RWBY - HAZE

Upon a stage stood a bespectacled man, looking serious despite the uproarious applause around him. He had a job to do though, and he would do it with all the dignity he could muster. He spoke,

"And finally Blake Belladonna, Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, and Yang Xiao Long. The four of you retrieved the white knight pieces. From this day forward you will work together as... Team RWBY. Led by... Ruby Rose." He knew his words held impact and surprise, as a young girl, younger than anyone else in attendance, looked around, as if expecting to find someone else standing next to her, but all eyes were on her.

"I'm so proud of you!" A taller girl flung herself at and embraced the girl, who finally seemed to accept that indeed, she had been chosen as leader of a team.

"It looks like things are shaping up to be... an interesting year," the bespectacled man said. Indeed it did, it was almost enough to make him start forgetting again. Almost enough to let himself slip back into the more comfortable haze of blissful ignorance. Almost.

At least for the moment the smiles and excitement of the younger generation put him a little more at ease.

But our story takes place one year before that.

~One Year and One Day Ago~

It was that time of year again. The airships were in flight, laden with the hopes and dreams of those who sought to protect the hopes and dreams of all others in the world. Or perhaps they just sought fame, or excitement. Whatever it was that motivated them, it had been enough to gain them passage to a most prestigious academy -- the academy known as Beacon.

And if one were to look to his or her right, one would see that Beacon.



- Felix -

Why had he done this? He regretted everything. It was too much. Just too much. There were just so... so... many... PEOPLE! There were at least two dozen others on the airship with him. How was he supposed to deal with that? Two dozen people who meant him no harm at all. Were they insane? Did they really expect him to be OK with that? Yes, probably, because any sane person would be. If only he was sane his life would be so much easier. If only he didn't recognize the fact that he was insane maybe he'd be a little better off. But then... wouldn't that have made him more insane? Then he wouldn't have been here, but then again that was what he was wishing for right now. But then...

There were just so many buts and what ifs for him to deal with, it was numbing... but not numbing enough to make him forget his predicament. He was doing his best to deal with it. Hopefully once he was off the airship, which wasn't really cramped by most people's standards, he'd feel better. But as it was he had found a little corner to hide in and was hoping to be ignored so he could focus on not throwing up as waves of anxiety rippled through him.

It wasn't excessively crowded and no one had been mean to him... but there was no escape. He was a mile or more up in the air, and he had no where to go.

"Ugh... why couldn't I have just walked...?" he muttered weakly. "Because then I wouldn't have ever gotten here even remotely in time to be accepted." The more rational part of his mind answered for him.

-Randy-

She stood at the window, staring wide eyed at Beacon. She had been fidgeting madly the whole trip there, just staring, waiting for it to come into view, and finally it had. It was true, she'd actually done it. Beacon.

"Oh my god this is actually happening," she whispered to herself in awe. Well, maybe now that she'd confirmed that she should take a look and see who else she might be working with. Had anyone she knew from Signal made it? She looked around, no it seemed n- oh wait, there was that girl everyone had always whispered about... Enyo was it? Yes, Enyo. She looked... unhappy. The rumors had always hinted that she had an abnormally aloof attitude toward everyone else. Perhaps those rumors were true.

Randy gasped in shock when Enyo glanced up at her, caught her staring, and frowned. She quickly averted her gaze and kept looking for familiar faces. She almost gave up but then saw someone huddling in a corner. Felix, someone who she had thought was Enyo's friend, but they currently weren't anywhere near each other. Oh, wait, hadn't there been rumors about that too? Some sort of falling out? She wondered why Enyo was the center of so many rumors, but she supposed it was probably because she hadn't fit in. That was usually how it worked with teenagers, right?

Another boy with a rather... rebellious appearance caught her eye but she was startled out of her thoughts when...

"HEY RANDY!" a female voice spoke to her loudly.

"WAH! Who, why, wha- Melody? You're here too!?" That would make at least four people from Signal. Melody was one of the classmates who had tutored her. She was a petite girl with short, dyed blue hair and bright green eyes. Not quite as petite as Enyo though. She was pretty sure no one was that small.

"Um, yeah. I said hi when we were boarding." Melody smirked in amusement.

"D-did you?"

"You said hi back..."

"Ah..." Well... this was awkward.

-Amalger-

"N-no way... really?" a boy stared in awe at "Jack Cannon." This was the second person. Apparently it was an impressive weapon or something. Well, he guessed not everyone was as hoity-toity as the instructors at Flare. Amalger was mostly impressed that they were even allowed the carry their weapons on the ship, but he was well past questioning it. The ride was almost over after all.

