Just a short one today. Test stuff is ultimately boring.
Midterms were coming. The time when all the student Huntsmen of the academies are tested on what they have learned throughout the year. While most students weren't very worried about how they would do on these tests, as they saw them only as another obstacle to be conquered on their path as Huntsmen, there were some who were very worried about their scores.
Mostly the ones who either didn't study or never have due to outside circumstances.
"Fuuuuuuuuuuu-" Raven droned out as she ever so slowly felt consciousness slip away from her while reading a textbook. Her brother was having none of it and casually swiped the arm she was using to support herself out from under her, causing her to slam her face against her book and finish her drone. When she was sat straight up again she glared at Qrow who simply shrugged.
"If I got to suffer here, so you do Rae," Qrow said and returned to his own work tapping a pencil against the desk. Raven continued to glare at him for a minute before sighing and reached out to grab another handful of chips from the center of the table.
"Why am I even here? I don't struggle with tests at all, so I don't get why I was dragged here."
"Didn't you bomb the math final last year?" Velvet asked while scratching one of her rabbit ears.
"Barely! And that's another thing, why do we have to learn math here? How does that help me learn how to cut a Beowolf in half?"
"So you don't get screwed out of a paycheck," Coco answered as she put her pencil over her and started tracing a finger on the table. "Here's an example: say you take a job where you and two other Huntsmen have to take out a pack of Beowolves, let's say twenty tops. You take out ten and the others take out five each. At 500 Lien a pop, how much did you make off that one hunt?"
"I'd feel like I'm getting short-changed if I'm getting paid only 500 for a Beowolf."
"Exactly." Raven, unable to really respond, chose to ignore Coco's smirk and laid her head on top of her book again.
"It'll be ok Raven," Summer said and gave her partner a pat on the back, "and hey, you can take solace in the fact you won't be the worst score this year."
"You're not helping!"
"PLEAAAAASE! YOU HAVE TO HELP US!" Team RWBY was not as well put together as the other teams, or rather two specific members weren't, which led to the current situation of Ruby clinging to Weiss' leg bawling her eyes out.
"Ruby, get off of me!" Weiss yelled while trying to push the younger girl off her boot with her other foot to no avail, "You're acting like you've never studied before!"
"I HAVEN'T!"
"Wha- are you serious?" Blake asked looking from Ruby to Yang, who was currently groveling on the ground in front of her, "But then how did you two get into Haven?"
"We… got by on combat scores?" Yang replied, more a question than anything. Silence hung for a few seconds before Blake sighed and shook her head.
"Somehow, I just knew that was the case. We should probably just help them Weiss. As far as I know we're graded as a team, so it would be for the best. I mean, I was planning to study with you anyway."
"Wait, you were?" Weiss asked, having now moved to sit on a desk to continue pushing Ruby off.
"Yeah, unless that's a problem?"
"No, no it's not a problem." Weiss sighed and pinched her nose, "Fine Ruby, I'll help you study. But we're going to do this as a team, ok?"
"Thank you! Oh thank you Weiss, you're the bestest best friend a girl could ask for!" Ruby cried and started rubbing her face against Weiss' leg.
"Get off of me!" Weiss screamed again and resumed pushing Ruby off of her.
"If I can be totally honest Yang, I didn't expect this to be the situation I'd end up in when I was coming here," Blake said shaking her head.
"Neither did I," Yang whispered through clenched teeth and tried her hardest not to burn a hole in the floor as Blake picked her up and moved her to a desk. Her only hope in this situation was that Cinder was suffering just as much as she was at this moment.
"Steam was… Fire and Water, right?" Emerald asked.
"Yep, that's what I put down too," Mercury replied and made a mark on a sheet of paper.
"I'll just trust you on that," Emerald said shaking her head and making a mark on her own paper and sighed, "I understand why we're reviewing these tests, but is it really necessary?"
