Eagon struggled to dress on the morning of his first day of classes at Beacon. He hadn't slept much the night before and figured it was less the current situation and more the fact that he always found it difficult to sleep in new places. All of the alienness made it impossible to relax.

"Are you ready?" Coco asked.

"Nearly, lass, nearly. Just gotta finish with me cloth noose here and I'll be tip-top."

"I thought men got ready faster than the ladies." Velvet snarked.

"Oi! I'll thank the peanut gallery for its silence."

"I was just commenting about something I was raised to believe not being true."

"Oh, is that it then? Ye know, I always thought the Faunus were hardcore bastards, able to take anything life throws at them and give back seven-fold with a smile. Guess we're both a bit disappointed, aye?"

"You two have been sniping at each other since we woke up and I've just about had my fill." Coco warned.

"Aye. I'll agree with ye there. That's why miss bunny over there better shut her smart mouth before Blackthorn and I shut it for her." He felt the leather of the handbag impact the back of his head, sending him into the wall. With a grunt and a bit of struggle, he pulled his head free. "So, that's how it'll be, aye? Well, we'd better let Wizard Ozpin know he'll need to be payin' the maintenance lot double for the work they'll put in."

"It won't be that way if you don't threaten my teammates."

"I won't threaten them if they mind their manners."

"That's rich, coming from you." Velvet snapped.

"Oi! I tried to be nice and polite with you lot. I tried to get on well and spread the good cheer, just like me ma taught me, but ye just wanna whine an' moan." His voice took on a high-pitched whine. "Oh, me poor mate's dead and I can't go on. I'll just lie here like a beaten dog and eat the head o' any bastard that tries to cheer me up. Bollocks to that, lass. Ye ain't the only one grievin' here an' ye ain't the only one in a position they don't like. Suck it up an' try to make the best of it, aye? Like I said yesterday, there's nothin' ye can do to make me wanna give up me last chance at makin' me folks proud. I've put in too much time and too much effort to give it up to some snarky bitch. Aye, I've tried to be nice but I've got me limits an' we've just about reached 'em. I've not got a problem knockin' a lass on her arse. I'd rather not, but I will if I have to."

"If you think I'm intimidated by a drunken brute like you-"

"Velvet, knock it off." Coco cut off the Faunus with a wave of her hand. She set her weapon aside and stepped up to Eagon. "Be patient with her. Everything that's happened has affected her worst. Normally, she's not like this." She grabbed the ends of his tie and began twisting it. "Still, I'd call this an improvement. This is the most she's said in days. While it's annoying, I think she's beginning to recover. So, thanks for that." She expertly tied the knot and tightened it under his collar.

"Here, I've been fightin' that thing for ten minutes. How did ye know to do that?"

"I went through a phase where I was really into ties for a while. You were taking too long and I'm hungry. C'mon. Let's go get some breakfast."

"Where'd that Fox fellow wander off to?" Eagon asked as they left the room.

Coco shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine. He typically vanishes pretty early. I think he takes an early breakfast then goes for a walk. He'll show back up later, I'm sure."

"An' ye let him do his own thing, yeah?"

"He's a pretty private person. Even I don't know everything about him. I think he's a ward of the state. He refuses to talk about his family or even where he's from."

"I rather like him. Reminds me of one of me old teammates. Fellow never spoke unless it was necessary. Even then, we couldn't bloody well understand him."

The mention of a team brought a rather important subject to Coco's mind. She had wanted to speak with Eagon about it but, in the chaos of the previous night, it had slipped from her thoughts. "I need to set your roles on the team. Everybody on team CFVE can fill at least two roles depending on their semblance. What's yours?"

He winked at her. "Ye ain't figured it out yet?"

"What do you mean?"

"C'mon, lass. Yer smarter than that. Each time ye'd bash me with that bag o' yers and I'd just shake it off, ye ain't caught on?"

"Well, I figured your aura was just absorbing the worst of the blows, but you've been able to just shake off each one, including the impact of whatever you end up hitting."

He nodded. "Aye."

"So, I'd say you've been activating your semblance but it's not an obvious effect. It's very subtle, unnoticeable."

