Chapter 10: Dreams of Mine

"Good afternoon, my dear seniors." The tap of a cane sounds with footsteps, echoing aloud. Professor Ozpin steps to the center of a clear open area. All walls and ceiling were concrete, the floor a cool metal. On one side of the room were elevated stands, where two dozen students all sat, looking down at the headmaster.

A wide screen, up high on the wall, lights up above the professor. Ozpin continues, speaking to the class. "I'm afraid, dear Professor Wallace has been personally requested for a mission out in the country. As such, I will be filling in for him." His ghost of a smirk grew just a hair. "I'm sure he'll tell you all about it once he's back."

That gained him a collection of groans, making the silver haired man huff a chuckle. An older professor who loved to teach from experience. Not... QUITE as over the top as dear old Port, but a talker nonetheless.

"As I'm sure you're aware, today is merely a sparring day. Once I've called your name, please come down for your match, and I expect notes to be taken on each of your teammate's matches."

His eyes trail over the students in one seamless glide. The fourth years were nearly full fledged Hunters by this point. Graduation taking place in only a few months, each had already decided their career paths for after.

However, his eyes found his particular interest easily. The bleach blonde woman sitting at attention on the front row of the stands. "Alright. Our first match: Blair Goodwitch of Team CBRG and Wiley Warner of Team WMBR."

He watched as the two students stepped down from the stands. On one side, Blair stood with her hunting garb, weapon at the side. Ozpin's eye closed in on her weapon, only for a second. His thoughts ran through like calculations.

Blair Goodwitch: Model student. Immaculate record compared to others. Keen interest in the sciences. She, like her sister and many others, were choosing career paths requiring a research thesis upon graduation to pursue her career path. A scientist and researcher, particularly in the realms of Aura and Semblances.

He'd honed in on Day 1 of her first year that she wasn't overly concerned with people. She cared about efficiency. Hell, she only volunteered at a medical clinic in Vale because she felt obligated to. It was almost sad seeing how little she cared about spending time with others. No... more like she simply valued her end goals more than the journey there.

Her interaction with Carmine yesterday evening disturbed him, but he wasn't quite certain why. It looked like she just drilled the kid in the chest for no reason. Maybe teaching him another lesson? Perhaps, but it sent him on edge.

Across from her, a taller lanky man, head of brown hair, wearing tight leather, stood. Wiley seemed wary, eyes narrow. If Ozpin was correct in his assumption, these two had never sparred one on one. The tall boy's head of hair waved, two dog-like ears flicking out from his wild mane. The man's hazel eyes never left the girl as he drew two handguns from a bandolier stocked with other tools.

Each of the pistols had affixed blades from the triggers to six inches past the tip of the barrels. Gears at the handle showed the guns could unfold into a straight one edge pair of daggers. Blair held no outward reaction to the boy, drawing her golden yellow sword and stepping into a kendo stance.

Both fighters' auras synced to the screen, Ozpin tips his head. "Now... begin."

Instantly the Faunus dashed back with heavy gunfire to keep the woman away, but Blair was already activating her first dust and blitzing straight through. A burst of wind whips at Ozpin's impassive face, hair flicking up. The woman speeds by, charging her opponent.

The entire time, the headmaster kept his hawk-like gaze on one particular object... the woman's weapon.

. . .

"Ugh, I can't believe he made me fight Crowler. Guy creeps me out." The violet haired girl's head dropped onto the table. The full team of Huntresses in training sat at a table within the academy cafeteria.

Beside her, Blair stares at her with half lidded eyes, hands idling in cutting a small school steak. "Your food will get cold if you keep pouting." She returns to her own eating after the comment.

Jolting in realization, the woman leans up, immediately getting to work. "You're lucky, getting stuck with Wiley. The guy's weapon maintenance is so awful, his tools always backfire on him. At least it's an easy win."

"Hmm." Blair's non-response sounds. Swallowing a bite, she sighs to herself and thinks out loud. "It's always been clear where we all stood in relation to each other. Ozpin should have known it wasn't a fair match to put him against me."

"I noticed something." Blair resisted the urge to internally groan. Across from her sits her team leader, a deer faunus with dark skin, and her sister, Glynda. The fellow bleach blonde speaks up, eyes on Blair. "You were rather lax in the latter half of the fight. The boy nearly gained ground on you."

Blair raises a brow, meeting the stare. "His weapons get more unstable as matches go longer, and I'd never been matched against him before." Her eyes closed, an air of superiority coming forth. "I merely took caution so the man's own failing tools could only harm him."

Glynda raises a brow before returning to her own food. "Simply making sure you aren't slacking on training."

The deer faunus slaps the table, face impassive. "Stop the sibling critique. Enjoy the food." Both sisters turn their heads away in simultaneous 'Hmph!'s.

At the team leader's sigh, the violet haired girl grins. "Cella, you know how this goes." The violette head eyes Blair curious. "You heading into Vale any time soon? I might need you to make a stop for me next time you volunteer at the clinic."

Blair hums to herself. "The clinic has a shift for me next Tuesday from 3 to 7. What do you need?"

Cella, faunus, answers for the violet haired girl. "She needs white paint." The leader sends a mild glare at the more chipper woman. "We're graduating soon, and I doubt it would be prudent for the administration to find nothing but hot pink and graffiti art."

The platinum blonde rolls her eyes in a huff. "Fine then."

The violette claps her hands once hard. "Great!" Slowly, she turns her gaze over to Blair, eyes filling with mischief. "Soooo, a birdie told me you ran into that kid again yesterday?"

Blair's glare snaps up towards Glynda, whose lips barely curve to a smirk as she eats in peace. The accused girl merely shrugs. "Not that it's your business, Rowa, but Carmine was causing a ruckus in the workshop, and no one else was helping him."

"'Carmine', huh?!" The violet haired girl, Rowa turns fully on the blonde grinning ecstatic. Both the teammates across from them raise brows as well. "Yesterday it was a brat that didn't deserve to be here. Today, you're using a name?! Who are you, and what have you done with the class Witch?"

Cella nods with a smile. "That's good to take an interest in people. I approve."

Glynda takes a sip of a cup of coffee, glancing to the side. "So long as you help the kid correctly... else he'll need an actual teacher." Her tone lifted up, suggesting that was the expected outcome.

Instantly, all approval left the leader's face, eyes half lidded. "Oh, I see why you're helping now." All hope gone. Another competition between the two. "Could you two for once not make the simple act of helping another being a competition? If that's your only reason, the help you give might not be genuine."

Blaire huffs as she mumbles something under her breath. Rowa raises a brow. "Mumbling is new too! What, worried the kid will be too scared to seek you out for more help?"

The woman rolls her eyes. Her mouth opens, but her response is cut off by said boy's voice behind her. "Um, hey Blair!"

