SLVR

Sylvia reached out to stop Lev as he left, falling just short as she realized that he probably needed the space. Sighing, Sylvia let herself be returned to her teammate's hold as Reyna told her to let them know what they could do. "Thanks guys, but I think we all just need a little time to process and figure things out. I'm sure Lev'll be back by morning." With that the silverette gave her teammates one last big squeeze before heading to her desk and getting started on working on some designs.

Lev wasn't back by morning. In fact, the boy wasn't even there for classes. Worry started to burn her thoughts as Sylvia went distractedly through her day. If that wasn't enough, Vance was avoiding talking to Gabe. She had tried to give him some gentle pushing toward the panther boy, but every time Sylvia thought Vance was going to say something, he hid before Gabe could even notice he was there. It was getting frustrating and Sylvia didn't know what to do. It seemed like the only one of her teammates who wasn't getting into some mischief was Reyna. Maybe she'd have to have a girl's day with her, get to know the younger a bit more. Either way, she knew the males in her group had to deal with the trouble they put themselves in, and Sylvia was stressing out about it.

It took Vance a while, but he did it. He actually gathered the courage to go up to Gabe and talk to him. Now he just had to find the panther boy. Sure, he could have done this at breakfast, or before class, or all those times he had glanced at him in the hallway, but those weren't the right times! He knew Sylvia and Rain were getting frustrated with him, but he needed to gather his wits and think of just the right thing to say! He couldn't afford to screw this up since he really, really wanted to keep Gabe as a friend. So the faunus boy had slipped away from his team in order to try and find Gabe and apologize.
 
Reyna smiled at her leader's conviction, going to sleep happy with the turn of events. However, waking up and going to class with no sign of Lev changed the team's mood drastically. Where he had gone was a mystery to them all, and what he might be doing weighed just as heavily on their minds. Meanwhile, Vance was putting off his apology to Gabe, which only seemed to stress Sylvia out more. Reyna did her best to help out, giving him nudges whenever an opportunity presented itself. Of course, Gabe wasn't making it too easy either. The rare times that he and the wolf boy crossed paths resulted in a gap between them, filled with tension and hints of the panther's residual anger. Despite Gabe's cool head, it was clear he was holding a grudge.

Eventually the time came where Vance mustered his courage to talk with the panther boy, leaving Reyna to tend to Sylvia's rising stress levels. "Hey, you." She huffed at her leader once Vance had gone. "Come with me to the market. I'm gonna make chicken for Vance tonight..." she paused, digging through her head for something Sylvia might like before shrugging her shoulders with a sigh, "and you need some time to relax. Get off the ball for today and come hang out with me." She seemed to make a demand, rather than a request, but the two reached their room by then, and Reyna didn't give the silverette time to answer right away, fleeing to the shower to clean and change. Before long, she came out in a completely new outfit than any she had worn before. A flowery skirt flitted about her knees, oranges and yellows rolling about distinctly on the cloth. Her top accented the fall colors with a light cream-ish color, and a black vest seemed to embolden the entire outfit. Reaching back into her bag, Reyna pulled out the final touch, a wide-brimmed, sweet-potato colored sun hat. Placing it gently on her head, she gave an unabashed smile to Sylvia. "Don't gawk! C'mon and get ready!"

-

Meanwhile, Gabe sat sprawled under the shade of a lone tree in one of the grassier areas of Beacon. The sound of footsteps pulled him to an upright position, only to see Vance looking about rather helplessly. With a yawn, Gabe pulled a pair of sunglasses from his pocket, flicking them open and settling them comfortably on his face before laying back down again. As long as Vance was doing his own thing, Gabe couldn't have cared less.

-

Lev ran. He spent the night in the city, on a bench, like he used to when home was less than welcoming. The polished metal bars pressing on his back brought back memories he wished hadn't been real. When he woke up, he was being observed by all sorts, including a couple of officers who weren't very happy with his loitering. He left before they could say anything about it though, running back to Beacon with the intent of getting back to class. Then he thought about seeing Sylvia again, and thought better of it, taking a detour through the Emerald Forest with the intent of taking a break from real life for a little while longer. He was hardly a quarter-mile in when he encountered a pack of beowolves. They were eager to rush at him, but he was eager to fight something that couldn't talk back. Setting his rifle down, Lev poured his focus into his semblance, hoping to find an answer to his problems through fighting the Grimm as closely as possible.

The first beowolf's lunge was its last as Lev grabbed onto the inside of its mouth with both hands and immediately yanking it's jaw apart with a SNAP! The next two were more cohesive, but Lev was ready, jumping into the air and hovering just as the two collided. Using the air as a springboard, he shoved them both down to the ground by their heads before stepping down with aura-amplified force on their necks. He watched their bodies fade with a smile, only to feel claws rake down his back. Jumping away before he could take more damage, he looked back to see the slack-jawed beowulf still poised to fight. The sight caused his breath to stop, if only for a moment, before kicking his rifle to his hands and finishing the thing off. Dropping to his knees Lev let himself sympathize with the Grimm, just for a moment. In the next, he felt his consciousness leave his body. Slowly, but patiently, a human form began to drag him back to Beacon...
 
