A Well Deserved Rest

Monday, Week Four. Several hours after Initiation ended.

Hobbling in on a crutch in his left arm, Piers opened up the door to his new home. The dazed look of shock still on his face from from everything being announced. Part of that was due to the painkillers the infirmary had been so generous to give him after setting his left leg up with a splint. The final blow he took during Initiation had been a serious one. It had been by the grace of his aura that he was able to finish the fight, but as soon as it ended and the adrenaline rush faded the damage was all too apparent to him. It was a good thing a quarterstaff could double as a crutch in a pinch, as well as the fact that he had a team to help him out.

A team he now led...

Finding out that he was now the head of Team PEER was easily the most shocking thing that had happened to him all day, above and beyond waking up outside. Or fighting new Grimm. Or meeting his new team even. Why had he been chosen? Why not Emilie, she was probably the physically strongest person here. Or Emerald, something about him lead Piers to believe he was experienced with managing multiple people at once. Even Rainer seemed more qualified to lead a group in to battle on account of actually being able to handle battle. Instead the team's leader was their support person, the guy that healed and bolstered instead of actually attacking. The guy with a busted leg and a brain currently doped up on some rather wonderful substance.

With less grace than he had hoped for, Piers collapsed onto the nearest bed he could get to and let out a grunt that was as much frustrated as it was pained. Pain meds didn't stop muscle aching, or bruises, or exhaustion. Thankfully someone had been kind enough to deliver their personal belongings to the room ahead of them. Piers could see the bulky shape of his backpack leaning up against the wall, mentally vowing that he would never leave without that thing again. He'd have it grafted to his skin if it came to it.

"So what now?" Piers asked wearily after taking a moment to savor being off his feet.

Emerald walks into the room a minute or two after Piers. He had just finished satisfying Lapis by eating as much as he could in the cafe. I hope you're happy. How about some sleep? Gah! Stop asking for things!

Stuffed with food, he falls onto the far bed and takes off his gauntlet and the belt that he holsters Caritatis in. "Congratulations on becoming leader, Piers." It should have been us! Yeah, because we are definitely a stable mind. That's sarcasm, isn't it? Piers was probably the most leader-like in the group. I can't argue with that, Topaz.

Emilie walked briskly into the room and dropped splendor with a thud on the nearest bed.

"Great." She thought "Sharing a room with 3 guys... mom would be so proud." She thought with intense sarcasm. Compared to her, Emilie's mother was a saint. Compared to most people she was a saint, but especially when compared to Emilie. She dropped her small case onto the floor and popped it open. She scanned the room for someplace nearby to hang her clothes. She didn't have much, but didn't intend to keep it in her suitcase. As she searched, she heard Piers question.

"I don't know, what now glorious leader?" She said with only a little bit of an edge. While she wasn't truly mad at Piers, she resented him for a number of things. She sat back down, and winced as her shoulder twinged.

Rainer, stuffed with food, walked in after Emilie. His head wrapped up in bandages, and carrying a few plastic bags full of books and comics. He set Silver, Jinsoku, and Shokan upright on the wall. Right after clearing initiation and the first aid, he ran to a bookstore(which was at least 5-10 miles away). On his way back from the book store he saw Emerald pigging out at a cafe and decided to join him.

"Man you sure can eat Emerald. It's like you can eat a dinner for four." BURRP "Whew... that was a big one." Rainer jumps head first onto the bed, and wasn't bothered much by the pain. His aura protected him from the more serious damages he received during the initiation. He takes out a comic from one of the bags. Crimson Ryze the cover displayed a crimson silhouette of a demonic looking human staring at a giant shrouded group of individuals. He lies on his back and brings the comic to his face and reads.

Rainer clearly looked like he was content with how things were. He was a leader in the past, but due to the losses he experienced in the past. His will to be a leader was lost. Hardly listening to what Piers and Emilie's were saying. He turns the page, and without looking away. "Why don't we relax and rest for now. It's been a pretty exciting morning after all."

Piers cringed at the mention of his new status of being leader, bring his hand up to his face as if he was trying to forget the reminder.

