Class B-8 Part 2: Partners
A few hours after the students of Oroseia Academy were assigned their partners, Jurabi and Angel sat together in the courtyard, silently staring in their independent directions. The silence between them was so thin a dagger could cut through it, just quiet enough for Jurabi, with his acute hearing, to hear the purple-haired faunus's fast heartbeat.
Wanting to break the ice, the boy finally started the conversation, "Well…uh…" He stopped, realizing he wasn't even looking at her. Rectifying this error, he glanced at her and said, "I guess the best thing to say is 'I look forward to working with you'…uh…Angel, was it?"
The girl quickly nodded like a bobble toy, her eyes shut tight and face red. "Y-Yes," She managed to squeak out, "I…uh…look forward to working with you too, Mr. Alisen."
"I already told you. You don't need to be so formal with me." Jurabi found his gaze began to focus more on her wolf tail, moving from left to right while hanging from their stone bench.
"B-But I looked up some things about you online," Angel said, putting her two index fingers together, "You're the new CEO of Alisen Industries. Tiggy always taught me to be respectful to others, especially if they have such high authority."
"Tiggy?" Jurabi asked.
Angel flinched and quickly said, "Oh, that's my nickname for Mr. Toru."
"Hm, that's a funny nickname." Jurabi said, which caused the girl to stare at him, eyebrow raised, "In any case, I don't think titles mean anything here." His eyes moved from her tail to her purple beanie, "I'm just a student like you."
"That's…fair," Angel said.
"Besides, you're already talking to me and having a conversation. Doesn't that alone make us equals?" Jurabi asked, which caused the girl to snap her attention to him.
"D-does it?" Her pink eyes widened as her index fingers repelled from each other. "I-I can stop talking if I'm doing anything to insult you, Mr. Alisen!"
Jurabi sighed, feeling the exhaustion of a child trying to climb a tall tree. He then turned his gaze to the students walking by, conversing about their plans for the day. "Do you notice the students avoiding me, Angel?"
Angel followed the direction of Jurabi's gaze, letting out a slow breath.
Seeing this as a sign that she was following along, Jurabi continued. "My company had a lot of controversy—too many to even count. It's natural for everyone, faunus especially, to want to avoid me."
"But that's…" Angel looked back at Jurabi, realizing too late that she had frowned. Closing her eyes, she let out a sigh. "I'm sorry."
"You don't have anything to be sorry about. I wouldn't be mad if you called me by my name. I know I have much to learn, but I promise to fulfill my role as your partner. Can I count on you to do the same?"
"Partner…" Angel whispered before looking into Jurabi's crimson eyes. "O-Okay, uh…Ju…Jurabi."
"And one more thing." Jurabi scratched his head briefly, asking, "Can I…touch your tail?"
Angel's eyes widened as her cheeks heated up. Instinctively, she moved her tail away from Jurabi. "I-I'm sorry, b-but…."
"I-I know. I heard that faunus tails are sensitive," Jurabi stared at the tail endlessly, "But… it's so..."
"M-Maybe some other time, Jurabi!" Angel shouted, jumping off the bench.
Jurabi let out a deep huff. "It was worth a shot." He looked at the tail, biting his lips to resist the urge to lunge at it. "It's so…fluffy…"
A giggle snapped the boy out of his imagination.
"Well, well, what do we have here?" The familiar, cheery voice of Aoife.
"Oh boy…" Jurabi whispered.
"Two silent, kindred spirits finding solace in their first meeting," The magenta-haired woman rose from behind the bench.
"Ah!" Angel squealed, "Wh-where did you come from?"
"That's her natural talent. Popping up out of nowhere unannounced," Jurabi explained, resting his hand over his forehead.
"Aw, thrust cruel words cut through thine fragile heart, Jubi," Aoife said, "Tis it not natural for one to indulge in thou hunger for a love story?"
"L-love?!" Angel squeaked, her face turning red as a tomato.
"Will you quit with the love story crap, Aoife?" Jurabi asked, glaring at the woman. "And what the hell is with that talk? It's so cringe."
"Teehee, come on, Jubi, I know you have the same thoughts from time to time. It's unmanly to hide your feelings from a girl whose heart is pure as snow~!"
Jurabi rolled his eyes and turned to Angel. "Ignore her, Angel. She's always like this."
"Teehee, indeed I am. Loud and proud~!" Aoife cheered.
"I do hope you're not insinuating vile things in front of Angel, Miss Chandani," A familiar voice called as, not a few seconds later, Toru arrived.
"Oh, perish the thought, Mr. Shinzo. I was simply giving off a good first impression." Aoife said with a smile.
"Your definition of that term leaves much to be desired," Toru said, shaking his head.
Aoife giggled before turning to the two teenagers, "In all seriousness, I hope you two were able to get along as partners."
"I-It is a little nerve-wracking, but Mr. Jurabi has been nice to me all morning," Angel said with a smile of approval.
"That's good. I was so worried that my Jubi would scare away the first girl he's ever interacted with in ages," Aoife said, breathing an overdramatic sigh.
"And I doubt you had a normal interaction with a man," Jurabi muttered, his eyebrow twitching.
"Still, it is troubling that you two were even paired, to begin with," Toru pointed out.
