Chapter 5: In An Ordinary Fashion
Taylor
Exhaustion gave way to a dreamless sleep that ended in a world and room I thought had been my imagination.
Remnant. Beacon. The White Fang. Being alive.
The rush of turbulent thoughts chained in the back of my mind escaped with every hyperventilation.
Seconds became minutes, frozen in thought, before I finally relaxed—well, forced myself to with deep breaths.
The room was sparse, waiting for four people to move in judging by the number of beds. Desks, lamps, a private bathroom.
I was alone on my floor, but I caught stray conversations on the others. I didn't remember moving my bugs through the vents into spots to eavesdrop.
The other floors in the massive dorm building were mostly full. The students who had already finished their initiation had moved in. Upperclassmen wouldn't arrive for a couple of days.
Gender separation didn't seem to be a factor for the student's living situations; boys and girls slept a few feet from each other.
A lot of people were out and about, but many of the students were sleeping in. Classes wouldn't start until all the initiations were done.
The clock on the wall read eight twenty-eight. Far later than my usual routine. I had enough time for a shower and breakfast, but none of the research time that I wanted.
I still could have used more sleep, but my schedule wouldn't wait.
My Aura made moving bearable. The skin around my two puncture wounds had scabbed over, the skin tinged pink around it—not the angry red that I expected.
I took the longest shower of my life, eyes closed as the warm water poured off of me. No thoughts, no existential crises, no threats. The grime, blood, and tension drained off me.
Toiletries had either been left behind by previous occupants or came with the room. Either way, I properly washed my hair for the first time in weeks. I made use of the nail clippers, razor, hairbrush, and deodorant.
For a moment, I felt new, strong, ready for the day.
Then, I looked in the mirror, and the leftover husk of Khepri stared back at me.
Gaunt cheeks and tired, red-rimmed hazel eyes glared back at a set of dimples on my forehead.
I gave up everything, mind, body, and soul, to bring everyone together in a way that betrayed what I had always strived for.
Yet, my punishment, the only reminder, was two small marks that a brush of makeup could mask.
Even my powers were back.
Now, I was being given room and board, all paid for, so that I could go to school. Complete a higher level of education. Another thing I had given up and was now being rewarded with, after killing, after more mistakes.
I didn't deserve it, but I needed it. More sins to do more good.
Fucking hypocrite.
The girl in the mirror scowled, full of hate and fear for the fraud she saw.
Barely a full day and I'd already relapsed. I could have tried to find someone or searched for the warehouse offices to get a phone. If I had delayed them enough, they might have given up, or the authorities might have had enough time to arrive.
I could have even pulled back after injuring the first few. Instead, I'd continued my attack, and now, at least two people were dead over some petty thievery.
All my worries about the authorities had been fucking pointless, apparently. Yes, I wasn't sure how they would respond, but this was the alternative?
There had to have been a better way.
I reared a fist back, ready to shatter the girl in the mirror. She held her pose, arm shaking and ready to attack. Bugs swarmed from every opening they could and buzzed wildly about the room.
My fist fell and ground into the sink counter. I hunched over so the mirror wasn't visible.
"What the fuck was I supposed to do?" I whispered through clenched teeth.
There was no answer.
I wandered the halls of Beacon in the black tracksuit that had been left for me, and couldn't help but wonder at how I had been able to ignore what Beacon looked like the night before.
Beacon was a cathedral of a school. Sprawling towers rose from the numerous faculty buildings while winding archways invited you down walkways and through gardens. Fountains and pools were oases of serenity that decorated the grounds.
It was clean, far larger than I could cover with my range, filled with various machines and technology for what looked like combat training.
Everything was centered around an enormous lighthouse that scraped the sky. I bet I could have seen its faint emerald light from Vale.
It was a place that could have given Hogwarts a run for its money, both the Earth Aleph and Bet versions of it.
No expense was spared, and going by my accommodations, the students reaped the benefits.
I avoided who I could and wandered around, appreciating the scenery, and tried to get my head around the idea of being there every day.
The smell of food guided me down a path and through a set of double doors.
The cafeteria was a giant hall, several stories tall with enough space to feed hundreds at a time. Large windows and skylights lit the room from all angles with the morning sun.
I ordered a regular breakfast and gawked at what I got. The weight of the tray was noticeable in my hand.
