Two-Tailed Fox (Private w/ Pearl Essence)

[Nym Magenta]

Nym furrowed her brow as she scribbled away in her notebook, trying to make sure she kept up with what the professor was telling the class and counting down the seconds until their time together was up. Mechanical engineering was a subject she was sorely lacking on, but it wouldn't do to be a huntress who couldn't repair her own gear. It was mandatory education. She couldn't skip this class, either. Falling behind here would be a nigh-impossible hurdle to overcome. She was lucky it was a class that happened earlier in the day when she was less likely to feel like throwing caution to the wind and ditching, an event that seldom occurred except for special occasions. A small grin tugged at her lips as she remembered the last time she'd skipped. It had indeed happened after she'd already gotten this class squared away.

"And so that brings me to the final subject of today's lesson," said the rose-haired wolf faunus leading the class. "It's not enough to simply know your own gear. If you're fighting with someone else, you need to be aware of the strengths and limitations of their arms just as much as their semblance and style of fighting and it's what this week's project is going to revolve around. You and a partner you choose from this class will need to design a piece of unique equipment that the both of you can use effectively. It can be simultaneously, or it can be something either one of you can use at any time in a fight. It doesn't need to be something you can trade off on the fly, you just both have to be able to put it to good use. Talk about how you fight. Talk about your weapons. Talk about what you can and can't do and think hard about this. I'll let you all choose your own partners, and no odd groups, this class has an even number of students so you'll all be able to pair off just fine." She then took a seat at a computer at the front of the class and started typing. "Once you've got your partner come talk to me and I'll get it recorded, then you can take any remaining time left in class to do as you see fit."

Nym glanced at the clock on the wall, realizing the prof was about to let them go almost a half an hour early. Apparently she really wanted to make sure they had time to get started on this. Her pencil stopped it's frantic motions and she leaned back in her seat, taking out her scroll, getting ready to wait. No one else in this class was going to want her as a partner. She might have gotten plenty of attention from the boys looking to get an easy lay, but academics were never going to be a point of pride for her. She barely even knew who her classmates were! All of her focus was spent on copying down notes and trying to understand as much as possible, committing it all to memory. The other participants in class were just not important enough for her to think about until now.

Whoever was left would have the unfortunate 'pleasure' of being her partner. Oh well, if it was really that hard she could probably get Ax to help her out with it. This wasn't something she was going to be able to do on her own, anyways.

[Pearl Essence]

A pen glided along paper, leaving a trail of ink detailing the decisions and failures behind the rise and fall of Mountain Glenn and what she believed could be done to prevent such things in the future. It was a world apart from the things she loved to learn about. Intricate designs and interlocking parts, the best materials to serve as the components that allowed a huntresses weapon to fold and transform into a completely different but functional form, even the mathematics involved were infinitely more interesting that thinking about how cities and towns would rise and fall all because someone decided it wasn't cost effective to protect them anymore.

Red amber eyes drifted closed for a moment and her pen stopped moving as a sigh passed painted lips. A thought of speaking with Professor Valiente after class crossed her mind. If there was any class she might be able to request some time away from to sort out how she had fallen behind it was one she was excelling in. Surely the wolf had noticed the fox's divided attention and might accommodate her. Even now her ears were tuned into what the professor said, but there was no excitement behind her eyes as they opened when the professor spoke of a project. It was just another thing that would take up her limited time. Time Pearl decided not to waste as her pen started moving again as she waited for someone to find the guts to pair with her or to leave a straggler.

Another pair of minutes, another paragraph, and then she placed her pen down. There was only so much she could justify to the professor while actively in her class. A slow look around the room told her all she needed to know. Everyone was paired up or vying for a spot with the person they wanted to pair with. That left herself and... Nym. A quiet curse passed her lips as she rose to her feet and began to make her way over. While she knew the girl wasn't the best student, that wasn't her concern. She could carry any student in this class to a top grade if need be. No, it was that both times they'd met before, Nym had been a sullen and lovesick mess. It was a topic she hoped they could largely avoid this time.

It was clear to Pearl that Nym fully expected someone to only come to her if they were stuck with her with how she was focused on her scroll as the machinist approached. Maybe she'd consider herself lucky this time. A pair of metal fingers came down point first on the desk in two quick taps to try to catch Nym's attention before Pearl spoke, her tone polite and confident. “Hello Nym, looks like it's just us left now. We should let the professor know the other students lost out, and then see what we can come up with for this project.”

[Nym Magenta]

Nym's expression was decidedly neutral as she browsed through her scroll aimlessly, not really looking at anything, just waiting for time to pass and hoping that whoever was left at the end of the pairings wouldn't be too hard to work with. The sound of metal on wood caught her attention as she looked up to discover that her partner was none other than Pearl. Her eyebrows knit together, a look of confusion on her face. Was Pearl really in this class? How had she not noticed her before now? "Uhhh..." she muttered, dumbly, brain catching up with the fact that she was about to be partnered with someone she knew. Her head turned this way and that as she checked to make sure there really was no one left in class to choose from. "Yer...yer sure? I mean," Nym rubbed the back of her neck guiltily. It wasn't as if there was much choice here, Pearl's surety didn't matter. Then again...Pearl could have chosen to grab someone else before everyone had paired off. Maybe it did matter? "I'm bloody awful at this kinda stuff," she admitted. "I c'n do maintenance n' cleanin' on my own weapon, but I've neva' built nothin' before and I'll..."

She trailed off. She'd been about to say she would probably drag Pearl down, but maybe that was giving both of them too little credit. "I'll work as bloody 'ard as I c'n work, but 'm prob'ly gonna need a lotta help." That was better. She could do this, it just wasn't going to be easy. It would have been easier to pair up with someone like Ax, someone she knew well and who already knew enough about her to get why she was so awful at academics and the cerebral side of things. Ax wasn't in this class. Pearl was. Pearl didn't really know anything about her other than what a horrible mess she could be at times, so it was probably better to be up front about her skill. It was a little embarrassing that Pearl seemed to only be getting to see the worst sides of her.

