Disclaimer: Hey. This is now in the same universe as the Partner Swap Mission- otherwise known as the "Everyone Has Basic Goddamn Anti Virus Protection" AU. Starts in the 3rd year at Beacon, Pyrrha's still alive, Salem's still lurking in the wings, and moves into the aftermath of Salem pulling her bullshit. This is based on a suggestion by ravedragon!
Yang shivered, rubbing her hands together to generate a little heat in the pre-dawn morning. Standing outside of the collector's shop this early meant sacrificing sleep and comfort, of course, but there was no way she'd be missing this! Ever since she was eight years old, she'd collected the little figurines molded after her favorite Hunters- Huntsmen and Huntresses who rose above their peers to keep people safe. Her first one was Summer's, complete with white cape, and she'd spent the better part of her first year at Beacon tracking down another for Ruby. That's how she found this little shop, tucked away in a corner down by the docks, which specialized in collectibles like this. They also had Hunter cards and some of the other materials made, small gestures to immortalize those who committed the ultimate sacrifice for the sake of the innocent.
It still surprised Yang that she was just a year shy of joining their ranks, that in time she might have a figurine made of herself.
ding ding
"I thought you might be the first one out here," the store's owner said with a little grin. "Couldn't wait to get your hands on her, huh?"
"Come on, Tukson." She smiled. "Do you know how often Atlas releases a figure? And one from their Specialist line?"
"It does seem like they keep their standards mighty high." The Faunus chuckled, letting her into the shop. On one side, he had nothing but books- that was his mainstay trade, frankly- but on the other, he had the collectibles stacked neatly on shelves. "This is, what, the third they've released since the Great War?"
"Yep. And the second was her mother." Rubbing at her arms and focusing her aura, she let just enough of the fire that constantly raged through her soul escape to warm her up. Doing it outside usually drew too much attention, since most people didn't walk around steaming, and she'd prefer to keep a low profile for this particular run. "Does it come with the booklet?"
"Yeah. Not as thick as the others, though, but par for the course on an Atlas release." He went behind the counter and reached down, searching for one of the boxes.
Yang hardly noticed, her eyes drawn to the display case that held the newest figurines, the one she sought now standing proudly at the center. Both blades in hand, a white Beowolf poised and ready to strike with her, the familial sigil of her semblance providing the base- Specialist Winter Schnee, captured in a perfect moment of lethal intent, the expression on her face hard, razor sharp, focused. Sure, she'd met the woman in person by now- being on the same team as Weiss, her younger sister, provided a bit of overlap- and after seeing her in combat once, Yang was nothing short of smitten. Cold fire, she combined destruction and grace so eloquently- she'd raved about it for days to Blake after that one special joint class with the Atlesian military.
Of course, she tried to keep her thoughts to herself around Weiss, knowing how much she looked up to her big sister and sometimes felt like she resided within the woman's shadow. That wasn't the case, of course- Weiss had grown into a Huntress in her own right, and their team remained at the top of their class in terms of combat prowess- but Yang understood what it could be like living under that sort of burden. Hence why she'd arrived at the shop at such an ungodly hour rather than waiting despite having pre-ordered her figurine; this way, she could sneak it back into the room and to her collection without Weiss ever being the wiser.
"Ah, here we go." Tukson stood up, setting the box on the counter. "Wanted to make sure I grabbed you one of the good ones."
"What do you mean 'good ones'; they're all amazing!" She took one more look at the impressive level of details before turning back towards the counter.
"Yeah, but they aren't all signed." He chuckled, turning the box around to display a signature penned in pale blue ink, with a distinct flourish that was both reminiscent of her sister's and yet distinct from it. "Limited Edition. Figured you'd want this version. That'll be a hundred lien."
Yang slapped down the money without a second thought, picking up the box and smiling so wide her cheeks began to burn. "This is perfect! Thanks, Tukson!"
"No problem, Yang." He laughed, setting her money in the register. "Honestly, I'm looking forward to the day you come here to buy your own figurine. I know it's bound to happen."
"Hey, here's hoping!" Her fingers itched to pop open the box but she resisted by the barest of margins. "But I'm pretty sure they'll release Pyrrha's first. She's starting to lose the fight to keep them from being distributed."
