Author's Headnote: Sorry about the first notification, forgot to spellcheck.
RWBY: Festival of Blood: Thinbloods
Jaune Arc:
Aura Status: 100%
Semblance: Aura Boosting
Weapons: Crocea Mors
Licensing: Haven Academy, Student Huntsman, Year 2
Party Relations
- Nora Valkyrie: She seems to go back to her old self after she arrived at Mistral
- Lie Ren: Went back to his old self after he arrived at Mistral
- Violet Jasper: Has been more distant lately.
- Yang Xiao Long: Still weaponless, but she's spending more time with Sun.
- Oscar Pine: Having the headmaster inside the head of a small boy is rather disturbing.
- SSSN: Not sure what they're doing, other than the fact that Yang spends time with them.
- Qrow Branwen: 'Chaperone'
End of Major character status report
City of Mistral, April 14, Thursday, 8:00 PM, Mid-City
The mid-city is most likely like Vale's Mid-town the middle-ground between downtown and uptown. Mr. Branwen said that he shouldn't go further down than Mid-town, being that the lower-mid parts of the city hold the Yakuza headquarters, and below that is the lower city, and then the undercity. If it's not filled with organized criminals, it's unorganized criminals. Essentially Jaune shouldn't go down there unless he wants to lose some of his vital organs. The lower parts of the city also have less sunlight, meaning vampires are more frequent. He also says despite the moon Dragon Yakuza's efforts, the lower city tends to crawl with thin-bloods who often attack the living, having gone feral without being aware they're vampires.
He says whilst most vampires tend to revert out of feralhood if there is no target avaliable... thinbloods don't have that luxury, thinbloods tend to be stuck being feral until they're fully fed. And the grimm of a thinblood is pretty weak, so they cannot partake with any grimm-based abilities, rather rely on the pure human form. Of course, the further from the top, the less sunlight reaches... and the mid-district has enough sunlight to keep vampires at bay for most of the day... Mr. Branwen even says the undercity has almost no natural sunlight, meaning vampires can walk around there freely, due to the undercity being underground.
So... Mistral is essentially a breeding ground for vampiric conflict. The Yakuza tries to cull the thinbloods to a minimum, according to Mr. Branwen, and any vampire hunters would kill any on sight. Qrow also says to kill any thinblood on sight.
Though, he doesn't even know what thinblood vampires even look like... not that he wants to figure out. Qrow also says that normally, thinbloods tend to be purged on sight by regular vampires... so... he doesn't need to worry about that, given thinbloods are hardly a problem.
Jaune's not sure what's below there, but he doesn't want to find out.
Jaune was walking by himself. Giving everyone else some time for themselves and finally relax, Jaune going for a walk of fresh air.
All of a sudden... he heard something. Jaune drew his sword and began to prepare for an attack. The attack in question... is coming from a pale looking man coming toward Jaune at all fours preparing to lunge at him. Jaune quickly dodged the attack and prepared to incapacitate the individual. By bashing him in the head in the shield, he began to investigate.
He took out a a scroll and took a picture of him. His fangs were longer than normal. Perhaps he was a vampire... likely a thinblood.
Jaune sent the picture to Mr. Branwen and waited for a response.
A couple minutes passed, and this happened.
'He's a thinblood. But it looks like you knocked him out.' Mr. Branwen texted.
'I didn't know what a thinblood looks like and I just don't want to kill random civilians.' Jaune texted.
'Yet you knocked him out?'
'He came at me, on all fours. It was self-defense.'
'Best kill him now.'
'Wouldn't that leave a skeleton?'
'If he was a regular vampire, yes. Thinbloods don't turn to bone, they basically just die normally if not by sunlight.'
'Can we at least question him?'
'If he was coming at you at all fours, he's gone feral and would remain such until he's drank enough blood.'
'And for normal vampires?'
'Thinbloods aren't so lucky to regain themselves after simply being knocked out. Just put him out of his misery.'
'Alright fine.'
'Come talk to me about this once this is done.'
Jaune sighed. As he stabbed the unconscious thin blood in the chest, killing him. He then got the blood off of his sword. No doubt his body is gonna attract more thinbloods, so it's best for him to get out of here.
Qrow's Villa, April 14, Thursday, 9:00 PM, Living Room
This villa is basically the base of operations for Jaune and friends. Mr. Branwen actually owns this place as a vacation home. But this serves as a temporary residence until class starts for the second year. For some reason, Headmaster Lionheart closed the entire school. So they couldn't stay at the dorms. Which means the group of them are to stay at this villa until the school re-opens, which he says will be around when the second year starts.
