Author's Notes
Wasn't planning on posting a chapter today. But since today is April 1st and I dislike content creators wasting my time with mediocre jokes, I decided to post a genuine chapter to cleanse your palette.
Enjoy.
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Chapter 43: The Kamizono-Wukong Dichotomy
Mytyl was nervous. It was a feeling she was familiar with. Nori just has a way of making one feel like a child. The eerie serenity with which the maid approached nearly everything was a boon to those that depended on her services and a bane to those on the business end of her reprimand.
For her part, Nori daintily sipped at the tea she had prepared for the occasion. They were currently on a small studio Beacon provided for visitors that merited a bit more than just a room with a bathroom. The main room consisted of a kitchenette and small living room with a sofa, an armchair, and a coffee table. Attached to it was a small bedroom with a bathroom. Not the pinnacle of commodities, but serviceable for its purpose: an impromptu interrogation room for Nori to grill Mytyl.
She tried to escape, but Nori had caught her as soon as her Tuesday classes ended.
"You are awfully tense, Lady Mytyl. Are classes going well?"
"Yep! Never better," Mytyl said, too high pitched for her taste.
"Your father and aunt send their regards." Incredible how she made that sound ominous. "Lord Kamizono couldn't make it at this time, but he already made arrangements to visit during the tournament proper to watch you participate." She took a hearty mouthful of her tea. "Assuming you don't get kicked out of the tournament, that is."
Mytyl flinched. "So that's what we're talking about."
"That depends. Am I trustworthy enough for you to speak frankly?"
Flinching again, Mytyl averted her gaze, her own tea remained full in the cup on her hands. "What… do you know?"
"Your Semblance acted up. Probably as a result of the content in the report your father sent Copen."
"And about the report?"
"It's up to you to decide what to reveal. I will say this: I am more than aware about your condition. And while I don't know exactly what's written in that document, I'm confident I can hazard a good guess. "
"…So you know about the girl I stole my Aura from," Mytyl said, her gaze lowered and her expression downtrodden.
"I'm not sure how your father came upon the Aura that supplements yours, but as far as I know it wasn't stolen. The girl is very much alive to my understanding."
"Was."
Nori tilted her head questioningly. "Pardon?"
"GV knew her. She died a few years ago according to him. And I… remind him of her."
"And now you have trouble seeing your partner in the eyes." Nori guessed correctly. Mytyl nodded, her eyes focused on her reflection in the cup. The maid sighed. "Lady Mytyl… I cannot say I understand what you feel. But you are as much that girl as your combat tutor is your mother." That got Mytyl to look at her in surprise. "Remember you are not the only one who underwent that surgery. Her Aura might influence you, but at the end of the day… it's still you. If you do something, is because you wanted to do it. You merely dressed it up in someone's else mannerisms."
"You… think so?"
"If you don't believe me, you have someone who can empathize with you; who knows what you're going through. You are not hurting for friends and support, Mytyl. Use the tools at your disposal." Nori demeanor dimmed. "You are beyond fortunate. Not everyone is as lucky as you are and get the opportunities you have."
Nori carefully observed her mistress's reaction. She could see that what she said reached Mytyl. But she had practically raised the girl during the latter years of her childhood and it was obvious there were still things bothering her. She extended the invitation. "Something else is troubling you."
"You mean outside my team's precarious standing for the tournament?" Mytyl expressed rhetorically. She finally took a sip from her tea. Nori always excelled at her tasks as a maid and the tea was no exception. It was refreshing and soothing. It gave Mytyl the strength to admit what she was about to say.
"I'm scared."
Nori blinked. It wasn't Mytyl being scared what surprised her. It was her being upfront about it. The girl was prone to hiding such feelings under a mountain of bravado, fake smiles, and obfuscating ignorance.
"I cannot keep my team together, my friendships are all teetering on a ledge, I don't know if I'm up to being a Huntress and… and I don't know what to do."
Nori nodded. "And all this stems from one simple thing: you're following your father's instructions to hide your Semblance to a T, am I right?"
Mytyl's silence said it all.
"I cannot say I blame you," Nori continued. "Just from a few secondhand interactions with your father, Ozpin has all but confirmed that he would be very interested in your Semblance, if he knew."
"So Dad was right…" Mytyl muttered. Her mind briefly recalled her chance encounter with the Headmaster and now wondered how much 'chance' had been involved. She's been told to keep her Semblance under wraps, fearing that powerful people would take notice and realize the potential it held. History was not hurting for examples of Semblances and their owners being abused for the powerful's personal gain. And that was only the recorded cases.
"Yes. I cannot really recommend telling Ozpin or Glynda. But I have to ask… why not your friends? I don't think they would take advantage of you like that."
"…I'm scared they'll be scared of me," Mytyl admitted. "Team Rupee deduced that I can influence emotions and… I don't want to see that kind of dread in Weiss's or Ruby's face again. I fear what would happen if they understood the scope of my Semblance. Even if I cannot use it, it doesn't change that I still have it. And… this is my burden. They shouldn't be tasked with keeping my secrets."
"I know a thing or two about secrets." Nori leaned back into her seat and stared at the ceiling. "'A secret between three people is safe when two of them are dead.' That's what common knowledge dictates and I cannot say I disagree. But the thing about secrets is that, even if you're the only one who knows, they can still slip through the cracks." She looked at Mytyl. "In your case, perhaps literally."
She leaned forward. "The greater the burden of your secret, the harder it is to keep it from bursting. That's why you share them. To lessen the burden. And that's one of the responsibilities of friends: to help you carry that weight."
"I… I still don't… I don't want to tell them. Not yet." Mytyl admitted.
"Then tell them that. Tell them you want to share it with them, but you're not ready. Tell them that your secret is too big, too dangerous, that you just need a little bit more time to decide how and when to reveal it. If you were able to keep things in control, it wouldn't matter. But you can't. And the message you're sending is that you don't trust your friends despite how obvious it is you're hurting. So… why should they trust you?"
Mytyl smiled a little. "You don't really pull punches, do you, Nori?"
