Alright, alright. Chapter 11. I know I am slow guys, but that is because I have to keep helping Nerdy with his stuff. He is such a needy guy, it's ridiculous.
?: For once I agree. He is becoming annoying as well.
I know right? I can't even hang out on Discord anymore without him spamming my DM.
?: I can't figure out if I like it or not when you actually get mad, it happens rarely.
Yeah, yeah. At this pace, it is not surprising this story is going as slow as it does.
Anyway, ladies and gents, it is time to begin the new chapter of Ashen. We are nearing the end of Volume 1, so stuff inbound to get spicy soon. Man, I will enjoy making the fight at the docs. I have plans for Adam.
?: Getting him a proper Eve?
That was actually pretty funny, ghost.
It has been a full week since Ash's little date with Blake and things have started to slow down for the half-Faunus. Blake is no longer of concern seeing as she, barely, trust him. Yang has not killed him for apparently making Blake cry. And he even got to hang out with Pyrrha and Jaune some more to help the blonde out.
He really needed all the help he could get. But not because of Cardin - hehe - but because he needs it in general. He is at Beacon for the sake of the Gods, so he better start getting himself ripped. Beacon is no place for noodles.
Even Pyrrha agreed with him on that.
Jaune's expression when he heard that was funny. Best laugh of the day. But apart from that classes have been going smoothly, combat has been more enjoyable by the day, and he found out that Goodwitch REALLY hates him.
Just what in the world went down to cause that woman to hate him so much?! Know what, today he was gonna find out. No more cold shoulder, nasty glares, venomous tone - he was gonna put this witch on trial!
" Enough!" The said witch said as another combat class nearing its end. This was a brawl between Weiss and Ren, the 2 have had a very close match, but Weiss ultimately won using her glips and Ice Dust to make Ren slip, allowing her to deal a finishing blow with her rapier. "Mr. Lie's Aura is in the Red. Per tournament rules, he has lost due to insufficient Aura." She stated, the 2 fighters going to the middle of the stage.
"That was a good fight. " Ren said with a respectful bow.
"Likewise," Weiss replied. The 2 then face the class, waiting for Miss Goodwitch to review them.
" As you have seen, both had impressive speed, but Miss Schnee here lacked the stamina to effectively keep it up, which made her rely on her semblance in the end. Mr. Lie here, on the other hand, was caught off guard by her semblance and use of Dust, causing his ultimate defeat."
Both winced at those words, harsh as always that woman. "Miss Schnee, I recommend working on your stamina more. Mr. Lie, I suggest you try and take the time to better read your opponent. I suggest talking with your leader about it. He has a keen eye"
"Understood, miss," Ren said as he and Weiss walked back to their seats, the boy immediately going to Jaune to try some advice. It was true that the blonde had a good tactical mind, that was pointed out multiple times before, which made up for his lack of physical combat.
"Next round shall be…" She looked back at the screen, the random selection starting. After a few minutes, however, it fell on the combatants. " Ruby Rose versus…" The other image went on, finally landing on the opponent. One that made Glynda smirk knowing they won't be able to keep up with Ruby's speed well enough. "Ash Auburn."
"What?" Ash said as he shot up in his chair. He and Little Red? He will feel bad about this. Ruby is innocent and sweet, yet still dealy with the scythe. He will feel like kicking a puppy.
"If you would please come forth," Glynda said as the 2 made their way to the stage. Ash had both his sword and gauntlets while Ruby had her weapon. The 2 stood on posing sides, ready to begin the fight. "The rules are simple. You can win by either dropping your opponent's aura into the red or by throwing them out of the ring. Any lasting damage is not to be made, and when one reaches the red the fight stops. Understood?"
"Yes, Ma'am!" Ruby replied cheerfully as she brought out Cresent rose.
"Yeah, yeah," Ash replied, albeit with a little less motivation and he drew Somnium Cavas, getting himself into a base stance to fight. He was aware of Ruby's speed and agility, traits which he has to admit can surpass his.
Oh well, we cannot all be perfect.
"Begin!" As soon as Glynda said that Ruby charged at Ash by firing her weapon, using the recoil to propel herself forth. Ash, having caught the sound of the shot, jumped over her just in time to avoid a dangerous strike from the side. Once he landed he had to duck as she began to swing her scythe in close range combat at him. Her speed was really top-notch, not to mention her skill level with the scythe.