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Vance was about to leave when he spotted Gabe under the tree. Taking a deep breath, Vance called, "Gabe!" He jogged over to the panther boy, hoping to all above that the boy wouldn't teleport away. "Gabe, I need to talk to you." He demanded, flopping down into a cross-legged position next to his victim. Once sure Gabe wouldn't leave, he bowed his head and spoke. "I wanted to apologize. I'm sorry I reacted the way I did, and I shouldn't have. I wanted to explain why I did what I did, but that doesn't make it right. So I'm sorry! Please hear me out!" Vance didn't give Gabe time to response as he launched into his speech. "I didn't get to grow up with other faunus like you and Abby and the rest of SAGE did. My family lived in a human area with us as the only faunus in the whole area. People often called me 'pup' to insult me and my family, and my father taught me to never take it lying down. It doesn't excuse my actions, but we're not just animals, Gabe! And we're not humans either! So I don't really know what to call us, but I just... I've never been called a pup in a good way, so yes I reacted badly to a word. It doesn't excuse my actions, and I should've just explained how I felt instead of just being mean about it, and I really, really, really still wanna be your friend, but I know you might not want to, but I don't want to lose you as my friend because of my stupid reaction!" The faunus boy bit his lip as he waited for a response with bated breath.

~~~

Sylvia had planned on going out to look for Lev, but Reyna got to her first. She blinked as Reyna disappeared, coming out in an outfit that was the complete opposite of what she expected from the buff girl. The pink haired girl had come out looking practically as sweet as can be before insisting Sylvia had to stop staring and go and get properly dressed before they left. Blinking, Sylvia chuckled as she raised her hands in surrender. "All right, all right, I'll be right out." A little time out in the town would do her some good. Besides, it'd give her some time to look for Lev and bring him back home. So the silverette grabbed some clothes and slipped into the bathroom. When she came out, the girl seemed to have fallen into the exact opposite of Reyna's looks. Sylvia's hair seemed to have been mussed up, falling messily on her shoulders as she adjusted her shirt. She was wearing a dark green muscle shirt with a black design of a fox running up the front. Ripped jeans added to the look, Sylvia wearing black leggings underneath to hide her metal legs. A leather jacket and beanie completed the look, giving Sylvia the look of a bad girl as she slipped on a few bracelets. "All right, let's go." She smiled, letting Reyna lead the way as they headed out into town.

As they walked toward the market, Sylvia kept an eye out for their missing black haired teammate. He had to be somewhere, and Sylvia was getting more and more worried. What if the boy had gotten himself in trouble? What if he was facing off against someone or something trying to kill him and he couldn't handle them alone? What if Lev was slowly dying somewhere because they hadn't tried to find him earlier and was wondering when his teammates would come to save him? Sylvia had bit her lip and was frowning hard, unintentionally scaring people out of the way and keeping people far away from her and Reyna.
 
And there he was. Gabe should've known better. Of all of team SLVR, he had paid the most attention to Vance. He definitely should have known better than to think the wolf boy would just leave him be. Then again, Gabe had never seen him angry. It wasn't something he wanted to see again either, so he kept his glasses on, and continued to lie in his spot, as Vance sat beside him.

"...Go ahead."

Then the apology came. After avoiding him all day, the wolf boy finally apologized. It wasn't what Gabe expected, though to be fair, he hadn't been paying much attention after their spar. It was too easy to ignore problems rather than confront them. So Gabe nodded his head at the apology, willing the wolf boy to continue. But then Vance went into justifying himself, and with his very first statement, he ruined it. Gabe's eyes were bugged out in frustration behind his glasses as Vance continued, not aware of the error of his assumption. The panther boy listened through it all, and was moved in some sense, but now it was time to give him a taste of reality.

"Al-right then," Gabe huffed, heaving himself onto his feet with practiced acrobatics, "I guess I can forgive you for that." He let the thought linger in the air before about-facing to look Vance in the eye, taking off his sunglasses to make sure the connection was there. "But who said I grew up with the rest of my team? Who said I grew up around faunus?" He took a step forward and crouched to meet Vance's eye-level, "...You did. Stop making stuff up for me. Ellie too. She was born around here. I'm pretty sure her family works in one of the city's clinics. And me...I was picked up in Atlas." He let the iron-y taste of his home slide off his tongue before turning his head to spit out any residue. Letting himself fall back to the ground, this time facing Vance, Gabe spoke once more.

"Let me spin you a yarn, Vance, so you won't mistake me for someone I'm not." He began, looking at the wolf boy without an idea of what expression to wear. "I was born in a slum and handed to an orphanage. And before you say, 'But Atlas is so technologically advanced! How could you ever-' Just stop. The more advanced a city, the bigger the wage gap. Atlas is a crime to advancement, and I'm glad to be out of there..." He had gotten off track. After taking a breath, he moved on with his story once more. "So, already my life story sounds pretty tragic. Boo hoo. Doesn't matter. I grew up in that orphanage with a bunch of other boys who were older than me, and stronger than me, and willing to do a helluva lot more to survive than me, at least at the time. And they were all faunus, too. You think we ever got picked up by rich families looking to earn sympathy from their neighbors? Humans didn't want us, and humans were the ones adopting."

Another tangent. Gabe shook off the need to explain every little detail. "I made it through that hell-hole by sheer luck, and grew up, and left as soon as I could. Became a street rat. I hunt rats, Vance! I wasn't doing myself any favors turning into one...but I did, because things weren't getting any better with me sitting around and waiting for some people to pick me up and use me as some chore-monkey. I started off begging in the big city streets, then I started stealing... Never got caught, but I got spat on all the time. 'Grimy li'l cat, you shrew, claw-foot freak, kitty, kit...'" Gabe listed off plenty of names, more without a filter than with, before realizing he had gone off again. Once again spitting the bad taste of memories out of the way, he moved on. "Sure I got mad. But then I stopped. Ignoring them just made it easier to show them up, and I did, and I still am. I can't show them up if I reject what I am, and I'm a cat. I can't fight that. Like you said, what are we supposed to call ourselves? Facing facts, I'd rather be a cat than a man. There is nothing more insulting than being compared to humans." He let the venom of the past coat his voice at his proclamation. Gabe had found his point, and he let himself mull on it for a while longer before wrapping up his tale.

"...anyways, I got picked up by one of my marks and dragged all the way to Atlas Academy so they could 'do something about me.' From then it was all downhill. I got put into school and given a dorm, started getting Hunter training, figured out my semblance, graduated, honors, et cetera. Now I'm here with the likes of Seymour, and Ellie and Abby...I hardly think I belong. But I do. I'm ignoring my past to hold on to my future as a Hunter. Sometimes it comes up, but I don't need to accept it. I'm not some thief anymore. I'm a Hunter."

-

"Look'it you! Man, and we could've matched if you got dressed first." Reyna laughed, glossing over the fact that she had an outfit that could match Sylvia's aesthetic as she pulled on a new pair of boots, colored a deep red-brown to match her ensemble. "Try not to go off mother-henning with that getup, or people might look at'cha funny." she winked, stepping out of the room and bidding Sylvia follow her lead. It didn't take long for them to get to the city, and it took even less time for Reyna to see that her outfit's charm was having the opposite effect as it usually did. Turning to her silver haired friend, she held back a gasp at the vicious expression. "Hey!" She huffed, halting in her tracks to face the silverette, "Stop doing that!" pointing at Sylvia's frown, she continued, "If you're gonna be sour about this trip, you could've said so before we left. Vance would've at least pretended to like it." Reyna huffed, placing her hands on her hips as if to place a frame around her actively sassy demeanor.
 
At first, Vance felt his heart rise in happiness. Gabe was forgiving him! He was still his friend! But then he continued, explaining exactly how wrong Vance had been and explaining his own story. Vance didn't know what to say, what could he say? How did one respond to such an open and honest retelling of something that made Vance eternally thankful for the family he had grown up with, even if they had been divided. He opened his mouth, trying to say something, anything, but quickly closed it shut. He wasn't sure what to do, how to react to this. So he did the first thing his gut told him to do. He pulled the panther boy into a big hug. Vance didn't care how strange this might have looked or how Gabe might hate him for it. It simply felt like the right thing to do. So he just squeezed the other boy tightly.

"I... I'm sorry. I've kinda just done one stupid thing after another, huh?" Vance finally spoke, his voice small and nervous. He refused to let go of the panther boy just yet, not wanting to look him in the eye. "Thanks for telling me all that, and I'm sorry I've kept assuming things. I'm not that smart, a-and I've still got a lot of stuff to learn, but I don't want that to stop you from being friends with me, so..." He slowly let go of the panther boy, his ears pressed down in worry. "I'm probably gonna be stupid in the future too, so please forgive me. I really, really still wanna be friends, and you're really cool and really smart and stuff, but I know you might not want to be friends with someone who's gonna keep making mistakes, but I'm gonna try really, really hard to learn and not make as many mistakes so please still be my friend!" The wolf boy practically begged, a small yet steady hope still burning in his chest.

