As Ruby stepped into the airship she noticed a similarity between the interior and the interior of the previous school transports she had ridden on. The space inside was relatively small; about 10 to twenty people could stand shoulder to shoulder comfortably apart, from wall to wall. Ruby chuckled when she made the comparison; it was small compared to some of the public transportations she had been in.
Out of all the vehicles Ruby had boarded to move her self around, the Titanicursion was by far the largest and heaviest transportation method around, it could transport more than 1,000,000 passengers comfortably. As Ruby did not yet know the original purpose of the Titanicursion she was still in awe about the size of it, an old war machine built during the Great War was probably the best answer.
As Ruby and Yang stood close to each other, both simply milling about, they heard a retching noise. Looking over they saw a boy looking out the window. The boy had scraggly blonde hair and was bent slightly at the waist with his head bobbing back and forth. Ruby and Yang walked up to the boy and Yang asked, "Your not going to be sick in here are you?"
"No, I'll try and keep it in." The boy answered still looking queasy. Yang moved away from him and Ruby followed, still not over not being able to be separated from Yang in public situations Ruby stuck to Yang almost like glue. Yang just went to a corner and sat on a chair. Ruby would've sat in the chair next to Yang…but it was farther away from Yang then Ruby wanted.
So Ruby decided to just stand with her hip almost touching the arm of the chair. Yang sat comfortably and looked around at the people on the airship, they too were milling about, all except for a few. One the black dressed girl sat in the corner opposite them sitting in a similar chair with her face buried in a book.
Halfway between Ruby and the girl was the doors that lead into the pilots seat. Ruby was somehow still amazed that the airships still had manual pilots, but then again Ruby hadn't heard of any automated versions. But that didn't stop Ruby wondering just how automatic their lives would get, but for now things were relatively comfortable. As comfortable as you can get with a possible second Great War looming because of a group of terrorists named the White Fang.
Ruby tried looking at the cover of the book the girl was reading, but only discovered it was blank. "That's strange." Ruby said softly to Yang, "That girl across from us is reading a book without a title."
Yang fearing another one of Ruby's episodes, laughed. Ruby's lips twitched but then went down again, so Yang said seriously, "Ruby it has a title, she just probably got a book with no title on the cover so people wouldn't know what she was reading. But why would she want to do that, I wonder? Eh doesn't matter, so Ruby…how are you feeling?"
"Oh I'm excited to be going to Beacon, I know it's school and that's sometimes boring…but I'm looking forward to the not boring parts." Ruby said.
"Really? And what parts might those be?" Yang asked, normally she would be chatting with some old friends who were going to Beacon as well, and more than likely making some new ones. But since Yang had learned from their father that Ruby had been showing very early signs of depression, Yang was being cautious to not let Ruby out of her sight.
Slowly and bit by bit Yang could see Ruby turning from a happy excited person, to someone more polite and apologetic. Now normally these would be good traits in someone who was normally eccentric and positive as well as genuine. Except for being genuine, Ruby was no longer eccentric or positive.
Sure Ruby spouted the word excitement like she was excited, but Yang had a suspicious that Ruby was only saying that word and others like it because she wanted to be them. It seemed to Yang when she really thought about it; she always caught Ruby having the far off look of recalling memories. Yang desperately wanted to know what was keeping Ruby occupied al the time, but didn't want to pry.
Ruby looked around to see the only other people not moving about, the same scrawny haired boy still standing next to a window looking out. What Ruby couldn't understand was why the boy was standing looking out of the window in the first place. Wouldn't that just make him even sicker? The last person not moving was also sitting in a chair, Ruby recognized her as the white dressed rich girl she had talked to earlier.
Eventually the scraggly blonde hair boy noticed a trashcan attached to the wall next to him. Right as the airship landed, the boy leaned over and threw up. Everyone looked okay except for him, the boy might not have been teased as everyone walked off the airship if other people had been queasy as well, but no one was so there was no stopping the comments including probably the lightest 'barf boy'. It was slightly catchy but also slightly gross, so Ruby had a sneaking suspicion that it wouldn't last long.
Ruby couldn't concentrate much on thoughts like that, since it was taking nearly all of her waning concentration from lack of sleep in keeping up with Yang. Who had suddenly strode forward at a rapid pace, as the two walked out of the docking station and to high flat ground Ruby stopped. At least she would've had she not been still trying to keep up with Yang.
Both of them headed straight towards Beacon's main building. They stopped at an intersection where students were passing; they carried all sorts of weapons. Ruby's eyes widened at them, but the rest of her stayed still, her expression not blank and frightening but sill and peaceful.