"Yep. This thing produces over 7,500 psi of pressure to drive the blade," Amalger explained. "That's more than some industrial hydraulic systems, and it only has to move one 'tiny' blade." The blade actually weighed around 30 pounds. The average sword weighed maybe... 10 at the most. Needless to say, he had needed to work on his upper body strength just to move his arms after designing the weapon. His aura helped a lot, but still.

"That must hurt..." the boy mused.

"It kills," he said bluntly. Amalger resisted the urge to shake his head. He wasn't really annoyed, but had this guy really been accepted to beacon just like him? He seemed... slow. Oh well, at least he hadn't been too bored for the ride over. If only there was someone more interesting to fill in the rest of the ride. He knew that kid Nevin had been accepted just like him, but he'd never gotten along particularly well with him. Everyone had always assumed there had been a rivalry between the two of them, and it had created a sort of tension. In reality, he was pretty sure neither he nor Nevin had ever intended to compete. He was pretty sure the gap between the two of them and everyone else would have been much larger if they had been.

-Enyo-

She couldn't believe it. She was stuck on the same airship as Felix. Hadn't there been two of the damn things? Why was she on this one?! At least he was being quiet, as usual, and staying away from her. Somehow though just his presence made her feel... prickly. Maybe that was why no one was sitting next to her. Judging by the expression of the dunce known as Randy, they were getting close to Beacon though, so at least this temporary purgatory was almost over. She'd never understand how that girl had passed, let alone made it to Beacon.

How were all these sub par people somehow keeping up with her?! First Felix, now Randy. It was enough to give her an aneurysm out of sheer frustration? What was all her effort for if people could keep up with her so easily? She caught Randy staring at her, and her anger must have been showing, because Randy looked to nearly have a heart attack and quickly looked away.

"Ugh! I hate this! Forget it, just forget it! Focus on what you were doing!" She looked down at a small, handheld computer she had been using to occupy herself. Mostly she was working on drafting more ideas and upgrades for "Ratchet Hydra."
. . .
. . .

"I CAN'T FOCUS!" She screamed mentally. "DAMMIT FELIX! She shot the boy, who had literally done nothing, a truly scathing glare. She was actually kind of happy that he caught it, because she was rewarded with the sight of him flinching and pulling his knees to his chest. "Idiot..."

The young boy leaned against the railing, ignoring the chattering going on throughout the entire airship. Everyone was excited after having been accepted into Beacon, but it didn't seem all that interesting to him. It was just another school to learn the same stuff they'd been learning. At least he'd gain some field work here. He hadn't had as much of a chance to really practice his skills at Flare, though it had given him more than the typical school. He supposed it was something to look forward to at least.

Smiling a bit to himself at the thought, he let his eyes drift, gazing over the other people around him. He only noticed on person he could recognize. Well, there were a few, but only one stood out. Amalger. The unofficial rival that he was said to have faced all through Flare...even though neither of them actually competed. It was rather disappointing, he was sure. The thought had passed by him what their scores would have been like if the two of them had actually applied themselves a bit more. The two were good, but...they seemed to have the same personality. Neither wanted to put the effort in if they were doing that well without it. He was catching snippets of the conversation he was having with the other boy over the unique weapon that Amalger had created.

After he had explained it for the boy, Nevin smiled a bit again. "It still seems kind of unwieldy as a conventional weapon," he pointed out. He was sure Amalger had trained his body to use it, but it would have been useless for him, unable to actually carry it, let alone use it.

Even thirty minutes into the trip, flying was still the most magical thing that Abel had ever experienced.

For a young man who had seldom traveled in his life, and certainly never flown, a ride on an airship was like entering another world. First there had been the rumbling ominous and hinting at excitement to come. Then the rise, where the pressure of moving upward against the everpresent pull of gravity had almost brought an unprepared Abel to his knees. Once he had gotten over a minor motion sickness and made his way to a window, he had been struck dumb by what he had seen.

He, and every other soon-to-be student aboard this massive machine, was floating serenely hundreds of feet above the landscape. When he had first looked down, his head initially span, but not from sickness or fear; it was awe that had befuddled him so. A less stern individual might have pressed his face against the glass, restlessly roaming his eyes in an effort to take in every tiny detail in the suddenly enormous world at once. Someone more outgoing than he might have called others over to share in the experience, but Abel had no friends to call on. Vigilance had, after all, been a small school far from here. He momentarily thought about getting acquainted with the other teenagers in the hopes that they might develop into such friends, but being social wasn't his concern. He was here for excellence, to become a Hunter and defend this kingdom as his family had for generations. It was his destiny.

