Wolf in the Commons (Finished)

When Gris first arrived to Syne Academy it made her feel... apprehensive at first.  New school school, new people, new kingdom... so many new things all occurring at the same time.  Of course, that was several days ago.  Now also she can feel is... boredom... much boredom.  By the time she finally arrive to Syne Academy, it was winter break.  No classes to be had and the campus felt like graveyard.  The few fellow students she did find shambling about where either disinterested in her or intimidated by her to talk to her much.  Sure it was fun exploring the various buildings and seeing the various amenities offered at Syne but after the first couple of days, you have pretty much seen everything that there is too see.  She spent most of her day time today running around the campus to help keep herself distracted as well as keeping her warm on another chiller day on campus.  Now though, she is just laying on the school benches in the commons, watching the sky as she recovers from a long day of running laps.  She ponders what else she could do... go down and visit the city?  See the forest that the Bellmuse tourism boards brag about?  Maybe find a fellow hunter or huntress in training who isn't hibernating in their dorm rooms and... make small talk?  Ughh... she is truly desperate at this point.  For now, she continues to lay on the bench as she mummers.

"This bites... I should have remained home for a few more days stead of coming to Syne as soon as I could..."

She forcibly outs out sigh, watching as her warm breath condenses into a fog into the cool wind before dissipating.

Floating around the school yard Kairi was on the hunt for the common ground. She had grown bored with just hanging around her hotel room and needed to get out. Well, in truth, she needed to get out and do something before she fell back to sleep. It had taken far to much work to get her sleep schedule semi-similar to other nonnocturnals. Find something to do, however, was turning out to be a quest all of its own. She had hoped to run into some people around the school to maybe get to meet and talk to some, but most were either long gone by now or unwilling to exit their dorm rooms.

The cold had never bothered Kairi all that much. Which reason she never dressed heavy even with the snow all around. She was dressed in a pair of jeans with black boots finishing with a blue flannel jacket with a white tank top under it. Her long black hair had been left unbrush, mostly out of laziness.

"Guess it was a long shot to find anyone around here" She said to herself before her ear twitching at a sound.

It was a voice from the other side of the common from the sound of it. Leaning slightly Kairi change her flight path toward the benches where she soon saw little warm fog floating up from. "Well, I'm glad hear I'm not the only one who made the mistake of coming to the academy early!"

Gricelda ears perk up to the source of the voice.  She quickly sits herself upright on the bench, taken aback by how close the stranger has approached to her without her hearing her and how she seemingly floats in the air.  For solid second she thought the girl in front of her was ghost... but only moment.  Gricelda places her right hand over her own chest as she releases a breath of relief.  She look up back to the stranger, glancing her over.  Seeing the girl's ears makes Gricelda relax a bit, relieved to be able to meet another faunus such as herself.  Gricelda recomposes herself as she responds.

"Ehhh... heh... I guess we both be the fools to come during during the winter break.  You shouldn't sneak up on people like that though.  Nearly gave me fright of my life, thought that you were a ghost or some other haunt at first."

Gris rest her hands on her lap as she inquires the stranger.

"Well, fret not.  I always welcome a pleasure to meet another faunus."

She stares back to the stranger with her piercing amber eyes, a friendly smile creeps upon her face.

"So... introductions, my name is Gricelda, Gricelda Mee.  Almost everyone calls me Gris though.  Yourself?"

Her head tilts slightly to the left, her tail sways from side to side as she awaits a response.

Kairi would let out a giggle at the girl reaction to her sudden surprise. It had been awhile since she has been around others and had forgotten her manners. However, much of the laugh were from the ghost comment which she found oddly appropriate for herself.

"Sorry bout that, Love." She said switching to a sitting position and crossing her legs before lowing herself to the girl's eye level. "I tend to forget that people can't hear me like this. As for a ghost I guess I could use a bit more sun, but that dose gives me a good idea for next Halloween." She kid giving a half fang smile.

Since giving up her vampire stage persona she meant to at long last get a tan again, but that would have to wait for warmer weather. Putting the thought away for now, Kairi was a bit ashamed with herself as she just now noticed the girl she was talking to were also a faunus. From the look of the ears and tail, she might have be a dog or wolf.

