---

@Lazo@Awesomoman64

Robert looked at the text with confusion. Scratching his head, he gave his reply a couple seconds of thought before replying with the following messages.

"Uh..."

Truly, the boy had a breathtaking skill with the written word.

"Like what kind of betterment? Because I'm sure I could go find Trad, Gren, or Shiro and they could help me get better at those fighting games. I still suck at trying to do quarter circles."

"It'd be nice to knock this out early in the week so I don't need to think about it," he said aloud, where anyone nearby could hear him and judge the redhead for talking to himself.

Just as he was about to hit the 'send' key though, another message was delivered to his scroll. Again it was from Sand, but now in the team group chat rather than a direct text. Robert tabbed back to the message he had already typed and confirmed it's conclusion, then wrote out another reply for his team leader.

"I'd love too. Where should we go though?"

Pocketing the scroll, the boy decided to enter the cafeteria line only to grab something small to eat, that way he would ruin his appetite for later. Though as he waited in the back of the line, a hand in his pocket so he can feel his mobile device vibrate whenever he got a reply from either Sand or Trad, the bespectacled boy wondered. "Where is everyone? Feels like everyone here are strangers. Is my circle of friends and acquaintances really that small?" Perhaps it was best to look elsewhere to find some company to spend his free time with.

And then, class was over. It was all to a blur to Gren; he knew he had a recording so he could always just look at the class again later when he was paying attention, but he definately knew he didn’t participate as much as he should. A shame really; Dust was an important part of every Hunter’s arsenal. But he was too caught up in his own little world to even recognize that’s happening around him. Gren was still thinking about what his future hold now that he was running solo. No doubt that the school facilities are trying to find a team to pair him into, or failing that, other students to form a team with him. He wasn’t sure how he felt about any of that.

Frankly, Gren isn't really thinking much at all right now. He was just… Autopilot. He does that a lot when he thinks so much that he can’t think any more. And usually because he was thinking about a lot of pointless things that now just leave him feeling empty and existential inside. At some point Gren had left Beacon and was prowling the streets of Vale. He wasn’t sure what he was doing here and frankly he was just expecting something to find him. Seemed simpler that way. Less thinking on his part, and he can go back to doing simple things like gunning bad guys down and blowing stuff up. For a man made mostly of machines, he had plain and straightforward intentions.

Eventually Gren stopped wandering around and headed back to the airships, but he wasn’t going back to Beacon. It was time to visit Pops, and get an update on his research. Or if he finally decided to off himself or escape the Black Feathers. Frankly at this point Pops wasn’t even necessary anymore; they’ve gained enough of his research to continue the study independently from him. It’s only out of goodwill that he’s kept alive. It’d be more convenient if he was gone anyways. Less loose ends.

”Well, I guess I’ll figure out what to do with him when I see him.”

Frankly Gren had a whole list of people he’s been needing to speak to that he’s been putting off. He’s just really busy with school, he supposed. No matter. He has some free time right now so he could clear up that list in a jiffy. First he'll need to go see Pops, then he'll head downtown to the clubbing scene, then he'll find that butcher over in the restaurant area, and finally talk to his old doctor about the stiffness in his joints. That wasn't normal.

@Silvan Haven@Slime

Gratia Mindaro - Shopping

Gratia clinically appraised the storefront for a number of seconds, before her onyx gaze slid over to Silver.

"If that's the type of shit he swings for."

@Silvan Haven@Crimmy

Silver Applegate - Vale-Shopping Mall

Silver looked at the store Beryl pointed. "She did ask for advice. Maybe she needs new clothes too?" The joke went completely over his head. If Gratia wasn't there to throw it back at him, that is. "What?! N-no, I don't wear anything like that. I don't have a sense for fashion, but I can tell men from women's clothes." He couldn't help but get flustered at the idea of him wearing such a thing.

@Silvan Haven@Slime

Gratia Mindaro - Shopping

"I see."

However, the ability of their newest teammate to successfully dress in woman's clothing aside, Gratia could see little wrong with Harken's suggestion. While she was unfamiliar with the store, she had no issue with going to to inspect the wares. Their excursion had to start somewhere, after all.

"What are you looking for, Harken?"

Lauren was only spatially aware of her colonizer mule boy shuttling her back to the Bastille dorm, likely so she could enjoy the benefits of white dick and someone to do her homework for her. She was still wrapped up in ideas on how to stop Diamond Frost's clock discreetly, hopefully - but not necessarily - through an intermediary. She was hung up on the image of a good nail bomb, personally. The little bitch had the pencil neck for it; it would soak up a lot of shrapnel, leave the bitch with more nails through it than a voodoo doll. Make her a san-terrrrrrri-a piece.