By now, a castle loomed in the distance off the airship's starboard side. When the other kids rushed over to see their future school, Abel was quick to follow the crowd, and examined it passively as some of the other marveled and chatted. He made sure to not get too enmeshed in the group, as his weapon was somewhat of a liability in that regard. While he loved the Ampere, it was undeniable that it didn't lend itself well to casual situations. With no cargo mode or collapsible features, the best Abel could do was leave it in Stave mod and carry it like a walking stick, much like his father had done during his many shifts with his own polearm, a halberd with no name. Still, the Ampere stuck out like a sore thumb.

A look away from the window informed him that he wasn't the only one sticking out. Aside from the cluster still looking at the school, a couple of girls exchanging an awkward silence a couple dozen feet away, there was a boy goggling at some other guy's weapon like it was some incredible artifact. To Abel it looked a lot like a little jackhammer; he had seen plenty of those carried around by repair crews on the length of wall his family guarded, used to obliterate damaged fortifications to make way for renovations and improvements. Shrugging it off, Abel leaned against the wall and looked out the window once more. There was a seat nearby, but since pretty much nobody else was sitting, he followed along.

"Oh wow." The blonde stood on her tip-toes, as if somehow adding to her height would help to get a better view. The glorious Beacon was finally in sight, and Aurelia Persinette was on her way to it. She had her hands and the tip of her nose pressed against the glass, eager to somehow get closer to the school even though they would probably land momentarily. Both her eyes and ears were occupied; her eyes on Beacon, her ears quietly eavesdropping on a nearby conversation. Normally, she wouldn't dare to be so rude, but whenever the topic of weaponry showed up, she always found herself acting quite out of character.

'7,500 psi of pressure...' Aurelia mused in silence, though her eyes went from eager to thoughtful. One hand left the glass and scratched her neck, accidentally tapping Rampion, her staff. Of course, with all that power, it had to be heavy, She made a mental note to avoid getting hit with that at all costs, and for some reason imagined getting zapped like a cartoon character. She stifled a chuckle, covering her mouth. Why in the world was she thinking of something like that at a time like this? Her giggles were barely contained, but she managed to control them.

"Honestly..." She whispered, reprimanding herself.

Maggie had already gotten into trouble trying to climb to the highest point of the airship. She was promptly told that the rear fin was off limits to passengers of the ship and ended up with a chaperon for the rest of the journey. The blandly dressed man kept out of her way, and didn't really do anything other than keep an eye on her, but having him around made her unhappy since she felt like she was being controlled. The thought of climbing that fin had sent chills of excitement down her spine, and she had really looked forward to the challenge.

She had thought about rushing past him and losing him before making another attempt at climbing it, but she felt pretty sure of herself that someone would figure out where she went and she'd be put in containment somewhere. So she decided to content herself with being disappointed about her fun being ruined. She spent most of time after that exploring the ship and finding any good places to relax. She passed by a couple people that were talking about weapons, which was interesting enough, but her curiosity was captured by the girl not far away trying to hold back her laughter for some reason.

She stepped up next to her and smiled while brushing her hair back with her right hand. "Hi! Nicetomeetyou. I'm Maggie! What's so funny?"

"Hi! Nicetomeetyou. I'm Maggie! What's so funny?"

Aurelia had barely caught the first half of what was said, but to her complete horror, someone had heard her. Even worse, they were speaking to her! Slightly panicked, Aurelia stood up straight, arms pressed against her body as if some invisible force had made her body completely stiff up. The voice, or rather, Maggie, was smiling at her with every clear intention of speaking to her. Oh, why did she have to remember that cartoon? Aurelia's face was completely expressionless, masking the absolute panic that was going on in her head at the moment.

For whatever reason, she hoped if she didn't say anything, maybe the girl would go away. No, that was incredibly rude! Besides...it's not like she was doing anything bad, right? 'Say something! Anything!' She urged herself mentally, though suddenly she found herself having a hard time breathing properly. Why was a 'hello' so darn difficult? She cleared her throat a bit, trying to come off as relaxed only to stiffen even more (if that was possible). She opened her mouth as if to speak, only to clam it shut and stare at the ground. 'Come on...you can do this...' She silently encouraged herself, and raised her head.

