[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

AndrewJTalon · Mar 19, 2025

Jaune entered the RWBY common room. There, he found his friends... And his aunt Yuffie. The brunette ninja girl was in one of her usual extremely provocative outfits. They were all sitting and chatting happily.

Pyrrha: "Oh! Hello Jaune!"

Ruby: "Hey Jaune! We just met your Cousin Yuffie!"

Ren: "She brought tea."

Nora: "AND SNACKS!"

Weiss: sips, smiles "Finally, a normal member of your family!"

Yuffie: "Aw, thanks! I uh, I think? And I'm more of an honorary aunt, Cloud's the one he's related to by blood!"

Ruby: "She just came up to visit! She's got so many great stories of traveling around and adventuring!'

Yang: "Yeah! She's a blast!"

Nora: "Hee!"

Jaune: "Well... It's very nice of you to drop by, Aunt Yuffie." tight smile

Yuffie: "Yeah! We'll have to catch up! Just let me go to the bathroom real quick..."

She gets up and heads for the door. Jaune blocks her way with a smile.

Yuffie: "The door is that way, Jaune."

Jaune: "Yes, it is." Crosses his arms over his chest

Ruby: "Eh? What are you doing, Jaune?"

Yuffie: "I mean, do you want a hug? Because I can certainly give one! Plenty of them!"

Jaune: beams "Sure! I'd love one!"

Jaune and Yuffie hug for a bit... Yuffie pulls away... And Jaune grabs her wrist. He holds it up, revealing she was holding onto his wallet.

Yuffie: cough "Oh dear... However did that get there?"

Ruby: "What?!"

Jaune: "Give them back, Auntie."

Yuffie: pouts "I was gonna!"

Weiss: "Give what back-?" checks her pouch "Wha-WHERE'S MY WALLET?!"

Ruby: "AND MY SCROLL?!"

Nora: gasp "MY POCKET PANCAKES!"

Many stares at her.

Nora: "What? I have needs!"

Yuffie turns over all the stolen items.

Jaune: "Is that everything?"

Yuffie: "Come on, Jaune! It's me! Your fun ninja aunt Yuffie! Remember how I used to cuddle you and take you out when I went tree hopping-?"

Jaune: "Is that everything?"

Yuffie: "Yesss..." sigh "Honestly, you are no fun!"

Jaune: sighs "You told me you were working on it."

Yuffie: "I am! But you can't put a former alcoholic in a bar and expect them not be tempted, right? I'm a thief! In a room with some of the richest girls on Remnant!"

Jaune: scowls

Yuffie: "Aw... I'm sorry Jaune." Hugs him

Jaune: "It's okay, Aunt Yuffie... But seriously. Get help?"

Yuffie: "Hmph. Just for that, I'm gonna set you up with a girl just like me and you'll beg me for help with her because you'll love her soooo much!"

Jaune: "Ha! That'll be the day!"

Somewhere, Neo sneezes.

AndrewJTalon · Mar 19, 2025

I've been playing around with Grok's AI for some story ideas. So here's more expansion on Mistral and their factions:

Green Dragon Faction
Core Ideology: Restore the Emperor and revert Mistral to a traditional, hierarchical society with limited democratic elements. They claim descent from the last true Emperor over a thousand years ago, pre-dating the Hellenic and Mughal conquests, and see themselves as preservers of Mistral's soul.
Motivations:

Heritage: They aim to protect Mistral's central culture (strongest in Liu Bei Province) from foreign dilution.
Legitimacy: Their power rests on lineage, giving them a sense of divine mandate.
Unity: They believe a restored monarchy will end Mistral's cycles of division.

Key Figures:

Lady Jia Xu: The faction's leader, a poised matriarch wielding a Dust-infused glaive. She's charismatic but rigid, clinging to ancestral traditions.
General Wei Shen: A pragmatic warlord from Guan Yu Province, commanding the faction's armies with ties to Pandu's military traditions.
Priestess Lian: A spiritual guide who interprets ancient texts, reinforcing their claim but pushing dogma.

Strengths:

Deep roots in Liu Bei and Guan Yu Provinces, where tradition thrives.
Elite warriors skilled in ancient Mistralian combat arts.
Cultural appeal to those tired of chaos and foreign influence.

Weaknesses:

Resistance to modern tech limits their flexibility.
Lineage focus alienates the masses, especially in Mughal-influenced CaoCao.
Vulnerable if their "heir" is exposed as a fraud.

Red Dragon Faction
Core Ideology: Abolish lineage-based power for a full meritocracy, influenced by Hellenic democratic ideals. They seek a Mistral where skill and effort trump birthright, even if it means tearing down the old order.
Motivations:

Equality: They blame aristocracy for Mistral's woes and want a level playing field.
Progress: They embrace innovation and trade, drawing from Zhang Fei Province's Western ties.
Revolution: They're ready to destroy traditions to build anew, accepting short-term chaos.

Key Figures:

Kael Draven: A revolutionary ex-Huntsman from Zhang Fei Province, wielding a rapier-whip. Charismatic but ruthless, he's the faction's idealistic core.
Mira Solis: A Faunus engineer from Zhou Yu Province, crafting advanced Dust tech. She fights for the marginalized but distrusts outsiders.
Toren Vex: A former syndicate thug turned strategist, bringing underworld savvy but shaky loyalty.

Strengths:

Strong support among the disenfranchised in Zhang Fei and Zhou Yu Provinces.
Cutting-edge tech like airships and Dust explosives, inspired by Hellenic designs.
Loose alliances with Pandu and Taejo, who share anti-imperial views.

Weaknesses:

No unifying leader risks factionalism.
Radical change alienates traditionalists in Liu Bei and Guan Yu.
Untested tech is prone to failure or sabotage.

Yellow Dragon Faction
Core Ideology: Blend authoritarianism and democracy, claiming Mughal Khan Dynasty descent. They favor expansionism, aiming to subjugate Pandu, Fuujin, and other sub-kingdoms to restore Mistral's past glory.
Motivations:

Glory: They idolize the Mughal era as Mistral's peak and seek to reclaim it.
Order: A strong state with some democratic input, they think, will end factionalism.
Revenge: They resent the uprising that ousted their ancestors and see rivals as usurpers.

Key Figures:

Khan Rostam IV: The faction's towering leader, wielding a scimitar and riding a warhorse. Ambitious and intimidating, his pride is his weakness.
Soraya Vahl: A shrewd diplomat from CaoCao Province, balancing Rostam's aggression while plotting her own rise.
Darius Khan: A brutal general leading Mongol-style cavalry raids into Pandu and Taejo, loyal but restless.

Strengths:

Dominant in CaoCao Province and eastern deserts, with a disciplined Mughal-inspired army.
Mobile cavalry excels in guerrilla warfare across Animus.
Syndicate backing provides wealth and intel.

Weaknesses:

Expansionism overextends their forces.
Harsh rule sparks resentment, even in CaoCao.
Syndicate reliance invites betrayal.

AndrewJTalon · Mar 20, 2025

Jaune sat at the breakfast table with Team CRDL, the clatter of trays and chatter filling the air around them. Cardin, who had been making a genuine effort to be friendlier lately, leaned toward him. To Jaune's surprise, it felt good to hang out with the guys—Ren was his best male friend, no doubt, but he wasn't exactly the "bro" type.

Cardin raised an eyebrow, grinning.

"Seriously? You rode horses all the way here?"

Jaune shrugged, poking at his food.

"Well yeah, I'm a farm boy. We have horses back home. My dad had a few motorcycles, but I wasn't gonna take them to get here."

Sky's eyes lit up.

"Still, that's pretty cool, Jaune! Man, you riding on a horse must have been awesome! How did you not have a girlfriend?"

Jaune smirked faintly.

"Well, I did."

Cardin snorted, leaning back.

"Pfft, sure, Jaune."

"No! No, I did!" Jaune insisted, his voice rising slightly.

Russel slammed a hand on the table, laughing. "Pics or it didn't fuckin' happen!"

With a sigh, Jaune pulled out his scroll and showed them a photo. Cardin's jaw dropped.

"What?! A Faunus—!"

Dove cut in calmly, his tone measured.

"A really hot cat Faunus."

Cardin paused, then nodded. He assessed the picture of the busty blonde cat Faunus hugging on Jaune in the selfie.

"True. She is really hot."

Russel leaned closer, incredulous.

"And what, you fuckin' left her behind?"

Jaune sighed again, slumping slightly.

"We broke up. She wanted me to be a doctor, like my mom. I wanted to be a Huntsman, which she REALLY didn't want. We fought about it, but we decided we wanted different things and broke up amicably."

Cardin frowned, scratching his chin.

"Well, that sucks, man… But I gotta say. If you could land a hottie like that, why are you clowning around Weiss?"

Jaune rubbed the back of his neck.

"Well, it's not like my method of getting Katy to date me would work on her! She's sophisticated, elegant—"

Russel scoffed, waving a hand.

"Feh! Come on! Whatever you did to land that hottie has to work!"

"It really wouldn't!" Jaune protested.

Dove tilted his head thoughtfully. "Perhaps not on Schnee, that's true… But it would work on another girl."

Jaune sighed, exasperated.

"Why would I—?"

Cardin's eyes flicked across the room, spotting Yang walking by.

"All right, Jaune," he said, a grin spreading across his face. "I'll make you a deal. You try whatever you did to land Katy on Xiao-Long."

Jaune's eyes widened in panic. "Wha—Are you kidding?! She'll kill me!"

Cardin chuckled. "If you do it, I'll do your homework for a week. And if it doesn't work, I'll do it for a month."

"And if it does?" Jaune asked, hesitant.

"Well, that's a reward all its own, right, Jauney-Boy?" Cardin replied with a wink.

Jaune stammered, "I—I dunno—"

Russel elbowed him, grinning. "Come on, ya pussy! Show us you can do it!"

With a resigned sigh, Jaune muttered, "…Fine." He pushed himself up from the table and headed toward Yang.

Dove glanced at Cardin, his voice low. "I thought we were trying to be nicer to him?"

Cardin shrugged, smirking. "We are! Look, Xiao-Long's just gonna shoot him down, but it'll toughen him up!"

Jaune approached Yang, who flashed him a bright smile.

"Hey, VB," she said playfully. "How's the bird boy club doing? Hope you're not getting all feather-brained—"

Jaune kept walking toward her, silent, his eyes narrowing with determination. Yang blinked, stepping back until she bumped into the wall.

"Uh, you're looking a little intense there, Ladykiller," she said, her tone more uncertain. "You feeling—EEP!"

Jaune slammed his hand against the wall beside her head, locking eyes with her. She froze, startled.

In an even tone, he said, "Hey. I wanna date you."

Yang's face turned bright red.

"I… Uh… What?" she stammered.

"You like to dance," Jaune continued, unflinching. "I do too. Let's go dancing together. On a date."

The cafeteria seemed to fall silent, every pair of eyes turning to witness the scene. Yang blinked twice, then looked up at him, almost shyly.

"…This Friday night?" she asked.

Jaune nearly faltered but managed a nod.

"S-Sounds good. I'll pick you up at seven. Dress nice, I'm bringing flowers."

"…Roses?" Yang ventured.

"Sure," Jaune replied.

"Okay. Sure," she said, still blushing.

Jaune nodded, pulled his hand back, and turned to walk back to the table. Yang watched him go, her expression a mix of shock and mild amazement, her cheeks still flushed.

He sat down with CRDL, and Cardin stared at him.

"…Dude," he said, dumbfounded.

Jaune exhaled shakily.

"Holy crap, that was terrifying."

A beat passed, and his eyes widened.

"Holy crap, that worked?!"

Cardin laughed.

"You have a date with Xiao-Long!"

"I have a date with Xiao-Long?!" Jaune echoed, still processing it.

Russel grinned, holding up his fist.

"Holy fucking shit, bro. Bro. Fist bump. You've earned it!"

Jaune blinked at him.

"But I—"

Nora popped up out of nowhere, startling him.

"Take the fist bump, Jaune!"

"GAH!" Jaune yelped, nearly falling out of his chair.

zMADLAXz · Mar 20, 2025

What if Jaune who is inspired by the IRL Joan who heard the voice of God and lead her country in war became the next reincarnation of Ozma? The guy who you could say is the pawn/representative of God Of Light through circumstance?

I know people had this theory back in the day and some "Genius Critics" said Jaune will not beat the self insert allegations instead of you know, actually watching the show ?

Anyway, this is my rendition of how things should have started to happen.

(In Jaune's mind)

Ozpin: Jaune I know you wish to improve but right now you are killing yourself. Training the entire night and the entire morning and well into the afternoon isn't good.

Jaune's Scroll(in Pyrrha's voice): ....and remember Jaune I will always be with you.

Jaune(out loud): ....Back to training.

Ozpin: For Brother's sake Jaune! This isn't what Pyrr-

Jaune: KEEEP HER NAME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH!

Jaune: You good for nothing failure! Your decisions and your incessant need to butt youeself everywhere got her killed! She was not supposed to die like that! At the hands of a low life, scum of the earth, shit from a cunt, ugly whore like Cinder!

Jaune: She was a warrior!A true WARRIOR! Not like you, cowardly, stupid, good for nothing....

She was nothing like you......

Ozpin: I accept all that Jaune but tell me is it me you are saying those words to or yourself?

Jaune: YOU! ME! EVERYONE! NONE! Why does it matter?! If it wasn't for me she would have not taken that decision! If I was better she wouldn't have to cover my ass all the time! None of the team JNPR will have to! My Parents would never have to face such a disappointment good for nothing like me! None of this would have happened!

Ozpin:......Don't you think you are giving yourself too much importance?

Jaune......what?

Ozpin: Pyrrha didn't take that decision on your advice, it was my choice and her Noble nature, Cinder didn't invade Beacon for you, if it was someone else who isn't on the level of a Maiden, they would have been just as much of a help as you would have been, Your parents have 7 other children from you, that's too much to expect from only one child out of 8, Salem didn't think of the Arc lineage when she chose to go on this mad crusade against all of Remnant.

Ozpin: Jaune......Over the many, many centuries I have been alive, I realised something, every being is both more and less important than they realise.

Ozpin: Jaune Pyrrha's death and Vale's destruction wasn't your responsibility, not more than any other student's and certainly far less than any Huntsman like myself or the faculty. But you know what was your responsibility? you led your team, you helped the civilians, you even made a person like Mr. Winchester reconsider through your selflessness, you gave hope to Pyrrha, you became a rock for your team.

Mr Arc I both as a teacher and as a parent wouldn't dare ask more of you. Please, if not for me but for Pyrrha, the one that loved you the most, you have to live and become the magnificent man both she and I could see inside of you.

Jaune: ......Ozpin, when I came to Beacon, did you plan on this? Was I destined to be your next meatsuit? Was I your contingency ? Was this why you let an untrained civilian in your academy? Like a goat fattened up just to be sacrificed?

Ozpin: NO! Never! not in a Bilion years Jaune! Every single one of my reincarnation was out of my control, in fact you are a great exception! All of my incarnations have had some name beginning with Oz or Os or similar phonetic distinction, yet your existence proves that destiny can be broken.

Jaune: Destiny haa? (takes a deep breath and unfurls his sleeping bag), ..... Ozpin, right now I cannot promise you that I won't make a mistake, that I could simply heal from all that and go as healthy as hay. But, despite whatever happens, despite whatever happens to my soul, promise me you will help me so that I can take away all the sorrow Salem will bring to this world. I will no longer accept any single tear that she brings to this world, my world. Promise me.

Ozpin: I promise you this Jaune, whatever happens, we will protect this world from her, I have grown tired of these countless lives, giving up hope but this situation of ours, it tells me that the hold the Brother Gods had on us is diminishing. These chains will be soon shattered.

Jaune: ......Thank... you...professor....zz...zz(he falls asleep from exhaustion)

Ozpin: Rest well, Jaune, rest well, blood of mine.

(OMAKE)

Jaune: Ok, Oz, where are you leading me now?

Ozpin: Well Jaune, since you have shown progress with your Shield and Sword training, I thought it was time to help you get on with firearms and Spears. It might not look like it but I was quite an accomplished knight in my time. I could slay armies just as well I could woe the ladies.

Jaune: Chuckles.... you know prof.? I am starting to see why we are so compatible now. But firearms and Spear? Crocea Mors is good enough.

Ozpin: Jaune.....Jaune, you need to be able to set an example as a leader, while Crocea Mors is good, it is not something that is fully, how shall we put this, compatible with you.

Jaune: ....How exactly professor?

Ozpin: A huntsman's weapon is their soul, my dear knight, it is your friend, your lover, your brother in arms and any such thing you could think of. That is why even if students who don't forge their weapon are still asked for great input when constructing their weapon.

An easier way to explain is this, Crocea Mors is that one Grand Parent of the family that is older than everyone and loves all of them and has great wisdom, it is indeed loved by the family members in return but that, particular bond, the one between destined souls is not something that can be established.

You can certainly reforge it, but to use it as it is will be asking too much of those old bones of Crocea Mors.

No my brave paladin, this weapon had to be personal to truly encompass what you are.

Jaune: ........A spear and some sort of firearm you said? Then I have some ideas. But does this entire talk mean we are visiting a forge of sorts?

Ozpin: Oh? Already clear with what you need and perceptive as well. Good and yes that is exactly where we are going. An old friend of mine, he goes by Merlin Asmodeus, his work is like magic but Women and alcohol are his vice.

Jaune: So an old pervert that is possibly the greatest weapon-smith on Remnant? This sounds fun.

Ozpin: Quite fun indeed, though do tell me what you plan to do with your improvements?

Jaune: Hopefully you have some extra funds laying around and also plan to teach me, cause I will not compromise in either training or the weapon.

Ozpin: It would be a disgraceful of me as your teacher to hold anything back. Plus I have some theories on your Semblance based on the weird way your soul seems to have....amplified ..... Itself against mine to save you from succumbing to my curse and based on what happened when Mr Winchester tried to punch you in Forever Fall.

Jaune: What do you mean I am not succumbing to your curse?

Ozpin: Just that Mr Arc, I guess some theorizing is important. After Brother God of Light created the next creation of man, it seems my soul simply overwhelms my hosts by virtue of my magic, as if their souls aren't registered on the same level as mine, yet your soul is different .

Jaune: Ok let's move on before I get a big head. What was this about figuring my Semblance and more Training?

(Kuroyuri with team RNR(Runner))

Everything was gone to poop, Drunkle Qrow was injured, Ren and Nora were injured even with Ren's semblance evolution, after the Geist incident and everything not only did this stupid place have a Nuckelavee but also two Deathstalkers and small Nevermores?

Why oh why did it happen?

Ruby knows, that the entire time, their group was just reeking negativity, no one to help them no one to support them, no one to plan, no one to help, no one alive, no ones no one NO ONE!

Ruby thought, hoping her eyes would pull another miracle, hoping someone was there to save them.

Anyone.... please, Yang, Dad

A Nevermore swept down, Ren providing fire support to Ruby, who was tired but still better fighting shape than rest of them.

Blake......Weiss,

Qrow, still tried and injured keeping the Nuckelavee occupied along with one of the Death Stalkers.

Mom.......Pyrrha,

As the other Death stalker prepared to extinguis the final legacy of the silver eyed warriors,

.......Jaune

Suddenly! A bright projectile, too fast for anyone to react to, Flew, piercing the Deathstalker, and embedding itself next to Ruby, unfurling into a beautiful white flag with a golden shine and suddenly encompassing them - Ruby, Nora, Ren- in its glow.

Wait, this light, it's...... warm and so strong, safe.

Suddenly all three of them were rejuvenated, their stamina restored, wounds healed and spirits elated.

This was light, life, joy, a cup of hot chocolate and cookies in winter, Hot Pancake with syrup, nice relaxing Sunday of meditation. This was.....

Wait this, this Aura, this is familiar.

Suddenly all three of them looked towards Qrow, a hail of bullet, as if launched from a machine gun, tore down majority of the Grimm surrounding him and they all-along with Qrow tried to find the origin of those bullets.

Their eyes tracked it back to a mounted gun, jutting outwards from a ......shield?