Nori raised a brow. "Do you want me to blow at your scraped knees and wish them well despite knowing how ineffective that is? I always thought you and your brother could use some more tough love in your lives. I respect your father, but… he spoiled you rotten."
That got the lavender-haired girl to snort. "I guess he did. Thanks, Nori. I… will do what you told me."
"You do that." Nori observed as Mytyl finished her tea with one last gulp and stood, making her way to the exit. "Oh, and Lady Mytyl?"
Mytyl turned to look at the maid.
In her natural deadpan, Nori said, "I hear, I hear with my little ears about a fairy and a knight flirting for a semester and a half throughout Beacon's halls."
Mytyl's cheeks burst in heat. Nori didn't allow that to stop her.
"The dance is next week and I did not raise a girl to sit prettily and wait." She sent Mytyl one last judging look before relenting. "That's all. I will speak with Glynda about a satisfactory resolution that doesn't involve putting you in Ozpin's iron sight."
"Thanks."
"And maybe I'll speak to Jaune Arc and make him more… amicable-"
"DON'T!" Mytyl panicked. "I'll do it. I'll do it. I promise to speak to him before Friday's end. Anyhow, gotta go. See you around, Nori. Do not approach Jaune. Hi Miss Goodwitch. Bye!" Mytyl made a hasty retreat, leaving the door to the room wide open and a befuddled Glynda blinking.
"The folly of youth. Don't you agree, Glyn?" Nori asked, serving a cup to the Deputy Headmistress, who made her way to the free armchair after closing the door.
"What was that about?" Glynda asked. For all her fame as a remarkable diplomat, she couldn't hide her suspicions in regards to the maid. If it was up to her, she would have made an exception to her usual level headed approach and throw Nori to jail first, then ask questions. But no, she was Ozpin's guest and will be afforded the hospitality that merited. So Glynda accepted the offered cup and drank.
"Lady Mytyl is having boys' problems. You know, usual teenage stuff."
"She has bigger problems than who to take to the dance right now," Glynda warned.
"She does," Nori agreed, "but that's why I'm here: to deal with the adult stuff while she remains a kid just a little longer."
"That sounds remarkably like something Ozpin would preach. From criminal to babysitter; cannot believe I'm saying this, but… a bit of a downgrade, don't you think?"
Nori raised an eyebrow. "You do realize I could twist your career path in exactly the same way…"
"I like to think 'Deputy Headmistress of Beacon Academy' holds a bit more gravitas than 'maid'."
"I like to think 'Personal Bodyguard to the Second Richest Family in Atlas' is nothing to scoff at, either."
"How did you even end up in such a position?" Glynda asked, genuinely curious.
"…Some people are just worth your fealty. Surely you can relate."
Glynda's mind immediately went to Ozpin. She hated to agree with Nori, but yes, she could relate. Nori placed her cup on the table. Her eyes sharpened as she focused exclusively on Glynda. "But I'm not here to relive old rivalries, Glynda."
"That's what you call being a fugitive on the run?" Glynda deadpanned.
"What would it take for you to allow Team Kaleidoscope to participate in the tournament?"
The Deputy Headmistress sighed. "It might not look like it, but I do not enjoy seeing my students fail. I am trying to find a low stake mission that merits a Hunter's supervision. And looking at it cynically, Beacon has an interest in seeing Team Kaleidoscope participate in the tournament. But I have a duty to the entire team, not just Mytyl. I cannot throw them into danger's way without assurance that Miss Kamizono will not jeopardize the mission. Their last fight did show some promise, but not enough to assuage my fears. If we knew what we're working with…" Glynda let the insinuation hang.
"So the issue is that you are in the blind in regards to Mytyl's Semblance, right?"
"So it is her Semblance."
"I never said that," Nori replied with a straight face. "Why not send her and her team with a Huntsman that both knows about her circumstances and would gladly vouch for her?"
"She cannot go with you," Glynda said. "You are not a licensed Huntress… I think. Please tell me James didn't make you one," she begged.
"He didn't. But that's an easy fix." Nori's words brought Glynda no small amount of dread. "Relax, I said 'Huntsman'. I don't think Lady Mytyl or Lord Copen would appreciate me tagging along. Nor do I want to. I do have better things to do than babysitting two seventeen years old Hunters-in-training."
"Thank the gods," Glynda muttered. "I suppose you have someone in mind?"
Nori smirked. And Glynda knew in that instant that she would relent. That even if she dug her feet and said 'No', Nori will just sidestep her and go to Ozpin, repeat the exact same words, and effortlessly gain his approval.
"Qrow Branwen."
-o-
Her fight ended with a beautiful flourish of her beloved scythe, guaranteed to dazzle all the students currently witnessing such a hypnotic display.
"Match! Winner is Ruby Rose!"
Twirling Crescent Rose masterfully so the blade rested on the ground behind her, Ruby curtsied as a round of applause rained down from the benches.
"Are the theatrics really necessary?"
Ruby giggled good naturedly at Marina, who was currently resting on the ground, on the spot where her body landed after Ruby got a clean, final hit. The redhead offered her classmate help standing up and paid attention to Miss Goodwitch's commentaries on their fight.
With a final dismissal, the weekend officially began. It wasn't long before her team, along with KVKC and JNBR, found themselves in Beacon's cafeteria for dinner. Only Mytyl was missing, who said she needed to drop by her dorm quickly.
"Alright! Weekend is here!" Ruby cheered. "What's the plan?"
"Shopping," Weiss and Kohaku answered at the same time. Their eyes met, finding a kindred spirit in each other.
"Great minds think alike," Weiss complimented the brunette.
"Indeed," Kohaku agreed.
"Shopping?" Ruby tilted her head. "Not that I mind going to the mall… but what's the occasion?"
"Being a bit airheaded there, sis," Yang teased.
"Did you forget?" Weiss asked incredulously.
Ruby tilted her head the other way. "Forget what?"
Weiss was saved from answering as Mytyl finally arrived, riding the wheels of a whiteboard/corkboard in the last stretch.
