"HA HA! We won!"
"HELL YEAH! WAY TO GO, FOXY!"
Sharing a loud, congratulatory high-five, Rember and Jad reveled in their victory as the results screen on the team's projector showed a large 'MISSION COMPLETE'. After getting cleaned up from the massive food fight at lunch, KRME decided to occupy themselves with video games and baking. Azure and Gayle were hard at work baking chocolate chip cookies to replenish their dwindling supply, while Rember and Jad were kicking ass together playing a first-person shooter. It was a fun, relaxing time. Well, aside form the victory shouts and upset slander being thrown at the screen.
"Almost good to go over there?" Azure asked Gayle, adjusting his apron after placing the last dough ball onto a metal sheet.
"Yep! Just one second….there! Ta-da!"
Gayle grinned and presented the tray with a flourish. The two of them placed the unbaked confections into the oven, and Azure set a timer. Joining their respective partners, the team regrouped for a shared match.
"Ya know, Zure," Rember commented, "we could make some sort of business with all the stuff you and Gayle make."
"You think? Never thought about it," Azure mumbled as he got settled. Without warning, he felt a small, needle-like pain shoot through his left thigh. His leg jerked in surprise and he cried out in pain.
Looking down in annoyance, Azure found a chubby black kitten staring up at him. The feline meowed for his attention and climbed up onto his lap.
Azure raised an irritated eyebrow. Thistlebutt really lived up to his name, in that he was quite the thorn in his side. The kitten made a point of digging his claws into him, whether it was for attention or his own version of showing affection, Azure didn't know. Moving the nuisance, the young man reminisced what had been happening when the little thing came into their lives.
It had to have been two or three in the morning. He recalled being rudely yanked from slumber by his partner, her voice dancing with excitement and a bit of a squeak. It wasn't long before everyone else was awake. When Gayle saw the kitten, the lizard faunus was immediately won over. Jad, on the other hand (he did notlike being abruptly woken up) grumbled about cooking it. If Azure remembered right, his friend didn't care for cats, and had gained a reputation for not telling the rest of the team where he got his surprise ingredients from when it was his turn in the kitchen. Now that he thought about it, how had anyone not gotten sick yet?
Another shot of pain pulled Azure out of his reflection. Thistle stubbornly demanded attention.
"She's. Right. There." He enunciated clearly to the small pet, pointing over to Rember. "Go bug her."
"Won't do anything," Rember stated cheekily. "He wants his Zure time."
"But it's not even my cat."
"Oh yes he is! We're partners, so that makes Thistle your cat too."
"No. I'm not the one who went on a midnight stroll for no reason and brought back a tiny furball that hurts me."
"BUT THAT MEANS HE LOVES YOU!" Rember shouted overdramatically, picking up her cat and holding him in front of Azure's face. "HOW CAN YOU NOT LOVE THIS ADORABLE FACE?!"
Azure and Thistle's green and yellow eyes locked together in momentary silence. The young kitten meowed cheerfully, black ears pointed forward, and reached out a small paw to boop the young man's nose. The sight made Azure crack, and he took the cat back into his lap, enduring another sharp poke from Thistle's claws. Oh well. He didn't really feel like continuing this pointless argument anyway, and the young man relaxed when he heard the satisfied purrs coming from the admittedly adorable black fluff ball. With that fiasco over, the team continued playing.
"Pasty if you're that strongly against it, I could always make kitty teriyaki noodles," Jad offered as his character took out some enemy soldiers on screen.
"Never going to happen," Rember asserted. "I will personally take your hat and burn it if you do anything awful to Thistle."
Jad's eyes went wide and he clapped a hand over his fedora protectively. "No, not my hat."
"Then stop threatening to cook my cat!"
Jad licked his lips, and Rember responded by snapping her teeth together irritably.
"Guys, c'mon," Gayle interjected. "Can we not do this right now? It hasn't even been fifteen minutes."
"She's got her eyes on my hat!"
"AND YOU WANT TO EAT MY CAT!"
"Enough," Azure ordered sternly, and the two reeled themselves back in. "Let's just enjoy the rest of the evening, alright? Without burning anything or cooking anyone's pets."
