Chapter 9
W-W-What?! H-He's N-Not My B-B-Boyfriend!
Saturday afternoon, Farran found himself traversing through the various hallways of Beacon Academy's dorms, eyes glued to the directions on his scroll. He had never had reason to check out the part of the dorms occupied by second year students, but that morning, Velvet had sent him a message, asking him to come over for a bit. Apparently, it had been the first time since their last conversation that she had managed to make some free time for herself, given she had to deal with homework and studying for second year classes, as well as some first year classes she had been required to take, with her own team's training piled on top of it all. Farran couldn't help but grin at the message from the timid Faunus. Had he been in her situation, one of his teammates would have had to scrape him off the dorm room floor in order for him to do anything, let alone willingly invite a new friend over. After hanging one more right, he found the hallway Velvet had described, the dorm room of Team CFVY a few doors down with a placard labeled 221 hanging right next to it. He took a deep breath, then raised his hand and sharply knocked.
When the door finally swung open, it wasn't Velvet who opened it, but another, rather fashionable girl instead. This girl was dressed in a cocoa-brown shirt, and dark brown trousers, her hair short brown hair rested under a beret, save for a strand the color of caramel, which dipped in front of a pair of aviator sunglasses. The girl stood eye to eye with Farran, his face reflected in her sunglasses, until she slid them down a bit with a cocky grin.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I completely forgot I ordered a boy toy. Why don't you come in and get comfortable." Farran's confused look drew a small chuckle from her, "Seriously kid, you lost? This is the second year dorm, and I haven't seen you before in my life.
"Oh, sorry." Farran rubbed the back of his neck, "Is this Team CFVY's dorm room? I'm Farran Park, Velvet asked me to come here."
The girl grinned mischievously, turning her head back into the room, "Hey Velvet! I didn't know you had a boyfriend. You should've told me, he's a cutie for sure!"
Farran heard Velvet's accented stammering come from behind her, "W-What?! C-Coco, I don't have a b-boyfriend! Who's at the-" He saw Velvet come into view, a slight blush on her face, that vanished once she realized he was there, "Oh, hey Farran. Coco! I told you he was coming over. Why do you have to tease me like that?"
She laughed, "I know, Velv. I'm sorry, but you're just so damn cute when you're flustered!" She turned back to Farran, "My name's Coco Adel, leader of Team CFVY. Sorry for teasing you, but you'll get used to it the more you're around me. Come on in, hun!"
Coco moved out of the doorway, allowing Farran inside. Team CFVY'S dorm room looked exactly like Team RWBY's, if a bit bigger and a lot less personalized. One major difference was the door across from the bathroom was currently hanging open, allowing Farran to see that they used it as a walk-in closet, rather than the storage room his team used it as. Once inside, Farran realized that there was one more person inside he hadn't seen. A dark-skinned boy sat on one of the beds to his right, wearing an orange vest and dark jeans. He ran a hand through his copper hair as he gave a sheepish grin, his pure white eyes looking in Farran's general direction.
"Sorry about her. Coco just doesn't play well with people she doesn't know. Or anyone, for that matter."
"Hey, I resent that!" Coco pouted, "I do so play nice, and you know it Fox!"
"Insinuating the kid is a male prostitute the second you lay eyes on him isn't exactly what I call 'playing nice'. And I can guarantee that Yatsu wouldn't think so either." He turned listlessly back towards Farran, "By the way, name's Fox Alistair. And just so we can get this out of the way now, yes I'm blind. Just got pretty good echolocation. Which means, yes Coco. I can tell you're going to throw a pillow at me."
Farran looked at Coco, who sure enough had a pillow in hand, ready to throw. She shrugged and set it back down. He turned back to Fox, "Sorry, I didn't want to ask and be rude about it. How'd you know I was planning to, anyway?"
Fox let out a short bark of laughter, "No offense taken, man. People just usually ask when they see my eyes. As for you specifically, you got a bit of an easy tell. Your heart skipped a beat when you looked over at me, kinda like you wanted to say something, but didn't so you wouldn't piss me off. Don't worry, I know you mean well.
"Anyway, come in, come in!" Coco grabbed him by the shoulders, steering him to the bed Velvet was sitting on, "Have a seat, get comfortable. Yatsu should be back with refreshments soon, the big lug. Something about his family always being hospitable to guests. Coco was stopped by the sound of the doorknob rattling, "Damnit Yatsu! This is why I told you to let me or Fox help."
She stormed over to the door and threw it open. No longer impeded by the door, Farran was awestruck by the sight of a mountain of a man entering, ducking slightly to keep his head from hitting the doorframe. Said mountain was dressed in a green short sleeved gi, and brown pants. Despite his massive stature, his face looked quite young, even more exemplified by the apologetic look he gave to Coco. The man mountain approached Farran, carrying a tray with a number of steaming bamboo cups. Once he got within arm's reach of Farran, he extended the tray to him.
"Yatsuhashi Daichi." He said simply, his voice a low rumble, "Can I interest you in some tea?"
"Farran Park." Farran nervously took one of the cups, "Uh… Thank you."
"You don't have to be so nervous, Yatsu." Velvet gave him a warm smile as she took a cup as well, "Farran's the one who stood up for me the other day. He's really nice."
Farran took a sip of his tea as he watched Yatsu take the remaining cups to his other teammates. He never had been a big fan of tea the few times Weiss had gotten him to try it, but with even just a sip, a torrent of flavor exploded in his mouth, leaving him feel relaxed. He hadn't even realized his shoulders had been tensed up until he took a second sip, and instantly he felt them loosen. Farran let out a contented sigh as Yatsu finished passing out the drinks and took his own seat.
