#WEISS IS NOT TALL SHE IS ON A BOX | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

dudemanauthor · 1 year

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Totally Legitimate Cookie Addiction Therapy

Author's Note: This one was one I wrote for someone else, so yeah, this one wasn't my idea. Hope you like it, though.

Weiss didn’t really want to do this, she told Ruby. It was for her own good, she told Ruby. It was absolutely not an excuse to tie her friend up and stuff her for her own enjoyment, she told Ruby. She wasn’t sure if she had convinced Ruby, and she wasn’t exactly sure if she had convinced herself either, but here she was and she was sticking to her story. Ruby had her hands and feet bound behind her back and a big box of cookies and a tall jug of milk with a funnel on top of it sat on top of the shelves between the dorm room bunks. She was reluctant letting Ruby be on her bed with her boots, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and she didn’t want Ruby out of her regular combat gear. For her part, at least, Ruby was being surprisingly well behaved, sitting nice and still while Weiss got set up.

“Look, we have to deal with this ludicrous addiction one way or another,” Weiss asserted.

“You know I can just buy more, right? They’re not that expensive,” Ruby replied. Weiss let out an exasperated sigh.

“That’s not the point. The point is that once I’m done with you, you won’t even want to look at a biscuit.” Weiss folded her arms and looked sternly at Ruby.

“Never gonna happen, but go nuts,” Ruby said with a shrug. With that, Weiss grabbed the box and began to shovel handfuls of cookies into Ruby’s mouth. She expected this to be hard for Ruby, but Ruby was just sucking them down like a vacuum cleaner, not even leaving crumbs behind. After a few handfuls, Weiss switched the cookies for the jug and funnel. She would have forced it in if she needed to, but Ruby’s mouth seemed all too eager to open up for Weiss. Weiss poured the milk down into the funnel and into Ruby’s mouth, and was surprised to see how well Ruby was taking it. Ruby chugged almost half of the jug in one go, only stopping because Weiss had stopped, and did it flawlessly, probably helped by Weiss being careful not to send a torrent of milk Ruby’s way. Weiss put the jug back down and slipped the funnel out of Ruby’s mouth.

“Finished yet?” Weiss interrogated. Ruby stuck out her tongue.

“Not even close, Weiss,” Ruby said with a smug grin, one that seemed more at home on her sister Yang’s face. Still, it was all Weiss needed to hear. She grabbed the cookies again and shoved the rest into Ruby’s mouth. The cookies were gone in moments, leaving only the crumbs at the bottom of the box. Weiss decided to be thorough and finish the job, pouring the last little remains of the cookies into Ruby’s mouth. Weiss was almost disappointed with how easily Ruby was handling this. She had just eaten an entire box of cookies, as well as half a jug of milk, and still had her innocent, cheery smile on her cherubic face. It honestly felt like a waste of time even bothering with the last of the milk, but Weiss had already gone this far, and it wasn’t as if there wasn’t any effect. Weiss could see Ruby’s little round belly, bloated and pushing against her waist cincher, pulling the strings so tight and squeezing enough that Ruby’s breaths were slow and shallow. Weiss poured the last of the milk into Ruby’s mouth, slowly and steadily, gently and carefully. After all, Weiss just wanted to teach Ruby a lesson, she wasn’t malicious. The last half of the milk went down as easily as the first and then the pair were done. Ruby seemed like nothing had happened, even if her belly was very clear evidence that something had definitely happened. Weiss was doing her best to hide how just plain flabbergasted she was at Ruby’s ability to put away all that food and drink.

“W-well, I hope you’ve learnt your lesson, Ruby Rose,” Weiss said as she moved around to free Ruby from her bindings. “Otherwise, we’ll keep doing this every single day until you finally give up.” Ruby’s smug grin reappeared on her face to help really hammer her reply home.

“Nah.”

---

Weiss had poured two jugs of full fat and creamy milk down Ruby’s throat, and yet Ruby was still ready to keep going. Ruby’s belly had grown bigger than any belly Weiss had ever seen before, bloated and sloshing loudly with every slight move that Ruby made. It looked like she had tried to sneak a basketball under her pyjama top, but the pale sphere of a belly that pushed her top up and surged outwards said otherwise, and said it loud and clear. Ruby was panting for air as her flushed face looked up at Weiss’.

“Weiss, my tummy’s sore,” Ruby whined, putting on her best puppy dog eyes. Weiss was worried that Ruby had been practicing this for a similar occasion.

“Good, that should help you learn to stop eating so much,” Weiss said, maybe a touch more curtly than she had intended.

“Can you give me a belly rub? Please?” Ruby pleaded, turning her needy, adorable look all the way up, until Weiss couldn’t help but help Ruby out.

“Okay, but only because you asked nicely,” Weiss asserted, hoping she had convinced Ruby. It sounded like it worked, judging by the drowsy cheer that came from Ruby. Her gentle hands went to work, gliding all across Ruby’s belly. Weiss’ touch was soft and soothing on Ruby’s tight as a drum stomach. Ruby let out a sigh of relief that turned into a moan of pleasure halfway through. Weiss felt a warming sensation between her legs, but she did her best to just ignore it and just focus on Ruby.

“Ooh, Weiss, you make me feel so good,” Ruby moaned, her hips seemingly moving on their own, making her full belly slosh loudly as the milk splashed around inside. Drawn in by instinct, Weiss leant in, one hand pulling Ruby’s top up enough to reveal all of her firm, globular belly and another supporting Weiss. Then, she cradled Ruby’s rock-solid belly with both hands and leant in further, until her lips met Ruby’s belly. Ruby’s belly was warm, very warm, yet still nice and soft as Weiss’ lips and hands went to work, sending Ruby into an ecstatic state that was wordless but anything but silent. The heat between Weiss’ legs was building. Weiss couldn’t tell why, but something was driving her to please Ruby more and more. Weiss’ hands moved faster and massaged firmer. Her lips peppered Ruby’s big, round belly with soft little kisses, occasionally sneaking her tongue into Ruby’s navel, which seemed very close to turning from an innie into an outie. The heat rose higher and higher.

“Yes Weiss, more. More!” Ruby asked, squirming like crazy. Weiss’ hands began to drift, slipping higher, a hairs breadth away from sliding under Ruby’s shirt, and dropping lower, teasing at the waistband of her pyjama pants. Then, suddenly, the heat between her legs reached a tipping point. An intense wave of energy forced Weiss’ eyes shut as it shot through her. It was strange, but definitely not unwelcome. It surged out from her core, lighting every single inch of Weiss’ body with that pleasurable energy. She held Ruby tight as she fought to keep her mouth shut and quiet. The occasional tiny squeak of a moan slipped out. Then, as fast as it came, it faded away. Weiss opened her eyes, and woke up.

Weiss shot upright, panting for air with short, sharp and urgent breaths, covered in hot sweat, yet still shivering. It took her a moment to pull her surroundings into focus. Instead of the featureless void with just her and Ruby, she found herself in her team’s dorm, in her bed, that she was definitely not sharing with anyone else. It was dark and quiet, and her teammates all seemed to be sleeping like the dead, so it was safe to assume that whatever nonsense just happened was all in her head and that no one else had even noticed. Once that was figured out, the warm, glowing aftermath of her orgasm made itself known, making her shiver with pleasure. Again, it felt amazing, more powerful, wider spread and frankly just plain better than any other orgasm that she had ever had, and all of this happened without her even stimulating herself. At least, not physically. She hated to admit it, but that bafflingly strange dream had to have been the only stimulation she could have had and, unfortunately, that wet dream had to have been what brought her to orgasm. Weiss held her head in her hands. This couldn’t be real, she thought. There was no way she was into something so weird. She’d go back to normal soon, she thought, she hoped. For now, there was just going back to sleep and hoping for the best.

