Ladies and Gentlemen, Lads and Lasses, beautiful people I am Kurt the Mortician and we are back once more. more filler more fun. This Arc is incredibly fun to write and I can't wait to wrap it up, and keep the momentum. After this arc we have a few minor filler things we still want to do, and then. SEASON 2 BITCHES! YEAH! WOO! This is gonna be hype. Anyway, enough babble. Read, review, and enjoy please. Small being the operative word. YES! The next generation. After watching volume 3 some I kinda wanna add more but we have time. HOLY Shit. SATY 3? That's a bit much. I thought the Limeyness was SATY2? Oh. Then yeah. Season 3 is definitely possible, but it's probably like the end of the saga of these characters. Yeah. Anyway, like I said earlier, read, review, and enjoy.
Aye sir, all set. So the last chapter was posted a bit ago, like a month ish? So not QUITE regular updates. We've got a stockpile, we've got a schedule. Things are going back to the old days. Yeah season 2, never mind that our season 2 was MEANT to be before volume 2. We'll just sneak in midway through 3. Small delays and such yo. Cannot wait for SaTY2 though. It's gonna be fun. Lot of stuff for the next season. Plus, there's always the chance to do a SaTY3 before LIME. We got time. No rush boi. Im talking seasons. SaTY season 3 is totally possible. It'd be the wrapping up stuff yeah. We got other stories to tell. And with that, we'll leave you with our CURRENT story. Enjoy.
Filler Arc: Parent's Weekend
Chapter 2: Welcome
The usually spacious main hall of Beacon was unexpectedly cramped by the time headmaster Ozpin walked on stage to address the crowd of students and their guardians. Some had brought but a single parent, where others had brought along their entire families. As the last few stragglers forced their heads into the crowded doorway Professor Ozpin cleared his throat, "Ladies and Gentlemen, my name is Professor Ozpin, and please allow me to welcome you all here to my school for this unusually large parent's weekend."
"Now unlike previous years, a cluttered schedule has forced us to turn the second and third year student's parent's days into a combined weekend. As such, the school is a little...over capacity. For this reason, the staff politely ask that you keep to the timetables provided for your children and do not wander the school grounds without one of the tour groups. I'm very sorry for the inconvenience but some of the hallways are likely to get flooded if we don't take precautions." He took a small pause, clearing his throat again, "With that in mind, I hope you all enjoy your stay here and are pleased with the performance of your children. As always if ever you have any questions, please do not hesitate to approach a member of staff or one of the appointed student guides. They can be identified by the green lanyards they are wearing, and they will also be congregating around the information tent that has been pitched in the school's main courtyard. This is also the meeting point for many of the events this weekend, including the tours."
Ozpin once again stopped and let his gaze wander over the crowd, "Usually this would be the point where I tell you all to have an enjoyable weekend, however I feel that there are a few announcements that need to be made this year. I won't do them the embarrassment of pointing them out, however we have a few special guests at the academy this year. First and foremost I would like to welcome the King and Queen of Menagerie. Your majesties, we are certainly honoured to have you join us today. As well as this we have the renowned Lady Crane among our company and both the Wolcotte and Lecters households. Finally, an old friend has obligated me to extend a warm welcome to the...considerable Atlesian military force that has resided in Vale. Parent's rest assured, the military personnel on site will be kept to an absolute minimum, and the Admiral in charge of the force has assured me that it will only be himself, his wife and a small body guard that are actively on school grounds."
At this statement there was a light rumble across the crowd, voices of concern, discontent, and even fear could be heard. Glynda gave Ozpin a look that screamed 'control the situation'.
"Now now," He addressed the crowd with the same tone he would his students, "The Admiral is a parent here the same as the rest of you. While I am unaware of the purpose of the rest of the force I will again reassure you that there will be heavy restrictions to any military personnel on site. Their job is not to interfere with you or the activities of this weekend."
As the murmuring began to subside Ozpin again continued, "As well as these high profile guests there are also a few special visitors that I would like to welcome from different walks of life. From the wildlands of Menagerie we have with us the entirety of the Fratley clan, and from right here in Vytal we are very proud to welcome both the caretakers and children from Oakholme orphanage. And finally, we have another person of esteemed military background, Mr Caelum we are honoured to have you as our guest as well. Now, with that cleared up, I would indeed like to wish you all the most enjoyable of weekends."
The parents and students were divided into several groups, each led by a different teacher. Professor Goodwitch led her group off to the cafeteria, with Professor Port recounting a story as he guided another cluster off to the dorms. Doctor Oobleck was talking now a mile a minute as he explained the history of Beacon on his tour to the classrooms. The ever elusive Professor Peach was leading some parents and students off to the extra-curricular facilities on campus. Professor Blanc calmly explained the layout of the campus and explained the sheer volume of books contained in the library to his tour group. Professor Sho Minamimoto was barely keeping his temper in check as he stood in place and made sure his tour group understood the rules of being on campus. Several other Professors headed for the airships with their groups, intending to show their students and families what life in Vale was like.
"Alright, Now let's get this tour underway. As I said earlier, I'm Sho Minamimoto, mathematics professor. No talking hand stay with the group. First off I'll be telling you about the geometry and design of the grand hall." Sho announced through gritted teeth, clearly displeased with his current task.
"Mister Mimamoto, what's geometry?" A young child spoke up, no older than five.
Sho turned to see one of the children from the orphanage standing near their respective caretaker. It took every ounce of restraint not to verbally berate the child for not understanding, what in his mind were basic mathematics.
Sho was saved when one of the students from his class, Garren Raven, tousled the boy's hair with a grin, "Wouldn't worry about it, even I don't get it." He flashed the child a smile.
"Now. As you can see the courtyard is constructed in a rectangle, while the surrounding grounds are organized in a circle with smaller circles allowing for various plazas to act as gathering areas. The airship docks are on the western side of campus, with the cliff overlooking Vale on the south. Any questions?" Sho asked pinching his nose as he attempted to give a tour people could understand.
"What are all the buildings around there?" Another young child asked, gesturing to the courtyard. A girl this time, though a year or two older.
