• A notice about Rule 3 regarding sites hosting pirated/unauthorized content has been made. Please see here for details.
  • Staff is working to deal with the problem of synonymous tags. See here for more information and to suggest tag mergers.
  • Due to issues with external spam filters, QQ is currently unable to send any mail to Microsoft E-mail addresses. This includes any account at live.com, hotmail.com or msn.com. Signing up to the forum with one of these addresses will result in your verification E-mail never arriving. For best results, please use a different E-mail provider for your QQ address.
  • For prospective new members, a word of warning: don't use common names like Dennis, Simon, or Kenny if you decide to create an account. Spammers have used them all before you and gotten those names flagged in the anti-spam databases. Your account registration will be rejected because of it.
  • Since it has happened MULTIPLE times now, I want to be very clear about this. You do not get to abandon an account and create a new one. You do not get to pass an account to someone else and create a new one. If you do so anyway, you will be banned for creating sockpuppets.
  • Due to the actions of particularly persistent spammers and trolls, we will be banning disposable email addresses from today onward.

[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

Reader mode
Bommel said:
How old is Mia here? She's literally the size of a newborn baby.

(not exagerating with my statement here, I've literally have a photo of my newborn niece in my arms, and she's bigger than Mia is in this pic here).
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Yeah, scaling is an issue with AI. I would say in the first it could be that that's when she was a baby. The later pics are when she's at Beacon so around 4.
 
AndrewJTalon said:
Yeah, scaling is an issue with AI. I would say in the first it could be that that's when she was a baby. The later pics are when she's at Beacon so around 4.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
If she's a baby, then why does she have so much hair?
Babies aren't born with a lot of hair, and even if they have more than usual it's still 5 cm max (just under 2 inches I believe, as 1 inch is 3 cm).
And even then their hair doesn't grow very fast (it's actually quite slow compaired to small children and adults).

But in the pic it looks like she has shoulderlength hair already.
 
Bommel said:
If she's a baby, then why does she have so much hair?
Babies aren't born with a lot of hair, and even if they have more than usual it's still 5 cm max (just under 2 inches I believe, as 1 inch is 3 cm).
And even then their hair doesn't grow very fast (it's actually quite slow compaired to small children and adults).

But in the pic it looks like she has shoulderlength hair already.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

Is this better?

 
Jaune Arc, Single Father 60: Mia's Birth Flashback New
Flashback: When Jaune Met Mia

---

The hallway outside the Arc-En-Ciel Hospital surgical ward was quiet except for the low hum of medical equipment and the distant, muffled sounds of the hospital at night. Jaune sat on a hard plastic chair, elbows on his knees, hands clasped so tightly his knuckles had gone white. He had been there for hours. Every time the doors opened he looked up with the same fragile hope.

When Isabel finally stepped out, still in her surgical scrubs, the mask still covering the lower half of her face, that hope died.

Her eyes were red. Tears tracked down her cheeks above the mask.

"Jaune…" Her voice cracked. "I… I'm so sorry."

He was on his feet before the words fully registered. He pushed past her, through the swinging doors, into the bright, sterile light of the operating room.

Katy lay on the surgical table.

She was so still. The monitors that should have been beeping had been silenced. Someone had already covered most of her with a sheet, but her face was still visible—pale, peaceful in a way that made his stomach twist. Her hand rested at her side, fingers slightly curled.

He reached for it.

It was cold.

Something inside Jaune's chest simply… broke.

A sound tore out of him—raw, animal, helpless. His knees hit the floor. He pressed her cold hand against his forehead and sobbed, the kind of sobbing that wracked the entire body and left no room for breath.

Strong arms closed around him from behind.

"It's okay," Nick's voice said, thick and rough. "It's okay to cry, son. I've got you. I've got you."

His father pulled him up, guided him out of the room, down the short corridor into a quieter recovery space. Isabel followed. The moment the door closed behind them she pulled her mask down and wrapped both arms around her son, holding him as tightly as she could while he shook apart against her shoulder. Nick guided them all to a chair, and Jaune collapsed into it like every bone in his body was dust.

Even with his parents holding him, all he could feel was a giant pit of blackness swallowing him up, and sobs tearing out of his chest like a Grimm was ripping his flesh apart with its teeth.