For a split second she made eye contact with Maggie, only to look to her right and murmur, "C-Cartoon...about getting struck by...lightning..." Wow! She did it! Sure, she probably sounded like a complete idiot, but she spoke! Still, something was wrong. Her chest was hurting a little bit, and her breaths were getting shorter and shorter. If she didn't know better, she felt like she was just about to pass out. She bit her lip slightly, and let out a very forced and nervous laugh. "You know...it's funny..." She wheezed out a bit, and she felt her knees wobble under her.

Pleasedon'tfaintpleasedon'tfaintpleasedon'tfaint She begged inwardly, using every ounce of willpower to remain standing. Even if it was awkward looking.

-Amalger-

"Ah, Nevin, so you were here after all," Amalger said, immediately ignoring the other boy who he was quite done with now. Get along or not, Nevin was far more interesting. "Well, not that it's surprising. You were the number one at Flare after all." Before Amalger actually started putting in effort toward the end that was. "But I guess number two from such a prestigious academy as Flare is still more than enough for beacon." The hint of derision one might have detected in Amalger's voice was because he really didn't care for Flare, even now. "Well... ah, excuse me one moment," Amalger cleared his throat and turned away from Nevin, suddenly shouting across the room at a girl who looked ready to fall over any moment now. "Put your head between your knees!" Rule number one of fainting, it was almost always caused by not enough blood getting to the brain. With that handled, assuming she listened, he turned his attention back to Nevin.

"Anyway... what are you thinking, Nevin? Think Beacon will actually be a challenge? I mean, you can only make a standardized test so hard, and we both know that unlike back at Flare, we're gong to have to deal with a lot more than that. Well, I do anyway. You did do your homework on Beacon, right?" Amalger asked.

Maggie was a bit surprised by the reaction from the girl. She felt like the girl wasn't used to talking to anyone, but that was fine she could wait. She wasn't going to force her to speak if she wasn't up for it. She then made eye contact and mumbled something about a cartoon getting struck by lightning and after a nervous laugh she mentioned how it was funny. Maggie smiled brightly and trailed her left pointer finger around the design of the tattoo on her right hand. "Cartoons are great. Those lightning scenes can be pretty funny. Y'know cat on a wire stuff."

Maggie tilted her head with a silly grin as if to release any tension that the girl might feeling. "I didn't mean to startle you! So whatcha name? I'mMaggie, Maggie Faust. I think I remember seein' you during the tests. Pretty wild some of 'em were, right?" Again she brushed her fingers through her hair. Standing still for her was difficult. Sitting still was nigh impossible.

Abel glanced over as exactly one of the introductory conversations he had considered and dismissed flared up just a few feet away. One of the girls who had been looking out the window -pressing herself against the glass, in fact, as if she couldn't wait for the plane to land and would rather freefall to her new school- was addressed by a slender, raven-haired girl in a perky manner. Abel spent a moment taking in this girl's face before moving his gaze once more, expecting the perfectly normal conversation to carry on as usual.

When it didn't, he was prompted to look back. The blonde girl, who carried a staff of some sort that almost matched his in size, seemed to have frozen up. Even her incredibly long hair hung stock-still. As he watched out the corner of his eye, she started mumbling before wheezing. Originally he had guessed she was simply socially awkward; now it looked like she was actually having problems. He felt obliged to help her, but he had never dealt with someone like this before. Once he had come across a mentally ill person when browsing the town of Pallisade in his off time. When he tried to talk to him, he had grown confused and angry, and crying out in a terrifying fashion to drive him away. It wasn't a fond memory, but the rest of the day had been exceptionally good, so it was still among his favorites.

Needless to say, Abel certainly didn't want something like that to happen here. When Aurelia's knees began to shake, he pushed himself away from the wall and started to walk away. At that moment, the boy across the room who had been showing off his jackhammer abruptly turned and shouted in his direction before turning right back to his conversation as if such outbursts were perfectly normal. Abel was preparing to address him before he realized that Amalger's advice had probably been meant for the infirm blonde. Standing a few feet away from the wall now and not really sure what to do, Abel pushed the tiny button on the Ampere's shaft that changed its top to blade mode. With a series of smooth clicks, the mechanism combined the four blade sections into two, then close the two blade pieces like scissors into a full blade with a satisfying clang. He pulled a cloth from his pocket and began to polish the weapon, even though it was already pretty much clean. He figured that he needed his favorite thing in tip-top condition for whatever was ahead.

