Author's Notes
Ok, bit of an announcement: I got a job. A proper 8-5 job, I mean. So my already flaky writing time will probably take a hit. Or not. I don't know. We'll see.
Chapter 42: Glaives, Grimoires, and Falcons
Monday rushed in like a stampede, threatening to trample anyone unprepared. Classes were off. The entirety of Beacon was buzzing with excitement. With the teams participating in the tournament chosen, today was the day when the cask will blow open. The first chance for teams to look at the competition and begin preparing in full force.
And nobody was as excited as one Weiss Schnee. "Oooooooh, I cannot wait! It's here! The day is finally here. All four kingdoms under a roof!" She turned around, eyes sparkling. "Isn't this exciting?"
Along with Mytyl, Ruby, and Lumen, the heiress stood on Beacon's docks, giddily looking up at the Atlasian cruiser currently awaiting a chance to land and deposit its passengers.
Ruby leaned towards Mytyl. "Déjà vu?"
Mytyl nodded. "Déjà vu," she said softly, her throat feeling well enough to speak without assistance.
Weiss huffed and put her hands on her hips. "Would it kill you to humor me? This is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You should be humbled to live it!"
"Isn't the Vytal Festival a once every two years event?" Lumen asked.
"Yep," Ruby popped.
"Truly the epoch of our times," Mytyl drawled with a smirk.
Crossing her arms, Weiss looked Mytyl from head to toe and back. "Aren't you sassy today? Make out with tall, blonde, and scraggly?"
Mytyl squawked indignantly. Ruby giggled and Lumen 'Ooooooooh' around Mytyl.
"We did not," Mytyl managed to say, face still blushing furiously.
"I will never understand what you see in that dolt," Weiss lamented at her friend's poor tastes.
"Jaune is a good guy," Ruby defended said blond. "Just let it be."
"Yeah," Lumen chimed in. "You don't see us questioning your infatuation with that Neptune guy."
"But you did make up, right?" Weiss pressed on. Quickly. Too quickly. If she pretends she didn't hear Lumen hard enough, it might as well be true. "Arc wasn't giving you the cold shoulder this morning." He wasn't actively talking to Mytyl, either, but it was leagues better than the indifference from the week before.
"We talked," Mytyl said. "We… came to an understanding. But he's still wary."
"And he will remain wary until you open up," Ruby pointed out. "Two-way street and all."
Weiss nodded. "She's right. You didn't solve the issue. You just asked for a loan. And sooner rather than later, Jaune will ask you to pay up. And you better do, if you value his trust."
"I know…" Mytyl said despondently. "I'm… trying to gather my courage."
"You'll get there!" Ruby assured brightly. "And if you don't… well, I'll push you off the proverbial cliff to swim or sink."
"So rough…"
"Since when are you a fount of social wisdom?" Weiss asked Ruby.
"Since Big Bro Copen decided no little sister of his was allowed to be socially inept!"
A wicked smirk grace Mytyl's face. "Careful Ruby. Being Copen's little sister is all fun and games until you start developing feelings for his brooding charms. It's too late for me, but you can still back out."
"Ewww." Weiss took a step away from Mytyl.
"Wha-I -no- IT'S N-NOT LIKE THAT!" Ruby stammered, face redder than the tip of her hair. She made a valiant effort to recover. "Let's go back to bullying Weiss! I liked that!"
Weiss pouted and crossed her arms. "If you don't want to be here, feel free to leave and hang out with someone else today."
"It's not like that. We don't like it, but we like you!" Mytyl offered.
Ruby gave two thumbs up. "We are besties! We are here to support your weird fascination with society."
"That's…" Weiss tried to find words. Ultimately, she opted for the safest choice. "…weird. But strangely touching. So thanks… I guess."
"You got it, bestie!"
"I also was told to come here," Mytyl admitted with a shrug. "So was Copen, but he knows better than to follow Dad's instructions to the letter."
"And you don't?" Weiss asked.
"I am Daddy's Little Princess. Whatever he planned, is not meant for me."
"It's moving!" Ruby pointed at the descending cruiser. Weiss stood in attention while Mytyl swayed a bit, nervous about what was in store for her. The machine docked, hovering a few feet over the floor as it lowered its door.
As soon as the first students of Atlas Academy touch floor, Ruby had to comment. "I am suddenly so glad about Beacon's uniform."
"Preach," Mytyl agreed, caressing her own clothes, making sure it was there and not replaced with the drab white and gray of Atlas.
"Is not that…" Weiss tried. She truly tried. But she couldn't.
"They're hideous!" Lumen commented. "And I'm a robot. I have no fashion sense!"
"Not so loud! They'll hear us!"
A female student that looked like she was barely awake placed a hand on Weiss shoulder as she passed by. "Don't worry. We agree." She continued zombie walking towards the academy, yawning her way forward.
"So… that was a thing," Ruby laughed sheepishly.
The last few students exited the vehicle. And following them, two imposing women. Not physically, but in the way they portrayed themselves.
Weiss's and Mytyl's eyes widened.
"WINTER!" "Nori?"
The Schnee heiress ran towards her sister, stopping a few inches shy of ramming the older Schnee. "Winter!" She repeated with even more excitement.
