Kaen walked into the initiation ceremony with the rest of his group. Zoge was weak on his feet but hiding it well, even pulling the hood of his cloak over his head. They had been brought straight from the test to the ceremony which Kaen guessed meant they were the last ones to make the cut. Fitting, he supposed, given his own arrival here. Suddenly, Amy smiled brightly and left their group as she called out, "Oh, Miss Schnee! A pleasure to see you again." Kaen turned to see a white haired girl in a very formal dress on the receiving end of the greeting. His eyes narrowed in thought as he looked at her. There was something off about her.

Weiss greeted her with the same courtesy, "Oh, Miss Salvia! I didn't expect to see you here." Weiss smiled a well practiced smile, "I was worried Miss Nikos and I were the only women of class going to this school."

Amy teased, "If that were the case, you could have gone to Atlas Academy. I'm sure you would have found many classy girls there." The two laughed well practiced laughs, only one of which felt sincere. "I am actually relieved to see you here and look forward to you showing the rest of us how it is done."

Weiss tossed her ponytail back as she spoke with confidence, "I will make sure not to dissapoint." Kaen walked up and Weiss' eyes immediately narrowed. "Oh boy, another one..."

Kaen had a huge smile plastered across his face and Amy couldn't figure out why until he opened his mouth, "You know to look down on others, you have to be pretty far away."

Weiss rolled her eyes, "And I intend to stand far away from you."

As she turned to pull Amy away his response caught her attention, "That's alright. I'll just scale the tower."

She turned with a confused look on her face, "What did you just say?"

Amy tried to signal him to shut up, but he either didn't pick up on it or didn't care, "I'm saying that I can see through you. I would know that smile anywhere."

Amy spoke quickly, "I apologize. He is a member of my new team and clearly lacks manners."

Weiss stared at him for a minute before nodding and absentmindedly saying, "Yeah, well, please keep your dog on his leash." And walked away quickly.

Amy sighed and turned to him with a disapproving glare, "That was uncouth and uncalled for." He tried to speak but she motioned him quiet, "I don't care why you did it. You were adversarial and it was unnecessary."

Olive spoke up, having followed Kaen through the crowd, "I don't understand what the hell is going on. Who was that?"

Clearing her throat, Amy explained, "That was Weiss Schnee. The youngest daughter of Jacques Schnee, head of the Schnee Dust Company, and someone I have been interacting with at formal events held by her family for quite some time now."

Olive asked absentmindedly, "So, you two are friends?"

Zoge spoke up, "You've never met nobility." His cold eyes ran over the group, "They simply know each other and exchange pleasantries, most likely while praising each other over various titles or achievements. Mostly small talk and little substantial matters as they are both heiresses. I suspect she will try to ingratiate herself to Amaranthine while Amaranthine puts forth the same effort in return to further their family connections. Am I about right?" His cold eyes caused Amy to pause, not sure if that is why she had always done that, but not able to deny that it may end up being the case. "Not that it is a bad thing. Having a Schnee in our pocket for future resources might be useful."

"We aren't going to use anyone for anything." Kaen snapped, causing Zoge to glare at him as though he had just been deeply insulted. "I don't use people. Besides... I'm sure she came here to get away from that." Kaen's tone was dower and melancholy.

Olive sniffed the air and coughed, "I was so caught up in the test before, but you smell like ashes, dude!" Amy began to actively sort out the smells and jolted in surprise.

"I can even see your hair is caked with dust! When did you last bathe?" Amy recoiled some, hoping he didn't get any on her.

He looked up at his hair and shrugged, "I would say a few days ago. I usually sleep near my forge to stay warm and fought Grimm a bunch back home. I haven't really had time to shower because Qrow woke me first thing in the morning and dragged me out the door and we just kept traveling."

Zoge sighed, "The blue prints show that each dorm has gendered showers. If you require anything for the wash, I can supply you."

Amy nodded, "As could I." She let out a sigh, and as she did so they could hear the first name announced.