Nevin offered a shrug. "I hope so at least," he replied with a sigh. "I did my work. Enough to get by, at least. I was second in our class, after all." He shook his head, glancing over towards the girl he had shouted at. There were a few people who interested him among the groups gathered. The most interesting to him, though, was one with a staff. It was rare for him to see magic from his fellow students. His sister was a pretty big deal in the magic world, but it was still rather few that actually used magic in their class, mostly seeing weapons. Typically, ordinary weapons. Amalger was one of the few that interested him with his weapon.

The others were moderately interesting as well. The girl talking to the staff user seemed very energetic. He recognized her instantly as the girl who had caused problems near the crow's nest at the start of their journey. Then there was the quiet boy off to the side, seeing him flip the blade out from the staff to reveal his spear. It was going to be an interesting group. He was looking forward to see what the best of the best had to offer.

"I'm sure we'll have more of a challenge in terms of our peers too. This isn't like Flare," he added. "We're getting the best of the best. Those who couldn't cut it in Flare couldn't make it into Beacon. At least, that was my understanding."

Oh, if only the ground would go and swallow her whole, she'd so be alleviated from the embarrassment. Clearly, she was making a scene, and Aurelia felt herself slightly more panicked. She lamely raised a hand, as if to wave off the young man's concern, though she did consider taking his advice. She would much rather be facing off against the Grim then have to continue to speak to people. In fact, she'd rather be mauled by one of them rather then continue to be so noticed.

Maggie offered an apology, and Aurelia felt a pang of guilt. Oh no, it's not your fault, I swear! Aurelia wanted to say, but she said nothing in return, though she did offer a nod. After her introduction, she nodded in agreement again at the tests. "My name..." She hesitated for a moment, as if recalling something. During the exams, a few girls had grilled her over the apparent feuds that had taken place in the family recently. She didn't have much to say, so they went away, however it was somewhat annoying to hear their hurtful words. She continued nonetheless. "My name is...Aurelia." She introduced herself, though left out her last name--the last thing she wanted was to hear more gossip about her family.

I hope we land soon. She pleaded mentally. I think I've had enough already. I'll take on a Beowolf, go through any exam, anything but talk to people, please oh please let me get away from here.

Maggie kept up her winning smile, but she was beginning to notice that even her attempts to calm the girl down weren't working. The tension was killing her. Maybe Aurelia had serious problems dealing with people. That was fine by her, not everyone could handle social situations as well as others. Maggie swayed back and forth and then bobbed her head as Aurelia gave her name. She mulled the name over a few times in her head before responding in full earnest. "Aurelia is a pretty name. I think it fits ya. Anyway, I'll leave ya be. I do hope we can be good friends though."

She then looked at her left arm as if she were looking at a watch. "I think we might be makin' it there soon." She then glanced over at the security guy that was keeping an eye on her. "And I didn't get a chance to get onto the highest part of the ship. Damn."

She then paced off to continue wandering where she could. The airship was surprisingly big which meant there was plenty to do while waiting the few minutes it would take to get there.

Satisfied at last with the view out the window, particularly now that the airship was preparing to touch down, Abel hoisted the newly-polished Ampere onto his shoulder and span ninety degrees to walk in the direction he had entered.

Twack

To his horror, Abel found that he had accidentally pegged another student with the shaft of his weapon. As he rushed to apologize, he realized that the person he had hit was a faunus sheep girl. It took only a second to identify her as such, given her wooly white hair and adorable black nubby ears. Oversized boots, weighed down with metal, covered her lower legs and feet. She yelped in a high pitch, though more startled than hurt. Before Abel could apologize, however, the girl beat him to it. “Sorry sorry sorry, didn't mean to! Accident!”

Abel was dumbfounded. He gingerly brought the Ampere down into a less prominent position, as if it would lash out of its own accord, smack the other student again, and double his embarrassment. “Why are you saying sorry? I'm the one who hit you!”

The girl giggled, hand covering the spot on her forehead, just above her milky white eyebrows, where the shaft of the Ampere had made contact. “Did you? I wasn't looking where I was going anyway. Must have run right into it. That's the problem with running.” After thoroughly confirming that there was no mark, the hand on her head was offered to Abel. “Guess we're equally at fault. I'm Mary Ovisaries. Some people call me Magenta. Those people are idiots.” It wasn't hard to figure out why; her patterned tank top and split cape were both a deep shade of pink-red. Abel noticed for the first time that she had some sort of weapon on the rear of her belt. He took her hand and shook. “Abel Fulgurate. You're not hurt?” Mary shook her head enthusiastically. Not knowing exactly what to say, Abel was anxious to change the subject before this exchange began to drift into awkward territory. “What's that you've got there?”