~~~

Reyna's outburst made Sylvia jump in surprise, quickly losing the harsh look she had before. Blinking, Sylvia took a moment to process what Reyna had just said before realizing just what she had been doing. "Oh goodness, I'm so sorry, Reyna. I didn't mean to look so sour, I just... I'm still worried about Lev, ya know?" Sylvia sighed as her shoulders slumped. "Honestly, it's lovely being out and about with you, but I can't help but worry that Lev's out somewhere, hurt, and we're not doing anything to look for him. I shouldn't worry too much, he's probably already back at the dorm and studying or something similar, but it's hard not to worry, ya know?" The silverette gave a bitter smile before straightening and relaxing her face into a casual smile. "So, we were getting chicken, correct? What else did we need?" She asked, moving seemingly seamlessly from her previous worries onto what Reyna needed to accomplish.
 
"Ugh, who cares about that stick in the mud?" She kidded, shrugging her shoulders as she continued walking. "Lev might be an idiot, but he's strong enough to handle a day alone. It's not like grimm are wandering the street, waiting to ambush some sap like him. Anyways I'm thinkin-" But she stopped mid-sentence, mouth pursing in confusion and surprise. Quickly she pointed out the sight that shocked her to Sylvia: A hooded woman in her early thirties seemed to be struggling to hoist Lev's unconscious body back towards Beacon. Seeing the attention she garnered from Reyna and Sylvia, she set Lev down and waved at the girls, lifting her hood to show a head of shorter, jet black hair, a pair of vivid, almost blood-red eyes, and a friendly smile.

"...Why don't you see to that. I'll meet you and Vance back at the dorm. I swear though, the next time I head out, we're having a girl's night out. You deserve it after all this work and leader-y stuff, and I deserve it for...well, y'know." Reyna sighed, taking off her hat to run a hand through her hair before moving off to a nearby stall. Hopefully the situation wasn't as bad as it seemed, if it seemed bad at all in the first place.

-

Gabe inhaled deeply as he was pulled into the wolf boy's embrace. "What are you-" He tried to get out his question, but Vance was quick to answer, indirectly, but answer none-the-less. The panther boy let his friend speak, and apologize, and plead, and he could only close his eyes and let out the breath he was holding in a deep sigh in response. "I-It's no big deal, Vance. Everyone has a story, and it's hard to remember that sometimes. Thanks for apologizing though, and don't sell yourself short! You're a Hunter too. You have to be some sort of smart to get into a place like this, it's just that we're smart in different ways. So, buck up! We learn best from our mistakes. I know that better than a lot of people." After lending a hand to Vance, pulling them both to a standing position, Gabe gave the wolf boy another quick hug before backing out and teleporting away without another word.
 
