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B E A C O N A C A D E M Y
T H E L A N D I N G S
K I N G D O M O F V A L E

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One would expect that Bren would be used to flying in the transport ships having grown up in Atlas given how common they were in his home, but he could never really find it in himself to feel comfortable in them. He had to admit though he was pretty impressed with what he could see of the landing space and the view into the city. The castle was certainly grandiose and so much different than the technological style of Atlas he couldn't help the excitement that welled up. It had taken him ages to finally convince his parents to allow him to leave home and not go to Atlas Academy that the arrival felt all the better. For the first time in, well his entire life really, he didn't necessarily have to worry about keeping up appearances because of who his family was. He would anyway but it was nice to know the option was there.

After all it was fairly obvious he came from someplace far colder with the long white and blue coat that he wore. Thankfully, looking around, it appeared that many of the other people here were dressed a huntsman or huntress would be, and that usually included something long and flowy. He hadn't even bothered trying to get his unruly red hair to cooperate that morning with more concern over making sure he had everything packed up and ready to go. Most importantly his weapon, Guardian, that hung in its compacted form on his belt underneath his coat. It could be pulled at a moments notice, but hopefully he wouldn't be needing it before initiation.

He handed off his luggage to the man that was coming around, giving him an easy and well-practiced polite smile. He was used to having people help him without having to ask, but it cost nothing to be polite to the people who did. The main hall was just a grand as the exterior would have one believe, but he couldn't say he was expecting the man on stage to be wearing a full suit of metal armor with an almost comically large sword with him. Seemed to be the man that would be in charge here which meant he'd be the one to impress. It'd certainly be easy enough to hear him coming.

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B E A C O N A C A D E M Y
G R E A T H A L L
K I N G D O M O F V A L E

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Bren had found a place in the Great Hall nearby one of the walls so that he could easily prop himself up against it as he read from one of the books that he brought with him from home. A collection of myths and stories that his mother had bought him to keep his mind busy on the flight over as well as during any downtime. The food had been better than he'd expected for a school and he already let the comfort of a full stomach overshadow the parts of him that were already beginning to miss home.

He'd summoned up one of his spirits, the most sedate of the three, Ajax who was a large, pointed eared hound who was settled comfortably next to him on his sleeping bag. While the beast was technically spiritual in nature it still had a sense of warmth to it as it stretched out against his legs on one side. Once he'd discovered what his semblance was he would summon one, at the time much smaller, as a companion in the house when his parents were gone. It served just as well.

While the rest of the hall was filled with chatter and giggling he was perfectly content to sit off to the side and observe. He'd never been overly social, but he'd been happy with the friends he'd made. Hopefully the large mix of people that were here meant that it'd be possible to meet with some like minded folks. He continued to let his mind wander, looking out the windows of the great hall to the dark night sky. The initiation was tomorrow and it was likely that many of the people here wouldn't be afterwards. He fully intended to be one of the people that was going to stay.

---

C I T Y O F V A L E
R E S I D E N T I A L D I S T R I C T
K I N G D O M O F V A L E

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"Yeah, I'm gonna miss you guys, too!" Violet said, her feet dangling off the ground. Her voie was muffled, for her face was squished against the fabric of her fathers coat.

"I just, I just- you better promise to be careful, Sky." Indigo said, tears in his eyes, his cat ears peaked with emotion.

"I promise, I promise! I'm ready for this." Sky, or Violet, was stronger than her father due to her training. She pushed him gently off her and wiped away at her eyes. She readjusted the green cap on her head.

"I know, I know." Indigo said, taking a deep breathe. "I know! I do know."

"I know." Violet said with a smile.

"Would you guys just shut up already?" Azul said with a laugh. "You two seriously talk each other in circles." Violet smiled, turning a little red. It was true.

"Be nice, Azul." Tiffany, Violet's mother, chastised.

"Yeah, shut up, Azul." Indigo said, crossing his arms and looking cool.

"Pfft!" Violet and Azul laughed.

"Alright, alright," Azul said with faux bedrudgement. She took a few steps forward and once again gathered Violet with one arm in a sisterly hug. "I know you'll do us proud. All that trainin' couldn't have been for nothin'. If you embarrass me out there, I'll find you."

Violet giggled again. "Sure. It was all you, Azul. I definitely didn't train for years at Signal. It was you, holding two sticks, going 'just do it like this!' to an eight year old."

"Damn straight it was." Azul punched her sister on the shoulder.

Violet laughed, rubbing her shoulder. "Haha...ow. Thanks for coming all this way to see me off, Azul." Azul dismissed the gratitude with a casual wave.

There was a metallic yipping. From the front door of the nice, single-story house the mother and father of the Syfri family called home, a dog approached. It had a single glass visor for eyes and two simple spheres connected by exposed machinery for a body. As well as a very simple, also spherical head. It, jankily and slowly, pathed its way down the driveway and to Violet's ankles.

"Robo-dog! Don't tell the others, but I might miss you most of all!" Sky giggled. She scooped Robo-dog in her hands. There was a brief dim glow of blue light between her hands and her pet, and Robo-dog burst into animated life. It's barking became rapid, it kicked it's legs with excited fluidity. Sky brought Robo-dog in for a hug.

