[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

[SharkCultist]

Ruby had seen monsters in her life, vicious creatures with claws and fangs.

She'd seen evil in her life, from petty selfishness, to people who just wanted to cause pain for the sake of pain.

But what she was looking at right now?

Was a fucking abomination.

It was some new form of Grimm. With thick powerful legs and a large body that looked like it would easily shrug off most bladed weaponry and bullets.

Unfortunately they weren't able to test that. Because the bastard had human children as a shield.

It stared at Ruby with its disgusting bulbous eyes and too large grin.

And then it fucking spoke.

"Well hi there miss! Do you wanna come play with Mr.Hugs?"

Brothers she was tempted to just say to hell with it and start swinging anyway.

And she might have. If her fucking back up wasn't also hugging the fucking thing!

Just because it doesn't have claws or fangs doesn't make it harmless! It's evil! E V I L!

And so Ruby had a borderline breakdown while Mr.Hugs completed it's evil mission.

Annoying the shit out of her and Ozpin.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

It was probably not the best idea. No, strike that, it was a terrible idea.

A game night with both RWBY and JNPR? With alcohol Yang snuck in? Terrible.

Jaune's seven sisters had given him an insight and wisdom that told him the truth. An eternal truth.

This could only end one way: Truth or dare. Via Spin the bottle.

And there sat Jaune, looking nervous as hell while the bottle spun in the middle. Yang was grinning evilly.

"Round and round it goes~!"

"I still can't believe you dragged me into this," Weiss muttered.

"I can't believe you won't let me play!" Ruby pouted from the bed, still slogging through her game.

"Big sister veto, deal with it," Yang stated. The bottle came to a stop... On Jaune. The blond felt several predatory eyes on him. Mainly Yang, enhanced with her shit-eating grin.

"Oho~! Vomit Boy is our first victim! So, truth or dare?"

"Dare," Jaune stated instantly. Yang raised her eyebrows and Jaune shrugged.

"Easier to get it out of the way."

"Oho?" Yang grinned. "All right then... I dare you to kiss-"

"Not me!" Weiss cried.

Jaune winced. Weiss looked a bit taken aback, but still adamant. Geez, he said he was sorry.

"Fine, fine," Yang pouted. She scanned around. Pyrrha went bright red for some reason-Was kissing him that bad? He didn't think so but still. At least Ruby wasn't here, that would make things incredibly awkward.

Blake just stared at him intensely, like a cat peeking out of a closet. He couldn't figure out what she was thinking.

At last, Yang smirked.

"Kiss Ren!"

Nora beamed, and then held up Magnhild.

"Try it and die, Yang-Yang," Nora said cheerfully as Ren flushed. Yang coughed.

"Er, um, well..."

Jaune rolled his eyes.

"Nora, Ren, this is totally platonic," he said. He then leaned over and pecked Ren on the cheek. He pulled back and sat back down. Ren blinked. Pyrrha was strangely tense. Nora hummed and nodded in approval.

"That's acceptable, Fearless Leader!"

Yang scoffed.

"Come on, that's not a kiss!"

"You didn't specify," Jaune replied, flushing a bit but holding his ground.

"He's Gallian anyway, so kissing on the cheeks is normal for him," Ruby pointed out.

"Yeah, pretty much," Jaune shrugged, "Everyone in Radian kissed cheeks. Men, women, girls, boys."

"Well then that doesn't count!" Yang declared. "You have to kiss someone for real!"

Jaune blushed heavily.

"Er, um, wait-"

Yang grinned.

"I know~," she said in a sing song voice. She got on all fours and crawled towards him-Which was, if he was honest, an awesome view. She crawled up into his lap with a giggle and set herself down.

"Ah, Yang-" Jaune stuttered. He could smell the wine on her breath-Geez, she was a lightweight?! But he also smelled her. Felt her.

Which is when she kissed him. Her lips pressed against his and all thought just vanished from his mind.

It was like the universe was suddenly reduced to just him and Yang. Her soft, warm lips. Her tongue. Her electrifying skin... Their tongues entwined and he wrapped his arms around her waist. She wrapped her arms around his shoulders, the kiss deepened and-

"Th-That's enough!" Ruby shouted, red faced, as she pulled Yang's shoulders to get her off Jaune's lap. Pyrrha took hold of Jaune's shoulders and pulled him away.

"Y-Yes, the dare is complete now!" Pyrrha said with a high-pitched voice. Jaune shook his head and got his senses back. Yang, bright red, was suddenly not looking his way.

"Aw, but that was fun to watch!" Nora complained. Blake slowly nodded.

"Indeed," she said, sounding just a tiny bit smug.

Weiss's entire body seemed to burn bright red.

"You-That was-So lewd-!" She kept sputtering like a car that needed an oil change.

"OKAY! JAUNE-JAUNE'S TURN!" Nora cheered. "Come on, give it a spin!"

"Uh... Um, y-yeah," Jaune managed. He took hold of the bottle and waited for everyone to sit down before he spun it... Studiously not looking Yang's way. All the while, Yang watched with a bright red face, even though she tried to hide it with her hair.

The rest of the night was a lot less exciting, thankfully. But it was impossible for Jaune to not touch his lips on occassion.

And equally impossible to miss that Yang did the same thing.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

It might be funny if they keep trying to pretend they're not involved after they get together, and unfortunately nobody believes that Cardin is actually bullying Velvet anymore.

Jaune: "I mean, you've got hickeys."

Cardin: "M-Mosquito bites!"

Jaune: "Through your Aura?"

Cardin: "Y-Yeah! Grimm Mosquitos!"

Nora: "The fact you keep going out on dates?"

Velvet: "N-No! Those aren't dates! He's uh... He's just taking me out to apologize! For being a jerk!"

Jaune: "Why are you lying? It's obvious!"

Cardin: "N-NO! I'M A RACIST BULLY AND I DON'T LIKE HER AT ALL!"

Velvet: "Y-YEAH! HE'S STILL A TOTAL JERK AND I DON'T LIKE HIM AT ALL!"

Coco: "Velvet, everyone knows you two are banging."

Velvet: bright red "E-Everyone?!"

Cardin: "EVERYONE?!"

Yang: "Everyone in the dorms heard you two banging! INCLUDING RUBY!" glares "You perverts! Stop corrupting my baby sis!"

Ruby: "YAAANG! I know what sex is!" blush "Though um, Cardin and Velvet definitely made it a lot more clear-"

Yang: "YOU FREAKING EXHIBITIONISTS!"

Weiss: "Y-You're so lewd! Stop denying it!"

Blake: Is busy writing a massive epic about a racist human master becoming kind and warm to his submissive rabbit Faunus slave girl... While her nose bleeds...

 

[AndrewJTalon]

I got this very interesting idea from a guest poster over on Ao3, so here it is:

Cardin' struggles with his Semblance called "Empathy" that allows him to void the pain and emotions of others by taking them on himself through touch. Dove broke his leg and freaking out? Cardin can numb his pain while he fireman carries his teammate to safety even as his own perfectly healthy limb groans in discomfort! He can't heal people, but he can take away their pain or keep them from panicking.

The problem really starts when he goes to the local hospital to visit his Nana, only to overhear a sobbing couple whose kid won't make it through the night and don't know what to do.

So Cardin offers them the chance to take away the pain and allow their kid one more night filled with bedtime stories and silly games free from pain with Mommy and Daddy before she drifts to sleep one last time...

Cardin spends the next day in Beacon's combat room trying to forget how it feels to die scared and all alone.

Eventually other parents with terminal kids find out...and Cardin?

...Cardin just doesn't have it in his heart to say no.

Not without remembering that first night of panic and dread and realizing what saying no would do to those kids. Because what kind of manly, heroic Hunstman would give up on them?

So everyday Cardin ends up leaving the hospital a little more angry, a little more absentminded, and a little more scared cuz he doesn't know how to process it.

Eventually it gets so bad that Blake chews Cardin out for accidentally knocking her over in the halls before Cardin loses it and trashes her stuff before leaving.

Dove and Sky finally accept that something isn't right with their friend and call in the "big gun" to help him out.

Cue Velvet finally putting her foot down with her boyfriend who unsuccessfully tries to shrug her off, and pinning him down in the arena until he comes clean with his problem.

Eventually, Cardin goes from feeling frustrated, to angry, to finally feeling lost before he can't hold hold it in any more and confesses, weeping tears and all. Feels so ashamed he isn't strong enough to help the kids with their burdens or strong enough to say no, only for Velvet to hug and comfort him back, holding him.

Fic ends with Cardin going a clinic for therapy and nearly chickening out before he feels Velvet holding his hand and the loving encouragement/support she sends him. Proceeds to take one last breather before getting some well-earned help.

Click to shrink...

What do you think?

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Been working with an AI on some brainstorming. It gave me this for the Quitalan Empire (Which would have been the equivalent of the Romans in Remnant):

The Quitalan Empire began as a city-state on the continent of Sanus, formed by various tribes united for mutual defense against the Grimm. It evolved from a republic into an empire, expanding through conquest, diplomacy, and the establishment of a centralized power structure.

Expansion and Military:

• Legions and Early Huntsmen: The Quitalan military was known as the Legions, with an elite cohort of Huntsmen and Huntresses, the Praetorian Guard, who were skilled in Aura techniques but did not have the advantage of Dust. Their combat methods would focus on tactics, strategy, and the use of Aura for defense and offense against both human foes and Grimm.
• Fortifications and Roads: Without the benefit of Dust, their expansion relied heavily on their ability to construct defensible positions and safe routes, like the famous Quitalan Walls and roads, to facilitate travel and trade while minimizing Grimm encounters.
• Naval Strength: Their navy was crucial for coastal defense, but without Dust, their ships would be more traditionally built, relying on speed, ramming tactics, and boarding actions to fend off sea Grimm and rival navies.

Governance and Society:

• Aura Utilization: Aura would have been a significant aspect of Quitalan life, integrated into governance, sports, and daily activities. Training in Aura might have been widespread, with special academies for those with strong natural talents to become Huntsmen.
• Legal System: Their legal systems would have addressed matters related to Aura misuse or the handling of Grimm threats, without reference to Dust.
• Cultural Assimilation: As the Empire grew, it assimilated various cultures, adapting their religions, myths, and Grimm-fighting techniques into its own. This cultural amalgamation would strengthen the Empire's resilience against Grimm through diversity in tactics.

Infrastructure Against Grimm:

• Coliseums: Beyond entertainment, these could serve as training grounds for combat against Grimm, where citizens could learn to fight or watch Huntsmen demonstrate techniques, turning public spectacle into practical education.
• Aqueducts and Water Management: Water was a deterrent for many types of Grimm, so aqueducts would not only supply cities with water but also create barriers or traps against Grimm.
• Lighthouses and Signal Towers: These structures would also serve as watchtowers for Grimm sightings, allowing the Empire to mobilize defenses quickly.

Decline and Fall:

• Defensive Overreach: The Empire would have reached its limits in controlling vast territories without Dust, leading to vulnerabilities where Grimm could exploit weak spots in their defenses.
• Internal Decay: Similar to historical Rome, decline could come from within due to political corruption, economic troubles, or a breakdown in the societal structures that maintained their defenses against Grimm.
• Natural Disasters and Grimm: Without Dust or advanced technology to manipulate the environment, the Quitalan Empire would be more susceptible to natural disasters, which could also trigger Grimm outbreaks due to the resulting fear and negative emotions.
• Barbarian Invasions: Tribal groups or rival nations outside the Empire's direct influence might have developed their own anti-Grimm tactics, which could prove effective against the Legion's Aura-based strategies.

Legacy:

• Cultural and Technological Contributions: The Quitalan Empire would leave behind a legacy of advanced architecture designed to withstand or deter Grimm, legal systems that influenced future governance, and a cultural blend that would influence art, literature, and religion across Remnant. Their methods of dealing with Dust and Aura might have laid the groundwork for later Huntsmen academies.
• Ruins: Ruins of Quitalan cities, roads, and forts would be scattered across Sanus, some still functioning as defenses against Grimm or repurposed by later inhabitants, while others stand as haunted reminders of the past.
• Myths and Legends: The heroic deeds of Quitalan Huntsmen and leaders would become legends, with stories of their battles against monumental Grimm woven into the cultural fabric of Remnant, inspiring future generations.
• Breakdown into Smaller Kingdoms: Post-Empire, the provinces of Quitalan would have fragmented into smaller kingdoms and city-states, each potentially maintaining elements of the Quitalan military and cultural practices, adapted to local conditions.
• The Arc and Other Noble Lines: Families like the Arcs might trace their prestigious origins back to the Quitalan era, with their ancestors perhaps being notable Huntsmen or political figures during the Empire's height.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Spoiler

[/s

Courtesy of RxgueSensei on X, here are Nick and Isabel Arc.

 

[Eclipse Staro]

RWBY and Nier: Automata crossover.

A bit rush and I did take some from other fics to make this.

=====

He remembered.

He remembered falling.

Jaune remembered as he and Winter trying to escape to the portal. He tried to jump into the portal as the path was disappearing but he wasn't strong enough and instead fall down into the void.

He woke up at a forest. For days, he ate what he could found there. Deer, wild fruits and fish. It wasn't until an old human couple who seems to be animal hunters found him and decided to help him. They took him to their home, let him bath and gave him clothes.

It took some time, but he was finally able to communicate with them through one of the main language of the new world, English.

Through them, he discovered the name of this new world, Earth. A strange name, why would the human here named their world after a dirt though it would be a bit hypocrite of him since his world was named Remnant. He learned more about Earth. There was no faunus or dust here. Instead there was only human and mankind have evolved differently here. Oil is used to fuel their transport. Nuclear weapon capable of mass destruction.

A year later and Jaune was now a farmer at the farm belonging to Jacob and Jane, the old couple that helped him. Days after, he heard the news of portals appearing at Japan, he felt hope rising inside him. Perhaps his friends finally found him?

But that hope quickly snuffed out as the news reported sighting of White Giant and Red Dragon coming out of the portals and fighting each other. It was a battle between titans, building fallings and people screaming all around the two. Eventually the giant fell and the dragon hovered triumphantly in the air, only to be shot a minute later by missiles from Japanese jet fighters.

From the sky and from the corpse of the white giant, rain came. Rain of white motes. It wasn't long before reports coming in of people turning into pile of white salt after getting in touch with the what is now called the White Maso. The scientists called this phenomena the White Chlorination Syndrome and from the looks of it, the WCS will be infecting all around the world.

It wasn't long before WCS hit the village where they lived. Jacob and Jane died from WCS. Both turned into pile of salt. The same goes for everyone else that lived there except him. He build two grave for the two near their favorite apple tree.

Jaune theorizes that his aura protected him from WCS or perhaps his body have higher resistant to White Maso.

With the old couple gone, he decided to leave the house to find others that may yet still survive the WCS. He took Crocea Mors with him. The rest of his personal item he decided to left behind inside a small vault in the house.

He traveled all around the continent. The phone he was given by Jacob prove to be useful with the World Map App. Sometimes he met people that need help from monster attacking their villages. Slowly, more people heard of him. A knight that fights monsters and protecting people.

Unfortunately, not all good people heard about him.

He was kidnapped and brought into a lab.

The scientists there experimented with him. They always inject him with some sort of serum before telling him to attack targets.

He did met some kids. Emil and Halua. Both are siblings. He managed to chat with them with what little time he had before experimented again.

They put him inside a chamber. Something was done and he could feel that his strength slowly weakening. He could no longer move.

He never did get to say goodbye.

=====​

He could hear alarms ringing all around him. How long has he been contained in here?

"WARNING: LOW POWER!"

A female robotic voice reached his ear.

"WARNING: LOW POWER!"

"WARNING: LOW POWER!"

'Come on, enough with the alarm already.' Jaune thought with a bit of irritation.

=====​

Computer

CAUTION: INSUFFICIENT POWER.
ACTION: REDIRECTING BACKUP POWER.
BACKUP POWER: FAIL.
ANALYZATION: OCCUPANT WILL DIE WITHOUT POWER.
ACTION: OVERRIDING MANUAL CONTROL.
ACTION: UNLOCKING SEAL.
ACTION: RELEASING OCCUPANT.

=====​

There was a sound of the chamber opening.

Jaune could feel it, his strength slowly returning to him, his senses gradually became less dull and his mind began to clear. After a few minutes, he began to walk out and checking rooms for information.

In another room, he saw a familiar sight on a table. There was Crocea Mors, rusty but still intact. With the weapon back with him, he walks to the entrance door and opens it. It was then he realized that the lab was built underground and he had to walk out.

