Chapter 9: The Badge and the Burden
I groaned when I woke up to the sound of an alarm clock. I hit the alarm clock with my fist. I nearly fell off the bed doing so.
"Morning, sleepy head." A voice said. I looked up to see Yang standing next to my bed. She was already dressed in her school uniform.
"Morning," I said quietly. Ruby and Blake were also dressed in their uniforms too.
"Time to wake up and get dressed Lana!" Ruby said cheerfully. I stretched and got out of bed.
"Did you guys get the chance to talk to Professor Ozpin about the uniform accommodations?" I asked.
"Yeah, he said you don't have to wear one because of your special needs," Ruby said.
"Great, thanks!" I said.
About my special needs, I was born with a disability called 22Q which means I am missing a chromosome. Because of my disability, it makes it harder for me to do stuff than the other kids and I have some sensory issues that come with it like sensitivity to loud noises and certain clothing items. My family is well aware of my disability and does their best to accommodate me. I only opened up to team RWBY and JNPR about my disability a few days ago.
When I finished getting ready for the day (I got dressed in my Gwen Stacy cosplay hoodie and my black leggings) I hanged out with the rest of team RWBY while we waited for Weiss to wake up. She was still sleeping in her bed.
Since Weiss was still sleeping in her bed, Ruby and I decided to play a prank on her. Weiss was still sleeping soundly in her bed. Her eyes fluttered open, and she stretches her arms above herself, yawning, while Ruby and I creep up on her side.
"Ready? 3...2...1..." Ruby said. We blow from our whistles, causing Weiss to fall off her bed.
"Good morning, team RWBY!" Ruby yelled happily.
"What in the world is wrong with you?" Weiss said angrily.
"Aw come on Weiss, we are just having fun. Live a little." I said.
Ruby ignores Weiss's question and continues talking. "Now that you're awake, we can officially begin our first order of business."
"Excuse me?" Weiss said, getting off from the floor and brushing herself.
"Decorating!" Yang said happily. Yang is holding a collection of objects - pillows, pamphlets a candle- holder - in her arms.
"What?!" Weiss shouted.
Blake is lifting her suitcase. "We still have to unpack," Blake said. The suitcase opens, spilling its contents. "Aaaand clean."
Weiss does not look enthusiastic, especially when I decide to mess around with Weiss again and knocks her back again with the blow of my whistle. Weiss gives out a yelp when she lands on the floor. I couldn't help but laugh.
"Aaaalright! Weiss, Blake, Yang, Lana, and their fearless leader Ruby have begun their first mission! Banzai!" Ruby shouted. Ruby raises her fist into the air. Blake, Yang, and I do the same at her sides.
"Banzai!" We all shout. We turn at an angle as Weiss lays flat on the floor, groaning. Upbeat montage music starts playing.
Yang places a poster of six guys in various poses named "THE ACHIVE MEN" on her part of the room. Weiss positions the painting of the Forever Fall Forest to perfection and walks away while adjusting her uniform. For my part, I hanged a Taylor Swift poster above my bed (Taylor Swift is my favorite singer) and a Hunger Games poster next to the Taylor Swift one. Blake is busy putting away her books on the shelves, picking up a copy of Ninjas of Love and widening her eyes as she warily looks around. I noticed the book in her hands, and it caught my interest.
"Hey Blake, what's that?" I asked with curiosity.
"Nothing!" Blake said nervously.
"C'mon lemme see!" I said. I tried grabbing the book from her, but she held it out of my reach.
"No, Lana! This is private!" Blake shouted.
"Okay, okay. I'll respect your space." I said, holding up my hands. Blake puts her book back on the shelf. I had a set of my own books too. I put the Harry Potter books and the Hunger Games books as well as some of my other favorite book series on the shelf. And a few comics too.
Ruby positions Cresent Rose at an exact angle against the curtains so she can perfectly slash a diagonal portion off. (And then she repairs the curtains) ends with the girls and I admiring our handy work... with one problem. The beds are cramped together in the center of the floor.
"This isn't going to work," Weiss said.
"Agreed," I said.
"It is a bit cramped," Blake said.
"Maybe we should ditch some of our stuff..." Yang said.
"I don't think our stuff is the problem," I said.
"Or we could ditch the beds... and replace them with bunk beds!" Ruby said excitedly.
"Um, that sounds incredibly dangerous," Weiss said worriedly.
"I love that idea!" I said happily.
"Yeah! And it's super awesome!" Yang said enthusiastically.
"It does seem efficient," Blake said.
"Well, we should put it to a vote," Weiss said.
"I think we just did," Ruby said.
To the sounds of three dings and a single buzz, Blake makes a thumbs-up at the idea, Yang makes a double-rocker gesture, I did two double thumbs up, and Weiss angrily curls her fists at her side. Decided, we rush to the beds, where sounds of jackhammering and sawing are heard until we gather back at the front of the room.
"Objective complete!" Ruby said.
While Weiss's bed is simply on the ground next to her art and luggage, Blake's bed is next to her books, which are used to raise Yang's bed over it by placing the novels on the posts, Ruby's bed is hanging from ropes on the ceiling with a blanket used as a tent over it, and my bed was in between the middle of Ruby and Yang's bed, hanging from the ceiling by ropes in a sideways direction next to the window.
