The cafeteria.
In terms of size Beacon's dwarfed the one back at Signal, the deafening chatter of all the students within almost a match for the thunderous applause they'd been given during their entrance ceremony. The same went for the food selection, popular meals from more than just Vale on the menu, the smell alone giving away the fresh ingredients used in each one.
Those details aside, it wasn't all that different. Countless tables packed to the brim with already forming cliques. Too many people. Too much noise. Too many openings. He'd have taken a seat at one of the far back corner tables so he could at least keep an eye out for any possible danger, but that decision hadn't been up to him.
"Are you alright?" Pyrrha's voice drew him from his futile scan of the room and back to their table. Their team sat on one side of one of the many tables practically in the dead center of the room with Yang and her teammates on the other, all of their respective lunch trays in front of them.
Rooms across from each other, the same homeroom, and even sharing a table. Whether it was due to Ruby's and Yang's familial connection or chance, their teams were primed to spend plenty of time together.
"Too much noise." He said. Typically, he had no issue keeping his ears still, but noise of this magnitude had caused them to flatten into his hair in an involuntary effort to shut out or muffle all the stimuli. The pain was an annoyance but nothing that couldn't be managed. "I'll be fine." He assured her.
"Awww, you look so cute. Like a sad puppy." Yang cooed at him from across the table.
"Real classy comparison." Yin said dryly.
"What can I say, I'm a classy gal." Yang retorted with a grin. "If you smiled more, you'd make a cute puppy."
For the first since they sat down. Blake looked up from her book, a similarly dry stare aimed at Yang. "Really?" She questioned, entirely unimpressed.
"Hey, hey, don't look at me like that, captain broody. Yin knows that I don't mean anything by it." Yang said, waving off the look.
Sure enough, despite the fact that he wouldn't have been the one to describe the two of them as friends, he knew her well enough to say racist wasn't a label that could be attached to her. Her jabs and jokes were just that, no malicious intent or questionable undertones to them.
"Anyways, you guys found any clubs you were interested in?" Yang asked while idly popping fruit from he tray into her mouth. After being released from homeroom they'd been roaming the campus as a team, checking out all the clubs spread about. Some had prepared entire stands for first years to check out while others just sent out recruiters to try and drag them to club rooms.
Ruby was the first to answer but her food filled mouth didn't lend itself to proper articulation.
"Chew before you talk, you slob. What your doing is disgusting and a choking hazard." Weiss didn't miss the chance to criticize Ruby, giving their leader a revolted side-eye as she put distance between their trays.
Ruby did as she was told. "Right, sorry." She apologized, unbothered by Weiss's attitude. "I'm heading back to the weapons club after this. They said if I join-"
"Of course you are. What about you three? Find anything worth sharing?"
"Hey! I wasn't done talking." Ruby's whine went completely ignored, Yang smiling at them to do the same.
"I currently have my eyes on the student council. They-"
"Boring." Yang interrupted Weiss as quickly as she'd done Ruby.
"Hey! You can't just talk over someone like-"
"What about you Pyrrha?" Yang asked, Weiss indignant chiding ignored.
"Well, I'm not sure it counts as interesting, but I've got my eyes on the swimming club." Pyrrha shared after setting down a spoonful of rice.
That managed to pique Yang's interest, the blonde leaning forward. "Really? Here I thought you would've gone with something combat based like the martial arts club or something like that. That actually doesn't sound like a bad choice though." Yang toyed with the idea for a bit before her lilac eyes fell on him. "Do I even need to ask about you?"
"Haven't settled on anything yet." He shrugged. "I'm thinking of forgoing clubs and just spending time reading through the library. "
"Ugh, you sound just like Blake here." Yang groaned. "You two know that being coped up in a library isn't the same as joining a club, right? You're supposed to be making friends by bonding over something you have in common."
"Maybe some of us prefer to keep to ourselves" Blake said without looking up from her book.
"Oh, come on. We all know that's just what friendless people say to make it seem like they chose to be alone." Yang slid over, bumping her shoulder to Blake's. "You and I should join the same club, captain. I'll show you a whole new world of-"
"I'm done here." With a grimace Blake stood up, barely touched lunch and team left behind.
"Man, that girl is so anti-social." Yang muttered before standing up. "Wait up!"
Naturally their team wasn't the only one with issues. Yin looked at the other two, Rin already rising to follow, but he found Nora staring him down.
"Yang is right! You do look like a puppy." She suddenly said.
"Nora…" Ren groaned before giving him an apologetic bow. "She didn't mean anything by it."