"MY CONSPIRACY BOARD! GIVE IT BACK!"
"So you do admit your obsession is a conspiracy theory." Mytyl failed to properly acquiesce to Blake's demands. Instead, she dropped a binder on the table.
"MY BINDER! GIVE IT BACK!"
Once more, Mytyl ignored the demands, this time from Weiss. Instead, she began her demonstration. She took a deep breath. Her face hardened. "Before we go any further, I want to say sorry." She looked at all her friends, but her eyes lingered on one in particular. "I know being friends with me is… wearisome. That it seems like I don't trust you. That I don't value you. But I do. I really do. You want answers. I want to give you answers. But… I need some more time. I'm… scared."
The admission surprised every member of the three teams. Even Mytyl herself had a hard time believing she said it. She broke eye contact and nervously played with one of the two locks of her hair that framed her face. "Team Rupee already intuit a bit of my Semblance… so I guess I can share that much with the rest of you." That got everyone's undivided attention.
But Mytyl didn't speak, her tongue tied at the moment of truth. And Ruby figured as much and gave Mytyl a sympathetic smile. She could relate to not having the right words. "Want me to tell them for you?"
"Thanks, Ruby." Mytyl shook her head. "But I really should do this myself." She took a few seconds to brace herself. "Part of my Semblance, a side effect, allows me to amplify emotions." She said quickly, like ripping off a bandage.
"…Is that all?" Yang asked. It explained quite a bit, but in all honesty… she expected a bit more. It did explain Ruby's reaction. And even justified Weiss's fears.
"It's not," Mytyl admitted. "But it's what I'm comfortable sharing for now. I know it's a poor excuse, but I was drilled to hide my Semblance at a young age by a man that's the authority in everything related to Aura. So… I guess I'm taking his advice on the matter seriously."
"Well, I think it's brave of you to take this first step to opening up," Pyrrha said.
Of course Pyrrha would understand. She knew a thing or two about keeping mum about Semblances. With the champion's encouragement, Mytyl spoke up more animatedly. "And I will try to open up more. I'm just asking for time. So… will you give me that chance?"
After a beat, a chorus of 'Yes' followed. Team Rupee was all aboard, as well as GV, Blake, Nora, and by extension, Ren. Two people remained silent. After much internal struggle, Kohaku sighed. "Fine. But I'm reserving my right to stay mad at you if we miss on our spot in the tournament."
"Fair enough," Mytyl said. Honestly? Considering what was at stake, she couldn't ask for more from her teammate. She looked at the last person remaining to answer. "Jaune?"
Jaune remained silent a little longer. He brushed his messy hair with his hand and sighed. "Does it really matter what I say?"
That wasn't the answer Mytyl hoped for. "Of course it does. I care about what you think of me. I… want you to understand and give me a chance. Please."
"Not fair, Mytyl," Jaune grumbled. "You cannot say 'please' like that and expect me not to feel bad about not forgiving you."
"Then d-don't." Mytyl said with the slightest of hitch. "I want you to be truthful. If you don't want to give me a chance… so be it. But I want you, Jaune Arc, to mean it. It's one of the reasons I explained what I did. Because I want you to be aware I could be influencing your decision, even without meaning to. I want you to take that into consideration and carefully think about it. Be true to yourself. So I ask again, Jaune. Will you give me another chance?"
Everyone waited with baited breath as Jaune pondered the question.
Jaune sighed. "I…. do. All of you helped me a lot when I came to Beacon. Help me catch up. I know how it is to keep secrets. It would be crappy of me to throw away a friendship solely for that."
Mytyl beamed, the tightness in her chest loosening. "Thanks, Jaune. I will strive not to disappoint you!"
"Wooo! Friendship!" Nora whooped. "Finally! It was getting tired OF waging war against you people and ignoring the spy in our midst." She looked at GV suspiciously. "Don't do anything funny, mister."
"I used your shampoo."
"YOU FIEND!"
Nora's and GV's antics helped lighten the mood as the group laughed. With renewed vigor, Mytyl cleared her throat. "Thanks," she said sincerely. "Moving on, there's a topic I wanted to bring attention to." She looked at Jaune once more. "Jaune… please keep in mind what I said about my Semblance. I still want a truthful answer from you."
Jaune looked confused. "About what."
"No way," Yang muttered, eyes wide.
"What way?" Jaune asked.
"Ohmygosh," Nora gushed and began shaking Ren. "It's happening. It's finally happening! Kohi, prep the camera!"
"Way ahead of you," Kohi said, scroll on hand.
"What's happening?"
"So this is how sanity ends," Copen mourned.
"Not with a bang, but a whimper," Weiss finished.
"You owe me a hundred lien, Lola," Lumen said.
"Drats," Lola cursed.
"Wait what?"
"Eeeeeeeeeeeeee-," Ruby squealed. Jaune was reminded of his sisters and it terrified him.
"I guess I officially admit defeat," Pyrrha gracefully announced. Not like she tried that hard.
"Defeat on what?"
Jaune was desperate for answers. He looked at GV – his great friend Gun Volt – for enlightenment.
GV gave him a thumbs up. It was highly unhelpful.
But what truly put the fear of the gods on Jaune was Blake. The catgirl, his partner, closed her trashy romance novel. And watched. Watched with the face of the cat that got the canary, her undivided attention on him and Mytyl. If she had a tail, Jaune was convinced it would be swaying animatedly behind her.
"Thanks for the subtlety, guys," Mytyl deadpanned. "Anyhow, that's a problem for the near future me. First we have to figure out our game plan." She opened the binder and retrieved small pieces of paper that she began to pin on Blake's conspiracy board.
"Those are so cute!" Ruby gushed upon seeing the beady eyed caricatures of all of their faces, placed in a circle on the corkboard.
"Thanks! Drew them myself. Beacon's dance is next weekend," Mytyl began explaining. "And I will not allow any of you to go without a date! That means you, Copen. This is our pregame plan. Let's get the obvious out of the way." She pulled a pink string from the binder and made a line between Nora's and Ren's faces.