There was a girl who loved her who would have happily done it. That was dependent on her finding out about Lauren's survival and not going out of her way to kill her too, though, so maybe a late-night "u up" wouldn't fly so hot...

Or maybe it would. Like she'd told Luke, it was always best to just shoot your shot. Especially if the target had an untraceable baseball bat that could pulverize Diamond with Dust crystals, too. That was what the poets of the streets called an ironic touch. Ali was like that - like if everything had gone wrong for Estelle Nuit. Heeee.

Lauren was quiet, contemplating, as they left the Dust Apps classroom.

Cap was getting bold as fuck shuttling her around the halls like this, wasn't he? People would get ideas. And then she'd have to implement those ideas on him, like a camp counselor in the night.

"Where we going? Do you know where Sangue is, Cap? Are we all meeting up?" Lauren began to fidget in Ben's grasp, legs wrapped around him as she gyrated to the sides, the motions somewhat unfamiliar now that she had trapped herself in a uniform. "Are we?"



To deter Bianca, Jericho had set off a couple flashbang traps at critical points in the faculty locker room connected to the Practice classroom.

Then he decided to shower before meeting his new team.

Flapjacks.

God damn it. He'd been a heavenly knight a week ago.

He'd gone from kitchen wench to goddamn Miss Buttersworth.

Rich would be laughing at him from his perch in Atlas, until he learned where groceries came from and how much time it took to get them.

The hot water beat onto his forehead, rhythmic, helping him brood.

@Silvan Haven@Slime

Gratia Mindaro - Shopping

It was an answer that was more general than she would have preferred, but it was something she could still work with.

"Anything specific to your tastes?" she asked, as they strolled into the store.

@Plank Sinatra@Write@FlitterFaux

Luke Schwarz - Turning in

It was starting to get late.

My mind still abuzz with questions, concerns and otherwise intrusive thoughts, I realized that Tearlag Cirsium was a very thorough woman indeed. The walls were thick enough that even if I’d been making a concerted effort to pry into whatever was happening behind me, whatever lectures or punishments were being doled out, I wasn’t going to without stepping in the room and making myself known.

That... That I didn’t need to be doing. Whatever happened to Diamond Frost as punishment wasn’t my business beyond knowing that it wouldn’t be done again, and I trusted our youthful professor’s stern character in that matter well enough that I had no reason to sit in and make the scene awkward or extra-heated.

Always isolate the key components— that was the rule. If a combination has proven volatile, make sure you don’t mess around with one without the other safely contained. Basic chemistry. Basic interrogation, basic witness report, basic whatever you name.

Though, I still don’t know the true nature of our clash.

No matter how I twisted it, it seemed to just appear from a vacuum. And that simply couldn't be right.

...At any rate, I’m rambling about nothing. I wasn’t staying behind for just desserts, I was staying behind to ask my teacher something, and she was obviously all tied up. With the day getting long in the tooth, and Bianca having a grand “welcome to being a team, team!” Feast in the making, I knew I’d have another day.

Tomorrow would work. It would give me time to remove myself from the situation and approach it— and my questions— from a place of more clarity. This haze was probably going to make me trip all over myself if I just walked in now.

I’d sleep on all this, first.

For now, let’s see what our local winged wonder was cooking up and try to rest easy, yeah?

>Heading home
>if I get poisoned again I’m never forgiving you bianca

I smirked as I kicked off the wall and started my trek towards the dorms, a short jaunt of about seven minutes on a leisurely day.

Fugu.

Cruise ship Fugu.

Classic blunder.

@Crimmy@Slime



Her tastes? Beryl's tastes were well...they were whatever she could get her hands on. More than half her wardrobe consisted of hand-me-downs and old clothing various parents had donated to the orphanage. She supposed that there were a few she had bought or that had been bought specifically for her. Not enough to build much on the way of personal style but she supposed she had a few things in particular that she liked.

"Stuff that's easy to move around in. Pants, shorts, T-shirts. As for swimsuits, the only stuff I've found that lets me go as fast as I want to are the single piece sportswear stuff. Everything else tends to pulled on by the water."

"Sangue usually meets us back at the dorm, she'll probably beat us there. Amy's headed off to do something, but I figure we can pick Sangue up, all have a chance to change, and maybe head into Vale."

Lauren's fidgeting, once upon a time, probably would've been enough to throw off Ben's balance. Especially since he was pretty sure that whatever she had in her backpack, it was pretty heavy. He hadn't expected it when she picked it up. He could still carry her around just fine, just took a little more adjustment. Which was kinda the point; this far into the year, it didn't even take conscious thought to maintain his balance. Just was what it was.