One cannot learn such skills by themselves, so Ash assumed she had a teacher who specialized in this kind of weapon. Nevertheless, a scythe is not that easy to fight.
He dodged left, avoiding another slash which came from below, then cocked his fist back, the bullets inside ready. He shot his fist forth, shooting a bullet right into her stomach, her Aura flaring to prevent damage.
Looks like first blood went to him.
Ruby jumped back, surprised by that strike, but she did not let up. She brought up Cresent Rose, transforming her weapon into rifle mode and starting to shoot Ash from a distance. The boy barely had time to block them using his blade, and even then one hit him in the shoulder, Aura flaring to prevent damage.
He looked up at Ruby, seeing a confident smirk on her. He clicked his tongue and changed the hold on his sword into a reverse one before charging in at her again. He tried to go for a sideway slash, but she pulled the same move he did not long ago and jumped over Ash, her scythe transforming and striking him with the tip in the stomach as the boy turned around to try and block, nearly knocking him out of bounds.
At least she doesn't strike as hard as Yang.
Ash looked at her, seeing her charge at him once again, and barely dodged as she landed where he once stood. Ash held his blade up and used his semblance, taking in the elemental energy of ice dust stashed in the pockets of his gauntlets, the blade gaining a blue hue before he brought it down, stabbing the floor and sending out a stream of ice at Ruby.
The girl gasped seeing this but managed to once again dodge, her body turning into rose petals as she charged at Ash again, but he held strong and managed to barely block her strike with his blade.
Then he smirked...A smirk that only came with one follow-up. Ruby watched as her weapon got covered in ice, her hands included, making her weapon stuck. She could not even transform it anymore, the ice getting in the way. Then she saw Ash pull his fist back, the boy once again using his semblance to draw power from electricity dust this time. He threw his fist forth, launching an electric bullet that struck Ruby straight on, stunning her.
Her weapon having been freed from the ice which shattered on contact on the ground next to her. Ash didn't waste time, however, and went with a finisher, opening a pocket and grabbing one of the exhausted Ice Dust crystals in them, the crystal now grey. "End of the line…" He said as he threw the crystal at her and shot it, causing it to explode and send Ruby out of bounds along with her Aura falling into the Red.
Glynda twitched at the explosion, being surprised by that move. Ruby was down, stunned by the electric bullet, but he could've just thrown her out. Instead, he went with the option which defeated her on 2 fronts, both by ring out and insufficient Aura. But alas, he went too far. "Mr. Auburn!" She shouted angrily. "While I allow weapons to be used, that move could count as being illegal in a tournament. As such, you are given detention after class." She said, a hint of joy in her voice.
"Shit…" Ash cursed himself, but more to hide a smirk. He was sorry for what he had to do to Ruby, and he will most likely hear from Yang later for blowing up her sister, but he reached his goal.
He wanted a private convo with Glynda, and she just offered to him on a silver platter. That is called playing them by the fingers. Roman thought him well.
"Anyway," Glynda said, fixing her glasses and stepping forward. "Despite Mr. Auburn's move, having both depleted Miss Rose's Aura and knocking her out of bounds, that amount of firepower was over the accepted amount, hence he is disqualified."
The joy of her voice as she did all that, unbelievable.
"Miss Rose here is declared the winner. Class dismissed. Do remember to show for detention, Mister Auburn" she gave him a satisfied gaze with a grin to follow, almost enjoying it - no. She was enjoying it.
As everyone began leaving, Ash went to Ruby, the girl wheezing a bit. Did he go that far? Don't get him wrong, Dust makes for a nasty explosive. He doubted that Ruby was stranger to that seeing as her nickname from Jaune says a lot.
The girl blew up on her first day by sneezing on Dust.
"Are you alright? Sorry for that nasty boom at the end" Ash said as he offered her a hand, the girl taking it gladly.
"Yeah." She replied. "Most of the damage was taken by my Aura, but it still hurt. A lot. I'm going to be sore for the rest of the day" she whined, making the glasses-wearing boy chuckle at her childishness. Then he felt a tap on his shoulder, making him turn around in time to receive a flick on the forehead by Ruby's older sister.
