Chapter 4: The First Step Pt. 1
The light filled the ballroom quicker than he thought as the leopard Faunus blinked awake and stretched. Bones popping and muscles expanding as he took in a huge yawn much like the jungle cat of his ancestry. It wasn't until now that he noticed his chest felt heavier than normal, his eyes finally adjusting to the morning light, the boy's yellow-green irises fell on a very familiar figure of black and red. With a heart beneath her eye.
"Hi Puddin!" she squealed happily, resting her elbows on his bare chest and her chin on the palms of her hands. The boy's eyes visibly widened to the size of saucers as he pushed her off him and sprung to his feet in record time.
"Gah! It's you!"
"You don't look happy to see me," her bottom lip jutted out slightly as she pouted, still on the floor looking unusually snazzy for just waking up, but that might just have been her rather… skimpy pajamas. But after their night at Just Right, completely kid friendly and consensual, he found he could actually keep a conversation going with this girl. She had plenty of interesting stories and things to say, yet hung on his every word as if they were words from a heavenly deity.
"No, it's not that! You just… snuck up on me is all…" He had a nasty habit of scratching the back of his head when he was nervous, a tick that did not fail him now. Her scarlet lips reformed their pearly smile.
"You know I never did catch your name after all our fun, that hurts my feelings…" she slithered to his side like a wave of water and traced up his chest with her perfectly polished fingernails, making him shiver. The Faunus met her eyes, becoming lost in their vivid olive depths, he had to shake his head to snap out of it and form words before he started stuttering like a fool.
He gave his best grin and told her, "D-Danny… sup?" Nailed it.
She giggled, "Not much, just glad I found yah Puddin." Circe, he remembered her name from when she told him at the club, leaned forward and pressed her lips against the curve of his jaw before turning and bounding off with a playful smile. Her lively curls bounced with each step, and Danny had to blink a few times for his brain to fully comprehend what just happened. He pressed a hand to his cheek and smiled like an idiot while he grabbed his clothes and toothbrush to get ready for the day.
All morning Danny kept seeing more and more of Circe Hart. And that was not just a figure of speech; while he was brushing his teeth, he noticed her a few sinks down running a comb through her ebony and scarlet tresses before pinning some back with what looked like a cross between a red heart barrette and a throwing-star. However, what was odd was that she did all of this while facing away from the sink's mirror. Her hair was perfect, her makeup done with model precision, and the blade-heart pin gleamed in the light. She never looked in the mirror. Not once.
Breakfast was a little more normal; Circe sat across from him and kept staring intently at him as if she were the jungle cat and he the prey. Danny took a bite of his bacon, his tail curling nervously in the uncomfortable silence.
"Not nervous about some silly Grimm, are yah?" she asked, popping a sugared berry past her vivid crimson lips.
"No, it's not that…" he didn't think he had it in him to tell her that she was giving him the slight creeps. She seemed like a nice girl, she was just somewhat… intense.
Somehow, Circe seemed to know what he was thinking by the expression on his face, and her smile turned from flirtatious and hungry to one that was softer and more affectionate. As if, it was just for him. "I know I can be a lot to handle sometimes, but don't be getting' too scared Puddin. We are Huntsmen after all." She chirped.
Danny smiled and took another bite of his bacon, feeling more at ease with her than he did before.
When everyone got dressed was less strange but leagues more awkward for the Faunus boy. Many would call him a weirdo for wearing his leather mechanic gloves to sleep, but it was a habit he'd had since he was a kid.
While he shrugged on his vest and adjusted his gloves, he caught sight of her again standing next to a slightly taller girl with Ferrari red hair. She appeared to still be getting dressed, and his jaw practically hit the floor. Circe fasted buckles into place that held her heart-pattered corset that was clearly meant to draw eyes to her prominent bust; she then pulled up her tinted fishnet stockings with a black lacy trim that went all the way up her leg to her creamy upper thigh. She pulled a two leather straps from her locker and clipped them around her thighs to act as garters for the fishnets. To Danny's embarrassment, she then bent over slightly to buckle her boots, showing off her incredibly short skirt that was ruffled out sort of like a ballerina's. She adjusted her own black gloves with white frills before closing her locker and leaving with her redheaded friend.
But not before turning around and grinning, throwing him a wink before she disappeared down the corridor.
His new main color of choice was definitely going to be red before initiation was over.
Wanda slammed her weapon locker shut with a sharp clang, her spear slung over her shoulder and her eyes twitching slightly. "Can't believe they were completely out of blueberry muffins… I thought this was a school for rich kids or something!" she hit her locker with the side of her fist before stalking off; grumbling to herself because all that was left at the breakfast line was Pumpkin Pete's cereal. She shivered in disgust; that stuff tasted like what a nuclear vat smells.
She turned the corner to walk out to the cliff where initiation was to begin, when her bangs were promptly clipped an inch by a red and gold spear thrown from across the room into the wall, pinning some poor sap to the beige drywall.
"I'm sorry!" someone called. Wanda wasn't sure if they were apologizing to her or the blond who just became what one would call an 'abstract art piece.' She blinked and was about to tell them off but immediately clammed up at the appearance of her sister.
Before Weiss could make eye contact, Wanda had turned on her heel and mad-dove behind the wall of lockers. "Hm?" she heard her twin mutter in confusion, a cold bead of sweat ran down the back of her neck as her hands trembled in fear.
"Something wrong Weiss?" the apologetic one asked.
"No, I just… thought I saw…" testing her luck, Wanda peeked barley a hair around the lockers; Weiss seemed to be in deep thought for a moment before she shook her head and moved on. "Nothing, probably just a fly or something."
