Mid-morning, a generally quiet hour in Downtown Vale's shopping district. The day itself had gotten off to a lazy start, as if the warmth of the summer sun warranted it stretching itself out like a yawning cat. Airy white clouds sailed across an ocean of blue, pushed by a fresh, gentle breeze, the only sign of the light sprinkling the city had received the night before. The rain left the manicured grass and decorative trees smelling crisp and clean, and with the vehicle thoroughfares entirely clear, all that was left to make noise were the small groups of friends and the occasional loner moving from shop to shop. All things considered, it was a blessedly peaceful locale. The young man asleep with his headphones on as Marlon Murk passed by certainly seemed to think so.
"That fella sure knows how to take a load off, don't he?" the immense man rumbled. Marlon's brawny, rough-hewn form towered over the other shoppers, a solid wall of muscle packaged in workman's boots, dark denim pants, and a black sleeveless t-shirt. Soft emerald eyes stood out beneath a dusky brow topped by short, thick hair the color of soot, and regarded the dozer with a twinkle of amusement. He was sleeping so soundly he didn't even notice that his chin length hair had fallen right into his open, drooling mouth, or that his headphones were starting to slide off, letting everyone else hear the screaming, violent music he somehow snored through.
Marianne just nodded, not even turning her head to observe the sleeping stranger. A slender young lass with striking silvery eyes that kept themselves focused on the path ahead, she was a bit of a counterbalance to her eldest brother. Fair in the skin, barring the freckles on her cheeks, and with the only bit of darkness to her in her chestnut brown hair, held in a simple ponytail that reached the nape of her neck, she was a light and airy thing. Clad in a plain white dress and bearing a silver locket round her neck, she moved with measured grace and a hard to place sense of detachment, anchored as she was on the arm of the behemoth next to her.
The pair were out on an errand of some importance, for tomorrow was Marlon's first day at Beacon Academy, and much to their dismay the Admissions letter had been lost in some dim corner of Valish bureaucracy until the night before. Even Uncle Siegfried had given up on his chances of being accepted this year, thinking that the Academic portion of the Entrance Exam had been too much for his nephew to tackle. It had been a blow for the both of them, as his Uncle had spent many a late night with him in the study, teaching him all that he could given the limited book learning Marlon and his siblings had had as children. Thankfully, Marianne and Melinda were taking to it a bit faster, although Maximo was, as always, a handful, and Merrydee was too young to really embrace any of it yet.
However, the letter had indeed come, and so then came the business of making sure the man of the hour was dressed for the coming year. There was, of course, a uniform required, and so Marlon would need to be fitted. A daunting task for any tailor, but Uncle had known of a particular place which specialized in exactly what they needed. Bertram's Outfitters was a small shop, and not very well known outside of its specific circle of clientele, but the Hunters and Huntresses in that circle knew it to possess certain crucial qualities. First, they could handle the damage from a highly dangerous, rough and tumble lifestyle, even while using materials like lace and taffeta. Second, they had exceptionally swift service, especially if they had done work for you before, thanks to their detailed customer records. And third, they did not discriminate against faunus, unlike an unfortunate number of tailors throughout the Kingdom proper.
"We are here." Marianne stated, as she brought them to a stop across the street from the apparently tiny shop. Bertram's entryway belied the extensive interior, wedged as it was between Macavoy's Pub 'n Grill and Giraldo's Dust Emporium, the dingy brick of the latter and the almost baroque marble façade of the former clashing heavily. Bertram's was situated almost like a tiny neutral country caught between two World Powers ready to face off in a final apocalyptic conflict, with its simple window display of Beacon Uniforms to the left and assorted finer garments to the right framed in charcoal-toned flat panel boards. A calligraphic sign in tawny colors hung above the inlaid doorway, through which a wolf faunus just so happened to be entering, a tiny bell announcing his presence.
"Welp. Better get it over with. Maybe I won't get stuck too much." He laughed, shrugging, and led them onward and through the door, which was just high enough that his instinctive duck was purposeless. Marianne's first impression was one of carefully corralled chaos. While there were racks of premade garments dotting the landscape, which rapidly expanded after a few yards of hallway, most of the hustle and bustle wasn't focused on those. She counted at least seven people currently being fitted for uniforms, one more fitted for a formal outfit, ten waiting, and a motley crew of friends and relatives numbering in the dozens chatting or picking up finished orders over at an overwhelmed checkout counter. The frown on her brother's face was ample evidence of what he thought of the…lively…atmosphere, and it only deepened when he had to two-step to avoid treading on someone's beaver tail.
It wasn't so much the closeness of the space, or the crush of bodies or frenzy of activity. All these things were familiar to them both, from their childhood home and their current residence. It was more the lack of earthiness, the overdone politeness and rigidity of the whole scene. Everyone looked uncomfortable and out of place, even those who clearly had been in the city all their lives. The employees glazed over their discomfort with smiles so tight they could have been carved, and practiced, tired phrasing and mannerisms ruled the day. At least when his Uncle's servants were tired they were allowed to show it, and boy, back home, as much as you tried to be nice to folks, if you were in a bad mood, it showed. You were known well enough that hiding it was foolish anyway.
