AN:
Thought the next chapter you'll read would only be next week? Well PSYCH!
That's all I have to say really, besides updating the last chapter by actually giving the weapons names.
Also, what is up with you guys shipping RudyXRuby. Their names were a coincidence, really. That's all.
You know the drill, R&R and all that good stuff.
Without further ado, I present the first Side Chapter.
Side 1: First Days
Questions and Answers
"I don't know where to begin," the bluenette started, pacing up and down the star-lit classroom before stopping in front of Alexis.
"Can you honestly look at me in the eyes and tell me you don't know me?" Laci questioned, a tinge of trepidation in her voice.
"I don't recognize you," Alexis answered, not breaking eye contact with the girl.
They stood for several seconds, their gazes almost penetrating, before the blue girl shut her eyes and sighed wearily.
"I believe you," she said tiredly, slumping onto a tabletop.
"I'm sorry, have we met before?" Alexis asked, sitting opposite Laci.
"Yeah. A long time ago," she replied.
"How?" he pressed on. "Were we, like, together-together?"
"What?" Laci yelped, a slight tinge developing on her face. "No, not like that. But... we're really close."
"Oh."
"We're good friends for a really long time. Then one day, you just... upped and left. No goodbye letter or an explanation why."
"Was that the reason you punched me in the face?"
"Kind of, yeah."
A short silence sat between them, before the boy decided to break it.
"For how long?"
"I'm sorry?"
"How long have I known you?"
"Around 7 years, before you left - "
"2 year ago?"
"How did you know that?" Laci asked suspiciously.
"It's just... I may have an explanation, however crazy it sounds," Alexis started.
"Better a poor attempt than no attempt." she claimed, crossing her arms across her chest.
"... About 2 years ago, I woke up in some hospital. Doctors diagnosed me with retrograde amnesia." he revealed.
Laci quietly gasped, shocked by the sudden turn in events.
"What happened?" she asked.
"No idea. Some lady found me lying in some alleyway, all bruised up and dirty." he continued. "Wandered around Vale for some time, before I bumped into Professor Ozpin a year ago."
"Wait, the Professor Ozpin? As in, the headmaster of Beacon?"
"Yeah, same guy. Told me I looked lost, and then offered me a place just like that."
"That's sounds... inconceivable."
"Tell me about it."
Another brief silence covered them like a blanket, the starlight still flooding into the empty dark room.
"But... I trust you." Laci declared, yawning slightly and stretching her slender arms above her head.
"Really. Why?" Alexis asked curiously.
"I dunno. Call it instinct or intuition or whatever. That fact is I trust you. I always have."
"And what about chasing me around Emerald Forest and shouting death threats?" Alexis teased.
"Eh. Pent-up emotions tend to do that to me."
A third silence enveloped them, the room becoming slightly darker as passing clouds blocked the twinkling stars.
"... Thanks."
"For what?"
"For trusting my unbelievable story, when nobody else would. For remembering me all this time, even though I can't remember you." he continued, looking at the bluenette with a grin on his face.
Laci smiled slightly, a small laugh bursting from her lips.
"Heh. No problem."
Living Conditions
"This is a problem," Strom finally said.
"…Okay, I give up. What's the problem?" Laci gave in.
"The deplorable conditions of Team SALV's room!"
The "deplorable conditions" that Strom was referring to were the arrangements of the beds.
"It's not that bad," Alexis reasoned. "Vachi's not complaining."
"That's because she ditched her bed and hung up a hammock!" Strom argued, pointing at the ceiling, where the quiet girl was currently reading a book on her hammock, either ignoring or not paying attention to the conversation below her.
"Our beds are fine. They're not in horrible condition or anything."
"But there is no space to move around. These damn beds take up too much space!"
"Well, what do you propose we do?" Laci butted in, exasperated by arguments.
"We should do what RWBY did: Bunk beds," Strom announced.
"What, those deathtraps? No thanks," Alexis rebuked.
"Then what about VLOR?"
"Allistar hired a constructor and renovated the entire room. We don't have that kind of money."
"Argh, this is going nowhere!" Laci yelled, red in the face from frustration and stomping towards Vachi's abandoned bed.
"Wait, what are you –"
SLASH!
With a single deft movement of her sword, Laci cleaved the bed into pieces. Opening the window, she proceeded to dump the remains of the bed outside, which landed onto the courtyard with a crash.
"There, space," Laci said simply, sheathing her weapon and brushing her hands. "Any of you got complaints?"
Cards and Chatter
"…I'll fold," Ren muttered after a moment of contemplation.
"You can't keep folding every time!" Jaune shouted.
"Yeah, it ruins all the fun," Strom concurred.
"Methinks Ren has terrible luck with the cards," Rudy stated bluntly.
"There is no such thing as luck, my good Rudford. There is only – "
"Shut up Allistar, it's your turn," Alexis deadpanned.
"Bah, you do not have a sense of theatrics," Allistar muttered.