“This?” Mary pulled the thing from a harnass on her lower back. The implement revealed itself to be a crossblade, six curved swordlike lengths of metal joined to a central ring. Its design was stylish, white inlaid with black. “The Shepard's Compass! Made it myself at Flare. It took ages to get the alloy right, but when I was done it was as light as a feather! It can fly through the air like a frisbee, and even if it hits something it can keep spinning, sawing away. And it almost always returns to me! I don't know why it does that, really, there are no electronics in it or anything!” Clearly, this was a young woman who wasn't afraid to be sociable. Abel was getting the feeling that she loved attention.

He decided to give it to her. “Huh, very nice!”
“And your spear?” Mary's bright eyes were fixated upon his polearm.
“More of a sword-on-a-stick, really. But since that's a mouthful I call it the Ampere. Conducts electricity really well.”

At Abel's prompting, the two began to move toward the exit together, continuing to chat. Mary contributed more to the conversation by far, but Abel listened well.

-Amalger

"I suppose that's a good point. Flare had a good reputation, but Beacon's is better. Anyone who can pass the entrance exam to get here is at least capable of meeting Flare's highest standards, and probably more," Amalger said to Nevin. "Hm, and it seems we're about ready to land. I guess we'll find out soon."

-Felix-

Felix was suddenly beset by a sinking feeling. He was nervous, more so anyway, for a moment and then realized what it was. The ship was losing altitude. He stood up so he could see out the windows better, and realized they were reaching the docking point.

Thank god.

He started inching his way toward the exit, but then a large, very large, teen and a sheep faunus walked by. Felix's pupils became pinpoints at the sight of this large person, and he decided he was better off waiting until the exit was a less terrifying place. He knew that was dumb, it wasn't like he was going to be eaten just because he got near someone who was bigger than him... but why take chances, right?

About thirty seconds later, the airship slowed to a halt. After another thirty seconds later the ships doors opened and the students were urged to step off the airship.



-Enyo-

Enyo couldn't have gotten off the ship faster. She was one of the first ones out. Fresh air -- beautiful. And at least for a few moments, Felix-free air. She took a moment to take a look at Beacon up close. It was certainly an imposing sight. The architecture, the landscaping, and the sheer size of it. It was breathtaking... so of course someone had to ruin it.

A boy of the average student age walked ahead of everyone else with a cocky swagger, and then turned to face everyone who had stepped off the airship.

"Welcome to Beacon!" he greeted everyone, as if he somehow represented the school. "Now, as many of you may have heard, we're going to be working in teams while we're here. Now, I propose a little test. I'm Maxwell Booster, and I was top of my class at my combat school, and I'm pretty confident in my skills. I want to be on a strong team and dominate this school."

He pulled out a strange gadget, and several blue orbs shot into the sky. He then pulled out a medium sized, rectangular object that expanded and became a rifle. Holding it with only one hand, he shot all of the orbs, which had been dancing in random patters high in the air. Upon being hit, the orbs turned red, and then returned to the gadget they had come from.

"Now, my test isn't to match my accuracy, but that was just proof of my skill..."

Enyo felt sick listening to this guy go on... and on... and on... Any idiot with a gun could do that. If they couldn't, then they were worse than an idiot.

"The actual test is much simpler. I'm also a good brawler. Land a hit on me, and I'll keep you in mind later on..."

The worst part is that people actually seemed to be listening. Enyo shook her head and began walking down the path to the school, which Maxwell happened to be standing in the middle of.

"Oh, a challenger already?" Maxwell looked at her, a cocky smirk on his face.

"Huh? Oh, sure..." Enyo muttered, and just kept walking toward him.

"OK! Ready, g-" Walking ever casually toward him, when she got close Enyo jumped up and above his head using her semblance. Her foot then shot down, slamming into Maxwell's surprised face. He fell backward and Enyo followed him down, landing on his face, before stepping off of him and continuing on her way.

"Moron." Enyo sighed and kept walking toward the school.

Welcome to Beacon indeed.

