An: The last chunk I wrote while I was sick in bed. Further chapters will take longer.
Hope you enjoy and tell me what you think.
The first day of a new semester at Beacon Academy had the whole city of Vale bustling with activity. Young people from all stretches of life gathered there to be brought to Beacon Academy in one of the airships scheduled for today.
In one of those transports, a very excited blonde had her black-haired sibling in a bone-crushing high.
"I can't believe my baby sister is going to Beacon with me. This is the best day ever!"
"Please stop."
Yang rolled her eyes but wouldn't let her little Rubaby ruin the good mood. She desperately needed something to cheer her up after the information hunt yesterday had been a bust.
Grumpy and irritated, Yang had gone back to her hotel room to find her sister jumping with joy and bouncing off the wall. Only Ruby could manage to get a personal invitation to Beacon by stopping a dust robbery. The same dust robbery which was broadcasted in the news since this morning and also ran on every monitor inside the airship.
...The robbery was led by nefarious criminal Roman Torchwick, who continues to evade authorities. If you have any information on his whereabouts please contact the Vale Police Department...
And like every time, Ruby watched the broadcast with a pout.
"Why are you so moody? You stopped that robbery."
"But the thief got away…"
The broadcast on every monitor changed to show a blonde woman. She oozed professionalism out of every pore by her mannerisms and choice of clothes. Hair put into a bun, black-rimmed glasses, white blouse and black cloak with purple inlay. The rest was hidden since she was filmed from the waist up, but Yang guessed under there would be black skirt going over the knees and black high heels to finish the stern teacher look.
Hello and welcome to Beacon. My name is Glynda Goodwitch. You are among a privileged few who have received the honor of being selected to attend this prestigious academy!
Our world is experiencing an incredible time of peace, and as future huntsman and huntress, it is your duty to uphold it.
You have demonstrated the courage needed for such a task, and know it is our turn to provide you with the knowledge and the training to protect our world.
Yang sighed with a smile at the starstruck expression on her sister while listening to the message from Beacon. Ruby genuinely wanted to become a huntress to make Remnant a better place. Yang herself thought a lot more practical about life. With her set of skills and hunger for adventure, becoming a huntress made the most sense.
The clouds parted and a sudden birds-eye-view of Beacon brought Yang back from her thoughts. She stared at the massive collection of structures and allowed herself a more honest smile, until the reflection showed what was going on behind her. The blonde guy from the nightclub walked by in a confident stride. A single duffle bag was slung over his shoulder, which he dropped at his destination at the exit.
"Excuse me for a second, Rubes."
Yang's day had started so well. Now seeing him brought all the frustration back to the forefront of her mind; The constant failure and disappointment of months without getting one step closer to her goal.
Now she could put a face to that feeling. "What are you doing here?"
Jaune kept staring straight ahead at the exit ramp.
"Hey, I'm talking to you! Don't you ignore me!" She shoved him in the chest to turn him towards her.
He threw up.
On her.
A lot.
Every head in the airship turned towards the sound of an ear-piercing shriek echoing through all decks.
RWBY
Jaune Arc walked off the landing airship, still a bit wobbly on his feet but in much better mood than before. Seeing the obnoxious blonde run around in panic, screaming about vomit in her hair gave him all the good feelings.
Petty? Maybe. Incredibly satisfying? One-hundred percent.
Besides emptying his stomach of useless ballast, it also had the desired effect of getting her and little Red of his back. Each of them smelled like an unique brand of trouble and the two being occupied by washing out bile from hip-length blonde hair in the airship bathroom suited him just fine.
Personified sugar and the epitome of hotheadedness. What a combo.
Jaune sat down at a nearby bench out of sight to regain composure. It wasn't the first time he cursed his proneness to getting airsick. He would have rather walked the way and climbed the cliff to Beacon if time hadn't been an issue. He lit a cigarette and enjoyed the last hit of nicotine for the foreseeable future.
Stringent no smoke policy on academy grounds.
