Chapter 21: Radiance to burn away the dawn
This is the penultimate chapter of the first Arc of A Grimm Tale.
Monsters and Men (Jaune Arc)
As he entered their hotel room, he could see Kali passed out on the couch, her arm half-way draped over the couch, the remote control nearly slipping from her grasp. She startled awake when the door opened, Esmeralda pulling the door shut behind her. Sienna emerged from the bathroom, her head wrapped up in a towel, her clothes a little looser on her body. "Did something happen?" Kali asked.
He sat down, motioning for them to sit down as well. "I've... I've got some bad news." He didn't know really how to tell them about Her and the Grimm and the connection to Her and the Grimm that he had, as he tried to find the proper words for the conveying of the news that he had to share. "It can't be so bad, can it?"
He looked at Kali and laughed hollowly. "It's probably worse than that. The headmaster of Haven Academy is in league with the overlord of the Grimm." There was a moment of silence, as he saw their reactions. "Well... I guess we're going to pay a visit to Leo. " Summer added as she appeared from the shadows, a grin on her face. "He always was a little bit of a coward... Ozpin trusted him, but I have always said that you should not put too much faith in the people who do not have much of a spine." The look on Esmeralda's face was most poignant, her eyes looking between Summer and him, debating whether to respond audibly or not.
"But... The Grimm aren't supposed to have an overlo-" Sienna's words died on her lips then, as it clicked. "Are you..." There was fear in her tone, abject terror visible in her eyes as she looked at him. He shook his head, a long-suffering sigh coming from his mouth. 'She would draw that conclusion.' "No. Jaune is mostly human." Summer said, her voice sounding crystal clear.
"It is that spooky woman that is the inhuman one." Summer continued, Jaune shaking his head. "Ozpin and Her have been playing this game for millennia."He looked at the three other women, the two Faunus looking at him with their faces showing smaller hints of fear, whilst Esmeralda's face was mostly blank, her eyes merely focusing on him.
"We're going to need our weapons. He is still an experienced Huntsman..." He knew that to go in with a plan was to know that you would have to ditch it eventually. "We'll have to work together as well to get him down." With the Grimm, he could easily overpower even experienced Huntsmen. The knowledge to use them was there, even if Her memories were not fully there anymore, blasted by the overflow of fragments of consciousness.
"I'll ask Raven if she'll help out." Summer said, her eyes sharp and dangerous. "She's got experience with killing Huntsmen." There was a dark look on her face as if the knowledge about such affairs was something that only was meant to be shared between her and Raven, the history between the two of them something that he knew not.
"That's one experienced Huntress that we can call on." He said, his eyes looking at Summer for a moment. "With weapons, I'm much more lethal." She said, giving him a smile that wouldn't have misplaced on Ruby's face. "Of course... If Junichi makes them, they'll be good for that."
"That's one fear less to worry about. Two experienced Huntresses. Kali?" He addressed the Faunus, who looked at him with a serious expression. "Yes? I am not good with weapons, yet." She seemed to doubt her own capacity. 'Her Semblance scares the crap out of everyone... A moment is all you need, really.'
"Practise with your Semblance. Do it with Sienna, if you find that to be easier on your system." He looked at Sienna, whose face showed fear and a mix of confusion, her eyes half-way closed. "And what... What would you have me do?" She asked, her voice now meeker, her eyes holding a primal fear, something that hadn't been there before. A sharp contrast to her earlier anger, as the revelation of Her existence had been something that unnerved her. "With my weapon, I can probably fight him. I've been trained in the use of weapons as a bodyguard."
She doubted her own use. His mind felt the echo of power, as Her mind surged through the Seer, casting her gaze upon this part of the world. He kept himself very still, so as to not draw attention towards himself. Her gaze went away swiftly, switching to the next node, the rush of endorphins rushing through his mind, a happy surge that made him feel more energetic. "Your hair went white... and your eyes are red." Esmeralda said, her voice demure. There was a subdued energy in there, as she looked up at him with eyes that were hidden in their emotions, as she let her gaze linger.
"That's the result of using the powers that I have." His voice was softer than before, gentler in his speech, Summer giving a shudder as she heard it, as if something had caressed her with icy cold tendrils. "He's not as powerful as the spooky lady." The words were louder as nobody seemed to dare to breathe, his eyes meeting with Summer's, the silver shimmering for a moment, as the pain rushed through his body. The vitae tenebris inside him quivered, trying to get away from the silver gaze of the Huntress, as her eyes met his own.
"And most of all..." Summer's voice was soft, as she cast her gaze down, the suppression that he felt being gone all of a sudden. "I can sense how he feels. We are tied together." The words weren't idle fancies as Summer's gaze went back to Sienna, her face sharper. "You might think that it would be for the best of the world to kill him." 'If I was you, I would do the same.'
Sienna nodded, hesitantly. It seemed that the thought had indeed crossed her mind. Kali's face was a little more expressive, as she looked at Sienna as if she'd grown another head, surprise showing on her face. "If you kill him, the leader of the Grimm WILL know. She will know that he's taken power from her. She will hunt you all down." The words were probably close to the truth. The Grand Witch of Arcadia had never been one to easily share the power that she had obtained, after the Convergence.
Sienna didn't seem to change much, Jaune's face showing his consternation. He looked between Kali and Sienna, Esmeralda's emotions flaring up suddenly. "Even if he is someone who can control the Grimm... I believe in him." Her declaration was followed by her getting up and standing up, she stopped and looked at the two of them, her eyes fierce. "Without him, we would all be dead. So what if he could summon the Grimm? So what if he's someone who can sense Grimm and make their leader throw a fit. We're all women who've got some impact on the world, right?" The motivational speech that she gave would have worked better, had Sienna not glared at her.
"Your emotions are deluding you! What else is he but a creature that will cause our deaths? What is he but a mindless creature preying on our emotions? Think, woman!" Sienna's voice was higher in pitch than before, her angry emotions rising once more. "Sienna! Listen to yourself!" Kali's voice overpowered Sienna's, angry and scolding. "'A creature that will cause our deaths'? A mindless creature preying on our emotions? Sienna Khan, you are treating him as the humans have treated us. Do you want to be nothing more than just a Faunus, kicked around and scorned for simply being born one?" Her voice was angry, her eyes glowing, shadows wrapping around her and the fear buffeting the other women.
Jaune could see the emotion in her eyes, even as Sienna blanched. "Kali, I mean..." Her eyes went to him and then back to her friend again. "I didn't mean to-" She was silenced, as Kali's finger pressed to her lips. "Apologize to him." The Faunus woman said, the shadows slowly receding from her form. Sienna looked at him, her eyes angry, fearful and a little abashed, as if she had let her emotions override her judgment. "I..." She paused.
"I apologize." There was a genuine sound to that, even as her gaze went down. "I'm used to it." He said, as he could feel the roughness of his own emotions once again bursting to the forefront of his mind. 'I'm nothing but a Grimm-born abomination... Am I even still Jaune Arc?' The thought of that had bounced around his mind, his memories definitely telling him that he was indeed, Jaune Arc, but there was always that doubt that lingered, even as his body had been crafted from the vitae tenebris.
"Jaune." Esmeralda's arms wrapped around him, her hands rubbing over his back. "Don't." She said, voice gentle. Her hair tickled his nose and he sneezed. "You're the man who saved us. We all have a debt to you, even if we don't want to acknowledge it." Her gaze went to Sienna, who had a look on her face that was troubled. She seemed to have trouble admitting as much, her eyes darkened as she looked at him with the expression of a woman who had seen much. "I'll... "She took a deep breath, looking between him and Kali. "I'll trust you, this once. If you have to..."
She looked at him, her face showing anger. "If you have to tell me something, do so now." The look on her face was one of distrust and anger, as her orange eyes sparked with that fiery rage. "They will kill you all." He said, his voice soft. "The Grimm, that is. Her plan is nothing but the complete destruction of all humanity."
Sienna's eyes widened, her mouth opening up. "Even the Faunus. She does not distinguish between Human and Faunus in the least..." He could feel the cold shudder go through his body, the knowledge of Her plans that he had gleaned something that would chill the bones and body of any who learned of it. 'Even her acolytes are not aware of that yet...'
The time when it would be prudent to attack one of the major bastions of humanity. The panic that it would cause throughout the world. The fear that would feed into the ancient loop of hate and anger, blame to be cast at the feet of others. He had seen her do so in her mind's memories, on the moments when her power waxed, the moon having shone over the ruins of the villages and the cities that had been torn asunder by her will. 'What is there in the world but the cycle of pain and torment? Do I really wish to aid one who could control the Grimm thusly?' The thought was nothing if not a reminder about what could be done with the powers that they both controlled.
'Together, we could be something...' The image of him at her side, her hand stretching out over the world with his flesh doing her bidding, the objectives achieved with her as his source of power, with his own flesh mended by the essence of the vitae tenebris. A stark sight, as humans were driven before the hordes of Grimm...
"It's pretty terrible." He said, a humourless laugh coming from his mouth. "Even what Ozpin does, doesn't light a candle to what She has in store." The Grimm that he had seen had been terrific. Chimaera-like beasts that had been stitched together from several Grimm, the aquatic Grimm that lurked within the depths of the seas to prey upon the humans that had despoiled the world so. The creatures that had been stationed around the world in spots where they could remain hidden. Even the Dragons had been left to gather strength around the sites of the former cities, to soak up the lingering despair and negativity until they could evolve once more.
"What she has in store?" Esmeralda asked, her voice hesitant to ask it seemed. He looked up at her. "I can only control small hordes of Grimm consciously. Imagine what She can do to ALL the Grimm." The tidal wave of teeth and fangs and maws would take the defenders out in a single sweep, without any mercy given. The Grimm would wash over the bodies like a tide, their strength not stopped by the hands of a Huntsman as they came in such numbers. "Oh." Esmeralda's voice sounded tiny.
"What can you do to stop her?" Kali said, her voice hopeful still. 'What can I do against a woman who holds half?' The thought was laughable, as the relics would still be elsewhere. 'With the powers that I have... they seem to increase every time I slay a Grimm that is advanced, absorbing some of the strengths of the creature.' He looked at her, a deep sigh coming from his mouth. "I can be a counter-force. She holds not sole dominion over the Grimm... Ozpin..." He paused. He did not know whether Ozpin had similar powers over the Grimm or not. He didn't THINK so, but who was he to know?
"You've mentioned professor Ozpin a few times now, is he involved with all of this?" Esmeralda's voice was sharp. Jaune looked up, confused. "He is." He paused for a moment, trying to formulate it. 'Some truths are best hidden until it is time to deliver a response. A truth, no matter how unsavoury it may be though...' "He's been fighting her for over three millennia." They did not seem to believe him. 'It is a little bit fantastical to imagine that he has been alive for so long.'
"That's not possible! How could he have survived all that time?!" Sienna's outburst was believable, as she looked at him as if he had been cursed with madness. "What was the previous headmaster of Beacon called?" The look on Sienna's face was surprised as he threw the question at her. "I don't know." The look on his face was serious, as he let his gaze go to the ceiling. "Some variation of Oz and Pin. It's always Oz and Pin, shortened to Ozpin." The name had come into existence from his full name, which had been replaced by the title of Grand Wizard. Even She had held a name before she assumed the office of Grand Witch.
"We can check that out later, Sienna." Kali said, her voice sounding warmer, trying to affirm the warmth of her personality once more, seemingly to put them all back at ease. His body shuddered a little, as he tried to think not on what he was telling them. 'They would not be served by knowing what sacrifice must be made in order to survive all these years...' The theory of the magical work bounced around in his head, knowing that it was the darkness in the human nature that he railed against. 'To do such a thing to your own soul... Even She did not do anything to her own soul like He did.'
"Now what, Jaune?" Sienna said, addressing him by name. "Will you let us go or will you silence us to keep your secrets?" The Faunus woman's tone was defeated, the fire having left her. It was the resignation that she felt, her weapon currently in the hands of the weaponsmith. "Will you control us like mere toys, to fulfil your sick desires?" Her eyes met his own, a spark of flame igniting in them once more. Anger and defiance burst inside them like an eruption of power. Her Aura ignited the air around her.
"Never." His voice was warped and twisted, as he spoke with the power that fused with his own body, the vitae tenebris agitated by the way that she had spoken. 'A moment I give and she ignites like the fury of nature once more.' The Faunus woman looked at him, her eyes fierce and predatory. "Then what do you want us to do, Jaune?" She accused, her voice sharp. "Be your little murder squad? Aid you in obtaining your power?"
He could feel the physical aura of her anger as he let his mind reach out, the anger suffusing the air around her. "All I want is to be a Huntsman! A hero! I want to be there to SAVE you!" His voice warbled with the power that he contained, as the shadows in the room disgorged Grimm, their leering faces looking at the women in the room. Summer shifted, the blades that she wielded as her weapons out. Her eyes were wary, focusing on him.
