades to his weapon. It sat at a neat angle to the curve of his desk, running parallel to his arm as he sat watching them patiently. He smiled as they finally looked his way, and invited them to sit.
βIjsbrand,β Ebony greeted curtly, taking a seat in one of three chairs set before the desk. Merkur sat politely in the seat farthest from her.
βWelcome,β he greeted with a serene smile. βWhat on Remnant could bring you to my office at this hour?β he asked patiently.
βA proposition,β Ebony explained. βTo become a part of the system that has joined all of Remnant together.β
His features hardened, and his body tensed ever so slightly. βThe Cross Continental Transmit System,β he mused, filling in the obvious blank. βWhy would we do that?β
βI knew you would do this,β Ebony sighed, partially to herself. βBut you must understand. This system has been proven to work much more efficiently than what we have at our disposal here in Reverie. It could provide us with the connections we so desperately need.β
βAnd would thus involve us in things I would rather not be a part of,β Ijsbrand interrupted sternly.
His cold stare met Ebonyβs, and they were locked in a silent battle for a few moments before she calmly replied, βThen would you rather that the people of Reverie are slaughtered?β Ijsbrand raised a brow at that.
βWhat?β
βYou heard me, Ijsbrand.β Ebony watched as his conflicting emotions ate at him, remaining rather impressed at his ability to outwardly compose himself.
βTell me what you have in mind,β he finally answered. βThen I will make my decision.β His gaze shifted quietly to Merkur, lingering there before shifting back to the woman before him.
βTime is our greatest enemy, Ijsbrand. Youβve seen how the Grimm attacks are becoming more frequent. The teachers here are called off on jobs far more often than we should be, and the people of this kingdom are frightened. The politics of the land are more convoluted and complicated than ever before. We are in the dark, and have been for quite some time. Reverie is young, and has been blundering about blindly ever since its creation. If we cannot see the trail weβve left behind, how can we avoid repeating our mistakes?β
βWhich mistakes are you talking about?β Ijsbrand questioned. βSpecifically.β
βThe way the Faunus have been mistreated, the abuses of dust, alcohol, drugs, the corruption in the political world that is tearing this country apart, the poverty among common people, and the lack of settlement,β Ebony shot back, furiously listing anything she could think of. βNot to mention the terrible state of the Reverie Communications Center.β
βThe people of Reverie must go through their own trials and tribulations, Ebony. How would we learn to grow if we canβt come out of this on our own? These are necessary evils. The kingdom must learn to deal with them.β Ijsbrand challenged. Ebony shot an incredulous look his way.
βThe kingdom is falling apart,β she hissed. βThese necessary evils are slowly destroying us. Think about how many Hunters and Huntresses have died because they couldnβt call for help when they needed it. The landlines are periodically destroyed by Grimm, civilians are sent out to repair them regularly with bodyguards watching their back - and you wonder why theyβre afraid?β
Ijsbrand remained silent, his features softening in understanding.
βThe connections that the CCTS would provide for us could change the face of this Kingdom. Not only could we communicate in safety, but it would give us the ability to contact other kingdoms. It would provide a form of stability that this young nation has not seen since its first charge.β Ebony put one hand on the deskβs smooth surface. βPlease, Ijsbrand.β He sighed.
βYou know I canβt do that,β he answered empathetically. βThat would require us to get involved with the parties due to the politics of the situation. Itβs something I canβt allow.β
Merkur cleared his throat. βWell, sir, I think she has a very valid point. Our resources are being wasted trying to maintain the mainframe of communications. Weβve spent so long trying to both defend and fix that piece of our infrastructure that the defense against the Grimm is becoming weaker and weaker. Itβs been this way for a long time,β he pointed out, leaning back a bit in his chair and raising a leg to rest on his knee.
βExactly,β Ebony confirmed. βThe last time those coms went out we-β
β-lost a very talented Huntress, and close friend,β Ijsbrand finished. βI remember that day. I was the one to dispatch her, after all.β Merkur shifted positions again, resting both elbows on his knees.
βAll the more reason to become a part of the CCTS. These land lines have become very unreliable, and the wireless connections that those towers provide the other kingdoms would be invaluable to us.β Merkur looked at Ebony, who was nodding her agreement.
βCommunication is our lifeline in Reverie,β Ebony pushed. βIf we donβt have a reliable means of sending or receiving help, then we are as lost as the history of the nomadic tribes that once lived here.β
βKeyword being βonce,ββ Merkur added. Ebony gestured to him and nodded, as if saying βThank you.β Ijsbrand ran a tired hand through his long, white hair. There was a long, tense pause as he closed his eyes and breathed deeply. He opened them slowly and rose from his seat, moving soundlessly to the windows. He stood there, one hand placed upon the clear surface and the other tucked behind his back out of habit, obviously struggling to come to a decision. Ebony went to stand by him, placing a hand on his left shoulder.
βIjs, this isnβt a political issue, and you know it,β she said gently. βItβs an issue of safety, and one that must be addressed soon or we are all lost.β Ebony simply stood with him for a moment in comfortable silence, listening to the quieted sounds of the wilderness through the pane of glass before them.
Merkur, on the other hand, was sitting back with a raised brow. He had never seen that side of Ebony before. The normally cold and distant teacher was showing a care that was almost motherly, and she was visibly more relaxed than he had ever seen her. Not to mention the nickname she had used just then. It was foreign to him - but of course he would be telling Sienna about this(after all, how could he not?). He was brought hack to the present moment by the soft sigh of the headmaster.
βVery well,β he conceded. He let his head fall back slightly as he rubbed his neck before speaking again. βI suppose I will have to be the guiding hand, then. Reverie must begin to move forward, and the CCTS is our best hope.β
βThen what will you have us do?β Ebony quired. He hummed for a moment, deep in thought, before he turned to the both of them.
βThe first thing that must be done,β he began as he returned to his seat, βis that at least some of the other staff here must be informed.β
βWho do you mean?β Merkur asked.
βKamar, of course, as well as Sienna. So, they must be told of this.β Ijsbrand took a moment to look back and forth between them both before cracking a smile. βEbony, perhaps it would be best if you were to inform them individually. Discreetly.β Ebony nodded.
βAnd what shall I do?β Merkur asked.
βKeep it all as low profile as you can,β Ijsbrand replied simply. βWe donβt want the students to hear whispers of βReverieβs doom!β or βimpending political collapse!ββ he explained rather eccentrically. βItβd be less of a concern with the older students who understand the politics of the land, but the young onesβ¦ keep it as far from their minds as you can.β
βThank you, Ijsbrand,β Ebony spoke as she stood. Merkur stood as well, albeit a bit more slowly, stretching as he did so.
βYou two should get your sleep,β the Schnee commented as he watched Merkur with an amused eye. βI shall arrange for you to appear before the parties in the Capital Hall. Once you have told the others, please come back here and we will discuss it further.β
βWe will,β Merkur affirmed with a tired thumbs up and a yawn. Ebony made a disgusted noise at his behavior.
βYes, well goodnight, you two.β Ijsbrand waved to them both as the door was opened and closed a moment later.
The two of them walked silently down the hall for a moment before Ebony stopped him. βThank you for helping me with this,β she said suddenly. βIt would have taken much more convincing if you hadnβt been there, or he may have just refused altogether. Iβm glad to have your help in this.β
βWow,β Merkur spoke after a moment, expressing his surprise. βItβs rare for you to be so relaxed, Ebony. What would the others say if I told them how sincere youβve been tonight?β
βWhat, is it that unbelieveable?β she scoffed, shaking her head and continuing down the hall at a rather curt pace. βIn any case, I meant what I said. Now go get some sleep and please, for the love of all that is good in this world, take a shower. You smell like fuel, Merkur.β
It was early in the morning and, as expected, the southern tower was mostly silent, save for the few early birds who were already up and getting ready for their first official day. One of these early birds was, of course, the hyperactive lion of team PWTR; Wynn.
βI should probably wake the others up soon.β he thought to himself as he stepped out of the warm shower, quickly drying himself off. He had woken up far earlier than he needed to, but he couldnβt help it, he was just so excited about his first day.
He slipped into his uniform, which was a white, long-sleeved button-up with the schoolβs insignia on the breast pocket, over that, a dark purple school blazer with black accents, long black slacks, and neat black shoes before stepping back into the main room, where the rest of his team was still sleeping.
βHmm, how to wake them upβ¦β he wondered, before a mischievous smile crossed his lips. He quietly tip-toed over to the bed in which Phenix and Tβwulf were sleeping and lowered himself to be eye-level with the sleeping Tβwulf before tapping on her nose, βWakey wakey, Wulfie!β
Tβwulf awoke with a start, jumping back and pushing Phenix out of the bed; causing her to land on the floor with a thump.
βUuuughβ¦β Phen began, lifting herself off the floor
βWhat was that for!?β Tβwulf shouted, glaring at Wynn who was basically keeling over in laughter
βWha-whats going on?β Regalia said sleepily as she rose from her bed, eyes still half closed
βHahahaha, Iβm, haha, sor-haha-ryβ Wynn replied unable to contain his laughter, βThat reaction-hahaha, was just haha, so golden!β
βIt's not funny.β Tβwulf deadpanned
βWell,β Regalia yawned, βAt least weβre all awake.β
βThat was the goal.β Wynn giggled, βPlus, you three should start getting ready.β
βTrue.β Phenix replied as she stretched
Tβwulf looked around at the other two girls, βAre you really gonna act like this is normal??β though her only reply was a playful wink from Wynn.
βWhile you three get ready, Iβll go get us all some breakfast in the cafeteria!β Wynn announced before leaving the room, closing the door a little too loudly behind him.
βCβmon pup.β Phen began, drawing Tβwulfβs attention, βTime to get ready for the first day.β She smiled
Tβwulf crossed her arms and rolled her eyes, βIβm not a pup.β she mumbled as she got off the bed and made her way to the closet, eliciting a slight giggle from both Phen and Regalia.
Welcome back to the Cafeteria
The Cafeteria was slowly coming to life as one by one the student body dripped into the enormous room. Some tables already had their full teams present and were digging into their breakfast, whilst others, like Wynn, were waiting for the rest of their team to arrive before eating.
βOver here guys!β Wynn called out whilst waving his hands to Regalia, Phen and Tβwulf whom had just entered from the hall. Each wearing their own slightly personalised version of their school uniforms; Regalia wearing a dark purple skirt, with white button up, a tie and a blazer, Phen wore the v-neck variant of the sweater, with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, and black slacks, finally, T-wulf was wearing a white button up, blazer and slacks.
βHe was actually able to get us a table.β Regalia said with sarcastic surprise as they began heading in his direction
βI am curious what he got us though,β Phen relied, βConsidering he didnβt even ask before heading outβ¦β
βIt shouldnβt be anything bad, itβs only breakfast.β Tβwulf answered, as she started to think about all the kinds of breakfast he could have gotten for them. She ended up so deep in thought that she didnβt even realize there was someone in front of her, until she bumped into the taller, blond boy, which resulted in her falling to the ground with an βoofβ. βOh, sorryβ¦β she began before looking up at the boy she had bumped into, her nose wrinkled as she noticed his trademark scarf, βNever mind, Iβm not sorry after all.β She muttered.
βTch, watch where youβre going next time, Mutt.β He said venomously as he adjusted his scarf, before he continued walking forward, ignoring her.
βHey!β Phen began, reaching out to grab his shoulder, βYou donβt need to be so rude!β Though just before she grabbed his shoulder, her arm was captured by a somewhat smaller hand, she turned to see the stern gaze of Indu. The boy, Yale, turned to look at the two before he continued walking to one of the empty tables, leaving Indu and Phen to continue their minor confrontation.
βPhenix,β Regalia placed her hand on her team leaderβs shoulder, βLetβs not let our first day get ruined.β
Phen looked down and sighed, though, to her surprise, Indu was first to break off the encounter. As she refocused on Induβs face, she noticed that the stern, somewhat threatening look was replaced with a friendly smile.
βRegalia,β Indu began in a friendly tone, βItβs been a while.β She turned to look at Phen who was helping Tβwulf up off the ground, βIβm sorry for my teammateβs actions.β She said with a bow.
βYou donβt have to apologize for something he did.β Tβwulf said softly
βI do.β Indu responded swiftly, βHe is a member of my team, and thus his actions are my responsibility.β
βCome now,β Regalia interjected, βNo need to be so serious. How have you been Indi?β
βYou still havenβt given up on that nickname, have you?β Indu giggled, βIβm doing fine, though Iβm afraid I have to go get my breakfast now,β She turned to look at her team, which were silently sitting at their table, eating. βIβm looking forward to seeing you in class.β She said before heading off.
βYou too!β Regalia responded, as she, Phen and Tβwulf began heading to Wynn who was patiently waiting for them still.
βI feel sorry for herβ¦β Tβwulf suddenly began, βBeing stuck with that group of jerks.β
βSheβll be fine.β Regalia replied, βIf anyone can take on a team like that, itβd be her, trust me.β
βFINALLY!β Wynn burst out as the three had arrived at the table, βI thought I was gonna die of hunger before youβd finally get here!β
βDonβt be so dramatic.β Phen laughed
βWell, if you had died, it would leave more food for usβ¦β Regalia joked
βSo cruel!β Wynn replied, dramatically falling backwards, before stopping himself by hooking his foot around the bottom of the table. βAnyway, food time!β he shouted as he shoot back up and began devouring his food.
At IVRYβs table
βYou didnβt seriously bow in front of those weaklings.β Raven scoffed as Indu returned to their table.
βItβs my familyβs custom.β Indu replied, βIt would be better for us to not go through another scuffle on our first official day of...β
βPathetic.β Raven interrupted, βYou donβt even try to act like a leader. Iβm sure you only got the position because the school owes your family something, donβt they?β
With this both Vi and Yale lifted their heads to see Induβs response, but she did not react. She remained quiet with a neutral facial expression. She stood up and within seconds the bell rang, βWe should get going, we donβt want to be late for class.β She stated, turning to Raven she saw some visible irritation at the fact that she was ignoring him, but nothing became of this.
Dust Studies Classroom
Students slowly filed into the semi-circular shaped lecture room; it was rather standard in appearance, rows of desks with chairs, each row slightly higher than the one in front of it. All the furniture was made from a rather dark coloured wood and the desks were covered in small damages, from scratches to scorched areas, with small beige coloured pillows on each of the chairs. Down at the center, where the teacher will no doubt stand, was a large blackboard, a desk, and a locked cabinet, likely filled with dust for demonstrational purposes.
Indu was one of the first to take a seat on the right side of the classroom, at the 3rd of the 6 rows, her team taking seats somewhat scattered around where they felt most comfortable. Obviously it wasn't required that teams sit together, but a number of other teams were taking seats near one another, such as PWTR and SSHL, she watched the door patiently as she awaited the last members of her class and, of course, the teacher to enter. Team KOHL was among the last students to enter the class, but she could still not see the teacher anywhere.