Instantly, Blair and Rowa turn in their seats, Glynda and Cella each leaning to peek around them. Carmine steps just behind Blair at the table, rolls of papers in his hands. He flinches at the sudden attention. "A-ah... hey." He repeats.

"Hello, Carmine." Blair states toneless. However, her brow raises seeing bags under his eyes. "Did you not sleep?"

Carmine blushes and nervously chuckles. "I did! I got my three hours." At the unimpressed look, he coughs and continues with a smile. "I have my base. I decided what my weapon will be." His face tilts down, glancing away. "You said I could come get your opinion on my ideas yesterday."

Blair's eyes widen, blinking twice. "Really? I actually did not expect you to have any set ideas yet." Her eyes are drawn to the rolled papers. "I also did not expect you to come during lunch time."

The boy merely scratches the back of his head. "Actually, I didn't have an idea of WHERE to find you, so I figured..."

She nods. "I apologize then for the inconvenience." All three of her teammates whip incredulous looks at the word 'apologize'. The woman and boy pay no mind as Blair waves to the seat beside her. "Go on then. Show me what you've gotten while I finish eating."

He grins, popping onto the seat. He places three paper rolls onto the top. "Okay, so I wanted to-"

His speech stops seeing Blair's raised finger. "HAVE you eaten yet?" A short pause before the boy blushes and scratches the back of his head. The woman sighs, head falling slightly. She waves her hand dismissively. "Go get food, you fool."

He nods, marching off.

Immediately left with her team, Blair uses her food tray and left hand to smooth out the first of the rolled papers. Her brows raise, looking through the contents. "... hmm. Good artwork. Terrible blueprints."

Rowa shares a glance with the other two. "Okay, hold up. You're actually interested in helping him enough to work during your personal time?" She twitches into shaking her head. "You'd typically tell someone to piss off until you came to them."

Blair spares her the response, rolling her eyes. She places the second rolled paper on top, again weighing one side down with her tray and the other with her left hand. Her right hand begins feeding herself the remaining food on her tray. She mutters to herself. "Hmm. Variations of the same idea? Options to go forward with."

The violet haired girl just starts to laugh in disbelief. "My god. It only took four years for you to become a person!" Blair growls under her breath, catching her partner's attention. "Just saying, I'm genuinely happy for you is all."

At that, Carmine returns with his own tray. He sends a wary glance at the other three women, but sits down after receiving an inviting grin from the violet haired woman. He finds Blair already looking at the third and final rolled paper. "O-oh! Here."

He takes the paper out from under Blair's tray. They immediately roll back up in his hand as he focuses on them. A few seconds later, the papers flicker with his aura, blinking and becoming straightened... as they were before he rolled them.

The woman huffs a single laugh. "I see you still like doing that."

He responds with a wide, unashamed grin. "I REEEAAALLY like doing it." He places the papers between his and her trays as he begins eating.

"So, these designs..." Blair starts. "I see you've really settled on the idea of armor, but not a specific type. Would you explain the concept."

Carmine quickly swallows before speaking. "They're all the same concept." He shifts uncomfortable. "You pointed out that I excel in mid range combat... which means I need a way to out speed my opponent for distance, withstand potential hits, and finally a close combat option."

Blair gives each paper a once over. The first showcases a blank body with torso armor, with further armor on one arm, almost integrated into a shield. The second showed armor like gauntlets on both forearms and hands, blades sticking out in multiple spots, no chest armor. The final had armor plates all over the lower legs, a tiny spew of fire out the feet.

She raises a brow when she sees notes on each page. Each note had a name title... B. A. S. ? "A transform armor then?" The boy glances at her, looking nervous, but hopeful. Waiting for her answer with baited breath.

Cella comments from across the table. "Not exactly practical. The more forms a weapon has, the less stable each form's mode is." The light seems to leave the boy's eyes at the team leader's response. "Not impossible, but just a comment."

Glynda nods. "And also a catastrophically difficult construction with all the transforming mechanisms." She takes Carmine's attention, eyes remaining analytical. "Honestly, such a construction method wouldn't be learned until one is nearly through combat school. It's very complicated, and if it's your weapon, it would do well for you to understand each and every part of its maintenance."

A fluster comes over him as he pouts. "B-but, I don't need mechanisms. I can change the forms myself." Suddenly, all fight leaves him as she returns his gaze to Blair, awaiting her final verdict. "Right?"

That made Blair's eyes widen, looking back and forth between the papers and the boy. As she does so, Rowa gives an apologetic smile. "Yeah... maybe it's just a little too ambitious for ya at this point-"

Blair cuts her off. "You realize that each and every part involved has to be capable of being arranged into the three modes. Then you'll have to memorize the feelings of your aura with each in order to form each one." Her full focus on the boy stuns the other women.

"Wait, what? What does aura have to-" Rowa tries to question.

Blair smirks. SMIRKS?! The violet haired woman, deer faunus, and equally frigid sister all go wide eyed. "And YOU came up with this all on your own? No cheating?" Carmine's eyes light up as he nods enthusiastically. "Bloody brilliant." She states plainly, interest shining a light in her own amber orbs.

Carmine grins wide, eyes lighting up with the happiness of the world. "R-really?!"

Suddenly, the woman looks back at the papers, unimpressed. "Although, this name is rather silly. 'Buster Armor System' or 'B. A. S.'? You realize the word 'system' implies the weapon has an automatic function, right?"

The boy flusters, pouting embarrassed. "I-I thought it was cool, and I'm the system, so it works!" She shakes her head at him as he looks up with hope. "So... it's good?"

Blair's smirk returns. "Of course. Meet me in the work shop at four today, and we'll go over materials and how to go about proper blueprints." At his sudden smile, she waves her hand. "Now, off you go, before I get tired of your company. I need my patience back."

However, the admittedly harsh words bounced right off the boy as he leaned out and hugged her quickly. "Thanks, Blair!"

"Ah-. Eh- ugh..." Blair gives up trying to muster a response, body tense and rigid. Her left hand comes up, giving the boy an awkward light couple pats on his back. All three of her teammates go agape at the reciprocated gesture. "No problem, Carmine."

He releases, gathering his papers and empty tray, quickly leaving. Blair rolls her eyes, returning to gather her empty tray as she looks at the shocked women. Her eyes narrow dangerously. "What?"

"You're shitting me." Rowa speaks without care. "What was that?"

Blair sighs, but raises a brow as she finds her sister with wide eyes as well. She smirks Glynda's way, directing her response. "Well, that was me succeeding, with zero experience might I add, at the thing you are devoting your life and study to."

Green eyes fill with fury at the blatant insult, but the fellow blonde lacks a chance to lash back. Blair simply takes her own leave with a clear tray.