Velvet giggled softly, "That's Yatsu for you. His family has been growing tea in the Hudu Mountains of Mistral for generations. Apparently, that bamboo is a special kind that only grows around the area, and it really brings out the flavor."
"He only uses the best!" Coco beamed, "Not that I can blame him after you saved our precious Honey Bunny the other day."
"C-Coco, you said you wouldn't call me that in front of anyone…" Velvet reached up, grabbing her ears, and using them to cover her blushing face. Farran nearly melted at the sight.
"Hey, I wouldn't really say I saved her or anything." Farran took a nervous sip of tea, "I just did what anyone would do, you know?"
"What anyone would do?" Coco crossed one leg over the other, resting her chin on her hand, "And yet, nobody did. Except you. Nobody besides us had the balls to step up to that little shit until you came around." She took a deep breath, calming herself, "And now, not only has he stopped antagonizing Velvet, he's actually apologized to her and completely cut himself from that Flaming Dickbag. So nice work, whatever it was you did. But tell me, why the interest in our little Velvet, hm? I'll have you know, none of us are too fond of anyone trying to feed her any unwanted carrots, if you catch my drift."
Velvet nearly gagged on her tea, "C-C-Coco!"
"Will you behave?" Yatsu and Fox groaned dryly in unison.
"If by that, you mean you think I helped her out, on my first day here no less, just to get in her pants? Sorry, but that isn't the way I operate." Farran took another sip of tea, "I know I don't really have a way to prove it, but I can tell you this. When I first stood up for her, I had no idea if I would ever see her again. Only reason I did is cause Velvet came into the same study room I was using. And I'll admit, I didn't know about Richards at the time. But I would have done it anyway, cause screw that asshole and everything he stands for." There was a small muttering of approval as Coco, Yatsu, and Fox raised their glasses.
Coco thought for a minute, "Alright, hun. I trust you." She turned to Velvet with a bright smile, "Velv, Honey Bun, you know that little project we were going to work on?"
"Project?" Velvet tilted her head, one of her ears cocked to the side. After a few seconds, both ears straightened stiff, as her eyes flew wide open, "Coco, you want him? I-I mean, I don't have a problem with it, but I hardly know him and-"
"Oh, nonsense. After all, you did say I could choose who I wanted next to me, right? Well, since you won't do it, I want him. It helps that he's a total cutie, and I can already picture a wardrobe for him that'll match perfectly with mine. Not as well as yours would've, mind."
Farran looked between the two of them, "I'm sorry, what exactly am I doing that I still haven't agreed to do yet?"
"Oh, it's very simple. You see, our little Velvet here is a world class photographer, no matter how much she wants to deny it. I fancy myself a talented model and fashionista, and we had been planning on doing a number of shoots. Some of them are going to need a second model, and she said I was allowed to pick, so I chose you."
"N-N-Not that you have to do it or anything, Farran." Velvet stammered.
Farran furrowed his brow, "And just what exactly makes me your top choice besides Velvet?"
"All the second years know how crazy she is, so none of them will do it, and we don't exactly know anyone else from your year." Fox snickered.
Coco launched a pillow at Fox, which he effortlessly dodged, "Smartass. Anyway, what do you say, Farran? You in?"
Farran looked at Velvet, her face wracked with indecision, then shrugged, "Sure, why not? Just let me know whenever you guys plan on doing this."
"Great!" Coco beamed as she downed the last of her tea and leapt from her seat. She bounded over to Yatsu and Fox grabbing them by the arm and dragging them to the door, "Well, I got what I needed from this, so the three of us will give you three some privacy. Don't do anything I wouldn't do! And remember, always wear protection~"
Velvet's blush renewed as the two male members growled at Coco as she pulled them outside the room, "W-Wait, C-Coco, I told you it isn't like that! I honestly just met him twice, and that isn't enough time for… Wait, that's beside the point. Farran and I aren't together! He isn't-" Her protests were cut off by Coco slamming the door behind her, "my boyfriend…" She let out a small whimper as she fell backwards, lying flat on the bed.
Farran gave her a half-amused look, "…So they seem like a fun group."
Velvet covered her face with her ears again, "They're great. I love Coco to death, but she loves to embarrass me, and she knows all the right buttons to push to do it."
"Well, at the very least, I'm glad we got the chance to hang out again. I'd been hoping to hear from you since last time."
Her lips curled into a sheepish grin, "I'm sorry. Things have just been so hectic since then. Not only did we have that mission, I've had pretty much double homework since I've been back thanks to everything I missed, and Coco has an insane workout plan. She's been dragging me to the gym pretty much every day."
"Hey, don't worry about it. If I had your schedule, you'd never see me again. If all the work didn't get me to outright quit, I'd probably curl up and die in the middle of class. So, how was your mission anyway? You were pretty nervous about it before you left."
"I wish I could say it went better than it did." She frowned, "I was hardly able to do anything for the most part. Coco, Yatsu, Fox… Not only did they do most of the work, but they all made sure to look out for me, even when we were fighting! It honestly felt like I was getting in the way at points, cause they would come back to protect me, make sure I was ok, and I'd be too afraid of hitting them to do much of anything."
"I'm sorry to hear that. What exactly were you guys doing, anyways? Another Grimm attack?"
