RWBY Silver Eyed Warrior Chapter 23: First Day (Patreon)

XOXO

Ruby shot up.

Breaths heavy and an uncomfortable heat spread across the entirety of her body, she looked around the darkness that surrounded her struggling to figure out what was going on. It took several glances around the dark before her eyes adjusted and she realized she wasn’t home like she dreamed but in the new dorm room she’d be sharing with her teammates.

The door to the dorm opened, some light pouring in as Corvo quietly stepped into the room.

Seeing him, that annoying heat worsened, embarrassment creeping in as the rest of what happened in that dream punched her.

The kissing. The touching. Everything they’d said. The way he looked at her.

She should feel disgusted by the idea alone. And even more disgusted by herself for even managing to dream up a scenario like that.

But, as she steadied her breathing, Ruby realized the main thing, standing out above all else, was a sense of disappointment, her shoulders dropping a little. She wished she could say that it was disappointment in herself but that wouldn’t be anywhere close to the full truth.

The fact that the dream ended where it did. The fact that it was a dream at all. That was what really annoyed her.

There really is something wrong with me. Ruby thought, falling back with a groan.

“You awake, Ruby?” Corvo’s whisper barely reached her over the sound of the running shower, someone other than the two of them awake.

“Y-Yeah.” She said, peaking over the edge of her bed.

“Ready for our first day?” He asked, smiling up at her.

“Definitely.” Ruby agreed, returning the smile, all her disappointment and shame washing away.

They were little awkward at first, especially yesterday, but nothing important had changed between them. He wasn’t giving her any odd looks, avoiding her, or even mad, that whole thing that most definitely didn’t happen, forgotten about. They were same as they’d always been.

Except they were full on Beacon students and on the same team just like they always talked about!

“Did you go somewhere?” Ruby questioned after a moment, only just now realizing he must’ve left for something.

“I went out for a run with Pyrrha.” Disappointment returned despite her attempts to ignore it. She just couldn’t help it. They were supposed to be focusing on training and having fun here together. Instead, just like the other girl those two weeks before they got here, someone would be getting in the way of that.

But she shouldn’t be getting annoyed. Like Mom and Yang said, he was going to end up dating someone eventually. And she definitely shouldn’t be trying to stick herself between them. The first time, back in those temporary rooms, had just been a mistake.

“Um, can I go with you next time?” Ruby asked despite the pit her stomach had turned into.

“For sure.” Corvo agreed immediately.

This wasn’t about getting between him and his girlfriend, this was about making sure they actually spent their time at Beacon together like they planned.

There was nothing wrong with that.

XOXO

“This is so stupid.” Corvo muttered while adjusting his collar. A black suit, lined with gold, alongside a dark vest, white shirt, and dark red tie. Why did they, a bunch of huntsmen in training, have to stuff themselves in clothes like this? Who in their right mind would go around fighting in something as uncomfortable as a suit?

It could look cool but still.

He dropped down from the collar to the tie, trying and failing to fix the crooked thing. Mom had taught him how to tie them a long time ago, but he couldn’t even remember the last time he wore something like it and he never cared to put in the effort to try and memorize the whole process.

Whatever. He thought, giving up on it and stepping back. As long as he was following dress code, that’d be good enough.

As he stepped out of their shared bathroom, Ruby rushed in after him.

Blake and Weiss had already showered and changed into their uniforms. A dark brown, near black jacket, a vest beneath that, and a white shirt with a thin, red ribbon tied around the neck. Beacon’s female uniform would’ve been completely formal had it not been for the red plaid skirt that seemed a touch too short to him.

The two wore more or less the same exact thing but there were differences. Blake opted to keep the bow in her hair as part of the outfit, alongside a pair of dark knee high socks, quietly reading a book up on her bed. Weiss, sitting where they stuffed a desk and small bookcase full of things from all of them, was flipping through a binder, no obvious additions or changes to her uniform, socks just a little shorter than Blake’s.

Just like with his suit, Corvo couldn’t say he understood the reason behind their uniforms either, but they did look good in them.

Either way, classes didn’t start for a while and Pyrrha was probably busy getting ready with her own team. That meant finding a way to pass the time.

“Hold it.” Before he could reach the headset and scroll he left out on the dresser beside his bed, Weiss had turned to look at him, looking him up and down. There’s no way she was going to get on his case about the uniform, was she? Their dorm one was one thing, it was a shared space so at least her overbearing concerns made some sense, but the way he dressed shouldn’t have anything to do with him. “Your tie. Fix it.”

She really was going to.

“It looked fine to me.” He said. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, but he doubted most people would single out any one student over that.

“Then you have a poor definition of fine.” Weiss criticized as her brow rose. “You do know how to tie one don’t you? I assumed any Beacon student would but maybe I was giving you too much credit.”

“Yeah.” He said quickly. “A little. Kind of.” Weiss raised her chin slightly as if looking down on him. “It’s been a long time, alright? Why would a huntsman even bother with a suit in the first place?”

“For public perception you dolt.” Weiss said shaking her head before standing up. “The more put together huntsmen as a whole look, the more trust people have in their efforts. Do I need to explain the importance of that as well?”

