'This is good, I could work with this.' Ruby Rose thought as she stood over Jaune Arc, a boy who would be her partner for the next four years, before running into him her goal had been finding her sister so she could partner up with her, the prospect of being paired up with a stranger had been daunting.

It was definitely a relief that she had met Jaune since they've talked already and he seemed nice enough, he didn't call her a weapon freak or a child. In fact, out of all the students she had ever met, she couldn't recall meeting someone as awkward as he had seemed, but it was a nice awkward. 'I definitely can't tell him that if he was more confident and goofy, he would be similar to my dad.'

Perhaps her thought was reaching, maybe she was desperately trying to convince herself that Jaune was a good person and that she could rely on him as a partner. His first impression hadn't given off the same energy that other students did and he had almost seemed to be, Ruby hated herself for thinking this, weak.

As Jaune Arc reached a hand up to grab her own and he pulled himself up, Ruby felt like something was different with him. Although their roles were reversed, and he had to exert force to get off the ground, it didn't explain how his grasp was different. Yesterday, when he helped her up, his hand had been soft and his movements were slow, gentle, but now his fingers felt like claws as they dug into her skin and he yanked himself up, almost throwing Ruby down in exchange.

"Thank you." His kind and warm voice had been replaced with a rude and cold one, he didn't even look Ruby in her eyes as he talked, instead he focused on his hands. He stood taller than yesterday, his back was straight and his center of balance clear. He sheathed his sword with practiced ease, that he didn't show yesterday, and then he looked at Ruby. "Let's go." He said in a low voice that left no room for argument and began walking away.

'Those eyes…' Gone was the soft shining hope, and in its place a sharp despair was burning. He seemed lost, his gaze was one that couldn't see the present, he was looking elsewhere. She had seen those eyes before, her father and uncle occasionally had those same gazes, normally around the anniversary of her mother's death. Jaune was haunted by something that happened in the past, yet he had smiled yesterday like he didn't have a care in the world.

"Jaune." Ruby called out as she caught up to him and began walking at his side, when his cold eyes stared down at her in response, she aimed her brightest smile up at him. "I'm glad that we're partners! This is going to be so much fun." The marks from where his nails had dug into her palm were already fading away, her pain didn't matter and the marks were gone, there was no reason to complain.

"Sure." He offhandedly responded as he looked away and kept walking.

'He's still young, so I doubt he's started drinking yet. Is he feeling isolated? Was there no one that could help him? I guess it doesn't matter now, I'm here now. I'll help him.'

Jaune had been kind and something was hurting him, regardless of how he had briefly seemed scary and how he had hurt her, as his partner it was Ruby's responsibility to help him. Her own feelings didn't matter, it was a Huntress's duty to help.

And if she had used her Aura then she wouldn't have been hurt when he had treated her roughly. 'I'll remember that for later.' She thought as she began preparing for the next time.

'Why do all these trees have to look identical?' Weiss Schnee complained in her mind, ever since she landed she couldn't find her way through this forest.

Even though she had seen where Pyrrha Nikos had landed, the fact was made moot because of her inability to navigate through the Emerald Forest. She didn't blame herself and anyone who did would have to consider the fact that she had never been inside a forest before, at most she had wandered through a lush garden in an enclosed greenhouse in the past.

It could hardly be expected of her, Weiss Schnee, to be capable of knowing how to find her way through a dense forest. Even animals used scents to know where to go, and they were dumb so she would bet a lot of them still got lost without even knowing so. Compared to a lost dumb animal who had an advantage against her, Weiss with no advantage had at least recognized that she was lost. Done mentally proving herself better than a hypothetical animal, her mood improved.

But she was still lost, and partnerless. 'I guess even Pyrrha could get lost.' It was the only reason she could think of to explain why the champion hadn't found her yet.

'What's the point?' Once again she had found herself in front of the same slanted tree and large boulder, the only clear landmarks she could point out in the forest. At first she had been happy to recognize something, it had served as a reference point to help her, but after coming across it every time she had tried leaving, it only served as a reminder that she couldn't even find her way through a forest.

Weiss could score perfect on every subject in class, she was rather gifted academically and she trained hard everyday to improve her physical prowess. And yet she knew that being a Huntress was about more than being smart and strong, they had to be versatile, they had to be capable.

She couldn't find her way through a simple gathering of trees. If all she could do was memorize knowledge and defeat her enemies, then she might as well have been just another nameless soldier. That wasn't what she wanted, that wasn't her dream, she wanted to help people, she wanted to accomplish great things and then when people saw her face and heard her name, they wouldn't just see an heiress to the SDC.