"Can we...can we please pretend I'm not in charge? Just for tonight? I don't think I'm in any shape to be leading sheep around, let alone actual people such as yourselves." The normal cheerfulness in Piers's voice had evaporated, replaced with exhaustion and more than a slight edge of fear. "I agree with Rainer's idea though, I kind of feel like sleeping for the whole week..."

Piers paused for a moment, not exactly sure what else to do before a thought occurred to him. "By the way...thanks for helping me out of the cave guys. I don't know if I said it already, I think I was a little delirious from getting bashed up but if I didn't I still want you to know. Thanks for dragging me out of that...hellhole."

"No problem, Piers, we're a team. That's what teammates are for." Emerald said. Or for slowing you down in a fight. Actually, they are quite helpful in fights, once you get to know them. But you don't want to get to know them, do you? No. I'm scared. Then your point is invalid. Topaz is right, and it gives me an idea. Oh, I hate when you get ideas. Is it sleep? No. Emerald stood up off his bed.

"I think we need to get to know each other a bit more, since we didn't have time in the maze." Emerald said. "I guess I'll start. The one important thing you need to know about me is... well, it'd be better if I showed you," he said and thought, Be prepared. Wait, what are you doing? Alright, time to cut some people up! No! No! No! Don't send me out there! "Fragmentation!" he whispered.

Appearing next to him were three copies of himself each with different hair colors and eye colors. The red one, Almandine said, "Hey! What gives? Where are my weapons?" Since Emerald took off his weapons they didn't get copied. The blue one, Lapis was standing and snoring. He had fallen asleep. Finally, the yellow one, Topaz was still in the middle of his refusal, "No! No!" He then realized he was out and he ran behind Emerald bed and hid behind it.

Emilie was stunned at Emeralds display. She stood up and shoved the sleeping one. They were indeed solid.

"I've never seen such a powerful aura manifestation before." She said. There were few times when Emilie was truly impressed by something, but this definitely qualified. "I guess I'll go next." She said. Concentrating her aura, Emilie released a flow of light from her palm

"And," she continued. Now she focused the light and made 12 clones of herself. None were solid, nor gave off any sound or heat. They could simply be seen. Closing her power off she sat back down. "I wish I could show my combat skills more thoroughly, but there's not enough room here.


"Not to mention you're injured idiot." She thought to herself.

"Don't worry about it getting in and out of holes is one of my many talents." Rainer says with a laugh. "Seriously though don't mention it like what Emerald said we're a team now. Just don't be a stranger."

((OOC: After the many clones that appear in the room))

Rainer closes his comic, and slowly gets off the bed. He puts the comic away into the one of the plastic bags. He approaches Almandine observing him. He circles Almandine a couple times before nodding his head in approval.  He walks toward Emilie. He alternately looks between Emilie and Emerald for a few seconds. With a stoic face, he gives both of them a thumbs up. "Nice."

"I guess I have to show off too." Rainer picks up Shokan and puts it on his side. He then takes out a apple from his bag and tosses it into the air. In one swift movement he unsheathes Shokan and slices the apple in half. He then sheaths his blade and catches both pieces with his free hand. "But wait there's more!" He reconnects the slices into one again by gently pressing them back together. He tosses it toward Piers. "Go ahead take a bite. The apple shouldn't fall apart."

Piers watched the display of semblances with intrigue, turning his head to see without getting up off his bed. Seeing Emerald's semblance made a lot of things click in Piers's head, specifically what he had saw during Initiation out of the corner of his eye. The aspects he produced seemed sentient too, he started to wonder how that worked exactly. Emilie's semblance he had already seen, but he still found himself impressed with how she wielded it.

Rainer's semblance he found the most curious though, his mind already thinking of how such a power could be used to provide backup. Piers followed the apple as it arched through the air toward his head, closing his eyes and preparing for the impact as it reached him. He was pleased to see it roll to a stop right before it hit him though. Picking up the apple, Piers studied it for any mark or indication that it had been cut and found none.

"Interesting, does your semblance only work on things you cut or can you use it to fix any broken object?" Piers asked earnestly as he set the apple off to the side.

