Optimistic Game: Revised

by Mirlnir

Yeah, dying was not very pleasant, I suppose. But hey, at least this ain't the end for me, because some god thought it was a good idea to choose me as a Gamer, and while I'm pretty sure a 16 years old is not qualified for this shit, I think I'm gonna benefit a lot anyway. Just gotta be careful and not die... oh who am I kidding. Magic in a magicless world is too OP. Eventual Lemons

43. Making Moves

(Ozpin)

"You want to make him a teacher at Beacon?" Ironwood questioned with a raised brow. "At such a young age?"

"I don't see the issue with Ozzy's idea," Theodore shrugged. "The boy is charming enough. Plus, his strength and experience with two Titans could be valuable to the students."

"No offense, the Titan Slayer has my utmost respect," Ironwood said. "But teaching is a tough job, and besides, he only just rebranded his business. Are you absolutely sure that he's up to it?"

"I won't ask him now or any time soon for that matter, James. I realize how busy he will be the next few months," Ozpin nodded. "It's not a matter of how good he is at teaching, however."

"Oh?" Theo leaned forward in curiosity, as did Ironwood.

"Not long ago, he spoke about some foreign power he was using," He said. "Power unrelated to Aura, power that can be taught."

"Magic?" The General questioned with furrowed brows.

"No," Ozpin shook his head. "He called it 'Haki'. Its source is the innate willpower of any living being. The stronger the willpower, the more powerful this Haki becomes."

Both headmasters looked very surprised at this, and Ozpin wouldn't blame them. He knew the boy was special the moment he was able to sense his magic, not counting his growth and multiple different talents that he seemed to pick up whenever he felt like it. If anything, Ozpin began to feel a little suspicious about it.

Hearing about this Haki only fueled his suspicions. Why had he, a wizard from the Golden Age of Magic, never heard about it? Where did it come from? Did Reid always know about it, or did he recently discover its existence? Is it one of the reasons why he's physically far above every hunter he's ever known?

There were too many questions going in his head. Reid had too many secrets, and at this point, Ozpin is beginning to feel a little worried. Where did the boy come from? He just popped into existence, he had no previous record or anything of that sort. Saying he was blessed by a foreign god the first time they met personally raised a lot of flags.

At the very least, he showed his trust in Qrow by actually being willing to teach him. Perhaps the two are much closer than he first thought. He thought they were close from the battles they went through together, and how fondly the older huntsman views the Titan Slayer.

They seemed to share something akin to brotherhood, even with the age gap. It was heartwarming to see.

Regardless, all Ozpin could do now was observe. The boy is on his side, and he won't do anything to drive him away.

"I've… never heard of such a thing," James leaned back, face contorted into a thoughtful frown. "Did it exist before the gods left?"

"No, this power is something I've never seen in my many lives," The headmaster of Beacon said. "It was quite a shock when he explained it, but I suppose I should've known."

"Haki," Theodore nodded with a smile. "Hmhm, I like how it sounds. So then, how is it taught? What can it do?"

"That I don't know much about. Only that it has three different variants, and that it's mostly physical, like Aura," Ozpin answered. "Mr. Astera told me he'll explain the details once Qrow is proficient enough."

"Ah, he's teaching Qrow, then."

"Indeed. I believe this is for the best," The oldest of the three nodded. "Mr. Astera concluded that Salem might become more aggressive soon due to the fall of two Titans. She'll likely target Qrow or any of our circle for that matter."

"Valid concern," Theodore agreed and chuckled. "Looks like Oz has a new golden boy. It's not every day you see someone so young be this resourceful and humble. Someone his age is bound to have an inflated ego from all this attention he's getting."

"As 'humble' as he is, he can be quite childish," Ozpin criticized with a shake of his head. "Regardless, I wanted to relay the news to you. If Mr. Astera accepts the offer, I'll try to convince him to teach in Atlas Academy and Shade Academy as well."

"That's a tall order, Oz," James voiced his concern. "It's all built on assumptions. What will you do if he refuses your offer?"

"Then there is nothing we can do," The old wizard says with a shrug. "However, if he's willing to teach Qrow, then he'd be willing to teach people he trusts. I believe he'll at the very least take a few students as pupils."

"Let's just hope you're right," Theo said, looking uncharacteristically concerned. "Vacuo has been getting increasingly dangerous the past couple of months. The Grimm are getting more and more aggressive with their attacks. Ancient Grimm have been waking up left right and center. Do you think that is related to the Witch taking action?"

"Doubtful. You said it's been months, no? Before her failed attempt to kill the Fall Maiden took place," Ozpin shook his head. "Perhaps it's merely negative emotions attracting them. Have you noticed anything strange recently?"

"...As a matter of fact, yes, I did," Theodore nodded. "The attacks have been getting increasingly harder to defend against, that is still true, but occasionally, some Grimm would begin ignoring my hunters, running away instead of fighting, to the far west of Vacuo."

Ozpin frowned in confusion. That's new, why would the Grimm run away? Well, they do so from time to time, but Ancient Grimm? They're far smarter and stronger than their young counterparts, so the only reason for running would be to preserve their lives to grow stronger.

Cold sweat formed on his brow as a feeling of dread started to settle in his heart.

Something is scaring them off.

"Run away?" James parroted.

"Yes, or that is what it looked like to my scouts," The Headmaster of Shade confirmed. "They all head in one direction, though. I'm not sure why."

"I see," Ozpin muttered thoughtfully. "Any information regarding the Summer Maiden?"

"None, I'm afraid," Theo shook his head. "We're not sure if she's even alive. She suddenly went up and vanished."

A pit formed in his stomach as his colleague said that, but remained calm.

"Well, be sure to try to investigate what the Grimm could be running away from," Ozpin advised. "And inform us of anything noteworthy."

"Naturally. I'll keep you all updated," Theo nodded, then flinched and sighed as a faint explosion noise came from his speaker. "In the meantime, I have a few students to reprimand for using highly volatile Dust on campus. Ta-ta!"

The holographic screen then vanished as Ozpin chuckled.

"And he wonders why he doesn't have the quantity," Ironwood mumbles. "Changing the subject: Ozpin, there is something I want your opinion about."

"Yes?"

James hesitated for a moment before he spoke. "I've found a suitable candidate to inherit the powers of the Winter Maiden."

"Is that so? That is good news," Ozpin smiled. "Well? Who is it?"

"Specialist Winter Schnee."

"Ah, her. I see, she's a disciplined and talented individual. That's a good choice," He nodded in approval. "So what is it that you need advice for?"

"I was thinking we should get her in our circle sooner," Ironwood said. "According to the doctors, Fria won't live past 150. Her time will be coming soon."

"Two years," Ozpin noted and frowned a little, leaning back on his chair. "That's a little too early to be giving out information, James. We keep the circle small because we don't want to risk Salem kidnapping anyone. Without the Maiden Magic, Ms Schnee will be far more susceptible to targeting."

"That's why I want your advice," His colleague said. "I want to give Winter a long time to process and think about it, but I'm not sure if I should."

Ozpin's frown deepened as he thought deeply about it. He understood where James is coming from of course - Winter might be a candidate, but they won't force the job on her, though someone like her would jump at the opportunity to be useful to her kingdom, even if it could have her entire worldview crumbling into dust.

But the moment Salem is so much as suspects it, then she's likely gonna target the girl. Winter is a prodigy and is a very capable specialist, that much is true, but she's not like Qrow. She's young, only turning 24 recently, and lacks field experience.

If she had Maiden Magic under her belt, then yes, they'll be inclined to risk her knowing about the war. For sure, they could simply not tell her everything, but that would only plant seeds of doubt within her, and in his experience, that only led to disasters in the past. They either stay completely quiet, or they come out and tell her everything from the get-go.

It's very dangerous to tell her now.

Ozpin's brows furrowed a little as he got an idea.

Perhaps Reid could lend a hand here.

"I'd like to think it over for a little while," Ozpin said. "Hold off on it for now. I'll get back to you soon."

"Alright," Ironwood nodded. "I'll talk to you later, Oz."

With that, the connection was cut, and Ozpin immediately started another call with his secretary, who answered the call after a few seconds.

The holographic screen appeared, revealing Glynda with her hair down, glasses discarded, in a very beautiful white strapless dress, and with light makeup as her natural beauty did the rest for her.

"Ah, Glynda," Ozpin smiled. "I see you refused to hold back for the party, hm?"

"As childish as he is sometimes, he's still the Titan Slayer. Anything less than this would be an insult," Glynda responded.

"If anything, I almost mistook it as an attempt to seduce the boy," Ozpin teased. "I'm sure someone as young as him won't be able to resist."

It's hilarious how many of Glynda's boxes he ticks. Younger, confident, and ironically enough, a rebellious nature. Even though she'd like him to be a few years older, his appearance already gives the illusion that he is in his early twenties. Of course, she'd never admit it, but he knows better. She was his student once upon a time after all. Her dating history made her preferences very clear.

"Very funny," She rolled her eyes, but he noticed the light, pink blush on her cheeks. "Are you sure you don't want to come along?"

"You know I don't enjoy parties," He shook his head. "Tell Mr. Astera I'm busy making plans with the other kingdoms regarding his company. I'm sure he would understand."

"Well, if you're sure," She relented quickly. "Is there a message you'd like me to relay, then? I assume that is why you called."

"Correct," Ozpin leaned forward. "Try to get information on this Haki power of his, and try to find out if he'd be willing to teach more hunters."

"Of course," She nodded. "Anything else?"

"No, thank you," Ozpin shook his head. "Send him my regards."

With that, the call ended, and the headmaster looked back at the window, directly at the shattered moon up in the starry night sky. He stretched his arm before bringing his hot mug close to his mouth, sipping the sweet cocoa as he turned the lights off with a remote on his desk.

A part of him wanted to go even if he didn't quite enjoy parties, but oh how rare these quiet moments had become in the past few centuries.

So he'll savor every moment of it.

---

(Reid)

I may have made a miscalculation in this party of mine.

Well, not a miscalculation per se, but maybe I should've taken it more seriously.

For sure, I invited everyone I know personally, as well as their families and closest friends so I don't leave anyone behind, like Velvet's family and her team, the entirety of RWBY or WLBY in this case, and even JNPR - because Yang begged me to - there was no issue there.

No problem in the organization process either. I had Vel's help in that regard though, she took care of most of it, and I just supplied her with the needed items, and learned from her in case I needed to make another party. The girl is multi-talented.