[Pearl Essence]

There were a few reactions she was used to seeing cross the face of someone she was partnered with. A few would be excited, at least in a class like this, but the majority showed some sign of hesitance or annoyance whenever they were stuck working with her. Confusion was a new one. Pearl turned her head with Nym following the fox's search to find someone else who hadn't been paired up. It was fruitless, and a search she'd already done, but she wouldn't begrudge the girl her own opportunity to look for a way out. At least that's what seemed most likely.

Ahh, that was it. She wasn't confident in her abilities and probably felt she'd be dead weight. Nym's little admission caused Pearl to hum as her eyes drifted away from the fox in a moment of thought. What was this girl actually good at besides being heartbroken? There had to be something if she got into Beacon. Odds were she'd find that out shortly. Besides, even she'd been lacking and only had talent for fighting when she'd enrolled. It could be that Nym was like her in those regards but hadn't adapted yet.

“If you actually mean it that you're willing to try and are able to follow instruction, it will be easier than my last group project. Once we inform the professor, we just need to sort out some of our combat methods and we'll be able to come up with something in no time.” Pearl hoped her confidence would be at least a little infectious and kick Nym into gear. If the girl was too busy worrying about how she wasn't going to be able to contribute, it would be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

[Nym Magenta]

Nym pocketed her scroll and started to pack up the last of her study materials while Pearl was talking. It seemed the older girl wasn't intimidated by the prospect of working with her and that was a relief. The only worry was on her own part, whether or not she'd be able to contribute fairly to their project. Even if it was impossible, even if Pearl was going to have to do a lot of the heavy lifting, Nym could follow instructions. She could show up when she needed to. She could bring what she needed to bring. She could put just as much effort into the project as was demanded of her.

"Wouldn' be able t'make it this far 'ere if I couldn' do that much," Nym said. Her voice wasn't overflowing with confidence, but it wasn't dismissive or offended, either. She stood up and slung her backpack over her shoulder. She had learned a few things while at Beacon. She'd passed her classes, even if it was by the skin of her teeth and atop a mountain made of blood, sweat, and tears. One more project wouldn't kill her. "Right," then she was heading down towards the professor and her desk.

The wolf behind the screen looked up at the final pair and smiled at them. "Pearl Essence and Nym Magenta. I had a feeling the two of you would end up together." Her fingers tapped briefly on the keys before she leaned back in her chair, lacing the metal fingers of one hand through the real fingers of her other. "In fact, I was hoping you would. Pearl, I'm sure there's almost nothing I have to teach you in this class. In fact, you might have noticed that the last test I gave you covered some subjects that haven't been addressed in class yet." She grinned a toothy, wolfish grin as she brought up the most recent assessment she'd doled out only a couple days prior. One hand reached into her tote and proferred a set of stapled papers, sliding it across the desk towards Pearl. "That was the final. You'll find some commentary in the margins as far as optimizations and efficiency, but they're just academic nitpicking, me doing my due diligence to make sure you can walk away from my class with something. I would feel confident giving you a passing grade right now and not requiring your presence in this class for the rest of the semester. In fact, that's pretty much exactly what I'm going to do, but with one caveat."

Professor Valiente turned her gaze towards Nym. "You are struggling tremendously with this course." Nym opened her mouth to say something, but Valiente held up her mechanical hand to hush her. "But I can tell you're trying. And you are learning, even if it's not coming as easily as you'd like. You need help, and while I would love to be able to give you the time you need myself, I've got my own commitments that make that challenging. So, the caveat," she turned back towards Pearl. "Teach her. Pass this project together, but make sure you teach her. I expect both of you to not only be able to use this piece of equipment efficiently and effectively, but I expect a demonstration from Nym on how to assemble and disassemble it as well as detailed descriptions of why you put every last nut and bolt where it is. If you can do that and...well, one more caveat even if I can only hope you'd honor it," she chortled brightly. "If you can do that and also promise me you'll help her if she needs more of it for my class, I'll pass you and you can spend the time you would normally spend on my lectures however you like. No more homework, no more projects, no more lectures. Nym, you'll still need to attend my class as normal. There's still a lot for you to learn here, and of course, I am by no means forcing these standards on you two. If you meet the standards I've set for the rest of the class, of course you will still get a passing grade on the project. If it sounds like too much of a burden for you, you don't have to do it."

But Rose Valiente knew what she was doing. She had stood where both of them stood, years ago. She had struggled and clawed her way through Beacon. She knew the kind of drive that those who came from the very bottom had; the diamonds that could be forged under the right conditions. When she was attending Beacon she hadn't had professors who were nearly as willing to be involved in their students education. But she was. She was willing to read their files and look at the grades and really see them for the individuals they were and the huntresses and huntsmen they could become. They would take this challenge, she was sure of it. Pearl didn't need to know more about engineering, she needed to know more about people. She could have skipped every lecture, shown up for the final and passed. What was the point of chaining her to a desk? Nym was capable, but she needed more attention than Rose could give, and if Pearl could pass on her own knowledge they'd both be learning from each other. She was sure that Pearl would keep her word if they did succeed, but Nym might not even need the help if everything went smoothly on this little project.

"I am, of course, open to your thoughts on this arrangement," she said, calmly awaiting their response.

[Pearl Essence]

There were small things that Pearl had already noticed about the darker-haired fox. A lack of confidence, an air of defeat with the way she focused on her scroll instead of trying to figure out something that would make the subject click. Maybe she'd tried everything she knew and gave up already, but at least the answer given in her heavy accent was satisfactory. This project would be a top grade even if Nym didn't believe she had anything to give. “Then we will be golden.” Perhaps the attempt to reassure her temporary partner would fall flat as had her earlier attempts to aide the girl, but it was an attempt nonetheless.