She nodded, "Something along those lines. There was a Beowolf pack that moved into a cave near a village near the bottom tip of Vale. Apparently, they had been picking off travelers and traders as they made their way in and out. The village was in a huge state of disarray without any reliable trade, but their village council refused to do anything about it until they raised enough money to pay us. Guess they were too proud to ask for a team of Hunters to do it for free… Anyway, we land, and they directed us over to the cave, which was huge! Seriously Farran, it was less like a cave, and more like a system of natural tunnels. We start navigating through, and every so often, the tunnels would open up into a big chamber that were swarmed with Beowolves. It was… disconcerting, to say the least, cause every time we would clear one out, we'd find things that were left behind by their victims. Bags, belongings, you name it, all covered in blood… From what we could tell, this had been going on for at least a year, not the two months the council claimed. Now, about a halfway through the caves, you won't believe this. We actually found someone! There was this girl, an otter Faunus a few years younger than us, that we found passed out in an outcropping in the caves."
Farran drew in a sharp breath, "She was alive? How the hell did she survive getting drug that far into a Beowulf den?"
"We're not really sure. Apparently she had gone with her father when he was heading to the next town to sell their crops when the Beowolves attacked their cart. Her dad managed to get away, but she didn't… They just kept dragging her further and further into the caves. She ended up messed up pretty bad, her leg was broken in a few places, and she had fractured her collarbone, not to mention a number of other cuts and bruises, but she had managed to get away and pull herself into that crevice. She'd been hiding out in there for three days… We patched up her wounds the best we could, and Coco told me to get her back to the village. We had cleared out all the Beowolves up to that point, so there wasn't any danger for me to go by myself. Not to mention, they had Professor Oobleck, and I was just in the way anyways, so it was all for the best. I got out of there as fast as I could, and the town doctor took care of her from there. We found out later that the only reason the village council sent the request when they did was because the girl's father threatened to burn down the town hall if they didn't, and he had a pretty sizeable mob with him… So yeah, that was the end of it for me. Coco and the others finished clearing out the caves, and were back a few hours after me."
Farran leaned back against the wall next to Velvet's bed, smiling to himself, "And here I was believing you when you said you didn't do anything. You even said they did most of the work."
"W-What do you mean?" She sat up suddenly, "I didn't do much of anything. Weren't you listening? Coco, Yatsu, and Fox… They're the ones who cleared out the cave, not me…"
"Oh, I was listening, and that's how I know you're giving yourself far too little credit." He prodded her in the ribs, "Velvet, you seriously carried a dying girl back to her village, on your own! Who knows how much longer she would have survived if it wasn't for you? You're a freaking hero!"
"Well, I wouldn't go that far…" She muttered, her face starting to flush.
"I sure as hell would! And I can guarantee that girl would say the same. You saved her life, Velvet. That's something to be proud of. Hell, in all honesty, what you did, even if you want to downplay it, is far more impressive than anything I've done in my life."
Velvet let out a small laugh, "I'd have to argue on that last one. You're the one who stood up to Cardin for me, and got him to apologize, remember?" Farran opened his mouth to speak, but she cut him off, "I know you're going to try and argue that it wasn't as important or whatever, but if we're being subjective about this, it was just as important to me."
Farran leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees, "Fair enough. How've you been doing lately? Cardin's been leaving you alone, but what about Richards? Yang told me about what happened in the locker room the other day…"
"Yea… I haven't even seen Cardin since he apologized, but Richards... He's made it very clear that he blames me for him cutting ties. I guess he tried starting a rumor that I've been seducing Cardin, as if I'd ever be the slightest bit attracted to him after everything he's done." Velvet clenched her fists, and Farran saw her knuckles turn white, "Ever since then, he's been doubling down on me, and all the other Faunus at Beacon as well. Those girls who threw my clothes in the pool the other day, they've been getting bolder by the day. I can't help but think Richards has been telling them to torment me…" She shook her head, "Anyways, I don't want to talk about all that depressing stuff. I'm finally caught up on my classwork, so I want to just relax and enjoy myself this weekend. Besides, I haven't talked with you for a bit, and I was way too gloomy last time. I don't want you thinking I see you as my counselor or anything like that. So, how've things been on your end, luv? How's school been going?"
Farran and Velvet sat there talking for the next couple hours, just making small talk about school and life. Farran talked about most of what he'd been up to since they last met, anything that wasn't Metaverse related. Velvet proved sympathetic when he talked about just how bad Pyrrha beat him in class the other day, doing what she could to console him, even if he wasn't nearly as bent out of shape as he had been. When he talked about his misadventures with Ruby and Weiss, trying to bake cookies, he had to wait a good five minutes before continuing on, as both were laughing far too hard to breathe normally. As it turned out, from what Velvet had heard, Weiss's concerts in Atlas were apparently a sight to behold, even if her performances were never widely publicized, and hearing Farran got a private performance made her jealous. Afternoon turned to early evening, which in turn became late evening, when the two finally decided to call it a day. Farran and Velvet said their goodbyes, and he made his way out of the room, feeling his heart surge. With a slight groan, Farran did his best to navigate through the second year dorms, trying to find his way back to his team.
I Can't Get You To Hang Out!
Blake sighed as she stepped out from the bathroom, having changed into her robe after showering. The brisk air coming from the window felt nice as it brushed past her freshly steamed form, cooling her as she made her way to her bed. Pyrrha had invited her running earlier, one of Blake's preferred methods of passing the time. The redhead had been insatiable, pushing her far past her usual stopping point, until both nearly collapsed on wobbly legs. Upon her return, she found the dorm room to be completely. A quick text to Weiss would reveal that she planned on studying in the library for most of the afternoon, while Farran and Yang had decided to partake in a combat practice club, which Professor Port had decided to form to give the first years a chance to get extra practice for the Vytal Tournament next semester. Ruby, ever supportive of the two of them and absolute geek for weapons that she is, had opted to watch from the stands and cheer them on. Since her team had other plans, Blake decided to partake in her other favorite pastime while they were gone.
