Chapter II: Tutti-Frutti Pt.2

Part 1
After Ozpin's speech, the students were told they were dismissed. Some just hanged around waiting for time to pass while the others headed to the ballroom or the armory to get their luggages. Tourmaline chose to get to the first one, given that she already had all her stuff with her. Entering the large room, she noted once again the luxury of this school. The floor of the ballroom was covered in dark brown sleeping bag, probably one per person. She walked across the room and chose a sleeping bag in a corner, hoping that nobody would comme to bother her. She simply put her belongings next to the sleeping bag and stretched out on it, her hands behind her hands. After the trip to Vale and the whole day walking around, her feet hurt and she only wished for a little rest.

She closed her eyes in an attempt to sleep, but quickly lost any ounce of drowsiness when she heard an incredible row at the entrance. When she got up to see what was going on, she reconized the boy she met at the landing platform -Sunstone, was it?- quarrelling with a red-haired girl -or was it a boy?- with a brown leather jacket; she couldn't understand a word of what they were saying. There was almost nobody in the ballroom right now, most of the students having simply put their packages somewhere and headed out somewhere. It was still day after all. But Tourmaline didn't care about the brightness. She just wanted them to shut up! She walked up to them with an angry walk and interrupted the two shouting at each other.

«You two stop making this noise or I take care of it myself!»

The two looked at her, both surprised and bewildered. The red-haired one -who definitely was a girl, watching closer- glarred at her with a [ Who the hell are you? ] expression and seemed to expect Tourmaline to attack her because she squared off. Sunstone, on the other hand, glarred daggers at her and took an exaggerated posture and pointed his finger at her.

«You! I still remember the affront you made me earlier!»

«Ha? You mean putting an overconfident little shrimp at its place? Don't tell me you're stupid enough to pick a fight with me for that?»

«I don't allow you! If one here should be accounted as overconfident, it would be you. Compared to me, who is from an ancient Huntsmen family, you are but an insect!»

«Oi!» The red-haired girl joined the conversation. «I told you to shut up about that!»

«Silence, mongrel!» Sunstone turned at her. «Shall I repeat myself?»

«Stop with your [mongrel] bullshit!» The red-haired girl grabbed him by the collar and approached her face. «I have a name and it's Aîma D-dle!»

«D-dle? This name sounds familiar in my ears.» Sunstone looked unsure. «In any case, compared to the Hubris family's blood, it is naught.»

«You little-» Aîma grinded her teeth and strengthened her grip on Sunstone's collar. «I hate people like you, always looking down on the others.»

«It is perfect then. I do dislike the hot-blooded mongrel of your type.»

The two of them started fighting again and Tourmaline took her face in her palm and shook her head. She hesitated between knocking them unconscious or trying to sleep despite the noise when a fourth voice rose between the two quarrelling.

«Hum, excuse me?»

«?»

«?»

«?»

At the entrace, behind Aîma and Sunstone, a boy with raven hair and a worried look on his face was standing. He took a look in the ballroom as if he was looking for something. As he came back to the doors, Tourmaline realized that he was wearing Beacon's uniforme. That meant he already was a student here.

«You aren't a new student, right?»

Upon leaving the building, the newcomer jumped a little in surprise and then turned back to look at his interlocutor. He scratched the back of his head nervously and talked in a halting voice.

«Yes, I'm a second-year now.»

«And what is a second year looking for here? Don't tell me you got lost after passing a year at Beacon?»

«Ah, n-no. Actually, it is kind of the opposit. I'm looking for someone and I'm afraid they're lost.»

«Someone? You mean a new students like us?»

«Well, yeah. I came here because I thought they might have gotten here beforehand, but looks like they're not here.»

Tourmaline didn't know what to do. In one hand, she didn't care that much about it and would prefer to go back to sleep. On the other hand, looking at the poor boy completely worried who looked even younger than her, she couldn't feel like letting him down. She thought for a few second as the boy was starting to walk away and then decided to catch up with him.

«Wait! I'm gonna lend you a hand.»

«Are you sure?»

«Well, I have nothing better to do.»

Except sleeping, which was impossible with the two morons who were already teasing the bun inside the ballroom. The boy nodded and then gestured her to follow him.

«Oh, my name is Limaille by the way. Limaille Jiraï.»

«Tourmaline. Tell me, Limaille, why are you looking for a first year? A family member?»

«Oh no. I only met him several monthes ago. He came to visit the school in advance but he got lost back then, and I had to guide him.»

«I see, you're afraid that he lost his way again. So we're looking for a boy.»

Limaille nodded. «He is an easy-to-spot person at that. It worries me even more not being able to find him.»

