A/N
Hey everyone! I suppose I should start by wishing everyone a happy holidays! My family and I won't be able to meet up for Christmas this year... the world is in a very weird place right now.
I'm also suffering from a migraine! Woohoo!
Anyways, this chapter of the Oneshot collection is one I've been meaning to get to for a long time. I'm going to let you guys in on some information... there were plans for a Team VHLT spin off that never really came to fruition. It was going to be a supporting, "fill-in-the-blanks" story that could be read alongside Team MARS Part 1, and would explain the origins of these four side characters. Unfortunately, I could never find the time to devote to this spin off, but the few fragments that I did write out were easily converted into oneshots for this story. There is still plenty left that I have to write, but I have an existing template to go off of, which makes things considerably easier.
My exams for university are all done now, which means that I can finally begin focusing more attention on Part 3. I still need to balance my attention between this series and Tigress though; I've been feeling guilty about my recent treatment of that story - it's not as good as it could be.
Anyways...
The Origins of VHLT, Part 1…
THE "V"
Vermillion allowed a very soft sigh to escape her lips as she settled down on the soft grass. The redhead had been lugging around her weapon and luggage for most of the morning, and the brief moment of respite was a welcome one. Beacon's grass was a lush green colour and well manicured - but most importantly it was gentle to the touch.
From where she was seated - just off to the side of Beacon's central stone plaza - Vermillion had an excellent view of the blue skies above. High up in the air and off in the distance the white and black shapes of Beacon's airships could be spotted amongst the sky's hazy blue.
Those large airships would be bringing in Vermillion's fellow first year students. Most of the upperclassmen were already on campus and dressed up in their spiffy Beacon uniforms; Vermillion was excited to be amongst her peers.
Well, sort of excited… she didn't actually know anyone onboard those ships…
Growing up in a small but tight-knit village had its perks. Everybody knew everyone, and each other's business. Vale, on the other hand, wasn't anything like Vermillion's home. It was a bustling metropolis full of sights, sounds, colours and people. No one waved to her from their balconies or stopped her on the street to ask her how her family was; Vale lacked the kind atmosphere her village boasted.
Was this how her older brother Crimson felt when he first traveled to Atlas Academy? Vermillion had teased him incessantly when he returned for summer break - but it had been his fault for telling her all those unbelievable stories about his "wacky" teammates.
Vermillion planted her hands behind her and straightened out her arms so that she could lean backwards. The redhead craned her neck pack and peered upwards at the sky again, focusing her vision on the incoming airships.
Maybe she should have taken the one offered to her? Maybe not…
The decision to come to Vale early had been a conscious one. A week before today Vermillion had hopped onto a wagon caravan headed towards Vale. Upon arriving in the metropolis, she stayed the night in a dingy motel and then caught a bullhead taxi to Beacon in the morning.
That was why she wasn't currently on the airships with the rest of her peers… it was all a matter of timing…
And legroom…
Vermillion flicked her eyes down towards her red jeans, taking note of her very long legs. The grassy embankment she was seated upon gave her ample opportunity to stretch out her long limbs; the tightly cramped seats of a passenger ship (which was without a doubt packed to the brim with other people), would mean constant leg cramps.
Speaking of leg cramps... Vermillion could feel one beginning to form. She stretched out her legs to crack her knees and then pulled the two limbs close to her. This action ruffled the fabric of her red and gold jacket, making the contents of its pockets jingle.
Vermillion reached her hand into her coat pocket and felt around to feel its small contents. She withdrew three small hard-candies, which were individually wrapped in blue and white wax paper.
The candies had been a last minute gift from her grandfather, who had slapped them into her hand before she left for Vale.
"For the friends you will make," Vermillion's grandfather gave her a kind, yellow-y smile. He reached up his gnarled hand and gently rubbed her shoulder.
It had been a very sweet gesture… and her grandfather had always been full of sweet gestures…
But perhaps not the smartest ones…
Vermillion's grandfather had been a dust miner in his youth and thus was not familiar with the Huntsman academies. The old man did not know that Vermillion's team would consist of four people, not three.
Three candies to be split amongst four teammates…
But then again… it was likely that Vermillion would meet her partner before the rest of her team.
Three candies to be split amongst two people… that sounded a lot better.
Still, that meant there was one candy that would go unaccounted for. It would be better to get rid of the extra before any conflicts arose.
