[H1][center][color=6ecff6]NOR[/color], [color=a0410d]RUSS[/color], and [color=007236]TIERRA[/color][/Center][/h1]

Nor sighed as he felt someone sit on couch with him, the new arrival rousting him from his memories, turning enough only to give her an exasperated standout  of  the corner  of  his cold eyes. The pallid Faunus knew she had seen his teeth by this point, but he'd never been a fan of encouraging people's  morbid fascination and replaced  his mask regardless.[color=6ecff6]"I suppose it might be," [/color] his voice  sounding distant as it reverberated through the mask, seeing a rather thuggish green haired student leaving the  area after giving Nor a rather disgusted look.[color=6ecff6] "Unfortunately they seem to be leaving in hurry, maybe an allergy to fish,"[/color] he continued as he studied the rather dourly clothed huntress, absent mindedly adjusting the edges of his mask to a more comfortable fit.

Russ cocked a brow to the shark faunus when he spoke. Odd, she hadn’t expected a response, let alone from him. It didn’t take him long to put the mask back on, guess he wasn’t as well-adjusted as she’d thought. Oh well, she couldn’t blame him. 
When the grass-head left she shrugged. [color=a0410d]“Probably scared of your face,”[/color] she said flatly. [color=a0410d]“Pity’s on him though, I hear some allergies are deadly. Especially when they come armed.”[/color]
She kicked her feet up on the table, avoiding the sculpture and giving it one last look-over to make sure that it wasn’t in fact any kind of precious stone.[color=a0410d] “Pretty, you should open a business.”[/color]

Nor let out a somewhat harsh bark of laughter at that, picking up the statue and tossing it casually to his new acquaintance, the statue already starting to melt some.[color=6ecff6] "Sounds like a plan, I can hang up Jetstream here, and get myself a nice little stand in Vale market selling ice statues of little girls."[/color] 

She caught the statue only to be met with the feel of cool water. Make the best of the situation she figured. Holding it up over her head, she snatched a few drops to drink before setting it back down on the table. [color=a0410d]“maybe somewhere a bit colder,"[/color] she said, and wiped her hands off on her cuirass. 

Nor gave  her an odd as she...drank his statue, smirking  a bit at the strange girl,[color=6ecff6]  "Maybe, but never been a fan of the cold though,"[/color] he said as he watched the ice sculpture turning into a puddle on the table.

[color=6ecff6]"Suppose I'm doomed to the dull life of a hunter," the pale student decided witha chuckle, "what about you, giving up on your dreams of art fame on your way to Beacon Miss..." [/color] he trailed, leaving the question open.

[color=a0410d]“Russ,”[/color] she said, but didn’t offer a hand. Handshakes were too fluffy for meeting strangers, she thought, so instead she just gave him a little salute with her index finger. [color=a0410d]“And sadly yes, most people can’t pick out my artistic nature though, buried below all the dirt and lack of artistic talent. Props. But hey, it’s not all bad, I’m sure there are plenty of people happy that we could bite it at any moment.”[/color]
                                                                                   
She nodded to him then leaned back comfortably once again. [color=a0410d]“What do they call you?”[/color]

Nor nodded as he  returned to staring out the window, [color=6ecff6] "Nor's fine, it's what most people I know call me,"[/color] Nor answered, trying not to think about how most people he knew consisted of his father, not the most talkative sort, and his sort, and his sister.

[color=a0410d]“Just Nor? Huh, was hopin’ you’d have some kind of cool nickname,”[/color] Russ said, but nodded nonetheless. [color=a0410d]“Alright, Nor. Good luck out there, try not to die. You’ll make a lot of people like the grass-head happy if you do.”[/color]

[color=007236]"If 'grass-head' is the type to be made happy." [/color]Tierra said as she came over. She needed to do something rather than just hope for the trees to appear, extend her claws, and wonder why the silver-haired boy kept looking at her, so why not join the conversation.[color=007236] "Some people just aren't no matter what a Faunus does, name's Tierra by the way. That was a good-looking statue there before it melted."[/color]

[color=6ecff6]"Well Russ is hardly much to go with itself, I imagine you'll make do though,"[/color] he responded languidly as he watched the newcomer make her way over. He was beginning to regret having drawn such a crowd, but years of manners from helping deal with clients had been ingrained, barring him from simply brushing off the pair.

