Being prepared for anything, even though nothing was ever feasibly a threat, sometimes carried the risk of queer, unpredictable consequences - which she was equally prepared for, if anyone asked!
Mint, standing strong - and by "strong," she of course meant flopped on the tabletop - in one of the back ends of the library, passed a questionable gaze between both Ruby, and their supposed new friend.
"Salutations, new friend!"
See?
Mint's response, predictably, had been to offer a little wave, which this "Penny" for some reason took as a sign to act. Midway through the greeting, the new girl reached over and slapped hands with her.
"High five, as they say!"
Ruby looked suitably horrified, embarrassed, disjointed, and a whole thesaurus of other exclamations for bizarre expressions and noises. Thankfully, Mint didn't care if Ruby made questionable sounds, because she didn't give the other students in Beacon enough respect to even desire their approval. All that mattered was her mission, her crew, maybe her team, and of course, Ruby and her lot - at least they were entertaining enough to keep around.
But she supposed it wouldn't hurt to add 'lacking social cues girl' to the mix. If anything, it proved how Roman's personal thorn always found the most interesting of people to befriend... even if they could be a tad unwarranted.
"Uh... Eh heh~" Under a trembling lower lip, Ruby rebuilt her previous smile with the awesome power of both toothpicks and bubble gum; fortunately for her, Mint quite enjoyed the mint flavor of the sticky wads gluing together Ruby's senses. "This is my new friend, Penny."
"Our friendship is viable!" exclaimed the newbie; hands on her hips and rocking a killer stance of sheer ultimate power - had Penny been a dude, her taint would be calling for a swift kick. But that wouldn't be fair; this one, unlike the other worthless slobs, at least made a decent entrance. They might still be friends yet.
Ruby, visually believing the situation on her end was failing, rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.
"I um... I thought it would be nice to introduce you to her."
And Mint was all the happier for it. Don't get her wrong; this bubblehead stood an acute three inches from the needle, but she was in luck, because Mint enjoyed teasing the little guys - or in this case, gals. Rolling to the side and flopping her legs over the edge, she left the comfort of the steel slab and stretched her limbs.
So far, today proved dull, and with Emmi, Merc, and even Cindy off in Vale doing who gives a damn, Mint was left all alone to wallow in her own self pity - said wallowing being to relax and bask in the sun baking her from a nearby window, without anyone or anything to disturb her first taste of peace in a while. Momentarily, she pondered if it would be good to ask how Roman was doing once Cindy got back; being stuck in Atlas custody had to suck a little at least... unless someone else was doing the sucking.
Mint genuinely had to pause her thoughts there; clearly, too much stress was building up behind the scenes, and without blood to spill or goons to kick around under heel down on the streets, she would have to find some other means of relieving herself.
An eye fell upon Penny's gleeful expression, and a sick, twisted little idea filled her head.
Casually circling companion number three, Mint gave a couple of taps against Penny's arms, followed by a sly upturn of her lip. Satisfied by the sturdiness, Mint thusly sat her tooshie back atop the table, holding up a cute little question on her scroll.
"How are you in combat?"
Penny's eyes almost looked to glow, and she stretched into a new, far more determined pose.
"I am combat ready!"
"Shh!" called today's librarian, peeking around the corner for a second and sending a small glare their way before vanishing into thin air; despite being a part of Beacon for a while now, Mint still didn't know how they did that.
"I am combat ready," Penny whispered this time, not at all altering her pose.
And so, following that joyous reply, Mint made her offer.
"How's a three-way sound?"
.
.
"A little unorthodox, but I suppose we could use an example of multi-person encounters."
Glynda Goodwitch prided herself on ensuring her students could handle anything the world tossed at them, but admittedly, when it came to combat classes and requested duels, most fights turned more towards the tournament and sports side. Personally, she felt it had been far too long since some real carnage showed itself, and with three fresh faces no less.
Ruby Rose: the prodigy leader of Team RWBY, personally chosen by Ozpin himself for her work in fending off Torchwick - although Glynda knew his decision laid more in the child's heritage than this excuse provided.
