[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

[AndrewJTalon]

- - -

"... And that is the final result of the analysis. Do you wish to change anything before I send off the final report, General Ironwood?"

The Commander of Atlas' military forces shook his head as he sat behind his desk. The cheerful orange-haired girl beamed at him from the other side of said desk.

"No Penny, that will be good. Send it off."

"Yes sir. Done."

"You may go," Ironwood said, turning his eyes back to his computer. About ten seconds later, he glanced back up: Penny was still there, looking... Anxious.

"Is there something wrong, Penny?" He asked, not unkindly.

A gentle frown came over her face.

"Not wrong, General Ironwood. However, I am experiencing unusual sensations and I am unsure of how to process them. I was hoping you might be able to assist me?"

Ironwood frowned.

"Why me?"

"I trust you, General Ironwood," Penny said cheerfully, "Father did tell me I could do that!"

It was something Ironwood took pride in. That Pietro had told her, unprompted, that he could be trusted.

Granted, Penny's personhood was still... A bit difficult for Ironwood to really believe, but if she had an actual soul, it was hard to argue against it.

"Very well. What can I do for you?" Ironwood asked, a bit more gently this time.

Penny nodded.

"Many of my runtimes are being devoted to a friend I have recently made, in addition to Friend Ruby. My fluid pump works faster when I am near him. And I wish to unleash Primary Array when he is near other women, despite my directives to not harm non-criminal or enemy humans." She tilted her head. "May I ask what the reasons behind this are?"

Ironwood was silent. He blinked. He blinked again.

Don't tell me Pietro gave her the ability to feel romantic attraction, he thought to himself, holding in a groan.

"Which young man are you experiencing these... Things... Around?" Ironwood managed.

"Friend Jaune! Jaune Orleans Arc, Student ID 32203, Freshman!" Penny chirped brightly, projecting a holographic image of an awkwardly smiling blond young man. Ironwood winced.

"Son of Nicholas and Isabel Arc?"

"Yes!" Penny chirped, "How did you know?"

Of course his son would be the one she gets a crush on, Ironwood mentally sighed. Out loud he said:

"I am familiar with them."

"Is this the result of some kind of latent Semblance affect?" Penny asked, worried, "Is he an enemy agent seeking to compromise my functions?"

"Unlikely," Ironwood said dryly, "Access human romantic relationships."

"There is a block put on there by my father-"

"You are authorized to bypass said lock," Ironwood said firmly. Penny's eyes glowed and darted about as she processed the information. She blushed.

"Oh. My."

Ironwood nodded.

"As for your feelings... My suggestion is to be open and honest about things with this young man. The worst he can say is no."

"What happens if he says no?" Penny asked, looking worried. Ironwood sighed.

"It will be... Disappointing. It may even hurt your feelings. But you will recover from it, and find another who is more receptive to your feelings," he said. "But you should be straightforward about things with him. Humans tend to hide their emotions and that makes things much more difficult than if they were simply honest."

"Then why do humans lie and deceive?" Penny asked.

"For many reasons," Ironwood stated, "Fear, to protect themselves, to avoid facing things they do not wish to face. It is a complicated subject." He offered her the tiniest of smiles. "However, in this case, it is a binary decision. Either he accepts your feelings and you begin a relationship, or you do not."

Penny nodded with a smile.

"Thank you, sir. May I be excused?"

"You may," Ironwood said, and the gynoid turned and hurried out of the office. He let out a sigh.

It had been a very long time since he himself was young. He'd chosen his career, his duty, over anything like romance. But he wasn't an idiot about it, and the simplest explanations tended to work with Penny. It would be a learning experience for her-Perhaps a vital one. Especially if she was rejected.

Of course, if they did begin a relationship, well... He would leave that to Pietro to work out. He had done more than enough.

- - -

Jaune Arc was relaxing under a tree with the rest of JNPR. Pyrrha was reading a comic, one Jaune had recommended. Nora was playing a video game on her Scroll, and Ren was meditating. It was nice and peaceful under the clear blue sky.

"Friend Jaune!"

A peace disrupted when Penny Polendinia marched up to them, her eyes bright and focused. Jaune looked up with a smile.

"Hey Penny! What's up?"

"Do you find me attractive?" Penny asked. Jaune blinked. Pyrrha's jaw dropped. Nora and Ren looked up in some shock, though more Ren than Nora.

"Uhhh... I-I mean-"

"Do you find me attractive?" Penny repeated.

"I-I mean... Yeah?" Jaune managed.

"Do you like spending time with me?" Penny pressed. Jaune blinked.

"I mean, we haven't done a lot of that but yeah?"

"Sensational!" Penny said. She reached down and pulled him up, making him yelp, "You are now my boyfriend!!"

"What?!" Pyrrha gasped. Ren raised an eyebrow. Nora grinned.

"Wow! So direct!"

Jaune went bright red as Penny began to drag him off.

"Wait, I didn't-!"

"We are going on a date, boyfriend!" She beamed. "And if it goes well, we will kiss! Is that acceptable?"

"I mean, I don't-"

"YES OR NO?"

"YES!" Jaune squeaked.

"SENSATIONAL!" Penny cheered. "Let us commence dating now, boyfriend!"

- - -

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Vale, Warehouse District. Irene Arc was handcuffed to a chair, being leaned over an open chute into the incinerator. A gangster, flanked by his goons, chuckled as he stood in front of Irene.

Big Jim: "You thought you could outwit me, Big Jim? I've survived crackdowns and Hunters and vigilantes! Some little strumpet snooping around, what do you think you're gonna do?"

Irene: "Pl-Please, I was just asking some questions-Don't-!"

Big Jim laughs.

Big Jim: "Yeah, sure. Asking about 'Atlasian Hardware'. You think I'm stupid?"

Irene: "M-My cousin just said I could ask around... He's with Altas's Defense Force-"

Big Jim: "HA! Bet he works under Saravick, that sneak! He sold me all the equipment and arms I want just to keep his gambling going! But he don't know shit! I'm the big smuggler! Every shipment someone wants to bring in, they go through me!"

Irene: in fear "Y-You mean... The Paladin?"

Big Jim: "HA! Just one Paladin? I've got a whole fleet of them! It's gonna be quite a show when they go off-"

Which is went Qrow appears, walking up from the other side of the room.

Qrow: "Hey Irene, you got a minute?"

Big Jim: "Who the hell are you-?"

Irene's body language changes entirely. Where before she was like a wounded, fearful kitten, she now looks irritated.

Irene: "Seriously Qrow? What are you doing? I'm in the middle of an interrogation!"

Qrow: "I see that but this is much more important?"

Big Jim: "Ice him!"

One of the goons shoots a gun at Qrow... It explodes in his hand and he falls back.

Big Jim: "Wha-Lenny-!"

Irene: How is whatever you're saying more important than this? He is literally giving me everything."

Big Jim: "Wha-What the hell do you mean everything?!"

Irene: rolls her eyes "You just gave me names and critical intel on your arms smuggling. Like an idiot."

Big Jim: "N-NO I DIDN'T!"

Qrow: "You totally were. But back to my original point-"

Big Jim: "RARR-!"

He charges Irene, who breaks out of the cuffs and the chair and handily blocks his punches before she leaps over him and slams him down, knocking him out. Qrow quickly knocks the last goons out with the flat of Harbinger. Irene grumbles.

Irene: "What's worth screwing up my mission, Qrow?"

Qrow: "Does it help I got their computer data?" Holds out a holochip

Irene: scowls... Takes it "A little. What's so important? Ozpin got another S-Rank threat? A Grimm Cult this time? Mad scientist?"

Qrow: "Your nephew is dating my niece."

Irene: "... Are you for real?! I already knew that!"

Qrow: "Yeah, yeah, I know."

Irene: "And let me guess, you want me to discourage them?"

Qrow: "No!"

Irene: "Wait, what?"

Qrow: "Look... I think they're good for eachother. Like Tai and Raven were, but better, because it won't end like that."

Irene: scowls "You just want an excuse to get free wine and booze from our brewery, don't you?"

Qrow: The picture of innocence "Who me? No, noooo...!"

Irene: scowls harder

Qrow: "Okay, that IS one motivation. The other is... Well..." sighs "Look. I want this to work out. The Kid's already got enough trouble, what with that Belladonna girl declaring him her fiance."

Irene: "Geez louise, it's like Nick AND Taiyang all over again!"

Qrow: "I know right? I just... I mean, I want this to work out because surprisingly, I think they're good for eachother."

Irene: "They're only 18, Qrow."

Qrow: "Yeah and that's when Tai and Raven started. I'm usually pretty hands off but... In this case? Since we know eachother, I want us to be ready if things go wrong."

Irene: sighs "... All right."

Qrow: "That and there's one other thing."

Irene: "Why do I have the feeling that you were just sugarcoating things until this point?"

Qrow: "Because you know me all too well."

Irene: small smile "I suppose so. If Oz is gonna ask me to join up with his cabal, no. I don't know what you guys are up to, but I work independently."

Qrow: "For the Assassin's Guild?"

Irene: "I'm more like a contractor. Besides, I do stuff for Valean and Atlasian Intelligence too."

Qrow: "Close, but no." grimace "I'm supposed to represent Signal Academy at Vytal... And I'm going to a lot of stuffy functions... And I need a date."

Irene: "... You couldn't have just waited for my interrogation to be done to ask me?!"

Qrow: "You were just drawing it out at that point, sweetie."

Irene: "I was NOT drawing it out!"

Qrow: "You were done! You were just showing off because you knew I was there!"

Irene: "HA! In your dreams!"

Qrow: "So...?"

Irene: sighs "... Fine. I do need to represent my school and I need a date too... If you'll actually shave."

Qrow: "Come on! If I shave nobody will know it's me!"

Irene: "Yes, I believe that's a good thing."

Qrow: "Be honest, it's so you won't lose control over your primal lust for my rugged good looks."

Irene: rolls her eyes, smiles faintly "You would think that, wouldn't you?"

Qrow: "Can you blame a guy for being confident?"

Irene: "Delusional is more the word I would use... Also? None of that terrible cologne I know you still have."

Qrow: "You gave me a gift that wasn't poison. I wasn't about to throw it away."

Irene: "It is, it just takes a very long time to kill you."

Qrow: "Heh..."

The two head out to root through the gangster's office.

Irene: hums "Though honestly, I had thought that Ruby would have gone for Jaune first. I suppose she needs to grow up a bit for him to complete the set."

Qrow: "That's not funny."

Irene: "Who said I was joking?"

Qrow: groans "Save me from blond himbos..."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

A crazy idea I got from a great guy on my Discord:

Jaune goes to Beacon but has a cute blonde Faunus kid following him around.

Everyone assumes that's one of his little sisters until she calls him "papa".

Jaune hastily has to explain that he's actually her Father (and not some predator) while RWBY and NPR asks why her Mom's not around.

Cue Jaune explaining that he's actually a teen widower since his Faunus girlfriend Katie died shortly after childbirth. Encouraged him to follow his dreams even when he was scared.

Next thing you know? Ozpin accepts Jaune's entrance into Beacon once Isabel Arc finally caves in to see her Daughter-in-law's wish come true.

Spoiler

 

[SharkCultist]

So we've tackled Pyrrha corruption a few times but usually it's "fighting from the inside" or amnesia. Let's try actual corruption.

---

"I miss you. All of you."

Gods she's as beautiful as the day they lost her. Just as beautiful but different, she's darker now. Tainted.

She's pale, almost like snow. Or bleached bone.

Those familiar bright green eyes, surrounded by pools of darkness where there should be white.

"I want my team back, my friends. Please?"

There's real emotions in her voice, no tricks, no lies. It's her.

It's like a dream come true, or a nightmare.

She's reaching out towards them like she wants a hug, she probably does. As she absentmindedly steps over the bleeding Goodwitch without care.

Her spear is still sticking out of her. They saw the attack. Fast, vicious, savage, and cruel.

So how can she stand there with so much warmth in her eyes?

There's something covering her hands. Like aura but not where aura shines and moves smoothly this eats the light and lashes out trying desperately to escape whatever control over it Pyrrha has.

"I promise it will only hurt for a second then everything will be ok. It'll just be us together again. Against the world."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

If I were running RWBY, I would... Use my future knowledge to get rich enough to support the show and keep creative control. Assuming that? I would extend out the series length and get Monty hired help while keeping things professional, etc. And keep the VAs off the official Twitter and away from Tumbler.

But after all that? I would put together a plan and focus on alternating serialized episodes with episodes that were part of the larger story Arcs. So here are some episodes I would include in a revised Volume 2:

-"Honey Bunny"

Cardin approaches Jaune and Nora for help in apologizing to Velvet. Nora believes Cardin is secretly tsundere for Velvet and with Jaune's help they stage various love confession scenarios for Cardin, who also misunderstands things. Nora admits after a big failure that leaves Cardin, Jaune, Velvet and Coco all mad that she is trying out ideas to confess to Ren and get things across. Her sincerity inspires Cardin (to get away from these weirdos if nothing else) to just go up to Velvet and apologize sincerely. Velvet accepts it and asks him to take her to the dance as recompense since she's impressed with all his efforts. Cardin accepts, though like a tsundere. Inspired by this, Nora asks Ren to the dance and he accepts (though he's still not being lovey dovey). Jaune tries asking Weiss out like this... And she shoots him down, though a bit more compassionate since Neptune already asked. Jaune is in despair.

-"Silver Eyes"

Ruby watches a training fight between team CRDL and Team BRNZ. BRNZ narrowly pulls out a win thanks to May Zedong's shooting and tactics but her team blows her off immediately after. Seeing May is depressed, Ruby reaches out to her. They bond over shooting, guns, and comics. As well as how difficult their teams are. May admits she's not officially the leader but the others won't step up, Brawnz especially. Ruby attempts to help her by trying to make her more assertive, but this goes badly. Ruby then just tries to beat up May's team, but May finally loses her temper with Ruby. It doesn't help Ruby has also bossing her around. Ruby gets some advice from Yang: You can't force people to change. But you can incentize them. Ruby goes back to May and helps her stand up to her team, and doesn't take over. Just backs her up. May and her team reconcile a bit. Ruby learns a lesson about friendship and leadership and has a new friend in May... Who tells her about her Semblance allowing her to see Aura and about the legend of the Silver Eyes Warriors. Ruby begins to wonder about her own eyes.

So, what do you think?

