Oi! Welcome back for the sixteenth chapter of 'The Darkling Thrush'!
We're starting a new arc, one I actually sort of dread having to write. I got some big news for this arc. This is where I'm going to have to change the rating to 'M'. We're going to some interesting places, and expect a lot more sailor words from here on out.
As always I'd like to thank those who left a review last chapter. Thank You Baoh joestar and Jin0uga. I'm really glad you guys liked that little Mercury backstory. And it appears one of you has caught on with the importance of the Interludes.
Originally Interlude 3 was going to be about Amber, I still have a draft of it and may publish it later on when we get to Arc 9. But the stuff with Mercury supersedes a lot.
Well, enough with my yapping. On with the chapter!
XVI
The Dance: Part 1
It had been weeks since that one Sunday, weeks since finals, and weeks since the end of his first semester at Beacon. Gone were the empty days when this fair Huntsmen training grounds had been silent, renewed with vigor as the students returned.
Russel couldn't lie, he somewhat missed those days, when he had Beacon to himself. Lacking a home to return to left him with the golden opportunity to get to know the academy more intimately. A ghost that roamed the halls, knowing the true inner workings of the facilities, unchaperoned and out of the eyes of authority.
There were the occasional strays he'd run into on campus, such as that Danny fellow from Team DNCE, and not to his surprise, Blake Belladonna. They hadn't talked about the incident, she'd been steering clear of him. But that was okay, if he'd bugged up as good as she did, he wouldn't be too eager to start small talk either.
Every night those strays like Russel would gather in the dining hall, take a projector and watch a film on one of the white walls. Mornings were quiet, nights were filled with cinematic pleasure, a true vacation without worry. But then, those two weeks were over. Returned the students they did, as well as all the drama that came with them.
"Beacon has a dance?" Russel blinked. It's been barely a day, there was already a food fight in the dining hall between Team RWBY and JNPR, breakfast was ruined and now he had to deal with this.
"Oh yeah, there's a dance." Sky remarked. He took the Shining Bacon newspaper in his hands and whipped it around, giving Russel a good look at the advertisement on the page.
"Doesn't it seem a little weird that we'd be having a dance?" Dove asked from where he sat on his bed. He sat up, legs crossed, a yogurt cup in one hand and a spoon in the other. Scooping up a spoonful of yogurt, Dove began to devour his snack. "Just seems odd, no?"
"I could've swore we left that behind at the lesser combat schools." Russel muttered disdainfully.
"Got a thing against dancing?" Sky asked curiously.
"I got thing against having them, yeah." Russel shrugged. "What's the point of having them unless you want to create an anxiety driven environment? Who's going with whom wallflower?"
"Well besides the social implications, the dance is a celebration of unwavering peace across the nations." Sky said, sitting up fully on his bed. "The Vytal festival's fast approaching, remember? This is just one of those many things that precede it."
"For a guy who just found out about the dance on the morning paper, you seem to know a whole lot about it." Russel pointed out. The young Thrush looked at his teammate oddly, slowly putting the pieces together. The sudden interest in the dance, the social settings that came with it, Russel was surprised he hadn't figured it out sooner. "You're going to ask someone to it aren't you?" He asked.
Sky smirked. "You catch on fast, Mr. Thrush."
"That I do, Mr. Lark." Russel chuckled. "So who's the lucky guy?"
"Lie Ren." Sky smiled proudly.
"Good luck with that one." Dove said as he inspected his now empty yogurt cup, wondering where all the contents had gone.
"I know, right? Out of my league. But I'mma give it a shot." Sky leaned back on his pillows. "How about you two? I know you just found out about the dance and it's a lot to get your head around, but who'd you ask?"
"All the women here at Beacon are beautiful and have cool personalities." Dove said, tossing his yogurt cup into the trash and placing the spoon by his bedside table. "I wouldn't know where to begin. I'm in love with all of them."