"You sure got balls blowing up my sister!" She said, hands on her hips and trying to sound mad. But don't try to bullshit him. He could tell she liked that last move.
"It seemed like a cool move at the time." He replied calmly, with a light chuckle.
"Oh, believe me, it was." Yang relied. "Sorry, Rubes, but he got you good. Sucks that you got detention for it, though."
"Meh, it alright." What Yang doesn't know is that it was intentional. But she didn't need to know that. "Anyway, since this is the last class, I guess I will be staying here"
"If you ask me, Professor Goodwitch did have a point." Blake said as she walked towards them, trying not to make eye contact with Ash. "You did go a bit overboard."
"A bit is an understatement!" Weiss exclaimed. "Blowing up Dust Crystals like that is...Reckless! How do you even grey out the crystals like that?" She asked, looking at him.
"Thought you were all aware of how my semblance works." Ash said, a bit insulted. "But oh well, I guess I can repeat myself. I absorb the elemental energy in the Dust and channel it through my bullets and blade. Them turning grey and becoming grey is a side-effect, but a welcomed one. Offers me a more versatile choice of weapons."
"And how do you absorb this energy, exactly?" Weiss asked. "You can't just...drain it from afar. That would be stupid seeing as you would be able to make any Dust-related weapon or device useless."
She did have a point, but Ash didn't have to worry about being too powerful. "I can only do it via skin contact. See the pockets on my gauntlets?" He lifted his arm, showing it to them. "There are crystals in there I can use to fuel my semblance, and there is no material to separate them from the skin, meaning that I can use my semblance just fine."
"I see. And since the pockets do not stand out, that will also confuse the opponent. Not to mention you wouldn't need any sort of Dust-Infused Blade or Bullets, which is bound to save Lien" Blake said
"Exactly-"
"So you semblance is to scam people by making counterfeits?" Weiss interjected, throwing in her own opinion. "A semblance which does that can allow you to never buy those items, ever. Only the raw Dust which is cheaper"
"Hey now, those things cannot be used by others." Ash corrected. Roman had that idea too a while ago when Ash first got his semblance, but it all fell apart once they realized that the infused blades and bullets do not keep that elemental goodness. The thief cursed the Gods for giving him false hopes while Neo laughed to Roman's misfortune.
"Oh really?" Weiss asked, suspicious of him.
"Really. So how about you...I don't know, go somewhere else?" Ash said as he didn't really fancy Weiss. Her attitude made her seem extra bitchy. "I don't know if I need to repeat myself, but I just got detention."
Weiss actually smirked at him, seeing as he did get in trouble. In her eyes, he got what he deserved. "Well then, I guess it evens out then."
"I guess?" Ruby said, partially agreeing with Weiss while Yang rolled her eyes and Blake sighed. "Anyway, we will see you later, Ash. Bye!" She said before she and her team left, leaving Ash alone in the room with Glynda.
"And now let us commence the Witch Trial…" Ash muttered.
Ever been to one of those places where they test someone's patience? Or suffered the effects of Chinese Water Torture? In case you didn't know what that is, let me explain: Chinese Water Torture does not involve drowning the victim, but letting water effectively drip on them to keep them aware and make sure they are conscious so they feel every ounce of pain. Both physical and metal.
Right now Ash was going through that, but his water was the ticking of the clock and his torturer was Goodwitch, who has been eyeing him closely all this time He knew he would not get any answers if he stayed silent, so he had to take action. "So, mind telling making small-"
"Quiet, Mister Auburn. " She shut him up quickly, not even stuttering in her words. "There will be no talking during detention."
"Alright…" Ash muttered. He had to be careful, Goodwitch could expel him. Heck, the only thing preventing her to do so right now might be her own honor as a teacher or some bullshit like that. But if one looked closely, they could see the satisfaction in her eyes. She had something with him since day one, and it was time to crack down on that. How? He needed an idea. Somnium Cavas was right behind him, resting on the side of the table, his gauntlets still on, safety put.
What? Did you think he never installed one? Of course, he did. He remembered how Roman dropped his cane once and it exploded right into Neo's ice cream- wait...Drop it.
Ash smirked and slyly hit his blade with the tip of his foot, making it fall down with an audible noise in the silent classroom. Goodwitch immediately set her eyes on him. "What was that?" She asked in a hurried manner.