"The next team will be Kaen Phoenix, Olive Merlinus, Amaranthine Salvia and Zoge LaBlanc. They are Team KOAL, lead by Kaen Phoenix." They were all stunned until they all came up to stand before everyone. Kaen looked out at the crowd with a bit of pride. He was here... Bronzo would have been proud. Olive contained her excitement well, a big smile plastered across her face. Amaranthine could feel the heat of the lights and all of the eyes upon her, but all the training her mother gave her allowed her to smile softly and wave to the crowd daintily. Zoge was the same stoic pillar he always was, not even looking at the crowd. This was just a small step to where he wanted to be.

As they entered the room, they noticed the four beds all crammed together and Kaen piped up, "I brought just the stuff for this. Hold tight, guys." He tossed his coat aside, the weight of the massive sword causing a loud thud and lifted one of the beds with little to no effort, putting it on top of another. Fetching a strip of metal and his hammer out of the bag, hammering the strip into place to eventually operate as a brace.

Amy asked in a barely restrained tone, "What was that? Why did you come to assail Weiss?"

Kaen shrugged, "I couldn't help myself. I see someone in pain and I can't help it." After the group paused he explained, "She... She has a lot of pain and smiling is just one way to hide it. Maybe I can just relate."

Amy sighed, "Well, next time, try not to be so challenging with it."

He laughed, "No chance. It is the only way I'll get her to overcome it."

Zoge sighed, walking over to the window and looking out, nodding with approval. They were on the second floor with clear roof access. Provided they were careful as to the what and when it was like having a balcony of their own. He climbed out, much to the panic of Amy.

Olive plopped onto the top bed of Kaen's stack, causing him to panic for a moment as it nearly lost balance. "I just don't get why Kaen was put as team leader. I was thinking it would be Z over there."

Zoge's voice drifted in from the rooftop, "There is an old saying. Those most qualified to lead are the ones who want it least. I had considered that as a result and am not opposed."

"Why?"

"Because I trust him. He is simple and lacks discipline, but he makes up for it by being earnest and honest. Ask him what his dream is." Olive sighed and didn't say a word as Amy watched Kaen joyfully finish hammering the band into place before pulling out nails and beginning to hammer those in. Zoge came back in, "A clear covert escape route, a potential place for private conversations, and someone crafty enough to maximize floor space. Excellent."

Amy sat down on one of the unstacked beds and asked, "Am I the only one who wants to know more than names and appearance?"

Kaen nodded, "I do too. I just wanted to make myself useful to you guys. I know I'm not the leader you expected." Olive shrugged before she rolled to a shoulder and began to pretend to go to sleep.

Zoge spoke clearly, "I was waiting for you all to relax, but I suppose the basics are important. Shall we start with you, since you are so keen?" Before she could start he insisted with a cold effort, "I expect to hear about your preferred combat method of choice and any special skills you possess."

Amy paused, shooting him a curious look before seeing the intensity in his cold ice blue eyes. "I am the daughter of House Salvia. I suppose you knew that. I was raised in use of our particular variation on the katana, which means I hold no small measure of skill in polearms and I am a passable marksman with a rifle." Passing past the stat sheet details she stated, "And I came here to learn how to fight Grimm and protect my people."

Zoge insisted, "And your semblance?"

Again she paused. Continuing with mild hesitation, "I can slow down my perception of time. I use this most often to predict foes I am fighting."

Zoge nodded, "So a trained duelist. Facinating. Olive, you need to remember a quiet snore has a bit more bass and rumble. So tell me about you."

She spat, "Why should I tell you? You aren't the leader!"

Kaen jumped in, "Olive, don't make me order you, cause I will." He was curious himself.

"FINE, DAD!" She rolled over to face the room. "I was born in Vale but raised in Anima. I'm going to become a huntress to shut stupid racists up for good and I am a crack shot with a pistol. My semblance, AS YOU KNOW ZOOBIE, is that I can mentally image any area as long as sound is either coming off of it or bouncing around it."

Zoge nodded, "I collected as much, but thank you."

Kaen then asked, "And what about you, Zoge? We have our noble and our underdog. Who are you?"