"Robo-dog sure is going to be a lot less lively without you around, Sky." Tiffany said, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, well...he'll still remember everything. So be sure to take him for walks, okay?" Sky said, scratching his metallic side. He kicked his leg excitedly. Wherever she touched him, the area glowed a dim blue shade. Especially, as she was now, when she pet him with her own prosthetic limb. With the green sleeve of her jumpsuit rolled up, the robotic arm that began at her elbow was plain to see. It was a simple design. Infact, it was so simple, it shouldn't really work at all. But where the robotic arm met her elbow, there was that same blue glow. In much the same way that Robo-dog came to life, so too did her arm. And her leg, for that matter.

"Sure," Azul said, rolling her eyes. Her own cat ears stood up on end whenever she saw that dog. She didn't know how her dad could stand that creepy little thing!

"Of course, Sky." Indigo said earnestly. "I'll walk him every day."

Sky set Robo-dog back down on the ground. He ran around her ankles excitedly, barking and saying goodbye. Then he trotted off a few steps up the driveway and sat down. A few moments later and he was back to his usualy, entirely robotic self. "Well...I guess I'll be off now. For real this time. If we say goodbye again I'll be late." Azul was to drive her to the bus stop.

"Not yet." Tiffany said, speaking up. "There's one last thing, before you go."

Violet raised her eyebrows. "What is it, Mom?"

Tiffany smirked, like Violet had just fallen into her trap. She reached into the pocket of her pants and pulled out a garage door opener. "Behold."

"B-behold?"

Tiffany pressed the button, and the wooden door of the garage opened dramatically. On the other side was a large, black and blue armored SUV. It was crammed right up against the family car.

"Right. That's Baby Blue." Sky said.

"Mhm." Tiffany nodded.

"Goldhill Industrial lets me take her home sometimes to work on in the weekends. I already said goodbye to her, Mom."

"Well," Tiffany raised a dramatic eyebrow. "You better take that goodybe back."

"Why?" Violet quirked her head to the side. Azul facepalmed.

"Because, Sky. You get to keep her."

"Huh?" Sky's purples eyes widened.

"Goldhill Industrial agreed to be your sponsor. She's officially on loan to you, as long as you are a Huntress at Beacon."

Violet's face scrunched up and turned red. Now the tears were flowing again. She brought her hands up to the level of shoulders and shook her hands back and forth at the wrist. "Ohhh what nooo no wayyy Moooomm come oooonn oohhhh nooo~" She cried. She ran up hugged her mother tightly.

"Absolutely no problem, sweetie. Your luggage is already in there."

"Thank yooouuu!" She disengaged from the hug and ran up to Baby Blue. She jumped onto the hood of the car and kissed it. "Mmmwah! Baby Blue! We're gonna be Huntresses!"

Despite being turned off, Baby Blue rumbled to life, moving her hood up to nuzzle her driver in return.

"I know she was joking about the dog earlier," Indigo said quietly. "But I think she actually loves that truck more than anything."

"Well, why wouldn't she?" Azul asked with a semi-concerned laugh. "She built the damn thing from scratch and it was practically her best friend."

"I think it's sweet," responded Tiffany. "I only wish I could be so close with my creations."

"...Mom? I'm right here." Azul said.

"Oh, right." Tiffany brushed the hair out of her face and smirked.

"Wow! Too far!"

"You can dish it out, but you can't take it." Tiffany brushed the hair even more dramatically out of her face.

"I'm not touching this with a ten foot pole." Indigo said, putting some distance between his wife and first daughter.

"Thank you Moooom! I love youuu! I love you, Dad! I love you, Azul!" Violet had already clambered inside her excited vehicle- Baby Blue was eagerly shifting her weight from her left wheels to her right wheels. She honked as Violet was putting her seatbelt on. Sky's goodbyes became hard to hear over the rumbling the engine and the thick surface of the bulletproof glass.

So she started waving frantically and also beeped her horn. Everyone cleared out of the driveway.

"Bye!" Sky shouted, bouncing up and down in the driver's seat of the massive SUV. She had been nervous, and soon she would be again, but with Baby Blue at her side she knew nothing could go wrong.

Sky was grinning ear to ear, using her sleeve to wipe away her tears. "I'm gonna be a Huntress. I know I am. That's gonna be what I do with my life, Baby Blue. I'm ready. I can do this!"

---

B E A C O N A C A D E M Y
T H E L A N D I N G S
K I N G D O M O F V A L E

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Her travel time to Beacon was shorter than the other students. She didn't need an airship, and she take herself there. Sky was just glad she had a driving liscence that allowed her to drive by herself- she had gone out of her way to get it as early as possible so she could take Baby Blue wherever they wanted to go. Sky was born and raised in Vale, in the outskirts of the Residential District. Beacon was so big, Sky was pretty sure you could see it from miles away. It was just that- a beacon.

Once she was there, she organized a parking garage for Baby Blue to stay in. With the other vehicles, though the armored SUV was certainly more imposing than the other civilian vehicles. "Alright, girl," Sky said, hopping down out of the drivers seat.

"Stay here. It might be a while before we see each other." She rested her forehead against the side of the vehicle, running her hand up and down the door. Baby Blue leaned into her.

"But when we do...we might be running down some Grimm. Does that sound fun? Sounds fun to me! Who's a good girl!" She reached up and rubbed the rim of the SUV's windows, towards the roof. Baby Blue stomped her tire excitedly. "Who's a g-"

Some business looking guy was leaving his car. He was staring at the unusual display. Not like she could blame him. Sky's face lit up bright red and she distanced herself from Baby Blue, who seemed disappointed. Sky waved at him and he went on his way. Sky cleared her throat.

