[RWBY] The Great Temporal Step-Sibling War!

[AndrewJTalon]

Glimpses into Another Time: Oh... That Day

- - -

Beacon, Vale

- - -

Cinder Fall thought she would be feeling more joy at this moment. The plan had gone off flawlessly, after all.

The Vytal Tournament had been ruined. Panic and doubt had been spread across Remnant before the CCTnet went out. Atlas' pet gynoid had been neutralized and Pyrrha Nikos had gotten all the blame. Causing her pain was deeply satisfying to Cinder, even beyond what she had felt previously.

Yet even that didn't excite her. This terror, this mayhem... She was feeling so empty as she approached the elevator to Ozpin's office, Emerald and Mercury flanking her.

If she was in time, she would catch Ozpin before he transferred what was left of the Maiden Powers into Nikos, seize them for herself, and then... Maybe she could find something to excite her and keep her mind off of-

"Cinder?!"

She froze, as did Mercury and Emerald.

No...

She slowly turned to her right. She saw him standing there in utter shock, his weapons out.

No no no...

"Arc?" Mercury hissed in shock, yet she caught a brief flash of pain in his eyes.

"Why are you here?!" Emerald demanded. She shot an anxious look at Cinder, then back at the blond knight.

"I'm here protecting the elevator-What are you doing here?!" Jaune demanded. "You should be evacuating!"

There was the temptation to lie. She'd lied so much after all. Left so many bodies in her wake.

He was... He should have just been one more. One more patsy, one more stooge.

She clenched her fists.

"I'm here for the Maiden Powers," she stated, almost meekly.

Jaune's eyes widened in shock. As much of a dolt as he could be, he put the pieces together remarkably quickly. She could practically see his synapses firing behind his eyes, so fast...

"No," he whispered.

Cinder held her chin high, even though the horror in his gaze made her want to shrink away.

No. No! She wasn't going to be stopped by this pathetic boy's eyes!

Mercury stepped up.

"Look Arc. You have two choices," he stated, "Run, or die. That's how it is."

"She's been playing you from the start! We all have!" Emerald insisted. "You-You don't mean anything to her! She just used you!"

Silence ensured, save for the distant sounds of gunfire and explosions. Then:

"I want to hear it from her."

His voice was quiet, but firm. Cinder looked up. He was staring intently right at her, his focus like a laser beam.

"She doesn't need to-" Emerald tried but Jaune shook his head.

"I want to hear it from her!" Jaune growled. "I want to hear it from her lips! Cinder... Tell me the truth!"

Cinder trembled.

"Go on, I'll deal with this," she muttered.

"But Cinder-" Emerald tried.

"GO," she snarled, eyes lighting up. Emerald and Mercury practically raced to the elevator. The doors slid shut behind them. Cinder summoned up her anger, her arrogance, her pride-Who was this boy to impede her?

"It was...!"

She gritted her teeth, her eyes still low.

"It was... It was all the lie!" She spat. "You-You were just a tool! Power... Power is what I was after!"

"Why?" Jaune asked. Cinder scoffed.

"Because it's power, Jaune! In the end, we all just want it! We need it! And only those strong enough to cut out the weakness can-can achieve it!"

Jaune stared at her for a long moment. She wanted to see some hurt in his eyes. Hatred would have been better: Disgust would make this so much easier.

Hate me, she willed, please hate me... Please...!
He slowly shook his head.

"I don't believe you," he stated.

Cinder's eyes widened.

"Wha-?"

"I mean, I believe you wanting power and all, yeah," Jaune said with a nod, "This is proof but... I don't believe you felt nothing for me. For everyone else."

Cinder grit her teeth.

"I'm the big villain you've been fighting all this time! I-I've been using the White Fang! I've unleashed hell upon Vale! I'm going to leave this city a ruin!" She snarled. "What makes you think I-I could ever care about you?! ABOUT ANYONE?!"

She ignited her Semblance, fires burning in her hands.

"So unless you want that to happen, you'd better fight me, and pray that I'm merciful enough to kill you in one-!"

A sword and shield clattered to the floor. Cinder blinked. Jaune stood there unarmed.

"Wha-What are you doing?!" She demanded. "Pick up your weapons! Fight me!"

"No!" Jaune growled.

"Wha-You're unreasonable!" Cinder shot back with a growl, "I'm an evil witch here to destroy Vale and your enemy! It's kill or be killed!"

"I don't believe you!" Jaune shouted back.

"Do you HAVE to be so stubborn?!" Cinder demanded, a familiar anger burning in her.

"Me stubborn?! You threw a fit over us going to the park even though we had a great time!" Jaune retorted. Cinder gaped.

"What-I didn't want to go out and get sweaty outside! And it was too hot! But then you had to go and-and use your stupid puppy dog eyes and we went anyway!"

"And we still had a great time!" Jaune insisted. "You couldn't have faked all of that!"

"I-!" She shook her head. She had fallen into the trap-Arguing with him like they weren't secretly mortal enemies. Teasing and toying with each other.

"I DID!" She growled. "It was all a LIE! You mean NOTHING TO ME!"

Jaune stared at her for a long moment.

