Roses & Thorns – Volume 1 – Chapter 2

-Wayward Rage-

Professor Ozpin took a long sip from his mug as he finished watching the amphitheater recording that Glynda had sent him. It was clear as day that Weiss Schnee had been beaten when the heiress was flung across the small arena and into a wall. The lights had come up in the room and some students had even begun cheering for the faunus' victory when the girl had not slowed in stalking her opponent, when she had activated her semblance. He had watched with a grimace when Weiss was suspended above the ground and subjected to a vicious kick to the abdomen, and he had noted the way that Claire had come out of the rage both confused and showing clear regret upon her face.

A notification chimed on the edge of his desktops screen, prompting him to lean forward and tap a finger against the interface. What appeared was a medical report on the injuries sustained during today's lessons, detailing that the Schnee girl would make a full recovery, suffering no broken bones or internal injuries and showing a sturdiness that her slim figure did not imply. With a weary sigh, he moved his finger to the button for the door buzzer, signaling his fellow staff member to bring in the faunus girl.

The doors slid open, revealing Glynda Goodwitch with a firm hand upon Claire Briar's shoulder. Guided in by the stern woman, the teenager met his gaze for a mere instant before glancing away guiltily. Ozpin elected to remain silent until the two were directly in front of his desk, collecting his own thoughts and letting the young girl stew in hers. "Ms. Briar. As you know, you were admitted to this Academy without the usual entrance process. You were vetted by a hunter that I know personally, and respect the opinion of." He watched as a hand raised to brush rust-colored hair from the girl's face, a small movement that did little to impact the messy style. "What you may not be aware of is: I was assured that you had sorted out the issues that plagued you at your former school." Wide reddish-brown eyes snapped up to his, surprise showing within their depths as he gave a slow nod. "Yes, I know that you were denied graduation because of a previous altercation with another student."

"That was different!" The faunus' outburst seemed to surprise herself, as she quickly closed her mouth and sat back in her seat, cheeks darkening as her usual angry demeanor returned.

"Oh?" Ozpin set his mug down upon the table before him, folding his hands and leaning forward, indicating that he was both paying attention and willing to be patient. At the girl's side, Glynda raised an eyebrow at his attempt to hear her out. "Different how?"

"He was being an ass." If Claire had noticed that she cursed, she did not show it, continuing on with little pause. "He kept calling me an animal, and told me my ears should be.." Even as he watched, the Professor could see the way she struggled to control the emotions boiling up inside her, a hand clenching and shaking from the fury she held. The final word was growled between clenched teeth. "Cropped."

"I see."

Quiet overtook the room for a long while, as she averted her gaze and focused upon calming down. Eventually, his silence subtly coaxed her to continue, this time with a more even tone. "I lost it. One moment he grabbed my ear and pulled, and the next.." For all that he knew the girl had been through, it did not surprise him that she was having trouble voicing the memory.

Giving her time to reopen her eyes, Ozpin hooked two fingers through the handle of his mug and brought it to his lips to take a long drink of the tea. In this time, he studied the posture of the student across the table. She was not at all the girl he had seen in the recording, not with the slumped shoulders and continual hand-wringing. But in this moment, Claire Briar was the young woman he had seen the potential for a great huntress within. Clasping his drink with both hands, he gently prodded her in and effort to get her talking again. "What was different from that incident and this?"

"I.. I don't know." Claire gave a solemn shrug of her shoulders, folding her arms as she did so. "I've never spoke to Weiss, and I didn't even know about her until I got here. First time I saw her she was yelling at the Rose girl in the courtyard." Glancing to the side, she scooted a bit further away from Professor Goodwitch while remaining in her seat, the older woman's stern presence becoming more and more uncomfortable.

Ozpin noticed the discomfort with his colleague, and turned his gaze toward the blonde woman. "Glynda, if you would please go check on Ms. Schnee and the rest of team RWBY." Before she could begin to protest, he cut her off. "I'd like to know what their reaction to all of this will be, and if the relationship between them and Ms. Briar here can be mended." Blue eyes rolled in response to his request, but she still followed his direction, giving a slight nod before departing. Once she was gone, he returned his attention to the teen. "Now then. If you did not know Weiss, why did you attack her so?"