"But not together-together!" Nora was quick to clarify. The fact she didn't even bother to deny she was going with Ren took away from the legitimacy of that statement.
"With that done, let's continue on. Copen! Who are you going with?" Mytyl asked.
"Alone."
"Wrong answer. Get someone or I'm pairing you with Penny."
Copen paled.
"Hey! Maybe we can go with Penny, Lumen."
"Not a bad idea, Lola."
Mytyl blinked. She looked at her brother. "Have I told you how I'm blaming the end of the world on you if the machines rise?"
"No."
"Now you know." She snapped to her partner. "GV!"
"Alone."
Mytyl sighed. "Seriously? How about Ruby? You can go as friends if you want."
GV gave his partner a hard stare. "Mytyl… I'm not budging on this. I'm still not ready to date and I'm definitely not going with Ruby."
Mytyl winced. Partly due to the underlying meaning behind those words. Partly because Ruby looked like a kicked puppy.
"What do you mean?" Yang growled, heat beginning to emanate from her hair.
To his credit, GV seemed to realize his mistake. "Not that there's anything wrong with Ruby," he hastily added. "It's just that I'm not ready to date and it wouldn't be fair to her."
"It's fine, Yang," Ruby said, placing a hand on her sister's forearm. "I… wasn't really expecting to go with anyone."
Yang calmed down. "Just watch your wording next time, dragon boy."
Mytyl sighed. "Fine, you get a pass, GV. But you must dance with any of us who ask, got it?"
"Is that an order?"
"Yes."
"Fine."
Mytyl nodded in satisfaction. She looked at Ruby. "And since we're already in the topic. Anyone you're interested in, Ruby? We can help you ask them out."
"Nope," Ruby said. It lacked the punchiness she normally added to that single word. Yang sent GV another dirty look. "And I don't think I will receive many offers. I am only fifteen…"
"Mytyl," Weiss interrupted. "I don't think this planning session is going well. Maybe we should skip it."
"But… but… my great dance offensive for our teams!" Mytyl saw no one agreed with her. "Fine, but I'm putting in my bets!" She withdrew more faces from the binder and placed them on the corkboard alongside the strings connecting them to their pair.
Yang with Pantera.
Weiss with Neptune.
Sun was connected to both Blake and Kohaku.
"Do you think there's enough man in Sun for the both of us?" Kohaku asked Blake.
Blake rolled her eyes. "I'm wondering if Sun is capable of handling too much woman."
"I believe in him," Kohaku said with utmost faith.
Yang gawked. "Why am I connected to Pantera!?"
"A hundred lien says she asks you before we leave the cafeteria," Mytyl challenged.
"Deal!" Yang was quick to accept the bet.
"You think I should ask Neptune?" Weiss asked.
Kohaku was the one to answer. "I… think you should be careful with Neptune. You and him are not looking for the same thing. He wants a pretty girl by his arm for the night. Something casual. And if you're up for that, go for it. But… I'm not sure that's what you're expecting."
Weiss nodded. "I'll think about it. Thanks for telling me."
That left…
"What about Pyrrha and me?" Jaune asked.
"I have no idea about Pyrrha," Mytyl admitted. "Maybe we can pair her with Sage!"
Yang hummed. "Now there's an idea…"
"Can we just let the dice fall where they may?" Pyrrha said stiffly.
"So… what about me?" Jaune rephrased his question.
Simultaneously, all eyes settled on Mytyl, who was now acutely aware that she was on the spot. She cleared her throat. "Guess it's now or never. Lumen, just as we planned."
A soft waltz began to play from Lumen, drowning Lola's claims of a rigged bet and Copen's laments about Mytyl's inability to do anything like a normal person.
Reaching once more inside the binder, Mytyl pulled a paper fan, with blue and purple patterns similar to her combat dress. Opening and covering her face, she slowly made her way around the table, her steps meticulous and refined. Between the music and the histrionics, a few tables turned to see what was happening, which in turn got the tables around those to wonder what all the racket was about, creating a domino effect until a good portion of the cafeteria was left wondering if they would wage war against or alongside the Fairy Kingdom once more.
Mytyl stopped upon reaching Jaune, who by now was glancing left and right for an explanation. "Well, well, well, if it isn't the bravest and most gallant knight under the land the sun touches. May I inquire what brings you to my domain, Lord Jaune?"
In lieu of understanding, Jaune fell back and relied on what felt natural: playing along. "I seem to have wandered and lost my way, your Highness."
Mytyl hid a giggle behind her fan. "Not all who wander are lost. Sometimes, they are where they're meant to be. The Fates have a flippant way of guiding those individuals down the road of life. After all, just how whimsical it is for you to end at my doorstep when I was wondering: 'How I should approach Lord Jaune?'"
"A-approach? Jaune stuttered. An inkling of what was actually happening beginning to finally dawn on him.
"Indeed," Mytyl continued. "For you see, my most shining knight, a ball looms on the horizon. A night of frolicking and, most probably, debauchery. Truly an uncouth affair, but one I cannot help but be… intrigued by."
Jaune gulped.
"And it would be amiss for someone of my status to refuse an invitation from the Old Man at the Top of the Lighthouse."
"The Old Man at the Top of the Lighthouse?" Jaune, as well as half of the table, broke character to echo incredulously.
"Just play along," Mytyl scolded, then cleared her throat. "As I was saying, a dull affair, no doubt. But… perhaps less dull with the right company?" Her act crumbled towards the end, insecurity creeping into her voice as it shifted to a higher pitch and her sentence became a question.
The ensuing silence stretched as Jaune failed to make a sound or construct a proper response of any form. Mytyl herself faltered a bit, her smile wavering. But she didn't allow the lack of an answer to deter her. She could see the incredulity on Jaune's face. This wasn't a no, but silence born out from disbelief. She needed to drive home the point. To ask point blank.
She extended a welcoming hand. "So… I ask you, Jaune Arc… will you go to the dance with me?"