The issue is… well, the dress code. This was supposed to be a regular, casual party, but everyone is dressed so formally, which yeah, isn't a big issue. I mean, dressing nicely is what anyone would do if they were invited by the most powerful man on the planet.

Here's the thing though, I didn't, and now I feel like I'm an idiot. It's a tiny thing, not really important all things considered, but damn it I should've worn something that looked fancy. This is what I get for putting comfort over appearance.

Damn it, even Qrow is wearing a suit. What the hell am I doing?

Ah well, not like anyone's gonna be dumb enough to point it out, and not like I care what other people think about me either. Though this is a closed party, the people I invited are friends, friends of friends, and ones I want to get close with.

I mean, it's not as if the guy currently thanking me and praising my name to high heaven gave a shit about my outfit, so maybe I shouldn't either.

"As I said, your daughter is a very important person to me, so when I knew what your family went through, I had to lend a hand," I say. "It really isn't much on my part. Glad I could help."

Velvet's father is on the verge of crying at this sentiment, tearing up as he shakes my hand and nods. The bunny girl's family was here on my invite, a family consisting of a faunus mother with brown hair and eyes, and soft but aged features, clearly in her forties. The human father had the same eye and hair color, but the grey hairs were obvious to spot, and a young 8 years old boy who had a striking resemblance to Velvet.

"G-gods, you are a saint. Thank you. Thank you so much, sir. For giving my family this opportunity. I'll do anything to repay you."

"It's alright. I wouldn't be much of a hero if I didn't help, would I?" And their debt was like pocket change for me anyway. "I take it the money reached you, then."

"Yes, sir. The debt has been cleared," The mother responds, wiping her tears with a handkerchief. "Thank you for saving us."

"Please, it's what I do," I roll my eyes playfully, glancing at the food table for a split second. "Come on, just enjoy the party tonight, alright? Drink and eat to your heart's content. I personally cooked the food by the way."

Not to sound disinterested or anything- I really am happy to help, but I kinda want to check with others now. I told Kiryu to stick by the gate and start patrolling once all the guests are here. Qrow and Tai, even if they're guests, were keeping an eye out on the roof of the mansion, and I put some pretty high-level Golems around the compound. Honestly, even stone Golems could be strong if you stick some good Dust in them.

Why did I do this? Because my home isn't exactly hidden anymore. Even normal civilians know where I live, meaning I'm gonna have to increase security here. Salem wants me dead, and would probably send assassins or something. Wouldn't work obviously, but I don't want to risk the lives of the people living here.

And I want to keep all of my magical experiments and inventions away from her.

If she can modify the Grimm as she did in the original story, then she sure as hell can do something to my Golems and whatnot if she understands how they're made. Already at a disadvantage now that she has easy access to potions. And all I know about Salem is her Grimm and Titans. Nothing else.

I don't like being in the dark, I've realized.

As the married couple finally leave, Velvet's little brother hugs my leg and whispers a 'thank you' that only I was able to hear, before quickly following his parents. I wasn't given a chance to do anything as another group approached me after, led by my favorite director and her female teammate.

Velvet and Coco were wearing very beautiful dresses. A sparkly cocktail green dress that exposed a bit of cleavage for the former and a brown maxi dress for the latter. The other two behind them wore expensive-looking suits as well, I believe their names were Yatsuhashi and Fox?

"There you are," I smile. "I assume this is your team?"

"Yes. This is Coco Adel, Yatsuhashi Daichi, and Fox Alistair," She introduces them accordingly. "Guys, this is Reid Astera, my boss."

"Charmed," Coco says with a smile. "I have to admit, it's nice to finally meet The Titan Slayer himself. With Beacon being on our asses 24/7, it's been pretty tough even leaving campus."

"It's great to meet you all too. Velvet won't stop singing your praises whenever I ask about her team," I reply, making the bunny girl blush. "I might not know her as long as you three do, but thank you for treating her right. She deserves it."

"Just as she deserves that huge promotion?" Coco smirks.

"So she told you then?" I glance at Velvet who nods. "Of course she does. I've never seen anyone working as hard as her, not even me. You're lucky she's part of your team."

"I don't disagree, but now she'll be too busy with you. The Headmaster even offered to find a substitute for the team," Coco says, seemingly getting… slightly aggressive. "You basically stole her from us."

"Oh? And what if I did?" I smirk back, completely unfazed. "I think Velvet likes being around me and my business. Is it not her choice to stick with me?"

Velvet looks between us, a little nervous from the sudden tone shift, but doesn't do anything yet, opting to observe the situation a little more. I sense a twinge of annoyance and jealousy from Coco, though, but also a lot of respect.

I expected the annoyance, but jealousy? Interesting.

"True, that's her choice, but what I'm saying is simple. For taking my bun-bun away from me, I want compensation from you personally." She replies, her tone shifting back to its earlier playfulness.

Velvet relaxes at that, as well as her teammates. So she's not the only one who noticed the change either.

"And that is?"

"Well, from how much Velvet here likes to talk about you-"

"Coco!" Velvet calls out indignantly, making the male teammates chuckle.

"I hear you have some issues regarding your… fashion choices," She says slowly, looking me up and down. "So I thought you'd like some advice on that."

For fuck's sake, they did notice. I should've worn a suit damn it.

"Lucky for you, I am an expert in that area," She gestures at her dress and the outfits of her team. "So as the Heiress of the biggest fashion company on Remnant, I'd like to extend my hand."

Jesus, am I lucky, or is Beacon some kind of a center point for actual celebrities? SDC Heiress, Daughter of Kali and Ghira, Invincible Girl, and now this? I mean, I'm not complaining. More opportunities for me, but goddamn.

It's kinda weird, though. Why do people with celebrity status like this want to become hunters? I'm not saying it's bad, I like ambitious people, I'm just pretty curious.

"Smooth, Ms. Adel," I chuckle, keeping cool. "I'm impressed. You have some experience in business as well, don't you?"

"I wouldn't be the next to inherit the company otherwise," She says. "I assume you're interested?"

"I'll admit, I'm the kind of person who generally prefers comfort over style," I say honestly. "But I'd be lying if I said I didn't want a few classy suits. I need to complete the CEO look, don't I?"

10 Reputation with Coco Adel [60/100]

"Oh, we're going to be good friends, you and I," She grins. "Please give me a call in case you need anything custom-made. Shoes, dresses, suits - we have them all."

"I'll keep it in mind."

Coco's smile widens. "Well, I think I've taken enough of your time. Don't want to be seen hogging all your attention. I'm sure everyone here wants a piece of you."

With that, Coco leads most of her team away as Velvet stands beside me. I pat the bunny girl's shoulder and nod, and she quickly gets the message and smiles, following after her team, leaving me alone with Beacon's secretary.

"I'm surprised Oz didn't come along," I say.

"He's not fond of parties," Glynda says, sipping from her glass.

"And you are?"

"Partially," She responds. "Getting away from Beacon is needed every once in a while, and I prefer closed parties like this one."

I glance at her, almost taken aback by her beauty. Glynda has always been beautiful if a little plainly presented, but right now she looks completely different. Of course, as good of eye candy as this is, it also made me more annoyed that I didn't prepare for this better. God, I look so out of place in my own damned party.

Glynda raises a brow as she catches me staring. "What?"

"I think I like you better with your hair down."

5 Reputation with Glynda Goodwitch [67/100]

She pauses at the sudden, genuine compliment, her face reddening a little. "T-that's kind of you to say, I suppose."

"I think your students are gonna listen to you more if you went with this look. I'm serious," I say. "Well, maybe the male student body."

"As much as I appreciate the advice, I know my students well enough to know that it won't be effective," She responds. "Speaking of, I hear you're teaching Qrow some new power of unknown origin."

"Coulda just said Haki, but yeah. If you're curious about the progress, it's gonna take a while," I answer. "It's not an instant thing like unlocking someone's Aura. It takes a lot of time and commitment."

"I see," She sips from her glass. "And how does this Haki work?"

She's fishing for info, and she knows that I know, but she doesn't care. Glynda knows how sharp I can be, so she gave up being subtle.

I'll humor her for now.

To demonstrate, I raise a hand and coat my index finger in Armament, turning it pitch-black. She observes silently as I start to explain the basics.

"This is Armament. Makes me stronger, tougher, and capable of making contact with anyone intangible," I turn my finger back. "And that's all you're getting out of me. I told Oz I'll explain once I know for sure Qrow can use it."

Honestly, thinking about it, it's very fascinating. Haki is a power system in an entirely different universe, so am I even capable of teaching it to the denizens of Remnant? Or is there some cosmic law that prevents me from doing that?

If it is possible to teach them, then why haven't they already discovered Haki? Remnant went through thousands of years of war and strife. Someone should've unlocked it already, and Oz would've known about it too.

Or is there something about me that makes me able to do it? Like, does my existence break said cosmic law, and I'm able to bypass it completely to do what I want? Is this related to the Game, or is it just due to me being from a different world too?

I wanna know more about it, so I really hope Qrow can do it. Kiryu, too.

"Fair enough," She turns her glance to the other attendees. "Would you be willing to teach others how to use it?"

"Well, it depends on the person really. I'm already training Ruby and Yang," I reveal, making her pause at this new information. "Though, their training is more of a way to toughen them up. Haki is still a little over their current experience."

"What are the criteria needed for you to take a student?"

I blink at her question and raise an eyebrow. "As long as I trust them and they're determined enough. Why?"

"Curiosity," She lies. "This has been a good talk, Mr. Astera. Good luck with your company."

I frown a little as I see her go about her way. That was a little abrupt. Why did she lie just now? Well, whatever it is, I didn't sense any malice. I'll try to keep an eye out though, it's always better to be safe than sorry.

Fucking Ozpin. Can never be straight with me. This tiptoe bullshit can get annoying real fucking quick.

Right, anyway, now I can-

"Boo!" Ruby gives me a light shove from the back, making me sigh in exasperation. "Hahaha, scared you!"

I said this can be annoying, yeah, but I'm not even mad.

I think I'm genuinely incapable of being mad at her.

"No, you didn't," I deny her claim. "I have super senses. I knew you were behind me a long time ago."

"Oh? Then why didn't you turn around?" She counters, getting in front of me. "Clearly you didn't know and you're just acting cool. Like always."

Unlike me, she didn't settle for a casual look either, so she discarded the Senketsu and wore a red A-Line dress and silver earrings, and even had her makeup done, which is pretty unusual. I heard her complain about makeup more than once, so someone must've done it for her.

