The Arc Clan: "Aunt" Lizzie
AndrewJTalon
Experienced.
- Joined
- Apr 24, 2015
- Messages
- 3,573
- Likes received
- 110,561
- - -
Blake hadn't been the most social creature since she'd arrived at Beacon. It had taken a lot of work on behalf of her friends to get her to participate in activities other than training, reading, and vigilantism.
Blake could admit, it was slow going mostly because of her. Which made her feel guilty. Which made her want to be more isolated.
And honestly, she did enjoy her solitude. She always had.
Right now she was enjoying a quick catnap in her favorite tree on the Beacon grounds. It had wide, comfortable trunks, just the right kind of shade and foliage to shield her from view, and no pesky birds nesting to ruin her snooze.
It also offered a lot of privacy from below: A ring of rosebushes with beautiful buds and sharp thorns guarded the grass around the base. Even on people with Aura, they were capable of harm. An oddity, but not one Blake was complaining about.
So she snoozed in the afternoon sun, letting her mind wander... Until she heard a guitar being played. And a woman singing.
"I am lonely wherever I go,
Sanctuary is all that know~..."
Blake looked down. In the one clear spot under the tree, free of rosebushes, Jaune Arc sat and played his guitar. And next to him... Her eyes widened.
It was a beautiful woman. Brunette, pale white skin, with blood red lips and high cheekbones. Her black hair was brushed back in shoulder-length pin curls. She wore black nose, a black pencil skirt, and a white blouse with blue collar and cuffs. A pendant of a bird was on a red ribbon tied around her neck.
"And I dream of the sky
Broken clouds drifting by
And I dream of the sky
My utopian lie~..."
Her voice was absolutely gorgeous, yet carried an intense sorrow that cut right to her heart. Blake felt tears come to her eyes, and she quickly brushed them away.
The woman paused and smiled at Jaune. Jaune smiled back.
"You're just amazing, Lizzie," he said happily.
"Lots of practice," she demurred, "You've been getting better at the guitar, too!"
"Oh, well, uh, ya know... Practice," Jaune shrugged.
Lizzie looked up and smiled warmly up at Blake. Blake blanched.
"Hello," she called out, "Are you one of Jaune's friends?"
"Hm?" Jaune looked up with the woman and smiled. "Oh! Hey Blake! Uh, we didn't bother you, did we?"
"... No," Blake decided. She flipped up and dropped out of the tree, landing in silence between the two. "Another of your relatives, Jaune?"
Jaune flushed and rubbed the back of his head.
"Er, well... Y-Yeah. Family like mine, everyone wants to drop by, I guess. This is Lizzie DeWitt. She's my aunt!"
"Not blood related, just honorary," Lizzie chuckled, her blue eyes fixated on her. Blake fidgeted. The cat Faunus didn't know why, but something felt... Strange about Miss DeWitt. Her gaze in particular put her on edge. Those eyes... They seemed to look right through her.
"Blake Belladonna," Blake introduced herself politely, nodding to Lizzie. She nodded back.
"I love this spot," she sighed, reaching out to pick out of the roses. She put it up in her hair behind her ear and smiled warmly. "My favorite roses grow here. Always have, since this tree was planted. It offers perfect shade to the roses."
Well, she had good taste in trees, at least.
"Are you a Huntress?" Blake asked.
Lizzie again smiled, but there was a hint of mischief in her eyes. Jaune shook his head.
"She's a singer! Does a lot of shows at clubs around Remnant!"
"I'm always on the move, so it's hard to keep in touch," Lizzie added, grabbing a rose and handing it to Jaune. He took it with a smile and put it on his guitar, "But I try to make time for my favorite nephew."
Jaune flushed. Lizzie chuckled then gave Blake a scrutinizing look.
"Are you two close friends?"
"W-Well..." Blake fidgeted. Under those eyes, it was hard to think of any platitudes. "We... Both like to read. Our teams work together a lot. He makes good tuna salad."
"Thanks," Jaune beamed, "I like reading with you too. Though uh... Ninjas of Love is um... A little racy for my tastes."
"It's still brilliantly written," Blake insisted.
"I didn't say it wasn't! Honest!" Jaune insisted.
Lizzie laughed.
"Hey, Jaune? Can you get me some cola? We have the same favorite, after all. And I'd love to get to know your friend here."