Yin waved it off and the pair took off after their team. That Nora girl seemed as energetic as Ruby just without the awareness to feel awkward about anything she said or did. Like Yang's, the comment lacked any malice.
"…since we're talking about your ears-"
"No. You can not touch them, Ruby."
Their leader sucked her teeth, Pyrrha, and even Weiss, both amused by his swift denial.
He'd never paid it much mind in Signal but the disparity in numbers between humans and faunus in places like this was abundantly clear. It's not like it mattered, his team far from the worst sort of people he could've ended up with, but it was worthy of note.
XOXO
"Welcome! Are you here to test out the pools or are you just here to take a look around?" A student, probably a third or fourth year if his age was anything to go off of, stood outside a pair of glassed double doors, dressed in only swim trunks. The glass on the doors were so thick one could only make out shadowy shapes beyond it.
"Just here to check if my teammate decided to join the club." Yin said.
"Of course, head on in." The student stepped aside, nodding to him. "Just make sure to keep to the edges of the room and always watch your step. A fall can be fatal for anyone, even us huntsmen if we're caught unprepared." There was some irony to be found in students from an academy dedicated to training defenders warning each other about slipping on wet floors but he didn't pay it much attention.
Yin pushed open one of the doors and stepped in, keeping to the edge of the room as he examined it.
The place amounted to a large rectangular box, containing three different pools, all just short of being as long as the building they were built under. People from all years populated the tiled room, most swimming laps through the dark blue pools while others were on the benches that outlined the room, either taking a short break, or much like him, just watching.
By all means, he expected the grand size of the structure, but Yin found himself grimacing as he strolled through it.
The whole room was white. Pure white.
"Whoa! She's amazing."
"I guess that's Pyrrha Nikos for you. There goes any chance of me being the best swimmer here."
"Hey, look on the Brightside, you can give up that delusional dream now. You were never going to be the best."
"Shut up, bastard….hey you think I can sneak a camera past that guy at the front and-"
"Dude, have some damn shame for once."
Following specific conversations made it easy to figure out where Pyrrha was. Whatever room she entered, gossip about her would start without fail. He soon found himself sitting on a bench against the walls on the opposite side of the room's entrance, watching what it was that stirred up conversations about her.
Her form was distorted below the shifting waters of the third pool, but her red hair drew his eye.
Masterful. He could tell at a glance that Pyrrha had been swimming her entire life, her perfect strokes allowing her to glide through the waters with ease. Though she paid those around her no attention, those who attempted to pit themselves against her when she reached one end of the pool were lapped several times over.
She certainly knew how to hold her breath.
He'd been waiting for quite some time, watching student after student fail to match her, before she hit the end of pool and finally broke through the surface of the water. She gave polite smiles to those who met her gaze as she prepped for another dive.
Luckly their gazes met, Yin throwing out a wave.
A smile that reached her eyes. A shine in said eyes that had been previously missing. Pyrrha's face literally lit up when she saw him. She abandoned the pool without a second thought, pulling herself out and making her way towards him.
That guy he'd heard talking about a camera lacked shame for sure, but no warm-blooded man could truly blame him for the idea. Be it her armor, sleepwear, or the school uniform, Pyrrha was a ten out of ten in everything. Now that she was in a one piece swimsuit that, while not revealing, hugged her water dripping form?
She'd be marked an eleven out of ten by others, he was sure.
"Yin, what are you doing here?" Pyrrha asked as she joined him on the empty bench.
"Still haven't decided on a club to join so figured I should check out the ones you were all interested in." He said. "How are you enjoying it?"
"Its nice. Well, the facilities are nice." She corrected herself, smile dropping slightly. As usual plenty of eyes were on her, people already throwing him into their whispers as well. "I believe Ruby's sister was right however. It'd be smarter if I found a combat focused club for training."
Yin hummed. The reluctance in her voice betrayed how little she enjoyed that idea. "You're a pretty good swimmer. It's a hobby of yours?"
"That's right. Back in Argus, the city I'm from, we had a beach that was walled off from Grimm. My father always took me out there when he'd come back from missions." Pyrrha shared with a fond smile as she looked out at the pools.
A huntsman for a father? As much as people ran their mouths about her, they never brought up personal history so that was a first.
"I don't think you should worry so much about it." Yin said after a moment. "Most people would probably consider this an exercise but if swimming is something you enjoy, you should keep at it. It's important to balance rest with training." He offered her an understanding nod. "You'll probably end up the center of attention no matter what club you're in so it might as well be one you can enjoy yourself in, right?"