"Can't you SEE what is in front of your eyes, Sienna?" His voice was a dark threat, as he got up and seized her by the chin, the smaller form that she had being something that was to his advantage, looming over her like the threat that he was. She was but a Faunus, was but a frail creature that would fall under the gnashing teeth. 'So easy to just throw her aside, let the Grimm deal with her.' The dark impulses rushed forwards like rabid dogs, filling his mind with the corruption and vileness of his own thoughts, influenced by the darkness that he had been dipped into. "Are you so blind as to merely cast away the hope for a good ending?" His eyes looked at Esmeralda, aware that there was a fear in them, yet something even greater. Purple stared back at him, unflinching, her face pale yet with purpose. His gaze went to Kali, whose golden eyes peered back at him, defiant to an effect that was not uncommon, yet with her eyes holding the prize of that empathy that she held.
"They have accepted me for what I am, yet YOU scorn me." A generalisation, as he looked at her. The look in her face was of anger, fear and worry, mixing together within those orange pools. "I will never submit to a mere human." She hissed at him, spitting at him. Saliva dripped down his face, as he let go of her chin, fear and doubt crashing home in his mind.
He had almost torn her apart with his strength, the muscles had been on the verge of just tearing her skull off her neck, to let the crimson spray out once more. His eyes were wide as he took a step back, unsteadily. "N-no... This is... Not what I wanted." The Grimm in the room evaporated, the vitae tenebris inside him replenishing once again. "You're going to be alright, Jaune." Kali's voice was soft, as she placed a hand on his shoulder. He had fallen to his knees at some time, the feeling of slipping away starting to do a trip with his head, his whole body feeling the stresses and strains of the control that he held over himself.
'One little leap over the edge and I will be forever lost.' The thought was sobering, as Kali's hand rubbed over his back. "We'll all work together to make sure that the world will be a better place." The words were comforting, as his head went down, his eyes looking at the floor.
"How can you just accept that, Kali! He could be working to damn us all! The Faunus will never be free, if he is left to lead us!" Sienna's voice was higher in pitch, as her tone seemed to show the fear that she felt. "And you would rather led Adam Taurus or Harmony lead the White Fang? Give it up, Sienna..." Kali's voice was scornful, anger in her voice thick. "He's the best shot that we have at getting something that resembles power again."
'She did not seem concerned with power before. Is this a new thought?' He thought, even as Kali's fingers brushed over his spinal chord. "Why should we?" Sienna retorted, her voice angry. "He's done enough!"
"He could have summoned a horde of Grimm to kill us whilst we slept out in no-mans-land." Esmeralda added, her voice softer than the two Faunus' voices. "He could have killed us and we would have only noticed if one of us had made a sound. You could hardly face him if he summoned the Grimm, Sienna." Esmeralda's voice was tired, her eyes looking at Sienna with accusation. "It is time to be rid of your paranoid suspicion. You are no longer Sienna Khan, leader of the White Fang. Why do you persist in believing that the Faunus will rally behind you, when they now rally behind one of your murderous factions?"
Sienna's mouth was full with an angry retort, yet Kali cleared her throat before the torrent of words would erupt. "The White Fang was meant to be an organisation of PEACE, Sienna. Your actions to impress fear upon the people and to garner respect through that fear have led to this." He snapped his fingers, sharply. "It doesn't matter if she trusts me or not." He said, as he looked at Sienna, then to Kali and lastly on Esmeralda. Summer's gaze was sharp, as her eyes looked at Sienna with a look that was definitely preparing to strike. 'She would kill Sienna to prevent more of the danger from reaching me.' The warmth of being protected by a capable Huntress was something that he could relish in, yet he looked at Sienna.
"You may not trust me, Sienna. You may not think that I can be of any service to you, that you will be able to come once more into the power that you held, whatever that was." It told him nothing, the words of Kali about a white fang and leadership and this not at all important to him. 'Rowan had a Faunus teammate, didn't she?' The anger inside Sienna surged once more. It was time to interfere before this continued. "Listen, woman." He snapped, his voice threatening. "You may not like it, but we are bound together. Your friend's husband died. She depends on you. She has decided to put her faith in me for some reason that I don't get, and she seems to be willing to help out with taking down that Leo fellow." He breathed heavily, as his eyes bored into Sienna's.
"You switch from fear to anger so quickly that it gives me a headache. You're going to do exactly as I ask you to, how I ask you to and when I ask you to." The tactical layout of Haven Academy would have to be determined first, after all. That would require a trip towards the academy itself. It wouldn't do to go off mere second-hand information, after all. "If your weapon is completed, then you will train with it for a bit. I will not lose people."
Sienna's defiant eyes burned, a hateful glare given to him, turning to fear. He looked up to find Kali's shadow-wrapped form look at Sienna. "He is sensible. Ghira, for all I love him, was not a man who could control his anger if pressed in a situation that he could not avoid. You remember that time with the girl?" The look on Sienna's face was enough to clue him in that there was a story behind it. "It was horrific. I wouldn't want that to happen." The honest tone that she adopted was something that he didn't quite get, as he didn't know what pertained to the girl they spoke of. "Of course you wouldn't have wanted that to happen. You just have the conviction of your beliefs, which is fine. I do not fault you for believing into what you do believe in." Kali's voice was accented with a coating of anger and frustration.
"Do you really think that you can survive as just Sienna Khan, Faunus with a Fury?" Kali said, her voice sounding wearier, as the anger bled out of it. The shadows pulled away from her form as she looked at her friend, her companion and her hand rubbed over the bridge of her nose. "Ghira was a man who knew how to play to the crowd. You had a similar spark, more akin to the charisma of a leader in war-time. Please, Sienna..." The pleading tone was soft, yet the emotion inside her was raw.
"Don't turn into someone like Adam Taurus. Don't turn into a person who would take his grudge to the highest level possible." The words seemed to affect Sienna's emotions, her eyes wide, looking at her friend with her whites visible, her eyes looking like they had their illusions shattered, her gaze cast down suddenly, like a child which had been chastised. "I..." The woman's voice was soft, as her gaze went to him again, her eyes holding in them the grudging respect that only seemed to come with the admission that she had been wrong.
"I'm sorry." She said, her voice soft. "I'm..." He got up, laying a hand on her shoulder, her eyes following the motion, the twitch of distaste that went through her body hard to stifle, yet her attention going back to him. "Hate me, if you must." He said. 'Hate will make her stronger. She will fight for what she thinks is her own hatred, whilst achieving our aims.' There was surprise to be witnessed in those eyes, watching him with a look that seemed to hold confusion and fear and a little bit of the anger still.
"We're all working together. Human, Faunus..." His arm that had been crafted from the vitae tenebris raised. "Grimm." The look on his face was sober, as he peered into the depths of her eyes. "All I want is to be a hero." Kali's soft exhale was poignant, as Sienna's eyes looked into his. "You must be worse off than most Faunus." She muttered, tearing herself out of his grip. She turned away from him, taking a few steps forwards, turning her head. "I'll follow your lead... Jaune." The admitting that she did to follow his leadership was one small battle that he'd won.
"How do we get Leonardo Lionheart out of his office?" Esmeralda asked, as she looked at him.
"I think I might have an idea..." Jaune said, before he elaborated.
Lapines of Love (Cardin Winchester)
Nervous was one word for his current state, as he stood outside of the door leading to team CFVY's dorm room, the casual clothing that he wore having been bought only a few days beforehand. The wait was getting to him, as he paced a little, waiting for Velvet to appear. The door opened and the large teammate that went by the name of Yatsuhashi walked out. "Velvet will be a few more minutes. Please wait." The door shut behind the mountain of a man once more as he went back into their domain. The door opened after nearly five minutes, Velvet appearing with a bright smile on her lips. "Cardin!" She said, squealing a little at the sight of him. The red shirt that he wore was something that he'd picked particularly because it'd outline his body, her eyes sparkling almost at the sight of him.
"You look nice! Coco! Check out what Cardin is wearing." The fashionable team leader poked her head out of the door, gave him a once-over and then flashed a thumbs-up. "Looks decent. Bring her home safe and sound and we won't have to start with hanging out by your ankles out of the window." She disappeared back into the room once more, leaving Velvet to blush. "I'm sure that she's joking! Coco never really has the seriousness to do as much. She's much more content to let things be unless they lack style." He smiled at her, even as he could feel his own anxiety increase. 'Am I doing the right thing?'
"Ready to get going?" The short dress that she wore was something that accentuated her features, the mocha colour of the dress matching her hair and her ears well, the thigh-high white boots that she wore definitely adding an accent, as her eyes met his. "Of course, Cardin!" She said in her sweet voice that sent shudders through his body. Already he was reacting, as her arm wrapped around his.
He could see them looking at the two of them, Velvet small compared to his own size. He wondered for a moment whether her teammate had a similar appearance issue that he had, but Velvet seemed to tightly hold on to him as if she were afraid that he would walk away. "So, did you want to go get something to eat first?" She asked, her voice soft. "Well, if you wanted to. I hadn't booked any place yet." 'Grandfather wasn't too happy about the fact that it was with a Faunus. It seems he had other thoughts... But she's just a friend. Not a girlfriend.' "Let's go to this place that I know! They make the BEST pizza's! Oh, and the produce there is locally grown by Faunus farmers!"
Her cheer seemed to be enough to bring a smile to his face as he watched Professor Ozpin and Goodwitch walk past, the cup of coffee or whatever the man drank from half-way to his lips. The headmaster's gaze lingered on the two of them for a moment, the faint twitch of a smile visible on his lips before it put itself against the rim of his mug, drinking slowly from the liquid. "Mister Winchester, Miss Scarlatina, I bid you a good evening." The headmaster's voice was even, as the mug came down, the man's face showing not a sign of the hot liquid present yet. "Thank you, Headmaster Ozpin." He said, Velvet looking at the man, who merely gazed at the two of them with a neutral manner. "Headmaster, we have a meeting to head to. Students who are out on a date should not be a distraction for us." The man turned his head, smiling at his deputy for a moment. 'It is scary that the man has so much power... Grandfather has said that he knew few people as well-connected with the elite as Ozpin is.' "Ah, it's not a date..." He said, the professors looking at him, Professor Goodwitch's eyebrow rising slightly.
"It will be a shared outing then, Mister Winchester. I find it encouraging that you are willing to go out with a fellow student, even with your... difficulties in settling in." There was no denying that she was referring to the start of the year, her eyes holding the accusation within them. 'You are guilty of a student's death.' He could read it on her face, although it showed no different expression than before. She did not look any different, nor did her features shift much, conveying not the slightest hint of her emotions to him... yet he knew that she meant it. Everyone knew that he had caused Arc's death... and blamed him. Velvet seemed to be one to look past it. "Even if he's had a rough start, that isn't a reason to keep it against him forever, Professor Goodwitch." Velvet said, defending him from the accusation. His heart beat a little faster.
"It is not that I am referring to the untimely demise of a student. I refer instead to the shifting of your team around. Team DLCR has been performing sub-par ever since the change has been made, Mister Winchester. I will have words with your team leader at the earliest convenience." The woman said, her green eyes frosty and sure of her argumentation. 'She's right on the money there. Dove is a decent leader in a pinch but...' The times that they'd lost the team battles did not bode well for their continued education. 'With me as a leader, they followed along.' "May I suggest that you and Miss Scarlatina go over tactics? Her team leader is known for her tactical mindset, which may offer some benefit. A team supports one-another." The teacher was trying to teach him something, he knew, yet the dark thoughts about the death that he had caused had been enough to upset his mood for now. "I'll gladly go over anything that Coco does, Miss Goodwitch." Velvet said, gripping his arm tightly. His mood did not brighten, even with her gripping him so tightly.
"I hope to see improvement, Mister Cardin." The Professor said, as the Headmaster sighed. "You have much promise, Mister Winchester. It is not what we have done that makes us great but rather the character that we have to stand firm against whatever opposes us." The words were from one of the King of Vale's speeches, as the headmaster looked at him. "Professor, have you ever felt like you've done something that cannot be forgiven." The headmaster's face seemed distant, as his gaze went out, towards the window that showed the grounds of Beacon. "Too much, Mister Winchester. I have made so many mistakes and errors in judgment that it would take me days to recall them all. All that you should know though..." The headmaster paused there, his eyes meeting with Cardin's own. "As long as students like you are willing to uphold the beacon of light that banishes the darkness, the world will remain safe for years to come." The deputy headmistress at the Headmaster's side looked at him with a sharp look, coughing audibly. "But alas, I must be off. Do have a pleasant... outing."The man gave a wink to Velvet , turning to his deputy and moving along, Velvet's face showing a blush on her cheeks.