Reaching to the side of her bed, she pulled out a rather heavy book, wrapped in the dust cover for "The Man with Two Souls". Of course, the contents of the book were far less innocent than the cover. After the incident earlier in the semester, in which Ruby had discovered her copy of "Ninjas of Love", Blake had taken to covering her romance novels with the covers of other books in an attempt to prevent the wandering eyes of her teammates. It didn't help that Yang constantly used the aforementioned incident as blackmail to get Blake to hang out, citing that she had attempted to "steal the innocence of her baby sister."
Blake shook her head, flipping to the dog eared page where she had left off, trying to get her mind off of Yang. Her teammates were all out, and there was no reason for any to return so soon, so she had this perfect moment to relax. She stretched herself out on her bed, feeling her spine crack, as she got lost in the story of Sylvia, a girl who dressed as a man to become a knight in training, and her mission to rescue Princess Olympia. She lay there, silently flipping through the pages, reading as Olympia invited Sylvia into her tent to escape the storm raging outside. Oh, Princess… How bold of you. I know you figured out her secret when you saw her bathing in the Plava River, but this… Blake's breath hitched as she absentmindedly reached a hand down to the sash around her waist. With trembling fingers, she pulled at her sash, when the door was thrown open, crashing into the wall with a loud slam. Startled, Blake tossed her book to the side, where it slid into its usual resting place in the gap between her bed and the wall.
She barely had a chance to react any more than that when a blur of red and black sped up to the side of her bed. She turned her head to see the glimmering eyes of Ruby, who knelt next to her bed, beaming at her, "Hey Blake! Sorry for freaking you out. What were you reading?"
Blake opened her mouth a few times to speak, but in the end she just sighed, "Ruby, I thought you were watching Farran and Yang. What are you doing here?"
"Oh, that? It ended a little bit ago. They should be in the changing rooms now." She popped open her scroll, "As for me, I heard about something while sitting in the stands, and I just had to get back here and show you! Just a second and… Here."
Ruby handed her scroll to Blake. She read a few lines, but had to do a double take, because what she was reading could not possibly be real, "Howling at the Moon got a movie? And it's releasing today?! How did I not know about this?"
"I dunno." The sniper shrugged, "I just found out about it today, and remembered you freaking out about the book when you were reading it. You wanna go see it? Plus I heard there's this awesome café by the movie theater that's just filled with books. We could stop by there afterwards!"
Blake blinked at the small girl, "Are you serious? I mean, I'm not saying no, but this movie… that café… Neither really strike me as the type of thing you'd be into. You sure you want to go?"
"Uh-huh!" Ruby's smile widened, "I know it's not what I'd usually do, but it won't hurt to give it a try, right?"
Blake wanted to argue, knowing Ruby would probably be bored to tears through the whole film, but in the end, she couldn't help but smile, "Sure, Ruby. Just give me a chance to change and we'll get going."
Farran sat on one of the benches near the airship docks, grimacing as he rubbed the back of his neck. His competitive matches had gone extremely well, earning a victory in both, but Yang had wanted a practice match with him once they were both done. Farran had agreed, thinking she would take it easy after a few grueling matches of her own, one in particular where she and Nora had each other on the ropes, but "taking it easy" didn't exist in Yang's vocabulary. He didn't know where the hell that girl had learned to suplex people, but he sincerely hoped that wasn't what she meant when she said she wanted to learn grapples. That being said, he had to commend her form, her bridge was picture perfect.
An airship had just docked and began unloading passengers when Ruby and Blake came into view. He gave them a wave as they got closer, motioning for them to join him while they waited for the airship to be clear for boarding. Ruby took up her seat immediately next to him, continuing the crusade she and Yang had been waging against the personal space of their teammates, while Blake sat slightly further down the bench.
"For the record," Farran nudged the Ruby with his elbow, "I'm still not entirely sure why you're dragging me along for this whole escapade."
Blake shot him a look filled with confusion and amusement, "Wait, you're coming with us? You do realize we're going to see a chick flick, right?"
Farran tried to respond, but Ruby answered for him, "Yep! Farran still owes me for not inviting me when he took Weiss out for burgers."
"Which is something I still don't understand." Farran pinched the bridge of his nose, "How exactly do I owe you for not inviting you to something while you were busy hanging out with other people?"
"Because I said so as the leader of Team RWBY!" She beamed up at him, "Besides, isn't it good to hang out with your teammates? Forging bonds and all that?"
Taking her obvious hint, Farran opted to just wave it off and accept he wasn't getting out of this. At the very least, the theater his teammates frequent was said to have had very comfortable seats, which he figured having them along with something cold to drink and some air conditioning would do wonders for his aches and fatigue. Within twenty minutes, the trio arrived at the theater, and got in line to get their tickets. With soft drinks and snacks in hand, they made their way through the absolutely packed lobby to the theater where their movie was showing, only to find it completely empty. Farran followed Blake and Ruby to the back row where they grabbed their seats, fully expecting the crowd from the lobby to come flooding in, and yet once the previews finished playing, not a single person besides them entered the theater.
"What's with this?" Farran whispered to Ruby, "With all those people out there, you'd figure at least someone other than us would be here."
"Oh, that?" She quickly showed him a peek of her scroll while she was setting it to silent, "The Swift and The Seething 27 came out today too. A lot of people were excited for it. Yang probably would be here for it too, but she's still mad about the ending of the last one."
"And we're watching this instead because… why exactly?"
"Because I said so, now just be quiet and watch! It's not gonna kill you, and it's not like this is my choice either."
