Continent of Sanus: Amity Colosseum
Calamity strikes in the Vytal Festival tournament for the close friends and loved ones of Team CFVY's Coco Adel and Yatsuhashi Daichi as the second year students are beaten easily by Mercury Black and Emerald Sustrai of Haven Academy. Unfortunately, the favorites of the match were also dominated in humiliating fashion, with Emerald sneaking off into the forest, while Mercury toyed and dealt with the opponents. Coco's long range weapon, her signature handbag-gatling gun 'Gianduja' kept the gray haired boy in the run, but ultimately could not land a single shot, while Yatsuhashi's massive sword 'Fulcrum' has slightly more success, and yet it too does not make a significant difference, with Mercury being too fast for the gatling's fire rate and too elusive for close range combat against the ginormous sword. Soon enough, the times for games are over and the villainous teenagers must wrap up the match and show everyone watching that they are on another level from your typical student…
"No way..." Link growls, balls up both fists, and helplessly watches Coco fly out of a forest, land right next to Yatsuhashi, and lie in defeat. Meanwhile, their opponents walk back to them with cocky grins plastered on both of their faces
"And with an amazing upset, Emerald and Mercury are victorious!" Doctor Oobleck sternly shouts into his microphone
"Coco?" Velvet gasps and covers her mouth, while Fox is speechless, both are in shock and awe, having just witnessed the destruction of their teammates
(The worst part is they were going easy on Coco and Yatsuhashi too.) Link narrows his eyes. (Looks like I'm not the only one who's gotten stronger since the last time we saw one another.)
"Hey." Ruby asks as she uses her elbow to nudge Link. "Psst!"
"Yes?" Link turns to his right. "Something on your mind, Ruby?"
"Always." She giggles. "Look, I know you're gonna go check on team CFVY because... Well you are you after all, the nicest guy ever. I was wondering, can you come over to our dorm when you're done, okay?"
"Are you guys planning something?" Link grins. "Torchwick is already in custody and there haven't been any crimes committed recently."
"As cool as that would be, it is not exactly something that big, it's just gonna be Yang, myself and my Uncle Qrow."
"Ruby!." Yang roughly nudges her sister. "It was meant to be a family only thing. Weiss is going to spend time with her sister and Blake is going to go tk the carnival with Sun and his team."
"Ouch." Link places his hand over his heart. "It's okay, I can see where I'm not wanted."
"Yang!" Ruby responds by punching her sister's arm
"Ow!" Yang frowns but then glances at Link. "Ahhhh don't do this to me, you're gonna make me feel bad."
"Hm?" Link looks around. "O-Oh you thought I was being serious. If you actually don't want me there, it's okay... Trust me."
"Fiiiiiine. You can come join us." Yang rolls her eyes. "There's no telling how much time Qrow is going to stick around, don't take all day."
"O-Okay." Link slowly nods. "I will head over as soon as I can."
"Cool." Yang nervously nods, then makes things even more awkward by getting up and walking away rapidly
"What just happened?" Link asks. "Did I upset her?"
"No no, Yang's kind of weird sometimes." Ruby says with a big smile on her face
"I'll see you in fifteen, maybe twenty minutes after we head back to Beacon." Link mumbles as Velvet and Fox stand up
"Sure thing." Ruby's smile fades as she smiles
"Link… Good luck." Weiss speaks up while her eyes lock onto Velvet. "Losing is never fun and when we lose, it damages our confidence and Coco appears to operate completely on confidence."
"Right, I don't know if they need words of encouragement or someone simply to be there for them, but I will do my best. Thank you, Weiss." Link nods
"Of course." Weiss nods back
"What she said is spot on." Blake mumbles. "Team CFVY was expected to go far and the favorites to win for sure, I can only imagine those two are feeling."
"I will take that into consideration, thanks Blake." Link nods and waves goodbye to three fourths of team RWBY, then follows Velvet, who trails behind Fox
Beacon Academy: The Courtyard
Fox Alistair, Velvet Scarlatina, and Link wait at the entrance of the school, having flown on a separate ship from Coco and Yatsuhashi to wait for them directly in front of the prestigious academy
"Are you sure?" Velvet asks Fox, who nods without saying a single word
"Even if they did immediately come here, it should not have taken this long." Link paces around. "I know they're probably hurting, but-!"
"Don't even say it."
The normally fearless and proud team CFVY leader's voice is heard as she and Yatsuhashi walk up to them. Both of the second year students nod and smile at Velvet and Fox, but those smiles quickly fade when they eye Link
"Go on then, let us have it, kid." Coco sighs
"What?" Link shakes his head. "I'm not going to tear you down after a loss Coco. You guys fought well and tried your best."
"Oh good." Coco nods. "So why are you here?"
"Ouch." Link chuckles. "First Yang doesn't want me to visit her, Ruby, and their uncle. Now you're being harsh too."
"Sorry." Coco shrugs, "I guess I'm-! Um, I don't know what to feel. We got stomped and it wasn't even close."
"We underestimated them." Yatsuhashi mumbles. "They looked strong, yes. But I would have never expected that much skill and experience from a first year team."
"You had no way of knowing how strong they were." Velvet softly mumbles. "It will be okay, I promise."
"Considering this was the first time we ever heard their names, you're right." He nods. "We need to bounce back from this and come back stronger."
"I could not agree any more.." Coco nods, "Now hold that thought, it's my turn." The dejected leader motions to Yatsuhashi and Velvet to remain quiet, by raising her hand and slowly lowering it, "Answer the question, elf boy. Why are you really here?" She waves her hand in Link's face
"Oh..." Link nods. "I suppose that it's simple really, I'm here for you guys if you need support. I know if I lost against team SLVR, at least one of you would've been waiting for me here or at the ships."