Mint Vanille: the silent offensive of Team CEMM, and if Ozpin is correct, the undercover partner of Miss Rose's grade-skipping apprehension - Glynda didn't quite trust her, but Ozpin was giving her a chance, and so Glynda would abide by his decision... for now.
Penny Polendina: An Atlesian visitor who had next to no fame or name - a wildcard by every measure, which was good, because these types often proved the most interesting of opponents.
Three Huntresses in training with three separate histories, three teams, and three levels of notoriety; oh yes, this would make for an fruitful match indeed.
The bleachers today stood at half capacity. Not unexpected, seeing as many teams wished to relax with the festival on the horizon, and those preparing for the tournament were alone and working on covert strategies. The ones watching the upcoming battle consisted of those either itching for a fight, or seeking to spy on their soon-to-be opponents. As of yet, they did not know this was a free-for-all three-way fight; that would change now.
"Attention!" Glynda bellowed, stepping off of the arena and standing before it as referee - like she always did. Ruby, Mint, and Penny each went to their assigned ends of the field, which, if her call hadn't alerted everyone to the fight's unusual nature, certainly had now. "Today's display will be a bit different than many others we've seen play out. Traditionally, these battles have followed the currently updated guidelines of tournament play, save the odd challenge here and there such as the sweep of Team CRDL by Pyrrha Nikos. This, instead, will better show how a real fight is most likely to play out."
Already, murmuring began to sing its melody over the crowd, and a few butterflies began to emerge within Miss Rose's stomach if her face was anything to go by. Penny, on the other hand, showed no emotional change whatsoever; smiling, but unnaturally stiff. Mint smirked, but such wasn't one of pure arrogance; rather, the woman seemed ready to put a plan in motion, and Glynda was prepared to step in if need be.
Tossing aside her lingering doubts of whether allowing this battle to occur was a bad call or not, she doubled down on her resolve and set things in motion.
"Despite this, the battle will still abide by our constant: competitors are defeated once their aura falls into the red, and falling out of bounds will still count for disqualification. However, for the sake of example: anything tactics or strategies that are non life-threatening is fair play. Typical acts once considered illegal play that do not meet the stated criteria will face no such regulation for this bout, and this bout alone. Let this serve as an example for all watching just what it's like to contend with a real fight; one where all is fair for the sake of survival and victory. Note that surrender will remain available to any party wishing to drop out of the match, and attacking surrendered persons will lead to an immediate disqualification."
Midway through her explanation of the rules, more students had shown up to the arena, and the seats were packed now. Someone must have spread word, because there were others clogging up the entrance, and several more squeezing into the bleachers. The Atlesian Guard weren't even able to move by now. Apparently the prospect of a "raw" duel as she was hearing regurgitated behind her attracted a fair bunch.
Everyone was ready for the battle, and only after shouting "begin!" did Glynda face something utterly baffling.
And yes, she did regret allowing this match to play out.
.
.
Immediately following the announcement "begin!" Ruby and Penny both zeroed in on her.
Mint smirked, having guessed they would both try their hand at her first. Ruby, because she just became friends with Penny, and was thus uncomfortable attacking what would normally be seen as the easy target; afraid of playing favorites and coming off the bully. Penny, because she obviously wanted a crack at her new friend, the complete opposite of Ruby, and not at all afraid of being perceived a bully because she probably didn't think that far ahead.
Maybe it was due to a sense of fairness, but Ruby didn't use her semblance to close in; instead falling into a sprint of similar speed to Penny, and with all of them on the absolute edges of the arena, it was everything Mint had hoped for. This was good, very good, because it made things all the easier for her. Miss Goodwitch, the headmaster's bitch, gave them the go-ahead to play a little dirty, and Mint was very much in a dirty mood so to speak, and it was time to expel all that tension.
Right as the pair closed the distance, Mint struck, knocking both women off their feet; funnily enough, with two distinct reactions.
Stumbling a little and nearly tipping over entirely, Ruby ended up dropping her darling Crescent Rose; perhaps out of a self-ashamed sense of cheating on the poor thing. Her hands shaking and cheeks reddening, the leader of Team RWBY struggled to mutter more than some choked gasps.