Some of the people began to stare at Ruby as they passed; they began to walk faster as Yang began staring back. No one was staring as soon as Yang put the pressure on him or her; Ruby in public attracted a lot of attention and all of it was unwanted. Ruby's expression and demeanor clashed strongly with her bright choice of red clothing…in fact the only color Ruby seemed to ware was red.
Yang besides her father had been the only ones to see Ruby in clothing not colored red. Almost immediately after Ruby's mother died she began wearing yellow, Yang however borrowed the color as her own, and insisted to Ruby that she goes back to wearing red. Ruby of course complied and was very crafty in how she presented her clothing.
Around the house Ruby almost always wore red, but since she had been going to school Ruby begun wearing black with her clothes. Ruby had then washed out and stopped using the red hair dye, and then her hair turned its natural color of rich smooth chocolate brown. Ruby's eyes were what really drew people's attention, if they looked hard enough; they were storm cloud gray. And if the storm got violent enough thy sky would almost match the gray in Ruby's eyes.
Most people didn't see Ruby's eyes however, since most of them weren't used to looking at such beauty. Ruby was unearthly beautiful, and with the borderline sat/excited expression she always wore, her beauty was almost always unbearable for people to look at. "Yang? What now?" Ruby asked her voice coming out infinitely more beautiful then her appearance, it should have been impossible but it wasn't.
Yang shushed Ruby and said, "People are already staring enough, I don't want you to start talking and inadvertently have all of them men and some of the girls start lusting after you." Yang sighed and put a hand on her sister's shoulder. "Listen Ruby, to answer your question…well you should stay here while I go off with some friends."
Ruby's eyes understood as she said in a higher more 'normal' tone of voice, "I understand Yang, you want me to meet new people and make new friends?"
"Exactly!" Yang shouted as she ran after a group of friends, who instantly welcomed her and began chitchatting with her. Suddenly realizing that she was away from Yang, Ruby backed up into a luggage cart holding multiple cases filled with dust bottles. Ruby knocked the majority to the ground, most of them stayed in their cases but some of them rolled across the flagstones.
"Ah why don't you watch what you doing?" The white dressed rich girl yelled at Ruby. Ruby held up one of the cases and the girl snatched it from her, "Give me that! Listen don't you know who I am, more importantly do you even know what you almost destroyed?"
"Dust?" Ruby asked puzzled slightly, still sitting on the ground.
"Yes dust, the high quality material taken from a Schnee mine." As Weiss explained this she accidentally dusted Ruby with…well dust. So much of it being unexpected that Ruby couldn't help but sneeze, which caused an explosion. It blackened the ground underneath their feet, and nearly singed Weiss's eyebrows.
A girl passing wearing a white leather coat and white fedora, glanced at them. This strange new girl seemed particularly interested in the small vials of dust that were rolling around everywhere. In fact with the rich girls so distracted with scolding out Ruby, the fedora-wearing girl managed swipe a vile of every color…about 13. The girl looked up at Ruby questioningly, since Ruby had seen the girl take the vials she gave her a thumbs up.
'Ruby! Don't encourage thieving…but then again it was a very tactical theft. Take something from someone while that someone is busy yelling at another someone. It's a rule for being a good thief, at least I think that's how it goes.' Ruby thought right before a hand reached down a took a vial of red dust and handing it to the rich girl said, "There's no need to chew her out, calm down Weiss."
And with that the black dressed girl walked away Ruby looked to see that the rich girl named Weiss had taken the luggage cart, and all the collected vials inside their respective cases, and started wheeling it away. Pretty soon Ruby couldn't see the black dressed girl or, Weiss the rich girl.
Ruby lay on her back admitting defeat, "Well my attempt at making friends has failed miserably."
"Not yet it hasn't, can I help you up?" A boy asked. Only when Ruby took his hand and was pulled up did she recognize him as the puke boy.
"Hi my name's Ruby Rose, and I'm assuming…well forget about that. What is you name?" Ruby was glad she didn't call him puke boy, if she was going to make any friends she didn't want to upset them…at least not until they became solid mates. Juan simply said barf boy, laughed and the two walked across Beacon grounds.
"So what's your real name? I know it's not barf boy, people only call you that because you were the only one to get sick on the airship." Ruby said still talking in her fake voice, the one that was higher in tone more excited and generally the exact opposite of her real voice. Ruby was acting…quirky and Juan liked that. He loved talking to quirky girls; it made Juan feel like not the only awkward person in the world.
"My name is Juan Arch, short and sweet rolls off the tongue, ladies love saying it!" Juan said boasting.
"Do they?" Ruby said with a giggle. She didn't mind talking in her fake voice, it just mean that she had to pretend to be someone she truly wasn't.