"Aye."

"And these blows have no effect. None whatsoever. I mean, I've been hitting you hard enough to put you down for a while. Even if you had your aura up, you should have earned a bruise at the very least. Therefore, your semblance has been protecting you." She reasoned.

Eagon applauded her. "Well done, lass, well done. Aye. Me semblance is resilience. If you keep hitting me, I keep getting tougher. Of course, I ain't invincible. Hit me hard enough and you'll kill me."

"How hard would that have to be?"

He cocked an eyebrow. "Why do ye want to know?"

"lt's a good idea to let your team know your limits. I don't want to put you in a situation where you might get overwhelmed."

"Aye. That makes sense. Put it to you this way: A Death Stalker once knocked the wind out of me."

She nodded. "Aside from knocking the wind out of you, did it do anything else?"

"Not really. Felt like it cracked me chest, but the doctors couldn't find anything."

"Well, I can't hit any harder than a Death Stalker..."

"Good to know."

"...but I can hit faster."

Eagon snorted. "I'll bear that in mind. Now, there is a limit. Me semblence is only good against blunt force. Blades occasionally slip through but even they'll lose effect if they don't take me in the first strike or two. The only thing that'll chew through is bullets. They seem to bust through every time." He fished a silver flask out of his pocket and opened the cap.

Coco caught the strong scent of whiskey. "Really? It's seven-thirty in the morning."

"Eh, I'm Vacuoian. It's in me nature." He replied with a grin.

"It's in your nature to be drunk all the time?"

"I'm not drunk all the time. Just most of the time."

"Right, because that's so much better."

"Don't judge me, lady. I've got me own wounds to lick and how I chose to lick 'em is up to me."

"I disagree. You see, on the battlefield, I need to know that I can count on you. I need to know you'll be there if I need you. I can't have people on my team that I can't rely on."

"I see yer point, but we've known each other for a few days, aye?. That's it. Pardon me fer sayin' but that ain't enough time to get a measure of a man."

She thought this over a moment. "Fair enough. Alright, Mister Sullivan. You have one week to impress me. If, by the end of that week I'm not impressed, I'll be having words with Professor Ozpin about you."

x-x

Eagon considered himself a bit of an expert on Dust. Blackthorn fired grenades composed of Burn dust. He found those to be the most useful. Though he wouldn't admit this aloud, he also added a tiny bit of Burn Dust to his whisky. He planned to have himself cremated after his death. The only drawback was that he wouldn't be around to see the explosion. It had the added effect of giving a bit of a kick to his alcohol, which he thoroughly enjoyed.

Professor Port was giving a lecture on the effects of the various types of Dust on the Creatures of Grimm that had somehow evolved into a tale of how he had defeated an Ursa using Freeze Dust shells. Freeze Dust had its merits, Eagon couldn't argue, but Burn Dust was his preferred cartridge.

Despite what everybody seemed to think, he wasn't some stupid lout. He was a man who enjoyed the good and simple things in life: Food, friends, fighting, and drink. Yet, somehow, he had managed to muck his entire situation up. When she wasn't throwing verbal barbs, Velvet would simply sit and glare at him. Coco was intent on throwing him out unless he seriously proved his worth, and Fox didn't seem to give a damn one way or the other.

He'd show them. If they wanted to be impressed, he'd damn well impress them. Port's story continued on and, while most of the other students had begun to zone out or nod off, Eagon listened closely. Through the mostly boastful nonsense, there were nuggets of useful information. Ursi were generally unaffected by Freeze Dust but it would slow them down a bit. Enough Freeze would kill them but, as Port explained, it would take a great deal of time and effort. Eagon saw the genius behind the man's teaching. Those that cared enough would listen and would gain the knowledge he possessed, they just had to withstand the test of his rambling first. The bell rang and, as students fled the lecture hall, Eagon continued to collect notes.

"Mister Sullivan, class has ended." Port pointed out.

"Yes, sir. Don't mind me. I just need to take these last few notes and I'll be out of yer hair."

Port chuckled. "It's no problem at all, young man. I'm pleased when students show such diligence in their work. I only hope that more would follow your example."

