[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

[AndrewJTalon]

Here's a ridiculous idea.

Jaune Arc's Semblance... Is a bit unique. In that it isn't even a Semblance, persay. Or if it is, it's one of the most powerful and horrifying ones around.

His mother's experimentation to save him had her going to Nana Arturia, who got an old friend to help out. An old friend who helped out with some ancient knowledge and artifacts.

It seemed that there were no side effects and he grew up happy and healthy. But he had issues. For instance, he had friends who seemed to be forgotten the next day. And he claimed there were things here and there... That weren't there when others saw it. Or, he was confused when people talked about people he had no idea about, even though he'd known them for years.

It wasn't until he was older he started to piece together some of what had happened. And he kept it secret because he was afraid. When he gets to Beacon... He's learned how to use his power in small ways. Because the risks of using it in big ways are too terrible. And even then, he's terrified about using it on big things... Because the last time he did?

He now got another sister... Where before she had never existed.

He can make things and people appear and disappear. Erase them or summon them into existence. The problem is, he doesn't do it just for them now. He does it for them in the past and the future.

He once erased a Grimm attacking Radian, his hometown, from reality. That required a massive amount of power and put him in a coma, but the town was saved.

But that changed the timeline. That Grimm never existed. So all the attacks it had made in the past never happened. One of those attacks, his father stopped and fought and got serious injured in. Because of this, he had to recover for months in the hospital.

Instead in this timeline? He never fought it, so he got home to Isabel and they had sex and had another child as they had hoped to. So now Jaune has an EIGHTH sister. But he doesn't remember her because he is isolated from the changes in the timeline.

Small things like injuries or broken items that had that happen to them minutes or hours ago? He can fix, and only the person he "healed" is aware of the change. Everyone else doesn't remember it. But the longer ago something happened or the more influence someone has had on the timeline, the bigger the changes will be if Jaune messes with them.

But you can see why Jaune is terrified of using this Semblance. He knows that reality CAN be changed, but he doesn't know all the ways it CAN be.

And once others find out... He is the most wanted man on Remnant.

But he cannot let his power be used. Especially not by Salem. Salem will demand he undo her immortality. And if that happens? The entire timeline will be erased, along with everyone he ever knew and loved.

(Yes it's rather like Tusk from JoJo, but it's not the only inspiration).

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Arslan Atlan was from Mistral, and she was used to heat. The Valean summer was proving to be rather difficult though. The increased humidity from the sea didn't help at all. So she had opted for something a bit lighter to wear on the weekend than her school uniform: A flowing robe and some yoga pants. It was not sacrilegious to dress comfortably, after all.

She walked out into the bright sunshine from the dorm, carrying a water bottle, intent upon the chapel to meditate... When she caught sight of Jaune Arc.

He had also dressed down due to the heat. Very down. He had only his jeans and sneakers, revealing his toned, muscular upper body.

He was practicing with his sword and shield, basic forms, but the sweat on his body made him shine in the sunlight. The scars on his body, rare for a Hunter with Aura activated since childhood, announced that he was a survivor. His determined expression, so unlike his usual goofy smiles, made him look manly and mature.

BONK.

She blinked. How had she ended up on her back? Why was Jaune over her, looking worried.

"Arslan? Sister Arslan? Are you okay?"

"Ah... I am fine, Jaune Arc, thank you," Arslan managed, her eyes locked onto his chest. Strange, why was she licking her lips? "What happened?"

"You uh..." Jaune coughed, "You walked into a tree."

Arslan blushed.

"Oh... I see," she murmured. She glanced over past Jaune. She could see a few other young Huntresses all staring or pretending to not stare their way. Especially one Pyrrha Nikos, whose red cheeks gave away her interest. Along with Yang Xiao-Long, Ruby Rose, Blake Belladonna-Even Weiss Schnee, surrounded by ice Dust fans, was a bit too haughty with how she looked away.

"You need any help?" Jaune asked. Arslan sat up and shook her head.

"No, I am fine. Why are you training outdoors in this manner?"

"Ah, Pyrrha said it was good for me," Jaune said with a shrug. "It's... A little embarrassing but she said it would help me improve."

So. Her rival was engaging in subterfuge just to ogle the man she sought for romance. Abusing his trust and making him into a show for her and her perverted, godless friends. Arslan would never expect such conduct from her esteemed rival! To be so conniving! So dishonest! So lewd!

"On second thought," Arslan said, "I believe I am suffering a slight head injury. Would you kindly take me to the infirmary?"

Jaune smiled guilelessly.

"Sure! Uh, you don't mind me carrying you bridal style? People might talk."

"Oh no, that will be fine," Arslan said, directing the tiniest of smirks towards her irate rival and her friends as Jaune picked her up and carried her off. She leaned into Jaune's broad bare chest and sighed happily.

