pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq

I used to go for jogs with Pyrrha.

Just around Beacon campus. I didn't read much into it at the time. I really didn't. I was mostly focused on getting enough oxygen and afterwards enough breakfast to read into how she probably wanted me to see her body in action. It wasn't like I didn't get to see her in action in Glynda's class and our training sessions, but still. I didn't look much into it. Or maybe she just wanted to spend time with me. Maybe...

With Ruby, jogging through the waterfalls of Mistral until we stopped to get smoothies and talk shop, it was kind of hard to miss how her body flowed. Maybe it was a speedster thing. Maybe I was more awake. Maybe I was less of a total moron. But it was an experience chasing her through the Mistrali gardens in her workout clothes. An experience. She looked damn good in that tight 'T' and boy shorts.

Eventually she took mercy on my tired soul and lungs at a place she must have looked up in her scroll to get blended fresh fruit. It was delicious after so long rationing everything.

"So that was fun." She stretched breezily and in that moment I'd never, well 'hated' was a little strong, but I certainly never disliked her more as I wheezed for breath. I'd insisted that I have a weapon on me which meant my bastard sword was strapped to my back and had given my run asymmetry.

I took a long smooth drink of smoothy. She was so lucky she ordered me strawberry, pineapple, and vanilla. Plus she was damn cute. I suspected she knew it too.

"What did you and my uncle talk about over drinks? Must have been interesting to get you so stumbly."

"I wasn't stumbly." I defended insistently.

"You were," she teased. "You and him stumbled all over the place when you brought that new guy back."

New guy. Like she wasn't already chummy with Oscar Pine, better known as Ozpin. She shared her comics with the guy. I didn't jealously suck on my straw at the thought. Well, he would never have what we have anyway. "Qrow and I talked about a way to get him some legs."

"Oh really?"

"Unfortunately it probably involves doing some shady shit." She kicked me for the swear. It was light, with the toe of her foot. More like she was grazing my shin than hitting me. It made me want to swear again more than anything else just to get her to touch me.

"I thought you wanted to avoid stuff like that."

"I did but your uncle really needs a new pair of feet."

She sighed at that. "You two are going to get along so well."

"I appreciate what you did with him, by the way."

She innocently cocked her head at me, the damsel. "What did I do?"

"You convinced him to teach me."

"Well he did used to be a teacher."

"Thanks Rubes. I really need it."

"So you'll be up for some fighting later?" She jabbed my stomach where she knew I was ticklish. "Up for a bit of one on one?"

"Oh you better believe I'd go one on one with you anytime." I gave her a kiss to emphasize and she turned scarlet. She looked away, brushing her hair from her face and taking a long drink to calm down which only made me want to do it again.

So I did. I ran my tongue across her lips and into her mouth and she leaned into me in a really self-satisfying way. I pulled back a chair behind her and pushed her down into it. As I did, I pulled back and kissed her forehead. She giggled and flushed even more red, looking up at me with big silver eyes.

Fuck me.

Her sweat, light across her scalp tasted as sweet as my smoothy.

I licked my lips looking down at her. "Stop it." She blushed. "I'm trying to focus. You're not helping"

"Yeah well me too. You can't just be there looking like-" Sex. She looked like sex. "Like really, really good and expect me to do nothing." She made me remember that night in the woods where we shared our first ride. It was unforgettable, burned into my memory more than anything I'd ever experienced. I wanted it again. I was hungry for it again.

"Yeah well you need to tell me what you and my uncle are planning, still." She must have heard it in my voice; maybe it turned more husky than I meant it to. I put the cold smoothy in my lap because the demure sound of her voice and her smell and taste was seriously driving me nuts.

Embrace the cold, little Jaune.

"I'm not sure yet. Probably some kind of drug run to be honest."

"What kind of drugs?" Her eyes and nostrils narrowed and the demure sound was gone. I would kill to bring it back.

"Just greens, probably." I lied, like a fucking liar. "About Ozpin…"

"You don't trust him."

Was I really that obvious? "No. No I don't. I think he'll get you, or Ren, or Nora killed. I think he's hiding something, besides."

