[color=82ca9d][h2]Heather Di Mint - the Mint summer estate - two days ago[/h2][/color]

Heather was panting, her breath was short and rapid coming in short bursts. She stood surrounded by the destroyed bodies of Atlas robots, somewhere around 40 or 50 of them, Heather's aura was all but gone, and she was struggling to stand upright. Even so she looked up to the balcony where her mother sat, and curtsied as she had been taught to when performing before others, she held the curtsy until her mother sighed and waved her hand signaling her adopted daughter that she could stand back up. She almost fell over standing up again, all her energy spent from the intense training combat, as the robots had been equipped with lethal ammunition in order to encourage Heather to fight harder to avoid sustaining serious damage to her body... which she had done.

Hanna Mint stood from her chair and walked down the stairs to her daughter, flanked by a servant holding a parasol over her to protect her from the sun, she stepped over the ruined bodies of the machines, came to stop in front of her panting daughter... and sighed, [color=a2d39c]"I had expected far more improvement after a year at beacon Heather, your almost on your knees from exhaustion and that hardly seemed like a fight worthy of a huntress of the calibur you SHOULD be at... but I suppose they also teach you to rely on your team don't they? If there were an easier way to make you an official huntress without sending you to that damned school I would do it in an instant, but as it stands I have no other choice,"[/color] she sighed and shook her head, looking her faunus daughter in the eyes, leaning down to be face to face with her, [color=a2d39c]"If your going to be the Huntress I expect you to be, don't rely on a team, truly poerful huntsman and huntresses don't NEED any help... I expect you to have improved far more after this second year... you are free to go, your test is done. I have a charity gala to go to so your alone for the rest of the day... go clean up you smell dreadful."[/color] Hanna Mint motioned for her servant to follow as she re-entered her large summer estate to prepare for her party.

Heather fell to her knees, finally able to rest now that her mother had left the courtyard. For a few moments she just sat on her knees catching her breath, before tears started to fall from her eyes. She cried quietly, trying hard to not be heard by the groundskeepers now cleaning up the detritus of her test. She still couldn't do it... she wasn't the Huntress she needed to be for her mother who had given her everything... she stopped crying and wiped her eyes, standing up and going inside th estate. She went to her room, stripping off her armor and tossing it to the floor with a loud clank, she undid her pigtails and was about to undress for a shower when the scroll on her bed buzzed. She raised an eyebrow and picked it up, surprised to see it was a message from Paris. She opened it and read the contents... several times to be sure she understood what he was saying. Though she was tired and wanted nothing more than a shower and a nap, she smiled and paractically twirled around the room, excited beyond belief. A mission from Ozpin? Meet at the Vale docks two days from now? It was all so interesting, andshe would get to see her team again! Her friends... at least she hoped they considered her their friend... at the moment all that mattered was that soon she'd be with them again... and this year she intended to make some changes, or at leas she hoped she could. She tossed the tablet back on to her bed and went to shower, she had one more day to train before she needed to be in Vale... she'd make the most of it.

[color=82ca9d][h2]Heather Di Mint - Vale docks - Monday morning[/h2][/color]

Heather was afraid she was late... or that she would be. She arrived at the docks after running from the small hotel/cafe she had stayed at the night before. She arrived, not out of breath but stopping to make sure she didn't push herself to hard before the mission had even started. She calmed herself, and looked arouund the early morning docks, bathed in the orange sunlight of early morning. It didn't take long to spot Paris, he stood out like a sore thumb from the gruff fisherman, and the orange light didn't help hide his hot pink attire in any way. Heather smiled, and wallked towards him, [color=82ca9d][i]"Alright Di, you can do this, shout hi! thats what social people do right?... they shout? No.. that isn't it... ummm shake his hand when you get there? No... you've met him alreaddy... uuuuhhhh..."[/i][/color] she was so worried about what to do that when she finally got next to Paris all she managed was a, [color=82ca9d]"uuuhhh... he... hey... Paris..."[/color] in a soft, almost whisper of a voice.

[@Katakon]