"Well," Jaune hesitated. Lizzie made puppy dog eyes at him.
"Please? For me?"
"Well... Sure," Jaune said with a nod and a smile. "Just be nice, okay? She is my friend and I care about her."
Blake fought a blush. She wasn't used to people being so... Open.
Lizzie smiled back. She pulled out some coins and tossed them to Jaune. The blond caught them with remarkable dexterity.
"We'll be right here," she said with a beam. Jaune nodded and looked to Blake.
"What can I get you?"
"Um... Tea please. Green," Blake said, staring warily at Lizzie. Jaune nodded with a smile, got up, and carefully navigated around the rose bushes. He headed for a drink machine near one of the office buildings. Blake looked back at Lizzie, her ears twitching underneath her bow.
"It's all right," Lizzie said gently, "I know who you are but I'm not going to announce it to the world. I understand why you're keeping a low profile."
"How could you-?" Blake tried, but Lizzie stared at her.
"I know," she said, her voice deepening slightly. Her eyes, the color of the clearest skies, seemed to glow with an eldritch power. For a moment, Blake thought she was staring into the infinite.
Then it ended, and Lizzie was pulling out a cigarette from her sleeve. She brought it up to her lips and ignited it with a snap of her fingers. It took Blake a moment to notice that where her pinkie finger should be on her right hand was a shiny thimble.
"... Who... What are you?" Blake whispered.
Lizzie took a deep drag off the cigarette, before letting the smoke out as a ring. She stared intently at Blake.
"I am the angel with no beginning and no end," she spoke softly.
"Before you lie two paths, Blake Belladonna. One choice? You lose your friends and family because of your fear. Your dream dies. And human and Faunus alike become a memory on a dead world."
The ring flashed, and Blake gaped in horror. She could see Menagerie, see it engulfed in darkness. The moon was blood red and the sun blocked out by smoke clouds. She saw figures of darkness shuffling through the ruins, sorrow radiating from them like a toxic fume. They seemed almost human if not for the Grimm muck covering every inch of their bodies. Above them was a pale woman: Beautiful, pale, with glowing red eyes. Her rage and sorrow consumed everything and yet could never be sated.
There were two other figures. A dark knight with red hair, burning red eyes, and horns. He carried a sword of flames. Next to him was a similar dark figure, but with cat ears and a whip. Her eyes glowed amber. They staggered through this hell, locked together by chains of flesh and bone, drenched in Grimm muck.
The vision disappeared, and Blake took deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She shakily looked down. Her hands were trembling.
Lizzie's hand reached out and squeezed hers. Blake looked up. Elizabeth's face was full of compassion. She breathed another smoke ring.
"Or you can make the other choice," Lizzie said softly, "And life... Is different."
Blake sat on a hill. It was covered in grass and wildflowers. The sun shone overhead and the clouds rolled on by, pure white against limitless blue.
"Mama!"
She started and looked to her side. Two little blond Faunus children, twins, a boy and a girl, rushed up to her. They carried crowns of woven flowers, and wore bright yellow and blue.
"Look at mine! It's super great!" The girl insisted, shaking her crown at Blake.
"Nuh uh!" The boy countered, holding up his flower crown with a pout, "Mines' super duper great! You wanna wear mine!"
"Does not!"
"Does too!"
Blake giggled and wrapped both children in a tight hug. They hugged her back, their little hearts beating fiercely against her chest.
"They're both wonderful," she said, "So I'll wear them both!"
They beamed. Behind them she could see a crowd. All her friends: Older, more worn, but all smiling. All human or Faunus, all free of darkness. All ready to celebrate life itself.
A smile came to her face and tears came to her eyes.
The vision abruptly ended. She looked around in shock. Elizabeth was back to smoking, studying Blake intently.
"How... How will I know what the choice is? Wh-When do I have to make it?" Blake asked.
Elizabeth shook her head.
"You won't know until it happens, Blake Belladonna," she said, "That is the nature of free will. Those are possible futures only. You have to create the future."
She smiled sadly.
"All I can say is... Don't push everyone away. Don't break off all ties, even if you think they'll be better for it. I did the same... And now? I am alone."
"But... You have Jaune," Blake pointed out, "You have his family."
Lizzie nodded.