Hell, her whole outfit doesn't look like something she'd pick up. No offense, of course, my girl is like me. We both prefer comfort over style. I assume Yang helped her before she left to get her friends.

"Is it working?"

"Nope," She shakes her head before pausing. "Hmm, maybe a little."

"Heh," I ruffle her hair, making her giggle. "You seem awfully happy today. Something happened?"

"You did."

I pause as I process her response, almost chalking it off as me just hearing things, but her smug grin confirmed otherwise.

"Did my adorable Ruby just attempt to flirt with me?" I say, acting overly dramatic. "Should I be expecting the World-Class Grimm to wake up tomorrow?"

"You jerk!" She laughs sweetly and shoves me. "So what, I'm not allowed to do what you do?"

"It's just so out of character, I could have mistaken you for Yang."

"We look nothing alike!"

"Exactly."

"Pfft, well, my 'attempt' failed apparently," She scoffed playfully. "I was hoping you'd get all red and stuff."

"You're gonna have to try a lot harder than that, Rubes," I pat her head. "For real though, did something good happen? I thought you didn't like parties."

"Hmm well…" She gazes elsewhere and tilts her head coyly.

"Is it because you aren't wearing heels?"

"No- I mean, well, yeah that kinda helps," She nods, tapping her foot on the ground. "But not entirely."

"What is it, then?"

"Weeellll, I just discovered something really, really awesome," Ruby says. "And I um… wanna talk to you about it actually. In private."

I blink. "If it's awesome, why won't you say it here?"

"It's like…" She sighs before leaning closer to me to whisper the next part. "I dunno, it's like talking about magic. So cool, but it's a big secret. I think."

"Right..." I caress her cheek gently. "Can it wait, though? Maybe after the party?"

"I mean…" She looks away. "I kinda wanna talk about it now."

"I'm sure, but how about later tonight?" I try to convince her. "Once all the guests go home, maybe we can spend some quality time together. Just you and me. Sounds nice?"

Ruby's cheeks gain a pinkish hue as she bites her lips, then nods. "Alright."

"That's my girl," I give her a quick peck on the lips. "Go have fun now, alright? Yang and her friends will be here any second now."

"Really?"

"Yup. I have super senses, remember?" I tap my forehead to emphasize that. "They should be here in a few minutes. Go wait for me at the gate. I'll check something and then we can greet them together."

Though, someone is missing. Aside from the drivers, I can sense seven people only. I recognize Yang and Weiss well enough, Pyrrha too, and I can easily guess the rest. Jaune isn't there for some reason.

Weird.

"Okay," She nods and lets go of my hand, smiling sweetly before she heads towards the main gate.

Right, finally. Now I can put my unease to rest.

For now anyway.

---

(Qrow)

Every party he's been in was a restrictive hell, which is why he'd usually turn into his bird form and fuck off somewhere far, where he can't be seen by anyone, then drink himself to sleep. Of course, he hated the consequences of that. Waking up in your puke and/or piss was never pleasant, but it was sure as hell better than spending another second with those prissy cunts.

Thankfully, the guy throwing this party shared that opinion somewhat and never bothered restricting Qrow, and his invite list was actually good. No random politicians, businessmen, or anyone from Atlas really. Except for that Schnee girl, but she's just a kid, and he can easily tell that she's nothing like her bitch of a sister.

He missed fucking with her. She was just so easy to rile up.

It wasn't every day Qrow got to drink and work at the same time, but with the technicality that he's currently on a vacation, he can do whatever he wants, and since Reid doesn't really have a lot of guards around aside from those Golems, Tai and that Kazuma guy, he decided to lend a hand for the night.

He prefers the peace and quiet here on the roof of the mansion, looking at the shattered moon and thousands of stars in the night sky, with no interruptions or inevitable calls from his slave driver of a boss.

The highly expensive Mistrali sake was the cherry on top.

"Seriously, I still don't understand how they can make the food taste that bad," Tai, who was sitting next to him, ranted. "They can make complicated medicine, have equipment more expensive than my damned house, but they can't make a sandwich without it tasting like absolute horseshit."

"Come on, it can't be that bad," Qrow scoffed.

"See, that's what I thought too," Tai responded. "But I'm dead serious. I can't even comprehend it. I refused to eat anything made by them after some point."

"How'd you eat, then?" Qrow sipped from his cup.

"I asked Yang or Ruby to bring some food with them. Didn't work all the time of course, sometimes my girls are too busy to visit," The blond sighed and refilled his sworn brother's cup. "So glad for that invite Reid sent. I don't think I would've been able to handle it anymore."

"Heh, yeah the kid comes in clutch like that," He smirked.

A pleasant moment of silence passed as the two stared at the dense forest surrounding the main estate. Qrow was a lone drinker- he disliked sharing a space when he was drinking, that much is true, but he could make some exceptions.

Qrow chuckled, feeling nostalgic, and Tai turned to look at him in curiosity.

"What?"

"Just remembering the last time we drank together," Qrow said. "Was like, ten years? More?"

"Oh yeah, that was a long time ago. You, Summer, and I went out to drink after putting the kids to sleep," Tai grinned. "I'll never forget Ruby sticking to your leg like glue until midnight. She always liked you a lot more than Yang did."

Qrow flinched at Summer's name being brought up, frowning in guilt.

Tai was his best friend, a sworn brother if that oath they took meant anything. A fascinating Mistrali custom, but the act itself didn't quite matter for Qrow, not as much as the idea behind it anyway. Being regarded as a family by someone who actually cared was a very foreign feeling at the time, but it was very pleasant.

But something about it felt wrong to him. He didn't know if he deserved this kindness, and he still doesn't.

"Listen, Tai," Qrow started, taking a deep breath. "I haven't… I haven't really apologized for what happened to Summer. I-"

"Stop," His friend cut him off with a deep sigh. "I already said I don't blame you, Qrow. I might've said hurtful things when I got the news, but I wasn't thinking clearly. I didn't mean any of it."

"B-but I should've at least tried to stop her-"

"You couldn't have," Tai smiled wistfully. "Come on, buddy, we both know how Summer operates. The moment she hears someone is in need, she'll drop everything she's doing to help, and she's more stubborn than even me."

Qrow remained silent.

"What happened devastated us, even Ruby and Yang, but there's no changing the past. We gotta live with it," His sworn brother poured another cup for him. "If anything, Ozpin is the one to blame. Sprang the new mission on her without waiting for me to recover from the last one. He knew well enough that Summer would go on her own immediately, especially with how urgent he made it sound. Didn't send a backup either."

"There weren't many resources at the time-"

"Qrow, I don't care about any excuse Ozpin told you. That was a suicide mission. Recovering Stardust from some sentient Titan?" Tai glared. "Summer was strong, the best in our generation even, especially with her Silver Eyes, but even that was too much for her."

Another moment of silence passed, this one not close to being as pleasant as the last. He looked at the blond, who had an annoyed frown on his face. Qrow clicked his tongue and was about to apologize for opening up old wounds, but then a gust of wind from behind caught their attention, and the two turned to see the Titan Slayer right behind them.

"Yo, wanted to check up on you guys. Also, brought something you can eat," Reid said, putting a plate with a random assortment of food between them. "Everything cool here?"

"Yup, didn't see anything suspicious," Tai gave him a thumbs up. "Not yet anyway."

"This casual 'Not yet' doesn't exactly help my anxiety, Tai," Reid deadpanned, making the blond chuckle. "How about you, Qrow?"

"I'm good."

"Good, that's good," He scratched the back of his head, a worried frown plastered on his face.

"Are you alright?" Tai questioned in concern.

"Huh? Yeah, I'm fine. Just kinda regretting not wearing anything nice," He sighed.

Qrow snorted in amusement.

"Relax, it's no big deal," Qrow waved it off. "Come on, sit down and have a drink."

"I'm good on that, thanks," Reid smiled, declining the offer. "Anyway, tell me if you need anything, or see something weird. Already checked with Kiryu and he says everything's been quiet in case you're wondering."

"You got it, boss," Tai grinned.

With a wave, Reid vanished in another burst of wind, likely returning to the party.

"He is fast. Wow."

"Should see him fight," Qrow responded. "This is nothing compared to what I've seen him do."

"I'm sure. By the way, the food here is abso~lutely delicious," Tai said as the tension evaporated, munching on a sandwich. "Five stars kind of deal. Even I can't cook that well. You know the chef?"

"The kid cooked the food."

"For real?" The blond's eyes widened. "Damn. So not only strong and rich, but he's also a fantastic cook. Perfect husband material, don't you think?"

Qrow paused as his lips touched the sake cup, looking at his partner with a confused frown. "Tai, I don't think he's into guys."

"Har har, very funny. I'm just saying, if he got my Yang and Ruby rings right now, I'd give him my blessing," Tai said with a shrug. "They look very happy with him, and I like the kid too."

Qrow took a minute to process his best friend's words, and his eyes widened. "Wait, with him? They're dating?"

"You didn't know?" The blond blinked.

"Why would I- wait, two of them? Both of your daughters?"

"Yes."

"...Y-you mean, like, Ruby and-"

"Ruby and Yang, yes."

After a moment of incredulity, Qrow covered his face with his hands, groaning in exasperation as Tai laughed. "Of course, why am I surprised?"

Said amusement and exasperation were immediately replaced by concern as Qrow could've sworn he saw something move in the forest. He only caught it from the corner of his eye, but he noticed it.

He stood up, his hand gripping the blade on his back as he narrowed his eyes.

"What's wrong?" Tai asked quietly, standing up as well.

"I think I saw something."

Tai blinked and gazed at the forest, where Qrow was looking. He squinted his eyes, focusing to see if he could spot anything, but couldn't.

"You sure?" His friend questioned, remaining sharp. "Wanna check it out?"

Qrow remained silent for a moment before responding.

"You stay here, in case anything slips by me." He said, rubbing his neck with a sigh. "I think I'm gonna patrol the area. I've had enough to drink."

"Got it," Tai stretched his arms and patted his friend's shoulder. "I'll go down and say hi to Yang's friends once they arrive. See ya around."

The blond jumped off the roof and walked back to the pool, where the party was around, and Qrow transformed into his bird form and flew to the forest, beginning his patrol anew.

Ah shit, should've taken the food with me. He thought, sitting on a branch.

He looked back at the roof, then to where he was, before finally deciding to go back.

It's just a few seconds anyway.