Turns out Arslan was no better than her rival... But at the very least, she would pray and do penance for her sins later.

"You must be so hot," Arslan said, "Would you like this water?"

"Sure!" Jaune said with a grin. Arslan held up her water bottle for him to drink... And 'accidentally' spilled some on his chest.

"Oh. How clumsy of me," Arslan said, admiring the effect.

"Oh, it's okay!" Jaune said, still innocent and grinning.

Okay, so she would do a lot of prayer and penance.

Later.

 

[SharkCultist]

Nora Valkyrie was insane. Absolutely certifiably insane.

"I'll find you you bastard!"

How else would you describe someone arguing with the sky at 4 in the morning?

Somehow Nora got it stuck in her little brain ( "hey!" ) that the reason she can't get with Ren and Nobody can get with Jaune is because they're in a story and romance isn't plot relevant.

Poor deluded girl, maybe she just doesn't want to accept she's not hot enough, or Ren might be gay.

"Ex-fucking-cuse me I've got enough cake for a bakery and I've definitely caught Ren looking!"

See? complete denial.

"When I find you I'm going to make you hurt in ways you can't imagine."

Said the crazy girl who should probably be institutionalized. I mean really even if some all-powerful narrator was manipulating everything wha- *Thunk Thunk RIIIIIIp*

"Found you you bastard!"

Wait how the fu--------

"Ok now how do I work this thing?"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

I did have an old idea... Managed to find it. Rewatching Gundam: The 08th MS Team reminded me of it.

Jaune ends up in an alternate timeline where all the kingdoms are at war with one another. Vale, Menagerie and Atlas are allies at war with a resurgent Vacuo and Mistral. And he has to find his friends who are on different sides and pull them together to get back home.

His AU self is a Captain in command of a very successful squad of Valean troops. Yang is Jaune's right hand woman and a badass. Ruby is with them too, their squad engineer and scout (and a great strategist). Cardin and Coco are also on the squad, with May as their sniper.

Pyrrha is an enemy commander, as is Cinder and Ren. Arslan, Sun, Nora and many others fight with Pyrrha and Ren. Winter and Weiss are allied commanders, though cautious. And a few others are all other the place.

Blake is a princess trying to end the war peacefully, Adam fights with Menagerie's forces.

This reality's Jaune Arc is on a secret mission to find Princess Blake who claims to have vital intelligence that proves there's a darker force behind the war: Salem. And that mission was going fine... Until he was swapped with Jaune Arc from a regular RWBY reality.

Now, both Jaune Arcs need to navigate their respective realities and try to save their friends... And enemies.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Of all the things for Ruby to wake up to on a farm in Radian, North Sanus... An elephant trumpet was not one of them.

Ruby: "Eh?! HUH!? WHA?!"

Ruby and the rest of RWBY stumbled out of bed to the windows of their guest rooms. Ruby looked out with Yang from theirs, and Blake looked out from hers with Weiss's. All four stared at the scene of Jaune, in coveralls, feeding...

Ruby: "Is that an elephant?!"

Jaune: "Hm? Oh, good morning girls! Sorry about that."

Pyrrha, Nora and Ren also looked out through a guest window.

Nora: "An elephant?! Did you bring him here too?! Did we have a secret elephant companion?" She grins at RWBY "HA! IN YOUR FACE! WE HAVE AN ELEPHANT! HE'S WAY BETTER THAN ZWEI!"

Ruby: "IS NOT!"

Jaune: "What? No! This is Rupert! He's descended from Elephants the Shah of Rostram sent to my ancestor, King Charlemagne D'Arc, several centuries ago!"

Weiss: "Wha... Wait... You're descended from THAT Arc?!"

Jaune: "Er, yeah. Anyway, the Shah sent a lot of elephants and we've been taking care of them ever since. Rupert here just wanders around while his herd is elsewhere in the valley."

Weiss: "Don't they get cold in the winter?"

Jaune: "Oh, they grow out their fur for that! I dunno, they're like mammoth elephants? Anyway, say hello Rupert!"

Rupert trumpets happily.

Pyrrha: "Can... We pet Rupert?"

Jaune: "If you're nice. He only likes pretty girls. So you'll all have no issues." grins and winks

Much blushing.

Yang: "Wha... Why the hell wasn't he this confident in Beacon?"

Nora: "It's probably because he has an elephant with him."

Blake: "That... Would make sense, I suppose."

- - -

A few French monarchs did get elephants as gifts from foreign nations so it might make sense for Jaune's ancestors to have gotten some. And they're still around in one form or another. And they're wooly elephants because... I say so.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Turns out that having some kind of artistic talent is a graduation requirement at Beacon. Something like music or dance or art. Weiss smugly has it covered, and unfortunately Blake's smutty fanfics don't count, so Ruby, Yang and Blake seek out Jaune and Ren to learn some proper dance. Weiss comes along to mock them.