"You mean everything to me," he said, and her heart nearly stopped.

No, please...!

"You don't mean that!" She growled. "You're just a stupid boy! You got a hot girlfriend! You just-You didn't-FIGHT ME!"

"No," Jaune replied. He began to walk towards her. Cinder's jaw dropped.

"Wha-What are you doing?!"

"I'm going to give my girlfriend a hug," Jaune stated, "Because she's having a bad day."

"I'M NOT YOUR GIRLFRIEND!" Cinder raged as her heart beat so hard it was nearly deafening in her ears. "And if you take another step closer I'll kill you!"

Jaune stared into her eyes.

"Then do it," he said softly. "Kill me. But I don't believe you will."

He took another step. Cinder's shook as the flames burned in her palms. Despite the heat she felt cold and twisted inside.

"Fool," she snarled.

She threw a fireball right at him. His Aura flared to life, taking the hit even as he stumbled. He looked back up... And took another step.

"Idiot!" She bellowed, unleashing a stronger blast. This one nearly bowled him over, but he kept coming.

"BASTARD!" She roared, and unleashed a massive blast of fire at him. His Aura burned and shielded him, as he kept walking towards her. She seethed as he went right through the fire. He was panting, tired, but he didn't stop.

STOP! RUN! She begged mentally. STOP MAKING ME FEEL THIS WAY!

He close enough to touch. She threw her hands out, but faster than she had ever given him credit for, he caught her wrists. Enraged, she poured on the flames, gripping his wrists and channeling her rage. He grimaced but didn't let go as she burned his wrists.

"Don't you get it?!" Cinder roared. "IF YOU DON'T GO I'LL HAVE TO KILL YOU! YOU'RE A WEAKNESS AND I HAVE TO CUT YOU OUT!"

"NO!" Jaune shouted back.

She began to sob,

"JUST GO! JUST GO!"

"NO!"

Cinder's flames burned white hot yet still Jaune didn't pull away.

"ALL I'VE EVER WANTED IS POWER! THIS IS ALL I WANT! PLEASE!" Cinder begged, her knees shaking.

"Then... Kill me!" Jaune gritted out. "If it was all a lie... Kill me! If that's what you want, then do it! I just want you to know... I love you, Cinder!"

"NO!"

She let go of Jaune, and fell to the floor. The smell of burning flesh filled the air as she wept. She felt him kneel down with her and wrap his arms around her shaking shoulders.

"You can't love me!" She got out between desperate sobs, "You CAN'T!"

"I do!"

"You're an idiot!"

"I know!"

She buried her face in his chest, tearing raining down her cheeks as he gripped her tightly. His Aura poured into her. She felt the Grimm within her writhe, scream, and die.

She turned her head and vomited black goo all over the floor. He held her hair away from her face with one hand, his other arm still wrapped around her. She was left panting, and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. Even now, she kept crying.

She leaned back into his warm. She felt his heartbeat. She closed her eyes tightly. She let his warmth fill her.

"... I'm sorry," she whispered.

He stroked her long hair comfortingly.

"I know..."

- - -

 

[Ardrianian]

Writing a Cinder that has depth? Perish the thought!

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

Whats this!? Character development! For Cinder if all people!? Heresy

 

[Gur40]

Glimpses into Another Time: Oh... That Day

- - -

She buried her face in his chest, tearing raining down her cheeks as he gripped her tightly. His Aura poured into her. She felt the Grimm within her writhe, scream, and die.

She turned her head and vomited black goo all over the floor. He held her hair away from her face with one hand, his other arm still wrapped around her. She was left panting, and wiped her mouth with her sleeve. Even now, she kept crying.

- - -

Click to shrink...

So on killing the Grimm in Cinder, does Jaune need Cinder to also reject the Grimm as he amps her? or is it a subconscious choice/decision ?

Also Cinder vomiting out the Grimm and Jaune pulling back her hair... getting practice before all those kids huh?

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The Ozpins



- - -



Ozpin was quite capable of multitasking. The real thing, not what a bunch of corporate consultants thought the word meant. He could split his thought processes into many streams through long practice, carrying on multiple lines of thought at the same time. It came in handy almost constantly.



Certainly, he could pay attention in budget meetings but that required very little of his faculties: The rest was indulging in far more important matters like strategy in countering Salem's movements, potential locations for Qrow or his other agents to seek out some esoteric lore, and new recipes of hot chocolate and coffee to attempt.



Glynda was always better with money matters. He didn't even know his bank account numbers any more thanks to her.



In this case, his mental streams were divided into two: One to follow the conversation Doctor Weena Nebogipfel was having with him and their son over complex temporal mechanics in the conference room they had chosen after he had returned from dealing with Raven.



The other was studying Weena's face.



Romance since Salem had been a chore for the most part. When he incarnated into people who were in a relationship, he did do his best to keep it going. Much of the time things didn't work out: He'd lost count of the women who had walked out on his hosts, never to be seen again, as they believed their beloved had been consumed by some monster.