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Name: Fafnir Volsung
Allusion: Fafnir from Norse Mythology, Raiden from Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance
Naming Process: Fafnir is a dragon from Norse mythology, part of the Volsung Cycle.
Age: 40s
Background: The last of a clan of Dragon Faunus warriors, Fafnir was driven from his village when it was destroyed in a fight with another Faunus Clan on the fringes of Solitas. He made his way to Mantle, living on the streets. He was nearly killed in a bar brawl, but was saved by a young Jacques Gele. Jacques was a hoodlum, an orphan like Fafnir, but he was human and cunning. Jacques offered to make Fafnir his second, and Fafnir accepted. Fafnir acted as Jacques' muscle, helping to secure riches by stealing from mobsters. His ability to fly let them do robberies, and Jacques began to invest them in businesses legitimate and otherwise. Fafnir got badly injured in many of these jobs, but Jacques always helped him recover. At some point, Fafnir defended Jacques against a business rival who sent assassins, and was badly mutilated and maimed. He thought that was the end of it, but Jacques arranged for him to get first rate treatment and cyborg upgrades. Jacques was able to parlay the incident into his genorosity towards his oldest friend, and managed to get his rival arrested for the attempt while his own dirty dealings were undiscovered. This catapulted Jacques into the sphere of Atlasian elites, and made Fafnir's loyalty unquestionable. With Fafnir's continued help, Jacques continued to rise up the ranks of society. He married Willow Schnee and became part of the Schnee Dust Company's board. Fafnir was made his chief of security, who handled issues from rioting miners to Dust raiders. When Nicholas Schnee died, Jacques became CEO and Fafnir's work continued. He even acted as the chief bodyguard for Jacques and his family, and protected the Schnee children. Fafnir became a common sight in the household, stoic, cold, but protective of Jacques' family as he thought he was part of it. They did have disagreements with Warden Schnee, Willow's brother, who represented the workers fiercely. At some point, Warden had to go... And Jacques had Fafnir arrange it. Fafnir was not keen on it as he had some respect for Warden, but he obeyed as he always had. Warden was killed during a security breach by Faunus terrorists, and Fafnir ensured Warden died. After that, Jacques dropped his mask of family man and began to treat his wife and children as assets, nothing more. Fafnir, who had some concept of familial obligation, tried to remain as a guardian but the children slowly began to reject him, seeing him as nothing more than Jacques' "pet". Fafnir focused on his work, but the fact that Jacques could have members of his own family murdered never sat well with Fafnir. While still loyal to Jacques in his actions, inside, the Dragon wonders if his old "friend" won't have him removed next... And if he shouldn't do it first. When that time comes... Only one can be triumphant: The Master, or the Servant.
Race: Dragon Faunus
Emblem: Ice Dragon
Weapon:Knarra (Swedish for "the sound of creaking ice")
An advanced high frequency straight edged sword. The sonic vibrator tech in combination with Fafnir's cybernetic and Aura-enhanced strength allow him to slice through solid steel. It also has Dust slots to enhance his strikes with elemental effects.
Semblance: "Terror"
Fafnir's Semblance allows him to instill terror and fear in people via psychic influence. Looking into his eyes causes almost anyone to fall apart in fear, but even those within sight of him fall victim to unease, shivers and uncontrollable fear. It takes a very strong will to resist it.
Appearance: Seven foot tall man with short, spiky black hair, red eyes and cybernetic dragon wings coming out his back. He might have been handsome once if not for the scars and cybernetic implants all over his face and neck. His ears are pointed and his teeth (what's left of them) are sharp. His mouth, underneath a black cybernetic mask, is a jagged ruin thanks to a Glasgow Smile, making him resemble a dragon even more. His right arm is fully cybernetic with a computer port probe that allows him to directly interface with computers, and has metallic claws on both hands. His feet are also cybernetic claws.
Outfit: Black cybernetic armor while doing his duties, often folds his wings to resemble a cloak. When he has to go into the office or anywhere official, he wears a simple but well cut black suit. He always keeps his sword on him.
Personality: Stoic and cold, he can occassionally be darkly humorous and sarcastic. Most of the time he doesn't speak much at all. He is very proffessional and respects warriors, and enjoys a good fight. He is easily bored with busywork and "peaceful crap" that Jacques has him do, but does so anyway. Despite his issues with Jacques, he genuinely does not want any harm to come to Winter, Weiss, Whitley, or Willow. Has a grudging if tense respect with Klein on that, at least.
Notes: Fafnir is Jacques' chief enforcer, and has complex feelings when it comes to him. He would be a formidable foe for RWBY and JNP(O)R. He is held in check by the fact Jacques has kill switches for his cybernetic "pet", which Fafnir is aware of but hasn't tested until he can find a way around it. His Semblance is based on the mythological Fafnir, whose gaze was so terrible it made any who approached him fall to gibbering madness unless they had magical protection like the hero Siegfried, who eventually slew Fafnir. Fafnir can also fly with his wings, and in combination with his Semblance, speed, strength, cybernetics, sword, claws, and Dust, he is a formidable opponent.

Meant to put this here.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The battle was won, the giant Grimm defeated by the newly formed teams JNPR and RWBY. All eight Hunters-in-training stood triumphant, breathing hard, a few laughing in catharsis. Dust and adrenaline still hung in the air when a loud, keening cry pierced it. It was emanating from the backpack Nora had carried through the fight. She paused, her usual grin unfaltering.

"Oh! One sec…!" she chirped, kneeling to open the pack. To everyone's shock, she lifted out a squirming baby, cradling him gently as she rocked him. "Aw, there there, sweetie, Mommy's here!"

Jaune's jaw dropped, his voice unsteady.

"W-Wait… is that a baby?"

"Yup! Sure is!" Nora beamed, nodding enthusiastically. "Good eyes, Jaune-Jaune!"

Pyrrha's eyes widened, her tone a mix of awe and disbelief.

"You—You brought a baby with you?!"

Weiss's voice shot up an octave, sharp with indignation.

"WHY DO YOU HAVE A BABY?!"

Ruby, ever impulsive, leaned forward, her silver eyes gleaming.

"Did you steal a baby?! Why would you steal a baby?!"

Nora laughed, waving off the accusation as if it were absurd. "Pfft, of course I didn't steal a baby! This is my baby! His name is Thor!" Without hesitation, she adjusted her shirt and began breastfeeding him, utterly unbothered by the stunned gazes around her.

Weiss sputtered, her face flushing. "In—In public even!"

Blake, usually composed, averted her eyes, a faint blush creeping across her cheeks. "H-How… lewd…"

Jaune's mind reeled, his words stumbling. "… You—You two—?!"

Ren, calm as ever, glanced up from where he stood beside Nora. "What? We're legally married."

Nora nodded cheerfully, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "We just keep the separate names so things don't get confused!"

Yang blinked, still processing. "You… You have a baby—?"

"He's two months old," Ren said simply.

Weiss's voice cracked, her outrage returning full force. "TWO MONTHS?! You're back in action, fighting Grimm, after having a baby TWO MONTHS AGO?!"

Nora shrugged, grinning. "Sure am! What, like it's hard? I'm not letting my hubby fight alone!"

Ren's lips curved slightly, his voice soft but firm. "It is appreciated."

Jaune rubbed the back of his neck, still grappling with the scene. "I mean… You did bring a baby to fight Grimm…"

"I activated his Aura," Ren explained, his tone matter-of-fact. "Much easier than figuring it out on your own when you're a child, believe me."

Nora cooed at Thor, her voice brimming with pride. "Yeah! He slept through the whoooole fight! Who's my good little Thor? Who's my good little boy?"

Jaune fumbled for words, his face a mix of awe and confusion. "I uh… Um… W-Wow… Uh…"

Nora's eyes sparkled as she looked at him, undeterred. "I know he's young, but I swear, Fearless Leader! He'll contribute!" Thor finished feeding, and she buttoned her shirt before hoisting him up toward Jaune with a flourish. "See? He's a fearsome little warrior! Go on, Thor, show Mommy's leader how badass you are!"

Thor let out a tiny yawn, followed by a gurgle, his round face the picture of innocence. Nora's expression faltered dramatically. "… He's still learning!" she cried, clutching him close. "PLEASE! DON'T THROW US OUT ON THE COLD STREETS, JAUNE!"

Jaune waved his hands frantically, horrified. "I-I would never—!"

"YAY!" Nora launched herself at him, enveloping him in a bone-crushing hug. "RENNY! WE FOUND THOR'S FIRST UNCLE!"

Ren nodded solemnly, rocking Thor gently. "The title is not worn lightly."

Nora spun around, her enthusiasm undimmed. "AND AUNTIES! Who wants to be an aunty?!"

Ruby's hand shot up, her voice bubbling with excitement. "ME! I DO!"

Pyrrha, catching the infectious joy, raised her hand more tentatively. "M-Me too!"

"HOORAY!" Nora bellowed, her grin wide enough to light the forest. "I KNEW THIS SCHOOL WAS THE BEST!"

- - -

Jaune had fervently hoped to avoid the Headmaster's office on the first day before classes, but given the morning's chaos, he wasn't surprised to find himself there, surrounded by his team and RWBY.

Weiss's voice cut through the tense air, sharp with indignation.

"Wh-Why are the rest of us here? We didn't have a child—!"

Glynda Goodwitch's glare could have shattered stone. "YOU ARE ALL INVOLVED!" she snapped, her patience visibly fraying.

Nora leaned back in her chair, cradling Thor with an air of nonchalance. "I really don't see what the big deal is."

"Agreed," Ren added, his voice calm as he sat next to Nora and stroked the top of his son's head. "Please don't shout, he just got to sleep."

Glynda's eyes narrowed, her voice a low, seething growl. "How did you—WHY did you bring your son into a forest full of Grimm?!"

Nora tilted her head, as if the answer were obvious. "Well, we don't know anyone here! So we couldn't ask some stranger to take care of him! You know how much babies can go for on the black market?"

Glynda blinked, thrown off balance. "I… Why would I know that—?"

"10,000 lien on a bad day!" Jaune blurted, before he could stop himself.

Nora nodded vigorously. "Exactly!"

Weiss rounded on him, incredulous. "Why do you know that?!"

Jaune flushed, scrambling for a recovery. "Uh… We could talk about that over dinner, maybe?"

"Seriously?!" Weiss snapped, her voice dripping with disbelief.

Pyrrha, ever kind, offered a gentle smile. "I-I'd love to hear about it, Jaune!"

Jaune rubbed his neck, caught off guard. "Er… Sure? I guess—?"

"ENOUGH!" Glynda's voice cracked like a whip, silencing the room. "How can you call yourselves parents, endangering your child like that in a forest full of Grimm?!"

Nora's grin didn't waver. "That was our childhood! And we didn't have super badass parents looking after us! See? We're already doing great!"

Ren nodded, his expression serene. "Dad would be proud."

"But don't worry, Professor!" Nora continued, undeterred. "Now we have people we can trust our baby with! Ruby and Pyrrha want to be Aunties already!"

Ruby bounced in her seat, barely containing her excitement. "YEAH! AUNTIE RUBY IS GO!"

Yang leaned back, smirking. "Yeeeeah, have fun with that—"

"And Auntie Yang!" Nora declared, pointing at her.

Yang's smirk vanished. "What, why?!"

"You have the experience!" Nora said, as if it were a compliment.

"That's why I don't want it!" Yang shot back.

Nora turned to Weiss, her eyes gleaming as she held out Thor, who drooled adorably. "Aunty Weiss-Weiss?"

Weiss froze, her icy facade crumbling as Thor's big eyes met hers. Her voice softened, almost against her will. "S-Sure… Oh you little cutie, you're such a cutie~!"

Nora spun back to Glynda, her smile triumphant. "See? No more problems, Professor!"

Glynda stared, her expression a mix of exasperation and defeat, before turning to Ozpin. "REALLY?!"

Ozpin sipped his coffee, unruffled. "They passed all the tests," he said calmly. "And they seem like very responsible young people."

"HOORAY!" Nora cheered, oblivious to the tension. Thor began to fuss, and she handed him a Dust grenade, cooing, "Here you go, sweetie, your favorite!"

Weiss's eyes widened. "Um—"

"Relax, it's not armed," Ren said, his voice steady.

"Yup!" Nora added, grinning. "I just drew a face on it, and Mister Explody is ready to go!"

Glynda sighed, her shoulders slumping.

Another reason I drink...

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Wherein Ruby uses a racial slur.

- - -

The next leadership class was a free study period, as Headmaster Ozpin and Simin had business elsewhere. Ruby Rose sat at her usual desk with Jaune, her red cloak pooling around her. Her silver eyes were clouded with frustration as she vented to a small circle of fellow team leaders: Jaune Arc, Cardin Winchester, Sun Wukong, Coco Adel, and, lurking nearby, the smirking Cinder Fall. Ruby's voice was a mix of exasperation and exhaustion, her hands gesturing wildly as she resisted the urge to tug at her hair.

"Being a leader is rough," Ruby said, her tone heavy. "Clashing personalities, egos, mutually exclusive beliefs, historical grudges. It's all a powder keg waiting to explode, and it takes unerring vigilance to keep it together. It's a-a delicate balancing act and the slightest tip one way or the other could destroy it all!"

Jaune blinked, his blue eyes puzzled, his armor clinking as he shifted.

"Uh, no? Ruby, I've had none of that. Are you okay?"

Cardin, leaning back in his chair, snorted.

"My team had some issues to start, but now we get along great together. I don't know what she's talking about."

Sun grinned, his tail flicking. "Yeah, we're all brothers from another mother."

Coco adjusted her sunglasses, her voice smooth but concerned. "We had some issues in our first month, but we got over them real quick. You okay, Little Red?"

Ruby's face flushed, her voice defensive as she sank deep into denial.

"I'm sure you'll be eating your words when it all falls apart!"

Cardin arched an eyebrow, his tone skeptical.

"Uh-huh. Sure we will. But hypothetically, if your team was stressing you out…?"

Ruby hesitated, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"…How much trouble would I get into if I murdered one of them? Hypothetically?"

Jaune patted her shoulder, his voice gentle but firm.

"A lot."

Ruby groaned, slumping forward, her voice muffled.

"It's just that… Ya know…"

Coco leaned in, her grin teasing.

"Yes?"

Ruby's restraint snapped, her voice furious.

"Can someone explain to Blake that everything is NOT FUCKING RACIST?! WHY IS SHE ACTING LIKE SUCH A FUCKING MITTENS?!"

She slapped her hands over her mouth, horrified, her eyes wide. The group froze, jaws dropping, except for Cinder, who smirked, her amber eyes glinting with amusement.

"Slurs from the pipsqueak, oh my," she purred.

Ruby's temper erupted, her voice a shriek as she whirled on Cinder. "SHUT YOUR COCK WARMER, HARLOT! SLUT! WOMAN OF THE NIGHT!"

Cinder's eyes widened in disbelief.

Jaune lunged, wrapping his arms around Ruby in a hug that doubled as a restraint, his voice frantic. "Ruby, it's okay, I'm sure Cinder was just—!"

"IF I HEAR 'That's oppressive towards indigenous Faunus peoples' ONE MORE TIME, I'M COMMITTING A FUCKING HATE CRIME!" Ruby wailed, struggling in Jaune's grip.

Cinder, caught between disbelief and rage, took a deep breath and decided to just focus on pretending to be working on schoolwork. Still, it was something to file away: The little Red Reaper had issues with her team. Might be useful in the future.

Cardin's eyes widened, his voice dry. "Wow. So that's what it's like from this side."

Coco laughed, her voice rich with amusement. "I have to ask, why are your teams such troublemakers?"

Ruby groaned, her words barely audible, sounding like, "Blake, Weiss, and Yang."

Coco's grin widened. "You're overdoing it, Pipsqueak. Save that for senior year!"

Cardin smirked, leaning back. "Even we, the bad boys of Beacon didn't get into a fight with terrorists and gangsters!"

"Nobody calls you that," Coco deadpanned. Cardin ignored her as he plowed ahead.

"Though Russel did get in a street motorcycle race."

Jaune's curiosity piqued, his voice earnest. "Did you win?"

"Of course we won!" Cardin said, puffing out his chest. "I wouldn't be telling you about it unless we did!"

"Shame, the stories where you guys fail miserably are a lot funnier," Coco teased, which Cardin again manfully ignored.

"Though the sidepiece of the guy running the races wanted Dove, Dove wasn't interested, so she said he hit on her, and we had to fight his goons… Wasn't much of a fight, just smashed a motorcycle, and they got the idea that fighting us was a bad idea."

Ruby's scowl deepened, her voice bitter even as she snuggled into Jaune's arms.

"Seriously?! Why can't White Fang be that sensible?! WE'RE HUNTRESSES! WE HAVE AURA! We're gonna beat you up! Just surrender!"

Cardin nodded, his tone surprisingly empathetic. "Why can't fanatical extremists be reasonable? I wonder that too, pipsqueak."

Ruby softened, then glared. "Thanks, I—HEY!"

Coco chuckled, her voice warm. "He has a point, Ruby."

