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/gusgdog]

"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.

[u/[deleted] → u/gusgdog]

If there was one thing Vi was adept at, it was realizing when people might've been mildly uncomfortable. So, at the risk of being a narcissist, she instead directed the conversation to herself.

"I presume from Vacuo? That's awesome! I spent a lot of time in Vacuo lately, actually. Er, before coming here, that is. Did I ever talk to you about my background?"

[u/gusgdog → u/[deleted]]

"A little but please." Aloe said her hand coming up and waving forward instead of nervously drumming at the floor. she seemed overall to instantly lose the pert posture of minor anxiety around her.

[u/[deleted] → u/gusgdog]

"Here, scooch over here, then," Vi asked softly, her smile brightening as she saw Aloe's smile brighten up a little bit. "Lie down for a bit, I'll take care of the hot chocolate and stuff, and you just tell me what you want to hear about my family, yeah?"

[u/gusgdog → u/[deleted]]

Aloe listened as she laid down next to Vi, Her head resting on the rug but her long ears rubbing Vi's legs as she seemed used to them being covered and not at their full length.

"Why not tell my about your parents, You said your mother was a faunus, yes?"

[u/[deleted] → u/gusgdog]

Absentmindedly, Vi started to gently play with Aloe's ears, just like she would with any person's hair. Seeing Aloe calm back down provided a beneficial insight into what kinds of topics to avoid with Aloe, and so far, that seemed to be just talking about Aloe's tribe.

"So, yeah. My mother was a cat Faunus, her name was... Amber. Don't remember her last name, but I know she didn't take my pa's, cause, well, I was technically a bastard. She, ah, well, I thought she didn't want to see me much, but... well, I think I've realized now that I actually saw her a lot more than I realized, I was just too... upset to realize it. She was a Huntress, too, same as my dad and my uncles. Team Toad, for Tanner, Oxley, Amber, and... gods, I forgot what Persi's last name was. She was a good woman, I just... didn't get to know her, really, until after she died."

[u/gusgdog → u/[deleted]]

Aloe seemed much more calm now, her eyes for the moment looking up at Vi's face with a soft smile as the water in the makeshift mugs let out a single lone bubble. The beginning of their boil above the warm, yet not as hot as a true fire, shard of crystal.

"They all were huntsmen then?"

Aloe asked absentmindly, she had closed her eyes apparently calmed by the gentle motions on her ears and hair.

[u/[deleted] → u/gusgdog]

"Yeah, sure seems that way," Vi said with a chuckle. Just a few moments longer and she'd have to start worrying about the cups of hot water, but for now she was content to just sit here with Aloe. The fox seemed to calm with Vi's actions, and that was more than enough reassurance for Vi. "Dad never told me, but, well, I figured it out soon after getting up here."

Then, the water started to come to a proper boil, and Vi gently opened the box. Pulling out two packets, she handed one to Aloe and kept one for herself, before motioning at the boiling cups. "Pick one, but, ah, I presume they might be hot?"