(a/n)
I do not own RWBY, or any of its characters. I own my ideas for ink magic and its uniqueness in the world of RWBY. But that is all. Please enjoy, leave a review if you like the idea, or tattoo ideas if you think of good ones. Fallow the story if you find it worthy. -Zodd-
I've been reading a lot of tattoo magic books lately. And RWBY came into my mine as the most fitting way to use this unique power. In this story semblances are no longer what you are born with. They are tattoos of power passed down from parent to child, as well as sold on the open market. The tattoo's use dust, mixed with ink, to bind with the person's aura. Giving them whatever unique ability the tattoo implies.
Blood of animals can also be added, giving the tattoos altered characteristics. The most well know of which is Ursa blood mixed with earth dust, giving the owner added strength. Strength equal to that of a Ursa.
Basic uses of dust in tattoos.
[Fire dust]- allows fire blasts. Extremely deadly to the owner, fire dust is very dangerous and it often burns the user alive during the first use.
[Earth dust]- used for reinforcement. Most commonly used to strengthen the skin, making it harder for blades and Grimm claws to harm the user.
[Wind/Air dust]- used to make a person lighter. A rarely used dust, most hunters are not concerned about their weight. But it is often used my military, allowing more shoulders to ride in a smaller vehicle, because of their decreased weight.
[water dust]- allows for the manipulation of water, but it is extremely taxing on the user's mind. Most people with this as a main tattoo die after trying to control to much water for too long.
Mixing these four basic dust types, opens a nearly infinite amount of abilities, most of which are closely guarded family heirlooms. But over time, research teams and small business men have created and sold tattoos. Now it is a common sight to see teens of all ages showing off the latest trendy tattoo. Or adults looking at their arms and legs, remembering the days of their youth.
(chapter 1-Ruby rose) [ruby pov]
"Ruby, hey Ruby" Yang asked, waving her hand in my face "have you decided where you're going to get your second ever tattoo?" Yang asked. Hearing her excited attitude, I pushed away the feeling my fist tattoo gave me.
"geez, Yang. It's really hard for me to choose. There are so many shops" I asked, looking at a map of the city. There were tattoo shops at almost every corner, most only sold basic run of the mill tattoos. But that is not what I'm looking for. I want one that is truly unique
"well hurry up, I made an appointment with Junior. And he is impossible to reschedule with" Yang said. She made that appointment over a month ago, apparently this Junior guy was a big deal in the underground tattoo world. Rumor is, he has a way to tattoo your eyes, allowing you to change their color whenever you want. How cool is that!
"maybe I'll-" I started but a hand cut me off. "absolutely not. You are going to get a legitimate tattoo. I can't allow my baby sister to be corrupted by the powers of the underground tattoos" Yang said, much to my annoyance. It was totally okay for her to get an underground tattoo, but I wasn't allowed. Total Hippocratic. "but Yang, that last one you got is sooooo, cool. You can make your hair appear to be on fire!" I said, gleefully remembering her latest tattoo
She put her hand on my shoulder. It was comforting, and I knew she was in 'big sister mode' and no matter how much I begged. I wouldn't be getting an illegal tattoo any time soon. "Ruby, you should start out small. You're finally 15, you've reached the age where you can buy your own tattoos. So go and get a good one. Don't let your first scare you into never getting your second"
I nodded, I focused on a small crack in the floor, not wanting Yang to see the tears that memory brought up. "okay" I mumbled. Then looked back up at the map. Closing my eyes, I held out a finger, and randomly placed it on the map. "here" I said opening my eyes, "from dust till dawn, I like it. It's a clever name" then turned to my sister. She had a hopeful look in her eyes.
"do you need me to go with you?" she asked. But I could tell she really wanted to get to that Junior guy's place. "no, I will be fine" I took a long breath "I think it will be better if I get it alone. I need to face this without fear" I said. Hoping I sounded as brave as possible. But I think Yang saw through me. To my surprise she didn't comment on it. Just gave me a hug and said "just call when it's over, we'll meet up and get lunch, okay?" I nodded my agreement, and just like that she was gone
As I started walking towards the combination Tattoo/dust shop. I started thinking about what kind of tattoo I wanted. Maybe a strength one, not that I needed it. Crescent Rose was heavy, but I'm already plenty strong enough to use her without effort. Plus, Yang might think I'm copying her.
