The night before team formation

As the light fell, students were hustled into a converted dining hall, filled with sleeping bags. The future RWBY girls were talking in one corner, but there was a whole hall of students, all talking together and picking bags to sleep near their new friends. It was not a night of adventure, but there were a few pranks... and a few minor adventures during the night.

(Character mingling! Let your various characters meet one another and interact. No fighting though! Evil characters that have infiltrated the academy may participate, otherwise go see "Elsewhere")

Orwell looked a round the dining hall with a passive expression but inside he was nervous as a small child. What am I doing here? He thought as he rolled out his sleeping bag I should be with Pearl and the others I need them here.

As Orwell rearranged his pillow he noticed Coral across the room. He sat there for a moment unsure of what to do his thoughts turned to what Pearl told him before she left for her mission.

Orwell you can't be afraid to meet new friends. The Professor sent you to Beacon for a reason yes they will be strangers but strangers are friends you haven't met yet. "Ok Pearl." He whispered then stood up smoothed out the wrinkles in his PJs and made his way over to Coral. "Hey Coral how have you been?"

The sophomore sighed in tired annoyance. She had just finished an escort mission with another professor that had lasted two days with almost no sleep and now she was chosen to be one of the night guards for the young bloods.

'I need to catch a break' The redhead thought tiredly as she stretched her arms in the air and planted her feet on the table, her unbound chest raising as she did so. Wearing a white tank top with her logo, a flame trapped in a sphere, printed on her back and a pair of pink shorts that barely reached her thigh.

Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, the woman began to let her eyes wander around the room. There were shirtless freshmen who flexed their muscles in an attempt to catch a girl's eyes. A semi familiar voice caught her ears before she turned her head to the voice.

She immediately realized that the voice came from the fox faunus making his way towards her, it was the same person who had helped her back at the docks. She racked her tired mind for the name but she came up with none.

'He's a freshman?' She thought before setting her legs down and silently gesturing the chair in front of her.

Orwell sat down in the chair offered and noticed a momentary blank expression followed by surprise.

Did I do something wrong? "I'm Orwell we met at the docks a while ago. I hope I'm not bothering you but I had some questions.

"Just as long as it isn't about my three sizes sure." The redhead quipped before weaving her fingers in front of her and resting her chin on it.

Orwell raised an eyebrow and grinned. So far so good the way she looks though, she could give Alexandra a run for her money in the looks department

"Rumor has it that teams are forming up tomorrow I just want to know how that works and what have you been up to since the last time I saw you?"

"Yeah, initiation starts tomorrow. I don't know what you're going to do since initiation every year is different. Last year we had to carry stuff from Point A to Point B, it would've been fine if one of the crates wasn't a case of red sap." The redheads's hand met her forehead softy. Those Ursas would do anything for those things.

"As for me? I've been punished for blowing up shipments of dust at the docks. I wonder why that happened." The woman's eyes glared at the faunus in front of her.

"After that, I took on an escort mission with a teacher before I got assigned here."

Orwell winced and drooped his ears when she glared at him. "I may have gone a liiiittle overboard on the last two but time was not on our side it was blow them up or let them get away. If it makes you feel better I and any one else that blew up the dust containers have to write an essay on dust starting with it discovery, it's uses, types, and it's importance when the semester starts." He smiled ruefully. "If I can make it up to you let me know. May I ask you something else?"

The redhead waved his suggestion away.

"No, that doesn't make me feel better. Go and shoot, it's not like anyone's causing any trouble right now." She answered, her face devoid of emotion.

Orwell Scratched his head. "Well I noticed that you looked surprised when you saw me, I'm sorry if this seems like an interrogation but why?"

"Nothing." The girl yawned.

"I was just surprised to see a stranger I met to be in Beacon."

Orwell raised an Eyebrow at the statement but then nodded his head. when she yawned he felt it was time to end this conversation. "Well I should go and let you get some sleep we have a big day ahead of us tomorrow." he turned to go then turned back to her. "By the way Thanks for having my back at the docks and I'm sorry for getting you in so much trouble, I just followed my instincts out there."

