Bubbling Over

"Eirian, did you get us lost?"

Adam never would've thought it before, but he wasn't going to trust Eirian with directions ever again.

With the Initiation over and all the students that passed put into teams of four, Ozpin had sent them over to see their new dorms. At least, that was the plan, before Eirian took the lead of the group and marched them across the Academy grounds to God know where. The Headmaster Tower and Main Hall far behind them, he glanced around at the confusing buildings while Zanthus and Eirian carried on chatting with each other.

"I know where we're going!" She defended herself, lugging her personal belongings behind her. "It's just taking a little longer to get a gist of the place."

He should've left and went to find the dorms himself. The tempting offer was still there, with the others too distracted to notice him even leaving.

One step away, though, and he felt someone grabbing onto his lower arm. Eyes narrowing at the intrusion of personal space, he looked down. It wasn't a surprise when she saw Ruri grabbing him with a deathly hold.

She didn't say anything. She didn't need to, looking up at Adam with that intense glare before focusing on Zanthus and Eirian again. He wasn't going anywhere.

Resigned to his fate, he simply walked behind the eccentric girl and her feline friend, but if he was forced to stick around, he would do so with the biggest scowl he could manage. Ruri seemed unaffected by it. She didn't seem to be feeling any strong feelings, rather looking around at the buildings that surrounded them like she was a content tourist.

Thankfully, the group wasn't lost for long. Out of the blue, Eirian stopped dead in her tracks, and Adam had to bite back a snapping response when he nearly ran into the back of her.

"Found it!" She cheerfully shouted.

Following her pointing finger, he noticed a building in the distance. A bit away from the cluster of other buildings in the Academy's grounds, it was certainly built with housing many people in mind.

Countless windows decorated the outside, with numerous floors to provide enough rooms for Beacon's student population. Some were open so that the gentle breeze could come through. Others were locked tight, the curtains are drawn to hide away whatever was hiding in the dorm room. With deeper red brickwork and white accents running around the roof and doorways, it stuck out compared to the more pristine white buildings the students had seen before.

Many of the other new students had found it already. While most had gone inside to see their new dorm room for the first time, others remained outside. Hanging out together, they were happily chatting amongst friends, while other older-looking students were chilling under the oak trees that lined the chiselled stone brick paths.

Before he could even speak, Eirian was rushing towards the building with blinding speed, leaving the rest in the dust. Literally.

Coughing, he glared at the retreating human while Ruri waved the dust out of her face. Zanthus didn't seem phased at all. Rather, he simply chuckled at her antics and turned to the other members of his new team.

"Come on," he urged, letting Ruri go before him. "Let's see our new room."

Now that he was there, Adam had to acknowledge his niggling thoughts on the dorm room itself. While he was grateful for somewhere to sleep that had a bed and a sturdy roof, he wasn't eager to be sharing that same room with three other people.

The itchy burning sensation on the left side of his face brutally reminded him of the inevitable. There was no way he could keep his bandage on, it made his skin sweat, and the uncomfortable itchiness would drive him up the wall more than dealing with the hyperactive human he was forced to bunk with.

His sore and tender wound made his temper worse. Scowl deepening, he had no other choice than to follow after the others.

Luckily, the few strangers by the main dorm entrance were too distracted by their conversations to pay any heed to the newcomers. All they gave were a few confused looks when Eirian barreled past them. By the time the rest of her team caught up, they were back to talking about whatever they were talking about.

The inside of the dorms was certainly simplistic. Not in a negative way, Adam did like how the cream walls and deep red carpet melded together, with the white light lamps hanging above them on the high ceiling. It wasn't like the dated look back in the hostel.

Muffled footsteps echoed through the long hallways, with each one looking the same as the last. Floor after floor, the hallways never changed, with the same amount of doors on both sides. Some were open, the students inside either settling in or casually sitting around with their teammates. Others were shut, but Adam could still hear muffled talking from behind the dark oak doors.

Eirian was long gone. Thankfully they knew the number their dorm room was, but it was annoying that one of their teammates ran off like that.

Finally, on the top floor of the dorms, the group found their number drilled into the door shone a light silver colour in the bright hallway lights. As Adam and his two companions approached it, they spotted Eirian standing there casually, rocking back and forth on the balls of her feet until she spotted her teammates.

"Oh, there you are!" She pointed out, beaming brightly as she ran over to them. "I didn't even know you guys weren't with me until I looked behind. You just disappeared!"

"That happens when you run off ahead of us." Adam retorted gruffly.

That eagerness and warmth dampened at his harsh tone. While she wasn't completely drained, it was certainly more muted, her smile turning strained as she watched him barge past her to get into the dorm room.