"Just don't go starting any orgies in the dorm room and we won't be having any problems." Russel cast a judging look in Dove's direction.
"I'd say Yang, I'd ask Yang." Dove said finally after weighing his options.
"The club crasher herself." Russel recalled that time before attending Beacon when he'd snuck into a local club and the brawling blonde had started one hectic hell of a fight.
"And how about you handsome?" Sky looked to Russel. "Who'd you ask?"
"Flattery will get you nowhere Sky." Russel laughed. "I don't know. Dances aren't my thing. I think I'd go stag or something."
"Team STAG or stag?" Dove asked jokingly.
"I ain't the multiple partner type, Dove." Russel folded his arms behind his head and laid back against the back of his bed. "Anyways, given that little incident between us and Velvet, I wouldn't put it past Team STAG to jump me behind an alley someday."
"Speaking of furries, anyone know where Cardin is?" Sky asked as he set his paper aside. The trio of Team CRDL members looked to one another in wonder, where exactly was their leader?
Not too far away, over on campus, the Winchester heir was busy helping out a familiar bunny eared girl move back into her dorm room. After spending the past two weeks back home, Cardin was simply ecstatic to be back in the halls of Beacon. And more importantly, he was happy to be lending a helping hand to one he'd scorned once before.
"Thanks again for helping, Cardin." Velvet said cheerfully as she and Cardin marched down the hall to the Team CFVY dorm, boxes of her belongings in their arms.
"Please, it's the least I could do after everything." Cardin looked down to the much smaller girl who walked beside him.
"I just don't want you to feel like you owe me anything." Velvet said as they reached her room. She dug into her blazer pocket, fished out her keys and opened the door. "The gesture's nice, helping me with all of these, but I want it to be because we're friends and some strange, manservant thing."
"Trust me when I say I'm doing this out of the goodness of my heart, I swear." Cardin removed a hand from under the box he carried and placed it over his heart, causing Velvet to laugh at the gesture.
"Cardin 'Goody Too-Shoes' Winchester, has a nice ring to it." Velvet said playfully as she led the way inside.
Stepping into the Team CFVY dorm room, Cardin was surprised to find that they were the first to arrive. The beds looked untarnished, the bedside tables and cabinets tidy and empty. Where do you want this?" Cardin asked, looking to Velvet.
"Over by the bed on the far right if you wouldn't mind." Velvet said as she walked over to wardrobe by the door and began to unpack the box she carried. "This time I'm getting a bed by the window." She said deviously.
"Velvet 'The Scheming' Scarlatina, that has a nice ring to it." Cardin smirked as he walked over to the bed by the far right and set the box he carried beside it.
"Can't make anything of it if I got here first." Velvet said innocently.
"Cold world Velvet, cold world." Cardin laughed.
Velvet looked over out of the corner of her eye from where she was crouched before the opened wardrobe. Against the window facing out over the campus, the light shined bright into the room. An in the ray stood Cardin laughing. But it wasn't in the way that she'd known on that day he'd humiliated her. There wasn't any contempt, no anger, just joy.
If one were able to look past his supposed bigotry, the way Velvet now did, you could see Cardin for who he really was. A man in touch with his emotions, learning to vent them correctly. "Thanks again for helping me out, Cardin." Velvet thanked the leader of Team CRDL once more.
"Any time." He said with a wave as he made his way from the other side of the room to the door. "Don't be a stranger now. See you later Velvet."
"Take care Cardin." Velvet waved goodbye, watching Cardin walk out of the room.
Cardin strode out down the hall with a smile on his face. It seemed the second semester was starting out for the better. No crazy altercations, Velvet had forgiven him, it was all up from here. So the burnt orange haired huntsman made his way to the elevator and hit the call button.
He waited patiently, his thoughts drifting back to Velvet. He'd happened upon her by chance, carting several trips worth of boxes. He did what any guilt ridden man would and leant a hand. Jaune was the knight in shining armor, not him. Cardin's intentions were penance, nothing more.
