Sorry this is coming out a few hours late. Work was killer yesterday and sleep after a 12 hour shift is my top priority when I get home from that. Really glad I have this story and a another to jump between when I feel some burnout or writers block coming on. Those of you who were around during my last story know my I'm dedicated to long form and completion. that means that unless I die, this story will be completed. I understand why some people would want to quit writing a story, but I will finish anything I start.

Let's get our day started then.

Beta Reader: Poliamida

"Have fun at School you two," Tai said as the car came to a stop.

"I'll be sure to keep Yang out of trouble." Ruby jumped out of the car with a smile on her face.

"Just try to stay out of trouble. Both of you have a knack for being at the center of any disaster."

"The Auditorium needed to be repaired anyways. If anything, me and Ruby should have been rewarded for making them get on with replacing the decrepit thing," Yang said proudly. She got out of the car to follow Ruby.

Tai rolled down the passenger window to talk to his daughters. "New school also means a clean slate, so try not to cause too much property damage on your first day. That goes double for you Ruby. I don't want to be called in because you decided to disassemble something to see how it works."

"No one would have even known it was taken apart, except I had to say how utterly broken it was on the inside." Ruby argued back with confidence in her choice of action.

"All I'm saying is that maybe the two of you tone it down for the first day of school. Now I love the both of you, but I have to get going. I'll be a few minutes late on picking you up, so keep each other company and look out for each other." Tai shouted, as he drove away.

Ruby turned around with Yang to see the two-story structure standing before them. The building was mostly a sickly white that did well to hide some of the dirt that had stained its lower portions. A large clock was built into the center of the structure in what appeared to be a small tower rising from the roof. Yang raised her wrist to look at her watch, then back at the school's clock.

"The tower is about 3 minutes fast," Yang mentioned.

"Great, what do you think the odds are that all the clocks in the school are set to this one?" Ruby asked, watching the minute hand tick forward.

"I say we're about to find out in a minute or so. Do you know where your classes are for today?" Yang looked over to see her sister with a sheet of paper in hand.

"I think I do. This entire system seems so convoluted compared to our old school's one. We have six classes for the year, but we alternate between the first three and the second three each school day." Ruby brought her hands up to her head and began to furiously scratch. "Why did they have to make this so weird?"

"Probably because each teacher wants more than 50 minutes to teach their subject. At least we'll only have three classes worth of homework every day." Yang smiled.

"Maybe that's great for you, but I'm taking a bunch of needless AP courses. I can't believe I let dad talk me into taking them." Ruby frowned at the sight of the three advanced courses printed onto her paper. "It would be cheaper and quicker to take the courses at the local college over Summer and Winter."

Yang was about to respond when a bell rang out from the tower. The sound reaching across the entire parking lot and the school grounds. "I'll find you at lunch, okay?"

Ruby ran up and gave her sister a hug, "See you at lunch." They both walked through the front entrance and turned in opposite directions towards their first class of the day.

Shuffling through the crowded halls, Ruby looked up at each sign posted in an attempt to find her classroom. Moving along the first floor she looked back at her paper to reaffirm the room number for herself. The number 1 at the start of sequence clearly denoting that it was on the first floor. Surely, she hadn't gone to the incorrect wing of the school if the sign she read earlier was to be trusted. Ruby was busy staring at her paper in frustration when she bumped into something and fell back onto the ground. Looking up she saw that it was a person she walked into. Bright red hair flowed from the girl's head as she turned to look at Ruby.

"I'm sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going." She extended a hand to Ruby who shakily accepted the offer. With a tug, Ruby was pulled off the floor and onto her feet. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Sorry about running into you. I'm a bit lost and wasn't paying attention to where I was going," Ruby responded. Now getting a better look at the girl she bumped into. The girl was nearly a full foot taller than her and was strong enough to lift her off the ground with ease. She wore jeans that partially covered the tops of her shoes.

"If you need some help finding your class, I could guide you." The girl offered.

"That would be very nice of you."

"Oh, where are my manners? My name is Pyrrha." She stretched out her hand in greeting.

Ruby seemed stunned for a moment and quickly accepted once she came to her senses. "My name is Ruby."

"Well Ruby, it is a pleasure to meet you." Pyrrha looked at the sheet of paper and was shocked at what she saw. Most the courses seemed far too advanced for someone of Ruby's age. "Sorry for asking this, but how old are you? I don't mean to be rude, but this course load seems really advanced."

