Frigid water impacted Taiyang's forehead in a frantic splash as he once again scooped a handful of liquid from the faucet and brought it up to his face. The boy shivered involuntarily as he closed his eyes and savored the cooling sensation of the droplets working their way down his skin. Beads of water lingered in his scruffy, barely-present goatee, and he wiped a hand along his chin to clear them from the scraggly hairs as he looked himself over in the mirror.

Despite the hour being within the confines of early evening, Taiyang looked like he hadn't slept in weeks. His eyes held a miserable, glassy emptiness that hadn't been there a mere twenty minutes earlier, and the skin of his face had gone pale. Taiyang spit lightly into the sink before licking his lips, and clearing his throat. The action brought about a dry, unpleasant sensation within his neck, and he cupped his hands once more to collect water before drinking it down and wiping his chin with the back of his hand.

"Come on, man, get it together," Taiyang told himself. An uneasy feeling squirmed through his stomach, and he imagined a fat worm thrashing about within his intestines. The visual did nothing to help his nausea, and only served to make him feel even sicker. He drank down another handful of water before heading to the paper towel dispenser and pulling several sheets to both dry his hands and pat down his face. After tossing the disposable paper into the trash, he hurriedly made his way to the bathroom door and pushed through it to begin making a quick retreat down the hallway.

"…hey. Are you alright?"

Taiyang froze as the voice echoed off the bare walls behind him. Though the tone was harsh and terse, he could feel an underlying warmth of legitimate concern. The sentiment brought a weak smile to Taiyang's face as he turned to face Raven, who was leaning on the wall next to the boys' bathroom while staring through him.

"I will be, yeah. I just had to get out of there. Sorry for ditching you guys."

"It's your semblance, isn't it?" Raven pried as she pushed off the wall and approached. She stopped several feet before Taiyang, and folded her arms. "I'm guessing you got… 'overloaded' at the table?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much it," Taiyang admitted as he brought a hand up to his forehead. The skin felt oddly warm to the touch, and any temporary relief provided by the water had already vanished. "My head's killing me, and my chest feels tight. It's awful."

Raven's eyes narrowed momentarily, and Taiyang felt her level of concern swell along with the action as her voice adopted an uncharacteristically nervous tinge. Taiyang's face twisted into a grimace as he felt her ever-present guilt flare along with the rest of her emotions, and he began to wave a hand pre-emptively as she spoke.

"Do you need me to take you to the infirmary? That sounds bad, Tai. Really bad."

"No, no," the blonde reassured as he dropped his hand back to his side. "This isn't the first time, and it won't be the last. Being around a few people in a bad mood sucks, but it's nothing I can't handle. I can block it out, and stay in control. But when it's a big group, or the emotions involved are too much… it gets… it gets really bad."

Raven looked Taiyang up and down, only to find that his knees were somewhat shaky. Wordlessly, she walked forward and dipped slightly to wrap her arm around Taiyang's waist and throw his arm over her shoulder.

"Wh-… Raven, really, I don't n-"

"Shut up," Raven barked as she began to walk. Taiyang matched her steps as he felt himself being dragged along, and hung his head in shame. "You look like you're about to go down. Are you… feeling what we're all feeling, in addition to passively sensing it?"

Taiyang furrowed his brows as he staggered along, clinging desperately to Raven. He poured all of his concentration into forming an explanation as he let himself be led down the long hall, which seemed almost to double in length within his vision. The edges of the walls appeared to be vibrating, as a phantom image of the carpet began to shift from side to side upon the floor.

"…ever been outside for too long on a hot, humid day? The kind of day where you can just feel how heavy the air is around you, and after enough time, it sorta just… sinks into your chest, making it hard to breathe? When there's too much negativity in a small area, it's kinda like that, but in my heart and brain. Just this sickening, pulsing feeling of dread, anger, and suffocating depression all at once. It can even seep in from one person, if the feelings are strong enough, and they're making physical contact with me," Taiyang answered. "Only way to get rid of it is to distance myself, or get exposed to something overwhelmingly positive."

Quite suddenly, Raven stopped walking, and forced Taiyang to a halt along with her. She cast an anxious look down the hall in both directions, before keeping her eyes on the wall as she wrapped her teammate in a crushingly tight hug. Taiyang's eyes widened in surprise as he lamely held his arms out to the side, before slowly reciprocating the gesture with a far gentler squeeze of his own.

