The sun began its climb over the edge of the horizon to begin the day anew. As its warm glow slowly began to spread over the grounds of Beacon Academy and shine in through the windows of the dormitories, the sound of alarm clocks echoed through the halls, muffled by the wooden doors which acted as barriers between hall and room. (F/N)'s eyes slowly blink open, the suns rays giving the room a gentle golden glow. Sitting up, he throws the covers off his torso and jumps out of the bed to stretch. Moving to look out the window, he smiles to himself. It was his first day of school. It was funny really, most people his age were probably dreading going to class. Being excited about your first day at a new school just seemed so... childish. Listening to the birds chirping as the sun reflected off the pools around the school, it seemed to dawn on him; he was free. Sure, he may be on a mission, but that didn't change the fact that for the first time in forever he had woken up in an actual bed and not a rusted cot. The sounds of gunfire and screaming wouldn't fill his day and the red stains on his clothes would be from ketchup and not blood. No gunpowder underneath his fingernails, no stench of decaying corpses in his hair. No war to fight. He could just be a kid. So, he did what he hadn't done since he was a small child. He jumped on his bed.

Though the ceilings were too low for an eighteen-year-old to really get any height, they were still high enough for (F/N) to jump a good foot into the air, so long as he stooped his head. Each leap into the air filled (F/N) with a sense of childlike glee. He could recall a time, just ten years ago it seemed to him, when he and his best friend would do this very act, though, being considerably shorter at the time, the heights they reached seemed much greater. Slowly, (F/N)'s smile fell from his face as he remembered his best friend, how he was dead. How everyone he ever knew was dead. His mother and father, who would have reprimanded him for jumping on his bed. His younger brother, whom he taught how to gain access to the cookie jar on top of the fridge. His best friend, the stupid adventures they used to go on, getting lost in the Kingdom, and his best friend's little sister, whom he knew had the biggest crush on him. A sad sigh escaped (F/N)'s lips, his head hung low. Lost in thought, (F/N) didn't hear the knock on the door, and he didn't notice it open until he heard the voice.

"Oh... I-I..."

Raising his head slightly, (F/N) sees Pyrrha standing just inside his room, her face beginning to flush until it is the same color as her hair as she quickly shifts her gaze to the corner of the room, looking anywhere but at (F/N), still standing on his bed in only his boxers.

"Pyrrha!" (F/N) shouts in surprise.

He straightens his body and jumps slightly, banging his head on the ceiling. Clutching his head in pain, he slips on his covers and topples onto his stomach, landing on the edge of his bed. His hands desperately search for anything to prevent him from falling off the bed, but he only manages to pull the covers with him as he topples to the hard floor, the blanket landing over his face. Groaning in pain, (F/N) pulls the blanket off his face and tosses it to the side. Pyrrha's face slides into view as she moves to look down at him, her green eyes full of concern.

"I'm sorry." She says sheepishly.

Pyrrha steps to the side as (F/N) pushes himself to his feet.

"Did you uh, need something?" (F/N) asks, trying his best not to sound rude.

"I was just uh, I was supposed to help you find your way around the campus today." She answers.

Right. (F/N) thinks to himself. That.

"I knocked on the door, but you didn't answer. I thought you might have overslept so I came in and... um... I'm sorry, could you put on some clothes?" Pyrrha asks, red in the face.

(F/N) looks down at his semi-naked form and, releasing a small noise of panic, searches around desperately for something to cover himself with. Grabbing the blanket, he quickly picks it up and uses it to cover himself. Unfortunately, Pyrrha just so happened to be standing on said blanket, and as it is yanked from beneath her feet, she stumbles backwards and threatens to fall.

"Pyrrha!" (F/N) shouts in concern.

