Long time no see people! Full update below, but I thought I'd throw a little fluff at you to tide you over as I work on big things! Enjoy!

O-o-O

Hop Until You Fly

Dance away from mortal bounds, hop across the stepping stones, up the mountains and across the clouds, go until the blue is your home.

O-o-O

-Beacon Gardens-

This has got to be the weirdest assignment…

Cardin huffed, the bag of fertilizer bearing down on his back. With a small grunt of effort he set down the plastic-wrapped dirt and wiped his brow. The sun beat down on him, much like it did the other students who were working beside him.

You wouldn't think that Vale would have been attacked a week ago if you looked at us all…

The bizarre order had come down one day during wilderness survival class; they would be going outside and learn how to properly manage crops in the school garden. It was supposed to imbue a green thumb into them should they even need to live outside of society for any extended period of time. Even the attack on Vale had failed to cease their weekly plant tending.

"Ah! Thanks, I think that should be enough to hold us over for the next two weeks," his partner exclaimed, a small smile gracing her lips.

Russel, his team partner, had opted out of the class, aiming to take an advanced dust course in its stead. That left Cardin to the mercy of random partner selection to give him someone to work with.

He looked down at the girl, her long brown hair swishing gently in the mid-autumn breeze, sun visor pulled over her chocolate eyes, her two long rabbit ears sagging near the tips in relaxed contentment. She was hunched over and humming as she dragged at the ground with a spade, better shaping the mud and dirt around a small batch of crops, her overalls stained with the browns of the earth.

Of all the partners Cardin could have wound up with, the biggest surprise came with the fourth year sitting in front of him.

Velvet Scarlatina, the rabbit Faunus. The Faunus he had bullied back during his first year at Beacon. The girl that had been stalked and almost killed by a sociopath not even eight months prior. The girl who he had been surprised to learn was actually one year ahead of him in school.

Whenever his mind got on the subject it threw him in circles. He hurt her; she did nothing to stop him. When he found out she was missing, he'd gone out to save her. They ended up saving each other. She never wronged him once, even though he'd spent his early days making her life hell. Any day during that time she could have chosen to wipe the floor with him. He'd heard what she and her team could do from the girls in RWBY, and it amazed him that he was still breathing.

First Arc, then Scarlatina… People need to stop showing me up…

As for why they were partnered, she too had entered into the class without her partner. She wouldn't say why, just explained that Yatsuhashi had opted not to join, leaving her to take the elective alone. She explained the reason that she was taking the class: just to have an easy A for her last year at the school, something relaxing.

"Okay, I think we're good here right now," Velvet chirped, standing to her full height. Her ears reached just above Cardin's eyes.

"You sure? I mean, after what happened last time…" Cardin asked.

He and Velvet looked to the side, to another pair from the class, a duo from second year team ARIS. Autner and Rei had become infamous among those in the wilderness survival class as the troublemakers. Well, more accurately, Rei was. Cardin felt bad for poor Autner, who dealt with Rei on a regular basis as his teammate and partner.

Autner, at this moment, was tending to a few scattered crops among their lot, carefully cradling each leaf. His tan skin betrayed his natural farmer heritage, blending in with the sandy brown hair, etched with reds and blonds that stuck to his brow. He looked up to where his partner was.

"Rei! Can I get some water over here? These plants look a little dry," he asked, turning his attention back to the growing stalks.

"Sure thing!" Rei sang.

Cardin watched as the girl, standing next to a hose connected to the west wing, flicked her wrist a couple times over. Her raven hair drifted as she focused on the motions, her cerulean eyes flickering with concentration. A glyph appeared at the spout of the hose, a blue and white Yin-Yang lazily spinning inside of an intricate frame.

Cardin watched as Autner blinked and sat up stick-straight. He turned to Rei, fear dripping from his eyes.

"I meant in the pail, in the pai-BLAWARWRAWRARGL!"

A stream of cool, blaring water met the second year, effectively cutting him off.

Cardin did have to nod his head in appreciation though; the sprits of water flying off his body was probably doing those plants next to him some favors.

Soon enough the jet of water came to a rest, leaving a soaked Autner blinking absently towards the building. Rei came bounding up to him, worry on her face.

