The walk back was… interesting, to give more excitement than the event contained. Paige occasionally overheard a spattering of conversation, but didn't pay it much heed until she was mentioned directly in a call back to the slower subgroup.

… She was mentioned somewhat frequently, if she was "that woman".

"You're a graduate, right? What do you do now?"

"Currently, or after graduation?"

…

Paige glanced up to the blonde girl calling at her. The entire group, in fact, started walking a degree slower.

That sure got people's attention.

She slightly quickened her pace, then just gave the simple backstory on her tumultuous career path.

"I graduated and became a librarian, met my wife, got a new job, settled down, then-"

… Aaand we lost Ruby Rose. The girl froze so hard Paige thought she became a viable contender towards beating Ms Snow in a coldness competition.

"You… went all through four years of education… to become a librarian? Isn't that a waste?"

"I liked it."

"What made you come back here, then?"

…

Paige glanced back towards Ruby. She, still shell-shocked into silence, was getting guided along by her uncle Qrow as she walked dumbly behind them.

"It's hard to miss such a large place like Beacon if you're trying to locate someone. This is as good a place to stay as any. May actually be better from how noticeable it is."

Paige deemed it better to not mention the actually tumultuous segments. She wasn't sure how these folks felt about fighting mindless monsters, arson, over-the-top powers, and the killing of a person's in-laws.

…

Oh. Wait.

…

She quieted, and eventually heard the Ruby girl getting out of her disturbed silence, calling out "That's a ridiculous thing to have done! Why waste it a-"

Paige turned and walked toward the girl. Qrow flinched, and she held out a hand. I'm not going to break any promise that fast. Trust me here? With her hands crossing, she faced the girl who so vehemently tried to explain her feelings about her current job she was studying for.

"Ruby. Are you a good hunter?"

…

"Yes, Yes, I am! … I think!"

Paige tried to not think of anything triggering. It failed miserably.

"I was not good. I was forced into that path, and I quit it the first chance I got. I was a good librarian. If I was able to never do any kind of hunting ever again, I would have taken it."

… "But… wasn't there an obligation to protect people?"

Hah.

"You see, this career doesn't let you quit that easily." Paige muttered grimly.

Paige straightened herself, and continued walking. "Any other questions?"

…

"Team name?"

"Atlas. Next."

Someone snorted.

"It's a perfectly fine name. Deal with it." Paige said.

"It's definitely a confusing name."

Paige grumbled. Why does this keep happening? When did we lose all our respect? We had our job and we did it well.

"Weapon?"

"Axe and shotgun."

Ruby had looked like she was going to cry. At least, until Paige started talking about her borrowed and trusted weapons. "Can I take a look at them at some point?"

"Maybe," she replied. "Qrow will have to give me them."

"Semblance? Or dust weapon modifications?"

"Sucks. Weapons aren't modified, but I'm good enough that you'd not want to fight me, Ms Snow. Ms Xiao Lo-?"

… Ruby raised her hand like this was a class, and not a bombing of questions.

"Not modified…. So, these are still your original design using mechashift?"

"Mechashift?" Paige turned and stared briefly with a face that spoke one word:

huh?

Ruby's face fell and she slunk to the back, staring at the ground.

…

"Next? Long?"

"I'd like to duel you when you're free."

"See earlier relevant reply."

Yang hmphed, and continued walking.

This'll be fun with a new person to go against.

Eventually, the group returned, and everyone went back to their respective rooms. Paige took the time to try to locate wherever the faculty had breaks. She had to locate her new supervisor.

Paige hoped dearly that it's be the library staff she'd have to meet.

Please, please let it be the library.

….

It was not the library.

It was not the library at all.

Professor Peter Port. Lecturer on Grimm Studies. It was Animal Studies multiplied with P.E. That is, if P.E. was about killing hell beasts. The elderly man in question was notetaking around a classroom, eyes closed and scribbling down on papers while muttering about random fragments of sentences.

Paige was rather impressed that he was able to write so deftly as he was. She waited for a lull in his monologue to try to introduce herself, noiselessly moving down past the seats to stand at the frontmost row.

…

"-Goliath? That could work alongside Ursa, but practicals would be difficult."

"Combination methods?-"

"Distinguishing alpha from the lesser categories? That'll need to be extended somehow-"

…

After thirty minutes, Paige was very sad to say that Ruby lost the first place for longest continuous speech.