"I suppose I can't argue with that." Pyrrha looked back at him, smiling appreciatively before curiosity took over. "Are you thinking about joining?"
"Not really. It doesn't hold as much appeal for me." Yin admitted, squashing the bit of hopefulness that accompanied the question. Swimming made for an effective workout, but he didn't need to join a club for that. He sincerely doubted this entire place was reserved entirely for one club and even if it was, there were alternative workouts.
There was no reason to join this club.
Almost no reason.
"But if you're joining, I might consider it if I don't find anything else." Yin said. "It'd be something to look forward to then."
"I-I see." The direct flirting caught her off guard, but Pyrrha rebounded surprisingly quickly. "Then…then I hope you don't find anything." She second guessed herself but got the words out, a bit nervousness tinging her smile and red dusting her wet cheeks.
Yin exhaled slightly as he stood up. "I'll see you back at the dorms, Pyrrha." He said with another casual wave.
He'd gotten two of his teammates to entertain a little flirting with him. It was a small but important step that should keep him out of the fabled friendzone he's heard about.
Setting the norms of a relationship early on was vital after all.
XOXO
Yin stood directly behind Ruby, silently debating just how he should go about getting her attention.
To no one's surprise he'd found her in the same rooms she'd been gushing over during their first day at Beacon. The weapons club had a portion of the workshops on the upper floors of the building reserved for them. They were in one of those said rooms, at least a dozen other students drawing up schematics, fixing up gear, or making something from scratch.
Ruby was no exception.
She was at one of the tables in the corner of the room, her headphones blaring rock music at decimals that all but ensured early hearing loss as she doodled away on sheets of paper. Granted, doodled might be underselling it. She was creating accurate depictions of all of their weapons, drawing out lines to notes listing possible materials, features, and improvements.
She wasn't just obsessed with weapons, she had an eye for them.
Yin rubbed his hand against the side of his pants for a good minute before raising a finger to the back of Ruby's neck. It took several attempts before she jolted up in her seat, hand shooting to her neck as she twisted around, the rotating stool allowing her to fully face him.
"What the-Yin!" Her annoyance and confusion was replaced by eager recognition. "Did you come to join!? We should totally be weapons buddies! I can see it now, I captain Ruby Rose and you Yin-"
"Would you shut her up?' Someone yelled from the other side of the room.
Yin raised a finger to her ears and Ruby titled her head. "What's that supposed to mean!?" Shaking his head he reached forward, pulling the headphones down himself.
"Oh, was I yelling?" Ruby asked, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head.
"That you were."
"Ugh, sorry everyone." Ruby squeaked out, too embarrassed to raise her voice again. "Do you think they're going to kick me out?"
Unlike Ruby he had no issue looking around. Some look annoyed but in the span of a short few seconds her outburst was forgotten, everyone diligently working on their respective project.
"I think you're good." He said.
"Just don't let it happen again." The one who had shouted grumbled loudly.
"Mostly good." Yin corrected.
"Good." Ruby let out a sign of relief. All her anxiety seemed to escape with that breath, excitement back in the front seat. "So, did you come to join the club? Oh, oh, did you bring one of your weapons? I'll repair and clean them if you let me take them apart. Especially that pole saber thing. What did you say the name of it was again?"
"It doesn't have a name and no, I didn't bring any of them."
Ruby gasped. "How could you not name such an awesome weapon?"
"It didn't need one?"
"Of course it needs a name. You went to Signal too, right?" He nodded. "I bet you put a lot of time into making that weapon. At least a few weeks. You put all that effort into it and now you're using it to slay Grimm, go to Beacon, and look cool. Don't you think all of that means it deserves a name?"
Sentimentality: when something or someone held emotional value for a person. One of the few things that most took for granted that he could understand to some degree. Holding on to certain things was a good way to keep memories fresh. Memories that could help prevent a repeat of past mistakes.
"I guess I see where you're coming from." He ceded the point to the overzealous girl, Ruby's silver eyes lighting up. He gestured at the papers behind her. "Mind if I take a look?"
"Sure." Eager to share, Ruby gathered up her drawings and handed the thin stack up to him. "What do you think? I probably got some things wrong, but I wanted to try to figure out how everyone's weapons work."
With closer view of the papers, his previous point was further proven.
Small indents along weapon.
Weird balance?
Rattling inside.
Internal repairs ASAP or the weapon has another form or function???
She'd only had a chance to thoroughly examine his weapon once, but she'd made note of several small details. Enough details that she had a better understanding of his weapons than most would in her shoes.
