"I just wanted to make sure you were teasing is all. Sometimes I have the habit of taking things to literally," Areku admitted with a light shrug of his shoulders. He wasn't ashamed of that personality quirk of his.

Naruto nodded, making an understanding sound in his throat. "Yeah, I get it." He said, letting the matter drop.

Just then, Hikari came out of the bathroom, all dressed and going at her hair with a towel. "Bathroom's free." She said brightly, as if the shower had improved her mood greatly.

"I'll go next, if that's okay with you Ark?" she asked before getting a nod from the male in question. She was glad to see that Hikari was feeling better now that she had a shower. "Hikari...about earlier...I'm sorry. I didn't realize how much you hated that name," she said before heading into the bathroom with a change of clothes and a towel.

Hikari looked sheepish, but nodded. "It's okay. I overreacted." She replied, watching the other girl go into the bathroom.

"So...why do you hate that name Hikari-chan? Naruto asked, completely curious. He had a feeling that she wouldn't tell them, especially if she didn't tell Ark, but he figured that it didn't hurt to ask.

'I wonder why he has the same eyes that I do...' Amaya thought to herself as she waited for the water to come to the correct temperature. She had seen the anger hidden within his eyes, as well as the supreme loneliness when she first met him. It was better now, but it was still there. 'Plus...what are these feelings I have for him? He's just a friend...right? she mentally asked herself before heading into the shower.

((Ooh, drama!))

Hikari looked at the Faunice for a moment, then shook her head. "Please don't ask me, Naruto-san. It's not something I wish to talk about." She said, pain flashing through her eyes and making her voice hard.

Naruto opened his mouth to protest, but decided against it. He recognized all to well the pain that was held in her words. He would never force something like that. "Okay. I won't ask again." He promised.

(That's the plan, which was why I asked if we were doing Areku with Hikari and Amaya or just Hikari/Areku. But since we're doing Hikari/Areku (at least originally) then I don't see why we can't have Amaya still have feelings for Areku)

'It seems as if we all have some sort of trauma in the past...' Areku thought silently as he watched Naruto agree. He, himself, didn't understand why she hated being cqalled that, but knew that it was a taboo to be around.

Ruby sighed lightly as she got up out of her bed. Sure she had Blake and her sister in her corner, but she just knew that Weiss was waiting for her to screw up or something. Plus...she didn't feel like she deserved the title of leader. Sure she had a plan and all when it came to fighting that Grimm in the Emerald Forest but...

In the silence that followed, Hikari felt supremely awkward. Clearing her throat, she looked around, trying tot hink of something to say. She came up with nothing.

Aware of the awkwardness, Naruto fidgeted a little. "So, uh...nice weather, huh?" He asked, knowing hoe pathetic it sounded. He was just desperate to break the silence.

"That was terrible Naruto," Areku said with a light chuckle. "What do you two say to this? I'll stay here and wait for Maya-chan while you go ahead and get some breakfast. We'll join you when we can, alright?" he asked, wondering if Hikari and Naruto would agree with that.

Amaya finished her shower and stepped out of if, drying herself off in the process.

Hikari hesitated. She didn't want to split up, especially with all the whispers she knew she was about to hear. But she refused to be a baby about it. "O-okay. We'll go." She said.

Naruto nodded. "Yeah, we'll go and get some seats for all of us." He said brightly, trying to lighten Kari's mood. He knew what she was worried about, but he wouldn't let it get to her.

Amaya finished drying herself off, using a separate towel to take care of her hair. Once she was finished, she put everything into the hamper and put the clothes on before stepping outside and noticed Naruto and Hikari missing."Where did Hikari-chan and Naruto-san go Ark-kun?" she asked out of curiosity.

"I suggested that they go ahead and get some breakfast. They said they would save us a couple of seats."

(Naruto finding a seat next to Blake?)

((That works.))