She nodded along. "Well what about you?" What the fuck about me? "Besides what could he be hiding?"

"The truth. Whatever that may be. What do we actually know about Mother besides she's evil?"

"Mother?" She wondered at me.

I frowned. "Mother?"

"I don't know. You said it."

"I meant Salem. Slip of the tongue. The point is we don't know anything about either of them. Ozpin seems to have some sort of plan but I trust it about as much as I trust his last one."

"His plan with Pyrrha." She confirmed. I'd told her about the girl in the tube and when Qrow had spilled his guts about the maidens, I'd pieced what they had planned together. In reality I was still warming up to Qrow. At least he hadn't used Ruby as bait or something.

Pyrrha, though, was dead because of Ozpin. She was dead. My friend was dead.

Qrow had a perfectly good reason to not join up with us in his scouting and his semblance. "Well what about Lionheart?"

"I trust him even less." If that was possible. "Hell, Ozpin doesn't even trust Lionheart. You heard him. He's disobeying Ozpin's orders. Who knows what that means. How did Cinder and her allies slip past him? Cinder isn't exactly a normal student. Speaking of, I shouldn't have been able to get past Ozpin either. I could have gotten somebody killed."

"Well what was in your forgeries?"

I thought hard. And harder. And was coming up blank. "I have no idea. I can't remember." I scratched my head. "Must have been convincing or else after day one, I should have been out. It doesn't make any sense. I was total garbage."

She reached out and took my hand. "You weren't garbage. Maybe he saw the potential in you." She stroked my fingers.

I shook my head. "None of this is adding up." I squeezed her hand back.

"You'll be safe with what you do with my uncle, though, won't you?"

"Of course. We're heading out this evening to even see if we can work out a deal. You'll see me back tonight. Tomorrow at the latest. And if you don't you'll at least hear from me."

She anxiously slurped her smoothy to empty. Then she started to eye mine and I forked it over. She seriously burned twice as many calories as a normal person. If not more. She was a hungry little devil.

"I don't like this." She mumbled into her new drink.

"I figured you wouldn't but what choice do we have? We need your uncle back to one hundred percent, regardless of Ozpin's schemes."

"If you need me I'll be around to find the parts for Harbinger. Just a call away."

I watched her drink in silence as she absorbed what I had told her. "About your uncle, does he know about us?" She shook her head and swallowed some smoothy. "Do you want him to?"

She thought about it for a moment. Then she shook her head. Then shrugged. When she finally pulled the straw from her mouth she said "If he finds out, that's fine. I don't want us to be a secret or anything. And it's not like I'm embarrassed by you. He just gets a little overprotective. I'd like him to get to know you a little better, if possible. He does seem to like you but...If he finds out he finds out, I guess."

I nodded. Hey, it was her decision.

When she finally stood up from our table I followed suit without hesitation. "Come on," she said, "Ren and Nora should be up. We can get some practice in before you head off." I groaned because I knew she was going to make me run again but she flashed me a million watt smile and I felt my load lighten. Her eyes flicked down to my pants then back up to my eyes knowingly. "Plus if we make it back fast enough we can, well, there's only one shower. We may have to share."

The little devil.

pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq

When we got back from our run Ren and Nora were out and Qrow was gone. Qrow was probably out drinking in his wheelchair. Alone.

So we had the house to ourselves. I stepped into the bathroom behind Ruby. She giggled at me as I followed her into the shower.

This was the first time I'd ever really seen her naked in broad daylight and it was majestic. She had round and perky breasts. Her abdomen was outlined beneath her ribs by a strong core that led down her hourglass figure. There was a gap in her thighs below her crotch that you really had to see to believe. Her hips were hide and smooth and her whole body was lean and toned.

She stepped into the shower and turned it on. The water ran down her body and slicked her skin. Her red and black hair was pressed back against her skull and her silvery eyes were bright under long lashes that blinked out at me. She turned under the water and I took in the sight of her round butt.

She giggled at me.

"You've got a problem, Jaune," she murmured.

I looked down. Blood had been diverted from my brain to elsewhere when I stared at her. I could barely think at all.

I stepped into the shower after her. I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close to me so that I poked her in the back. I felt warm against her flesh and she gasped a little at my hardness.