"Cardin, please..." She said, her voice pleading. "Don't think that you're guilty." She'd hit the nail on the head, her eyes looking into his. "I don't want to see my friend be sad because of something that was an accident. You can't blame yourself for the Grimm..." Her voice did little to soothe the guilt inside him. 'But I could have left him alone. I could have left YOU alone. I could have done the good thing, helping Arc if he needed it. Nikos would have been kinder, less hostile... I could have been a friend...'
He could feel the tears starting to get ready to come once again, his breathing deeper now, as the emotions started to come once again, the wave of sadness that surged up from the depths inside him unstoppable. 'You did nothing, Cardin Winchester. You did nothing and you thought it would be 'fun' to send the poor guy somewhere. You've KILLED someone, Cardin... and nobody blames you for it. But every time you look in the mirror... You see the face of a killer.' The tears came, as he felt her wrap her arms around him, her breathing slow as she inhaled and exhaled, her grip tighter than he'd expected of her. "Don't be sad, Cardin." She said in a soft tone, almost like a mother would... or a lover. His emotions went haywire then as she looked up, her eyes full of those warm emotions, the feeling inside them warm and comforting, as the tears continued to leak.
They would look like an odd sight, a tall young man crying in the arms of his female friend, but it did not matter to him at this moment. With his eyes full of tears, it was inevitable that he would start to drip, but her eyes kept locked with his own. "Let's go out, Cardin." She said, her voice light. "Let's have fun together, alright?" She used her finger to wipe away some of the tears from his cheek, her eyes meeting his own, a low groan coming from his mouth as he felt her pull away. "Y-yes." He said, trying to clear his mind up a little again. Her eyes were sad, empathic and a little worried as she leaned forwards, pressing her head against his chest. "You don't have to feel bad, Cardin." She said, her head laying against his chest. He could see out of the corner of his eye that several students were staring, as his hand brushed through her hair. "It wasn't your fault."
'But it was.' He thought, as she took his hand. "Let's go have something nice to eat. We've got a movie to look forward to, don't we?" She tried to inflect cheer in her voice, a soft smile coming to his lips. "Yeah, we do." He spoke, his voice a little lighter than before. Catching Yang looking at him with a look that was doubting, he nodded in her direction, the blonde giving him a frown back, as she shook her head. 'I wonder what's up with her?'
The burning of the armoury (Yang Xiao-Long)
She could feel the surprise still ebb through her as she saw Cardin and Velvet walk towards the airship dock at Beacon, the odd coupling having made her surprised. 'Is it like what I have with Blake?' She thought, as she glanced at her partner, eyes curious. Those golden eyes were so deep and mysterious that it was almost like the miracle that occurred, her arm snaking around Blake's waist.
The girl looked up at her, a shuddering breath coming from her lips. "Yang?" Yang could hear her whisper, as she pushed her partner along. "We've got that work to do on Port's class, yeah? Off to the library!" There was a tone of joviality in her voice as she tried to put the chipper mood that she often had to the forefront, yet the thoughts of being with Blake in an intimate sense still haunted her mind. With her eyes closed, she could feel the tingles of her partner's tongue, even as Blake seemed to fit in her arm easily. 'It's so hard to... to justify this. I've never felt this before.'
It was good stress relief, indeed. Blake never refused. She just did as Yang bid, like a good partner should. Her voice was often like a soft murmur, as she was drawn into a corner and the Faunus' lips pressed against her own, the kiss passionate and hungry... Yet there was something that she lacked. 'It'd be horrible if there was something just... wrong.' The sound of her sister's Semblance was intimately familiar, as Ruby appeared out of thin air, the rose petals that fell to the ground behind her slowly evaporation. "Hey Yang, Blake! I got there first, I got there first!"
Excitable, cute and a little bit of a nuisance sometimes, Blake gave a soft sound in the back of her throat, pulling away. Her partner seemed to shun Ruby now, as if the intimacy that they had now was something that would only work when they were together. "Sooooo, do you want to go out?" The question came, as she held up her arms, the look on her face exuberant. "Gee Ruby, I don't know..." Yang said, teasingly. She knew that her sister had her eyes on some new Dust rifle cartridges for a while now. 'Might as well go out with her to get her some. Maybe something nice, for Blake. That's what a girlfriend does, right?'
She wasn't the type of girl to come with roses and chocolate. Chocolate was nice and tasty, yet it did put on a lot of pounds when she wasn't careful with how she ate and what she ate. 'Blake deserves something more than just...' She looked down at Blake, the Faunus girl's face showing her disinterested eyes. 'She's so distant and quiet.' "Ruby!" Weiss's irritated voice came from the side, the heiress moving as swiftly as she could after her little sister. "We are NOT going to head into Vale today. We have that essay to do and I want to have it in the best possible shape to be handed in! Our grades are important enough not to skimp on the small details!" The heiress puffed herself up, her expression looking comical to Yang's face. 'She needs to get laid. Just... ease up a bit, Weiss Queen.'
She squeezed Blake's hand, the gesture going unnoticed by Ruby and Weiss, who looked at one another. "But Weiisssssss, I know that! We can do it later, right? There's this super-duper special sale on Dust Cartridges on right now due to the shortage!" Weiss seemed not to be moved by the argument. "We will finish this essay first and then we MIGHT go into Vale. But only if it meets my standards!" Yang pulled Blake along, knowing that the two girls would eventually follow along. Seating herself in a seat at one of the tables, she pulled out the reference works that they'd be studying. Blake's hand fit neatly into hers, the look on Blake's face unreadable. Her golden eyes were uncertain, even as she seemed distracted. "Come on, Blake."
"What's got my personal pussycat all upset, eh?" Whispering that in her ear and smelling the scent of her shampoo, she got the thought in her mind about a bit of affection, Blake's head turning, her eyes looking into hers. "Yang, it's not..." She seemed hesitant, as Yang's arms wrapped around her, pulling her close. "Tell mama Yang." The whisper was enough to make a flush of heat come to her own cheeks, the thought of being a mother rising to her mind. 'With Blake as a lover and wife, there won't be any kids unless we adopt... Or decide through the other routes.'
The feline Faunus looked up at her. "You know that my mother and father were killed, right?" 'She told as much, earlier.' The hug that they'd shared as a team had been one of bonding and affection. It had been one of those hugs where everyone could have been included. 'Aside from me, everyone here is an orphan on team RWBY... and my mother seems not to care whether I live or not. Could've sent a postcard once in a while, at the very least.' The grim thought was enough to make her worry more that she wasn't doing a very good job as Ruby's sister, the thought of letting the girl be alone in this cruel cold world...
'I'll be there, Ruby. Sisters have to stick together.' The thought of her little sister hurt by anything was enough to make her ignite with anger and fury, ready to strike down whoever would dare to lay a hand upon her little sister. 'No matter what, I'll keep you safe... Mom would've wanted you to be kept safe... Even if Raven was a lousy mother.'
"I've..." Here Blake paused for a moment, as she seemed to think about what she was going to say next. "I've heard about the new High Leader of the White Fang. Harmony Tallow." The name was spoken with a distrustful quiver in her voice, her eyes blinking once, as Blake took a deep breath. "She's..." The Faunus seemed to think about what word she would use, her eyes meeting hers, the gold meeting her own purple. "She's just a radical." Blake said, her voice halting for a moment.
"Sienna Khan was reasonable... Harmony... When I was in the White Fang, Harmony used to be in charge of the drills. Adam and I met there..." Yang's face showed her frown as Blake's face showed a wistful look at the mere recollection of her former boyfriend and mentor. "Adam liked Harmony's style. They are just a few years apart in age too." There was a tone that might be jealousy there, but she squeezed Blake a little harder, trying to comfort her partner and friend. "You don't have to worry about her, Blakey." She said, as she tried to offer words of comfort.
"You don't understand... Harmony Tallow is a psychopath." The Scroll in her hand was laid on the table, the background filled with the emblem of the White Fang, before the slashes had been added. Yang could see several files open, as Blake scrolled through the contents, pulling up a file for her to see. A Tiger Faunus with dark skin and a jewel on her forehead, as well as tattoos came up on screen. "She looks angry." Was all that she could say. The woman looked like she was one step away from fighting for the rights of the Faunus. "That was Sienna Khan. She and my parents were headed towards a rally in order to inspire the people with the message of the White Fang."
'Blake's parents and Sienna Khan were in league? This goes deeper than I thought.' She had not paid much attention to the circumstances with the political landscape, preferring something that she could punch, the White Fang something that was merely a nebulous organisation that she would never get introduced to. It was like trying to grab at mist... You never got what you wanted.
"Sienna Khan, leader of the White Fang since Ghira Belladonna retired from the organisation to become Chieftain of Menagerie." Blake read for her, and Yang's eyes went to a picture of a Faunus man, standing beside Sienna Khan and a woman who must be Blake's mother, the picture taken five years previous, give or take a few months. 'She looks a lot like Blake... I wonder if she has more of her father's personality or that of her mother's... They're dead, so I don't think I can ask...'
"So... Does that make you a princess?" Blake had the grace to blush, as Yang prodded her, the tongue licking over the skin. "Little Faunus Princess and the big bad Yang." She whispered in Blake's ear, the shiver enough. She could see another picture pulled up, as her lips pressed against her partner's cheek. 'Is this going to be alright? Am I doing the right thing to my... girlfriend?' The doubt flashed heavily inside her head, as she could feel the surge of emotions there, whilst her nervousness flashed, and Blake's body stiffened.
Her eyes turned to the picture. The white uniforms, the masks... The people standing there in the picture looking like a perfect military parade, as if they are ready to fight. A tall man, red hair standing out, horns pushed up from the mask, the stripes marking it as something special, his hand on her shoulder. 'She looks so young.' She thought, as Blake's mask showed clearly what she thought of the cause that she had once fought for, her eyes burning with a zeal that she had seen few times before. 'And he looks like a total jackass.'
"Ah, there you are!" Weiss spoke up, Blake pulling the Scroll off the table and tucking it safely into her pocket again. "Are you two comfortable? Hey Yang, that looks comfortable! Let me sit on your lap too!" Yang realized that she had nearly pulled Blake into her lap, feeling a sudden shame rush to her cheeks. "Ruby! It isn't our time to sit in a lap. It is a time for studies." 'Come on Yang, time to bust out the defences...' Her eyes met Weiss', as she broadly grinned. "Why, Weiss Queen, I didn't know you wanted to have a sit on my lap too! There's space, y'know!" She saw the heiress turn red in the cheeks, even as her little sister sat down on her lap. The strawberry shampoo reminded her briefly of that time when she had spent nearly an hour on getting her sister washed up, the harrowing ordeal that they had suffered before having left its mark on the two of them. It was only thanks to Qrow that they had survived at all...
'A silly girl in search of her mother and the Beowolves that would end the two of them...' The thought of losing Ruby sent a flash of despair through her, as she imagined what it could have been. Her uncle had promised them that it would be alright, had told them that he would be there to protect them... but he was not around right now.
"Yaaang? You're crushing me! Yang, quit it!" Without being aware of it, her grip on Ruby had tightened, allowing the girl to feel her grip stronger. "Just a bit happy to have you close again, little sis." She smiled, genuinely. 'I want you around, Ruby... Because I can't imagine what life would be without my sister.'
"Weiss! Sit on Yang's lap!" Ruby said, once she had been properly let go of. The Heiress looked at Ruby with a look that clearly said 'Are you kidding me?' in not so many words, her gaze going to her with a definite edge to it. "I will not debase myself and sit in your lap like some... child." The word was spat out with an inflexion of frustration and irritation, her eyes meeting with hers in a manner that would not let her go. 'The Heir of the Schnee Dust Company does not seem to want to be friendly with her team...'
"Weiss... It's fuuuun." Ruby shifted a little in her lap, getting off in a flash. 'Times like these just make me want to have some 'me and Ruby' time again. Having friends is nice... But there's nothing without a good bit of sparring, some cheesy movies and some lame jokes made by dad.' Weiss looked at her little sister with a look that could have cut through the neck of a Beowolf. "I am not here to sit in your sister's lap." Yang got up, moving to Weiss and grabbing her hands. "H-hey! Yang!" The Heiress protested, even as Yang sat herself down again, her superior physical strength easily guiding Weiss to her lap, her arms wrapping around her target in a bear hug. "I protest! This is not a good way to study!" The protestations were futile, as Ruby giggled. "Yang's got one hell of a grip. Dad used to say that she was ready to wrestle Ursa's by age nine!"
It had been age ten, actually, but that was beside the point. The Heiress was stiff and formal, holding herself in a stock-still manner in order to keep a grasp on how things were, her eyes looking between her and Ruby. Slowly did those arms of hers wrap around her in what would amount to a hug. "I'm... I'm doing this to humour you, right." The dismissal was not enough for her. Yang growled in the back of her throat, as she saw the reluctance on Weiss her face, the young Atlas-born woman giving her a look that was so lost. A moment later, Weiss found herself face-first into her bosom. "Of course you are, sweetie. Mama Yang is here to care for you." A sudden 'Mmffmmm!' came from between her generous bosom, the heiress' face turning a crimson shade that wouldn't look that bad on Bumblebee. 'Maybe I should get a bit of paint and give it a splash of colour.' She thought. She caught Blake's eyes, something in their depths speaking of pain, letting go of Weiss' head, which rose from the depths of her cleavage. "Yang! Never in all my years have I suffered such indignity!"
