Chapter 4: Queen of a Kingdom || Tenderness
A/N: I wanted to get a chapter out, so it's a bit shorter than what I would've liked. Hope you can understand.
This chapter was very different than what I had intended. I'm sleepy, so I'm not sure exactly what it's like, but I think I'm satisfied with what came out. Stupidity for the first section (this is still important though. You'll see why eventually) and fluff-ish for the second half.
Also, at the point of posting, we're now at 374 Favorites and 521 Follows. I am shooketh. THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH FOR READING! AND REVIEWING! HOLY MOLY I HAVE TO RESPOND TO SO MUCH! So many great reviews, too. Analysis and thoughts, I appreciate them all.
As per usual, critiques and corrections are always welcome! I believe a story that has a lot of grammatical errors takes away from the immersion, so let me know if there is ANYTHING wrong. That said, your suggestions in the reviews have been amazing! I've already taken a few of them and have ideas on how to implement them in the future. Keep it up!
Story length: 6k words. Finished at 3:30 A.M.
Length of post after A/N and Review Responses: 8.6k words. 4:40 A.M. What the hell, RR's take forever because you guys write so much and I have a lot to respond to. Please do it more, I enjoy reading and responding to each and every one!
Chapter 4 START
The weekend had passed quickly for Raven. After the trip to Vale, in which Summer fulfilled her goals of purchasing more ammunition for her scythe and a new jacket, Raven had been exhausted and had eaten dinner in the cafeteria and promptly turned in for the night. Sunday, she woke up at her normal time of seven and had found her body mostly recovered and her Aura at full, so she went for a run around the track, trained in the simulation arena offered by the prestigious academy until noon, and then returned to her room to find her three teammates sitting around playing a board game.
She recognized it as a strategic game, in which each player represents a Kingdom and attempts to obtain victory by either capturing all the Kingdoms, having the most resources and land and, as a result, points, or by being the last one standing when the evil forces attack.
Summer laughed in revelry as she won a game. Apparently, it was their first game, and Taiyang and Qrow had taken the loss with relatively good humor. It was their first time playing such a tabletop game and had found it interesting, so they played another. Having found themselves more familiar with the rules and gameplay, the second game was faster paced and intense as the three went round and round with their schemes and tricks, trying to outplay the other and force misplays as well from the other players. At the end of the second game, Summer was the last one standing as the other two were so focused on taking the other Kingdom's territories that Summer simply had to wait for them to run out of resources and accept that they were removed from the games.
Raven watched in avid interest, recognizing that this game was a simulation for real life. Not particularly perfect, but it was a good start for children to gain a keen analytical sense and forced the best players to account for multiple scenarios for the future while considering moves from the other players. Sometimes, Taiyang and Qrow would forget a certain event was happening when thinking about the potential dangers the other two players had in their arsenal, or they'd get so lost in defending their Kingdoms against the Grimm that they'd run out of resources and Summer would plunge in at the first advantage.
By the end of the seventh game, it was close to the end of the evening and night was falling. And the boys were heated and starting to become competitive as a simple passing of time with teammates became a battle for victory.
"One more game!" they said in unison, and Summer accepted happily. Raven noted that the victor seemed to preen in her victories, relishing her conquests with childish pride.
Even though Raven was new to the game, she could recognize that the strategies the two boys employed were far better than the second game they played. Every additional game they played was an experience for them to use a different ploy or tactic, and they used their sharp minds to utilize different machinations. However, Summer always had an answer.
It wasn't that she was particularly knowledgeable about the game; she had said it was her first time playing the game and had bought it at Vale out of curiosity. The interesting thing was that Summer always knew what was happening in the entire map and what was possible to come. She had considered practically every single possibility and had something akin to a sixth sense when it came to what the boys were planning. One particularly prominent memory was when Taiyang pulled out a trap card on Summer, betraying her trust and attacking her Kingdom after they had created a coalition. Summer immediately pulled out a counter card without a moment's hesitation. One of the weakest cards, as it was extremely specific and required an agreement between only her Kingdom and Taiyang's specific Kingdom. The card would be rendered useless if she was in an alliance with Qrow's Kingdom or if the three had joined together. It was only when her and Taiyang were together that she could utilize the card's active ability.
"How...what the heck?" Taiyang had asked. Summer just gave him a look that displayed confusion.
"It was obvious. Why else would you make an alliance with me?" When Taiyang had explained that because of the impending attack of Grimm and that neither of the two had enough resources to win and Qrow was the only one with enough from the early game to survive, Summer raised her eyebrows. "I mean, that's true; we both could've possibly lost if you don't consider the cards in our hands, but if I accept your teamwork, I ascertain my survival and also prepare for the two of you to make mistakes."