"You're a pretty good artist." Yin complimented, handing back the papers after taking a glance through each one.
"Ah, it's nothing special. I just learned the basics so I can make my own awesome designs." Despite trying to play it off, she grinned as she took the papers back. "So, are you going to join? We can work on naming your weapon together."
"I just came by to see how you were enjoying the club. I still haven't found one I'm interested in." Yin said.
"If you don't find anything you should definitely join me. Think about it like this, I'll up you come up with the coolest name ever for your weapon while we're working together and in exchange-"
"You're not touching my ears."
"Wha- come on. I totally wasn't going to say anything about that." He raised a brow and her weak defense crumbled instantly. "Okay, I was. Isn't it a good deal?"
He shook his head and turned to leave. "I'll see you back at the dorms, captain." He said with a wave. Much like the swimming club he didn't see any reason to join this club. It might've been useful to have extra supplies and a workstation reserved for him, but that benefit was circumstantial at best. Beacon was chalk full of equipment and provided more than enough material for it's students' needs.
With this one scratched off the list he had a few more stops to make before heading back to the dorm.
"It's a good deal." Ruby called out after him. She had no idea how ironic those words were.
XOXO
"Don't tell me one of your kind intends to sign up for the council?" Arms crossed and sour expression in place, an older student wearing glasses stood between Yin and student council room he'd been directed to. It was on one of the lower floors of Beacon's tower, kept close to the facilities of professors and the like.
"I'm just checking in on a teammate. She said she was interested in joining."
"Good. Whenever one of you people gets in one of these positions, you try to make race the center of everything."
There's a lot of irony going around today. Yin noted. Beacon had rules in place against racism, be it subtle or blatant, but like most places that declared such things, it wasn't something that could be totally enforced.
"What year is your teammate in?"
"First."
"They're interviewed last so she's still inside. She'll be out soon." The student waved him away, no attempt to hide the superiority he believed he held over him. Making his way across the long hallway of doors, Yin took a seat on a cushioned chair directly in front of the student council room.
The glasses wearing student spared him a glance but looked away with a tsk.
Sometime passed before the door opened and Weiss stepped out.
"What are you doing here?" She questioned making her way over to him with her usual elegant stride.
"Haven't found a club that interested me, so I've been checking in on you guys." He said, coming to a stand. "I heard they were interviewing you? How'd it go?"
She smirked. "Good. They were interested in having someone of my caliber." Her bragging lasted only a moment before she frowned. "Unfortunately, first year members aren't chosen until the end of our first month here. Team and individual rankings are taken into account when deciding on who they recruit."
She gave him a pointed look. "It goes without saying that I expect you to put your best foot forward."
"No promises."
Her brow jumped up, but Weiss let the comment side, someone else the focus of her attention. "Well, its not like I have to worry about you or Pyrrha." She muttered to herself. Even when she wasn't around Ruby was running through her mind in the worst ways possible.
He was going to avoid that landmine.
"If you don't plan on bothering with any of the other clubs want to check out the library together?"
"That-" She paused before nodding. "-actually doesn't sound like a bad idea. I could use the chance to refresh myself on the curriculum of our classes."
Together they moved to leave the hall.
"My condolences on the teammate you've been stuck with, miss Schnee." The student with glasses said as they passed. Weiss didn't care to stop, only clicking her tongue, annoyance sprawled across her face.
"See? Its already getting around that I've been stuck under that dolt you and Pyrrha put too much trust in. I'm not the only one who thinks she shouldn't have been made the leader of our group."
Yin didn't bother correcting the misunderstanding, just listening to Weiss complaints as they made their way out of the towers. Was it a good or a bad thing that she was so obsessed with cursing Ruby's name that she completely missed the real target of that comment?
Hard to say.
XOXO
(A/N: Just school stuff with hints towards certain things. Oh, and racism, can't forget the racism. Seriously if you thought I made Yin a faunus just to give him wolf ears and didn't plan on focusing on what comes with that, that's not how things are going to go. It's literally going to be a constant. A part of his day to day.
I'm not looking to break any ground and tell something that's never been told but alongside everything else, it'll be a core part of events and what not. Didn't think I'd be tackling such a thing in what was planned to be a run of the mill popcorn eater/smut fic for me to practice writing but here we are. The world works in mysterious ways.
Not gonna lie, the pace of this story is going to be agonizingly slow though, especially since it isn't the main thing I'm focused on updating. I wouldn't blame anyone for losing interest completely.
Either way, hope you got some entertainment out of this.)