The sound of steel grinding against steel rang out through the surrounding trees as blades clashed once again, moonlight reflecting softly off the pair of swords. One narrowed blue eye stared across the deadlock into two expressionless crimson ones, and the pair of students shifted their grips upon their weapons as the stalemate continued.
Adam Taurus rewrapped his fingers around the hilt of his katana, his nails digging harshly into the cord as he pushed back against the blood red blade that was bearing down upon him. Raven Branwen instead opted to brace her forearm against the back of her blade and made a quick push forward to unbalance her faunus opponent. Adam tumbled backward with a shocked gasp, and quickly found himself upon the ground with Raven's boot planted firmly upon the center of his chest as the tip of her blade leveled at his throat.
"If you're going to waste my time, then I'm going back to the dorm," the girl threatened, her voice a deadly, focused calm. "You're new to this, yes, but you're better than what you're showing me right now, Adam. We've been doing this for a while now, and this is the sloppiest you've ever been, besides day one."
Adam knocked the tip of the blade to the side as he shook his head, fuming. "I have a lot on my mind, but I'm keeping it in. This is more about working through my anger right now than it is making progress."
"If you're compromised, then we shouldn't be training," Raven admonished as she sheathed her blade and stepped off of Adam's chest to begin making her way to the tree line. "You'll learn nothing, other than bad habits."
"We won't always get to pick when we fight, as hunters," Adam reminded as he stood and dusted off his borrowed clothing. "Isn't it better to learn to hold it all in while under threat, and deal with the problem of keeping my emotions in check in combat?"
Raven paused just as she reached the edge of the clearing, and her lip pulled into a conflicted expression. Slowly, she turned around and rested her hand upon the hilt of Omen as she lowered herself into a ready stance.
"…yes, actually. And so far, you're not blowing up, despite whatever you're thinking about. Maybe that's progress after all," Raven considered, speaking more to herself than her opponent.
"In my mind, dragging myself out of bed and engaging with the rest of you is progress," Adam stated calmly as he raised his sword and pointed the tip at Raven. "Anything more than that is just a bonus."
"Hold yourself to a higher standard," Raven commanded as her lip twitched in annoyance. "I do."
Without another word, Raven charged in with a telegraphed horizontal slash. Adam turned his blade downward and to the side to push the attack away, before thrusting an elbow for Raven's chest. The girl jumped to the side and sheathed her sword once again, readying herself as the rotating mechanism within the sheath whirred to life.
"…you hold me to a higher standard, or yourself?" Adam asked as he kept his eye on the spinning contraption within the sheath. He did his best to keep track of the colors shifting past, readying himself for the blade he thought would come out next.
"Yes," Raven answered simply as she drew a light blue blade and spun into a low slash.
Adam leapt over the swing and landed atop an icy platform that appeared below him, though the trick didn't manage to take him by surprise. The boy allowed himself a confident smirk as he slid forward down the icy ramp that had formed after Raven's attack and threw out a wide strike of his own. The girl dipped her upper body backward and out of the way to avoid the strike before landing a hard upward palm strike into Adam's jaw, earning a groan of pain from the boy as he took several steps back.
"Better, but you should always be planning several steps ahead," Raven reminded as she sheathed her blade once again. "Account for as many possibilities as you can foresee, even when you believe you have the advantage. Never settle for one small victory in a fight- seize the opening and ride your momentum."
"I'll keep that in mind," Adam offered as he rubbed at his jaw. "How's the sword behaving?"
"I thought you'd be able to figure that out just by observation," Raven replied with a glower. "Stop stalling. Come at me again, if you want to keep training."
"What's on your mind?" Adam asked as he slid his loaner katana back into its sheath and stood up straight.
Raven inhaled sharply. "Your progress. The thought that you were able to see which blade was coming next, and how more experienced opponents may take advantage of that in combat. The way we're wasting time right now by t-"
"No," Adam interrupted. "In a general sense- you're compromised, too."
"I am not," Raven denied immediately as she mirrored Adam's stance. "Drop this line of thought, or I will leave, Adam."