Marianne gave his arm a squeeze, and moved him quietly over to wait behind the rest of those in line. He sighed. So much for getting out of here anytime soon. He'd hoped to spend the day with everyone, for as much as he loved his eldest sister, he had wanted time with the rest of his family too. Maybe he'd even have had the chance to play cards with Fiona if they both had a spare quarter hour. Looks like it'd all have to wait, though. Today was for standin' in line and getting prodded by total strangers. He should have expected as much with the last minute rush, Aunt Winnifred had even warned them both that the place would be a madhouse. Resigning himself to the situation, he smiled down at Marianne and muttered "Well, it could be worse. That fella over there looks like some hog messed in his grits. Wonder what's got his fur all out of sorts?"
The wolf faunus they'd followed in wasn't even bothering with the line yet, instead choosing to hang back in a corner and glower at everyone. He was oddly dressed for the sort of person who would frequent this kind of establishment, most of his clothes appeared beat-up and ragged, and he had a funny-looking mask hooked on to the belt of his jeans. The pale thing looked broken, cracked beneath the left eye, and didn't appear to serve any purpose aside from decoration. His gray tail hung dejectedly between his legs, and his ears were down flat against his raven hair, the only part of him that didn't seem unkempt. Marianne noted the care he'd put into it, it was on par with her own and was in fact even longer, down to his waist… Strange, for a man to wear it so, when it would interfere with practically everything a man would be doing. He hadn't even tied it up. Part of it covered his left eye, another impracticality Marlon recognized in particular.
The lad just looked plain uncomfortable, and he couldn't blame him, the way the layout was. What actually attracted his attention, though, was the way he had positioned himself. A niche in the wall, large enough to swing in, small enough to keep people from coming around behind you. Even though the faunus looked scrawny and harmless enough, Marlon could tell there was something about him that spoke of violence, or at least a familiarity with it. He'd also noticed that Marlon was sizing him up, so to be friendly, he gave the lad a genuine grin and a wave, getting only a quick nod in return.
"He's seen things. Hasn't he?" Marianne whispered, her expression unchanging as she watched an attendant go about their business with the next person in line. Marlon nodded slowly. His sister wasn't wrong about the lad. She wasn't wrong about most people. "Most of the people who shop here would have, I think." she added, her thoughts roaming out over the sea and back to a small island which once was home to similar men and women. Her brother's hand on her shoulder brought her back to the here and now, although admittedly he'd been thinking the same thing and had reached out to ground himself as much as keep her in the moment. Those were feelings for a more appropriate time.
"They'd be proud of ya, ya know." He said, his voice just a hair thicker.
"Not half so proud as they would be of you, Marlon." she replied, looking up at him with a small smile on her lips. He returned it and then it was their chance to be waited on. For this, Marianne did the talking, her soft voice barely making itself heard over the general din. Her orders were clear, though, and without overmuch fuss he was made to stand in a variety of poses to allow the staff room to measure him. The look on his face must have been priceless, because he caught the wolf faunus trying to hide a grin, and some hyena woman nearly his size not even bothering to cover a guffaw. That was, at least, until it was her turn to be fitted for her uniform and he grinned right back at her as she gave him the sourest frown he could imagine. She also managed to flip him a rude gesture that had no place on anyone's hands, let alone a lady's. He supposed that she didn't look too much of one anyway, so there was that. Heck, she was even being measured for pants, instead of a skirt, from what he could tell.
Marianne did her best to ignore it. She'd known rough women on Yrrch, but none so rough as the hyena faunus, by the look of her. Stronger, more resilient women, to be sure, but rough? No, even in the wilderness there was still a sense of the feminine there. This one, something was very, very wrong with. She was powerfully built, clearly wrapped in lean yet bulky muscle underneath the tight-fitting hoodie and sweatpants she wore. The black material almost strained in some places in its efforts to contain her. One of the only noticeably girlish things about her were her lips and face, which still looked soft enough beneath a mop of tawny hair and hyena ears, but were immediately overshadowed by the ferocious glow in her amber eyes. The way she looked at women and men alike…she'd given her and Marlon the same hungry sweep with her eyes from the start, and it had made her skin crawl. Instinctively, she'd moved behind Marlon once she'd had the chance, preferring to stay out of sight and hopefully out of mind. Thankfully, the attendants were a massive distraction, and from the swearing coming out of her as they prodded and pinned, the hyena woman was not enjoying herself.
As Marlon finished and remembered his manners enough to thank those who'd assisted him, Marianne, as discreetly as she was able, started guiding him towards the door. While she could handle crowds, she knew her brother wasn't enjoying himself and was ready to quit the place. And besides, there was some attention she didn't much like being on the receiving end of, so out they went, with her giving a quick smile to the once again unhappy wolf faunus, who had remained in his niche. It was still a beautiful morning outside, and they were both already breathing easier. Marlon stretched, finally feeling like he could move without clobberin' some poor soul, and twisted and flexed until he was satisfied and feeling relaxed once more. "Now ya said I'd have to nab my britches and thin's tomorrow mornin' on my way to Beacon?" She nodded, smiling again.
