@HereComesTheSnow@Crimmy@Write@Plank Sinatra

A slight bob back down toward the water. Beryl realized that she had never told Luke about what her home had been like. She hoped he would not hold her origins against her.

"I grew up in a church orphanage, been there since I was a baby. Father was kind and occasionally somebody would come along looking to adopt. But we were also located directly above a particularly nasty neighborhood. Sometimes some gang or another would get the bright idea to 'adopt' some of the kids. Either because they wanted new runners for their gang or they wanted cheap product. Often they would try and resort to force if Father rejected them."

She stared down into the water, her hand clenching beneath the surface.

"Sometimes I couldn't get the kids back."

Oh.

Ooooooooh.

That...

That was very different.

I averted my eyes shamefully. This conversation was just one glaring blunder after another on my end, wasn't it? This was why I needed sleep, I concluded, I became dangerously slow-witted even compared to my normal self once I reached a state of physical and mental exhaustion.

Or maybe, on the other hand, I was naturally unfortunate. Conversations being a two-way street meant that half of it was also me trying to pick up what was being put down...

Okay, no, I knew that was the wrong way of going about this. It had nothing to do with my nebulously defined concept of "luck" or anything wrong on her part. It was entirely more shameful, really, to try and hide from or excuse away your own mistakes.

The bare facts are such: I had no idea of the mine I'd just stepped on. However, nonetheless, I still ended up triggering it all the same. Where does someone proceed from here?

"Sorry." I replied, after the natural awkward pause had more than run its course. "I'm sure you did everything you could."

Someone deals with the consequences of stepping on the mine, knowingly or not.

@HereComesTheSnow@Crimmy@Write@Plank Sinatra

She hadn't meant to start thinking of them, she really hadn't. It's just that when she spoke about them she couldn't help seeing their faces. Smiling, laughing and stuffing themselves with food in one memory. Then screaming at her to help them in the next. Their eyes wide with terror as grinning men and women took them through a hole in the church wall.

Her setting off in a rampage that was part revenge, part rescue.

The faces of those same men and women stretched in agony as their own blood turned against them.

The broken and bloodied corpses of her adopted siblings before her. The voice of their killer mocking her from the safety of a recorded message.

Almost unbeknownst to her, Beryl had slowly climbed out of the pool as memories flooded her mind. Her body shivering despite it not be that chilly out. A small voice escaped her mouth as she seemed to shrink in on herself.

_{"Can I have a hug?"}

_{"Can I have a hug?"}

She had stepped out of the pool.

She was shaking like a leaf.

She needed somebody to lean on.

To hell, then, with going get some shuteye.

I unzipped the front of my hoodie, shrugging it off and walking forward.

I had no need to comment. I had no reason to react. I had no desire to even acknowledge how wet she was. Even I am capable of solemnity, and I was more than capable of doing some, perhaps not all, but some of what needed to be done right now. I would do more if I was smarter, wiser, or better informed, but I was simply none of those things.

Reaching up a little, I draped the hoodie around her shoulders. They weren't supposed to get wet, normally, but I had no towels on hand, and would simply deal with it.

"It's alright."

Then I pulled her into a gentle hug. We may not have known each other for long at all, but the least a guy like me could do was give her something she'd asked for. Whether or not it was my place to say that, to do this, or any of that crap, none of it was important. Even if it's wrong, sometimes, someone still needs someone to tell them that.

If it answers a cry for help, I'll gladly let myself be in the wrong.

I'm not smart.

I'm not wise.

I'm certainly not well-informed.

But there was one thing I always could be: There.

@HereComesTheSnow@Crimmy@Write@Plank Sinatra

Silent tears streamed down Beryl's face as she clung to Luke. The young man a solitary rock of warmth and life in a flood of guilt and pain.

Faces flashed before her eyes, each one a family member or friend who would never laugh again. Never sit down for a loud, boisterous, happy dinner again.

People could tell her that it was not her fault all they wanted. They could say that the world sucked and sometimes things just happened. None of that mattered to Beryl. Intellectually she understood all that, but nothing anybody said could make it sink in. In her heart it was all because she just wasn't good enough.

Every time a younger sibling was lost to the dark underside of Mistral it was because young Faunus had not pushed herself hard enough, trained enough for the task, missed some vital clue that would lead her to the missing kids. A thousand and one ways that she fell short and others suffered for it.

It tore at her from the dark shadows of her mind. Pushed her to be perhaps too ruthless on the battlefield. She could not afford to lose anyone else. To do so would connect all the cracks in her heart, shatter her and leave her broken.

Through the tears and repeated attempts to blink them away she caught sight of something on a nearby chair. Another blink brought it momentarily into focus. Enough for her to make out the bright red shape of her music player, discarded next to her headphones before she jumped into the pool. The sight of it brought another memory to mind, the smiling face of a woman with shining red hair.

The world is so dark. I don't know what to do anymore.

Let my light be your guide. Let me be your Candle in the Night.

After one long shuddering breath Beryl gave Luke one last squeeze and pulled back. A tear stained smile on her face as she spoke.

"Thanks. I'm sorry for breaking down like that."

I shook my head, offering up a smile of my own as she pulled away.

"Don't be."

How long had she bottled everything up? For that matter, how much more did she have bottled up? Optimist though I may have been, I doubted it could be solved so easily.

I would help her save herself, true, but that didn't mean it didn't feel like my contributions were only scratching the surface. The problem wasn't alleviated, only the symptoms treated.

So, when she pulled back as though there was a weight off her shoulders nonetheless, perhaps only some of what had burdened her, I was a little confused.

...Maybe, though, it was enough to get the ball rolling on her end?

"You going to be okay?" I asked at length.

Once Shiro finally noticed Sangue’s nod, he once more exploded with energy. ”I could probably solve my jetpacks fuel problem if I could use Shiro as an energy source.” He mused to himself. Patiently letting Shiro climb onto Gren, the tiger faunas then took Sangue and dragged her off to presumably the armory. Rather quickly. ”Oi! Wait for me! Don’t start tearing her apart just yet!”

