Maria Calavera kept her eyes on the screen and her feet crossed atop the coffee table as Glynda Goodwitch looked at her with contempt from across the teachers' lounge. The older woman paid her colleague no mind as she sipped her coffee and watched her headmaster click through several news stations upon the holographic television mounted upon the wall. The other members of the staff spoke in hushed voices as they regarded the screen with unease. Maria was content to sip her coffee in silence, until Peter Port took position upon the couch beside her with his own steaming mug.
"Any idea what this is all about, Maria?" the professor of Grimm Studies asked before taking a quick drink. "It's unusual to have a meeting called before classes begin."
"Unusual, but not unheard of," Maria offered with a shrug. "And no. All I know is that Oz wants us to see something that's going on around Vale City, and it's probably not a good thing."
"Is it ever a good thing, when the media is involved?" Winslow Scotch asked from his position within a recliner. Between the man's mass, mousy brown sweater vest, and limp position, Maria almost thought that he was fusing into the cushions to become one with the furniture.
"It's no use speculating," Glynda snapped. She kept her arms folded and her eyes on the screen as she spoke, though each of the males had the sudden notion that she was upset with them, specifically. Winslow's fears were confirmed as she turned to face him, her eyes narrowed to judgmental slits. "And as a professor of history, I would expect you to see the media as being on the side of the people."
"Being a professor of history is exactly why I don't think that," Winslow countered as he raised his cup at the younger woman. "Fifty lien says that whatever we're about to see, they blame it on faunus, even if none are involved. Not much has changed in the past twenty years. Were you even born yet?"
Glynda opened her mouth to retort, only for Ozpin to turn to face his colleagues as he stepped to the side of the screen. "Don't take that bet, Glynda. Now, pay attention, all of you. I want to make sure you're all aware of what's going on."
Maria leaned forward slightly and set down her mug as she narrowed her eyes at the screen. She brushed a few strands of ebony hair across her forehead as a familiar man wearing a charcoal suit and red tie appeared, shuffling papers as he cleared his throat.
"Good morning, Vale City… though unfortunately that may be only a formality. It seems we can't go a full week without another robbery downtown, though this time, the criminals struck overnight. We have Amber Ashford on scene and ready to give us an update, as usual. Amber?"
The sound of frenzied chatter amongst the assembled staff broke out behind the couch as Maria watched Amber's portrait enlarge upon the screen. With a frustrated noise, she raised a hand backwards for silence as Amber began to speak.
"Enough, people. You're all worse than the kids," Maria grumbled as she shook her head and returned to her coffee.
"-tually, it may not be a robbery at all," Amber continued as she began to walk backward. The camera followed her footsteps, showing off a storefront with a single shattered glass window panel, the sign above which read Vaso Elegance. Police tape formed a diagonal cross over the unwelcome opening, and shattered glass lay scattered all around the sidewalk. Within the shop itself, more shards of glass, porcelain, and patterned ceramics were visible strewn across the floor, counters, and smashed display cases.
"Upon interviewing the owner, I've been told that while almost everything in the store has been smashed, nothing has been reported as missing. Unlike the recent attack on the Schnee Dust Company shop only three blocks from this very store, this overnight break-in appears to be an act of targeted vandalism. Damage estimates are currently sitting at upwards of 20,000 lien, and whoever carried out the attack seems to be intimately familiar with the layout of the store. Even merchandise kept in the stockroom was destroyed, though not all of it was broken. I've been told that local law enforcement arrived after a silent alarm went off within the store, though they have no security camera footage and saw nothing of whoever did this. They likely arrived just in time to prevent the total destruction of everything in storage, but this looks like one case that may be up in the air for quite a while."
"Senseless," Glynda muttered under her breath as she shook her head and pressed two fingers to the center of her forehead. "Why would anyone bother to just destroy a business' foundations here, without taking anything?"
"Spite. Jealousy. Personal revenge. Any number of reasons," Maria offered as she finished her coffee. "The Vaso family's another rich dynasty from Atlas, and given how things have been here lately, I'm not surprised."
"And here it comes," Winslow said with a wave of his hand as Amber began speaking to a heavily made-up woman on the sidewalk outside of the ruined shop.
"I understand that you were able to see the shop during the break-in, from your apartment window? Can you tell us anything?" Amber asked, before the other woman leaned into the microphone.