The movie opened with a girl moving to idyllic and boring town from the city. The directors had evidently tried to make the color scheme of the movie as grey and dull as possible, and between that and the movie's plot moving at a snail's pace, the dialogue lacking any sort of emotion that wasn't straight up boredom, and the drizzle of rain that seemed to never let up from the setting, Farran felt his eyelids grow heavy. Within minutes, during the protagonist's diatribe about the movie's female lead being out of his reach, he drifted off to sleep. When he finally woke up, he could have sworn it was an entirely different movie, if only for the fact that the main characters and the small town seemed to be the same. The protagonist and female lead sprinted through the small town as the sound of gunfire rang out around them. The once grey and bleary town had been set ablaze, the streets littered with bombed out cars and burning bits of wood. Before the main characters could finally make it out of town, their path was cut off by a platoon of Faunus holding rifles, and the scene faded to black. The credits rolled, and Farran sat there, stunned at the complete 180 the tone of the movie underwent. Completely unperturbed by his confusion, Ruby and Blake gathered up their things and made their way to the exit.
Farran followed close behind the two of them as they made their way to the café Ruby had talked about going to. Ruby evidently loved the movie, as she talked about it near constantly as they walked, but he was surprised to see Blake, who had acted much like Ruby was whenever she recounted the book to anyone who asked about it, remained completely silent. A few blocks later, and they stood outside a tiny café on the corner, the musty smell of old books billowing through the doorway. Farran and Blake took their seats at a secluded table near a bookshelf while Ruby ran to the counter to grab their orders. Now that he could see her face, Farran noticed that Blake was staring at the table in front of her, wide eyed and with a small frown.
"Hey, Blake." Farran waved a hand in front of her face, "You ok? Don't go turning into a zombie on us now, ok?"
"Oh… Right…" She muttered bitterly, "Sorry, Farran. I'm ok."
"Yea, sure you are. That's why you've been dead on your feet since the movie ended. Come on, we're teammates, aren't we? I'm not asking you to tell me anything too personal, but if something's bugging you, you can trust me. Gods know I'd trust any of you." Farran heard her mutter something incomprehensible, but he could've sworn it was something like "You shouldn't". He tilted his head curiously, "Ok, so if I can't trust you, who exactly can I trust? I mean, Professor Ozpin told me-"
"I know what Ozpin said about teams, Farran." She grumbled, "You're seriously not gonna let this go, are you?"
Farran shot her a smug grin, "Me letting things go when my teammates are obviously dealing with something? Try asking Weiss how that goes. But really, if you don't want to give me the whole picture, that's fine. Just… talk to me, ok?"
She looked like she wanted to argue, but returned his grin, "But how exactly can I talk about it with you? It's about the movie, and if I recall correctly, a certain someone slept through most of it."
"I just got through combat practice and Yang dropping me on my head. I don't know how the hell the movie got to that ending, but I think I'm entitled to falling asleep when the beginning was that boring." Farran deadpanned.
She frowned, "Well, that's honestly what's bugging me, and why I didn't like the movie. In the book, the two main characters get separated when an unnamed human terrorist group attacks the town, that's the part you saw. For whatever reason, they decided to replace that group with the White Fang, and they're just… not a good topic for me to think about. Sorry, but I really don't feel up to saying more than that."
"Hey, no worries. I just hope you know you can talk to me and Ruby anytime if you ever need to. You don't have to go it alone." He watched as Blake nodded with a sad smile, "Well, since talking's out at the moment, why don't we take your mind off the movie. I haven't really read for fun since I woke up, but I've been thinking of giving it a try. Since you're our expert in that department, why don't you pick me out something?"
"A book? As in anything? Wow, put me on the spot here." She turned and observed the shelves, "Let's see… I'm not gonna be cruel and give you a romance novel. You seem like you'd be more of an action or adventure fan, honestly." Her amber eyes flicked towards him nervously, "Maybe a manga…?"
"A manga? I've never heard of those."
She gasped overdramatically, "You haven't? They're the greatest form of literature from Mistral! Hold on, I'll be right back." Farran watched as she zipped around the café with Ruby-esque speed, grabbing book after book from the shelves. When she finally made it back, her arms were full with a stack almost as tall as she was, which she plopped on the table next to him, "This is your required reading, Farran. There's some classics and some new ones, but I can guarantee you'll love all of them!"
Farran took in the mountain of books in front of him, "Uh, Blake? Not that I don't appreciate it, but I'm not gonna be able to read all of these before we leave."
"Don't worry about it, we can take them with us!" Ruby set their drinks down with a smile, "The owner said we can borrow them, so long as we bring them back. I plan on coming back here a lot, cause they have my favorite kind of hot cocoa here! I've looked all over Vale, but this is the only place that has it."
Blake took her seat, grabbing her tea from the tray Ruby had set down, "Thank you, Ruby. You know, it's not like I'm broke. You didn't need to pay for my drink."
"Psh, don't worry about it. I'm just glad we could all have a chance to hang out." Ruby sat down, happily sipping her hot cocoa.
"Riiight. Inviting me out to a movie you never would have gone to see otherwise, paying for my ticket and food at the theater, bringing me to a café you never would have tried, and paying for my drink there as well. So, what's really going on, Ruby? This is completely unlike you. I know you didn't like the movie as much as you're acting like you did."
She froze, "I-I-I don't know what you're talking about, Blake! I'm acting super normal. Yup, completely normal, that's me… Ruby 'Normal' Rose…"
Farran poked her in the ribs, "I think the jig is up, Ruby."
