RWBY 1. Interactions

**Ok so this is my first time trying fanfiction and I love the RWBY universe to I knew I had to do it in this. I'm trying to keep it canon but I may decide to just roll with the flow. Any tips, reviews, criticisms or comments on the story or my writing style are greatly encouraged. Please enjoy.**

Devon wandered over to the side of the airship and stopped as he reached the window. He looked out onto the landscape marveling in the towering glory that is Beacon academy. A calm smile made its way onto his face and he let out a small sigh. He had been looking forward to joining Beacon and finally learning to become a huntsman, and was glad he had been given the opportunity. Devon knew it was a long way before he could reach his true goal of becoming the greatest Grimm slayer ever known but he knew this was the best path.

He turned from the view and instead examined the others on the deck. Devon considered himself an 'average Joe'. He didn't particularly excel at combat or strategy and he wasn't the most sociable of people but that in no way meant that he was lacking in any of those departments. He was skilled enough to take down most opponents when he sparred and he could read an opponents moves quickly. And it wasn't that he had trouble socializing with people, it was more that he figured those who wanted to talk to him, would and they would be the ones worth talking to. Devon had plenty of friends back in his home village of Rush and they always had a great time hanging out together. Well they HAD. That was before his village was destroyed by an unusually large pack of Grimm. Despite the efforts of the few Huntsmen and Huntresses stationed there, the sheer number of Grimm attacking was too high for them to handle. Everyone was killed, men, women, children even the Huntsmen and Huntresses. No one was spared. The only reason Devon had survived the slaughter was because he was in Vale at the time. He had been on holiday and came to the city to see a friend. He saw the news reports and immediately tried to return home, however the area had already been sealed off and he was refused access. Since that day Devon had vowed to become the strongest Huntsman ever known so that he could prevent this monstrosity from ever happening again. He had lost his parents, his friends and his neighbours that day and worst of all his little sister. No one should ever have to go through the pain he had and he would make sure no one ever would.

His mum had trained him in the art of twin sword-fighting from a young age as he had always wanted to follow in the Huntress' footsteps. His father had been the caring type, always looking after Devon ans his sister when his wife was off on a mission. His dad was a dog faunus, with two small ears and a tail. He never learned to use his Aura and figured he'd learn at Beacon. As such he hadn't discovered his semblance either. Most people did well before they entered Beacon or one of the other combat schools. But despite those drawbacks Devon was happy with his abilities as a prospective Huntsman.

He watched the other boys and girls on the airship. Some where talking excitedly about being accepted and for the new life ahead of them, some looked nervous and others just seemed uninterested, never looking up from their scrolls. Devon's view rested on a gorgeous blond nearby he gold locks reaching all the way down to her hips and her lilac eyes filled with joy and a hint of cheekiness. She was talking excitedly with a nervous looking girl in a red hood, The girl in red looked younger than the others on the deck probably a year or two. Devon shrugged and took one last look at the taller girl before letting his eyes roam once again. All sorts of people were joining today but he didn't dwell on it. He knew he would have to join with some to form a team for his life at Beacon but he decided to just let things be what they would.  
>His thoughts were soon interrupted when his eyes met those of a girl across the deck. The girl noticed his gaze and flashed him a smile, and boy did she have a smile. Devon froze for a moment, the attention catching him off guard, before he relaxed and returned a weak smile. The girl's eyes brightened at the gesture and she winked and started to make her way over to him. Devon watched as her light brown hair swayed gently behind her as she walked. His gaze wandered down the rest of her body noticing that she wasn't wearing armour. Her arms and legs were bare save the flatbeds she wore on her feet. The rest of her attire consisted of a short miniskirt (not too short though, this girl clearly has some self-respect) and a tight vest and undershirt. She was all in black which oddly suited her brown hair and light blue eyes but the thing that stood out to Devon was that smile. It shattered his thoughts bringing him completely under whatever spell she was clearly subjecting him to. Just before she reached him, Devon noticed the handgun strapped to her thigh just above her right knee. It was black aside from strange blue trails running along its casing. But Devon didn't have time to admire her accessory as the girl reached him.<p>

"Hi! I'm Gale! Gale Trine. And what may I call such a..." the girl paused to look Devon up and down, "...handsome gentleman?"

Devon was taken aback by the girl's forwardness and took a second to register he had been asked a question. He wiped the surprised look from his face and put on a small smile. "Devon. Devon Shade."

The girl flashed him that magnificent smile again. "Well Devon, what would you say to-"

Gale was cut off when a flash of yellow appeared next to her. The blond girl Devon had...watched...before had appeared seemingly out of nowhere to put her arm over Gale's shoulders, leaning on her with a mischievous grin on her face.

"Whatcha found here Gale?!" the blond said teasingly, "Delicate girl such as yourself shouldn't be talking to strange boys."

"Me? Delicate? You've seen what I can do to a man Yang, in both pain..." Gale looked to Devon with a suggestive smirk, "...and pleasure."

The blond girl apparently known as Yang chuckled. "Attagirl! Just like mama Yang taught ya! See Ruby this gal knows how to make friends."

Devon noticed the girl in red from before standing awkwardly next to Yang. "Yaaaaaang..." she moaned quietly. Her eyes lifted to the hilt of one Devon's blades that was protruding from behind his back. She opened her mouth to say something but at that moment the airship had docked at Beacon and the doors opened. Devon took this as his chance to leave this prolonged social encounter. As much as he enjoyed the fact that three women were showing interest in him he didn't want to form any attachments in his time here.

"Ladies," Devon nodded to them and made his way to the doors.

"But you didn't give me your number!" Gale called out from behind him.

Devon stopped to look over his shoulder. The girl had that dazzling smile on again, and it took all of Devon's self-control not to give in and instead in an amused tone, "Hmm, you're right."

As Devon turned back and continued on his way off the deck he heard two of the girls gasp and some hushed talking. Devon just shook his head an continued on his way out. Clearly that girl was used to getting her way with men. Oh well.

Devon followed the crowds to the main hall where the school's headmaster, Professor Ozpin, made a speech to welcome everyone to Beacon. Devon overheard some angry voices and looked arond until he noticed the yellow and red girls from before engaged in an argument with a girl in all white and light blues. He recognised her as Weiss Schnee, heiress to Schnee Dust Company. Devon let out a breath and a smirk made its way onto his face.

"Seems like everyone is making friends today."

Devon turned to see who had made the comment and noticed the girl to his right watching the same commotion he was. The girl looked up to him in surprise.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to say that out loud." She mumbled an apology, looking down to her feet.

Devon looked over the girl. She was pretty, blonde hair resting at her upper back, light-brown eyes and a slim but toned body.

"Relax Jade," Devon looked to the other side of the girl and noticed the new converser, she looked exactly the same as the girl next to him, "you've only been here two hours, you have another four years to make friends. Hey! Why not this guy?" The second girl stood next to the first and offered her hand, "Hi, I'm Raven, and this is Jade, I don't know if you can tell or not but, we're twins!"

The girl called Jade looked up at Devon nervously while the other, Raven, stood confidently with a smile on her face. He took the outstretched hand and shook it. "Devon," he said and offered his hand to Jade. She waited for a moment eyeing the appendage as if it was about to bite her, before taking his hand and lightly shaking it. "Sorry, I only wanted to be polite, but I'm not really here to make friends. It was nice meeting the two of you though." He gave them a smile and returned his attention to the speech. He heard one of them sigh but kept his attention on the professor.

After the opening announcements Devon made his way to the communal sleeping area for the new students. He found a spot in the corner of the room, away from most people and but his single bag down. He didn't need much to live and wasn't one much for fashion. All he had ever needed were a couple of pairs of pants and a few shirts and tank tops. He didn't normally wear anything when he slept but he figured for tonight boxers might have to do. After placing his belongings he looked to his scroll. The night was still young, so he decided to explore the campus. On his way down one of the many halls he found himself in, someone bumped into him and dropped their scroll.

"Sorry," the boy mumbled, bending down to pick up his dropped device.

"No worries." Devon replied, "You okay?"

The boy looked up at him, a mix of confusion and worry in his blue eyes. "Uh, no... I mean, maybe... wait, um... hey do you know where the sleeping area is for the first years?"

Devon raised an eyebrow, "Follow me man, I was just on my way back. You know it was the room that literally everybody went to after Ozpin's speech?"

The boy laughed nervously and scratched the back of his head. "Thanks, the name's Jaune by the way."