"…thanks, Raves. That actually does help, a little."

Raven drew in a deep breath and exhaled through her nose, before closing her eyes and attempting to relax within the embrace. She tried picturing the most stereotypically cute images she could within her mind to channel more positivity through her gesture, only to end up feeling incredibly lame as her mind latched onto the image of a puppy in a basket with a red ribbon around its neck. Raven scowled in response to the mental construct, and ended up speaking in a voice far harsher than she intended.

"…is this better?"

Taiyang smirked softly as he tried to discern what was going through Raven's mind, only to come up with nothing. The conflict and embarrassment within Raven's actions actually caused his stomach to begin doing loops once again, though he made no effort to pull away from the hug.

"…loads. Were you actually outside the bathroom to check on me, or was it just coincidence?"

Raven slowly pulled away from the hug, only for Taiyang to let his hands linger upon her hips. She did nothing to stop the gesture as she finally looked him in the eyes, her own full of determination.

"You came after me in the gardens, and no one else at the table seemed to figure out what was going on when you left. They're too preoccupied with their own problems to pay attention to anyone else right now, but I wasn't just going to leave you hanging, Tai. Even if you're… kind of a tool, you're a decent guy, and a good friend," Raven begrudgingly admitted.

Taiyang's smile returned in earnest, and he shook his head with a light bout of laughter. "Yeah… I guess I am pretty lame sometimes, huh? But our team needs a little lameness, to contrast you three. You're all too cool for your own good."

Raven rolled her eyes, and let out a huff. "We are not that cool, especially after today. Don't ruin the mo-"

A high pitched squeal echoed down the hall, and Raven immediately slapped Taiyang's hands away from her waist as she turned toward the source. Her cheeks flushed scarlet as she caught sight of Kali with her hands balled beneath her chin, and an amused looking Qrow standing beside her about twenty feet away. The cat faunus closed the distance incredibly quickly, and dropped her hands to clasp them behind her back as she began to sway back and forth in front of Raven.

"You two are adorable," she teased with a massive grin. "We'll leave you alone, so you can have some privacy. C'mon, Qrow, let's get back upst-"

"Tai's feeling sick," Raven interrupted as she looped her arm back around the boy's waist. She did her best to keep a poker face, and her eyes far away from her brother's. "I don't care what you're insinuating or what you think it looks like, but I'm pretty much just helping him stay standing right now."

Taiyang shifted into a slight stumble to help sell the story, and closed his eyes once again. "Yeah. Guys, please just… don't mess with us right now. I feel like shit."

Before Taiyang had the opportunity to open his eyes once again, he felt another arm snake around the small of his back, and his own drape around someone else's neck. Opening his eyes revealed Qrow in position opposite of Raven, and looking deadly serious.

"Right. Where are we headed? Infirmary?"

"No," Raven replied. "Tai, can you handle an elevator right now?"

Taiyang nodded slowly as Kali took up position slightly ahead of the trio. "I… yeah, I think so. I can make it back to the dorm. I think."

"I'll get the doors and clear a path if anyone gets in our way," Kali offered with a voice full of worry. "What's going on?"

"Semblance, probably," Qrow stated as he and Raven began to drag Taiyang along. "He's a mood detector, and probably a mood sponge. Whatever went down at the table after we left must have set him off."

Taiyang laughed as his stomach growled in protest. "You two are something else. Is it really that obvious?"

"To people who are paying attention? It should be," Raven spat. "You're a member of our team. Don't be so surprised that we're actually listening, and have your back."

"Should I call Summer?" Kali asked as she rushed ahead to press the button next to a nearby elevator. "Where is she?"

"No," Taiyang replied quickly. "Please, don't. She's the worst in terms of mood right now on our team, and I get the feeling she's the kind of girl who needs some time alone to sort out her own feelings before she can function."

"She went up to the library to do exactly that," Raven confirmed. "Leave her. She'll come back when she's ready."

Qrow made a frustrated noise as the elevator doors slid open. The quartet of teens stepped inside, and helped to brace Taiyang up against the wall. The blonde gripped onto the railing on the wall of the elevator as a bit of color began to return to his cheeks. Qrow moved forward and jabbed the button labeled '2' on the panel before turning to face his companions.