Jad looked at his skinny friend for a moment before cracking a cheeky grin. "Okay, Pasty," the redhead agreed. "Loooove you!" he added, to see if he could get a smile from Azure.
It paid off, and an amused smile slipped out as the pale boy got recomposed. The rest of the match the team was playing went on in cooperative calls, coordinate planning, and occasional cursing until the victory screen popped up once more, prompting more happy celebration.
There was a knock at the door. Rising from her seat, Gayle went to answer it. To her surprise and delight, it was Ceridwen. The silver haired young man waved politely and smiled when the others in the room saw him.
"Hello again," he greeted pleasantly. "Apologies, I found myself at a loss for things to do. May I come in for a visit?"
Gayle was about to answer eagerly before a thought crossed her mind. She looked back at Azure uncertainty. It took the team leader a second to realize she wasn't sure if an extra addition for the evening would be alright, as it had kind of been planned to just be the four of them. He nodded with a smile, and Gayle happily replied "Of course!" as she led her friend into the dorm.
As Ceridwen got himself settled in, Jad glanced in his direction. He was still unsure about this guy. Perhaps he was still a little protective of his partner after the Paper Menagerie, but he also couldn't help but think back to his heart-to-heart with Gayle after the fight with CRDL. She had never elaborated on what she'd told him, but he got the impression that this guy, Ceridwen, had somehow been involved in whatever she'd dealt with growing up. And it had been significant enough to follow her years later all the way to Beacon.
"So what are you all up to?" Ceridwen inquired pleasantly, oblivious to the glare he was receiving from across the room.
"Just some gaming," Rember replied. "We're all kinda nerds when it comes to this stuff. You play any?"
"Well, not anything like this. I am much more accustomed to solo adventures."
"Really? Why not give it a shot?" she offered, giggling at her unintended pun.
"Oh! That is very generous of you, but I'm alright. I am content with spectating."
"Oh c'mon, Ceri!" Gayle encouraged, "It's a lot of fun!"
Before he could respond, Azure placed his controller into the young man's hands, and walked over to the oven. "Play," was all he said to Ceridwen as he put on oven mitts and extracted the first of the cookie sheets.
Jad started the round.
"Try to keep up," he said flatly. Which was, for Jad, a big gesture for someone he wasn't sure about.
With a nervous laugh, Ceridwen gripped the controller and filled in for Azure. "I will do my best."
"So, this'll be the first time we've really caught up with everyone since we left, huh?"
Sonara looked over to her partner curiously. Clean from the glorious mess that took place that afternoon, the two girls walked lazily through the school grounds, Rosalie's eyes fixed on a gigantic stone tower. Kyra and Valerie had stayed back in the dorm, as decided, leaving the latter two members to make a trip to the Cross Continental Transit System; or, as it was more commonly known, the CCT. As the girls recalled, this complicated technology allowed for long distance communication between each of the four established kingdoms. The kingdom of Atlas was responsible for inventing it after the Great War. In fact, the CCT in Vale was stationed in the lower tiers of Beacon Tower, with Professor Ozpin's office at the top. Sonara seemed to keep that random nugget of information locked in her head for some reason.
Beside the young brunette, Rosalie hummed an agreement.
"Yes. Things certainly have been busy lately," she replied.
"I wonder how Mai is doing."
"I'm sure she's fine."
"Yeah, probably. She'll keep herself busy now that us, and even Jude, have gone on to other schools, huh?"
Rosalie felt a smile inch across her lips. Mai, or 'Mariah' as she was named by their parents, was her adorable younger sister. She was training to be a huntress as well, taking classes and lessons back at Mistral's Sanctum Academy. She was polite, forgiving, mature for her age but...a bit of an airhead. They had always been together when they were kids, and Mai accepted Sonara into the family with open arms.
"Yeah! I bet she's doing just fine!" Sonara said merrily as the girls entered the tall spire.
Awestruck by the interior of the grandiose building, they stopped and took a moment to take in the sights. It was the first time either of them had been inside one of the CCT's. It was an architectural marvel!