"Devon." He greeted. Devon realised he was making a lot of unnecessary social interactions today.

"So Devon, what are your thoughts after your first day at Beacon?" Jaune asked as they made their way to the sleeping area.

"It looks like a good place to train and learn I guess. I wish we didn't have to form teams though, I work better alone." Devon replied dryly.

Jaune was silent for a moment before pressing on, "Hey buddy, I barely know you and I'm definitely not the best at making friends around here but a little advice: no-one can make it through life entirely on their own. Well that's what my sister told me anyway, but I think she's right."

"Well it's a good thing I'm not too worried about my life then." Devon said, his voice void of any emotion.

Jaune stopped walking and Devon stopped after a few steps and turned to face him. "I hope you meet someone who changes that."

Devon continued to stand there and didn't say anything. Jaune sighed after a moment and looked around, realising that they had arrived at the massive slumber party.

"Thanks for helping me. I hope you'll enjoy your time here at Beacon. See you round Devon." Jaune offered his hand.  
>Devon nodded and shook Jaune's hand, "See you round."<p> 


	2. Hunting

**So here's chapter 2. I was surprised to see that people are taking time out of their day to read this. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside :)  
>Some fighting and more character interaction in this one, trying to build on the team's relationship a bit. So enjoy, review, critise and give tips!<strong>

Devon awoke the next morning to a weight on his chest. He groggily opened his eyes to see a blurry figure above him. As his eyes focused he immediately recognised the killer smile and bright green eyes.  
>"Good morning gorgeous." Gale sung down to him. She was sitting on him, her legs draped either side of his chest and her hands planted either side of his head, holding her up. It was at this moment that Devon realised how close their faces were. Avoiding her eyes he looked around the room. Almost everyone had already left and some were already kitted out in battle gear. "Breakfast is only being served for another half an hour so I figured I'd get you up. Not a morning person eh?"<p>

"No. Thank you." Devon yawned, trying to rise but finding himself unable to. The girl had him pinned.

"Not a problem handsome." She smiled, a knowing look in her eyes.

Devon just lay there for a while, expecting the girl to move off of him. In the end he had waited about five minutes before he decided he needed food. "May I rise now?"

Gale smirked at him, "Why are you asking me for permission? I'm not your master... unless you're into that..."

Devon sighed, deciding action was the only option with this girl. He grabbed her by the thighs and prepared to lift.

"Hey easy there boy, I like to take things sloooo-hey!" Gale started before Devon flipped her legs from beside him and over his head causing her to roll behind him. He quickly got up and grabbed a change of clothes and made his way to the nearby bathroom. He changed quickly, but not fast enough apparently, as Gale waltzed into the men's as he was just pulling his pants on. The only other guy in the room looked nervously over at the newcomer before quickly making his way out the door.

"You're not supposed to be in here." Devon stated, continuing to dress himself after a brief pause.

"But you don't mind right? After all, there's no-one else in here," Gale started to saunter over to him, "We could always have a little bit of... fun."

Gale said the final word with a wink and moved her body close to Devon's without actually touching him. Devon just rolled his eyes, grabbed his old pair of boxers off of the bench and moved past her and out of the room. He heard a humph of frustration just as he was at the door.

He made his way to the cafeteria, grabbed a tray and loaded it up with food. He knew today was bound to be a busy day and didn't want an empty stomach. While he may not be a morning person, Devon was most certainly a breakfast person. After pouring a large glass of OJ, he made his way over to an isolated table and began to dig in. About halfway though the meal he heard a familiar voice from behind him.

"Hey, Devon right?" Devon looked over his shoulder to see the scraggly blonde he met the night before a tray pf food in his hands. "Mind if I sit?"

Devon examined the boy for a moment and shrugged approval, returning to his meal. Jaune set his tray down next to Devon and sat beside him. "Thanks," Jaune offered, "I don't really know anyone here and you're the only person here who doesn't make me feel completely awkward."

Devon raised an eyebrow to this and replied, "No, problem" before filling his mouth with egg. They ate in silence for a little while before it apparently became too awkward for Jaune and he spoke up.

"So! I hear that teams are going to be assigned today." he commented. Devon stopped mid-bite on a sausage. He had really hoped it would be a while before he had to make any meaningful interactions with his classmates. He knew he would have to be part of a team eventually, but wished it didn't have to be so soon. "Guess that whole 'I work better alone' thing isn't going to do you much good today, huh?"

"I guess not" Devon said blankly, returning to his half-eaten sausage.

"Hey, well if you don't have anyone picked out already maybe we cou-"

"YOU!" Jaune was cut off by what Devon recognised as the blonde girl from the day before's voice. He looked over his shoulder to see the beauty marching a warpath towards him, her eyes red and her hair seemingly ablaze. Devon quickly polished off the last of his toast and swung his legs over the other side of the bench he was seated on, resting his back against the table. He did this just in time to have a finger jabbed into his chest and the air around him sizzle.

Yang was now glaring at him with her red eyes, a literal arms length away. "Talk" she growled.

Devon kept his face reactionless, "Excuse me?"

"I have been informed that you have rejected the advances of a certain gorgeous babe this morning. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY, has ever done such a stupid and irresponsible thing. Care to explain your reasoning behind not taking the full advantage of such an opportunity as doing what you will with this." She gestured with her free hand to the girl that had suddenly replaced Jaune on the bench next to him.

"Hey there." Gale greeted sweetly, flashing her magnificent smile. Devon stared at her for a moment before returning his attention to Yang.

"Sorry, but I don't really care for interaction. And she seemed like a lot of it."

Devon watched as small fires seemed to ignite in Yang's eyes and she raised her fist. Just before she brought it down to connect with his face, Devon leaned forward and brought his hand to her hip, lifting her ever so slightly as he moved past her from the bench. The aftermath was Yang effectively throwing herself over the table as Devon began to casually make his way out of the cafeteria.

Devon now found himself looking over a wooded landscape, lined up with the other first year students on a series of metal platforms. He was dressed in his combat gear, light padded armour covering his chest, arms and legs. He never liked to go heavy, his fighting style was all about flexibility, maneuverability and balance. He idly shifted the blades strapped to his back, one hilt just above his right shoulder and the other down near his left hip. Not many people understood his fighting style but it worked for him so he didn't care. He knew most students at beacon had some sort of multifunctioning ability to their weapons, like a sniper-scythe or a sword-spear-rifle. The only ability his swords had were the ability to amplify their blades and strikes with dust. Only fire and air suited his style, superheating the blade to cut through most materials and creatures and extending the range of his strikes respectively.

After Ozpin had finished explaining the activity they were about to attempt Devon readied himself for the launch he knew was coming. He glanced over at the other students around him. He received a small wave from the small girl known as Ruby, a glare from Yang and Gale blew him a kiss and accompanied it with a wink. He lowered his center of gravity as he heard the gears below him move, and a second later he was in the air soaring over the forest. He opened his arms and let the fresh air caress his face for a moment before reaching behind him and drawing his weapons. With one blade gripped upright in his right hand and the other upside down in his left as per his normal stance, Devon began to spin himself mid-flight. He then activated the air dust in the blades and sent shockwave after shockwave outwards, slowing himself down enough to then roll off the rest of his momentum. He took a moment to loosen his muscles, listening out for any other students, or any Grimm. Maybe if he found a relic before he found a partner he wouldn't have to deal with a team. Show the teachers that he was perfectly fine as a lone wolf and doesn't need anyone getting in his way. But at the same time he wanted to destroy as many Grimm as he could along the way.

Before he could move out however, he heard a rustling behind him. He turned to face the noise, switching the blade in his left to air to deal with the possible threat from range and the one in his left to fire, for if things get up close and personal. Devon need not have done so however as the figure that emerged from the shrubbery was that of a girl, and not a beast. Before Devon could close his eyes (thus avoiding the eye-contact rule of partnership) he found himself locked in the mesmerizing beauty of the bright green orbs staring back at him.

"Fuck" he grumbled before sheathing his blades and turning to walk in the opposite direction. He heard footsteps following behind him and quickened his pace. Maybe if he ignored her she would just leave him alone. He soon found this not to be the case as Gale drew level with him.

"It must be fate!" she cheered, "Don't look so sad 'D', we'll have fun! I can hold my own in a fight. I get the vibe that you prefer to fight solo and I'm cool with that, in fact we may work well together in that respect. Plus our natural chemistry means that we should get along great!"

