"Yaaaaaawn! Finally done with classes! I think I need more bacon..." Jad said, exasperated.
The last period with Professor Port had been long, and Jad was not enjoying the new outfit, fiddling constantly with his red tie. With classes finished for the day, the team had retired to their dorm, tired from the wealth of names and information that had been crammed into them.
"I'm with ya. That last teacher seemed like he could talk for hours…" Rember agreed as she rifled through her clothes, eager to change into something more comfortable. While she didn't mind the new attire as much as Jad, she didn't like wearing skirts. "And what are you complaining about? You slept through most of class!"
"I needed to catch up on my lost hours from this morning," Jad stated matter of factly. "I don't do mornings."
Rolling her eyes, Rember walked over to where Gayle was busy flipping through a thick binder on her bed.
"What's that?" she asked.
"It's all my notes!" Gayle exclaimed proudly, displaying the pages of colour-coded handwriting and sketched illustrations in her binder. "I'm going over all of it for tomorrow's classes."
"Lemme see that for a sec…" Rember muttered, reaching for the notes. Her eyes widened as she skimmed through the sheets of paper. "There's got to be at least ten pages here! And over half of it's on what that Port guy was babbling about!" she exclaimed.
Gayle grinned at her teammate's reaction. "It's not that weird. I've always taken very thorough notes."
"Yeah, but reviewing them already? We only just got out! At least get out of your uniform and help unpack everything before becoming a studious hermit."
"Oh my heart. Nerdy girls are adorable." Jad added, giving his partner his signature smirk.
Gayle scoffed. "Hey! I prefer the term academic."
The red haired boy feigned nonchalance. "Whatever you say, nerd," he said with a wink.
As they went back and forth, Azure and Rember had taken the opportunity to change out of their school clothes. Sitting on Azure's bed, the pair had their heads together trying to figure out how to arrange the dorm room.
"Any ideas?" the fox faunus asked, glancing over at Azure.
Shaking his head, Azure leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. "You?"
"Well..." Rember considered, "I overheard that some of the other teams converted their beds into bunk beds." She grinned. "We could try that!"
Overhearing them, Jad flashed a glance at Azure and Rember, formulating another plan. "Ooh! Ooh! I have idea!" he said excitedly. "Why don't you two get bunk beds, while Gayle and I get hammocks!"
Azure raised a questioning eyebrow. "And just how do you plan to do that?" he asked.
"Don't worry, bro, I got this," Jad replied confidently. "Gayle, thoughts? Comfy hammocks!"
Beaming, Gayle nodded eagerly. "Of course! That sounds neat!"
"Right! Then it's time for jeans!" Jad announced, grabbing more casual clothes before running off to change.
It only took a matter of hours for the four of them to fully transform the empty living space into a more comfortable home. A small, simple home, but a home nonetheless. Books were shelved, outfits hung in closets, and through some miracle, they were able to scrape together a bunk bed for Azure and Rember. In terms of unique splashes, the four teenagers each left some mark that reflected them.
Azure's decorating was bland compared to the others. Extra clothes were placed in a closet, and a moderate supply of dust shards found homes near his bunk, close at hand. Other than that there was one object he tried to keep hidden, tucking it away in his arms, but Jad caught a glimpse and smiled evilly to himself instead of calling the boy out on it.
In stark contrast to her partner, Rember had a more items to place. She withdrew a small picture frame and gazed at it before placing it on a small bookshelf, facing her bedside. The image portrayed a younger Rember with an even younger looking girl. Both wore bright smiles that were as carefree as could be, calling the girl back to a simpler, joyful time in her life. Rember smiled sadly as she reminisced on the picture for a few moments, but soon snapping back to the present and assisting her teammates.
Gayle had shelved all of the texts she'd brought, contributing to the majority of their small library. She also claimed a small desk as her workspace for homework and personal projects. Projects that were too big for her bed, that was. To claim her area, she placed a small cactus on the top right corner of her desk. A variety of boxes containing Dust in many forms were placed on the wooden table, ready to be used in the experiments Gayle conducted in her spare time.
