RWBY is the property of not me.
Yang Xiao Long is not a good singer. I praise her voice as angelic and she can sing a lullaby well enough, but when it comes to modern music she's about as enrapturing as a cat that just got its tail run over. I stared blankly at the wall across from my bed as a voice belted out the lyrics to what I presume to be the newest Achieve-Men song like an enraged banshee. From my bathroom. I heard the shower squeak off and the pitter pat of feet as they moved about. Soon enough, the door opened to reveal Yang, flush from my shower, in her sleepwear and using a towel to dry her hair.
"Woman." I grit out, eyes glued to the wall, "What atrocities have I committed against you to deserve the torment you delivered upon my ears." She bounced with her head tilted to shake some water from her ears as she translated what I said.
"What?" Apparently, she gave up. I let out a sigh and sat up, rubbing my head as I glanced at the clock. 7:35 in the morning, apparently I overslept. Probably due the the horrors of shopping I experienced yesterday.
"Why are you in my room?" I asked tiredly as I sat up. I wouldn't be getting any more sleep and I was late to wake anyways.
"Oh, Blake is using our shower and Rubes has next. I didn't feel like waiting, looking this good takes time y'know?" she said simply, waving a hand in my direction.
"How are you in my room?" I corrected.
"Transferred the key off your scroll and into mine." She shrugged, fingers running through her locks. I blinked. Could she actually do that? Wasn't this an invasion of privacy?
"How..." I started.
"Had to submit a request form through admin and accept it from your scroll, went off without a hitch." she shrugged, "You got the key to our room too, y'know?" What was this school thinking?!
"They just gave me, an adolescent male, the key to the room of four teenage girls?" I asked incredulously. She shrugged again.
"Well, yeah. You're listed as the emergency contact for me and Rubes and vice versa. If they can't get to us, they go to you and you get us. Besides, dorms are mixed anyways." A grin split across her face, "Why? Afraid you can't control yourself?" I stifled a sigh at that. Sometimes I wonder what goes through that head of hers.
"Whatever." I grumbled. I wasn't awake enough to ponder these kinds of things. I would need a shower and breakfast first, at the very least. "Do not break anything." I said with a wave as I moved to my bathroom and shed my top. The last thing I heard before I closed the door was a wolf whistle. As I turned the water on, I heard my door open and close, presumably announcing her exit. Probably went back to her room to tend to her hair and teammates.
I'd just finished my morning routine and was donning my uniform, which was a perfect fit to my surprise, when I heard a loud whistle through the walls.
"Good morning Teeeeaam RWBY!" I heard through the walls. It was pretty muffled considering the volume the girl must have been shouting at, the soundproofing seemed to be decent. I tightened the tie around my neck and walked out the door as another whistle pierced the air. I knocked on the door of my rowdy neighbors at the sound of moving furniture. I may have the key, but it's not something I felt comfortable abusing. The door opened to the bored face of Blake.
"Laz." she said simply, sparing me a curious look, "Can I help you?" I blinked as Yang pulled a bed into the center of the room behind her, the noise considerably louder with the door open.
"What...are you guys doing?" I asked hesitantly. I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer.
"Decorating!" Yang chirped, dropping the bed with a loud thump. I arched an eyebrow and stepped in to look at the clock. A little over an hour before class started. "Come give us a hand!" she called out over her shoulder as she headed to the boxes and luggage stuffed in a corner. I recognized some bags as the 'shopping' we had to do yesterday. I turned on my heel and walked out the door. Nope.
"Do not forget to eat breakfast." I called back as I walked away. I heard the door close to the sounds of Ruby and Yang arguing over something or another. I hadn't even set up my own room yet, so I didn't have the luxury of helping four girls with theirs. Food came first.
Eyes followed me as I stacked my tray high with food and the caterer paled at the amount. I was large, and it took a lot of food to maintain that. It was probably the primary reason Ozpin was willing to let me convert a portion of my room into a small kitchen full with a small stove, refrigerator, and the works. Even got a stove hood that would filter and kill the smoke and fumes. I don't quite know how the technology works, since it didn't have vents to funnel the pollution outside, but it had a money back guarantee, so it was worth trying. I would have to pay for the foods in my room out of pocket, of course, and I had a feeling that Ozpin hoped that I would dine in my room often to save him the money. But I wasn't one to turn down access to the dining hall when it was available.