"You have been teasing me all day from those short jogging shorts to that sports bra to that show you just gave me. I'm going to get my payback, sweetheart. I promise."

I ran a single finger down her spine and she shivered in anticipation. I followed the path of the warm water pouring down on us both until I reached her butt. I gave one cheek a firm squeeze and then a gentle slap. Just hard enough to leave the hint of a mark and make it bounce. She gasped out loud as I did.

I ran my other hand upwards over her stomach and to her left breast. Her flesh was molded by my fingers as I cupped her body. I gave the mound a gentle squeeze then I found her nipple with my thumb and forefinger. I pressed them together and rubbed a little circle. She whined under my touch.

"Don't tease me, Jaune."

"Why shouldn't I? You've been teasing me all day."

"Please."

"No. Hush up and wait. I'm taking my time. You'll only make me draw this out longer by making noise."

Then I pinched her nipple tightly. She gasped out and thrust her chest forward.

She whimpered. It was a small noise from the back of her throat and the front of her mouth. I wanted to make her do it again.

"Like that," I whispered.

"I can't help it…" she murmured back. I watched her pink lips move. She twisted around a little and looked up into my eyes with her big silver ones. I throbbed.

"Well you had better."

"Please Jaune, I need you to touch me."

"You should have thought about that before prancing around in those boy shorts and showed off your legs and butt."

"I thought you would like it."

"I did. I also like this though. And if I were a betting man…" I reached around her body and fingered her little flower. She gasped and rocked her hips forward. She was slick with a wetness that had nothing to do with water. "So do you," I finished.

"Oh Jaune…"

"Hush now."

"I can't," she gasped. I moved northward and traced a little circle that made her legs quiver. I squeezed her breast with my left hand and I toyed with her nipple. Her nipple was fully erect from my ministrations.

"You better be quiet if you want me to continue."

"That's not fair," she whined.

"Deal with it or else I'll…" and I pulled my hand away. Her hips chased my fingers as she ached for sensation.

"Please no. I'll be good. I'll stay quiet."

I pinched her nipple again and she heaved forward and let out a little moan from her throat.

"You can't even do what I tell you with this."

"I'm trying. I'm trying so hard. Please," she begged me. She reached behind her and fumbled for a moment before she grasped me with her hand. I let out a low groan. I brought my fingers to her petals again and she let out a sigh into my touch. I slipped a finger inside her and teased her entrance and her hips thrust in time with the way I rubbed the entryway walls to her core.

She lost her hold on my erection and reached out bodily behind her to pull herself close to me and to steady herself. She was turned around slightly and was trying to grab my head. I allowed her to pull my head down by the hair to her lips as I fingered her gently with one hand. I slipped my finger out and traveled up her lips to that special nub. I kissed her and she tried to hold back a moan. I pulled my hand away.

"Please no," she whimpered. "Let me try again. Please Jaune, you'll let me try again, won't you? I'll let you do anything to me. I need it. I need it so bad."

"I'll give it to you but you need to stay quiet." I flicked that nub and she gasped. "Oh, see? You're so loud, sweetheart. Don't you want me to keep going?"

"I-"

"No talking." I interrupted her with another flick and she moaned with her mouth shut. She was biting her lip hard to stay quiet and her silver eyes were frenzied and desperate.

I slowly rubbed a circle around that bud. I rubbed the circle harder and harder around it and depressing her soft flesh more and more. She whined with her mouth closed and desperately tried to pull me in for a kiss by the back of my head.

I decided to allow it but I had an ulterior motive. I slipped my tongue along her lips to persuade her into opening up wider and allowing me access. When her lips parted so our tongues could meet I pressed down on that nub and rubbed firmly but gently. She let out a long low moan and her legs quaked.

I pulled my hand away from her and she whined.

"Please, I'm so close. I'm so close Jaune. You tricked me. That wasn't fair."

"I'm the one making the rules now." I slid a finger into her and rubbed at that rough spot just two inches in and against the front. She gasped cutely again. "You need to owe me if you're going to be allowed to finish. Don't you think? I think that's fair."