"Right." Yatsuhashi nods
"Of course." Velvet follows suit and nods as well
"Well thanks, but no thanks." Coco smiles. "I appreciate the concern and care, I just need a long nap."
"Who am I to stop you then?" Link backs away and points towards the school. "Feel free to walk away whenever you'd like to."
"Enough of the sass." Coco walks by and with the little strength she has left, punches Link's arm
"Come on Coco." Yatsuhashi leads the way and heads for the entrance, followed by Fox and Velvet, who follow closely behind
"Umm, no. Not you." Coco stops dead in her tracks, grabs Velvet's arm and holds her back
"Yes, Coco? Is something wrong?" Velvet looks at her leader with concern. "Did you change your mind?"
"No, but do stick around for a bit, I have to talk to this guy first." Coco nods at Link as she lets go of her rabbit faunus teammate
"This guy?" Link scoffs. "When you're tired, even your snarky remarks are we-!"
"Quiet." Coco cuts off Link and pulls him aside with just one pull of his arm
"Whoa! Guess your strength is still superhuman." Link chuckles. "Look Coco. Jokes aside, if you need anything or simply want to talk, I'm here."
"I know you are." Coco nods, "But trust me, I know what it's like to have all confidence and will drain out of you... It's happened before." She sighs. "What's important is this, I have bounced back and know what it takes to do the same here, what I need to talk to you about is her." She glances at Velvet, who is staring at both of them with both of her large faunus ears perked up
"I follow." Link slowly nods. "What about Velvet?"
"What about her?" Coco slaps her forehead. "Look at her, kid. She looks more miserable than me, and I was the one who got destroyed by a first year. It's obvious to me that Velvet is going to worry too much about me and Yatsuhashi."
"That's bad?" Link scratches his face in confusion
"Gah! You're hopeless." Coco laughs. "Yes it's bad. Yatsuhashi and I don't have it in us right now to keep her entertained and Fox is Fox. He's quieter than Nora's supposed not boyfriend."
"Okay, I am starting to see what you mean." Link nods
"It's sweet that she cares so much about us, but she needs... A distraction so to say. Like I said already, look at her, she's stressed out, her eyes and body language say it all. Who knows what's running through her mind? She constantly experiences being put down and seeing others around her get put down... Seeing her teammates lose, when we've been used to winning a lot, it could break her mentally. SOOO! Let us prevent that."
"By 'us' you mean me?" Link grins. "Isn't that right?"
"Yes." Coco nods. "I know it's a lot to throw on you at the last second and all, but do it for her. Yatsu and I will be fine, we need rest, recovery, and I need to study that match in depth and beat myself up until I get better."
"Yeah… Emerald and Mercury are pretty good as a duo, today was no-!" Link cuts himself off, as the thought of giving them credit sickens him
"Hm?" Coco frowns
"Nothing." Link shakes his head. "Forget the last ten seconds."
"Weirdo." Coco slaps his arm, "Anyway I have one last request as well. Don't just have it be some ten minute hang out session if you know what I mean." Her smile grows as wide as it possibly can. "Take her out on a real date, it doesn't have to be all romantically gross but, have fun, enjoy the night, all that good stuff."
"Oh boy." Link rolls his eyes. "You only want to mention that this is going to be a date now?"
"Come on." Coco lowers her sunglasses. "She likes you and I think you like her. Don't reject the possibility before you even try."
"Okay. I supposed it's been a long time coming." Link nods. (Don't reject before you even try huh? Coco should have said that to Ruby.)
"Sounds like a plan then. Come on." Coco grabs Link by the leather strap going across his chest for his scabbard and drags him back over to Velvet
"That was fast? Are you ready?" Velvet asks
"For my nap? Absolutely." Coco then shoves Link only inches away from her teammate. "The kid has something to ask you."
"W-Wait a second-!" Velvet stutters. "Coco what did you do?! You cannot-!"
"Good luck." Coco winks, slides her sunglasses upwards, and promptly walks off
"She had to make it even more awkward." Link sighs and takes a step back from Velvet. "Sorry about that."
"You're the one saying sorry?" Velvet blushes. "Link, you don't have to do anything you don't want to." She mumbles, along with a reassuring nod
"I know..." Link thinks carefully for a short period of time, to come up with the right words to say, then cracks a smile. "But I do not need a persistent Coco to help me realize that I should have asked you this sooner."
"Asked me sooner?" Velvet's cheeks start to turn red. "A-Ask what?"
"I am saying that I want to ask you, Velvet, out on a date." Link extends his open hand. "What do you say? Will you go out with me tonight? We can-!"
Velvet gasps and lunges forward to cover his mouth with one of her hands
"Link… Yes." Velvet smiles and takes his hand, while removing the other hand from his mouth. "What day did you have in mind?"
"Today." Link points to the end of the courtyard. "You and I, in the city of Vale, tonight? How does that sound?"
"T-Today?" Velvet puts her head down and thinks about her team. "I-I don't know."
"Hey." Link gives Velvet's hand a reassuring squeeze. "They will be okay, your team has lots of heart and they will bounce back from this setback. They will come back stronger in the next tournament, and I'm sure knowing that you're out enjoying yourself will only raise their spirits too."
"Are you sure?" Velvet asks
"I am positive." Link smiles
"Okay then." Velvet nods. "Tonight sounds great."
"Awesome." Link smiles, slowly lets go of Velvet's hand, and comedically interrupts their sweet moment as his eyes widen with a bit of fright. "Are we going for a fancy or casual date? Because I have no fancy clothes besides the tuxedo I wore to the dance."
"So silly." Velvet giggles, "We can go in our normal clothes."
