Parent-Teacher Conference Part 1
Beacon normally was a hive of activity. Today however it was completely on a new level. Not for any good reason mind, as it was the dreaded parent teacher conferences. It was a day many came to dread, as Ozpin could be quite blunt in his assessments, and the consequences could be dire depending on the family. In the massive lobby of the academy, students and parents began to file in. Ruby especially had a knot in her stomach about this, something Yang was doing her darndest to try and fix.
"Easy, Ruby. Everything's going to be fine." Yang told her little sister.
"But what if Ozpin tells dad about how I broke a toilet pulling Trivia's head out? What will dad say then?" Ruby asked nervously.
"Knowing dad, he'll come up with something." Yang replied nervously.
"I hope you're right…" Ruby said as Nora, Ren, Azura and Trivia arrived with Jaune, Pyrrha and Ember in tow.
"Hey guys, what's wrong?" Ember asked, looking at Ruby in particular.
"Ruby's nervous about the toilet incident coming up in the meeting." Yang explained.
"Oh, come on, it wasn't that bad. The water only soaked through two floors. Besides, Trivia got the penny back, so I consider that a victory." Nora smiled, putting her hand firmly on Trivia's shoulder.
Trivia giggles innocently, completely unaware of how much trouble she caused.
"I am sure nothing bad will happen. Honestly, I am more worried about my baby sister getting lost on some fanciful adventure in this school, my little brother picking fights, and my parents going out of their ways to embarrass me." Azura replied in response.
Weiss scoffed at the discussion turning to all of this and turned away, the subject of family clearly a sore subject. It was clear this created an aura of apathy coming from the ice princess. Nora and Ren hearing that dourer a bit at that, which Trivia noticed.
Trivia looks confused, signing, 'Why are y'all upset? My parents are dead, and I say good riddance! They were awful, and abusive, sadistic assholes. Honestly, how anyone puts up with parents, I'll never know!'
Ren and Nora gave Trivia a confused look. "Actually, Trivia, I had a very good relationship with my parents before our village was wiped out in a Grimm attack." Ren explained.
"And I had a good relationship with my dad. Though mom did abandon me to die to some Grimm." Nora added.
Trivia pouts adorably, signing, 'All right, all right! No need to rub it in! Not everyone had a happy upbringing! Hell, I barely survived mine!'
"Actually, one of the few bright spots in my life growing up was my relationship with my family, especially with my younger siblings and Father. We are all even working on-" Azura began to explain only to get cut off.
Trivia scowls, signing, 'I get it! I get it! No need to rub it in! Besides, I still don't understand how anyone can have a healthy relationship with their parents! Like, being locked in your room for months on end, kinda strains the relationship! Not to mention the constant gaslighting and emotional abuse! Next, you're gonna tell me, that shit isn't the norm!' Trivia scoffs, sarcasm in that last part.
"Um, Trivia… it isn't. I think you may need professional help." Ren replied worriedly.
Trivia huffs adorably, signing, 'So, what you're trying to tell me, is that my parents weren't the norm!? Every time I asked them about it, they said I was lucky to have them, and that me thinking it wasn't normal was just me being crazy again! Don't be ridiculous! That would imply that I was abused, and I'm sure they would've told me if that was the case!'
"I am sorry to hear that, Trivia. No one should have to go through that, especially from people who are supposed to love and protect them. I guess that, outside of how most of my clan treats me, I really was lucky to have a loving and supportive family despite them not fully understanding me. And that really makes me appreciate the car Father helped me purchase that we have all been trying to get road worthy since I was fourteen..." Azura told his short friend as she finally got sick of the conversation and stormed off.
"You didn't have to rub it in, Azura. After all, not everyone gets to grow up in a posh, super-rich warrior clan and never have to suffer a day in their life." Yang said passive-aggressively.