Anyways, Jaune decided to meet up Mr. Branwen in the living room. Nora and Ren are there as well. Mr. Branwen looks concerned.
"A lot more thinbloods than there usually are." Mr. Branwen stated.
"Why is that?" Jaune asked.
"Normally when there's been an increase of thinbloods. It means a Fledgling vampire has started to mature, and one with improper feeding habits. The easy way is to slay the vampire, but the question is... we don't know who the vampire is."
"So... if you kill a vampire, do the people they turn go back to normal?" Nora asked.
"Only on the first night." Mr. Branwen answered.
"So... we just find the vampire and kill them?" Jaune asked.
"Yes, problem is... the vampire is operating below the mid-city, same place where the Moon Dragon Yakuza does most of their operations in the city. We don't want to provoke the Yakuza, unless you want to end up having grimm designed specifically to kill you hunt you down for the rest of your life."
"So... it could be the Yakuza's doing?"
"Theoretically. Given most of the thinbloods turned are minor thugs. Perhaps the Yakuza is trying to monopolize the crime. However, they would not risk people finding out that vampires exist."
"Perhaps it's another vampire operating in the territory?"
"The chances are unlikely. There is no way a vampire could make it in here on foot. As for by train or vehicle: Anti-grimm checkpoints all over."
"So... could it be a rogue operative?"
"Hmm... maybe. But we can't risk going below the mid-city. If there were thinbloods at the mid-city, there will be much more below there."
"What if we cover our bodies head to toe?" Nora asked.
Everyone paused.
"It could work, but the problem is... you'll need more than just cloth. You need to make sure the teeth can't touch your skin." Mr. Branwen stated.
"So... full body armor?" Nora asked.
"No. We have aura, so simply a scarf and a face mask will suffice, along with being dressed for winter."
"Ugh, no thanks. I don't want to sweat away fighting vampires."
The rest of the night was spent being bunkered up in the villa. Jaune had went to bed that night and had gotten up to go explore the city a bit, this time by the air-docks.
City of Mistral, April 15, Friday, 11:12 AM Air-Dock
Somewhere on the highest part of the city is the air-dock, though it's separate from the top of the city. The top-most part of city is heavily militarized and separate from the upper-city and the royal district. This is due to the part of Mistral is what separates Mistral from the rest of the world... and grimm. The military here receive more active patrols and anti-grimm protocol than the ones from Atlas. The Valean military had walls that kept anything save for high-jumping beowulves and nevermore out. And he believes that Vacuo mostly just use civilian militias.
He was walking with Yang and Sun. Nora and Ren were out playing in the arcade in the upper-mid city. Mostly Nora, Ren was there so she doesn't destroy everything. The rest of team SSSN were still recovering from a hangover at a hotel in the mid-district. What's most intriguing is that the rest of SSSN in a different Hotel room than Sun and Yang. Yang and Sun had left and met up with Jaune, who was checking up on them. As for Violet... he was nowhere to be found.
"So... what were you three doing last night?" Jaune asked.
"Oh, you wouldn't believe it." Sun said, sounding like he's about to start an elaborate story.
Character Change: Jaune Arc - Sun Wukong (Past)
City of Mistral, April 14, Thursday, 8:00 PM, Lower-mid city
"The Five of us were in the lower-mid city."
"Didn't Mr. Branwen say not to go there?"
"Come on, lighten up Jaune. It's just Uncle Qrow, he's concerned for us. We can take on common thugs."
The lower-mid-city, or as outsiders call it: 'the Mafia district'. Being that the mafia is most prominent here, on a first glance. It's not that different from the mid-city but given the amount of mafia activity here is far more frequent here than the other parts of the city, it's a given. Despite this, this is the best place Sun knew where to find liquor. Why is he finding liquor? Well, to celebrate the advancement between first and second year, of course. Irresponsible? Yes. Does he care? No. He's just happy he passed those tests. And to celebrate team SSSN and his girlfriend are going to celebrate.
The five of them were walking by as they see some weirdoes coming at them on all-fours. Sun managed to take care of them with a couple of swings from his staff... and then stole their wallets.
"You really are a kleptomaniac, aren't you?" Scarlet stated.