. . .

Blair strolls into the workshop, eyes shut to obscure the irritation within her. That's what a class with Professor Port gets you. She makes her way towards the work benches. Draping her jacket onto the chair, she immediately sits her weapon onto the bench.

The woman's gaze holds on the cool gray metal sheath and grip. The handle's shape fit with her hand, plenty of shock absorption. She swiftly runs her hand along the shaft of the sheath, ending at the tip.

A quick glance over the shoulder, scanning the room and checking the clock. Twenty minutes before Carmine should arrive. Satisfied, she flicks a compartment open at the end of the sheath, popping out and removing a small capsule. A clear shell colored a darkened red inside.

Wiley swiped around, shifting his dagger into a gun mid swipe. He halts the aim at her, pulling the trigger.

Just then, the gun misfired, the inner mechanism setting off the dust inside the chamber. The weapon sparks and spews smoke.

Sensing her chance, Blair sheaths her blade, using it as a club to smack the man's other weapon aside. She thrusts in a riposte as three needles stick from the end of the sheath. She jabs into Wiley's chest, the syringes piercing into his gut.

The thrust propels Wiley back onto his back. In a twist, Blair spins, drawing her blade in a slash down. The blade halts an inch from Wiley's throat, Blair standing over him. Her semblance activates, the man's control of his limbs numbing as he winces in pain.

That had been the end of their match. His mishap gave her the opening and hid her strike. Just a small capsule filled with an ever so small sample of her opponent. The blonde stashes the capsule into her pocket, setting about cleaning and maintaining her weapon.

The time began to drift as she lost herself working over the bright golden blade. The metal almost seemed to give an iridescent glow.

Slowly, she runs her finger lightly along the edge, testing the sharpness. So lightly, she removes the finger, finding the equivalent to a paper cut on her index finger. Her middle and thumb press in on the finger, producing just a drop of her own crimson liquid.

The drop leaves her finger, touching into the flat of the blade. The crimson began to expand along the blade. The iridescent gold gave way to a reflective crimson. The entire length of the blade shifted color, the blade a slightly darker shadowed tone than the broad side. She runs her finger, now healed from her aura, along the blade, right along where the droplet hit the metal.

Dry. No liquid remaining. Completely absorbed.

She nods in satisfaction before pulling the trigger on the handle. A light pulse of dark purple flashes over the blade for just a moment. With only that flash, the blade returns to the eerie golden glow of the base blade.

All is in function. Her lips pull with a light smirk. Her Florescent Finish-

"Pretty weapon." A raven haired boy with green eyes comments off to the side. "Matches it's owner." He comments loosely with a smirk and wink. "You make it from scratch?"

No response. She places the sword down, taking fine tools and making sure the fittings remain tight. The boy's smirk slowly fell a bit, but he continues. "I'm sure it has stories to tell. A blade like that comes from love and dedication. I'm impressed. It's quite beautiful."

"A weapon's usefulness does not rely on its beauty. It should only impress in its function. Of which, you know nothing of this blade." Her voice comes calm, smooth, yet contains a distinct bite. Her focus and attention never leaves the weapon.

The man's smirk returns, accompanied by Blair's lips curling down. "Oh, I have no doubt its function is every bit as effective as its beauty. That beauty draws the eye, allowing more to appreciate its function, I'm sure." He takes a step towards her, only to receive a sharp glare from over her shoulders.

Blair's eyes stop him dead, as if ice encloses around him. "Beauty may have its place, but I care little for it. Just as little as I care to be disturbed by someone who is looking to suck up." The boy was a few years younger... Ah, one of the first years. A cocky brat trying to play off smarter than he is.

The cutting comment takes the wind from the man's sails. He shrugs awkwardly before he walks off. Blair takes this moment, finishing the fitting for the blade and smirking satisfied.

"Hi Blair!" Carmine's voice sounds as he walks up, papers and stencils in hand.

If he surprised her, she doesn't show it. She swiftly sheaths the weapon without glancing his way. "Hello, Carmine." The cold demeanor had disappeared. Not soft, but all hostility was gone. "You're five minutes early."

He stops at her bench, giving a shaky smile. "I didn't want to risk getting chewed out for being late."

She raises a brow, mildly amused. "A wise choice. Sit, lets begin." She waves towards her side, the boy placing the papers and utensils on the bench. The two begin their work together, the elder acting as a guide, channeling his direction.

. . .

A few days passed. Ozpin had continued subbing in for the combat class. Twice more, he'd paired Blair against classmates she'd never sparred against. And twice now, he'd placed her in matches she'd faced countless times. Of course, everyone had their own match ups. Everyone given the assignments of analyzing combat tactics and submitting papers.

From all that, he actually glinted a few details he'd never seen from his student. In each match against someone Blair had never fought, she repeated the same move. The same jab with her sheathed weapon. She never once attempted such a move against an opponent she'd already faced.

And that only made her actions with Carmine he'd witnessed now a week ago all the more suspicious. Perhaps he was putting too much into it. It was just a demonstrative moment between the older student and young boy. Nothing more.

Suddenly, his scroll begins ringing, the sound echoing through the office. Checking the caller, the headmaster raises a brow, but answers. "Hello, Mr Long. Is all well in Patch?"

A male voice answers, slightly hesitant. "Hey Oz... Yeah. I, uh, have a trip to Vale in a few days. Gonna be delivering the files on Signal's near graduates for Beacon's talent scouts."

Ozpin hums. It WAS graduation time. Summer time is just around the corner. Still. "Yes, Peach will be here next Tuesday to receive your report. But, I get the feeling you called days in advance for another purpose?"

There was silence on the line. That made the headmaster wary. Mr Long was good friends with both Professors Port and Oobleck, and held quite a positive relationship. Ozpin continues. "What is it, Taiyang?"

Taiyang, or Tai, sighs. "I, uh... wanted to ask how the kid is doing." Ozpin's teeth clenched, eyes widening only slightly. "No, that's not what I wanted to ask. Stupid." He chastised himself. This time, more direct. "I wanted a chance to speak with him... Give him a little talent scouting. See if he wanted to come to Signal once he's 14."

An odd feeling. Ozpin rarely found himself... unsure of what to say. A touch of parental instincts kick in. "He's been fairly adamant over refusing to go to combat school. Carmine seems to make it his wish to simply take the entrance exam for Beacon once he's 17."

"I'd still like to see for myself." Tai presses, tone slightly with an edge.

The headmaster found himself closing his eyes to focus. "Is this about Summer?" It was years before Carmine stopped flinching at the mention of the season. The topic of the woman was above taboo at this point, though it had been quite a while since she'd been brought up.