Staring down at the floor, Claire mumbled something that did not reach his ears, prompting him to make a questioning noise. Knowing that he had not heard, and would continue to bother her if she did not speak up, she responded by sighing deeply. "Because she is a Schnee."

"Ah." His vague answer revealed nothing to her, but what he said next shocked her into looking up. "You will apologize to her, when she awakens." But Ozpin was not about to let her off the hook so easily, and he leaned forward with his elbows on the desk, hands clasped in front of him. "You will also attend one class period each day here, with me. I will attempt to coach you in mastering your emotions, and finding a calmness that will allow you to grow past what you were in that arena." Rising from his seat, he gathered his cane and beckoned her toward the door.

She rose and followed his lead, head hung low and ears drooping, as he continued. "You have a place here at Beacon, for the moment. If you allow it, it can become a home, and your fellow students can be family." Stopping at the open door, he gestured toward the elevator. "But if you cannot find a way to stem the rage that takes you over, you will be dismissed from your position." Claire stepped through the doorway and into the elevator, saying nothing as the doors began to slide close. She looked up only when they were stopped by the end of a cane, and found the professor's brown eyes focused intensely upon her. "Do you understand me, Ms. Briar?"

Affirming it with an eager nod, she clenched her hands once again. Though this time, it was in a gesture of resolve, rather than a fidgeting movement. "I understand, sir." Having gotten the response he wanted, Ozpin withdrew his cane and allowed the doors to close, letting a smile ghost across his lips before turning back to return to his desk.

Yang Xiao Long watched from the side as her half-sister held the hand of their teammate. They were in the infirmary, surrounding the pale girl who had taken a rather harsh beating only an hour before. She had been present when the nurses had checked for any serious injuries, and it took a mind like hers, one accustomed to brawling in close quarters, to appreciate how lucky Weiss was that severe bruising was all that had occurred.

With folded arms, she studied the scene before her. Weiss lay unconscious on the bed, propped up by the mass of pillows that sat beneath her head. Sitting upon the side of the mattress was Ruby, who gently cradled her partner's right hand in both of her own. Behind the youngest girl stood Blake, who drew Yang's curious gaze, as the girl's hand was on her half-sister's shoulder. Even as she started to raise an eyebrow and think about mentioning the strangeness before her, a bump alerted her to another at her side.

"Heya blondie." Glancing over, she saw that her opponent from the dueling class had arrived, violet eyes alight with concern as the faunus peered at the prone girl. "How's she doing?"

Yang gave a heavy shrug of her shoulders, letting out a long sigh as she did so. "She'll be alright, but right now she's pretty banged up." Turning to fully face the other girl, she saw the furred fox ears twitch in sync with the purple-tipped tail, before bright eyes snapped their attention over to her. "What was Claire thinking?"

"She.. Uh, I don't know." Iris shook her head slowly, raising both hands palms up to indicate that she was just as lost as the blonde. Eyes of lilac showed clear disbelief within them, enough that she felt the need to elaborate. "Look, all I know is that she was expelled from Impetus for a similar thing. Left another student in a pool of blood, but.. Well, that one deserved it."

"Maybe she heard Weiss talking about you." The words came from the raven-haired girl who was standing near the bed, and golden orbs flicked over in her direction. "She was being kind of a bitch about Yang flirting with you."

Beside her, Iris caught the blonde muttering under her breath. "I was seduced."

Both statements brought a disbelieving grin to her lips, and a incredulous laugh sounded throughout the room, loud enough that it earned her a shush from one of the nurses in the nearby vicinity. "Trust me, Briar did not do this because of me."

"She's your partner, and you went to Impetus too, didn't you?"

