Chapter 14
Jaune smiled to himself as he walked back to the dorm with the others. When Ruby had proposed the idea of going into town to pick up some decorations for their rooms, most everyone had been excited about the idea. A few hours later, and they were all carrying at least a few items a piece. He had gotten some new curtains to match the room's color scheme, as well as a small wall calendar. If he was going to be the team leader, he'd need to keep track of deadlines and events.
But as they approached the dorms, he could feel the good mood dying down as everyone's minds turned to what lay ahead. Along with today, the next two days were for student advising and scheduling. As the team leader, he'd been sent some extra emails about everything that needed to be done.
Ren and Nora (and he presumed Pyrrha, Weiss, and Alabaster) would all be attending a special event later in the afternoon orienting the international students. According to the email, it was mostly about making sure everyone was prepared not only for their time at the Huntsman Academy, but also for being in a foreign nation. Some special information would be presented, relating to contact numbers and expectations and so forth. He made sure to at least note some of it down, even if a lot of the acronyms meant nothing to him. He could always ask them later.
What surprised him most was how Ruby's mood seemed to fade. She'd mentioned she had already laid out her classes, but she'd looked at her Scroll and seemed to deflate, if only for a moment. Since then, she'd been a bit quieter, but he wasn't sure how to ask her what was going on with everyone around.
"Hey, Weiss, did you get the email about the international orientation?" he asked after an idea came to him.
"I did," she confirmed. "Everyone on my team, with the exception of Ruby, is expected to report there this afternoon. I take it that Ren and Nora will be joining us?"
"You betcha!" Nora chimed in, leaning around the stack of towels she was carrying. Jaune laughed at the sight. Once she had gotten her hands on a fluffy towel, she had demanded they purchase at least one for everyone, and then volunteered to carry them. For safety, of course.
"In that case, why don't you hang out with Emerald and me when they go off?" Jaune offered, glancing at Ruby, who perked up once she realized she was being spoken to.
"Sure, that sounds good," she agreed with a smile.
"Cool. Sounds like a plan," he said, smiling reassuringly before shifting gears. "So...anyone have any ideas about schedules?"
He heard a few of the others groan tiredly.
"Teams take orientation together, I know that much," Ruby offered. "My dad says that's how it's worked for years. Other than that, it just depends on the students."
"From what I read, it's generally encouraged to take a broad base in your first year," Weiss added. "They want you to have experience with every aspect of being a Huntsman before you start specializing."
"Then it sounds like we'll have a number of similar classes," Ren noted. "We're probably going to share at least a few, given how many of us there are."
"But wait...how would they handle people with different classes?" Ruby asked, looking nervous for some reason.
"I can explain that," Weiss offered. "I've been cleared to go directly to Dust Studies 201, which is generally aimed at second year students. When I inquired about it, they explained they try to keep teams together as much as they can, but they also recognize that students aren't often on the same skill level as each other. The schedule tries to keep them in the same classes when they can, and adapts otherwise. It's not uncommon for each year to find teams have fewer and fewer classes together as they specialize."
"Kind of runs against the whole 'team' idea," Emerald said sarcastically.
"It kinda does," Jaune agreed, mulling it over. "At the same time, I get why. When you start out, you're all new, but as time goes on, you learn what you like studying. And that gap only increases with time."
"Exactly," Weiss nodded. "Everyone needs to know how to sharpen their own blade. Not everyone needs to know how to work an armour forge."
"Is there an opposite of dibs? Because I don't want to be an armourer," Emerald said quickly with a small laugh.
"I'll probably end up doing that role," Nora said. "On the road, I was the one doing most of the equipment maintenance."
"Well, if you need help, I might be able to pitch in," Ruby offered. A thought seemed to linger on her tongue, and she almost looked like she was forcing herself to speak. "Hey...just getting an opinion here but...technically, I could take Artifice 201. What do you guys think?"
"You got the exception to take it?" Alabaster inquired with light surprise, and Ruby nodded. "I'd say take it. If you've qualified for that, I suspect 101 would just be stuff you already know."
"It just feels...weird," Ruby said with a shrug.
"Why would it feel weird?" he asked gently.
"Because I'm two years younger than everyone in my grade, and would be taking a class with people three years older than me?" Ruby supplied with an uncertain laugh.
"Wait, two years?" Alabaster asked, looking at her in surprise, and Jaune realized that he hadn't been there when they'd met Yang.
"Yeah. I got moved ahead two years. I'm going here with my older sister, Yang," Ruby explained, playing with the hem of her uniform.
"In that case, I'm doubling down," Alabaster said, catching her, and the rest of them, by surprise. "If you got moved ahead two years and got permission to take the upper level class, I say do it! Clearly you've got talent."
"I would agree with Alabaster," Weiss added. "I would lose my mind if I was forced to take Dust 101."
"T-Thanks," Ruby muttered, drifting off into her own thoughts.