But then his thoughts drifted back to what Velvet had said to him, that he shouldn't be acting in such a way. Be himself, not a slave to what he felt. But having a code of ethics like Winchester's did, Cardin found the two weren't' mutually exclusive. Cardin was a slave to himself, his code, his ethics, just like anyone else is. Right is right, wrong is wrong. The sky's blue as are the oceans. All is right with the world once more.
When the elevator arrived, Cardin was prepared to step in, only to be caught off guard at the sight of Russel standing inside. "Sup." His partner waved.
"Oh, hey Russel." Cardin acknowledged his partner with a nod before stepping into the elevator.
"So what are you doing in the second year dorm?" A familiar grin formed on Russel's face. "You wouldn't happen to be hanging out with some bunny eared faunus now wouldn't you?"
"Ugh." Cardin grimaced, regretting every decision up to this point.
Russel hit the first floor button and they were on their way. He glanced back to Cardin and folded his arms over his chest. "You might be expecting me to be teasing you, and other ass-like qualities, but I'm not going to do that." He said, surprising Cardin once more. "I'm happy you've patched up things with Velvet. Now you can move on from your strange funk. Congrats on the win, Cardin."
Cardin stared in shock as his partner reached over and patted him on the back. "Wow, Russel." He said in awe. "That's rather mature of you to do."
"Now, I wouldn't say mature." Russel said as he did his best to stifle a laugh.
Cardin raised a brow, confused in Russel's response to his compliment. The elevator reached the bottom floor and the doors opened. Cardin turned away from Russel and looked outside and frowned deeply. There standing in front of the elevator stood Sky and Dove, both of whom were making kissy faces.
"Cardin likes Velvet. Cardin likes Velvet." They both said in unison.
"God Dammit." Cardin cast a glare in Russel's direction.
"Monty ain't got nothing to do with it." Russel saluted his teammates. "I guess I'll just leave the teasing to them for a little bit. I got places to be."
"Wait what?" Cardin said as he found himself caught between Dove and Sky's aggravating form of teasing. He just looked on as Russel walked off, leaving no explanation whatsoever.
Russel exited the second year's dorm and set off to the campus gym. Gym being a loose term to describe the training course. Beacon was light years ahead of Oakwood, for starters their training drones weren't wooden targets but self-reconstructing automatons. Those were the perks of being friends with Atlas, state of the art technology that put everyone to shame.
So Russel entered the Gym and took a seat on the nearby bleachers. It was still early, the rest of the students were still settling back in, no one was training. Except for one, Pyrrha Nikos. The Invincible Girl danced through the air with stunning acrobatics as she balanced Miló and Akoúo̱ in her arms, both blocking oncoming bean bag projectiles and returning fire on the training drones.
Thinking back to the past three weeks, when he'd spoken with Ozpin, learned his mother's name and was tortured by Blake. After finals all had gone home for a little rest and relaxation. There were few who remained after that. Danny, Blake, and Russel himself. But then there was also one other, a surprise addition to the oddballs and homeless few who inhabited the empty halls. There was also Pyrrha, who hadn't gone back to her home country of Mistral.
As he recalled, Pyrrha had need of his specific talents, something about him being a total dick. They'd talked about it briefly during finals week, but Oobleck and Port, along with Peach had produced some of the most grueling assignments he'd ever encountered. With their minds elsewhere, nothing could come of whatever Pyrrha required.
During the second week he struck up a conversation with Pyrrha, nothing too major, just scoping out what sort of problem she had that needed someone such as him. To no one's surprise, it was Jaune related.
Russel thought back to the many times he and the rest of his team sat by their window with popcorn just enjoying the show, taking bets when the young Arc would take the hint. To this day, he had no clue of the feelings Pyrrha had for him. Turns out the Invincible Girl had a weakness after all: Blondes.