"Great... Because I definitely threw it in my closet without hanging it either." Link lets out a sigh of relief
"Where should we meet? You know, when we're ready to go." Velvet beams. "Do you want to meet at the front of the school?"
"No no. I asked you out and I will be a gentleman and stop by your dorm to pick you up." Link nods. "Just make sure you're in your dorm, otherwise I'm going to run around Beacon like a fool."
"Thank you for giving me amazing ideas on how to mess with you. " Velvet lets out another giggle
"Coco is rubbing off on you too much." Link chuckles. "So tonight? At your dorm? Then we go out and have fun in Vale. Does that sound like a plan?"
"Yes, of course it does. I look forward to it." Velvet smiles as she looks towards the main entrance of Beacon, where Coco is 'sneakily' spying on them from behind the massive wooden doors
"That's one way to cheer her up." Link points directly at Coco and grins
Almost immediately, the leader of team CFVY scurries back inside the academy, hoping that her cover was not blown
"I look forward to tonight Velvet, we are going to have a good time." Link nods confidently
"Thank you." Velvet hesitates but then gently wraps her arms around the blonde swordsman. "I don't know how I can ever begin to repay you for.. Well, everything you have done for me."
"H-Hey." Link shakes his head. "Don't even worry about that. You being my friend makes me very happy and helps me feel good. You don't owe me anything, I promise."
Velvet smiles, happily nods at Link, and soon enough, the two of them make their way back to the school, walking side by side. Although, they do eventually go their separate ways, with the latter having agreed to meet up with Ruby, Yang, and their uncle Qrow as soon as he was done consoling and or conversing with team CFVY. The rabbit faunus on the other hand, heads right back to her team's dorm, eagerly looking forward to her date later on that night
Beacon Academy: The Dormitories, Team RWBY's dorm
The lone one person team sprints and turns down multiple hallways as he hurriedly makes his way to the dorm of his favorite team at Beacon. Despite some hesitation in having to face Qrow Branwen, a former enemy, the blonde boy feels more confident than worried knowing that Ruby and Yang will be there to keep the peace, should anything kick off
(I said fifteen or twenty but it was more like thirty minutes, damn. Hopefully, everyone is still there, at least Ruby will do.) Link eventually and at last stops his sprinting, able to slows down as he turns the corner and quietly approaches the open dorm, with the door slightly creaked open
"SOARING NINJA WINS! TOTAL ANNIHILATION!"
"What?" Link raises an eyebrow and peaks inside, catching a perfect glimpse of Yang throwing a pillow of a dog's head at Qrow
"You are the worst!" Yang balls up her hands and nearly pounds the floor
Link giggles at the blonde girl's anger and sneaks in the dorm, quietly tiptoeing as he manages to avoid being seen by Ruby, Yang, a sleeping Zwei and even Qrow
"Best two out of three?" Qrow nods at Yang, who nods back
"Hell yeah!" Yang frowns
"SO!" Ruby calls out as she sits on Yang's bed. "Uncle Qrowww, did you get in trouble with Professor Ozpin?"
"Pfft, nah." Qrow shrugs. "Me and Oz go way back, we're cool."
Yang scoffs and prepares to retort in a condescending way but Zwei jolting awake and loudly growling interrupts her, with the corgi suddenly becoming aggressive
"Grrr, ARF!"
Zwei jumps and leaps off Blake's bed towards Link, then shocks everyone by biting and clinging onto his forearm, chomping down as hard as his small teeth can
"WHOA!" Link completely falls back and slams against the floor, taken aback by the angry corgi flying towards him and not having a proper way to counter that does not involving hurting the beloved pet
"Link!?" Yang shouts, jumping in shock
"Zwei!" Ruby frowns, narrowing her eyes at the corgi
"Heh, good dog." Qrow chuckles and glares at the fallen blonde boy
Ruby jumps out of Yang's bed and sprints over to the 'scene', which is now completely different. Zwei happily sits and wags his tail while Link is slumped over on his side, dramatically pretending he is unconscious
"Ow." Link sits up and shoots a glance at Zwei. "Good one, flawless take down."
"You okay?" Ruby asks. "You're not gonna pull out of the tournament now, are you?"
"Very funny." Link chuckles. "Yes, I'm okay. Good thing these gauntlets are thick leather WITH metal underneath them."
"Bad dog Zwei!" Yang scolds the now sad Zwei, who lowers his head and lets out a low whine as the corgi slumps to the ground
"His behavior should be rewarded, actually." Qrow rolls his eyes. "That could've been anyone sneaking into your dorm."
"Yeah b-but… Zwei knows Link!" Ruby kneels down and softly pets the dog. "We all went on a tough mission together."
"He may not know me as well as we think." Link chuckles. "It's okay though, who could stand mad at him?"
"No, it's not okay." Yang shakes her head but this time her attention switches towards Link. "Zwei does know you, the real question is why were you sneaking in here?"
"Ummm, well you see... The thing is." Link scratches his head. "I may have told Ruby I was going to be here sooner, so I was trying to sneak in here and play it off like you guys never noticed me and I've been here the whole time."
"You can't afford to look bad, huh?" Qrow shrugs. "So, why is he here?"
"Well then, that's three times today." Link looks around with a confused expression
"This was your genius plan, sis?" Yang laughs. "I cannot believe I didn't see this coming any sooner. You want Link and Uncle Qrow to get to know each other some more. So during our limited time with uncle Qrow, you're shoehorning Link into the picture."
"Yes?" Ruby nods along. "That was the idea."
"Oh really? We're supposed to get to know each other some more?" Qrow smirks and glances at Link. "You gonna tell me your story now? Specifically what I want to know about certain events?""
"No." Link replies coldly. "Who do you think you are?"
