Mit Livs Eventyr [RWBY]

"... well give me a second to actually read the thing first," you reply a touch irritably. Not the scathingly witty retort your souls might have wanted, but it's enough to keep Cardin off your case for now. You drag Nora's file over and flip it open.

It's easy to scan through for what actually matters. For one thing, the detective's flipped through enough personnel files to fill a library. For another, Ozpin or whoever it is that collected these made sure to keep it condensed. No words wasted on whether she takes her coffee black or with milk, a couple small passages redacted, nothing major. "Name: Nora Valkyrie. Semblance: Thunder. Weapon: Dynamo-warhammer (Magnhildr)." Short and sweet. Hm... ahh, you see. She can generate and manipulate lightning through her Semblance, but her hammer lets her do much the same through some mechanical Dust-imbued contraption. One feeds into the other. Quite well-designed, given first impressions

And then her history. Ethnically Valesian but colonial by birth, in... Arcadia? You flip back and forth between two pages rapidly to make sure you're reading right. Ten years ago there was an attack on the once-proud kingdom, the ravening tides of Grimm they once held back overwhelming their weakened borders. Separated from friends and family in the mad scramble to flee ahead of the horde, she found Lie Ren in much the same position. They've been inseparable ever since. Applied to Beacon the moment they were able, straight out of the kingdom's care and onto the airship.

Unconventional. Takes nothing seriously. Habitual disregard for authority. One of the carers at the orphanage attached a note accusing her of being a 'sociopath'. Seems to respect no one but Ren.

The detective's seen cases like this before - the make-or-break, the ones you throw at rookies just to see what sticks. If they fail, they learn how to walk away. If they get lucky and break it open, they earn their stripes. Hell, who can say where the tests even begin and end with a guy like Ozpin? Ever since you lay eyes on him it's felt like he's been playing you. Ugh. And he's going to show any minute. Problem for later. Right now Cardin's still waiting on an answer and you've got all you're getting for now. You shut the file with a soft snap.

"We're split down the middle and that's exactly why Ozpin put us together," you say. "Pyrrha and I have... I dunno, an 'understanding' if nothing else. The other two're in it for the long haul, partners to the end. I'm going nowhere fast until I crack that open. That's why I'm going to buddy up with Nora over the next few days, and get Pyrrha to do the same to Ren."

"Really think she'll listen to you?" Cardin asks.

"Think she could pass up the chance to beat me at making friends?" you fire back. "Or live with herself if she doesn't even try but I manage it?"

Cardin lifts his eyebrows, tilts his head and shrugs. "Ffffaaaaaair." He flips through his files, blowing air through his lips in an exhausted sigh as he considers his own task. "Well let's see on my end. Taube's serious about this and he doesn't cause trouble, so I can pretty much ignore him for now so long as he follows orders. Sky's just a country bumpkin blowing his parents' money on his one big shot, he won't go rocking the boat over anything minor. Maybe check in with him a couple times, pretend I give a shit what kind of corn his eight brothers and twelve sisters farm. Then Russell..."

Cardin leans forward, elbows on the table, kneading the point between his temples and his eye sockets with the heels of his hands. Groaning, low and long. "Fffffuuuuuuck he's gonna hate me."

"Hm?"

He glances up at you, gesturing. "Well he's a faunus, isn't he? Gonna be all insecure about being the charity case on the same team as two noble kids. Gonna be all day every goddamn day with him. Probably have to give him special treatment 'til he shuts up about it..."

"Oh, you're making friends too?" Ruby beams at you, as if Cardin hadn't spoken at all. "I've got a head start too, what with Yang and all! Weiss is kinda grumpy so she probably just needs time to settle and yeah Blake's kinda grumpy too but she brought some books with her I saw and I like books too so we can talk about our favourite ones and oh maybe she's into Skyfire-!"

Cardin slowly rounds on Ruby like a turret. He doesn't laugh in her face, but it's a pretty close thing. He mostly just seems a mix of confused and incredulous, his brow creased into a befuddled knot, eyebrows curling up like question marks.