Winter smiled warmly. "Hello, Weiss."
Ruby and Mytyl joined their friend. It was so strange seeing Weiss this openly happy.
And Weiss didn't care what people thought. "What are you doing here?"
"Military business. So…"
Her exuberance lowered a bit. "Classified," she said, having heard the excuse many times before.
"But I'm expected to be around for the entirety of the Festival, so we can look forward to that." Her eyes shifted towards Ruby and Mytyl. "And these are?"
Weiss cleared her throat. "Winter. This is my friend, partner, and team leader, Ruby Rose."
"A pleasure to make your acquaintance." Ruby curtsied. Mytyl didn't bother hiding her short burst of laughter at the act and words.
"And this is my friend, Mytyl Kamizono."
"So you're the infamous Arms Princess," Winter said slowly.
Rather than responding to Winter, Mytyl glared at Nori. "Nori," she hissed.
"Guilty as charged," the maid greeted back. "Good to see you in relatively good health, my Lady."
"Infamous?" Weiss asked.
"My knowledge on Miss Kamizono extends to her family name and the image Miss Nori painted on our trip here. It was… an exciting image."
'For lack of a more appropriate term,' went unsaid.
"That seems to be a recurring theme with the Kamizono," Weiss nodded sagely.
"Hey!"
"Nice to finally meet you, Miss… Nori?" Weiss half-said, half-asked.
"No last name?" Ruby wasn't nearly as subtle.
"Not one I care about," Nori explained. "I would love to continue our chat, but Winter and I have to meet with the Deputy Headmistress. And you have a speech to listen to.
"Oh, and Lady Mytyl?" – Mytyl gulped at the sudden edge in Nori's tone – "You and I must have a word as soon as possible."
Mytyl nodded.
"It was a pleasure to meet you," Winter said to Ruby and Mytyl. "We'll catch up later, Weiss."
"Looking forward to it, Winter."
-o-
He yawned.
In response, she yawned.
Meeting the challenge for what it was, he yawned louder.
Not to be outdone, her yawn met and surpassed his.
Not out of the competition yet, he yawned a yawn worthy of a page-long description.
She pulled the big guns, and yawned like no one ever has.
"BY THE GODS! CAN THE TWO OF YOU BE ANY MORE OBNOXIOUS!?"
The sandy-haired boy and gray-haired girl looked at their red-haired companion, then at each other. They yawned in unison, creating a harmonious melody that threatened to lull into sleep anyone unfortunate enough to hear it.
A foreign yawn was heard in the vicinity. The red-haired boy gritted his teeth.
A fourth laughed. "I don't know what you were expecting."
"Excuse me for desiring some goddamn peace!"
"Your fault for having unrealistic expectations," the yawning boy expressed.
"You shouldn't aspire for the sun when you cannot even grasp the dirt," the girl nodded sagely.
"…I will kill both of you and nobody will even blame me." The volatile boy made to stomp towards his two teammates, the skittery girl hiding behind her aloof partner. But the altercation was cut short by their commanding team leader grabbing his own partner by the scruff of his shirt before he could charge in.
"Enough!" His command immediately took hold, despite the underlying softness of his voice. His team stood in attention. "Viper, don't attack your teammates for stupid reasons. Merak, don't goad your teammates. Elise, don't play along with Merak when he's goading your teammates.
Viper scoffed.
Merak drawled out a "Fiiiinnneeee."
Elise nodded and whispered a meek "Ok".
Seeing no impending brawl, their leader let go of Viper. "Though he does have a point. Why are you two so tired?"
Elise laughed nervously and looked away. Merak wasn't anywhere near as bashful. "Eli and I participated in an Autumn Records raid last night. We even met up with a buddy that's been too busy to play lately."
"…we were in the middle of transoceanic flight."
"I fail to see how that's relevant."
Their leader sighed. "I don't want to know. I don't want to have to lie to Headmaster Ironwood. Just be in your best behavior."
"We are always in our best behavior," Merak claimed. Elise nodded vehemently next to him.
Their leader turned and continued walking, trusting his teammates to fall in line. And they did. If he was proud of something, was running a tight ship.
He was confident Team NVVA was a force to be reckoned in the tournament.
-o-
"Heya, Copen."
Copen, Yang, and Pyrrha turned to face Ruby.
"No 'Big Brother Copen?'" They asked in unison.
"I-I'm leaving my options open, ok?"
Yang narrowed her eyes. She looked at Copen. "I'm watching you, Tiger."
"I should be watching for myself," Copen claimed. "She stole my jacket."
Yang blinked. Then looked at the horizon. "Oh god. You're already at that stage of the relationship…"
"YANG!" Ruby futilely hit her sister's arm with her fists.
Copen ignored them. "So, what did Dad do?"
"He sent Nori," Mytyl said gloomily.
"Oh."
"That sounds about right. Did we miss anything?"
"No," Pyrrha answered, looking at the audience gathered in the auditorium. "We're waiting for all transfer students to settle in."
"Right. Right," Mytyl nodded. "Quick question. Where's the rest of my team?"
Copen responded. "Kohaku wanted to meet the rest of SSSN, who wanted to meet Blake, who wanted Volt and Jaune to back her up. So they should be somewhere around."