"I'm fifteen, but I will be turning sixteen before the end of the school year. As for the courses, I'm a bit ahead of people my age."

"That is quite the achievement. Will you be graduating this year then?"

"Yep, along with my sister."

"I wish the both of you the best of luck then. Now, your class should be down this hall and to the right." They walked for a moment as Pyrrha pointed out the correct path.

"Thank you, Pyrrha." Ruby waved goodbye and was about to leave when Pyrrha tapped her on the shoulder.

"Before you go, would you take this flyer?" Pyrrha reached into her backpack and pulled out a bright red paper. "Most the clubs will be going around during lunch to find new members. If you want to drop by after school, you can come and check out the club."

Ruby looked down at the paper and couldn't help but smile at the colorful visage that covered the sheet. The letters RPG were boldly printed on the top along with pictures of tabletop games. Besides the unique images and bright color, nothing seemed jump out at her. A simple flyer asking for people to join or at least see if they wanted to join. Ruby folded the paper and put it in her pocket for later. She rushed down the hall and found her class exactly where Pyrrha had said it was. Stepping into the room, Ruby could see that the chairs were already mostly filled up. Only a handful of desks were still free. Rushing to an open seat, Ruby sat down just as the bell rang.

Students continued to talk amongst each other until their teacher walked through the door. Going up to the whiteboard, he pulled out a marker and began writing. The course title had been written across the board along with the teacher's name.

"As you all can see, this is AP Euro and I am your teacher, Doctor Oobleck. Now I'm going to get a few things out of the way before I give you an opportunity to ask questions." He reached into his messenger bag and pulled out a stack of papers. "This is the course syllabus and should detail most of what this class will entail. It is my job to prepare you for the AP exam which will be held at the end of the year. This exam will determine whether or not you receive college credits for the class."

The papers were passed out to each person in the front row and handed back to each subsequent student. The class remained mostly silent until the girl next to Ruby raised her hand. "Mr. Oobleck?"

"Doctor Oobleck."

"Sorry, Doctor Oobleck, why is their office hours for Beacon university on this paper?" The white-haired girl asked.

"That is because I only teach at Signal High from 7 to 1. If you wish to see me after that time, you'll need to come to my office at Beacon. I became a teacher to help shape the minds of as many students as I could and the extra pay is a nice bonus. Many of you might find this shocking, but not all teachers are evil monsters set on failing you. Some just want to help you pass the class and provide you with the tools to help achieve your goals." Some of the students seemed relieved since the teacher appeared so relaxed. "Before we begin today's lesson, let's take role."

The class let out a groan at the knowledge of actual work on their first day of school. It wasn't long before the first absence was noticed. "Blake Belladonna, is Blake Belladonna here?" Oobleck asked.

"Blake can't attend classes due to a medical condition. I usually pick up all her assignments after school and deliver them to her," The girl with her white hair in a ponytail said.

"Thank you, Miss Schnee. That's very kind of you."

"Thank you, Doctor Oobleck." She gave a soft smile at the acknowledgement.

"Most of you may not have your book yet, but let's get on with today's lesson. It would be a waste to spend the next hour and a half doing nothing."

Ruby pulled out a pencil and began taking notes. Class turned into a blur, as Oobleck began his lecture on early Europe. Most of the students were doing the same. A few even had the book for the class already and were highlighting any point the teacher made. After filling up a few pages worth of notes, the bell rang and signaled the end of class. Everyone was pulling all the items from their desk and throwing them into their backpacks.

Fairly more confident in her navigation skills, Ruby set out to her next class. Hardly any of the students walking past her seemed to be looking at anything and remained focused on making it to their next class. Ruby would occasionally look back at her paper and then to the nearest sign hoping to see something that matched up. Luck seemed to be on her side when she found a staircase with the letter C stenciled on the side. Walking up the flight of stairs, she reached an open room with six class doors. A few students were still walking about outside when Ruby entered the classroom.

Thanks to a quicker arrival, the class wasn't completely filled and a fair number of seats remained empty. Ruby scanned the classroom and recognized a few people from her previous class. Spotting a seat by the girl with white hair, she sat down in the chair. "Hi, my names Ruby. We have AP Euro together."