---

It turned out that just hoping that the dreams would go away definitely didn’t work. All that happened was that the weird dream turned into a recurring dream, with a handful of them becoming wet dreams, and her regular sessions with Ruby had managed to make those dreams worryingly close to reality. That was worrying enough for Weiss, but then there were a few more little things that began setting her off. The sheer number of calories that Weiss was putting into Ruby had had an effect on Ruby, and for some reason Weiss just couldn’t take her eyes off of them. There was the way Ruby’s slowly growing potbelly squished around her cincher when she wasn’t sucking in her gut. There was the way her belly snuck under the hem of her pyjama top and started making a muffin top as it just barely began to hang over her waistband. And there was the way that the buttons on her uniform jacket were pulling tighter and tighter by the day, getting more difficult for Ruby to button up, and even once it was buttoned her increasingly tight shirt eventually started becoming visible through the gaps between the buttons. It wasn’t having quite the same effect as her wet dreams, but she was definitely feeling it.

The tipping point came one day, with an early morning session one Sunday. Weiss had just finished getting set up, and Ruby was just getting out of bed. She’d leapt off of her bed and landed in front of Weiss. As she landed, Weiss couldn’t help but notice Ruby’s soft belly jiggle like jelly, taking a few seconds to stop. It didn’t help that Ruby’s tight pyjama top was riding up, revealing a pale strip of pudgy belly that bunched and hung over her pyjama pants. Weiss could feel the heat building again in her panties. She knew what it meant, and she needed to deal with it one way or another. Ruby only made things worse by giving her belly a few firm slaps, making a meaty thud as she set her jiggling belly off again.

“Time for another stuffing. And you still haven’t stopped me from being a cookie addict. If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were enjoying this,” Ruby teased, getting right up into Weiss’ personal space, so close that her belly just barely managed to touch Weiss’ near concave stomach. This was it. This was the final straw. Weiss had to deal with this once and for all.

“Ruby, there’s something we need to talk about…”

---

“Ah, this is so much better,” Ruby said with a content sigh. Weiss was cuddled next to her, slowly and steadily feeding cookies into her with one hand and rubbing her hefty gut with another, a soft look and gentle smile on her face.

“I whole heartedly agree,” Weiss said, nodding slowly. She moved a little to get more comfortable, find a softer patch of Ruby to rest her head on. Ruby had a lot of soft patches nowadays. She had definitely plumped up a bit since Weiss had confessed her attraction towards Ruby and her preferences when it came to feeding Ruby. Fortunately, Ruby’s preferences matched up perfectly with Weiss’, by some miracle. The lessons had ended, but Weiss was still feeding plenty of cookies and milk to her new girlfriend on a very regular basis. Weiss was less stressed out from having to repress her desires and Ruby was loving Weiss’ new doting attitude during stuffing sessions. Weiss’ extreme doting and wish to satisfy Ruby led to a very surprising event, one that didn’t even happen when Weiss was trying to teach Ruby her lesson.

“Weiss, I gotta stop, I’m too full.” Both Weiss and Ruby were surprised that Ruby had said that, or had needed to say it. Weiss raised an eyebrow.

“Who are you and what have you done with my girlfriend?” Weiss asked, smiling softly, trying to stifle a chuckle.

“Hey, not my fault my stomach can only fit three and a half boxes of cookies and a jug of milk,” Ruby grumbled, before a big yawn and a quiet burp snuck out. “Trust me, I wanna finish that box.”

“Well, why don’t you rest up? There’ll be more boxes tomorrow,” Weiss suggested as she sat up. Ruby agreed, and it wasn’t long before she was out for a nap. As Weiss gently stroked Ruby’s short, smooth hair, her eyes caught the cookie box, and the leftover cookies inside of it. ‘What made these so addictive in the first place?’ she asked herself. Tentatively, she reached over and plucked out a bit of a broken cookie. ‘Just a little bit won’t hurt,’ she naively thought. She placed the cookie in her mouth, and the moment the cookie touched her tongue she could feel an explosion of sweetness. She slowly crunched down on the cookie, chewing and swallowing, savouring the taste. Before Weiss knew it, she was reaching for more. ‘What’s the worst that could happen?’ The worst, she quickly found out, was that she did not want to stop. Cookie after cookie disappeared into her mouth. She wasn’t even hungry, but she still wanted more. She was hooked, and she knew it. Her hands moved faster and faster. Her mouth worked quicker to eat up the last of the cookies, she was done with savouring them. Next thing Weiss knew, her fingers were scraping the bottom of the box, with nothing to find but the crumbs. Once she had snapped out of her gluttonous haze, her full belly made itself known, gurgling away and just beginning to ache. She felt a burp coming and brought her mouth up to stifle it. One quick burp later, she was feeling better. Full, but still better. She had to admit, being full felt nice. It was a content sort of feeling as she rubbed her full belly. She saw that Ruby’s fat belly dwarfed her own, but nothing said that Weiss’ had to stay small forever.

---

Ruby and Weiss’ heads popped out from under the covers, their faces flushed and panting for air. Their nude, soft bodies were buzzing from her orgasmic energy that permeated every fibre of their bodies as they pushed tightly together to fit on a bed that was starting to get a bit too small for the couple.

“Oh, wow, that was awesome!” Ruby cheered, before giving Weiss a big old smooch on what was just starting to become a chubby cheek. Weiss gave Ruby’s body a quick squeeze, enjoying the softness from all over Ruby’s body. Ruby was well and truly fat, definitely overweight, possibly even obese at this point. Everything was full and hanging out. Her massive gut was so big, Ruby only bothered with her cincher when she wanted to show off to Weiss, mostly showing off how it didn’t fit anymore as her gut rested on her wide thighs. Her plump rear was like a pair of basketballs that bounced with every move Ruby made, they even made her a touch taller when she sat than she used to be. Her thick thighs had doubled in size, one of her thighs nowadays being the size of both put together before she started gaining. Her chest had also grown to respectable handfuls, but they were definitely dwarfed by the rest of her body.

Weiss hadn’t exactly been a slacker with her own growth. Sure, Ruby had had quite the head start, but Weiss had been doing a good job of eating like a starved animal, not just during feeding sessions, but all the time, and she was more than happy to put in the work to catch up. Weiss’ weight distribution wasn’t too far off of Ruby’s, even if she was a bit smaller. Still, Weiss was catching up quickly, and had plenty to extra squishy padding for Ruby to play with. Before they could get too distracted playing with each other, Weiss reached under her bed and grabbed a few boxes of cookies.

“I don’t know about you, but that incredible sex worked up quite the appetite,” she commented as she handed Ruby a box.

“That’s why you’re the brains of this relationship!” The couple tore the boxes open and tore into the cookies. There was the occasional break for Weiss to reach down and procure more boxes, but the couple were happily stuffing their faces, turning the pillowy soft bellies into firm, heavy masses with a soft layer of fat above them. Their swollen, bloated midsections lay across their legs as they moaned and groaned in enjoyment and satisfaction. The bed creaked loudly, making the sensible part of Weiss’ brain remember that she needed to get the beds reinforced, since they definitely wanted to keep this up.

“Oh, Ruby, if I wasn’t so full, I would definitely want another round,” Weiss moaned, squirming as much as her solid gut would allow. All that jostling disturbed her stomach, and with a gurgle and a belch, Weiss stopped and sat still.

“Or we could just chill, digest all those cookies and work on getting nice and fat,” Ruby said with a grin sweeter and more innocent than what she was suggesting.

“That sounds… That sounds nice.”

#chubby!rwby #weight gain #stuffing

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rwby-sk · 3 years

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WIP First draft teaser --- Modern Au Fic

Jaune hurried to catch up with the rest of Doctor Oobleck’s students. Three years of medical school and they were finally making rounds in the surgery wing and he didn’t want to miss a moment of it.

Oobleck led them up and down the sterile hallways. Each student was given the opportunity to take lead on one of the patients the doctor was checking in on.

Jaune’s turn finally came when they entered the last room on the floor. A tall woman, maybe only a few years older than he was, was laying in the bed. Her deep red hair and green eyes stood out in the otherwise beige room. She looked up at the students with a happy smile.

Doctor Oobleck cleared his throat.

Jaune had to take a moment to remember to grab the patient’s record. “Patient: Pyrrha Nikos.” The other students got quiet, but Jaune didn’t know why. “Post-op after surgically repairing the patient’s ruptured calcaneal tendon. History of hemophilia and severe anemia. So, extended observation was suggested. She should be able to go home in the morning.”