"Behind you." she added, just above a whisper.
He stepped aside just in the nick of time as another faunus walked blindly out of Bertram's and right through where he had been standing. Heck, this one was a big lass too, was it something in the water? They'd both known large folk before, in fact Marlon himself hadn't been too out of place back on the island, but most of the people around his size and up had been men. Even taller than the hyena lady inside, and a few years older by the looks of her, she only had a few inches to go to reach his height. Full-figured, tan, and sporting an almost eye-gougingly hot pink halter dress that ended just above the knee, the girl was well beyond standing out. At what had to be a handful of inches over six foot, adding even more with the tawny, almost hyena-ish ears, it was hard not to notice her. Her pleasant, baby face was focused so intently on both the large cherry sucker she had crammed into her mouth and the receipt she was burning holes in with wide, brown eyes that she'd somehow missed the one person larger than herself. Well, at least initially. Her stripey black and tan bit of a tail stopped its rhythmic twitching and snapped to attention as she finally realized she'd nearly run into someone.
"Beggin' your pardon, Miss."
Out came the lollipop. "Oh." On came the look of dawning comprehension topped with a chocolate bob hairdo. "Oh. I'm so sorry. I'm just a little distracted, I have a lot going on, you know." The woman laughed nervously, a light sound for someone her size. Marianne looked her over as she started to explain herself, about how she was just so excited for her baby brother, who was attending Beacon starting tomorrow, and she had just picked up his uniforms before a surprise party she was throwing him tonight, and about how she was proud, and God in Heaven could this woman go on…She spoke just as rapidly with her hands, frequently taking hold of Marlon's or using them to hold in a belly laugh. It was strange, almost amiss, seeing someone so strong in frame and soft in form. Not that she was fat, of course, but from what she could see this woman had never mucked out a stall or handled a bale of anything in her life. Those hands had to be as soft as silk.
"Well, Miss, as it happens, I'm headin' to Beacon tomorrow myself. Mayhaps I'll be seein' your little brother Chappie there." Marlon said, flashing his teeth amiably, his hands akimbo. That only started the torrent of words all over again.
"Oh that's just awesome! Congrats! I'll probably see you too! I'm the Infirmary Head! Andalina Carob! But you can call me Andy, everyone does, it's easier, I know it sounds like a boy's name and people always say Andalina is prettier, and it is, but, well, you know, when you have to call out for sutures it's better to be quick!"
"It's a pleasure to meet ya, Miss Andy. Name's Marlon Murk, and this here is my sister Marianne." he replied, taking her hand and giving it a kiss, like he'd done with every member of the fairer sex he'd ever met. Marianne curtsied demurely while wincing heavily on the inside, knowing full well what was about to happen next. The faunus, neither of them were able to figure out just what kind she was yet, blushed a deep crimson and put her hands over her mouth, then started muttering "oh my" over and over, in shocked, hushed tones. Truth be told, she'd not once had any man treat her that way, and she wasn't sure if it was just extreme good manners or a come-on. This Murk boy, as strong and as rough as he looked, and spoke, for that matter, couldn't be so gentlemanly as that. She'd only seen this in movies and at hoighty-toighty Staff functions, and even then only with men and women far above her social standing. Or, being hurtfully honest, degree of beauty. Taking that into account, this was probably the single sweetest and most innocent way to flirt with someone she could think of, and she was beyond pleased with herself and beyond embarrassed that it had happened so publicly. And so suddenly. Oh my!
Marlon looked over to his sister for a bit of direction. This had turned out so poorly. Sometimes Valish women giggled at this sort of thing, and very rarely did he get the barest hint of a blush, but most of the people he'd even bothered to meet were all well-to-do friends of his Aunt and Uncle, and his behavior was expected. He knew things were different than on the island, here women were depressingly used to a lack of respect and dignity, but for one of them to catch the honeyglow over a simple howdy-do…shucks, that just beat everythin'. Marianne looked back at him hard, silently willing him to say something to clip the wings off of this juvenile flight of fancy before it got too high. If only he'd noticed the kind of girl he was dealing with sooner, he might have avoided this mess. Or, knowing him, walked head-on right into it because it was only proper that he show this girl the same respect and manners he showed all the others, consequences be damned.
As it turned out, the "tender moment" was short lived anyway.
During the extended introduction, a group of filthy, coverall-wearing men of varying ages and stages of drunkenness had been stumbling their way along a nearby footpath. The motley crew was united by two things, a sturdy build from hard labor and a general bad attitude, the second of which they were currently taking out on people unfortunate enough to be in earshot. While up until now it had just been general foul language and bawdy jokes, someone abruptly noticed Andy and paused, motioning for everyone to look goggle-eyed at the three of them.