The girl closed her book and looked Ruby in the eyes. Ruby felt like the center of attention, as if the entire class had turned to face her. It felt like an hour had passed before the girl gave a response. "Weiss Schnee. I didn't notice you."

"That's okay. I don't really stick out to much and I hardly talk during lessons."

"You seem to be doing fine right now," Weiss said with some annoyance.

Ruby seemed to miss the tone shift and continued talking, "Thanks. I'm trying to be more social now since my sister says it's important to make friends."

Weiss used her free hand to rub her forehead in an attempt to ease the building tension she felt. "Look, I know you probably think this is great and you've made a friend, but we need to set some things straight. I have no desire to be friends with you. Do well in class and I might consider partnering up for any group assignments."

"But why?"

"Because friends like you will only serve as a distraction. I have to focus on my studies and prepare for college."

"I mean, why are you so mean now?" Ruby felt betrayed after seeing how Weiss offered to help deceiver a student's assignments.

"If you're talking about me helping Blake, I only do that because I've been delivering her classwork since freshman year. It's little more than a comfortable routine to do on my way home. Now I suggest you pay attention during class," Weiss said as the teacher came through the door.

"It's nice to see so many students taking my class. For those of you who don't know, I am your AP chemistry teacher, Alvina Peach. It is my hope that each of you passes my course along with the test at the end of the year."

Ruby could hardly remember the class, though it wasn't as intense as Ooblecks thanks to the teacher only going over the syllabus and what they should expect through the year. A low growl brought Ruby's attention back to the world. Looking around she saw nothing out of place until she felt her stomach grumbling with hunger. Looking up at the clock she began counting down the minutes left in class until she could go and hangout with her sister. Time seemed to only pass slower now that the clock had Ruby's undivided attention. After an agonizing 7 minutes, the bell rang. The class swiftly emptied as the students rushed to meet their friends and enjoy a meal.

Ruby made her way to the cafeteria and saw her sister's large mane of hair bobbing through the crowds. Slowly shuffling through the masses, Ruby eventually made it to the tables. Yang was already eating her packed lunch and waving for her sister to come over.

"So, how has your day been?" Yang asked in between bites of her sandwich.

"The teachers seem nice, but I met this one girl who was really mean."

"I'm sure she wasn't that bad. Maybe the two of you just got off on the wrong foot."

"I tried being more social and she just bit my head off. This is why I don't like interacting with strangers."

"If you don't talk to them, then how do you expect to make any friends?" Yang began taking another swig of her drink.

Ruby gave a mischievous smile, "For your information, dear sister, I am going to join a club this year." Yang nearly choked on her drink at hearing the news.

Coughing a few times to clear her lungs and throat. She couldn't shake the look of surprise on her face. "So, let me get this straight. You, Ruby Rose, are going to force yourself into a situation where you have to be social."

"It shouldn't be that bad."

"Please tell me you didn't join the chess club."

"No, I didn't and don't make fun of my backup plan. I am going to be joining the RPG club if everything works out."

"Oh my god, are you really joining the nerd brigade? I don't even know what the club is and I can feel the nerdiness seeping through the name." Yang went back to eating her meal as Ruby tried to argue her decision.

"The person I talked to was amazing, she was tall and cool and nice." Ruby was so caught up in her recollection, she failed to notice Pyrrha walk over to their table.

"I didn't realize you thought so highly of me," Pyrrha said, startling Ruby and causing her to jump from her seat.

"You are definitely not what I was expecting." Yang commented at the sight of Pyrrha. The red head stood at 6 ft and was clearly in shape if the muscles on her arm were any indication.

"Sorry to disappoint, but you don't have to sacrifice brawn for brains." Pyrrha smiled at Yang challengingly. "I take it that she's your sister, Ruby?"

"Yep. Yang, meet Pyrrha. She is the one I was telling you about." Ruby replied, happy that her sister couldn't find anything to pick at.

"If you're part of this RPG club, then how do you have a body like that?" Yang motioned to Pyrrha's entirety.

"I used to do track. I stopped this year and decided to enjoy the last year with my friends afterschool, instead of training." Yang nearly flinched at the disarming smile given by the girl. "I hope you aren't mad about me inviting your sister to join our club."

Yang got out of her seat and used her right hand to grip Pyrrha's shoulder. "As long as she's happy, then you'll be happy." Walking out of the lunchroom, Yang left Ruby with Pyrrha.