"Oops! Sorry, guess my aim's not on its A-game today…" she cooed, pulling out a towel from her nearby backpack.

Autner wiped some of the more annoying drops of water off his face and sighed. "It's fine. Just… no semblances next time, okay?"

"Aw man, fiiinnne…"

Cardin shook his head and looked back at Velvet. To his surprise, she was already looking at him, brown eyes scanning him with an intensity he'd never seen in her before.

"What?" he asked, perhaps a more forcefully than he'd intended.

Velvet bowed her head.

"N-Nothing, you just had some dirt on your cheek," she stammered.

Cardin's fingers went up to scratch for the offending grime, feeling coarse ground rub against his skin. Velvet looked back up and rolled her eyes as Cardin's hand moved. She grabbed it and pulled it away, pulling out a handkerchief and blotting at his face.

"Geeze, you're wearing dirty gloves, remember?" Velvet sighed.

Thin, graceful fingers drifted over his cheeks, forcing him to blush. When her movements began to slow he calmly pushed her hand aside.

"I… right… thanks, I think you got it…" he mumbled.

Velvet stepped back and grabbed her things, throwing her bag over her shoulder.

"You're welcome. Class is ending though and I have advanced physics class after this, so I need to get changed," she sighed, looking towards the horizon. "Though with Yang and Blake and the rest of their team out on a mission, it's going to be far less interesting," Velvet scowled. She turned to Cardin and put on a soft smile, "You still need help with Oobleck's history test, right? Study session tomorrow night, same place, same time?"

Cardin's throat went dry, though for the life of him, he didn't know why. Meekly, he chose to nod.

"Yeah. I'll see you then," he answered, putting on a soft smile himself.

"Alrighty, see you around partner!" Velvet lilted, strolling off towards her next class.

Cardin watched her go. And then he watched her go, hips swaying gently, side to side.

His own hand flew to his cheek, a thick, diluted slap resounding from under his glove as he accidentally replaced the dirt that she'd so delicately scraped off.

His face was flush. His chest was pounding.

Am I getting sick?

But he knew he wasn't. And that's what worried him.

O-o-O

-CRDL Dorm Room-

This had been a problem for the last few weeks, hell the last few months if Cardin were to be honest.

Velvet…

Every time he had a free thought and closed his eyes he saw the tips of those brown stalks atop her head. Not necessarily the most romantic image, but there was something about her.

'Romantic'? What the hell am I thinking?

His eyes traced the ceiling, draping over the fan as a cool wind blew through the window. He rolled onto his side.

The edge of the bed became a cliff to him, the small rabbit girl dangling by her arm, his hand reaching down desperately to pull her up.

He shook the memory. The most eventful hike of their survival training had left the girl adorably flustered and thankful for the whole week after. He smiled.

Damnit, no!

Cardin rolled to his other side, trying to shake the thoughts away.

He looked to his bedside table where a small, jagged statue sat next to an open notebook. It was a translucent jade that curled and spiked, cyclopean arches warping around one another; rough in creation, but clearly elegant in design. Velvet had made it over the summer during a small arts and craft class she'd taken with friends. It had been a gift to him at the beginning of the semester, something of a thank-you for what had happened last semester.

Cardin groaned and rolled into his pillow, smothering his face.

Why haven't I gotten rid of that thing yet?

He knew why. He also knew it was the reason he kept going to study sessions with the girl, long after her initial invitation for help had expired. It had been a surprise for both of them when their first time studying for an Oobleck test ended with him asking for assistance on a Peach biology exam. It had been even more of a shock when Velvet had agreed.

And he had to admit, having a tutor one year above him definitely helped, especially when he learned that she had a very thorough knowledge of dust and its uses, which saved his ass in Father Jeremiah's class a dozen times over. A friend like her was valuable.

When did I become her friend?

The question struck him as odd, if not unsettling. He'd somehow become rather familiar with her over the last few months, to the point that he could call her his friend without hesitation or thought.

But she's a Faunus…

Cardin growled. Ever since the events in the sewers last semester he'd been at odds with himself. Who were Faunus people? Did they deserve rights? Everything he'd ever been taught said no, but everything he'd seen, everything he'd done said yes. His experiences were rapping away at his education, the building blocks of his life.