"Say, you guys ever seen a bear in a dress like that before?" he hollered, at top volume, unaware of how his voice carried and that his friends where standing within a few feet of him. A chorus of slurred ejaculations, swearing, and surprise went up around him, and someone let out an impressive belch and immediately excused himself. Laughter rippled through them at both the commentary and the apology. Andy muttered something about "Andrew's Circus" and looked at the ground, clutching her package to her chest defensively. "Why'd you bother to go and pretty yourself up? You animals go into heat or something?" someone else called out, and the woman went red and made a helpless, strangled sort of noise. Marlon's brow lowered and he turned to face them, squaring off his shoulders. Marianne, having seen this sort of thing before, took hold of one of Andy's nervously fidgeting hands with both of her own, which let the faunus' bag swing loose until she grabbed it haphazardly with her other one.
"Bear or not, she's a durned sight prettier than any of ya ugly grease monkeys." he shot back, raising his voice just loud enough to get their undivided attention. With their heads snapping toward him like a flock of geese, they stared at him as if he'd just sprouted mushrooms from his ears. Behind him, Andy looked down at Marianne, who just shook her head, her expression steely calm despite the obvious tactical imbalance her brother was barreling headlong into. A nearby morbidly obese policeman just dozed away on his bench outside the Sudohbucks, his coffee dangling dangerously from loose fingers, dead to the world. Nope, no help there. On the other hand, the two very sour looking faunus who had just walked out of Bertram's in the middle of what looked like a heated argument might very well be in the right mood to assist in the inevitable fisticuffs.
"That's a big mouth you've got there, son, you might wanna keep it closed before you wind up with no teeth to keep in it, dig?" one of the larger workmen responded, cracking his knuckles.
"That's a fine bit of bold talkin', that is. Ya'd break your durned girly fists on this here jaw if ya tried."
"Wanna find out, you fuckin' hick?"
"Maybe I do, shortstack, maybe I do." At this Marlon took a few steps forward. If they were itchin' for it, they might as well get what they were askin' for…The crowd moved back a few steps, before they all collectively realized just how outnumbered he was.
"Hey man, if you wanna hump bears in the woods do it somewhere else! Take your bitches and leave!" someone in the rear lines hollered, throwing what was left of his beer. The bottle sailed lazily through the air, shattering at the feet of the two faunus who'd just left Bertram's.
"WATCH IT, ASSHOLE!" The hyena woman from the fitting just previous looked anything but pleased, and all but shoved Andy aside as she stomped up right next to Marlon, growling and baring her fangs the entire way. The wolf faunus who she'd been arguing with hung back much the same way he had in his little niche indoors, but let out an exasperated "Really!? For shit's sake!"
"Careful Jim, you know what they do to guys over animal cruelty!"
"THE FUCK YOU SAY?" the woman bellowed, clenching her fists.
"Watch it boys, it's another bear!"
"Isn't that a bearess?"
"No, you jackass, it's called a she-bear!"
This intellectual exchange was halted by a few more beer bottles as the foremost men got tired of standing around functioning as the peanut gallery and felt the need to contribute more than words to the growing storm. Marlon managed to grab one of them before it cracked off the hyena woman's head, which she didn't seem to care about in the slightest, but the other two struck home, splashing right across Marianne and Andy's clothes. The faunus squealed at this, and Marlon whipped his head back to make sure that they were both alright, which they thankfully were, aside from soaked clothing. Angrily, he slung the bottle right back into the crowd, scoring a solid hit from the sound of it, and as one, the mob decided to roll forward at them in retaliation.
The first man to reach Marlon dropped like a stone from a hard right to the jaw, the next caught an elbow so hard he just sort of staggered back through his fellow drunks and flopped over. The third and fourth came at him side by side, hoping to outweigh him for some sort of tackle, and ate a nasty haymaker that had them collapsing where they stood. Someone rushed at him from the side as he was motioning Marianne and Andy away, moving like greased lighting, and leapt onto his back, latching on like a damn panther. He simply widened his stance and reached up with his left hand, grabbing hold of the man's overalls even as his free arm fended off a few more assailants. Jerking down hard, he threw the one on his back to the cobblestones and gave him a steel-toed punt toward his friends, catching a few of them across the midsection with his unconscious body. They toppled like bowling pins.
Tenne Byzant was, as the growing crowd of onlookers could easily tell, pissed as fuck. When the mob rushed her, the hyena faunus just snarled and put her fist dead into the face of the first poor bastard to move in her general direction. Her aura was already up, she was fighting mad over being pricked too damn many times while being measured earlier, that shitty wolf faunus hadn't made her feel any more bubbly, and finally these bastards had decided to get mouthy, so the guy fell over clutching a pulverized nose. Served the fucker right. The next one didn't get an easy way out, either, her first swing winded him and her elbow smashed him into the street. He didn't get up, but she gave him a kick to the ribs for good measure. After him her next victim made the mistake of trying to punch her in the temple, and thanks to her aura probably broke his hand. Served him right, that asshole. She kneed him hard in the gut for good measure while he was already doubled over clutching it. The next several men met painful defeat from a barrage of jabs, each one like getting hit with a steel baseball bat, and either reeled away clutching fractured limbs or lay helpless on the ground as she dove into them with reckless abandon, fangs bared, knowing her aura would stop almost everything they could possibly throw at her. Gods damn, this felt good! So much better than getting poked at by those snooty shitholes inside! And hey, she didn't even start this fight. Even better for when the cops got off their asses and broke up the party.
