Prologue: Eye Fungi × A Girl's Madness

"You… read novels? Blergh."

"Oh, come on, now. Just because they ain't comics doesn't mean you shouldn't give 'em a try. Some of them are pretty good!"

"Yeah, but they're just lines and lines of words, with barely any pictures! As if I'd prefer that over comics."

"Okay, that's true. But like I said, there's plenty of good books. Different genres, different writing styles… They're neat, Rubes."

At first glance, Jaune and Ruby—fellow team leaders of both Team JNPR and RWBY respectively—had little differences. They were both dorky in an endearing way, kind and friendly to most, and genuinely hard workers who try and make ends meet with their respective teams.

That was something Blake appreciated of her leader who, despite being two full years younger than all of them, had grown up a lot in terms of mental maturity. Sure, she makes her mistakes here and there, but her willingness to listen to the rest of them was something she couldn't find any fault in. And, apparently, so was Jaune, whom she had heard nothing but praises from the rest of his team.

And Nora. That girl was enthusiastic about shouting his greatness to the world, though she would then openly declare that Ren was better than Jaune, no offense intended. Both men laughed and dismayed over her antics.

Then there are the differences. Obvious things like their physical traits, or stuff like their preference in weapons, their choice of meals and their ideas in hobbies. She'd thought their preference of literature was not one of them, but apparently she was wrong.

"I still love comics, don't get me wrong. X-ray and Vav will be with me until I die, but I've sort of gotten used to reading books eight hundred pages long—"

"Eight hundred?!" The girl looked sick. Blake had to agree, that's just insane. And impressive.

"Yeah. Back where I was growing up, all my sisters preferred anything over comics. And since we usually share things… well, some of them, including story books, I usually just read theirs to pass the time. Most of them were romance, though there was the occasional sci-fi and crime."

"Urhg... I don't know how you manage to do that. They're so lame…"

Her ears hidden beneath her bow twitched, as did her eye. That Ruby easily dismissed them for being boring and a little too much was somewhat of an atrocity, but one she allowed if only because she knew—and that her leader had admitted before—that Ruby had an attention span that wasn't the best.

Oh, sure, she'd come a long way since the start of their Beacon semester, opting to put in the work with her studies (and she has to. Being two years behind made that all the more necessary) as she studied with Weiss' help, though even then that wasn't always. The only thing she would willingly be focused on was comics and weapons.

"A little harsh, but I'll let you have it. But! Sometimes, there's a little fun in imagining a scene from a book," Jaune's words held true, especially with the books she reads. She had to hide her face behind her novel to keep them from seeing the way she started going red. "It's more… engaging."

"I suppose, but it can get real boring. Comics at least have bright colours and quick action, ya' know?"

"Mmhm, I know. Why do you think I spend at least a quarter of my allowance on them?" He snorted back. "Either way, I just like reading books from time to time whenever I get the chance to. Though it'd be nice if that enthusiasm transferred to textbooks…"

"Don't. You and I both know that textbooks are never fun to read."

"You got that right. I'm amazed how Doctor Oobleck can read so many medical and history reports in his spare time. It's nuts."

"That's just what he's good at, I guess."

"Right… Anyways, what were we doing again?"

For once, Blake couldn't help but interject, though not without a hint of laughter in her voice. "You were supposed to study on Grimm biology together," she told them, a little grin on her face. "Good thing you hadn't gotten into this debate of yours for too long. Otherwise, you wouldn't have been able to get any work in."

"Oh, right. Thanks. Guess we sorta' needed the reminder," sheepishly giggled her leader.

"And you don't mind staying here while we study?" Her eyes moved over to the blond. "If you'd want, we can go to the library instead. Don't want to bother you or anything."

She shook her head in response, a little pleased to hear of his consideration. "It'll be fine. I'm used to reading with loud background noise either way," and then, her face fell. "Imagine living with Yang, of all people."

That was enough to make Ruby groan. "Uurgh, tell me about it. I've lived with her my whole life, and I can tell you that it's difficult. She's bad enough when she's back from partying, but even then, she's insufferable."

"Yeah… Good thing you're not a part of this team, Jaune."

"True, but even I have some level of experience with insufferable sisters. I have seven of them, and each one's got their quirks. Headaches at best, desire to lock myself in my room and scream myself hoarse in my pillow at worst."

A moment of silence stretched out as the three of them bonded over the pains of having a sister… though, to be fair, it wasn't like Blake has any sisters of her own, being an only child. Which is good. She can't imagine having to deal with tough siblings.

From Jaune's massive family to Ruby's hot-headed, pun-loving sister to Weiss' complicated situation back home… Yeah, she's pretty much fortunate.

So it was that Blake made herself at home on her bed, poring over her newest book once more while her leader and her best friend began studying for Port's classes. All in all, a relatively normal day in Beacon Academy.