Jaune's voice was hopeful, his eyes bright. "Though I really hope they can be reasonable one day, too. Nora punting one of them between the legs was more than enough for me."

Every guy shuddered, wincing in unison. Ruby turned her scowl on Jaune, her voice accusing.

"Why do you keep getting away with fighting alongside us, anyway?! You were with us but you didn't get put into detention!"

Jaune scratched his neck, sheepish.

"I call the police before we get into these things?"

Ruby's jaw dropped. "Wha—You do?!"

"Yeah," Jaune said, shrugging. "And send an alert to Professor Goodwitch that we got caught in a melee."

"Why do you have her number?" Coco asked, her voice a mix of envy and disbelief.

"Because I didn't want to go to jail," Jaune said, "Why?"

Cardin rolled his eyes while Coco stewed.

Ruby's voice was a mix of awe and frustration.

"…Why the hell didn't we bring YOU GUYS instead of Sun and Neptune?! Those guys were USELESS!"

Sun, lounging at a desk nearby, bristled, his tail stiffening. "Hey! I did fight!"

"You got taken out in ONE HIT!" Ruby snapped. "And Neptune ran off the moment things got serious! You're both useless!"

"Blake doesn't think so," Sun argued.

"Yeah but you're her like, sort of not actually boyfriend!" Ruby argued. "Besides, I don't take advice from her! I'd be crazy to do that!"

"No, she has lots of good ideas!" Sun argued.

"Like infiltrating a White Fang Rally without calling the cops?" Coco asked dryly, "Pure genius."

"Well… It worked out, didn't it?" Sun asked.

"With no help from you!" Ruby growled.

Coco winced.

"Gonna need more sun lotion for that burn, Abs Boy," she said consolingly. Sun groaned.

"This is why I don't usually come to these meetings," the monkey Faunus muttered, leaning back and eating a banana.

Ruby turned to Jaune, her smile bordering on the manic.

"From now on, Jaune, you're coming with us!"

Jaune blinked, his voice cautious. "On your illegal vigilante activities?"

"Yes!"

Jaune sighed, and shrugged.

"…Okay, sure."

Cardin's eyes widened, his voice skeptical. "Wait, really?"

"Yeah," Jaune said, his tone matter-of-fact. "In Radian, we don't have cops, just a militia. So I sometimes went with my dad and his troops to bring in fugitives or help take out Grimm. I wasn't allowed to fight, just support, but I learned a lot."

Ruby's voice softened in disbelief.

"…Why did your parents not unlock your Aura?"

Jaune's blush deepened, his voice sheepish. "Um… They wanted me to be a doctor before they did that."

Cardin's jaw dropped, his voice incredulous. "Wait, wait, wait… You didn't have your Aura unlocked… When?"

"Um… When I came to Beacon?" Jaune said, rubbing his neck.

Coco's sunglasses slipped down, her eyes wide. "And you got unlocked… When?"

"Initiation?" Jaune said, his voice uncertain.

Cardin's voice was a mix of awe and disbelief. "And… You figured out how to use it in… What… An hour?"

"Well, yeah," Jaune said, frowning. "But… That's really hard, right?"

Cardin stared, his voice flat. "…Holy fuck, dude, you're just ridiculous."

Coco whistled, her voice impressed. "Geez…"

Ruby's scowl returned, her voice petulant. "IT'S NOT FAIR! You're like those harem-having guys in Blake's terrible Mistral manga!"

Jaune's face flushed, his voice a stammer. "What? What?!"

The tension broke as Arslan Altan, leader of Team ABRN, approached, her golden eyes bright with barely contained excitement.

"Jaune Arc… Are you by chance the son of Nicholas Arc, the Radiant Paladin?"

Jaune blinked, his voice hesitant. "Er… Yeah?"

Arslan took a deep breath, repressing a squeal, her voice trembling with reverence.

"Ahem… He is, in fact, one of my childhood heroes… Do—Do you think I could meet him?"

Jaune's blush deepened, his voice soft. "Um, sure?"

Arslan's face lit up, and she hugged him, planting a quick kiss on his cheek before hurrying off, her steps practically a skip.

Ruby's scowl deepened, her voice accusing as Jaune's cheeks burned bright red.

"See? Stupid harem having jerk!"

"Now hang on-" Jaune tried defensively, "I'm pretty sure she's a nun!"

"A hot catgirl warrior nun," Coco grinned, "You dog, you."

Ruby continued her tirade.

"And your dad's a superhero?!"

Jaune's voice was defensive, his hands raised. "Your mom was a superhero too! Basically! I mean that's what Hunters are, kind of?"

"Yeah, but it's just, like, totally unfair!" Ruby huffed, crossing her arms. "You're totally unfair in every way!"

Jaune sighed, his voice gentle. "Ruby, come on. You can still kick my butt, you know this!"

Ruby's scowl softened, her voice reluctant. "Yeah…"

"And we're best friends, right?" Jaune said, his smile warm.

"Yeah…" Ruby mumbled, her anger fading.

Jaune pulled her into a hug, his voice earnest. "So don't feel down about anything, okay?"

Ruby's lips twitched into a smile, her voice brighter. "…You know, just for that? I'm setting you up with my sister."

Jaune's eyes widened, his voice a nervous stammer. "Er… Thanks? I think?"

Ruby's grin turned mischievous. "Well, if I don't, she'll just end up some lonely biker lesbian with an apartment full of cats."

Coco laughed, her voice rich.

"That's cruel."

"You've never seen her flirt," Ruby said, her grin widening. "Like, she'll be all flirty-seductive, then she gets shy and runs off or punches the guy! It's kind of hilarious! But honestly, she had to look after me and basically raise me. So she couldn't really… Well… Get any closer. But if you date her, it'll be fine!"

Cardin's voice was dry. "You make her sound like a single mom."

"Yeah, and?" Ruby said, unfazed. "Jaune, don't you like MILFs?"

Jaune's face blazed red, his voice a strangled yelp. "How did you—HOW do you know that word?!"

Ruby rolled her eyes, her voice teasing. "I'm sixteen, not six! And anyway, if you make her happy, I'll marry you next!"

Jaune's jaw dropped, his voice a squeak. "Huh?!"

"That's how it worked with our moms and dad!" Ruby said, her grin unrelenting.

Coco's eyes gleamed, her voice dripping with gossip-hunger. "Oh, All-Team Taiyang Xiao-Long? Yeah, I heard about him!"

Cardin's brow furrowed, his voice confused. "There were only two girls on his team, though!"

Coco chuckled, her grin wicked. "Yeah, and?"

Cardin blinked, then groaned. "…Ugh."

"Don't knock it, buddy!" Coco said, her laughter infectious.

"I'll knock it all I like!" Cardin grumbled, then softened, his voice sincere as he looked over at Ruby. "Though, uh… I hope your dad and uncle are happy together?"

Ruby's smile was warm. "Thanks! They are!"

Coco's grin turned predatory. "How happy?"

Jaune's voice was desperation itself.

"COCO!"

"This is the gossip potato chip bag!" Coco said, her voice gleeful. "I can't stop at just ONE!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Yang had snuck off into Junior's to try and get some more information... But they were expecting her this time. A few Atlasian guard robots were among their numbers, with clearly illegal weapon mods.

Junior: "Now... We gonna do this the nice way, Blondie? Or we gonna do this the hard way?"

Yang: "Still a pervert, huh Junior?"

Junior: "I did NOT know you were sixteen, you crazy bitch! And another thing-!"

Several arrows flew through the windows and exploded with Electric Dust. The EMP knocked out the lights. Yang took the chance to run in the darkened chaos, smashing through a window and running out. Gunfire followed her, but a few more arrows impacted the ground and formed ice to cover her escape.

She climbed up onto the rooftops and parkoured her way (with some boosts from Ember Celica) out of the neighborhood. She came to rest on an old banking building, and took the time to catch her breath.

Jaune: "You know, I'm pretty sure your probation means you don't go out and get into trouble?"

Yang: "GAH!" She threw a shotgun blast... At Jaune, blasting him off his feet and onto his back.

Jaune: "URK!"

Yang: "AH! Vomit Boy!"

She ran to his side and helped him up. He scowled at her.

Yang: "Sorry. You're too damn stealthy for your own good, ya know?"

Jaune: "Yeah... Next time I'll wear a bell."

Yang: "On a collar? Heh. Blake will call that racist."

Jaune: rolls his eyes "Let her, if it keeps me from getting shot again."

Yang: "Yeah... Hey uh... Thanks for the back up."

Jaune: scowl "Ruby asked me to look after you."

Yang: "That little-!"

Jaune: "She's worried! About you and Blake. You always run off and do your own thing, regardless of the danger or what it might mean!"

Yang: "Hey! I can take care of myself-!"

Jaune: "Uh huh. I saw."

Yang: "I..." scowls "Why do you care, anyway? You have your own team."

Jaune: "Yeah. And Ruby's my best friend, and I like to think we're friends too. So if she asks me to help? I'm helping. Even if it pisses you and Blake off. Even if it makes us not friends.."

They glare at each other, silent for a while. Yang sighs.

Yang: "Yeah well... I... You'd still be my friend, even if you pissed me off, so... Thank you."

Jaune: "Same." They get back up

Yang: "So... How much of an eye are you keeping on us, anyway~?" She winks "You watching us in the showers, too?"

Jaune: blush "Er, um... No! Of course not!"

Yang: "Heh! I bet you do! Though really, seeing Weisscream naked is no different clothed."

Jaune: "I wouldn't know."

Yang: "Uh huh, surrrre you don't~."

Jaune: "If I was going to peep on a girl... It'd only be with her permission, thank you."

Yang: "Hmmm... Good to know." She leaned in and smirked "You got mine, stud~."

Jaune: sputters

Yang: giggles "Aw, you're cute when you blush!"

Jaune: "Impossible woman."

Yang: "That's the best kind!"

And at some point...

Jaune was practicing his archery at the shooting range. One Cinder Fall walks up and watches him carefully.

Jaune: "Uh... Hello, Miss... Fall was it?"

Cinder: smiles "Yes... I see you practice Pandavan style archery."

Jaune: "Oh, you're familiar with it?"

Cinder: "Somewhat. Though of course, your godfather's reputation proceeds him."

Jaune: blush "Er, I guess so..."

Cinder: "You were trained by him, the King of Archers?"

Jaune: "Uh, well... Yes. It wasn't easy."

Cinder: "I imagine so... It's quite impressive, however. Tell me... Would you care to train together for a bit?"

Jaune: "Sure, I suppose."

Cinder pulls out her own bow and arrows, and takes up a position at the firing station next to his. She pulls back and lets loose, hitting an arrow just an inch or two off the bullseye. She puts several more arrows downrange, all the arrows slightly off.

Cinder: "Forgive me... I'm not nearly as good as you."

Jaune: "... Yes you are."

Cinder: "Pardon?"

Jaune: "You're deliberately leading your shots. The distribution of your hits is too precise to be otherwise." He smiles and shakes his head "That's very impressive."

Cinder: "... Oh. I see."

Jaune: "If you don't want to show off before the Vytal Tournament, I get it. I just ask that you don't spy on me in so brazen a manner. We can train together, but only if we both demonstrate our true abilities."

Cinder: "That would give the other an unfair advantage, wouldn't it?"

Jaune: "Not at all... Not like I'm going to show off all my tricks, after all."

Cinder: thin smile "I suppose that's fair."

They do some more shooting, both much more accurate. Jaune then gets a call on his Scroll.

Jaune: "Sorry, I have a prior engagement. But this was fun. Not many Archers around, ya know?"

Cinder: "Indeed. I will see you later?"

Jaune: "I'd love to!" He ran off. She watched him go.

Cinder: Not as big a fool as I thought... You may require some watching, Jaune Arc...

Click to shrink...

Jaune enters his common room to cook breakfast for his friends and teammates... When he stops short. Two people are already there. The rest of RWBY and JNPR soon get up and stare at the little old woman sipping tea, and the tall white haired old man cooking.
Arturia: "Hello Jaune! Congratulations on entering Beacon!"

Jaune: "O-Oh, well... Um, thank you, Nana! There are my great-grandparents, Nana Arturia and Papa Shirou. Nana and Papa? These are my friends and teammates!"

He introduces them. Shirou comes around and sets down plates. But he's scowling at Jaune as everyone sits down to eat.
Yang: "Mmmm... Wow! This is a great dish! And what's on it is amazing!"

Ruby: "Ugh, Yang! But yeah, this is great! Thanks Papa Shirou!"

Blake: "It is very good, thank you."

Pyrrha: "Yes, thank you!"

Ren: "Very much so."

Nora: gasp "CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES?! Ren, forgive me! Om nom nom nom...!"

Ren: "You're forgiven. They're very good."

Weiss: "It is..."frowns "Um... Forgive me, but you both look very familiar."

Jaune: "Ummmm..."

Arturia: "Oh. I just have one of those faces. Now Jaune... Don't you have something to say to your Papa?"

Jaune and Shirou stare at eachother.
Jaune: wince "... I'm sorry I didn't take archery lessons from you, Papa. I mean, I wanted to! But Arjun had to keep it a secret from mom, so, you know... I'm really sorry."

Shirou: sighs "Honestly... We really should have intervened at some point. Still! Arjun was an acceptable mentor."

Jaune: "Thanks!"

Shirou: "But you're going to learn the Arc style of archery now."

Weiss: "Arc style? Arturia...?"

Ruby: "Sounds familiar, but why...?"

Pyrrha has the shiniest eyes, while Blake is gaping in astonishment.
Jaune: "Great! When do we start?"

Shirou: "Right now." He grabs Jaune and tosses him out the window
Jaune: "GAH!"

Shirou: summons up swords "First lesson: DODGE!" He leaps out after him
Jaune: "AAAHHHHH!"

Everyone gets up and watches as Shirou fires off swords and arrows at Jaune, causing many explosions.
Weiss: jaw drops "... YOU'RE ARTURIA PENDRAGON?!"

Arturia: "Arc! I married in, after all!" bright smile
Yang: "One of the deadliest swordswomen in history?!"

Pyrrha: excited "The Queen of Sabers?!"

Ruby: "THE SABER QUEEN?! YOU'RE JAUNE'S GREAT-GRANDMA?!"

Pyrrha: "And his great-grandfather is Shirou Arc, the Master of Unlimited Bladeworks! The Archer and the Saber!"

Arturia: "Oh my! I'm so flattered you remember us! That was a very long time ago, after all."

Blake: low voice "No wonder he feels so inadequate..."

KABOOM!

Jaune: "HOW IS THIS TRAINING, PAPA?!"

Shirou: "It's how I learned, Jaune! Now dodge FASTER!"

Jaune: "CAN'T I FINISH MY BREAKFAST FIRST?!"

Shirou: "You can have it after! You'd just throw it up right now! DODGE!"

KABOOOM!

Jaune: "AUGGGHHH!"

Ruby: "YOU'RE DOING GREAT, JAUNE!" Looks worriedly at Arturia "Um... Right?"

Arturia: "Naturally! He's not dead yet."

Nora: "YAY JAUNE! GREAT JOB NOT DYING!"

Pyrrha: grins "Can I train with you next, Mrs. Arc?"

Arturia: "Of course! Call me Nana!"

Pyrrha: "HEE!"

Ruby: "Can we also get the chance, Nana Arturia?"

Arturia: "Sure thing! Try not to die!"

Nora: "WE'LL DO OUR BEST!"

Blake: "I didn't sign up for this-"

Weiss: "Neither did I-!"

Ruby: "Too bad! I'm team leader! We're fighting Jaune's awesome granny! SO THERE!"

 

[SharkCultist]

Jaune Arc didn't have aura.

He did once, but something happened on the way to Atlas. It just stopped. When he'd reach for the pool of energy it felt like trying to move almost frozen syrup.