Tai continued. "I can't lie and say it isn't... Been on my mind lately, and, uh. Summer risked her life for the kid. Part of me is still not able to grasp it all. It's just-" He pauses. "It's hard to move on. I don't blame the kid... but at some point, you gotta confront it, ya know? I want to meet the person Summer died for... and hopefully help them out in the long run too. It's what she'd want."

That... eased the headmaster's nerves a touch. He knew Qrow had come to terms with it all, working so closely together, but Taiyang was more emotional than the bird. Contact was rarely direct between he and Ozpin.

However, the word 'confront' cause the man's attention. "Very well. I must ask, are you going to bring..." The implication was fairly clear, hanging off the trail of words.

"NO!" Tai hurriedly threw out. "No, no, no. They- ugh... It's been hard, but they're in a good place right now with it. They don't know about the boy, and... I don't think they're ready to learn about him. Let alone confront him."

"I see." The elder's lips pulled to a fine line. "Then it shall be set up Tuesday afternoon, then."

. . .

"It could be better." The blonde's dull commentary sounds, halting Carmine's working hands. The boy's jacket is off, leaving him sweating in his t-shirt. Breathing heavily, he drops a hammer and places a burning hot rod of metal, fresh from the furnace.

Sweat dripping from him, he looks up tiredly at Blair. "What did I do wrong now?" He exclaims, half whining.

Blair sits off to the side, her hair pulled tightly into a ponytail, shirt replaced with a violet tank top. Sweating lightly, she sighs, looking at the metal pieces in front of her. "Oh, you're doing it correctly, but these materials aren't optimal."

Carmine groans, sitting down next to her and eyeing the schematics on the half table beside their seats. "You could have said so before we got this far. What's wro-" He yelps and flinches, seeing her send a mild side eye glare.

"Careful. Sarcasm will tire me of your company." She shakes her head, continuing. "This CAN work, but for the materials, you're stuck with traditional steel, and dust chambers are difficult to conduct through generic weapons."

The boy pouts, sinking back in confusion. "What's the difference then?"

"The armor will be heavier than preferred, and efficiency in dust usage will be lower than expected." She strokes her chin, looking once more over their materials. "We can't refine anything better, so I didn't bother bringing it up, but I figured you would like to know how it can be improved in the future."

The boy's lips pulled in a fine line, head sagging. "Yay... constant replacing materials for a long time." He looks up, a slight pleading voice. "You wouldn't happen to know where I can get those better metals? What ones work best?"

"Titanium would make the armor amazingly lighter, providing more movement. Although, it's not that much better at dust conducting and containment. Typically, one would need to create complex alloys for better yield with dust usage." The woman leans back, posture failing as the hard work sets in. "And the provided materials don't include anything above carbon steel and iron." She takes a water bottle and takes a long swig. A satisfied sigh escapes her lips. "Not much else to it, unless you have a hidden stash."

At that information, the boy's stare goes off, unfocused. "Right..." He barely noticed as she rose from the seat, moving towards the furnace again. "Hey Blair?"

"Hm? What is it?"

"If I use my own material, would you be able to tell me if it's any good?" A grimace pulled over him. A light pout comes on, eyes gazing off. "I... might have something, but I don't know anything about this."

Her eyes widen slightly, brow raising in curiosity. "I'm not a smith by trade, but I can identify the material if it is well known." She quickly gathers her jacket and places some tools down. A short pause when she notices his hesitation. "Is there an issue with it?"

"No no no. It's just..." He sighs after losing the sentence. A breath in and out, he continues softly. "I can go get it real quick and bring it back. It's, uh, back in my room..."

"Sitting and waiting would waste my time. I'll accompany you." She states plainly, possessions gathered as he blinks startled. "Come on. You need to lead." The blonde was already waltzing out the workshop area.

"A-ah okay!" He scrambles about, grabbing his jacket as he runs after the leaving women. "Hey! Wait up! Blaaaaaaair!"

. . .

The door opens as Carmine quickly strolls across his room. The boy pauses in the center of the room, blushing and kicking a pair of shorts, several socks, some pajama shorts, and three shirts under the bed. Blinking in shock and embarrassment, he glances at the desk, covered in a dozen different comic books, splayed out.

Checking behind him, Blair has yet to enter the room. Like a blue clad crimson blur, the boy rapidly stacks up the books, collects belongings out of place, tossing plastic food wrappers in the garbage. Why the hell did he have four empty liter bottles of soda?!

Satisfied he breaths a sigh of relief. "You're a disorganized slob."

He slumps, downcast. Blair was already in the room, running a finger across the top of his dresser. "It's not that bad." He weakly defends himself. However, upon turning around, he finds a fierce amber glare going his way, burning horror into his soul.

Arms crossed, fully leering down at him, venom drips from every note is her voice. "Being better than a pig does not make you cleanly."

His cringes away frightened! "AH! Stop judging me!"

"No." She comments dryly. "Now, what are we getting here?"

He pouts, muttering under his breath as he goes off to his closet. Opening up, several items sit piled on top of more, disorganized all the way up to his thighs. He hesitates, but glances over his shoulder...

And she's beaming bloody murder into his essence with her eyes.

Choosing to ignore her, he returns attention to the closet, brushing the hanging unused shirts and jackets aside. He looks up to the top, a shelf above the hanging clothes. One hand grabs the clothes bar, and one foot steps onto the pile of junk, letting him step and pull up to reach the high shelf.

Not having full view, he grabs around, feeling out the object he's searching for. There!

He pulls back from the closet, hopping down as parts of the pile within attempts to spill out into the room. However, he slams the closet closed before it can, sighing in relief at covering another mess. He smiles back, only to pale sheet white at Blair's smoldering eyes. "Hehe... Got it..." In his hands is a box, about two feet long and a foot thick. He places it on the bed taking a moment to simply admire it and brush the dust off the top. "I... haven't looked at this in years." With that, he opens the top, but stops.

Blair raises a brow. "What is it?"

Carmine sighs, opening it fully and moving some wrapping. Fully open, the boy reveals what looks like metal plates? No, metal sleeves. Two of them, very thick, about a foot long each. The boy smiles at the pieces, but his blue orbs betrayed him. "This work?"

He was quiet for a moment. Despite the verbal offering, he still clung to the strange armor plating. Blair shifted her weight, sensing a strange tension in the boy. She eyed the material. It was like a metal arm warmer. Six dust chambers, all currently empty. Tentatively, she reaches out, slowly brushing her hand onto the material.

She notices he clenches on the objects, grip tightened to the point of white knuckles. Seeing the reaction, she simply keeps her hand in place, closing her eyes and reaching out with her aura. Her life essence reverberates and rebounds back to her from the weapon. As if magnified!

Her eyes snap open widen. "This... is adamantine cobalt?"