"Please, I'll let you do whatever you want with me."

"I'm going to. Look at me Ruby. Look me in the eyes. If you look away or shut them I'll stop."

I started rubbing a firm circle into her clitoris with my hand. Her hips thrust out and back to the point that I wasn't sure if she was trying to get more friction or less. I kept going anyways. She kept looking right at me and she let out a low groan with her legs quivering and she was holding onto my back and head desperately to stay standing. Her eyes slid out of focus and became half shut and slightly lidded. But she didn't look away. Her aura flared like cinnamon against my own. She tasted delicious. She came with a yelp but her eyes never left mine. She bucked her hips wildly and she got very very wet. Her eyes were unfocused and loosely dazed. She blinked away a tear from her left eye and I watched with hungry fascination as the orgasm took her. It lasted so long. Grey pools became watery and dizzy and her face turned bright red from the heat of it all.

"That's my sweetheart," I murmured and slowed down my fingers. "You did a good job coming for me. Such a good girl." She pulled at my head and I kissed her. I thrust my tongue into her mouth and she dumbly sucked on it hard enough that I groaned. I imagined her wrapping her lips around another part of my anatomy and throbbed into her back.

"Can I touch you now?" She asked. "Please?"

"I don't know…" I rubbed a hard circle around her clit. She gasped and thrust her hips away and then forward. "I was thinking about making you come again."

"Oh please…" but I couldn't be sure if she meant she wanted more or for me to stop. So ambiguous was this one. I flicked her bean hard and she groaned.

"Get down on your knees for me," I whispered. I rubbed her again.

"I can't. Oh, fwuh, oh, pufh, oh, oh, oh my gods. I'm going to come again." She sounded a little surprised. I was too. With me it usually took some recuperation time but she seemed to be ready for another one just like that.

"Oh don't stop. Oh please don't stop."

"Go on. Get down on your knees. Don't you want to make me happy?"

She let out a long whine that started in her lips and made its way to the back of her mouth. "I can't. I can't. Oh please," she whispered.

"Sweetheart, won't you please get down on your knees for me?"

"I really really can't. Oh, ah, you're, you're not letting me. Oh I'm going to come. Oh, I'm coming again. You're making me."

She arrived with her hips thrusting even more than before. She chased my hand firmly and I slid my finger down her folds and into her and felt the muscles inside clench around the single digit. She sighed a little as I did. So soft and malleable were her walls that they felt like nothing else I had ever touched. Smooth as silk. So wet and warm.

"Get down on your knees," I ordered once she recovered herself.

She turned around and knelt before me. She had to sort of sit up to have her head level with my dick. She gave it a long lick and wrapped her hand around the base of it.

I put a single hand on the back of her head and slid into her mouth. She flicked her tongue out and over and around the head. Then she bobbed forward, sucking hard. She swallowed me as much as she could. Maybe just three or four inches. But I had about double that in length.

"That's my sweetheart. That's a good girl. Take it deeper."

She took it until she gagged. Her throat was closing around it and pulsing. Then she withdrew until she was just kissing the head. She sucked and pulled forward keeping her mouth and lips tight. Her teeth ghosted over me. They didn't hurt but they weren't comfortable.

"Less teeth. That's it." She compressed her cheeks around me and they felt smooth and velvety. I groaned as she bobbed furiously and I guided the back of her head with my hand. I squeezed her hair and she moaned around me. I felt the vibrations as she moved up and down. Her hand came up to cover the excess inches and they chased her mouth while she slid up and down my length.

Her other hand came up to my balls and cupped them gently and she hurled herself down my length and sucked frantically.

"Oh Rubes. You're about to get a big reward. Are you ready?"

She hummed in satisfaction and I felt it around my length. I sighed as I came into her mouth and she squeezed when I pushed her head down and thrust my hips forward. She started swallowing as I came down her throat.

"Ah, Ruby," I groaned.

She looked up at me with her silver eyes and she looked absolutely stunning naked and wet and wrapped around my dick.

"Stand up and bend over, put your hands against the wall."