"Likewise Gricelda Mee. Well, I'm Kairi Crowley, but fell free to call me Kai." She said before locking her eyes on the girl ears and tail before moving back to her face. "Sorry I don't mean to be rude, but I just had an impulse to pet your ears. They just look so....Fuffly!"

Gris' ears droop and her tail ceases to wag.  She frowns slightly and crosses her arms together, releasing a guttural moan.

"Errrugh... please refrain from doing so.  I hate it when people treat me like a dog and not a person."

Gris looks back to Kairi, a smiling pleasantly to her once more.

"But now you know so... no offence taken.  You were just trying to be friendly.  Kairi Crowley you said your name was?  Hrmmm..."

Gris lowers her head as she stares at the ground with quizzical expression on her face.  She strokes her chin with her right hand as she tries to recall where she heard that name before.  After a moment of pondering, Gricelda gives up and looks to Kairi as she asks her directly.

"I feel like I should know that name but... don't recall why... have we met before?  Not... I don't think we have... but I know I heard your name before... somewhere?"

Instantly Kairi realized what she had said as she saw the girl face. Stupid! You know better than that Kairi. "I-I'm sorry about that. I tend to say stuff without thinking about it sometime."

A smile returned to the girl as Gris said no offense taken. Well, that's good, at least Kairi as she started floating around a bit. However, she stopped dead in her tracks when Gris asked about her name. Did she know who she was? Well, uses to be would be the correct way of saying this.

"Ohhh, you know... I just have one of those names I guess. Hahaha...." She laughed, scratching her neck nervously. It wasn't like it would be a bad thing for people to learn about her past. It's mostly that she didn't want to deal with all the hassle that came with the frame.

"But I guess I am, sorta famous... kind of." There was no use really hiding it. With a heavy sigh, she crossed her arms thinking of the right way to say this. "Well... Ever heard of the band The Nightwatch?" She asked, hoping that might point the girl in the right direction.

Gricelda purses her lips as she tries remember... Nightwatch did sound familiar.  Maybe she heard her music somewhere?  Her face scrunches as she searches her mind for answers on the tip of her tongue.  Then, her face lights up as she finally recollects why the name was so familiar.

"Ah!  Now I remember why your name is so familiar! My ma asked me if I ever heard about you since you were a faunus in a rock and roll band.  She always likes keeping up current events in the faunus community.  I mostly remember that conversation because I personally thought that "The Vampire Queen" was rather tacky and asked if that was indeed her real name."

Gris sits a little more erect as she gives Kairi a wry grin.

"Seeing you face to face like this, you certainly look the part of a queen of vampires.  But... I must confess..."

Her grin slowly morphs into sheepish smile as she moves the her right hand to rub the back of her wolfish ear on her right.

"I haven't listened to any of your songs... with a name like Nightwatch I kinda dismissed you and your band as some sort of alternative emo rock.  Heh... "

Gris' smile becomes more sincere as she places her right hand over own heart

"Well I will make sure to listen to some of your songs when I can, I do highly respect a faunus who can put herself out there and represent her kind to the world.  Shows the world and those humans that us faunus are much more than the vagabonds and pest they claim us to be."

There was a noticeable disdainful tone in Gris' voice when she mentioned the word 'humans'.

Kairi could feel her face heat up as her pale skin turns a light red. It was all due to that damn name, The Vampire Queen. Face palming herself Kairi flopped sideways as if to fall, but kelp her spot in the air.

"Please don't remind me of that name. I hated it, but everybody said we needed a face for the band and that I fit it best. I assure you it all was just a stage act... Well, mostly."

She still remembers the argument about it and in the end she gave in. Even having to put on that act of being all queen like. However, as an artist, she couldn't lie, she was a bit disappointed that she never heard any of her music.

"That's too bad. But I agree with a name like that we do sound more like an Emo band. So can't really blame you there. Still check some out sometime... I always feel weird saying that to people. I don't want to sound pushy."

She said, placing her finger together in a nervous fashion. She didn't want to come off as a sell men to someone she just met. Kairi ears did perk up at Grice tone on the humans. This made her a bit curious as she nodded in agreement with her.

"Thank you, but it was really nothing that great. I just sing a few songs here and there. And not all of them are that bad, the humans I mean. Not to say I didn't meet my share that was.... Umm, what's the best way to say this. Well, they were just a**holes plan and simple."