Then they saw the mysterious stranger wielding the Shield - Machine Gun combo.

Then the stranger, leaped, nay, the stranger Soared over, Landing in between team RNR and the Nuckelavee and the remaining Nevermores, Crouching as he landed with a Beautiful sword in his hand.

As he landed, his hood slipped, no longer covering his admittedly handsome face and once Nora saw who it was, a smile broke out on her face, a true Nora smile that they hadn't seen in ages.

"HAHAHAHA, OH YOU GUYS ARE SO SMASHED RIGHT NOW! HAHAHAHA HE IS HERE! HAHAA ", Nora laughed, she laughed in so long that Ren was worried she had forgotten how to. But Ren had no time to say anything about that because he was smiling and crying. Because for the first time in months, he could finally see him again. He knew it will be alright. After all,

Leader of Team JNPR, was Back.

"PERCEURRR DU CIELLLLLLLLL", cried the Noble Knight as he swept his sword, launching a beam of Light so Bright and so Pure, it vaporized the 4 Nevermores in an instant.

So intense was the attack even the Nuckelavee was burnt a bit despite the attack not reaching him directly. Without turning the knight said, "Ren, I may not have followed your journey, but, I know that you deserve recompense for the tragedy you had to suffer, I won't end that monster, That is your prey and so my only order is this to you as a huntsman,

Lie Ren, go out and Hunt"

Suddenly his hands touched Ren's shoulder, Power filled Ren, he felt greater than ever before, he felt better than ever before, suddenly he vanished, disappeared in his semblance and his speed, his father's knife in his hand as he re-appeared near the head of the beast he sought to hunt, as he slashed it clean of its shoulder, disappearing again and slashing the torso, then the Horse torso, then the legs, leaving nothing in his wake, finally he had conquered his nightmare.

But all this time, Ruby wasn't there, she was instead lost, as the knight turned around, standing tall, noble and proud, a simple smile on his face and playfulness in his eyes.

Here she was, sitting on the ground with Crescent Rose forgotten by her side, an impossibility otherwise but highly understandable now, as she looked at him.

Oh wait, did my heart get lost somewhere? I could've sworn it was beating a second ago, thought our heroine.

And the Knight Said, "Sorry, Crater face, I got lost on the way."

Sorry I guys I went too cliché but to be honest the setup was too good to miss and clichés are cliché for a reason am I right?

Anyway so Jaune has gotten an obvious upgrade.

So here is the new Weapons list, I haven't thought of name yet because I can't speak French properly so upto our dear viewers.

Sheath, Shield and Machine Gun combo(Think Coco Adels's handbag but shield), Sword and a Spear that is collapsible, about 182 cm(about 6 feet) which also has a flag attached to it(Think Joan from FGO's NP hat deploys a protective barrier with her flag)

SharkCultist · Mar 22, 2025

Had a idea about RWBY running across a Grimm but a weird one and learning something about Salem and her powers.

Blake: it's a Grimm?

Ruby: I think so but I've never heard of a grey Grimm or ones with purple eyes.

Oz: I can explain. The Grimm are made from Salems darkest emotions. Hate and rage and despair. These? They're made of other emotions. Sorrow, regret and the faintest hints of lost love.

Yang: love? Oh yeah she's been killing you for hundreds of years I can feel the love.

Oz: I didn't say it was love for me.

The small grey bird born of magic sings a bird melody, like a child's lullaby it's a beautiful sound. Peaceful. And heartbreakingly full of yearning.

AndrewJTalon · Mar 23, 2025

RedDragonEmpress said:
Shoots...Is there any way I can convince you to let me post the whole thing like when I did with the multiverse crossover chapter? Notes and all.

Go ahead, if you like. No worries. I just hope you finish them up!

Jaune was chilling out and looking over his homework. Ren was sitting with him.

Jaune: "I just don't see why we're focusing on the politics of the Faunus Revolution! I bet Blake made a complaint to the School Board again."

Ren: "Possibly. Increased White Fang activity could warrant paying attention to what happened. They might."

Jaune: "Yeah, maybe. Still, I'm better at more ancient history... Mainly because Nana and Papa told me so many stories about then."

Ren: "I confess I am much stronger on Mistral's history. Though I hate going into their politics-It gives me a headache."

Jaune: "I think that's politics in general."

Weiss approaches, wearing a grimace.

Jaune: "Oh, hey Weiss. What's up?"

Weiss: "There's... A weirdo here. Like, really weird."

Jaune: "And...?"

Weiss: "Well I usually assume anyone weird who comes here is related to you."

Jaune: "Come on, they're not all that weird... What kind of weirdo?"

Weiss: "Wellll..."

Cut to an empty dorm, where Ruby, Nora, Pyrrha, Blake, and Yang are watching a man in a light purple suit and fedora is laying out a large collection of photos, newspaper clippings, printouts and other things on a board, all linked together with string of various colors. Jaune, Weiss and Ren enter.

Yang: "Uh... Jaune? You know this guy?"

Jaune: "Oh... Hey Question."

Weiss: sighs "Of course he does."

Question: "Hello Jaune. You'll have to forgive me, I'm setting up shop here for the festival. Special assignment."

Jaune: "Um... So they gave you a student dorm?"

Question: "No, this is a decoy set up. My actual set up will be at an undisclosed location. This conspiracy map is also an extensive decoy... Or is it? The lies might just be the truth in disguise. Such that a new discovery might bring this into alignment."

Ruby: "... Huh?"

Jaune: "He's a friend of my dad's. He works as a private investigator."

Question: "I am the Question... Seeking answers."

Yang: "So, if he's related to you, does that make him a Question Arc?"

Ruby: groan "Yang!"

Blake: "Is he any good?"

Question: "Blake Belladonna, heir to the throne of Menagerie. Formally a White Fang terrorist and political hostage of Sienna Khan and Adam Taurus, being groomed into a role of leadership when her parents would be forced to step down. Has an unhealthy obsession with Atlas Ice Tuna Sushi, loves the Ninjas of Love series, is an extensive fan posting under the online alias 'PrettyKitty2223'. Has been writing her own prose, largely based on her fellow students, much of it erotic, under 'Blakkatshroudebony'."

Blake turns bright red.

Yang: "Seriously Blake?!"

Pyrrha: "Wha... How much? Sorry!"

Blake: "Ummm..."

Jaune: "That's a little personal, Question."

Question: "Secrets and lies are the fact of human and faunus nature. But there exists a truth. That is my obsession."

Nora: "What truth have you found?!"

Question: "For instance, the Achieve-Men are lab grown experiments, clones of a Huntsman who vanished near Mount Glenn with a vocal influencing Semblance. They are being used by the Illuminati to control the minds of young women, in particular Huntresses, to bring about their new world order."

Yang: "What? Come on, I only like them ironically now!"

Ruby: "I KNEW IT!"

Question: "Peanut butter pancake mix by the Nutty Buddy Pancake Company is laced with toxins designed to require you to get metallic fillings. These fillings are tuned to the radio frequencies necessary for Atlasian Specialists to listen in on private conversations."

Nora: "I KNEW PEANUT BUTTER PANCAKES WERE TOO GOOD TO BE TRUE! NO MORE OF THEM, RENNY!"

Ren: deadpan "Sure."

Question: "And Ozpin is an immortal body hopping wizard fighting his immortal ex-wife who is the Queen of the Grimm in a millennia-old battle to determine the fate of life on this planet. Their battle is what shattered the moon."

Jaune: "Pfft, sure Question. I've heard you say that before."

Weiss: "Please, who would believe such a thing?"

Question: "Ah, yes... That is the Question, isn't it?"

- - -

Naturally, he's based on the best Question:

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cfkNY-XBdOc

RedDragonEmpress · Mar 23, 2025

So here's one of them. This doesn't contain dialogue because it's just me planning out the story so the whole thing is a rough draft of a rough draft which now that I think about it is essentially an outline. I'll get back to it when I can, but for now, here you go.

P.S. I also wrote most of this a while back, so bear with me.

So with all this talk about Orochimaru!Jaune I feel as though we might have forgotten about Isabelle's other fallen protégé, one that may even share more with this version than would care to admit, I speak of course of Blossom Springfield.

Now hear me out, in this reality both of them would be researchers, and scientists, pushed to the extreme, albeit for very different reasons, and pursuing the same end goal of curing death. Jaune's motivations are entirely hinged on his resentment toward his mother, following her aggressively pushing him to become a doctor, and subsequent feelings of inadequacy stemming from trying to live up to her expectations, which inevitably lead him to try to prove himself better by any means necessary. Interestingly enough, Blossom's motivations and how she came to be the way she is are almost the exact opposite of Jaune's. Whereas Jaune resents Isabelle, Blossom has nothing but love and admiration for her mentor. In contrast, Jaune was forced into the medical field, whereas Blossom was gently guided. Jaune was crushed by the weight of his mother's expectations ultimately leading him to undermine himself Blossom has no such expectations as she views Isabelle as an equal and everything that Blossom does henceforth is done with the confidence and assurance that she will complete whatever task is set before her no matter what, in the end, it's only a matter of time for her. Now, while Jaune and Blossom, in this reality, have every reason to despise one another for their views in life, following their experiences, their end goal is the same, so out of necessity and sheer professionalism they work together. Over time they begin to reconcile as they learn to overcome their issues through collaboration. In talking with Blossom, Jaune learns to understand and eventually accept his mom's reasoning for pushing him so hard early in life, and though he still doesn't forgive him, he doesn't let that resentment control him anymore. Having moved on, Jaune is now able to think clearly about his past actions and begins to reevaluate his motivations for what he is currently doing following a realization that he doesn't need his mom's recognition to prove to his worthiness that the only person who gets to decide that is him. In talking with Jaune, however, Blossom can see the error in having viewed Isabelle so highly, an experience which humbles her as she questions who she is and where she's truly at if her mentor, someone she saw as an equal, is not as great of a person as she envisioned. A prospect she doesn't dwell on for long, as Jaune helps her resettle into herself, as he's also experiencing this new change within him and wants to help her through it alongside her. Ultimately, both agree to continue their scientific endeavors because Jaune still sees the merit in curing death and Blossom enjoys the challenge of trying to. Neither of course, see any wrongness in what they are trying to do and achieve, but do understand that for the time being they should continue keeping this a secret. Now they've been able to do this so far, as opposed to in other realities where Blossom has, conversely, already moved on from corpses to live human specimens, both of which were taken from Radian, because of Jaune. In this universe, due to Jaune's intervention, he can convince Blossom to continue working on corpses until they can move their lab far enough away from Radian that no one can find it so they can be left undisturbed by the greater population. Jaune does this because he has enough experience socially interacting with people, albeit not much more than Blossom, to understand that not a lot of people are going to be okay with what they are doing, especially Isabelle, so he convinces Blossom to keep everything on the down-low until they at least have something to show for it. Bare in mind, Jaune at this point has no qualms about using live human subjects to further his research, his issue is with using the innocent population of Radian, some of which are people he knows, for their experiments. Jaune then compromises with Blossom to instead use Bandit clan members, White Fang Terrorists, and other scum like them as he views these individuals as nothing more than monstrous animals whose only redeemable quality is the fact that their bodies can be used to help further progress their medical research and therefore save lives in the future. Plus it's not like anyone's gonna miss them, and if anything Jaune sees this as them doing the world a service by getting rid of them. Blossom agrees not so much because it's more ethical, but because it's more logical. They have a higher chance of being discovered by taking/using people whom others would actually look for if they went missing, but who would willingly look for missing criminals and/or bandits, let alone international terrorists? Sure there are Hunters and the various militaries and law enforcement organizations tasked with doing so around the world, but bureaucracy would stop them long before they would ever truly find them so long as the higher-ups believed said individuals were dead. Said Bureaucrats are not going to spend any more money than they need to, trying to figure out how said individual died when they can just take credit for it and move on.
Go to great aunt Morgana for loan, she agree in exchange for using research to take over world, they agree in exchange for secrecy, Morgana gives them old scientific research castle that she once used after it was gifted to her by a colleague. Castle Volkihar.

[Okay from here forward, bear with me as much of this is just pseudo-science as I lack the knowledge and intelligence to properly explain what they are doing. That being said, here's the rest of the way forward.]

Go to the castle, clean it up enough to be livable, and begin setting their new lab.
Find both Morgana and Valeria's old research notes and equipment and repurpose it to suit their needs.
They begin collecting Bandit scum to use as research material, and once they have no more use, they sell their remaining parts on the black market to further fund their research.
Capturing Bandit scum proves to be a very unsustainable source of income, while it can provide a temporary solution to their funding issues it cannot reliably sustain them long term. Thankfully, they may not have to worry about such things for very long.
While interviewing various Bandit scum on possible locations for Bandit camps to seek and procure more research material rumors abound of a particular faunus within the Whitefang that was said to have been sent to clear out both Bandit and Out of Reach settlements within Vale. What made this information intriguing was the Bandit's fervent belief that the faunus in question was immortal.
After investigating the validity of these rumors and finding them to be true the duo set out to lure said individual into a trap. After a bit of time they successfully capture their new specimen, sedate him, and bring him to their laboratory for study and experimentation. It should be noted that the subject likes to refer to themselves as the immortal Thanh Qingquong. (Komodo Dragon faunus)
This leads to … Jaune and Blossom developing a crude variation of an Aura drain/transfer device, based on Jaune's own semblance, in order to better contain Thanh.
This leads to … Jaune and Blossom finetuning and eventually miniaturizing the device so that it can be sold and used commercially. Both as a way to fund their research and pay back aunt Morgana for giving them the castle. Said device runs at a 50% efficiency rating which is half of what Jaune's semblance can do but is still 2.5 times the standard rate of normal healing dust.
This leads to … Jaune and Blossom performing a series of interviews and tests on Thanh in order to understand his regenerative capabilities better. They also make use of regeneration ability to continually sell his organs and other various body parts on the black market in order to pay for their research whilst waiting for the returns on their portable Aura transfer device.
This leads to … Jaune and Blossom cracking the code on Thanh's abilities and extract the necessary components needed in order for the two of them to cure death.
This leads to … Jaune and Blossom developing and refining the serum that would allow them access to the same level of regenerative capabilities as Thanh, thus curing death by making oneself functionally immortal. They refine it by testing the various serums on the captured bandits and white Fang members.
This leads to … Jaune and Blossom discovering that serum has various side effects on individuals depending on whether or not their Aura is unlocked. These effects are more pronounced depending on if said individual is human. It should be noted that no matter how much they tweak the serum these side effects cannot be removed without removing the key function of the serum itself.
This leads to … Jaune and Blossom partaking of the serum themselves. Blossom turns out fine, but when Jaune partakes in it something goes wrong as both realize that due to the nature of Jaune's semblance the serum works a little too well on Jaune.
This leads to … Blossom interacting with Jaune Aura using her Aura in order to stave off whatever the serum is doing to him through his semblance only for her to stop part way as she witnesses Jaune's continued transformation and begins to back away in instinctual fear.
This leads to … Jaune breaking free of his bonds as he fully transforms into a dark furred lycanthropic creature who, once awake, begins to slowly stalk towards Blossom.
This leads to … Blossom being backed into the corner by said creature fearfully expecting to be killed by it only for the beast to stop part way as Jaune starts to retake control of his body.
This leads to … Jaune passing out after having somehow transformed back into his original self, and Blossom restraining him for both his and her protection, so they can figure out what happened.
This leads to … Jaune and Blossom running an extensive series of tests on Jaune in both states of his transformation. Ultimately realizing that the serum is more affected by aura than previously thought. Jaune's excess reserves and semblance applied the serum's effects on him leading him to gain the ability to transform into a beast like creature.
This leads to … Jaune and Blossom being more mindful of an individual's aura while administering the serum to them as well as testing just how much aura it takes for someone to turn into a similar creature. Further testing of Jaune's new transformation reveals that it does function similarly to lycanthropy with a few noticeable changes.
This leads to … Jaune using the semi-permanently transformed test subjects as a private military whose mission is to guard the island and all its inhabitants. The newly dubbed ~~Wolf-Guard~~ (No my heart we are not calling them that.(B) But my love think of how cool it sounds.(J) No means no Jaune.(B) *sighs* Okay, but can I at least give them individual names?(J) Of course, my love.(B)) Lycans also function as a psuedo-free labor force that aid in the reconstruction of the rest of the castle.
This leads to … Jaune and Blossom renovating the rest of the castle in preparation of the next phase of their plan to cure death. However, it is during this time that stumble upon Valeria's secret alcove whereupon she hid the Ancient Tome given to her by the Witch along with several other strange yet peculiar artifacts. The two not really having a need for such things opts to seal them away until such a time as when they might be needed.
This leads to … Jaune and Blossom beginning phase 2 of their plan which involves curing death in those that have already succumbed to it. Blossom, having been a former licensed mortician, advises that in order to do so they would need to procure a body that has become recently deceased as past a certain number of days a corpse becomes too decayed for any of the flesh still attached to it to be relatively useful for what they are trying to do. Jaune agrees with the understanding that they should still test to see just how long someone can remain dead before they can no longer be resurrected as well as how much of a person that individual still needs to be in order for them to remain that same person when they are resurrected. Would just their head suffice or would they need a certain amount of their original appendages to still function as they normally would?
This leads to … Jaune and Blossom stealing body parts from various grave sites in order to have enough usable material to assemble a body that they can then try to resurrect. It should be noted that for their first series of attempts they are not trying to bring back that individual person whom they've reassembled, but instead prove that bringing the dead back to life is possible. Jaune and Blossom understand that this would in turn create a whole new person that is entirely different from any of the original individuals whose various body parts make them up, and they are prepared to take full responsibility for the care, safety, and well being of this new being they've brought into the world. Jaune jokes that they are essentially making a baby which Blossom retorts that if Jaune wanted a child that badly all he had to do was ask, it's not like they don't already sleep together anyway, heck it's a miracle she hasn't gotten pregnant already, a sentiment which leaves Jaune a near sputtering mess.
This leads to … Jaune and Blossom assembling various bodies and performing numerous procedures in order to resurrect it. The core of which involved creating an artificial nervous system that utilizes an external electrical source to jump start the body such that the subsequent use of Aura and the Serum can regenerate and reconstitute any still dead cells within it.
This leads to … Jaune and Blossom constructing said system within the bodies they are trying to resurrect as they for the time being have no way of doing it externally. Treating it as though it were a necessary prosthetic for that individuals continued well-being. However this comes with its own set of complications as said system is crude, rudimentary, and requires an immense amount of space with the body in order to function causing Jaune and Blossom to make the body bigger than normal.
This leads to … numerous failed attempts as the Aura and subsequently the serum don't take to the body as the artificial nervous system fails to jump start it without damaging the flesh surrounding it. However, this doesn't discourage them as with each failure they learn what to do better getting them closer to being able to succeed as time goes on.
This leads to … Jaune and Blossom eventually succeeding at bringing a corpse back to life. (It's alive. IT'S ALIVE! HAHA!(J) *Jaune picks up Blossom and spins her around as they celebrate their first success*) They, and by they I mean jaune much to Blossom's chagrin, name their creation Victor Springfield-Arc and welcome them into the world with open arms.
This leads to …
This leads to …
This leads to …
This leads to …
This leads to …

[Author's Notes]

