'Thoughts'

"Speech"

It was evening now. Flare, Storm and Yang were all making their way to the ballroom as they walked down illuminated pathways.

They were laughing, smiling, nudging each other and all in all just having a good time. The three hit it off surprisingly well as it seemed their senses of humor had fairly good chemistry.

With Flare's teasing, Storm's barely appropriate comments and Yang's punny lines they were able to keep each other fully entertained.

The trio soon entered the doorway of the ballroom and were greeted by many students either setting their sleeping areas up, already lying down or about to lie down.

"Shit I didn't bring anything to sleep on." Revealed Flare as scratched his head. "Well I guess someone's going to be in for an unpleasant awakening." Joked Yang as she looked to the two for opinions.

Storm and Flare both pointed their thumbs down to the ground. Yang clicked her fingers. "Man I thought that one was good!" She complained.

That was when Velvet walked up to the group. "Hi Eiro." She said, her voice cheerful. Flare's fox ears twitched at the sound of her voice and he immediately turned to face her.

"Velvet!" He exclaimed loudly getting a few glares from other students. Flare gave them a sheeish grin as he bowed a little to show he was sorry, even if it was only a little.

Velvet smiled at him. And then Flare noticed what she was wearing. Velvet had on a black sleeveless shirt that looked to be a little too big for her. She was also wearing white pajama pants with pink bunnies on both sides. Needless to say she looked adorable.

"Nice jammys." Said Flare as he gulped. He had tried to sound casual and just prayed to whatever god was out there they he did.

Velvet eyed him. "Well at least I've got some." She replied as she giggled. 'Does this girl laugh at everything or is that just me?' Flare asked himself.

"To be fair I only just got here." He reasoned as he then remembered something. "That reminds me, you wouldn't happen to have something I could use to sleep on would you? I kinda didn't bring one."

Velvet put her hands behind her back before turning on her heel and walking away. She then jerked her head in the direction she was going. "Alright! You're the best Velvet!" Flare commented.

Velvet smiled a little as she led Flare to an isolated spot which was surprising to see as the ballroom was almost filled to the brink. "Wow guess you lucky here. So where am I sleeping?" Asked Flare, eager to get to bed and start the next day.

"Right here." Velvet pointed to a futon that had been laid out on the ground. "Huh? Then where are you sleeping?" Flare asked as he tilted his head at her.

Velvet's cheeks turned a light shade of pink as she pointed down at the futon with her head turned away from Flare. "Right here." She whispered her tone obviously implying she was embarrassed.

Thanks to Flare's enhanced hearing abilities he heard every word perfectly. Flare blinked once, then twice before letting out a very loud. "HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUHHHH!?"

Velvet quickly turned to him with a finger over her lips as she made a shushing noise. Flare quickly recomposed himself and cleared his throat. "What do you mean? You want to share?...with me?" Queried Flare as his eyes were full of disbelief.

Velvet nodded her head. "I don't have anything else..so yes. Unless you don't want to?" She asked in an unconfident tone.

Flare scratched the back of his head as he thought about it. 'Uncomfortable physically but comfortable emotionally or comfortable physically but uncomfortable emotionally.' He weighed his options but then cast a glance at Velvet.

She was holding her left arm in her right hand and cheeks had turned a bright red. She fidgeted on the spot she was standing on.

Flare let out a sigh. "Okay. I guess we're sharing." Velvet looked at him and nodded. Her cheeks still red as she lay down and pulled the covers over her.

Flare took his coat off and folded it as best he could, which wasn't very good considering there were two words attached to it. He couldn't take them out they'd damage...something or someone.

With his coat folded up Flare undid his holsters and set his pistols and tonfas ontop of it. 'I feel like I'm missing something here.' He thought to himself. Little did he know that all the students had been issued lockers to store their weapons and belongings.

With his weapons dealt with Flare undid the laces of his shoes and took them off. He placed them next to his weapons and coat. 'Thank God I don't get smelly feet.' He thought gratefully.