βCmon little ones,β A voice sounded from the door, βTo your seats!β A group of students standing at the door stepped aside to reveal a short, brightly dressed man with a multitude of colours streaked through his short hair. He hopped down the stairs as the class stared at the strangely energetic man; he wore a light-blue long sleeved button up with the cuffs unbuttoned, dark green slacks, black shoes and a dark red jacket. βWelcome to your first lesson at Faith Academy!β He said rather happily, βMy name is Phlox Cherubim, Professor of Dust Studies, and you better make a good impression, cause yβall are going to be stuck with me for the next 4 years!β He arrived at the center of the classroom, and looked around at all the new students, βYup, most, if not all, of you are here.β He nodded to himself. βSo!β he began as he lifted his right hand and opened his palm facing upwards, βHow many of you use dust?β His red jacket began to dissolve away from the bottom up, βAny form is fine, from dust cartridges in your guns, to full on manipulation.β Most of the class raised their hands, as they continued to stare at his dissolving jacket, which was soon completely dissolved, and in his right palm now lay a small pile of reddish coloured dust. He stepped forward and began placing a small amount on the desks in front of each student. βAnd how many of you actually manipulate dust?β He asked, and a much smaller number of students rose their hands. βWell, this class seems to be more dust-savvy than usual!β he laughed, having now placed small amounts of reddish dust in front of about half the class. βNow for those of you who donβt know,β he began, βDust in non-crystallised form is very volatile, almost anything can cause a reaction, even the slightestβ¦β
Phloxβs lecture was interrupted by a loud sneeze from Jasper, which caused the small pile of dust in front of him to explode, singeing his face and setting a small section of the table alight. Phlox quickly turned and aimed his left hand at the small fire, with a flick of his thumb and middle finger, a small stream of water flew from his hand and quickly subdued the flame. β...sneeze.β Phlox sighed, as a large portion of the class began to laugh at Jasper, who had been knocked over by the small explosion and somewhat soaked by the following stream of water. Through his laughter, Jasper turned to look at Talon, who simply sighed.
Phlox made his way back to the front of the room, all the students, excluding Jasper, now had a small pile of dust in front of them. βNow the Mr. McTavish has shown us the extent of his control of dust,β He began, eliciting a final giggle from part of the class, βI want all of you to try to channel your aura and use this dust in any way you can; ignite it, reform it into an object, fuse it with your semblance, whatever youβre capable of.β Slowly students began using the dust in front of them, some students including Indu, Lavender and Phenix displayed good mastery of dust, by being able to reform it into an object, whilst the majority of the class simply set the dust alight. Of course there were also a few who were completely incapable of bringing any reaction out of the dust, such as Viridian, Slate and Krimm.
With a few flicks of his fingers, Phlox put out the flames that had been produced, βWoohoo!β Phlox shouted, βThis means weβll get to skip through most of the boring starters stuff, since most of you have got that down.β He threw his arms into the air with joy, before turning to see the clock which warned that the lesson was nearing its end. βOh!β He said with surprise, βbefore the lesson ends, Sienn- I mean, Miss Seraphim told me, to tell you, that we realised some of your dorms were lacking in beds or other furniture so those will be delivered to your dorms today during classes.β The bell rang just as he finished informing them, βWell, run along now! Tomorrow the real classes begin!β
All the students began making their way out of the lecture room. Yale stood as most of the class had already left, he exited the room and turned to go left, βYale,β Indu called from behind him, βWe have history next, and it's this way.β She said pointing in the opposite direction to where he was going, he turned and silently began walking behind Indu towards the history classroom, not another word was exchanged between them the whole way there.
To say the trip from the Dust Studies classroom was almost like a small expedition was nothing short of an unstatement. The first years literally had 5 minutes to clamber up 4 floors of a steep staircase, leading to many, if not all, of the students panting from exertion on arriving at the classroom door. Not seeing their teacher anywhere and with mere seconds to spare, they all rushed into the classroom and proceeded to make their way to which ever seats they decided they wanted to occupy. As they all sat down, many of the students looked around the classroom, finding their teacher still absent. That was until an authoritative, overly feminine voice came from behind them.
βWould you all please stand? I want you sitting in a specific manner.β As the heads turned to see the voiceβs owner, many jaws dropped when the awe inspiring sight of Rhoswen Lilith greeted their eyes. Many male and a few females eyes were roving her constantly, although a few were locked onto a very specific area.
βOh my god, sheβs so hot!β Wynn shouted, without any lack of restraint or embarrassment in doing so. While a few of the other students just nodded, Jasper was still cognitive enough to agree with Wynn.
βYouβre telling me..damn girl!β Jasper exclaimed with a wolf whistle afterwards. βOww...seriously Talon? Whatβs up with you?β Jasper started clutching the back of his head after Talon had given him a rather sharp punch, before turning his eyes to Rhoswen, being one of the only people in the room not taken in by her appearance.
βWell now that we have the usual gawking out of the way,β Rhoswen began noticing Jasper was still staring at her. βMy eyes are up here, Mr McTavish.β Rhoswen said with a cheeky smile adorning her lips, amidst a smattering of giggling at a non-phased Jasper. βNow I want you all to be sitting in your teams. Youβll find that myself and Kamar, Mr Lucifer to you guys, have a very high emphasis on teamwork, so my classes are not just about knowledge. Think of it as a class to team build. Now to your seats please, we are behind by five minutes as it is.β
While the majority of the teams sat together without any problems, one team in particular seemed to do so in a rather disgruntled fashion, trying to ignore one another as they did so.
Rhoswen placed down her notes on the wooden desk situated at the front of the classroom, looking up at her now settled students and began her lecture.
βSo to begin with, as you know, this is your history class.β Her sweet voice floated around the room in a soft yet clear way, immediately grabbing the attention of her listeners. βIn this classroom, I do not value your individual intellect so much as your teamβs collective knowledge. But donβt think for a moment that any of you will get an easy ride in this class. While answering my questions correctly will give your team bonus points in my eyes, if any of you fail to answer a question your team will be punished as a whole. After all, a team is only as strong as its weakest part.β Rhoswen noticed that IVRY and JADE looked towards a single member each, Raven and Yale made glaring looks at Viridian whereas Indu was trying to reassure her now venomous teammate while Arsenic and Damask were staring at Jasper who merely shrugged his shoulders, nonplussed by their lack of faith, Talon blatantly ignored the stares that he was between and remained focus on the front of the classroom, eliciting a small smirk from Rhoswen.
βEyes forward IVRY and JADE, youβre here to learn not stare at each other.β Their attention was immediately drawn back to the front, not without some disgruntled muttering from IVRY. βThank you, now to the main lesson. As you know, our countryβs origins are known through writings from our ancestors who originally settled here from Vacuo and Vale. The island we call home was originally and for the most part still is infested by a veritable hoard of Grimm. Now how did the original settlers deal with thisβ¦.. Indu?β She looked to Indu for the answer and smiled as she immediately received the answer.
βThey were nomadic tribes to begin with, moving whenever the Grimm hoard got dangerously close. At the time combat was even more important than it is today as every able bodied person was required to be able to kill a Grimm in the event of an attack.β Indu sounded like she was almost reciting this from a book, the answer was perfect.
βVery nice Miss Tzu. You have a fine resource there IVRY, I hope you use it wisely.β Rhoswen commented with a small giggle. βYou are absolutely correct Indu, roaming tribes were at the original time of settlement the way our ancestors essentially survived the early years against the Grimm. There were thirteen known clans which later assembled into the main city. There were of course more clans than those thirteen however they remain as nomadic tribes to this day.
βNow on the initial settling of the city there were both Faunus and Humans within the main settlement. Now this might be a little much for the Faunus in the room but β¦ well letβs allow one of you to explain...Tβwulf? I did say your name right, didnβt I?β Rhoswen asked as she watched the Faunus female stand to answer.
βYes you did, maβam.β Tβwulf responded in a kindly tone. βWell while both humans and faunus jointly created the settlement, somewhere along the early years of the settlement, the humans began taking faunus as slaves. The city was basically built out of faunus slave labour, which is one of the main drivers behind the Faunus Liberation Party. It wasnβt until 20 years into the initial founding of the city and city building that the faunus took a stand to fight their captors which resulted in the first civil war of our civilisation.β Tβwulf sat down as she finished receiving welcoming pats on the back from her teammates who were in proud admiration of her.
Rhoswen nearly applauded Tβwulf. It was more than what she had expected out of her student. βI did not expect that level of knowledge. Iβm thoroughly impressed Miss Lupus. You are right on all counts. Iβll elaborate on the last point however as I know itβs a rather sore subject at least where Faunus are concerned.β Rhoswen stepped away from her desk to a map that was the the right of the chalkboard at the front of the classroom. The map displayed the entirety of Reverie.
She pointed to an area just outside of the city border. βThis area here is were the Civil War took a dramatic turn..Iβll make this one of the last parts of the lesson so you guys can shoot off to an early lunch, thank Miss Lupus for that.β She gave Tβwulf a quick wink before continuing causing the student to blush a little. βThe Faunus Resistance movement had been winning battles throughout the city, driving out the majority of humans from the city into the Grimm infested forests. Now as most wars do, the Faunus wanted to put an end to the war so they went in for one final battle to try and put down the humans that were left fighting. Thatβs the way of the world guys, war sucks.β There was a smattering of laughs around the room from the students but Rhoswen was not smiling, her face was completely devoid of the charm it had earlier held. βThat wasnβt a joke. War is not something so easily trifled with or forgotten. There are still places within the city that havenβt fully recovered from the war and that was a long time ago.β She noticed IVRY were taking increased interest in the lecture. Not out of bloodthirst but it seemed to hit closer to home than she had wanted it to. βThe battle was the shortest of the war. It was a complete and utter loss for the Faunus. When the Faunus arrived at what they assumed to be where the human army was located they found themselves arriving at an empty clearing in the forest which was full of scraps of meat and that had attracted Grimm.β
βThe faunus army lost a considerable number to the Grimm, the humans had outwitted the main army and killed or captured any of those who had managed to escape the massacre. After this the faunus quickly fell and the war went in favour of the humans, ending up with the humans becoming the victors of the war and conditions for faunus becoming much worse.β Rhoswen stopped speaking after that. With a sigh she looked around the class. βBecause of the following wars, faunus were eventually considered an equal species when the Equalist party came into power. We have one of the most bloody histories in Remnant. Itβs also the reason our school is regarded so highly. Warfare and fighting seems to be in our DNA.β She gave one more cheery smile. βSo with that rather depressing note I will let you all go. Enjoy the rest of your day, you shouldnβt have anymore lessons for today as far as Iβm aware but Iβm sure Sienna will come and correct me if you do.β
With that the teams began dispersing through the doors. Some students walked off immediately while other thanked Rhoswen for the lesson. It was not until the last student left that Rhoswen heard a familiar voice.
βWell that was definitely a cheery lecture. Blood and gore on the first day, arenβt they fortunate?β They was a rather manly chuckle that came after that sentence but there was not much warmth to the sound. Even then, the voice brought a warm sense of happiness to Rhoswen as she looked up at the back of the lecture theatre to see Kamar standing up in one of the corners having gone completely unnoticed by every other person in the room.
βYou really need to show me how to do that. Iβm sure I could really use that sneakiness of yours when Iβm fighting.β Rhoswen chuckled as she quickly gathered her belongings and walked out of the room with Kamar.
βYou were the one who taught me how to do it Rhos. I canβt help just being able to do it better than you.β Kamar laughed as he tucked his hands into his trouser pockets, knowing Rhoswen was going to wrap one of her arms around his own. Any ordinary passer by would have thought they were a couple from how they looked, but that is not quite the case.
βSo Iβm assuming you came to pay attention to your favourites then?β Rhoswen asked with feigned innocence.
βYou should know me well enough by now that I donβt play favourites. Itβs justβ¦β Kamar did not even need to finish his sentence before Rhoswen finished it for him.
βThey remind you a lot of us, donβt they?β She asked while her brain thought back nostalgically to her student life when team KURO was still together. βA bunch of strong individuals with equally strong personalities. Seems too good to be true.β She chuckled again but the sound was empty. Almost false.
βIβm not going to give them an easy time. The sooner those four actually become a team, the better.β Kamarβs face became grim. βWhile there is no real animosity between Sienna and I now, I still hate the idea that her favourites are actually in a better state as a team than IVRY is. When we were all their age we had two teams of close knit members but who worked under two different philosophies. Instead we have a team whoβs teamwork is almost flawless, remarkable for first years and then a team of people who seem like they could implode at any juncture. I will not allow that to happen.β
βOh so you do care?β Rhoswen laughed before she released hold on Kamarβs arm and started skipping down the stairs in her highheels. βAnd although Iβm pretty sure youβre already aware but the others will be arriving back here within the next month.β
Kamar smiled visibly. βTeam KURO together again. Just like old times.β
What a surprise, weβre here again - CAFETERIA TIME!
Due to the students early departure from their lesson, they were amoung the first the reach the cafeteria alongside some of the older students and teachers. Quite quickly the teams grabbed their food and sat down at their usual tables. However, due to some intermingling before and during classes, many friendship circles were developing outside of the teams themselves.
A shining example of this was PWTR and JADE, being drawn together by the joint efforts of both Jasper and Wynn, the most hyperactive of their respective teams. JADE at that point decided to relocate tables to the one next to PWTR and began chatting in earnest, all but Talon opening up to each other, sharing their dreams, past experiences and observations of the two days they had now been a part of the school.
βSo me and Talon were trapped in this corner with no escape and these guys surrounding usβ¦β Jasper was relating one story from his past exploits with Talon. Jasper while not an eloquent wordsmith was still a great story teller as both teams listened intently while Talon sat with his eyes closed and arms folded, his hidden face giving little away as he listened to the account.
βHow many guys was it?β Wynn asked excitedly, completely enraptured by the slightly false tale.
Jasper rubbed his nose in a confident smile. βIβd say about eight in total. All of them big muscle bound clods like Miss Bitch over there.β He laughed as he pointed a thumb in the direction of Viridian as she sat eating her rather large meal of steak and other assorted meat and vegetables. She completly ignored the jibe, as did the rest of IVRY, all except one pair of ears.
βAnyway, where was I? Ah yes so these eight guys were all holding these metal bars, knives, you know the usual thug crap. So Talon just stands there watching these guys all calm like which somehow pissed them off and I just charged forward and knocked the first guy clean out with a right hook and took the second down with a swift kick to the balls.β While the girls laughed at this statement, Wynn winced in moderate sympathy with the man.
βAnd then what happened?β Regalia asked in a slightly disconcerting manner throwing Jasper off a little.
βWhat do you mean what happened? I kicked the crap outta them!β Jasper exclaimed jumping up from his seat in indignation.
Regalia turned her eyes to Talon. βWhat really happened?β She asked with a slight smirk on her face.