(Blake)

She never expected that leaving the White Fang and entering Beacon would lead her to attend a party thrown by the strongest man on Remnant, but here she was, in a very fancy car heading straight to his estate alongside her teammates, all because her blond partner's sister apparently knew him before he was famous.

When they heard from Yang that they were personally invited by Reid Astera, 'shocked' would be an understatement. Blake was left motionless, Levi was panicking, and Weiss was trying so hard to remain calm, none of them expecting a personal letter and invite from Reid Astera himself. Of course, Yang promptly laughed hard at their reactions and proceeded to stick it to the rest of Beacon because she couldn't keep her mouth shut.

Not like it would've mattered. The invitation extended to JNPR because Yang and Nora are great friends, and the latter would've read the letter very loudly on top of the lunch table even if they begged her not to.

Not would've, actually. Did.

Goddamn it, Nora.

Blake felt… well, she didn't know how to feel exactly. Being invited by him was amazing and all, but she didn't understand what he'd want with them. Weiss is a given considering who she was, but her and Levi? Basically nobodies?

As for her own feelings regarding the hero, she was conflicted. He was The Hero of Remnant, the first ever to defeat two Titans and live to tell the tale, and he was willing to recognize Menagerie as its own kingdom, but was he genuine? Not to say she wasn't grateful for what he had done. Of course she was, but at the same time, she couldn't bring herself to trust politicians, especially not one as young as he was.

If she was being honest, even if she didn't know what to think about him, if Yang was vouching for him, then perhaps he was trustworthy. Yang might be annoying sometimes, but she's a girl with a heart of gold. She wouldn't be all over him if he was an asshole.

As for Weiss, well, she was the complete opposite. As soon as she got hold of herself, she dragged her entire team out on a shopping spree, paying for everything they bought. She got them the most beautiful dresses, most expensive accessories, and did their own makeup herself.

Blake never expected a girl as sheltered as the Schnee Heiress to be very good at doing makeup, and her style isn't something she's quite used to. It's unlike how her own mother does it at the very least. It was admittedly fun, refreshing even. It's been years since she was able to do regular girl things with little to no worry.

Yang tried to tell her that the party was fairly casual, nothing too formal, but Weiss refused to listen as she forced the taller girl into a sparkling golden dress. Blake had to agree with the Heiress though, being invited by someone like Reid Astera doesn't mean they can just half-ass it, even if she'd rather read a few books in her dorm room.

"Do you think this look suits me?" Weiss questioned in worry as she gently stroked her silky hair. "Maybe I should've kept the ponytail."

"Weiss, relax," Yang sighed. "You look beautiful either way. He won't care about it much."

"B-but what if-"

"It's fine," The blond assured her. "Why can't you be like Blake and stay calm?"

"I-" Weiss glanced at the Faunus, who looked at her blankly. "Y-yes, you're right."

"I know I am," Yang smirked, then glanced at the other panicking member. "As for you…"

"I wanna go home," Levianna whined, on the verge of crying from the sheer pressure.

"We're not even there yet damn it," Yang groaned. "Come on, you girls should be excited, not worried!"

As her partner continued to try to calm the rest of the team down, Blake looked at the beautifully lit estate from the window of the car, liking how colorful it looked. They were already here, the ride felt short with how full of life her team was.

The car finally slowed down as it went through the gate, just as soon as Yang managed to calm Levi down and assure her that everything will be okay. The driver parked and got out of the car, opening the doors for them before bowing respectfully. As Yang led them, Blake stayed behind for a second to adjust the bow on her head before quickly catching up, smiling at JNPR as they got out of their car, wearing colorful dresses and suits.

Well, a suit. The blond one didn't come along with them. Admittedly, Blake did feel bad for him. He's clearly so guilty for what he did, and the fact that most of the school looks at him with disdain is nothing short but pitiful.

Surprisingly, only Levi was intimidated by the extravagant decoration and lights all over the estate, staying close to Blake as she tried to keep herself calm, unlike the other two, who took the lead and walked in front of them. The Faunus didn't mind, in fact, she found it adorable.

"You're too nervous," Blake noted with a small smile.

"Aren't you?" Levi responded with a raised brow.

"Well, yeah, most people would be," The Faunus shrugged. "But you have to at least try to hide it."

"I-I don't know how to do that."

"Just think of random things," Blake advised. "Like, what you'd rather have for dinner today or something funny that happened in the past. It's not a perfect solution, but it keeps your mind off. In my experience anyway."

Her teammate frowned worriedly, but took her advice and gently let go of her arm. Just as she did that, Blake's cat ears twitched when she heard the footsteps, prompting her to look forward. Lo and Behold, the Titan Slayer himself was there to greet them personally, in an oddly casual outfit and with a cute familiar girl that she recognized as Yang's little sister by his side, holding his arm.

"H-he's huge!" Levi whispered, and Blake would be inclined to agree.

He's way taller in person. Even Yang, the tallest of the bunch, barely reaches up to his chest.

Her cheeks reddened when his sharp gaze met hers for half a second.

Casual outfit or not, he's a lot better looking in person as well.

"Welcome, everyone. Couldn't have gotten here sooner, Ruby here was excitedly waiting for you all." He said, patting the girl on the head. "It's great to finally meet the team Yang has been talking about. Nice to see you again, Ms Schnee, Ms Nikos."

"It's our pleasure, sir," Weiss responded in kind, answering for everyone as she extended her arm for a handshake. "We're honored to be personally invited by you."

"Oh, it's nothing special. Yang's friends are my friends." He waved it off, taking the hand and gently kissing the back of it, surprising all of them. "You look stunning, by the way. All of you do."

Weiss turned red and stammered, but was 'saved' by an excited Nora, who suddenly got right in front of the Titan Slayer with her eyes sparkling in amazement.

"Holy cow, you're a giant!" She pointed out intelligently, getting up to his face, or trying to anyway. "You're the tallest person I know! No wait, second tallest, but still pretty tall. How'd you get so big?!"

Even Reid was surprised, looking at the hyperactive girl in bewilderment.

"Nora, for the love of-!" Weiss tried to drag her away, but the girl was absurdly strong, so she didn't even budge.

This girl was either very brave or too stupid, Blake thought. Probably both.

"Eating healthy and working out. Just because you have Aura doesn't mean you can stop taking care of yourself," If that wasn't enough of a surprise, the Titan Slayer seemed completely unbothered as he replied. "Though, I guess genetics probably played a part in that."

"Are pancakes healthy?"

Yang laughed at the innocent question, the opposite reaction of Weiss, who scowled as she tried to get Nora away.

"Kinda? Depends on what you have on them and how sugary they are," He answered casually, smiling in amusement.

Blake expected some kind of visible annoyance from how Nora was acting, but he seemed… 'chill' as Yang would put it. As for the girl beside him, Ruby, if she recalled correctly, seemed oddly deep in thought, almost as if she didn't even notice them.

"Ha! I told you they're healthy, Ren!" She pointed at her partner smugly, who just managed to catch up. "Even Mr. Hero agrees!"

"Yes, yes, now please stop getting into his face and asking random questions," Ren sighed, dragging her away effortlessly. "You're bothering him."

"Pff no I'm not." She scoffed as she was being pulled away. "Look, he's smiling!"

"I'm very sorry about this, sir," Pyrrha bowed a little, looking flustered. "She's not the best at proper etiquette."

"Don't worry about it," He waved it off and cleared his throat. "Anyway, let me lead you to where the party is. Follow me."

The Titan Slayer led them through the estate as he began some small talk with some of the girls (Read: Nora asking inane questions and him being patient enough to answer), arriving at the backyard of the main building. The party took place around a big pool surrounded by colorful lights, chairs, and tables. There weren't a lot of people like she thought, only the Team CVFY, Velvet's family, a blond man that seemed oddly familiar, Professor Goodwitch, who she almost couldn't recognize, and a girl with silver hair wearing a maid outfit, holding a tray with an annoyed look on her face.

On their way there, Blake noticed her team leader occasionally glancing at Reid's supposed girlfriend, looking a little upset. The Faunus found Weiss' jealousy incredibly amusing, especially knowing that she couldn't and wouldn't do anything.

With her ever-growing hero-worship, she probably thought Ruby is a classy lady that is worthy of his love or something along these lines. It's what she picked up from how Weiss talked about Reid being in a relationship. Ironic, Blake thought she'd think the opposite, maybe saying something like the younger girl doesn't deserve it.

Perhaps the illusion that this Titan Slayer is the most perfect being in existence is beginning to wear off after seeing how normal Ruby looks? She's cute, yes, but likely not what Weiss expected. It should've been obvious considering Yang is her older sister.

As for Blake, well, she didn't quite care. She didn't share Weiss' crush for him, even if she found him incredibly handsome.

"Here we are," He said, looking back at them. "Make yourselves at home. There are food and drinks of all kinds, so eat and drink to your heart's content."

"Hell yeah!" The hyperactive girl cried out in excitement, rushing to the food table.

"Nora, no!" And her caretaker followed her in a panic.

Reid blinked. "She's pretty energetic."

"I'm so sorry," Pyrrha muttered in exasperation.

"Heh, don't worry about it," He waved it off. "If she's happy enough to be running around like that, then this party is doing its purpose."

"A little too well," Yang giggled.

And Blake had to agree.

---

(Weiss)

"You know, I couldn't help but notice that someone is missing," The Titan Slayer noted. "One of your teammates, Ms. Nikos. Jaune Arc I think?"

"Call me Pyrrha please," The redhead smiled nervously, trying to formulate a response. "And he's… well-"

"Forgive me for saying this, but I believe that Arc doesn't deserve to be here," The SDC Heiress scoffed.

After greeting the other attendees, like team CVFY, and Ms. Goodwitch, and being introduced to a few others like Yang's father, the team split to do their own thing. Nora started to explore the estate and Ren followed her to make sure she didn't cause too much trouble, Yang and Blake chatted with Astera's girl. As for Levi… Well, she doesn't know where the girl went, likely exploring with Nora to get away from all the people here.

Honestly, the girl is a nervous wreck. Yes, Weiss understands what it means to be personally invited by a worldwide hero, but try to get a hold of yourself. At the very least she was actively trying to avoid embarrassing all of them, unlike that hyperactive child.

As for her, well, she - and Pyrrha - were personally kept company by Reid himself, all three sitting around a table. She liked the quaint little estate, nowhere near as big as her family's mansion, but she's a fan of modesty ironically enough.

Of course, while she doesn't exactly look down on her teammates or anyone for that matter, it's only natural that he'd rather start a conversation with the team leaders. Weiss doesn't think she's superior to anyone, but she's confident enough to say that more qualified to handle situations like this.

