Solaris Potentia:
Solaris:
Solaris Potentia.
Not the most…common…name you would find around. Solaris knew that his name drew attention to him. But…well, he couldn't exactly change it. It was part of who he was. And, he did like to think, it fitted him well. Especially given his skill set. Solaris knew that Beacon would be a fitting place for him. He had come from Vacuo, from a relatively isolated town, with little in the way of formal training for him. But with his long years of experience Grimm fighting, since he was a young kid, he wasn't exactly in doubt of gaining acceptance into Beacon. He wasn't arrogant, however, and knew his skill fighting was only matched by his ineptitude with others. He had long been a lone wolf, the singular fighter, alone against the world. Or, usually, his small world. Solaris didn't like to think too big. His immediate surroundings were often his only concern.
Now, though…with this initiation into Beacon. He knew there were going to be teams. Teams. Ozpin had explained (albeit briefly) that the terms for these teams would be whomever you retrieved the relic with would be on your team.
Great. Just Great. Solaris sighed internally at the thought of being with anyone else for any great period of time. Group struggles, power plays, greed, selfishness, doubt, anger, hate. These all came into play sooner or later in a team in his own experience. Solaris knew it was best to stay out of that. Sadly, it was necessary to work together.
Solaris looked around at the other people on the cliff beside him. Pyrrha Nikos was one of the only people here whom he recognised, but who hadn't heard of Pyrrha Nikos? She was practically world renowned, even in his isolated little home town hamlet, her name was known to the one grizzled huntsman who dwelt there.
The other people he knew…less so. He had seen them, sure, but know them? Not in the slightest. He recognised the Red Cloaked girl from the ship, and her Blonde Sister. How they were sisters, he didn't know. They looked nothing alike. Maybe one was adopted? Or maybe they only shared one parent? Solaris looked at the others. A girl in black and white clothing, with a simple dark bow in her raven black hair. She seemed…quiet, and reserved. An air of subtle confidence radiated from her. She knew what she was doing. There were others as well that he looked at closely. A somewhat hyperactive girl in white and pink, with ginger hair. Next to her, a solemn looking figure clad in green. What was his name? Ren?
He was pulled from these thoughts as the launch process begin. He was at the very end. Next to him, a blonde haired young man began to inquire, somewhat doubtfully, about the "Landing process". Solaris had his own very well planned out. Simple. Elegant. Not flashy though. Well, maybe to spectators. But not him.
"…So uh…what exactly is this…landing strategy-ahhhhhh!" The person next to him was flung into the air. Ozpin sipped his coffee. Solaris swear that that coffee must have some sort of drug in it.
As his pad launched, Solaris immediately went into autopilot. He focused the merest portion of his semblance into slowing his descent, willing himself into a slower fall as he altered his mass and gravity until he was barely moving, just lightly levitating of the ground. As he neared it closer, he let go, and fell a fraction of a meter to the ground. He straightened his brown trench coat and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small watch. Pressing a button on the (Immaculately polished) gold watch, he began recording the time. Let's see how long this'll take.
Breaking into a sprint, he rushed through the forest, searching for tracks. He landed last, after all. Everyone else had a head start. He would need to make up time…fast. Solaris bounded over fallen trees, noting the signs of some sign of conflict here. He saw shells, and the corpses of some Ursa. Something had happened here. And it seemed he had just missed it.
Yang:
Pushing through the forest into a large clearing, she and her, newly acquainted, partner Blake (who talked very little), came across the temple. At least, she thought it was.
"Do you think this is it?" She asked Blake, looking over at the mysterious black clad girl. Blake didn't say anything in response, but merely started walking down the hill to the temple.
She doesn't talk much, does she?
Yang was just about to follow her down the hill when she heard a twig snap behind her.
She immediately pivoted, raising her arms and pointing Ember Celica at this newcomer. She was startled to see it was another student, as opposed to a Grimm, as she had first supposed. She also saw he was alone.