"No, I don't think you will," the faunus challenged as he affixed his weapon to his belt and folded his arms across his chest. "You just left earlier, without stalling and making threats, and I've never seen you so insistent that I keep attacking you. You normally enjoy fights, against me, or grimm, or in Glynda's class. It's subtle, but you smirk, and there's a certain glint in your eyes when you know you've won due to your opponent making a mistake. That glint isn't there tonight. What's going on?"
Raven clenched her jaw as she regarded Adam with harsh, scrutinizing eyes. After several seconds, the faunus' hand found its way back to the hilt of his sword as he took a half-step back, looking wary.
"…you're actually afraid of me," Raven said flatly. "You really think I'm going to just run at you screaming and slashing away, because you're questioning me?"
"I don't know what to think about you," Adam confessed as he kept his fingers hovering just over the cord-wrapped handle of his katana. "I get the feeling that most of us don't. You're a very private person, outside of talking to your brother away from the rest of us. I thought, perhaps, you would relax more after spending a night with Tai in Willow's dorm, but it seems like you're even more stressed, now. I'm asking because I care, Raven. I care because you've been pleasant and helpful, before you even ask."
"Even you," Raven muttered as her shoulders slumped and she made her way over to a large, rounded rock near the edge of the clearing. "I thought that you, at least, would be the one person in our friend circle who wouldn't go pushing boundaries and poking at my barriers. It's that obvious?"
"I don't know," Adam offered as he moved closed and leaned back against a nearby tree. "I've only noticed it somewhat recently, but I've been keeping track of it, mentally. I just don't say anything, because when I do, it's hard to keep it neutral. I find that that isn't true with you."
"Why not?" Raven asked as she ran a nervous hand through her hair. "It's not like we talk a lot."
"True," Adam agreed. "But when we do, it's always valuable. You're the only person that I don't think has asked me about being a faunus, after we initially met. It's almost as though you don't see me any differently, and you don't bother to walk on eggshells or lace your words with guilt like so many others. That actually goes a long way toward making me feel more comfortable than the alternative."
"What's there to say?" Raven asked. "It's not like I can do anything about your situation right now."
"Maybe not, but perhaps I can do something about yours," Adam pointed out. "I know that I'm not Taiy-"
"Would you people stop with Taiyang?" Raven cut in as she gave Adam a cold glare. "We're not a thing. We're not even dating. We're friends. Close, maybe, but that's it."
"I'm not bringing him up with the same intention as the others," Adam denied as he shook his head. "I'm bringing him up because of his semblance- he knows what you're feeling, but I don't. Perhaps I'm not the best socially, but differing perspectives can be beneficial."
"Thanks, but no thanks," Raven said as she rested Omen against the side of her rock. "I'm not in the mood for this kind of thing."
"Fine. I'll leave it there, then," Adam confirmed as he pushed off from the tree and rolled his shoulders. "Sorry for bringing it up. I see all of you as family at this point, since I gr-"
"Family means nothing," Raven spat, before she could stop herself. She looked up to find Adam wearing a rather shocked expression, and she could feel that her own had involuntarily twisted into a mask of sheer hatred. As the awkward moment slowly passed, she made a conscious effort to let her face fall into a more neutral state as she looked away.
"…sorry. That's not what I meant to say. Let's head back and get ready for tomorrow's classes."
"Raven," Adam began slowly and carefully, "did something happen between you and Qrow?"
The girl bristled and huffed immediately, her mass of hair shaking as she moved her head back and forth.
"No, Adam, it's not about him. If we're really doing this, then just listen, and learn something from what I'm about to say," Raven insisted.
Adam nodded silently and clasped his hands behind himself, looking every part the attentive new recruit listening to a superior officer.
"My father… is a complete asshole," Raven seethed. "He's always been harsh, judgmental, and unfair to Qrow, while showering me with praise. Recently, though, he's been hostile to both of us, more or less ever since we arrived at Beacon. He won't return calls, or at least, he didn't, until today. I… just spoke with him. This afternoon," Raven lied as she drummed her fingers upon the surface of the rock.