Devon stopped in his tracks. Out of all of the first year students at Beacon he had to end up with the one person he wanted to see the least. Well, he may have to just deal with it for the time being and maybe he can sort something out with the teachers later. He turned to Gale who had noticed his lack of movement. "You go find a relic, I'm going to slaughter beasts."

Gale narrowed her eyes slightly before quickly pulling out her handgun, pointing it straight at Devon, and firing.

Devon's reaction time was anything but slow, so when he didn't even flinch after a bullet flew right past his ear, clearly he wasn't worried for his health. Much. To be completely honest the sheer shock and surprise of the situation had just paralyzed him. After Devon realised that the bulled hadn't actually hit him, and that the thud wasn't his own body hitting the ground, he let out the breath he didn't know he was holding. He blinked, his eyes wide and locked on those of the girl before him. A smirk had crept onto her face and she moved towards him. She brought her lips to his ear and whispered, "Relax 'D', I would want to damage the goods."

She moved behind him and Devon relaxed his muscles and turned to see what had happened behind him. They watched as the carcass of a small Ursa began to disintegrate into thin air.

"The mother's probably not far off" Gale re-holstered her gun and turned to him, "I get that you wanna go solo. Add me on your scroll. When I find a relic i'll buzz you and you can come find me."

Devon realised she had accepted his plan and nodded. They pulled out their scrolls and exchanged contacts. Gale put her scroll away and moved towards Devon and wrapped him up in her arms. Devon stiffened at the contact, but the hug didn't last long.

"Happy hunting" she said, turning and heading off into the trees. Devon just stood there in shock for a little while, registering what had just happened. Eventually he shook his head to clear it. She had been kind enough to grant him his wish, maybe she wasn't too bad after all.

Devon sat down and waited for the inevitable arrival of the slain Ursa's mother. He was waiting for a long time and almost gave up before he heard a rumbling deep within the trees and stood up to prepare for the monster. It was just in time too as the trees burst, splintering into a thousand pieces that scattered around the small clearing. The monster towered before him, rearing up on its hind legs and roaring. Devon shifted ready to dodge the oncoming strike, but when he moved he noticed a distinct lack of Ursa claws where he was. He looked up in confusion, and noticed that the Ursa was completely ignoring him. It had started nuzzling the ground where it's cub had fallen and raised its head to look around. When its gaze passed over Devon without a pause, he became infuriated, and even more so when it started to pad off into the trees again.

"I'M NOT DONE WITH YOU, MONSTER!" he yelled, sprinting after it. The beast paused and raised its head towards the noise, only for it to be separated from its body a moment later. It rolled away and the body collapsed with a thud, moments later it started to disintegrate just like its baby had done.

Devon took a couple of deep breaths to curb his temper. After calming down he decided to start moving again, taking off into the forest to find more prey. He jumped and slashed one of his blades downwards, launching himself up onto a nearby branch. Using this technique he leaped from tree to tree moving through the forest. Whenever he saw a creature of Grimm, he dropped down on it, slayed it in a swipe or two and launched back into the trees. He slaughtered Beowolves, Usai, Boarbatusks and even the occasional Deathstalker. Eventually he made his way to a cliff overlooking a chasm. As he was looking to find a way across he heard explosions and gunfire. He looked around for the source of the noise and in the distance recognised the giant shadow that was a Nevermore. He noticed small flashes of light guessing they were the explosions he was hearing. He turned back to the chasm before him. Devon figured whoever was fighting that thing probably had it under control, No need to intervene.

Seeing no other way across Devon decided to launch himself using his blades over the gap. He jogged back from the edge a little ways and prepared for the jump. As he readied himself for the feat, a spinning disc came out from the trees to his right, barely missing him, before its trajectory changed and it flew straight back the way it came. Devon turned to face the possible threat readying himself for a fight if need be. At that moment two girls leaped out of the underbrush and both ran straight toward him. Instead of attacking him however they both ran up next to him, stood, and turned to face the way they came.

Devon glanced at the newcomers, recognising them as the twins he met at the opening ceremony. Shrugging he faced the same direction as them and waited for whatever was coming. Both girls were panting hard.

"Creeps...a lot...of them. Too...many..." one of them said between breaths, pointing the way they had come. It was then that Devon felt the ground begin to shake, gradually getting more vigorous. He heard the rumble of a stampede and gripped his blades tighter.

"You two take cover, I've got this." Devon said calmly.

The girls both looked at him in disbelief, "You can't take that many. Not by yourself." one reasoned.

"I can hold my own, at least until you rest up a bit" Devon took a step forward, "Give me two minutes. If I haven't slaughtered them all by then, you can give me a hand."

The girls looked to each other, apparently having a silent conversation. "Okay," one of them said finally, "two minutes, then we help."

Devon just nodded and the girls made their way over to a nearby fallen log and took cover. Devon considered the fight he was about to engage in. From what the twins had said, it sounded like there was a large number of Creeps approaching, backed up by the shaking he was currently feeling. So, how to handle this? He weighed his options and after a moment decided on a plan. The first of the stampede burst through the trees and Devon switched both blades to air. He began to slash at the beasts, sending slicing waves through the air. Every wave that hit, promptly cut the receiving body in half. After a few seconds, a large number of Grimm had arrived and Devon decided to start his plan. He sent off a few more slices and then turned to run for the chasm. He heard the monsters behind him but didn't dare look back. He made it to the cliff and threw himself off, leaping over the abyss. He rolled in the air and looked the way he came. He watched as the Grimm began to barrel over the edge. Every one that managed to stop before the edge, was then knocked over by one behind it. He allowed himself a smile and readied his blades for the push he needed to make it to the other side. He swung behind himself and he began to curve down to a fall. Devon frowned before realisation dawned on his face. He was out of dust.

Just as he was about to accept his fate as a blood stain on the bottom of the chasm, a cable shot out of the trees above him and shot down to him. He sheathed his weapons and reached out for the possible lifeline, gripping it hard. He tensed as the slack became taught and he started to arc towards the cliff face, then bringing his feet up to cushion the collision. He looked below him, down at the deep abyss that would have been his fate had the cable not come to save him. Deciding that the cable itself was probably not sentient and that there was most likely someone at the other end of it, Devon found a foothold in the rocks. He secured himself by wrapping it around his waist and tugged twice at the cable. He felt it start to move up and slowly started to walk up the side of the cliff, whoever was on the other end clearly had a lot of upper body strength. He reached the top, pulled himself up onto the lip and rolled away from the edge. He breathed in deeply and closed his eyes, trying to calm the adrenaline rushing through his body after the near death experience. He reopened them as he breathed out, only to catch it again when he noticed the two twins standing over him, their arms folded and faces smirking. He quickly sat up, releasing the rest of his breath. He looked them each over, noticing now that one of them had the cable that saved him, each end hanging from her hips beside each of her legs, the bulk of it was behind her so he couldn't see how long it actually was.

He got to his feet and brushed himself of. He looked to the cable girl and gave her a nod. "Thanks...uh..."  
>"Raven" she offered realising he couldn't distinguish between her and her sister.<p>

Devon nodded again, "Thanks Raven", he turned to the other girl and gave her a small smile, "and Jade right?" The girl nodded and smiled back, she couldn't seem to hold his gaze for more than a second or two at a time though.

At that moment his scroll began to ring. He pulled it out and saw Gales face fill the screen. "Got a relic 'D'. Time to come find meeeeee!" she practically sang. Devon sighed. No more Grimm slaying for now, he had made a promise after all.

"I'll be right there" he said plainly, before shutting off the call. He turned to the girls, "Do you have a relic yet?"

Both of their faces lit up and Raven pulled something out of a pouch at her waist. She held it out for him to see. It was a chess piece, a pawn, gold in colour. Devon, raised an eyebrow, "Chess pieces?"

"Yeah I don't get it either" Raven admitted, "but hey, we got it. Although, moments after we did, those Creeps turned up and drove us away. Guess it must be clear if your partner managed to claim one. C'mon, we'll show you the way there. Least we can do after you basically saved us. Right Jade?" The timid girl nodded and started to move in what must have been the direction of the relics. Raven followed and motioned for Devon to do the same.

They made their way through the trees, surprisingly they never ran into any Grimm on the way but Devon guessed that many people had come this way if the relics were nearby and they had probably all been taken care of. Good riddance too, he mentally added. After a few silent minutes they made it to a clearing and Devon saw the ruins and pedestals where the relics no doubt had rested. However they were all clear now, suggesting they had all been taken. Devon felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to face down the barrel of a gun. He reeled back instinctively, only to be greeted by laughter.