"Guess that's what happens when you win enough championships." He scratched at his jaw and tilted his head. "Might be cool to have a 'before and after' with her, huh? Release another figure in ten years when she's not just a champion but a slayer of Grimm, too?"
"Hey, 'the Grimmslayer' is gonna be on my figure, remember?" She chuckled, then shrugged. "Or Ruby's, ya know, since that was on Summer's, too."
"Speaking of which, if they do decide to re-release some of the figurines, I'm sure hers will be on the list." He waved a hand. "I'll be sure to hold onto two for you, no pre-order required. You just focus on finishing up school, alright?"
"Got it." She checked the time, realizing she had about an hour to get back to the school before her team began to wake up. "Yikes, I gotta go. Take care, Tukson!"
"You too, Yang!" She glanced down, looking through the clear plastic window on the front of the box, still a little amazed that she really had her own signed copy of it. Although it would never truly measure up to the woman herself, it made her heart lighter to have this little piece of Winter.
She just had to be sure Weiss didn't take it the wrong way.
Winter sighed, running a hand over her face and sitting back in her chair, a headache pounding at her temples nearly too distracting. The first week after her promotion had lulled her into a little bit of complacency, leaving her unprepared for the oncoming deluge of paperwork and considerations to make, coordinating forces along Atlas' eastern border as well as the new peacekeeping missions with the other kingdoms. Some part of her understood that she'd achieved her rank almost solely to deal with these unique challenges but that didn't make the reality of nigh overwhelming data aggregation any easier. Winter had served for far too long to be surprised by the tedious portions of bureaucracy but had yet to truly accept it.
A glance at the clock proved she'd stayed far past close-of-business, another long night when everyone else had left, content to return to their own stacks of paperwork the following day. If she did the same, she'd never catch up, though, but she'd started to sincerely doubt she had the strength to continue. She reached out for a moment, prepared to close the military issued laptop and just try to get some shut eye, when she noticed the little figurine standing off to the side.
Up until she'd been asked to sign the release for her own figurine to be distributed, Winter didn't really pay much mind to the collectibles that glorified the greatest Hunters all over Remnant. She'd known her mother had one- the second, if she recalled correctly, to be designated with the honor by Atlas, with herself being the third- but they never mentioned its existence within the Schnee Manor. Father absolutely forbid its acknowledgement and when she was younger, she thought it had something to do with being humble. Only time had taught her that it had more to do with his fragile pride and even frailer such, she had mixed feelings about having one of her own. That it existed didn't bother her- she'd earned that distinction, of course- but she couldn't be bothered to own one herself. It wasn't until she'd unintentionally won one in a card game- a very rare one, as she'd come to find out, one of Mistral's most celebrated Huntsmen- that she became interested in the hobby.
And then, a bare five months ago, four figurines were released at the same time, and these ones, she did have a vested interest in acquiring for herself. One was of her sister, and Winter couldn't be prouder of Weiss for that accomplishment. The other three released with it were those of her teammates: Ruby, the sweet yet deadly tactician who'd masterminded the final push against the devious Salem; Blake, the dedicated freedom fighter and cause champion, and Weiss' girlfriend by the time the smoke cleared; and Yang, the strong and charismatic brawler who'd helped rally the spirits of those present for that last, desperate attack against total darkness.
Naturally, she couldn't not get one of her own sister; Weiss' figurine accented both her fighting style and her stalwart nature, a dancer with a blade that could cut through even the strongest defense. Blake's and Ruby's, likewise, reflected their strengths in battle and their attitudes, with the former sporting a soft smile and the latter wearing an expression of grim determination. However, Yang's had always seemed… lacking, in that respect, as if only a portion of her too-big-to-be-contained personality was tried to tell herself that's why she'd bought more than one of Yang's. One remained with the others in her collection, on display and safe. Another, however, sat there on her desk, a reminder to herself: a beacon of strength, hope, and she could hardly look at it without thinking of what it so sorely lacked.
The figurine was poised in mid attack, right fist cocked back, hair flying like a moving flame, balanced on the tips of her toes in mid-lunge, mouth open as a defiant cry no doubt left her lips. That part reminded her to stay strong, even during the toughest of moments. But what it couldn't convey was the brightness of the woman's smile. Her jokes, her puns, her devotion and care, the little things that made Yang such a beautiful person, inside and out.