"Yeah, I can tell you something, all right. I saw a good deal- it was two people- excuse me- two faunus who did this, and I'd bet it's the same ones that hit up the S.D.C. last weekend."
Amber blinked in surprise as she pulled the microphone back to herself and tilted her head. "Two faunus? Really? The police thus far suspect someone acting alone, and that the two crimes are not r-"
"I'm telling you- two faunus," the woman insisted as she leaned back in while holding up two fingers. "One even had cat ears, just like they said over the weeke-"
The holographic television turned off suddenly, and Ozpin stuffed the remote into a pocket upon his coat while giving his faculty a grim look. "I called you all here this morning for three reasons, and I'm going to make this as quick as possible. First, as you know, I have made it my personal mission this inaugural year to foster bonds between our human and faunus students and make a positive impact on species relations. With all that's going on lately, that is… going to be increasingly more difficult to do, especially with seemingly baseless accusations such as the one you just saw being thrown around."
"And I'd put up another fifty lien atop Winslow's that that bloated anchor is going off about the trouble faunus are causing for Vale as we speak," Peter added as Maria rubbed at her temples.
"That supposed witness was anything but," the woman growled. "Given how badly the media covered this past weekend, I'd toss some of my own money into the pot to say that this is all disproven within the month."
Several other professors nodded in agreement as Ozpin raised a hand for silence, while keeping the other atop the head of his cane. "Indeed… and on that note, I want to make it clear that the supposed 'enigmatic feline criminal' that was mentioned in the dust shop robbery is none other than our own Kali Moonglove, a first year student who helped fight off the actual thieves. Several of you already know she won't be in classes this week, but it would be appreciated if any of you could give her some kind words upon her return, or if you should see her in the halls. She could certainly use it. Additionally… though it may seem counterintuitive, given what my first point was, I'd like you all to keep an eye on our Atlesian guests- not just to monitor them for signs of backlash against the faunus, but to support them, as well. We have a Schnee with us. We have two Winchesters, and we have several other students whose families own what could be called big businesses, with outlets in Vale. I cannot help but think that they'll all be on edge and wondering whose business will be the next target of those responsible for these attacks."
Maria stood from her place upon the couch and offered Ozpin a firm nod. "You're right- regardless of our personal feelings about Atlesian monopolies and the children they've brought us, our job is to protect and support them. I'm hoping your final point is a call to action in the city?"
"If it isn't, then I'll make one," Peter insisted as he stood beside Maria. "Clearly, the local authorities are lacking in resources, time, or conviction to protect our citizens. In times like these, it falls to huntsmen to keep an eye out."
Ozpin merely nodded with a muted smirk. "Indeed it is. I'm glad to see you both offering that very same conviction that is so desperately needed in times like these. I'd like to gather volunteers to keep an eye on specific businesses for the next few weeks, on a rotation, if possible. It may also serve as a good opportunity for fieldwork for some of our upperclassmen. I'll be making an announcement in their classes, and anyone here interested should come to my office sometime later today. I'll put together a spreadsheet and begin working out assignments."
Maria offered the headmaster a quick nod, before heading to the door as she struck up a conversation with Peter, who followed. Glynda shivered as she watched several other more experienced professors leave, and jumped slightly as Ozpin put a sudden, gentle hand upon her shoulder.
"Glynda. If you would, I'd like you to stop by my office, sometime soon. It's nothing to worry over, but I need to give you some information about your status here at Beacon," the man offered in a gentle tone.
"My… status at Beacon…?" Glynda repeated nervously.
Ozpin's expression became conflicted as he removed his hand from the woman's shoulder. "As I said, nothing at all to worry about, and you can come by at your convenience. No pressure, no rush, and certainly, nothing negative. I'd just like to make sure that we're on the same page, moving forward."
A male professor that Glynda didn't recognize gave her a skeptical look as he moved past her and the headmaster. The sight only caused Glynda's stomach to drop further, and she did her best to shake off the anxious chill that accompanied the feeling.
"I… yes, of course, Headmaster. I'll make a point to visit soon."
Professor Ozpin merely nodded before turning away and walking off to engage in conversation with another professor on the opposite side of the television. Glynda cast her eyes down to the carpet and hastily made her way toward the exit of the room, well aware that most of her colleagues that hadn't yet left had their eyes on her back.