Vance blinked as Gabe affirmed their friendship, telling him how people learned best from their mistakes. The hug made the faunus boy's heart burst as a full blown smile stretched across his face. He practically skipped back to his room, ready to tell his teammates of his successful apology and renewed friendship.

~~~

The sudden stop in Reyna's reassurances put Sylvia on edge. She soon realized just why she had stopped as they soon discovered their missing teammate being dragged by a middle aged woman. She held features strikingly similar to Lev's, but that didn't matter at the moment. Reyna gave her explanation of what she was going to do. "Right." With that, Sylvia rushed toward her unconscious teammate, checking him over for injuries or other abnormalities. The boy seemed completely fine, just exhausted if anything. Sylvia swept Lev up into her arms, relief flooding her system. "Oh thank God... Lev, you idiot, going around worrying us all like that." Sylvia scolded despite the boy's inability to hear her. She turned to the mysterious woman, nodding her head. "Thank you so, so much for finding our teammate. He disappeared last night, and he hadn't come back in the morning so we were all worried. If I may ask, who are you? And where did you find him?" Sylvia wanted to just leave and take Lev back to their room, but for now she needed to properly thank his rescuer.
 
The stranger stepped back to let Sylvia at her teammate, still smiling, though curious at her little speech to Lev, considering he was unconscious. From the looks of him, he was no worse for ware. Even his aura was in prime condition. However, the back of his coat still held the claw marks from the beowolf he had fought earlier, and it didn't seem like he'd be waking up for a while.

"Oh dear, it was no trouble!" the mysterious woman responded to Sylvia's thanks, "He was out in the Emerald Forest, you see. I was nearby when he ran into it, so I followed. After all, it can be quite the dangerous place on your own. And I was right. He was taking on a pack of beowolves, though he seemed to be handling himself well. Then he just collapsed! Luckily he had finished off the grimm beforehand. I'm afraid I wouldn't have been any help otherwise." She sighed, lifting her cloak to reveal very simple clothes, a strange looking key hanging from a sash, and nothing more.

"Now, you say this boy is your 'teammate,'" she continued, either ignoring or forgetting Sylvia's other question as she prompted them to walk towards Beacon, "and I can only assume that means you are studying at Beacon. I actually have something I'd like to do there, though I've been holding off because, frankly, I'm just the least bit frightened. So could I ask a favor? I would appreciate being shown to the headmaster." she let her smile slip just a bit at her request, falling into a more serious expression as they walked. After a moment, she gave Lev a look over in Sylvia's arms, catching a glimpse of his eye color and coming to a similar conclusion as the silverette.

"Say, we look pretty similar, he and I! What's his name?" She asked, returning to a more appropriately friendly demeanor. "Who knows, we could be cousins or something. I'm pretty familiar with my family tree, after all..."
 
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Sylvia's grip on Lev tightened as she heard the stranger tell her that he had been fighting a horde of grimm on his own. In the back of her mind she knew he could handle himself, but it didn't stop the protective flare that coursed through her like fire. However, it yielded to curiosity as the stranger mentioned that she wished to see Headmistress Wunderland. What did this strange woman have to do with Beacon? And why was she supposedly afraid? Sylvia was jolted out of her musings as the stranger asked Lev's name, seemingly forgetting or just ignoring the silverette's question about her identity.

"His name is Lev Castor. I'm Sylvia Slater, though I still don't know who you are?" Sylvia watched the stranger with a sort of false casualness, eyebrow raised. "What business do you have at Beacon, if I may ask?" The silverette kept her eyes on the strange woman as they continued their trek back to Beacon. Just who was this strange ravenette? Was she a huntress? Surely not, since she said she couldn't have helped if there had been grimm. Then why was she in the Emerald Forest in the first place? There were too many questions and not enough answers for Sylvia's taste. She adjusted her hold on Lev, her arms starting to tire in their current position holding the raven haired boy.
 
"Castor, Castor...hmm, nope! Not ringing any bells! Ah, speaking of bells, that's my name! Er, Belle, anyways, Belle Herzrot. Not the prettiest sound, is it?" She laughed at her response to Sylvia's question for what seemed just a bit longer than anyone ought to laugh, considering the circumstances. Her eyes gleamed as she finished her little giggle fit, seeming to look down on the silverette for a moment before continuing on. "Oh, but I'm here to see the headmaster! You see, he is a close friend of mine, and I always make the trek to Vale to see him around this time of year. There's a pleasant old cottage a few towns away that I rent out, you see. I'll be there until after the Vytal Festival. It's like a home away from home...but anyways, I'd like to snatch my friend for dinner. He always makes reservations at this fancy restaurant, and I do feel like it's been some time since I've spoiled myself!" Once again, Belle let herself into another giggle fit that lasted longer than appropriate. It nearly transformed into a full-fledged laugh, but the black haired woman caught herself and settled down, once again with her friendly and natural expression.

"Ah, but Sylvia, yes? Sylvia Slater...that's a very nice name." She pondered, completely off topic. "And Castor...goodness, I can't...maybe it was...wait, wait! Lila! Yes, Lila married a fine young man!" Belle excited herself with her recollection, getting another good look at Lev before turning back to Sylvia with a bigger smile. "Yes, and his name was Castor! She was an Ebonhart for quite some time though. First daughter to the name after four generations! And it was Leshe before that, and...oh, dear me, I shouldn't ramble. What a find, though! Lev is his name, yes? Lev...Lev Leshe...it sounds like it fits him, doesn't it?" And once more, the stifled laughter returned, but it didn't have time to stick around. They had arrived at Beacon.

"Here we are!" Belle exclaimed, pointing at the headmaster's tower with a grin. "Looks like I'll be heading off now. Good luck to you and him. Perhaps we'll see each other again, in better circumstances I hope. Take care, and thank you!" She sauntered into the building with a wave, leaving Sylvia to take Lev where she would.
 
Sylvia listened carefully to the woman, realizing that the woman must not have known about the current headmistress. "Ma'am, the current head-" She didn't get a word in edgewise as the woman simply continued on her explanation. Sylvia worried her lip, knowing the woman would probably be disappointed and confused when she got to the headmaster's office and found Headmistresss Wunderland there instead of the man she was talking about. However, Belle swiftly changed topics and complimented her name. "Thank you." Sylvia barely had time to get in before the woman went on a tangent. It seemed she knew Lev's parents, so that was something. The silverette blinked as Belle quickly spotted the headmaster's tower, heading into the building. "Wait! Ms. Herzot, there's something I-!" And the woman was gone. Well, she would surely find out who the headmistress was shortly.

Huffing out a sigh and adjusting Lev in her tiring arms, Sylvia headed back to her dorm room to put the raven haired boy to bed. Once she arrived, she shifted so she could open the door carefully, trying hard not to let any part of Lev hit the door. Vance, who had been in the room for some time, quickly helped Sylvia open the door and carry Lev back to his bed. "Thanks." Sylvia sighed out, glad to not have to carry the boy anymore. She noticed a piece of paper and envelope on Vance's bed along with an assortment of mail addressed to the members of the team. "Oh, did you get a letter, Vance?" Sylvia asked, frowning as Vance freezed up.

The faunus boy gulped, unsure what to say. "... yeah. My sister sent me a few letters. They're not that important though. Well..." Vance hesitated, unsure what to tell his team. The letter was most definitely important, it said some things that Vance didn't really want to believe would happen, but he didn't want to let his team know just yet about his connections to the White Fang. So he kept his statement vague. "My dad got a promotion."

Relaxing, Sylvia smiled. "That's great, Vance." However, the faunus boy seemed not to be calming down, looking nervously between Sylvia and the letter. "Is something bothering you? Did the apology with Gabe not work out?" Sylvia asked, concerned for her teammate.

~~~

As Belle headed into the tower, Mr. Harrison quickly spotted the woman heading toward the headmistress's office. Standing up, the nervous faunus called to the woman. "O-oh, ma'am! Do you have an appointment with Headmistress Wunderland? If so, then could you please wait here for a moment, the headmistress is currently in a meeting with many of the professors. I'm sure she'll be glad to see you once she's finished." The man smiled before turning back to his papers, his rabbit ears twitching ever so slightly as he listened for Belle to sit down.
 
Lev remained unconscious as he was laid down on his bed, seeming dead to the world. His skin had begun to take a strange tone, looking a bit more pale than it had only a few minutes before. His nails seemed thoroughly unkempt too, having grown long and unusually sharp since the night before. Lev's breaths seemed shallow and uneasy too, but nothing was legitimately wrong with him. His aura was present and accounted for, and aside from the giant claw marks through the back of his cloak, he was no worse for wear. His wounds, if they had been present in the first place, had healed, and he was safe.

As Sylvia and Vance spoke, Seymour knocked on their door, taking a moment before announcing his way in. "Sylvia? Vance? Is everything alright?" He walked in a few steps, seeming to have a few things to ask or say, but he was stopped short by the sight of Lev. Seymour gasped and quickly backed away a few steps, drawing into a combative stance before realizing who it was.

"I-Is Lev...okay?" He asked, moving slowly towards the black haired boy. As he was answered, he moved his hand along Lev's midsection as if searching for a problem to solve. The faunus's expression was twisted in concern and fear as he observed his unconscious patient, as though Lev would jump up and attack him at any moment. After a few moments of inspection, Seymour once again readied himself into a fighting stance, windmilling his arms and slamming his palms into Lev's chest before anyone could object. Needless to say, Lev woke up immediately, coughing and sputtering as though his life depended on it before turning to glare at Seymour, who seemed just as out of breath as Lev. It didn't take long before Lev had Seymour floored and pinned, fist raised in anger.

