A/N: Thanks for sticking with me! I hope you're enjoying this. Let me know what you think!

Laws of Attraction

Although the assembly felt like it had only taken a few moments, the procedure afterwards ended up consuming the rest of the afternoon. There were so many things that needed to be done- intake, registration, receiving her uniform, getting her timetable. The professors even came to make introductions to the new students as they worked on various administrative duties.

By the time night fell, Pyrrha found herself being swept away to the large hall where they would be spending the night. All the new students would be sleeping in the hall together that night, as they had yet to be assigned dormitories.

Pyrrha sighed, sitting down on her temporary bed and drying her hair. At least the communal washrooms were large and well-maintained, letting her take a quick shower whilst the other girls were busy meeting new people. She looked desperately at the other students, envy bubbling in her chest as she saw how naturally they all greeted each other, despite being total strangers. Friends were already forming- yet, why couldn't she approach anyone?

A loud, familiar voice caught her attention. "Hey Ren, did you hear that?" a girl nearby cried exuberantly, throwing her hands up in the air as she collapsed into her bed. Still dressed in her regular clothing, Pyrrha recognized the bubbly girl in the pink skirt who had bumped into her earlier. Her orange hair was messy from her constant fussing, pale eyes looking around with a fervour that was almost manic, never able to stay in one place. "We share rooms! That's like, the ultimate never-ending slumber party! Ooh, we should be on a team, then we can hang out all the time! Hopefully that'll happen. And then we can have slumber parties with our teammates! Oh, aren't you excited?" Her words seemed to flow out constantly, never taking a moment to breathe, never breaking her pace.

The boy she spoke to calmly buttoned up his pyjama top, never flinching at her constant bouncing, almost as if she wasn't there. Pyrrha felt a wave of anger wash over her- was he just ignoring her, when she was trying so hard to talk to him?

However, her anger turned to laughter very quickly as the boy reached over and smoothed her hair, responding, "You should brush your teeth before you continue."

The girl paused, taking into account what he said quietly. Suddenly, she jumped to her feet, excitement doubled. "You're absolutely right!" And with that, she was gone.

Pyrrha shook her head, silently shaking with laughter at the spectacle. It was heartwarming, seeing everyone around her being so kind to one another. Other than the boys from the entrance ceremony, she just knew that her peers would be good people.

As long as I don't make a scene, at least. Now, I've just got to make some of them my friends. But the task was daunting, and as she stood up and looked around for potential friends to talk to, she quickly felt overwhelmed by the chatter. It's okay, Pyrrha, she told herself sternly. Just be yourself. And find people who are also bad at talking. That's a good plan.

Even though only half of the students were actually in the hall at the moment, with the rest populating the washrooms or exploring the school grounds, there were more than enough people for Pyrrha to talk to. Spotting a group of girls huddled by the wall who seemed a bit more approachable than the already-formed cliques dominating the hall, she wandered over, weaving through the beds. A few of the boys were roughhousing nearby, playfully wrestling, while another group of girls gossiped as they polished their gear. Holding her head high, she walked past them all with a friendly smile on her lips, nodding whenever anyone looked her way. When they made eye contact with her, people would smile, but oftentimes she could feel their stares lingering on her back as she walked past them. The attention made her stomach squirm, but she couldn't give up- not now.

Unfortunately, she never made it to the quiet group she had set her sights on. Before she could reach them, a booming, confident voice called out, "Excuse me, students. Is Miss Nikos here?"

Instantly, all eyes darted to the door, seeing a fairly rotund man with reddish cheeks smiling gently at the entrance. He was wearing a deep burgundy suit, the golden trim shining even in the dim lighting of the grand hall. His eyes were creased heavily in the corners, the proof of years of smiling- but his lips were hidden under a grand, slightly curled grey mustache.

Please don't. Hesitantly, Pyrrha raised her hand. "I'm here, sir."

Just as quickly, all eyes in the room were locked onto her. A faint whisper rose among the students, their gazes staring at her half with awe, half with disdain. Getting called out by a Huntsman, a professor, on their first night? She had either screwed up big, or was a special case, indeed.

