If there was one good thing about Yue’s parents not being here for Parent’s Day, it allows her to be herself a bit. While she was still a bit uneasy about acting so… Out of character, she’s always dreamed of doing something like this. If she had to wear masks for her service under the Schnee’s, then she’d like to at least choose what mask to wear. And in a few hours she would be wearing the mask of a luchadora. She found the outfit the first time she was shopping in the city for supplies. She was enchanted at the idea of being a masked wrestler, donning the guise of a mysterious heroine doling out justice like out of her fairy tales. She even had a name and everything. Of course, no self-respecting maid would dare let anyone know about it. Which is precisely why she made sure no one knew what she was doing today.

Yue changed into her light yellow wrestling outfit in one of the girl’s restrooms. It consisted of a unitard, shoulder-length clothes, thigh-high leggings, and a mask. She was a bit embarrassed in it due to how form-fitting and skimpy it was. Granted the actual skin ratio was rather small, but it exposed her thighs, back, toes, and shoulders. There was some frills that served as a makeshift skirt and sleeve, but they were too short to really hide anything. It also hugged her body rather tightly allowing people to see her physique. In was risque while only showing 20% of her skin. Even her face was covered up in a full-face mask with a fairy motif.

”Deep breaths Yue, deep breaths…. Alright. I am Fae, Queen of the Flower Storm. I… I represent the dreams and desires of many, many…. Hmm, no, Fae, Queen of the Flower Storm, from the land of dreams and desires. I fight for those who can’t fight for themselves? No no no, this is Beacon. Everyone can fight. Ah, maybe a legend instead. Fae, Queen of the Storm, from the lands of dreams and desires, lone, legendary hero of… Of something. Of my imagination. Bleh.”

Despite all the stories she read as a child Yue was horrible at making up a story on the spot. She had no background for this character, just a name and appearance. She wasn’t even sure what sort of a personality Fae had. Was she cocky and aggressive? Mature and graceful? Energetic and wild? Yue really wanted to try to make Fae nothing like how she really is, because fighting as a subservient and quiet maid not only seemed bad in the ring, but also something that Yue already does. She wanted to try to be a bit different.

Leaving the bathroom in her uniform Yue felt she needed to walk around the school for a bit. She needed confidence; to show off her outfit and see how people react. Maybe if they react kindly she’d be more certain in herself and get an idea how Fae is suppose to be. That seemed to work pretty well in the books. As she wandered around she noticed a food stand manned by some students. ”Are students allowed to run their own kiosks?” She asked herself. Putting on a brave face (Even though the masks hides it), Yue approached them and hoped they would notice her.

”H-hello there! What’s going on here?”

@Sho Minazuki@Crimmy

@Ryonara@Sho Minazuki

Shuai Taidan - Beacon Grounds

"Gotta back it up bro," was the melodic, cheery reply from the prettyboy, who was taking some time to adjust the necktie on his waiter's outfit. "Can't be a proud chef if your sashimi like, turns out a bit fishy. In the bad way. Not the fish way."

Neither he nor his teammate were actually real restaurateurs, but as long as they were wearing the clothes (and he'd definitely put a lotta work into his last night), they definitely needed to get everything right. Just looking like a waiter wasn't enough; he had to get into character. Stop being the cute, fiery hunter that was he, Shuai Taidan (and prettyboy extraordinaire of Team KNVS), and start being the cute, fiery waiter that was Shuai Taidan. He could feel a grin spreading across his face, one that he abruptly kept from growing any larger. Being a waiter was all about good service, and there was always such a thing as way too much enthusiasm, which he personally thought was totally weird, but if he wanted to keep up the "master of disguise" thing, he needed to keep up something that wasn't so representative of his awesomely spunky self.

He clapped his hands together, breathing in a deep breath. He could feel his mind settling down. The mood was important. What was a waiter supposed to be like? The pinkish-brown-black cowlick on his head twirled around. Of course he wasn't going to turn entirely into a different person, because that would be yuck and horrifying, but how did he need to act.

Hmm. That was gonna be hard to think about.

Well for one thing, he wasn't going to comment out-loud on that store-bought wrestling outfit worn by that incoming luchadora. Spandex and silk was pretty obvious to see, but that embroidery was definitely done by a machine. Did that girl grab it from the city? It looked like it was made by some of the folks hanging around in Vale's department stores. Totally cute, he could definitely admit, but the fact that it was store-bought and that the gal seemed out-of-place in it was an one hundred percent clue that she was not at all a real wrestler! Just like how he and Varius weren't actually real restaurateurs, actually.