«What kind of person is he?»

«The burlesque kind.»

«Bur-lesk?» Tourmaline tried to repeat the word but it was the first time she heard it.

«In short, he is the kind of person who make a spectacle of themselve. But he is very nice. Before we met, I was subject to bullying, by my own team leader.»

«A team leader who bully his team mates? How did that kind of person become leader?»

«Well, Cré-huma -my leader- isn't just talk. The problem was that I was weak and he was strong, that's all about it.»

«You mean he used his superiority as an excuse to bully you?!»

«No! Well, not officially though. In any case, the fact is that when I met with the person we're looking for, he helped me out of this.»

They passed in front of a group of students. If it was still day, it wouldn't be for long though. The horizon already started to dye in the sun's colors. Most of people were probably moving to the ballroom now, so finding an obvious person should be easy. Nonetheless, they still didn't find anything after half an hour of search. Getting bored, Tourmaline resumed the conversation.

«Even if you were weak, it wasn't a reason to let yourself do. It wasn't like you couldn't get help of anyone.»

«Maybe.» Limaille paused to think a bit. «I used to think that all the strong persons were like that.»

«Like what?»

«Arrogant. Abusive. Even if I fought back or tried to get help, it wouldn't change anything in the end. But this guy proved me wrong: even though he was strong, he lend a hand to a complete stranger like me and claimed it to be normal.»

«Of course it's normal!»

«Well, like I said, he is a strange person.»

«What do you mean by [strange]?»

«Mm, you'll need to see it, it will probably be better than an explication.»

«Is that so? By the way, why is he an easy-to-spot person?»

«Well...»

In the far-off distance, a voice was reverberating throughout the school. It was a male voice but it was too far away to understand what it was saying. They walked up to the origine of the noise, and ended up in front of the landing platform. In the middle of the platform, a tall boy with rust brown standing-up hair was talking to himself.

«Looks like I found him.»

Tourmaline understood what Limaille meant by [easy-to-spot]: aside from his height, the boy was wearing a full metal armor at the exception of the helmet and had what looked like a banner in his hand. Add that to the noise he was making and you had the most obvious person on the hearth. All it lacked was a megaphone.

«I see.» Tourmaline let out a yawn. «Well if you don't mind, I'll go check if the two in the ballroom have finished their little fight.»

«Okay. Thank you for your help!»

Limaille walked away to meet up with his friend. Tourmaline too started to walk off, but she suddenly stopped and turned around to call him out.

«Limaille!»

The interested party stopped and turned around to listen to her.

«Tell me, did you envy your leader for being strong back then?!»

«...»

The raven-haired boy didn't answer immediatly. He thought for a moment before answering:

«I'm not sure! In the end, maybe that I hated more myself for being weak than I longed to be strong!»

The boy caught up with his friend and Tourmaline was on the way back to the ballroom. She didn't know why she asked him this question. Was she trying to reassure herself? Or maybe she just wondered how the boy felt. In any case, it made Limaille think on the question; it might be a good thing. She arrived inside the ballroom and noticed that the two were gone. She just hoped they didn't go elsewhere to fight again but even if it was the case, her sleeping bag was way more appealing. She utterly collapsed on it and closed her eyes. In no time she was in the sweat kingdom of dreams.

Part 2
After Tourmaline left, Limaille moved towards the landing platform. On it, Rust Heron, Limaille's friend, was speaking to himself out aloud while pointing his finger at the ground.

«…and then he turned around to say: [Huh? Mind your own business, kiddo! What, ya thought you were some random...»

«Rust.»

«… but the bacon really is bad for my stomach so I usually take pills against diarrhea...»

«Rust.»

«… there is a secret to wash the stains of blood, and it is-»

«Rust!»

«Mmh?»

The teenager in armor turned around with an interrogative look on his face. His armor was mainly steel-grey with brown patterns, but the sunlight reflections added an orange-red colour while his standing-up brown hair turned a little red. In his right hand, he was holding a banner showing a symbol resembling a scale. When he reconized Limaille, his face lit up and a smile appeared across his face.

«Limaille! How are ya doing, mate?»

«I was seriously worried, you know?» Limaille sighed and looked at his friend's feet. There was a pile of black torn fabric slightly sent up by the wind. Strangely, he could heard some kind of purring. «What are you doing there? Did your fly arrive late?»

«Nope. I arrived with most of people a couple of hour ago.»

«Then why are you still here? Why didn't you follow the rest of the students? I've been looking for you for a hour at least, and you were here doing Grimms know what.»

«Well, it's not that I didn't want to move but it could have been problematic.»