Angel tilted her head. "Why's that?"
"It is academy standard to have pairs be of similar gender to make the process of assigning dorms easier," Toru explained, adopting a thinking pose, "so how is it that you two were paired together?"
"It must have been an error the staff made," Jurabi theorized, "Knowing the Assistant Director, he's likely noticed it by now."
"Oh, does that mean he and I won't be partners?" Angel asked, staring down at the ground.
"Not in the long run, I'm afraid, but no need to feel down about it," Toru said. "You both will have until the end of the next entrance exam to bond with each other."
A sigh escaped Angel's lips, representing gloom and rejection.
"Anyways, why don't we turn those frowns upside down and get this tour started?" Aoife asked.
"Tour?" Angel asked.
"Aoife, didn't we do that yesterday?" Jurabi asked.
"For the basic facilities, yes, but I want to show you both the best this academy has to offer. All the wonderful places you can go to relax and have fun." Aoife said.
"We're not going to wait for Ken?" Jurabi asked.
"He's a little busy with his assigned student at the moment," Aoife said before tears began to form in her eyes, "Such a shame. I was looking forward to entering the swimming pool with him!"
"Of course…" Jurabi muttered, staring and silently judging his chaperone.
"What's a pool?" Angel asked.
"You don't know what a pool is?" Aoife asked.
"Angel hails from Staneia just like me. A pool to us is no different from a coffin there, so she's not had the chance to experience one," Toru explained, smiling at Angel, "Are you curious to see one?"
When the young faunus nodded, Aoife clapped her hands together. "Excellent! Then I'll be your guide, little Angel. It's on the other side of campus, but it'll be worth the trip."
"Or you just want an excuse to see-"
"Shhh, Jubi!" Aoife covered Jurabi's mouth before he spoke the forbidden truth, "They don't need to know that…!"
Angel was perplexed by the behavior of the two humans before her. Turning to Toru, she asked, "Mr. Toru, is everyone outside Staneia like this?"
"It's not nice to generalize people, Angel," Toru lightly scolded, "Hopefully, these two are the exception instead of the rule."
##
In the director's office, Ackmor was in the middle of a call while reviewing recently submitted documents.
"I see," He said to the person on the other line, "Good. Continue the operation as briefed, and keep me updated, Lindow."
"Director!" A voice spooked him briefly as Doran marched into the room.
"I'll call you back. The nagging is going to begin," Ackmor said with a chuckle before ending the call. He smiled at his less-than-happy assistant, "Is something the matter, Doran? You look like a balloon ready to pop."
"Do you mind explaining what this is about?" Doran took out a file and handed it to Ackmor.
Ackmor briefly looked at the file, soon realizing it was about the partner pairing selection for the students. Circled with a red marker, four particular groups stuck out. One of them being Jurabi and Angel. After catching this, Ackmor's smile grew wider. "Ah…that."
"Eight errors were found after the partner selection process had concluded," Doran explained, "Well, I'd call them errors if I didn't find out that someone arranged for this to happen."
"Is that so?" Ackmor laid back on his office chair, feigning ignorance, "Hm, I wonder who that could be."
Doran let out a huff after hearing his director's lighthearted reply. "With all due respect, Director, could you at least take this seriously? We can't afford to mess with the standard rules like this."
"I am aware of that," Ackmor said, "however, you forget that I always have reasons for what I do. This is no different."
"If you at least explain it to me, then I would understand, Director," Doran said.
"Doran, Doran, Doran, I know you better than anyone here," Ackmor leaned forward, "I'm asking you to trust my judgment on this. I want to see how Jurabi's group performs along with the others I've chosen." Seeing the unconvinced look on his assistant's face, he added, "And…if those four groups don't work well together, then you can reorganize them as you see fit."
"If that's the reason, then why those eight students in particular?" Doran asked, "Not only Mr. Alisen, but also Argyros, Miss Pretorius, and Ouro. You paired them with people of the opposite sex to them. Please don't tell me that this makes them roommates, too."
"Perish the thought, Doran. I may be the most unlikely Director you know…"
"Not something I'm proud of…"
"But I'm not willing to break that rule," Ackmor said, his smile flattening into a straight line, "The boys will be roommates with the boys, same with the girls."
"That's a relief, but still, I would like it if you informed me of these 'drastic' decisions you're so fond of making, Director," Doran said, shaking his head.
Ackmor chuckled. "… Let's just say I wanted this semester to be…a bit more interesting."
##
Meanwhile, Aoife and Toru guided Jurabi and Angel to a wide area filled from top to bottom with plants and mini-trees. Each was sorted into their respective categories of required sunlight, water, whether they grow food, and preferred temperature. Within each section was a group of plant experts studying and nurturing the growing plants while carefully removing any fruits and vegetables grown.
"Wow, I've never seen so many plants in one place!" Angel shouted, her eyes moving from one speck of greenery to the next in an endless circle.
"Like what you see?" Aoife asked, "As you can guess, this is the Greenhouse Garden. Students with the qualified knowledge on growing and nurturing plants can use this place to grow a variety of plant life, and it's where you can get the tastiest fruit in Vastel."
"F-fruit?" Jurabi asked, "E-Even strawberries?"
"Mr. Alisen… you're drooling," Toru pointed out.