There was a soft sound from the corner of the room.

A tiny, thin mewl.

Jaune hadn't even noticed the bassinet.

Isabel drew a shaky breath and stepped away. She crossed to the bassinet, carefully lifted the small pink-wrapped bundle, and carried it back to him.

"We saved the baby," she whispered.

Jaune's hands were trembling so badly he almost couldn't take her. Nick steadied his arms from behind, helping him cradle the impossibly small weight against his chest.

"It's a girl," Isabel said.

Jaune looked down.

A tiny, scrunched face. A dusting of fine blond hair. And two little cat ears—soft, pale gold, already twitching faintly at the sound of his ragged breathing.

Isabel swallowed hard. "Mercer and Junior just called. They're back in the waiting area. I… I have to go tell them."

Her grief nearly broke her voice. Mercer and Junior... They'd been so excited when Jaune had married Katy. They said they couldn't have asked for a better son or brother-in-law than him and they... They'd now...

Jaune only response was a nod, still staring at the baby.

Isabel leaned in, pressed a long kiss to the top of his head, and hugged him one more time.

"I'll be back," she promised. "I love you."

"I-I love you too," he managed.

She left.

Nick stayed, one arm still around his son's shoulders, the other carefully supporting the baby. Tears ran silently down the older man's face as he rested his chin against the top of Jaune's head.

"Son… it's okay to cry."

"I-I can't…" Jaune's voice was wrecked. "I can't stop…"

"I know. I know." Nick kissed the top of his head the way he had when Jaune was small. "It's okay. It's okay."

Silence settled again, broken only by the soft cooing and occasional mewling of the newborn in Jaune's arms.

Nick eventually straightened. "I'll get her some milk. She needs to eat."

Jaune nodded without looking up. "I-I know."

"I'll be right back."

Nick left.

The room was quiet except for the soft beeping of distant monitors and the tiny sounds of the baby.

Jaune adjusted his hold, bringing her closer to his chest. Her little ears twitched again. One tiny hand flexed against the blanket.

"Hey…" His voice was barely more than a broken whisper. "Hey… it's okay. It's okay. I'm here. I'm here."

He swallowed hard, tears still falling onto the soft pink blanket.

"Mia… She wanted to name you that. Mia."

He pressed the gentlest kiss he could manage to the top of her head, between those soft little ears.

"I'm your dad. Jaune. And I love you, Mia. I… I always will. I promise.... I promise..."
 
Last edited:
GrimmKenway8646 said:
Oh sure, for now its just candy and praising the Emprah but next thing you know, Jaune's little girl is gonna be wearing all black and suddenly go "Burn the heretic, kill the mutant, purge the unclean!"
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

I see no downsides

HEo_QwkaUAAyZjC.jpg
 
So, I had the thought of a White Fang cell ambushing the teams at Forever Fall.

It might make more sense for Cardin to be in danger from White Fang with Aura than from some Grimm. He gets hit hard enough in an ambush that he's out of action. And Jaune manages to step up and fight them and Grimm to protect him, even while he gets his ass beat. Long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

The ambush could be of multiple teams, which is why it takes Pyrrha time to get to Jaune.

This allows the Jaundice Arc to also introduce the White Fang, provide some reasons for Blake and Weiss to be on edge for Black and White, maybe even show off how Hunters deal with this situation.

Thoughts?
 
Last edited:
AndrewJTalon said:
So, I had the thought of a White Fang cell ambushing the teams at Forever Fall.

It might make more sense for Cardin to be in danger from White Fang with Aura than from some Grimm. He gets hit hard enough in an ambush that he's out of action. And Jaune manages to step up and fight them and Grimm to protect him, even while he gets his ass beat. Long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

The ambush could be of multiple teams, which is why it takes Pyrrha time to get to Jaune.

This allows the Jaundice Arc to also introduce the White Fang, provide some reasons for Blake and Weiss to be on edge for Black and White, maybe even show off how Hunters deal with this situation.

Thoughts?
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

It could work very well, because it give Jaune a genuine win without help, would stablish the tension between Blake and Weiss, and it begin to present Blake obssetion with the White Fang.
 