Limaille frowned in lack of understanding. Problematic? Wouldn't it be standing there that'd be problematic. He quickly gave up in understanding Rust's logic. This guy had his feet out of other people's world and Limaille knew it. He put his hand on Rust's shoulder and pulled him out of the platform.

«In any case, I have to show you the way, I guess? Knowing you, you forgot about the direction, am I right?»

«Yes, but-»

«But what? Don't tell me you're ashamed of being shown the way.»

«No, it isn't the problem.»

«Then what is the problem?»

«The problem is...» Rust pointed the platform with his finger. «What do we do about him?»

Limaille stopped walking and looked at his friend's face.

«[Him]?»

He looked back at the platform but he didn't see anyone. Same thing for the rest of the area, they were alone. Limaille tried to see if there was an animal somewhere -Rust mind being able to turn them into actual persons- but it didn't change anything. There was nobody.

«Rust?… Who is [him]?»

«Well, the guy collapsed on the platform.»

«There's nobody on the platform. All that is there is a pile of cloth…!»

Wait. What was this pile of clothes doing here? Who was Rust talking to by the time Limaille found him? Someone collapsed on the platform?

(You don't mean…)

Limaille ran to the platform. Watching closer, the pile had a humanoid shape!

«Rust! What the heck is going on?!»

«That's what I told ya. If I'm leaving now, this guy might get in trouble.»

«That's not what I mean! What is he doing there?! What happened?!»

«I was waiting for ya to show me the way to the infirmary. Give me a hand.»

With Limaille's help, Rust lifted the unconscious person and carried them on his back. That way, they could see what they looked like. It was a boy with spiky timberwolf hair and wearing mainly black clothes. His closed eyes had dark circle under it and his complexion was pale enough for him to look like a corpse. Aside from these worrying details, Limaille realized that what he mistook for purrings were actually the boy's snorting.

«Seriously, Rust, what happened?»

«I'm not sure myself. After we landed, this guy suddenly collapsed on the floor. As a hero, I reassured the other travelers and told them I would take care of this.»

«So why were you standing there talking to the wind instead of carrying him to the infirmary?»

«Well...»

«Oh yeah, that's right.»

«I thought ya would look for me so meanwhile I tried to talk to him, but he didn't wake up.»

«Didn't it happen a couple hour ago? Man, have you been talking to yourself all this time?»

«I don't know, I started my hero speech and in my rush I lost track of time.»

«Why doesn't it surprise me.»

They arrived in the infirmary. There were many beds and none were occupied. The nurse wasn't here. He was probably checking if some new students had any disability or other health problem. They laid him back on one of the white beds and stepped back. The spiky-haired boy was sleeping peacefully, especially for someone who fell on the ground all of sudden. Limaille noticed Rust looking right and left, which was normal given it was the first time he was in the infirmary. This room was as white as its bed, but also pretty big. It was normal to expect a great number of wounded and injured students; they were in a fighting school that formed humanity's warriors after all.

«Now, now.» Rust sat on one of the chairs leaning aginst the wall. «Tell me how ya're doin' mate. How did your problem with that Cré-huma guy went?»

«About that.» Limaille sat next to him. «Thank you again for your help back then.»

«It's normal, I tell ya. It's the hero's job to help those in trouble!»

«Yep.» A hero, huh? Yes, maybe that Rust had the profile of a hero. «But that's not the only thing I'm talking about.»

«S'that so?» Rust stretched out his arms and leaned his head against the wall. Thinking about it he had been standing up for two hours at least.

«Yeah. You see, I don't think that Cré-huma was the only one at fault.»

«What? Ya mean there's someone else bullying ya?!»

«That's not it. You see, when I step back on that past year, I can't tell I tried to improve the situation. I was always blaming Cré-huma and the others being strong and I refused to understand the real problem.»

«The real problem?»

«I was weak, but I didn't do anything to get any better. In fact, I think I just gave up. But now I'm seriously doing my best to improve myself, and it's thanks to you.»

«That's perfect, then. But ya don't need to thank me. With or without my intervention, it would have been for nothing if ya didn't understand that by yourself. In the end, ya're the one who saved the day.»

«[Saved the day]! Shouldn't it be you, the [hero], who have to save the day?» Limaille said for joking.

«That's right. But I hope Cré-huma didn't complicate things for ya.»

«No. Actually, it might be the opposit.»

«?»

«I remember now. At the start of the year, Cré-huma wasn't that much of a bully, nor a bad person. I guess you could say he was somewhat strict though. I don't know much about his past, but I know he didn't have an easy life. He has the kind of parents that expect much more from their children than they can. So, to see me give up so easily, it must have angered him. In his own way, he wanted me to aim farther, even if he had to be violent for that.»