βYeah come on Ecru, heβs gotta be joking right?β Tβwulf asked in a laugh.
βThereβs no way he took down eight guys without your help, Talon.β Arsenic said with a snicker which Damask joined in with.
βTalon back a guy up here.β Jasper implored his friend howeverβ¦
βHe knocked out the first guy and then got jumped by the others. Had I not stepped in he would have been in the hospital.β Talon responded without a shred of emotion escaping his lips.
The others immediately began to laugh and a crest fallen Jasper slumped back in his chair and then proceeded to grab Talonβs desert away from him.
βScrew you Talon!β Jasper shouted as he threw the desert, plate and all. Unfortunately as luck would have it. The same events recurred as they had done the previous day. The desert plate was easily dodged by Talon and both teams watched as the plate not only struck Vi clean on the back of the head, but the plate fragments and splattering desert also covered the rest of team IVRY in an assortment of ceramic chips and cheesecake.
βOh shitβ¦β Jasper said in exasperation before he leapt up from his chair and cannoned through the cafeteria door. As PWTR and the remaining members of JADE stood up to follow, they watched the members of IVRY rise from their seats. While they seemed non-plussed excluding Viridian who was shaking in rage, the atmosphere that came from their table was nothing short of terrifying.
βThat little cunt! Heβs done it this time! Iβm gonna kill the fucker!β Viridian then stormed out of the cafeteria.
βShe doesnβt even know which way he went, does she?β Raven asked as he wiped food from his front.
βNo she doesnβt.β Indu responded with a sigh. βOkay weβre going to find her and then find that little pest and settle this disrespect.β
βYou know what? I agree.β Raven said with a grim smile. βIβm going to help her murder that little bastard and then go back to hating her guts.β
They all left the cafeteria together, even Yale following along, angrier than the rest of his team would have imagined.
βThis is bad isnβt it?β Wynn said as both teams ran to the door.
βBad? You kidding? This is a disaster!β Regalia said as they quickly followed in hot pursuit, Talon outstripping the rest, his cold eyes hiding the concern he really felt.
Dueling Arena, First Year Tower
Jasper sat down on one of the seats in the viewing area, panting heavily.
βDamn I need to exercise more. Phew!β He tried to calm his breathing down. βAt least those clowns canβt have followed me, thereβs no way they could haveβ¦β
βClowns eh?β A voice came from behind him. A voice he did not want to hear. βSo apparently throwing food at me isnβt just what he does to disrespect me. Clowns?! I think the only one here whoβs a clown is you!β Viridianβs increasingly rage filled voice shot alarm bells of in Jasperβs head and he leapt over the seat in front of him, narrowly dodging a right hook as he did. Upon turning around, he was met with the furious faces of team IVRY. Each one of them glaring daggers at him.
βHey, this is just allβ¦β He took another leap back balancing neatly on a chair top as Yale lunged towards him with a swift kick. βHey canβt I at leastβ¦β Again he dodged another blow as Raven threw himself at Jasper, his body colliding with the open air where Jasper had been a moment ago.
βYou just keep your mouth shut and take your beating like a man.β Raven spat venomously.
βOI! ASSHOLES!!!β Came a shout from the doorway as PWTR and JADE erupted through the door attracting the attention of IVRY and Jasper, except from one individual.
βYou let your guard downβ¦β Jasper found himself in a painful hold, his arm pinned behind him and his knee gave way as a foot struck it powerfully with surgical precision as Indu grabbed him in that second of lost concentration.
βJASPER!β Regalia shouted.
βIf you move Iβll break each one of his ribs one by one.β Vi shouted back angrily. The threat worked however that did not stop Vi from clenching her fist and striking Jasper hard across his left cheek, leaving a large red mark and a small cut where her glove had caught him. His neck had spun, jarring the joint and he cried out in pain.
βNow Iβm going to break all of your ribs in one go!β She clenched her fist a second time.
βViridian look out!β Indu shouted but it was too late. Raven and Yale turned to find Vi in a very dangerous position, much like that of Jasper. Talon had surged towards the group and yanked back Viβs arm, hyper extending the shoulder painfully, locking it in place and held a small hunting knife to her throat. His eyes appeared calm, but his covered face again gave nothing away.
βRelease Jasper.β He asked in a cold monotone. Indu however tightened her grasp, fury starting to bubble beneath her skin.
βRelease Vi first!β She said with authority.
βRelease Jasper.β Talon repeated in the same calm voice but pressed his knife against Viβs neck hard enough to draw blood.
βI think heβs serious Indu.β Raven said in urgency.
βI said release VI!β Indu said again in an authoritative and slightly angrier voice. Tightening her grip enough to hear Jasperβs joints creak.
βArgh this hurts bad Talon!β Jasper cried as tears of pain sprung into his eyes.
βRelease Jasper or I will break this woman.β Talon responded again coldly. Extremely coldly. He tightened his grip on Viβs shoulder causing the same creaking that Jasper experienced and similar pain along with it.
βShit this hurts!β Vi shouted but she didnβt struggle being in the more dangerous position than Jasper. βIndu seriously, let him go. This guy isnβt bluffing, trust me!β Vi said urgently.
Indu released Jasper there and then. Jasper quickly ran to the teams waiting for him, clutching his arm painfully. Talon then removed the blade from Viβs neck and span her around by her arm, kicking her square in the chest. She went sailing into Raven and lay groaning in pain on top of him.
Talon turned to return to his teammates but found his path blocked by Indu who was glaring daggers at Talon. Talon coolly returned the stare.
βI cannot allow you to leave unpunished, Ecru Talon. No one gets away with treating my teammate like that.β Indu said in controlled rage. βI challenge you to a duel. The arena is just there so we can start immediately.β
Talon just kept on staring at her which started to unnerve her slightly. His stare was so cold and emotionless, like the eyes of a killer. βDonβt waste my time.β He said flatly, trying to walk past her. She however carried on blocking his path.
βI will not accept your declination, Ecru Talon. Fight me you coward!β She shouted. And she swear she saw a glimmer of anger pop into his eyes but that inquisitive thought vanished with his answer.
βI accept.β He stated the two words in cold authority. He kept his gaze with her. His eyes offering his next question without even having to speak.
"Why are you just staring at me, shouldn't we proceed to the arena?" Indu asked in a state of mild confusion.
"I...honestly wonder how you...got picked to be our leader sometimes, Indu?" Vi groaned. She stood up, casually stamping on Raven's leg as she did. Ignoring his cursing and shouting, she continued to speak. "You didn't come from where we grew up. A spoiled rich kid like yourself wouldn't have a clue how fights work down in the slums."
"What do you mean, Viridian?" Indu asked, the insults while hurtful, did not show on her face.
"I mean we fight for something. Pride and honour? Ha, what use do people like us have for that?" Vi spat in contempt. "He wants to hear what you get for winning and what he gets if he wins. Simple as that."
"So a wager?" Indu said in thought.
"Well because you're fighting for me, for whatever reason. I think I should decide don't you?" Vi eyed Indu who just bowed humbly. "How about, I get Jasper as a slave for a month if she wins." Raven almost broke out in laughter hearing that, whereas Indu looked at Vi in disbelief.
"You what..." Indu started.
"What d'ya say Talon?" Vi smirked.
Talon just eyed her before shaking his head.
"No? You refuse?" Vi asked critically, quite unsure what was running through Talon's mind.
"I'm not refusing." Talon said as he approached Vi until they were face to face (Or face to hood and scarf) "I'll take Jasper's place."
"Wait Talon..." Jasper shouted but he was thoroughly ignored by the group.
"I'll take that. Now what do you..."
βYou never touch Jasper again.β Talon interrupted her in the same cold monotone.
Vi offered out her hand and Talon gave a curt, powerful handshake; sealing the bargain. Indu looked out of her depth.
"I don't like the idea of this." Indu complained. Her upbringing and nature was fighting against the idea of almost owning someone.
"Well just shut up and get on with it Indu. He's in full agreement. Backing out now would be disrespectful." Vi said in an almost commanding tone. Indu again bowed her head and walked onto the dueling arena with talon following silently behind her.
Team KOHL gathered at a table, eating lunch. Well...most of them were.
"Hey, Krimm," Laurel said with a mouthful of steak, "you ought to eat, pal."
Krimm said nothing. Everyone else noticed that he had been a bit dreary since their Dust Studies class, and it seemed to have gotten worse during History. "I'm not hungry." he finally said.
Laurel shook his head. He hurriedly sliced what was left of his steak and impaled the larger cut with a fork. "Here." he said, offering the piece of steak to Krimm.
Krimm stared at the piece of steak for a while then, in one swift motion, took the fork from Laurel's hand and tore the meat off of it with his mouth. He then chewed on the meat, though still looked a bit sad.
It took a while before Krimm finished the steak, then it appeared that only Honey had not finished eating. She seemed to be entranced by the flavor of the soup she ordered, and Oxford and Laurel were getting impatient. The two were about to (jokingly) fall asleep when-
"Come on, not again!" Oxford whined as it appeared Teams JADE and IVRY were going to fight, "Geez, this is making me feel like I'm in some poorly-written, modern shonen manga..." He was a bit disappointed when Jasper ran out of the cafeteria, but was surprised when all of IVRY followed in hot pursuit. Oxford turned to Laurel and the two nodded in agreement, rushing out of the cafeteria after PWTR and the rest of JADE.
Krimm thought for a minute, blocking out Honey's slurps, then ran after his teammates. Honey, caught by surprised, stood up as well, hesitated, then ran too. "Wait for meeee!" she said as she hurried after Krimm whilst holding her bowl of soup. She almost rammed herself into a table occupied by another team with one member having large horns on his head. "Sorry..." she said, nervously backing away then running to the exit, avoiding everyone in her way.
Some time before that, in the hallways
Merkur was taking another leisurely stroll around Faith Academy. "Lunch..." he hummed to himself, looking at his wristwatch. He quickly paced towards the cafeteria, hoping he could bump into Krimm and his team. Oh how he would embarrass his "nephew".
"Merkur!" Merkur turned and saw Phlox.
"Ah...it's...Cherubim, right?" he replied, struggling to remember the man's first name.
"Cherubim. Phlox Cherubim."
"Oh, Phlox? I...yeah, er...hi." Merkur said, scratching his head.
"Where're you off to? I'm headed for lunch. Sweeping up Dust residue is exhausting." Phlox jokingly said.
"I'm getting myself some lunch, too." Merkur said. The two started walking towards the cafeteria. "I'm also hoping on seeing my nephew before his break ends." he snickered.
"Oh..." Phlox said, "...Krimm, was it?"
"Yep, saw that he was in your class. How'd he do?"
Phlox scratched is head and thought for a while. "Well, he..."
"...did he blow something up? Darn kid! Oh-hoh, he's gonna get-"
"No, no, no..." Phlox interrupted, "He didn't. He couldn't even make it glow."
Merkur seemed to be surprised. He nodded then went silent for a while. He then looked at Phlox, who looked back at him with a puzzled look.
"...is there something on my face?" Phlox nervously asked, pointing around his cheek.
Merkur shook his head. "Your...your hair..."
"...what about it?" Phlox said. He was surprised when Merkur touched his hair, playing around with it for a few seconds.
"It's so...magical..." Merkur said with a soft voice, his eyes twinkling with wonder. He reached into his pockets and took out his scroll. "Hey, you mind if I took a video?"
Phlox looked puzzled. Merkur had been working at Faith Academy for at least two years by now, and only then did he have any interest in his hair. The man shrugged.
"Okay, just do this sort of rocking motion..." Merkur continued. He then told Phlox that he thought of making a short video, and all Phlox had to do was bend backwards a bit, go back upright, and repeat a few times. When they were done recording, Merkur laughed to himself and made sure he saved the video. "I'll show ya the finished product."
"Sure..." Phlox smiled, as if he knew what Merkur was making. They continued their way towards the cafeteria, until they saw Honey rushing out of it with a bowl of soup. The two, puzzled, watched her run off until she was out of sight. "What was that about?"
"Beats me." Merkur said, smacking his lips at the smell of food that crept from the cafeteria, "But boy, am I hungry..."
Dueling Arena, First Year Tower. Sort-of present.
"What's going on?" Krimm asked Oxford and Laurel.
"Seems Talon of JADE and Indu of IVRY are gonna have a duel." Oxford replied, sounding mildly interested.
"They've got some stakes on the line." Laurel said, " Indu wins, Talon's their slave for a month. Talon wins, IVRY doesn't touch the monkey kid again. Even if the guy wins, I doubt IVRY's gonna comply..."
Krimm looked at the two combatants, their teams, and the arena. He smiled inside. Honey, who had just arrived, bumped into Krimm, exhausted.
"Wha's...happn'n?" she said, collapsing onto the floor but keeping her bowl safe. After the rest of her team filled her in, she suddenly jumped into the air and went infront of PWTR, who were watching Indu and Talon. Honey seemed to be energetic, reaching into her bag for a bag of potato chips, which she tore open and spilled the contents into the bowl that was once filled with soup. Her teammates, puzzled, assembled near her.
Krimm sighed. "Stay here. You three keep your eyes on JADE, IVRY and PWTR. I'm getting a closer look." he then proceeded to look for higher ground. He found it at the large screen that displayed Aura levels. He then worked his way through hallways, staircases and ledges before standing on top of the board, watching Indu and Talon from above.
"So we're just gonna sit back and watch?!" Oxford said, "Augh...you gotta be kidding me, Krimm!"
"He's crazy..." Laurel said, staring at his team's leader standing on the board. He took out his scroll and huddled with Oxford and Honey. Krimm appeared on the screen.
"Keep a close eye on the spectators. If they try to interfere, stop them." Krimm said.
"What're you gonna do? Honey said, munching on potato chips.
"If the fight gets out of hand, I'll intervene..." Krimm said, "Stay there, got it?"
The three nodded. "Over and out." Krimm said. He turned his attention to the two fighters. "Now...what do you have to show us?" he thought to himself.
The two combatants stepped into the arena, the participants screen quickly buzzing to life revealing the names Ecru Talon and Indu Tzu, along with a portrait photo of each and a bar showing their respective aura levels.
Indu brought her weapon hilt into her right hand, the center of the device opened, giving her space to insert a small dust clip. Upon closing the weapon came to life as an ornately carved, partially ethereal - light blue blade sprung to life from the hilt. A chain of the same ethereal - light blue nature sprung from the back of the hilt, and created a second sword, connected to the first through the chain.
Talon too equipped his weapon, bringing his arms up in a street-fighting pose with both blades pointing towards his enemy. The two stared at one another, neither moving a single step.
Jasper sat slightly separated from the others, watching them intently, a scowl upon his face.