That was actually pretty cool. Their first customer as pretenders was a pretend luchadora!

Maybe she was participating in that wrestling contest they were running. Taidan was actually thinking of doing the thing too, but the food cart idea had taken up a lot of his time, and by the time it was all a done shebang, he'd been unable to sign up.

Alas!

The frilly thing was a bit risque though, but that took some real guts! He would've vocalised that too, but today, he was a waiter, not the "master of disguise" Shuai Taidan! He was a totally different Shuai Taidan.

Ah, he knew how to be a waiter now.

"Welcome, señorita," said the prettyboy with a happy smile, moving close to greet her. "Care for some seafood?"

Even as a waiter, there was a great amount of cheer in his tone, and his demeanour was very much one of brightness.

Once the couple was far enough away that no one would be able to eavesdrop on their conversation, Priscilla turned to her boyfriend and looked up at him with pink cheeks. "Um, Robbie. I'm going to ask you something and I need you to tell the truth... Is there anyone else that you like? More than me?"

"No, of course not. You're my girlfriend," he replied, not understanding why she would ever ask such a thing.

"So you don't think any of your teammates are more attractive or maybe more interesting to talk t-"

Thanks to all of the romantic comedies that Priscilla had made Robert watch with her, the boy decided that the best way to convince his girlfriend that she could trust him was by cutting her off with a kiss. Lucky him, it seemed to have worked.

When their lips separated, she smiled at him at first before turning to a guilty frown. "I guess that's one way to tell a girl you love her. I'm sorry for not trusting you."

Robert just shrugged, not seeming to mind his pink-haired girlfriend's lack of trust. "It's fine. You were kind of gone for a long time and I honestly thought I'd never see you again, that you were gone for good. I guess I understand why you'd feel that way, but I can promise that I would never do such a thing."

"I'm glad to hear that... So, uh, what was that about doctors? What were you doing at Beacon's Medical Wing?"

Now it was Robert's turn to feel awkward, scratching the back of his head as he forced a smile. "Oh that? That was nothing. Things just sort of went... Well it was like this... Uh... Basically, on our last mission, we got attacked by a lot of Grimm and I got hurt. But I'm okay now, so it doesn't really matter."

"You make it sound like you just got a bad cut on your arm, but if you were being hospitalized than obviously it was a lot more serious than that."

Robert was silent for a few moments. He didn't want to worry Priscilla, but at the same time he didn't want to lie to her either. "Alright, I guess I should just start from the beginning then..."

---

"Oh my God. Robbie, why didn't you tell me this? You practically died and you didn't even tell me. Hell, someone on your team freakin' died."

"But I didn't, so I didn't really think it was important enough to mention my injuries. And Delta... that's my burden for failing to keep my team protected, not yours."

"Your. Life. Was. In. Danger. Why would you ever think that's not important?"

"Well our lives are in danger almost every time we leave city. Actually, with the White Fang, it's more like every time we leave the school. As long as I'm still here, does it really matter if I almost die?"

"Yes, it does. Robbie, I know you've seen some really bad things, you told me about what happened to your family. That doesn't mean you should just... trivialize death. Once we're gone, we're gone. You need to worry more about your own well-being. If not for yourself, than for me."

Robert looked down at the ground and kicked up the dirt beneath his feet. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

Priscilla smiled at her boyfriend as he finally conceded defeat, wrapping her arms around him in a hug.

"So is that all you wanted to talk about?"

"Well, there is one other thing... but it can wait until after Family Day is over."

"Are you sure?"

"Mhmm," the pink haired girl said, not wanting to ruin the rest of her boyfriends day with her disheartening news.

A mass of fiery bedhead, accented by an electric-yellow tee a size too large and a pair of (probably) pre-ripped jeans planted itself in the seat next to Charon, setting down a plate full of sugar and a cup full of caffeine. The monster raised its hands, and Andromeda finally appeared as she attempted to pull back her hair somewhat, though the amount of time her two teammates spent getting ready was about as long as she took protesting waking up by rolling around in bed. It was a futile effort, to say the least. She made an indignant huff, before rolling her eyes at Charon.

“Oh come on, don’t be such a baby. It’s great.” she teased, her voice sounding more than a little rough. Andromeda paused for a moment, before looking up in apparent surprise at Ferris. “Wait you’re alive? I thought you’d be out for at least another like, day or something.”