And it all wound up coming back to her in the end.

He rolled onto his back and sat up, drawing his legs in and resting one elbow on his knees. He looked out the window, watching a bird of his namesake twitter on a nearby tree.

Even if she is a Faunus… even if they're not people…

Her brown, floating orbs appeared in his vision, the amused smile that she held when Rei and Autner accidentally lit the their lab table on fire, the gleam in her eye whenever they did rock climbing, the dip in her accent when she got flustered, that strange, alluring look on her face not a few hours earlier.

…She's the exception…

His chest welled at the thought, like muck being cleared from a pond. He'd prodded the foam and moss with his logic stick long enough and finally pulled away the gunk, letting the water flow.

…She's more than an exception…

Cardin reached over to the parcel on his table and looked into it, the dulled greens shifting with his fingers as backboards. He swallowed.

…I think… I want to ask her out…

Images of the two of them sitting at a café sipping coffee sprung to mind, a distinct cinnamon smell coming from the girl across the table. Cardin couldn't help but smile.

"Well, someone looks happy. Did you do some 'business' while I was showering?"

Cardin looked up to find his partner, Russel, rubbing down his hair with a plush white towel emblazoned with Beacon's emblem. He scowled, realizing the other teen was only wearing the second towel around his waist. Cardin reflexively looked to the side and shielded his eyes.

"For God's sake Thrush, put some damn pants on, why don't you?"

He heard a grunt, as a drawer was pulled open.

"What do you think I'm doing?"

"I mean in the bathroom. Why didn't you bring any with you?"

Clothes shifted against skin.

"Because I forgot blockhead, what do you think? You can look now."

Cardin unshielded his eyes, though still involuntarily wretched when he saw his partner's form. The years hadn't exactly improved Russel's figure. He had already been lanky, but the added muscle of three years as a hunter in training didn't fit right on his body, more like sacks of packed-beef strung along a stick. Though, Cardin was happy to note, the boy was now wearing pants.

"So, what were you smiling about; you never smile," Russel asked, sitting down on the bed next to Cardin's. He was still shirtless and rubbing his long green hair with one of the towels. The boy had outgrown his Mohawk and had let the hair grow until it was draped lazily over one side of his head, dyed a darker green.

Cardin shook his head.

"Nothing you need to know about Rus," Cardin groaned, placing Velvet's trinket back down.

"Bullshit it ain't. Anything that's got you smiling like a love-sick puppy is cause for celebration!" his partner responded, slapping his knee and opening his arms. "I haven't seen that kinda look on your face since you passed finals last semester!"

A brief image of his and Velvet's first study session blinked through Cardin's vision before he managed to shoo it away.

"I…" Cardin started. It occurred to him that his friend wouldn't shut up about this if he didn't respond. He felt his cheeks redden as he scratched the back of his neck, "there's this girl… I've been thinking of asking her out… That's all, man has a right to smile about that, doesn't he?" Cardin did his best to add a more forceful bite to the end of that sentence, restore some of his dignity in front of his partner.

Russel's eyebrows shot up, mouth parting in the slightest, smiling gape. His arm flashed forward and slapped Cardin on the shoulder, "Aye man! Lucky lady would be an idiot to turn down a guy like you!"

Yeah, a man with the internal struggles of a rebellious teenager when it comes to people with furry ears. I'm a real catch, Thrush…

"So who's the lucky lady anyway? Tell me it's Xiao Long, I'd love to be there when she decks you!" Russel laughed.

The boy's smile faded when Cardin didn't answer. Upon seeing his leader's pink face his eyes fell to the last thing Cardin had had his attention on; the statue. Russel's eyes widened.

"No way… that Faunus chick?"

Cardin looked away, doing his best to hide his face. Russel felt the need to continue.

"You have the hots for Velvet?" The question was laced with more confusion than Cardin had anticipated.

It was easy to forget that he and Russel had been in a similar boat growing up, and that his partner was also struggling with his own demons when it came to the Faunus.

"I… yeah, I do… I'm thinking of asking her out," Cardin finally answered.

There was a quiet as they both digested the words. It was the first time Cardin had ever said something to that effect. There would be no going back as far as his feelings were concerned.

Russel nodded, taking a deep breath.