I wouldn't have ever attempted to eat this much before, but hunger and thirst demanded I try.
It was everything I expected from a regular breakfast: eggs, bacon, hash, sausage, pancakes… The serving size was excessive, the mound in front of me never seeming to lessen no matter how much I ate. The people around me all had similar portions or even more.
Was it a difference in how the people here had evolved? Most looked like supermodels or professional athletes while eating enough for a family of four.
I tugged the utility belt hidden around my stomach so that my nano-thorn knife's holster wouldn't jab into me, then sat down away from the few people that were eating.
The room would probably be full when all the students arrived. Hundreds of students, all Aura users; terrifying in a way.
The meal wasn't great, but it was the best cafeteria food I'd ever had.
My bugs finally made their way to the top of the lighthouse structure, which turned out to be Ozpin's office as well as a clocktower of sorts.
It was a round room with giant gears turning and grinding above. A window behind Ozpin's desk was a large, glass clock face.
Insects hid behind the gears, feeling the vibration and listening as Ozpin and Goodwitch talked.
"—ay have the capabilities to enter Beacon, it is rather late to add another participant to the initiation. Miss Hebert's presence does present a problem with the number of students for making up teams, should everyone pass," Goodwitch stated.
My fork slipped and sent a piece of sausage careening off my plate.
He said I wouldn't be taking the position from another potential student.
"Do not worry. I have already added something to the test that should correct any imbalance young Taylor's participation may bring."
"I do wish you would be more forthcoming in these tests you set up… but I believe you enjoy the machinations and theatrics of it all," Glynda said with a sigh. Ozpin chuckled in response.
So, not only is he a schemer, he's also open about it.
I was halfway through the meal but a nauseous bulge in my stomach made me stop.
The two continued to talk, but about nothing beyond logistics and confirmations of things. My bugs slipped into a cupboard filled with bags; cocoa powder coated their sides. Ozpin had an addiction.
The note that had been left with my current clothes said I had ten minutes before I was to board an airship back to Vale.
Ozpin had set me up with identification, gave me some money for basic necessities, and prepared a way for me to come to Beacon with the rest of the new first-years.
I was a new student, a new asset for him, but the amount of time and money he was offering me seemed to go beyond that. Generosity like this often came with favors reciprocated down the line. It didn't help that I hadn't a clue to what his goals were in all this. Was it just more fighters? Was it an attempt to get students who he thought would get him accolades?
My knife and the get-well card, my only possessions in the world, were stored in a locker provided by the school. Every student was assigned one, and I would keep mine if I passed the initiation.
I finished off my drink, then headed out of Beacon and toward the airship landing pad.
The courtyard leading out of Beacon was an elaborate garden with a circular moat surrounded by a ring of pillared arches. A walkway flanked by reddening trees led out to the rocky barren land that surrounded Beacon—a utopian sanctuary amidst a wasteland.
I'd underestimated the distance, so I moved into a light jog. The movement made my cracked ribs—well, they might not be cracked anymore, thanks to my Aura—ache but not burn. It also loosened the knots in my muscles.
The landing zone sat on the edge of a cliff that overlooked a large river below, which snaked through Vale and into the ocean.
The sound of waves raged against jagged rocks as I got onto the airship. They had expected me.
Once again, I was without a swarm, unable to monitor everything around me. Bugs couldn't keep up with the ship, and I wasn't confident in my ability to hide them on the journey over.
No one paid attention to me, except for a glance at my missing arm. I hated feeling vulnerable like this. I shouldn't have let my worry over damaging one of the few mementos I had stop me from bringing the nano-thorn knife along. Even if it wouldn't activate, it was still a weapon.
I let out the breath I had held since the flight started as we landed, bugs entering my range again. Not many, but enough to react and maybe do something if anything happened.
A car was there to pick me up, arranged by Ozpin, no doubt, and I was dropped off at Vale's city hall. I walked in and was done in an hour, the process oddly smooth.
Anyone coming from outside the kingdom went through the same paperwork if they wanted to stay in Vale permanently or for long periods.
Borders couldn't be kept because of the Grimm, so border security was non-existent. Illegal immigration wasn't really a concept either. People usually wandered about or made their way to the main kingdoms if they could, and were welcome to stay anywhere if they found a living.