"And I wanna see what you're hiding in your jacket, you didn't have it before Armory." Both hands were occupied, so instead of ruffling her hair, he elected to bump her head lightly with his own and grin. "After that I guess we can go get burgers or something. We can text Amy and see if she wants to meet back up, but I bet Sangue'd love to head into town."

---

---

Blaine combed through the grass like a man possessed, eyes peeled for the slightest sign of the small, carved tokens that he had made days prior. It was unlike him to be so panicked, but to tell someone they had gifts on the way and then leave them standing there…unthinkable. And so he searched, sprawled on all fours, sweating profusely as his shredded clothes hung loosely off his massive form.

"Hey!", she shouted, the necklaces dangling from an outstretched hand as she advanced toward the figure on the field. "I think these are yours!"

The enormous faunus’s head whipped around at the sound of the smaller student’s approach. He leapt to his feet and turned to face her in one smooth motion, striving to maintain the appearance of someone not dripping desperation as the red-feathered faunus came closer. Blaine’s mouth opened to address her, when he noticed what the woman had to offer.

His heart beat loudly in his chest, pupils dilated, lungs ceased movement.

She had the charms.

His mouth opened slightly, pointed fangs on display with the parting of his lips. Without his consent, Blaine heard his voice emerge from his throat as the world turned grey at the edges. Dimly, he was aware that he still wore no real pants. “Y-you… I… Charms yes mine.”

"Oh yeah? I was planning on keeping it a secret, but since you asked so nicely..."

There was almost no distance between their eyelashes, their noses, their lips. Lauren sighed softly, grinning, the cool mint of the gum she had been chewing in class dancing on her breath--

"EEEEEEEEENGH"

-and breaking into her best interpretation of the dreaded game show buzzer, arching her back away from Ben to get some distance from the blacksmith boy's face.

"You can see it Friday with everyone else, you bum ass redneck. Thinking I'm gonna show you shit after you friend-proofed your fucking shield. Fuck outta here, you milk-colored goof. Let's pick up the girls and get those fucking burgers."

Ben laughed.

"It's not friend-proofed, it's enemy-proofed. You'll be on the approved list as soon as I can code it in." He adjusted his hold to accommodate for the way Lauren leaned, and continued up the stairs towards their dorm. "Fine, then. Be stubborn. Need to pop in the shower before we head out?"

Getting the dorm door open was a little tricky, with both hands occupied. But he slipped the backpack's handle over his wrist instead, turned the knob, and used Lauren's shoulder to push the door open.

"Hey, Sangue, you back yet?"

@Silvan Haven@Slime

Gratia Mindaro - Shopping

"Simple enough."

It would take active effort to actually fuck up Harken's shopping experience.

"Go take a look around then."

“So yeah, basically I fought this gigantic plant Grimm with someone who could pretty much be in Vale’s version of the bachelor, if you guys have that here. After that, I kind of messed up my opportunity to shine on the water for my sister, but honestly – Lauren did such a great job and I’m just really proud of her. And then me and, well he’s technically not my boo, but my boo and I we practiced to cap off the day and I was wearing this outfit actually. So I looked cute, right? But capable.”

“So, sorry is that debit or credit ma’am?”

“Oh that’ll be cash, sorry!” I said, quickly thumbing through about ten or so bills from my perfectly theft-proof purse.

“Right… So that’s $422.95,” the teller said, reasonably surprised. It wasn’t like he was in Mistral, people from Vale didn’t generally walk around with this much money.

“O-kay!” I said, gripping all of them tightly and handing them over, they were pristine and unbent. He took them and neatly deposited them into the till. He handed me my change, and at once I began stuffing the bags of food under my arms. I had gone a little out of town to get the best food, as according to some twenty or so reviews the store had been left. They were an all you can eat buffet of various cuisines, but I had something for everyone.

Some wonton soup, pepperoni pizza, pad Thai, smoked salmon, veal marsala, kielbasa and sauerkraut, grilled swordfish.

There was more, but I had lost track through the order. I basically just ordered three of everything just to be sure everyone could get whatever they wanted. With that done, assisted by my semblance I managed to cart all of the bags of food back to the town car, garnering many looks on the way there. The backseat nearly full to the brim with food, so much so that it was all the driver could do to see out of the rear-view mirror. I guess not many people nearly bought out buffets here.

Ah well.

My phone chirped to life under my thigh as I gazed out the window. I snagged it and saw Luke’s text and immediately cringed.