Winter reached out and picked up the figurine instead, a sad little frown tugging at her lips. No doubt, if the woman walked through the door right then, she'd gently poke and prod until the General relented and got some rest, because Yang worried more after the health of those around her than their productivity. She would reassure Winter, no matter what she said, that it could wait until tomorrow.
Setting the figurine down, she sat forward and got back to work. Although the real Yang wasn't there, she didn't put it past General Ironwood to call on her sister if he became concerned for Winter's health, and she prided her work ethic too greatly to be seen slipping so early in her new position. She wouldn't want to cause Yang- or Weiss- to worry by hearing through the grapevine that she'd started falling behind.
Now with her second wind and the determination to push aside the distraction of her headache, Winter returned to her task with renewed vigor, blazing through the remaining paperwork. Once she'd gotten a tiny bit ahead, her eyes flicked back over to the figurine before she closed her laptop, acknowledging that she would need rest more than trying to get ahead today, especially knowing that things could change tomorrow. Best to do it only once than redo it twice.
"Thank you, Yang, for the pep talk," she said, reaching over to pick up the figurine. "I know I can always count on you to set me straight." A chuckle left her lips at the poor joke- she didn't have the same way with words that Yang did- and set it down again, getting to her feet. "Good night, Yang. Sleep well."
She bid the figurine farewell every time she left her office. Cotta thought it a bit odd but promised not to mention it after the first time was met with a heated glare. Perhaps it was foolish to think that the sentiment, if not the words, reached the woman whom the figurine was modeled after, but it was the only bit of foolishness she allowed herself.
That seemed like more than a fair enough trade.
Yang reached up, stretching her arms and yawning before interlacing her fingers and putting them behind her head. "So… this place seems nice."
"We're at Atlas Military Headquarters, Yang, this is far beyond nice." Weiss snapped out, leading the way down the hall. Despite being two years graduated- and well on their way to being four of the most famous Hunters in Remnant history- the four had opted to remain friends and comrades, especially after defeating the terrible monstrosity that was Salem. Some things just bonded people together and that entire fiasco had cemented each of them in the others' lives, which meant accompanying Weiss to visit her sister and congratulate her on her promotion to General. "Could you please try to conduct yourself with some measure of decorum?"
"Yeah, but no promises," she replied with a grin. "People around here could stand to be a little less uptight, ya know."
"Yang, please, just try not to start a fight, okay?" Ruby lightly bumped her shoulder.
"Oh, fine." Playfully pouting, she followed the others down the hall to two big oak doors that were propped open, a few desks arrayed around the entrance, each adjacent to a closed door bearing a name placard.
Someone looked up and spotted them, sitting a bit straighter. "Oh, Miss Schnee, here to visit your sister?"
"Yes." Weiss nodded with a polite smile. "Would you let he know we're here?"
"Of course," they replied, briefly glancing at the others. "I believe she was under the impression you were coming alone. No matter." They got up and opened one of the doors, stepping aside. "Please, right this way."
As the four shuffled in, Yang couldn't help but let out a low whistle. Overall, it wasn't a bit space or even finely decorated- rather spartan, actually- but what little did adorn the walls spoke to a brief but powerful career. That, and a giant glass cabinet set against the wall housed more decorations and awards than she'd ever seen, plus the middle section being entirely devoted… to… no way.
"Welcome, Weiss," Winter said, still pouring over a paper on her desk. "I do apologize; I'm in the middle of-"
"You have the limited edition special release of Headmaster Goodwitch?" Drawn to the cabinet, Yang knelt down to get a better look at it. Despite how rare a collector's piece it was, its position within the collection made it clear that Winter didn't think nearly as much of it as she did the centerpiece, which happened to be the four of them, with Weiss' and Blake's figurines coming with their own lighting halos. "Oh, wow, you even have our special editions! I couldn't even get my hands on these!"