"Look, I don't know what school you just came from, but this is Beacon," he says. "And you don't sit down braiding each other's hair and talking about boys or whatever it is you had planned in Beacon. You're here to learn how to hunt Grimm and safeguard the kingdom - and, more to the point you're team captain! You don't make friends in a team, you get them to follow orders!"

"Maybe in your team," Ruby remarks petulantly, folding her arms in a huff.

Cardin blinks. "Are you taking this even slightly seriously?"

"Aren't you taking this a little too seriously?" she shoots back. "It's our first day! Relax! It's fine! Right now is exactly when we should be getting to know each other!"

"The debate is already piping hot, I see."

Everyone present reflexively snaps to attention. You didn't hear him come in. You have no idea how long he was listening. You suspect he greatly relishes both facts. Ozpin slowly circles the table, starting right behind you, going clockwise past Ruby, before coming to a stop by Cardin's left shoulder. He takes a long, grateful gulp from his coffee mug and simply lets it absorb for a moment.

"These assignments are not permanent," he goes on eventually. "In fact captaincy will rotate at regular intervals throughout your schooling, in addition to as individual lessons and exercises require. The position of Captain is as great a responsibility as it is a privilege, and when the time comes you will your surrender your position richer for the experience."

"Yes sir," Cardin replies, pulling a face as if he just realised a horrible implication.

"There's a good lad," Ozpin replies cheerily, patting his shoulder. "I want weekly status reports on your teams, both as cohesive units and individual assessments. Right here, on this desk-" he raps the varnished wood with two fingertips "-every Friday before light's out, without fail. I will be reading every word. If your report is missing or unsatisfactory, we will be having a chat face-to-face. Those have the potential to go very poorly for you. Understood?"

All three of you nod. Even Ruby seems cowed, albeit perhaps the early start is finally catching up to her.

"Good!" He starts circling again. "In addition-" you can feel Ruby and Cardin groaning from their very souls, no matter how hard they hide the outward signs "-I want daily journals detailing your progress, as captains and as teams. These I will not be checking, because they are for your benefit, not mine. Slacking will only do you a disservice. Also clear?"

The three of you nod once more.

"You three are excellent listeners," he comments. "Now, you really should be getting off to class."

"... don't you mean breakfast?" Ruby asks hopefully.

Ozpin's only answer is another long, indulgent slurp of his coffee. Ruby looks like he just shot a dog in front of her. Cardin looks like his soul just left his body. You're too preoccupied to offer up a similar reaction. Besides, human food is vile anyway.

No, it's this team leader business that has your full attention. You knew that this assignment would involve a great deal of uncharted territory, but writing down your progress? It seems dangerously close to recording a story. Your story. Jaune's story? The distinction is a little blurry and arbitrary at this point, and that only serves to put you more on edge. Ozpin knows their power, after those commends on the cliffside yesterday afternoon there can be no doubt. Hunters are the heroes that slay the monsters. They feed their story until it grows dense as armour, sharp as a razor. So then... how is something like you supposed to satisfy him? A wretched creature lower than Grimm?

No. You're overcomplicating this, thinking yourself into an inexorable downward spiral. Jaune's familiar with those. He wants journals so you write journals. He wants reports so you write reports. All about exactly what happened in plain words. Do team captain things, with a special focus on Nora of course but you suspect Ozpin would frown upon a weekly report in which you have literally nothing to say about the other two. The only question is how to gather the data he wants.

[ ] Meticulously note down their behaviours. Their habits, their comings and goings, their routines. Surely that information will prove invaluable!
[ ] Pay careful attention to their emotional states. Their moods, their highs and lows. Put what you know about humans to the test, and learn more besides. Exhaustive notes about their temperaments can only be an asset.
[ ] Study them intently for likes and dislikes, then wait for the right moment to strike. Ruby said something about sharing an affinity for books with regards to Belladonna - if you pick your moment carefully, such a tactic can't possibly fail.