Morgana = Brilliant Geneticist and Biotechnologist who specializes in Cloning Technology, who is now recently divorced and is, as a result, going through a midlife crisis which has caused her to become a partially insane supervillain who is even more hellbent on taking over the world than before. She is also a petty little troll who likes to mess with people.
Valeria = Ingenious Biochemist and Epidemiologist studying various hematological disorders to find a cure for her daughter Serana who at the time was slowly dying of an unknown blood disorder. However, as time goes on she becomes increasingly more desperate to find a cure and begins searching, pleading, and praying for anything and for anyone to save her daughter. Valeria's efforts and cries do not go unheard, whether by divine intervention or some other force in the universe, she stumbles upon rumors of an ancient witch who is believed to grant the wishes of those she deems worthy. Valeria seeks out this witch, eventually finding them, and pleads her case to the ancient being. Though the Witch is sympathetic to Valeria's cause, they nonetheless ask her what she is willing to give up in exchange for their gifts, and without hesitation Valeria answers back, "Anything.". The Witch smiles upon hearing Valeria's answer and proceeds to procure an ancient tome filled with long-forgotten and forbidden knowledge for her. The Witch explains that through this ancient tome, Valeria would have the means to save her daughter, but in exchange, Valeria would be bound in servitude to the Witch until the end of her days. Valeria agrees and takes the ancient tome back to her family's castle to study it and discover how to save her daughter. Valeria would go on to spend nearly all her time deciphering the tome and pulling away at the knowledge held within, eventually leading her to what she believed would cure her daughter's disorder by rendering it inoperable through the utilization of a separate disease she called Sanguinare Vampiris. Valeria believes that such a disease would be more manageable to deal with and allow Serana to freely live her life without obstacles, bearing that Valeria had the utmost confidence in herself to cure and control the disease should the need arise, it is unclear whether or not she was successful in either endeavor.
Thanh Qinquong "The Immortal" = Listed as Subject No.0197, Thanh is one of a hundred individuals with whom the Hunter Association of Remnant (HAR) considers to be dangerously lethal to the average Hunter and outright deadly to any Non-Hunter trained personnel. It should be noted that Thanh's designation has on several occasions been put up for review by the HAR to evaluate whether or not his current list of "feats" qualifies him as Hyper-Lethal. Thanh exhibits extreme animalistic tendencies that cause him to go into an uncontrollable state of frenzy when he feels threatened. Though testing and interviews have shown that Thanh does not need to consume human and faunus flesh, he still chooses to do so, and in most cases prefers it. Thanh's faunus feature consists of a reptilian-like tail that resembles those found on a series of Monitor Lizards called Komodo Dragons. However, further investigation of his outer body has revealed possible additional traits uncommon amongst his species. These include: 1) Reptilian-like skin appears above and around the base of his tail, his forearms, and lower calves as well as several other parts of his abdomen, 2) Sharpened and Elongated nails on each of his digits (It is currently unclear whether this is intentional or not on his part), 3) Sharpened and Serrated teeth (Also unclear), and most notably 4) Reptilian-like eyes that can switch between normal pupils to vertical slits.
1. Semblance = One Above All, Thanh boasts a type of self-rapid regeneration ability that allows him to heal from almost any type of injury. From replacing lost limbs to regrowing entire sections of his body, allowing Thanh to survive life-threatening injuries so long as he has the aura to compensate. While Thanh's ability is overtly physical, his regenerative capabilities extend further, allowing him to heal from any illness. The downside to this process is that it causes significant Aura drain, and when used in tandem with his other regenerative abilities, can quickly empty his entire Aura reserve, leaving him vulnerable, proper aura control is therefore necessary when utilizing his power both in and out of combat. In addition, testing and interviews have revealed that while Thanh can heal from almost any injury, the pain felt from those injuries can still be felt by him.
2. Addendum 1-B: It is to the agreement of both myself and my husband that Subject No.0197, otherwise referred to as Thanh, semblance is more than what has been described by the HAR and Thanh himself. We believe that the answer to what truly is Thanh's semblance resides within his DNA. This is due to the various tests and interviews done with Thanh that have revealed a possible correlation between the many additional traits found along his body and the timing of when he first gained his semblance. Thus more testing is required, and we'll update as needed.
3. Addendum 2-J: After extensive testing and analysis of Thanh's genetic structure, we have been able to conclude that Thanh does not have a self-regeneration type of semblance, but one instead that focuses on enhancing the specific genetic sequences with his DNA that allow for regeneration. This essentially allows Thanh to undergo a form of rapid evolutionary adaptation wherein having a regenerative ability is paramount to his continued survival. This does not mean he can adapt to any environment as the specific enhancement seems to be restricted to only that genome. This is due to Thanh's nature as a faunus, particularly a faunus who is part Komodo Dragon. Komodo Dragons are a type of monitor lizard, the largest in fact, and unlike their cousins who have retained their ability to regrow the cartilage in their body, Komodo Dragons have long since evolved out of it. Despite this, Komodo Dragons still retain this specific trait within them; it is simply due to the nature of the environment in which they live that this trait remains dormant because to them it's unnecessary. However, if put in the right environment where the need for that specific trait is necessary for the species' survival, then the trait would become active again. In Thanh's case, due to having this dormant trait within him, all it would take is his semblance to reactivate it for him to have it, however, it would also enhance this trait allowing him to regrow more than just cartilage-based structures within his body. This is the truth of Thanh's semblance, one that masquerades as a simple self-regeneration ability but is instead an enhancement-based ability that targets the specific evolutionary adaptation trait found within his genetic structure that allows for regeneration. In a way, this is a much more fitting reflection of Thanh's soul as someone who sees himself as the pinnacle of his race and all others as his lesser.
4. Addendum 3-B: I will be the first to admit that while I did agree with my husband that there was more to learn about Subject No.0197 I didn't expect the full scope of what we were getting. At first, I believed we could use the knowledge gained from researching Subject No.0197 to possibly get an idea of how such a self-generation ability might look if synthesized properly. Nowhere could I have even dreamed of getting ahold of the exact genetic sequence that allows such an ability to be possible. What should have been decades of research and development at best has only taken a few months. All that's left now is to refine and test it and we'll have achieved the first half of our dream. It is all quite remarkable, to say the least, we'll update as needed should any future developments arise.
Fulgrim = (Based on the character from the Darksiders series. I needed a demon for Faustian bargains and he was the first name to come up.)
Jaune Springfield-Arc = (Ph.D. in Geneology, Neuro-Science, and Auraology with additional degrees in Biochemistry (Biology + Chemistry), and Cellular-Biology, as well as an accidental degree in Child-Psychology via his wife's teachings.)
Blossom Springfield-Arc = (Mortuary Science + BioTechnology + BioEngineering + Autonomy + Microbiology + Virology + Cognitive Psychology + Accidental degree in Aurology via her husbands teachings)
1. Semblance: Ashes to Ashes, Blossom can perform Pyrokinesis or Fire Manipulation. The drawback is that any fire she creates or manipulates turns black and white.
Victor Springfield-Arc = (Based on Frankenstein's Monster from the 2004 Van Helsing movie)
1. Semblance: Key to Life, Victor can supercharge another person's Semblance and Aura by overcharging his internal battery. Not only does he have to charge up this ability, but it uses a significant amount of Aura to activate, however, this amount can be offset if he absorbs outside electrical energy. Note, while the nature of his being makes him resistant to electrical attacks, it does not make him immune. If he absorbs too much outside electrical energy, he runs the risk of damaging himself.
  1. 50% of Aura for 200% Power boost (Normal Rate)
  2. 15% of Aura for 200% Power boost (Offset Rate)
  3. 0% of Aura for 400% Power boost (Amplified Rate)
Elizabeth Springfield-Arc = (Based on The Bride of Frankenstein from the 1935 film of the same name, however, is named after Dr. Frankenstien's wife, specifically the 1974 Young Frankenstein Version)
1. Semblance: Dramatic Lightning, Elizabeth can perform Tempestakinesis or Storm Manipulation. The drawback is that any storm she creates or manipulates turns black and white.
Fran Springfield-Arc = (Based on Fran from FGO)
1. Semblance: Blasted Tree, Fran can perform Electrokinesis or Electricity Manipulation. The drawback is that it is very flashy because whenever she uses it, the electricity she's manipulating takes the same form as a tree when it's blasted by lightning. For an idea, think of a white neon streak outlined in a bright neon yellow.
The Serum = Jaune and Blossom's cure-all for death.
Yes, I am aware that naming the organization that governs the Hunters of Remnant the "Hunter Association of Remnant " spells out HAR. It is a special little in-joke to me and them in-universe as their motto is jokingly, "HAR bringing laughter to the people of Remnant one Grimm death at a time." Gotta have some amount of humor and levity in this bloody and cruel world of theirs after all.
It should be noted that I wrote all this while singing "They're Only Human" from Death Note: The Musical in my head.
Yes, this would be a dark romantic comedy story between Jaune and Blossom. Akin to something like the Addams family, but I know that some of the things that Jaune and Blossom are gonna get up to would be too inhumane and/or unethical even for the Addams Family or maybe it's just right up their alley I don't know it's been a while since I've seen the movie.
Additionally, for some reason I can also envision the two of them playing the "Danse Macabre" by The Oh Hellos wherein Blossom plays the Violin, Jaune plays the Guitar, Victor plays the Drums, Elizabeth does the vocals, and Fran plays the Mandolin. Just another wholesome albeit morbid family bonding experience.
Also, I just noticed this a while after, but Blossom excels the most at taking things apart and then seeing how they tick whilst the very core of Jaune's being is putting things back together again. Adds slightly more to the whole opposites attract bit with the destruction x creation thing going on there. And if you want to take things a step further, you could say there's some irony to be had with the whole idea that Ladybug is the one doing the destroying while Chat's over here fixing things.

AndrewJTalon · Mar 23, 2025

Ruby smiles as the stream begins, Jaune sitting next to her as they both hold controllers.

Ruby: "Hey Roseheads and ArcFans! Yes, we're finally doing a stream together!"

Jaune: "Hey! So... How's the chat looking?"

Ruby: "I..." scowls "Yes he's hot! I know he's hot!"

Jaune: "Pardon?"

Ruby: "I-I mean... I think you look good! You have normal knees, just like me!"

Jaune: "I... Sure?"

Ruby: "ANYWAY! We're trying some new co-op indie horror games, since that's DarkArc's big thing when he's not being a jerk in MMORPGs."

Jaune: "I'm not a jerk... Exactly... Also you suck."

Ruby: "I do NOT suck! You're just some weird power fetish gamer!"

Jaune: "And you minmax! Seriously, do you have spreadsheets for your character builds?"

Ruby: "NO! ... Okay maybe one!"

Later in the stream...

Ruby: "Okay, so this is... The Backrooms: Deep Investigation! And this is... What do you call it, DarkArc?"

Jaune: "Liminal horror. It's an anthropology term meaning transitory spaces. Like hallways, or workspaces, or big empty spaces like malls and warehouses. They're places you don't live, and you don't feel comfortable in if no people are around. It's just... Off, strange, if they're entirely devoid of sound or people. Your imagination begins to turn every little noise into a monster. It's designed to emphasize your dread. The genre's been flooded thanks to the success of the original Backrooms with a lot of bad knockoffs, but you can still find potential gems."

Ruby: "Wow... That was hypernerd."

Jaune: "And? Um, is that bad?"

Ruby: blush "N-No! I uh, I actually kind of like it."

Jaune: "Thanks..."

In the Backrooms...

Ruby: "Ugh... I hate this shade of yellow. It's creepy and gross."

Jaune: "Yeah. I read it's unsettling because it matches the tone of a decaying corpse's skin."

Ruby: "How do you know stuff like that?"

Jaune: "Mom's a doctor, wanted me to be one too."

Ruby: "Oh. So uh, that didn't work out?"

Jaune: "No... Let's see... The sanity meter is very important, so let's keep that in mind."

Ruby: "Sure, sure..."

They wander through the first level.

Ruby: "Eesh... Why is everything arranged so spooky? Like all these chairs in rows-It's weird!"

Jaune: "That's kind of the point."

Ruby: "I guess so... When's a monster gonna appear? This is weirding me out!"

Jaune: "Again, kind of the point."

Ruby: "Well, I don't think anything will be scarier than-" She turns a corner, sees a mannequin "EEEEP!"

Jaune: "Hahahaahaha!"

Ruby: "You-You didn't tell me there would be killer mannequins!"

Jaune: "Ahahahaha!"

Ruby: "STOP LAUGHING! It was-It was surprising, that's all! Ten minutes of nothing and then BAM! Stupid mannequin!" She hits it... And it hits back "OW! How-HOW DID IT HIT ME?!"

Jaune: "Ahahahaha...!"

Some more time passes...

Ruby: "Ugh... I hate these stupid mannequins... They keep moving when I don't look at them! Like the Crying Angels in Professor Paradox..."

Jaune: "I really hope there aren't any Grimm like that. That would be horrifying, and they're already pretty bad."

Ruby: "I know right? Geez..." The lights begin to flicker and turn red "Uh oh. Uh oh, what-what's happening? What's happening?"

Jaune: "Yeah we need to get into shelter. NOW. There's a locker where I am!"

Ruby: "Where are you?! Where did you go?!"

Jaune: "I'm over here! I'm in the locker!"

Ruby: "Well where's my locker?! Where's the-" Sees a scribbly, squiggly abomination loping towards her "AAAHHH! AAAAHHHH! AAHHHHH!"

Jaune: "There's a shelter near me! Run! RUN RUN RUN-!"

Ruby runs to the locker... Hits the button to get in... And takes Jaune's place.

Jaune: "WHA-ROSESCYTHE!"

Ruby: giggles awkwardly "I didn't know I could do that-!"

The scribble monster grabs Jaune's character and kills him.

Jaune: "AAAHHHHH! AHHHH!"

Ruby: "SORRRRRRY! But you can always respawn and-"

The monster yanks the locker open and kills Ruby's character.

Ruby: "AAAHHH! WHAT!? IT CAN DO THAT?! WHY?!"

Jaune: "It saw you go into the locker."

Ruby: "THAT'S NO FAIR!"

Jaune: "Well we can always respawn." smirk

Ruby: "Sh-Shut up!"

RedDragonEmpress · Mar 23, 2025

So here's another one of them. Again this doesn't contain dialogue because it's just me planning out the story so the whole thing is essentially an outline. I'll get back to it when I can, but for now, here you go.

P.S. This was also written a long time ago, so bear with me even more.

[Story Description]

<Neon Nostalgia (Beta Menu)>
Of all the things Jaune Arc thought he would have to deal with during his time at Beacon, escaping from multiple armed groups out to kill and/or capture him was not one of them, that's more Team RWBY's thing after all. Now having to contend with Interpol agents trying to arrest him, White Fang Extremists looking to make an example of him, and a Mad Scientist who keeps sending mutated Grimm and Giant robots to kill him and Jaune Arc can safely say that he now understands Ruby's exasperation with her team's antics. Follow along with Jaune as he tries to avoid capture, clear his name, and stop an all too evil scientist from possibly taking over the world, and here Jaune thought that being a hero would be easy.

[Prologue]

[Intro]
- <>
- Having been just recently charged with multiple counts of murder in the second degree, Jaune currently finds himself being escorted into the back seat of a Valean police cruiser en route to the nearest police station for him to be processed. Jaune in shock over the current proceedings, but still having enough sense of mind to not escalate the situation, cooperates with the officers and heads with them down to the station. The drive begins relatively peacefully with Jaune doing his best to collect himself and try to understand what's going on as well as his next steps going further. All of this is cut short by the untimely arrival of an ever-increasing rumbling that has begun throughout the city. While emergency responders, and various scattered Hunters, across the Vale scramble to try to mitigate the damage, and eventual onset of negativity that such a mass panic would bring, their efforts are all too soon cut short as several massive explosions begin to occur across the city. The force of the explosions breaks through the concrete flooring of Vale whilst also sending out immense shock waves that shatter, crack, and crumble nearby surroundings. The police cruiser currently escorting Jaune is caught in one such wave, flipping the vehicle over and causing it to crash off the side of the road, Jaune loses consciousness not long after. After some time, Jaune awakes to find himself hanging upside down from his seat in the back of the cruiser and as he tries to reorient himself is stopped by a load Bang against the side of the car. Hunter's Instincts, born from a brief time as a Huntsman in Training as well as dealing with Nora begin to set in as Jaune starts to become aware of his surroundings. The first is that he is alone and seemingly trapped inside a wrecked vehicle and the second and probably most pressing is that an ursa minor is trying to break into said vehicle to get to him. Jaune, panicking at the second detail, begins to scramble for a way out of the car, and after managing to bust the aura-dampening cuffs off of him he uses a pseudo version of Ren's aura-infused palm strikes with his elbow to break open the nearby rear window and crawl out of the car. Now, free of the vehicle and his restraints Jaune begins to take a moment and breathe or at least he would have if the Ursa minor hadn't just happened to notice him get out of said car. Caught near unaware without his usual gear, Jaune begins to move around the car keeping it between him and the Grimm as long as possible to come up with a plan. Searching his surroundings Jaune very quickly realizes that there is no way to safely get away from the Grimm, all available routes are blocked off and he is not fast enough to outrun it with all the debris and even terrain surrounding them. Seeing no other choice, but to fight his way out Jaune searches for anything that he can use as a weapon, and fortunately, he can spot one in the form of a discarded plasma pistol lying near the cruiser. Hoping that the gun is still loaded, and properly functional, Jaune jumps for the plasma pistol and starts to unload onto the Ursa minor, but despite the blasts being what they are the shots are unable to penetrate the Ursa minor's hide. It is only after the Ursa minor jumps from the car after getting shot at that Jaune accidentally begins to hold down the trigger of the pistol, unknowingly charging it in the process. Dodging away the best he can from the Grimm's strikes Jaune tries to fire at it again hoping that maybe with the correct shot he can land a killing blow or at least enough of one to slow it down and let him get away. Going to take a shot Jaune doesn't notice the heat coming off the gun and it is only after firing that he realizes that difference in this shot as the recoil alone nearly sends him off his feet. Regaining his footing Jaune looks back to the Grimm only to see that it's missing its head and its body collapsing not long after, now able to finally focus on the rest of his surroundings Jaune takes in the devastation around him. Searching around Jaune is unable to find the officers who were driving him to the station, but he can find one of their sabers that they were carrying on them. Jaune now alone in quite possibly a Grimm-infested city and armed only with a standard issue police plasma pistol, with a basic Charge-Up Mod, and a saber begins to fight his way through the city streets killing any Grimm that comes in his way whilst trying to save as many people as he can.
- (Charge-Up Pistol Mod - allows for plasma pistol to be charged up before firing increasing the amount of damage dealt to enemies. Charge-up takes time, however. Weakens/Breaks Non-Metallic Heavily armored enemies' armor.)

[Tutorial Stage]

////////// City Streets and Valean Heights //////////

[Stage 1-1] \Eastern Commercial District\
- <Stage Music: The City Streets (From "No Straight Roads")>
- Eventually coming across a young girl whom he was unable to save in time. She makes mention of her dog which she lost in the ensuing panic of the Breach before finally giving out and passing in Jaune's arms. The event hardens Jaune's resolve to fight the ensuing Grimm horde and he continues making his way through the city saving as many people as he can from the Grimm.
[Stage 1-2] \Western Commercial District\
- <>
- Fighting his way further into the city he eventually hears soft whimpering from a young golden retriever. Going in to investigate and possibly rescue the pup he is stopped by a Gheist possessing a large pile of concrete rubble. After defeating the concrete rock Gheist golem, Jaune heads to free the puppy trapped in the debris. Finding the dog to be severely injured Jaune does his best to heal/tend to the animal's wounds unknowingly unlocking his semblance in the process as he was unaware that the dog had an aura. Once healed the dog begins to run away, but Jaune gives chase as he just healed this dog and wants to make sure they are okay stumbling upon an Attachment for his saber along the way.
- {Mini-Boss: Gheist (Ruined Concrete Golem) (Non-Metallic Solid Enemy)}
- (Empty Tri-Cartridge Dust Infuser - allows for elemental cartridges to be inserted into the saber therefore giving the sword the ability to switch between various elemental properties that can be used in combat. Unfortunately, it is currently missing the necessary cartridges to allow for elemental attacks, but should any be found they can be easily slotted into the infuser. Keep in mind that while these individual cartridges are reusable they can and will run out of dust eventually so keep a steady supply of raw dust to keep them filled up.)

[Interlude]

<>
Rushing after the dog Jaune finds himself back at the scene of the deceased little girl with the dog whimpering at the state of its previous owner. Realizing that this was the girl's missing dog Jaune moves to comfort the animal only to be stopped part way through as Vale Police close in on him to try and arrest him. However, rather than just try to detain him normally the police immediately seek to put down the wayward arc. Confused by their over-excessive use of force and not wanting to attack the police Jaune opts to run away and hide from them. The dog, whose name Jaune doesn't know, but lovingly refers to as Percival, follows him.

