Neither RWBY nor Bloodborne belongs to me
It is starting to become morning, Vilhelm thought as he checked his pocket watch. I should probably start getting ready.
As he returned to his room, he noticed that while in the corridor, the snoring noises coming from JNPR's room were audible. Yet, the moment he stepped into his own room, they all but vanished.
Huh, so my room seems to be more soundproof than the others, Vilhelm thought. Well, that could be useful.
Looking around his room, Vilhelm noticed a pile of books with a few clothes next to them.
And that must be the school uniform, he thought with a frown, noticing that it lacked gloves.
Deciding that it didn't change the overall appearance too much, Vilhelm chose to simply use his own.
While looking through his schoolbooks, he noticed a stray piece of paper. Upon closer examination, it was revealed to be his schedule.
Hm, Grimm Studies with Professor Port, Vilhelm mused. Well, that could be interesting.
After putting on his school uniform, he checked his pocket watch—he had about 15 minutes until class began.
Walking past Team RWBY's dorm, he heard, for some reason, construction noises. After a quick internal debate, he decided to knock. A disheveled-looking Ruby opened the door.
"Oh, hey, Vilhelm! How can I help you?" Ruby asked.
"I actually just wanted to let you know that class starts in around 15 minutes," Vilhelm informed her.
"Oh, shoot!" was Ruby's response as she immediately vanished into her room.
Shaking his head, Vilhelm continued down the corridor, still hearing the snoring from JNPR's dorm. Thinking that he might as well, he knocked on their door. Then again. And again. Finally, just as Vilhelm was about to knock a fourth time, Jaune opened the door—Vilhelm's fist stopping just before it hit him.
"Oh, you're awake," Vilhelm said to the shocked Jaune. "Anyway, class starts in…" He took a quick glance at his pocket watch. "Twelve minutes. Good luck."
"Oh no—see you later in class!" Jaune shouted before forcefully shutting the door.
Well, Vilhelm thought. I can already tell this is going to be an exciting year.
"Monsters, demons, prowlers of the night. Yes, the creatures of Grimm have many names. But I merely refer to them as prey. Ha ha!"
Seeing the blank stares of the students, Professor Port quickly continued.
"And you shall too upon graduating from this prestigious academy! Now, as I was saying—Vale, as well as the other three kingdoms, are safe havens in an otherwise treacherous world. Our planet is absolutely teeming with creatures that would love nothing more than to tear you to pieces! And that's where we come in. Huntsmen! Huntresses…"
He winked toward Yang, which Vilhelm noted seemed to make her uncomfortable.
"Individuals who have sworn to protect those who cannot protect themselves! From what, you ask? Why, the very world itself!"
From behind, someone cheered but quickly went silent when they noticed no one else joined in.
Port moved on:
"That is what you are training to become. But first, a story. A tale of a young, handsome man—me!"
Oh, that is just wonderful, Vilhelm thought. He's going to tell some useless story, but I can't simply tune him out in case he asks questions about his overinflated tales. And to think I was actually excited for this class.
Absentmindedly, he noticed that Jaune, sitting next to him, was starting to fall asleep.
Oh no, you don't! Vilhelm thought. If I have to sit through this hell, then so do you!
With that, his leather boot found its mark on Jaune's foot, jerking him awake.
"…who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?" the professor finished.
"I do, sir!" Weiss called out in a decidedly foul mood.
"Well then, let's find out," Port said, directing their gazes toward a cage in the room. "Step forward and face your opponent."
That can't end well, Vilhelm thought, while instructing the Messengers to bring him his Evelyn. Better to have a gun at the ready.
A few moments later, Weiss stood in her combat attire before the cage, waiting for the professor to open it.
"Alright!" Port began. "Let the match… begin!"
With that, he sliced the lock containing the Grimm open. Almost immediately, a boar-like Grimm charged out of the cage. Vilhelm recognized it from the pictures littering the walls—a Boarbatusk.
As the Grimm charged at Weiss, she sidestepped and slashed at its exterior, yet it seemingly did no damage at all.
"Ha ha!" The professor laughed. "Now, you weren't expecting that, were you?"
Odeon, grant me patience. How unprofessional can a professional be? Vilhelm wondered.
"Hang in there, Weiss!" Ruby shouted.
Suddenly, Weiss leaped at the Boarbatusk, intending to skewer it whole, only for her rapier to get stuck between its tusks.
"A bold approach—I like it!" the professor said, sounding as if he were commenting on a simple tournament rather than a fight to the death.
Gods above, hear me, Vilhelm silently prayed. If you make me miss this shot, I will dedicate my existence to your eradication.