'This isn't the time nor place for that.' Weiss shook her head, dismissing her thoughts and regaining her composure as she began walking once more. 'This time, this time I'll finally make it through and find my partner, preferably Pyrrha, and if not her than anyone else except for-' Her thoughts went unfinished when the sounds of crunching leaves and snapping twigs reached her ears. Her body elegantly shifted and spun into a combat stance with her rapier raised in one hand and her other hand near the revolver mechanism.

And then Weiss saw through her ice blue eyes a pair of shining silver ones. Her brain froze, the one person she hadn't wanted as a partner had appeared and their eyes met. 'It's not too late, if she died right here no one woul-' Her reflexive thought ended when she registered a set of cold blue eyes next to the silver ones.

Ruby Rose and Jaune had emerged from the same direction, there wasn't even a foot of space between them, the odds of them not being paired up was slim to nonexistent. Complex feelings filled her head, she was relieved that she wasn't going to be partnered up with a clumsy child or a bitter boy, but if she was that meant she would have to be grateful to either or both of them for making that possible, and she didn't want that.

Perhaps because Weiss was wandering in circles she had avoided them, in that case the favorable outcome had happened because of her. She nodded to herself and then she remembered her company, she blinked before she examined them, both were unharmed whether that meant they were skilled fighters or just lucky was up for debate but she would bet it was luck.

The bitter boy was glaring at her, his blue eyes blazing with rage and his hands nearly trembling. Weiss internally sighed. 'How fragile was his ego? All I did was insult him once and then ignored him, and that was all it took for this to happen. How disgusting.'

Weiss had known many suitors who sought the hand of the SDC's heiress and all had been rejected, most took it in stride understanding that she wasn't interested in being married off, she respected them for that and for their ambition, if she hadn't wanted to be a Huntress and instead solely wished to take over her family's company then she probably would've taken their hand.

But some of those rejected took it personally, those kinds didn't even understand the implication and ramifications of a marriage between their families, all they understood was that Weiss didn't want to marry them. Those ego driven dolts couldn't comprehend that she had her own life to live, that she didn't care who they were and what they could offer. Those kinds would practically throw tantrums and then spread rumors about her as a sort of petty revenge.

Weiss Schnee held no care nor sympathy for coddled brats who expected the world to just hand them everything.

She didn't even notice when her expression naturally shifted to one of disgust, all she noticed was a deep snarl from the boy.

Instincts didn't allow her to lower her sword, she had never been physically attacked by a rejected suitor and yet her mind reflexively went on alert when the bitter boy snarled at her, something could recognize that he was dangerous.

Weiss' heart pounded in her chest, sending ice cold blood to her head.

Thump.

The boy was reaching for his sword.

Thump.

Weiss ran a mental simulation, she would need to restrict his movements before putting distance between them and then she could use Dust to eliminate the threat.

Thump.

"Oh Weiss!" Ruby Rose cheerfully spoke, ignorant of the killing intent flooding the atmosphere.

Thump.

'She might assist him, she needs to be eliminated too.' Five glyphs were loaded in her mind, all they needed now was her command to manifest.

Thump.

Jaune's hand twitched, his fingers appearing to be incapable of grasping the hilt of his sword.

Thump.

Weiss waited, it wasn't wise to give up the first move but she couldn't make a case for self defense otherwise.

Thump.

Leaves crunched and twigs snapped. "Yo' Rubes!" Yang called out as she entered the scene from the opposite direction, behind Weiss who didn't even twitch at the voice.

'It could be a misdirection, but if it wasn't, she might assist her, so she needs to-'

"Oh Weiss, I'm sorry but it seems that the dice had other plans for us." Pyrrha Nikos' voice said and while it might have been just another case of misdirection, just recalling the girl she respected made her second guess her actions.

"Yang!" Ruby perked up as she looked beyond Weiss, and reflected in her clear silver eyes were red and gold blurs.

Slowly, Weiss twisted her sword, and she caught sight of distorted reflections in her blade. The echoing thumping of her heart ears went silent as tension fled her muscles. She still kept her eye on the bitter boy even though he no longer showed any signs of tension, he was completely relaxed, and maybe she was just confused but he even seemed happy.

"So what's up? What's with the standoff? Not fighting over my sister are you?" Yang asked in a playful voice, clearly not serious. "Ruby you little heartbreaker." She teased. Although she may have been uncouth, her cheerful energy was erasing the previously tense atmosphere.

"Yang!" Ruby whined. "Don't tease me like that! Especially not in front of people!"