"Relaaaaaaax 'D'!" Gale teased as she finished laughing, "Think fast"

She threw something to him and he caught it reflexively. He looked at the item in his hand. It was a chess pawn, gold like the twins'. He looked back up to Gale, "Why a pawn?"

She looked at the ground now and talked in a quiet voice, "It was the only one left..."

Devon's eyes widened for a moment before collecting himself. He decided that was only natural considering only one of the two partners was actively looking for the relics. "Well, better a pawn than no relic." he said offering a small smile. He eyes met his and she flashed her brilliant smile.

"Absolutely!" she cheered, her mood switching instantly. It seemed there was no consistency with this girl. "Maybe we can watch some together later too!", except for one thing Devon decided, realising what she meant. He glanced at the two girls next to him, hoping they hadn't heard. His hopes were dashed though as he noticed the blush and stern look on Jade's and Raven's faces respectively. He returned his gaze to Gale, a disappointed look on his face, met only by a wink and her smile. Devon sighed.


	3. Restless

**Punched this one out nice and quickly, hopefully that doesn't show in the quality. Hope you guys enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. Enjoy, review, criticise and give tips!**

"Russel Thrush, Cardin Winchester, Dove Bronzewing, Sky Lark. The four of you retrieved the black bishop pieces From this day forward, you will work together as Tam Cardinal, led by... Cardin Winchester!" Professor Ozpin announced. The four boys then began to leave the stage. Devon watched as the Teams were formed, watching the members for Teams Juniper and Ruby receive their team names and leaders. Devon was just as surprised as everyone else when Jaune was assigned as leader. The boy who couldn't even find his way to the sleeping area on the first night was to lead his own team for the next four years. Well, he's stuck with it now, maybe he can learn? Devon had already been assigned into his team, Grudge (GRDJ). Gale was assigned as leader, which didn't surprise him at all. She was confident, determined and from what he could tell, despite her 'charming' attitude, mature. As they were dismissed from the assembly Devon turned to examine his team. He still didn't want to be a part of a team and was going to find Ozpin as soon as he could to try and get out of it, but as far as teammates go, he could live with this lot if it came to that. Gale looked down as her scroll beeped.

"Well gang, we have our room! Let's roll!" she turned and strolled with purpose towards the dorms. The twins fell into step behind her and Devon lagged a bit behind. As they made their way through the halls Devon decided now was as good a time as any to go find Ozpin.

"Hey, I need to talk to Ozpin. I'll meet you guys there later." he called out to them before breaking off at an intersection.

"Hey!" Devon stopped in his tracks and turned to Gale who had called out, she and the twins had stopped.

"What is it?" he asked meeting he questioning gaze.

She stood silent for a moment, examining him, before speaking out, "How are you going to find the dorm? I'm the only one with the location."

Devon's eyes went wide for a split second before he brought himself under control. As he never had the intention of returning, he hadn't considered the need to know where the dorm was. However he didn't want to have his true intentions revealed to his team, any emotional conflict would be better avoided. "Uh, you can just send it to me?" he replied weakly, "Look I really gotta go."

Gale eyed him for a moment more, her face then brightened. "Hey, we're almost there. Let's just get to the dorm, then we can leave these two to arrange the room while you and I go see Ozpin. How does that sound partner?" she offered in a cheerful tone.

Devon took a step backwards away from the group. He didn't like where this was going. "Uh.. no it's okay. I just have something to sort out. I'll be back." he lied.  
>Gale sensing that something was up took a couple of steps towards him, a concerned look on her face. "You sure? the dorm is literally right arou-"<p>

"NO! STOP!" Devon shouted surprising everyone, including himself, "please, I just need to do this." He took a few more steps away as he said this.

Gale looked at him with a shocked look on her face... and a bit of hurt showing in her green eyes. "Well, okay then." she said quietly, "I'll send you the location."  
>Devon breathed in slowly, trying to calm himself after his outburst. "Thank you" he replied sincerely, feeling a weight come off of his shoulders, "I'll see you later" he added turning and walking away, not daring to look back. He didn't want to see the looks on their faces.<p>

He made his way down the hallway and turned around a corner, before deciding that he actually had no idea where he was or was headed. He knew Ozpin's office was at the top of the tower in the center of campus, however he had no clue as to how to get there. These concerns were of no consequence in the end as a familiar man of grey rounded the corner of an intersection before him. He silently thanked whatever deity was out there but his prayers were interrupted by the man walking towards him. "Ah, Mr Aster, just the man I was looking for."

Devon frowned in confusion, "Wait, you were looking for me?"

"Yes," the calm man answered, "I have no doubt you wish to talk regarding the assignment of your team, is that correct?"

Devon just looked at the man dumbfounded. How had he known that he wanted to leave his team? Was he psychic? Or just really good at reading people? Either way his internal questions were interrupted by the professor again.

"I know of your history Mr Aster. I know what happened to you and your village, what happened to your family, and why you decided to enroll in my school." Devon remained silent. This man knew everything it seemed so he just waited for him to continue. "I must tell you that I have seen this before, not under similar but not equal circumstances I must admit, but the fact remains the same. You wish to destroy the creatures of Grimm, annihilating any evidence of them or their existence, is this correct?" Devon just nodded. "And you wish to do so on your own, unimpeded by others. Is this also true?" Devon nodded again. "Then allow me to inform you that this path is one that will only lead to self destruction and loss. More than you already have experienced. Now you may claim that you do not care for your own life and that may very well be true. However, as a student in my school I cannot allow such catastrophe upon you. Therefore, your request to leave you team is denied." Devon opened his mouth to speak, "DENIED, Mr Aster. I hope your team and your time here will change your mind. But for now please return to your dorm. No doubt you have unpacking to attend to and classes begin in the morning." Devon just stared angrily at the man, fuming in silence. "Good night Devon. I hope sleep finds you tonight. I understand it does not come easily for a boy such as yourself."

And with that the professor turned and left back the way he came. Devon just stood there, fists clenched and frown furious. How DARE he! How could the man suggest that his intentions be wrong!? He had no right to deny Devon the future he wished for himself. He didn't know Devon. Devon knew Devon, and Devon knew what he wanted. Turning on the spot in frustration he stormed back the way he came, before noticing the form at the corner he had come around earlier. Gale was leaning against the wall, arms crossed with a mad frown on her face. Devon just brushed past her not even giving her a second glance and rounded the corner. She must have heard Ozpin's speech. Devon wasn't in the mood to deal with anyone else's problems right now. He then stopped moving as he realised he had no idea where his dorm was. He groaned. There was no way he was asking Gale for directions now and decided he wanted the night to himself anyway. So, he made his way to the stairwell, climbing up until he reached the rooftop. He opened the door into the chilly night air. The cold never troubled Devon, he barely felt it's sharp bite. Heat he couldn't stand but the cold, that is where he felt most at peace. He sat against the wall, the cold brick soothing his rage a little. He got comfortable and pulled up the facemask from around his neck, covering the lover half of his face with it.

This mask had been his dad's, he'd used it to cover the wet nose and fangs of his dog Faunus heritage. While his dad wasn't ashamed of his canine features, he was forced to wear it lest he be attacked by anti-Faunus members of the public. He was not as physically capable as his wife and made up for it with amazing cooking and dancing skills and intelligence. However, this meant he had to watch himself in public. Devon's anger turned to sadness as these thoughts crossed through his mind. He let a tear roll down from his eye to then be soaked into the soft material of the mask. Devon closed his eyes and tried to get some unlikely sleep. He was more tired than he realised in actuality after an exhausting day in the forest, and he passed out almost instantly, his mind filling with dreams and nightmares of his past.