"Come on, Weiss, show it who's boss!" Ruby cheered.
Yet at that moment, the Boarbatusk ripped Weiss's rapier from its tusks and threw it across the room, ramming into her in the process.
The only thing that stopped Vilhelm from firing was hearing the professor's latest comment:
"Oh ho! Now what will you do without your weapon?"
Leveling a disbelieving glare at the professor, Vilhelm nearly missed how Weiss dodged a charge and leaped to grab her weapon.
"Weiss, go for its belly! There's no armor underneath—" Ruby began, only to be interrupted by Weiss.
"Stop telling me what to do!"
The Boarbatusk used this moment to roll aggressively towards Weiss, managing to look just as ridiculous as the thing that tried the same trick in the catacombs beneath Yharnam.
Before it could hit Weiss, it rammed into a light blue shield that appeared out of thin air, falling onto its back in the process. Weiss used that moment to jump backward, propelling herself off a similar black shield and ramming her rapier straight into the Boarbatusk's belly.
A sigh of relief escaped Vilhelm's lips, and his grip on the Evelyn lightened.
"Bravo! Bravo!" the professor called out. "It appears we are truly in the presence of a Huntress in training," he said to a panting Weiss. "I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today."
Luckily, Vilhelm thought, I doubt I could have concentrated on the lesson with that madman present.
He quickly packed his school things and made a dash for the exit—only then noticing that neither Weiss nor Ruby were anywhere in sight.
Weiss was angry. She was angry at her team for never taking anything seriously. She was angry at Ruby for being such a careless leader. But most importantly, she was angry at herself.
How could I even struggle against a Boarbatusk? she wondered. After everything I've been through, an overgrown pig shouldn't be much of a challenge. So why did I struggle so much?
Suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching, yet she decided it wouldn't be all too important—until he spoke.
"Ah, Weiss. I've been looking for you."
As she looked up, Weiss saw none other than Vilhelm holding a sheet of paper out to her.
"I noticed you were missing during the last lessons, so I took the liberty of taking a few notes."
Weiss stared dumbfounded at the paper in her hands, noticing that everything was written in neat, orderly handwriting.
"Thank you… but why did you do that?"
"Why?" Vilhelm repeated. "Well, it wasn't all too difficult for me, and if it can help someone, I don't mind putting a bit of extra effort into my notes."
Weiss nodded, wondering what he would deem too much effort.
"I really wish I had gotten you as a teammate instead," she admitted. "I doubt anyone else would have taken the extra effort to write additional notes. On that note, can I ask you a question?"
"Sure, ask away."
"Judging by the way you dress, the quality of your equipment, and simply the way you carry yourself, the nobles of Cainhurst are probably both rich and influential."
"That is correct."
"In that case, I simply cannot understand why you would lower yourself like that."
Vilhelm raised an eyebrow. "Whatever do you mean?"
"No matter how immature the others act, you always seem to endure it with a smile on your lips and an endless amount of patience. The only time I've ever seen you show a negative emotion was after you didn't get a teammate. So how do you do it? I constantly feel like I'm losing my mind over everyone's unprofessionalism."
Vilhelm sighed as he sat down next to Weiss.
"For every single question of yours, there are a multitude of answers," he said. "Some of them are as simple as: I like doing nice things. And others… I couldn't explain in a hundred years."
One of them being that it helps me feel human again, he silently thought.
"I see," Weiss replied. "But can I ask you another question? And this time, can you please actually answer it?"
Vilhelm chuckled. "I'll try."
With a nod, Weiss continued. "What do you think of Ruby as a team leader?"
After a moment of consideration, Vilhelm answered, "In my eyes, she is a good choice."
Weiss cocked an eyebrow. "Elaborate."
"Whenever you look at Ruby Rose, you see an inexperienced child—one who doesn't pay attention during lectures and takes nothing seriously. That is only partially correct."
"That still doesn't justify her position as team leader," Weiss argued.
"Yes and no," Vilhelm continued. "You see, a team leader's greatest challenge isn't leading their team into battle, nor is it being the strongest member of the team. In both of those areas, their teammates can assist them in many ways."
Weiss looked at him expectantly.
"The one thing a leader must do alone is hold their team together—to get multiple minds, no matter how different they may be, to work toward the same goal. I suspect this is the very reason Jaune was chosen as a team leader over someone like Pyrrha."