[Boss Tutorial Stage]

[Stage 1-3] \Nothern Industrial District\
- <>
- The duo runs from the police throughout the remaining western side of the commercial district and into the northern half of the industrial district. Unable to properly fight back and defend themselves in fear of escalating the situation even more they manage to finally lose their pursuers by hiding out in one of the many warehouses scattered about this district. After some time Jaune and Percival carefully make their way out of the warehouse and toward the dock area in the hopes of possibly obtaining a ship to get them out of Vale. However, the duo is all but stopped in their path as they stumble upon what looks to be another Jaune Arc. Jaune unable to do much except stare at this doppelganger version of himself from his impromptu hiding spot behind a warehouse wall, notices that this other Jaune, whom he promptly dubs Jaune-Alter, only really shares similarities with him in terms of his face. Whereas Jaune has an admittingly light going on moderate sort of build, Jaune-Alter is stocky -think Vol.7 Jaune Build-. Where Jaune is denoted by his not-too-combat-compatible attire of worn sneakers, faded jeans, orange shirt under an admittedly very comfy sweatshirt/hoodie, and hand-me-down training armor, Jaune-Alter is dressed from the head down in a series interwoven ebony and bronze plated armor that looks so perfectly fitted to the user that one could argue that it is his skin and an accompanying long coat with a similarly styled set of ebony gauntlets and vambraces placed atop them; all of which is outlined in a deep sickly neon yellow -think Goto Ryuji's outfit from the Jeju island raid-. The last of which Jaune notices is simply how Jaune-Alter seems to carry himself, standing stall with a level of seriousness and focus that presents an air of confidence which Jaune believes he can only ever hope to achieve. All in all, Jaune-Alter in this moment looks to be everything Jaune could ever hope or want to be, but that idea is shattered momentarily after as Jaune begins to hear more of Jaune-Alter's conversation with whomever he is speaking to on his scroll. Jaune overhears Jaune-Alter admit to their part in the current destruction of Vale, however, before Jaune can hear more he is spotted by Jaune-Alter who upon seeing the original smirks and taunts Jaune before causing a massive explosion to occur in the district weakening the defenses along the wall and allowing for a massive Alpha Griffon to appear and swoop over. Jaune-Alter disappears in the ensuing chaos leaving Jaune to deal with Grimm by himself, but armed with his new rocket boots and Percival, whose semblance allows for him to RUSH towards any target in front of them effectively becoming a dog-shaped rocket-propelled missile, they make quick work of the Grimm. Before the duo can celebrate however the majority of the Vale Police force and several Huntsman and Huntresses show up to apprehend Jaune believing him to be the cause of the explosion due to his already Wanted status as a fugitive of the law. However, Jaune is saved by an unknown man in Black and Blue with White plated armor who calls himself "Ten" and tells Jaune to run while he holds off the Police and various Hunters.
- {}
- ()

[Interlude]

<Stage Music: The Revolution Comes Around (From "No Straight Roads")>
Jaune and Percival manage to escape capture, eventually making their way to a rooftop overlooking a portion of the city. Unsure of what his next actions should be Jaune begins to break down relenting to his current situation only for Percival to begin to comfort him. Jaune still distraught over recent events, finds comfort in the moment, "Have faith Jaune," he thinks to himself, "There is always light at the end of the path." Just as he thinks on his father's words a special news announcement begins to play on the jumbo tron some few blocks away. The report goes into detail on today's attack which is being referred to as the New Breach marking the second time within the last several months that such a tragedy has taken place within the city. Furthermore citing the overall damage and massive number of casualties that took place in comparison to the previous one. However, the report very quickly goes into the subject of possible suspects who are the cause of the incident citing Jaune as being the main perpetrator of it due to numerous reports from eye-witnesses that place him in the exact locations where the bombs hit the city and allowed Grimm to flow in. While the report does make a slight effort to explain the conflicting nature of the eyewitness testimonies as well as their lack of willingness to come forward and name themselves the damage has been done. The report ends with a statement from the Commissioner of the Vale City Police calling for the immediate apprehension and arrest of one Jaune [Placeholder] Arc. The commissioner cited that they'll be working alongside the Atlas military as well as various Hunters that are in the area to bring down this potentially violent and dangerous individual. Further calling for any information with regards to his location and promising hefty rewards in return for said information should it lead to Jaune's capture (effectively putting a bounty on his head). After the report ends Jaune is stuck in a state of shock as he is now the most wanted man in his own country for crimes he didn't commit and potentially albeit very likely the most reviled and hated individual on Remnant too. At that moment Jaune almost gives up, but as looks back to Percival nudging his leg and thinking again to his father's words he begins to think about everything that has transpired from his being framed for murder to the New Breach to the doppelganger version of him, and even the mysterious black armored stranger who saved him, he thinks of his friends who supported his claims of innocence at the initial allegations thrown at him, and he thinks of his family whom he knows believes in him despite their recent arguments and fights that they've had with each other. Jaune then strengthens his resolve to continue forward as he knows that he isn't alone and that despite everything that has happened there is a light at the end of the path he just has to keep moving to get to it. (Cue screen paneling upward as we see the night sky with the title card RWBY: THE MEGA-ARC appearing on screen in flash and staying there for a bit before finally fading away as the screen descends downwards back onto Jaune) With his Will to go renewed he sets off with Percival in search of answers as to everything that's going on and quite possibly, hopefully, mind you, clear his name in the process.

////////// Tunnels and Mountain Glen //////////

[Stage 2-1] \Tunnel\
- <Wavelength of Oppression (From "No Straight Roads")>
[Stage 2-2] \Underground Ruins of Mountain Glenn\
- <take the bait - ‪@DEMONDICEKAREN‬ (Official Instrumental) | (Prod. Musicality)>
- {Mini-Boss: Heavily armored Alpha Beowulf}
- (Lightning Dust Cartridge - allows for Saber attacks to become infused with the electric damage type. This damage type does more damage to metallic - read: robotic - enemies and can more easily short-circuit auto-defense systems - read: traps -.)
[Stage 2-3] \Old Hidden Merlot Facility\
- <Methods of Madness (Kazan's Theme) (From "Omega Strikers")>
- {Boss: Mutated Alpha Vulcanus (Salamander) That seemingly has a pseudo metallic hide along its body. (Metallic Enemy)}
- (Proto-suit - NanoTech armor that glides over the body and assimilates all existing technology into it and allows the user to more easily use said technology. Requires helmet interface to use more efficiently. Does provide in the meantime Digi-struck armor for extra protection if the aura breaks. It should be noted that when the aura breaks you have only one hit before dying in the game. Proto-suit allows for one additional hit before dying giving extra time for the aura to recharge.)
- (Key Item: Merlot Data-Sheet - Currently inaccessible due to lack of helmet interface to showcase data.)

[Interlude]

<>

////////// Forests and Railway Cars //////////

[Stage 3-1] \Valean Forests\
- <The Heart's Whisper (Era's Theme)>
[Stage 3-2] \Back Train Cars\
- <The Oni Drummer (Lobby Theme) (From "Omega Strikers")>
- {Mini-Boss: Lt. Banesaw}
- (Fire Dust Cartridge - )
[Stage 3-3] \Middle Train Cars\
- <A Demon's Thunder (Mako's Theme) (From "Omega Strikers")>
- {Boss: Adam Taurus (Non-Metallic Solid Enemy)}
- (Experimental Atlassian Combat Helm with Custom Interfacing, Visor, and Lower Face Guard - )
- (Key Items: Adam Taurus's Scroll - Combined with the Merlot Data Sheet collected earlier and the new Helmet that allows for the Data to be processed and showcased to the user creates a roadmap of various locations of interest with regards to finding Merlot.)

[Interlude]

<>

////////// Tundra and Atlas //////////

[Stage 4-1] \Atlassian Tundra\
- <The City Streets (Posh Version) (From "No Straight Roads")>
[Stage 4-2] \Abandoned Atlas Military Base\
- <Rocket Science (From "No Straight Roads")>
- {Mini-Boss: }
- (Speadshot Pistol Mod - )
[Stage 4-3] \Secret Merlot Drone Factory\
- <Burden of Knowledge (Atlas's Theme)>
- {Boss: New Grimm "The Changling" made from extracted pieces of Grimm essence that's been experimented on. (Non-Metallic Liquid Enemy)}
- (Camo Cloak - )
- (Key Items: )

[Interlude]

<>
- (Dash and Dash Slash Ability - )

////////// Jungles and Mistral //////////

[Stage 5-1] \Escape from the Argus Limited\
- <The City Streets (Poppy Version) (From "No Straight Roads")>
- (Energy-Erang Pistol Mod - )
[Stage 5-2] \Jungles of Anima\
- <Order Of Business (Nao's Theme) (From "Omega Strikers")>
- {Mini-Boss: Lancer Queen}
- (Ice Dust Cartridge - )
[Stage 5-3] \Secret Merlot Research Facility (Death Mountain)\
- <Shield Sister (Asher's Theme)>
- {Boss: Mutated Gheist (Magma Golem) (Non-Metallic Liquid/Solid Enemy)}
- (Power Gauntlet Mod - )

[Interlude]

<>

////////// Open Seas and Menagerie //////////

[Stage 6-1] \The Docks/Shipping District\
- <World's Largest Metronome (From "No Straight Roads")>
[Stage 6-2] \The Crimson Sea\
- <Go Strike (Juliette's Beach Theme)>
- {Mini-Boss: Sea Feilong}
- (Sawblade Pistol Mod - )
[Stage 6-3] \Hidden Sky Temple Base (Menagerie)\
- <A Champion's Redux (Estelle's Theme)>
- {Boss: Cyborg Adam Taurus}
- (V-Crown Visor Mod - )

[Interlude]

<>

////////// Merlot's Island and Lab //////////

[Stage 7-1] \Merlot Island\
- <Baroque Banditry (Rasmus's Theme)>
- {Miniboss: Giant Merlot Industries Robot codename: Big Fuzz}
- (Key Item: CCT Acess Codes - )
- (Key Item: )
[Stage 7-2] \Merlot Laboratory\
- <Vice Versa (Vyce's Theme) (English Version)>
- <Mega Man 2 medley - Super Smash Bros Ultimate>
- {Boss: Jaune-Alter}
- {Boss Phase 2: Malformed Jaune-Alter}
- (Mega Buster Gauntlet - )

[Interlude]

<Long Way From Home (Zentaro's Theme)>

[End Credit]

<Curtain Call (Finii's Theme)>

References:

AndrewJTalon · Mar 23, 2025

I think I'll just be vague about game details and let you guys imagine what the games actually are, or what they're based on. With the main focus being on the character interactions.

- - -

Jaune starts up the stream. Yang is with him, though the stream is hiding both of them with anime caricatures.

Jaune: "Hey DarkArc Fans! Our guest is a retired streamer who had some success but stopped it to focus on other things. Give it up for SunDragon!"

Yang: "Hey... And yes, they're real. Part of why I had to stop streaming. People thought I was using the girls to get views."

Jaune: "Er... Yeah well..."

Yang: "Heh! You might say they're my primary care guns, eh? Eh?"

Jaune: "... I-"

Yang: "They're boobs!"

Jaune: "I get it... Yeah. So, up today is another horror game: The Amusement Park."

Yang: "Pfft. Is it some dorky haunted amusement park that's a thin rip off of Five Nights at Frederick's? Or some SCP Foundation inspired junk?"

Jaune: "Neither, it's made in Unreality Engine by a college team that was interning for Maniacal Games. It's their final project and it looks pretty neat. And they asked me to beta test it. But since RoseScythe is uh... Indisposed right now-"

Yang: "Heh. She's trying to teach P-Money how NOT to suck at video games. It's amazing!"

Jaune: "Ya know, I did keep trying to teach her and Pyr-P-Money was happy to learn with me but RoseScythe started insisting on teaching her herself. That's weird... Anyway! Let's see how this game works!"

Yang: "Betcha there will be cheap jump scares within five minutes."

Jaune: "You're on."

Yang: "Oh ho? Taking my bets now, VB? You feeling confident in the nerd space?"

Jaune: "Like you're not into this stuff."

Yang: "Am not."

A few minutes into the moody, atmospheric game setting of an abandoned theme park...

Jaune: "You are so a real nerd! You threw a tantrum over Neptune beating you at a card game!"

Yang: "No! That was-He was being stupid!"

Jaune: "Well yeah, it's Neptune."

Yang: "I'm not a nerd! I left all this stuff behind!"

Jaune: "Uh huh. So if I said that the Thirteenth Professor Paradox was actually good and The Neglected Child was a brilliant retcon, you wouldn't be bothered?"

Yang: "NNnnnngghh... N-No! Who cares about that?"

Jaune: "Or that Captain Malcolm Irk of the Starship Serenity series was done well in the reboot movies, you wouldn't object?"

Yang: twitch "N-N-Not at all! He's hot and that's all I care about! N-Not story or character or bullshit like that!"

Jaune: "And if I said Maura Bagend was luggage in The Emperor of the Jewels-"

Yang: red eyes "You shut your whore mouth!"

Later on, as they investigate the amusement park...

Yang: "Haaa... Man I'm getting kind of bored. It all looks fantastic, the sound design is great, and it's all eerie but this feels pretty-"

And a monster clown statue that was minding its own business nearby reaches out and grabs the player, screeching like a Grimm.

Yang: "AAAAAHHHH! AAAAAAHHHH! AAHHHHHHH!" She leaps into Jaune's lap and hugs him "AAAAAAHHHHH!"

Jaune: "AAAAHHHH!"

Once they sort themselves out... Yang is still in Jaune's lap.

Yang: "O-Okay... So that bossfight was pretty good... But I swear this next fight had better not be-"

A happy cat mascot approaches...

Yang: "Oh geez, it's covered in blood. How original-"

Its head splits open revealing a bloody, gore covered human skull.

Yang: "AAAAAHHHHHH!"

And that splits open revealing a chainsaw made of teeth and eyes.

Yang: "AAAAAHHHHHHHH!"

Jaune: Choking because his face is buried in her boobs "MMMMMPH!"

A few more fights ensue. Yang is permanently in Jaune's lap by now.

Jaune: "So uh... How are we enjoying the game?"

Yang: mumbles "Fine... It's actually pretty good... And you make for a good pillow, VB. You soft boy."

Jaune: blush, scowls "Well you're even better as a pillow, Spitfire."

Yang: "You calling me soft?!"

Jaune: "Well, um... In all the right places?"

Yang: scowls, blushes... Smirks "Oh really? And no hard feelings, DarkArc?"

Jaune: "Uh... N-No, not really-"

Ruby bursts into the room.

Ruby: "YANG! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

Yang: "What? VB asked me to stream with him! You were busy!"

Ruby: "WHY ARE YOU IN HIS LAP?!"

Yang: smug "I dunno, why do you have a problem with it?"

Jaune: "Ladies, ladies, please! I can't get banned again!"

RedDragonEmpress · Mar 23, 2025

So here's the last of them. Again this is an outline so it doesn't contain dialogue. I'll get back to it when I can, but for now, here you go.

P.S. This too was written a long time ago and was probably my earliest one based on this thread, so bear with me just a little bit more.

Rwby Fanfic, RWBY/FF16 Crossover - as based on conversations within "RWBY SNIPPETS AND PLOT BUNNIES" by AndrewJTalon

[Team Rainbow]

Ifrit - Jaune [Placeholder] Arc
Phoenix, Warden of Fire - Pyrrha Nikos
Ramuh, Warden of Thunder - Qrow Branwen

[The Lost Eikons]

Bahamut, Warden of Light - Ozma/Ozpin/Oscar
- Now originally Bahamut's Dominant is supposed to be Ozpin, as in the original Ozpin before he became fused to Ozma, but due to Ozma's ever-reincarnating/semi-immortal nature, it screws with the way the Eikon functions with its Dominant. The way I see it Dominants have multiple ways of priming/summoning their Eikons fully into being, this being either consciously, willing the being into existence on purpose and having some semblance of control over it, or subconsciously, willing the being into existence on accident and having little to no control over it. The latter is caused more often than naught during times of extreme duress or in OG Ozpin's case near death. However, much like in turn-based RPGs magic spell activations go in the specific order that they were cast in unless a preceding spell effect supersedes the preceding one (i.e. A magic user casting counterspell or a legendary creature using a legendary action or the DM and/or a GOD utilizing Divine Intervention). So naturally when OG Ozpin is about to die this should activate the spell that releases Bahamut, but because Ozma is ever reincarnating OG Ozpin technically doesn't die and so the summoning spell gets put on hold until Ozma gets into a new body. Therein lies the problem as after Ozma goes into the body of Oscar the spell summoning Bahamut activates and since neither Ozma nor Oscar are Ozpin Bahamut has no real Dominant and therefore becomes a wild Eikon that lacks a tether to the material plane. Keep in mind, that even an accidental summoning of an Eikon allows for some level of control over it as the being in question will never do something that its' Dominant wouldn't do itself. (Jaune's case is an exception due to the nature of Ifrit's instinctual need to subsume the other Eikons as placed there by Ultima.) So with Bahamut now summoned into the other world without anyone to control it the creature effectively becomes a wild animal lashing out at its' surroundings. Ozma/Oscar is due to escape, but not before witnessing Bahamut laying waste to the majority of the southern centralized Anima Continent. Though this event does drain Bahamut of its natural magical energy and since being tethered to a Dominant also grants the Eikons a way to very quickly regain their magical energy after it is used Bahamut must now rest and regain its energy on its own which is significantly slower than if the being were connected to a Dominant. Think of it like a phone [Eikon] that runs out of battery and needs a charger [Dominant] to plug into an outlet [The World] to recharge itself before being able to be used again, but in this case, there is no charger and while there are ways to charge to the phone without it, such as an external battery pack [Dust], they don't charge the phone as quickly as would a charger plugged into an outlet. This effectively makes Bahamut a neutral threat, to be dealt with whenever and at whoever's discretion as they can't be controlled due to them being their entity in the world.
Leviathan, Warden of Water - Alyx/Luis
- Leviathan is a unique existence as even in the original game…

[Third Party]

Shiva, Warden of Ice - Willow Schnee
- I chose Willow for this particular role for three reasons: the first reason being that I wanted Willow to serve a greater purpose than an estranged alcoholic mother figure and what better way to do that than by giving her power over a being whose strength oftentimes rivals entire Kingdoms, the second being that as the Schnee Matriarch she serves as one of the primary targets for Sienna Khan and all her followers and it would seem unfair if, by giving Sienna - the leader of the White Fang, a group hell-bent on Faunus supremacy and of whom collectively see the Schnees as their main oppressors, - an Eikon, she or at least one of the Schnees didn't have one, and the third and final reason being that I do not want to give any credence or level of importance to Jacques other than his status as a terrible father if he can even be called that, and human being. Past that, I can genuinely see Willow in this being Sienna's antithesis, at least in this story. In wanting Willow to be more than the character we see her as in canon, I would have her, in this story at least, be the kind of person who believes herself to be nothing more than a prized songbird trapped in a gilded cage with no hope of escape, but with the understanding that though she believes herself to have no chance to free herself from her current position she doesn't believe that it's too late for those around her to, i.e. her children. Perhaps in her own messed up way of thinking she believes that in distancing herself from her children they would have no reason to stay at the mansion where Jacques's can directly influence them. Willow ultimately believes that in pushing her children away they would have all the more reason to get away from Jacques does just that, but is unable to fully commit to it they are after all still her children. So whenever one of her children leaves the nest to pursue their path Willow fully commits to aiding said path. Winter wants to join the military, well a few greased palms and the right favors to the right people to get what her daughter needs to thrive in that environment and speed things along never hurt. Weiss wants to become a Hunteress, well wouldn't you know it her music contract just ended, and should Weiss happen to find a brochure of Beacon along with a brand new Dust revolving rapier that she's been wanting and though it does seem suspicious at first it's not like she's going to say no to such gifts if it helps her achieve her goal and hey if Willow's accounts were somehow just a few million liens shorter the next day ain't nobody gonna bat an eye the woman drinks she probably spent it all on booze. Whitley shows an interest in engineering, well if a few unfinished toy contraptions that he can fiddle with alongside numerous books on the subject, as well as various pamphlets to universities and technical schools that specialize in it, somehow find their way into his room well who is he to look a gift horse in the mouth I mean it's not like they're anybody else's, after all, why would they be if they were left in his room, and if Willow seen with a small smile on her face whilst having just come the direction of her son's room after somehow managing to sneak a peek at a few of his finished works it's not anybody's business. In short, I want Willow to be a person who despite being trapped helps others to escape becoming trapped like her, and yet despite it all still views herself as the one building cages around others, as the oppressor, as everything Sienna thinks her to be. Now as for how Willow obtains this power, I envision an ancestor of hers, let's say in this case her grandmother, passing on the power to her when she was little, but Willow, being as young as she was, did not understand what was given to her and just thinking it to be some ritualistic aspect of the Schnee hereditary semblance. With regards to how Willow uses this power, because she didn't know she had this power in the first place she doesn't use it at all really at least not to its' fullest potential. Oh back in the day she would have made for a powerful Huntress what with her semi-priming during every bout she became a part of, but with her path set on continuing the family business and subsequent will breaking under Jacque's regime that power of hers is dormant. This would remain this way until at least the Atlas arc wherein Jaune, through him being Ifrit's Dominant, can sense the Eikon of Ice within her leading to a very explosive unleashing of both the power itself and Willow as she now holds quite the power to overtake Jacques and break free.
Garuda, Warden of Wind - Sienna Khan