"My point exactly." Qrow turns his back on the three students
"Did you watch my match?" Link asks. "That will give a better idea as to how to-!"
"No." Qrow replies with the same amount of bluntness. "I don't have time to study some kid in the tournament."
"There you go." Link looks at Ruby. "We tried getting to know each other and it didn't work out as well as you would have hoped."
"Grrr…" Ruby blushes in embarrassment and turns to completely face her uncle. "Wait a minute, you didn't watch Link's match? But why?"
"You can't be serious Uncle Qrow, it was the best fight of the first round and probably the best of the tournament when it's all said and done." Yang scoffs
"Fine, I caught the replay, and I won't lie, you looked impressive kid…" Qrow smirks. "More than those two at least."
"HEY!" Ruby growls and slaps Qrow across the back of his head
"Ow." Qrow frowns. "Knock it off."
"Now you're just being overly generous." Yang rolls her eyes
"Yeah sure, if it helps you sleep at night." Qrow reaches for his flask
"Grr..." Yang frowns
"Thanks, I guess. " Link chuckles. "But if you must know, I was here for Ruby and Yang, then Yang didn't want me here, so I guess I'm just here for Ruby." He stands and dusts himself off, then walks over to sit on Blake's bed
"As long as you're not here to just insult my age, whatever." Qrow nods his head in Yang's direction. "I'm tired of snot nosed brats making fun of me."
"You ask for it by just being you." Yang sticks out her tongue whilst laughing
"Anywayyy, speaking of being here." Ruby takes her previous spot, sitting on Yang's bed, "What are you doing here anyway uncle Qrow? I thought Dad said that you would be on a mission, for like... Ever."
"Well..." Qrow turns back to the holographic screen in front of himself and his oldest niece, the older huntsman focuses when the game begins and the words 'READY? FIGHT!' blare, starting the round. "A professional Huntsman like myself is expected to get results, as soon as possible."
"Yeeeeaaaah, I get that." Ruby scoffs. "We're pretty much pros too."
"Oh really?" Qrow chuckles
"Pfft, yeah." Yang smirks. "Read the news sometime. We totally saved Vale while you were gone."
"Saved?" Link raises his hand. "I wouldn't say that. More like we-!"
"Duh! Yeah." Yang shakes her head. "We were awesome!"
"Riiight." Link nods. "Totally."
"Don't shut him down for questioning your so-called 'facts'. Last I heard, Vale suffered major damage from a Grimm attack, after you almost managed to stop a train."
Qrow smiles and leans over to Yang as 'SOARING NINJA WINS! TOTAL ANNIHILATION!' is heard once again, prompting the older man to nudge his niece's shoulder with his elbow
"But they don't give out medals for almost." He winks
"They do." Ruby widely smiles as she looks at Link. "And they're called SLVR."
"I thought Yang was the one with bad jokes." Link quickly buries his face in both hands. "But I suppose it is relevant."
"You're on thin ice, Link." Yang shrugs. "Back on topic! We helped take down Roman Torchwick! He's locked up in Ironwood's ship and crime's been down ever since! That's basically a bounty mission!"
"Yang?" Link raises an eyebrow in confusion. "I don't think you're familiar with a bounty-!"
"Thinner ice." Yang aggressively points her index finger at the blonde boy
"Duly noted." Link sighs
"Listen to this one more." Qrow nods at Link. "Because sure, you two may be acting like Huntresses but you're not thinking like one. No matter how good you, Yang or this kid are, you really think four girls and their friends could end all crime in the Kingdom of Vale?"
"W-Well..." Ruby taps her index fingers together, blushing in embarrassment. "I did until you said that."
"Violence hasn't dropped since Roman Torchwick got nabbed; it's stopped, completely. No White Fang activity around the city at all." Qrow extends his legs and tosses his head back, showing no interest in playing another round. "You cut off the head of a King Taijitu, but now the second head is calling the shots. That's what Ironwood can't get through that thick metal head of his."
(Does he mean Cinder?) Link growls, (This is it, I can tell them all right now, and with Qrow having a connection to Ozpin, something can be done.) He smiles and tries to speak casually, but for some reason, the words will not come out. His throat feels swollen, with a numb tongue, and soon enough doubt starts to creep in. (Come on, say something!)
"Hey." Qrow glances to his right, directly at the one person team. "You okay?"
"Hm?" Link shakes his head and snaps back to reality. "Yeah... I was… Just thinking about Ironwood, that's all."
"Right. I forgot you were on Jimmy's bad side too."
"Yes, it's very... Complicated." Link shrugs
"When it comes to that guy, nothing is ever simple." Qrow rolls his eyes
"Of course it isn't." Link sighs as he leans back and lies on Blake's bee. "Go on. I didn't mean to interrupt."
"Where even was I?" Qrow rubs his chin
"Ironwood. Thick metal head." Link mumbles
Whilst he lays in the cat faunus' bed, the blonde boy completely forgets about the eager corgi who just attacked him. Zwei eagerly jumps on his leg and first smells his pouch full of weapons, then moves on to the previously mysterious canteen, which has seen been explained with its previous owner being a dear friend to Link
"Arf!" Zwei barks as he sniffs the canteen
"You're forgiven Zwei." Link brushes him away. (What's he getting so worked up about?)
"So how do you know the General?" Yang asks while exchanging looks with Ruby
"Well enough, that's just how I am. I know everybody to some extent. Heh…" Qrow nods. "Remember, you're talking to a member of the coolest team that graduated Beacon!"