As Jaune stepped outside, the blinding light enveloped him, momentarily disorienting him. Once his eyes adjusted, he found himself in a breathtaking scene that felt almost otherworldly.

The first thing that struck him was the overwhelming scent of earth and foliage. Sunlight filtered through a dense canopy of leaves, casting dappled shadows on the ground. It seems he has stepped into the edge of what appeared to be a forest, a vibrant tapestry of greens and browns that had reclaimed the remnants of civilization.

The air was fresh, filled with the sounds of rustling leaves and distant birdsong. Jaune took a cautious step forward, his senses awakening to the beauty around him. Vines draped over crumbling structures, and trees grew through the remnants of concrete, nature's tenacity evident in every inch of the landscape.

He felt a mix of awe and apprehension. How long had he been sealed? What had happened to the world while he was in stasis?

There was even a wild moose standing near the small waterfall, quenching its thirst from the source of water. Jaune suddenly felt thirsty.

It was also a little cold around here.

But that isn't the problem here.

"What had happened?! I swear there wasn't a forest here before!"

When Jaune was getting out from the lab, he wasn't expecting to be at a forest with trees bigger than the ones at Forever Fall or Emerald Forest.

It wasn't long before he met people. To be exact, a tall robot wearing a knight armor with spear. Too bad they weren't friendly because the moment they saw him, the yellow eyes turns red and

"TRESSPASSERS!" A tall robot points a spear at him. "FOR THE CRIMES OF TRESSPASSING INTO THE FOREST KINGDOM, YOUR PUNISHMENT IS DEATH!"

The tall robot then began to charge at him.

"FOR THE FOREST KING!"

He managed to dodge the spear that aimed at his body. The tall robot was no slouch and began attacking again.

He stab the robot right on its eye. It seems to work as the robot began to malfunction and falls down.

"F-FOR...GIVE...ME...MY...KING."

The robot eyes stops glowing and Jaune pulls back his sword.

He looks around and saw a road. He choose a direction and walks away.

....​

Eventually he arrived at what appears to be a ruined city. The buildings already worn out, most no longer have windows. Of course, that's also where he met another robot who wants to kill him.

"Kill." A small robot, its eyes a menacing blood red, says as it hops in his direction. It was then he notices it has a crudely made sword.

"Come on then."

His body was still weak, the fight with the tall robot left him exhausted but that didn't mean he is out of ways to win.

There was a bucket of oil and he used it on the head of the small robot.

"Can't see." The small robot states as it slashes blindly in the air. "Can't see."

Wasting no time, Jaune use his sword and slice the robot in half. Unfortunately, he was also bleeding from the injuries he got from the fight. He decided to rest at one of the building nearby.

[Time lapse]

He woke up to sound of people arguing. Females judging by the tone.

"...pretty sure there's nothing sis."

"...can't be, we heard the sound coming from here."

Peeking a bit, he saw two women looking around. But what made him watch was their hair.

Red hair. It reminded him of someone important. But he couldn't remember who. He decided to approach them.

"Hello?" He speak to the two.

The two turned to look at him.

"You are human." The female with the red straight hair was the first to speak. Her tone filled with hope yet there was fear in her voice.

"Yes." Jaune replied.

"What are you doing here?" The one with the red wavy hair asked. She speaks more confidently than the first one but there was fear when she speaks to him.

"I-"

"I don't know."

Perhaps they saw how he looks and decided to change the topic.

"I'm Popola and this is my sister Devola." The one with the red straight hair said.

"I'm Jaune Arc. Just call me Jaune."

He feels like there was another line he should add but he couldn't remember what.

"Well Jaune, do you require medical assistance?"

"I don't know?" He was healing thanks to Aura. Another minute or two more and his wound would no longer be there.

"I just woke up and everything is so different."

"Why don't you come with us?"

"Where to?"

"We have a camp not too far from here. We can check if you're healthy or not with our medical equipment there." Popola said.

"And let's get you some food as well." Devola said.

"Alright." He agreed.

Jaune followed them.

------​

 

[AndrewJTalon]

All right. Here is the revised Hot Springs chapter. What do you think?

All right. Here is the revised Hot Springs chapter. What do you think?

- - -

The sun was setting as the group of Hunters-in-Training made their way to the Arc Farmhouse. The wagon wheels creaking was the loudest sound as they went up the driveway. The front doors opened and Isabel Arc came out with a broad smile, looking fully rested, as the yard lights came on.

"Hey! How did... You... Do...?"

Jaune stepped out of the wagon, first, covered in blue feathers, grass and dirt. The rest of the teens looked similarly disheveled and exhausted-Save for Nora, who wore a crown of blue feathers around her head.

Isabel stared in silence for a moment before she slowly nodded.

"... Choux birds?" Isabel guessed, and even with her Semblance of Total Body Control, it was clear she was trying not to giggle.

"Yup," Jaune stated flatly.

Isabel sighed.

"Well, it could have been worse," she said. She beamed.

"And I think you've all earned a reward!"

"Do we get to fry the little bastards up with oil?" Neptune growled.

"No, but even better!" Isabel cheered. "Hot springs!"

"Hot springs?" Everyone not an Arc echoed in confusion.

- - -

Isabel got them a few piles of soap and towels and led them into the nearest stand of trees by the farmhouse. They walked down a dirty path lined with stone lanterns, which Isabel lit with a Fire Dust lighter as they passed each one.

They finally came to a small clearing where a small Fuujin-style building stood. It was boxy and made of dark wood timbers which framed white walls. The faint aroma of sulfur in hot water drifted over their noses.

"A bathhouse?" Neptune asked in immediate interest. Isabel nodded with a nostalgic smile on her face.

"Yes. This was my father Jonathan's wedding present to my mother, Elizabeth, when they built the farmhouse. The Arcs have a lot of relatives from Fuujin thanks to my great-grandfather Kiritsugu Arc. This is just one of many bathhouses they built across the valley thanks to the hot springs in the area."

"Wow," Ruby murmured, "I've only seen these in Mistralian animes!"

Yang opened her mouth but Isabel gave her a smile.

"It's all right. Your arm's waterproofing just had to set. You'll be alright."

"YEAH!" Nora cheered. "This'll be like that time we rested in those hot springs with those monkeys who used tools! Remember that, Renny?"

"Unfortunately," Ren deadpanned.

"Um," May flushed, "Will it... I mean... Will we all be... Uh...?"

Neptune was practically chomping at the bit. Cardin flushed and tried not to look Velvet's way. The rabbit Faunus also blushed but was smiling softly at her boyfriend. Arslan was glaring death at Neptune, while Yang moved closer to Ruby. Jaune was carefully covering his mouth with his hand and coughing.

"It's small but very comfortable," Isabel went on. She then gave Neptune a knowing look. "And segregated by sex."

"Wha-Oh," Neptune drooped in disappointment. Arslan held up a hand to strike him. "N-No! No! That's cool! That's-Totally cool, Mrs. Arc!"

Jaune choked back a little laugh. Ruby and Yang snorted as well. Ren smirked very slightly. Arslan lowered her hand as Neptune sulked a bit.

"Now, girls to the right, boys to the left," Isabel ordered, as she pressed some Lightning Dust into an electrical receptacle and the entire bathhouse lit up, "Get washed up, grab your towels, and dive in! Once you're all done, we'll have dinner ready at the house!"

- - -

On the men's side, Jaune slid into the hot water with a soft sigh. The warm waters of the hot springs just seemed to ease his stress away as he sank down and sat on the cement bench. It wasn't a huge bath-The female side out of necessity took up about two-thirds of the available space, as evident by the tall wooden wall separating them-But it was roomy enough for about ten men to not get uncomfortable. It was also open air for the moment, and he looked up at the stars as they shone down through the gaps in the trees.

"As much as I appreciate this, Jaune," Neptune grumbled, sitting down near the lone rock in the center of the bath, "Your mom is no fun. I mean, Mistralian hot springs are all about appreciating the beauty of the female form in its natural glory!"

"You do realize those girls can and will all kill you, right?" Cardin asked, sitting down in one of the deeper parts of the bath as he scowled at the blue haired young man, "And I would too, since my girlfriend's over there?"

"I wouldn't peep at her!" Neptune protested with his hands up, "Intentionally, anyway. I mean, not much!"

Cardin glared and lifted a fist. Neptune waved his hands.

"I mean... I'm only joking! Really!"

"Yeah, it's fine," Jaune said with a nod, "But can you tone it down a little, Neptune?"

Neptune frowned. Ren slid into the bath and began to meditate in silence. Neptune sighed.

"Yeah. Sure," he mumbled. "Just... I dunno... I miss my team, ya know? I don't know if they're alive or dead and-"

He immediately looked over at Jaune, his eyes wide in realization.

"Shit, Jaune, I didn't mean-"

"I get it," Jaune grunted, his eyes downcast. His neck was tense and his fists clenched. Ren too became tense. Cardin grit his teeth and glared at Neptune. The blue haired young man opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again, then looked down at his hands in the hot water. He sighed.

"I'm sorry," he mumbled.

"It's hard on all of us," Ren said calmly. "It will... Take time to heal."

"I just... It's so unreal," Neptune continued, unable to meet anyone's eyes, "One minute, everything's fine. We lost the tournament but... Ya know... We did our best. Then everything... Everything... It all falls apart."

He gripped his knees tightly.

"... I thought I knew where I stood with my team," he muttered, "Sure, Sun would always run off to do his own goddamned thing, but in a fight? There was no one more dependable... Until now."

Neptune glared at the water. It began to swirl around him in a small whirlpool.

"My best friend ran off on me. All just for a girl. In the middle of a fucking war. That's the kind of shit even I wouldn't do," Neptune growled, "Not in the middle of a disaster! Okay, I'm a horndog! I admit it! But you don't just... Just abandon your friends in a fight for pussy!"

The water churned angrily, becoming frothy. Neptune shut his eyes.

"Now I don't know if that bastard's alive or dead! I don't know about anyone else! I don't know and it's pissing me off and I can't do SHIT ABOUT IT! I can't even joke and lighten the fucking mood properly! I DON'T KNOW WHAT TO DO, ALL RIGHT?!"

The waters surged up around him, before falling away. Neptune panted hard with his eyes shut tightly. He tried to regain his calm.

He felt a hand touch his shoulder. He started and looked up. Jaune stood there with his towel tied securely around his waist. His face was stony but he was forcing his calm calm.

"I know," he said quietly. "I know."

Cardin sucked in a breath, and let it out as a growl.

"Least you know they're still alive," Cardin stated, the big guy sagging in the hot water.

Neptune grimaced then looked away. He let Jaune's hand linger for a few moments longer, before brushing it off.

"Come on. Despite what Scarlet says, I'm not interested in anything involving men in a bathhouse," he muttered.

He looked back up.Cardin stared at the far wall, his fists clenched deeply. Jaune sighed and shrugged.

"You do try a little too hard," he observed.

"Like you're compensating for something," Ren said in his usual deadpan, though it was clear his heart wasn't in it. Neptune gamely tried to make something of it anyway.

"Oh fuck off, I'll have you know I've gotten more women than any of you combined!" Neptune shot back with a scowl, but on the inside there was a smile. "Beacon was just a rough patch for me!"

"Sure it was," Jaune said as he walked back, "That why you couldn't dance with Weiss until I made you?"

"I uh... Well..." Neptune shrugged, "Again. I was thrown off. She came on so aggressively! I'm not into that, which is why Arslan and I will only be friends... Unless she drops the tsundere act."

"I get the feeling she sees you as an annoying little brother," Jaune said, "And given how many siblings I have? It's a familiar sight."

"Ha!" Neptune laughed, "I'll win her over! And May! And Orchid-Okay maybe not her," he amended at Jaune's glare, "You can't begrudge me dreams of having a harem, bro! Not with your record!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Jaune stated flatly. Neptune scoffed.

"Come on! Ruby's all over you! Weiss couldn't stop talking about you just before we broke up! Yang, I mean, she clings to you and Pyrrha..."

He trailed off at the angry look on Jaune's face. He bowed his head.

"Fuck," he muttered, "I'm sorry..."

Jaune grit his teeth and worked his jaw. Ren reached out to rest a hand on his forearm. Jaune stilled, but the fury was still in his eyes.

Cardin sighed. Jaune slowly shook his head slowly and looked away to the stars above.

"Yeah... Well..."

No one had anything more to say after that.

- - -

Despite everything she had been through, despite her maiming... Yang still couldn't help a little smirk when she saw her little sister staring at the toweled bodies of May, Arslan, Nora and Velvet as they slipped into the hot springs. Ruby's pout was a common occurrence when the subject of 'development' came up. She was able to wrap her real arm around her little sister and squeezed her comfortingly.

"Someday," she said gently, even as Ruby glared enviously: Especially at May, who flushed under the scrutiny.

"Um... Is-Is something wrong, Ruby?" The shy sniper asked.

"No. Nothing," Ruby sighed. Yang patted her on the head again, and Ruby scowled. "Yang, knock it off."

"Just being a good supportive big sister," Yang said quietly, her smile soft. Ruby huffed and crossed her arms under her chest.

"Ahhh," Nora sighed happily, slipping into the hot water, "It's so relaxing~... Beats that little bathroom at the farmhouse any day~!"

"Agreed," Arslan said softly, adjusting her hair in its neat little bun. She laid back in the hot water against the concrete bench. May sat beside her, her arms tight around herself as she looked around in some anxiety. Arslan, noticing this, smiled and squeezed May's shoulder.

"Relax," she said.

"Trying to," May sighed. Velvet smiled across the baths.

"Are you afraid that Neptune will try to peep on us?"

"N-No, I'd see that coming in a heartbeat," May said quickly, her cheeks burning a brighter red. Nora grinned at her.

"Does that mean you'd be okay with it then?"

"N-NO!" May shook her head rapidly, "Not at all!"

"Besides," Arslan stated, "If he tried? I'd beat him black and blue."

"Same," Yang nodded.

Nora sighed dramatically and held a hand up to her forehead.

"I wouldn't mind if Ren peeped on me~! I'm right here, ready to be peeped at!"

Silence fell. Nora pouted.

"Maybe if Pyrrha was here we could have…"

Nora slapped a hand to her mouth as her eyes widened. Her shoulders began to shake. Everyone stared at her. Ruby sniffled. Velvet winced. Arslan bowed her head, while May looked away. Yang could see the tears in her eyes.

For her own part… Her heart clenched tightly. As tightly as her fists.

"Oh… I-I forgot," Nora mumbled softly, "Isn't… Isn't that funny? How… How could I forget something so horrible… I f-forgot that…"

She slowly looked up at everyone else. Tears spilled out of her aquamarine eyes.

"That she was dead."

That she was dead.

That she was dead.

That she was dead.

It echoed so loudly in Yang's thoughts she half-thought Nora was repeating the words. Her face twitched. A tear threatened to spill from her eyes as all the death, the suffering, the loss flashed through her mind again.

Everything she had gone through that day seemed to scream at her from inside, and she trembled as she clenched her synthetic fist.

Ruby, shaken and pale, still struggled up to her feet. She walked over and hugged Nora tightly.

Velvet stared back down at the water in silence for a time. She sucked in a deep breath. She tried to say something but nothing came. She closed her mouth and looked back down.

May just burst into quiet sobs as she bowed her head. Her soft whimpers filled the sudden silence.

Yang slowly got up and hugged Ruby and Nora. Nora clung to them both tightly, sniffling and sobbing quietly.

Arslan sighed softly. She closed her eyes. She she wrapped a supportive arm around May's shoulders. She held the crying sniper, then said a prayer in the old Tablebreaker Church language:

"Domine caelestis, audi quaeso meum clamor. Animas defunctorum in tuo amplexu amoris suscipe. Illos in regnum tuum aeternum admitte et solacium da iis qui remanent ut opus tuum persequantur. Ostende nobis viam ad lucem etiam in tenebris. Amen."

Yang blinked away tears as Ruby and Nora hugged her tightly for comfort. She hesitated… But years of instinct took control and she wrapped her arms around them.

It was all she could do. It was the right thing to do.

Yet she had never felt more lost.

- - -

Isabel Arc was working in the kitchen with Lilac on dinner. Having to feed a large family of nine had taught her much about managing the household while also being a doctor. The front door opened and her eyes widened. She enhanced her senses of scent and hearing and listened to the footsteps of the person entering the house. Her heart rate slowed and she relaxed as she recognized who it was in an instant.

She dashed out of the kitchen, the red light of the late afternoon sky shining through the windows. She rushed through the living room, every creak and pop comfortingly familiar, right to the front doors. She beamed broadly.