"Harsh," Reid said with a raised brow. "Any reason for this animosity towards him?"

"He's a selfish, weak, cowardly-"

"He's studying!" Pyrrha cut her off quickly before clearing her throat. "He's been having troubles with his schoolwork lately, and spent the whole day studying, so he was too tired to come along."

Weiss narrowed her eyes a little but refused to speak up and call her out on that. Sure, she doesn't see that moron a lot anymore, thankfully he stopped trying to flirt with her, but surely he can't be doing that, right? Taking accountability? Him?

What a joke. If it was in her hand, she'd have kicked him out of Beacon, perhaps arrested him for his crimes as well. She knew there was a reason she didn't like him the moment he tried to communicate with her.

He gives the Arc name a very bad reputation.

"I see…"

"I hope it's alright."

"Oh, don't worry, I don't mind," He shrugged. "Wasn't even necessary for any of you to come, but I am glad that you did."

"But of course. We were honored to receive your letter, sir," Weiss smiled, changing the subject. She didn't want to talk about that blond idiot. "It's been pleasant so far. Admittedly, I'm not the biggest fan of parties, but this has been a different experience."

"Really?" He leaned forward, looking curious.

"Yes. Parties held by my father required me to be there, as I am the next in line to take the company. Many of the attendees are… less than pleasant," Weiss grimaced, and so did Pyrrha, likely having gone through something similar.

"Let me guess: They always want something from you?"

"On a good day," Pyrrha muttered. "Most would always look down on me, saying how uncivilized or barbaric I am behind my back because knowing how to hold a weapon makes you as such."

"And the sheer entitlement they usually have is baffling," The heiress nodded in agreement. "As if I owe them something simply because I breathed the same air. If I could, I'd have given them a piece of my mind."

"But couldn't because…?" He looked at her in confusion. "I mean, it's your father's party, right? Why not just tell him off for disrespecting you?"

"I wish it were that easy," Weiss shook her head with a sigh. "These people aren't quite direct, they'd leave their mockery vague and veil their arrogance under a mask of politeness. If I try to retort, they'll easily be able to deflect it back and make me look bad. All I can do is smile and nod."

"Must be tough," He smiled sympathetically. "So how do you deal with it usually?"

"Give them a taste of their own medicine," Pyrrha answered for her. "These people are so used to being superior that they don't expect someone doing the same to them, so they're easy to rile up. They can't do anything aside from stewing in their own anger, and if they tried to retaliate… Well."

She left it off at that, giving the two an idea of what would happen. Reid's grin widened a little as Weiss looked at her friend with surprise. Strange, Pyrrha has always been very polite and kind to everyone she met, even that bumbling buffoon, so to say this wasn't something she expected.

Pyrrha noticed her look and elaborated. "There's only so much I can handle before I get sick of it, Weiss. It can get very frustrating."

"I can imagine," Reid chuckled. "I'm gonna be honest here, I don't think I'll be able to share that great patience of yours. I'm more of a 'punch first, talk later' kinda guy. Expect a lot of headlines about the Titan Slayer breaking a lot of noses."

The girls giggled at that. Weiss found it weird how she didn't feel put off by his self-proclaimed violent nature, but his honesty was refreshing. It's usually all sweet lies and boasting with these businessmen and merchants, but to see someone casually say things like that made her appreciative.

"Sorry, it's just how I am," He shrugged.

"Please don't apologize. If we're being honest, I'd love to see it. Some of these businessmen and their children need to be taught a lesson," Weiss admitted. "Like Henry Marigold."

Weiss only barely managed to stop herself from saying 'The fucking prick' and she was proud of that fact. That moron was the most insufferable human being she's ever had the displeasure of meeting.

"Bad experiences with him?"

"He is the worst."

"Then I promise I'll hit him extra hard."

Weiss laughed, not expecting the casual promise of violence. Pyrrha found it just as amusing, snickering along as the heiress quickly calmed herself down, her previous anxiety melting away as she made herself comfortable.

She enjoyed this lovely, casual tone a lot more than the stuffy and fake atmosphere of her father's inside parties, Weiss realized. Perhaps it was the lack of those annoying businessmen, the presence of her friends and teammates around her, or even the Titan Slayer's disarming attitude, but generally, this was the first real party that she was enjoying.

Her father should start taking notes, but knowing him, he'd rather kill himself before he takes advice from anyone.

"Regardless, you can rest easy. These morons won't ever step a foot in this estate. This place belongs to me and my friends alone," He said. "You girls are always welcome here, so do visit from time to time, alright?"

The two girls widened their eyes, not expecting the casual generosity, before replying to him in a grateful tone.

"That's very generous of you, sir. Thank you so much," Pyrrha blushed.

"It's- It's an honor to be considered your friend, sir," Weiss said, looking as flustered as the redhead.

"Enough of that sir and Mr crap. Call me Reid. I don't mind," He shrugged. "In return, I'll call you by your first name. Sounds fair?"

"Yes, si- Reid," Weiss nodded, answering for the two. "Apologies, it might be a little hard for me to get used to."

"I'm sure."

Suddenly, Yang got up from behind Pyrrha and put her hands on the redhead's shoulders, looking at Reid and Weiss with a grin. "Mind if I borrow her for a moment?"

"Eh?" Pyrrha blinked in surprise and confusion.

"Yang?" Weiss raised a brow.

"What for?" Reid asked.

"Well, my sis is actually a huge fan of you, Pyr, but she's too shy to approach you," The blond said. "So can you do me a favor real quick?"

"Ah…" The redhead looked at Reid and Weiss, then back at Yang with a smile. "Of course."

Pyrrha stood up from her chair and gave Reid a respectful bow. "Thank you again for inviting us."

"Anytime."

With that, Pyrrha accompanied Yang, leaving the two. Weiss noticed the strange, knowing wink Yang threw at Reid but didn't understand what it meant. She glanced at the Titan Slayer, seeing the equally knowing smirk on his face.

"What a girl." He muttered.

"Is there something wrong?" Weiss blinked.

"No, no. Don't worry about it," He turned to look at her. "So Weiss, you had a chance to use those potions I gave you?"

Weiss' eyes lit up as he reminded her. "Yes! I've specifically tried the golden one, and the effects were incredible!"

"Ah, my ultimate creation," He said. "So it worked, then? How good was it exactly?"

"Unreal," She stated, still remembering the power of that potion. "It was out of this world. I never thought something like that could ever exist."

"Heh, glad to see it give that good of an impression," He chuckled. "It's my most powerful potion for a reason. To be honest, I haven't even perfected it yet."

"How so?"

"Well, it's not exactly compatible with every Semblance," He shrugged. "Like Yang's for example. Her Semblance requires her to be damaged to be activated, and activating it inherently takes little to no Aura."

"That… is true, but still, this potion alone is revolutionary in its own right," Weiss said. "If teams of hunters were to use it alongside other potions, then exploring places like the East of Solitas and the Dark Continent could be possible."

"That's the idea, but then again, there's as much risk in mass distributing," Reid argued. "Bandits and criminals will become far more vicious, and they're enough trouble as is. Healing potions I can handle, something that powerful is another story entirely."

"I suppose…"

"Though, don't worry, I'm not gonna stop making it entirely. More like, I'll only hand it to specific groups and teams. Like yours," He smiled, making her heart skip a beat. "You and Yang are responsible enough, that I know for sure, and your other teammates seem pleasant. If you and Yang trust them, then so do I."

"T-thank you, sir- I mean, Reid," Weiss cleared her throat. "Changing the subject, I assume Yang told you?"

Reid blinked at the vagueness before he quickly understood what she meant. As expected from the Titan Slayer, sharp as he is handsome.

"The training?" He noted, and she nodded quickly in response. "Well, I actually don't mind. In fact, I should ask you if you're sure?"

"I am."

"I'm not gonna hold back. I'm going to hurt you. A lot," He said seriously, making her flinch a little. "Are you absolutely sure you're up to the challenge?"

"Y-yes," She nodded again, even if the tone shift intimidated her a little. "I know I'm not… perfect, not in my leadership nor in my power, so I want to learn from the best of the best, and I'm willing to pay whatever amount."

"I don't need money, but I appreciate the spirit," He grinned. "I think you're gonna go far in life."

"T-thank you."

"Though, I do want something in return," He said, getting her attention.

"And that is?"

"Dust. More specifically-" Reid, in an impressive display of sleight of hand, flicked his hand and a small Fire Dust Crystal appeared between his fingers. "-what do you know about it?"

Weiss paused, looking a little puzzled. That's a strange question to ask the Heiress of the SDC, but she answered anyway.

"More than most," She tilted her head. "Why?"

"Well, I discovered something incredible recently, and I think you might be interested," He said vaguely before suddenly getting off his seat. "Follow me, it's better if we go somewhere less crowded."

Still feeling quite bewildered, Weiss remained quiet and did as he told her to. She glanced back at the rest of her friends, who remained oblivious to them.

She didn't know what he'd tell her, but if he needed privacy, then it had to be important.

---

(Ruby)

She really hated her sister sometimes.

Yes, Yang, she does indeed look up to the Invincible Champion of Mistral, but you did not have to do that. Ruby can approach her by herself, she doesn't need your help. All you did was make her panic 'n stuff, now Pyrrha thinks she's weird or something. Besides, why did you have to interrupt her when she was talking with Reid? Don't you know that's really rude?

Also, she's not as big of a fan anymore, she outgrew that 'phase' or whatever. No offense, but after befriending, dating, and making love with the Titan Slayer, these kinds of things feel pretty underwhelming. Pyrrha might be the 'Invincible Girl' but that isn't much compared to a living legend.

One that she practically lives with.

Of course, she understood Yang's real plan as well. After glaring at her for doing what she did, the blond quickly explained why she did that to save herself from the wrath of Ruby Rose, calming her down while also prompting her to redirect her annoyance to her boyfriend.

That damned playboy. Of course, he wanted to seduce another woman so quickly, right after getting in Velvet's pants. Didn't even bother to tell her, did he? Yes, she's not as apprehensive as she was about it anymore, because the realization that even she and Yang aren't able to handle him made her consider what it could mean, but that doesn't mean he can just go around seducing every woman he meets.

The jerk. She won't talk to him for the rest of the night.

…

Ruby resisted a sigh after a moment. That's a lie, she can never be mad at him. He'll just kiss her or something and she'll forget that she was mad. She loves it when he does it, but hates how effective it is against her.