Vermillion slipped two of the hard candies back into her coat pocket. Holding the one that remained, she placed her long fingers on either side of the wrapper and pinched the ties. With an ever-so-slight tug Vermillion pulled the wrapper apart, revealing the shiny yellow candy within.
Vermillion plucked the candy from its wrapper and slipped it under her tongue.
Right away something was wrong…
As soon as the hard candy slipped under her tongue a burning sensation spread through Vermillion's mouth. The redhead spat the candy out in shock and spit several more times to clear the taste away.
It was the taste of eucalyptus… and Vermillion's nostrils were suddenly very clear…
"Damn it, Nonno…" Vermillion continued to purge the spit from her mouth. "Cough drops… again…"
Vermillion's grandfather was full of nice gestures… but his memory was worsening by the day…
THE "H"...
Honey's semblance had been working overtime this morning. The blonde girl's unique power to control her body's adrenaline levels was the only thing staving off a series of crippling panic attacks…
Why had she let her parents talk her into taking the airship to Beacon? Weren't there bullhead taxis that she could have used instead!? She was a local to Vale and already knew about their existence…
The blonde girl had back pressed against one of the airship's bulkheads. She could feel the sweat clinging to her pale hands and she curled them into fists; but it was to no avail, the pressure only squeezed more sweat out of her pores.
She had deodorized herself… right?
Honey turned towards the window and stealthily raised her arm up to sniff her armpit. The sweet scent of deodorant filled her nose, reassuring the blonde girl that she didn't currently smell like death. Good thing too, the golden sweater she was wearing wasn't all that breathable.
Honey released a rattling breath of apprehension and leaned her forehead against the cool glass of the window. Below her Vale's impressive skyline and maze-like streets stretched out in a mosaic of clashing colours. It was an impressive sight, Honey had never been this high up in the air before…
But the view out the window could not distract her from the people around her…
So many people… everywhere…
Honey's fellow first years clumped up in groups around the observation deck. It was evident that most of them already knew each other - which put Honey in a very tight spot. Even if she could muster up the courage to introduce herself, her sudden intrusion would be anything but welcome…
Honey really, really wished that she was on the ground again…
For what was the third time that morning, Honey channeled her semblance and fought down the adrenaline in her body. The attempt left her with a clearer head and a relaxed heartbeat.
Turning away from the glass, Honey rotated on her heels and reclaimed her former spot against the bulkhead.
Honey's fellow students were a rather diverse bunch. Some of their outfits betrayed their place of origin; the students from Atlas were the ones who looked sweaty and uncomfortable, the students from Vacuo were the ones dressed far too heavily for the warm weather.
There were plenty of other girls on the ship, but the mere sight of them made Honey feel nervous. The blonde girl watched as a raven-haired beauty stalked past her position. The dark haired girl had bright eyes and was neatly dressed, her ensemble brought together by the large black bow that rested on her head.
Honey looked down at her golden sweater, cuirass, forearm braces, skirt and armored boots…
Did she look frumpy? Because she felt frumpy…
If she looked frumpy… did the people around her think she was frumpy?
For the fourth time that morning, Honey used her semblance to calm herself down…
There was a tense looking blue haired girl sprawled out in the seating area of the airship. Like Honey, she was all alone, but the stony look on her hawk-like face (as well as the big shotgun resting next to her) dissuaded Honey from walking over and introducing herself.
The blue themed girl had her hair cut short in a pixie style, which accentuated her sharp chin and striking eyes. She was dressed in a blue sweater, ripped black skinny jeans, and studded sneakers. With her harsh eyes and relaxed posture she embodied the phrase "cool, calm, and collected".
Honey could be like her? Right…?
The blue haired girl's head turned in Honey's direction and the blonde snapped her gaze away.
Honey could feel her heart pounding in her ribcage. For the fifth time that morning she used her semblance to prevent a panic attack.
Several ground-shaking footfalls caught her attention and Honey looked up again. Parting the crowds was an absolute mountain of a boy. The gargantuan individual was clad in a clean white shirt and blue jeans, the hilt of a massive weapon rose above his shoulders. His face was defined - like finely carved marble - and his very deeply tanned skin betrayed his place of origin, the harsh sands of Vacuo.
Honey watched as the enormous man wandered out of sight. Despite his imposing stature he was surrounded by a small flock of his fellow students, who all seemed to be in good spirits.
Honey looked down again… she was already dressed frumpily, but now she needed a harsh reminder of her short stature too? It wasn't her fault that she was so short…
The shortest out of all her siblings… even the ones that she was older than…
For the sixth time that morning, Honey used her semblance to stop an impending panic attack.