Her held breath did not release until the sound of her sister's designer, crisp white boots faded completely. Wanda screwed her eyes shut as her back met the wall and she slid down to her knees, pulling them towards her chest and letting out shaky breaths.
What was I thinking? She thought. I can't do this; anything, even jail would be sooo much better than this nightmare…
"Pre-initiation jitters?"
Wanda's head darted up from between her knees to see Pyrrha looking down at her with a sympathetic look on her face. "Yeah… jitters." she hugged her knees closer, slightly hoping they would hide her face. She could tell by the redhead's understanding expression that she already knew the extent of the situation: Weiss and Wanda were sisters, Weiss had no idea she was here, and Wanda didn't want her to know. And thankfully, she didn't ask any questions, just offered her sympathy.
It was oddly comforting.
"Would all first-year students please report to the Beacon Cliff for initiation. Again, all first-year students report to Beacon Cliff immediately." The speakers blared a women's voice and once again, Wanda's hands began shaking, despite her tightly clenched fists.
Pyrrha offered her hand, "We should get going, don't want them to start without us." After staring at her hand for a good few seconds, Wanda grasped her forearm and pulled herself to her feet and cleared her throat before shoving her hands in her pockets and walking towards the exit, if not a little quickly.
It felt a little rude but what did you expect? She wasn't exactly a paint nails, try on clothes, and talk about boys type of girl, even if all Pyrrha did was help her up. No, it was better not to get involved, or attached, to anybody. Once initiation started and they were in the Emerald Forest, Wanda was ditching the Huntress dress-up game and getting out of Vale. She didn't have any plans past that point…
But then again she had been taught to improvise.
Kaia loved forests; they were so different from the marshes back home. True she loved her grotto and missed it dearly, but the tall trees, cool wisps of air, and wide-open space was such a scenic and welcomed change from the warm and humid landscapes of Mistral.
The Emerald Forest of Vale was no exception; she couldn't believe a vast forest as beautiful and full as this could be infested with Grimm. The first-year students had all gathered at the edge of the cliff overlooking the forest, where they all waited patiently for Headmaster Ozpin to begin explaining their required feats within the emerald maze of danger.
Before he began, Ozpin's gaze fell to Kaia, to which she shyly looked down at the ground. She moved some soil with her foot as she heard him give an accepting "Hm." Before beginning.
"For years, you have trained to become warriors, and today, your abilities will be evaluated in the Emerald Forest."
A blond woman with glasses stepped forward, also giving the blue-haired girl a passing look before she clicked some things on her tablet as if nothing ever happened. "Now, I'm sure many of you have heard rumors about the assignment of Teams. Well, allow us to put an end to your confusion." Kaia smiled slightly at Glynda's attempt at humor. "Each of you will be given teammates… today."
"What? Ohhh…" One girl groaned. Kaia noticed she seemed rather small compared to the other teens here; maybe she was a late bloomer? Or a bit younger?
Ozpin continued, "These teammates will be with you for the rest of your time here at Beacon. So it is in your best interest to be paired with someone with whom you can work well." While the same girl from before groaned loudly, Kaia felt the headmaster's eyes practically burning into her while she kept her gaze on the cliff-side dirt. She lifted her cerulean orbs slightly to look at him and immediately regretted it. She'd been right, he wasn't quite staring but he was looking at her specifically. Oz gave nothing away facial wise but his honey colored eyes were urgent. She nodded once and he added, "That being said, the first person you make eye contact with after landing will be your partner for the next four years."
The same small girl in the red hood squealed looking absolutely dumbfounded as if she'd been slapped across the face. "Whaaaat?!"
"See, I told you!" said a ginger-haired girl who wore her heart on her chest.
"After you've partnered up, make your way to the northern end of the forest. You will meet opposition along the way." Ozpin's voice took on a serious tone, "Do not hesitate to destroy everything in your path… or you will die." Kaia twisted the blue-stoned ring on her middle finger around nervously at the word destroy. "You will be monitored and graded through the duration of your initiation, but our instructors will not intervene. You will find an abandoned temple at the end of the 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 grade you appropriately. Are there any questions?"
A rather scraggly looking blond boy raised his hand, "Yeah, um, sir?" Ozpin cut him off, most likely not hearing or flat out ignoring his questions.
"Good. Now, take your positions."
Everyone, including Kaia, fell into a ready position on his or her respective tiles in the earth. However, the boy didn't seem to have a clue and kept running his mouth. "Uh, sir…?"
Wanda rolled her eyes and zoned out the white noise, focusing on the ticking and the springing of the tiles launching students off the cliff one by one. The first to go was her sister, thrown upwards into the air with her rapier poised and ready for battle. Ever the perfectionist. Each springboard made distinctive clicking noises before they sprung free like tightly wound coils that snapped.
Click, click, click… Spring!
The sugar-high redhead was rocketed off the cliff with a happy squeal, and the blond was still talking about parachutes or something.
Click, click, click… Spring!
The buxom girl from the airship had donned a pair of stylish aviators before she was air-born, letting loose a thrilling whoop as she freefell. Wanda touched her spear on her back as her board began to tick.
Click…
No turning back once she was within those trees; find a way back to the city from there, and get as far away from Vale as humanly possible.
Click…
No matter how much potential Ozpin said she had, she was not Huntress material. She'd been a sidekick at best before she ran away, and was finally getting to be independent. She wasn't going to give that up now.
But until she could get a moment alone for escape, she'd play Ozpin's game. She'd fight Grimm, and do whatever it took to make it look like she was cooperating.
Okay then… she thought, Let's play a game.
Click…
Spring!