As soon as Yang said that it felt like the temperature in the room dropped by twenty degrees. Looking at Azura, everyone was shocked at what they saw. For the first time since they had met him, the young samurai had a furious, almost vicious glare on his face, his hands clenched into fists balled so tight you could swear you heard his knuckles cracking and popping. The image of an enraged azure-blue tiger briefly appeared in his silhouette; its eyes glowing as it snarled at the blonde pugilist.
"'Never having to suffer'? You think that, just because I am rich, I have 'never had to suffer'...?" Azura growled out furiously, a dangerous edge to his voice that wordlessly told Yang to choose her next words carefully.
"What my blockhead big sister is trying to get at is that you were being a bit insensitive to Trivia, but to be fair Yang didn't know because you unfortunately don't talk too much about your past. Not that there's anything wrong with that, I'm not trying to pry…" Ruby said nervously, getting between the two to try and defuse the situation in some way.
Taking a deep breath, Azura slowly calmed himself as the snarling blue tiger faded away. "Being rich or from a warrior clan does not mean you do not know what it is like to suffer. If anything, being from a warrior clan almost guarantees that you will, especially if you are born strong." Azura flat out told them.
"I… I know this isn't going to mean much, considering it doesn't change that happened, but I'm sorry you had to go through that. I hope that going forward we can give you some new memories to counteract those…" Ruby tried to nervously say.
Managing to calm down a bit more, Azura gave Ruby a slight smile. "Thank you, Ruby. I appreciate that. At least one of you knows to not make assumptions about people." Azura replied, shooting Yang a glare on that last part while saying it passive-aggressively.
"AZZY!" A little girl's voice called out, making Azura turn around only to be tackle-hugged by a blue blur.
His friends looked down to see a little girl of likely seven, looking up at Azura and them with dark azure-blue eyes. Her fair skin was mostly covered by a blue hoodie with a green turtle, and her mat of azure-blue hair, frazzled by seemingly constant activity, shone in the light from the windows.
Azura chuckled and smiled down at the little girl. "Hello, Aqua. How has my baby sister been since I last saw her?" He asked, moving to pick her up into a hug.
"I grew half a inch!!" Aqua yelled excitedly.
"Fourth of an inch. You're not growing that fast, Aqua." A voice similar to Azura's, but younger and gruffer said from a distance.
"I am too! You're just jealous you're stuck, Argie." Aqua huffed, looking at the perpetrator.
"Stuck? I'm not stuck! Gramps says I'm… what did he call me again?" Argent, a vertically challenged, less scared Azura-looking boy with green eyes and silver hair, asked.
"Stupid." Aqua shock back.
"Why you little!" Argent said, rolling up his sleeve.
"Argent. Enough, little brother." Azura scolded the boy sternly.
"But Azu, she made me look bad!" Argent yelled.
"You do that enough yourself, baby brother." The azure samurai replied playfully before picking Aqua up, "Wow, Aqua! You are really getting big, huh?"
"I feel like I'm missing something here…" Jaune muttered.
"I believe we can explain that young man." A more elegant adult woman's voice told the blonde knight.
Turning, our heroes looked to the source of the voice. What they saw was surprising. The source of the voice was a middle aged, silver fox of a woman who stood at around average height for a woman. Her eyes, the same emerald green as Argent's, gleamed with a bit of playful mischief in the light while her wavy silver hair seemed to shine a bit.
The man next to her was a giant who towered around a foot above Jaune and Azura. His deep azure-blue eyes were like dark pools in a frozen tundra, but with a strange warmth to them. His hair, the same azure blue as Azura's, was less wavy and spikier. Looking down at the teenagers, he gave them an aristocratic smile.
Standing a bit straighter, Azura gently set Aqua down before bowing. "Father, mother. I am glad to see you again. I hope you have been well." Azura greeted them somewhat formally, but with a hint of happiness in his voice.
"Wait. THOSE are your parents!? But they have way better skin care than you Azura. You need to step up your game." Nora said, jumping to the boy's side after looking over the two new adults.