I sat at the table with a thud and the plates of food wobbled dangerously for a moment before stabilizing. Hunters tend to eat a lot, their physical lifestyle required a high calorie upkeep, and Beacon was well prepared for this. They had massive tables filled with every type of food available, and it was something I had capitalized on. I would eat well here. I had just begun my meal when a voice called out to me.
"Laz!" I looked up to see Jaune giving me a wave, tray in hand, and trailed by three others: Pyrrha Nikos, the crazy orange haired girl, and green boy. I raised a hand in greeting, my mouth stuffed with eggs and sausages, and motioned at the table when they asked if they could sit. "How you doin' man?" He asked as he took a seat. I swallowed my food and gave him a nod.
"I am well." I responded, stabbing a piece of bacon, "There was a small issue regarding teams, but it has been settled."
"Yes, I had heard of that." Ms. Nikos replied, "The Jokers, yes? I hear you are the only first year to have ever been admitted solo. Very impressive, but not unexpected of 'The Immortal'." I frowned at that. The nickname, which I was never very fond of, was not a widespread one, mainly used in Patch where my accomplishment was considered a pride of the community.
"I saw the video." Ms. Nikos clarified upon seeing my confusion. "I was scouting out potential foes for the international tournaments." While the video had gone viral on DustNet, interest had died down a long time ago along with any fame I had accrued. If she had specifically gone searching for high contenders during the regionals though, it would make sense.
"What video?" Jaune said through a mouthful of food, which caused me to grimace. The orange haired girl seemed to quite literally be drowning herself in her pancakes, with her face pressed to the plate while the boy in green focused on his own food. The table manners of Jaune and pancake girl left much to be desired.
"Lapis Ulfheon." Ms. Nikos explained, "Winner of the Vale Championship Cup and finalist for the Vale Regional Tournament a year ago. During the Vale Cup finals and all throughout the Regional Tournament, he finished every match with a full Aura meter." Jaunes jaw dropped and the boy in green gave me an appraising glance, although pancake girl seemed content to continue her asphyxiation via food.
"So...what?" Jaune stammered, "He's kind of like you? Untouchable?" The red haired girl laughed, a light blush adorning her cheeks. That was interesting.
"No, he was hit multiple times throughout every one of his matches. In fact, from what I've seen, he barely dodges." She gave me a look and I nodded in agreement. I was not agile, this was no secret. "He blocks what he can and takes what he can't, and in the Cup finals, he even received a very nasty wound from his opponent." Jaune blinked and green boy was noticeably listening in on the conversation.
"Then...how is he immortal?" Jaune asked confusedly. Ms. Nikos shrugged as she stabbed at the bacon on her plate.
"That's the thing." she said with a small smile. "At the end of his match, the Aura gauge showed him to be at full, and when he wiped the blood away, the wound was already healed. It was quite shocking." Jaune turned to me in awe.
"How much Aura do you have?!" He cried out. I shrugged and brought another fork of food to my mouth. Got to eat when you can.
"The question isn't how much." The boy in green said, his pink eyes narrowed. "If he bled, then his defenses were penetrated. That should cause a change in his Aura no matter the amount. His Aura regenerated. Most likely his Semblance." Quick thinker, this one. While there had been guesses at my Semblance over the Net, and they eventually settled on the same line of thought as green boy, he had deduced it from one conversation without the video in a matter of seconds.
"You are mostly correct. I do not think I ever got your name?" I said, giving him a nod.
"Lie Ren." he replied, giving me a short bow. "This is-"
"Nora!" pancake girl, apparently Nora, burst up from her plate for a moment with a shout before descending upon her meal again.
"Nora Valkyrie, yes." Ren finished with a wry smile. Ms. Nikos made to introduce herself but I stopped her.
"Pyrrha Nikos." I said with a small smile, "Your accomplishments are far more renown than my own, 'Invincible Girl'. I am honored to have caught your eye." She returned the smile, although a bit forced.
"The 'Immortal' and the 'Invincible' huh?" Jaune said, placing his head on his hand as his elbow rested on the table. "I wonder who would win?" Ms. Nikos and I both froze for a moment.