"Nick!"

Nick smiled at her happily.. He was filthy, his hair askew, his beard dusty, his clothing covered in dirt and leaves. A ragged messenger bag hung at his side.

She still hugged and kissed the heck out of him, one he returned eagerly.

"Mmm… Kisses and hugs are nice," Nick chuckled as she nuzzled him.

"Come on, sit, sit!" Isabel said eagerly. She led him through the living room right into the kitchen. Lilac's eyes lit up.

"DAD!"

Lilac hugged Nick next, one he gladly returned. He then let her down and sat down at the table. He sighed happily. He then set down a leather messenger bag on the table with care though-As though it held something precious.

Lilac thoughtfully poured her father a jug of beer, which he downed happily. While he did that, Isabel hugged him-Something he returned with one massive arm as he drank deep.

"Haaa... Beer, hugs, home: Best things ever," Nick chuckled as he finished. He kissed his wife, as Lilac thoughtfully took the mug and turned away in embarrassment at her parents' show of affection.

"Mmm... You all right?" Isabel asked urgently. Nick nodded.

"I'm fine. Had to take down a few Griffons."

Isabel's eyes shot wide open. Her jaw dropped. Lilac dropped her mug and gaped at her father in shock.

"Griffons?!" They both gasped. Nick nodded.

"Yup. They were pretty tough. Carolina was able to take out their wings with the 50 Cal and Caboose used the rocket launchers to keep them grounded. Damn hard to fight them until we got them on the ground." He brightened. "Then I just hacked them apart with Joxeuse here!"

He patted his trusty railgun sword as it hung off his back. Isabel groaned in exasperation.

"NICK! Why didn't you get me?!"

"Wasn't time," Nick grunted, "They were going to attack Spondel. You couldn't get there that fast and they weren't gonna wait. Sides, you needed your sleep!"

"Why were you in Spondel?!" Isabel demanded, "That's thirty minutes away!"

"Well, we've culled the majority of the Grimm around Radian," Nick said with a shrug, "They called for aid. I wasn't gonna ignore them, Izzy! Not with so many of our best fighters off in Vale!"

Isabel groaned. As much as she might call her husband an idiot, he was perfectly logical when it came to combat.

"Still... Griffons. We haven't seen those around Radian in almost a century," she shuddered.

"Are more of them coming, Dad?" Lilac asked urgently. Nick smiled at his daughter and reached out to squeeze her hand comfortingly.

"Nah. The National Guard's finally in place with their anti-Grimm batteries around the Valley. We should be all right."

Isabel sighed in relief.

"Still, I wish I was with you," she muttered, touching her forehead to Nick's.

"Me too," Nick said with a nod, "I could have thrown you at them, and you could have torn their wings off. Like when we fought that Garuda in Jaipur. Remember?"

"Which one?" Isabel deadpanned, recalling the several battles they had fought to liberate the kingdom of Pandu with their old teammates Prince Arjun and Saia, "We fought three, then the REALLY big one King Duryodhana summoned right in Hastinapur."

Nick hummed and nodded. A furious battle in the middle of a major metropolitan city against a gigantic flying demon Grimm under the control of a mad despot did tend to stick in one's memory.

"Good point. Man, was he a jerk. It wasn't even fun to fight him after a while." Nick held his hands up. "He was all like 'It is useless to resist my power! You have supported Arjun in vain! I am a god and you are mere insects!'"

Isabel managed a giggle at her husband's bad impression.

"He was quite the blowhard," she agreed, "No wonder his own Grimm ate him: Anything to shut him up."

"Yeah, but Arjun totally got the win," Nick nodded, "He hit him last. It's only fair."

Isabel sighed.

"Any word from them?"

Nick's good mood soured and he became a bit pensive. Lilac poured him another beer, which he nodded his thanks to before drinking.

"Radio's picking up some messages. CCT net gets some updates. I hope Orchid's work fixes it soon, cause what I've seen is bad."

Isabel steadied her nerves with her Semblance.

"How bad?" She asked.

Nick heaved a long sigh.

"Mistral's civil war went hot. Everything's going to hell," he said tiredly.

Isabel's eyes widened.

"Everyone?"

"Arjun's trying to keep Pandu out of it, but looks like certain factions are trying to draw them in," Nick said quietly.

"All of this happening at once…" Isabel shook her head, "It can't be a coincidence. It's like it was all set up."

"Has to be," Nick agreed, "But proving that is the hard part."

"We... Have some witnesses from the Vytal attack," Lilac said carefully.

Isabel and Nick looked at her. Lilac shrugged. Isabel nodded slowly.

"We do," she agreed, "But... How much weight will a few teenagers' words have when an entire continent is at war?"

"Arjun would listen," Nick said brightly. Isabel gave her husband a deadpan look.

"Arjun will need proof."

"We'll see what we can do," he said, "We just have to ask them, maybe get their Scrolls and look through the information, maybe go back and see-"

"Nick!" Isabel growled. "They have been fighting for their lives for weeks now! Fighting even though I told you not to put them in! Especially Jaune!"

Nick nodded.

"They needed the rest, I don't disagree," he said, "But we needed the help, Izzy." He brightened in pride.

"You should have seen Jaune! He led his people so well! They never hesitated to obey an order! He threw himself into the thick of it and kicked so much butt! It's amazing how far he's come-"

Isabel rose out of Nick's lap and glared angrily at him.

"He is our son!"

"And he's chosen his path," Nick said calmly. "I'm letting his friends rest and relax because they need it... But they're going to go back out into the fight eventually, Izzy. You know this. He lost too much to stay away."

The healer and the paladin stared at one another. Isabel's gaze was tight, anxious, and angry. Nick's was grave but serene.

Isabel sighed and looked out the windows. The group of young Hunters in Training emerged from the forest. All dressed, and all looking glum.

After a tense silence Isabel slowly shook her head.

"Maybe," she muttered, "But I don't have to like it."

Nick nodded, as Lilac turned away to mind her own business at the sink.

"I know."

- - -

 

[Abramus5250]

Cowboy Halloween

Jaune wasn't quite sure why he'd agreed to go to the Halloween party. Well, actually, he knew exactly why he'd agreed to go, just not why he'd then dressed up. His friends had wanted to go, and despite the insistence that he wasn't one to dress up all fancy-like often, he'd been convinced that at least he could go to have some fun. Turns out a good deal of the people attending Beacon loved any excuse to get together, eat copious amounts of food and drink even more copious amounts of either sweet drinks or age-appropriate alcohol.

What he hadn't expected was to be one of the first to arrive, with Ren and Nora citing difficulties with Pyrrha's outfit in regards to her being late. Not that he minded, as his own outfit had taken a great deal of time to get right, designed after the man known as Löwe from the old Jaeger book series his great uncle had given him. The series, one of his favorites in his younger years, was about a young Huntsman turned bounty hunter after the death of his mentor, and who was often forced to work outside the law. Though the cowl across his face occasionally itched, and the cape was a bit flashier than what he would normally wear, when combined with the masking of his features, the rifle across his back and the pistol and sword on his hips, he thought it made him look mysterious and even intimidating when he glanced in a mirror.

Off near one of the more open areas of the large garden the party was being held in, yet near enough to the food and drinks tables to be freshly supplied, Jaune enjoyed himself with Ren and Nora. Ren, for some reason, was dressed a great deal like many of the barmen Jaune had seen in saloons while out on a cattle drive, complete with a respectable bowtie, bowler hat, and his apparent wizardry at making mixed drinks on the fly. Nora, correspondingly, was dressed as a saloon barmaid, though with her… generous figure, the outfit was only a good trip or spilled drink away from turning into a bawdy mess. Whether she'd normally dress this way for Halloween or had done so to match with Ren was anyone's guess, but Jaune had noticed more than one student glance at her, then do a double-take, before wisely casting their gaze elsewhere once they noticed his stare. He could almost hear her buttons screaming as they held her outfit together.

"Jaune!" a familiar voice cried, and he turned to find Ruby leading the rest of her team towards him. They'd really gone out for it this year, though he was beginning to notice a… theme amongst his friends and teammates. He wasn't going to say anything about it tonight, content with letting everyone enjoy themselves, but it was beginning to form a pattern he'd have had to been blind to ignore.

Ruby was dressed in an outfit he'd seen old Nell Goldstone use on occasion. A gunsmith's smock and gloves, high-tech goggles perched up her head, the signature Dust-infused overalls meant to protect against errant bits of machined scrap, and the high leather boots that completed the outfit. The only thing missing, other than the smudges from Dust and smelted parts were the variety of tools, both primitive and high tech, that he'd seen her use in the few times he'd met her. Knowing Ruby, she'd had to be convinced not add those to her outfit.

"Miss Rose, or should I say," Jaune drawled, putting some emphasis in his speech as he bowed, "Miss Goldstone?"

"You know it!" she replied cheerfully. "I had the hardest time figuring out how she infused Dust into her overalls, but that second year Miss Adel was a real help."

"I'm sure she was," he replied as the rest of her team drew close, their outfits continuing a pattern he was certain Nora and Ren had started.

"Howdy there stud," Yang said, leaning forward with the same confidence she always seemed to carry, save for when she was around Orleans for some reason. Her own outfit was nowhere near as intricate as her sister's, but the lack of detail was rather purposeful. A judge's uniform of office was, after all, not meant to be terribly gaudy, especially out where the justice of the frontier was quick and quiet compared to the pomp and media circus the big cities seemed to lap up. Yet, he couldn't recall the last time he'd seen a judge's robes hugging their wearer's frame so tight, accentuating a lot of things robes weren't meant to, and the way she'd done up her hair with curlers was… doing things to him.

"I still don't know why you'd dress like a judge of all things, Yang," Weiss said with a huff.

"Hey now, considering how easy I got off from trashing Junior's bar, why wouldn't I pay my respects?" her fellow Huntress replied.

"I doubt they would feel any sort of flattered."

"Shouldn't I be the judge of that?" Yang replied.

"Well, I think y'all look nice tonight," Jaune said replied with a snort, despite the groans of Yang's team. "I'm feelin' plain and cheap compared to y'all."

"Don't belittle yourself, Arc, there is nothing wrong with your own choice of costume, Löwe is a well-known semi-vigilante in literature," Weiss replied, giving the small parasol over her shoulder a little twirl. "Besides, it does feel nice getting to dress up without the pressure from my father's publicists to portray myself in one way or another."

Jaune thought that it was probably a good thing those people weren't here. Given that her dress was a combination of classy brothel madame's outfit and that of more than a few cotillion singers he'd seen while in the bigger towns at the end of a drive, he was sure her father would have a fit if he weren't busy off doing whatever it was he did. He suspected she was wearing a corset beneath it all, which seemed odd given her figure, though he'd never be the man brave enough to tell her she didn't need one.

"Well, at least that Adel girl was kind enough to help us with all our outfits," Blake said, adjusting her Stetson so it didn't interfere with her bow. For a sheriff's uniform, she filled it out quite well, though he wasn't sure why she had a nightstick on one hip and… was that three sets of cuffs on the other? Also, the heels on those boots seemed a tad tall. "Playing dress up was never my forte when I was little, I was too busy helping my parents, and being an only child meant I didn't have siblings to play with. But this… this feels nice, I have to admit, almost like I'm taking on a persona."

"Jaune!" a voice called, one he recognized all too much, and he turned to find his partner swiftly approaching them…

"Pyrrha?" he asked, unsure if his voice cracked or that was his ears playing tricks on him.

"What do you guys think?" she asked, making an attempt to not show off while she did a little twirl. "I hope I got the buttons right, I only had so much time to make sure they were the right color…"

His partner had chosen the dress uniform of a militia cavalry officer, specifically the kind worn near where his family lived. A Dust-infused Hardee hat with communication equipment threaded in covered most of her ponytail, while a Valean blue coat with matching sky blue trousers and greatcoat finished the rest. Her boots were similar to Ruby's, though clearly meant for marching and riding rather than simply working, and to top it all off, though perhaps unintentionally, the uniform had been fitted well to her proportions.

Very well.

As well as Yang's judge robes.

Was this intentional? Was Miss Adel messing with him?

"You look… great!" he said, finding his words.

Her bright smile cut through the unsure look she'd been giving him in his stunned silence. "Thank you! I wasn't sure how it would turn out, but Miss Adel helped make sure it was fitted properly. The boots are comfortable enough, though the hat is heavier than I was expecting…"

"Yeah, she's been real helpful for all of us!" Ruby said, her smile a touch brittle for some reason. "I thought I was the only one going to see her for help with my costume!"

"Come to think of it, I mentioned asking for her help first for my outfit," Weiss said, eyes narrowing. "I didn't realize everyone else had the same idea."

"Well howdy!" Nora said, breaking into their gathering before anyone else could say anything. "Come on, better grab some of the good food before it's all gone. Renny'll be making some mixed drinks for us, but only nonalcoholic for you Ruby, Miss Goodwitch said so!"

 

[Abramus5250]

The List Grows

Pyrrha was not one to become envious, or at least not easily. Jaune was her friend, her partner, her team leader, and although the candle she held for him burned brightly, it was one she kept shaded, secret, hidden away, lest her feelings ruin what they currently had. Yet how she felt as Jaune looked after his nephew Adrian was growing almost too much to bear.

Not that she felt anything ill towards Jaune's nephew. In fact, she adored the little boy and how Jaune cared for him at most waking moments. He was exuding what Nora had called 'supreme dad energy' and for all that she was not ready to confess her feelings to Jaune, she was more than ready to begin a relationship with him should she manage to convince him that her helping take care of Adrian counted as dating.

He'd… yet to take the hint, but it was only a matter of time.

It was also only a matter of time before these harpies got their claws into him and took him away from her, age, professionalism or her prior 'claim' be damned!

All it had taken was a short trip to the ladies' washroom to overhear a pair of her own professors engaging in the kind of talk that she'd only ever heard Yang spout.

"Did you see Arc with his nephew this morning in the cafeteria?"

"How could I not? I could barely take my eyes off him as he fed the little darling. Kaede, don't you have him for tomorrow's mandatory civilian first aid course? Knowing how to tend to the injuries of those without Aura is important, but why make it mandatory all of a sudden?"

"Little Adrian is currently one of the only civilians in Beacon without an unlocked Aura, and besides, better the students know how to tend to injuries for children than to simply rescue them from the clutches of Grimm and hope they are fine. Just because you aren't bleeding much doesn't mean you aren't hurt."

"Did Arc volunteer?"

"I may have managed to convince him to let me use Adrian for instruction, with promises of extra credit in my class, Elberta, though he didn't notice my popped upper buttons on my nurse uniform when I did so, being so focused on his nephew's role in the demonstrations. Little Adrian did notice though, and made grabby hands when Arc wasn't looking."

"Kaede, you're lucky your flirting is as bad as your bedside manner, or else you could have gotten into serious trouble."

"Or is it that Arc is just like his dad, and completely ignorant of a woman's attention?"

"Hey, you and I were the only ones not trailing after his dad like a pack of Beowolves. Be glad that we never had to suffer the wrath of Isabel's defensive measures for her then-future husband."

"Well, Elberta, don't tell me you haven't been eyeing up the junior Arc. I've seen how you watch him tend to his nephew in your class. Brothers, girl, you were almost drooling on your desk when I walked by!"

The following frustrated sigh sounded personal. "I just… I want a family too, okay? But dating in Beacon is hard when you have the likes of Port to pick from, and a great deal of men I've met outside of the faculty don't want to date a professor. I can't just tell them about how easy Beacon's facilities are for childcare, I'd sound even more baby crazy right off the bat! Not to mention the competition I'd have with his friends, classmates and teammates, and don't forget even Glynda's eyes have wandered during combat class…"

"Oh, you saw that too? Brothers, when he nearly beat Mr. Winchester, only to forfeit to stop his nephew from crying, I thought she was going to drag him off into a closet after. Did she say anything to you on the matter?"

"No, but we'll no doubt hear about it soon enough on mixed drinks night. She may have gotten over her crush on the boy's father, but he's got the best of Isabel and Nick in him. Add in that dad energy the kids talk about these days? Wouldn't be surprised if Glynda contacts his mother to… 'arrange' things."

"Well, seeing as we didn't try for Nick, think she'd be more open to us asking for the same? Marriage would likely be out, but we both know she's gone into grandbaby-crazy mode by now."

Pyrrha exited the stall and moved to the sink, focusing on washing her hands as Nurse Tsune and Professor Peach left. Trying her hardest, she managed to not curl the sink heads in on themselves, but sadly the latches for the bathroom doors did not survive and would need replacing for, somehow, twisting into small ribbons. Miss Goodwitch, Nurse Tsune, and now Professor Peach? All ogling who would totally become her man once he realized they were totally dating whenever she helped with Adrian?

