Ch18: Day one
(Monday, Y+1, M+0, D+3)
"Oh, I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me! This is the best day ever!" Yang says, bear-hugging the breath out of Ruby.
"We told you yesterday. don't act like you just figured out." I say, as Yang lets Ruby go.
"Yeah, yeah." She says, before looking at the news report being played one of the many screens in the airship. I, for one, decided to lean against the wall and read my book. FOR THE EMPEROR!
Meanwhile, questions were asked, vomit was… well… vomited, and a beautiful view of the city was promptly ignored. By me.
We arrived on the ground, and the poor soul known as Jaune Arc vomited into a nearby bucket.
"Poor guy." I say, tucking my book into my greatcoat, a dark blue commissar-style sash tied around my waist underneath a weapon belt.
'And there goes Yang.' I think, as Yang runs off with some friends whose features I cannot make out.
Ruby spins around disoriented and mumbling about dorms.
She is about to fall into a luggage cart but I quickly grab onto her hood and pull her up.
"Might want to be a bit more careful sis." I say, still reading my book.
"Do you have any idea how much damage you might have caused!" I hear.
Muttering some incomprehensible German, I stash my book in my greatcoat, adjust my hat, pull Blue Death's storage form from its place on my lower back, something I'd picked up from Ruby, cycled it to its AR form, clipped on the sling, and slung the AR over my left shoulder, and stepped into the path of the onrushing blizzard.
"Is there a problem miss?" I calmly ask the Heiress.
"Of course there is. Now get out of my way." She says, irritated.
"Why?" I ask.
"So I can… so I can…" She says, trying to find an answer.
"So you can yell at my sister for no valid reason, just because you need someone to get angry at?"
"Of course not you dolt!" She says, angry.
"Who even says that anymore?"
"GRRRRR!" She growls.
"Do you intend to continue being angry, or are you going to calm down?"
"Do you even know who I am?' She asks, quite angry.
"Do you know who I am?" I reply in question.
In response, Weiss uses a combination of snarls, growls, noises for which i have no name, and a few unladylike words.
"If you're done having your mental breakdown, I think I'll be on my way princess." I say, starting to turn around.
"It's Heiress, actually." I hear Blake reply, seeing her walk up to join in the conversation. "Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee dust company." She states matter-of-factly.
"Finally some respect." Weiss huffs.
"Hello Kurt." She says, looking at me.
"Miss Belladonna. It's a pleasure seeing you again." I say, it'd been a few months since I last saw her at Tuckson's. Since the first meeting, we'd managed to strike up a few conversations about books, current events and the like. We weren't friends, but more along the lines of two casual acquaintances. "How've you been lately?" I ask conversationally, ignoring Weiss fuming in the background. Meanwhile Ruby had started talking to Jaune and the pair had wandered off in what they probably assumed was the direction of the auditorium.
"It's complicated." She says nervously.
"Then we can talk about it while I go direct my little sister back to the auditorium." I say, continuing to ignore Weiss.
"That would be nice." She says, probably noticing Weiss' current state.
"I think they went this way." I say, starting off in the direction Ruby and Jaune went, Blake walking alongside me. "So," I ask, "What happened?"
"What do you mean?"
"Firstly- I haven't seen you at Tuckson's for at least two months. Secondly, a highly trained… individual... such as yourself doesn't just show up at the most prestigious academy in Vale. And thirdly- a news report about your associates and a train car of Dust timed up suspiciously with you no longer showing up at Tuckson's."
"I'm a bit surprised that you managed to piece that together." She said.
"It was elementary my dear Belladonna!" I reply. "What happened, exactly? If I may be so bold as to ask?"
"It was Adam." She said, taking a breath. "We were on a mission and I found out that he had changed. He was a monster, and then I ran. It seems like that's all I can do is run some days."
"Maybe you just haven't found the right thing to stand and fight for." I say.
"I don't know." She said, sounding depressed.
"Cheer up, there's still time. Four years, as a matter of fact." I say, spotting Ruby and Jaune.
'Hey!" I shout, startling them, "Ruby! Auditorium's thataway!" I point in that general direction.
"Thanks!" She replies.
"So, Blake, what've you been doing since you left?" I ask.
"Training and doing some freelance work." She answers.
"Freelance work?"
"I was working as security for a club."
"Why would a club need that kind of security?" I ask, curious.
"The owner needed extra security after it got trashed."
"Was the club run by a man named Junior, by any chance?"
"How did you know that?"
"My sister trashed it."
"She looks a bit too young to go to, let alone trash, a club." Blake says, looking at me sternly.
"My other sister." I say, "The blonde one with the long hair."
"Is she your twin? You two look nothing alike."
"I'm adopted."
"Oh. Sorry."