The questioning gaze gets the boy to finally look at her, confusion breaking the somber gaze. "Huh?"

She blinks rapidly and shakes her head. "Right, it's... more of an alloy of a few rare elements. The most common is cobalt, hence the name. The metal is about the same weight and durability as titanium, but is above and beyond more capable of dust channeling." She even chuckles. "It's rare, though not something exclusive to the rich. Took me a year of reservations to obtain some for my work." Her hand trails back to her sword, a smile coming on. "Florescent's blade is 70% composed of it."

That information brought a light smirk to the boy, chuckling. "That's so cool. I didn't know that." He sighs, gaze lowering back to the two pieces. "These... are my Mom's weapons." His tone lowered, quiet. "They, uh... shipped it here not long after I was moved in here at Beacon. Among other things from the house."

Her smile dropped, focus leaving the material and regarding the boy fully. This was the conflict. If he offered this as the material, he'd be losing his mother's weapon. She takes a step back, the action pulling Carmine's attention up again. She works her mouth, getting the best words she could. "I see. You don't need to use this then."

The boy grimaced, defending dryly. "But if I wanted the best weapon, I could use this for as much material as I could." He gives a chuckle, though his eyes lightly shimmer, water building. "I DID get the idea for armor based off remembering these." He sighs, taking a moment to himself. "Plus, I can't use these. Hunter weapons aren't meant to be gathering dust- erm, bad dust." A huff of a laugh escapes. "Plus, thinking about it this way, it would be like taking a bit of her everywhere I go from here on."

Blair simply stared on for a moment, sufficiently impressed with the boy's reasoning, but still. It wouldn't do for him to go burning his old possessions... speaking of, what does he mean. "If I may ask, what happened to them?"

He shifts, turning and sitting on the bed, eyes slowly alternating between the weapon in his hands and the one strapped to his thigh. "I... unlocked my semblance..." He shrugs, shaking his head. "Caught the wrong attention. These... T-t-these guys, they... took me. From home." Arms hugged inward, the weapons placed on the bed on each side of him. "M-mom fought them all through the house... the street, but-" He cuts off with a wet sniff.

She knew where this was headed, and the blonde was very well aware she was not the best person to talk through this. Still, she sits on the best as well, hands politely resting on her lap. "It's okay. You don't have to talk about it, but I can listen if you wish."

His mouth hung open, haggard breaths coming and going. "... They wanted to ransom me to Beacon, b-but instead of giving me back, they wanted to take me to-" He shudders taking a breath. "Take me to be sold." He gulps down the lump in his throat. "Then Dad come and found where I was. He and S-" He choked out, taking a moment.

Lightly, albeit awkwardly, the blonde's hand came to rest on his shoulder. It was stiff, felt more like a stick jabbed into him and stayed there. Still, he smiled at it, stopping. Blair, on the other hand, had her brow scrunched. Why the hell would they ransom a kid to Beacon? Still, not the time or place. "And they succeeded... right? I mean, you are here."

He brushes at his eyes, giving a single nod. "Dad didn't-, hmph. He saved my life, but he didn't make it." Wiping his eyes again, he shakes his head. "S-sorry, I shouldn't bother you with this."

"It's fine." Her voice cuts curtly. "You're fine, Carmine." Her hand rubs a light circle on his back as she keeps his attention. "I'm sorry you went through such a thing... Your parents both sound quite tenacious and protective."

That got a genuine wet chuckle out of him. "Oh yeah. Mom was very territorial. Dog faunus." He adds hastily. Despite her confused look, he continues. "And Dad was awesome. Best dad ever."

Right, not the time to question a few uncomfortable topics. Blair, instead, she nods back to the weapon. "Tell me about it. It looks interesting."

Carmine smirks, sniffling a bit, but returns his attention to the hunks of metal. "Infizieren Perfekt. She's the only one that could ever hope to use it. That I know of anyway."

At the comment, Blair takes possession of the weapon, inspecting it. "Injectors?" The injectors were linked to the dust chambers! "This weapon injected her with dust?! How reckless was she? That's horrifically dangerous."

The boy grins at that. "Mom's semblance was self healing. Since aura heals most things by itself anyway, she based her fighting on using self induced drugs and dust. Her semblance fixed up her insides so she could roid out as much as she wanted!" He giggled at the idea of the weapon. "Each chamber had one of three types of dust, so she could cast and weave that dust type from herself like magic. She could always fix herself better cause she was a doctor too."

He glances at Blair, pausing as he sees wide amber saucers peering back. "She sounds like my perfect kind of colleague. That's such a daring route to go with that sort of semblance." His only response was a mix of a giggle and a cackle. She smirks at the boy. "No wonder you came up with a weapon design like your armor. Wild builds seem to be a family trait with you."

At that, the boy blushes, grinning widely. However, the smile went down slightly. "Yeah... If I could use it for myself, I would, just like Heulin Noon, but I can't. I know I should donate it or something, hope that someone else has a semblance that could use it, but I just... can't find it in me."

"Do you truly wish to use it for your armor?" The blonde prods.

A few seconds tick by, but Carmine smiles and nods. "Yes. I'm sure."

She smiles back at the boy, nodding herself. "Then with this, I'd say we can comprise and mix this to be about of what you'd need. The rest we'll use as light of material as we can." At the beaming kid, she allows an off hand comment. "Be ambitious and follow through, you could become a doctor, smith, or professor yourself."

Rather than continue beaming, that dropped his glee right off him, confusion filling him. "You're... trying to be a researcher, right? How do you go from Huntress training to being some lab doctor thing?"

"All through your years at Beacon, you can choose elective options to follow specialties. This way, should you ever find yourself unable to continue as a hunter, you can still benefit the world prominently within those emphases. However, you can take that a step further and graduate directly into that profession if you devote yourself enough." Blair explains offhand.

She continues, sitting straight, authoritative. "I devoted myself to researching aura, but to enter the professional world and obtain grants for further research, I need to complete a research proposal before I graduate in three months." Despite schooling her features, she's unable to keep the light from shining in her eyes. "And most of my research and results have been fruitful, specializing in the genetics of semblances and replication of these semblances."

Upon returning her gaze to the boy, she sees a blank look... Right... in one ear, out the other. "So... you're gonna give everyone super powers?"

SWAT!

Her hand whacks the back of his head, lurching him forward and grabbing at the sore spot. Carmine whines like a dog. "Oww..."

"This isn't one of your terrible comic books." Blair cuts with her glare. She huffs and stands up from the bed. "Now, come." She smirks down at him. "If we work hard over the next few days, we might have a final product by the time the weekend is over."

And thus, the boy's pain was forgotten, a burning fire building in his eyes as he beams a smile. "Hell yeah!" SWAT! His head rocks forward once more. "OW!"

