A/N Exposition and little else
Alt title: Novice
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Just as the title says, this is almost entirely exposition on the character before he's forced to deal with canon due to his choices.
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-Date, Time-
'Thoughts'
"Speech"
(Text)
*Sounds/Actions*
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-From Dust till Dawn, Vale-
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? POV
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"Kid! Hey, kid!" I hear a gruff voice yell next to me. "You deaf or some shit?!"
Looking to my side, I see a pale man in a black suit with a red tie. Square sunglasses around distrustful eyes and a black fedora sitting atop his head, all while warily brandishing a red machete in hand.
Glancing around, I see I'm in a store's book section. I notice a weight in my hand, and my fingers squeeze around an innocent hardcover book. Its title shining across the front, 'New Beginnings.'
"Um, what?" I say questioningly. Piecing together all that has happened in the last, I'm not even sure how long.
"I said, give me your stuff and line up against the wall!" The burly man reiterates, impatience filling his voice.
'Do I fight?' I ask myself. 'I've never been in a real fight before. Only a few schoolyard brawls.'
As I think this, I feel a weight settled on my thighs. Looking down to investigate, I see the handles of two weapons. Collapsed and covered by my blue long coat.
"Hey!" The burly man says before roughly grabbing my shoulder. "You slow too? Get-"
*Smash*
We both flinch at the sound of shattering glass coming from what I presume to be the front of the store. A commotion following as a crowd of footsteps are heard running towards the sound.
Taking the chance and momentary distraction of the man accosting me. I swing my arm over his. Twisting him down as I place my hand on his shoulder. Applying my weight I shove him down to the floor. A sickening crack and cry of pain soon following.
"Aargh!" He cries as drop I down, placing my knee on the small of his back. "Fuck kid!"
"Hey, you were trying to rob me." I say as I reach over him and twist his machete out of his hand. "Turnabout is fair play and all that."
I smash the handle of his own weapon into the back of his head. Another crack following his body going limp as he gets shoved into lala land.
"Holy shit that was awesome!" I bark out excitedly.
I know how to fight. But never actually fought before. After a stint of bullying, my old man taught me how to defend myself. Of course that's around the time the bullying stopped so, not important right now.
Deciding to follow through on my earlier promise of turnabout. I rummage through his pocket. As the sounds of fighting go on in the background I find a wallet, some keys, a pocket knife. And an empty pack of gum.
I take everything except for the empty gum and pocket the items in my blue long coat. Deciding I've wasted enough time back here, I get up and head to the front. Leaving the red machete behind, seeing as I don't have any way of holding onto it discretely. I have two holsters for weapons, and both are occupied by the unknown weaponry that I've been dropped in with.
Taking a quick jog to the front of the store. Passing by the old man cowering behind the counter as his attention is locked on the fight before him. And soon mine is as well.
A red cloaked girl, who I recognize as Ruby, is absolutely demolishing the thugs. Zipping around in a flurry of petals that I can barely keep up with. Twirling around at such a speed, that if it weren't for the rose petals left behind, I'd assume she was teleporting. Her hood still up as she dispatches the last of the thugs.
In a move of expert acrobatics. She flips back as a thug tries to catch her from behind. Only for her to hook the shaft of Crescent Rose to his throat as she does so. Taking him with her in an unwilling flip that slams him to the ground before rolling off of him and aims her weapon at me. Or rather Roman who is in front of me.
"Great, just what I needed tonight." He shakes his head, catching me in his peripherals. It was only a split second. But I saw his eye flick towards me.
"Alright there little red." He says calmly as he leans on his cane, shoving his other hand into his pocket. "Love to play more, but I got places to be. And it's past your bedtime."
He then pulls a crystal out of his pocket and in a surprising move. Turns around and tosses it back into the store! At me!
"No!" Ruby yells as she dashes forward.
Everything seems to slow as I see everything at once. Ruby turning into a mass of petals, Roman firing his cane, the crystal sailing towards me.
No, wait. Everything is moving slower.
Looking around as the world slows. My eyes hone in the minute movements. The slow twitches of muscles. The arcs and movements of everything around me. My mind automatically calculating trajectory, velocity, and momentum.
As fast as Ruby is. She won't make it to me in time. She'll make it just in time for the fire blast to hit the crystal.
'The crystal!'
Everything returns to normal speed as I dive. Throwing my arm out and catching the crystal as the ball of fire hits my back. I feel the force, but not the heat. My only guesses as to why are that either A, I have aura, or B, my coat is stronger than it should be.
Or C, it really is a dream, and I just can't be hurt.
Luckily none of the flames hit the dust crystal. So no kaboom.And no violent death for me on day one. God that'd be embarrassing.
"Are you okay!?" The familiar, squeaky voice of Ruby Rose says above me.
Turning around to my back, I'm frozen as I stare at the main character of this world. I'm not star struck or anything, and she's not some ethereal beauty. No, what's got me, is how her hood fell back, revealing two wolf ears on top of her head!
"Um, I uh, you, you have-" I say before I'm cut off by her wide, eye reaching grin.