Zoge smirked, "I'm a tactician if you want to over simplify." When the others shot him a stern look he sighed, "Turnabout is fair play... I was abandoned as a baby at the doorstep of an ancient library in the deep north of Atlas. I spent my whole life raised by the monks there and learned at a rather quick pace. I discovered my semblance due to some experiments with dust in the forbidden wing of the library and have regretted it ever since." He lifted his bandaged arm, showing it to them all and the strange markings on the wrapping. "The symbols suppress my aura on this arm. You see, I can't turn my semblance off because of my... experiment. Put simply, my aura on this arm is poisonous. Prolonged contact, or contact directly within the body, spreads the poison further and can kill someone. Small amounts of contact can simply make someone woozy or ill. Since it is constantly running and made of my own aura, it is slowly spreading its poison into my body and killing me." He spoke in a distant tone, "I'll be lucky to live to the age of fourty."

The girls stared at him with jaws dropped and a desire to say something but no words coming to mind. It took their leader to nod and stand, "Well, I was going to be coy, but there is no better time to tell mine than to follow up on that." He sat down, facing Zoge, "My father was a baker. My mother a blacksmith. When I was 8, my father drifted a bit further out than usual for his herbs, thinking that he just needed a few ounces more. He was killed by a Beowulf. My mother, in grief racked vengeance, forged a sword to go slay the beast and the whole pack if she had to. She succeeded, but..." He sighed, motioning dismissively with his arm, "Well, you know the rest. When I went to go look for her, a huntsman came with me to keep me safe and help me look." He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts and as he began to speak his voice was wavering, "When I saw her, she was leaning against a tree and..." He shook his head, just pushing past that moment, "My mentor said that... that I would need to get stronger or the Grimm would kill me. He started training me and then... he died... and now I'm here." Wiping the tears away he smiled some, "But that is why I came here. He believed I could be a Huntsman. You know, a hero. That I could step up and stop others from going through that too."

Amy moved over to give him a hug to which he laughed and deflected her, "So next time you wonder why I can spot loneliness at a mile off, it is because of that. As for my semblance, according to Qrow, it allows me to over-charge my aura. The excess gets expelled out my back and my body heals amazingly fast."

Zoge smirked, "Poetic, Mister Phoenix. Given your name."

Olive cried out, "How in the hell can you just drop that stuff on people you just met? That is some really heavy stuff!"

"Because he is too honest to hide it and I made my peace with death years ago. My question is, what are you hiding, Olive?" She rolled over onto her side, "You dress as a man and do nothing to tell people otherwise. And yet when it is addressed you are open about being a female..."

Olive scoffed, "Yeah, try and read my mind. That will help build trust." She rolled back over to glare at him, "You really want to know? I used to dress frumpy with my hair in a braid and no one... NOT A ONE... even noticed I existed. In the top 3 of all my classes, acing every test and they ignored me. Because I am a faunas. Not that you would know what that feels like-"

She was cut short when the cold eyed youth nodded, "Yes, because I know your plight only from history I read from the rock I was living under." She dropped quiet as he continued, "Do you want to explain a bit more?"

Kaen motioned Zoge quiet, "Drop it. I didn't say everything either. Just what I felt I could."

Zoge shot him a confused look before a look of realization crossed his face, "Oh, I'm sorry. I just need to know for any plans I may be asked to make. Pschological-" He stopped when Kaen again motioned him to stop talking. "Right. Anyway, since you are our fearless leader, I will always be on hand if you need me." Zoge then went back out on the roof and began giving a distant but intense stare at a tree in the courtyard. He had to ponder on what he had learned about his team.

Amy let out a sigh, her eyes drifting to the floor. As Kaen went back to working on the brace for the bed she said, "I'm sorry to hear about your parents. If I had lost mine..."

He sighed, "My mom used to tell me something when I would get upset. Nothing changes if you sit around in a puddle of tears. Sometimes, all you can do is smile, crack a joke, and keep moving." Amy felt like she should say something, but hesitated and as the silence grew she realized the moment had passed. He said with a smile, "Sleep tight, Amy. And... I'll try to hammer quieter for you."

She laid herself down on the bed so she could look out the window, the moon hanging broken in the sky like the hearts of those in her team. Getting a look at those pieces broke her own, but still her eyes drifted closed, lulled to sleep by the rhythmic blows of the hammer.