Hey Guys!
Thanks for sticking with the story so far. I hope that you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoy writing it. So without further adeu, Roll Story!
Unfortunately for Daniel, that sleep did not last for long. He was woken a mere two hours later by the rumbling of his stomach. He reached for his backpack, only to remember that he didn't have it with him anymore. The events of the past day flooded back to him and he winced as his head throbbed once more. He searched his jacket pockets but only came up with .37 cents in change, and four magazines for his pistol. He groaned, not just for the food now, but also with the realization that he now had only thirty five shots remaining, counting the ones loaded in his pistol. He pushed it aside though, and focused on the more pressing issue. If he didn't eat for two days straight, he'd be in no condition to fight. Since the soup kitchens he knew of were hours away, he was left with the ugly job of appropriating food from others.
Daniel hated stealing. He knew from brief and painful experience that every illegal act only made the stares and cold shoulders worse. Nonetheless, he had no choice. He rolled off the bed and opened the door carefully. The hallways were dark except for the shafts of light from students still up. Years of training that came from avoiding his father in his drunken rages kicked in as Daniel slipped down the hallways, pausing at every creek, ducking at every shadow.
After about fifteen minutes of sneaking, Daniel finally arrived at the dining hall. He made his way into the kitchen where he found row upon row of ovens, stoves, cutting tables, refrigerators, and pantries. Moving to the latter, he wrenched the doors open and was washed in a golden light of an automatic light. As it happened, this pantry housed next morning's breakfast. Daniel grabbed as many handfuls of Poptarts and Danishes as he could and began stuffing them in his jacket pockets. He was just finishing up when he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Daniel slammed the door shut and ducked down under one of the nearby tables. He did so just as the kitchen door opened and an old woman Daniel assumed to be the cook stepped in.
"What is this? Some student thinks they can have a midnight snack and get it past me eh? Don't'cha know what happens when try and steal from the kitchen?"
Daniel's blood ran cold as she picked up a wooden spoon and twirled it like a baton. In the dark kitchen, it looked just as menacing as any weapon Daniel had ever seen.
He slowly edged along the table as she searched. As he neared the end, he faced a dilemma. If he stayed where he was, he was certain to be caught. But if he moved, she would see him. Daniel carefully reached up and grabbed one of the cans resting on the table above him. He tested its weight, and tossed it into the far corner. The cook shrieked in delight and hurried over towards the commotion. As she went one way, Daniel went the other. He was sliding past the open door when the cook called out "There you are!"
Daniel's heart sank. She had found him. She would take him to the administration and they would remove his eligibility as a candidate. He'd be sent back to his father and any dream of becoming a huntsman would be ruined. He slowly stood up in resignation when the cook cried out in surprise. "Professor Port?"
The Cook was not looking at him, but at an older man that Daniel hadn't noticed before.
"Professor Port, one would expect that the many times that I have caught you in here would have given you more discretion in these matters."
"Ah yes. I apologize dear Guinevere, but I must admit that the soda bread you cooked up for dinner was too good not to have seconds of. I'm afraid that my stomach has gotten the best of me."
Daniel didn't wait to hear the rest of the conversation. He slipped out of the kitchen and hurried back to the room
And thus passed Daniel's two nights hiding in Beacon. He would lay low during the day, passing the time through swordplay and exercise. At night he slept on the matressless bed, waking constantly at every noise outside his borrowed room.
In the early morning of the third day, he cleaned up the room as best as he could and slipped out before anyone woke up. Braving the damp chill in the air, he rearranged himself on one of the benches in the courtyard outside Beacon's main spire. There, he dozed back off to a fitful sleep. By the time he woke, it was late morning and students were milling around, occasionally glancing in his direction and wrinkling their noses in disgust. It wasn't Daniel's fault; whoever had left the water on in the faucet had neglected to do so with the shower as well. Yawning, Daniel stretched and reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out his last pop tart. Chewing it as he walked, he strode up the steps and into the main hall of the school. It was impressively large; with columns so thick that Daniel doubted he could reach around them, and arches with designs so intricately carved in, they seemed almost lifelike.
A small cough interrupted Daniel's gaze. He looked over to where the noise came from. A glowing female AI sat behind a desk staring at him. "Can I help you?" she asked.
"Yes you can," Daniel said, striding over. "I submitted an application for admission a few days ago and was wondering if it had been approved yet."
The AI nodded. "Of course. Can I have your name please?"
"Daniel Grigio."