"What exactly happened when Kali and I went off to check on Willow? Barty explained the gist of it, but I want to hear the details."

"Adam told us just about everything," Raven said. "He was furious, and people started picking sides. I stepped in to defuse the situation, but I waited too long. Now, everyone's acting like children and Adam stormed off."

"I… doubt he told you everything," Kali added hesitantly. "There are some things he told me that I don't think he's ready to admit to anyone else. I'll talk to him."

"Probably for the best," Qrow encouraged as the elevator doors slid open. He offered his arm to Taiyang, who held up his hands and shook his head.

"I think I should be okay to walk to the dorm from here, on my own. Just… don't stray too far?"

"We're right behind you," Raven stated as the group exited the elevator. Taiyang walked as a slow pace, leading the pack as they made their way down the hall. He looked over his shoulder to Qrow, and immediately regretted the move as a dizzy feeling manifested in his head once again.

"What happened with Willow?"

"She's a wreck," Qrow lamented. "Whatever Adam actually did down in those mines may have gotten a few people killed, including a friend of hers. It's unclear whether Adam himself was the cause, but something happened in August that made staying in Atlas dangerous for a Schnee. Her parents more or less dumped her off here for 'protection', and now she's supposed to just sit around like a good little girl and watch the huntsmen in training. She's sticking it to them by going through the training herself, but she's miserable. New home, no team, no family, and no one at her back."

"It's horrible," Kali commented as she slipped past Taiyang. Raven tossed the faunus a set of keys, and Kali worked to unlock the door to the STRQ dorm before holding it open. "She might be a Schnee, but I'm still going to try to be friendly, until she gives me reason not to be. I just hope that reason doesn't come sooner than later."

"If it does, I'll lay into her," Qrow warned as he followed Taiyang and Raven inside. "All of this is crazy for day one, but I'm at least willing to give everyone around a chance."

"That's how it should be, anyway," Taiyang said as he sat heavily upon his bed. The boy waved a dismissive hand, and then flopped onto his back. "For now, though, it's actually best if you guys go, and let me rest here alone for a bit. While it's nice to know that you three care, the amount of worry and tension all three of you are generating is drawing out the symptoms. Once it gets going, it's pretty hard to stop."

"Sorry," Kali offered. "We'll get out of your hair. I should go check on Adam, honestly. Our dorm's actually just around the corner, so text me if you need anything. Feel better, Tai."

Kali made her way out of the dorm, and the remaining teens fell silent. Raven turned on her heel and followed Kali out the door, before letting it slowly draw closed behind herself. Qrow took a deep breath, and leaned back against the portal to hold it closed as he spoke softly.

"…hey, Tai?"

Taiyang leaned upward slightly, to look at Qrow through groggy eyes.

"What's up?"

Qrow took out his scroll, and kept his eyes on the device as he began to tap out a text.

"…keep at it, alright? She needs somebody, and she'll never admit it. Call it my blessing, or ignore it, or whatever you want, but just… keep at it. Raven's got a thick shell that I can't even break all the way. I just hope you're ready for what's inside, if you do pull it off."

"I'll do my best," Taiyang offered before lowering his head back to the pillow. "Thanks, though."

Qrow grunted an affirmation, before turning and pulling open the door. He sent off a text to his sister as he began making his way back to the elevator.

Meet me on the roof of this building. We need to talk about what we're really doing here.


Kali stared at the door to Room 224 in silence for a long while. Muffled, angry voices echoed from beyond the wood, and the faunus thought that she could make out the word "bitch" coming from Adam. Her ears flattened back against her skull as she tried to figure out whether the attack was meant for herself or Willow. Finally, she gripped the doorknob and twisted it before stepping forward and walking into the scene of Adam pacing throughout the room while Roman sat on the bed, glaring daggers at the wall. The slender boy look up at Kali as he kept his expression cold, and Adam paused his repetitious walking cycle to attempt to stare the other faunus down.

"She finally arrives. All done making friends with the enemy, and ready to face us?"

Kali let the door slam behind herself as she shoved it backward with far more force than necessary, and met Adam's glare with a hurt expression.

"If you have something to say about me, then say it to my face, rather than ranting behind my back. If I was a human and you were a faunus sitting alone, I would've gone to check on you, too," Kali pointed out as she retreated to the wall farthest from Adam in the room and leaned back against it.