Why did her list of rivals for her partner keep growing?!?

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! What would each character be thankful for?



Jaune: "My friends and family!"



Pyrrha: "Jaune and my other friends!"



Yang: "Yeah, stuff like that... And Bumblebee!"



Blake: "Eh?"



Yang: "My motorcycle. What did you think I meant?"



Blake: "Nothing. I am... Thankful for my friends and justice."



Ren: "I am grateful for generous friends and my family."



Nora: *gasp* "YES!"



Ren: "What?"



Nora: "To really be family we need to get married! SO I SAY YES!" She pounces on Ren and kisses him



Yang: "Wow. Go Nora!"



Weiss: "I WAS grateful for friends and this meal... But this is making me reconsider things."



Ruby: "WEISSS!"



Weiss: *grumbles* "Fine. I am grateful for everything."



Ruby: "That's the right attitude! I am thankful for friends, family, guns, and Zwei!" Hugs him



Zwei: "Woof."



Weiss: *blush* "I guess I'm thankful for one more thing..."



Jaune: "And here's the turkey!"



Yang: "Wait, it's fried?"



Jaune: "Arc family tradition!"



Weiss: *eats some* "... This is utterly decadent and overblown with flavor. Like the basest of carnival food."



Jaune: "More?"



Weiss: "Please!"



Yang: "This turkey is so good I... I can't even make a pun! The bird has flown the coop!"



Pyrhha: "It's melting in my mouth~..."



Ruby: "Mmm! Delicious!"



Blake: "... Forgive me tuna. I may eat birds more for a time."



Ren manages to disconnect his mouth from Nora long enough to eat. As does Nora



Ren: "... It's incredible Jaune."



Nora: "Mmmmmm~!"



Yang: "So what's the recipe, Stud?"



Jaune: "Old family recipe. Total secret."



Yang: "So... We'd need to be family to get it, huh~?"



Jaune: "Uh, well, um-"



Pyrrha: "I-I'm sure she's just joking, Jaune!"



Yang: "And what if I wasn't, P-Money?"



Ruby: "HEY! He's my best friend!"



Weiss: "He's crushing on me!"



Blake: "He was."



Pyrrha: "You too?!"



Jaune: "Can't we just argue over politics or religion?!"



Ruby: "NEVER!"



Elsewhere, in Radian...



Nick: "Sweetie! I got a premonition of our son... Being fought over by hot girls!"



Isabel: "... Any grandkids?"



Nick: "Not yet!"



Isabel: "Then don't bother me until there are! I'm almost done with the turkey!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

There were times when Jaune cursed his nature. His desire to help others. Oh don't get him wrong, he loved to help! Loved to make a difference! It's why he had run away to become a Huntsman, after all!

But helping RWBY fight the White Fang on a school night was not what he signed up for! Not this many times, anyway!

They were outside a warehouse on the outskirts of town, away from the docks. Which was a nice change, there were actually some trees around the dilapidated lots near the wall. Nora tried to catch a squirrel, but failed miserably.

"Ooh, those tree rats are feisty ones," Nora grumbled as they headed towards the warehouse Blake had directed them to strike, "Sloths are so much better. They don't run from hugs!"

"They're probably just shy," Jaune consoled Nora. Nora scowled.

"But they're so jittery! How can you be jittery and shy?"

"Would you be quiet?" Blake hissed as they approached the lit up building, "They can probably hear us!"

"Right, focus everyone," Jaune ordered. Ruby stood at his side. "We remember the plan. We split into pairs, we each take a side. We clear the building from the bottom up, and when we find the hostage-"

"Treat them carefully," Ruby said, "Jaune will do the medical support and-"

"AIYYYEEEEE!"

Everyone turned to the building, weapons drawn and Semblances ready. A huge crowd of White Fang members, in various states of undress, barreled out of every window of the warehouse. They charged towards the Hunters-in-Training... And threw themselves onto their knees in front of them.

"SAVE US!"

"TAKE US TO JAIL!"

"GIVE US PANTS!"

Ruby, quite naturally, was flabberghasted. Yang immediately covered her eyes.

"H-HEY! YANG! LEMME SEE! I'M THE LEADER!"

"What is going on around here?!" Blake cried in disbelief.

The nearest wall of the warehouse shattered. A tall, stunning blonde woman in full plate armor (that could not hide her voluptuousness) smashed through, holding a sword. Her eyes were wild, and twitching dangerously.

"YOU WILL VIOLATE MEEEE!" She shrieked. The White Fang soldiers screamed and took off, running like their very lives depended on it. The armored woman charged. Jaune's eyes widened in shock, horror...
And recognition.

"VIRGINIA!" Jaune shouted.

The tall woman skidded to a halt, and stared at Jaune in shock.

"J-Jaune?!"

"Huh?" Was Blake's intelligent reply.

- - -

The cops arrived soon after, taking the White Fang members into custody. Virginia, RWBY and JNPR met in a nearby diner which was still open late. The six foot eight tall woman awkwardly sat on one creaking chair on one side of a table, while everyone else faced her on the other. Nora dug into her pancakes, in utter bliss as Ren sat with her.

"So um... This is my cousin Virginia," Jaune said with an awkward smile, "She's a Paladin Huntress. And she's really strong!"

"I can tell," Weiss said dryly. Virginia coughed.

"Ah, yes, um, sorry. I was trying to infiltrate the White Fang base, you see."

"In full armor," Weiss deadpanned. Virginia shrugged.

"Um... Paladins aren't particularly stealthy!"

"We noticed," Blake observed, staring intently at Virginia.

"Okay, go on?" Jaune pressed. Virginia coughed.

"Ah, well..." She sipped her coffee, her eyes going all over the place, "I um, I got captured. I then challenged them to combat for my freedom. I even spotted them my sword... My armor... My other weapons... And all my clothing! To-To make it fair! But they made me keep the armor and clothes."

"Uh huh," Yang said, looking rather skeptical.

"Seriously?" Ruby asked in disbelief, "That's dumb of them! You're like a walking tank!"

"Th-Thank you!" Virginia said with a kind smile, "But I challenged them all at once! I knew they might overpower me! They had to! Why didn't they overwhelm and defeat me?!"

She groaned and looked to the ceiling.

"They could have had me at their mercy... I-I would have done anything they wanted! Absolutely anything! No matter how depraved or-or debauched!"

She looked like she was drooling. Jaune chuckled even as all his friends stared in varying degrees of disbelief at Virginia.

"Come on, Virginia! You're a total monster in combat! You're as strong as my mom and dad! There's no way you could be defeated like that!"

"... Y-Yes, of course," Virginia sighed, now looking morosely into her coffee, "I had them on the ropes... Which is when they decided to retreat! Enmasse! Which is when you showed up!" She sipped her coffee, bright red.

"L-Lucky for them, isn't it?" She mumbled.

"Wow," Jaune said with a grin, "You're as incredible as always, Virginia! I hope I'm half as good a Huntsman when I graduate!"

"Y-Yes, so do I," Virginia sighed. She looked at Jaune with an intense stare. "You've been training hard, I see?"

"Oh yeah!" Jaune said cheerfully. "All my friends have helped out!" He flexed an arm with a grin. "Especially Pyrrha!"

"Really?" Virginia asked, looking very intensely at Jaune. Enough so that Ruby, Pyrrha and Yang all scooted closer to him. Blake stared in disbelief. Weiss grimaced. Ren stared intensely.

Nora was in pancake nirvana but it had been a long night for her so nobody minded.

"Really!" Jaune said cheerfully. "I'd love to show off my training!"

"Yes!" Virginia said with a happy nod and smile, "Yes! Um, we should meet at Beacon! In the gym! No need to wear a shirt, Jaune!"

"Why not a shirt?" Jaune asked curiously.

"Yeah, why?" Pyrrha asked, her smile very dangerous.

Virginia coughed.

"Um... Because of how sweaty we'll get?"

"Oh, I suppose that makes sense," Jaune nodded.

Pyrrha abruptly dumped her coffee in Jaune's lap. Jaune yelped.

"ACK!"

"Oh dear, how clumsy of me," Pyrrha said, almost sweetly, "Jaune, why don't you clean that up in the bathroom? We'll keep your cousin company."

"Oh, uh, sure," Jaune said with a nod. He smiled to Virginia as he got up. "It's really great to see you again."

"L-Likewise," Virginia managed, staring intensely. Her eyes followed him into the bathroom... Only interrupted when Yang stood up and glared. A glare shared by pretty much everyone else at the table. Nora included, since she was done with her pancakes.

"Mind telling us what the hell is up?" Yang demanded. "You're cousins!"

"N-Not... Not that distant of cousins," Virginia mumbled awkwardly. Blake hummed.

"How distant?"

"BLAKE!" Ruby cried, scandalized. The cat Faunus shrugged.

"I'm just curious!"

"I'm sorry!" Virginia wailed. "I'm-I'm a thirty year old virgin! Nobody is interested! It's insane! It's like I've been cursed! And Jaune is literally the only man to have ever been... Been okay with being around me!"

She shrugged.

"Is... Is it really that bad to want to... Um... Give him an option for an older girlfriend?"

Silence ensued.

"YES!" Ruby cried. "YOU'RE FILTH! FILTH!"

"Now now," Blake said, "Let's hear her out."

"BLAKE!" Ruby cried.

"What?! It's only sort of incest-y! Not compared to some of the... More lurid works in my collection-"

"BLAAAAAKE!"

- - -

Yup. It's Virginia from Baalbuddy's comics. Seen here:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eV6QjQM39lI&pp=ygUSYmFhbGJ1ZGR5IHZpcmdpbmlh

And here:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=siF8-dWO1qQ&pp=ygUSYmFhbGJ1ZGR5IHZpcmdpbmlh

 

[mgl1206]

just like that one star wars RPG...oh man, Juane would be completly be a effective evil overlord in that type. Having to fight Juanes former character Big Bad is probably a fight for their lives, and required several campagins to effectively end his reign of terror (around 8-14 or so, because that Juane is TERRIFYINGLY good at what he does)

Click to shrink...

(I have ABSOLUTELY NO knowledge of DND. So I'm just going to write it as a fantasy AU)

Title: Fall From Grace

Ruby stares at the burning pyre, tears cutting deep through the veil of dirt and blood that covers her. Silence enveloped her and her friends, only disturbed by the crackling of the pyre.

They had failed to save the town, failed to save anyone. All the adults, families, and kids were butchered and murdered. They had been lured out of town and tricked, lured out so that it would be defenseless. Enough for the bandits to raid it and kill everyone all because the bandits had tricked them into leaving.

The somber silence was suddenly interrupted by the clinking of metal. Ruby looked up to see the Paladin, her oldest friend leaving. Surprised and unsure, she ran up to him. He had never left a funeral before it was finished.

"Jaune, what's going on?" She asked. Perhaps a bit rhetorically, she knew why. He'd always been the kindest of them all, always willing to sacrifice and help people. The Paladin stopped at his old friend's question but did not turn to meet her.

"I'm done with this Ruby. I'm done trying to save them." He whispered. His voice quiet and broken.

"Wha- what do you mean?" She asked, shocked and unbelievingly.

"I swore an oath, a Paladin's oath. An oath that I'd make the world a better place, that I'd save those in need, and that I'd give all a second chance. It was my oath, my creed, my purpose. But I cannot abide by that oath." His head seemed to fall slightly as his body tensed. Rage built up in the Paladin's figure.

"How can I try to save these monsters? How can I give them a second chance when all they have ever done is take and destroy? " He growled out. His fist clenched as he tried to keep his emotions restrained. Ruby took a step towards her friend as the rest of their group moved closer, but stopped a few steps behind them. She stood next to him, her left hand lightly covering his left fist and her right resting gently on his shoulder.

"It'll be okay Jaune, sometimes the world's a dark place. But that's why we're here right? To try and make it better!" She tried to cheer him, but Jaune did not turn.

" 'make it better'?" he whispered.

"Yup, people need us right? That's why we're adventurers, isn't it? Helping people in need, clearing out bandit groups that form, and keeping monsters at bay! Right?" Her hand tightened as she tried more to convince herself and her friend.

"No, that's not good enough." He responded, his words catching her off guard. "It's never good ENOUGH. NEVER." The yell caught his friends off guard, for the soft-hearted Paladin had never once yelled.

"Eight years of this Ruby. Eight years of not being fast ENOUGH, of not being good ENOUGH. 2,146 people Ruby. That's how many have died because we weren't GOOD ENOUGH. No matter how strong we are, no matter how good we are, it's never enough." He paused for a moment as he took a deep breath to reign in his emotions.

"And that's why I will do something about it. I'll end all this madness, all this slaughter. And I won't have you try to stop me."

"What?" Caught off by his words, she was unable to respond when the Paladin forced her to step back. And when she recovered, she looked up to see Jaune holding a large black metal helmet, trimmed with gold, and atop the wearer's forehead an inverted A, a maedate. Recognizing the object, Ruby sprung to her feet and rushed towards her friend to top him. But it was too late, the black helm glowed a brilliant white enveloping her friend's figure before vanishing, never once having turned to face her.

-------
AN:
He's gonna form a cult hell-bent on world domination so that ALL may find salvation under the rule of the first King of Arcadia. His first aspirant, servant, queen consort, is definitely gonna be Pyrrha because she thirsty lol

Also yes, i did ignore the other characters for the sake of making it short, but they are all there, all 6 of em.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Jaune gets a call on his Scroll. He opens it up and a beautiful blonde cat Faunus farm girl beams at him.

Jaune: "Hey Katy!"

Katy: "Hey Jaune!"

They chat for a while in a friendly way before Jaune ends the call. Blake stares at him.

Blake: "Katy... She's a cat faunus?"

Jaune: "Yeah."

Blake: "You two were... Good friends?"

Jaune: "We actually dated for a while. Even thought about getting married... But... Well..." shrugs "She didn't want me to become a Hunter. She didn't want to help me with my dream, so... We broke up. But we're still friends."

Blake: "I-I see."

Jaune: "Do you have a problem with Faunus?"

Blake: "What?! N-No! Not at all! I just uh... I heard some things about Faunus and humans dating... Did you make her wear a collar?"

Jaune: blush "That's... Kind of personal to ask, isn't it? Do you have a Faunus fetish or something?"

Blake: "N-NO! Well... Sort of...?"

Jaune: "I'm leaving."

Blake: "NO WAIT! Did you leash her?"

Jaune: "You don't put leashes on cats!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Jaune is reading a cookbook in the common room. He's doing it so intently he doesn't even notice Yang sneak up on him.

Jaune: "Hmmm..."

Yang: "Whatcha up to, VB?"

Jaune: "ACK! Oh! Hey Yang! I'm looking up a recipe for goat curry. It's Nora's favorite and since her birthday is coming up, I thought I'd make it for her!"

Yang: takes the cookbook, looks it over "Hmmm... You know, I've cooked a lot of curries back home. How about I handle it?"

Jaune: "You sure?"

Yang: "Hey, I wanna brighten up Nora's big day too!"

Jaune: "That's great! I was going to get the goat!"

Yang: "Right now? The shops are closing soon!"

Jaune: "I'll be getting a wild goat. It's what Nora wants and I wanted to test out the recipe to see if it would be good."

Yang: "Well... How about I get the rest of it ready and you get the goat?"

Jaune: "Really? Thanks Yang!" beams

Yang pulls on an apron and starts gathering the ingredients. Jaune heads out. An hour later, he returns with a dead goat over his shoulders.

Yang: "Ack! Jaune! You can't just bring it in here-!"

Jaune: "I just need to skin and dress it, Yang! It won't take too long, I promise. Besides, we can get the goat skin tanned and make it another gift for Nora!"

Yang: "I thought she loved sloths?"

Jaune: "Yeah, she loves live sloths and dead goats." shrugs

Yang: "Well do it over there on the balcony! You don't want to make a mess!"

Jaune: "All right, I won't. Promise."

Jaune is as good as his word. He skins and prepares the goat expertly, bringing in the meat. Yang uses some Ice Dust to freeze the rest and Jaune wraps it up in a foil bag.

Jaune: "We'll be eating goat for a while..."

Yang: "Lots of ways to prepare it!"

Jaune: "Do you need some help?"

Yang: scowls "What, you saying I can't do it?"

Jaune: "No, no, just offering. I know you're a good cook, Ruby praises you all the time."

