Chapter 1: What is so alluring?

Qrow slouched at the bar. His glass empty on the polished mahogany counter, ice cubes still in the pint glass. His head felt heavy and clouded. At least he could accomplish at least on one thing. He could feel the alcohol starting to kick in now. The pub had slowly started to simmer down after three am. The usual snooker and dart players, had packed their pool ques and darts, and trudged back home to their mundane lives. Though to him the noise never stopped. Every minuscule sound felt like the drummer from a parade was mistaking his ear drum for an actual drum. Why does he do this to himself? Oh right…

"Same again." He slid the pint glass over the polished counter, he himself still slouched over the counter. The glass slipping off the other side only for the bartender to try and catch it, but then it slipped out of his hand and smashed into a thousand pieces onto the floor. Qrow could practically hear the bartender's eyes rolling. Qrow knew the line coming next.

"I think you've had a bit too much, sir." Both a question and a polite way of saying 'my shifts over, get out so I can lock up'.

"Fine, fill this flask up." Qrow reached into the pocket in his cloak and pulled out his signature flask. Without another question the bartender filled up the flask and abruptly walked around the counter to give it to him and 'kindly' escort him out of the pub. The man handed him his flask back and looked him.

"You know drinking doesn't solve your problems" The man sighed, opening the door for Qrow as he stumbled out of it. He then stopped and turned after regaining his balance. His eyes now showing that of an unreadable emotion.

"Yeah, but it makes it a heck of a lot easier to shortly forget them."

"Qrow?" A muffled voice echoed through his mind.

"Qrow!" Next thing he knew he was on the floor. His beds mattress tipped up and his bed frame out of place. He caught sight of the boots and knew exactly who it was. "Brother, it is time to wake up." Her tone the usual edgy, commanding tone. He stood up the makeshift carpet of his tent, squishing beneath his feet. The loose strands ebony black fabrics fluttering in the wind. The now open door letting all the cold yet fresh morning air into the small tent.

"What is it Raven?" Qrow stretched and yawned. His eyes still trying to drag him to sleep. Nope Raven never visited you if it wasn't important. There she stood, her long feather like hair running midway down her back, her dust katana in its sheath at her side. Her attire that of the eerie tribe the called family. Her forearms, with dragon scale gauntlets. The same type of metal made up the armour around her torso. Her shoulders, upper arms and her thighs covered in thick, (yet light weight) black iron.

"Today is the day we sign up for the academy, remember." Her furrowed eyebrows hinting at the correct answer. Oh he remembered, completely, just she said she wanted nothing to do with it.

"Though you said you wanted nothing to do with it?" Qrow dared to answer her back. Not many people lived to tell the tale if they even came across the thought of it.

"Well I want to see what has my brother so, allured to try and be a 'better man' as you put it. Though with the amount of people you've killed I find it hard to believe that you'll be accepted in." Raven smirked.

"Is that emotion on your face?" Qrow both avoiding the question and any moment a sibling gets to annoy their sister, is a golden time, especially for Qrow and Raven. Ravens face went back to its usual monotonous emotion and motioned her brother to get out of the tent. "Hey! I've got to get ready first. Big first day n all." She rolled her eyes and waited outside the black fabric tent.

Raven picked at the grass. It wasn't the fact that she'd be losing a soldier and her best at that. But… she was losing her brother, her only real friend, her advisor. She wanted to accompany him to try and put him off of going, but from their talk last night, she knew when he wanted to do something he wouldn't stop until he got a result or a definite answer. Anyway, weren't sibling supposed to want to make the other happy, and making them happy would make you feel at least a little better about yourself. But why'd she feel she wanted to stop him and (as much as she hated the word) plead that he stay. She was weak, she is weak. Not able to function without her brother. She heard the fabric rustle behind her, then proceeded to stand up. Qrow walked out in his usual meeting attire. A white waist coat with white sleeves going down to his elbows, with formal black trousers and polished black shoes. With his handcrafted 'broadsword' strapped to his side.

"Thought you said you were getting ready?" Raven looked him up and down, in a mocking, sibling, kind of way. "Wait, is that." She pulled at what she saw flowing behind him. "… A cape?" she raised an eye brow.

"Well spotted, picked it up when we were last in town." Qrow shrugged, and before raven could add her snide remarks. "And no, it was all bought and paid for." Raven rolled her red eyes and motioned him to walk with her.

After about, forty five minutes in, well it wasn't awkward silence, but it certainly wasn't comfortable. The dirt path now starting to form that of a road. Their shoes echoing through the forest, along with the chirps of small birds and the usual squawk of either a crow or raven, neither he tried to differentiate as they were walking side by side. Qrow, finally, spoke up to issue that was on ravens mind.

"Raven, look, I know why you're really walking with me to sign up to beacon academy." Raven tried not to show any emotions as they traipsed through the woodland. "I know I'm the only one who you can tolerate, but I want to do this. I need to do this." Raven kept upright yet she tightened her muscles and stood up ever so slightly straighter.

"That obvious huh?"

"No I just know you too well." Qrow answered. Her face as stoic as always. And then that was the conversation, done. Yep. That's the twins, say what they think and then no further. Great…

The Branwen twins walked to the Airship station. There were only a handful of people, those who were selected. Yeah, Qrow wasn't selected, yet. But he would be. Hopefully… But those were the small details! In the midst of his thoughts the white Airship made its way into the docking station, hissing as it landed for refuelling. The logo of Beacon Academy plastered onto the side, an image of twin battle axes crossed over with a kotinos wreath below them. Everyone started hugging their families and speaking of their arrangements of when to contact them. A majority of the mothers, tearing up. The fathers looking at their child, proud. Siblings running and around without a care in their own little peaceful world. All they had were each other. Qrow wanted to just get on that Airship and be whisked away to Beacon. But he couldn't move. All this build up and he was about to freeze, he'd have to wait ages this this chance came up again but then where would the tribe be… they wouldn't be as close to Beacon as they are now. And he certainly wasn't going to Atlas's academy.