A school for huntsmen, while sounding incredibly prestigious and important (which it was), was ultimately a school. And school came with… well, lessons. Lessons the likes of which she would have liked to go without, if only because each person leading a particular subject was peculiar in a way that made her feel as if her sanity was slowly draining.

Oh, that wasn't to say the people here were bad. Far from it. They upheld their duties very seriously, and their views on faunus was no different from that of humans, something that she greatly appreciated. Sure, there were a few bullies here and there, but things were getting better.

But that still doesn't excuse the fact that the lessons can be… well…

"Grimm!" A great voice boomed across the room, shocking some while a few initiated auto-sleep mode. "Prowlers of the night!"

Beside her, Ruby whispered to the rest of the team. "Didn't he use that same introduction in the very first class..?"

"Yes, Ruby. He did," Weiss sighed, and she looked as if she was suffering from five different migraines all at once.

"On the bright side, at least he's enthusiastic about it. Still has a way of making us doze off, though…"

Yang wasn't wrong on that front. Already, she could see countless students with their heads on the table, openly sleeping. That Professor Port hadn't chosen to reprimand them was enabling them to go on with this. Or perhaps he was so into his storytelling session that he hadn't noticed the students sleeping to begin with.

There were a few others that were obviously trying to fight the urge to nap, book and pen in hand, ready to jot down whatever token of wisdom he would give out. Oh, sure, there were some. You just had to listen really closely for them.

"—and there he was! By jove! The biggest Beowulf I had ever seen, towering over my body by five feet! Its ivory teeth glimmered in the night, crimson eyes regarding me with the most vicious ferocity I had ever seen! And what should ol' Peter do, you ask, with just half a sandwich and a flipflop? But there were villages to save, people to protect! So, I did god's work, charging into the fray as I finish my succulent bread and meat as I proceed to cut down every single Grimm!"

Her eye twitched. Delusional wouldn't be enough to describe this man. Seriously, how is he an actual professor?

He flaunted his strength by flexing his muscle, though that gesture just made his belly shake. Someone to the side snorted, though she wasn't sure if she shared their sense of humour. She was deciding whether or not she should just knock herself out cold and spare her this torture.

Ultimately, she ended up dropping her head with a sigh. Professor Port was truly one of a kind.

…

"…and so, the the Old Royalty Faction suffered unspeakable losses during the Battle of Vaclalaba in the Vacuan Civil War. As you may know, Lord Jaffar al-Riaz had intended for the royal troops to secure western Vacuo which, at the time, was known to be home to five different oases. With such extreme climates, access to sources of water was incredibly vital. However, miscommunication in the chain of command resulted in the royal troops being sent on a direct charge against a different battalion; one that was fully equipped with advanced Dust-powered weaponry and ballistae. The royal troops suffered great loss in the charge, bombarded with fire upon fire as their numbers were drastically cut down in such short notice. Eventually, they were forced to retreat, and there was absolutely no gains in this supposed 'battle'."

Strikingly green hair with a white shirt and yellow tie. This was a combination that burnt the cones in her eyes, but she persisted, attempting to keep up with his machinegun-speed words to try and grasp for the necessary lessons.

Somehow, she had a feeling that she wasn't the only one who struggled.

All around her, she could tell that everyone were attempting to speed-scribble their notes into their books, some looking so lost that they'd just given up and would decide to ask their teammates later on. Beside her, Yang had joined the latter group, her cheek on her knuckle as she stared at the rambling greenette.

Blake sighed. Honestly, Doctor Oobleck wasn't a bad person. He didn't advocate discrimination—that instantly put him high up in the ranking in her mind—was very passionate about his work, and was always present to lend the students an ear or offer advice. He was a good person.

As a lecturer, though? She wondered if, perhaps, he should take up rapping as a profession instead. He certainly has the lip speed to pull it off.

"And this is the story that the 'The Charge of the Blue-Blooded' poem came from, right, Doctor?"

All heads turned towards the source of the voice, hers included, surprised muttering following right after. Yellow eyes regarded the speaker, who had stood up with his hand slightly in the air. She was a little surprised to see it was Jaune, of all people, his blue eyes shining with curiosity. The doctor had ceased talking, his full attention on the man.

"Why, that is indeed the case, Mister Arc. Where had you come upon that name?"

"One of my younger sisters was fond of poetry. Didn't matter if it was romantic or silly. She'd always loved poetry, especially historical ones," he admitted with a silly smile. "But yeah. It mentioned the Battle of Vaclalaba, and how the soldiers had gone into a fight they couldn't win. And yet, the poem made it seem as if it was more focused on their spirit, rather than the outcome."

"A terrific observation, Mister Arc. Yes, you are indeed right. The lines within the poem was designed with the strict intent emphasise the valour of the troops for carrying out their orders without a shred of fear, even though the end result of such was their death."

"Does that have something to do with politics, perhaps? Or an attempt to make themselves seem greater despite their loss?"