Jaune Arc, Single Father 61 New
The airship descended through clear mountain air toward the small regional port outside Radian. From the windows the passengers could already see it: Arc-En-Ciel Hospital rising on the edge of the old town like something out of a fairy tale. In the afternoon sunlight the pale stone and glass of the hospital complex gleamed as though it had been carved from pearl, its towers and arched windows catching the light and throwing it back in soft, luminous flashes. Circling around it was the mountain town of Radian in buildings of brightly painted timber and white stone, and further out in the white walls of the city, the forests of Old Arcadia waited, dark and quiet.

They took the train the short distance into town, then transferred to a sturdy wooden wagon for the final trip down the winding dirt road. The Arc farmhouse came into view at last—a large, weathered but well-kept structure with a pointed tower at the front, many windows, and a blue-shingled roof that had sheltered generations of Arcs. Jaune stepped down first, then lifted Mia carefully to the ground. Behind them RWBY and JNPR followed, gifts and travel bags in hand, all of them looking around with open curiosity at the place their teammate had grown up.

Jaune led them onto the wide front porch and knocked.

The door opened almost at once.

Isabel Arc stood there in a flour-dusted apron, her expression shifting from mild surprise to pure, radiant joy the moment she saw her son and granddaughter.

"Hello, Jaune!" She pulled him into a fierce, lingering hug, then immediately dropped to one knee. "Aw, and Mia!"

"Granny!" Mia squealed, throwing both arms around Isabel's neck and burying her face in her shoulder.

Isabel held her tightly for a long moment before straightening, finally taking in the cluster of teenagers behind them. Her eyes widened.

"And… oh my. That's a lot of people…"

Jaune gave a sheepish little laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. "Heh… I made a lot of friends."

Isabel's smile softened into something warmer and deeper. "So I see. Well then—come in, all of you. You're more than welcome."

They were guided around the side of the house to the backyard, where a small open pavilion had been decorated with streamers, paper lanterns, and a long table already half-laden with food. The moment Nick Arc and Lilac spotted them, they came striding across the grass.

Nick's booming laugh rolled across the yard as he swept Mia up into his arms and tossed her high into the air.

"Grampa!" she shrieked, delighted.

"HAHAHA! There's my favorite little troublemaker!" He caught her again and spun her around while Lilac hugged Jaune with quiet intensity, then moved down the line to embrace every single member of RWBY and JNPR without hesitation, murmuring warm greetings to each of them.

When the whirlwind of hugs settled, Jaune stepped closer to his father, voice dropping.

"I… um… I wanted to go see Katy. If that's okay, Dad?"

Nick's expression gentled at once. The usual larger-than-life energy softened into something quieter and full of understanding. "Of course, son. I'll watch Mia."

"I—Dad, I—"

"It's okay, son." Nick rested a heavy, steadying hand on Jaune's shoulder. "Go. Take whatever time you need."

Jaune turned to Mia, crouching so they were eye-level. "I'll be right back, Kitten. Promise."

She hugged him tightly and pressed a sticky kiss to his cheek. "Okay!"

Pyrrha stepped forward a little, concern clear in her emerald eyes. "You… you okay, Jaune?"

He managed a small, tired smile. "Yeah. Yeah. Sorry. Just… I gotta do this alone."

Ruby nodded, voice soft. "Sure."

Yang's lilac eyes were serious but kind. "We get it."

Nora, for once, didn't crack a joke. She simply nodded. Ren gave a quiet, understanding incline of his head. Blake's golden eyes held quiet solidarity. Weiss folded her hands in front of her and said, gently, "Certainly, Jaune… we'll be here."

"Thanks," Jaune said, the word rough with gratitude. Then he turned and walked alone into the trees.

---

Old Arcadia was hushed and cool beneath the pines. The ruins of the ancient fortress manor rose among the trees like the bones of something once proud—crumbling walls, half-buried foundations, and the dark mouth of the family crypt waiting ahead. Jaune knew every step of the path by heart.