For what felt like an eternity plus one, Mytyl stood there, her invitation open. In reality it hasn't even been ten seconds, but it was clear Jaune was too shocked to perform highly complex and mentally taxing tasks such as answering 'Yes or No' questions.
Thankfully, the boy had good friends. A solid whack on the back of his head, courtesy of both GV and Blake, rebooted his higher cognitive functions.
"Yes!" he sputtered. "Of course, my Queen, I would be honored."
Mytyl couldn't help it. She let out an undignified laugh. The mention of her mock title was too much. In the confusion, Jaune forgot to turn down the roleplaying. He was such a dork.
But… Mytyl guessed he was now her dork. Or would be. They needed to iron out those details.
A round of applause roused around them. Right, she gathered an audience. Oh well. She knew it would happen, so it didn't come as much of a surprise. It just slipped her mind in the heat of the moment.
"Finally!" Weiss shouted to the heavens; arms raised in holy praise. "About damn time."
"Language," Ruby mocked the heiress, mimicking Weiss's voice.
"If I had to suffer one more time through Mytyl's making gooey eyes at Jaune, I swear, there was going to be bloody murder!"
"As opposed to bloodless murder?" Yang chimed in. It earned her a withering glare from Weiss. The blond bruiser didn't pay it attention, instead focusing on Mytyl, who returned to her seat. "Though I have to say, Morpho-babe, it did take longer than any of us expected."
"Wait," Jaune abruptly said. His wide eyes flicked across the table. "You all knew?"
…
"Jaune," GV spoke up. "You know how Nora and Ren are together-"
"But not together-together," Nora quickly amended.
"Yeah, that," GV said. "Well… you and Mytyl have been in that same limbo for a good portion of the year. Only difference is that you don't have a name for your 'will they, won't they' dance."
"You're exaggerating." Jaune was in denial.
"Your first interaction with Mytyl was literally the two of you flirting back and forth" Blake pointed out.
After a few seconds, Jaune went "Oooooh," in dawning realization. Mytyl herself wasn't far behind, with a "Oh yeah, that was a thing…" muttered under her breath.
"I will miss the prime entertainment it brought. Even if it was kind of creepy at times," Blake added. You never know what you have until you lose it, after all.
The newly minted provisional couple was saved from further scrutiny as two 'too-much blond' walked to the table in the form of Sun Wukong and Pantera Zonda. The two Haven students looked at each other, surprised to see their counterpart. They narrowed their eyes in unspoken challenge. Without warning, they began an intense match of rock-paper-scissors. After five draws, Pantera was victorious, undercutting Sun with well-placed scissors to his ill-fated paper.
As the winning party, she addressed the befuddled group. "Must admit, Mytyl. You sure know how to make everyone else look bad." She raised her hand high above her head, palm facing down. "You set the bar here and I don't think many of these kids are tall enough to ride."
"But you didn't come here to just say that, did you?" Mytyl smirked, glancing at Yang.
"I didn't," Pantera confirmed with a smirk, staring at the caricature of her and Yang on the board. "Asking people out will only get more difficult after that show, so I decided to cut my losses and eat the relatively lighter punch of being the first to ask her date after you."
"Hohoho," Mytyl mockingly laughed, covering her mouth with her fan. It cost her a pretty amount of lien; might as well make sure she got her money's worth. She was now shamelessly looking at Yang. "And who might be the lucky person?"
"Now, now, Mytyl. I still need to try and make a spectacle out of this. Ruby? Pyrrha? Would you two be champs and make Yang fall backward, off her chair?"
Yang blinked. "What do you WAAAGH!"
Without warning, Yang was flung back thanks to the concerted effort of both her teammates. But she didn't crash into the floor. Instead, she crashed into a mirror, which shattered upon impact, consuming Yang and spitting her out of its counterpart right in front of Pantera; right into the waiting arms of the smug blond-pinkette, who now held her as if the two were dancing.
"You, me, dance. What do you say, my sunny dragon? Overheard it's a terribly dull affair, but less dull with the right company."
Yang babbled incoherently, not helped by the snickering coming from her sister and her partner.
Pantera closed the distance between their faces, their noses gracing. "It's cute when you can't word. Nod for a 'Yes'." It didn't go unnoticed there was no option for a 'No'.
Yang nodded jitterily.
With a giggle, Pantera let go of Yang, who plummeted to the floor as her legs failed her. Or would have, if a mirror hadn't shattered below her, depositing her back on her chair.
"Making an entire scene of this is fun!" Pantera cheerfully said. "Well, I'll take my leave and let Sun 'Anticitizen One' Wukong make his anguish proclamation of love. Later, my little sunshine~" She sent a wink to a still shellshocked Yang.
"…So that was a thing," Ruby broke the silence Pantera left in her wake. "You ok, sis?"
"Blake!" Yang suddenly spouted. "Let's focus on Blake! Sun! Do your thing!"
Sun sheepishly laughed. "Way to put me on the spot. But yeah." He looked at Blake. "So… you want a couple of my clones to fan you and feed you tuna while I ask?"
"Just… ask normally," Blake pleaded. The fact she hadn't outright declined Sun's invitation was taken as a good sign by the faunus boy.
"So… Blake, want to go to dance with me?"
After Mytyl's and Pantera's bombastic proclamations, Sun's sincere and down to earth approach was a surprising and genuine breath of fresh air.
However, Blake didn't answer immediately. "I don't know…"
"Sun will throw in a date at this place with a fantastic tuna salad."
Blake blinked at Kohaku. Was… was that the girl's way of giving her blessings?
"…Ok, I accept." Blake couldn't help an amused smile when Sun pumped his fist in success. "But I'm expecting that tuna salad."
"As you wish." Sun bowed, slowly walking back to his table, where the rest of SSSN were readying to congratulate him.
Seeing no one was about to make another show, the cafeteria suddenly exploded in animated talks about the dance.
-o-
"Ewww, no."
A quintet consisting of Ruby, Pyrrha, Weiss, Mytyl, and Kohaku winced upon witnessing a third-year Beacon boy mercilessly shut down a stupefied second-year Atlas girl.