As the Heiress continued to natter on about things that did not matter, she looked at Ruby and gave a wink. Her little sister gave a wink back, before her gaze went to Blake again. A small smile played on her lips, seemingly accepting of whatever was going on. 'I guess that we're all going to be just team RWBY... all with our own faults and flaws...'
The thought of leaving them did not feature to her mind at all, as Weiss pulled herself off her lap, the flushed features that she held still giving her some elegance, with enough of the sensation that she'd felt briefly to stimulate her funny bone. "So..." She looked at Weiss. "Did you like feeling a pair that is bigger and better developed than yours, Weiss?"
The Heiress turned red. "That- That is uncalled for, Yang! Why should I... I do not feel jealousy!" The Heiress gazed down at what passed for the Gods-given breasts that'd been bestowed upon her. "Oh? Feeling threatened by how firm they were?" Weiss looked at her as if she was mad, her cheeks heated. "I... I do not feel jealous about your... your..." The girl seemed to nearly choke in her indignation. "Oh, you can have them too. Even Ruby's got them."
'Let's see how long it will take...' She was going to see how long it'd take for the Lien chip to drop. "Hardly. She is not as prodigiously gifted as you are!" Yang grinned. "She does work on them quite a bit. We hit the gym often, don't we, little sis?" Ruby nodded. "Yep!"
"They... They grow by exercise?" Yang nodded. A grin was on her lips. "Three-hundred repetitions every evening. You don't get a set like mine without working long and hard on them." Weiss looked at her... well, rather her chest than at her. "My abs, Weiss. Not my breasts."
She seized them, Ruby turning a shade darker, groaning as she rubbed over them. Weiss' gaze slid up, her cheeks heating up. "O-oh." The conversation stalled then, as Weiss was caught in the awkward position now. "L-lets study, shall we? That monkey bum isn't around... so we can study. Peacefully."
"Study my abs, y'mean." She quipped, Weiss' gaze sharp and fierce. No comment came from her teammate as Ruby cleared her throat. "It will be study time! That essay doesn't write itself... Oh, and Weiss... You can exercise with me if you want! It'll be the bestest partner duo ever!"
Yang grinned as she squeezed Blake's thigh whilst Weiss stammered something about thinking about the idea first. "Looks like little sis and Weiss will be ready to get themselves some abs..." She said, before leaning closer. "And you shouldn't focus too much on the past, Blake... We're here now in the present and we're going to be the most kick-ass team in Beacon, alright?" Her partner's smile was brittle as she looked at her, the hope in those eyes the most damning thing that she had ever seen. There was only the faint hope that she could cling to that Blake would be able to open up more to her, as the thought of being alone... That frightened her. 'When did I go from confidence to being fearful of being alone?'
Food and a movement (Cardin Winchester)
The evening had started off badly for him at Beacon yet when they got to the restaurant that she had picked, they were swiftly shown to a nice spot to sit in. He let himself sag a little in his seat as he looked at her, her smile still warm and friendly, although it seemed to have frayed a little. 'No doubt because she doesn't want to be with a murderous loser like me.' The clientele of the place seemed to be mostly Faunus, no doubt a reason for her to be fitting in perfectly. He could see some extra tails, a few ears and even a guy with horns seated in the restaurant, with no visible sign of discomfort.
As the server asked for their orders, he picked out something that wasn't too offensive, a light dish that would tide him over a little before the movie. Velvet picked a salad, something that didn't look too out of place. She looked happy, even as she seemed to find herself at the moment, her smile looking radiant once more. 'I don't deserve a smile from her.'
"Cardin?" She asked, her voice soft. "You're still a little out of sorts, aren't you?" Her foot gently brushed over his own, the set of heels that she wore making him aware of her presence there, her eyes warm and caring. As the server moved away, she leaned forwards. Her dress was simple and not as evocative of a daring style, unlike her team leader, who was more fanciful in her clothing, Velvet's eyes brimming with emotions.
"Don't think about it. I've been through some things as well... Aunt Hare said that I should just push it all away and not think about it. Or just beat them up." She smiled faintly, her eyes twinkling with the warmth of her emotions. 'Her aunt is named Hare?' The question arose in his mind,Velvet grabbing his hand, the warmth of her fingers warming up his own hand. His eyes were full of emotion, looking into his own with that expression there full of care and what he thought might be affection. "You weren't at fault, Cardin. You caused a death, yes... But you weren't the one to blame. The Grimm are."
He hoped that he could believe that, as her hands grabbed his own, her eyes full of emotions still. "I don't want to see you beating yourself up about this." She said, her voice sounding choked up. As her fingers grabbed his own, weaving together in a grip that was firm and stable, she looked into his eyes. "You're..." She paused here for a moment, seemingly trying to come to a conclusion.
"You're not what I expected, at first." She said, as her voice sounded rough, her eyes looking at him with that expression never fading away. "You were a mean bully who tugged on my ears, insinuated that I was just a rabbit, unfit to be sentient." 'I was a bastard, back then. I didn't know how pretty you could be.' She blushed a little, even as the server set the plate in front of her, his own plate joining hers in front of him, her grip still firm with his. "But you've changed. You've changed for the better."
She looked into his eyes, those eyes of hers full of the warm emotions that she kept inside her heart. Her fingers stroked over those knuckles, slowly brushing back and forth with the warmth of her flesh against his own. "I was ready to call in Coco and Yatsu when you were going to taunt me again... But instead, you apologized." He mentally blanched. Coco Adel was not a woman who you would wish to have against you in combat. A machine gun that turned into a handbag was something that definitely was not to his liking in the least, with how things would likely go.
"And then..." She smiled at him, as her eyes met his own. "We became friends and are friends." She smiled with an intensity that made his heart flutter, beating faster. He swallowed, his throat feeling awfully dry now, as she looked at him, smiling at him. "You're a good man, Cardin. Don't be so hard on yourself."
His food tasted better now, as she dug in as well, her bites more like nibbles, as he continued to gaze at her, her ears moving a little, her head turning up a little to show her dainty chin. The look on her face was enough, as she seemed to come to a conclusion. "We're going to the movie afterwards, right?" She said, her voice soft. "Yeah." He admitted.
"Let's get something to munch on for the movie." She winked at him, her teeth flashing as she smiled. The care that she put in them was definitely something that she seemed to have put as a priority, though with Coco as a leader, the hygiene and fashionability of the team members would be pretty high as it was. He looked down at his dish, a vegan burrito that had been loaded up with spicy beans. He ate it slowly, tasting the spiciness of the blend of spices that suffused it, a low sound coming from her mouth. "Ah, I think I need to go and take this call." She looked at her Scroll, the silent signal of a call being received appearing there. The vibrate setting must've been on. "Don't you worry, I'll finish this and then go to the bathroom." She smiled for some reason, as she giggled. "Oh, do I have THAT effect, eh?" She winked at him, the friendly manner that they'd been together with still up between the two of them. There was no way that she'd just hinted something like that at him, right?
"But I really have to take this call." She got up, her half-eaten salad left on the plate. He slowly finished his meal, the server coming to the table again. "Girl problems?" The man asked, looking at the food still on the table. "She had a call." The waiter nodded, his gaze following his own, Velvet leaning against a wall, talking quietly to someone on the other end. "The girl likes you, buddy. It may not be my place, but seeing what's happening to all of us here... y'know. Times were better when High Leader Belladonna was still in power." The man sounded wistful, as he looked at the Rabbit Faunus. "Pity that we can't get that one back."
'Belladonna? Isn't that eh... Blake's surname?' "Oh?" He inquired, curious about what would be the reason for that. "Did he retire?" The man looked at him as if he were unknowing of the truth. "Have you lived under a rock or something?" He asked, more candid than any server should be with a customer. "I'm a student at Beacon." The man's face showed understanding. "Ah, yeah. My cousin Art went there. Good school. The Faunus outreach program is the best in the world, if you'd believe him. Did you get in on merit?"
Cardin could see Velvet's face scrunch up, her head shaking once. The burrito was done before he'd known that he'd started to eat again. "She'll be back soon, I think." The hand on the hip pose that she currently adopted seemed to fit her just right, like she was ready for anything. "Sure." The server said, his voice a little wistful. "With Tallow in the lead, who knows where the Fang will take us, eh?" The man patted his shoulder. 'Am I the only human in the room?' A cursory glance at the occupants said that it likely was the cause. 'Don't they have enhanced scent or something?'
As he made his way to the bathroom, he could see a tall man enter the restaurant, a brown package under his arm. The dark coat that he wore was an odd choice for summer wear, even with the long blade that sat at his side, sheathed within some sort of contraption. 'Obviously a Huntsman of some sort.' He pushed open the door to the men's restroom, his eyes finding a row of urinals there, as he did his thing.
He exhaled slowly, as he began to relieve himself, the curiosity in his mind burning about what call Velvet would be receiving. 'She must've had plenty of admirers... But maybe it's just her team leader, telling her something that happened. Dove wouldn't do such a thing for any of us, unless it impacted our performance.' It was enough to be her friend. He couldn't hope for more than that, they simply were too different.
As he pulled the fly up again, he made his way to the washbasin, to wash his hands. The door opened up, the man who'd entered earlier striding in. His face was pretty in a manly manner, if Cardin had to put it to any description, a set of bull horns rising from his red hair, a faint smile on his face, as if he'd just heard something pretty amusing. "Good evening, brother." The man said, the tone casual and warm, as if he'd just recognized him on virtue of something.
He froze, not sure how to react. The man took one of the urinals for himself, even as Cardin still stood there, frozen, the water hitting his hands. Choosing to continue with hand washing, he made sure to use the soap to create a lot of bubbles. "Skin issues?" The man asked, as he took the other washbasin, the reflective mirror showing the man's reflection. "Y-yeah." Cardin said, as the man nodded. "My partner used to be the same, you know? Always getting clean, always making sure that she looked so pretty..."A wistful look came to the man's eyes, a far-off look that spoke of how much he loved his partner.
"You must love her much, Sir." He said, the man smiling at him. "What are we but slaves to our desires, brother?" A hand was extended. "May we always remain strong to our heritage, brother.." The man trailed off, Cardin forgetting for a moment that he hadn't introduced himself. 'What sort of strange Faunus rituals do they do?'
"Cardinal." The name of his old team came to his mind before it had been renamed to DLCR, his eyes a little moist at the reshuffling that Professor Goodwitch had done. "Ahh, one of the Avian line. Your trait must be hidden under your clothing then." The man didn't pry, which made it better to use as a cover. "A pleasure to meet you, brother Cardinal. I am brother Adam. May the Fang guide you upon the path towards our freedom." The man turned around, leaving with the door shutting behind him. ´What a strange man.' Cardin thought, as he walked back to the table that he shared with Velvet, the young woman sitting back already, waiting for him. A bag that hadn't been there before had been put at her side, something that raised his suspicion.
"Ah, Cardin!" She said sweetly, the way that she addressed him bringing a strange warmth to his heart. "Hey there Velvet." She smiled softly, her hand grabbing his own and the smile turning even sweeter, as she slowly inhaled and exhaled. "Hey, we've got to make a swift detour for a moment, I need to bring something to a place where I can store it before picking it up in the morning." She indicated the bag at her side, her smile warm, his own suspicion slowly fading away. 'No doubt it's something that she's gotten from this place. They cater to Faunus needs, right? No doubt there's some stuff in there that a Faunus needs that I don't understand.'
"Of course, we should have plenty of time to do something before the movie starts." She smiled at him, as she looked at him with eyes that held the warmth of her affection in them, making it hard for him not to smile. "The two of you look so cute together!" Someone said, his head turning to see an older woman, her broad forehead showing a set of horny growths that seemed like massive blisters, rounded and yet looking almost horn-like, the greenish cast to her skin something that clued him in immediately to the Faunus nature.
"Thank you, Auntie Viridian. It's always a delight to be here and have some food that's been lovingly made by you." The woman smiled at Velvet, the relation between the two of them definitely not of the family kind. "It's always a good thing to see my darling little Scarlatina here. You've even brought a boy along!" Velvet smiled softly. "He's a friend." The woman smiled again. "Like your team? You know we don't often have humans here, dearie. They wouldn't fit in."