"How was it a mistake?!" Summer then explained mid-game that Taiyang had at least three opportunities during the Grimm invasion to ensure his survival. He could've joined Qrow as well, but didn't. He could've let a portion of his Kingdom that had expanded to be taken at a loss and flanked the Grimm. And he also had more than enough time to force a tariff, increasing his resources for a short period of time at the cost of lower potential resources in the future.
"The fact you went straight to me instead of considering the other three let me survive and simply wait for you to outdo yourself. For that, I accept your Kingdom and will now attack Qrow with my increased forces and Atlesian military empowered by the machines you have upgraded, Taiyang. Thank you for the win again."
Just like that, Summer that went from the weakest region on the board to the victor in a matter of two moves. One reaction card, and one move during her turn. The two boys sat still and dropped all of their cards on the board in defeat. Their shoulders slumped, their arms falling listlessly to their sides.
"No way. There's just no way..." Qrow said. "This has to be luck. I'm just unlucky, right?"
Taiyang didn't even have words to say, letting out a stream of unrecognizable sounds that became more and more garbled. It was a string of unrelenting loss. A story of pain and defeat. An untold tale of a beautiful Kingdom that had found its utopia and then its immediate end. Of which there was one a Hero and one that pursued to be Hero of Justice and -
"Shut up, Summer!" Taiyang shouted, returning to life so that he could end the girl's poor narration. He heatedly picked up the cards and said, "Again!" Qrow whipped his head up at stared at Taiyang.
"Again?" The other male across from the board met his eyes with resolve.
"Again! There's no other choice! We cannot accept defeat, brother!" Taiyang brought forth his hand, and Qrow looked down at the proffered sign of alliance. He could feel tears threatening to break out of his ducts.
"Again!" Qrow agreed, throwing his hand forward to slap Taiyang's, and the two shook firmly. They flexed their muscles and brought their hands higher so that they were eye level, their arms bent at a ninety degree from leaning towards the other.
An uncomfortable, evil possessed laughter emerged from the two as they continue to stare into the other's eyes, drunk in their camaraderie. "We will defeat the Evil Witch and lay waste to all of her plans! If we team up every single time, there's no way that she could win!"
Qrow nodded in earnest. "There's simply not a world or parallel universe in Remnant where she could defeat the two of us every single game. Eventually, we have to win! That's what we learned in Statistics the other day, dumb class. This is what that class all amounted to; it was for this very moment!"
A fire set in their eyes, burning brighter than before. They turned to look at Summer, who grinned maliciously. Not one to be outdone, she picked up a handful of cards and began to slowly let them fall from her grip, one by one.
"I, the Evil Witch, accept the challenge you two fools have bestowed upon me. I grant you two the experience of defeat once more!" She finished by pointing a finger between the two of them. "Come, you weak peasants! I'll show you what a true leader of a Kingdom is capable of!"
"Quick, set the playing field!" Qrow roared.
"Pass out the cards!" Taiyang ordered.
"Prepare your fields for plowing!" Summer commanded.
"You guys are dumb," Raven commented from the side. She was now sitting on a chair in reverse, her arms over the back support in a cross and her chin resting against a palm. "Just start the game already."
Qrow glared at her. "Shut up, sis! You don't understand what's at stake here! You haven't even played the game against that evil, vile woman!" Summer, to her credit, had the perfect evil cackle in response. "Look at that thing." He narrowed his eyes and turned to Summer with his cards hiding his lower face. "You disgust me."
He put down a card, and the game commenced. As promised, the two boys made a treaty as soon as possible and unified in order to beat Summer. When she successfully thwarted their attacks on her Kingdom, they waited for her to run out of resources. When that failed, they waited for the Grimm invasion to weaken her so that they could invade again.
However, they had forgotten a key unit that Summer had left near their side of the board since the beginning of the game. Even Raven, a bystander who had full view from above and was generally more level-headed than the two boys, completely ignored the unit and had been considering other options.
"With this card, I use "Sneak" into Atlas's Kingdom, and then use an additional card, "Hack", to force your Bullheads and mechanical troops to join mine. And with that, you no longer have a fighting force, Qrow. I use this opportunity to raze your Kingdom and plunder your resources!"
Qrow had grown paler and paler as Summer had laid down her cards, slapping them down. He turned to Taiyang, fearful for the immediate future.
"Brother, help me," he pleaded. Taiyang sadly shook his head and saluted him, a single tear rolling down his cheek. "No," Qrow let out, "it can't be."
"Long live the king," the blond first year said. He dropped his salute and let the tear slowly roll down his cheek until it reached his chin, only falling when he turned viciously to face Summer, who was laughing it up. "I'll avenge you, brother!"
"Brother!"
"For victory!"
