Yin rose up, legs slipping out from his covers and settling on the cold wood below. Pyrrha. Ruby. Weiss. Their breaths were steady, each of them sound asleep.
He stood up, headed over to their room door, stopped to put on his boots, and left their shared room, no sound made other than automatic lock of the door. The long corridor of their floor was dead quiet, the steady beat of his heart and breaths the only noise to be heard.
Just as he turned to make his way down the hall, the door across from their room opened. Moving almost as quietly as him, the raven haired girl from yesterday stepped out. Blake Belladonna. Initially he hadn't seen any point in remembering the names of anyone beyond his team, but Ruby was related to Yang.
That alone made paying attention to Yang and those around her necessary. Familial bonds were said to bind people together in countless ways.
"Morning." Yin said as she gently closed her room door. She jumped at the sound of his voice, twisting around, her amber eyes widened. The way her body tensed, hand already at the weapon at her back. She wasn't just caught off guard but jumpy to a paranoid degree and by the look of things, prepared to defend herself against a threat.
She didn't quite relax as recognition sparked through her eyes, her hand only falling away from her weapon. "Morning." She quietly returned the greeting with a nod.
Without another word they both took off, walking side by side. They reached the stairs at the center of the corridor, making their way down to the ground floor. As silent as the floors above it, their steps were all that filled the air before they inevitably reached the exit to the building.
He held one of the doors for her, a muted thanks given in exchange.
As he stepped out, the crisp morning air enveloping him, Yin began a slight stretch, scanning Beacon's expansive campus. Scattered lamps lit up the stone pathways, but the place was significantly darker this early in the morning.
"What are you doing?" Blake asked, having stopped just a little ahead to turn and watch him.
"Going for a run."
Her brow shot up. "Right after a two day initiation?"
"I've been taught to keep a routine." He said as he raised a leg behind his back and grabbed hold of his ankle to keep it raised. "You're welcome to join."
Her sharp eyes traveled over him before she ultimately shook her head. "…Don't overwork yourself." She said, taking off.
Yin watched as she walked the stone pathway.
Belladonna. He knew that name. That and the unnatural way her bow jerked about when she noticed him said everything that needed knowing. Whatever the details of her attendance here, the information didn't have any use to him right now, but it was significant enough to keep in mind.
His eyes trailed past her wavy hair and to her shapely rear.
She had a nice body too.
Another detail to put on the backburner. Best he focus on feeling out his team and seeing how things worked out in the coming days.
Once his stretches were over and Blake was already long gone, Yin began a brisk walk that quickly transitioned into a light jog.
XOXO
A dark brown, near black jacket, a vest beneath that, and a white shirt with a thin, red ribbon tied around the neck. Beacon's female uniform would've been completely formal had it not been for the red plaid skirt that seemed a touch too short.
"Looking good, Pyrrha." Yin complimented the redhead as she emerged from the steam filled bathroom, a groggy Weiss heading it right after her. She wore the uniform almost to a T, only adding in the golden circlet around her forehead as an accessory and a pair of dark stockings that covered the entire length of her legs.
"Thank you." Pyrrha said with a much more modest smile than usual and slight redness to her cheeks as she adjusted the tips of her skirt. The stockings were likely a measure to counter its short length not that it made her any less appealing. "I think you look good in your uniform as well."
Her voice had remained steady, but he could tell that the simple compliment was nothing like what she was used to, her usual confidence not all there. Though it might be more accurate to say, a compliment like that from someone she actually knew was a first for her.
"I'll take your word for it." He said while adjusting his collar. A black suit, lined with gold, alongside a dark vest, white shirt, and dark red tie. He didn't see the practicality in huntsmen being made to wear such a uniform, but he wasn't going to go against the dress code. "It's restraining."
The sound of the shower starting came from the bathroom as Pyrrha took a seat on the side of her bed, facing his. He shifted over so he was facing her too.
"I'm sure you'll adjust." Pyrrha said, embarrassment already brought under control. "If you don't me asking, did you go for a run this morning?" He nodded, triggering the spread of concern across her face. "Are you sure it was wise not to take any time to rest after initiation?"
He shrugged. "I've been taught to keep a routine."
Pyrrha concern didn't fade but she dropped the subject, small talk about what their first day as full fledged Beacon students might involve. A good bit while, certainly far longer than Pyrrha took, Weiss emerged from the bathroom.
Unlike Pyrrha she made no real alterations or additions to her uniform unless one counted the dark knee-high socks she chose to wear. Despite all their uniforms being fresh as could be and spending the night hung up in their allocated spots in the closet, hers were without a doubt pristine. No stains, wrinkles, or any imperfection allowed to exist. The same held true for her hair, restyled into an off-center ponytail and kept in place by silver tiara like ornament.
Weiss offered Pyrrha a nod as she came to a stand before the two of them. "You wear the uniform well." She said, looking to him specifically. In terms of compliments, it came off as rather formal, to the point that from anyone else he wouldn't have guessed it was an attempt at flirting. Given Weiss's disposition and the habits he picked up from her so far, however, it was a clear expression of interest.