Shiro hauled ass to the armory with Sangue in tow, and Gren tried to follow as best as he could. Footslogging his way to the armory took him some time, and the crowd of students were starting to get too thick for him to just activate his semblance and slide towards the armory. Otherwise he’d run them down like a scythe through weeds. No, he had to make due with dodging and weaving between students, occasionally using some semblance assisted parkour to get around particularly immovable groups. At some point after all this nonsense Gren managed to arrive to the Armory, though after Shiro and Sangue had. Catching his breath (Not necessary what with being a robot and all, but it was a force of habit for Gren) Gren tried to get started in a somewhat tidy manner.

”Right then! Let’s not waste time. I’ll do an inventory check of what we have and what we’ll need. Sangue, we’re going to need some measurements and weights of your arm and possibly your whole body, which Shiro can do. I’ll also go see if we could use that 3D scanner upstairs.”

And by use, Gren actually means borrow, which was effectively stealing. Except he plans on giving it back. Though he would try and ask for permission first at least, and then nick it later if he gets denied. For the greater good! While he was also looking around Gren did a quick internet search about the Emerald Forest and tried to get some info from the old mining operation there. While he knew about the Titanite, he wanted to figure out what else could be there, including sweet loot and bad guys. Maybe he could even find Emeralds in the Emerald Forest. Now that he thought about it, wasn’t there a student here named Emerald?

”We should invite her over. Yo Dawg, I herd you like Emerald, so I put an Emerald in your Emerald Forest so you can find Emeralds while you find Emerald. Hmm...”

Gren then had a great idea for cookies.

@NarayanK@harinezumikouken

So, they would be blasting off into the forest, after all. Abel nodded, as much in affirmation to himself as to Krysanthe's question. “Yep.” Her experimental step onto one of the mechanical springboards did not garner any immediate reaction, which aligned with what the guardian expected. Instead of working as pressure plates, these devices required an outside signal. While the terminal to begin the launching sequence was close by, its official sequence required some sort of administrative access, most likely for someone like Ozpin to use to begin the festivities that no doubt characterized the Emerald Forest initiation trial. There was, fortunately, a workaround.

After moving onto a platform directly to Krysanthe's right, he pointed out a little panel behind the main launching mechanism. With the tip of his boot, he flipped it open, and inside there was an invitingly large, red button. “Manual launcher. Just press, and it'll go. I think.” To demonstrate his point, he pressed the button down beneath his sole, then stepped back onto his platform before glancing at the huntress-to-be accompanying him. “Don't know how long it takes, so”

A hefty thwomp cut him off, and the next instant Abel was gone. A quick look up confirmed that the panel had sent him tumbling end over end into the sky, a look of casual surprise frozen on his face as he spun, rigid as a board, through the air. Once his brain caught up with what happened, he unfroze, and discovered himself worryingly high off the ground. Suddenly, his premeditated landing strategies were nowhere to be found. Eyes wide, he pivoted to look back at Krysanthe as best he could despite his crazily shifting perspective. “Uh!” he bellowed as he sailed away, mostly upside-down, “See you soon!”

With that said, he could not put off dealing with his precarious situation any longer. Thankfully, he had not yet quite reached the apex of his launch, so some time remained to plan. “Let's see,” he said aloud, though he might as well have not thanks to the roaring wind around his ears. “Spear, lightning, water. No recoil, no rope, no way to slow down. Heck.” An odd moment of tranquility surrounded him as his upward momentum ceased entirely—and then came the fall. Suddenly, that viridian sea of trees was coming closer. An idea struck him out of the blue, and instantly his aura flared to life. Electricity danced across his frame, especially around the Ampere, and knowing that there could be zero hesitation he brought his weapon around and tossed it in front of him. Spurred on by the force with which he'd thrown it, it descended faster than he, but barely had it gotten twenty feet before it came to a dead stop, suspended in place by his electromagnetic Surge. His breath held, Abel held out his hands as he fell, and when the Ampere passed in front of him he grabbed hold. Like a gymnast swinging on a horizontal bar his path curved back upward, exchanging his downward force for upward force and sending a not-insignificant amount of pain through his shoulders. As much as it hurt, the guardian knew that his aura prevented muscular damage, and besides: he'd found his landing strategy. Tugging on the strands of electricity that connected him to his weapon, he repositioned it in front of him and farther down, ready to go again.

He repeated the maneuver several times, increasing the distance fallen between each 'bar swing' until the pain from altering his momentum became too much to handle. His shoulders and upper arms screamed, but he reached the treeline successfully, and far short of terminal velocity he landed in the upper boughs of a tree. Of course, his weight caused him to plow through those branches and fall until some thicker limbs could support him, but he felt it a successful landing nonetheless. After determining himself to be in acceptable condition, Abel turned his eyes to the sky, watching for Krysanthe's own descent.

Kuhaku Shiro - Armory

Shiro laughed when Gren made his little 'Emerald' joke, shaking his head as he pulled out his Scroll and expanded it to tablet form. Walking over to a free area clear from the other students, the faunus boy pulled out a chair for Sangue to sit at. Patting at its seat cushion as he walked around looking for a measuring tool.

"Have a seat, right there. I'll be with you in just a second. I'm on the measurements and weight, Gren."
Then he found it, a simple tape measure.
With a smile, Shiro snatched it.
"Good."
He thought.

Walking over to the seated Sangue, Shiro immediately started his measurements. Gently wrapping the measuring tape every which way to get rough estimates of various things. Such as the length of each of her fingers, the diameter of her palm, length from wrist to elbow, from elbow to shoulder, circumferences and other such things. Being more careful this time to not be as...'rough' with his friend. Recording the measurements on his Scroll as he worked, he frowned as his ears twitched. Realizing a few problems they may run into.