"My weapon just dropped, miss, ima pick it up." As replied and bent down to get it, whilst also using his hidden eyes to get a look at Glynda's legs. For a hag she had nice ones, not gonna be dishonest.
"Ugh." Glynda groaned as she could feel a chill run down her spine, a sensation of Deja Vu getting to her. "Mister Auburn! Are you looked at inappropriate places?" She asked with an angry blush, making Ash simply get up and place his sword on his desk.
"What makes you ask that, miss?" Ash asked, feeling a bit tense. Who knew she could feel his gaze? Most people don't even know where he is looking at.
"Just a feeling of Deja Vu I got. A certain someone used to check me out back in the day, and you 2 hold quite the resemblance." What? Wait, did she knew his father?
"You mean...my father?" Ash asked, to which Goodwitch fixed her eyes on him, then got up from her seat, walking to him with her crop in hand before arriving and slamming it on his desk, making him back up in his chair.
"For a matter of fact, I do." She confirmed, keeping her intimidation up to show Ash where he stands. "I did know your father, and let me tell you a few things: He was the most barbaric, perverted, and disgusting man I have ever encountered!" She snapped at him, expecting that Ash would get mad or something since she insulted his father. But Ash remained calm. She might not know he was dead, but this offered him a good clue on what happened, and everything was starting to make a LOT of sense now.
Pluto Auburn, Ash's father, actually managed to lay Glynda Goodwitch. It all makes sense now, really. Roman did say that men such as Ash's father were quite the lady killers, but they always had to be gone the next day. Now he sees why.
"You do know he is dead, right miss?" Ash asked, to which Glynda showed a genuine expression of surprise and shock. Looks like Ash, who also felt her emotions of guilt building up, hit the nail on the head. "He has been for quite a while. I think almost a decade, but my memory is not that good."
"I...I see...Well, I apologize for speaking ill of the dead, but my point still stands!" Of course, it does, this woman was proud, never backing down or taking anything back. But Ash, now that he knows why she hates him, can use this.
"So, how was he?" Ash asked.
"How was who?"
"My father. I heard from my uncle how he made them scream, and I was wondering if he was the same with-OAHHHHH!!!" Ash didn't get to finish his sentence as he was lifted into the air by Glynda's semblance, the boy being held upside down and having to catch his glasses before they fell off his face. He looked down, seeing the blonde woman with her crop up looking at him with a furious blush on her face.
"I swear, you are JUST LIKE HIM!" She said, her voice rising towards the last parts. "Always a scoundrel, shameless, and lacking any form of seriousness!"
"Ok, it is official. I need to stop nosing into my father's past sex life!" Ash thought to himself as he felt his blood rush to his head, feeling dishy from the fact that he was being held upside-down. "Yea, yeah...can you put me down, Miss? I am getting dizzy up here."
Glynda did as asked, but didn't put him down nicely, simply dropping him on the floor, his Aura flaring a bit. She then stood over him and planted a heel on the back of his head, keeping his gaze down at the floor. "Make sure to remember my words, Ash Auburn...For each moment of humility your father put me through, I will make your life here at Beacon a living hell!" She declared.
"Now, isn't that interesting?" Glynda's gaze was redirected at the door where Headmaster Ozpin showed himself, holding his symbolic cup and cane in hand. "When I heard you had a detention, I didn't think it was like one of those movies Port suggested to me. I really ought to apologize to him now."
"H-headmaster Ozpin!" She said, stuttering as she fixed her position before him, her heel off Ash's head and allowing the boy to get up, groaning as he rubbed his sore spot left by her foot.
"Are you alright, Mister Auburn?" Ozpin asked looking at Ash, to which the boy gave a thumbs up. "Glad to hear. Now, care to explain how things went downhill in here? Classes are over, so we do have some time,"
"Well, sir, you see, he-"
"I found out she and my father used to bang" Ash replied, earning another sharp spike in negativity from Glynda and a light chuckle from Ozpin.
"I see. Those were quite the times, I assure you, Mister Auburn, however, was it wise to bring that up in her face?" Ozpin asked, looking at Ash.
