The airship began a straight vertical descent, its propellers whirling down as it approached the waters below. Gigantic, bulbous, automated floatation devices extended from the sides of the massive vehicle while its bottom slowly dipped into the ocean. As the massive air-filled cushions swelled up all around the ship, it took on an appearance similar to a hovercraft. Within seconds of landing safely, the propellers were rendered totally motionless, and the aircraft began to gently bob within the waves of the Vacuan ocean. Crew members worked to drop several anchors at strategic points around the sides, securing the ship in place as Willow led her friends toward one of the railings.
"Well… here we are," the woman said with barely contained excitement. "Home, for the next several weeks. Welcome to the Vacuan beaches."
STRQ and OKRA assembled at Willow's sides, looking out over the sights ahead of them with a mixture of awed and overwhelmed expressions. Endless dunes stretched as far as the eye could see in the distance, broken up only by odd patches of tall, sparse grass closer to the coastline. The more immediate stretches of beach appeared to be pristine, with odd, colorful dots catching the midday sunlight at seemingly random locations within the sand. Scattered palm trees swayed in the gentle wind all along the beachfront, breaking up the scenery along with the various wooden decks and staircases that had been built into the rocky outcroppings and hills just beyond the beach itself. Other than the gentle rushing of the tide up along the sands, the rocking and creaking of the airship-turned-boat, and the calling of gulls overhead, the surrounding area was devoid of noise.
"…so, I'm not usually one to say this kind of thing," Qrow began as he wrapped his fingers around the railing and leaned forward to get a better look out at the beaches, "but this is… gorgeous. How is there nobody around…?"
"It's a private beach," Willow answered as she gave her friend an embarrassed look. "We… own the entire thing. There are guards patrolling the area every so often and keeping watch over the house while it's not actively in use."
"Where is the house?" Summer asked excitedly as she rocked upon her heels, holding on to the railing all the while.
Raven gently put her hand up into her friend's hair and turned Summer's head slowly to the left. A good half-mile down the beach, a blinding series of lights shimmered off a structure big enough to be a public library. Though she was unable to make out any details due to the harsh reflection of the sun off the building's surface, Summer's jaw still dropped at the sheer enormity of their soon-to-be home. Roman let out an impressed whistle, before shaking his head in disbelief.
"Holy shit. And I thought my family had money…"
"Yes, well," Willow started, clearly embarrassed. "I'm more than happy to share it with all of you, as I'm allowed. I'm aware that it's a bit… much."
"Don't feel guilty, Wil," Kali insisted as she watched a long ramp extend from the side of the ship down into the waiting sand. "At least you're self-aware and willing to invite us here. We've had enough angst this past year to last a lifetime, so let's get over to the beach house and live it up!"
"Where does she get her enthusiasm from?" Raven mumbled rhetorically as she watched Kali caper down the ramp and onto the sand. Her voice came out somewhat muffled through her mask, though she reached up and slowly pulled it down as her friends gave her their attention. "I guess… let's follow her, and… try to have some fun?"
"Smartest thing I've ever heard you say," Taiyang encouraged with a warm smile as he touched a hand to Raven's shoulder. "Come on, let's go!"
Raven rolled her eyes and followed the tan boy down the ramp, with her brother trailing behind her soon afterward. Bartholomew and Roman filed onto the incline one after another, while Summer brought up the rear. Willow lingered upon the deck of the ship as she watched her friends file down onto the beach, well aware of the singular eye trained on the small of her back.
"I… know what you must be thinking," she said softly as she turned to face Adam. "To be honest, I don't know what to say to make it right."
"This is your every summer?" Adam asked as he watched his friends begin to assemble on the beach. Kali had taken to doing cartwheels in the sand, while Raven was shaking her head and holding the bridge of her nose. "A private beach, living in luxury?"
"Well… not exactly," Willow let on as she kept her attention on the scene down below. "We have several other resorts scattered around Remnant. It's not always a beach… and that answer likely only made it worse."
"…oh," Adam deadpanned. "Great. I guess I shouldn't really be surprised, but actually seeing all this in person? It's… knowing what made the money to make this possible sours it a little. More than a little."
"I'm sorry," Willow offered as she finally dared to look over at the faunus. "I know it isn't really worth much, but… I truly am."
"No, it's…" Adam began, only to hesitate. "It's not your fault, and you're working to make it right as best you can. I'll try to stop being a wet blanket while we're here. Raven's right- we should try to have fun while we're here. Year Two at Beacon is probably going to kick our asses. I'll put it out of my mind and focus on you guys."
"I hope you can, but not for my own sake," Willow encouraged. "You of all people deserve this break. We'll make some unforgettable memories out here together. I promise you."
"I hope so," Adam agreed as he stepped onto the plank and began to walk. "You're one of the good ones, Willow."
"I'm trying," Willow said softly as she followed the faunus down onto the beach.
"I am not doing cartwheels!" Raven insisted, her eyes closed and brows furrowed as she rubbed at her face.
"Why not? 'cause ya can't?" Kali teased as she inverted herself once again, kicking up a plume of sand.
"Because I'm wearing a skirt, dumbass," Raven seethed.
"That just makes it more fun!" Kali insisted with a devilish grin. The two girls watched as Summer tumbled over mid-cartwheel, flashing her panties to the crowd around them. "See!?"