Velvet's cheeks flashed hotly as she looked between him and the woman, her fingers tapping together, nervousness showing clearly. "But but... I wanted him to experience some of your good food. He took me to this REALLY fancy place for our previous outing, so I was just..." The woman laughed softly. "Don't you worry. If you say that he is a good sort, then I suppose he is a good sort. Right?" He nodded, though he wasn't sure whether it would be right to do so. Velvet seemed startled to see the woman speak to him, her eyes looking at him. "Tell your aunt that she's welcome to come visit again after her Mistral visitation. It's going to be the whole Scarlatina family back together, even if her husband isn't there anymore." Velvet's smile seemed brittle as she nodded. "It'll be just like the old days, Auntie Viridian. I'll tell aunt Hare about your request." The woman nodded. "I'd like to pay for our food, please?" He spoke up, the woman looking at him with a surprised look. "A gentleman, Velvet... My, my little girl seems to have been attracting the RIGHT kind of men." Her eyes went over him, as she sniffed the air around him. "And such a pleasant smell too... You've really done right, haven't you?"
The Lien chips on the table were enough to pay for their meal, with a bit of extra for the service. The woman took them, the server that had served them their meal during the dinner at the restaurant giving him a thumbs up, clearly happy about the tip that he got. "They don't make as much here... But it's good employment for most Faunus." She explained, once they were out. The bag was slung over her shoulder, the dress that she wore looking somehow still perfect on her. "I liked dinner there."
She smiled a little and moved closer. "That's because you smell like me, Cardin." She brushed against him, her arm wrapping around his own. "Guaranteed to throw off most people with sensitive noses... But hey..." She smiled at him, another pretty smile. "Don't tell anyone." She winked at him, the joy in her appearance something that he cherished, as they walked down the street. He saw more Faunus couples now, paying more attention to it. They seemed happy, content... Not at all like the people who would rise up and beat their human oppressors for the slight of the Faunus Rebellion. It was a stark change, he thought. Faunus were always... different.
"Of course not." He said as she gripped his arm a little tighter, letting him feel her tight muscles, her breathing even, as she snuggled up against him. "Thanks. You probably wouldn't get through the front door if you didn't..." She seemed to blush, her face red, eyes looking down at the ground. "I mean, it's generally what we do when we find a partner, but it's..." She looked embarrassed.
"You had your reasons. We're friends, aren't we?" He kicked himself for saying it like that, her face looking hurt for a brief instant. "Yeah... Friends." She said, her voice wistful, her eyes looking up at him with a look that he couldn't quite decipher, her eyes full of emotion, as she shifted the bag a little on her shoulder. "We should be getting to the storage that I keep some of my extra gear in." She said, as she ducked into a building that looked rather shabby to his eyes, a Faunus clerk at the desk looking up from the terminal that he was working on. Velvet flashed him a smile, holding up something. "Seventh locker at the back. You know the drill." Cardin was aware that he was getting looks as he leaned against the wall, waiting for Velvet to get back. "Sorry."She said apologetically.
"It's alright. Now how about we go to the movies?" He suggested, her arm wrapping around his again. It felt good, having her at his side. 'I should ask her to... to date. To be official.'
That would be a good start. An image of her looking at him with love and devotion appeared in his mind and he did not think it would be such a bad image to aspire to.
Student issues (Heather Arc)
She could feel only the irritation build, as she looked at the smith that stood before her. A singular blade was being hammered into shape, the sparks firing up. "No time. I cannot work on your weapon." The man's voice was gruff, as he spoke, continuing to work on the blade whilst he spoke. "Father, this woman has come all the way from Vale..." His daughter said, the man's eyes resolute. "I'll finish the Katar first, then I will look at her weapon." She sat it down, feeling naked without it. Without her weapon, it felt like she could only use half of her semblance, the guidance that her weapon gave her somewhat of a crutch. 'I should make something of a backup weapon.'
As the man dipped the heated blade into the mixture of water or whatever it was, steam rose from the metal. A few parts of gun-like barrels were strewn around the desk, a staff with a bladed edge extended in a similar fashion. She recognized the small markings on the staff's length. "Is that a pyrotechnical seal?" She inquired, the look on her face curious, as she watched the craftsmanship. The smith cast a look at it.
"Class Five Pyrotechnical Sealing Matrix. Sufficient for the fighting against Class A threats." The man's fingers pulled out a length of copper wire, wrapping it around the base, a soft humming coming from his mouth as he continued to work on the weapon. "You wish to have additional weapon grooves, right?" The man said, as he laid the Katar to the side. "If it isn't too much work." She said, trying to downplay her own desires. The man looked at her weapon for a moment before putting it on the workbench and finding the screws and starting to unscrew them.
"You wait outside. I'll work on it now." The man was reputed to be one of the best weapon smiths of Mistral, his custom designs saving the lives of many people, yet his attitude was abrasive. 'It's only because you've gotten the guarantee from dad that you're even allowed to skip the wait.' The way that he operated was not a thing that she personally liked to see. 'Judgments based on personal approval... That sounds like a mess.' The woman who was his daughter apparently led her outside, to allow her to take a fresh breath of air whilst her father worked on the specifics of the weapon that she had delivered.
"Soooo, what's your problem? It's just a little bow!" The conversation from one of the women that stood outside was enough to draw her attention. A dark-skinned Tiger Faunus and a lighter-skinned Panther Faunus stood there, the Tiger Faunus looking fairly upset. "It's a ribbon! You would hide these beautiful ears? I should have just kept a scarf on." The panther Faunus smiled lightly. "That's why we're here, dearie." The maternal pat to the woman's head was not well-received, the fierce glare that was given back at the woman enough to make her feel a sliver of amusement. 'She looks familiar. I think I saw her before, somewhere.' The Tiger Faunus regarded the daughter of the weapon smith. "Did he finish my weapon?" She bit at the woman, who seemed to take the attitude in stride. "Your weapon has been finished. Father is just putting the final touches upon the work meant for your partner."
"She's not my partner." The tiger Faunus said, the panther Faunus giving a soft giggle. "We're partners whether you like it or not, you know. We're all together with John." The heat that filled the Tiger Faunus' cheeks was enough, even though Heather could've sworn that she'd heard 'Jaune' instead of John. 'Keep it together, Heath. You're hearing things if you think they're talking about your little brother.'
It was a tension that every member of their family had. Any mention of a John or Jaune and it all went to shit. Rowan grew silent, Azure and Cremea grew emotional, Ashley and Bianca shut off their emotions and she and Saffron... Well, they dealt with things in their own way. 'I can't even imagine what mom and dad are feeling still...' The only son of the family. 'He should have been bringing home some cute pretty girl, blushing and stammering, introducing her to us and letting us grill her on her values and the like so that she'd be a good girlfriend. Hell, he could've brought an entire harem out with him, I'm sure that it wouldn't be an issue for us to deal with.' They had all their own issues. Her own wandering existence meant never being able to settle down. 'And nobody would want some girl with six sisters...'
"It must be enjoyable, sharing a man between the two of you." She added herself in the conversation, both Faunus looking at her, the Tiger Faunus' eye twitching. "We're not with him!" She hissed, as she set her hands on her hips. With Heather's height, it didn't look very imposing to her. "Oh, but we are. Don't you remember drooling all over his chest when you woke up this morning?" The Panther Faunus seemed to have a good tease game, as the other, undoubtedly younger, Faunus blushed. "That was just once! Esmeralda was just shifting away, so I got comfortable. He's a very soft pillow, no matter what he is."
'Trouble in love?' The way that the woman phrased it was something that tickled at her imagination, imagining a man who knew his way around women. 'Jaune would be the more dorky one, always trying to make sure that his companion was happy... Not like this Don Yellow-like fellow who seems to have the affections of more than one woman.'
"Doesn't that mean that you're comfortable enough with how he is?" Heather added, the panther Faunus giving a smile that was saturated with victory. "See? She gets it!" The woman gave a fierce grin to her friend, whose face showed irritation. "He's still... He's still a monster!" The Panther Faunus gave her friend a look, about to speak but Heather beat her to it, curiosity peaked. "Oh? Is he too much for the three of you?" The Faunus women looked at her with a look that was somewhat bemused on the panther one and the look of 'do you even know what you're talking about?' on the Tiger one. "For all four of us, he is more than plenty. He'll make sure that we're all safe." Heather could feel the warmth of the woman's feelings, definitely maternal, towards the guy named John.
"That sounds like my little brother would've treated his friends." She said, before she'd realized that she'd said it. "Always such a darling, trying to make us tea and coffee and what-not, even whilst my younger sisters were stuffed to bursting." The fond smile on her face was enough, as the panther Faunus woman looked at her. "You must love him a lot." The reality of the world crashed home on Heather again. "Yeah... He's been dead for three months now, thereabouts." She said, as the depressive feelings rose once more.
'His partner is no doubt still devastated. He was our little Jaune, the spark that lit up the whole room when he was there, even if his dorky way in clothing wasn't emulated.' The memory of that god-awful onesie was still something in her mind, even though Saffron had gotten a similar one, in memory of him. 'It's supposedly really comfortable... But I wouldn't want to be caught dead in one.'
"My condolences, sweetheart." The panther Faunus woman said, her voice genuine enough to show that there were no lies there. "The Grimm got to him. They only found an arm." 'Why am I telling these people such things? Is it because they seem to be good people? Do they have a Semblance that makes everyone spill their guts?' "I will pray for his soul to find a safe haven." The tiger Faunus said, her voice unusually serious. Her panther companion looked at her. "Praying for a human, hmm? What would your friends say?" The Tiger Faunus growled at the panther one. "Probably that I'm being polite and respectful towards those who died in the fight against the Grimm."
"Get in, Tiger and Pussy." The voice of the weapon smith came and the two women entered. Heather thought that this would be a good time to leave, as she'd have to inspect some of the students first. It was such a bothersome thing, yet Lionheart would want to see that things were all done according to plan.
As she sat in front of the teams of students that she would be escorting to Beacon the next day, she could feel a sense of trepidation go through her. These kids didn't know what they were up for in the real world. Her eyes went over the teams, noticing that the three boys of team SSSN seemed to have a huddle together, a set of broad gestures made by the blue-haired member of their team that went unheeded by the other members. 'Didn't their team leader go off to Vale first? There was something in the briefing about that.'
Scanning the crowd and getting a good view of what the people were like, she allowed herself a moment of composing herself. "Team CME, please come forth." The formal tone that she used was needed to show their composition. "Cinder Fall, reporting in."
The team leader was a leggy brunette, her dress accented with Dust crystals and a weaving that seemed to be fire-based. 'There's NO way that she's 17, like the documents claim.' The thought of that went through her mind as she looked at the other members of the team, the three-man team missing a member. 'I wonder if their fourth member is still in transit.' "Very well. You will be expected at the airship landing pad in the morning. Please pack what you require, as well as fresh clothing."
"Naturally, Professor." The woman's voice was definitely more matured than many of the people here, her sharp yellow eyes looking at her with the look of one who knew things that they should not. 'Would I not have done the same?' A surreptitious gaze to the brassiere that the woman wore allowed her to make a quick estimation of the price of the entire outfit. 'Fire-proof fabric, cut in the style of Mistral... There's a good chance that she'll be well-off in her personal affairs... But why stick an older student with two younger ones?' She wondered, yet she had her orders from Lionheart. 'Vet the students as being present and move on. Their personal choices are not to influence your duty.' The fourth member of the team appeared, a girl from the looks of it. Maybe a bit older, yet the style of dress... She couldn't agree with it. 'Who'd wear something like THAT for combat?' She looked a little different from the regular line-up, but the team leader, Cinder, had spoken something that she'd barely caught, distracted by the last member of their team arriving. The girl didn't say much, but that was to be expected. Late students never really wished to talk much. "Very well. If you all know what to do..."
She moved on to the next student in line, catching sight of the team slinking off, their fourth member hanging off the arm of the only boy there. 'Young love... Or perhaps a distraction? No, I must be overthinking things.' "Team SSSN, please come forth."
It was back to the rote of things, even as the blue-haired young man stepped forth. Only three students... too. She hoped that the team leader would be able to take responsibility for this whole show of tardiness. "Neptune Vasilias, at your service, ma'am." Her eyes narrowed, as she cleared her throat audibly to make him aware that he was to get back in line. "You're expected at the airship landing pad in the morning. A notice will be given to your Scroll." The young man looked at her with a look that she didn't find herself caring much for, her eyes meeting with his own. "And would you happen to be free? I know this great place in the Mistralian upper district, you'd probably really like the salads there."
Her lips were a thin line. 'Who does this little brat think that he is? I'm 28! I don't date boys who haven't even grown chest hair!' She schooled her face into a mask of seriousness. "Mister Vasilias, I am not at liberty to go gallivanting off with any student for a 'date'." Her Semblance ignited the air around her, the gust of hot air blowing her hair up. "Please, appear at the landing pad. That is all."
'Why do these little pricks think that just because I've got a set of tits and a damn gorgeous body, that I'd like to spend time with them? Is the dating that bad for these kids?' She went back to her routine, even with her mind starting to come up with different ideas, her mouth working to call the next team forward.