Yang looked at the guy. He was tall, and wore a brown trench coat over a silver plated mail chest plate, gauntlets, and greaves. Even his shows were tinted with silver, reflecting the sunlight back at her. His blonde hair was combed to one side, and his blue eyes were watching her coldly…with a hint of bemusement.
"It's rude to stare. Especially when pointing a gun at someone" He said, pointing to Yang's gauntlets. Feeling somewhat abashed, she smiled goofily and lowered her guns.
"Oh. Right. Uh, sorry 'bout that. You startled me." She said, rubbing her neck with her hand and fiddling with a lock of hair in the other. She hoped he didn't think anything of it.
He merely retained a blank expression and looked behind her. His eyes seemed to light up when he saw the temple, as did his expression. He smiled contently to himself and made a slight fist pump to himself. Yang smiled internally. Glad he isn't as serious as he looks. Not that he looks bad…not that I am into him or anythi-jeez, that got derailed fast…what was I thinking about…oh, right. Temple. She thought, upon seeing Blake staring at what must be the relic needed. Yang ran down the hill to the temple, past the lone figure as he to made his way towards it. Yang suddenly slowed down and spun around as she caught up with him.
"So what's your name? I'm Yang. That over there-" she said, gesturing to Blake "She's Blake. And you are…?" she said, tilting her head to him.
He maintained a monotone expression.
"Solaris" he said in a flat voice. Yang struggled to keep a straight face.
"I'm sorry-" She held in a fit of giggles-"…Solaris? That's your real name? Your real name? Your real name? Your real name?" She asked in one entire breath, not trusting her expression to betray her inner laughter. Or her external laughter.
Solaris sighed, shaking his head.
"Yes. It is indeed" he replied, looking at Yang closely. He had a serious face, but his eyes suggested he too was enjoying the exchange.
Those really are nice…that's the second time in a minute I've looked at his eyes. Her thoughts were distracted when he went over to the temple and looked around. There were two different sets of pieces left. Yang noticed this too and took a White Rook. She liked horses. Turning to Blake, she asked.
"How about a cute little pony?" Blake sighed, and at first Yang thought she was annoying her, but then she saw the smile on the girls face.
That's the spirit. Yang liked it when people were nonchalant and joyful. People, when serious, were such a drag at times, and made talking really hard. Better when they were all in it for a laugh, like her.
Yang turned to see what Solaris, she giggled saying the name to herself, was choosing. He was looking hesitantly between the Rook and the other pieces.
Yang took it upon herself to make this easier for him.
"Take a pony. Like us. We already have two people, you can be our third, and maybe the next person to come here can be our fourth." Assuming that's Ruby. Hopefully it is. Yang knew she had said to her sister that maybe she should try someone else for a team, but she wouldn't have it any other way then for her to be on her team. She was easier to look out for that way. Besides, while not doubting her ability to survive in the field, in a social situation she had a little…less faith…in Ruby.
Her thought was interrupted when they heard a loud scream, a high pitched, desperate scream.
"Did you guys here that?" Solaris asked, looking at Blake and Yang, holding, to Yang's private joy and delight, a Rook, like them.
"It sounded like a girls in trouble" Blake said, in response. Just at that moment, Yang looked over to see Blake looking up, along with Solaris.
"Uh. Correct me if I am wrong. But that is someone falling out of the sky, no?" he asked Yang. Yang could not believe it. Of all the people to be, it was Ruby. Her sister. Of course. It made perfect sense. Hopefully she would not ruin any potential plans she had with Solaris. Not that she did. But in the, say, hypothetical event that she decided to give it a go. Yang was watching as Ruby continued to fall, and realised, too late, that she was not going to be able to slow or break her fall. But the fall would indeed break her. Preparing to catch her, Yang readied herself, when Solaris did something entirely and thoroughly unexpected, to both her and Blake.
Solaris:
She's going to hit the ground. She is going to hit it. This will end badly. Unless I intervene.
Stretching out his hand, Solaris willed the fall of Ruby to slow, bending gravity to his whims as she was caught in his field of influence. She suddenly stopped falling, a few meters above the ground, when someone else flew right over her head and into some nearby trees.