Realizing things weren't going the way they'd envisioned them, what was left of the mob kept their distance, awkwardly forming a poor facsimile of a circle a few people deep around the two who'd just given them way more trouble than they'd bargained for. No one had expected them to do anything but go down hard under the weight of numbers, and they weren't sure what to do now that this hadn't happened. The groans, vomiting, and the tang of blood from some of their injured buddies weren't exactly encouraging, but they were still too intoxicated and angry to leave. There were a few moments of silence broken only by the low growling coming from the Tenne and the murmurs from the crowd which had started to gather. Marlon noted one of the onlookers staring him dead in the eye, a fit, clean-limbed youth with striking blue eyes, and was pleased to see that he looked to be considering lending a hand.
That was, until he frowned in disgust and walked off, putting his earbuds in to drown out the noise that was sure to come. Marlon grunted, shrugged, and swung his eyes round the circle hemming him in. Marianne and Andy had avoided getting trapped inside, and that was good. This had to end fast, though, before things got really bloody. That durned hyena woman was liable to kill someone, if she hadn't already, and the longer this lasted the more folks would get hurt. He flicked his gaze from face to face, daring them to come forward with each new set of eyes he came across. Most wouldn't meet it for more than a moment or two.
"Alright then, if ya'll are still wantin' to tussle, just get on with it!" he roared.
"Bunch of pussies!" the Tenne barked, and Marlon rolled his eyes. Such a pleasant lass, really…
Gray Saggio and Marianne saw the gun coming out before anyone else did. The rest of the mob was oblivious, and most of the viewing public stood out and away from Bertram's storefront. Andy was sweating bullets and too much of a nervous wreck to really do anything but stand there and crush the life out Marianne's hands. The wolf faunus watched incredulously as the man nearest to him reached inside an overall pocket and slowly drew the weapon, switching the safety off as he did so, and just lost it. Today had been rough enough already, even without the angry, drunk-off-your-ass mob of racist pricks. Bunch of wankers. First, the tailor he'd been told by Sapphire to visit wasn't, as she had heard, partial to faunus customers. It ran them off the premises with threats of calling law enforcement down on "disturbers of the peace". The second one he'd tried on a gamble, and gotten much the same results. Thoroughly fed up, he did some more in-depth research on his scroll and wound up finding someplace that was more than willing to serve him…but they needed at least a week to get things in order.
Yeah, maybe if he hadn't waited until the day before to get fitted for a Beacon Uniform, this wouldn't have happened. Moron. So he'd called Sapphire and found out after a lot of talking back and forth that she'd gotten the name of the shops switched in her brain. Bertram's wasn't the racist crap trough, that was Finer Things. She apologized and sent him in the right direction, and after a pleasingly swift wait and the always uncomfortable fitting session he'd thought things were going to look up, until that hyena bitch had stretched and elbowed him right in the head as she walked past on her way out of Bertram's. And then proceeded to chew his ass out for being in the way, like he wasn't the one who'd almost gotten knocked out. The day had already been getting to him by that point, and so he started arguing with her, and then these assholes had showed up and started throwing beer. Are you fucking serious?
But he'd kept his cool. He could deal with that. He could stay out of this fight that Hyena Bitch and…well, he'd never seen a man that large before…the two of them looked like they could handle it. He'd just make sure that the two girls who looked like they wanted no part of all this stayed out of harm's way… And then some idiot pulled out his pistol. That was it. He was done. Yelling like a lunatic and powering on his aura, Gray hurtled across the short distance between the much larger man and himself, turning into a surprisingly potent living battering ram. The man tried to react and wound up firing half the mag into his chest, but the low-powered hollow points just chipped away at his aura and were stopped brutally short by him knocking the guy's head against the curb. Several people screamed and the fatass cop finally woke up from the blare of the gunshots, but by then Gray had already left behind a trail of a half-dozen men all more burly and muscular than himself.
After he had stopped, his tail stiff and ears flat against his skull, his snarl showing every inch of his lupine heritage, the remnants of the mob had already started to flee. Three clearly well-trained and aura-shielded opponents were sorely overmatched against a bunch of surly, drunken workmen. That and, finally, the flabby, varicose arm of the Law had arrived, and was calling for backup with panting breaths. He wasn't having much success, his own lung capacity was working against him. He was just a beat cop, and he'd taken great pains to deposit himself in this locale, the easiest section of Vale proper to patrol, so that he could just take a load off and do fine. In no way had he ever counted on something like…like this happening. So there he stood, almost choking on his whistle as he tried to blow it while gasping into his radio. He gave up when he saw that none of the three still standing after the fight were actively trying to be a threat, everyone else was running away, and four of his fellow officers were sprinting to him from different directions.