He hadn't expected his test of the waters to result in anything, but this was a convenient surprise.
"Really? I can't say I've worn a suit before this." Yin said.
"Have you never attended a party?" Weiss questioned as she pulled out the chair from desk, smoothing out her skirt as she took a seat. That question alone said her definition of a party didn't align with others their age.
"Once but it was more of casual thing." A spiked punch bowl, cheap food, and certain substances that may or may not be considered illicit. He'd popped into the graduation party one of his classmates from Signal held for firsthand experience but found the crowded event to be rather lacking, having decided to take his leave long before it was over.
He'd never understood the draw of social gatherings to begin with, so it wasn't unexpected.
"I guess I'm not much of a party person." He added with a shrug.
"You certainly don't seem like the type." Weiss said.
He lifted his brow slightly. "Should I take that as a compliment or an insult?"
"Only an observation." Weiss said before looking at Pyrrha. "You understand what I mean, don't you?"
Pyrrha nodded slightly, her smile turning apologetic. "You don't really strike me as the sort of person who'd want to attend any big gatherings. Not that that's a bad thing, of course."
"Well, you two aren't wrong." He released a faint exhale. "But you know-"
A cheery jingle cut him off, Ruby who'd still been snoring away the early hours, shooting up from her bed. With barely opened eyes she scanned the room before falling back down with a groan. A hand slipped out from her covers and to her dresser, turning off the alarm, before falling aside.
It looked like their typically energetic leader wasn't much a morning person. That or all the running around she did with her semblance over the course of initiation took a heavy toll in the form of delayed recoil.
"Hey, dolt. You need to get up." Weiss called out. "Today's our first day. We need to make a good impression on our instructors."
Ruby groaned, fully curling up beneath her covers.
Weiss's deeply etched frown let them know that her patience for Ruby was almost nonexistent.
"Hey, captain Rose. Don't forget that you're a team leader at Beacon now." Yin called out.
That got the intended effect, Ruby fully shooting up from her bed with wide eyes. She dashed past them, grabbing her uniform out of the closet, stopping by her bed to grab some things from her dresser, before disappearing into the bathroom as the rest of them had.
Weiss clicked her tongue as she watched the whole thing. "I can't believe the headmaster decided to make someone so childish the leader of anyone, let alone us."
"Don't you think it's a little soon to cast judgment, Weiss? Ruby showed plenty of potential during initiation. She could make a good leader." Pyrrha said.
"More like a mediocre one." Weiss muttered as she turned back to them. "Even if you are right, anyone of else would've made a better choice. She barely had enough sense to stop and choose our fights back in the forest and we're expected to follow her lead? It doesn't make any sense."
"I'm sure plenty of things were considered by the headmaster before he made his choice. I may have a talent for combat but that doesn't necessarily mean I'd make a good leader." Pyrrha insisted in her polite way.
"Oh, don't be so modest, Pyrrha. It'd obviously make far more sense if you or I were made the leader." Weiss said with a shake of her head. "Even Yin would make more sense."
"I'm right here, you know." He said blandly.
"I didn't mean anything by it. Pyrrha's skill is without question and I've been preparing to be in a position of leadership for most of my life. We're the natural choices." Weiss said, waving off how backhanded her comment came off. "But you showed yourself to be reliable enough to be trusted with such a role. That child on the other hand has done nothing of the sort."
The usual strain of tolerance weighed down Pyrrha's smile.
Confidence was a good thing. He'd seen plenty with the skill and or means to get what they want refrain from doing so because they lacked the courage to take a risk or trust in their abilities. That said, Weiss's abundant courage often crossed and outright leaped over the thin line that separated it from arrogance.
Here she was questioning the decisions of Ozpin, an old man in a profession where the vast majority died young, who had enough influence to become the headmaster of a huntsmen academy with nothing more than initial impressions backing up her beliefs.
"You think you know better than the headmaster?"
Weiss grimaced. "Of course not but-"
"Then give her enough time to show the headmaster made the right choice." Yin said. Her brow arched, Weiss's frosty stare accusatory in a way. As if some light flirting meant he was supposed to take her side.
"I don't understand why you two are so willing to trust her." Weiss said with a shake of her head, haughty tone full of disapproval.
He felt Pyrrha worried glance but didn't acknowledge it. There was nothing to be done to stop those two from butting heads. Delay maybe but not stop.
It was more efficient to plan around that eventuality than prolong things through half-measures.
XOXO
"Whoa, this is nothing like the classrooms back at Signal."
"We are at Beacon now, Ruby. They've got to have the best for the best."
Headed up by Ruby and Yang, Yin followed their intermingled teams into a chatter filled lecture hall.
At the front of the room a blackboard and large flat screen were set up against the wall, a long desk at the corner of them and a podium center in front. Ascending rows of long continuous desks made up the rest of the room, various seats already taken up by teams of their fellow first year students.
"Where should we sit?" Ruby asked, looking back at them.