"One who can not be killed, and one who can not be defeated." I clarified slowly. "That in itself, should answer your question." While the challenge was interesting, I was under no illusion that I could defeat Pyrrha Nikos, who was quite literally my antithesis.
I watched as the members of Team RWBY and Team JNPR stumbled into the classroom, late. I had not seen RWBY at breakfast, and it appeared that they had been 'decorating' this entire time. I had an inkling this would happen when they were moving furniture. I have no idea how JNPR was late, considering they'd shown up to breakfast and had only gone back to retrieve their textbooks.
Yang plopped into the seat next to me, the rest of her team following suit as Professor Peach began her lesson on botany. While sounding useless, several natural plants and fauna could prove either hazardous or life saving while out in the field. The class passed slowly, the only sounds being that of the professor speaking and notes being scratched out. While Professor Peach did manage to keep the lesson somewhat interesting, there was still a push for the door when class was let out.
"Ugh, I'm starving." Yang moaned as we filed out of the room.
"I told you to get breakfast." I reminded her, and she gave me a pout. I heard a rumble and turned to see Ruby holding her stomach with an embarrassed look.
"This is all because you wanted to goof off first thing in the morning!" Weiss snarled, a bit harshly I felt.
"Unpacking had to be done eventually." Blake interjected softly, "And we all got a bit overzealous while decorating. Weiss shot a glare at her before reigning her emotions in, taking a deep breathe and letting it out.
"Whatever." She said shortly, "What do we have next?"
"Advanced Mathematics and Applications, followed by Grimm Studies." I recited from memory as Yang let out a groan at the mention of math. While I was not a fan of the subject, I found it difficult to sympathize with her after years of having to help her through this particular study. "Tomorrow we have Vytal History and finally, Practical Combat." I expected Yang to cheer for the combat class, but it appeared she was still hung up over missing breakfast.
"Come." I said with a sigh, motioning for the girls to follow.
"Where are we going?" Ruby asked curiously, although they followed along obediently.
"You can not work if you do not eat." I stated, "We have a thirty minute reprieve between classes, we are getting you food." Yang let out a cheer and Ruby brightened up, but Weiss seemed doubtful.
"The dining hall isn't this way." She pointed out, "And either way, it's closed now, so quit fooling around and let's just go." Her tone was irritated and her words were clipped. She was simply lashing out at this point.
"While I can not provide a proper meal, I have a store of rations in my room." I explained, "It will hold you over until lunch. And hopefully improve your mood." I shot her a small glare, and she puffed up indignantly. I narrowed my eyes as she opened her mouth, most likely to protest my words, but Yang clapped her on the shoulder, most likely sensing the impending conflict.
"Don't bite the hand that feeds you." I heard her whisper to the other girl, "Laz doesn't know you well enough to take all your quips as a joke, he's only doing this cause you're our friend." Good. While I was okay with teasing, if this girl was going to insult me after I took it upon myself to assist her in her own folly, we would have a problem. The Schnee girl was thankfully quiet the rest of the way, although the other girls did engage in small talk.
"Woo! Home sweet home!" Yang cried out as she flung herself into my bed, the rest of the girls taking seats on the others that I had yet to move out. I would probably have to invest in a foldaway table and some chairs, now that I think about it. I have a feeling this will happen often.
"You are aware that this is my room, don't you?" I asked her with a smirk as I opened one of the drawers of my desk. "Your room is next door."
"Eh." she waved a hand lazily, her face buried in my pillow, "Mi casa es su casa and all that."
"What could I possibly want from your room?" I asked, tossing a couple bags of snacks to the girls.
"Well, that's why we're in your room." she smirked at me. She let out an angry 'Hey!' when I nailed her in the face with a bag, but was quickly happy again as she tore into the package of cheese puffs, some of her favorite treats. I pulled out a rice crisp for myself, and for a moment the only noise in the room was the wrinkling of wrappers and chewing.
"So, why do you have a horde of snacks stashed in your room?" Blake asked, inspecting the snack bar in her hand. "Not that I'm complaining, of course." she amended quickly. I raised an eyebrow at her as I bit into my crisp, and jut a thumb over at Yang, who was making an absolute mess on my bed. I felt my eye twitch at the crumbs and cheese dust. While I was moving the bed to storage later, it would bother me until it was cleaned. I should probably get a vacuum along with the table.