Ruby let out a little whine under their collective gazes, "Sorry, Blake. I just didn't know what else to do! A leader should spend equal time trying to get to know all of their teammates… That's what my mom used to do, even if my dad was weird, my Uncle Qrow was emo, and Yang's mom was… different. I just wanted to find something, cause you and I never hang out! I hang out with Weiss, Yang and Farran all the time, Farran and Yang have been hanging out, and they've even been hanging out with Weiss too! Out of all of us, you're the only one who doesn't go out and do stuff, and if you do, it's either to go for a run, or you hang out with Yang when she really forces you to. I didn't know how else to get you to want to do something with me, so I did what I could to find stuff you'd be interested in…"
"Ruby…" Blake chuckled sadly, "You didn't have to go through all this. I'm sorry I've been so introverted. I know I don't go out and do a lot, but I hope you guys don't think I don't like you. It's just hard for me to get along with new people, and I'm trying to get better, but it's at my own pace. Still, I can't say I didn't have fun, so maybe it would be for the best if I got out of my comfort zone every once in a while. So, what I guess I'm trying to say is thank you both. Even if you decided to take a nap during the movie, Farran."
"Yea, what's with that?" Ruby pouted, "I had to sit through that whole thing, even though the end wasn't bad, but ten minutes in, and you're sleeping!"
Farran buried his face in his hands, "You can blame your sister for trying to kill me."
The three shared a laugh, and all calmed down to enjoy their drinks. Ruby and Blake broke out in small talk, while Farran decided to try and make a dent in the "homework" Blake had assigned him. He slipped a book from the top of the pile, and, after realizing they were supposed to be read backwards compared to what he was used to, started to dig in. He had to admit that from what he got to read, he enjoyed the story, even if the premise of a bunch of teenagers making a time machine by microwaving a banana was a bit odd. The three of them became so absorbed in what they were doing, that none of them realized how much time had passed until Blake took a sip of her tea, which had long since turned lukewarm. A look outside confirmed that the early evening had long ago become night. Their drinks paid for, the owner gave them a bag to carry Farran's books, as the three left to head back to the dorm. When they made it back the third floor, Farran tapped Ruby on the shoulder, letting Blake go on ahead.
"Hey, hold on a sec." Farran pulled Ruby aside, "I know it's not much, but I just want to say how awesome it is that you'd do all that just to get Blake to spend more time with us."
"Well, it was no big deal…" Ruby twiddled her thumbs, "I'd honestly thought about just bugging her until she agreed to do something with me, but I figured it wouldn't accomplish anything."
"Probably not. But really, I do gotta say that you're becoming a better leader by the day, more so than you actually realize. I'd still argue that you don't need my help for it, but I'm more than happy to help you, every step along the way."
"Awww!" Ruby threw her arms around him in a friendly hug, "Thanks Farran. I appreciate it, but you've been helping me even more than you think. Really, if it weren't for you, I never would have faced my Shadow, and then where would I be?" She stretched back with a yawn, "No, I don't know about you, but some of us didn't have the chance to take a nap, so we really should be getting back, right?"
Farran nodded, and the two finished their trek back to their dorm room. Their arrival was met by Yang already animatedly recounting her matches to Weiss. Farran collapsed on his futon, the last memory he had before he lost consciousness was a pleasant smile from Ruby, and the feeling of a surge in his heart.
He Loves Me… He Loves Me Not…
Heart pounding. Breathing heavy. Sweat sliding from his brow. Farran stood in the middle of an arena in the training halls, blade drawn and ready. His opponent stood about fifteen feet away from him, barely holding on to his own sword in his shaking hands. Farran had to give props to Jaune, while he still didn't match the combat prowess of Yang or Cardin, he'd come leaps and bounds even from the first time he had seen Jaune fight nearly two weeks ago. His sword skills were lacking, and yet he had a blistering fast reaction time, forcing Farran to dig in deep and work hard for any sort of clean hit. The two had been clashing on and off for the better part of the past hour, and fatigue had set in hard for both.
"Come on!" Jaune waved his shield-covered hand towards Farran, "One more round, man. Just one more… I can't give up yet."
Farran groaned, "Jaune, I love your heart, but seriously man… You look like you're gonna drop dead any second. And if you don't, I will. If not from fatigue, then from Professor Peach slitting my throat for pushing my knee too hard." A chill ran down his spine as he remembered the conversation with said professor when trying to gain access to the training halls, who made it very clear the only reason she was playing nice was due to Goodwitch's orders. She also went into elaborate detail about what would happen if he pushed any of his injuries on her watch again. "Let's just call it a day, yea?"
"What? No way! I can keep fighting, just watch…" He took a few steps forward, only for his wobbly legs to give out under him, "Ok, maybe not. Little help here?"
With a laugh, Farran pulled Jaune to his feet, and the two headed for the locker room, "Gotta say, you get better every time I see you fight. Wouldn't be surprised if you caught up to me in… maybe ten years?"
"Oh, Ha-ha. But you're right, I do feel like I'm getting better. Everything seems to be slowing down for me in combat." He stretched and muttered, "Mostly cause I have a good teacher…" Jaune glanced at the scabbard on Farran's hip, "I'm curious, man. That sword of yours, how come you never named it?"
"Named it?" He drew the sword in question, giving it a once over.
"Yea, like mine is Crocea Mors. Ruby's weapon is Crescent Rose, Nora has Magnhild, Ren has StormFlower… Everyone names their weapons, but you never refer to it as anything. How come?"
"I just never really thought about it. A name, huh…?" Farran took a long look at the tempered steel of the blade, and without even thinking much about it, a name came from the back of his mind, "Silverbreak. That's its name."
"Silver… break?" Jaune paused for a minute, "You know, I like it. I probably would've gone with something like Fellwing or something like that, but that's cool too."
"The difference is, Jaune, that I don't got my face shoved in comic books non-stop."