Dropping the blanket, he quickly reaches out to grab her shoulders to steady her, but the bundled duvet at his feet catches his ankles and he falls forwards. Panicking, (F/N) wraps his arms around Pyrrha as they fall. Turning as they fall so that (F/N) takes the blunt of the impact, the two land with a resounding 'thump', (F/N) hands placed precariously on Pyrrha's waist, Pyrrha's palms resting on (F/N)'s naked torso, her red ponytail falling to the side of her face. Both of their expressions are thick with embarrassment, heat rising up their neck and into their cheeks.

"Uh, (F/N)." Pyrrha says quietly, indicating his hands.

"Right, sorry." (F/N) says, quickly removing his hands.

The two silently get back on their feet, Pyrrha muttering embarrassedly about waiting in the hall. A few minutes later she is joined by a fully clothed (F/N).

"Um... about that." Pyrrha says as (F/N) closes the door to his room. "I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have come in like that. I..."

"It's fine." (F/N) says. "I completely forgot you were supposed to show me around. It's my fault, really."

Pyrrha nods and the two walk to the elevators in silence. The two are still avoiding looking at each other as the doors slide close. As the elevator begins its descent to the ground floor, Pyrrha decides to attempt to ease the tension.

"Why are we acting so embarrassed?" She asks. "I mean, nothing happened."

"Right." (F/N) says. "Yeah, it was just an accident."

"Exactly." Pyrrha nods. "And so what if I saw you in your underwear. It's just like going to the beach."

"The beach, yeah."

"And that's nothing to be embarrassed about." She continues. "Besides, you looked really good." Pyrrha's face suddenly turns beat red. "Er..."

"So did you!" (F/N) says quickly, trying to give her a foot up out of the hole they were digging. "I mean, I'm sure you would, if you were... not that I've thought about that."

"Uh... th-thank you?"

The two are extremely relieved when the elevator doors finally open.

"Um, where to?" (F/N) asks, eager to change the subject.

"Well, classes don't start for another forty minutes." Pyrrha informs him. "I was going to grab some breakfast at the cafeteria if you wanted to join."

"Uh, sure."

"Great. I can introduce you to my teammates."

Entering the cafeteria, (F/N) was surprised to find it so empty. Of course, most students probably opted to sleep through breakfast, or perhaps had something accessible in their rooms. The layout of the cafeteria reminded him very much of the army's mess halls from back in the day. There was a single counter lining the back wall, standing at about chest height, it not only served as a display for the different dining options, but also served to separate the kitchens from the dining area. Grabbing a tray from the far end of the counter, (F/N) slowly began making his way through the options, examining the different breakfast foods. (F/N) was surprised to discover a number of foods he didn't recognize. Synthetic looking pastries that looked as if they might taste like cardboard. Breakfast cereals, no doubt laced with copious amounts of sugar. Passing by the things he didn't recognized, (F/N) elected to stick to that with which he was familiar, a healthy amount of scrambled eggs, several strips of bacon, and a piece of toast which he spread with raspberry jam.

Pouring himself a glass of water, he turned and saw Pyrrha walking over to him, her hands holding her own tray of food.

"Got your food?" She asked.

(F/N) responded with a simple nod.

"Okay, we're just over there." She says, pointing towards a table near the entrance.

Following Pyrrha's finger, (F/N) saw three figures already seated at the table she was indicating. On one side sat a blonde haired gentleman, a white breastplate resting overtop a black hoodie. Across from him sat an orange haired female in a white blouse and pink skirt who was hanging onto the arm of another figure dressed in green, male or female he couldn't tell at this distance. Their figure and built appeared male, but the long black hair suggested otherwise. Following Pyrrha, (F/N) sat between her and the blonde.

"Good morning Pyrrha." Said the person with the black hair who (F/N) could now identify as a male. "And this is?" He asks politely.

"Ren, this is (F/N). (F/N), these are my teammates."