Kairi could never come to believe that all humans were that bad. Yes, it got worse once she went to other kingdoms, but at the same time she met a lot of good people too, as well as her two band mates that was also humans.

Gris' smirks as she nods understandingly to Kairi

"Alright, understood Crowley.  Glad that it was not only myself thinking how cringe-worthy that stage name is."

She listens with interest to Kairi on her thoughts on humans, then shrugs dismissively at Kairi's comment.  Gris grips her seat tightly as she responds callously:

"Sure... not all humans are bad...  but as you said they are they all that good.  Some humans I met... downright scum.  But what I find worse... are the majority of humans... the one who are apathetic or ignorant to our plight.  Its THOSE humans who ignore us that I most detest.  It is THEY who continue to allow those with the power to continue to abuse our race and belittle us for their own amusement.  You would think AFTER the Rights Revolution this issue would have- "

Gris inhales air through her nostrils, then exhales it in one single gruff of irritation.  Allows moments pause before looking back to Kairi with a blank stare.  Instead of getting more angry with talk of human injustice, she asks Kairi calmly something on her mind.

"You know... nevermind that.  I actually have a question for you.  What makes musician such as yourself come to a place like Syne Academy?  I assume, like most people here, you are here to become a huntress.  But going form a respectable head of a band to slayer of Grimm seems like drastic change in career occupation.  I'm guessing there is a long story behind it."

She lays her hands once more on her own lap as she also adds.

"Course your under no obligations to tell me anything.  I'm curious but I respect if you don't want share.  I get the feeling that many students here have some sort backstory that they rather keep to themselves."

Kairi could understand where the girl was coming from with her distrust with humans. Most of her kind she met felt the same in some form or another, even if they never did say it out loud. Reaching over with her right hand she held on to her left arm thinking. How easy it was for the two races to fight, even when the two weren't all that much apart, well beside for a few animal parts here and there.

"Most just don't want to think about it. Like if they don't pay it any mind to it, then they won't be a part of it. The same could be said for those on our side." She didn't really like the thought of it, but even with everything that happen there were still those among their race that don't even try to help with the change.

"Beside it's not like all of us been the best examples.." But she held her tongue before speaking any further. She almost brought up the WF word and she knew that was a sore subject for most of her race. So you can imagine how thankful she was when Grice asked why she wanted to become a huntress.

"No, I don't mind at all." She said with a sweet smile. "It was because I saw my limits in the band. I wanted to throw my weight into helping with the Rights Revolution, but also saw how little I could do with a guitar. So I handed my ax in for a real one and came home to join the academy. After all a Huntress word are a lot heavier than a Rocker..."

Yet, she couldn't help keep a smile down thinking about it. "But I haven't left the past completely. A Rocker Huntress does have a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

Gris gives Kairi a genuine smile as she gives her a quick nod of approval.

"Good on yourself for taking the initiative to push yourself beyond your own limits.  While the words of huntress command great respect, honestly I find that its actions, not words, that have any true weight to them."

Gricelda then curls her lips and looks to at Kairi impishly

"So I hope you can put a lot of weight every time you swing this axe of your's well because that will be doing most of your speaking for you Rocker Huntress."

She furrows her brow, then closes her eyes and shakes her head

"It... actually doesn't have much of ring to it actually... maybe you should just stick with Crowley."

Oddly enough Kairi felt like she got a great weight off her chest after telling Grice about her idea. She would be the first one outside of own inner group she ever told this too, and she was thankful it didn't sound as crazy out loud as it did in her head. Though she had to agree that the name could use more work...a lot more work.

"I think you might be right about that, Gris." She said laughing a bit herself at the bad name. "Though it's more of an ideal than a title. But enough about me." Leaning forward with a smile she floated over to Gris eye level. "So what about you? What bring you to the academy. That is if you want to say."

She gave Gris the same option she gave herself as she didn't want to pry.

"Errmmmm..."