As soon as they were done informing the professor of their partnership, they could get right into the important details, but until then she couldn't even formulate the beginnings of a plan. She was glad it wouldn't take long to get their information noted down. At least that was her thoughts as she stopped in front of the professors desk beside Nym. Furred ears perked up as the first words left the wolf's mouth, her curiosity clearly piqued by the prediction, and more importantly, the hope that they would have been paired together.

“I'd wondered about that.” Curiosity turned to surprise that she quickly tried to hide by locking her eyes onto the stapled papers Rose presented. With what was apparently her final in her hands, she wasted little time reading the notes offered. The machinist didn't entirely agree with the idea that there was nothing left to learn from this class, but it was likely true that anything she hadn't wasn't exactly far out of her reach. A little extra studying and it would be entirely true. Professor Valiente had been paying more attention to her students than Pearl could have ever hoped. It was almost the ideal situation. Almost.

Her gaze moved from her final to the wolf only to finally land on the fox as the offer was given. A quick guess at the hours gained from not having to worry with this class anymore compared to those lost to having to help someone who might have truly been a hopeless case for this class still came out in her favor, and she didn't really believe Nym would be completely hopeless. People simply gave up too quickly. Pearl took a deep breath before turning her focus back onto the wolf. Even if she knew the answer, she needed to hear Pearl say it.

“The opportunity to gain back some extra time to catch up in my other classes is simply too good to pass up. I had already been planning to ask you for some sort of consideration about the situation.” Pearl looked towards Nym from the corner of her eye for a moment. She tried to keep her expression passive, but her gaze moved a little too quickly, her head shifting slightly in Nym's direction before she focused on the professor again. “I agree to these terms if Nym does.” If this girl turned down the offer, she could still be in a sore spot, but as much as she needed this she couldn't take that choice away.

[Nym Magenta]

Nym's eyebrows raised in surprise and her heart started to beat a little faster as their professor offered Pearl one hell of a bargain. Was that even something that she was allowed to do? Pearl could just skip her class? That sounded like a sweet deal for Pearl, but there was a lot of pressure riding on Nym's shoulders all of a sudden. Nym was going to have to learn how to do a lot, very quickly, and she wasn't even going to get any extra credit out of it. There was almost no reason for her to go along with this other than...well, helping Pearl. And getting a crash course. Maybe it wasn't such a one sided thing after all. And it wasn't like she was about to back down from a challenge like that. The worse thing that could happen is she just doesn't do a good enough job. A younger version of herself might have worried what Pearl would think if she couldn't do it, or what kind of pressure Pearl would be putting on her to succeed, but...if both of them sounded confident she could do it.

"I'll do it," she said with a nod, a furrowed brow, and a tail that flicked back and forth behind her. She turned towards Pearl. "Promise I won' letcha down." Her voice had considerably more determination than before.

Rose smiled warmly at the both of them. She hadn't even needed to negotiate with them! Ah, she was definitely cut out for being a professor, and an especially good one for students like them. "Tremendous. It's settled then. As always, you've got my contact information and office hours. If there are parts that you need special permission for access too or you need help troubleshooting you know how to get ahold of me. You're welcome to do as you please with the rest of the time we would have had class." She turned back towards her computer to finalize pairings and start drafting an email for the headmaster about her arrangements with Pearl.

[Pearl Essence]

Several questions whirred around in her mind in the moments between her own answer and her partner's. How was she going to do this? Would Nym even be able to follow? Would she be penalized if Nym couldn't and still floundered in the class? No. She knew that answer. It didn't mean that Pearl would give any less than her best, but Rose wouldn't have made this offer with the intent of ripping it out from under her feet for something outside of her control. There was no benefit to it save to enjoy a power trip and the wolf never seemed that type. All she had to do was do her best to teach this girl and she'd have fulfilled her end.

“Thank you, Professor.” There was a measure of relief for the silver fox at such a chance being given to her. There was no way either Rose or Nym could know all of what they had just helped her with, and hopefully they never would. “I trust you won't, but we have a lot of work to do so we should get started.” There was a softness to her voice as the words left her mouth and she turned to leave the professor to her work. It wasn't lost on her that Nym was showing a lot more determination and confidence than just moments before they'd spoken with the professor. A quiet sigh of relief left her as she made her way to collect her things. Whether Nym wanted to discuss things here or elsewhere didn't matter so much as getting started.

[Nym Magenta]

Nym nodded at Pearl and moved to follow her as she breathed her own heavy sigh of relief. It wasn't like she was out of the woods. This project was still going to be difficult. Her mechanical engineering skills were sorely lacking and in a week's time she was going to have to put them on full display for professor Valiente. One week to go from no ideas and barely knowing each other to having a functional, working piece of equipment that she could fully build and breakdown with matching explanations. Nope. Not easy.

But her partner seemed not to be too upset by the proposal. "So, er," Nym said as they made for the door. "Where ya thinkin' we ought t'go first?" Their first course of action seemed straightforward enough. They'd have to figure out what they were making. The only way to do that was figure out each other, at least enough to brainstorm ideas and come up with something feasible. That could have meant a lot of things, though. Training Rooms? Cafeteria? Someone's dorm? Pearl knew more about the subject, so Nym was happy to let her take the lead here.

[Pearl Essence]

As Pearl collected her belongings, she couldn't help but mull over the wolf's proposal and admire what she had come up with. It was unlikely that Rose hadn't noticed that a few of Pearl's group projects had primarily been her idea given form and later detailed by the fox. That couldn't happen here. She couldn't simply take over, create an idea, and put it together if Nym was struggling. Rose had with just a few simple words made it so Pearl had to actually teach the girl how to do this. No shortcuts. That worked for her. She detested shortcuts and having to do the work for others. The voice of her partner was a pleasing interruption to her thoughts. It meant the girl was eager to work on this.