«That's not very hero-like, though.»

The two of them stopped talking. Outside, the sun had almost finish to set and the night was falling.

«You should head for the ballroom, Rust.»

«Ya're right. But I should watch over this guy, as a hero.»

«Even heros can get rest. And you have to pass the initiation tomorrow, remember? I'll watch over him for you, if that's what you want.»

Rust held his chin in his hand looking thoughtful. He could be unreasonnable by moments but Limaille couldn't help but to admire his devotion. Though, as his friend was thinking, they heard a faint noise coming from the bed. Looking over there, they saw the spiky-haired boy's eyes opening slightly. He let out a yawn and looked around.

«Where am I?»

«Hello there!» Rust suddenly got up and walked over to the bed. «I'm Rust Heron, and I'm a hero!»

The spiky-haired boy looked at him with an expression which was a midway between bewildered and couldn't-care-less. He let out a yawn and slowly sat on the bed and looked around him. When he spotted Limaille out of the corner of his eye, he asked him:

«Where am I?»

«You're in the infirmary. You collapsed on the floor all of sudden so we brought you here.»

«I see. Yaawn. Thank you.»

After those few words and a couple of other yawns, the spiky-haired boy stood up and walked to the door of the infirmary. Actually, dragging his feet might be more accurate.

«Wait!» Limaille caught up with him. «Tell us what happened! Are you okay?»

The spiky-haired boy looked at him confusely. Suddenly, he seemed to understand what Limaille was talking about.

«Oh, that? Happens. Yawn.» He opened the door and entered the hallway.

«Wait! What do you mean by [happens]? I don't buy it, you hear me? What's your name by the way?»

«Mmmmmmm.» The spiky-haired boy thought for a while. «Timber.»

«Huh?»

«That's my name. Timber.»

«And what about what happened on the landing platform?»

«Ah, that? Yawn. Medicines' side effect.»

With that, he left the room for good. Looking back at Rust, Limaille was wondering what kind of medicines would have side effects like that. In any case, it was late now. They had to go to sleep.

«Well, good night Rust. I'm off to bed.»

«Wait!»

«What?»

«Well...»

«Oh, right. Follow me.» They left the infirmary.

Part 3
It was dark now. In the ballroom, all the students were sleeping on their sleeping bag. Everything was quiet. It was the moment! Slowly, someone stood up from their sleeping bag and looked around suspiciously. They then grabbed something on the floor and walked as quietly as they could on this human-floor. Finally, they reached the doors of the room and headed outside.

Part 4
«I made it.»

Walking in the campus under the dark sky, Olive was heading for the students dorms. She wasn't authorized to be there this late for many reasons and freshmen like her didn't already have a room because their team hadn't been decided yet. But from what they were told, this shall be settled tomorrow. So why would she come here? She didn't have anyone to see. She didn't care to see what the dormitories looked like. Actually, the inside didn't matter at all to her.

«It should be this way.» She whispered as she was walking in the hallways. «I made sure to remember it.»

Finally, she found to the place she was looking for. After opening a door, she arrived on some kind of balcony on the dorms' roof. It was technically a part of the roof, rectangular-shaped and with piping on the edges. From there, she had an excellent view of the sky and Beacon Academy. The whole school was dark except for the tower, in wich big green lights were adding a little color to the night. Here, she put down the wrapped up rectangular object she had been holding under her arm and unwrapped it: it was a blank canvas. She also put down her bag and took out her painting equipment.

She looked around in search for a good spot to sit down, and almost had an heart attack when she realized she wasn't alone: not far from the edge of the roof, a teenager was leaning asleep against the wall. There wasn't any nearby light so it was hard to tell what they looked like or if they were a boy or a girl. But a specialist of colors like her could at least tell how they was dressed. They had very short dark blue hair and were wearing a long coat of the same color. The bottom of their face was hidden behind an orange neckerchief so that only their eyes -closed of course- were visible. It seemed they were also wearing gloves and boots which Olive guessed to be black.

In any case, she decided to let him sleep and to sit at the opposit. She took a good look at the sky. Aside from a small bunch of stars, all there was there was the broken moon. It was often said to be broken but for Olive it has always been like that since she was born. The old stories were saying that the moon once was perfectly round, and Olive wondered how it would look like. That was why she was up there, she wanted to paint a [full-mooned] sky.

After painting fifteen minutes, Olive heard footsteps coming from the doors. Panic-stricken, she looked around for a place to hide, only to realize that there wasn't any. She gulped as the door opened and she looked in direction of the newcomer.

«Mmh? What are you doing here, mongrel?»

