A/N: Hello! And another one gets out! Now that they've made it to Beacon I'm sure everything will go smoothly. I mean it's not like a place of learning to forgo safety right?
*Coughs in throwing children into a grimm infested forest*
Ah, the easy life…
Leadership Comes With Problems
Ozpin put down his coffee. Typically he tried to hide his exhaustion, especially since the chaos that induction into Beacon always brought. Worried parents wanting to know why HE personally failed their darling angels, others wanting to know why Beacon would subject them to such horrors, and expert huntsmen that heard about said 'horrors' and wondered why Beacon was going 'soft' on the new generation.
...and then there was this…
"Look I may be from Atlas, but that doesn't mean I'm like them! I wanted to have some fun but I didn't do anything dangerous!"
"Not dangerous?! You knocked several students out and hurt other students' chances of taking initiation! If those that you hurt didn't have aura, they may have been crippled or even worse!" Glynda quickly snapped at her.
"If they didn't have an aura?" Olivia looked amused, like it was a joke but her smile turned into an eye roll when she realized she was the only one amused, "Seriously, this is a designated huntsmen academy that acts as a higher learning institute for people wanting to fight grimm. I don't know how they could even get accepted to initiation without proper documentation of combat experience and aura usage"
Glynda shot me a sudden glare.
"That may be true, but not all aura's are equal. Several auras, though unlocked, can be very weak until the person is fully trained and able to understand their power. To develop it. Some that come here have great power, but little combat experience. Anybody who shows potential," I shot my deputy a glance before looking back to her, "can apply, even if they aren't necessarily up to the task"
"Potential and heart don't help you in combat. If you aren't up for it, why apply?"
"Why do anything?" I shot back. "Heart and things like one's soul should count. It is a duty of all people that fight the grimm to lay down their lives to save those that cannot. Things are not so black and white."
Olivia smiled, "I do things because they are fun to do. Liven up the mood. People get so caught up in training that they lose the ability to have fun" She didn't continue, seemingly ignoring the second half of what I said.
"Why do you fight grimm then, if you just want to have fun?" Glynda asked, holding her crop a little tighter. I know she didn't approve of toying with people just to have a laugh. Politics already covered that in Vale, and several huntsmen died because of it.
"Because it's my duty to fight them, do I need any other reason?" Something flashed over her face. A shift in mood.
It looked like Glynda was going to say something, but before she could I cut her off. "It's ironic. You remind me so much of James"
"I am nothing like him!" She said with an anger that flared out of her eyes.
"He trained you, took care of you, and makes sure you have your freedom"
"What he did was keep watch over me and treated me like one of his soldiers. I am grateful that he didn't just throw me away, but HE did not watch over me. If anything it was the Ace-ops that took care of me, not him"
I could understand. It had been so long since I was under care from somebody else. Life could be cruel, especially with someone like James who was being pulled in several different directions could fail at such an easy task...or one so vital and necessary. "Nevertheless, you are under my care now. Your coming here had certain conditions attached to it"
She rolled her eyes not caring about these conditions, but I noticed that even though her eyes said she didn't care, she shifted her body and started rubbing her arms. She was uncomfortable.
"The conditions stated that upon passing initiation you would come not just to stay here but be treated as a full time student. It also stated that you would not purposefully destroy school property or interfere with the safety and well-being of the other students." She was listening now, her mouth slightly agape about to defend herself.
"What does that-"
"It means we could drop you from your team and send you back to Atlas right now, since you've already broken the conditions" Glynda said with a stern glare.
She went pale. Gone was the teenager that wanted to fight back. Fear showed in her eyes.
"No, please don't send me back there. I just got out of there" She said hastily.
"Yeah Oz, I think that would be bad for my team if we suddenly lost a member right out of the gate" a new voice said, stepping out of the elevator.
"I told you to wait downstairs Shiro" Glynda sighed.
"But I think as the leader of the team I should be involved with anything that may impact my team."
I should have known this would happen. "For now Miss Iris knows that nothing is set in stone, but you should be careful about what 'accidents' you cause in the future" I made a gesture and nodded that she was dismissed. She jumped up quickly, leaving almost in a march, with her eyes wide and face still pale.
I gestured to Glynda to go behind her and show her to their dorm room. She nodded, giving a stern glare at Shiro as she passed him. It spoke of future pain. She wouldn't just let this breach of authority go.
Shiro sat down in the seat his teammate was just in, shifting around with a normal look, but his eyes kept scanning around the room, searching for something.
"If you're looking for your father he was here earlier, but has since left."
His eyes stopped searching, focusing back on my face, "I wasn't looking for him, but at least that means he isn't listening in on me."
"Must have been my mistake. Now about your teammate-"
"Stop with the pleasantries, we both know you weren't going to make her leave. It's not like you to frighten your students though. Finally losing it?"
I tried to stay stern. I didn't like being cut off when I was talking but with that tone and expression. "You are just like your father" I said with a smile I just couldn't help but let slip out. Seeing an old friend in one of the younger generation….The world changed but stayed the same in the strangest of ways. Unlike Miss Iris, Shiro clammed up instead of shouting out. He rubbed his nose but it was obvious he was hiding a smile underneath. Yes, he really was like his father. "Fine then, we'll skip the 'pleasantries' and get down to business, though my business with you is different than with your teammate." I tried to phrase it in a way that left the conversation open; a little trick I picked up back when I was a teacher. It let the student dictate the topic.
Shiro looked down, "Why did you make me leader of my team? I try, but I've never been good with organization. I'm better at fighting alone."
I acted like I thought for a moment before replying, "Who on your team do you think would have been better suited for the task?"
"I would have chosen Westlyn, honestly"
"Miss Arc certainly has good qualities in her own right. She has trained to be a leader, trained to protect her team. And with her large family she is used to dealing with multiple people that rely on her. Yes, she would be a perfect leader" I said, letting it sink into Shiro.
"Then why?"
I took a sip of coffee, "The world is not something that can be quelled by one person. She is a good leader, but she only focuses on that. She needs to be able to take orders as well as give them. She is not arrogant, but because she is the one doing the protecting, she is never the one getting protected." Shiro seemed confused so I continued on, "For now that is fine, but given time, arrogance and pride could have been her downfall. Her need to protect people, and show it, could cause her to endanger herself where a team could have mitigated the threat"
"So it's to prevent what could happen to her?"