Yet sometimes it had worked out well: His partner had managed to adjust and accept him as a fusion of an ancient wizard fighting implacable darkness and their beloved. Elphaba had been one of the most understanding: She was the wife of his persona as the Warrior King of Vale during the Great War. She had been shaken but had carried on dutifully as his Queen. She'd had great insight into politics and had practically run Vale itself during the conflict.



Yet every time they met, he could tell there was a great sadness in her eyes over the change. The only comfort he had been able to offer her was that, one day, she and her real love would be united in the afterlife while he continued. Continued in a hopeless war for humanity's survival, all alone.



When he'd told her that in their study, she had reached out and hugged him, crying genuine tears for his plight and offering what comfort she could.



She was the wife who reminded him most of Salem. Salem as she was, before his first death. Before the Darkness. Before this insanity.



When she died, he'd made sure she had the nicest memorial gardens in Beacon, packed with her favorite poppy flowers. It was the least he could do to honor her memory. A woman who had treated him with so much love and kindness.



He'd studied her face their entire lives together. Just as he had with Salem.



Just as he did now with Weena.



"Hmm... This Rusted Knight event," Weena went on, numerous calculations written out on holoscreen and paper before her, "You're absolutely sure it happens in every timeline?"



"Positive, Mom," Moses said firmly, "It-It's hard to quantify but it might be a fixed event."



"Hmmm," Weena considered the equations carefully, writing down some notes, "It might be. And the use of this Staff Relic-That's required to open the Gateways?"



"Yes, though from what I have gleaned," Ozpin said as he looked over at Moses, "Getting into the Ever After was an accident, correct?"



"Yeah, in every timeline," Moses said, wincing as he rubbed his temples. Weena frowned.



"Are you all right?" She asked in concern.



"Y-Yeah... Eleven sets of memories are still hard to keep track of," Moses groaned.



Weena looked at Ozpin in concern.



"What have you been giving him?"



"Standard pain killers and Aura supplements," Ozpin said, "Jaune's Semblance can apparently heal ailments but I'm reluctant to have him use it on Moses given what happened last time. I'll have Isabel give him a full examination."



"Good call," Moses groaned. "Hey uh... Mind if I lay down for a bit?"



"Not at all!" Weena said with a smile, "I can only imagine the strain. Here, here!"



She got up and pushed a couch over to him. Moses gratefully staggered over and fell onto it. He curled up and pressed a pillow up over the side of his head.



"Urgh... Need to block some stuff out," he muttered.



Weena pulled out an instrument and began to scan him carefully. It hummed loudly, and at tension in Moses' back muscles Weena turned the sound off.



"Geez..." She mumbled. She walked over to where Ozpin was sitting at the desk covered in their various notes. She frowned as she looked at Moses intently.



"Bad?" Ozpin asked.



"Yes and no," Weena admitted, "I'll need to get my bigger scanners into the lab, and him for examination. Good news is that he's not facing temporal discontinuity: There's no sign he'll vanish out of existence."



Ozpin braced himself.



"And the bad news?"



"He's still in temporal flux," she admitted, "I picked up smaller amounts of it off the other children, Jaune and his potential wives, but it's there. They're all connected." Weena frowned and removed her glasses. She began to pace around the room, muttering under her breath.



"It's almost like there's... An impact point in time, like a rock hit a windshield," she mused, "The integrity of the surface is still there but it is compromised. The rest of it is intact but there's increased strain upon it. As though even if they all come from different timelines, they are bound together by Moses. It's honestly fascinating and it would be a lot less terrifying-"



"If your child wasn't involved," Ozpin finished the thought. Weena turned to him helplessly, and nodded. She stared at Moses, as he fell into a deep sleep.



"... I honestly hadn't pictured having children," she said softly. Her eyes softened. "Yet we get along so easily. It's... It's so natural. Like instinct and something more interacting."



Ozpin nodded slowly.



"I have many regrets," he said quietly, "But being a parent was never one of them."



Weena stared intently at the old wizard. She flushed deeply.



"Ah... Um... Oh yes, that. That part," she muttered.



Ozpin coughed.



"I have... I have no expectations-"



"Well it's not like we have a very wide dating pool, now is it?" Weena asked dryly. "We're both immortal. Who would be my other option, your ex-wife?"



"I would hope you had better taste," Ozpin said dryly, sipping his hot chocolate, "Though honestly it feels like I win by default."



Weena looked back at their son. She smiled quietly.



"I think he appreciates us together," she said, "He looks far less stressed when we talk together. Like it's familiar."



"Mm," Ozpin said with a nod. He sighed.



"It has been a very long time for me."



"Well, I don't exactly have a lot of experience myself," Weena shrugged. "But... We do figure it out in eleven timelines, don't we? That's at least somewhat comforting."



"Mm," Ozpin grunted in soft agreement. Weena chuckled.



"Besides... We could be like poor Jaune. However is he going to choose?"



"I have every confidence that they will figure something out," Ozpin said quietly. "Though I will admit, that is more based on instinct than hard data."



He looked to Weena, again studying her face. She put her glasses back on.



"I heard that logic is only the beginning of wisdom," she said.



"Wisdom is also what men call their mistakes," Ozpin chuckled dryly. Weena raised an eyebrow.



"How many of those sayings were yours?"