"Too bad you missed him" Blake said wryly. Solaris glanced over at the flying individual in question.
"He's fine" he said calmly, before lowering his hand, and with it, Ruby. He nodded at the girl, who then immediately leapt into the arms of the blonde haired girl next to him.
"Yang!" she yelled excitedly.
"Ruby!" Yang yelled back.
Just as they had finished their sibling greetings, the clearing shook with the roar of a mighty Grimm as a Deathstalker strode into the clearing, chasing the red haired Pyrrha.
"Uh. Did that girl run all the way here with a Deathstalker chasing her?" Blake asked, as if somehow the information her eyes were currently relaying to her brain had been falsified on the way there. Solaris was thinking much the same thing.
As this occurred, Solaris noted that there was also, what appeared to be, a girl who had ridden in on an Ursa, with that calm, composed and collected individual behind her looking not so calm, composed, and collected. This girl suddenly, through some unfathomable means, appeared right next to them, holding a castle in her hands, singing "I'm queen of the castle, I'm queen of the castle!" only to be interrupted by the shout of "NORA!" from across the clearing. This was enough to push Yang over the edge it seemed.
"ARGH! I've had it! Can everyone just chill out for two seconds.
Suddenly it seemed like everyone paused.
One.
Two.
Unpause.
"Uh…Yang?" asked Ruby. Yang looked up, as did everyone else.
Right.
Yang looked over at Solaris.
"Do you think you can…you know…do whatever you did before again?"
Solaris nodded, stretched out his hand, and watched as the same person who missed his field of influence last time did so again, catching the falling Weiss Schnee in the most clumsy, yet oddly graceful, heroic catch ever witnessed by any of the present company. This was immediately ruined as he realised they were both now above the ground, and without a way to stop their fall. Solaris refocused and caught them both before they hit the ground and deposited them gently to the ground.
"Great!" Yang said vibrantly. "The gangs all here. Now we can die together!"
Ruby interrupted this moment by charging forward at the Death Stalker with the adage "Not if I can help it!"
Solaris immediately saw she had misjudged this moment and was about to dive in to the fight when Yang charged forward first. Solaris instead decided to focus on the giant Nevermore that had caused the sudden arrivals of Ruby and Weiss. Unslinging from behind his back a compact SMG, its shining steel body casing elegantly carved with kill notches, he took aim at the gigantic beats and opened fire, the potent rounds screaming through the air with lethal force, colliding with the target and pockmarking the beasts underside in a flurry of miniature explosions as his HE rounds tore at it. The beast screeched in response and unleashed a volley of barbed feather strikes, the massive projectiles tearing into the ground and pinning the brashly charging Ruby to the ground as she retreated before the Death Stalker. Unable to free herself, Weiss was forced to step into action and intervene, freezing the beasts tail solid and catching its claw before it could impale the wayward Ruby. The rest of the groups combined gunfire managed to deter the Nevermore, but, as Jaune quickly noted, it wasn't long before it begun to circle back. The group quickly reformed, Ruby and Weiss apparently reaching some consensus between the two on the proper course of action whilst the others prepared a retreat to the cliffs. Solaris pocketed his piece and joined them. He felt as though something was wrong with him. He should leave them be, and return, yet the requirements were to do it together. As a team.
Solaris, along with the rest of them, arrived at a derelict building, its majestic form falling to the ravages of time and neglect. A singular rocky bridge spanned a mist filled gorge, providing the only way across. The Nevermore circled overhead, landing on the ruins top, whilst the Death Stalker, freed from its prison, corralled the group into action. The opening volley from the Nevermore was expertly avoided by the hyperactive ginger haired girl, who returned fire with some sort of explosive grenade launcher. The others seemed to move in perfect unity, without having ever, apparently, fought as one before. Solaris, however, had no such plan to fight with them. They would fight well enough, he deemed, for him to fight independently of them. For as long as he could, that is. Propelling himself upwards onto the higher parts of the ruins, he aimed at the Nevermore whilst the others battled the Death Stalker. Solaris fired a full clip into the beast, its wing taking several hits as it flew around the ruin. Reloading, he threw the gun into the air, grabbed its stock, flipped it, and transformed it into his secondary weapon.