[Team Salem]

Titan, Warden of Earth - Hazel Rainhart
- My reasoning for Hazel being the Dominant of Earth, Titan, is quite simple, Salem's faction needs two Dominants, and Hazel as the muscle of the group fits the bill for it. However, there is of course more to it than that and that mainly involves how I envision Hazel's story in regards to this version of Remant. I see Hazel learning that he is a Dominant at an early age, but as Dominants and Eikons are not a well-known occurrence being unable to truly grasp what he is. Hazel at this age just believes he has unlocked his semblance when he unknowingly semi-primes his power and takes on the aspects of Titan, but quickly learns that what he's done is not natural as he is immediately shunned by those around him. This is especially apparent when Hazel's own family abandons him believing his power to be some dark omen because it couldn't be a semblance His aura wasn't even unlocked so it must be some kind of curse (outer village folk do be superstitious like that). Now alone with nowhere to go and believing himself to be a curse upon the world for his newfound abilities Hazel is initially at a loss for what to do. His savior comes in the form of his older sister Gretchen who admonishes the rest of their family for having done what they did to Hazel and all for something that was entirely out of his control. Dispelling his previous thoughts that he is a curse onto this world for his powers and choosing to set off with him so that he doesn't remain alone Gretchen becomes Hazel's light in what is admittedly his darkest moment. As the years pass Hazel can't help but look up to his sister and hold her in such high regard for that day and all that she's done after that she essentially becomes his strength to continue despite all that's happened, but this unknowingly his greatest weakness as he has effectively, if albeit unknowingly, turned his sister into his crutch believing that without her he is lost. Following her death whilst on a mission for Ozpin, Hazel finds himself without purpose…
Odin, Warden of Darkness - Arthur Watts

[Story Draft]

SharkCultist · Mar 24, 2025

So I don't know if someone drugged my root beer or something but I had a very VERY weird AU idea.

The Legendary Hero Ozma. Hero of a hundred stories, savior of entire civilizations, champion of the gods.

Brought back to life in the modern age with a mission given to him by his lords.

He is to find the woman who will one day be known as the Grimm Queen Salem. And make sure she doesn't become that monster.

And as a supremely skilled hero he finds her quickly only....

The future queen of the dark demons of despair. Is a shy high school shut in who spends her day drawing romance manga.

He can't kill this! There's ending a threat early then there's just bullying. Nobody will write a epic poem about his awesome powers if all they're used for is barbecuing teenage girls.

Well. His job is to stop her from becoming the evil queen right? He just needs to get her some good friends, maybe a significant other, positive reinforcement, all that good stuff the bards like.

How hard can it be?

"Mommy why is that funny dressed boy standing on the light pole talking to himself?"

So it's a AU. Modern(ish) day. Magics a thing but it's whatever for most people. Why bother spending two weeks learning to conjure fire when a lighter is like a dollar?

Ozma is also a teen here. He's a supreme narcissist but still a good guy at heart. Prone to overdramatic and saying stuff he should really keep to himself out loud.

Salem here is shy with a capital SHY. Her family is loaded and her father is doting. So when his darling baby girl started getting scared of interacting with people he did the only sensible thing.

Bought four city blocks and turned them into a literal fortress (complete with princess tower!) for his little girl and let her take home school classes.

And everything was great. Until that crazy (and handsome) Ozma boy broke Into their house and made Salem go to high school. (A lot of magic was used.)

Side characters include.

Hazel - the friend who hates Ozma because his precious sister is crushing on him (a long with a third of the school)

Arthur - Nerdy and with a ego to match Ozma he likes to try to build things to try to beat Ozma's magic (and maybe impress the hot rich girl)

Tyrian - creepy simp mildly yandere. The universes slapstick kicking bag.

And cinder - a little girl (the one from the end of the snip) who heard about evil queen salem and thinks being a minion would be fun. Ozma is not happy but all his attempts to keep her away backfire spectacularly.

AndrewJTalon · Mar 24, 2025

Blake's ears twitched as she was reading the library. She heard singing. Very sweet singing, actually. She got up and followed the sound, out into the hallway before she looked outside. In a nearby courtyard, hidden in some bushes, Jaune was playing his guitar.

Jaune: "Hm hm hmmm... Hmhmhmmmm... Roland, Roland, your name will live in song,Whenever brave men take up arms to right a grievous wrong.The fairest flower of chivalry to bloom in all the land,And the noblest of all the knights of Charlemagne..."

Blake: "The Song of Roland?"

Jaune: "ACK!" He jumped, and then looked up at Blake. "O-Oh! Hey Blake. You uh... You know it?"

Blake: "It's a very old song. I saw it referenced in... Some historical fiction I was reading."

Armored Hearts, a very spicy and erotic tale about knights and ladies in medieval Vale, but Jaune didn't need to know that.

Jaune: smiles "Yeah. It's very dear to my family, actually, since my ancestors were Charlemagne and Roland. Well, Roland the First... And Second... And a lot of others."

Blake: "Wait... You're one of those Arcs? Descended from Jeanne D'Arc?"

Jaune: "Yep. She's the matriarch. There's a bronze statue of her and everything in the center of Radian. You uh... You like history?"

Blake: "I-I do... Wow. Though I only know more than a little about La Hare, her Faunus rabbit companion."

Jaune: grins "Ser Lapine? Yeah, he has a shrine too. I've even gotten to touch his sword! It was so cool, it's kept in the church along with every other artifact we could save. He became captain of her guard when she became a queen."

Blake: "Yes... And Roland the First?"

Jaune: "Oh, yeah. He was a knight for King Charlemagne, or Charles the Great as he was also known. Also one of his sons. He fought at the battle of the Amber Pass against the Vacuoans. He'd tried to get around the blockade to aid the Gallian Allies on the other side of the mountains, using a secret pass... But he was betrayed and fought to protect his troops as they escaped."

Blake: nods "Yes... It is a sad song. Though... Roland might have been better served if he had retreated with his men."

Jaune: nods "Maybe... Maybe it was a stupid thing to do. But it was also a heroic thing to do. It saved the lives of his men."

Blake: "Mm..." She sat down next to him "Why don't you sing like this around Weiss?"

Jaune: "Er... I mean... I've been singing this song forever. Heck, my dad sings it all the time. I wanted... I wanted to sing her a song I wrote. Be more personal."

Blake: "Mm... It wasn't very good."

Jaune: crushed

Blake: wince "But... But I like how you sing this song."

Jaune: "Oh..." smiles "Thanks."

AndrewJTalon · Mar 25, 2025

A fun idea I had for May? Given Vacuo is very cutthroat and dangerous, May is actually a very effective silent killer. The arena battle played to none of her strengths. Perhaps Blake learns she has Aura Vision and Ruby asks her to help them with the White Fang. May happily agrees.

Ruby: "Okay, we need to take out that sentry-"

May: "On it!"

May sneaks up like a shadow, grabs the sentry from behind and puts a knife to his throat. She then slashes his throat and drops him silently. She looks over at the stunned RWBY and JNPR.

Ruby: "Woah woah woah! What are you doing?"

May: "Oh, I-I'm sorry. You told me to take out the sentry, and um, guns are too loud-"

Ruby: "I didn't mean kill him!"

May: "Ohhhh. You wanted to take him for interrogation to get intel! I'm so, so sorry!"

Jaune quickly works to stabilize the man.

Ruby: "Wha-How-?!"

Jaune: "I did almost get into medical school, you know. Huh! You made a very clean cut."

May: fretting "I'm sorry, I was nervous! I usually do a much better job-"

Jaune: "No, no! It's good because it's easier to heal!"

May: "Oh! Well, um, thank you!"

Jaune: "Er, no problem! I'm sure you do great work with a knife!"

May: blush "You-You're very kind... Um... So Ruby! I don't kill anyone else?"

Ruby: "NO!"

May: "Right, sorry!"

May is basically very sweet and kind, like Hinata Hyuuga and Yor Forger. She is also a very dangerous killing machine who will do whatever it takes to protect her team and loved ones and will kill without a second thought... Like Hinata Hyuuga and Yor Forger.

AndrewJTalon · Mar 25, 2025

Jaune: "So, are you looking forward to the tournament?"

May: "I guess so. But I don't think we'll do a very good job."

Ruby: "Aw, but May! You shouldn't be so hard on yourself!"

May: "I'm afraid the rest of my team is mostly focused on frontline, close range combat in support of me. Though they can handle guns and grenades, I'm the only one with any real offensive punch and I can't fight any of you solo in an arena." sigh "It's a real shame how it's designed. If it was an urban combat arena, I might be able to do some interesting things, but it's not very showy so I see why they don't allow it."

Jaune: "Oh? Like what?"

May: "Well, I would split JNPR up with grenades. Jaune's High Aura means a battle of endurance wouldn't work, so I'd have to incapacitate him right off the bat since he coordinates you-Either by separating him from you or knocking him out with poison gas or Grimm venom darts. After that, hit Pyrrha with flashbangs to disorient her and use Dust grenades to herd her into a trap: Land mines and plastic explosives wouldn't register to her magnetic senses."

Pyrrha: pause "... You figured out my Semblance?"

May: blush "O-Oh, um, sorry. I watched hundreds of hours of your arena fights and realized it was either limited telekinesis or magnet manipulation. Given that the former would give you an advantage in blind fighting and would explain your incredible ability to counter, it seemed the more likely explanation. I'd have the guys use wooden weapons or hit you from range to wear you down-Napalm or other fire attacks would distract, drain Aura and be less visible to your senses. Grimm venom darts and my bullets would finish you off."

Pyrrha: "... I see."

Jaune: "That's incredible!"

Nora: "Ooh! OOH! DO ME! HOW WOULD YOU KILL ME AND RENNY?"

May: "Oh, um... Removing Jaune and Pyrrha would leave you two with incredible synergy. Since Ren isn't as tough as you I'd focus all our efforts on killing or incapacitating him, and drive you into a berserker frenzy. When you ran out of Dust and/or Aura, you'd be easy pickings as long as we kept our distance and wore you out."

Nora: "Wow! Good call!"

Ren: raised eyebrow "Yes. Very effective."

Ruby: "Ummm..."

May: "Oh! I'm sorry Ruby, I didn't mean to leave you out!"

Ruby: "No, it's fine-"

May: "I mean it's very rude of me! I've drawn up contingencies to entrap and destroy your team too!" tears up "I-I wouldn't want you to think I didn't care about you! You're my friend and I should always work as hard as possible for my friends!"

Ruby: "N-No! No, that's okay!" hugs May "I'm... Totally looking forward to hearing how you would kill me and my friends!"

May: sniffle "Really?"

Ruby: "Sure!"

May: beams "Yay!"

AndrewJTalon · Mar 26, 2025

Lilac Arc visits Jaune at Beacon.

Lilac: "I brought sweaters and other things for you and all your friends!"

Jaune: "Aw, thanks Big Sis!"

They hug happily.

Yang: "So, Lilac huh? Guess she's just rose-y cheeked and buddies with everyone, huh?"

Weiss: "Ugh. Please forgive her."

Lilac: "No, I thought it was funny! Hahaha!"

Yang: "Heh! Finally, a family with taste!"

Ruby: groans "Yeah, no..."

Jaune: "Anyway... I'm really glad to see you, sis."

A Grimm Beowulf emerges from the ruins and begins to charge.

Jaune: "!!! How did it get through the defenses?!"

Ruby: "We've got this! I'll just bring it down-!"

Lilac: "Don't worry, I've got this."

Pyrrha: "Wha-What?"

Yang: "WHAT?!"

Lilac turns and glares at the Beowulf. It skids to a halt and stares back.

Lilac: "No! Bad Beowulf! You go and think about what you were trying to do! No more attacking humans!"

The Beowulf nods... Then turns and flees.

Everyone stares at Lilac.

Blake: "... How?"

Lilac: "Oh, um... Well... Naughty Grimm shouldn't be allowed to get away with that kind of mischief! That's my Semblance."

Silence.

Ruby: "WHY ARE YOU NOT A HUNTRESS?! THAT WAS AMAZING!"

Lilac: "Because I want to be a housewife." Happy smile "And being a Huntress would take all my time!"

More silence.

Yang: "Okay, so... She just has a powerful Semblance. It's not like she's a combat prodigy or anything... Right?"

Lilac: "Oh no! I abhor violence! But I did get some training when I was little..."

Pyrrha: "May I train against you?"

Lilac: "Certainly!"

Jaune: "Um, Pyrrha-"

Pyrrha: "It's all right, Jaune. This will be unarmed combat."

Pyrrha and Lilac spar, exchange some blows... Pyrrha speeds up, and looks like she's actually having to put in effort. Lilac dodges, deflects and easily parries all her blows. Finally, Pyrrha tries to kick her... And Lilac catches the blow and pitches her over her shoulder. Pyrrha goes flying into a marble pillar, smashing through it.

Pyrrha: "UWAH!"

Jaune: "PYRRHA!"

Lilac: "Oh dear! I'M SO SORRY!"

Later, Lilac fixes Pyrrha up.

Lilac: "I am so sorry, I am so rusty, that was horrible, please forgive me?"

Pyrrha: "Urgh... It's all right... How long were you training?"

Lilac: "Oh, a few years. But Mom and Dad told me I had learned it all and was too much for them!"

Ruby: "Too..."

Yang: "Much..."

Weiss: "For..."

Blake: "Them?!"

RWBY and Pyrrha are very depressed.

Weiss: "Years of training... And a housewife can do that...?"

Yang: moans "I give up..."

Blake: "My life is over."

Ruby: "Well... At least I can still bake cookies and fix things..."

Pyrrha: "All my victories, pointless..."

Jaune: "No! Guys! Don't give up! I mean it's just how she is!"

Ren, wisely, has hung back with Nora. Nora raises her arm.

Lilac: "Oh, yes dear?"

Nora: "Can you teach me to be an awesome housewife too?!"

Lilac: "Sure can!"

Nora: "YAY! Renny honey! You're gonna need a pelvic cast!"

Ren: "I thought as much."

AndrewJTalon · Mar 26, 2025

AndrewJTalon said:
The White Fang took hostages as a regular matter of course. In this case, Adam personally handled the operation, seizing a woman from Radian and bringing her to their HQ.

Adam: "Her mother is holding three of our agents in her hospital after they were captured. We use her to compel their release. Keep an eye on her, but do not harm her."

Guards: "Sir!"

Adam headed off to handle another mission... Leaving the guards with a surprisingly calm Lilac Arc.

Guard 1: coughs repeatedly

Lilac: "That sounds bad. I know a remedy for it, if you have a kitchen."

Guard 2: "Ha! Nice try! What's the remedy, rat poison?"

Lilac: "No, of course not. It's too salty."

Guard 1: keeps coughing "Ugh..."

Lilac: "You can keep suffering or you can feel better. I much prefer people to feel better. Besides, I would never poison someone."

Guard 2: scowls harder

Lilac: "Also, all I would do is poison one person. That won't let me escape now will it?"

Guard 1: coughs more piteously

Guard 2: sigh "Fine..."

They take Lilac to the kitchen. She gathers some local herbs and cooks up some tea. She looks over their other ingredients.

Lilac: "Hmmm... You all look like you could use a good meal." brightens "Do you have any venison? I can make a great stew!"

Guard 2: "Oh please, like we're going to fall for that!"

Guard 1 drinks the tea... Sniffs...

Guard 1: "Wow! It... I can breath! Cough's gone! And... And it tastes great! Try it!"

Guard 2: "Oh come on, you can't be serious!"

Guard 1: "Serious as a heart attack. Besides, she's one woman without her Aura activated. What could she do even if she poisoned it?"

Guard 2 drinks the tea... Blinks in disbelief.

Guard 2: "It... It's amazing!"

Lilac: "Old family recipe! Like this stew!"

She's already cooking it. Other members of the White Fang come in, drawn by the smell.

Lilac: "Oh! Hello! Grab a bowl, it should be done soon!"

Guard 1: "Hey, hang on a second, even if it smells good, we should test it!"

Lilac: "Come on. I would never poison food! Then you wouldn't get to enjoy it!"

Guard 2: "You... Do realize you're our hostage, right? If you don't cooperate, we'll kill you?"

Lilac: "I am cooperating."

Guard 1: "She's got a point."

Lilac: "Wonderful!"

When Adam returns... The guards all look a lot more relaxed.

Adam: "Sitrep?"

Guard 2: "Oh! Lord Adam! Uh, everything's fine, sir! The hostage is safe and compliant."

Adam: "Good. Her mother is proving difficult. We'll need to make a video to show how serious we are."

Guard 1: "Errr... I see, Lord Adam."

Lilac: "Hello Lord Adam! Let me take your coat. It's freezing out there, hm? Here, have some hot tea!"

Adam: "Ah, thank you."

He sips the tea... Then spits it out.

Adam: "Wha-Why are you out of your cell?!"

Lilac: "Well, I couldn't finish my knitting in there, My Lord." She hands him a red scarf "Here you are! Goes with your hair."

Guard 1: "Aw..."

Lilac: "I didn't forget you, sweetie!" She hands him a green scarf with a wink "Goes with your scales!"

Guard 1: "Oh, sweet!" At Adam's furious glare "I-I mean, um... Thank you, you pathetic human!"

Lilac: brightly "You're welcome!"

- - -

Lilac is modeled after Belldandy from Ah! My Goddess! She is thus a strong willed but ultimately kind and selfless woman who is REALLY good at winning people's hearts and minds with kindness. You let her into your HQ she's gonna turn your troops with gentle kindness, understanding, and REALLY good cooking.

A day passes. Adam runs into Lilac again cooking for everyone in the kitchen. He approaches her when she is alone. She is humming a soft lullaby under her breath.

Lilac: "Oh. Hello Lord Adam. Is there something you wish of me?"

Adam: "... If they refuse to pay the ransom, your life is forfeit."

Lilac: "I know, Lord Adam."

Adam: "You aren't afraid of that?"

Lilac: shrugs "I am."

Adam: "Yet you still persist like this."

Lilac: "Yes Lord Adam."

Adam: "Why?"

Lilac: "Your men needed good food. Your men need kindness. Everyone does."

Adam: annoyed "We are holding you hostage."

Lilac: "Yes."

Adam: "We are criminals by your estimation."

Lilac: "Yes."

Adam: "We are Faunus, and our goal is to overthrow your oppression and tyrrany."

Lilac: "Have I oppressed you, Lord Adam?"

Adam: "... You annoy me."

Lilac: "I'm sorry, Lord Adam."

Adam: glares... seizes her long hair and makes her yelp. He forces her to her knees and holds Wilt up to her throat.

Adam: "I could end your life in an instant."

Lilac: "Yes Lord Adam... I-I know."