Doctor Oobleck nodded along. “Very good Mr. Arc.”

“My body just doesn’t absorb the iron I put in it. I’m like a human magnet, I’m afraid.” Pyrrha added as Jaune replaced her file.

He turned to follow Doctor Oobleck ushering out the other students. “Well, I’ll be sure to keep you away from the MRI machine, then.”

She giggled and thanked him.

When they left the room, Doctor Oobleck faced the group again. “Very well, that’s it for rounds today. Return to your studies. And please remember mister Arc, not to flirt with the patients.”

“But I wasn’t trying- ” Jaune started to explain but the Doctor had already begun to leave.

Weiss nudged his shoulder. “Do you know who that was?”

Jaune stared at her blankly. “I havn’t the faintest idea.”

“Pyrrha Nikos is ranked first in the country for boxing and fencing! She’s won four Olympic medals?”

Jaune shook his head.

Weiss got more frustrated. “She’s on the cover of every box of Pumpkin Pete’s breakfast cereal!”

“That’s her! Oh, I love those!”

Weiss huffed as she started to head back to the main entrance. “You’re such a dolt. Sometimes I wonder how you even got into a program like this at all.”

Jaune chuckled, trying to hide how nervous the statement made him. He followed her out: collected his things from the locker room, changed out of his scrubs, and headed home.

It had already been late evening. But by the time his bus route got him home, it was well past midnight. Jaune had gotten used to sleeping on the bus without getting carsick. It was the only way to catch up on his sleep. The cloudy night had broken into a light rain while he had been out.

He thanked the driver and got off just a block from his apartment. It wasn’t the most modern part of vale, but it was cheap. And he couldn’t afford much after tuition. He pulled his hood over his head and hurried home.

Jaune dragged himself into the elevator, clicked the button for the fifth floor, and let himself slump against the wall.

Just as the doors were about to close, the tip of an umbrella jammed its way inside. Jaune stood up straighter as one of his neighbors entered the elevator with him.

He didn’t need to see her to know who it would be. He only ever saw one other person around at this time of night. He knew her name from the apartment’s buzzer intercom list, Neo Politan. He didn’t know what she did for a living, or much of anything about her, other than she lived just a few doors down from him. She never spoke at all. But she was polite enough.

Neo rushed into the elevator carrying a heavy backpack. She dropped it on the ground and stretched her back. Even in high heels, she barely came up to Jaune’s shoulders.

She nodded at him.

He returned the gesture.

When the elevator finally stopped, Jaune wished her a good night and they split up towards their apartments.

#rwby #silent knight #silentknight #neopolitan #jaune x neo #neo x jaune #Jaune Arc

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heliosthegriffin · 3 years

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Jaune “Mean Bastard” Arc AU.

The Arc family is a family stapled into history with their deeds of heroism, their immense physical strength, willingness to accept others into their clan at the drop of a hat, fighting against insurmountable odds for no apparent reason other than it being the right thing to do.

...That was only half the story however.

Ozpin thought to himself as he watched a tall, very lean blonde strut off the airship.

“Please, please don’t make scene today, Mr. Arc.” Ozpin said to himself, but the tone lacked hope, and most of all was riddled with fear. “Your not even a student here! You didn’t even send in transcript! How’d you even get onto the airship!”

But, deep down Ozpin knew, he always knew, he was an Arc, and Arc’s found a way, one that most people wouldn’t call ethical, sane or even reasonable.

Ozpin shivered, the Arc clan had been much too quiet in recent years. Was he the reason?

What terrible reason could this new Arc have to come to his school.

“Gods help us all, gods help every one of us.”

“So, much for a warm welcome to Beacon.” Ruby muttered to herself in her crater.

“Need a hand?” A warm voice asked her.

Ruby looked up into the two bluest eyes she’d ever seen, and blushed deeply.

“You ok? Looking a little hot under the collar.” The man before her asked with concern.

Ruby could hardly speak, he looked like a modern day fairly tail knight. WIth long blonde bangs, sapphire eyes, handsome face, dressed in all white, blue, and gold.

“I..I”..I”m fine!” Ruby squeaked out.

The blonde boy reached out to grab a flailing hand and pull her to her feet. Ruby wasn’t ready for that however and ended up face to abs with him.

‘So warm, so firm, I could stay here forever.’ Ruby thought to herself. Before going atomic on her blushing, and Rose Warping ten feet behind herself.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend you, just thought you could use a hand getting up.” The man said with remourse. “I’ll let you go about your buisness now.

“RUBY ROSE!”

“Hmm?” “MY NAME IS RUBY ROSE! THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR HELPING ME!”

The blonde man reeled back from her sudden outburst of thanks.

A smile graced his face.

“Jaune Arc.”

“So I got this.”

*Unfurls Crescent Rose*

“Neat.”

“So, you got anything?”

“Hmm. not here.” “Oh, did you send it ahead?” “Nope just didn’t feel like bringing it from home. Didn’t think I need a weapon for this.”

“What! How are you going to fight any Grimm if you don’t have a weapon!? Even my sister needs Ember Celica before she goes punching Grimm out!” Ruby said doing so painfully bad shadow boxing.

“Oh, I didn’t come here to fight Grimm.” “What? Why are you here then, if you’re going to be a hunts-man in training you need to fight Grimm.” “Bold assumption, I’m not already a huntsman.” “Oh, yeah right, you look pretty strong and stuff...” “But, a correct one.” Ruby could only pout at being played like she had. Eye little eyes then spyed two blocky pouchs on his waist.

“What are those?”

“Oh those, one is my journal that take notes in, and the other, well, hehehe, I guess you could say it’s ledger.” “A ledger for what?” “Oh, for keeping track of debts and stuff.”

SIlence filled the space between the two.

“Are you a kneecapper?”

“Of sorts.” “I don’t think we can be friends.” “That is fair.”

“Do you work for the mob, or like, Torchwick.” “Nope, I work for me.”

“Freelance?” “All of my debts relates not to money, but personal experiences.”

“Oh, kinda like when you help some move, and they drive you across town?”

“Close enough, and looks like we’re at the auditorium, I’d say see you around, but since we can’t be friends, bye forever.”

“Wait, wait, I take it back!” But Jaune was gone into the crowd.

“Ahh, fiddle sticks.”

Ozpin looked calm and composed on the outside, but he was freaking the hell out on the inside. He lost track of the Arc, he fucking lost him! He could be anywhere doing anything!

He hasn’t even told Glynda, or anybody else, oh, gods this is going to be a blood bath.

He gave a inperceptible sigh, and decided to give his speech. “Hello, children-”

Warm breath behind him caused him to freeze.

‘When did he get behind me!?’

He could see the children murmuring at the unexpected guest.

“Hi, you must be Ozpin!” The warm voice said behind him. “I’m Jaune Arc lord patriarch of the Arc Clan, and you have been at the top of our shit list for five decades, you have a one day to prepare your last will and rights. Tah-Tah see you in twenty four hours.”

“What are you doing here young man! Get off the stage!” He heard Glynda yell at the Arc behind him.

He would stop her, but he needed to right his will again tonight.

Jaune Arc seemingly did nothing to react to Goodwitch but stare at her.

“Are you obstructing me?”

“Why yes I am, you are interrupting the initiation!”

“I see then.” Jaune brought out his note book.

“What are you doing!?” “Adding you to my shit-list ma’am, and if you don’t stop talking I’m going to just put you further up there.” Jaune said as if it was the most casual thing in the world.

“What I, I never, you, you miscreant!”

“Just keeping talking sugar tits, just keep going up my to-do list.” He shot a Glynda a smirk. “I changed my mind I want to break you into the Arc clan, we like ‘em feisty.”

She went Nuclear with rage and leveled her wand at him and fired a telekinetic wave at him.

“Oops,” Jaune said as the wave hit him, sending him out of the room and into the courtyard.

“That’ll teach him, the arrogant miscreant, should have been smarter to pick a fight here.” Glynda said proudly, “Someone get him off this campus and into a hospital.” “Ah, so kind. You do care, too bad you hit like a child.” Jaune said from behind Glynda picking her up in his arms like a princess “Well, fix that later.” Shooting her a wink in his arms.