His boomerang. A quite literal "Boom"-erang though. He hefted his arm and threw it with all his might, the gun spinning elegantly through the air, the gun opening fire in all directions, a full 360 degree spray of HE high velocity rounds, landing many shots on the Nevermore. When it got close enough, the bayonet on the SMG served as the Boomerangs lethal bladed edge, slicing into the flesh of the Nevermore and creating a deep gauge on the beasts flank below the wing, causing it to swerve in flight and grapple precariously at the ruins his new team members were on. His boomerang swiftly returned to his grasp, and he quickly threw the empty magazine out before placing a new one in.
The resultant fire storm hit the beasts so many times that the Nevermore struggled to regain flight, namely thanks to that energetic Ruby girl. Solaris smiled. Seems they weren't so useless after all. Solaris was pulled violently from his chain of thought when the Death Stalker smashed down the ruin he was standing on, knocking him to the ground. Right in front of said beast. He looked up, dazed, and saw the beasts stinger coming down to him, when it was suddenly blocked by that blonde haired boy and his shield, who looked down and nodded as Solaris jumped to his feet, spun around and fired his gun into the Death Stalkers face, crippling its eyes in the shrapnel storm of his Highly Explosive rounds impacting its face. The others clustered around, delivering blow after blow. Pyrrha was driving them forward whilst that boy shouted instructions, which the solemn black haired boy followed with unquestioning lethality. That hyperactive ginger was raining destruction upon the beast as they prepared the killing blow. Solaris looked over to where the others were fighting. Marshalling his Semblance, he propelled himself forward, over the shattered bridge, and landed in the ruined building. He joined Blake as they fired round after round into the Nevermore, forcing it to land.
When the beast finally surrendered and landed somewhat gracelessly upon the top of the ruin, Solaris was aware of the team preparing some sort of finishing move. Ruby was readying herself on a Glyph that the Weiss girl had prepared, whilst Blake pulled it bake like some sort of improvised catapult. Solaris looked at Ruby, who nodded in an unspoken agreement. He somehow instinctively knew what to do, channelling his willpower to alter the mass of the girl in question. As she launched, her altered mass made her propel forward at incredible speed, her scythe catching the beast around the neck with such force that is neck was heard to go snap even from this distance. Solaris watched in amazement as Weiss made a series of glyphs up along the cliff, which Ruby then propelled herself up with incredible speed, pulling the Nevermore with her the whole way. The beast struggled limply before its head was torn off in an explosion of blood and rose petals as Ruby reached the top of the cliff, her cape streaming behind her. She looked down on the ruins below, and Solaris felt, for once in his life, that maybe these people were some people he could work with. But still. He had one of the four pieces needed to be on their team. They had partners already. He did not. He was not sure if Weiss was aware of this or not, but, since it was impossible for her to have her own (He had seen Ruby take her piece, he assumed that Weiss assumed Ruby had hers or that they would go back to get the one that would be there for her-possibly) so he came to the only logical conclusion of what to do. He went over to Weiss, and handed her his piece. She looked somewhat incredulous at first, but then she nodded.
"I won't need this. Teams…they have never been my strong suit. You…you on the other hand. You seem to know teams better than me. And you have a partner. Be thankful for that. If you didn't have her as your partner, well, I would've kept this as my own. But it belongs to you." He said, and then began to walk away.
Weiss stopped him before he could go.
"But what about you? You can't complete initiation without a piece. You'll have to go back"
Solaris smiled, turning to face her.
"It seems I will, but honour is more important than hearing the mockery of others. My honour goes before my pride. I would rather fail today and try again knowing I did what was right rather than win and make someone else suffer. No matter how little or well I know them" Weiss looked somewhat stunned by this, but was distracted by the immediate celebration of their teammates. As they clustered together, only Yang saw him walk away into the ruins, the mysterious figure vanishing in the gloom. She felt somewhat sad at his sudden departure, but could not say why, for some reason. In any case, she was distracted by the celebrations of friends and team, and so Solaris faded away as suddenly as he had come.
