The grey-haired girl opens one amber eye, rolling over to the edge of her bed. The sleeping bag beside the bed is empty, the blue fabric thrown aside and zipper sloppily undone. A few sparks fly from the adjecent room, and she scowls, slapping her feet into a pair of plush wolfie slippers with lapping tongues. Her pajamas are spotted with steaks, ribs and other pieces of cooked meat made of felt that stick out from the surrounding fabric.
"Talis, it's five in the morning, what are you doing?" She puts one hand on her hip as she stomps into the room, where a massive figure leans over a set of mechanized armor. Jet-black hair slides aside as his head tilts up to look at her. His jade-green eyes are bloodshot, and he blinks in surprise. "Enyasi, I didn't wake you up, did I?" He picks up a slab of metal vaguely resembling a gun barrel, and he focuses intensely on it. The piece of metal folds up with almost no sound, back into a shield-like protrusion on the armor's arm. "Just making sure everything's functioning at a hundred percent".
"Oh my Dust, just...You've taken it apart". She eyes the half-deconstructed mech-suit. "Just making sure?" She rolls her eyes. "Your weapon is fine. Seriously, most of those huntsman wannabes out there don't have more than one piece of armor, and maybe two weapons. You've got a freaking suit of power armor".
"The laser was using more power than it should have been". Talis growls, but despite his annoyance, his fingers are surprisingly dextrous, tilting the arm and peeling back the armor plating. He makes a few quick adjustments, his hands calm and practiced.
"...You just couldn't sleep". The wolf-girl tilts her head, her eyes betraying her worry. "Right?"
He gives her a small smile, gently laying the arm down. "Yeah, pretty much". He strides over, and she giggles, jumping up and wrapping her arms around his neck. "Really?" He gives the enthusiastic girl a light noogie, and she laughs, letting go. She falls two feet to the ground, landing with a soft floof.
"Sorry, I just can't believe it". She gives him a happy grin, her canines on prominent display. "After today, we'll be on a team, and we'll be official hunters in training!" She hops up and down, getting another small smile from the giant.
"Yeah". He nods, but exhales tiredly. "Come on, Enyasi. Tomorrow's the day, and we both need to rest up". He points to the door leading back to the bedroom. "Go on, I'll be there in a second". She raises one eyebrow, tapping her foot as he picks up the other arm and begins adjusting a few pieces of equipment. After a few seconds, he looks back up. "I mean it. I just need to calibrate the-" His voice trails off as her scowl deepens. "...Fine, I'll deal with it later". He follows the wolf-girl back to the room, and she turns off the lights as he pulls the sleeping bag over his massive shoulders. "Night Enyasi".
"Night, big guy".
"Don't call me that".
"Good morning, good morning, good morning~"
Enyasi sits bolt upright, rolls out of bed, trips over the big lug sleeping on the floor, and falls over in a heap, her hair flying every which way. She sticks her hands out to break her fall, only to skim the side of Talis's face with her palm. The big lug wakes up in an instant, pain flashing across his cheek, only to feel a sudden weight on his chest.
"Uh...Morning, Talis". She waves sheepishly, her slender frame on top of his chest, her cheeks bright red. "Have a nice trip?"
He gives a growl at that. "Please get off me". When she doesn't move, he gently puts a hand underneath her stomach and pushes her off. "Get dressed and let's go. Ironwood wants us all there at O-Nine Hundred".
"and you need to fix your armor". She grins as he looks away. "Oh, please. I know you went back as soon as I fell asleep".
"Good morning, good morning, good-Ow!" A blonde woman in her late teens whirls around, her hi-tech guitar popping twin barrels from its' bottom. "Who dares?" She pulls her hand away from her head, peering down for a split second as an apple rolls around on the stone floor below.
"We're trying to sleep over here!" A pink-haired girl glares at her the blonde. She stands on a pair of roller-blades, and a pink tail swishes back and forth. "We don't need to be there for two hours!" She folds her arms over her chest. "By the way, I didn't throw that apple". She points up towards the vaulted ceiling.
"Hello down there". His voice is a confident baritone, and it echoes through the hall. The apple leaps upward into his hand, and he takes another bite as he floats down to the floor. "As much as I admire the musical arts, I think it's a bit early for a concert". She growls, staring the boy down as he lands between the two ladies. "Now, now, no need for confrontation". He raises his hands, spreading the fingers of his gauntlets. "Besides, the gravity of today can't be underestimated". He gives the blonde a boyish grin, taking a leather flight helmet off his head. Blue eyes twinkle with merriment as he takes a step forward, his shoulders raised in a casual shrug.
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She lowers her weapon, folding the guitar up and slinging it onto her shoulder. She gives him a brilliant smile, her hips swaying as she steps towards him...and she grabs his apple, taking a half-step back and whipping it at his head.
he ducks, the fruit narrowly missing his scalp, and he grins as she steps forward to follow it up with a punch.
Clang
Both blondes' eyes widen as a metal hand larger than Chromata's head reaches over his shoulder and intercepts her fist.