The first they noticed were the smooth, polished floors leading into a large entry hall with various archways at the far end of the lobby. The walls were all shades of dark blue and grey, with softly glowing green details dotted around them, and there was a terminal placed in the center, connecting the ceiling and ground level. A few people were using the stalls in the central control, but Sonara and Rosalie needed to go up a few floors. International communications were in the higher tiers of the building. Making their way through the middle overhang, the girls strolled around a sub room and into an elevator.
Once inside, a robotic voice chimed "Hello. Welcome to the CCT. How may I help you?"
"Ooooh...Cool..." Sonara complemented, stars in her eyes.
Rosalie cracked an amused grin. "Yes, we'd like to go to the communications room, please."
"Absolutely. Please place your Scroll on the terminal to verify your identity."
As instructed, she took out her handheld and placed it on top of a small scanner. After a moment, a soft beep was heard, and the tin voice replied "Perfect. Thank you, Miss Caelum."
The elevator ascended. The lift happened so fast that before the girls knew it the ride was over, and the metal doors were sliding open to reveal a room occupied primarily by desk-like terminals. Windows to the outside soared upwards on the far end of the room, letting in a touch of the late afternoon sunlight. Other students were stationed at various terminals, chatting with friends or family on the other side of the world. Once both members of AMBR stepped out into the room, a holographic projection of a woman appeared behind a large desk in front of all the other terminals.
"Welcome to the Beacon Cross Continental Transmit Center! How may I help you today?" the apparition asked upon noticing the new arrivals.
"We'd like to make a call to Alder and Fiora Caelum in Mistral, please," Rosalie politely requested.
The hologram nodded. "Of course," it replied, "just head over to terminal nine, and I'll run a connection."
"Thanks!" Sonara chimed.
She and her partner made their way over to where the guide directed. Both girls got themselves seated, and waited in front of the monitor. Soon enough, a feed was sent through the screen, revealing a couple in their forties. Once the adults registered the young women on their respective end, they broke out into smiles.
"Hey, girls!" the man greeted, a familiar grin gracing his features, a pair of vibrant cherry red eyes crinkling.
He was a sturdy looking individual, with fading, clean cut pink hair. The woman beside him waved lightly, a dainty look about her. Long, sun blonde locks covered most of her face except for her shining, breathtaking sky lavender eyes.
Rosalie echoed the smile she was given. "Hey, Dad. Hey, Mom."
"How are things going at Beacon?" Rosalie's mother, Fiora, asked.
"Oh, it's going a-MAZING!" Sonara exclaimed heartily. "You wouldn't believe how much fun it is here!"
"Heh heh, that's good to hear!" Alder grinne.
"We're actually partners," Rosalie elaborated, "And we're on a team with two other girls."
"Hmhmhm! You don't say? What are your teammates like?" Fiora asked.
"Well, there's our leader Valerie. She's nice, determined, and she looks out for all of us."
"But she totally likes Azure, Rosy!" Sonara interjected, giggling to herself, "Remember when she was flirting with him in the library that one time and she tripped into Gayle's tower of books by accident? It was just-hehe-too funny seeing her try and regain her cool after that! Hahahaha!"
Rosalie stifled a smile. She did remember. Cheesy as it had been, it was funny to watch their team leader get flustered. After her partner settled down, the young woman continued.
"The other girl is named Kyra. She's…" she trailed off. How could she describe Kyra without sounding...insensitive? Was that the word she was looking for?
"She's blunt, cynical, and a complete stick in the mud!"
Oh, Sonara… Rosalie sighed to herself. Brutally honest as always.
"You don't say?" Alder pondered, stroking his facial stubble. "Well, to each their own…"
"You two are still being a good friend to her regardless, right?" Fiora asked, sternly eyeing her daughters.
"Of course we are, mom," Rosalie assured. "She may be a bit cold, and have a sharp tongue sometimes, but she really is a good person once you take the time to get to know her."
"I see. Well, bring 'em by next time! I'd like to meet these ladies!" Alder exclaimed, his deep voice booming.
"Okie dokie!" Sonara beamed, "But enough about us! How're things back home?"
"They're the same as always," Fiora responded. "Mai is doing well in her classes at Sanctum, and she's always working on her singing whenever she gets the chance. Honestly, I think she's a little lonely without you two around."
"Well, she's only got two years," Rosalie recalled, "it won't be too long before she can apply to Beacon."