Roman Torchwick sat alone in the highest row of the stadium seating at the back of the classroom, watching amusedly as other students began to filter into his first period History class. He knew it was only a matter of time before his friends arrived, and he also knew that he had neglected to finish the homework due to be collected. The redheaded boy found that he didn't much care on that particular morning, as his mind was far too preoccupied with more important things. Roman was too busy riding the high of his accomplishments from the previous night, and despite his lack of sleep, felt ready to take on the world. His good mood only intensified as he watched Qrow and Taiyang enter the classroom and begin to approach his row, and he moved the textbooks he had placed upon the seats next to himself onto the counter to afford the pair a place to sit.
"Good morning, ladies," Roman jabbed with a confident smirk as the other boys moved to sit on either side of him.
"No, it's not," Qrow spat as he picked up a textbook and focused his attention on Professor Scotch far below. "If anything, this morning is the worst one yet, and it can go die in a fire."
Roman's good humor immediately subsided as he watched Qrow take a deep, annoyed breath before blowing it out through his nose. "Wait, what's going on?"
"Seen the news yet?" Taiyang asked, his usual joyful lilt entirely absent from his voice as he caught Roman's eyes.
"No, I haven't," Roman admitted as he watched his team leader and Yatsuhashi take two seats down in the front row together. For whatever reason, the pride and satisfaction that Roman expected to feel for his efforts while out on the town failed to manifest and were instead stomped out by a nervous tension.
Taiyang mirrored Qrow's noises and posture as he took his own textbook in hand and pulled his expression into a heavy frown. "Someone went out and broke into Vaso Elegance last night. Smashed up almost everything, set the company back a ton, and now everyone's scared about what's happening in Vale. I mean, robberies and break-ins aren't unheard of, but two in such little time, against two Atlas-based businesses? It's got everyone on edge."
The triumphant feeling that Roman had been expecting returned in a powerful surge, and he lifted his legs to cross upon the countertop in front of himself as he offered Taiyang a cocky smirk.
"Well, good! As an Atlesian- fuck the Vaso family. I've had the displeasure of dealing with their heir apparent several times a month since I started growing hair in weird places, and her entire family's the worst. If you think the Schnees are racist, you ain't seen nothing until you've seen Sangria Vaso with an audience that'll listen to her spout a ton of filth about the faunus. At least the Schnees hold it in while making public appearances," Roman explained as he folded his arms behind his head.
"I'm not surprised, but it's not their racism that matters right now," Qrow warned as he gave Roman a meaningful look. "It's the Vale media's. This entire thing is being blamed on the faunus without any proof, and they're implying that it was Kali, even though they won't show her name or picture."
Roman froze as he kept his eyes forward on Professor Scotch and away from the other boys. "They're what?"
"Are you seriously surprised?" Taiyang asked as he shook his head. "This is how it is in Vale- I've seen it since I was a little kid. The only difference between society here and society up where you come from is the angle at which the racists hold their chin. I've been hearing it since I was old enough to understand the kind of venom my dad was spewing constantly."
"Oh, your parents are racist shitbags, too? It's fun, isn't it?" Qrow mused as he flipped pages of his textbook to find the ones Professor Scotch was writing upon the board far below.
"My dad's a good guy otherwise, but yeah. On and on about how every economic problem is on the faunus, how the faunus pushing for rights is ruining our society, how programs for faunus rights are s-"
The conversation of his friends seemed to simply devolve into a buzzing, indecipherable cloud of noise to Roman as he slipped his feet from the counter and leaned forward to clasp his hands between his knees. He stared down at the floor, seeing only red and feeling ready to snap someone's neck as he kept quiet for the remainder of the period.
Robin Winchester swept his eyes through the assembled first year students as they conversed, waiting for Professor Goodwitch to appear on the massive stage of the auditorium. His eyes lingered upon Teams OKRA and STRQ, minus Kali, who were sitting together as always. He wrung his hand around the handle of his gigantic mace, and his expression twisted into a sneer.
"Look at them," the redhead spat as he nodded his head toward the group of seven. Jay Winchester merely breathed a sigh and ran a hand through his hair as his brother continued to stew. "I want a shot at one of the Branwens. I've seen Qrow fight in Grimm Studies, and his sister probably has nothing on him. I could take either one, and probably both at once."
Hei Xiong rolled his eyes at his teammate's boasting and offered a heavy sigh in response. "I wouldn't underestimate that Raven girl, if I were you. It's the calm, collected ones that generally know what they're doing better than anyone else."