"Sheesh," Yang scratched her head. "You guys cannot keep this simple, can you?"
She yelped as a pair of arms wrapped around her shoulders from behind. A sly face of a blond-pinkette was awfully close to Yang's own. "Simplicity lacks beauty, my lovely sun~"
"Get a room, both of you," Weiss shrieked, a blush on her face.
"Maybe we will." Pantera winked. Yang silently screamed at Ruby for help. The traitor ignored her, having acquired sweets from a bag Asroc was holding. The sweets bought her blind eyes. Betrayed by her own blood. The inhumanity.
"Yo, AvengeriX, solid gamer cred during that sick raid!" Teseo waved at Copen, who groaned at the use of his embarrassing username. Gibril and Asroc stood close by. You could see their opinion of Copen lowering by the second.
"What have you guys been up to?" Ruby asked Team Phantasmagoria between munching.
"Same as you," Pantera answered, still clinging to Yang's flushed form. "Laying low. Being students. Gossiping." Pantera's sly smile sharpened. "Earning your trust in a bid to learn your deepest secrets so we can lay waste to whatever feeble strategy you muster in time for the tournament."
"Oh…" Ruby said with a hurt expression. And immediately replaced it with a smirk of her own. "Neat. I was beginning to feel bad about doing the same to you."
Everyone blinked owlishly at Ruby, who picked another cookie from Asroc's bag. The image of innocence. Pantera was the first to burst into laughter. "Well, well, well, little Rose. Seems like you do have thorns after all. You might just make me swoon." Her eyes shined with a competitive glint. "I fully expect a clash between RWBY and PTGA to be dazzling. Do not disappoint."
Movement and noise from the stage ended their conversation. Soon enough, Ozpin took center stage, his presence silencing the auditorium in an instant.
"I want to welcome all of you. I hope your stay at Beacon will prove to be fruitful. A chance to learn and expand your horizons. To grow in ways that few others are afforded.
"Today we stand together. Four kingdoms, each unique and outstanding in their own way, met eighty years after a war that searched to destroy Remnant as we know it. The fact that we stand here as allies is proof that we can overcome our differences. That ignorance, greed, and oppression are not insurmountable obstacles. Almost eighty years ago, we stood at the brink of the abyss. The very concept of individualism, the concept of 'self', was threatened. Threatened by fear, and the desperate actions that those who succumb to it are willing to take. Fear remains. It will always be there, taking on new forms that erode the foundations of society.
"Today I stand in the presence of Huntsmen and Huntresses from around all Remnant. As Hunters, it is your job to surpass this fear. To look at it in the face and fight back. You are today's protectors of the freedom we fought so vehemently to ensure those eighty years ago. The path ahead is hazardous and rife with dangers, but I believe each and every one of you is capable of not only overcoming it, but succeeding beyond our wildest expectations. Remember your training. Remember what you are fighting for. And keep moving forward."
A round of applause followed Ozpin as he exited. The students began to disperse.
"Welp, is official," Teseo intonated with a punch to his open palm. "The Vytal Festival is a go! May the odds be every single bit in our favor."
"Well said, Tessie!" Pantera cheered. She addressed the Beacon students. "We're going to meet with some of Haven's other teams later. Want to come? Do some good ol' fashion networking?"
"Sure," Mytyl said and waved her goodbye. "See you soon."
"Hey! Let me go!" Yang quickly said, struggling to break from Pantera's grip.
"Nope! You're my cuddling buddy for today!" The whimsical Haven student informed as they made their exit. Yang extended a hand towards her team, in a bid to be rescued.
"There goes a patriot," Ruby gave a military salute while munching on cookies.
"The bravest Huntress I never wished to have met," Weiss placed a hand over her chest, dedicating her heart.
"You'll be missed," Pyrrha sent a prayer.
The remaining group of five waited for the auditorium to empty a bit before they attempted to make an exit. But they were stopped by an ear rupturing voice booming from behind.
"WELL, WELL, WELL, WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE?"
The group turned around to face the owner of such a loud voice. And where met with a short girl speaking through a megaphone. Her pink hair was long and flowing, with a pair of braids peeking at the sides and tied together at the back. Her dark green eyes pierced through her white bottom rimmed eyeglasses, straight into Mytyl.
Her lack of uniform marked her as a Shade student… thought to say she was out of uniform was not accurate. Her outfit was a military ensemble, primarily dark blue, with pink, white, black, and gold trims strategically placed to accentuate it. A short skirt with black leggings and black combat boots made up her bottom half. A white shirt with a black necktie – which had a green gem on the knot – lay beneath her uniform. White gloves covered her hands. And a dark-blue short cape with pink trims and underside wrapped everything together.
Never mind her size. Clothes make the superhero and this girl looked like it took that bit of advice to heart. It was fashionable, as expected of a Huntress. It was intimidating, with the military slant. It looked expensive, with not a single piece of fabric haphazardly thrown together.
It didn't look like it belonged in Vacuo.
"Are you looking at this?" the girl asked.
"I'm looking" a dark skinned boy next to her spoke up, looking through his sunglasses, drawing attention to himself. He wore the standard Atlas uniform, but if his shades and swagger meant anything, the guy could probably pull a look once out of Atlas's looming fashion disaster.