"Those. Are the classrooms." Sho replied curtly, attempting to be polite. "Any other questions?"
"Where's your classroom?" The first young boy asked.
"Southernmost building, first floor. I am one of the few math teachers to have a lecture hall rather than a classroom." Sho said with a hint of pride.
"I'm sure you're happy about that." A deeper voice commented. Walking near the front of the tour, a few places behind Sho, was Citri and his father. While Citri had fallen back several paces to talk to Garren, his father had been listening intently to his old friend's talk, something that had not gone unnoticed by Sho.
"Admiral." Sho greeted, giving a brief salute.
Hannibal smiled and waved a dismissive hand, "Please Minamimoto, you're retired. Besides, you didn't answer my question."
"I'm content, unfortunately the school seems unable to grasp that mathematics demands nothing but perfection. And then they add a bunch of zetta idiots to my class, who end up multiplying the time I have to spend whipping them into shape, ultimately subtracting from time I could spend in infinitely better ways." Minamimoto rambled out, his usual rage filled growl of a voice striking fear into most of the listeners.
The admiral, however, merely chuckled, "Yes, I'd imagine a room of teenagers is a fair bit harder to control than the recruits you used to deal with." He looked over his shoulder, checking that his son was still talking away with one of his friends, "From what I've been told, my boy is one of the ones giving you a headache? And that I owe you some thanks for sparing him your usual wrath." The latter part was muttered, keeping the conversation hidden from any passive listeners.
"Permission to speak freely." Minamimoto asked stiffly, his glare fixated on the admiral's dreadlocked son.
The admiral sighed, "Freely, but...quietly if you don't mind."
"Your son is an idiot." Minamimoto grumbled, his voice only heard by his former commanding officer. "But he's a hard working idiot. Maybe by the end of the semester he'll actually be more than mediocre."
Hannibal rubbed his chin in thought for a few moments, "Well, as long as he's working hard I suppose there's nothing I can really complain about. I appreciate you helping him."
"Anyway, let's move on with the tour. I was lucky enough to have my entire schedule approved. I hope to demonstrate the academic, and the combat skills that Beacon is providing your children. This means our first stop is the Grimm Studies Lecture Hall, in which we will have a group of student give a demonstration to show the knowledge they have acquired." Minamimoto attempted to re capture the groups attention with his usual bark like voice. It wasn't a surprise the other professors and the student's of the crowd had likened him to a wolf after learning a bit about the man. And with that, Minamimoto stomped off to their destination, the tour group in tow.
"Ummmmm like, so welcome to Beacon~! I'm Professor Peach, and like, I teach botany and battlefield medicine!" The ever cheerful Professor Peach greeted the tour group before her. Her brightly colored professor's suit, bright blond hair, and tan surprising most parents.
The crowd of parents has several looks of confusion, ranging from the simply surprised to the somewhat annoyed. None was more so than the disdainful look from Lady Crane, stood near the back and regarding the teacher with a dismissive roll of her eyes, instead choosing to examine her surroundings with an scornful expression.
"Soooooo, like, I graduated from combat school when I was like, nineteen, a full two years ahead of my class, and I studied for the next four years and earned both of my doctorates, in between like, freelance work. It was sooooo coool~ Then, like, one day, Ozzy was all like, come to Beacon~ and I was all like yeah! So now, I try and make sure students know like, what plants in the field are useful, and how to like, deal with battlefield injuries with limited medical supplies~." The Professor excitedly recounted for her tour group.
"I see, well that's very impressive Professor," A voice said from near the front of the group, a middle aged man stood next to a student almost a clear foot taller than him, Reid's father, "I suppose that explains your...age."
"Awwww~ Thank you! Wait, is that, like, are you Reid's dad?" She asked spotting the boy in question standing a full head above the crowd. "I was like, expecting someone way taller!"
The father gave an awkward laugh before reaching up to clap his son on the shoulder, "We're not really sure where he gets it."
"Like, I remember the first day of class, one of his teammates put a tack in his seat, and when he like sat on it, he was all RAWR~! It was totes adorable!" She replied giggling, "Anywho~ We have a long tour ahead of us, are there any, like, questions? Concerns? Like Comments?"
"Yes, actually." An almost icy voice spoke up from the back. Everyone in the group, except for the blushing Reid, turned to see the slate grey business suit of Lady Crane. Standing at the back, she had blended in with the crowd, but now that all eyes were on her it became clear that she was not like the rest of the parents. There were small details to her outfit that set her apart. The business suit, while formal, was paired with elegant jewellery. Expensive metals and fine gems worked into the cuffs, buttons and brooch. They weren't flashy, not deliberately oversized or extravagant to show wealth. Instead, her outfit was subtle, the kind of wealth that was so grand that showing off became trivial. It screamed superiority, without a trace of effort put into demonstrating it. She radiated power, and people almost instinctively bowed their heads around her. "What exactly does this tour entail?"
"Like, it totally slipped my mind~ But I have a big tour planned for all of you! I managed to get, like a super sneak peek at the tournament arena for the big...tournament! So yay! I also have planned, like, a little planning session, where students can like, share what they're doing to prepare if they want!" Peach enthusiastically said clapping her hands together in pure bliss.
Lady Crane just gave a small nod of affirmation, before continuing with everyone else. The group followed the professor through the halls, stopping every so often as she pointed out different aspects of the building or syllabus that was being taught to the students.
"Soooo, like, that is the where the literature and fine arts classes are! That over there, is where the botanical gardens are, where I like to host class if a field trip ends up being like canceled, so that way it's not like, a total bummer. Anywho! Over here we have that super secret spot I was telling you about earlier." Peach said coming to a stop. Before her was a large building, hidden entirely by scaffolding, the exact shape and size completely obscured, save for one detail. A single set of mechanical doors, locked by a keycard.
"Ar-are we allowed to see in there?" A student near the front spoke up, half nervous half excited. The prospect of getting a look inside the tournament arena was something no student could pass up. There could be any number of useful hints or advantages brought by a look around beforehand.
"Like totally! It was super tricky getting a key~ But Peach always gets her goal!" The professor said, striking a victory pose with the key card.