Was it shameful and cheap to pull down her top just to win a fight? Maybe a little, but Mint was too busy basking in the taste of victory on the horizon to give it all that much thought - it helped that the open air felt nice against her peaks. Flashes went off ahead, the crowd eating her plan up, as well as other obvious cat-calls, whistles, and shouts she paid little mind to. Having no qualms about her body allowed Mint to flaunt whenever she pleased, or was deemed necessary; this was both of those times, and to some extent, she'd made her mark on the school.
A very ridiculous, unforgettable mark which she knew the staff would not soon forget.
Casually strolling up with a friendly grin, Mint grabbed Ruby by both hands and began swinging her around in circles until her feet were off the ground, before letting go and watching as the stunned blushing girl went flying out the arena. Dusting off her palms, Mint then circled right back around on Penny, who showed only confusion. Having pulled up a defensive stance upon her unveiling, arms raised to block any incoming attack, Penny had now lowered her immediate defenses after receiving no direct assault.
"Friend Mint," she opened, her tone still stale, but her confusion mixed into the words themselves, "is there some strategic advantage to opening up your top? Does your semblance benefit from exposing your chest?"
Shaking her head 'no,' Mint waved Penny forward, who obeyed without question. Gently, she reached down, picking up the shockingly heavy - for her size - woman and smiling wider as she walked. This served to distract Penny, even gauging a verbal response.
"Oh, wait, is this one of those attempts to ask me to the school dance? I've studied others trying similar tactics during public events." By the time Penny had reached 'ask,' she was already on her butt just outside of the arena.
Satisfied by her perfect victory, Mint casually shoved her pears back into her bra, pulling the rest of her top back up over her shoulders, and turned around with both a victorious smirk and punching up rockstar horns. The multitude of baffled faces in the crowd had smashed any tension and stress still in her body to pieces, but most satisfying of all was the regret strewn underneath the mask of raw concentrated and apathetic disapproval worn by Professor Goodwitch.
Oh yeah, this was definitely worth taking Penny into her fold.
.
.
Whistling a sharp tune, Yang sounded way too happy as she spoke.
"And here I thought Jaune had the biggest set of balls when standing up to Cardin. But sheesh; Mint takes the cake by far."
Rumor traveled fast in Beacon, so you know when Miss Goodwitch of all people was bending the rules for a fight that it had to be good; and by golly was it good.
"H-has she no shame!?" Weiss, on the other hand, carried a far different opinion.
"Apparently not," Blake said, her eyes locked onto the scene below. "Looks like Mint's challenging Professor Goodwitch on whether to call victory or not.
"Oh that is sick!" A bit more than excitement tumbled through Yang's teeth-filled smile. "If Haven's attracting badasses like her, I'm starting to question whether Beacon is really the number one academy."
"How can you say that?!" Weiss challenged, face beet red and steam ready to whistle from her ears. "That was little more than a show of degeneracy!"
"Correction: a show of degeneracy that won the fight." Yang crossed her arms, satisfaction all over her. "Remember, the professor said anything that doesn't break the initially stated rules goes~"
"But... B-but..." Staggering, Weiss began grasping at straws. "But you sister! Are you really okay with her being... being flashed like that!?"
Spitting a small raspberry, Yang hand-waved the idea away.
"Ruby's not into gals~ And hey, so long as Mint doesn't get handsy, I see no harm in a little joke like that."
"And what if she is into "gals," huh?" Weiss countered, getting what was looking like a solid reply in return, only for Yang to pause, think about it, and take up a stagnant tone.
"We'll see."
While Weiss went through the motions of trying to understand the older sister, Blake was busy noticing how casually Mint was playing against Professor Goodwitch's nerves. Sure, she could stare her down, but their combat instructor had never seemed so... Blake supposed the word would be 'conflicted.' Everything stood a twitch away from exploding, but the professor managed to fight through whatever storm of thoughts infected her to deliver a somewhat decent response.
"Victory is awarded to Mint Vanille." And so, a resounding amount of cheers rang out, some louder than others and far less honest, until the announcer shut them up with the following, "however, in leu of the... inappropriate nature of her win, further fights of a similar setup will not permit the use of nudity or other such tactics as viable. It may have worked here, but in the real world you'll find exposure rarely evens the odds." Blake could hear the sizzling beneath every pause. "And Miss Vanille?"