Damask looked at him worriedly before turning to Regalia, βYou know her, right?β She said pointing to Indu, βJust how dangerous is she?β
Regalia sighed in response, βWellβ¦ she almost never loses a one on one fight.β She saw Damask become noticeably demoralised βThough,β She quickly continued in an attempt to bring back hope, βI donβt know what Talon is capable of, so he could still stand a chanceβ¦β She turned her head, internally scolding herself for her failed attempt at comforting Damask, βI meanβ¦β
The conversation ended abruptly as their attention was drawn by the loud clashing of blades, Indu was attempting to overpower Talon by using both her blades in a single full powered strike. Through a swift motion, Talon sidestepped to the right and directed Induβs weight downwards to his left, being able to pull his left arm back as a result, he then quickly followed through with a strike in the direction of her skull. Indu twirled under Talonβs strike, which glanced just above her face, as she allowed her body to drop with gravity she made a swipe with her right blade, forcing Talon to dodge away, giving her the a chance to flip back into an upright position.
This time, Talon charged at Indu, who threw her offhand blade in his direction. Deflecting the blade with his left gauntlet, Talon then grabbed the hilt of the blade, bringing it with him as he charged at Indu, raising his right blade in preparation to strike. Noticing Induβs calm stance, Talonβs eyes drifted to her weapon, which revealed to him that the chain no longer connected the blade he held, to her weapon. He dropped the blade and dodged away as the weapon exploded into hundreds of shards of ice a few of which were still able to strike him because of his late reaction. His teammates watched in worry as the bar representing his aura barrier went down slightly.
Indu charged, spinning her blade into reversed grip before it clashed against Talonβs crossed gauntlets. Shifting his weight forwards, Talon attempted a roundhouse kick to Induβs left leg, which she avoided by flipping over him. He turned to face her and quickly followed through with two swift strikes, both of which were blocked by Indu, who then flipped her blade into normal grip before performing a downwards strike, which Talon avoided. Using her momentum, Indu quickly followed through with a second upwards strike, however as she swung, the blade turned into a bladed whip. Quickly noting the new weaponβs extended range, Talon swiftly dodged backwards, quickly increasing the distance between himself and Indu.
βHe seems to be using a less refined street style,β Indu thought to herself, βHe is well equipped to deal with close range combat, however increased reach should give me the advantage I need.β She followed her initial strike with three more, all of which Talon skillfully dodged.
Talon began charging forward to close this distance, ducking under a horizontal strike from Indu, Talon readied himself as he neared striking distance, however, Indu pulled back on her whip which then wrapped itself in a circle-like formation with the blades pointing outwards at her opponent. In response Talon quickly switched the shotguns of his gauntlets to their forward facing position and fired off multiple shots to help him reduce his momentum. With a slight jab, Induβs whip rushed forwards at him, though Talon had luckily sidestepped it just in time.
Seeing that Indu was wide open, Talon fired off a shot with his right gauntlet, however, to his surprise, Indu had defended herself with a shield which had formed on her left arm. βSo thatβs her semblance.β Talon thought to himself as he quickly dodged backwards avoiding Induβs counter attack.
With a sigh, Indu relaxed her posture, both her shield and bladed whip disappeared. βMid-range only gives me a defensive advantage, so Iβll have to keep close if I want to actually hit him, in which case this would be a good weapon for wearing him down.β She thought to herself.
Talon watched wearily as two chain-blades manifested in Induβs hands, the one originating from her hilt had a slight blue tint whereas the one in her off-hand had a soft ethereal ivory colour.
βEh!β Phen said in surprise as she turned to Regalia, βarenβt those your weapons?β
βYes.β Regalia calmly answered, βThatβs her semblance; she can create any weapon she knows the construction of.β
βSoβ¦ Why is she using your weapons?β Oxford asked
βWell,β Regalia began, βAs she fights, Indu tests her opponentβs capabilities, and then alters her choice of weapon and/or fighting style to give her the best advantage, and it seems that my weapons give her an advantageβ
Immediately, Indu charged forward firing multiple shots at Talon, who dodged or deflected them as he prepared for her to enter striking distance, however at about two meters distance Indu jumped, flipping over him extending both chain-blades to strike against his raised gauntlets, constantly keeping sight of him as she did so. Estimating her landing location, Talon began preparing to counter-attack, until he noticed her pulling down on the trigger. He allowed his body to drop, and then kicked himself off the ground, dodging most of the shots, however he still took two more chips to his aura barrier.
βSheβs completely dominating him!β Honey said in surprise before covering her mouth when she realised the rest of Talonβs team could hear her, βUh, sorryβ¦β
βI wouldnβt say that.β Wynn stated calmly, not drawing his eyes away from the fight
βEh?β Most of the others questioned in disbelief
Phen sighed, βLook Wynn, I know youβre the optimistic type, but are you even paying attention?β
βOf course.β He quickly responded, βAre you?β his response caused Phen to look at him in disbelief. βItβs all in their body language.β He continued, βEven though sheβs almost always being on the offensive and has hit him a few times without even getting touched, Induβs posture has slowly gotten more and more defensive and cautious, meaning thereβs obviously something dangerous in him that sheβs noticed and unsure about.β At this point, almost everyone was staring at Wynn in disbelief, βOn the other hand, Ecru ainβt showing any of the fear or worry that youβd expect in someone whoβs getting beaten this hard, meaning heβs still mentally in control and has a definite strategy for winning that doesnβt come down to βI hope this worksβ or anything like that.β
Arsenic stepped a little closer to him, changing her view from the fight to Wynn and back multiple times, βHow did you evenβ¦β
βBody language.β He cut her off, βIt's the one thing no one can hide, not even Ecru.β He turned and winked at them before directing his attention back to the ongoing duel, his teammates still looking at him in disbelief.
βJust you wait Wynn,β Jasper muttered quietly enough that no one could hear, βYouβll see whatβs so dangerous about him."
Wynn was definitely correct in that logical assumption. Talon had a plan of attack, but he was not in a position to execute it yet. Induβs range and skill were making that far too hard for him to even get near her, let alone attack her.
Talon again went through the same motions, he dropped his weight and began surging forward towards Indu in an attempt to get within striking range. However Indu yet again leaped over him in a flourish of steel sending her flailing weapons down at Talon with deadly precision. Talon managed to skirt by one of the blades with a small shift of his body weight but had to leap back at the sight of the second one bearing down on him. Indu landed gracefully, her eyes never leaving her foe, watching him carefully as his cold eyes bored into her, laden with an ever present sense of burning frustration.
This time Talon decided to change tack. One of the gauntlet mechanisms turned, exposing the shotgun barrel on his right arm. Again Talon surged toward Indu, this time with a little more urgency, closing the distance faster than he had been. Indu calmly whipped one of the blades towards Talon in an arc, coming at him just out of his sightline. Talon however in full expectation of this span into the oncoming blade and unleashed a shotgun round into it, keeping the blade from striking him. The momentum of the shotgun spun him back towards Indu who began almost dancing with the blades as they almost instinctively blocked the next round loosed off by Talon, who had decided that one shotgun was not enough for his current plan of attack and quickly made his left gauntlet switch to its shotgun mode. Indu continued to flay the weapons skillfully, unleashing rounds at odd junctures. The constant attacking was forcing Talon to burn up more energy than he liked and his aura shield was getting chipped slowly by the attacks that he could not evade.
Suddenly Indu swung one of the blades out towards Talonβs face who instinctively and narrowly evaded it by slightly moving to the left, unfortunately that moved him into the path of the other oncoming blade. The blade hit him with considerable force directly in the chest, flinging him backwards onto his back in the direction of the spectators. The onlookers audibly gasped as a small chunk of his aura shield disappeared, leaving him with just above half of his aura shield remaining. Talon quickly got to his feet and immediately readied a defensive stance.
βSo Wynn, you sure heβs got something up his sleeve?β Regalia asked apprehensively. βOnce Indu gets control of a fight, she normally stays in control. Talon might appear strong, but heβs definitely not on her level.β It pained her to say that knowing that Jasper was within hearing range but she could not overlook what she was bearing witness to.
βAs I said heβs definitelyβ¦β Wynn began however was interrupted by the schoolβs number one annoyance.
βWatch what you say about Talon. Heβs much stronger than Indu, just wait and see!β Jasper shouted in absolute confidence.
βIβm sure you have every faith in him Jasper but Indu is...just in another league.β Tβwulf said softly, in awe of Indu. She was almost bewitched by how beautifully she was moving.
βDonβt get the wrong idea Jasper.β Arsenic said to her slowly angering teammate. βWe all want Talon to win. We really do. Itβd be nice to get a win over those pompous assholes. But I just canβt say that Talon has what it takes to do anything about it.β
βButβ¦β Jasper began, wanting to argue his friends case.
βBut nothing!β Raven shouted across to him. Vi and Yale were both keeping a weather eye on the fight, knowing better than to miss this opportunity to see their leader fight and also gather as much information as possible on this seemingly growing thorn in their side in Talon.
Ravenβs shout drew the attention of the rest of the onlookers. βItβs clear who the more skilled here. No amounts of pouting, moaning and whining will change what youβre watching. Just accept what youβre seeing; that Indu is the better fighter of the two and in a straight up match she will win. Now shut up so I can watch in peace.β Raven turned back to the fighting, watching Talon almost dance to evade Induβs onslaught with a smug grin on his face.
Talon kept his back to the onlookers, his plan was now in effect. Indu carried barraging him with sharp slashes of the whirling blades. Talon carried on deflecting and dodging but rigidly maintained his position in front of the spectators. Indu realised too late that she had fallen for a very deceptive trap.
To the immediate surprise of everyone, Indu started randomly pawing at her face, almost as if she was trying to avoid looking at something. The more eagle eyed would have noticed the patch of light shining in her eyes. Many of the spectators immediately turned to the source of where the light was coming from, quite rightly suspecting who was behind what they all considered to be a very disgraceful thing to do in the middle of a fight. They found Jasper, holding a small compact mirror in his hand and had angled the mirror perfectly to shine the Sunβs rays into the eyes of Indu.
The members of PWTR, KOHL and JADE were furious with Jasper. Raven having seen them start to collapse in on to him made a move to stand but was held in place by Yale who motioned him to carry on watching. Raven was at a loss for words at what he saw.
Honey and Oxford moved faster than the others surrounding Jasper and quickly pinioned his arms to his sides and quickly tripped him, dropping him heavily to the floor. The mirror spilled in front of Regalia who in utter contempt smashed it with her right boot, grinding the fragments of glass and plastic into the ground.
βWell thatβs spoiled a good show.β Honey commented with a sigh as she held a fairly calm Jasper. βI was honestly enjoying watching that Talon kid getting stomped.β
βI donβt really think that was the pressing issue Honey.β Laurel groaned.
Suddenly a hand whipped down bodily lifting Jasper out of the grasp of the two would be captors. They both looked up, ready to fight at a moment's notice but stayed their hands immediately after seeing the look on the handβs owner.
βWhat were you thinking Jasper?!β Regalia shouted angrily to Jasperβs rather unnervingly deadpan face. βYou should know better than to interfere in a fight. Cheating is just despicable.β She wanted to say more, she wanted to scream at him, but she could not bring herself to do it, mainly because of how much Jasperβs face seemed to remind her of how Talon usually looks. Cold eyes. Brutally cold eyes.
βI should know better?β Jasper said coldly, his eyes boring a hole into Regalia. βYou have no idea how childish you sound right now.β Regalia was honestly surprised at his choice of words.
βChildish?β Arsenic commented in a confused voice.
βSeriously Jasper, I think the only childish one right here is you, that you would think that something like this is alright.β Tβwulf growled angrily.
βYeah how would you think Talon would feel that you interβ¦β Regalia began but was immediately silenced by an angry Faunus.
βYOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW ME AND TALON FEEL!!!β Regalia dropped him, taken aback by that outburst. βYOU ARE ALL SO CLUELESS ITβS AMAZING YOU GOT INTO THIS SCHOOL!!β
Krimm and Wynn turned to the source of the shouting, honestly surprised by Jasperβs anger.
βDO YOU, ANY OF YOU, UNDERSTAND HOW A FIGHT FUCKING WORKS?! RULES?! DONβT MAKE ME GAG!! THERE ARE NO. SUCH. THING!β Jasper was shaking. To him they had all crossed a line that he would never want anyone to cross. βTHE MINUTE YOU LEAVE THIS SCHOOL, YOU WILL BE PUT INTO SITUATIONS THAT REQUIRE SHIT LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN ON A DAILY BASIS!!! THIS WAS HOW TALON AND I FUCKING LIVED OUR LIVES AS KIDS!!! WE FOUGHT TO WIN! FIGHTING FAIR GETS YOU KILLED, NOTHING MORE, NOTHING LESS!!β Jasper finally breathed and looked noticeably calmer for doing so.
βWhere the hell did that come from?β Oxford breathed in a slight amount of shock. Jasper fixed him with a gaze of cold lethality.
βYou are all childish for that specific reason. None of you understand how a fight works. The only ones who I can even tell understand what Iβm on about is Neanderthal over there, Miss Prissy Britches out there on the field and that dude up there whoβs been planning on jumping in at a moment's notice.β Jasper sighed again.
βWHAT THE HELL?!β Raven shouted at the top of his voice bringing attention back to the field and the screen and that was when they noticed what Jasper had done.
On the field, before the commotion.
As soon as the light stopped glaring in Induβs eyes, she noticed one very key issue with what she was seeing or really a lack of. Talon was gone.
βWhere is he?β Indu muttered as she swung her head around in order to try and locate him. Itβs like he just vanished into the air itself. What did he do? Did he activate his semblance? Thatβs the only logical thing, but then what is it.
It was at that moment that a burst of shock hit all the onlookers and an overwhelming sense of danger overcame Krimm, Indu and Wynn. In one shotgun blast, Induβs aura shield dropped hard, the first hit that Talon made any real form of contact with Indu, her shield dropped by just shy of a quarter. The impact of the unseen blow sent Indu cannoning forward off of her feet, landing square on her front, her weapon spiraling away from her, just a bit shy of the outer wall of the fighting grounds.
βWhat happened?β Was the single thought that was going through most of the crowd at that moment. A stunned silence seemed to engulf the whole field as Indu hit the floor.
There were however two people who were wondering why everyone was so confused. To Viridian and Yale, they honestly could not understand the shock of what happened. They had watched Talon silently creep up behind Indu and strike her with both his fist and a shotgun blast simultaneously. However the two of them, not having any prior knowledge of Talonβs semblance could not understand why Indu could not see him. Yale was subconsciously trying to figure out how his semblance worked but was having trouble in doing so since he could not pinpoint the cause of activation since it happened so quickly. Vi however was studying Talonβs movements trying to memorise attack patterns which was difficult to do.
As Indu tried to rise she found herself thrown into the floor again with another shotgun blast, taking another large chunk of her shield away and making her crash back into the floor. Indu groaned from the hit but did not fail to notice the dust clouds kicked up by Talonβs footsteps. It was a brief glance that she caught but it was enough to clock onto the one small hope she had to put an end to his semblance really realising the true danger she was in.