A gust of wind blew hair into my face, and I tucked it back, but frowned when the right side still covered my eye—ah, yes, no arm.
I people-watched, waiting for my guide into the city. My heart stuttered when I saw a blonde woman with feathers coming out of her hair, but her features were completely wrong. Not Canary, just a Faunus.
She noticed my stare and quickly ducked her head down, trying to look small or inconspicuous.
It was the same thing any colored individuals would do when they were near Empire territory in Brockton Bay.
In Vale, there were people of all different skin tones and appearance. Yet, only the Faunus seemed to be wary. Idiocy. Humanity always found an excuse, a scapegoat.
The click of heels on concrete made me turn toward a tall woman—a sway in her steps and confidence in spades—who walked up to me.
She wore black, form-fitting jeans and a white low-hanging tank top that edged the line of inappropriate, under a caramel sleeveless suit jacket, accented with black silk gloves and neck scarf. A black leather purse with a diamond pattern hung at her waist, and golden brown bracelets and a loose belt tied the outfit together.
She was a walking fashion magazine, including the model on the cover.
This was not what I pictured a superpowered person who was learning to kill monsters for a living would look like.
Her beret tilted with her head as she gave me a once over, and a hand slid her shaded aviators down slightly for a better view.
"Hey, kid. You must be Taylor. I'm Coco, Coco Adel." One hand stayed on her hip, the other extended for a handshake.
Kid? Really, I'm probably as old as her. "I am. Nice to meet you."
"Likewise."
"So, you're taking me around town, I guess?"
"That's right. I already picked you up a Scroll. Thought that would be a good first step." She handed me the small device. It had all the features of a smartphone, with a holographic interface, and a host of other features, and it was half the size of my palm and only slightly thicker than a coin.
"Thank you, but did Ozpin give you any money or…?"
She flashed a silver card to me. "Yup. Professor Ozpin gave me a Beacon credit card. This apparently counts as an E-ranked mission, and the school is funding it. That means we got some spare Lien to burn on you today." That must be the name of the currency..
"I don't want to spend that much. Just need the necessities." This was a test, to see if I took advantage of this. An easy one too; I was never a shopper and hadn't bought anything for myself besides books and tea. Even then, the Wards had provided acceptable tea.
"Come on, live a little. This is your first chance to experience Vale—well, experience any of the kingdoms, or anything really." Ozpin must have informed her of my 'amnesia' then.
"I just need some basics and clothes. Nothing else."
She waved my concerns away, or rather, ignored them but didn't pursue the issue. "So, what kind of stuff do you need?"
"A weapon for the initiation. Basic living stuff. These are my only clothes, so just something until—"
"Those are your only clothes?" She looked me over again with a grimace. "Beacon merchandise?"
"Yup."
"So, we have to get you an entire wardrobe then." A shiver ran down my back as a smirk that Lisa would have admired spread across Coco's face.
"No. Something for combat, casual wear, and one for exercising."
"Oh, Tay. Don't worry. I'll make sure to take care of you."
"It's Taylor, please." I hadn't been called 'Tay' by anyone except Emma, when we were seven.
"Right on then, kid—"
"Not kid either, thank you."
She took a moment as if reassessing me. "You're right, you're definitely not a kid. But that means"—her grin turned catlike—"that us girls can have an adult's shopping day."
I didn't like how she phrased that.
She led me down the block to a street of stores.
I didn't attempt any small talk, but Coco didn't seem to mind.
We walked into the first store, 'Made For Walking', and I saw endless aisles of boots.
Coco was already deep into the store. She glanced from me to a pair of boots, shook her head, then moved on to another.
The aisles were labeled with the types of boots and the category Coco was in caught my eye, and I blinked in confusion for a few moments.
"Coco. These are supposed to be combat boots?"
"Yup. Thought it would be best to see what you'll be kicking ass in before I assemble the rest of your outfit." I didn't like how she casually stated that she was going to be choosing my clothes.
"I see… but why do they all have heels?" Really high heels.
It was her turn to be confused. "It's so that if you get blood on them, they'll still look damn good and still make your legs look damn good," she said, modeling her own heeled boots as she did.
"I… You can't be serious."
"Of course, I am. You think I haven't killed Grimm in these?" I hoped that wasn't a regular thing Huntresses wore.