THE "L"...
Lavender gently stepped through the bulkhead door that connected the airship to the landing dock. As soon as she was free from the stifling interior of the ship, Lavender tilted back her head and took in a deep breath of air.
Past the smell of exhaust fumes… and vomit… was the refreshing scent of fresh air!
Lavender lowered her chin and strode confidently out onto the landing dock. She felt the indescribable urge to run! Or dance! Or perhaps flip or somersault or spin or cartwheel or jump!
But if she tried to do any of those things at the present moment there was a high chance that she could tumble into someone… and the idea of hurting someone, even by accident, made her stomach hurt.
Lavender caught the scent of vomit in the air again and turned her head to investigate. Crouched over the rim of a nearby trashcan was a tall blonde boy in plate armor. Lavender watched in disappointment as everyone on the ship walked by, paying him no mind. An incredibly tall boy with a well-kempt crew-cut of auburn hair stopped and stared… but he made no moves to comfort the blonde boy.
Lavender quietly padded towards the blonde boy and settled a soft hand against his shoulders.
"There, there," Lavender soothed him. "You'll feel better in a little while… just let it out…"
"Thank you," the boy gurgled and heaved, his face still wedged into the lid of the can. "Thank you… kind stranger…"
With her good deed done, Lavender gently removed her hand and ambled down the ramp of the landing pad.
The campus of Beacon academy was beautiful!
Grandiose classic-styled architecture! Perfectly manicured grass embankments! Pruned shrubs and trees! Unsullied concrete paths!
Perfect! Prim and proper!
Lavender took her time to explore the sprawling central courtyard. She was thankfully unburdened by luggage or her weapon; she had taken the opportunity to ship her essentials to Beacon long before arriving there. Lavender's luggage was in storage and would be moved to her dorm room after it was assigned to her.
Her aunt and uncle had been very kind to give her a place to stay in Vale; although Lavender knew that she was welcome in their home, she did feel bad about the piles of luggage she had burdened them with. Shipping her things off to Beacon made her temporary stay with her relatives considerably more pleasant.
Beacon's weather was also wonderful too!
Unlike her hometown of Argus, which was chilly and snowy for most of the year, Vale was warm and sunny. It wasn't an oppressive or unpleasant heat either; the bright rays of golden sunlight beat down on her bare arms and warmed her skin.
Perhaps now was the time to move around?
Lavender paused where she was on the footpath. She took a moment to make sure the area around her was clear and then lifted her left leg to rest her ankle against her right thigh. Lavender built up some momentum and spun herself around in a gentle pirouette, sticking out her left leg repeatedly as a counterweight so she could build some speed.
The grey skirt of her ballet dress flared out as Lavender spun, catching the air currents and ruffling in the breeze. Her frizzy hair was manipulated by the currents as well; Lavender had neglected to tie it back and the long strands brushed against the sides of her head like curtains.
Finally, after what only seemed like a few moments, Lavender thrust her foot down and cancelled her speed. She wrapped her legs around each other to cancel her momentum and lifted her arms so that they hung about her head.
There was a gentle chorus of claps and Lavender spun around, surprised to see that she had a small audience. They were all dressed in their Beacon uniforms and were clapping lightly at Lavender's display of dancing prowess.
Lavender gave her best smile and a polite nod before continuing on her way.
While ambling around was certainly fun and interesting, the first years were encouraged to attend Professor Ozpin's welcoming speech. Lavender wasn't sure when the speech was supposed to start…
The purple haired girl began to retrace her steps back towards the airship dock. She would have a better idea of where to go from there.
As she was walking… a pleasant scent drifted into Lavender's nose.
It was the scent of flowers - many flowers. The sweet smells were carried on the gentle breeze that swept across the campus. The breeze was blowing West, so the scent was being blown from that direction as well…
Lavender peered off towards the East. Far in the distance two finely manicured shrubs marked the entrance of what appeared to be… a garden?
The speech could wait… Lavender loved flowers…
THE "T"...
Teal held a deep-seated disdain for crowds…
Not the individual people that made up the crowds (although that was sometimes the case), but rather the loud, faceless mass that said individual people would coalesce into. One person was smart, but a group of people were all equally stupid…
And thus, Teal had always distanced herself from crowds.