To no one's surprise, Jad plastered his area with motorcycle art. Posters, picture clippings, brand logos. You name it, Jad had it. Taping the last piece of art on the wall with a satisfied grin, he turned his attention to the creation of hammocks. Both Jad and Gayle's beds had been thrown out, leaving only the bedsheets. Looking around, he pieced together his plan of attack.
"Let's see…"
Looking up he reached for his staff and started prodding the ceiling, listening intently. The other three looked over curiously at the sound before exchanging puzzled glances.
"Uh...Jad?" Gayle asked, watching her partner poke the ceiling. "What're you doing?"
"Finding a beam. You can't hang a hammock in nothing but drywall," Jad replied, moving on to various areas. He repeated the jabing process until he found what he was looking for. "Here we go…"
Putting his weapon away, Jad cracked his knuckles and jumped, his fist striking through the ceiling. It broke through with relative ease, revealing a wooden beam. Gayle jumped at the noise and dust, a half formed objection escaping her. Azure and Rember looked on with mildly confused, yet composed expressions. Smiling, Jad moved on to his next spot.
"Woah, woah, woah! What on earth are you doing?!" Gayle exclaimed, covering her head as Jad's knuckles broke through the ceiling once more, causing rubble to cascade to the floor.
After creating a third hole, Jad paused and looked to his partner with a grin as if to say isn't it obvious?, before leaping up and striking a fourth opening. Unfortunately he misjudged this one, leaving a gaping hole that looked up into darkness. As pieces of drywall and dust rained down on him, Jad frowned up at the ceiling.
"I think you missed," Rember quipped.
Jad shot her a brief glare before reassessing his position and reaching for the ceiling once more, this time exposing the final beam.
"EXPLAIN PLEASE!" Gayle yelled as her partner shook white dust from his hair.
"I'm … looking for coins?" he teased. Upon seeing Gayle's flabbergasted expression he added, "Hahaha, I'm exposing beams to anchor our hammocks! But your face! Hehehe! It's the perfect expression!"
Gayle felt her body deflate at the explanation. Rember had broken into a fit of laughter upon Jad's coin remark, and even Azure had a small curl to his lips.
"Hahahahahaha! Really?! All that trouble so the hammocks could work?! There are easier ways you could've done that, ya know!" Rember managed to gasp through her laughter, clutching her sides.
Jad looked up at the holes he'd created before shrugging his shoulders and bending over to bunch up the blankets and bedsheets.
"Hey partner, mind grabbing those ropes for me so I can tie up these suckers?" he asked over his shoulder.
Gayle raised an eyebrow. Why did they have rope?
"Uh? I...guess..." she mumbled, spotting a few coils resting near her feet. She let out a sigh and grabbed them. "Here."
"Appreciated!" Jad said happily, going back to work on the final part.
After tying the long ends of one of the sheets together, Jad tossed the other ends over the beams and hoisted them up, completing the first hammock. Grabbing his staff, he wasted no time in getting a running start and vaulting himself into his new bed. "Wooooooooo!-hhgn! Aaaaaaaaah..." the boy exclaimed as he landed safely in the sheets, the hammock holding strong as he shifted around to get comfortable. "Good! It works."
"Hehehehe...it would've been great if he missed..." Rember snickered, her voice quiet enough that only Azure could hear.
The boy in white offered a small hum in response, agreeing with her.
"Right! Now that this is good to go," said Jad, climbing out of his hammock and landing on the floor with a thud. "Time to do yours. High or low?" he asked.
"As high as possible, thank you." Gayle answered, smiling.
Nodding, Jad grinned. "Righto!"
He repeated the same process with the second hammock, the sheets hanging level with his own.
"Done. Give it a go."
The lizard faunus looked up and mapped her approach. It was closer to the wall than Jad's, so she could probably use that somehow.