Andy, what little combat training she had having kicked in, had shoved her new friend Marianne up against a wall and used her larger size to shield the girl from any possible stray fire. Her aura was up, and she could tell that the girl's was too. Strange, why was she able to activate her aura like that? She didn't seem to be much of a warrior. Her brother though…he was something else entirely. All three of the people in the middle of that mess were. It could only be good news for Beacon if the incoming class had fighters like these in its ranks, and judging by what the two faunus had been doing inside, the Academy was about to get lucky. And hey, maybe she wouldn't have to patch them up all the time, not that she minded, she'd just rather avoid there being injuries in the first place, occupational hazards be damned. Once the actual fighting had stopped, she apologized for pushing Marianne around and went to work. Before the younger girl had finished her understanding nod the same people who'd just been cursing her were being nursed with her own two hands.
At least the ones near Marlon weren't so bad, those she could save for later on, but the rest…whoof, she was glad for her semblance. As the police were almost overrun by bystanders each trying to get in their own version of events, and the three responsible for most of the injuries stood there sullenly waiting their turn in the line of questioning, she gently set whatever was broken back in order. Her cotton-candy colored semblance softly came to life, tinging her aura with its power, and flowed down through her hands into wherever she made contact. Flattened noses first stopped bleeding, then began to straighten and seal back up. Cuts and bruises were child's play and vanished almost in an instant as the men she touched began to glow with that same gauzy pink light. The larger bones were harder to knit, and in many cases she needed to help the broken edges find where they were supposed to go. Thankfully her semblance deadened pain and made what normally required anesthetic bearable, if not outright pleasant. Towards the end, Marianne had even begun wordlessly helping her, completely undaunted by the violence of the scene, and was undeniably a valuable second set of hands.
"You know, you're pretty good at this? You ever thought about going into medicine?" she asked, as the smaller girl kept someone's leg elevated. A shrug was the only response. "I mean, with the way Grimm have been lately, and with the White Fang and all, you'd certainly have no shortage of work. People in my field, we always appreciate extra help when it's not getting underfoot and in the way!" she chirped, putting the joint back in place. There, that had to feel better…
"I have experience with it." Marianne replied, almost under her breath, her face a mask of focus so unbreakable that Andy felt uncomfortable when she realized how much she was staring as she tried to get past it.
"Oh, where did you learn? I started out helping my mom with herbal remedies around town, was your teacher a relative too?"
"Yes. My mother also."
"So was she a nurse, a doctor, or…?"
"A simple healer."
"Oh, was she more an emergency fixer-upper or just your everyday injuries?"
"Whatever we needed."
"I'm guessing then you all didn't have a licensed doctor available? We did, when mom passed on I learned from him at first, before heading out with Chappie to live here in the city."
"We did. But he was often busy."
"So did you live far out, or just right on the border like we did?"
"Farther than most."
"Oh, what was that like, Marianne? It must have been hard!"
"We made do. We survived." For every lilting, bubbly question, the young woman seemed to have a brief, serene answer, almost laconic if not for the pleasant tones she spoke in. After a few more attempts, Andy finally got her inner chatterbox under control and let her new friend be, which left their ears open for the conversation the Law was now having with Marlon, the two others, and a well-dressed reedy-looking man who seemed to be highly interested in the situation. Once they'd realized how swiftly the injuries were being handled, they'd seen no need to call an ambulance.
Marlon had about had it with the Boys in Blue. First they don't show hide nor hair when thin's are about to get rough and tumble, then when they do take their sweet time showin' up they start askin' questions like the blame was on him. Sheesh, that didn't stand to reason. That hyena woman didn't seem to take very kindly to their tone neither, and barely seemed to be keepin' herself together. That wolfish feller just looked as twitchy as a rabbit in a hutch full of hawks, but was showin' the uniforms whatever respect people around here felt they deserved. He frowned at the policemen as they spoke, standing with his arms crossed as he leaned against the brick wall of Bertram's
"Mr. a…Murk, was it?"
"That's my name, Officer."
"Can you explain what happened here?"
"Well, it's like I've been tryin' to tell ya, but ya just aren't tryin' to hear me out!"
"These assholes came looking for a fight and they got one! That's all, they swung first." the woman snapped as she cut in, her stance indicating a complete willingness to flee for the hills at a moment's notice. With Tenne's rap sheet she had good reason for that kind of readiness. Street life in the slums of Vale wasn't exactly pretty, especially not when you were a second class citizen, and she'd seen her share of Juvy and worse by this point. She had no desire, especially not with tomorrow's events on the horizon, to revisit those mistakes again.
"Yeah, I only jumped in because that dick" Gray gestured to the man the large Andrewsarchus girl was currently mending, "pulled out a fucking gun. Otherwise I wouldn't have even bothered. All I wanted to do was get on my way."
"That's enough you two, we'll get your stories about what happened here in a minute. Now as I was saying…"
"Good morning. Officers. Zeus Cobalt, Attorney at Law. If I may?" At those words, the back and forth ceased, although Marlon was clueless as to why. For some reason both the wolf boy and the hyena woman perked up and visibly relaxed, while the police instantly backpedaled and clammed up, exchanging nervous glances and making sure their hands were nowhere near anyone's tasers, batons, or pistols.
