The sun hung low in the sky as Donovan walked down the hallways that held the offices of the different staff and instructors at Nikos Academy, bar that of course of the Headmaster's office. Donovan looked at the names on the doors, many closed and locked, either with their owner away on their last day before classes or residing inside the offices, doing last minute work. He saw the most recently occupied office's door shut tightly, the words "Ruby Rose, Professor of Weapons Technology" and chuckled to himself. He reflected upon his meeting with Mrs. Rose early after the attack on the Comms Tower, and how angry the other Mrs. Rose must be right now.

Donovan and Amber had fled to the Emerald Forest three weeks after the attack, on one of their now habitual midnight hunts. Donovan operated almost alarmingly well on low sleep, and Amber hardly ever slept to begin with, so it hadn't put any kind of hamper on their daily lives. In fact, many had noted Amber changing for the better; she was overall in better moods, and sunk into her more depressive states less often.

Donovan, perched high in one of the trees looking through the scope of his united spear-rifle, lowered his gun at the sound of a crash and flesh being torn apart. He gazed downward to see Amber's armoured frame pulling her goliath blade out of the Ursa corpse at her feet, before shouldering the blade. She was stood in a small clearing, moonlight reflecting off of the brass of her armour, highlighting the emblem of a Crescent Moon slashed across by three claw marks that was located on her right shoulder. She turned to right, moving her attention to a noise she had heard, giving Donovan a view of her face. Her harsh features were twisted into a smirk, her eyes having changed from their usual golden shade to a deep crimson. Amber said unlike her mother, whose eyes changes with her temper, her own eyes changed with her fervor. It was rare to see her with crimson eyes outside of battle, outside of the time she was caught staring at an enormous fish buffet the same way she stared at a beast to be killed. Donovan chuckled slightly, his mouth forming a smile as he looked at her. He leapt down from the branch, moving closer to Amber and walking with her as she attempted to track the source of whatever was garnering her attention.

"That was a good kill." Donovan said, noting the grisly red smears on Amber's sword, still resting on her shoulder. "It baffles me how you're able to wield Cascade as you do. You handle it like it weighs nothing."

Amber smiled, shifting the blade slightly. "Well, chalk it up to being one part Xiao Long, one part Belladonna, and one part evil terrorist experimentation." She sighed, trying to keep the smile on her face. "You know, this body isn't all it's cracked up to be."

Donovan's face twisted into an expression of mild shock. "What do you mean?"

"Well, for one thing, I use way more energy than I used to. I have to eat a tonne to simply maintain my weight. Also, my muscle density is insanely high. I weigh close to 400 pounds on my own, at 6'1" and 0% fat. You have any idea how hard it is to find women's clothing that fits me in this city?"

"If Jay's words are any indication, perhaps I do." Donovan said, chuckling to himself.

"Ah, Jay takes the easy route, she just wears men's stuff. Granted, if you can find me a place selling a dress that'd fit that Crow, I'd probably be able to find some cute stuff in there for myself."

Donovan begun laughing harder. "The famed terrorist Knightshade, talking about purchasing cute dresses." He composed himself, a huge grin still present on his face. "I enjoy these hunts with you more and more each time. You are a most interesting person."

Amber's face began turning red as she hiked the blade on her shoulder up to an angle where it would obscure Donovan from seeing. Donovan, who had already seen, smiled until he heard what was unmistakably a gunshot from the west. The two turned and nodded to each other, before moving out in the direction of the noise, picking up their pace upon hearing several more shots and the telltale sound of steel on Grimm bone. Upon reaching the source of the noise, they saw only a whirlwind of crimson, as the red blur darted from Grimm to Grimm, it's wicked looking scythe carving them to pieces or discharging sniper rounds to rend through those further away. One the last one in the vicinity was felled, the blur landed, it becoming apparent that it was Ruby Rose, who's scythe suddenly became a sword that she collapsed and replaced on her back. She turned, and her expression changed from tense and stern to pleasant surprise as she saw, then subsequently materialized in front of Donovan and Amber, both of whom she waved hello to.

"Hey kids! Uh, what are you doing out here? It's kinda 11 at night, you know." She said.