"I activate my trap card. Good game," Summer said quickly, throwing a card in the middle. Taiyang and Qrow sat still, still leaning forward with their mouths open. The team leader dusted off her knees and stood up. Stretching her arms above her head, a few audible cracks were released, and she moaned in bliss. "Wow, that was a lot of fun! Let's play again sometime!"
Summer's words kickstarted Taiyang's mind and he finally rebooted. He looked down at his cards and stuttered, "Bu-but I have double your forces still and I have - "
"Yeah, that retaliatory card only works if I don't have something to reject that card, which I do." The two boys frantically flipped over her cards and found her words to be true. "And also, it seems you forgot that I have another unit near your Kingdom Taiyang, and all it's waiting for is an empower card. The moment you attack me with your forces, it'll take your Kingdom. I'll survive one more turn from your attack and you'll lose in the next one, so no matter what, I win." She smiled down at them and patted both of their heads. "Good attempt though, gentlemen who would gang up on a woman."
With that, Summer went to the bathroom to shower and prepare to turn in for the night. It was past nine, and tomorrow would be Monday. Another long day awaited them.
The three left in the room were locked in silence for minutes. Raven looked down at the board, remembering the entirety of the last game. Summer had put those two units at different times, but both near the beginning. The boys had noticed, but she kept forcing them to think about other points of attack and defense and had used psychological warfare to make them think that there were more pressing threats to deal with. Which was both right and wrong at the same time. As long as they didn't forget about the flanking troops on Summer's side, then it would've been fine. Alas, the threat became too much when it slipped out of their minds.
"Wow, you guys got destroyed." Her opinion was not well received.
Raven was awake. She knew when her blood-colored eyes open that it was probably closer to five in the morning than six. Dawn had yet to come, and looking outside the window with a turn of the head showed her a campus that was dimly lit by street lamps and none by the soft glow of a rising sun.
She closed her eyes and released the air in her lungs in a long, slow breath. Then, she lifted the sheets and swung out of the comfort of her mattress, slipping on some slippers and walked over to the bathroom to prepare for the day. She was never able to sleep again after waking up, so staying in bed was a waste of time.
Ten minutes later, she was dressed in her school uniform and had done her hair to her satisfaction. It was unkempt, but she liked it that way. It didn't take long for her to care for it and it looked good enough.
Silently, she left the room, making sure that the lock didn't make too much noise when she closed the door. Content that she had been so quiet that one could've heard a pin drop, she turned and walked down the carpeted hallways with the kitchen in mind. An early breakfast before all of the students woke up and took the seats was never a bad move.
Before long, the smell of hearty and healthy breakfast wafted. She let a pleased smile lift her lips. There was something about the scent that was different; perhaps there was a new cook in the kitchen. When she rounded the entrance, she discovered an empty dining hall with only one student sitting by her lonesome with a Scroll out and a pad of notes with a pen atop the pile.
Glynda Goodwitch.
The imagery of Taiyang leering at her broke out of the recesses of her locked memories. Her smile quickly dropped to a frown that marred her features. Perhaps it would be her duty to rectify the image that their upperclassmen had of her team -
Wait. Why did she care?
It's not as if she particularly cared how others viewed her team, as long as she and her brother became stronger. The fact that Summer was chosen over her, her brother, or Taiyang, did not particularly sting. In fact, she realized that she didn't really care. True, it would have been a good learning experience for how to lead a group of experienced fighters as well as how to command properly so that she could applicate her knowledge to her tribe. But it's not as if she was losing too much value either.
Also, if she were a leader, then she would have to show care to her teammates. She'd have to lead them and have her own type charismatic leadership that would make Summer and Taiyang follow her; there was little doubt in her mind that Qrow would listen to her order. He already did back in the camp, as she was in a higher position than he despite the fact the two were both on top of the totem pole hierarchy. His bad luck had lowered his social standing amongst the tribesman, so they only trusted him as a warrior. Even then, they were reluctant to fight with him, so the twins were usually a two-man group. Rarely were they separated, the two fighting dynamically, constantly switching and attacking with their own synergy.
She couldn't be a leader here. She'd have to eventually leave them, and that could cause some issues. If she was simply a follower, however, it was far easier for her to eventually slip away. When the headmaster announced the short girl as the team leader, she had released a breath that had held all of her worries and fears of the future. She and her brother would not be shackled to Beacon by unnecessary responsibility.
And it's not like Summer was a terrible leader. She was nervous, short on self-esteem, and rather inexperienced in hand to hand, but she had her own merits. She was always bubbly and cheerful - something she couldn't do and didn't particularly like, but it was starting to rub off on her - and had an insane appetite for cookies and ridiculously good at board games with strategy.
'Wait...aren't those all not leadership qualities?'
She raised a hand to to her chin and looked up to the ceiling. Huh, what do you know. Those weren't leadership qualities.