Yang: blush "O-Oh? Well, uh... Heh. Yeah. I had to make sure she grew up big and strong, didn't I?"

Jaune: smiles "You did a great job."

Yang: "Oh... Well... Thank you... Vomit Boy."

Yang cooks the goat curry. Jaune takes the frozen meat to the school cafeteria's freezer. He returns to an amazing smell in the kitchenette. He walks in and sees Yang humming along to a song on the radio, dancing a bit in the apron.

Jaune: "... Wow..."

Yang: "Hm? What?"

Jaune: "Ah... N-Nothing! Nothing!"

Yang: "It's about done. Sit down, I'll prepare a sample."

Jaune sits down with a smile. Yang soon prepares the goat curry and brings it out. She sets it down in a bowl in front of Jaune with a smile.

Yang: "Dig in!"

Jaune uses a spoon, takes a bite... Moans happily.

Jaune: "This... This is amazing!"

Yang: "Really?"

Jaune: "Yeah! It's as good as my mom's! Or my big sister Saphron's!" He grinned "You're just... Amazing, Yang."

Yang: "Heh! Come on, cut it out."

Jaune: "N-No, I mean it. You really are amazing." smiles "You're going to be an amazing wife and mother some day."

Yang stares at him intensely. Jaune coughs.

Jaune: "I-I uh, I'm not being sexist or anything! Promise! I-I just think you're amazing! Like, my mom is a doctor and a super strong fighter but she's also an amazing housewife! She-She did it all and she was amazing and I just... I just think you're just as amazing."

Yang: panting hard, her eyes are red as are her cheeks

Jaune: "I uh... I-I'm gonna... S-Sorry!" He turns and runs off

Yang: "W-Wait! I-!"

Jaune dashes out. Yang scowls after him.

Yang: "... That dense idiot... He... He...!"

She giggles a little, then shakes her head rapidly.

Yang: "No! Nonono, you do not have a crush on him! C-Come on! So he went out and hunted an animal, brought it back for you to cook and complimented you... Th-That... Doesn't mean... Anything..."

She sighs.

Yang: "... Goddamnit. I'm just like Mom."

She then brightens.

Yang: "I'm just like Mom~!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

huh...would be ironic if Nick and Tai both did the same thing for their wives...which means Yang and Ruby have a preference, also means that Nick's side of the family is the Himbo Squad.

dear lord Qrow would flip his shit that its another damn Blonde Himbo!

Click to shrink...

Qrow: "Damnit Tai! You-Another you is seducing Ruby and Yang!"

Tai: "Who? Who is this bastard?!"

Qrow: "Jaune Arc!"

Tai: "Wait... Nick and Isabel's boy?"

Qrow: "YEAH! I didn't know they'd raised him to be a playboy but-!"

Tai: "OH THANK GOD!"

Qrow: "Eh?!"

Tai: "Qrow, Isabel is a doctor and Nick is a militia captain. They own a farm. They're old money! You know what that means?!"

Qrow: "... That if Ruby and Yang marry him, we'll all be set for life?"

Tai: "EXACTLY!"

Qrow: "I dunno Tai. Shouldn't they marry for love or something like that?"

Tai: "Come on, he was raised by Nick and Izzy! He'll be a golden retriever in human form! It'll all work out!"

Qrow: "I don't know-"

Tai: "They also own a brewery."

Qrow: "... You talked me into it."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Neo, currently in the form of Mint, wandered the hallways of the Beacon student dorms. She was bored, which she usually relieved by finding someone or something to stab or prank. But Meany McBurnsalot didn't let her cut loose. They had to "maintain their cover". Hmph.

Sure, Neo could appreciate a good set up and ambush, but this fire chick was taking so damn long. She was also threatening to burn Roman to ashes, which definitely cheesed her off.

She noticed the door to the team JNPR common room was open. She could check in on one of their top targets. She could see Green Boy keep pretending Pink Hammer Girl wasn't flirting with him. Or see the Blonde Doofus goof off on his Invincible Girl Partner. Or-

She froze. The smell of sweet pastries and the soft scent of mint and hot chocolate fudge filled her nostrils. Her eyes locked onto the source.

And widened in shock.

The blonde doofus was cooking crepes... And... And... Filling them with... Ice cream?!

"Oh hey!" Jaune Arc greeted her with a smile. "Mint, right? Come on in!"

Neo blinked a few times, but shrugged. She walked up to the kitchenette, where ice cream, nuts, fruit and many other items laid out. The doofus himself had a blue apron on and had just finished filling a crepe with ice cream. He added nuts, chocolate sauce, and fruit to it before expertly wrapping it up. He put a paper towel around it, serving as a wrapper, before he added whipped cream and a cherry on top. He beamed at her.

"You mind acting as taste tester?" He asked. "I'm making desserts for this week since we passed midterms and-"

Neo snatched the crepe from his hand with her usual speed and dexterity, and took a bite.

"I... Guess that's a yes," Jaune observed dryly.

Not that Neo noticed. The delicate mixture of flavors danced across her tongue, before spreading up into her brain and throughout her body. She sucked in a breath through her nostrils as a truly divine chill filled her entire body, from her head to her toes.

She moaned mentally, closing her eyes. The crepe has just the right mixture of sugar, egg, milk, and even a hint of lemon. And the ice cream...! The toppings...! All picked for the perfect mixture of sweetness, tartness, and crunch!
She took another bite. And another. Another!

It felt like a cold arctic breeze washed over her as she dragged herself through the desert. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.

Mmm... All together, it's not just food... It's an experience!
She opened her eyes. She licked her lips. The blonde doofus smiled warmly at her, another crepe already prepared.

"Good?"

Neo nodded furiously. He held up the next crepe, and her mouth watered.

"Want more?"

She grabbed the treat. She locked eyes with him this time as she bit down on the crepe. She slid her tongue into it and slurped up the cream and fruit sensuously. She downed the crepe, slowly, sensually, and finished it off with a loud, almost lewd gulp. She licked her lips, the divine essence of the dessert again transforming her mortal existence into something... More.

Jaune smiled widely.

"Good?"

A handsome blonde dessert chef offering her the very food of the Gods themselves?! How could it be anything BUT good?!

She nodded and shot him her warmest bedroom eyes. She was sure her pupils were hearts right now.

"Great! I'll make more," he said cheerfully. He turned to rummage in the cabinets. Neo paid close attention to his rump, which was quite nice.

Perhaps Neo had been approaching this job all wrong. She could get closer to their targets by befriending this doofus. Get this doofus to trust her. Then at the right moment, this doofus would be at her mercy. Covered in chocolate sauce that she would lick right up-

She shook her head rapidly. Now was not the time. She had to be patient.

"Ow!" Jaune groaned and rubbed the top of his head. He'd bumped it on the inside of a cabinet and now his rump was higher in the air. "Stupid cabinets, too small-EEP!"

He bonked his head and groaned before he pulled away and looked over his shoulder. Neo sat perched on her chair, looking innocent, as Jaune rubbed his behind.

"Ow... What pinched me?"

Neo smirked.

But not too patient.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

<Teams RWBY and JNPR are sharing a cabin in the woods on a mission.>

Jaune: "Hold on a moment, I'll go chop up more logs for the fire."

Yang: "Sure, you...do...that..."

*Jaune, wearing a flannel shirt stretched over his frame, jeans and sturdy boots, walks out whistling with an axe over his shoulder*

Yang and Weiss: "Hubba hubba."

Click to shrink...

Later in the laundry room in the dorms, as Jaune brings in a load of clothes...

Yang: "Jaune! Help!"

Jaune: "Eh?"

Yang is stuck in the dryer and kicking her legs.

Yang: "Help me! I'm stuck in the dryer!"

Jaune: "I'll get you out, Yang!"

Yang: "Yes! Just uh... Just grab my hips real tight~..."

Jaune does so... Yang doesn't make it easy though as she keeps bumping her round ass against his crotch

Jaune: "S-Sure, got you!"

Yang: "And... Pull!"

Jaune does so... Yang seems to be fighting him, rubbing up against him... But he gets her out. He pulls her to her feet and holds her.

Jaune: "You okay?"

Yang: smirks "Sure am~..."

 

[SharkCultist]

During class Jaune shows surprisingly deep knowledge of a piece of classical literature.

Yang: ok but how? Even Weiss was struggling and here comes farm boy reciting the answers from memory!

Jaune: look it's no big deal, I needed to be familiar with the story for a job I did to earn some money for Beacon.

Yang: what kind of job needs memorizing a entire book?

Jaune: ....promise not to spread it around?

Yang: I mean I'll obviously tell my team as long as it's nothing too bad.

Jaune: I did some voice acting for a show based off of that book.

*Blake falls out of the rafters*

Blake: no way. There's only one show based off of this book and only one voice actor using a pseudonym.

Yang: were you spying on us?

Blake: you played the empty king!

Jaune: shhhh not so loud! I have no idea why girls like that show so much but I am not getting dragged into that crazy fan crap. I still hear horror stories from the others.

Yang: how bad can it be? Also Empty King? Context?

Jaune: Dominic got asked to sign a placenta.

Yang: what the fu-....no on second thought don't elaborate on that part.

Jaune: well there's not much to explain, I got cast to voice a character that showed up in some flashbacks and one episode with the main character then died. Thought that would be it, just a paycheck.

Blake: Just a paycheck? That's one of the most heartfelt performances in mistrialian anime, it was so good that the show got nominated for awards!'

Jaune: look can we just drop it?

Yang: oh heck no now I'm curious. Come on do some lines for us.

Jaune: I really would rather not...

Yang: please?

Blake: she's asking. I'm blackmailing.

Jaune: mother fucker. Fine. I'll do ONE line.

*Blake fist pumps as Jaune clears his voice then speaks in a much deeper smoother voice*

Jaune: Cherish your bonds hero. Accomplishments and accolades are wonderful things but fleeting. Your glory will fade, But friendships cultivated and families built will remember you far longer and far better. Love and laughter is far better than legendary, something I wish I had known long ago.

*Jaune coughs*

Jaune: man that's murder on the throat, there. Happy?

Yang/Blake: gotta go need new panties.

*The girls run off*

Jaune:....what?

 

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -



Blake hadn't been the most social creature since she'd arrived at Beacon. It had taken a lot of work on behalf of her friends to get her to participate in activities other than training, reading, and vigilantism.



Blake could admit, it was slow going mostly because of her. Which made her feel guilty. Which made her want to be more isolated.



And honestly, she did enjoy her solitude. She always had.



Right now she was enjoying a quick catnap in her favorite tree on the Beacon grounds. It had wide, comfortable trunks, just the right kind of shade and foliage to shield her from view, and no pesky birds nesting to ruin her snooze.



It also offered a lot of privacy from below: A ring of rosebushes with beautiful buds and sharp thorns guarded the grass around the base. Even on people with Aura, they were capable of harm. An oddity, but not one Blake was complaining about.



So she snoozed in the afternoon sun, letting her mind wander... Until she heard a guitar being played. And a woman singing.



"I am lonely wherever I go,

Sanctuary is all that know~..."



Blake looked down. In the one clear spot under the tree, free of rosebushes, Jaune Arc sat and played his guitar. And next to him... Her eyes widened.



It was a beautiful woman. Brunette, pale white skin, with blood red lips and high cheekbones. Her black hair was brushed back in shoulder-length pin curls. She wore black nose, a black pencil skirt, and a white blouse with blue collar and cuffs. A pendant of a bird was on a red ribbon tied around her neck.



"And I dream of the sky

Broken clouds drifting by

And I dream of the sky

My utopian lie~..."

Her voice was absolutely gorgeous, yet carried an intense sorrow that cut right to her heart. Blake felt tears come to her eyes, and she quickly brushed them away.



The woman paused and smiled at Jaune. Jaune smiled back.



"You're just amazing, Lizzie," he said happily.



"Lots of practice," she demurred, "You've been getting better at the guitar, too!"



"Oh, well, uh, ya know... Practice," Jaune shrugged.



Lizzie looked up and smiled warmly up at Blake. Blake blanched.



"Hello," she called out, "Are you one of Jaune's friends?"



"Hm?" Jaune looked up with the woman and smiled. "Oh! Hey Blake! Uh, we didn't bother you, did we?"



"... No," Blake decided. She flipped up and dropped out of the tree, landing in silence between the two. "Another of your relatives, Jaune?"



Jaune flushed and rubbed the back of his head.



"Er, well... Y-Yeah. Family like mine, everyone wants to drop by, I guess. This is Lizzie DeWitt. She's my aunt!"



"Not blood related, just honorary," Lizzie chuckled, her blue eyes fixated on her. Blake fidgeted. The cat Faunus didn't know why, but something felt... Strange about Miss DeWitt. Her gaze in particular put her on edge. Those eyes... They seemed to look right through her.



"Blake Belladonna," Blake introduced herself politely, nodding to Lizzie. She nodded back.



"I love this spot," she sighed, reaching out to pick out of the roses. She put it up in her hair behind her ear and smiled warmly. "My favorite roses grow here. Always have, since this tree was planted. It offers perfect shade to the roses."



Well, she had good taste in trees, at least.



"Are you a Huntress?" Blake asked.



Lizzie again smiled, but there was a hint of mischief in her eyes. Jaune shook his head.



"She's a singer! Does a lot of shows at clubs around Remnant!"



"I'm always on the move, so it's hard to keep in touch," Lizzie added, grabbing a rose and handing it to Jaune. He took it with a smile and put it on his guitar, "But I try to make time for my favorite nephew."



Jaune flushed. Lizzie chuckled then gave Blake a scrutinizing look.



"Are you two close friends?"



"W-Well..." Blake fidgeted. Under those eyes, it was hard to think of any platitudes. "We... Both like to read. Our teams work together a lot. He makes good tuna salad."



"Thanks," Jaune beamed, "I like reading with you too. Though uh... Ninjas of Love is um... A little racy for my tastes."



"It's still brilliantly written," Blake insisted.



"I didn't say it wasn't! Honest!" Jaune insisted.



Lizzie laughed.



"Hey, Jaune? Can you get me some cola? We have the same favorite, after all. And I'd love to get to know your friend here."



"Well," Jaune hesitated. Lizzie made puppy dog eyes at him.



"Please? For me?"



"Well... Sure," Jaune said with a nod and a smile. "Just be nice, okay? She is my friend and I care about her."



Blake fought a blush. She wasn't used to people being so... Open.



Lizzie smiled back. She pulled out some coins and tossed them to Jaune. The blond caught them with remarkable dexterity.



"We'll be right here," she said with a beam. Jaune nodded and looked to Blake.



"What can I get you?"



"Um... Tea please. Green," Blake said, staring warily at Lizzie. Jaune nodded with a smile, got up, and carefully navigated around the rose bushes. He headed for a drink machine near one of the office buildings. Blake looked back at Lizzie, her ears twitching underneath her bow.



"It's all right," Lizzie said gently, "I know who you are but I'm not going to announce it to the world. I understand why you're keeping a low profile."



"How could you-?" Blake tried, but Lizzie stared at her.



"I know," she said, her voice deepening slightly. Her eyes, the color of the clearest skies, seemed to glow with an eldritch power. For a moment, Blake thought she was staring into the infinite.



Then it ended, and Lizzie was pulling out a cigarette from her sleeve. She brought it up to her lips and ignited it with a snap of her fingers. It took Blake a moment to notice that where her pinkie finger should be on her right hand was a shiny thimble.



"... Who... What are you?" Blake whispered.



Lizzie took a deep drag off the cigarette, before letting the smoke out as a ring. She stared intently at Blake.



"I am the angel with no beginning and no end," she spoke softly.



"Before you lie two paths, Blake Belladonna. One choice? You lose your friends and family because of your fear. Your dream dies. And human and Faunus alike become a memory on a dead world."



The ring flashed, and Blake gaped in horror. She could see Menagerie, see it engulfed in darkness. The moon was blood red and the sun blocked out by smoke clouds. She saw figures of darkness shuffling through the ruins, sorrow radiating from them like a toxic fume. They seemed almost human if not for the Grimm muck covering every inch of their bodies. Above them was a pale woman: Beautiful, pale, with glowing red eyes. Her rage and sorrow consumed everything and yet could never be sated.



There were two other figures. A dark knight with red hair, burning red eyes, and horns. He carried a sword of flames. Next to him was a similar dark figure, but with cat ears and a whip. Her eyes glowed amber. They staggered through this hell, locked together by chains of flesh and bone, drenched in Grimm muck.



The vision disappeared, and Blake took deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She shakily looked down. Her hands were trembling.