As he opened the door and looked inside for the first time, he was pleasantly surprised at it all. It was by no means a palace. It was big enough to fit four single beds, a desk shoved in the corner, and a set of drawers that separated them into pairs on each side of the room. Wandering inside, he noted the red and cream circular rug that stretched across the floor, quickly removing his shoes and leaving them by the door before going any further inside.

Tossing his duffle bag on the bed shoved against the left wall of the room, he laid down on top of it, feeling the soft duvet under his hands as the others joined him.

As usual, Eirian was the first to come in.

"Woaaah, this place is so nice! Nicer than the motel we stayed in." With a grunt, she lifted her heavy-looking luggage on the bed farthest away from Adam's, wasting no time in unpacking.

While she tossed numerous belongings out, Zanthus and Ruri casually strolled in. Immediately, Ruri removed her shoes, laying them next to Adam's before she took another step, pulling her massive suitcase in with some visible strain. Zanthus did the same, but while Adam and Ruri's shoes were easy to slip right off, they were more complicated.

Even with open-toed sandals on his feet, the constricting leather straps that wrapped to his knees provided a challenge. With a metal knee guard attached to the top of his shoes, he ended up having to sit on the floor like a child while he fiddled with the many buckles and straps that kept his shoes from slipping off while walking.

From his bed, Adam simply watched. While Eirian was busy rushing around the room, putting away her many possessions, Ruri was taking things at a much slower pace. Many of the things she pulled out were necessities. Clothes, hairbrush, and then there were the books. Thick hardbacks, small novellas, giant encyclopedias that could double as door stoppers. How did she fit all of that in her suitcase?

The weirdest was to come when he noticed her pulled out countless bundles of string and a whole packet of needles. Finally, he piped up. "Thinking about taking up taxidermy, Ruri?"

She didn't respond. Still focused on her things, he waited for an answer, getting annoyed when he got none. As he sat up, Eirian leaned from behind Ruri, quickly pointing out while wiping down something in her hands. "She's deaf."

"Deaf?" Zanthus piped up, finally managing to get his shoes off as he left them by the door with the other pairs.

"Yup." Putting whatever she was dusting down on her bed, Eirian went to put her numerous clothes in the closet shoved against the wall by her bed. "If any of you guys know sign language, it'd make the whole talking thing easier."

Both of the boys shared a look. Ears twitching nervously, Zanthus rubbed the back of his head when Ruri turned to face them, holding a book in hand as she stared him down. "I don't know any. Sorry."

He didn't expect Ruri to seem so deflated at that. She seemingly accepted that, moving to put the rest of her books in the small bookshelf by her chosen bed. While she did so, Adam noticed Eirian and Zanthus turning to him, waiting silently for his answer.

With a deep sigh, he shook his head. "I knew a few deaf Faunus but we only had a few hand signals for missions. Nothing for casual conversation."

"Missions? What'd you do before you came here?" Zanthus' question had Adam freeze up.

Almost subconsciously, he eyed his duffel bag, knowing that just under a few paper letters, clothes and family possessions, his White Fang mask was there for anyone to find. He fought against the urge to grab his bag and hold onto it. No doubt it would raise questions, so he left it alone and answered quietly.

"I used to live in Menagerie." He started, not meeting their eyes as he tried to avoid any criminalising information. "It was as close to a home I had. Didn't stay there long, and left completely about two years ago. Lived outside the kingdoms with other Faunus since."

"Did you ever have trouble with… them?" Zanthus asked quietly.

Even though he didn't say their name, the way his face darkened significantly told Adam everything. "No."

While Zanthus seemed grim with the mention of the White Fang, Eirian was still her usual bubbly self, rushing around Ruri's bed and jumping onto the last free one right next to Adam's. Mattress squeaking under her weight, Adam moved backwards from her with a heated glare.

"I never knew you were from Menagerie!" She leaned forward with her grin widening. "It's so nice to meet another person from home! What a small world!"

"You're... from Menagerie?" Adam questioned. His voice had dropped to a harsh whisper, the burning anger in his gut worsening when Eirian simply nodded with that same stupid smile on her face.

Teeth gritted together. Menagerie was his home and was the Faunus' home.

"What was a human doing in Menagerie?" He snapped, getting up to his feet with his frown turning into a full snarl. "Do you think we want your kind there after spending so long under the humans' boot?"

Eirian's face dropped at that. Hurting, she couldn't even look Adam in his eyes, rather focusing on the duvet underneath her as she tried to placate his rage. "My mom-"

"What was your mom a Faunus?!"