The students in the group all made their way to the front, even Reid caught himself pushing past people in an attempt to look around. Behind him he saw Katherine, though she seemed to be focussed more on her position in the crowd than the door in front of them. He thought for a moment, it made sense. Too far forward and she'd appear eager, which was beneath her. Too far back and she'd look like she didn't care, unprofessional.
"So, like we have to be really quiet, and like, not mess with anything. So no touching! Anyway, Come on in!" The Professor cheerily stated as she unlocked the door and lead the tour group through the open doorway.
The parent's and student's were lead through the dimly lit metal hallways, the occasional break in the hallway leading to another part of the arena's seating. The dull sounds of footsteps echoed through the corridors, and people began mentally cataloguing all they were seeing. Some seemed impressed, other's completely in shock of the state of the art facility being constructed seemingly on a whim. Lady Crane herself even seemed interested in how Beacon has managed to keep such a project hidden from the students. Finally after what felt like an eternity of walking they reached the interior.
Peach had led them to a viewing platform, spacious enough to fit the whole crowd of parent's and student's in the group. Before them was a dark void, until the lights came on. The Arena itself seemed rather plain, A large space set in the ground for all the crowd to view, brightly lit, and clearly made for combat on a grand scale. The crowd then noticed the hexagon shaped panels in the floor. They were laid out perfectly across the arena's entire layout, finally one parent saw fit to inquire as to what purpose they served.
"So, what's the purpose of the panels?" One of the members of the crowd spoke up.
"Like, that's the super big kicker! I have absolutely no idea." Peach answered truthfully. "Only Ozzy knows, and he's been like, really quiet about it. Glyn thinks they can extend and rise and stuff, to like, change the terrain, Petey says they're traps, and Barty swears that they track data and stuff. So, yeah, I'm like totally clueless on what they do."
In front of all the parents, students were leaned against the railing, looking over the space with analytical eyes, taking in whatever information they could. The size of the arena. The height of the ceiling. The size of the panels. Possibilities to what they did. In particular, Reid furrowed his brow. As it stood, the arena looked very open. Good thing he was working on armour.
"Now, like, I know, there have been some questions as to what this tournament is, and like, why we decided to do it, but don't worry, this is like totally awesome!" Peach began, in her usual joy filled voice. "This is the Tempus Finis Tournament, the end of times tournament. Petey insisted that it needed like, a dramatic name. Anyway, this marks the end of a beacon student's time as a like, full time student."
"What do you mean by that?" Another parent spoke up, "Is education not full time after the second semester?"
"Okay, so, like, until now, students like, have to go on missions with a Professor, or approved huntsman. Like, I've gone on expeditions to like, a wildlands border town. If a student performs well in the tournament, they can like, take on missions without a professor, and like, with other teams. But like, only if Ozzy is cool with it." Peach explained. "Missions can take a while depending on the objective, like the one I did, lasted like two weeks."
"Okay." Reid's father nodded along, "So halfway through second year it becomes half education and half...work placement, of a sort?"
"That's like, totally on the spot." Peach said nodding enthusiastically. "To be like totally clear, this is like why, we don't see a ton of second years compete in the Vytal Festival tournament."
The parents collectively nodded in understanding, taking one final look around the stadium while their children remained at the bannister, taking in whatever minute information they could. Every second was valuable to them.
"Anyway...we should like, go. I promised it would be like, a quick look, not like, spoil the surprise look." Peach said, clapping her hands together as she attempted to guide the group out of the area.
The parent's followed after Peach, with the student's took one final look at the arena, before the lights went out once more. They walked into the dimly lit corridor, their minds racing as to what awaited them in the tournament.
"And that is how I came across the beowolf in the Grimm Holding Pens near my classroom, and what great timing as well!" Professor Port exclaimed as he finished one of his stories, much to the relief of his tour group. "It would seem we have reached our destination, The Student Dorms. This reminds me of a story."
"Ah, Prof, how 'bout we show the parent's our digs?" Klyde asked, cutting off the story before it began, "Our room's up ahead, we can show 'em round."
"What a superb idea Mr. Weston! Why it reminds me of myself when I was your age, and a great story to accompany that memory. Now, feel free to enjoy your time, for those who don't wish to see their dorms, I have just the story to tell!" The professor replied in his usual boisterous tone.
"Mind showin' your old man where you rest your head now?" Klyde's father politely asked, looking down to his son, his usual semi-formal attire as neat as ever. His father's braided hair was surprisingly neat under his fedora, with his suit coat being the same deep cobalt of his son's eyes. His dress shirt was as white as the first snow of winter, complimented perfectly by a simple pair of jeans and black dress shoes.
"Sure," Klyde gave a small nod as he pushed open the door, making his way into the room he shared with his roommates. His father looked over the sparse furniture and unconventional beds. Reid's bed frame had broken under his weight, so he had a plain mattress on the floor. Breeze, who's bed was against the wall, had replaced most of her bedding with furs and pelts in a rough pile. And Garren, who's bed occupied the opposite wall, had almost made a sort of tent with his.
"Choice digs, keepin' up with your music?" The elder Weston asked, as he looked around the room with a small smile.
"Yeah, when I can." Klyde nodded, "Less time lately, but yeah. Music class is good."
"Groovy, now, I got a letter from the headmaster a while back," The older man began, giving his son a pointed look. "Who were you scrapping ' with this time?"
Klyde looked back over his shoulder, "Remember in the tour group, tall redhead girl, glasses? Her and her team." He shrugged.
"Thank you for bein' honest as always, now why'd you have to raise hands against at her?"
"Her and some other chick on her team were picking on a first year." Klyde gave another shrug, "It's...mostly resolved now anyway."
"Lord almighty, what am I gonna do with you?" The older man said with a chuckle.
"Hey, it seemed smart at the time." Klyde chuckled back.
"Brought my sax, feel like jammin' with me for a minute?" The elder Weston asked holding up the case for his tenor saxophone
"Yeah, we prolly got a few minutes." The boy nodded.