"It's alright. I'm not embarrassed about it. In fact, I'm quite proud about it. My adoptive father is a huntsman. Definitely cooler than whatever my other parents were."
"What do you mean, whatever your other parents were?"
"I don't remember my parents. My little sister actually found me in the Eversnow Forest on Patch. I was bleeding out from a few gashes in my leg and my femoral artery was compromised, thanks to a Beowolf. I remember very little of my life before she found me. Not my family, not my home, not my friends. Hell, I don't even remember my own name! But they're my family now. They are what I stand and fight for. Maybe someday soon, you'll find that too."
"I'm sorry to hear that." She said before hastily adding. "About the amnesia."
"It's alright. My life was probably a lot less interesting than what it is now. Most other jobs frown upon walking around all day wearing a small armory." I chuckle, pushing back my greatcoat to show Blake the rest of my kit.
"Why do you carry so many weapons?" She asks, "Most people only carry one, maybe two."
"Two cutlasses for melee, an AR that extends to a sniper rifle for ranged work, a knife because everyone needs a knife, and my personal favorite: the Colt M1911 .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol." I say, unholstering Marxman and holding it pointed skyward.
"Did you make them all?"
"With the exception of the Colt." I say.
"Where'd you get it? Most people don't carry around scoped pistols."
"Hell if I know. I had it when I woke up in the forest. Killed a Beowolf with it." I chuckle. "Then its friends showed up."
"Sounds painful."
"It was. But then Dad unlocked my Aura and I got quite a bit better after a few hours of being unconscious. Ohey! We're here!" I say, as we walk up to the auditorium.
"Hey Kurt, we saved you a spot!" I hear Yang yell.
"That'd be my sister. See you later, I guess." I say, sketching a two fingered salute and walking off to Yang and Ruby, who were talking about Ruby not having friends.
"Why hello you two. Fancy seeing you here." I say, walking up to my sisters.
"Hi Kurt! I was just telling Yang about what happened after she deserted me." Ruby said, emphasizing the last part.
"Oh, that. Yeah. That girl was reeeeeaallly angry. Kinda surprised she didn't have an aneurysm or something." I say, smirking a bit. Out of the corner of my eye I spot Weiss. I turn, smile cheekily, and get an evil glare in return.
"Oh! There he is!" Ruby says, pointing to Ozpin, who was just walking onto the stage.
After a quite...unimpressive speech, Goodwitch gave us the schedule for the night and most of tomorrow.
Alrighty then.
[A couple of hours later]
"Yang, please, try not to corrupt Ruby. She's still innocent. Don't ruin it." I jest, dressed in my nightwear; a blue shirt and black shorts.
"Aww." Yang responds, with exaggerated sadness.
"Don't be such a crybaby." I joke.
"Hey, Ruby. What'cha doin?"
"Writing a letter to my friends back at Signal." She says, laying down on her sleeping bag, writing in a little journal.
"Awww! That's soo cuute!" Yang says, receiving a Zwei-pillow to the face in response.
"Shut up! I didn't get to take my friends with me to school! It's weird not knowing anyone here!" She said, still writing to her friends.
"Don't worry Ruby, you'll make friends. You just have to find 'em." I say, gesturing grandly to the other occupants of the room.
"Easy for you to say." Ruby said sullenly. "You already found that one girl."
"You mean Blake? I already knew her. We've seen each other a few times at the book shop. We're not that close. That was actually the longest conversation I've ever had with her." I say, chuckling a bit near the end.
"That still counts." Ruby says sullenly.
"What about that blond kid you were talking to. He seemed nice." I say.
"Yeah. So that means I have more friends than you!" She says happily.
"How did you come to that conclusion?" I ask.
"Well that crabby girl didn't like you. So that means you made one friend and a negative friend. And that makes zero." She says triumphantly.
"Even if that made sense, which it doesn't, I still have more friends that you haven't met." I say, smirking.
"Awww."
"Just think of it this way: at least you haven't made an enemy." I say.
"Yeah." She says, a little bit happier, before noticing something behind me and a bit to my right.
"Isn't that the girl you were talking to?" She asks, as I look over my shoulder, seeing Blake reading a book next to a lit candle.
"That's Blake." I agree, turning back to see Yang plotting.
"Are you plotting something dear sister?" I ask.
"Noooo." She denies somewhat sarcastically.
"How can you tell she isn't scheming?" Ruby asks.
"I've seen scheming. This is definitely plotting." I say decisively.
"Sheesh. I was thinking that you should introduce Ruby to Blake." Yang says.
'Blast.'
"She's not exactly the most outgoing person Yang. She'd probably much prefer reading her book to talking. To anyone." I say, before proceeding to fall fast asleep.