Looking directly at brawler next to her, Iris gave a nod to confirm the question. "Yeah, doesn't mean we like each other. I was actually trying not to find her first in the forest." Accepting the answer for what it was, Yang turned back to look at Weiss, who was beginning to stir. She watched as Ruby's eyes lit up and the younger girl leaned forward so that her partner could see her more clearly.

Ruby was careful not to sit on anything that might be bruised as she peered down into the disoriented expression of the silver-haired girl. "Weiss. How're you feeling?"

"And here I thought.." Pale blue orbs locked onto her, and a frown twisted pale lips. "That death would at least get me away from you."

The heiress' response brought a chuckle from their teammates, but not from her, as she matched the feigned frown with a genuine one of her own. "Hey, I was worr-!" Before she could finished, a slim hand touched her shoulder, and a weary smile passed over the pretty features beneath her.

"Relax, Ruby. I'm okay, thank you for your concern." Satisfied with that answer, she leaned back, grinning from ear to ear. She watched quietly as Weiss glanced about and got her bearings, noting the way the pale girl froze when her gaze landed upon Iris.

"Welcome back." Never one to mince words, the Faunus gave a teasing wink. "Heard you were sour that blondie likes me." It earned her a punch from Yang, a love tap compared to what the brawler had dished out in the arena, but still enough to cause her to stumble and hold the shoulder gingerly. "Fine, I'm going!"

"All of you are going." The nurse that had previously shushed them was now at the end of the bed Weiss occupied. A short woman with graying hair, she held the stern expression only worn by experienced mothers as she shooed them from their friend's bedside. "Ms. Schnee needs her rest, and you all have classes you should be attending."

Ruby glanced behind her, seeing that Blake was running interference so she could say a proper goodbye. Moving down to take her partner in a careful embrace, she spoke softly. "Glad you're alright, Weiss. Message me if you need anything from our room, okay?"

When she pulled back, there was a grateful smile across the heiress' lips. "Thank you, Ruby."

It was hard for Ruby to concentrate on the remainder of her classes for the day. Not that she paid much attention in history or Grimm biology anyway, she usually relied on the meticulous notes that Weiss took in each of the subjects, as well as the girl's careful proofreading and corrections of her papers. But today, whenever she drifted off into her own thoughts, the subject inevitably turned to the fights she had watched from the stands.

Each hit between the combatants had been pulled back a slight amount, except for when her partner had fought the wolf-girl, Claire. The faunus had thrown every effort into each attack, and the irony was that Weiss would likely consider her prime 'Beacon material' if she had not been on the receiving end of the onslaught. Part of her wanted to be mad at the leader of team CAIN, but a majority of parts agreed that understanding what was happening beneath the glaring exterior of Claire Briar was important. Each of them had a past, something that dragged them down no matter how hard they tried to shake it.

Ruby knew what drove her, what the guiding force behind her goal was. It allowed her to fight as long as she needed in order to win, but with Claire it was different. The faunus hadn't fought to win, she had fought to kill. She had fought like a huntress would in the field, and it caused Ruby no small amount of discomfort that she was envious of such resolve. That she could be impressed with such savagery. Now, laying awake in the darkness of their dorm, she couldn't help but wonder with morbid curiosity what it would take for herself to reach that point.

Unable to sleep, and unable to shake the unpleasantness from her thoughts, she gave a long sigh and rose from her sheets. Pulling the sleeping mask up from her eyes, she slid her legs over the edge of her bunk, accidentally taking an open book on Grimm physiology with them. Cursing that she forgot her own late-night studying, she froze in place and waited for either Blake or Yang to ask what she was doing. In the complete silence of night, there came a ragged snore from her sister that brought a bright smile to her lips as she continued her descent to the dorm floor, landing noiselessly.

Tossing the large tome of Grimm knowledge back up to her suspended bunk, she turned to grab Crescent Rose from the dresser that sat between the two sleeping spaces, lifting it easily and pausing only to make sure that her two teammates were still asleep before tiptoeing toward the door and slipping out.

