Here we are again with another chapter. Enjoy!
Beta: CrowSkull
YBWR
Chapter 7- Somewhat Forced Collaboration
Yang felt icky, sweaty, sore, and hot ever since she, Blake, Weiss, Ruby, Pyrrha, Jaune, Nora, and Ren all climbed the very convenient set of stairs that got them back to Beacon. Yet, she didn't have any time to wash herself or even get some rest as Cinder Fall herself retrieved them and the other successful initiates and lead them all the way back to the assembly hall, which seems to have been edited as to hold fewer students and also give more room for the stage, there was also a very wide staircase, wide enough for her to step on and right up to the stage if she really wanted to.
Despite being in a less than savory mood, Yang still paid her utmost attention to Cinder as she explained to them what was going to happen next. "Congratulations to you all, you have passed initiation. Stand next to your partner if you aren't already," Just to be sure, Yang shifted closer to Blake, who spared a glance toward her but made no motion to get away from her. Good, it was settled at last. Their fates were well and tied together now.
"The Headmistress Salem will come shortly to pair together two sets of partners to form teams of four. As there is thankfully a number of successfully initiates that is divisible by four, this won't take long at all. I am sure you all would love to take a shower and clean yourselves."
For the first time, Yang actually cracked a smile after something Cinder said. A few of the other initiates chuckled, probably because they were either too tired to have a healthy way of mind or they were already starting to kiss her ass. As Yang looked at Cinder's face, and then to the faces of the young boys in the crowd, she could already see it. Cinder was going to be that teacher who didn't have any right being that sexy at what had to be a mature age. If Yang had to guess, she was somewhere in her early to mid-thirties. Not that the boys seemed to mind or care at all.
At least neither Jaune nor Ren seemed to be as capitulated by Cinder's beauty. Jaune looked far more interested in his partner, who'd he been constantly chatting with ever since they started climbing the steps back to Beacon. Poor Pyrrha probably had no idea what was happening there, but she had a feeling that she would soon enough. And Ren… oh boy, Ren was a different story. As she looked at him, all she saw was a boy who was either madly in love with Nora, or they were the closest pair of best friends she had ever seen.
"I urge you to pay attention," Yang jumped in her spot when Cinder's words cut through her thoughts. When she looked back up at her, she saw her orange glare directed entirely at her. In spite of feeling as though she was targetted, Yang nodded her head and returned her full attention back to the one in charge. "As our next course of action may as well either extremely encourage or discourage you from continuing your term at Beacon. Teams are graded as a team. If one is failing, you are all failing."
Oooof… Yang already started feeling the absolute death glare Blake was giving her through the corner of her eyes. Cinder allowed time for the other students to process the news, some downright panicking under the pressure and others assuring their partners that they'd be there to help them if needs be. Yang and Ruby had a father, mother, uncle, and auntie that were all huntsmen and huntresses that graduated from Beacon, but then again, they had Taiyang, who sadly hadn't lived long enough to see his daughters reach an educational age, Raven Branwen… well, she knew how to fight, at least. Then Summer Rose, who had been missing for over a decade at this point, and Qrow Branwen, who might as well have been the only teacher of the original Team QRTS, or Team Quartz. Somehow someway he had to have gotten Raven to get her grades up, so Yang at least had the confidence that if her mother could pass the classes in Beacon then she could as well.
"With that said, once teams are put together, you may only alter them once throughout the course of your four-year term. In the case of sudden death or expulsion, your team will remain a team of three unless you allow a new initiate to join. You may not expel a team member without first receiving the council and permission of the headmistress and I. These rules are set in place because as much as we proud ourselves of putting together great teams, there is always the chance that it may not work out the way we intended it to." It sounded fair, but she couldn't help but feel nervous as she thought of Blake. They already started off on the wrong foot, and every time they tried to get on better terms one of them would snap at the other, and it's just been a day! Not even! Blake seemed to share the same thoughts if the way she hugged herself awkwardly had anything to say about it. Yang held up hope, but it was nice to at least have that option, she supposed.
"Partnerships, however, will not and cannot be changed." Cinder continued.
Whelp, there went that idea.
"And the ensuing vote in the case of a team expulsion must be unanimous. On that matter, that is all. Do you understand?" Even Yang found herself crowing "Yes." Along with the rest of the crowd. After just a few sentences, the stakes of being a student of Beacon had already gotten so high. Yang really hoped that she got on a team with people she liked… she couldn't imagine being stuck on a team with Blake and other idiots who didn't want to be helpful.
