Disclaimer: I don't own RWBY
The movie life
In a world where Grimm infested every dark corner, a tragedy was bound to occur. People shed tears for lost ones or we hear stories of criminal scum committing acts of terror that would frighten any man.
Every day events like that happened but most people brushed it off thinking it didn't concern them. Me? I wallowed in it. I had to if I wanted to survive in this world of business I'm in. Someone needs to look in the abyss.
My family was against my decision but I knew my calling. A detective goes where he's needed after all.
It was a cold afternoon when she came in. Knocking three times, a blonde girl entered with a gait that put me on edge. I had my fair share of experience with the female race, more than a few failures, but I can tell when a girl means business.
Stopping in front of my desk, she gave me a once over. I was dressed in my detective outfit. A beige trench coat with my black fedora. I couldn't fault her for checking. I was a man who swam through the scum of the Earth and it showed.
"You look stupid," the blonde girl said. I gave her a reply that befitted an ignorant girl like her.
"I know you are but what am I?" Her mouth dropped open like she was staring into death himself.
Reading my next lines on the script, I put together what she wanted. Don't want to keep a lady waiting after all.
"So Miss Xiao Long, I assume you require my assistance looking for someone."
Her jaw snapped shut and her eyes turned dangerous. That prickling feeling at the back of my neck returned with a vengeance.
"How do you know who I am?" I stood and turned towards the open window. My eyes darted across the blood-red horizon that was painted on the background.
"There's been some reports about a blonde girl and going through bars searching for someone." I paused letting that sink in. "A girl who uses gauntlets to fight and rides a motorcycle." I twisted to face her and the special effects guy (Ren) turned on the large fan behind me. The result was my trench coat billowing and my fedora blowing off my head. Need to practice that some more.
She caught my hat with a swipe and smirked at me.
"I guess word spreads around doesn't it?" she said. I simply nodded, it was the truth.
She took the seat across my desk and carelessly tossed my hat back to me. Dirt was on it...
I'll make her pay for that.
Literally.
"My services don't come cheap. Especially with a case like this one." People go missing for a reason after all, good or bad they don't want people to normally look for them.
"Money won't be an issue. I just want you to find this person." She took out her scroll, presenting me with a picture of a black haired woman. Clearly her mother judging by the features. I should know, people tell me I resemble my father. That and the script I had read said so.
At the time I should have given it more thought. A red storm was approaching and I was ignorant of it. A job like mine? I should have expected it. Darkness haunts every shadow and this case had a shadow bigger than an eclipse. It reeked of that dirty stench found only in an alley where crime is commonplace.
But I didn't.
So I accepted the case and the day where I was thrown into a bloody whirlwind began.
...
...
"Is that okay?" I asked.
Out behind the fake walls, Ruby burst in through the door with a grin on her face.
"That was perfect, your narration will draw the crowd in like moths to a flame. We're definitely going to win the competition. I can see it now, team RWBY and JNPR standing at the award ceremony. The host going on about our works."
Ruby went off on a tangent and I spoke when she stopped for a breath.
"Haha yeah, I did sound pretty suave. I think I might even attract a certain snow angel." If said snow angel was here I would be raising my eyebrows up and down romantically. Weiss was busy with other things though and wasn't here so I settled for raising my eyebrows at Yang.
"Yeah, maybe when she finally starts paying attention to you," Yang cut in. "I think you've asked her out every day and all she's given you is the cold shoulder."
She looked around expecting laughs.
We ignored her.
Ren came in with Nora in tow. As usual Nora was yammering on about some topic while Ren was patiently listening (or ignoring?) her.
"Hey Nora, Ren you guys did great with the special effects. You even managed to make Jaune's hat fly off. I mean I know it wasn't part of the script but it sure as heck looked good. "
"Thanks Ruby! Ren here couldn't get the black and white lighting right but he said he's going to work on it later. I'll make sure he does it, he was slacking off all day waiting for Jaune!"
"Hey! Make up takes a lot of time."
Ren being the silent guy he is nodded.
Searching the stage I asked. "Where's Pyrrha? I haven't seen her all day."
"I'm over here!"
Up above the stage, Pyrrha was on the scaffolding adjusting the stage light.
"Pyrrha! How long have you been there?"
"Not long!" Pyrrha called. "I heard Nora mention the stage light needed to be put in the right position so I'm moving them myself."
"Ahh wait Pyrrha!" shouted Ruby. "That's not the right direction move it a bit to the left."
"Here?"
"A bit more."
"Like this?"
"Now right a bit."
"How about now?"
"Hmm, just a teeny tiny bit to the right."
"Is this OK?"
"Perfect!"
"Ruby, the stage light didn't even move from its original position!" I pointed at the light in question.
"What? It obviously moved." said Ruby offended
"I'm inclined to agree with Jaune. I don't see the difference."
"Same here."
"And me"
"Sorry sis, you're outnumbered."
She pouted and crossed her arms.
"Fine, but it doesn't really matter anyway." Like a switch, her mood flipped back. "Let's film the next part now! Jaune you memorised the lines?"
"Uhh sorta, I don't get why I have to go dumpster diving though."
"Oh Jaune, that's what all detectives do! Come on! I got some trash bags ready to be dived in."
I heaved a sigh and put myself into place.
...
...