* * *

><p>Devon woke as the harsh light of the sun broke over the edge of the rooftop. He squinted his eyes momentarily to take in his surroundings before deciding it was way too early to get up. He pulled the blanket up to his chin and tried to fall back to sleep. And then Devon's eyes shot open and looked down at himself. Sure enough there was a blanket resting across his body, one he clearly remembered not bringing with him the night before. It was then he noticed the weight on his shoulder, and it turned out to be the head of a blonde girl. Devon watched the sleeping girl for a moment wondering why she was there before looking past her and noticing another head of blonde and one of light brown. He guessed one of them had found him last night, but why they were all sleeping out here with him he couldn't fathom. He knew Gale would have gone back to the dorm last night and told the twins what he had tried to do, so shouldn't they be furious? Mad that he had tried to leave them and should have then left him out in the cold as punishment. His thoughts were interrupted however as the figure next to him stirred. He watched as she opened her brown eyes slowly and lifting her head off of his shoulder. Then she froze, her eyes going wide as her eyes met his.<p>

"S-sorry" she mumbled shyly, "I-I- didn't mean to-"

"It's fine" Devon replied reassuringly, his voice muffled by the face mask he was wearing. He yawned and stretched deciding he probably wouldn't go back to sleep now and might as well start waking up. "Hey," he started, turning to the awoken twin, he guessed it was Jade by the softness in her voice, "why are you guys up here. I'd have thought you'd leave me out here after what I did."

The girl looked away from him nervously, a light blush coming to her face, "W-w-well at first we were kind of upset. You'd barely met us and decided that you didn't like us. B-but then we decided to ask you ourselves as Gale seemed much more angry, she is your partner after all, and she was probably making it sound worse than it was. So, we set out to find you and I eventually found you up here. You were already asleep so I didn't want to disturb you, but you looked cold so I went back to the dorm and got the blanket. I messaged the other two and told them where I'd found you, and brought you the blanket." Her blush had become much brighter by the end of her explanation.

Devon took this information in for a moment before asking, "But how come you're all here now? Why not just go back to the warm dorm and comfortable beds?"  
>The girl was just looking straight at her lap now, her face bright red. "I-I... w-w-well... we uh... I thought you looked lonely..." the last part came out as a whisper, and Devon barely caught it.<p>

Devon was speechless. No-one had aver called him that before. He knew everyone was thinking it, but no-one had ever put it to words. "Oh..." was all he could muster. He looked at the girl, blushing hard, and pulled down the face mask. "Thank you." He said simply, allowing a small smile onto his face.

Jade's eyes lifted to his, her expression changing from nervous to calm and she returned his gesture, "No problem. Knowing my sis she probably just convinced Gale to go along with it, hence why they're here."

It was then that Raven stirred, opening her eyes slowly and looking around. She looked down suddenly at the space between her and Gale and pulled back after a moment, a small blush reaching her cheeks. Gale was jolted awake by the sudden movement, and Devon realised that Raven must have been holding Gale in her sleep. Raven quickly shifted herself, using the small commotion to distract from her actions. Gale stretched and yawned, taking in her environment as well, before turning to the others next to her. Her green eyes met Devon's dark blue ones, and she glared into them for a moment before standing up, knocking the blanket off of the others, and exiting the rooftop through the door to the stairwell. After a moment Raven sighed, looking down at her scroll before turning to her sister.  
>"We should probably follow her. Class starts in two hours and we need to get ready." She suggested before looking over to Devon. "You too."<p>

She stood up, arching her back in a stretch, and Devon had to turn his head away to avoid any awkward stares. He turned back as he heard footsteps moving away. He then had to suppress the sensation in his crotch as his eyes were met with the magnificent view of her slim, toned body sauntering towards the door. After the door clicked shut, he let out the breath he realised he was holding, startling Jade a little. She looked at him, seeing him shift his position slightly and hearing his slightly increased breathing, confirming her thoughts. She let out a quiet giggle and a smile spread across her face. Devon met her gaze and immediately looked away in embarrassment, having been caught ogling her sister. Jade leaned in closer to him before speaking quietly into his ear, "You know we're twins right?"

At that Devon froze, his entire body tensing. A welcome distraction came in the form of a tone from both of their scrolls. [From: Gale; Subject: Team Meeting; Message: Now.] At that they both looked at each other nervously. Gale clearly wanted to talk about the previous night anf they both knew it was likely to get heated. However, fearing what would happen if the didn't show more than the talk itself, they both rose, Jade folding up the blanket and, made their way back to the dorm. Devon made sure to stay near to Jade as he didn't know where the dorm was. They walked in a nervous silence , all through the halls to their room. Jade pulled out her scroll and held it to the panel on the door, and after a small click she opened it and they made their way inside. Closing the door behind him Devon turned to take in the room he would be living in for the next four years. It wasn't too spacious but it was large enough, he noted a few books and possessions lining the shelves and bedside tables around the room. He guessed that the twins must have had enough time to unpack a few things before Gale undoubtedly stormed in. Speaking of the girl, she was standing in the middle of the room with her arms folded and a stern look on her face.

"Take a seat," she said motioning to the bed in front of her. Devon gulped and did so. The twins moved to either side of their leader and looked down at Devon, Raven with a serious look on her face and Jade with a softer more curious one. Gale opened her mouth to speak, only to close it again without uttering a sound. She did this a couple of times before eventually letting out a breath through clenched teeth. "One chance." she started, "One chance, right now to explain your actions. We will not speak until the end of it and you will tell the truth, nothing but. As mad as I am I will try to remain objective so long as you honour me... honour US, with the truth. Seem fair?" Devon just nodded. They did deserve the truth, he had hurt them, and he was now stuck with them for the next four years. He wanted them to understand at the very least, he did not expect forgiveness. "Good, now talk."

Devon took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then he talked. "I'm from Rush, a small village to the south of Vale. I don't know if you've heard about it but there was a Grimm attack there about a year ago. I was in Vale at the time so, I wasn't caught in the slaughter that occurred. Nobody survived the attack. NO-ONE. Every man, every woman, every child, dead. The Hunters and Huntresses protecting them, dead. The town was completely overrun, buildings toppled and streets destroyed. My family are gone. My dad, my little sister and even my mother who was one of the most powerful Huntresses in the town were slaughtered by the monsters. I was not allowed back to my home, it had been sealed off, claimed to be to dangerous for anyone besides a fully fledged Huntsman or Huntress. I was in Vale because I was catching up with an old childhood friend that I hadn't seen in years. His dad was a Huntsman, who joined in the search party that was sent to Rush. He went for me, to find whatever he could of my family's belongings to bring them back to me. Amongst the ruin he recovered two things, this" he pulled the face mask up slightly to show them before lowering it again, "my father's facemask, and the blades I carry, Aldebaran, my mother's granddad's weapons. It was then that I made a decision: I will become a Huntsman, to return to my home so that I may mourn my family properly, and so that no-one else has to go through the loss and pain I have. I will slaughter every Grimm I find, just as they did my family!" Devon's voice had risen slightly near the end and he closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm down.

"Now as to why I wanted to leave this team? Well I never wanted to be in one in the first place. The only reason I came to Beacon, was so that I could become a Huntsman and become strong enough to kill any Grimm I may wish to. A team was something I had hoped to find my way around, but it seems that is not to be the case. I wished to do this alone, no bonds, no friends and therefore no more loss and no more pain. I did not mean to insult any of you and apologise profusely if I have. I may want to be a loner, but that does not mean I wish to be an asshole." At that Devon watched the girls closely for a their reaction, and he was surprised at what he saw. Raven had a worried look on her face, almost like a mother concerned for her child, and Jade had a tear sliding down her cheek. But what caught Devon's attention was the frown on Gale's face, but it was not one of anger, it was softer than that, concern maybe?

He didn't have time to dwell on it as she spoke up. "Stand up, she ordered." Devon did so never breaking eye contact with her. After a moment her arms unfolded and she stepped towards him. He was not ready for what came next and froze as her arms wrapped around his back and laid her head against his chest, pulling him into a tight hug. Eventually he relaxed and returned the hug wrapping his arms around her shoulders. He looked over to the twins who both now had tears in their eyes. Devon smiled lightly and allowed his own eyes to become watery, seeing the others return the smile.


	4. School

**Hey guys! So a slightly shorter chapter for this one, still building characters and all that. Should start to pick up in a chapter or two so bear with it. Enjoy.**

The rest of the morning had gone by relatively cheerily and uneventfully. After the emotional session in the morning they had all showered, changed and headed down to the cafeteria get a bite to eat before their first class, they had decided to finish unpacking after classes. Devon explained that he didn't want anybody else to know about his past and for it to just stay between their team. Gale and the twins agreed under two conditions: no more secrets and that he would try and make some friends. They got their food and sat down at one of the many tables. They chatted a little as they ate, telling each other a little about their life before coming to Beacon. The twins had very strict and demanding parents, both of whom were an accomplished Huntsman and Huntress in their own right, and they had been trained and schooled at home by some of the best teachers around, even some professors from the nearby combat schools. They had easily gained entrance to Beacon and were excited to be spending time away from their limited and strict lifestyle. Gale had a simpler story. She was best friends with Yang and they both sought adventure. After graduating from Beacon they immediately set out to enrol at Beacon, knowing that many an adventure awaited them there.