"Mhm! Other than that, it's the same old, same old with us adults. Helping out with construction on some new buildings in the kingdom, and your mother's been preoccupied with all her new paintings," Alder continued.
"Ooh! Will you show us when you're done, Mom?!" Sonara asked Fiora eagerly.
The girl's excitement made the woman smile, and she nodded happily.
"Of course I will, sweetie," she promised.
"Awesome! I can't wait!"
"Ha ha ha! Glad to see you both still in high spirits!" Alder grinned, "Now, I hate to cut this conversation short, but duty calls. Glad you are having a good time, girls! Do your very best! Love you!"
"Love you too."
"Love you too!"
Alder got up and walked out of frame. Fiora smiled gently at her children. "We'll try to get Mai next time," she said. "But until then, you two be safe. Okay? Take good care of each other!"
"We promise," Rosalie agreed, Sonara beaming ear to ear beside her.
With a final wave goodbye the transmission cut out, leaving the two young women alone.
"Heeee...that was fun," Sonara said.
"Going back to the dorm?" Rosalie asked.
"Okay. No wait! Let's go get ice cream first! We can even get some for Val and Ky!"
"Sounds good to me. Let's get going."
"Right! Off we gooooo!"
"No no nonono NO NONO NOOO! YOU GOTTA BE KIDDING ME!"
"Huh, it appears I've won."
Jad shot a glare at Ceridwen. The scarf wearing boy had just managed to pull ahead of him in the last round of the fighting game the group had switched to when they grew bored of the FPS. The new game was filled with input commands and fast reaction strings that the redhead didn't care to memorize, and thus he resorted to button mashing. Nevertheless, since he'd gone up against someone with about as much experience as he had, the round they'd just played was really close, and it stoked his competitive fires.
"Guess I'm up next," Azure said, stepping away from the cookie sheets.
They had decided that he would play the winner, since he was the best player in the team when it came to this particular game. Taking the controller from his friend, he plopped himself down beside Rember, who was happily occupied playing with Thistle and munching on cookies.
"C'mon, Pasty! Kick his ass!" Jad cheered, perhaps a little more enthusiastically than usual.
It earned a chuckle from Gayle. She always found his outbursts of indignation amusing. As a spectator of course. Heaven knows she never wanted to be on the receiving end of whenever Jad decided to be upset or passionate about something.
"So," Azure said in Ceridwen's direction, "What type of game mode?"
"Hmmm...I'm not sure," Ceridwen admitted. "This isn't exactly my cup of tea. I suppose I don't have any preference."
"Alright, we'll stick with this one. I'll use the traditional setting. Sound good?"
Ceridwen raised an eyebrow. "But doesn't that put a handicap on you? That confident you can beat me?" he ventured, grinning slyly over at the pale young man.
"Trust me, hun. You're going to want it if you're playing him," Rember piped up.
She remembered the first time she'd decided to play her partner on equal footing. Boy, did that turn her off gaming against Azure. Everyone had a game genre they excelled at, and this was his. Personally, she was more of an 'RPG/puzzle games and FPS' kind of gal herself.
Ceridwen hummed something of a recognition. Wasting no more time, he picked his character and Azure followed suit. After selecting a stage, the match began, and both players became completely focused on the game. The girls watched their best friends duke it out in the virtual world, each cheering for their respective favorite.
"Oh! Gayle!" Rember started. "This just kinda popped into my head, but I'm curious, just where are you two from?"
"Atlas," Ceridwen replied without looking away from the screen. "But not in the kingdom. Just a quaint little town in the middle of a forest by the coast."
"It's called Kinsfell," Gayle added, petting Thistlebutt.
"Yeah? What's it like?"
"Oh, it's beautiful! I would love to take you guys there after we graduate."
"Deal," Jad said as he watched the game.
To no one's surprise, Azure beat Ceridwen. He then proceeded to fight Jad, mopping the floor with him. His rage flaring, Jad challenged his teammate once more, a chillingly serious look in his blue eyes. Azure accepted, and the pair started again. This time however, Jad played completely erratic and wild, shouting "IMMA COMING FOR YOU BABIES, PASTY! IMMA COMING FOR YOU BABIES!"