Truth be told, it was amazing that Andromeda herself had made it before the two of them had finished eating, though that honestly had something to do with the fact that waffles were in short supply and today was going to be a very busy day.

“What’s with the sword, man?” She asked, before lowering her voice to a faux whisper, bleary eyes wide as she stared intently at Ferris, “is stuff going down today?”

@SuperCustodiam @Crimson Raven

[quote=@Suku]



"Of Sorts?" Tristain asked with a small raise of his eyebrows Cian meant well he thought girls always confused him saying one thing but meaning something else or just the emotions in general. Though while Cian wasn't completely stoned face she had a lot of masks that made it hard to really understand what she was thinking about. "Jack was it? It is a pleasure to meet you thanks for keeping her alive she isnt the best in close combat and tends to not think the best on the fly so you have my thanks." He continued with his hand held out intending to shake the hand of the person who led his younger sister's team. Cian hearing what he said narrowed her eyes once more and with a single motion elbowed her brother figure in the gut. Though to her dismay it did little to him to her annoyance. "Please ignore him he knows not what he talks about" Cian muttered aloud refusing to admit to her faults she held great pride in her weapon and skill and slights against her like that annoyed her. She knew she needed to get past that but it reared its head every know and than.
@Crimmy@HereComesTheSnow@Sho Minazuki

"Psssh, Caaaaaaaaap, figures that a white boy like you wouldn't know about right of conquest." Lauren whined, crossing her arms with a pout and two emerald doe eyes. She regarded her captain balefully and huffed. "White people conveniently forget that kinda shit once it's used against 'em. It's all fun and games while you're pillaging Vacuo, putting kids to the sword, knockin' up our women, but I pull a few outfits off you while you're sleeping and suddenly I'm a sexual barbarian."

Costa Negasi was staring at her daughter with a mix of wry amusement and a droll, if benign, irritation.

"Beloved, be nice to this boy."

"But Maaa, he likes i--"

"Do you know that for a fact?" her mother asked patiently.

...

squeeze squeeze

schwiiiiiiiiiiiiiing

"Uh huh! See?" she insisted innocently. "Cap loves it when I pop his bubble. And he loooooves it when I pop my--"

a-hem.

"Soooorry, Moooooms."

@Ryonara@Crimmy

"The finest", he began, he was a fair bit too busy to say anything until he finished cutting up another set of Sashimi. He was really into it, in fact if anyone looked at this scene from afar they would think it was some kind of obscure sketch.

"Seafood", he finished. It seems he was correcting Shuai here on what to say. Despite all this strange-looking act, the sashimi that he turned out was expertly cut, but considering how much sashimi there was pre-prepared, it looks like sashimi was all he could make. There was a lot of sashimi before you know it, but not enough paying customers. Upon this realization he placed his special knife onto the table, then crossed his arms and waited, eyes closed in focus.

---

@Suku@Crimmy@HereComesTheSnow

Jack took the man's hand and shook it with courtesy, a firm handshake. "Haha, don't worry, that still happens", he said, laughing along, a little joke at Cian's expense.

"But that's alright. That's what teams are for I guess, plus she probably works the hardest of all of us. Speaking of team... Where is Luke anyways?", and who was their last one... Bianca? He knew their other team mate Priscilla was no longer fit for battle, it was a sad moment, but he reminded himself now was not the time for that. As soon as he had said that though he looked to the girls who claimed to be his sister, and silently went "Oh, right". They seemed like a handful, nice, but a handful.

@Crimmy@Sho Minazuki@Suku

Luke Schwarz

"It's the most common energy source in the world, for one." I started, eyes naturally drifting upwards as I dredged everything up that I knew. "It powers most every bit of technology we have in some form or another, and is usually found in crystalline or powdered forms..."

I returned to being a polite person, realizing I'd forgotten about that all important thing known as "eye contact". Whoops. Not a good first impression, Schwarz...

I needed to address the heart of her question. Wasting both her and my time helped neither of us, if I was spending it mucking about saying things that anyone could tell you.

"I mean, I know what it is like any citizen of Vale. It's what makes all of our gadgetry move. In terms of the specifics for applying that basic awareness, though, I'm not sure how deep my knowledge goes. I understand that it is highly explosive as powder and reacts to our Aura. It comes in four basic types which correspond to the elements of Wind, Water, Fire, and Lightning, as well as a bunch of other subtypes..."