Raven shook her head. It really didn't matter in the long run. The missions that they had in Beacon weren't too dangerous, and there were always an experienced Huntsman leading or shadowing. Very, very rarely did students go on their own for missions, and that was only during their fourth year. Otherwise, she found no reason to worry about the situation; three years down the road, she's sure that she's bound to be strong enough to handle anything on her own.
"Raven, is that you?" The black haired girl snapped out of her trance and looked down. Glynda had turned in her seat and was sitting with her upper body twisting to face her. The blonde fourth year smiled and waved. "Why don't you sit with me if you have nothing to do? After all, it's early and we're the only ones here at the cafeteria."
"Ah..." she paused, hesitating. In the end, she caved and walked in. She sat down next to the Glynda, who was finishing putting her textbooks in a pile and placing bookmarks in each separate textbook and notebook. "Good morning."
Glynda placed a stickie note on the last textbook and put all of the books in her bookbag. Turning to her underclassmen, she smiled softly. "Good morning to you as well. I'm sorry that the professor may have said some things to scare you, but I hope you enjoyed your trip to Vale during the weekend."
"Oh yeah, that..." Raven looked down at her hands. Honestly, she felt more awkward talking to the girl now that Taiyang kept bringing her up the past two days. "Vale was a nice enough city." She lifted her gaze and met Glynda's, who was patiently sitting with a warm mug of coffee steaming with little wisps. "And Naruto didn't say anything; Qrow and I forgot our Lien in the dorms and needed to go back," she lied.
"I see," Glynda said. "Well, if that's the case...I apologize for Professor Uzumaki threatening you with an increased difficulty in your training. You're not the first he's done that to." The fourth year laughed, a lilt in her tone. Raven noted that the girl's laugh was as soft as her smile, quiet and refrained but nice to listen to. She didn't seem to be the type of girl to giggle often. "I would know."
Raven positioned her elbows against the table and put both of the back of her hands against her chin, her head on a slight tilt.
"You would?"
Glynda let out another amused chuckle. "Oh yes, I would. After all, I'm the first person that thought the entire situation with the professor was a mistake by Beacon. Well, probably not the first, since all of us third years last year thought that the situation was ridiculous. An egregious error by the headmaster, no doubt."
Raven widened her eyes. "No way. Aren't you...well, one of his supporters?"
"You could put it that way. I'd rather state I'm one of his students. But six months ago - I must state that in truth - I did not believe that a professor at the age of sixteen was nothing more that a poor joke on the side of this academy. A prank, if you would. I believe you'd find it rather easy to sympathize with my case. A sixteen year old teaching students three years his senior in combat. Not only that, he had never attended any school, had not received an education at any of the prestigious elevator schools in private or one on one, nor was he home schooled. He said as much in his first day as he introduced himself."
"That...honestly, that sounds like something he would do," Raven said, thinking about her professor saying that to her class. Seemed completely reasonable.
Glynda nodded. "Some of the students were quite vocal in their discontent. I'm pretty sure you can guess what he did."
"He challenged them?"
"He challenged them. And he's still here as a professor, so you can only imagine the result."
The first year shook her head. "You're telling me that he beat third years in hand to hand? Aren't you guys supposed to be experienced?" She paused, reconsidering her wording. "I mean, uh, since you took missions throughout Remnant and had combat training for the past two years, I'm hoping someone got some hits in."
Glynda kept that serene, graceful smile placed on her lips, knowing what the girl before her had meant to say. "We were undoubtedly more experienced than you youngling first years. But no, I'd have to reject the notion that he beat us in hand to hand."
Raven raised her eyebrow. "But I thought you said he challenged you and won, since he's still here." The blonde nodded, her grin widening.
"I challenged him with my Semblance. I don't mean to boast, but I'm the strongest person in my class by a large margin. When I stood up, I believe I did so with the intent to represent the entirety of our year. And I lost within two minutes. No one else threw down the gauntlet after my defeat." She tapped the table with her fingers, drumming it in a wave. "To my credit, I do suppose I managed to chunk off fifteen percent of his Aura. "
Raven choked. She had heard of Glynda's exploits from rumors and other students, but seriously? Only fifteen percent as a third year against Naruto six months ago? How stupidly strong was he?
"Did he use his Semblance since you used yours?"
"He did say that he used it," she confirmed. Raven leaned forward, engrossed.
"Did he tell you what it was? Or do you know what it is?"
"He has not. And to this day, I'm afraid that I still don't know what his Semblance is. It's one of the mysteries I wish to crack. I have a few theories, but every one of them have faults, so I had to start from scratch multiple times. But every once in a while, he'll give me a hint during an office hour. It was actually why I went in the first place. I wanted to find out his weakness so that I could beat him.