"N-No. She came from Mantle." She bit her lower lip hard. The way her voice cracked, he knew she was close to breaking, seeing those red eyes glistening when she looked up at her. "Menagerie is my home."

"It's the Faunus' home! A place of safety, away from people like you!"

"Adam, that's enough!" Zanthus immediately jumped in, standing between the enraged Faunus and his friend.

Slit pupils staring straight at him, unrelenting even when his anger kept bubbling over, but the target of his rage and grief hid behind the built teenage boy, shrinking into herself while the two boys went at each other.

"I have had enough of your bullshit with Eirian! Our first day together, and you're already tearing into her!" Zanthus snapped, his hands balling into fists as his anger became apparent. "What the hell's wrong with you?! Why do you have to tear her down every chance you get?!"

"I am saying what needs to be said! Unlike you, who's content to sit there and be a human's pet just because you don't want to hurt her feelings!" The insult had Zanthus seething with rage.

"How dare you! I'm no one's pet, and I'd rather be a human's friend than a fucking asshole's friend!" Turning to the side slightly, he gestured to Eirian, who was still trying to hide away from the attention, as he continued harshly. "What, because she's a human, you think you can treat her exactly how the humans treated us?"

"What I've done to her is nowhere as bad as what was done to the Faunus! Did you forget what the SDC is doing right now in Mantle? Do you even remember Menagerie's history with Atlas, how the Faunus were dragged to a desert island to be used as cheap labour?"

"Stop using the sins of the past to hurt people now! Yes, the Faunus are still treated like slaves in the SDC. Yes, we are still dealing with people hating us for simply being who we are. But surely going through that means you would never want another living being to feel that hate and pain?" Zanthus' voice turned desperate now. "Why not use your anger for something good?"

"You don't know me or what I'm fighting for!" Adam was ready to fight. He could feel his patience quickly running out, and his choices were there in front of him.

Stay and lose his cool, which would risk him doing something he would regret, or leave the room and the argument altogether. The way he was steaming, there was no way he would attempt to see anything from Zanthus' view.

"You're right, I don't know you." Zanthus agreed, his tone cold with his eyes narrowing. "And you don't know Eirian, or myself for that matter. You have no idea what we've been through, and neither do we. But what I do know is that, whether we want you or not, we're a team, and you're our leader."

He didn't want to be. Adam didn't even know if he could be a good leader, and with how easily he found himself losing it when Eirian so much as speaks, he knew that he would not last long. What was Professor Ozpin thinking?

As he stood there, a hand suddenly grabbed hold of his hand. Twitching, he had to fight the urge to wrench his hand away, looking to the side to see Ruri having approached him. Without a word, she escorted him to the door and, with their shoes in hand, pulled him out of the room. Zanthus and Eirian didn't even try to bring them back as she closed the door.

Away from the arguing and tension, Adam would've thought that his temper would've at least simmered a bit. Yet as he was dragged down the hallway, he found his rage and frustration worsen, unable to stop himself from gritting his teeth together in a desperate attempt to calm down.

Ruri didn't stop. Adam's hand in her grip, she led him through the hallways and down the staircase. Those that were outside the dorm rooms before were still there. Glancing over the new students' way, they seemed interested in the sight, noticing Ruri's stern expression while Adam was one mild inconvenience away from a full-blown meltdown. He must have seemed like a feral animal, as they quickly looked away again and muttered inaudible words to their friends.

Everything felt like it was climbing on top of him. A heavyweight sitting on his shoulders, it wasn't just the anger anymore. Guilt, shame, confusion, bubbled in his stomach and spilt over the edge, leaving a wreck who could only storm after his teammate.

Eventually, his already thin patience had truly snapped, and he ended up pulling his hand free from Ruri's grip. As she looked back at him, he let his thoughts come up to the surface. "Where're you even taking me? I don't need to be taken out of the argument like a child!"

Even though she didn't say anything, the annoyed look she gave him said it all. No one was particularly happy with him today.

Not even himself.

However, she didn't try to grab him again. Seeing the enraged teenager in front of her, Ruri knew better than to anger him further, instead gesturing for him to follow her with a flick of her hand. For a moment, he thought against it. He could easily go and find somewhere quiet to calm down. Yet, something was telling him that maybe he should follow her.

Out of the whole team, Ruri was the one that didn't piss him off. There could be no harm in seeing what a fellow Faunus wanted.

While his scowl didn't vanish, he did give in to her request and followed after her. He remained by her side. Neither talking, they instead took to looking at the busy Academy around them, taking in the sights, smells and sounds of their new life there at Beacon. If Adam wasn't still steaming at the argument, he would've appreciated his new home some more.