"Not as many as you might think, which is comforting," Ozpin said, sipping his mug, "To know that there are things I do not know."



"For now, anyway," Weena muttered. Ozpin gave her a small smile.



"I will not lie and say that immortality is easy. It isn't, even without my ex-wife trying to destroy all existence. But at the very least... We won't be alone. However things turn out."



Weena slowly nodded. She sat back down in her chair and leaned forward.



"So... Um... If we're part of the same club... It would be nice to know about, well..." She winced. "Your ex and all. How it all began."



Ozpin nodded slowly. His streams of consciousness collapsed into one. He would need his full faculties to get through this.



"Once upon a time, long, long ago, there was a princess in a tower, and a foolish young man with four daughters..."



- - -



I just realized we had one more family to check in with.

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

Dudes gonna be so happy once the timelines stabilize and the pressure lessens greatly.

 

[Stormfury]

Dudes gonna be so happy once the timelines stabilize and the pressure lessens greatly.

Click to shrink...

Having a 12th timeline form because Jaune managed the S-rank perfect harem ending won't lessen any headaches for a while!

 

[Xero Key]

I forget, who is Moses' dad? In quite a few of the timelines it can't be Ozpin.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

I forget, who is Moses' dad? In quite a few of the timelines it can't be Ozpin.

Click to shrink...

Oscar or Ozpin are his two potential Dada. Hence why his features keep shifting.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Ren and Nora had commandeered the Odette Swan Ballroom for their brunch, and had managed to rope May and Arslan's teams into helping with the setup and preparation. Once all the tables and chairs had been set up the boys of BRNZ had been posted at the entrances to act as doormen while the boys of team ABRN were moving about the adjacent kitchen helping Ren flip pancakes, scramble eggs and get the other food items like donuts and pastries sorted out. Reese darted around the place on her hoverbard playing waitress ferrying plates full of food from the kitchen area to the buffet table.

As Nora ushered almost everyone into the ballroom with a grand flourishing of her arms and a declaration of "The stranglers get here when they get here, LETS EAT!" The stranglers in question were a small handful of people who needed to take care of this or that small chore before coming and left with assurances they would be joining the brunch soon.

Jaune had to admit that the Odette Swan Ballroom was a perfect venue for this second breakfast; it was smaller than Beacon's other ballrooms making it a significantly more intimate location while still having enough room for everyone to have plenty of elbow room. The line at the buffet table had moved quickly and people were mixing and mingling with pleasant conversation filling the air. After eating enough to please Nora he took a deep breath and steeled himself for the next daunting task in front of him: properly introducing himself to the parents of his potential brides.

He glanced around the room trying to figure out who to approach first. May's parents were his godparents, meaning they already knew him pretty well so he supposed starting with them wasn't necessary. On top of that only Arjun was in the room at the moment: Saia had taken May aside to show her something instead of coming straight to the brunch. That means Jaune was starting elsewhere, but with who?

Pyrrha was his partner and Ruby was his best friend so starting with one of them felt natural. Ruby's dad was also Yang's dad so starting with Mr. Xiao Long would take care of the introductions to the parents of two of his potential brides at once. Mr. Xiao Long wasn't a complete stranger either, he had actually met the guy when he was around three and the man's team were involved in more than one of his parent's stories form their huntsman days so it would make sense to start with him. Jaune stepped away from his seat and took a couple of purposeful strides into the space between the tables before coming to a stop as a thought popped into the back of his mind: Would starting with his best friend be a sign of favoritism? He didn't want to give anyone that kind of impression, so how could he do this without sending the wrong kind of signals to anyone?

Jaune stood there in a state of contemplation only to have his conundrum solved for him as someone else approached him first.

"Umm. Hey Jaune," Blake stood in front of her parents with her father on her right and her mother on her left. An incredibly nervous smile dominated the catgirl's face as she began her formal introductions, nerves that bled into her actions. "This is my father, Ghira," Blake gestured to her mother, "And this is my mother Kali," she gestured to her father. "Mom, Dad," She nodded her head in the direction of the wrong parent as she addressed them, "This is Jaune Arc, the father of my children."

Ghira and Kali shared a bemused look behind their daughter's back that threatened to morph into amusement. Jaune just felt relieved that someone else was as nervous as he was.

"It's a pleasure to meet you sir," Jaune extended a hand to Ghira who gladly took it causing Bake to realize her father had been on her right this whole time.

"Ghira!" She pointed to her father. "Kali!" She pointed to her mother. "Oh god." She buried her face in her hands.

"Relax Blake," Kali stepped forward and hugged her daughter from the side, "This isn't going to be like the first time you brought a boy home. Or the second time. Or the third. Your taste in boys has significantly improved."

"Yes," Ghira agreed as he place a hand on Blake's shoulder, "And on top of that the twins were clearly raised right, which alleviates ninety-five percent of the concerns we'd normally have about a suitor of yours."

"What do I need to do for the other five percent?" Jaune wondered.

"Are you anything like Adam Taurus?" Ghira asked in a tone that wasn't that serious while being very serious.

"I don't really know the guy but I don't think so?" Jaune provided.