‘So strong, and comfy.’ Glynda thought gobsmacked in his arms.

He then looked at Ozpin. “Remember old man, a day and no more.”

It was then that Jaune remembered a legion of students looking at him. “The fuck you all looking at, never seen a man take care of business before?”

The student shuffled around awkwardly.

“Yeah, I damn well thought so. Why are you all dressed so damn weird? Am I at a Anime con or a huntsman academy, Ozpin your standards suck.”

‘I like him more already.” Glynda thought. ‘Standards have been dropping for years.’

“Alright, I know whats happening next.” Jaune said proudly. “I am going to walk my happy ass out of here, and if anyone of you can so much as inconvience me, I will personally train or find someone to train you at the Arc compound.”

The student started looking very nervous, the man took down Glynda Goodwitch with no effort. What chance did they have?

Yang thought differently and launched a flying punch at him, Jaune bent his waist and launched a brutal kick straight into Yang's midsection and sending her through the ceiling.

Ruby came next like a rose petal reaper for his bent over next. Jaune grabbed it with his teeth and threw her aside like a puppy with just neck power.

Weiss not to miss a opportunity, speeds forward on glyphs to skewer him also while shoot a wave of ice at his feet, and a stream of fire at his face.

Casually he flexed his legs and shattered the ice, and kicked his leg out hard enough to send a shock-wave that knocked over idle students and killed Weiss flames.

Weiss however sped through the shock wave, and went to stab Jaune. The blade mere inches from his heart, Jaune leaned down to head butt Weiss while dodging the blade. Weiss went down like a sack of potatos.

Nora went down with hammer at Jaune, but he moved and let her fall on his knee, then grab her by the neck with his teeth throwing her through a wall. Jauen followed up with a kick behind him hitting Ren rag dolling him.

Pyrrha appeared last, an launched a series of precise shots and then strikes at Jaune, only for him to dodge each one, and knee her when she over extended by the millimeter.

WIth that the last of the challengers fell unconscious. All within twenty second, All with Goodwitch in his arms.

“Nice try, I’ll come collect the one’s who tried tomorrow, but first.” Jaune grabbed a handful of Goodwitch’s ass, causing her to gasp out. “I got break in the new Arc.”

“It’s Goodwitch..” She muttered weakly.

“Not anymore.” “...Ok.”

“Ozpin, anyone else that wants to try can do so tomorrow when I merc’ you ass.”

And with that the Arc left, taking Ozpins secretary with him.

That was the other side of the Arc clan, one of maruding madmen who recorded their grudges and never let them go, holding onto any slight for centuries, training their young to perfecting and taking fresh blood to increase their grudge spilling power.

Destroying Grimm Hordes because they killed a family pet.

Killing Tyrants for increasing taxes.

Cucking buisness men, because they heard they them demean their name.

The list goes on. But the fact is the Arc Clan is petty beyond reason, and always looking for more members... If you meet their interest that is.

AN: Added a drop of smut in there, don’t know how I feel about it. Hope it turned out ok. Then again it’s crack.

#Jaune Arc #Ozpin #Team RWBY #Crack #Really don't take it serious.#The Arc Clan holds grudes.#Glynda Goodwitch #Team NPR

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wu-sisyphus-gang · 3 years

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Motion Sickness Chapter 89

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I watched Weiss focus on a needle, a glyph spun to life beneath it and it soon hovered into the air. But then it did nothing while she sat with an arm outstretched and her eyes closed. It made no move to transform instead it just floated, suspended in the Schnee logo.

Ruby watched with me. Examining the floating needle, she rested with my arms down around her waist and her body pulled close to me.

"What do you think will happen if she does it? What will it mean?" Ruby asked.

"It'll mean semblances and magic are the same thing. That there's no difference between them," I muttered.

Weiss sighed and released the needle. It clacked back to the desk. "I don't think this will work," she murmured.

"You have to believe," I encouraged her. "Or else it definitely won't."

"I just don't think I have magic the way that you and Ozpin do. I don't think that's how this works."

"Maybe not but we'll never know unless you give it your best try," I returned. "Out of everyone you and your spells have the best chance of being like our magic. Of having this avenue open to you. That's why I asked you and not Ruby or somebody else. Yours and Ruby's powers are most like mine."

"I always thought your powers were like Yang's semblance," Ruby mumbled.

"Only superficially, I feel like, at least," I defended my position. "It also lets me change states. A bit like yours does Ruby."

"I-I guess," she settled. "I still think it's like Yang's a little."

"And really? You think it's like mine?" Weiss asked.

"My spells. They're a bit like yours. The way I spend the charge on things reminds me of your powers," I defended again. They were putting me in a bit of a tight spot.

My scroll buzzed a little and flipped it out of my pocket.

"Strife speaking," I introduced.

"Hey Cloud it's Bisque. We know where Adam is."

"That's fantastic news. So where is he?"

Bisque gave me an address. "You think you'll be able to beat him this time?" He asked.

"For sure. He got lucky last time. I'm going to end him."

"Well best of luck to you. It would certainly be one fewer problem for me to worry about. Think of it as a load off both of our minds."

"Keep me in the know on my other names, too," I requested. "These are dangerous people."

"You got it. We certainly owe you back here."

"Good of you to remember that."

"We'll see you around, Cloud."

"You too, Bisque."

I hung up the scroll.

"Good call?" Weiss asked.

"I got a hit on Taurus. I'm going to go kill him."

"We're coming too," Ruby said it like an order. She demanded and I didn't argue with her.

"We'd better grab Yang and Blake. Blake especially will want in on this if it's Adam related," Weiss murmured. "I know Yang also wants to avenge her arm. We had better let the General know too."

"Times ticking," I gestured at an invisible watch on my wrist.

"You're not going solo anymore. That means working with us and the General," Weiss countered. She crossed her arms with some heat.

"Guys…" Ruby mumbled. That seemed to settle it. We both shut up mid argument.

I shook my head. "Fine. Whatever. Grab the rest of your team and have them meet me in the garage by my bike and Yang's. We'll roll up on him together."

I grabbed my sword harness and put it on my back. Ruby and Weiss both dashed out of the room to go find Blake and Yang and get their own gear ready.

I checked my pockets and counted my dust crystals. I wasn't sure I'd be eating any of them today but I'd like the extra firepower that they gave me.

Once my gear was set I briskly walked to the academy garage and set about waiting impatiently for team RWBY to join me by the entrance.

When they finally did it was Blake leading with, "you know where Adam is? And the information is good?"

"As good as I can reasonably expect it to be. Got it from these faunus union workers," I told her.

"I've been itching for some payback." Yang rubbed her prosthesis with her real arm. "He won't stand a chance against all of us. Blake and I will take Bumblebee. The rest of you will get on… what is your bike's name, Cloud?"

"Doesn't have one," I replied in gruff monotone.

"Boo," she booed me.

"It was supposed to be temporary anyways," I muttered, crossing my arms as I did. "Why bother with something like that?"

"Whatever. Just send me the address," Yang followed up. I pulled out my scroll and did as she told me to do.

I sat down on my bike and gestured to Ruby and Weiss to join me. Ruby hoped on just behind me this time and put her arms around my waist. She snuggled in tight, rubbing her cheeks into my back adorably. I reached around and patted her hair.

Gods I loved her. She literally had my back.

Weiss plopped down behind her and wrapped herself up in Ruby to keep secure.

"Just so long as this isn't like last time we rode this thing," Weiss muttered.

"Dodging my sisters in the middle of a highway wasn't fun for you?" I asked.

She rolled her eyes at me in reply. "Believe it or not but no. Fighting while riding passenger at sixty kilometers an hour doesn't make me feel comfortable." The sass with this one… I could learn to live with it. Maybe it could even grow on me.

"What if I let you drive next time?" I asked teasingly.

"Still no," she bit back. "Not actually the part of that which had been grinding up my gears."

I pulled my foot up off the ground and kicked back the stand. Then together we took off on the bike into the mid-afternoon sun.

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I felt… something as we approached the target destination. It was at once familiar and disparate to me. I'd… I'd felt it before somewhere like in a half baked dream. It made my hair rise and it set my teeth on edge.