"Tell me what you see," the girl continued.
"I see many things."
"Such as?"
"Many things. I see chaff. I see superfluity. I see 'trying too hard'."
"Is that so? Because I see a poser, my good man"
"A fake-ass simpering bootlicker."
Everyone gawked at the duo. Everyone but two people. Copen, who was facepalming and asking the gods for a moment of respite. And Mytyl, the target of such a vicious mockery, grinning ear to ear.
Not that Weiss noticed. "Are you slandering my friend's name!?"
"I only speak the truth, Miss Schnee," the pink-haired girl said. "Hot, fresh out of the sizzling stir fry truth."
Her accomplice hissed. "Ssssssss, spicy. Too spicy for you, Princess."
To all of this, the one that should be offended… wasn't.
"ISOLA! FLYNT!" Mytyl tackled both offenders into a hug, squeezing them as much as her own short arm span allowed her too while laughing. "I didn't know you became Hunters!"
"Sis… you knew they were in prep school…" Copen lamented.
Flynt looked at his partner in crime. "You didn't warn me she would hug us!"
"I wasn't expecting her to be this dense!" Isola struggled to get out. "Let go, you idiot!"
Mytyl just laughed more at the pinkette's feeble attempts at prying her off. Seeing Mytyl's happiness calmed the rest of them. The previous vitriol thrown at Mytyl seemed to have been in jest.
"So you're Mytyl's friends?" Ruby asked.
"FUCK NO!"
…Ok, so maybe the vitriol was real and Mytyl wasn't the brightest bulb around. Everyone looked at Copen for answers, the boy peeking through his fingers at the events unfolding.
"Care to explain?" Weiss prompted.
He sighed. "Isola Exsia and Flynt Coal. They were Mytyl's classmates in her music lessons."
"Wait," Ruby interrupted him. "The same lessons where Mytyl made enemies out of everyone in class?"
"The very same."
Flynt finally managed to push Mytyl away. The girl didn't mind, bouncing a few steps back, never losing her smile.
"I see our reputation precedes us," Isola said, addressing the rest of them. "Whatever Mytyl says about me, they are lies. Damn lies, even."
"Don't be silly, Isola. We are friends! I would never badmouth a friend."
"We are definitely not friends."
"Especially not when you befriended a Schnee," Flynt added. Before Weiss could complain, Isola elbowed Flynt on the stomach.
"Keep your hate boner in your pants. Not the time. Point is, we are not that… that… that two-cent, sweet talking harlot's friends."
"We like to insult each other to show our friendship," Mytyl explained. She looked at Isola. "You bubblegum-haired hussy." Her insult lacked edges.
"YOU ARE MY ENEMY! THE ENEMY! "
They were getting nowhere. The gang looked at Copen in askance.
"Mytyl came out of nowhere and won first billing in a recital. She swiftly made enemies with everyone right there and then."
Mytytl nodded with underserved wisdom. "And you know what they say: Enemies are just friends you haven't convinced yet."
Both Isola and Flynt gawked. Isola was the first to speak. "Wha… what kind of mental gymnastics were required to reach THAT conclusion?"
"Infatuation," Weiss deadpanned. It earned her Mytyl's flustered indignation, the lavender her whining and trying to push Weiss away to avoid further embarrassment.
"Ummmm," Pyrrha spoke up. "Maybe we should get moving?" By now, only stragglers were left in the auditorium.
"I am hungry," Mytyl said. She grabbed Isola and Flynt by their hands. "Come, let me give you a tour of Beacon, express version." She didn't wait to answer, dragging the two bewildered frenemies with her and leaving the rest to follow
-o-
"It's official. Atlas's food should be considered a war crime!" Merak said, shoveling his third plate of food. Elise agreed wholeheartedly, swallowing her own meal with only the bare minimum of chewing. Viper wasn't that far behind in lack of table manners.
And Nova wouldn't admit it aloud, but… Merak was right. He didn't know if it was because of the exchange students, but the meal was leagues above Atlas's Academy, which prioritized nutrition over satisfaction.
Without warning, Elise went ramrod and began looking around frantically, her purple eyes sweeping the cafeteria.
"What's the matter?" Nova asked.
"My Autumn Records senses are tingling."
Oh. False alarm. Nova thought it might be something important. He returned to enjoying his meal. Let Merak and Elise deal with their obsession on their own.
"What do you mean?" Merak asked, interested in his partner's observation.
"I think I heard someone talking about AR."
With two sets of eyes on the job, they began carefully observing everyone in the cafeteria. It was packed. Nova had no idea what the two geeks were hoping to achieve, but he sure as hell wasn't going to get roped into it.
"You two should worry less about your games and more about the tournament," Viper said. "We are in the enemies' den. We have to be vigilant. Do not fraternize with the enemy."
"Said the lowest ranked member of Team Nova. The second-in-command snarky retort to his teammate's half-cooked and woefully inept attitude fanned the anger in his soul…" Merak said as he continued observing the cafeteria.
"You are not second-in-command!" Viper slammed his fist on the table. Elise giggled at the accurate prediction of how Viper would react. It only served to further incense Viper. "Nova, tell these two they are wrong."