"You could say that, yes. After all, what army would happily wave their defeat in the face of the world? No. In an effort to colour the world's view of their troops, a poet by the name of Joseff al-Asmar took to writing of their soldiers' failure and turning it into some kind of romanticized tale of their valour. Partly to memorialize their soldiers, and partly to turn it into some form of propaganda to raise their faction's integrity."

Hmph. She could imagine that. No one person would ever willingly admit to a fault, much less so on a global scale. They'd find some excuse, or some method, to change that. And this was no different.

"But the soldiers… They could have chosen not to fight, right, Doctor?" Another voice perked up.

"Perhaps, but that is simply what a soldier is. One of the poem's line goes as such; Theirs not to make reply. Theirs not to reason why. Theirs but to do and die. A simple but perfect representation of a soldier's loyalty to their kingdom, that they would carry out whatever duty is presented before them without any doubts, even if it may end with their deaths."

The mood in the class was brought down as a result of his words, and Blake was grateful that she'd truly left behind the life of being a White Fang member. She knew all too many people who would have just given away their lives to carry out their duties simply because they feel like there was no other option.

She had made her choice to leave it behind. And someday, she'll have to make up for all the mistakes she'd made.

"Thank you, Mister Arc, for bringing up Sir al-Asmar's work. And might I say, you and your sister are well-read. I am pleased to know that the both of you are keen on remembering the past. Such is important, moving forwards, so that we may never repeat them in the future."

Jaune nodded back, happy and satisfied. "Right. Thank you, Doctor."

Once he sat back down, the doctor went back to rambling, though she couldn't help but admit that it was a surprise for Jaune of all people to somehow add to the discussion. A good surprise, though. He was a good person, even if she didn't know him all too well, and she had a feeling he'd be doing so much better in the coming years here in Beacon.

Although, it would be made even better if the bell had already rung. Class with Doctor Oobleck never fails to give her a headache or two.

…

Metal rang across the arena as sword and scythe collided. Both combatants leapt back to put distance between themselves, although the little red-hooded girl was quick to charge back into the fray to unleash a flurry of swings. The other boy panicked and began a series of smart manoeuvres called 'ducking and running'.

Blake snorted, watching her leader, who was easily two heads shorter than Russel, give him a hell of a day. His daggers aren't meant for blocking, and against such a big weapon like Crescent Rose? Oof. He's got one heck of a fight before him.

Combat class isn't exactly the most complicated one. Two fighters are chosen, either by random or nomination, and they duke it out. A win is gained by either depleting the opponent's aura or knocking them out of stage. Afterwards, Miss Goodwitch would assess their performances and give critiques regarding areas to be improved. Simple and clean.

Or as clean as it could be as she watches Russel get thrashed a little too easily, making her wince. Make no mistake, she didn't like him and his group, what with their outward racism towards faunus, but it was still a bit of a shame to see him faring poorly against such a smaller girl.

"Yeah, Ruby! Go kick his ass!"

"Yang, please refrain from shouting! You're bothering everyone."

Blake rolled her eyes, knowing for certain that there was no stopping Yang in her 'big sis mode'. It's endearing, obviously, but she could try and do away with the volume.

Or she won't, because she's as stubborn as a rock. It'd be a cold day in hell if she suddenly goes silent for a whole day.

As the two combatants traded blows, Miss Goodwitch keeps a close eye on the two of them, while giving furtive glances around the spectators' seats every now and then. Inwardly, she shuddered, knowing that the woman had some kind of eagle vision, able to spot any inattention from afar.

'Lesson to take home? Don't mess with Goodwitch. Ever.'

Eventually, the battle ended in Ruby's favour—not like it was ever in question. Hers was well above seventy, whereas Russel's had dropped straight into the yellow, marking his loss. The guy was panting, having been put through quite an exercise of dodging and weaving between the girl's attacks. Ruby, on the other hand, looked a little winded, though much better for wear.

"The both of you make full use of your speed in your fights, though it goes without question that Miss Rose has mastered hers in terms of her Semblance," the girl in question beamed a little. "Mister Thrush, you should have capitalized on the fact that you are much bulkier than she is. It would have been imperative for you to spot an opening in her defences, then strike a fatal blow that could have decided the outcome of the fight."

"Y-Yes, ma'am."

"And Miss Rose. Though your fight today was greatly in your favour, what with your ability to outrun your opponent and dodge each one of his attacks, I suggest that you think to use your ranged options more. Any mistake on your part could cost you, and sometimes playing safe would be a wiser move. Not only would it keep your opponent away from you, but it will give you time to consider your options and formulate your attack plan."

"O-Of course," she nodded quickly.

Those green eyes of hers watched them for a moment before she nodded. "Very well, the two of you may return to your seats. Next, we shall have Pyrrha Nikos and Yang Xiao Long, to the stage."

"Alright!" Her blonde partner yelled in excitement. "I've been waiting for this."

"Not like you haven't sparred with her plenty of times already," Weiss rolled her eyes, though there was a semblance of amusement in her gaze.