"Um, sorry. It's you- you're the good girl. I'll- I'll see ya later, Baby Blue." She patted the SUV one more time. She went to the back of the truck, opened the doors and pulled out a metallic suitcase about two and a half feet long. A large portion of yellowed scotch tape had been attached to the front, the words "Big Wrench" written across the front. She closed the door, locked it, and hurried off to the main area of Beacon.

That metal case, combined with her back pack, and the luggage she was dragging behind her, meant Sky was cartoonishly overloaded. That was why it was such a blessing when that fancy guy with all the luggage came along. "Oh! Oh. Thank you so much! Phew! That was- that was getting heavy. I really didn't- oh- yeah, that's okay. Okay! Good luck with your, uh, your job. Thanks again you, uh- he- he's gone. Okay."

She cleared her throat and continued onward, now only with her case labeled Big Wrench.

Compared to many of the other people her, her outfit was decisively working class. She wore the same loose fitting baggy green jumpsuit, unzipped a little with a white t-shirt underneath. Across her chest was the strap that kept Big Wrench's case on her. There was a belt around her hips that sagged a little bit to one side, and the legs of her jumpsuit were tucked into a pair of boots. On her right hand there was a fingerless glove, and her left hand was obviously metallic in nature. Finally atop her purple hair, which was tied into two short ponytails, there was a green cap. Resting on the cap was a pair of goggles. Sometimes to complete the look she wore a pair of headphones, but those were currently waiting for her in her luggage.

She listened to Carlisle's speech. She had to admit, she was a little disappointed she wasn't getting to see the famous Doctor Ozpin. Still, this guy seemed pretty cool.

"Whoo!" Sky shouted as his speech finished, clapping her hands together. It was an odd sound of cloth on steel. "Alright..!" Was...anyone else clapping? Sky stopped clapping and pulled her cap a little lower over her eyes, smiling sheepishly.

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B E A C O N A C A D E M Y
T H E G R E A T H A L L
K I N G D O M O F V A L E

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"Oh! So it's like a sleepover!" Sky had said to no one in particular. "I don't think I've ever had one of those before."

She had managed to secure a small little place for herself. A sleeping bag and pillow. She had switched into her pajamas, which were quite reminiscent of her jumpsuit. Now it was a baggy green and white striped pajama stop and baggy bottoms of an identical color and pattern. Her left foot was tucked into a slipper, and right foot, the one made of metal, clanked on the wooden floor of the great hall. Her pajama bottoms had been tied into a knot above her knee at the right leg, just so her metal foot didn't tear into them. Everyone could see it was a prosthetic, and also that it wasn't entirely bionic. It looked like a simple one that shouldn't move on it's own, but it did anyway. That same faint blue glow was there where flesh met metal.

Finally, she still had the green cap on her head, though the goggles were absent now.

Violet had left her corner and was looking around. "Hey...hi...hello! My name's Violet, but you can call me Sky if you want. Oh, uh, oops, excuse me."

Sky's eyes lit up as she saw something she didn't expect to see. Some guy was holding a puppy! A cool little shadow puppy thing! Sky gasped and trotted over to him. "Wow! They're so cute! What's their name?" She put her hands on her cheeks.

"Oh wooow! Is that your Semblance? That is so cool! You have a dog Semblance awww amazing! Wow! Can I pet them?" Sky had forgotten to introduce herself or ask Bren's name.

---

---

Fen walked uneasily as he went down the ramp. He travelled on foot for most of his life, so going by airship was somewhat uncomfortable for him. But that feeling went away as he took in the city sights. It was definitely more grand than anything he’d seen in Vacuo, although admittingly, that wasn’t exactly a high bar. But to avoid staying awestruck, he moved his sights to the rest of the departing crowd. There were all sorts coming from the ship, some similarly impressed by the view, while others moved towards a single location, to what everyone came here for. He did notice one of the possible students pickpocketing a man taking in everyone’s belongings. But he couldn’t stop her even if he wanted to. There was a good distance between them, and she soon melded with the crowd.

The luggage carrier eventually reached Fen and offered to take his bag. He declined the offer. He wasn’t carrying anything particularly heavy in the knapsack he slung over his shoulder. As usual, his bag carried spare clothes, extra dust cartridges, and some other basic necessities for traveling. There was however, some extra money his father gave him inside. Considering what he just saw, he felt a little cautious in giving his belongings. He thought about telling the man about his stolen wallet, but decided against it. The thief was long gone, and he didn’t have time to be playing guardsman. Instead, he followed everyone else to the hall, where the Headmaster was settling everyone in. He didn’t think much about the Headmaster’s speech, seeing it as a typical introduction like he heard in his previous school. But his ears perked when he heard about the hearty meal, and knew exactly where he was heading afterwards.

---

---

Fen sighed happily as he took a walk around the hall. He grabbed as much as he could, and to the horrified looks of anyone nearby, scarfed it down within seconds. He didn’t feel tired yet, being used to taking short periods of rest, so he decided to scope out the applicants. He wasn’t sure of the difficulties of the initiation, but he had a feeling a lot of people here might not make it. He couldn’t put his finger on how he could tell, but his instincts were generally correct in those assumptions. He continued walking, until he spotted someone staring out a window.