The failed dating guru (Jaune Arc)
"Hey Jaune!" He turned around just as he finished browsing through the selection of the goods on display, Esmeralda standing at the aisle for feminine hygiene products, Neptune's voice carrying to his ears. The blue-haired teenager seemed to be looking a little worse for wear. "Hey Neptune. What's up?"
"The biggest bummer ever. I met this really cool-looking girl, she's everything that you'd ever want to have in a woman, smart, skilled, able to fight off a whole bunch of students." Jaune could see where this was going. His eyes were trained on Esmeralda as she looked around for the items that she needed, trying not to lose sight of her. "And she's totally not interested in me. You've got to help me out, buddy." How Neptune seemed to have come to the conclusion that he was some sort of macho man who knew the ways of women was beyond him, as he looked at his friend.
"First of all... Tell me more." He wasn't sure whether the knowledge that he still had from Her would be of some use, yet the woman had once been in love. From that experience, he could draw. "She's this hot older chick. Blonde hair, nice set of frontals and a weapon that'll be able to blast you into pieces." The image that he got was more along the line of his mother, the look on her face sterner than it'd been before.
"So... What's the problem?" He humoured Neptune, who seemed to scratch his cheek some more. "Well... Buddy, friend... She doesn't want to see me. Just told me to get my stuff and appear on the landing pad for tomorrow's departure." Jaune knew that there was more afoot in Haven Academy than mere students getting taught. 'Would it be so wrong to scope the premises a little before we confront that dude?' "Oh?"
"The Vytal festival, dude. Have you been living under a rock?" Jaune just as well could've been living under a rock, for all that he knew of the cultural events. Even living near Vytal with his family, it did not really give him much of an understanding of the events as they proceeded along. "Spent a lot of time out in the wilds." He gave as his answer, Neptune nodding his head. "Fair. It's this huge tournament. There's a few people who'd really like to win it, y'know? Hell, I bet my buddy Viridian is still out there looking for that 'perfect someone' that he's been moping about for the past year." The name didn't ring a bell inside Jaune's head, even as his attention went to the young man's face. "So, this woman?"
"She looks fiiiiine, dude. A bit like you, if you were a woman. Not that I'd date you, though. No homo." Jaune sighed, even as Esmeralda joined them, a few products in her hand. "Jaune, money?" The bag with money was held out, the woman taking it with a wink at him that undoubtedly was casual enough to count. "She's got you wrapped around her finger, dude." The teenager said, Jaune giving a long-suffering sigh. "It's just the result of my actions." He clarified, even with his whole body feeling the ache suddenly a little heavier than before, without any sort of warning beforehand.
"Oww, you must've struck granite with her then. So, this woman... She's got some of the nicest breasts that I've ever seen." The thought of a female version of himself was something that he didn't really think about much. The image of his sisters came to mind and a wry laugh came from his mouth. 'Wouldn't that be an amusing sight, trying to see him woo one of them? Neptune would be spit out by Rowan at the very least.' "So, you're just after her for her looks?"
The nod and embarrassed laugh that he got was enough to confirm to him that Neptune's world seemed to revolve around the impressions that he had of women, rather than the inside of their minds. 'What an asshole...' "My best advice for you is to go and pick a girl more your age."
"Says the man who's been dating a MILF." Jaune's face showed his annoyance as he looked at the blue-haired guy, the goggles reflecting the light of one of the overhead lamps. "We're not... We're just companions." Esmeralda chose that time to sidle up to him, her arm wrapping around his, her eyes meeting Neptune's. "Companions... Pleasure-buddies... It's all such a difference, is it?" She purred, her hand gently brushing through his hair, combing through it slowly. It was not an unpleasant experience.
"Like that, dude. How do you attract women like that?" Esmeralda looked at him, her eyes sparking, the dark tresses of hair falling in her face. "By being genuine."She said, in the manner of offering advice. "By being someone who would have the character to make a woman fall in love with them, as I do for Jaune." She leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss upon his cheek, her nose brushing against his skin, as she turned to Neptune. "That is how a woman treats her man." She said with a smug smile. "Now, go out and find a girl your own age that you can put your energy in." The look on Neptune's face was uncertain, even though Jaune was pretty sure that Esmeralda was just exaggerating her enjoyment of his company for the dramatic appeal.
"I wish I could have as much success as you do." He said, sighing deeply. "All you can do, buddy, is to find a girl that you like and STICK with her." He tried to offer comfort, yet Neptune's face was clouded. "But you should know that they won't appreciate you going off and looking at other girls and women. That's a no-no for anyone serious about dating." The soft chuckle that Esmeralda gave, was clearly something that had amused her. "You should focus more on the other women, Jaune. You know that you shouldn't monopolize your time with me. Kali needs some attention too." The teasing tone in her voice was enough for him to realize that she probably wasn't serious about it, her eyes shimmering with amusement, as she leaned towards him and whispered in his ears a soft – "He's too unfocused to properly woo a girl, don't you think?" – with her voice holding a tint of amusement. "But what... What if I fail?"
"You get back up and try with another. There's a lot of women in the world who'd like a strong Huntsman to protect them." Esmeralda said, her no-nonsense voice sounding stern, like that of a mother and matron of the family. She looked at Neptune with a look that seemed to contain irritation and frustration with his attitude. " Don't think that any woman would just want a cheater."
She looked fierce in her expression, as she stepped forwards, her hand reaching out and tapping against Neptune's chest with a finger. "In your heart, you probably realize it already. You can't go around cheating on girls by proclaiming your desire for another."
Her eyes flashed in an angry manner, which he'd grown to recognize. "Now promise me one thing..." The woman's voice was soft, as a deceptively pretty smile appeared on her face. "Yes, Ma'am?" He asked, Esmeralda's smile predatory in nature a moment later. "You will not go and hit on girls who simply 'look nice'. We are not simple meat puppets for you to get your penis wet in." The crude language slipped from her lips, her eyes flashing. She looked at him again and smiled. "Well, certain exceptions can be made for cute men." She winked and then turned back to Neptune.
"Otherwise... I don't know who it will be, but someone will take offence. They will hit you when you think you're safe when you think you're secure, and you'll come away with scars." The savage smile on her lips was feral, not to be misplaced on Sienna's face. That fact was something that he would keep to himself, as Sienna was a very opinionated woman on certain topics. "Y-yes." The blue-haired young man said, taking a step back. "I have two daughters. Hit on them and I will make sure that you will be able to sing castrato in the Mistral Men's Choir... If they don't beat me to it." He turned even paler, the fear real in his mind, almost escaping through the pores.
"Just... tone it down a bit, dude. Girls don't like it when they're constantly harassed. The girl I fancy... well, fancied, didn't like it at all when I asked her out. Sometimes, you have to cut your losses and find yourself taking a good look at what you're doing." The advice was sensible, enough wisdom having trickled down from the wellspring of advice that was Kali Belladonna. Neptune seemed to regain some of his fortitude, his eyes looking at him with what amounted to hope in them.
"Maybe I'll run into some nice girl in Beacon." He said, Jaune's smile bittersweet. "There's good people there at Beacon Academy." He said, Neptune nodding. "My pal Viridian's been placed there due to a sudden vacancy. Someone died in a training accident or something." A wince he couldn't suppress happened. That was undoubtedly his own demise, spread by the authorities. "Oh? Is he a good friend?" He inquired, as Neptune took a few steps back, Esmeralda falling back in line at Jaune's side.
"Bit of a blockhead at times, but given his preferences... Yeah, I don't think that we'll have any problems. He actually hit a few times on some of the prettier people at the initiation from Sanctum, y'know? Even I had to admit that they were very pretty people." The awkward laugh that came afterwards was something that he prevented. "Yeah, Beacon has no shortage of girls." He said, nodding to himself. Something like... sixty, seventy percent of the population was female.
'You know the reason for that.' The thought in his mind immediately rose, as the statistics bore out. He wondered briefly why it would be such that even She would know of it... but it did not matter to him in the slightest at this moment. "I've gotta go. You go and be a cool Huntsman, dude. You can see me in the matches at the Vytal festival." Jaune smiled at him. "I'll be heading to Vale after I've done some business in the city. Weapons have to be made, after all." He said, Neptune nodding in understanding. "If Junichi's making them, they'll be great."
"That boy is a lecher." Esmeralda said as Neptune disappeared into the crowd once more, obviously on his way back to the academy. "I don't approve of him." Jaune didn't think that it was THAT bad, but alas, his own judgment in people seemed to have been in error a few times, enough to make him question his own decisions on that field. "We'll probably never really run into him again." He said, trying to take the edge off her reasons. Her eyes were fierce, sharp and deadly. A contrast to the first glance that he'd had in them, when there had been fear and panic in them, soon replaced with the care and warmth that they'd had once.
"All for the better. I would not want my daughters to date one such... ruffian." She shook her head, as if trying to banish the thought of her daughters daring to date Neptune. 'It's something special if the woman herself knows her daughters well enough to make such a judgment. She must love them a lot.' He imagined dark-haired young women in a similar style as Esmeralda, with their hair done up. He could see the blue eyes, a characteristic that he'd only seen in his family and several others, the cheekbones and the general cool efficiency with which the woman worked, the manner of being aware that she was the most important person in the room, yet capable of being warm at the same time. 'Just like how Weiss would be if she had dark hair.'
The comparison between Ruby's partner and this woman wouldn't be so easily denied, with Esmeralda's mature air of composure and the teasing that she could get up with, she easily could be an aunt to the Schnee Heiress, who would be able to elicit a laugh from the young woman, or a groan that would rend the air.
'Yeah... There's no chance that Weiss would ever want to have anything to do with me.' The thought was dark and gloomy, even as Esmeralda pulled him closer to her, her arm hooking around his. "We should get back to Junichi. Sienna should have received her weapon by now." She suggested, his eyes looking up to the skies, turning slowly darker above them. "We should." He said, walking with her towards the weapon smith's shop.
Nobody ever said it would be easy (Kali Belladonna)
She looked at the elegantly worked Katar that laid upon the workbench in front of her, the wood polished and glistening to the eyes, the sharp edge looking like it'd easily cut through whatever was in the way, the barrels of the gun that had been installed into the grip for a ranged option somewhat longer than she'd anticipated. 'I'll have to get used to that.'
Not that it would be so troublesome for her to actually get used to shooting things. Faunus eyesight was superior to many human eyesight enhancing scopes, with her Faunus heritage easily allowing her greater zoom. It had been a tribal thing leftover from the time before, according to the legends. "Dust Rounds are chambered in the side." The weaponsmith said, as he looked at the work that he'd done. "And your Kris." The man said, laying the weapon at the other end of the bench, the blade worked with a dark grey line as an edge, the black material worked perfectly, small glittering stones worked into the depths. "Category C Dust infusion, guaranteed for ten years of service. Replace the Dust crystals in the blade once a year. It functions very well as it is, stabbing things." The weaponsmith elaborated.
She could see Sienna out of the corner of her eye, twirling her bladed staff around like a practised warrior, the edges having been sharpened to a razor's edge, the glimmer of Dust-crystals and something more worked into the blade. 'She looks like a child in a candy shop.' She thought, as she watched Sienna grin savagely.
"The flamethrower in her staff wasn't a thing I'd want to replicate with your weapons." The man said, following her gaze. "The Katar, though... You'll be able to stick them into someone and make sure that they'll be greeting the Brother Gods in the afterlife." The man grabbed the Katar and then punched at the empty air, a rush of heated air around the edge as the whole steel glowed. "Dust infusion. Makes the blade a little hotter, just right for cutting through armour and making a person into an internal barbecue."
She whistled, impressed by the functions. "It is truly something magnificent." She would never have said such a thing before, when her big grumpy panther man was still around, who would fight to defend her, to show the world that the Faunus were merely misunderstood. 'Sometimes, Ghira... Sometimes I dread to think what would have happened if we did pick up arms.'
'The blood within you calls out for vengeance. Think not of the flaws. Strike now to make your claim. Do not let the fear claim you... Become the fear for them. Show them your right to rule this pride.'The voice in her mind continued, as she could feel the sensations come up from the shadows, the dark impulses that had started to spark ever since she had lost her husband.
Like a seductive whisper, it continued to speak. 'Remember your husband... He died. Remember your friends... they will not care for one simple widow. You are nothing without your husband, Kali Belladonna... You are nothing if you do not accept the thought.' She could only feel the coolness of the shadows, as she let the Kris go through her hands, pulling it through the air slowly, as the patterns on the blade filled with the shadows from the forge's fire, the shadows lengthening around her. 'You will wield your blade of death and the end of their life like the kiss that one gives to a lover before the blackness swallows all.' She shuddered, her eyes looking at the blade, noticing that her grip seemed to have twisted on it. "Bit looser on the grip. You look like you're going to be stabbing someone with it now, pussy-cat." The smith said, her eyes widening. 'I shouldn't be thinking like this!' She could feel the dark impulses inside her push and burn, the need inside her filling her with the dark craving for blood and death. 'Are you really going the same route that Sienna has went on?' The thought was stark, as the thoughts of hers formed the perfect answer – 'If I must.'