There's no way he'd be able to help anyone in this state. Surprisingly a solution didn't come from either of the adult (or whatever Ozcar counts as) huntsmen, it came from Ren.

So here he was sitting in a run down cabin while a old man makes him tea in the hopes it'll magically heal his soul.

What a joke.

"You seem troubled my friend, is Jasmine not to your liking? I believe I have some black tea is that's what you desire."

It is REALLY hard to be upset around this guy.

He's old, not ancient but he definitely earned that grey hair. He's a larger man though not quite fat, stocky there was power in that body once but it had been softened by time and comfort. He's dressed in a loose green robe and seems perfectly comfortable even with a blizzard raging outside.

"The little lotus tells me you are in turmoil. What ails you friend?"

"My aura isn't working. Its gone!"

He sips his tea calm even as Jaune isn't.

"You still possess a soul do you not? Then your aura is still there. No your issue lies elsewhere."

Cryptic Mysterious old men. Oh joy more of this.

"Well that's just perfect, no Jaune your aura is still there it's just useless just like you, thank you. Truly I really needed the confirmation that my life is a joke."

He's inspecting Jaune. His gold colored eyes are surprisingly sharp despite his relaxed demeanor.

"I can see the wound on your heart but not it's source. Tell me what hurt you? Was it criticism? A defeat? Rejection? A loss?"

A flinch. Damn it.

"Yes I do believe the little lotus told me that once your family of three was one of four. I did not pry them but that's beginning to feel like a mistake."

"Her name was Pyrrha. She was the best of us."

"Do you blame yourself?"

"No."

"Do you believe you failed her somehow."

"No."

"Then please tell me your issue child."

"And how will that help me? Bear my soul to a old man in the ass end of nowhere, spill all my secrets in the special little pow-wow and magically feel better? Life isn't a fairytale. My issues are mine. I should just head home before I get in the way."

"And you believe that this is the right path?"

"It's the one that keeps me from being in the way. Just like Pyrrha wanted."

"Did she?"

"Of course she did! Why else would she throw me away like that! Wrapped up in that locker like a fragile piece of glass and sent away!"

There's warmth in his gut. Maybe it's the anger, maybe its the tea."

"Do you resent her?"

"W-what? No! No I couldn't, she's great. She's strong, beautiful, kind. What do I have to resent?"

"she sent you away and you feel like you failed her."

"Failed her? FAILED HER? I DIDN'T GET THE CHANCE TO FAIL HER!"

The fire flares up and the burning in his gut has spread under his skin.

"She didn't even give me the option to fight for her. She said she loved me then she left me. Without even a chance to help I lost her."

"She loved you. She didn't want to lose you. Is that so wrong? What is your issue here? What feelings are you trying to hide from?"

"I'm not hiding anything! She did what she felt she had to do, she..she..."

"Say it. Tell me what you really feel. Let it out."

"SHE WAS SELFISH! She didn't want to risk losing me and feeling this pain, this loss. But she didn't give a seconds hesitation to leaving us!"

There's a golden glow in the room and it's not coming from the fire. It's weak and stuttering and slow, but jaunes aura is aglow.

"We should respect those we lose but that doesn't mean ignoring their flaws and mistakes. She hurt you my boy. It's ok to acknowledge that."

Jaune still feels like he should defend Pyrrha somehow.

"And you're a expert on hurt?"

For once in the conversation the old man puts down his tea.

"I was young once, angry, in pain. I thought the world was my enemy because of the actions of a few. I sought to burn down everything around me. And I did. I had no friends who could stand to be near me, no family who would claim me. I burnt every bridge I had. And when I had nobody else I could hurt I could only turn that rage inwards."

He stares into the fire.

"I spent a long time alone examining the worst parts of myself. The parts I didn't want to see or tried to refuse were a problem. Eventually I smoothed those raw and jagged edges of my soul until I became a person I could stand to see in the mirror. So yes. I believe I might qualify as someone who knows hurt."

"I'm sorry."

"I know. It's getting late and the storm still rages. Rest. We'll speak in the morning."

The old man gets up to go deeper in the shack. Probably to bed.

"Wait please. One last thing. Ren just called you Master. What's your name?"

"My name is Zuko."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Random idea: RWBY and JNR would have become like a family, a found family, nakama, etc. The Atlas Arc would have been a good place for a family argument. I mean, pretty much anything would have been better than what we got but bear with me.

Ruby, following Oscar's lead, doesn't want to tell Ironwood about the Relic and Salem's immortality. Blake doesn't like Atlas so she follows them, Qrow follows Oz's lead. Weiss is a bit more divided but she will stick with Ruby.

Jaune... Is less than convinced. Could be that he's still resentful of Ozpin with how he treated Pyrrha, could be that he thinks this will backfire, could be that he thinks keeping this quiet will weaken them, but he decides he's going to tell Ironwood. Ren and Nora back him up, and so does Yang, who, while not kotowing to any authority figures, is less taken in by Ozpin than Ruby after what happened last time he was in charge.

(And she has her brain and will back so she might be less impressed with other adults in her life, but she would agree that keeping this stuff secret is stupid).

The Happy Huntresses are stealing and raiding and being self righteous about it. A Yang written like herself would not automatically sign on with people who were acting like her mom's gang.

(Nor should Blake but her bias against Atlas might override this.)

And you could make it so that Salem's agents are trying to provoke fights between the factions in Atlas to weaken them, which means Ruby, Blake, Oscar, Qrow, and perhaps Weiss are against Ironwood's forces, while Jaune, Yang, Nora, Ren, and Penny are on Ironwood's side.

It's a dilemma. Both sides are right, and both sides are wrong.

And Cinder is taking advantage of this.

What are your thoughts?

 

[AndrewJTalon]

In "Monster Musume", the mermaid girl Mero is hoping for a tragic romance that ends in a tragic and sorrowful way. She hopes the other monster girls will get together with the human male and be very happy, and that her own romance with him will be largely unrequited and end in tragedy.

You know where I'm going with this, don't you? A twist on the Pyrrha cuckqueen trope.

Yang: "Um... Pyrrha, I'm going out with Jaune-"

Pyrrha; "I know! And I'm so happy for you!"

Yang: "Eh? Wait, I thought you were hot for him."

Pyrrha: "Oh yes. I am in love with him... But I want a tragic love that ends in sorrow! Largely unrequited, save for moments of infidelity that test your love with him but ultimately fail!"

Yang: "Huh?!"

Pyrrha: "So I hope you and Jaune are very happy together! I'll make sure of it! You just have to put up with a little infidelity from time to time! And then..." Starry eyed "I'll die all alone with the loss of my love hidden in my heart!"

Yang: "... Um... VB?"

Jaune: Bursts into the dormroom, where he was listening in from.

Pyrrha: "Ah! Oh, um... Hello Jaune... How much of that did you-?"

Jaune: "All of it. We're going to therapy."

Pyrrha: "But Jaune, I want my tragedy-!"

Yang: "Cereal Girl, if we have to have a threesome to fix you, we will damnit!"

Jaune: "That's right!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Pyrrha: "You see... The ideal romance for me would be..."

In Pyrrha's imagination... She is mortally wounded with arrows, and Jaune is holding her

Jaune: "Pyrrha no...!"

Pyrrha: "Please, my love... Forgive me... And live on for me..."

Jaune: "Pyrrha! PYRRHA! NOOOOOO!"

End of the fantasy

Pyrrha: sighs happily "That would be so amazing~!"

Yang: "How is that amazing?!"

Jaune: "Pyrrha, where do you get your ideas about romance from?"

Pyrrha: "These myths and stories from my childhood! And my mother!"

Jaune: "Uh huh. Like the story of Persephone and Hades. How he made it look like he was kidnapping her and how a friend led her mother on a six month wild goose chase so they could have some personal time without her present?"

Pyrrha: starry eyes "Exactly!"

Nora: "Wait....that didn't end in tragedy at all unlike Poesidon and Zeus, Hades never strayed from Persephone. Heck he even gave her the Furies as handmaidens."

Pyrrha: "Oh... I always try to ignore that part."

RWBY, Jaune, Ren and Nora: "..."

Weiss: "You know, somehow my childhood seems somewhat better in comparison."

Yang: "I guess it's all... Relative?"

Many groans.

Jaune: "I'd laugh if the situation wasn't so serious. Honest."

 

[SharkCultist]

Roman Torchwick was feeling something he really didn't enjoy feeling.

Introspection.

Heh look at that, big word. Bet all his old friends would be surprised to see him with that sort of vocabulary. Of course most of them would also yell at him for being a criminal.

They didn't get it. They had good families, support, money.

He didn't and he needed it. Badly.

He has exactly one good relative and she's his world. (Well her and Neo.)

She's also blind. Blind because they were too poor to afford surgery to fix it or replace them.

He tried scraping up money the legal way. He cleaned houses, cooked food, moved packages, anything he could do for a bit of cash.

It wasn't anywhere near enough. Not even when he turned to slightly less legal jobs like moving packages for the spiders or looting abandoned huntsmen corpses.

He failed completely and utterly. No hero underdog story, no sudden windfall or surprise prize money from a tournament.

And Serenity paid for it with her sight.

Well if he couldn't save her eyes he'd at least make her life as comfortable as possible.

So he stole. As much as he could. Changed his name and style so the heat wouldn't blow back on her.

He still sends the money that pays for her care and he will continue to for as long as he can.

Let it be said that Roman Torchwick is scum.

But damn if Joey Wheeler isn't a good brother.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

In a later leadership class...

Cardin: "Seriously though, how did you end up with the team of three gay guys?"

May: "Um... Well... It just turned out that way?"

Coco: "I'm betting all the other guys tried to kill each other to be on her team. And that just left the three gay guys."

May: "N-No! That's not what... Although... Oh dear..." shakes her head "N-No! No! I'm not-I don't-I mean-!"

Jaune: "May... I say this as a man from a passionate lineage... You are absolutely stunning and beautiful. Any straight man would consider you a goddess of fertility and would want to make you theirs."

May: Bright red

Ruby: "... AHEM..."

Jaune: "Hm? Oh! Ruby? You're also beautiful and when you grow up a little, you'll be an absolute knock out!"

Ruby: beams... Then scowls "... Wait what do you mean when I grow up a little?!"

Jaune: "Er..."

Ruby: "Fine! You can date Yang until I'm legal, then you date us both!"

Jaune: "What?!"

Cardin: "Ugh... You damn harem protagonist."

Jaune: "What? What?! I was being honest! Ruby's the weird one!"

Cardin: "Yeah, that's the worst part."

Coco: "Least he's not a tsundere~."

Cardin: "I AM NOT TSUNDERE OVER VELVET!"

Coco: "And I didn't even need to say her name."

Cardin: "GAH!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

At another class...

Coco: "I mean, I have dated a fair amount but I've been keeping my focus on my team and training."

Cardin: "That or you're a drama queen who loves to break girl's hearts."

Coco: "Velvet."

Cardin: bright red "Stop bringing her up!"

Coco: "Stop being tsundere over her!"

Cardin: "I'M NOT!"

Ruby: sighs "There they go again... Hey Jaune? ... Jaune?"

Jaune is on the Scroll, talking a bit tensely.

Jaune: "Yeah, it's nice to see you too... Take care... Bye."

Girl: "Bye Jaune!"

Ruby's eyes widen. The girl... Is a gorgeous blonde cat Faunus. Jaune hangs up.

Jaune: "Oh, sorry Ruby. I had to take that."

Ruby: "Who was that?"

Jaune: "Oh... My ex-girlfriend."

Ruby: "Ex-girlfriend?!"

Cardin: "Seriously?!"

Jaune: "Believe it or not, I wasn't always this bad at dating."

Ruby: "She's beautiful!"

Jaune: "Yeah, she is."

Cardin: "Show us!"

Coco: "Right now!"

Jaune shows a picture of a stacked, muscular blonde cat Faunus girl with green eyes.

Cardin: "... You broke up with her?!"

Jaune: "You hate Faunus!"

Cardin: "No! I mean, not all of them! Not the hot ones-POINT IS! You broke up?! Why?! Are you gay?"

Jaune: "I'm not gay!"

Coco: "Was she a total bitch?"

Jaune: "No! We're childhood friends and we were thinking of getting married... But she wanted me to be a doctor and I wanted to be a Huntsman. So we broke up."

Cardin: "... Are you sure you're not gay?"

Jaune: "I AM NOT GAY! Look, we're still friends but she wanted me to stay and I wanted to go!"

Coco: "Did you make a promise to return to her or something? That whole childhood friends destiny thing? That's so cute~!"

Jaune: "NO! We just broke up!"

Ruby: "Wait... Why the heck are you after Weiss when she looks like Yang, Pyrrha, and sort of Blake?"

Coco: "Honestly, he's better off avoiding Blake. She's hot, but a hot mess."

Sun: "That's my kind of sort of girlfriend you're talking about!"

Coco: "Yes, we're well aware."

Jaune: "D-Don't be ridiculous, Ruby! I um... I like girls of all sizes and types!"

Coco: "Ahhh... He was trying to get over her so he went after the exact opposite of his ex."

Jaune: "I DID NOT! For one thing, Weiss has an amazing... Um..."

Coco: grin "Posterior?"

Jaune: "Errr... She, uh... she's got a great strut?"

Coco: eyebrows bobbing "Oh yeah, especially when she's walking away, right?"

Jaune: "Damnit Cardin! Ask out Velvet already!"

Cardin: "I don't-!"

Jaune: "I'm tired of my love life being the subject of discussion, so freaking man up and ask her already!"

Coco: "That's not changing any time soon."

Cardin: "I DON'T LIKE HER!"

Jaune: "Then just ask her and get rejected already!"

Cardin: "FINE! I WILL!"

Coco hands him her Scroll. He dials.

Velvet: "Hello? Oh, um, Cardin, I-"

Cardin: "Look Velvet! You wanna go out to dinner with me?"

Velvet: "Huh?!"

Cardin: "I'll bring flowers. I'll take us to a nice restaurant. I'll hold open doors for you and pull out chairs and all that other stuff. Yes or no, do you want to go out with me?"

A pause.

Velvet: "... You... You like me?"

Cardin: bright red "Yes or no?!"

Velvet: blush "... This Friday good?"

Cardin: "At 6! Dress nice!"

Velvet: "I will. I like sunflowers so if you could get me some?"

Cardin: "Fine! I will!"

Velvet: "Okay... See you then~." She smiles. Cardin hangs up

Cardin: "..." eyes widen "Oh shit she said yes."

Coco: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Cardin: "SHUT UP!"

Ruby: "... Is that how it normally goes when you ask people out?"

Jaune: sighs "I don't even know what normal is anymore..."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Blake, being night owl, had not gotten a lot of sleep during the nights at the Arcadia Farm. She got up and snuck around, usually to read or try to get some Scroll signal. The truth is, she just wasn't able to relax at all, despite everything. She went outside, just listening to the night air and the sounds of the animals... When she heard a clang and a yelp.

Nick: "OW! Damn!"

It came from the barn. Blake went over, and poked her head in. Nick was pulling on some gloves, after slamming his head into the overhead shelf.

Nick: "Augh... Oh! Hello Blake. Mind helping me out?"

Blake: "I..." She remembered her manners, and slowly nodded "All right."

Nick: "Great! Come on! Oh, change your clothes. Jeans and flannel, it'll be better."

Blake changed into the old clothing. Nick led her out to the cow barn. He hopped into one of the stalls, and pulled Blake in. A cow was lying on her side and making low noises, twitching.

Nick: "This is Jazz. She's giving birth."

Blake: "Oh... Uh, um, I don't-"

Nick: "It's okay! I just need a hand, I've done this a lot."