I also have an extra bed in team JNPR's dorm because I sometimes stay in their dorm too.
"Alllright! Our second order of business iiiiiis...! (The room spins until she lands on her bed and a book lands in her lap) Classes... (Ruby pulls out a book and a pencil) Now, we have a few classes together today. At 9, we've got to be-"
Weiss cuts off Ruby. "What?! Did you say 9 o'clock?" Weiss said frantically.
"Uuuum..." Ruby nervously said.
"It's 8:55, you dunce!" Weiss shouted.
"Oh shit," I said, realizing we were going to be late for class.
Weiss and I are the first rushing out of the room and down the hall, the members of RWBY and JNPR peeking out from their doorways to look at us go.
"Well, come on then!" I shouted at them. I was impatient because I hated being late to places, especially the movie theaters.
Ruby is flabbergasted until she decides. "To class!" Ruby shouted.
Ruby runs out, followed by Yang and Blake.
"Class...?" Jaune said nervously.
Jaune loses his balance and ends up toppling Nora, Pyrrha, and Ren on top of him. He manages to get out from under them and starts sprinting.
"We're gonna be late!" Jaune cried.
In the courtyard, Professor Ozpin and Glynda Goodwitch watch the two teams hurry through the school. Glynda looks at her watch while Professor Ozpin takes a sip of his drink.
We managed to make it to class on time. We were greeted by one of the professors who's name was Professor Port.
"Hello team RWBY and team JNPR. I'm glad you all could make it on time. Let's get started with class, shall we?" Professor Port said.
We all sat down in our seats, with me sitting in between Ruby and Weiss. I looked around the classroom while Professor Port was teaching. The sight of an axe- axe-blunderbuss weapon pans down to the boards displaying various species of Grimm behind Professor Port.
"Monsters! Deeeeemons... Prowlers of the night! Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as prey! Ha-ha!"
Me and team RWBY are seated in the front row, are in varying stages of interest; Blake and Yang are sitting up and paying attention, Weiss is taking notes, and Ruby has her head propped in her hand as she takes a quick nap until she is woken back up by Port's bad joke, which receives a cricket-filled silence as a result.
I tried my best to pay attention, and I did. But it was hard because I have a hard time sitting and doing nothing for long periods of time. I started to get antsy and shook my legs while fidgeting in my seat. Weiss gave me an annoyed look.
"Uhhh... And you shall too, upon graduating from this prestigious academy! Now, as I was saying: Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world! Our planet is absolutely teaming with the creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces! And that's where we come in. Huntsmen! Huntresses... (Professor Port gives Yang a wink, which she groans uncomfortably at) Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves! From what, you ask? Why, the very world!"
From behind us, a random student raises his fist. "Ayyy-yep!" He stands like this for a moment while everyone including me looks at him strangely before sitting down, embarrassed.
"Who's that guy?" I asked.
"Dunno," Yang said, shrugging her shoulders.
Professor Port continues teaching. "That is what you are training to become. But first: A story. A tale of a young, handsome man... Me! When I was a boy..."
His words fade into the background and a series of "Blah's" when Weiss and I notice Ruby is very focused on penciling the paper in front of her.
"...Despite smelling of cabbages, my grandfather was a wise man. 'Peter'. He told me..."
The speech evolves into more "Blah's" as Ruby chuckles at her creation.
"Hey Ruby, what are you drawing?" I asked while chuckling. Ruby showed me her drawing and I laughed quietly so the teacher could not hear.
"I'm not done yet!" Ruby said.
"We should add some more stuff," I said. I grabbed my pencil and drew some poop on the side. Ruby and I laughed.
"Nice one," Ruby said.
"Would you two be quiet and pay attention?!" Weiss whisper-shouted.
Ruby and I ignored Weiss. We chuckled again at our beautiful artwork and showed it to our teammates:
A ball-with-limbs-and-a-head drawing of the teacher with stink lines coming from him with my poop drawing on the side and "Professor Poop" written underneath. Ruby blows a quick raspberry. Blake and Yang laugh, but Weiss looks annoyed again.
"Ah-heh-hem!" Professor Port waits until we have his attention again. "In the end, the Beowolf was no match for my sheer tenacity, and I returned to my village with the beast in captivity and my head held high, celebrated as a hero!"
The teacher takes a bow as Weiss slowly gets more and more frustrated with mine and Ruby's antics.
"The moral of the story? A true Hunstman must be honorable!"
Ruby is balancing and apple on a book with her pencil held only by her finger while making a silly face. I rolled over, laughing.
"A true huntsman must be dependable!"
Ruby has fallen asleep yet again. I was bored so I secretly got out my scroll and began looking at Instagram. I was having fun until Weiss snatched the scroll from me.
"Hey! Give that back!" I shouted.
"You are not supposed to be playing on your device during class," Weiss said firmly. My face saddened and I held my head down.
Ruby is now not-so-subtly picking her nose, much to Weiss's building anger.
"So, who among you believes themselves. to be the embodiment of these traits?" Professor Port asks the class.
Weiss angrily raises her hand. "I do, sir!" Weiss yelled.
"Well, then. Let's find out!" Professor Port said. He turns to gesture at the glowing red eyes surrounding by shadow shaking the cage that traps it. "Step forward, and face your appointment!"
The unknown monster continues to growl in the cage.
END OF CHAPTER 9.