"Bullshit," Robin countered with a snort. "If that's the case, then why do I beat your ass every time we spar?"
"Probably because I went to Signal, while you have enough money to have convinced the gods themselves to train you," Hei Xiong offered without even a hint of emotion. "None of us have any idea where Raven's from or where she went before Beacon, but I have a feeling she's a capable fighter from the way she carries herself alone."
"Trying to tell us you've got a little crush?" Robin taunted. "She does have nice thighs."
"Shut up," Jay snapped as he elbowed his brother in the side, earning a yelp for his efforts. "He's trying to tell you to stop being an overconfident shitheel, and he's right. None of us have Grimm Studies with her, but I've heard she made an impression on day one strong enough to keep anyone from challenging her. Bide your time and wait for someone you actually know you can beat. This is both your first impression, and our team's first impression in combat for the entire first year class. Don't fuck it up."
"Additionally, tonight may not be your night at all," Yatsuhashi pointed out as he watched Professor Goodwitch take the stage, wheeling the portable aura monitors behind herself. "If no decent matchup presents itself, you would be better served waiting a day or two."
"No, screw that," Robin replied immediately. "This is my night. I can feel it."
"Keep it up, and the only thing you'll be feeling is the floor of the stage," Jay muttered as Professor Goodwitch turned to address the crowd.
"Good evening," the woman began, her posture even stiffer than usual. Her eyes darted around the stands as she surveyed her students, only to end up downcast in the empty space of the floor before all of them. "Students, I deeply regret the need to inform you that… to be quite honest, I am not feeling well tonight, at all. That being said, we have a duty as huntsmen and huntresses in training to push forward and do what we can, even when the situation is suboptimal. Additionally, I know how much many of you enjoy this class, and so, I've decided not to call it off entirely with such little warning. To compromise, there will only be one fight tonight. Volunteers?"
Loud conversation broke out amongst the students in the stands as a few hands went up, along with several weapons. Professor Goodwitch scanned the crowd with tired eyes until noticing the odd sight of a cane being held into the air. She squinted at the wielder before looking down at her attendance list and clearing her throat.
"Mister… Roman Torchwick, is it?"
"Yeah," came the scathing reply as Roman stood up, looking furious. "I'm your man."
"There," Robin said with a wicked grin as he raised his mace into the air. "That's perfect. I want a shot at that fucking pretty boy. He's obnoxious, the girls all want a piece of him, and h-"
"Are you seeing not his face right now?" Hei Xiong asked plainly as his entire team watched Roman descend the steps between the aisles of other students. "Something's not right."
"Oh, boo hoo, Mister Brushstrokes is having a bad day," Robin mocked as he gave his mace a swirl in the air to attract the professor's attention. "And he's got a cane. This is gonna be a joke."
Yatsuhashi shook his head and gave Robin a worried look before turning his eyes to Jay, who was sitting silently with his arms crossed. "Robin… an incensed opponent can be incredibly dangerous. There is a chance that his anger will cause him to fight sloppily, but it could also bring something out that surpasses his normal skill level. Have you seen him fight before?"
"Don't need to have seen him. I could snap his pasty ass in half," Robin boasted as Professor Goodwitch pointed in his direction.
"Robin Winchester," the woman said coldly as Roman made his way on stage and slipped on his wristband.
"Yes!" Robin hissed as he stood and began making his way down the steps in a hurry. He didn't see his brother put his face into his hands behind him as he approached the stage.
Roman glared harshly at the Winchester boy as he descended the steps and began muttering to himself while he tightened the aura monitor around his wrist.
"…part of the fuckin' problem…" Roman hissed through clenched teeth as he pulled the strap on the wristband just a bit too tight. He jumped slightly as he felt a pair of cold hands gently take his wrist and readjust the strap, only to find Professor Goodwitch giving him a sad, almost sickly look.
"…Mister Torchwick," she said in a near whisper, "are you certain you should be sparring right now? If you cannot separate your emotions from your battlefield tactics, you'll be putting both yourself and your opponent in unnecessary danger. What's going on?"
Roman actively avoided the woman's eyes as he kept his own glued to his wristband. He waited for her to release his wrist, only to watch the professor cup her hand over the monitor instead. Finally, Roman relented with a heavy sigh and met the woman's eyes with his own.