"I do... I am holding Jaune when he is only a few minutes old. His mother is fretting over his breathing. I am hugging Jaune when he is five. He scraped his ankle. I am comforting him through his tears. I am congratulating him when he is seventeen for getting into medical school his first try. I am comforting him when he is eighteen, because his partner was murdered and he couldn't do anything. I am dancing at his wedding when he is twenty-four. I am playing with his children when he is thirty. I am holding his hand when he dies when he is thirty-six... When he is fifty... When he is two-hundred... When he is nineteen..."
Elizabeth shook her head.
"These are all precious to me... But it is not the same as experiencing it as a mortal does... As a mortal should."
"Are... Are you a goddess?" Blake whispered.
Elizabeth smiled softly.
"I am what I said I am."
"I-I don't understand," Blake admitted.
"That's all right," Elizabeth said gently, "One day? You will. Or you won't. It's up to you."
"Blake!"
Blake jumped and turned her head. Jaune was against gingerly navigating the rose bushes, holding two cans of drinks. He frowned and looked around.
"Where's Lizzie?"
"She's right-"
Blake turned... And saw nothing. She stared in disbelief: There was no scent, no heat left behind. Elizabeth hadn't even left a trace in the grass!
"Oh," Jaune sighed, walking up to the shocked Blake, "She does that. Mom keeps trying to lay traps for her but she always gets around them somehow."
He looked at her in concern.
"Are you all right? What did she say to you?"
Blake frowned. She thought about what she had seen, what she had been told...
She sucked in a deep breath.
"I... It's personal," she decided on. Jaune nodded again.
"I get it," he said. He smiled and held out her tea. "You still want a drink?"
Blake stared at him for a while. She then slowly reached out and took the drink. Jaune turned to go.
"Wait," she said. Jaune turned back curiously.
"I... Let's drink and talk together," she said quietly. Jaune blinked.
"Er... You sure?"
Blake nodded with a small smile.
"Positive."
He blushed. He smiled back and sat down with her.
And overhead, the sky was blue with pure white clouds rolling by, and the sun shone brightly.
- - -
Naturally Jaune's "Aunt" is Elizabeth from Bioshock: Infinite.
The song she sang is "Dream of the Sky" by Miracle of Sound:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK9L5zSDRiA
Blake hadn't been the most social creature since she'd arrived at Beacon. It had taken a lot of work on behalf of her friends to get her to participate in activities other than training, reading, and vigilantism.
Blake could admit, it was slow going mostly because of her. Which made her feel guilty. Which made her want to be more isolated.
And honestly, she did enjoy her solitude. She always had.
Right now she was enjoying a quick catnap in her favorite tree on the Beacon grounds. It had wide, comfortable trunks, just the right kind of shade and foliage to shield her from view, and no pesky birds nesting to ruin her snooze.
It also offered a lot of privacy from below: A ring of rosebushes with beautiful buds and sharp thorns guarded the grass around the base. Even on people with Aura, they were capable of harm. An oddity, but not one Blake was complaining about.
So she snoozed in the afternoon sun, letting her mind wander... Until she heard a guitar being played. And a woman singing.
"I am lonely wherever I go,
Sanctuary is all that know~..."
Blake looked down. In the one clear spot under the tree, free of rosebushes, Jaune Arc sat and played his guitar. And next to him... Her eyes widened.
It was a beautiful woman. Brunette, pale white skin, with blood red lips and high cheekbones. Her black hair was brushed back in shoulder-length pin curls. She wore black nose, a black pencil skirt, and a white blouse with blue collar and cuffs. A pendant of a bird was on a red ribbon tied around her neck.
"And I dream of the sky
Broken clouds drifting by
And I dream of the sky
My utopian lie~..."
Her voice was absolutely gorgeous, yet carried an intense sorrow that cut right to her heart. Blake felt tears come to her eyes, and she quickly brushed them away.
The woman paused and smiled at Jaune. Jaune smiled back.
"You're just amazing, Lizzie," he said happily.
"Lots of practice," she demurred, "You've been getting better at the guitar, too!"
"Oh, well, uh, ya know... Practice," Jaune shrugged.
Lizzie looked up and smiled warmly up at Blake. Blake blanched.
"Hello," she called out, "Are you one of Jaune's friends?"
