Playing Black

Currently, on Azure Island, a small-scale volleyball tournament is being held with teams of two. Yang with Ruby, Pyrrha with Weiss, the Malachite twins, Neopolitan with Emerald, Scarlet with Willow, and Raven with April. Klein took up the job as the scorekeeper since Silva was getting lunch ready, and it was a round-robin set up to the matches. Yang and Ruby versus Pyrrha and Weiss to start things off. The blonde trash-talked her opponents.

" Jeez, Pyrrha, I pity you for pairing up with Weiss."

" What's that supposed to mean?!"

The Schnee heiress bristled at being called out by the blonde, and Yang grinned as she explained.

" Well, have you ever played volleyball before?"

Weiss couldn't retort because she has not before, so she glared back at the blonde, and Pyrrha added.

" I haven't had the pleasure to play either, Yang."

" Well, let's have fun then, Pyrrha! Ruby, you ready?"

" Yes, Yang."

"Well, let's start things off with a YANG!"

Weiss gave the blonde a dry look, while Pyrrha had an awkward smile at the pun, and Ruby just groaned in embarrassment at her sister's pun. Yang ignored the uncomfortable atmosphere with a smile, and Klein threw in the volleyball with a shout.

" Let's play ball!"

As the ball was launched into the air, the blonde immediately leaped up and spiked it at the Schnee heiress, which made her dodge to the side instead, as it was coming straight at her face allowing Yang to score the first point.

" Point to Ruby and Yang!"

Klein called as the volleyball match continued.

***

I, Silva Branwen, worked on getting the grills set up to have lunch ready on time. Winter came up to me and asked as she moved her hair behind her ear.

" Do you require any assistance, Silva?"

" I've got it handles, Winter, but thanks for the offer."

I pulled out three separate grills to work with; two are charcoal grills that I am going to use mesquite and hickory wood chips separately, while the last is a Dust powered grill because gas grills are not a thing here on Remnant. As I worked, my favorite ice queen said.

" Thank you, Silva."

" For?"

I asked, as I wasn't sure of the context in which Winter was thanking me, and she answered.

" For this vacation here, I can't remember a time when my family had a nice outing when my fath-, I mean, where Jacques was still part of the picture."

" It's my pleasure, Winter, but is there anything you want to do?"

" Nothing comes to mind... Any recommendations?"

Before I could answer, the Happy Huntresses showed up, and Robyn informed me.

" Hey, sly guy, me and the ladies are going to explore the island till lunch; anything we should know about?"

" Just don't approach anything brightly colored, as that usually means it's poisonous, more so since this island is part of Menagerie, where there are a lot of poisonous plants and creatures. Plus, ask Kali if she wants to come with you since she is more familiar with the island than I am."

" K, sly guy, see you at lunch."

The Happy Huntresses went off to seek out Kali to explore the island, and I got the grills set up to start working on lunch. I refocused on Winter and said.

" If you want my suggestion, why not try to get to know everyone that came along for the party, for starters? Unless you want to help me with lunch?"

" How can I help?"

I handed the ice queen some wooden skewers along with mushrooms, cubed beef, sliced green onions, and cut peppers to make some kebabs. I then explained to her how to make the kebabs.

" You take the skewers here and put on the onions first, then the meat, followed by the peppers, and lastly the mushrooms."

" Very well, then, Silva."

With Winter making the kebabs, I went on to make the burgers after putting on my special heat-resistant gloves to make sure none of my furs got in the food. I separated the beef into three different bowls to add other things to the patties into different grills. I certainly got my work cut out for me. For the first set of patties, it will be cheddar and bacon, then Monterey and Coby jack with minced onions, and lastly, just a bit of soy sauce to flavor the meat. Now for some grilled corn, hot dogs, and chorizo.

I'll save the seafood for tonight at dinner.

***

Back at the volleyball tournament, it's Raven and April against Willow and Scarlet; right now. Klein tossed the ball into the air, and Willow took action by summoning a Glyph under the volleyball to bump it into their side of the court. The redhead immediately served it to her teammate, and the Schnee matriarch used her Glyph to create a platform in the air to spike the ball. April was the closest, and as she got to the ball, a red portal opened up in front of her; thanks to Raven, the ball was redirected into the air above the former bandit chief, and she returned with a spike of her own.

Willow missed the ball as she tried to catch it and Raven scored the first point. As the match went on, the others made small talk to help kill time. Pyrrha went to speak with Neopolitan.

" Hello~. Neopolitan, I was not expecting to get you again. How have you been since the regional cup?"

The tri-colored girl shrugged casually to express that she had been fine, then gestured towards the polite spartan to ask in turn how she had been.

" I have been alright for the most part, but you don't speak much, do you Neopolitan?"

Neopolitan made gestures toward her throat to explain that she was mute, and Pyrrha got the message.

" Has it been difficult? Not being able to speak?"

The tri-colored girl smiled as she pointed at Silva as he worked on lunch. Seeing Neopolitan smile as she watched the snow leopard faunus work Pyrrha understood what she meant and asked.

" How did you two meet?"

The two began a game of charades where the tri-colored girl exaggerated how she and Silva met with a playful smile.

***

Emerald relaxed as the current match was ongoing, and she watched the ocean's waves. She kept to herself for the most part until a certain little cookie monster came up to her and awkwardly greeted the mint-haired girl.

" Um, hi..."

" Hi..."

The two looked at one another in awkward silence, and Ruby worked up the nerve to introduce herself.

" I'm Ruby!"

" Emerald."

Emerald curtly introduced herself to the somewhat shy cookie monster, and the awkward atmosphere continued. Ruby then asked after a few moments.

" So... What brings you here, Emerald?"

" Just enjoying the view; I have never been to a beach before."

" I live at Patch Island, so the beach was never too far away, but this is different. I mean, Patch isn't well; what's the word for it?".

The little cookie monster scratched her head as she tried to articulate what she meant, and the mint-haired girl supplied.

" Tropical?"

" Right! Patch island is not tropical! Thanks."

" No problem."

Ruby then asked.

" I was wondering, Emerald, could you tell me more about Silva? I mean, I met him before when I was five, but it's been a long time, and I haven't gotten a chance to see how much he has changed from my memories."

" I guess?"

The two talked as the waves crashed against the beach.