"Oi, Gren. While we work, do you have any idea so far as to what we should do for power and counterbalance? Because no matter how I forge or machine it, it's still going to be heavier on that side and as far as I know she doesn't run off of electricity. While we're at it, do you know if we have a CAD program or maybe six-axis CNC machine?"
Smiling as he focused on his work, Shiro then spoke to Sangue.
"So, while we take care of the basics. Do you have any special features, functions, or ideas in mind for your new arm?"

Shiro took more measurements as they settled down at the armory. Staring at the motions of his hands, the woman watched as if she would never be able to understand what Shiro and Gren could do when it came down to technology. After all, it was her first time hearing what a “CAD program” was.

Did it stand for “Cool Armored Device?” She remembered the children back at the orphanage she visited describing gadgets to be particularly fascinating. They had shown both concern and fascination at the chains connecting between her claw and the metal shoulder pauldron that came with it.

When Gren informed her that they needed to take her measurements, the red snake nodded softly.

As he took her measurements, Shiro asked if Sangue wanted anything specific for her arm. At first, she had little to no thoughts on such a thing. The more she thought about it, however, the more she realized how much she had relied on her Claw for most of her life. That, and her blade, which she carried by her own flesh and bone.

So it was not a surprise for her to seem attached to the Claw, as outdated as it seemed.

“…”

Glancing at the claw, which remained retracted as closely to her shoulder as possible, the swordswoman spoke softly, loud enough for Shiro to hear.

“I’d… like… to have… a Claw… in the arm…”

She wondered if it was too much. After all, she had little to no idea as to how the construction of contraptions worked, especially when there were so many ways to make them.

“If… I could use it slowly… or quickly, in any given… situation… it could help,” she suggested. And her creativity ended right there. What she wanted was pretty simple: an upgrade that still retained her Claw, even if it meant building some entirely new device for her to wield. Flexibility was key for her fighting style, so she wanted to stick close to the weapons she had grown used to.

All she hoped for was her not being rude to the two without knowing them. They were, after all, helping her with something she could potentially be stuck with for a repetitively long amount of time if she decided to try figuring things out on her own.

_{@harinezumikouken@Lucius Cypher}

Pondering Shiro’s words, Gren spoke out. ”A CAD, yeah. I use one for myse- My stuff. CNC machine, no. Looks like we’re going to have to do it like barbarians. ” Gren took out some tools for him and Shiro to use to carve, shape, and form the bulk pieces, as well as more fine tools to deal with more intricate details. Fortunately at least they weren’t working with just hammers and chisels, as Gren soon rolled out things like a torches(plasma, acetylene, soldering irons), water cutters, mills, grinders, and more. Still crude however, and most of the work that would normally be left to machines would how have to be done by hand. But that’s just business as usual for Gren.

”Now I’ll be right back. Gotta get that scanner.”

Gren didn’t imagine that the scanner was going to be easy to take, assuming it could be removed at all. He knew there were some pretty advanced ones that were about as big as a microwave, but the few he’s seen tends to be as big as a vending machine. So when Gren went to look for it, sure enough it was a large machine. While not vending machine sized, it was built into a desk, so the idea of stealing it was out of the question. Fortunately it didn’t seem like there were any locks or covers preventing him from accessing it. When he turned it on however, there was a logon screen and it was password protected.

”Of course. Hmm…”

If Gren had the time, he would have done this the proper way and planted a bug on the machine that would allow him access once the bug manages to upload its data onto the computer. But Gren didn’t have that time, or the bug on him. He could always just use a brute force method; upload a little program into the computer and just run passwords and usernames until he gets the right combo, and without tripping any potential alarms for multiple failed logins. Only issue with that was that he’ll need to still open up the machine and plug in, which was not discrete in the slightest. Gren figured that this wasn’t worth the trouble of stealing/breaking into and just decided to go ask a teacher.

Fortunately, Gren and the others are allowed to use it. It was going to be a bit hard to move it to where Shiro and Sangue were at, but with some positioning and a liberal use of the various holes Gren made a while ago, he was able to bring the the scanner over to them. Hooking it up to a power outlet, putting in the username and password, and finally getting it started up, and it was ready for scanning. However there was one thing that Shiro had also mentioned which had been on Gren’s mind since yesterday: the power source.

”Hmm. Good question. Iron and steel is too heavy. Aluminum, maybe, especially if we reinforce it with titanite. But it’ll be inevitable that it’ll feel heavy for Sangue. Even with that chain claw of hers, the new arm will at least feel heavier with all the new weight on her shoulders. Not to mention that this won’t be as simple as sticking a prosthetic on her stump. If this arm is going to be any good, we’ll have to reinforce her entire upper right shoulder and her ribs, possibly even… Uh.” Gren stopped talking and thought more about it. Granted, there were ways they could just graft the arm onto Sangue’s stump, with proper equipment and preparation. That wasn’t the issue. The issue was that Gren didn’t know how to do it; he’s so used to operating on his own body, which has been made to be modular enough that he could do things like replace arms or other limbs if they’re sufficiently damaged. But Sangue wasn’t a cyborg (As far as Gren knows), so that option wouldn’t work with her. There was a way though. Gren was hesitant to reveal it.