…

Ahem?

"Ah, Hello. I didn't hear you there." He said, turning and acknowledging her presence.

"Hello, Professor. I'm your new associate lecturer."

Port's mustache quivered slightly as he walked closer. "You had the literary name… Wood Pages?"

Paige closed her eyes slowly, quietly sighing as Port opened his brown eyes, shining with mirth at his joke. "Paige Woods. You're a graduate hunter interested in teaching the newer years of students. I wouldn't forget someone that personally chose to go against the frontlines of our student body. You'll find that I, Peter Port, personally approve of your choice!"

…

The two of them stood quietly for a second.

….

"Professor. I… don't really know about you outside our current working relationship."

"Thank you, sir. I'm glad to hear that from you.

…

Strange…

"Ms Woods. Are you feeling well today?"

The professor was used to people getting distracted during his lectures. After all, it was a tried and true technique developed to discover which student were able to accurately find out essential information in seemingly irrelevant conversations. It was also partially because he enjoyed it, but he was keeping that quiet. This… this blank face was so unresponsive that he began to worry that there was some underlying problem.

"I can help you head to the infirmary if you need the support." He said.

Her eyes were glazed, slightly widened, and gave no tell that she heard him. When he stepped towards her, she suddenly tensed up, and her eyes regained focus. Her head at a skewed angle, she spoke clearly, with a faint curtness nearing onto an artificial tone.

"Thank you, sir. I'm glad to hear that from you."

He halted at the strange sight, and she continued. "When shall we begin work?"

"In two days, Ms Woods. Your first class working with me is at 8:00."

"Thank you, Professor.."

His new assistant bowed stiffly, then began to turn to go.

"Ms Woods. Would you care to help me with some of the practical parts of my next lecture?"

"Yes, Professor."

Professor Port returned to his note taking as she excused herself, quickly becoming lost in thought.

Paige quickly left the classroom and walked to her room.

Damn. Didn't expect that again.

She was talking with the old professor when she had an audiovisual hallucination. Of course, as she was well aware her life is so filled with supernatural elements, it was a good chance this was actually just another magical thing once again.

Paige laid down on her floor, and the back of her head felt hot. Like a burning plate was pressed against the back of her skull. She lightly tapped the burning spot to the floor a few times.

Tink.

Tink.

Tink.

Reaching back to touch the heated region led to her wincing slightly as her fingers burned. She grabbed the offensive area, and came away with a bright white metal circle that cleanly fit into her palm, etched with a small moon.

Upon releasing it onto the floor, where it pivoted on the smooth edge while clattering, her hallucination vanished. The little star she saw in the classroom, the one that flickered in front of a few objects while walking down the hall, was gone. If she was going to return to the professor, she had a suspicion that he would stop being outlined in a white glow.

"Hunter. Please keep your vow."

"Moon. Never thought you'd be back anytime soon."

Paige turned, and there was a figure in her room. A spirit, to be precise. Her white draped face watched disapprovingly as Paige stood mimicking her pose. "What was the burning for? Didn't you originally just make little glowing stars to emphasize things you thought I should do?" Paige complained, "You don't need to give me a third degree burn to tell me to listen to my new boss."

"It was important."

…

Paige stood with an unbelieving face. "What do you want me to know?"

The star's face smiled, and she happily explained her information.

"You have a child you wanted to save, and she wishes to be saved as well!"

… Paige watched her former spiritual companion in confusion.

"This is wonderful, I know! So, I have deemed it practical to briefly return and intervened on her behalf to support your actions to save her!"

Who in the world wanted my help SO BADLY it caused a pagan spiritual moon goddess to return from the beyond?

… "Your sister. …I think. She thought of you quite often, so I assumed a familial bond. She's waiting for you! Please grant me this. She needs your help! The poor child is in need of our saving!"

With that, she enveloped the room in ethereal light, vanishing with the soft blowing of a wind from nowhere.

Fuuuuuuuuck. Paige winced and her breath shook in a slow quivering exhale.

Paige just went to sleep as soon as her spiritual nightlight left. She was NOT in the mood for dealing with more things today. It wasn't a bed, but she hadn't found much enjoyment in sleeping in strange beds for a long time now.