(T-L-G)
Somewhere in Sanus, a ranch with the words 'Ozpin's Rest' hanging from the entrance, with a rather tall and imposing figure at the front, wearing a black short-sleeved shirt, bright green suspenders, dark grey jeans, black boots and white ranch gloves. He saunters into the ranch, looking at the rather out of place turret on the cliffside, routinely searching. "Still functional." He passes the barn, chicken coop and horse pens, heading towards to a mechanic working on a turret.
The small mechanic works on the targeting system on a exposed drive and puts the metal sheet back on. "Ok, that could work." Turning around, the small wrench monkey sees the pseudo-giant, sun shining nearly behind him casting a shadow and shade. "Good morning, Hazel."
"Ozpin." He says with his deep voice.
He chuckles at the sight of his beard, "It's Oscar, Hazel."
"Believe what you want, boy, Ozpin is still in here."
Oscar chuckles again at him. "Well, guess I should check my mailbox." He heads to the entrance, passing the horse pens and even petting his personal horse, Birch. "How you doing, girl?" She whinnies in agreement. "Alright."
Once he makes it to the entrance, doing what he'd set, taking all the mail he's been sent. "Let's see. A invitation to Atlas from Ironwood. Not going. Junk, junk, ooh, a piece of worthless paper. Tax of the ranch and turrets. Letter from Qrow. Huh." The Pine boy takes out a unique looking mail, with the words 'Open up. From SOTS.'
Hazel comes behind him and sees the envelope, "The Society of the Salem. Tyrian is still doing this and has somehow convinced a movement of people."
"His loyalty knows no bounds, even if Salem is gone. And..." The farm-hand now owner looks at it with determination, "I better get the turrets online and working."
As the farm-boy walks to another unbuilt turret, Hazel takes a step forward. "Hey." Oscar looks back to Hazel, "Want some help?"
(The road from Padma)
Morning has pass its torch to midday. "Maybe we should've asked that guy to drive us." Cyrin complains. She's like a woodpecker at everything. "I need a break from my feet."
"Transportation is useless." I say. Why do Venators create such contraptions that constricts their movement? Some things I will never understand. "And besides, both of you need some mass to your vessels."
Asoar and Cyrin suddenly feel more... negative. Rag-"Woooah!" What pulled me down! Looking at my fallen hat, I take the ends of it and put it back on. The two sisters look at me from above, both with rage, "What was that for!?"
"More mass. Seriously, Ares? What are you, a... Actually, did you even had guys and girls when you were a Grimm?"
"No time Cyrin, why do you think we need more 'mass,' Mr Dougal?"
This took a turn, relatively speaking. "I don't understand why you all have different vessels. It's quite pointless and fascinating at the same time. And yes to your question, Cyrin."
"Well, Mr Dougal, I don't understand why the Grimm had the same bodies. How could you even tell who was who!" Asoar counters at me. It is a fair question.
Albeit, a simple answer is required, "We use the thought pool." Asoar offers her hand down to me.
Accepting it, she picks me up with surprising unassuming strength, I can't even imagine how a vessel like hers can handle a body type like this. "Your mouth is open, Mr Dougal."
It is? True to her statement, I shut it tightly. Asoar continues to walk in front of us with Cyrin. That was... Unexpected. How does her vessel do that?
She's a farmer. Adam joins in.
We start to step forward, heavy in the thought pool. A farmer? Is that the term you use for their status?
You have a name for them?
Besides Venator, which is a generalization, the word Landwirt could speak true to farmer?
Does a Landwirt harvest crops?
Yes.
How about taking care of cows, horses and other animals?
Yes.
Fake man in the middle of the crops?
I'd always assume that was a Venator being punished.
Maybe back in the time where Humans were the only ones there and worships gods of light and dark. That's a joke, by the way.
Perhaps you may like to think such.
Looking forward, I have a sudden realization, "Which one is Asoar again?"
Shockingly, Adam looks forward as well, "You're joking right?" I look at him with a genuine stare, "You're not."
"I've only said their name after they speak it. And at times, I do remember which one but after, I forget. Vocalization was the way to differentiate each other. Vessels weren't a primary way to know."
"You know what they sound like but you don't know what they look like." He summarizes. "I guess I can get that."
(In Vale)
One of the more larger apartment, Ruby is in more comfortable and less-restricted clothing, having only a tank top and shorts, barefooted, still having her eyepatch on and still has her cloak covering her left arm. She opens a fridge door, taking a box-worth of Grape Soda cans. "Time to start my solo marathon." She bumps the fridge door close and begins walking to her couch. Jumping over it, she plops onto the pillows and drops the box down, taking a can out, she props it on the table and grabs a penny. Slipping it under the pop-top, hooking her index finger on the can, she pushes the penny up, opening the can.