As it turned out, Ruri not speaking had its ups and downs. With Adam feeling like he would unravel at the slightest word spoken, and whatever lecture she no doubts wanted to give him left unspoken, the silence gave him time to wind down and for coherent thought to have a chance against raging instinct.

The silence was also the problem. Without his anger to keep him focused, his thoughts began to wander.

Conflicting thoughts. One voice told him that he was the same monster that Blake thought he was, another one comforted him and blamed Eirian and Zanthus. It's their fault for provoking him. It was Zanthus' fault for thinking he knew anything about Adam. It was Eirian's fault for desecrating the Faunus' last haven in Remnant.

It was his fault for saying those horrible things to his team.

He didn't want to give it much thought. The intrusive voice digging its words into him like claws, whispering black speech into his mind no matter how hard he tried. It was making him feel worse.

Thankfully, his attention was brought back to the present with Ruri gently placing a hand on his shoulder. As he glanced around in confusion, the lack of buildings and students were the first thing he noticed, seeing only trees and trimmed grass with smaller paths leading through them. They certainly weren't near the dorm rooms or the main buildings anymore.

As Ruri sat down on the lush, green grass, Adam could only stand there awkwardly with a hand rubbing his upper arm. "Uh… why'd you bring me here?"

Comfortable, she gestured to the empty spot in front of her, waiting patiently while Adam tried to figure out what exactly she wanted. Slowly, he took the spot offered to him. It wasn't the strangest thing asked of him. That much was certain.

"Okay…" He muttered, eyeing Ruri up as he quickly added. "This better not be an impromptu therapy session. I do like you, Ruri, but I don't exactly know you."

Her look was unamused. Eyebrows furrowed, she simply crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knees, her eyes focused completely on Adam. Unmoving. Creepy is the word he would use to describe it.

Unsure, he crossed his legs too, mirroring the position Ruri was sitting in until her expression softened. Without speaking, he found himself focusing on her face. It was the only chance he had to get some idea about what she was thinking or feeling. Slight changes in her expressions, the lift of her eyebrows or the way the corners of her thin lips perked up, one had to look closely to understand her properly.

Happy with what he was doing, she inhaled deeply and closed her eyes. Adam could only sit there in confusion.

Quietly, he looked around, finding hardly anyone around before turning his attention back to Ruri. Even when she was supposed to be relaxed, she still seemed so stiff and focused. Was she always like that?

"Uh…" He muttered to himself. "I don't actually… am I supposed to do it too?"

His question was more for himself than her.

Slowly, those purple eyes opened again, and when she saw Adam sitting there feeling like a huge idiot, she was not happy.

Her frown deepening, Adam could only defend himself. "Well, if you don't tell me, how am I supposed to know?"

Oh.

Her expression didn't change as he quickly added gingerly. "Right… Can't speak. Sorry."

She didn't bother trying to sign. With Adam only knowing a few words, it would've been pointless, but this whole communication problem was getting on both their nerves. Wasn't she supposed to stop him from getting angry again?

Suddenly, it clicked. Looking over her posture and hands, he thought about it, keeping his voice low as he asked softly. "Are you trying to meditate?"

Much to his surprise, she nodded with her frown softening into a faint smile. It was a relief to finally figure it out. Still, something was bothering him.

"I don't think sitting here and practising my breathing will help the situation." He confessed.

She didn't seem angry at that. Unlike before where every little thing made her glare at Adam, his honest confession had her sitting there thinking, glancing off to the side for a moment.

Without any prompt, Adam sighed deeply, adjusting his upright posture. "I guess it couldn't hurt…"

Slowly, he closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. To be honest, he never tried meditation, finding the practice completely redundant, but if Ruri was giving him a way to control his temper, what harm could it do to try it?

Unable to see what was happening around him, Adam was forced to use his other senses to get a feel of the world. The wind blowing in his ears, its cool touch on his bare skin, the way it carried the scent of freshly cut grass. It wasn't just that. Birds chirped in the trees. The sun was warm on his back. Grass brushed up against his covered legs.

With his mind focusing on the world around him, he found that the thoughts plaguing him slipped away. It was peaceful. Painful twisting in his gut, the sensations he was so used to feeling, faded with the heavyweight that sat on his shoulders.

That is until he felt himself slipping. Tear filled red eyes clear to see, staring up at him as those same words echoed in his ears. The sharp pain in his cheek and the hateful words spat at him. The crippling loneliness, guilt and fear returning with his stomach flipping. His chest felt tight. Almost like a weight was sitting right on top of him. He couldn't breathe.

It hurt.

Don't ever talk to me again!

I know exactly who you are.

Why do you want to tear her down every chance you get?!