Weiss: "HA! You're desperate enough to ask Arc for help? You truly are doomed!"

Yang: "Hah! What could you teach me about dancing, VB?"

Jaune: Very intense, but calm "... Ren? The tango."

Ren: "The tango?"

Jaune: "The tango."

Ren starts the music... And Jaune takes the lead with Yang.


View: https://youtu.be/EZz-OCiMzfs?list=RDEZz-OCiMzfs

He is in total control the entire dance, even as Yang begins to try and assert herself, he confidently retakes the lead and practically manhandles her through the song... And she's left bright red and panting by the end.

Jaune: "Any questions, ladies?"

Weiss: bright red "... W-Well, given my musical background I suppose I can go next."

Ruby: "Nuh uh! I have two left feet, Weiss! I'm dancing next!"

Blake: "Stealthily" bumps Yang out of the way to take Jaune's hands.

Yang: "Wha-HEY! It was one song!"

Blake: "I'm very committed to my education."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Jaune and Ren were out meditating. Well, Ren was meditating. Jaune was standing on his head at Ren's direction.

Jaune: "Gah... Uh... You sure you trained like this, Ren?"

Ren: "Very sure."

Jaune: "Nnnngh... How do you achieve inner peace standing on your head?!"

Ren: "Practice."

Jaune: scowls "Like not getting upset over your teacher making you do ridiculous things?"

Ren: faint smile "Exactly."

Jaune sighed. There was a boom of laughter.

???: "Hahaha! Oh man, I remember that! Shifu put me through that all the time at the start!"

Ren's eyes widen in shock. He immediately rises and turns to the source of the voice. Jaune looks as best he can while still standing on his head: It is a muscular but portly Panda Faunus, dressed in elegant green robes with a conical hat and a wooden staff.

Ren immediately puts his fist in his other hand in front of his chest and bows.

Ren: "Master Po! I-I did not know you were coming!"

Po: "Well I was in the area. Tigress is getting checked out at the hospital, and I wanted to see how you were doing." He smiled gregariously "Your student?"

Ren: "He is my team leader... And friend."

Po: smiles wider

Jaune gets off his head and rises with a smile.

Jaune: "I'm Jaune Arc!"

Po: bows "I'm Po! Ren was my student!"

Jaune: "So, wait, you're... A kung fu master?"

Po: smiles "I'm called a master, but you never truly master anything. You learn something new every day..."

Jaune: "Huh... Sounds familiar."

Po: "Now! Let's catch up..." his stomach growls "At the cafeteria."

They get to the cafeteria. Nora, Pyrrha, and RWBY all arrive in interest. Nora in particular makes her appearance properly.

Nora: "PO!" She tackle hugs him, sending him to his back

Po: "HAHAHA! Nora! I missed you too!"

Nora: "How is Old Tavish?!"

Po: "He's doing well! Still blowing things up but he's happy in retirement."

Nora: "YAY!"

Ren quickly introduces Po to the others. Yang in particular is skeptical.

Yang: "You're Zen's master?"

Po: happily eating some meat buns "Mmhm! Hnnn... They're way too salty."

Ren: "I agree, Master."

Nora: "Yeah! Ren's pork buns are way better!"

Po: "He was very good at those. I also taught him cooking!"

Nora: beams

Yang: "Uh huh..."

Weiss: "You just seem... Very unlike what we expected."

Yang: "I mean, can you even run a mile?"

Ren: scowl "Yang! This man took me and Nora into his home! He trained me!"

Yang: holds her hands up "Hey hey! I'm sorry! No offense meant-!"

Po: holds up his own hand "Ren. It's all right."

Ren scowls, but slowly becomes calm again. Everyone is surprised at his outburst.

Po: "Heh. Nobody thought I was cut out to be a Kung Fu master when I started, either. Me least of all. But! It turns out that appearances can be deceiving. Not that it was easy. I sucked. I sucked hard, at the start. But eventually... With enough hard work... You realize that appearances can be deceiving... And you can stop sucking..."

Po held out his hand. The pork buns in the bowl lit up with his Aura, and fly up into the air. Everyone stares in astonishment at this show of Aura control and technique. Po makes them fly around over his head, and then behind him. He smiles.

Po: "But only if you believe you can be more than what you appear to be."

He waved his hand and the buns float down back into the bowl. Yang stares... Then grins.

Yang: "Can you teach me that?"

Po: "Maybe! Right now I gotta make some real food. Come on Ren! We're commandeering the kitchen! Let's make you and your friends a real meal! We'll be right back!"

Ren: "Yes Master."

Ren and Po go into the kitchen. Most of the staff is gone, and they don't mind the intrusion. Po begins to cook, as Ren watches dilligently. The young man sighs.