Done way too fast for his taste, Jaune went back to the main path towards the auditorium. There he stood, hands in his pockets and looking up at the place which would be his home for the next four years.
He heard chatter behind him but ignored it. Lack of curse words against him ruled out Blondie Mcfisterson and the pathway was broad enough to go around for whoever wanted to get past. Either he underestimated his girth or somebody wasn't paying attention, because something walked against Jaune and followed it up by a high-pitched shriek.
She was the daintiest little thing he'd ever seen. Jaune had thought Scythe girl lacked pounds but the fairy lying at his feet looked like the faintest breeze could blow her away. Snow fairy fit the description even better. Pale, porcelain skin, white hair, wearing a white dress and white high heels.
Jaune offered a hand and flinched when she hesitated with a look of disgust. The hoodie he wore still had traces of vomit on it and that obviously bothered her. He took it off and threw the bulky clothing in the trash, revealing a simple black shirt underneath. Then he pulled her up by the hand, seeing nothing wrong about it anymore.
She did have complaints. "Unhand me! Who allowed you to touch me?"
The powerful voice coming from that lithe frame surprised him and Jaune let go halfway. She took a tumble back on her butt, staring at him with hateful intensity.
"What is your deal? Don't you know who I am?"
Jaune felt himself cool off on this meeting. Snow-white began rattling off about her illustrious family name and importance in the world. Weiss Schnee, even the name fit the appearance and well as her icy attitude.
Then and there, Jaune decided to walk and she wasn't having it. "Where are you going? I demand an apology!"
"For what?"
A slender finger poked him in the chest. "You pushed me down twice!"
"You ran into me and fell on your ass, then fell a second time because you told me to let go."
"You're supposed to after I got up! Do you have no brain? Where are your manners? Did nobody teach you how to treat a lady?"
"Listen, I can't be late." Jaune rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Let's kiss and make out."
"What?!" Weiss screeched and turned red as a tomato. It took a second for Jaune's mind to catch up to what he just said.
"Up, kiss and make up." Jaune shook his head. "Sorry, slip some tongue." The girl in front of him became even redder. "Slip of the tongue!"
What was wrong with him? Talking with people wasn't his favorite pastime but he usually could be considered at least decent at it. Then he met this girl with her silky white hair and sapphire eyes, continually messing up while staring at her rosy lips.
Wait a second…
Silky white hair? Sapphire eyes? Rosy lips?
The coin dropped. "I think I'm attracted to your body."
Weiss picked up her suitcases and ran.
RWBY
Arriving in the auditorium a few minutes later, Jaune kept in the back to avoid attention. A good idea after a few glimpses around the attendance.
There was Blondie with little Red towards the front, her hair still damp and put into a ponytail. He could see her eyes glow red from afar, darting in every direction to find him. A third girl had joined the group since the airship. Long black hair, slender body type that spoke for agility over muscle in clear contrast to the powerhouse which was Blondie.
Girl number three wore mundane clothing in black and white with a comically large bow on her head as the only accessory that stood out. The most striking features were her piercing yellow eyes, clearly visible even in the dimmed room.
Weiss Schnee mingled with a tall redhead, who seemed to be built for combat even at a glance. You could gauge the level of experience by simply watching how someone carried themselves in peaceful situations. Although visibly bored by whatever Weiss was telling her, she always remained mindful of her surroundings to react at a moments notice.
This competency was likely the reason the Schnee tried to get close to the girl.
The lights on stage came to life and Professor Ozpin walked to the microphone. Everybody knew the grey-haired headmaster of Beacon and his appearance drew attention. He knew his effect on people and skipped the introduction.
"I'll keep this brief. You've traveled her today in search of knowledge, to hone your craft and acquire new skills. And when you are finished, you plan to dedicate your life to the protection of the people."
The headmaster also knew how to make a sales pitch. Jaune figured you had to be good to make risking your life against monsters sound appealing. There was no money, no security, and no certainty in being a hunter or huntress.
Hardly something most would aspire to be.