Adam: "So drop the act. You're just trying to manipulate us with lies and deceit!"

Lilac: "No Lord Adam! I-I assure you, I am not-!"

Adam: "Then why this?! Why all of this?! You're trying to make us drop our guard! Allow you to escape!"

Lilac: winces as he digs his blade into her throat "Even if I tried... I know I'm too far away from anywhere civilized to escape. I'd be killed by Grimm or brought back."

Adam: "Then why?! WHY ACT LIKE THIS?!"

Lilac: closes her eyes "Because it's the right thing to do!"

Adam pauses.

Adam: "What?"

Lilac: deep breath "I firmly believe... That people in pain need help and kindness. That it's the right thing to do to help others, even if they want to-to kill me or hurt me. To try, at least."

Adam: "What makes you think I'm in pain?!"

Lilac: "You are. We all are... It is why the Tablebreaker came, is it not? To heal the hurt of the world-?"

Adam: "That religion is nonsense! Just a means of control of the masses! It turns a Faunus into a martyr, just to try and pretend to be fair! All the while the church and governments oppress Faunus!"

Lilac: "No... No, it isn't. Corrupt priests and churches can do bad things in the name of the Emperor Above, but it doesn't change the good at its core!"

Adam: seethe "And so you would do this? Be kind, even to your captors? Even if it meant your death?! All because of your belief?"

Lilac, shaking, manages to look him up in the eyes.

Lilac: "... Y-Yes... Yes, I would."

Adam is silent. So is Lilac. He lets her go and pulls his blade away.

Adam: deep breath "You're confined to your cell. You will not do anything else but sit and be silent."

Lilac: "As you wish, Lord Adam."

A few days pass. Adam returns to her cell. He has three of his Faunus escort her out to a small chamber with a camera.

Adam: "On your knees."

Lilac does so. Adam turns to his guards.

Adam: "The negotiators are trying to buy time. We need to send a stronger message. We have other hostages... We'll kill her to show we mean business."

White Fang 1: "S-Sir... Um, she is the most prominent. Maybe we need to-"

Adam: "Those are my orders. Set up the camera."

The White Fang members reluctantly begin to set things up. Adam waits for the camera turn on.

Adam: "You have ignored our demands. This is the price you will pay."

Lilac: "Lord Adam... May I have a request, please? W-Well... Two requests?"

Adam: glares "What?"

Lilac shakily reaches into her dress pocket, and produces a photo. Adam snatches it and looks it over. His eyes widen behind his mask.

Adam: "You-!"

Lilac: "My fiance... Mercer. He... If you could return that to him..."

Adam: "You... You're engaged?! To a Faunus?!"

Lilac: wince "Yes Lord Adam..."

Adam: glares "... And the other?"

Lilac: "... May I please pray? Before you... You execute me?"

Adam: grits his teeth "..." He steps away. Lilac bows her head and folds her hands.

Lilac: "Tablebreaker, merciful Lord... Please... Forgive them. They know not what they do... And... And please look after my family. I... I won't be there for them anymore..."

Silence. One of the White Fang minions sucks in a breath.

White Fang 1: "Sir... Lord Adam, please. We-We don't need to kill her."

Adam: "Are you questioning my orders?!"

White Fang 2: "Sir, she-Please! Yes humans are our enemy, but-Please, maybe she's one of the good ones-!"

Adam: "There are no good ones! It's a trick! A deception! She's still trying to manipulate you for her life! SHE'S THE ENEMY!"

Lilac: Still praying, shaking, but praying hard

White Fang 3: "Sir, please! Look... I've known many a bad human but she's done nothing!"

Adam: "Humans have done plenty to us! Especially when we did 'nothing'! YOU THINK SHE ACTUALLY CARES?! YOU THINK THIS IS REAL?!" He backhands Lilac and sends her sprawling onto the floor "SHE'S A LIAR! A TRICKSTER!"

He seizes her by her collar and holds her aloft. She chokes.

Adam: "You're just manipulating us! You don't believe we're good! You don't believe a word! Say it! SAY IT!"

Lilac: "N-No! I won't! And I won't stop!"

Adam grits his teeth. He senses his men are about to try and gang up on him. He thinks it over... Then drops her.

Lilac: gasping for breath

Adam: "... Take her back to her cell."

White Fang 1: "Yes sir..."

A day later, Lilac wakes up in a forest clearing. Adam is standing there, silent.

Adam: tosses a canteen at her "You're a day's walk from Matron Village. There are no Grimm around. They'll get you home."

Lilac: "... You're letting me go?"

Adam: "You're too disruptive as a hostage. My men are threatening to mutiny. Your manipulations are too strong... You're too dangerous to keep. So... Go."

Lilac: smiles softly "Thank you, Lord Adam-"

Adam: "Stop that. I don't believe you for a second. This was all an act to get me to release you... And you won."

Lilac: "No... No. I mean... I'm glad to be free... But you're still in pain. And still lost."

Adam: scoffs "I don't need you to save me."

Lilac: "We all need someone to save us. We're all in this together, human and Faunus."

Adam: "..." sighs "... If more humans thought as you do... Maybe I wouldn't have to do what I do."

Lilac: nods "I know."

Adam turns and vanishes into the woods.

- - - -

That just kind of happened. Got a LOT more serious than in the first post, that's for sure. I'm just studying the idea of someone weaker physically than Adam but able to stand up to him in spirit and conviction. It might be interesting to explore, and hey, Lilac is available.

And as usual, I'm not making commentary on real world religions, just using them as inspiration for how it might affect things in Remnant.

AndrewJTalon · Mar 28, 2025

Several years ago...

Twelve year old May Zedong had been happy. Maybe she wasn't rich like the girls she saw on Scroll broadcasts, with their many dresses and fancy cars, but she was happy. Her mother and father, Parvati and August Zedong, were farmers in their little village in Vacuo. They worked their tiny patch of land with a tractor and animals, grew and sold vegetables in the market, raised hogs and chickens. She had known nothing but a simple but comfortable house, laughter and joy. Her mother was a wonderful mechanic who fixed other machines in town for good pay, while her father, when not working the fields, would hunt wild game and make her clothes out of the furs.

She would laugh and play with other children her age when she wasn't doing chores or doing to the village school. They had been so happy.

This night though... Everything had changed.

She woke up to shouts and clanging alarm bells. She peeked out her window: She could see fires on houses nearby their farm. She saw dark figures roaming the streets, and coming towards their home. Her eyes widened in horror as red eyes glared back.

Grimm...

The door to her room burst open. Her father and mother stood there, both armed with rifles and axes.

"Come on May, we need to get to the shelter," her mother said, already holding up a jacket. May got dressed quickly, and pulled on the jacket. Her father handed her one of the rifles, the best looking one, which she took with shaking hands. It had a strap, so she slid it securely over her shoulders onto her back.

There were crashes and smashes and snarls from downstairs. Her father cursed.

"Damnit... Roof! Out the window!"

They dashed to the window in her parents' bedroom. Outside and below them was the connecting roof, a sheltered walkway that led to the barn. There was a storm cellar there, filled with food and provisions just in case of a disaster. They sprang out onto the roof, and ran.

Inhuman shrieks filled the night air. May looked and screamed: Nevermores dove for them. Her father and mother opened fire on the flock, their rifles shooting them down.

"MAY!" Her father shouted, "FIRE! USE THE GUN!"

May trembled. The monsters swarmed, their red eyes burning in the night. Her arms twitched, as though trying to obey the order... But she couldn't. She fell to her knees and shook like a leaf.

"MAY!" Her father shouted.

"I-I can't!" She cried. "I can't-I can't!"

August's face... Was filled with guilt and regret. He glanced to his wife. She nodded grimly, and turned to May.

"MAY!" Her mother screamed. "GO!"

"Wait-MOM-!"

Parvati shoved May off the roof. She fell in a tumble, shakily getting to her feet. She looked up in horror as her parents kept firing. Her father waved a flashlight around, deliberately drawing more attention to himself.

"GO! GET TO THE SHELTER!" Her father bellowed. "WE'LL BE RIGHT BEHIND YOU! RUN! STAY ALIVE, NO MATTER WHAT!"

May, shaking, still managed to turn and run. She knew the path by heart, dark or day... But as she turned the corner, she saw several Beowulves snarling and clawing at the shelter entrance. They turned and roared at her.

No... Nononono...!

She turned and fled. She hopped the fence, fleeing into the nearest field. She heard the Grimm follow her, their padded feet loud against the grass and brush. She wept as she fled, running for her life, her heart pounding in her ears.

Gotta get away... Gotta get away...!

She tried to circle back, head back towards the farm house. She caught sight of the waving flashlight and gunfire again. She hopped the fence and ducked into the bushes. She saw her parents still fighting, her mother using an axe and her father wielding twin guns in his hands.

She saw a Beowulf lunge... And her father went down, his head grasped in its jaws. There was a splash of red and...

May's jaw dropped. Her mother screamed.

"AUGUST!"

Two Beowulves brought her down, and she fell silent. Only the growls of the Grimm and the wet crunching of bone and flesh could be heard. Flames ignited somewhere in the house, and tongues of fire erupted from the windows. Smoke began to blot out the stars overhead as the farmhouse burned.

May collapsed onto all fours. She looked at the ground, silent, her tears falling like waterfalls to the dirt ground. She heard growls. She shakily looked up.

The blood stained Grimm were stalking towards her, their red eyes gleaming.

For a moment... May did nothing. She stared back at her death, and did nothing.

Get up, a voice whispered in her head. Still she did nothing as the Grimm advanced.

Get up...

They licked their jaws. May's fingers gripped the dirt.

Get up... AND RUN!

She found her will. She stood up, turned and ran. She hopped over the fence, the entire pack of Grimm now after her. She ran through the trees, taking scratches onto her arms. She climbed over another wall, and another, goats fleeing in terror. The Grimm paid them no mind, only focused on her.

The moon peeked out of the clouds, and she skidded to a halt with a cry. Below her was a huge expanse of nothing. She could hear running water, faintly hear the river in the gully below.

She looked back over her shoulder, panting hard: The Grimm were still advancing, still hungry for her. Hungry for her soul.

Jump, the voice whispered again.

I'll die! May thought.

You'll die if you stay, the voice whispered again, but you might live if you jump. So jump...

She turned back towards the river. The Grimm were seconds away.

JUMP! NOW!

She leaped, feeling jaws snapping at her body as she fell. She dove towards the river. Her eyes were wide open as she screamed.

I don't want to die... I DON'T WANT TO DIE... I DON'T WANT TO DIE! I'LL STAY ALIVE!

She shut her eyes tightly.

I WON'T DIE!

She fell, fell... Before she was jerked violently and stopped. She panted frantically, looked behind her.

The rifle, the rifle she had forgotten, had mechashifted into an axe. An axe that had snagged onto a tree branch. Said branch creaked ominously, but it held.

Desperately, May reached up and grabbed onto the branch. It was agonizing having to hold on like this. She pulled herself, slowly, painfully, to the cliff face. Her waving feet found footing, solid rock, and she struggled free. She landed hard, shaking. She fell to her knees... But the stone outcropping held. She clung to the side of the cliff, weeds in the rocks her anchors. She looked up. The Beowulves snarled distantly overhead, their red eyes glowing...

But they did not advance.

She bowed her head, breathing hard. Her heart pounded in her ears. She turned and sat down. She reached behind herself, and pulled the axe free. She held it tightly, and stared out into the night. Her mind was a blank.

She must have fallen asleep at some point, because the next thing she knew it was light and the sound of an airship's engines filled her ears. She looked up, startled, as a Vacuoan gunship flew in the bright blue sky overhead.

For a moment, she hesitated. She was cold. She was alone. The farm... The farm would be gone by now.

She had nothing...

Stay alive... Stay alive...

May squeezed the mechashift weapon in her hands. Clumsily, she groped the weapon for the shift mechanism. It transformed into the rifle, a little dirty but functional.

She pointed the gun up at the sky, and pulled the trigger. The loud retort of the gun echoed through the canyon.

I won't die...

She pulled the trigger again, firing another shot. The airship began to turn.

I won't die...

She fired again, and now the airship was definitely flying towards her. She fired again.

I won't die... I'll stay alive... I don't know why yet but...

May Zedong looked up, face grim, as the airship descended towards her. The hatch opened, and a Huntsman in black military gear reached out to her. Shakily, she lifted her hand to take his.

But I'll stay alive until I find out why.

- - -

Have an origin story for May Zedong!

AndrewJTalon · Mar 28, 2025

I did have a twist on the idea of RNJRY(W?) reaching Kuroyuri. In this case, it's been repopulated. The new magistrate, a former Mistral special agent, is seemingly kind and generous. He was a Huntsman made a special policeman by the Mistralian government, who tried to get to Kuroyuri but was too late to save it. He apologizes deeply for this and offers Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie their old home back and any of the belongings of Ren's family to them. He even offers to let them stay in his home, feeds them, and is altogether kind.

But it is all a deception. This mayor worked for Leonardo Lionheart. Leonardo provides excuses for him to not get to villages attacked by Grimm in time, and the lawman in turn splits what he loots with his lawmen and Leonardo. He kills people Lionheart needs removed, he assisted Cinder and her group with any legal issues, and to keep Kuroyuri safe, he sacrifices criminals to the local Grimm to keep them occupied-Especially the Nucklavee. He then tries to do this to our heroes, which leads to not only a fight with the Nucklavee (and our heroes killing it) but facing the magistrate and his goons. This gives us a first hint as to what Lionheart has been up to (as how much he was involved is revealed depends on you) and shows that something is rotten in Mistral. It also puts a human face on Ren and Nora's tragedy. Ren wanted to martyr himself, not caring if he lived or died as long as the Nucklavee perished... But if someone was beind this? Someone who had a choice? Then Ren now has to face a more complex moral choice, which could help him and Nora develop their characters.

AndrewJTalon · Mar 28, 2025

Mercury: "You know, I'm completely well adjusted. I don't need to be here, I wasn't even involved, but I'll do it if you require me to-"

Isabel: "You're a very good liar, Mercury Black. You might have even fooled me... If not for the fact my team fought your father once. And lived."

Mercury: eyes widen

Isabel: "Now, there's no need to be alarmed. I won't divulge anything you tell me, and plenty of Huntsmen have had even worse childhoods than yours. I just want you to know, there's no need for fear."

Mercury: "You... How did he not kill you-?"

Isabel: "It wasn't easy. But the job ultimately proved to not be worth the trouble. Even he realized it wasn't worth it..." cough "That and Arjun outbid the man paying for the job. Money talks."

Mercury: "How... How much?"

Isabel: "About five hundred thousand lien."

Mercury: "Money... He had money and... And... That... That son of a-!"

Mercury smashes the floor, kicks a table, kicks a hole in the wall. Isabel then stands in front of him, and catches his kick in her hands. Her super strength and enhanced reflexes let her hold him.

Isabel: "Mercury! Mercury, look at me. Look at me. It's all right... It's all right..."

Mercury: breathes hard, not sure how the FUCK to handle any of this!

He sits down on the couch, shaking. Isabel stays a respectful distance away.

Isabel: "... You don't have to talk about it, all right? You don't. Not now."

Mercury: "... I just... Fucking hell..."

Isabel waits. Mercury manages to get himself back under control.

Mercury: "... Why... Why tell me?"

Isabel: "Because it's the right thing to do."

Mercury: "..." sighs "I don't understand that."

Isabel: "I take it your father just took, and took, and anything he gave you... It had a price tag attached?"

Mercury scowls... He manages a slow nod.

Isabel: "All right... Then I will make you a deal. It will all be on your side. You can decide whether or not to take it. The power is all yours."

Mercury: "... What are you offering?"

Isabel: "First? Let me fix the nerve damage to your legs."

Mercury: eyes wide "How did you-?!"

Isabel: "I'm very good at spotting prosthetics, and I felt your leg when you kicked me. I also know when prosthetics are poorly attached. This isn't part of the deal, this is just me doing my job as a healer."

Mercury: "... You have one minute. If I think you're trying anything-"

Isabel: "More than enough time."

Mercury hesitates... Pulls his trouser legs up. Isabel applies some Healing Dust with her gloves to the connection points. Instantly, the near constant pain he's been suffering is gone.

Mercury: "... It... It was that simple?!"

Isabel: pulls back "The only reason a doctor wouldn't fix those is if they didn't care. How many doctors have you seen, Mercury?"

Mercury: "... Not many." Watts doesn't count as a medical doctor, and he wouldn't give a shit about my pain...

Isabel: nods "They were bad at their jobs, then."

Mercury: "... You talked about a deal. What is it?"

Isabel: "Let me find you replacement prosthetics. Better ones."

Mercury: "I can't afford them-"

Isabel: "Let me worry about that. A lot of cybernetics companies can do pro bono work in exchange for tax benefits. A decent set of combat capable prosthetic legs isn't that expensive. My twins do a lot of work on custom jobs anyway, and they like a challenge."

Mercury: "And in exchange?"

Isabel: "Let me help you."

Mercury: "The hell do you get out of it?!"

Isabel: "I became a doctor to help people. You need help." smiles "The non-material rewards can be just as important as the material."

Mercury: "That... You feel better doing it?"

Isabel: "And I make you feel better."

Mercury: "I just..." he shook his head "It sounds crazy."

Isabel: sighs "Does it help that my hospital gets more business the more pro-bono jobs for Huntsmen it does? Or that I'm actually paid to help people?"

Mercury: "I mean... I get that. You should have led with that."

Isabel: smiles "I didn't want to be dishonest. I wanted to show all my motives, including the ones you might not understand."

Mercury: "I guess so..."

Isabel: "And if you need more incentive? Maybe I could find out if your Semblance is truly gone."

Mercury: "... You'd do that for me?"

Isabel: "We did have to fight your father. He tried to steal all our Semblances. He failed, thankfully. That and the money convinced him to flee. But I can't imagine he wouldn't have done it to you, given your reactions to his memory."

Mercury: Shit... Cinder's gonna kill me... I know it... I know it because I'm gonna defect... No! No, come on. There's no way I'm gonna change sides just for this...

He rubbed his legs. Legs that were no longer hurting.

Mercury: ... Right?

- - -

I'm not very happy with this. It's too rushed, like most of my rough drafts. I do think it could be interesting if I expanded it. But honestly, given how easily Emerald and Mercury defected in canon? It isn't a stretch that they would have done so earlier if Isabel was involved. And yes, Team AARN would have been a target of Marcus's in the past. The Kauravas would have paid him to try and take Arjun out. But they were very formidable and Arjun's access to some secret family bank accounts let them pay him off.

AndrewJTalon · Mar 30, 2025

The entire student body of Beacon had gathered in the main auditorium, a sea of curious faces filling the vast space.

Jaune, his brow furrowed, glanced over at Ruby, who sat beside him.

"Any idea what this is about, Ruby?" he asked, his voice tinged with uncertainty.

Ruby shook her head vigorously.

"No! Blake, do you know?" she exclaimed, casting an exasperated look at her teammate.

"You should pay attention to politics," Blake, ever composed, responded coolly.

"But that's borinnnng!" Ruby whined, slumping in her seat. "Also, not an answer! Weiss?"

"Even I don't know what this is about," Weiss sniffed.

"Maybe they're just gonna make us sign up to vote," Yang shrugged, "Ya know, ballot us up?"

"HA! I get it!" Nora giggled, as she sat next to Ren. Ren himself remained silent.

"I'm sure it will be very interesting," Pyrrha said with a small smile.

"Yeah, I'm sure," Jaune sighed.

At that moment, Headmaster Ozpin stepped onto the stage, his presence commanding an immediate hush over the restless crowd.

"Students," he began, his tone measured and calm, "new legislation has just passed that affects all of us. To summarize things and get on with our day, I managed to get this video made."

With that, he stepped aside, and a large holowindow flickered to life, its glowing display visible to every corner of the auditorium.

The screen proudly declared: A Production of the Valean Ministry of Health. A redheaded, middle-aged man appeared, seated in an elegant study before a crackling fireplace. His receding hairline and large handlebar mustache framed a kind smile.

"Hello," he said warmly. "I am Rufus Winchester, and I'm here to ask you a question. What is the purpose of Hunters? Well, that should be obvious: to protect man and Faunus from the Grimm."