Rainer gave Piers a smug look. "Semblence? Hah. What you see there is my skill as a swordsman. By cutting an object with the right amount of force and speed you can reattach things back together. So to answer your question it only works for things I cut. Although I can only do it for inanimate objects." He shrugs. "I'm not to sure what my semblence is. It could be anything. Anyways what about yourself glorious leader?"

Piers cringed again for a moment before responding with an exhausted sounding response. "Emilie's experienced it herself already, do you remember at the start of the fight how she glowed a little bit after I touched her? I can strengthen other people's auras, to make them faster, stronger, harder to hit. I can even use it to rejuvenate and heal other people, I just wish I could make it work on me."

Piers groaned a little bit as he shifted into a more upright position, allowing him to sit up and see everyone better. "I'd offer to fix all of you up right now but I'm tapped out. I think my leg is using up my aura to fix itself." There was a brief pause as Piers thought about what to say next, trying to figure out how to not make it sound offensive.

"So uh...if you don't mind me asking Rainer, do you know why you can't use your semblance? I didn't think anyone could graduate Signal without mastering theirs."

Rainer sits down on the bed he was on previously. " I never went to a school like Signal. I went to went to a small school in the countryside and became a mercenary for hire right after." He shifts into a more comfortable position. "So I guess I never really got a chance to discover what my semblance is. I learned how to use my aura since the day I could cry, or that's what my care takers told me anyways." He plays with the bandages wrapped around his head. "Maybe I already am using my semblence without really knowing what it is." He lies down. "I might be able to find out what my semblence is in the near future."

When Emilie pushes Lapis he falls over still asleep, as if nothing happened. Almandine says as Rainer walks around him, "Can I punch this kid? I want to punch him." Topaz says from behind the bed, "Can I go back, now?" Emerald responds with, "Nope, you have to wait until the timer runs out in a couple minutes. Why don't you come out and say hi?"

Topaz pulls up the hood of his cloak and walks out, staring at the ground. In a small voice, he says, "Hello."

Emilie clenched her fist as the projection called Amaldine expressed his desire to punch her. She was about to retort with a challenge when Topaz emerged. He acted very shy. Emilie returned with a cursory greeting when she looked back to the violent one.

"Are you sure you want to try that? Even without a weapon and one arm behind my back I could best you. To say my punch hits like a bomb would be an understatement." She said with a smile. Emilie was always ready for a fight.

"Listen Blondie!" Almandine snarled. "I was talking about nitwit over there," he continued, pointing at Rainer. "But apparently you think you are so damn tough, that you can change your gender and the pronouns associated with it!" he starts to shout.

"Uh oh." Topaz says barely audible. On his own accord, Lapis had woken up, and yawned. He sits up and asks completely casually, "Got any snacks?"

While all this is going on Emerald stands by the wall, just watching his teammates reactions. He decided to not interfere, the only way for them to get along is if they do it on their own.

"WELL EXCUSE ME FOR BEING PARTIALLY DEAF!" She yelled. "How about I introduce you to the experience?!"

Emilie was absolutely furious. Anger management had never been one of her strong suits. If she continued to spiral out of control, she would undoubtedly hurt herself, and the others more. She thrust her palm out towards Amaldine's head.

Emerald had also grabbed his gauntlet and put in on while observing. He shoots the grappling hook out and grabs Almandine. It pulls him back and Emerald says, "That's enough out of you."

When pulled back Almandine's angry face smoothly changes to a calm grin. "No way am I gonna fight you in hear. Location is always important in a fight, and the place where you sleep is not a place for fighting." he said. Lapis interjects with, "I agree." Almandine continues, "I just wanted to see if I could get a reaction from you."

He walks up to Emilie and sticks out his hand, "It's very nice to meet you Emilie, you can call me Al." he said.

Hearing the responses of Emerald and his other projection, Emilie calmed a little bit. She was still disgusted at Almadine, but nevertheless stopped herself from attacking again. She took his handshake, squeezing harder than necessary, but not enough to cause damage.

"Let's settle it later then."