"Good," Cinder packed a bundle of papers together into a tight stack and left it on the podium, leaving it for Salem for whom she announced would come up next.
If Cinder left an impression on them with her words, then Salem did so on her appearance. She had foregone the business casual outfit she had on before during the previous announcement when they had just arrived on Beacon and was now wearing a navy blue huntress dress that also doubled as a uniform. It went well with her eyes and blonde hair, which was much more kempt up and tied more efficiently in a bun atop her head. The choice of collar was interesting, as it reached up half-way up her neck, stopping just beneath her chin, and as her top tucked into her pants a black belt with a deep red belt buckled matched well with the red gemmed necklace she wore around her neck like a sort of tie. And still, she was very tall, likely well over six feet and with a thin yet chiseled build. She looked thin, but Yang knew that with all the muscle that she must be hiding underneath that clothing she must have weighed nearly two-hundred and ten pounds. Which was sixty more than she weighed herself.
Where was that look like this when I first met her!? Yang thought as she looked back into the headmistress' blue-green eyes. Holy crap, talk about being qualified for the job,
"Initiates," Salem greeted them softly, her voice much more controlled and cutting through the air like a well-sharpened blade. "No, I will refer to you as students now. You have earned the right, and every one of you has gained my respect for making it here now. You may have not noticed it, but there is less than half of you left from yesterday morning."
Yang felt confused, as did everyone else, and looked around to see if that statement was true, only to feel a lot more special all of a sudden. What had started with at least four to five hundred initiates had ended in what Yang could guess was around a hundred and a half students.
"Per this count, there is a hundred and sixty-four of you." Yang cheered to herself silently for her quick math skills. "Which means there shall be forty-one teams for this round of first-year students. As Cinder explained to you before, I shall be the one putting these teams together based on your shown skills in the Emerald Forest, and I will be selecting a team leader for each and every one of them. This team leader will be selected today, at the same time I assemble the team."
"As teams are created, you may see to Cinder Fall and she will guide you in the direction of your new dorm rooms, of which you may select whichever room you like as long as it is empty. We will not be assigning rooms, but the room you choose will be the one you live in for the next four years, so choose wisely." Salem reached and grabbed the stack of papers that was left for her and shuffled them neatly. When she cleared her voice, the entire hall went silent.
"I will now begin assigning team members. Starting with you, Miss Cardin Winchester," The girl in question was immediately stared at by the entire hall as she stepped up to the first step. For someone who was now a huntress in training, she wore a lot of armour despite having an aura. She looked as surprised as her partner had when he was called up as well. After they were told to stand beside the headmistress and await the rest of their team members, they placed their hands behind their backs and stood.
The other two came up quickly enough as Salem called out their names, once they were all assembled, Salem continued shortly after.
"The four of you will be named Team WAXG, which means Waxwing. Your leader shall be Cardin Winchester." Salem placed the paper to the back of the stack as she finished. "Congratulations, that is all."
Yang clapped along with everyone else as the first formed team of the new first-year students of Beacon hurried off to Cinder Fall, who started explaining to them where to go next. They disappeared through the side exit just as quickly as they came. That at least gave Yang the comfort of knowing that it would take at most two minutes for teams to be formed and leaders are chosen. The quickness of it definitely caught her off guard, but it was better that than having to stand there for hours waiting for the headmistress to put everyone together in a more ceremonial way.
Salem went on to make the next thirty-seven teams the same way in just as many minutes. Yang's hands started to feel sore as they continued to clap into each other several times over. But when the name of her first friend in Beacon was called up, she immediately felt the urge to scream and cheer for her.
"Pyrrha Nikos," Salem said, smirking at the redhead as she hurried up the steps to take her side next to her. "Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, and Nora Valkyrie," one after the other, the four new students moved and stood next to each other as Salem looked at them, actually turning to greet them officially and for the first time, stepping down from her podium to shake each of their hands. "From here forth," she said as she stepped back up. "You shall be known as Team PLAN, or, well, Plan," she chuckled to herself, apparently thinking that it was clever naming Team PLAN after the same words. "And your team leader, Pyrrha Nikos."