"I also see great potential in you" That made Shiro's head snap up from its slump. "You have already proven you can fight by yourself. Now is the time to prove that you can lead others. I expect much from you"
Shiro smiled before blinking and shaking his head, "Well of course you do. I'm one of the best students here anyway" He got up from his seat, walking back towards the elevator.
He has a bit of an attitude doesn't he? He is so much like his father; raging against authority and the higher powers that be. It could be an arrogance that leads to his downfall. It could be the overconfidence of a child. Or he could be putting on airs to act tough.
Either way I let him go, only saying one thing as he went. "Do make sure to keep your team out of trouble"
Glynda had come back up. When the elevator opened Glynda stepped out while Shiro stepped into the elevator.
"That didn't take very long," She said looking at me with an air of disbelief in her voice, "Did you speak to him about getting a new weapon?"
I faltered. "Not exactly"
"Oh, then it was about the, let's say 'special' circumstances surrounding his teammates. Or maybe the specific interests of some of the other students?"
"…."
Glynda sighed and adjusted her glasses. "What did you talk to him about"
I sipped on my coffee again, "What every leader should know about being a leader. Confidence is half the battle" I said it with strength, but Glynda didn't buy it.
"You expect me to tell him about the rest don't you?"
"Only about his weapon, I expect the others to….work themselves out." She looked angry. "I have all my confidence in the ability of our teaching staff to provide for the needs of every student at Beacon." She didn't say anything, she just glared at me. "Yes, I expect you to talk to him about the rest"
Glynda rolled her eyes and headed back towards the elevator, angry at me. She would do what she believed was right, she always has. If that meant less work for me in these trying times then I was looking forward to some off time, especially with the more magical concerns I had on top of a looming festival that needed to be prepared for.
I pulled up the file on my computer. It was held behind multiple security locks and only accessible from this computer alone. On it was a list of names, both old and new of people who could benefit knowing what few people know. Under 'Potential Guardians' I added the name 'Shiro Branwen'.
-0-
It was odd trying to adjust to being in a room. Naomi sat in the corner next to the wall, reading a book. This was her way of relaxing while something like this carried on. She looked up to a Westlyn who was pacing around the room designated for them, every couple of seconds she would stop lost in thought before mumbling 'no, that won't work' and would go back to pacing.
She went back to reading. This was not the girl she had already spent time with. It wasn't necessary for her to interact more with her team. That would be extra work, and as long as she didn't stab her in the back while they were sleeping, things would be okay.
But her patience… was growing thin…
Naomi ignored it at first, going back to the comfort of her book. It was nothing special. Some trashy romance book that she managed to snag off an unlucky student when she wasn't looking. It had basically no plot and was full of naïve characters that wouldn't actually survive in the real world.
Westlyn stopped pacing, "But I can just do both? No, he would never accept that"
Interesting, all that pacing was for a man. Westlyn didn't look like the type of girl to go crazy over someone, but it is true she spent an exorbitant amount of time watching Shiro. I guess even the strong ones can have a few weaknesses.
It should be easy to ignore her. Every turn on the floor made a slight noise that had her ears twitching and her body tensing. It told her she wasn't alone, that someone was there; that someone was close to her and could be preparing to attack..."Okay what is it?" she finally said after reading the same line four times.
Westlyn turned around with concern written on her face. "I don't know what to do! How do I face him? He was so disappointed before, but I feel like I should protect him, but he needs his own opportunities. Dah! What do I do!?"
Wow. She had it bad. From her own point of view she thought Shiro could handle himself. He seemed arrogant, but he fought well. Either way this didn't sound right for a 'team' dynamic. She needed to make sure that her team blended in. She would be a normal student on a normal team with a normal school life. Well, as normal as you can get in Beacon. "I think Shiro can handle himself, you might want to tone your hormones down a notch"
"What? Shiro? I'm talking about my brother!" Westlyn said confused
"You're in love with your brother?"
Westlyn turned red, "What? Brother? Love!? No no no no no no no no no." She flailed her arms out in front of herself, "I am NOT in love with my brother! I'm just concerned! He's not supposed to be here!"
Naomi remembered the large framed boy from their sister team Juniper. He was tall, but that was about it. He needed more muscle mass to be a threat physically, and based on Westlyn's reaction he was probably an amateur in a fight. Then again… "He passed initiation and earned his way into Beacon right? That means he has to have some kind of skill. And knowing what we fought in initiation I wouldn't doubt he would be dead otherwise"
"But that's not the point! I don't know HOW he did what he did. He was the weak one that Dad refused to train. He was my brother but I was the strong one. I was supposed to protect him….now I'm not sure how to do that…."
-0-
Olivia was not in the best state of mind. She just wanted to have fun! Going back to Atlas wouldn't be all bad, would it? She imagined the cool air that had been absent since she came to Vale mixed with the cityscape and twinkling lights of the city that seemed to be replaced with trees in Beacon. It would be nice to see her mother again. She would visit her at least once a week; more if she had problems. It didn't make sense but she could think clearer when she visited her.
She was sure it was her mother helping her. Sure her mother never truly left her. Her spirit was with her, even if pictures and a memorial were all she knew about her mother. But…
But?
Her mind became dark. If she came back she was sure that her so-called 'Father' wouldn't take kindly to her. She would probably be confined to her room while he set something up in his own school. Those blank walls and the gray uniforms. Yes, some of the more eccentric teams in Atlas had style, but those were most of the younger squads, and that was only when it was permitted. In class it was all military doctrine. Work was dull, breaks were short, and exercise was military training drills.
Those blank walls. They made her feel trapped. Expressionless. She rubbed her shoulders, feeling a chill coming from inside her. Unloved.
She walked, her thoughts consuming her until she found herself going down the hall to the team room. She looked up, glad that she did because there was someone outside their team door. She recognized him from the team selections. She remembered that he was shocked to become the team leader, but she couldn't remember his name.
The boy was tall, with blonde hair that reminded her of the blond on her team. The resemblance was striking. Still, the black hoodie and blue jeans
It looked like he was going to knock. There was some noise from the inside of the room, the walls thick enough to not know what was said from this distance, but it was obvious that it was Westlyn talking.
The boy stopped before he knocked, dropping his arm and hanging his head. He got a look that Olivia knew all too well. "Hello?" She said tensely
His head jumped up in her direction, losing the familiar facial expression for one of fright before calming down.
"Are you okay?" she asked without thinking. She already knew the answer but she didn't hesitate. It came out before she could choose her words carefully.
He put on a neutral expression, "Yea, I'm fine" He rubbed his head before walking a little towards her. "Soooo, what brings you here?"