Ren: "I'm sorry, Master. I shouldn't... I shouldn't have lost my temper. I don't have any right to-to defend you or... Or anything. Not after what I did."

Po: "Hm? And what did you do?" He begins to make noodles, handmade

Ren: "I..." he bowed his head, as he began to make the buns on the preparation table "I left. With Nora."

Po: "Yeah. And why?"

Ren: "I wanted to be a Hunter... And..."

Po: "And?"

Ren: "... Avenge my family."

Po: begins frying up the noodles while cooking the soup, and cooking up pork "Wanting justice isn't a bad thing, Ren. I wanted justice for my family, too. And being a Hunter is a great thing! Protecting and saving people, pow pow pow! That's great!"

Ren smiles slightly. Po then looks sad.

Po: "But vengeance... Vengeance is not the way to do it."

Ren: "I shouldn't kill that monster?"

Po: "I didn't say that. What I did say..." And here Po looks sad "Is that you shouldn't go into a fight if you aren't planning on coming back alive."

Ren pauses.

Ren: "... I would fight to kill it-"

Po: "And wouldn't care if you died with your family, as long as it died too."

Ren: grimaces

Po: "Hey. My masters did the whole 'I can see into your mind' thing with me, too. I was amazing and annoyed by it, all the time... Your dough's getting dry."

Ren: "Ah..." He applies a pinch of water and finishes kneading the dough

Po: "You know, it was a very sad day when you two left. You were really good, Ren. Amazing, even. One day, you could be better than me."

Ren: "I-I could never be the Dragon Warrior-"

Po: "Heh. And that's what I said too." He pours the prepared pork and broth into the buns, closes them with Aura energy, and puts them into the oven to cook "For me? It was doubting that I was anything more than some fat dummy raised by the best cook in the Valley of Peace. For you? It's fear and anger."

Ren: "I don't fear-"

Po: "You fear, Ren. Come on man. Be honest. You fear getting too close to anyone because you think you're going to die." He looked Ren in the eyes "Because part of you feels you deserve to."

Ren: "... Shouldn't I?"

Po: "Wha-Of course not, Ren! It's not your fault the Nucklavee killed everyone, anymore than it's my fault some crazy peacock attacked my village!" He rested a hand on Ren's shoulder "And most importantly, you saved Nora."

Ren looks out into the cafeteria. Nora is happily talking about the Valley of Peace and her mentor. She catches his eyes and smiles warmly.

Ren: "... I did..."

Po: smiles "She cares for you, Ren. Loves you. And you don't want to break her heart, do you?"

Ren: "... I do not. But..."

Po: nods "Yeah. I get it. And hey, one conversation doesn't fix everything. That's just in movies."

He pulls out the buns, and uses Aura to levitate one

Po: "But it's like my dad said: It's like pork buns."

Ren: "Pork buns?"

Po: "Every single pork bun adds up. You eat one on your own, eh. It's just a meal. Even if they do taste really, really good. But! Keep making pork buns, and you have more people come in. They pay you to make more if you make them good enough. They come to eat, and talk, and you meet great people. You become friends. Even family. And after a while, the pork buns aren't just pork buns. They're every happy meal, every satisfied customer, all your happy memories." He smiled, and popped the pork bun into his mouth... Then yelps "AH! HOT HOT HOT HOT HOT! TOO HOT!"

Ren... Actually smiles.

Ren: "... Master... I am sorry I left you in anger."

Po: "Eh... As long as you don't come back to take revenge on everyone, you're good. Just like..." He popped the pork bun into his mouth "This pork bun."

- - -

It's a bit rough but what do you think about the direction?

 

[SharkCultist]

So I wanted to take a few tropes and humble them together. Along with a healthy dose of Fuck Raven.

Let's see, age and character jumble, adoption, different semblance, aaaand orphan Jaune.

---

Sometimes Yang hates being a twin. There are perks to it, like the slightly larger aura pool, but there are downsides too.

Like being slightly able to feel her sisters emotions in the back of her head, and right now Raven was feeling a mix of satisfaction and amusement.

Never a good thing when that bitch is involved.

So it didn't surprise her when she heard that bandits had wiped out a settlement.

It did surprise her to hear that it was one of the bigger ones, Radium was no kingdom but it was fair to say it wouldn't take more than a decade to make it viable as one.

So hearing it was burnt to the ground was shocking. Hearing that some of the children were unaccounted for among the bodies was worse.

Yeah no that shit isn't going to fly this time.

She calls up the rest of team BRNN. (Team BURN - Branwen Ren Nora Nikos . they're not sure why Ozpin made the name two first names two last but who really cares. Led by Yang.) Two months of tracking and they descended on the tribe like a meteor, grenades and bullets flying like rain into the bandit scum.