"Hm?" Jaune looked up with the woman and smiled. "Oh! Hey Blake! Uh, we didn't bother you, did we?"
"... No," Blake decided. She flipped up and dropped out of the tree, landing in silence between the two. "Another of your relatives, Jaune?"
Jaune flushed and rubbed the back of his head.
"Er, well... Y-Yeah. Family like mine, everyone wants to drop by, I guess. This is Lizzie DeWitt. She's my aunt!"
"Not blood related, just honorary," Lizzie chuckled, her blue eyes fixated on her. Blake fidgeted. The cat Faunus didn't know why, but something felt... Strange about Miss DeWitt. Her gaze in particular put her on edge. Those eyes... They seemed to look right through her.
"Blake Belladonna," Blake introduced herself politely, nodding to Lizzie. She nodded back.
"I love this spot," she sighed, reaching out to pick out of the roses. She put it up in her hair behind her ear and smiled warmly. "My favorite roses grow here. Always have, since this tree was planted. It offers perfect shade to the roses."
Well, she had good taste in trees, at least.
"Are you a Huntress?" Blake asked.
Lizzie again smiled, but there was a hint of mischief in her eyes. Jaune shook his head.
"She's a singer! Does a lot of shows at clubs around Remnant!"
"I'm always on the move, so it's hard to keep in touch," Lizzie added, grabbing a rose and handing it to Jaune. He took it with a smile and put it on his guitar, "But I try to make time for my favorite nephew."
Jaune flushed. Lizzie chuckled then gave Blake a scrutinizing look.
"Are you two close friends?"
"W-Well..." Blake fidgeted. Under those eyes, it was hard to think of any platitudes. "We... Both like to read. Our teams work together a lot. He makes good tuna salad."
"Thanks," Jaune beamed, "I like reading with you too. Though uh... Ninjas of Love is um... A little racy for my tastes."
"It's still brilliantly written," Blake insisted.
"I didn't say it wasn't! Honest!" Jaune insisted.
Lizzie laughed.
"Hey, Jaune? Can you get me some cola? We have the same favorite, after all. And I'd love to get to know your friend here."
"Well," Jaune hesitated. Lizzie made puppy dog eyes at him.
"Please? For me?"
"Well... Sure," Jaune said with a nod and a smile. "Just be nice, okay? She is my friend and I care about her."
Blake fought a blush. She wasn't used to people being so... Open.
Lizzie smiled back. She pulled out some coins and tossed them to Jaune. The blond caught them with remarkable dexterity.
"We'll be right here," she said with a beam. Jaune nodded and looked to Blake.
"What can I get you?"
"Um... Tea please. Green," Blake said, staring warily at Lizzie. Jaune nodded with a smile, got up, and carefully navigated around the rose bushes. He headed for a drink machine near one of the office buildings. Blake looked back at Lizzie, her ears twitching underneath her bow.
"It's all right," Lizzie said gently, "I know who you are but I'm not going to announce it to the world. I understand why you're keeping a low profile."
"How could you-?" Blake tried, but Lizzie stared at her.
"I know," she said, her voice deepening slightly. Her eyes, the color of the clearest skies, seemed to glow with an eldritch power. For a moment, Blake thought she was staring into the infinite.
Then it ended, and Lizzie was pulling out a cigarette from her sleeve. She brought it up to her lips and ignited it with a snap of her fingers. It took Blake a moment to notice that where her pinkie finger should be on her right hand was a shiny thimble.
"... Who... What are you?" Blake whispered.
Lizzie took a deep drag off the cigarette, before letting the smoke out as a ring. She stared intently at Blake.
"I am the angel with no beginning and no end," she spoke softly.
"Before you lie two paths, Blake Belladonna. One choice? You lose your friends and family because of your fear. Your dream dies. And human and Faunus alike become a memory on a dead world."
The ring flashed, and Blake gaped in horror. She could see Menagerie, see it engulfed in darkness. The moon was blood red and the sun blocked out by smoke clouds. She saw figures of darkness shuffling through the ruins, sorrow radiating from them like a toxic fume. They seemed almost human if not for the Grimm muck covering every inch of their bodies. Above them was a pale woman: Beautiful, pale, with glowing red eyes. Her rage and sorrow consumed everything and yet could never be sated.