Gris looks tilts her head to face the overcast sky as thinks about how to phrase her reasoning to Kairi.  She returns eye contact with Kairi, who is now at eye level, after some internal deliberation

"In short... it was either this or several years in prison.  Long version, me and couple other members of the White Fang got caught in what was suppose to be a simple dust shop raid on a well known anti-faunus bigot.  I guess the Vale police were tipped off somehow because they ambushed us as soon as we broke in.  Most of us got away but I got caught trying to help one of our greenhorns because she LITERALLY, I kid you not, tripped over her own untied shoelaces.  Thought I could dash in, grab her, dash out but by the time I got to her I was surrounded.  So then we were arrested, my ma had to post bail, then my parents and I had  a long... awkward... family discussion."

Gris turns her head away for a moment as she reflects upon her parents reaction.  She looks back Kairi and continues.

"Not sure how he did it but my father, I'm guessing using his connections as a hunter, managed to get the courts to arrange for me to continue my training as a huntress at Syne Academy after a couple of months of community service.  If I didn't agree I would instead spend at the next 5 years in prison."

Gricelda then give Kairi a sly smirk

"And that is the story of how I ended up here, spending my Winter Break talking to you."

Sitting there listening Kairi nodded along until she got to prison time and then there were those words: White Fang. In a second her eyes grew bigger and bigger as her story went on. Could she really be serious about this or was this a joke? It had to be right? She was so confidence in telling this story that Kairi didn't know how to take this. In the end Kairi couldn't help but burst out laughing just at the end of the story.

"Y-you're joking right?" She squeeze out while holding her side in the air. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, but that's to funny! I mean joking about being apart of those monsters is just too funny."

At last she whipped a tear away from her eye before looking back toward Gric with awkward smile. "But I won't joke about them if I were you. I had my own run in with them in my life and it wasn't to pretty." She sigh deeply thinking back on it. They had wasn't to happy when she openly called them out during talk show once. Even going so far as the threaten both her bandmates as well as her own family, ever if they were faunus as well.

Gricelda cocks her head to her side, this wasn't the reaction that she was expecting from Kairi.  She perplexed as to why Kairi insisted that she was joking, did she... come off as sarcastic or something.

"Err..."

Kairi as continues to speak, Gricelda grimaces visibly when she disapproved of the White Fang.  Hearing that her friends and comrades being compared to monsters panged Gris .  Once Kairi had nothing more to say, Gris stands up from the bench.  Gris' ears raise as her face narrows.  Her fluffy tail stiffens behind her as she angrily leers at Kairi before finally snarling at her

"Crowley... I have no idea where you got the impression of me telling you some fanciful jest to amuse you but I assure you that I am NOT JOKING with you.  So if I must reiterate, I am- I was with the White Fang.  In fact I was with the White Fang since I was a young schoolgirl in elementary!"

Her face tilts down somewhat, continuing to speak in a somber tone

"Everyone in the White Fang, my friends and companions, they all fight.  We all fight for what we know is right, some of us like to think we fight for those too weak or too scared to do so on their own.  But they all fight so that people like us have equal treatment as what the humans enjoy.  We have all risked our lives to fight back against a system that refuse to listen, some of them... paid the ultimate price for cause of equality.  Soo..."

Gris looks back up, her hands clutched while she stares fiercely at Kairi

"Don't let me hear you EVER compare them to monsters ever again!  Such a comparison is befitting only of the creatures of Grimm."

Gris lets out a heavy breath of air that comes out a cool mist before dissipating.  She plops back on her bench and her wolf ears droop.  Gris looks off to her right, crossing her arms and pouting her lower lip.    She appears ready to storm off and leave but remains seated to the bench for now.

Kairi couldn't believe what her ears were hearing! Not only was she talking about being in support of the White Fang, she was even admitting being a part of them. "You can't be serious!?" She asked in a cold tone while lowing herself to the ground standing for the first time. This would be the first time she has ever met anyone for openly supported the White Fang so strongly and honestly she didn't know what to say to this. All she knew was that she didn't share the small thought as this person.

"Fighting? Why is that always everyone first thoughts. So attacking dust mines and killing people are means for fighting for equality treatment for us?" She couldn't help but laugh at the thought. Crossing her arms as she looked into Gric eyes Kairi knew this was a bad idea to drive deeper into this, but when would she ever get another chance at this. How could she ever hope to change anything if she didn't even know what the other side thought.