"What the hell'd you do?" Lev yelled down at the gazelle boy. He hadn't thrown his punch yet, but it didn't detract from the fury in his eyes. Seymour didn't seem to have the energy to fight back, so he held his arms up to defend against whatever Lev had to give. "Hey! Answer me! What'd you do to-" but the pandemonium continued as Lev was cut off by a sharp pain. Clutching his fist to his heart, he fell off of Seymour in order to curl up in a ball of growling pain. Seymour took the opprotunity to squirm away and stand back up, holding a hand to block Sylvia and Vance from their teammate as best as he could.

"D-Don't intervene!" He spoke, doing his best to be heard over Lev's incessant growling. "Let him get through this. If he stands, let him hit me if he must! Just please stay back."

Seymour's advice was well warranted. The more Lev seemed to struggle against the mysterious pain, the better he looked. The more he reacted in anger, the cleaner-cut his nails became, and the more he imposed his pride to stand up in spite of the pain, the easier his breath seemed to come. The SAGE leader smiled as he watched Lev stand, no longer growling or glaring, but simply tired. "W-What the hell'd you...you do...t'me?" He huffed with the last of his waking breath before collapsing. Seymour was quick to jump forward, catching the black haired boy and settling him back on his bed before turning around to face what was likely a very uneasy and curious Sylvia and Vance. Wiping sweat off his brow, he sat on the floor and crossed his legs, seeming happy with the result of his actions.

"I-I'm sure you have questions..." he began, somewhat breathless, "so ask away. I'll...I'll catch my breath while you do so..."

-

Belle was surprised to see Mr. Harrison, let alone hear him. His entire presence in the building seemed to be a new concept to her. Then he was saying something about a headmistress? "Pardon, Headmistress? Mistress? Dear, that's dreadfully inconvenient. I hope she has an idea of where he went...my my, someone might have to lose their head over this..." Belle seemed to speak to herself as she walked to a seat, setting down with an uneasy sigh. "I wonder...perhaps I'm losing my head! Have I put this off for that long? Shame. Shame on me!" She huffed, once again to herself more than anyone present. She didn't seem impatient, however, simply twiddling her key in her hands as she waited on a meeting with the Headmistress.
 
Sylvia turned to Seymour, surprised to see him. "Yeah, everything's fine." She answered, only to frown as Seymour fell into a fighting stance and seemed to notice something off about their unconscious teammate. Before Sylvia or Vance could speak further, Seymour had slammed his hands into the black haired boy's chest, shocking the silverette and wolf boy. Their shock and confusion only grew as Lev retaliated before quickly curling into a growling ball. The two didn't know what to think as the chaos subsided for a moment, Seymour giving the go ahead to ask questions. Surprisingly, it was Sylvia who jumped on the offer. "What was that? What was wrong with Lev? What did you do to him? Is he going to be okay?" The green eyed leader looked worriedly between the gazelle boy and Lev, wanting to know just what in the world was happening.

~~~

Mr. Harrison rose an eyebrow as the strange woman seemed surprised by the appearance of a headmistress instead of a headmaster. Sure, Headmistress Wunderland was technically a new headmistress, but most everyone had heard the news by now of her arrival. "Miss, if you could tell me your name then I'll be able to look up your appointment with the headmistress and send her a note that you've arrived so she knows not to let her meeting run too long." The white rabbit tried to question, but Belle's possible answer was interrupted as the doors to Wunderland's office opened, a rag tag looking group of professors filing out one by one until the headmistress herself was talking with her right hand man.

Wunderland had been about to see the professors off when she noticed a new woman sitting off to the side, seemingly waiting for someone, probably her. "Hello." Wunderland greeted, her sharp blue eyes taking in the new woman's appearance and the key she handled. "My name is Headmistress Alice Wunderland. Did you need something?" She asked, crossing her arms as she analyzed the woman before her.
 
Seymour took a breath before answering, ready to take whatever reaction Lev's team would give him. "W-Well...I came in here to see if you and your team would like to have dinner with SAGE. Gabe was chattering about Vance again, so I figured all was well between the two." He chuckled for a moment, as if taking a reprieve from the recent chaos with the brief memory, before continuing. "I could sense you and Vance in here. My semblance, as you know, is something I can't quite 'turn off' so I was well aware of both of you before I came in... but I couldn't feel Lev. Usually when someone is unconscious, I can sense a trace of their residual feelings, or something, however small it is. Lev just...wasn't there."

The gazelle boy took a moment to breath again, going through meditative practices in the middle of the room in order to collect his thoughts and energy. "At first, I was worried about him for general reasons. Had he died, or did something break him mentally? Those would cause someone to be invisible to my semblance. When I got closer to inspect him though, I... my concern changed to fear, I suppose you could say. There was something small there, deep within his heart, and it was very concentrated and vivid. When I sought it out, it responded, but it couldn't shine out past a small space within him...It was his aura. It was all there, all his emotions, his soul...but it was being compressed and suffocated by...by this n-nothingness!"

Seymour stood up at this, becoming very serious. "You need to understand that our auras surround us, like a thick armor. We may not be able to feel the weight of our armor, but our enemies can. Now imagine that sort of armor..." he held up his finger and thumb into the shape of a circle about an inch in diameter, "forced into a ball this size, resting in the pit of his heart. I had to, in a sense, re-awaken his aura with my own in order to wake him up and get his aura flowing from that ball. He did the rest of the work. His emotional reaction seemed to break whatever was holding his aura back, so that's why I wanted him to stay angry at me for as long as he could. He should be fine now..."

With one last deep breath, Seymour began to relay the final piece of information. By his expression, it seemed like this was the most important part. "Now...I've only felt that sort of...of nothing, from one thing. The Grimm. It's like their skin is a-a sort of negative space that is a counterbalance to our aura. Nobody pays it much mind most of the time. Beowolves and the like have a pretty thin skin, and Nevermores have a very thick skin. Whatever was in Lev was thick enough to hold back everything he had, at least while he was unconscious. It took our combined efforts to break it, whatever it was...but that's not what concerns me." Seymour walked towards Lev's unconscious mass and looked over him with a subtle expression of fear.

"What concerns me is what would've happened if he had been left without aid... So, it is my turn to ask a question. What happened to him before all of this?"

-

Belle was about to respond to Harrison's question, but she was startled by the mass of faculty emerging from the Headmistress's office. It wasn't until she was acknowledged by Wunderland that Belle stood from her seat, letting her key fall back to her waist and approaching quickly and grasping her hand with an eager harshness. "Headmistress indeed! What a pleasure to meet you, miss Alice! My name is Belle. Belle Herzrot." She introduced herself with a few hearty shakes of the hand before backing up to a more respectable distance. "I have to wonder, would you happen to have the name of the last headmaster? I fear I may have held off visiting for much longer than I realized..."
 
As Seymour explained what exactly happened to their teammate, Sylvia worried her lip as concern filled her veins. Vance sat down on his bed, staring at Lev as he wondered what was going to happen now. Lev was going to be fine, right? Seymour had fixed him, and the boy was sleeping soundly. He blinked as Seymour asked what happened, turning to look at his leader. Vance frowned as he saw how tense his leader was, her hands fisting her pants tightly. Vance was about to speak when Sylvia spoke up, answering the gazelle boy. "He was attacked by some grimm in the Emerald Forest. They didn't seem to physically hurt him, just rip his coat up a bit. Apparently he just fainted afterwards and was found by a woman named Belle Herzrot. Reyna and I had gone to the market to look for Lev and get some things when we saw Miss Herzrot carrying him through town. I took him back here after that..." Sylvia hesitated as she realized she might have to explain why Lev was gone in the first place, guilt starting to eat at her in waves.

"I didn't know he was in the Emerald Forest. You see, last night we had a big fight and Lev just... left. I was going to stop him, but I thought he needed space and would come back when he was ready to talk again. Then he didn't come back in the morning or during classes... Damn it I should have stopped him!" Vance reeled back at the sudden passion in Sylvia's voice, watching his leader in concern as she ranted. "I should have known something bad was up when he wasn't back this morning, but I thought he was just doing his normal morning routine, and we'd see him in class! But then he didn't show up and I never even bothered to look for him! If I'd just left to go look for him or stopped him in the first place then maybe... Damn it!" The silverette chewed on her lip, frustration and helplessness mixing with her guilt and concern, creating a cacophony of emotions surrounding the girl as she watched over her raven haired partner.