Donovan laughed before responding. "I could ask of you the same question, Mrs. Rose."

"Aw, please, Donovan. I'm not your teacher or anything. Well, not yet anyway. Just call me Ruby 'til classes start."

"Wait," Amber said, the red beginning to recede from her face, "you're going to teach here?"

"Yeah, they're flying Weiss and Echo out and everything. She's a little, uh, upset about that. Too far from the RDC for her liking."

"Is the RDC not merely an airship ride away?" Donovan asked.

"Yeah, an all day one. Winter's looking over while we're here, but Weiss is still hesitant. Ever since her dad took Atlas over…" Ruby paused, before shaking her head. "Hey, quit distracting me! Why are you both out here so l-" a small smile formed on her soft features. "Oh! You two are secretly dating, aren't you?"

Donovan froze, feeling his own face grow warm. Are we? He thought, time seeming to stop around him. The intent had never been romantic, in any of his endeavors. They were both team leaders, a relationship between them could be disastrous to their teams' performance. Yet, Amber had seemingly become dependant on him as a friend and confidant, and he even found the same in her. Still, could he simply come out and say there was nothing between them? Amber clearly held feelings, and they were far from unreciprocated. Yet, they had said nothing of the sort, done nothing of the sort, nothing at all. What do I-

"Ruby, we just come out here to relieve stress while honing our skills. Nothing more. It's helping me quit smoking, even."

Donovan turned to Amber, her face almost completely normal. He attempted to compose himself as much as he could. "Yes, I had been going on them the entire few months I've lived in Vale, and figured it was a better habit for her than actively destroying her body."

"Ah, I gotcha." She said, a knowing smile on her face. She began walking past them, when she stopped just past them. "Y'know, there's a clearing about a half mile east from this area, around a cliff face with an awesome view. Used to drag Weiss out there all the time while we were dating while Vale was rebuilding. It's quite pretty in the wintertime." With a slight chuckle, she vanished in her typical flurry of rose petals, no longer anywhere near them. Amber turned to Donovan, before quickly turning away.

"Er, quick thinking there." Donovan said. Does this mean I was wrong?

Amber was quiet for a moment, and when she replied, she spoke softly. "What do you make of Ruby's observation, Donovan?"

Once again, Donovan found himself frozen. He attempted to compose himself, sighing as he did. "I respect you too much to lie to you, Amber. I.. do hold feelings. I know you see me as a friend and confidant, and if-"

"Oh thank goodness." Amber said, sighing and chuckling softly. "So, I guess this just became a date then?"

Donovan felt relief wash over him. He began laughing with her. "I guess so."

Donovan found himself laughing again at the memory. It was a strange start, but it was a start to their relationship nonetheless. Donovan had discreetly left a bottle of rum at her door a few weeks later, as something of a thanks. He wondered if she had left yet, seeing as all of ASNL and their respective families were having dinner at the Ren's tonight as something of a celebration. SAJJ had been invited, but all of them politely turned the invitation down, each citing their own reasons, but most of it coming down to not wanting to impose. This left Donovan in a sticky situation, however, and left him with only one person to turn to. He reached the office of that person, Oolong's door kept open by a doorstop. The robot was writing at his desk, serene orchestral music softly playing from his computer's speakers. Donovan glanced at the paper from the door, silently chuckling at how his handwriting was so uniform.

"Hello, professor. May I come in?"

Oolong looked up at Donovan. "Greetings, Mr. Stormbringer. Yes, you may come in. Shut the door as well, if you could please."

Donovan did as he was told, shutting the door as he sat in one of the rather plush chairs in front of Oolong's desk. Oolong set his pen down, and placed his work aside, folding his metal hands together and setting them on the desk. "What brings you here, Donovan? Is something troubling you?"

Donovan scratched the back of his head, before replying hesitantly. "Yes, there is something troubling me. Oolong, may I confide something in you?"

"Of course. Nothing said will leave this room unless it absolutely has to. What troubles you, Donovan?"