"Yes, sir."

"Tell me, how are you finding Beacon?"

"It's quite simple, sir. I need only look down and there it is."

Port was silent for a moment before he burst into loud laughter. "Very good, Mister Sullivan. I admire such wit."

"Thank you, sir."

"And have there been any more problems settling in?"

"Nothing to note, sir. Velvet continues to be a pain in me arse. Excuse me, continues to be uncooperative, but I suspect that has to do more with the recent troubles within the team than meself."

Port nodded. "Yes, Mister Daichi was a good man and showed fine potential to be an excellent Huntsman. You, yourself, show many of the same qualities."

"Yes, sir, and I think that might be the point of friction between the team and meself. I think they think I'm trying to replace him rather than simply fill a position." Eagon replied as he began to return papers and books to his bag.

"I wouldn't dwell too much on it. Mister Daichi's untimely end came as a shock to all of us. I'm certain that, in time, the others will come to accept you. Simply continue as you are and they will adjust."

"I hope so, sir."

In the corridor, Eagon retrieved his scroll from his pocket and was pleased to see that it was time for lunch. Being from Vacuoian farmland, he was used to big meals to prepare one for long hours in the fields. Therefore, he found the meals at Beacon somewhat wanting. The student cafeteria was across the courtyard from the building he was in so he set off through the bright sunshine, passing his fellow students as he went. Few paid him any mind and those that did didn't seem particularly interested in him. He wasn't really used to being alone like this. Back in Atlas, he and his team were together almost constantly and spending so much time by himself was a bit of a trial. However, being alone was better than being on the receiving end of Velvet's attitude.

He entered the cafeteria to find it packed. While the visiting students had long since departed, it seemed Beacon had a large enough population to fill its gargantuan eatery. He surveyed the tables, looking for an empty seat, and a cry rang in his ears.

"Ow! Stop that!"

He searched for the source of the voice and found a familiar pair of long rabbit ears, one of which was being pulled by a bulky idiot. While he wasn't Velvet's biggest fan, he'd be damned if he let some prick pick on her. Quickly, he advanced on the group.

"Leave me alone!" Velvet cried again, trying to free herself.

The prick was surrounded by three of his cronies. One was a fat bastard with the ugliest haircut Eagon had ever seen. Another was a preppy-looking pretty boy who'd probably not last a minute outside the kingdom walls. The third was a toothpick with a hairstyle he probably thought made him look cool.

When the prick refused to let go, Eagon reached forward and grabbed his wrist. "Me mate here asked ye to leave her be. I suggest ye do that."

Prick scowled as he turned to Eagon. "Yeah? And what are you gonna do if I don't?"

He shrugged. "This." He gripped the side of Prick's head and slammed it into the table. From the corner of his eye, he saw Toothpick move suddenly and ducked under the fist, returning the favor with a punch to the boy's stomach. Fat bastard caught an elbow to the nose while Pretty boy got his legs kicked out from under him. With the three stooges dealt with, Eagon returned his attention to the class prick. He locked his forearm against the inside of Prick's elbow, gripped the thick wrist, and bent the arm double. "Alright, arsehole, listen up. The way I've got ye twisted, one false move will break yer damn arm." Eagon pulled tighter on the prick's wrist to emphasize his point. "If I catch ye molestin' me mate, Velvet, again, I'll do a sight worse than break yer arm, aye? I suggest ye leave her alone from now on."

"You won't last a minute after I tell Goodwitch." The prick threatened.

"Oh, go ahead and let her know. She'll come to me and ask why I saw fit to beat the shite outta ye. 'Course, I'll have no choice but to tell her me version of events, including the bit about how ye were botherin' me friend. Seein' as how she's a Faunus and yer...well...not, any idiot could see that I was only steppin' in to stop a hate crime. Now, I'm sure Goodwitch wouldn't want the name of this fine institution smeared by the knowledge of racial hate crimes occurrin' on its grounds, so she'll have no choice but to put ye out. I think it's best if ye kept yer mouth shut and went along, aye?"