~~~

Wunderland tilted her head in curiosity as the woman-Herzrot-shook her hand a bit too eagerly and swiftly asked about her predecessor. "Well, Miss Herzrot, it's a pleasure to meet you. My predecessor's name was Delroy Blanc. I'm afraid if you have business with him that it will take quite some time to find him as I fear he has secluded himself quite fiercely with his wife in order to properly enjoy his retirement." Wunderland watched Herzrot carefully, curious about this woman and the strange key on her waist. The woman's eccentricism reminded the blonde of her own staff, but this woman didn't give the same air of unconditional trust and loyalty many of her professors offered her. Keeping icy blue eyes on Herzrot, Wunderland noted, "Though, I'm sure I can point you in the right direction, if you would like."
 
"Delroy...Blanc?" Belle questioned, tilting her head with a puzzled look. "Delroy...Del... and you said Blanc, yes? My my, I don't know that name! Strange..." She paced a bit before taking a seat, thoroughly intent on thinking through the series of events that lead her to miss such important details. "Let's see, last time I was here, it was during...during the Great War! Yes, but now there are so many faunus, so I suppose that makes sense. Ah, but Louis was a fan of those things. Perhaps he started a trust fund! Yes, certainly...but how long is a Headmaster's term? Goodness, I suppose it would be until death if possible!" Belle giggled at Alice as she glossed over various impossibilities in her story, once again fiddling with her key to keep her hands busy.

"Oh, but Louis was quite the gentleman too! I can't believe he wouldn't leave word behind about me...though I didn't tell him that, and I suppose that puts a damper on any serious relationship... My, my, I seem to have made some major mistakes!" She smacked her fist into her palm, once again letting the key drop at her revelation. It was still unclear whether she was talking to Alice or to herself, but she didn't seem to care enough to make the distinction. "I suppose it was a bit desperate of me though. A lady ought to have one man alone, yes, indeed. Ah, yes, that reminds me!" At this, Belle looked straight at Alice, a grin as wicked and malicious as could be replacing her friendly face in an instant.

"I seem to have a relative enrolled here. A boy. Lev? Lev Leshe? Ebonhart? No, it would be Castor, now wouldn't it? Please, inform me of his situation..."

-

Seymour sighed at Sylvia's passion about the situation, nodding his head at some points, and shaking his head at others. When she simply stood there chewing on her lip, he walked towards her and patted her forehead with the back of his fingers, not hard enough to hurt, but enough to know that it wasn't some pity-show. Seymour's eyes narrowed, possibly for the first time since meeting her, once he was sure he had the silverette's attention.

"It is not your fault." He began, taking one of her tightly clenched hands in his in order to relax the fingers himself. "During the cold seasons, rivers slow, and freeze, and dry. They do not return to the mountain's head for months. They stay far below reach, so that nothing can lift them and place them on the same, tired, wallowing path that they have been on for so long." He finished with her first hand and picked up the second, focusing on uncurling her fist back into a palm as he spoke. "This season does not last for eternity, Sylvia. Spring follows winter, as does heat, and rain. This river will rise back up again, and fall along a new path. One that is not worn and tired, but new, with twists and turns..." Eventually he finished with her last finger, setting it back down with the smile he so often sported as he looked into Sylvia's eyes.

"Lev is the river to your highest peak. It won't be long before you can reach him... As for what caused his ailment today, I can only venture suspicions. Perhaps there is a toxin in the forest, or in the grimm? A new flora? A hidden threat? There are many things to watch out for now. As a leader, you shouldn't waste time beating yourself up. There are greater stakes at hand, it would seem. So, carry on Sylvia. Do not submit your peaks to storms!" Seymour took a heroic pose as he got into the finale of his speech before settling back down.

"...So, how about dinner?"
 
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The blonde raised an eyebrow as the woman rambled on. It appeared she hadn't been here for quite a long time, considering her mention of the Great War. Wunderland was about to send the woman off when a chill ran through the room, most of her faunus employees freezing as they heard the strange woman-Herzrot-insinuate that they were 'things'. Wunderland could practically feel some of her professors getting ready to show the woman out themselves, but the woman simply kept talking. Just as Herzrot finally decided to stop talking, she seemed to remember something, Wunderland crossed her arms, curious what the woman would blather on about now when the name of one of her students-one who had been getting himself in some very difficult situations lately-spilled out of Herzrot's mouth. "How about we move this discussion to my office." Wunderland smoothly herded the strange woman into her office, closing the door and silently relishing the familiarity of her peculiar office.