"Ah, sorry!" Jurabi shouted, wiping the drool hanging off his mouth.
"Strawberries…" Angel whispered to herself.
"As much as it is tempting to take one of the fruit, please don't," Aoife said, "They are strictly for ingredients our kitchen staff use to cook our food."
"There must be a lot of those if it's enough for the entire academy," Angel said.
"Trust me, that's putting it lightly," Aoife said with a smile.
As they continued their tour through the garden, Jurabi heard a deep voice of a boy muttering to himself.
"Not here either…"
"Hm?" Jurabi turned to see a boy faunus with black fox ears staring at the countless assortment of plants on display.
"What is it, Mr. Alisen?" Toru asked.
"Oh, I just noticed that boy over there," Jurabi said.
Toru glanced in the direction of the boy. The moment he saw his black fox ears, his eyes widened before his eyebrows lowered. He then said, "Best not to disturb him."
"Do you know him?" Jurabi asked.
"Yes…though I'm not sure how he came to be in this academy," Toru said.
"Isn't he a…"
Toru put a finger against Angel's mouth to stop her from speaking further.
"Oh…" Angel whispered, her gaze turning back to the faunus boy, peacefully and silently touching the flowers.
Aoife didn't speak a word either before she called for their attention back on the tour.
Meanwhile, Acacia had entered the greenhouse on the other side. She looked around at all the green plants and mini trees with a slight frown.
"No way he's in here of all places…" She muttered, walking forward. Eventually, she ran into four people on their way out. Thinking that perhaps they had looked everywhere, she walked up to them and asked, "Excuse me? Have you seen a boy with black fox ears, by any chance?"
Jurabi tilted his head toward the girl before saying, "Yes, we have. He seemed busy in the third floral greenhouse."
"Ah, he is here. Never took him to be a plant guy." Acacia said, "Thank you."
"A friend of yours, I take it?" Aoife asked.
Acacia gigged embarrassed while rubbing her head, "More like a partner, really."
"Wow, you were paired with a boy too?" Angel asked.
Toru raised an eyebrow at her statement. "Don't say it like that, Angel…"
Acacia tilted her head and answered, "Why, yes? It's strange, I know, but this bracelet of mine lit up yesterday when I met him. He was in a rough bind, but my brother and I managed to help him out of it."
"That's…great to hear," Toru said, "You're not worried about rumors?"
"Why would I? He's a fellow student, so what's the harm in lending a hand?"
"…Nothing. You should hurry and meet him before he leaves."
"Right. Thanks again!" Acacia shouted as she rushed off in the direction of the third greenhouse.
"Mr. Shinzo…is there something bothering you?" Jurabi asked.
Toru remained silent before he walked forward, "Let's continue the tour."
Jurabi furrowed his eyebrows when the man ignored his question before looking to Aoife, who had a rare, serious expression. Knowing she wouldn't make that without a good reason, Jurabi decided not to press the issue too hard.
##
Meanwhile, Acacia finds the fox-eared boy in the specific greenhouse, staring at the blue orchid-shaped flowers called Impatiens Flowers.
"There you are," The orange-haired girl called, getting the boy's attention, "I've been looking all over for you. Jack, was it?"
Jack turned his attention back to the impatiens, saying, "I was hoping you weren't."
"Are you still mad about yesterday?" Acacia asked, placing her hands on her hips, "You may be tough and all, but there's no way you would have gotten out of that situation without help."
"I'm not mad about that, necessarily," Jack said, turning to her, "More so annoyed at you and that brother of yours."
A giggle erupted from the Woods girl. "Well, you'll have to get used to it. Where I'm from, we don't tolerate how those boys spoke to you. I'm more surprised none of their words angered you."
"How I react to others is not something you should concern yourself over," Jack said.
"Not even if they're my partner?"
"…I had a feeling it was you."
Acacia smiled and glanced at the flowers behind him, "Well, you guessed right. Looks like we're both stuck with each other. I'm Acacia Aurora Woods."
"…Jack Starfeld."
"Starfeld…"
"Since this is your first time speaking with someone like me, let me give you a fair warning," Jack said, his eyes going cold, "It's better if you do not interact with me beyond necessity."
Acacia's eyes widen, feeling a chill go down her spine, "What? Why?"
"There will be rumors about you if you do, so take care not to get wrapped up in them." Jack turned to the flowers, "Hm…looks like they need a little more water…"
"There you are, Jack," A voice called.
Acacia turned around to see a blond-haired faunus walking into the room. An annoyed sigh from Jack revealed an implication that the two knew each other.
"I told you I don't need a chaperone," Jack said.
"No point in fighting it," Ken said, crossing his arms, "You know how sensitive the students will be with your-" He stopped himself the moment he noticed Acacia, "Oh, hello. How rude of me to not notice you."
"It's okay. My name is Acacia Woods," Acacia introduced.
"Ken Vongarus," Ken introduced in kind, "I assume you already know Jack?"
Acacia nodded. "I'm his partner now."
"Interesting…" Ken adopted a thinking pose.
"If you two plan to speak to each other, I'm going to get water for the plants," Jack said, walking away.
Ken sighed, knowing the quiet boy wouldn't stop even if he called out his name.
