Ruby Rose had been having the time of her life since entering Beacon Academy a few weeks ago. When she'd first arrived, of course, she felt like she'd been out of her league. Nervous at every possible meeting. It had only been made worse when she'd managed to literally blow herself up, with Weiss Schnee, heiress to the largest producer of dust in Remnant, standing right next to her. The following argument had left her dejected and somewhat melancholy, wishing for home and her old friends. Still, as she went through initiation alongside the heiress, not to mention her sister, her partner, and 4 others who would fast become her friends, she began to finally feel like she belonged at the school. This was only reinforced when she was named the leader of team RWBY, and despite the first few weeks of school, where she came into conflict with her partner, made up, and dealt with a number of other issues among her friends, eventually she'd settled into her role nicely.

Still, with all the schoolwork being thrown at the poor girl, she has little time to keep up with world news, and what she did know she'd learned from listening to her friends discuss things. Like just after initiation, Weiss screaming bloody murder about some "low-life, uncivilized criminal scum!" who had apparently robbed a bank or something. Ruby hadn't paid much attention beyond that, she had been too busy trying to live up to the heiress' demanding standards to care much. Therefore, when the red-cloaked leader was called into Ozpin's office, she only frowned curiously at the young, grey haired man dressed in a very old style of clothing standing alongside Glynda. Ozpin glanced up from some papers on his desk and offered the team leader a soft, disarming smile.

"Ruby Rose. Having a good day, I hope?"

"Uh... yes sir! Did you... need anything from me sir?"

"As a matter of fact, I do. This young man will be attending Beacon from now on. His circumstances are somewhat special, but I'll explain that another time. I hate to take a day from your weekend, but if you could show him around, I'd appreciate it."

"Oh! Alright, I can do that!"

Ruby bounded up to the man, a warm smile spreading across her face, and stuck her hand out for a handshake, ready and willing to make a new friend. The man in question glanced skeptically at the Headmaster before reluctantly taking the girl's hand, shaking it firmly even if he looked like he'd rather be anywhere else.

"Hi! I'm Ruby."

"Asher."

"Um... Well. It's nice to meet you, Asher. So... We'd better get started, huh?"

"Sure. Whatever you say."

Ruby led the way out, Asher following along behind much more slowly. They traveled in silence for a few minutes, Ruby deciding that they'd start with the locker rooms, he'd need that for his weapon, wouldn't he? The thought led the young leader to glance at her companion again, this time searching for any sign of his weapon. Seeing none, Ruby halted in her tracks and spun to face the silent man, simultaneously drawing Crescent Rose and expanding it into scythe form. The explosion of movements, as well as the sudden appearance of an extremely dangerous looking weapon, seemed to spook Asher, as he jumped backwards in surprise.

"What the hell!?"

"I'm sorry! I just... I was getting really uncomfortable with the silence, and I could see your weapon on you, so I thought I'd asked, but then I thought it would be rude if I didn't show you mine first, so... This is Crescent Rose!" Ruby swung the weapon around experimentally, narrowly missing a painting on the wall and a rather expensive looking vase. Just holding her baby in her hands was comforting, and she immediately began to gush over the weapon. "She's a high-caliber sniper scythe I made back at Signal! I was utter garbage before my uncle Qrow taught me how to use her properly, but now, I'm like WAAAAAAAH! HAZAAAA! HIYA!"

Ruby swung the weapon around to emphasize her point, and Asher ducked as she narrowly missed cleaving him in half. The petite girl suddenly realized her mistake, and she laughed nervously before compacting her weapon again and slipping it onto her back. A moment of awkward silence followed as Asher stood and brushed himself off, giving the poor girl a look that said he thought she was insane, but Ruby pushed onwards anyone, eager to please and maybe find out what his weapon was.

"So, what about you?"

"Hm?"

"What kind of weapon do you have?"

"Oh. Uh... don't got one. Not anymore."

Ruby blinked. What? He didn't...? What? Her head cocked to the side in confusion, and Asher smiled sheepishly in response. Still, as she stared at him, he only seemed to wither further under her gaze, and his smile faded into a look of discomfort. She snapped out of it soon enough, however, and smiled brightly at him, figuring it must be part of his "special circumstances". She grabbed hold of his hand to drag him further along the corridors, releasing him only once they had a good pace going before she started up the conversation again.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure they'll let you build a new one. Oh! Maybe I can help you with that! That would be so cool~ I would never betray Crescent Rose, of course, but I'm sure she wouldn't mind me helping out a friend."

"Friend?"

"Yeah! You're my friend now! Right?"

Asher was silent as he considered this, rubbing his forearms in thought. At least until he glanced at the younger girl. Ruby, aware by now of the devastating power of her puppy dog eyes, had fixed him with the strongest version she could muster, silver eyes opening as wide as she could get them and mouth pouting adorably. The gray-haired boy took a step away from her, a look on his face that said it all, before he suddenly threw up his hands in defeat.