"I think I can help. I saw the whole thing." he went on, one long stride placing him in between the two opposing groups. Zeus was a lengthy man, only a few inches shorter than Marlon, but barely half his weight, most of which was made up of a finely tailored navy blue suit. Pallid, sharp features held eyes the color of freshly spilled blood with a cap of spiky hair in matching color to top it all off. It was a face that gave the impression of total disinterest and utter contempt. "You see these hoodlums?" The men around him were given a perfunctory wave of his palms as they marveled at their injuries' rapid recovery. "This bulky gentleman and his sister were having a conversation with a member of the faunus community." He paused, letting the fact sink in and taking a rest from speaking. "Who is in fact Miss Andalina Carob. The Infirmary Head at Beacon Academy." The aforementioned nodded, holding up a hand in apologetic greeting, while the officers all turned a shade closer to ivory. "This band of thugs verbally harassed her with racist epithets. Intolerable. Inexcusable. When they became violent these three intervened. These three incoming Beacon students. Defenders of the People. Heroes." He waited then for their response, his gaze expectant as it peered over his steepled hands.
When no response came, he scowled and mustered up his breath for another few syllables. "A lethal weapon was used. Against the unarmed." Still nothing. Oh come now, was this really so difficult for them to understand? Idiots. "I will provide the testimony you need. Make your arrests. Leave the students out of it." Cobalt spoke with a finality that spurred the men to action, and as they went about their work with profuse apologies, only cuffing the man who had drawn the gun and a few of his surliest friends, he turned to face his temporary charges. With his hands clasped together in front of him, he waited for them to speak their peace.
"Thank ya kindly, Mr. Cobalt. I'm guessin' ya pull a bit of weight here in town?" Marlon asked, thankful for the intervention but completely distrusting a man who could order about the Law so boldly. That and the fact that he'd known them to be Beacon students without ever having met them before was fishier than cod. All he got in return was a nod and the slimmest hint of what might have been a smirk.
"A bit of weight…You're not from around here are you, big guy? Zeus Cobalt's helped more faunus out of tight spots they shouldn't have been in in the first place than almost any other lawyer in Vale. He's a criminal defense lawyer, and he's also the manager and legal rep for Grimm Omen. Anybody who can get Cherry Fucking Chainsaw out of the shit he has is nobody to blow off in the courtroom."
"Thank you, Mr. Saggio." The wolf faunus froze for a second, catching the implications behind this man knowing who he was, and between that and the all-knowing look the lawyer had just given him he decided to make his way anywhere but here and now.
"Alright then, well, thanks for saving our skins! I have someplace to, uh, be!" he rushed, doing his best to hide the cold sweat forming on his brow, and slipped into the slowly dispersing crowd. The hyena woman gave Cobalt a gruff nod and kept quiet for once. She hadn't liked the way he'd looked at her either. Something in those bloody eyes of his seemed to know more than it should, and even if he did work for somebody as kickass as Chainsaw, her instincts were telling her he felt off. The twiggy man gave a lethargic shrug, and gave them some advice.
"I suggest not pressing any charges yourselves. Let the public charges stand alone. You would just cause more trouble." he offered, sliding his hands slowly into his pockets as he spoke.
"Got it." Tenne nodded, not really catching his drift but becoming even more concerned that he knew too much about her prior convictions to be anything but risky. That Saggio kid seemed like Cobalt might have some dirt on him too. Too damn oily, this one was. Marlon cocked an eyebrow.
"Why the blazes not? I'm no lawyer, Mr. Cobalt, but it seems to me we've got those cussed fools dead to rights on this one."
"Because, Mr. Murk, it would become a public incident. More than it already is." The oblivious expression on the man-mountain's face made him cringe inwardly. "Ah. Of course, you would not know. These men. Er. Thugs. They were all laid off this morning, no doubt. A new tax incentive bill was passed by the Valish Council. The more faunus workers at a company the greater the reward. Their employer, Bass Shipping and Freight, saw easy money."
"That doesn't have a bit to do with them shootin' at folks." Tenne agreed with this Murk guy, but didn't dare risk speaking up. Not for the moment anyway. She was too busy trying to figure out how easily Cobalt could put her in hot water if she pissed him off. He managed to exude an almost palpable feeling of exasperation without changing his facial expression one iota.
"It does. They drank away their severance pay. I would bet. But to the right people they are already victims. They were only lashing out. Certain news organizations would put it that way. The publicity would make things harder for faunus all over Vale. It is better to be discreet." he droned, clearly tiring of this educational effort. "So no charges. Understood? I will handle it."
"Well, damn." was all Tenne really could say to that. Marlon spat and rolled his eyes. That was the way it seemed to go here, from everything he'd seen since Yrrch. If it wasn't one group muckin' about with rules and regulations it was another, and folk were always tryin' to get a leg up over someone else by steppin' on top of them.