Lizzie's hand reached out and squeezed hers. Blake looked up. Elizabeth's face was full of compassion. She breathed another smoke ring.



"Or you can make the other choice," Lizzie said softly, "And life... Is different."



Blake sat on a hill. It was covered in grass and wildflowers. The sun shone overhead and the clouds rolled on by, pure white against limitless blue.



"Mama!"



She started and looked to her side. Two little blond Faunus children, twins, a boy and a girl, rushed up to her. They carried crowns of woven flowers, and wore bright yellow and blue.



"Look at mine! It's super great!" The girl insisted, shaking her crown at Blake.



"Nuh uh!" The boy countered, holding up his flower crown with a pout, "Mines' super duper great! You wanna wear mine!"



"Does not!"



"Does too!"



Blake giggled and wrapped both children in a tight hug. They hugged her back, their little hearts beating fiercely against her chest.



"They're both wonderful," she said, "So I'll wear them both!"



They beamed. Behind them she could see a crowd. All her friends: Older, more worn, but all smiling. All human or Faunus, all free of darkness. All ready to celebrate life itself.



A smile came to her face and tears came to her eyes.



The vision abruptly ended. She looked around in shock. Elizabeth was back to smoking, studying Blake intently.



"How... How will I know what the choice is? Wh-When do I have to make it?" Blake asked.



Elizabeth shook her head.



"You won't know until it happens, Blake Belladonna," she said, "That is the nature of free will. Those are possible futures only. You have to create the future."



She smiled sadly.



"All I can say is... Don't push everyone away. Don't break off all ties, even if you think they'll be better for it. I did the same... And now? I am alone."



"But... You have Jaune," Blake pointed out, "You have his family."



Lizzie nodded.



"I do... I am holding Jaune when he is only a few minutes old. His mother is fretting over his breathing. I am hugging Jaune when he is five. He scraped his ankle. I am comforting him through his tears. I am congratulating him when he is seventeen for getting into medical school his first try. I am comforting him when he is eighteen, because his partner was murdered and he couldn't do anything. I am dancing at his wedding when he is twenty-four. I am playing with his children when he is thirty. I am holding his hand when he dies when he is thirty-six... When he is fifty... When he is two-hundred... When he is nineteen..."



Elizabeth shook her head.



"These are all precious to me... But it is not the same as experiencing it as a mortal does... As a mortal should."



"Are... Are you a goddess?" Blake whispered.



Elizabeth smiled softly.



"I am what I said I am."



"I-I don't understand," Blake admitted.



"That's all right," Elizabeth said gently, "One day? You will. Or you won't. It's up to you."



"Blake!"



Blake jumped and turned her head. Jaune was against gingerly navigating the rose bushes, holding two cans of drinks. He frowned and looked around.



"Where's Lizzie?"



"She's right-"



Blake turned... And saw nothing. She stared in disbelief: There was no scent, no heat left behind. Elizabeth hadn't even left a trace in the grass!



"Oh," Jaune sighed, walking up to the shocked Blake, "She does that. Mom keeps trying to lay traps for her but she always gets around them somehow."



He looked at her in concern.



"Are you all right? What did she say to you?"



Blake frowned. She thought about what she had seen, what she had been told...



She sucked in a deep breath.



"I... It's personal," she decided on. Jaune nodded again.



"I get it," he said. He smiled and held out her tea. "You still want a drink?"



Blake stared at him for a while. She then slowly reached out and took the drink. Jaune turned to go.



"Wait," she said. Jaune turned back curiously.



"I... Let's drink and talk together," she said quietly. Jaune blinked.



"Er... You sure?"



Blake nodded with a small smile.



"Positive."



He blushed. He smiled back and sat down with her.



And overhead, the sky was blue with pure white clouds rolling by, and the sun shone brightly.



- - -



Naturally Jaune's "Aunt" is Elizabeth from Bioshock: Infinite.

The song she sang is "Dream of the Sky" by Miracle of Sound:


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK9L5zSDRiA

 

[SharkCultist]

As a Huntress Summer Rose had seen many strange things, she'd also seen many terrifying things. Right now she was seeing something that definitely topped both of those list.

She'd been on a mission trying to push back the border of the grimmlands a bit, a fairly standard job but not usually one you take solo, but she'd been sure she would be fine with her magic glowing eyes of doom.

She hadn't planned to see a little blonde boy coming out the bushes half dead from starvation and bleeding from a head wound.

Gods he looked like he was around yangs age.

So she quickly grabbed the kid and made a camp with the intention to terminate the mission and get him to a hospital. In the meantime she awakened his aura to hopefully keep him from getting worse.

Then the Grimm started. She knew there were more of them at border, but it's usually like a pack or three more beowolves. Not almost a hundred and fifty Grimm!

So summer plopped herself into a defensive stance in front of the tent and fought to protect the kid.
And fought.
And fought.
And fought.
Until she couldn't.

Out of aura, out of bullets, and out of luck Summer despaired she'd never see her girls again.

And as a tent flap opened and a small body stumbled out she despaired that she'd watch a child die.

He still looked rough. His blonde hair was caked to his head in clumps by sweat and blood and his blue eyes looked glassy and unfocused.

Not quite a knight in shining armor. But still it looked like he was going to try. Stumbling and jerky like a badly built puppet he moved towards the Grimm.

It should have been a slaughter, and it was. But not how she expected.

Unknown to summer the child had been awake for a little bit before he came out of the tent ,watching the fight. Taking it all in.

And as he stumbled and switched his way towards the Grimm something odd happened. He was getting better. His movements becoming less jerky by the second, his twitches stopped, he was moving like a normal person.

And then he was moving like a hunter. Defensive but quick. He met the Grimm and began to weave around it with familiar movements. Movements summer had spent weeks practicing were being copied by a child.

No more than that they were being Improved on! His movements were changing again. It still kept the traits of a hunter but summer also began seeing other traits in his fighting and she realized that just as he picked apart her at a glance he was doing the same to the Grimm.

In a beautiful and horrifying display this child who by all rights should be comatose right now began tearing through Grimm like a hot knife through butter. Wasteful blasts of aura gouging chunks out of Grimm and the land also began to refine in the middle of combat until he was bouncing around and shredding the surrounding Grimm with very stable and solid looking claws of aura.

Summer didn't even know that was possible!

Eventually somehow the tide of Grimm started to subside. Until it was just summer, the child, and a whole lot of questions. Chief among them being

"Kid are you ok?"

He started at her with those glassy eyes before speaking.

"Kid are you ok?"

Oh that's not good.

"What's your name?"

"What's your name?"

Definitely not good. How aware is he right now? Is he even awake or just in some kinda weird auto copy mode.

"My name is Summer Rose, what's yours?"

This time he paused and seemed to struggle for a bit.

"What's my name? Kid?"

Ok not just copying. Well he is but at least he's using what words he's copying in different ways, he's not fucked up beyond repair!

"I don't know your name, I just found you, but I'm a huntress! I'm here to help. Let's get you back to civilization and see if Ozpin can find your family."

Her words seemed to trigger something in him. His eyes got slightly less glassy. A spark of life seemingly flaring inside them.

"I'm here to help."

---

So we've got a amnesiac Jaune saving summer from her destined death.

His semblance here is similar to his normal one but different and is also tied to him getting his aura awakened while having amnesia.

Your semblance is born of you as a person, your sense of self in a single ability.

Jaune when he had his aura awakened didn't HAVE a sense of self. His aura and body are both taking everything around him in. Skills, movements, experience Jaune is pretty much a version of shirou emiya that copies people and semblances. The only reason he didn't use Summers is because he didn't see it.

But there's still traces of the old semblance he would have had. He's not amplifying anything but what he is doing is refining. All those skills and semblances will pretty much be blended together into the best versions he can make at the time.

He is not however invincible (despite how this chapter makes him out) he's doing this automatically so there's really no way for him to stop integrating things he sees, so a smart enough opponent would make him see something very different from his fighting style that he'd have to adjust to, he would adjust but it would throw him off.

For example if he's in the middle of a sword fight and you somehow position him to see a breakdance he's going to incorporate that breakdancing in the middle of the fight. No matter how much it throws him off.

He can also be overwhelmed and sorta shut down. It didn't happen here because this was mostly the same stuff he was copying. Claw slashes, lunges, bites. Mostly standard across the board.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

FUUJIN

Fuujin is a small but densely populated island chain nation in the southwestern part of Anima. The prevailing ocean and wind currents are strongest directly south of the country, which has aided in its relative isolation for centuries. While greatly influenced by Mistral over the centuries, it has rarely allowed outsiders in. It made several forays of conquest against Mistral, Taejo, even Rostam at some point but its imperial ambitions were always limited by its relatively low population.

In the Age of Empires, where Vale, Mistral and Vacuo's kingdoms began to go out to explore and colonize Remnant, Fuujin's isolation became a liability. Its strategic location and resources would make it a target of exploitation and conquest, much as Mistral and Pandu had suffered. The Divine Currents could no longer prevent steam powered ships from making landfall. As a result, the Emperor of Fuujin opened up his nation to the world.

The biggest assets that Fuujin had to offer were her formidable Aura activated warriors: Samurai, Ninja, and Miko/Geki. Samurai made use of swords, guns, armor and fought openly. Ninja used knives, short swords, stealth and speed to strike from the shadows. Miko/Geki were priestesses and priests who could use their Aura to heal, defend, and cleanse Grimm taint. The Emperor allowed them to become mercenaries to the world, "Hunters", and as they travelled the world they would return with new knowledge Fuujin would use to advance.

In less than a century, Fuujin went from a backwater island nation to a world power. Democratic government was introduced along with formal schooling, industry, and advanced technology. Fuujin built a world class navy, air force, and army. The Emperor was retained and willingly ceded much of his power to a parliament, and the nation flourished.

However, the samurai classes did not take this downgrade in power well. They, the ninja, and the priests had given the Emperor his power: Power he was now ceding to commoners. During the Great War, much like in Mantle, a military coup reduced the Emperor to a figurehead and Fuujin fought against the Allies.

However, the influence of the outside world and many Fuujin who had left to live in other kingdoms was strong. And while many Fuujin were obedient to authority due to their culture, they also had a sense of justice and honor. Vale and Vacuo had never been anything but allies to Fuujin, and the samurai had rewarded them with betrayal. The ninjas in particular led this resistance with many of the priests, as they had ventured out into the world more than the samurai.

The Great War and this civil war left Fuujin in ruins. They surrendered to the Allies unconditionally after years of siege. The Allies occupied Fuujin as they did Mantle and Mistral, but rebuilt them. When the occupation was over ten years after the war, Fuujin began to advance once more and resumed its status as one of the greatest non-aligned kingdoms on Remnant.

Much like Pandu, Fuujin retains a nominal independence from the Big Four Kingdoms, but has very strong ties with Vale and Atlas. Mistral continues to try and get it into their sphere of influence, but Fuujin resists. Its isolation still remains in many ways but so too does its fascination with the outside world.

Its capital city is called Oda, an advanced port city with towering skyscrapers and skylev trains. It is on track to become one of the most populated cities on Remnant. The Emperor's palace is situated in the city, the Sakura Castle. Its tall while walls contain a massive grove of cherry blossom trees, the symbol of the kingdom itself.

Like all isolated regions on Remnant, Fuujin has many distinctive Grimm sub-species. Ranging from the Jorougumo, a Spider/Human-like Grimm smart enough to lure unweary travellers into ambushes, to the Tengu: Ravenous crow-like Grimm that hunt in packs with razor sharp claws.

If you need a Japan analogue, here you go! And yes: You now have Aura Ninjas fighting Raptor Tengu Grimm. You're welcome!

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Ruby Rose stood outside the door to an extremely fancy hotel room. It was located in one of the ritziest hotels in Vale, the Cottonwood Tower. She'd been invited but she still hesitated for a moment.



After all... While Miguel was her friend, what she had to ask him was a little personal. And she wasn't great at personal stuff.



Summoning her courage, she reached up and knocked on the door. There was a moment of silence, before the lock was undone and the door opened. Ruby took a deep breath and smiled.



"Hey Mig... Uel?"



A stunning Vacuoan woman stood before her in a simple but elegant red house dress and apron. A blue silk scarf was tied around her neck. She stood there, voluptuous but athletic, as she looked Ruby up and down with chocolate brown eyes. She raised an eyebrow and her lips thinned. A small mole sat on her pointed chin.



"Ruby Rose, yes?" She asked, her voice lightly accented.



"Ah, y-yes," Ruby said. The woman took Ruby's hand and turned, leading her into the hotel. Ruby looked around with wide eyes at the huge expanse as the door shut behind them.



The hotel windows offered a panoramic view of the Vale skyline and the mountains behind it. Everything was done in plush blue carpets, with burgundy and gold furniture. A fully stocked bar of glass and rich mahogany lined the back wall and a crystal chandelier gleamed overhead.



The woman set Ruby down on a couch and smiled.



"I am Margarita. Miguel's mother." She raised her voice. "MIGUEL! The girl is here!"



Miguel came out of the nearest doorway, yawning a bit. He was in his jeans, suspenders, and white undershirt. He smiled at Ruby.



"Hey again Ruby, it is nice to-"



"MIGUEL!" Margarita barked angrily, "How dare you greet a guest so slovenly! You are a respectable man now! You must act like it!"



"But I was up all night doing reports-" Miguel protested but Margarita's glare intensified. Ruby felt like she was projecting Fire Dust through her eyes with how the air heated up.



"No excuse! A young lady is here and I raised you better!"



Miguel nodded quickly.



"Yes Mama! Sorry Ruby!"



Miguel disappeared back in the bedroom. Margarita sighed and shook her head. She gave Ruby an apologetic smile.



"He's such a good son, he just forgets things sometimes when he is tired. Please forgive him."



"O-Oh! No! I uh, it's okay!" Ruby said quickly, waving her hands. "I-I'm not offended!"



Margarita smiled slyly.



"He is quite the looker, isn't he?" She asked with a wink. Ruby flushed.



"Y-Yes! I mean, no! I mean, um, th-that's not why I'm here!"



Miguel emerged from the bedroom, now fully dressed in a smart red and white suit. He shook his head with a chuckle as he walked over.



"She is not here for me, Mama," he said kindly, sitting down next to Ruby on the couch. "I admire her valor, but her heart belongs to Jaune."



"I-You-But-!" Ruby sputtered, her entire face as red as her scarf. She flailed frantically. "It-It isn't that-I mean-I do-But-!"



Margarita chuckled.



"Ah... I see," she said with a nod. "Jaune was always a good boy. Helped me with chores. Cheered me up."



Her smile turned smoky.



"Worked without a shirt in the yard~..."



"Mama!" Miguel gasped in horror, "Please! None of that!"



"Forgive me my son," Margarita chuckled, "But I am still a woman. And your friend is becoming a fine man."



"Y-Yes, yes he is," Ruby mumbled. Margarita smiled down at Ruby. She sat down on the coffee table across from her, and took Ruby's hands in hers.



"But you do not know how to woo him?"



Ruby bowed her head, and slowly nodded.



"I... M-My mother died when I was very young," Ruby mumbled, "Sister Lucy at the local church taught me some... Some girl stuff, but I wasn't, ya know. As interested in that as my older sister."



"Until now," Margarita surmised. Ruby nodded quickly.



"I um... I was hoping Miguel could-could tell me about him? What... What he likes?"



Miguel laughed.



"Ah, Jaune was always the shy type," he said with a nod, "Always kept away from women. I did too, but him? He was hilarious. Like a dumb puppy."



"Miguel!" Margarita snapped. Miguel scowled at her.



"He was!"



They conversed back and forth in Hispania's native tongue, a spicy and passionate language that Ruby couldn't really keep up with. She looked back and forth as they argued, the language almost musical.



Finally Miguel sighed and held up his hands.



"Very well Mama, you know best," he said. "And it would be nice for him to relax once in his life with a good woman."



"Y-You think I'm a woman?" Ruby asked shyly. Miguel nodded. Margarita huffed.



"I'll be the judge of that." She pulled Ruby to her feet and out to an open space near the windows. She walked around Ruby, her keen eyes looking her up and down. Ruby stood up straight, nervous but trying not to show it.



"Yes, yes... You are still a girl," Margarita sniffed, "The feminine remains a mystery and an annoyance to you. A tomboy."



Ruby flushed then looked down shamefully. Margarita laughed and hugged Ruby.



"But so was I! We women must help guide one another through life," she said. "Femininity is it's own strength, and one all girls must master to become women."



"Do... Do you think I can do it?" Ruby asked.



"I wrestled boys and shot Grimm and rolled in the mud since I was eight, chica," Margarita chuckled, "And I still do! But I do it in style! And so will you!"