"The front, obviously." Weiss had already moved past their group and into the near empty front row, taking up one of the center seats and placing her white binder on the table.
"Guess we'll be right behind you guys." Yang said before stopping to look Blake's way. "Or do you have somewhere you want us to seat?"
"It doesn't matter to me."
"Great."
And just like that their seats were decided. Yin found himself at the corner of their shared desk with Ruby at the opposite end, Pyrrha and Weiss between them. In the higher row just behind them, Blake's team filled out their seats, Nora and Ren, the energetic redhead he'd hit with electricity and black haired boy that'd been with her, talking about what was about to happen. More accurately, Nora was doing all the talk, the latter listening. Yang was doing something similar with Blake, trying to get answers out of the reserved girl.
Two introverts and two extroverts. The team would balance each other out.
"What do you think they'll have us doing today?" Pyrrha asked laying down her own supplies. Similarly to he and Ruby, she'd only brought a single paper filled binder and pencil. Compared to Weiss, they were all underprepared, the girl's thick binder not only containing paper but dividers and journals for each period.
"We only have homeroom today, so I doubt we're doing anything specific. Probably going over school guidelines and getting our full schedules." Yin said with a shrug.
"That would give us time to rest after initiation." Pyrrha nodded her agreement. "I've also heard that they let us go to and from the city after classes."
"We should all go as a team." Ruby declared, leaning forward in her seat to get a look at them past Weiss. "You and Weiss aren't from Vale, right? Yin and I can show you both around. I know a good place to buy dust, stuff for your weapons, oh, and this cool arcade-"
"As the team's leader shouldn't you be more concerned with setting a proper example?" Weiss interrupted, annoyance dirtying her face. "Not planning to run off into the city when we haven't even attended our first class."
"Oh, uh, right." Ruby shrunk back.
"Oh lighten up, snow angel." Yang said. "Being team captain doesn't mean she has to be a stick in the mud like you."
Weiss turned. In one clean once-over and click of the tongue it was clear she'd made her judgment of Yang. The wrong judgment no doubt. "This isn't Signal or whatever academy you attended before this. Here at Beacon, we're striving to be the best, something I doubt you know much about."
Yang snorted, head placed into a hand as she rolled her eyes. "Still not seeing what part of that means you can't have a little fun."
Whatever retort Weiss had cooked up was set aside as the lecture hall door opened, the distinct click of heels managing to challenge the chatter filling the room. That chatter died down as Glynda stepped into the room. By the time she reached the front podium and her eyes were sweeping over them silence had taken the room hostage.
She adjusted her glasses. "First off, I would like to congratulate you all once again. Whatever your feelings about your performance during initiation or those you have found yourselves teamed with, each of you earned your place here. That is something to be proud of." She said. "But do keep in mind, that was only the first step. From here on out you will find yourselves faced with many challenges. Whether or not you overcome them is entirely up to you and you alone."
"I am professor Goodwitch and I will be in charge of your homeroom classes. Going forward, we'll only meet once a month. Typically those meetings will be used as an opportunity to conduct progress checks, inform you of any upcoming events, among other things, but as this is our first meeting, I will be using it to go over the code of conduct you are all expected to follow."
Rules ranging from dress code, attendance, use of the school's facilities. Glynda went over that and much more.
Weiss, as expected, paid it her complete attention, plenty written down in her binder. The rest of them were much laxer, the only one among their group doing any more writing being Pyrrha and it was infrequent notes on more obscure rules. Ruby had tried to follow Weiss's example but had started doodling away at some point.
Yin opted to lean back, pencil spun between his fingers. Everything she talked about could be found in the digital student handbook they'd been sent to them. In other words, she hadn't said anything he didn't already know.
"And that brings me to my next point. While these clubs are not mandatory, I implore all of you to take time after homeroom to find one to join. As you are all adults, you will be given the freedom to act as such during your time here. Whether you choose to broaden your horizons, focus only on what is required of you, or make the decision to slack off, the consequences are yours alone to live with but do remember how hard you worked to get here."
Glynda's eyes stopped on him as she adjusted her glasses once more. "It would be a shame if any one of you stopped yourselves from reaching your full potential." She held the stare for a moment before continuing.
"That will be all from me today. Keep in mind what I have said about your watches. They are both a form of ID and your key to many of Beacon's facilities and should be treated as such. The loss of one is to be immediately reported so that we can issue a replacement. I will remain here to answer any questions you may have but you are dismissed."
XOXO
(A/N: Damn, didn't mean to be away from this for almost a month. This goes out to all the determined people still throwing power stones my way despite the lack of updates. I started another story alongside this one, figuring it wouldn't be particularly difficult to split my attention between both. I'll just take this as a lesson that when it comes to writing, for me at least, I should finish up or at least bring one project to a good stopping point before starting on another.
I'll update this here and there but I'll be turning on the hiatus status out of consideration for anyone new who might show up. Hopefully, when I wrap up my other story that I've been obsessing over, I'll put a lot more focus on here but we'll see. Kind of doing what I want with no definitive schedule or plan on anything
See ya around!)