"But I look amongst you and all I see is wasted energy, a need of purpose, direction. You assume knowledge will free you of this, but your time at his school will prove that knowledge can only carry you so far.
Jaune gripped his arm so tight his body began to shake. He swore the eyes of the headmaster rested solely on him for a moment.
"It is up to you to take the first step."
"Subtle as fist to the face, Mr. Ozpin." Jaune thought as the headmaster left the stage and every student in the audience in awkward silence, until Glynda Goodwitch took the spot at the microphone.
"You will gather tonight in the ballroom. Tomorrow, your initiation begins. Be ready. You are dismissed."
RWBY
Yang hated how her first day in Beacon had gone so far and thanked the gods it was almost over.
Students all around them prepared themselves to sleep like one giant slumber party without booze and party games. Only students passing the initiation tomorrow would get assigned dorm rooms and most talks were focused on that subject. Some were giving her funny looks or snickers behind the hand, but thankfully the number stayed manageable for damage control.
She wanted to be the talk among the students, just not the way it turned out thus far.
The first step would be to get her ruined hair back in order. Yang didn't consider herself a vain person when it came to most things. Her hair was the exception to that rule, always deliberate to have it look great and take exceptional care.
She owned five different brushes, which all were in heavy use to rigorously brush her hair in an attempt to make it look presentable again. Ruby sat with her on demand to hand over the next tool or haircare product for this task. Her sister, gods bless her caring heart, knew how important this was for her and helped without complaint. Every second wasted was more opportunity for somebody to take note of the current rat's nest on her head.
One girl named Blake Belladonna had even openly laughed at her and was currently sitting with them. "I know you are upset about this whole situation, but don't you think it's a bit much to keep me hostage?"
Not completely out of her own free will, but Yang believed drastic measures had to be taken to prevent further humiliation. "I'm satisfied after you see me without being a mess and confirm that I'm not a joke."
"It was barely a chuckle and I showed you the way to the auditorium as an apology."
"Let me have this after what that asshile put me through!" Yang pointed her brush at Blake, who huffed and went back to reading her book.
The youngest of the group flinched and tried a more diplomatic approach. "I don't think he meant to upset you, Yang. He was nice to me. Maybe you just started on the wrong foot?"
Ruby kept nagging her to make up with the guy since leaving the airship, mentioning again and again how he helped her out yesterday. Yang questioned how telling somebody a vague direction counted as valuable help, but her sister never wasted a thought on these things.
"You know Ruby," Yang said, putting the last finishing touches to her hair. "Maybe I should try to get this resolved with him."
"Yes, you should! I can help you look for him. As a new student he should be here as well."
Oh, Yang sincerely hoped so. "No worries, I got this."
The creeping feeling of guilt bubbled in Yang's gut as she left her smiling sister. Technically she hadn't been telling a lie when she set out to settle things. It just would be up to him how this played out.
An opportunity to vent in a more physical manner would not be rejected.
She hadn't seen the guy at the speech in the auditorium, despite how hard she had looked for him in the crowd. There wasn't really a good place to hide in the ballroom though, narrowing it down to spaces without large groups of students and looking for people who are alone bare fruit pretty quickly.
He kept his distance in an empty corner and had no sleeping bag or sleepwear, sitting leaned against a wall with his eyes closed.
"Hey there vomit boy."
His eyes opened slowly, looking up at her with a flat expression. "The name's Jaune Arc."
She grabbed him by the collar and pulled him up to eye level. "Yang Xiao Long."
"You are ruining my last clean shirt, Yang." Jaune Arc wasn't intimidated by her. She knew when guys put up front to look tough and he was mostly annoyed, down to the bored conversational tone and complete lack of tension in his body.
It triggered her anger. "I will ruin your face if you don't apologize, Jaune!"
"That seems to be a trend today. The response is the same though, I fail to see what I should be sorry about."
"I have plenty of reasons to be angry with you!" She growled and shoved him against the wall with a loud bang.