Olivia slid her eyes over to the door and pointed, "That's actually my team's dorm room" She said it without any tone in her voice. No accusations, no 'what are you doing here?' "Would you like to come in? You look like you were wanting to talk?"
He smiled, but shook his head. A twinge of sadness in his eyes before sighing, "No, I better not. I should just...go"
He walked past her. She watched him go. She wanted to say something, but she couldn't. Something told her not to pry. She did understand one thing though: She wasn't the only one with problems in Beacon.
She sighed to herself, the distraction from her problems was welcome, but it also made her tired when the distraction ended and she was left with her thoughts. It was the muffled shouts coming from the room she was supposed to enter that broke her out of it. No, she couldn't run from her problems, but she needed time. Time to focus and time to think.
She shook herself a little bit, and continued down the hall. Maybe, just maybe, there was a balcony or an alcove. She could only hope.
-0-
Lightning flashed overhead as the boat rocked back and forth against the waves; keeping course even through the continuous downpour. A roar could be heard over the rolling thunder. A flash of lightning later, screams.
It scared him, but invigorated him too. He may be small, but this was his chance to show that he was more than a burden. He could be useful to his father. He reached out and grabbed the door handle. The door was so thick that he struggled to open it. It wouldn't stop him. He knew where he belonged.
More screams accompanied the opened door. Fighting could be heard from the main deck. Bows and guns and swords clashing against some fearsome beast, ancient and unmoving. Another roar sounds out while the door creaked open under his strength.
He waddled out. He would have loved to walk out instead but the continuous rocking of the boat underneath him didn't agree. People ran past his door carrying children and luggage, still screaming and fleeing in terror.
He was ready. His father kicked off a dark mass several times bigger than he was, flipping in the air while firing his scythe gun at the beast, and landing on the deck. The beast roared but was cut off when a red and orange ball of fire slammed into its lower jaw, sending it crashing into the dark waters.
"It's still a small one compared to others we've seen," Uncle Tai yelled to Dad with orange flames glowing down his arms. The flames didn't seem to be affected by the rain, with Tai himself looking completely dry, and steam coming off from around where he stood. If he wasn't moving he would have been covered in steam.
"Yea, but that was years ago, and we were looking for them. Going to where we knew large ones were spotted. Why is this one here now? And if it's so small, why does it keep getting back up?" His father said in his gruff tone.
His father, unlike Uncle Tai, was soaked. His hair covered a good portion of his upper face and his entire body looked waterlogged. Still, he held his scythe in a grip waiting and watching for the large sea beast to come back up.
"Maybe a territory dispute?" Uncle scratched his head. "I mean there are some territorial animals"
"It's a grimm Tai, not an animal!"
"Beowolves have territories, right?"
"Why wouldn't let us just leave then! We have no stake in a random stretch of ocean!"
"The motor scared him?"
"Like that makes any sense-"
A loud roar cut him off. A giant pillar of water splashed up on the left side of the boat, my Dad turning to look at it, Uncle Tai already running forward with a battle cry.
It was my chance. I ran up beside my father. It startled him for a second before shifting from confused to angry. "Get back to the room!"
"I want to help! I've been with you all this time! I've seen you fight, I know what to do!"
Uncle Tai yelled from the side of the ship. A tail came up from the water next to the ship, sending him flying with a swish! and a crack! "I think we're wearing him down!" Almost in response he was sent flying again, this time falling over the side of the boat.
"Don't make me say it again, brat. Get back to the room!"
It was a warning. He knew this, but he had to prove himself. His father always kept him back. He would watch as his father takes care of bandits and rouge huntsmen and grimm. Some were quick without much being done. Some though, especially when dealing with aura enhanced people. They would fight the longest. A beowulf or ursa could be killed, but most of the time the people would be criminals that needed to be captured alive. Even as His father held back. Even as they kept bleeding.
He watched though, always watched. He could fight. He even had the occasional spar with his father. His father never went all out, he was sure, but the smile on his father's face told him he had to be doing something right.
There was also what his father called 'natural training'. By following a huntsman as he went from place to place you build up endurance. You learned geography. Tactics. How to gain the advantage and the like.
The biggest annoyance was the many, many nights when his father would turn into a bird and fly off, leaving him to guess which direction to walk in. Father always came back. Most of those times he reeked of alcohol. A few of those times though he came back hurt. Wounds that had cut through his aura seemed all too common on those days.
"No! I wanna fight!"
The monster rose back up, struggling to close its jaws. Uncle was holding them open, his fiery aura flowing from his arms in red and orange waves. "Qrow! A little help here!"
He sent one last glare in my direction, "I'm your father! Just do as I say!" With that he ran off towards the beast, spinning as he slashed down into the beast with his scythe.
I was angry. I could fight, I knew I could! I ran back to my room, but not in acceptance. I dug into my small pack that I always kept with me, no matter where we went. In the folds of the pack was a skinning knife. Before it was used for cooking during trips, but today, today it would be a grimm killer.
I grabbed it. I will show him that I can do it! I can fight the grimm and help him on his quests instead of being a burden. I may be small, but he always said I had fire just like him.
When I got back to the deck, things seemed to be in chaos. Uncle was holding onto the side of the big grimm as it swung its massive head back and forth. Dad, on the other hand, was dealing with the other end. Its long slender body seemed to resemble an eel under all the darkened skin and red veins. Though it flailed, one look and you could tell it was being worn down. Even its screeches threw darkened blood into the waters.
The grimm had been worn down. That was clear. The cuts that oozed blood throughout its sleek body made optimum targets while it was distracted with Dad and Uncle. All that was needed was the right…
An opening! A large gash that seemed deeper than the others, almost cutting the grimm in half.. I charged it with my knife, screaming at the top of my lungs. Someone yelled, but I couldn't understand who or what over the storm and screeching. I saw the perfect spot; an opening in the grimm made by a cut that was bleeding profusely.
I thrust the knife into the beast, earning a shriek. I shoved it in with all my might, pushing it up to the hilt, then I stepped back and kicked it. It was dark enough that I couldn't see the knife anymore.
I blinked. What happened? I was staring at the boards of the ship. I tried to move but pain swept over my body.
Get up…
Things were fading in and out. The dark wood of the floorboards on the ship seemed out of focus as my eyes started to shut. Two thumps could be heard hitting the deck. As if the weather saw the battle take place, the wind let up, and though it didn't stop raining, the rain did let up slightly.