Flare then looked towards the futon and saw Velvet facing away from himmon the right side. 'Okay I guess we're doing that then.' Flare sighed as he joined her. He turned to face the left so his back was facing hers.

"Thanks Velvet." He uttered. "Mmm." Was all Flare get in reply. He guessed she was trying to say it's okay.

"Hey Eiro." Velvet started her back still facing his. "Hmm?" He hummed in a questioning tone. "Tell me about yourself."

Flare chuckled. 'What an odd time to ask such a question.' He thought. "What do you want to know?" He asked her. "How about your childhood?" She replied her voice soft.

Flare sighed as he rolled over onto his back. "Short version or long version?" He asked her. It was silent for a few moments. "Short version. I feel like I'm about to pass out soon." As if to prove her point Velvet let out a yawn.

Flare chuckled a little. "I guess I should probably tell you this before I start. I'm not just a regular faunus. I'm a battle I was born to fight for my life and I was given the necessary traits to do that. Enhanced strength, speed, senses and aura capacity you name it I've got it."

Velvet turned over so she was facing him. "So how does this play into your childhood?" She asked him. Flare sighed once again. "Well unlike most kids I lived in a small village in the woods, we had one leader our Alpha you could call it, he was the strongest of our people and I was his son." Velvet looked up at him with curiosity in her eyes.

"Was?" She asked. Flare smiled sadly. "Yeah he died along with my mother but I'll get to that soon. Anyways every Alpha had the elders to advise him they enforced the traditions of our people like the coming of age ceremony." Flare looked down at Velvet to see if she was following.

She nodded indicating him to continue. "Well one of those traditions was to take refuge in a Grimm infested forest." Flare clicked his tongue. "Tradition my ass those geezers were crazy. Anyways I spent most of my time training, collecting fruits and nuts or fighting Grimm. That was the only way for me to live and survive well back then it was at least."

"So how'd you end up here?" Velvet asked more than interested in Flare's backstory. "Ten years ago my village got overrun by Grimm. We never stood a chance there were just too many. The only people who survived were me and Storm. Y'know that guy with pale blue hair and wolf ears."

Velvet nodded. "What happened after that?" She asked. Flare smiled as he recalled the memory. "About a week after that we ran into a guy named Qrow. He took us in and when we asked him to train us he did and I've gotta hand it to the guy despite being a drunk he knows how to handle a weapon. Anyways fast forward ten years and now I'm here trying be a hunter like him. To hopefully save others from the same fate as me."

Flare turned his body over his eyes made direct contact with Velvet's. "So? What'd you think?" He snickered. Velvet smiled at him. "I think you have lived a very interesting life." She giggled then yelped when Flare draped an arm over her waist and pulled her head into his chest.

"Thanks. For listening and the bed thing." He chuckled. Velvet relaxed into his hold and nodded into his chest. "Anytime" she whispered before yawning again. They both then drifted off to sleep.

Flare stirred his eyes squeezed tightly before he blinked them open. He took a deep breath and his nose was instantly filled with the smell of….chestnuts?

He looked down to see Velvet still snoozing in the exact position they had fell asleep in. A small smile came to his face as he let her snooze for a bit more.

He then started to shake her shoulder after a few minutes. Velvet began to stir. Her eyes fluttered open but all she could was the black of her own shadow. She looked up and saw Flare staring down at her.

Velvet immediately turned red and she backed away quickly. Flare laughed quietly. "It's good to see someone's full of energy." He then sat up and stretched his arms. "Initiation is today right? We gotta get ready soon." With that Flare stood up and grabbed his gear.

He then started to make his way upstairs to the washrooms for a quick wash. "I'll see you at the cafeteria he said as he glanced over his shoulder. Velvet nodded.

Once in the washroom Flare grabbed one of towels that were provided and placed all of his clothing and gear in a cubby hole well everything but his coat since the swords didn't fit.