"Was he always like that?" Acacia asked.
"Quiet and reserved…?" Ken asked before closing his eyes, a sorrow expression painting itself on his face. "…No...he wasn't."
##
Aoife and Toru guided Jurabi and Angel to an expansive room on the academy's third floor. All around them were training weapons, vast sparring arenas equipped with testing dummies, and a dedicated break room with various nutritious snacks.
"Is this the training grounds?" Jurabi asked, holding in his inner tech-savy whenever he caught sight of an advanced weapon.
"That's right," Toru answered, "Whatever a student needs to work on—Weapons training, combat simulation, or one-on-one sparring. This room has it all."
"This is a perfect place for you, Jubi," Aoife said.
"Yeah…but won't it be a problem if I used…you know…in here?" Jurabi asked his chaperone.
"It should be fine so long as you don't overdo it," The magenta haired woman leaned down to whisper in his ear, "And when I say 'don't overdo it,' I mean that seriously because any damage you cause comes out of my already suffering check."
Jurabi's red eyes widened before he whispered, "I'll…keep that in mind."
Angel poked her two fingers together and said, "If you need a sparing partner, I'd be happy to help you in that regard, Mr. Jurabi."
"Oh, you know how to fight?" Jurabi then scanned the faunus from top to bottom, noticing their stark height difference. "I…"
A loud bellow from Toru clearing his throat interrupted the Alisen. "I'm okay with allowing Angel to spar with you," The faunus said, "so long as you keep your strength restrained during training. Too often, we see rookies put their all into an attack and end up in the hospital ward from muscle strain."
"We'll keep that in mind, Mr. Toru," Angel said, smiling brightly before her eyes caught sight of a match happening in the distance. "Oh, is that a match going on right now?!"
As Angel rushed to the location that caught her attention, Jurabi turned to Toru and said, "What was…"
"Mr. Alisen," Toru said before breathing a sigh of relief, "I would kindly ask you not to do that again."
"Do what again?"
"I saw the look on your face before. You were about to point out Miss Sky's… miniature height, weren't you?" He asked.
"Uh…"
"You're lucky I stopped you, then. Stories of people who do that never end well. Keep that in mind in the future."
"Oh, right…" Jurabi shyly rubbed his head. "Thank you for telling me. I'll definitely be careful about that." But then a giggle from Aoife caught the boy's attention in addition to his glare toward her, "Something amusing you, Miss Chandani?"
"Ah, nothing!" Aoife let out, her giggles still bleeding through her mouth, "P-Pay no mind to me."
Before Jurabi could chastise her, Angel returned to them, grinning from ear to ear.
"Guys! Guys! Come look!" The purple-haired faunus pointed at the spot she was at a few seconds ago, "There's a match going on!"
"Already?" Toru asked as they made their way to the directed sparring grounds, "What kind of students would want to" His eyes widened when he saw two teenagers, a raven-haired boy, and a blue-haired girl, locking battle eyes with each other. "Oh…are those two…?"
The blue-haired faunus quickly closed the distance between her and her target, throwing the first punch. A block from the boy stopped the attack dead in its tracks, causing the girl to resort to a roundhouse kick. The boy swiftly countered the kick, separating the two before they went at it again.
The girl clearly had the edge in this fistfight; however, the raven-haired boy showed no hesitation or weakness in each punch and kick he inflicted.
"Whoa, that's some fighting talent," Jurabi pointed out.
"Well, that's the standard for a Vulna's Argyros," Toru said, "I'm surprised the girl can keep up with him at all."
Jurabi turned to Toru and said, "I'm guessing that titles have some important meaning?"
"You don't know about the Argyros family?" Angel asked.
"I've heard about them," Jurabi answered. However, he felt embarrassed about how little he knew due to his isolation, "but we've shared little interaction."
"The Argyros family is powerful and leads the Knights of Vulna," Aoife explained, "Every son and daughter born into that family has, at one point, donned the steel armor of the Ashen Hawk."
"Ashen Hawk?" Jurabi asked.
"It's the symbol of the Fire Guardian: Kateus. He had a trusted, loyal pet hawk that stayed by his side during the founding of Igarus," Toru explained. "Although, that's as much as I know about the history."
"And what about the girl?" Angel asked, "She seems really invested in fighting him."
"Who knows? Maybe they have beef with each other," Aoife said as she began to walk away, "They'll be there for a while. Hurry along."
Jurabi continued looking at the two fighting against each other for a while before following the group to exit the training room.
##
Seraph and Lynae sat on the benches, drenching themselves in cold water to relieve their body from sweat.
"Damn, I heard you. Argyros was a force to be reckoned with," The blue-haired faunus said, grinning at the boy, "but fighting one for real, I don't think the stories do you justice."
"I appreciate the compliment," Seraph paused to take a sip of water, "but I'm still confused about why you challenged me to a fight yesterday. I don't even know your name."
"What?" Lynae's eyes widened, "You haven't checked the bulletin boards?"
Seraph gave the girl a blank stare as he said, "I didn't even get a chance to eat breakfast before you came dragging me in here."
"Ah, sorry about that." She giggled, rubbing the back of her neck. "Name's Lynae Kyanos."
"Kyanos?" Seraph asked, adopting a thinking pose.