"Did you just see what I saw?" Uncle Tai spoke softly
"Yea, but that doesn't make sense," I heard Dad say before I couldn't keep my eyes open anymore.
Get up!
GET UP!
Shiro Opened his eyes to a face way too close to his own. Without thinking he quickly headbutted the face before figuring out he was in the dorm room. Westlyn was on the ground rubbing her forehead while Olivia seemed to be heading towards the bathroom, yawning as she went. It was good to see her again at least. She had disappeared yesterday after the talk with Ozpin, not coming back to the dorm room until late.
Naomi on the other hand seemed the same as yesterday, like completely the same. She was laying down on her bed on the other corner of the room, the same book as yesterday in hand as if she never moved from when he went to sleep. Did she get any sleep at all?
"Hey, that wasn't very nice!" Westlyn cried out as she nursed her new bruise.
Shiro smiled, "Sorry, I still have a few ticks from when I was a kid. When you wake up traveling and somethings in your face it's best to fight back"
"What, so you mistook me for a grimm?!" She said with annoyance and anger.
Shiro gave that look like 'you said it not me' before grabbing clothing out of a still unpacked bag.
Westlyn got up, looking like she was going to give him a mouthful, quickly turning around when Shiro took off his shirt. "What are you doing?!"
It was amusing, seeing her reaction. Really he didn't even think anything of it. When you live with Yang for any amount of time, let alone years, you learn that while you can enjoy privacy, it's not always given. Shiro was so glad when Tai cleaned out the old storage room for him.
"I believe I'm changing next to my bed. What time is it anyway?" The sun didn't seem to be up yet
"It isn't. We need to be prepared for classes today"
"Because we weren't yesterday?" he said with a wave of his hand.
"We got nothing done yesterday! No training. No work. We didn't even talk!" She grabbed her head while she shook it."It's bad when the person I've talked to the most is a girl that doesn't even talk much!"
Shiro looked over at Naomi, who didn't seem to be paying much attention to the conversation. "You gonna take that?"
"…"
Naomi looked up from the book she was reading. It was a different one than the one she was reading yesterday, but Shiro swore she never moved. Maybe when he was asleep?
"I guess?"
Shiro expected her to continue but when nothing came Westlyn shook her head again.
"See, this is what I mean! We need to be prepared! We need a plan or at least a schedule. Something."
Olivia came out of the bathroom fully dressed in her Beacon Uniform. "Eh, it's not really my style, but at least it's not those gray 'off white' training uniforms in Atlas. I love the color!"
The uniform itself was a deep brown jacket lined with a gold trim over a tan vest. Instead of pants, the girls wore a red plaid skirt. Olivia seemed to have pulled or rolled the skirt up slightly to show more leg, which she flicked out in front of her in a pose.
When she got no response from the rest of them she puffed up her face. "Oh come on guys live a little. It could be worse you know...anyway see you in class!" With that she was out the dorm room door.
Naomi jumped off of her bed not moments later. Shiro blinked because no way, no way was it possible but Naomi was already fully dressed. "See you in class" she said dully while following Olivia.
Shiro smirked, seeing when Westlyn was frustrated she was actually kind of cute, in a 'you're not sure if she will hit you or be comedic' sort of way. "Well I guess that's your answer," he patted her shoulder while adjusting his collar. No way he was wearing that tie though. Too constrictive around the neck for his tastes. "Not like too much bad can happen, we're in a school after all"
"We're doomed" he heard her state.
-0-
Shiro plopped down into his seat. This was going to be boring, from what I've been told it always will be. The esteemed professor Port stood proudly in front of the class pushing out his chest as if he were some big strong huntsman in his prime. The overly large belly that pushed out his waistline and gray hair spoke a different story.
Most students slept through the class and only studied for the tests. Since those were mostly taken from the textbook studies it didn't really matter if you had the stories he told down. Trashy cliche stories about single-handedly taking out an entire grimm army or some monstrous rare grimm just made Shiro roll his eyes.
See, unlike some of these other students that could tell the stories were bad and ignored them, Shiro had talked to his father and had heard the most bizarre stories from him as well. His father could exaggerate the details just like his professor, but it still can be said that the situations they were in were dire, and the creatures monstrous.
The stories for all they were worth couldn't keep all his attention. His eyes drifted to the other side of the room to a certain cat. That dream was odd. He could remember it so clearly. The trip to the islands, the attack, and meeting her.
To his right he heard a slight cough quickly followed by a pain in his foot. Looking over to Westlyn she nodded towards the professor before looking away from him. He knew he was staring off, but it's not like anyone else was listening to Port, so why should he?
"Now can anyone tell me the lesson of yesterday's demonstration?" The professor burst out in the middle of one of his 'oh so important' stories.
Some hands shot up immediately, with some shaky ones going up after. Those that didn't were already in a deep slumber. Port didn't seem to mind the ones that were sleeping, instead focusing on those students who participated.
"Mr. Branwen," he said slower, "Why don't you answer"
Some of the class members turned to look at me. All the hands that were in the air "I didn't raise my hand professor"
"But I know you know the answer" Port said
He sighed, "The answer is subjective, but the biggest point is we could all improve since we are really just beginners, am I right?"
Port pulled on his long mustache before releasing a bellowing laugh that startled some of the sleeping students awake. "Oh my boy, you truly surprise me"
"See I knew it-"
"But you're wrong" That got Shiro's attention and some of the attention of the other students. It sounded like a good answer, but he was wrong? "While it's true I certainly want all my students to succeed to be able to not only survive against the grimm, but under dangerous circumstances as well, I also like to mix things up. Spontaneity my boy is the way of the battlefield!"
Most of the students looked confused. Shiro wasn't buying it. He wasn't the only one either. Several people were looking around trying to find answers from others that were just as lost as they were.
"In return for answering my question though you get a special gift!" He clapped his hands and the door to the room opened. Two students wheeled in another cage. This one seemed to be the same size as the day before. Shiro imagined it must contain another boarbatusk grimm.
A certain white haired princess jumped up from the front seat, "But sir he doesn't have a weapon yet!"
It was true that his weapon snapped during initiation and he hadn't gotten it fixed yet, but it still ticked him off that Weiss thought she could talk for him. He didn't know her! And it didn't matter how creepily she's been watching him since initiation, she didn't know him.
"I'll fight it" Shiro said more out of spite than out of sense or confidence.