Riiiiiiiiiiight.

>My bad Luke! As long as you only eat what you can this should be good!!

A few minutes passed and, finally, I arrived back at Beacon. Once again with some added effort and a few notable whistles from some passerbys who admired good workout attire, I managed to finally cart all the food back into our dorm. It seemed as though I had just barely beaten Luke back as he wasn’t quite in the room yet.

"Time to get to work!" Okay Bianca, get your head in the game you've got to show these people that you're worth having around!

I placed everything out on a rather large table that spanned almost all the way from each of the beds with just enough room to walk around it. Considering the room size it was a wonder I'd been able to fit it at all. I laid out each food by region of origin, making sure to keep the covers on until people could dig in so it wouldn’t be cold.

Finally I threw myself abck onto the bed, sweat beading at my forehead but the wind in my hair and through my feathers. I think they're really going to like this, but all the same I had to catch myself, either I was way more tired than I had thought or maybe a bit dehydrated. I had been running ever since class to make sure I made it in time for dinner, and I did do a lot today but my recovery had been going well so far!

“Finall-“

Huh?

There were a couple guitars, several in fact that I hadn’t seen before.

Was Luke taking up music?

No. Wait, there was also a Dance Til Sunrise dance pad, along with a new tv leaned up against the wall. I was rushing around, I must not have-

Am I in the wrong room?

My hand flew to hit the button by my bed stand, which immediately confirmed I was not. A small projector lowered itself out of the ceiling, as I turned to see where the screen would also lower from I noticed the empty bed... Wasn't empty at all?

Immediately, I jumped off the bed, quickly hit the switch once more so the projector and screen retreated.

Running over to the bed there was a great big poster with a few figures on it. With big bright blue words. ATLAS WILL INDOCTRINATE YOUR YOUTH!

But that was from Noel’s year in the Vytal Festival? I wouldn’t think Luke would…

That was when I was sure, this was from Noel’s year. Another picture of the Vytal Festival – the scoreboard proudly declared in the background. And a young boy who garnered my attention, his hair a bright bubblegum pink.

That was Noel du Acier’s look – no doubt about it.

This last one, it has Jericho smiling…

I picked it up, gingerly as if an artifact from an ancient civilization.

He was smiling… So deeply.

“You look so...”

I immediately put it back down looking around the room more.

“I don’t” but before I said another word I flew over to my bed, rustling a few papers, knocking them on the ground, and I sat on the bed, hugging my legs and resting my chin on my knees. My wings neatly tucking behind me, I scanned the room for any mess I made or left, but I had been pretty clean save for the massive amount of food prepared.

I felt a warmth spread from my neck to my cheeks, into the tips of my ears. I felt the sunlight catching my shoulder and warming it just to the point of being noticeable. The mixed smells of food filled the air but I couldn’t notice it. I didn’t really.

Why was Jericho’s stuff here?

Would he come over?

Would he like any of the food?

There was only twelve vegetarian and eight vegan options. Was he either of those??? With that body it was more than likely.

He looked so wonderful when he was happy - I hope he still gets that happy, I don't think I've seen him like that.

@Silvan Haven@Crimmy

Silver Applegate - Vale-Shopping Mall

The topic quickly changed to what Beryl wanted to buy. Silver followed the girls into the store and glanced around. "You sound like you'd be fine spending all day on the water, Beryl. You like swimming that much?"

"Skitter once if you're there." So spake Jer, teeth gritted around a piece of boxing tape, ripping it away from the roll as he finished wrapping a fresh set of gauze around his tricep.

Without the sound of the hot water running into the drain, or beating against his body, the locker room was quiet. Jericho didn't make noise very often. He liked keeping an ear out for the people around him. Right now, there was nobody. He was freshly dressed, staring at his tight black t-shirt in the mirror, the white monogrammed '#1 CLONE' letters staring up at him from his sternum. It was his most effective catalyst. If he wasn't getting an answer, he wasn't going to.

"Worth a shot."

He had hoped that Bekah would be here, stalking him, waiting to help him practice his introduction to the rest of the team. He had effectively bungled his introduction to his classmates-turned-students by throwing them into a hellish obstacle course when he meant to say hi, and it wouldn't do to repeat the mistake with his new unit. Unfortunately, it was far too late for him to disguise himself as someone else - or even as the other sex - in order to facilitate a later, seamless escape back to Atlas. He had shown his face during classes all day. By now his absence would already be missed.

He would have to be a flapjack.

"Hey, I'm Jericho. I can't wait to work with you guys."