The dorm hallway was lit only by a strip of dim blue lighting on the ceiling, simulating the glow of Remnant's shattered moon in the empty areas. Careful not to make a sound, Ruby crept past the dorm rooms of the other first year teams, JNPR and CAIN among them, and headed toward the shared workshop that students used for weapon maintenance. Pushing through the door, she froze yet again when she heard humming within, a soft tune that fell in line with the scraping a whetstone against metal.

Stepping into the large room, she peered around the corner of the first pillar, finding a familiar face sitting atop a counter. Iris Vex was leaning into a corner, one leg crossed under the other, which was stretched out and dangling over the edge of the workbench. Her tail was wrapped around her waist, and for the first time, Ruby saw it completely still. In the faunus' hands was Siren Melody, the gun-blade that she had wielded against Yang in the arena.

The low lighting glinted off the silvered metal, creating a gorgeous cascade of reflection upon the face that was taking a whetstone to the blade with a loving care. Without breaking her concentration, Iris' lips parted and her light voice sounded out. "Evening, Rose." Stepping out from her concealment, Ruby stammered for a second at being discovered, feeling as if she had intruded on something important, and silently wondering how exactly she had been made. Violet eyes moved to focus on her, narrowed and showing the lines of a smile. "Caught your scent. For a girl with the name 'rose', you certainly smell more like strawberries than I thought."

Letting out a laugh that ended in a dorky snort, she stepped out from behind the pillar and walked over to the where the other sat. Once she was near, she was nearly mesmerized by the complexity of the weapon before her. "Did you build this?"

"Once upon a time, she's my baby." Smiling softly, the faunus lifted the gun-blade, running a hand down the back edge of the weapon. It was a strange design for a melee weapon, its hilt curved to fit its users hand, and housing the trigger for its alternate form. The middle section was much more bulky than the rest, with a series of additional parts bolted around the actual sharpened edge that rose up between them. It followed a slight curve, ending in a sleek flourish at the tip, but that was far from the most interesting thing about it. The center of the blade had been cut out in two sections, leaving it space for air to pass through, which in turn created the whistling noise Ruby had heard during the girl's fight with her sister. "Check it, you'll love this."

Pressing a small latch that was present on the hilt, Iris lifted it from where it lay on her leg. Immediately, the bulky portion in the middle unfolded into a sharply angled 'V'. It still stayed flat to the blade, which was pulled back into the weapon and slid away until the middle closed once again, and the hilt angled away to form a more comfortable grip for the new form. What was left was only two-thirds the size of the melee form, but was a fully functional rifle. "It's interchangeable?"

"You bet your ass it is." Winking at the other, she paused and took a moment to study the girl, noticing for the first time that Ruby's eyes were well and truly silver. "Huh."

Glancing up, Ruby found the violet orbs focused on her. "Huh?"

"Nothing." The faunus girl shook her head and returned the weapon to its melee form. "You just look nothing like your sister."

Scratching at her head and giving a nervous laugh, she nodded. "Yeah, we're only half-sisters, technically." Shrugging her shoulders, the change of topic caused her to grow quieter. "Different moms.."

"Oh. That sounds.." Iris struggled to find a word that would fit, sliding off of the counter and returning Siren Melody to its original form. "Complicated." Without pausing to see what the other girl thought of her choice, she strode toward the exit, backpedaling at the last moment in order to relay what had only just come to her thoughts. "By the way." Ruby's eyes snapped up toward her, eyebrows raised and mouth slightly open in surprise. "Claire hasn't been kicked out. Nyx and Amber saw her out in the courtyard before their last class. Thought you'd want to know."

Nodding, the younger girl tilted her head. "Yeah, Professor Goodwitch told us she was getting another chance. Do you know anything about why she attacked Weiss like that?"

"I do." Ruby blinked in surprise at Iris' direct answer, having heard the dodge that the faunus had given Yang earlier. "But.. I don't think it's my place to tell. It's Claire's past, and it ain't pretty." Frowning, the fox-girl looked away for a second before glancing back. "Look, I've known her for a few years, and I know that if she is given another chance she'll do her best. Weiss doesn't have anything to fear from her."