Gren has made some bad decisions in the past that he’d rather not remember. But looking at Shiro and Sangue, Gren sighed. ”But I can’t forget either... Alright. Firstly, making the arm would be… Easy, I guess you could say. It will be heavier even if we use the lightest materials, and we aren’t. I want to make sure this arm can at least take a good hit, now we need to make sure it’ll still work like your old claw. We have the materials here to make a prototype for you to get accustomed to, though a proper arm will need that Titanite. Me and Shiro can get that. As for the power source, it's… To put it in simple terms, it's powered by fat. Calories to be specific. Cuz you know, it'll use up a lot of energy. Now for the hard part…”

This was the part that Sangue needed to make a decision on, because getting a robot limb wasn't just a small price to pay. At least not for Gren. ”Lastly, it will require an operation. Simply attaching an arm to your stump isn’t going to be easy. There are… Things that need to be done. It’ll be almost like a real arm; you’ll be able to hold things in your hand, write, eat, fond- Er, stuff. But you’ll need to be operated on. There are two ways we could do it. The first is the simplest and easiest, which is that you’ll get a cybernetic stub where your claw is right now. It’ll be the fastest way, but your arm won’t be as fast, and if you move too harshly your arm might fall off. The other is much more intense. We’ll have to reinforce your entire right shoulder, some of your ribs, and maybe your neck too. This way your arm would feel more natural and it won’t go flying off if you throw it too hard. But… Well, you’ll have to be cut open.”

Gren didn’t want this fun little project to take such a dramatic turn, but a bit of seriousness was needed. More so since, unbeknownst to Sangue and Shiro, Gren would be digging up some old memories. Specifically, he was going to contact the very same person who made Gren the way he was now. She is the only one Gren knows, and trusts, to do an operation like this.

Kuhaku Shiro - Armory

Nodding, Shiro took down notes on the notepad application on his Scroll as he recorded what Sangue wanted the claw to be able to do. However, when Gren proposed their supposed options, Shiro had to stop and frown. Turning to face Gren, he cocked an eyebrow at his friend with a tilt of his head.

"Uh, Gren? Buddy? I think you're overthinking this a little. Sure, we can use cheap and lightweight metals to reinforce them with Titanite later. But we don't need to perform surgery on her or cut into her. Get with the times, man! Nowadays as long as there are still functioning nerve endings where her arm used to be, using a series of sensors and circuit cards, we can give her a basic functioning arm."

Standing up, Shiro paced around in a circle around Sangue, eyes up at the ceiling as he thought.

"The circuits just need to be able to pick up on the signals being sent through her nerve endings from her brain. When the brain says 'move this way', the card needs to be able to send the right on/off signal to the right sent of artificial tendons to move it in the correct way. This synthetic tendon on, this one remains off. Simple!"

Shiro whirled on the spot to face Gren again, tapping his gloved finger against his scroll.

"You're also over thinking the counterbalance as well. If Sangue doesn't mind, we can also forge an attached harness or upper chest plate of some sort. Spread-loading the weight evenly through proper load-bearing and add enough weight to her center of gravity so that she doesn't lean to one side or feel over-encumbered while still retaining her speed and mobility. And added protection of her vital organs!"

Shiro looked at Sangue, and smiled.

"What do you think, Sang? Would you be okay with a little extra armor as well? It may be necessary for your new arm to function smoothly and properly."

Shiro scratched at the back of his head, laughing.

"And prevent future spinal injuries."

His ears perked up, remembering another thing.

"Oh, by the by. Is there any certain look you wanted for your new claw arm? I was thinking of giving it a coating of something like black oxide so that it doesn't reflect as much light and give away your position, since you seem to be the sneaky speedy type. But is there any certain style you have in mind? Do keep in mind this may take a few days at the very least to complete."

Yue looked between all the girls and bowed her head. "If that's all then, I shall... Go train. Ah, I'll come back later today with the rest of my things, and clean up as well." She would have just done it on the spot, but Yue felt like she had already overstayed her welcome. Turning and leaving the room Yue quickly left the dorms, then Beacon, and headed back to the motel she was staying at. All her things were still there, including her weapon. Part of her felt embarrassed about lugging it around since it didn't exactly fit the image of a refine and dainty maiden. But at the eldest child she was to wield it for the sake of the Schnee family. And for better or for worse, Yue was going to have to master it.

Taking her things and checking out of the motel Yue didn't return back to the dorm despite carrying a considerable amount of luggage. After that outburst from Skyra, Yue figured it would be best to let Skyra be by herself for now. Though there was a bit of conflict as Yue wanted to be there for Skyra if she needed anything, and she seemed like she needed many things. Perhaps a stern talking to, or a hug. But Yue wasn't sure which. For now however, she focused on the task at hand: training. Carefully placing the large metal contain on the ground, Yue unlocked it to reveal her weapon: The Moonlight Greatsword. Even in the day, it's luminescence could be seen. It shine so bright in fact, under direct light it was hard to see directly. Yue was told to use this to her advantage to blind her enemies with the sun's glare, though she still needed to get use to it herself.

Yue had chosen to do some training in an open, but fairly remote garden. It was spacious enough for her to do her maneuvers, but Yue was almost certain no one was going to be here. It was nice, quiet, and pretty. Once she had cleared a space Yue started with some basic, repetitive swings to warm up. The sword was very heavy in her hands, which made sense since it was nearly taller than she was. But as her father told her, the weight of the blade is the weight of her responsibilities. She must learn to burden this weight, to hold it with strength and conviction. And if she should ever lose hold of her blade, her honor and duty, instead of being freed she'll only find herself defenseless.

Yue continued to do these basic swings about twenty times, then switched to a different, but still fairly simple sideways swing. Her feet were firmly planted in her combat stance, meant to hold her position but also allow her to burst forth with great speed. This way she could either stand and protect others or rush to their aid. As she kept swinging her sword, Yue's mind wandererd to her surroundings. She knew a few of the plants off hand, mostly flowers. The ones she remembers best she associates with little fairies that she believes they could turn into. If you treated them nicely, the fairy might show itself and say hello. They could use their leaves to heal wounds, but if they use all of it they'll wilt. If a flower is wilting, that means the fairy has left it and has gone to look for a new home. To make sure that the fairy finds a new home, one should take a wilting flower and let it join with others. From the flower, it's seeds would grow a new, and the fairy not only finds a new home, but hopefully other fairies who'll be it's friends.