The two Weston's retrieves their instruments and began to play, it had a defined swing to the rhythm. The rich notes from saxophone seemed to work their way into the hall. Even Professor Port halted his story, and the tour group families gathered outside the room one by one. The song had an odd interlocking cadence, as though the beats weren't meant to align but somehow did. There was the occasional break from the melody, with each Weston taking a moment to show off to the other, however neither opened their eyes, or stopped smiling.
As the impromptu performance came to a close they were met with scattered applause. "Bravo! This is precisely what we love to see on these family weekends." Professor Port seemed to announce to the group.
"Bravo indeed," A voice added on, still giving a light clap, "Very impressive."
"Thank you kindly, wasn't nothin special, just a lil jam." Mr. Weston said with a light tip of his hat.
"Yeah, jus foolin around." Klyde said exhibiting an odd level of humility.
"Well then I'm even more impressed," The man continued, his wife not looking quite as interested as he was, "You've been playing a long time?"
"Most of my life, since I was about my son's age, probably a lil younger." Mr. Weston replied with a smile and nod.
The rest of the families had already began to make their way back into the hall, following the professor. This left Klyde and his father trailing behind with the Lecters, still talking in Klyde's room.
"You don't say," The father continued, "Well I'm very happy for you two being able to share something like that."
"I'm grateful as well, my wife used to say music runs in the blood, that he was born with a four four time heartbeat." Mr. Weston said with a light laugh.
"So you've been playing a long time too then?" Mr. Lecters asked, addressing Klyde.
"Since I was big enough to lift a sax." Klyde replied, "I couldn't do the lip thing you have to do to play the trumpet."
"Well, it's good you've kept the hobby for such a long time." Annette's father replied, nodding his head slightly.
"It is, I think music is a good way to teach my son how to act right." Klyde's father said, his tone decidedly neutral. "Your daughter ever take music lessons?"
"I played the piano for a while when I was younger." Annette replied politely, "I did not carry it on once I came here though."
"Shame you didn't keep up with it." Mr. Weston said with a sigh. "Music does young people a lot of good. Teaches them how to connect."
Mr. Lecters placed an affectionate hand on Annette's head, "Your friend, Cyrus, plays a lot doesn't he?" He asked before turning to Mr. Weston, "I think you're quite right."
"Cyrus is in my music class, only man I've ever seen get down with a violin." Klyde commented with a chuckle, remembering the one time their teacher had assigned the class random partners for a jam session.
"Nice to know you're making friends with all different walks of life." Klyde's father said clapping his son on the shoulder.
"Yeah, Cyrus is a cool dude," Klyde nodded in agreement, before looking at Annette with a neutral, yet polite face, "Haven't really had much of a chance to get to know Annette. Guess that'll change soon though."
"Hopefully things head in a better direction, can't say I blame you for not trying sooner." Klyde's father commented absentmindedly.
"Hey, that's a little uncalled for." Klyde gave a small look of discomfort.
Klyde's father gave a brief sigh, "My apologies, you're your own man now, not my place to judge your decisions."
Klyde sighed before turning to Annette, she and her father looked somewhat apprehensive, while her mother was looking a little annoyed, "He, uh, knows about the food fight. And...all the other stuff." Klyde explained, watching as Annette looked down at the floor in response.
"Again, I apologize, no one's perfect, ain't my place to judge." Mr. Weston added, bowing his head in conjunction with his apology. "I just worry about my son. Only one I have after all."
"And what, exactly, is there for you to worry about?" Annette's mother finally spoke up.
"Ma'am, from what I've heard, your daughter's team is the exact kind of crowd I raised my son to avoid." Klyde's father replied, with an almost disturbing level of candor.
Annette's mother took a step forwards, her brow furrowing slightly, "Will all due respect, my daughter is not her team. From what I've been told she suffers at their hands as well."
"Now my son's never been no model student, but he knows right and wrong. And unless he's been lying, which I know isn't his style, your daughter doesn't seem to know that. I ain't sayin it was okay for him to resort to violence, but the boy's heart is in the right place." Klyde's father replied, staring down Annette's mother without a sign of hesitation.
"Funny," Annette's mother began, causing her daughter and husband to roll their eyes, "I don't recall starting fights to constitute good intentions. Especially the times his team have come after my daughter's unprovoked."
"Blessed is he who shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness. For he is truly his brother's keeper. Ma'am, I don't know what kind of yarn your daughter's been spinnin' but she and her team walk through this school pushin' other people around for kicks. My son risin' up to stop it, now that to me, is a good hearted action." Mr. Weston countered, maintaining his air of patience.
"My daughter is not her team." Mrs Lecters repeated, trying to keep a level voice, "We are very aware of Annette's actions, thank you very much, but I assure you not once were those actions for her own amusement."
"Then please illuminate as to what her actions are intended to do? I don't really see how sending other people off cryin' is a kind thing to do." Mr. Weston said looking at Annette, before shaking his head in what appeared to be disappointment.
"It's not kind." Annette admitted, "And I make no excuses. I thought I was helping, I wasn't. My intentions are irrelevant."
"Now that is a marked improvement from the stories I've heard. Maybe being around my boy is doing her some good." Mr. Weston said with a look of curiosity.
"Not to burst your ego, pops." Klyde looked at his dad with a grin before flashing Annette a knowing look, "I ain't the guy you're looking for."
"One more in her life can't hurt. Now, when's lunch on this tour, conversation's got me starved." Mr. Weston replied with a laugh. "Mr. and Mrs. Lecters, let's follow the kids on this one."
"Now as this was required by the headmaster, I present to you this academic demonstration, I will pull two pairs of students from the group and they will compete in a brief little quiz, whichever team answers more correctly wins." Sho grumbled as he pulled up his scroll and tapped away at it, almost angrily.
"Don't worry man, the odds of us being chosen are second to none." Rain said upon noticing his partner tense up.
"Citri Andesine and Rain Nocturne." Sho barked out over the crowd.
Citri let out a long, pained groan, muttering "Dammit" as he did so, before making his way forward with his partner.
"Breeze Aspen and Garren Raven." Sho called out over the crowd.
"Son of a bitch!" Came Breeze's profane reply, as Garren dragged her to the front.