"In hindsight? Nah." He answered. "In foresight? Worth it." Now, this earned him some curious looks. "What? I can brag that my father laid the most-"
"DO NOT EVEN DARE!" Glynda shouted, snapping at him which made him put his arms up in surrender. Ozpin was just enjoying the show, the grey-haired bastard treating this as a comedy.
"Well, as much as that would be funny, I am afraid I cannot allow such a rumor to spread. Not to mention it is also true." Ozpin replied. "So I say we end your detention here and you keep the secret. Deal?"
Ash raised an eyebrow at Ozpin while Glynda looked at him with a furious look on her face. This deal did not suit her that well, but she sighed in defeat, which was all Ash needed to know that he could take the deal. "Deal." He picked up his sword, then turned around. "It was a pleasure, Miss Goodwitch."
Glynda inhaled sharply, hearing the sarcasm in Ash's voice clearly. "I assure you, Mister Auburn...It was not."
Ash left, leaving Ozpin and Glynda alone in the classroom. Shortly after he was out of hearing range, Ozpin talked. "So, did you really scream or-"
"Oh, shove your cane up your ass, old man"
Ash was walking through the campus later in the evening, whistling a happy tune as he walked. He finally knows why Glynda hates him, which is better than not. He wondered if Roman knew about Pluto and Glynda being an item. But more importantly, did his father tap that before or AFTER he met his mother. Such details only the thief might know.
He pulled out his scroll, sending Roman a message to call him, but in doing so he did not pay attention to the direction he was walking to and ended up bumping into someone, dropping his scroll.
"What the-" Ash almost cursed as he dropped his Scroll on the ground, but when he tried to pick it up he found another hand picking it up instead, one much smaller than his own.
"Um, excuse me, sir?" A female voice called out to him, and Ash raised his head to look at her. Before he stood a young lady, roughly around Ruby's age with long silky black hair flowing down the sides of her body and deep emerald eyes. She was about a head shorter than him, and her attire was pretty basic.
She was wearing a simple white blouse with a purple jacket over it and some blue jeans, but what caught his eye was the feline tail swinging behind her back, just as black as her hair, with a little purple bow tied to the tip. Cute accessory.
"You dropped this." She said as Ash took back his scroll, inspecting it to make sure it was not damaged in any way. Luckily it was fine, and the message he sent Roman was not read or anything by the stranger. "I am sorry for bumping into you. "She apologized, bowing down.
This girl smelled like Mistral, alright. Their culture is all over her. The question is what she was doing here, at Beacon. The year has long since started, and if she was a Huntress in training she should've been at Sanctum, not here in Vale. "So, I see you are from Mistral." Ash pointed out.
"Yes, I am." She answered. "I see you are a Faunus." She said pointing at his nails, who were longer than normal.
"Yeah. A half breed, at least." Ash replied.
"Oh, I see. It must have been rough. I do not know how bad Faunus are treated outside of Mistral, but I heard half breeds have it rough from both sides." The girl said, feeling sympathy for him.
"It isn't so bad out here in Vale, actually," Ash replied with a shrug. "And hey! I was blessed with hard-to-see traits and even if I am found out, I can always fake being from the White Fang to scare them off." He joked, earning a laugh from her.
"That does sound funny, but wouldn't come back to bite you later?"
"Probably." He shrugged again. "Oh, yeah, before I forget. What is it with you here, exactly? This is the Beacon Campus, and the year has long since started. Not to mention I don't think visiting hours have started."
"Oh, well, I am actually getting a transfer here." She said, making Ash raise his eyebrow.
The girl looked to be around Ruby's age, so he first had to check. "I know it is not nice to ask a lady's age, but how old are-
"15, soon to be 16, why?" She answered quickly, and Ash shut his mouth as his thoughts ran amok in his head.
"Ozpin- Wait, no, since she is transferring it means she got early into Heaven. God damn it, Lionhart!" Ash cursed the Headmaster of heaven Academy from Mistral in his head. "Is this some secret project between the academies to turn them into kindergartens?"
"Are you ok?" She asked, seeing Ash be silent for a bit too long.
"Yes...I see you got in early, right?" He asked again.
"Yup!" She replied proudly while puffing her chest. "I took a few tests and got enrolled early into Heaven Academy! My mother is coming here, that is why I am here as well. She is a teacher at Heaven but got a transfer here at Beacon. I just tagged along, really."