It was very rough, and strangely nerve wracking. She was out of her depth... And yet Nick was calm throughout.

Nick: "I hope we don't need to wake Izzy. She loves it when they're calving, but she did a double shift at the hospital so she needs a break. Hang on..."

It took a while longer. Nick had to inject Jazz with a drug to help her relax. Then, he had to pull the calf when it began to crown. Blake helped hold Jazz down with her strength, but gently.

Finally... The calf was out, and made a keening noise after Nick slapped its nose and cleaned it out with twine. Nick then picked up the calf, moved it to another pen with clean straw, and then stood back.

Nick: "Let her go!"

Blake let the cow up, and opened up the stall. The cow trotted out, slowly, and Nick helped guide her into the pen with the fresh straw. He shut the gate and smiled. Blake slowly joined him, staring at the cow and her new baby.

Nick: "Haha! Haa... Look at him! Look at that!"

Blake: "W-Wow..."

Nick: "Heheheh... I love this part. Poor Izzy will be unhappy she missed this. Jaune too, he loved this."

Blake: "It was... Well..."

Nick: "Gross? Your nose probably didn't help did it?"

Blake: wrinkles it "No... But it was... It was incredible."

Nick: "Heh. Yeah." He smiles and watches the new calf begin to suckle "You know... I do like to fight."

Blake: "Yes?"

Nick: "I do. I grew up fighting. My whole life was fighting for my life, for others, for the Tablebreaker and for my friends. I had a hard time adjusting when Isabel wanted us to retire, even after everything..."

Blake: "Everything?"

Nick: small, sad smile "Mount Glenn. Among other things."

Blake: "Oh..." Realization "Oh... I'm sorry."

Nick: "You didn't know. Anyway, even now I work with the militia and try to stay sharp. But this? Well... I have to admit, it took me a while but I grew to love it."

Blake: "I... I suppose I see the appeal. There was a saying my father told me once: 'It is better to be a warrior in a garden than a gardener in a war.'"

Nick: "Mmm... Come with me."

He led her outside to a small rise near the barn. He pointed to the East... And the sun began to rise.

Nick: "Heh... Beautiful, isn't it? A new calf, a nice farm, a sunrise..." He beamed "A wonderful morning."

Blake: "..." small smile "Yes... yes it is."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Weiss: "You... You're the direct descendant of the Lion Queen?! THE QUEEN OF KNIGHTS?! THE SABER QUEEN?!"

Jaune: sighs "Yeah."

Weiss: "And your great-grandfather is THE MASTER OF UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS?!"

Jaune: "Yes..."

Weiss: "Wha-Why didn't you bring that up?!"

Jaune: looked up at her "Because I didn't want to impress you with my lineage if I couldn't live up to it!"

Weiss: "... And you wanted to impress me by... What, being a dolt?"

Jaune: wince "I just... My lineage doesn't matter if I can't live up to it, does it? It makes me look like some loser who is relying on his family name. All my ancestors, my parents, were all amazing warriors, heroes! And... And I'm trying to be that. I wanted to pretend that I was... But I'm not. And if I can't live up to my family name, I'll at least not dishonor it by being some asshole. Better a loser than a-a jerk! So I'm sorry."

He bowed his head in shame. Weiss worked her jaw.

Weiss: "... Jaune? I... I do... I do understand."

Jaune: "Huh?" looks up

Weiss: "My father..." sighs "He's ruined the family name, made us hated and feared. I keep getting judged for my name, all his crimes. I can appreciate not throwing it around if... If you can't back it up. I've met a lot of people who have all this pedigree and so many famous people in their families who were scum, just trying to impress me. So... Well... I appreciate you not doing that."

Jaune: brightens "So-?"

Weiss: "I still don't like you like that or find you attractive. At all."

Jaune: wilts

Weiss: "But... You're better than I thought. For a dolt."

Jaune: smiles "Well... That's good to know. I guess."

Weiss: "Don't take that as a sign I'll ever like you more than that!"

Jaune: "N-No! No! I get it, I get it!" holds his hands up "But um... Would you like to spar with my great-grandparents at some point?"

Weiss: "YES!" clears throat "I-I mean, it would be an honor."

Jaune: "Great! You'll get to go after Pyrrha, Ruby, Yang, Blake, Nora, Arslan-"

Weiss: "Wh-Wh-What?! Why are they all going before me?!"

Jaune: "Well they asked first. You didn't want to talk to me."

Weiss: "Grrrr...!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

In this Leadership Class, Sun is dragged in by Arslan. By his tail.

Sun: "Seriously?!"

Arslan: "You would not come otherwise."

Sun: "I've come plenty of times!"

Arslan: "You were going off with Belladonna for another vigilante excursion."

Ruby: "What?! She didn't tell me?!" groans, makes a Scroll call

Ruby: "I told her no!"

Sun: "It was a date! Honest!"

Arslan: "You need to train with your team."

Sun: "They're fine!"

Ruby: "And why do you keep enabling Blake?!"

Sun: grin "What? A pretty girl wants to go fight the White Fang and have lunch, I'm not going to argue."

Arslan: sighs "This is why I didn't want Neptune on your team."

Sun: "We're doing fine!"

Arslan: "He's nearly died three times."

Sun: "Nearly!"

Arslan: "That I know of."

Sun: "He's exaggerating!"

Arslan: Sighs

Blake answers the scroll

Ruby: "Blake! No vigilanteism tonight or so help me. I will sick Zwei on you!"

Blake: "You wouldn't!"

Ruby: "Try me!"

Sun: "Hey Blake! We still on for tonight?"

Ruby: "NO! NO YOU ARE NOT! WE'RE ALREADY UNDER HOUSE ARREST!"

Blake: "I need to-"

Ruby: "YOU NEED TO MAKE OUT WITH YOUR STUPID MONKEY BOYFRIEND AND NOT GO OUT TO FIGHT TERRORISTS!"

Blake: "He's not my boyfriend!"

Jaune: wince "Ouch."

Sun: "She's totally going to be my girlfriend." winks

Cardin: "Weirdo."

Coco: "Says the tsundere."

Cardin: "I'M NOT TSUNDERE!"

Jaune: "You and Blake deserve eachother."

Cardin: "Shut up!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

I try not to get too meta but sometimes my brain just comes up with shit like this:

Coco: "Sooo... I only get characterization in the light novels and chibi? And that is...?"

Jaune: "Lesbian."

Coco: "..."

Ruby: "Fashionable lesbian?"

Jaune: "Who breaks girls' hearts?"

Coco: "... I have a fucking minigun in my purse. And that's what they went with?"

Jaune: "Trust me Coco, you're better off."

Ruby: "Way better off."

Jaune: "I get stuck in a shitty alternate dimension for decades and my dreams of being a hero are twisted into a nightmare of utter failure."

Ruby: "And I kill myself."

Coco: "..."

Ruby: "I got better!"

 

[zMADLAXz]

God, I start thinking thinking of something interesting to write and it turns into shonen. Should have watched Sailor moon.

Anyway for the leadership class lets not pretend that anyone is the perfect leader.

For example team CFVY. Someone like Coco takes time to get used to. I mean, I love the girl but omg, not an instant friendship, but that's ok. Character flaws are good writing opportunities.

So, let me try and spit something real quick.(Gentle warning, I haven't any extra material for RWBY so if I get their characterization wrong or miss a fact that was disclosed in some novel or in manga, my bad.)

Team CFVY - year 1

Coco- I am telling you guys, while team jerseys are catchy and so before color wars, we can have a team theme and make our own outfits based on that. I am sure even our dear Muscle and Monk could pull something of.

Coco - Though I mean, it's gonna be pretty tough considering, well you know, guys

Fox - No, I don't know. Perhaps you would like to enlighten me?

Coco - Woh! dude, personal space and I mean, it's pretty self explanatory.

Yatsuhashi - What are we talking about here again? I mean I don't see anything bad with team jerssy

Coco - Ok look, boys, y'all are a pretty bunch but you know where the beauty lies. Besides, I am seeing some real potential here and it's way over there.

Fox - Oh, I see your type, well I guess we should sleep without any problem, because we know whose gonna take all the harassment cases for the team.

Coco - What's your angle here, tough guy?

Velvet - ......

Fox - I have no angle, but I know yours pretty well, young lady.

Coco - Well mom, looks like I get to teach this lesson once again. Listen here Mr. "I see more with my ears than you can with your eyes", the dildo of consequences rarely comes lubed and I have a whole lot of them in the closet waiting for an unsuspecting asshole.

Fox - Really gonna have to face more than a few lawsuits.

Fast Forward - Present

Coco - So yeah, I won't blame shit like surroundings and my childhood but as you now know, I was the picture perfect bitch.

Ruby - But what changed? I mean you are so cool and so awesome and you have such an amazing bag andohmigoshthatgunissocoolcanIFireitleplslspls--

Coco - You are cute short gun (Yang - Ha! 'Short Gun' also don't even think. Ruby - YANG! please no!) but you are not my field. But yeah, everyone's got some issue and the first step is to acknowledge them, and 2nd step is to not fallback like an alcoholic (Yang and Ruby - oof). I have a good team, took my ass out of fire way more times I care to keep track of and I tried to be a good leader, but that's the neat part ladies, Good leadership is a lot like having sex for the first time, Confidence is good, but you gotta keep in mind all of you are here for the other person as well and the aftermath of a messy time is a bitch and a half to cleanup.

Everyone laughs except for team CFVY because they know how messy things can actually get and what the intention of Coco's analogy was

Jaune - And umm, it's just a hyptohetical but like, what if you are really really not suited for it?

Rest of team JNPR try to interject but Coco speaks.

Coco - Listen, Jaune was it? You know, if it was some field that required a lot of theoretical like say any of the STEM and other things of that nature I would say "Well better learn how to get good as quick as you can scrub", but here's the thing I learned. Early Huntsmen, didn't have standardised shit like us, yes they had weapons training but conventional combat mechanics go out of the window when you enter Grimm and Aura into the equation. Half the flips and twirls and big moves we do are stupid as fuck but the philosopy behind organised Grim fight using Squads is still in its infancy.

Jaune - And so...?

Velvet - What she is saying is that, due to the unorthodox job we all have, you are gonna learn your best skills in field and also you don't have to worry about things like your classmates being better and being an imposter because at the end of the day, a hunter should never fight alone even if they are capable of it because strength alone cannot grant victory(Bonus points to those who figure where it is from), you gotta have heart and know how to work well with others. Logistics and strategic planning are definitely more important factors than pure martial prowess in this eternal war. Yes you need that too, but we gotta make sure of a lot of other things as well.

Fox - So even if you think you don't have a place or feel half blind while following this path? Just know that you need to get your hands dirty anyway and you got your friends behind you.

Yatsuhashi - It takes getting punched around by just the right kind of grimm for things to click but at that point, you've got your comrades to make sure you aren't in too much of shit and when time comes <Yatsuhashi watches the rest of his team as they nod at him>, you make sure to accept and offer help.

Coco - Plus believe when I say it, once you get the rhythm of it, you realise the skills were there already, after all fighting and fucking is something humans and faunus have perfected better than perhaps any other species on the planet.

---

Here is my take on a senior team who have had too many battles to give a shit about proper social customs and other fancy shit. More than guns and ammo, when you have aura and semblances, it's the team synergy that matters. But having big guns is also a definite plus

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Papa Shirou's restaurant La Belle was warm, cozy, and served a wide variety of fare. Including burgers, though with a French bent. Jaune held back a 'snerk' at the Royale with Cheese on the menu.

Katy: "Hm? You see something funny, Jaune?"

Jaune: "Ah... Just remembering that time I got food poisoning."

Katy: "Which time? You got sick a lot! Usually when Nana was cooking!"

Nana Arturia: "Hey!"

Jaune's Brain: Holy shit it's actually Saber! I mean she's older and taller and has wrinkles and white hair but HOLY SHIT IT'S ACTUALLY SABER! Huh... Am I that unoriginal or did Monty not put this in because he didn't get a clear transmission? Or was he afraid of getting sued? Or were Kerry and Miles that unoriginal-?

Arturia walks up to Jaune, looking stern in her blue dress and apron... Before she hugs him tightly.

Arturia: "Awwww! My little Jaune! You've gotten so big and tall!"

Jaune's Brain: But... She's my Nana... And I love her.

Jaune: smiles and hugs her back "I'm so glad to see you too, Nana."

Shirou: "Hey! No hugs for me?"

Jaune's Brain: And Shirou! Er... Archer... Who is smiling genuinely. That's weird... It's Shirou though... Or Papa... And I love him too.

Jaune hugs him too.

Jaune: "Papa Shirou!"

Shirou: "Heheheh... You ran out in a hurry last time we saw you."

Jaune: "Ah, well... Y-You know... Beacon was starting soon and all..."

Arturia: sighs "You know... You could have just asked us to train you. Or asked us to get you into Beacon for you. Instead of fraud."

Jaune's Brain: What-HOW DID SHE KNOW?!

Arturia: "Orchid told us."

Jaune's Brain: SHE TATTLED ON ME?!

Jaune: "That's so not cool-!"

Shirou: "Son, come on."

Arturia: shakes her head "She can't stand up to both of us guilting her."

Jaune's Brain: I guess that's true...

Arturia: "But... I totally understand." smiles "I got thrown into the thick of battle after years of hard training, my Aura only recently unlocked, and I had to learn how to fight with it in only a few minutes! And I succeeded! Father was so proud! You were just following family tradition!"

Shirou: "Technically I didn't do that sort of thing, I just got thrown into war with only a little training and my Aura unlocked-"

Arturia: "But it let our true strength shine!"

Shirou: "It was kind of traumatizing."

Arturia: "That built character!"

Jaune's Brain: Oh... I see why he was unsure about talking to them... Though I don't think I would agree after the Rusted Knight.

Arturia: "But you're at Beacon and doing so well! We're so proud!"

Jaune: "Aw, thanks..."

Shirou: "So... You gonna introduce us to your girlfriend?"

Arturia: "Did you hook back up with Katy?"

Jaune: "Ah, no! This is my girlfriend, Yang Xiao-Long!"

Yang: smiles "Hey! It's great to meet you!"

Arturia: "Hmmmm..." Eyes narrow

Yang: Stares back

Arturia: "So... You serious about my great-grandson, huh?"

Yang: "Yes."

Jaune's Brain: Oh God, she can't be rivals with a Granny Xiao-Long here too, can she?!

Arturia: "... You look strong, and you're very pretty!" She hugs Yang "It's great to meet you! Call me Nana!"

Yang: "Well... Thank you, Nana!" smiles and hugs her back

Shirou: "Heheh... Knew you couldn't resist a warrior woman, huh kid? Runs in the family, you know."

Jaune: flush "Ah, well..."

Katy is smiling a bit uncomfortably. Jaune cannot blame her.

Yang, Jaune and Katy get seated. The food is soon delivered, though Nana and Shirou don't linger for too long. They do watch from the kitchen though.

Jaune: "They opened this restaurant when they retired after the Great War. They've run it ever since."

Yang: happily eating "Mmmm... Damn! This is great! You learn how to cook from them?"

Katy: "He did."

Yang: "Heh. I'm gonna get fat when we get married, Stud."

Jaune: "Well, I'll make sure we both get lots of exercise."

Katy: "Ha! I get it!"

Jaune: "I uh, er..."

Yang: flush

Katy: "So... You two are getting exercise, huh?" smug little grin

Jaune: "It's... Part of the job."

Katy: "Sounds great."

Yang: "It is."

The two stare intensely at eachother. Jaune moves things along.

Jaune: "So... What have you been doing, Katy?"

Katy: "I'm going to Atlas to study fashion. To support myself, I'm gonna be a secretary for the SDC."