After my walk, I was standing in front of the small shop I chose to get my first tattoo, well my first tattoo I had an option in getting. But I banished that thought before it could take hold and ruin my day. Walking into the store, I was greeted by a friendly looking old man. Well aged, he looked like a proud man. Smile lines framed his mouth, showing how he doesn't let life get him down.
"good afternoon young lady. How may I help you today?" the old man asked.
"um, hi" my confidence suddenly took a nose dive. 'oh no, I can't do this alone. I really do need Yang' I thought in a panic "I'llbegoingnow,thankyouforyourtime" I garbled out in a rush to leave the store.
As I turned my head to face the door, my eyes briefly went across something I never expected. Turning back from the door, I froze. Looking at the wall of tattoo options the man had on display. Hidden amongst the coined term "useless tattoos" I saw a blooming rose tattoo. It almost perfectly matched my symbol. I walked over to the tattoo wall. "what does this one do?" I asked, hoping it wasn't just an old-school tattoo, those don't even use dust, they are purely for looks. How boring.
"hummm, that's an odd choice, not many people appreciate such tattoos. Most kids these days are all about the latest 'power tattoo' but my specialty is these, 'effect tattoos' and this one hasn't been chosen in a long time. Almost 25 years ago" the man was right. No one really cared about tattoos that didn't add some sort of ability. And 25 years! Is this guy still skilled enough to hold a needle still while it stabs my skin!
"as for its effect. It's a favorite of mine. It senses when a 'power tattoo' activates. And releases a stream of rose petals both distracting and confusing an enemy" he said. The description triggered a memory in my mind. But my mother's face showed up, so I stopped the memory before it could take hold.
"I'll take it please" I said. He nodded, happy to do a tattoo he was fond of. "where would you like it. A tattoo of this nature can go anywhere, so if you have plans for any future tattoos, this one doesn't need to take their spots" he asked. I thought, there were tattoos that needed to go on certain body parts, and some had to be on an exact location of that body part. But it's nice that this one has the freedom to be wherever the owner wishes.
"how about the tip of my spine, that way the petals will flow down my cape and fallow my when I run" I say, thinking about it as I say it aloud. That would look so cool, it would tie perfectly in with my other tattoo. And it would help with my dream to become a huntress, a tattoo that would distract creatures of Grimm. Nothing sounded better.
"alright young lady. Come on back and we'll give you a beautiful new tattoo" the man smiled, making his face seem younger then he actually was. I fallowed him back, seeing a reclining chair. He quickly adjusted it and laid it down flat, and gestured for me to lay down. Fallowing his instructions, I laid down on my stomach. Undoing my cape, and shifting the top of my shirt to expose the spot just below my neck.
"um, this is my first tattoo. So I'm sorry ahead of time if I freak out" I said, doing my best to look at the floor. I didn't want him to know of my other tattoo. I was too young at the time I received it, so if I told the man he might report it, and my dad could get arrested. So a small lie was my go to for this situation. He seemed to know better. After all, this tattoo I was getting was a tattoo that activated when another tattoo activated, so it was pointless alone. But the old man just smiled and said "don't worry, I use needles coated in ice dust, it numbs the skin, reducing both pain and swelling. It'll just feel like an ice cube is resting on your skin"
That filled me with relief. At least it wouldn't hurt. "would you mind talking to me about the mixture used to create this ink, I would like to know how it works, and talking will distract me" I asked the man. Most people were very secretive about their tattoo inks, so I wouldn't be hurt if he refused. To my surprise he said "I would be happy to. I'm not the person who originally created it, so I don't mind giving out its secrets"
As the buzz of the tattoo gun started, I forced my mind to focused on his voice, instead of the bone piercing sound of the cursed machine. "a woman, almost your age came to me when I owned a tattoo shop in the southern most point of Vale. This woman walked into my shop with a piece of paper, this rose was beautify drawn on it. Along with the formula for the ink. I was very skeptical at the time. But she explained that she didn't have the skill to tattoo herself. And wanted to sell me the design and formula. After explaining what it did, I gleefully bought it. After all, 'pointless tattoos' are a rare find. Her only request was she be the first to receive it. On her back, even at such a young age, she was already filled with tattoos. If I were to guess, she was probably a huntress. But I gave her the tattoo like she asked. As for the ink, and how it's made. Its brilliantly simple. Two pinches of earth dust, a rose seed ground to dust. A half pinch of water dust, and a spoonful of Boarbatusk blood, the blood allows the rose essence to flow out much like after a Grimm dies, when its body returns to Ether. The earth and water dust, create a self-fueling system to grow flowers and release the petals very quickly." The man finished his story and his explanation.