Jaune gave him a playful shove, and the two made their way back to shower and change. Cleaned and refreshed, Farran made his way back to his locker to change, only to find a surprise waiting for him. When he opened his locker door, a small white card fell from the crack, flitting to the ground. One side was completely blank, while the other held a small note written in neat handwriting, which said "Meet me in the forest behind the school. There is something very urgent I must discuss with you. – Pyrrha". Farran flipped the note over several times, trying to make sense of it. If it was urgent, couldn't she have come talked to him, or texted him, or hell even told Jaune? He looked back towards the showers. He would normally just ask Jaune himself, but he was notorious for taking long showers. With a shrug, Farran changed into his usual attire and left.
The forest behind Beacon was one of the least used spots on campus, and in general, students avoided going there without purpose. While it was protected by the walls that encircled the academy, forests in general brought memories of Beowolves, Ursas, and many other types of Grimm to most Huntsmen in training, keeping them on edge whenever they entered. Most rationalized their avoidance by claiming anything that could be done there, could just as easily be done in the Gardens, which were more tranquil and closer to the dorms anyways. Still, Farran pressed on, ignoring his surroundings, as curiosity continued to get the better of him. He looked over the note for the hundredth time, as Pyrrha had never said how far in she would be waiting. Just as he considered turning back, he came across a tree in the middle of the path, splitting it in two directions. He moved to go around it, only for a figure to come curving around the tree, right for him.
Before Farran could do anything, he felt a pair of arms wrap around him, pulling him forward. The feeling of a warm body pressed against his, as he something soft press against his lips. When his senses finally kicked back in, he realized that someone was kissing him, their face mere inches from his, a strand of their usually immaculate red hair falling in front of their closed eyes. Farran didn't know what on Remnant he was supposed to do once he realized Pyrrha Nikos had pulled him in for a deep kiss.
When she finally broke it off, she giggled, her eyes still closed, "Oh, Jaune… I've dreamt of this moment for a while now, but in my heart, I knew that-"
"Uh… Sorry?" The words just fell from Farran's mouth, his brain completely numb, "I think you got the wrong guy, Pyrrha…"
Slowly, as if her entire world was crashing around her, she opened her eyes and looked up. Once she saw Farran's face, she leapt back, her face turning the same shade as her hair, "F-F-Farran?! What are you doing here?! Jaune… He…"
"Well, I came here cause I got this note from you. Found it in my locker." He handed the card over to her, "You did write that… Didn't you?"
"I did… But why was it in your locker?! I specifically told Ren to put it into Jaune's locker… Number 150, I told him that exactly…"
"Ah. See, that's the problem. I'm locker 150, Jaune's is 151."
"Just one off…" She crumpled the card and threw it deep into the woods with a cry of despair. She leaned against the tree, and slid down, hugging her knees to her chest when she finally sat down, "Why?! This was supposed to be perfect! Why can I not just get some luck with him…?"
Farran took a seat not too far from her, "So… I can understand if you're rightfully pissed at me right now, but would you mind if I asked what your deal is with Jaune? What exactly is up with the blond Boy Wonder?"
"I'm not mad at you, Farran. None of this is your fault. I… I love Jaune." She held up a hand, "Before you say anything, I know. Nora has told me a million times. Anyone who spends more than five minutes with us can tell I have feelings for him. The only exception, of course, being the man himself. He's just… Just a dense, vapid, obtuse, dim-witted, thickheaded… kind, handsome, funny, endearing, all-around wonderful fool of a man. I am the champion of Mistral, Farran. I've had people calling me names like 'The Invincible Girl' for as long as I can remember. I'm destined to become a Huntress and do great things. People came from all over trying to get to know me, but they didn't care about Pyrrha Nikos. They cared about 'The Invincible Girl'. Once people start to put you up on a pedestal, everyone sees you as out of reach, and it's lonely sitting there… But Jaune… He doesn't care about any of that. When we first met, he had no idea who I was. He had no idea I was champion, that people thought I was invincible. He had no idea I was the girl on the cover of that atrocious cereal he adores so much! For the first time in my life, I had made a friend who saw me as Pyrrha Nikos, and that was it. How was I not supposed to fall for him?"
"Wow, you really have it bad, don't you?" Farran had to force himself not to laugh at her complete shift in tone, "But, why go through all this trouble? Why not just tell him to his face."
Pyrrha rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed, "I've tried that before. Every time I think about telling him, I freeze up. That's partially why I had Ren and Nora handle the card. Once they had it, it was out of my hands, and all I could do at that point is follow through."
"And this was the best idea you could come up with? Inviting him to the middle of the woods and just planting one on him?"
"Well… Yang has been encouraging me to be more forward with him for some time now, since none of my hints seem to be getting through. So I decided to ask Blake for one of her romance novels for an idea on what I should do, and it just seemed like the perfect scene!"
Farran buried his face in his hands, "I'm gonna kill them. I'm actually going to kill my teammates…. Wait, hold on. Even if you went through with all this, how were you planning on making sure the guy you kissed was Jaune? You just ran up to me with your eyes closed!"
"I don't suppose you'd accept I was just trusting the power of true love?" She laughed lamely, "Honestly, I was waiting behind that tree for quite a while. On top of my nerves getting to me after waiting… a snake slithered on top of my foot. I'm not particularly fond of them, and I had to close my eyes and pretend it wasn't there, otherwise I would have ran out of here screaming, and everything would be ruined…"
He raised an eyebrow, "You're telling me that Pyrrha Nikos, Champion of Mistral and top of her class, is afraid of a little snake? Didn't you guys say Ren fought a King Taijitu during the initiation?"
"That's different! A King Taijitu is a Grimm, but snakes are just tiny and wriggling and…" She shivered, "In any case, just because I'm a Champion doesn't mean I'm not a normal person with normal phobias."