"What!?" Pyrrha exclaimed, shocked by Salem's decision. The remaining students clapped for them, some of the other teams from before stayed behind to show their support for their fellow students. All the while, Pyrrha's green eyes were wide with shock, having no idea how to process the news that she was now in a leadership position she felt like she didn't deserve.
"Nice!" Jaune wrapped an arm around her shoulder and playfully shook her around.
Pyrrha was dizzy by the time Jaune let her go, only for Ren to do the same to her after giving her a grand big hug. Thankfully when that was over, all Nora offered was a smile and a nod of her head. She had no more time to process what had just happened as Salem told them to make their way to Cinder, who was beckoning them over with a narrowed glare in her eyes.
"Woo! Go Pyrrha!" Yang screamed, clapping wildly even as Pyrrha hurried off outside with her new teammates. "Ah… she's such a little gem, that one."
"Friend of yours, I imagine?" Blake asked, speaking to her for the first time since they made it to Beacon.
"Yup, met yesterday. Hope you don't mind, but we're totally going to be allied with their team."
"Hmph, that is no matter to me. Jaune Arc is on that team as well." Blake said. To which Yang rolled her eyes.
"Next, Yang Xiao Long,"
"Oh!" Yang suddenly realized that she was on the list of students that were going to be called up to the stage. "Coming!"
She stumbled and nearly fell, making her curse herself out right in front of the headmistress. Thankfully, not only did Salem not get offended at all by her outburst but she found it endearing. She gestured over to her side, and Yang stood in it as she waited for the rest of her future teammates to be called up.
"Blake Belladonna," Salem called out next. Blake strode up each step with practiced grace and took her spot beside her with even more. Not once did she ever look like she was second-guessing herself, all the while Yang wanted to shrivel up and die as she looked at all the pairs of eyes staring directly at them.
"Weiss Schnee," Weiss stomped her way up the steps and took the spot beside Blake, they glared at each other through the corners of their eyes, having been at each other's throats ever since they first met clearly didn't make either of them feel overjoyed at the idea of being stuck on a team with each other. But that didn't mean that either of them was going to make a scene of it on the biggest stage in Beacon.
"And lastly, but certainly not least, Ruby Rose." Unlike her other three new teammates, Ruby made no effort to slowly make her way up those stairs. She was down there in the crowd one second and up there with them the next, rose petals fluttered around her along with an unseen wind that caught the eyes of many. Ruby pulled down her hood and shook her head to let her long red-black hair out, at last, it was wild and unkempt like Ravens, and for a similar reason. She never had a real reason to do anything with it with the hood always up. Rarely did she ever bring it down and show her entire face and hair like this, but for a special occasion like this, she was more than prepared to. Silver eyes brightened as she smiled directly at the headmistress, clearly excited to be there.
Salem gave them all a pleasing smile and again stepped down from her podium to shake each of their hands. Once she was done, she stepped back up and allowed them a moment of glory as the other students clapped and cheered for them.
"You shall be known as team YBWR," Salem announced loudly. "Or… or… hm…" An awkward silence reigned over the hall as Salem placed a hand on her chin in long thought. It really looked like she was having trouble. Yang began to sweat, was her name not compatible enough to make it easy to make a team name out of it!? Oh, gods, why was she born with a Y in her first name and an X in the last. That must have made this so much harder for her.
"Err… Urban something? No… that's not right. Let's see…"
Ten minutes. Ten straight minutes of Salem thinking out loud as she tried to think of a team name for them. Yang wanted to scream. She wanted to cry. Blake looked like she wanted to kill her like it was her fault she was named the way she was. Thankfully it seemed that Weiss and Ruby were much more patient, maybe even finding this hilarious.
"Y… What the hell starts with a Y?" Her crude language caught them all by surprise. "Yahya? No, that's stupid. Y… why, why, why indeed. Hmm… Ah, I got it!" At least, Salem turned to face them with an idea in her mind. "You shall henceforth be named Team YBWR, or Y-Ber."
Y-Ber… as in the letter Y, and then a 'bur' sound straight after.
The hall was silent. Clearly not impressed.
"It was the best I could come up with," Salem said with a huff as she turned back to the other students. "And your team leader shall be Yang Xiao Long."
That, had people talking. Yang felt her eyes widen, and she was speechless. She had no idea what to say, especially when she turned to the rest of her team and saw Blake staring at her with mouth agape as if she had been told the worst insult in the world. Weiss was clapping her hands gently behind her, grinning, but she had a feeling that was more because Blake was shocked and offended that she wasn't made leader. Ruby was much more supportive, speeding over to her and picking her up in a hug before she could even blink.