"NO you won't!" Westlyn said, grabbing his arm as he stood up. "You may be our 'leader', but you aren't invincible" She opened her mouth to say more before looking around. She was the center of attention. Hushed whispers and a few chuckles had her eyes grow wide, bulging as she realized what the other students thought of this little quarrel.
"Look, I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about me." He said it with a grin that said he was anything but sorry when the students close to his team started 'oooo-ing'.
Westlyn pulled her arm back quickly, refusing to look at his face, "Fine just, don't embarrass us okay" she said softly, losing the fire that was in her eyes moments before. She ignored the small chuckles that came from the people that surrounded the team. Olivia started chuckling as well, earning a death glare from Westlyn and a sigh from Naomi who looked like she would rather be anywhere else.
A cough from Professor Port brought the room back to the front. The cage rattled, causing the two older years to back off. Shiro knew that it couldn't be something too bad because then the professor would have to step in.
"This is a special treat for your team" Port bellowed, "Now can anyone tell me, do Grimm have ages?"
A scoff came from a certain Ice Queen, "Grimm are made from darkness, despair and negative emotions. When they form, they are full grown, no matter what conspiracy theories people have saying they've seen Beowolf pups."
Port Chuckled a bit. "Please Miss Schnee, raise your hand next time. Though I will say I was one-hundred percent truthful when I made that report." She still looked smug about her answer though she had just been chastised.
"Only half credit though. Variants have been seen in recent years. Grimm are on the rise. They feed and grow on misery, despair, and dark emotions. If it forms without enough of this...well…"
He broke open the cage, a smaller version of a King Taiju quickly snaked out, showing its fangs upon its blackened face. The other side which usually changes into a white head was slumped to the ground, shriveled. It didn't move even as the other brought its head up to hiss. Though small it was still as big as a full sized man, with fangs large enough to prove its mettle.
Shiro stood across from it. This was going to be easy. King Taiju had the advantage with their large size and double head. The large size made it hard to get vital blows and the double head means you always had to watch your back, or you might be its lunch. This lost all of those advantages. No wonder Port thought this was easy enough for training. This would probably be easier than the Borbatusk from yesterday.
He took his stance, trying to get into his normal fighting position. He reached for his sword before remembering he didn't have it anymore. It was no big deal. He had never fought a grimm in hand-to-hand like Tai, but all he needed was some time. Now that he had his semblance, he was confident that he could kill this thing.
It suddenly lunged forward, baring its fangs at Shiro. He sidestepped to the left and pushed his aura into a blow to the side of the creature's head. Even with the aura it felt like he was punching an unmovable wall.
The dark snake wriggled hitting him backwards into the cage it came out of with a meaty smack, Hissing and gurgling as it rounded back on him, oblivious to the others in the room. It hissed, rearing back before lunging forward and striking at Shiro. He dodged. The clang that was not unlike metal striking metal was heard as the overgrown snake hit the cage.
It was a wake up call. Sure this grimm was no threat to a hunter, but its dark, oily skin wouldn't kicked it, hoping that a kick with some concentrated aura might kill it. The skin gave a little, earning another hiss. The grimm then grabbed Shiro's leg in his jaw, rolled its head back and forth and threw him across the room.
Shiro heard Port bellow a laugh, asking if he needed assistance. Whether it was genuine or not didn't matter, it rubbed him the wrong way. He gave the professor side-eye before focusing back on the creature. It was swaying its head and shaking, almost like hitting the bars of the cage gave it a headache or something. Either way, this was his chance.
He had to concentrate
What was this display? It was interesting if it wasn't somewhat deadly. What was Beacon thinking employing an old huntsman who decided the best way to get his point across was to bring the enemy of humanity into a group of students not once, but twice?
When she fought the boarbatusk yesterday, it was simple but still a challenge. But bringing another grimm into the classroom, especially the day after. It was as if he had no schedule for the first couple of days and was just padding time. It was also kind of cliché and did not speak well about his teaching practices. Well, it's not like his stories of grandeur did that either.
"Weiss, help me cheer him on! Go Shiro!" Somehow Ruby had flags already up, having shared them with Yang who's calls sounded more like just yelling than actual support and our quietest member who was waving a flag slowly but was actually reading one of her books under the table.
"No" I said simply before pushing the flag back to Ruby. How did she manage to get flags showing the variant defeated in the first place?
Still, this 'Shiro Branwen' was an interesting one. He handled himself well in initiation. He seemed to have a good sense for battle. There were moments where you could tell he was analyzing the situation before acting. That sense must have been why he was accepted early, though she heard that he was picked up in the same situation that let Ruby come to Beacon. A quick glance to her partner, the youngest person to ever get into Beacon, told her that if it was possible to mess up Ruby would find a way.
Be nice, remember. Be 'nice'.
Shiro was arrogant. It was a big difference between himself and Ruby, so why did the headmaster think it was time to bring him in? He was the same age as Ruby, but held himself so differently it was hard to see they were related.
That brought up something else, his looks. That white hair at such a young age. If he had some genetic disposition to albinism that would explain the lack of color. If not, then there was only one family on Remnant that she knew had such a disposition. Known for their dust sense and the grace/ beauty of their women of course. Her family. The Schnees.
"Oh, that must have hurt" Ruby crumpled before cheering, echoing Yang's 'make it pay for that one'
One other thing was on her mind. Ever since the teams were made, she had been observing his movements when she could. In return she noticed that he seemed to stare in her direction quite a bit. Corridors, classrooms, and even in the cafeteria, she felt eyes staring in her direction.
"Oh he's gonna do it!" Ruby shouted.
But why would he be staring at her? Please tell me he wasn't another boy wanting her attention. The scrawny blonde was already enough to deal with. Boys and their constant flirting just because she's a Schnee. If she ever fell for one the tabloids would have a field day.
"Wait, that's new, is something...coming out of it?"
That snapped her out of her thoughts. The sight before her made her jump up. Ruby put something on her head before cheering again, but that's none of her concern at the moment. "That's not possible!"
The disks that formed in his hands felt odd today. He looked at them and they spun faster, becoming the piercing rings of death that he trained them to be. He swore every time he looked away they would slow down. A flash of his dream and memories of that ship later would have him looking back down at those same disks that had slowed down, only for them to start to speed up again.
At least the grimm seemed wary. It seemed that it recognized the glow of aura. It hissed in defiance but didn't attack. It waited, looking for an opening.
Another hiss broke some of Shiro's concentration. That wouldn't do! He had to show that he could do this. He was in front of the class! His team! If he couldn't defeat this by himself, even if he used the excuse that he didn't have a weapon, he would never hear the end of it.