Wunderland swept into her chair, resisting a long sigh. Herzrot had enough eccentricities to rival her own staff! Honestly, Wunderland wasn't sure how she was going to deal with this strange new woman, but this matter now included one of her students. "Now, Miss Herzrot, I pride myself on making the education and safety of my students first and foremost on my priorities however I can considering the academy they are attending. Part of this safety is in making sure that people who are not within a student's immediate family or given permission by the student in question do not gain access to their personal information. Now, since you are not listed in Mr. Castor's files as either of those people I must withhold this information in order to protect his privacy unless you can somehow prove to me that you are either a family member or have his permission to see into his personal records. Now, if that is all you ask then I must ask that you leave so I may continue my duties." Wunderland grabbed her favorite tea pot, pouring a surprisingly still steaming cup of tea as she moved to look over some paperwork she had to approve. The woman put her on edge, but the headmistress didn't understand why. Herzrot gave her a feeling of apprehension, a strange tingling running up her back that made the hairs of her neck stand on end. Despite this, Wunderland sat casually, as if she were simply going about her day. She'd have to find out more about this woman, but for now she needed to get to her other priorities.

~~~

Warm, calloused hands enveloped her own. Sylvia blinked as Seymour took her hand in his own, explaining to her how she shouldn't blame herself in beautiful metaphors. His hands worked so gently with her own calloused and worn hands, slowly opening them up and relaxing them. It felt strangely intimate as a shiver wormed its way up her back. As Seymour finished his explanation, Sylvia felt a smile light her face. With his sudden shift from granting mature wisdom to such a casual question, Sylvia burst out laughing. "Oh geeze, sorry, it's just, that was quite a shift you did there, Seymour!" The silverette managed to explain between bursts of laughter. As she calmed a bit, she sighed as she ran a hand through her hair. "Man, it feels like every time I see you I manage to get some great advice or piece of wisdom and I'm never able to return the favor. Thanks for that though, Seymour. I really needed it." With a smile, Sylvia shifted the conversation to dinner. "Well, Reyna said she was going to make something with chicken for Vance..."

Said wolf boy had been watching the exchange with wide eyes as he realized just how close his leader was to this fellow leader. He'd have to discuss this with Reyna later. However, he was pulled out of his thoughts when Sylvia mentioned the words 'chicken' and 'Vance'. "She's making chicken!" The faunus boy perked up, practically bouncing with excitement as he looked at Sylvia with bright, hopeful eyes. This day just got ten times better!

Vance's enthusiasm made Sylvia laugh. "Yes, Vance. I can quick send her a note to pick up enough for us and your team too, Seymour, if you'd like?" The silverette turned back to Seymour, grabbing her scroll to get ready to send a quick message to the pinkette to pick up enough food to feed both teams.
 
"That would be lovely!" Belle spoke, back into her regularly cheery self as she walked into Wunderland's office. Making herself comfortable in the seat opposite of Alice. She waited patiently for the Headmistress to finish speaking, but the moment her voice cut off, Herzrot's voice picked up, leaving no room for silence to encroach. Her expression once again shifted to something entirely different; a smile that knew the power it possessed, eyes that did not acknowledge the existence of repercussions. Belle transformed from a woman who could do nothing, into a woman who never had to do anything, the instant Wunderland's office doors closed.

"You see, it is my duties that I am concerned about, headmistress," Belle scoffed, placing an arm casually on her desk, "and I dare say you haven't the faintest about what those are. That means, dearheart, that the game has begun anew! The slate, cleaned! My dear girl, I feel sorry for you, you know. This used to be a fun game to play, but now it's become terribly one-sided. It brings back fond memories, dearheart, of my croquet days. Have you ever played? And cards too, now that was a fine time to be alive...but I digress. Three-hundred and something years of waiting has made me very patient, dearheart. Patient enough to know that I can tell you how long I've lived and still walk out of this office on my toes, happy as anyone ought to be after being told a close relative is alive and well."

Herzrot stood at this statement, a regality flowing through her with enough thickness to make her presence palpable on multiple levels...except her aura. "I do not like being forgotten, dearheart. My name is Isabelle Königin-Herzrot. Remember it, and tell the next headmaster when you step down, so that he may tell the next headmaster when he steps down, so that he may tell the next headmaster when he steps down! Tell them to lock the gates, to double the guards, to keep everyone safe...or it's off with their heads."

Belle settled back down into her seat after her statement, her expression a bit friendlier, but otherwise unchanged. "Dearheart, we should really grab dinner one of these days. It seems I haven't been around Vale for a while, and I would appreciate seeing the sights. Oh and you must play a spot of croquet with me when you have the chance... I'll be sure to make it a game to remember."

-

Seymour joined in on Sylvia's laughter, glad to see the girl brush off her doldrums with a bit of humor. "Knowing I've helped is return enough, Sylvia. I'm glad I could be of service." The gazelle boy laughed some more at Vance's immediate response to his favorite food before confirming the silverette's intents, "Yes, that'd be wonderful. Let her know I'll be happy to compensate her for my team's half. I'll be sure to let Abby know she has a cooking buddy tonight!" His cheerful expression remained only a moment longer before he looked to Lev with concern. "...You may want to inform the headmistress about this though. If something in the Emerald Forest has this potent of an effect on aura, then a high priority should be placed on finding out what it is, and how to get rid of it before the next newcomers' exam."
 
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The happy mood quickly shifted into a more somber one as Seymour mentioned that she should bring up what happened to Lev to the headmistress. "Right. Vance, could you-?" The silverette started only to realized that the faunus boy had already run off to find Reyna. Sighing, Sylvia quickly sent the text to Reyna letting her know about the extra guests before turning to Seymour. "Hey, could I ask a favor? Could you please look after Lev while I got talk to the headmistress? I'd rather let her know as soon as possible, but I don't want to just leave Lev here alone..." Sylvia hesitated before getting the go ahead. "Thanks." With that she ran off to Wunderland's office. Taking a deep breath, she nodded to Mr. Harrison before knocking on Wunderland's door.

~~~

Wunderland frowned as the woman once again spoke, talking almost pure nonsense for most of it. Despite this, she knew a threat when she saw one. "You are correct, I do not know of your duties and your identity now, however, I am an extremely curious woman. I will find out who you are and what you do. If this poses a threat to my school then I assure you, it will be dealt with." Wunderland moved to her favorite teapot. With delicate hands, she started to brew some tea, not even bothering to look at Herzrot while she worked. "I would love to play a game of croquet with you some time, Ms. Herzrot. I am sure it will be quite memorable for the both of us." Before Wunderland could finish her tea brewing, someone knocked on the door. "Come in." She called.

