RWBYFanon v5
RPG World of Remnant => The Vale Region => Beacon Academy => Topic started by: Moth on July 30, 2018, 10:19:41 PM
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Even an entire continent away from home, Chantou would always find a way to resume old routines.
The orchid mantis had just finished her first week of classes, and to put it aptly, she was exhausted. It was a week-long gauntlet of academic rigor, the likes of which she hadn't faced in nearly two years. The sparring classes were fun, sure, but Aura 101 and Grimm studies had nearly melted her brain as she desperately attempted to keep up and memorize everything the teacher said. But she just had managed to squeak by until her very first Friday, and was determined to spend it relaxing - not contemplating academics, working out, or bonding with her new teammates. Relaxing.
So she'd immediately switched out of her school uniform and into her normal one, sunglasses and all, and had gone for a nice long drive into downtown Vale to pick up a 12-pack of beer. The student parking lot in Beacon was a small but nice-enough place - personal vehicles for students were rare, so she'd had her choice of parking spots, which was always a mood booster. She'd opened the trunk and had leapt up to sit inside, leaning against the wall of trunk with one leg dangling over the back. Combine that with an open can of cold beer, the chance to smoke for the first time all day, and honest to god quiet solitude, it was hard for the orchid mantis faunus to be in a better mood.
...even if she was a little people-starved, after not having a conversation all week that wasn't about academic work, but- well, she could deal with it. Being the cool loner was her thing after all. Yeah, she'd be fine.
Though she wouldn't be opposed to sharing her beer if someone asked.
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It had been a long week for Aurelia. Her academic workload was heavy as it usually was, of course, but with this being the first week, Aurelia had to learn the names and office hours of every one of her professors, memorize every syllabus for every class (including addendums), plan the fastest routes between classes, modify her planner to make room for her extracurricular activities, ensure new students found their way without incident, and still make room to review the day. Unsurprisingly, she was beginning to feel the slightest bit of exhaustion at the week's end.
So, in an unusual break from her normal routine, Aurelia decided to go for a quick jaunt around Vale with her semblance. It would simultaneously provide an outlet for the small amount of stress that built up over the week while still counting as training, as she'd be technically be practicing her riding skills. Oh sure, she'll draw looks from the populous while riding a glowing, gold unicorn, but do not all huntsmen and huntresses draw the plentiful gazes of commoners? Besides, as a faunus growing up amongst Atlas's elite, Aurelia is no stranger to critical stares observing her every move.
Making her way to student parking after changing into her casual clothes (which look anything but), mainly because it's the only place that leads directly into Vale-proper that can accommodate a beast the size of a horse, Aurelia channels her semblance and summons her Noble Steed. But as she climbs atop the armored unicorn, a repugnant smell catches her nose: someone was smoking.
Ordinarily, this would not be much issue, though Aurelia would turn her nose up in disgust. However, this was the grounds of Beacon Academy, and no student in their right mind would impair themselves by inhaling such toxic substances. Clearly, some untoward activity was taking place.
Letting her nose guide her way through the small number of cars in the lot, Aurelia spies a leg hanging out of what can only be described as a junkheap. The culprit would hear the approaching sound of hooves on asphalt culminating in a loud "Ahem!"
"Excuse me. Are you a student of this academy?"
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Chantou glances in the direction of the loud cough as someone tried to attract her attention, but returns to peacefully inhaling her cigarette. All she wanted to do was enjoy her smoke, so why would someone on horse-
Wait, what?
The sight of Aurelia aboard the horse- no, it's actually a unicorn, based on the second look- gets a double take out of the usually unamused Chantou, pulling her leg up to sit criss-cross and face Aurelia. You don't usually see horses in the parking lot of Beacon, much less bright gold unicorns with horn and a rider. Subsequently, Aurelia's question doesn't get answered for a good moment or two as Chantou takes another drag of her cigarette while she takes in the sight of the uptight horse faunus, before finally answering. "Uh- yo. Hi. Right. Yeah, I'mma student here. Just started here this week. Name's Chantou, cool horse ya' got there." She says, gesturing to- well, Aurelia's everything.