Lynae showed Seraph her bracelet, which was lit up. "From this day forward, you and I are rival partners."
"…Rival…what?"
"She means you and her are partners," A female voice said.
The two teens turned to see Indra walking towards them with a walking stick.
"Hey, Mom. Finished with your meeting with the Director?" Lynae asked.
Indra nodded. "That's right. I'm now the official training instructor for the academy. Old Ackmor couldn't resist letting these fists collect dust, could he?"
"Wait, you're this girl's mother?" Seraph asked.
"You're Seraph Argyros, right?" Indra asked, "Indra Kyanos. A pleasure to make your acquaintance. How's your father been?"
"Oh…no wonder," Seraph said, "Dad always talked about a Kyanos that would always get into arguments with him and challenge him to a fight daily. Was that you?"
Indra giggled. "Glad to know I'm still living in that bastard's head rent-free."
Seraph smiled and turned to Lynae. "So…this whole thing with you challenging me, was this why?"
"Partially. I was just itching to figure out who the biggest guy in this room was, and you fit the bill," Lynae said, "You being my partner is an added bonus."
"Still, a girl and a guy becoming partners," Indra said with a smug grin, "Kinda romantic, isn't it?"
Lynae glared at her mother while pouting, "Like that matters. As long as we're not roommates, you won't see me complaining."
"But what nutjob thought it funny to do the student partnership like this?" Seraph asked, rubbing his head.
The dragon faunus shrugged and answered, "Whatever the reason, I'm glad I get to use this place as much as I want. I expect great things from you, partner."
Seraph sighed, "I guess I'm doing this now…"
Indra giggled before she then asked, "By the way, do you not have a chaperone, Seraph?"
"Oh, I didn't need one, so I declined to have a guide," Seraph said, "Not a fan of having to follow people for an entire day on tour, I couldn't give less of a crap about it."
"In that case, why don't we just head to the dining hall to grab some food?" Lynae asked, "I'm craving whatever the chefs have cooking."
Seraph chuckled. "Very well, Lynae."
Indra smiled as she watched the two teens get along surprisingly well. She looked down at her walking stick, frowning for a split second as she rubbed her thumb against the cold handle. "So familiar, this feeling…"
##
On their way to the next destination on their tour, Jurabi stopped in his tracks, noticing a duo of students in the middle of an argument. One was the girl Jurabi met at the Director's office, Guendolen. With her was a tall faunus who looked worried about something.
"What is it, Mr. Jurabi?" Angel asked, being the first to notice him stop.
"Over there," Jurabi pointed at the two students.
"Is that…?" Toru asked.
"Look, I'm sorry, okay!" The tall boy told Guendolen with crocodile tears, "I didn't know knocking all that stuff over would end with us being paired up. S-So, can you please stop looking at me like that?"
Guendolen had been staring at him with the coldest stare that would put the winter nights of Staneia to shame. She sighed, shaking her head, "This is how I always look at inconveniences. I will speak with Director Kurosaki to reassign the two of us. Dourado, was it?"
"Wait, really?!" Dourado asked, his eyes widening as his heart rate increased, "Come on, can't you at least give me a chance? I promise it won't happen again!"
"I have no reason to. You may be an Ouro, but your status in the lesser family will only corrode mine." Guendolen said as she crossed her arms, "If my father hears that I've been paired with you…"
"Aw, does that even matter?" Dourado put his arms behind his head, "Status is pretty boring to think about all the time."
"And that is why I want a different partner. Goodbye." But before the Pretorius could walk away, she immediately noticed Jurabi and his group walking towards them.
"Guendolen? Is something wrong?" Jurabi asked.
"Mr. Alisen…" Guendolen stopped briefly before side-eyeing Dourado, "There's no…trouble at all. Just a little error in the student partnership process. I was on my way to speak to the Director now."
"Are you not satisfied with your partner?" Jurabi asked.
"Very," Guendolen answered, "That's disregarding the fact that pairing a male and a female student runs contradictory to the academy rules. If neither gender can sleep in the same room, why should they be allowed to be partnered?"
"My, you know your rules well," Aoife said, "As much as it is confusing, Miss…"
"Guendolen Pretorius," Guendolen said.
"I thought I recognized you," Toru said, "You must be that little girl who was with Lord Pretorius when he last visited Staneia."
"Hm…I recall visiting a cold, wintery place," Guendolen said, adopting a thinking pose, "Though it must be a long time ago."
"Wow, a Pretorius like you visited my home nation?" Angel asked, "Uh…my name is Angel! I-It's a pleasure to meet you, Guendolen."
"I'd prefer if you used my last name," Guendolen said, her stare sending a chill down the faunus' spine.
"Come on, the girl gave you a nice greeting," Dourado said, "Can't you relax on the whole name nonsense."
"It's anything but nonsense, Ouro," Guendolen said, turning to Dourado. "I have a strict rule for those outside of the family: You're not allowed to refer to us by our given name unless given permission to by the specific Pretorius."
"Ah, there's that silly rule," Aoife said with a grin, "I was hoping Griffy would've axed it by now."
Guendolen felt her blood pressure spike for a split second as she glared at the woman, "I will not allow you to use my father's name so childishly, ma'am."