"Taurus is here?" Weiss asked. It was a run down warehouse on the edge of Mantle. It reminded me a little of the place Dyne had made his final stand at but it was a different location. It was barely in the city.

Outside of the place were parked three familiar motorbikes. The same ones that had run me down on the road. I knew then what it was I was feeling. My sisters. They were here with Adam. That could only be bad news for me.

I kicked the stand out and slung my legs off the bike.

The building was tall with grey brick and red cross beams to help hold it up. Some fucking offense meant but it looked like the kind of place my sisters and Adam Taurus would have a meeting.

"My sisters are here," I told the others low and slow. Yang's bike came stuttering up next time mine and she shut it off. Blake slid off the back, her weapon already drawn and at the ready.

"You sure?" Blake asked.

"Those are their bikes from when they rode us down," Ruby pointed. "What would your sisters want with Adam Taurus though?"

"Evil begets evil? I don't know," I ran a frustrated hand through my hair.

"Bet you're glad you brought all of us now. Or do you think you can take them all on by yourself?" Weiss asked.

I couldn't. Taurus would have been plenty for me to deal with without my sisters being involved in the fight. Saphron, Lavender, and Violet were really strong. They weren't bad batches like I was. They had some real power behind them and they worked well as a team. They were dangerous.

But why? What did my sisters want with Taurus? Or perhaps just as importantly what did Taurus have to gain by dealing with Salem's agents? Was he already involved with Salem? Maybe.

"Don't…" I exhaled hard. "Don't kill my sisters if you can help it. I want to try and save them. It's not their fault that they're what my Mother wants them to be."

"Cloud… we'll do our best," Ruby promised. It was good enough.

"You three deal with the girls," Blake mumbled. "Yang and I will take Adam."

"Together?" Yang asked Blake. She loaded her shot gauntlets with a ca-chink .

"Together," Blake agreed.

"Very well." Weiss nodded along with Blake's plan.

"How do we wanna assault this place?" I asked. "Or do we just want to wait for them to come out and greet us?"

"Is that a good idea?" Weiss asked.

"It worked when I killed Tyrian. I just waited," I told her. "Then we duked it out in the streets. Lots of room to move that way. I need the space, too. I hate getting corralled in."

"Better to move in, I think," Blake disagreed. She shifted her weapon out of it's plain gun mode, a blade in either hand.

I drew my longsword from my back rather than the broadsword. I left the shield there too, preferring to grip my weapon with both hands by the long handle.

I strode forward past my sisters' bikes. I pressed on the double doors to the place and one of them creaked open. I gestured and the others came through under my outstretched arm.

We crept along up a catwalk steps into the rafters of the warehouse. I could hear my sisters talking, Saphron's voice, but I couldn't make the words out. It was followed by Adam's gruff and low tone. Then it went back to my sister's voice. There was this sort of box like office room built into the catwalk above the lower floor of the warehouse. Their voices were coming from inside that little room.

"-Maybe I don't care what she wants. Salem has never been good for the faunus. We might just be better off without her at all."

"A bad attitude to have," I heard Saphron counter. "The White Fang needs us. You'll never be able to muscle a kingdom like Atlas around without help from my Mother."

"The old White Fang managed it. They didn't have the help of your mommy."

"You're not the old White Fang. Let's be honest you're a shadow of your former selves. You can't even run the unions in this town. You need our help."

Adam snorted. "I'm tired of humans telling me what to do."

"You'll find that I'm barely human. I'm…" Saphron trailed off.

"Do you feel that?" Lavender asked.

"Big brother…" Violet's voice came through. "Is he here? Or just nearby?"

"He is here," Saphron hissed. Her voice came out low. "He must be."

"We've been made out," I muttered to my friends. We'd been gaining up on the doors to the little office room. The door to it burst open and revealed us, just standing there and them on the other side gathering their weapons.

"You can feel each other?" Blake asked, her voice low.

Inside was a small place with a little bedroll and some bottles of water. This was where Adam had been sleeping. He must have had few allies in the city.

Violet drew her double blade and Saphron raised her gun. They were all three of them in these long coats that nearly looked like capes. Saphron was in a deep red, Violet was in purple, and Lavender was in a deep blue.

"Big brother. So nice of you to join us," Saphron murmured.

"Have you given any thought to the reunion?" Violet asked.

"You!" Adam snarled. "And Blake?! My love…"

"Don't be shy, Jaune. Introduce your friends to your family," Lavender grinned up at me. She pulled her gauntlet free and readied it. It pistoned slightly.

I activated my semblance with a thought and hovered the rest of the way over the catwalk. I sliced at the hanging supports for the catwalk as I approached. Saphron did this long side-flip that held her in the air for way too long and met me in the middle with a short dagger.

Then we, and my other sisters, fell down as the damage I did to the catwalk meant that it couldn't take our weight. Adam flew like a bullet out of the room with his katana in a wide slash. He met an 'x' formed by the two blades of Gambol Shroud. He went straight for her, Blake that is, his hatred for me was apparently vastly second to whatever he felt for her. I watched Blake get shoved back on the catwalk with Yang while Ruby and Weiss jumped down to join me and my sisters.

I could hear Blake and Adam and Yang fighting above me and cutting up the catwalk while I hovered down to the first floor where my sisters had crashed to.

"Rude, Jaune." Saphron clicked her tongue at me. She shot at me twice. The first bullet sort of held her in mid-air and she fell and shot the second one.

I deflected them off my weapon rather than start being shot this early.

"Yeah, play nice, big brother," Lavender followed her up. She thrust her gauntlet up at my face and I shoved it to the side.

Then I blocked a third cut from Violet before my girlfriends joined me on the floor of the warehouse. "Who are they Jaune? Are you dating one of them, I wonder? Mother won't like that. She's awfully strict about dating, but of course you should know that."

"You don't have to do what she says. You don't have to obey her." I grunted and pushed Violet back.

"You know that's not true, Jaune," Lavender giggled. "We have to do what she says. We're a part of her. She's a part of us."

"Undying," Violet whispered.

"You can fight back!" I howled. I did a side-flip to back up a bit but I found Saphron to be all over me with a short stab of her dagger as she jumped. She slashed at me and I hopped back.

"How much does that cost you? I wonder? Day by day you become a little weaker while she holds all the cards," Saphron purred. She grinned and she slashed at me in this long drawn out backflip that I couldn't quite manage to block. "Your suffering must be terrible, Jaune."

"Oh it's not so bad," I grunted. I met her weapon at the long range of my own. She twisted and pulled her gun on me and shot three times right in my face. I flinched away from the bullets and she cut me with two quick jabs. "And I'm not Jaune Arc. Not anymore," I finished. I warded her off with my weapon.

"Do you really think changing your name will matter at all to her? Besides, you're an Arc. Like the rest of us. You can't run from that. No escaping fate."

"No! She can be beaten. She's not invincible," I protested. "I'll save you from this, Saphron. Even if it kills me."

"'Save,'" she mocked as Ruby and Weiss engaged Violet and Lavender. "Save yourself if you truly can. Leave me out of it. I want Mother to be around. I love her."

I slashed into her aura and though it bit deep she took it with an strange twist of blue and red flames that once more left her hovering in the air oddly.

It was like… it was like she was storing the attack for later. Taking it where she wanted so she could dish it back at another point.

"She's twisted your mind!" I shouted. Our weapons clashed. Then again she blocked to the side as I tried to cut at her again. Then she blocked in a roof like motion as I brought my weapon down on her. "What you feel for her is just her manipulations. You have to fight back!"

"No, Jaune. My emotions about it are the only things that are true. Nothing else presses so much."

"You're living a half life," I shot back. "You're a slave."

"And you're not?" She wondered right back at me.

I slashed at her twice horizontally and I hovered right into her range. I kicked at her twice and she blocked both. Then I drew back and brought my sword down diagonally on her.

"I'm more free than you are," I spat. "I'm nobody's puppet. Never again."

"Say that to her face," Saphron whispered. "I bet you won't. I bet you can't . Give in, Jaune. It feels so good." Our blades struck again. She reversed her grip on her knife and stabbed it back into my face. I back-flipped in place and brought my weapon around and down on her. She caught it on her aura once again and a red and blue flashed around her as something coalesced behind her and in her space. Her semblance must be charged. Just like mine was.