Recalling what the other girl had said in the infirmary about her relationship with the wolf faunus, Ruby took a step toward her. "I thought you said you two didn't like each other."

"We don't, but we were friends. Still are, I guess." Iris gave a soft chuckle at the incredulous expression upon the younger girl's face, shaking her own head as she tried to find a way to explain. "We both went to Impetus, right? Well Claire and I were together for awhile. It ended on a sour note, and we haven't ever really talked it through."

"Together?" Raising an eyebrow, it took a joking smirk from the faunus for Ruby to understand, feeling her cheeks heat up as she did so. "Oh.. I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring it up."

"No worries, Ruby." Waving her off with a hand, Iris turned to continue leaving the room, each word tinged with a subdued laugh. "Good night!"

"'Night.." Standing in the middle of the room, she silently cursed her own lack of sense as she had stumbled into a potentially hurtful subject with the other. Thankful that the faunus wasn't one to take offense at her inane rambling, she turned to find the whetstone the other had been using, unaware that she was not alone as she let off a stream of self-deprecation.

"You alright?" The soft voice made her jump and turn with a yell of surprise that echoed throughout the work shop, nearly dropping the sharpening tool she had only just picked up. Behind her stood Blake, watching her in the dim light with golden eyes, and obviously having been awakened by her own departure from the dorm.

Placing a hand across her chest in an effort to calm the heartbeat that was now pounding in her chest, Ruby let out a weak laugh. "Just.. Making friends." Her deflection proved ineffective, however, as the raven-haired girl stepped over to a nearby pillar and leaned against it.

"You've been quiet all day, and now you can't sleep." Blake kept a neutral expression, refusing to be distracted by the amusement surprising her younger teammate had brought, or by the way her concern had just been waved off.

Silver eyes dropped to the ground, and the shorter girl shifted her weight with a sigh. "Did Yang send you?"

"Yang's been loud enough that she didn't notice. Either that, or she was staring at Iris for too long." Moving closer to the counter that Ruby was near, she leaned against it, bumping their shoulders together for a moment in an effort to get the other to open up. "It takes someone who is quiet enough to pay attention to know when you're upset. Is it Weiss?"

"Kinda." Ruby affirmed her suspicions with a nod, leaning back with her and setting Crescent Rose down on the surface. "It's also.." She struggled to voice exactly what the problem was, and she was grateful that Blake was willing to stay quiet and give her time. "I wish I could fight like Claire did."

"Ruby, the Briar girl fights like an animal."

Pushing off from the counter, she shook her head. "She fights like a huntress should. With nothing held back." She let out a quiet sigh, unable to match the intensity of the gaze that emanated from the golden eyes before her. "It just showed me how not ready for this I am. When I fought Amber, I hesitated to attack her, something I would never do when fighting Grimm."

"So what's the problem?" Blake reached out and took hold of one of her teammate's hands, keeping the shorter girl close, wanting the other to know that she was here, that she was listening and could be trusted with whatever was on Ruby's mind.

Eventually, her persistence was rewarded, as her teammate's gaze rose up to regard her carefully. "It just feels wrong to wish I was more like Claire." Self-doubt and worry dominated the expression of the younger girl, feelings that she understood all too well as she found herself frozen in place, staring at tears welling up in silver eyes. "That's not why I came to Beacon.."

"Then.. Don't." Blake moved her free hand to her friend's shoulder, steadying her as she spoke. "You always have a choice in who you are, no one can rob you of that. If you don't want to be that kind of person, make a choice to be someone better."

"How do you know?"

"Because I made that choice once." Unable to bear the sight of the tears spilling over and running down Ruby's cheeks, she gingerly pulled the smaller girl into a gentle embrace, dropping her voice to a mere whisper. "I'm not saying it's easy, but it is possible."