"Plus, my parents don't have any say on the _friends_ I make here." she added, throwing a wink at a guy down the table from them.

Raven, the voice of reason spoke up then, "Maybe we should have some ground rules about _friends_ and the like. We do all share the same room." The only ways Devon could tell the two twins apart were their voices, and the way they held themselves. Raven giving off a more motherly vibe, confident and caring, as opposed to her sister, who had a much more shy personality and a softer voice.

"Yeah," Jade added, "I don't want to walk in on any... shenanigans, if they can be avoided."

"Hmmm, fair enough," Gale, thought for a moment, "How about I give you guys a buzz if I'm... busy? That way you can avoid any..." she looked to Jade with a grin on her face, "shenanigans..."

Jade quickly looked away, trying terribly to hide the blush on her face. "That sounds reasonable." she squeaked.

"How will we know when you're done though?" Raven asked.

"Easy," Gale perked up, "I'll just buzz you again! Problem solved! You have any problems with this 'D'?"

All of the girls looked to Devon who was sitting quietly in his seat, he wasn't used to just talking about sex so casually. His parents discouraged casual sex, saying it was 'meant for those who love each other'. So, despite their opinion he had 'done the deed' a couple of times before his coming to Beacon, once after getting drunk for the first time at a party and another time with his one and only girlfriend, before she too was murdered by the Grimm. "So long as we have notice. Should be fine." he commented, causing Gale to grow a beaming smile.

"Awesome!" she cheered, "Same rule goes for everyone. I don't know how much you guys get out, but we all have our need right?" she added, winking at Jade, who was still blushing profusely.

"We're not all animals like you" Raven cut in.

Gale just laughed lightly, "Hmm, maybe not you, but how about you 'D'?" She eyed him slyly, eliciting an amused grunt from the boy. "I'll take that as a maybe." At that Gale looked down to her scroll, noting the time. "Well, team Grudge it is almost time for class. So, let our first day of our awesome new lives begin!"

Gale's enthusiasm lasted all of about fifteen minutes into their first class, quickly losing interest in the portly professor's ramblings. She had instead taken to annoying Devon as he tried to pay attention to any good point the teacher may actually give. "Devonnnnnnnn" she moaned tugging at his sleeve, "I'm booooooored."

"Shush, I'm listening" he shushed, glaring at her. She just returned a pout before laying her head on her arms letting out a _hmph_. Devon just continued to watch the rambling man at the front of the room. After another ten minutes he realised the man was going nowhere but sideways with his speech and leaned back in his chair with a defeated sigh. He turned to the girl next to him, her green eyes pleading. Devon just held her gaze for a moment before giving up. "Tell you what, after class today, once we've finished setting up the dorm, we can have some fun. You can decide what we do and I'll go along with whatever. BUT..." he added after a cheeky grin made its way onto her face, "we don't break any school rules, AND you don't annoy me for the rest of the day. Deal?"

She just nodded with a cheeky giggle before she pulled out her scroll and began texting. She wouldn't let Devon see what it was she was writing but he had no doubt she was concocting some extravagant plan for their afternoon activities. He groaned before returning his attention to the class. He was regretting his promise already.

After their final class, 'History and Applications of Dust" Gale dragged Devon back to their dorm, the twins trailing behind. When they arrived she began flinging clothes and personal items all over the place. "What are you doing?" Devon asked, dodging a shirt that flew past his head.

"Unpacking!" she replied cheerily continuing. This time Devon failed to move quick enough to dodge another item of clothing. A particularly skimpy pair of underwear hit him square in the face.

"Well can you do it a little less... flingy?" he asked, throwing the pair back at her. She caught it without looking up and threw it into an open draw.

"C'mon! You should be unpacking too! The sooner we're done the sooner you can meet your da-we can have fun!" she continued unpacking, pretending her slip up never happened. Devon raised an eyebrow, which she caught and stopped. "Wait, you did bring stuff with you right?" She looked to him with concern in her eyes.

Devon just sat down on the only bed that had not been claimed and just looked down at his feet. He knew what was coming next. "Of course," he said quietly, but Gale continued to stare at him with those concerned orbs, "I'm wearing them."

At this Gale stood up and turned to the wardrobe she had been throwing clothes into. After a bit of searching she pulled out a dark grey hoodie, a black T-shirt, and a pair of dark jeans and threw them at him. He looked at the clothes in confusion, and then at Gale, also in confusion. She just gave him a shrug and went back to unpacking. "Those are clothes that _friends_ of mine accidentally left behind. I figured bringing a few could come in handy. Seems I was right. Oh and don't worry, they're washed." She said the last part with a wink.

Devon just looked down at the clothes in his lap, "Thanks, but I don't mind just wearing my combat ge-"

"Mr Aster! If you think I'm letting any member of my team go without a decent attire you are sorely mistaken. As leader of this team I will make sure we are stylish yet comfortable at all times! Is that clear?" Devon froze at the sudden outburst. He gulped, "Yes, ma'am."

"Good." she said flashing him her smile, "Now get dressed, we're going shopping." She placed the last of her things on her bedside table and reached back into the wardrobe for something to wear. After pulling out some items she began to strip. Devon watched for a moment then caught himself and stood, turning around. He heard he chuckle. "What? Not enjoying the show?" she teased, the grin evident in her voice.

"My dad always taught me to be a gentleman. 'While you may enjoy the view, it is always safer to be polite. Trust me, I did score your mother after all.'" Devon quoted, smiling at the memory. He then began to take off his uniform.

When he removed his shirt, leaving him only in his trousers, Gale spoke up from behind him, "Mmmmm, my friend is gonna love you." Devon looked at her over his shoulder with a raised eyebrow, quickly snapping his head back when he saw she was now only in her underwear. She laughed a little, "Oops, I guess the cat's out of the bag now. Yes, I scored you a date for this afternoon. Thank me later. She's going to Beacon to, and she and her partner are going to meet up with us. We're going into the city, for some dinner, and now some shopping. Hey, maybe if you show her that sweet bod' of yours we may have to put our text rule into action already!" she said teasingly.

Devon froze at this information, he hadn't been on a date in over a year. To say he was rusty would be a massive understatement, this added with his recent attitude of making no friends was a recipe for disaster. His worries were interrupted however, by the opening of the room's door. Devon turned to see one of the twins, frozen in the doorway, her eyes glued to him and her face bright red. Devon realised why she was acting this way, what with him being in the process of putting the T-shirt on having already put the jeans on, the pose undoubtedly showing of his slim but toned upper body. They stood like this for a few moments, before the other twin popped he head in through the gap.

"What is it?" she asked, Devon recognising the second girl as Raven, "Oh..." Raven eyed him for a moment as well, unconsciously biting her bottom lip, before snapping herself out of it and pushing Jade gently into the room. "I'm sure we'll be seeing plenty of this over our time here Jade, better get used to it." She glanced quickly over at Devon again before turning to Gale, who was already dressed and putting items in her purse. "Why in such a rush there?" she asked, curious.

Devon finished dressing as Gale smiled up at the twins brightly, Jade still trying to calm the flushing of her cheeks. "I scored Devon and myself dates for tonight. We're heading out to meet them in a couple of minutes. So you better be prepared in case we need to put plan "Occupied' into action." She explained, a cheerful smile on her face.

Raven just groaned, "Can you please go elsewhere if you plan on any 'activities' tonight. We haven't had a chance for a comfortable night's sleep yet and I'd rather not have to make other arrangements."

Gale tapped her finger on her chin for a moment, considering the argument, before piping up. "Well, I'm nothing if not a generous leader! Very well, if we intend to shag tonight, we shall do so elsewhere!'

Raven just scowled at her, "Is that language really necessary?"