The parent's watched in mild amusement, as well as the orphans as Garren covered her mouth to keep her from yelling more obscenities as Sho explained the rules.
"Raise your hand if you know the answer. Answer correctly you get the point, answer wrong the other team can steal. Now shut up and let's get this over with." Sho said looking back and forth between the two pairs.
The various family members spread throughout the lecture hall that Sho had brought them to, and began to sit down as the two pairs took their places on opposite sides of the classroom. Sho stood at the usual Professor's desk in the front, his face the picture of frustration as he sorted through the questions. Both pairs looked equally unhappy to be up in front as well. Citri and Rain looked equal parts nervous and eager for the demonstration to be over. Garren on the other hand looked more or less nervous and frustrated with his partner for the demonstration, who was glowering at the professor and muttering swear words of varying vulgarity.
"Question 1. What are Grimm Ranking Classifications based on?" Sho half asked, half growled.
Garren raised a hand before adding his answer, "A few things, mainly size, aggression and how difficult they are to fight."
"Correct. Next question. What is the most common round caliber used for huntsman work?" Sho quickly asked, attempting to keep the demonstration progressing.
Rain's hand shot into the air just a hair faster than Breeze's as he answered, "5.56mm bronze steel alloy."
"Correct, on both remarks." Sho nodded, actually appearing mildly impressed, "What plant commonly found in the wild is best used as a natural anesthetic?"
Garren and Breeze both raised their hands, with Sho giving a noncommittal shrug as to who should answer, "Henbane." Garren replied, after catching a quick glance from Breeze.
"Correct, Mandrake would also have been acceptable, next question. What historic revolution for identity was waged across all four of the kingdoms?"
Citri's face split into a smile as he raised his hand. Military history, this he actually knew, "Colour revolution."
"Correct. Next question, what defeat did General Laguna famously suffer in the Human-Faunus Revolution?"
"Battle of Fort Castle." Rain answered raising his hand confidently. The other's didn't even bother, Rain had faunus history licked.
"Correct, next question. A 7.562 mm round is accelerating at 715 m/s, with how many newtons of force does this round strike?" Sho asked, tapping away at the scroll before him.
Breeze grinned and raised her hand, ballistics, one of the few aspects of math she understood. "5,402 newtons of force."
"Correct. Now final question, a king taiju's jaw has a bite force of 15,860 newtons. The hunter has 94 units of aura left. How many attacks can they withstand?
The two pairs of hunters were both silent, neither had any idea of how to calculate something like that. Garren and Breeze conferred for a minute before attempting to answer. "14?" Breeze hesitantly answered.
"Incorrect. You two have an idea?" Sho asked looking over at the two.
Citri and Rain looked at eachother with hesitancy, bouncing ideas back and forth. Finally, after a few moments of conferring they were prompted by Sho tapping his foot loudly in irritation, Rain answered, "Aura strength depends on the hunter?"
"Technicality. Incorrect. Final Score is a tie. The correct answer is 13." Sho answered before tucking away his scroll. "Now we have an appointment with the combat arena, there, we will have a chance to see these two pairs face of against Class B Grimm."
Citri and Rain fist bumped as they worked their way back into the crowd.
Reid's sword collided with the floor of the arena with a shaking boom, softened somewhat by the flesh of the beowolf that he had just brought the gargantuan weapon down on. Outfitted in his latest armour, especially designed for the tournament, Reid was finishing off the last few beowolves that were in the fighting area with him. He held the sword out as the blade split apart, folding and moving in countless separate parts as the metal that had once formed the neat panels of the blade was reshaped into the body and stock of the light machine gun. The handle pushed out to form the barrel, and the large circular crossguard was mounted slightly off to one side, a belt of bullets feeding into the weapon.
The boy steadied himself, and fired at the grimm in short, controlled bursts. Each blast from the gun pushed his upper body back slightly, but his legs held firm and he fired again and again at the half dozen remaining creatures. A few fell dead, collapsing alongside the rest of their kind. When one grimm leaped at Reid, the boy simply shoulder barged the creature away, giving himself time for his weapon to change once again. When the beowolf had picked itself up from the stumble that Reid's muscular form had caused, the sword was already swinging towards it. As the head fell away from the rest of the body the lights in the room all flickered back on, and a soft clapping could be heard from across the room.
"That. Was. Totally awesome!" Professor Peach cheered clapping with an incredible amount of enthusiasm.
Reid merely grunted in response and shrugged his shoulders, the metal plates of his armored vest lightly clinking.
"So, like, we had, like, both Katherine and Reid show everyone that Beacon produces some of the smartest, and strongest fighters in all of the kingdoms! So, yay! Now we're going to take questions from the group on, like what makes Beacon such a great place to learn combat skills!" Peach explained cheerfully from the front row looking out over the rest of the tour group in the stands.
Not one person in the crowd dared answer as everyone, parent and student alike, stood gaping at the spectacle they had witnessed. What the boy had done was, even by Beacon standards, impressive. Everyone in the tour knew that, or at least made the educated guess that the seven foot student was something exceptional. Lady Crane in particular looked shocked, even mildly upset. However the parent's collectively shared one thought. My child has to fight him in the tournament.
"So, like, no questions? None? Not even about the leaderboard system?" Peach asked, sounding almost disappointed that no one was participating.
"Uhh, yeah," One of the parents started to snap to a little, "Sure, tell us about the leaderboards."
"Like, that is a big system, so there are like, leaderboards, for different categories. Like, academics, singles combat, partners combat, and like, leader academics, and leaders in general. Plus there's the over all team ranks, that like, determine who get what grade missions, and how often they get them." Peach explained happily, using her scroll to pull up images of the leaderboards on the large display screen in the arena, albeit with Peach's colorful scroll wallpaper. "Any leaderboards in particular, you guys like, want to know more about."
From the back of the group Lady Crane spoke up, "Academic and singles combat would be interesting to see. I'm curious as to who Beacon's top students are."
"Ummmmm, like the top ranked student's in each category?" Peach asked cocking her head to the side in confusion.
"How about a top ten?" One of the other parent's suggested.