She did what I ordered her to but with the water from the shower and with how much taller I was than her we couldn't get any good penetration started. We gave up and retreated to one of the bedrooms after toweling off. I picked her up bridal style and bent her over the bed. She lay flat on her stomach and I guided myself to her entrance. I slowly pushed in and I groaned and she let out a tiny sigh. I smacked across her bottom and she jumped a little. She raised her legs on her tiptoes so I was penetrating in and down. That way I was brushing the spot she liked and kissing her cervix.

I thrust back out and I just glided along. Her walls hugged me and spasmed around my length. I groaned and pushed her down into the bed harder and she raised her butt on her toes even more. She twisted her back up so that her rear was pushing hard against me. I thrust forward and buried myself in her warmth and the wetness. She gasped loudly when I touched her cervix and ran my length against her g-spot.

I withdrew until just the tip was inside her and I made her wait. She tried to push back onto me but I held her down. She whined with need and pleaded with me but I held fast. Then all at once I thrust into her and she moaned from the front of her mouth.

"Do you want me to play with your clit while I fuck you? Is that what you want?"

I reached a hand over and around her thigh and brushed her leg. I thrust into her and swept my finger through her folds and she let out a throaty moan.

"Ah. Fwuh. I juh," she fumbled over her words as she tried to get something out. I strummed her bud like a guitar at the same time I pushed myself into her to the hilt and rocked her cervix. She let out a stammering moan. "Pub, pluh, please. Ah."

I retreated my length and marveled at the power I had over her. With just my tip at her entrance I dominated her body.

"Turn around for me," I ordered. I buried myself in her and flicked my finger through her folds. I rubbed a circle around her clit and she pressed down with her hips and tried to crush my hand into the bed. I smelled her sex and the scent of sugar. Petals fell from the air around her red aura and with them came the fragrant smell of flowers. Her aura tasted so good against my own that my dick pulsed inside her.

"Fwuh. I-I-I oh!" I humped her three times and in coordination rubbed that special nub on the northern side of her flower. "I can't," she whispered helplessly. I stared down at her smooth back and drank in the sight of the powerful huntress reduced and begging.

"Poor little thing. Are you getting close again?" I asked and fucked her slower in long smooth thrusts that spread her walls and made her sigh. Then I stroked her clit and she jumped a little and tried to smash my hand into the sheets.

"Yes. Yes I am. I'm so close. Please let me finish. Please come inside me. Please," she begged me.

"I'm not sure you've earned it."

"Please. I need it. Let me finish. Don't slow down. No…"

I fucked her slower than before and stroked her flaps without touching her bud. She tried to thrust back into me and down on my hand at the same time but her body was confused and I was pulling her in two different directions. I was stringing her out and forcing her along.

"You should have thought of this before you teased me. You should have known I'd get my payback."

"Oh, ah, touch me harder. Touch my clit and go faster. Please go faster and harder."

"Are you a good enough girl to deserve it? You've already come twice." I rubbed her clit on the word 'twice.' She moaned loud and low and thrust down on my hand and back onto me. I spread her legs even wider with mine until she was just hanging off the bed. She tried vainly to wrap them around me but even as flexible as she was she couldn't make it work.

I started fucking her faster and harder. I kept hitting that firm place inside her that I knew was her cervix and she gasped every time I collided with it.

I rubbed a hard circle into her clit then traveled down her wet folds and took a winding path back up again until I was stroking that special sensitive nub.

"I'm going to come. I'm going to come so hard."

"Turn around for me. Only bad girls don't turn around."

I retreated until just my tip was inside her. I stopped rubbing her nub quickly and did it much more slowly.

"Ah. No… please I can't. I keep telling you that I can't. I'm a good girl. Please."

"Sweetheart if you don't turn around I'll have to punish you. If you come you'll need to be punished."

Then I started fucking for real. As deep as I could and putting as much pressure on her g-spot as possible. I strummed her nub hard and she fell into incoherent gasping. Then she arched her body and I felt her pulse around me but I didn't stop riding her velvety walls. I didn't stop thumbing her clit either.

"Fwuh. I juh juh. I came. I'm s-s-s sorry. I came on your dick. I d-d-did. Oh please."

She tried to pull her clit away from me but I held her fast and kept going.