Might as well just go for it, she thought, shrugging. She dashed at the wall and jumped. Her feet made contact with the drywall, legs pushing off as she did. She landed skillfully in the hammock, grinning victoriously.
"Works for me!" she said happily, swaying back and forth.
Jad's grin widened as he joined her above the floor, wood creaking as he plopped into his hammock. He let out a long sigh and turned his mind back to dueling class.
"That was quite the spar in class today. Glynda looked impressed. Pretty little thing, that Glynda. I wonder if …" Jad hesitated and then it happened. "Heeeeey Pasty..." He peered over his hammock with his plotting face.
"Hmm?" Azure hummed, looking at his friend quizzically.
"I propose...a gentleman's bet."
Azure perked up but remained silent, waiting for Jad to continue.
"Looks like I have your attention. This wager…" Jad said, "involves the lovely yet dangerous flower that instructs our dueling class: Miss Glynda Goodwitch. These are my terms: He who is first to steal a kiss, of whatever variety, be it lips, cheek, hand, and so forth, will be the victor. Do you accept it?"
Azure raised an eyebrow. He knew that Jad could have reckless ideas, but this took the cake. Besides, he had no way of making him agree.
"Depends. What happens to the loser?" He asked, willing to humor the ginger.
"They will have to face a punishment thought up by the lovely ladies of our group." Jad remarked, gesturing to Rember and Gayle.
The girls shared a mischievous grin.
Unfazed, Azure shrugged. "And if I refuse?" he inquired cooly.
Jad's mouth twisted into a venomous grin. "I will reveal, my friend, the little secret that you just so happen to have brought with you…"
Eyebrows furrowing, Azure glared at the boy.
Pfft, sure. Keep talking... he rebuffed sarcastically in his mind.
"I happened upon it when I went through your bag the other night …" Jad elaborated, his smile growing even more devious.
Azure felt his heart stop. He'd forgotten about that. "No...You mean you…?"
"OH YES!" Jad jeered. "And it'll stay our little secret...if you accept my terms." the boy finished triumphantly.
Biting his lip, Azure growled in frustration. The girls glanced back and forth between them, Gayle wearing a big smile while Rember held in a fit of snickers.
"Well..." Azure started, disdained. "I guess I have no choice."
"Beauty!" Jad cheered, jumping to the floor. "FOXY! FIND THE TARGET!"
Smiling wide enough for her fangs to peek out, Rember nodded eagerly. "Be back in a flash!" she announced, rushing out the door as a black and orange blur. Sure enough, it was only a matter of minutes before she returned.
"I know where Goodwitch is!" She grinned, bursting into the room with a considerable amount of speed.
"Got it! C'mon Pasty!" Jad shouted, pulling his leader into the hall by his cape, Rember and Gayle laughing all the while.
The four of them took longer to track down the professor than a lone speedy faunus, mostly due to Azure's considerable resistance, but they eventually found the blonde haired Professor by herself in a hallway and they hid around the corner behind her.
"Hehehe...here it is!" Jad whispered in anticipation, letting go of Azure as he peeked around the edge. "The moment of truth!"
Sighing and rolling his eyes, Azure grumbled "Let's just get this over with."
Jad smirked evilly at his leader's agitation. "I take it the girls have the punishment ready?" He asked to Rember and Gayle. The girls nodded with a little too much enthusiasm, and he adjusted his fedora. "Then let the challenge begin…"
Not wasting any time, Azure broke out in a mad dash, using his superior speed to get the upper hand. Jad scrambled after him, refusing to be upstaged. By the time Jad drew close to the teacher, Azure was already beside Goodwitch, whispering something in the professor's ear.
"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Jad shouted, pulling out his weapon and shooting a bolt of energy at Azure's feet. The Dust made contact with the marble floor and combusted, forcing the white haired boy to jump back.
"What on earth are you-!" Glynda started angrily, whipping around and freezing as Jad grasped her hand tightly, his strength holding her in place.