"In order to keep our cover going, we need to play the part," Cinder said looking up from her sewing work for a moment, "which means having to go through everything the students go through as well. The tests, the curriculum, even if it is unnecessary." She looked back down to continue her work and added, "Just remember why we're here and swallow any indignity you may have."
"Of course, you're right. That reminds me, what did you put down for question eight?"
"Rock." Cinder's answer caused Emerald to slowly look back at her paper and lightly pound it against her head.
"Of course it's Rock! Why did I put down Plant?" Once Emerald was done she shook her head and moved on to the next question. 'This is why I'm glad to have Cinder leading us. She wouldn't let something as simple as a test get her down.'
Emerald couldn't have been more wrong. Cinder was furious and quietly seething at having to be subjected to these tests when she had already memorized what she was being tested on. She was just good at masking these frustrations from Emerald and Mercury.
'It's only for a week,' Cinder thought to herself as she took a quiet, deep breath, 'and at least Ruby and Yang are suffering more than I am.' That thought would at least help Cinder through the exams.
Of course it's not just written tests and study groups. Physical exams are just as important to a student Huntsman as anything else, as a decrease in fighting ability would spell death on the field. The means of testing this are a little more… unorthodox than most would think, as Jaune found out in his first physical exam: a spar with Professor Port.
"Great show Mr. Arc! While in my opinion you're still underprepared for a real combat mission, your basic form is very much improved! You even blocked some of my attacks! Keep it up and you will be ready, I'm sure of it!" Port's compliments and subsequent laugh of joviality fell on deaf ears as Jaune was busy lying in a smoking heap on his side, his sword and shield lying beside him as he tried desperately to ignore the world around him. Especially Nora and Pyrrha cheering him on from the sidelines. This was soon brought to a premature end as Port walked over to him and picked him up by his hood and set him on his feet.
"I've heard you've been doing training outside of classes, and by all means I encourage you to continue it. Slow and steady progress is better than none at all!" Jaune nodded and looked down at his weapon as Port gave another hearty laugh. While it was true that he had been getting better thanks to Pyrrha, he still couldn't shake off that feeling that he should be farther than he is. He had wanted to train harder lately, but Pyrrha dissuaded him of that. 'You'll just exhaust yourself and then you won't get anywhere,' was along the lines of what she had said that night.
"Is something on your mind Mr. Arc?" Port asked, drawing Jaune out of his thoughts.
"What? N-no, it's nothing much," Jaune said shaking his head before rubbing the back of his neck. His eyes drifted to Port's weapon slung over his shoulder and added, "Well, there is one thing I wanted to ask." Port simply nodded to urge Jaune on. "Well… doesn't it hurt when you have those out all the time?" Port quirked an eyebrow and moved to examine his weapon, specifically the blades on the stock, and laughed again.
"Oh silly me, I forgot again," Port said and pressed a switch near the trigger guard and retracted the blades into the stock before looking at Jaune, who was staring wide eyed at the weapon. "Truth be told, I forget about doing that all the time, but it hardly bothers me anymore! Soon you too will learn to ignore pain Mr. Arc."
"…Right," was all Jaune could respond with as Port gestured at his weapons.
"Best collect your weapons and get Ms. Nikos ready, it's Barty's turn to spar." Jaune nodded and picked up his sword and shield and followed Port out of the arena, shooting a look at Pyrrha before he disappeared.
"I don't envy you Pyrrha," Qrow said barely moving his head out of his hands, "Oobleck is a real son of a bitch in a fight."
"Really?" Pyrrha asked while looking from Qrow to Taiyang, who only nodded solemnly. After looking back and forth between the boys a couple times Pyrrha stood up and brushed off her lap. "Well I still intend to do my best. Wish me luck!"
"You'll need more than luck," Qrow responded and waved Pyrrha off. Despite that Pyrrha still left with an optimistic outlook of the coming spar.
That would only last as long as it took for her to see Oobleck with a thermos of coffee, have him drink from it, and then extend it into a flamethrower. Qrow was not wrong.