"There are other ways to fight for Equality rights you know. I once respected the White Fang, back when they use words rather than a blade to get their point across." Although that part of the Faunus history were all but forgotten to most. "When you only try to get your point across through fear and violence you only make the humans hate our kind more and push our two kinds further apart." This was her thought of the matter and what caused her to stand against the what the White Fang were trying to teach other Faunus. The violence will only bring more violence and with a world literally full with monsters people really shouldn't be fighting over things such as this.

Closes her eyes and lets out a disgruntled mewl.  She wasn't surprised that Kairi disapproved.  Part of her had hoped that that maybe she understood, hence why she continue to sit and listen to what she had to say.  Gricelda rises from the bench, her amber eyes glaring as she make eye contact with Kairi .

"Trust me... fighting was the last thing I thought I would be doing with the White Fang.  We once held non-violent protest and boycotts.  As a lil girl... I used to hold up the signs of protest, and peach about boycotting those who abuse the faunus. I sat in and sat out of government or corporate building that have wronged us.  I marched the streets carrying the rallying the call "Equality now!  Rights for faunus now!".  I even did bake sales to help with donations and try to get the message across!  Yet no matter what how loudly we speak... we are always met with the same response time after time again.  Do you know what that response was?"

Gris goes quite.  Aside from the quite whimpering of the wind and some bloke coughing far in the distance, there was a pungent silence between them for ner' 15 seconds before Gris snarls:

"Hear that?  Nothing, nothing but silence.  Whenever we spoke of our grievances, the humans choose not to listen.  When demand their respect, they laughed.  When we begged for them to hear us, they ignored us.  What good are words if NOBODY"S LISTENING!"

Gris inhales, her eyes narrow as she continues to lecture Crowley

"Years ago years ago I would have agreed with you.  Years ago I believed that our issues would be resolved in a civilized manner.  When the leadership changed and promoted militancy, I was against it... at first.  When we firebombed the shops and held those bigots as hostages... suddenly humans started to pay attention.  Suddenly the issues they previously shoved aside became a public issue.  So yeah, we use fear and violence to achieve our goals.  But only because the humans have proven themselves incapable to listening to those they assume are their lesser.  We have to PROVE to them that we are their equal and worthy of their respect!  And if we have to fight against them to earn that respect, a respect based on fear and violence, then so be it.  There is no other option.  If their was... then why has it come to this?  If the humans were capable of listening, equality would have been achieved long before either of us were born."

Gricelda gives Kairi a wry grin

"You may hate it but you know that deep down that I'm right.  After all, if we didn't resort to violence during the Faunus Rights Revolution, we would be having this conversation in Menagerie, yes?"

Standing there listening Kairi for the first felt the cold around her as Gric went on. What fitting weather for such a cold subject she thought, eyeing the girl. She could clearly tell the girl believed in everything she said rather for the better or not. Kairi also notice a few things she said that sounded very different things than she had herself heard. Maybe a bit of fishing was needed to learn more about the White Fang.

"There's an old saying that I think fit that group very well. How did it go again." Said placing a finger to her own chin to think. "Oh! Those who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent revolution inevitable. Now you speak of Menagerie and I agreed at that time fighting were needed. But that's was us being forced and told where to live."

She remembers the story she used to hear from her grandparents about the story they heard from their parents from that time. How in comparison they live in a great time to be alive.

"By spilling blood all you doing is giving the humans more fuel that we are all just a bunch of a-animals!" She hated using that word like that. "There's also the matter of what the White Fang true goal is." Crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at the girl below her, she used her old acting skill to cause herself to appear serious, even a little intimidating even. "So is it true? Your real goal is the eradication of mankind?!" She asked without a hint of joking.

True this were little more than a rumor that Kairi had heard during her time traveling. A rumor so crazy she would have normally just forgot about it if it were not for the fact she had heard it in more than one Kingdom. Ever since the new leader took over years ago, she knew they went from peaceful protester to almost over night terrorist. They grew more bold and crazy with each passing year, but could they really be so bold to really wish for such an out come?

Gricelda eye's widen, then looks down with a hint of shame on her face.  It was true... that rumor of eradication or forcing the humans to live in Menagerie.  Her looks back to Crowley, speaking with uncertainty

"Well... most of us... I mean.... that what the leadership tells us.  Personally, I just want the human's respect.  I... don't really think it would come to that but... if there was no other way..."