"That doesn't matter," Adam spat. "I don't care. What matters is reality, and the fact that you brushed off a member of your own race to go and rub shoulders with someone directly linked to the people keeping us in chains!"

"She's in chains, too!" Kali insisted, as tears began to well up at the corners of her eyes. "Maybe yours were literal, but hers are the kind she can't break free of! This entire situation is terrible, Adam, and you're just making it worse by acting like this! The entire reason she's here is because of what you did to escape those mines!"

"What Adam did was what he needed to do," Roman stated calmly as he rested his hands atop his cane, and his chin atop his folded fingers. "He's our teammate. Willow isn't. It's really that simple, Kal. Our sides were chosen for us, and if you can't see that, then I don't know what to tell you. Adam's our brother in arms, our roommate, and someone who has clearly been wronged. Maybe Willow's got it bad, too, but I know where my loyalties lie. Might be time to rethink yours."

Kali's tearful expression shifted to an accusatory glower, and she took a deep breath as her shoulders raised. "So if you had been placed on STRQ, you'd be supporting Raven and Qrow in backing up Willow? Is that what you're saying?" Kali asked icily. Roman's grip upon the head of his cane tightened, and he made a point to keep Adam's watchful eye out of his line of sight.

"…you can't please everyone, and that's just a simple fact. I'm sticking to the side of the guy I know, over the girl I don't. Adam needs us, so I'm here for him. That's all that matters," Roman offered.

Adam let out a derisive snort, and shook his head. "At this point, I'll take the support of whoever I can get, regardless of the reason for it. Neither of you know what this feels like, or how serious this is, and I guess Roman's the only one willing to back me up completely. If that's the case, then so be it. We'll live together. We'll go to classes together. We'll run missions together. But we will not be anything more than acquaintances from here on, if you're going to make a habit of comforting that girl."

"Adam!" Kali yelled as she let a few tears slip down her cheeks. "Are you even listening to yourself anymore? Do you not see that what you're doing is just spreading hate and making things worse for everyone, including yourself? You're not even trying to see the other perspective!"

"Some perspectives are unforgivable!" Adam countered as he raised his voice to match Kali's volume. "The Schnees are trading innocent lives and families for profit!"

"And you've claimed innocent lives, in return!" Kali insisted as she threw her hands up. "You killed people, Adam! Directly, with your own hands! At least one of them wasn't associated with the dust company. He was just a house attendant for the Schnees, and likely held that job just to get by! You didn't know when you made your escape, but if you act like his death meant nothing, then you're no better than the Schnee family!"

Roman swallowed hard as he looked back and forth between his teammates, who had resumed their glaring match in tense silence. Finally, he spoke up in a small voice as he tilted his head slightly toward Kali.

"…I thought you liked keeping things simple…"

"Yeah, but some things can't be simple, Roman," Kali replied as she sat upon Bartholomew's bed. "This is one of them. Yes, Adam, your cause is one of necessity rather than profit, but it still doesn't justify murder, and especially not of people only tangentially involved in your suffering. Right now, all you're doing is making enemies of everyone because we aren't all-in on starting a vengeance quest with you. Willow Schnee could be your most valuable ally in making a meaningful change to the way faunus are treated, but all you see in her is a target. You need perspective, Adam. You need help. We're all willing to give it to you, but you need to accept it. We can't force you to let us in."

Adam shook his head, and returned to a normal volume as he sat down upon his own bed.

"It's not just the Schnee. It's the Winchester twins, too. I've been getting harassed all day long, from every direction. I want to rely on the rest of OKRA, and even STRQ, but I'm not going to sit here and listen to you tell me that what I feel is wrong."

"What you feel is one thing. What you're doing is another," Kali countered as she made her way back toward the door. "Take some time and really think about this, Adam. It's too important to make a decision tonight, and right now… you're hurting me. You're hurting me a lot," the faunus finished as she wiped her eyes on the back of her hand. With one last tearful look at her teammates, she disappeared back into the hall. Roman stood, and let his cane drop to the floor.

"…Adam… stay here, man. I'll be back," he warned as he made his way across the room to follow. He barely heard the start of the faunus' reply before he slipped out into the hallway, and began a swift jog after Kali. She had almost made it around the corner when Roman caught up to her, and put his hand onto the shoulder of her leather jacket.