"What? They were attacking me, so I knocked them unconscious and stole their wallets. We're gonna need the money, anyway. May as well not use mine." Sun defended himself.
Yang looked a bit shocked as she looked the other way for a bit.
"Uh, Yang. What's wrong?"
"Oh, nothing... nothing." Yang said hesitantly.
"You look like you saw a ghost."
"It's just... nothing."
"Whatever don't worry about it. You can drink it off."
"Yeah... you're right."
The two of them continued to travel down to the bar in question. However, on their way... they keep spotting a suspicious figure wearing a lot of black and red-violet. Along with more of those strange figures, which team SSSN had dealt with swiftly, Yang didn't have a weapon on her, but she was deadly with her fists. The sun's still up, albeit it's setting. So... he doesn't know what's up. He's been told to look after vampires, which is why he's doing his escapades until the sun sets, and the sun is setting, it has not set. The figure in question is also always in dark areas, dark areas that don't seem to connect. Something about them... seems familiar... and yet, also at the same time they feel like a complete stranger.
The figure seems to focus their attention on Yang. However, Yang does not notice them. The figure in question also poses a feminine form. But Sun's not even sure what the figure is... a person, vampire, or some illusion playing tricks on him.
He just about reaches the bar, the bar in question has no bouncers and doesn't care who buys their liquor, so as long as money is made. This attitude ensured that the owner didn't have to pay protection from any of the Yakuza members. Since the owner was juggling all three factions... well... two now, given that the Steel hawks have fragmented since a mercenary had come in and sliced their leader in half, creating a power vacuum.
Nonchalant Bar, April 14, Thursday, 8:00 PM, Bar
"I think you were attacked by Thinbloods."
"Don't be crazy, the sun was still up."
"If it was 8 PM in the lower-mid city, the sun would not lighten that part of Mistral, meaning vampires could roam around freely."
"Oh, and we let them live."
"And the strange figure?"
"Don't know, once we got back up the Mid-District, the figure just stopped following us."
"Huh, weird. We'll have to investigate that."
A nonchalant bar, Sun doesn't know what nonchalant means, but whatever it means, it describes this bar. He can't figure any other word would describe it. The seating, the bar itself. The decoration... it's just... nonchalant. There is no other word that can describe it.
However, this bar's design wasn't the focus. It was the drinks. Sun came in and presented the lien to the barkeep.
"Just give us something to get us all wasted." Sun said to the barkeep. The barkeep then gave some bottles. Sun didn't read the labels, but he downed the bottle. He remembered the taste being well... burning. But he wanted more, he bought a couple more bottles. From there, things have gotten rowdier. Sun's vision started to twist and swirl after the fifth bottle. And Yang's on her tenth.
And during the rowdiness, they've caused a bit of destruction. Ending up trying to play some bar games... only they don't know any so they just threw the bottles. But the barkeep won't complain so as long as money keeps going around.
After Yang was on her nineteenth bottle, and Sun on his ninth, along with the rest of SSSN on their seventh... Yang had began to approach Sun.
"Heeeeey... Sunny Sun Sun." Yang said, with a small slur, she began to grab Sun. "How about we go somewhere private?"
"Is... is there somethin wrong with the rest of my team?" Sun asked...
Yang paused for a bit...
"Nah, I just wanna... wanna... y'know." Yang said, with an incredibly red face.
"Eh, I don't see whynot, the guys can... can... they can find their way back."
The two of them had snuck out of the bar... in any matter that any drunk couple would.
Mid-City Hotel, April 15, 8:05 AM, Hotel Room
"That Explains a lot"
"Sun... how about we end the story here?"
"Alright Fine."
Jaune won't find out about what happened the next day, but you (the reader) will!
Sun had woken up with a major headache... he doesn't even remember what happened between the events of getting Yang out of the bar... and here... but given the state of undress... he can make a guess. Sun was quick to put his clothes back on as he saw Yang coming out of the bathroom, after flushing the toilet. Yang was in a similar state of undress as Sun.
"So... uhh? Last night?" Sun asked.
"Ya, I love you, but don't brag that we banged whilst drunk. Not a story I'd want get around." Yang retorted, with an irritated mood. Her eyes were somewhere between purple and red...
"Hangover?"
"Yep. And not the first time. I've gotten used to the feeling, but it still irritates me. And I haven't vomited during a hangover since I was fifteen."
"Eh?"
"First time drinking."
"And now, we've had sex."
"Yes."