The words felt like countless blows to him. They hit him where it hurt the worst, digging in and infecting Adam with its malice and negativity. A soft touch on his knee jolted him out of his panicked state.

Uncovered eye shooting open, he found himself hyperventilating, looking around in a blind panic while Ruri sat there in front of him. Her hand stayed on his knee, the touch comforting as she watched him with a worried expression. Racing thoughts couldn't focus on it. Chest burning no matter how hard he breathed, Adam scrambled to his feet without a second thought.

"I-I'm sorry." He stammered, unable to think straight as he ran off from Ruri.

She didn't call out to him. She couldn't. Instead, she watched him run off with saddened eyes, unmoving from her spot. Adam didn't look back to see what she was doing. He couldn't. With lungs burning and head swimming, he stumbled over his own two feet, barely able to think straight with those same words chasing after him.

He didn't want to listen to them. He couldn't, trying to focus on anything in hopes of ignoring those familiar voices haunting him.

They didn't even bother him at nighttime anymore. Every minute of his day was haunted by the past, and with his arguments with his team, he found himself spiralling further and further out of control. Ruri had meant well, but given the chance, his intrusive thoughts had the uncanny ability to squirm their way back into his head.

Legs burned with each step he took. After the beating he got from the Ursa, being used as a landing mat by Eirian, and the prolonged fight with the Nevermore just that morning, his body had little time to recover from the pain and exhaustion. After running for who knows how long, he started to slow down to a stop when he realised where he ran to.

Back to the dorm rooms.

The people from before were gone, thankfully, with Adam wanting nothing to do with anyone at that moment.

When he slipped inside, he saw that hardly anyone was on the ground floor of the dorms. Rooms saved for laundry, the bathrooms and the lounge for relaxing in, he slipped by the lounge with voices chattering nonchalantly inside. As he spared the room a glance, he noticed a few strangers sitting on one of the large couches.

They didn't notice him. Carrying on with whatever they were discussing, they paid no heed to the frazzled teenager as he snuck away, moving further down the hallway until he slipped into one of the free bathrooms.

Pristine, tiled walls wiped down until they shimmered in the same white, fluorescent lights, the white walls were offset with the dark floor tiles, bumpy surfaces stopping anyone from slipping when they finished showering in one of the many shower cubicles. Breathing heavy, Adam ignored those showers and made a beeline straight for the sinks built into the walls.

Hands gripping the white porcelain, he felt close to vomiting. Sweat was practically dripping down his face now. Without a second thought, he ripped the bandage off his face, throwing it away with an agitated growl before staring at the reflection left behind. He never looked skin around the scar from the bandage and sweat irritating it, he felt his chest ache even more like he was moments away from a heart attack.

He knew it wasn't. The pain, nausea, the way his throat closed up and how his heart hammered away, it was another attack. It felt like they were more and more common nowadays.

While his hands shook terribly, Adam quickly let both faucets on the sink run, ripping off his one glove with his teeth before shoving his hands under the running water. Coldwater on hot skin sent a sharp sensation up both his arms. It wet his hands, and soon he started splashing it on his face.

It almost snapped him back to reality, Adam focusing on that feeling with his breathing turning into gasps for air.

The world started spinning at that point. Fuzzy colours around him, his reflection just a blur to Adam, he ended up sitting on the floor next to the sink with his head in his hands. The sound of the water running filled the dead air. That, and the sound of Adam's gasping and whimpering with the intrusive thoughts coming back with a vengeance.

All the vile words they spewed at him, he agreed. All the hate they threw at everyone else, he agreed. It all swirled inside him like a storm with no end.

He just wanted one moment of peace. He didn't want to be angry anymore, he didn't want the past chasing after him no matter where he ran. He wanted Blake.

But he didn't deserve Blake.

With no windows in the bathrooms, he had no idea how long he locked himself away in the bathrooms. Occasionally, someone tried to come in, only to find the door locked and the sound of water running muffled through the heavy door. Some simply walked away to wait until the bathroom was empty, but others banged on the door and demanded to be let in so they could wash before bedtime.

After the initial crippling anxiety that left Adam sitting there on the floor, he was too exhausted to move. Dull eyes stared at the wall opposite him. He could see his vague silhouette in the reflective tiles, but not enough to see his brand out on the show, visible to anyone who could walk into the bathroom if it was not locked. Apart from a few angry knocking and curses being thrown from behind the door, no one stuck around long enough to try and get inside.

Slowly, his gaze shifted from the wall to the lone bandage discarded on the floor. After weeks of wearing it and not changing into fresh bandages, the once white fluff had now yellowed. He didn't want to put it back on his face. Yet he didn't have anything else, at least at that moment.