Ruby gasped happily.



"Th-Thank you, Mrs. Flores!"



"Do not thank me yet," Margarita said grimly, her voice and eyes hard, "We have a lot of work ahead of us. Miguel! The music, please."



Miguel nodded and opened up his Scroll. He tapped it, and a spicy Hispanian tune began to play on the speakers. Margarita strutted out across the carpet, her necklace jingling, before she clapped twice.



"A woman entices a man with her dancing!" Margarita boomed, "She conveys her love and heat through her body and the music flows through her! When you have that confidence, all else will follow! Especially the man! Now, copy me exactly!"



Margarita did the provocative steps again, shaking her hips and strutting like a tigress. She clapped twice, then nodded to Ruby. Ruby did the same movements, trying to copy them exactly... Then upon the clap step, she tripped over her boots and fell on her face.



"ACK!"



"We have a lot of work to do," Margarita sighed. "Up, Chica! If you want your man, you must TAKE HIM! Do you want him?"



"Y-Yes-"



"DO YOU WANT HIM?!" Margarita bellowed. Ruby nodded furiously.



"YES!"



"Then get up, and repeat after me again!"



Miguel sighed. The fire in Ruby's eyes was impressive, if intimidating. He could admit all Huntresses were lookers, but he felt that someone more low key would be better for him-Especially after Laura.



Jaune though was so dense he probably needed a powerful Huntress girl to knock him off his high horse.



Good luck, hermano, he thought, you're gonna need it...


THUD!


"EEP!"



"AGAIN, CHICA! ARE YOU EVEN TRYING?"



And you too, Ruby, he mentally chuckled.



- - -



Margarita is Spanish for "Pearl" and is also the full name of Rita Hayworth, a fantastic Latina actress who starred in a lot of Westerns.



Music is from Bleach.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Nick: "All right kids, guests... It's time for an annual event! JAUNE!"

Jaune: "Yes Dad?"

Nick: "Get out there and get us some firewood! You too, Ren! This will be intense training!"

Jaune: "Er, how?"

Nick: "You're going out in nothing but your underwear!"

Ruby: "What?!"

Nick: "Using your Aura, you will maintain your body heat! This is an excellent exercise in Aura control! Get to it!"

Jaune and Ren: "Right Dad/Mister Arc!"

They strip and head out. They are soon chopping wood and gathering it in their skivvies... While the ladies not related to them watch.

Ruby: "I... Oh wow..."

Yang: blush "Huh... Didn't know Vomit Boy had a six pack?"

Nick: "HAHAHA! That is the ancestral Arc six pack! Passed down through the generations!"

Pyrrha: "Oh my~..."

Weiss: "It-It's so uncouth and barbaric and yet..."

Blake: "Hwah... Wow..."

Weiss: "Don't you have Sun? D-Doesn't he constantly show off his six pack?"

Blake: "Eh. When you show it off constantly, it loses its power. Besides, Sun doesn't do manual labor..." licks her lips

Yang: "Farmboys know how to put in a hard day's work huh~?"

Nora: Drooling happily "Mother, Father: This is the best Yuletide I've ever had!"

Isabel: "We haven't adopted you yet, sweetie, but thank you."

Nora: "May I kill the other girls for ogling my man?"

Isabel: "No, and they're not. That's why we sent out Jaune, too."

Nora: gasp "You're the best mother I ever had! Which is not hard since the other one abandoned me to die."

Isabel: "Oh... You poor thing..." hugs her "Nick?"

Nick: "Got the adoption papers, sweetie!"

Nora: "YAY! NOW REN HAS TO MARRY ME IF WE'RE GONNA STAY IN THE SAME ROOM!"

Outside...

Ren: "Do you feel a sudden chill?"

Jaune: "Your Aura Control must be slipping, dude. You gotta focus!"

Ren: "Right, right..."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Ever since Blake had admitted she was a Faunus and made it public at Beacon, she'd begun to express her political views much more openly. Which her friends had supported... At first.

Blake: "A cowkini is absolutely cultural appropriation, Yang!"

Yang: "But I look so hot in it-!"

Blake: "NO!"

Nora: "So, wait, I can't wear my sloth snuggie and pretend to be a sloth Faunus? That's bogus!"

Blake: "You can't just pretend to be a Faunus!"

Nora: "But I wanna cuddle Ren as a Sloth Faunus!"

Blake: "No!"

Nora: "What if it was kinky?"

Blake: bright red "N-No! Not at all!"

Jaune for the most part was tuning it out, focusing on studying... When Blake said something next.

Blake: "Also, I don't think it's right to-to romanticize the knights of Albion and Gallia!"

Weiss: "What? They're the ones who helped found Huntsmen!"

Blake: "Yes, and they were all oppressive slaveholders of Faunus! Their Kingdoms engaged in the slave trade before they became part of Vale! They shouldn't be seen as heroes!"

Jaune slams his fork down on the table, getting everyone's attention. Blake scowls.

Pyrrha: concerned "Jaune?"

Ruby: "You okay-?"

Jaune stood up, pulled out his Scroll, flipped through several pages and then, upon finding what he wanted, he marched up to Blake. He towered over her. She glared back.

Blake: "What do you want, Jaune? I-"

Jaune: reading "'On this day of our Lord 1839, in cooperation with the Parliament of Albion, it is decreed that slavery and involuntary servitude of man or Faunus alike shall be outlawed in our dominion. All slave masters shall be compensated appropriately for freeing their slaves within our territories, colonies, and outposts, but those who persist in this ungodly and horrific trade shall be considered enemies of God and the Crown, and shall henceforth be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law of the Vytalian Empire. All former slaves, human or Faunus, shall be considered Subjects of the Vytalian Empire and like all subjects, shall be under the protection of the King and have the same rights and privileges thereof.'" He glares at Blake "This is a proclamation by Emperor Liam IV, the King of Albion, Emperor of the Vytalian Empire, and Lord Protector of Pandu. He was also a knight and my direct ancestor."

Blake: "I-W-Well-"

Jaune: Holds up a finger, flips to another page "And this is by the Gallian monarch at the time, Queen Josephine, to the National Assembly of Gallia: 'This final act of this Republic's session will be to signify an alliance between ourselves and Vytal to abolish the international slave trade and end the subjugation of all human and faunus within our empire. For those who have souls must be free lest the darkness consume us all.' She deployed Gallian Knights, including several of my ancestors, to liberate slaves across the Empire. The Vytalian Navy did the same, shutting down the Faunus slave trade to Atlas and Mistral."

Blake: "But equal rights-!"

Jaune: "You're absolutely right. There is plenty of injustice in the world, Blake. And it's good to fight it. I will happily fight alongside you against it. But you do not win by twisting and distorting history. It just pisses people off! Hell!" He points to Cardin "The House of Winchester helped end Faunus slavery in Arminus when they continued to do so against Vale's laws!"

Cardin: "We did?"

Jaune: "You did!"

Cardin: "Cool!" At the looks he gets "... What? I have issues with Faunus, but I don't want you as slaves!"

Velvet: "What about me~?" winks

Cardin: blushes, sputters

Jaune: "So, yeah Blake. I get that you want justice and equality. But haranguing us isn't going to get you that. Okay?"

Blake: "..." slowly nods "O-Okay."

Jaune returns to his seat and resumes eating and studying. Pyrrha beams in pride.

Weiss: "... Jaune?"

Jaune: "Uh, yes Weiss?"

Weiss: "Good boy. You actually made her shut up."

Blake: "YOU HAVE ZERO ROOM TO TALK, WEISS!"

Weiss: "Oh I think I do~!"

The two begin to argue.

Ruby: "Wow... You were like, a super nerd!"

Yang: "As much as I like her, it is nice to see her back down. Good work, VB!"

Jaune: "Oh, uh, ya know... I mean, I know my ancestors did a lot of bad things, but they also did a lot of good things too. I just hate it when it's oversimplified, you know?"

Pyrrha: smiles "Exactly..."

Nora: "So... I can wear a sloth costume to cuddle Ren?"

Jaune: "As long as Ren has no objections, yes."

Nora: "HEE!"

Ren: "At last. My life is complete."

Yang: "Is... Is that sarcasm?"

Ren: "No."

- - -

Again, I wanted Blake to grow and change as a character. But the writers have a very shallow idea of what the history of oppression, slavery and civil rights is. And so they were never able to write the Faunus rights issue properly. The actual history of slavery and oppression is wonderfully complex with a lot of potential things to draw from! But RT failed to do it. So hey, I may as well play around with it.

And of course, just because slavery was made illegal doesn't mean racial discrimination and injustice didn't happen. But the biggest and most powerful empire in the history of the world, the British Empire, did gradually end slavery as a legal institution throughout their territories over a period of 30 years and deployed their powerful navy to suppress the slave trade, along with many other European nations: And that was certainly a good thing.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Getting out of Dust Class to deal with an emergency hadn't been the easiest thing to accomplish, but The Huntsman and his faithful sidekick, Wonder Zwei, had managed it.

Though Jaune felt that detonating Dust under the fire sprinklers was a tad excessive. He'd have to volunteer in Professor Peach's class more often to make up for it.

That aside, he and Wonder Zwei arrived on the Huntscycle (Copyright pending) at the corner of Perrault and Lang in Vale. The silent alarm inside the nearby Museum of Boxing had gone off, and both Huntsman and Wonder Zwei raced inside.

They found the cashier lying in a pool of his own blood near the commemorative shot glasses. Huntsman's eyes widened in horror as he knelt beside the fallen man.

"You poor man!" Huntsman cried, as Wonder Zwei sniffed him, "What dastardly fiend did this to you?!"

"That would be me, Huntsman!" A female voice laughed. Huntsman looked up... And his own face exploded in red.

A very... Very... Healthy woman with generous curves and abs you could grind meat on strutted out of the main museum. Her "costume" consisted of a golden dragon mask over her eyes, a yellow string bikini top, black short shorts, boots and gloves. Huntsman focused his extraordinary willpower on the woman's face-Not that that was much help.

"Name's Sun Dragon!" The woman cackled, "On account of how I'm gonna warm you right up~!"

"You assaulted this man?!" Huntsman demanded.

The Sun Dragon snickered.

"What? No! I had a jacket I took off and he just keeled over with a nosebleed!"

The Huntsman inspected him. Indeed, all of the blood had come from the victim's nostrils, which were still drawing breath. The extremely silly smile on the man's face was another dead giveaway as to the cause of his unconsciousness.

"Ah... I see," The Huntsman stated. He dragged his eyes back to Sun Dragon, and kept them locked on her eyes. "Well! What are you after, Sun Dragon?"

"Well~," Sun Dragon spun a very worn set of boxing gloves around her finger with a grin, "I thought I'd try on Ozark Ike's boxing gloves! The ones he wore when he became Remnant's Heavyweight Champion~! They'd look great in my collection!"

"That's theft!" Huntsman declared, standing up to point an accusatory finger at Sun Dragon. "You can't deny schoolchildren the ability to look upon the gloves Ozark Ike used on his difficult journey from a hillbilly in Vale to world champion! That inspiration is critical to promoting a healthy culture and future for us all! We need heroes to look up to and be inspired by!"

Sun Dragon looked taken aback by Huntsman's passionate speech. She then smiled with a light blush over her cheeks.

"So... You really care about children, do you~?"

"Absolutely!" Huntsman declared. Wonder Zwei was busy looking through the keychains for one with his name.

Sun Dragon hummed, then shrugged, which did many interesting things to her chest that Huntsman tried very hard not to notice.

"Well, I guess if it's for the children, I give up~!" Sun Dragon declared, setting the boxing gloves down reverently on the cashier's desk.

Huntsman blinked.

"I... Um... G-Good!" Huntsman stated. Sun Dragon sashayed her way up to him, and held out her hands. She did it in such a way to ensure her chest was pushed up. Something Huntsman again tried very hard not to notice.

"I guess you're gonna cage this dragon up for good, huh?" Sun Dragon asked in a honey sweet voice. Huntsman coughed.

"I uh... I-I mean... It is your first offense and you did give up," the Huntsman said, "And the cashier will be fine so um... M-Maybe I could let you off with a warning, or uh... Community service..."

Sun Dragon cooed and leaned in closer. Their noses were nearly touching.

"How would you like me to serve you? You're part of the community, after all~," Sun Dragon teased.

Huntsman sputtered. The barely clothed burglar giggled. It was a very nice giggle, Huntsman decided. And a strangely familiar one.

"You do this for all the hot supervillainesses?" She asked, "Or just the ones with a great rack? I saw you looking~."

"I uh... It, uh," Huntsman stuttered. Sun Dragon chuckled, her violet eyes boring into his.

"I don't mind if you look, Huntsman," she teased, "Why aren't you? They're my best features."

"It... Uh... W-Well, um..." Huntsman coughed, staring back into her eyes, "I disagree."

Sun Dragon blinked.

"Huh?"

"I-I mean, um, they're very nice, but your eyes are absolutely gorgeous," Huntsman said quickly, "Like amethysts gleaming in the flames of a dragon's fire."

Sun Dragon's entire face went bright red. Huntsman's face was not much better.

Wonder Zwei was trying to figure out Venmo so he could pay for a collective mug.

Glass shattered behind them and both Huntsman and Sun Dragon broke apart and looked. A girl in a red and black costume with a domino mask and her short hair up in a ponytail posed dramatically, wielding a scythe with the words "NOT Crescent Rose" written on it in what looked like markers.

"Halt fiend! Don't you dare deceive my partner!"

"Partner?!" Sun Dragon and Huntsman shouted at the same time, Sun Dragon sounding offended while Huntsman was just confused.

"Yes! I am the Huntsman's loyal sidekick, RED REAPER!" The girl declared, spinning her scythe overhead with a flourish. She grinned and winked at Huntsman. "I mean, a good superhero needs more than just one sidekick, right?"

"Ruff," Wonder Zwei opined. Huntsman scowled at him.

"You do not have a lot of paperwork to do! I do all the paperwork!"

"Ruff."

"No, you're just browsing XYZ all day, I know it!"

Sun Dragon snorted and put a hand on her hip.

"Run along home, little girl! This is a private superhero and supervillain fight!" She declared.

"Nuh uh!" Red Reaper cried, "I'm gonna back my hero up and keep supervillainesses like you away from him!"

"He could take me all on his own!" Sun Dragon boasted, pressing herself against the Huntsman and making his face turn bright red. "I don't stand a chance! You can take the day off!"

"NO WAY! It's too dangerous, Huntsman!" Red Reaper declared. She charged in and swung her scythe, making Sun Dragon jump back. Sun Dragon glared back.

"It's not remotely too dangerous! There's plenty of water in the gift shop!"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Huntsman sputtered.

"To avoid dehydration~," Sun Dragon grinned.

"THAT'S why it's too dangerous!" Red Reaper growled. "Hands off!"

"What happened to sisters before misters?!" Sun Dragon demanded as she threw a punch. Red Reaper dodged around it and attacked Sun Dragon from above.

"He's MY mister! I saw him first!"

"YOU DID NOT!"

The Huntsman, baffled, watched his supposed new sidekick and newest supervillainess adversary fight furiously like belligerent siblings. He looked over to Wonder Zwei.

"Wonder Zwei? Chum? Any thoughts?"

Wonder Zwei was silent for a moment as he ate some popcorn.

"Ruff."

"What do you mean 'Zwei is a good name for a child?!' That's not helpful!"

"Ruff."

"No I'm not and that's very politically incorrect!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Training missions were the bread and butter of Beacon students. Headmaster Ozpin firmly believed that Hunters should get to know the people and lands they would be protecting and get a taste of how the job really worked beyond the sensationalistic books, comics and movies portrayed.

What Ruby Rose was learning was that most of it was... Dull.

"Uggggh," Ruby moaned, leaning against the wall in the Beacon mission office as other Hunter teams milled around or waited in line, "This is sooo boring!"

The rest of RWBY was gathered around in a waiting area of cheap couches, coffee tables, and chairs.

"It is a critical part of being a Huntress, Ruby," Weiss gently scolded, though judging from the fashion magazine she was reading, she too was not enthused about the wait time.

"Yeah, the worst part," Ruby grumbled. Yang shadowboxed nearby, while Blake read through another of her novels. Ruby laid on a couch and childishly kicked her legs up in the air.

"Our trainer should have already shown up!" Ruby whined.

"Yeah, he should, and stop that," Yang stated with a scowl, "You're giving the boys a show."

"Nuh uh! I wear shorts under my combat skirt!" Ruby insisted.