“So you've actually fought Grimm before!?” Mary seemed incredulous.
Abel's eyebrows furrowed. This must be one of those sheltered ones. What was this girl doing here if she hadn't faced Grimm? He was fairly sure that was a prerequisite or something, not that he remembered a single thing on the forms he had signed. “Yeah, yeah. It's what I do. My family too. We're a long line of Guardians.” He allowed the faunus girl to marvel over that for a moment before posing the question. “Why are you here if you've never fought the monsters?”
For a moment, Mary seemed taken aback. Gone was her cheer, replaced by indignant silence. Her hyperactive tongue was quick to resume working, though. “What's the matter with that? Not everyone has to tough it out on the edge of the world. At Flare, we sparred each other. People are much smarter than the Grimm, but in a classroom setting, they're not so deadly. Learn more, die less. I bet I could beat you in a fight. All those hours standing on some wall must have dulled your reflexes.”

She didn't receive a response right away. Abel exhaled deeply, searching for the right words. Were all faunus this sensitive? “We have chairs,” he finally proclaimed. “And security cameras. Standing around doing nothing is just...medieval.” Mary's aggressiveness died down when she failed to get a rise out of him, and her curt frown transformed into an encouraging smile. “Yeah, I guess,” she admitted. “Still, I'd like to fight you some time. A real east-meets-west!”

Abel held his hands up in placation. “Let's see about whatever the headmaster has to say first. Don't want to sour our very first day with a scuffle.”

Ironically, just as he said that and the two soon-to-be students set foot on Beacon grounds for the first time from the airship, such a scuffle unfolded in front of them. Another student that Abel dimly remembered seeing aboard the ship had just floored a guy that he didn't recognize, crushing him into the stonework beneath her heels after leaping unnaturally high. As the girl muttered and sauntered away toward the school, Abel dismissed Mary with a quick, “See you later,” and rushed to help him up. He held out a hand for Maxwell, who was rubbing a slight trickle of blood from his nose. For a moment Maxwell looked up at him suspiciously, then seemingly accepted his help by wiping the blood off on his shirt and taking Abel's hand.

“Thanks,” he mumbled, clearly resentful that he was obliged to someone else, particularly someone who easily stood an inch above him. “You wanna fight me too?” Abel's incredulous expression spoke for him, and Maxwell was quick to retort. “This is nothing,” he declared, pointing at his nose. “Takes more than that to put a Booster down.”
Instead, Abel posed his own question. “Why'd the blonde chick hit you? You picking fights?”
“Kinda. I'm trying to find the best fighters to join my team. Land a hit on me and you're good to go.”
If he hadn't needed to keep the Ampere from clanking to the ground, Abel would have crossed your arms. “Is it working? Didn't seem like she thought you were much of a leader. Take care of yourself, man.”

With an indicative shrug, Abel left Maxwell to think about that, and continue wiping the blood from his upper lip. He followed the crowd, unsure of exactly where to go.

Nevin gave a small nod of agreement to Amalger's assessment, though the conversation didn't last much longer than that. They were indeed landing. It wasn't long before the group was allowed off the airship, the boy lost in his thoughts over the type of people he might get to meet while being here. He was interested in seeing the challenges the school would have to offer and the prestigious students that would be attended. Would anyone be able to give Amalger and him a challenge? He was excited to see, to be honest. It'd be interesting to see the upcoming new Hunters in the world.

Of course, that thought went right out the window within the first twenty seconds. A boy strode out, clearly showing off with his gun. Thankfully, a new female student was quick to shut him up. Snickering softly to himself, he walked forward, glancing down at the boy who had been beaten so promptly. Granted, his line of thinking was skewed horribly. It was well known that the group of new years would be put onto teams. How those teams were split was a mystery, though. They wouldn't let the new students choose a team. How would that work out? Half of them didn't know each other and the other half would choose their friends, regardless of compatibility.

The boy started to walk away, but hesitated as he noticed another among the crowd, not far from him, helping the beaten youth up. It was enough to make him pause, listening to the conversation for a moment before turning away. His pace was slower this time, though, waiting just long enough for the other boy to get closer after finishing with Maxwell, trying to remember who he had been on the airship. As he got closer, it struck him. He was the tall guy with the spear. That was the second time he had his attention drawn to this one. "I feel like most people would have left the cocky guy to his fate," he commented, looking over to the taller boy as he approached. "Nice of you to help him up, though." It wasn't so much inviting conversation as commenting on what he had seen. Despite that, he smiled at the other student. He may as well try to play nice with some of his peers here. He hadn't talked to many in Flare, but...he also hadn't required a team at Flare. He'd need some teamwork eventually.