With limbs that felt way too heavy, he shuffled over to where the bandage was left. It didn't even feel soft to the touch anymore. It almost felt like rough cotton, sending unpleasant sensations up Adam's fingers while he grimaced quietly. There was nothing else. He knew that, and with a heavy sigh, he slipped the bandage back on, covering the brand from any prying stares.

As he grabbed the glove that he tore off earlier, Adam struggled to his feet. Unsteady, he could still feel the lingering effects over him, just wanting to go to bed and hide under the covers for the rest of the school year. It had only been one day.

Not bothering to put the glove on, he finally found the strength to unlock the door and leave the safety of the dorms' bathroom. With a glance through the slightly open door, and seeing no one around to bother him, he slipped out and closed the door behind him, quickly disappearing before any of the students in the lounge room decided to walk out into the hallway at that moment.

All the way up the staircase, his mind trailed to what was no doubt waiting for him back in his room. He no longer had his own. He had to share with people. People that hated him.

What fun.

Though, there was no way to avoid it. Even with his thoughts bothering him, he did his best to ignore them and kept walking. They were stubborn, but so was Adam.

Sure enough, he reached the empty hallway his dorm room was on. With the window at the end of the hall, he could see the evening skies fading tonight, with the hallway lights off since no one was around. Some of the dorm doors were open though. Warm lights glowing from within, he ignored them as he passed by, hearing snippets of conversations that were left unfinished as he walked away.

Creeping towards his dorm, he could hear voices from within. His walk slowed down to a crawl, and sure enough, he found himself standing right outside the slightly ajar door. Glancing down, he could see one of Ruri's encyclopedias wedged in with a breeze flowing through. No doubt one of his roommates had opened the windows to let fresh air in.

Listening closely, he heard Eirian pipe up. "He's been gone for a long time."

She sounded worried. Why?

"He's probably in the library or something." Zanthus pointed out, sounding far less worried for their missing leader as he quickly added. "Besides, I wanna enjoy the quiet before he comes back to ruin it."

"...Zanthus?"

"Hmm?"

"Did… did I do something wrong back there?" Eirian paused for a moment. "I'm glad you stood up for me, but… I don't know. I feel like it's my fault. I shouldn't have said anything."

"Eirian, don't think that." The creaking of a bed followed after that.

Whether Zanthus got off a bed or sat down on one, Adam didn't know, but he quickly ignored that small detail as the other male Faunus continued in a softer tone. "The only one at fault is Adam. I don't care what he or other Faunus think about Menagerie, but it's just as much your home as it is theirs."

"That's the thing. So many Faunus back home felt the same. They told me and my mom that we shouldn't be there, that we didn't belong there. How can so many people be wrong about something? Maybe Menagerie should stay a Faunus only kingdom."

"Keeping Faunus and humans separated won't solve anything." Zanthus countered in a defensive tone. "Don't let them get into your head with their backwards ideas. You're a good person, and I'm sure your mom is too. Both of you deserve to live in peace wherever you want."

"Yeah… My mom was." Was?

The way Eirian phrased that had Adam stiffen up. By the way, Zanthus' voice quickly cracked, he too was shocked by the implied status of Eirian's mother.

"Oh… Eirian, I'm sorry."

"No, no. It's okay." She was quick to brush off his blunder. "I just… I don't wanna talk about her."

Everything fell silent after that. Hiding in the shadows by the door, Adam thought about what he should do. Should he go in at that moment? Try to pretend that he didn't hear Eirian's confessions about her deceased mother? Knowing that she was no longer alive did little to curb Adam's guilt. That was a new low for him.

Before he could move, he heard Zanthus sigh loudly. "Are you sure you didn't see where he ran off too?"

At first, it sounded like he was still talking to Eirian, but with no reply, Adam quickly realised that he was talking to Ruri. She must have returned during the time he locked himself in the bathroom.

After a few moments of tense silence, Zanthus carried on. "If you want, I'll go look for him in a minute. Make sure he didn't get lost again."

"I'd like that." She sounded so relieved.

Relieved was the last thing Adam would describe Zanthus as, though. His voice dropped down to a serious tone as if he didn't want anyone to overhear them.

"Eirian. You gotta listen to me now." Adam's attention perked at that. "I know you want to be nice to Adam, and you're just that kinda person who wants to make friends, but he's not the type of person you want to be friends with."

"No, it's okay! He just needs a friend right now. I don't mind doing it."

"You shouldn't have to do it. You don't need to take on the problems of someone else when they don't respect you." He let out another sigh at that. "I don't want him coming back and thinking that treating you that way is alright. That he can just blow up the next time you say something he doesn't like. You deserve better than that."