“Ideally we'd head to one of the training rooms.” A quick glance around the mostly empty classroom suggested that most had already come to that conclusion. “We paired late, so most the closer ones are probably filled with some of our peers trying to show off for one another.” Pearl slung her bag over her shoulder and looked up towards the slightly taller girl. “It's probably best if we take the time to talk about things that either us might struggle with and grab a bite to eat instead of waiting by.” It was unlikely Nym would intentionally show her any weaknesses while in a training room. No one wanted to put their weaknesses on display.

[Nym Magenta]

Nym listened and nodded. She would have wanted to get straight to business! They could fight and talk at the same time, right? But taking things slowly was fine too. They had a whole week to do this. Making sure they were on the same page to begin with was a good way to start. "Okay, s'a good start," she said as she turned towards the door and started to walk, making sure to hold it open for Pearl as they exited the class. "We 'eadin' t' the cafeteria or out furtha' t'get somethin' t' eat? I don' mind cafeteria food, but..." She shrugged. "I ain't the only one eatin', I guess."

Her mind was already starting to sift through the way she fought to look for things that might count as weaknesses. Did it have to be a weakness? What if it was something that played to both of their strengths? Maybe Pearl was just being thorough to start and wanted to get a good idea of what their weakness and strengths were before starting to brainstorm. It would probably take a somewhat thorough understanding of how they fought in order to come up with gear for fighting. They'd probably have to talk and fight. "And...uh..." She mused as they walked through Beacon's halls. "Weaknesses...I don' really 'ave a lotta dust in me arsenal. I c'n, uh, use my chainsaw t' sorta throw it, but s'a pretty close range attack n' I really only use it t' surprise people. S'usually easier t' jus' 'it with the chainsaw. Gun uses dust bullets, but...s'about it." They weren't strictly weaknesses, but they were areas where she could improve. So many students at Beacon had a wide variety of weapons or equipment at their disposal. Her weapon was very versatile, as any good huntress' weapon would be, but just about any piece of gear she could think of would be an upgrade for her as she was so lacking in them!

[Pearl Essence]

“I prefer to stay away from the cafeteria food when time permits me to make my own meals. Cafeteria food never sits well with me.” Pearl's scroll was in her hand as the girls walked the halls, her eyes flicking up from it often to make sure she wasn't about to blindly walk into someone or something. Images of food flickered across the screen as the machinist considered ordering lunch to be delivered. “I might simply order something to be delivered for us that we can enjoy while we talk. Maybe some Mistrali steamed buns.” The thought of getting just herself something and leaving Nym to fend for herself in the cafeteria never even crossed her mind.

“And that's exactly what I was talking about. A weakness of that sort is the perfect thing to consider.” There was so much to consider just with what little Nym had given her already, though those were only her weaknesses. “So, you see, the way we fight, the weapons we choose, and how we augment them are all to maximize our strengths in battle. It's hard to make us stronger where we're already strong. Finding out weaknesses though and making something to nullify them leaves us in a much better position when it comes to a mission. Most of our peers will be too prideful to do much beyond showing off where they are already strong and trying to find something to make them better at something they are already good at.”

It was her turn to share a few weaknesses, to maybe give Nym something to think about, to wrap her head around to start brainstorming. “I've spent a lot of time building around my weaknesses already, but that's not to say there's not a way to build better. Even beyond the obvious physical limitations I've had to work around, I am still more vulnerable to certain dust based attacks or those with a strong ability to manipulate metal.” She gestured to herself by waving her hand to draw the eye from furred ears to toes, several inches shy of five feet of fox. “Even if I'm quite good at defending myself, a strong blow can still send me flying further than it would most people even if I'm unharmed.”

[Nym Magenta]

'Delivered for us.'

That hadn't gone unnoticed. Nym looked across at Pearl, but didn't say anything right away, letting her talk. She had quite a bit to say, which Nym was expecting. Great fighters usually knew a great deal about how to fight, but not everyone did a good job communicating their thoughts. Pearl was a great fighter. After their chance encounters out in Vale, Nym had taken the time to look into her enough to know that she had a reputation that was well earned as a ruthless combatant. It sounded like she was someone who could put their thoughts into words quite easily! Nym wasn't sure she'd ever been very good at it. Fighting was so dynamic, and her own style of fighting relied heavily on intuition. Oftentimes her answer to questions would be 'it felt right,' and anything more detailed took serious reflection.

Nym reached into her backpack and pulled out her notebook, starting to jot down a few things they'd both mentioned. "Well...I don' 'ave enough pride t' be dishonest 'bout what I c'n do." She sighed heavily. "Don' matta' how good I am at fightin', s'bloody embarrassin' if I c'n barely pass me classes, so..." Nym trailed off, frowning and giving a shrug. "'Sides, me reputation's arse anyways, so I don' gotta put on airs fer no one. Er...sorry, just...a roundabout way'a sayin' 'm gonna do me best t' talk straight to ya." She bit down on the eraser of her pencil for a second "And uh...thanks, I mean...if yer serious 'bout the food."

[Pearl Essence]

The sound of writing from her project partner surprised the silver-haired fox, but earned an approving nod. Even as the girl disparaged her capabilities, she made it clear she was serious about her work. At least this particular project. “I apologize if this comes across as patronizing, but you're much too hard on yourself. When I first arrived at Beacon I wouldn't have been able to name even most of the common grimm. I was unaware of the uses of dust beyond the purely mechanical and weaponized. I was ignorant you could even fuse dust types to create new ones. Most of my earliest weapon designs don't use any transformative techniques or technology that is standard of most huntsman weapons. I had no knowledge of, nor impulse to use, damage control techniques in a fight. I still have difficulties holding back.” The more she thought about it, Rose would likely be aware of the difficulties that she had overcome when it came to her studies. She was aware of the ones she faced now after all.