Out of nowhere, Abel found his forward progress interrupted by another student, this one a bespectacled boy in what looked like a suit jacket. Sheathed in his belt were two slender blades, practically rapiers. Though Abel knew the term, he had never seen the like of them before; such small, elegant weapons had no place at the edge of the civilized world. More interestingly, though, was the amount of attention Abel was getting; back home, the brooding, bleak atmosphere stifled any chattiness. Here, he had barely even stopped off the sky boat and he had already come face to face with three new, intriguing people. What mattered, though, was how he was going to handle this one.

"Nice?" Despite not returning Nevin's smile, Abel tried to seem genial. His to-the-point nature, however, shined through. "Not really. Hate bullying, though. That guy was just trying to look out for himself. The blonde girl didn't need to go and humiliate him. If we're not allowed to be proud of our skills, our selves, what we've learned, what's the point?" Though he realized he was probably sounding a little preachy, Abel decided to power through to the end of his spiel, echoing what his father had told him. "Confidence in oneself is the ultimate weapon. If you can't believe in yourself, why should anyone else?" He raised the palm of his off hand up, fingers splayed in a gesture of 'I don't know'.

He noticed Mary nearby, conversing excitedly with an overweight brunette as she walked. Abel watched her for a brief moment, entertained the idea of joining her again, but decided to stick with this new guy for the time being. As he'd learned back home in Pallisade, there was little to be gained by a fixated pursuit. He couldn't make friends happen; he had to let it happen. While that approach hadn't earned him many friends, those he had were worth it. He turned back to regard Nevin again. "But whatever. You hungry? I'm hungry. Gonna check to see if this place has vending machines before the headmaster gives his speech. My name's Abel, by the way."

Aurelia lagged behind most people, wishing to save herself from having to communicate any further. Though she highly doubted that would be the last conversation she would have with anyone, hopefully she could still fade into the background. Maybe this was why her father was so against all this. But if that was the case, then she really, really needed to get over it. Except, if it was that easy, she would've gotten over it a long time ago. She reprimanded herself mentally, shuffling along with the crowd, somewhat ignorant to the many conversations going on. Hopefully everyone would just forget about her panic attack and move on, though as soon as she had thought of it, apparently something else drew in the crowd, so to speak.

She ignored it for the time being, instead focusing on the gloriousness that was Beacon. For a moment, it was all worth it. Just look at it! To go to Beacon had been her dream from some time, as she wished to learn from only the best. She wondered if it was as magnificent on the inside. She actually couldn't wait for classes, both academical and for battle, and started pondering what they'd be learning. Any and all information would be useful, indeed. She let her mind wander and roam about, though she made sure not to bump into anyone as she walked.

The boy was puzzled for a moment, but slowly smiled again as he heard the other boy's explanation. “I couldn't agree more,” he responded. “Confidence in yourself is always a necessity, especially in positions of leadership, like he seems to want. However, it can be argued that personality is an equally important factor. You can't expect others to follow if you're weak, but you also can't expect them to want to follow if you try to flaunt your skills.” He offered a small shrug. “It's a matter of opinion, of course. I believe actions speak louder than words, but going out of your way to show off can be just as negative as doing nothing at all. I'm sure we'll have to go through some tests before we're fully accepted here as students anyway.”

Nevin paused after his explanation before answering the second part to the boy's statement. “As for food, that sounds like a good idea. Didn't eat before getting on that airship,” he agreed, a sheepish smile coming to his face. “Name's Nevin. It's nice to meet you.” He extended one of his hands, offering it for the other boy to shake.

Maggie stepped off the airship a little sad that she wouldn't be on the flying machine anymore, but the sight of Beacon was breathtaking. She had been up near the front and saw the spectacle between Maxwell and another student. She was going to go and help the kid up when someone else beat her to the punch, which was alright. She distractedly looked around the area and happily found plenty of objects to scale. Immediately she hopped up onto a wall and started to walk along it following the majority of the crowd as best as she could. She turned around and started walking backwards on the wall to check out just how many people stepped off the airship and found herself fairly impressed.

She saw the girl from earlier, Aurelia, and smiled and waved before turning around and climbing up another level of the stone wall the crowd approached a slope. She patted her belt pouch the contained "the Claw" to check if it was still in its rightful place and smiled as it was. Her luggage was a huge and overstuffed backpack. She let out a cheer as she made it up the level and almost lost her balance from her backpack.

Then she saw the higher arched stone walls and nearly bolted for them. The large majority of the group was already headed towards them, so Maggie didn't feel the need to rush after reining herself in. A lot of students were impressed by the large fountain in between the arched walls, but Maggie started checking the walls for handholds to see if she could climb them without equipment. The crowd started to disperse as students wandered around to check things out before the speech.