Adam Taurus had to admit, Beacon Academy was a much more impressive sight up close and personal. As he disembarked from the airship, a small sack slung over his shoulder containing a couple sets of spare clothes and the few personal belongings he had brought with him when he abandoned the White Fang, the bull Faunus could not help but let out a low whistle as he looked upon the prestigious school in all its glory. Beacon was less like a traditional college or school, and more akin large castle that looked as though it were ripped straight out of a fairy tale. Adam's eyes were drawn upwards to the tallest, central tower, which he could see a faint, green light shining from beneath the spire.
Perhaps that's how the academy got its name, the bull Faunus mused, stopping to try and get a closer look at the light, attempting to determine what was making it. He made sure to step off to the edge of the pathway leading towards Beacon's courtyard, allowing the other students getting off the airship to walk past without him being in the way. He squinted his blue eye as hard as he could, but it was just too bright for him to make anything else out at the top of the spire. Adam simply shrugged. It really was not that big a deal if he was unable to figure it out, and he could probably ask one of the faculty members if he really wanted to know, anyway. The bull Faunus moved back onto the main portion of the pathway, planning to resume his leisurely stroll, when he was nearly bowled over by a sudden surge of students that were heading towards the courtyard themselves, albeit at a much more hurried pace. Adam stumbled forward, only managing to avoid face-planting by firmly planting his front foot on the ground, before lifting his head to glare up at the group that had stampeded him. He was fairly certain he had seen that blonde with the absolute mane of golden hair amongst them. Indignant, the bull Faunus opened his mouth to confront her.
"Hey-"
"What are you doing?!" another high-pitched voice demanded from behind, cutting him off before he could even begin. Adam turned around to see who was addressing him, only to see that silver-eyed girl from before -Ruby, if he remembered correctly- laying on top of a luggage cart, a dazed and embarrassed expression on her face. Several small briefcases were scattered around the ground around her. And standing over her, hands on hips, face contorted in a frosty glare that was befitting her family name, was the absolute last person the bull Faunus wanted to see.
"Schnee..." Adam hissed, his day already taking a substantial dive-bomb from decent to terrible.
"Uh, sorry!" Ruby apologized.
"Sorry?! Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?" An apology that was not going to be accepted, judging by the reply she received. Trying to make up for making a mess, the silver-eyed girl picked up a nearby briefcase and held it up for its owner, a sheepish expression on her face.
"Give me that!" the Schnee snapped, before popping open the case to reveal what was inside. The bull Faunus's disposition dropped even more as he watched her pull out a small vial full of red powder, which glittered and sparkled from being exposed to the sun. "This isDust- mined and purified from the Schnee quarry!"
"And how many Faunus had to suffer and die to produce that meager amount you have there?" Adam demanded, causing the white-haired girl to whirl around to face him. A small puff of the refined dust leaked out from beneath the cork as she did so, which caught Ruby in the face as she was getting up, causing the silver-eyed girl to start coughing uncontrollably.
"Excuse me?" the Schnee snapped, her icy blue eyes flashing with outrage as she glared up at the bull Faunus indignantly.
"Oh please, Schnee, don't even try to play dumb," Adam growled. "Your company is infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners, especially when it comes to how they treat their Faunus employees." As soon as the word "Faunus" had left his mouth, the Schnee looked up past his face, to see the pair of black, bovine horns that slanted backwards, nearly blending into his windswept, red hair.
"Hmph. I do not know what rumors or slanders you might have heard about the SDC, but I can assure you they are just that: rumors. My company offers Faunus the exact same wages given to the rest of our mining staff, and ensuring our workers' safety has always been our top priority." The bull Faunus growled, his hands clutching into fists at his side. At the moment, there was nothing he would love to do more than reach out, wrap his hands around the Schnee's neck, and squeeze the life out of her. However, Ozpin had given him a second chance by allowing him to attend Beacon in the first place, and it would be unbefitting of him to betray the Headmaster's trust right off the bat. Also, he was under threat of death not to harm any of his fellow peers. So Adam decided to simply fold his arms, and said the first thing that came to mind, instead.
"Like I'd believe one word that comes out of your mouth, bitch..." One of Ruby's hands clapped over her mouth, as the Schnee spluttered.