"I don't think your opponents will take the time to appreciate your fashion sense before trying to kill you."
"I strongly disagree, but more importantly, it's not for your enemies to like; it's for you to enjoy."
"I enjoy having practical footwear."
"You'll get used to them." She turned back to her shopping, or well, my shopping.
I picked out a good pair of boots that would work, found my size, and brought them to the counter.
"Coco. I picked a pair."
"What?" She arrived with a frown, looked between the boot and me, then shrugged.
"Okay, but I'll choose the next thing."
The next four stores went the same way, though Coco made me wait for her to select some things for me, that I mostly refused.
I wasn't allowed to buy pants at certain stores for reasons I couldn't begin to care for. Some stores were just for combat outfits despite them selling normal clothes as well. Heaven forbid, I look at a pair of running shorts at the combat outfit store!
Coco knew what she was doing though, and I was willing to trust her in that, just like I had with Lisa when she took me shopping. That was over two years ago now…
Despite her fashion tics, Coco was surprisingly complimentary and encouraging, praising my looks in some outfits, but I was there to get only what I needed.
It didn't make it any less frustrating though, which wasn't helped by how irritatingly difficult changing clothes with one arm turn out to be. At least I was getting a lot of practice for it now.
At one point, I sacrificed a large spider in an attempt to maybe frighten Coco enough to stop her crusade. She didn't flinch or even slow her search through a row of blouses as she crushed the spider in her hand. She did take the time to replace her glove with an identical one she'd had in her purse though.
After the sixth store, I suggested she try on some clothes. A bug slipped into her purse and snuck out the credit card Ozpin had given her. I quickly gave back the heap of clothes Coco had piled for my consideration and bought the running clothes I needed.
"How do I look?" she asked as she strutted out in a dark tan dress that showed off her figure.
From what I had seen, the people of Remnant were all good looking. The students at Beacon were no exception, and Coco wouldn't have looked out of place walking down a fashion show lane. It was rather odd and somewhat isolating.
"You look great, but I think we should head on to the next store." I waggled the bag my newly purchased goods were in.
"I—how did? Well, well. You know how to play; I'll give you that." She flicked out another card and paid for the dress she wore before changing back.
I stood there, bags of clothes in hand, off to do more shopping for mundane things, and I felt more out of place than I had since coming to Remnant.
It was all so normal, something I hadn't done since… before Mom died? Before everything became this one long string of struggles.
My bugs fidgeted for me. There were things I wanted to ask Coco, but every time I ran though the conversation in my head, I sounded interrogative or pushy, a battle rather than a conversation.
I was already nervous about accidentally insulting someone because of my ignorance of Remnant social norms, and my lack of conversational skills didn't help.
Even being in another universe didn't make me feel as much like a fish out of water as wandering about for what amounted to school supplies did.
"Yo, Taylor. You good?" Coco asked.
I let out a deep breath. "Yeah, let's head out."
"Okay…" She paused, before letting the matter slide. "I think we're doing good for time. You are going to be changing out of those clothes, but first, we need to get some weapons to finish off the ensemble."
Weapons? I had wondered if Huntsmen used weapons like the White Fang members had. If they did, I wasn't sure what I would end up with.
I followed behind Coco, deep in thought, playing out scenarios to what I should use and had used.
"So, there are stores that sell weapons openly or—" I cut myself off as I was led into a lingerie store.
God damn it.
Few people could wear me down like this and Coco was definitely one of them.
"You are no fun at all," Coco remarked amusingly. "There's nothing wrong with treating yourself to some nice clothes every once in a while."
"I thought we were going to a weapons shop."
"We were."
I sighed heavily. "Well, I'm sure I'll survive with regular underwear, thank you."
We had stopped for a small bite to eat at a local coffee shop.
I got tea and a small biscuit. Coco had a small slice of velvet cake with coffee—not cocoa. I decided not to comment.
It was only tea, but I couldn't help but be excited. Tea had always been my quiet guardian. The herbal taste cut through the senses, leaving an afterglow of heat and flavor; a moment of peace.
One sip and my nerves calmed. It might have been because we weren't shopping anymore, but I felt less out of my element now. Or it was because I had grown calluses to Coco's shopping escapades.
"You know, most people would be barraging me with questions about Beacon, or looking for hints for the initiation."