"Pssh, that's sparring. This'll be a real fight in front of everyone. Here's my time to shine to shine!"

With her off to change into her battle gear, Pyrrha the same, Blake sat back in her seat and let out a sigh. Miss Goodwitch is terrifying, but so long as you don't make her cross? Well, you're all good.

Blake Belladonna was many things; the daughter of the chieftains of Menagerie, an ex-member of the White Fang, and now a huntress-in-training. She would have said that her life hadn't gone the way she had thought it ever would, but in all honesty? She was rather happy with where she's ended up.

Using one's powers for the greater good was the kind of lesson you'd find in a superhero comic, but it was even truer to life now that she was meant to become a fully-fledged huntress. She would devote her time to training, all for the sake of becoming stronger to protect innocents. To give them their opportunity to live their lives the way they want to.

To have their own happy ever afters… That was worth fighting for.

But of course, being in a school, not every day is filled with hardship. Some days are light, others a little more strenuous, but every one of them more or less being relatively bearable, thanks to the company and the knowledge that her time spent here would serve her purpose to uphold her ideals of justice and equality.

And there are days where she absolutely has to flee from the mess that is Team RWBY, of which usually it's because of Yang. No further explanation needed.

'Really,' she thought to herself, grumbling. 'Is it too much to ask for just five minutes to read in silence?'

Not for Yang, that is. She'd never been the kind of girl who could sit still or keep her mouth zipped for ten minutes, let alone two. She'd either make a really dumb joke, start calling her silly nicknames, or try to get under Weiss' skin, which was an issue all in itself since she'd then get into a heated argument with Yang.

Seriously, where her energy came from, she didn't know, though she had a feeling it was hereditary. Would explain how Ruby's just the same.

Sighing for the nth time that day, she marched down the corridor. It was a weekend, and some of the student body had headed downtown to catch a break or a meal. Her team would likely be in their room for a bit. At least, until Ruby or Yang decided it was enough and they needed

The library proves to be Blake's escape from just about everything. The silence, the atmosphere, all the books… well, she doesn't peruse the books in this library all the time since she has her own, so she typically brings her selection along before making her way to her favourite spot in the library.

"Miss Belladonna," she perked up as she approached the librarian's desk. Sitting behind it was none other than—

"Miss Goodwitch?" Golden eyes went wide as she regarded the bespectacled woman. "You're the librarian too?"

"No. I'm simply filling in for Alicia," she responded. There was nothing out of place; the green eyes, her braided blonde hair, the white blouse and the black skirt. She was every bit the disciplinarian and combat class instructor that she knows and remembers, and that which just about everyone is deathly afraid of. "She's taking a paid leave for the week, so I'll be taking her place for some time."

"I-Is that so?" No wonder the library was a lot quieter than usual. Looking around, she noticed a drastically lower number of students, and those that were using the library were on their best behaviour. Not a single sight of games or the like.

"Right. Well, I know I wouldn't have to tell you this, but be sure to follow the rules of the library and refrain from making any form of disturbance for everyone else. Keep any prohibited material out of the library—and from school grounds in general. If there is any material that you intend to borrow, simply bring it to me and we can carry out the usual procedure."

"R-Right," leave it to Miss Goodwitch to be a true stickler to the rules. "If I may…"

The blonde nodded, and made her way to the right. The library was separated into two portions; the left section had little desks designed for self-study, while to the right, rows upon rows of books were lined upon shelves with larger tables for groups to make use of. There was a single table deeper inside, with two bookshelves surrounding the table to give some form of cover from the rest of the library.

It was her go-to spot to read her books without the chance of being bothered. And if she had to, she would often bring extra things like her pencil case, a bag or a bottle to put on the other three chairs, giving off the imagery that they were reserved for others. That always worked, and she was grateful for that. She didn't want to be bothered while she—

'Eh?' Her eyes widened, body going stiff as she stared at her reading spot. 'Someone else is already there?'

Her body was stiff as she quickly moved over to hide herself behind a shelf, peeking over the edge to get a glance at whomever it was. The student, still wearing his school uniform, had his back to her while he was doing whatever he was doing. His blond hair was ragged, his voice filling the space with a quiet hum that reminds her of a song she'd once heard. His bag was laid out beside the table leg, his writing supplies beside him.

'That's… Jaune,' she thought, a little surprised to find him here, of all places. 'Is he studying?'

That's the most likely case. It was no surprise to everyone that, besides being the weakest student in their year (although even that was beginning to change, thanks to his dedication to his training), he was also rather behind the curriculum. It couldn't be helped since he had never went to a huntsman training like the rest of them, but at the very least he was willing to work hard on improving himself. That was commendable.

Although, it would be nice if he could have taken his studying elsewhere.

She sighed. No, that would be unfair to him. It wasn't like she'd bought this particular spot, and if she tried to shoo him away from here, she'd come off as some kind of bully. She was better than that.

'I'll just share the table with him. Unlike Yang and Nora, I can trust him to be quiet when it counts.'