Rolling his eyes, Azura gave a smile. "Yes, Nora. These are my parents. Everyone, my mother Verdant and my father Azolum. Father, mother, Argent, Aqua, these are some of my new friends I told you about in my letters." He replied, beginning the introductions.
Verdant gave an aristocratic smile at the energetic young Valkyrie. "You must be Nora. Azura has told us so much about you all. I must say, dear, you're as energetic and friendly as Azu told us you were." She replied, pulling out a fan and fanning herself a bit.
"Wait, Azura told you about me? Azura, is there anything else you haven't been telling us?" Nora asked, turning to look at her taller, azure coated friend.
"I have simply been telling my family about how things have been going here at Beacon and a bit about all of you. I tried to be flattering, but honest in my letters." Azura explained with a playful smile.
"Okay, where're the dumb blondes?" Argent bluntly asked.
"HEY!!" Yang and Jaune shot at the tiny punk.
"Oh, there they are." Argent answered only to get a bonk on the head from Azura.
"Argent, what have I told you about being rude? It is improper for a samurai, especially when addressing comrades." Azura chided his brother.
"I think I have a concussion…" Argent groaned, nursing a lump on his head.
"Good." Aqua huffed, pulling out a juice box.
"I didn't know Azura had younger siblings. He only ever told us about his older ones. And made mention of a twin he doesn't like to bring up…" Ember inquired, only for that to get a remark out of Aqua.
"Oh, Kenshi? Azu's just jealous Kenshi swings a sword better at festivals." Aqua blurted out.
"Oh, he does not! I have beaten him more times than he has beaten me!" Azura replied to a bit defensively.
"Let me guess. The shy teammate of Azura's. How the heck can you swing a club about?" Argent asked Ember, earning him another bonk on the head that knocked him to the ground at the hands of an annoyed Azura and left another lump.
"It's okay Azura. It's really simple, I worked on a farm." Ember explained politely.
"Mom, can I get an ice pack? Azu's hitting the same spot…" Argent groaned.
"Maybe, if you would behave yourself Argent, you wouldn't be getting hit at all." Verdant replied mirthfully.
"And you two must be Lie Ren and Ms. Pyrrha Nikos. Azu spoke highly of both of you." Azolum said with a smile, addressing the two.
"That's too kind of him. We simply are just doing our best here." Pyrrha said politely.
"Though it is a great honor for him to say that about us. Some more than others." Ren answered, motioning to Jaune.
"Hey, I was possessed, gods dang it!" Jaune yelled, remembering not to swear as Aqua stared at him, as if anticipating it.
"So close to the swear jar." Aqua muttered.
"And I take it that the white-haired young lady is the Schnee heiress Weiss Schnee. You are quite pretty, dear, just like Azura said." Azolum said with a smile.
"Yes indeed. It's an honor, lord, and lady Sōtora." Weiss said, coming to life out of her funk to curtsy before them.
"The pleasure is all ours, young lady Schnee. And may I just say that Azura's description of you did not do you justice." Verdant replied with a smile in a flattering tone.
"Thank you. I work hard to keep it that way." Weiss answered, a hint of pride showing.
"Careful Ice Queen, or your crown will melt." Yang said with a smirk.
"Ah, you must be Ms. Yang Xiao Long. You are more beautiful than Azura said you were, dear girl." Verdant said with a smirk of her own.
"How is she a dragon? She looks like one of those girls you see in a…" Argent tried to say, but Yang grabbed him by his collar and picked him up to her eye level.
"Finish that sentence and you get a lump in your eye, brat." Yang growled.
"A lovely lady with absolutely no flaws whatsoever…" Argent nervously said.
Yang smirked at that. "That's what I thought." She replied, setting him down and patting him on the head.
"Is he always like this?" Ren asked Azura, pointing to his younger brother.
"No. This is him on a good day." Azura replied with a shrug.