There were quite a few people around the hall looking out the windows, so Fen wasn’t sure why he singled her out. Maybe it because she was a fellow Faunus, or perhaps it was because she seemed more nervous than the rest. Either way, he felt a mischievous streak upon him and decided to act on it. He moved quietly behind her, just out of her eyesight. When he was confident she didn’t notice him, he crouched, drawing closer to the girl.

”Nice view.” Fen said clearly, staring out the window she was looking at.

In the interim between the speech and curfew, Albedo had taken to cordoning off a section of the Great Hall as her own. She ate little, compared to the mess of applicants so awed by Beacon's culinary display that she wondered if any had ever laid eyes upon a substantial meal in their lives. Her taste for Vale's unique brand of cuisine meant less to her than laying claim to private respite away from a rabble destined for failure as Huntsmen, and in her time, Albedo had experienced plenty of spreads both rivalling and surpassing the night's.

What occupied her mind instead was the Team selection of the following day. She eyed her potential classmates from a sequestered corner, secluded behind a small fortification of heavy metal boxes, stacked atop a trolley she had commandeered from one of the doddering fools that attempted to take her luggage. The seams of each box bore the marking of a remarkably clean weld, as though the metal had been masterfully fused together, and though Albedo knew, full well, that they would be nigh impossible to open without a specialist skillset and want for property damage, she was loathe to trust the school and its caretakers with such expensive materials just yet.

Nobody caught her interest, though a number earned her disdain. Faunus, show-offs, dimwits by the dozen. However the Initiation was to be conducted, she only hoped to avoid the incompetence, and the insults to the title of Huntsman, that lay before her. She could forgive a lack of experience, or a lack of talent. They had all come to learn, it was only natural that the majority be unfit for the job from the outset. But the idiots, and the Faunus - her teeth ground together involuntarily at the thought of spending four years with such wastes of resources.

In Albedo's mind, not even a school as prestigious as Beacon could make warriors out of individuals unfit for anything more than basic labour. She remembered a time her mother spoke of Professor Ozpin, and how her Team had briefly met him whilst assisting the Council with an extermination in Mountain Glenn. He had been referred to as a prodigy, and took his place as Beacon's Headmaster at an age younger than any of his predecessors; her mother had claimed that his mannerisms seemed to both fall in line, and contradict, such accomplishments, as though he unsparingly combined youthfulness with wisdom. A shame, then, that he left but a fossil from the Great War behind in his place. She had somewhat looked forward to meeting him, but more importantly, she could not help but doubt the quality of education, without a man as supposedly great as Ozpin at its helm.

With each passing minute, the people watching grew more tiresome. She glanced back to her sleeping arrangements for the evening - the hardwood floor the Great Hall, and a high quality, expensive sleeping bag, though a sleeping bag nonetheless. The makeshift wall of boxes would afford her a modicum at least of privacy, but spending the night even in the same room as so many annoyances, and criminals, left a bad taste in her mouth, and in no world would she be found sleeping in line with the rest of the student hopefuls. Albedo could only hope that the morning came swiftly, so that she might never see the majority of them again. In the meantime, she took to settling herself, and retrieved her Scroll from the pile of clothes stashed within her luggage, intent on passing the minutes reading, until the disturbances around her quieted enough for her to sleep.

---

---

It is finally happening. This is finally happening, Zargun thought excitedly as he got out of the SUV. Barely keeping his excitement in check as now after living in the city for years and watching the academy from afar. Which Beacon is hard to miss where he lived in the residential district. Now he is going to the Beacon itself and prove that he can be a huntsman. Something that Zargun's driver, his uncle, Aeron, was more than happy to see. Even though Aeron was not his uncle by blood, rather friendship with Zargun's family, he still felt like a parent after all and could not help to feel happy for Zargun. Once Aeron got out of the driver's seat, he walked over to Zargun, who was busy getting his luggage out of the car. With a smile on his face, and jokefully said, "So you ready for this kid?"

Zargun turned to face Aeron with his luggage in tow, "I am more than ready for this, and I will make you proud, uncle."

Aeron let out a chuckle, "I know you will, Zargun, I know you will. Just remember your training, and you should be fine."

Zargun "I know, uncle, and... thank you for everything. I am not sure how I would be if you did not train me."

"Do not talk like that, Zargun, you are a good fighter. You just needed some tips, that is all". Aeron sounding reassuring. Besides, now is your time to shine and become a Huntsman." ​

"Thanks, uncle," and Zargun went in for a hug with Aeron, and he reciprocated. Tightly hugging Aeron before letting go, "I will be a huntsman like you, and just you wait."

"That is all I expect of you, Zargun, and I think I have held you up enough. If you need anything, just remember your family is closeby."

"I will, uncle and goodbye." Giving out one last hug before departing the parking garage and headed towards the academy grounds. Which did not take long, and Zargun looked around as he walked. So this is Beacon. he thought as he scanned the academy grounds. A lot of people here and some Faunus as well. He wondered how many would pass the initiation trial. From what uncle Aeron talked about, the trial is not an easy one and something that should not be underestimated. Still, Zargun feels confident that he will pass it though he will not treat it as a cakewalk. Being a Huntsman is not an easy lifestyle and but something he is prepared for.

Then Zargun spotted the luggage carrier coming towards, and he deposited his luggage with the rest. With the rest of the students, he made his way to the hall where the headmaster made his speech. Zargun was surprised that Professor Ozpin, that his uncle told him about, was absent. He was expecting to see him but, all well. Zargun did not have a problem with the interim headmaster, Professor Carlisle. Though he had to wonder as to why he was wearing a suit of armor that looked like something from the Great War. Maybe personal preference but, he still liked the man's speech.