"I know, I know. Just like Jaune, it's hard for me to see you as anything but just Pyrrha." Farran laughed, "Honestly, it kinda blows me away to hear you're a Champion, I honestly had no idea. Kinda glad I didn't, cause otherwise I might have acted like everyone else…"
"I find that hard to believe, you know. After all, Atlas Academy made a great push to get me to attend there. They even had my picture on the billboard outside their dorms the whole week they had me there. Surely you must have seen it?"
Shit! "Oh, no sorry. I… really wasn't the type that paid attention to that stuff. Kinda just kept my head down and went on my way, you know?"
Pyrrha chuckled, "That's alright. After all, there was no billboard, and I never did go to Atlas. I told them up front I wasn't interested in attending." She shot him a sly grin, "But then again, you never went to Atlas either, did you?"
"What are you talking about? Of course I went to-"
"Farran, please. I hope you didn't think I wouldn't take notice. There are things you don't know that any self-respecting student at Atlas would. Or from any Academy, for that matter. No matter how much you claim you don't watch the news, the incidents around Remnant are big enough that you should have heard." She put a hand on his shoulder, "Your secret is safe with me. Just tell me, who are you really?"
Farran knew she had him beat. With no real way out, he just took a deep breath to steel himself, "Honestly? I've got no clue. About a month ago, someone apparently tossed me off the top of an apartment building on Park Street. No idea who or why, all I know is when I woke up, I had no memories of anything. Ozpin came to visit me that day, and offered me a spot here because apparently, whoever it was that tried to kill me also went through the trouble of erasing any sign that I'd ever existed."
Pyrrha's lips curled into a frown, "So, you are a man with no name, identity, no home, and no family… I'm sorry to hear that."
"Well, only that last one's true. If you ask me, my name is Farran Park, my identity is that I'm a Huntsman in training, and my home is here at Beacon. That just isn't what you wanted to know, now was it?" Farran stretched his arms, "So now you know. Just don't go telling anyone, yea? At best, I'll get a lot of unwanted attention. At worst…"
"Well… I think I can be persuaded to keep quiet about it. On one condition of course…"
"And that would be?" Farran groaned, "I really don't think there's anything I can do about your crush on Jaune."
"No, not that! But it does have to do with Jaune. You see, I've been helping give him extra combat practice after class, and he's been coming along really well."
He nodded, "Noticed that today, actually. His reaction speed is way faster than when I first showed up. I take it that's your doing?"
"That it is." She gave him a warm smile, "I don't like bragging about my combat prowess, but with as fast as my strikes are, he has had no choice but to improve if he wanted any chance to block them. But that is part of the problem. I want to make sure he is actually improving, not just getting better at reading my movements. For that, I need someone else to join our training sessions."
He folded his arms, "So you're blackmailing me into doing something you know full well I would agree to do anyway? Come on, Pyrrha. You could have just asked."
"Well, I didn't want it presume it was something you would help with… So I can expect your help? Should Jaune agree to it, of course. He doesn't exactly want other people to know about our arrangement, and it was hard enough to get him to agree to my help."
"Yea, of course! Just send me a message after you talk to him, let me know what the plan is." Farran scrambled back to his feet, offering Pyrrha a hand, "Now, how about we put the rest of this escapade behind us, and head back for home before anyone starts speculating about me and you, yea?"
"Yes, I believe that's a good idea."
Farran pulled her to her feet, and the two made their way back to the dorms, making small talk all the way back. Pyrrha told Farran about her home and family back in Mistral, and her experience in the tournaments growing up. Apparently, her father had been a Huntsman for years before injuries caught up with him, and he always took her around to watch the tournaments until she was old enough to participate. Once she was allowed to fight, she devoted almost all of her time to training, which was partially why she refused to participate in the tournament practice club Farran had joined. After being a part of that lifestyle for so long, she had become sick of everything to do with it. She said she'd be participating in the Vytal Tournament, but only because her teammates planned on entering. When they finally made it back, they said their goodbyes as they entered their respective dorm rooms, as Farran heard that familiar voice in his mind once more.
"I am thou, thou art I…
Thou hast acquired a new vow.
It shall become a Beacon in the darkness
To lead you down the path to your own justice.
With the birth of the Lovers Persona,
You have obtained unforeseen power
That will allow you to remake your Fate anew."
Author's Notes
Hey Guys!
Yes, Silverbreak is the name of Farran's weapon! Sorry if I couldn't think of a better way to introduce it with a bit more fanfare, Jordanlink, but I really do appreciate you submitting it, and I am still really fond of the name itself! Let's just say, the scene will play a bigger part later on.
I hope this chapter wasn't too heavy of fluff for you. I promise there'll be a bigger dose of plot in the next one, and from there (for those of you who haven't been keeping score), it's the final stretch to the deadline for Richards's Palace! Just something to look forward to.
I know I might get some comments about how I said the Vytal Festival is next semester, despite it being spring, and well… I kinda goofed when I was planning out my timeline, and didn't realize that they had a hard timeframe set for V1-V3, so canonical things from RWBY will be happening, but not necessarily during the same season they were supposed to happen in-show. Some, I have reasoning for, others you can just blame me for being a dumbass. I'm sorry if that throws some of you off!
One final thing, I'm obviously not Australian, but I know a number of you guys are. For those of you from down under, does the way I write Velvet's dialog sound ok? I don't want to make her stereotypical Australian, but since Caiti is Australian, I'm not sure if there's anything more I could or should be doing for that. Just let me know your thoughts, I'd love to hear from you!
Anyway, hope you guys enjoyed, and I hope to see you in the next chapter!
Inferno :D