Devon had finally finished dressing, and as soon as he had grabbed his scroll and wallet, Gale grabbed him by the wrist and pulled dragged him towards the door. "Don't wait up for us kiddies!" She exclaimed on their way out, Devon just offering an apologetic look before he was pulled out of the room and the door swung shut behind him. "You ready for a great night, hot stuff?" Gale looped her arm in his and smiled up into his eyes. He examined her now, noting her attire. She was dressed in light blue shorts and a tight fitting light green shirt, the colour matching her eyes perfectly. Her hair was tied back in a pony tail, the light brown hair hanging down between her shoulder blades. Devon thought she actually looked really pretty like this, a casual pretty that he was not used to at some of the parties that he'd been to. He felt his concerns wash away at her confidence and nodded. At that she beamed and began to lead him down the hall. Devon smiled to himself. Maybe the next four years wouldn't be so bad after all.

**DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUN! Who could the mystery dates be!? :p**


	5. Date Pt 1

**So now we see some real interraction between the OCs and canon characters. Please review, criticise, praise and/or enjoy!**

"Relaaaaaaaax D'," Gale comforted, "so you haven't been on a date in a while. Who cares? This chick is really nice and I'm sure you'll hit it off. Ya never know, maybe you'll really hit it off and get a little sumthin-su-"

"So who is the unlucky lady anyway?" Devon cut in, he had to admit he was a little nervous, and he wasn't in the mood for his partner's teasing at the moment.

"It's a surprise! But trust me. She's really nice, and if anyone can help you break out of that emo shell of yours, she can!" Gale chatted excitedly, "In fact... here they come now!"

Devon looked to where she was waving, seeing a girl with red hair tied back in a pony tail and a boy with messy blonde hair walking towards the fountain they were waiting at, out the front of the school. Devon immediately recognised the clumsy awkwardness of the boy.

"Jaune?" he asked, a little surprised.

"Devon?" Jaune looked up with an awkward smile, "Fancy seeing you here."

"Yeah man. You get dragged out too?" Devon asked, ignoring the playful pout Gale was giving him.

Jaune scratched the back of his head and chuckled nervously, "Yeah, something like that. My partner said something about coming out to meet a friend, and that I should come along. Only she didn't tell me that it was a DATE until we were walking out of the building. But at least I have a friend to help me out."

Devon frowned slightly, "Friend?"

"Y-yeah, I mean, I know we haven't hung out all that much but you seem like an alright guy. Plus you seem a lot friendlier now than the other don't mind do you?" He asked with a sheepish look on his face.

Devon's expression relaxed and he smiled, "Not at all, bro." He held up his forearm, the pinkie-side of his fist facing Jaune. Jaune bumped his fist with the same side of his own fist and they smiled at each other.

The boys turned their attention to the girls next to them when Gale cleared her throat. "Now, if you ladies are quite finished with your tea party, Devon I have someone I'd like you to meet." She motioned to the girl next to Jaune. As Devon turned to his apparent date for the afternoon his heart sank. He would recognise that red hair and those shining green eyes anywhere. He doubted any guy on Remnant wouldn't recognise her. Except maybe Jaune... he didn't exactly seem the like the most switched on person...

Devon's thoughts were interrupted by the girl extending a hand and introducing herself. "Hi! I'm Pyrrha Nikos. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Devon took her hand, his mouth agape, and shook it. "Uh... D-Devon. Devon Aster." She gave him a smile and he returned it to the best of his stunned ability.

"Well that was cute." Gale said with a smirk," Devon, would you please introduce me to our new friend."

Devon shook his head to bring himself back to the moment at hand, still thinking about the many... fond... dreams he'd had about the red head before him.

He didn't get the chance to speak however as Jaune put on a big grin and dashed over to his date. "Why hello there gorgeous, aren't you a pretty sight. The name's Arc, Jaune Arc. It is a pleasure to be in your presence." Gale flashed her smile, hooking an arm over the blonde boy's shoulder and smiling at him. "Hi. I'm Gale, and..." she looked the boy up and down quickly, "the _pleasure_ is all mine." She wrapped her arm around Jaune's shoulder, the boy frozen in surprise, clearly his pickup lines had never worked before.

Devon shook his head at Gale's antics. At this rate "Occupied" was going to be a daily occurrence. He gestured towards the air docks. "Shall we?" The others nodded and they all made their way forward. Gale whispered something quietly in Pyrrha's ear before returning to her embrace of Jaune. Pyrrha blushed lightly but moved next to Devon and looped her arm in in his as they boarded the airship.

* * *

><p>They stepped off of the the deck and started for the city centre. The ride had been quick and pleasant, aside from Jaune emptying his stomach into a bin while Gale laughed playfully at his discomfort. Devon talked with Pyrrah, after getting over his initial starstruck moment, and realised she was a really kind and charming girl beneath all the prowess and fame. He told her little of himself, happy just to listen to her talk about how excited she was to be starting at Beacon and how she had come to know Gale. Apparently, she had accidentally walked in on Gale getting 'friendly' with her coach during one of her tournaments in Vale. They were staying in a hotel near the arena and had shared a room. Only her coach gave her no warning that he was busy and she had entered just as they were finishing, much to Pyrrah's embarrassment. Gale, as Gale does, had unwrapped herself from the man and with a cheerful smile greeted Pyrrha. After the initial awkwardness of the situation they had quickly become friendly and Gale made Pyrrha promise to hang out again in more... appropriate circumstances, and since then had become good friends. Gale had laughed at the recount and made a few comments about Pyrrha's coach, even letting slip that she had invited Pyrrha to join in on round two, which Pyrrha had apparently very quickly refused.<p>

As they walked, the boys leading the way while the girls chatted behind them, Jaune tried to recover from the trip. After a few deep breaths and some pats on the back from Devon he started up a conversation.

"So, what's your team like?" he asked.

Devon looked over his shoulder at his partner, receiving smile and a wave, before turning back to Jaune, "Well, they're... unique, I guess is the best word for it. One is cheerful, cheeky and VERY friendly, and despite the other two being twins, they themselves are almost completely different. One is very caring calm, almost like a mother to the other one rather than a sister. The other is quiet and shy but sweet. So naturally when I've decided to no longer look for relationships I get stuck with three gorgeous girls. It's almost as if the world is trying to punish me or something. But anyway, how's your team? You must be pretty happy to have someone as legendary as Pyrrha Nikos on your team."

Jaune laughed a little before replying, "Well actually, I didn't know who Pyrrha was when I first met her. In fact the only reason I recognised her at all is because someone pointed out that she as on the front of Pumpkin Pete's Marshmallow Flakes. But then I found out about all her other accomplishments and well... I felt a little unworthy. But she assures me despite that that I'm going to be a great leader, clearly she's delusional, but it's nice of her to say so."

"Huh..." Devon grunted, astonished by the blonde boy's ignorance of such a well-known celebrity.

"And then there's the other two in my team. Two complete opposites, one the most energetic bundle of joy you will ever see, and the other, is very calm and quiet. At first I never thought they'd get along but apparently they've been together since childhood. But not 'together-together' as Nora would say." Jaune quoted, letting out a small chuckle.

Devon looked over his shoulder at the girls. They were chatting excitedly and giggling. He caught Gale's eye and she smiled back, giving one of her trademark winks before returning to her conversation with the redhead. Devon gave Jaune a nudge, moving in closer and lowering his voice so the girls couldn't accidentally hear them. "By the way, apparently my partner is VERY friendly. Even said so herself. So just a heads up, you will probably be getting lucky tonight, if that's what your up for. Just a heads up."

Devon watched as the smile on the boy's face slowly turned to a nervous and almost frightened expression. His confident demeanour draining away after those sentences.

"W-w-what?" he asked nervously.

Devon smiled to himself, "She has basically admitted that she enjoys sleeping around, and from the looks she gave you, she's pretty keen." He watched as Jaune started to draw beads or sweat across his forehead. "Aaaaaaaaaaand you're a virgin aren't you? Have you even been on a date before?"

Jaune looked at Devon with a slightly hurt look on his face but it quickly faded. "Yeah, I've been on a date or two before, but you're right, I haven't done... it... yet. As silly as it might sound I was kinda going to save it you know? At least until I had been with someone for a while."

Devon nodded in understanding, "Ok, well if you don't want to I'm sure I can talk her out of jumping you the minute we get back."

Jaune looked relieved at that comment and smiled, "Thanks." They fist bumped again and rounded the corner and were greeted with the entrance of the mall a few feet in front of them. The girls caught up to them and they split up into their dating pairs. They agreed to meet at the restaurant Gale had booked at seven, so with two hours to kill, she dragged Jaune off to a nearby dust store.

"Shit." Devon cursed, "Oh well, I'm sure he can handle himself until dinner."