And as the murmurs of, "Look- it's the Pyrrha Nikos," swept the hall, they all reached the same conclusion. The star of Sanctum was getting special treatment.

No, no, no! This isn't what I wanted at all! The redhead almost wept from frustration.

Utterly oblivious to the curious stares she was getting from the rest of the room, the man laughed heartily, belly bouncing with the movement. "Well then, Miss Nikos- if I may have a word."

Groaning internally, Pyrrha cast a longing glance towards the girls and began walking towards the door. Goodbye, potential friends, she thought wistfully as she reached the entrance.

"Hello, Miss Nikos," he began, holding out a hand as she approached him, "I am Professor Port, one of your instructors. I must say that it is lovely to meet you!"

"Ah, thank you, Professor," she smiled weakly, shaking his hand with far less enthusiasm. "It's an honour to meet you, as well." He had been introduced during their intake proceedings earlier in the day with all the other staff members, but they hadn't spoken- what was he doing there?

Professor Port's smile widened even further. "I've heard a lot of wonderful things about you, young lady," he began, excitement evident in his voice. "You're known as the pride of Sanctum this year- we on the staff have all been looking forward to seeing your performance in person. Why, hearing the stories of your exploits reminds me of my youth- if you'd like, I could tell you the tales of my numerous adventures on the hunt."

"You're too kind," she replied, ducking her head. The gazes had intensified as other students had returned to the hall, and now it just felt like the entire room was burning holes in her back. "Maybe for another day, sir- it's been a long day of travelling." Please stop- sir, you're making a scene.

Clearly, the professor was not paying attention to the hostile atmosphere. Thankfully, he at least understood when she wanted to be left alone. "Very true, very true! Well, I'm sure that you'll give us an astounding performance during landing practice tomorrow, Miss Nikos," he stated, clapping her on the shoulder. "I'm looking forward to it."

She grinned weakly back. "Thank you, sir," she said, shifting uncomfortably. "I'll do my best."

"As you should!" he laughed uproariously. "With that, I shall bid you goodnight." Turning to face the general hall, he called in his booming voice, "Rest well, my students! You will all need it for tomorrow!"

A chorus of 'goodnight, professor's emerged from the confused students watching the spectacle in the hall. With that, Professor Port turned on his heel and left, cavalry boots making its cadence known as he marched through the halls.

With slumped shoulders, she made her way back to her bed. Maybe tomorrow would be better- she certainly didn't feel like talking to the other students anymore that night. Now that everyone was aware that she was the golden child Sanctum had sent to Beacon from Mistral that year, her peers were giving her the same looks all the Sanctum kids did- that look that made her feel like a stranger.

That look that just screamed, You'll never be one of us.

Out of the blue, a voice jeered, "So what was that about? Are you really all that, 'Miss Nikos'?"

She turned around, seeing a group of boys and girls glaring at her, arms crossed. "I don't really know," she admitted tiredly. "He wanted to say hello. We've never really met, though."

The boy who had spoken snorted. "Must be nice being teacher's pet without even trying, then," he muttered, scorn oozing from every pore.

Standing straight and tall, she squared off against him. "I didn't do anything," she insisted. "I'd prefer if you didn't assume that- I promise, I'm just here to be a normal student."

The gaggle collectively scoffed at her words as the boy, their leader, crossed his arms and looked down his nose at her. However, he quickly faltered as he realized that they were eye-to-eye, and that Pyrrha- standing at nearly six feet even without her customary heeled boots- would be at least an even match, even without her equipment. Adding the fact that she was the Pyrrha Nikos, picking a fight would only lead to his loss. Clicking his tongue at her, the boy stood and motioned for his friends to walk away, leaving her surrounded by empty beds and nothing but the stares of the other students to keep her company.

She groaned, taking a seat on her bed. There was no way that anyone would talk to her.

Maybe tomorrow will be better, she repeated to herself as she slid under the covers, hearing the chatter in the hall pick up once more as she pretended to drift off. She clutched the blankets tight around herself as the laughter, excitement, and general buzz of the room returned, without her there to gawk at.

Little steps, Pyrrha. Little steps.