"Oh, childishly?" Aoife asked, giving a cold stare, "I'll have you know, young lady, that when I give people nicknames, it's my sign of love and adoration to them. So, I would prefer if you didn't call it 'childish.'"
Seeing the cold stares between the two leave sparks, Jurabi sighed. "There's that cold side of Aoife's…" He looked at Angel, who seemed slightly down, "Are you okay, Angel?"
"Y-yeah," Angel whispered, but her soured mood didn't go away.
"Hey, Guen-" Dourado stopped when he saw Guendolen's golden iris from the corner of her eyes, "Ah-ah, P-Pret-Preta-Pri? Agh, whatever that word is! I don't think there's a big deal if someone calls you by your name. Honestly, I think it's easier to say than…Pretoria?"
"Pretorius, and it does matter even if you don't understand," Guendolen huffed and turned back to the four, "In any case, I'll be on my way. The sooner this matter is settled, the better. Good day."
"Hey, wait!" Dourado shouted, but the young Pretorius ignored him and continued on. The tall faunus slouched, letting out a pained grunt, "I really screwed up…"
"Sounds like you left a bad first impression," Toru said, "What exactly happened between the two of you?"
"Oh…well, you see, it happened yesterday," Dourado explained, "I was on my way to meet up with my grandma, but then I ran into that girl and knocked all the dust vials she brought with her on the ground. She was with this other dude…and I think there was another dude…but I forgot both their names."
"Must be Nerry," Aoife said, adopting a thinking pose.
"Huh, weird name," Dourado said.
"It's actually a nickname," Jurabi corrected, glancing at Aoife when she giggled.
"Oh, well, anyways, she and I got into a little argument…" Dourado scratched his head, "Well, it was more of her scolding me and lecturing me about how 'disrespectful' I was being. I just wanted to help, but I think I ticked her off when I called her 'little one.'"
Toru sighed and whispered to Jurabi, "See what I mean?"
"Yeah, I do," Jurabi whispered back.
"And that's the story. She's been giving me the cold shoulder ever since," Dourado said, "And now she's going to talk to the director even after I already apologized several times. I guess I'm in for a rough stay unless the director changes his mind."
"I'm sorry that happened to you, Mr. Ouro," Angel said.
"Don't worry about it," Dourado said with a bright smile, "It was my mistake for being so stupid in front of a Pretorius, to begin with. Grandma told me how uptight they can be, but I didn't expect it from a girl as young as her."
"The Pretorius are rather sensitive when it comes to how people refer to them," Toru said, "But I don't see how you can't work something out with her."
"You say that, but I've never talked to someone like her in my life," Dourado said, "Not a single sentence I say can get through to her."
"M-Maybe you can try to use her last name when talking with her?" Angel asked, "Maybe it's just me, but she seemed adamant about that and didn't like it when you messed it up or dismissed it."
"Ah…" Dourado's bright smile vanished, replaced by a frown and a gloomy aura, "That's where I messed up again…I really suck at this, don't I?"
"Hey, it's a learning experience," Jurabi said, "Don't be so down in the dumps over it. If you can talk to her, take it slow and try to understand her thinking, even if it's confusing."
"Right…" The tall faunus' bright smile returned as he straightened his posture, "That sounds like a good start. Thanks a lot, uh…"
"Jurabi Alisen."
"Angel Sky."
"Jurabi and Angel," The tiger faunus chuckled before patting them both on the head, "I'll remember those names." His eyes widened as his tail shot up in a straight line, "Oh! I just remembered I need to meet my grandma at the library! Gotta go! Let's eat some food next time!" With that, the tiger faunus disappeared from view in a flash, like lightning.
"What an interesting fellow…" Toru said.
"True," Aoife said, "Hard to believe that a member of the Ouro family would be paired with a member of the Pretorius family…"
"Is that so odd, Miss Chandani?" Angel asked.
"Very," Aoife said before she turned around to Jurabi and smiled, "But it's not like it matters all that much! What's important is that you made a new friend, Jubi! I'm so proud of you!"
"I wouldn't call one conversation going well as a sign of friendship…" Jurabi said. "How far are we from that swimming pool you were talking about?"
"Ah, right. We should be."
The beeping sound of the academy announcement speaker rang throughout the building halls.
"Attention, students and chaperones! Attention students and chaperones! Students are to report to their designated Hangars in twenty minutes. I repeat: Students must report to their designated hangars in twenty minutes. Chaperones are to report to the audience chamber for the final meeting with the Director. I repeat: Chaperones are to report to the audience chamber for a final meeting. Thank you."
"Ah, how the time flies," Aoife said, slouching from the disappointment.
"No point in complaining about it. We did all we could," Toru said, turning to the two teens, "Do you both know where your hangars are?"
Angel nodded, "Y-Yes. Hangar 8."
"Good," Toru said. "Both of you are going to partake in the second entrance exam. Are you ready?"
"Yep! I-I remember your training by the letter, Tiggy. I won't let you down."
"Excellent," Aoife said, turning to Jurabi, "Your combat skills will be tested, as well as this being a pretest to measure your compatibility as a duo. Don't let the pressure get to you, okay? Stay safe and watch each other out there."
"Got it," Jurabi said.
"And Angel," Toru said, "Remember what I've told you."