"Language." The woman admonishes as they leave the room.

. . .

The boy hits the floor, sweating profusely. His eyes glaze over, unfocused, as he takes easy breaths. "I take back any compliments ever made about crafting. This is awful." He sounds off laying directly on the marble floor by the smelting furnace. Hadn't even bothered for the three extra steps to the seats.

A shadow looms over his head, Blair standing at his shoulders, staring down at him. "Much as you might enjoy the dirty floor, at least calculate how much more material we need to add."

His arm drags up lazily, pointing to a nearby table. "Uh, that notepad you put instructions on. I followed the calculations." The arm immediately fell useless. The boy's half lidded stare returned to the ceiling. "You were right again. 63.6% of the final product can be made with the Adam n Coby."

"Adamantine Cobalt." She corrects, actually rolling her eyes. Moving over to the notepad, she begins checking his added notes.

"Whatever." He huffs, chuckling. "Correct me when I have the will to live."

"Then don't make up names... hmm. Well done. You actually know math and measurements." The toneless voice shifted to show actual chipper cheer. A light pull came at her lips. She'd been dreading having to correct the kid ten times at each step. Instead, he was actually getting it fairly quickly.

"When you say 'actually', that sounds like an insult." The redhead grumbles from the floor.

"Oh, don't hold it against her. She's always like that." A new voice cuts in. Carmine tilts his head up, looking from the floor to find the violet haired woman from Blair's team. The bubbly girl grins. "Well, is the progress coming?"

"What do you want, Rowa?" Blair comments, eyes barely caring to lift from the notepad to her teammate and partner.

"It's 7:37, and you missed dinner. I wrapped it up and put it in the fridge for you." The new girl grins at the scientist. "Also to check and make sure the boy wasn't murdered." At the mention of dinner, a loud growl caught both women's attention. They each glance at the blushing boy on the floor. At this Rowa chuckles. "Uh oh. Sounds like missed dinners all around! Need help there, buddy?"

She offered a hand to the redhead, who readily grasps it. Being lifted, he wobbles back and forth, sighing. "Thanks, um... Miss... Rowa?"

"Yup yup! How's the resident Witch been for ya?" The girl teases, sending a smirk towards the blonde.

At that, Carmine tilts his head confused. "Witch? Why is she called a Witch?"

Rowa deadpans, glancing over the boy's head around the workshop. All remaining users within the shop work and stand twenty yards away, some sending wary glances at the blonde. At the pause, Blair looks around the room as well, resulting in at least eight other students flinching and returning to their work. Her eyes carried an air of murder.

Rowa speaks plainly. "Don't worry about it."

Carmine chuckles, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Blair's super nice, though. And cool!" His statement punctuates with a beaming grin at the violet haired woman.

Once again, the violet haired woman deadpans at the boy, completely stunned. Her eyes droop towards the blonde, seeing amber orbs staring the death of the devil at her. The complete contrast caused the girl to burst into a laugh. "This might be my favorite thing to happen all semester. You're adorable!" At that, the boy's blush burns to the shade of his roots.

Blair sighs. "Thank you, Rowa. I'll be at the dorm soon."

The girl nods, waving at her partner. "See ya, Blair." Her eyes light up a bit at the boy. "Bye, Carmine!" Within seconds, she's gone. Not even two seconds later, another growl comes from his gut.

The blonde side eyes the boy. "Let's continue this tomorrow. There are no classes, so we can start early, around noon." He drapes her uniform jacket over her shoulder, other hand gathering her weapon and notes. "Be sure not to leave anything here. Vultures will take whatever is left at the end of the day."

He chuckles with a nod. "Okay. Bye Blair."

The blonde makes it to the entryway of the workshop, stopping short with wide eyes as a familiar silver haired man walks around the corner. Straightening her back, she nods respectfully. "Professor Ozpin."

The man steps into the shop, giving a curt nod towards her. "Hello, Miss Goodwitch. How goes the progress with Mr Uhlric?" His question ends with a quick glance over his shoulder towards the boy. Carmine had yet to notice his entrance, still gathering materials, containers for the cooled metals.

She nods. "Of course. Today we determined our metals. Tomorrow, we will forge all the pieces. Hopefully, but the end of Sunday, we shall have the pieces made to fit together while working on the internal dust chambers. All goes well, he will have a rather unique build come Monday."

That brought a smile to the headmaster's face. "Is that so? You are quite kind to help him. Has he impaired your own studies in any way?"

She shook her head, chin raising. "My research proposal and findings were ahead of schedule. I have the time to help him." A rare smile comes on her. "I won't disappoint you, sir."

"I'm sure you won't." The words hurt as they left the man's lips. He watches as the blonde walk around him, exiting the shop. Perhaps he was truly overreacting. Then again, it's always better to be sure. At that, the silver haired man strolls over to the boy, seeing him finish getting his things. "Hello, Mr Uhlric."

Carmine flinches, snapping his head up to the man. "Fath-" He grunts, cutting himself off. "Uh... hey there... Professor Ozpin." His features school, confusion left however. "Um... what's up?"

. . .

Blair enters her dorm, locking the door. As one makes their way through the years at Beacon, their setup changes at the beginning of each Fall. Rehoused to a new dorm hall, new resources, new accommodations.

Second Years gain singular spaces for personal projects and study. Some of the more lazy students will use those personal spaces to give themselves their own personal bedrooms. Cramped as they are... Although, more diligent students will use the areas to make work stations. Glynda used hers to organize and develop her own dust. Back when she used dust with her semblance. She rarely does so these days.

Third Years gain given budgets to obtain types of equipment in order to follow through on their trade skills. Some hunters will add work benches capable of housing tools for most weapon maintenance. Others will use it to make a weapons locker, among other things.

Fourth Years finally gained their own official spaces. The dorm opens to a living area, kitchenette and living room. There are then four doors to each team member's bedroom. Inside each of those is the bedroom as well as a door to their personalized work area. Privacy sufficiently gained after only three years.

Cause if she had to hear Rowa snore one more time, she might literally burn this entire building to the ground.

Her room was well kept, in order. A bed with violet sheets and a white blanket. The walls were a cool gray. She wasn't much a fan of warm bright colors. A desk with books and files organized in miniature shelves on one side, another work table by the window. Nearby it was a small television. On the opposite side of the entrance was another door.

Blair moved across the room wearing a night gown, freshly showered, holding a plate of food. Reheated fried steak and red potatoes. Not terrible. Placing a fork full of food in her mouth, the utensil hands from her lips while she opens the door, entering her private work room.

Upon entering, a white light turns on, the white enclosed room having no windows. The walls were a pristine white, with silver cabinets lining one side of the room. The opposite side was a counter with mini shelves. Each shelf held an assortment of items: Beakers, test tubes, graduated cylinders, flasks, prods, heaters, microscopes, goggles, gloves, and more.