Yang paused for a bit... trying to think, but she groans in pain as she looks like she got a headache. Her eyes turning fully red for a bit before going back to that purple/red mid-ground.
"Sorry, I just got a headache. Not sure why." Yang stated. "I may need to buy some medicine for that, along with some hair dye. My style really doesn't suit black hair."
"I don't know, black hair kind of suits you."
Yang blushed. "It does?"
"Ya, I kind of like it this way."
"Well... I guess I can make black work..."
"See? Now let's get dressed." Sun said, getting up and getting dressed.
The two of them have gotten dressed and have gotten ready to leave the hotel. They've agreed to keep things quiet. And only for Jaune to show up and open the door.
"Oh, that's where you've been." Jaune said, awkwardly. "Where's the rest of your team, Sun?"
Character Change: Sun Wukong (Past) - Jaune Arc
City of Mistral, April 15, Friday, 11:12 AM Air-Dock
"Well, I kind of already figured you'd got drunk." Jaune stated.
"Ya, so that's what happened. Don't worry, none of us got bit." Sun countered.
"As far as you know?"
"Nah, none of the-" Sun said before being interrupted by Yang.
"We're in pubic, remember?" Yang reminded Sun.
"Ya, we keep that topic behind closed doors." Jaune stated.
The three of them continued to go around the docks, until they see an Atlassian airship, and one that's poorly maintained. From the looks of it, it might be one of the missing airships that Atlas tends to talk about. Not sure who stole or how to bring it back without making it look like Jaune and friends steal it, so it's best to just leave it be.
However, the three of them are quickly stopped by a Mistrallian soldier.
"Halt, is this, by any chance your ship?" the soldier asked.
"No, why?" Jaune asked.
"An unknown culprit can be tracked down to coming in and out of the ship, though for some reason the identity is concealed."
"Don't you guys have cameras?"
"We do, they were of no help. The cameras revealed nothing to help us."
"Well, whoever was committing all that crime, they're a professional."
"A professional, huh? Well. Then we may have to drop the case."
"Drop the case?"
"Ya, we can't investigate against the mafia. Unless we want our families killed."
"Ouch."
"Ya, there's nothing we can do."
The situation regarding whoever owns that ship can wait. It's the thinbloods that Jaune worries about. What could be causing them?
Character Change: Jaune Arc - Roxy Tudor
City of Mistral, April 16, Saturday, 12:00 AM, Lower City
Below the lower-mid city is well... the more impoverished lower-city. What once was just was turned into a huge industrial complex. Given how the factories run here, they don't emit emissions or waste. Which is why they're in Mistral, and not in some other minor town right outside of Mistral. The slums were kicked into the undercity. The factories here are 50/50 on in use and abandoned. Along with empty warehouses. This gives criminal scum the perfect hiding place.
However, Raven doesn't like how much she's been... well, excessive with drinking. Being that Roxy is creating thinbloods. It's a result of her drinking habits, she tends to drink more from thugs to fill her up. However, this is fine as a fledgling, not so great for a mature vampire. She'd have to drink from multiple people per day instead of just one. It appears Roxy is no longer a fledgling; hence she's gained the ability to turn others into a vampire. Because she hasn't fixed her drinking habits to prevent thinblood creation, Raven won't let her go above the lower-mid district. But if she can't turn them into thinbloods, guess there's nothing wrong with killing them.
Roxy had broken into one of the abandoned factories. And inside are members of the Moon Dragon Yakuza. They look at her for one second and flee.
"Ah no, it's her. The one the boss warned us about." one of the mooks said before fleeing.
"I knew leaving the white fang for them is a bad idea." another mook said, also fleeing.
"Don't just run, the boss also gave us some resources to deal with her." a third mook said.
"Those things?"
"Ya, apparently they had a whole herd of them built up for centuries."
"I'm gonna release them, the rest of you guys run."
After the mooks had fled, a lever was pulled and the mook who released the lever was attacked by the thinbloods released from the lever.
The thinbloods then all see Roxy. And turned toward her. And began attacking her. She remembers feral thinbloods aren't like normal grimm, they can and will attack normal vampires. Just about anything to fill their unquenchable thirst. The looks on their eyes, they've all but lost their humanity, faunashood, or whatever, all that remains is a creature of grimm, trapped inside a mortal body. And Roxy has to slay them all.
The thinbloods attacked in hordes, surrounding Roxy in all direction.
"Like sheep to the slaughter." Roxy retorted, getting out Crescent Rose.