Argent scanned the room, trying to find an outlet of some kind for his frustration and pain, soon homing in on the red reaper. He then walked up to Ruby and squared her up.
"Can I help you?" Ruby asked nervously.
"Red streaked black hair. Silver eyes. You must be Ruby. Azura, are you sure you're telling the truth about her? She's not as tall as you said she was." Argent said, before turning to look at his older brother.
"Argent…" Azura chided threateningly.
"What? You usually go for girls with bigger boobs. That's why I thought you were going for tall, blonde, and aggressive over here." Argent said, pointing to Yang as Azura blushed in embarrassment.
"Well, she is my older sister." Ruby answered.
"What? You two don't look like it. Guess that means you'll fill out nicely in a few years." Argent absentmindedly said, only to receive a combination bonk from Azura and Yang.
Ruby blushed as red as her cape at this. However, this only piqued the attention of the parents, who turned their gaze unto the young Rose.
"So, this is the famous Ruby Rose? My, my, you are certainly as cute as Azura made you out to be." Verdant told her in a teasing tone.
"C-Cute…" Ruby gasped out, blushing all the deeper as Azura interjected.
"M-Mother, please…!" Azura nervously interrupted her.
"Hush now, dear. I am matchmaking." Verdant teasingly replied.
As this unfolded, Nora pulled out popcorn from her backpack and began to noisily munch. To prevent trouble, she made sure to share with Aqua as she sipped on her juice box.
"Where did you get that?" Ember asked.
"Oh, I bought it off Neo for a candy bar, cheap. Apparently, Trivia was out of sweets, and she needed something to calm her sweet tooth stat." Nora explained.
"That explains way more than it should." Ren answered, beginning to eat along with the two.
Looking Ruby over, Azolum gave an aristocratic grin that was contrasted by the thumbs up he gave Azura. "I approve, son. She seems like she will make for a fine addition to the family." He teasingly told his boy as Azura and Ruby blushed red.
"F-Father…!" Azura sputtered in embarrassment.
"I-I mean, if you all really think that…" Ruby said before covering her mouth, realizing too late what she just said.
Walking up to her, Argent addressed Ruby seriously. "Is it true that you gave Azu a hard time in a spar and broke one of his ribs?" The silver haired, green eyed young samurai asked.
"Not one of my prouder moments, but yes." Ruby gulped as she answered.
Argent immediately went starry eyed, going full fanboy. "That is SO cool! Azu's one of the toughest people I know, so you must be really strong! Can we spar some time, please!?" He all but pleaded with her.
"Um… sure…" Ruby nervously said, unsure how to take all of this.
Ruby then felt a tug on her pant leg. "Miss Ruby…?" Aqua's voice called out as Ruby looked down at her.
"Yes, Aqua?" Ruby asked, confused at the little girl getting to her so quickly.
"Can I call you 'Big Sis Ruby,' please?" Aqua asked, giving Ruby the puppy eyes.
"Um… Sure. if that's okay…" Ruby said, looking up at her parents.
"That's perfectly fine with us, dear." Verdant said with a motherly smile as Azolum gave a thumbs up.
"O-Okay, I think that is enough social interaction! We should REALLY be getting in line now…!" Azura urgently said, having had enough of being embarrassed.
"Bye, Big Sis Ruby!!" Aqua yelled, waving her little arm like a windmill to her, as Ruby waved back.
As the energy in the room began to slowly die down after the injection of an azure dose of hype, the group of friends finally could properly catch their breath. Yang then walked up to her sister as Ruby stood like her heart was about to explode.
"You okay, Ruby? You look like your heart's trying to punch its way out of your chest…" Yang asked, a bit concerned.
"If that's Azura's family… I don't think I can handle everyone else's…" Ruby panted, sweat coming down her temples as she tried desperately to keep herself calm. As Yang noticed her tail beginning to form behind her, that was going to be an uphill battle.