Pearl shook her head and stopped herself from going on too long winded of a lecture... There was a look a chagrin on her face as she realized that apology or no, she'd probably still likely come across as condescending. “I'm sorry. The point I'm trying to make is that struggling isn't a sign of weakness. I have far more respect for those who struggle to even get by than those who rest on their laurels at the top.”

The sound of metal digits moving across the screen of a scroll could be heard beneath her words. “And I'm serious about most things, so does this order look good?” Pearl held out her scroll so Nym could see the order on the screen. An order of six steamed buns, two sweet and spicy beef, two kung pao chicken, and two vegetable, with an orange soda and an unselected drink order on the side just waiting for Nym's input.

[Nym Magenta]

Was she hard on herself? She was just being honest...about what she felt. That didn't necessarily mean she wasn't. It was embarrassing to be struggling in her classes. Her victories in the field or in sparring matches never made her feel any better when she was sweating on a test or looking at disappointing results that were born of her best efforts. Sure, she wasn't weak. If she was weak then she wouldn't be putting in so much effort! But...well, but nothing, actually. She really didn't need to think about it any further than that and undermine the point. She was strong. Maybe she wasn't the smartest student at Beacon, but she was strong. "Nah, s'not patronizin'," Nym said with a level tone. She actually felt a little better. "I, uh, guess I c'n be a little quick t' jus' dwell on 'ow bad it feels t' 'ave t' put so much bloody effort in fer a passin' grade n' not think any 'arder than that." Ax and her had had this conversation before. Her self-esteem was improving, but it would take some time to start thinking more positively more consistently.

Her eyes moved to the scroll order. She grinned. Steamed buns? Steamed buns were good. Anything was good if she wasn't paying for it. "Looks aces. Just, uh, gimme one'a whateva' yer drinkin' too." All soft drinks tasted the same to her, delicious. There was so much sugar in them, how could she not like them? She swallowed, already salivating at the thought of food.

"I wouldn'a guessed you'd eva' struggled with much. Professa' Valiente was glowin' 'bout 'ow smart you were in 'er class." It was a little bit of a relief knowing that her partner had difficulties at Beacon as well. Lowered the pedestal that Nym had been placing her on considerably closer towards normal.

[Pearl Essence]

Her first guess had been to simply double the order, but it had been worth double checking. Pearl let out an amused huff of air through her nose before inputting the rest of the order. “Ha, I had a feeling. It'll be delivered wherever we are on campus as long as we're outside. The little delivery drones don't do so well indoors.” There were ways to ease the mind into working hard to solve a problem. A satisfied stomach and a refreshing drink were a good start. There still wasn't enough information to brainstorm a solution yet, but at least the option of having good food delivered had been shown to her. Such a simple thing she'd not considered before.

Pearl moved to turn a corner to start guiding them outside. There was a training room not too far from where they were, and they could enjoy their meal a short walk away. How could she respond to what Nym had said of Professor Valiente's praise without it sounding like she was stroking her own ego? “Before today, I'd say it's simply because I have a knack for the subjects she teaches. I was playing with airship engine parts instead of dolls or toys as a child, and I've always had an urge to tinker and take things apart. With the offer she made today, well, she's probably realized just how thin I've stretched myself as far as time goes. I spend so much time training, studying, and doing my academic work that I've not had time for leisure in awhile. This will give me back some of that time, so I'm happy to take the offer.” It was likely even suspected she was getting chemical assistance outside of her normal medications.

“I guess that's another thing that we might be able to consider for the project. I overreach and try to take on more than I can handle, though I'm not sure how we can mechanically fix that.” That would simply require teammates...

[Nym Magenta]

Nym let Pearl take the lead to wherever the pair would end up while she listened some more. That was something she'd definitely gotten better at over the years, listening. Even someone as seemingly competent and confident as Pearl struggled, too. So did everyone else. The grass only looked like it was greener on the other side. There were probably things that Nym made look like a breeze to other students, right? Someone was probably jealous of her talents right now. She felt a little more motivated to make sure she held up her end of this project now. Her stomach quietly growled and she swallowed. Skipping breakfast had been a mistake. She still needed to work on setting her alarms for the right times.

"Hah, d'no 'f I c'n think'a some kinda machine t' solve that problem," Nym said with amusement in her voice. "Prob'ly gotta shelve that one fer later." She held the notebook loosely as she twirled her pencil gracefully through her fingers as they walked. "Only time I don' feel stretched bloody thin is when classes 'r on break fer summa' or winta'. N' even then...I still end up doin' some kinda schoolin'. I'll be bloody relieved once 'm a fully fledged 'untress. Finally be able t' 'ave some freedom, then." She sighed dreamily at the idea. She felt like a dog chasing after a car. What was she supposed to do once she finally caught it? No idea.

[Pearl Essence]

“Hah, no I really don't think we can. Not unless we can make a mechanical me, and I don't know if I like the implications of that.” It was said with a laugh, full of amusement. The light-hearted tone didn't stop her from flexing a mechanical hand. It was so much smaller, closer to the size of what her flesh and blood would have been than the one's she'd created. “Pretty sure the only replica I could make of a person would be more like clockwork than anything even close to real. Being a fully fledged huntress will render that a moot point for both of us though.” Their paths would be very different though wouldn't they?

Pearl pushed a door open leading to the outside and held it open for the other fox as she enjoyed the feeling of warm sunlight on her face, her eyes closed until she heard Nym step past the threshold. “So, back to the topic at hand, we should think of a problem either specific to us, or one that might even benefit other students on a wider range as long as it also helps us.” She let the door shut behind them and continued guiding the taller girl to where they were going. “In fact, I've noticed this is an issue for most of the students here, but how well do you manage in a fight if you've been disarmed? Do you have a back up weapon or something else?”