"Would you tell me?"
"Nope. Besides, you'll be fine without it." I had expected a joke, but she sounded so nonchalantly confident that I would pass.
"So, you're a student at Beacon?" I asked after a moment.
"Yup, second-year."
"What's it like?"
"Being a Huntress is the best feeling in the world. Not to mention helping people and killing Grimm. How about you? You excited to go to Beacon?"
"It's more of a matter of convenience than something I had pictured happening to me." In many more ways than one.
She smirked. "So, being accepted into a Huntsmen academy, one of the four most prestigious training facilities in all of Remnant, was just a convenience? Damn girl, you have some high standards." She gave me a nod of approval and followed it with her last bite of cake. "We better get moving if we're to hit all the places we need to. But first." She pointed at me and then to the cafe's bathroom. "You, change, now. Enough of the having-to-go-outside-for-a-moment-on-the-weekend clothes routine. I didn't help you pick out all of this for you to not wear."
I rolled my eyes, grabbed the various bags of clothes, and made my way to the restroom.
Coco had built up some frustration with me by the last store as well. After most of her suggestions were shot down, her last pick was one she wouldn't budge on. Form-fitting pants were the only kind Coco had allowed me to buy, even threatening to shoot the visa card out of my hand before I could buy anything else.
She'd shown me the weapon she would do it with—a small gun she carried in her purse when she wasn't using her 'good purse', whatever that meant.
So, I came out with a pair of tight, gray jeans, held up by a white belt that had a few pouches on it.
Even in a fantasy world with superpowers from Auras, flying ships, and monsters, girl-pockets were still bullshit.
I had a long-sleeved white blouse that had small delicate frills along the sides of the buttons up to the collar, with the right arm of the top tied at my stump.
I'd worn a thin slate-colored military-styled jacket with silver buttons over a top that ended in short sleeves. It had two black straps that circled around my waist and two around the end of each sleeve. A wide collar that lay flat against the shirt was trimmed black. Black epaulets accented with silver buttons lay on the shoulders, which had two lines that came down diagonally towards my stomach before shifting straight down to the end of the jacket.
It was nice to wear something that was mine and wasn't totally ruined. It looked fine, but still weird.
I felt like I was wearing a fantasy military adventurer outfit from a world set in modern times. Though, given what I'd been told a Huntress's job consisted of, that made sense. And based on the clothes I had seen everyone else wearing, I'd fit right in.
The color needed to be specific as well. Grays, blacks, and whites mostly, to go with the color of my Aura.
She explained that an Aura's color was the color of someone's soul and that of course, it was what she would work with.
One thing I did make note of though—Cocoa was a brown drink. It was the color that Coco was wearing, the color of her hair, and the color of her name. She told me it was her Aura's color, when I'd asked if she too matched her outfits.
She'd also said it was because she looked 'damn good' in it.
I wanted to question how that worked if she was named Coco before she knew what the color of her Aura was but decided against it.
Did the Aura match the person's name for some reason when it appeared, or did people get named after they found their Aura color? When did people get their Auras, and was it a common or natural thing that everyone in the world had? Did other people have names based on colors as well?
Wait, Detective Bruin and Dunn. Bruin was brown obviously, wasn't sure on Dunn. The card I got was from Ruby; red. Wasn't sure about Yang or Taiyang. Coco; light brown. Professor Peach; peach. Peter was a color as well.
There were too many coincidences for my liking. Maybe it was some kind of naming convention for Remnant? Shit.
Hebert did mean 'bright' or 'illustrious army', but that was stretching it. I could use Mom's middle name, 'Rose'… No. I'd just say it was the 'bright' part if someone pointed out my name.
Then again, Ozpin and Glynda didn't seem to match though… Not their real names? Although, I wasn't good enough with etymology to say for sure that their names weren't a specific color.
The color of a person's soul. Probably some esoteric nonsense around the ideas about Aura. Similar to the weird ideas people had about parahuman powers, though the real answer was just as out there as any of the weirder theories.
For the umpteenth time, Lisa's absence was like a stab wound, and the fact that I wasn't just in another city, but a whole other planet, twisted the blade.
I focused down on my outfit and brought out my Aura, a comfort now.