"And that explains your mood," Adam observed. Raven merely replied with a curt nod, and Adam shifted a bit. "You're tired of the unfairness?"
"I am," Raven agreed. "He's now actively making things harder on me, and it's becomingly increasingly clear that nothing's ever good enough. I think I've known for a long time that there's no familial love to be had from him. I thought his praise and the things he taught me could take the place of something like that, but when it's so blatant that he doesn't actually care about us… they don't. They just don't."
Adam mulled over Raven's words for a while, before shaking his head. "Then you're wrong. Family does mean something- your father's the perfect example of who you don't want to become."
Raven finally looked up at Adam once again and searched his face for any hint of judgment or condescension, only to find none. His words seemed to echo louder within her mind as she thought about the truth of her situation, and it wasn't long before she looked away from her friend in disgust.
"…I don't know. I wouldn't be who I am without him. I wouldn't be able to train you on the side, I wouldn't be top of the class in combat skill, I wouldn't have the discipline I gained from his constant abuse…"
"You don't know that," Adam replied. "Your father isn't the only person in your life. For all intents and purposes, I don't have parents. I'm a product of those I grew up with, and you grew up with Qrow, didn't you? Maybe you've taken more positive qualities from him that you realize. Maybe your father shouldn't be your family anymore, and Qrow should be. After all- only one of the two is right here, and constantly acting as your shoulder to lean on. It's sounds more like your father is an extended leg for you to trip over, than anything else."
Raven could suddenly see the ball bearings with the winged gear emblem etched into them in her mind, as clear as day. Without thinking, she stood from her stone seat and snatched Omen from its position leaning beside her.
"...I don't know. I don't have an answer, and I don't know if I want an answer," Raven said softly.
"Then what do you want?" Adam asked as he took a step closer to the girl.
"…to be left alone. This is something I have to figure out on my own. I don't want to talk about it with you, or Tai, or anyone else. This goes deeper than you realize, Adam. If you and so many others need me because I can be your rock, then you need to back off before you find that rock ready to crumble," Raven warned.
Adam frowned, and let out a sigh as he shook his head and spread his arms. "Then I'll leave you alone and ask Tai to do the same. Even so… we can still be here for you, in other ways."
Raven shook her head in kind and found herself moving as if she was magnetized to Adam's arms. She leaned into the tight embrace and rested her free hand upon the faunus' back, until she noticed his hands clenched tight upon the backs of her shoulders.
"…what are you doing?" Raven asked as she pulled back slightly to look up at the taller male.
"…sorry," Adam said quickly as he released his grip and took a step back. "I don't have much experience with… hugs. Especially giving them."
Raven watched as Adam pulled lightly at the sleeve of his shirt, doing his best to keep his eye from hers. She couldn't fight back the gentle smirk that came in response to his actions, and she quickly wrapped the boy in another squeeze.
"Don't be so gentle and awkward," Raven advised. "I'm not much for hugs, either, but you're supposed to hold the person close. Not like you're afraid you're going to shatter them. Go ahead."
Adam did as he was told and put his arms around Raven's back as he pulled her into his chest. His heart pounded as he looked down at the top of his friend's head, and it took all of his willpower to resist the notion of resting his chin atop it.
"…is this part of my training?" Adam asked lightly.
"Yes," Raven said immediately. "Maybe the most important part, for the road ahead. I'm sorry for being the way I am, but I can't change it. I can say that I appreciate your attempts, Adam. Thank you for trying."
Adam nodded as he looked up and past his partner, toward a nearby tree. The two remained embraced for several minutes, before beginning to make their way back toward Beacon Academy.
"So, are you looking forward to this weekend?" Qrow asked, hands in his pockets as he sat on a bench near the lake. The still body of water reflected the light from the shattered moon as the image twisted and distorted with minor ripples, and Qrow kept his eyes on the water as Willow shifted daintily beside him.
"…somewhat… but I'm also a little scared," Willow admitted. "Scared about Kali, specifically- I've been having conflicted feelings about my father for years, now, but Kali… I love her to pieces. Her spirit, her enthusiasm…"
"…her tendency to lose her shirt at inopportune times…" Qrow filled in, only for Willow to smirk and roll her eyes.