"…I've got faunus friends, and people like h-"
"And now I understand," Professor Goodwitch interrupted with a soft nod. She gave Roman a weak smile that caught him off guard as he watched Robin strap on his own wristband and begin a series of stretches on the opposite side of the stage. "But you need to try to set it aside. If you can't set it aside, then at least temper your anger into a focused state, rather than a wild one. Can you do that for me, Roman?"
Roman took several deep breaths as he eyed up Robin, and eventually offered his professor a curt nod. "Yeah. I'll hold it in. Didn't know you cared, Teach."
"We all have our masks, young man," Professor Goodwitch replied with a shake of her head. "Just make sure to keep yours on, and mind the rules."
"Mind the rules," Roman repeated as he watched his professor step back into the shadows of the backstage area. "I will if he will."
"Gentlemen," Professor Goodwitch's voice boomed throughout the auditorium. "On your marks- begin!"
Roman immediately raised his cane into a blocking stance and strained his arms to deflect a blow that wasn't yet there. Robin charged forward, his eyes narrowed as he let out a spirited battle cry and swung his gigantic bladed mace hard for his opponent's neck. Without missing a beat, Roman slipped down into a sideways split, and several things all seemed to happen at once. Robin anticipated none of them.
As he reached the floor, Roman's semblance engaged, and a sparkling orange cane manifested in midair in the same blocking position that he had held previously. Robin's swing bounced off the phantom manifestation of force and his mace swung wildly backwards as he lost his footing from the sudden shift. As the Winchester boy stumbled to regain his balance, Roman spun his cane around and thrust the tip through an opening in the silver plates of the boy's armor to jab him in the ribs with great force. Robin stumbled backward and clutched his side with a rattling hiss as his aura depleted by a small fraction.
"What the hell was that, you pasty little weasel!?" Robin growled as he hefted his mace back up over his shoulder.
Roman grinned as he rose from his position upon the floor and gave his cane a few mocking twirls. "Wouldn't you like to know. Now, come on, and h-"
Robin gave his opponent no chance to continue talking as he raised his arm. Varnished planks of wood from the stage ripped themselves out of the floor and assembled into a twisted barrier before him. The mass cracked and warped into the shape of a bowled shield that span up to just below Robin's eye level, and once the structure was completed, he broke into another charge around the massive hole in the floor. Roman responded with an early swing, before ducking below Robin's eyesight and moving to slide past his opponent along the polished wood. Suddenly, his eyes sparkled with an orange flare, and his semblance fired off once again.
A repeated blow manifested without any fanfare or glowing canes just behind Robin's makeshift shield, and struck him hard across the stomach. The boy growled in frustration as he whirled, dragging his shield of floating floorboards with him. The gigantic mass of wood swung hard into Roman while he was still prone upon the floor and sent him tumbling backward, only to skid to a stop just before the massive hole. Roman dared to look backward over his shoulder and saw a drop of at least ten feet below the stage, and he bristled as he looked back to Robin. The bigger boy began a slow, menacing approach as he pounded his mace upon the front of his shield and began to speak.
"What, scared of a little drop? Nowhere to run, little painter," Robin taunted.
"Except forward," Roman spat as he got up and started a charge of his own. With incredible speed, he began to rain a series of staccato blows upon Robin's wooden shield. Roman threw out a series of stabs, swings, and kicks, only for Robin to double down on his defense and take a sturdy stance as he caught the series of blows with the overlarge mass of wooden boards. Roman finished by kicking off the shield and jumping to the side, only for Robin to remain still as the entire series of blows began yet again with a dancing, dazzling display of ghostly orange canes in midair. Robin merely focused his attention on turning aside each of the second round of strikes as his shield began to splinter and fall piece by piece to the stage. At the end of the repeated blows, he shook his head at Roman as the other boy gave him an exasperated look.
"You really think I'd just drop my guard, after getting hit twice by that nonsense?" Robin fumed as he let the remaining wood drop to the stage. "I may not be the brightest, but I'm not that stupid, either. You're looking tired, artist."
Roman nervously flicked his unblocked eye to the aura monitors, and found his aura to be halfway depleted, while Robin's was sitting at around two thirds of its capacity. He allowed himself a quick glance up into the stands, only for his heart to miss a beat as he noticed that Kali had joined the rest of OKRA in the audience.
