The day's classes continued, going over plenty of material. Most of it was basic stuff, but in a day, Yang Xiao Long felt like she had relearned everything taught to her in five years of combat school at Signal Academy. She left her final class of the day; Beginners Battlefield Medicine, with her head swimming with information and terms that she knew she had heard hundreds of times before. Everything felt new to her since starting at Beacon.
It was strange to see. She knew all about pre-huntsmen history, but it felt like Signal had barely scratched the surface compared to Professor-
"-Doctor!" came Oobleck's shout somewhere across the school.
Doctor Oobleck's single lecture. The same was true for her understanding of Aura, which after the basic concepts, delved into methods to stretch a person's Auric Allowance in their youth, similar to stretching a muscle pre-workout for better muscle growth. Already, Yang knew that she was going to be spending plenty of time in the gym bringing down her aura as low as humanly possible, toing the line between its functioning and broken states. She was not particularly excited for that.
And then there was Advanced Grimm Theory, Global Economics and Trade, Nature and Wildlife, Situation Diffusion and Civilian Strategy, Dust Theory and a course that was already the bane of her existence: Ballistics and Projectile Mechanics.
That one was the only course that she had zero previous experience with. And like all first year courses, they were all mandatory, regardless of the weapons they used.
There were just so many courses…
Eleven of them! Eleven freaking courses in her first semester alone. It was insane. Who could handle eleven courses at once without crumbling from all the stress? Not her, that was for sure.
Add to classes, she had to go to the gym as often as possible, both to workout and practice her sparring, she needed time to just chill; hanging out with friends, party, and when possible, drink. Oh, and sleep. Because apparently for the first few weeks there would be a curfew for first years to help them get settled into a reasonable schedule.
Yang was sure it was just a power-trip by the headmaster and the headmistress. Ruby seemed to be enjoying everything though. Every class, she spotted the little kid, often sitting in the front row, her legs swinging as they were too short to reach the ground. Some classes, she sat right in the thick of things, between various teams of students, always with a bright smile on her face, like she was super happy to be there.
The professors seemed to enjoy it too. And, from what she heard by passing upper-years, it was lucky to have her with them. Apparently they taught slower to make sure she understood everything. Well, understand as much as a ten year old taking classes with people almost a decade older than them could understand. Was she the only one that found that a little weird?
It always looked like she was busy doing something. Even now, sitting in the cafeteria at a table by herself, save for the occasional passing third and fourth-year, she was colouring in a drawing or something with a bright red maker. Her tongue was out in concentration. It was too adorable.
"Yang, focus," the snapping in front of her face tore her from her thoughts and back to Nora, who happened to be one of the only people to actually write down everything Professor Peach had taught in Nature and Wildlife class.
Yang snorted and shook herself off.
"Ya, I'm focused. I'm good… cool. You were saying?"
Nora rolled her eyes dramatically. "Renny! Your teammate wasn't listening to my wisdom! Tell her to listen to her best teammate!"
"Listen to your best teammate," Ren said, not looking up from his scroll all while eating a bowl of oatmeal. This seemed to satisfy Nora however, who smiled and nodded with delight.
"Nora, thanks for helping me with this stuff. It's interesting, but there's just so much to know. Most experience I had is going camping with my dad. I know the edible stuff from the inedible, but none of this tracking and weather prediction stuff. How did you learn it?"
"I learned it the best way," Nora wrapped an arm around Yang, squishing their cheeks together. With a wave of her hand she said, "by force!"
"Huh?"
"Exactly. Now get to it! You're not the only one who wants little ol' me's notes. I got Jaune offering to do my laundry for the rest of the week for this stuff."
Yang raised an eyebrow. "I'm not giving you anything though."
Nora burst out into laughter. "I know!"
Yang had to join in on it. Nothing better than a good sister-team prank, right? It was weird to think that after a day she'd already be close to another team. Already it looked like they were going to be the odd ones out.
Looking around the cafeteria, she could easily spot groups of twos and fours. Teams and partners. There were a few larger tables among the first years with friends from combat schools, but most people were sitting with their teams. Almost exclusively.
It only looked to be opening up with the fourth years, who all sat together at the really long table on the far side of the room, chatting away with each other. Maybe it was one of those things. The newer kids formed their team-based cliques while the big boys and girls got along well.
Or maybe they had seen enough combat to know that classroom rivalries and one-upmanship was useless in the real world.
"Cookies!"
Yang's attention, as well as a good portion of the other first year teams were back on to Ruby. Some girl with violet hair had given her a plate of the treats with a grin. Ruby jumped up onto the table and gave the older girl a hug. It was sort of funny to see. Ruby standing on the table was still shorter than this girl.