"Oh… ah… no… I already came. It's too sensitive. Please don't. I juh. I fup. Uh hup." She fell into nonsense and started thrusting back on my hand. Her hips were shaking like she didn't know whether to pull away or thrust back. She just shook in place. I bent low and kissed her back. I sucked on her spine and left purple bruises behind on her skin.

"Oh I'm going to come again. Please no."

"Yes. Come for me, sweetheart. That's a good girl." She came around my dick again. She was thrusting back onto me and gyrating down on my hand and back onto my hips.

"Oh no. Oh no. Oh please. S-s-s stop. Please stop. It's too much."

I didn't stop. I kept fucking her tight little flower and rubbing her clit.

"This is what you deserve. Take it."

"Fwuh. I pshuh. I ple. I uh oh ah. I can't."

"You've got to take until I finish. It won't be long now. You can take it. Here."

I held my fingers in front of her mouth. She took them in and sucked on them. I groaned and hit my hips against her butt four more times before I finished inside her. I kept thumbing her clit the whole while and she came again around me just after me. I fell on her back and over her shaking legs.

"Oh Jaune…"

"That's my sweetheart. It wasn't too much for you, was it?

"It was perfect. So good. I came so many times. And they were all bigger than the last one."

"Once you get going you really get going. I'm going to have so much fun with you. Your body is so much fun to play with."

"I'm so tired now. Your come feels so good inside me. It's hot. It's so warm in my belly."

"We'll have to do this again the next time we have the place to ourselves. You're so loud."

"I can't help it. It feels too good."

"Did you learn your lesson?"

"If I tease you you'll make me orgasm over and over? Maybe I need to be taught one more time. Let the lesson really sink in."

"I'll have to find a better way to punish you."

"I want you to."

pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq

"Blade-beam, blade-beam, blade-beam, blade-beam."

"I'm blade-beaming."

"You're clearly not."

"Well maybe if you did more than repeat it over and over again and gave me some actual instructions."

"Make a beam with your blade."

"I'm mounting in dislike for you."

"Look, I already told you to focus and project your aura. My niece told me you should have plenty and you're already close enough."

I sighed and swept my sword at my target. A poor unscathed tree. Nothing happened, yet again. The tree remained unscratched.

Qrow took a drink from his wheelchair and slouched over.

"If you weren't in a wheelchair I'd dump you on the ground," I grumbled.

"If I wasn't in this chair I could kick your ass."

"Let me try with my semblance."

"And what is your semblance?" Qrow sounded genuinely curious.

"It makes me better."

"It makes you better at what?"

"Everything. Near as I can tell."

I charged it by standing still and focusing. Then I whipped the broadsword around my body easily as the blue glow swept over my body. I cast my sword at the target and nothing happened. I did it twice more before I felt the power start to fade. I glid towards the tree and in that baseball style swing cut straight through it, growling in frustration.

"That doesn't count." Qrow informed me helpfully. "And now we don't have a target."

"I get it. And sure we do. The tree is just on its side."

"Do you get it?" He took another long day drink. "You know we're renting this place, right?"

"I get it."

"Does it mess with your emotions at all?"

"Does what?"

"Your semblance you… neanderthal." He struggled for an insult for a moment before settling. "My other niece's is a bit like yours and it fucks with her emotions. It's tied to them, even."

"No. I'm just frustrated."

"Well put that frustration towards blade-beaming. You really are a sitting duck the way you fight without a gun. You'll die and Ruby will have nightmares and who do you think will have to deal with that? Me. I will. So get it together and blade-beam."

I sighed and focused my aura. I felt it run down my hands and into my blade and make it light up gold. I'd gotten this far before now. I just couldn't get the aura to cascade outwards. I swept my sword at the fallen tree and once again nothing happened.

"Show me." I walked over and as I did I swept the sword to my back and drew the bastard sword from the shield. I handed that to him by the extended hilt.

"The weight and balance of it is good so you don't have a problem there. You're just messing up."

Ah. Good. I was the problem. I suspected as much.

"Show me." I demanded.

He swept the sword at the fallen tree and a white slash extended outwards and shook it, leaving branches cleaved from the pine in a wave of brief white. He wobbled in the chair from the motion and I reached down and caught one of the handles.