Most of the kids were already gone, sold off or worse. But they found one. Sitting in the back of a cage. Blonde hair down to his ankles and blue eyes dull. They almost thought he was dead.

---

Qrow stares at the boy a few years younger than him blankly. The boy stares back equally blank (of not moreso).

"What exactly am I looking at?"

"Your new baby brother!"

"What? Why? I really don't wanna share a room with some brat even if he is quiet as a statue."

"Look he's staying. He doesn't have anywhere else to go....Raven made sure of that."

Qrow looked again at the blank faced boy.

"Mom did this to him?"

"Yeah. They were trying to semblance shape him."

"Still in signal here, need some explanation on that "

"Right you usually don't hear about this til the later years of Beacon....ok so you know how some people believe your personality shapes your semblance? Well some people try to influence what semblance a person develops by trying to shape their personalities."

"And Raven tried that crazy new age crap with this kid?"

"Tried and succeeded."

"What?!"

"Kept him in a cage for months and only let him out for fights, only fed or watered him when he won. They didn't even let him keep his name, they only referred to him as Hunger, we wouldn't even know his name if it wasn't for blood test."

"Brothers that's fucked up."

"Yeah and it gets worse. When they actually unlocked his semblance its like it was the embodiment of banditry. He keeps what he kills."

"Huh?"

"Aura capacity, muscle memory, semblances, all of it. He kills it, he keeps it."

"Holy crap."

"Yeah. He's a bit clingy with our team since we saved him. Since Ren and Nora already have seven daughters they couldn't take him, well they could but....no, and Pyrrha is famous so we didn't want to put a traumatized kid through the paparazzi hell. So he's staying with us."

"So what actually is his name?"

"His name is Jaune Arc."

"Fine. I'll help look after the munchkin. But I'm keeping the top bunk."

"Don't worry bird boy you can keep your nest."

And for a second Qrow could have sworn he saw the ghost of a smile on Jaunes face for a second.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The Beacon courtyard was a riot of color and sound, first-year students milling about with nervous energy framed by the faint hum of airships in the distance. Jaune Arc, his blond hair mussed and his armor slightly askew, trudged through the crowd, his shield clanking against his hip. Trailing him was a tiny blonde Faunus girl, no older than four, her fluffy kitty ears twitching as she clutched a stuffed bunny and toddled after him, her big blue eyes sparkling with awe.

"Papa! Papa, look! It's a castle!" she squealed, pointing at Beacon's towering spires. Team RWBY and Team JNPR, gathered near a fountain, froze as the word Papa cut through the chatter. Ruby Rose's cookie paused mid-bite, crumbs tumbling. Weiss Schnee's jaw dropped, her ice-blue eyes narrowing. Yang Xiao Long's grin faltered, her lilac eyes flicking between Jaune and the kid. Blake Belladonna's ears twitched under her bow, her book forgotten. Pyrrha Nikos blinked, her smile tightening, while Nora Valkyrie gasped, "A MINI JAUNE?!"

Ren sighed, pinching his nose.

Weiss was the first to recover, her voice sharp as she stormed over, Myrtenaster glinting at her side.

"Arc! Explain yourself! Why is a child calling you Papa?!"

Jaune flinched, his hands flailing as the girl clung to his leg, her ears drooping and eyes becoming wide and scared. It made Weiss falter a bit as Jaune put a hand on her head comfortingly.

"I-I'm not a predator, I swear!" he yelped, his face scarlet. "She's my daughter! Mia Arc!"

"Your WHAT?!" Yang roared, her hair sparking as she loomed over him. "Vomit Boy's a dad?!"

Ruby's silver eyes went wide, her voice a squeak.

"Jaune, you have a kid?! That's so cool! But, like, how?!"

Blake opened her mouth, but Yang turned and glared at her.

"No!" She growled.

Blake's gaze softened, but her voice was wary as she shifted to another subject.

"And where's her mother? Why isn't she here?"

Jaune's shoulders slumped, his blue eyes darting down with grief as he scooped Mia into his arms, her tiny hands clutching his hoodie. The teams fell silent, sensing the shift.

"Her mom… Katie… she's gone," he said, his voice low, raw. "Katie was my girlfriend, a cat Faunus from Radian. We were… young, stupid, in love. She got pregnant, and Mia was born, but… Katie died a few days after childbirth. Complications." He swallowed hard, stroking Mia's ears as she nuzzled him. "Katie made me promise to follow my dream of being a Huntsman, even when I was scared. Said it'd make Mia proud."

The courtyard seemed to hush, the weight of his words sinking in. Pyrrha's hand touched his arm, her emerald eyes soft.

"Jaune… I'm so sorry."

Nora's usual grin was gone, her voice quiet.

"That's… really heavy, Jaune-Jaune."

Weiss's indignation faltered, her voice gentler.