Having attended a preparatory school in Vale for the past few years of her life; Teal was already very familiar with the different cliques and "in-groups" that had popped up around her. There were the popular girls, the fashionistas, the jocks… the nerds…
None of them had ever appealed to her. Teal had never paid much mind to petty gossip - her thoughts were always focused on more important things: like where she was going to get her next meal, or whether or not she would come home to find her parents drunk, and if that was the case where she was going to sleep for that night…
Teal always had more important things to focus on… she had priorities. "Daunting" tasks like being social or making friends didn't seem all that important when your stomach was empty…
The short haired girl shut her blue eyes and tried her best to drown out the noise around her. She had been one of the first to escape the cramped confines of the airship - but the crowds had followed her all the way to the auditorium. Teal had found herself a seat in the third row - simultaneously not too far and not too close to the main stage.
Dozens of people milled about the area, but Teal did her best to pay them no mind. Teal knew - with the slightest feeling of dread in her gut - that one of the strangers around her would be her partner, that was the rumour anyways….
But what would make a person an ideal partner? Someone who was quiet, dependable, honest… and professional.
Teal heard a very slight snort of mirth from two rows ahead of her. The blue haired girl peered forwards and locked her eyes on the silvery haired girl who had made the noise. The girl was a faunus, and her tense body language betrayed her feelings of discomfort.
The faunus girl was dressed in shades of purple, black and grey - and was clad in tight-fitting athletic clothes. The pair of crossed knives on her back indicated to Teal that the girl was ambidextrous. Even the way she sat was interesting… with her back straight and her shoulders squared...
It was a sign of discipline… that faunus girl was clearly very disciplined; and Teal had garnered all that information from just staring at her back.
Discipline and professionalism went hand-in-hand… maybe she would be a good partn-
"I'll keep this brief…"
Teal's eyes widened in realization and she snapped herself out of her trance. The blue haired girl turned her gaze upwards to view the podium - where the headmaster of Beacon academy was giving his speech.
"You have travelled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills," Ozpin spoke into the tinny microphone.
'What an obvious statement,' Teal thought to herself. The blue haired girl fought down the urge to frown.
"And when you finish, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people."
'And a paycheck…' Teal added in her own thoughts.
"But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy."
Teal felt herself puff up a little. Wasted energy? How could that statement not be taken as an insult?
"In need of purpose, direction."
"Oh," Teal thought to herself; perhaps she had been a little too quick to judge. But Teal had a purpose and direction: she would become a huntress, get uber-rich, cut off her parents and retire on her own private island.
It was her ideal life, and it wasn't going to build itself.
"You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only take you so far."
Finally, a statement Teal could agree with!
"It's up to you to take the first step," Ozpin concluded his speech. The gray haired man spun on his heel and quietly walked out of view, his cane clanking against the surface of the stage.
That was it? That was the grandiose speech Ozpin had declared for his fresh new batch of students? Was the old coot aware that the only reason his school existed was because it was funded by his students?
Teal snorted in disgust at Ozpin's lack of tact. She completely missed what the headmistress was saying.
"Something about a ballroom? Whatever…" Teal's internal voice grumbled.
There was the sound of shuffling feet as her Teal's fellow students got up to leave. Teal gathered her few pieces of luggage and slung her shotgun across her back. She needed to leave early if it meant avoiding the crowds.
Teal was a few feet from the exit when a peculiar scent caught her nose…
It was the smell of flowers… lavender, to be more precise. It was sweet and pungent, but not overpowering or unpleasant in any way.
'Is there a garden nearby?' Teal spun on her heel and stuck her nose up in the air. The smell was close, the stone walls of the auditorium meant that it couldn't have been carried by the wind.
After only a few moments of looking Teal found the source… and her mouth went dry…
Standing perhaps fifteen feet from her was a girl Teal had never seen before. She was short and pale, barely breaking five feet. A sleeveless grey ballet dress - pressed and ironed to perfection - sat upon her petite body; the ensemble was brought together by her pointe shoes, which were coloured a pleasing salmon colour.
The girl's face was like that of a porcelain doll, smooth and carefully proportioned. She had a softly rounded chin and a small upturned nose. Her dark purple hair streamed down either side of her face like stage curtains.
Pushed into her hair was a small decoration of flowers, including several stalks of freshly plucked lavender...
Teal snapped her gaze away and painfully swallowed - her throat was as dry as sandpaper. Hearing and seeing the motion of the people around her, Teal shakily continued her walk.
She really needed to get away from the crowds...