He'll still have to make it up for her though.

"So I was wondering," Ruby started, sipping from a glass of strawberry juice. "Why'd you join Beacon instead of Haven? I mean, you lived your whole life in Mistral, right?"

"Well, Beacon as a whole is more prestigious," Pyrrha answered, holding a glass of wine. "I suppose I thought I'd be learning more here than I would've if I stayed in Mistral."

"How is it?" Ruby asked innocently. "Your experience in Beacon I mean. Cuz I wanna go there once I graduate from Signal."

"Admittedly, it is a lot tougher than I expected. Very demanding," She said truthfully. "It doesn't help with how jarring it is to be forced into a team. It's not all bad, but it takes time getting used to."

"Oh yeah, Yang said the same thing. She never really went into detail though," The younger girl replied. "So how does it work? Do you guys get to choose or does the school do it for you?"

"Believe it or not, it's mostly randomized," Pyrrha smiled as Ruby looked in surprise. "The initiation started with us being flung into the Emerald Forest. The first person you make eye contact with will be your partner for the rest of your time in Beacon."

"Woah, really? Yang never told me that," Ruby leaned closer in interest. "But what if you pair up with a bully or something? Do you just have to deal with it?"

"Unfortunately."

"That's rough," Ruby grimaced a little. "So what's your partner like?"

Ruby noticed the pained look that passed on her face for less than a second, prompting her to furrow her brows. Did she bring up a sore subject? Actually, now that she thought about it, there is someone missing. There was Yang and her team, that's four, then Pyrrha, that funny girl, the quiet dude, and that was it. Was the guy missing her partner?

"H-he's… how do I say this…" She stuttered a little, getting uncomfortable with the topic.

"Is he a bully?" Ruby guessed.

"What? No, no, nothing of that sort," She denied it. "More like… He's done something that hurt me a lot. It's just been awkward and uncomfortable whenever I'm near him. He never tried to strike up a conversation either, when he was quite talkative before."

"Oh…" The younger girl blinked, not sure what to say. "So you guys fought?"

"You could say that, yes," Pyrrha sighed, sipping from her glass.

"What did he do?" Ruby asked.

"W-well…" She glanced elsewhere, pausing long enough for Ruby to realize what she said.

"Ah, sorry! I didn't mean to pry! You don't have to answer that." Ruby clarified. "W-well, I don't really know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything, Ruby," Pyrrha smiled gently. "Just listening is more than enough. Thank you."

"It's nothing, really. I'm glad I could help," Ruby waved it off, before asking another thing. "Does he… maybe feel bad about it?"

"Huh?"

"I-I mean, you said he's not a bully, but he also did something bad, and that he never talked to you again because of it," Ruby explained her reasoning. "Maybe he didn't mean it? I dunno, I'm just guessing. I was bullied in Signal, but none of my bullies ever showed remorse, so maybe he isn't talking to you cuz he also feels awkward, y'know?"

Pyrrha studied the younger girl silently, prompting Ruby to continue.

"Whenever Yang and I fight, we kinda stop talking to each other for days sometimes. But it's not because we've been angry at each other all the time," She chuckled. "Sometimes, it's because both of us feel too awkward to apologize. It'd be weird to start talking to each other as if nothing happened."

She couldn't imagine what would happen if she and Reid fought for real eventually, and what could cause such friction between them, but she hoped that day would never come. Her life right now is perfect as it is, and she didn't want anything ruining it.

She fought with her sister so many times already, so she could handle it, but her boyfriend? That'd be a new, unpleasant experience for sure.

"I can only imagine," Pyrrha giggled, then paused a little before replying again. "...I think he might be feeling bad."

"Then just talk to him," Ruby advised. "I think one of you just has to break this weird awkward barrier that shows up whenever you're next to each other. If you do, then he'll just apologize and you can make up."

"...I don't know if I can still forgive him, though."

"Oh," She blinked. That might be a lot worse than she expected, but she tried to give good advice anyway. "I guess you can think about it more, then. You don't have to rush anything, you still have four years to make up."

Pyrrha remained silent, looking downwards and deep in thought. Ruby didn't know if she said the right thing or not, and wished that Reid was here to assure her that she did, but what she knew is that she tried her best. Ruby isn't the best when it comes to life advice, but maybe her experiences with things like this could help?

She hoped it did.

"I'll think about it," Pyrrha nodded and smiled. "Thank you, Ruby. It was nice to talk to someone about this."

She grinned. "Heh, any time!"

Helping people always felt good for the young girl, even if it didn't involve her beautiful scythe and some stupid Grimm. If anything, this felt even better than usual. She's not the best at giving advice, but here she is, helping another person who she looks up to.

Yang and Reid are gonna be so proud of her.

---

(Reid)

I think I've mentioned this before, but bias aside, Weiss is probably the most beautiful girl I've met so far. Yes, I still like Ruby more, but that's because she ticks a lot of my boxes while the heiress doesn't. Regardless, when I said she looked stunning, I genuinely meant it.

Her dress was white that fades to blue, leaving her shoulders exposed. Her hair was down, and her light makeup feels like it was done by a professional. I feel like she specifically overdressed for the occasion, but I won't say no to quality eye candy such as this.

Anyway, Weiss is also one of the most important guests, and for good reason. She has a hand in the most powerful company in the world - for now - and is the primary distributor of Dust, the main and only source of energy in Remnant. Yes, only. There aren't any steam engines here, no solar panels, nothing of that sort, and assuming my plan works, it'll stay that way.

Dust as an energy source is so much more efficient and environment-friendly than other sources. By the time I'm able to recharge Dust Crystals, making other sources would be completely redundant. The only other source that's even remotely comparable would be Nuclear Power, but unlike it, there's no waste you need to keep secure and away from other people with Dust.

As I was saying, I need Weiss' help with that new machine I made, the one that combines Dust to make a new element. She has the resources, she's one of the most knowledgeable about the subject, and would be more than happy to help. Hell, it'll give her a better ground when the time comes for her to take over the company.

If I remember correctly, Jacques didn't hesitate to take away her heiress status after the Fall of Beacon, so I assume he's trying to find a genuine reason to fuck her over instead of Weiss just pissing him off enough. Knowing he can't really control Weiss probably drove him to do that.

Probably. I'm gonna assume Jacques is an asshole in this universe too. Until I'm proven otherwise.

So once she eventually goes back to Atlas, breaks the news that she made a deal with the Titan Slayer and has positive relations with him, that dickhead won't have any reason to take her status away, because then there would be a lot of commotion if he does. With his corrupt business, reporters and journalists poking their noses in it are the last things he needs.

I pause as I see Weiss not moving from her position as she looks at me, a little conflicted.

"What's wrong?"

"Ah, well…" She looks down at the beach. "I don't think I'm able to walk over sand."

"Heh, 'course you can," I smile in amusement. "Just take off your heels."

"Is- is that alright?"

"Why wouldn't it be?"

Weiss looks at me for a second as she gets over her conflicted feelings, quickly taking off her heels as she joins me, taking the hand I offer her. Her face becomes a little red as we walk by the ocean, her hand firmly gripping mine.

She's adorable.

"Are you enjoying the party?"

"Huh? Oh, very much so! It's as I said, I generally don't view parties in a positive light," She responds. "But this has been different. Very pleasant."

"I'm glad you feel that way," I say, letting go of her hand and sensing the disappointment in her as I do. "I'm sure you're curious why I brought you here."

"I am, admittedly."

"Well, before I try to show the whole world what I'm able to do-" I take out the blue and orange colored Dust I created not long ago from my inventory through my pocket. "I wanted your opinion on this."

Weiss takes the crystal and stares at it in confusion at first. "What… exactly is this?"

"This, my lovely friend, is what I discovered recently. Dust Crystal with both the powers of water and fire," I say, making her eyes widen. "After some experimenting in my lab, I found a method to combine two elements into one crystal. Originally, I thought I'd create something like Steam Dust, but somehow, the elements were able to coexist instead of actually combining, making this."

"T-that is-"

"Incredible, isn't it?" I smirk. "Trust me, I thought the same. You know what this could mean?"

"It could change everything we know about Dust," She says, her voice quiet as she processes what I showed her.

"Exactly," I agree. "And while I don't have the proof right now, I'm more than sure that making new Dust elements with this method is possible."

"How did you make this?!" She quickly asks. "This- this has been something scientists were trying to make for over a century! Even my grandfather, Nicolas Schnee, wasn't able to make breakthroughs such as this."

"Oh, so it was something people thought about before?" I raise a brow. Huh, didn't know that. Maybe I should give them more credit.

"It was listed as impossible just three decades ago," She explains. "You just revived a hypothesis that was dead for over a hundred years. There are so many things you can do with this- the creation or discovery of new Dust Elements was one of the main goals of the SDC."

Oh.

Oh damn. I didn't know that. Was I a bit hasty with this? Fuck.

"But I don't understand," Weiss looks me right in the eyes, looking like a confused puppy. Damn, she's so cute. "Why are you showing me this?"

…Roll with it.

"Because you and I are the same, Weiss," I say, taking her hands. "I know what kind of person you are. You aren't just a businesswoman, you're more than that, you're someone I can trust in this field I'm unfamiliar with."

"I-I am?" She blushes.

"Yes. You're not like any of these annoying merchants or whatever we talked about with Pyrrha, you're a good person with so much power," I continue. "You didn't have to, yet you broke your back trying to become a huntress on top of being the heiress to the biggest company in the world."

"It-it's nothing special, really." She tries to act modest, her face becoming even redder. "I-I wanted to follow in my grandfather's footsteps."

"And you're on the right track." I praise her more, inching a little closer to her face. "I'm just saying that I can trust you with this because you've proven that money is the least of your worries. If it wasn't, you wouldn't have bothered training yourself."

She remains silent, frozen still as she stares at my eyes. I have no idea how this turned out like this, but I'm taking my chance. I'm sure it'll make her day. Or week.

"I think that if we work together, we can do so much. So many lives could be saved, lands we can clear out for more space," I say, hearing her heartbeat quicking as she realizes why I'm getting close to her face. "So if we have the power, then why don't we? Isn't that what we should be doing, Weiss?"

"...Yes, you're right." She responds. Her voice was strangely calm for someone who is very nervous.

"Then let's change the world for the better."

With this, I seal it off with a kiss, being gentle on her soft lips as she tightens her grip over my hands. She probably didn't expect her night to turn out like this, and neither did I to be honest. This is mostly because of Yang's support. The girl is an awesome wing woman I swear to god.