The soul remaining Thrush just watched as the Mistral champion finished her training exercise. The drones were left on the floor in pieces. Pyrrha stood there, admiring her handiwork and Russel could swear he didn't see a bead of sweat on her. It must've been child's play to her. The way she moved, unlike anything he'd ever seen before. If she was this good in training, who knows what she'd be capable of during the real thing.
Having sense the pair of watchful eyes earlier, like the thousands that had watched her conquer tournaments and claimed victory, Pyrrha had gone the extra mile to hide her semblance. She couldn't take her eyes off the drones to check, maybe it would've been okay. If it was Jaune checking up on her then she could've dazzled him with her expertise. But she couldn't be too sure. She turned around and found Russel sitting by the bleachers. She smiled softly and waved to the Team CRDL member, hiding her disappointment that it wasn't her lovable goof of a leader.
"Marvelous effort." Russel began to clap. Pyrrha smiled at the sentiment. Russel could've thrown in a sarcastic undertone with the comment, but he did not. It was sincere and well meaning. He even had an impressed look on his face.
"Thank you." Pyrrha mock bowed. "I often made the audience roar in applause."
"No doubt." Russel chuckled as Pyrrha closed the distance between them. "Just checking in with you. Wanted to know if you still wanted my help in whatever it is you got going."
Pyrrha grabbed a nearby sack and pulled it over before taking a seat beside Russel. She reached into her sack and pulled out a water bottle and drank from it. The rush of battle always left her mouth dry, something to do with the adrenaline or what not. "I need you to coach me." She said simply in that polite tone of hers that could often be mistaken for innocence.
"I want to be more assertive." She declared. "I'd go to Nora, but she can't keep a secret. I'd go to Weiss, but I'm afraid she'd never understand why I'd go to such lengths to win Jaune's interest."
"She does shut him down a lot." Russel remarked, recalling one such incident from last semester that involved chocolates and flowers, which all wound up stuff into Jaune's mouth by the end of the day.
"Exactly." Pyrrha nodded. "I'd go to Ruby, but she's only fifteen. She lacks experience in this field. I don't want to go to Yang. Though she seems avid in this particular field, I'm afraid she'd only teach me flirtation. I want a meaningful relationship, not a fling." Pyrrha stressed the last part. What she was after was something real, meaningful and everlasting. "I'd got and talk to Blake, but she's…"
"Unapproachable." Russel muttered, earning a nod from the girl seated beside him. "But why go to me? Why not ask Ren? Why me?"
"Jaune grew up with only sisters. He sees Ren like a brother. And Ren was an orphan, he knows the value of relationships such as the one he has with Jaune. I'm not sure if he'd be working with me, or against me." Pyrrha sighed. "Why you? You're mean but you're honest. I want you to teach how to apply that to my own situation."
"Other words you want me to teach you how to work up the nerve to admitting to Jaune you like him?" Russel looked Pyrrha and earned another nod. "Cool." He said simply.
"So, will you help me?" Pyrrha looked to her fellow Huntsman for an answer.
"Coaching isn't exactly my forte." Russel shrugged as he leaned back on the bleachers. "I'm more of a Dennis the Menace than Atticus Finch."
"Atticus was a lawyer."
"And Dennis is a four year old." Russel laughed. "I don't exactly fit the bill for either description. But you get the idea."
"Well I think you'd look rather charming in a three piece suit, Russel." Pyrrha remarked. "Like wise dressed up as that pesky neighbor boy."
"Ha!" He laughed once more. "You're alright Pyrrha. I'll help." Russel leapt off the bleachers and began to head for the exit.
"Meet up again tomorrow after class?"Pyrrha called out to Russel as he walked off.
"It's a date!" Russel shouted at the top of his lungs. He didn't have to turn around to know the shade of red on Pyrrha's face now matched the color of her hair.
With his present business concluded, Russel walked off into the day. It was still young out, might as well got catch up to the rest of his team, find out what they're up to.