[Nym Magenta]

Nym took a moment to stretch her arms above her head and take in the warm air. There were a lot of possible things they could make. Any kind of hand thrown projectile would probably work well for her, even if it wasn't the most elegant solution. But would grenades really count? Her biggest issues in a fight were usually opponents that fought well from a distance, but she wasn't helpless against them. Whisper let her close distances very quickly. She could use her chaingun to fire at range as well, even if she preferred to stay close and personal there were times when using a gun was a more efficient or safer choice. She raised a brow at Pearl's mention of being disarmed.

"I don' really carry a backup weapon, nah. I've neva' actually been disarmed b'fore." She thought back through all the fights she'd ever been in. Even skilled opponents had a hard time getting close enough to disarm her. The reach of her weapon and it's violent chain kept most people from attacking her grip. Even skilled chain users could be thwarted by it. Locking down her weapon was difficult. "Don' mean it can't 'appen, though. Is...er, is it possible to..." She furrowed her brow. "Er, lemme show ya somethin'." Nym reached up under the front of her shirt, hand sliding up below her chest and fiddling around for a moment before a click sounded and she pulled. A small, metal plate slid out from under the back of her shirt, a flexible strap attached to it. "I wear this unda' me clothes. S'a magnetic 'olster fer me weapon. Is...it possible t'do somethin' like that ova' longa' ranges? Like...if I did end up droppin' me weapon or losin' it, there somethin' we could make t'...make it come back?" She was pretty sure a huge magnet wouldn't work, you'd grab everything around you with it, but did dust interact with magnets in some way? Or maybe magnets didn't have to be involved at all, her holster had just been what gave her the idea. She wasn't going to learn if she didn't ask.

"'Cor, 'f that don' sound like a good idea, a backup weapon ain't a bad one." Maybe her idea was a little farfetched. She hadn't even heard what Pearl had been about to suggest!

[Pearl Essence]

The warm summer day easily conjured dreams of basking under the sun's warmth, a cold cocktail in hand and a soft song on the wind. If Nym really could uphold her end here, maybe the opportunity to rest wouldn't be so far off. She'd still need to catch up on her classes, and occasionally tutor the fox, but maybe it wasn't such a flight of fancy. A hope that would only grow as the dark-haired girl not only answered her question, but shared some thought of her own. It was little surprise the girl hadn't been disarmed. Truly, it was a rarity in the field, but a rarity to the ill-prepared could spell death. She'd nearly died herself from such a mistake.

If Pearl was concerned about Nym reaching under her clothes, it never showed on her face. The girl had her attention, and she smiled broad at the magnetic holster in Nym's hands a moment later. “See, you're not so bad at this. Your mind went right to what I was considering with barely a nudge.” She clasped her hands in front of her and continued. “So, there are certainly ways to create a magnetic connection between two objects at range. There are some difficulties because we'll need to find a way to make sure only the object in question, your weapon or mine, will be attracted to whatever we have on our person.”

It was a rather simple device, that they could find schematics for if they decided to look for them, but if they presented something standard Rose would be displeased. “Now, the basic idea wouldn't be bad, but we should make it more than a standard design. Perhaps something that could be attached to your teammates or in our case your partner's weapon as well to potentially allow a rapid swap or a surprise attack. A war guillotine or chainsword being pulled through the air magnetically would still leave a path of destruction in its wake.”

[Nym Magenta]

Nym grinned at Pearl's encouragement. It was a nice thought that she wasn't bad at this, but coming up with ideas and executing them were two different things. She'd chalk it up to beginner's luck that the first idea she came up with was a winner. This project sounded like it was well within the realm of possibility, though. The idea had been inspired by her partner. Ax had her own equipment that could move independently of her, so there had to be a way to make something move in a simpler motion, right? Only moving straight towards one spot was much less complicated than dynamic movement. She furrowed her brow and gave Pearl's suggestion some more though.

"I...don' think it'd be good fer me t' be able t' toss Whispa' t' someone else, I er, use a chainsaw fer a weapon. Unless ya got lotsa experience usin' it, s'pretty dangerous t' swing around. Just makin' somethin' t' make sure it comes back would be real, real useful. I c'n throw it, sometimes, but it's risky not knowin' exactly where she'll land so I try not t'do it, but if I c'n make it come back right away, even if I miss it's still a threat. Could even miss on purpose t' bait in people who don' know betta'. Hm...maybe...if it's gotta be more'n jus' makin' it come straight back, uh...could ya make it so it c'n...fly left n' right too? 'F it's a glove or somethin', t' control it with, could we give it some kinda complicated flight control?" Being able to throw her weapon and control it's flight afterwards would be extremely useful. Her mind was already thinking about what sorts of maneuvers would be possible with a weapon that could fly.

[Pearl Essence]

The girl's accent certainly left some room for error in the conversation, but Pearl was confident they were on the right track. If Nym's weapon was a chainsword, it was true that not many people could easily wield it. Especially if it was the two handed variety. The raw forces necessary for such a weapon to function were enough to rip it out of the hands of an inexperienced user. However, that would actually make a device like what they were considering an even better option. A magnetic or gravity lock system activated by aura could nullify those forces unless the wielder wanted them.

“Hmm, a good strategy. To allow some mid-range control is certainly possible, but significantly more complicated. If we use magnetism, that could be disrupted, but perhaps using gravity dust as the primary force will allow for more control and prevent some sort of interference.” Pearl seemed to be thinking out loud, stopping her stream of thought only long enough to take a seat on a stone bench within earshot of one of Beacon's fountains. “A glove by itself may not have enough room for all the necessary components, but the device shouldn't be bulky. Especially not whatever we connect to the weapon itself, though modifying the handle is the safest choice there. It does seem like we know what we want to make, and this will help me as well.”