The thinbloods then all began attacking Roxy, like pack wolves teaming on their prey, and Roxy slices them all in half one by one, leaving a trail of blood from all the blood spilt from the dead corpses. The corpses keep piling up as the thin blood continue to attack Roxy. In due time after a couple of minutes, there was a large pile of dead bodies. And the thinbloods are still at the hundreds, the solution. She got Slice of Life out, powered up the fire dust, and began to set fire to the factory. Albeit with her still in it, it would mean she'd have to get out of there, fast. Fortunately, her semblance helps with that, in which she uses to bolt out of the building and quickly escape the wrath that is the burning thinbloods.
City of Mistral, April 16, Saturday, 12:13 AM, Undercity
She fell in a hole, leading to a small lake in the undercity. She got wet from this, and she was thirsty, though not for water so she spat out the water in her mouth and surfaced, wet from the lake water... and thirsty for blood. She began looking for a petty criminal to feed on.
Though, this is the undercity, there's a couple of hundred of them here. She may as well go to one of the alleyways and find someone threatening her only to then turn the tables of them.
It's a pretty simple process. Roxy walks into an alleyway in the undercity. And then she sees not one, but two thugs trying to mug her. She gets Crescent Rose out and knocks them out with the blunt side of the scythe. She then partially drinks from both of them, which sates her thirst for the night.
Her past self would lament and lecture her on her actions. What once was a paragon who took up an 'ideal huntress' type of mindset to a T, now became a ruthless vigilante. She took this 180 on killing once she became more open... she didn't hate herself like when she killed Cinder... nor does she hate the idea of killing. In fact, a lot of problems would be solved quicker if she had been less restraint on dealing with the Vale vampires and the White Fang. She is a murderer, a thief, an arsonist, and now an aspiring bounty hunter.
Raven had taken Roxy under her wing, as an apprentice. She believes that Roxy has a better chance at this post-life as 'Roxy', rather than 'Ruby'. So... she's training herself to think of herself as 'Roxy', even in private or by herself, rather than 'Ruby'. however, her conscience strikes back. because if she abandons being Ruby, she basically abandons all those moments she's had while she was human, only having the 'Roxy' persona, which was always a vampire from day 1 of conception. Both are her, yet she can't be both at the same.
She then grabs some blood from one of the open wounds from a stab victim nearby to refill her flask. The flask is reserved for emergency use only. after all, in a city like Mistral, she shouldn't run out of deviants to bite down on.
Character Change: Roxy Tudor - Blake Belladonna
Mistral Wilderness, April 17, Gateway, 8:33 PM, Gateway to Mistral
The gateway, the entrance to the city of Mistral. It's ironically the most secure part of the city. However, unless Blake can fly... she has to go this way. The checkpoint itself, along with the large parking lot. Is quite as it is. The checkpoint is a walkway, they confirm identification and make sure that they aren't a threat to the council or the Yakuza. It's pretty straightforward.
Blake had stepped forward to the checkpoint. And presented her alternate scroll whilst keeping her normal one concealed. It took a couple of minutes, but they got around to confirm it belong to a 'Roselyn Crimson'.
"Alright, any reason you're entering Mistral?" the guard asked.
"Just resolving a personal matter and I'll be on my way." Blake answered as Roselyn.
"Very well, is your friend with you?"
"Yes, she is."
"Eh, she can go through. Have a nice time in the city of Mistral. Just don't fall." the guard warned.
Blake looked confused.
"You'll see." the guard stated. "We initially had rails but had them taken down as they actually increased the amount of people falling down."
Well, that's weird. Wonder what the guard is talking abo-
There is a giant hole in the middle of the walkway. And she can see the lower parts of the city from there. Well, that's where she'll be going... if she is to find the more despicable members of this city. The upper parts of the city being safer and more prosperous, and the lower parts are mostly slums and crime havens. With the middle part being well... rather average.
She's been to Mistral before as a member of the White Fang. But now, she's got a score to settle. For Ruby's sake and to put her soul at rest. There's no going back now. She's to find Roxy Tudor and kill her.
Author's Footnote: Rushed? Yes. Sorry about that, I had an idea for the chapter... but then I forgot it as I was writing it. So, I added some side stories to make up for lost ideas. Now as for the events that are to occur, oh... things are gonna ignite quite soon. And oh boy, you guys are gonna enjoy every last bit of it. Anyways, see you next chapter.