"How do you make it look so easy on sand?" Summer complained as she remained sitting upon the beach. "And why did I land on something hard? My butt hurts…"
"You are both utterly shameless," Raven accused, trying to hide her smirk. "Then again, I'm fully expecting most of you to be parading around in revealing bathing suits all month, so I guess I'm going to have to get used to it…"
"That isn't news," Bartholomew reminded as he crouched low and set his suitcase down upon the beach. After a moment of searching, he plucked a small, shining, bright green object from within the sands and held it up to the light, letting it sparkle. "And you likely fell upon one of these."
"What is that?" Qrow asked while he tracked the object, squinting as it redirected the sunlight directly into his eyes.
Willow bent over and shifted some sand aside before plucking a deep blue rock the size of a fingertip from the ground and holding it up. A similar light with a noticeable blue tint to it reflected from its surface.
"They're called starstones," Willow said as she held out her palm to show off the rock. "The Vacuan people believe they can guide you home, even at night, if you hold them at just the right angle. It's a silly little bit of superstition, but… they're very pretty. There are natural dust fragments baked into the rock in little bands. That's why they sparkle so brightly."
Qrow leaned forward to observe the rock in Willow's palm, shifting slightly from side to side to try to get a good view of it without being blinded. The small stone had been worn by the waves and sand to a smooth, almost glassy texture. Odd, dark blue, wavy lines akin to those found on a topographical map curved around its surface, none intersecting and all seeming to follow some natural pattern. Just as Qrow raised a brow at the odd little rock, Willow flipped it upward and toward him, and the boy barely managed to catch the stone before it fell to the sand below.
"Keep that one," Willow said with a grin. "They're supposedly good luck when given as a gift to a friend."
"Heh," Qrow chuckled as he turned the starstone over in his fingers while examining it more closely. "Gods know I need it. Thanks, Wil."
"Oooh," Kali cooed as she picked up a starstone of light purple. "Is this the part where we all pick one up and keep it forever and ever to signify how close we are? And then pull it back out at some dramatic moment in the future while making a tearful speech about the power of friendship?"
Raven heaved a sigh and scanned the ground, only to find a starstone of almost pure white partially buried in the sand. She cleared away the grains and picked up the rock with an annoyed look before pocketing it.
"…yeah, probably, but if you try that on me after we become enemies, I will literally stab you without hesitation. I've got one, now, before you all start obnoxiously chanting at me or something."
"You know we would," Kali said with a nod of approval as several of the others began hunting for their own stones. The faunus stole a quick glance at Roman before slamming her open palm and the stone within it directly into the center of his chest, nearly knocking the boy over. "WA-POW!"
"Damn it, Kali!" Roman sputtered as he clutched at the stone that had been pressed into his sternum. "What the hell's your problem!?"
"Good luck, right?" Kali teased, looking very pleased with herself. "Maybe it'll help you get your scroll signal back."
"Yeah, yeah," Roman replied as he pocketed the stone. "I've still got nothing, so far. Maybe once we get to the house? Hopefully?"
"I guess it's possible," Adam considered as he kept his arms folded across his chest.
"Not taking a stone?" Summer questioned as she stood up, holding her own starstone of deep brown with black bands running through it.
"No," Adam said firmly. "I don't believe in superstitions, and dust has never brought me luck. I'll refrain."
"Suit yourself, I guess," Summer said with a shrug as she held hers up to better catch the sunlight. "This is what I fell on. It looks like chocolate!"
"Summer's butt nugget!" Kali said immediately, earning a heavy sigh from several of her friends.
"It's not a butt nugget!"
"You're both butt nuggets," Raven accused as she began to walk down the beach. "If you've all got your magical rocks, let's get moving, already. If not, then pick one up on the way. We're burning daylight."
"You heard the woman," Taiyang acknowledged as he fell into step beside Raven. "Let's mosey."
"Yes, let's get going," Willow agreed as she moved to stand alongside Bartholomew. She paused the let him pick up his suitcase before they began to walk in time with each other. "My attendants from the ship will bring our other luggage to the house, and it would be good to beat them there. We should also probably discuss sleeping arrangements while we're heading over."
"Let me guess," Adam proposed, "there's a single large bed and we're all about to end up sharing it?"
"Four, actually," Willow corrected. "Four bedrooms, and… nine of us. So…"
"Couch," Adam called immediately. "I prefer to sleep alone. The rest of you can fight over coupling up."
"Kali."
"Roman."
The two looked at each other as they spoke at the same time, while Willow merely shook her head with a smirk.
"I, for one, am shocked by this turn of events. You two degenerates are going to the farthest bedroom from the others so we don't have to hear you every night. You're also washing your own sheets separately."
Raven took a deep breath, keeping her eyes on the path ahead and speaking with an authoritative voice.
"…Tai and I will take a room. I don't want to hear anything from the rest of you about it."
The rest of the group was mercifully silent as Qrow took one sidelong look at Willow, only to find her looking ahead at Raven. Bartholomew turned to look at him at just the right moment, and Qrow panicked as he ran a hand through his hair.
"Uh, Barty, you and me?" Qrow asked.
"Sure," Bartholomew replied with a raised brow. "I don't see why not."
"Then I guess we're bunking together, Willow!" Summer said happily.
"I suppose so," Willow answered. "That settles it, then. Come, let's all speed up a bit! I can't wait to show you around!"
Qrow heaved a sigh and shook his head as he began to jog along the beach. He kept his hand in his pocket as he went, gently rubbing his thumb across the smooth surface of the stone within it.
Author's Note:
In two weeks- house tour.
-RD