Author's note: I revised chapters 8 and 9 after due consideration of some changes that needed to be made. That is why I reuploaded them again. Also I know I haven't posted in a very long time but the next few chapters are almost done.
"Following decades of instability after the Great War, the role of the hunter was absorbed into the militaries of the four kingdoms. The need for a stable defense forced the creation of a standing army apart from a reliance on such a group as the hunters. This was due to many reasons, the main one being that Remnant had finally defeated the Grimm, wiping out the last of the demons just only a hundred years ago."
Weiss scanned the lecture hall, hoping that she could find something of interest in her view. Someone was on their laptop trying to type down every word out of Port's mouth. Another had an instant messenger open.
Yang was sitting beside her, scribbling on her school notebook. Both of them had coincidentally gone into the same major. Yet the only class they had together this semester was History of Military Art.
"The title of an independent hunter soon became synonymous with a mercenary. Yet traditions lingered within the military. The academies held onto the history and customs of the hunters still to this day."
The remaining lecture accompanied Port listing off the various traditions the academy has, including the fountain and monuments planted across the academy. Supposedly if you wade into the fountain and reach the sculpture, which is against the law, and rub the knee of the far left huntress you'll have luck on your next exams.
Weiss wondered why a professor was telling them about an illegal act that he seemed to try and promote the others to do. "You can tell where to rub since it has a shine to it because of the oil that our hands create. It really is one of the unique things this campus has to offer."
Weiss noticed the torn off notebook paper next to her elbow. She glanced at the writing, a rushed scribble. Don't worry I'll ask for you.
Weiss turned for clarification just as Yang was raising her hand.
"Sir, does the statue also give you luck getting laid? My friend wanted to ask, she's on a dry streak."
Almost all heads turned, a few had grins on their faces, and others gave a confused glance to Yang. Someone behind them pointed at Weiss to their friend, whispering something.
Port began coughing violently, turning away from the class. Raising his hand to reassure everyone, "I believe not. But perhaps no one has explored that area of supernatural karma in regards to the fountain."
Weiss flipped off the people behind her. Port began recalling his time during in which during his days of when he went to Beacon, his friends had stolen cactus that a residing Colonel had in his office.
Stuffing her papers in her bag Weiss waited at the exit for yang who had painstakingly taken her time to put all her belongings in her bag. She slowly started stretching. Hoping to outrun Weiss and escape her talons.
The students walking from their classes turned their heads around, watching Weiss blow up at Yang who was doing her best to cover her ears and run to Ruby and Blake. Weiss screaming up at Yang the entire jog.
After the first few months, it seems everyone had fallen into a routine. The library and dormitory common rooms seated the same people on the same tables. Weiss had claimed the sofas of the Cadet Union Building as her own, hiding in the cushions and reading her books. Soon after, Yang and Ruby had found her. Blake would join once and awhile and then all four would stay quiet under threat of Weiss staring daggers at them.
The Cadet Union Building for Beacon was a two story complex with a basement. The basement held most of the recreational activities. The entire room was lit with a dim glow, the light bulb in the ceiling needed to be changed but no one seemed to have called maintenance. Several pool tables occupied the middle of the room. Surrounded on one side by sofas and on the other by chairs and tables.
Yang and Blake had challenged Coco to a game of snooker while Ruby's head laid in Weiss' lap off to the side. No one else had decided to join the game and most of the people were relaxing waiting for tomorrow's classes.
"Weiss?" Ruby asked, staring up at the sleepy figure. Both of them had finished physical training before coming here. She had dropped down on the cushions the moment she saw the empty space.
"Yes?" An open textbook in her hand. Her eyes were still trying to focus in on the words. She hadn't gotten enough sleep,
"Tell me about your family. What are they like?"
The question took a few seconds to process in her brain. Red hot guilt and tension filled her stomach. She cleared her throat, turning to Ruby.
"Why do you ask?" Color immediately flushed out her face.
"I was just curious." Ruby lazily closed her eyes and yawned into her hand.
Weiss kept silent for a few seconds before opening her mouth. "We dig gold out of the Atlas mountains, tons of it, every day. It gets purified and sorted then sold to the government or shipped to elsewhere to be made into accessories."
"I know that, everyone knows about the Schnee Gold Company." Ruby finally noticed that Weiss was rigid and tense, rubbing her eyes from the stress. She wasn't going to be able to finish her homework tonight.
"That's only about half of our profits. The other half comes from the drug trade. We're the largest underground exporter of dust and heroin in the continent." The closest person around them had on headphones, deep in the middle of a book. Everyone else was too far off to hear the remarks.
"We buy out other companies property to keep our supply routes open and free from investigations. Atlas privacy laws are the best for that."
"O….kay." The heavy silence returned with neither one of them wanted to carry on with the conversation.
"If you ever want to get fucked up just let me know, I'll make a call." The caustic remark echoed between the pair, leaving an awkward tension. When Ruby looked down, the small face etched a frown in the dim light.
Weiss tried to fix it. "Sorry, I didn't mean to bring the mood down in this lovely afternoon." Weiss drew closer to Ruby.
"It's alright." Ruby moved up to kiss Weiss on the lips. "I get it. I won't mention it again."
Weiss wrapped her arms around Ruby and held her close. "It's not that..."
Ruby broke the embrace and gave a huge smile at Weiss. "Guess what I got! I totally forgot about this!" On the table was a plastic bag with a small box inside.
Weiss had no clue what she would have bought. "Is it condoms?" A sarcastic overtone in her question.
"Close. Dental dams!" Ruby showcased her purchase out in the open. A little too loud.
Some students standing around close to her piqued their heads at the excitement.
Weiss immediately grabbed the box out of Ruby's hand and shoved it back into the plastic bag, hiding it in her purse.
She let out an angry whisper. "There are people here!" Heat burning across her entire body.
"Do we not like people anymore? Is that our policy now?"
"Let's not talk about this in front of people I don't know." Weiss gave a stern face and look behind making sure no one understood what had happened.
Nighttime drew on everyone, the campus becoming deserted as curfew set in the dormitories. The lonely droning of the television woke Ruby, forcing her to glance at the clock. The weekends being the only reprieve she got. Regretting her time to sleep in she dragged herself out and walked out to prepare breakfast for Yang.
"Oh. What?" Ruby blinked a few times and staggered back.
"Sup." She laid back with a slightly apprehensive look, flicking a hair strand out of her face.
"What brought this on?" Ruby sat on Yang's legs as she laid on the couch. The heavy locks of golden hair had disappeared, leaving behind a clean short crop hairstyle.
Yang sat up straight, roughing up her short hair. "Well, I thought it was time for a change so I got a haircut. I didn't want to spend a billion years tying my hair up every morning so I got a pixie cut."
'It looks good. I haven't seen you in short hair since we were babies." Ruby stretched her back,
"I don't know what you're talking about, you are still a baby." Yang ducked under her arms as a pillow was thrown against her.