Angel nodded again. "R-right. I won't forget the words out there."
"Words?" Jurabi asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Jubi…" Aoife whispered.
The Alisen's attention was pulled away back to Aoife, "Y-Yeah?"
"Remember." The magenta-haired woman pointed at the collar.
"…Right…"
"Alrighty~!" Aoife said, "Tiggy and I will be on our way. Good luck, you two, and have fun~!"
"Please don't use that nickname," Toru grunted.
"Teehee, you really do remind me of a certain friend of mine, Mr. Shinzo," Aoife said as the two began walking away from the two teens.
Jurabi turned to Angel, immediately seeing how nervous she was. He asked calmly yet assertively, "Shall we get going, Angel?"
"O-oh, s-sure," The little faunus stammered.
"Are you nervous?"
"…Yes…" Angel whispered, poking her fingers together, "I'm worried I might slow you down."
"I won't mind that at all," Jurabi said, "Having to leave someone behind on the battlefield is much worse than being slowed down by them. Besides, I doubt the exam will have anything life-threatening, so let's focus on watching each other's backs. That's what partners do for each other, right?"
Although Jurabi's stare was expressionless, Angel could somehow tell he believed what he said. Feeling a surge of confidence rise from the bottom of her heart, the little faunus nodded, "R-right."
##
After some difficulty in navigating through the academy, Jurabi and Angel arrived at Hangar 8. It was an expansive area, more prominent than any room they had been in. Red and black colored dropships were lined up across the runway, closed off by a sealed, metallic door. Noises from engineers and mechanics working on the dropships were heard from all directions, accompanied by the smell of burning metal.
Looking in all directions, Angel was overwhelmed by how much was happening. "So many people…I suppose we're in the right hangar bay."
"Whoa…" Jurabi moved towards the window.
"What is it, Jurabi?"
"Look at all those drop ships…" Jurabi's eyes sparkled at the sight of so many ships and equipment, "All the machinery…"
"Oh yeah," Angel said, tilting her head, "I guess those will transport us to the exam site. What about them?"
"Angel…what do you think is inside those ships."
"Uh…people?"
"No! I mean, as in what parts?!"
"Huh?"
Jurabi placed his hands on Angel's shoulders and shook her a little, "Do….do you think they'll let me dismantle and rebuild a ship?"
"Wha- H-how should I know?" Angel asked, trying to figure out how to appropriately react to Jurabi's behavioral shift.
Jurabi then looked around and noticed a gray-haired man working on a broken dropship. "Let's ask that person over there!"
"W-wait, Mr. Alisen!" Angel shouted, but her words fell on deaf ears as she followed the boy to the man.
"Excuse me?" Jurabi asked.
"Hm?" The man removed his protective mask and looked at the two with blue eyes and aged features, "Oh, more new students. Welcome to Hangar 8. My name's Leo. How may I help you?"
"Leo…can I…?"
"Uh, we want to know about those nice-looking dropships and what they're made of!" Angel interrupted.
"A-Angel…" Jurabi whispered.
"Ah, the Alto-56 Dropships?" Leo asked, a small smile forming, "It's an aged design that has been a part of Vastel's military for decades. They were originally planned to be retired to transporting goods. Still, the newer transports Vulna made three years ago burned all of that."
"I see…" Angel said.
"I'm glad 'cause these babies still have a lot of life left in them." Leo then picked up his toolbox and winked at the teens, "I'd go into more detail, but I got a call about a vending machine going on the fritz, so can we put a raincheck on the lecture?"
"But…"
"Certainly!" Angel shouted, interrupting Jurabi.
"Thanks," Leo said, pointing to the hangar gate, "The students are gathering near the gate. Watch your step, and please don't touch any of the ships."
After Leo left, Jurabi groaned while staring at Angel.
"Jurabi, you can't go around asking people to dismantle their belongings, let alone if they're government-owned," Angel pouted.
"Why not?" Jurabi asked, "I always dismantle and rebuild things with no problem. I don't think they'll mind." A quiet stare from the girl made the boy continue, "Come on…I need to get rid of this itch in my fingers. Can't you hear their cries? Their desire to put a wrench onto a bolt to hear that amazing screw sound?"
"Uh…"
"Oh, and don't get me started on the insides of the machines I dismantle." His red eyes sparkled again, "Ah…the image of the red, yellow, and blue wires…"
"Okay, okay, I get it, Mr. Alisen," Angel said, pulling her bangs back, "Let's hurry before they disqualify us."
Ignoring the monologue of Jurabi's infatuation with building and disassembling, the two made their way to the gate, where a staff member of the academy oversaw the collection of students to take the exam. With a soft tap of their microphone, they began their speech.
"May I have your attention, please? Thank you. Welcome to Hangar 74. Here, you will board your designated dropship and be taken to the testing site for the second entrance exam. Please wait until your group is called to your dropship and listen to the pilots' instructions. Good luck to all of you, and stay safe."
One by one, the student groups were called to be assigned to a dropship. Given how many there were, Jurabi and Angel sat on a nearby bench to wait for them to be called.
"Oh, well, if it isn't Mr. Alisen," A familiar male voice called.
"Hm?" Jurabi turned around and saw a face he recognized from yesterday's exam and another visitor, "Oh, you're…."