"Last time! All Beacon Academy students please make your way over here!" The conductor bellowed.

"QROW!" Raven shoved him. Her eyes a mix of confusion and annoyance. "You want to do this right?!"

"Yeah!" Qrow retorted.

"WELL GET YOUR ASS IN THAT THING!" Raven scowled at him.

"Easier said than done!" Qrow barely had any time to think before he was being dragged by Raven to the Airship. The conductor caught eye of us and started to make his way over to them. Raven slung him forward.

"Ah, Papers please!" The chirpy conductor smiled warmly. Wait, papers? What papers?

"Here." Raven handed two sheets over. Her face a disconcerted look. The conductor held his glasses firmly onto his head.

"Ah, Miss Raven Branwen and Master Qrow Branwen." He looked at his clipboard. "Funny, no Branwens on here."

"We couldn't post them before the deadline. Postal strike." Raven smirked slightly. To Qrow it was a smirk, to others her face wouldn't have changed in the slightest.

"Of course, completely forgot about that. Pain in the buttocks when that happens. Go on in." he smiled and held the door for them. Qrow, regaining his composure, smiled and nodded in thanks. As the door closed he dragged Raven to the most secluded part of the Ship. Walking past the interior it all looked white with jade green cushions. Future 'classmates' greeting one another for the first time, some just sat on their own watching the ground race beneath them. She shrugged him off and spun to face him, her face illegible.

"What. The. Heck?" Qrow asked her.

"I did say, I wanted to see what has you so allured to this place." Qrow's mouth dropped.

"But. I thought. I didn't think you mean literally." He whispered in annoyance, staring directly at her.

"Well, you wouldn't be here if it was not for me. When you said you wanted to attend this place I found two blank forms." Raven mimicked his whispered tone. "So, I'm just curious, don't expect me to be here more than a couple of weeks." She started back at him. Both their red eyes staring back at one another. Qrow lowered his gaze and rolled his eyes.

"Fine." Qrow begrudgingly sighed. They then scanned the Airship, the people who occupied it were still either looking out of the windows or socialising with one another. Qrow chose the former. He gazed out the window but with his 'luck' he saw the tribe's campsite. Surrounded by the green leafs of the summers trees. People switching guard shifts and sparring with one another. Ever since they were brought there, he felt uncomfortable with their 'methods' and 'views' of Remnant. Raven followed his gaze, looked over to her brother's resentful gaze at the tribe and went to sit in one of the chairs. The camp drifted out of sight and Qrow went and stood propped against the wall next to his sister.

"NEXT STOP, BEACON ACADEMY, VALE" the voice blared over the radio. Only seconds after a hologram appeared. A man with silver hair, and a green suit, the same green as the interior as the Ship. Only his upper body was shown but from what they could see, he was dressed professionally and proper.

"Hello."

"Who is that?" Raven sneered. Qrow shrugged.

"My name is professor Ozpin."

"Oh." Raven answered.

"As some of you may have heard I'm the Head Master of the Academy. Once you have disembarked from this Airship, you will be on a journey that will change both your lives and those around you. Those who care for you. Those you care for. The life of a hunter and huntress are not easy. You will have the burden of innocent people depending on your efforts for their survival. But that is why you are here to do best by those people." The surroundings outside of the airship started to become more urban, more socialised and structured. People gathered to the windows, pushing to get their first look at the esteemed school. Both the twins focused on the hologram. The hologram of Professor Ozpin smiled.

"I welcome you, to Beacon Academy."

Ok here's my first attempt at a RWBY Fan-Fic, I think I have done a decent job. Meh I guess. Then again confidence isn't my strong suit. As you couldn't tell, this is a Team STRQ fan fic. This story will be mainly about the team and their dynamics. Yes there will be 'romance' but not forced or random, I'll try and make it as believable as I can. There are NOT MANY (not meaning none at all) of them I see about that follow them throughout their time at Beacon, usually skipping a year or something. The story will try and follow the show but at this time volume 4 episode 8 is out, so if anything happens then I'll find a way to fix it.
Also I would love feedback, just politely saying what I could do to improve/ what's good about the story or whether I should continue it at all, helps a bunch :). I will always try to make a chapter 2000 words but if the story needs it to be shorter or longer, then it happens, I guess.

There will be no OC's in this story that contribute in any form to the main plot. Maybe at something like the Vytal tournament (I don't remember how it's spelt, think I'm right.) and classroom situation etc. The obvious parts where they're required. Any story suggestions are more than welcome, though please note if I can't see them fitting into the story I won't add them, but will definitely take them on board! XP. Yeah there may be some small slice of life chapters to give the story a break when its needed, so I will need BELIEVABLE Slice of life's (I.E. not dramatic where someone dies or has random kid who pops out of nowhere etc.)

Also I will try to update this story regularly (probably once a week), but I am currently at college and assignments are building up. But this gives me a good break and it helps how I structure sentences and all that literature jazz n 'awesomeness'. –sigh- who says awesomeness now? It's not Disney from 2005.

This will be posted on both and both under the title. "A STRQ Contrast". –Wink- eh, eh…

ANYWAY ENOUGH RAMBLING…

THANKS SO MUCH FOR READING! HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT! :D

SEE YOU NEXT CHAPTER, hopefully ;)