If there was anything else, I needed to get it out quick.

"Topically, it can also be utilized in our weaponry, right? I remember learning about that..."

If I wasn't focused on trying to answer her question, I'd have probably wondered about looking at what kinds of Dust could best enhance my hypothetical polearm.

Although, if I were to do that, I would very quickly run into a problem.

"That is to say, I remember learning that that was a thing. I never had the time nor opportunity to actually learn the finer workings of how exactly that happens."

I blinked, as flashes of flame, both orange and blue, appeared and disappeared in my mind.

Ah, yeah, duh...

It was like I'd forgotten having to fight Cian and Shiro. Jesus, me.

"Well, beyond the obvious usage within ammunition."

---

Shisutaasu! : April and Dawn

"Oh, wow!" April crowed, eyebrows attempting to meet her hairline in surprise. "You guys are on Luke's team?"

She huffed, disappointedly folding her arms and shifting her weight. "I can't believe he never told us!"

"Well, you know him." Dawn replied with a shrug, in that wry tone that came from knowing him. "He'd probably just tell you that you never asked..."

"That's a dumb reason."

"He's a dumb brother!"

Her older sister favored her with a smirk, looking sideways at the robe-clad girl.

"Awfully cheery way to say that, huh?"

"Eh," came Dawn's non-committal reply as she waved the jab off. "We love him all the same for it, right?"

The taller girl's smirk softened.

"Yeah, usually! But on that note!"

April nudged Dawn to make sure she had her attention, and then tilted her head in Cian and Jack's direction.

"Ahhh. You're right, nee-chan."

As one, they faced the rest of the group and bowed deeply at the waist.

"We're sorry for any trouble our brother's caused you!"

"We're very glad to have you looking after him, please stay strong!"

Such faithless children. If there brother were here to listen to this, he'd doubtlessly cry.

Beacon Academy-Airdocks-Beryl Harken

The Airdocks were awash with noise and color. Children screamed as they ran every which way, the voices of their parents also raising in volume as they tried to corral them. The joyous sounds of reunited families also rose into the air. Many students had chosen to meet their families by the docks rather than wait for them at the academy proper.

Beryl was one such student.

She all but hummed with energy as she bounced up and down, trying to see over the crowd. She had received a message from Father earlier, telling her to expect a surprise. It was the only thing she had heard from him regarding Family Day despite her best efforts and the anticipation was driving her crazy. Was it the kids she had sent to the orphanage after Vignoble's last mission? They were doing as well as could be expected from what she had last heard. It would be nice to see them in person though.

She stopped bouncing and her face formed into a pout as she considered how to get back at Father for this. His gift was going to one of the kids at the very least, the suspense was killing her!

"And here I thought you would be happy to see me." Came a voice from behind her. It was warm, full of life and accompanied by a mirthful chuckle. "What, somebody drop your scroll in a fishbowl again?"

Beryl spun around so fast it felt like her brain was going to go for a full 360. It didn't matter though. Before her stood a tall woman with long red hair and pale skin. Sea green eyes sparkled out from a mischievous face while her red and white clothing flicked about in the strong breeze, almost as if she was wearing a flame.

"Lasai!" the teenager shrieked as she ran forward and enveloped the woman in the biggest hug she could manage. She could feel it as Lasai wrapped her arms around Beryl in a hug of her own, every bit as enthusiastic as the girl's. They stood there like that for a solid minute on the busy airdock. Just happy to see each other once again. Eventually however, they separated, pulling back from one another and giving each other appraising looks.

"No new scars this time." Beryl commented. "At least no visible ones."

"I could hardly allow myself to be laid up in bed and miss Family Day." Came the reply.

Something about the answer caused a wheel to turn in Beryl's head though and her eyes narrowed.

"How long have you and Father been planning this?"

"Whatever do you mean? Came the all too innocent reply.

All she got was a silent stare.

Jiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

Lasai's lips twitched until she couldn't take it anymore "Months!" She admitted with a cackle, raising a hand and moving away half a step to defend against the indignant but still halfhearted strike her response earned her.

Beryl spun on one heel and her tail with a humph and began stomping away. Lasai followed after calling out halfhearted apologies as she tried to placate the rumpled teen.