The center of the counter had a circular golden plate affixed in place. Blair sits the reheated food down, taking a seat on the one circular stool in the room. She snatches a remote on the counter, turning on a mini television in the corner of the room.

Immediately flashing on, an Atlas news channel starts. A documentary-like piece on white dust. Blair's brow raises for a moment, forking some food into her mouth and wiping politely as she chews.

Minutes pass, quickly finishing the food and dumping the foam plate and plastic utensil into a garbage can. A few blinks in place, and her eyes harden, focused. She opens the second cabinet, revealing lines upon lines of sliding shelves. In each level were dozens of capsules, no larger than an inch each.

And every single one was labeled with a piece of paper and scribbled identifying notes. On one of the middle shelves, she snatches her target. The capsule was labeled on the side, 'Sample: Carmine. Semblance: "Recall". i.e. Time'.

"Hmm." She grunts out, taking the capsule.

Within a moment, she removed a lab coat from the cabinet and put it on. Removing a syringe, she drew out just a touch of blood. Placing the capsule down, she moved to the plate, glowing gold under her.

She held the syringe out above the golden plate, slowly releasing the crimson essence out onto the metal. Three seconds, and the crimson material appears to expand. The entire coloration of the plate shifts to a dim glowing dark scarlet.

The red shimmered as Blair eyes it for a second, running her hand along the plate. Dry. "Absorption complete. Form ready." She taps her chin in thought, before her eyes return to the garbage can.

Swiftly, she places the now empty plate and fork onto the glowing crimson plate. Does it work like that? Her aura passes from her hand into the plate, casting upon it. "Alright, Carmine... Recall!" A bright crimson intermixed with aqua flashes from the plate instantly, the glow returning to gold.

And Blair lurches over the counter. "ACK! CKAA!" Her hand clamps over her mouth, trying to smooth the wet coughing fit from her throat. "What the-" Her wide panicked eyes gaze at the metal plate... seeing her food lightly steaming warm off the plastic plate.

A growl catches her attention, her stomach aching. Her eyes drift down... Did... did that boy's semblance just recall the food she ate?!

She works her mouth, trying to speak. "I-it was supposed to rewind the plate and make it clean! Not- ugh..." She lurches, her stomach aching. "Shhhhit!" Allowing the curse word, the blonde grumbles. "Right... his semblance affects only him and objects with his aura. Since I activated it with MY aura, it also activated on the substances inside me?"

Amber eyes glance inquisitively. "So... if someone else ate the food, and I activated the semblance, the plate would have gone to before food was placed on it?" A rapid shake of her head, eyeing the food again. "Ugh, questions for later..."

Upon eating her food for a SECOND time, Blair moves over to a microscope. Producing a clear class slide, she returns to the syringe. Just a short push to place the blood onto the slide, then another slide to flatten the sample. Placing it under the scope, she begins increasing the magnification.

Often, a person's semblance can make some base changes in their genetics, leading to physical changes. Elemental based semblances were the easiest to discern. Fire based semblances yielded a higher boiling point for their blood, for instance. Truly, she enjoyed piecing together and finding these differences in the more rare semblances.

Hence, what will be different here-

She recoiled from the microscope, eyes blinking. Her eyes narrow, going back to look. Increase magnification further. Further. Further until she could make out each and every blood cell. But it was bothering. Each cell shimmered faintly, with a specific part of the nucleus giving off a faint green glow.

It CAN'T be aura. While it's true all life has aura, blood can retain the etchings of a semblance, but does not retain aura. The very lifeblood of the soul. It would have faded out within seconds. But it has to be aura, because nothing else would cause such a reaction. Except base aura is typically white before taking color with a person's semblance and unique aura signatures. And those instances only last when the person is commanding their aura. So why green?

Unless it's a different agent, and not aura? She leans back, gazing out in thought. "... Interesting."

. . .

"I see you've finally warmed up to making friends." Ozpin starts off, a slight smile on. The two sit inside his office, each with a tray of food before them. The headmaster sat at his desk, eyeing some reports on a now holographic screen.

Carmine sat near the window, cross legged, watching the sunset turn to night over Vale. He shifted uncomfortably. "I... wasn't exactly trying to do that."

The silver haired man nods, despite the boy not facing him. "Many such encounters will occur in life. Some will call it fate."

The boy resists the urge to roll his eyes. "I'm kinda used to the fairy tale and destiny talks from your books. At some point, they begin to lose their flair." He munches on a roll, more hungry than he expected.

A soft chuckle comes from the old man. "I suppose that's true. Hearing more prattle tends to distract from the message."

The stereotypical teenage groan is an answer. "Then skip the 'prattle' and tell me the message? What did you want to talk about?" He turns to face his father, meeting eye for eye. "I mean, we eat every few days together, sure, but you never specifically come to get me. What's up?"

Right. Ozpin truly enjoyed watching the boy figure things out quickly. He could be observant when he wanted to be, but he was direct... impatient. The headmaster sighs. "I've known about many of your talks with Professor Oobleck as of late."

The boy groans loudly, slumping. "Great, so he talks to you about those? Just great." He returns his gaze out the window, hand gesturing flippantly.

Ozpin simply smiles. "No, no. I do not know the subjects of your talks. I'm quite okay with such things." His voice softens as he lets his posture relax. "But I can guess the overall purpose of those talks."

Carmine keeps his back turns, eyes narrowing with no response. So, the headmaster continues. "You need to vent. You need to speak. You need to socialize. I see no problem in you doing so. I'm quite happy you've taken so well with Blair. It's a good first step."

"Hmm." Is all the boy gets out, eating more from his tray. "You're much more talkative today."

The mild jab brought a frown to the silver haired man. "I wanted you to find your way on your own, and it seems you are doing so. I simply wish to help nudge you along, and see where you're at now."

"On my own, huh?" Carmine mocks with a chuckle. "So I'm your just another student, Professor Ozpin?"

That hit to the man's gut like a solid blow. Still, he didn't let it show. "I want what's best for you, not because you're under my care, but because you're my son."

Silence hits for a moment, the boy sighing and turning around to face his father. "Sorry, Father." He slumps slightly, but braces himself. "Ask whatever you want."

Ozpin's smile returned, posture back. "I have three topics, and you can go on for the night." He sits his own empty plate aside. "Firstly, I'd like for you to venture out more into Vale." Carmine's gaze snaps up to him, confused. "It would do you well to see community interaction more, and I know of several locations where you could meet and socialize with children your own age."

That made Carmine's eyes bug out, jaw dropping. "Whoa whoa whoa, I-I-I don't think that's..." One meeting of their gazes, brown hazel eyes daring the blue to challenge. The boy slinks back down, head hanging. "Yes sir..."