The class had to be tuned out. The foe in front of him needed his full attention. He closed his eyes and concentrated his aura like he had when he was training. It flowed into his hands. Without looking he couldn't be sure, but instinct told him they were glowing bright.
Now spin.
The grimm hissed again, probably becoming impatient.
When he heard that something tugged at his mind. His aura was being pulled away! Why? He tried pushing more into his disks. Stupid aura! Do what I tell you to do!
Another hiss and a small roar. That was new. His disks weren't ready. Whatever was siphoning his power was pulling from his disks faster than he could replenish them. His disks were fading! That wasn't enough to cut through that hardened skin, but it had to be or he would be a laughing stock.
He opened his eyes to jump forward. The grimm was faster, already leaping toward him, this time with its mouth open, ready to take a chunk out of him. He threw his disks only to see them dissolve mere centimeters from his hands.
Was he this weak? Was he going to die here? In front of his classmates and the teacher all because of his arrogance? The aura around his body fell. He could feel the siphon leave him defenseless. Drained.
He tried to jump backwards but his thoughts kept his feet from moving. All he could see was the grimm's teeth. All he could see was his father's disappointed look. It rooted him on the spot.
His eyes grew in panic so he shut them.
Goodbye…
A loud roar followed by several hisses told him something had happened. Flecks of water hit his face. Was he dead? He opened his eyes to the grimm teeth and tongue. It was being held up off the ground in front of him. The grimm was thrown back into the cage where it started to dissolve, a loud roar following it.
Blue, the same shade as his disks suddenly encased his body. For a second he thought he wouldn't be able to breathe, but his rapid breathing and pounding of his heart said something different. The blue didn't suffocate him, it was warm. It gave off the same feeling a blanket would on a cold winter's night.
He looked up. Above his head was a large stationary disk, intricate but foreign to the spinning disks he remembered fighting with. A low growl made him flick his eyes back to the large serpent that had appeared. It glowed blue and pulsed every now and then. Each pulse of energy sent ripples up the serpent.
It let out a loud roar as it started to disappear tail-first. Even as it faded into nothingness it kept watch on him. Once it was gone, he felt like a weight had been lifted. The drain on his aura was gone, but that didn't mean much when he was basically out of aura. It was close, but it seemed his disks did save him. Just by making one large, apparently serpent being, instead of two cutting disks.
"Good Show!" Port yelled, clapping, the students slowly following his lead. "I thought I was going to have to step in there for a moment, but you proved me wrong! Brilliant work. Though I think we could do with less theatrics in the future."
Shiro didn't like the idea that Port, of all people, would tell him to be less theatrical, especially when it wasn't supposed to be theatrical at all. It must have been quite a show. Did it look like he meant to do that? Wait until the last second?
It didn't help that he was confused himself. He practiced his power. He had rotating disks of light that were made of his aura that could cut through grimm. He didn't think that something would come out of those disks. It wasn't his style.
He went to move and suddenly felt extremely exhausted. It felt like he ran a marathon. Getting back up the steps to the seat was going to be a pain.
An ironclad clamp grabbed the back of his Beacon uniform. It practically pulled him off his feet, which he was already having problems with, forcing him towards the classroom doors. He tried to see what had a hold of him to see Weiss Schnee dragging him away with a strength unnatural for the girl's size.
"Miss Schnee, where are you going? Class isn't dismissed" Port said ruffling his mustache.
When they hit the doors, the bell rang.
-0-
"Who are you?" It wasn't about subtlety at this point. She needed answers. She wanted them, and she wanted them now. No beating around the bush, no games, just answers.
"I am who I am and that's all I can be," Shiro said with a smirk that infuriated her.
"Don't play dumb with me! You know what I'm after!"
"Well if it's my scroll number, I'd happily give it. All you had to do was ask though; no need to drag me to the roof"
"What?" It was more of a 'I can't believe what you just implied' than an actual question. She folded her arms. She even raised her eyebrow like she'd seen her sister do. When her sister did it, all her men would snap to attention out of fear or intimidation.
Shiro shrugged, "I mean, I can take a hint. Cute girl grabs a boy, takes him to the roof on a nice day. So are you going to confess your feelings for me? I wouldn't mind, even if you aren't my type."
….Now she was contemplating throwing him over the ledge behind her. The thought of love did make her heart jump, not because it was him, but because of the way it must have looked back in the classroom. Oh no, even if she explained Yang was never going to let her live this down.
Fantastic, her day, no, her Beacon life as she knew it, was ruined. It just started too!
She sighed, "Look I just want to know who you are"
"Oh, slow burn love. I can understand. I'm Shiro Branwen. I figured you already knew that though since you pay attention in class". There was an effort to try to act 'cool'. He kind of hunched over slightly so he was more level with her height. "Nice to meet you"
This was wearing on her patience, of which she already was lacking thanks to her team. "One", she said pointing a finger in his face, "Don't test me. You know I didn't bring you out here to confess anything. Especially to someone like you." That earned a shrug and a smirk. She may be small, but why was it so hard to be intimidating to a boy younger than her?
"Two" She scowled, "How are you connected to my family? Did my father send you? How dare you spy on me!"
"What?!" a spurt of anger at the accusation.
"I wasn't spying on you. I don't even know you" He seemed genuinely confused by that statement. He even stepped back and lost the act he'd been putting on.
"Don't give me that! You were staring at me the entire time we were in class, and I noticed you sneaking glances towards me in the halls and in the cafeteria" Just thinking about it made a shiver go down her spine. She was used to getting stares.
Being the heiress to the Schnee Dust Corporation may have some perks, but it also came with stress, high expectations, and certain sets of assumptions. She came to Beacon specifically to get away from those things. Over the last two days she may have thrown her name around, not that she would need to if things went the way she wanted, but that feeling that someone was watching her came back just as she was relaxing.
"I've seen you there, but I wasn't watching you!" He said with slight anger.
Sure she'd believe that (Not). Wait, wasn't he related to Yang and Ruby? "Right, because you miss your family so much" She waited with her arms still crossed.
He looked like he was going to yell. A short 'no' came out before he stopped himself. He looked away, "Something like that"
That had her eyebrow raised. He wasn't good at lying was he? He had all the tells and he probably knows it as well. When her eyebrow raised he turned away looking embarrassed. He knew he'd been caught.
So he had been watching her!
The moment of awkward silence was fleeting.