"Skintight shorts!"

"You do go around in those yourself, Yang," Blake observed. Yang flushed.

"Well my little sister shouldn't act like that!"

"You were the one bending over in a low cut top around Jaune yesterday," Ruby accused Yang. The blonde brawler had the decency to blush before clearing her throat.

"Th-That's different! He has seven sisters, he knows how a girl should look!"

"And you say I'm tsundere," Weiss huffed.

"You are," Blake smirked.

"I am not!"

"Team RWBY!"

All four girls got to their feet at the barked order and stared at the newcomer. It was a tall, neatly coiffed blond man in a tan business suit, blue undershirt, leopard-print tie, and stylish goggle-like sunglasses. A small battleaxe wrapped in white tiger print hung from his side. Yang was the first to recover and scowled.

"Who are you?"

"I'm your trainer for the day's mission," the man spoke firmly, "Brand Arc."

Four sets of jaws dropped. Ruby recovered first this time.

"Are-Are you related to Jaune Arc, by any chance?"

"Yes," Brand stated firmly, "He is my nephew. I am Isabel's younger brother."

"Another one?!" Weiss muttered in exasperation. Yang elbowed her. "OW! What?"

JNPR was passing by at that moment. They stopped and Jaune grinned. He ran up and hugged Brand.

"Uncle Brand! You made it!"

The grim look on the man's face softened just a bit, as he briefly returned the hug.

"It's good to see you well, Jaune," he said with a nod. Jaune grinned back as his other teammates walked up too. Pyrrha beamed warmly as Nora waved and Ren nodded respectfully.

"Nice to meet you, Mister Arc," Pyrrha said, "I'm Pyrrha Nikos, this is Nora Valkyrie, and that's Lie Ren. We're Jaune's teammates."

Brand nodded respectfully back as Jaune pulled away.

"Both of your teams have been assigned to me," he stated, "For a routine investigation mission near Gallia." He stared at Weiss. "Weiss Schnee, correct?"

"Yes sir," Weiss said with a respectful nod. He shook his head.

"Your father made a catastrophically bad deal with Wayland Motors. He should find people who know the military airship business next time," he stated. Weiss blinked rapidly with a new respect in her eyes.
"You know about that?"

"Yeah!" Jaune grinned, "Uncle Brand was an investment banker for Njord Investments!"

Weiss and Pyrrha's eyes bugged out.

"The biggest investment firm in Atlas?!" Pyrrha gasped. Brand nodded.

"The same," he stated. "I worked as a Level One Advisor."

Blake's eyes narrowed.

"So you were good enough to advise on the state level in regards to international trade," she said, "For Atlas."

Brand nodded.

"Yes. Incidentally, Miss Belladonna, your parents are making excellent gains in the metals market, but every time White Fang launches an attack their efforts to set up a CCT tower in Menagerie has to restart from scratch. Until that changes, Menagerie will always be a high risk investment, though your parents have done a good job on the local economic level."

"I..." Blake blinked rapidly, her ears twitching beneath her bow, "Th-Thanks?"

"Wait," Weiss interjected, "If you're so good, why are you working as a Huntsman? Um, n-no offense."

Brand nodded gravely.

"That's simple: The current finance market is shit!"

The vehemence in his voice made almost everyone jump. Brand shook his head.

"The economy is in a slump right now and dealing with a bunch of spoiled brats with too much money is deleterious to the soul."

"So, you like being a Huntsman better?" Pyrrha asked with a photogenic smile. Brand shook his head.

"No. Being a Hunter is also shit!"

Again, everyone jumped at the force he put into that word. Brand adjusted his glasses.

"The same economic slowdown means that while Grimm are still a problem, Hunter wages aren't going up save in areas of the worst trouble. And even then you need to get paid by corporations with investments in the area to make any real money. If they don't just hire on mercenaries for cheaper. In short..."

He shook his head and crossed his arms.

"Work is shit! But, man must work to survive. So you may as well do the work you are best suited for. And that's Hunting."

Jaune smiled at his brusque uncle.

"You haven't changed at all," he said. Brand nodded.

"It happens to all adults, you get set in your ways. Now, give me your paperwork. I'll sort it out."

Ruby transmitted the paperwork. Brand opened his own Scroll, and sorted through it. He hit "send", and green lights appeared on his Scroll screen.

"Good. We're all set," he stated.

"That fast?!" Ruby gasped.

"Uncle Brand is great at sorting out paperwork!" Jaune enthused.

Brand nodded grimly.

"It is a suffering one must get used to," he stated. "Come! Let's get on our way."

"So, he's a finance wizard but he's back to fighting?" Weiss muttered to Jaune as the two teams followed Brand out the door. Yang, Ruby and Pyrrha all seemed to cluster around Jaune and shoot eachother dirty looks.

Jaune nodded.

"Yeah. He paid his way through college by hunting after my grandparents died when he was a kid. Same for my mom, my other uncles and my aunt."

"I see," Weiss frowned, "I do hope he's not out of practice."

"Come on, Weiss, he's built under those clothes," Yang grinned. Weiss huffed.

"That's not enough to prove he's any good! Jaune's built like a beast but-but he's still terrible at fighting!"

Jaune blushed deeply. Weiss, after a moment, followed suit.

"N-Not that I was looking!" She declared.

"Tsundere~," Yang mocked.

"I AM NOT!" Weiss shook her head. "Anyway, Mister Arc needs to prove his prowess! L-Like anyone else!"

- - -

As it turned out, a bandit gang attacked one of the settlements on their investigation mission. They had the bad luck to attack the village just as Brand and the teams arrived. It was short, brutal... And extremely one sided.

As Brand proceeded to demolish most of the Bandits all by himself with just his short axe and fists. One bandit tried to knife him in the back, but Brand just backhanded him back through a wall.

JNPR and RWBY stared as Brand seized one bandit by the ponytail. The young man whimpered in terror as Brand loomed over him.

"Where is your base and how many comrades do you have?" He snarled.

"I-I can't-!"

"Where is your base and how many comrades do you have?" Brand growled, tightening his grip on the young man's ponytail and pulling back hard. The young man yelped.

"N-NEAR THE WATERFALL! BY THE LAKE! FIFTEEN AT LEAST!"

Brand slammed the man face first through a brick wall. Having his Aura activated, the man was shaken but not badly hurt.

"How many comrades do you have?" Brand again demanded. The ponytailed man screamed.

"Um... Maybe we should stop this?" Ruby offered, staring with the rest of her team at the scene. Jaune shook his head.

"No. These bandits have been killing innocent people and worse things around here," he said firmly, "He should be scared. My uncle's not a sadist though: You won't get any useful information with torture. Intimidation and some rough treatment will do the trick."

"Oh yeah, totally!" Nora said cheerfully, "I mean, you gotta build up to that! Only break their limbs if you need to! They're a huge hassle if you hurt them too badly!"

"Indeed," Ren stated, "We've learned this the hard way."

"Wha-" Ruby's eyes bugged out. "Seriously?! Don't you have any-any issues with this, guys?!"

Yang, Weiss, Pyrrha, and Blake all stared at Brand manhandling the prisoner... With deep red faces.

"Guys?!" Ruby demanded.

"Wh-What? What?" Weiss mumbled. "Oh, um, as long as he's not too badly harmed, it should be okay?"

"JAUNE!" Brand shouted, "Get over here. You're going to help me demonstrate the proper way to interrogate a prisoner!"

"Sure thing Uncle!" Jaune said cheerfully.

"C-Could I volunteer to play the prisoner?" Pyrrha asked hopefully.

"You?!" Yang growled.

"I'm very familiar with interrogations, I'd be best at it," Blake said quickly.

"Seriously?!" Weiss demanded. Ruby brightened. "I should do it! I've gone through the training! And-And I have a ponytail too that he can grab onto!"

And Ruby's face fell.

"Seriously?!"

Brand shook his head.

"No, we already have the bandit for that," Brand stated, "And different interrogation styles will help you learn from your mistakes. Though keep that in mind for the future! Practice is shit, but if you don't do it you will be shit!"

"Yes Uncle Brand!" Jaune said cheerfully. He seized the whimpering bandit's ponytail and yanked hard. "Like this?"

"No, no, more with the wrist," Brand corrected his nephew.

Ruby turned bright red. Thoughts of growing out her hair to get a ponytail emerged... And she frantically shook her head to clear her thoughts.

Stupid hormones!

- - -

Naturally, Brand Arc is heavily based on Nanami Kento from Jujutsu Kaisen. Kento means "Sword" in Japanese, so I replaced his name with "Brand" which means the same thing in Old English. And I had to reference how thirsty girls got over seeing Nanami manhandle a badguy with a ponytail.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

In the cozy common room between teams RWBY and JNPR of Beacon Academy, Jaune Arc was perched on a worn-out couch. His brow furrowed in concentration over a cookbook titled The Art of Exotic Cooking. His blond locks fell over his eyes as he studied the intricate details of a recipe for goat curry, oblivious to the world around him.

"Hmmm..." Jaune murmured, his finger tracing the lines of text.

From behind him, Yang Xiao Long crept up with the stealth of a panther, her golden hair tied back in a ponytail that swished with each careful step. "Whatcha up to, VB?" she asked, her voice laced with playful mischief.

Jaune jumped, nearly dropping the book. "ACK! Oh! Hey Yang! I'm looking up a recipe for goat curry. It's Nora's favorite, and since her birthday's coming up, I thought I'd make it for her!"

Yang snatched the book from his hands, her violet eyes scanning the pages. "Hmmm... You know, I've cooked a lot of curries back home. How about I handle it?"

"You sure?" Jaune's voice was tinged with relief.

"Hey, I wanna brighten up Nora's big day too!" Yang grinned, her enthusiasm catching.

"That's great! I was going to get the goat!" Jaune said, his enthusiasm returning.

"Right now? The shops are closing soon!" Yang warned, raising an eyebrow.

"I'll be getting a wild goat. It's what Nora wants, and I wanted to test out the recipe to see if it would be good," Jaune explained.

"Well... How about I get the rest of it ready and you get the goat?" Yang proposed. She headed over to the kitchen and pulled out an apron.

"Really? Thanks, Yang!" Jaune beamed, his face lighting up.

While Yang gathered spices and ingredients, Jaune headed into the evening light. An hour later, he returned, a dead goat draped over his shoulders like a barbarian returning from a hunt.

"Ack! Jaune! You can't just bring it in here-!" Yang exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise.

"I just need to skin and dress it, Yang! It won't take too long, I promise. Besides, we can get the goat skin tanned and make it another gift for Nora!" Jaune countered.

"I thought she loved sloths?" Yang questioned, puzzled.

"Yeah, she loves live sloths and dead goats," Jaune shrugged as if this were an obvious fact.

Yang, having lived with Ruby, just rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Well do it over there on the balcony! You don't want to make a mess!" Yang directed, pointing towards the open air.

Jaune, true to his word, skillfully prepared the goat on the balcony, the setting sun casting long shadows as he worked. He brought in the meat while Yang used some Ice Dust to freeze the rest, wrapping it neatly.

"We'll be eating goat for a while..." Jaune observed, looking at the substantial amount of meat.

"Lots of ways to prepare it!" Yang chimed in, her culinary creativity sparked.

"Do you need some help?" Jaune offered, wiping his hands on a cloth.

"What, you saying I can't do it?" Yang scowled, hands on her hips.

"No, no, just offering. I know you're a good cook. Ruby praises you all the time," Jaune quickly backtracked.

Yang blushed, her scowl softening. "O-Oh? Well, uh... Heh. Yeah. I had to make sure she grew up big and strong, didn't I?"

"You did a great job," Jaune smiled warmly.

"Oh... Well... Thank you... Vomit Boy," Yang replied, her voice softer now.

As Yang cooked, the common room was filled with the aroma of spices. Jaune returned from storing the excess meat to find Yang dancing lightly to a tune from the radio, her apron dusted with flour.

"... Wow..." Jaune couldn't help but murmur.

"Hm? What?" Yang turned, her eyes questioning.

"Ah... N-Nothing! Nothing!" Jaune stuttered, caught off guard.

"It's about done. Sit down, I'll prepare a sample," Yang said, her voice now all business.

Jaune sat, his smile lingering as Yang brought out a bowl of steaming goat curry and proudly set it before him.

"Dig in!" she encouraged.

Jaune took a bite, his eyes closing in bliss. "This... This is amazing!"

"Really?" Yang's voice held a note of hope.

"Yeah! It's as good as my mom's! Or my big sister Lilac's!" Jaune grinned. "You're just... Amazing, Yang."

"Heh! Come on, cut it out," Yang dismissed, though clearly pleased.

"N-No, I mean it. You really are amazing." Jaune's smile was genuine. "You're going to be an amazing wife and mother someday."

Yang stared at him, her breath catching, her cheeks flushing a deep red. Jaune, realizing he might have overstepped, coughed awkwardly.

"I-I uh, I'm not being sexist or anything! Promise! I-I just think you're amazing! Like, my mom is a doctor and a super strong fighter but she's also an amazing housewife! She-She did it all and she was amazing and I just... I just think you're also amazing," he rambled, panic setting in.

Yang gaped.

"O-Oh! Um, I-I better go make sure Nora isn't setting something on fire!" Jaune got up and dashed out.

Yang, overwhelmed by a rush of emotions, watched him go.

"... That dense idiot... He... He...!" Yang muttered, then giggled, shaking her head. "No! Nonono, you do not have a crush on him! C-Come on! So he went out and hunted an animal, brought it back for you to cook and complimented you... Th-That... Doesn't mean... Anything..."

She groaned and covered her face.

"I'm just like Mom..."

After a moment, her expression softened, a smile creeping back.

"I'm just like Mom~!"

 

[SharkCultist]

Ruby Rose was old. One hundred and six years old. The oldest huntress in the world (but nowhere near the oldest hunter).

In her life she had seen many things, more than people expected with the help of her silver eyes.

Wonderful sights, awe inspiring visuals, terrifying monsters.

And she had seen death. Three times in fact.

Once as a little girl. She saw death as a snarling mad beast. Terrifying and wanting nothing more than to hurt her, to take her away like it took her mother. As a child Ruby saw death as a monster.

The second time she saw death was when Pyrrha died. It stood vigilant waiting for the right moment before snatching away her friend forever. Cold and quick. She hated it. As a young adult Ruby saw death as a enemy.

And now as a old woman Ruby sits at her mother's grave enjoying the wind and sounds of nature.

"Wonderful evening isn't it?"

He looks like Jaune. Not the hardened warrior he became but the gentle boy he once was, back when she thought they could be something more.

"It is."

He sits with her. There's no rush, no fight. They both know it will happen when it happens.

"Can I ask a question?"

"Is it about how I appear?"

Well trust death to be all knowing.

"Miss Rose everyone sees death differently, and so I appear to everyone differently. Some see me as a monster something that only hurts them. Others I'm a cold part of life not seen as cruel because I don't care it is simply how things are."

"And your current appearance?"

"My favorite way to be seen. As a reward and a friend, a gentle figure leading you to your rest and lost loved ones."

Ruby was tired. The winds blowing through the leaves like a gentle lullaby.

"Rest sounds nice."

And so she did. Her family would later find her leaning against the grave peaceful almost as if asleep. With a small smile on her face.

 

[SharkCultist]

Cardin Winchester had a problem and like most problems in life it started with a Grimm.

His team had been sent to exterminate a Grimm which turned out to be a swapper.

Swapper are strange Grimm. Almost looking like a jellyfish with muscular legs.

Kinda goofy. What isn't goofy is their tentacles ability to bypass aura to inject a very odd venom.

A swappers venom does exactly what it says. It swaps things around. It could turn a redheads hair blue, could invert the color of your aura, could make a optimist out of a depressed guy. It can even invert semblances.

The only reason they aren't high ranking Grimm is because the effects are almost always minor and are completely random.

This one unfortunately was a elder so it's effects were a bit less minor.
Cardin managed to avoid getting hit but his teammates all got hit at the same time by one big tentacle.

But other than that it was a quick mission without too many problems.

So why is it ruining his life?

Well the effects of the swapper venom hit his teammates when they got back to beacon and it was a big and permanent change. Their bodies and minds had been twisted and remade.

Into teenage girls.

Ok weird but nothing too bad, sky still loved dumb jokes, dove still liked gaming, and Russel still made great music. They were different but still his friends.

Except for some reason all three of them were kinda hostile to his girlfriend now. It's weird they got a long just fine when they were guys but now they glare anytime he goes out with velvet.

It's pretty dang stressful and he's not sure what to do. What could possibly be the issue?