"Love doing that." She presses the remote and turns on a movie channel, drinking her soda can but hears the ring at her door, Ruby sighs in annoyed tone. Getting off the couch, she begins to open the door with a immediate assumption, "Look Yang, you don't have to check up on me, my hand is doing..." But instead of Yang, it's Weiss. "Oh. Weiss."
"Hello Ruby." Weiss looks about the same, except she doesn't have her coat. "Since I'm in town, so to speak, I wondered where you were living. Yang told me."
"Well, you found where I lived. Don't you have a plane back to Atlas?" Ruby tries to get Weiss to leave.
"No. I cancelled it."
"Wha... Why?" Ruby says, baffled by the action.
"Because, it's been a while we've hanged out as friends. Mind if I come in?"
The red-tipped girl stares in surprise and shock, "N-no, of course not." She steps aside to let the CEO in. "Sorry if it's smaller then you expected. Got a balcony though, for sunshine."
"Ruby, we've lived in the dorms at Beacon."
"Fair point."
"But expectation is slightly filled." Weiss spins around the apartment, taking in the spacious floor Ruby was given. "It's about the same space as my room."
"Make yourself comfy the best you can. All I got are soda cans and cookies. I have a kettle though for some instant coffee. I'll go put it on." She sees Weiss sit on the couch as elegantly as possible, switching the channel to a news hook.
"Numerous Faunus, notably eared Faunus, have reported and heard that a howl of a unknown animal over 7 hours ago. Some of them say that it might be a Grimm known as a Beowolf. Could this be a rediscovery of the Grimm or a world-wide hoax? Now onto more news, sightings of Jaune Arc, colloquially known as 'The Blood Knight' has been seen in Anima. The wanted criminal is-"
Ruby sits down next to Weiss, cup in hand and hands it to her, "Here you go."
She looks at it and to the open can, "I'll take a soda." Weiss takes the Grape Soda that Ruby had drank from. Upon taking a sip, she starts to cough and stares at it with disappointment, "Huh." Weiss realizes that Ruby has a face on her, "Ruby, why are you staring at me like that?"
"I, uh, drank from that soda can."
The White Snow takes a moment and a beat, "Ruby, you're 25. A adult."
"Y-yeah, I just..."
Weiss knows that this life is hard for her to accept, since Ruby still has some traits of her teenage self. "Let's put on a movie." Weiss takes the remote and turns the channel to a movie, Halloween. The two girls sit close to each other, enjoying the moment they have.
(In the forest)
Adam pokes the crackling fuel for the fire, sitting on his tunic, revealing his bare torso, healed pierced scars near on his left breast and in the middle. He also has a black wilting rose on his right bicep and a crossed out red bull head on his left. He has his new mask placed next to him, along with Wilt and Blush. Asoar and Cyrin are already asleep, while I stands tall on lookout, "We can switch now." I hear from Adam.
"I do not require sleep. I'm a Grimm."
"Yeah, well, I was born a Faunus and that doesn't stop me from getting you to sleep." Adam remarks. They've set up on a clear patch, having sleeping beds on the grass. "You have a new body, Ares. And that body requires some rest."
Despite his talk, I stay... on my... feet.
...
...
...
'Welcome to my pack, Ar-es. I am Ga-an, and you will follow my command. I am the top of this pack. Understood?'
'I understand, Ga-an.'
'Now then, the Venators could be here soo-'
'Ga-an!'
'He's dead!'
'Those damn Venators!'
'What do we do!?'
'The Alpha is dead!'
'Everyone, sense and kill them!'
'Why are you-'
'Zix, no time to argue, let's find them, for Ga-an.'
'Alright, Za-to.'
"Zix!" I suddenly scream out. grasping my black-heart.
And I see everyone, staring at me, "Dude, you alright?" Cyrin asks. "You had a nightmare? About a number?"
I shouldn't have shown such, "I have naught but testing the limits of my vocals."
"Sure, and I'm secretly the singer Grey Williams." Was that meant to be something? Getting up from nature's bed, I suddenly feel nauseous. My stomach is churning again. I can't hold it back, and I start spewing out the black liquid again on a tree. "Holy fuck!"