He sneered, "Forget this, I'm tired and I don't need this. I'll have to reject your feelings" He turned and slowly started walking away, the exhaustion showing in the way he moved.
Of course he would bring that back up, "Get back here! I'm not done with you! What do you want from me!" She had to know. Someone didn't just watch people constantly for no reason.
He kept moving but she heard him as he went out the rooftop doors, "From you, nothing" and then he was gone.
She couldn't believe it. The nerve. He just blew her off, gave her almost no information and accused her of confessing to him all in one conversation. If this was Atlas she would want him imprisoned; Imprisoned and interrogated.
She needed information. Call it curiosity if you want but she didn't like to be left out of the loop. He was hiding something, or at least there was something he wouldn't tell her. If her suspicions were correct, there would be others who knew. Time to go to a trusted source.
"Yes Winter I'm fine" she said for the third time in as many sentences, "Its only been a couple of days since the term started. Honestly Beacon was supposed to be the peak of Huntsman education in Remnant, but it wasn't all that different from her tutors. Well, except for Professor Port. How did someone let that man get a teaching license?
"Well, I'm glad to see you are doing well. Have you made any new friends?" She was straight faced, militaristic. No emotions showed on her face, but Weiss knew she must be happy. It was always this way with Winter. Military life served her well, and she had been promoted fast. The youngest person to ever become a specialist. Then soon after, assistant to General Ironwood himself.
It's been...difficult," the cold stare from her sister said what she thought, "But it's getting better! I couldn't stand my team leader at first because of how we met. Now I'm giving her a chance."
"It must have stung to not be the leader of your team, but I believe this is good for you. In my experience, those that learn to follow orders as well as give them do better in the field." She smiled, "still it couldn't have been easy for you."
"I couldn't believe it at first. I was shocked, especially since my 'leader' was two years younger than myself. Well, that was before I talked to one of the professors here. Professor Port gave me, well, not a nice answer per-say-"
"But one that was needed?" The response from Winter had Weiss nodding reluctantly.
"I was not in the best moods," She chuckled, "And it made me realize that as much as I hated only being 'a Schnee' instead of Weiss Schnee I used my family name more here than all the years I spent in Atlas"
"Father would be proud," Winter scoffed. It wasn't a nice sentiment. It was cold but also spoke of how cruel their father could be. The name came first; with the name came business. Any and all personal matters should be left at the door unless they could be used. Exploited.
Still Winter knew that. A contrast to her military mindset. Some of her emotion breaking through for just a moment.
"That's why I decided I needed to try and change. I am giving her a chance. There may still be some teething problems, but it hasn't been long
"Still I am proud of you," Winter said with a smile. "Now on to business. Why have you called me? I know you wanted to do more than just catch up."
Weiss ignored that buzz inside her that wanted to gush at the compliment. She had always enjoyed her sister's company. A person that excelled as much as she had gave her a genuine compliment. Needless to say she looked up to her. "Right. This may sound odd, but do we have any relatives that I don't know about? Long distance or closeness doesn't matter."
Winter was quiet for a moment, thinking. Her response though? "What brought this on? I don't think there are any that you shouldn't know." It was an odd choice of words. Weiss had talked with her sister plenty before. The tone in her voice, the way she stared at you with no emotion in her eyes. She was choosing her words carefully.
"I met a boy here. His name is Shiro Branwen, but he has White hair like us"
"Well that's not enough to-"
"And he can use summons!"
That seemed to surprise Winter. She turned her head slightly, contemplation in her eyes. "That is unexpected. Yes, I know of him. I met him once when he was just a child, but even then his blood was considered tainted. To hear that he can use summons at such a young age…"
Weiss's head was in a fuss. She wanted answers! It sounded like she would be left with more questions than answers. "Is he...is he our brother?" She dreaded the answer. Father was dangerous when it came to business, cut-throat when it came to finances, but a ladies-man?
Winter let out a chuckle that was quickly repressed, "No, not a brother. A cousin. The only son of mother's sister"
That still surprised Weiss. "We have an Aunt?"
"Had an Aunt," Winter corrected, "She was strong, wise and brave. She was one of the reasons I pushed myself to become a specialist. To follow in her footsteps" She smiled, remembering something from long ago, before her smile was replaced by a sad one, "Unfortunately childbirth proved too much, even for her"
"I-I didn't know...Why haven't I heard about her before?"
"She was an accomplished huntress, attending Beacon much like you are doing now. When she returned to Atlas she became a specialist as well."
"Then why?"
"When running a company that makes dust, one would think that having it be known there were more powerful Schnee's in the family would be great for business. Unfortunately, many of the investors liked the idea of backing a huntress over a businessman. She would be easy to manipulate since she would be pulled in many different directions" Weiss knew where this was going. She hoped she was wrong. "Then father married into the family. I was born, and all her assets seemed to slip out of her fingers, until she gave them up entirely"
"And when she died, he no longer had to worry about competition" Weiss finished, earning a not so nice but agreeing nod from Winter.
So he is my cousin. That explains a few things. How dare he pretend he didn't know who she was! And then all the drama. She would give him a piece of her mind! "Thanks Winter. It's always nice to talk to you. I'll let you get back to work"
"Wait before you go," Winter said with haste, "How is Olivia fairing? Is she adapting to life outside Atlas?"
Weiss had to think for a second, "I'm sorry but I'm not sure. I haven't talked to her much since we arrived. We aren't on the same team so we haven't seen each other much either"
Winter sighed, "Well since Beacon is still standing I guess it's fine. I thought she would have acted out by now….honestly I thought she would sent back the same day she arrived"
"Nothing too crazy has happened as far as I can tell" Normal huntsman school. Normal, if not slightly unprofessional teachers. Thinking of Port as a teacher made her cringe, but Professor Oobleck and Professor Goodwitch brought the standard up.
"I guess I must have misjudged her. Olivia tends to act out. Though we had an agreement that if she acted out enough she would be returned to Atlas for the remainder of her training" It sounded a little harsh but it made sense. Weiss could remember some of the 'pranks' that Olivia pulled in Atlas. Weiss always tried to make time to talk to her sister, and there was never a time she got to see Winter that she wasn't complaining about some newfound prank. Calming Winter down was necessary at those times.
The more she thought of it though, the more things seemed to add up, for one event in particular. "Initiation...the launch pads…"
"What was that?"