Weiss was sure that if she were allowed more than a few minutes of uninterrupted sleep, her dreams would have been nightmares, given the state of mind she was in tonight. Fortunately and unfortunately, each time she tried to drift off she shifted positions, sending another jolt of pain through her bruised back. The nurses had said that with her aura returning, she would be able to leave by morning, but the process of getting there was one of agony. Exhaustion had taken over sometime into the night, and she had mercifully been swept away into sleep for a few hours, only to be awakened by another twinge along her spine.

Her eyes snapped open as a whimper escaped from her lips, scraping along a dry throat as she heard a shuffling of feet that told her someone else was present. A voice she did not recognize spoke softly from the darkness as calloused hands moved to prop her head up on the mass of fluffy pillows beneath her, and a cold glass was placed in her hand. "Here. Water."

Bringing the edge of the cup to her lips, she drank the soothing liquid as quickly as she could, remedying the tearing feeling in the back of her mouth and letting the cold seep into her body to drive back the ache of her injuries. When she was finished, there was a spark of a match, and a candle nearby her bed flickered into life, illuminating the small area she occupied within the infirmary. With the darkness banished, she was able to identify the one who had helped her, and the sight of the wolfish features before her struck a chord of fear inside her heart.

A firm hand came down on her shoulder to prevent her from scrambling away, and the hard lines around brown eyes softened considerable. "Stop. You're going to hurt yourself, and it isn't as if you could run if I was here to finish you off." There was a rough concern to the husky voice that calmed her somewhat, and it was hard to disagree with the logic that she would be unable to fight back if the faunus had come for that.

Glaring upward at Claire Briar, she ceased her attempts to scramble away, instead letting herself sink wearily into the soft mattress. Satisfied, the stronger girl leaned back, standing near her bedside. "Why are you here then?" She bit the words at the other, anger replacing fear as quickly as the first emotion had sprung up. "What do you want?"

"I came to apologize." Weiss forced herself to keep the glare in place, even though what flooded through her most in that moment was surprise. Not only at the words, but in the way the wolf-girl seemed to turn from stern and forceful into meek and withdrawn. "I.. Struck you out of rage, because of something that.." A low growl came from the faunus, clearly born of frustration. "Something that you have no control over, and that was wrong."

Despite the sincerity that she could detect in the others voice, Weiss could not help but feel as if she was being read an apology off of a cue card, and made no attempt to hide her own contempt for the situation. "You call that an apology?"

The candlelight caught the red trapped within the brown eyes, and they became a startling reddish color for a moment as the faunus turned to regard her with surprise. "I.. Well, there's.." A frown twisted Claire's dark lips, and an expression of anger crossed her face. "I'm trying."

"You are failing." Stating it like a fact, Weiss used her elbows to lift herself up off the bed, holding the others gaze as she spoke. "Now, tell me you are sorry that I was hurt due to your own stupidity."

Disbelief filled the face before her, and the faunus opened and closed her mouth a few times before recovering with an skeptical expression, as if the girl was afraid she was being led into a trap. Atop the messy hair, wolfish ears twitched. "Are you.. Telling me how to apologize to you?"

"Someone clearly needs to teach you how." Grunting with effort as she moved to sit in an upright position, she pushed away the effort to help her, affixing the girl with a icy stare. "Say it."

"I.."

"Like you mean it."

"I'm sorry!" The words were shouted out of frustration, causing Claire to glance about and reassure herself that they were the only two present in the large room, the nurses having gone to bed long ago. Collecting herself with a deep intake of breath, she began again, but kept a sharp sincerity to her tone. "I'm sorry that you were hurt due to my own damn stupidity. Happy?"

"No."

"No?"

Holding an aloof expression, Weiss let herself lean back into the pillows lightly, stilling sitting up but looking away from the other girl. "I do not accept your apology."

A ragged, predatory growl came from the faunus, and the rough voice sounded with a threatening edge. "Careful, Princess."