"Then you have nothing to worry about!" Ghira proclaimed as he clasped Jaune's shoulder. "We'll just need to spend some time together and I'm sure any lingering concerns will be taken care of as we get to know each other."

"And since you're a suitor we approve of the traditions of Menagerie say we should show our approval with a gift," Kali explained with a smile as she pulled a book from behind her back and handed it to Jaune.

Jaune examined the book as he turned it over in his hands. It was a black hardcover with no words on its' front or spine, a golden image of a mountain flower with an insect being the only identifying marks in those places. Jaune opened the book to its' title page and read aloud, "The Wasp and the Orchid."

Blake gasped in horror before snatching the book from Jaune's hands and pulling it to her chest with an absolutely scandalized look on her face. Her eyes darted about the room to make sure nobody saw or heard the title Jaune had just read while her face blushed the deepest scarlet Jaune had ever seen on a woman.

"Mom!" Blake hissed, "What Were You Thinking!"

"Glynda's call made us think things were closer to the marriage and honeymoon phase than the just started dating phase," Kali shrugged in an unrepentant manner.

"Umm... what's...?" Jaune ventured with concern in his eyes.

Ghira cleared his throat and explained, "It's an old faunus relationship guide written by a priestess of the Animal God almost two-thousand years ago. Its' main focus is about how to keep the spark in the bedroom going as long as possible."

"Ooooh," Jaune then shrugged as he looked to Blake, "I'm pretty sure I've seen you read worse in public."

"No," Blake shook her head with a far away look on her face, "No you haven't." She looked down at the book and then back up to Jaune. "I'm going to burn this."

Blake darted off causing Kali to chase after her with a "HEY!" Ghira shook his head with a chuckle before looking Jaune in the eye.

"Let's do something together later so we can get to know one another better," The panther faunus grinned. "Do you enjoy fishing?"

"Ah, yeah I'm good with fishing," Jaune managed to answer.

"Great! We'll figure out a time and place later," Ghira replied before turning to follow his wife and daughter who were having a whispered argument by the doorway Kali had caught Blake at.

Jaune shook his head as he watched the argument he couldn't hear. What could possibly be in that book that it would make Blake of all people bashful about sex? The question was as intriguing as it was terrifying. In fact it might be more terrifying than it was intriguing. By a significant margin.

A firm hand grasping Jaune's shoulder shook him from that line of thought, and he looked over to see Ruby and Yang's dad Taiyang standing there regrading him with a serious look on his face. Qrow was standing just behind him with a semi-hostile scowl dominating his features.

"Alright punk," Taiyang began without preamble, "You've captured the hearts of both of my daughters, the lights of my life, so I have a moral obligation to put you through the wringer to make sure you're up to snuff."

"I'm helping," Qrow added gruffly.

"Okay then," Jaune straightened his posture and held Taiyang's harsh gaze, "What are we doing for the wringer?"

Taiyang's glare intensified and Jaune managed to keep his own gaze steady in the face of the older man's judgment. The two of them stood like that for a lengthy moment before Tai reached some kind of conclusion and nodded.

"Sunrise tomorrow, the old clocktower, bring-"

"DAD! NO!" Ruby appeared between Jaune and her father in a burst of red petals.

"Yeah Dad," Yang growled as she grabbed her old man's shoulder and turned him away form Jaune, "We talked about this: Don't beat up Jaune!"

"We're not beating him up," Tai objected, "We're just making sure he can take care of you."

"By beating him up," Yang scowled.

"Noooooooo," Tai objected again, "I was just going to put him through the hell week workout, starting with climbing the clocktower."

"And I'm going to take pot shots at him," Qrow added unhelpfully.

"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby stepped towards the family drifter and jabbed a finger in his chest, "Be nice!"

"What! I am!" Qrow lied as naturally as he drank.

A smile graced Jaune's lips for a moment before he banished it and steeled himself; while he appreciated what Ruby and Yang were doing it wouldn't be good to hide behind their protection when dealing with their family.

"It's alright guys," Jaune reassured the sisters, "He's just trying to look out for you; wants to make sure I'm serious cause anyone who gets scared off by dad being aggressive isn't worth his girls time. My parents did the same thing for most of my sisters when they started dating."

"Only most?" Qrow quirked an eyebrow at his statement.

"Lilac's only really dated her fiancé Primo, and we've known him forever," Jaune explained. "In any case I need to do something to show I'm serous about making things work with both of you. If that means hell week then it means hell week."

Taiyang scrutinized Jaune for a moment longer before nodding in decision again. "Qrow, you're not taking potshots at him."

"Oh come on," Qrow grumbled in disappointment, "At this rate you'll leave me with nothing to do."

Ruby and Yang shared mirrored looks that mixed relief that their father was backing off a bit with a pleased feeling that Jaune was willing to submit himself to hardship for their sakes. At the same time...

"Jaune proving himself doesn't mean hell week," Yang put her metaphorical foot down. "Too much is going on right now for him to run himself ragged for some macho test you're making up on the fly."

"Yeah," Ruby agreed. "Besides, you were gushing about us marrying into a well off family not that long ago! Why are you acting like you don't want this to happen?"