"Pardon me, Miss. I must complete my task..." Jad replied softly, planting a fleeting peck on the woman's hand. Stepping back, the boy couldn't help but notice the flurry of emotions upon Glynda's face, as well as the tint of pink in her cheeks as her mouth hung slightly agape.
"Looks like I win Pa-where'd you go?" The red haired boy asked, perplexed to find that Azure had vanished.
Looking back to the girls in hiding, Jad simply stood there as he found the boy in white up against the corner, a small smirk on his face.
How in the he-ow! Owowowowowowowowowow! Jad exclaimed inwardly as sharp pain burst in his right ear. He hunched over and clapped a hand to the side of his head. Squinting through the pain he saw Professor Goodwitch's flashing bright green eyes burning furiously.
"You, young man..." Glynda hissed, trying to stay in control, "are coming with me. You've just bought yourself detention."
With that, the professor dragged him by the ear down the hall and out of sight, offhandedly waving her wand over her shoulder to fix the damaged floor.
Stifling giggles, the rest of KRME stepped out into the corridor.
"Well...that actually happened," Gayle commented, scratching the back of her head.
"It did!" Rember crowed gleefully, grabbing Azure's arm. "Let's go, partner! There's no time to waste! Give me a hand, Gayle!" she called, leading the way back to dormitories.
Azure didn't struggle much, especially not once Gayle took surprisingly firm hold of his arm. Between the two girls there wasn't much hope of escape.
"Where are you taking me?" he asked, his tone resigned.
Flashing him a mischievous grin, Rember replied. "Back to the dorm, of course! You've got your end of the deal to fulfill, after all."
Giggling evilly, the fox girl ignored the underlying look of concerned curiosity on her partner's face, breaking into a skip as she pulled him along.
The trio made it back to the room without issue, the sun casting an orange glow into the living space as the burning sphere began to set. As soon as the door closed, the girls released their captive and Gayle flipped on a lightswitch.
"Alright, you sit right there, Azure. And don't move. I'll know if you do!" Rember instructed, shooing her partner to his bunk.
He did as he was told without objection, and Rember led Gayle to the kitchen. The girls placed their bodies to guarantee that Azure couldn't see what they were doing, occasionally glancing back over their shoulders at him.
Back on his bed, Azure sat forward in boredom, resting his head in one of his palms. *sigh* I've only known these girls for two days, but I can already tell this will be..."fun"?…ughh...
On the other side of the room, Rember and Gayle worked with blazing speed and accuracy to finish their invention.
"Aaaaaaand done!" Gayle announced, proud of her work.
"Ehehehehe...This is perfect!" Rember added with a devious chuckle.
Perking up, Azure tried to sneak a peek at what they had created.
"Well?" he asked, curious in spite of the slight unease their eagerness brought him.
The girls put on sly, sweet smiles and held the object of interest behind them, waltzing up to their leader.
"Are you ready to face the penalties of losing a bet?" Rember asked innocently, fangs peeking out as her smile grew.
Folding his arms, Azure responded with a curt nod and sat back on his mattress, marshalling his face into a neutral expression.
Rember nodded curtly and offered a crooked smile. "Alright. I, Rember Autumn, present you, Azure Knyte, with the fruits of our labour."
The girl brought the object into view, only to hide it again as she leapt into a backflip, landing with one knee on the ground as though she were about to propose and placing the item delicately in Azure's lap.
Trying and failing to appear unfazed, Azure glared hard at what lay before him. Resting on his lap, in all its brightly coloured glory, was a hat made entirely of fruit. There was a surprising variety. From the obvious staples of grapes, apples, and bananas, to what he could only assume were mangos, kiwi, and an entire freaking pineapple! Flashing a glance up, Azure saw Rember and Gayle watching with expectantly. Slowly honing back in on the hat, Azure placed it beside him carefully.
"No way in hell," he stated, folding his arms.
Rember raised an eyebrow, her jaunty smile not swayed. "Azure, wear the fruit hat."
"Nope."