As Solaris strode up the cliff back at the start of the initiation, he heard the slow clap of someone in the tree line. No one else was here. Looking around, he saw none other than Professor Ozpin step out of hiding, wearing his bemused smile and his ever present coffee in hand.
"Congratulations, young man. You worked well with your team. Even if you did not know it" He begun, fixing Solaris with his steady gaze.
Solaris nodded thanks. His fighting was never in doubt. He had never seen reason to doubt, except when he was knocked off those ruins. He would have to thank that blonde haired warrior who saved his life. He was about to say the same to Ozpin when he realised something he had just said.
"Wait…team?" he asked doubtfully.
Ozpin chuckled, and threw him a White Rook piece. A fifth piece.
"It seems I dropped this. A pity. You may have to return it to me…say…during the initiation ceremony. When RWBY is up." He said, his smile visible.
Solaris couldn't believe it. "But, sir, you…I handed my piece away. I have no place on that team. I don't belong on a team. All my life I have fought alone. Other people slow me down. Other people make bonds. Ties. Emotions. I dealt with that once before. Never again" Never again. She trusted me. And I failed her.
"Like it or not, it is your path. You'll remain without a partner. But you'll have a team. Fight with them. Study with them. Hunt with them. Laugh with them. They may not be the most unified team. But I see potential in them. I see potential in you. A team is what you need to begin to learn to trust again, to work with others. You can't go your life without accepting help. Your future will never allow it. Learn now, before the mistakes from not learning become the last mistakes you ever make" Ozpin explained, his tone serious, his wisdom reaching into Solaris.
"Let's just call it part of our…foreign training…programme" he said, and departed, leaving Solaris with a White Rook in hand and an uncertain future ahead.
XXX
When the time of the initiation finally came, no one was ready for that moment. When RWBY stood upon the stage, no one was ready when that last figure came up on the stage, presented his piece, and the computer announced that there was to be a fifth team member of the team. Solaris Potentia. A name unheard of by most. What was entirely unheard of was a team of five. Never had there been a team of five, but, at Ozpin's announcement of this being a foreign training programme, people seemed to accept it more readily. Except Goodwitch, who knew there was no such programme in existence, nor had their ever been. Those least expecting it where team RWBY, now RWBYS, (Pronounced, if it must be said, Rubies) were standing, Weiss in indignant shock, Blake looking over in wonder, Ruby in confusion, and Yang in secret joy at Solaris joining them. However, this was all changed when it was announced that Ruby was to be the leader, causing Yang to forget the new addition to their team and hug her younger sister, whilst Solaris did his best to remain unnoticed. He was not successful.
XXX
Solaris and RWBY were making their way to their dorm, something he figured that Ozpin hadn't really thought through that well. For starters, he hoped he had a bed. And a separate change room. Or, he hoped, failing that, a bathroom that had a locking door. He sincerely hoped for that, at least. He wandered if this fact was something that anyone else had thought of. Hopefully someone else would understand. Then again, being the only guy in a room full of unfamiliar girls…this had some serious concerns up ahead. Not that he would instigate anything. He doubted very much that any of them would be interested in him. For starters, he knew that Ruby, at least, was too young to care for such matters, since he had not seen her glance once at him, or anyone else, with anything but a look of:
Inquiry
Confusion
That subtle look that suggests you might be insane but I, as the person listening, do not want to mention because I fear what will happen if I do and I don't want to test to see if your actually insane but I am not sure if I am able to slowly back away without you noticing me and what I am doing
Fun
Thus, he was safe from her. He was certain Weiss had some sort of grudge or animosity for him being on the team against established tradition, despite her presence only being on the team because of him. Or maybe she just disliked Ruby to the point that it was slipping over into other conversations. Or maybe she just didn't like him full stop. He honestly didn't know.