"Rubes!" Taiyang gaped, "You can't just say that in front of him! There's a pattern we men have to do these things in! Now the whole order of operations is out of wack!"

"You always told me I didn't have to do things the way other girls do when that way is stupid," Ruby humphed. "That should apply to the way boys do things too."

Taiyang raised his finger to object, then slowly lowered his finger.

A feeling of relief started to flow through Jaune's veins. That was two relatively successful introductions done. How many more sets of parents did he need to meet? If he included his godparents then the count would be four. He just needed to figure out how to slide out of this conversation and then figure out who to approach next...

"Excuse me," Arslan Altan greeted as she approached with her parents on either side of her, "I hope we're not interrupting anything."

...Or they could approach him again. He could roll with that.

 

[TheFabulousCustodes]

Jaune examined the book as he turned it over in his hands. It was a black hardcover with no words on its' front or spine, a golden image of a mountain flower with an insect being the only identifying marks in those places. Jaune opened the book to its' title page and read aloud, "The Wasp and the Orchid."

Blake gasped in horror before snatching the book from Jaune's hands and pulling it to her chest with an absolutely scandalized look on her face. Her eyes darted about the room to make sure nobody saw or heard the title Jaune had just read while her face blushed the deepest scarlet Jaune had ever seen on a woman.

Click to shrink...

Considering how many kids Blake has in the future, I think Jaune is the Orchid....

Thanks for the chapter!

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

Great chapter. And kek more drama with the future in laws.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

At The Brunch Part 2

- - -

Isabel ate her fill. She was keeping an eye on Jaune and Nick out of habit. With her Semblance it was rather easy to keep track of everything going on around her... Also how good this breakfast really was.

Wow, and I thought Lilac was a great cook! She thought to herself. She'll love having Nora and Ren around the house-

She shook her head rapdily.

No no no! One step at a time! I'm not Nick, I have to be the responsible one in this relationship! Even if the world has gone insane, I need to stay sane!

She watched Jaune meet Blake's parents. That seemed to go all right. She tensed a little at Taiyang and Qrow confronting Jaune with Yang and Ruby... But their body language was much more relaxed than their harsh words suggested, and they soon ended up laughing together. She smiled softly.

"I really should have kept in better touch with them," she sighed. "Ruby is the spitting image of her mother."

A black and red blur appeared next to her out of a burst of rose petals. Ruby Rose grinned eagerly at her.

"Really?!"

"GAH!"

Isabel instinctively reached out and held a hand up in front of Ruby. She shook her head and swallowed the bacon she'd nearly choked on.

"You knew my mom?! Really really?!" Ruby insisted with big, bright eyes. Yang Xiao-Long was standing nearby, a bit awkwardly but with the same expression of hope on her face.

It melted Isabel's heart. She sighed and smiled.

"Yes. And I'll tell you all you want to hear about her," she said. "Honestly Ruby, I'm very sorry we didn't keep in contact. I last saw you when you were just a baby."

"You mean..." Ruby's eyes widened, "We're... Childhood friends with Jaune?!"

Elsewhere in the ballroom Blake's ears twitched. The catgirl scowled a bit.

Isabel blinked.

"Yes? He and Yang played more together but, very much so! I think I have some pictures of you three..."

She flipped through her Scroll and beamed as she held it up. Ruby and Yang gasped happily at the sight of themselves as toddlers with a toddler Jaune. All in onesies: Jaune in a blue rabbit onesie.

"He sure did love that onesie, huh?" Ruby giggled.

"Oh absolutely," Isabel laughed, "Though the girls liked dressing him up in it much more, I think."

"Heheheh, guess that's why he always hopped to everything," Yang snickered. Isabel grimaced.

"You pun just as badly as Summer and Tai, too," the Arc matriarch groaned.

Yang's eyes were sparkling.

"Really?!"

Emerald, sitting nearby, frowned a bit. She felt a bit disconnected without any family around to bond with save for Amethyst. She'd run off to talk about things with Petra. As though sensing this, Isabel beamed and held up her Scroll.

"Would you like to see more baby photos of Jaune?" She asked. "I have hundreds!"

Emerald's mouth quirked into a smile. A smile that Ruby and Yang helped with their own.

Glynda Goodwitch loomed in the background with some mild interest. Isabel rolled her eyes.

"You can look too, Glynda."

"I wasn't curious, but I'll look if I must," Glynda sighed, looking very put upon.

Emerald grinned.

Maybe... Maybe I could get used to this, she thought.

- - - -

Arjun stood tall and intimidating before the three male members of team BRNZ. Brawnz, Roy, and Nolan, for their part, tried to scowl back and not show any fear. The Pandavan King had cornered them near the entrance to the ballroom. His stare pierced them like his arrows would if they didn't manage to impress him.

"So uh... You're May's dad?" Brawnz began.

A beat. Arjun's stare became even more intimidating. Nolan and Roy began to pray their deaths would not be too horrible.

"Yes," Arjun stated.

"Cool," Brawnz said with a nod, "Uh. Didn't know she was a princess."