"You think so?"

"Yes." He sounded so shocked that she would say that.

And honestly? Adam was too. He knew Eirian had a habit of ignoring or not getting it when people are horrible to her, but hearing it from her, made him frown deeply.

Leaning against the wall right next to the doorframe, he crossed his arms while Zanthus got to the point. "Honestly, I'm gonna come out and say it. I think we should keep things strictly professional with Adam. Do whatever we have to for school, but that's it."

"But we're a team…"

"And we'll still be a team. But Adam's not our friend and he is not interested in being our friend. So we won't either." Another pause, longer than the previous ones. Adam almost thought the conversation was over before Zanthus added. "I'm sorry, guys. I really am. I thought Adam coulda have been a good friend, but now that I've seen what he's like… it's just not worth it shouldering his problems on top of ours. It's not fair."

Disappointment spread through his gut. Gaze falling to the deep red carpet, he listened as Eirian finally responded to Zanthus' suggestions. "...Okay."

It ended at that. Adam didn't dare peek around the doorframe in case he was noticed, rather standing there silently. From within the room, he could hear his teammates moving around, listening to the bed creak as either Zanthus or Eirian stood up again. Neither of them talked after the conversation.

He had to go in eventually. Either that or stay outside the door all night.

Inhaling deeply, Adam finally pushed himself from the wall and walked into the dorm. As soon as he opened that door, all eyes were on him, and no one was happy to see him. While Eirian tried to at least hide her conflicting feelings for him, Zanthus made it clear from his face alone that Adam was not welcome there.

Round ears flat against his ears and slit pupils somehow narrowing, even more, he sat there on his bed right next to Adam's own. With no shoes, chest plate or cape, he seemed ready to settle down for the night, holding a needle and his tattered cape in his ungloved hands.

"You came back." He pointed out, turning his attention back to sewing up the numerous holes in his cape. "Ruri told us you ran off. Was ready to go and find you in case you got lost."

"Just needed some time to think." Adam croaked back, feeling his throat ache terribly. That was one way of putting it.

Zanthus had nothing else to say about that. Lips pulled into a tight frown, he simply shrugged and went back to what he was doing. It seemed like the rest of the team was following his example as well.

Laying on top of her bed's duvet right behind him, Ruri was busy occupying herself with one of her books. When Adam tried to take a peek at the cover, he noticed that it wasn't like the one she had last night, seemingly interested in a whole new different genre if the creepy book cover had anything to do with it. Still, Adam left her to her own devices.

That just left Eirian.

She seemed to be doing what Zanthus asked of her, but that didn't mean she was doing it well. Adam noticed the numerous glances she shot his way. The way she moved to say something, only to pull back at the last moment. While ignoring Adam unless it was necessary seemed easier for Zanthus and Ruri, Eirian looked like she was dying to go against her friend's advice.

As Adam sat down on his bed, ready to go to sleep and forget the day ever happened, her preppy voice piped up again. "Hey, Zanthus. I figured it out."

"Figured what out?" He asked, pulling his attention away from his cape as he looked up at her.

Bouncing excitedly in place, Eirian gestured openly at something sitting on top of the desk. "Ta-Da!"

Everyone looked in her direction. Right beside her, a statue was sitting on the clean desktop. It was certainly big. Bigger than the propped up against books right beside it, its short curved beak and wings quickly had Adam realising that it was a bird statue.

From beside him, he heard Zanthus point out in wonder. "Is that what you've been working on while I was packing the rest of your stuff away?"

"Yes. And, thanks for doing that, by the way. It was very nice of you." She replied gratefully, looking back at the statue with a warm smile. "I thought the room looked a little lonely. So, I made us a friend!"

"A… friend." Adam's voice couldn't even hide the disbelief in it at that point.

"Well, he's not done yet. I need to finish the details on the talons, and then I have to wait for the clay to dry before I paint him." She scratched the bridge of her nose before turning to Zanthus. "What'd you think?"

A soft laugh escaping Zanthus' lips, he had no mocking expression on his face. Rather, it was proud, like a parent when their child showed them their macaroni art for the seventeenth time. "It looks great. But you can do that tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?" Eirian replied dejectedly, physically deflating at that too.

"We got our first classes tomorrow. We need as much sleep as we can, especially after all the fighting we had to do today." Almost on cue, Zanthus yawned loudly at that.

Brandishing fanged teeth, he rubbed his eyes and tossed his cape on top of the bookshelf behind him. "I don't want anyone too tired to focus. We need to keep our grades up on top of our physical exams."