"And what about your father? Couldn't you have stayed with him? I imagine leaving behind your friends and home must have been rough." Ash said, but she blew him a raspberry.
"Truth be told, my father walked out on my mother sometime after I was born." She said, making Ash felt somewhat guilty, having brought that up. "I mean, I didn't have many friends either back home. My mother was always very protective of me, so I never got to really explore and make friends."
"I see...I guess that was her way to cope with her husband leaving her." Ash said. "Anyway, if you are going to transfer over, I think I should introduce myself. Ash Auburn, first year."
"Rie Azuri." She introduced herself as well, offering a shake that Ash took. "I am also a first year, so I guess I will be seeing you in class later, right, Ash?"
"Yeah. Though I am warning you, there is another early-entry girl here already, and I am not looking forth to earth-killing high-pitched screams." Ash said, earning another giggle from her.
"You are quite funny, honestly." She said. "Anyway, wanna exchange scroll numbers if we are still here?"
"Hmm. Sure, why not." He got out his scroll, so did she, and they exchanged contact data. But shortly after Ash's scroll started to buzz, letting him know that Roman was calling. "Oh, crud, sorry, I have to take this one. Talk to ya later?"
"Sure." She replied as Ash went away, letting her wave behind him as he took distance
Ash arrived behind the wall of one of the buildings, listening inside to make sure no one could hear him then answered his scroll, and the voice of Roman came through. "Hope you have something good to tell me, Ash, because I could really use some good news over here. Day's been rough, and stressful."
"Did you know my father laid Glynda Goodwitch?" Ash's question was answered at first with silence. "Hello-"
"HAHAHAHAHAH!!!" Followed by the thief's laughter. Seriously, he has never heard Roman laugh like this before, except during training, and that was years ago. "Oh, I knew old Pluto was a lady killer, but Goodwitch? Fool's been holding out on me, that damn lucky bastard!"
"So you didn't know?" Ash asked, waiting for Roman to calm down his laughter.
"Boy, you just made my day better. But to answer to you, no, I did not. Pluto was quite the lady killer, as I said, and it was not like he kept a journal with all the chicks he's been with" the thief said. "Still, why is that an issue? She got pregnant and you woke up with a half-sibling?"
"What? No! Or at least...I think she didn't. Look, Roman, I just confirmed it, ok? I couldn't push it a lot either, because her fuses regarding my father seem to be as short as they get. She had me hanged upside-down with her semblance, damn it!" Ash replied, letting his frustration be known, but the thief just found it funny.
"Look, I am positive she is not your step-mother. And if she is, I can always send Neo over to shank that hag"
"Please don't." Ash replied.
"Pfff. You're no fun at times, you know that?"
"Look, at least now I know why she hates me. A bit unfair considering I personally never did something to her." Ash said, but then Roman got a Deja Vu as well.
"Did you check her legs out?" The thief asked with a semi-serious tone. Ash remained silent, which made Roman piece 2 and 2 together. "Just like your father…"
"She had nice legs for her age, ok?" Ash countered.
"Hey, I ain't judging. Pluto did the same thing, always checking the legs first. Something about them being a clear way to tell the other sizes despite the clothing, I don't know. Old Pluto was a crazy and genius one at the same time, and I have yet to this day to discover his secret."
"What does that even - know what? I give up. It is clear that I did not inherit all my father's skills regarding woman." Ash said, leaning against the wall and sliding down.
"It is still too early to decide on that, boy. You got that Faunus girl on a date before, didn't you?" He meant Blake? That date was solely for intel gathering. Neo must have told him.
"If you mean the one that ended up in a sewer while above a fire broke out from a Dust-induced explosion? Then yes, Roman, I got them swarming me."
"So that is where that crate went. Sly little Neo." Roman muttered, then chuckled as he recalled Adam's expression when he found out a whole crate went MIA.
"Anyway, got any updates on you know who?" Ash asked, to which Roman puffed his cigar on the other side before answering.
"Nup. Cinder comes and leaves as she wishes. Never leaves a clue as to where she is going or when she will be back."
"So we are back to square one, right?" Ash asked, looking up at the sky and the shattered moon.