"As it so happens, I came to realize that the sixteen year old professor was exactly what he said that he was: a professor of Beacon Academy. I understood why the headmaster had given him the opportunity to teach at this distinguished academy, despite the risk it would come with. Imagine this: headlines with the youngest headmaster Ozpin allowing another youthful staff to join in before he had even proven his own worth to the public. It was sensational to the news, and journalists flocked to our campus to vie for a single question." Glynda actually laughed, reminded of a certain memory. "In the end, the crowd had grown so large that Professor Uzumaki went up to the crowd and spoke to them and said - "
"I am indeed the professor you are searching for. I am Professor Uzumaki. I believe that I am sixteen years of age. Now please," Naruto's grin widened. "Get off my lawn."
And he walked away and into the staff communal area.
Raven choked, trying her best to stifle her amusement. Eventually, Raven lost and burst out laughing at the recording Glynda showed her of her professor. But apparently, the video didn't end there.
"Yes, I'm Naruto."
"Are you a professor at Beacon?"
"Yes, I'm Naruto."
"How did you end up becoming a professor here?"
"Yes, I'm Naruto."
Raven guffawed as the journalists became increasingly frustrated as the clips kept rolling, and Naruto refused to say anything other than "Yes, I'm Naruto" with the blandest of tones. She dropped the hands supporting her chin and slammed a fist on the table, body shaking.
"You ha-haha -have - hahaha - to send m-me that! Is it on STube?" Raven gasped out, fighting for breath. Glynda coughed into her hand, tying to hide her amusement.
"Yes. Here, give me your Scroll and we can exchange contacts. I'll send you the link."
"Sure. Oh my goodness, haha, I haven't laughed that hard in a while." She pulled out her phone shakily and handed it over to Glynda, who quickly input her information onto the screen and handed it back. "You linked our Scrolls already? That was fast." The last vestiges of uncontrollable chuckling dissipated, but there was still a refreshing grin on her lips.
"And I sent you the link as well. I find it helpful to raise my mood whenever the day gets rough."
Raven paused. "You really do admire him, don't you?" After all, why keep a link of the professor and watch it specifically when times get hard?
The older girl smiled tenderly at her. "It's hard not to. If there's something I learned in Beacon, it is that teams of four are exceptionally potent if they have seamless coordination. I believe my team is an outlier in the fact that our teamwork is split with me usually leading by myself and the other three following after, but it is still some form of teamwork with slight synergy. To be honest, I'm better on my own.
"But you see, a team of four would beat me on my own if they had synergy. With my team to support me, however, the other team stands no chance. It gives me the support I need to maximize my Semblance and coordinate with my team in any offensive maneuver, however slight the collaboration is."
She looked towards the kitchen, where the delectable aroma of food was growing stronger.
"But then there's our Professor, who has been on his own. He shoulders his own responsibility and says he will and does it without complaint. He hardly ever asks for favors from the other professors and manages to hold office hours until nine at night. And then afterwards, he ruminates in his room, contemplating what he should do to effectively train each individual student so that they could reach their max potential. Afterwards, he plans, trains, meditates, and closes the curtains for the night at midnight. And his day starts all over again at five.
"To be honest, it gives me self-satisfaction to know that I'm supporting him, and that he never stops being thankful. He is capable of doing it on his own, but like how I struggle against something that could easily be overcome with the slightest of help, I believe our Professor would eventually buckle under the workload he places on himself. It may not be true, but I'd like to believe my help is preventing his self-combustion and allows him to continue to do his best to achieve his goal of molding the best Huntsman possible."
She turned back to Raven, who felt bewildered by everything Glynda said. Raven had grown in a tribe where self-sacrifice for the good of others simply didn't exist. It wasn't a noble cause; it was foolish. And there was no such thing as assisting others for free. There was always a price. But Glynda helped Naruto because she...wanted to? That didn't seem quite right, but Raven couldn't formulate it in her head any other way. And that half developed explanation didn't do her any favors and left her more confused.
It simply didn't make sense.
"Ah, did I say something not to you liking?" Glynda stopped, and Raven realized that her expression must have given the wrong impression. She shook her head and apologized, explaining that she couldn't understand. "Ah," a light entering the blonde's eyes. "I think the easiest way to say it is...if you see someone doing their best and they keep moving forward, never faltering...do you not you want to help them?"
A memory of her younger brother came to mind. When he was upset that he wasn't as strong as she was, he would eat his dinner and train deep into the night and come into the tent when it was closer to daybreak, exhausted. But he didn't say a word, and no one called out his restlessness as long as he kept doing his duties. Eventually, she silently joined him. Neither of the two said a word to each other, but they understood what the other wanted. He wanted strength to support her, and she wanted to tell him that she would get stronger to protect him. It had nothing to do with favors. It was their bond. No matter what, they were still twins, and she wanted him to know that she was there for him in her own way.