"Yes, even that- she keeps us all on our toes, and the force of her personality is wonderful and entertaining. I'm just… so worried about what's going to happen if and when I need to step in and defend her," Willow finished with a heavy sigh.
"So don't," Qrow replied simply.
Willow turned her head to regard her companion with a look that suggested he had grown two more.
"I… am sure I misheard," the heiress suggested.
"You didn't," Qrow replied as he stood up from the bench and approached the edge of the lake. Willow didn't take long to copy his movements, and the pair stood near the water for a moment as Qrow scanned the ground with a critical eye.
"What… exactly are you looking for?" Willow asked as she did her best to follow his pupils.
"Flat stone," Qrow muttered. "Something for skipping."
"Skipping?"
"You'll see," Qrow insisted as he bent low for a moment and collected a disc-shaped rock, alongside a bulbous one of nearly equal size. "You're looking at this the wrong way, Wil. This stone's the idea of making change in your father's company."
"…is it, though?" Willow asked as she watched Qrow give the misshapen stone a few small tosses into the air.
"…stay with me. You want to take that idea as far as you can, right? Right now, you're planning to do this," Qrow offered as he wound up and hurled the stone as far as he could out into the lake. The rock soared a good distance and broke the surface with a muted splash, only for Willow to stare blankly.
"…is the lake sweeping social change?" Willow asked innocently.
"Sure, yeah, that works," Qrow agreed. "But throwing as hard as you can and hoping for the best is just going to exhaust you and get mediocre results. You've gotta go about this the right way. Know your enemy. Go in with knowledge of how to approach things. Like, say… this."
Willow watched with a great deal of confusion as Qrow leveled the flat stone sideways and skipped it out only the surface of the lake, only for the rock to jump three times and sink fairly close to shore. The two teens stared silently at the surface of the water once again as the small, pathetic ring of a few ripples simply closed off, and Qrow put his face in his hand.
"Qrow… I… believe the metaphor you were aiming for fell apart completely, almost immediately," Willow said sweetly as she put a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder.
"Yeah," Qrow agreed with an exasperated huff. "Yeah, that happens. My semblance is bullshit."
"Well… what point were you trying to make?" Willow asked, keeping her hand in place.
"Just… fight smarter, not harder. Go for a step-by-step process, with small jumps instead of one giant one. Something like that," Qrow said as he waved a hand. "I dunno, I'm not good at this sort of thing."
"You're better than you might think," Willow reassured. "You're saying… don't bet it all on this one encounter. Approach compromise gradually and intend to bring Kali to my father multiple times, because a change isn't going to happen in one giant leap. Right?"
"Right, yeah," Qrow agreed. "Sorry, I should've just said that. It seems to me like you're stressed out because you're thinking about this like the one chance you'll have to make your dad see reason. Things don't work like that, especially with adults. Let's just take it slow, let Kali do her thing, and make your primary focus ending things in a way that'll let her be invited back to talk more."
"That does sound much more doable," Willow replied as she gradually trailed her hand down Qrow's arm while turning her eyes back to the water. Slowly, she entwined her fingers with his, and took a deep breath. "Even if you're not the best at metaphors… you are the best at breaking complex problems down into their simple components, Qrow. It's a useful skill- a reassuring one, and one that I appreciate greatly."
"Simplifying things isn't exactly an impressive talent," Qrow protested as he looked down at Willow's hand, his cheeks growing hot. "Nothing to write home about."
"It is for someone like me," Willow offered as she squeezed Qrow's hand a bit harder. "I tend to overthink things, and I want to do so much that sometimes, I just can't see the obvious road to success. A rather glaring weakness for the future president of a major dust company, wouldn't you say?"
"We've all got 'em," Qrow mumbled as he closed his fingers around Willow's. "Some of us more than others."
Qrow waited for a response for a long time, only to receive none other than the occasional cricket or gentle breeze shifting the leaves of the trees behind him. Slowly, he looked over to Willow, only to find her looking at him with deep sadness in her eyes.