"Akito, in case you forgot," Akito reintroduced himself. He glanced over to his left to a raven-haired boy with glasses. In the boy's hand was a purple game device, "This is my friend, Kasu."
The silence was followed by the sound effects the game device played. The boy narrowed his green, slit eyes at the device, his button presses becoming more intense by the second.
"Um…excuse us?" Angel asked.
"Hey, Kasu, introduce yourself," Akito said.
"…Hey," The boy had a monotone voice, almost static and lifeless.
"You haven't beaten that boss yet? Geez…" Akito shook his head.
"I'm guessing you two will join us on this entrance exam?" Jurabi asked.
"Heh, your guess is right," Akito answered, "It must be fate from the Guardians themselves that the two of us will participate like this." He glanced over to Angel, who shyly hid behind Jurabi, "Though…it is interesting that you have a girl for a partner."
"O-oh…um…hi," Angel whispered, waving at the two.
"Come on, Angel, don't be shy." But Jurabi's call didn't cause the girl to move an inch. He sighed and turned back to the boys, "Sorry, she seems to be like that. Is it so strange that she's my partner?"
"Well, yeah," Akito answered, "Normally, you're paired with someone the same gender as you, but for some reason, you're paired with the opposite."
"Must be an error in the system," Kasu interjected, surprising Jurabi given how focused he was on his game.
"It is possible," Jurabi said, "Then again, we met two other groups in a similar predicament. It even happened to a Pretorius."
"A Pretorius?" Akito asked, "Hm, that is interesting."
"Can't be a coincidence," Kasu said.
"Whatever the case, that truly is a shame it happened to you, Mr. Alisen," Akito continued, rubbing his forehead, "I was all excited to compete with you at a fair and equal level, but I suppose it is not to be."
Jurabi raised an eyebrow at the strange statement, "What are you implying?"
"Oh, nothing, really. I just hope you don't regret having her as a partner, is all." Akito's charming tone shifted, "Or should I say that to her, actually." At the snap of a finger, his voice became cold and ominous
"Huh?" Angel's eyes widened, "M-Me?"
Jurabi narrowed his eyes, his instincts on high alert. "I believe you've said more than enough, Akito."
"Oh, I don't think I have…Mr. Alisen," His smiles from then on grew more ominous. At the same time, his tone remained the same, "I do wonder what you've been doing all this time while your father's company got caught up in so many controversies. So many poor faunus were killed by that company. Perhaps it's just my imagination, but…" One look at Jurabi's deathly glare was enough to make the boy stop his direct train of thought, "Ah, there's that glare. I was worried you weren't pumped for the exam."
"Akito…" Kasu called out to him.
"I know, I know, Kasu." Akito then looked at Angel and smiled, "Here's to a bright future for you, my dear friend. I don't think I got your name…"
"A-Angel Sky," Angel whispered.
"Angel…what a lovely name," Akito said.
"Are you done?" Jurabi hissed, "I think they're about to call your group."
The sudden overprotective display from the Alisen sparked a chuckle from Akito. "I didn't know you were paying attention to that. You're quite a multi-tasker. I hope you can put that skill to good use in this exam." He then turned to leave the two as his group was called, "May we meet on the other side, Alisen, Sky."
Kasu only stared at them for a brief second before following Akito.
Jurabi let out a huff as he leaned against a nearby wall.
"I'm sorry…Mr. Alisen, I should have stood up for you. But…" Angel's pink eyes turned to look at the floor instead of the irritated boy.
"Don't apologize," Jurabi said, silently staring at the two boys as they boarded their drop ship.
"What's wrong?" Angel asked.
"…Nothing. I guess I'm just riled up." Jurabi said that, but his mind told a different story, "But those two… there's something dark inside both of them."
##
As their dropship made its way to the assigned location for their exam, Kasu sat with Akito, still playing his game. Then, he paused it and glanced at the boy stretching his limps.
"Next time, Akito, don't provoke Mr. Alisen too much," he warned.
A deep chuckle escaped Akito's lips as he smiled at the boy. "No need to worry yourself, Kasu. It was all just light fun. Besides, how else were we going to measure our competition?"
"We're not at that phase yet," Kasu reminded him, "Remember that your special talent is not something found outside this academy. The moment the professors catch you…"
"I know, but a little scouting won't hurt either of us," Akito said, "Especially if the information is worth the risk."
Kasu's eyes narrowed on the boy, realizing what he had done during the confrontation. "And that information is…?"
Akito nodded at the boy's question, his thoughts trailing to Angel, "I did, indeed. Have you heard that a new student here…"
…
…
…
"…is secretly from the Crescent Moon Tribe?"
Jurabi: Heeeelloooo~! I am finally back with a new chapter! Man I gotta do better at getting these out. So sorry for how long this took. The beginning sections of arcs are not my forte, unfortunately, but with an extra kick in my brain, I was able to get this done.
Anyways, that's all I had to say for the moment. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and how I presented the characters. If you did, please stop by my discord server. I'm always happy to chat with my readers. If you loved these interludes, please leave a review, a follow, and a favorite. I would really appreciate your support of this story. I'll see you all in the next chapter~!
Discord Code Link: xMYF8ggTjC