"Break it up, you two". The voice is bass, decidedly male, and the tone brooks no dissent. He towers over the rest of the hunters-in-training, and his pistons hiss as he releases her hand. He stands back up to his full height, the shields across his arms shifting as he rolls his shoulders. His armor is midnight black, covering his whole body, and underneath his massive wrist-joints, the barrel of a weapon pokes out. "Save it for the Grimm". He continues down the hall, and the others give him a wide berth.
"For a guy with so much metal around him, how'd he get that stick up his ass?" The pink-haired girl asks, to much laughter.
"It's a standard part of the Atlesian military uniform", the winged boy retorts. "Come on, you've never seen that part of it? You did pants Corporal Crimson last week. Right, Neon?"
"Hell, yeah I did!" Neon slides in on her skates, grinning like mad. "And lemme just say, the stick up there...? Not worth the trouble".
"That's enough, Privates!" A middle-aged man with a greying beard forces his way into the common room, elbowing aside Neon. He ignores the snickers, barking out orders. "A-tenn-HUT!"
The hunters in training straighten, standing at attention...except for the bird boy, whose boots activate, sending him a good seven feet up into the air.
"Do you think you're a wise guy, bird brain?" He reaches out, striding forward and pulling him from the air with a single hand. Chromata falls, barely bending his knees as he lands.
"Sir, yes SIR!" His voice leaves his mouth like a blast of sudden wind, knocking the Sargent clear off his feet. "Uh...Whoops. My apologies, sir. My semblance is tied to my voice, SIR!" Another blast hits the Sargent as he stands, eliciting giggles from the hunters in training around him.
"You just earned yourself a week of early morning calisthenics for that stunt". A pale woman in her early twenties steps forward, her hand on a sword at her waist. The officer dusts himself off, giving the bird boy a level glare.
"And an hour of boot-polishing". He adds. "Mine, not hers".
"Of course, sir". The bird boy gives the officer a salute, and the white-haired woman a smarmy wink. "I'm shocked. We don't get royalty much down in the Barracks, Specialist Schnee".
"You will speak when spoken to, Private Delsingh". Her glare is ice-cold, and he steps back into line. "We're leaving for the airships. Your trial as a Huntsman or Huntress in training will begin the moment you leave the airship. Once you do so, the first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the next four years. Once you find your partner, you will proceed to this point". She holds out her scroll, and a topographical map forms in front of it. "This mountain has several beacons on it. The beacons must each be lit with four relics, which you will find in the icy plains to the south. There will be Grimm, and you will not be able to call for help from Atlas until you make your way to the beacons. Is this understood?"
Even the smarmy, slow or insubordinate were looking forward to today. "Yes Ma'am!"
The group of trainees follow Winter, the aggravated officer and several of Ironwood's soldiers, who fall into lockstep beside Winter.
"This airship will take you to your destination". She points to the inside as it opens. "Standard issue troop transport. You will go alone. Good hunting, Privates".
The lockstep breaks as the trainees stumble over each other.
"Please, ladies first", Chromata bows theatrically, motioning for Talis to pass.
"How polite, Enyasi". Talis steps aside and she steps through, giving the bird boy the stink eye as she gets on. "Too bad he has such wandering eyes".
The bird boy shrugs his shoulders, kneeling at the side of the ship to tighten his boots. "...Huh". His eyes rake up and down the ship, and he smirks. "Oh...You bitch". He chuckles, and as Talis steps onto the ship, he follows.
The trainees settle in, some standing, others leaning against the walls of the airship as it rises into the sky.
"Wandering eyes, armorloid? Is that the best you've got?" Chromata closes his eyes, crossing his legs against the floor. "Tall-dark and too-loud to be mysterious?"
"This coming from the guy who literally screamed your commanding officer off his feet".
"Heh. Fair enough". Chromata grins as Enyasi stands up, walking over to him.
"Word of advice, bird brain. Keep your robot jokes to yourself if you know what's good for you". She pokes him in the chest with her pike to emphasise that, As she does so, a small metalic click reverberates through the cargo hold.
Chromata pokes the tip of her pike with his gauntletted hand, his smile gone. With one finger, he moves it back and away from his body, a look of mild distain on his face. A second click sounds, and his smile returns.
"Since we're giving out little tidbits here, why don't I give you some information?" He drags the last word out, wrapping a gravity bubble around himself as the noise sounds a third time, this one close to the front of the vessel.
"Oh yeah? And what would that be?" Enyasi scowls. "You don't know any more than the rest of us".
"If that's how you feel, I'll just give you this. Free".
"Free? Free?! What kind of bullshit advice is free?!" Cappollo stands, walking over. "You lead with that kind of line, then go with free?!"
"Yes...But free what, my feisty friend?" The click sounds, and he closes his eyes against the sudden rush of winter wind. The entire hold drops away, and as the rest of the trainees let out screams, he grins, his feet staying in place as if planted on solid ground. "Free Falling!"