The scene shifts to a vivid battlefield, where Huntsmen and Huntresses clash valiantly with snarling Grimm. Rufus strode into the frame, saluting the warriors. "Those of you who choose this path are noble Defenders of life on Remnant! You deserve gratitude, praise, and money! Because this is a hard job, and many brave souls pay the price."

The image dissolved into a somber graveyard, where Rufus walked mournfully among the headstones.

"Awards, citations, medals... These are given to Hunters who give their lives in the service of us all. But the loss of these heroes is felt more acutely if they do not leave a proper legacy."

With a wipe, the scene transformed into a cheerful tableau: a Huntsman and Huntress surrounded by their laughing children. Rufus stepped in, beaming broadly.

"Money, fame, awards: These are all hollow compared to a family. Your hard work as a Hunter will be better appreciated by your children and grandchildren than any statue could."

The Huntsman grinned at his wife.

"Sure am glad I have you, my loving wife! And my wonderful children!"

"Same, my wonderful husband and children!" the Huntress replied, her voice brimming with affection.

"We love you, Mom and Dad!" the children chorused, their faces alight with joy.

Rufus chuckled warmly before turning back to the camera. "Studies show that married Hunter couples are three times as likely to return home than single Hunters! And your skills and abilities will not vanish with you when you die! Indeed, children of Hunters are ninety percent likely to join their parents' professions!"

The scene returned to the study, where Rufus now cradled a squirming baby.

"Of course, having children is expensive! But that's where Council Bill 2276 comes in! Under this law, married Hunters and Hunters-in-training get up to sixty percent off their total taxes and are eligible for financial assistance, no matter how many babies you have! Thanks to Aura, Huntresses can recover from birth and get back into fighting shape in less than three weeks!"

The baby let out a loud burp, and Rufus laughed good-naturedly.

"Aw, feisty little guy, isn't he?"

The screen wiped to the happy family once more, now seated together in their cozy home. Rufus stood behind them, hands resting on their shoulders.

"So while you are killing the scourge of the Grimm in the present, invest in your future and the future of Vale! Have a family! Save the world!"

The video concluded with bold text: Sponsored by the Valean Council and Approved by the Lion Pope. As the holowindow faded, Ozpin stepped forward again, hands clasped behind his back. "Any questions?" he asked, his voice cutting through the silence.

For a moment, there was nothing but quiet. Then, chaos erupted. Nora leapt to her feet, seizing Ren's arm and brandishing her hammer with wild eyes.

"HANDS OFF, YOU WHORES! I SAW HIM FIRST!" she bellowed, her voice echoing through the auditorium.

"Easy Nora, easy!" Jaune said quickly, waving his hands as he stood up. He took a deep breath.

Well, that's Nora for you, he thought, glad everyone else is a lot more calm and even tempered-

He felt a pair of hands wrap around his upper arm. He glanced down. Yang was smiling shyly.

"Oh, hey VB. Tell me: You have how many sisters again?"

"Er... Seven?" Jaune managed.

"Yang!" Weiss gasped.

"What? I'm just thinking about the future," Yang grinned.

"YANG!" Pyrrha growled, which was as surprising as a magnolia eating the cat. Yang shrugged.

"What? You snooze you lose, Cereal Girl. You had your chance-"

"H-He hasn't agreed to anything!" Pyrrha sputtered.

"YEAH!" Ruby growled, popping up and grabbing his other arm. "And he's MY best friend!"

"You're too young!"

"He had a crush on me!" Weiss declared.

"You never had any interest!" Pyrrha shot back. Weiss flushed.

"W-Well, I'm just thinking about my future and finances!"

"Oh yeah, that's sexy!" Yang snarked.

Blake raised an eyebrow. She then sighed and looked to her left. Sun Wukong stood there with a grin.

"Hey Blake! So... You doing anything later?"

"Probably washing my hair," Blake deadpanned.

"Need any help?"

Cardin Winchester sank deeper in his seat, wincing at the stares and glares tossed his way.

Pandemonium broke loose as students shouted and scrambled, alliances forming and dissolving in an instant. Ozpin sighed deeply, rubbing his temple.

"Last time I play poker with Councilman Winchester," he muttered under his breath. "Cheating bastard."

AndrewJTalon · Mar 31, 2025

Ruby and Jaune do need to learn how to manage their teams. And connect with other team leaders. So there's a class for that... And a lot of fun to be had.
And paperwork. Lots and lots of paperwork.

- - -

Ruby was practically bouncing off the walls with joy as she walked down the hallway, her enthusiasm a stark contrast to Jaune, who trudged along beside her.

"Come on Jaune! Isn't this exciting?! Our first leadership class!" Ruby exclaimed, her voice brimming with excitement.

Jaune sighed.

"I know... Sorry Ruby, but given how hard everything else is? I'm not feeling the enthusiasm."

Ruby tilted her head, undeterred. "Aw, come on Jaune! This is awesome! We're our team leaders! And yeah, you kind of suck at, well, a lot of stuff-"

"Thanks," Jaune deadpanned. Ruby winced and then continued.

"-But you're good at leadership! Come on! Be happy! For me?" She let loose her puppy dog eyes.

Jaune let out another sigh and then shrugged.

"I'll try."

"YAY!" Ruby beamed, and Jaune couldn't help a little smile at that.

They reached the classroom where Professor Ozpin awaited them. Cardin, already inside, winced upon seeing Jaune, who scowled back. With a sigh, Cardin gestured to two seats beside him. Ruby blinked.

"Eh? Hey, what's your deal?"

"I'm trying to be nice, pipsqueak. You got a problem with that?" Cardin replied gruffly.

Ruby shook her head and shrugged.

"No! I guess? And I'm not a pipsqueak! I'm drinking my milk!"

"Thanks Cardin," Jaune offered quietly, as they took their seats.

Ozpin looked around gravely before he addressed the room.

"Good of you all to join us. Simin Magister, as the leader of team SLVR and one of our senior teacher's assistants, I leave the rest to you. I have other matters to attend to."

Why'd he botherr to come if that's all he was going to say? Almost everyone thought.

With that, he exited, and a handsome young man with dark red hair, tanned skin, and a long gray jacket stepped forward, smiling warmly.

"It's great to see so many new faces," Simin began. "Now, leadership of a team is more than just keeping it together in the field and fighting. There's a lot of hard work off the field too."

Ruby perked up immediately.

"Ooh! Ooh! Like training?"

Simin nodded.

"That is also important... But more important? Is paperwork."

Ruby's jaw dropped.

"Paperwork?!" She gasped.

Simin smiled in nostalgia.

"Yep! As team leaders you must account for your team's stores of supplies, types of supplies, finances, training room time, medical condition, and many other things! You must also demonstrate your ability to write mission reports and convey information properly that other Huntsmen, the police, the military and other organizations use when it comes to Grimm, the ground of your missions, and damages you cause or others inflict."

Ruby faltered, but quickly rallied with a smile.

"Well... Um... I-I'm sure it can't be that bad to start, right?"

Simin beamed, his teeth shining like knives.

"That's the spirit!"

Moments later, Simin dumped several large stacks of paperwork onto the leaders' desks. Ruby gaped.

"Wait, actual paperwork?!" She cried.

Simin grinned.

"It's so you can get used to the digital stuff later. Trust me, it will be a breeze after this!"

Ruby slumped, her face slamming into the stack with a moan. Jaune chuckled and patted her on the shoulder.

"Living the dream, huh?" Jaune asked.

Ruby moaned louder.

Hours passed, and Cardin grumbled as he filled out another sheet.

"Geez... I thought helping dad with his campaign finances was bad..." Next to him, Ruby, her eyes spinning, cried out in despair.

"Wha... What's an index?! WHAT'S A LEDGER?! WHAT IS ALL THIS?!" She slammed her face into the stack again and moaned, then glanced to her right at Jaune.

"Jaune? You okay there budd-?"

To her shock, Jaune was already up, handing his completed paperwork to Simin.

"Wha-He's already done?!" Ruby stammered. Cardin's jaw dropped.

"No way... It can't all be done properly-!"

Simin flipped through the stack before nodding in approval.

"Very good, Mister Arc! Everything checks out! You can relax until everyone else is done."

Jaune smiled, "Thanks, Mister Magister!" and returned to sit beside Ruby. He then looked over at her and Cardin, who both stared at him in utter disbelief.

"What?" Jaune asked innocently.

"Wha-How did you get all that done so fast and correctly?!" Ruby demanded.

Jaune shrugged, looking a bit proud.

"Well, I had to help my mom with paperwork at the hospital, help my dad with paperwork at the militia, help my sisters with paperwork for various reasons, did some accounting for my great-grandpa's restaurant..." He shrugged, "In comparison, this isn't too hard! Plus, Nora has to ask me for more money for Dust and she has to get the proportions just right, so she's pretty good at keeping track of things. Pyrrha buys most of her own stuff but she still reports it to me, and Ren is very good at math too. So, we're pretty set."

Ruby's soul seemed to droop and drag her down with it at every word.

"Oh… Oh…"

Jaune smiled and patted her shoulder encouragingly.

"I'm sure you can get it too, Ruby! I mean, Weiss is rich: She must know something about business? And Yang was like your mom so she has to know finances? And Blake... Um..."

Ruby nodded weakly, "Y-Yeah... I'm sure they'll be fine... Totally fine...!"

Cardin spoke up at last, his face very serious.

"Jauney-boy? I take back every bad thing I ever said about you. Mind helping me out? My team will train with yours... I'll carry your books? Set you up with my hot sister?!"

Coco Adel leaned over from the desk behind them, adjusting her glasses with an eager grin.

"Like hell he will! Arc, you help me out and I'll let you take Bun-Bun on a date! And I'll make sure she's extra sexy for you!" Jaune laughed a bit nervously and held his hands up.

"It's just paperwork, guys. Don't be so melodramatic. But! I will help you all out... If!"

"I get Weiss to go out with you?!" Ruby guessed eagerly.

Jaune flustered.

"What?! No! I want to do that myself! I know I'm wearing her down!"

"Ummm," Ruby coughed, "Er, well…"

"Should have offered her your sister, she's much hotter," Coco suggested.

"Look," Jaune interrupted, "I'll just ask that we all be friends. And I get some help with the stuff I'm not good at when it comes to Hunting."

Coco smirked.

"So... Everything then?"

Jaune winced, and slowly nodded. There was a hint of pride in his eyes though.

"... Yeah... Except for this."

Coco hummed and then nodded.

"Sounds fair."

"Seriously, offering him your teammate?" Cardin muttered.

"What? She's got a thing for big, dumb galoots!" Coco countered, lowering her shades at Cardin, "Maybe if you weren't a racist on top of that, I'd have set you two up!"

Cardin blushed.

"I-I would never be interested in her! N-Never! I don't think she has pretty eyes either!"

Much staring. Cardin scowled.

"I didn't say that!"

Ruby hummed.

"Well... I guess it's nice to have more friends who are as awkward as us."

"I am not awkward," Cardin grumbled. Jaune chuckled.

"Yeah, see? We're socializing more already!"

Ruby beamed at her best friend.

"Yeah! I... I think this is gonna turn out just fine!"

And then the fight with the White Fang at the Wharves happened, but that's another story.

AndrewJTalon · Apr 3, 2025

Lately, the air around Yang and Jaune crackled with tension, their voices rising in heated exchanges that had become all too frequent. Ruby, caught in the crossfire of their bickering, felt her patience fraying like an old rope. She slumped against the wall, arms crossed, as the two clashed yet again in the common room of their dormitory.

"You don't get to boss my team around, Vomit Boy!" Yang snapped, her blonde hair flaring like a wildfire as she jabbed a finger toward Jaune.

"Well, someone has to do it if you won't take responsibility, Spitfire!" Jaune shot back, his voice steady but edged with frustration, his blue eyes narrowing as he stood his ground.

"It's none of your business!" Yang growled, her fists clenching at her sides.

"It is my business when my best friend gets ignored by her own team!" Jaune countered, his tone rising as he gestured emphatically.

"We don't ignore her!" Yang's voice was sharp, her amber eyes blazing.

"You absolutely do!" Jaune insisted, stepping closer, undeterred by her fiery glare.

"You don't have any legs to stand on, Fumbles!" Yang sneered, crossing her arms with a defiant tilt of her chin.

"Someone has to stand up to you, brat!" Jaune retorted, his own stance mirroring hers, a stubborn set to his jaw.

"Asshole!" Yang spat, her temper flaring like a struck match.

"Bimbo!" Jaune fired back, his voice dripping with exasperation.

"MORON!"

Ruby's patience snapped like a twig underfoot.

"ARGH! WILL YOU TWO ARGUE SOMEWHERE ELSE ALREADY?!" she shouted, her voice cutting through their spat like a scythe through wheat.

"FINE!" Yang and Jaune barked in unison, their faces flushed with irritation. With a synchronized huff, they stormed off, their footsteps echoing down the hall as they disappeared into an empty dorm room, the door slamming shut behind them.

In the sudden silence, Pyrrha fidgeted with her hands, her green eyes wide with concern.

"Oh my... I hope Yang doesn't give Jaune too much trouble," she murmured, glancing toward the closed door. "Why is she so hard on him?"

A soft, amused sound escaped Blake, who lounged on a nearby couch, her golden eyes glinting with mischief. Pyrrha turned, blinking in confusion.

"Blake?" She asked softly.

"Oh... I think he's harder on her, to be honest," Blake replied, a smug, catlike grin curling her lips as she stretched languidly. Pyrrha's eyes widened.

Ruby tilted her head, her silver eyes narrowing.

"So you can hear what they're arguing about? They aren't gonna get rough, are they?"

Blake's grin widened, a knowing edge to it.

"I believe they like it rough."

Weiss, perched primly on a chair, scowled, her pale blue eyes flashing with disapproval.

"That's disgusting, Blake! There's no way even Yang would sully herself with Arc!"

Ruby blinked, processing the implication.

"Sully...? Wait, you mean... Sex?"

Weiss's face flushed a delicate pink as she sputtered.

"How do you know that word—?!"

"I'm SIXTEEN, not five," Ruby replied dryly, rolling her eyes.

Pyrrha's voice trembled as she clutched her hands to her chest.

"Wh-What do you mean, sex?! They can't be having sex!" Her face paled, her mind racing to reject the idea.

A brief, heavy silence fell over the group, broken only by Nora's sudden, cheerful declaration.

"They're totally having sex," she said, her grin wide and unapologetic as she bounced on her heels.

Ren, ever calm beside her, nodded solemnly.

"Indeed."

Pyrrha's world seemed to crumble as she stammered.

"NO! They—They aren't—!"

"We would know!" Ruby insisted, though a flicker of doubt crept into her voice.

Blake arched an eyebrow, tapping one of her feline ears.

"And who would know better than me? With my ears—?"

"You're just a perverted cat!" Weiss snapped, her arms crossing tighter as she glared at Blake.

Ruby, unwilling to let the mystery fester, leapt to her feet. In a blur of red and black, she used her semblance to zip across the hall, appearing before the dorm room door in an instant. A smirk tugged at her lips as she gripped the handle.

"HA! I'll prove it!" she declared, flinging the door open with a flourish. "I will prove that they are absolutely, positively, NOT—!"

Her words died in her throat. There, in the dimly lit room, Yang and Jaune were locked in a feverish embrace, lips crashing together with an intensity that left no room for misinterpretation. Their hands tugged at each other's clothes, on the verge of tearing them free, when they froze mid-motion. Slowly, as if sensing the weight of multiple stares, they turned their heads. Yang's golden hair was mussed, Jaune's armor slightly askew. Their eyes met the stunned group in the doorway, and the kiss broke with an awkward pop.

Jaune coughed into his fist, his face reddening.

"Um... Hey guys?"

AndrewJTalon · Apr 3, 2025

AndrewJTalon said:
Jaune sighed heavily. He winced as he rolled his shoulders and looked around his office. He had been left alone to do some paperwork, which he supposed was nice. On the other hand, he had to do paperwork.

There was a knock at the door.

"Come in!" He called. The doors opened, and Yang strode in with a smile.

"Heyah, Ladykiller! Saw your speech today," she said. She sat down in a chair. "Though it was nice. Very short."

Jaune smiled back at her.

"Thanks. It's like everyone forgets the inaugural speeches of Councilmembers used to be like ten to twenty minutes," he chuckled. Yang shook her head.

"You knew that history but not the Faunus Revolution?"

"Er, well," Jaune rubbed the back of his head, "I always paid more attention to Nana Arturia's stories because they were a lot more exciting." He beamed. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm on your security detail for tonight!" Yang said cheerfully. "Pyrrha needed to do a photoshoot, Weiss is meeting her sis, Blake is meeting her parents, Ruby got detention with Oobleck, and Ren and Nora are..." She shrugged. "Got me."

"They do their own thing on the weekends," Jaune confirmed. He smiled warmly. "Thanks. I appreciate it. You always cheer me up."

"Well, someone's gotta keep you from getting too full of yourself," Yang winked, "Speaking of, you eaten dinner yet?"

"I was about to order something," Jaune said, turning back to his papers. "I gotta finish up this report to the press tomorrow-"

"Bah," Yang scoffed, putting a hand over his, "Come on. You gotta get out of here."

Jaune looked up in some surprise.

"You're acting... Well... I mean, friendly," Jaune said. Yang shrugged.

"Well... I did realize you're actually pretty cool, once you get past the awkward nerdy parts," she said with a smile. "And you're Ruby's best friend, and she'd have my head if I didn't make sure you were taking care of yourself."

Jaune smiled. He squeezed her hand back. Yang leaned forward.

"Besides, living a cushy life as a Councilman's Wife might be nice~," Yang teased. Jaune flushed.

"Y-Yang!"

"Aw, come on," Yang cooed, leaning forward with a sexy wink, "Don't tell me you haven't thought about it~. At least once? Unless you're into slim girls like Weisscream."

Jaune flushed.

"I mean... If I'm being honest? I thought you were out of my league," Jaune admitted. Yang blinked.

"Eh? But-But you went for Weiss?"

Jaune shrugged.

"I mean... That was kind of a pride thing, though I do think she's incredible. But you? You just... I love your smile, your energy, your eyes. You light up the room. If you rejected me... I dunno. It would hurt more." He smiled. "Plus, I mean, I didn't want Ruby to think I was her friend just to get your attention."

Yang flushed. She slowly nodded.

"I, yeah... Well..." She cleared her throat. "You really gotta get some air if you're getting all mushy like this, Stud. Come on! We should hit a diner, get some real food."

Jaune frowned.

"I dunno..."

"Come on," Yang winked, "I promise, I'll be your cute little bodyguard. I'll protect you. In and out of bed, if you'd like~."

"Yang," Jaune groaned, bright red. She giggled, and pulled him up to his feet. He sighed, but nodded as they headed out.

"All right. There's a diner close by. Let's hit it up, quickly."

"Relax, Councilman," Yang chuckled, "What could possibly go wrong?"

- - -

They came to a small diner in the historical Old Town part of Vale, near the massive towers of the government center. It was called "Just Right", and was run by a formidable looking bear Faunus woman in a blue dress and white apron. She stood at the entrance to the cozy, clean diner, chewing on a wooden spoon as she looked Yang and Jaune up and down.

"Hey Ma!" Yang greeted her with a happy smile. Jaune himself had pulled on some sunglasses and a hat to try and disguise himself, but still smiled politely.

Ma looked him up and down, chewing on her spoon. She nodded in approval.

"Welcome, ya little Spitfire. Usual table is open."

"Thanks!" Yang grinned and dragged Jaune off to a booth far from the windows, and near the jukebox. Yang had Jaune slide in first, before she slid in across from him. Ma was along shortly, setting down some menus, glasses of water, and a candle, which she lit.

"Knew you'd find a good man someday," Ma stated. Jaune coughed and shook his head.

"Ah, no, I mean, we're not-!"

"Thanks!" Yang said cheerfully, grabbing Jaune's hand and squeezing it hard. He got the message and shut up, smiling with a slight wince at Ma. Ma chuckled.