---

---

After getting a hearty meal which Zargun was surprised by what Beacon offered, he looked around for a time before finding a small space for himself and his sleeping bag. Zargun was in his pajama, which was a simple white shirt with gray pants, which was comfortable for him, and chose to sit down on his sleeping bag. Not tired enough to sleep yet and watched the others about their business.

Some were trying to sleep, some were flexing and showing off while others watch, and then some were looking out the windows. Like those two Faunus, and though he could be social with his future classmates. Zargun chose to be silent, seeing this as a time to rest rather than talk. The trial starts tomorrow, and he does not want to be tired for it. This is his time, and Zargun wants to be prepared for it. So after a while and getting one last look out the window. Which he wished he had more time to watch the stars. Zargun slowly got into his sleeping bag and tried to sleep. Letting the background noise fade away until it was nothing but silence.

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B E A C O N A C A D E M Y
G R E A T H A L L
K I N G D O M O F V A L E

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Bren knew there was someone approaching him as he felt the quiet rumble of Ajax pressed against his leg. The previously slumbering, or as close to sleeping as one of his spirits could get, wolf-like dog now had his head raised and ears pricked forward; small tendrils of blackish energy flickering off his form. He rested a hand on Ajax's head, "Easy now, we're all friends here." The rumble stopped as Violet trotted up to them and he couldn't help the surprised chuckle at her calling his spirit cute, that was a descriptor he'd never heard used to describe them before. "His name is Ajax and yes he's one part of my semblance. There's two others, but it takes a lot of effort to keep all three of them from running amok."

He kept one hand on the back of Ajax's neck, he wouldn't attack unless he was told to but they did sometimes have mind of their own, and he didn't want to start off his time at Beacon with someone getting a finger bitten off. Normally he didn't let people pet his spirits, since they weren't exactly real dogs, but she seemed harmless enough. He didn't think he'd ever met anyone this excitable in his entire life, but there were all sorts at Beacon. He shrugged, "Sure you can pet him. He's not completely corporeal so it might feel a bit weird." A simple downward hand gesture was enough to make Ajax's tensely coiled form relax into a more welcoming posture. The small pinpricks of yellowish light that burned in his eyes were still intently focused on this, as Bren now noticed, rather small girl in front of them.

He set his reading to the side and sat up a bit straighter against the wall before holding out a hand to her with an easy smile on his face. "Name's Bren by the way. Bren Adalwolf. It's nice to meet you." His father had always taught him to be polite to everyone and just because he wasn't under the watchful eye of his family anymore didn't mean he was going to let his manners slip away. Besides, if he was going to succeed in the initiation the next day, it wouldn't hurt to have a few people who knew him by name.

Violet must have had a strange perception of what cute was, because this little shadow creature was adorable. Indeed, she three metal spheres and legs in the rough shape of a dog was cute, and don't forget the massive armored truck.

"Ooh, Ajax! That's a cool name." She said, doting over him, hands on her cheeks. "And there's two more. Wow."

Grinning that she had permission, she used her soft fleshy hand to stroke the top of the dog's head. Her hand did sink in a little bit, prompting a retraction of her hand and a giggle. "Wow! Oohh," her voice went into a kind of baby speech mode. "Who's a wittle incorporeal twoublemaker? You are!"

As Bren introduced himself, she seemed to remember he was there. "Oh, um," She backed up a step, straightening her back. She rubbed the back of her neck with her metallic hand. Clearing her throat she tried to compose herself. But it was clear she was still fawning over the adorable dog in her innermost mind. "Heh. Hi, Bren Adalwolf."

She returned the handshake with her right hand, the one that was skin. "I'm uh, Violet. Violet Skye Syrfi. You can just call me Sky, though. There's an 'e' on the end of my middle name, but not on the end of my nickname. It's- it, uh, it doesn't matter. You can spell it however you want, really." She said. She returned the handshake a little too vigorously before disengaging from it.

"So, you a, you a student? I mean, obviously, you are." She flattened out the edges of her pajama shirt. "I'm a student. I've- y'know. Wanted to be a huntress for a while. Ob-obviously." She cleared her throat.

"Well, um. Wow, sorry. Nice to meet you, too, Bren! I'm just, uh, a little nervous, I guess." She grinned sheepishly. It was like watching a fish die on the sun-warmed wooden boards of a pier.

"Are you, uh...from around here? I'm from Vale. Work at, uh, a garage kinda thing. Well, I will, I'm just apprenticing right now. Part time. Of course- my main job is gonna be, uh, Huntress. Hopefully. If I f-fail, then, I guess I'll be a mechanic full time!" Her voice got high pitched and she shrugged.

---

---

Fen rubbed his mouth, as if contemplating a response. In truth, he expected simple shock, or even a violent response. He wasn’t expecting such a cute reaction from the girl. He felt a little guilty because of it, and decided to stick around. When he was finished hiding his grin, he composed himself and spoke. ”Too nervous.” He pointed at the girl, emphasizing who he meant. ”Thinking too much of the soon, upsetting your now.” As he got a better look at the girl, it affirmed what he was saying. She seemed too exhausted to be up, but at the same time, too awake to sleep.