"You lost the bet, you can't back out now. It's just for an hour, so put it on and get it over with."
"Remind me again, what bet exactly?"
"My dear Azure, don't tell me you've forgotten! There were witnesses and everything! You agreed. You lost. You wear the fruit hat. Deal with it."
Azure smirked at the thought of Jad getting chewed out by Professor Goodwitch before replying. "Well at least I'm not the one who has detention for who knows how long. That's his fault for coming up with this stupid bet. But I'm still not wearing the hat."
"Do you really think he didn't know there'd be consequences? Now quit stalling and put on the hat," Rember retorted a bit more forcefully. It was clear that she would not be swayed.
"Whatever," Azure conceded reluctantly.
Rember scoffed at the flippant response, unimpressed. "Either put the hat on yourself, or I'll do it for you."
Gayle's tail was twitching excitedly as she practically vibrated with laughter. "Azure, just wear the fruit hat!"
"…Fine, I'll put it on." Azure sighed, shoulders drooping. Slowly, almost painfully, the boy picked up the hat and inched it onto his head, a drawn out sigh escaping his mouth. "There, happy?" he asked, voice bitter.
"Not yet. Come with me!" Rember ordered, grabbing Azure
"Why? What're you planning?"
"Planning? It's already been planned, my friend. I promised Jad he'd get to see the fruits of his efforts. He's berry excited!"
Azure's green eyes jumped. "...Heh, good luck with that. I'll see you at the end of my hour." With that, the boy vanished.
Rember was the first to recover. Using her fox ears, she heard her invisible partner scrambling toward the exit. "You realize I can hear you, right?"
Jumping to her feet she leapt after him, reaching wildly as the door swung open. Unfortunately she caught nothing but air.
"Hearing and catching are two different things," Azure taunted.
"They might be different, but I'm good a both!" Rember shot back.
"We'll see…" Azure replied, his voice fading around the corner.
"Mrow!" Rember took off down the corridor, chasing after her partner. Her expression radiated fierce joy and determination as she took up the hunt.
Now alone, Gayle looked around the room and the leftover fruit from her and Ber's creation scattered about. Shrugging her shoulders, she gathered up the aftermath and went to reorganize the larder, helping herself to a few snacks as she did.
...I think I've finally lost her. Azure sighed, releasing his hold on the illusion. He hadn't had to pull out a mirage and escape pursuit for this long for some time, and he wiped away the sweat accumulating on his forehead. Pulling out his scroll, he saw it had only been half an hour since the little game of mantracker had begun. Half an hour to go till he could take the ridiculous hat off his head. He couldn't catch a break with Rember hot on his tail, and he'd had to pull off some pretty creative tricks to throw off her sensitive hearing. How much time he'd bought he had no clue, but any respite was welcome at this point.
Finally alone, he took the time to look around at where he'd scampered off to, surveying his surprisingly narrow surroundings.
Azure had stopped in an old, winding, stone staircase. He had been so busy running, he hadn't paid much attention to where exactly he'd been racing off to. Looking up carefully, mindful of his new hat, Azure climbed the remaining steps. After a few minutes of scaling the narrow spiral, he was met with the cool breeze of early evening air. Guessing by the wind and the circular shape of the architecture, he had stumbled into one of the school's spires, pillars climbing up the edges of the base to hold up the cone shaped roof overhead. It was here that he hoped he could bunker down for the remainder of his sentence.
Strolling over to the far edge, Azure took a seat upon the precipice, gazing out onto the horizon. He could see the whole of the school grounds from up here, students skittering to and fro like little ants. The setting sun washed the lake in blazing gold and silhouetted the distant city skyline. It was a nice sight, to be sure.
Well...I guess it's the waiting game now, Azure concluded, tapping his fingers on the stone.