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Chantou's eyes were torn away from Aurelia, looking towards the approaching noise. Some new chick is pulling into the parking lot, one of the few other students at Beacon with a car - and by the looks of things, that was an extremely expensive one. It's enough to make Chantou's eyebrows raise a notch behind her sunglasses, though that isn't readily obvious. The new chick gets out of the car, wandering over to say hi. Chantou's getting more popular than she anticipated.
"Yo. Again. Is that an Aston Martin?" Chantou questions, gesturing in the direction of Amane's car with her cigarette.
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"I see..." Aurelia says in response, seemingly ignoring the comment on her mount. Her semblance, however, paws at the ground, snorts, and shakes its mane at the mention of a "horse." It's almost as if the unicorn doesn't appreciate being referred to as a common beast. Still, Aurelia's countenance shows no sign of ill will, annoyance, or aggression, remaining a picture-perfect image of neutrality.
"In that case, might I ask what you are doing at this late hour, Miss Chantou?" she continues, speaking politely enough. She does have half a mind to reprimand the student here and now for inhaling such toxic substances and inhibiting her body, but for now she'll remain civil. No point in causing a ruckus if there is no need for one.
A moment later, another girl walks over, one Aurelia has never seen before. Is she another new student? "Good evening. May I be of service?" she asks, continuing to retain her relatively formal demeanor, though the mount snorts once again in slight annoyance.
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Aurelia's picture-perfect, but the horse is starting to toss it's head. Considering it's an aura construct, it's a fair bet to say that her horsey friend has a few sentiments she isn't sharing. "'Takin' it easy on a Friday, havin' a drink." Chantou responds, raising her half-empty beer can as she leans back leisurely. "Nothin' wrong with that. Been a hard first week of classes is all."
She glances from Aurelia to Amane then, before patting the cooler in the trunk. "Either of you want somethin' as well? Got enough beers to go around."
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A loud roaring engine sounded as a lithe boy with red crystal wings on his back sped in on a motorcycle with fairings seemingly made of a similar red crystal. The loud volume of the engine sounding all around the carpark as Revya gunned the revs beyond the gear he was in eventually coming to rest near the group and removing his helmet. He was wearing a beaming smile as he had finally gotten a ride in this week. Much needed for himself and keeping Ladybug in good condition.
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Chantou sighs quietly to herself as yet another person pulls into the parking lot, the growl of a motorcycle's engine enough to earn a glance in the newcomer's direction. The new dude has a nice ride, but she's not really one for motorcycles. Sure, she'll repair 'em, but give her Babygirl any day. Regardless, she nods in greeting to the new guy, her eyes still hidden behind mirrored sunglasses. "So, a unicorn, an Aston Martin, n' a motorcycle all pull into the same parking lot. This is startin' to sound like the beginnin' of a bad joke to me. Yo, bro- want a drink?"
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Aurelia eyes Amane warily as she, too, refers to the unicorn as a mere horse. If she were not refined through years of training, practice, and study, Aurelia might have gone off on her for insulting her Noble Steed. However, she consciously reigns in her absent-minded thoughts and keeps her mount from acting out Aurelia's petty insecurities. Instead, she inclines her head and says nothing more than, "Indeed, you may. Though, mind the horn. It may not look like much, but a simple sudden turn of the head can carry a surprising amount of momentum."
Turning her head back to the delinquent she was originally confronting, she says, "So you intend to loiter on school property while ingesting toxic substances that have been proven to impair one's athletic and combat abilities? There are plenty of other ways to 'take it easy', as you say, without engaging in such self-destructive behavior." Her tone is still reflective of a model citizen, though now there is a distinct air of dismissal in her words.
When Chantou offers to share her beverages to not only Amane and herself, but to the young man who had just pulled in, the unicorn snorts once again and Aurelia continues, "I'd also recommend against encouraging others to partake of these intoxicants. They'll prove nothing but hindrances in the long run.".