He then made his way to one of the showers and after a ten minute wash he dried himself off. He threw the towel...somewhere and slipped on his lower clothing.

Flare began to walk out without his shirt on. He was kinda absent minded about these things. He only realized what was wrong when he walked downstairs and the girls started staring or covering their eyes when they saw his figure.

Flare's build had the maximum amount of muscle whilst still retaining a lean build. All of his muscles were toned perfectly and no amount of fat could be seen anywhere. Flare was sporting an eight pack of abs, those combined with the rest of his body was getting him a lot of attention from the ladies. This was how the Eiro Flare appreciation club would be formed.

"Flare your goddamn shirt." Said Storm from behind him. Flare looked down. "Shit!" He bolted back to the washroom and came back out fully clothed much to the girl's disappointment.

"Aw did you have to ruin the show." Complained Yang with a hand on her hip as she stood at the base of the stairs.

"Yes I did otherwise this idiot would've lost his shirt forever. Trust me it's happened before." Replied Storm as he shook his head at the memory.

"I wouldn't have minded that." Said Yang in a seductive tone as she licked her lips. Flare felt a shiver go down his spine.

"A..ha.. ." Flare laughed nervously. "I'm right here you know." He said. Yang glanced at him. "I know." She said with a wink.

Flare gulped and turned to Storm. "Help me!" He mouthed the words. Storm just shrugged his shoulders.

"Yang? Are you flirting?" Said Ruby from behind Yang. Ruby then looked at who Yang was talking to.

"Oh hey Eiro." She greeted him. "Sorry about my sister." Flare and Storm's jaws dropped. "You're related!?" They shouted.

Yang laughed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Yeah we are." Ruby snickered at her sisters comment.

Flare sighed. "Okay. Whatever I'm just gonna go eat and then wait until someone tells us what to do." He looked over at Storm. "You coming?" Storm nodded. "Cool." He grinned

The pair then walked off to the cafeteria. Yang and Ruby looked at each other, shrugged and then went to the washrooms.

Storm and Flare were in the cafeteria each with their own tower of pancakes. They eat them in silence as they watched an orange haired girl talk excitedly to a guy with straight black hair and green clothing.

Velvet joined the two though it seemed the situation still played on her mind as every time Flare went to talk to her she'd yelp in surprise and her cheeks would turn pink.

After five minutes Flare and Storm were done with their food so they went to the locker rooms. Well Storm did since Flare was just following him. Velvet told them to go on ahead without her.

Once inside Flare...raged a little. "What the hell! We have lockers! Why didn't anyone tell me?! Ugh!" Storm was laughing his ass off at his friend's antics.

That was when a read haired girl walked in. She had a bronze headband on and her clothing looked reassembled that of a Roman soldier only more modern.

"Um excuse me?" She asked. Flare shot her a glare. He wasn't in the best of moods after finding out he carried six weapons around for no reason.

"What?" He growled. Storm laughed even harder in the background. Flare never knew why Storm always laughed whenever he got angry.

"That's my locker." She replied calmly pointing at a locker in front of Flare. Flare looked at the locker and then back at the girl. "Tch." Flare clicked his tongue in annoyance before moving out of the way.

"Thank you." She called out to him. Flare gave her a three fingered wave in response as he went off to find his own locker.

The girl opened her locker and took out her weapons, a spear and a shield. She closed her locker and found Weiss Schnee standing before her.

"Hello." She greeted. The red haired girl would've replied if it weren't for Flare yelling again. "These lockers don't have names on them!"

Flare's outburst was once again followed by a round of laughter courtesy of Storm.

Weiss and the girl waited for Storm to stop laughing before resuming their conversation. They eventually did but unfortunately the other students started coming in.

"Could all new students please make their way to Beacon Cliff to begin initiation, I repeat please make your way to Beacon Cliff for initiation." Came the voice of Glynda from an intercom

Flare was the first one out. It seemed he had calmed down as he now had a determined grin on his face as he made his way out of the locker room.