Opening the door, Sylvia poked her head in before seeing Herzrot and smiling. "Oh good, you found Headmistress Wunderland, Ms. Herzrot! I was trying to tell you earlier that our Headmistress was a Headmistress and not a Headmaster. But looks like you found that out by yourself. Oh! I needed to tell you something, Headmistress." Turning to Wunderland, Sylvia walked into the room and folded her hands behind her back. "You see, Lev went out to the Emerald Forest earlier today and was fighting some grimm when he suddenly collapsed. Miss Herzrot found him here, and he seemed to be physically okay. However, his aura was being suppressed by a nothingness. We managed to get rid of this nothingness, but we don't know what caused it. It might have been something in the Emerald Forest so we wanted to let you know."

Wunderland frowned, pouring herself a cup of tea before grabbing her scroll. "I see. Thank you for informing me of this, Miss Slater. I promise you, we'll get to the bottom of this and make sure no more incidents occur. For now please return to your team. You do still have classes to keep up with." With a nod, Sylvia started to leave as Wunderland took a sip of her tea, already making note on who to send where for different problems.

~~~

As soon as he could, Vance bolted out of the room to find Rain. He needed to talk to somebody! So he dashed through the campus before running through the streets of Vale. He bumped into a few people, ignoring the insults and angry mutterings thrown his way. The faunus boy simply didn't stop until he reached the market. Once there he looked around for a flash a pink, frowning as he searched before finally finding his partner wearing a flowy skirt and a giant floppy hat that covered her striking pink hair. Smiling, Vance called out, "Rain!" Brushing past more people he jumped on the girl, pulling her into a big hug. "Rain, Rain, Rain! Guess what? I think Sylvia's got a crush!" He exclaimed, oblivious to the strange looks most of the other shoppers were throwing his way as he practically vibrated with excitement.
 
With Seymour's blessing, he saw Sylvia off with a smile before turning his attention back to Lev, monitoring his health the best he could. Meanwhile, Belle watched the headmistress pour her tea with interest. Before she could make a final retort, Sylvia made her entrance. Herzrot shifted her expression back to something more jovial as she giggled at the silverette student. "I appreciate the thought, and I'm glad to hear that Lev is alright. Perhaps we can all get together over tea someday as thanks! After all, I'm no huntress to be risking my neck in the forest. Goodness, thinking of him fighting those horrid grimm still gives me chills!" Belle dramatized a shiver, then laughed it off before standing from her seat.

"I won't take no for an answer, you know! Sylvia, you know where I'm staying. I'll expect you all there, ah, and you too, headmistress! We'll all play a lovely game, a rousing game! And I feel I should inform you both that I am a dreadfully gracious winner." She stood in thought for a moment, as though intent on saying a bit more, but decided against it as she exited the office. "That'll be all, dearheart! See you soon!" And with that, she was gone, walking back through the streets as happily as she had when Sylvia first saw her.

-

Meanwhile, Reyna was still reeling from Vance's surprise visit when he told her about Sylvia. With a gasp, she pulled him away from the street and into a less populated area before letting him go. Placing her bags at her side, the pinkette folded her arms with a suspicious look on her face.

"You ran all the way here to tell me that? Not because I'm picking up chicken or anything? That was supposed to be a surprise, by the way, but since you're out here I can't hide it from you..." She exhaled slowly, doing her best to wrap her head around everything she wanted to know at once. "...alright, first, tell me how Lev is doing. I may not want to worry about him, but Sylvia does, and that means that I do too. Then tell me all about this crush that Sylvia has, and please don't talk too loud! The longer we live here, the more people are gonna get to know us. It wouldn't be nice to accidentally start a rumor because one of our classmates was wandering around, now would it? ...but tell me every detail!"

-

Eventually Reyna made it back to the dorm with Vance and plenty of groceries in tow. Externally she seemed unfazed by what Vance had told her, but inside she was both blossoming and bristling. Sylvia and Seymour? That's so sweet! But if I have to watch her flaunt around a faunus boyfriend... She let her thoughts continue in that manner as she met up with Abigale. Bouts of anger aside, the two girls got along tremendously, and found themselves working hard in the dorm's kitchen as everyone else took a seat in the common area...everyone except Lev.

-

"Lev, you really should rest some more. Everyone will be back soon, and we can all enjoy a meal together! I'm sure that would put your team at ease."

"I can't let them down. I have to train harder. I-"

"I know how you feel, but you can't just-"

"I HAVE TO TRAIN HARDER! ...You may know how I feel, but if I can't pull off this fight with Azule, it won't matter. Maybe I'll lose...but I'll learn every weapon there is to learn before that happens!"

"Lev, wait!"

...But he had left. Seymour explained the situation to Sylvia when she returned, telling her that he saw him step into the library last. "He is still recovering," the gazelle boy told his fellow leader, "so I suggest letting him work through this next week on his own agenda. Support him when you can, but...well, a familiar saying would be 'absence makes the heart grow fonder,' hmm? He will come back to SLVR soon enough. He cares too much for all of you not to."

-

Just like at breakfast, the team sat in their usual spots, with Seymour across from Sylvia, Gabe across from Vance, Ellie across from Reyna, and Abigale across from an empty seat. Luckily enough, the lioness preferred it that way.

"Dinner is served!" The chefs chimed, walking out of the kitchen with a plethora of dishes. Various varieties of food dotted the table, including several styles of chicken for Gabe and Vance to gorge themselves on, a beef stew, courtesy of Reyna, for her leader, a stem of grapes for Seymour, and many other side dishes. It was a meal fit for two teams, meaning there was plenty left over. After the food and table talk, the two teams went their separate ways, pre-purchaced tupperware filled with leftovers in hand.

It was a few hours later when Lev returned to the room. By the way he walked, opened doors and dressers, and refused to speak, it was clear that he was sore and sleep-deprived. That fact was only confirmed as he walked from the shower to his bed, flopping down with unironic exasperation only to immediately fall asleep.

Three days flew by in the same manner. Lev's condition improved, but he still pushed himself harder than ever, staying up as late as he could to do personal research in the library, turning down company, and avoiding his team out of shame, only speaking to them out of necessity if at all. Seymour and the rest of SAGE filled in where they could, but schoolwork became something that only Lev had consistently remained on top of. Even Seymour slipped behind as papers were stacked on top of papers. Then came the fateful moment.

"...It's about time for me to head out. You guys...you guys don't have to come along." Lev said reluctantly, collecting his gear in preparation for his fight.
 
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