Jaune: "Oh! That's great, really!" smiles

Katy: "Yup! Here are a few of my designs."

She held them out. Yang looked them over with Jaune. Jaune... Couldn't appreciate much but he thought they looked nice. Yang blinked and nodded in approval.

Yang: "Yeah... It's pretty great work."

Katy: "Thanks! It's pretty traditional. I'm thinking of expanding out into Huntress fashion, but that's more complicated since it has to be fit for combat AND look good. Hey Jaune? Mind if I talk to her in private for a bit? You never were very interested in fashion."

Jaune: "... I guess not." He smiled and nuzzled Yang "What do you think?"

Yang: "We need to get this out of the way anyway."

Katy: "Heh... You're not as dumb as you look."

Yang: "Says another blonde."

Katy: "We're all blondes."

Jaune: "Be nice please? This is Nana and Papa's restaurant and if you start a fight, they will kick your asses."

Katy: "We'll be totally civil!"

Yang: "Absolutely!"

They both smile. Jaune smiles back stiffly. He gets up... And walks to the kitchen.

Shirou: "Ah. They're hashing things out, huh?"

Jaune: "Yeah."

Shirou: "You worried?"

Jaune: "Yeah."

Shirou: "About what?"

Jaune: "Just... I mean... I care about Katy, and I love Yang... And I don't want either of them hurt."

Shirou: "You already hurt Katy though."

Jaune's Brain: Geez, there's that Archer bluntness...

Jaune: "... We broke up amicably..."

Shirou: "But you both had broken hearts. She came in here and cried for a week straight after you ran off."

Jaune's Brain: Urrrrgghhhhhh!

Jaune: "... I thought she'd get over me easy enough..."

Shirou: "That's your problem, son. You think so little of yourself that you don't think about how others feel when you break things off." sighs and shakes his head "She loved you, Jaune. She would have been your wife, your everything."

Jaune: "... But I would have been miserable. And I wouldn't have loved her... Not how she deserved to be."

Shirou: nods "You're right. You'd have both been unhappy. You wouldn't have been true... Katy, for all her claims, wouldn't have been happy as a farm wife. As much as she tried to convince herself."

Jaune: "I can't avoid hurting people in my life, can I?"

Shirou: "No one can. But it's how we deal with that pain that defines who we are." He smiles "And do you regret it? Or Yang?"

Jaune: "... No. I don't."

Shirou: "Then everything turned out all right, huh?"

Jaune: "So far..."

Click to shrink...

As soon as Jaune went into the kitchen, Katy turned to Yang.

Katy: "Listen... I'm not going to try and steal him away, okay? I admit I'm... I'm not happy about this, but if you're serious-"

Yang: "We are."

Katy: slowly nods "I'm glad."

Silence. Then...

Katy: "... I had thought that maybe when he came back, we could... We could work things out... But I've seen his eyes. He's not the same sweet little boy I knew, is he?"

Yang: "No. No, he's not. Maybe he's not the same guy you knew at all."

Katy: "Maybe... Just..." sighs "If you break his heart though... I'll be waiting."

Yang: "You'll have to get in line."

Katy: sighs "Ugh, seriously? How many girls are after him at Beacon?"

Yang: "So it's a recurring problem?"

Katy: "I think it's an Arc thing. His Nana and Papa have at least two other women who have been living with them forever and they never let Jaune date any of their great-grandkids."

Yang: snerk "Seriously?"

Katy: giggles "It happens in small communities! I had to check my family tree a few times before I asked Jaune out!"

Yang: "That would be a cat-tastrophe."

Katy: snickers "Yeah! Heheheh..."

They both laugh for a bit. Katy becomes serious again.

Katy: "But just know that he'd die before he ever cheated on you."

Yang: smiles "I know that too..."

Katy: sighs "Ugh... You know this would be easier if you were some kind of bitch, you know that?"

Yang: "Honestly? Same. When he talked about you, I felt like I couldn't measure up. Like you were nearly perfect, ready to become a housewife with a dozen kids. I mean... I wouldn't mind doing that for Jaune someday."

Katy: "... I would have done it for him. But the funny thing? After he left and I cried my eyes out... I had to figure out something else to do. And well? Turns out I like fashion designing. I'd kind of dropped it after our parents started on full support of us getting married. I thought Jaune would drop his Huntsman dreams too... But he didn't. If I'm being honest, it's why we had a lot of fights. He just wouldn't give it up."

Yang: "Sounds like him. Was he always that stubborn?"

Katy: "Ha! You should have seen him when he found a stray dog or cat or horse. He was always 'Mommy! Daddy! We need to keep them! They're so sad!' And his mom made a big fuss but she always gave in." chuckles "I mean... I thought he was dumb, after a while. I told him that. And a few other hurtful things..." sighs "I just had this vision of how life was going to be and it would be perfect and he just... He wouldn't agree, ya know?"

Yang: "If it helps? Yeah, I... I had an image in my head of what would happen when... When I met someone I've been trying to track down. Part of me hoped it... It would all be explained and everything would be fine forever."

Katy: "It wasn't, huh?"

Yang: "No..." sighs "I'm... I don't know what the future holds with Jaune... Which is pretty ironic, all things considered."

Katy: "Hm?"

Yang: "I mean, I just know that even though I don't know the future or how it's gonna turn out? I do know he's gonna be there with me... And I'll be there with him. And I think that's enough."

Katy: "I'm glad..."

More silence.

Katy: "Of course, if you break his heart, I'm going to make you suffer."

Yang: "Woah! Easy there, Kitkat. No need to bring out the claws."

Katy: "Ugh, you pun like his dad. No wonder he likes you."

Yang: "Heh. Guess you could say I'm aiming to be pun of the family?"

Katy: "Ugh! That was terrible!" giggles

In the kitchen...

Jaune: "Wait, they're giggling together. Is that good or bad?"

Shirou: "Eh, it's a coin toss at this point."

 

[zMADLAXz]

OK, it seems I got the same bugs that AJT got, while I was revisiting Jaune SI BS threadmarks. Two souls, where one runs away from home and the other yearns for it.

Thankfully, the bastard ROB gave the unfortunate hitchhiker access to his world's Internet.

Be warned, I tend to swear like a guy who just learned how to swear while I think and that's gonna reflect on the SI.

---

Ugly son of a flea riddled whore, literally the fuck was that? I ain't even Japanese but still got fucking Isekai'd. Well, let' see who is the unfortunate sinner I gotta torment with my self right now.

He opens his eyes and looks around, few things standing out to him. a) he was impaled by very, very well constructed spear, which he was tempted to take out and fiddle with if not the fact it seems to have been thrown by a very very good athlete b) He was in a forest and c) He seems to be a broke LARPer with a weird combination of Hoodie, Jeans, sneakers, sword and scabbard and ill fitted plate armour.

Then the memories hit.

.....I wanna go back home and cry to my momma, whichever universe it is. But, momma also raised an emotionally weak, white knight bitch, so I am gonna make sure none of these suddenly well rendered people don't face a Fate style bad end.

On further inspection, it was a merging of souls, which did douse SI's fear of judgement based on the amount and type of fucked up porn he watched and fucked up shit he did in his past life was semi-eradicated. It was fully eradicated once he went through the other set of memories and realised that youthful misdemeanours are a common things and Jaune was almost his equal in that.

Now he looked for the Schnee heiress that would appear as he knows from his jumbled memories of this setting, which made him regret not seriously watching this series on account of Tumblr.

Hoping that the whole was greater than the sum of its parts, his manly charisma would charm Weiss to take him off the tree and forget the absolute shameful perfromance that was his first impression.

"Hmph" was the young Schnee's offering to his plight and he realised he will have to do this one by the book.

"I am sorry!", said (more like sang to his ears) a voice, one he knew and oh so dearly missed.

"ummm, I am not gonna judge but is this yours?", said Jaune

"Ahhh, yes, I was trying to ..um help you!" replied the Myrmidion.

After finally being released from the tree, he said " So, Pyrrha, right? Thanks for the help though I gotta ask for a solid".

"Anything!", Pyrrha replied. oof gonna have to deal with this in the future. "Could you unlock my Aura?" he requested, meekly. "What? you don't have your Aura unlocked?" asked Pyrrha, both puzzled and bewildered.

"Long story short, had a bit of dispute with mom about my future goals, she wanted me to be a doctor and would unlock my aura once I started medical school, I wanted to wedgie Grimm. So after a series of events that you really don't wanna know about, here I am, Jaune Arc, without Aura but with a kick ass Sword and Shield"

"Oh. Well Jaune, I like your confidence and optimism, so please allow me to help you", said Pyrrha as she started to chant.

As soon as she succeeded, something was immediately different, His skin glowed gold but with solid outline of Blue, dark Blue.

Immediately, Pyrrha fell on Jaune, the unlocking ceremony taking a lot out of her especially considering she unlocked not one but two soul's inner power.

I have a theory, let's see if this works, especially considering I or atleast Jaune part of me is already in the healer mindset.

The theory was as follows: an external soul would possess a clearer understanding and greater control over a power system precisely because it was foreign to them. As an outsider, they would serve as an obvious and measurable addition—something distinct that could be assessed intrinsically. Unlike someone who had lived their entire life immersed in the system, the external soul wouldn't be dulled by familiarity. Their perspective, unburdened by deep-rooted experience, would allow them to perceive and manipulate the power with a clarity that native users lacked.

Physics had a similar dogma. To study anything properly, you need a frame of reference and something to quantify change. Time usually took the place of quantification of change as it is the entity that existed between events. Now, his frame of reference was the immigrant soul and the changing quantity was the feel of Aura itself.

Okay, Pyrrha, Jaune thought, I know you've spent your whole life hiding yourself. But please—open up to me. Let me carry some of that burden.

He repeated the thought like a mantra, knowing instinctively that words—spoken or unspoken—mattered in the realm of heart and soul. And he knew, with absolute certainty, that he could carry her pain. He could strengthen her. Revitalize her. He could save her.

And in that moment, it wasn't just the immigrant soul—the self-insert—that changed.

Jaune's soul stirred too.

It saw the shape of its ultimate outcome, its final purpose. And it responded. It brightened. Like a weak signal passed through a repeater, the intent was amplified, refined, and made real.

Pyrrha, glowed with the same golden he glowed, and he acknowledged in the deep confines of his mind, she is absolutely gorgeous. While Jaune wasn't really a connoisseur, he could see the beauty in Pyrrha's strength. Somebody who had sculpted herself like Michelangelo. Strength and Endurance hand in hand.

And yet, it took this demigod this much effort. Now I am seeing or rather feeling it, I can totally imagine why.

He had consumed media in the Shonen genre that often commented how the Hero has absurd reserves of energy of whatever power system they belonged to and he often wondered, how it would feel like to command the strength of immovable titans in a body that hasn't even reached adulthood.

It was overwhelming but like a fluffy blanket that reminded you of home. Like those cardboard boxes he used to arrange in his childhood and pretended to rule over. It was his, his to grow, his to give and his to bend. No, it was him. Yes, he, this power was him, without filter and without judgement.


Goddamn, I gotta get my head in the game or I am gonna have to ask mom if she ever eloped with some white haired samurai, cause I am sounding more like fucking Vergil by the minute.

Pyrrha had been healed already and yet she was still leaning against him, so Jaune asked, "Yo, Pyrrha, did my trick work or do I gave to re-evaluate years of headcanon? That would suck but I'll live"

Pyrrha blushingly stood on her on feet and stopped taking Jaune's support, already missing his warm embrace and surprisingly muscular biceps.

"NO!, I mean umm, yes, I feel healed and even better actually!, It seems you have already figured out your gift as well!", she answered, now back to her proper posture and feeling like she could actually survive those interviews she had to do for that Energy drink sponsorship.

"Yeah, I guess I did have some framework already, all it took was a trigger and seeing a tall, muscular girl fall literally into your arms is one hell of a motivator", said Jaune, full of motivation.

OK, did Jaune have some Sparda in his bloodline? Cause I am going abso-fucking-lutely crazy right now

"OH! that's umm very kind of you to say, well! let's uhhh go th-", Pyrrha tried to say before both she and Jaune sensed something weird and without any prompting Jaune covered her six, both of them with shields out and enough spacing that neither will have problem maneuvering, immediately they were surrounded by Beowulfs, and an Alpha.

For a moment, there was a tense silence, as neither party attacked, then on an invisible signal, Pyrrha moved and a single swipe of Akuo, Decapitated three Beowulfs and bashed another two the side.

On the other hand.

Well, trial by fire it is, let's see if my second theory was sound

The second theory was as follows, you can temporarily substitute precise control with raw excess power, if the end result you wanted was destruction.

Following this, Jaune too leapt, despite the danger, he was deceptively calm, his more ADHD half from the SI thriving in Adrenaline rich chaos, remembering his Roller Blading days and knowing the importance of balance, kept his center of Mass between his feet, even while moving forward as he didn't wish to slip and become easy pickings, keepinf his shield in front but further from his body (those 3 am Youtube videos had to be useful) and Sword in the center line, inline with his wrist for maximum dexterity.

He sent aura to his fingers, using the mechanoreceptors on them to determine how much did Aura increase pressure and force and once he had some measure, he started to send small streams to his tongue, to feel the change in sensitivity of touch and gauge how much would did aura affect that, then to his nose, then to his eyes last. Once he had understood how aura affected his senses, he enhanced the effects with his semblance to his ears.

You know, it's good for short term but I gotta start working with Ren quick to really start pushing it to limits.

Immediately sensing an upsurge in Aura usage, A Beowulf charged at Jaune, who he sidestepped with his footwork and immediately Stabbed in the throat, sending more Aura to his Arms and legs, ripped his sword out, kicked it away then shoulder bashed another Beowulf coming from the side all the while making sure his shield didn't leave any opening to his torso.

Seemingly having enough, the Alpha charged as well, Jaune and Pyrrha, sensing him in unison readied themselves.

Immediately, the structure of a plan formed in Jaune's mind, he flared his Aura more, steadying and crouching a little, attracted the Alpha to him and as soon as the Alpha was near him, he yelled, "Pyrrha! Stab it" and as the Alpha crashed against him, his Aura taking a hit which disoriented Jaune a little but till then Pyrrha had reached him and already dispatched the Alpha with a well placed javelin to the cranium.

And just like that, the surrounding Grimm were gone.

A moment of relief, among a chaotic adventure sure to unfold.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

RWBY and JNPR entered a local used weapon shop. Rather than browsing, however, Ruby Rose and Jaune Arc were on a mission.

Jaune: "If I'm gonna master my Semblance, I do need to keep training with it."

Pyrrha: "Jaune, I absolutely understand. And you are getting better at controlling your other selves!"

Jaune: "Thanks. I was afraid of losing myself after a while."

Weiss: "I-I find that ridiculous! After all, it-it's merely an expression of your true self and influence from another! Someone who... Who may see things in you that she didn't before!"

Yang: "Your denial is hilarious, Weisscream."

Weiss: "Says the girl who keeps trying to make him use gauntlets and gloves!"

Yang: blush "W-Well I also train him properly when he's not using his Semblance now."

Pyrrha: scary smile "I train him. Me."

Yang: "You're not the only one now, Cereal Girl~."

Blake: "Clearly my connection is best. It allows Jaune to become a ninja... A powerful one!"

Ruby: "He's become very strong when he uses my Crescent Rose, ya know!"

Yang: "He becomes a total nerd."

Ruby: "WHICH IS AMAZING!"

Nora sighs and pouts.

Nora: "This is boring! I wanna see Jaune-Jaune do more funny things! Hmmmm... AHA!"

Nora seizes a cutlass and tosses it at Jaune.

Nora: "JAUNE! CATCH!"

Jaune: "Wait, I-"

Jaune does so.

Ren: sigh "Saw that coming."