The brief spurts of color from summer dresses and shirts I used to wear would be odd if everyone adhered to the outfit-Aura-name matching. As Weaver, I'd either been in uniform or in formal wear for meetings and reports, so the opportunity to wear something more vibrant was very rare.
Oh well.
I walked out of the café's washroom in my new clothes.
Coco made a show of lowering her glasses and giving my clothes a critical once-over. Her look said my outfit was adequate rather than amazing, which irked me for some reason.
"Looking good there, Taylor."
"I get the feeling you don't entirely believe that."
"No, no. You can brag about having my seal of approval. I wouldn't have let you buy anything that didn't," she said with a smirk. "It's a bit too me though. Your outfit should be more you."
Ha. Lisa had said I needed to change my wardrobe because it was too me.
"I see."
"And it's not often I get to pick out clothes for someone taller than me though, so thanks."
"No problem." I was only a few inches taller, and her very high heels made up the difference, so I didn't see how that small height gap changed her shopping experience, but I wasn't going to ask.
We left the café just as my bugs found a store that I had almost forgotten I needed to go to. "Oh, there's a stop I need to make." I changed direction and entered the shop, Coco's heel clacking behind.
"Why are we here? If you want some shades, I happen to be an expert."
"I need glasses," I said, both to her and to the attendant.
"You wear glasses?" she asked in a way that made me think her eyes had narrowed dangerously behind her shades.
"Yup, everything is blurry after a few feet." My one broken lens wasn't exactly casual wear.
"I—wait, how did you make it to town then?"
"I followed you."
"Before I came along."
"Car picked me up from the airship hangar. Wasn't really able to get lost."
"But you… Part of this mission was to offer protection in case you were attacked by some gang members that might want revenge." She waited, silently inviting me to explain. Ozpin hadn't told anyone? Interesting.
"I guess that was a possibility." One I wished Ozpin would have given me a heads-up on so that I would have been armed. Though, there weren't any cameras, and all the surviving gang members were jailed, so the risk was low. Still, I would have liked the warning.
"So, you beat up a bunch of goons, without being able to see?"
"No, I have some goggles that have a prescription, but no glasses. And I can see for a few feet."
"So, all the outfits I've been holding up for you?"
"Ahhhhh…" Oops.
She paused, then let out an amused huff. "Man, you and Fox would get along."
"Sorry."
"Don't. You know what you want, and you gotta trust someone who knows what outfit is best for them."
Before I could respond, I was led by an attendant and put through a quick eye test. They had some kind of scanner machine that mapped out my eye, making the process only take a few minutes.
I walked out with two pairs of glasses, one reinforced for combat situations, and a pair of contacts.
Vale was even prettier when you were able to see.
After grabbing toiletries and other necessities, Coco showed me how to link up my Scroll to my Aura.
Based on her own words, Remnant had handheld devices that could measure the status of someone's soul down to the percentile.
Handy, and something I would have to experiment with. It also didn't give credence to the 'Aura is your soul' idea.
Coco looked at me strangely when I asked about it, but she played it off as an amnesiac's odd thoughts.
Souls were normal things here, another muscle in the body. I was the weird one for thinking otherwise.
Finally, we arrived at a weapons shop. I walked in the door after Coco and froze, my jaw hanging open.
Axes, swords, knives, spears, guns, and some odd staves lined the walls and aisles. A whole store filled with deadly weapons that had enough business to stay open, and there were multiple ones just in Vale.
Thankfully, only Huntsmen in-training or people with permits for business that required them to leave the city walls were permitted to buy weapons, but still. One robbery would mean some goon had enough ordnance to level a building or two and arm an entire gang.
Then again… maybe it wouldn't be that easy.
I eyed the shop owner, a tree trunk of a man with knotted muscles and a jagged halberd within arm's reach. It was the kind of weapon only an Aura user could use.
Coco was at home in the shop, checking ammo prices for herself while I was supposed to pick a weapon.
A pistol was a given. If combat was a part of the initiation, then I didn't have time to play around with something unfamiliar.
Next was—my mind stuttered as I read 'Rifle-Polearm' next to 'Shotgun-Axe'.
"Coco?"
"You doing okay back there?"
"What are these?"
"Oh, yeah, folding frame tech. You don't…?" I shook my head. "Here."
She grabbed one of the strange weapons, clicked a button, and I watched as a naginata folded into itself somehow to become a rifle. The blade now acted as a bayonet.