It wasn't anything like the golden, aura colored wave I was going for.

I took the sword back and waved it at the tree. A white colored wave hit the tree much more softly than Qrow's. It was small, though fast moving. I frowned. I didn't really like it.

"There you go. Must be one of those learn by example types. Well, once I'm up again I'll have some lessons you can learn quickly, how's that?"

"Thank you." I meant it too. I was sure he was going to beat me into the ground over and over but that was how I learned best.

I waved my sword from the ground upwards and a golden wave of fire the color of my natural aura erupted from the sword and raced towards the stump. It was much slower moving but it would cover me more and it collided much more intensely than the razor thin attack Qrow had managed. It was vastly weaker than Qrow's attack, even from his chair.

This was good. It was fantastic, even. Who needed guns? I wanted to try it with my semblance. I sat there and charged it to completion and this time the wave was blue as it raced even faster to the target. Where it collided it trapped the tree in a series of smaller cuts, like Qrow's, before collapsing with an audible pop that I was sure wouldn't be comfortable for anybody caught in the vortex.

Any reasonable enemy would be able to dodge it and it was still vastly weaker than I'd like, but practice would make perfect and a ranged attack like this one would save my life.

"Your semblance sure is something else. Does it always let you make leaps like that?"

"What do you mean?"

"You weren't even close a few hours ago. Now you managed something even if it wasn't particularly good. Is it just like that with you?"

"I just know how to practice and push myself. You know? Had to just to keep up."

"I think I get it. Well keep practicing and pushing yourself, then."

"Blade-beam, blade-beam, blade-beam."

"What are you two up to?" Ruby waltzed out on us to find me covered and sweat and Qrow day drunk.

Our shower had been pretty much pointless as far as keeping me clean went; that was to say I was already sweaty again.

"Qrow was teaching me his blade-beam." I answered when it became clear he wasn't going to be the one responding. His mouth was otherwise occupied with liquor.

"Any luck?"

"Some." I granted her.

"Well Ren and Nora will be out soon for some doubles practice but I figured you and I could go a few rounds in the meantime."

Ruby drew her blade, rotating with the motion until she was facing me with the scythe extended. On the activation of my semblance I rushed to bash her with the kite shield. I knew she would dodge of course. There was a blur of petals and she was behind me.

I slashed towards her even as she hovered upside down behind me, prepared to shoot me in the back of the head. She knew I could take it. It was still rude, though, so I tried to bisect her and forced her to disappear before she could take the shot.

I rushed her when she landed, trying to get her in the moments before she resolidified when I knew she was most vulnerable. Hey, I had to make it count. I bounced her off the ground but she turned it into an elegant roll.

I rushed her like I meant it and swept the sword at her. Then, when she leapt back I took a moment to charge my semblance, I knew it meant trading advantage with her but hopefully it would mean giving me a little more advantage later.

She recognized it and blitzed me. She slapped me up a little, not going to lie, but when I hit my head against the tree stump my semblance activated and I rolled to my feet in a mean blur. I lept at her, sweeping my sword vertically and rushing her.

She made an adorable "eep" noise that made me not only grin, but made me want to kiss her. Then I swept to her next location. Then the next. She just couldn't get away completely and establish her own advantage. I swung again and she turned to complete petals this time, I was there too. I hit her with my kite shield, spending Limit with it.

She skipped across the ground hard.

This was it. It was ideal to use Limit as well as spend it.

She bounced across the ground when the kite smacked her whole body. Rather than start charging my next Limit or pursue her attempts to get back to neutral I checked her aura with a roll of my wrist. It was already turning yellow from my attacks and how much she had spent just trying to dodge me.

When she got up I dashed forwards, jumped and slashed twice horizontally with the bastard swords. She turned to petals and teleported behind me. "Almost." She teased me. She caught me around the waist with her scythe and fired. The option yanked me into the ground by the blade.

She showed me no mercy and kicked me back and forth across the arena until Ren and Nora decided to show up. My semblance returned when they did so I had nothing to do but turn to them and let the power fade, leaning against my sword as I did.

