Signs of Spring: Male Reade x Summer Rose x Raven Branwen

Chapter I: Catching Their Eye

It was the general consensus that springtime in Vale was the most beautiful season of the year. With the alluring scent of fragrant flowers and the gentle sound of songbirds pleasing to the ear. The vast array of gorgeous colors presented a feast to the eyes and the weather was always perfect, never too hot nor too cold. In fact, such was the beauty of Vale's spring that the Kingdom often saw a large influx of tourists during the season, all eager to witness for themselves the fabled beauty of the land. The scenery presented the perfect setting for a romantic getaway. Like the colorful flowers, many youths saw their relationships bloom during the season, while more experienced couples found time to rekindle their love on the rainier days. Indeed, spring was the most absolutely wonderful time of year.

For most of the citizens of Vale, spring was a time to relax and find peace in their normally hectic lives. However, for the students of Beacon Academy, spring time meant only one thing. The premiere Huntsman Academy held its second semester midterms towards the beginning of the month of March, meaning that instead of enjoying the pleasantness of the outdoors, the students would have their noses in books, trapped indoors as they prepared for their exams. It was not uncommon to find students sitting in the library till well after midnight, doing their best to cram the past three months of material into their heads. Many tried to find a balance between studying and enjoying the weather by going over their notes under shade of the trees. Not everyone had such a luxury however, such as (F/N) (L/N), whose allergies had always prevented him from enjoying the season.

(F/N) was the type of person who sank into the background, just another face in the crowd. He was well built, but that was to be expected of a huntsman in training. He was neither the best in his class, nor the worst, his grades falling comfortably in the passing range. His fighting skills were commendable, but nothing extraordinary. Some people might consider him attractive, others maybe not. Simply put, (F/N) was someone no one would bother to look twice at. There was just one thing, someone had looked twice at him. Two someone's in fact.

Team STRQ was the most popular team at Beacon Academy. Due largely to the success they had seen during their time at Beacon. One would also not be mistaken for assuming their status was due largely to their uncanny good looks. Tai Xiao Long and Qrow Branwen were the type of guys that girls would swoon over. Tai's smoldering grin and Qrow's devil-may-care attitude turned the female students' (and a handful of males') knees to jelly. Summer Rose and Raven Branwen were perhaps two of the most desired female students at Beacon, though more so the latter. That wasn't to say Summer Rose wasn't beautiful, both young women were attractive in their own respects. Summer was sweet and kind, her warm smile could brighten even the gloomiest of days. Summer was the type of person who was friends with everyone. She remembered everyone's name and everything about them. In contrast, Raven was cold and detached, her crimson eyes bored holes into one's very soul. Regardless, her distant attitude did little to stave off her constant horde of would-be suitors, each one determined to be the one to get close to her.

Still, there was more to these two than met the eye. Though it would be difficult to see at first glance, upon closer inspection, one might notice the two points that sat atop their heads, obscured by Summer's cloak and Raven's long hair. Both had extremely acute senses of smell and they shared a certain penchant for rare meat. When saddened, Summer might release a small whimper, and Raven a snarl when agitated. Despite their personalities being completely opposite, the two women both happened to be Faunus, Wolf Faunus to be precise. Still, they both had unique species traits. While Summer had a short bushy tail, often obscured by her cloak, Raven instead possessed a sharp set of claws and teeth, both of which came in handy when in a fight. It was ironic really; even when they managed to find some common ground the universe refused to allow them to be too similar. They did both posses a set of wolf ears though, so they did have one thing in common. Well, two things.