The otter Faunus was too happy to be truly angry at her not-yet-adoptive-mother. Still, she was going to take this chance to get back at Lasai. So she stayed quiet and pointedly ignored the older woman on their way to the Vignoble dorm room. The first step on her planned tour of the campus.

@HereComesTheSnow@Sho Minazuki@Suku

Teàrlag Cirsium - "Student Counselor", Armoury

"That's more or less the basic prerequisite knowledge you'll need," I say. A tad of grounding in physics and chemistry doesn't hurt, but the syllabus makes sure to take care of the brats whose brains aren't really foonered up with any knowledge beyond the usual spiel or maybe some small, fancy weapon thing they can mince around with. And I'll definitely be making sure that the kids are all up to speed as quickly as possible. Not because I care that much about their noggins or anything. It's just pragmatic; the better grades the brats get, the more the bigwigs think I'm top bizzo and maybe I can get a raise.

And the brats can thank me when they avoid buggering up and dying in battle.

"You think you're cut for it?" is my next question. Not that my opinion matters that much, but the brat in front of me looks like his head'd fit in perfectly with the rest of the class. Maybe he might turn out to be a right daft bugger, but having somebody motivated to level up their Dust proficiency is a pretty attractive score, you know?

---

Mindaro Mondays

"Gratia Mindaro," was her flat, impassive reply to the boy with the ridiculous blue edge to his hair. How irksomely fitting that he was, by appearances, the leader of Schwarz's group of hunters. As if having one inexplicable hairstyle was too little for one team. "Did you somehow fucking forget within the span of five seconds?"

A fool with a brain made of rotten swiss cheese.

"If you want Schwarz, he went to the Armoury."

She would deign to educate the incompetent.

Jericho, for his part, had walked to the left of the Mindaros like their own personal phantom, tracing the walls of Beacon with a gloved finger to mark his path. As the trio walked, the Gold Stripe listened to Gratia's parents quibble softly about what course of action to take regarding their day with their daughter. He wasn't particularly interested in when they met Gratia or what order they did things in; by now, he had resigned himself to being their escort for the day like it or not, as they had both taken quite the shine to him.

Besides, he wasn't comfortable taking the mantle of leadership until he had the lay of the land. So as Valentinian and Severa Mindaro blazed their trail to the Vignoble dorms, Jericho did just that - taking Beacon's measure as they found their way through the school, guided by Valentinian's map, and making silent observations on some of the people and locations he saw. He would need to check out their Armory sometime later, as well as their gym. Maybe when it was quieter, and he had talked to Professor Ozpin about his status as a student and General Ironwood's recommendation.

It would also help to know where Gratia and Bianca slept.

He wouldn't be able to sleep soundly without knowing he'd sufficiently rigged the distance between him and them with traps.

He had no idea why the Mindaro parents were looking at the dormitory door with such excitement, but he had to admit that the anticipation was mounting for him as well. Not out of any interest for what was inside, but more out of a sixth sense at the base of his skull, reminding him that he needed to do the proper room-clearing procedures before allowing VIPs inside. If Gratia stored anything particularly damning or demonic in here, she probably would have cleaned it up in anticipation of her parents, but perhaps whatever evils rested in here responded only to Gratia's cadences and touch.

To be safe, Jericho stood casually to the right of the door, so that his gloved hand would be able to block the door if anything tried to writhe out. He had been stripped of his guns and forced to deliver them to Beacon alongside his bike, so he had no munitions, but he had managed to get two or three small blades through the airport all the same. In the event of anything involving ropes, tripwires, tentacles, or long, snakelike tongues, those blades plus Judgment would be sufficient for handling the menace. And his position, though reclined slightly against the wall with one foot braced against the surface, was perfectly poised, ready to spring into the doorframe to shield the Mindaros bodily.

He was ready for infiltration. His nerves were on fire.

"I think Gratia buried all of her phylacteries on the grounds somewhere. It should be safe to enter." Came a voice from down the hall. A slight chuckle bubbling through the undertone. "Hey Jericho. Didn't think I'd see you again so soon. Got family here or something?"

At least it's not Bianca.

A lesser person would have jolted, having been called out by name after attaining such laser focus. Jericho's head merely tilted, heart jumping slightly in his chest at the familiar voice - a voice which, just sixty hours ago, he was sure belonged to a girl that intended to kill him.

At least it's not Bianca.

"Beryl Harken," he greeted curtly. "Well met. The Mindaros asked me to escort them for the day."

