Chapter 10: Re-Uniting and A Huge Sleepover
(AN:) I'm alive! I'm sending this chapter out since it's been a while. PLEASE, stay patient! I'm trying my best!
Previously:
Glynda: I hope that you realize that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, young man and lady. You put yourselves and others in great danger.
...
Ruby: (smiling) You're right, we are family, so let's go home now, big br~oth~er~!
...
Kirito: Huh? Weiss?
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(3rd Person POV:)
Weiss: What are you doing here?
Kirito: Me? Attending [Beacon]!
Weiss: Do you have any idea of the damage you could have caused?
Kirito: No?
Weiss: (sighs) This is Dust - mined and purified from the Schnee quarry.
Kirito: Uuuhhhh...
Weiss: Dust! Fire, water, lightning, energy!
Kirito: Sorry but I've never used [Dust] before. ( Alice starts coughing from the Dust pouring into her face)
Weiss: You've never heard of [Dust]? That's impossible, you-
Alice, who has been receiving more and more Dust to her face, finally sneezes, which erupts into a full-blown explosion of flame, snowflakes, and electricity right onto Weiss, Kirito, and herself. The bottle Weiss had been holding flies over the courtyard and at the feet of Blake, who picks it up and notices the Schnee Dust Company logo on the side as she reads from a book and looks over at the scene.
Weiss: (now covered in soot, though it quickly disappears) Unbelievable! Doesn't your sister know she's not supposed to sneeze near dust? It's very flammable.
Alice: (apologetic and embarrassed) I'm really sorry!
Weiss: (sighs again) Ugh, you guys are dolt! But isn't Kirito and that red hooded girl to young to be here?
Ruby: Well, I-
Weiss: This isn't your ordinary combat school, you guys know that, right? It's not just sparring and practice, you know! We're here to fight monsters, so watch where you are going.
Kirito: (confused) Calm down, Ice Queen-
Weiss: (blushing) Ice Queen?!
Blake: (entering the conversation) It's heiress, actually. (Ruby, Weiss, Kirito, and Alice look over as Blake approaches with the bottle) Weiss Schnee, heiress to the Schnee Dust Company, one of the largest producers of energy propellant in the world.
Kirito: Hey Blake!
Blake: Hey... Kirito.
Weiss: (smiling smugly) Thank you! Some recognition!
Blake: The same company infamous for its controversial labor forces and questionable business partners.
Weiss: (getting angry again as Ruby chuckles) Wha- How dare- The nerve of... Ugh! (gets up in Blake's face and takes the bottle from her, walking off in a huff as her helpers gather the luggage and follow)
Kirito: (to the storming Weiss, still sorry) I promise I'll make this up to you!
Alice: (sighs) I guess I'm not the only one having a rough first day...
Ruby: So, who's..? (sees Blake walking off as well, then collapses to the ground on her back) Welcome to Beacon... (she remains this way until a shadow comes over her)
Jaune: (holding out his hand) Hey... I'm Jaune.
Ruby: (taking his hand) Ruby. (stands up) Aren't you the guy that threw up on the ship?
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[Beacon] inside the walls is filled with scenic trees, arching architecture, and a winding road alongside a river, down which Ruby, Jaune, Alice, and Kirito are walking.
Jaune: All I'm saying is that motion sickness is a much more common problem than people let on!
Ruby: (laughing) Look, I'm sorry! Vomit Boy was the first thing that came to mind.
Jaune: Oh, yeah? What if I called her Crater Face?
Alice: Hey, that explosion was an accident!
Jaune: Well, the name's Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue - ladies love it!
Ruby: (skeptic) Do they?
Alice: Do they really?
Kirito: Are you sure?
Jaune: They will! Well, I-I hope they will. My mom always says that... Never mind.
Ruby: (giggles before a short, awkward silence falls) So... I got this thing! (she pulls out Crescent Rose and stabs it into the ground)
Jaune: Whoa! Is that a scythe?
Ruby: It's also a customizable high-impact sniper rifle!
Jaune: A-wha...?
Kirito: (sighing) It's also a gun.
Jaune: Oh. That's cool!
Ruby: So what've you got?
Jaune: Oh! I, uh... (unsheathes a blade) I got this sword!
Ruby: Ooooohh!
Jaune: Yeah, and I've got a shield, too! (he gets his scabbard, raises his arm and expands the metal into his defense)
Alice: (touching the shield) So, what do they do?
Jaune: (fumbling with the shield as it retracts off his arm, expands, and retracts again before putting it back in place and finally shrinking it down for good, placing it on his belt) The shield gets smaller, so when I get tired of carrying it, I can just... put it away...
Kirito: But... wouldn't it weigh the same?
Jaune: (dejectedly) Yeah, it does...
Ruby: (giggling) Well, I'm kind of a dork when it comes to weapons, sooo... I guess I did go a little overboard when designing it.
Jaune: Wait - you made that?!
Ruby: Of course! All students at Signal forge their own weapons! Didn't you make yours?
Jaune: It's a hand-me-down. My great-great-grandfather used it to fight in the war.