Out of nowhere, he thought he heard a soft, flapping noise behind him, but found nothing when he looked. After glancing around for a moment longer, he began to wonder if he was just hearing things. He knew better than that when he felt a pair of eyes watching him from somewhere, and it was better to be safe than sorry. Casually getting to his feet, Azure tried to play it off as though he didn't know there was anyone there while he repositioned himself in the center of the spire. Activating his empath ability, he sure enough felt a new presence behind...and directly above him, confirming his suspicions. Acting as though he was unaware of their presence, Azure feigned being deep in thought, as the unknown individual hovered closer and closer. He felt the fruit atop his head shift ever so slightly, making the facade more difficult to maintain. They probably wanted a piece, so who was he to make it harder for them?
Turning toward the person, Azure asked "Hey, you want something?" only to fall onto the floor, a weight pressing down on top of him. He felt a blunt pain at the back of his head, the fruit hat falling off and contents spilling out.
"Oof!" Azure gasped, trying to get up. Opening his eyes, he found an unfamiliar face inches from his own. Bleach blonde hair framed wide cyan eyes, frozen in shock. "Uh...hey." Azure said, not sure how to react to the young lady sprawled on top of him.
With a startled squeak the girl scrambled to her feet, reaching for an apple near her. As she did, Azure got a better look at her. She wasn't very tall, her blonde hair tipped with black and pulled back in two long braids. She wore a dark skirt with a red blouse, and a black vest that went across her underbust. A very old, worn out cloak was affixed around her neck, presumably once bright crimson but now faded to a soft scarlet. What really caught Azure's attention however, were the black, leathery wings that protruded out behind her, as well as the two small, fang-like teeth protruding from her upper lip. This girl was a faunus. A special kind faunus no less, as evident by her wings. By the look of it she had to be the same age, if not a little older than himself.
Breaking the silence, Azure ventured a question. "You alright?"
"N-no! You scared me!" She responded heatedly, refusing to look directly at the boy, her face flushed. "W-why did you do that?!" she asked, stuttering anxiously.
"I could ask you the same thing, since you were trying to pillage from my...ugh, hat." Azure retorted. His eyes trailed to Gayle and Rember's fruit hat, and he bent down to put it back together as best as he possibly could. "Excuse me…" he pardoned, beginning the repair process.
Anger was replaced by idle curiosity, and the bat girl inched closer, though she was clearly nervous. Watching the boy fix the accessory and place it back on his head, she averted her gaze and blushed profusely yet again when Azure turned his attention back on her.
"You...sure everything is alright? You seem...anxious."
"What? Uh, no no! I, uh, I'm just...ummm…it-it's complicated…" the girl stammered, her body deflating a bit as she finally just sighed.
Shrugging, Azure turned back to where he'd perched a few moments prior. "Whatever. Well, I'm Azure," he introduced, sitting back down on the edge of the spire.
The winged faunus observed him with careful eyes, seeming to collect herself slowly and appearing less anxious by the minute.
"I'm, uh, I'm Carmin," she responded, sitting several feet away on the same ledge. Fumbling with the apple in her hand, the girl ventured meekly "So...mind telling me why a guy wearing something meant for a hot beach is all the way up here?"
Azure drew out a long breath before answering, scratching his collarbone. "Long story…" he said shortly. "Why're you here?"
Laughing sheepishly, Carmin also let out a long, tired sigh. "It's also a long story." she stated, fiddling with the apple in her palms, flashing quick glances in Azure's direction before just as quickly focusing back on the fruit in her possession.
Azure smirked, letting out an amused huff. "I see."
"So, Azure…" Carmin mumbled, testing the word. "Like, the shade of blue?"
"Nah. Try white."
"Wait, there's a shade of white that's called azure?"
"Apparently."
"Huh, no kiddin'."
Azure let out another chuckle. "Yeah. My aura is blue though."
"Ooo! Really? That's cool!" Carmin stated excitedly, genuinely intrigued.
He shrugged. "Not as cool as the wings you got."
"Huh?" Carmin glanced over her shoulder, seeming to realise her wings were on display, protruding from her cloak. In a flash, she furled them tightly until they disappeared beneath the tattered fabric. "O-oh! U-umm, yeah! They're really, uh, something…" she replied, nervously fiddling with her cloak.