50 Affection with Weiss Schnee [65/100]

I try to pull away, but Weiss notices and gets a little more aggressive, wanting to prolong the moment for a little while. Eventually, she lets go of me, looking immensely pleased and embarrassed in equal amounts, before guilt settles in. She quickly looks away, refusing to meet my eyes.

"I-I'm so sorry, sir, I didn't mean to- I shouldn't-" She stammers, barely getting a word out. "Y-you already have a girlfriend and I-"

"It's fine, she and I are in agreement. She's fine with this."

She's still gonna be angry that I didn't tell her beforehand. How should I make it up to her?

"S-she is?" Weiss parrots in confusion.

"Yes. Because-"

"-You're the Titan Slayer, right?" She cut me off, coming to the wrong conclusion.

"Huh?"

"Yes, of course. Someone as prestigious as you must have a few lovers. It's only natural, encouraged even. You're only doing your job after all," She nods, as if she knew she was right when she technically is. "O-of course, I personally don't mind it either, a-assuming you'll have me. I only ask that you give me a moment to adjust."

I stare at her in bewilderment before going along with it.

"Y-yeah, sure. That's fine," I clear my throat. "Come on, let's go back. We don't want to worry your friends now, do we?"

Weiss takes the arm I offer, still looking red, but very delighted. Well, everything turned out well on this side at least.

…Well, to be fair, Ruby probably won't be too pissed with this if the past couple of days were any indication. She seemed much more receptible to this after I got Velvet, so at worst, mildly annoyed. At best, happy with it.

I hope the latter, but I'm expecting the former.

Shouldn't be something a night-long dicking won't fix, though.

---

(Qrow)

He had to thank his years of experience in the field, for it prevented him - and his friends - from getting fucked over once again. Sure, it brought with it his drinking problems, trauma, and other not-so-fun side effects, but it sure had a great record of saving his ass.

Paranoia might not be an ideal trait to have, but when it's in this kind of life, it's a blessing. His gut told him that there was something off the moment he saw that movement in the forest. Sure, he was drinking quite a bit, so it's more likely that he was imagining things, or hell, even just spotted a Golem that was patrolling.

But he had to at least make sure, and thank the gods he did.

Staring at the remains of a stone golem in concern, Qrow quickly snapped a picture and sent a message to Reid through his scroll. His grip on his sword was tight as he scanned the surroundings, and once he concluded that the culprit wasn't nearby, Qrow crouched and inspected the ground, quickly finding a trail.

He transformed into a bird and followed the trail from above, going from tree to a tree as he looked for the intruder. Whoever it was, they were careless, not bothering to even try to cover up their tracks, but perhaps they weren't here for long, so never had a chance in the first place. The trail was very fresh after all.

Qrow paused as he saw the trail leading up to a big bush, one that he noticed being rustled. He landed on the ground, transforming back behind a tree, before circling around the bush slowly. The bush was pretty dense, so he couldn't see what was inside. Not fully anyway, but he noticed a dark figure in it.

Qrow kept an eye on it, realizing how close this intruder is to the main party. The huntsman didn't know if he was spotted or not, so he slowly approached the bush, regripping his blade before quickly stabbing it.

Qrow frowned in confusion as he didn't feel anything being stabbed in there. No resistance at all, so he checked what's in there, only to find nothing at all. What the hell was that? He clearly saw something in there, and those trails belonged to a human, not a Golem.

When he turned around to continue his search, Qrow saw the figure in full black mere inches away from him, a sharp knife in his hand aiming to stab the huntsman in the chest. Noticing just in time, Qrow quickly turned into a bird and dodged the attack, swinging his blade once he was changed back.

But the intruder just vanished out of thin air right before the blade made contact. Qrow scanned his surroundings, and sharp pain in his shoulder made itself known in the next instant, prompting him to twirl and kick the bastard in the face.

How the hell did he hit me? Qrow thought with a scowl. What kind of Semblance is that? Teleportation?

He took a good look at the assailant, a man covered from head to toe in black. A mask and goggles covered his face completely. He held a regular dagger in his hand, and from his posture, he seemed… tired.

Yes, his chest was heaving, as if that tiny exchange wore him out significantly. Qrow didn't understand how and why this was possible, but he wasn't complaining. A tired enemy is a weak enemy.

The assailant clicked his tongue and once again, he vanished. Qrow made the assumption that he had a teleportation Semblance and quickly turned into his bird form. He flew over the forest, spotting the man immediately.

He didn't know who this guy was, not even sure if he belonged to Salem or someone else entirely, but he'd be more than happy to interrogate his ass. You don't just barge into a party uninvited and expect to not face any consequences.

Qrow made sure to stick close to the guy from above, knowing that eventually, his Semblance will kick in and fuck him up. And it did, prompting the intruder to trip on a tree root before falling face flat on the ground. Never fails, and it's funnier every time.

Qrow landed on the ground and pointed his sword at the back of the intruder's head. "Move a muscle, and you'll be a head shorter."

He obeyed and didn't move.

Qrow stepped forward and kicked the knife away. "Dunno what possessed you to try and infiltrate the home of the Titan Slayer, but you and I are gonna have a long, nice talk about it."

As Qrow was about to knock him out, he vanished once again, and at the corner of his eyes, the huntsman saw the intruder, with his knife back in his hand somehow, pointing it at his defenseless neck. Qrow knew that a direct hit like that could kill him instantly, assuming the intruder was strong enough to pierce his Aura, but he couldn't do anything. He noticed it too late, can't transform in time, and not like he has enough magic anyway.

But thankfully, a gauntleted fist connected with the intruder's head, sending him flying across the forest, breaking through multiple trees. Qrow stepped back a little, his hand touching his neck as he felt the knife graze it. Yes, that blow was definitely powerful to go through his Aura.

Qrow glanced at Kiryu, who was just in there at the nick of time.

"Thanks," Qrow said. "How'd you find me?"

"I saw some destroyed Golems as I was patrolling. Heard something and went to investigate," Kiryu answered. "Who was that?"

"I don't know. Some spy or assassin maybe," The huntsman answered, rolling his neck. "Let's go after him. He was tired, and that hit should've knocked him out, or broken his Aura at least."

As the two followed where the intruder was sent with haste, Qrow had to give it to him: Kiryu hits hard. Not even Tai would've been able to do something like that, and he was the strongest unarmed combatant and martial artist he knew. Where did this man come from? He would've heard of him if he was a huntsman, not a lot of people can do a feat like that. His looks and name sound like he's from Mistral, but that's all he can say.

Once they noticed the lack of broken trees, they slowed down and looked around for the intruder. Qrow narrowed his eyes as he noticed tiny splatters of blood on the ground, prompting him to follow it. So he wasn't knocked out, but his Aura was most definitely broken. That was an impressive feat, to be able to even walk after that. Most people would lose consciousness the moment their Aura was broken.

After a few seconds of walking, he spotted a tiny vial on the ground, making him crouch to inspect it closely. He grimaced as he realized what it was as he noticed the leftover drops of the contents inside.

"Did you find something?" Kiryu asked him.

"Yeah..." Qrow answered. "Bad news."

A glowing, golden-colored liquid, meaning the enemy is already using potions.

The kid isn't gonna like this.

---

(Reid)

Thankfully, the rest of the party went very smoothly. Everyone was enjoying themselves and having a good time – none faking it because Haki is overpowered, and from a meta-level, I got a bunch of REP points and AFF points from most attendees. Of course, that's only surface level.

After Weiss and I returned, Qrow sent a very worrying message. A picture of a destroyed Golem with the caption 'possible intruder'. I was about to go after him, but he was already back by the time I saw the message, at least assuring me that everything was fine.

Of course, it didn't help with the spike of anxiety, but I managed to fool everyone and stay calm, pretending that everything is okay. All of them bought it, so I told Qrow and Kiryu that we can discuss what happened after everyone left.

Hell, I even included Glynda in the talk. I need someone to give Ozpin a message for me, and while I could've just sent a message via scroll, I'd rather keep my allies in the know. It feels like a dick move to just lie to her as well when she basically knows almost everything else. The only one missing in this little meeting is Tai, but that's because he knocked himself out with alcohol. Man can drink a lot.

This is a mess. I had a feeling they'd try to infiltrate at some point, but this fucking soon? Are you serious? Hell, and to rub salt on the wound, the thing that saved them is my goddamn potion.

Can't catch a fucking break, can I…

"So you know nothing?" I ask once more.

"Like I said, guy was covered from head to toe. Couldn't even make out the color of his eyes," Qrow shrugs. "Only thing I got is his Semblance, though that doesn't help us."

"Teleportation," Kiryu nods. "He was prepared to escape, but not fight."

"How so?" Glynda raises a brow.

"He was panicking most of the time," Qrow answers for him. "Even his attacks felt flimsy. Untrained almost."

"Who'd send an untrained spy to my mansion?" I ask in annoyance, eyes twitching. "Am I being mocked here? Because I'll hunt down the fuckwad myself if that's the case."

"I assume he was sent because of his Semblance," Glynda promptly ignores my promise of violence. "Teleportation is useful in most scenarios, especially in combat disengagement. Whoever sent him was likely betting on him escaping easily with power like that."

Still destroyed some Golems, though. Gotta at least be strong enough to handle himself against a real threat.

"Whoever it was, they were wrong," Qrow quipped. "If it wasn't for the potion, he'd have been out cold and taken to interrogation. Guess no good deed goes unpunished, eh?"

"Oh, go fuck yourself," I growl at his amused smirk. "This shit is pissing me off enough as it is."

"Just saying-"

"Another word and I will kick your ass without hesitation," I cut him off, but he only snickered in response.

"What I wouldn't do to see that…" Glynda muttered quietly. "Well, I'll be sure to inform the headmaster about this. We'll see if we're able to offer any support."

Glynda smiles at me and gives me a small nod.

"This has been a pleasant evening, Mr. Astera. Goodnight, and take care of yourself."

She gets inside the fancy car, and as it drives off, I let out a tired sigh and rub my temples. At the very least, nothing actually catastrophic happened, and this little incident is more than enough motivation to finally make actual counters to potions. Everyone using this shit is just as disadvantageous. I need a sure way of beating people who just drink stuff like HP and AP pots over and over.

Personally? I can easily one-shot most opponents, so it's not much of an issue, but like tonight, neither Kiryu nor Qrow was able to stop the teleporting bastard. I have two options here. One: Focus on training up my allies so that even buffed enemies are a cakewalk to them, or two: Make something that somehow disables potions entirely.