Naruto stayed close to Hikari as they walked, keeping up a steady stream of chatter to keep her distracted from the stares and whispers. By the time they got to the cafeteria, he even had her laughing. "...And that's why I don't like monkeys." He finished, laughing a bit himself. He spotted Blake across the room and waved. "C'mon, let's go sit over there!"

Hikari was glad for the distraction Naruto provided. Being around him was so easy, like talking to a sibling or a lifelong friend. She was still laughing at his monkey story when he dragged her towards the table where Blake was seated. There were enough seats for all of them, so it was okay to sit there. "Um...hi." She said hesitantly, sitting down across the table from Naruto- who was sitting next to Blake. She would have to tease him about that later.

Blake had saw Hikari and Naruto coming into the cafeteria and waved towards them, both looking a bit loss. Though it seemed as if Naruto was distracting the leader of his team by his endless chatter. She knew what it was like to be on the receiving side of glances and hushed whispers like the ones that were being issued now, but she didn't pay them any mind. Seeing Naruto sitting down next to her, she had a light blush on her face, a fact that Yang would probably tease her about later.

"I see...well then, let's get going Ark-kun," she said as her stomach started growling, causing the girl to blush uncontrollably in embarrassment, it only growing worse at Areku started to laugh. This caused the girl to grab his wrist and drag him out of the room and towards the cafeteria.

"So, how are you guys? Did you settle into your room okay?" Naruto asked conversationally. He was just that way, that he would strike up a friendly conversation the second he looked at someone.

Hikari tilted her head and watched Naruto talk. Somehow, she got the feeling that he really liked Blake. She would have to tease him about that later, she thought. Especially when she saw Blake blush.

Blake nodded to that question, surprised as to how quickly he asked that type of question. "We did, thank you. What about you two? Were you and your teammates able to sleep alright?" she asked, not wanting to bring up the incident that Hikari created earlier that day before Ark took her out of the area.

Areku and Amaya appeared in the cafeteria soon after. Areku felt all eyes on him, but shrugged it off lightly. He had a feeling that they were talking about him just easily giving up a spot as a leader here in Beacon Academy. Honestly, he didn't care about it all.

Naruto nodded, glad for all of them that she had avoided mentioning Hikari's outburst. "Yeah, we all slept pretty well. 'Course, it's hard not to after fighting for your life, right?" He asked, rubbing the back of his head.

Hikari looked down at her hands, clasped together on her lap. She was grateful that Blake was being nice, though she wondered how long it would be before someone asked her about it. Seeing Ark and Amaya enter the room, she waved them over.

Ark noticed Hikari waving them over and nodded towards her, dragging the other female of their team with him. He was glad to see that she hadn't been asked about the incident from yesterday, but could read from her body tone that she was prepared for someone to ask eventually.

Hikari gave a tight smile as the rest of her team sat down with them. "Hi." She said quietly. She was uncomfortable in such a crowded place.

Even Naruto sensed the tension. "Uh...so...what are they serving for breakfast?" He asked loudly, desperately trying to mend the awkwardness.

(have Weiss make a scene or one of the idiots from CRDL?)

((Um...sure. ^.^))

"It's a small buffet. They have a little bit of everything. Though how Ruby got cookies for breakfast, I'll never know," the cat faunice replied to Naruto's question, though she too could sense the tension in the air. She just hoped that no one decided to forget their brains and demand an explanation from the leader of their team.

Naruto glanced at the red-cloaked girl and saw that she did, in fact, have cookies. "Well I'll be." He said, dumbfounded. Shaking his head, he stood up to go and get himself something to eat.

Hikari decided at the same time to stand up, thinking that if she went with someone it would be safer.

((...um...Wolfie has nothing. Not a clue...))

(We could have one of the members of CRNL confront Hikari, or someone could try bullying Naruto since he's a Faunice and starting a scene like that...)

((Yeah Wolfie gets that part, she just has no clue how to set it in motion. Writer's block, of a sort...))

(ah, I see.)

"Hey, isn't that that Starr girl?" Russel asked as he pointed to the girl that was with the fox freak.