He released the prick, who immediately retreated with his lackeys in tow, all the while muttering vulgar threats over his shoulder. Eagon looked to see that the occupants of several nearby tables were staring at him. "Right, you lot." He barked. "Back to yer knittin', this is awkward enough without ye nosy gits listenin' in." With those final words, he straddled the bench and sat, silently staring at Velvet, who was hiding her face in her hands.

As the cafeteria returned to normalcy, she finally noticed him. "What?"

"Are ye hurt?"

"No." She muttered, staring down at her tray. "Why did you do that?"

"Well, ye were bein' bothered. I ain't gonna stand aside and let one of me teammates, or really anybody, get picked on like that."

"Oh, is that it? So, what, you think you're a knight in shining armor? What should I do now, fall swooning into your arms?"

Eagon's eyes narrowed. "Can't say I care for the attitude, lass. I don't expect a damn thing outta ye, 'cept maybe a thanks. Hope that's not too much to ask. I'll help anyone who I think needs it, so, unless ye liked havin' yer ears pulled, yer welcome."

Velvet glared down at her tray. "Thanks." She mumbled.

"Sorry. Didn't quite catch that."

"I said 'Thanks'." She snapped. "And before you get it into your head that I'm some damsel in distress just waiting to be rescued, I'm not. Just so we're clear."

"Aye. Crystal." He replied with a nod. "Y'know, Velvet, I can't quite get me head around this animosity."

"Oh, well done. A five-syllable word. What's next? Maybe you'll learn how to write your name?"

"See? That's what I'm talkin' about. I get that I'm not the best at first impressions. I know I'm not the most charming bastard in the world, but I'm curious as to what I did to deserve these bad feelin's."

Velvet returned her attention to her tray, picked up her fork, and poked at the food a bit. "You're not him." She finally said.

"What? Not yer mate? Ye don't say. Listen, I know I'm not him. I'm not here to replace him. Ozpin asked me to come here and he placed me with yer team. Before that, I never knew ye lot even existed. This isn't some plan to get ye to forget about him and, believe it or not, makin' me miserable ain't goin' to bring him back." Eagon sat back a minute and thought. "I've heard more than a bit about yer mate, Yatsuhashi. He was a good lad, aye? Worked hard and kept himself out of trouble. I can admire a fellow like that. Now, let me ask ye somethin'. If he was here, right now, and saw the way ye've been treatin' me, what do ye think he'd say about it?"

Velvet's ears wilted in shame.

"Aye, that's what I thought." He gave her shoulder a gentle pat. "I'd like the chance to be able to work with ye, but I can't do that if we're constantly at each other's throats. If it makes ye feel better, it ain't any easier fer me. I can promise ye that." He gave her shoulder a final pat and stood. "If ye need me, ye know where to look."

x-x

Night had fallen by the time Coco had returned from her final class of the day. Velvet and Fox were still out but Eagon was waiting, already halfway through a fresh bottle of whisky. She crossed to her bed and set her school bag on it, all the while watching him watch her. Eagon's dark eyes never left her as she slipped out of her school shoes and nudged them beneath the bed.

"Had a good day?" She asked, trying to break the awkward silence.

He stood and took a few steps towards her. "Did ye know that Velvet was bein' bullied?"

She stared at him. It wasn't really that much of a surprise to her. Velvet was a Faunus and found herself on the receiving end of torment from her peers more often than not. "Really?"

"Aye. Caught the pricks in the act meself just today. Do ye mean to tell me that you had no idea?"

Coco shrugged. "She brought it up earlier this year but she told me she could handle it."

"What? And ye believed her?"

"What do you want me to do? I can't look over her shoulder every moment of every day."

"I don't expect that. What I do expect is for ye to step in when one of yer teammates obviously needs yer help."

"I told her to come to me if she needed any help."

"In case ye missed it, lass, she did. Earlier this year, she asked ye for help and ye shrugged her off. Y'know, this mornin' ye told me that ye needed yer teammates reliable on the battlefield. Fine. But ye need to be reliable yerself, both on and off of the field. If one of yer teammates comes to ye, it's up to ye to read between the lines and figure out what ye need to do to help them."