"Ah." Blake nodded in understanding and sympathy. They may have only known each other for a day or two, but she was quickly picking up on the two sisters personalities. "I assume that's also why you have a large amount of strawberry flavored candies?" I pointed at Ruby this time, who was happily chewing on gummies. I'd known those two for too long to not know how to handle them to some extent.
"Five minutes." I said after a moment, glancing at the clock, "Then we eat while we walk."
Yang Xiao Long
"Monsters! Deeeemons! Prowlers of the night!" Professor Port and his mustache jiggled with every word in a manner which inspired deja vu in the blonde girl. "Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names, but I merely refer to them as prey! Haha!" Yang watched as the old Huntsman chuckled at his own joke, interrupting Ruby's nap.
While Yang had been tempted to join her younger sister, the teacher was actually a bit interesting with the way he moved and talked. Blake seemed to be similarly entertained, and Weiss was, as always, jotting down notes as if her life depended on it. Or at least her grade.
She leaned forward a bit to see past her partner at her other partner, the boy she grew up with. Lapis Ulfheon, or Laz as just about everyone calls him, had been her closest friend for as long as she could remember. The boy was sitting ramrod straight, eyes wide open to an almost terrifying amount, the top of his hair probably visible to the people behind them. At some point he'd shot past her in height, and now easily towered over her. There was a loud snore from somewhere in the class, although when she looked around she couldn't find the culprit.
Yang found her attention drifting away from the lecture, her lilac eyes tracing the many diagrams of Grimm, as well as the shaking and growling cage. It was probably a Grimm, although probably not a very big one, from the size of its confines. She hoped they would get to fight it, that could be fun.
"And that's where we come in!" The professors loud declaration snapped her back to attention. "Huntsmen! Huntresses..." He winked at her, and she could only groan. He was becoming more and more like Loopty Hoops by the second. Maybe they were related. "Individuals who have sworn to protect those who can not protect themselves! From what, you ask? Why, the very world!"
"Ayyyy-yep..." a cheer rang out, and the class collectively turned to stare at the boy, who quickly sat back down, beet red in the face. Yang noticed that Laz had yet to move from his original position, still staring straight forward. She wasn't even sure if he'd blinked. A frown found its way onto her delicate lips. Was he having a relapse? Maybe it was the Grimm in the room riling up those voices in his head. She shook her head. No, that didn't seem like it, his eyes weren't flitting around like they did whenever he felt threatened.
Growing up with Laz, she'd learned how to read people. It was a necessary skill if you wanted to communicate with the boy, and both Yang and Ruby had picked it up. After all, when a twitch was all you got to indicate the mood most days, you tend to start noticing it. The corner of the lips slightly raising for a moment was a smile, a twitch of the eye was annoyance, the slight clenching of the hands for nervousness, she'd learned them all over the past fourteen years. Picking up tones in conversations and body cues had become something she was somewhat proud of, and had helped her in several social situations. Another snore interrupted her thoughts as she observed her friend, and she snapped her head up, looking around in annoyance.
"Despite smelling of cabbages, my grandfather was a wise man." Port continued to drone on his story, completely oblivious to his classes lack of attention. Not a single person in the room was paying attention at this point, even Weiss was busy staring at Ruby, who was doodling. Ruby held up her masterpiece for her friends to see, and Yang giggled along with Blake at the poorly drawn rendition of 'Professor Poop'. Probably all the cabbages he's been eating. A cough from Professor Po...rt had them looking in his direction again, although the moment he resumed talking the attention waned.
Yang found her thoughts wandering back to Laz, and a quick peek confirmed that he was indeed still in the same position. She was somewhat worried at this point, the way he was staring straight ahead was kind of creepy. Laz was a weird kid, she had to admit. He talked slow and for the most part, moved slow, probably because he thought every move through like thirty times. He had a strange family with somewhat barbaric ways, and although she'd criticized it in the past, she'd quickly given up when he took personal offense to it.