Taking a short break Yue was aware that she wanted to be that fairy. Her parents had put her here, in Beacon, just when she felt like their constant watch was starting to drive her mad. Here Yue was going to find others like her and befriend. She'll have a new home here. At least, that's how Yue imagined it. But right now Yue was alone, and there were no fairies among these flowers. Not even a whisper in the wind. "Now I made myself sad..."

Cutting herself open... didn't sound pleasant.

As much as she felt grateful that Gren decided to think with an incredibly vast mindset on ways to help her, Sangue admittedly thought that the former idea actually sounded better. A cybernetic stub... or whatever it was, sounded like something she could deal with as long as she took good care of herself. Of course, she wasn't so sure how well she'd take care of it in the first place, so even that sounded like quite a risk.

Then Shiro asked if she could add a bit more weight onto herself in return for a more stable prosthetic. On one hand, she wondered just how heavy the arm would become, but on the other hand, she could always train harder to keep up with heavier cybernetics. After all, it would not be the first time she'd be weighed down by something. The Claw she had right now was proof of that.

Careful with choosing what to say, she softly nodded specifically at Shiro's proposal.

"I would... not mind being... heavier," she said, glancing at Gren before turning back to Shiro. "I really don't... mind. A... harness could be nice."

Anything was honestly fine with her. The cybernetic stub idea, the harness idea, and even the armor idea. As long as she didn't get... cut open. That particular idea sounded pretty scary, for Sangue did not want to think about returning to her team in literal stitches. Then again, it could be her mind just over-exaggerating things to herself...

Still, she decided to trust the two. Shiro's idea didn't sound bad at all, as it wasn't a concept too different from her Claw at the moment. It would just be a bit heavier... and she could bear any weight as long as it meant that she would be more useful for her team.

_{@harinezumikouken@Lucius Cypher}

Abel took several seconds to reply to Sapphire's question. Assuming he was tired with the start of the morning still ahead she paid it no mind. When he did start speaking however Sapphire's partner started slowly before shooting through several sentences with apparent confidence before lapsing into an uneasy silence. Sapphire got a sudden feeling from him that she'd never felt during their team discussions or training excises, social awkwardness. Abel had always struck Sapphire as rather stoic and preferring few words. This sudden idea that he was more nervous of talking to people than he was of slaughtering Grimm shattered her stalwart image of him. Feeling strange about this revelation Sapphire let the seconds drag on in silence despite what she could have said about the necessity of history to planning tactics and mathematics to the forging of weapons and its application to the physics of their every day work. Eventually they both finished their meals and Abel got up to leave, presumably for the Emerald Forest.

On a whim Sapphire decided to go to the armoury. If she was being honest with herself she was rather unhappy with the design of her armaments. Not her nightmare blades, despite not being the originals Somnus and Melinoe performed just as well as their predecessors. It was her shotgun/polearm that she was finding fault with. Though the general layout was not bad she found the overall use of it to be rather bulky and unwieldy. She was considering that maybe a different type of weapon might be better suited to her. To find out though she'd have to go through the different styles. The armoury had a decent selection of sample weapons. They were all basic, no bells, no whistles but if she was looking to get a feel for a different style they would suffice.

As she walked towards the armoury Sapphire thought about weapon classes. The structures of different blades went through her mind as well as a number of different ranged weapons that went beyond firearms. Something with a bit more precision would be interesting to work with. A crossbow for example. Sapphire had trained with hand crossbows when she was little but it had been a year or two since she'd last picked one up. As she thought about her options Sapphire walked through the armoury's design studio where a number of kids, including two of her teammates appeared to be sketching, measuring and calculating. She passed this area into another that looked much more like an actual armoury. Rows of different weapons of ever shape and size lined the walls or hung from the ceiling. Racks had been set up in the center to hold even more armaments.

There was another door leading out of the room that opened into a small padded space with a single target dummy. It was nothing compared to the practice area or gym but perfect for a student looking to test a new type of weapon before taking it somewhere else. Sapphire tested a variety of different styles ranging from sniper rifle to gauntlets. In the end she came out with five weapons for melee, a combat scythe, an arming sword, a katana, two scimitars and a simple quarter staff as well as three for ranged including a boomerang, two hand crossbows and a 9mm firearm. It was a bit heavy but the swords and staff had straps and the scythe collapsed leaving only the ranged weapons for her to carry in her hands.

With her arsenal now picked picked out Sapphire decided to head somewhere she could test their viability in unpredictable conditions. She briefly considered the Emerald Forest since she'd never seen it personally but decided against it. She was using unfamiliar weapons so familiar terrain would be a better idea. She would go to Forever Fall.

As Sapphire walked back through the armoury drafting room she caught a few words of what her teammates were talking about with one of their yearmate. She and Sapphire only had the mandatory classes together but the azure haired warrior still remembered her name, it was something to do with blood... Sangue.

Who they were talking to wasn't the important part, it was what they were talking about. The few sentences that Sapphire heard Gren say seemed to indicate that they were trying to replace Sangue's admittedly rudimentary prosthetic with something a bit more cybernetic, not a bad idea though if Sapphire were Sangue she would have gone to a professional. The part that made Sapphire stop was that Gren seemed to be suggesting major surgery to have the machinery fused directly with Sangue's existing nerves.

Sapphire didn't know Sangue's personal situation, how she'd lost her arm or why she'd want a new one now but she did know that getting life altering surgery on the recommendation of two of your college peers was a severly ill advised idea. Surprisingly enough it was Shiro in this situation acting as the voice of reason by instead suggesting a series of neural sensory chips. Feeling the need to say something before either of her teammates did permanent damage to the poor girl Sapphire started to speak.