Vilhelm leaned back slightly. "That requires an endless well of patience and a deep understanding of one's teammates. And in this, Ruby is definitely the best choice. Take Blake Belladonna, for instance—she's so withdrawn she may as well not exist in a social sense. Yang Xiao Long tries to make a joke out of everything. Sometimes she succeeds, sometimes she doesn't. As for you, I'm honestly unsure."
He gave Weiss a sidelong glance. "However, if our upbringings were at all similar, then it's safe to say our knowledge regarding social interaction is… lacking."
He let out a dry chuckle. "And my patience is far from endless. Earlier in Port's class, I almost lost my mind—as you would call it. In fact, it took nearly all the self-control I had to not shoot that damn pig the moment things went south. And when Port made his 'What are you going to do without your weapon?' remark, it took even more restraint to not just shoot the professor after the pig. Luckily, you were victorious just in time."
Weiss frowned. "Professor Port may not be the best teacher, but I still don't understand what you're getting at."
"My point is," Vilhelm continued, "that while Port just stood to the side making snide remarks, Ruby actually tried to help you. That alone makes her, in my eyes, a more competent Huntress than the professor."
"So you're saying Ruby isn't a good team leader because she's the best student, but because she has the best understanding of people?" Weiss asked.
"That would be correct," Vilhelm said with a nod. "Of course, I'm not asking you to immediately respect her, but I do believe you should give her a chance."
Weiss considered his words for a moment.
On the one hand, it was undeniable that Ruby was just a naive child. On the other hand… Vilhelm did make a couple of very good points.
"Very well," Weiss said, taking the notes with her. "I'll give her a chance. Just this once."
"I didn't ask for more," Vilhelm replied with a small smile, leaning back.
Ugh, I never thought I would feel exhaustion ever again, Vilhelm thought. But Port's lesson really drained every drop of energy I had… Maybe I should make use of the bed in my room—just this once.
Ozpin stopped the recording, displaying Vilhelm's flabbergasted face as he looked at an off-screen Professor Port.
"Well, that could have gone better," Goodwitch said, eyeing Vilhelm with interest.
"Yes," Ozpin agreed. "It seems Professor Port has made a poor first impression."
"Quite unsurprising, if you ask me," Goodwitch replied. "Though, if you truly trust him, why are you supervising him?"
Ozpin remained silent for a moment before finally speaking. "I am concerned about the state of his soul. And I don't mean that I couldn't unlock his Aura due to trauma or something similar—the problem is that I felt absolutely nothing. Not even a trace of life within him. I might as well have tried to unlock the Aura of a pebble."
"But that can't be," Goodwitch muttered. "Every sentient being has a soul, the only exception being…"
"A Grimm," Ozpin finished ominously.
"You don't believe—" Goodwitch began, shocked.
But Ozpin only shook his head. "No, I doubt he is a Grimm in disguise, even if some of his behaviors are unusual. Yet, it is highly unlikely that Qrow simply stumbled upon him in the Grimmlands while following clues about Salem. However, every explanation—even those that do not involve Salem—as to why Vilhelm is soulless is quite unsettling," Ozpin finished."
"WAAH!" Jaune screamed as Winchester threw him across the arena.
By the gods, how did they—both of them—manage to gain entry into such an institution? Their skills are on par with the maddened Yharnamites that roamed the streets! Even the weakest noble could dance circles around them! Vilhelm thought.
When Goodwitch asked what they could have done better, Vilhelm raised his hand.
"Yes, Mr. Vilhelm?"
"Jaune, charging blindly against an opponent stronger than you is rarely a good idea. You should wait until he overextends—which, quite frankly, is all the time—and punish the opening. Additionally, you rarely use your shield, and when you do, you seem to forget that it doesn't have to be just for blocking. You could use it to conceal an additional weapon, like a knife or a firearm. That would make you far less predictable."
"And Mr. Winchester," Vilhelm continued, turning toward Cardin, "do you perchance play Rounders?* Because that would be the only situation where your stance wouldn't be considered completely useless. You overextend after every strike and always lean forward. The only way you could make your head an easier target would be by painting an actual bullseye on your forehead."
The laughter swelling during Vilhelm's rant was quickly silenced by Professor Goodwitch's stern intervention.
"Silence! While the criticism and suggestions for improvement are valid, I remind you all to maintain decorum. Now, I'm afraid that's all the time we have for today. Please exit the classroom in a calm and orderly fashion."
As he left, Vilhelm did not fail to notice the murderous glare Cardin sent his way.
"It was in the middle of the night!" Nora began.
"It was day," Ren corrected.
Vilhelm smiled behind his cup of chamomile tea—one of the few earthly pleasures left to him after his unfortunate transformation. However, his smile faltered as he noticed Jaune hadn't touched his food. Vilhelm himself never ate, no matter what he tried, but he was grateful that he could at least drink.