"So, what about other people?" Jaune asked quickly.
For the next few minutes, they exchanged thoughts and plans, and Jaune noticed that most of them had the same ideas. Artificery 101, Dust 101, Grimm Studies 101, Freshman Year Seminar, and History 101. He and Weiss also shared a Leadership class together since it was a mandatory course for team leaders. From there, though, there was a lot of uncertainty, either from not knowing what classes were offered or not knowing which to take. He supposed that was what the three days of advising were for.
Too soon though, they were back to their rooms, putting up their new decorations. The first thing Jaune marked on his calendar was the end of advising, smiling at the note with satisfaction, while Nora somehow roped Emerald into helping spiff up the bathroom. Something he noted that she didn't fight too hard on. While the girls worked, Ren assisted him in putting up the new curtains.
"They look much better," Ren complimented.
"Thanks. Blame my sisters," Jaune laughed.
"You have family?"
"Seven sisters." Jaune was about to ask in kind, but hesitated. Ren simply smiled sadly.
"My family is deceased," he explained simply, glancing in the direction of the bathroom. "And I assume Nora's is as well. She was alone when I met her in my village."
"That had to be hard," Jaune sympathized.
"It was, but it was also a long time ago," Ren shrugged. "Not much use dwelling on it."
Jaune was thankfully rescued from having to find a reply by the door opening and the girls rejoining them, and the thought was dropped.
"So, anyway, that's the story of the time I wore a dress."
Ruby couldn't help but laugh as Jaune finished his tale. Even Emerald was laughing loudly as Jaune sat back with a satisfied smile. Already, Ruby was feeling much better about coming over. Even though everyone else had gone to the orientation, things had been lively.
"Makes me think of how my dad reacted when Yang started getting into make-up and stuff," Ruby recalled with a small laugh. "He panicked pretty hard. It was one of the few times he asked my Uncle Qrow for help."
"I can only imagine how that went. Two adult men trying to help a little girl with makeup," Emerald noted dryly.
"About as well as you'd expect. With a lot of smeared red lines that took some time to get out of the carpet, and a very satisfied Yang."
"Speaking of, how's your sister doing?" Jaune asked politely, and Ruby felt her smile twist slightly.
"She only got up a little while ago. Apparently, they went a little hard last night."
"Wait, was that the message you got earlier?"
Ruby nodded. "That's the reason we didn't see her at breakfast or on the trip to town."
"Just what were they doing last night?" Emerald asked with a hint of a bemused smile.
"Beats me. Yang doesn't really talk about what she does when she hangs out with her friends. I just figured they went to clubs and hung out."
"Hung out?" Emerald asked with open disbelief. "People don't go to clubs to 'hang out'. They go to get drunk and hook up."
"Wait, really?" Ruby asked in surprise, earning a flat stare from Emerald.
"What did you think people did at clubs?"
"Uh...danced and drank those drinks with the little umbrellas?"
Both Ruby and Jaune were surprised as Emerald began laughing so hard that she fell back on her bed clutching her sides. "Oh man, I need to get you into a club some time!"
"Have you been to one?" Jaune asked curiously.
"Once or twice," Emerald answered honestly, brushing away tears. "They pay well, and have a use for a lot of skills."
"Aren't you too young to be working at a club?"
"Yeah, but I never did anything that would really get me in trouble. Never handled drinks, and certainly never worked any kind of entertainment. I did a bit of security work," she explained, leaning back.
Ruby had to admit she was surprised to hear Emerald's explanation, but it made sense. Even if she didn't approve of the dubious nature, it was tamer than the time she found Yang after the latter had punched her way through a nightclub. At the time, she'd just assumed that someone else had started it, but she wasn't sure any more. Still, there was something that stuck out to her.
"Was there a specific reason you worked at clubs?" Ruby asked.
"I told you, they paid well," Emerald repeated
"No, I mean, why did you need the money?"
"Oh," was all Emerald said before glancing away, her lips narrowing tightly.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to-"
"I grew up on the street. Had to look out for myself. That's why," Emerald explained quickly, following it up with a half-hearted shrug. Ruby bit her lip as she processed the information.
"Why'd you decide to come to Beacon?" she asked, changing topics.
"Beacon is the place to be for people like me," Emerald smiled. "Huntsmen have it good. They're never without work, and are independent. Being an official Huntsman opens up a whole new world for you. It just made sense."
Emerald narrowed her eyes, looking the both of them over, then pointed to Jaune. "Let me guess...family legacy?"
Jaune startled. "Wha-How did you-?"
"With a family that large, I figured it was good odds," Emerald smiled mischievously before turning to Ruby. "And you have to be personal drive."
Ruby laughed embarrassedly. "Got me thereā¦"
"I got good at reading people. It's a great party trick." Emerald winked before laying back on the bed. "Still, weird being here."
"You can say that again," Ruby agreed with a sigh, pulling her knees up to her chest. "And I still need to pick a few of my classes. It's hard to believe school is starting in only a few days."