"Kal! Hey, can we… can we just talk, for a second?"

Kali shook her head and turned, only to fold her arms once again. "What are you going to do now, Roman? If the only reason you're backing Adam against Willow is because you're assigned to his team, what happens if Adam keeps up this friction with me? How are you going to decide who to support, then? You said yourself that it's impossible to take the middle ground on an issue this big."

Roman paused, and made an uncomfortable face akin to that of someone suffering from constipation. He squirmed in place, and let out an almost offended breath before licking his lips and avoiding his companion's eyes.

"Look, Kali, that's… that's part of why I chased you down. I don't know what to do, with any of this. I'm… I'm scared."

"You're scared?" Kali repeated in a gentle, almost motherly tone.

"…yeah," Roman admitted. "Don't make me say it twice. The kind of 'tough decisions' I'm used to making are what outfit to wear to formal gathering I'm being dragged along to, or whether chicken or steak is getting served. All of my big decisions are made for me, and that includes coming to Beacon. Dad only paid for it and put me up for becoming a huntsman because it makes me more attractive. I just got lucky that it separated me from him. Nothing big in my life is intentional, and I've gotten comfortable with that. Something like this… I don't know what to do. I don't know who to turn to, or how to feel, or why, or what the right answer is. This whole thing is making me feel like shit, and I do want to help you both, and Raven, but I know I can't."

"You can," Kali rebuked as she shook her head. "The difference is, it won't be easy, or a predetermined path. The only one who can make a meaningful decision in your life, in reality, is you. Eventually, you're going to have to grow up and start doing more for yourself than just hitting on cute girls and acting aloof. I'm trying to mediate and help Adam figure out how to approach this, and so is Raven. We're both trying to do what's best, and we're both trying to help Adam see that what he's doing right now isn't just destructive in general, it's self-destructive, too. Having you with us would make the message stronger, but it's not going to be easy. It's going to suck, it's going to be painful, and you're going to have to man up and feel things to get it done."

Roman let out a sigh, and adjusted his fringe with nervous fingers. His digits trembled slightly throughout the motion.

"…I'll try. I'll do it for you."

"No, Roman. Do it for you," Kali corrected. "It's time to be an adult, now. Doing that will make you as attractive as you think you are. Start making your own decisions, and stop shying away from choices that are difficult. I'm going to sleep on STRQ's couch, tonight. I'll see you during class, tomorrow."

"Yeah," Roman offered halfheartedly as Kali began to walk away. For once, he kept his eyes up on the back of her head as she rounded the corner. "Yeah, I guess it's about time to figure out what I really want out of life, isn't it?"


Raven kept her eyes closed as she stood alone on the rooftop, taking calm, careful breaths of chilly night air. The sensation of each inhale felt light in her chest, and filled her entire body with a sense of calm and clarity that she'd been missing all throughout the day. It reminded her of the thin, nearly freezing air of the mountaintops of home.

The sound of a heavy door swinging outward upon the otherwise nearly silent rooftop threatened to break the girl's concentration, but she persevered with her breathing exercises through the distraction. Another heavy thud rang out as the door closed itself, and then gentle footfalls began to echo out upon the concrete roof. The steps grew slightly louder as they made their way up to Raven, and she opened her eyes to find her brother standing before her with uncharacteristically tense shoulders. The boy had his hands in his pockets, as usual, and he spoke with a sense of urgency.

"…Raven, we need to have a serious talk."

"Do we?" Raven replied, a hint of amusement in her tone. "I don't like what you're implying, Qrow. I know how you feel about our father, and part of me feels the same way, b-"

"What has the clan ever done for us that they don't do for everyone else born into it?" Qrow interrupted. "What have they done that isn't seen as an obligation? What has our father ever done to deserve our loyalty?" he asked emphatically.

Raven's lip twitched in annoyance, and she turned away from her brother to face the railing several feet away. "Qrow. He may not treat you well, but don't start. You know we owe our clan everything. We owe them for being able to make it into Beacon and keep pace with hunters who have gone through a full four years of a primary academy. I pledged myself to Those Above All, and yes, I'm loyal to you, as well, but if you're going to start questioning our mission…"

"Again, Raven, they train everyone born on that freezing mountain. That isn't a gift. It's not even a birthright. It's seen as an obligation, and in my case, an annoyance," Qrow spat. "Our own father sees me as a failure. An unfortunate dice roll gone bad, that he's been burdened with. This isn't new."