Assuming the latter is possible anyway, it's likely the option that'll save more time.

"I think I've had enough fun for tonight, too," Qrow says, stretching his arms with a groan. "Sleep sounds really nice right about now. G'Night, I guess."

With a wave, Qrow heads towards the mansion, leaving me alone with Kiryu. As I'm about to tell him goodnight myself, he speaks first.

"I'm sorry," He apologizes. "I should've caught him."

"It's fine, man," I sigh. "This was just the result of me being underprepared if we're being honest here. I knew people would start using my potions, but not this early. Guess I was wrong."

"I held back," He says. "When I hit him, I didn't go all out. I might've knocked him out if I did."

"Or turned him into a bloody smear," I scoff. "From what Qrow said, the guy was tired and low on Aura already. If you actually hit him as hard as you could, you could've easily killed him. Wouldn't have helped us either."

He stares at me unconvinced. I can still sense a bit of guilt in him, prompting me to try to reassure him.

"Look, what matters is that nobody got hurt, and most people went back to their homes satisfied," I pat him on the back. "Don't beat yourself over it, Kiryu. If anything, this should make us more vigilant when it comes to protecting this place."

"...It won't happen again." He promises.

"Course it won't. We'll make sure of it," I grin confidently. "Go get some sleep, man. You did well."

He nods silently, giving me a tiny smile before leaving me on my own.

I rub my forehead and grimace as I remember that I didn't bring any of my magical equipment to the mansion yet. Fuck's sake, am I gonna have to go to the city now?

Jesus, this night couldn't get any more downhill for me.

As soon as I try to leave, a voice stops me in my place, making me grimace.

"Where do you think you're going, mister womanizer?" Ruby calls me out. "Off to seduce more women?"

Goddamn it, brain. Why must you tempt fate so often?

"I can explain-"

"Didn't even bother to tell me," She scoffs, cutting me off. "What, do I not matter to you anymore?"

"Okay, you're just being too dramatic right now," I turn around and stare at her adorable pouty face.

"No, I'm not," She crosses her arms. "I have every right to be angry at my unfaithful boyfriend."

I can literally sense your emotions. Anger isn't one of them.

But knowing I won't be able to win this fight, I relent and play along.

"You're right. I've been a bad boyfriend," I say unenthusiastically. "How can I ever make it up to you, my beautiful and perfect girlfriend that deserves every nice thing in the world?"

"You know exactly what you have to do," She smirks.

I sigh the moment I get a better feel over her emotions but decide to fuck with her instead.

"I'm afraid I don't."

"Huh?" She blinks. "Don't be silly, of course you do."

"Not really," I hide a smirk, putting on a mask of ignorance. "You're gonna have to spell it out for me."

Her face turns red as she timidly looks away.

"Y-you know…that."

"What's that?"

"T-the thing we do a lot."

"Which is?"

"Shut up! I know you're just playing dumb!" She squeaks, making me break out in laughter. "I hate you when you do that!"

"Stop being easy to tease, then."

"Screw you."

I grin and rush forward, faster than she can even react, and hold her in a bridal carry. Ruby's face brightens up as I lean close to her face, whispering huskily in her ear.

"If you insist."

I notice her shiver at that as her lust spikes up. Prompting me to leap over from the garden to the balcony of my room in one jump. Entering the room, I close the balcony door and throw the girl in my arm on the bed, joining her shortly after.

After what just happened, I seriously need stress relief.

I'm sure she does too.

---

(Ruby)

He was lucky he knew how to treat her right. Otherwise, he might've not found it easy to appease her. It was either that or she's simply easy to amuse. Probably both.

She snuggled closer to her lover after having finally caught her breath from the intense lovemaking that ended a few minutes ago. Surprising herself, Ruby managed to actually last through the whole thing. She's kind of proud that she did, especially after noticing how aggressive he is compared to usual.

Of course, she doesn't mind it, she was just as into it as he was. Heh, he knew how to treat her indeed.

"So am I forgiven?" He suddenly asked. "Or do I have to do anything more?"

"Hmm, I dunno…"

"Oh come on."

"I'm joking!" She giggled. "Yeah, you're forgiven. I was never mad at you anyway."

"You weren't happy either, though," He said.

"Well, yeah, I just wish you told me earlier," Ruby admitted. "But I mean, I kinda agreed to the idea in the first place, didn't I?"

"That's not untrue."

"Yup. Feels wrong if I acted all whiny about it now."

"It's not wrong."

"Okay then, selfish."

"It's not selfish either," He sighed. "This relationship isn't all about me, Ruby. Whatever you think is just as important."

"And Yang, too, who is just as into it as you are," Ruby reminded him. "Also Velvet, and she doesn't seem to mind it either."

"That's not the point," He responded. "I'm just sorry that I didn't tell you before."

She always found it funny how his attitude would switch so much. Just ten minutes ago, he was rearranging her guts, violently spanking her butt, and making her say and beg for lewd things. Even now, she still gets embarrassed whenever she thinks about it.

But now, he's so gentle and sweet with her, it melts her heart. Perhaps that's why she didn't mind it that much anymore? Her initial fear was all about him finding someone better and leaving her alone, thinking that he might not need or want her anymore, but that's not the case is it?

He loves her just as much as she loves him, and if that's anything to go by, then he will never abandon her, just as she will never abandon him.

"Reid, it's okay. I'm fine with it," She smiled reassuringly. "I was just… kinda intimidated at first, y'know? But now I'm not anymore. I think it's fine now."

Reid stared at her for a moment before responding. "Are you sure?"

"Yup!" She chirped. "I haven't really talked to Weiss that much though, she was kinda stuck to your hip the whole time."

"She's a big fan. It's kinda adorable," He chuckled. "Kind of like you when the whole thing with Fenrir happened."

"Yeah, but I knew you earlier, so I get a pass," Ruby replied as a matter of factly.

"Sure, sure," He patted her head. "So anyway, what about the thing you wanted to talk about? The big secret?"

"Oh, yeah!" She almost forgot. "So uh, um… How do I say this?"

Reid waited for her patiently.

"So um, remember the books you gave me?" She started after a moment. "The one about the Leviathans?"

He froze, and Ruby noticed how his muscles tensed, She was relieved when he relaxed in the next second.

"That…"

"Y-yeah," Ruby held his arm tightly. "So is it actually true?"

"It is," He answered casually. "I'm not fully human. I'm part Leviathan."

A little surprised by how relaxed he seemed as he answered that, Ruby sat up and looked at him in shock, eyes sparkling in excitement. "R-really?! Does that mean you're a real prince, too?!"

"Yup."

"That is so cool!" Ruby tackled her lover, her breasts pressing against his chest. "Where did you come from?! Is Poseidra a real place?! D-do elves and stuff really exist?! What about dragons?! I tried searching for anything on the web, but I didn't find anything! Do you know where they are?!"

"Easy there, Ruby." He chuckled. "You're gonna run out of breath."

"I can't help it! You're like an alien prince!" Ruby gasped as another realization set in. "You're exactly like Vegeta!"

For some reason, he flinched violently at the comparison but quickly recovered after clearing his throat. "Y-yeah, guess that's fair to say."

"Only not so evil," She continued before squealing happily. "My boyfriend is a prince! This is so cool! Wait till Yang hears about this!"

"At least one of us is pretty excited about this," He said, pulling the blanket over them. "But maybe we should keep this between us for now, hm?"

"Huh? Why?" Ruby tilted her head. "You don't want to tell her?"

"Less don't want to and more not sure how to do it," He elaborates. "You can't just walk up to someone and say 'by the way, I'm actually a prince from a different civilization. Also, I'm part sea monster'."

…She couldn't really argue with that.

"Is that why you gave me the books?" Ruby concluded.

"Partly."

"Partly?"

"You asked for the books, didn't you?" He said. "So I gave them to you."

"So you didn't care that I could discover what and who you are?" She looked at him, perplexed.

"Why would I?" He raised a brow. "I mean, I pretty much trust you with my life here."

Ruby's heart fluttered at that, her blushing face breaking into a smile.

"Ehe," She giggled. "I love you too~"

She then put her hands on his cheeks and forced him to look at her.

"But don't think I didn't notice, mister," She said with a pout. "You didn't answer any of my questions. Tell me all about it!"

Reid blinked and smiled. "How about instead of tellingyou about it, I show you everything?"

"Huh?"

"You wouldn't have found anything about me or my heritage, because they don't exist here," He explained. "It's in a different world."

"F-for real?" Ruby mumbled.

"Yeah. And I'm the only person who can travel there. That's how I discovered what I am," He shrugged. "So how about tomorrow morning, you and I go there for a date and I explain everything I know?"

"T-that sounds awesome!"

"I still have a lot of boring business stuff to do tomorrow, though," He said. "So we gotta sleep early."

Ruby had to admit; this was probably the most excited she's been for… anything really. She could accept and believe magic, Reid being part sea monster, but traveling to another universe?

It's like traveling to another kingdom, only a hundred times more interesting. A world of magic and fantastical creatures, like one of her storybooks that her mother used to read for her before bed.

Ruby couldn't wait.

But now, there is something else she needs to handle.

"You say that…" Ruby smirked as she felt his member poke her inner thigh. "But you got hard again~"

"It's a nat-"

"A natural reaction, I know," She rolled her eyes and giggled. "You said that like, four times before."

"Well, what are you gonna do about it?" Reid looked at her, not even bothering to hide the lust in his eyes.

"I-I'm still kinda sore from before-" Ruby licked her lips, her face turning red as she tried to keep her flirtatious attitude. "So maybe I can do something else?"

"Oh?"

Ruby kept eye contact as she went under the blanket, slithering down until she was facing his crotch, her small hand slowly stroking his impressive length, going up and down. She heard his sigh of pleasure she kissed the head, getting even more motivated to make him feel good.

"You're too good to me, I swear," He muttered.

Anything for her handsome prince~

---

You couldn't fucking pay me to write another party chapter. You have no idea how much trouble I had when writing this, it was pure agony.

Next parties are gonna be skipped. I'll write Reid getting drunk and just skip all of it. Fuck parties, man.

Anyway, I got one new Akane lewd. So if you're interested, the discord link is right there.

Discord Server link: (Discord . gg / Rjjzt8erYK) no spaces. It's a relatively new server, but I might post exclusive content there. No, I'm not bribing you to join.

If you want to support me, here's my pat reon link: (Pat reon dot com / Mirlnir)