"Well she seemed nice. I hope you stop by afterschool today, Ruby. I'm sure everyone would be happy to meet you." Ruby sat in her chair and finished her lunch just before the bell rang.

Her final class of the day was physical education and Ruby could feel her muscles aching already. She was never as physically active as Yang and her refusal to accompany Yang on morning runs caught up with her. Trying to jog around the track on her last lap had turned into a trial. Each step causing her legs to burn and her throat feeling rough from the dry air she desperately tried to get into her lungs. Ending her day on such a tortuous class wasn't what she had in mind when she stepped out of her dad's car, but with each exercise completed, she knew that the day was closer to ending. Eventually the whistle was blown and the students returned to the locker room to change out of their gym clothes and prepare for the final bell. Ruby had the flyer in hand and eagerly awaited by the exit with the other students. When the bell was finally heard, the crowd dispersed out of the room. Each student eager to return home after their first day.

Ruby walked around the school in search of the club. After a few minutes, she came across the door and was about to knock when it opened from the inside. The door narrowly missing her, as she jumped back in shock. A girl with short orange hair was about to step out when she noticed Ruby. "You must be the new member Pyrrha was talking about. Stay here and keep Jaune company while I go grab her."

The girl pushed Ruby into the room and ran off in search of Pyrrha, leaving Ruby behind with the other member. The first thing Ruby noticed about the teen was his shy demeanor and blonde hair. His eyes seemed to dart around the room in an attempt to avoid Ruby's. Eventually Ruby decided to break the ice and try talking to him.

"So, I'm kind of curious to what this club actually is. Not to say I won't join but your flyer wasn't the most informative."

"Sorry about that, Nora designed most of it. We're mostly about playing D&D while maintaining our grades. Pyrrha's also been trying to get us to work out with her in the mornings, but it's yet to take." Jaune explained as Ruby listened intently. "The grade thing helped us keep the club established for so long. Our members try to maintain a 3.0 or higher GPA at the end of each semester. Since we're not a sports club and don't have competitions, we have a few harsher restrictions placed on us."

"That shouldn't be a problem for me. If you don't mind me asking, where are all the other members?" Ruby asked curiously.

"All our older members graduated last year. We were hoping to bring in some younger students to help keep the club going for a few more years."

"Uh, Jaune. I'm graduating this year." Ruby could see his mind grind to a halt upon hearing her.

His mind kicked back into gear when he noticed Ruby looking gloom and mirroring his disposition. Putting a smile on, he thought of the new possibilities instead. "Guess we just have to focus on making this year our best one yet now. I'll show you what we're working with, if you want?"

Ruby nodded, as Jaune gave her a tour around the room. Chairs had been stacked against the wall along with desks to make space for the table in the middle of the room. Two small black suitcases were lying on the table. Ruby noticed the two backpacks by the table, each clearly belonging to Jaune and Nora. Jaune popped open one of the suitcases and Ruby saw the foam lining that held the dozens of miniatures in place.

"Nora makes most of our miniatures and paints them." Jaune was about to continue when the door opened.

"Found Pyrrha." Nora skipped into the room with the redhead in tow.

"Sorry for being late. I just needed to make it clear that I wasn't going to be participating in any track meets this year." Pyrrha said, as she placed her backpack next to the other's.

"Ruby, I'd like to introduce you to the remaining members of the RPG club. Nora Valkyrie," The orange haired girl gave a mock salute. "Pyrrha Nikos," The ex-track star gave a polite wave. "and me, Jaune Arc."

Ruby continued to stare at the three, waiting to see if there was something more to happen. When nothing came, she began her introduction. "My name is Ruby and I'm happy to meet you." She responded with an outstretched hand.

"If you ever need help with anything, feel free to grab us," Jaune said with a confident grin.

"Unless it involves bullying or violence. If it does, just call me and Pyrrha. We'll take care of any issues you have." Nora brought her hands together as if she was holding a bat and took a swing with the imaginary weapon. "Jaune's not exactly the best when it comes to physical confrontation."

"If you're done, I'd like to give Ruby the application form." Jaune reached into his backpack and pulled out a yellow form. "You can play a game with us on Wednesday, if you want to see if it's your thing. Test the waters and all that."