Nova sighed. "Team Nova does not believe that any member of the team contributes less or more than any other."
"Now tell them I'm the second-in-command, as your partner."
"Now, now, let's not get hasty."
That broke the dam. Elise laughed while Merak chuckled. Viper didn't find the humor in Nova's dismissal. Emboldened, Elise leaned forward and chipped in. "So… if Nova is our boss, you're not second-in-command, and I'm more useful than you… then Merak was right. He is second-in-command and you are the lowest ranked member of Team Nova."
"…I really hate it when you get cocky like that," Viper sulked into his seat. Elise scratched her cheek nervously, offering her teammate a silent apology. Something caught her attention. She turned around, focusing on a few tables down the aisle.
"There!" She pointed at the table, where a medley of Beacon and Haven students were mingling. "The blond one?"
"Which one?" Merak asked.
"Bpth. The short one and the scraggly one," Elise elaborated. She blinked. "Though monkey faunus has a nice pair of abs." That got Merak to shield her eyes from such an indecent display. Pity.
"How do you know those guys are talking about your stupid game?" Viper was genuinely curious.
Elise bent to pick something from the floor. Rising, she twirled a snake-shaped bracelet on her fingers.
Nova sighed. "Do not be so cavalier using your Semblance like that. While I don't agree at face value with your previous assessment, you were right calling yourself an asset to the team. But that's only true if you don't reveal your hand."
"Chill, Nova," Merak placated their leader. "If anything, adding a bit of misdirection Is beneficial. Get people to underestimate Elise." He looked at his partner. "But enough of that. We're recruiting."
Elise nodded quickly and repeatedly, her expression one of full determination. With rehearsed movements, the last V and A of Team NVVA stood up and made a beeline to their target.
Nova picked a napkin and snobbishly cleaned his mouth.
"You're just gonna let them ditch us like that to fraternize with the enemy?" Viper asked.
Nova raised an eyebrow. "You're going to stop them?"
…
Viper returned to devouring his food.
-o-
"And then Jaune rose from the ashes of our wiped out party – he has a Legendary artifact that let him do that once per fight – and used every last bit of his Aura gauge to revive the strongest fighters of the raid, leading them in one last push towards victory. It was clutch."
Two boys – a dark-skinned one with green hair and a pale one with red hair – look owlishly as Gun Volt concluded his grand tale of friendship, struggles, and dangerous amounts of energy drinks.
"Ok… I stand corrected. Online gaming is pretty hardcore. Where do I sign up?" the green-haired boy said.
"Sage, no. That's what Sun wants. Distract us from him ditching us," the other boy scolded.
"Just admit I made cool friends out of the nerdiest students at Beacon, Scarlet," Sun said.
"Hope none is as cool as me," Kohaku commented.
"Never. You will always be the coolest, Kohi." Sun looked at Blake. "You're cool with this, right Blake?"
The bookworm catgirl looked up from her book. "Don't drag me into this. Jaune's nerdery is more than enough."
"Intellectual," Jaune, Neptune, and Nora corrected simultaneously, before doing a threefold fist bump. Blake rolled her eyes and went back to her reading.
"My boy Xiao is impressed, Jaune," GV said. "He's extending an alliance between our guilds."
"Gonna have to bring it up to the higher ups," Jaune informed. "Such an alliance will shake the societal foundations of Autumn Records."
"We're still talking about games, right?" Sage asked Scarlet.
"No idea," Scarlet responded.
"'My boy Xiao'," Blake mumbled. "Why does that name sound familiar?"
"It better should," GV said. "Otherwise you make for a very poor Faunus Princess, Blake."
Blake's eyes widened. "You mean-"
"Already asked him, Blake. Remember?" GV cut her off.
"Ahem!"
Every member of JNBR and SSSN, plus Kohaku, switched their attention to the Atlas duo that interrupted them.
"Good afternoon," the boy began, "I hope you find yourself in good health. My partner and I couldn't help but overhear some snippets of your conversation, and we-"
"Do you play Autumn Records!?" The girl interrupted, having lost her patience with her partner's long-winded introduction. "Join our guild!"
"Elise…" Merak lamented as he facepalmed. "We don't even know if they're good."
Jaune and GV looked at each other, then at the duo. "We play," Jaune ventured. "But we already have our guilds."
"Ours is bigger and better," Elise proudly proclaimed.
"Bigger than mine? Sure," GV conceded. "But we're more of a mercenary guild..."
"But bigger than the September Glaives?" Jaune asked, doubt drenching his every word.
Elise blinked. "Oh… you already belong to our guild… what's your username?"
Jaune scratched the back of his head, unused to the attention and to the very real possibility of being recognized after what he did yesterday. "Well… ArkKnight."
A beat went by. Elise's eyes widened as recognition washed over, her mouth forming a small 'o'. Without warning, she tackled Jaune into a hug and squealed.
"Ohmygosh, it's you!" She took out her scroll and activated the camera. "Merak, quick, let's take a selfie. Smile!"
A flash blinded Jaune. When he recovered sight, he was looking at a picture of himself, Elise, Merak, and, in the corner of the photo, GV. Elise was beaming. Merak and GV kept straight faces, the latter giving a 'V' sign at the camera. It was ridiculous.