Mytyl's stunt at the cafeteria had unleashed an unprecedented wave of courage across the students. Just walking down the hall guaranteed you'll stumble upon two to three instances of someone asking someone to the dance. Some took the Sun Wukong Methodology – patent pending – of just asking. Others subscribed more to Mytyl Kamizono's school of high arts, making a spectacle of the entire, simple question. So far, the success rates of the two approaches were even, so there was no conclusive answer to which one was preferable.
"I have unleashed hell upon this world," Mytyl said hauntingly.
"I'm sure whoever unleashed the Grimm beat you to that," Weiss assured her friend.
"Still, ouch," Kohaku said as she finally pried her eyes away from the devastated Atlas girl. "Now I feel kind of bad for saying those words to that douche on the train."
They were making their way to Team RWPY's dorm. The rest of their friends had scattered to the winds for one reason or another. Yang to hunt down Pantera and assert dominance on their 'not a relationship'.
Team Juneberry, alongside GV, spirited their leader away to celebrate his newfound… Mytyl wasn't entirely sure what, but 'date' seemed a safe enough assumption for now.
And Copen went to deal with his lack of date, claiming that he'd rather take Nori than be stuck with Penny calling him "Doctor" the entire night. Naturally, Nori was an absolute last resort in the case ritualistic suicide failed.
They arrived to RWPY's dorm and were met with… a sight. Yeah. That was a good way to put it. A sight. Specifically a sight of Team Cardinal playing cards on the floor in front of the dorm. Only that instead of Russel playing, a corgi had taken his place while the boy hyperventilates into a bag.
"Zwei! What are you doing out of the room!?"
The corgi looked up at his owner and yipped, quickly making his way towards Ruby and pushing his front paws on her legs, asking to be picked up.
"We knocked at your door and your dog answered," Cardin explained, cleaning up their card game. "Then the door closed behind him, so we stuck around waiting for you."
"What were you doing knocking at our door?" Weiss asked.
"We were actually looking for KVKC, but they weren't in their room so we tried yours to see if you knew where they were," Sky said.
"What were you doing knocking at our door?" Mytyl deliberately aped Weiss's question.
"And that is the question, isn't it?" Cardin said. He kicked his partner, who was still hyperventilating on the floor. "You're up, Russel."
The girls looked among themselves. It didn't take a genius to figure out what was happening. It has been the only thing happening since the events at the cafeteria. The question then was… who's it? And given that they knocked at KVKC's door and Mytyl very publicly asked Jaune…
Russel snapped out of his panic… to a degree. He was still shaking like a leaf. Was asking a girl out so nerve-racking? Well… it wasn't like any of them had any legs to stand on in regards to that statement. Even Mytyl had to drown and smother her confession and fear under a mountain of roleplaying. And she's been shamelessly flirting with Jaune for the better part of the year.
"K-K-K-K-" As Russel continued to wear out the letter 'K', all eyes focused on Kohaku. Considering what kickstarted this whole thing, they highly doubted Russel was trying to say 'Kamizono'. For her part, Kohaku was a good sport about it and kept a neutral, if slightly amused, expression, letting Russel to gather his courage.
Cardin didn't have that kind of patience and instead gave Russel another kick, nudging him out of his disc skipping impersonation.
"KOHAKUPLEASEGOTOTHEDANCEWITHME!" It was a bit impressive how Russel managed not to stumble over his own words.
The brunette made a show of mulling over Russel's request, savoring the anxiety pouring out of the poor boy. It didn't last long. Russel truly looked like he was about to pass out due to stress.
"Sure, why not?" She answered. A beat of silence passed before the rest of CRDL erupted in a string of congratulations to their catatonic teammate.
"You sure about this?" Weiss whispered at Kohaku. Memories of CRDL's less than exemplary behavior remained fresh in her mind.
Kohaku shrugged. "I don't have a date to the dance and there's no one I want to ask. Might as well go with Russel. It's not like he has wronged me personally." She brought a hand to her chin, striking a thoughtful pose. "In fact, I would say he's been downright chivalrous."
"He has been crushing on you since before Beacon started."
"CARDIN!" Russel wailed, gripping his leader's shoulders as his cheeks shone a brilliant red.
Kohaku canted her head. "From before Beacon?" She knew Russel was also from Vacuo, but not from Burrow. There was no reason for him to know her back then.
"Oh yeah," Sky said. "Apparently you made quite the impression after threatening to stab some uppity civilian on a train."
"Oh my…" Pyrrha soft exclaimed, scandalized.
"You what!?" Weiss was more overt.
Kohaku snapped her fingers. "Oh yeah! I remember. The guy was hitting on Blake and I butted in, right? So you saw that?" She scratched her lightly red-brushed cheek. "Sheesh, now I'm the one a bit embarrassed."
"Yeah, yeah. Russel likes being stepped on," Cardin said, ignoring Russel's scream of indignation and shame. "Rose, do something about your mutt. Who knows what kind of degenerate can enter your room and go through your drawers."
"Haha, don't be silly Cardin," Ruby said with a beaming grin. "Zwei would have never let such a stranger see the light of day again."
Ruby's smile didn't match the underlying chill in her voice. Cardin shuddered and stopped himself a fraction of a second away from taking a step back. Though now was a good time as any to make a strategic retreat. "We did what we came here for. Now if you excuse us, the boys and I have a dance to prepare for."
Ruby cringed. "I'm gonna have to go shopping, won't I?" She looked at Weiss. "Can I go in a tux? Tux look easy to wear."
"You cannot."
"Fudging heck."
"Oh, CRDL!" Mytyl stopped the team of boys on their track. "We're still looking for dates for Ruby, Pyrrha, and potentially Weiss. Interested?"
Weiss squawked, but went ignored in favor of a thoughtful reply from Cardin. "Sorry, but we all have dates already."
"People agreed to go to dates with you!?" Weiss asked, horrified.
"Oi!" Kohaku exclaimed, offended. She had just agreed to be Russel's date.
"You're not even a consolation prize, Princess," Cardin retorted, arms crossed and scowl on his face. "I bet you haven't even been asked once."