"Where would it end? I can help you, Saphron! I can show you how to fight back." I swung forward in a wide slash. She blocked it, then she moved in tandem with the specter behind her. It clashed with long claws right behind her knife's motion. I struggled to meet it, even with my semblance active. She was very strong in this state.

I back-flipped and flicked my blade up behind me in a vertical fashion. It caught her in the chest and knocked her off her feet. She grunted with it. Then she side-flipped at me drawing her blade around her and the specter imitated her and slashed with her. It drilled into my aura.

Then she landed and stabbed forward three times now that she was inside my guard. The three attacks were strong enough to lift me off my feet and send me crashing to the ground.

"You've never even met her face to face. How would you know what you can and can't do for me? You have no idea what she's really like. You have no idea what she can really do to us."

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-WG

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howlingday · 4 years

Text

About Jaune ships...

I have opinions. You may not agree, but they are mine. They may change in time, but not now.

LANCASTER ( RUBY X JAUNE )

The old tried and true. I mean, what's not to like? Cute girl falls for first guy she meets at Beacon? Classic romance trope, and after reading how much Ruby loves romance stories (I consider certain parts in the manga canon), it makes sense. In fact, after Arkos sank (A moment of silence, please . . . Thank you), many moved to Lancaster, which isn't bad. Happens all the time in fandoms. Sad thing, though, is far I think she'll last. If we're talking Volume 5 or earlier, then maybe. However, I feel if Ruby were to have an endgame in romance, it would be RoseGarden (I have opinions on that as well, but today isn't the day to discuss that), mostly because Oscar bumped Jaune's role from male lead to male side. Not to mention that while Jaune is becoming a beast in his own right, Ruby is a different creature altogether and evolving her character more rapidly and chaotically than anyone else (Must be all that screentime).

TLDR: I want it to be canon, but I might just be hoping.

WHITE KNIGHT ( WEISS X JAUNE)

Doofus in tin foil meets princess who hates daddy (Am I in the romance section of the library? You know, the corner for adults only?) No, but I do like this ship. I'm always a sucker for the fantasy genre, and using a zero to hero male makes it relatable. I also kind of ship it because the same reason I ship NaruSaku in the Naruto fandom: he likes her and he's willing to go the distance. But enough about that; instead let's talk about canon. Will they hook up? It's a soft maybe for me, for two reasons. 1. Rosegarden is most likely to be endgame, and after Ruby and Pyrrha, I'd say Weiss is Jaune's next to be his love interest. 2. Weiss has warmed up to Jaune. Sure, not lover or crush level (Yet), but she's definitely changed her opinion on him. In Volume 1, Jaune was bugging her, like all the time, which I could see as him getting mixed signals on (Exhibit A: Tall, blonde, and scraggly). When Volume 5 came around, everyone jumped onboard because he saved her life (Don't lie, because I'll admit that I did it, too). Not the best reason, but still reason enough, I'd say. Then in Volume 7, she hangs out with him and Oscar to the movies (It was either that or awkward Bumbleby all night. I feel ya, sister). Nothing romantic happens, but it does show how much their relationship has developed. If Weiss is Jaune's endgame, then they have set the pieces up perfectly to do so.

TLDR: High likelihood to be canon and I'm a sucker for Knight/Princess ships.

KNIGHTSHADE ( BLAKE X JAUNE)

This is the part where I say definitely not. Not in a million years, but I'll explain why I like the ship, though. As for why it won't work, the answer is Bumbleby. They haven't kissed yet, but you know they're going to eventually (Because if they don't, the fans will attack like a swarm of hornets). But here's the question you might be asking now: why do I ship this? Well, it's part of the allure of "opposites attract" ('Cause I'm dressed like a cat!). Blake is an intelligent, outspoken, and agile ninja with a criminal history of terrorism who spends her free time reading novels. Jaune is a B at best on his tests, soft-hearted, and ground-based knight who's worst crime is fraud (Still a crime, but peanuts compared to literal terrorism) and spends his free time hanging out with his team. Day and night. But they also tried that with Sun for a season and a half and it didn't last (BECAUSE BEES).

TLDR: Not even a snowball's chance in the summer sun, but so much story potential if you do (Which I do)!

DRAGONSLAYER ( YANG X JAUNE )

This, I would say, is the opposite of Knightshade, where Jaune is the day and Blake is night, here Yang is the Sun and Jaune is the Moon (Like their crests! Remember those? Y'know, when they were relevant?) Will it work? Even less so than Knightshade. However, it does open up some interesting paths considering how... provocative Yang can be, and Jaune, compared to the other guys, is the nerdiest, geekiest dude at Beacon. It's like the cheerleader/nerd romance, except the cheerleader is the captain of every sports team... and rides a motorcycle. The Volume 8 preview introduced us to Yang and Jaune riding motorcycles and we went nuts over it. Yang was back in her element, roaring down the street, riding on walls, popping off tricks with Oscar riding- Back to what I was saying, people were asking, "How did he know how to ride a motorcycle?" and the elementary answer is "He didn't." He almost fell off his bike from a small box in the road. True, anyone would, but look at how he reacts: he stiffens, he refocuses on the road. This kid literally started riding at breakfast, and I DARE you to prove me wrong. But hey, great fic material right there, though, eh?

TLDR: Never gonna happen, but I don't care. All I care about is writing that they love each other. And they also fu-!

ARKOS ( PYRRHA X JAUNE )

I'm sorry, I need a moment. . . . Alright. Do it for her. This ship... was perfect. Probably the best ship out them all. I legit almost cry every time I think about Volume 3. Pyrrha was everyone's favorite. Her background, her interactions, her choreography, everything! But, of course, like everything in our lives, she was too good to be true. But let's honor her memory by talking about her ship, Arkos. Pyrrha was the champion of the world, the Brothers' and Oums' gift to Remnant. She could do no wrong and she HATED it. Her plight was with how she was seen. Everybody knew her! Everybody, except Jaune. And he only figured out she was "a big deal" was because Weiss had to spell it out for him! As time went on, they became the best of friends, two peas in a pod, the perfect odd couple! They worked together and trusted each other, they cared for and supported each other, they lo- No. No, I can't say it. It's been years, and it still hurts. So, I'll explain something else: the reason why Jaune SHOULD NOT be shipped right now. That reason is Pyrrha. Jaune was helpless to save her. He's suffering from survivor's guilt and he's still grieving. In Volume 4, he would sneak away and train until late at night to scroll recording of her. In Volume 5, he confronted Cinder and got Weiss almost killed because he let his grief for Pyrrha take control of him and let his emotions run wild. In Volume 6, he finds the Pyrrha statue and he... I don't know how to say this, but he let's go. He accepts that Pyrrha is gone and he's starting the healing process. He's finally ready to move forward.

TLDR: T.T I never felt that it was wise to wish too much~

MARTIAL ARCS ( REN X JAUNE)

I'll be honest, I don't really ship it. Yeah, it's cute, and it falls perfectly into the "if I had to pick a guy" part of me, but to be honest, I don't ship it. 10% because Renora and 90% it just doesn't click with me. They both just seem too soft, too quiet, too introverted. Best friends? Yes, definitely! But lovers? Eeeeeh, not really.

TLDR: I will only ship as neccessary.

NORA'S ARC ( NORA X JAUNE )

I've only just got in this deep with the fandom only recently, so I don't know if a lot of you know me. Heck, I'm probably just some RWBY fan you happen to spot as you move through your dash. However, old or new, I want to be made absolutely positively clear on this. Of all the ships here, this has got to be my-

O T FUDGIN' P

Wow! Never thought I'd feel so strongly about a crack ship like this. And yes, as sad it is to say, this is a crack ship. Renora was planned from day one, so it can't be helped. At least it didn't blast me in the face all of the sudden (OH NO, NOT THE BEES! AAAAARGH! THEY'RE IN MY EYES!). But why this ship? Well, for one thing, it's that whole opposites attract thing with Nora as the bubbly, outspoken, airhead powerhouse and Jaune as the soft spoken, introverted, nerd tactician. But wait, there's more to this trope, because it can go deeper: Order VS Chaos! Who makes all the messes? Who cleans up those messes? Who follows all the rules? Who makes their own doors? It's just. So. Damn! GOOD! One sad thing about this ship though is that it's not only not canon because of Renora, it's anti-canon because Renora. Every fan fic of Nora's Arc requires an explanation for Ren and Nora to not be together-together, like you have to write a formal apology to the FNDM for liking something that's different from what is canon or commonly accepted. If that's the case, then I'll be the anarchist here!