"Well, I'm not gonna mess with how you handle your love life…" he explained, finally throwing on a shirt and walking towards the door. "I know you've been changing," Russel's voice was shaky, "but this is a big one though… If you go through with it, it's going to take some getting used to."

Cardin uncurled from his bed and smiled at his friend, standing.

"Believe me, it's not exactly something I've been weighing easily," he answered back, walking towards the door. "C'mon, it's almost time for dinner. We should meet Lark and Bronzewing at our table."

"Yeah…" Russel said softly. The two started walking in tandem down the halls. It was a few moments before, "I'm happy for you man… just don't expect to be bringing her back to the dorm to do that rabbit dance, and everything should be fine."

Cardin's face went scarlet.

The rest of the walk was in silence.

O-o-O

-Beacon Library-

Cardin's hand moved on its own accord, the pencil in his grasp dancing against his notebook in an unsteady tempo.

Ask her.

The notes on the page seemed distant, as though scrawled on a wall miles away in an ancient dialect.

She's right there idiot, the night's ending, ask her!

Cardin shook his head and tried to get his focus back.

"Cardin, are you okay?"

The burly man swallowed hard and looked up from his page, his pencil coming to a stop. His indigo eyes met concerned brown.

"Yeah, I'm fine, why?" he asked, leaning back coolly.

Velvet looked less than convinced.

"Well, for one you haven't turned the page in your notebook in the last five minutes, and for another it seems you're trying to compose a symphony between your pencil and your feet," Velvet shot back, brow raised.

Cardin consciously stopped his foot, briefly wondering how she heard it beating against the mushy carpet.

Right, ears. Should probably have remembered that…

"I… it's just that this work is frustrating," he covered, groaning. "I think I just need a moment to cool my head."

Velvet smiled sympathetically, "I understand how that is. Port gives out a few essays I wish I could just shove in a fire."

Cardin snickered at the image of the rabbit Faunus standing over a hot oven with a load of papers.

"What are you reading while I'm suffering with this?" Cardin asked, nodding to a book opened in Velvet's hand.

"Oh… this?" Velvet asked, holding up the sleek cover. "A horror story, believe it or not… they actually help with my confidence issues…" she gave an embarrassed grin and shrunk a little farther down in her seat.

Don't know why you need that… you're plenty confident where it counts… unlike me right now, ask her!

"… Anything good?" Cardin asked.

Not that question, the other one!

"Well… the characters are rather nice… The main two have good chemistry together, and it's odd to say they make a cute couple even though they both realize it couldn't happen…" she answered, flipping a page of the book.

"Why not?" Cardin asked, his forehead creasing.

"Oh? Well… she's a cop, and he's a convict, though probably wrongly accused… It's just the circumstances that they're in that are letting them get acquainted…"

"I see…" Cardin mused. Truth be told, he wasn't all that interested in the novel, but her voice had a soothing lilt to it that eased his nerves.

"So, while you're taking a little break, I was wondering if you were going to participate in the school-wide tournament this year?" Velvet asked, returning to the book.

The team leader mulled the question over. He hadn't really given it any though, especially since the tournament had only been brought about as the result of the disaster that happened during the Vytal Festival during his first year at Beacon.

"Probably not," he finally answered. Velvet peeked over the page, intrigued. Cardin continued, "Well… Nikos is going to be in it most likely, and while I'm proud of how strong I am, I can't say I'd fare well against her…" The humble admission was something new to Cardin's repertoire, one that he was happy to say usually worked in his favor.

Velvet nodded, "And now you know why I don't participate in those things."

"Well, aren't you more of a support role in your team?" Cardin asked.

"I play my part, if that's what you mean. I'm not the best alone, though," Velvet noted, a small scowl adorning her features.

That doesn't deserve to be there…

"I don't know, I think you're actually pretty graceful when you fight…"

The words of encouragement flew from Cardin's mouth before he'd even really thought about it.

Velvet blushed and sunk further into her chair, trying to hide behind her book. Her drooping ears gave away her embarrassment.

"I… thanks… Though I don't think graceful amounts to a lot when it comes to real fights…"

Cardin opened his mouth to counter that idea when Velvet's scroll started ringing. Without a second thought the still-red Faunus swiped up the pad and placed it to her ear.