Inside the crypt the air was still and cool. Sunlight filtered through narrow openings high in the stone, illuminating row after row of statues. He walked slowly among them, past the regal figure of Jeanne d'Arc, founder of House Arc, sword raised and banner flowing in frozen stone. Past later lords and ladies of the bloodline. Past the paired statues of Jonathan and Elizabeth Arc—his grandparents—who had died in battle when Isabel was only eleven. Their faces were kind even in marble, forever young.

And then he came to hers.

Uncle Bedivere had poured everything he had into the sculpture. Katy sat on a stone bench in her wedding dress, hands folded loosely in her lap, smiling the soft, warm, slightly mischievous smile Jaune still saw in his dreams. The marble caught the light so that for a moment, she almost looked alive.

Jaune stood in front of her for a long time before he could speak.

"…H-Hey, Katy." His voice cracked. He swallowed hard. "Um… hey."

Silence answered him. Only the distant rustle of wind in the pines outside.

He wiped at his face with the back of one hand, then let out a shaky breath.

"Mia's great. She's made friends. She's very happy. Causes trouble, but… I think people encourage it." A weak, broken little laugh escaped him. "I'm in fourth place in my class overall. Pretty strong, but… you know. Pyrrha, Ruby, Yang, Weiss, Nora, Ren, Blake—they're all pretty amazing."

He told her about them one by one, voice growing steadier and then faltering again as emotion rose.

"Ren's a genius. I can just clobber him if I can get my hands on him, but that's the hardest part, heh. Ruby's a prodigy—she's fast and she's my best female friend and nerdy. She's like another little sister. You'd like her. Yang… is awesome. She's sunny, and likes terrible puns, and is caring and she's amazing-She's happy to tell you, heh. But she's fantastic. Mia really loves her. Weiss is like a princess—daughter of the richest man in the world, but he's kind of an ass. She's stiff, but she's very kind-She really loves buying gifts for Mia. It's how she shows love. Nora is a riot. Hard to manage sometimes, but I really like her. So does Mia. Blake's got a lot of issues, but she's trying to make up for a lot of bad things. She's very caring, though. And sneaky. She's a cat Faunus like you and her parents are wonderful. They love Mia too..."

His voice softened further.

"…Pyrrha. She's my partner. She's incredible. Like the most amazing—she's like a superhero and I'm really lucky. I worked hard to get where I was, but she's just… grace and power personified. She's also really nice. Shy. Says sorry too much. I'm really lucky to have friends like all of them…"

He fell silent for a long moment, staring at the statue's smiling face.

"And… I dunno. Some of the girls want me to date them. They'd... Love to be Mia's mom. She wants them to be, and… I mean… they're great, but…"

He closed his eyes.

"Every time I… I let myself think about it… I imagine you. And…"

A long, shuddering sigh.

"…I know you told me to move on, but… but I don't know if I can. Maybe I'm just not strong enough. I'm never strong enough."

His hands curled into fists at his sides.

"My fucking Semblance could have healed you and I couldn't… If I'd unlocked it sooner, maybe…"

He exhaled hard, shoulders sagging.

"You'd tell me I'm being stupid. I know. But when I'm here I just… I know you're not the statue, but…" He wiped his eyes again, voice breaking. "Breaker damnit… I thought… maybe one day I'd have healed from this, but… I'm not. I'm still wounded and it still hurts and this day… I should be happy for Mia. She's five. And… and you're still in here and I don't know how to handle it."

Footsteps approached softly on the stone path outside.

Jaune tensed.

Isabel appeared at the entrance of the crypt, Mia riding on her hip. Both of them looked at him with quiet concern.

"Hey, sweetie," Isabel said gently.

"…Hey, Mom." Jaune's voice was rough. "Mia?"

Mia's ears were slightly flattened, her expression solemn. "I wanted to see you and Mama."

Jaune swallowed hard. "…S-Sure. Sure."

Isabel set Mia down carefully. The little girl immediately walked over and took her father's hand. Isabel kissed both of them on the forehead.

"We'll be at the edge of the forest, okay?"

"Thank you," Jaune whispered.

She left them alone in the quiet of the crypt.

Mia stared up at the statue for a long time. Jaune held her tightly.

Finally, she spoke in a quiet voice.

"…Mama was really pretty."

"Yes," Jaune said softly. "She was."

"Can I talk to her?"