Coco frowned. "While you're up there on your high horse, do you mind explaining what happened to your team?"

The speed with which he moved startled her. In the blink of an eye, he had crossed the room and was in her face. "Careful, lass."

She had stared down Grimm that were more intimidating than him. "I just want to know why you're here instead of with your team, seeing as how you know all about being a good leader and all."

There was a subtle shift in his expression as his eyes widened and his pupils contracted. The look on his face caused her heart to skip a beat. At that moment, she knew she had crossed a line and it was only a matter of time before he flattened her.

"Ye dare." He hissed, his fists clenching. "Lemme explain somethin' to ye, girl. Me teammates were far better men than I'll ever find here. Me old mate was twice the leader ye think ye are. He's the man who taught me all about that leadership shite I told ye. He led by example and, when the time came, gave everythin' he had. Don't ye dare begin to compare yerself to him. Ye ain't worthy and, if ye keep like this, ye never will be. As fer me bein' here, I know I failed them. I'm reminded of that every. Single. Damn. Day and if ye try to use their memory on me like that again, I swear I'll rip yer damn tongue out!"

She was rooted to the spot as he stalked back across the room, sat down at his desk, and stared into space, trying to calm himself. Never before had she been spoken to like that. Never before was she so certain that she would find herself in the infirmary. It had been terrifying.

"Oh, and don't worry about those bullies. I've already taken care of it."

As soon as her numbness eased enough for her to move, Coco went to her dresser and fetched her cognac. Her hands shook slightly as she poured twice her usual measure into a glass and sat down on her bed. She stared into the dark liquid, thinking for a moment, before she spoke. "I'm sorry."

"Nah, I was outta line. Shouldn't've threatened ye."

"No. I shouldn't have brought them up like I did. You did warn me before."

"Aye."

"I know I'm not a good team leader. I'm selfish and hypocritical and I don't know what I'm doing half the time." She took a sip of her drink. "Yatsuhashi only died because I told him to go and rescue Velvet, who only needed it because I had put her in that position. My mistakes cost him his life. My mistakes cost a family their son. My mistakes cost Velvet her best friend."

"That's the curse of leadership, isn't it? That knowledge that one slip-up, one miscalculation, one error in judgement could cost ye everythin'. Can't say that's somethin' I could handle meself. So I guess that makes ye a right sight better than me."

"You think I'm handling it?" She scoffed, upended her glass, and refilled it. "Look at me. I haven't slept properly since we got back. If Velvet's nightmares don't wake me, my own do. I can't think straight in class. My grades have started to slip and the Professors have begun to notice." She looked down into her empty glass and tried to figure out how it had gotten that way. She returned it to its position next to the bottle and rested her face in her hands. "I have no idea what I'm doing and I think I'm starting to lose it."

The bed shifted as he sat next to her. "If ye want me word on it, I think ye're thinkin' too hard on this. Aye, Yatsuhashi's dead and worryin' over it ain't gonna bring him back. Now, the only choice ye've got is to learn from your mistake. Ye know more about Velvet's limitations and your team's capacity to handle those. Take that knowledge and put it to good use, lass, so there ain't any more Yatsuhashis."

She gave a humorless laugh. "Easier said than done."

"Aye but ye don't strike me as someone who backs down from a challenge. And it's somethin' that ye, as a leader, need to do. I can't tell ye how to do it, but I can tell ye that it needs to be done. If ye don't do it, ye fail. Plain and simple."

"That still doesn't mean I know what I'm doing."

"Ain't that why yer here? To learn? I'm not gonna lie, it's a tall order to fill but, let me ask ye somethin'; who named ye the leader?"

"Ozpin did, when he named the team our first day here."

"Aye. Yer wizard Ozpin seems like a bloke who knows what he's doin'. Ye gotta trust him that he named the right person to lead and live up to that trust. Yer gonna make mistakes, but a mistake that costs someone their life, well that's a mistake a good leader only makes once."

Coco hung her head. "I never want to go through this again. I don't want anybody to feel this kind of guilt."

"Hopefully, ye'll have yer way."