"But Like in what category? We don't have like, a top student overall. That kind of leaderboard is like, super bad for fostering teamwork. OH! You mean like for single's combat and academics! Okay! So we'll start with singles." Peach said, playfully knocking on her head like she had made a terrible mistake. "So, like, in singles combat, We have in order from like, bottom to top, Citri Andesine, Phoenix Carson, Garren Raven, Breeze Aspen, Alice Nilesly, Ilyada Yilmaz, Klyde Weston, Reid Sigma, Rain Nocturne, and at number one Sir Winston Fratley."
As Peach listed the names, their portraits were displayed on the screen above the arena, along with a brief win-loss ratio. People were noticeably shocked at the win disparity within the top five. Positions ten through six were all very similar and it was clear that over the course of the year these spots would change multiple times. The top five however, were very clearly ahead. Neither Fratley nor Reid had any losses, and Rain in second only had a single draw.
"Now, we have academics, from bottom to top it is, Reid Sigma, Rain Nocturne, Celeste Yancy, Piao Zhu, Ru Zhu, Victor Gale, Katherine Crane, Alice Nilesly, Lance Absolum, and Annette Lecters still at number one!" Peach read off from her scroll with her usual cheer.
There were some murmurs in the crowd as some parents noticed the slight overlap in names, while others seemed to appreciate the different strengths and weaknesses of the leaderboard members. Lady Crane looked at her daughter with approval, pacified that she was at least beating the large boy academically.
"Sooooo, like, those are our top students, or whatever. Are there any other big questions?" Peach asked happily. "If not, we can make way to the cafeteria for your complimentary lunch, hopefully it's like, not too busy."
While nobody directly answered, the conversations had within the group made it very clear that the idea of lunch was appealing to most of the people in the tour. Very soon the group had collectively come to the decision to head towards the cafeteria.
"Alright, We ran out of B-Class Grimm, so we're going to use an A-Class Grimm instead. Nocturne and Andesine's ranks in both singles, and doubles combat, mean that they could be allowed to fight under these circumstances. They will be facing off against an A-Class Deathstalker." Sho Minamimoto explained to the tour group in the arena stands.
Rain and Citri stood back to back, each grinning and waving to the crowd. The Deathstalker slammed against the arena gate, it's chittering mandibles filling the air with an unnerving sound. The two partners were the picture of confidence.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, mind your marks!" Rain called out as he drew yasutsuna with a flourish, the red blade glinting in the light, as he listened to the hum of the high frequency blade.
Citri meanwhile had his staff planted firmly in the floor, and leaning against it idly. He turned to his partner, "So with that new sword we can make short work of this right?"
"Well, if it works. There's a fifty-fifty chance the blade will shatter due to the intense uncontained vibrations striking against a hard surface repeatedly." Rain conceded with mild concern. "The other fifty has this thing going down faster than Piao getting punched by Reid."
"So, have fun but not too much." Citri assessed, nodding, "I can work with that."
"Got any tricks of your own, or is that coat the extent of it?" Rain teasingly asked.
"Hey, I didn't think I'd need the vest." Citri shrugged before replying, "We've done this a hundred times, I'll keep it busy, you cleave it in two."
"Par for the course, you lead, I'll follow up." Rain said, easing into his stance.
Citri nodded before placing a hand on Rain's shoulder, "I know I don't need to tell you what to do, but dad's watching so I gotta make it look good."
"Alright, so, you yell bullshit formations and maneuvers and I keep up?" Rain asked as Minamimoto explained the dangers of an A-Class Grimm to the parents.
"Nah boi, you just do what you normally would, and ignore my yelling. I know you got this." Citri held out a fist, plucking his staff with the other hand.
Rain touched knuckles with his partner as the gate rose. The Deathstalker surged forward, forcing the two to dodge, Rain performed a simple roll to the side, and swiftly cut through one of the deathstalker's legs, running back as the creature slammed it's pointed tail where he once stood.
Citri took the opportunity to divert attention to himself, leaping towards the legs on the opposite side of the creature. With a quick spin on his heel he sliced into the joints of the Grimm's leg, dropping out the way as it kicked out. "Now." He shouted.
Rain looked over at his partner, and watched as the creature fell. This marked the time when they were supposed to let loose a full assault on the downed creature. Rain unleashed a series of rapid strikes into the side of the creature. The high frequency blade did in fact succeed in it's intended purpose, the blade vibrated more and more with each strike, eating into the creature's thick bone plating more with each blow.
The Deathstalker staggered to its feet, the remaining legs straining to hold up the beast. It swung around aggressively, launching at Rain with its claws in retaliation for it's injuries. "Rain." Citri called out unnecessarily, getting his partner to observe him for a split second as he launched a blade vertically and readied himself above the Grimm. As it's tail pulled back Citri dropped from the ceiling, twisting as he did. The staff cut through the pointed stinger of the creature, as Citri fired off another blade to pull himself back up.
Rain flipped back, and readied a stance for charging, and watched as the stinger for the creature fell. He circled the creature and was face to face with the creature, ducking under a claw swipe and placing a large slash between the creature's eyes, following up with a reverse slash in the same spot, repeating the motion as he attempted to cleave through the armor plating.
Rain eventually noticed a problem, his sword strikes were becoming less and less coordinated as the swords vibrating continued to escalate. "Citri, problem!"
Citri's eyes darted towards Rain watching as his partner's attacks became less and less co-ordinated. In a dash he dropped down next to his partner, landing with a skid alongside him and using his staff to block the incoming claw, "What's the issue?"
"The sword's vibration rate is escalating too quickly, she's going to shatter, any ideas?" Rain asked, as he ducked another claw swipe attempting to keep the blade as close to steady as he could.
Citri muttered to himself, before grabbing his partner and firing a blade out behind them, dragging the two backwards and out of the way. While they had a few seconds to think, he took in the situation.
"Well at least it kind of worked. This frequency will cut through pretty much any Grimm armor, blade won't survive, but hey, a win's a win." Rain chuckled as he and his partner stared down the enemy limping towards them.
"You okay to lose the sword?" Citri asked, turning to his partner, a plan etching its way into his mind.
