AN: And if this is a cause for concern, I don't dislike Weiss and I do not bash on her. I think her character is awesome. But I also feel that her character type is the best to tease and make fun with. Just saying.

And I'm not sure about the pairing as of yet. Hell, I might let certain characters get together and break up just to see what would happen. My girlfriends a bit twisted that way, and it rubs off on me sometimes. Good for plot though.

Begin!

"I knew I should have brought a sleeping bag just in case…"

"It was in the suggested inventory list." Ren laughed at me.

"My idiot of a brother didn't give the the damn list. Just told me to pack and threw my ass on the Dustplane."

"Ouch."

"Yeah. I could have flown here on a mount instead. I don't get motion sick on animals, just any Dust-vehicle larger than a house."

Ren chuckled, the two of us finally having some peace now that Nora had fallen asleep, mumbling about marshmallows and riding bareback on some poor Ursa.

With Nora you had to feel bad for the monsters, as much as I hated them.

"Well, I guess I should change out of these clothes." I said, pulling a beater and shorts out of my luggage bag which had been finally delivered after three delays and given to the wrong student twice.

With my limited human interaction, seeing as the village I had lived in for most of my life only had eight people, I did not know that you had to go somewhere private to change.

I mean, I didn't take my boxers off, I'm not that stupid.

But I was in just boxers for a moment, not knowing what the whistling was about.

"Dude… why did you change in the middle of the room?"

"Huh? I have to change somewhere, right?"

Ren sighed wryly.

"There's a changing room over there." He said, pointed at two sets of curtains that had been drawn up on a metal structure. "I know you told me you're from the countryside, but we normally don't change in public."

"Huh. Ok. I'll make note of that. Should I feel embarrassed?"

Somebody cried out "Hell no!", much to the public enjoyment, if the laughter and giggling was any indication.

"Maybe you should," Ren agreed, "but don't pretend if you're not, I guess."

"Huh, ok. I'm gonna grab a bottle of water. Want one?"

"I think I'll be fine. Here, it's not much, but a spare blanket should be better than sleeping on plain ground."

"Thanks Ren, you're an awesome friend, you know that?"

"Thank you. And you're welcome."

Then Ren fell asleep practically right away.

The boy loves sleep, I guess. A man after my own heart.

I got up and headed to the small late-night cafeteria area by the ballroom, seeing Ruby and her older sister I waved as I passed by.

The blonde, Yang, I believe her name was wolf-whistled at me before Ruby smacked her in the face with a pillow, looking quite embarrassed for some reason or the other.

"Hey Ruby, cute PJs!"

I ducked as a feather stuffed projectile of doom came flying at me.

I didn't understand, girls were supposed to like compliments, right? Maybe I should have complimented Yang in tangent? She looked really good in orange. Very good compliment to her skin tone, although much more skin than I was used to seeing.

"Hey! What did I do? If it's a pillow fight you're looking for, I don't have anything but a blanket I'm borrowing, so I can't humor you, ya know."

I smirked after that.

"But hey, thanks for the pillow. How'd you know I'd need one?"

Yang burst into laughter and blocked a book that Ruby threw.

Must be nice having a sibling that you can get along with. Must be real nice. Although I'd rather die before I got chummy with Ozpin. I wish I had a jerk of a brother who's only goal in life was to apparently torment me with things that I've never wanted.

Like my puppy being turned into a Dust-experiment and turning into a Cerebrus.

Or my clothes with experimental combustion Dust runes that lit on fire while I was in the middle of the street and stood in the sunlight just a little too long.

Or the fact that I'm here at Beacon, although my life isn't boring again as a result.

Hopefully the last won't be too bad.

"Give back my pillow you jerk!"

"Nah, I think I'll use it. Just remember you're the one that tried to bean me in the head. I'm just taking reparations. Spoils of war, if you will. A Huntress to be as yourself should know of that."

And as a result the rest of the night became uneventful and I slept outside under the stars. After all, even with the high elevation it was an unusually warm night and we had shower access in the morning. I didn't think that it would be a problem.

I was half right.

Apparently the dew of the morning grass can be pretty intense and I didn't even need to head in to shower. Especially with a nice, clean stream close by.

Amazing how convenient things can be.

Although I did lose my handmade acorn soap, which was a shame, but I can always make another one. It's not like it's a huge setback.

So I walked into the bathroom area, the male one, to see Ren brushing his teeth tiredly, Nora chatting behind him.