"Fine! I'm your friend, alright?"

"YES! I can't wait to tell the others about this! And we're here! The locker rooms! Did they say if you had one assigned yet?"

"I don't think so. I only got here today, after all."

"I'm sure you'll get one. Anyway, I think next we should head for the cafeteria! Always a good thing to know where the food is, right? And maybe my team will be there! I want you to meet them."

Ruby bounded off again, practically pulling Asher out the door and down the hallways. Soon enough, they were making their way to along a garden path, the team leader babbling about anything and everything she could think of, from classes(most of those were labeled boring) to initiation(had he done something like that) to the food(pretty good for a school cafeteria) to the dorms(she'd made bunk beds in hers). All the while Asher simply listened silently, taking in everything the girl was saying. Unbeknownst to her, the energetic girl was bringing back memories of... happier... times, and Asher's mood was quickly turning melancholic. He was saved, as it so happened, by the Ruby spotting one of her teammates, a black-haired young woman curled up under a tree, a book pulled close to her face. Ruby wasted no time in dragging her newest friend over to say hi, and as they neared their target, the girl shouted a greeting, causing the book readers amber eyes to flicker up then back down, then back up again upon seeing her leader with someone new.

"Hello, Ruby. Didn't you have to go see Ozpin this morning?"

"Yup! I need to show Asher around."

"Asher? Your new friend there?"

"Yup again! Asher, this is Blake. She's one of my teammates."

"Pleasure to meet you."

"Mm."

Blake's eyes had fixed on Asher, noticing subtle things that others probably would have missed. While she did tend to keep her nose in her books a lot, she wasn't so cut off as to not keep up with recent events. Most importantly, she noticed that this newcomer's name was shared with a certain criminal that had been caught a few months ago. More importantly, it was that same criminal that had stolen from the Schnee's, and which had angered Weiss at the same time. Blake, not one to be so quick to judge given her own checkered past, eyed the man in front of her. As if sensing her scrutinizing, Asher turned his gaze back on her, offering a small smile in return. Blake stared a moment longer before pulling her book back up into her face. She wasn't going to get involved, not this time. Asher frowned in response, before glancing at Ruby in question.

"Don't worry. She's always like that. Blake loves her books. Anyway, we'd better get going. See you later Blake!"

Blake merely offered a parting wave before returning her full attention to her book. Ruby dragged off her charge again, once again on the path to the cafeteria. The trip was much shorter, having been interrupted by their meeting with Blake just before reaching their destination, and upon entering they heard a cheer rise out of a nearby table. Ruby's smile grew as she noticed a flash of gold among the people gathered. She skipped over happily, diving through the crowd to reach her sister, who was nestled at the heart.

"Yang!"

"Ruby!"

Ruby's blonde sibling grabbed her in a one armed hug before turning back to what she was doing. It quickly became apparent that people were challenging her to arm wrestling competitions, and most were failing miserably. She took down the newest challenger, an upperclassman Ruby didn't recognize, before breaking up the party and turning her full attention on Ruby.

"So, what's up sis?"

"I'm just showing a new student around the school. Yang, meet Asher!"

"Uh... h-"

"I know you! You were at that club before! Remember that story I told you about, Ruby, the one about the club and me kicking ass? That was the one guy I was talking about!"

"Really? You've met Yang already?"

"Uh... sorta? I mean, I don't think I've met anyone else who's quite so... lively. Besides you. So you're probably right. But I wouldn't call something like that really... meeting. So, for the first time, hi, I'm Asher."

"Nice to meet you, Ashy! I'm Yang! Now, before we go any further, I need to talk to you alone real quick. Don't worry, Rubes, we'll be right back!"

Yang dragged the poor man off, hand nearly bone crushing tight around his own. He hissed in pain before she managed to get him out of sight, and then he found his back against the wall and the blonde brawler uncomfortably close, her hands covered by gauntlet looking things. Her smile before, pleasant and friendly, was suddenly replaced with a grimly sadistic grin and her knuckles cracking only added to the frightening image. Asher was suddenly wondering what horrors were about to be inflicted on him, only to have Yang slam a fist into the wall, the cement cracking visibly. She hadn't made the connection between this Asher and the robber Asher on the news months ago, but she DID know that anyone talking to Junior was likely up to nothing good. Whatever his reasons, he was here now, and somehow had befriended her sister. Yang had to look out for her sister.

"I'm only going to say this once. You do anything, and I mean ANYTHING, to hurt my little sister, and I will make sure to hunt you down and pummel you till you wish you were dead. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal."

"Good." The pleasant smile was back, and Ember Celica returned to its bracelet form as she straightened out again. "Now then, Ashy, let's go do whatever it is you two were doing."

"Right... can we drop the Ashy thing?"

"Nope!"

"Didn't think so."