[Nym Magenta]

Nym furrowed her brow trying to think back to what Professor Valiente had taught them about using dust in conjunction with larger weapons, but the lessons were slipping through her mind. She could look through her notes, but Pearl was sitting right there. Would she sound stupid if she asked? Eh, maybe, but Pearl had been nice enough so far. "It matta' at all where it goes? Uh...I can't rememba' the lessons 'bought gravity dust n' large weapons, but..." She pursed her lips to the side, doing her best to remember some of the vocabulary she'd learned to talk about these issues. "I can't rememba' if the centa' of gravity matta's fer where yer puttin' a device like this, n'...the...well...if it's makin' the chainsaw weightless, or near weightless, I guess it don' matta', but I, uh, can't rememba' exactly 'ow it works."

And Pearl was supposed to be the expert here, right? Professor Valiente had asked her to teach Nym, so Nym ought to be able to ask questions like this. "I guess...I didn' really think 'bout it eitha', but Whispa's still gotta' hit 'em with the sharp portion'a the weapon to really be a threat n' I d'no 'ow that'd work if it's weightless eitha'." They were starting to get past the initial territory of concepts and into the nitty gritty of how these modifications would actually, practically work in regards to her own weapon. How the device would work for Pearl's weapon was probably significantly simpler, assuming it didn't also have some kind of spinning chain on it. Most people wouldn't give a second thought to it, but it significantly impacted how Nym had to swing the weapon! It wasn't a static object. It would probably affect how the weapon acts if it was weightless or in flight.

[Pearl Essence]

As the first question left Nym's mouth, a bit of tension left her shoulders and her ears appeared to wiggle briefly. Each doubt that might have formed in her mind as she considered the project and her deal with Rose was dispelled. Nym was just as keen to take the opportunity as Pearl had been. It made the bit of praise she'd give more genuine. “You've remembered the lesson well to even consider how that would effect things.” Many students didn't. “The center of gravity will still matter as it would influence how the object moves through the air while in flight. Another issue with a bulky device is that if it's on the blade proper, it could hinder your strikes and be vulnerable to being struck whether the device is active or not.”

This would be even easier to explain with a way to display some of the potential problems, but that would require a few different objects and a location without wind. Something she only remembered as a summer breeze blew through. “We'll have to try a few different constructions and placements, both for my weapon and yours to figure out the ideal method. It could even require secondary additions such as a stabilizing device or a more simple counterweight.” A faint chime sounded from her scroll as a notification that their food would be there soon. She'd have to remember to thank Felix for introducing her to things like this.

[Nym Magenta]

Nym let herself enjoy a small grin as she sat down on the bench next to Pearl, relaxing enough to get off her feet. Okay, so far Pearl hadn't snapped at her once and had been nothing but generally supportive and positive. Why didn't she have people lining up to be her partner at the beginning of class? This project, tough as it was, was shaping up to be very achievable and it felt like it was mostly thanks to Pearl. Nym was just throwing ideas out there and Pearl was making it take a more tangible form. A sudden, overwhelming burst of curiosity forced it's way up out of her. "How'd you end up not 'avin' anyone t' partner up wif but me?" Nym's puzzlement was evident in her voice. "Yer obviously bloody smart, I mean...I barely rememba' the concepts in class n' yer fillin' in the techy stuff like it's nothin'. Not t' mention ya..." Nym trailed off.

Not to mention that Pearl had been fairly gracious and forgiving of Nym's decidedly shitty behavior the last two times that they'd met. She wasn't just putting up with Nym, either, she was actively encouraging her! "Not t' mention 'ow patient y've been with me already. I jus' don' get 'ow Professa' Valiente knew it'd end up like this." Racism against faunus was one thing, sure, but they were third year students at Beacon! At a certain point, skill started to at least make people pay you a bare modicum of respect. Someone was much less likely to bully you or make snide remarks when their pride might be on the line if it came to blows. Mechanics were a totally separate problem! A brilliant mind for engineering was undeniable even to the dumbest of racists that managed to get into Beacon. Was Pearl scaring off people trying to use her? It didn't make any sense to Nym!

[Pearl Essence]

The experience was a puzzling one. As the initial plan for their project neared completion, she found her mind wandering to their first two meetings and how they'd gone. Pearl's wasn't the only one to wander to such things. Nym's question hung in the air and Pearl's brow furrowed in thought. There were a dozen reasons she could guess depending on which of their peers was most specifically asked about their difficulties with her, or her own difficulties with them. It surprised her however that Nym didn't already have an idea to the answer. Even she wasn't certain how Rose had expected this to work, however.

“Well, that question's certainly not as easy to answer as how we might make this project work.” Pearl shook her head, and decided to forge ahead as best as she could. “I don't care to spare people's feelings. I've told at least three of the students in our class their ideas were terrible, while explaining the flaws and reasons we needed to do a different idea. Two others I've pissed off by ignoring attempts to be flirtatious and get my number, and another I made cry for the same reason. Others have problems with me for other reasons, but all similar. I'm not going to stroke someone's ego or pride unless they actually had a good idea.”

The faint buzzing sound of a delivery drone overhead pulled her attention upwards long enough to deal with their delivery. A quick wave of her scroll and the drone relinquished the bag with their meal to her. “Had you decided you were too proud to discuss where you might be weak, or you chose to be belligerent for Rose feeling you would benefit from my help, I'd have had no patience for you at all.” Pearl busied her hands pulling a box of steamed buns and drink out for herself before reaching what was left towards Nym. “I would have simply told you how it was going to be and if you took issue with that, I'd inform the professor of the difficulties with our deal, and I'd have continued the project on my own.”

[Nym Magenta]

Now it made sense. Pearl was an asshole! Well, she wasn't totally an asshole, there was definitely kindness to be found somewhere in her heart, but she sounded and acted blunt to a fault. Nym had been incapable of thinking about others feelings for a time, but she'd learned the value of considering them. You could deescalate and make friends with just a little consideration. There were doors worth opening that needed you to think of others feelings and perceptions. She had a long way to go before she could be lecturing others about it, though, and while she could see the value of it in her head, putting those things into perspective was much harder.

