Cuts of RWBY

A RWBY Fic Collection by AndrewJTalon

DISCLAIMER: This is a fan based work of prose. RWBY is the property of Rooster Teeth and WB Animation. Please support the official release.

Just a collection of plot bunnies and ideas for RWBY fics. Free for you to take and make use of.

For instance:

It had taken Cardin longer than he would have liked to find time to corner Velvet when she was alone. He really could only blame himself for that: Ever since he'd bullied her, her team had stayed clustered around her. She'd stuck with them, and when he was around, they got even more protective: Just glaring at him the whole time.

It really was pure luck he'd seen her photographing things in the Beacon Gardens. He hadn't been able to muster up the courage to go up to her right away, he was too surprised. He'd hid immediately and watched her. When he'd finally pulled himself together, Coco had shown up and they'd walked off together.

So, for a week, whenever he could, he'd staked out the gardens, hoping she would show up.

He knew it was verging on the obsessive, maybe even stalker-like behavior, but... He had to.

He watched near a pillar, trying to focus on his homework, to look like he wasn't anxious about anything. He kept looking up, then down.

The image of a predator being nervous around a bunny entered his mind. He didn't laugh.

After who knows how long, he looked up... And saw her. She was walking gracefully through the garden, her photography gear with her. She stopped in front of a bed of red and yellow flowers, and began to set up. He waited, gritting his teeth.

Finally, she was so fully set up that even an Aura-unlocked person couldn't run away too quickly. He got up, and dusted himself off. He took a few deep, calming breaths.

He slowly walked towards her. He knew her hearing would pick him up almost immediately, but he kept his pace even and calm.

She looked up, locked her eyes on him. They went wide, and he held up his arms.

"Wait! Wait, please," he said, "I'm... I'm not going to hurt you or anything. I promise."

She still backed away from him, her ears twitching. He took a step forward, and she took one back.

"What do you want?" She demanded, quiet but angry, with her eyes were fixated on his. He opened his mouth, and tried to start. Nothing came out. He tried again... Still nothing.

"I..."

She scowled and turned away.

"I'm leaving," Velvet stated, reaching for her camera.

"I'm sorry!"

She froze. He took a deep breath and continued.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry for bullying you. I'm sorry for insulting you. I'm sorry for grabbing your ears and... And everything," he said. "It was wrong."

She was silent. She slowly turned to stare at him, still distrustful.

"... What do you want?" She asked. Cardin shook his head, and sighed.

"I... I don't want anything. I just... I wanted to say it. I... I had to say it. I wanted to say it sooner, but... Well..." He shrugged. "I kind of made that impossible."

"Why?" Velvet asked, blinking. Cardin shook his head.

"Does it matter?"

"Of course it matters," Velvet stated, "If you... If you want me to think you're sincere... If you want me to believe you, you have to explain."

Cardin sighed heavily. He looked down at the ground, then back up at Velvet.

"Okay," he said. "Can... Can we do it... Somewhere more private-?"

"N-No," Velvet said. He winced. She winced back.

"I mean..." She sighed. "Just... Sit here, okay?" She patted a stone bench near the flower bed. He walked over to it, slowly, calmly. He didn't want to spook her, then he might never get another chance like this.

He sat down on the bench, feeling a bit like a kid in timeout as she stood over him with a frown.

"Well? Why?" She asked.

He sighed. He kept his eyes on the ground.

"... My grandpa... My uncles... My mom's family... They all got killed by Faunus, most in the Revolution," he said, "I grew up hearing about what they did. What they faced. What they fought. My grandpa Absolom... He was seen as a mass murderer by Faunus. And Faunus kids in my schools... They called me the same. So did Faunus teachers. If they were all going to hate me... Why shouldn't I hate back?"

She was silent. He found it in himself to keep going.

"I talked to my parents after... After stuff happened in Forever Fall," he said. "Professor Goodwitch had told them what I'd done. All the bullying."

Velvet's feet shifted.

"What did they do?" She asked.

Cardin sighed.

"First... They smacked me around for being such an asshole," he mumbled, "And then they told me that... Everything aside? They didn't hate Faunus. They hated White Fang, because they're the ones who killed Grandpa. They hated the Revolutionaries for what they did, but... Not Faunus in general. Especially not ones who had never done anything to them... Or me."

He shook his head.

"Look... You don't have to forgive me, okay? But I... I had to apologize. Because... Because they're right. You didn't do anything to me. Just because I'm a Winchester doesn't mean I get to be a prick. I should be more than some bully."

She was silent. He very slowly pushed himself up to his feet.

"That's... That's all I have to say," he said quietly. He turned to go.

"... Wait."

He paused and looked back at her. She frowned, but it was a compassionate frown.

"I... My grandpa, well..." She clutched at her arm nervously, "He told me about the Revolution. How... How Faunus did terrible things to humans, sometimes. How he was glad we got our freedom, but... That some humans had every right to hate us back."

Cardin blinked. Velvet sighed.

"He told me... He told me to not judge people by anything but their character. And that people who realize when they're wrong, and apologize, with no expectation of a reward? Those... Those are good people."

She smiled softly at him.

"I... I just wanted you to know? I do forgive you, Cardin. And I-I think you're a good person."

She really had chosen a good place for photography. The lighting, the shadows... It all seemed to make her smile, skin, and eyes glow.

His cheeks turned red.

"Uh... Yeah, well... Thanks," he muttered, turning away.

"I'll uh, I'll tell my team you're okay now," she added.

Cardin nodded.

"That's good. Thanks."

"And uh..." She swallowed. "If you'd like to... To talk? Any time? I... I'm here every Wednesday same time. If... If you'd like?"

Cardin very slowly nodded and shrugged as he shoved his hands into his pockets.

"I... I guess?"

Velvet smiled.

"Great! Great..."

Cardin turned and began to walk away. It had gone better than he could have hoped for. She'd forgiven him, and that had felt so much better than he thought it could have.

Now she wanted to see him more often? What the hell was that about?

Still. Maybe he'd take her up on her offer. Just so she wouldn't complain to her teammates about him being a jerk, or something.

The last thing he needed was to get in more trouble.

Yeah. That's all it was.

Because Tsundere!Cardin is Best!Cardin!