Almandine squeezes just as hard, saying, "Agreed." Letting go he walks over to the wall next to Emerald and leans back against the wall.

((OOC: That hard handshake was what I pictured when I thought of Almandine and Emilie meeting.))

Lapis, ignorant to the fight that was just avoided asks again, "So, snacks?"

"Nitwit?" Rainer says under his breath. "Did you just call me a nitwit? YOU BRIGHT RED TOMATO!" He jumps up on the bed and announces. "Well can a nitwit do this!" He jumps off the bed, or tries to anyways. He trips on the bed frame and executes a front flip. His left heel connects with Almandine's head. With a loud thud Rainer's head smashes onto the floor. "OUUCH!" He screams and holds his head in pain. The wound on Rainer's head reopens staining a small part of his bandages in a pinkish tint. The pain quickly subsides. He stares at the ceiling. "Well that happened."

Emerald and Topaz watch as Rainer tries to be impressive. When Rainer hits Almandine's head, Almandine is knocked to the floor. Simultaneously, Topaz, Emerald, and Lapis all reach to their head saying, "Ow!" Emerald quickly explains, "Some hits are still felt by all of us."

Almandine slowly stands up silently. He starts to rush at Rainer yelling, "I'LL THROTTLE THIS LITTLE TWERP AND THROW HIM OUT THE WINDOW!" Before he gets very far Emerald and Topaz are each holding one of his shoulders, keeping him from moving. "LET ME GO! JUST ONE PUNCH! COME ON!"

Emerald replies with, "Not happening." He punches Almandine 6 times in the back, and Almandine disappears. You ruin all my fun. I don't want a fight, you're too hot headed right now. Crummy peacemaker.

Once Almandine disappears, Lapis asks again, "Does anyone have any food? I'm hungry!" he whines.

((OOC: My notification didn't say you posted, only just saw it. Sorry.))

((OOC: WHOO HOO!!! Finally my computer is fixed and internet is back. Sorry I couldn't contact you guys about it.))

Rainer was about to retort Almandine's comment, but stops himself as he disappears. Rainer stands up and dusts himself off. "Okay back to what I was going to show you all." He walks to his belongings and opens it up. He tries avoids the others due to his embarrassment of what happened. That could have gone a lot better. Are they looking at me? No they couldn't be. They must think that I'm an idiot or something right? Maybe I should look at there reactions. Wait maybe they don't even know. Yeah they wouldn't know at all. I'll just do what I was going to do earlier.

He takes out a container from his bag, and places it on the floor. He reaches in his bag to take out a small dust operated stove and a pan. Next he pulls out a few bottles of spices, a vial of cooking oil. and a chef knife. He opens the container and looks into it. "I guess this is all I have left huh..." He walks into the bathroom. He washes the knife and pot in hot water. Still avoiding from the others and trying to stay composed. With great speed he takes all the ingredients and starts cooking. Flipping a switch on the side of the of the stove a fire appears. Like a composer of an orchestra, the hand movements, the sounds of the ingredients touching the pan, and the heavenly smell that envelopes the room. They all come together in perfect harmony.

"Bon Appétit" The dish was finished. "Pork tenderloin with mushrooms and caramelized onions. I don't have any plates on me right now, but I do have some utensils you guys can use. Sorry about that." He washes the utensils in the sink and hands it to everyone in the room. "I used to cook a lot and I've been told that my cooking is really good so I hope you all like it." Rainer says facing away from the others.

While Rainer was cooking all thoughts in Lapis' head were, Food. Food. Food. Food. Food. When he finished Lapis charged at the meal. He quickly ate enough for him, Emerald, and Topaz, and was about to eat the rest before Emerald pulled him away from the rest of the food. "No more for you."

At first Lapis pouted, then he brightened up walked around the rest of the meal and started to shake Rainer's hand with both of his own. "My complements to the chef! I think we'll be excellent friends!" he said to Rainer.

Emilie took the offered food gladly. She was starving. Though she didn't much care for the lazy attitude of Rainer, she could not deny that he was an excellent cook, and that was something she didn't mind having around.

"It's actually really good. I'm surprised Rainer, you didn't strike me as a chef."