With a sigh, she steeled herself to approach the boy, making sure her steps were loud enough to alert him of her incoming presence. When he didn't seem to notice her, she tried to peek over her head to get a look at what he was doing. All she could see was a page with a lot of words scribbled on it.

After some deliberation, she opted to just go for the straightforward option. "Ahem," she cleared her throat.

The reaction she got was both expected but not; Jaune practically yelped in surprise, body going stiffer than a board as his head snapped left and right, only to finally bodily turn himself around to look her in the eyes. Those blue orbs were shocked, staring at her as if she was the ghost.

"Hello, Jaune."

"B-Blake?" He gasped. Then, he started laughing, only to shut himself quickly to avoid drawing Goodwitch's attention. "S-Sorry. I wondered who it was. Didn't expect to see you here."

"Me neither. Well, alone. If you were here, I'd have expected you to be here with your team, or Ruby at least."

"Ruby was with me, though she quickly ran away when she saw Miss Goodwitch at the desk," he chuckled, making her grin a little. "Don't tell her I told you that."

"My lips are zipped," to emphasize, she mimed the action over her mouth. "So anyways, I was hoping if you don't mind if I sit here too. Just reading some books of mine. I won't bother you."

"Huh? Oh, sure," he nodded, gesturing to an open seat. "By all means."

Blake nodded her gratitude before heading over to sit opposite of Jaune, giving both of them ample room and privacy. She set down her bag on the floor beside her, then pulled out her book before she began reading it. The quaint environment and the sound of Jaune's writing on his book provided just the right ambience for her to dive into her read.

She wasn't sure how long she'd been sitting there, reading her book. At best, it had only been thirty minutes, though she could have imagined it being much longer. When one really gets into it, it's so easy to block out the rest of the world and stay absorbed in their little world for moments on end.

Blake hummed, flipping the page to the next. The heroine is in a situation where she has to choose between two men in her life; one, her childhood friend who had been by her side since the very start, the other a popular guy who'd just entered their school and began making waves. It was no less cliché than anything else she'd read, though she wasn't complaining.

Personally, she was rooting for the childhood friend. Sure, that seemed like the easy choice, but that was simply because the new guy had proven to be too much of a jerk for the heroine, reminding her a little too much of her own love life back in the day. She would have liked it if she could just forget all about that.

'Hmm… But it will be difficult. He has a large financial backing, so it wouldn't be difficult for him to simply blackmail the other guy into keeping quiet, or something.'

Even then, she'd still root for the childhood friend. He was sort of the underdog in this story, choosing to work his way through the motions in a slow and steady manner. Hopefully, the heroine would open her eyes to his efforts and choose him in the end. The other road would be nothing but heartbreak.

Something snapped. Her eyes snapped over to the boy in front of her, noticing that he'd accidentally broken his pencil. Those blue orbs turned annoyed. He quickly pulled out a sharpener and began the tedious process of sharpening his writing tool.

"You know," she spoke up for the first time in minutes. "You could always just use a mechanical."

"I really should, though I hadn't had the opportunity to go buy some. Way more eco-friendly."

That's his first thought? Not a bad one, though. "True. You'd just need to use one and refill it every time it runs out. Not like a pencil, which will eventually run out and you'd need to throw it out."

"Mmhm."

"…Say, what are you writing?"

That got a reaction out of him, as his previously calm gaze turned into a panicked one. "Eh? Me?" He looked down to his book, then back at her. "Err. Notes?"

"Notes," she repeated, looking at his book—only for him to cover them with both his hands. "Why are you hiding them?"

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

She resisted the urge to drawl out Ruby's name, if only because the person in front of her wasn't Ruby. Still, they apparently have quite the similar tendencies whenever they want to avoid something.

"Jaune, it's okay if those aren't notes, you know. I'm not going to judge. I mean, you literally played Cards of Remnant in the library a week ago."

"Shh!" His eyes were wide with panic. "Don't say it out loud..! Miss Goodwitch might hear you!"

"Jaune," she sighed. "She's literally on the other side of the area. There's no way she wouldn't hear you."

"That's… true. But you never know. Miss Goodwitch has a keen sense of things, and she's able to pick out students who aren't focusing during class. Remember, two days ago? When she could tell that Dove had been playing with his scroll even though he'd been looking at the arena alongside everyone else, and was practically hidden behind Cardin?"

That was… a shockingly good point. One that made her gulp as she turned her head to look towards the disciplinarian's way. Fortune smiled on them in that moment, for it seemed that death wasn't coming for them just yet. They sighed in relief.

"So, what are you writing?"

"Nngh…" He seemed uncomfortable to be asked about that again, but she was curious now. Curiosity may kill cats, but not her. "Do you really have to know?"

"I don't have to know, although I do want to."

"Urgh… No chance that I could ask you to just, I don't know. Magically forget about it?" He asked with a weak grin.

Blake rolled her eyes. Honestly, what was with him? "Is it some kind of diary?"