Weiss: "But you did nothing to stop it?!"

Ren: "Nope."

Jaune grins as his Semblance activates.

Twenty minutes later... Aboard General Ironwood's flagship...

Sensor Operator: "Sir! One of our ships is evacuating due to a reactor malfunction!"

Ironwood: "Get everyone off the ship! Stand by to receive casualties! Move the fleet away from the vessel and deploy hardlight shields to protect Beacon and Vale from the blast!"

This is done... However, rather than an Remnant shattering kaboom... The ship flies off at high speed.

Ironwood: "What in the...?"

A Jolly Roger flag is deployed from the ship.

Communications Specialist: "Sir! We're receiving a transmission!"

Ironwood: "Put it through!"

Jaune appears on screen, grinning broadly in a tri corner hat and pirate garb. The rest of RWBY and JNPR are similarly attired behind him. Nora has two eye patches and a sloth on her shoulder.

Ruby: "It's his Semblance! He's not in full control of it! He talked us into it! Please don't be mad?!"

Jaune: "Gentlemen! You shall always remember this as the day you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrowhawk!"

The transmission ends. Ironwood scowls.

Officer: "... That's gotta be the best pirate I've ever seen."

Ironwood: "So it would seem."

- - -

Yes it was just for the meme. But it might be a future chapter of this series.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

And here it is:

https://archiveofourown.org/works/59437609/chapters/169410934

- - -

Tucked away in the wilds on Vale's outskirts, stood a military fortress. Its bunker-like walls bristling with automated turrets and heavy defenses. The main gate, flanked by vigilant guards in black gear, was an impenetrable barrier, while searchlights swept the perimeter in relentless arcs, leaving no shadow unchecked. Soldiers patrolled with mechanical precision, their eyes sharp, their weapons ready. Any flicker of movement would unleash a swift, merciless response. This was the stronghold of the Shadow Company, a place where even the wind seemed to hold its breath, unable to slip past the sensors undetected.

Yet, in the midst of this ironclad security, a faint shadow—barely a whisper—glided over the outer wall. A black cat, sleek and silent, moved with liquid grace, weaving through the searchlights' glare and sidestepping infrared beams with effortless precision. Each leap was a calculated dance, evading cameras and sensors as if she knew their patterns by heart. The patrolling soldiers remained oblivious, their focus elsewhere.

One guard, passing close by, caught a fleeting glimpse of a dark shape from the corner of his eye. He spun, rifle raised, his flashlight cutting through the darkness. Nothing—just his own shadow and the distant hum of insects. Frowning, he scanned the area once more, then shook his head with a low, self-mocking grunt. "Must've been the wind," he muttered, resuming his patrol.

Unseen, the black cat scaled the outer wall, her claws silent against the concrete. She landed deftly on a narrow iron railing on the second floor, balancing with the ease of a tightrope walker. Her tail swayed gently, and her golden eyes gleamed in the dark, scanning the surroundings with predatory alertness.

Not far away, in an office with a half-open window, a blond man sat at a cluttered desk, muttering curses as he sifted through reports. "Unit Three's almost complete, good. Then the ammo supply for the expedition team… Charles crashed another Bullhead? Didn't Henry and Ellie stop him? Hah, damn it." Phillip Graves rubbed his temples, his voice a low growl of exasperation.

A familiar prickle ran down his spine, and his eyes sharpened. Slowly, he looked up toward the window. There, framed against the night, sat the black cat, her tail flicking lazily, her golden gaze fixed on him like a silent greeting.

Graves's lips twitched into a knowing smirk. He set down his papers and gave a slight nod. "Just come in already," he said, his voice dry but amused. "The window's not locked, Yoruichi."

The cat leapt inside with a graceful bound, and in a flash of purple light, her form shifted. Yoruichi Shihouin stood before him, bronze-skinned, purple-haired, her golden eyes glinting with mischief. She crossed her arms, leaning casually against the wall, her posture relaxed but alert. "Still sharp as ever, Graves," she said, her chuckle warm but edged with challenge.

"Old friends," Graves said with a shrug, leaning back in his chair. "How many times has it been? You fighting Shadow Company? We've gotten used to it by now."

They shared a brief laugh, the kind born of countless clashes and mutual respect. Graves's expression turned businesslike, his voice direct. "So, what brings you here this time? And be careful—Fenra's still holding a grudge from the last time you flattened her. She's not as forgiving as I am."

"I know," Yoruichi said, her eyebrow arching nonchalantly. "How long's she been stewing? Six months? A year? Women can be so petty sometimes."

Graves shook his head, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Anyway, let's talk business." Yoruichi's hands settled on her hips, her eyes narrowing with a teasing glint. "You really sent a squad to prowl around the Belladonna estate?"

Graves crossed his arms, his gaze steady. "Necessary control measures. The White Fang's been stirring up trouble lately—especially the radicals."

"Mhm," Yoruichi hummed, her tail swaying lazily. "I get the need for surveillance. But it's a bit much, don't you think? Others might not notice, but I know your Faunus operatives by heart—the way they walk, their eyes, their instincts. Pure Shadow Company training."

Graves gave a low grunt, his silence a guarded admission. Yoruichi's voice turned firm, half-request, half-command. "Call them off. I want you to pull your infiltration teams away from the Belladonna estate."

Graves's eyes darkened, his tone cold and unyielding. "No."

The air grew taut, a silent clash of wills. Yoruichi blinked slowly, as if she'd anticipated his refusal, then pulled a file from her waist and tossed it onto his desk with a sharp slap. Graves raised an eyebrow, flipping it open. Inside was a detailed organizational chart of the White Fang's internal structure—Adam Taurus's unit, their routes, gathering points, and member lists. The intel was a goldmine.

He looked up, his gaze locking with hers. "A trade," Yoruichi said, her sly smile returning. "You pull your soldiers out, and I hand you this."

"…Where did you get this?" Graves asked, his voice low, probing.

"Enough to prove my sincerity, don't you think?" Yoruichi said, her grin mischievous.

Graves chuckled, tucking the file away. "Plenty. Enough to pull an entire squad."

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed in satisfaction, and she hopped onto the windowsill, her movements fluid. "Don't worry," she added, her voice sincere, "I won't let your people's efforts go to waste. I'll watch over those who need protecting."

The tension eased, replaced by a familiar camaraderie. Then Yoruichi shot him a playful look, her grin turning foxlike. "By the way, there's one more thing I thought you'd like to hear."

Graves arched an eyebrow, murmuring, "…What?"

"It's about your adorable nephew—Jaune Arc—and my little niece, Blake." Yoruichi's grin widened, brimming with mischief. "Those two? Their relationship's not just friendship anymore~"

Graves's expression remained impassive as he lifted his cup, taking a slow sip of water. "I don't need you to tell me that," he said coolly.

"Oh, but wait—" Yoruichi's laugh was bright, infectious. "That's not the good part. A few days ago, Blake told me she's pregnant and engaged to Jaune."

Graves's brow furrowed, skepticism clear. Yoruichi raised her hands, her expression exaggeratedly innocent. "Relax, relax," she chuckled. "Totally fake. A hundred percent lie. Blake panicked and blurted it out when I cornered her."

"But~" Yoruichi leaned in, her voice dropping conspiratorially, "I caught her tells—when she lies, her ears twitch ever so slightly. And then I thought… why not drag you into a little prank on those two lovebirds?"

Graves stared at her for a moment, then a rare smirk curled his lips, a glint of the old trickster sparking in his eyes. "…How do you want to play it?"

Yoruichi's eyes gleamed, her grin sharp and dangerous. "Simple. We act like we completely believe them. Then we arrange a 'secret meeting'—watch them panic. Especially Jaune. That kid can't hide a damn thing when he's nervous."

Graves let out a low chuckle, a hunter's mischief surfacing. "…Deal."

Their eyes met, and they shared a pair of dangerous, knowing smiles, the kind only old rogues could muster.

---

The dorms of Beacon Academy were a welcome refuge after a grueling day, the halls quiet save for the shuffling steps of Teams RWBY and JNPR. The two teams staggered toward their common room, their combat gear caked in soot and oil, their faces etched with exhaustion and irritation. The mission to save a village from an oil tanker spill had been a chaotic disaster, and their moods reflected it—except for Ruby Rose and Nora Valkyrie, who bounced along with infuriating cheer.

"Wow… We totally saved a village from an oil tanker spill, guys!" Ruby chirped, her silver eyes sparkling. "Wasn't that great?"

Yang Xiao Long shot her sister a withering glare, her blonde hair singed at the ends. "Yes… Except for the part where the tanker blew up in our faces."

"I said I was sorry!" Ruby pouted, her voice defensive. "I didn't use just the right mixture of Dust!"

Nora, skipping beside Ren, grinned maniacally. "But it sure was awesome to watch it explode, right guys? Right guys?"

Pyrrha Nikos, her crimson hair matted with grime, fixed Nora with a cold stare over her extremely brittle smile.

"…I'm not talking to you for a week."

Ren sighed, his voice a weary murmur. "Nora…"

Jaune Arc, carrying a twitching Weiss Schnee in his arms, shook his head.

"No pancakes for a month, Nora."

Nora's jaw dropped, her turquoise eyes wide. "What?! COME ON! We saved the village!"

"Yeah!" Jaune snapped, his voice strained. "And we got blown up instead!"

Ruby crossed her arms, her voice petulant. "It wasn't that bad!"

"It was," Yang said, her tone flat.

"It was worse," Blake Belladonna added, her amber eyes dull with fatigue.

Weiss, clinging to Jaune, shuddered, her voice a high-pitched whine. "S-So… So much filth… So much dirt…!"

Jaune's voice was soothing, though his own exhaustion was clear. "We're almost there, Weiss, it's okay…"

Yang's eyes narrowed, her voice teasing but edged. "Why aren't you carrying me, your sweet, loving fiancée?"

Blake's tail flicked, her voice dry. "Or me? Your actual fiancée?"

Pyrrha's voice was a sharp hiss, her patience gone. "Neither of you are his fiancées, shut up!"

Jaune sighed, his shoulders slumping. "Because she won't let go of me."

"Ruby!" Weiss wailed, her grip tightening. "So filthyyyyy!"

"If you didn't charge in stupidly-again-You wouldn't be filthy!" Ruby moaned.

"I'm not stupid! You blew up the tanker!"

Jaune groaned, his voice pleading. "Guys, let's just get to the common room, take some showers, go to bed, and—"

He pushed open the door to the common room and froze. Both teams blinked, their jaws dropping at the sight before them. The room was spotless, every surface gleaming, the air fragrant with lavender and lemon. Birds flitted about, organizing books and papers, while raccoons and deer swept the floors with tiny brooms. At the center of it all stood a beautiful blonde woman in a yellow dress and apron, humming a cheerful tune as she polished a table.

"Lalala, lalalala—Oh! Jaune!" The woman's face lit up, and she rushed forward, enveloping Jaune in a hug, heedless of his filth.

Jaune's voice was a stunned stammer. "L-Lilac?!"

Pyrrha's eyebrow twitched, her voice dangerously calm. "Who is this, Jaune?"

Jaune, still trapped in the hug, managed a weak smile. "Oh, uh, this is my big sister, Lilac. Lilac Arc."

Weiss groaned, her voice muffled against Jaune's chest. "Another one?"

Lilac stepped back, her blue eyes sparkling with warmth. "Oh, you poor dears! Quickly now, quickly!"

Before anyone could react, the birds, mice, and other creatures swarmed them, wiping away the worst of the muck with tiny washcloths. Ruby yelped, "ACK!" Nora squealed, "EEP!" Weiss gasped, "What?!" Blake muttered, "Huh?!" Yang shouted, "HEY!" Pyrrha stammered, "Wha—?!" and Ren simply said, "Huh?"

The critters scurried off, depositing their cloths in a laundry bag, leaving the teams marginally cleaner but utterly bewildered.

Lilac beamed, her voice bright. "There, much better! Now, you all get into the showers! The baths have been drawn, and the temperature should be perfect!"

Ruby's face flushed, her voice a squeak. "Ah… Um… W-We all… bathe together?"

Everyone went bright red, save Ren, who cocked an eyebrow, his expression unfazed.

Lilac's smile was serene, oblivious to the tension. "Of course! You're all good boys and girls, and you should save water! But if you don't hurry, you'll miss dinner!" She winced. "Um, if you're hungry that is? I can just pack it up for later, if you'd like?"

The aroma of a feast wafted from the stove, where a rabbit diligently stirred pots, its ears twitching. Jaune's smile was genuine, if tired. "Thanks, Lilac. We appreciate it."

"Awww!" Lilac said, pinching his cheek with a happy smile. "I'm always willing to help my cute, kind, strong little brother! Now go get cleaned up please!"

---

In the bathroom, the teams split by gender, the girls staring one way, the boys another, as they scrubbed away the day's grime in awkward silence. Pyrrha, wrapped in a towel, broke the tension, her voice tentative. "So, um… She seems very nice?"

Ruby, scrubbing her hair, nodded eagerly. "Yeah! And her Semblance lets her control animals?"

Jaune, from the other side of the partition, sighed. "No, she's… just like that. She's so kind and nice that almost anything will obey her."

Yang snorted, her voice dripping with skepticism. "That's just ridiculous!"

Jaune's voice was dry. "Then why aren't we trying to peek at each other?"

A long, guilty silence followed. Ruby's voice was a nervous squeak. "Trying implies that I failed!"

"RUBY!" Yang barked, her voice echoing off the tiles as Jaune went bright red.

---

Clean and dressed in casual clothes, the teams emerged to find a feast laid out on the common room tables—roast meats, steaming vegetables, fresh bread, and desserts that gleamed like jewels. Lilac stood at the head, her smile radiant, as she gestured for them to sit. "Oh, good! Come on, let's eat!"

Ruby tilted her head, her voice curious. "Where did your animal friends go?"

"Oh, they're around!" Lilac said cheerfully, "But most of them headed off. Except for this little bandit!" She scooped up Zwei and cuddled him. "They don't like spending too much time indoors. Except for you, you cuddly wuddly little doggie woggie! Yes, yes you do!"

Zwei panted happily, looking up at Lilac with adoration.

"Wait, he's been here the whole time?" Yang asked. Lilac beamed.

"Yup! He's been such a cute little puppy-wuppy! Aren't you, you little sweetie?" She nuzzled Zwei. "Here you go, have a doggie treat!"

"He only eats our special treats," Ruby said, "So we'll just have to-"

Lilac held out a treat, and Zwei chomped it down happily. He barked happily and Lilac giggled.

"Have another!"

Zwei chowed down another happily.

Jaune chuckled, his voice gentle. "Easy, Lilac, easy."

"Mm? OH! Sorry!" Lilac said, handing Zwei back to Yang and Ruby. "Didn't mean to make you jealous! He's really very loyal!"

Zwei whined, squirming toward Lilac, earning glares from his owners.

Yang and Ruby scowled, muttering in unison, "Traitor."

"Arf," Zwei said, unrepentant.

The teams sat, Yang and Blake flanking Jaune, Pyrrha and Ruby across from him, Weiss with Nora and Ren. Lilac doled out food, whistling her tune, then sat at the head and bowed her head.

"Let's say grace!" Lilac said, her voice bright.

Blake's tail flicked, her voice flat. "I'm not a believer."

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Lilac said, undeterred. "Is it okay if I pray for you anyway?"

Blake blinked, her voice softening.

"I… Sure?"

Lilac beamed like the sun.

Ren's voice was calm.

"I'm a believer in Pathism."

"Oh," Lilac said, her smile widening. "Can I pray for you too, then?"

"Yes?" Ren said, his tone cautious.

"Wonderful!" Lilac said, clapping her hands. "Anyone else? I don't want to offend anyone's beliefs… Sorry if I wasn't more considerate."