"Not here. But you can pray, and she'll hear you."

Mia nodded. She closed her eyes, bowed her head, still holding tightly to Jaune's hand, and spoke in a small, clear voice.

"Hi Aslan… I wanna talk to Mama. I really miss her. I want to have cake with her. It would be nice. It's a really nice cake. And she would be here and she'd make Papa happy. And everyone would have a good time at my party… But I can't. So… um… I hope she's happy, 'cause we really miss her and Papa's doing a good job. Amen."

Jaune pulled her into a tight hug and pressed a long kiss to the top of her head between her soft cat ears. "That was good," he whispered. "She'd have liked it."

"…Thanks."

Mia slipped free after a moment and walked up to the statue. She carefully placed one small hand against the cold marble of Katy's knee.

"Why do you make a statue if she's not in there?"

"So we remember what she looked like," Jaune said quietly. "So we don't forget."

"Why would you forget?"

"People get old and forget lots of stuff, Kitten."

Mia's ears flattened further. "I don't want to forget."

Jaune smiled gently.

"That's why we have the statue."

"…Oh."

Jaune lifted her into his arms again and held her close for a long time, rocking slightly the way he had when she was a newborn. Eventually Mia squirmed.

"…Can we have cake now, please?"

He managed a small, watery smile. "Yes. Yes, we can."

---

They walked back out of the woods together. Isabel, RWBY and JNPR were waiting at the treeline, quiet and respectful. The moment they saw Jaune's face, something in the group's posture softened further.

"Hey…" Jaune offered them a tired, grateful smile. "Uh… sorry it took so long…"

"No need to apologize, for anything," Isabel said gently.

Mia tugged at his sleeve. "Can we have cake?"

"Yeah. Go on, Kitten."

He set her down. She took off running toward the pavilion at full speed. Isabel smiled.

"I'll look after her." She turned and followed.

The moment she was gone, Nora stepped forward and wrapped Jaune in a fierce, almost crushing hug. Pyrrha joined almost immediately, her arms gentler but no less tight. Ren placed a steadying hand on Jaune's shoulder, the quiet offer of his Semblance clear in the gesture.

"…I'm okay," Jaune murmured against Nora's shoulder. "Thank you, Ren." He drew a deep, shaky breath.

Yang pulled him into a hug next, strong and warm. Ruby followed, clinging tightly. Weiss hesitated for only a second before stepping in as well, her embrace careful but sincere. Blake lingered at the edge of the group until Jaune looked at her over the others' heads.

"…You want one too?"

"Yes," she said quietly.

He opened an arm and hugged her without another word.

When they finally let him go, Jaune exhaled slowly, wiping at his eyes one last time.

"…I'll talk about it later, huh?"


At the grill, Nick Arc was carefully tending the coals the way he always did on birthdays—because, as he liked to say, birthdays were the best days of the year "since you got dessert before dinner without people yelling at you." He watched Mia race past toward the cake table with a soft, subdued smile, eyes shining with unshed tears.

When Jaune came to stand beside him, Nick spoke quietly enough that only his son could hear.

"I made sure to spend extra time maintaining her memorial, so it would look extra nice for today, son. She deserves to look nice for her little girl."

He glanced at Jaune, voice even quieter, thick with emotion.

"…Have I ever told you how much I admire you, Jaune? For being so strong? I don't think I would be able to do what you have done for Mia if I lost Izzy…"

He wiped his eyes with the back of one wrist and gave a self-conscious little laugh.

"Sorry. Must be getting old and sentimental."

Jaune's voice was rough with quiet gratitude. "Thank you, Dad. I really appreciate it."

Isabel appeared at his other side and slipped an arm around his waist, resting her head against his shoulder. Her own eyes were damp.

"Yes," she said softly. "We're very proud of you, Jaune."

"…Thank you."

Out on the grass, Mia was already demanding cake at the top of her lungs while the rest of the group began setting out plates and laughing. The afternoon sun caught the pearl-like gleam of Arc-En-Ciel Hospital in the distance one more time.

The party had begun.
 
Reader mode
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

  • ... and 2 more.
    • Total: 19 (members: 7, guests: 12)
    Back
    Top