"Getting in some training?" Nora wondered. "Mind if we join you?"

"Of course not." Ruby kicked my shin. "Don't treat her like that."

I moved the sword so it rested against my shoulder but at the same time I said "harder."

I set the tip of my shield in the dirt and didn't get any complaints, just a mild glare. "How do we want to do things?"

"Nora and I against the two of you?" Ren proposed to a general agreement.

The new kid came waltzing down the steps of the house and plopped down to watch us fight. I stood next to Ruby charging my semblance while she took potshots at their attempts to approach us. Once I had it I engaged Nora in a rush, blocking incoming grenades with my shield until I could get an attack off with my semblance which she tried desperately to avoid.

In the meantime Ruby used her speed to overwhelm Ren in addition to her incredible range. They matched our tempo and gave up their assault and went onto the defense to try and manage my semblance. They regrouped and Ruby and I made to corner them against the far edge of the yard so that I could get an attack off with my semblance.

They timed me out and when my power faded Ruby and I were forced back on the defense. My semblance timed the ebb and flow of the match and allowed us to dictate when we would attack but was also clear when we were at more of a disadvantage. We traded partners and I shoved Ren back with my shield.

"Do you intend to just camp us out with your semblance."

"It's a legitimate strategy." I shoved against his blades. "Besides you're not using your semblance against us."

He closed his eyes and I felt his aura wash over me. Anger flooded through me. Directionless and without real purpose for this fight. Then I felt it fade as I made to hack at him with what was probably too much aggression.

"That's why. My ability to control another's emotions is beyond the scope of even the most extensive training match."

He made to sweep my leg but I blocked low with the shield and ate a punch to the face. He maneuvered a dagger behind my shoulder and shoved his hip into my side and threw me to the ground over his body. It was very fancy and I'm sure he practiced it a lot but all it really did was activate my semblance and put him on the back foot.

"Keep Nora out of the way!" I called to Ruby. She blocked any attempt by Nora to approach and help mitigate my semblance. I had him cornered and I had resources.

I jumped in place like I was going to hammer him with my sword or shield and when he blocked high I went low, I swept his feet out from under him and jumped bringing the sword down on his falling form with both hands for real.

I knocked the aura out of him with the charge and that seemed to be the end of our match.

"From what I remember you've all shown signs of improvement." Oscar said to the side. As though I had anywhere to go but up from where I'd been at Beacon. "Have you given any thought to what Ozpin said about fighting without your weapons?"

"Some." Pyrrha had trained me in fisticuffs a little and I roomed with Ren who was a martial artist. He didn't need the help with that. Instead he went to meditate and recover his aura.

"What about you, Ms. Rose."

"I already told you to call me Ruby. And I suppose we could do a few rounds. Are you joining us."

"That was our hope. I mean my hope. I meant it was Ozpin's plan and I'm going along with it."

I stepped to the side with Nora and watched the two go at it for a while. "Man, Oz wasn't kidding. Oscar is picking up on this stuff fast."

Oscar hit Ruby in the face. "Oh my gosh I'm so sorry." He'd need to get over hitting women though.

That sounded really bad but it would only get him hurt worse in my experience. Estrogen was a hell of a drug and huntresses weren't no joke. True to form, Ruby knocked him off his feet.

"Yes! I did it!" Ruby celebrated. "Oscar?"

"Why didn't you tell me?" Oscar said to the air from his position on the ground. He must be having some half-private conversation with Ozpin, then. He got to his feet and his eyes glowed slightly in that way which indicated Ozpin was taking over. "Not bad Ms. Rose. But Oscar doesn't have the years of training that you do. Or I do." He closed his eyes and green waves washed over him, his aura coming into place.

"Oh, well maybe we should take a break" Ozpin just raised Oscar's fists at Ruby's words.

When they clashed again, they spared only briefly before he ended things with a headbutt.

"Next time you throw a left cross remember to push off with the appropriate foot. And as always do be aware of openings."

Ruby moaned in the dirt.

Qrow rolled up to me. "You ready to go kid?"

I watched Oscar collapse as Ozpin released him . "Yeah, it's about that time."

pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq pq

-WG