"Don't be embarrassed, It's what makes you who you are," Azure murmured, his green eyes unfocusing.
Carmin caught the distant look on Azure's face, and her nervous fingers ceased worrying about the faded fabric. "You really think so?"
Azure's eyes refocused on Carmin. He was silent for a few seconds before nodding. "Yeah."
She smiled earnestly. "Thanks. That's really kind of you," Carmin said softly, a lopsided smile painted across her lips.
Azure nodded once more.
They sat in silence, content to watch the sunset. After a while, however, Carmin abruptly turned her attention to the opening of the stairway, her body alert.
"I hear someone coming."
Not wasting time, Azure tapped into his unique ability, his senses expanding downwards. Sure enough two individuals were making their way up the steps, but Azure had no idea who they were. "I sense them. I don't think they're coming for me."
Carmin raised a questioning eyebrow before figuring out who was coming up. "Oh! That's probably for me then."
"I see. Well, I better go," Azure said, getting to his feet. "Go ahead and keep the fruit. It's fine."
"Uhh...thanks, I guess." Carmin responded before the air was rent by a new, much louder voice.
"HEY CARMIN! YOU UP THERE?"
The bat girl's eyes widened. "Y-yeah Inigo! I'm, uh, I'm here."
She glanced to where Azure sat, only to jump in alarm when she found that he was nowhere to be seen.
"Where…?"
She scrambled to her feet and glanced around in confusion, only to be abruptly interrupted as a pair of arms picked her up from behind in a tight hug. A startled noise escaped her at the unexpected embrace.
"There you are! Honestly, what's with you flying off on us all the time? It's not like loverboy is THAT ugly," a feminine voice teased, squeezing the bat faunus tighter.
"Huh? F-Flavia?" Carmin asked, twisting her head around to see the golden haired, orange eyed girl with a big, wry smile on her face.
"What? You expected someone else to be hugging you?" Flavia quipped, letting her teammate go with a sly smile.
"N-no! I was just surprised!" Carmin retorted, brushing herself off.
Flavia just continued to grin as Inigo strode confidently up to his teammates, Carmin hiding behind her team leader. "There you are, Min. You certainly like coming up here to hide from me." He grinned lightheartedly.
"Eh heh, yeah...might just need a new one…" Carmin mumbled to herself, clutching Flavia's arm tightly.
"Aw, what's with the standoffishness? I just want to get to know you better! Although frankly, I'd settle for a nice chat over a cup of tea," Inigo replied smoothly.
"Ignoring Ini's attempt to flirt," Flavia interjected, earning an annoyed look from Inigo, "you gotta at least try and be part of the team, Carmin, and that means that you have to know how to work with ALL of us, not just me." Her joking tone was now serious. "So, just try to loosen up a bit, all right? And if the lover boy here misbehaves, I'll clean his clock myself." Inigo laughed nervously at the meaningful look she gave him.
Unbeknownst to the three of them, an invisible individual had been eavesdropping on their entire conversation, getting a more detailed look on the two he had seen earlier that day.
Azure could tell that Flavia bore herself with confidence. She dressed in bright, fiery colors and bold styles. She held her head high and her shoulders back, commanding attention and respect.
Inigo's style differed incredibly from Flavia's. He wore soft hues of blue and lavender beneath polished armor. His posture was self-assured and he smiled easily.
"Well, come on back with us!" Flavia said, flinging an arm over the bat faunus. "Aaron probably has some food waiting. Maybe even apple pie!"
Carmin's eyes widened. "Well, what are we waiting for?!" she said excitedly, gliding over to the entryway. "Let's go before it's gone!"
Flavia and Inigo followed after her, leaving a now uncloaked Azure alone.
During the whole exchange, Azure had been thinking about what that Flavia girl said. They had their differences, yes, but in the end, they were a team. That wouldn't change. He was the leader for his own team, and while this wasn't the first position of leadership he'd held, something about what those three shared was different.