βThat coward hot her while she was down?!β Raven exclaimed, with many mutters of agreement from the group. βDoes he have no honour?!β
βAccording to Jasper, no!β Regalia shouted in equal amounts of rage. βTo think I was willing to befriend people like you!β While she did not mean the words, the way Jasper and Talon think of fighting just did not mesh with her own honourable spirit. They were a completely different animal to her.
Indu rose and rolled forward, knowing Talon would aim for her back again. She knew that the only thing that would aid her would be to stay on the move, but the problem was that she would not be able to tell whether she was running towards Talon or away from him. The only clue she had was the small dust clouds created by his movement.
She took her chance and darted across the field at a speed that was almost unbelievable to watch after having taken such heavy hits. She kept a keen eye for Talonβs movements, noticing small dust clouds being kicked up as he ran to intercept her. She suddenly hopped back and darted in another direction again following the movements in the dust. Which were getting closer to her by the moment. It was then she decided to pull out one of her trump cards. She began manifesting a weapon as Talonβs dust clouds came closer. Whatever happened, the onlookers knew, the next attack would be the one that decided the match.
As Induβs weapon manifested, Talonβs noticable movements disappeared. In that brief moment, Indu span elegantly with a severe amount of speed, swinging her blade. At that moment a hand shot out and caught her hand. The ownerβs other hand shot out catching something out of the air, dragging Talonβs arm and then him back into focus.
The person who had interrupted this duel, doing something both fighters found unbelievable was none other than Krimm. However this disbelief was instantly replaced with a major amount of bloodlust directed not only at Krimm, but at each other too. Both combatants knew however the fight was now over.
A short span of time agoβ¦
βWait for itβ¦β
Patiently, Krimm observed the battle between Indu and Ecru. With sly calculation, he formulated maneuvers and countermeasures for him to use, should he face either of them in battle. He paid little attention to the crowd that gathered to watch the fight, the same crowd he separated from. After all, he had what he believed as the best seat in the arena, his view unhindered by someone elseβs head.
Little did he know of what role they shall play in the duelβ¦
Krimmβs otherwise cold surveillance was disrupted by an illogical change in performance, specifically on Induβs part. For most of the battle, until that point, Indu displayed grace, intellect and ferocity Krimm found notable. Now, she was clawing something on her face, dropping her guard entirely. It was no surprise for Ecru to take advantage of this momentary weakness, but to Krimm it was all too convenient. Was it his Semblance? Was it some sort of freak phenomenon in nature? Or was itβ¦something else?
βIntriguingβ¦β
Krimm would not admit it to anyone, but he was surprised of Ecruβs and Jasperβs dishonest means of βleveling the playing fieldβ, so to speak. He never thought Ecru was the kind who would cheat, but upon hearing Jasperβs testimony, and rapidly reviewing their student profiles, Krimm took it as second nature for them to do so. Now, he knows, he has to be careful in dealing with them. Very careful.
Seeing that Indu has managed to recover, Krimm was about to calmly return to his observational mood when he noticed something odd: Indu did not appear to see Ecru, even though he had passed easily within her range of vision. This greatly puzzled Krimm, though he knew it had to wait. The fightersβ Aura levels were at critical condition, and they already went much below the minimum allowed by dueling regulations. He had to take actionβ¦now.
Swiftly, he requested clearance from Merkur, which he received shortly after he sent his request. He then jumped off the scoreboard, landing near Indu. Krimm then activated his Semblance, redirecting Induβs strike towards himself. Smoothly, he caught her arm and, after detecting Ecru, managed to catch him by his arm, as well.
The participants screen buzzed. Ecruβs and Induβs portraits and aura level indicators were covered by a text box that read βDuel Abortedβ. The crowdβs expressions were a mix of surprise and anger, nothing new to Krimm. Slowly, he lifted his head before glaring at everyone around him with his cold, gray eyes. He held a tight grip on the fighters, just enough to keep them in place. Silence fell upon the arena.
βBefore I let you go,β Krimm said, breaking the silence, βIβd like you two to think about yourselves for a while.
βWould victory over your opponent truly satisfy yourselves? Your aura levels, as I recall, are already below the minimum allowed by duel regulations. You not only experience a drop in combat performance, you would also have lower resistance to attacks. Have this not occurred as it had, both of you would probably be in critical condition. And for what?β
Krimm paused, letting the words sink in. He waited for words from Indu or Ecru, but received none. It was a relief that their aggression levels have lowered, but he had to seal the deal. βPleaseβ¦just stop this right now. Youβre both better than this, remember that. Thereβs something out there...something we can only defeat together. So, I implore you, please stop.β He added, his voice suddenly sounding genuinely concerned.
If anyone bothered to look at the rest of Team KOHL, they would see three puzzled, if not surprised, faces. For the very few days they spent with him prior to this moment, Krimm spoke with cold, robotic monotony. Now he just said three sentences with a hint of emotion.
Slowly, Krimm loosened his grip on the two and thenβ¦nothing.
Indu and Ecru looked at each other, then to the crowd, then to each other again. They wanted to keep fighting. They had to keep fighting. Indu, secretly, wanted to prove herself to her team. Ecru simply wanted to help out a friend. Their goals were tied to one thing and one thing only: victory in this duel. But even then, they somewhat knew that it had to stop.
The two fighters stood up straight, withdrawing their weapons and stood there, panting and looking at each other. The fight was long and exhausting for the both of them, but it was going nowhere. After some time, they went to their respective teams conveniently positioned on opposite sides of the crowd.
Krimm smiled inside. Not only had he been able to keep his fighting prowess a mystery to them, he has also successfully utilized peaceful means to resolve a conflict. He looked at the crowd, studying the teams, then went to his own team.
"Mission Accomplished." he whispered before disconnecting from Merkur.
The teams were spread around the duelling area, Talon had made his way towards Jasper. Damask and Arsenic had both gone to them to make sure Talon was okay. On the other end of the duelling area, team IVRY was already somewhat dispersed; Yale had already begun walking off without so much as a word, Raven was sitting down, waiting for Indu to get back to them, whilst Vi was already raging.
βHow the hell can you just walk away like that?!β She shouted at Indu, whom was still a few meters away. βAre you stupid or something? Heβs not on the ground so the fight ainβt over!β
βItβs rather detrimental to oneβs image to not even complete a duel.β Raven commented
βImage? Youre a fucking disgrace if you canβt even finish a battle! Letting a wimp like that stop you?!β Viβs outrage was now loud enough for the other teams to hear, garnering their attention.
As Vi continued to berate Indu, Regalia had finally had enough and began to make her way towards them, intent on putting Vi in her place. However she stopped when a hand softly grabbed her shoulder. She turned to see Phenix looking directly into her eyes. βLeave her be.β Phenix began, βSheβs a team leader, sheβs going to need to take control of her teammates herself.β Regalia sighed, looking empathetically towards Indu, who was standing calmly as Vi continued to shout.
βAre you fucking listening to me?!β Vi raged as she reached to grab Indu by the collar. At that very second Indu motioned to knock Viβs arm aside, but she pulled back, then reaching out with her other arm, which Indu casually side-stepped. As Vi pulled back, Indu grabbed her wrist with snake-like speed. The two stared burningly into each otherβs eyes for a moment, until Vi finally stopped trying to strike at her.
βIt does not bother me, if you think lowly of me. However striking out at a teammate is something I will not tolerate.β Induβs voice was calm yet demanding, enough so to even surprise both Vi and Raven. Without even sharing another word, Vi turned around and began making her way towards the dorms.
βThat was a surprise.β Raven commented, somewhat mockingly, as he rose from his seat, βI never expected to see you be so forceful. Honestly you could have started doing this earl-β Indu turned her head to stare at Raven, her eyes seemingly piercing straight though the rest of his sentence causing him to end his comments.
Induβs sharp face turned to a soft smile βIt is rather detrimental to oneβs image to be silenced simply by a stare.β She said replied sassily. Causing Raven to click his tongue. The two then began making their way to the dorms, still a bit of distance between the two of them.
Later in team PWTRβs dorm
βUgh! Didnβt anyone ever teach that brat about how duels work?!β Regalia ranted, still visibly annoyed by Jasperβs actions during the duel. βHonestly, I donβt think I could ever trust someone that acts like that.β
The rest of PWTR sat around her as she angrily paced back and forth, thinking about their own opinions of the fight. None of them really approved of Jasperβs actions, though Regalia was by far the angriest about it.
βYa know.β Wynn began as he raised himself from his seat and stretched his legs, βDonβt hold it against him too much.β His statement causing the others to look at him rather confused. βWhen you have to fight for your survival, you donβt really think the same way other people would. You donβt play by the same rules, after all, too him, every fight mustβve been one for survival, and when its live or die, dirty tricks may just be what keeps you alive.β Regalia opened her mouth to protest but Wynn continued before she could begin, βNow, Iβm not defending him or anything, cause this wasnβt a life or death battle, but I thought a lilβ context might make his actions a bit more understandable.β He stood before the door of their dorm and turned his head to look behind him, at Phen and Wulfie who sat on their bed, and Regalia who stood in the centre of the room. βIf yβall need me, Iβll be in the rec room.β He concluded with a smile and friendly wave.
βYou know, Regaliaβ¦β Phen began, drawing the attention of the other two to her, βThereβs no need to waste so much of your time being angry about something like thisβ¦β
βI know.β Regalia sighed, her demeanour calming noticeably βItβs justβ¦β
Phen stood up and placed a hand on her teammateβs shoulder, despite the height difference between them, βI know, Induβs your friend.β Regalia lifted her eyes and focused on Phenβs own. βItβs not just the fact that he cheated that makes you so angry, but the fact that he cheated against, and hurt a close friend of yours. I would feel the same way if he had done that to Tβwulf.β They both looked to Tβwulf who was just calmly sitting there, listening to the conversation. βNow,β Phen continued, βIβm not saying you should forgive and forget, but just donβt let something like this ruin whatβs left of your day.β Phen smiled as she turned back to look at Regalia
Once again, Regalia sighed, βI guess youβre right.β She conceded. βI think Iβm gonna wash up, and then we should probably head to dinner, donβt you think?β
Phen and Tβwulf nodded, βThatβs probably a good ideaβ Phen replied
βShouldnβt one of us go call Wynn?β Tβwulf questioned, to which the other two simply nodded
βWould you mind, Pup?β Phen asked, βI think need to wash my face as well.β
βOh, uhm, okay.β Tβwulf replied, making her way to the door, already having expected the duty to fall onto her. Thankfully the rec room wasnβt too far from their dorm. However when Tβwulf first looked inside, it seemed to be empty, seeing as the room was almost completely dark. She slowly opened the door which allowed a soft melody to fall upon her ears, curious of the origin, she slowly creeped into the rec room, not wanting to disturb the source of the soothing music. Approaching the area from which the music originated, she peeked her head around the corner. Before her stood a single piano, silhouetted by the light of the setting sun, visible through the large Victorian window. From time to time a head would bob into view moving slowly in time with the music. The calming tune continued a little longer before fading back into a moment of silence. Tβwulf ducked back behind the corner for a moment before stepping out as though she just got there. βWynn?β She looked towards the piano and already saw him standing, βIts dinner time.β She stated with a soft smile
βOh, right.β he replied, lacking his usual joyful tone for a moment, βThanks! Iβll be there in a moment.β He added, his joyful tone returned along with his usual gleaming smile.
Hey, Guess what? Where at the cafeteria again!
By the time they reached the cafeteria, most of the students were already busy with eating, noticing the dwindling selection of food, Wynn hurried ahead of the rest of his team, to make sure he could secure himself a good portion of meat. Midway he turned around to βsignalβ his teammates to hurry up, however this proved to be quite the mistake, when but a moment later he was crashing down to the ground along with a large muscular female, whom he soon recognised as Vi, team IVRYβs Vi.
βOh god.β Wynn thought to himself as he stood up, βSorry!β He blurted out, despite knowing this would have little effect on the visibly seething Viridian
βYou stupid Mutt!β Viridian shouted as she swung at him, the nimble lion barely dropping below the strike. She swung thrice more, the first two, he barely side-stepped, the last he avoided with a dexterous backflip. This caused the scene to look almost comical to most of the onlookers, some of whom were even laughing, including IVRYβs Raven. However Indu, the rest of PWTR, KOHL and even some of JADE looked on quite worriedly at the unfolding events, though none of them wanted to get involved for fear of adding to the problem.
βIt was an accident!β Wynn shouted as he jumped back from another swing, βReally!β He ducked under another, βI swear!β however none of his pleas really did much to stop the raging beast that is Vi. βLook I understand youβre mad,β he said, dodging another two swings of Viβs fists, βbut we have a lot in common!β He dropped to the ground, dodging another strike, βYouβre mad at me, Iβm mad at meβ¦β He rolled away as she tried stamping down on him. βI donβt like making life-threatening mistakes, you threaten lives over mistakesβ¦β He rolled forward and away from another strike, however slipped on a lunch tray someone left on the ground, causing him to fall flat on his back in front of her. βWell this is a problem.β He sighed as Vi stood above him preparing to smash his face through the floor.
However, just as Viβs fist began making momentum it was stopped abruptly by the hand of another person. Vi raised her eyes to look upon this unknown interrupter. He was a large milky brown coloured male, with an intimidating physique; roughly two meters tall, with a visibly muscular build. His short, spiked hair was ginger-red in colour and accentuated with black stripes. His fiery golden brown eyes were narrowed and focused solely on Vi.
βNUTS!β Wynn exclaimed joyfully as he jumped up onto his saviourβs back, hugging his neck. Though the large male did not break eye contact with Vi, whoβs fiery gaze had still not been calmed.
βI think it would be best to end this little show.β A friendly yet stern male voice spoke, causing the surrounding students to turn their attention towards the three faunus standing beside one another just a bit behind the intimidating male, presumably his teammates. βKeep this up and the teachers are probably gonna get involved.β The central standing male stated. While nowhere near as intimidating as his larger teammate, he still gave off an air of strength, with his well-built frame, piercingly sharp golden eyes and his large, white lionβs mane.
The larger male loosened his grip on Viβs fist before she aggressively tugged it free, turned around and walked away without saying a word, clicking her tongue in annoyance.
βThanks-β Phen began, trying to express her gratitude to the unknown students, before a white flash zipped past her, and almost tackled the three students that had stepped in.
βAl! Toffee! Milk!β Wynn exclaimed joyfully, hugging the three of them tightly for a moment. Eventually loosening his grip and turning to his teammates
βYou know them?β Phen questioned inquisitively
βHaha, yeah, Al and Toffee are my older bro and sis!β He said pointing to the central standing male with the white mane, and the female standing to his left whoβs white lion ears perked up at the mention of her name. Both wore neat and tidy uniforms, though the maleβs shirt was untucked and his blazer unbuttoned. βMilk and Walnut, are their teammates, and old family friends.β He said beamingly
The large male turned to look at Phen, βIβm Walnut.β He stated with a deep yet friendly voice, extending his hand, which Phen shook politely
βPhenix,β She replied with a smile, βnice to meet you.β
βOh right!β Wynn suddenly exclaimed, βI almost forgot, haha.β He motioned towards the rest of his team, βThese are my teammates; Phen, Wulfie and Regalia. Phenβs our team leader!β He said with child-like enthusiasm.