"Oh, I'm so proud of you!" Ruby exclaimed, excited for her. "You're going to be a great leader!"
"Hehe…" Yang laughed nervously, not feeling nearly as excited as her older sister. "Right… I'm sure I will?"
She gulped nervously as she turned around, thanked Salem, and then walked off toward Cinder. She didn't want to even turn to see the look Blake had on her face.
Well… in brighter news, Raven was going to be proud of her!
Maybe…? At least Uncle Qrow would, he was cool.
Pyrrha paced back and forth in the dorm room that the newly established Team PLAN had claimed for themselves. It wasn't anything special, only that it was right next door to where Yang and Team YBWR had claimed. Pyrrha didn't really care where they were going to end up, but she wanted to at least be near her other friends as well. It would make seeing each other much easier.
Still, though, it didn't help the nervous feeling in her gut that ate away at her every time she took a step. She'd been the first to shower since apparently that is what Ren thinks as 'Leader Privileges' and now she was in her green and red pajamas rather than her brass armour. She would have been chewing her nails to a stump if it weren't for her aura being freshly unlocked. She didn't know why, but chewing on it for some reason felt calming. It helped take her mind off the prospect that she, Pyrrha Nikos, from a small retirement town for huntsmen and huntresses who'd grown too old to be relied on for missions in essentially the middle of nowhere, who had little training and little of anything really, had been selected to be the leader of three others who actually trained hard to make it to where they're at now.
"If you keep pacing like that you're going to get sweaty again," Jaune pointed out as he dried off his blonde hair, just recently finishing his own shower after Nora. Ren had been told to stay put to last out of fear of losing all of their hot water because according to Nora he liked to take his time and sing a terrible song as he showered. "Just take it easy, you're going to do great as a leader."
"How do you know that!?" Pyrrha questioned, still pacing back and forth but now sparing some attention to her partner. "I am very underqualified for this position!"
"I don't think so," Jaune replied. "You lead us quite well against the Nevermore back there. If it weren't for you, we may have not made it."
"Don't lie to me, you're Jaune Arc aren't you?" Pyrrha immediately felt guilty when Jaune winced and looked away from her. "A-Ah, I'm sorry. That was rude and uncalled for from me…"
"No, no, it's fine." Jaune laughed it off. "That's just me overthinking things. Look, I can't say for certain that everything will work out perfectly, this is the first time you've been in a leadership position, right?" Pyrrha nodded her head. "Then you have four years to learn how to be a good leader, and with your adaptability skills, I bet you can learn in just a few months. You have potential, and a lot of it. I saw it when you gave out the orders on what to do against the Nevermore, and when you threw a perfect spear throw to pin the Nevermore's wing to its side. Heh, talk about forcing it to stay on the ground."
Pyrrha let out a squeal of a whimper as her face flushed a cute red. "I-I got lucky," she proclaimed. "I only started practicing spear-throwing recently, and that was right before I came here."
"And you just unlocked your aura yesterday too," Jaune pointed out. "And yet you were still able to pull off stunts that people who've been training all their lives cannot. Believe it or not Pyr, but you're amazing!"
"P-Pyr?" Pyrrha flushed, looking away from her partner. It did little as she suddenly remembered his next compliment. "A-Amazing? A-Ah, I think you're being t-too k-k-kind…"
"Nonsense," Nora spoke up for the first time, lying on the bed beside Jaune's and next to where Ren was going to sleep. "I agree with Jaune, I may have just met you, but when you gave out those orders I listened to them without hesitation. You'll be a good leader," she said as she turned to the next page in her book. Give it to Nora being the quiet one of the team and yet when she spoke there was weight behind her words.
Pyrrha held on to her shoulders and fell onto her side on her own bed nearest to the wall. She opted to face it rather than face her much too supportive teammates and sighed loudly into her forearms.
"Time to go to sleep?" Jaune teased as he slid a T-shirt on, it was tight to his body, showing off the physique he had worked hard to maintain over the years. Pyrrha already had trouble looking away from him when he walked out of the bathroom wearing no shirt and with a mop of wet hair, she didn't need to witness him with a tight yellow shirt on as well.
"Yup," Pyrrha replied, indignant. "My next order as a leader is for us all to go to sleep early. We have our first classes tomorrow, after all."