Qrow reaches into his right pocket and pulls out a photo, then shows it to Yang and Ruby. The photo is of the older huntsman's team during his days of attending Beacon. On the far left is Summer Rose, Ruby's mother. To her right is Taiyang Xiao Long, the father of both Ruby and Yang. Next to his right is Raven Branwen, Yang's mother, and all the way on the far right is Qrow, the four of them pose happily, with Summer, Taiyang, and Qrow smiling, while Raven grins
"Ah, Team STRQ…" Qrow sighs with a big smile visible on his face. "That's where I met your parents. We were pretty well known back in the day."
"..." Yang's eyes widen as she focuses on the third person in the picture, which makes Qrow cover her face with his thumb
"Yeahhh, more like well known for crummy fashion sense!" Ruby cackles
"Hey, we looked good! And I have a number of inappropriate stories to back that up!" Qrow raises his eyebrows suggestively but suddenly pulls the picture back when Yang's eyes are still locked onto her mother. "However, none of those stories are meant for today. Maybe another time, let's give it a few more years when you're older."
"Gross." Ruby cringes
"Huh?" Yang shakes her head and turns to her sister. "Did you say gross? You shouldn't tell others about gross, when you and Li-!"
"Shut up!" Ruby launches a pillow right at her sisters head and connects perfectly
"Ahh!" The blonde girl giggles
"Kid." Qrow reaches over and taps Link on the leg as he waves the picture towards him
"Yes?" Link sits up and gets a quick look at team STRQ. (Ruby and Yang look exactly like their mothers. Although-!)
Before he can continue internally speaking, another bark consumes the entire room, ending the currently vocal conversation between Qrow and Ruby, while interrupting Link and Yang, who are thinking to themselves
"ARF!" Zwei nudges the canteen on Link's left hip with his nose
"How can I help you?" Link unhooks the canteen from its strap and moves it further away from Zwei. "Ray did love animals, especially dogs and horses. I see her presence attracts them too. Are you thirsty?"
"No way, he just stuffed his face earlier." Yang shakes her head. "Food, water, and treats."
"Hm?" Qrow narrows his eyes. "Why don't you give some water to him anyway? A couple of drops and he'll be satisfied."
"Huh?" Link raises an eyebrow. "I don't know… I'm not a wimp about germs or anything but-!"
"Just do it, how could you resist that face?" Ruby smiles as she points at Zwei, who has his ears raised and all of his attention on Link's 'water' supply
"Okay, why not?" Link slowly nods and hesitantly unscrews the cap
The second he completely unscrews the cap, Link's heart skips a beat as it only takes milliseconds for the strong alcohol to hit his nose and realize that his canteen does not have water at all
(Oh no… All eyes are on me too, there's no getting out of this one.)
"Heh, would you look at that, I was right." Qrow sniffs loudly and smells the strong alcohol. "You're tempting me to go to a bar right now, kid."
"Shush." Link shrugs
"Is uncle Qrow right?" Yang turns to him. "What do you have in there?"
"Nothing." Link shakes his head, closes up the canteen, and shoots a nasty frown at her. "It's none of your business either."
"Whoa, relax." Yang chuckles nervously. "Why so defensive?"
"Oh…" Link sighs and attempts to plaster a fake grand smile on his face. "Sorry Y-Yang."
"Kid, just give it up, you can get it past them for sure, but you'll never convince me that what you have in there is water." Qrow shrugs. "Fess up and we can all have a big laugh about it."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Link thoroughly screws the cap back on the canteen tightly
"Okay Link, relax. We're just asking questions, but-!"
Ruby cuts herself off to spring out of Weiss' bed, dash forward and make her best attempt at snatching the canteen out of her friend's hands
"What the hell Ruby!?" Link inadvertently crashes back against Blake's bed as the silver eyed girl recklessly charges into him to steal the canteen, secure it in her grasp, and toss it behind her, specifically towards Qrow
"Got it." Qrow catches the homemade item with only one hand, does not even have to open it to know what is inside. Shaking the canteen only surprises him even further. "Do you down this in one day kid? You'd be crazy"
"Ruby..." Link growls and sits up with one the girl's arms interlocked with his. The boy's anger begins to rise when he sees the canteen of his deceased friend is now in the hands of a stranger. "Get. Off. Me… Please."
"S-Sure." Ruby gets off the bed, backs away, and nearly stumbles back onto Weiss' bed from how many steps backwards she takes
"He did say Ray earlier and that canteen once belonged to her…" Yang gasps as she can feel Link's anger desperate to come out. "Oh crap."
"You haven't answered my question." Qrow returns the nasty frown
"Uncle Qrow." Ruby shakes her head. "Abort mission, this was not the right thing to do."
"Shhh, quiet kiddo. The adult is speaking." Qrow maintains eye contact with the angry blonde. "Say something."
"Maybe I need help coping with my past demons, okay? And maybe I'm not as strong emotionally as I portray to my friends. In fact, I am anything but strong. " Link extends his left hand, "There is your answer, now give me my friend's canteen back. Now."
"Or what?" Qrow narrows his eyes
"You don't want to find out." Link grits his teeth. "I also do not want to pick a fight with anyone if I can avoid one, especially the uncle of two of my closest friends."
"Now is not the time to push his buttons, uncle Qrow." Yang frowns. "Give it back to him."
"Why should I?" Qrow chuckles as he tightens his grip on the canteen and continues speaking. "I could take this up with Oz instead. A minor sneaking and drinking alcohol on campus. That wouldn't bode you very well, now would it?"
Link clenches his jaw, body tenses up, and his anger is long past simmering and more or less edging towards boiling. But suddenly, a sweet, familiar voice in his head calms him down entirely
"Y-You will need something to store your water or alcohol in." The familiar voice rings inside the blonde boy's head
(W-What?) Link looks around, searching for the voice he instantly recognizes. (Ray?)