Fen yawned, as if making a point. Taking a sitting posture similar to the girl, he pulled out something from his knapsack, a cloak meant for traveling in Vacuo. While it was mostly for protection from the sun, it was warm enough to sleep in those cold desert nights, and thus became his preferred sleep attire. Wrapping himself in the cloak, he noticed the girl was focusing intently on him, as if she was trying to ignore everyone else. ”Relax, everyone else is.” He pointed to the person closest to them. A few people were woken up by the brief commotion, but they quickly went back to sleep. At worst, one placed a pillow over his head.

Feeling completely satisfied with the talk, Fen closed his eyes and dozed off, his body still facing the girl.

"Um. What's going on over there?" Violet turned away suddenly from Bren, having just now noticed a commotion. Some guys were holding a Faunus by the tail. Why were they doing that? Concern flashed across her features and she took a few steps forward. She gasped, startled, as they dropped her onto her face.

"H-hey," She protested quietly. But when her purple eyes locked with Briar's, she froze up. She already felt her chest tighten with anxiety as he looked upon her with disdain.

In a simple few sentences, he took her confidence and self-esteem and shattered it on the ground like a porcelain vase. "I- I'm a..." She wanted to say student. That she belonged, too. She looked down at her metal arm and metal leg. Did she, though? Sky's lower lip trembled and her eyes welled up, her face turning red.

"You-, I...I don't..." She stammered. No real words would come out. Sky was confused and hurt. But she was about to become scared when suddenly one of the boys reached out and began pulling at her arm. It hurt, her passive Semblance wanting to keep it attached to her body.

Gasping in pain, she released her Semblance and her left arm flew into the hand of the other boy. "Oh, oh no. M-my arm." Sky held her amputated elbow in shame, hot tears streaking down her face.

They were much, much bigger than her, and there was four of them. All laughing at her. Right after picking on another girl. Her arm was gone. Her arm was gone. She remembered the day she first lost it. Sky began to cry, letting a sharp burst of air from between her teeth. It looked like it was hard for her to breathe. Briar couldn't have asked for an easier target.

Sky didn't know what to do. She needed her arm back, but wasn't capable of taking it. So she just stood there, head hung low, staring at the arm she had crafted for herself. This is the worst. Sure, it wasn't the first time something like this had happened. But it was all the more humiliating now that she was 17, and still reacting the same way she did when she was a kid. She was such a crybaby. Just an invalid, weak little crybaby. Vulnerable and pitiful, not strong or brave. They were right. How could she expect to save anyone?

Humiliated, Sky brought her remaining hand up to cover her eyes. It didn't really work. It didn't take much to hurt Sky's feelings.
She just wanted to run away and hide. But she couldn't- they were literally holding a part of her body hostage. She didn't have a replacement! Sky didn't even consider the fact that they could snatch her prosthetic leg as well; She didn't have an imagination for cruelty. Such a thought wouldn't occur to her. Sky was stuck, now. It felt like she was robbed of personhood. Just a punching bag waiting to be tipped over. Even in this room full of people, she felt alone and out of place.

---

B E A C O N A C A D E M Y
G R E A T H A L L
K I N G D O M O F V A L E

---

The tail of Bren's incredibly dangerous spirit began to swish along the floor at the praise and pats that were being bestowed upon him. Leave it to some girl to turn Ajax into an actual puppy as she seemed so fond of calling him. He was content enough to wait for her to realize his hand was held up and his grin only widened as she stumbled over her words to introduce herself. It was certainly a change of pace from the proper phrasing and posturing he was used to at home. "Sky it is then," he let his hand fall back onto Ajax's head. Her rambling was slightly endearing and he let her come to a pause before responding. "I'm from Atlas. My father works for one of the big name companies over there, but he let me get away to come to Beacon. Get out and see the world kind of thing you know."

He caught some of the other conversations that were going around, a few faunus that seemed to have met up to chat, or scare each other apparently. He went to ask Sky another question, hoping to keep her from slipping into further ramblings when a loud squeal filled the room and caused him to sit up straighter, along with Ajax whose ears perked up intently. He pushed himself to his feet and followed Sky's concerned gaze to the four that were the clear cause of it, and his easy smile now dropped into a tight frown. He was pretty sure he recognized some of them. Some Atlas nobles if he remembered correctly. Great. Just what they needed to deal with, a bunch of self-entitled pricks.

He would've gotten involved on principle to defend the faunus, but as they snatched away Sky's prosthetic, that felt like a definite breaking point. He liked Sky, given he didn't know her very well, and she definitely did not deserve to be treated this way. No one did. He let the faint simmering rage build as he took the few steps forward to stand in front of Sky, breaking Briar's line of sight as he heard the telltale sound of someone beginning to cry. He easily blocked her smaller frame from the view of the four other boys and let out a sharp whistle. Both to get their attention and to bring Ajax to his side. The previously relaxed spirit now swelled in size and now stood higher than his waist, ears pinned back and a low snarl rumbling in his throat.

"Long way from home aren't you Briar. We aren't in Atlas anymore," he let a cold grin cross his face and shoved his hands into the pockets of the jacket he still wore, "Need to show off right? Make sure everyone knows who you are so they can fawn over you?" He shook his head in disapproval, the way his father used to when he messed something up, "Yeah this'll make you the talk of the school that's for sure. Stealing someone's prosthetic, I'm sooo impressed. He rocked forward on his toes to lean towards the group, "That's a really good intimidation tactic, making someone smaller, and so clearly your better, cry like that." The frigid expression hadn't left his face and his posture was still relaxed; like a wolf waiting for a clear moment to strike.