Kirito: (laughing) Sounds more like a family heirloom to me!
Ruby: (hitting Kirito) Well, I like it! Not many people have an appreciation for the classics these days.
Jaune: (sheathing his sword) Yeah, the classics...
Ruby: (moving on again) So why'd you help me out back there? In the courtyard?
Jaune: (walking alongside her) Eh, why not? My mom always says, 'Strangers are just friends you haven't met yet.'
Ruby: Hmm. (looks around) Hey, where are we going?
Jaune: Oh, I don't know! I was following you guys. Y-You think there might be a directory? Maybe a food court? Some kind of recognizable landmark? Is, uh... Is that a 'no'?
Ruby: (laughing) That's a 'no'.
Kirito: I like him, he's funny.
Alice: Is that all you think about?
Kirito: No... I like food to!
Ruby and Alice: (sighs)
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Yang: (waving) Ruby! Kirito! Alice! Over here! I saved you guys a spot!
Ruby looks over when she hears Yang's voice.
Ruby: (to Jaune) Oh! Hey, I-I gotta go! I'll see you after the ceremony!
Kirito: Bye!
Alice: Nice to meet you!
All three of them run over to where Yang is
Jaune: Hey, wait! (sighs) Ah, great. Where am I supposed to find another group of people to talk to?! (he moves on to reveal Pyrrha standing behind him, hand on her hips as she watches him walk away.)
Yang: (once Ruby, Kirito, and Alice join her, arms crossed) How's your first-day going guys?
Ruby: You mean since you ditched me?
Kirito: I ran into people I knew.
Alice: I exploded.
Yang: Yikes! Meltdown already?
Alice: No, I literally exploded a hole in front of the school! There was some fire, and I think some ice...?
Yang: (smiling broadly) Are you being sarcastic?
Alice: Nope! Kirito tripped over some girl's luggage, and then she scolded us, and then I sneezed, and then I exploded, and then she scolded us again.
Kirito: I felt bad, and I wanted to apologize but she left
Weiss: You!
Kirito: (quickly jumping into his sister's arms) Ah!
Weiss: You're lucky we weren't blown off the side of the cliff!
Yang: (deadpan) Oh my God, Alice you really exploded.
Alice: It was an accident. (hugging Kirito who is trying to escape; to Weiss) Sorry for nearly blowing us all up!
Kirito: And I'm sorry for tripping into you, but Alice, please let me go!
Alice: No!
Weiss then holds up a pamphlet titled "DUST for dummies and other Inadequate Individuals" to Alice.
Alice: What's this?
Weiss: (listing off policies to a clueless Alice, going faster and higher pitched with each word) The Schnee Dust Company is not responsible for any injuries or damages sustained while operating a Schnee Dust Company product. Although not mandatory, the Schnee Family highly encourages its customers to read and familiarize themselves with this easy to follow guide to Dust applications and practices in the field.
Alice: Uhh, I don't need dust to use elemental attacks.
Weiss: You really wanna start making things up to me?
Alice: It's true though?
Weiss: (handing the pamphlet to Alice) Read this and try not to talk to me for a while, my head hurts.
Yang: Look, uh, it sounds like we all just got off on the wrong foot. Why don't we start over and try to be friends, okay?
Alice: (putting the pamphlet away while clenching onto her brother harder) Yeah! Great idea, Yang! (holding out her hand as she clears her throat) Hello, Weiss! I'm Alice! This is my little brother Kirito! Wanna hang out? We can go shopping for school supplies!
Weiss: (seemingly enthusiastic) Yeah! And we can paint our nails and try on clothes and talk about cute boys, like black, semi-tall, and adorable over there!
Kirito: I don't want to be cute! Now let me go!
Alice: Wow, really?!
Weiss: (dead silence) Maybe.
The girls' attention is drawn to the stage, where Professor Ozpin is readying the microphone, with Glynda beside him.
Ozpin: I'll... keep this brief. 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. (as the students whisper among 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.
Glynda: (as Ozpin leaves, she steps up to talk) You will gather in the ballroom tonight; tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed.
Yang: He seemed kind of... off.
Ruby: It's almost like he wasn't even there.
Jaune: (approaching Weiss from the side) Hi there!
Weiss puts her hand to her face in exasperation.
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The first night at Beacon, students are splayed out in sleeping bags. Kirito is laying down, sleepy. Alice is next to him, petting his head. Ruby, in her pajamas and with a sleeping mask around her head, is writing in a journal when Yang crashes next to her, similarly dressed.
Yang: It's like a big slumber party!
Ruby: (not looking up) I don't think Dad would approve of all the boys, though.
Yang: I know I do! (purrs as she watches several muscular, shirtless guys... and Jaune, dressed in feetie pajamas, waving to her, which makes her groan before she returns her attention to Ruby) What's that?
Ruby: A letter to the gang back at Signal. I promised to tell them all about Beacon and how things are going.
Yang: Aw, that's so cuuuute! (knocked back as a pillow is launched at her face)
Ruby: Shut up! I didn't get to take my friends with me to school! It's weird not knowing anyone here besides you guys!