"You're… raising her alone?" Jaune nodded, his jaw tight. Yang gave him an empathetic look, and walked over to rest a hand on his shoulder. He nodded to her gratefully.

"My parents helped, but my mom didn't want me at Beacon—too dangerous with Mia. I almost gave up, but… Mom caved when she saw how much Katie's wish meant to me. And Ozpin…"

He glanced at the headmaster's tower, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "He accepted me, even with Mia. Said something about 'potential in adversity.'"

Ruby's eyes sparkled, her voice brightening. "That's amazing, Jaune! You're, like, a superhero dad! Mia's gonna have the coolest papa ever!"

Mia giggled, her ears perking up. "Papa's the best! He makes bunny pancakes!"

Yang's grin returned, softer now, as she ruffled Mia's hair.

"Kid's got taste. You're alright, VB... Jaune."

Jaune looked a bit surprised, but pleasantly so.

Blake's gaze lingered on Mia, a flicker of warmth in her eyes.

"She's lucky to have you, Jaune."

Weiss huffed, crossing her arms, but her tone was approving. "Well, Arc, you'd better not let fatherhood distract you from training. Beacon's no place for slacking."

"I know, I won't," Jaune said earnestly.

Ren's voice was calm, a rare smile curving his lips.

"He won't. Jaune's stronger than he looks."

Nora bounced back, her grin manic. "Mia's our new team mascot! We'll teach her to smash Grimm with hammers!"

Jaune chuckled, his grief easing under their support, Mia giggling and squirming in his arms as Nora began to play with her.

"Thanks, guys. Just… don't let her near Nora's pancakes. She'll eat the whole stack."

"Will not!" Nora protested.

"Will too!" Mia shot back. Nora grinned.

"Our battle... WILL BE LEGENDARY!"

The teams broke down into laughter.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The JNPR dorm was a warm, cluttered haven, filled with the scent of Nora's pancakes and the soft giggles of Mia Arc, Jaune's four-year-old half-Faunus daughter, her cat ears twitching as she colored a picture of a bunny knight. Teams RWBY and JNPR lounged around, the air light with chatter, until Cardin Winchester's voice cut through like a jagged blade.

"Didn't think Beacon let halfbreeds run around. What's next, Grimm pets?" His sneer was directed at Mia, his words dripping with venom, as he looked in through the open door.

The room froze, the teams' eyes snapping to Jaune. Mia's ears drooped, her crayon pausing mid-stroke, her blue eyes confused. Jaune's face went still, his jaw tightening as he took a deep, shuddering breath, his aura flickering faintly gold. He rose, his voice low and dangerously calm.

"Cardin? We're going outside. Pyrrha? Please look after Mia." Pyrrha Nikos, her emerald eyes flashing with quiet fury, nodded, kneeling beside Mia with a gentle smile.

"Of course, Jaune."

Cardin's glare sharpened, his mace resting on his shoulder.

"Oh?"

"We are going outside," Jaune repeated, his voice a steel edge, "and working this out."

Cardin sneered, his teeth glinting in the light.

"All right by me, Arc," he growled. Jaune took his sword and shield, and girded them on. They headed out.

The door slammed behind them, leaving a tense silence. Nora's grin was gone, her turquoise eyes hard as she clutched her hammer. Ruby's silver eyes darted nervously, while Yang's hair sparked faintly, her fists clenched. Blake's ears twitched under her bow, her amber gaze dark. Ren's calm facade cracked, his fingers tightening. Weiss's lips pursed, her Glyphs flickering briefly, as if itching to follow.

Twenty minutes later, the door creaked open. Jaune and Cardin staggered back in, both battered, their clothes torn and bruises blooming across their faces, slowly fading under their healing auras. Jaune's knuckles were raw, his leather and armor scuffed, but his glare was unyielding as he shadowed Cardin.

The larger boy winced with every step, his usual swagger gone, his face pale.

Mia hopped off her chair, her cat ears perked as she ran to Jaune, frowning up at him.

"Papa! What did you do?" Her voice was stern, her tiny hands on her hips. "Did you hurt him?"

Jaune knelt, his expression softening as he ruffled her hair, careful not to jostle her ears.

"No, no… we had a disagreement. But we sorted it out properly." He turned his glare up to Cardin. "Didn't we?"

Cardin, still wincing, nodded stiffly, his voice low and rough. "…Yeah. I'm… I'm sorry. I was… I was wrong."

He glanced at Mia, his eyes low with shame, before turning and limping out silently.

Jaune sank onto the couch, exhaling heavily, his hands trembling slightly. Nora and Ruby swooped in, distracting Mia with a game of "bunny knights," their laughter easing the tension.

Blake, her book forgotten, leaned forward, her voice quiet but piercing.

"…You could have beaten him into a coma."

Jaune's eyes met hers, a storm of emotions swirling—anger, grief, restraint.