"Yes, I imagine you didn't," Arjun stated, as hard as steel. Roy gulped, and being the smartest of the three (which was not saying much), he began to speak quickly.

"Also!" Roy said, "I just want you to know, we see her like our sister! Big sister! Mom! She-She does our laundry and cooks for us! Also stitches our clothes up! She's-She's really great at that!"

Arjun's eyes blazed with Aura. Roy immediately thought over what he'd said and his eyes went wide.

"N-Not that we made her our slave or-or anything! She's just really good at that stuff!"

"Yeah!" Nolan insisted, "Like a Wisney Princess! She never talked to animals or shit but she was like, super kind and helpful!"

"Also we never once touched her!" Brawnz, in his usual blunt way, declared. Roy and Nolan glared at him.

"Dude!" Roy hissed, "I was getting to that!"

"I only like petite chicks!" Brawnz plowed on ahead, heedless of anything his teammates said. He pointed to Nolan.

"Nolan here is gay so he never had any interest in her. He did screw an ugly butch chick once but he was drunk."

"HEY!" Nolan growled.

Brawnz pointed at Roy.

"And Roy's racist so he never tried anything!"

"I'm not racist, I just like girls with pale skin!" Roy growled. "It's not about race! Plus May was the only one who knew how to do our damn homework! I wasn't gonna jeopardize the only person with brains here other than me!"

"Hey! I got brains!" Brawnz growled back, offended.

"Sure aren't proving it right now!" Roy shot back.

"Look, Your Majesty," Nolan tried, "We're May's friends. She's like our family. So we're gonna do right by her."

"YEAH!" Brawnz declared, waving his finger in Arjun's face, "And you'd better do right by her!"

Nolan and Roy pulled their alleged team leader back. Arjun glared into Brawnz's eyes. Brawnz glared back.

"What makes you think I won't?" Arjun asked dangerously.

"She's our teammate and friend! We're trying to hook her up with Arc!" Brawnz declared., even as Nolan and Roy tried to cover his mouth, "So you don't get to whisk her off and make her into something she's not! She's May! Not some stuffy princess in a castle! So if you don't do right by her, we're gonna have a motherfucking problem! You got me?!"

He waved his finger in Arjun's face, despite Nolan and Roy's best efforts to hold him back. Arjun's glare intensified. Even Brawnz winced and wondered if he had perhaps made a mistake...

Before Arjun smiled at the three boys.

"I am glad she had you as her friends," Arjun said with a nod. "Would you be willing to continue to fight alongside her?"

"Hell yeah!" Brawnz shook his fist.

"Until death!" Nolan added.

"Uh, or at least... Try to avoid death as an option unless it's the only one?" Roy managed.

Arjun nodded again.

"Then I accept you as royal guard candidates for the Royal Army of Pandu," he stated.

The three young men blinked.

"Huh?"

"Well, if you are to continue protecting my daughter and our family," Arjun said with a small smile, "I should make it official, should I not?"

The idea of joining a small but prosperous kingdom's military as royal guards was a dream job for many young Hunters-in-Training. It was very difficult to get such work though. You needed connections.

... Connections the three young men abruptly realized... They had.

"Wait, so... We'd get training? Custom weapons? Good pay?" Roy asked in shock.

"If you can pass the training? Yes, absolutely," Arjun said with a smile, "And you won't even need to become eunuchs!"

His eyes narrowed.

"As long as your feelings for my daughter remain brotherly?"

"Yes sir!" All three yelped.

Arjun smiled.

"Good! I'll have the applications sent to your Scrolls by nightfall! Wonderful to meet you again!"

Arjun headed off, his natural political instincts guiding him to rub elbows and gab with others at the brunch. Brawnz, Roy and Nolan grinned at each other.

"Man... Royal Guards! This is gonna be so sweet!"

"Yeah!" Nolan nodded.

"We really gotta thank May for being a secret Princess," Brawnz said brightly.

"I'm sure she's happy about it too," Roy deadpanned.

"Also," Brawnz blinked. "What's a eunuch? The way you guys tensed up made me think it was bad... How bad is it?"

Roy and Nolan shuddered. Nolan patted Brawnz on the shoulder.

"Trust me. You don't want to know."

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

I forgot that was a common practice for bodyguards.

 

[FinalFormer]

Cross-Posted From The Spacebattles Thread

Childhood Memories: Birthright

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Arc-Schnee Manor, Atlas. Nicholas Arc-Schnee. Age: 12.

In times past, when Jaques Schnee was the head of the household, the Schnee Manor was a cold, empty place to live in. Devoid of any of the warmth that a loving family provided. Like a cage and the Schnee family were nothing more than prisoners.

But to Nicholas Arc-Schnee, all he and his siblings had ever known was love of their family.

The Arc-Schnee Manor, after it had been rebuilt during the Atlas Restoration years, was always filled with laughter, music, and the cacophony of his sisters antics. His grandmother's garden looked more alive as each year passed. Even the tomatoes she and his sister, Yuki, planted looked lovely.