"There is nothing more to say. Goodbye and good luck tomorrow." Zeus Cobalt made what only the most encompassing definition would call a bow and strode off, his tall, thin legs eating up the distance even as he slouched along at a leisurely pace. That left the two of them to their own devices, which involved standing there and brooding over recent events until Marianne and Andy walked up to join them moments later.
"Well, I guess it's good my job helped get you guys out of trouble!" Andy laughed, nervously fiddling with her package as she tried not to look directly at Marlon. Her earlier rush of hormones wasn't very well being calmed by the fact that he'd just taken on a mob for her. Well, her and his sister. And they'd really just gone to attack him. And both the wolf and hyena faunus had helped too…. Okay maybe it wasn't as romantic as it looked but still it was sweet. And he had some really nice arms. Okay stop staring out of the corner of your eye now, his sister is right here oh gods…
"Indeed it is. So, who are you, who decided to help us when the going was rough?" Marianne asked, and as her eyes weren't actually on the hyena faunus, it took the brutal fighter a second to realize it was she who was being spoken to.
"Yeah. What's your name, Miss? Ya got a hell of a swing, ya know." Marlon added, sizing her up once again.
"Name's Tenne, Tenne Byzant. You're not exactly a pussy either, big guy. Where'd you learn to hit like that?"
"I grew up what folks around here might call the old fashioned way. Back home ya learned how to get your hands dirty or ya didn't get much done."
"Old fashioned way? Fuck me, that's funny. I'm guessing you grew up outside the borders."
"We did, along with our parents and siblings. We two are the eldest." Marianne explained, moving up to slide her arms around one of Marlon's. It wasn't so much that she was afraid of Miss Byzant, she had seen things far worse than the appraising stare she was being given right now, but that the other woman made her profoundly uncomfortable. Had it been a man or some cocksure boy giving her those eyes it might have been different, she could have let it bounce off of her disdain for such behavior and washed her hands of their hurt feelings. This…this just made her downright queasy. Between the unsettling memories of home and less than ideal audience, she was content to rely on her brother's support and reassuring presence, and he was happy to oblige.
"I bet that sucked. Hope I don't shit on your dreams of a paradise in the city but the life here isn't too much better, I don't think. Not from what I've seen, at least."
"Ya got Grimm in the city?" Marlon said, his voice thick and laden with heavy, disguised emotion, and more than a hint of challenge.
"As someone who's lived both lives, I can safely say no, Vale Proper has no Grimm, and yes, there's a world of difference between the two, Tenne. Hopefully you'll get the chance to learn that when you start classes. Provided you can pass the final test and actually face the Grimm to enter Beacon as a full student." Andy shot back, ending the potential debate as best she could and showing no qualms about playing the authority card. The hyena growled at her, and stomped off, muttering something under her breath about not knowing shit and going to Hell. "What a well-adjusted girl." she remarked, rolling her eyes and turning back to her new friends. "Well, I suppose I should take you both to breakfast, if you haven't had any yet. I always forget to grab something on the way out the door in the mornings, and I'm ravenous right about now!"
"So…to get into Beacon, we're goin' to be facin' down Grimm…How many make it?" Marlon asked, his fists tightening as he kept his voice unshakably even. Marianne gave his arm a light squeeze. Andy, who wasn't really looking at him and checking her credit card balance on her scroll, kept on subject, stepping right around the brief conversational detour.
"Oh, there's always a few who don't pass, the ones who realize that they can't crack combat stress until they live it, and the occasional serious injury which is still something we can easily handle. But how many varies year by year, depending on the kind of incoming First Years we get. So, about breakfast, do you two like pancakes? I know this great place a few blocks over, and it's always packed so it'll be closer to lunch by the time we get there and get a table but the pancakes are unlimited if you get the special and…"
"I apologize, and we're both grateful for your offer, but I don't think my brother has much of an appetite, and I am still full from earlier." Marianne interjected, quietly, but with enough force and urgency to stop Andy from prattling on. Her tone made the larger woman glance up from the screen, and one look at Marlon's eyes told her everything she needed to know. Internally, a switch flipped, and with the same steady, gentle voice she brought to countless bedsides, she spoke, letting a few moments pass before doing so.
"Oh. I understand. I know what you're thinking. Don't worry. Everyone makes it out of Initiation. We have a staff full of elite Hunters and Huntresses who make sure of that. I know you probably don't think much of what I'm about to say, but trust me. I lived outside the borders of Vale until I hit my teens, so I get it. You've already seen what they can do, maybe even lost a few people. That's not how it's going to end at Beacon. From what I know, the Grimm there don't even come strong enough for that."
They looked at one another then, letting the burdensome silence pass back and forth until Marlon nodded and Marianne gave her a simple thank you, and the pair went on their way, moving slowly under the weight of some black memory. Andy watched them go with a slow, sad wave. She was seeing more and more of that lately. It was stingingly familiar. She wasn't rude enough to ask who they'd lost, and besides, even now her own grief was too fresh to risk it. Chappie might have, but he was more resilient than she'd ever been. After that first year, she never saw him cry, not once. Brave kid, her brother…Shrugging, she pushed those thoughts aside and let her stomach lead. Goodbye mourning, hello, pancakes!