Hmm...I haven't really been doing a great job of being a 'leader' so far, Azure thought. After a bit more reflection, he nodded decisively and made his way to the winding staircase, knowing full well what he had to do. Glancing back to his scroll, he saw that there were still fifteen minutes left. Good. There's still time.
Going as fast as he could without hurting himself, he soon arrived back on the ground floor, taking a moment to rest on a nearby bench. Closing his eyes, he picked up a certain someone's presence with his empath ability, bracing himself for what he assumed would be a rather violent encounter. As the feeling got closer and closer, Azure did nothing but sit still as the person pounced on him. Opening his eyes, Azure looked at the fox faunus latched onto his back, a victorious smile across her face.
"Looks like you've got me," Azure surrendered.
"Exactly," Rember replied smugly. "Now you HAVE to-"
"I know," he interrupted, raising his hands in defeat. "I won't run. Lead on."
A brief look of surprise flashed across her face before Rember's satisfied smile returned in full force. She climbed off her partner and directed him onwards. The pair hurriedly walked around the twists and turns of the spacious academy until Rember stopped at a particular room, grabbing the doorknob and giving it a twist. As it opened, both teens saw a rather amusing sight. Jad was front row center in one of the seats of the lecture hall, bored out of his mind. At the front desk was Professor Goodwitch, preoccupied with business on her Scroll. Both heads turned to the door as it opened, before focusing on Azure, the fruit turban standing out like an Ursa in the school courtyard.
Glynda spared them a mixed look of intrigue and confusion before asking plainly "Is there something I can help you two with?"
Rember waved and smiled sweetly. "We're just here to pick up our teammate!" She said innocently.
"I see," Glynda responded, checking the time. "Very well, but he's to come straight back here after classes tomorrow," she ordered, returning to her Scroll. As she did so, Rember and Azure strode up to Jad.
"So…" Rember ventured, gesturing to Azure. "What to you think, Jad?"
Jad simply stared at the boy in white, looking slightly confused. "What do I think of what?"
Rember was a bit thrown off by the statement. "Uh...Of how Azure looks, of course." she prompted, nudging her partner with her elbow.
Jad only shrugged. "He looks nice," he complimented, sitting back in his seat.
"And…?"
"And...he'll make some girl very happy someday?"
Rolling her eyes and sighing dramatically, Rember said impatiently. "No! I mean, how does he look?" she emphasized, motioning towards her partner's head.
"What? I said he looks ..." Turning to address his friend, Jad said with a warm smile "Azure, you are one of the handsomest boys with the best skin complexion ever! Honestly, I'm surprised the girls you come across aren't throwing themselves at you."
Glynda frequently made side glances at the trio of students, a bemused look on her face. "Well...I'll be going now," she announced, grabbing the teens' attention. The professor exited the room, the sound of the closing door echoing throughout the theatre.
There was a small pause, soon shattered by peals of raucous laughter.
"...Pffft, BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! HAAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Jad's cackling reverberated off the walls. He fell back out of his chair and rolled across the floor, tears in his eyes. "HAHA-Oh, that-HAHAHA-has to be the best thing-Haahaha-that I've ever flipping seen! BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHA!"
Azure just stood there and took it all in, not willing to be phased by his teammate's chortling. "Glad you got a good laugh," He remarked evenly. "So you ready to go?"
"Hehehehehe, just gimme a minute." Jad giggled, getting to his feet. He pulled out his Scroll to take a picture. "We need this framed in the dorm!"
"...Alright. Make it quick."
Nodding enthusiastically, Jad took a series of pictures of the boy in the fruit hat, assisted by a snickering Rember. After he was finished, he stuffed the Scroll into his coat. "Alright, I'm happy!" he said merrily, strolling out of the classroom. "Let's go!"
Rember and Azure both nodded and followed after him, the former of the pair finally removing the colorful headpiece as they returned to their dorm.