Recently he'd been better about it, ever since they had The Argument all the way back at the Vale Cup. He came back from is outings with fewer scars and less interesting stories, playing it safer and actually using that stupid big cannon of his. She'd watched the vid of his fight against the Colossus and had been proud that he'd walked away from such a fight with only a small gash across the chest. He had still tried to grapple the damn thing to the ground, but she had a feeling that would never change. It'd been funny when he suplexed an Ursa and the cut didn't even scar. That was a win in her book.
Despite what Laz and Ruby may have thought, Yang didn't actually hate scars. She had her own share, and even Ruby carried a few, you don't go through years of combat school and fighting Grimm without making a mistake somewhere along the way. But Laz's scars were special.
The three thick bumps that traced across his chest and the mangled arm that would always look as if a child had scribbled on it with a scalpel in a feverish attempt at art. The thick indents above his hip and the incision above it where parts of his organs had to be removed. They were reminders to Yang, reminders of her failure and shortcomings. Permanently etched on her friend when he threw a six year old body at a Beowolf to save a stupid girl who nearly got herself killed.
They'd had a falling out over it at one point, completely one sided on Yangs part. Shortly after entering Signal, locker rooms were mixed, an attempt to acclimate the children with the bodies of the opposite sex. As a combat school, every child would walk out to either join the Hunters or the guard, it was better to have them comfortable with every type of body at an early stage. That meant every day she walked in to the locker room, and every day she was forced to recall all the memories just from looking at her best friend. Perhaps it had been puberty, but she'd begun having guilt filled nightmares years after having gotten over the incident.
She'd done the only thing she could think of at the time. She ignored him. He followed behind her dutifully yet she didn't say a word to him, and he in turn, remained silent. He had been confused, she saw it in his eyes, afraid that he'd offended her somehow, driven her away. The distance at which he followed her grew larger and larger as the days went by, as she ignored his existence, until one day she didn't feel the overbearing pressure on her.
He remained as far as he physically could from her, realizing she despised the sight of him, staying on the opposite side of rooms while still keeping her in sight. He would sit alone, hidden behind a book, eyes following her while she laughed with her friends. And she was ashamed to admit that she'd been happy. Happy to have finally chased off her closest companion. She felt free of her shackles, free to do as she pleased without having the awful scars telling her otherwise.
It wasn't until Ray Topaz, several months later, that she felt the pain of his absence. Ray Topaz had been her first crush. She found him charming and funny, and very sociable. She'd daydream about the two of them together, and talk endlessly about the boy at the dinner table, much to the amusement of her father, and the annoyance of Ruby.
She chased after the boy, sure they were meant to be, only to be crushed. He hadn't even done it on purpose. Just an offhand comment from a child who hadn't grown enough to learn the intricacies of serious relationships. As a freshly thirteen year old Yang cried about her lost puppy love, an impatient Ruby had asked why she was complaining to them and not Laz. It was then that she realized the boy hadn't stepped foot in the Xiao Long household in months.
She'd felt a pang in her chest, a loneliness she hadn't noticed from his absence, and had burst into a fresh wave of tears, wailing about her wrongdoings. She confessed to her family that she'd abandoned him and that he probably hated her and that they would never see him again. Only to be stopped by an incredibly confused Ruby and even more amused Tai Yang.
Tai Yang pointed out that while, yes, Laz hadn't really stepped foot into their home in a while, he had in fact been by earlier that day to drop off Ruby. Something which Yang was supposed to have been doing for the past months. While Yang had been off gallivanting around, Laz had taken up her duty and his promise, mechanically picking up her younger sister every single day from the public school and delivering her home. He simply didn't know what else to do, she realized. He gave her space because it was what she wanted, but still desired to remain close. He wanted to be near her. Memories of a promise in a hospital room between a crying girl and a half dead boy burst into mind.
The next day she'd followed him around the room for a good five minutes as their classmates laughed at the scene of Laz running from her, trying to respect the distance she'd demanded. When she finally caught him and ordered him to sit, he'd plopped on the ground instantly, nervous and fidgety. He didn't want her mad, he didn't want her upset. He just wanted her happy.