"No, it's not!" Raven replied as she whirled on her approaching sibling. "We've had this conversation before, and I've told you, when the clan is ours, in time, we'll make it right. We have a bright future ahead of us. It requires suffering and unfairness to reach that future, and I'll readily admit that the burden is shifted more on your shoulders than mine, but it's there for us. We will one day get what we deserve, Qrow, but if you're seriously telling me that one day as a legitimate huntsman in training is starting to sway you, then how am I supposed to trust that you're committed to our job, here? How am I supposed to trust that you're committed to any of this?"

Qrow took a sharp inhale through his nose, and moved to stand beside Raven as he looked over the railing and out onto campus. The fountain in the central square continued to trickle water near silently at their distance to the monument, and tall streetlights illuminated the pathways around it with a soft, yellow glow.

"These are good people, Raven. Maybe not all of them are, sure, and if what Adam told me about a few of them is true, I wouldn't even mind taking some of them down. But think about our team. Really think about Summer and Tai, and the way they've treated us all day long. They actually give a shit, and I've seen more genuine smiles from those two in one day than I've seen in 18 years, at home. The members of Those Above All feel like a collection of bitter, hateful assholes who think they've got it all figured out and a right to influence and change Remnant as they see fit. Team STRQ… that feels like family," Qrow said with a heartfelt emphasis on the last word.

Raven mirrored her brother's tense inward breath, and chased it with a long, annoyed exhale. "It has been nice, so far, but if you really think Summer and Tai are without their own demons, agendas, and disappointments, then you're in for a rude awakening. Stop being so naïve, Qrow."

"Start being more perceptive, Raven," Qrow countered. "You stood up to our dad when he was going to just throw me aside, and probably excommunicate me. You stood up to Adam, when he was spouting bullshit and causing divisions. Don't pretend that you're the same kind of heartless assassin that makes up the rest of our clan. Don't lower yourself to just blindly be what they want you to be. You're better than that."

"Stop," Raven commanded as she put up a hand between herself and her brother. "Stop, now. Our clan is the best at what we do, and there is no 'being better'. Members of our order earned the right to change the world through strength, and without strength, we are nothing."

"Raven," Qrow insisted, "there's more to strength than combat skill. Look at the bond between us. That's stronger than the bonds of our clan, and you proved that yourself before we left."

"Our clan managed to assassinate the former headmaster of this very academy, Qrow," Raven snapped. "Show me one other group on Remnant with more strength and influence than us. That power will be ours to do with as we please, sooner than later, so long as we toe the line and do as we're told."

"And what if that strength is being misused?" Qrow asked. "What if these people that we're told are just potential targets could give us more 'strength' than the training we've received ever could? What if I don't agree with their goals and outlook on the future of Remnant? You can't tell me that after you stood up for me and Willow, you're content to just watch things play out when you and I have the potential to gather allies and make a change, starting here and now."

"This conversation is over," Raven replied as she bristled and folded her arms. "I'm not doing this with you. I'm not playing out hypotheticals and entertaining a sudden change of heart just because you've made some new friends today."

"Maybe the change of heart isn't as sudden as you think," Qrow replied as he shook his head and turned. "And don't act like you haven't made some friends, too, as much as you'll resist admitting it. Summer, Tai, and especially Kali. I've been keeping this in for a long time, because I didn't think you were ready to hear it. I've been holding back because I care about you, and I didn't want to put more stress on you when you were so focused on earning your wing. Well… now, you've got it, and it's time to fly. I just want you to really consider what direction you're going to fly toward."

Qrow's footsteps echoed upon the rooftop, and the sound of the heavy door opening and closing followed close behind. Raven merely walked to the railing and gripped her fingers around the heavy iron rod to look out at the campus in silence, her mind an eerie, uncomfortable blank as she found that for once, she was unsure what to think.


Author's Note:

Things are going to accelerate quite a bit from here, and deal with the rest of the school year much more quickly than the first day of school. That being said, this is only the beginning of STRQ and OKRA's journey, and the stakes will continue to be raised as time goes on.

-RD