"Yasutsuna's served me well. For the one week I've had her." Rain shrugged noncommittally.
The orange eyed boy nodded, "Okay." He started looking back at the opening, "You okay to dodge without a weapon?"
"Could do it with my eyes closed." Rain said with a grin.
Citri twirled the staff in his hand, retracting one end and switching it into it's sword form, "Make me an opening."
Rain surged forward, over the first claw and under the second, cutting into the large slash one final time, ripping the bone plating wide open as the blade shattered, the red steel shards flying into various parts of the deathstalker's armor and exposed flesh. Rain rolled to the side and forced open one of the pincer's with his sword sheath, still holding the handle as he called out to his partner, "Go for it!"
Citri fired out the singular blade directly in front of the deathstalker, retracting it mid flight as he lept towards the Grimm. With his speed he was able to fly past the creature's flailing limbs as it recoiled from the blow it had been dealt. As soon as his feet were planted on the ground, Citri swung upwards into the exposed flesh.
The deathstalker let out a final cry as it collapsed, and lay slain at the feet of the two huntsmen in training. Rain took a dramatic bow, and then began tossing the sword handle up and down, smiling at the audience. "Hope you enjoyed the show."
"Alright, check your egos." Sho grumbled. The crowd continued their applause, the two boys were nothing if not flashy in their respective combat styles.
While Rain was bowing and nonchalantly juggling the handle of his now broken sword, Citri was similarly performing small acrobatics and waving at the crowd with a large grin on his face. He looked more like a street performer than a warrior, especially one that had just slain such a large monster.
"As you can see, Beacon trains promising, if a bit cocky, hunters and huntresses. Nocturne and Andesine here are ranked third in doubles combat, with both placing in the top ten in singles combat, to elaborate on what I have previously mentioned. Now, this concludes our combat demonstration." Sho explained as he motioned toward the door of the arena. "After lunch, we'll be moving on to a final meeting concluding this first day of parent's weekend."
"Gotta say, grub's pretty solid here." Mr. Weston commented as he dabbed his mouth with a napkin. He took a quick sip at his mug of black coffee and gave a sigh of contentment.
Annette gave a polite smile, "You should see it around the holidays. They always put on quite a feast."
"Yeah, It's like a turkey for each person on Yule Day." Klyde joked as he ate another forkful of spaghetti.
"Very impressive." Mr Lecters commented, "Though I suppose with you living here they need to keep you well fed."
"You're probably eating better here than at home." Klyde's father said with a laugh. "Then again, you always were a decent cook."
"Oh is that so?" Annette asked, giving Klyde an almost teasing look, "You'll have to treat the lunch table to a meal sometime."
"Must of lost yo mind if you think I can cook enough food to feed all twelve of you assholes." Klyde deadpanned as he took a sip of coffee in tandem with his father.
Annette's father gave a small laugh, "Well, then it's a luxury reserved only for your team."
"Didn't your team have a crew of people move them in?" Klyde teased back. "Now that's luxury."
"You say that as if your leader isn't a one man lifting crew." Annette replied, her tone light.
"You're just jealous that we got the room at the end of the hall." Klyde said happily.
Annette's father frowned, "Is that a...favourable place?"
"Yeah, hall end rooms are a little bigger." Klyde explained. "Only reason Reid's work bench fits."
"Work bench?" Mrs Lecters spoke up, curious.
"Reid likes to tinker with stuff. Y'know, clocks, bird houses, explosives, bullets made of melted down coin collections." Klyde explained recalling Reid's brief stint in a wood-shop class.
"How very creative." Mr Lecters commended, "And practical too I suppose, if he can make his own equipment."
"I was digging the bed with all the skins and furs, what did y'all end up doing with the sheets?" Klyde's father asked, recalling team SAWR's unusual dormitory.
"That, uh, would be my partner. She's pretty...rural." Klyde explained to his father.
"Does she have family in town? It'd be nice to meet the other parents for this team." Klyde's father inquired.
"Uh, honestly can't remember. Most of the focus was on Garren bringing an entire orphanage." Klyde replied, shaking his head in slight disbelief.
"Right, the whole Oakholme orphanage. What's the situation with your team miss?" Mr. Weston asked Annette, curious as to the extent of family visitors across campus.
Annette sat back and thought for a moment, "Well I know there was a large spectacle about Katherine's mother attending. Cyrus' parents are sure to be around. I didn't much care to pay attention to Jack's arrangements, but I would assume his father will be joining him."
"Solid." Mr. Weston replied quietly.
Annette said nothing but gave a look that suggested her feelings were quite the opposite.
"So, got any big family plans while you guys are here in Vale?" Klyde cut in, trying to lighten the situation.
Mr Lecter's face split into a mischievous, almost childish grin as he looked at his daughter, "Why yes, actually, we were hoping to meet the parents of Annie's little boyfriend." He ended with playful emphasis on the word 'boyfriend', trying his hardest to rile his daughter up.
"Citri? Now that's a meeting I wanna see." Klyde said with an equally wide grin.
"Mind your own business son." Klyde's father chastised. "It can't be any worse than the parents of those girls I've had to apologize to."
Annette's blush was very quickly replaced with a soft chuckling as she watched Klyde's face shift to irritation as the boy began to bicker with his father.
The various family members gathered for parent's week chatted with the students as they awaited in the courtyard, the sun slowly setting as the first day of parent's weekend drew to a close. Various teachers stood around Glynda Goodwitch who appeared to be preparing to give a speech about the day's events, and possibly the schedule tomorrow, as it became clear that she was ready, the muttering and chattering of the audience ebbed away.
"Hello, I am Glynda Goodwitch, and I would like to thank all of you for helping to make this one of our most memorable parent's days in Beacon's history. However, as this is a parent's weekend, we are allowing the second year parents to spend time with their children on campus tomorrow, while the third year parent's will be allowed free range on campus tomorrow. We would also like to remind all of you about the parent's mixer this evening, where we encourage the family of the students to get to know one another." Glynda explained from the podium, taking care to remain both cordial and informative.