He turned to his date and looked her over. He noticed she was watching the two who were leaving, a slightly sad look on her face. Devon frowned slightly, "You alright?" he asked, placing a kind hand on her shoulder.

Pyrrha snapped out of whatever thoughts she was having and turned to Devon, bringing a smile up to cover the sad look she had before. "Oh! Yes, I'm fine. So, is there anywhere you wanted to go?"

Devon relaxed his frown. Clearly she was unhappy about something but Devon decided not to push, she would tell him if she wanted to. "Well I don't currently have any clothes so I guess I should go shopping for those. These are Gale's," he added seeing her quizzical look, "don't ask. I also need more dust, but I can get that back at Beacon. What about you, you want to go anywhere in particular?"

The girl brought her finger to her chin in thought, "Nothing in particular, clothes shopping sounds great." she offered, the smile still plastered on her face.

Devon nodded and they started to make their way through the mall, stopping a few times to look in little trinket shops or any weapons store they came across. It turned out the redhead enjoyed seeing classic and old designs of weaponry, especially the more exotic and ancient ones. In one of the stores they came across such a weapon, a large halberd about ten feet long. It's point split into two and the large axe-head curving down and out again slightly. Devon watched as she stroked her fingers gently over the blade, marvelling at the weapons beauty. Devon was doing the same, only he was examining her. She really did have a nice figure, and she was extremely pretty. He turned away from the attractive sight and looked over some of the other items around him. A knife caught his eye and he moved to examine it closer. It looked to be made of bone, probably animal, and had sharp ridges along the blade. He touched the bone, and it felt cold. He ran his fingers along the ridges carefully, trying not to cut himself. However, he was not careful enough and one of the ridges caught his finger, cutting it, and he began to bleed a little onto the blade. He was surprised at how deep the cut had gotten despite such a seemingly small nick. The blood that had dripped onto the knife trailed down it slowly, before the blade glowed a very faint red, and then the blood was gone. Devon frowned and pulled his hand back, his finger still bleeding and it showed no signs of stopping. He put pressure on the wound to try and stop the flow. The blood slowed but did not stop, still dripping from him. He turned to look for something he could use to wrap it, but seeing nothing he could use instead took off his hoodie and shirt, tearing off a sleeve of the shirt. He quickly wrapped the fabric around the bleeding finger, the material immediately soaking up the blood. He finally tightened the wrap and the circulation was cut off. He grunted in discomfort and looked at the offending weapon. The glow had disappeared, along with any evidence that it had drawn blood. He grabbed his shirt off of the floor and wiped up the few drips that had made it down his arm.

He heard a small gasp from somewhere behind him and looked around to see who it had come from. His date was standing a few feet behind him, her face a little red and seemingly holding her breath. It was then that Devon realised he was shirtless, his toned abs and muscled but lean arms on display. He gave her a small smile, "Sorry. Heh first date and I'm already taking my clothes off. A little forward isn't it?"

The redhead visibly snapped out of her staring and her cheeks got a little redder, "Haha yeah..." He ees then widened when she saw the blood soaked rag on his hand and looked up at him. "What happened?" she asked worriedly.

Devon brought his hand up and showed off the appendage, "Cut myself, silly me. But the bleeding was worse than I thought it would be, hence the wrap... and the lack of clothing."

She frowned at him, a curious look on her face, "Why didn't you use your aura to heal it? Don;t tell me you don't know what aura is either."

Devon immediately broke eye contact and looked at the floor, "I know what aura is... it's just... I've never used it."

She moved closer to him now, only a foot gap between them. He looked up at her sudden closeness. She had a calm but concerned expression and she placed a hand on his shoulder gently. "Well you must be pretty strong to have gotten into Beacon without using your aura. Your team is very lucky to have someone as capable as you."

Devon opened his mouth to say something about how her team had freaking Pyrrha Nikos on their team, but decided against it, not wanting to ruin this rather nice moment of closeness. It was then she reached up and cupped the back of his head with her other hand.

"I can unlock your aura for you if you'd like? I did it for Jaune and I'd be happy to do it for you." she offered.

Devon thought about his situation for a moment. Here he was, standing shirtless in the middle of a weapons store with one of the most famous and most beautiful fighters on Remnant touching him and offering to open a range of new skills and possibilities for him. He smiled brightly, this could only happen at Beacon. He nodded to Pyrrha and she smiled back and closed her eyes. Devon watched in awe as she the faint red glow of her aura surrounded her.

"For it is in passing that we achieve immortality. Through this, we become a paragon of virtue and glory to rise above all, infinite in distance and unbou-" she cut off mid chant and her eyes shot open wide, her aura dying down and then flaring up again. She took a step back from him, taking her hands off of him. Devon eyes searched hers, worried and questioning.

"What? What's wrong?" he asked, a little panicked.

She took another step back and narrowed her eyes slightly, "You... don't have... an aura," she let out slowly, taking another step backwards, "or a soul."

Devon froze, his face scrunching up in confusion. "Wait, what? What are you saying?"

She reached instinctively for her weapon, realising it wasn't there and and looked up at him again, "The only creatures that have no souls are Grimm."

Devon took a step forward, holding his hands up in front of him, "Whoa, hang on a minute. You'te telling me that I have no soul, or aura?" She nodded, her eyes staring at him, watching his every move. "Ok, so the logical explanation is that I'm a Grimm, I can get that. But I'm not, I'm just a guy. Just a guy with no aura. I'm still human though. A human that is on a date with a gorgeous girl, shirtless, and only just stopped bleeding. See!" he held his hand out, "I bleed, just like a human being bleeds. I don't have scary red eyes, I don't have bone plates anywhere and I'm not currently trying to kill everyone in this mall. I hate the Grimm more than anybody else and I have killed many of the monsters. I promise you that no matter what is up with my soul, I am NOT a Grimm." Despite his speech inside his head Devon was flipping out. No soul? No aura? What the fuck is he then? He was sure he was human. Maybe he is and he's just a rare occurrence of an individual having no aura. Most people never use their auras so they'd have no idea whether they did or didn't have one. He chose not to let his inner panic show however, trying to calm the tense girl before him.

Pyrrha lowered her guard and relaxed a little, "I guess that makes sense. If you were a Grimm you couldn't have controlled yourself and would have already tried to kill everyone. While I don't understand why you have no soul, and that concerns me, I'm convinced you're not a Grimm." Devon sighed in relief, lowering his hands and taking in a deep breath. He tried to take another step forward, however he was hit with dizziness and would have fallen over were it not for Pyrrha stepping in to catch him. "You've lost a bit of blood and the stress you just took is not helping. C'mon, there's a pharmacy a couple of stores down, let's go there and see if they can patch you up."

Devon nodded, leaning on her for support. She picked up his hoodie and bloodied shirt off of the floor and slung them over her shoulder. "I definitely need to buy some clothes." Devon stated, receiving a small giggle from the redhead. He smiled, glad that the mood had lightened.

When they made it to the pharmacy, Devon could walk by himself again and had put his hoodie back on, much to the apparent disappointment of a few female onlookers. Devon had even noticed a small pout on Pyrrha's face before she wiped her features clear, much to his amusement. They entered the pharmacy and explained what had happened to the girl at the counter. She took a look at his wound, and after a moment had completely healed it using her aura. Devon winced, not from the wound but from the realisation that without aura, his time a Beacon was going to be a painful one. He thanked the girl for her help and made his way back to his date. He waved at her with his newly fixed had, "All good. Apparently it'll leave a small scar but other than that, good as new!"

Pyrrha smiled back at him, "That's great. I'm glad your feeling better."

"And hey, thanks for all your help" he held out his hand, "You know, after everything."

She brushed his hand aside and pulled him in for a hug. "I'm so sorry," she apologised into his chest, "I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions."

Devon returned the hug, "No, it's alright. I probably would have done the same. But hey, for tonight, do you think we could forget about it? I'd hate to ruin such a lovely evening. I promise I'll tell my team tomorrow and talk to a teacher about it." The redhead released him from her embrace and nodded, smiling brightly. "Good. And on that note we should probably go find me some clothes, or you're going to have to explain to Gale why I'm no longer wearing my shirt.

Pyrrha let out a laugh, "Now that is something I definitely do not want to do."

Devon gestured towards the entrance of the pharmacy, "Shall we?" Once again Pyrrha looped her arm in his and they made their way towards the main section of clothing stores.


End file.