"Hey guys lay off. The last thing she should be doing is making potentially irreversible decisions on the advise of a couple of teenagers. Then Sapphire turned to address Sangue directly. "I know there enthusiasm can be..." Sapphire paused for a brief moment to find a word that didn't make it sound like she thought her teammates were maniacal. "...infectious but you don't have to do what they say unless you feel it's necessary." Sapphire glanced at her teammates with something between annoyance and disdain. "And whatever you do, she said addressing all three of them now. "Talk to a professional first. I'm not an expert on neural technology but from what I know sensory input chips have to be modulated specifically for each user and often recalibrated monthly. It's not something you want your teenage dorm mates doing for you." Sapphire glanced at Gren. "I don't know what kind of back alley surgeon you have on your speed dial but if you're really going to push for cybernetic implantation take her to see a real doctor." Not that Sapphire didn't think Gren was professional but somehow the image of him knocking on a backdoor and being led into a shady surgeon's theater fit into her idea of him a lot more than the thought of him sitting in a waiting room for an appointment.
@Lugubrious@Lucius Cypher@harinezumikouken@NarayanK

In hindsight, it shouldn’t have been that much of a surprise that Sangue would go for the less intensive surgery. Still, Gren did think it was odd. Shiro mentioned an alternative method that doesn’t involve heavy surgery and Gren was about to argue it, but then he realized he’s only arguing it because it’s not something Gren would have done. Aside from a few of his organs, he has little to no nerve endings. But this wasn’t Gren operating on himself, but Sangue. Someone who was very, very different from Gren.

Before he could really say much else, Sapphire of all people arrived. Gren’s chipper mood soured a bit, seeing that she practically came out of nowhere and barged in on their conversation. Little did Gren know that Sapphire was here for other business and just overheard them. He also felt somewhat offended that Sapphire thought he was going to take Sangue to some shady doctor. Granted, the doctor in question did work for the White Fang, but she wasn’t just chop-shop surgeon. She was a professional, cynical and pragmatic as she was. But Gren didn’t intend to reveal too much, less he be read like an open book.

”I wouldn’t have suggested it if I didn’t trust the doctor doing it. She’s a professional and I’ve worked with her before. Might be a bit hard to schedule the appointment, but I’ll still see what I can do. Even if we aren’t doing a big surgery, we’ll still need to put an adapter on Sangue’s arm so her arm can read her movements more smoothly. Either way, I’m not exactly qualified to do the operation myself.”

Shiro idea for a harness wasn’t bad either. Armor and counterbalance all into one, and without having to flay her alive. Though admittedly, Gren might have a bit of a hard time with the harness more than the arm. Mainly because of Sangue’s boobs; Gren generally doesn’t deal with that stuff and has no idea how to modify it for women. It shouldn’t be too hard, but it’ll still be something new.

”Anyways, as Shiro said it’ll take a few days at least. We still need to whip up a base, not to mention work out materials and such. It might be pricey, but I’m sure we’ll be able to find an alternative that doesn’t involve cutting Sangue open. I can’t promise it’ll be perfect, but if that’s what you want, that’s what we’ll get.” Most of the things Gren was now thinking of was new stuff, not to mention very expensive. The methods he had were relatively affordable and more importantly, available to him. For the same reasons he dismissed Siderite and Geisteel, those weren’t things he could get his hands on easily.

The more he thought about it though, the more Gren realized that was what was holding him back. He’s limiting himself to only what he could do, not what everyone else could do. Gren then glanced at Sapphire. ”How about you Sapphire? You wouldn’t happen to know anyone who could sell us the parts we’ll need to make Sangue’s arm? Me and Shiro can make the arm easily enough, but the tech that’ll allow the arm to react to the signals in Sangue’s nerve is beyond my capabilities.”

@Prince of Seraphs@NarayanK@harinezumikouken

Kuhaku Shiro - Armory

It was clear as day, how Shiro felt about Sapphire the moment he heard her voice and picked up her scent when she arrived at the armory. Rudely sliding herself into their little conversation was not very appreciated by the tiger faunus, as his ears slowly drooped and pinned back against his head. His eyes narrowing at her as he fought back a sneer. So, instead of making it into something more and trap himself into a lovely conversation with his beloved team leader, Shiro turned his back to her and just took the easy route.

He ignored her.
This made even easier when Gren started talking to her so he wouldn't have to.

With the flip of a mental switch, he turned back to Sangue and continued to talk 'business' and 'options' with her. Ears perking up and light returning to his eyes as he smiled, he stood in front of the one-armed samurai girl and displayed his Scroll's tablet screen to her.