[color=6ecff6]"So I've been informed, unfortunately we've come to the conclusion that there's simply no place to ply my trade, so I hit things rather hard,"[/color] he said, watching the rather tense looking Faunus.

[color=6ecff6]"But regardless,  I'm pleased to make you're acquaintance Miss Tierra, I'm Nor of North Vale, or what's left of it, and this is Russ,"[/color]  he said, a slight tenseness to his voice,[color=6ecff6] "and I wouldn't concern yourself with the this grass-head or whatever," [/color]with a tone of forced casualness,[color=6ecff6] "his type aren't much  to worry about, at least if you keep them free of the torches and pitchforks,"[/color] he said with a forced chuckle as he leaned back into the couch. Truth be told there were more  than a  few who still had fresh wounds from the White Fang attacks and were willing to act on them, but Nor doubted it'd be allowed to get out of hand at Beacon.

Tierra had to chuckle herself. It wasn't an image of a mob with pitchforks and torches that haunted her dreams.[color=007236] " No, it's been a while since they've actually used pitchforks and torches. I hail from Vale City myself. What about you, Russ?"[/color]

Russ pulled her attention back to the conversation at hand. She'd never witnessed much faunus harrassment herself, but didn't doubt for a moment that it was terrible in more places than it wasn't. People found ways to hate things wherever they went, she was sure she'd see it at Beacon too. 

[color=a0410d]"Oh, here and there,"[/color] she shrugged. [color=a0410d]"Came here from some little mining town way out of the way. Not many pitchforks or torches there, plenty of rocks though. Lots of incentive not to stay what with there being nothing to do and all."[/color]

Whoops, two seconds into the conversation with a new person and already there was lying. Russ didn't even think about it until she'd already said her piece, but there wasn't any going back to it now. Rude Russ, very rude. 

Tierra just stared at Russ for a while. She could tell that the girl was holding something back, but why and what about? The weapons were unique, but the girl herself locked almost sickly. She didn't seem like the type to have murdered someone, but maybe a theif. Then to break the awkwardness, Tierra said [color=007236] "Is it not on the map then or would it take forever to find it on the map?"[/color]

Nor broke in between the two,[color=6ecff6] "I'm afraid we must save the getting to know each other bit for later, it looks like we'd better get our stuff in order,"[/color] the clouds finally breaking to reveal the Academy, while  now  visible was still some distance away.

Then Tierra looked for herself and was astounded by the beauty that was already visible. She looked again at Rus, then at Beacon. She would need to keep her eye out for some people, but Beacon's campus was incredible and Nor seemed dependable. She walked back to the window, this was the place she was to become a Huntress no matter what she had to face. Her claws extended again, and Tierra sighed to herself. She was going to have to get rid of that nervous tick somehow.

Russ was content to leave things at that. As far as introductions went it hadn't been terrible. Sharkboy was entertaining enough and the other girl, Tierra, had helped take time off the rest of the trip. Still, fun was fun, and when the tests went out and the teams were divyed up, she didn't expect they'd be standing side by side or anything. Still, she'd meant it when she wished them luck. 

Nor tarried a moment as the other seemed to disperse, enjoying the comfort of the couch as he reclaimed his solitude. The clouds were steadily disappearing as Beacon loomed in the distance. It was the best chance he and his family had at this point. He could feel a storm of emotions brewing as the faces of his clan swam in front of him. Shades of red started to film over his vision, before Nor started what was now a regular exercise, an image of a solid wall of marble in his mind placed between him and the storm, layer after mental layer as he pushed the wild storm further  back. A blank look  came over his face as stood, deciding to go check on his luggage to give himself a task to take his mind off the subject.

(Round 2)