Her husband would not have approved. "And my friend, Esmeralda... How is her weapon proceeding?" The weaponsmith rubbed over his chin, his gaze going to a weapon that was in the progress of being made, the workings already hanging out there to be exposed for a moment. "Bit of forging to be done for the custom-made sheath. It's your boy-toy that's the major issue for me. Haven't had to forge that sort of work in a while." Her ears, both sets of them, twitched. She looked at the man curiously.
"Oh?" She said, as if she indeed was merely a little curious to the thought. The weaponsmith nodded. "I do Mistralian work mostly. The style of Mistral, you know it, right?" The nod she gave was enough for the man, as he continued. "With him... Summer's vouched for him, which is enough. She's got her own style, look at that sword over there." A single sword hung from a leather strap on the wall, glinting in the light, the handle half-worked on, a leather strip wrapped half-way around the handle, still not fully finished. The short sword looked ready to slice whatever it desired, though.
"It's a custom-built sword with a dust shotgun in the edge. Did the same work on her teammate Raven's sheath. Her brother's got the same mechanism, but he wields a combat scythe, as far as I know it. The gears in those things are HELL to replace, lemme tell you that, kitten." She didn't understand much of it, as the blade hung there. "It's going to be accompanied by another, right?" She questioned, the weaponsmith giving a grunt of confirmation. "Dual blades, kitten. You won't be seeing ol' Summer Rose swinging around some big beast of a weapon. That's more for her teammate's style, with those darn gears in it."
"So... Have you worked on Jaune's weapon yet?" She inquired again, the man giving her a growl. "Don't disturb me, fuzzy. His weapon'll be done when it's done. It's going to take all my time in the last week to finish it up. Dual-dust chambers are volatile and unstable unless you place them properly..." The man's head shook once, as he seemed to confirm something mentally. "But you should be fine. You can train with your Katar and Kris for the time being. Summer's good with payment. I know you won't run off, even if you are a fuzzy mutt." The language definitely had Sienna on edge, yet Kali could detect a grudging sort of respect from the woman for the weaponsmith. "We'll be bothering you for a while longer then, mister Junichi." The man grinned at her, broadly so. "You should see my friend Mer. He's always coming by, talking about stuff that needs little explanation." The man gave a gagging sound, as his head shook a few times. "The bastard's always winning at Go though... I should change my game up... Maybe chess?"
As she stepped out into the fresh air, she could feel a renewed sense of purpose. Spotting Jaune and White walking up together, the woman leaning against the young man who had saved their life back during the ambush, she could feel a twitch of something in her heart snapping. 'You should have your husband with you too.' Seeing White reach up to pull a small leaf from Jaune's hair and then toss it aside, a laugh following afterwards, made her be reminded of the things that she had lost. She looked at Sienna for a moment, seeing the Tiger Faunus look pensive and a little frustrated, her attention going to the sight of the young man and White approaching the two of them so casually. "They look like a good couple, don't they?" She said, Sienna's silence lasting for a while, as she looked at the pair.
It clearly was envy that was written on Sienna's face, as she looked at the two members of their little group coming towards them, the small twist to her face that showed her emotions never proving her wrong. "You want to have some fun with him too, don't you?" She whispered in Sienna's ear, the tiger Faunus turning to her, her eyes blazing. Her mouth was opened, seemingly to give a curse... but no words came out, instead of that a mere whimper escaped.
"He's human..." Sienna said, as she lowered her gaze. 'Human but also not human.' Her mind whispered at her, as she laid a hand on her shoulder. "You feel some sense of gratitude to him, which makes you feel connected. It is not wrong to have affection for a man, Sienna." She tried her best, as she massaged the younger woman's shoulders.
'What use is affection if it is not capitalized upon? Out of the three of us, four if we count Summer as well, only Sienna is in the age bracket where he would even consider entering a relationship with. We are...' She didn't think of it, as she felt the pall of darkness fall over her once more. 'Too old. Too fragile. You will never become the pride leader if you do not squash all your challengers. Take your Kris and stab the tiger... Show her who the real leader is... Subjugate the other woman and show Him how the Faunus treat their beloved.' It felt wrong to her. The thought of Ghira was banished for a moment for a look on a field of murder and slaughter, the dark shadow inside her granting her the etherealness of a shadow, flickering back and forth, her Katar and Kris coated with the blood of her enemies. Her whole body shuddered at the thought, the shudder noticed by Sienna.
"Are you alright?" The woman asked, her eyes caring, concerned instead of irritated. 'Destroy her! Reap her soul! Smash her hopes as you assume your position as chief amongst the women!' The thoughts continued, as she felt the need to shudder once more, suppressing it. "Just a little uncomfortable. I never really had a weapon aside from the knife that you gave me." Sienna smiled softly. "It takes a little while before you get used to it. Let's practice later on, shall we?" She suggested, Jaune and White stopping before them. "You got your weapons?" Sienna showed hers, the dark glint in her eyes spelling doom for any witty comments.
"Ready to be used." Kali pulled her own Katar into sight, as she looked at it. "I might have to look into getting a sheath made for this." She said, turning around and entering the workshop of the weaponsmith once more. "Is it possible that a sheath might be made for my weapon?" She inquired. The man pulled out a small folder. "Go see Mer." He scribbled something with a brush onto the folder, a length of lines and a slash through it. "This ought to get you into the customs section, where his wife'll see you through. She's a cute little fuzzy, just like you." Whatever this Mer seemed to have going for him, at least he seemed to have a cute wife… who was a Faunus. 'Merville's Huntsman Haven. Wait, didn't we go there for our clothes?'
She hadn't had a chance to wear it. Such a scandalous outfit would definitely pull the wrong kind of attention if she just wore it… And even White had kept to wearing the regular outfit that she'd adopted. Match did it not, but it was enough to make them look relatively unassuming. 'The older woman with younger man jokes need to stop, though.'
She supposed that it was just the burden they would have to bear. Rent-boys were a common sight around Mistral, after all. If you had money, you could afford the company of a cute young man for a while.
'Now, let's see whether Sienna knows about that too… She wasn't raised in the city, if I remember right…'
Witching up the world, (Glynda Goodwitch)
The dull paperwork was nothing compared to the thrill of having to sit through a lengthy budget report meeting with one's superior and the other teachers of the institution. She did not particularly care for the budget aside from the allowances that they had for purchases, the headmaster's face showing none of his usual emotion as he merely regarded the presentation that she had put on for the ease of the others to grasp the technical aspects of their job.
"And thus I would like to suggest that the funding towards the education of the lower years be increased by five percent, in order to boost the productivity of the classes by thirty percent." Higher calculus she never had to take, yet the words that she threw around would make it look all the better. The training facilities that had been set aside for the first years were in need of a revamp and retooling, with enough of the money spent on the budget for at least a few new locker rooms to be added to the first year courses. 'It would not be wrong to suggest an additional shower room either.'
"Approved." The headmaster said, sounds of assent coming from Port and Oobleck, the other fellows looking up from their Scrolls and giving approval. She allowed herself a moment to gather her composure fully, the mask of steel sliding into place as Glynda Goodwitch, the Witch of Beacon, looked at her fellow staff. "With the additional funding in place, I would like to submit a formal request for another shower facility to be built in the first year section of the school. Natural attrition would thin out the first years." The harsh reality of their task to safeguard the civilisation on Remnant was known to everyone.
Peter Port, familiar for his own lectures on his own brand of Huntsmanship, coughed. "A little investment in that way might clear up some of the sweat stains on the seats of my lecture hall." The man's voice carried easily, as Bartholomew looked up at her. "A good proposal. You have my support." The other teachers, including Professor Peach, who had appeared out of some far-flung land with a new load of architectural plans and an ancient horn bow that she'd apparently 'found hanging off one of the ancient ruins', gave their guarantee that they would support the motion.
Unscarred faces were a rarity in their line of business. Every huntsman had gotten nicked and a scar from their encounter with the Grimm, bandits or even worse. Their line of business had the most death and casualty... yet they did it out of love anyway.
It was not the fame, nor the status that it afforded them. The love for humanity and the Faunus and whatever counted as sentient and non-Grimm drove them to defend the world. That idealism that Miss Rose had been so fond of spouting during her career, was something that was only good for the pulling in of recruits, before the harsh shutters of reality slammed down around them and the burning of their hopes and dreams occurred. "Furthermore on the agenda: Recruitment and Selection. Does anyone have any solid plans?"
Peter Port was the first to speak, the broad-chested man rising from his seat. "Why, yes. I had thought that maybe I should be going to visit some of the young children in their schools in order to speak of my gallant tales." The man's skill with his Blunderaxe was something undeniable, the veritable age that he had managed to reach being something worthy of respect, yet the man's manner of teaching was still... a bit too drab and dull for her own tastes. Students responded better to being given the easiest and bite-sized chunks of information from which to draw their own conclusions and be engaged in to study more on the subject, rather than to be contained in a room with all the flaring hormones, the smell of sweat and the excitement of teenage hormones.
"We'd probably never hear them awaken from their slumber, Pete." One of the teachers, Jeremiah, spoke up, his ears twitching a little on his scalp. The man's nature was usually to remain fairly aloof, yet without a flaw, the man knew when to speak up. "You are boring." The Grimm Studies teacher did not take offence, a hearty chuckle coming from his mouth. "Hardly boring, Jerry my boy! You kept awake during my classes, unlike the members of your team!"
Something that sounded faintly like 'I never really got over the insomnia...' came from the man's mouth as he dropped his head in his hands, seemingly thinking over the options available. "I'll join you, though. If there's kids that need to be taught..." The man's eyes were wistful, a hand pulling out a small silver locket, the fingernail pushing it open and looking at the picture, the man's eyes misty as he looked at it.
The tragedy of the man's life had its impact on him. She hadn't known him well before he had assumed his office as the deputy of the Grimm Studies department, substituting for Peter Port whenever he was teaching the lower years the finer points of having to hunt down certain Grimm. "Peter and Jeremiah will go out to the schools to teach the children about how great the life of a Huntsman is." She said, adding it for good measure to the notes in her hand. Her own neat cursive stood out on the pages, the loose scrawls that she made when she had little time to write something of a contrast. "Let us teach them just how wonderful the job is."
Professor Peach snorted, her short hair cut in a different style than before her excursion. "I get the use but... Really..." The pessimistic nature of the woman often had made her less than tolerable in a professional encounter, yet Glynda knew well that the woman was an absolute expert in the manner that she conducted herself in the professional field of a Huntsman. "They're all going to die, screaming for their mommies, hoping that their teammates will pull their ass out of the fire, even as they get devoured."
The scars on the woman's face spoke enough, the Ursa's claws having raked there, yet her enthusiasm for history and its ancient artefacts spoke for itself. Her chosen field of herbal and survival treatment of injuries and general maladies was something that generally went abbreviated as 'Medical Skills' in the student vernacular. Glynda knew the woman's care was as good as it could get outside of the specialists that had dedicated their lives to medicine, yet her personality...
"Shut up, Peach." Jeremiah growled at her, the wolf ears on his head twitching. "What's it to you, wolfie? Does the wolfie need to have a bone tossed at him?" She taunted right back, the age difference between the two of them being but three years. 'They could be great partners, with how they just make themselves out to be each other's enemies... but alas.'
"We're definitely not sending you to the children." Glynda said, her voice curt and short. The squabbling between the two stopped immediately, their gaze going to her. "Good." "Hey! I can be nice to children!" Came from two mouths, the heated glare sent back at each other something that would no doubt be entering legend. They just didn't work together very well, despite their chosen weapons complementing each other. 'If only she could learn to shut up and he could learn to let go of his issues.'
Sometimes, it felt like it was a therapy session every time that she walked into a staff meeting. The Headmaster's nod to her was enough to continue onwards, though. "For our next topic of discussion, since Jeremiah and Peter have volunteered to go and reach out to the children of Vale, we have Selection on the agenda."
The teachers leaned forward, their attentiveness coming to full awareness, their eyes looking at her. The criteria for selection of students changed frequently, based on the needs of the defence of Vale. Huntsmen were in limited supply, after all, those that went Freelance often not searching for work in the vicinity of Vale, the bounty boards listing their own missions and jobs that could be undertaken by anyone.
"If I may add something, Glynda?" The voice of Professor Peach spoke up. "Criteria for selection are ever-changing, so the standards must be met. I propose that we allow each prospective student a moment to be inspected by yours truly in order to ascertain competency. The bone measurements with the inclusion of an inspection of the bodily muscle mass will allow for greater chances of us detecting students who might not be able to muster the required criteria to be students here."