Even now, she wanted to become strong so that her brother wouldn't have to worry. Even now, when Qrow was maturing and becoming stronger, she still recalled how he was when he wasn't so agile and comfortable in battle and felt the need to protect her little brother.
"Yeah," Raven said mutely, her eyes downcast and vacantly examining her hands rubbing her thumbs together. "No, I get it. Maybe it's not the same, but I understand where you're coming from."
Glynda watched the expressions shift from confusion to remembrance to acknowledge, and then finally a soft resolution on Raven's face. "I'm glad," was all she spoke. The two sat in silence, one remembering an emotion she hadn't felt for years, her heart hardened from caging herself within, and the other tranquil and lovely, watching a flower bloom layer by layer.
"I hope I'm not intruding on any girl talk, because I brought breakfast!"
Raven looked up and saw Naruto grinning at the two of them as he placed plates on the table. Omelets, waffles, banana bread, and sausages all layer before her in large portions. It smelled divine.
"No, you've come at just the right time. We were finishing up our girl talk," Glynda told him as the professor took his seat. Raven realized now that there were enough food for the three of them. He had known that she was there. "Thank you for cooking again."
"No problem. Better me than you anyway," Naruto said, chuckling as he spooned some of the food onto his plate. He eyed Raven. "You should eat, Raven. You have a long day ahead of you."
Guilt wore at Raven's heart.
She didn't want to stay. She didn't want to make bonds with people at Beacon. She was Raven Branwen, future leader of the tribe that she had left to become stronger. After she graduated, she would return to her tribe to lead them.
It's only been two weeks in this stupid academy, so why was it that she felt like she cared about these two. Even if it was just a little, the feeling that she was taking advantage of their kindness and warm nature chipped away at her, bit by bit.
She coerced the gloom back to whence it came and said, "Thank you for the meal," and filled her own plate. Taking a bite, she widened her eyes. Naruto could cook phenomenally. The flavors were bursting inside of her mouth in such a way that no normal omelet, sausage, or waffle should. She looked up to her professor.
"Not bad," she decided to say, schooling her expression. Naruto laughed from his chest, his head tilted high, his raucous amusement echoing from wall to wall. When he was done, he shook his head.
"I get Glynda to say that I'm the best cook she's met and that she'll help me as long as I make her breakfast every day, but I only get you to say 'not bad.' You know what, I'll take what I can get. Thanks, Raven."
"No problem, professor." She wondered if Glynda had actually said that. "Perhaps I'll come to the dining hall at this time more often for this acceptable food if you're the one cooking."
"Heh, you could. This is actually a rare occasion; I ran out of Lien because of what happened last week, so I came to the school's kitchen to cook. It's why this breakfast isn't as good as usual nor as healthy; couldn't buy any ingredients at Vale the past weekend. But you got to do what you got to do. Usually, I cook in my room and Glynda joins me after she hands me the finished paperwork I delegate to her."
"You mean all of your paperwork," Glynda commented after swallowing down a bite of an omelet.
"Details. Who needs them?"
"I do, Professor. Otherwise, nothing would get done," she quipped.
Raven stilled, a fork full of sausage halfway to her mouth.
'He could make it better? Better than this?'
"I could...offer you some Lien," Raven suggested. She and her brother had gotten a scholarship to the academy. Not only did they not pay a dime, but they also received funds for them to spend at their discretion. This was certainly something considered worth it, right? No amount of banditry would result in food like this...right?
Naruto gave her a look that told her he knew exactly what she wanted, but he didn't call her out on it. Instead, he gave her the same, agreeable smile that Glynda had given her before and said, "How about when I get my next paycheck, you come and join me and Glynda for breakfast. I'll make you say that my food is at least 'decent.' Sound good?"
The cracks around her heart chipped away a bit more.
"I think I'd like that, Professor," Raven said.
Her scroll buzzed and she looked down. A message from Glynda.
"Perhaps we could have more 'girl talk', too. I've never had another girl to confide in."
These two were...
Really something else.
Chapter End.
A/N: See what I mean by it's not a chapter that you'd expect? Neither did I. It was supposed to be a chapter that revolved around Summer Rose, but I think we can get there next chapter. I believe that the interaction may seem fast between Raven and the others, but if I can do it right next chapter, it should seem acceptable. At least, that's what I think.
Review Reponses:
Sai55: I really, really hope that you still like this Glynda. She's opened up to Raven a lot, but I think I still need her to be diligent and a hard worker. That's a core of her character, I think. And I agree, you need to have a character act the way they are, otherwise it's not the same.
TheSlySage: Woah woah woah an early follow and favorite? Thank you so much! And that's actually some interesting points you bring up about Naruto possibly being the father of Yang. I'll definitely give it some consideration! Very well explained, too.