Blake. Blake, however, was someone her appeared to be preoccupied with other things. What those were, he could not say, but he sensed something off with her. His trained eye in the field of hunting recognised something hidden, some secret aspect, that Blake was hiding, although what it was he could not say.
Finally, that left Yang. Yang was…well, she was naturally flirtatious, it seemed, but if this was serious flirting, or just casual, "this is my everyday style of communication" flirting, he could not tell. But Yang, of all the group, seemed the one most eager to talk to him, and, of all the group, she was the one whom he noticed looking at him before quickly glancing away on more than one separate occasion. Once or twice, that was mere social awkwardness, but three, four or five times? That was a bit more. That was either interest, or he had something on his clothes that only Yang could see.
As they entered the dorms, Solaris sighed. Of course.
There were four beds.
He had worried if someone thought to place an extra bed in here. He supposed he could sleep on the floor. After all, he was used to camping outside in the wilds, often in Grimm infested territory. He knew that sleeping in a dorm room, even on the floor, was infinitely more comfortable then the rocky floor of a cave, or in a tree, or a ruined building.
Yet again.
"So where's your bed going to be?" Ruby was asking Yang, in the traditional sibling competition for best bed. Yang looked them over.
"There all the same, Rubes" she replied doubtfully, looking at her sister.
Weiss had already called the bed nearest the open window, while Blake had called the one nearest the door. That left two.
"I guess I'll sleep on the floor then, shall I?" Solaris asked the assembled group.
Ruby looked around as if seeing the problem for the first time. "No, you shouldn't have to. We should get you your own bed" she said helpfully.
"Or" begun Blake, a sly look in her eyes. "You and Yang could sleep in the same bed. You are sisters, after all, so you must've done it before, I assume?"
Ruby and Yang glanced at each other, eyes narrowing, Mexican stand-off style, before immediately launching into tirades about why that won't happen. The resultant blur of words and shouts made it sound as if at least ten people were arguing loudly, or one Nora was in the room.
Blake immediately regretted the idea, abandoned it, and went back to reading. Weiss was not exactly the type to share a bed, and seeing that the Ruby-Yang bed dispute would not be resolved without extensive arguing, Solaris accepted his position and decided to take the floor.
Yang, however, had other ideas.
"Or…he could…stay in my bed" She said, ever so slowly, as if saying these words were somehow akin to prodding a delicate glass sculpture of priceless value, and that the wrong word might shatter Solaris. When she said the words, it certainly seemed to break Blake, who's dropped her book, eyes wide. Weiss turned around, opening her mouth to interject, before Ruby…ever so innocent, said the following. "And have Yang sleep on the floor?" She said, confused.
"I don't think that's what see meant" Blake said quietly.
Weiss remained silent, preferring to watch the spectacle unfold as it may. Let's see our so called leader handle this situation, she thought to herself. She would merely throw Solaris out and be done with it. But Ruby was a bit more…kind, it seemed. That, or ignorant.
Ruby stared at Blake for a moment. Then Yang. Then Blake again. Then Solaris, who tried to activate a non-existent ability to teleport out of this situation. He had no success and was forced to watch as Ruby came to the conclusion.
"…oh…" she said in a small voice, before bursting out into laughter. This came as a surprise to everyone.
"Yang…you want to…you thought…hahahaha…yo-….y…teeheeheehahahahaahaheeteehee…you thought tha…heahaHAAHAHAHA!"
Everyone looked at her as if she had suffered some sort of severe brain disorder induced by uncontained comedic value.
Yang remained silent, blushing violently out how her actions seemed to come across to everyone. Solaris then decided to step in.
"Relax. Relax. Everyone, I don't think Yang would mean to be in the same bed as me for any other reason other than because she doesn't want a fellow team member to sleep on the floor whilst you all get nice comfy beds. I'll get my bed tomorrow and after that it shall all be fine, won't it?" he said, looking between everyone, causing Yang to blush even more when he looked in her direction.
Besides, if I can survive one night here, possibly in the same bed as her…no. I will take the floor. It won't be so bad. Surely not.