"Hiya." A soft giggle is heard
(N-No... you're dead.) Link mumbles, he hears the voice clearly but cannot see the deceased girl
"Maybe I am… But I will always be by your side." Ray giggles
(I wish you really were by my side at this moment.) He sighs
"Look deeper into your heart and you'll easily find me, silly."
"Are you even listening to me kid?" Qrow snaps his fingers
"Huh?" Link blinks rapidly, then sighs as the voice disappears. (It may not have been long, but hearing you again was nice… Ray.)
"I guess I'll just have to take this with me then." Qrow mumbles
"No." Link shakes his head and calmly suppresses the anger. "You won't be taking anything."
"He doesn't lose his cool right away, at least there's that." Qrow smirks and lightly tosses the canteen up in the air
"You think that's funny?" Link catches the canteen and rests it against his left leg
"No, it's not funny at all." Qrow shakes his head. "That was a test. To see if you'd lose your cool as quickly as Yang. But clearly you're different and it wouldn't be easy to identify your biggest weaknesses."
"Great. I hope you had fun with your experiment." Link turns his head to the right and stares at the window
"Still stubborn." Qrow rolls his eyes. "But like I said, at least you aren't like-!"
"WE GOT IT." Yang growls
"Guysss." Ruby groans. "This is where we interrogate Link."
"I would appreciate it if you didn't." Link mutters
"Too bad." Ruby narrows her eyes. "So! Why do you have a full container of alcohol on you?"
"You want the real answer? I don't even remember getting this." Link shakes his head, "I have moments where my emotions overwhelm me, whether it is anger or sadness is irrelevant... I lock myself away from the world and deal with it head on, these moments usually only last a few minutes. And yet, those few minutes feel like hours because I'm at my lowest and I just want to curl up in a ball and forget about everything. On a few occasions I may black out too."
"That does not explain the alcohol." Qrow mumbles as he pulls out his flask and takes a big gulp
"Uncle Qrow!" Ruby shouts
"What? I'm not wrong."
"Could you at least not drink in front of him?" Yang asks. "Isn't that like taunting?"
"I am not addicted to alcohol." Link grumbles
"You could have fooled me." Yang winks
"Of course you were being sarcastic." Link sighs. "Look, I know a guy in Vale, he owns a bar and let's just say during one of those days where I snuck out of class to go into the city just to clear my head." His head drops. "Qrow, you're still a stranger to me, so today it's the summarized version. A group of ten or fifteen shady guys were trying to rob this bar owner... They looked similar to Junior's people." The boy turns to Yang and Ruby. "You might have fought them before."
"Gotcha, they're easy." Yang smiles. "I bet you could wipe them out faster than me."
"Perhaps." Link weakly grins. "The owner, who's name is Shane, was fighting them off pretty well but he is only one person. That and he isn't a professional or even amateur huntsman, I'm not sure if he has even unlocked his aura yet."
"And you got there in time to save the day." Ruby nods her head in excitement
"I guess you can say that." Link nods back. "Ever since then, he's allowed me to come in and drink whenever I wanted, despite obviously being a minor and recognizable from Beacon Academy."
"What's the name of this bar?" Qrow asks
"No comment." Link replies. "The night before my match with team SLVR, I remember leaving my dorm, and then before I could even blink it was morning and I was in bed. You could say I blacked out."
"Something a liar would say." The older man rolls his eyes
"I do not benefit from lying, but I understand why it sounds untrue and bizarre." Link sighs. "Report me to Ozpin if you want, I will take my chances."
"Shut up." Qrow smirks and shakes his head. "You're okay for now. If you get caught, make sure it's Oz or Glynda and not Jimmy who catches you with that."
"Please, I'm the last of his concerns right now." Link shrugs
"So why is it not that way for you?" Qrow asks. "Why do you seem… Obsessed?"
"I..." Link shuts his eyes. "It's not about Ironwood specifically. I have some theories about an Atlas soldier that I directly connect with something big, but I lack the evidence to point fingers at a certain person. All I know is that they were tall, let's leave it at that... For now at least."
"Fine." Qrow waves him off as he stands up and walks towards the door, "Anyways, I'm too old to be hanging out with a bunch of kids. You're gonna cramp my style." He stops at the doorway and looks back, Yang sits cross legged on the floor, Ruby is on Weiss' bed, Link resting on Blake's bed and Zwei lies next to Link, still sniffing the canteen, "You've caught my interest Mr. One Person Team, you're good, and nothing like what Oz described. He made you sound generic and bland, but maybe that's just strategic on his part. Although just because you're a step ahead of your fellow underclassmen, that does not mean you get to kick back and scrape by, all three of you still have a long way to go..." The huntsman turns completely with his index finger raised, "And don't think for a second that graduating means you're done."
"Mhm." Ruby nods, with a big smile on her face
"Every day out there is worth a week in this place, no matter how hard you work." Qrow turns to Yang, "How much you study and adjust," He turns to Ruby, "Or how naturally advanced you already are." The final glance goes to Link. "All of you in here are gonna go far. But only if you keep learning, if you never stop moving forward. No matter what's happened in your past or what's happening now, if you let yourself get captured and engulfed in anything negative, your road to recovery is downright impossible."
Qrow Branwen does not say another word as he wraps up his parting words and exits the dorm, giving both of his niece's one last glance before taking off completely
"And with that being said…" Yang extends her hand towards Link. "One canteen please. No judgment here, it doesn't matter how you got the stuff, it needs to be dumped and in a discreet location too."
"Yang..." Ruby mumbles
"No, no. She's right." Link nods, grips the canteen and slowly extends his arm. "If Ray knew about this and how much losing her has taken its toll on me, she would probably beat me into submission right now... Or she'd slap me really hard."