"Sup Ren, Nora. Good morning." I smiled before pulling out my morning necessities.

I lit a candle, scented with sage and peppermint, by my sink, a morning ritual at my village alongside a thin long stick of incense that I lit, meditating for a minute before extinguishing the remains. I brushed my teeth with a cleansing salve made with my own hands, once again tradition and part of the ritual before washing my face and wiping it clean with a large basil leaf.

I do hope I have enough to last me a while, I thought before extinguishing the candle.

The two were staring at me.

Nora was even… quiet… although it might have been more of her taking in the scent of the candle and rosewood incense.

"...What?"

"Do you normally do that? Your aura went off the charts even while you were brushing your teeth."

"Ermmmm, it did? I must have meditated a tad too hard with the incense… And yeah, it's just a morning ritual/tradition. Even if it means that I'm late to something I'll do it. It's just like a daily necessity to me. By the way… what's Nora doing in the mens room? It may have not mattered back at the village, but I'm sure that it's some sort of social boundary here or something, right?"

"I don't know. She's just like this."

"Ah."

"Hey, hey Jaune. Can you tell me where to find one of those candles? It's like so relaxing! Plus it's way better than the stuff that Ren's family uses for their ceremonies and stuff and I only keep the one I got from his parents cuz they're a gift, I've never used them."

"Oi, that's a family recipe."

"Well it kind of smells like bad cold medicine."

Ren sighed before smiling.

"I know, I hate it too."

I laughed before digging through my bag of shower supplies before tossing her a candle wrapped in cold Dust wrap. Dust infused cloth is so cheap outside of the village. I guess because it isn't all handmade.

"Take it. It's handmade, so you won't find it anywhere though. I'm the last person that knows how to make it now."

"Cool! Thank you thank you thank you! Mmmmm. It's like a pine forest in the rain! Oooh! Ren, you have to figure out how to replicate this!"

Ren laughed tiredly before putting away his supplies as well.

"Well, I guess it's time to head to breakfast then. You coming Jaune? Although I'm sure we might gain some attention when we leave the bathroom."

"Sure," I shrug, "and whatever for?"

"Well, most people don't have morning rituals that involve letting out large amounts of aura."

"Ah, is that so?" I asked as we left the room, getting cautious, then strange, looks as Nora followed us out while smelling her newfound candle.

"Most people just brush their teeth, wash their face, and sometimes they take a shower."

"Oh, I cleaned my body too. There's a perfectly good stream outside."

Nora giggled. Ren stared at me before shaking his head.

"Let me guess. People don't bathe outside either?"

"You're like a wild animal!" Nora laughed, "Do you have special handmade soaps and shampoos too?"

"I don't really know what shampoo is," I laughed as we headed into the dining area. "but I do make soap using acorns. It's my favorite for soaps. Although one time I did get to work with fruits. It went well enough, but my grandfather got mad at me for wasting food, so I haven't done it since."

"...You can make fruit scented soaps?"

"...Nora, you're getting awfully close."

"Can you make fruit scented soaps?"

"...Yes?"

She squealed as she jumped up and down before shaking Ren vigorously, who tiredly stood there and let her treat him like a rag doll.

"Ren! Renny, Ren, Ren! You, me, and Jaune are now all besties! Ok?!"

"Huaaah…" Ren sighed, "Alright, alright, can we just eat some pancakes now, I'm still waking up and I'm starved."

"I agree. I'd like to know what this pan-cake is though. Why would you have cake for breakfast? And since were pans edible?"

Ren burst out into laughter as he grabbed these strange circular slices of bread, put it on a plate, poured some sort of viscous liquid over it with a small piece of butter as he handed it to me.

"It's more like bread. Just softer. Try it."

We sat at tables and ate while Nora blabbered about how we should try and find a way to all get on the same team. Which wouldn't have been bad. Actually, it sounded quite fun to me.

After breakfast we all gathered in the locker room where we had been assigned lockers to store away equipment in. I waved to them as I headed for my own locker, Nora now talking about using sloth sounds so that the three of us know where to find each other. Whatever a sloth was.

Then she made some comment about how they were together, but not together as in a couple, although it seemed obvious to me that she did like him in such a manner. Although I may be wrong.

I need to study more on normal teenage human interaction. Most of my village were all older than me. To be honest I was the only one of my own age group, so my communication skills were probably greatly lacking.