Finally when Yang had walked past Weiss, all her worries fell from her mind, the blonde girl was a real person and not just a distraction. She blinked as her mind took in and processed information, Yang and Pyrrha had come here together then the champion apologized. 'What's the point?' She wondered again, now it didn't matter if she found her way out, she would be saddled with a subpar partner.

"Sorry, sorry." Yang gave a dismissive and insincere apology. "But seriously, which one is your partner? Cause in case you didn't notice I have two people behind me and they can't both be my partner."

Weiss blinked, she half convinced herself that Pyrrha was the available one, and so she whipped her head around without considering who else might be behind her.

Her blue eyes met amber eyes.

In third place for least wanted partner, was a certain girl who had made her grudge against her family clear.

Blake Belladonna blinked her amber eyes, when she had stumbled upon a stand off between Weiss Schnee and Jaune Arc she had almost failed to notice Ruby's presence. The air between those two was palpable and overwhelming, both were ready to strike down the other without hesitation.

The Schnee doing that was surprising but hardly shocking, however the pure fury that Arc was barely concealing was incomprehensible. It hadn't even been two hours since that awkward boy gave her his cheesy line about fairy tale love in an effort to comfort her.

And then the smile he aimed at her when their eyes met made her skin crawl with a chill, there was something in his eyes as he looked at her that set off alarms in her head. 'Run.' A simple command was being sent through all her nerves, and she almost obeyed. 'Stop, I'm just being paranoid.' She convinced herself, and that was what she wanted to believe even as a part of her was screaming to her to run before it was too late.

A division formed between what she believed and what she wanted to believe, it was a familiar one, similar to the one that had categorized cruelty into passion.

She believed Jaune Arc was similar to Adam Taurus / She wanted to believe she was mistaken.

Perhaps it would be too much for Blake, if the first person she had opened up to was similar to Adam, so once more and once again, she disregarded what she had believed and forced herself to believe only what she wanted to.

It was still sickening, having to rely on old habits to keep her sanity. 'Jaune Arc isn't similar to Adam Taurus, and I was just mistaken.' Blake convinced herself as her heart ached once more.

It was only now that she paid attention to the conversation Yang was having with her sister, and when Weiss spun around with desperate hope in her blue eyes. Blake knew the answer to Yang's question.

And now Weiss Schnee was her partner. 'Anyone is fine, except for Arc / That's a shame, I hoped to be with Jaune.' Being partnered with a Schnee was the last thing Belladonna expected from Beacon.

Thanks for reading! I'm always open to feedback so please leave a review, or reply in my forum, about what you liked or hated about this chapter or the story as a whole. If anyone wants to be a Beta Reader then PM me and we'll talk details.

Ruby, you sweet summer child you, yikes man, just yikes. Hopefully nothing bad happens to her, that Jaune fellow seemed nice enough, I'm sure he isn't capable of anything heinous.

Also, Weiss, uh, yikes.

And Blake too? Yikes man.

Q: Can anyone catch a break in this fic?

A: No, I want the drama to be in full effect.

In-depth Line Analysis, or Unnecessary Rambling? Hmm?

'Why do all these trees have to look identical?' Weiss Schnee complained in her mind, ever since she landed she couldn't find her way through this forest.

This line might seem innocuous at first but what is really being conveyed here is actually indicative of her [Weiss'] mental state as a person.

The first line: 'Why [Questioning] do [does] all these trees [all nature] have to look identical [appear the same to her]?' Additionally she isn't voicing her question, instead she's mentally complaining to herself. Could that be hinting at an internal struggle as she acknowledges that the fault lies with herself for perceiving nature as identical?

The next line: 'Ever since she landed [Since the beginning] she [Weiss] couldn't find her way [was lost] through this forest [in nature as a whole].' This can be interpreted as two things, first was that Weiss couldn't understand how to be a Huntress and since her arrival at Beacon she has been lost, or second was that since her birth (of her identity possibly?) nature [life] has been something that she can't navigate.

Taken as a whole, this line implies that Weiss acknowledges that she is lost in life and that she blames herself for it in her mind. Or maybe I needed to write a scene change and Weiss being lost seemed appropriate. I'll leave it up to the reader to decide what seems more likely.

(And then she compares herself against an animal(?) but claims she's superior(?), what could that mean? Hmm?)

Eh? Abuse Enabling? Weiss' Homicidal Tendencies? Blake's Self-Gaslighting? I don't know about any of that, everyone seemed healthy and happy enough. Maybe you're looking too deep into it? Or maybe not? Hmm?

Double thanks for reading!