The commotion caused by his family today, however, was special. Today was Nicholas' birthday. Everyone was gathered in the ballroom, making idle conversation with one another. His sisters Noel and Yuki were playing with their cousins, eating pizzas that his father brought home after finishing up a recent Hunter in the inner city. His brother, Luc, was helping Nana Izzy and Grandma Willow watch their younger sisters, Brynhildr and Pyrrha. His Aunts and honorary Aunts were sharing stories of their recent ventures. Aunt Ruby was recently made Deputy Head Mistress of Beacon Academy, Aunt Nora and Uncle Ren were expecting their 4th child. Everyone was having a great time.

While he would normally enjoy spending time with his family, Nicholas was on a mission of great importance. It was dangerous, but the reward would be worth it.

In the kitchen, the young, white-haired boy was sneaking up to the kitchen counter. Atop the counter was a delicious chocolate cake, baked by the best mother in the world. The boy crept closer, he could smell the confection the closer he got. Now, all he had to do was stealthily steal a big slice and--

"Nicholas. Warden. Arc-Schnee. Just what do you think you're doing?"

Uh oh. Busted.

Nicholas turned to see his mother, Weiss Arc-Schnee, standing with her eyebrow raised. Despite being on her 7th pregnancy, she still looked intimidating. His father, Jaune Arc, was standing beside her, looking just a tad amused by his attempt to pull a fast one on his mother. His sword, Blónt Joyeúx, was still strapped to his back. He also appeared to be holding a big box in one hand.

"I...," He managed to get out. Unfortunately, he knew no excuse he could make would work. "I'm sorry."

"I know you're getting impatient, but the cake isn't finished, sweetie. I still need to add frosting." Weiss gently pat his head. What she was saying was half true. She mainly didn't want her baby boy to spoil his appetite. Especially on his birthday.

"I told you he has your sweet tooth." Jaune teased. Weiss raised an eyebrow at that statement. Both of their mothers, her's in particular, were responsible for Nicholas developing a sweet tooth.

"What's that?" Nicholas asked. "Is that my present?"

"Well...," Jaune started. He looked over to Weiss, giving her a questioning look. They both have had this talk everyday since Nicholas was born, and even longer talks when he told them a year ago. "Why don't we all go to the parlor for a second? Just the three of us."

The trio walked to the parlor, taking a seat on the one of the couches. Jaune placed the box on the coffee table. Nicholas was seated across from his parents. A small silence hung in the air until Jaune spoke first.

"Nick, can I ask you a question?," His son nodded. Jaune continued. "I know I've asked this many times before, but I just want to know if you changed your mind: What do you want to be when you grow up?"

"I haven't changed my mind, Father." Nicholas looked at his parents with determination. "I want to become a Hunter. Like the two of you. I want to protect the ones who can't protect themselves because it's the right thing to do."

Jaune turned to Weiss and smiled, which she returned. As Nick was growing up, Jaune at some point finally understood his mother's reluctance on his dream of becoming a Hunter. Weiss had done so as well. But just because they understood, didn't mean they were agreeing with her.

"Well then," Weiss started. "You're going to need this." She slid the box towards Nicholas. He looked at them and the box curiously. He opened the box, revealing a beautifully crafted great sword. It was a bit too big for him now, but Jaune knew that he'd be able to wield it in due time.

"This is really mine?" Nicholas asked. His voice sounded like it was trembling.

"Sure is. We had your Aunt Ruby make this," Jaune took the sword from the box. "This was made from my old sword."

"You mean the one you stole from Nana Izzy? Wasn't she really mad that you stole it?"

"She was more mad that I ended up breaking it," Jaune internally cringed. "We also used your mother's rapier. See the Dust cycle on the crossguard?" Jaune pointed to the crossguard.

Nicholas looked closer. It looked like a little rainbow wheel. Mother had been making it a point recently that he should learn the finer points of handling Dust.

"Nicholas, we're giving this to you because we believe in you," Weiss said, a reassuring tone in her voice. "We'll never try to talk you out of your dream. So, no matter what happens, we will always be with you."

Nicholas took in their words and stared intently at the sword. He then stood up and hugged his parents.

"Happy Birthday, Nick" Jaune said, softly as he and Weiss hugged their son.

"Thank you. Both of you," He said, "I'll try my best. You'll see. I'll be even better than the two of you." His father once told him that an Arc never goes back on his word. So he hoped that he could do his best to keep it.

"Now if only you had just a fraction of that confidence when you talk to Lian." Weiss teased. She learned of her son's crush a month ago and tried to push him out of his shell and say something to the Mistrali girl.

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Nicholas denied as easily as he breathed. His face turned a bright red. He doesn't think of his best friend like that! Never!

"Alright, let's head back to the party. Wouldn't want to be late to your own birthday party, do you?" Jaune tussled his son's hair. The trio began to head back to the party, with Nicholas leaving his sword behind, not wanting to upset Nana Izzy for opening his presents early again.

"Yes. We wouldn't want Lian thinking you disappeared." Weiss teased once again.

"Mom! Quit it!" Nicholas whined. His parents started laughing.

They kept teasing Nicholas until they made it to the ballroom. As much as the teasing annoyed him, he couldn't ask for better parents.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

I had no clue Weiss' birthday had passed, but it gave me the idea about Nicholas' birthday party.