Putting on my gear took only a minute and after closing the locker and resetting the passcode like instructed I turned to leave before noticing Ruby, Yang, Weiss, and some attractive redhead dressed like this one Amazoness comic that existed in the village. Apparently it was Ozpins' comic, but I'd only ever seen the cover, never really caring too much to look inside.

"Hey Ruby. And, Yang, I believe? I couldn't find you in the morning, so here. Your pillow. It was very useful."

Good thing I dried it beforehand, huh?

"Hey there hot stuff." Yang smiled at me. It was almost… predatory. It made me feel like a rabbit Faunus.

"Hello!" I replied cheerfully as Ruby angrily snatched the pillow away, but not before stopping and sniffing it.

"Oh, aren't you forward little sis?" Yang teased, I think that was teasing. It sounded like teasing somehow, though I couldn't fathom the reason why.

"No! Don't listen to her Jaune! It's just… it smells like acorns and mint."

"Wha?" Yang snatched the pillow from her sibling before taking a whiff herself. "You're right it does… It's actually not bad. Some kind of shampoo you're using."

"Ok, what is this shampoo people keep talking about. I know soap, but not shampoo." I asked leaning back as both Yang and Ruby sniffed at me curiously.

"Are you stupid? How do you not know what shampoo is? What, are you from the boonies?"

Way to cut into our conversation Weiss. If you want to be their friend, you could just ask.

"I lived outside of Vale my whole life? Does that get included in these boonies? I've heard the term maybe three times, but nobody explained what that was either."

"It's… just… you probably don't really want to know." Ruby told me in a placating tone of voice.

"If you say so Ruby. So, you ready for the big trial?"

"Yup! It's time to do what I do best! Today, I can just let my sweetheart do that talking." she grinned happily while caressing her mecha-shift scythe in its compact form. "No more awkward small talk for me!"

I wish I could have her kind of happiness about weapons.

Before Ozpin forced me to, I've never really needed weapons other than for hunting.

"Just remember that you're not the only one going through initiation, Ruby." Yang admonished softly, sisterly. Makes me miss my family.

Except Ozpin, who I can't stress enough could just go suck a Nevermore talon and die.

"If you want to grow, you have to meet new people and learn to work together." she continued, hands on hips.

"Uggggggh, you sound just like daaaaaad." Ruby whined. "First of all explain to me what meeting new people has to do with fighting?"

"You learn new techniques, fighting styles, and how to adapt to multiple and varied situations, increasing your chances of survival after every encounter?"

"Yeah, that!" Yang agreed happily, stepping unusually close to me, even by my village's standards.

"Jaune! You're supposed to be helping me, not her! Besides, I thought I could maybe be on a team with you. And maybe Jaune, I guess if he feels like joining. Besides! I don't need people to help me grow up! I drink milk."

"...Boy that last sentence really threw the conversation in a weird direction."

Ruby punched me in the shoulder, just below the shoulder guards before shaking her fingers out in light pain. Wow her face really gets as red as her namesake. Is that why she's called Ruby?

"Hey, what did I do?"

"You're just… just… gah! I can't even get mad at you!"

She was trying to get mad at me? Why would anybody try to get mad? Being mad isn't fun…

"I suppose that's my cue to leave, right? I saw this in a play."

I took Yang's laughter as a 'yes'.

I turned around to catch Weiss talking to the amazon girl, who seemed more distracted by the conversation between Ruby, Yang, and I than Weiss.

Though some of the faces Weiss made after asking her about perhaps forming a team together was a bit… frightening, perhaps is a good way to put it. Anyways, it certainly didn't look benevolent, but not particularly malevolent either.

"You're the girl that had the wardrobe malfunction during that argument with Ruby, right?" Don't ask me why I approached her. Even I didn't know why. I just did.

Maybe it's the 'Strangers are only friends you haven't met yet' mentality that my mom raised me with before she passed away when I was six? I don't know.

"Don't you dare bring that up!"

"Sure, if you want me to. Nice to meet you two."

"Nice to meet you!" the amazon girl smiled eagerly, oh how nice! A friendly person, yay! "I'm Pyrrah."

"Nice to meet you too. I'm Jaune D'Arc." I shook her hand with a smile, "Is that armor of yours handmade? The details and fineries are expertly done, but the leather and metals speak of tradition rather than most of the generic mass produced items that I've been seeing everywhere."

"Yes, it is! You're the first to notice. My aunt made it for me. She was a huntress before she went into the blacksmithing and leatherworking trade. She's amazing."