"…you really think terribly of yourself, don't you?"
Qrow made an involuntary noise equivalent to deflating, and Willow only tightened her grip upon his hand as he tried to pull away.
"No. Answer me, Qrow- what is it that makes you think like this? It can't just be your semblance," Willow said with exasperation.
Qrow immediately looked away and bit his lip. The sudden urge to tell her everything seized his throat like a vice, and he had to actively fight back his instinct as he lied through grit teeth.
"…it is. You have no idea what it's like living with it, and the trouble it's caused."
"I know what it's like living with you, and that's been the happiest I've been for as long as I can remember," Willow countered. Qrow leaned his head back slightly as his eyes widened, and Willow nodded insistently. "A person is more than their semblance, Qrow… is that not what you've been telling Raven? She has value beyond her lack of one, so why don't you think you have value, as well?"
Qrow fidgeted uncomfortably as Willow finally loosened her grip upon his hand, and he pulled it back to his chest. He struggled to find words as he looked back out over the lake, his mind a storm of possibilities and half-truths.
"Willow, maybe I am a hypocrite, and maybe you're right about that, but my semblance almost got Raven killed on our last outing. Her weapon jammed at the worst possible time, and h-"
"How do you know?" Willow asked, cutting her friend off. "How do you know that it's your semblance causing things around you to go wrong? I'm not saying I don't believe you, but can you really be sure that you're the source of all misfortune that goes on around you? You've brought me nothing but positives, Qrow. Don't you feel good about that, at least?"
"To be honest, other people have been doing just about everything but make me feel good, lately," Qrow offered as he brought his hands back into his pockets.
"Then let me try to break that pattern," Willow said as she closed the distance between herself and Qrow. Without another word, she braced her hand upon Qrow's chest and planted a gentle but insistent kiss upon the boy's cheek.
Despite the storm cloud that had taken shape within his mind, Qrow's heart immediately felt lighter than it ever had before. He gave Willow a stunned look of confusion, only for his thoughts to be interrupted by a familiar, yet unexpected voice.
"My, my, my, how scandalous," Johnathon lilted from his place behind the pair, his hands clasped together in front of himself. The man was sporting an emerald green suit vest, simple black slacks, and chocolate brown hair that hung down to his chin in messy strands. A triangular goatee and thin mustache topped off the look. "Willow and Qrow, kissing cheeks? And here I thought you were taking risks working for me."
"Shut up, John," Qrow groused as he rubbed at the side of his face to try to prolong the rapidly fading sensation of Willow's lips. "What do you want?"
Johnathon raised a brow as he looked over Willow, who had begun to blush furiously as she clasped her hands behind herself.
"What do I want? Well, you two are the ones who called me here, so I suppose the answer to that would be an explanation. I'm assuming that you wanted to discuss our foray to Atlas?" the man suggested as he folded his arms across his chest.
"Yes," Willow agreed quickly before coughing into her hand. "We just wanted to make sure that you're ready to go, and that we establish a few ground rules."
"…we?" Johnathon asked as he tilted his head and furrowed his brows. "Qrow, you're coming with us?"
Suddenly, Qrow found himself nearly unable to breathe. He looked back and forth between his two friends, trying to decide on an appropriate response. Raven's words, Willow's kiss, and his overall anxiety battled fiercely within a matter of seconds, and the latter won out by a landslide as he gave in to panic.
"No!" Qrow cleared his throat and lowered his volume significantly as Willow's face fell. "No, I… I'm staying behind. She meant 'we' because we both care about this working, you know? That's all."
"…Qrow, you could come along, if you'd like," Willow offered with a neutral expression. "We'd love to have you."
"Nah, I've gotta study for the History test Monday, and Calavera wants to run some weapon tests with me tomorrow," Qrow said quickly, while keeping his eyes away from Willow's.
"A shame," Johnathon offered with a shrug. "Though… from what Willow's told me of these parties, they're dreadfully boring if you're not there to make business connections and grease a few palms."