"Wha- How dare- The nerve of... Ugh!" She threw her hands down at her sides, and turned away from the bull Faunus, before giving the silver-eyed girl a withering glare, causing Ruby to squeak, and move towards the bull Faunus instead. The Schnee raised a hand and snapped her fingers, causing a pair of men wearing white uniforms bearing her company logo to move forward from where they had been hanging back, and begin helping her load her briefcases back onto the luggage cart. Taking that as his cue to leave, Adam simply scoffed, before turning and heading towards the school once again. He was acutely aware of the silver-eyed girl trailing behind him, causing him to glance back over his shoulder at her.
"Can I help you with something?" he asked, causing her to flinch and shake her head.
"No, I'm fine. It's just... I guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day, huh?" She smiled nervously. The bull Faunus grunted.
"I will admit, running into that entitled little brat did sour my mood, somewhat."
"Y-Yeah, I could tell," the silver-eyed girl said, dashing forward a little to walk at his side. "Um, I'm Ruby by the way!"
"So your name is Ruby, I thought I heard your sister say as much," Adam commented, before realizing he was obligated to introduce himself as well. "The name's Taurus. Adam Taurus."
"Taurus? But aren't those, um, aren't those goat horns?" Ruby asked, pointing up past his hairline, before cringing. "I'm sorry, I'm being racist, aren't I?" The bull Faunus shook his head. He had run into plenty of people who had made assumptions about him based off his physical appearance, but did not have the nerve to question him about it. Truth be told, he appreciated people like Ruby, who actually wanted to understand him better and asked what needed to be asked.
"You're not being racist," Adam assured her. "They do curve back like goat horns, don't they? But no, my mother was a cow Faunus. My horns just came out strange."
"Oh." Ruby glanced away awkwardly. "I'm sorry..."
"It is what it is," he said with a shrug. "No point in brooding over what's beyond your control, right?"
"I guess you have a point," the silver-eyed girl said, nodding slightly. As they approached the center of Beacon's courtyard, which had a statue of a young Huntsman and Huntress standing atop a rocky cliff that a Beowolf skulked beneath that the bull Faunus stopped for a moment to admire, Ruby took her chance to run in front of him, pulling something out from behind her back. "So... I got this thing!" she announced excitedly, as whatever she was holding unfolded itself into a large, scarlet scythe with a black blade. This she stabbed into the ground in front of her, presenting it to Adam, who regarded it with disinterest.
"A scythe, huh? I kind of had you pegged for more of a gun girl," he commented.
"Well, it is also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle!" she added proudly.
"Neat." The bull Faunus moved to step around her, but Ruby spoke up before he could escape.
"So what've you got?" she asked curiously. Adam closed his eye, forcing down a frustrated snarl as he realized he was trapped. So instead, he unclipped Blush from his belt, then unsheathed Wilt, giving the red blade a small spin in his hand.
"I have a sword," he revealed bluntly.
"Ooooohh!" Ruby marveled at the crimson blade in awe, her silver eyes sparkling with excitement.
"And the scabbard doubles as a rifle," he continued, holding the sheath up next to the sword.
"So, why is the sword's blade red?" she asked curiously.
"It's infused with Fire Dust," The bull Faunus explained. "If I pull the trigger on scabbard while my blade's still resting within it, it excites the Dust, and allows me to unleash a streak of flames when I draw the sword."
"Cool! Do they have names?"
"The sword is Wilt," he said, before sliding the blade back into its scabbard. "Blush is the name of its sheath."
"Awesome! My scythe's name is Crescent Rose! Hey, you go for a rose motif too!" The silver-eyed girl laughed in ecstasy, causing Adam to take an uncertain step backwards. "That's amazing!"
"It's just a sword," he muttered. "There's no need to get all excited."
"Sorry! I'm just a dork when it comes to weapons..." Ruby giggled, attempting to compose herself. "Well, I like it! And I like your outfit, too! Black and red REALLY suit you, just like me!"
"Uh, thanks." Trying to take this as he cue to leave, Adam tried once again to move around her, only for the silver-eyed girl to pry her scythe up out of the ground and resume following him, folding her weapon back into a more compact form as she did so. The bull Faunus lowered his head, both impressed at her persistence, as well as quite annoyed. "Why are you following me, anyway?" he demanded, turning to look back at her again.