Thank you on the compliment about the practical lesson. I was hoping Oobleck's class specifically came through clear, and you noticed it so I guess it was good enough! And here's the breakfast scene you wanted! Devour this chapter and that breakfast!
daggercloak000: Haha, same. I think these two will be almost inseparable based on how I wrote them.
Guilty of Sloth: Yessss, this is what I love to hear. People enjoying the concept and execution of a story and then telling me; it makes me feel so happy. I'm glad how I'm fleshing out the characters and the world is to your liking. Also, the idea of Raven as the main perspective took me a while to be like "is this really how I want to present this story?" I think, honestly, it's kind of working. She's the main, main character. Naruto is still there and is important. It's just this is Raven's story, I think.
Also, it seems everyone loves this Glynda. I hope you still like her portrayal!
Guest: Thank you, I tried my best, haha. I appreciate the read and review, mate!
GoTeam: Qrow was working out! I'll double check though to make sure that that specific detail is clear. Thank you for bringing it up!
yoyo: Thank you for telling me this. I will address Summer eventually; I failed to do so in this chapter, but the first half IS important. I'll bring it up within the next two chapters for sure.
Peroroncino: Sadly, I can't comment on anything about pairings and things like that because it's spoilers, but feel free to keep reading to find out, haha! That said, thanks for reading and reviewing!
adislt: As much as I can, I think Naruto should give unique combat lessons. It's why he's effective, and also why the story has points of interest. Otherwise, it's just another story that follows RWBY.
I like your idea on Jaune Arc's parents! I'll see what I can do with it! Thanks for the idea and the review!
Bob2007: Thank you for your kind words! I brought you a new chapter! Now...wait again. Sorry, haha!
Cseska: I'm so happy to hear that you enjoy my portrayal of Naruto. And I completely agree with you! A balanced character in general is really hard to write, and I'll take some pride that you think it's balanced in character! And yeah, I'm a bit on a streak because this story has been extremely satisfying and enjoyable to write, so expect somewhat quick updates! Maybe not as fast as this week's in the future, but it'll be relatively consistent. Thanks for the review and reading my story!
Leinad100: Haha thank you. I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well and keep enjoying the chapters to come!
mahouka9: Dude, thanks for reading and reviewing. And yeah, maybe next time there'll be a chapter about Vale. I reaaaally wanted to write it, but I think maybe another time, it'll be fine. And yeah, maaaaybe you'll get to see your Naruto x Raven pairing. Who knows? Because that's spoilers and I can't say anything, haha!
Anthony Galupo: It is continued! Feel free to keep asking for me to continue!
Xud10a: So apparently I'm doing Glynda right. That's what I'm hearing, at least. A good amount of reviews actually talk about how they like Glynda a lot, so I'm like huh, wow. And yeah, I agree with SlySage as well; the reviewer made some really solid points that I think I can utilize if I decide to go down that route.
Also, I hope you don't think this Glynda is too far off the mark. It's hard to explain, but maybe it'll be clearer next chapter why she's so kind to Raven? I dunno, it's hard to show and not tell.
YeTianshi: Dude, you and me both found the ending hilarious. I'm glad that I could bring humor into your day! Also proud to read that you caught the lesson from Oobleck and used the student's own racism as a method to teach him. So happy that came through.
Yeah, it's been really fun fleshing out Raven. I think I'm taking a looot of creative liberties here, and since the official RWBY never really delve into this kind of stuff, I'm kind of allowed to do whatever I want. That's great, but also pretty scary if I mess up according to the readers. Woo! But yeah, the goal was to hyperfocus on Raven, and I'm glad that's clear to you!
Bring more baskets, too! That way, you can multiply the eggs you take back! And feed me an omelet that Naruto cooked. I'd like one, please. (I like your metaphor haha).
P.S. Rip Taiyang.
R-King 93: Thanks. I try sometimes, ya feel?
Ikasuki: That's exaaaactly it! Naruto is a professor; his whole shtick is that he wants others to learn. To improve. He won't unnecessarily beat down anybody, because that's not what a good teacher does. I'm glad you caught on and enjoyed that scene and its execution!
And wow, a new giant. Whew, I feel the pressure. I'll do my best! Thank you so much, that made me feel super pumped to push more! Thanks for your review and I hope you keep reading!
Guardian of the Inheritance: Keeping up keeping up
Nise no kishi: I'm happy to inject some happiness in your mornings. Here's another, but probably not as funny.