Yangs heart had melted as she saw into the awkward boys thoughts, at how he watched her every movement carefully, trying to gauge her desires. When she sat down next to him, he'd drawn in on himself and scooted a few inches away, the boy that none of their classmates could hope to topple terrified by the thought of seeing her tears. She'd apologized to him, and tried to explain her actions, although she herself hadn't really understood them. He'd been confused at best, although the moment he realized his scars were hurting her, he began covering up in heavy long sleeved clothing. It took a bit of time to get their relationship back to the way it used to be, but the healing was quick and the participants were eager. It wasn't long until Laz was back on their couch, holding Ruby with a small, almost imperceptible smile.
Yang smiled at the old memories brought about by a sudden wave of nostalgia, before another snore interrupted the class. Professor Port looked around in slight confusion as giggles racked the students. Yang, however, was annoyed. She'd been in a good memory, and whoever it was that couldn't keep themselves awake was ruining it for her.
"The moral of this story?" the professor continued, unperturbed. Yang let out a sigh and leaned on her hand, her elbow on the table. Something poked her in the side, and she looked up, half expecting to see an amused Laz looking down at her. Instead, there was Blake, who was trying to suppress a giggle, and failing. Yang looked confusedly at her partner, who just giggled behind her hand and pointed at Laz, who was still sitting straight as a board and staring forward with wide eyes. She could see his eyes becoming bloodshot from staying open for so long.
"What's wrong with him?" Yang whispered to the raven haired girl, who just stifled another giggle and pointed at Laz again. She looked closer at what she was pointing at, before she felt her jaw fall open and a wild smile began spreading on her face. She covered her mouth with her hands to cover the grin and suppressed the torrent of giggles threatening to erupt from her lips.
Laz, seated as if he were frozen solid with eyes so wide it hurt just looking at it, had a drop of drool sliding down the corner of his mouth. As his chest rose and fell, a rumbling snore erupted from him. He was asleep. With his eyes open. Not even slouched over and half open, Laz had managed to fall asleep looking like he was a deer caught in the headlights.
Yang covered her face with her hands as her shoulders shook and she had to restrain herself from collapsing right there in gales of laughter. Blake was next to her, a hand on Yangs shoulder as she herself struggled with the efforts it took to remain silent. She could feel the heat in their cheeks, whether from embarrassment or mirth, she couldn't tell.
Yang was very aware of the curious stare and disapproving glare coming from her sister and Weiss, but she simply couldn't control herself. It was weird and out of line and almost creepy. It was very much Laz. He may deny having a sense of self, but it was there, if it wasn't he wouldn't have been able to keep up with her all these years.
When Weiss shot her hand up in the air to volunteer for something the Professor asked, Yang had to bite down on her sleeve and bury her face into the desk as the shout startled Laz awake. With a snort and no small amount of flailing, his head slammed backward into the table behind him as he was suddenly pulled to consciousness. His head twitched as his eyes darted around, taking in the classroom with an extremely confused expression. He wiped the small line of saliva from his mouth with a sleeve and looked at it with a furrowed brow and a slight tilt of the head, completely lost on what had happened.
Yang could only pound the table with her fist as she gasped for breathe, Laz's confused eyes lost on her. She'd never tell him, but his puzzled look was incredibly similar to the one Zwei had, and was in it's own way, completely adorable.
A/N: His name isn't Laz, it's Lapis. If you get that reference, I love you. This chapter really got away from me about half way, the thing with Yang was supposed to last only a little bit, but it just came to life on its own. Threw in a bit of third person PoV, lemme know what you guys think. Might use it occasionally for when Laz is out of commission. For those of you wondering why Ozpin would let Laz have his own kitchen, let me just point out that he might not be the only one. While Laz does eat a ton, Team JNPR potentially has their own cooking area as well. During one of the times when Pyrrha approaches Jaune, she mentions that 'Ren made pancakes!', although there would be no syrup due to Nora. That could mean either all students may have their own cooking area, Ren used the school kitchens (which I doubt since the dining hall and dorms are separate buildings and Pyrrha approached Jaune in the dorms at night), or perhaps my thinking is spot on, and Nora may just be JNPRs version of Laz, and Ozpin lets them make their own food to save himself a bit of change. Oh well. Read, review, enjoy! Any and all opinions are appreciated!
Laz does not get along with Zwei, but Zwei gets along with Laz. Sort of.