Mint winked, further rattling the professor's bones, who had to actually hold off of whatever outcry hid behind her sensibilities. The silence lasted five seconds, and then Professor Goodwitch came back to life.
"Any further displays of indecency as a battle tactic trying to bend the rules will result in immediate disqualification for further matches. Do I make myself clear?"
Mint's brazen grin stretched wide, and she gave an animated thumbs up.
.
.
"I'm worried about Mint," Cinder prattled out, catching Emerald by surprise.
Such reactions were practiced, but effective enough to keep whoever may be watching on their toes.
"Why? Isn't she getting along well enough with her new buddies?"
"Aren't the RWBY brats keeping her busy?" was the actual question proposed, and while none of them favored masking their intentions all that much, it became necessary with how extreme Ozpin's eyes on them were. Beacon was packed, meaning the city of Vale should have been relatively sparse, and yet over the past few days, no matter where they traveled, a squad of soldiers would always be passing by; far from coincidence, and another sign of their partial compromisation.
Luckily, they had fallen into a quaint little fast food joint, and alongside several other students milling about, their presence was far from unfitting.
"Yes, but I'm worried she's becoming distracted." "Neo's losing focus on the mission." "She's starting to shirk her chores, and when was the last time she joined us for practice?" "She hasn't once requested updates on the plan, and has yet to report anything of value on her end."
"When was the last time practice amounted to more than just basic drills?" "Since when have we needed to update her on the plan?" Mercury chimed in.
"It would still be nice if she could show a little team spirit." "Her lack of action is suspicious." "Instead, she spends all her days with Team RWBY." "I'm concerned she may have defected to Ozpin's side and reported our presence to him through her pitiful new obsession."
"Isn't the whole reason she became a huntress to explore and meet new people?" "Wasn't it her job to keep an eye on the brats?" Emerald questioned, picking at her plate.
"I know... But I tend to worry; you know that." "I fear she might have dropped the job entirely, and we can't afford her double-crossing us." Cinder shot back, fully prepared for the day Neo inevitably tried to rebel. Granted, so far she was fitting in with the RWBY kids just fine, and seeing as Ozpin favored his silver-eyed rarity, it wasn't the end of the world. The question was: did he suspect Neo as one of theirs if he already labeled them alongside the White Fang?
The lack of confirmation, and the fact that all the soldiers so far seemed to ignore their silent companion while chasing them specifically perplexed her; again, this leaned into the betrayal route, but without any proof and Neo's willingness to obey still intact, it left nothing but unsettling questions continuously streaming through Cinder's mind.
Out of nowhere, Mercury muttered an almost aghast "woah."
"Huh... Didn't figure Mint for the exhibitionist type." "Strange, I didn't think-"
"Pardon me?" The immediate reply both Cinder and Emerald received was Mercury twisting his scroll right around, shoving forward the news he'd apparently gotten. Before them sat a single image, or to be more precise, a close up bust-shot of Neo flaunting her unprotected tea-cakes. A bright, cocky smile filled out her features, and below the black border framing the photo shined a single phrase, written in all white text.
"A couple of mints from Mint."
"Well..." Emerald, flabbergasted, spoke for all of them - especially Cinder herself - when she openly admitted, clear and casual, "I think we've left her alone too long."
"Agreed."
Cinder somehow had a feeling this would only make proceedings more difficult for their team.
Author's note
…
This was… something. Of all the things to go down, I doubt anyone expected Neo to bust out her bubbles just to win a fight. Is it a sensible thing to do? Not at all. Did it remind her of the power she once lorded over others? Maybe a little. An irritated Neo is an interesting Neo; especially one with no qualms or limits regarding specific rules, even if she seems to carry her own.
I'd say "poor Penny," had she actually carried the ability to pick up on totally negative and unacceptable social behaviors; she'll get there, I'm sure - especially with her new friends.
Glynda, being a good sport, has seemingly stomped out the possibility of a repeat in the future, but now most certainly carries an even more skewed opinion of Neo. Was Ozpin right? Can Neo be tamed into someone heroic? Or at the very least decent.
Guess you'll just have to wait and see.
Oh, and I guess Cinder and her lot are in for trouble, or whatever.
Until next time.