But back in Team RWBY's dorm room the girls were busy debating another situation. One revolving around a certain terrorist organization.
"We're not ready!" Shouted the Schnee heiress in irritation.
"And we may never be ready!" Blake shot back fiercely. "Our enemies aren't just going to sit around and wait for graduation day." Team RWBY's resident cat-ninja girl narrowed her eyes and pointed out a nearby door. "They're out there, somewhere, planning their next move, and none of us know what it is, but it's coming! Whether we're ready or not!"
Ruby shot up a hand, moving it back and forth in a manic manner, quickly gaining her team's attention. "Okay, all in favor of becoming the youngest Huntresses to single-handedly taking down a corrupt organization conspiring against the Kingdom of Vale... say aye."
Yang pumped her fist up into the air enthusiastically in support of her sister. "Yes! I love it when you're feisty!"
Considering how Ruby described the situation, Weiss couldn't help but think of the notoriety that would come with accomplishing such a task. "Well, I suppose it could be fun."
"None of you said aye!" Ruby shouted, sounding rather annoyed that her friends, who just so happened to be her subordinates, were not properly contributing to their totally democratic deliberation.
"Alright then, we're in this together!" Blake declared.
"Let's hatch a plan!" Ruby chimed in excitedly.
"Yeah!" Yang cheered, doing her best rendition of a one man cheerleading squad.
But speaking of planning. Wasn't Ruby forgetting something? "I left my board game at the library!" Ruby panicked. The Team RWBY leader then made a mad dash for their dorm room door, throwing it open and running as fast as she could to the library.
"I'll be right back!" The rest of Team RWBY could hear their leader shout from the hallway. They also too heard the sound of Ruby running into someone and falling on her butt.
"We're doomed." Weiss frowned.
"Sorry. Are you okay?" Ruby looked up at whoever she'd bumped into with an apologetic look.
Standing over her Ruby was a dark skinned woman with green hair, accompanied by two other similarly dressed individuals. "I'm fine." The green haired woman said, offering her hand to Ruby to help her off the floor. "Just watch where you're going."
"Oh, right, sorry." Ruby continued as she was helped back onto her feet. "Um, I'm Ruby! Are you new?"
The green haired woman and her male companion stepped aside, revealing their third raven haired companion. "Visiting from Haven, actually." She answered innocently.
Ruby stared at the trio, squinting and taking into account of their different styled uniforms. She'd never met anyone from Haven before, aside from Sun of course. Their uniforms weren't suits or dresses, which Ruby found odd. It was the structure she'd been raised in, she guessed, what she'd become accustomed to.
"Ooh! You're here for the festival!" Ruby deduced. "But exchange students have their own dormitory."
"I guess we just got turned around." The male companion, whose hair was the color of silver and voice cool, shrugged at their mistake.
"Hey, don't worry, it happens all the time." Ruby joked as the trio of transfer students began to walk past her. "Uh, your building is just east of here."
"Thanks." The raven haired woman said as she walked past Ruby, joining her supposed teammates. "Maybe we'll see you around."
"Yeah, maybe! Oh, uh, and welcome to Beacon!" Ruby waved goodbye before running off to the library to reclaim her game.
The trio pressed on, devilish smirks on their faces. And the raven haired woman's eyes began to glow a peculiar color. "Yes. Welcome to Beacon." She uttered darkly.
As with most of the canon moments from preceding chapters, the dialogue at the end with Team RWBY and Cinder is taken right out of Volume 2. I even left the italics to be as cheeky as possible.
During the writing process, I imagined Pyrrha being able to speak a little more carefree in the presence of Russel. He's not like the others she associates herself with. She's still polite, but she's able to get away with being a little crass.
And as one of you guessed, jin0uga, Mercury's going to have a role in this arc, among others. It was too tempting of a storyline to pass up. We'll get some of him, more of Team RWBY and some Cardin dealing with what's going on with him later in this Arc.
'Til next time, dear reader. Later days!