βSo, youβre gonna be in charge of Kitten, huh? Good luck.β An unknown female voice chuckled a little ways behind Phenix. They turned to see a pair of white-haired girls standing there. One looking overall a bit tomboyish; short, messy hair peeking out from under a beanie, untucked shirt and an open blazer, whilst the other seemed like the polar opposite; long, flowing hair, tied back in a low pony tail, a well-kept and neat uniform, completed with a large colonial hat accentuated with a purple feather.
βKitten?β Phen questioned the girl standing behind her
βMauuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuveβ Wynn whined as he walked past Phen to stand infront of the tomboyish one, βYouβre still gonna call me that?!β
βOf course!β Mauve replied as she threw her arm over his shoulders before pulling him down into a headlock. βStill look like a kitten, still act like a kitten, so Imma still call you a kitten.β Wynn wriggled around for a moment before blinking out of Mauveβs grip, almost falling over before regaining his balance. βMauve Leon,β She said with a wink to Phen, βKittenβs older sister.β She motioned to the other girl who was beside her, βThis is my teammateβ¦β
βRaspberry Schnee.β The other girl introduced herself with a courteous nod, βA pleasure to make your acquaintance.β
βWhereβs Silver and Mikasuki?β Almond asked them
βThey should be here any minuteβ¦β Mauve replied as she turned around to look at another two people walking towards them.
"Who?" Wynn asked quizzically. Those were two names he was not all that familiar with.
"Who? I swear we told you about those two," Mauve turned to Milk and Walnut scratching her head as she did so. "We did, didn't we?"
"Not like it matters if we did anyway," Almond laughed dryly. "I'm pretty sure the lil' goofball won't forget them after he actually meets them. They're quite the imposing duo." He turned to the two women he was referring to. "I hope that wasn't too rude?"
"I hazard to say I would even care if it was." The taller of the two women said rather flatly. Apart from her clear beauty, her blood red hair was tied in a neat pony tail, accented by a rather bright golden tiara sitting on her head. She smirked at Almond with little sympathy. "I hope I wasn't too rude?"
All the Leon's laughed at the statement bar Almond, who turned away in mock indignation. "Touche you uppity...."
"ANYWAY!" Mauve exclaimed covering up Almond's insult, knowing how Mikasuki's temper could be. "So Kitten," He smiled at Wynn's obviously embarrassed face each time he said the "k" word. "This lanky mass of wit, culture and enormous ego is Mikasuki Coeur de Lion, or Ice Queen if you don't know her too well. Probably one of the strongest students in the school right now." Wynn whistled in an impressed manner.
T'wulf seemed taken aback by the name of the new rival. "You're not related to Raven Coeur de Lion, are you?" She asked in surprise. Catching the intrigue of the rest of her team.
"Sadly." Mikasuki answered. "I am assuming you have had the misfortune of meeting the faliure I am ashamed to call a brother?"
The four of them nodded their heads almost in sync with each other, rather surprised by Mikasuki's love of her brother.
Regalia was the first to formally interact with Mikasuki from PWTR. "Regalia Kitsu," She outstreched her hand for Mikasuki to shake, to little success as Mikasuki just looked down her nose at her junior. "Pleased to meet you I guess." Regalia said rather timidly after the rather rude display. Mauve quickly placed an arm over Regalia's shoudler. "Don't take any notice of her, she's just an ass when it comes to being human." Wynn started laughing.
"What is so funny whelp?" Mikasuki remarked in a snide tone, however it did little to stem Wynn's laughter. "You are lucky you are Mauve's sister or I would silence you now." Mikasuki remarked darkly only to the laughter of the surrounding group of students.
"Um Mikasuki, you know Wynn is a boy right?" Walnut asked in a rather lighthearted manner, only to wither a little under her ensuing stare.
"You can believe what you like. I'm sure he will reach puberty soon." Mikasuki retorted in a rather flat manner to hide her embarrassment. Rasberry and Mauve began laughing uproariously. Wynn looked at Mikasuki in an over-dramatic display of mock horror causing PWTR to begin laughing again.
Mauve turned to the shorter girl standing next to Mikasuki. Her long silver hair and dearstalker hat (Just think Sherlock Holmes) being the most notable aspects of her appearance. Her slight frame seemed out of place among the larger and stockier second years. Even Mikasuki seamed to have more meat on her than the other girl. "And this string bean is Silver Lucifer. As you may have guessed from the surname, she is Kamar's little sister." Wynn could not have even begun to look more excited. "She also happens to be the leader of our team."
"What's Kamar like at home? Come on tell me, tell me, tell me!" Wynn seemed to be literally teleporting around Silver purely out of sheer excitement. It was not until Almond grabbed him by the collar was anyone actually able to keep their eyes focused on him.
"Sorry about that Silver." Milk apologized on her little brother's behalf. "He tend's to get excited over things like that."
Silver merely nodded at Milk before speaking in a rather methodically calm manner. "I know." Milk just raised her hands while Raspberry began chuckling at her comment.
"You should know that she would know by now Milk. She always knows all there is to know about someone before they even know that she knows....Mmph" Raspberry's mouth was promptly covered by Silver who sighed at her teammate's display of wordplay. Raspberry kept talking underneath her hand.
"If you are going to open your trap, engage your brain if you could." Silver reprimanded calmly, allowing Raspberry to finally breath again..and continue talking until Mauve slapped her lightly on the back of her head.
"What do you mean she always knows?" Phen asked, quite perplexed by Raspberry's choice of words. She was met with yet another bout of giggling from Mauve.
"That would spoil the fun." She said with a quick wink.
In the ensuing silence that followed, all eyes turned to Mikasuki who began striding towards where Team IVRY were sitting. T'wulf placed a hand next to Wynn's ear and began to whisper. "I think IVRY might just be in some trouble now." Wynn kept his eyes locked on the group with an eerily large smile creeping on his lips. He turned to T'wulf.
"Got any popcorn?"
___________________________________________________________________
Team IVRY's Table
Vi plonked herself down ruffly into her seat next to Indu, visibly irritated. Indu looked at her and opened her mouth to speak, however Raven beat her there.
"I swear you're one mission in life is to make us look bad." Raven laughed, his ego and self confidence almost overflowing at this point. "How many times is it now that you've been shown up in front of a group of people?"
"Four." Yale answered before returning to his tea.
"Yes four...wait you speak?" Raven turned to Yale who finished his tea with a final gulp and began pouring himself another cup from the steel tea pot lying on the table, completely ignoring Raven.
"Anyhow, four times. If it happens again..." Raven started before he was interrupted by a furious Viridian.
"Pick your next words very carefully." She said, biting back her anger as much as she could as she stared at Raven, her hands turning white as she clenched her fist. "Because if I don't like what you say, I'm going to...argh fuck!" Viridian yelled as Indu jabbed her between her right ribs sharply, somehow calming her down.
"I would prefer it if you could go more than five minutes without trying to fight someone." Indu spoke in a rather reprimanding tone. "If I am honest Viridian, it is getting rather tedious." Vi looked at Indu angrily, but seeing the look in Indu's eyes, thought better of it.
She sighed. "I don't wanna admit it but you have a point." Vi jabbed a fork into her breakfast consisting of pancakes and bacon and began eating as quickly as she could manage.
"Oh so the big bad thug is taking order...OWWW!" Raven exclaimed as Vi slammed her left fist onto Raven's hand to shut him up.
"You are still as big a disappointment as I remember, my brother." A voice came from behind Raven, but one he knew all too well. Distinctly feminine and about as pompous as he could remember. Racen turned to find his older sister, Mikasuki staring down at him.
"Oh fuck..." Raven began before Mikasuki placed a none to gentle hand on his shoulder, keeping him from his planned escape. Indu looked up at her, as did Viridian. Yale made a glance at her but then returned to his tea.
"It has definitely been a while Miss Coeur de Lion." Indu said with a bob of her head. "It is a pleasure to see you again."
"Hey no need to be courteous to this..." Raven began but then found himself wincing into silence as Mikasuki's hand dug into his shoulder just a little bit more.
"Ah so I assume you are my brother's leader, Indu?" Mikasuki asked in mock inquisitiveness. "That would explain why he has not began to behave...or the fact that your team is running amok around the school already, mainly thanks to that neanderthal sitting next to you." Mikasuki has a very sharp tongue. Sharp enough to even grind against Indu's tether.
"I would prefer it if you remove your hand from my teammate's arm and while you are at it, maybe curbing your tongue would be the next thing you could do." She said icily. Vi at this point had put down her fork and began cracking her knuckles.
"I hate to have to agree with her, but you're really starting to rub me the wrong way bitch." Vi stood up along with Indu. Mikasuki just smiled coldly and released her hand from Raven's shoulder.
"I would be careful threatening me in future. As my little brother can tell you, I don't play nice." Mikasuki's voice was laden in malicious intent as she began walking away from the team back to her her own. "The way you are all now, you would not even last 2 minutes with Mauve's brother's team. If it was me you fought, you would not reach 20 seconds." She paced off, not even looking back.
Vi looked at Raven, who was rubbing his probably now bruised shoulder. "You know, I never thought I'd feel sorry for you but...damn." She remarked as she returned to what little of her plate of food remained.
"She is not exactly the most polite person I have ever met." Indu said as she sat back down and played with her empty tea cup. "You have my sympathy Raven."
"I know this might be a little out of character but...thanks." He said with a sigh. "Anyway can we get back to hating each other's guts?" He asked sarcastically.
"Well maybe after our next lesson. We have Mr Quinton apparently. However it appears there is no information on what we will be studying in his lesson." Indu seemed perplexed at the blank space next to the lesson schedule.
"How long do we have?" Viridian asked unceremoniously through a mouthful of food.
"About 10 minutes...the journey will take 5 apparently." Indu answered.
"DAMN IT, I DIDN'T GET TO FINISH MY BREAKFAST!" Raven shouted aloud as he began to stuff toast into his mouth as fast as he could before he had to leave.
The science classroom was identical with the other classrooms...well, mostly. There were a lot more cabinets on the walls, some with glass panels and some with steel panels. There were a few, box-like objects mounted on tripods on the cabinets, each machine standing on a cabinet after every few measures. The desk in front was circular, but was made of steel and was covered with glass panels. At the wall behind the desk was a pair of cabinets, like the others, including the small machines.
For a long while, Team KOHL was the only team seated in the room. They sat together, awkwardly, and ate out of a bag of chips Honey had brought. Krimm, meanwhile, had his face resting on the desk and had not uttered a word since he successfully stopped the duel a while ago. His team was worried, but didn't know what to do. And so they sat, glancing around the room, exploring it a bit in their solitude. Little by little other teams came in and sat wherever. In teams or alone, it didn't matter to them. Suddenly the hall became a bit noisy. This was when KOHL returned to sitting together, awkwardly.
"Hey, look who just walked in." Honey whispered to Laurel whilst pointing towards a door far from them.
"Well, if it isn't Team Sunshine, Defenders of Happiness..." Laurel chuckled as he watched IVRY enter the room. He and Honey were then shocked to see them seating...together.
Oxford smiled at Honey and Laurel, "They seem to be going along..."
"That's not gonna last." Honey defended.
"Don't be so sure." Krimm finally spoke, his face still on the desk.
"Are you going to be like that the whole period, oh fearless leader?" Honey asked with a smirk.
"If anyone asks, I'm dead." Krimm said. Just as he said it, the other students turned their attention to the person who just walked in. He was fairly tall, with messy hair and a filthy lab coat. He wore a dust pair of black slacks and a dusty pair of leather shoes. The man slammed a bunch of papers and what seemed to be a pile of parts onto the circular desk then combed his hair with his hands and cleaned his glasses. He then walked to the front of the desk and sighed.
"Pardon my delay." he said, his voice making Krimm dig his face deeper into the table. "Alright! First, I'd like all y'all to be seated by your assigned teams, on the double! Come on, we don't have all day!" he roared, scratching his head as most of the students scrambled for their teams and a good set of seats. "Now that that's done with, I guess we can go along now..." the man said, as he turned around. but then he stopped, then turned back to the class. "Excuse me, can the teams KOHL and JADE please stand up?"
The members of JADE, who were seated near KOHL, stood up from their seats. Oxford had to pull Krimm up as he and the others stood up, as well. "Alright. Now, I'd like you two to switch places with two of the teams right here in front." the man said, gesturing two teams in the front row of the class to stand up and move. After a few moments of moving things (and teammates), the man smiled.
"I've heard things about you, McTavish. You were dangerously near the Dust cabinet a while ago, and I have had enough explosions for today." the man said, making some of the class giggle. The man then went near Jasper and leaned in close, but not too close. "I'm watching you, young man." he said, making the rest of the class (sans Krimm) laugh.
he man then cleared his throat and went back to the front of his desk. "I am Professor Merkur Quinton. I have worked for the Kingdom of Reverie's Ministry of Science and Technology for almost 20 years and have been teaching in Faith Academy for about four years. Despite that, I still have do real idea on what I should be teaching you." he said, sitting down on his desk with his arms and legs crossed.
Krimm slammed his face onto the table in front of him with a loud "thud!", which seemed to wake Merkur. "You see, I was walking into my laboratory then suddenly this..." Merkur then gazed at the...object he placed over the papers he brought along, "...thing...blew up! So I was extinguishing the flames when suddenly I get this note saying I had a class today. And so here we are..."
Merkur sat for a while then snapped his fingers. "I remember now...Okay. Before we begin, I'd like to ask you all, what are the basic questions addressed by science?" Merkur began to walk along the central aisle of the room, turning to his left and right. "Anyone? Anyone? Okay, you there, red head!"
"'How'?" Phen said.
"Correct!" Merkur exclaimed, walking back to the front of the room. "The 'How' and the...?" Merkur stopped and approached KOHL. Laurel nudged Krimm, who didn't move.
"Whyyyyyy??" Krimm groaned with the enthusiasm of a dying boar.
"Precisely." Merkur smiled, returning to the front of his desk. "'How' and 'Why'. By answering these two fundamental questions, science has helped us all understand the world. While others see science as a substitute to superstition or perhaps even the extinguisher of religious faith and this thing called 'magic'. I, personally, see science as a supplement to these, a logical explanation of the creations of whatever deities may be and how these things happen.
"For this class we will be discussing how science and technology have influenced our daily lives and how we deal with the Grimm. For those of you who were expecting to play around with chemicals and spare parts and beat up Grimm with the results, you're gonna have to wait a few years.
"Now, I have a laboratory to clean up and you have something to do. I want all of you to write something you do everyday. Anything. Showering, washing your face, you name it! I'm gonna call several lucky people and we're gonna discuss on the science behind their chosen activities in the next session. Be nice and safe, kiddos!"