"Tired, maybe, but not too tired for this," Roman insisted as he stood up a bit straighter and pointed his cane at Robin accusingly. "And for the record- yeah. I do think you're stupid enough to be tricked three times in one fight. Let's find out, shall we?"
"Get ready for a hole in one," Robin threatened as he stepped forward, both hands upon his mace. He took a wide swing at Roman, only for the smaller boy to duck the blow and return one of his own. Robin blocked the swipe and then thrust the shaft of his mace outward once again to block the repetition of the blow, only to unbalance himself as none came.
"Just because you can, doesn't mean you should," Roman said with a grin as he crashed a hard blow into the back of Robin's neck. "Congratulations, dumbass. You played yours-"
As Roman focused his aura to summon a flickering cane to take another shot at Robin's neck, the larger boy planted his forward foot and spun with a golf swing at an upward diagonal. The blow crashed heavily into Roman's stomach with enough force to send him flying clear across the stage and into the wall, just as the ethereal cane smashed across Robin's face due to his new positioning. Robin's forest green aura fizzled out as he slumped forward while breathing hard, at the same time that Roman hit the wall and a pulse of orange energy trailed its way down his body.
"Draw!" Professor Goodwitch called as she ran forward to kneel beside Roman. She leaned in closer as the students in the stands went wild with applause and cheers, and she gripped his wrist to check his aura monitor. The boy's reserves were completely depleted, and his breathing was labored and erratic. "Are you alright, Roman?"
"Yeah," Roman insisted as he waved a hand and allowed Professor Goodwitch to help him stand. "Yeah, I'm good. Just gonna be sore. Brothers above, that was one hell of a hit," he hissed as he shivered.
"That it was. You both did incredibly well," Professor Goodwitch praised as she braced an arm around Roman's back and brought him around the hole in the stage. Jay had taken to the stage and was speaking to his brother in a low voice, his expression unreadable. "I'll get to work on fixing the floor, while you go and enjoy your night off. Class dismissed!" she called out to the assembled students.
"Not bad at all," Jay said in a low voice as he clapped his hand against his brother's shoulder. He watched Roman approach with an uncertain glance and spoke once again before pulling back from Robin. "Just stick the landing by not being an asshole."
"Hey. Good fight, I guess," Roman began as he offered his free hand to the larger boy. Robin fought back his immediate urge lay into his opponent, and instead took a deep breath before accepting the hand.
"Yeah. Clever… but next time, I'll have you."
"We'll see about that," Roman remarked as the pair averted their eyes to watch Professor Goodwitch. The professor had busied herself with levitating chunks of wood in some sort of sparkling, bright blue blobs of aura and warping them back into shape. "Still, neither of us has anything on that."
Robin chuckled despite himself and shook his head. "That's why she's a huntress, and we're in training. We'll get there, man. Now, leave me and my team alone. You've got company."
Without another word, Robin turned and joined his brother as they walked off stage. Roman also turned away, only to find Kali waiting just behind him. Almost immediately, her arms were around his shoulders and her face was pressed into the side of his neck.
"Hey. You did great."
"And you should be in bed," Roman pointed out as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "What the hell are you doing down here, Kal?"
"Raven texted me that you were fighting tonight. No way I was gonna miss that, and after seeing the flashy version of your semblance with the glowy canes? It definitely paid off," Kali explained before pulling back and putting a finger to her lips. "Well, that, and… I'm starving."
"…of course you are," Roman replied, feeling somewhere between amused and frustrated. "C'mon. Let's go get dinner with the others. And… I'm sorry about…"
Kali transferred her finger to Roman's lips and gave him a sad look. "I had a feeling that last night would backfire, but… I wasn't about to stop you, either. You tried to get a little revenge for me, and that's the part that counts. You tried, and you did it for me."
"Trying isn't good enough, apparently," Roman groused after Kali removed her finger.
"It is for me," Kali protested as she took Roman's hand. "Now, no more talking about this, lest the others catch on. Let's go and have some fun."
Roman let out a sigh as he began to walk at Kali's side. "I'll try… but no promises."
Author's Note:
Deeper and deeper we go, with a pretty huge development set for next week. No brakes from here on out, and we're likely about halfway through Volume 1. Maybe a little less, maybe a little more. We'll see.
Also, as a final note- Roman's semblance will be completely explained in a scene way later on. For now, all that matters is that he has a choice whether to have the sparkling canes show up or not when he's repeating forces with it.
-RD