"Ah, a wise decision," Nora chuckled. "Our wise leader, ordering us to sleep as to recover our full strength for such a tiring day. Truly, I have so proud to have such a prolific leader in our midst."
"Shut uuuuup!"
Nora and Jaune laughed as she pulled the covers over herself. Stupid mean nice people, making her feel more comfortable than before. Pyrrha fished her scroll out of her pocket while underneath the covers and sent a quick text to Yang asking her how she was doing already. She didn't get a response back quickly, or maybe she did and didn't notice, but unlike everyone else in that room, she was especially tired. Her sore muscles were something she'd never felt before and it was all over her body. Hopefully, she'd feel better in the morning, where she assumed that was when the soreness went away.
She was wrong, of course. Very wrong. But she'd soon figure that out.
"Hey, going to sleep already?" Ren asked as he came out of the bathroom, already dried off and in his pajamas. "But I had such a story to tell!"
"Sleep time," Nora said, reaching over and patting the bed next to her.
"Oh, okay!"
Jaune couldn't help but chuckle to himself as Ren oh so obediently shut the lamp beside his bed off as per Nora's command, she did the same, and Pyrrha's was never on in the first place. He found himself being the last one to do so, and when the satisfying click of his lamp went off along with the immediate cover of darkness, Jaune let out a long, relieved sigh.
"I am so okay with this." He said, falling asleep with a smile that night.
"I am so not okay with this," Yang thought as she slowly slid out of bed when her personally alarm went off at seven in the morning, classes started at nine so they all had two hours to get ready, but now she had the job of waking everyone up for class. Something that was going to do her best to be careful with.
Last night was… quiet, to put it kindly. Ruby, Weiss, and her chatted away most of it, talking about initiation or their prior training while Blake sat off in silence on her bed which she moved to the farthest corner of the wall away from them. Yang had tried to start a conversation with her a few times, but they were met with a steadfast silent treatment and Blake going and putting earbuds in her ears playing music to make it harder to hear them. Yang wondered how that worked when she had four ears including the cat ones on her head, but if it worked it worked she supposed.
And now, Yang found herself tip-toeing to the bathroom as to be careful not to wake anyone else up. Thankfully, it didn't take long to do her hair and fix herself up. She took a shower last night so she didn't see a reason to do so again in the morning, but just in case she made herself smell good with a soft spray of huntress body spray to get rid of any bad smell just in case. A shower in a bottle, they called it. Temporary bad smell remover is what Yang called it.
When her hair was put up into its trademark pigtails and her face not looking like she had just woken up and a fresh taste in her mouth from brushing her teeth, Yang put on the school uniform that was apparently just sitting there in their drawers. How they somehow fit her without her ever going for any kind of fit, she had no clue. But she wasn't going to complain about it as she pulled up the skirt and shuffled into the red-brown uniform of Beacon. She looked down at her legs and shook her head as they remained bare to the world. Not today, she decided as she went on to put on some leggings. Her bare legs would only be seen in her huntress outfit, she subconsciously proclaimed.
Now while fully dressed and with an hour and a half of time before their first classes started Yang was faced with the decision of who to wake up next. Surprising even herself, she ended up walking up to Blake's bed first, deciding to make the hardest decision first to make the rest easier.
She stopped when she made it to Blake, who slept soundly on her side and actually facing her. Yang thought it was cute how Blake could be such a raging- okay, deep breaths. She thought it was cute that despite her personality, she had a pretty sleeping face. She found herself crouching down and looking at Blake's cat ears, which flopped lazily against their owner's head as she slept. Yang dared to think that she could touch it without waking Blake up. She knew that her partner wouldn't ever give her permission to do it while awake, so she figured that this was her only chance.
But was it a good idea? Yang's angel said on one shoulder.
Yes. Said the Grimm demon.
Yang caved to the demon first and gently, very gently, reached her hand to just barely stroke one of those ears. She wondered if it'd feel like an actual cat…
She found out when the tip of her index finger just barely prodded at the extremity, it turned out she was right in her hypothesis, it really was as soft as a cat's.
But the moment her finger grazed against the ear, Blake's eyes snapped open and her face scrunched up.
Then, upon seeing her, she screamed.
Yang screamed as well.
"What are you doing!?" Blake screamed as she crouched down on the dresser at the other side of the room, having jumped over there in a blur of black after using her semblance. "Why'd you do that!?"