Merkur went to sort his things as the students were doing the same. Then he remembered something. "Hold on everyone! Hold on! Stay here a bit..." he said, approaching Krimm and pulling him up. "This here is my nephew, Krimm! He's the son of my late second-cousin, Lord bless her soul, so you better be nice with him or you'll be hearing from yours truly! Now, go forth, youth!"
As most of the students were leaving, Merkur finally let go of Krimm and approached his team. "So...you're the 'OHL' of KOHL, huh? How's this sucker been treating you?"
"Erm...pretty good, sir!" Honey said, nervously.
"We're still getting to know each other, but he seems...nice!" Oxford commented, shakily.
"He's...real chill." Laurel blurted out.
"Ah, good. Good!" Merkur said, smiling. "Now if any of you need help or want to ask or tell me something about my boy here, just come to my office." he said before leaving off to get his things and out of the room. Krimm went onto his knees and (seemed to) breathe heavily.
"I thought that was going to last forever..." Krimm said, his "breath" beginning to stabilize.
"Uncles are uncles. Suck it up." Honey smirked.
"He doesn't seem, that bad..." Oxford said as he helped Krimm up. "Besides, I think it helps having family here."
"We gon' keep talkin' or are we gonna get to our next class?" Laurel said, visibly restraining his laughter.
"Alright, alright. Settle down. We're going." Krimm said, returning to his monotony. The rest of his team shook their heads as they all left the room.
βYou sat quietly and listened to the lecture today,β Dama remarked in her usual quiet fashion. She quirked a brow at Nic. βIβm impressed.β Nic scoffed playfully, placing a hand over her chest in mock offense.
βYou wound me, Dama,β she exaggerated. βI have the capacity to sit still and be a good student like you.β
βBut only when you want to,β Talon commented.
βOh hush,β Nic retorted, turning to shush him in one fluid movement. She turned again and continued walking along.
βSeriously, though, Nic. Youβre kinda weird,β Jasper observed nonchalantly. Nic winced a bit at the comment before recovering swiftly.
βWeird how?β she questioned, shooting him an unreadable look.
βYou always do something different,β he answered instantly. βItβs like your personality is changing all the time.β
βYou know me,β she responded with a loud huff of laughter, βIβm just oh so very adaptable.β The two of them laughed while Dama and Talon rolled their eyes at the pair.
As they continued to walk along, other students passed them by with nary a glance. Of course there had been talk of Talonβs duel with Indu, and of course JADE as a whole had received a bad reputation for it. The rest of the school didnβt see eye to eye with Jasper and Talon - and truthfully neither did Nic or Dama. Nic herself had agreed that it was cheating, based upon the rules agreed upon by Talon and Indu, but Jasper had a point. Thatβs how life is, out in the wilds. Especially in Reverie. She frowned - The other teams could do well to teach themselves that, Nic thought to herself. Dama herself had voiced her distaste of the situation after the fact, with a stern, βI understand your feelings, but there were terms for that duel and you broke them. It wasnβt necessarily an βanything goesβ type of match.β
As they arrived back at their dorm, schedules devoid of classes for the rest of the day, Jasper and Talon broke off from Dama and Nic, continuing down the hall towards the courtyard.
The two girls entered their room quietly, the door clicking shut softly behind them. Dama stood by the bunk they shared as Nic flopped down on the mattress with a squeak. She sat with her head resting in her hands for quite some time before she raised her gaze to Dama. The latter watched her patiently, attempting to read the distraught look on her face. Eventually Dama ended up sitting next to her, a hand placed tentatively on Nicβs shoulder.
βIβm not that weird, am I, Dama?β
There it was.
βNo,β she answered softly, voice unusually laden with emotion. βYouβre not.β
βThen why do I feel so out of place here?β Nic pleaded. βThis school is supposed to be for the best of the best in Empyrean, and everyone just thinks of me as a slacker with no real talents.β
βThey have no idea who you really are under that facade you wear,β Dama asserted, taking Nic off guard. The blue-haired teen stared at her, eyes confused.
βTheyβve never seen you fight,β Dama insisted. βWeβve only been here a few weeks and classes only started recently, Nic.β
βThereβs more to being a Huntress than fighting,β Nic bit back with a humorless laugh. She shrugged Damaβs hand from her shoulder, turning her face to the wall. βI want to prove to them that I deserve to be here. To show them that my teammates arenβt burdens to me.β
For a moment, Dama was quiet. Nic thought she had simply decided to let the conversation end there - and wished that she would have. Instead, after an uncomfortable shuffle, she spoke.
βIs that all we are?β
Nic tensed, realizing what she had implied far too late. Her throat closed up and her eyes stung with bitter, unshed tears. Dama seemed to take her silence as affirmation, and rose from the bed in a hurry. Nic reached after her, but found that she was already gone, the door closing solidly behind her. Nicβs outstretched hand fell limply into her lap, and all she could do was stare at the door. Frustration boiled to the surface and Nic flopped backwards onto the mattress, flinging her fist into the sheets with a grunt. Sheβd said the wrong thing as always. She lay an arm over her eyes.
Great.
*****
Sometime after class, team PWTR had separated to spend time relaxing. Tβwulf had insisted on being with Phen at first, but Wynn had convinced her to go with him to the courtyard to do something that Phen hadnβt been able to hear. The redhead in question sat against the headboard of her shared bed with a folded book in her hand. Her eyes skipped over the words as she munched wordlessly on a chip from the near empty bowl at her side. Regalia sat at one of the only desks in their room working diligently on an assignment. She would pause occasionally to adjust her posture, and then continue on quietly. The only sounds heard in the room were the flipping of pages and the tick of a pencil writing rather aggressively. Phenβs eyes shifted from her book to her teammate, whose shoulders were raised with tension and fists balled unconsciously. She sighed softly and raised herself from the mattress.
βYou wonβt get anywhere if you study while your mind is preoccupied,β Phen noted, leaning on the back of Regaliaβs chair. Regalia sat back, huffing.
βThat isnβt going to stop me from trying,β she grumbled, clearly irritated. Phen frowned at this.
βI can tell somethingβs bothering you,β Phen stated as though it were a fact. Regalia laughed once and lolled her head to look her leader in the eye.
βI must be an open book,β she joked.
βWell, I do love reading,β Phen retorted without missing a beat. Regalia groaned at the joke, but smiled regardless. βMaybe we should do something to take your mind off of whatever it is?β
βLike what?β Regalia asked, stretching her arms over her head with a slight pop of her back. Phen thought for a moment before her eyes drifted to a board that lay atop their table.
βChess?β she suggested. A devilish smile split Regaliaβs face from ear to ear.
βOh, youβre on.β
---
Within minutes the board had been set up and the two were after each otherβs kings. Each move was planned and served a tactical purpose. As the two of them played together, Regalia felt the rest of the world melt away - only the two of them remained in their quiet dorm room, and the soft clicks of the pieces on the board were all that could be heard. For awhile, they played in silence. Neither one spoke until what was well over halfway through the game, when Phen groaned.
βReally? A Kingβs Gambit?β
βItβs a good strategy,β Regalia declared proudly, watching as Phen removed her sacrificed pawn from the board. βYou could have denied it, you know.β
βWhereβs the fun in that?β Phen questioned as she looked over her own pieces, a hand over her mouth in concentration. Regalia looked on in amusement as Phen scanned the board as only a true tactician could.
Regalia continued to watch Phen as she pondered her next move, finding herself much more relaxed than she had previously been. Resting one elbow on her raised knee and her other hand against the floor, Regalia leaned back and observed her leaderβs expression. She almost laughed at how childish and innocent Phen looked as she weighed her options, taking chess as seriously as she would have taken a life-or-death battle. It was quite endearing, really. Her gaze shifted to the window, and she watched the evening light fade below the horizon. With each moment the sun sank lower and the sky burned a brighter shade of orange until it almost matched Phenβs fiery locks. She let out a puff of laughter, and Phen looked up.
βIs something funny?β she asked, her piece - a Rook, Regalia noted - gripped between her thumb and forefinger.
βThanks for this,β Regalia said suddenly, and a startled Phen dropped her piece with a loud clatter. She fumbled for a moment, trying her best to catch it before it eventually rolled off the table and onto the floor. Regalia burst into a fit of laughter as Phen reached all the way across the floor to grab the rook with a groan of embarrassment that she hardly stifled. Sitting back up, she slammed the piece into place and glared at Regalia who was still laughing quite hard.
βItβs not funny.β
βYou looked like a scared toddler, oh my god!β Regalia sputtered through her fits of earnest laughter. Phenβs brows only furrowed further and she crossed her arms over her chest with an indignant grumble.
βYou did that on purpose,β Phen accused her. Regalia sat up again, wiping tears from her eyes as she continued to giggle.
βDid what?β she questioned innocently.
βScared me!β Phen whined, sounding very much like a child and not the grown woman that she was.
βPhen, I said thank you,β she pointed out as she reached for a bishop and moved it across the board. Her red-haired companion sneered.
βYou said it really loudly,β she pouted, eyes once again looking over the board thoroughly before she grabbed at her knight and blocked the path of Regaliaβs pawn.
βI wanted you to hear me,β Regalia answered truthfully. βYou get really lost in thought when you play chess.β She moved her queen in to take care of the knight Phen had placed a moment ago, opening the way for her pawn and a rook she had been saving.
Phen only grunted in response, throwing another bishop in her queenβs path. Regalia smiled and took the bishop, placing Phenβs king in check.
βYou actually get lost in thought a lot,β she noted as Phen moved to counter. She winced when her leader took the queen with a second well-placed knight. βWhatβs that about?β
Phen looked up at her quizzically, eyes searching for any reason or meaning behind the question. All she found was genuine curiosity. She sighed as she placed a pawn in the path of one of Regaliaβs own. βThatβs just how I am.β
βI know that,β Regalia drawled. βBut why are you like that?β Phen recoiled a bit at the phrasing of the question, but answered nonetheless.
βI canβt really be as forthcoming with my emotions as others because of my semblance,β Phen admitted, her eyes focused hard on something that was beyond the board or the girl across from her. Regalia sympathized with her. βI have to be rational and calculative with everything I do, so I think about everything.β She shrugged after she finished speaking.
βI see,β Regalia mumbled as she moved to complete her strategy and place Phenβs king in check for the second time. The redhead moved the king one space to the left in response, placing it behind three pawns. She once again put Phenβs king in check by taking the right-most pawn.
βWhat did you thank me for?β Phen asked. Regalia looked up from the board and then back down again, watching the leaderβs moves.
βFor taking my mind off of it,β she uttered almost lamely. Phen laughed.
βRight; it. What was it, again?β Phen grinned when Regalia shot her a look.
βShut it,β she warned, her tone laced with mirth. Phen grinned, moving to rise from her spot on the floor.
βYeah, okay,β she drawled as she rose to her full height. βAs much fun as this has been, I have to return a few books to the library before it gets too late.β
Regalia simply hummed in acknowledgement as she, too, rose to return to her studies. Phen gathered a book bag that looked entirely too heavy, and made her way to the door as Regalia stretched. Just as she swung it open, the hinges creaking loudly and causing both of them to flinch, Phen turned back to her with a sly grin.
βBy the way - checkmate.β
She shut the door behind her just as Regalia noticed the rogue knight that had cornered her king.
*****
Damask sat, sipping water with a towel slung around her neck and her big-ass cross taking up several feet of the bench next to her. She surveyed the shooting range with a twinge of satisfaction. Seeing shattered targets had always calmed her nerves when she found herself in a mood. Taking another swig from her bottle, she capped it and set it by her feet, hanging her head between her knees as she cooled off from her workout.
It was late, as it often was when she came here. Dama found she could work much better when she was alone and it was dark. She thrived in the dimly lit training center, though now that she was still, her bitterness overcame her.
She knew that Arsenic hadnβt meant it that way, but from the start she had known that the blue-haired girl didnβt trust Talon or Jasper. After all, she had brought it to Damaβs attention multiple times after their team had been formed. It had been so unlike Nic to show that much distrust of others, especially people she was supposed to be working with. She scoffed at the thought.
She should have known that distrust would eventually extend to herself. Nic had always felt inadequate compared to others, and Dama was no exception. Arsenic was often scolded for her laid-back attitude towards everything, while Dama was praised for being quiet and doing well in her studies. But Damask knew how smart Nic was. She knew how capable she was.
What she hadnβt known was that she could be so spiteful. Her face soured at the thought of Arsenic acting even remotely as such, but the seed had been planted. She mentally kicked herself for thinking so negatively of her best friend.
Dama knew she didnβt mean it that way. But it still stung, and she was still irritated.
She reached for her crucifix again, hoisting it over her shoulders with ease and walking sluggishly towards the center of the training facility as it whirred to life around her.
*****
Tβwulf still had trouble remembering why she had agreed to climb into the tree with him. Had it been his constant and unwavering insistence? Had it been his kitten eyes that he used on anyone he wanted something from? Had it been that she was simply annoyed and wanted him to be quiet for five minutes? All three?
βWhy is everyone looking at us so funnily? All we did is climb a tree,β he spoke, his voice unusually shrill.
It was the last one, mostly.
Tβwulf sighed, a sound muffled by the crook of her elbow that her face was currently resting in. βWynn, weβre in the only tree in the courtyard,β she quipped, quirking a brow at him when he pouted. βYou also yelled something about wanting to build a treehouse here, and Iβm pretty sure everyone else thinks you actually plan to go through with that treason.β Wynn shrugged and held his hands up defensively.
βWhatβs wrong with wanting to have a treehouse here? I think it would look fine,β he replied, to his credit, with an earnest lilt that Tβwulf hadnβt expected. It only made her incredulous expression seem all the more uncalled for as she stared at him. She elected not to bring it up, because sheβd already had to suffer through thirty minutes of him talking about how he would create said treehouse, and she would rather not repeat that.
Instead, she shifted her weight and laid back against the trunk of the tree and sprawled her legs haphazardly wherever there was another branch to hold a foot or leg. βSo you dragged me here just to talk in a tree?β
βUm, yeah?β he shot back, as though his reason for doing so was obvious and Tβwulf was missing the point. She stared at him and blinked twice before she sighed again.
βWhy?β she questioned, both genuinely curious and too exasperated to really care.
βIs it so bad that I want to get to know my teammates?β Wynn practically whined.
βBut in a tree?β
βWell what do you suggest, Wulfie?β Wynn bit back, the use of her nickname intended as a joke. Tβwulf scoffed.
βUh, the roof, maybe?β Her eyes locked with Wynnβs, and he smiled sheepishly. βAnd donβt call me Wulfie.β
βWait, why not?β he asked, his voice raised to a whine for the second time in thirty seconds.