"Mr. Dougal!" I suddenly feel someone holding the remaining fur on my head as I continue to vomit the black water, the tree that is being harmed by it is unsurprisingly rotting to death. I hear footsteps distancing themself away from me as I see my Beowolf claws. For what seems to be hours, my mind stops processing at some point...
"Hey. Ares."
"Huh?" My mind comes back to me, Adam has his mask and tunic on. "Adam, what is the..." And I see the problem. The Knight.
He is currently sharpening his sword with a stone, with a finished plate next to him, "So, what's with the Grimm fingers? Didn't every Grimm came back to the Land of Darkness to be massacred?"
"They did. My pack scattered."
"A Grimm with some common sense, don't see that everyday. Or a couple years." His verses and tone are different, almost as if I am talking to another person. My collective memory should've seen him as a coward and a whelp. But here, he has some standing to him. "Was just about to kill you when I saw that black goo of yours, so feel lucky."
"Even if you were to, Adam would've stopped you."
"Ah, but I can just cut myself and he'll become a scared puppy." He says. "Took me and the entirety of the Huntsmen to kill all of your kind. My favorite moment is when a flying pit of Sea Feilong and they got ripped to pieces."
Tempting but he's trying to have a reaction. "I cannot be agitated, Knight."
"So you wouldn't mind if I just killed your buddy here right now?"
"I would be feel disappointed that I have no one to converse."
Silence catches us all... "Ha. Fair point. Jaune Arc."
"Dougal. Ares Dougal." I introduce myself. So that is his name. Jaune Arc.
"That's a very western tone you have, Ares. Kind of like a movie actor." Movie actor? "Sorry if that reference lost to you."
"Do you wish to stay?"
"Might as well."
(In Ruby's apartment)
Morning comes to the apartment. Weiss and Ruby have fallen asleep on each other, with numerous soda cans around them. The white-haired woman starts to feel the sunray from the window-pane doors outside. The current channel is set onto the news channel, VNN.
"Uugh, I knew we should've slept." Weiss looks to the sleeping Rose. "Dunce. Can't believed you convinced me." She takes hold of Ruby's right hand, smiling at her. She looks at the cloaked hand with intrigue, going for it, "Don't worry Ruby, I know you'll get-*gasp*" Instead of feeling a soft hand, she feels something more shapely, solid. Gently gripping it, she starts to pull it away from Ruby's hand.
She took away a revolver, loaded with one bullet. Her eyes widen at the sight of it. The red-haired girl yawns upon waking up, "Oh wow, that was a great night." She wipes her eyes to get rid of the morning tears, seeing Weiss blankly staring at her, "Hey, Weiss, you here?" Her silver eye looks to Weiss' lap, seeing the revolver. Her eye widen, going into her cloak. "I... I can explain."
"Ruby, were you going to-"
"What, no! I wasn't going to! It's filled with blanks!" Ruby lies.
"I saw the bullet casing, Ruby! I can't believe it, you were going to kill-"
Ruby suddenly lunges at Weiss, shocking her. But stands up, extending her arm holding the revolver away from her while also blocking her, "Gimme the gun, Weiss!"
"Ruby, you're in therapy! You know this!"
"Gimme it!"
"No! Not until-"
"I said give me the gun!" Ruby reels back her hand and swiping at Weiss with a open palm. Both the girls stand in silence, Weiss touches her now red marked cheek, slightly recoiling.
She begins to tear up, horrified that her closest friend had slapped her. Ruby turns into petals and heads to her bedroom, locking it. It causes Weiss to snap back, running to the door, "Ruby, come out!" She gets no response, "Look, I'm not mad, I'm worried for you!" She inelegantly bangs at the door, "Please, we can go to a café and have cookies and tea!"
On the other side of the door, Ruby leans onto the door, feeling the vibration of Weiss' banging. She holds the side of her head, weeping quietly, "There's no Grimm, Ruby. There's no Grimm, Ruby. There's no Grimm, Ruby. There's no Grimm, Ruby. There's no Grimm, Ruby." Her left hand is continuously trying to pull a nonexistence trigger.
"Ruby, let me in."
(T-L-G)
Yep. That happened. Does anyone think I'm sidling Ares' a bit? Cause I feel like I am. So Jaune is a wanted man, for reasons he will not explain for now.
Review/s
Gabe2000: Well, officially, the Grimm are gone. And we might see Emerald and Mercury, considering that Hazel has turned into a ranch hand. And for the Sky that showed up, it's number pir.
Merendinoemiliano: Ok, you have a fair point. I will not say anymore but... Tyrian.
Hope you enjoyed this chapter, review and have a nice day Reading.