Sure he could. He was already homesick. There were no real lights in Vale. Where was the neon?

"Hey, I'm Jericho. Good to meet you guys."

Maybe. Maybe not.

He could have called his dad and asked for help, but everyone else in his family would have roasted him over an open fire for overthinking saying hello to someone so much. Jer was better at infiltrating things he was supposed to put a stop to. The real him was boring and staid, unimportant to whatever task ever ended up being at hand. The Jer with the big guns and the knives and the Semblance were what was important. The Jer with the spooky arm was all that mattered anymore. Everything else was prologue.

Jer sighed and tossed his hair back, running ridges through it with his fingers. He made sure to leave his guns, chest holster, and knives - or at least the ones he'd had on his person all day - in his gym bag on his way back. His Scroll remained in his hand, to make sure he had the right room assignment for his team. He gritted his teeth and let out a long breath when he reached it; he smelled food. He knew it was probably a welcoming gesture for him, maybe a way to make him feel at home. Honestly he just wished he'd gotten here before everyone else so he could do the cooking himself.

Dad was able to pretend he liked normal people. He envied that.

The door swung open, and Jer kicked his gym bag full of weaponry over to the bed where, at a glance, he could see the rest of his belongings had been left. He gripped the top of the door frame with both hands, leaning forward casually. They had definitely bought food. Lots of it. Crap.

"Hey, I'm Jericho. I hope we work well together."

For a second, he was absurdly proud of himself. That was a fantastic hi.

Then he looked past the food.

...



Jericho Piper turned around and walked back out, through the open door.

@Crimmy@Slime



"Eheh, ummmm yeaaaaaah." She couldn't help the embarrassed twitch that ran through her tail. Trying to ignore it she looked around the store as they entered. The theme advertised outside was continued within. Various female garments covered the built in wall shelves and took up the vast majority of the racks that filled the small store. A couple pictures of well dressed male models sat above a corner in the far back, hinting at the existence of something besides women's clothing. "I'd probably live in the water if all my friends and family weren't on land. It's always been my way to get away from the world. A place where I can just relax and not have to worry that someone's going starve, or get hit by a car, or get kidnapped...Ooooo."

The young huntress skipped over to something that had caught her attention on a nearby shelf, grabbing a pair of slim jean shorts and holding them up. "These shouldn't get in the way of moving around, even in the water. Look pretty sturdy too. No hole for my tail but I can add that later." She held them against her and turned to Silver. "What do you think?"

I waited, and waited, I had already been behind given the fact that I had driven for dinner but even then it took a few minutes before anyone had come into the room. I wanted to just relax, to hangout like I usually did, but then…

I just kept staring at his stuff. I… Get to just-

The door handle moved and by second nature Bianca grinned, it was as if she was being prepped for another gala by her father.

“Hey Lu-“

Chalk it up to muscle memory, hoping that I wouldn’t have to improvise conversation with Jer alone until the rest of her team showed up, or just nerves.

“Oh hey!” But before I even managed to stand, Jericho turned around calmly and walked back out of the room.

Shit.

Shit.
Shit.Shit.Shit.Shit.Shit.Shit.Shit.Shit.
Shit.

“H-hey?” I called out twirling a loose strand of ivory near my chin. “I have swordfish.”

You have swordfish.

You dense bitch.

That’ll get him.

Hey I know you think I stalked you on that cruise but there’s slightly less common than salmon seafood in here, come on in.

I wish you weren’t so fucking awkward, girl.

God why is this so weird???? You literally just-

“Sorry, I have more than swordfish - obviously…”

A moment of silence. “Like there’s lamb and twelve vegetarian options.”

Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck.

“And eight vegan options.” My voice was quieter by the millisecond. “Okay, well I’m just gonna keep sitting now.”

I waited for an answer, but I saw another student walk by the door, they were clearly headed somewhere else but they couldn’t help but stare in confused at me.

Shut up you NPC.

I took a second to look around the room at the Atlesian culture that was just tossed in, along with the trunk of weaponry Jer had just thrown in the room. There was more than just some hunky knight in Atlesian gold-plated armor standing out there.

There was a guy I really just… Wanted to get to know. He seems so fun! Look at that smile and he's just genuinely hugging people!

He plays instruments and dances! I sing, maybe we could talk about our favourite artists

Who knew he ran marathons? I’ve run a few maybe we could talk about that, compare times!

Maybe we could just talk for a minute and hangout and enjoy each other’s company like teammates.

Maybe.

“Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeer.” I called out in that way that I knew he had developed an entirely physical reaction to.

“Are you… Moving in?”