The heiress snapped her mouth shut. Before she could compose herself and yell back, Mytyl spoke up.
"You asked for that, Weiss," the lavender-haired girl said with a sigh.
"Who are the lucky people?" Ruby asked.
"Why are you two so buddy-buddy with CRDL?"
Ruby shrugged at her partner. "Leadership class, I guess."
"CRDL has mellowed since Forever Fall," Pyrrha chipped in.
"Thanks for the faint praises," Cardin deadpanned. He looked at Mytyl. "Sky asked that Pygmalion fellow, Dove got asked by some green-haired chick that looked Vacuan, and I," Cardin paused for a second, "and I don't think I'm in liberty to out my date."
"Ooooh, so mysterious," Mytyl teased. She gave them two thumbs up. "Still, nice. Glad I could be an inspiration."
"Don't flatter yourself so much. Good luck on your dates. Except you, Schnee."
"Hey!" Weiss's protest went ignored as CRDL retreated. Once they were out of earshot, she sent a pitiful look at her friends. "I'm not that undesirable… right?"
"You're not…" Mytyl assured her.
"But?" Weiss could hear the 'but'' that lingered at the end.
"But you are famous enough," Pyrrha said empathetically.
"And you are a bit… prickly," Mytyl said.
"And crabby," Ruby added.
"One or the other wouldn't completely scare boys. But the combination…" Mytyl vaguely gestured with her hands, letting Weiss to finish the thought.
"In other words, you're unapproachable," Kohaku summarized. "My guess is Copen suffers a bit of the same, right?" She asked Mytyl.
The leader of KVKC nodded. "Makes me a bit glad I wasn't in the public limelight growing up." She stepped into Team Rupee's dorm as Ruby led the way, Zwei panting happily in hand. "Then again, I did ask the one boy dense enough to have no idea who Pyrrha or Weiss were, and who even flirted with the latter. I probably picked easy mode." She sent Weiss a wry look. "Might want to keep your distance from my Jaune, Weiss. I would hate for you to be Nori'd."
"Yeah, yeah," Weiss said dejectedly as she sat on the bed, taking Zwei with her for some comfort. "Cannot say I know how to socialize with those kinds of goals in mind, either. Maybe asking Neptune out and just having a fun night is the right idea."
"As long as you are aware of Neptune's expectations," Mytyl said as a last warning. "You should ask him soon. I doubt someone like him will remain unasked once girls not from Haven realize he's available. So that leaves Pyrrha and Ruby without a date."
"You're still harping about that?"
"Let me be, Weiss."
"Don't worry about me," Ruby said, picking up Zwei from Weiss. "Anyhow, I'm gonna take Zwei for a little walk. See you soon."
Ruby left without much preamble, leaving an uncomfortable silence behind.
"Is it me, or does Ruby look a bit… down?" Pyrrha asked.
"It's not only you," Weiss confirmed. "Guess even that dolt has some pride to get bruised..."
-o-
On one hand, she thought she played it off quite well. She was just taking Zwei for a walk, letting the little corgi stretch his legs and respond to nature's call, so to speak.
On the other, her friends were perceptive. Especially Weiss and Mytyl, both trained on picking up social cues. Ruby wouldn't be surprised if they realized she wasn't thrilled about people talking left and right about dates to that stupid dance.
She sat on a bench while Zwei waddled close by, drawing attention and adoration from anyone with a pulse that walked by. Those that ignored him probably had shriveled, black hearts incapable of even such basic life-sustaining function.
How she envies those husks, capable of carrying on, blissfully unaware of the aches of living. Ok, she was being dramatic, but could you blame her? She hadn't cared about the dance, but being vocally shot down by a boy she hadn't even asked – and who she wouldn't have mind going with to boot – stung more than she cared to admit out loud.
Stupid GV. Or more accurately, stupid Mytyl for putting them on the spot. And now she couldn't stop thinking about not having a date, when before she couldn't have cared less.
Not far from where she was resting, another couple confessed their undying love to each other. Undying love that would probably last, at most, a year or so.
She wasn't sour about the whole thing, she insisted to herself. She was just being realistic! This was stupid. Mytyl was stupid. GV was stupid. Yang was stupid. The dance was stupid…
So caught she was on the stupidity of it all that she failed to notice Zwei returning to her. It wasn't until the tiny dog barked a high pitched yip that Ruby finally stopped her accusations of stupidity long enough to notice Zwei.
And to notice what he held on his mouth. "What you have there?" Ruby asked, offering a palm where Zwei promptly deposited the object.
An obviously fake red rose. How obvious? Ruby was sure roses weren't supposed to be this rigid. Or the stem the same red color as the rose itself. Or the texture to be… stringy? Actually, now that she took a closer look, it reminded her of a 3D printed object.
"Do you like it?" A boyish, if somewhat hesitant, voice snapped Ruby out of her reverie. With an owlish face, she looked up to meet the owner of such a voice.
-o-
"So it's decided. Tomorrow afternoon we're going dress shopping. Spare no expenses!"
"Mytyl… can't I just go with the dress I already have?" Pyrrha asked. "I don't want to be an inconvenience."
"No," Mytyl said definitively. "No friend of mine is going with that red abomination you call a dress. I still cannot comprehend how your agent allowed that thing to come into your possession."
"It's not that bad," Pyrrha muttered. "Besides, it's not like I have a date."
"Relax. Even if you don't get a date, I'm sure there's some prideful hotshot willing to ask for a dance or two. Need to look the part, though."
-o-
Somewhere in the visitor's wing where the Atlas students were staying, a purple-haired boy with a streak of white hair sneezed.
"You're not dying on us, are you, Boss?" Merak nonchalantly asked. More to fill in the silence than any genuine curiosity, as he worked on maintenance for both his and Elise's weapons.
"Old Mistrali has it that when you sneeze, someone is speaking ill of you," Elise chipped in.
"Let the rabble speak, then," Nova said, dismissing such baseless superstitions.
The door to their lent dorm opened. A dispirited Viper shambled in.