Sennen sat in a corner reading a book with Quartus leaning in the corner warily watching the teeming mass of students while Tertius field stripped and cleaned the GLADIUSs and PILUMs, waiting for everything to calm down so he could get some sleep.  People seemed to avoid the space directly around him, leaving several yards of clear floor around the corner.

As Orwell walked back to his sleeping bag the soft glow of a candle fro the Corner to his right following it he soon came to where three young men a few years older than him were resting. One stood in the looking out at the crowd the another was striping and cleaning two weapons and the third sat by the candle reading a book. Orwell stood there looking at all three and wondered which one he should talk to.

Dmitri walked into the open space around the weird guys in masks, and asked, "Mind if I sit here?" He waited a moment, and after he got no response from the dude standing watch, he shrugged and rolled out his sleeping bag, and began setting out his knives in neat rows based on size next to his bag. When he finished, he picked up each one and began sharpening and polishing them. Afterwards, he took one, and curled up with it in his hand, ignoring all the rest of the noise and light.

Orwell shrugged and approached the one cleaning the weapon "I like your weapon. Assault Rifle with a sword base? Did you have any problem with the design? Does it need the sheath to complete the Rifle or can you fire it without the sheath?"

"The sheath is simple leather, the sword is a standalone weapon." Sennen replied without so much as a glance up from his book. "The only issue that I ended up having was with the switch between sword and firearm." Sennen explained as he turned the page. Tertius quickly put the GLADIUS he was working on back together as Sennen continued speaking. "I wasn't sure how to properly marry the two very different tools;" Tertius picked up the weapon, in sword form now. "but I think that i'm happy with the result" Tertius activated the transformation, changing it into the gun form as Sennen turned another page. "Enough about me." Tertius changed the gun back and laid it next to the others. "What's your..." Tertius gestured vaguely at Orwell. "...schtick, as it were?"

Owells' eyes sparkled with amazement as the stranger with book picked up the sword and transformed it without looking up from his book he grinned broadly, impressed by his skill. "Well I guess my "schtick" is I have a similar weapon and I'm always messing with it the way it is now is high powered assault rifle, staff, sword combo. Also you and your friends caught my eye." Orwell leaned in and tilted the book down so he could see the youths face. "So I decied to stop and say Hi, I'm Onikisu Orwell but everybody calls me Orwell."

When Orwell moved the book out of the way, he was greeted by a withering glare. "I see that your curiosity has done nothing for your manners, Orwell." Sennen growled. "There is one reason why I haven't thrown you halfway across the room for assaulting me in such a manner, and it is that the faculty have laid me under the impression that they would be highly disappointed by such actions. If you would be so kind as to unhand my possessions and leave quietly, I believe that we can extract ourselves from this encounter without further animosity."

Orwell backed away stunned however his stance went into a ready one and his eyes were sharp and alert to every move the stranger made although he doubted this guy could throw him across the room but the other two might be trouble if they all teamed up on him. "Sorry to bother you I wasn't looking for trouble and I'm sorry about invading your personal space I was a little over eager. "

Sennen's expression softened slightly, such innocence was almost refreshing "I accept your apology, please be more careful in the future." Tertius picked up the first PILUM and started to clean it and Quartus, not having moved through the whole encounter, kept a sharp eye on Orwell as Sennen went back to his book.

Orwell relaxed a little but he still watched the two figures they had not moved or spoken since he arrived and that bothered him. Tucking the thought away for later he asked. "So do you have a name?"

Sennen sighed. He closed his book gently and set it aside. Getting up for the first time, he replied "My name is Sennen, this here is Tertius," he gestured at the man cleaning the weapons, who didn't react. "and this is Quartus." he gestured at the man standing in the corner.

Orwell left his ready stance and adopted a more relaxed posture and tentatively extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you."

Sennen made no move to meet the other student's offered hand, "I believe that it is nearing formal lights out time, I suggest you return to your things before it becomes too dark to navigate safely." and with that he, along with Tertius and Quartus laid out their respective bedrolls and extinguished nearby lights.