Yang, however, had no such qualms, it appeared, even if the previous conversation was anything to go by.
"Now what sort of team mate would I be if I just let you sleep on the floor?" Yang asked everyone. "I can't speak for you lot, but I, myself, would be perfectly happy sleeping…just sleeping, mind you, with a fellow team member, not a guy, and definitely not a boyfriend. I don't know about you, but I am willing to make that sacrifice." She said, crossing her arms over her (impressive) chest.
Solaris looked around vainly for help, and, seeing none coming, begun to restate that he was perfectly happy with being on the floor. Blake, however, wanted to resolve the situation as well, most likely so she could read her book in piece.
"Technically, if you really cared that much Yang, you would be the one to sleep on the floor. Not him. And if he really doesn't care, then he would take your bed. If, however, he does care, then he will choose one or the other. Yet, if you don't surrender the bed, he will sleep on the floor." She said softly, not looking up from her book.
Yang then began to open her mouth when she stopped, most peculiarly, and paused.
"Ugh. Fine" she said, somewhat theatrically, it seemed. Everyone else, however, dismissed the matter and went back to what they were doing. Solaris went up to Yang (Who seemed to blush ever so slightly when he approached) and put a hand on her shoulder, leaning in close. "You really don't mind?" he asked her carefully, looking her in the eye. Yang nodded at him, the blush appearing to deepen, her breathing increased. She seemed to lean in slightly closer, making her chest more exposed to him.
"I have no preference. Same as you. You can take my bed. I'll take the floor one night. We can't always get what we want, can we?"
Solaris decided not to push this matter further and turned promptly to the bed. Let's test her. If she wants this bed, she would've kept it. Perhaps she'll sleep with Ruby. Solaris begun setting up the bed for his own preferred style, with a second pillow on top of the original, and a third out to this right side. He moved the pillows to the left so that he could lie facing right, his more comfortable position, or, as he did in the wild, to conceal his weapon underneath the blankets, and be ready to roll out of the bed with his weapon in hand at a moment's notice. Whilst not relevant here, he would still do it out of habit. After he had dealt with the normal nightly requirements of showering (Making sure the room was empty before entering and making sure the door was locked upon entering), getting dressed for bed (Again making sure the door hadn't spontaneously come unlocked during the shower somehow), brushing his teeth, and combing his hair (Yes, he combed his hair) he re-entered the room, noting how everyone had seemingly gone to sleep when he was in the shower. Which was not odd, he supposed, as Blake was the only one left awake, reading by nightlight, when he was entering the bathroom. Still, he could swear he could detect some slight movement as he passed Blake's bed, pausing ever so slightly and detecting a miniscule shift in someone's breathing and the ruffling of…paper? Solaris decided Blake still had a book open on her bed when she turned the lights off. Entering his bed, he realised he had failed to see where Yang was sleeping, and did not notice her in Ruby's bed, as he supposed the two sisters would do.
Too tired to think properly, he entered his bed when he realised that someone else was already there.
Solaris sighed when he realised who it was.
"You never had any intention of letting me take your bed, did you?" he whispered in hushed tones. Yang's head popped up from underneath the covers.
"Nope" she replied in a whisper, her smile evident even in the dark. Solaris supposed that he can add practical jokes to Yang's list of things she liked. Not that he was keeping an actual list…or that he intended to use it…that is, if it existed.
"And I suppose this was planned so you could get me to lie next to you, wasn't it?" he asked her, to Yang's amusement. She smiled again and straightened her hair.
"I wanted to see how you would react. I was hoping you'd yell out or something. You took this pretty well." She said slyly, winking to him. Solaris immediately felt uncomfortable about how easily she had tricked him. And how simple the trick was, more to the point.
Solaris nodded, realization dawning. "You were testing me." He said simply.
Yang smiled widely.
"Yep, she shouted causing all the lights in the dorm to turn on suddenly. Solaris instantly realised how the situation looked and felt that he had been a fool to be tricked so easily. Or so fast.
Well then. Explaining why he and Yang were in the same bed was going to be fun.