"Alright, well anyways this is what I'm thinking of for you."
Pulling up a search of medieval armor, he swiped through some pretty cool and bad-ass looking full arm gauntlets.
The images would serve as a basic concept to base the girl's arm on.
"Thinking about it a little more, I may just blacken the metal and follow it up with a coating of cerakote. That way it can have a dark/matte look so it won't reflect light. The added bonus of cerakote is that it'll add a bunch of extra perks to it. Like prolonging and preserving the metal and cutting down on maintenance which'll make it easier on you to take care of!"
He swiped through more images as he continued talking to her with obvious enthusiasm. Talking tech and gear was one of his favorite things to talk about.
"Cerakote will act as a surface hardener which will make the metal more durable, heat resistant, and rust/wear resistant. Anyways, for your claw what I'm thinking is that somewhere around here..."
He zoomed in on one particular image, around the wrist.
"Some sort of locking mechanism, maybe a pressure lock or switch of some sort, that on your command will detach the hand/claw and allow you to use it how you've been using your current claw. Instead of a chain though, I'm thinking of using metal cable which is way stronger and won't make as much noise when you deploy the claw."
Shiro thought of something and frowned, tapping his chin.
His face brightened when the idea hit him and he nodded to himself.
"I may even place hydraulics in it so you can literally shoot your claw at things. With a small internal motor, you can easily and quickly recall that part of your new arm and it'll just snap back into place. Locking at the wrist there."
Shiro tapped at the image.
He wasn't aware that he may have been going way over the poor girl's head with all of his tech-talk.
But even still, he kept going.
"Ah, may use a series of smaller cables as well so you still have control of the hand to grab at things when the claw/hand is deployed...Anyways! So, forming the arm itself is the easy part. Inside I'll make a synthetic metal skeleton and with those cables I mentioned earlier basically simulate your tendons. Only difference is that of course, there will be no 'muscle' or fleshy-squishy bit."
Shiro poked her arm twice.
Squish, squish.
"Then, once we figure out how to power it and give you control over its functionality, it'll be balanced out by your harness or chest armor. Oh! Speaking of which I forgot to take a measurement of something."
Setting down his scroll and getting his measuring tape, Shiro went to wrap it around Sangue's chest to get his needed data.
But with the tape in his hand, he stopped just short. Staring at her chest, he blinked a few times.
Thankfully, something in his head instinctively told him what he was just about to do was a big no-no.
Face reddening, Shiro backed off and scratched at the back of his head.
Laughing nervously, he handed the red-haired girl the measuring tape.
"Ahaha! Well! Okay! Uhh...C-...could you just take this and wrap it around your chest? Then when you're done just tap in the numbers onto my Scroll and I'll use that to make you a fitted bre-...Ch-..! CHESTPLATE! Yeah!"
Shiro grinned widely to hide his anxiety.
"A-ah...Don't worry as well. I'm among the group of smiths and machinists that think boo-..Uhh...SOME CERTAIN FEMALE ARMOR to be completely stupid and ineffective. So it'll just be a basic...a-..armor piece. And it'll deflect some projectiles and blows from certain weapons."
Turning his back to Sangue, he started up at the ceiling as he tapped his chin. Trying to think of other things he may need to work on. Listing them off quietly on his gloved fingers as he distracted himself.

Krysanthe only glanced at the button for a moment but that was all it took for Able to vanish. The pad retracting and the yelling from above both indicated that he was airborne. Having barely heard the words 'see you soon' in the distance Krysanthe turned her attention to back to herself. After a moment of confirming her plan she pressed the button and braced herself. With sudden, jarring force she was launched into the air, the rush of air and adrenaline was exhilarating and she let out an involuntary wooo as rose. She also further and higher than Able was due to a timely reduction of gravity. The effect launched her startlingly high into the air, giving her plenty of time to descend.

She spent a moment at her zenith admiring the view. As for her strategy, it was all rather simple compared to Able's monkey bar swinging tactic. After getting to more or less the peak of her arc Krysanthe began water stepping. That is to say she would fall a few feet and take a step forward and shoot a burst of water to stop her momentum, then repeat the process with her other foot. It looked as though she was basically taking steps down a water staircase. Krysanthe assumed it looked cool because it felt like she was kind of boss given she'd thought of it about 10 seconds ago. She descended next to Able with a chipper grin. "Hey that was pretty fun, you got somewhere in mind for where we're headed?"

A blue-haired woman caught the redhead's attention.

Sangue had seen her before, and oftentimes the woman was seen with a relatively reclusive attitude. She knew little of the woman...

What was her name again...? She... definitely heard of it several times. But for some reason, it didn't feel too clear for her mind.

The woman seemed to be concerned for Sangue, as she told the swordswoman that she did not need to follow every bit of the boys' words. Were the boys professionals? They seemed like they knew what they were doing, though the woman did advise Sangue to at least consider meeting with a professional before receiving an upgrade.

Glancing between the people around her, Sangue noticed a few reactions. A quick peek at everyone made her presume that they either did not know of each other too well or had... something bad happen between them. Shiro in particular did not seem like he wanted to do much with the woman, while Gren spoke with her in a relatively idle tone.

A conversation between Gren and the woman let Sangue know her name. Sapphire. It... was a pretty name. Less brutish than Sangue's name, that much was certain. Sapphire's features glowed for someone like the red snake, for while she seemed on the rather quiet side, she spoke with a sharpness that Sangue could never utilize.

Out of her usual etiquette, Sangue politely bowed, making sure she kept it small and short. She did not want to aggravate the woman by being slow. Even Shiro seemed weirded out by her slowness from the cafeteria, so Sangue made sure to try speeding her responses to others up.

Before she spoke to Sapphire in an attempt to get closer to the stunningly blue-haired woman, Shiro caught her attention when he returned with a Scroll full of information. Blinking, Sangue decided to listen to him attentively.

The instant moment he spoke of cerakote, however, her mind shattered into a million pieces. It was an inevitable fate, but a pathetic one, nevertheless.

The words... The words steamrolled what was left of Sangue's pitiful knowledge on technology as Shiro logically abused her. Not that he meant it, but it practically overwhelmed Sangue all-too quickly. Thankfully, her consciousness returned when he poked her arm.

Soon, the white-haired student became flustered when he told her to measure her chest. Sangue blinked at his interesting embarrassment, wondering just why he would not want to talk about her chest.

She froze deathly still, her eyes widening a bit as she put a hand on one of her breasts.

Maybe... he... thinks I'm... fat...?

It certainly wasn't out of the question. Maybe... Maybe Shiro thought Sangue was rather fat, and the size of the swordswoman's chest simply reflected on that. Lauren and Amy did not mind because her chest size was not too different from theirs, but Ben...

A realization dawned upon the now malfunctioning Naga as she gulped.

Did Ben think she was fat?

Her heart skipped a beat at that thought.

He... never talked about it, so there was no way he'd... think that. Being useless to the team was one thing, but being a sore sight for them was a completely different story. Panic washed over Sangue, her thoughts on getting an upgrade were polluted by thoughts that wandered off to things unrelated to technology.

She then realized she still had to get her measurements done. Without much hesitation, the redhead slipped her yukata off of her shoulders, revealing a naked shoulder and the clean steel of an armored shoulder pauldron. A sarashi was wrapped around her chest like usual, though this time, it seemed thinner because she did not intend on taking any physically demanding classes. Wrapping the tape around her chest, she went over to Shiro's Scroll as she inputted her chest measurements.