"Oh, I just don't know where I'm going. I thought you might," she explained. Then she thought of something. "Wait, Unless you don't know where you're going, either! Oh my gosh, are we lost?! We're lost! I can't believe this is-"
"Will you stop that?!" Ruby immediately fell silent. "I know whereI'mgoing. Where you're supposed to be at this moment is of little concern to me."
"Oh." Ruby blinked, then looked at the bull Faunus sheepishly. "Then can I continue following you, please? I have a feeling we're going in the same direction." Adam let out a long, frustrated breath.
"I suppose..."
True to his word, Adam knew exactly where he was going. The bull Faunus led Ruby through a couple hallways, and into a large amphitheater, where dozens, maybe even hundreds of students were standing, all waiting in eager anticipation. There were easily more people than had been on the airship, which led Adam to believe that the upperclassmen had arrived today as well. As the two made their way through the crowd of people, they heard another familiar voice.
"Ruby! Over here! I saved you a spot!" Ruby's blonde older sister called, waving to her. Seeing her, the silver eyed girl waved back, then turned to the bull Faunus.
"Oh! Hey, I-I gotta go! I'll see you after the ceremony!" she told him, then began to make her way over towards her sister.
"Yeah, sure, see you later," Adam murmured. As soon as Ruby was out of sight, he shook his head. "Cute kid, if a little dense. She didn't even seem to catch on to the fact that I wasn't exactly thrilled to be around her. I hope that the next girl I meet won't be so... quirky," he declared, for the lack of a better term. Adam quickly merged into the crowd of students, oblivious to two pairs of eyes watching him. One of amber color, which was regarding him with pure fright, and the other a pair of emerald green, studying him with a great deal of interest, of more than one kind.
As it turned out, Adam was not a very big fan of crowds, or at least, crowds full of people he did not know. He could not have been standing her for more than a minute, but he was already beginning to feel on edge. All these people bumping or brushing up against him was giving him a claustrophobic sensation, and the fact that they were humans did not help. Combined with the dim light that the amphitheater was provided with, and some unpleasant memories from the past were beginning to make themselves known again to the bull Faunus. He needed to reposition himself as soon as possible.
Which is why he found himself wading through the sea of students around him, heading over to Ruby. She might have been a little annoying earlier, but she was someone Adam recognized, and therefore felt a little more comfortable being around. Truth be told, he would have preferred to seek out and find Blake instead, but knowing her, she was probably trying to actively stay out of his sight as much as she could. That was likely why he had been unable to find her onboard the airship, despite the limited places to hide there. He would not have put it past her to simply cram herself into the girl's restroom and wait out the entire flight that way.
In any case, the bull Faunus forced those thoughts out of his head. Right now, he was more focused on getting over to Ruby and her sister. Still easily a head taller than most of the students in the school, Adam was able to spot them even jam-packed as he was amidst the group. As he got closer, his mouth contorted into a grimace as he noticed someone else was there next to them, currently in an argument with the silver-eyed girl. He really should not have been surprised though. Leave it to a Schnee to hold a grudge...
"Look, uh, it sounds like you two just got off on the wrong foot," he could hear the blonde girl say as he got close, forcing herself between the Schnee and her little sister. "Why don't you start over and try to be friends, okay?"
"Yeah! Great idea, sis!" Ruby agreed, pocketing the pamphlet. She cleared her throat, then extended a friendly hand towards the pale girl "Hello, Weiss! I'm Ruby! Wanna hang out? We can go shopping for school supplies!"
"Yeah! And we can paint our nails and try on clothes and talk about cute boys!" the Schnee replied, with painfully obvious fake enthusiasm. Not obvious enough, though, seeing how Ruby's silver eyes lit up.
"Wow, really?" she asked happily. the Schnee stared at her for a moment, disturbed.
"NO," she huffed irritably, before storming off. Before anything else could be said, though, everyone's attention was drawn towards the stage, where Headmaster Ozpin could be seen testing a microphone, Ms. Goodwitch standing beside him.
"I will... keep this brief," the Headmaster declared. "You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction." He paused for a moment as all of the students in the auditorium began to whisper amongst themselves. "You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step." And with that, he stopped off the stage. Ms. Goodwitch took his place at the microphone, with a stern gaze that caused everyone to immediately quiet down.