Hearing about the lessons seemed to fill Eirian with unnatural energy. In a blink of an eye, she was in her bed, rolled up in her duvet with a grin on her face while Ruri, seemingly noticing that everyone else was getting ready for bed, slipped under her blanket in a more controlled manner.

"Yeah. I get to use my new pens." Eirian muttered to herself.

Quietly, Zanthus and Adam got ready to sleep too. Slipping off his clothes and donning his one pair of pyjamas, a pair that was offered by the Academy themselves, Adam sighed in relief at the feeling of a comfortable mattress and clean sheets. The faint smell of lavender wafted into his nostrils as he buried his face into his pillow.

As well as he could since his curved horns jutted out of his forehead. He didn't want another torn pillow incident like at the hostel.

Without a word, Zanthus flicked the lamp off sitting on the desk and slunk back to his bed. The room plunged into darkness, but with three Faunus in the room, it was like the light never went out. Everything was clear to see as Adam stared around from his bed. The street lights from outside shone through the uncovered window.

Not even five minutes after the lamp was turned off, Eirian's voice called out in the darkness. "Zanthus?"

"Yeah?" He groaned back.

"Who do you think we're gonna get for our first class tomorrow?"

"I don't know." He sounded tired already. "Go to sleep."

"Okay. Okay." She fell silent at that.

Lying there in his bed, Adam kept quiet. Ears strained to listen to the muffled sounds of people who had not yet gone to bed, able to find where they were in that hallway if he listened close enough.

It wasn't long before Eirian piped up again. "I hope it's history. Do you remember Professor Oobleck? The teacher we met yesterday? I liked his hair. You know, some people can't pull off the green, but I once knew this old man in Mistral who-"

"Eirian." Zanthus interrupted sharply. "Go. To. Sleep."

"Right. Okay. Going to sleep." She whispered, muttering to herself. "Close your eyes. Sleep. Okay."

Thankfully, this muttering didn't last long. While everyone else slipped into a deep sleep, Adam found himself lying there in his bed, staring at the bodies hidden under the thick duvets. Slowly rising and falling with each breath, he listened to the noises outside, finding them slowly dying as the night moved along and more students went to bed, hoping to get enough rest to deal with the difficult classes that were to come.

Though he didn't know when eventually even Adam himself fell asleep. He somehow avoided the nightmares that haunted him before. Rather, he simply floated in the darkness, finding some comfort in the void.

It didn't last long. Suddenly, Adam found himself jolting awake at the sound of footsteps, unable to shake the feeling that he was back at camp. Expecting to see thin tent walls and light from the campfire beaming through the flapping entrance into his tent, he instead saw solid walls and four wooden beds. Relief washed over him as he exhaled quietly. He was still back in the dorms.

That relief lessened when he turned to the others and found Zanthus nowhere to be seen.

Glancing around, he thought about getting up and going to find him, only to stop himself quickly. The other teenager probably went to the bathroom. It was no big deal. Besides, Adam was likely the last person Zanthus wanted running after him just because he dared to get out of bed in the middle of the night.

It was fine. Repeating that to himself mentally, Adam settled back into his bed and closed his eyes again.

Sleep was harder to come by again, leaving him a fidgeting mess who rolled around in his bed in hopes to get even an hour of deep sleep. Though he didn't know how long he was trying to get some rest for, Adam couldn't help but notice that Zanthus hadn't returned for all that time. It was stretching past a bathroom break.

Something wasn't right. Yet Adam didn't move, deciding to keep an ear out in case Zanthus returned and went back to bed.

By the time the clock on their wall stuck 6 AM, the dorm's door creaked open. It was deliberately slow. Careful not to wake anyone up, Adam's eye cracking open in time to see Zanthus slipping back inside before closing the door behind him. He looked tired.

His movements were slow and sluggish, he practically threw himself on top of his bed and refused to move. For a while, Adam wondered if he would at least slip under his duvet, but the sound of snoring told him that it was very unlikely anymore. Surprisingly, even with Adam staring at Zanthus' silhouette in the darkness, he felt relieved that it wasn't anything serious, but questions stuck with him.

What was Zanthus doing? He made a big deal of Eirian and the others getting enough sleep for school, but with the time he dragged himself back to bed, he'd only get two or so hours before the day started. Curiosity pulled at Adam.

But he decided against asking. The conversation between Zanthus and Eirian before was still fresh in his mind, and while a part of him wanted to keep things from blowing up again, another part didn't want to get involved. Zanthus made it clear that Adam and the others may be a team, but they were by no means friends.

His problems were his own. Adam would have nothing to do with it.

With that decided, he decided to try and get some more sleep. Tomorrow was another day.