He hoped there was no hug incoming. Jericho had seen firsthand what Beryl's touch did to that scruffy lout, Schwarz.

At least it's not Bianca...

[@Plankn Sinatra]@Silvan Haven@Crimmy

--



Vega once again woke up, again. The noble had taken up napping as her pastime today. The only thing was that she heard some noises coming from the door. Movement and Voices.

So peeking through peep door, she saw Beryl, another person besides her, and two older people. She opened the door slowly…
“Uh Beryl” nodding to her, “Who are these people” she said curiously.

@Ayazi@Plank Sinatra@Silvan Haven

Mindaro Mondays - Possible Friends Detected

The arrival of the young Faunus girl immediately caught the Mindaros' shared attention, especially when it was made quite clear that she was familiar with both Jericho and their beloved daughter. That meant that the girl must have been one of Gratia's teammates who'd be on that nice boat trip!

"Hey there Beryl," said Valentinian Mindaro in greeting, smiling at the Faunus girl. "So you're Gratia's teammate, yeah?"

"If so, thank you for taking care of our daughter," added Severa. "It's a pleasure to meet a teammate of hers."

The happiness radiating off the two was very evident.

@Plank Sinatra @Kaithas @NarayanK

What right of conquest, it was a tie L-



A few synapses began to fire again.



O k a y, n o p e

"Nope," Bastille's leader began, disrupting Lauren's grip and wrapping one arm around her shoulders in such a way that it pinned her arm between the two of them, where it couldn't go roaming. He fixed her with a faint glare while the rest of his brain rebooted, tempering surprise with patience. At least as best he could, given how much that had thrown him for a loop. "That there, babe, is a line. Wouldn't be fine if I did it to you, isn't fine the other way 'round."

She's gonna fucking kill me one day.

Largely recovered, though he still wasn't going to let her have her arm back, he squeezed the arm wrapped around her shoulders. He couldn't stay too irritated. She was his best friend, even if when she started acting up he really wished it wasn't his job to set a good example.

Three years younger and he was supposed to be the adult.

"Should we be headed back to meet up with your Dad, Lauren?"

@Plank Sinatra @Ayazi @Crimmy

Beacon Academy-Vignoble Dorm-Beryl Harken

Jericho was saved from a friendly hello hug by the call of duty. Namely by Beryl deciding that it was her job to introduce everyone to one another. Out of everybody there she knew the most people.

Even so she was slightly taken aback by how...not psychopathic Gratia's parents were. She tried not to show it but it was hard not to be at least a little surprised by how not-Gratia the pair were.

"I'm glad to have her on my team. The young Faunus replied. Especially because it means I don't have to fight her. Preeeeeeeetty sure she still wants to snack on my soul. None of those thoughts showed on her face of course. Beryl had developed quite the poker face while helping Father convince\wheedle\collect donations from the more well to do members of society.

It wouldn't be polite to tell such a loving pair of parents that their daughter was a bad day away from sucking out some poor criminal's soul like a Go-Gurt.

Continuing on she motioned towards Vega with a hand."This is another member of team Vignoble, Vega Venetia. Vega, I'm sure you heard the Mindaros so let me introduce everybody else. The," An eyebrow rose at the pair of knives Jericho had materialized. He certainly hadn't had any before Vega opened the door."Young man over there is Jericho. The rest of the team and I met him on our cruise. He's nice enough once you get to know him."

And didn't get hugged enough as a kid. She thought. It was something she could help with. Everybody loved her hugs.

"And this is Lasai. My Mom." She said with a warm smile at the flame haired woman beside her.

"It's nice to finally meet some of Beryl's friends." Lasai greeted with just a hint of a brogue in her voice. "She sends so few pictures that sometimes I wonder if she even knows how to use a scroll."

@Suku@Crimmy@Sho Minazuki

Luke Schwarz

Internally, I breathed a sigh of relief. It would have been pretty dreadfully embarrassing to learn that I hadn't even managed to remain the basic amount of knowledge necessary to qualify for the classes that we had hoped would help bring me up to speed...

"If you'll have me, Ma'am, I'll do my best."

Mom was a sensible enough woman to understand that she couldn't teach me everything in the short time I gave her. She was sensible enough to make sure I understood that too.

I could probably expect to be playing catch-up with the rest of the class who had already begun the curriculum, but that was fine.

I'd been playing years' worth of catch-up already, a couple weeks of class wouldn't hurt, right?