"You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins," she informed the mass of hopeful students. "Be ready. You are dismissed." Everyone watched as Ozpin and Ms. Goodwitch departed from the auditorium. Then, the murmuring and whispers came back in force.
"He seemed kind of... off," the blonde commented, rubbing her chin.
"It's almost like he wasn't even there," the silver-eyed girl agreed. It was only then that they became aware of the bull Faunus standing next to them. Ruby immediately smiled.
"Oh! Hi again, Adam!" she greeted him, before pulling her older sister towards him. "I'd like you to meet my older sister, Yang!" Yang looked him up and down, silently assessing him, before placing her hands on her hips.
"How's it going?" she asked, before studying him more closely. "Wait a minute, aren't you that edge lord from the airship?" Behind her, Ruby flinched.
"Yang!" she whined. Adam folded his arms across his chest.
"If my affinity for black and red makes me an 'edge lord', then that same reasoning would apply to your sister as well, you know," he pointed out.
"Yeah, but Ruby is also a cheerful little ray of sunshine, unlike you," she retorted.
"You've only talked to me for a total of ten seconds and you already think you know my entire personality?" the bull Faunus asked, bemused.
"Buddy, I've hung around enough boys to get a read on them by now, and something tells me you're the type to be a huge grouch and find himself in a lot of trouble," Yang told him.
"No kidding? I get the same vibes from you," Adam responded. Yang's lips parted into a smile.
"I guess we're two peas in a pod, then, aren't we?" She held a hand out to the bull Faunus. "I have a feeling you and I are getting to get along just fine." Adam looked down at her hand, before taking it in his own, one of the corners of his mouth quirking upwards just a little.
"Likewise."
A black-haired girl poked her head out of the girl's bathroom, scanning the auditorium thoroughly. What in God's name was Adam Taurus doing in Beacon Academy?! The bull Faunus would never associate with humans if he could help it. The girl's amber eyes widened as a horrible realization came into her mind.
"He's been sent here to kill me," she gasped. This was not fair! She had finally managed to escape out from under the thumb of the White Fang, and now they had sent her former mentor to tie up loose ends. "I can't stay here anymore," she sighed. "I'll just have to make another run for it..." She would have done just that, too, if she had not bumped into Adam on his way out of the boy's bathroom.
"Blake," he greeted her calmly. Then the bull Faunus grabbed her by the mouth, and dragged her into an empty hallway. The entire time, she struggled against him, kicking wildly and attempting to pry his hand away, but to no avail. Finally, Adam threw open the door to a vacant classroom, and let her go, shutting the door behind him.
"Get away from me!" the cat Faunus snapped at him, backing away slowly. "I know why you're here, Adam. But do you really think killing me is going to solve anything?"
"Kill you?" the bull Faunus grunted in confusion. Blake paused to take a closer look at Adam. Wilt was nowhere to be seen on him.
"...Isn't that why the White Fang sent you here?" she asked.
"Blake... I deserted the White Fang." A moment of silence passed between the two.
"You're lying," the cat Faunus said finally, shaking her head. "You'd never abandon the organization. You've invested too much time, amassed too many followers, you couldn't-"
"Leave? Ordinarily, you'd be right, but that was before I found out just how cheaply all my 'loyal' followers could be bought off to willingly follow a human," Adam grumbled, shaking his head in disgust.
"What are you talking about?" Blake demanded.
"It's a long story," the bull Faunus said in a tone that made it clear he was not in the mood to talk about it. Then he sighed. "Believe what you will, Blake. I'm not here to kill you, though. So there's no need to go running off like a scaredy-cat."
"Hey!" Blake snapped, her amber eyes alight with anger. "You know I hate that nickname!"
"Why, because it fits so well?" Adam asked. He glanced over her with his blue eye. "You're seriously still wearing that bow? You're already proving me right," he grunted.
"It's a disguise!" Blake hissed defensively. "I'm trying to disassociate myself from the White Fang altogether, unlikeyou."
"Yes, because I'm sure Headmaster Ozpin has absolutely no idea who Blake BELLADONNA could possibly be," the bull Faunus commented sarcastically.