Returning her gaze to the girl, she fought the urge to grin triumphantly at the essence of pure frustration and humiliation present upon Claire's face. Instead, she tilted her head upwards, putting her nose into the air in a pose that was sure to annoy. "The apology itself is not important. What matters is what you will do going forward."

Claire understood what was being said, and knew that she was defeated by the game her opponent played. The wolf-girl hung her head and spoke quietly. "What do you want, Schnee?"

"I want a rematch." Weiss savored the surprise in the others expression, allowing herself a small smile. "Not right now, of course. When I have recovered." She had been three steps ahead in this conversation since she had realized what the faunus had come to do, and she saw no reason to waste that advantage. "Several rematches, in fact."

"You want me to train you, then?" For Claire, this entire conversation had become a mess of ups and downs, throwing her between anger and disbelief so quickly that it was beginning to give her whiplash. Nevertheless, as she stared down at the pale girl in the bed beneath her, she held Weiss Schnee in a new light. "I'm.. Not sure that would be wise."

"But you'll do it anyway." A long eyebrow rose, prompting Weiss to explain her statement. "I saw the way you fought. You are brilliant in the way you think tactically, and I refuse to believe that someone as intelligent as you does not realize that you hold a massive gap in you skill."

"Enlighten me." The words were spoken like a growl, but they no longer had a bite behind them. She had the faunus girl hooked on every syllable.

"You do not know how to fight someone who can cast spells. You rely too much on closing the distance, even your pistol is designed for short range combat." She could see the way that Claire was considering it, but even that was a feint. The outcome was already decided before she spoke up again. "I can give you experience you need to fill that gap, and I will learn how to fight against a more.. Unrefined style."

She extended a hand toward the faunus, who looked at it with apprehension before taking it gingerly. Again, Weiss could feel the rough callouses that covered the pad of the other girl's palm, creating a sharp contrast to the gentle way the larger hand took her own. Claire withdrew quickly, seeming uncomfortable with the prolonged contact as she stepped away from the bed. For a moment, the wolf-girl opened her mouth as if to bid her goodnight, but then decided against it and settled for a simple nod before departing.

Weiss was left staring at the back of the torn up jacket that the faunus girl wore, seeing that the rear of the garment was just as worn as the rest of it, with a few gashes torn through the fabric. The new view also afforded her a long look at the other student's emblem. A black vine covered in thorns was coiling around the stem of a drooping white rose, seeming to be choking the life from the wilting flower. The edge of the petals were peeling back and turning gray, an image that was arresting enough that she was left staring at the space the girl had occupied long after she had left.

Iris pushed open the double doors to the cafeteria with as much caution as she usually showed, nearly walking face first into a group of second year students. Dodging around them, she ignored their grumbles with a wide grin, prancing about until she was clear to continue. Behind her, Amber Pinion entered the room trailed by her constant shadow, her twin brother.

Nyx Pinion was the taller of the two, sporting hair as black as night in contrast to his sister's strawberry blonde. The thick mess was styled in accordance to the obvious cowlick present at his hairline, leading to medium length strands that hung down in front of his forehead There was not much that marked them as twins, as even their eyes were different. For her, it was a bright and fiery red color, while his were a dampened yellow that was flecked with brown. He was wider as well, toned muscles showing clearly on his bare arms.

A sleeveless vest covered his torso, black in color and with a high collar that clung to the back and sides of his neck. The inside of the clothing was coated in pale fur, giving a regal image as well as one of comfort. Over this garment was a breastplate, a scaled replica of the one his sister wore. The iconic Pinion family crest was etched upon its face, a pinwheel of feathers. Instead of extending over his left arm, the armor continued and protected his right. The spaulder of shining metal was where his own personal emblem could be found, two eagle wings unfurled to full height. One was as black as his hair, while the other was gold.