The AI began typing on a holographic keyboard. Daniel knew that it was purely an aesthetic touch, but admired it nonetheless. Clearly someone had put a lot of time and effort into the AI's design.
After a few moments, the AI looked up. "We do have a Daniel Grigio on file, but I'm afraid that I am unable to access the intricacies of the file, including your status."
Daniel swore. "Is there anyone who could?"
"A Professor would have the clearance to do so, as would the recruiter you talked to," The AI answered. "If you'd like, I could direct you to his office."
Daniel nodded. "Yeah, that'd be nice."
She typed a few more things into the computer. "Mr. Langweilig has yet to clock in, but should do so soon." She held out her hand. "If you'll hand me your cellular device, I can download a free application that will walk you to his office."
Daniel grinned sheepishly. "I actually don't have a Scroll." He knew that when his father had grudgingly given him a Scroll, he had also installed an app that would allow him to not only track his location, but also record audio and video from the camera and microphone. It had stayed in Daniel's basement when he left.
The AI nodded, then looked over Daniel's shoulder. "Ms. Scarlatina." She called out.
Daniel turned to see a Faunus girl frozen in mid stride. He waved to her, and she flinched.
"Ms. Scarlatina, would you show Mr. Grigio to Mr. Langweilig's office?"
"Oh! Of course," She answered. "Right this way."
She quickly scampered off and Daniel had to break out in a jog to keep up.
"Hey slow down!" He called after her.
She skidded to a halt and Daniel nearly ran into her.
"Sorry," she apologized, "It's just that;"
Daniels heart sank. Here it was. The point where they said something seemed wrong with him.
"It's just that, well, I'm a Faunus, and we kind of have sensitive noses."
"Sensitive noses, Oh!" Daniel exclaimed, his face heating slightly as he realized what she was talking about. "Well, I haven't exactly had the chance to shower recently."
She raised her eyebrow in surprise, but didn't pursue it further. "Well, if you don't mind, I'd like to walk ahead of you for the time being."
Embarrassed, Daniel rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, sure. It's fine."
They continued on for a few minutes before they arrived at an unassuming wooden door. "Well, this is it," she said.
Daniel thanked her. He reached for the door handle when a thought occurred to him. "Hey!" he called back. "I didn't catch your name."
She paused. "Um, it's Velvet," she said.
Daniel smiled. "Nice to meet you Velvet."
"Likewise," she replied, before running off. Daniel watched her go. She was nice, but not his type. Still, that conversation was probably the longest one he'd had with any female he could remember. As Velvet disappeared around a corner, Daniel turned back to the door, only to find that it was locked.
"Would you please explain to me why you are trying to get into my office?" A dull voice said from behind Daniel. He spun around to see the recruiter he had talked to standing behind him.
"Oh, the usual. Just trying to figure out if my goal and dream of becoming a huntsman will come true." Daniel answered.
"And you did so without trying to knock first?" the recruiter asked.
"Well yeah," Daniel replied, "Didn't you read my application? I was born in a barn."
The recruiter looked him over and sighed. "Well, I suppose we might as well get this over with." He fished out a ring of keys from his pocket and Daniel stood aside as he unlocked the door. Inside was a small room with a plain desk and cream colored walls. The recruiter sat down and riffled through a stack of papers. He pulled one out and read it through. He then looked at Daniel once more. "Is this really how you dress for an interview?"
"Oh, I'm sorry, I had no idea this was going to be an interview." Daniel said hotly. "If I did, I would've worn my clown suit with the fake flower."
The recruiter sighed. "You've got a real attitude, you know that kid?"
"Absolutely," Daniel replied. "It's a natural defense against drama, B.S, and stupidity."
For the first time, a hint of emotion besides boredom flickered across the recruiter's face- irritation. "It would be prudent, Mr. Grigio, to show the faculty and staff at Beacon some respect. Especially those who can turn your application away."
"Not likely," Daniel said dismissively. "I mean, isn't your policy to take huntsmen and huntresses from all walks of life? Even those that are assholes? Besides, isn't it the headmaster's job to decide who gets in and who doesn't?"
"You are quite right Mr. Grigio," The recruiter said. "However, events can take place that assure an application never gets to the hands of the headmaster." He took Daniel's application and ripped it in two before dropping it in the trash.
Dun Dun Dunnnnnnn!
So yeah, I just realized that penana has a line break that you can use. Who would've known. Well, probably someone who checks this stuff out, but I digress. See you guys in two weeks!
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