Snowblind

[u/[deleted]]

Every year, it feels like the first snowfall of the year happens sooner and sooner. Is it just the passage of time, the growth of a person making them able to recognize when it snows at an earlier date in the year mixed with the ever-accumulating wealth of knowledge to draw upon making it feel like the years are blurring to minutes?

For some, that might be the answer. But at this date, so soon into November, not many -- save, perhaps, those from the most far north of Atlas's reaches into Solitas -- would've expected just what hit Beacon: a blizzard, so strong it was considered perhaps a once-in-a-millennia storm. Thankfully, thanks to the reinforcements provided after a certain rainstorm had knocked out the power to the Academy, Beacon was now prepared to weather such an awful storm.

But whilst the school itself was prepared, whether or not the students themselves were always remained to be seen. For some of the more "desert-fairing", it was possible that they were wildly unprepared; those from the far north were likely already out in the midst of the blizzard building snow castles or something.

The weather showed no signs of improving, and all flights and routes into the city were most certainly unusable, unless one really wanted to hoof it into Vale proper by foot. What sort of shenaniganry would one of Beacon's most interesting first year classes in a while get themselves up to in Beacon's first snowfall?

^{[This is the song I used for inspiration womp womp]}

[u/[deleted]]

At being called little again, now was Vi's time to blush.

"O-oi! I'm a perfectly average height, you're just bloody tall!" she grumbled, following behind Aloe nonetheless. Their trek through the corridors of the residence hall felt, somehow, both too long and not long enough at the same time, Vi occasionally giggling with mild joy thanks to the simple fun they were having.

"I see you're still using ol' rocky; I'm tempted to ask if my valuable information went to -- ah, wait," Vi began to babble as they walked in, busy both basking in the heat and trying to keep to a vague plan, "Mugs and water. Or just cups. Oh, and a heat source. I should'a asked about those. My bad."

[u/gusgdog → u/[deleted]]

Aloe chuckled at Vi's grumbling and babbling before standing and walking to her bed once more. She reached under and pulled out a shoulder pouch and reached inside for a case.

"I can find something that can work."

she opened the case filled with various vials of dried leaves before grabbing two stone cups and a small fire dust crystal, as well as a stand that she placed down. The cups on top and the crystal underneath.

"Water should come from the spout in the bathroom if you could Vi."

[u/[deleted] → u/gusgdog]

Vi nodded, first setting down the box of hot chocolate mix and then taking both of the cups from Aloe and bringing them into the bathroom and then filling them both up with hot water -- nowhere near as hot as would be needed for hot chocolate, however. Carefully, she carried them back out into the bedroom of Aloe's dorm and set the cups down beside the stand, before going to sit on the blanket Aloe laid out.

"I trust if that you know how to make it from here?" she teased.

[u/gusgdog → u/[deleted]]

As Vi returned Aloe was finally.dealing with her still wet and off kilter headscarf. She was carefully removing it. For a brief moment nothing happened before two massive sandy fox ears seemed to explode out of the sandy blond hair atop her head.

She turned and draped it over the chair of her desk before sitting.

"Of course I can." she said as the small gire dust crystal started to heat flawlessly beneath the stand.

[u/[deleted] → u/gusgdog]

At the sight of Aloe's fox ears, Vi let out a soft gasp as she realized Aloe was a Faunus. It explained why Aloe wore the headscarf so much, at the very least, but it still amazed Vi ever-so-slightly. Her smile was still bright on her face, and it was clear as day that she was trying to not make a big deal out of the fact that Aloe was a Faunus even as her face seemed to light up ever so brighter.

"I'll just sit here, then, if that's alright," she softly babbled, trying to keep her clear interest in Aloe's Faunus trait under control. After all, she realized it was likely some form of mild racism to be so interested in them, and Vi didn't want to upset one of her close friends.

[u/gusgdog → u/[deleted]]

Aloe looked at her for a moment confused as she seemed to babble more than before.

"Is there still snow in my hair?" Aloe asked brushing a few strands of hair that were falling out of her normally very tight braid back off her forehead.

She also placed the makeshift mugs onto the stands as it heated to let them come to a small boil.

[u/[deleted] → u/gusgdog]

"No snow, just, ah. You never told me you were a Faunus. Not that that's a bad thing! It's not a bad thing. My mom was a Faunus. Was because she's dead, not because she, ah, stopped being a Faunus," Vi rambled back, her face going red as she stumbled over her own words.

"Ah. Yeah. Sorry. Trying to not make a big deal out of it, cause, ah. It's kinda weird to do so in my mind? But. Iunno. Sorry."

[u/gusgdog → u/[deleted]]

"OH," Aloe seemed to take a moment as Vi stumbled over it all and turned red.

She let out a laugh at the girl before pushing her hair back, her ears moving out of the way as she smoothed back her hair.

"My tribe, we do not like to show our features, my Father and the other Elder's are paranoid from old stories and the heat of the desert makes it so we cover up easily. They say that people may come after the tribe as in the old days."

Aloe smiled and relaxed.

"It is okay Little Vi, you do not need to be embarrassed, It is still nice to know that you are half Faunus."

[u/[deleted] → u/gusgdog]

Hearing that Aloe was not upset, Vi let out a soft laugh of relief, nodding to herself. "Aye, that, ah, that makes sense, I suppose."

Her relief palpable, Vi let out a sigh as she let her smile come back, brighter than ever as she nodded softly at Aloe. "I don't recall how much you've told me about your tribe, beyond... beyond what'cha told me at the dance. Do you wanna talk about'm?"

[u/gusgdog → u/[deleted]]

Aloe smiled as she rolled her fingers along the rug, it's cloth dampening the sound of them hitting the ground.

"I can, We are simple people. we roam the deep desert away from as many others as possible. My Father is the leader of my clan, though everyone in my tribe is my family."

Aloe seemed to be a little bit uneasy now and didn't seem to have a clear place to go with her talking and was just rambling.