Weiss looked back into Winter's eyes. Cold. Unyielding. If she told her about how her Beacon experience started then Olivia would be on the first airship back to Atlas. While she hadn't talked much to the girl since they arrived, they had talked and gotten to know each other more on the ride to Beacon. Olivia was hesitant to talk to Weiss at first. Leaving Atlas might have been a trick. Maybe some test. It didn't help when she found out that she was traveling with Weiss, an odd coincidence given how Weiss also seemed to want out of Atlas and away from her father . When they landed though Weiss could see her eyes light up. She didn't want to be the one to take that away.
"Nothing Winter. I'll keep my eyes open. I have to go now, thank you for the information"
"It's always nice to talk to you Weiss. You should give father a call as well. You know he expects one"
Weiss just smiled and nodded before shutting off the call. She had some of the information she needed. More than enough for another confrontation. Shiro was going to pay for making her look like a fool.
-0-
She had to do this. It was required. Needed. Why was she stalling? Nothing bad could happen, right?
….
She held her hand up to knock on the door to 'Team JNPR' the team that held her brother on it, as leader of all things. She remembered the look on his face when she dashed his hopes. He hadn't seen her since. Hadn't spoken to her. He must really hate her.
Her hand fell to her side, losing the small amount of confidence she had pep-talked into it. Maybe, well maybe this wasn't the best idea.
The door in front of her flew open. "Renny! I know what you think but pancakes aren't just a breakfast food! If we get to the cafeteria before they close I bet we could convince them to make some. If not you could make them yourself~"
The pink and bubbly girl Her eyes widened a bit while giving her an analyzing look. She looked back at 'Renny' before looking back at her. "Ren, someone turned Jaune into a girl!"
"What?" Was both her and Ren's reaction.
"This is wonderful!" The girl grabbed Wesltyn's arm before she could say anything, dragging her inside the dorm room, "We could have sleepovers, and get makeovers and talk about cute boys!"
Nora gave a quick look over to the boy in the room.
Her brother seemed to be out, along with Pyrrha. "You won't defeat me in a pillow fight, I don't care if you look different, you're still going down!"
"This isn't Jaune. It's Westlyn correct? Jaune's sister?" The boy said.
"Twin, yes" She said as the pink girl deflated a little before her eyes lit up again.
"Any embarrassing stories about our leader?"
A flash of memories went through her brain, earning a smile. "Plenty, but first I haven't introduced myself. I am Westlyn Arc, its a pleasure to meet you"
"Oh, she's so polite Ren! Can we keep her! I want to hear stories!"
'Ren' seemed unfazed by the girl's antics. "I am Lie Ren, please just call me Ren" He gestured towards the pink girl, "This is—"
"I'm Nora Valkyrie! Most awesome girl in Beacon and epic adventurer. Also Queen of all things!"
"Please ignore Nora's more 'expressive' words. She means nothing by them," Ren added. Nora looked hurt but didn't say anything. "I'm afraid that Jaune is out at the moment. We could tell him that you stopped by?"
"No! Don't!" She said a little too hastily earning a raised eyebrow from Ren and a jump step back from Nora. Nora then fell over one of the beds, landing headfirst on the other side. "I mean, I wouldn't want to bother him, and right now we are...well… I don't really know where we are?"
"You're fighting?" Ren seemed to understand, "He won't hear that you came, but maybe you should speak to him yourself?"
"Yea!, Our fearless leader won't hold whatever it is against you. He is a nice guy. He's strong and awesome and kicks grimm butt!" Nora added while doing fighting poses.
That was the part that didn't make sense to her. He had no training! He had no aura! How did he manage to fight against grimm, let alone pass initiation? More questions she would have to ask him. "I came here to try to talk to him. I know he needs time to forgive me. I just...I just don't want things to come between are family, you know? Is it bad that I'm glad he wasn't here though?"
Ren gave a little smirk, "You are brave, but that doesn't eliminate the fear you feel. I can respect that you came here to confront him despite that"
He seemed very mature. The way he was sitting and the way his gaze lingered on nothing in particular. It gave him a monk-like feel. It also seemed ironic given that he was with an energetic pink girl. "Thank you...can we exchange numbers? Maybe you can tell me when he gets back?"
Ren nodded, smiling. Before he could get his scroll Nora grabbed Westlyn and spun her around, quickly putting her own information into Westlyn's scroll. "Don't think you can steal him," She quickly added when Ren wasn't paying attention.
Westlyn and Ren exchanged numbers before she left the room. Jaune and Pyrrha hadn't come back so there was no point in staying, especially with Nora realizing her 'pancake dreams' were slipping away with the time. He seemed to console her instead of actually moving to leave, making Nora whimper and plead a little.
Westlyn shut the door and moved down the hall towards her team's room. That hadn't gone exactly as planned. Why did she feel so relieved? Uh, this was so messed up. She had faced down grimm of all shapes and sizes while training with her father, she faced even more grimm during initiation, and she'd even fought (and been crushed by) her father. All these things were hard. Challenging. Painful.
So why was it that she cowered under the idea of confronting her brother?
A flash of his face, distorted and angry, willing to prove the world wrong.
She opened the door to an empty room. Olivia barely spent any time in the room, only coming back for sleep. Who knows where Shiro went. But Naomi being gone was a surprise.
Usually she was the dorm's guard dog...not that had anything to do with her being a faunas. It's just that besides going to classes, where she spoke rarely, she was on her bed.
Westlyn threw herself into her bed. At least she got to spend some time by herself.
…
It was so peaceful
…
she sighed, maybe some training would be best. Sitting around was boring. A ding on her scroll got her attention. At least something was happening. Maybe it was Shiro. Who knows what that idiot got up to when she wasn't watching.
Her eyes widened as she saw a text from her younger sister Crystal.
'Hey big sis! I know it's been a while, but get this, Dad finally decided to start training me! OMG right! :D Anyway I can't wait to tell you about it when we come to Vale. I'm sure Dad already told you about it, but Jaune is missing. We're coming to Vale to look for him. The coolest part is I convinced Dad to stop by Beacon before we leave!
TTYL Crystal
This was not good. She could fight enemies, but if her father came here. Saw Jaune. He would kill him. Could she face him? She didn't...she didn't know.
Her head snapped up as someone opened the door. Naomi walked in with a not so pleasant look on her face. For the first time Westlyn saw an overflow of emotion on her face. It's sad that it had to be a scowl. Her ears perked back up when she looked at Westlyn, breaking her out of whatever made her scowl.
She sighed, "Let me guess. It's your brother again"
-0-
A/N: That took way too long. Things are happening. Times are changing. Life is complicated. See you next time!
Thanks for reading.