"You'll be perfectly fine. You may even flourish." The headmaster encourages.

"Ha... ha." Carmine mutters dryly. "I wasn't exactly popular in Sanctuary."

"Well, you've done a good job not fighting bullies every other month." The elder man joked. This got a shocked coughing fit out of the boy.

"Hey! How do you know about that?!" The wide eyed boy jabs a finger out, accusing the man.

"Jared always gave me updates on you." Opzin answered simply. "I always had my eyes and ears open for how you were." The admission gets a blush from the boy, who's standing now, scratching the back of his head nervously. "Next topic. Have you thought any further on Combat School?"

"No." An immediate response. "It sounds pointless. I'm already preparing with our private sessions enough that I should get into Beacon. Why would I need Combat School?"

Ah, same response. Same exact words. Ozpin sighs. "It would do well to learn with different teachers, experience different mindsets, and perspectives." Exact same words as last time.

However, as the boy was about to spit previous words back, he pauses, eyes widening before narrowing. "This is just for more socializing with people, isn't it?" Poker face, Ozpin gives nothing away. Eerily still with no further input. Carmine's eyes go half lidded, dully staring at the man. The frustration escapes the boy as he bites back. "Fine, IF going to Vale goes well, I'll think about Combat School."

Ozpin smirks back. Of course, Carmine is unaware of his 'interview' in just a few days, but... "You don't wish to befriend others actively?" His eyes narrow slightly, suspicious. "I surely hope you don't feel yourself superior to others. That would be unbecoming of you."

Carmine shakes his head, eyes dropping as he gazes off the side.

"Then what is it?" Ozpin pushes, but no answer comes. The boy squirms lightly, shifting his weight. "Do you feel... inferior?" When no answer came, Ozpin's frown set fully. "If you wish to talk about it, I'm here, but I assure you that there is no reason to feel such a way."

The redhead didn't look back at him. "What's the third thing?"

The headmaster considers back and forth pressing the boy, but eventually settles otherwise. However, this next question would likely be worse... or involved. "How have you been feeling about it all?" Carmine's soft gaze back was confused. Perhaps more specific. "When was the last time you thought about them?"

Recognition came, his eyes widening, then clamping shut. "I... haven't been sleeping well lately."

Ozpin nods, taking a short breath. "I see. And have you thought of her as well?" He sees the boy's hands clench into fists. Carmine opens his eyes, face ever so slightly paler. That answers that question. "You need to forgive yourself, Carmine. Summer wouldn't-"

"A murderer isn't innocent just because he forgives himself." Carmine chokes out, cutting the man off. He shutters with a huff, breathing erratic. "I'm going to bed... Goodnight, Father." He turns and leaves the room, the headmaster now alone.

. . .

Carmine swiftly marches through the halls, hands shaking. The lights were dimmed, fitting with the feel later at night. He'd been just walking around, for hours now. Getting awfully close to midnight. The windows showed a dark night, no stars... He'd noted that twice in an attempt to distract himself.

"Ugh." He starts ringing his hands together, occupying them. Shaking his head, he glares at the floor, continuing until... Pat. Pat. Pat. His eyes trailed back to the window, spotting rain drops hitting the window.

Stopping, the boy simply watches as the rain begins to fall harder, becoming a steady flow down from the dark abyss above Beacon. His lids drooped, focus zoning out.

"Alright... Now that we have some hours to burn, let's learn just a bit about each other." He hears the cheerful female voice in his head. A grimace pulls at his face. "Here, I'll start!"

His hand comes to rest of the window seal, as he leans into the window, eyes on the rain. On cue, the lights of the halls snap off, only one dim white light keeps each hallway somewhat visible. The child stands in the darkness. A far off flash outside occurs, seconds passing before a low rumble of thunder sounds.

"Hi there! My name is Summer Rose. I'm just shy of 27 years old. I'm a Huntress of Beacon Academy and former leader of Beacon's prestigious team STRQ!" Carmine pulls away from the window, shaking his head and walking further down the halls. His gaze continues to flick out the windows. "More than what I like, I love even more things."

His off hand comes up and clenches around his ear. His eyes close as he continues walking. The voice continues. "I love my two daughters... my husband... my brother and sister, flighty birds as they are... the people around me, and I love helping whoever I can." The boy doesn't stop in the hall until his foot nearly slips. He stops himself, simply having his hands on his head standing in place. "And I love being a Huntress, and mother."

A whimper escapes his lips as he sniffs a breath in, slowly calming down. Silence sits except the patter of rain. "My name is Carmine Uhlric... I like exceeding people's expectations, and seeing others happy. I like making people proud, and I like fixing problems."

Another lightning flash flickers the hallway. The boy is alone. "I hate evil within people... I hate murderers and monsters." He chokes, lifting his head and looking out the window again. "I hate myself. I hate bothering others... I hate disappointing others."

Tears build in his eyes as, breathing loudly. "I have no dreams, because I don't have a choice anymore. I can only do one thing." His hands lift and cover his eyes as he walks to the wall, turning and leaning back on the window. "To devote my life to save all the lives you no longer can."

He stood against the window for about a minute, listening to the sounds outside, letting them lull him to relax. He lets out a loud sigh, the only sound within the halls.

Lightning flashes light into the halls... illuminating a cloaked figure down the hall before the boy.

Carmine flinches, eyes wide and looking down the hall. No one is there. His breathing picks up, wide eyes scanning the halls. His heart races ahead of itself, pounding. He shakes his head, turning to continue down the hall...

Until another flash, and he sees a shadowed figure next to him in the flicker. Small specks dot shadows around the figure.

He whips around, left hand snapping to the gun handle on his thigh. His breath grew choppy, retreating away, quickly. The sound of his steps echoes out through the halls, nearly a jog. After a minute, he finally makes it to his room door. His quivering hand jiggles the knob as he can't get a solid grip.

Another flash of lightning. He whips around on reflex!

In the flash, he makes out a cloak of white and red. "AH!" He flinches away, leaning on his back. In a flick, his gun is out and aimed from the ground, aiming down the empty hallway. Seconds tick by, eyes darting about.

Like a twitch, he snaps halfway up, fidgeting with the door, entering his door, and slamming is shut inside his room. He stumbles across the floor, running a hand through his hair. Getting to the bed, he sits down. His breathing still haggard. But this is his room... His space. He's safe.

… But he's not sleeping well tonight.

So, this chapter and next chapter were intended to be one chapter, but once I got to 40 pages, I realized I should cut this in two for consumption. I'll be posting both chapters in quick succession, since I'm basically done with the next chapter upon posting this one. More notes will be in the next chapter.

Next time in Chapter 11: Broken and Disappointed.