"She sounds even cooler the more you describe her." Yang smiles as she holds back a tear and takes the canteen, "Give me a few minutes." She nods to the other blonde and her sister, before running off
"W-Whoa..." Link blinks. "Does speed run in the family?"
"Excuse me?!" Ruby gasps dramatically as she stands and stomps her feet against the floor. "How dare you compare our speed."
"Right." Link chuckles nervously. "In all seriousness though, Ruby. I'm sorry for almost-!"
"Don't apologize." Ruby quickly cuts off her friend. "I am sorry. I was in the moment and only thinking about your well-being because I see what alcohol does to uncle Qrow and I don't want the same to happen to you. I completely forgot that your canteen belonged to Ray, and I completely-!"
Link rises to his feet and before Ruby can continue rambling, he wraps his arms around her and delivers a tight hug, which immediately calm down the young, silver eyed leader
"It's okay." Link whispers in Ruby's ear. "Considering how things played out, it was better for you to take the canteen by force than Qrow, who knows where that could have gone?"
"Oh no, let's not even think about it." Ruby rolls her eyes whilst wrapping her arms around Link. "Beacon would fall."
"I wouldn't go that far but… Perhaps." He laughs as he slowly breaks away from the hug. "So, that's what it's like to be around Qrow, he humiliates, teases, and lectures you?"
"Pretty much." Ruby nods with a big smile on her face
"Is your dad any similar?"
"Uhhh... Yes, but a lot less alcohol and dirty innuendos, far too many dad jokes though." Ruby looks over at Zwei and sighs. "Are you sure your arm is okay?"
"For sure." Link nods. "Your dog isn't that strong any-!" He stops himself and wags his finger, "He took me down to the ground, so never mind what I said."
"Yesss, fear my dog!" Ruby giggles
"Heh, I should." Link's smile fades. "Sorry to bring down the mood but I need to tell someone."
"Please, share." Ruby does not break away from the hug and holds onto him. "Do it or else you're stuck with me for the day."
"I hope you realize that is not a bad thing." Link chuckles
"GAH! Just speak!" Ruby groans
"Okay, okay!" Link sighs. "I almost lost my cool on your uncle, but then I heard Ray's voice. I couldn't see her but I heard her. She said hi, I brushed it off, thinking my mind was playing cruel games on me, but it felt… Real, too real to deny. Ray kept telling me she was by my side and it felt extremely relaxing."
"Awww, you could have taken all that credit for yourself and you're giving it to Ray, that's so sweet." Ruby giggles
"You bet I am." Link slowly nods. "I only got to hear her voice. What was it like… Seeing her with your own eyes."
"O-Oh!" Ruby whispers. "I see… Well. It didn't feel real. I was in a magical world and hadn't even realized I had died, but she felt majestic. It was like an instant feeling of warmth hit me when she spoke. To be honest with you, I wish I got to speak with Ray more, she seemed really nice and sweet."
"Me too." Link smiles and gently squeezes on the girl's shoulders. "Thank you, Ruby. I was expecting your answer to make me sad but it was heartwarming and uplifting. You always know what to say to make someone feel better, without trying too. It all comes straight from the heart."
"Heck yeah! Thank you!" Ruby happily nods and loosens her grip on the hug. "Do you mind if I switch the topic?"
"Not at all." Link nods
"OKAY! Soooo, are you excited for the next round?" Ruby claps her hands together. "Oooh, what if you get matched with Yang and Weiss?"
"With the chaotic nature of my match with team SLVR, at this point nothing would shock me. If it's Weiss and Yang, better them than you… Just kidding, I wouldn't want to fight them." Link chuckles. "Speaking of that, why were you excluded? I understand being outvoted, but you are the team leader after all."
"We agreed that in order for team RWBY to have the best chance at winning the tournament, we would go with the strongest members." Ruby nods and impatiently taps her foot against the floor
"On paper they look like the strongest sure. Yang has the most powerful hands and Weiss is Weiss, where do I even begin there."
"What do you mean?" Ruby turns her head in confusion
"I mean that she's great." Link beams, "I wouldn't even know how to approach her glyphs and she's got every variation of dust at her disposal with a simple chamber cycle on her sword. Any pairing with her is probably a winning team… Attitude aside." He chuckles. "Although, she has become nicer recently? I think."
"Yeahhh, a little bit." Ruby covers her mouth to hide more giggling. "One day, she'll be happy, fun Weiss twenty-four seven."
"I cannot wait for that." Link warmly smiles, "As I was saying, Weiss and Yang do seem like the best duo, but if I had a good look at you four with scouting, I'd fear you and Blake more." He watches Zwei carefully as the corgi jumps on Blake's bed and curls up on the cat faunus' bed, "Your speed would be too much for an adversary, and I'm talking about you alone. Imagine your speed combined with Blake's? Forget about it. It's nothing against Weiss or Yang either, but when it comes to chemistry and match ups, they are probably the 'worst' pairing... Despite still being a good pair. I guess that shows how good the four of you are."
"I'm glad you think that." Ruby smiles. "Now say all of that to Yang and I want a front row seat."
"Absolutely not." Link shakes his head
"Lameee." Ruby blushes. "But fair. Just because it may be true doesn't mean it needs to come out."
"Well said." Link nods as they both awkwardly look around the dorm, now oddly avoiding each other's eyes. "Is there any critique on my fight or how I fight?"
"I thought you'd never ask!" Ruby jumps back and sits on Weiss' bed once more, "You're too brash for someone who is on their own, you barely use your bow-crossbow weapon, in which the rifle works well now, thanks to both of us. The rifle is SUPER awesome but nobody knows that except me and I think Pyrrha. Your throwing knives are a bit anticlimactic, it only takes a few throws to realize they're just decoys unless you actually strike... Which is rare with your aim. Annnnnnnnnnnnnd, you waste too much aura, but that can probably be attributed to having faced four people."