'Just like our first death of the year. Jaune Arc, gotten in thanks to some forged documentation... If I find out who sold our documentation forms off to the forger, I will personally take issue.' "That sounds reasonable." She said, as she looked at the headmaster. "Young Mister Arc has certainly not managed to meet those criteria, after inspection of his files. Even the medical examination of his remains did not yield any conclusive data. As he is the only one to have fallen thus far this year, I would like to propose that there is a test of physical capacity as well."
The wordings of the professor whose skill in the medical field was well-known was simple, yet the headmaster's eyes seemed thoughtful, as if he was mulling about something else. "Headmaster?" She inquired, the man startling a little, only minutely twitching, yet she had familiarity with the man's nature, watching every little quiver there, as worry filled her heart. "I was just thinking." He said, as he looked at her.
"A physical exam might be needed. What of the little ones this year?" He inquired, his tone a little sharper than he'd intended it to have, in her estimation. Something irked the man, and it showed in his tone of voice. "Thirteen students are expecting." Professor Peach said, her voice factual, as she looked through the papers in front of her. "Obsidian Theremine has given birth to a healthy baby boy, expected to enter the ranks once more after the three months of mandatory rearing are done. The child will be raised by the family and the support fund will be given to the Theremine family in order to take care of the needs of the child. Miss Jill Kirsch is expected to deliver within three weeks, if the time is coinciding properly with our expectations."
'The nature of life... and death.' The Headmaster's face did not change, save for the glint in his eyes. "Are there any of the first years expected to be under your care?" He inquired, Professor Peach looking at her information. "Out of the first year, none are expected. Are you concerned, Headmaster? The only pair that we had foreseen was the Nikos/Arc pairing after the first week, yet that has been cast aside due to the death of the young man."
The headmaster's head shook no, yet his eyes told a different story. She had long since known the subtle nuances of his gaze, complicated by the manner that he had adopted. "Very well. Any for the upper years?" He questioned, though Glynda herself knew that the man kept a vigilant gaze at the students for any such things. "Velvet Scarlatina has shown an interest in young mister Winchester. Through cursory observation, the two of them seem to have shown a mutual interest. The chances of the two of them becoming a couple are higher than eighty percent. Care must be made in order to prepare the two of them for all that such a relationship entails." Professor Peach continued, Glynda opening her mouth to interrupt.
"The two of them have a friendship, though it seems to be more amorous from Miss Scarlatina's side of the deal. Cardin Winchester is not a young man who is currently stable and well."Her own professional assessment of the young Huntsman in training would be that he was focusing too much on his own guilt, rather than to channel it into something more worthwhile. Understanding the full circumstances behind it though, was crucial. If not for the death of Jaune Arc, Mister Winchester would be as he had been during the first three weeks of classes. A bully and a threat to people around him, if not managed well.
To see him more introspective and sedate was somewhat of a decent turn to the situation as it was, yet care had to be done to establish a good base. "The grief for the causing of the death of Jaune Arc, yes?" Peach said, her voice soft as she spoke, pulling the relevant medical files up. A low whistle came from her mouth.
"Such a pity." She muttered. "See something you like, you degenerate bitch?" The comment by the Faunus teacher let the other professor's head snap up. "Nothing that you'd know about, you mutt. You should really learn how to shut your mouth." The woman looked at the Headmaster for a moment. "Are you SURE that he is related to the Arcs?" She asked, the Headmaster's eyes narrowing imperceptibly. 'He's angry about something.'
"About as sure as I can be. I may not have been present for his birth, yet I know Sage Arc and Emerald Arc as if they were my own children." The headmaster's eyes were fierce, flashing with an uncharacteristic frustration. "Ah, sorry." The professor meekly said, clearly getting the irritation in the man's stance, as his gaze bore down on her. "I was juuuu-" She trailed off, as she sought for something in the medical dossier that she'd got on file. "Oh." She looked up. "I... I see your point, Sir. Sage Arc's file has a similar annotation."
Glynda walked over to the file, glancing over the younger professor's shoulder, seeing the dossier.
Name: Jaune Arc
Age: 17
Aura Capacity: A+
Semblance: Unknown
And below it read:
Name: Sage Arc
Age: 52
Aura Capacity: A
Two family members with a similar Aura capacity, measured at first medical check-up, something that seemed to flow in the bloodline of the Arcs. She could see why the professor conceded her point, though it had to do with the Headmaster's reaction to that.
"If there are no further points on the agenda, I, Glynda Goodwitch, dismiss you all." The words were formal, yet they should hardly be spoken by her. The man who could utter those words was sitting in the chair there before her, looking at her with a painful expression in his eyes. As the professors filtered out, several of them starting to talk about their upcoming reports, she saw the look on the man's face.
"Ozpin?" She asked, her voice soft enough to be barely audible. "Bring me the files on Saffron, Bianca and Ashley Arc." The man's voice brooked no nonsense, as he looked at his fingers, where the cup with his favourite drink still was clenched. "Headmaster, please..." She said, knowing that it would be futile.
The man's gaze swept up, his eyes full of sharpness. "Peach has noticed it as well. I will need to get them scrubbed, carefully." The words meant little to her, as the safety of Remnant hung in the balance. 'Time to do what must be done.'
"Shall I call Qrow?" She asked, as she mentally calculated how long it would take for Professor Peach to reach her office. There would be time enough for the skills that the Headmaster had cultivated over his existence to be used, to blank out the pertinent realisations.
Sometimes, it sucked to be the deputy to a man who held magical powers...
The Headmaster took the elevator to his personal office for some of the preparations of what they had to do as she stalked through the halls, knocking on the door to Professor Peach's office. The door opened up a moment later, the professor looking up at her, her own imposing figure standing there for the woman to look upon. "Glynda?" The woman asked, as she stepped aside to let her in. "Did you come here to be enlightened as well?"
'No, I've come here to snuff that light.' She thought, as she charged her Semblance up, the glow around the riding crop in her boot starting to show. "Oh?" She inquired, as if it were news to her. The professor nodded, excitedly. "Jerry might be a barking dog, but even he knows when to toss in the towel when it comes to medical theory. The bloodline... This is amazing!" The woman pulled out a thick volume from one of the haphazard bookshelves, holding it out. "The features, almost the same." A picture of Sage Arc was put up to the picture of Jaune Arc, the facial features a little different. A picture of Taiyang Xiao-Long was put up as well, with 'RELATIVE?!' scrawled on a small note on the side.
"But the capacity... this changes everything. If we can..." The woman thumbed through the dossier. "You know what this means, Glynda?" The excitement on the woman's face was visible, as she looked at the files, the annotations for Arc, Rowan standing out still. 'Sometimes I am glad that nobody really takes the time to read the medical dossiers except her... We can still contain this.'
"This will spell a revolution! SEVEN sisters! Seven! Can you imagine the potential?! A pity that the only son died... The gene must carry through the male line, I know it..." Her hand grabbed the riding crop, the glow wrapping around Peach's neck. "I'm sorry, Peach." She said, as the teacher grabbed her neck, trying to pull the imaginary hands from them, turning around, as her eyes met her own. "But we cannot let you discover that." The teacher's eyes bulged, as the air supply constricted. The net of telekinetic force wrapped tightly around the body, as the air supply was choked off. Not a mark to be seen on the flesh, yet the air was choked off.
It pained her to do it like this, yet it was necessary. The door opened up behind her, the sound of the headmaster's feet on the soft carpet like a natural accompaniment, his hand on her shoulder offering comfort that she craved. 'It is a messy business... But we must be preserved. Nobody must know about our duty.'
"Thank you, Glynda." The man said, her Semblance dropping the woman to the ground, her knees unable to support her, her eyes wide and her breathing coming in deep gasps. "You would silence this discovery? Think of the things that we can do with their blood? Their bodies!" The Headmaster's hand laid upon her forehead, Glynda's eyes closing as she felt the Aura of the man surge. Her whole body was wrapped in pain suddenly, as he lit up, his magic, his aura, wrapping around her.
She was ten again. Her blue eyes wide as he loomed over her, dressed in his suit and with his cane, a smile on his face. He had offered her candy, had told her to come with her. The pain was so much that she blacked out. Her mind had shattered, and there was another, another... and another. Then there was just his face, as he held out his hand to her, her own dirty, caked with the reddish liquid that she knew was not the funny ketchup that her mommy always put on the food. Her eyes turned back to them and then she shuddered, his voice in her ears.
'You will be a good witch, my precious little Glynda.'
The fear again, as she grew once more. Another man's rough breath in her ear as the sweat and the grime of a long night of entangling in the sheets grew into more, even a fading hope that there was anything but the rust in his heart to guide him, leaving her only with regret, a teenager with a heart broken. Another disappointment, a year after she had started to teach. The headmaster had told her about his duty and she had quivered only for a moment before she knelt before him, feeling his hand steady upon her shoulder, as he whispered in her ear those words... 'Glynda Goodwitch.'.
The adult looked at the child, seeing the frail bones and the haunted eyes look up at her, mature green meeting the jaded green of a child that had been through too much. Her eyes burned with tears that she could not feel, as the child peered up at her with incomprehension of her own fate, of her own nature, as the rags around her body fit her. Her mouth opened softly, as the young child seemed to ask a question, yet she could not answer. All she could feel was the pain, as his voice continued to drone on in her mind during this moment when the pain was as painful as it had been before. 'You are a good witch, Glynda Goodwitch. You are the most precious of people to me... Right?' The child's tears dripped down her cheeks, the helpless expression on her face again, as she could see her world as if through a mirror, darkly twisted.
'I am Glyn- Am I Glynda?' Doubt flashed in her mind, as she peered out, into the haze of pain and fear and anger. Something bigger than her moved, a single leviathan of power present, with her merely a speck of dust compared to its strength, still infinitely smaller even to the slightest hint of his power. She could see her younger self look at her with hope, with that faith and trust, even as she let herself push through.
She slammed back into that dark space again. 'I am Glynda Goodwitch. I am precious to the headmaster.'
She noticed that she had somehow managed to nearly collapse against the chair, sweat beading on her brow as the headmaster seemed to be busy with whatever trick he was doing with her memory. The man's face was rife with concentration, as he looked at the professor whose memory he was altering, his eyes firm, as his hand pulled away. "No recollection of the little secrets of the Arc bloodline." He said, as he looked at the professor as she laid there. 'What was I thinking about? Oh yes... We can't let the world be damned due to some ambition from the uninformed. That is what we are all gathered for.'
"Was she right, sir?" A strange taste, much like blood, filled her mind. 'I wonder why my mouth tastes like blood? Did I bite my cheek when I fell over?' The thought was strange, as she helped the headmaster drag the body towards the bed that had been set up, looking at the unconscious woman. "Is there really a power in the Arc family?" His smile was warmer, filling her with the confidence to not worry about what was happening. He knew the way, didn't he? He always guided her in every capacity that he had, from the orphanage to becoming a Huntress.
She owed him everything. He was the man she had always adored as a leader, friend and companion. "Not as you might think. Their Aura capacity is large, yes, yet their Semblances is where the Aura is most efficiently used." The man looked at Peach, his face looking expressionless, as he tapped the woman's cheek. "Have you removed all the notes from the room?" He inquired, as she looked at the comparisons. Her hands moved swiftly to the pictures, the telekinesis that she used pulling everything back to its place. The folders that had been spread out had been put back where they belonged, everything neatly organized according to the date and time and year. 'That is one of the handy things of a Semblance such as mine. Reconstruction is easy, once it knows where to return to. A ghost imprint... that is easily done with recent changes.'
She knew that this was for the best. For Remnant, she would stand by and watch how a woman was drained of her memories by the man who knew best.
It was all for the greater good of Remnant.
Alright, chapter 21! Bit of exposition here, the Cardin and Velvet romance continues... and we've had a staff meeting! The OC's who features will not really feature much in the general story besides a mention here and there. Peach is named, but her role and general attitude and the like are never explored in the show, so I took some liberties.
Chapter 22 is coming up! In it... well, you'll get to see. Lots of exciting stuff! Lots of plot, lots of new stuff to be shared and Jaune's weapon to be unveiled! The contents of the next chapter have, as far as I've read through countless fics, never been explored in fanfiction ever. So, new ground! Wooh. Feel free to correct me afterwards.
I won't make it next week to release chapter 22. It'll be pretty massive. Lots of things happening. The time currently in-canon is about a week before Beacon receives the Haven students. So, that means about two weeks before the food fight, and the shenanigans with the robots. Whee. I've got a lot of stuff to cover in the next chapter, so I will take some extra time to write it out, see whether it'll be something that's good enough to publish or not.
Thank you for sticking with this story, even despite its slow build-up.
Read well and review! You're going to LIKE what comes in the next chapter.