"What the fuck?" Coco chuckled at my outburst. "So… all these weapons—"
"Are also guns, yes. Or they change into another melee weapon, if that's what you're into."
Fucking Tinkers. Well, fucking 'Tinker-esque technology'.
"Does everyone use something like this?"
"Most do. My weapon changes into a more compact form, for convenience and style. Some don't and get along just fine. We all have our own specialties."
"Huh." So, most Huntsmen probably had some level of versatility with their weapon in form or use. It would be something to think of, but not to try out during a test.
With Coco's help, I picked out a sleek pistol that was a heavier caliber than anything I had used before. Aura made recoil and weight much less of a concern, and bigger Grimm would most likely shrug off regular bullets.
Some would ignore this gun too, so I picked out a sword as well.
A simple, long tactical knife, around twenty-four inches, it was more like a short sword. Closest thing to a baton I could find that had an edge.
After my fight with the White Fang, I knew I would need a melee weapon to use if everyone I fought had the potential to dodge or block bullets.
There were actual batons, but I doubted their effectiveness against things the size of that bear Grimm, unless I developed the strength to match the chainsaw-wielding White Fang member.
I wasn't trained in swordplay, but my knife and baton training would let me stumble through enough to be somewhat effective.
A knife wouldn't sink deep enough into a large Grimm to do much damage; the stings from those sword-wasps had shown that. Plus, I'd need the extra reach if everyone fought with swords or other medieval weapons.
I clipped the sheath for the short sword on my belt so that it hung horizontally along my lower back, the handle on my left so I could draw it reverse grip.
Another knife went into a boot, just in case.
Coco suggested some Dust rounds as well. The explosive powder infused into the metal to make bullets of fire, lightning, ice, gravity, and other weird effects.
I blinked at the idea of how the bullets affected gravity, but I ended up with some ice and lightning rounds. The lightning to stun, and the ice to lock opponents in place.
Fire Dust, I could understand; some kind of chemical reaction to create the heat and flames, maybe. The rest, I wasn't sure were possible.
Dust, another thing I'd have to look into.
Crystals that 'contained' the power of certain elements. More tinkertech, illogical and not conforming to science.
I tucked the extra ammo into the carrying case on my belt, paid for everything, and we were off.
Unfortunately, my plan to stay frugal and not take advantage of Ozpin's goodwill was a bust. Coco had seen to that.
So, I decided to splurge on something.
We entered Tukson's Book Trade, and I walked out with three of the owner's recommendations for books.
'A Tale of Two Dragons', 'Slave to the Sword', and 'Howling at the Moon'.
I was almost giddy. Not only was I still celebrating that I could still read, but Remnant was a whole new world of reading material to go through.
The timer for when I needed to head to the hangar and head off to Beacon with the rest of the first-years went off.
As I made to depart, I realized Coco hadn't fished for information like I had assumed she was going to. I was surprised Ozpin hadn't put her up to it. Then again, Coco didn't seem like one for subtlety; everything she did was too self-assured and filled with flair.
"Thanks again, Coco. I'm sorry if I was…" Distant, ignorant, overall not enjoyable to be around.
"Hey, no apologizing for the minor stuff. Leave it for the stuff that matters."
"Sure."
"Besides, I enjoy the challenge. I'll get you to show off those legs yet."
"No, you won't."
She grinned. "Good luck, Taylor. Knock 'em dead."
I waved her off and headed toward the airship.
Time to see what kind of students I might be enrolled with.
Chapter 5 End
Author Notes:
Praise be to Juff, ccstat, Majigah, and Breakingamber.
Coco should be more in line with her canon personality this time around. I went through her stuff in RWBY: After the Fall as a reference, so I hope it comes through (more so than the last edit of it).
Tukson's part got cut, there wasn't really a point to it anyway.
I had no idea what I was going to do for Taylor's Remnant clothing, don't really like it. It'll get updated come chapter… twenty-something.
Making up a casual outfit for Coco was fun, was looking at a bunch of Coco Chanel fashion but none of it was Coco enough besides her purse so I just winged it.
'A Tale of Two Dragons' is from Avatar the Last Airbender. 'Howling at the Moon' and 'Slave to the Sword' are both books that Blake is seen reading in RWBY Chibi.