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Chantou just stares up at Aurelia, her brow furrowing very slightly. "...y'know this is my car, right? It's not loitering if I go to the school. And chill in the parking lot. While sitting in my own car. In a designated smoking zone. There ain't nothin' illegal about this situation." She answers, taking a quiet sip of her beer as she gestures to a sign on the nearby dorm building. "N' like- listen. I'm not gonna pressure you to drink, that's a dick move. But it's been a long week, and I know how I like to unwind. Figured maybe other people might like to have a drink and unwind too. The offer's out there, ya' don't need to take it. But it's just polite to ask. "
A beat passes as Chantou takes another drag of her cigarette, before she turns to the newcomer on the motorbike. "So, what kinda bike do you have there?"
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Rev frowned slightly as 2 of his new acquaintances seemed to be getting off to a bad start but quickly put it out of mind when he was offered a chance to talk about Ladybug and get a drink. ”Ladybug here was built as a sports bike initially but she handles pretty well off-road too. Only issue is I have to flog the engine every now and then to keep her running smoothly. Also since you offered I’ll happily take a beer.”
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Chantou nods in confirmation, reaching into the nearby cooler to grab two more beers, before tossing one to Amane and then another to Revya. She takes a sip of her own, before turning her attention back to Reyva. "Ladybug eh? Not a bad name. Maintenance doesn't sound too bad if she's worth it in the end - made any sorta modifications?"
Chantou pauses for a moment as she waits for Reyva to answer, before reaching again for the cooler and withdrawing a third beer. She wordlessly offers it to Aurelia, wiggling her hand slightly as if that'd make her intentions anymore clear.
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Revya caught the beer and tapped the top of the can a couple of times before opening it. “More than I can count. I went off script more than a few times when I built her.”
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"Simply because something is excused by law does not make it acceptable behavior. Furthermore, you are indeed loitering! Simply because you are idle in your car does not preclude you from the definition. And as I've said, you're method of 'unwinding', as you call it, impairs one's ability to function. Surely you realize that no one in their right mind will--"
Aurelia cuts herself off as she watches both Revya and Amane accept Chantou's offer of alcoholic beverages. Even the horse--er--unicorn fails to react for a few seconds. But when Chantou once again offers her one of the damnable drinks, Aurelia's mount almost rears up to kick the bottle out of her hand. It was easily stopped of course: the creature is nothing more than an aura construct that follows the will of its user. A simple conscious command is all it takes to stop it. From the group's perspective, it would look like the steed had only taken a step back, a clear but much more polite way of declining the fellow faunus's offer.
"...It seems my opinion lies in the minority. Very well. In that case, I shall act in a supervisory role. After all, there's no telling what three teenagers under the influence of alcohol will do, especially considering they're huntsmen- and huntresses-in-training," she says with an air of disapproval, emphasizing the last bit in a last-ditch attempt to drive her point home.
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”much as I hate to admit it. You are right. Some of the teachers get pretty mad if they see you drunk. But that’s the guys that get smashed. One or two beers should be fine.”
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Chantou simply nods, putting the beer back in the cooler as she begins to root around. Blinking a few times, she frowns slightly before taking off the sunglasses, folding them to dangle from the collar of her shirt. "So uh- unicorn gal, ya' never actually told us your name. Also, like- whadya want instead? I got a couple a' seltzers, a water bottle or two, some juice boxes- ooh!" There's a vague note of excitement to her tone, withdrawing what looks like a small glass soda bottle with a marble in the cap. "Marble soda, all the way from Mistral. Love these things, greatly recommend."
She glances at Reyva again, nodding along with his comment. "Can't say I didn't go the same with Babygirl here," She says, patting the side of the beat-up jeep. "She ended up with like, two more cupholders than I really intended, and not in places I thought they'd fit. And yeah, long as we drink in moderation, we'll fly right under their radar."
There's another brief pause, before she turns back to Aurelia on another completely unrelated note. "Yo, Uni. What's it like havin' the tail?? Feels like it'd be a bit more managable than like, these-" She raises one arm, purposefully flaring the spines along the side before they lay flat again. "- or these." She then taps temple, obviously referring to her glittering compound eyes.
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"Ah, yes. I suppose if we are going to spend time together, the least we could do is acquaint ourselves," Aurelia responds, "I am Aurelia Lumen, a third-year student of this academy. How do you do?" As she finishes her introduction, the horse faunus crosses her arm across her chest and bows. The unicorn similarly responds, bending a knee and lowering its head.