He took a few more steps forward, Ajax prowling slowly behind him. If there was one thing he couldn't stand it was people flaunting their station in order to belittle others. Both his parents had instilled a sense of honor and respect in him that should be shown towards everyone no matter who they might be, clearly this lot missed the memo. He pulled his hands out of his pocket and held one out, palm up, towards Urq. The other was now clenched tightly behind his back, where his spirit stood, "Now if you'd be so kind as to give that back, and maybe find some dignity as you do, we can all get on with our night. I'd hate to be responsible for tearing any of those wonderful silks."

Rowan didn't know how the hell they could call what that bullhead had been doing flying. Honestly, where was the freedom? The feeling of the wind in your face, and underneath you to lift you up? He didn't get any of that in there. No, in there, all he could do was sit in a metal box for what had felt like hours, no matter what it had actually been in real life. And on that subject, it had felt so damn slow, it felt like they were hardly moving! And yet at the same time, it had apparently been moving just enough to leave him feeling... odd... He refused to admit that part to anyone, and thankfully, he managed to keep himself steady long enough to step off the floating coffin without too much difficulty, at which point the feeling disappeared almost immediately.

Still, despite his frustrations at spending all that time in something that removed all the fun parts of flying, he knew it was a better idea than flying up himself, at least for now. He had to save that until the right moment, when it was tactically appropriate. Naturally, this didn't actually mean 'tactically appropriate' as much as it did 'when it'll look the coolest.'

Either way, he wouldn't have to worry about it for a while, as for quite possibly the first time in his entire life, he was thankful to have his feet on solid ground. Looking around, he had to admit it was a damn impressive place, this Beacon. He'd passed through some pretty cool looking towns on the way here, but nothing on this level. Some of these towers would make for amazing launch points, he could already tell.

Before he could spend too much longer gawking at the architecture however, he was brought back to reality by an angry growl from his stomach. Unfortunately, he'd run out of money a few days back, leading Rowan to the startling revelation that he might not actually be very good with the stuff. It also led to three days of no food. He really hoped that'd be addressed after whatever they had to do right now.

---

Thankfully, food turned out to be the least of his problems that day. After a speech he only really half listened to, by someone who was apparently a different person to the one Kojiro had originally told him about, there had been a literal feast waiting for them. At that point, Rowan abandoned any idea of restraint, probably justified given the lack of food in the last few days. About halfway through his rampage however, he caught sight of a fox faunus matching him bite for bite, and his motivation changed from mere hunger to the scorching flames of competition. Clearly, she had noticed how much he'd been eating and decided to challenge him, and he was all too happy to oblige, refusing to stop eating until she did.

As he continued to commit to this blatantly bad idea, he felt his old, non-starving personality returning to him, and by the time it was all over he had a wide, almost unnerving grin on his face. Not just because his stomach wasn't trying to eat itself anymore, but also because he'd finally outlasted his challenger.

After dinner, he followed the other students into the great hall, where they'd be spending the night. Some of the others had formed groups of their own, where they talked or tried to show off to each other. It took a bit of effort, but Rowan managed to resist the urge to run in and match their boasting with his own, instead setting up near the corner of the room and briefly inspecting his equipment. That way, he'd be able to show them how much better than them he was tomorrow at the initiation.

However, his brief burst of maturity turned out to be an impossible dream, as he was distracted from his work by squeals of pain, followed by quite possibly the most enragingly condescending voices he'd ever heard. He looked up from his work just in time for some jackass, accompanied by what appeared to be his goons, picking on a girl before pulling her arm off what the hel-, wait, no, it looked like it was actually just a prosthetic. But still, that didn't make it that much less messed up!

From the looks of it, some guy who had been speaking with the girl was confronting the jerks, holding his hand out to take the arm back from the guy. That was probably the right way to go about calmly ending this situation.

Naturally, Rowan decided on an alternative approach.

Sprinting towards the group, he didn't even bother altering his weight. Normal gravity would be more than enough for these punks. And then, right as he reached them, he launched himself off the ground, slamming both feet into the apparent ringleader of the group with a vicious dropkick.

"KURONUMA KICK!!!"

Violet was relieved when Bren stepped into help her. He really was being nice. He was trying to scare them off with his giant cute shadow puppy. Now, though, she just hoped he or anyone else didn't get hurt. It looked like a confrontation was brewing and it made Sky nervous.

"W-we're on t-the s-same, t-team..." She managed to say, so quietly it was hard to hear. Stupid. Stupid! This was so stupid! Sky couldn't help but feel like this was all her fault. This wouldn't have happened if she had just...well, she wasn't sure what Briar wanted her to do. She was still confused as to why he decided to have one of his friends take her arm. This whole thing just made her feel terrible.

"Aah!" Sky cried out in surprise as a tall muscle man came screaming into her view. It was a ferocious drop kick! Briar was sent flying. "Oh no, oh no!" She continued to cry, antsily bouncing on her feet.

A girl came up from behind and literally stabbed one of them in the back, causing Sky to gasp. "Please don't kill each other! Oh, no!" She guessed the woman's name was Mei, considering that's what she just called herself? It was hard to tell. Either way, her arm came rolling on the ground towards her and Sky scooped it up. Eagerly she attached it back onto herself, and she felt whole again. She clenched and unclenched her metal fist, and was grateful.