In the door frame she saw a teenager with a light brown tuxedo and tidy hair. She quietly stared at him a few seconds before letting out a sigh in relief. It wasn't someone from Beacon's staff. Her heartbeats calmed down and she turned her attention to the boy who started to walk in her direction.

«I shall repeat myself: what are you doing here, mongrel?»

«Ugh, what's with the [mongrel] thing? Anyway, what I'm doing isn't your business. However I wonder what you're doing here. Is it such a popular place to come on the first day?»

«What can you be talking about, mongrel?» Olive pointed at the sleeping boy(?). «Oh, indeed I didn't expect someone to sleep up there. But concerning your question!» He turned in Olive's direction and pointed his finger at her. «You are one arrogant mongrel, to ask my motives while you refuse to give yours. Who might you be, impudent mongrel?!»

«Ugh...» Olive wanted to make him drink paint so that he stop calling her [mongrel], but not only would it probably have the opposit effect, but also it wouldn't be good for his health. So instead she decided to play the game. «My name is Olive de la Toile. And you, unexpected visitor, what is your name?» She tried to take a haughty tone but she wasn't used to it.

After she answered him, the boy frowned with a surprised expression on his face. Olive bit her lower lips in thought she may have blundered and angered him. However, to her surprised, he swiftly retired his finger with a look of apology on his face.

«De la Toile?! You do mean  the  Olive de la Toile?!»

«Huh? I… guess. I don't think there is any other Olive de la Toile out there.»

«I am truly sorry.» He bowed quickly, not to say fiercely. «I misjudged you! You are not a mongrel!»

«Ah?» Olive was surprised at the boy's reaction. She did expect an exggerated reaction, but not this kind of exaggerated reaction. «You know me? Who are you anyway?»

«My bad! I am Sunstone Hubris. I am delighted to meet you!»

«Gree… greetings?» Olive really felt caught off guard. «Wait. Hubris?»

«That is right.»

«Oh, I remember now! Your family bought several of my paints, one of which being my masterpiece.»

«[ Le Port et la Tempête ], that is right. I really am impressed by your paintings. How can you picture a raging storm so accurately?»

«Well, it isn't really a secret. It's thanks to my semblance.»

«Your semblance?»

«You probably know how a camera works, right? It catches the lights to take a picture. It's more or less the same here. Basically, I can take pictures with my eyes and remember it perfectly. My [memory] is limited to heighteen pictures though.»

«Really? That is one interesting semblance.»

«Is that so?»

«I do think it. It isn't a semblance for fighting. As for myself, I do not really like my semblance.»

«Why?»

«Well-»

«Excuse me but I think you'll have all the time to talk about it tomorrow.»

Olive and Sunstone jumped in surprise when they heard a man's voice behind them. They turned around to see the headmaster Ozpin looking at them. None of them were paying attention and they didn't see him coming. However, the headmaster didn't look angry to see them here. Rather, he had a faint smile on his face as he took a sip in his mug.

«What are two new students doing here at this time of the night? It is past the time for the secret dates, you know?»

Olive blushed heavily -which, thanks to the night, couldn't be seen-. She wasn't the kind of person that get embarrassed easily but being told that by the headmaster was something else. On the other hand, Sunstone stood upright and replied in a solemn voice:

«I am afraid you are mistaking, Pr. Ozpin. Our encounter here is a pure coincidence. Truth be told, I noticed that two sleeping bag were empty and went out to find out where were the missing students.»

«And you found them, .» The headmaster noted. «But what about you, Miss de la Toile?»

«I-I was painting.» Olive replied as she pointed her finger at the freshly painted canvas laying on the ground.

«Not taking a rest I see. But as much as I do appreciate your paintings, you should go and rest or else you'll have some trouble tomorrow.»

This time, she blushed so violently everyone could notice it.

«I-I didn't knew I was t-that famous.» Olive said in a nervous voice. She was used to be complimented, but not by someone like the professor Ozpin.

«Oh, don't be so modest, Miss de la Toile. But for now, I'd rather you go back to sleep.»

«Yes, sir!» Olive gathered her things and walked in the direction of the door but she stopped when she remembered the student sleeping a few meters away from them. «Ah! What do we do about him… her… whatever?» She pointed out at the dark blue-haired boy.

«Mh? You don't need to worry about him. Unlike you, this boy went through worst than a back pain in the morning. Now, go to sleep. I'm not done preparing eveything for tomorrow.»

«I-I see. Good night, .» So it was a boy after all.

«May you have a good night, Professor!»

Olive and Sunstone headed for the inside of the building and went back to the ballroom. They wished good night to each other and went to sleep.