"Hey there, buddy," Merak singsong, earning a tired glare from Viper. "Got any dates?"
Viper wanted to wipe Merak's smirk so badly. But he refrained. It wasn't worth earning Nova's disapproval. "Tomorrow I'll challenge that blond doofus for the hand of Mytyl Kamizono."
"No you won't," Nova ordered with absolute authority. "Pick a fight like that and I'll personally pull us out of the tournament and into the first ship bound to Atlas."
That earned Viper's grumble and reluctant agreement, and Merak's and Elise's amused snickers.
"By the way, Eli…"
"Yeah, yeah. I'll take you out for dinner tomorrow." Elise said to Merak. She didn't really mind losing this particular bet. In fact, she was looking forward to it. No reason to wait until Saturday next week.
-o-
"You think so?" Pyrrha asked, a tinge of hopefulness in her voice.
"At the very least I'll ask you to dance," Mytyl assured her. "Even if I have to wear my own suit."
"Now there's an idea," Kohaku trailed off, remembering she also owned a suit herself, courtesy of one Mytyl Kamizono.
"No," Mytyl scolded Kohaku. "We want to knock the socks out of our dates. And that's done with dresses and impeccable make-up. I already drafted Nori into our preparation and I'm currently preparing a polite, but stern, letter to my brother and GV to GTFO of our room on Saturday."
It clicked. Weiss's eyes widened as it finally clicked. As she finally understood why Mytyl was so driven to make that night perfect. It hadn't been any single thing. At first, she thought it was just the fact she was going to the dance with Jaune. But… this went beyond that.
"Mytyl… this is the first time going to a party like this, isn't it?"
Pyrrha and Kohaku focused on Mytyl, who was now blushing madly and averting her eyes.
"Ah, that's adorable," Pyrrha gushed, trapping Mytyl in a hug before the girl had time to react. Smothering her.
"Cannot…breathe," Mytyl wheezed.
"Then I guess it's unanimous," Kohaku said. "We are making this dance the best damn party ever. For Mytyl's sake. We need to begin planning how to spike the punch…"
Freed from Pyrrha's grasp, Mytyl watched as Weiss and Kohaku debated the propriety of introducing alcohol into a Beacon-sponsored event. She couldn't help it and laughed. Even if it flustered her a bit, it also warmed her heart to know they were willing to go the extra mile to humor her and make the night special.
The door to the dorm opened, revealing a pale-faced Ruby. Zwei ran into the room, making a beeline towards Weiss, begging the heiress to pick him up.
"Ruby… are you ok?" Pyrrha asked, worryingly looking at her team leader from head to toe. She noticed the fake red rose tightly held on Ruby's hands.
The young girl looked blankly around the room, looking, but not quite recognizing, the presence of her friends.
"Ruby?" Weiss tried again, attempting to elicit a response.
The red-haired girl finally snapped out of her stupor, slowly beginning to form words.
"I… I think I…. have a date?"
Author's Notes
I like this chapter. It's one of those I've planned since almost the beginning, even if the end result is not exactly what I imagined back then. Let's do the rundown.
Chapter's name: I had no idea what to call this chapter, so I named it after something silly.
Nori's name: Is too close to Nora. I misread both names while working on this chapter.
Mytyl's non-apology: The girl is imploring to a degree of unconditional friendship. It's a band-aid to the actual problem. Let's see how long that lasts.
It's still you: A little phrase, but originally it was written as "you are still yourself". So why did I change it? Because I like Undertale and the phrase "Despite everything, it's still you" is one of my favorite lines in media. It's just such a poignant and fundamentally powerful statement.
Mytyl/Jaune: With this chapter I can officially state that this is one of the fics romantic pairings. At least for now. Just like I originally didn't intend for this ship when I began writing KVKV, I could change my mind and write them breaking up. But for now, rejoice Fairy Knight fans!
This ship was born after how I really liked Jaune's and Mytyl's first interaction. It just felt right to me. Having them flirt (without either of them fully realizing their own feelings) was tons of fun. Looking forward to writing more.
All the other ships: Mytyl/Jaune is the most "safe" ship right now, so to speak. Every other ship is less "shipping" and more "characters exploring romance". As such, I don't recommend becoming fond of them. That said, let's talk about a couple of them.
The canon-explored ones: Blake/Sun and Weiss/Neptune are there mostly because I don't really have the time or space to explore exclusively new ships. I feel these ships are serviceable enough for what I need. Low risk, moderate reward, if you will. And they're not even ships per se, but exploration of a very human experience: romance. Shipping implies that's the end goal, but that isn't the case here.
Kohaku and Russel: I planned this one from the very beginning. Part of my campaign to humanize CRDL instead of leaving them as the caricatures they were in canon. Same reason I gave the rest of CRDL dates to the dance.
Yang and Pantera: I already clued in to this one before. Not sure if it will stick, but I find it interesting to pit Yang against someone just as, if flirtier than herself.
Ruby: She's interesting because canon doesn't really suggest a pairing with one character or another. Not Weiss, not Jaune, not Penny; regardless of what anyone might tell you. It's why ace!Ruby is a popular interpretation. I'm not interested in exploring any of that. I think I made it pretty obvious, but can you guess who asked Ruby at the end?
Pyrrha's abominable red dress: That thing truly was hideous. Good riddance.
Chekhov's Gun: Man, a bunch of seeds I planted ages ago are starting to sprout. Nori offhandedly mentioning Glynda in a text back in Chapter 18: A date in Vale, Russel being in the background during Chapter 3: K, as well as how he acts around Kohaku during their fight in Chapter 13: Fight! Part 1 and during the events in Forever Fall, the flirting between Mytyl and Jaune, the hints in regard to Qrow, and more.
Reviews
Nanairo the Keyblade Samurai: Maybe a little like Nora, but Nora is still more Nora than Elise. I do want to give these characters happier backstories. And there isn't much to do with canon Elise beyond the nervous wreck she was. I'm still trying to integrate details of their original self in the stories, like the confidence from one of her personalities and the occasional meekness from her original self.