Growls under her breath, then locks her eyes Crowley as she speaks more confidently "Yeah the White Fang would rather see all human either eliminated or removed but... honestly I just think that once the humans can learn to respect us as EQUALS then there wouldn't be any need for that.  If they can't... well then we have to do what we must."

She frowns wistfully, then asks:

"We are the victims of this Crowley, they were the ones started it!  We are spilling blood, our blood as well as their's, to get the message that we want the same treatment as they do!  We have waited for all this time but its clear that if don't act we will always be treated as second class!"

She hates having to defend herself like... she just wished that a fellow faunus could just... understand.  Everyone makes the White Fang out to be the bad guys, can she understand that they are fighting for the good of all faunus even if they are forced to take the unpleasant road?

Sighing to herself Kairi felt the tension leave her body as she watched Gric. You would think after hearing such a claim that her mind would be flooded with thoughts, but in truth she just felt tired. Taking a step forward Kairi would step to the side before flopping down next to Gricelda on the bench. Making sure to pull her long hair over the front of her shoulder to keep it out of the snow. She could tell this wasn't a subject that Gricelda like to talk about either.

"I-I don't fully disagree with you Gricelda!" She confessed leaning back and staring up at the sky overhead. "There have been times when I thought about it too, you know. About what it would be like if they wasn't here. Humans that is." Turning her head Kairi would look Gric in the eyes with a sad smile. "But then I think would that really be better? In order to beat them, to earn their respect we would have to become just like the people who have oppressive our kind. Become just like the monster that wanted us all locked up on some island because they didn't want to look at us."

Feeling the fire start to burn in her chest again Kairi grin once more before thumping her fist on her chest. "I'm a fighter deep down and I disagree with the White Fang actions. I don't want humans dead or below me. I want them on the same level as me that way they will have to look me in the eye and know we are the same." With a laugh Kairi would suddenly shoot up from the bench and stet in front of Gric. "Now I think that enough depressing talk for one day, don't you agree? I hate to keep fighting with the first friend I made at the academy. That is if you willing to be friend with a human lover like myself." She teased the girl lightly sticking her tongue out at her.

Gricelda frowns, she was not amused by Crowley playful antic.  At least she somewhat understood her.  Disappointing that she didn't wholly agree with her but at this point that was what was expected.  But to be called HER friend caught Gris off-guard.  What impression did she make to warrant that? After her initial surprise, Gricelda proceeds to respond tiredly

"Yeah... agreed.  But don't call me your friend, its clear that we are not.  While we share the some of the same values, we... just see the world differently..."

Gris tries to hid a smile breaking out as as the moment she said it, she realized it was both figurative and literal since she herself was colorblind.

"Khee... hrrm... so anyway, I dont think ourselves as friends.  We may not see eye to eye but we can least respect the other's views."

Gris starts getting up from her bench, speaking as she rises:

"Actually, I think this has been enough talking for one day.  I'm going to head to be dorm now."

Gricelda looks to Crowley, looking at her with little emotion in her gaze

"So... I wish you a good evening... and if we ever meet again, I'll be sure to let you know how I think of your music."

Stepping to the side Kairi smiled as she spotted just the hint of a smile upon the girl face. The words told Kairi that Gric was still indifferent, but her body language lets slip that it might not be all so bad. It's true the two did not see eye to eye on this subject. Then again Kairi were well used to being on the unpopular side of arguments.

"I never would had pegged you as a shy one, Gricy." She might be pushing it a little too much with the teasing. Especially with someone she wasn't a hundred percent sure was okay with them. Then again, she wasn't ever the type that knew when to stop when she was ahead. With a small jump Kairi would once again hang in the air over the snow before floating back giving the girl some room.

It seemed the two has hit their limits this day as Kairi didn't want to push anymore button than she already had. Placing a finger to her own chin, she smiled as she watches the wolf walk away from the corner of her eye.

"Please do. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it, good or bad.~" She said low, almost enticing. "And please try to overlook that awful stage name of mine." With that, she started to slowly float off to the side of the courtyard to the sidewalk that head back toward the academy landing pad.

(Exit)