Corvo held back his annoyance, mentally reminding himself that this would be Ruby’s first full day as a captain. No matter how much attitude Weiss threw his way he wasn’t going to be the one to start any kind of trouble. He just needed to keep his distance from her and keep any conversations to an absolute minimum.

An impossible task when she decided to walk right up to him.

“Stay still.” She ordered while reaching for his tie. Loosening and pulling it out from his vest, she began to undo it. This close to her, other than immediately noticing that she was almost as short, maybe even shorter than Ruby, out of her heels, Corvo’s attention was draw to her left eye. A scar traveled down her face, crossing over the lid of that eye and stopping just below it.

How did she get that?

“There.” She said, pulling the redone tie tight to his neck and stopping just before it got too suffocating. “Straighten up and place the rest beneath your vest.”

“Right.” He said, fixing the far more neatly done tie. “Thank you?”

“Don’t get the wrong idea.” Weiss said as she returned to the desk. “I’m stuck on a team with you and that childish sister of yours. Unfortunately, plenty of what you do will reflect on me whether I like it or not, including your appearance, so tie it properly from now own.”

And for a second he thought she was actually being friendly. She was just being selfish. Helpfully selfish? Was that a thing?

Corvo shrugged it off and headed over to his bed, wireless headset slipped on and scroll in hand. Hopefully Ruby had a better time making friends with their uptight teammate throughout their first day of classes.

XOXO

His brain was absolutely fried.

Lecture after lecture after lecture. With it being their first day as Beacon even classes that were related to more practical things like their aura and weapons were full of talking from rules and guidelines to flat out diving into textbooks. Sitting around and studying had never been his strong suit, but he’d powered through it over the years to do among the best in his class, but betrayed expectations were making this feel worse than ever.

Beacon was shaping up to be less of a challenge and more of a boring slog at this rate.

“You guys don’t think we’re getting another lecture, do you?” Ruby complained as they all settled down into their seats. “It feels like we’ve just been sitting around all day taking notes all day.”

“As if you of all people should be complaining. I didn’t see you do anything other than mess around.”

“Chill out Ice Queen.” Yang said, her team settled on the bench in front of them. “Not everyone needs to take notes on every little thing.”

“Don’t call me that.” Weiss said with a huff, arms crossed.

Just like they’d been subjected to lectures all day, Weiss had been quick to jump on Ruby’s case for every little thing. When she started dozing off, Weiss was there. When she started doodling rather than actually taking notes, Weiss was there. If they tried to talk out loud or with messages from their scrolls, Weiss was there.

It was as if she wanted Ruby to act a very specific way and wouldn’t accept anything less. That wasn’t even the most annoying part. It only took one class for Corvo to realize she was the studious hardworking type, actually living up to those expectations she was trying to force on Ruby. Even if he didn’t like how she talked to Ruby, he at least understood why’d she expect the one leading her to do certain things.

The actual problem was that even when Ruby tried that, and she did for more than one class, Weiss just found something else to get on her about. If he was in Ruby’s position he would’ve thrown up his hands and been done with trying to be friends.

“Considering where we are and the fact that we were told to change beforehand I think it’s fair to assume we’ll be participating in some kind of physical activity.” Pyrrha jumped into the conversation, still trying to keep an argument from breaking out. “I believe our professor is about to start things.”

Just like she said, while they and plenty of other first years were all seated on rows and rows of benches forming a circle looking down into a large arena, Glynda herself stood at the very center of said arena, just below a collection of giant flat screen monitors.

“If I may have your attention.” As usual, when she spoke Glynda silenced the entire room with minimal effort, all eyes turned to her. “I’m sure you’re all eager to see where your team stands in comparison to your peers but as you are all first years, we’ll begin this course with simple single battles.”

Finally, they’d be fighting!

“To those of you who think you may be able to skirt by without participating due to how many of you there are, participants are chosen both at random and by me.” She adjusted her glasses, a stern look sweeping across them. Despite the distance and the fact they were looking down at her it was no less effective, some students audibly gulping. “Each and every one of you will get your fair share of time on this stage before the year is over, that I assure you.”

“Now, let us begin.” Glynda didn’t give any time for what might as well have been a threat to the meeker students to settle in before activating the screen above. Pictures of every student in the room spun through a pair of boxes displayed by them. As it began to slow some rose in excitement while others shrunk, praying for anyone but them to show up.

Corvo didn’t understand the latter. Why come to Beacon at all if they weren’t hoping to fight?

“Corvo Rose.” Glynda announced as one of the monitors stopped on a picture of his face.

“Yes.” Corvo cheered, shooting up the moment his name was called.

“You got this bro.” Ruby said, giving him a fist bump. Just about everyone aside from Weiss herself gave some kind of encouragement, even Ren and Nora, Pyrrha’s other two teammates that he hadn’t even really talked with yet.

“Weiss Schnee.” Glynda announced as a picture of Weiss took up the other half of the monitors.

Maybe it was better that she didn’t give any encouragement.

XOXO

(A/N: Cut out a dream sequence at the very start of the chapter. Very unfortunate I know but along with the other chapter for Ruby I'll be sure to remind you all in the these ANs when they're avaible on WN. That aside, a fight with Weiss. Should be pretty interesting.

Hope you're looking forward to it.)