"Thanks Indigo!"
Yang shrugged. Guess the chick's name was Indigo.
"Yangarang!" Nora gasped. "Time is money and I got neither!"
Yang chuckled. "Sorry Nora. I'll be done with it in a minute."
Yang sped through the rest of Nora's notes, copying as much as she could. She'd sort through what was relevant and what was likely to be new pancake recipes for Ren to try later.
"Thanks," she let out as she handed the notebook back to its owner and left the table with just a wave goodbye.
Ruby was sitting alone, though her attention was now divided between her doodling, cookies and Indigo, who looked completely at ease with talking to a ten-year-old while her friends and teammates were eating just a few tables away.
"Hi!" Yang said with a smile as she approached them.
"My cookies!" Ruby growled. Indigo flicked her ear. "Oh, right. Hello Yang!"
Yang laughed at their interaction, as well as how Ruby was still covering the plate of cookies from her potential reach.
"Hi," Yang turned to the fourth year. "I'm Yang Xiao Long."
"Ah, Team APYL. Was wondering when I was going to run into you lot." Indigo reached out and took Yang's hand in a handshake. Her easygoing smile was enough to make Yang blush and rub her neck.
"You know about us?"
"Yup," she said popping her 'p'. Oh, Yang was gonna like this girl.
"Are we famous or something?"
Indigo laughed, "no, nothing like that. You lot are assigned to us. Well, more like you and Miss Invincible Girl are assigned to my teammates and me and Ashe are assigned to Blake and Weiss. But we heard your teams were already pretty close so we're probably going to do stuff together, along with some buddies of ours who have the other four of you. We were all actually going to introduce ourselves tomorrow during Advanced Grimm Theory. You know how it is. You had a Professor Port class and we upper years thought it'd be best to give you a break. One class of his is enough for the first week. You feel me?"
Yang laughed. "I so do."
"Oh, I'm Indigo Fleur. Didn't think I mentioned that yet."
Now Ruby giggled into her cookie. "She's as forgetful as me!"
Indigo rubbed Ruby's hair with a smile. "You say that, but you remember the weirdest things."
"Stop it or I tell Yang about the Pizza Incident!"
Indigo immediately stopped. "You wouldn't."
"Uh huh, yes I would!" Ruby smirked an adorable little smirk.
"You win this round. Go eat your cookie," Indigo faux grumbled, all the while trying to hide a bubbling laugh from the little girl. Something Yang was easily able to notice. "Why don't you go back to eating and drawing Crescent mark three while me and Yang have a little chat."
"Okay, bye Indigo. Bye Yang, it was nice seeing you again!"
As the two elder girls went away, taking a seat at an empty table, Ruby went back to drawing, sticking cookies into her mouth all the while. Indigo smiled, "she's still a goofball."
"Want to fill me in on the Pizza Incident?"
"Not on your life, Yang," Indigo smirked. "I did want to say thank you to you, so I am glad you came over to talk with Ruby for a bit. Though I did steal you away from her rather quickly."
"Thanks for what?"
"For watching out for Ruby."
Yang frowned, her eyebrows furling in confusion. "I'm not sure what you mean?"
"Really?" Now it was Indigo's turn to be surprised. "The little devil talks about you constantly. It's been like a day or two since you first years have arrived and yet she's taken quite a liking to you. Don't let all that power go to your head though. She may have an in with the headmistress, but she's way too noble for a pipsqueak."
"I can here you calling me names!" Ruby shouted from her seat.
"No you can't!" Indigo called back.
"I really don't know what to say," Yang replied sheepishly. "We talked a little during Initiation and after it, but I don't really know what I said that would have left that big of an impression on her. She talks to so many people, all the time. All I did was listen."
Indigo smiled sadly and patted Yang on the shoulder as she started to walk away. "That must've been it. Catch up with you tomorrow during Port's."
It's been a while!
Thank you for your kind compliments Naigaichi, merendinoemeliano, Amir2000, Darknight2124, and Loftcat27.
joepaul6 - there's always people who hate those who are stronger, or better or anything above them. Hopefully Weiss changes her behaviour real soon.
NeoShadeSpartan12 - She really does. Really, really.
Therecklessone - oh my god, Ozpin teaching Glynda to change a diaper. I love it!
YeTianshi - Thanks, and yes. Some things don't. Weiss will always need to learn to behave like a human being.
Kivuntappaja - Ya! Who would consider child soldiers! *cough*Ozpin*cough* Did you hear something? Must've been the wind.