Pyrrha begins introducing (F/N) to her friends. As she makes her way around the table, (F/N) couldn't help but make some very educated observations, his semblance allowing him to know them better than Pyrrha's casual introductions allowed. The gentleman with the black hair, Lie Ren, who preferred to be addressed by his surname, was dressed in a dark green tailcoat. He seemed quiet, mellow, a stark contrast to the girl sitting next to him. Nora Valkyrie. The way the two interacted gave (F/N) the impression they had known each other for much longer than their time at Beacon, maybe even since childhood. The way Nora acted suggested a longing for a more intimate relationship. (F/N) noted that Ren made no attempt to stave off Nora's clingy behavior, perhaps because he reciprocated his companion's longing, or out of habit. Probably both. On (F/N)'s right was Jaune Arc, the leader of Team JNPR. His hoodie was obviously well loved, worn, frayed in some places. (F/N) guessed it was a memento from his childhood, suggesting a childish mindset that hadn't quite left him yet. When Pyrrha had introduced him as their team leader, he sat up a little straighter, his chest puffing up with pride, like a child having their artwork of scribbles being posted on the fridge. Still, it was pride without arrogance. He seemed good natured, if not a little naïve, as if he thought of himself as the hero off to rescue the princess. And then there was Pyrrha. When they had first met, it had become very obvious to (F/N) that Pyrrha was a champion. She carried herself with confidence and poise. Her words were always chosen carefully. And then the way people treated her, like she wasn't human, but something else. It became obvious to (F/N) that she was someone used to being in the public's eye. A celebrity, or perhaps just popular. Or maybe popularity stemming from fame. Probably the last. But now, seeing her interact with her friends, with people she was comfortable around, she seemed like a different person.

As breakfast continued, (F/N) said very little, simply observing the conversation, as any newcomer to a group might do. He smiled as he listened to the exchange. This is what life for an eighteen-year-old should be. No army, no war, just friends, talking and laughing with one another. (F/N)'s eyes watched as Nora told a thrilling tale about how she and Ren had once fought off an army of Ursai. Of course, it was obvious that it was grossly exaggerated, but that didn't lessen its entertainment value, especially with Nora's animated arm movements. (F/N) was just about to eat his last piece of bacon when the tip broke off and the whole thing landed on his toast, disturbing the raspberry jam.

"Aw man." (F/N) says sadly, watching the jam begin to envelop the slice of bacon.

"Ooh." Jaune hisses. "Tough luck."

(F/N) picks up the piece of toast, holding it closer to his eyes. He was really looking forward to that, and now both his toast and bacon were ruined. With a noncommittal shrug, (F/N) took a bite, eliciting a noise of disgust from around the table.

"Uh... how is it?" Pyrrha asks.

(F/N) continues munching slowly, his eyes looking up as he allowed his taste buds to go to work. He moved his head thoughtfully, carefully allowing himself to evaluate the taste before finally swallowing.

"Yeah, not bad." (F/N) says much to everyone's surprise. He takes another bite. "Pretty good actually. I'd definitely eat it again."

(F/N) smiles as the table breaks out into a series of laughs which are only prolonged as he tosses the last bit of toast into his mouth. As the laughter dies down, Nora's eyes focus on his arm. Grabbing his hand, she pulls it closer, effectively pulling him onto the table.

"Woah!" She says, staring at the metallic joints. "What's this thing?"

"What, my hand?"

"Why's it all robotic looking?"

"Nora." Ren says warningly.

"It's alright." (F/N) assures. "It's not like it was going to go unnoticed. Besides, I can't fault anyone for being curious."

Removing the school uniform's jacket, (F/N) unbuttons the cuff of his sleeve and rolls it up to just past the elbow. Everyone gasps, even Pyrrha, despite having already seen it before. (F/N) rests his arm on the table for them to see, everyone leaning forward in their seats to get a closer look.

"Could you... I mean, would it be alright if I asked what happened?" Pyrrha asks politely.

"I uh, I got into a nasty situation with a pack of Beowolves a few years ago." (F/N) responds. "They got the better of me. Pinned me down and tore the damn thing off."

"Does it ever... you know, hurt?" Jaune asks timidly.

"Only when it's cold." (F/N) answers, rolling down his sleeve. "And Ma... Atlas, it's pretty far North."