"Gee, I expected a few words, not a lecture. Thanks Weiss." Link jokingly rolls his eyes. "But in all seriousness, thank you. I will take your critique to heart and improve myself."
"You guys are so lame, you know that?" Yang knocks on the door and reveals herself. "I sneak back to try and eavesdrop, hoping for some juicy details or maybe to see if you two would reconcile and finally date... Or anything really. Instead, here you are talking about the tournament."
"Be realistic sis, what else would we talk about?" Ruby waves off her sister. "We're in the middle of the tournament after all."
"You still don't get it." Yang sighs in defeat. "Oh well, maybe some other time. In the meantime… Catch!" She lightly tosses the empty canteen back its new owner
"Hey!" Link jumps and comfortably catches it. "I'm really tired of people throwing my property around like they own it or as if it were nothing important."
"Sorry." Yang walks towards Ruby but then drops to the ground in a seated position with a scroll now visible in her hand. "Wanna play a round?"
"As tempting and fun as it looks, I will politely decline." Link nods and heads for the exit. "Thanks for having me though, even if your dog attacked me, it was actually nice being here.. Besides your uncle pushing my buttons and all."
"I'm really sorry about that." Yang shakes her head. "Uncle Qrow thinks he knows where the line is, but doesn't realize when he's already five or six steps beyond."
"Don't be sorry, it was not your doing." Link mumbles. "And… Nothing life changing came out of it so it is okay. I should head out now."
"I'll walk you out." Ruby stands and walks towards Link. "Any plans for tonight?"
"Yes, I have a-!" Link suddenly stops himself short and thinks carefully. "I HAD a plan for tonight but I might just stay in and re-watch tournament matches."
"Cool." Ruby giggles. "Just make sure you don't sleep in, you just might get called on tomorrow."
"Bye Link!" Yang waves
"I'll do my best and thank you." Link nods as he shuffles out of the room and quickly walks away
"You know your way with words, I'm impressed." Pyrrha's voice is heard as she walks behind Link, having just heard his answer regarding potential plans tonight. "Just when it seems like you get cornered, you manage to get out of it and slip away without revealing what you're really up to."
"It's not a skill, just coincidence." Link mumbles as he stops and turns to face her. "Hi Pyrrha."
"Hello, Link." She smiles
"How are you doing today?" He asks
"I am doing wonderfully, thank you." Pyrrha mumbles
"That is the best news I have heard all day." He leans forward, places a hand on her shoulder, and gives her a light squeeze
"Is that so?" The red haired girl grins. "Are you sure it isn't your plans for later?"
"Fair, but my point still stands, I'm glad you're okay." Link nods. "Now that I have you here, I should ask what you specifically thought of my performance."
"Link, you were spectacular." Pyrrha warmly smiles. "It does help that you had a slight idea as to how team SLVR were going to fight, but that does not discredit your performance at all. You used almost every weapon and item you had at your disposal very well, and you used the given terrain to your advantage as well. Considering you were at a disadvantage from the start, from having to go against four people, you delivered the best possible fight."
"Thank Pyrrha." Link returns the warm smile and gives her shoulder one last squeeze before letting go
"I hope you make it far and have an amazing tournament." She nods. "I'm rooting for you and hope for a one on one match between us. Wouldn't that make an excellent match?"
"Definitely, those were some beautiful words. I couldn't have said it any better myself." Link nods
"Thank you. I wish you luck on whatever your plans may be tonight, stay safe, and have fun Link." Pyrrha waves and walks away from Link, as she enters team JNPR's dorm which is directly across from the dorm of team RWBY
(While I do not wish to fight any of my friends, those were some sweet words from her.) Link's smile remains proudly displayed as he turns back around and walks away, heading to his dorm
Moments Later
Once he turns the corner, heads to the end of the hall, and ensures that nobody from team RWBY or JNPR can see or hear him, Link lets out a sigh whilst entering his dorm. The lock on the door, unlockable by a scroll is completely pointless now, due to Pyrrha using her semblance 'Polarity' to mess with the door and open it herself when she, team RWBY, Coco, Velvet, Sun, and Neptune broke into the blonde boy's dorm weeks ago. When Link enters, his first action is to toss the empty canteen on his bed
"If it wasn't for hearing Ray's voice, I may have actually blown up on Ruby and Yang's uncle." Link walks to the bed and angrily shakes his head as he lets himself plop down on the soft mattress, "No, no, no. I need to shake the old memories of Ray and her village for at least tonight. This night is all about Velvet, I was tasked by Coco to cheer her up, and the last thing that needs to happen is making it all about me."
Link sits up, rises to his feet, looks down at himself, and then makes the decision to remove his gauntlets and tosses them on the bed. Next, he grabs his sword, lifts it over his head and puts it down on the bed too. And so on, he removes more and more gear, from his shield, bow, quiver of arrows, and lastly, his brown pouch of projectiles and other personal items. Within a minute, everything that makes Link a warrior and currently a huntsman in training, is lying on the bed as he decides to go on this date with Velvet without any of his gear
"Done, at least now I look semi-presentable."
Link walks towards the window in his dorm and glances at his own reflection, the visual sight of his current look makes him change one more aspect of his appearance. The blonde boy decides to take off his hat and add it to the rest of his gear on the bed
"Tonight will be about Velvet, I need to make sure of that. This date is to make her happy and have a good time with her…" Link sighs. (Remember that. This is all for Velvet.)
(Ah, hello... enjoy the post, expect another one soon :P)