"Whatever, just hurry up," everyone else chimed.
When the girls of RWBY, JNPR, VLOR and SALV have (forcibly) captured VLOR's room for the purpose of a sleepover, the guys decided to invite themselves over to JNPR's room for a round of poker, using dares as a substitute for lien.
"Fine, I'll call," Allistar drolled, pushing some chips towards the pile.
"Call," Strom mimicked, followed by Jaune and Rudy.
"…Raise," Alexis finally said, pushing more chips into the centre.
"Goddamn it," Strom growled, tossing his hand facedown.
"Fold," Jaune sighed, followed by Allistar and Rudy.
"Aw, where's the fun in that?" Alexis mock-pouted, adding the spoils to his growing pile.
"What fun? You won 5 rounds in a row!" Rudy proclaimed.
"Not my fault your poker faces are easy to read. Strom, it's your turn to shuffle."
"I hope the girls are actually having fun…"
'Where is it?"
"Will you stop that? It's rude to rummage in others' belongings!"
Meanwhile, at VLOR's room, Ruby was rummaging every nook and cranny to find…
"Here it is!" she triumphantly shouted, holding Rudy's shiny spear above her head.
"Ruby, stop that!" Weiss screeched at her partner. "Yang, do something!"
"Eh, she'll get tired."
"How could you be so irresponsible?"
"Ruby, please put it down. You're scaring Olivia," Pyrrha informed, the pink-haired girl cowering away from the brunette's antics.
"Fine," Ruby groaned, ceasing her caressing and delicately putting back the weapon where she found it.
The majority of the girls were convened at the centre of the newly renovated room, talking about themselves; Blake was making small talk with Vachi, who had brought her hammock along.
"Wow, you known Ren that long?" Laci questioned.
"Yup. We've been friends for sooooooo long. It's like we're together. But not together-together," Nora rambled.
"I see…" Laci muttered, thinking back to her conversation with Alexis.
"Why are you so down? From what I saw, Nora's not the only one that's known someone for a long time," Yang teased.
"What on Remnant do you mean?" Laci shot back.
"C'mon, I saw it all! What did Cloak Boy do to make you so mad?" the blonde smirked. "He's your ex or something?"
"W-what?" Laci stuttered, growing beet-red. "Th-that's not it!"
"Sure," Yang mocked, glee evident on her face.
"We're childhood friends! That's it!" the bluenette shouted, her blush intensifying.
The other girls, excluding Vachi and Blake, stopped their own chatter to watch the conversation between Yang and Laci.
"Right, that's it," Yang snarked, her smirk growing even wider. "Childhood friends punch each other and shake them by the collars. How could I forget that?"
"I-it's complicated," Laci whined.
"Really? Because we got time, my dear," Louise purred predatorily. 'I want to know every juicy detail."
"W-well…" Laci stuttered, but jumped at the sound of knocking on the door.
Thank goodness, she sighed, grabbing the doorknob and opening it for …
"Alexis? What are you doing here?"
"Oh. Err… hi," the boy squeaked, not looking at her in the eye.
"Cloak Boy, we're just talking about you! Come on in!" Yang shouted.
"Err… no thanks. I just need to ask Laci something…"
"Well, you can ask in front of everyone! It's not like it's embarrassing or anything!"
"Is there something wrong?" Laci asked, staring at the boy's face. He was beet-red, and seemed to be in a cold sweat.
"Well… that's…" Alexis muttered.
"You can't expect me to ask that!"
"You lost fair and square," Allistar mocked, the others nodding in agreement. "Now go to the girls' room and ask the question."
"Fine," Alexis growled, making his way out of the room.
"And make sure you ask the person that opens the door!" Strom called after him.
"The thing is… well…" Alexis started, looking in every direction but Laci's.
"Well, what?" Ruby chirped.
"Yeah, don't leave us hangin'." Yang called.
"Well…er… I'm supposed to ask the first person I see," he stuttered, finally turning his gaze to the bluenette.
"What is it?" Laci pressed.
"Um… I need to know your…" he mumbled, the last words unintelligible.
"My what?" she questioned .
"… Your three sizes." He blurted out, unable to take it anymore.
Those three words caused the entire room to go silent, an awkward atmosphere covering all of them for a couple of seconds.
Then the dam broke.
Yang, Louise and Nora immediately broke in crazed fits of laughter.
Olivia fainted, and Pyrrha began trying to wake the poor girl out of unconsciousness.
Ruby looked confused, while Weiss made a disgusted look.
Blake stared on curiously, and Vachi just turned back to her book, ignoring the entire situation.
But Alexis paid no heed to that, a cold chill running through his body as he looked back at Laci, who stared back at him with a grim look, her hands already balled into fists.
"W-what d-did you say?" she stuttered, blushing furiously and fists shaking violently.
"W-wait a second, Laci! I-it's not what it looks like! Don't hurt me!"