"I was curious!" Yang complained as she struck the back wall.
"What happened?!" Ruby exclaimed as she shot up from her bed, standing on it and holding her pillow as if it was a weapon. "Grimm? Where are the bad people?"
"Ugh…" Weiss was much more lethargic in her awakening. "Why are we up already? What time is it?"
"That is no excuse!" Blake shouted, reaching up and patting at her cat ears to make sure they were still there and not corrupted by Yang's touch. "This is a part of my body that is very sensitive, never do that again!"
"I'm sorry!" Yang wailed. "I just wanted to see what they felt like!"
"AND YOU DID IT WHILE I ASLEEP!?"
"Would you have given me permission otherwise!?"
"NO!"
"Stop shouting!" Weiss sat up suddenly, her white hair splayed over her face and shoulders as a tired glare set up both Blake and Yang. "Argue about it later, not when I just woke up."
"Tch," Blake stepped off the dresser and fixed Yang with a death glare as she walked into the bathroom and slammed the door shut behind her. Yang stayed on her position beside her bed, sitting down with a new form of guilt rising up within her stomach.
"Yang," Ruby called to her, yawning as she sat down on her bed and looked down at her like she was in trouble. "Did you touch Blake's ears while she was sleeping?"
Shamefully, Yang nodded her head yes.
Ruby sighed. "You should have known she'd react like that." She said tiredly. "I shouldn't have to tell you that…"
"I know…" Yang already felt guilty for it. "I didn't know she'd react like that though! That was way over the top."
"How would you feel if someone touched your butt while you were sleeping?" Ruby asked. "I know it's not the same, but Blake's cat ears are a private part of her body that has to as sensitive as an actual cat or even more so. Sorry for making it sound so harsh, but what you essentially did is grope her as she slept."
Yang winced, hiding her face in her hands as the harsh truth came to her. "I'll apologize…"
"Good," Ruby yawned and stretched her arms above her head. "And don't wait on it this time, you know how Blake is already. She's going to expect one out of you soon."
"Right…" Helping herself up, Yang patted down her uniform.
"Already dressed up and ready?" Ruby smiled. "Good job, I imagine the next step of your plan was to wake us all up, and to your credit, you actually achieved that."
"At least something went right," Yang said with a more chirpy tone as she planted her hands on her hips. "Well, I guess I should continue with my plan. Weiss! I see you going back to sleep over there," She said as she walked around Ruby and poked Weiss in the side. "I know you're awake, c'mon, wakey wakey. We have to go to school."
"Urgh…" Weiss cracked one eye open through the covers. "Class starts in more than an hour though…"
"Which gives you more than enough time to fix yourself up and get ready," Yang replied. "C'mon, I know how you feel, trust me, I'd sleep until tomorrow if I could too. But we're in Beacon now, and you know what Cinder said. If one of us fails, we all fail."
That seemed to do the trick as Weiss exhaled deeply and sat up in her bed, giving Yang a short nod as she forced herself out of bed. Yang looked to Ruby expectantly, who gave her a thumbs up at a job's well done. Now, Yang was more confident in starting the day. Blake took a decent amount of time getting ready, and she stepped out of the restroom in full uniform - after asking Ruby to get it for her - and still with the black bow acting as a tie. She looked at Ruby as Weiss was offered to go in next, which she did. When Blake moved toward her Yang felt that this was the right time.
"Hey, I'm sorry about before-"
"Schedule," Blake said simply, holding out her hand expectantly. "Give me the schedule."
"Eh?" Yang raised an eyebrow but did as she said, pulling up a picture of it on her scroll and handing it to her. "I don't know why I need to give it to you since you have one yourself, but okay."
Blake took the offered scroll and zoomed in on the schedule that Yang had taken a picture of last night as soon as it came. Well, she took a screenshot of it anyway. In her eyes, it was better than having to sift through the student app to try and find it if in a pinch. For some reason, Blake's eyes narrowed as she looked at the schedule.
"What is the time of our first class?" Blake asked her while she looked.
"Uh… nine, it says it right there," Yang said.
"Yang, that's our second class." Blake pointed out.
Yang felt the blood drain away from her face.
"Our first class starts at eight," Blake continued. "Yang, what time is it now?"
Yang looked at the corner of her own scroll in Blake's hand.