"I can tell. I took up blacksmithing well enough, but I never could manage leatherworking. The smells are always too much for me. I'm much better with herbology and making medicine."

"How interesting!"

Wow, it's so nice having such a kind person to talk to.

Uh oh, looks like Weiss is getting angry though.

"Jaune, is it? Do you have any idea who you're talking to?"

"Miss Pyrrah? I'm sure that's what you said your name was, right? She's nice."

"Ugh. You're such a hick. Pyrrah graduated top of her class at Sanctum."

"Oh, this may be late but, congratulations!"

She beamed at me, flushing. See I knew my mom was right when she said women like compliments! So many people outside the village are so gosh-darn weird sometimes.

"Do you know what Sanctum is?"

"That's a combat school known for sending students into major tournaments in Vale right? I heard about this from my brother who I wish would drop dead in the hallways of school."

The two both blinked at me in surprise and I even saw Ruby and Yang, who were a distance away turn at me strangely.

"...What? Isn't Sanctum supposed to be famous? I got a crash course on important people and places around Vale before I came here, you know. I'm ignorant but not absolutely ignorant."

"I know we aren't a part of the conversation, but that's the first time I've heard you talk bad about anyone, I think." Ruby piped up. "You hate your brother that much? Isn't he the reason you're here?"

"Something like that. Although that's part of the reason I hate him."

"I'm actually almost surprised you know what hate is." Weiss scoffed.

"Yeah me too. Before I met him, I didn't really know what hate felt like. I had to be told afterwards what it was."

Then three of them, not Pyrrah, because she's nice like that, as all people should be, sighed at me like I was some sort of idiot.

That actually kind of hurts, girls.

"Hey, don't stare at me like that as if I'm stupid. I know things… wait… Pyrrah, you wouldn't happen to be the mascot of Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes, would you?"

"Yes I am. Though unfortunately it's not very good for you."

"Who cares? That's the first thing I ate outside the village! It's great!"

Maybe that was the wrong thing to say as Ruby slowly gave me angry glares.

Then an announcement rang out, apparently saving my hide.

"Would all first year students, please head to Beacon Cliff for initiation." the fake sounding voice called out. "Again, all first year students, please head to Beacon Cliff immediately."

"Ah, great. Please tell me he isn't going to be there." I grumbled before turning to walk off, shoulders hunched. "Please tell me he's not there, oh Dust, please."

No such luck.

"I hate my life."

"Ok, who's this brother that you hate so much."

"He's here, I'm not allowed to say who my brother is, but he's here and I'd like to run him through with my swords and dry out his husk before using it as kindling for a bonfire."

"...Wow you really hate this guy." Yang sounded mildly impressed, "Now I really want to know what he did to you."

"...It's more like what he didn't do. What he never did."

"For years you have trained to become warriors, and today your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."

"Now," Goodwitch continued, "I'm sure many of you have rumors about the assignment of teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion. Each of you will be given teammates. Today."

Ruby whimpered next to me.

"You'll be fine, little red riding hood."

Yang snickered.

Ruby punched me in the ribs, but seemed less tense.

Dad always said a little pain for friends is no pain at all. But she punches hard!

"These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon." Ozpin said while turning to look at me, amusement glittering in the eyes I wanted to gouge out with a rusty spoon. "So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone that you can work well."

Ruby whimpered again. More like mewling this time.

Is she and Yang part Faunus? Or maybe just Ruby? They don't seem related after all…

"That being said. I've decided that the first person that you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."

Oh shut up Ozpin. Ruby looks like she's about to crack.

"See, I told you!" Nora jibed at Ren with a grin further to the middle of the line.

"Afterwards, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition in your way. Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path… or you will die."

Great. Now he's being melodramatic.

Blah, deblah, freaking blah.

"You will be monitored for the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. One of you, who I have spoken with prior to arriving at Beacon is also not allowed to fail on purpose."

Tsk. Well there goes that plan.

"In the forest you will find an abandoned temple at the end of your path, containing several relics. Each pair must choose one and return to the top of the cliff. You will guard that item as well as your standing and we will grade you appropriately. Any questions."

"Yes, am I allowed to give a specific brother of mine all my hatred?"

"No. Any intelligent questions?"

Screw you, Ozpin, screw you.

"No? Good. Take your positions."

The platforms that we stood on launched us into the air one by one.

All my hatred, Ozpin. All of my hatred.

End

AN2: Hmmm. Somehow I just ended up finishing this too. So, yeah, UPLOAD!

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