Elise hummed happily, fiddling with her scroll. Merak gave Jaune an apologetic look. "By the end of the day, you'll be the guild's talk. Everyone will know your face and that you attend Beacon." Merak eyed him up and down. "So this is the IRL stuff you've been busy with…"
Jaune laughed sheepishly. "Yeah. I was behind, so it took a lot of effort to catch up. So, who are you online?"
"SnekGirl and SlothBoy," Elise chimed in. Jaune gulped. Officers of the guild. Higher ranked than him.
Nora stood up abruptly. She pointed at the Atlas students. "YOU LIKE SLOTHS?"
"I love sloths!" Elise gushed. "There's something adorable about their laziness."
"I know, right!?" Nora joined in gushing.
Merak and Ren met eyes. An understanding passed between them, transcending whatever measly sentiment could be conveyed with mere words.
A ping on their scroll caught Team Sun's attention. Sun was the first to speak up. "So… what do you guys think of scouting the Haven participants?"
-o-
"And this is my favorite rooftop in Beacon!" Mytyl grandiosely announced with stretched hands. Isola and Flynt looked around.
"…I'll bite. What makes this rooftop any more special than other rooftops?" Flynt asked.
"Watch this." Mytyl ran to the edge and looked down. "CoolestpersoninthebuildingsaysHeyo!"
"HEYO!"
"RUSSEL! DON'T HUMOR HER! SHE'LL NEVER LEAVE!"
Mytyl giggled. Behind her, Flynt huffed while Isola pinched the bridge of her nose under her glasses.
Flynt walked forward. "So, what's the real reason you sent your friends to fetch food?"
"And get us alone," Isola added.
Mytyl turned to face them. "Hehe, was I that obvious?"
"I'm not convinced you even know the meaning of 'subtle'."
"Hey, I can do subtle," Mytyl pouted at Isola. It didn't last. "Anyways, I just wanted to apologize."
Both Isola and Flynt were taken aback, not expecting this.
"I'm sorry for coming out of nowhere and stealing the recital from you."
"…You're sorry?" Isola asked slowly, not quite believing her ears.
"You think it's that easy?" Flynt challenged.
Mytyl shrugged. "That's really up to you, isn't it? All I can say is that I was so excited I didn't realize what I did at the time. So I'm sorry for not realizing. For invalidating your hard work like that." She averted her eyes. "I want to make it up to you. I don't know how, so you can think of it as me owing you a favor."
Flynt sighed. "You are a piece of work. You know that, right? Kamizono?"
"I've been told. So… fresh start?"
"Fine," Isola muttered. "Fresh start."
"I'm not forgiving the Schnee, though."
"You do realize Weiss is not Jacques, right?" Mytyl asked. "She's as responsible for driving your dad out of business as Copen or I are responsible for building your weapons. Besides, Weiss is like a spearmint! Kinda spicy, but refreshing. Especially with a glass of water!"
Mytyl was assaulted by a muffin hitting her face.
"Stop describing me weirdly!" Weiss accused as she walked into the rooftop. RWPY minus Yang plus Copen followed. She offered a sandwich to Flynt. "But she's right. I have as much said on what my father does with the SDC as you have. I would apologize… but it would be an empty gesture since there's nothing I could have done."
Flynt scoffed. However, he accepted the food and dropped the subject. It was as good as it would get in a short time. The group made an impromptu picnic out of the filched food.
"Sooooooo…" Ruby drawn out. She faced the two non-Beacon students. "What weapons do you use!?"
"Congratulations, Ruby," Copen said. "You went two full hours without asking."
"A new personal best!" Ruby preened.
"We are not telling you," Isola said.
"Phoeey! I'm appealing to higher echelons! Take me to your team leaders!"
Isola and Flynt looked at each other. Then at Ruby. "We are the team leaders," they said in unison.
"Drats! Foiled again!"
Pyrrha consoled her team leader with pats on the back. She addressed their two guests. "I don't think you have told us, but what's the name of your teams? Ours is Team Rupee," she gestured at Ruby and Weiss. "R-W-P-Y."
"And we're Team Kaleidoscope," Mytyl announced proudly. "K-V-K-C. Led by yours truly."
"That's a stretch," Flynt pointed out.
"Tell that to Ozpin. I'm not going to be the girl to deny her team a name that basically means 'a collage of dazzling colors'."
Flynt snorted. "Fair enough. Team Funky. F-N-K-I."
"…Ironwood named a team 'Funky'?" Weiss asked incredulously.
"Hey, I'm not going to be the guy to deny his team a funky name in Atlas."
"…Fair enough," Weiss conceded. Everyone turned to Isola.
"Team Iridescent. I-R-D-S."
"Man, you guys get all the cool names," Ruby mumbled.
-o-
The common room Haven's students had claimed as their own had been molded to their likeness.
In other words, it had become Pantera's Den of Love.
"Love the name, but I would appreciate it if you didn't besmirch my name while narrating."
"Sure thing, Miss Zonda."
"Ruby! Help! She won't let me go!"