Her regretful expression seared guilt into everyone's hearts.

"N-No! No, we're all fine!" Pyrrha quickly insisted.

"How does she do that?" Blake muttered in a bit of envy.

"We really have no idea," Jaune muttered.

Nora's voice was a gleeful shout.

"I believe in pancakes!"

Lilac's eyes twinkled, her voice gentle.

"But dear, why believe in pancakes and not the one who makes them for you?"

Nora gasped, her eyes wide.

"I never thought of it that way! REN! YOU'RE MY GOD!"

"Not what I think she was getting at," Ren's said dryly.

"Oh!" Nora said, nodding sagely. "You're right, Jaune makes me pancakes too! Hrrrrmmm… Miss Lilac? I have a theological issue!"

"Can we talk about it after we pray and eat?" Lilac said, her smile unwavering.

"Works for me!" Nora cheered.

Jaune sighed, rubbing his temples. Lilac bowed her head and folded her hands, her voice warm. "Thank you, Heavenly Emperor, for this meal, good friends, and wonderful company! And may Jaune and his friends triumph in the Vytal Tournament! But without anyone getting hurt too badly, um, if you please? Amen!"

The teams dug in, the food melting on their tongues, each bite a revelation. Yang's voice was soft, almost reverent.

"Lilac? This is amazing!"

"Oh, thank you!" Lilac said with a modest blush she tried to cover with her hands. "But we all cooked back home! Jaune included!"

"Ah, but you taught me a lot Sis," Jaune said with a smile. At the looks from his friends (particularly the female ones), he coughed and added: "I'm nowhere near as good as you."

"Oh, don't be so modest, Jaune!" Lilac said, waving a hand. "You'll get better! I can teach you! If you'd like."

Ruby's eyes widened, her voice awed. "B-Better…?"

Yang licked her lips and eyed Jaune up as much as she had the food. Pyrrha and Blake were quick to follow suit, as Jaune gulped.

Weiss took a deep breath, her voice trembling with sincerity. "It's… incredibly good."

"Aw, thank you!" Lilac said, beaming.

Pyrrha nodded, her voice warm even as her eyes were locked on Jaune. "Yes, it's wonderful!"

Blake's voice was quiet but genuine. "It is extremely good. Thank you."

Nora's eyes sparkled, her voice ecstatic. "Wow… Like hugs on my tongue!"

Ren's tone was measured but appreciative. "Yes, it is very good."

"You're all very welcome!" Lilac said, her smile radiant. "Especially Jaune's wonderful fiancées! I'm so glad you'll be joining our family!"

Weiss's fork froze, her voice sharp. "Wait—Fiancées plural?!"

"Yes!" Lilac said, her voice bubbling with excitement. "I mean, Nana Arturia said you were marrying little Ruby, and Great-Aunt Morgana said you were marrying Miss Nikos, and Mrs. Xiao-Long came by to yell and scream at Mom about you getting engaged to her great-granddaughter Yang, and Uncle Phillip told us that Miss Yoruichi said you were engaged to Miss Belladonna—So welcome to the family!"

Jaune's voice was a panicked stammer. "I—Hang on—!"

"Oh, don't worry about a thing, Jaune!" Lilac said, patting his head. "Aren't you lucky, four wives! You'll have a lot of work to do, huh?" She winked. "Don't worry! I'll help out with the babies! I do love babies, they're so cute!"

"N-No, we're not really—!" Jaune tried, his face blazing red.

"Mom and Dad are going to be thrilled when they visit and meet all the parents!" Lilac said, her voice gleeful as she hugged him tightly.

Jaune's voice was a horrified shout. "THEY'RE WHAT?!"

Ruby gasped, her eyes wide. "I'm engaged too?!"

Pyrrha's gasp was delighted, her voice dreamy. "I'm engaged to Jaune?!"

Yang chuckled, her voice teasing but warm. "Oh, well, um, eheh, yeah! Totally!"

Blake's eyes were glinting with desperation. "I'M ALSO PREGNANT!"

Jaune's voice cracked, his hands flailing.

"BLAAAKE!"

"HOORAY! BABIES!" Lilac cheered.

Weiss scowled, her voice bitter as she scratched Zwei's ears, the dog whining in her lap.

"…Why didn't anyone lie about me being engaged to Arc?"

Zwei yipped, nuzzling her, and Weiss sighed.

"At least you're here for me."

"Arf," Zwei opined. Weiss blushed deeply.

"I am not jealous…" Weiss muttered, as Lilac giggled over Jaune's fretting and the antics of the others.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Blake didn't really change much during the show, we're just told she changed. So how about she tries to change her anti-social ways one step at a time? And it... Well... It goes... Sort of well?

Jaune was cleaning up the common room. He sweeps up some trash, then dumps it... Then looks up. Blake is standing right there in front of him.

Jaune: "Gah! Oh! Uh, h-hi Blake!"

Blake: "Hello Jaune."

Jaune: "Um... Do you need something?"

Blake: "I am... Trying to be more social. I realize that... I don't actually know much about you. So I was wondering if we could do a social activity together?"

Jaune: "... Well, um, sure Blake. What would you like to do?"

Blake: "Well... I want to do something with you that would make you happy."

Jaune: "But I want you to be happy too. It doesn't make much sense for us to do something you would hate, would it?"

Blake: "True... But I am willing to try new things."

Jaune: "All right... Um... You read a lot of Mistralian manga, right? Do you like their anime?"

Blake: "I like some of them, though I haven't been able to watch a lot since... Um..."

Jaune: "You were with the White Fang? I get it. Well, how about we watch a few and we see what you think of them?"

Blake: nods "That would be... Acceptable."

Jaune: "Great!"

So they sat down and watched some. Mostly just the first episodes of a few series. After, Jaune turns to Blake and smiles.

Jaune: "So... Any thoughts?"

Blake: "Hmm... Snowy the Elf: New Journey was beautiful. But why are demons considered unredeemable?"

Jaune: "I think the idea was what if Grimm could think and talk? There's a lot of folklore of Grimm who got that smart and took on humanoid form, so they drew from that. I don't think it has anything to do with, ya know, Faunus."

Blake: "I... I guess not. There are other races of beings in the show. Just because the demons have horns doesn't mean they're Faunus stand ins."

Jaune: "Yeah. What about the others?"

Blake: "Loser Ranger is... A strange anime. Why would you watch what is essentially a deconstruction of a genre you love?"

Jaune: "Sometimes you want to watch a deconstruction and see people do something new. It helps that it's really well written. Like, a show isn't good or bad just because it's a deconstruction, it's all about what you do! And it's interesting, this idea that heroes aren't heroes underneath their shiny exterior. But that doesn't mean that all heroes are secretly monsters, either. Or the other way around."

Blake: nods "Mm. This is true... As for Shield Sage? It is interesting that the protagonist is so mistrustful he doesn't just get the usual isekai harem... But he still attracts a lot of attention. And his companion being enslaved by her own free will is... Hrn..."

Jaune: "Oh yeah. I mean... The slavery bits are weird. I guess I don't mind a show exploring a world of different values, but sometimes I wonder if it's a fetish... I-I mean, if it's a fetish as long as it's done consensually it's all good! And-and not in front of kids or-stuff like that... I dunno, maybe I'm overthinking this."

Blake: "I spent so much time dissecting and analyzing human media and pop culture for racist messages..." sighs "I... I mean, the slavery is strange, yes. Maybe it's a fetish... But watching it with you? Seeing all this for myself? I... I can see that there is more than one way to see things. It doesn't always have to be just one. Sometimes you can just enjoy it on its own merits."

Jaune: smiles "Yeah!"

Blake: "... I do have an anime I was hoping to watch. Would you like to watch it with me?"

Jaune: "Sure!"

Ten minutes later...

Jaune: "Uhhh... Blake? This... This is porn."

Blake: "No, it's hentai. Erotica."

Jaune: "That means the same thing!"

Blake: "Not literally. And besides, look at the art style!"

Jaune: "I mean that's great! It's really detailed but it is absolutely porn!"

Blake: "Erotica! And we're supposed to be sharing things we both enjoy!"

Jaune: "I uh, well..."

Blake: "Are you enjoying this?"

Jaune: "That's... Such a loaded question but my main point is-"

Nora: slams the door open "WE'RE HOME I-Oh hey! Jaune and Blake are watching porn! NEATO!"

Pyrrha: "P-Porn?!"

Ren: blinks "What."

Blake and Jaune: "IT'S EROTICA!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Oh oh oh! Wait! Wait! Even funnier idea! Blake shows them a White Fang propaganda movie that is basically total nonsense.

It's basically the White Fang equivalent of "Birth of a Nation" or "Triumph of the Will" or any number of Soviet or CCP propaganda movies that make up shit and go so over the top to make humans look like pure evil that it becomes absolute comedy gold.

Weiss: "... Blake, this movie is terrible."

Blake: "It is not! It was made by the White Fang at great expense-!"

Ruby: "It literally says that the Faunus were all united since Ancient Vacuo and never had any wars ever."

Blake: "Yes? And?"

Ren: "With the exception of the Vacuoan Crocodile, Falcon and Feline Dynasty Wars, the Mistralian Lion Conquest, the Solitas Seal and Orca Wars, the Shark and Dolphin Faunus Wars, the Menagerian Civil Wars..."

Blake: "I-I mean, those may have happened but for the most part we were all united and didn't enslave humans-!"

Yang: "HA! Yeah, because that totally didn't happen!"

Blake: "It-It did not-!"

Pyrrha: "Um, there were many instances of the Lion Queen of Mistral taking huge numbers of human slaves to sell to other Faunus and human kingdoms, Blake. Sorry."

Blake: "W-Well, um-"

Jaune: "Also, is that you? How old were you?"

Blake: "I-I was thirteen!"

Blake at thirteen is trying to look sexy in an oversized dress, while a goat faunus man kneels before her dressed in black with badly dyed red hair.

"Adam: "My princess, one day you will be queen and all humanity will recognize our greatness."

Blake: "Oh Adam~! You'll be my consort!"

Much staring.

Blake: blush "... Adam was too busy to star in this part of the film s-so I had a stand in."

Yang: deadpan "Amazing likeness. Is he supposed to be fifty years older than Adam?"

Blake: "HE WAS A GREAT CHARACTER ACTOR!"

Weiss: "Yeah, when holofilms were in black and white!"

 

[SharkCultist]

Cinder fall would do anything for power, she thought any price was worth it.

Missing a eye and a arm after that brats blast of silver light was well worth inheriting the power of a maiden.

Crack

The rest of it however was a price she wouldn't have been willing to pay if she had known what was coming.

She was drugged up to the gills because every time she was able to she'd start screaming her head off. They thought it was the pain.

It wasn't.

Crack

Emerald almost never left her bedside , always the dutiful little minion.

But even when Emerald left Cinder was never alone.

Crack

Standing at the foot of her bed was a nightmare.

Burnt and blackened flesh with patches of hot embers seeping theough the cracks that opened when she moved and black pits where eyes should have been instead filled with emerald fire that ate away at What was left of her face. The only part of her that seemed intact was her hair but even that was twisted. It hung down around her head like a curtain limply like it was soaked through.

With what cinder didn't want to imagine.

The apparition circled her bed, skin making that awful cracking sound as she moved. At times her hands (twisted and blackened with patches of visible bone and the smell of burnt meat) would ghost close to cinder, never quite touching her but getting oh so close to her throat or eyes.

She couldn't touch Cinder. But she didn't have to to torture her.

Any food or drink they brought her tasted like ash. The room always felt too hot, like she was burning up even as her lips turned blue from how cold she had the room turned.

The others told her it was all in her head. And maybe it was.

Crack

But that wasn't as comforting as they thought it was.

Eventually Emerald would leave her to go catch a nap or get something to eat. She'd exit as quietly as she could turning the light off behind her.

Leaving cinder sitting in a room lit by the light coming from the corpse only she could see.

The maiden powers definitely weren't worth it.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Jaune had been doing his best to be a better friend to everyone after the Dance, to make up for being so... Ugh... Cringey. Especially towards Weiss.

So when he came across Flynt Coal, one of the Atlasian exchange students, arguing with her, he waited a moment to watch and figure out what was going on-Even though his instinct was to barge in and defend Weiss.

Flynt: "You just strut around like you're the queen of everything, when your father stole everything he ever got!"

Weiss: "I'm sorry that my father did that! It-It was business but-"

Flynt: "But what? You don't have anything to do with it?!"

Jaune: Wow, Pyrrha was right. Taking a moment to assess the situation is great... Okay then...

Jaune: "Except she didn't."

Jaune walks up to them. Flynt glares as Weiss stares in surprise.

Jaune: "She couldn't have anything to do with her father's decisions! You're just lashing out at her because you can't get to her dad!"

Flynt: "Listen White Knight, you don't have any-!"

Jaune: "She's a good person! I know her well enough to know that! And she didn't do anything, so what does that make you?!"

Flynt glares back at Jaune. Jaune glares back. Flynt sucked in a breath, slowly nodded, and turned to Weiss.

Flynt: "... I'm sorry. He's right."

Weiss: "What?"

Flynt: "I just... I've been so angry for so long I wanted something to lash out at... But it's not fair to you. Can... Can we start over? I'm Flynt Coal, and it's nice to meet you."

Weiss: "..." takes a deep breath, and slowly nods "I'm Weiss Schnee. It's a pleasure."

Flynt: looks at Jaune "Thanks man. That was pretty cool."

Jaune: flush, shrug "Just... You know... Trying to be a good friend."

Weiss: "Well... Thank you Jaune. Flynt and I need to talk...?"

Jaune: "Oh, uh, sure."

Jaune leaves.

Later, Weiss approaches JNPR in the cafeteria.

Weiss: "Jaune? I wanted to thank you again for helping me with Flynt."

Jaune: "Oh, um, you're welcome. I just wanted to help. Things going okay?"

Weiss: "Great actually! He asked me on a date... And I accepted!"

Jaune: "Oh... Oh. Um... Th-That's great."

Weiss: "Isn't it? And it's all thanks to you!"

Jaune: depressed but keeping his smile up "You... You betcha..."

 

[SharkCultist]

For anyone who knew him what Ren was doing was both shocking and not shocking.

Ren was cooking pancakes. Without Nora.

It was a week break at beacon and Ren managed to get Nora to stay with Pyrrha while he went off on his own for this little trip.

He told Nora it wasn't anything big, he just needed a calm week.

He lied.

Stormhall was a surprisingly old village. Thick stone walls surrounded the buildings. There were about four rings. Evidence of when the village expanded. Instead of tearing a wall down they just built past it and kept it as extra protection.

Ren has gotten a one week job at a inn, free room and board in exchange for doing the cooking and kitchen cleaning.

Not the most relaxing break but that's fine. He wasn't here for fun.

He was here for the woman in the back.

Greying orange hair that hadn't seen a wash in a while, dull blue eyes and a smell like a brewery.

She was as pathetic as he always imagined.

Hed been looking for her for so long, to see if she regretted what she did to nora. She did but it was too little too late.

And instead of looking for Nora what did she do? Drown herself in booze and throw a decade long pity party.

She deserves to hurt and he would make it happen.

Nora didn't talk about her mom often but Ren always took note when she did.

Her sweet tooth was a inherited trait and her mom had a nickname for her.

Ren was going to use that, step one of his planned punishment? Cooking these pancakes. Light and fluffy with plenty of syrup. Just like Nora likes.

He had the plate taken by a different cook, he didn't want her to see him, a long with a note.

From your lightning-bug

He waited until he heard the crying. Revenge complete. All it took was weaponizing the trust his friend had in him.

He took a bite of one of the extra pancakes since he hadn't eaten yet.

How bittersweet.