"Well, Amber and I are… dating, I guess is the most appropriate term for it. We have been for months now. We've kept it under wraps, though I suspect that Jay's found out somehow, nothing gets past her eyes." Donovan chuckled, before sighing and continuing. "What's worrying me is with the semester coming up, our relationship could potentially be detrimental to our teams' and our own performances. During the last semester we were far less… serious than we are now. I find myself doubting my ability to place my responsibility first."

There was a fairly long pause until Oolong spoke in response. "Why do you only doubt yourself? Do you feel as if Amber is less committed to your relationship?"

"No, no, not at all. It's merely that Amber has a far more… personal connection to this journey we're on. Between her past, and those attacks during our first week, I have no doubts she has the conviction to continue on."

"Hmm," Oolong said, again pausing briefly. "Your choice of wording is interesting. Do you truly feel as if you lack conviction?"

Donovan shook his head slightly. "My journey began as a personal one, one of curiosity. Now, I find myself only occupied by my feelings for Amber."

"Do you feel that caring for loves ones cannot serve as motivation?"

Donovan was surprised at the question, finding himself unable to respond for a moment. Oolong merely chuckled in response. "May I explain myself with a short tale?"

Donovan nodded in response.

"Thank you." Oolong said, before beginning his story. "When I was created, I was not intended to present myself in the form I currently assume. I was coated in synthetic skin, my voice was far less synthetic sounding, and my name was 'complete' as they told me. I was created, or born, if you choose to interpret it that way, as Liao Oolong, the second synthetic human ever to exist.

"Unlike my predecessor, I was not informed of this. I was treated as an amnesiac, being told to lead out a life that was not mine, an experiment inside Atlas' laboratories. That was sixteen years ago, nearly seventeen. My date of completion, or 'birthday', as Alice is insistent on calling it, is in a few weeks. But, I digress. As I lived out my false life, one of the people closest to me was the person who, in the false life they constructed, was my neighbor, Eric Matlal. We became friends, and even lovers as my false life progressed. It was on the eve of the third year when he broke down, unable to keep the secret any longer. He told me everything was a falsehood, and that I was a being wholly unique in this world. It was, of course, shocking, and hard to believe, but it was the complete truth. Eric was able to engineer a plan that allowed the both of us to escape, and we traveled to Vale.

"I will not bore you with the specifics of our escape and journey, but when we arrived, Vale was far from the haven it is today. Movements for equality among faunus, like Eric, were weak, lacking structure or shape, and their most staunch defenders and figureheads were far away, on their own mission. It was then that I chose to appear publicly, to cast my skin and name aside, and to become who I am now. The life I had been given was ideal, with no evil or vileness in it. I knew that, after seeing what the real world was like, that world was far from the truth. However, I knew that, for the one person I cared for, differences could be made. One person was the motivation I needed to begin my journey." Oolong raised his left hand, a band of gold visibly contrasting against the grey metal of his finger. "Do you understand what I mean, Donovan? You say you lack purpose, yet you have one closer to your heart than anything else. Even if you are not here to gain the strength to protect the world, you can gain the strength to, well, Amber does not seem like she is in need of much protection. Perhaps the strength to fight alongside her?" Oolong laughed at his joke, Donovan unable to stop himself from joining in. He found his spirits were significantly higher than when he begun the conversation.

"Thank you for your story, Professor. It was very helpful."

"I am glad to aid you in your time of trouble."

"If I may ask, how is your husband?"

"Eric is well, his life tending to his small coffee shop suits him far better than one of combat like I lead. Among the few things I lament about my current form is my inability to eat or drink. I have heard wonderful things about his coffee. He was nervous about Alice attending the school, but Eric has always been protective of her."

"I'm glad he's doing well. I'll be sure to stop by his shop at some time." Donovan stood up from his chair. "I should be going. Jay and Alice were training all day, and I should ensure they aren't hiding any injuries again."

"Thank you for listening to my story, Donovan. I shall keep your relationship under wraps from the others. Though, I suggest being prepared to tell Yang. I have heard Xiao Longs can become quite… agitated when the possibility of grandchildren is presented to them."

Oolong merely chuckled again at the groan that came from Donovan as he walked away from the office, and back towards SAJJ's room, desperately hoping Alice didn't hurt herself a day before classes.