Pyrrha seemed to notice as well. "Jaune, are you okay?" she asked.
"Huh? Oh, yeah. Why?" Jaune replied, snapping out of his thoughts.
"It's just that… you seem a little not okay," Ruby pointed out.
"What? No, guys, I'm fine. Seriously. Look." Jaune forced a smile, failing miserably at making it look convincing.
"Jaune," Vilhelm interjected. "You are, without a doubt, the worst liar I have ever met. Now, what's been bothering you?" His grip tightened on his porcelain mug as he saw Winchester and his cronies harassing a Faunus girl.
"Jaune, Cardin has been picking on you since the first week of school," Pyrrha continued.
"Wha—who? Cardin Winchester? Nah, he just likes to mess around. Practical jokes," Jaune said weakly.
"He's a bully," Ruby countered.
"And a very unsavory individual," Vilhelm added, weighing a salt shaker in his hand and considering how much force it would take to throw it at Cardin.
"Oh, please. Name one time he's 'bullied' me," Jaune challenged.
"I can name eight, probably more if you give me a moment," Vilhelm said, now contemplating how much he valued his mug. "Oh, and then there was the incident with the locker."
"Oh, come on, I didn't land that far from the school," Jaune argued.
"Jaune, you know if you need help, you can just ask," Pyrrha said.
"Oh! Well break his legs!" Nora said cheerfully.
"Good idea," Vilhelm responded, now reconsidering his aversion to the hand-cannon just for the sake of a clean shot. "We could probably make it look like an accident."
"Guys, it's fine, really," Jaune insisted, standing up. "And besides, it's not like he's just a jerk to me—he's a jerk to everyone."
As if on cue, from across the room came a distressed voice.
"Ahh! It hurts! Please stop!"
"Atrocious. I can't stand people like—wait. Where is Vilhelm?"
Everyone looked around, only to see Vilhelm standing next to Cardin, calmly sipping his tea while seemingly engaged in a casual conversation.
"I knew he—" Blake started, but whatever she was about to say was interrupted as Vilhelm smashed his mug against Cardin's head, sending him sprawling off the bench.
"Excuse me, gentlemen, may I ask what you are doing?" Vilhelm inquired, forcing himself to maintain his brightest smile.
"Piss off," one of the cronies sneered.
"Now, now, there's no need to be rude," Vilhelm said, taking another sip. "Simply apologize to the young lady for pulling her ears, and everything will be fine."
Cardin shot him a hateful glare. "Trying to be a hero, huh? You animal sympathizers are all the same. Now piss off before I really give you a reason to regret it."
"That is truly unfortunate," Vilhelm replied—before smashing his mug against the side of Cardin's head.
Immediately, one of the cronies lunged at him, but Vilhelm swung the mug upward, catching the boy's chin and sending him flying. A quick backstep and a well-placed kick sent him crashing into another teammate.
The fourth member of CRDL tried to throw a punch, but Vilhelm blocked the first two strikes with his mug, then caught the third between his arm and torso before suplexing the unfortunate soul and stomping on his stomach for good measure.
By now, Cardin had recovered and attempted a right hook from behind. Vilhelm ducked, dodging the strike effortlessly, then shattered what remained of his mug against the same spot on Cardin's face.
Seeing his three unconscious teammates sprawled on the floor, the last crony hesitated—then turned and ran.
"Goddammit," Vilhelm sighed. "That was my favorite mug."
Kneeling down, he collected the porcelain shards before turning to the Faunus girl, who was staring at him wide-eyed.
Oh. I completely forgot the reason for the battle at hand, he mused. Anyway, allow me to mend the situation.
He knelt before her, performing a respectful bow. "Apologies, Miss…?"
"Velvet," she answered hesitantly.
"Apologies, Miss Velvet, for not stepping in sooner. As atonement, you may ask a favor of me."
Velvet continued to stare at him, dumbfounded.
"Well, if you decide, you'll find me in the academy's forge," Vilhelm said, gathering his shards. "I must repair my mug. " His expression darkened. "And think of an explanation for the Headmaster."
As he left, Team RWBY and JNPR simply watched in stunned silence.
"So… you were saying?" Yang asked Blake.
"…Ugh. Just forget it," Blake muttered, though her surprise was evident.
"Well, that ended too quickly," Nora pouted.
"So, your Semblance is basically mimicking someone's fighting style, and your camera copies the weapons associated with that style?" Vilhelm asked while melting down a few gold coins.