TLDR: I LOVE IT! What's that? Not canon? Who gives a damn?! I just explained why Jaune won't be shipped anyways! Now, if you'll excuse, I have some fan fics to find.

ARCFALL ( CINDER X JAUNE )

Oh, here it goes! Now, if we're talking ships that'll never happen, this is where we find better reasons than "it's not canon" and "character development". No, this... This is a declaration of war. Allow me to explain. Cinder Fall is evil. Like, down to her core. She wants power and she'll cut through anyone to get to it. Including Pyrrha. This woman sank Arkos by means other than "X and Y kissed, so..." She killed X, leaving Y alone. And her interactions with Jaune tell me she wouldn't even be worth a hate-bang. But, as Momma always, there's a thin line between love and hate. This is where the appeal comes in. Cinder is evil with no past, which leaves the previous chapter's of her life story blank to be filled in. Jaune is good with a troublesome, albeit easy past, but untapped potential for more. It's another opposites attract, but different from INTRO VS EXTRO and CHAOS VS ORDER; this is GOOD VS EVIL. Who will win this battle of wills; will our hero purify the tainted heart, or will he slip deeper into darkness, never to return to the light?

TLDR: Should be a NOTP, and yet the allure pulls me in.

What do y'all think? Do you agree? Let me know!

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rwbyvein · 4 years

Text

Paladin: Chapter 13: Vacant

RWBY + JNR + Qrow and Oscar sat in the Cotta-Arc living room.

Ruby: So... it's been like a week. And we're no closer to getting to Atlas...

Jaune: We've got to do something.

Yang: But, what?

Nora: There is that thing I suggested...

Jaune: If we had a pilot.

Qrow: *looks about knowingly*

Blake: Do you know someone, Uncle Qrow?

Qrow: A great many people.

Jaune: Someone willing to commit treason and fly us to Atlas?

Qrow: Yes... and no...

Ren: Hm?

Nora: And what does that mean?

Qrow: I'd said about a 70-30% chance we'll get to Atlas.

Blake: And the 30?

Qrow: We'll be robbed and dumped into the ocean.

Weiss: *SCOFF*

Qrow: And at least one of you will probably be raped.

Weiss: *SSCCOOFFFF!!*

Nora: Like, even with all of us there?

Qrow: Locked in a tiny box in the back of the airship.

Ren: There must be some other way, other than waiting.

Nora: How about we just kidnap someone?

Ruby: Huh?

Nora: It's not like we'll hurt him that badly, and I'm sure if Weiss apologizes, he'll forgive us.

Weiss: Why me?

Nora: Because, like, you're really good at that. Guys like Jaune see you and just want to sacrifice his life for you.

RWB_: *stares at Jaune*

Jaune: I... can't really deny that...

Weiss: But?..

Jaune: Love at first sight... or compliment... I think it was the compliment...

Weiss: Pardon, but when did I?..

Ruby: Wait, that was a compliment? Because I really wasn't sure at the time.

Weiss: Hm?

Jaune: *clears his throat*

Jaune: Tall, blond, and lanky.

Weiss: *mouth frozen open with shock*

Jaune: What? It was the nicest thing anyone's ever said to me. Other than my mom... and she's... well... mom... and still not really supportive...

Weiss: Pardon, pardon, pardon, pardon, pardon...

Weiss: *sharp intake of breath*

Weiss: You... cannot... be serious... THAT'S WHY YOU FELL IN LOVE WITH ME?! HAVE YOU NO GOOD-GOD FORSAKEN SELF-RESPECT?

Nora: Duh. That's been like the problem the ENTIRE time. Pay attention, Ice Queen.

Weiss: *scoff*

Ren: I highly doubt an angel would speak to him like that.

Blake: Ehn... from historic depictions of angels...

Weiss: *scoff*

Yang: Ice queen?

Weiss: *huff*

Yang: Ice queen?

Weiss: *questioning huff*

Yang: Don't you have something to say to him.

Yang: *points at Jaune, head between his legs, nearly despondant*

Weiss: *gently shakes Jaune*

Weiss: *shakes him slightly more vigorously*

Weiss: Jaune-dear. Jaune? Jaune-dear?!

Nora: Nah, you have to do it like this.

Nora: *slaps Jaune's shoulder so hard he gets knocked to the floor*

Jaune: *groans*

Jaune: *slowly picks himself up*

Jaune: *sits back up on the couch, only to find Weiss on her knees between his legs*

Yang: When I told you to chill, Ice Queen, that's not what I mean.

Weiss (not acknowledging Yang): I am so terribly sorry. I had no idea... I was just... I... love you...

Jaune: *gently craddles Weiss' face*

Jaune and Weiss: *get lost in each other's eyes*

Qrow: Okay. Crisis averted. What do we do now?

Blake: Is there another port we can try?, if Argus is completely locked down.

Qrow: Everyone knows who you are in Vale, so they'll figure out what we're trying to do right away.

Ren: If not Mistral or Vale, then that leaves Vacuo as primary ports.

Weiss: And who do we know in Vacuo?

*pregnant silence*

Yang: What about someone who used to live in Vacuo, but is now in Mistral?

Blake: *sighs*

* * *

Sun: RWBY needs our help!

Scarlet: Who?

Sun: Oh, come on, pay attention. Remember that girl I was with?

Scarlet: Which one?

Sun: The one I ditched you guys for... for like... a few months?

Sage: *nods*

Scarlet: Oh, the Faunus?

Sun: *glares at Neptune*

Neptune: Is now really the time for this?

Sun: Okay... right... sure... but... Okay, so, you all remember Blake?

Sage: *nods*

Sun: Do we all remember all the wicked cool stuff her team kept getting into.

Neptune: Don't remind me.

Sun: Don't talk like that... Okay, so, they're going to Vacuo, and need someone to show them around.

Neptune: Seriously. You want to get us all killed?

Sun: Oh, come-on, we're going to be huntsmen.

Scarlet: Yeah, doesn't sound like what they are doing.

Sage: They still... need help...

Sun: Oh, come-on, guys. Action. Adventure. Babes.

Neptune: Weiss has already seen my uncoolness.

Neptune: *sighs*

Sun: On, come on. Do you know how famous they are? Imagine if that was us?

Scarlet: *shimmering smile*

Scarlet: Actually, you know what?, not worth it.

Sun: Sage?

Sage: *shrugs his shoulders and nods his head towards Scarlet*

Sun: Okay, Neptune. You're coming, right?

Neptune: I... don't know... I mean... there are plenty of girls who haven't seen my uncoolness?

Sun: Neptune.

Neptune: Nope.

Sun: Neptune.

Neptune: Nope.

Sun: Come on, Neptune.

Neptune: Not going to work.

Sun: Neptune.

Neptune: Nope.

Sun: Neptune!

Neptune: Nope.

Sun: Neptune...

Neptune: *sighs*

Neptune: If I say yes, will you stop?

Sun: Duh? Alright, let's get going.

Scarlet: And what do we do while you're gone?

Sun: Copy your notes for me.

Scarlet: That is... what I did last time...

Sun: Exactly. I knew I could count on you guys.

* * *

James: *reads a request from his desk*

James: *angrily smashes his desk and storms off*

James: What is this? I gave STRICT instructions that they were to be let into Atlas!

Brigadier: She knew fully well what was expected. It's... impossible that this was an accident.

(author’s note: going into hiatus as a plan a Vacuo arc)

#rwby #white knight #jaune arc #weiss schnee

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moistmailman · 5 years

Text

Roman, hiding behind a wall: God damn it, those stupid beacon brats are here! Where the hell is Neo!?