"Keep your wits about you. She's gonna be rough. Gotta take her in hand," Ma stated. Jaune slowly nodded.

"I-I'll keep that in mind," he mumbled, as Ma headed off. Yang loosened her grip on Jaune a bit, but didn't let go. Jaune sighed and scowled at her.

"Seriously?"

"Hey, it keeps her from asking too many questions," Yang said. She pouted. "Unless you don't like the idea of me being your girlfriend?"

"No! I mean, that's not it!" Jaune insisted quickly. "I just... A lot's happened and I'm trying to get a grip on things, ya know?"

Yang shook her head.

"You literally figured out how to use your Aura an hour after getting it unlocked," she said, "How much time do you need, anyway?"

"I just... How does that relate to this?" Jaune asked. Yang giggled.

"I just like seeing you flustered. You're kind of cute that way," she winked, "And besides, it keeps you from getting too big a head. You wouldn't want to turn out like Councillor Valkoran and become so divorced from reality you destroy your empire, right?"

"No, but..." Jaune blinked rapidly and stared at her. "Wait... That's from Space Quest 5!"

Yang flushed and glanced to the side.

"Er... Ya know, Ruby was all into that stuff..."

Jaune smirked a little.

"Really? So you don't think the fifth season was a rushed add on?"

"N-No! I mean, there was a fifth season?" Yang giggled, trying to play dumb. Jaune smiled warmly. He squeezed her hand back.

"You don't have to put up any fronts with me, you know," Jaune said kindly, "Take it from me: It sucks. I-I mean, I know you're not like, fake or anything. I like that about you. But well... You can be totally honest with me."

Yang stared at him for a long moment. She brushed some hair from her shoulder.

"Well... As long as you, I dunno, keep it a state secret."

"If I have to," Jaune said with a nod and good natured rolling of his eyes. Yang shook her head.

"Still... How did you even hear about that show? You live out in the sticks!"

"My mom's hospital had a direct link to the CCT repeater tower," Jaune explained, "So I hung out there a lot to watch stuff."

"Your mom owns a hospital?" Yang asked in disbelief. Jaune nodded.

"Yeah. She worked as a Huntress combat medic to pay for medical school, and turned the old castle in our town into a hospital. I mean, we still live on a farm and all but we did help out there too..."

"Huh," Yang said, "My dad just got a free CCT antenna direct thanks to my uncle Qrow. So we saw everything for free. Well, when the weather was cooperating. You ever watch Professor Paradox?"

Jaune grinned.

"Yup. My Nana is a huge fan of it, since she's from Albion. Well until the last few series."

Yang rolled her eyes.

"Ugh, yeah. Freaking Thirteenth Professor is so lame..."

They chatted about many nerdy things. Then they got into their childhoods... And after a while, they just talked. Nobody forced anything, nobody was pretending. After having to deal with politicians and reporters for the last few weeks? It was a balm for Jaune's soul. And he found himself studying her face, and her eyes.

"Get out! GET OUT!"

Which was interrupted when there was a loud disturbance out front. Ma was standing at the doorway, holding a fist up and shaking it, as a couple of White Fang goons in masks and leathers stood in the diner door.

"I told you, you punks can't come in!" Ma growled. The lead White Fang tough laughed in her face.

"You can't hold us all off, you old sow," he sneered, "You're either gonna pay up for us not wrecking your place, or we're gonna burn it to the ground! Especially since you've been letting humans in!"

"Anyone who can pay and show respect is welcome!" Ma snarled. "You don't get to-ACK!"

The leader back handed her and sent her to the floor. Jaune and Yang immediately stood up, meal forgotten. The White Fang punks laughed.

"Oh, what's this? Some human bimbo and her boy toy are gonna try to mess with-?"

They flared their Auras. The punks, save for the leader, all gasped or winced. Yang punched her open palm as Jaune clenched his fists.

"You wanna rephrase that?" Jaune asked angrily. The punk, a bit intimidated, still sneered.

"Should I have called her what she really is? A slut-?"

The leader lost his speaking privileges, along with most of his teeth, as Jaune's fist met his jaw.

The scuffle was extremely short. Two Hunters-in-training against a few street punks was no real contest. However, Yang got a little too enthusiastic and sent one flying through a window. That got the cops to arrive quickly, and they stormed in.

"Drop to the floor, now!" The cop shouted, gun raised. Jaune held up his arms.

"Hey! He was stopping the bad guys!" Yang shouted angrily.

"DROP DOWN ON THE FLOOR!" The cop repeated.

Yang snarled.

"YOU-!"

"Take it easy, Yang!" Jaune shouted. He sighed as he pulled off his sunglasses and hat. "Look, we'll sort this all out and-"

The cops all gaped in shock.

"Councilman Arc?!" One cried.

Jaune coughed. Well, that made things easier.

"Yes, uh, I was just here when these guys came in and-"

"And he and his girlfriend saved me from these-these punks!" Ma Bear said happily, slapping Jaune on the back, "Thanks, Kid! You and Yang can eat here free from now on!"

"No, really, I'll pay for-!"

A camera drone flew into his face, shining a bright light. A familiar woman with lavender hair and a purple pantsuit rushed in, holding a microphone.

"Councilman Arc, I'm Lisa Lavender with VNN! Getting into fights with White Fang now?"

"I defended myself and the people here!" Jaune stated, irritated at the reporter, "With Yang! A bunch of assholes don't get to push people around!"

"You tell them, Stud!" Yang laughed, wrapping her arms around his, "Especially if they insult his lovely girlfriend!"

"That's right-Wait no-!"

Lisa grinned like a hungry shark as she leaned in with the camera drone. The cops all watched in a mixture of disbelief and amusement. Ma Bear laughed.

"So? You're no longer single, Mister Arc?"

"That's not what I-You-!"

Yang took pity on Jaune, and grabbed him.

"No comment!" She announced, "Gotta fly!" She fired off a shot from Ember Celica, launching herself and Jaune out the window. They landed on Bumblbee and she gunned it, practically flying down the road. Jaune held on for dear life.

"WHY DID YOU SAY THAT?!" Jaune shouted.

Yang shrugged.

"Spur of the moment! And just relax! In like 24 hours, nobody's gonna remember this!"

"SOMEHOW I DOUBT IT!"

AndrewJTalon · Apr 3, 2025

You know, I did have a crack idea where Blake explains that among the many other reasons she broke up with Adam...

Blake: "I saw his diary."

Weiss: "Oh?"

Blake: "Yes... It was..." shudders

Yang: "What? What did he want to do with you?"

Ruby: "Yeah!"

Blake: "It was... Horrendous. Twisted... Even by my standards!"

Yang: covers Ruby's ears

Ruby: "HEY! I WANNA HEAR!"

Yang: "No! Actually, maybe we shouldn't even get into this-"

Blake: "He wanted... T-To love and respect and cherish me!"

Weiss, Yang and Ruby: "... Wut?"

Blake: nods "He wanted me to be his... His equal! He wanted me to be his queen, and to be my knight!"

Weiss: "... Huh?"

Blake: shudders "And... And to give me children! Lots of them! He had names picked out!"

Ruby: "Um... But he would like... Make you a slave or something, right?"

Blake: "NO! He wanted me to live by his side as I chose! And be..." makes a face "Monogamous! Married!"

Weiss: deadpan "The horror."

Blake: "It gets worse! He would be tender, warm, loving... And vanilla! With long romantic walks on the beach!"

Yang: "Um... While he smacked you around for disobeying him or something, right?"

Blake: "NO! He didn't have anything like that! Or spanking! Or whips or chains or anything like that! He wasn't even going to put a collar on me! He thought that would be..." shudders "SEXIST!"

Ruby: "So... He wanted to basically make you happy?"

Blake: "UGH! He didn't listen to a single thing I wanted from him! Or read any of my erotica! I left it in our room! Open! And yet he never even knew I wanted him to pick them up and read him! Who does he think he is?! He should have treated me like his-his pet. Made me submit! But nooo, he just wanted to be 'happily married' and 'respectful of my feelings' and 'build a happy family! with me' What a jerk!"

Yang: "... But he still wants to massacre all humans, right?"

Blake: "Oh yes, absolutely he wants that! But this just put me over the edge!"

Yang: "... I'm gonna go hang out with Nora. I need some sanity in my life." She gets up and leaves

Weiss: "... So he's single now?"

Ruby: "WEISS!"

Weiss: "What?! We could work out the whole 'kill all humans' thing!"

AndrewJTalon · Apr 4, 2025

Blacksun Fish

Blake wasn't oblivious to her own allure—she knew she turned heads. But that alone couldn't unravel the mystery of Sun's relentless interest in her. Sure, she was a Faunus, like him, but so were plenty of other women, many of whom had cast their own lingering glances his way. Yet Sun kept orbiting her, undeterred, no matter how quiet she stayed, how cold she acted, or how sharply her words cut.

It was a puzzle that gnawed at her, enough to make the words of her book blur as she sat alone in the hushed common room, the pages forgotten in her lap.

"Hey, Blake! I went fishing—you want some?"

Speak of the devil. Sun swung in through the window like he owned the place, a string of trout dangling from his hand and a grin splitting his face. Blake's eyes narrowed, her scowl a reflex.

He just held up the fish, unbothered, his smile bright as noon.

"…Why are you doing this?" she finally asked, the question spilling out before she could stop it.

Sun blinked, tilting his head. "What? I thought you liked fish?"

"I do, but…" She sighed, frustration knotting her voice. "Why do you insist on just…?" She shook her head, grasping for the right word. "Everything?"

"Everything?" Sun echoed. He hummed, scratching the back of his head, and hopped up to perch on a dresser—never sitting properly, always sprawling over furniture like a stray cat. His face turned thoughtful, surprisingly so, before he flashed her a softer smile. "Well… you needed help. You were all alone. And I could help, so I did."

Blake stared, incredulous. "Just like that?"

"Just like that," he said, nodding.

She scoffed, crossing her arms. "It can't just be that!"

"Well," Sun admitted with a playful wink, "it does help you're a pretty girl."

Blake fought a blush, her scowl deepening even as warmth bloomed in her chest. "So… you'd fight and possibly get killed all for a pretty girl?"

"If she needed the help, sure," Sun said easily. "I mean, I don't plan on dying, but if I had to? I would, for you."

Her scowl sharpened, irritation flaring. "I… I don't want you to die for me!" she snapped.

Sun's grin widened, bright and infuriating. "Great! That makes two of us. Neither of us wants the other to die. So, you want to eat this fish?"

Blake gaped, thrown by his effortless dodge. She shook her head, muttering, "You're just going to do it whether I want it or not."

"But I know you want nice, home-cooked fish," Sun teased, his smile knowing. "So I'm just doing what you want. You don't have to admit it. That's okay."

She grumbled under her breath as he sauntered to the kitchen. He filleted the trout with practiced ease, the sizzle of butter hitting the stovetop soon filling the air. He tossed together a simple meal—rice, veggies, nothing fancy, just what was in the cabinets. Team JNPR's open pantry policy was a quiet blessing she didn't voice thanks for.

Sun returned, setting down two steaming bowls of fish and rice that smelled like comfort itself. He grinned as she sucked in a breath, took the chopsticks he offered, and shot him a half-hearted glare.

"…I just happened to feel like having fish right now," she muttered, stabbing at the bowl.

"I know," Sun said, his grin never faltering.

She took a bite. It was simple, but damn if it wasn't delicious. Her eyes flicked to him. "…Thank you," she murmured, barely audible.

"You're welcome," he replied, beaming. "So… how about a date? I mean, technically, we've already been on one, so why not another?"

"That date involved us fighting mobsters and terrorists," Blake pointed out, arching a brow.

Sun's grin turned mischievous. "You didn't say it didn't count though, right?"

Blake fought a smile, felt it slip through her defenses, and hid it behind a piece of fish she lifted to her lips. "I suppose I didn't."

AndrewJTalon · Apr 7, 2025

Jaune is at his desk doing some paperwork... When Ruby bursts in, wearing a red domino mask.

Ruby: "Never fear, Councilman Arc! I am here to help!"

Jaune: "Ruby?"

Ruby: "Who is this 'Ruby' you speak of? I am... Crimson Reaper! I'm a superheroine! And I'm here to protect you-The city! Yes! Well, you and the city!"

Jaune: "... Kay."

Ruby: "With my sidekick, Wonder Zwei!"

Zwei, in a mask and cape, trots up and sits on Jaune's lap. Jaune gives him some ear scratches.

Jaune: "Well, I'm very glad to have you Ruby."

Ruby: "Crimson Reaper!"

Jaune: smiles goodnaturedly "Crimson Reaper. My mistake."

AndrewJTalon · Apr 7, 2025

This could be a fun way for Ren, Nora, Jaune, Yang and Blake to bond: Criminal histories.

Ren: "We did work for a Triad for a time as enforcers. We only ever hurt rival gangsters."

Nora: "Yeah! They were muscling in on our turf so we had to rough 'em up!"

Jaune: "Well... In addition to the fraud to get into Beacon, I did steal from some bandits who tried to rough me up on the way to Beacon."

Yang: "Wait, before your Aura got unlocked?"

Jaune: shrugs "Most of them didn't have theirs unlocked either, and I've always been freaky strong. Even if I suck at fighting, once I knocked their leader out with a bash to the head they usually turned over anything they had to let me go."

Yang: "HAHA! You're a riot, VB! Well, I have a juvenile record. Smashed up some bars and stuff. Assault and so on. Got a good deal from the judge but I still have to do community service for it."

Nora: "Pfft. Judges! Renny and I had to intimidate a few in Mistral! It's really easy! Just drop in unannounced, say we'd really like it if you'd let this one guy go, and say 'Oh no! Your car got smashed to pieces by a freak hammer fall! Must be a sign from the gods to do what we say!'"

Blake: "... I suppose I am technically a terrorist."

Nora: "Pffft! Renny and I had to pose as terrorists for a heist gone wrong! You're not special!"

TheFabulousCustodes · Apr 7, 2025

AndrewJTalon said:
This could be a fun way for Ren, Nora, Jaune, Yang and Blake to bond: Criminal histories.

Now you've forced me to do it, again!

The Huntsmen and Wonder Zwei in "As The Cookie Crumbles!"

The Huntsmen - "Here we are Wonder Zwei, Royal Bakery and Cafe, the favorite provider of baked goods to Beacon's students, said to have been founded with money from the King of Vale himself, years ago when Beacon first began training the future protectors of our wonderful kingdom!

Wonder Zwei - "Bark!"

The Huntsmen - "No, Wonder Zwei, the rumors of the King of Vale having a crippling addiction to hot chocolate and founding the bakery solely to provide himself, and not his students, with a steady supply are completely fictional rumors. As is the rumor that his ghost still walks the shop to this day! Now be alert, Pyrrha Nikos, Beacon's star huntress alerted me to the possibility of criminal trouble taking place here!"

The Red Reaper - "Trouble is right Huntsmen! But why don't we make it..... Double!"

The Red Huntress - "Hello!"

The Huntsmen - *Gasp!* "Two of Vale's worst super criminals in one place, what fiendish plans do you have for the children and future protectors of our democratically governed kingdom?!?!"

The Red Reaper - "I'm glad you asked, Huntsmen! As you are undoubtedly aware, being the goody two shoes civic minded individual that you are, today is interkingdom "Huntsmen Appreciation Day" whereupon the citizenry thank their protectors by offering them tokens of appreciation for their efforts!"

The Huntsmen - "Those rewards are for this kingdoms law abiding protectors! What foul plans do you and the Red Huntress have for this poor bakery?!?!"

*The Red Reaper points to a prominently featured cookie jar in the bakery*

The Red Reaper - "As you can see Huntsmen, the jar is clearly labeled "One free cookie per Hunter or Hunter in Training". But, the Red Huntress and I shall each take..... TWO COOKIES!!!!!!!!"

The Huntsmen - "You and your accomplice's blatant disregard for common courtesy, and the respectful requests of Vale's shopkeepers will not go unpunished, Red Reaper. Prepare for your ill gotten cookies to crumble! Wonder Zwei, to action!"

Will our villains foul plans succeed? Will Wonder Zwei and the Red Huntress get enough speaking roles to gain entrance to the Vale Actors Guild? Find out next time on.... "As The Cookie Crumbles, Part 2!"

AndrewJTalon · Apr 7, 2025

Pyrrha calls her mother.

Athena: "Pyrrha! You finally called me back! Oh my wonderful daughter, you're finally opening up to me and-"

Pyrrha: "Mother! Listen very carefully. I need your help and I don't want to deal with any of your usual nonsense!"

Athena: "Nonsense?! Like what?!"

Pyrrha: "No dramatic pauses, no histrionics, no nothing!"

Athena: "But you must admit I am a Master of the DRAMATIC..."

Silence.

Athena: "... PAUSE!"

Pyrrha: "MOTHER."

Athena: "All right all right... What does my darling daughter need?"

Pyrrha: "... How do I seduce a man I love?"

Athena: "..." begins to cry "MY DAUGHTER IS FINALLY GROWING UP AND COMING TO ME FOR ADVICE ON BOYSSSS! UWAAAAHHHHH!"

Pyrrha: "MOTHER!"

Athena: "Ahem, sorry... What do you want to know?"

Meanwhile, at Jaune's office...

Yang: "Here, drink this. It's an old family remedy."

Jaune: gulps it down "Mmm... Tea with lemon?"

Ruby: beams "Yeah! Always helps with a sore throat!"

Weiss: "I trust you won't yell at your fellow Councilmembers anymore in the future, Jaune?"

Jaune: "I wasn't yelling! I was expressing my feelings very loudly."

Blake: smirks a bit

Nora: "So, if I hit the politicians, could I claim I was just using 'aggressive massage techniques?'"

Jaune: "Not unless you get elected to office, Nora."

Nora: "Phooey! Renny, you're my campaign manager! My slogan: 'A pancake in every hop, and a waffle in every house!'"

Ren: deadpan "I'll get right on it."

Pyrrha enters... On high heels... In a sexy secretary outfit. She shoots a smoky smile at Jaune as she slinks right up to him, around the desk, "accidentally" bumping Weiss, Ruby, and Yang out of the way.

Weiss: "Hey!"

Yang: "What?!"

Ruby: "What was that for?"

Pyrrha: "Oh, I'm so sorry~. Jaune, you need more support in your day to day. I'm here to provide it~. In any position you might want~."

Jaune: staring "I uh... Um..."

Weiss: "Ah... While you're quite adept at schoolwork and combat, Pyrrha, I believe Jaune needs more support from someone who knows big business-"

Blake: "And politics."

Yang: "He needs the voice of the common man! Down to earth kind of ladies!"

Ruby: "Yeah!"

Pyrrha: her smile becomes quite scary "I believe that's up to Jaune to decide. He is our client... Our councilman... Our leader. Anything he says, goes. Especially for me~..."

Jaune: "Ummmm... Look. We're all in this together, and if you want to help, I will assign fair workloads to everyone. Thank you Pyrrha, I really appreciate everything you've done for me." smiles at her

Pyrrha: bright red, stutters, her seductive air vanishes immediately "R-Really?!"

Jaune: "Absolutely. Let's talk in private, huh?"

Pyrrha: grins... Is smug at the other fuming girls as Jaune leads her to a side room. He shuts the door.

Jaune: "Pyrrha..."

Pyrrha: "Yes Jaune~?"

Jaune: "... You feeling okay? You're acting really weird."

Pyrrha: "I-I'm fine! I swear I'm totally fine-" She trips 'accidentally' and falls into his arms "Oh! Oh my, how clumsy of me~!"

Jaune: "Yeah..." He holds a hand up to her forehead "Geez, you're hot!"

Pyrrha: bright red, giggles "I am~?"

Jaune: "There's only one thing to do!"

Pyrrha: "Yes?!"

Smashcut... To Pyrrha in an ambulance. Jaune is smiling and holding her hand.

Jaune: "You'll be just fine, Pyr! I know you will! I'll visit you soon!"

Pyrrha: "..." sighs "Yes... I know you will, Jaune..."

Blake: "Hm. There are times his density comes in handy."

Jaune: "What?"

Blake: "Oh, nothing~."

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