"Well, no, it's not—"

"Then is it something so embarrassing that you're not willing to share with anyone?"

"It's not… embarrassing, per se… It's just a little childish."

Childish? From Jaune? "That only applies for Ruby, Jaune. She makes doodles in her book during Port's classes. I would know childish above anything else."

That got him to laugh a little, finding some truth in her words. "Yeah, you're right… Well, I suppose it wouldn't be wrong to share it with you. But," he stressed before he let her take a peek. "You can't tell anyone about it, okay? Promise me that."

What was this? Some kind of tome with the answers for all mysteries of the world? Still, with how serious he was being, she had to honour his request. "I promise," she nodded, meeting his eyes. "I'll keep this a secret."

Whatever he was trying to search in her eyes, he must have found it, for he nodded in the end. "Alright… Here you go."

Turning the book around, he gently slid it across the table so that it could reach her. Blake muttered a quiet 'thank you' before picking it up gently, noticing the pretty handwriting. Huh. And here she thought boys typically wrote with chicken scratch.

It took her a moment to realize that it was a… lab report? It was replete with little symbols, headings titled 'Special Containment Procedures' and 'Description' respectively. The name of the thing was called Eyerot. Beside it was a—

"Whoa," she whispered. "This is a really good drawing…"

"T-Thanks. I've had practice growing up."

Incredibly true-to-life wouldn't do enough justice. It literally looked as if he'd taken a picture with his scroll before pasting the picture into the book. It was a simple drawing of a person's face, showing only the upper portions including the forehead, eyebrows, eyes and nose. What was most distinct was the complete reddening of the eyes—a thick, blood red colour that consumed both the pupil and the sclera. Thin strands of… hay? Hair? They hung up and down from the eyelids, stretching across the face.

"Mycelia," she perked up at Jaune's voice, looking up to meet his eyes. "Those are mycelia."

"Mycelia… Mycelium? Like fungus?"

"The very same."

She returned to the supposed lab report. It certainly feels like the kind of report a scientist would write after observing a specimen, the kind that you probably wouldn't be able to find online because of how dark it is—and it certainly is. She was admittedly a little perturbed by the greatly scientific and explicit means of description.

'After approximately one week from initial exposure, the sclera turns black… Subject loses vision at this time… The vitreous humour begins to leak out?' It's not difficult to imagine how that might end up being, and the thought of her eyes practically liquifying leaves her feeling a little sick.

For being a relatively simply story, the attention to detail and scientific realism is pretty good. The usage of terms such as sinuses, photosensitivity, the optic nerve, ulcerations and mucus production is indicative that Jaune had done his research proper. It left her feeling little chills down her arms as she imagined what it would be like to experience this condition, and she immediately quashed it with a shake of the head.

"Wow… This is really simple, but well-made," she admitted, looking at the drawing he made. "Did you make this?"

"In my spare time, yeah…"

"It's good. Like, really good. Are you a fan of scientific stories?"

"Horror, actually," his answer had her perking up in surprise. "Horror and psychology. I tend to write a few every now and then."

"Really? Horror? You?" She eyed him from up to down, but she simply couldn't see it. Jaune 'the ladies love it' Arc, a fan of horror fiction? "I thought you love X-Ray and Vav."

"I do, but I've always appreciated this kind of stuff more," he said, smiling as memories danced through his head. "I practically grew up with horror stories that you could find online. The kinds that would leave you having a nightmare, or start questioning your reality, wondering if there was some kind of monster hiding underneath your bed…"

The casual, if almost dreamy, way he said all that made her physically wince. Man. And here she'd thought he was nothing but a dorky goof. She had to admit, this practically meant that he had way more balls than she'd given him credit.

"And I've always wanted to give them a shot. Writing them, that is. So I've been doing a bit ever since we came to Beacon."

"Really? I never noticed."

"I try and do it in secret," he shrugged. "I'm not saying I'm embarrassed about it, but I uhh… just want to be really good at the stuff I write before I share more with everyone."

"Really? But this is already really good," and she really meant that. If this Eyerot existed in their world, she had half a feeling that the world would be in great panic. "Are there other stories in this book? Can I—"

"Yes there is, and no, you can't look at them," that had her pouting.

"Why not?"

"That's… They're not ready yet."

"…Fair enough," she relented. "But is there at least one more that I could give a read?"

"You want to?"

"Sure. This is interesting stuff."

Jaune's face turned into something similar to when a person sucks on a lemon, debating on whether he should show her more or not. Thankfully, rather than stuff his book back in his bag, he flipped it to another page. "This is another report-styled story."

"You like this style a lot?"

"Not really. It's just easier to do, so I try writing it this way to get a good understanding of how I'm gonna' make it in the future."

Easier, he says, when he'd need to do a bit of reading on human pathology and the like. Still, it made for a good read (if a little perturbing), so she accepted it either way.