It was then I realized the tattoo gun hadn't been running for some time. He must have kept talking in order to trick me into not knowing when the tattoo was done. What a nice man. A sat up and fixed my shirt. Then re-tied my cape "this was nowhere near as scary as I thought. Thank-you so much for this" I honestly told the man.
As we walked back into the front store, where most of the dust, that's for sale, is kept. When a man fallowed by several other men. The other men, five in total. Were all dressed in the same outfit, an all back suit with a bright red tie, they all also had fedoras and dark black sunglasses. Making no move to remove the glasses, even though they were inside now I got a suspicious feeling from them.
The man "leading" them was completely different. He wore a white suit with a gray ascot. But still wore a fedora. He was casually swinging a cane while walking in like he owned the place. "don't move unless you would like to get hurt. This is a robbery. Boys" at the word 'boys' the men in black started to steal the dust and dust crystals from this old man's shop.
"are-are you robbing me" I said, trying to sound meek and scared. One of the men walked up and smugly looked into my face, way too close for comfort. "duhh" he said to me. And with that I kicked him through the window of the shop.
Everyone's head snapped too me. The men in black looked ready to run, but looked at the man in white, who said "well, get her" pointing his cane in my direction. As if they had one mind, the four remaining men rushed to me, using the best fighting skills I had (which is like elementary school karate lessons) I blocked and punched until all the man laid on the ground at my feet. Groaning and holding various body parts that I managed to hit. When I looked up for the man in white. He was running outside. I turned to the old man "do you mind if I go after him?" I asked. "please, and consider your tattoo paid for, you saved my shop today" he said
Resisting the urge to hug him in thanks, I ran after the white suit man. I caught up with him in no time. He was pathetically slow at running. He turned hearing my footsteps "well it's like they say. If you want it done, do it yourself" he said before pointing his cane right at me. And fired a fire dust round. I projected my aura to absorb the blast. It still managed to knock me down. I used that to my advantage. Taking out my sweetheart. Crescent Rose, I held her out front and triggered her expanding from. In a symphony of mechanical parts, I was now holding a quarter-ton bolt action sniper scythe. 'she' normally rest on my back, in a compact form. But during fights I let her free.
I slammed the blade into the ground. Creating a makeshift mount. I readied the sniper barrel lining it up for the shot. The man seemed frozen in fear. Yah, my baby has that effect on people. I fired off shots as fast as I could. The man shook himself out of his daze. And fired his cane, blowing up my rounds as his own hit them. A cloud of dust now separated us. Preventing me from seeing him. When suddenly a red fire crystal comes flying over top of the dust cloud. Just as I was lifting crescent rose out of the ground. A sparkling blast flew through the dust cloud -dispersing it- before hitting the crystal right as it was at eyelevel.
In a flash of light I was temporally blinded. When my vison returned, the man was gone. I searched the area. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the man climbing the fire escape to the top of a building. Weird. That would trap him if I fallowed. So I did just that, I stood on my scythe, and fired a shot. Blasting me upwards, right onto the top of the building this man was climbing. He reached the top moments after I did. Seeing me he said in frustration "aren't you a persistent one" before leaping off the building. I rushed over to see if he survived the fall. When an air carrier flew right past my face. The man standing in the cargo area.
"see you later red" he said. Then threw a crystal twice as big as the previous towards me. 'this one might hurt' I thought. Having no time to act. His shot hit the crystal and it exploded in a fireball that would impress Yang. But to my shock I was unharmed. I noticed a translucent purple bubble surrounding me. 'It must have shielded me' I thought. When I looked for the caster, I saw a tall blond woman walking to me. Riding crop in hand. 'oh Oum, is she going to beat me' I disturbingly thought.