Ruby pointedly ignored Lumen's, Pantera's, and Yang's histrionics. Instead, she did the sensible thing: she gravitated towards Asroc's baked sweets that were making rounds around the room. But rather than chase the plates, she went straight to the source.
"Hey Asroc, where's my portion?"
The blonde looked up from where he was currently enjoying some downtime from all the cooking. "I figured you'd come sooner or later." He reached for a small bag of cookies hidden in his jacket and threw it a Ruby.
"You're the best!" Ruby cheered, holding her prize overhead triumphantly.
"I know," Asroc nodded.
"Asroc does rock," Teseo agreed. The rhyme earned him a punch from Gibril next to him.
Ruby plopped next to Asroc, savoring the cookies and taking in the scene. It was a lively, if tame, get-together. They had classes tomorrow and were on Beacon, so they couldn't go too crazy. It was mostly Haven students, though a handful of students from the other academies filled in the gaps. She couldn't see either leader of Team Funky or Iridescent, so they probably opted to call it a day after they went their separate way. Pity. She would have liked to meet their other members.
As far as her team went, Pyrrha and Weiss were weathering the attention their fame garnered. Copen and Mytyl were close by sending their silent prayers to the two superstars.
Rest In Paparazzi.
GV, Jaune, and two Atlas students Ruby had never met were invested in a conversation. Blake was currently under the custody of Kohaku and SSSN, whose leader was going around introducing Kohaku to anyone with ears. At the moment, he was bothering a team of two girls and two boys, the most distinctive member a dark-skinned beauty with blond hair. She was currently holding her head between her hands, looking at the floor with a dawning existential crisis.
Sun was apparently too much even in Haven. Hadn't Pantera once commented how Sun was Haven's Anticitizen One?
Ren and Nora were nowhere to be seen. Ruby didn't think too hard about what that could mean. Probably nothing, given how dense Ren liked to act. Or maybe that was the act and they were all being bamboozled.
"Looking awfully hawkish at the Red Team, Rubes," Teseo teased her.
"Y-yeah," Ruby said. "It is a bit intimidating thinking all of them are participating in the tournament."
"Yeah, but they all sux to Team Phantasmagoria. Plebs."
"What Tess is trying to say," Gibril explained while glaring at her teammate, "is that PTGA is the strongest team in the first and second years division. At least in paper. So it's our level you must meet."
"I suppose…" Ruby trailed off. That was as close as an encouragement she could hope from Gibril.
"Any other team we should worry about, though?"
Ruby jumped. "Gah! Mytyl!? Copen!? What are you doing here?"
Copen blinked. "Partying?" He took a drink from his red cup.
"Scouting the competition," Mytyl added. She leaned towards Asroc. "Come on, give me the details. What team should we look out for from Haven."
"You are not getting us to betray our classmates," Asroc said succinctly.
"Except Team Flashburn," Teseo immediately added.
Mytyl blinked. "Team what?"
"Ugh. This holier than thou team that appeared out of nowhere," Gibril explained. "They are the smug team by the corner over there."
Everyone looked at where Gibril nodded. Four students, presumably a team, were making small talk with whatever other team approached them. But yes, the smugness in who appeared to be the leader – a raven-haired beauty with striking golden eyes – was palpable.
"Reminds me of Blake," Ruby commented.
"Tell that to her face," Teseo dared her.
"Nope."
"Is it me or is the green-haired dude familiar?" Copen asked.
"Movies." Everyone turned towards Mytyl. "Name's Stratos if my memory serves right. Mostly indie films. Not many chances for a Faunus to have a big opportunity." She looked at the dumbfounded looks she garnered. "What?"
"Just a bit surprised you watch indie films," Ruby admitted.
"Films, books, video games, funny net videos; if I could enjoy it from the comfort of my bed…" Mytyl trailed off.
"Oh yeah, I think I've seen him once or twice," Teseo refocused the topic in a surprising bout of insight upon reading between the lines of Mytyl's words.
"…His face matches with profiles on the web," Lola corroborated.
"Apparently they're a second-year team with 'special consideration'," Gibril air quoted. "Point is, leader is a smug blowhard, greenette is a simp for the leader, grey dude is a flirt, and, surprisingly, only movie star seems decent."
"Harsh criticism…" Mytyl muttered. Her eyes never left the form of the leader.
Something about her felt… off.
Author's Notes
Another chapter, another A/N. This chapter introduces a good number of important players for the TOURNAMENT AAAAAAAAARCCCCC!
I'm a fan of Youtuber Gigguk, if you couldn't tell.
Let's get down to business.
Title: References the three major antagonist groups in the three ASG games released so far: The Sumeragi Seven (who used glaives as power limiters and enhancers), Eden's The Seven (who used grimoires for the same purpose minus the limiter), and the Falcons.
Team NVVA: A few reviews expected Nova to appear as a villain, which was odd to me given Pantera's role in this fic, but oh well. In this fic, Nova and the youngest members of Sumeragi 7 form Team Nova from Atlas Academy. I toyed with the idea of making it Team NAVI (Navy), but I decided against it because playing with the names to make Team Nova work was more satisfying and on-brand. Let's quickly go over them one by one:
- Nova Tsukiyomi: Leader of Sumeragi 7 and final boss of Azure Striker Gunvolt, Nova is a consummate badass in ASG that requires three power inhibitors to keep him in check. Needless to say, he's nowhere near as powerful in this incarnation. He's the only member of the cast with a proper last name, so he has that going for him.