"Yang, this isn't the time to drown us all in the details of your hobby-"
"Oh, come now, Weiss." Winter cut her sister off, though her voice seemed softer than the harsh demeanor she'd had when they were younger. "I'm rather proud of my collection." The General didn't have many- less than two dozen- but all of them were either rare, special edition, or of Team RWBY, plus the initial release of Pyrrha's.
"Yeah, Weiss, this is amazing! Some of these, I've never even seen in person!" Lilac eyes roved over every figurine in the collection for a moment before a frown tugged at her lips. "But… Winter, don't you have one of yours?"
"Hmmm? Oh, no." Standing up from her desk, she joined the members of Team RWBY by the cabinet and sighed. "Unfortunately, I wasn't very keen on collecting them until after my initial run had sold out. Most of these I've won off other officers and soldiers in competitions."
"That's a shame." Yang's brows drew together. "I have an extra one, if you want."
"Wait." Weiss crossed her arms over her chest, leveling a piercing stare at the blonde. "Why do you have an extra one? And why are you giving it up so easily? You quite nearly broke Jaune's arm when he touched your Pyrrha figure without asking."
"Okay, that's just etiquette, I apologized six times, and I did get him one of his own!"
"Nice try; you dodged the first two questions. And you still made Jaune pay you back for the one you got him."
Yang swallowed, offering a nervous smile as she tried to think of a good way to phrase her response while silently pleading for Blake's help. "Oh, well, I just… happened to pick it up one time and, ya know, it'd be a shame if she didn't have her own figurine, right? I mean, I got one for each of you and you didn't complain then!"
Blake, apparently, had opted to go to her girlfriend's defense rather than her partner's. "You still made us pay you back, though."
"Halfsies!"
"Well, if compensation is a concern, I'm sure I can pay Yang back if she were to part with the figurine." Winter smoothly cut in, a small smile on her lips. "It would be nice, I suppose, to have one of my own."
"Would you put it in the cabinet?" Ruby tilted her head to the side. Everyone else looked at her then, ranging from confused to curious.
"Where else would she put it, Ruby?" Weiss raised a brow.
"On the desk, so the other one doesn't get lonely."
As one, three of them turned to look at the aforementioned desk while Winter stiffened, Blake suppressing a chuckle while Weiss's shoulders slumped a bit. Yang could only stand there, mouth dropped open in shock and awe.
"Dearest sister of mine." Slowly, Weiss turned to look at Winter. "Why is there a Yang figurine on your desk?"
And, without missing a beat, she replied: "Classified."
Snapping herself out of it, a little smirk began to lift the corner of Yang's mouth. "Hey, Winter? I changed my mind." She looked over at the woman. "I'll give you your figurine in exchange for a date."
"I believe that's quite amenable."
Everyone pointedly ignored the way Ruby beamed or the twenty lien card Weiss handed to her.
The rare Omakes from me:
Cotta: "General, General Ironwood would like to speak with you."
Winter, hunched over her desk: "Cotta, I am working on highly classified materials, so if you saw anything-"
Cotta: "No, Ma'am, I didn't see you playing with your dolls again."
Winter: "They are figurines, Cotta, we've been over this."
A few years down the line, Ironwood and the other officers decide to step in because Winter and Yang are still dating and should obviously stop pretending it's not as serious as it is, and they pay for special editions of tiny figurines- mock ups of what Yang and Winter's kids could look like. Then, they have to call Yang and Weiss to come to Atlas HQ because Winter's refusing to leave her desk.
Yang: "Come on, let's get you home."
Winter: "I can't just leave them here! They're our children!"
Yang: "One, they're just figures, and two-" *looks down at them* "-oh dust they're adorable."
Winter: "What should we name them?"
Yang: "I love you, Snowdrift, but they really are just figurines."
Winter: *staring*
Yang: "… I'm kinda partial to Wisteria?"
Later, confronting Ironwood
Yang: "Okay, as much as I love a good prank, this has clearly crossed a line."
Ironwood: "Come now, Xiao Long, you're overreacting-"
Yang: "Quick question, genius: what's gonna happen when we do have kids and they don't look like the figurines?"
Ironwood: "I… hmmm…"
Yang: "Yeah. Go ahead. 'Hmmm' over there while you ponder that."
Author's Note: Also- the title is a bloody joke, in case anyone was confused; I just couldn't resist the pun.