She lowered her hand, which was tattooed with a runic circle on the palm. Most likely what projected the shield that saved me. Then proceeded to raise both arms, the giant chunks that the explosion blasted apart, started to levitate. 'holy cookies! she has telekinetic tattoos' I joyfully thought. An almost lost form of tattoo, so old that books with paper withering away told of them as distant memory's. 'she must be from a family that keeps really old secrets' I thought watching more and more debris rise into the air.
The debris formed a giant spear. Bigger than the ship. In a fluid motion it flew at the airship. Pelting it with large rocks and forcing the pilot to take extreme measures to stay in the air. The man In white panicked. Running to the front of the ship. When a slender woman stepped out, mostly out of view. I saw her as a threat, I'm not sure why, but my mind told me to incapacitate this new figure. So I halfway folded my sweetheart. She was now in a sniper only form. Allowing me to fire off rounds without the barrel being weighed down by the scythe blade. I fired of three quick shots, basic dust rounds. They were given to all students of Signal academy. The shots flew through the air, but the woman rose her hand and with a flash of fire, my bullets disintegrated before doing any damage.
Seeing the pointlessness of my actions. I stood out of the way, allowing the blond huntress next to me, to work. the spear she reformed and was about to hit the airship again. When the woman inside of the ship threw out her hands. From them a blast of fire shot out. Turning the debris spear into a scattered pile of rubble, but the blond woman still had a telekinetic hand on them. Raising them into the air above the air ship. She started to rain them down. Forcing the ship to bob and sway, the force of the debris greater than the updraft.
The woman in the ship seemed annoyed by the rocks hitting the ship. And in a complex hand gesture, a ring of fire formed around the ship. The fire immediately blew out in all directions, destroying every piece of floating rubble controlled by the huntress. The fire was next heading right for the two of us. In response another purple shield formed, covering both of us in its protective embrace. When the flames cleared the airship was gone. Leaving nothing but the destroyed roof we stood on.
The blond woman turned to look at me. "young lady! What were you thinking?!" those words rolled right off of me. In response I gleefully shouted "Can I have your autograph!?" she seemed taken back by my request. "come with me. I'll need to ask you what happened today, and I would rather not do that on this destroyed roof" she then turned and started walking to the fire escape. 'I should call Yang first. She'll probably be really worried if I don't tell her what happened"
(juniors bar){moments after Ruby told yang about the fight} [Yang pov]
"Okay ruby. Go with the huntress. Me and dad will pick you up when you're done. Stay safe" I hung up the phone. I looked around the mostly empty bar, it was a nightclub after all. Only the truly desperate come here for a drink at this hour. Seeing the men that worked for junior standing around. All wearing the exact same get up. black suit, red tie, black fedora with sunglasses. The same clothing of the me that attacked my baby sister. I controlled my breathing. Activating my newest tattoo so soon would give away my intentions to junior. They were a cool set of tattoos.
Two small red veins, tattooed directly into the whites of my eyes. A small amount of Grimm blood, allows my eyes to shift colors when my emotions become dominantly angry. It was mostly aesthetic, the tattoo itself was actually available on the open market. But mine was different. Mine had more than the recommended amount of Grimm blood. So when they shift to red, I get eyes that have the same quality's as the Grimm they come from, night vision, motion tracking, and if I get really angry, heat vision.
It was what made Junior such a popular man in the tattoo world. He took aesthetic tattoos, and gave them hidden powers. But all of my admiration for him vanished when I got that call from Ruby. I walked back up to the bar. Leaning over and getting Junior's attention I waved him over. "what can I do for you blondie, want another tattoo already?" he joked. I love a good (or bad) joke as much as the next guy. But now was not the time. "did you happen to lend a few of your men out to a man in a white suit today?" I asked, my smooth tone hiding the fire growing under my skin. His face dropped the joking look instantly "who are you to ask me questions?" I took that as a yes
I released the ragging fire of anger, I blinked and stared him down. His eyes widened in fear. I was so angry the full power of the tattoos was in effect. I decided to call the [yangry eyes] "those boys you sent out, had a run in with my sister" I pushed my hands down, activating my weapons in the process. Ember Celica, a dual shotgun powered set of gantlets. They covered up my first set of tattoos. Family heirlooms, passed down from my mother. Much like Ruby's, thinking about them caused all sorts of bad memory's. For different but similar reasons.