"Thank you Glynda," Ozpin spoke up as the teacher stepped aside to let the headmaster take center stage, "Parents, I hope you have enjoyed this first day of tours and learning about your child's education and day to day life. While I realise that the morning was quite busy, I'm sure you all enjoyed the slower pace things took after lunch. As Ms Goodwitch already mentioned tomorrow will also be a more relaxed day, so if there is any information that you wish to know that you weren't able to find out today, please seek out a member of staff and they will be happy to answer your questions. With that, I bid you all good evening."
"Hmph. Well, that was an interesting day." Damian Caelum muttered, his face stuck in his usual frown. "Spent a whole day with a general and wasn't sent into a death trap."
"Shocking, I know." Rain replied with a grin, but the sarcasm in his tone still evident, "Who'd have thought a school'd be safe."
"It's a good thing I'm not your father, otherwise I'd be to blame for your smartass remarks." Damian grumbled, trying not to smile at the younger faunus' remarks.
"Oh yeah, old vet like you, definitely knock some sense into me." Rain replied, his smirk never fading, "Worked real well for the general's kid."
"Scrawny thing like you couldn't handle a tap from me, much less a knock." Damian said with a chuckle. "Besides, you wouldn't be here in combat school, you'd be working at the shop if I were your father."
"Hey I've almost been doing just that lately, 'cept you don't pay me." Rain shot back, "I gotta be in there five days a week now. Minimum. And that's going up now Yasutsuna's gone."
"Fancy trick sword didn't work out too well for you?" Damian asked with a small level of pride."I did warn you that whole vibrating sword thing didn't sound like a good idea."
"Actually the problem was that it worked too well." The mouse faunus replied with some pride of his own, "Vibrations got too strong, probably started resonating wrong. Going to have to put a pin in it till I find a more suitable alloy. And...maybe design some limiters."
"Or you could ditch the tricks. Make a good sword, my mace didn't need any tricks." The elder
faunus suggested.
"Good sword is definitely next on the list." Rain nodded in agreement. "Still haven't used that metal we put to one side. It'd make a good solid weapon. At least until I figure the 'tricks' out."
"Never understood why anyone can't just use a pistol, or a mace, seems like no one can make a weapon without strapping something else to it, or trying to make it out of dust." Damian grumbled as he and the boy began to walk away from the courtyard.
"Eh, you gotta at least admire the craftsmanship." Raid countered, "Some of the weapons here are insane, and doesn't hurt to have close and long range covered if you can."
"To an extent, you are correct, however some of the things people have brought into my shop baffle me. A girl who couldn't be more than fifteen came into my shop toting some sniper rifle scythe monstrosity."
"Okay, some its over-complicated, yeah. But its practical. It works." Rain argued, "There's a reason multiform weaponry is basically standard issue here."
"Forge whatever weapon you want mouse, but remember your roots. You're easily the best swordsman I've seen in years, last thing I want is for you to waste that talent on trying reinvent the wheel." The elephant Faunus said to the mouse Faunus.
Rain stopped for a second, thinking, "Don't worry," The faunus finally said, "I've got some old schematics that might be just what I need. Its simple too."
"Excellent. Still amazed you finished that armor so quickly. Ever figure out the helmet situation?" Damian asked.
The mouse smirked, "Funny you should mention that. Papa Citri gifted his son a bunch of military surplus. Dude's semblance is vision based, so the artificial sight helmet wasn't very useful to him. Boy it's good to have connections."
The elephant ran a hand along one of his tusks, the same way an old man would strike his beard. "You'll have to do something about those pauldrons on that armor. I still say they're too big. You might wanna add some to the helmet, atlas tech leaves the mouth and jaw completely exposed."
"I already got plans for the helmet. Honestly the face plate is the only thing worth keeping." Rain mused, almost to himself, "Pauldrons need re-working, you're right. They'd restrict movement with what I've got in mind."
"Good, now do I have to go to the damn social event?" The elderly Faunus grumbled.
"Not gonna force you." Rain shrugged, "It's probably advised though."
"Fine. It'll be the first time seeing the king and queen since the war." Damian mused.
"That's the spirit!" The mouse faunus snarked once more as he left the company of the elderly man and went off to his team's room.
"Should of stayed at the shop." The old man grumbled as he made his way to the parent's mixer.
Almost at 10K words once more. And I thought my original 5 K minimum was ambitious. It's crazy how fast these things grow on their own. Oh yeah. I read RWBY fanfics that update more than we do, but if I compare frequency we put out about the same amount of content. So...yeah. Lots to talk about in this chapter, namely forty two flavors of foreshadowing. Also, our interpretation of Peach. Yeah we foreshadowed a little. The arena, the gifts from Papa Citri in the last chapter. We're really hyping up this tournament. Yeah. Y'know I can still recall why I put the tournament in. Cause in every show everyone wants to know who can beat who. This is a fun way of doing it. Also yes, new parents. Next chapter is nothing but parents. Either way, lots of little things about our interpretation of Beacon. It's kinda long. Not absurdly so, but definitely beyond 5 k. Chapter after that adheres to 5K, but it's still pretty plot heavy. Especially for filler. Considering the projects of the future, that chapter is pretty damn important for how brief we consider it. *Thinks about how a 5K chapter is easily beyond six or seven pages and how that is now considered brief* Man we need to calm down a little. Plus three weeks in a row of massive chapters. Damn it feels good to be a writer. Anywho, this was fun to write, hope it was fun to read. I am Kurt the Mortician, and I hope this chapter laid your worries, fears, and troubles to rest. Peace!
Oh yeah, what we lack in punctuality we make up for in sheer volume. This story is collossal. Wait foreshadowing. Spooky. Oh yes, theres a lot of build up for the tournament in this arc. We gotta have our grand slam. Plus there was more of the parents, that's always cool. A few new parents I think. So many parents, is that another long one or is it a bit shorter, I can't remember. Yeah chapter after next is a bit of a filler, but its all character based and pretty plot heavy. Like its more or less what this whole arc has been building to. Oh yeah its not short by any means, 5k still pretty hefty. Can't stop won't stop boy. We've rattled on long enough. So, please read, review and all that jazz. Lilome, out.