"You still got it easier than leader-boy here," Emerald added, jerking her head in Jaune's direction.
"Got me there," Jaune admitted. "I still have to figure out my own schedule, but I've also got all this stuff for my teammates, too. I imagine it's the same for Weiss."
"Well, you guys could always go talk with Professor Goodwitch. She was very helpful," Ruby suggested. "If you message her, I'm sure she'd meet with you."
"Might not be a bad idea," Jaune mused aloud. "I'll definitely ask about it. How about you Emerald?"
"Sure. Sign me up," she said, flashing a thumbs up, though given she was on her back, it ended up upside down.
"Cool. I'll check with Nora and Ren when they get back," Jaune added as he typed. "Wonder how the orientation is going?"
"Come on guys, we have to head back!"
Blake cringed away as an orange-haired girl in the crowd shouted to some other members of the group. The only ones she recognized were the Schnee heiress and the Mistrali champion. Probably all in the same circle, if she had to hazard a guess, and off to go do whatever it was they did in their rooms.
Blake had other plans. She'd already gotten "permission" from Imperial to break off after the orientation and take Ilia with her, ostensibly to go get her class advice and also just tour around a bit, seeing as she was new to town. He'd been more than happy to hear she was taking the initiative with her classes.
"Man, look at all these cute little shops," Ilia enthused beside her, eyes flicking between windows. "Anything catching your eye?"
"No," Blake answered flatly.
"Aw, come on. I thought an international student like you would take at least some interest in the local shops," Ilia half-joked, half-reminded, and Blake had to suppress an irritated groan.
"Fine. What looks good to you?" she asked, stopping with her hands on her hips.
"I mean, there's a few nice places to eat. Maybe we could come here some afternoon and have a little meal. Just the two of us? I even saw a sushi place earlier."
Blake had to admit it was a little tempting. She doubted it would match up to what she was used to at Luna Aupuni, but even a little taste of home might be nice. "We can go there some other time. We're here to look for books."
"Fiiiine. You're such a killjoy," Ilia sighed, falling into step beside Blake as she guided the way. Blake didn't know too much about the city's layout yet, but she'd been given basic instructions. Leave through the north gate of Beacon, go up two blocks, then left twelve, and the book store was on the left. Far enough to not be right under the shadow of the academy, but close enough to be within walking distance.
When she first saw it, she realized just how perfect it was. Tukson's Book Trade, a somewhat fancy looking shop with a dark brown wooden facade, large windows, and a dark green backplate for the sign, which itself was written in golden letters. It managed to stride the border between being high class enough to deter casual interest, while not being fancy enough to be exclusive.
Their arrival was heralded by the jingling of the door bell, and the owner, a large man with dark hair, looked up at them with a smile. "Welcome to Tukson's Book Trade. Home to every book under the sun. How can I help you?"
"We're students at Beacon," Blake informed him. "I believe we have an order waiting here."
"Of course. Can I see proof of ID?" he asked, leaning against the counter. Blake and Ilia pulled out their Scrolls, pulling up their student ID's. For a moment, his eyes widened in recognition, and his smile curled slightly. "Ah, of course, I remember those orders. Hold tight."
Tukson disappeared into the back, leaving the pair in the lobby. From the corners of her eyes, Blake inspected the premises. The shelves were positively packed with books, and the tables only carried more. Despite the sheer density, it seemed very organized, with labels and divisions to separate it.
"Oooh, look Blake, they have Violet's Garden in hardback!"
Blake turned to look at Ilia perusing the pages of a book with a smile. "He did say every book under the sun."
"Yeah, but that's just a motto," Ilia chuckled, ignoring Blake's flat tone. "I might have to come back for this one."
"I hope you mean to buy it," Blake said, narrowing her eyes commandingly.
"Duh. I'm not going to five-finger discount a friend."
Further conversation was cut off by Tukson returning, carrying two boxes in his hands. Carefully, he set them on the table, dusting his hands. "Alrighty, ladies. Here are your deliveries. Paid for in advance, so they're yours to take."
"I assume these include the specialty texts," Blake inquired, just to be sure. The weighting of the book stack was a little off, but she had to make sure the mask was delivered.
"Of course. And a word of advice: make sure to read the history book. I hear that class is tough," Tukson advised. "Anything else?"
"Mind putting a copy of this aside for me? I wanna come back and get one," Ilia inquired, lifting the book in question.
"Sure can do. Nice to see an interest in books," he chuckled.
"That will be all for us today. Thank you for your help."
"Thank you for your business! Let me know if you need any more books," Tukson returned, waving in a friendly manner as they left. Blake gave him a rare smile before closing the door behind her.
The whole way back, Ilia chattered at her, but Blake's mind was elsewhere. Now that their package was delivered, she could really start with her mission. After all, all that you needed to be in the White Fang was a mask.