"Yes? Yes. I see…" Velvet mumbled. The bashful grin drooped somewhat as the call continued. "No, no problems, I'll be there in a bit. Thanks for the heads up…"

She thumbed the device and the call ended, followed closely by a perturbed sigh. Cardin eyed her, curious.

"That was Yatsuhashi, apparently we've been tagged for an emergency mission. Two hours until we're sent out," she explained, gathering her things. "Some first years went missing during the night and we need to go search for them…"

The girl packed her school satchel and lifted it over her shoulder, Cardin watching each delicate motion.

Ask her!

She scooted in the chair, "I'll see you in class on Friday, I hope, if not, I'll see you next Wednesday."

Ask her!

Cardin's mouth was dry as she began to pace away from the table, her soles soft on the squishy rug.

Ask he-!

"Hey Scarlatina!"

Velvet froze, turning to look at him with an inquisitive stare, "Yeah?"

Cardin's throat was sandpaper.

Force it out. She won't judge you, you know that…

"Would…" Cardin breathed. His lungs shuddered. He closed his eyes and pushed his will to its limit, "Would you… l-like to go out t-to dinner with me when you get back… from your mission…?"

His knuckles where white against the table, his fingers digging into the wood, relentless.

Velvet's face, already lit with curiosity, dripped with sudden confusion. Moments later red covered her cheeks, her forehead, and her ears standing stick-straight on end. With a small 'eep' she turned on her heels and scurried down the hall and around the corner.

Cardin felt a rock plummet into his stomach. His hand reached out after her, same with his stumbling legs. He'd chase after her if he had to.

Surprisingly, he didn't have to.

Velvet came shuffling back around the corner at the same speed she had left, fingers wringing the straps of her satchel uneasily. She rocked on her feet, eyes looking down to the rug.

Her head lowered even further, chin resting on her collar as she spoke one, final word, "Yes."

And with that she was off around the corner once more. A few seconds later, the front doors of the library could be heard closing.

Cardin's arm was still outstretched, his face still etched with shock. His brain was in a temporary shut down after that brief heart attack.

Eventually he returned to his senses, or what was left of them.

She said 'yes'…

He collapsed into the chair behind him, hands on his knees.

She said 'yes'…

Breath escaped from his lungs in a relieved sigh.

"She said 'yes'…"

And for seemingly the next eternity he sat in that chair, a stupid grin upon his face.

"She said 'yes'…"

.

O-o-O

Author's Note:

I LIVE!

Well… I never actually died… so… yeah…

But I felt like I was neglecting my FanFic account, and I kinda was, what with all the crazy things I'm a part of right now. RWBY: Over the Seas is eating most of my free time, though I'm happy to say we've gotten nine out of ten episodes for the first season written. (If you're interested in the project, check out our Facebook page! Feel free to ask questions in the reviews below! :D)

This was initially going to be a chapter in Subversion, but I chose to make it a standalone based on the popularity of The Cardinal and the Hare. For anyone confused, this does tie in with my current and longest running-story, so that's where certain factoids, like Vale being attacked, come into play.

For fans of Subversion wondering where the next relevant chapter is, I've not really had time to work on it, even though I do have my master plan to work from. I'll hopefully get to writing one or two or even three more chapters for it come winter break, but don't hold too much breath; school's kicking into high gear since it's my senior year of college. That being said, I'm also thinking about Reduxing the most recent chapter ("Chased! Cornered Animals!", at the time of writing), since I wasn't exactly thrilled with how it came out initially, especially that ending segment. So keep an eye out for those eventualities, just don't devote your lives to them ^_^;;

Special mention to author 'LoveForeverNow' for keeping a pairing I love alive in his fic The Faunus and her Winchester. It's a rather enjoyable little story that's currently on going, so I suggest you check it out.

There's also a little in-joke in this chapter tangentially related to the character Anguis from Cardinal and the Hare as well as Subversion. It's a reference, and if anyone can guess what it is (except you, xT-Zealot, you'll get it right away :P ) I'll give you a shout out in my next chapter, whatever it may be!

Special thanks to Ayami (who's been waiting for ages and is glad to finally see her character in action) for BETAing this!

Until next time crew! :D