Once the pair had reunited with Ruby, they gave the newly dubbed "Ashy" the grand tour, keeping an eye out for Weiss while they were at it. As luck would have it, Weiss was nowhere to be found, but in their search they visited every place of importance. They ran into team JNPR at the training halls, with a round of introductions following and mixed reactions to Asher. They soon left the team to their own devices, and the three wanderers ran into Blake(or Blakey, if you were Yang) again in the Library. They visited again for a few brief minutes, then Ruby and Asher had to leave, mainly to return Asher to the hands of the Headmaster. Once the pair were gone, Blake put down her book and faced Yang, face serious.

"Yang, do you know who he is?"

"Not really. I mean, I ran into him once before, but I doubt anything he was doing was worse than what I did. Besides, he treats Ruby alright, and that's good enough for me. I think he might be a good thing for Ruby."

"A good thing?"

"Yeah, you know. Someone around her who's mellow, without being so demanding like the Ice Princess."

"You mean me?"

"Yeah, but for her. You're my mellow person."

Blake sighed, her partner's antics a common occurrence enough that she simply retrieved her book and continued reading. She'd hoped Yang might have noticed something out of the ordinary, but it seems the faunas girl would have to keep her suspicions to herself for now. Only time would really tell if she was right or not.

As Ruby and Asher reached the final hallway to the Headmaster's office, Ruby halted in her tracks, fidgeting a little. It had bothered her all day, ever since she'd started showing him around, and she felt a little bad. Asher took a few more steps before realizing the petite girl wasn't walking with him anymore, and turned to face her, a curious expression on his face.

"You alright, Ruby?"

"Um... I'm sorry."

"... Excuse me?"

"I mean, I know today wasn't all that fun. And I kinda forced my friendship on you without really asking if you really wanted to be my friend. It's just... you looked so unhappy when I first saw you. I just wanted you to cheer up a little. But I guess I just made it worse, forcing you to meet my teammates and talk to people you didn't really seem interested in."

Asher took in her words, mulling them over a moment before walking over to stand in front of her. He hesitated a moment, not sure if he really wanted to do what he was about to do, then decided he might as well. His hand came up to pat the smaller girl on the head, and she blinked in surprise before glancing up at him. He gave her a genuinely warm smile before taking his hand back and giving her a reply.

"Ruby, I'm not going to say I'm the most like-able person in the world. I tend to be a bit sarcastic and sullen around those I'm unfamiliar with, except for certain situations. But I can promise you that I don't regret becoming your friend. Well, not yet anyway. Talk to me again in a few weeks, maybe I'll have a complaint or two." Ruby giggled at that, and Asher's smile widened at seeing her happy. "Still, I hope you'll continue to show me the ropes. I'm a little... ok, a lot rusty with this whole hunter thing. And to answer your question from the beginning of the day, I'd love your help building me a new weapon. So cheer up, alright?"

"Alright... I wasn't boring?"

"Nope. A little hyper, but never boring."

"You liked meeting my friends?"

"Sure. Though I can't say that Blake person likes me much, and your sister is a little intimidating... She's really your sister?"

"Yup! And don't worry about Blake, she's like that with everybody."

"Whatever you say. I think I'll be fine from here. Just down the hall, first door on the left?"

"You got it. Will I see you tomorrow?"

"I'm gonna say most likely."

"Alright then! See you tomorrow, Asher!"

"See you tomorrow, Ruby."

The girl took off, happy as can be at making a new friend. For the man left behind, however, the moment was bittersweet. He felt like he'd done the right thing in treating her kindly, but... tomorrow was probably going to alienate her, and everyone he'd met today, very quickly. Well, what comes, comes. There was nothing he could do about that. It was a miracle Ozpin had even managed to get away with taking custody of him in the first place. Thoughts in order, Asher turned and strode down the hall towards his inevitable, lonely fate.

As it turns out, Blake's suspicions were confirmed the very next day as the school was gathered to announce the arrival of the criminal and his attendance of the school as part of his rehabilitation. Therefore she was the only one not surprised as Asher, wearing a Beacon uniform, was put up on stage in front of the entire student body and introduced as not only the criminal who'd aided in the theft the SDC payroll, but also the newest student of Beacon Academy. Almost as an after thought, Ozpin added that they'd be adding additional topics to the strategy and tactics based classes, to include studies of criminal methods and proper measures to take when dealing with certain situations. By then though, no one was really paying attention. After all, who could pay attention, even if they wanted to, as an entire student body broke out into an open uproar, most shouting out against allowing a criminal to be in the same school. Weiss Schnee was undoubtedly the most vocal, and although her exact words were lost in the general commotion, almost everyone would later swear they heard her voice shouting for the "insufferable scum" to be taken to jail. Blake simply accepted the change with a sigh, she didn't exactly have much room to argue against it, given her own past. Yang was surprised, but otherwise unaffected, at least until she turned and laid eyes on Ruby. Her sister had been shocked into silence, and on her face was a look of utter devastation and betrayal. The moment Yang took that look in, the air around her warmed considerably and her eyes flashed red.

Someone was going to be going to be learning the definition of pain.