"That would be correct," Velvet answered while examining a Reiterpallasch that Vilhelm's Messengers had secretly brought him.
"Well, most of the weapons I use are just normal swords or the occasional pistol. The only reason they work so well is because of my Semblance—without it, they're just heavy, versions of regular weapons," Vilhelm said, taking the now-molten gold and carrying it to a metal table where the shards of his broken mug were neatly sorted.
"And this one?" Velvet asked, holding up the Reiterpallasch.
"The Reiterpallasch would be the only exception," Vilhelm said, beginning to reassemble the mug, using the molten gold as a makeshift adhesive. "It's obviously heavier than a normal rapier, but it also has a fully functional firearm built into it, so they somewhat balance each other out."
"I see," Velvet replied, already snapping a few pictures.
"You know, you can keep it if you'd like," Vilhelm said.
"What!? But it's your weapon!" Velvet nearly shouted in shock.
"Not to worry, I have like five of them. Besides, it's not even my main weapon."
"Still, I can't accept it! Museums would kill to get their hands on something like this."
"Museums?!" Vilhelm said in mock outrage, placing the last piece of his mug into place and cooling it with a bit of ice dust. "Miss Scarlatina, you have truly wounded me. But since you don't want to accept a weapon as a gift, can I offer you a mug instead?" He held out his now-repaired mug to her.
Velvet stared at it wide-eyed. The cracks from its previous destruction now gleamed with delicate veins of gold.
"But… but you used actual gold! I simply can't accept this!"
"I insist," Vilhelm replied. "Besides, I doubt that the half-strong idiot and his cronies will try anything when they see you carrying the very object that sent them all to the infirmary. Though, please abstain from using it as a weapon."
After handing the mug to Velvet, Vilhelm turned back and began cleaning the forge.
"And now," he said with a worried expression, "I must find a satisfying explanation for Ozpin as to why I beat up three of his students."
Just as Velvet was about to leave, Blake barged into the room.
"Oh, Miss Belladonna. I wasn't expecting you." Come to think of it, Vilhelm thought, I could have sworn she was avoiding me.
"Anyway," he continued, "I wish you a good day, Miss Scarlatina."
Blake waited until Velvet had left before turning to Vilhelm, who was still cleaning, and demanding, "Alright, now what exactly are you?"
"Pardon?" Vilhelm asked, confused.
"Don't play games with me. The first time I saw you, I thought you were a relative of Weiss, yet you always introduce yourself as someone from Cainhurst. And you just helped a Faunus for no reason whatsoever—and even gifted her your mug. All while giving me the worst feeling ever. Explain yourself!"
What does she mean? Vilhelm wondered. Especially about that 'bad feeling'? Only animals seem to have an instinctual aversion to me, but then… His gaze fell on her bow.
By the gods… Have I truly been so blind?
If that's the case, then Miss Scarlatina must be exceptionally brave.
"So?" Blake pressed impatiently.
"So what?" Vilhelm responded. "I am from Cainhurst. I like helping people. And I thought the mug would be a good warning for wannabe smartasses. Is that really so strange?" He tilted his head slightly.
"That's not wha—"
"Mr. Vilhelm, the Headmaster wants to speak with you."
Goodwitch stepped through the door, interrupting Blake.
"Well, it appears we'll have to postpone our conversation, Miss Belladonna. A good day to you."
Vilhelm followed behind Goodwitch, feeling an angry glare burning into his back.
*A childrens game and early precursor to baseball.
Authors Note
First off, a huge thanks to LogsofPortation and everyone else for giving me advice on improving the story! I'll try to take everything into consideration—after all, this is my first story, and all help is greatly appreciated.
Now, regarding the story: Yes, I'm aware that the brawl with CRDL was quite short, which was only partially intentional. After rewatching Jaunedice to get the dialogue right, I noticed that Cardin's performance at the beginning was less than stellar. And considering he was made team leader, the rest of his team was probably even less skilled.
Fun fact: The first time Vilhelm saw Weiss, I actually wanted to write an offhand remark about high heels—something like, She can't be a Vileblood because no Vileblood would ever fight in high heels. But then I remembered that the female knight attire actually does have high heels, so I just kept my mouth shut.
And by the way, those aren't the only high heels in Yharnam. The female Hunters were truly built different.
Additionally, to showcase Vilhelm's crafty side, I had him do Kintsugi. However, since he has likely only heard of it in passing and not in great detail, I had him interpret it in his own way—using molten gold as actual glue. I have no idea if this would work in real life, but hey, maybe someone in the comments has a deep understanding of the properties of molten gold.