"I, uh... well, that is to say-"
"Whatever. Wear the bow. I can see you want nothing to do with me." He turned to leave. As he pulled open the classroom door however, he turned his head to look back at her. "I'm not your enemy, Blake. I hope you'll at least give me the chance to prove that to you." Blake watched as Adam left, then shook her head, suddenly very tired.
"What is my life coming to...?" she groaned.
Later that evening, Adam unrolled the sleeping bag provided to him by Ms. Goodwitch, then stripped out of his blazer and the red shirt he wore beneath, exposing his bare chest to the cool air of Beacon's ballroom. He could feel the eyes on him as he folded his clothes up, and slipped them back inside his bag, but he elected to ignore them. The bull Faunus was well aware of his muscular build, he just did not think much of it. As Adam watched a few of the other male students flaunt their bodies out of the corner of his eye, he could not help but came with the territory of combat training. All of the people attending this academy were going to be in good shape, so why bother trying to show off? As he stooped to unzip his sleeping bag, he heard a low whistle coming from his blind side. The bull Faunus paused, then turned his head to look at who had catcalled him, to see Yang grinning down at him, her hands on her hips.
"Damn, Adam, I guess you really are a bull Faunus," she commented, winking one of her lilac eyes at him. "Because you're definitely packing some beef~"
"Yaaang!" Ruby groaned from behind her, the silver-eyed girl covering her flushed face with her hands. Adam, however, snorted.
"Is that supposed to be a pickup line?" he asked, before standing to face the blonde. "I've heard better."
"I'll bet you have," Yang said with a sultry smile, taking in his toned abs and firm pecs. "You put all the other boys in here to shame. Are you sure you're a first-year?"
"As far as Ozpin's concerned, I am," the bull Faunus said. The blonde narrowed her eyes, as her smile became more teasing.
"Hmm, then you must've been held back a couple times, 'cause you lookwaytoo old to be one..."
"And your sister looks way too young," Adam countered, causing Yang to bark out a short laugh.
"Hey!" Ruby whined.
"But no, I didn't get held back. I never attended a primary academy. I just grew up outside the Kingdom Capital," the bull Faunus continued.
"Yeah, that makes sense," Yang said, nodding. "If you don't get strong, you don't survive out there, right? So, what, then? You just didn't have the money to attend Beacon until this year, or something?"
"Or something," Adam said, before sitting down to fluff his pillow. "What about you, Ruby? You look at least two years younger than your sister, so what are you doing at Beacon ahead of schedule?" Ruby jumped, not expecting to be addressed so suddenly.
"O-Oh! Um... Remember that report on that robbery Roman Torchwick was responsible for back on the airship? Well, I was the one who stopped him," the silver-eyed girl revealed. "I wish I could've captured him, but things got really crazy after a while."
"Huh. You don't say," the bull Faunus said, looking at her thoughtfully. "I'm guessing Ozpin was impressed enough with your display that he let you in early?"
"Y-Yeah! Exactly!" Ruby said, nodding. Yang smiled proudly.
"Isn't my little sister the coolest?" she asked.
"She's definitely talented," Adam agreed, before yawning. "Pardon me, I was up late last night."
"Oh yeah?" Yang asked, giving him a knowing look. "Doing what, exactly? Breaking some girl's heart?"
"Heh, you wish," the bull Faunus scoffed, laying down on his back. "No, it was something more important, that's all. Something private," he added, when Ruby opened her mouth to ask what.
"Fine then, keep your secrets," Yang huffed, puffing her cheeks out in an exaggerated pout.
"That's the plan," Adam said, crossing one of his legs over his other, and resting his hands behind his head. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'd like to get some sleep. We've got a big day ahead of us tomorrow."
"Yeah, we sure do," Yang said, nodding her head. She scooped Ruby up into her arms, causing the silver-eyed girl to let out an indignant squeak. "Come on, Rubes, it's bed time."
"Yang, let go of me! Put me down!" As the blonde girl carried her flailing sister back over to their own sleeping setup, the bull Faunus closed his eye, doing his best to nod off. It had been an interesting day, with plenty of highs and lows. Adam's heart beat with a mixture of nervousness and excitement, as he slowly nodded off. He could only guess what tomorrow's Initiation would bring...