He remained unimpressed by the show of force. "Was it when I stopped you from going on a rampage in a club full of civilians? Or maybe when you shoved a sick guy in the stomach and got thrown up on for it? Sounds pretty cut and dry to me in terms of responsibility."
Yang's hard glare wavered through a small eye twitch. There was some truth to his words. A rational explanation for the turn of events, but being rational wasn't a priority when you are angry and still smelled stomach acid on your hair.
It also didn't help when the one being rational gave you lip about it. His whole attitude rubbed Yang the wrong way, brushing her off like some inconsequential nuisance. They were getting an audience and she couldn't risk looking like a spineless chump in front of the gathered student body. Their four years in Bracon were starting today and Yang's image had already taken enough blows.
A show of dominance was required to establish her role as top dog.
"Don't make me force you. I want that apology," she said loud enough for everybody to hear.
That move finally got a reaction from Jaune. Not the remorseful plea for forgiveness she wanted but instead a hard edge coming over his eyes. He looked around towards the nosy bystanders then back to Yang's eyes with a deep stare.
For the shortest moment, he looked tired. "I guess we are doing this. At least you can take it."
Jaune's arm shot forward and Yang braced herself for the shove against her chest. Aura flared to soften the blow as a sudden sense of weightlessness rushed through her body. Below her, she saw wide-eyed students staring up.
Her body hit a nearby glass door to the balcony two seconds later, smashing through it and vanishing from sight over the balustrade.
The ballroom was on the third floor.
With Yang gone, stares from the students were now resting on Jaune. The girl had a very strong grip, strong enough to have kept it on his shirt while getting tossed across the auditorium. Something had to give and another piece of clothing was now forever lost to him. He stood naked from the waist up with the ripped remains on the ground.
Those standing behind him began to whisper and point. They saw a tattoo, going across his whole back and over his shoulders, with a motive everybody recognized as future huntresses and huntsmen.
A Beowulf, inked so realistic it felt like the grimm could detach itself from the skin at any second. The monster was drawn in a way as if it was taking a bite from behind at Jaune's shoulder, gripping its arms around him and clawing at his chest.
The depiction of a horror eating him alive.
Yang came back through the front entrance, twigs, leaves and mud in her hair showing where she landed outside. The doors hit the wall with enough force to splinter them to bits and crack the wall.
Eyes burning like embers scanned the room and the air around her visibly heated up when they fell back on Jaune. Yang took one step before a whirlwind of red and flying rose petals crashed against her. Ruby had thrown herself at her sister, recognizing the rage and desperately trying to hold her back from making a mistake.
"Come to your senses, Yang!" Ruby begged and flinched at seeing her big sister practically foaming at the mouth. "Blake, help me!"
Blake did not help. Blake did not move.
The girl stood frozen to the spot, eyes locked at Jaune's back in shock.
"The Grimmhound..."
A sharp glance from Jaune made Blake step back. "I don't know you. Do you want to get involved?"
Blake turned around and vanished into the crowd with Ruby calling one last time for help without an answer. The support wouldn't have made a difference one way or another. Even two of them at their best would have no chance of stopping the blonde powerhouse stomping towards Jaune.
Yang stood before him now glowing from head to toe, Ruby hanging from her like an accessory. "Last chance to beg for forgiveness before I break you in half."
A flicker of something other than contempt came over Jaune's face. Was it sympathy? Maybe pity? Hard to say from the split second Ruby saw it and Yang was too far gone to notice. The last hope for a peaceful solution died when Jaune hardened his expression and opened his mouth to answer Yang's ultimatum.
"Eat a dick, strawhead."
Red eyes widened with a snarl and the fury unleashed with a fist towards his face at mach speed, only to be stopped inches before impact as her whole body locked down in motion. Yang huffed in frustration and Jaune raised an eyebrow at the purple glow surrounding her.
"I would prefer she wouldn't do something so vulgar on academy grounds, Mr. Arc."
Glynda Goodwitch had come to restore order.