Part 2: The First Step

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The trio walked into the amphitheater. The room was already filled to the brim with new students. Thankfully, the Headmaster hadn't taken to the stage to speak yet.

"Ruby, over here! I saved you a spot!" a blonde haired girl shouted from the middle of the crowd

"Oh! Hey, I-I gotta go! I'll see you after the ceremony!" Ruby left her new friends to join the blonde.

"Hey, wait!" Jaune sighed as she left, "Ah, great. Where am I supposed to find another nice, quirky girl to talk to?"

"Relax Jaune, there are plenty of fish in the sea," V consoled him, clapping his shoulder before walking off into the crowd himself.

V made his way to the opposite side of the amphitheater, sitting down and opening his book again. As he read, he noticed someone sit down next to him. V didn't think much of it and simply continued to read. However, his brief moment of peace was cut off by a man clearing his throat. He looked up to see Ozpin, in front of the microphone.

"I'll... keep this brief. You have traveled here today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills, and when you have finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people. But I look amongst you, and all I see is wasted energy, in need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at this school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far. It is up to you to take the first step."

After a woman named Glynda Goodwitch directed them to go to the ballroom for sleeping arrangements, V stood up and closed his book. He finally glanced over to his reading companion and found a girl dressed in black and white with a black bow on her head, her yellow eyes scanning a book she held in her hands. Rather than disturb her own reading, he simply turned to follow the crowd being shepherded outside.

He didn't turn around, but if he had, he would have seen the girl looking after his retreating figure.

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V walked into the hall after getting changed into some nightwear. He had a pair of black and grey flannel pants with a sleeveless black shirt on. Rather than go directly to his sleeping mat, he instead sat at the edge of the room and began to read again. Soon after, he found the girl from before sitting next to him as well.

"I don't often find people who like literature as much as I do," V commented, finally breaking the small silence between them. The girl simply remained quiet.

"My name is V," he tried again, "And you are?"

"Blake."

The two went back to silence.

"What book are you reading?"

"It's about a man who has two souls, each fighting for control of his own body."

"Classic trope. Jekyll and Hyde, perhaps. Or maybe The Host?"

"You certainly know a lot about books. What are you reading?"

V gave a small smile as he turned over to the cover of the book which contained the same letter he used as a name, "Just a collection of poetry is all. My father gave it to me soon after I learned to read."

"Maybe sometime you could give me more recommendations for books," he turned to his reading partner.

"Maybe," Blake said fairly blankly, but her small smile betrayed her emotions. V would have kept talking, but something caught his attention.

I swear I just saw that bow twitch.

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(Meanwhile)

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