"He isn't wrong," Willow agreed. "You'll probably have more fun staying here, honestly… though I'll keep you updated with anything important."
"Thanks," Qrow replied. "I'll hold down the fort here."
"I'm sure you will," Johnathon said with a nod. "Now, what is it you'd like me to know about our trip? I can't imagine you'd want to see me in person the night before unless it was rather important."
"Two things, really," Willow said as she pulled out her scroll and began to tap away at the screen. "First, I was informed this morning that the central focus of the party has shifted- it's no longer just the typical Atlesian business gathering. The youngest son of the Ironwood family, a bloodline of reputable Atlesian soldiers who hold multiple positions of command within our military, has just returned from his first tour of duty out in Vacuo. The major players in attendance at this party, my father included, are now using his return as an opportunity to win points with the press and the military itself by making the night about him. Deals and meetings will still go on, of course, but as far as the public is concerned? It's all about the Ironwoods."
"That's… manipulative and disgusting," Qrow sneered as he shook his head.
"And that's Atlas to a 'T'," Johnathon replied as he accepted Willow's scroll and looked at the picture on display. A young, incredibly handsome man with dark hair and piercing blue eyes stared back up at him, clad in white fatigues. "I get the feeling he might be the center of attention even without the military achievement."
"That's James Ironwood," Willow explained. "I've spoken to him once, briefly, and he's a perfect gentleman, humble, and not at all the type to want a fuss made about him like this. You'll need to play a balancing act of giving him attention without smothering him, if you want to be publicly recognized and accepted by the actual Atlesian elites in the room."
Johnathon narrowed his eyes as he studied James' features, committing the boy's appearance to memory before handing Willow her scroll. "Noted. I'll behave appropriately and make small talk without fawning over him. Easy enough."
"The other reason I called you here tonight won't be so easy," Willow lamented as she put her scroll away. "Since this is supposed to be the first step on your path to Atlas… you're going to need to be consistent not just in your behavior, but your appearance. We need to settle on a look for you that you'll be comfortable maintaining, potentially long-term."
"Ah, I knew this day would come, when I would finally have to pick out my skin and hair," Johnathon joked as he rubbed at his chin.
"Wouldn't it be easiest to just go with your natural appearance?" Qrow asked as he watched Johnathon's hair shift through a gamut of different colors and textures.
"My natural appearance? To be honest, I'm not sure I have one," Johnathon offered with a shrug. "Ever since I unlocked my semblance, I've just been exactly who I want to be, when I want to be them. I can't exactly turn my semblance 'off', nor have I ever had my aura broken. I suppose I don't really know what I look like, all things considered."
"That's… ridiculous," Qrow said as he pulled a face. He watched for a moment as Johnathon tried several different iterations of facial hair, only for Willow to point enthusiastically as he settled upon a thick, black mustache.
"That one. It makes you look quite sophisticated, with your hair like that," Willow praised. "You'll fit right in with the Atlestian nobility."
"You think so?" Johnathon asked as he ran his hands along his scalp to slick his suddenly jet black hair back completely. His voice changed to adopt a lofty cadence, and he straightened his posture to stand rigidly. "Perhaps I was born for this very role, though I can't help but feel like something's still a bit off."
"I dunno, John," Qrow remarked. "You look the part, to me."
"…John," the man repeated as he cracked his fingers. "Johnathon Soleil, my birth name- so cumbersome, yet so… common. Perhaps it's time to change it up. I've done it before."
Willow frowned and shifted slightly. "You shouldn't feel the need to change your name just for this."
"What if something goes wrong? I wouldn't want to use my real name, you know," Johnathon insisted. "Besides… it just doesn't sound Atlesian, does it? I'm open to suggestions, honestly. Soleil can remain, but the rest needs work. The kind of name that someone believably into big business and sleazy dealings might have."
"…Jacques," Qrow said almost immediately. "Jacques Soleil."
Johnathon's mustache shifted as his upper lip curled, and he gave Qrow a nod of approval.
"Jacques. I like it."
Author's Note:
Ever wonder why Winter hates Qrow so much? Well…
-RD