"Well, no…but they will! Or at least I hope they will." Juan said somewhat embarrassing. Then an awkward silence stretched until Ruby said, "So, I have this thing."
And as Ruby said that she pulled out Crescent Rose with a flourish and nearly tore a hole in the paved ground with the tip of the blade. Juan yelped, jumped back and stammered, "Is that a scythe?"
"It's also a customizable semi automatic sniper rifle." Ruby said cocking the weapon.
"A what?" Juan asked still stunned. "It's also a gun." Ruby said patiently. "Oh." Juan said.
When Ruby asked Juan what he had, well Juan pulled out a sword. And a collapsible shield, "What do they do?' Ruby asked. "Well the sword's just a sword, the shield collapses so when I get tired of carrying it I can just…"
Ruby giggled then said, "But wait wouldn't it weight the same though?"
"Yeah it will…so do you know where we're going?" Juan asked.
"Nope. I was just following you, wait hold up I see someone we could follow!" Ruby said grabbing Juan's arm and hauling him forward.
Holly Scordato stood in a shady spot under a tree holding three of the 13 stolen vials of dust. Holly was fascinated with odd objects, and since she had never seen the symbol printed on the vial before she considered it odd; therefore Holly couldn't help but grab them. Once she did however Holly felt guilty taking them since a goddess with brown hair had seen her, thankfully the heavenly figure gave her the okay and Holly took the vials.
Did Holly plan to take the vials back? Maybe once she had looked at them…then again maybe not. Holly making up her mind went looking for that rich girl named Weiss. Holly found her sitting on a bench the luggage cart of cases containing dust vials sitting on the cart. Holly approached and said, "I picked up these vials, and they must have rolled away from that scene earlier."
"Yes they did, now are you going to give them back?" Weiss asked.
"Well I would like to keep them…what I meant to say was, can I buy them from you?" Holly asked seriously wishing she could. Imagine the things she, a person who could throw anything perfectly, could make with dust. All the explosive and corrosive stuff she could blow up without having to use her Aura Semblance.
Now Holly did like using her Semblance but because it was sometimes too overpowered Holly really didn't like using it, although she did often just to spare the effort it might take to solve a particular problem, which needed solving quickly. "Why of course, do you have the required amount?" Weiss asked.
Holly nodded and reached into the inside of her leather jacket pulling out some bills wrapped around the required amount of change, three quarters. Holly handed the money to Weiss saying, "Thanks, I'm glad I get to keep these."
Weiss's eyes widened and said amazed, "Wait you gave me enough money to buy two cases on this cart!" Holly simply smiled and took to cases, and carrying them under her arms walked away from Weiss.
Adrian Cross chuckled as he saw some of the new arrivals at Beacon. Technically speaking he was a new arrival, but Adrian had been on and living near school grounds for years. It had all been a part of the 'containment' plan; a plan devised to help Adrian control his Aura Semblance. The plan had worked, but had forced him from attending school for two years, now at the age of 19 when the average student attending the new school year at Beacon being 17? Well Adrian felt out of place to say the least.
Making him feel even more out of place was the fact that he was black, now super black mind you he had brown skin. But a much darker brown than any Mexican could pull off. This wouldn't have been a problem had it not been for the fact that there was almost no minority groups attending Beacon, he seemed to be the only…non-white person attending this supposedly prestigious academy.
Adding to the fact that kept Adrian separated from his fellow classmates was that he looked like an adult, and he might as well be. 19 years old, arguable the perfect muscular body, and a lot of tattoos; Adrian had seen some people with tattoos walking by, but he knew he couldn't connect with them bases on comparing body ink.
First of all Adrian knew of very few people who would have more tattoos than him. Adrian had tattoos covering all of his upper body, more than anyone he knew. Adrian was presentable in public however, and despite his differences from almost everyone there were a few people that happened to come along that he liked.
Adrian could connect very well with people he liked; unfortunately he didn't like many people. This was mainly due to some racism blown his way just because he was black. The racism had stopped when Adrian had basically disappeared off the face of the planet, what forced Adrian to do this was his body and it's uncontrollable nature.
Adrian had the Aura Semblance of godlike super strength, but more often than not when facing large groups of foes Adrian would be more than happy to unleash the elements. It was one of his 'skills' that Adrian had not connected to his Aura. At first the power had gotten out of control but once he began the training program at Beacon, Adrian learned to control his power. 'Hopefully I don't get stuck with an awkward team, that would just make things worse than they already are.' Adrian thought to himself as the walked where all the other students were walking, inside Beacon's main building.
Thanks to his time sometimes wondering the halls of Beacon, Adrian had overheard conversations about how four students would be selected to be a team through some kind of initiation program. Adrian didn't know how the program worked, but he sure as hell wanted to fit in.