Emily's PoV
The next morning dawned bright and early, heralded by the shrill beeping of multiple alarm clocks. As we stumbled through our morning routines, the reality of our new life at Beacon began to set in.
"Dibs on the shower!" Emma called out, making a dash for the bathroom before any of us could protest.
Alex chuckled, shaking his head as he pulled on his uniform jacket. "I have a feeling we're going to need to establish a shower schedule pretty quickly."
I nodded in agreement, trying to stifle a yawn. "Probably a good idea. Though knowing Emma, she'll find a way to circumvent it within a week."
Yui, who was meticulously making her bed, looked up with a small smile. "Maybe we could use a point system? Earn shower priority through good deeds or academic performance?"
"Oh, I like the way you think, Yui," I said, grinning. "Though I fear that might lead to some questionable interpretations of 'good deeds' from certain team members."
As we continued to banter and prepare for our first day of classes, I couldn't help but marvel at how quickly we'd fallen into a rhythm together. It felt natural, like we'd known each other for years rather than hours.
Once we were all dressed and somewhat presentable, Alex gathered us for a quick team meeting.
"Alright, Team AYYE," he said, his voice taking on a more serious tone. "Before we head out, I want to set some ground rules. First and foremost, we need to be discreet about our... unique abilities. At least until we understand them better."
We all nodded in agreement. The last thing we needed was to draw unwanted attention before we even knew what we were dealing with.
"Secondly," Alex continued, "I want us to have each other's backs. In class, in training, and especially if anyone starts asking questions we're not ready to answer. We're a team now, which means we protect our own."
"Hear, hear," Emma said, raising an imaginary glass. "To Team AYYE, the most mysteriously ship-shape team at Beacon!"
As we made our way to our first class, weaving through the bustling corridors of Beacon, I found myself stealing glances at my teammates. Emma, with her confident strut and mischievous grin. Yui, her eyes wide with wonder as she took in every detail of our new surroundings. And Alex, walking with purpose, his gaze occasionally flickering as if he was engaged in silent conversation with Alexa.
Our first class was Grimm Studies with Professor Port, a portly man with an impressive mustache and an even more impressive ability to turn any lesson into a meandering tale of his own heroics.
As we settled into our seats, I leaned over to Alex. "So, any intuitions about how to stay awake through this?" I whispered.
He smirked, pulling out a notebook. "I find that trying to decipher the actual educational content from Port's stories can be quite the mental exercise. It's like a very verbose puzzle."
"Ooh, I love puzzles," Yui chimed in from Alex's other side. "Maybe we could make it a game? First one to spot a genuinely useful piece of information wins?"
Emma, who had been half-listening to our conversation, perked up at this. "I'm in. Loser buys coffee for the team after class?"
As Professor Port launched into yet another tale of his youthful exploits, we found ourselves engaged in our own little competition. It was silly, perhaps, but it kept us alert and focused. More importantly, it felt like we were solidifying our bond as a team, creating our own inside jokes and shared experiences.
Throughout the day, as we navigated through our various classes, I began to notice little details about my teammates that I hadn't picked up on before. The way Alex's hand would occasionally twitch towards his hip, as if reaching for a weapon that wasn't there. How Yui's eyes would light up whenever a professor mentioned anything related to technology or weapons development. The subtle accent that would creep into Emma's voice when she was particularly excited or agitated.