"Thank you! B-but-..." She looked up at Mei, wiping the tears from her eyes. "I, I don't have a lot of money. Not in my p-pajamas. But I'll, I'll pay you back." She hid her eyes under her cap again. Thankfully it was easier since she was shorter than everyone else.

She flinched as Mei suddenly turned her sights on Rowan. This one didn't feel like it involved her at all. Violet's eyes briefly searched the room for that poor Faunus girl those boys had been picking on earlier.

"H-hey...are you okay?" She asked, taking a few steps towards her. Sky didn't notice Drongo preparing his counter attack, either. Her thoughts were scrambled and her heart was overwhelmed. Perception wasn't her strong suit, anyway. She also looked at Briar, laying on the floor.

"Um... are you okay?" She asked. But she still kept her distance, moving towards the Faunus girl they had picked on earlier. She was mostly focused on her safety. But Briar had gotten kicked really, really hard. She glanced back over to the Faunus.

"Sorry they were being so mean to you." She said. "Sorry no one came in to help." She averted her eyes, looking embarassed. Violet had very weakly tried to interfere, but she was too scared of confrontation to be successful. Also, she was probably the least intimidating person in the room.

---

---

Fen wasn't awake. He wasn't awake when his body reacted to a nearby sound, nor was he awake when his body moved towards the source of the noise. He moved with surprising alacrity in his state, clutching his knapsack to his chest. He stopped and crouched when he reached a certain distance from the commotion, glazed eyes observing the situation.

It was a trait honed by spend his nights out in Vacuo. There weren't many safe places in the middle of the hostile desert, and he had to be wary of ambushes as he slept. His body would completely wake him up if it was a Grimm attack, but against bandits looking for easy prey? It wouldn't even bother, being on auto-pilot was good enough. He did have issues with this habit however, as an unaware dormmate would find out firsthand. But thankfully, Silas never reported him, and he eventually dulled his reactions to the point where Silas could wake him up without any problems. Well, as long as he didn't make any sudden movements when Fen's eyes opened.

Unfortunately being in a completely different location, in a place where he wasn't expecting danger at all, caused him to react normally.

Fen scanned what was happening, his half-conscious mind making small mental notes on who he saw. He judged that there were four assailants, going by their aggressive body language. Two appeared to be simply watching, one appeared to be their ringleader, and the last one appeared to be armed, although Fen in his state couldn't tell with what. They were against an injured girl, who had an ally with her. His muscles tensed as another participant entered, foot first into the leader. Another ally it seemed. Someone else jumped into the fray, who he recognized as someone he met. She took out the armed man, leaving only the other two spectators. It appeared to be under control by now, with the two active aggressors being taken out. But as Fen was about to move back to his original spot, he saw one of the remaining members prepared to bring out something out, something against the now retreating Mei.

If Fen's subconscious mind had to explain what it was about to do, it would be something like be this: Throw knapsack at legs, to destabilize. Neutralize by grabbing arm, jamming thumb into wrist. Wrap other arm around neck, squeeze if necessary. Turn held body towards last enemy. It was formulated in an instant, as Fen lunged instinctively at the threat.

---

B E A C O N A C A D E M Y
G R E A T H A L L
K I N G D O M O F V A L E

---

Bren had to resist rolling his eyes at Briar's words, but still prepared himself to snap his fingers at Ajax and let the spirit run wild as his goons stepped forward. If that's how they wanted this to go then so be it. He didn't have the chance to though as another student slammed into Briar and sent him tumbling across the hall. "Well that solves one problem," at the same time the fox faunus he was pretty sure he'd seen at the feast stabbed, was that a toothbrush, into the shoulder of the bully who was holding Violet's arm and sent it rolling back to the smaller girl behind him.

He didn't let himself fully relax even as Mei turned to shout at the other boy, there were still the other three that needed to be dealt with and he doubted they'd be taking kindly to their ringleader being knocked on his ass. He caught sight of Violet picking her arm back up and wandering over to the other faunus that had been dropped to the floor and even going so far as to ask Briar if he was ok. The brat wasn't worth her time.

He was glad he'd kept paying attention to the bullies even as Mei continued to speak loudly with Rowan. The moment he noticed Drongo reaching into his pocket he snapped his fingers and gave a low pitched whistle to Ajax. In a flash of movement and shadow the spirit lunged towards the other boy and slammed his full weight against him; sinking sharp teeth into the arm that held, whatever it was he was trying to pull free from his pocket. So much for going one day without someone getting bitten. Oh well, better these guys than someone who didn't deserve it.

The moment of distraction given to him by Ajax was all he needed to follow quickly after. He wished he still had Guardian with him, hand to hand wasn't exactly his specialty, but that didn't mean he couldn't take someone to the ground. He let his momentum carry him into a roundhouse kick directly to the side of Drongo's head as Ajax pulled downwards on his arm; the spirit's jaw firmly locked with no intention of letting go until he was told to. He caught sight of another figure moving in as he hit the ground, some other faunus it seemed to help out with this fight. He seemed cognizant enough despite the glazed look in his eyes, so Bren would take all the help he could get.

"Watch your back," he glanced towards Mei, "Just because one is out of the fight doesn't mean the rest are gonna just lay down and take a nap." Hopefully the both of them who were arguing would pay more attention since it didn't seem like Briar's goons were going to go down without a fight.