"Oh wow!" She says excitedly "You have silver eyes just like me! What clan are you from?"
"What?" I ask in further confusion.
A few genetic changes are inconsequential when compared to a keystone event!
As the golden brother's voice rings throughout my mind. I can't help but mentally smack myself for not asking what the FUCK they changed. Because in three seconds I learned that Ruby's a faunus and knows the significance of silver eyes.
Oh, and I have silver eyes as well. Because I totally need another target on my back!
Her ears twitch and launches off of me in a gust of rose petals. Facing outside as she holds Crescent Rose in its rifle form.
"Will you be okay?" She asks the old man at the counter.
"Um, yeah?" He says in a confused tone.
In another flurry of petals, Ruby's gone. Out the window as I get up, mindful of the broken glass around me.
"Fuck." I say as my heart pounds, blood pumping in my ears.
Looking out the window, well, hole, I spot Ruby chasing Torchwick. Gotta say, he's fast. Man is already at the top of a fire escape as Ruby chases him in petal form.
Deciding I want nothing to do with that! I get up and head out of the shop. Running in the opposite direction. I watched up to the wonderland season, forgot the number, and I know what kind of shit I'll get roped into.
As unreal as all of this seems. I am not getting involved with all that. Not before I know what I just got myself into.
The biggest red flag here, is Ruby calling out my silver eyes. The implications being that she knows. Which could mean all manner of bullshittery. Maybe Summer is alive, maybe silver eyes are common knowledge, maybe they're not magic and just a rare, recessive trait that she was pointing out. I don't know!
After running about five blocks and turning into an alleyway. I stop and catch my breath. I seem to have the same physical capabilities as before. Which is all strength and meh speed. My dad used to call my strength god's compensation for my lack of common sense.
Or, in his words. If you're gonna be dumb, you gotta be tough.
"Okay, okay, calm down." I say as I put a hand to my chest to calm myself down. "Let's see here, either I'm in a very realistic dream, or all that was real. Fuck."
At least the danger's seemed to pass.
*Krrff* I hear a small explosion in the distance.
For me, anyway. Hopefully.
"Okay, okay." I say as I push off of the brick wall. "First things first."
Inventory check. Ruffling through my pockets, I find a wallet, scroll, and a paper version of that book titled, New Beginnings.
"Okay, that's not coincidence." I mumble as I stare at the book.
No way would I not have noticed this in my coat pockets before. This is clearly a hand out from the brothers. How do I know for sure?
New Beginnings
By
Black and Gold
Yeah,real subtle.
Rolling my eyes, I check the wallet to see five bills in there. Each being a five hundred.
…
That means nothing to me. For all I know, I have twenty five hundred dollars, or twenty five dollars. Continuing to look through, I find an I.D. card.
Cyril, Leon
H: 5" 8'
W: 190lbs
Hr clr: White
Eye clr: Silver
BD: 08/13/Y204
Nationality: Outskirts
"Okay?" I say in confusion. "The fuck is Y two oh four?"
I get that it's a year. But like the currency, it means nothing to me.
I do see my picture though, and I can tell I'm young. Though, rather than black, curly hair and brown eyes. I have straight white hair, and silver eyes. My features are otherwise the same, honestly? I look a little like a young Dante from Devil May Cry, just, less cool.
Okay, I know what my priorities are, but.
Pulling out my scroll, I see I have a full battery, and no service. But I do have data! Neat.
Pulling out the camera, I switch to reflection mode and give a cocky smirk like Dante wou- no, no. Yeah, no. I do not pull it off.
Next order of business, checking the date. Thank goodness this thing seems to work functionally the same as a smart phone.
Pulling up the date I see it's-
08/20/Y220
Well, assuming the Y number is the year, I'm, sixteen.
Wait.
Putting my hand to my jaw, I feel around. Feeling a smooth, clean jawline.
"Oh, come on!" I bark in exasperation.
Smooth. Nothing. I spent a year growing out that damned beard! Now I'm baby faced!? This is bull! No wonder Yang gets pissed when her hair is fucked with. That shit takes time!
"Okay, okay. One thing at a time." I tell myself as I turn off the scroll to save its battery.
I take the paperback book out of my pocket. Regard the title one more time before diving in and read through it. Line one.
In dedication to the one who accepted.
Yeah, this was meant for me.
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-20 minutes later-
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Everything I just figured out was written in the first chapter. My age, my aura, my weapons. All to fit the world and not arouse suspicion from the average man. Aside from Ozma and Salem, who can sense magic. To every other person, I'm a kid from the northern outskirts of Valean territory. I have about as much aura as Jaune, if not then a little less.
Oh, and I have two semblances. That's not nearly as impressive as it sounds though. Because everyone has two semblances! One major semblance, and one minor. Like, Ruby has her petal, scatter thing, and might also have an internal compass that is never wrong so long as her aura isn't empty.
No joke. That was an example. Whether or not that is a real example, is yet to be seen.
For me, I have a bootleg sharingan. A, slow my perception sort of thing. No magic eye powers though, just an enhanced perception that drains my aura. And my main semblance is clouded out. Only says-
(Dealer's choice to give, Player responsibility to find)
I have a feeling they're having more fun with this than they let on. Or at least the younger brother is.