On her way, she bowed at Sapphire again for no particular reason aside from trying to seem polite. They were, after all, classmates. It would be rude of her to not acknowledge the blue-haired student, as she did seem to care for Sangue's health.

She did hope that Shiro and Sapphire would get along better soon.

"...I'm... done," Sangue told Shiro, not bothering to slip the top of her yukata back on. She hoped that her chest being large would not be a big problem. If there was a way she could slim her chest out, she certainly would use such a process... unless if it involved cutting herself open.

_{@harinezumikouken@Lucius Cypher@Prince of Seraphs}

Clearing his throat, Gren glanced back at Shiro and Sangue... Only to see Sangue strip off her top to measure herself. Gren couldn't help but stare. He was a monster of a man made of machines, so seeing impossible body shapes weren't unusual. Seeing naked women, what with having the mind of a relatively healthy young man, wasn't too new to him. Memories of more... Macabre exposure he purposely forgets. But seeing Sangue's mostly exposed top and breast, and well...

"Sangue has nice tits."

Clearing his throat for no reason at all Gren then tried to make himself look busy looking over the tools, but mostly was doing this so he'd stop leering at Sangue. Once a few moments passed and he figured Sangue was done, Gren tried to change the subject away from breasts and measurements to something else. Except that Sangue still didn't put her top back on. It would make some sense, as she nly had one arm adn it take her a while to redress herself. So Gren looked at Shiro in a desperate attempt not to remember what arousal felt like when he glanced at Sangue's toned, shaped back, showing both a healthy amount of meat as muscular to remember that while Sangue may not be a bruiser, she wasn't a weak girl. Indeed, she was very womanly.

"Shiro! Uh... Lets... Go... Do the thing. The thing with the plates and the hammers, yes. Oh right, and materials. Got plenty of stock stuff, uh, iron and steel. Not the best but we could try to start from there and get better once we have an idea of what we're doing. You said something about wire cables or something? That's probably a good idea, though we'll definitely need better materials then what I have here. Might be able to find something in the salvage though. And if we're going to make a harness too we'll need some comfortable materials. I actually know a fashion designer who I buy clothes from, especially hunter chic. We just uh... Send him the data and see if he can make a comfortable, fashionable harness for Sangue."

Gren was slowly starting to get over seeing Sangue's boobs and actually was in the process of placing an order for Sangue, though he'll still need the data from Shiro and some other important information from Sangue. Gren was pretty sure a lot of what Shiro said went over her head, but Gren didn't really know how to explain it any easier. Well, he had an idea, but that could backfire and just fill Sangue's head with even more useless clutter. It would almost be safer to tell Sangue that Gren and Shiro has this taken care of. But that wouldn't be nearly as fun.

"Ah, let's see... Hmm... Maybe... Okay! Would you like to come with me and Shiro to the Emerald Forest later? As we said, this isn't going to be something we can complete soon. Plus there's some other materials we need to gather up, and I think we can get it at the Emerald Forest. It'll be dangerous of course, but danger is what makes it fun! Plus... Well, I've never actually seen you in action before. I think if we could see you take on some Grimm and show us how you use your claw, it'll help us, or at least me, to figure out how best to make this arm." Of course it didn't elude Gren that he could try to bring others too. Ideally, girls. But anyone would do; Gren was still trying to make as many friends as he could to earn leadership of the team. Though he then looked at Sapphire and thought about it. He was still quite salty with her, but at the same time if Gren really wanted to be the team leader, he needed to earn her respect too. It was a two-way street after all, and Gren could at least try and meet her half-way. Weather or not she did... Would be up to her.

"The more the merrier of course. We'll be looking over a large area filled with grimm, and to be honest what we're looking for might be rare then I think. The important thing of course is Sangue, and to have fun. Right Sapphire?"

@NarayanK@harinezumikouken@Prince of Seraphs



It has been some time since Scoot had seen his new friends. Fortunately, Scoot was used to living on his own, and he was a hunter too. He hunted vermin and other threats to Beacon's sanitary, pouncing on things like rodents, big insects, and even very, very small grimm with the ferocity and strength of a berzerker. Though most of the time he was bored and was just wandering around. When the group had gone on their mission Scoot had helped himself to the warm covers of their beds (Specifically Abel, as his larger body produced more heat across the bed's surface), but that would have only lasted so long.

These days, Scoot was actually a fairly common sight at Beacon, common enough that most of the teachers know who he is. It helps that Scoot is capable of telepathically communicating with the teachers, though only in very short phrases. The fact that the little ferret even calls himself Scoot thanks to Shiro was something that went a bit beyond normal animal intelligence. But even if he was more intelligent, he was still an animal, and animals needed to eat. Usually Scoot hunts for his own food either in the tall grass or in Beacon's alleyways, but as a natural predator here at Beacon, most of his prey had learned to leave the area less they become victims to the circle of life. But for Scoot, this wasn't that much of a problem. Most of the other people fed him, and pretty much gave him everything he'd ever need. Mostly by rummaging through the trash.

Scoot was considering tearing into some trash for morsels when he smelled something delicious. As a slightly raised ferret, Scoot was smart enough to know that cooked food was better then raw food, and thanks to the experiments done on him, Scoot could even eat some foods normally unhealthy or even poisonous to him, like chocolate. Though he doesn't like chocolate. But in this instance, Scoot was smelling something delicious, and he knew that if he could smell it, he could find it. He followed his nose to the source of the scent, and found a lone girl with short cyan hair. She smelled delicious to Scoot, but he didn't know why. Curious and hungry, the little creature scurried up to the girl, but occasionally stopped in the middle of his run to stand up and look at her, as if expecting her to react at any moment. It wouldn't be hard to notice Scoot either, what with being an albino ferret running through the freshly cut green grass. When he got close enough, the girl would receive a telepathic message from the mammal.

"Food?"

@Suku