"More or less. The leash she has on me and Neo is tight as well, so I doubt I could shake her off easily. There is, however, one guy who might help us get more intel on our other friends." Roman said with a melodic voice. "Do you remember dear uncle Junior? "
"No...Roman?"
"His club is not that far from Beacon if you are quick. You could go to his club and ask some questions, if you have the Lien, of course."
"Roman...No...I know for a fact from Yang and her boasting earlier that Melanie and Miltia are still there." Ash said, being somewhat scared of the Malachite twins. Last they met was a few years ago when Junior went with Roman at his place, along with the girls, and Ash will never forget that day.
Those girls were sadistic, like, Gods damn.
"Oh, come on. 2 girls are not going to scare you off that easily, right? I mean, sure, the 2 are like a tornado and earthquake combined, but you will be fine. Junior knows you, you are family, they won't harm you." Somehow, the reassuring voice of Roman was not so reassuring.
"I am more worried about their teasing, to be honest. They were crazy before, but now that I am in a Huntsman Academy and whatnot-"
"Meh, so what? They will pop your cherry, nothing bad."
"Dude!" Ash shouted.
"Hey! Quiet down!" A student from above shouted for him to make quiet.
"Roman, that is not funny!" Ash shouted, albeit with a lower tone.
"What is so bad about that? Many guys would kill for their first time to be with 2 good looking twins!"
"Know what? I am just going to hang up and go. I have a bed waiting for me in my dorm room." Ash said.
"As you say, kid. Take care."
"Same." Ash hung up then went to his dorm to sleep. What a fucking crazy day this was.
Rie Azuri, the girl whom Ash met not long ago, walked through the city of Vale towards the apartment where she and her mother lived, for now. Her mother said that they would buy a house once her salary from heaven was mailed through, but for now they had to also wait and be smart with the money. For now, that is.
She walked up the stairs of her apartment, walking to the second floor and opened the door to her apartment. She went inside, looking around the table in the living room, hoping her mother was not around. She was SUPER protective of her for as long as she could remember.
She snuck in the dark, her Faunus heritage offering her a good Night Vision factor as she sneaked. Buut then the floor creaked, and it was not her who made it creak. She stood frozen as she heard someone clear their throat to her right, making her slowly turn around as they turned on the lights.
There stood a woman in her middle age, with a rich black mane which would make even Yang blush, her hands resting on her whips were covered by her dress. She wore a long, ankle-length dark-blue chinese-type dress with a cut at her right left to allow for a more free movement. The top was closed, and ending in a collar around her neck which supported the dress on her seeing as it had no straps, and a zipper on the back which had a small V cut. She had tanned skin with emerald eyes.
And to finish it off, she also had a pretty long feline tail swinging behind her, showing that she was clearly annoyed by her daughter sneaking off. "Rie." She called out to her daughter, the girl standing there with a goofy smile on her face, trying to mask her fear.
She was so busted.
"Y-yes, mom?" She asked her with her tail tucked between her legs.
"Care to explain, why, young lady, you were out at this hour?" She asked, her voice stern and trying to show authority. But in truth, she was scared that her daughter might have gotten hurt.
"Well, I thought I'd get a better feel of the town, you know-"
"Oh, don't give me that. You went to Beacon, didn't you?" Her mother asked, then she felt a smell on her. "Is that the smell of another person I sense? A boy, perhaps?" And now she was going full scary mode.
"N-NO! Well, yeah, but - It's not what it looks like! I just bumped into this guy at Beacon, making him drop his Scroll, then he turned out to be a really nice guy and told me some things, and we even exchanged numbers!" She bluttered out quickly.
"And does this guy have a name?" She asked, her eyebrows raised.
"Yes, it was Ash - ummm." Rie began to ponder for a minute. What was his last name? She couldn't remember. But who can blame her? She is not the type to have a good memory of people. "Ash Something, I guess. I do not really recall his last name."
At this, her eyes widened a little. "Ash, you say…" She muttered, looking at her daughter. "Ok...Go to your room, and try to sleep."
"Yes, Ma'am" Rie said as she went to her room, leaving her mother alone in the living room. Only her, the TV, and a bottle of wine.
"Ash…" She repeated again, feeling a tear almost creep into the corner of her eye, but she held it back. "Must be a coincidence." She said, taking the bottle and swinging down the wine. Damn be her high tolerance to alcohol.