Home of the Brave: Great to hear you like this version of Naruto! Weapons will be coming up fairly soon (like next two chapters ish?) Also, uhhhh all of those questions after are spoilers haha. I've told every reviewer as such, so I can't answer yours either, sadly. Buuuut if you keep reading, you'll find out eventually, riiiiight? Haha, thanks for reading and reviewing, mate! Hope to see you around!
zaboi: Eventually. All in good time. I think when a specific event happens, I can go straight into his backstory, but that might be in a bit. Stay curious, my friend! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
eniox27: Yeah, is he a Faunus or is he not? Who knows. As for the Cardin Winchester thing, I don't know how I could approach that exactly. If I make his parents learn a lesson, then Cardin becomes a different person probably. He might end up a much more open-minded individual. Who's to say, though? This story is all over the place, really, and I'm taking ideas from a bunch of people, haha!
Lt Juan Rico: Yeah...now that you mention it, it's technically more Naruto x Team STRQ. I should probably throw in Glynda to the tag because of how important she seems in the story at this point. Glad you're enjoying reading! Hope to see you around!
brachiosaurus: Oh god I feel validated and also so afraid that I'm gonna mess up. I'll do my best to keep these chapters good!
75757575757: T-T
Youkai no Hariken: First off, Happy birthday!
Secondly -
Oh my god is that an author I've read nearly eight years ago? You've got to be kidding me; I've actually read your story so many years ago when I first logged into Fanfiction. This is kind of insane. You got your birthday gift, and you gave me this story's 100th review, and what a kind review it was.
Wow, I don't really know what to say. Thank you so much. I'm just happy to hear that you think all of the scenes are flowing seamlessly in their sections and that the characters all belong. That's already a huge compliment and a good step to a solid story in general.
Naruto, like canon, works out of understanding others. I believe that is one of his most notable traits. I wanted to keep that and really focus on that trait. I try to be someone that can say I act like this, but I think this Naruto has far more patience and wisdom than I do, haha.
For your point on Raven, I think it's necessary to start with her with small steps that gradually become strides. Whereas for Glynda, who had half a year with him already and her own growth already having taken place, it's alright to have her a bit different than in the canon universe. Also, I agree - there are practically ZERO stories with Glynda as a pairing. And if there is a pairing with her, it's usually not even close to the romance yet or not an accurate portrayal of her character. There is the one where Jaune is a professor in the regular RWBY FFN section, and that's really good. But otherwise, pretty much impossible to find stories with her.
That said, your compliments and analysis simply makes me happy to have an involved reader that clearly explains what they enjoyed and why they enjoyed it.
Woah, second comment that pretty much said this story is building up to be something great. I WILL DO MY BEST, AND MAY IT REMAIN GOOD!
FireknightPrince: Logical female fury is even more frightening.
kakaroto22: You're too good to me. Thanks for reading and reviewing the story! Hope you enjoyed this one as well!
Riba Nyabom: Ah I see what you mean by strength. Also, for you discussion on "is this Naruto?" I think that my solution might satisfy you. In my mind, I think he's definitely still Naruto, but also not quite the Naruto from canon in the the Elemental Nations. That said, I agree that a person simply born in Remnant, no matter how similar he is to Naruto without having gone through what Naruto has, is not Naruto. Your comment made me think about story and pretty much confirm in which direction I should go with Naruto's character, which helped me lock in some other details as well. Therefore, thank you for reading and leaving a review! It helped a lot!
Guest: That is spoiler so not comment, but it's certainly a plausible scenario. However, I think - actually, I'm not going to say anything. Everything is spoiler territory at this point. Best day to you and thank you for reading and reviewing!
Sarcoisagoodboy: Thank you. You are a good boy.
Naruto x sister the best XD: I hope it's still interesting to you. Captivation is the goal, after all. I mean...she unofficially is that this point, in a way. But as for the future, I'm not entirely certain. I'll write something and then it'll be how it is. That's kind of how I write, haha. Everything just simply happens. Also, lol at the name. Same to this name.
Zero!: You look good! Haha thanks, mate. Appreciate that you read and left a review, even as a guest!
808Joker808: Rip Taiyang's love life. May his crushed soul rest in pieces.
Kanciano: It actually wasn't a Key and Peele reference, but if you let me know what video it is, maybe I can see why it's so similar! And thank you, I tried to make that chapter fun!
History of Naruto: spoiler, so I can't say anything
Ozpin: Not spoiler. He is headmaster, so I will bring him up eventually. I just haven't felt the need to bring him up in person yet.
pairing: Spoiler, so I can't say anything. But, I can say that there WILL be romance this story! Look forward to it!
Thank you for reading and reviewing!
Lokyloco: No Youuuuu! Thank you for the warm words and compliments! I'm just happy to hear that you're enjoying the story at the pace it is and the growth of each character and how they're represented. Also, a lot of people seem to want Glynda X Naruto in this story specifically. I wonder why that is. Best day to you and thank you again for the review. It made my evening!
Sneky: If you like Glynda and Naruto interactions, here's some Glynda and Raven interactions! Hope it was still to your liking!