"I could have…" he admitted, his voice low, raw. "But that wouldn't solve the problem. And…"

He took a deep breath, his gaze softening as he watched Mia giggle with Nora. "I promised Katy I'd be a good example for our daughter."

His voice hardened, his eyes glowing with a fierce gold.

"No matter how much I wanted to kill him or just beat him up… it wouldn't solve anything. So… we fought, we worked it out… he's going to do better…"

His voice dropped to a menacing whisper. "Or else."

The room fell silent, the weight of Jaune's resolve settling over them. Ruby's eyes sparkled with admiration, while Yang's grin was grudgingly proud. Weiss's scowl softened, her voice quiet.

"You're stronger than I thought, Arc."

"Thanks," Jaune said. Pyrrha's hand rested on his shoulder, her smile warm but protective. Ren nodded, his calm restored, while Nora's cheer returned, her voice booming, "That's our Jaune-Jaune! Scary Dad mode, activated!"

Mia climbed into Jaune's lap, her tiny arms wrapping around him. "Papa's the best knight," she declared, her ears twitching happily. Jaune's smile was tired but genuine, as he ruffled his daughter's blonde hair.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Name: Veyne Grimwald
Allusion: Sir Gawain and the Green Knight, Arthurian Legend, and Norris Packard from Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team.
Naming Process: Veyne, derived from Old French "vain" (valiant) and echoing Gawain's name, reflects his knightly aspirations twisted by darkness. Grimwald, combining "grim" (foreshadowing his Grimm nature) and "wald" (Old German for ruler), underscores his commanding presence and tragic fall.
Age: Appears mid-30s (actual age unknown due to Grimm hybridization)
Background: Veyne Grimwald was born in Vale before the years of the Great War, a descendant of a minor noble family with a tradition of producing gallant warriors. Like Jaune Arc, Veyne dreamed of becoming a legendary knight, training tirelessly despite lacking natural talent. He fought valiantly in the war, earning renown for his courage and tactical brilliance. However, his world shattered when his beloved, Lady Elyse, and his family were slaughtered in a Mantlese attack he was too weak to prevent. Broken and guilt-ridden, Veyne was approached by Salem, who offered him power to forge a world without death or loss. Desperate to undo his failures, he accepted, gaining Grimm hybridization. Now serving as Salem's Dark Knight, Veyne leads her forces with chilling precision, his nobility warped but not erased, haunting him as he pursues her vision of a deathless Remnant.
Race: Human-Grimm Hybrid
Emblem: A black knight's helm wreathed in green flames, split by a crescent axe blade, symbolizing his duality as both knight and monster.
Weapon: "Decrepit Oath" – A massive, double-headed axe modeled after the Green Knight's weapon, infused with Grimm essence and Dust. It can channel green fire (fire Dust) for devastating cleaves or project corrosive Grimm ichor as a ranged attack. The axe's haft extends into a lance for mounted charges, reflecting Veyne's knightly roots. He also wields a shield, "Mourning Ward," which absorbs Aura-based attacks and converts them into bursts of green energy to empower his strikes. Mourning Ward also has a twin barreled machine gun attached to the underside, allowing him a more traditional ranged attack. He can fire Blast or Fire Dust rounds from it, but has limited ammo.
Semblance: "Verdant Pact"
Veyne's Semblance, warped by his Grimm hybridization and inspired by Gawain's encounter with the Green Knight, grants him supernatural resilience tied to his life force. When struck, his wounds regenerate rapidly, fueled by Grimm essence, but each regeneration drains his humanity, making him more monstrous (eyes glowing redder, skin paling). He can temporarily transfer this resilience to nearby Grimm, bolstering their durability, but at the cost of his own stamina. Like Gawain's test, his Semblance comes with a price: overuse risks losing himself entirely to the Grimm within, a constant reminder of his pact with Salem. In combat, he uses this to endure near-fatal blows, striking back with terrifying ferocity. His fellow servants of Salem are tasked with pulling him back from being a mindless monster.
Appearance: Veyne is tall and imposing, with a knightly bearing marred by his Grimm nature. His once-golden hair is now streaked with ashen black, tied back in a severe knot. His eyes glow an eerie green, with faint red flecks when enraged. His pale skin bears dark, vein-like patterns from his hybridization, most visible across his arms and neck. Scars crisscross his torso, remnants of his war days and the Green Knight-like bargain that transformed him. His face, still handsome, carries a melancholic dignity.
Outfit: Veyne wears blackened, ornate armor reminiscent of a medieval knight but with a helmet and spiky pauldrons evoking the MS-07B Gouf from Mobile Suit Gundam. His green eyes glow in the darkness. It is etched with green patterns that glow faintly from Salem's magic. A tattered, dark green cloak flows behind him, singed at the edges, symbolizing his lost honor. His chestplate bears a faint outline of his old family crest—a stag—defaced by claw marks. Veyne's attire blends ceremonial grandeur with Salem's dark aesthetic, reflecting his noble yet corrupted soul.
Personality: Veyne is a dark reflection of Jaune Arc, blending Sir Gawain's chivalric honor with Norris Packard's tactical ruthlessness. He retains a knightly code—sparing the innocent, honoring fallen foes—but serves Salem with unwavering loyalty, believing her vision will end suffering. His dignity masks deep self-loathing; he sees himself as a failure who couldn't save his loved ones, driving his devotion to a world without loss. Like Packard, he's a tactical mastermind, orchestrating Grimm assaults with precision and exploiting enemy weaknesses with brutal efficiency. Yet, his nobility makes him conflicted: he respects strong and noble opponents, seeing echoes of his old self, but his paranoia and grief make him distrust even Salem's inner circle. Veyne is a tragic figure—charismatic, commanding, yet haunted, his pride in his skills warring with his shame over his fall.
Role in Salem's Forces: Veyne serves as Salem's field commander, leading Grimm hordes and hybrid operatives in surgical strikes against Remnant's kingdoms. His tactical genius makes him a nightmare on the battlefield, outmaneuvering Huntsmen and military forces alike. He's tasked with weakening Vale and its allies, often targeting key infrastructure or Huntsmen academies. Despite his loyalty, Salem keeps him on a tight leash, knowing his noble heart could waver if confronted with undeniable proof of her true nihilistic goals.
Connection to Sir Gawain and Norris Packard: Like Gawain, Veyne is a knight bound by a fateful bargain, his pact with Salem mirroring Gawain's deal with the Green Knight—a test of honor with a cost. His resilience and willingness to face death head-on reflect Gawain's courage, but his Grimm nature twists this into a monstrous endurance. From Packard, Veyne inherits a no-nonsense combat style and tactical brilliance, favoring bold, decisive strikes over prolonged engagements. His loss of Elyse parallels Jaune's fears of failing his team, but where Jaune grows through hope, Veyne descends into despair, embracing Salem's promise.
Motivations and Conflicts:

• Motivation: Veyne seeks to create Salem's deathless world, believing it will absolve his failure to save Elyse and his family. He fights to prove his strength and redeem his broken honor, even if it means serving a dark cause.
• Conflict: His lingering nobility clashes with his Grimm-fueled ruthlessness. Encounters with Ruby, Jaune or other idealistic Huntsmen stir doubts about Salem's path, but his guilt and fear of further loss bind him to her. He also fears losing his humanity entirely to his Semblance, dreading the day he becomes a mindless Grimm.

Notable Traits:

• Carries a locket with Elyse's portrait, which he touches before battles as a reminder of his purpose.
• Speaks in a measured, almost poetic tone, even when commanding Grimm, reflecting his knightly roots.
• Has a habit of sparing young warriors and women, seeing them as untainted by Remnant's failures, a trait that frustrates Salem's more ruthless lieutenants.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

You know, here's an idea: What if we made him a Char clone? That immediately makes him much more interesting. Even without the MS stuff, making Adam seeking revenge against Menagerie and humanity all makes him FAR better as an antagonist!

What if he was part of the royal family of Menagerie? Betrayed by the Faunus Revolutionaries and sent to the mines? He saved Ghira's life as part of a long running plot to get in a position to overthrow Menagerie's government and take revenge for his family?

But along the way he began to fall in love with Blake. And now he has a problem.

Char-Clone Adam could have a scene like this with Blake:

Blake: "How-How could you go this far?! Against fellow Faunus-!"

Adam: "Because you betrayed me first."

Blake: "You hate humans-!"

Adam: "And I hated the Republic of Menagerie more! For taking everything from my family! For condemning us to die in a mine! Humans are humans, but you! You had a choice to NOT betray your fellow Faunus!"

Blake: "I didn't betray you! I stood for what was right, for how we could be, how we should be!"

Adam: "Lies, you stand for nothing, you didn't stand for peace, you didn't stand for your people and you didn't stand for me!..... You run, because that's all you know how to do. Running from the truth, running from what's necessary!"

Blake: "That's not true, I changed, people change, People can change that's what we should be aiming for!"

Adam: "You're so naive Blake, yes people can change, but you never saw the reason behind that change. Fear and violence forces change, you just stuck your head in the sand and refused to accept it after we crossed lines you couldn't handle!"

Blake: "Your family sold our fellow Faunus into slavery!"

Adam: "My family did the best they could under the heel of the humans! We planned to revolt when the time was right. But that wasn't good enough for your parents! They decided to SURRENDER to the humans! Try to make PEACE! And sacrifice their fellow Faunus to do it! Including my entire family! So who's morally superior here, Blake?! The humans wiped us out, but the blood of my family is on your family's hands!"