Project Libitina, this next one was called, seemed to be a little longer. Where it lacked in long paragraphs of detailed observations and procedures, this one seemed to be a report regarding an individual. Libitina, she would assume, based on the project.

At first glance, nothing about it seemed out of place. Her name, her age… three? Wow. She's super young, then. Her mind evokes the image of a very young, very little girl with long hair, perhaps black or silver. Her residential wing and room was also included. Really nothing bad.

And then her significance level, of which could vary from zero to hundred, was a complete one hundred.

"Introducing bias during testing as a result of personal attachment to the subject will henceforth be punished by death…" She winced afterwards. "This seems bad."

"Might get worse. I dunno'."

It really did. The physical results was nothing noteworthy, but the second results—that which referred to her third eye, something that set off all kinds of bells in her head—were much more cause for concern. This one seemed more supernatural by nature, likened to some form of psychokinesis. Still, it wasn't bad.

And then, the paragraph immediately after takes the mood from dreading to absolutely unsettling.

Twitching. Vocal tics. Biting. Epiphora (watery eyes). Vomiting. Screaming. Harm to examiner. Harm to self. Misplaced laughter.

Any self-harm attempts must be interrupted immediately.

Blake hadn't imagined the chills that went up her arms, throat going dry. All of a sudden, the image she had in her mind of a little girl in a white dress kept in a little cell is distorted into pure nightmare fuel, as the girl's echoing laughter bounces off the white walls. Too young, and yet her mind was driven into the darkness by the experimentation conducted upon her.

And that madness truly takes its toll on her, as she claws at her flesh without nary a care. She only continues to cackle, finding bliss in the pain that lances up her arms. Scarlet spills across the floor, some soaking her dress and turning her into a monster. Scientists rush in to stop her, armed personnel with stun batons and shields at the ready, and she would always react with a vicious tide.

They would never harm her. She was too precious as an experiment, but gods she could hear her screams…

Blake forced herself to a calm, a little relieved that the remaining portions of the report aren't enough to evoke further imagery in her head. The response tests to threats—both minor and major—came fully positive, and she knew she didn't like that in the slightest, nor did she like the idea that a sexual response test was included. At least they opted to forego it since she was too young.

…Great. Now she's imagining them doing unspeakable things to her once she becomes of age. She felt like she was going to throw up.

"Man, this one was a weird trip," she said once she finished her read, closing the notebook with a sigh of relief.

"It wasn't that bad, was it?"

"No, but that's the thing about horror stories. They somehow always end up making you imagine them in your head, and whatever you imagine is always much worse than what it actually is."

"Right? It's awesome!" She was a little taken aback by his enthusiasm, though with how he'd proclaimed his adoration for this kind of stuff, she really shouldn't have been. "Man, I'm glad that someone understands. Some people think it's movies that are the scariest stuff, but I beg to differ. The things they show on cinema are usually controlled, so they're not always scary. Otherwise, they can't actually show them."

"That's true…"

"Stuff online, though? There's no such restrictions. No reason to hold back. And that's why channels dedicated to making horror series like analogue horror and first person camera recordings always end up being really successful at their job."

Again, this was a lot of enthusiasm coming from the guy she'd thought was only ever into comic books and flashy action. Apparently not.

And he wasn't wrong, which made his words all the more impressive. She'd never really found horror movies all that scary. Too predictable, with cheap jumpscares to get more screams than actually filling you with that creeping, unsettling feeling. The latter was something that online videos do better at because they play by their own rules and come off as completely unexpected. And lessons have taught that it's the unexpected things that are the scariest thing ever—something to do with how humans fear the things they're unaware of.

"You really love horror, huh, Jaune?"

"Sure do," he nodded with a smile. Somehow, that was enough to make her feel a little better after what she just read. "I grew up with it, after all, so it's kind of hard not to love it," and then, he laughs an embarrassed sound, rubbing the back of his head. Now this. This is the Jaune she knows. "Although, that does make me come off as a nerd, don't I?"

"I don't think you'd have to worry about that. You and Ruby can both be nerds—you in the scary department and Ruby when it comes to weapons," she chuckled. "You're both dorks."

"Correction; proud dorks," he puffed his chest out, and that got her to laugh a little louder. "In any case, that was… really nice. Seeing you enjoy what I wrote back there. I appreciate it a lot, Blake."

"Yeah. And thank you too, for sharing your written work. I've never thought someone I know was a writer, but hey? The world finds a way to surprise you."

"True that. And I never thought I'd be here, in the library, talking to you of all people," at her quirked brow, he seemed to grow more panicked, raising both hands. "I-I mean, I never expected it because we've never talked before! I'm not trying to imply bad, I promise!"

Oh yeah. That was true. "Relax, Jaune, I understand. And yes, you're right. We're friends by association through Ruby, although we've never exactly talked together all that much."

"True…"

"So… wanna' be friends?" She asked. "For real, I mean."

His eyes shot up to meet hers, genuine surprise in those blue orbs. "F-For real?" He seemed so taken aback by that that it seemed like he stopped breathing for a moment. "Like… you, and me? Friends?"