Yang: What about Jaune? He's... nice! There you go! Plus one friend! That's a hundred percent increase!
Ruby: (turning on her back) Pretty sure Weiss doesn't like us that much. Back to three...
Yang: There are no such things as negative friends! You just made one friend and one enemy! Semi-enemy! (hit with another pillow, this time looking like a dog, to the face) Look, it's only been one day. Trust me; you've got friends all around you! You just haven't met them yet!
The two sisters notice a candle being lit nearby, and Blake Belladonna is seen leaning against a wall, reading her book.
Ruby: That girl...
Yang: You know her?
Ruby: Not really. She saw what happened this morning, but left before I could say anything.
Yang: Well, now's your chance! (grabs Ruby's arm and lifts her up)
Ruby: Wait! What are you doing?! Kirito! Help me!
Kirito: Mhmm? Gah!
As Ruby was dragged, she grabbed Kirito, bringing him with them.
Blake looks over her book to see Ruby unsuccessfully struggling against Yang's grip while dragging Kirito as she leads her sister over to Blake's spot before letting go.
Yang: (singing) Hel-looooo! I believe you two may know each other?
Blake: Aren't you... that girl who was with that other girl that exploded?
Ruby: Uh, yeah! My name's Ruby! That was Alice, and this is Kirito!
Blake: (back in her book) Okay.
Yang: (whispering to Ruby) What are you doing?
Ruby: (whispering back) I don't know - help me! (goes back to smiling)
Kirito: Mhmm, take me back... (glass back asleep)
Blake: (looks up from her book and stares at Kirito) Pff...
Yang: So... What's your name?
Blake: (sighing as she's distracted yet again) Blake.
Yang: Well, Blake, I'm Yang, Ruby's older sister! I like your bow!
Blake: (irritated) Thanks!
Yang: It goes great with your... pajamas!
Blake: (continues to stare at Kirito) Right...
Yang: (as Ruby laughs uncomfortably) Nice night, don't you think?
Blake: Yes - it's lovely! Almost as lovely as this book! (Ruby and Yang stand there) That I will continue to read. (Ruby and Yang continue standing) As soon as you leave!
Yang: (to Ruby) Yeah, this girl's a lost cause.
Ruby: (to Blake) What's it about?
Blake: (surprised) Huh?
Ruby: Your book. Does it have a name?
Blake: Well... i-it's about a man with two souls, each fighting for control over his body.
Yang: (sarcastically) Oh, yeah... That's really lovely!
Ruby: I love books. Yang used to read to me every night before bed. Stories of heroes and monsters... They're one of the reasons I want to be a Huntress!
Blake: (laughing a little) And why is that? Hoping you'll live happily ever after?
Ruby: Well, I'm hoping we all will. As a girl, I wanted to be just like those heroes in the books... Someone who fought for what was right, and protected people who couldn't protect themselves!
Blake: That's... very ambitious for a child. (her smile turns into a frown) Unfortunately, the real world isn't the same as a fairy tale.
Ruby: Well, that's why we're here! To make it better.
Yang: Oh, I am so proud of my baby sister! (hugs Ruby into the air)
Ruby: (kicking out) Cut it out! (the forced sisterly bonding evolves into a dust cloud of fighting limbs and flying stars)
Blake: (laughing slightly) Well, Ruby, Yang, it's a pleasure to ha-
Weiss: (storming onto the scene in her own pajamas as Ruby traps Yang's leg) What in the world is going on over here?! Don't you realize some of us are trying to sleep?
Weiss and Yang: (at the sight of each other) Oh, not you again!
Ruby: Shh! Guys, she's right! People are trying to sleep!
Weiss: Oh, now you're on my side!
Ruby: I was always on your side!
Yang: Yeah, what's your problem with my sister? She's only trying to be nice!
Weiss: She's a hazard to my health!
Blake, who rolls her eyes at the fight, simply closes her book, reaches over to grab her candle, and is about to blow it out, before...
Alice: Guys, you should go to sleep.
Alice ten moves her sleeping bag over before laying near Kirito, who is still sleeping, before using his stomach as a pillow.
Ruby: Aww, I thought it was my turn!
Blake: (confused) Your... turn?
Yang: (nods) Yup, Kirito here is like a cat faunus and resembles one a bit too much. He's also soft, so we use him as a pillow.
Weiss: (red) A-and he doesn't object?
Ruby: At first he did, and he even ran away at some point! Then Alice chased after him, tied him up, and brought him back. Then he gave up.
Alice, who was listening to the conversation, joins it.
Alice: All he needs now is Cat Ears, maybe a tail, and some purring!
Alice then started to rub Kirito, causing him to flinch, before saying the one thing no one expected.
Kirito: (quietly) Purrrrr...
Alice's petting stopped as she looked up at the other four girls, who all had red faces.
Alice: We don't talk about this.
Yang: Agreed.
Ruby: Unless we can find him a bunch of cat-related things.
Weiss: For once, I agree with the girl.
Blake just nods her head, though she continues to stare at Kirito's peaceful expression.