"And I appreciate the kind offer. A water will be plenty," she continues somewhat resignedly. It seems she's accepted that the group will not follow her line of reasoning and is now aiming to pass the time as painlessly as possible. The vehicle talk honestly goes over her head. When she's not riding a horse or taking public transportation around Vale, she's chauffeured by her foster family's private driver around Atlas. She's never had to worry or think about the inner-workings of cars in her life.
Which is why she's somewhat relieved when the conversation steers back towards a subject she can actually relate to. "Why, whatever do you mean? I imagine you've never had to cut holes in all of your dresses and pantaloons to make room for an additional appendage. Not to mention those spines and eyes seem much easier to conceal. Long sleeves and sunglasses would probably prove more than adequate to disguise yourself should the need arise," she countered.
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"Aurelia, not a bad name. You already know mine." Chantou replies, tossing the water bottle up to the other faunus where she sat atop her horse. Listening to Reyva's warning about drinking on campus, she briefly makes a face, sticking out her tongue in disgust. "N' yeah- those guys ruin the fun for everyone. If you wanna get shitfaced, do it somewhere you won't destroy property or hurt yourself or somethin'. That's my rule at least."
Chantou briefly listens to Aurelia's explanation of why her tail's so annoying, but she can't seem to keep her expression still. The pokerface is cracked when one side of Chantou's mouth quirks up, before she starts lowly snickering, covering her mouth with one hand. The small laughing fit lasts a solid 30 seconds before she removes the hand, grinning up at Aurelia and lifting her beer in a faux-toast. "Pantaloons."
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Aurelia gives a quick "thank you" as she catches the bottle of water. She makes to continue her rant on the minor inconveniences of her tail when she notices Chantou's fit. "Is something the matter?" she asks the snickering faunus, confused as to what could possibly bring this laugh attack on.
"Pantaloons."
Aurelia simply cocks her head slightly to the side, confused. "I'm afraid I do not see the humor. That is what they are called. Or did I miss out on some new-fangled slang?" she asks. Despite being so high on her horse, the joke clearly goes over her head.
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"Nah, nah, it's all fine," Chantou replies a grin still on her face. There's a light teasing note to her voice as she leans back, taking another sip of her beer. "Never heard someone say somethin' like that is complete seriousness."
She spends another moment grinning up at Aurelia, before patting the trunk of the Jeep beside her. "C'mon all down off your hi horse- uh, unicorn? Regardless, come back n' join us all on earth Lumen, it's all cool."
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Looking down at the faunus fruitlessly trying to build a rapport, Aurelia responds, "I appreciate the offer, but I assure you I am most comfortable where I am." And, well, considering her current seat is a manifestation of her soul that responds to her thoughts and feelings, it's an accurate response, too. Imagine a chair that automatically adjusts its settings at the first sign of discomfort.
There's also the underlying reason that she still sees herself acting in a supervisory role, but seeing how the group is neither breaking the rules nor officially under her care, she has no authority to actually act. So, she'll remain where she is, vigilant and ready to impose her will if the need arises.
Watching the girl who's appearance is completely and utterly unfamiliar to her reach into her car and pull out a chair, Aurelia sighs internally. It is becoming more and more apparent that her evening hours will be spent observing these students instead of training. She'll have to add make-up time later in the week to make up for the lost--
"So how did you discover your semblance?"
The question interrupts her train of thought, which was suddenly replaced by the images of rushing waters and a girl being pulled under by the current. "Well, I was fairly young at the time, about ten or so. I tried to save someone and nearly died in the process. I imagine the stress and a desire to live unlocked both my aura and my semblance in the heat of the moment. It was sheer dumb luck that my semblance came in a form that could resolve the issue," she answers, clearly giving the short version. It's not like she's ashamed of what happened, quite the opposite actually. However, both her parents and foster parents have reprimanded her numerous times for her reckless action. While it ultimately saved a life, one different twist of fate could have ended the incident with not one, but two funerals. Aurelia has learned since then, and has no desire to inspire such reckless action in others, least of all younger students.
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As Chantou revealed her faunas traits Rev begun to stare down at his bike. avoiding eye contact.