"Session's typically run from 2:45 to 5:15 twice a week. If you come on Wednesday, don't worry about bringing anything. We have more than enough supplies to spot several people." Nora started counting her fingers in an attempt to remember how many bags of dice they still had in storage. "Fourth edition was only released to the public about two months ago, so it's going to be a learning experience for all of us."

"Not to sound intrusive but, do you have a ride home?" Pyrrha asked.

"My dad is giving me and my sister a lift back home. Yang should have got her parking pass today too, so now I'll be riding with her to and from school."

"Feel free to sit with us at lunch, Ruby. It would be nice to get to know you. Tell Yang, she's free to tag along too," Pyrrha said.

"Thanks, I'll see you tomorrow at lunch." Ruby waved goodbye and made her way back to Yang.

Her sister was relaxing on a nearby bench. Ruby took a seat next to her sister and waited patiently. Yang didn't seem tired, but unmotivated to do anything about the silence. They enjoyed each other's presence for the next few minutes, until their father arrived. It was mostly a quite ride home as the three enjoyed the passing landscapes.

Reaching the driveway, Ruby and Yang made their way to the house. "Still can't believe that some of my teachers gave us homework on the first day," Yang grumbled.

"At least it should be easy. Remember, if you need any help feel free to ask me." Ruby went upstairs to take a nap and missed the look of contempt as Yang turned her head down. It only took a moment for sleep to overtake her.

Ruby was awoken by the sound of someone knocking on her door. Looking up, she saw her father standing in the doorway. "Could you and Yang go pick up some groceries? We're starting to run low on breakfast and lunch supplies."

"Sure, just let me grab her and we'll head out." Ruby watched her dad leave and then went over to her sister's bedroom door. Rapping the back of her hand against the door, Ruby waited a moment as she heard a chair sliding against the wooden floor.

"Is dinner done already?" Yang asked.

"Dad is still cooking, but he wants us to go grocery shopping."

"It should help pass the time. If we're lucky, dinner will be done by the time we get back." Yang ruffled Ruby's hair as she jumped down the stairs, grabbing the keys on her way. "Borrowing your car, Dad. We'll be back in a few minutes."

Ruby followed behind her sister as they stepped into the garage and got into the car. Pulling out onto the driveway, they could see the dark clouds hanging in the sky. Going down the freeway, Ruby could hear the pitter patter of rain. The storm appeared light so far with how little seemed to be hitting the windshield. One short drive later and they pulled into a parking space near the front of the store. The lot seemed mostly empty with only about 6 other cars dotting the pavement.

Rain began pouring from the sky as Ruby and Yang entered the store. Yang going in search of sandwich supplies as her sister started looking for anything that could be turned into breakfast. Ruby was hopeful that dinner would be done by the time they got back to the house. She was scanning the aisles when she spotted a small girl holding up a cereal box to a man. Ruby couldn't help but smile at the sight of the girl pushing the box at the man as he shook his head back and forth.

"Come on Neo, the last thing you need to eat is that garbage. I cook a real breakfast every morning so we can have an actual meal." The man argued as the box got placed in the shopping cart. "Fine, but you know how hard it is finding a dentist who's willing to operate on you. If you get cavities, then it's all up to you to get them fixed."

The short girl smiled as they continued down the aisle towards checkout. Ruby turned around and went to the back to grab some eggs and milk. It wasn't long before her hand cart was full of enough food to last them for a few weeks. Walking around the store, she eventually found her sister. Both exchanged talk about their respective days and what they had planned. Overall, it had been a good day for the two. Ruby was busy laughing at something Yang said when they rounded the corner and Yang's basket hit the floor.

Ruby looked up and saw the checkout aisle had been painted red. Several people were lying on the floor with a hole going through each of their shirts. The two employees who had been working the registers were resting on the counter with their arms stretched out as if reaching for something. Yang had taken out her phone and was talking to someone. Ruby could hear the words leaving her mouth, but they felt muddled to her mind. Eventually the red liquid pooled across the floor and touched Ruby's shoe. Ruby can only stare down at the liquid as her mind catches up to everything in front of her.

'Oh, that's blood,' with those final thoughts, Ruby collapsed into darkness as Yang's voice was heard in the background.

Really couldn't push into the fight this chapter. After getting all these characters set up though, I feel confident in having progression and fights for the next few chapters of the story. At this point, it is pretty much clear that about 90% of named characters will play some role in the upcoming chapters. I can't wait to start reaching into the pool of Stand Users I created and having them face of against one another.