"loo-look, blondie. I don't want no trouble. You got your tattoo. There is no need to cause a seen" Junior said, trying to calm me down. It wasn't working. "you see, I care more for my baby sister than anything else in this world. And your men threatened her today" I said. I could feel the bodyguards in the room all start to inch there way closer to me. 'perfect' I thought
In a fluid motion, I punched Junior from across the bar. Seeing this, his men took action. But with their boss taken down I had the upper hand. They rushed me all at once. Pinning me under a dogpile. All the while throwing in any punches and kicks they could hit me with. I took them all, I cared vary little for the pain and bruising I was getting. All of their own power was about to be used against them. The two tattoos on my wrist started to heat up, indicating their readiness.
These tattoos were special. From the Branwen women family tree. They took the damage done to my person, and after my aura healed the damage, the tattoos released the energy converted from the attacks. It varied from person to person what that energy tuned into. For me, it gave me strength. The greater I got beaten, the stronger my next attack would become.
After I allowed these men to feel like they had the upper hand, I decided to attack back. In a burst of strength, I threw everyone form on top of me. Most landed in defeated heaps all around the floor. 'pathetic' I thought, seeing only a handful get back up. the few remaining men rushed me. I fired of a shotgun blast, knowing these men, even though they were weak, had the aura ability to heal these injuries. I took out two in quick succession. Allowing the next set to come in closer. When they predictably did, I upercutted them with the full strength of the tattoos. 'it probably felt like a truck ran them over' I thought, seeing the last remaining man refuse to come close to me. I decide to let him off. That way those who forgot this day, would remember my wrath.
(back with ruby) {Police interrogation room 4} [Ruby pov]
"do you know how dangerous it was for you to be engaged in a battle today?" the blond huntress said. I now knew her as Glenda Goodwitch. I world class huntress, and most known for being the second in command at the hunter school Beacon academy. "you could have been hurt! You could have been killed! However" I was shrinking at her every word, but I regained some confidence at the last word "your actions today were as noble as they were ill-conceived. If it were up to me I would send you home with a pat on the back" she smiled nicely, then frowned "and a slap on the wrist" she slammed her ridding crop on the table. Causing me to recoil in an attempt to move away from the scary weapon.
"one final person wishes to talk to you before you can go" she stepped away from the door, allowing the man to step into the dim light of the room. He held a coffee cup, in the same motion, he sat down and took a sip of coffee. "what is such a young girl doing with such a dangerous weapon?" the man asked. Then out of nowhere he pulled out a giant plate, filled with the gift of the gods. Cookies! I inhaled as many as I could, fearing they might be taken away before I finished them. "fu-ph, m-y u-nckf-l" I garbled out from a mouthful of food. Realizing he had no clue what I said, I swallowed hard, forcing the cookies down. "from my uncle" I said after I could breathe. "I only know of one person who uses a weapon similar to this" he said, leaning back in his chair taking a sip from his mug
I finally fully looked into his eyes, 'he must know Qrow' I thought looking at him. He pushed his tiny glasses up his nose. It looked like an old habit, something never quite forgotten. "you have gray eyes" I tilted my head sideways. Unsure how to respond. "what is your name?" he asked, finally a question I could answer. "Ruby Rose" I said. "do you know who I am?" he asked another question, one I've been waiting to answer. "you're Headmaster Ozpin. The director of Beacon academy for hunters. My sister is going to be attending there starting next semester" I said, proud of her. "and what is your hope for the future?" he asked. 'getting kind of personal, but I'll see this through' I thought and said "I want to be a huntress" he hid his mouth behind his coffee mug, hiding a smile (or frown). "that's a dangerous occupation. You could easily lose your life fighting the creatures of Grimm"
I was taken aback, this was the headmaster of the greatest (in my opinion) hunter school. But is he trying to talk me out of becoming a huntress. "I understand that, but I have always dreamed of being a huntress, just like in the stories my sister Yang used to read to me when I was younger" I said, remembering those memories' fondly. "then how would you like to get an early start?" he asked. I sputtered. "wa-wa-wa whaaat" I eloquently asked. "I would like you to attend my school. You are obviously qualified, based on you battle with a top class criminal, even if he got away. I believe you have the talent to be in my school, even if you're a bit young" he took a sip of coffee "so what do you say?"