To complete the ensemble, Nyx wore a pair of gray trousers that were decorated with gold feather patterns down their length, and black combat boots that covered up to his ankles. All in all, he made an imposing and impressive figure, rivaling Claire's height and being the broadest of team CAIN. Iris grinned at the two, receiving a calm smile and a strange look from Amber and Nyx, and turned to resume facing the direction she was walking. Her eyes scanned the large room, trying to find a place where they could sit after gathering their lunch, and her search did not last long.

"We'll break his legs!" The shouted phrase from a member of team JNPR did not dissuade her course as she strode toward the table, glancing back and nodding to indicate to her teammates that they were going to sit there. Satisfied with her choice, the twins moved off to collect their lunches while she walked up behind the four girls of RWBY.

"I like her style." Her voice brought the gaze of nearly every occupant at the table, and she responded by smiling sheepishly and turning to look down at the Schnee girl that Claire had injured yesterday. "Good to see you upright. Heard she came and apologized to you?"

Weiss glared upwards at the faunus that was butting into her business, giving a curt nod. "She tried to. I ended up having to walk her through it." There came a grating giggle from the girl behind them, and she turned back to her food, giving a cold shoulder in the hopes she would be left alone. It was only after her rudeness she remembered that she had yet to see the Briar girl in their morning classes, and that caused her to turn back to Iris. "Where is she, anyway?"

"Last I saw, she was reading in her bunk, looking like she hadn't slept." Shrugging, the faunus turned away to converse with Yang, leaving Weiss to mull over the words. Deciding upon a course of action, she stood and headed for the exit, confident that she would miss nothing from the inane chatting her fellow students were engaged in.

Watching her go with a frown, Iris was drawn back into the conversation that Pyrrha Nikos was having with the boy named Jaune. "It isn't that big of deal if he's a jerk to me. He's a jerk to everyone, see?" Holding his tray carefully with one hand, the blond pointed toward a place a few tables away, where Cardin Winchester was pulling the long ear of a faunus girl, while his team sat back and laughed as he confirmed that they were indeed real.

Placing a hand on Yang's shoulder, she leaned forward until her face was only inches away from the brawler's. "Hey beautiful, mind if I take your apple?" With her mouth full, the blonde responded with a vague affirmative, nodding enthusiastically to the greeting. Grinning wide, Iris wasted no time in snatching up the small green fruit from the tray before her, stepping back and eying the boy who was harassing the rabbit-girl.

Yang swallowed the bite of a sandwich she had been chewing, turning around in order to converse with the girl that had taken her apple, only to find the faunus wound back and preparing to throw the fruit. Before she could even think about stopping her, Iris hurled the makeshift weapon across the cafeteria. It smashed into Cardin's face, causing him to release Velvet's ear and cry out, bits of the juicy flesh dripping from his forehead.

Silence descended upon the room immediately, as his dark blue eyes slid over to the fox-girl that was brazenly grinning at him. Shocked as the rest of them, Yang turned her gaze back to Iris, only to find that her friend's violet eyes were glowing. It was then that she understood what the other was doing, and wholeheartedly agreed with the girl's actions. "Come and get me boys, I'm over here!"

The members of team CRDL stumbled over one another in their fit of rage, their desire for revenge at the public humiliation amplified by the semblance that had been used on them. Even as they cleared the table and made it into the aisle, Iris was already in motion, glancing down at Yang with a fire in her eyes. "Sorry, blondie, gotta run. Talk later!" With that, the faunus was off, and laughter erupted throughout the room as all four boys gave wild chase to the girl that had assaulted their leader.

"She's.." Yang had to pause as laughter ripped through her, bending at the waist and slamming her fist down upon the table hard enough that it caused her tray to bounce. "She's going to get herself beaten!" After a long moment of mirth, she noticed that her partner was oddly quiet. Blake was staring off in the direction that Iris had ran, the expression upon her face one that could only be described as guilt. When she noticed that she was being watched, she feigned a smile and turned back to her book, remaining silent and leaving Yang to draw her own conclusions.

Author's Note: Please drop a review to let me know what you think, and special thanks to the members of /r/RWBY. Took your suggestions and hope I delivered! - Fox