What surprised everyone else, however, was that it was working. Azure couldn't keep a straight face, much less concentrate. And when he was finally able to force out "Stop! I can't focus!" to his opponent, Jad responded immediately with "I KNOW! And you babies … Will … BE MIIIIINE!"
To the redhead's dismay, it wasn't quite enough to claim victory, though it was leagues closer than it was before. While this commotion played out, Rember was on the couch in stitches, Gayle's sides hurt from all the laughing, and even Ceridwen was infected with chuckles.
"Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuugh…I need a ginger ale…" Jad mumbled, sinking into his chair. "Hey friend do we have ginger ale?" he asked his partner.
"Umm...I think you drank all of it last week."
"Noooo. That's it. We gotta go shopping. I need my elixir of life."
Gayle raised an eyebrow, and Rember perked up.
"Actually, a snack run wouldn't hurt." the fox girl admitted, "You wanna go, or should I, hun?" she asked Gayle.
"I can do it! It's not that hard to get stuff. I won't take long," Gayle affirmed, skipping over to the entrance.
"Hey I'll come too." Jad spoke as he got up. "Good company, good times."
"That's OK, I got this. You just focus on recovering from that match! I'll be right back." Gayle assured with a bright smile as she departed.
Still caught up in the merriment, she failed to watch where she was going as she hopped out the door. So it came as a great surprise when she ran into something rather sturdy, falling onto her butt on the carpeted hallway, tail flailing wildly in a vain effort to regain her balance.
"Owww…"
She looked up and caught sight of a group of people. Her eyes met those of the girl in the lead, whom she had just run into.
It was a tall girl. Like, as tall as Jad. Snow white hair, pure black eyes that put the chill of glaciers to shame, and a pair of black and white ears sitting on top of her head. And with all the black leather she wore, this person didn't really look...friendly.
"I'm so sorry! I should've been watching where I was going! Are you alright?" Gayle apologised as she sat up.
The faunus said nothing. She didn't even seem to acknowledge that there was someone in front of her. The tall woman just...kept her cold stare forward.
"Oh, don't mind her," a silky voice said from behind the faunus girl.
A raven haired boy wearing a midnight black coat stepped into view. With a friendly smile, he extended a hand to the lizard faunus. "Starr's just a bit shy."
Gayle looked at the proffered limb for a moment, then looked back to Starr for any reaction. Nothing happened. Without much thought, Gayle accepted the help, a shiver running through her as the boy's hand was unexpectedly cold to the touch. After she collected herself, his smile widened.
"Well, glad to see you're okay," he said. "Just be a bit more careful next time."
Gayle nodded. Now able to get a better look, the lizard also noticed two others accompanying them. A boy with ram's horns, and a short girl with magenta-purple hair. Four of them…
"Are you from one of the visiting schools?" Gayle asked.
"Of course!" The young man answered happily, "We're from Shade Academy in Vacuo! Kinda why we don't have a snazzy uniform like you."
"Oh. I see."
"Mhm! By the way," the young man added, "would you mind helping us out? We're on our way to our side of the campus, but we're trying to find a friend of ours that goes to this academy. Do a bit of a catch up of sorts. Been trying to find him by asking around, but we haven't found his dorm yet."
Gayle raised an eyebrow. "Really? Well I-"
"Gayle, wait for me!" Jad shouted as he pulled the door open, cutting Gayle off. "I'll carry the heavy stu …"
Jad was yanked by the collar back into the room before he had made it all the way out the door. Rember peeked her head outside, grinning widely, fox ears twitching.
"Sorry hun. We need him for the next round. Azure and I will make sure that the room is still here when you get back."
Without another word, Rember closed the door, the commotion in KRME's room muffled. Gayle now turned her attention back onto the people in front of her.
"Uh, sorry. I'd love to help, but I'm kind of in a hurry…"
The boy in the coat lightly shook his head, smiling politely. "Oh, don't worry about it. The evening is still young! Don't want to keep them waiting." He stepped out of Gayle's way, and she left without another word. The boy watched her leave, and when she was out of sight, the practiced smile on his face contorted into an oily sneer.
"Oooooohoho, yes…" he hissed, dark purple eyes narrowing. "I am really enjoying today…"