I literally had everything spelled out, and handed to me. There are three more chapters of this book, and they're all clouded out.
There's a whole four pages on my weapons though. Twin war axes. They can mecha shift to be scimitars, a double sided spear, or a double bladed kusarigama. Oh, and they're not also guns. Just, chain blades with a higher than average dust conversion efficiency.
I feel cheated.
Putting the book away. I go down to my thighs and reach into the holsters. Pulling the compact weapons out. They're in their travel mode. So the blades are pressed into the hilt. Making them look like large wood carving tools.
Pressing the latches on the, thankfully, oval handles. The blades extend out and the handle extends up. Nearly scaring the shit out of me.
"Huh, you know, not bad." I'm at a genuine loss for words here. They're beautiful. They look like futuristic, cyberpunk-esque war axes in the shape of the Skyrim steel axes. With dark leather wrapped handles. Metallic black pole, and cobalt blue blades.
The pommels have paralleled notches on the bottom. Being both a connector to attach to each other and turn my axes into a double sided spear when twisted right, or into a kusarigama when twisted left by connecting and releasing the chains hidden inside.
Saving that for later. As much as I feel the need to test these out, I need to find a place to stay for the night. Without getting mugged. And I have no clue where to go.
Wait.
I physically slap myself for being an idiot.
Taking out my scroll, I turn it back on and look up a map of Vale. And then clarify for a map of Vale city.
Looking through the maps and images, I conclude I'm in West Vale City. The way the world is has turned all of the kingdoms into what can basically be considered massive cities. Hence the specification.
"Okay, priority one, find a place to stay." I say to myself as I look up hotels and the like in my area.
Priority two. Stop talking to myself. I can feel myself going insane from everything. I, just need a nap.
Stepping back out onto the, oddly barren sidewalk. I look for any street signs to indicate where I might need to go. Not seeing any from my current position, I head in a random direction. I have no clue where I am, what to do, or what to expect. All I know is that the older brother made several, minor changes. And the younger made a single, major change.
Problem is, what's considered minor to a god? And what on earth, or remnant, could be considered major?
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Bonus
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Qrow Branwen POV
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It's good to see that even with the Grimm threat, and the war with Salem. Some things, never change. Overpriced coffee shops, cheap liquor stores, bullshit fashion trends. Yep, somethings just never change.
And of course the girls in the city having it hot for elite huntsmen being one of them!
"So anyway, I told the guy that-" I'm talking to the blonde on my right. Allie, or was it Amy? Fuck I might be really drunk and it's Andy.
*Brzzzt* *Brzzzt*
"Hang on ladies." I say as I check my scroll. "Might be the boss man Ozzy himself!"
"Please Qrow, you can stop trying to impress us." The red head says.
"No tryin' about it." I say as I answer the call. "Yellow?"
"Qrow." Oz says. "In person, now."
'Fuck!' If anything could sober me up in five seconds flat, it's those three words. From that man.
"Shit, now?" I say as I stand up, much to the two girl's confusion and disappointment.
"Hey?" One of them complains, and I wave a hand to signal them to be quiet.
"Yes, now." He says. "There's a new source of magic."
That, if Oz's words sobered me up. I am now more awake than any of his coffee could hope to make me.
"What do you mean?" I ask warily.
"I've said enough over the phone. Make your way towards Beacon and I'll inform you with the rest." He says before cutting off the call.
"Shit." I say as I head out of the club.
"Hey!" I ignore the girls as I walk out.
The sources of magic on Remnant can be counted by a preschooler. Oz, Salem, the Maidens. Silver eyes, and technically Red eyes. Though that last one is only as magic as an inheritable semblance.
But a new source? Either Ozzy and Salem got it on behind everyone's backs and made a new maiden. Or something big happened.
"Hey! Pay your tab!" I hear as I step out of the club.
"Fuck, that's what I was forgetting."
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A/N
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I'm trying to portray Cyril as someone who is not overpowered per se, but, has more advantages. He's more rounded and less specialized. Right now.
He's not the fastest, he's stronger than most. But not the strongest. His minor semblance allows him to slow time to think and assess his situation, but not necessarily act at that speed. He'll need training to act at that speed. His main semblance, I'll just say it for anyone who wants to know it, but I won't put it in the story proper for now.
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Also, he's very confused. As I imagine most people would be if they got isekai'd. We can daydream about what we'd do if we got put in this scenario all we want. But no one really considers it to be a possibility. Hence why he took the first chance to GTFO and collect his thoughts.
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His lack of ranged weaponry, boils down to the CYOA I used.
I ran out of points. That's it. I gave him more magic specializations instead.
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This is mostly me testing my ability to write action heavy fics. As I've noticed I'm a bit lacking in that department.
Any constructive advice would be very appreciated.
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Also, there is almost nothing on RWBY's currency other than the name. So, please forward info any info if you can.
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Lemme know what you think!
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Find in the channel newb's-grotto where you can vote on what story I write next!
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Link to the discord: discord .gg/DarkWolfShiro