---

Shisutaasu!: April and Dawn: Lit AF fam 100 100

"...Nee-chan?"

"He d i d n ' t t e l l u s h e w a s b a c k . . ."

"Uh oh."

What in the cyberpunk hell is that thing--!?

His first thought was to defend Ms. Severa, and Jericho stepped away from his comfortable perch on the wall to yank the unused hair clip from the collar of his Atlas Academy jacket and twirl it betwixt the fingers of his gloved left hand. The clip unfolded itself, layer after layer, until it resembled a thin balisong within his hand; meanwhile, with a practiced kick, a knife went flying from the inside of Jericho's right boot and landed in his other hand, gripped out and away from himself so he could spin around and deliver a quick thrust directly into th--

Beryl is...greeting it?

She appeared to be familiar with the woman in the Dreddful dreadful Haven Academy uniform, even though the upper half of her face was disguised behind an askew pair of "smart glasses" that Jericho could have sworn Babs had used as a child. She used to look at stills of elephants and giraffes through the viewfinder or something. It was...

A Discovery Channel product, right?

This is not the time for that.

Regardless, as she introduced herself with a slight reproachful stare at Jericho, the Atlesian Gold Stripe began to consider that maybe this bizarrely dressed, lazy munchkin (if his team leader had ever slept until 9 AM, he would have found himself gone from zero-to-defenestrated by a mere kitchen wench in the time it took to cry "sic semper tyrannus") was in fact someone Grat, Bianca, and Beryl were all acquainted with.

That still constituted grounds for stabbing, in his mind, but as a tentative student here at Beacon...

"I am a certified Lieutenant and special forces officer," Jer huffed grumpily as an aside to Beryl. "I'm not nice."

He met Vega's eyes - or, at least, tried to through her Cyclops visor.

"...Hello."

Nothing really went the way I had planned. Even the cruise was so crazy – it was all just kind of a blur. But don’t worry dearest diary, you’ll get those details soon enough. But today is family day and I’ve got a lot to do. Tonight I have to pick up my father, who will be arriving via private charter, I wanted to visit the Mindaros as they wouldn’t miss the chance to see Gratia, and I should check in with Luke as well – I want to talk to him more often. There is one other boy who I should make time for…

I felt my grin touch the bottom of my cheeks as I softly closed my diary. It was stupid to have a diary, but Luke had suggested it as a way to channel my thoughts and help with my recovery. You could tell it was a good idea because Gratia didn’t immediately roast it over a bonfire. Sitting here in the Jumpercable dorm, it was hard to see how long it had been. It had only been three or four weeks. Who’d blame you for thinking it had been 112 weeks and 5 days? Certainly not this girl.

I casually threw aside my pajamas putting on a large white sweater and squeezing into some jeans. I was supposed to meet up with Stella by the armoury and according to Luke's last text - he was there too. As I left the dorm room I made sure to grab my big scarf, wrapping around my neck a few times. Big sweaters were a must for me, the whole wing thing pretty much made sure of that. It was easier in the summer months when I could just cut wing shaped holes in the back of my shirts, it was even pretty cute, but it just didn’t work out all that well in the winter. Still, being a snowy owl Faunus came with its own set of perks. I had a bit more resistance to the cold and that counted where it mattered.

Throwing my headphones onto my ears, partially for use as earmuffs I pressed the conveniently placed play button on the cord to start my song. Something in Mistralese seemed appropriate today. Although the title was a little ironic I suppose. But before I could hit the doors that would serve as my exit to the dormitory I came across something I did not expect to see.

Well I suppose the Mindaros were to be expected. Beryl too, even Vega was a little- oh Jesus. Vega. Who forgot to dress you today? Come on guys. We have a system for a reason. It works. But there he was. That boy.

“JEEEEEEEEEEEER.”

You could tell just by looking at him. He was thinking of me this entire time.

Oh Jericho.

Never change.

But you Bianca, you need to get your shit together. Flattening out my clothes I quickly took my headphones from my ears and smiled at the Mindaros.

"Mr. and Mrs. Mindaro, please forgive my intrusion. It's amazing to see you again." I said, for some reason my Mistralese accent picking up a little. It had been a while since I had seen Gratia's parents, but they were some of the few people I held truly dearly in my heart. I performed a small curtsy. I always treated the Minaros as if they were royalty, because to me - they were.