- Viper Ira: Since only Nova has a last name, I had to create some for the remaining members. All members of Sumeragi 7 represent a deadly sin. In Viper's case, it is Wrath, which in latin is called Ira. Without Lumen being an idol here, he isn't nearly as possessive as his canon counterpart. Still pretty brash, though. A fiery personality, you might say.
- Merak Aced: Representing Sloth (Acedia), I toyed with the idea of making him wheelchair bound as a reference to his Armed Chair. Then I thought better of it after remembering that he represents sloth and it's probably insensitive to put him on a wheelchair. Him and Raven would get along. I also got inspired by his Lazy Kingdom side story, which leads me to…
- Elise Vidia: Representing Envy (Invidia), I wanted to portray Elise's dual personality without outright making her bipolar. Normally meek, but with bouts of sass and arrogance mixed in when she gets the upper hand on someone. I originally wanted to make her last name Invi. Why? Viper's and Merak's last names are references to the Deadly Sins AND Kingdom Hearts. Their last names match the names of the Foretellers, which are also based on the sins. However, the last name Invi didn't work with making Team Nova, so I changed it. Now I can make her middle name start with 'N' and her name can be written as E. (Envidia is Spanish for Envy).
The reason I wanted to introduce Merak and Elise via an MMO is because of how they met canonically: Merak hunted Elise via an MMO. Only that, this time around, the circumstances are less harrowing and horrifying, and more fluffy.
As a side note: If you paid attention, I did the same with Stratos's last name: named him after his deadly sin (Gluttony/Gula) and the Foreteller. By that logic, Carrera's full name would be Carrera Ava (Greed/Avaritia) and, if Pantera didn't have a convenient different name, she would be Pantera Luxu (Lust/Luxuria). Naming Jota will be fun, since the Foreteller that would represent Pride remains unnamed, but would logically be named something along the lines of Superbia.
Ozpin's speech: I always found it odd that Ozpin's speech occurs after the dance, before the missions, and not as soon as all the students from the foreign academies arrive.
Getting funky with FNKI: I casually dropped Flynt's name way back in Interlude 27.73: Ballad to Blue. Here I confirm that Mytyl did know Flynt. Just a nice, little detail to tie the ASG characters to the world of Remnant.
Team IRDS: TEAM IRIDESCENT! Back when I named Team Kaleidoscope, I mentioned in my A/N how some names would be fundamentally incredible as team names. Iridescent is one of them. Led by Isola Exsia, this is a team composed of characters that appeared in Luminous Avenger iX. Naturally we have Isola herself, but can you guess the others. It's not hard. Here's a tip: The 'D' is a made-up last name.
As a side note, I based Isola's last name on the name given to the energy particles created by her Septima.
The woman, the legend: Isola is my second favorite Falcon. And her stage theme is lit, to the point that it has a vocal version sung by Isola herself! (Name is 全力応援フルスロットル/All-Out Cheer Full Throttle)
Given the importance of music in ASG's narrative, that's just so cool. And given her one-sided rivalry with Lola, I couldn't just not make her a one-sided rival to Mytyl. I opted for her untransformed design and personality, since I feel that's the real Isola, while her transformed self is an act for her stage persona. God, I'm just gushing about finally being able to write Isola. And she's my second favorite! I cannot wait to write my favorite Falcon.
See what I see?: This back and forth between Isola and Flynt is actually lifted from a relatively well known Fire Emblem comedy skit from a… Fire Emblem 1 written Let's Play? Not sure. Point is, I modified it to better fit the setting.
AvengeriX: Copen was a total edgelord as a kid. Still is.
ArkKnight: I swear it's a coincidence I'm hooked with a similarly named game and that I have a RWBY crossover idea with said game.
Reviews
98kazer: Success? I mean, that's the feeling I wanted to transmit. Mytyl prioritizing her secrets over friends to an unreasonable degree. So if you feel that way, I guess I succeeded in portraying Mytyl as in the wrong.
Have to admit, though, my fear was that people would side with Mytyl in this. Nobody is 'entitled' to know Mytyl's secrets. But similarly, Mytyl isn't entitled to her friends.
That said, hope your dislike for a character doesn't put you off continuing reading. It's all part of the writing process.
Nanairo the Keyblade Samurai: So… did you guess correctly who 'SlothBoy' and 'SnekGirl' are? Gunvolt's lore has a ton of small side stories that just makes me wish the characters could live happier lives. Hence me taking Merak's and Elise's first encounter and making it implicitly wholesome rather than horrifying.
And yes, the dance… Soon™.
mega-dark: Don't fret about not leaving a review. They are highly appreciated, but I understand it's now always possible.
Yeah, Mytyl can fall back to a more normal fighting style if pushed. I think it was hinted way back when Copen fought Yang and Pyrrha. If he can fight normally, it stands to reason Mytyl can too, to a degree, since they share fighting style AND teacher.
Captain Gunvolt. Now there's an idea…