There were two other figures. A dark knight with red hair, burning red eyes, and horns. He carried a sword of flames. Next to him was a similar dark figure, but with cat ears and a whip. Her eyes glowed amber. They staggered through this hell, locked together by chains of flesh and bone, drenched in Grimm muck.
The vision disappeared, and Blake took deep breaths to calm her racing heart. She shakily looked down. Her hands were trembling.
Lizzie's hand reached out and squeezed hers. Blake looked up. Elizabeth's face was full of compassion. She breathed another smoke ring.
"Or you can make the other choice," Lizzie said softly, "And life... Is different."
Blake sat on a hill. It was covered in grass and wildflowers. The sun shone overhead and the clouds rolled on by, pure white against limitless blue.
"Mama!"
She started and looked to her side. Two little blond Faunus children, twins, a boy and a girl, rushed up to her. They carried crowns of woven flowers, and wore bright yellow and blue.
"Look at mine! It's super great!" The girl insisted, shaking her crown at Blake.
"Nuh uh!" The boy countered, holding up his flower crown with a pout, "Mines' super duper great! You wanna wear mine!"
"Does not!"
"Does too!"
Blake giggled and wrapped both children in a tight hug. They hugged her back, their little hearts beating fiercely against her chest.
"They're both wonderful," she said, "So I'll wear them both!"
They beamed. Behind them she could see a crowd. All her friends: Older, more worn, but all smiling. All human or Faunus, all free of darkness. All ready to celebrate life itself.
A smile came to her face and tears came to her eyes.
The vision abruptly ended. She looked around in shock. Elizabeth was back to smoking, studying Blake intently.
"How... How will I know what the choice is? Wh-When do I have to make it?" Blake asked.
Elizabeth shook her head.
"You won't know until it happens, Blake Belladonna," she said, "That is the nature of free will. Those are possible futures only. You have to create the future."
She smiled sadly.
"All I can say is... Don't push everyone away. Don't break off all ties, even if you think they'll be better for it. I did the same... And now? I am alone."
"But... You have Jaune," Blake pointed out, "You have his family."
Lizzie nodded.
"I do... I am holding Jaune when he is only a few minutes old. His mother is fretting over his breathing. I am hugging Jaune when he is five. He scraped his ankle. I am comforting him through his tears. I am congratulating him when he is seventeen for getting into medical school his first try. I am comforting him when he is eighteen, because his partner was murdered and he couldn't do anything. I am dancing at his wedding when he is twenty-four. I am playing with his children when he is thirty. I am holding his hand when he dies when he is thirty-six... When he is fifty... When he is two-hundred... When he is nineteen..."
Elizabeth shook her head.
"These are all precious to me... But it is not the same as experiencing it as a mortal does... As a mortal should."
"Are... Are you a goddess?" Blake whispered.
Elizabeth smiled softly.
"I am what I said I am."
"I-I don't understand," Blake admitted.
"That's all right," Elizabeth said gently, "One day? You will. Or you won't. It's up to you."
"Blake!"
Blake jumped and turned her head. Jaune was against gingerly navigating the rose bushes, holding two cans of drinks. He frowned and looked around.
"Where's Lizzie?"
"She's right-"
Blake turned... And saw nothing. She stared in disbelief: There was no scent, no heat left behind. Elizabeth hadn't even left a trace in the grass!
"Oh," Jaune sighed, walking up to the shocked Blake, "She does that. Mom keeps trying to lay traps for her but she always gets around them somehow."
He looked at her in concern.
"Are you all right? What did she say to you?"
Blake frowned. She thought about what she had seen, what she had been told...
She sucked in a deep breath.
"I... It's personal," she decided on. Jaune nodded again.
"I get it," he said. He smiled and held out her tea. "You still want a drink?"
Blake stared at him for a while. She then slowly reached out and took the drink. Jaune turned to go.
"Wait," she said. Jaune turned back curiously.
"I... Let's drink and talk together," she said quietly. Jaune blinked.
"Er... You sure?"
Blake nodded with a small smile.
"Positive."
He blushed. He smiled back and sat down with her.
And overhead, the sky was blue with pure white clouds rolling by, and the sun shone brightly.
- - -
Naturally Jaune's "Aunt" is Elizabeth from Bioshock: Infinite.
The song she sang is "Dream of the Sky" by Miracle of Sound:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK9L5zSDRiA