βOnly Phen has ever called me that, and that was when we were kids,β she explained without missing a beat. βIt makes me sound too soft andβ¦ squishy.β
βPfft!β Wynn was obviously having trouble holding back his laughter. βSquishy?β
Tβwulf shook it off, instead looking to the cobblestone below and scanning the throngs of people that had decided to join them in the courtyard that evening. As the sun set, she began her usual habit of turning her ring around her finger over and over again. She watched until the sky was painted unearthly shades of red and violet, and by that point she had half a mind to jump down from the tree. Wynn seemed to notice her sudden silence and was taken aback by it.
βDo you not want to talk?β he asked. βBecause we can always do this another time.β
βItβs not that,β Tβwulf assured him, making eye contact. βI just donβt understand why you insist on trying to be friends with everyone.β Wynn grinned, the type that would hurt anyone else's face, and let out a laugh.
βIβm not trying to be friends with everyone. Iβm just trying to be friendly,β he corrected her as though it was the greatest play on words there had ever been. Tβwulf cocked her head, much the same way a confused dog would, and made a noise of amusement.
βReally? Because if that were the case you wouldnβt have half of IVRY after you,β she spoke, throwing him a knowing smirk. Wynn just laughed and looked down at the courtyard, seeming to spot something. Tβwulf, curious, followed his gaze and tensed when she saw Talon and Jasper moving toward the tree. It didnβt look as though they were there to seek them out, but Tβwulf sat on the branch, bewildered nonetheless.
βWhat would they be doing out here? I never pegged them to be the courtyard-y type,β Wynn mused with a frown.
βMaybe we should get out of the tree,β Tβwulf suggested. βYou know, before they decide to double-team one of us.β Wynn cracked a smile before nodding his agreement.
βAfter you, milady,β he spoke with a courtly tone, gesturing to the ground as though it were the marble floors of a well-kept castle. She decided to play along for once.
βWhy thank you, kind sir!β she acknowledged as she dropped from the branch and onto the grass below. Wynn joined her not a second later, and they began their trek back to the dorm in comfortable silence.
At least, until a large group of students who had once been admiring the sunset spotted their favorite underclassmen, and swarmed Tβwulf. She stood stock still in the center of the group, sending a pleading look Wynnβs way as he stood outside the circle and laughed.
βSorry, Wulfie! Youβre on your own,β he shouted above the chaos as he turned and made a mad dash for the first year tower. Tβwulf simply frowned, slightly angered by his use of her nickname, but then turned to those that surrounded her, shaking her head with a small smile that many girls squealed at. She supposed she would have to get him for this later.
*****
The following day was no less tense among the students. They were, after all, still getting used to one another. Ebony knew she couldnβt expect a high caliber of participation from them, given their awkwardness, but still she tried to facilitate some discussion.
She strode into the classroom, the mere sight of her quieting any chatter. The discomfort was palpable. She sighed, quick and sharp, as she dropped her papers onto her desk with a loud thud. The students visibly jumped, affording her a rather base form of satisfaction.
βI donβt know how many times this has been addressed by my colleagues, but it is mandatory for first year students to sit with their assigned teams.β
Many of the students glared at her.
βI understand that some of you,β she continued, her eyes narrowed at IVRY, βdo not mesh well together. That is fine, however in my classroom the rules will be followed regardless of your personal feelings.β
The students shuffled in their seats, their dislike of Ebony already apparent to the raven-haired instructor. She almost smiled in amusement. Almost.
βYou may be surprised to hear that I am far more lenient with my fourth year students,β she spoke over the noise of shifting chairs. βThose particular rumors are true.β A collective whispering from the students confirmed her suspicion that her reputation had, indeed, preceded her. As usual. βDo not expect me to treat you as such, however. Both literally and figuratively, you are all still children. I will not baby you, but you will not receive the same freedoms that other instructors may be a bit too willing to hand to you.β
βThatβs pretty bitchy of you,β a lone voice sounded from the left side of the room. Ebony quickly pinpointed its source. Front row, sitting just in front of team PWTR, closest to the door, as far away from the team leader as possible - Viridian.
Ebonyβs stare seemed to encourage her further, and she sneered.
βSo what youβre basically telling us, right off the bat, is that this class isnβt going to be any fun? Good to know - I guess Iβll be skipping it from now on.β She laughed heartily, and a few students hesitantly followed suit.
Ebony simply stared at Vi until the laughter died to just her own. βIt seems that your sense of humor is not quite similar to my own, Miss Boudic.β Her tone stung like bitter cold, and all other students visibly tensed - some even bit their lips to keep themselves from gasping. βI will have you know that I also employ a much stricter attendance policy. Any unexcused absences are dealt with accordingly.β
βBy doing what?β Vi spat. βSending me to His-Royal-Ignorance to get a slap on the wrist and a stern talking to?β This elicited more laughter than before.
βEssentially,β Ebony confirmed with a slight nod of her head. βAlthough multiple absences will be met with confiscation of weapons, and excessive absences will be punished with expulsion.β The students were quiet once again, including Vi.
βI suggest you hold your tongue, Viridian,β Indu hissed above the quiet. Vi opened her mouth to retort, but Ebony beat her to it.
βI quite agree with Miss Tzu.β Both Indu and Viridian looked at her. βYou would do well to listen to your leader, girl. Sheβs got a good head on her shoulders.β Indu visibly straightened at the praise, which Ebony mentally noted. She would need help to keep her team under control, and Ebony would offer that help - at a later time.
βIf by a good head, you mean sheβs enough of an idiot to fall for the mirror trick JADE used on her, then yeah. I guess,β Viridian spoke coldly, directing a nasty glare at Talon and Jasper. Ebony followed her gaze, noting the other two members of team JADE intentionally looking away.
βI would rather not speak of the display from either team,β Ebony answered. βBoth were quite sloppy: forms wrong, stances imperfect, weapons ill-maintained.β
Both IVRY and JADE seemed to bristle at this, one team substantially more than the other, but Ebony lifted a hand to silence any possible reply.
βThat is not to speak of the skill the fighters obviously possess. On the battlefield, there is little time to assess oneβs own footwork, form, or weapon. From what I happened to witness, both parties are formidable opponents indeed - simply in need of improvement. However, on a true battlefield, unfortunate things can happen at a moment's notice. There are no rules. There are no feelings. There is only youβ¦β Ebony trailed off, running her fingers along the skull of a Tarandrus kept atop a stack of dusty tomes. β... and them.β
With that, Sienna emerged from the hallway. She strode along the tiled floor and stood at Ebonyβs side, grinning to those she recognized.
βIt seems that Ebony here has done an excellent job of turning a disagreement into a lesson,β she remarked with a pointed look at Viridian. βNow that itβs over, I will be joining you for this first class, demonstrating for all of you along with Ebony.β
As the two women gathered their weapons and began to move into position, a student - Damask, she recalled - spoke up. βMiss Azoth - demonstrating what, exactly?β
βDemonstrating how the proper weapon can aid its owner in battle,β she spoke through her teeth as she prepared further. She shed her blazer and unbuttoned her dress shirt, revealing a black tank top underneath. Many of the students either whispered or whistled quietly at the sight of her well-muscled back and arms. Even Viridian seemed slightly impressed at the sight of her abs beneath the cloth of the top.
βIs it really necessary for you to strip half-heartedly in front of the students?β Sienna joked as she rolled her hair into a bun and fastened it into place.
βNo,β Ebony admitted, doing the same with her own hair. βBut I rather enjoy the freedom of movement that it offers.β Many of the students laughed at this, save for JADE and IVRY.
Ebony pointed to the hand raised just behind Viridianβs head as she continued doing small stretches.
βIs there anything specific youβll be showing us?β Phenix questioned. Ebony shook her head.
βAside from showcasing our own weapons, this is purely for demonstrative purposes. You can take from it what you wish - but ultimately the purpose of this is to show all of you how important it is to have a weapon that balances oneself well.β
Both instructors moved into position, each gripping their swords loosely at their sides.
When it came down to it, not a single student could have really said who made the first move of the two of them.
Sienna was on Ebony in a split second, swinging her sword in a wide arc. Ebony easily blocked the strike and limboed beneath it. She spun to Siennaβs backside, thrusting her jian forward. The younger instructor sidestepped and countered with her own thrust, blade extending far beyond its intended target. Ebony parried, the blade now in her left hand, and slammed her palm to the floor.
Siennaβs balance was thrown as the tiles began to rise in columns. Ebony traversed them as they rose, approaching her counterpart swiftly. As she watched Sienna ready her sword Ebony spun, gaining momentum. Their blades clashed with a shockwave that sent many students to the floor.
Ebony quickly withdrew, juking to Siennaβs right and grabbing her sword arm. She brought it upward and moved to strike with her left hand. Sienna jerked from her grip and ducked, swiping with her leg in retaliation. Ebony grabbed her ankle, pulling her forward as she thrust with her right hand again. Sienna straightened her back and watched the black blade pass before her eyes. She twisted her body in Ebonyβs grip, yanking the older instructor with her down the newly formed mountain of tiles. As they fell, each found their balance atop a lone column and stood to catch a breath.
Sienna hadnβt seen when Ebony had inserted a vial of dust into her sword, but could tell from the way the blade was sparking with embers that it was now superheated.
The raven-haired woman leapt toward her opponent, catching her ankle with her own and throwing her off balance. The two of them fell from atop the column, struggling as they went. Sienna managed to kick Ebony away from her and landed on her feet before skidding to a halt some meters from her.
Ebony flew much farther than expected, and Sienna had thought she wouldnβt be able to regain balance before she landed. However, Ebony corrected herself expertly, slamming her jian into the floor to halt herself before she launched herself upward again using the hilt as leverage. As she rose higher, the temperature dropped and spears of ice formed around her. With a simple movement she directed them forward. Sienna moved gracefully as she evaded them, leaping over some and sliding beneath others.
Ebony landed hard, her hand already gripping the hilt of her blade, before she spun on one knee. Her sword erupted in flames, and a wave of fire was sent Siennaβs way. The latter easily flipped over it, following through with another strike carried by her momentum. Ebony rose to her feet before she jumped, placing a hand on the blade as it passed below her and kicking her legs out for balance. As she came down from the maneuver, she crossed her right leg over herself and brought the left down in a drop kick that connected with Siennaβs shoulder. Sienna stood slightly taller, not even flinching at the blow to her shoulder, and spun. Ebony mimicked the move in the opposite direction.
The duel ended with their blades to each otherβs neck and resounding applause from the students. The two withdrew from one another and Sienna gave the class a grin. They both bowed simultaneously.
βSettle down,βSienna spoke above the chaos. βWhile Iβm sure you enjoyed the duel itself, please remember that it was not just for your entertainment. Ebony and I were holding back a great deal of our power, but this should have been enough to illustrate the point of this lesson.β
βThe proper weapon in essential to the user,β Ebony continued. βSome may use bludgeons, some may use blades, others firearms. Each offers its own set of pros and cons, and one must be diligent when choosing a weapon for themselves.β The class was now listening intently, staring at the two instructors. βThere are even some weapons,β she said, looking to Arsenic and Indu, βthat do not fall into one category alone. Dust is one of those weapons.β
βNow that is done, please excuse me,β Sienna said, bowing to the students once again. She exited quietly.
βOur next class will be at the same time next week. We will be talking about the application of dust and semblances to weapons in order to make them more effective.β Ebony slid her arms into the sleeves of her blazer, turning away from the students to face the windows that afforded quite the view. βYou may go,β she said, waving her hand dismissively.
If the chatter as the students exited was anything to go by, there would be no skipping classes from any of them. It was a good sign, as far as she was concerned.
- 17 posts here • Page 1 of 1
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Team IVRY is one of the stronger teams of their year, however much of their possible strength is wasted by their poor teamwork when compared to the rest of their year.
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View All » Add Character » 32 Characters to follow in this universe
Newest
Ebony Azoth
"Learning is essential to growth. If you never learn, you will never be able to move forward."
Ijsbrand Schnee
Faith Academy's respected and intelligent headmaster, also the dueling instructor for fourth year students.
Phlox Cherubim
Faith Academy's child-like professor for dust studies. A former member of team SPIA
Sienna Seraphim
Faith Academy's dueling instructor for years 1-3, and former member of team SPIA
Merkur Quinton
A brilliant scientist who now...works at Faith Academy. He is somewhat connected with Krimm.
Honey Theo
A gifted girl raised in a Reverian laboratory. Despite knowing little of her past, she sees life with a positive outlook.
Oxford Legend
A seemingly calm, polite guy with a very short fuse.
Laurel Epyon
Probably the sanest member of Team KOHL. Owns a guitar and a hat.
T'wulf Lupus
"There's no reason that equality should be so difficult for this world to achieve."
Phenix Sovereign
"I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I'm gonna go with it."
Trending
Raven Coeur de Lion
A child of a wealthy family. Raven is arrogant, pretencious, charismatic and egocentric.
Indu Tzu
The silent but highly skilled leader of team IVRY. Indu is not someone you want to underestimate.
Phenix Sovereign
"I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I'm gonna go with it."
Yale Khamun
A rude, racist jerk of a student. Yet still somehow gets away with it.
Kamar Lucifer
The current survival instructor at Faith academy and once member of Team Kuro. A kind yet terrifying man.
Ebony Azoth
"Learning is essential to growth. If you never learn, you will never be able to move forward."
Slate Quatermain
The Horned Hunter
Honey Theo
A gifted girl raised in a Reverian laboratory. Despite knowing little of her past, she sees life with a positive outlook.
Sienna Seraphim
Faith Academy's dueling instructor for years 1-3, and former member of team SPIA
Hart Harker
Look at it rip the head off it's prey! Isn't nature amazing!
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Yale Khamun
A rude, racist jerk of a student. Yet still somehow gets away with it.
Sienna Seraphim
Faith Academy's dueling instructor for years 1-3, and former member of team SPIA
T'wulf Lupus
"There's no reason that equality should be so difficult for this world to achieve."
Damask Cruci
"If you could step to the left about 1.356 feet, that would be fantastic."
Regalia Kitsu
Those that don't know her often feel intimidated by her height and generally self-confident expression, those that do know her are intimidated by her skills and intellect.
Sherry Azade
Magic worlds where the impossible becomes the everyday
Ijsbrand Schnee
Faith Academy's respected and intelligent headmaster, also the dueling instructor for fourth year students.
Kamar Lucifer
The current survival instructor at Faith academy and once member of Team Kuro. A kind yet terrifying man.
Phenix Sovereign
"I'm not entirely sure what happened, but I'm gonna go with it."
Phlox Cherubim
Faith Academy's child-like professor for dust studies. A former member of team SPIA
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RWBY - Keep the Faith
1, 2by Senato on Sat Nov 14, 2015 8:27 pm
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on Tue Dec 01, 2015 12:53 pm
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RWBY - Keep the Faith
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Find a team!
by Senato on Tue Nov 17, 2015 12:08 pm
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on Fri Nov 20, 2015 2:24 am
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Find a team!
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