@HereComesTheSnow

Teàrlag Cirsium - Armoury

Doing one's best. When I was a wee quine back in Shade, you would never have heard those words leave my lips. I was content with just sitting in the middle of the class, taking things easy and avoiding all the struggle. I thought it would have been fine if I was just another C-list hero sacrificed to the hordes of hungry, murderous Grimm, and that any motivation would've just done bugger-all for my chances of surviving. A decoy for some other bugger who would've been more useful to the war effort. A sacrifice for the continued half-survival of this uncaring society.

And now, instead of barely graduating, I'm helping all these brats improve their chance at life.

I don't know why I even picked this bloody job. Maybe I was blootered when I took that course. Wow Teàrlag, you might say, you really changed a lot since you were some lass with a chip on her shoulder! You're a genuine contributor to this complex piece of societal machinery now! Don't be a dunderhead, I don't even know if what I'm teaching is going to even help in the long run. All these brats who vow to do their best, who expect that this façade I'm wearing can give them the knowledge they need to be good Hunters, to be heroes who'll vanquish all that seeks to destroy humanity.

An idealistic dream, but in the end, that's all it is. Some dream we tell ourselves will come true so we don't give up, so we can keep living on despite all these buggering Grimm wanting to drop us down a burn. We need the lie so we don't have to worry about all the pain just lying around the bend.

That's what we do.

It's not at all the truth.

I'm just another idjit pretending that everything will be fine. Pretending that my 'help' can contribute in anyway to making these brats more than just C-list sacrifices. That I can help them grow so that they'll survive and live a full life without needing to cry. That my advice has some meaning.

Idealistic crock, innit?

But I took the job by my own volition. I'm contractually obligated to give these brats everything they need.

So that the effort they put in "doing their best" actually bears fruit.

"Welcome to Dust Apps then, Luke," I say with a smile, holding out a hand.

That they'll go out into the world and live.

Enter Pierre Nuit.

The man standing alone in his smoking room grimaced. The woman attending to his facial hair completed her assured final cut on his moustache before pulling away her instrument, replacing it with a mirror which she held in front of his face.

“Tell me girl, if your father assured that you would take over a wealthy corporation would you at the very least pick up the phone?” His voice was poignant. He did not mince words and he most assuredly did not waste time.

“Yes sir, I would.” She replied. He examined himself in the mirror some before turning his glance on her. His piercing eyes playfully jutting through her exterior.

“Are you calling my daughter irreverent?” He asked, his eyebrow half-cocked.

“No sir I-“she began.

“Well if you had half a mind or a quarter of a back bone, you would.” A silence followed, before he nodded retrieving a scroll from his pocket, shooing her with a subtle flick of his wrist and a direct clicking of his tongue. He dialed his first born daughter.

Estelle was only just waking up. It was not a time at which one should just be waking up. The school was bustling with excitement – it was parent’s day after all. Many students would be excitedly showing their parents around, who knows, perhaps some would request to speak with Estelle seeing as she would be overseeing some of their studies from this point forward.

She sighed as her scroll jolted to life with a sustained jolt. She excitedly nabbed it, hoping to see her new bar friend’s photo come up. Instead it was a picture of a grimm.

“Dad.” She said quietly.

It was parent’s day. She should answer. He wasn’t going to be around forever. She flipped the scroll open, pushing some of her hair out of her face.

“Hello?” She started cautiously.

“Is that how a teacher of Beacon answers the phone?” Her father said, very clearly speaking down to her position.

“It’s an honest job. You know I pay for caller I.D.” Estelle said with short breath, grabbing the half-finished glass of whiskey and immediately shooting it down her throat.

“An honest job.” He said as if holding a horrid taste in his mouth. “Is this what you have become?” He spat. “Where have you hid Bianca?”

“She was on a cruise. I’ll talk to you later.” Estelle said and hung up the phone before her father could protest any more.

Estelle was sure she needed to sleep with someone or go to the bar. No, it was probably both. The thought of her father in the school where she taught fully sickened her. Almost as much as the thought of Bianca spending hours with him. But at this point, there wasn’t much she could do about that. If she tried to be with Bianca it would force Bianca to pick a side, create conflict. At least this way he would treat her like his favourite and hopefully she wouldn’t listen to his usual condescending dialogue that he always used on her.

She decided it was time to get her ass out of bed and get on the move. She told Bianca she’d meet her at the armory, and from there they’d head to coffee. So that was where she started heading.