"I don't see why not. Yang has been getting on my nerves, saying things like how I need to 'spread my wings' and 'meet more people'," the girl winced. "Frankly, I've met enough in my lifetime to want to meet more, though that doesn't mean I'm antisocial."

"Just shy?"

"Please don't call me that. Yang has enough times that I'm tempted to throw her out of our room's window."

"Hah, fair enough," Jaune chuckled. "But umm, yeah, I don't mind. I'd be happy to be your friend, Blake."

"The feeling is mutual," and she was surprised yet pleased to know that she felt exactly that way, despite not knowing him well enough. Perhaps it was the fact that he was such good friends with Ruby and was generally one of the nicest people in their year that made it easy to talk to him. No wonder his team loved him. "So now that that's official, you'd better not be a stranger. Honestly, you're one of the most ordinary people that I have here—and by normal, I literally mean you're not part of the crazy band that most of our classmates are known for. It's comfortable to be chatting with you than it is anyone else."

"Hah! Well, I appreciate the compliment. But yeah, I promise. No stranger."

"Good. And," she continued, trying not to sound too excited. "That does mean I'd get to see more of your stories later on, right?"

"Well. Sure, why not? I'll just refine them a little more, and then I'll let you have a read through them next time. But for the time being, I'd like it if it's just you. You like reading books and you know your stuff, so I'd feel a little better if it's you reading them and not anyone else yet."

Huh. Well, that's a little flattering. Blake smiled back, nodding. "Alright. But you promised, which means you have to share them later."

"Yes, yes, I will," chuckling, he accepted his book from her hands. Jaune stood up and pushed his seat inside, and she did the same. "I'm not gonna' lie, that was a little nerve-racking. I've never shown this to anyone, not even my family. That… wasn't so bad."

"What were you expecting?"

"You to call it childish, or saying it's bad. I probably would have accepted the latter," when she was about to argue, he was quick to add more. "But I'm glad that you liked it! Really. Thanks, Blake. That was… surprisingly nice."

"Well, good. You shouldn't be ashamed of what you write. Good things should be shared, after all."

"Even things that make you start to question everything around you?"

She doubted this one story would stick with her forever, though she would certainly have a new appreciation—and abject concern—for fungi in general. "Sure. So long as it's just fiction, right?"

"Of course. I don't think I'd have the heart to write stories based on actual events," he waved her off, smiling goofily in a way that was just so friendly and disarming, no one could have imagined him capable of writing such creepy tales, let alone being a fan of them. "Everything I write is just fiction, Blake. Relax."

Fiction, but still effective at being unsettling and just a little creepy. One depicting a fungal infection that takes away a person's sight, and another of which a little girl no older than three suffers through experimentation with the sole intent to unlock some hidden power.

Blake shuddered. Excited as she was to revisit the world of nightmares once more, she felt like she'd have to prep herself up for the next time. And she really had to reassess her image of Jaune Arc from now on.

Author's Notes:

Originally, I was planning to release a Date A Live story under a new series of fighting-themed tales, although I got too excited with this one and thought that I may as well go ahead with this.

As far as I'm planning, this story won't have anything great in the grand scheme of things. Just a casual slice-of-life story that's completely disconnected from the sheer mess that is RWBY in the background, because everyone just needs some good things in life from time to time. This story's length should also not be longer than even In a Big Freaking World, probably.

Also, I'll be the first to admit that I haven't read a lot of horror stories, if only because my go-to stories are fanfics—and even then, I don't read much horror. But even then, I've read some online, and it's nice to know that the Internet's a place of some of the best scares I've ever known.

…

As you guys may have noticed, this chapter was republished with some additional portions. Not to increase word count, but because I sought to fix it a little bit more. Here's why.

First off, I realized that a single story for each chapter may not be enough at times. While I did mention how the length wouldn't be as long as In A Big Freaking World, I feel like writing too short wouldn't do the stories enough justice. As such, I thought that maybe a few every now and then would be fine.

Secondly, I noticed how I barely described the first story. The way I see it, this story is like a reaction story—you know, those stories on this website where people go into those movie theatres and react to their friend being in different settings. This may as well be that, rather than the characters being in that very moment, so actually emphasizing the stories would be more important.

And finally, I'm pretty sure y'all noticed this already, but the element of horror isn't the biggest focus here. The comedy is, but I do want to attempt some form of discomfort, imaginative surrealness and paranoia that horror stories are so capable of. And to do that, creative wordplay is going to be more than important. The first version of the prologue didn't capture that, so I reworked this chapter to better capture that essence.

As an example, Lusus Naturae by SaintInfernalNeos is one of my absolute favourites that manages to blend comedy and eldritch levels of horror rather nicely. It's comedy all the way, but at focal moments throughout the story, they manage to write some moments of unsettling creepiness that factors in the horror aspect, and that's the focus that I want to go for. Look forwards to more chapters!