Chapter 4

Traditionally, after the announcement of teams, Beacon Academy holds a small party for the new students, allowing them a chance to meet some of their upperclassmen, teachers, and unwind a little before turning in to their new dorms. And for the most part, this year was no different. For one new team, however…

William stood by the window of their dorm room, looking at the other members of tea WYRD. Rust was standing in a corner, clearly trying to diminish his presence. Not an easy task, given that he was clearly the biggest of the four of them. Still, he was pretty sure the effort was appreciated. Y'sh and Dahlia were sat on one of the beds, the former with an arm around the latter. Dahlia herself was pale faced, and trembling slightly. She hadn't said a word since Professor Ozpin had started reading out their names. Clearly, there was something there, probably to do with the fact that she was a freaking August, of all things! Might have been nice to open with that when doing the self-introductions earlier, but hey, water under the bridge.

"So…" He cleared his throat after trailing off. "I'm not gonna ask for details, but I think there's definitely something that we need to discuss here, and I'd rather we got that over with before lights out."

Y'sh and Dahlia looked up at him, and Rust opened his eyes from his corner. Dahlia looked like she wasn't entirely sure what he was saying, and Y'sh had an expression that said Show some tact and don't ask questions.

"And what might that be?" She asked, through teeth that she'd only just been able to unclench.

"Bed assignments." He looked at the slightly shocked expressions before him. "What? Look, I can clearly see that Dahlia and Y'sh are okay sharing, but there's no way I can fit with Rust. And I think rotating on a night by night basis might be a little awkward."

Rust shook his head, smirking slightly. Y'sh looked scandalised, with a slight hint of a blush creeping across her cheeks, as Dahlia burst out laughing. It may have been a stupid way of phrasing it, but it certainly helped to break the girl out of her funk. That, and it was something they needed to sort out. Besides, he liked hearing laughter, and the blush on Y'sh's face was well worth the prospect of her kicking his ass later.

As Dahlia managed to get her giggles under control, she wiped the tears from her eyes and smiled at William.

"Thanks, you idiot. I didn't realise how much I needed that." She turned to Y'sh, and patted her leg. "And thanks to you, too, Y'sh. I think I'm okay now."

Y'sh removed her arm from Dahlia's shoulders, with a worried look crossing her face. She shuffled back along the bed, looking to Rust for support. At his slight nod, she turned back to Dahlia.

"I don't know what has happened, and it isn't my place to ask, but if you need to talk, I'm right here."

She nodded towards Rust, "And as much as he resembles a wall, Rust is a very good listener, as well."

"I should be, I've been putting up with your rants for years."

Y'sh smirked, and the other two stared at each other before turning to Rust with incredulity splashed across their faces. The taciturn mass, who had been accurately compared to a wall, had just popped out with some sass. Was that even legal?

Dahlia shook her head. "Look, can we just say that I don't want to be associated with my family name, and I REALLY don't want them to know where I am, or even that I'm still alive."

If William's eyebrows could rise any higher, they'd disappear into his hairline. "Still alive? What in the name of the Brothers…?" He watched as Rust detached himself from the corner he had been lurking in, and approached the two girls.

"I take it there's some context here that I'm missing. Like Y'sh, I won't pry, but I want you to know that you can trust me if you wish."

He stood up and stepped back, reaching for his sash. "And since trust is something that must be earned, and is best shared, there's something I think I need to show you."

William, froze. "Surely he doesn't mean…?"

Y'sh looked up at Rust, eyes wide. The concern in her expression was evident even to William, who was looking at her from an angle, which caught his attention more than the apparent prospect of Rust undressing himself. Only for his jaw to practically hit the floor as Rust sash unravelled itself, revealing its true nature. As a tail. Turns out, Rust was a Faunus. One who liked to keep that identity a secret, and did so with a rather novel method.

"So that's why you didn't trip on anything in the forest. Night vision, right?" He snapped his fingers, realising exactly how Rust had been so confident in the dim light under the trees earlier. "Hang on, weren't you… Oh right, you said you're not from around here, huh?"

He looked back to Y'sh, who wasn't showing anywhere near as much surprise as himself and Dahlia. "I take it it's the same for you, since you seem to have known each other before this, right?"

Y'sh nodded. "As Rust mentioned earlier, we've been around each other for years. Bit of a long story, but we grew up together in Mistral. Not in one of the bigger settlements, either, so neither of us knows what the significance of Dahlia's surname is."

Wiliam looked at the girl in question. Dahlia looked queasy, but she gave a small nod. He took a deep breath, and chose to give a small explanation.

"So, I'm not sure of the most important details, but the basics are that the August Group is a multi-kingdom conglomerate, based in Vale, that primarily oversees various smaller weapons manufacturers. They're not as well-known as the Schnee Dust Company, but they have a measure more influence within certain circles." He paused, and pressed on with a carefully neutral expression. "They also have a reputation for unscrupulous behaviours in the pursuit of test subjects."

Rust and Y'sh looked shocked, and turned to Dahlia. Seeing that she wasn't arguing any of William's points, the mood between the four of them stayed grim. Dahlia grabbed one of the pillows on the bed and held it against her chest. Staring at her knees past it, she quietly replied to their questioning glances.

"Like I said, I don't want to be associated with that name any more. I know a lot of what they did, and I left. If I have my way, I'm never going back."

The others heard the anger in her voice, barely masking the sound of choked back tears. Y'sh once again put her arm around Dahlia's shoulders, and the smaller girl broke down. As she did, Y'sh simply stroked her hair, not really knowing what else to do. She had some vague memories of her mother and grandfather doing so for her when she was younger, but she was somewhat out of her depth.

Rust and William were just as thrown off, and looked at each other with mild panic, and both came to the conclusion that they really shouldn't get involved in this. Eventually, Dahlia calmed down, and pulled back from Y'sh's embrace. She wiped her eyes, and smiled at everyone. Just in time for Rust to offer a handkerchief. After blowing her nose, which the boys turned aside for, just to be polite, she looked up at her new teammates.

"Back to what William was saying, we probably should sort out beds. I don't mind which one I have, but I guess no one wants the one I've been crying on, huh?"

Rolling his eyes at her attempt at a joke, William grinned at her.

"Well, I'm not saying that I wouldn't…" Fortunately, he was able to make his wink clear to both Rust, who simply closed his eyes in exasperation, and Y'sh, who was about to comment, until she saw it.

After a bit of back and forth, they settled on who got which bed, and agreed about a privacy curtain for the girls, if they felt like they needed a barrier between them. Rust wasn't all that bothered about it, and nor was Y'sh, their shared time together meaning there was a lack of any real concerns between them. William and Dahila, however, were very insistent. William wanted to be a gentleman, obviously, never in any doubt; and Dahlia was simply nervous sharing a room with two boys.

Next on their agenda: Classes.