"Seven-thirty…"
"Class starts at eight," Blake shoved the scroll into her chest. "We've already missed breakfast, so I hope you're ready to go hungry until lunch like we all are now."
"Shit…"
Needless to say, Weiss had to hurry up just a little faster.
Thankfully Ruby had a speed semblance and was able to rush over to the cafeteria, get them all breakfast to go, and then they all proceeded to force it down their throats as they walked to their first class. History with Mr. Arthur Watts. They had no time to look up the name and had to rush over there as soon as possible with a belly now full of eggs, toast, and scraps of bacon. Blake complained that it wasn't good for her diet, but she ate anyway since it was all they had.
It seemed that they weren't the only ones nearly late on their first day as Pyrrha and her team took the row of seats in front of them. Yang shared a long, loving, and pleading look with Pyrrha as they shared their pain of being a leader with just their gaze.
"We were almost late because of you," Blake said, of course, she had to sit beside her since they were partners. "Pay more attention."
"I know, I know, I said sorry a million times already." Yang sighed, she would be more upset if Blake wasn't the one in the right this time around. "And about before, I'm sorry I touched-"
"Don't bring it up again, and I may forgive you," Blake said, still salty about it evidently.
Yang sighed and nodded her head. Well, at least that was out of the way now.
The doors to the classroom slammed open as soon as the clock struck eight. Yang and just about every other student there turned to gape at the man who walked on digital constructs, wearing several rings that seemed to control said constructs, wearing a navy blue suit similar to that of Salem's as he quite literally walked as if he was above them. He stopped and turned around as he got up down into the lecture hall and cleared his throat.
"I am your history professor, you may call me Watts and only Watts. I will not hear a mister before that at any time, am I understood?"
"Of course our first teacher is the one with a stick up his ass," Yang complained mentally. Perhaps she was being too harsh on the professor who had only just introduced himself. She'd give him a chance, at least.
"Under your seats, you will find a textbook on the history of the Great War over eighty years ago. You will read it front and back as your only homework," Reading for homework? Well, it was better than actual homework at least. "For there will be an exam at the end of each week."
And there was the catch.
"I expect all of you successful Beacon initiates to be prepared to do the work that we will all ask you to do. This will not be easy, I will tell you right now. The only times you will get to rest in my class is over the weekends, for however harsh I am during this class, I will not be so cruel as to take away your free time." Somehow he was both cool and annoying at the same time. Yang didn't know how to put it, but he seemed to want to do a good job for them. "Now, as I teach this class about history I will also be teaching myself about every single one of you. That is how I like to do things here, I will learn all of your strengths and weaknesses, and I will offer to help whenever possible. However, do not ever hesitate to ask me for help if you need it. I will not ask your names as it is my responsibility to learn them."
"To explain to you my qualifications, I am native to Mantle and I graduated both Mantle Academy and the Azure University and gained a Master's degree in the history of Remnant. I am both a scholar and a huntsman." Damn right he was, Yang immediately begged him as impressive. Mantle was the second-best huntsmen academy on Remnant but Azure University was the best when it came to teaching people in the other fields. "So I hope there isn't any question as to my knowledge on this subject. I personally specialized in history, which is why I am now teaching this class. I can either be a mentor to you or a mere teacher if needs be, or neither if someone else strikes your fancy."
"Now, if there are not any questions," Watts flicked his wrist and all his fingers. Out of his pockets, more rings flew out and assembled in the air. It had to be his semblance, Yang thought as she watched the rings formed together to create some kind of makeshift but a super-advanced machine. Suddenly, a bright light projected onto the chalkboard behind him. Watts grinned as the students gawked and cheered at his work.
"First, I shall lecture you on the beginnings of the Great War and how it started," Watts said as the projection showed a man that nobody but Blake seemed to recognize. He was a faunus, a military man it seemed as well with black hair and yellow eyes.
"This is Ben Belladonna," Watts began. "He is the man who lost the Great War, but also the man that changed the world forever, and for the better."
And there we have it, Watts shown for the first time replacing Oobleck's role as the history teacher. The next chapter is a sort of history lesson that will explain to you all how the Great War turned out in this role reversal of a story. As well as other stuff as you can imagine. Hopefully, that comes out as good as I hope it does. I also sorta cheated with the team naming but I am gonna be real here, I have no idea what the hell YBWR could make. So, I named it the sound that me and CrowSkull make when we refer to this story. Y-Ber, and for some reason, it just had a ring to it from us.
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