Nym reached out and took the food with a grin. "I like ya, Pearl," she said with sincerity and a hint of amusement in her voice. "Not jus' 'cuz yer buyin' food fer me eitha'." It certainly wasn't hurting her case. Nym's mouth watered at the downright luxurious smell of delivered food. She had to fight the instinct to immediately stuff her face. She needed to finish her thought. "I like people who're straight wif me. 'M bloody awful at guessin' what people're thinkin' or feelin', and...s'nice t' not 'ave t'do that." She paused with a steamed bun halfway to her mouth. Pearl was a little haughty, wasn't she? The way she talked so aggressively about how she would have put Nym in her place if she'd been a problem might have pissed a younger version of herself off, but there wasn't really a problem, was there? If Nym had been a dick, Pearl would have been a dick, but neither of them had done that, so where was the harm? Either way, she was at least a little bit of a fan of girls who didn't take shit and were very confident in themselves. Maybe a lot. "S'really cool 'ow confident you are, too. D'no if I'd 'ave it in me t' be that good at shuttin' other people down n' standin' up fer meself."

As the taste of soy sauce and smoky oil filled her mouth one last thought occurred to her. "Ya also jus'...you really 'elped me out...back in that bar. I...maybe both'a us could'a 'andled that betta', but...takin' out my anga' on some yobbo ain't no way fer someone like me t' act. And you were," she stopped for a moment to swallow and clear her mouth. "I was in a really awful place n' you could'a jus' told me t' kick sand n' fuck off back at that concert, and I...neva' said thank you, fer that. That was a bloody good thing ya did fer me afta' I'd just been a right pain in yer ass." And that's why she was going to give this project one hundred and ten percent. She owed Pearl. She wasn't going to say it out loud. Maybe the girl could figure it out on her own, maybe not, but kindness deserved it in turn. "So, cheers. Fer that. N' fer this. I think everyone else's got piss fer brains if they don' like you."

[Pearl Essence]

They were kind words, meant to make her feel better as if it wasn't her choice to keep people at arm's length. Nym had apparently joined a rather short list of people at the academy that had wiggled themselves past some of her walls to see there was a kind person behind them. It felt like a failure. They were both third years. It was full well possible than in two years time they'd cross blades as full fledged huntsmen trying to kill each other for what they felt was right, or potentially something as simple as contracts and an employers lies. The illusion that huntsmen only fought for a good cause had been dispelled long ago.

The normally delightful flavors that would fill her senses seemed muted as she bit into one of her buns and chewed slowly as Nym went on to thank her. It was hard to take joy in a meal she usually enjoyed. She swallowed the bite and hummed before speaking. “You're welcome. Just like I don't try to spare people's feelings, I don't like to hurt people for the sake of hurting them. That night in the bar, you were in a rough spot, and either you or that Sam fellow was going to end up bleeding if I didn't get involved.” Pearl tried to clear her thoughts of a possible future that might never come. A future where she was enemies with someone who'd become a friend. “Though, with you being a student, I supposed it would have been him.”

For a moment, Pearl considered how much she should share about the concert where Nym had warmed herself on the hood of her car. The girl likely had no clue that warehouse belonged to the fox she was sharing a meal with right now or that she'd paid the band to perform in the first place. “As for the concert, you weren't any trouble. You were there to have a good time and distract yourself, same as everyone else there, myself included. We just had the added benefit of a warm engine.” She took another bite, a soft hum of satisfaction coming from her as the flavors on her tongue were richer with her thoughts moving to better things.

[Nym Magenta]

Nym continued to inhale her food, eating it as if she had come out of the desert starving. It was a habit of hers to eat nearly as fast as she possibly could unless she was focused in on it. She was nearly done with lunch before she knew it. It didn't stop her from appreciating the flavor! Delivery food was a treat, even something as simple as a bun stuffed with meat was enough to get her smiling and sighing. "Cheers t'you, Pearl," Nym said as she twisted off the top of her sugary drink and nearly finished it in one go, tilting her head back as it drained. Only a mouthful or two remained as she took a deep breath and sighed heavily.

"I would'a regretted it," her tone was more somber now. "I...didn' always regret doin' stuff like that, but I would'a regretted that." She slumped down a little lower on the bench, her legs reach out along the ground as she rested the back of her head against the bench. Her mouth opened, like she was about to say more, but no words followed. Pearl probably didn't really need to hear her wax on about this, right? Yeah, they were just working on a project together. This wasn't a therapy bonding session or something. "Thanks fer the food, love, I owe ya one."

[Pearl Essence]

The way her partner devoured her meal stood out to the light haired fox. Care was taken not to stare, but it suggested much about Nym's upbringing. A lack of food, or worse what little food she had being taken away by others, whether larger children or cruel and desperate adults was the most likely cause. She'd seen it enough times in her life, even if she could count herself lucky to have been protected from suffering that exact thing in the poorest time in her life. They were products of their lives, likely a stark contrast to one another, but here they were.

“Cheers to a fruitful partnership.” Pearl lifted her own drink to her lips, and enjoyed the sugary bubbles on her tongue. “We're already doing one another a few favors, so you shouldn't worry about owing me for just a warm meal.” How long had it taken Carmine to break her of the habit of thanking him for every last warm meal he'd provided? It was hard not to be thankful for something you still weren't used to. Perhaps Nym was keen to keep people at arm's length just as she was? Again, their reasons may differ, but she couldn't help but consider what the girl had to say. Maybe that was why the heartbreak she'd been dealing with had been so painful before? That thought was sobering, but it also made her curious.

The question on her mind was almost entirely selfish, one that she hoped would give her insight if she ever ran into the same problem as this girl, but first she had to ask it. “Forgive me if this is too personal, but were you ever able to resolve the problem you were having when we first met?” Whether it was curiosity or concern that won out in her voice was something even she couldn't be certain of.