Disclaimer:I don't own anything but my OCs and the Plot. Everything else is Roosterteeth's. (Same for all chapters). Also, if you prefer to read on AO3, here's a /works/6608380/chapters/15119512
"You know, we were beginning to think you wouldn't make it in time, Sakura," Rae (pronounced Ray) said, taking another bite of her fish sandwich.
"Yeah, yeah," Sakura replied, taking a seat next to Rae, across from their teammates Aoi and Koral
Koral was currently delving into a veggie-burger, relishing in the new tastes. Aoi was completely occupied with her scroll, her lizard-eyes lit up with texts and articles.
"I really wish you got hear earlier though. There are some pretty interesting places around here." Rae said after swallowing, her yellow cat ears twitching.
"I got held up on the trip here. Every policeman in every village on the way here just had to check my weapon permits every time," Sakura groaned, unclipping her katana from her belt and setting it up against the wall behind her.
"Maybe you should just come with us on the airship if you don't like having to deal with so many people," Koral commented with her mouth full.
"Ha," Sakura chuckled, "I'd still rather walk. So anyway, are you guys ready for tomorrow?"
"I think we're as ready as we'll ever be." Rae said, continuing to eat her sandwich.
"I highly doubt that we'll have to fight tomorrow. The odds are definitely against it," Aoi said, not taking her eyes off her scroll.
"And if we do fight tomorrow?" Koral asked.
"We'll just give it our all. If we don't win this year, oh well. Not the end of the world," Sakura sighed.
"Says you. Just don't loop me into the doubles round again. You know that I don't like to fight," Aoi said, finally looking up from her scroll and adjusting her glasses.
"Hey, it's not our fault that Rae and I got injured in the team matches." Koral remarked.
"And you and Sakura still won," Rae quipped.
"If my sister is the one doing the fighting, its easy to see why we won. The only reason she lost the singles last year is that her opponent didn't let her get close," Aoi commented. "If she had carried a sidearm, like I told her seven times to do so, she might have won."
"Sis, you know guns aren't my style." Sakura replied.
"'Style' should not take precedence over function," Aoi snapped back, "You lack any form of ranged attacks."
"And you lack combat skill and experience," Sakura said back, her sister starting to get on her nerves.
"I'm a scientist and a researcher. You know I only decided to become a huntress as it removes many restrictions placed on civilians." Aoi retorted, snapping her scroll shut.
"Hey, chill out you two!" Rae interrupted. "Saki," she continued, calling her partner by her pet name, "you know your sister detests combat. And Aoi, you know Sakura doesn't always do the thing most people would call logical. So how about you both agree to disagree? At least until we graduate?"
Aoi huffed and opened up she scroll again, before muttering "fine."
Sakura leaned back and nodded her head in agreement.
Rae sighed in relief and set down the remnants of her sandwich. "I swear I've been barely keeping us together for the past four years."
"You're not wrong," Koral agreed.
The team sat in silence, other than Koral's munching, for a minute before Sakura stood up.
"I'm gonna go for a walk," she said, grabbing her sword and hooking it to her belt.
"Really? You just got here though. Can't you stay just a little longer?" Rae asked, a little sad her partner was leaving not long after she arrived.
"Yeah. You know I get stir-crazy easy." Sakura replied, adjusting the scabbard so her katana sat parallel to the ground along the back of her waist, setting it in a small hook to keep it in place.
"It's literally been five minutes," Koral deadpaned.
"Yeah, but I haven't been to Vale before. I wanna get a look around," Sakura said, making her was out the door of the sandwich shop.
"You at least know how to get to the hotel, right?" Rae asked.
Sakura replied by giving a thumbs up as she went through the door.
"You keep beating around the bush, Rae," Koral said.
"My sister isn't the best at interpreting body language. You'll just need to say it outright to her," Aoi commented, her focus now entirely back on her scroll.
"I know," Rae sighed to herself, her ears drooping down.
It was fairly late at night, around 8 o'clock. The sun had already set an hour back, so the only thing lighting up the sidewalk were the streetlights and storefronts. A few stars shined up in the sky, many blotted out by the light of the city.
Sakura sighed to herself and pulled a pack out of a pouch on her right hip. She pulled a cigarette out of the pack and put it between her lips. Replacing the pack, she pulled out her lighter and lit her cigarette, before replacing the lighter as well.
She took the cigarette out of her mouth and breathed out a puff of smoke.
"Thank Dust for the company that makes this things. None of those gross chemicals that kill you," Sakura spoke to herself, replacing the cigarette made of a blend of dust, tobacco, and an edible binding agent back in her mouth.
She made her way down the street, taking turns and alleys as she went, not worried about were she went.
Sakura had just taken a turn down onto a street filled with shops as she felt her scroll vibrate in her black trenchcoat pocket. She pulled it out and read the text.
'Hey, you okay?'- Rae
Sakura sighed before typing back.
'I'm fine. I just needed a walk.'
'You seemed steamed. Did something happen?'
'No. You don't need to worry about me so much.'
'Alright. Everyone is at the hotel right now. Just, be here by 10, okay?'
'I'll try. I think it's pretty close by. I'll talk to you later.'
Sakura put her scroll in her pocket and looked in the nearest shop window, which happened to be an ice cream shop. Inside, seated at the bar, were two people she recognised, and two she'd never seen before.
She walked in and approached a certain blonde monkey-boy and his suave, blue-haired compatriot. She placed her arms on their shoulders, which gave them quite the scare.
"Didn't expect to see you two here. How's it goin' guys?" Sakura said, cigarette in her mouth.
"Sakura! I thought team SKRA wasn't gonna compete after last year?" Sun said.
"Like hell we are," Sakura chuckled, "not gonna lose this year."
"I should introduce our friends. Two more are on the way, but this is Weiss and Bla-"
The door opened behind them again, letting in two blonde brawlers and a redheaded reaper.
"Blake!" Yang yelled, then noticed the rest of her friends, "how'd you guys end up here?"
Yang took a seat next to her partner, and her father next to her. Ruby followed suit, sitting next to Weiss.
"We knew you were going to head here. Tai actually told us to come here." Blake said.
"Dad! Why didn't you tell us you set us up a party like this? But also, how did you get their numbers?" Ruby squeaked.
"You left your scroll on the dinner table, and it started exploding with texts from your teammate." Tai explained.
"Well, if this is a private party, I guess I'll just take my leave then," Sakura said.
"It's fine. You can chill with us," Neptune said.
Sun leaned back a little to let his friends are the new addition to the group and spoke, "Guys, this is Sakura, the leader of team SKRA. She's from Haven, and a-"
"Fourth year who was the runner up in the Vytal Festival last year!" Ruby squeaked, "can I have your autograph? Pleeeeeease?"
"Um…sure, uh…" Sakura said, prodding Sun for a name.
"That's Ruby. The blonde over there is her sister Yang. This guy's their dad. Then there's Blake and Weiss," Sun said.
"Is she, smoking?" Weiss asked.
"Yes, and before you ask, it's clean. Don't worry about secondhand," Sakura replied, tired of having to explain it so many times.
The owner of the shop now came walked in from the back, carrying a tray full of many different ice creams, setting each one down in front of one of the patrons.
"It's on me, guys." Tai said, putting his lein card down on the bar.
The shopkeep took the card and rang it up at the register. "I heard you say those are clean, so you can smoke in here for now, since you're with them, but do you have a permit to carry that sword?"
Sakura put her hand on the inside of her coat and pulled out her ID and another card with 'PERMIT' printed on it. She showed them before sliding them back into her pocket.
"So, are you gonna order something or are you just gonna stand there?"