It was dead silent that moonless night. Miss Xiao Long, or Yang as she prefers, left and needed the time to prepare for the upcoming trip to Patch. In my line of work you need every bit of rest you can get. One moment you're walking down the streets, the next you're fighting off some would be murderer. It was a vicious cycle but life is a vicious cycle as well and we all need to ease our way out.
Too bad I'm a workaholic.
Ever since that fateful day when I realized my calling I couldn't sleep. Some doctors would say I have too much stress. Yeah well living in such a crap sack world would give any man stress. Heh, guess there's no rest for the wicked.
That Yang girl. She was dangerous, confident and held an air of grasping what she wants when she wants. I know woman like her, the sort to play with their victims before shunting them off to their grave. Yet something about her was different from them. Maybe it was the way her eyes danced or the way she held herself? I can't be sure, not when it comes to her.
I will say she holds my interests though.
I decided to go out for some cold air. My empty office, where I try and fail to sleep, is more of a cage than a home. My parents always said that I can still live with them, they're good people, they know how to treat you right. Not that I deserve it, too many mistakes are on my hands to live my life comfortably.
Plus living with seven sisters was kind of annoying. They're all younger than me, seriously they made me dress up as girl and danced with them because they needed a boy to practice on! My parents were laughing at the scene. I think it might even be recorded it on my mom's scroll...
Anyway, tired of the monotonous home life, I sought out case after case. Sometimes they wanted pictures of their partner cheating on them, sometimes they wanted me to investigate some old dusty case and sometimes the case was a fake for some bigger conspiracy.
I knew it made me cynical. That it twisted my beliefs. I saw the world in shades of grey (literally), but I persevered for my next pay-check.
Vale was an old city. Building long past their expiry date were common among the streets. Only bigwigs like the Schnee family could ever afford half decent living areas.
Walking through the streets, I noticed a lack of people mulling about. I'm in the seedier part of town where it's more common to be a victim of a crime than to not. I had that itch again. That itch where something's about to happen.
A teenager with bows in her hair suddenly came out from the alleyway and blocked my path.
Taken aback, I mistimed my next step and crashed into her.
"Ah!"
"Oh damn, Blake are you okay?"
"I'm fine, I just slipped up a little."
"No, no it was my fault. I knew you were coming out but I didn't react in time."
"Okay cut, cut!" Ruby, with her speaker, yelled from the other side of the stage. "Jaune, be more coördinated. We only got a couple of weeks to film this."
"Sure director. I'll do my best."
"Ahh Jaune," said Pyrrha, who was now on the stage. "You can get off Blake now. I'm sure she doesn't like being crushed."
"Oh right, sorry Blake. I'll buy you the drink that you love so much."
"Thanks. I appreciate it." I grabbed her hand and hauled her up. She nodded gratefully and I smiled at her.
Pyrrha stormed off after that.
What's with her?
"OK! Everyone in their positions again...and action."
A teenager with bows in her hair suddenly came out from the alleyway and blocked my path.
"You shouldn't pursue that case." She was quiet yet I knew she was similar to me. She had the same pessimistic eyes as me, that same tone. Even her clothes indicated her attitude with a black theme.
It was as if we were two sides of the same coin.
"Oh? Why ever not?"
"Because you'll be killed. There are people out there who would like certain secrets to stay with the dead." Heh, I expected to be a target eventually. Still it's better to know who's out to get you than to find myself at death's door without any idea of who sent me there.
"And how do you know this?"
"I worked with them."
I was silent more due to the fact she revealed her secret than as to its contents.
"I'm surprised you're telling me. Some would say it's bordering foolishness."
"I trust you're a man to not take advantage of that."
She was right. Even in my disgusting profession there are certain lines I don't cross. Blackmailing being one of them.
Her words and my assessment clashed. Would a pessimistic girl say those words? My instinct usually guided me but today it must have ran away because I couldn't think up a response.
"Well you pegged me as the right guy then. How did you know I took this case. Barely hours had gone past and here you are."
"...I have my ways." The street lights flickered and I swore I saw her yellow eyes glow.
"That's sounds ominous."
Just how I lived my life.
"I am a ninja. I can create clones."
I stared unsure what to say back. Those lines weren't in the script.
She stared back.
Then she puffed away with some smoke leaving me coughing (Damn it Ren, you over did it with the smoke).
In my life as a detective, I can safely say that even that spectacle didn't rank in my top ten weirdest moments... wait why am I still narrating?
"Ruby what was that?"
"I don't know? My original script didn't have that scene."
We all gathered and compared our scripts. Only mine and Ruby were the correct ones.
"Urgh," groaned Ruby. "Filming is stopping for now. I need to investigate this and print out some correct copies."
We bid her and Yang farewell. Ren and Nora soon left afterwards, well more like Nora dragged Ren away. Actually Ren doesn't seem to mind anything. Really what goes on in that head of his? What mysterious thoughts plague the man in the background? What does his eyes see? What inhumane ideas ran behind the man who stands with Nora's craziness?
Okay that's too much, I need to separate my character from my actual personality.
"So Blake about that drink. Wanna go grab it?" I pointed with my thumb at some direction behind me.
"Sure."
"If you don't mind, may I join as well."
"No problem Pyrrha. The more the merrier."
AN: This is a side project testing various other writing styles.
My profile page has extra stuff if you want to see more on my thoughts of my stories.