*MEANWHILE*

Pyrrha, awkwardly: Uh....miss? What are you doing here? This is a dangerous place, and you shouldn’t be here at the moment.

Neo, smiling: *With heart in her eyes*

Pyrrha: There’s a known fugitive here and he’s very dangerous, and possibly armed.

Neo, smirking: *Seductively lick her lips*

Pyrrha: So you might get hurt here if you stay, which is something I don’t want to happen.

Neo, signing: I’ve seen you on those cereal boxes, but I bet that you taste way better than them.

Pyrrha: O-oh, sign language? So you cant speak? O-okay then. Uh....do...you at least understand what I’m saying? You seem way to relax right now.

Neo: *Cheekily nods while subtlety staring at Pyrrha’s thighs*

Pyrrha, oblivious: You do? Okay good, that’s good. At first I thought maybe you didn’t understand English. So are you going to leave for me?

Neo: *Touches her chin in thought before smiling and shaking her head*

Pyrrha, taken back: W-What? B-but I just said that there’s a criminal around this area. He’s very dangerous, and you can easily get hurt. You shouldn’t be here.

Neo: *Cheekily shrugs before silently giggling*

Pyrrha, looking around in bafflement: W-What? I-I don’t understand. Why would you—....oh wait, are you here with someone, and don’t want to leave them behind? Is that it?

Neo: *Instantly thinks of Roman*

Neo: *Looks up in thought, making silent ‘Tsks’ before shaking her head once more and smiling*

Pyrrha: No? Then why are you staying here?! This is an active scene an—

Neo: *Saucily saunters closer to Pyrrha with a mischief glint in her eyes*

Pyrrha, slightly in edged: H-hey, what are you doing?

Neo: *Wraps her arms around Pyrrha’s waist and squeezes her body against hers*

Pyrrha, blushing: W-What?

Neo, dreamingly swaying her hips while hugging: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Pyrrha, blushing more: I-I—......I don’t understand what’s happening.

Neo, pressing her face in Pyrrha’s chest before reaching for her butt: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

Pyrrha, face on fire: H-hey now! No no no! None of that! *Gently pushes Neo off her* Off limits.

Neo: *Teasingly pouts cutely, before signing “Phooey”*

Pyrrha, voice cracking: L-Look, I don’t know what your game is, but you should stop it and be more worried about the criminal here. This guy is dangerous and he can easily hurt you. And it’s my job to make sure that people like *points to Neo* you are safe.

Neo: *Nodding along in a mischievous manner*

Pyrrha, still pointing: A-And you staying here will only end bad for everyone, so can you please do me the favor and retreating from here, because I will never forgive myself if a civilian he—

Neo: *Grabs Pyrrha’s hand in a carefree manner*

Pyrrha: H-hey-hey-hey, don’t do—

Neo: *Start to lick Pyrrha’s fingers before sucking on them*

Pyrrha, face atomically red:.........*whimpers*

*MEANWHILE*

Roman, getting cuffed: Ouch, careful already! Geez.

Cop: You have the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will—

Roman: Yadadada! Save it for someone who cares.

Cop, under his breath: Jackass. Hey kids, watch him for me and make sure he won’t get away. I need to call the station real quick.

Ruby: Right! You can count on us, sir!

Roman, sighing: Beaten by a bunch of kids. Isn’t that peachy. God damn it, where the hell is Neo!? She just up and vanished on me! What in the hell happen— wait a minute.......*deeply sighs* can I ask you kids a question?

Weiss: No—

Ruby: What?

Weiss: Ruby!

Ruby, shrugging: What? I’m being polite.

Roman: I’m imagining that you guys are two teams in total by the amount of you, but one of you isn’t here at the moment. My question is, is the missing, student by any chance, is the girl from those stupid cereal boxes?

Jaune: Uh...Yeah. She is. She’s currently dealing with a handsy civilian at the moment. Poor girl doesn’t know what to do with her.

Roman: Please tell me that the civilian is a really tall girl.

Jaune: No, she’s actually very short. Like Weiss short, with pink and brown hair—

Roman: OH SON OF A BITCH! NEO, YOU HORNY LITTLE GREMLIN!!!

#rwby #pyrrha nikos #neo rwby #spearmint rwby #spearmint #ruby rose #weiss schnee #jaune arc #imagine your otp #imagine your ship

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likeanemployee · 4 years

Text

A Whiterose Night at the Beach

As days went, she thought to herself stretching and smiling up at the moon shining brightly just beyond the sea spreading endlessly before her, I’ve had worse. To be fair that was a rather lower bar then Weiss might have preferred considering some of the days she had endured. The day in question however was probably one of the best days she had ever had, and the night was looking to be even better.

The water had been almost perfect, cool enough to be refreshing in the day’s blistering heat but not frigid. She and Ruby had “swam” together for a few hours although in Weiss’ opinion that was a bit of a misnomer. Most people did very little actual swimming in the ocean and Ruby and Weiss were no exception. A more accurate description would probably have been to say they stood about waist deep, closer to chest deep when a wave came by, in the water and chatted. There was a fair amount of splashing and dunking under waves as well, entirely retaliatory on Weiss’ part of course. She would never start something so childish… unless Ruby really deserved it.

At one point they had walked as far out as they could, to see how far they could get before they couldn’t touch, and since they were out there already they had waded even deeper which, Weiss supposed, had necessitated at least a little actual swimming, assuming they didn’t want to drown anyway. They hadn’t made it all that much deeper before they agreed the lack of solid ground below them was disconcerting, Ruby had used the word “freaky”, and decided to head back in. Ruby, of course, decide they should make it into a race. Weiss had intended to argue but Ruby started back before she got the chance and something inside Weiss had forced her to chase after the younger girl. She hadn’t tried that hard to catch up, trying to beat Ruby in any challenge of speed was a fool’s errand but she at least tried not to fall too far behind and she came splashing out of the water only a moment behind Ruby giggling like a school girl as she did.

That had just been the start of the day. Yang and Blake had run into some old classmates who had set up a volleyball net and they had all played for a while. Then, Ruby had suggested they build sandcastles. That too had turned into a competition although this time that had been Yang’s idea. She and Blake vs Weiss and Ruby, the losers had to pay for the winners to go out to dinner together. Somehow, Ruby and Weiss had managed to pretend like she wasn’t implying anything about their relationship, after all Yang had clearly designed the bet assuming she would win. She probably hadn’t even considered what that dinner might be like for Ruby and Weiss. Sure, and Ursa are cuddly. Weiss’ smile broadened at the thought as her memories of the day continued to flow through her. Ruby had set right away to building a simply massive moat. It must have been six inches wide and half again as deep running 3ft long on each side. As she dug, she piled all of the sand on the inside of the moat and Weiss had set to building an equally impressive, or at least equally large, curtainwall. The dimension of the wall itself were smaller it couldn’t have been more than three inches thick and less than 8 inches tall, but it also had turrets at each corner. They were round all the way to the base and slightly wider than the wall with a diameter of around four inches. Most impressively they were nearly a foot tall and crowned with parapets. Unfortunately, Weiss and Ruby hadn’t realized until after they had built the wall that they would need to put something inside it and with the wall and moat in the way building their keep had been difficult. In the end they had settled for a simple house like structure which was more or less a box with a triangular roof on top. If they had been building a sand cottage it probably would have been an at least passible facsimile, but it wasn’t much of a keep and it had seemed decidedly out of place among the walls protecting, and dwarfing, it. Still, Weiss had been surprised but what they had accomplished its was perhaps more impressive in scale then intricacy, but it was impressive, and it wasn’t totally devoid of intricacies either. They had carved a simple door into their cottage keep and put a pair of windows, which were little more than boxes drawn on with a finger, on each wall, but they helped flesh out the structure nicely. They had also added periodic archery slits on the turrets with a similar method and Ruby, much to Weiss’ dismay, had poked a hole through part of the wall to be the portcullis. Weiss had been mildly amazed that hadn’t brought an entire section of the wall down around it, but it had added nicely to the design especially after Ruby had found a sunscreen bottle to lay across her moat as the “drawbridge”.

Blake and Yang had built a structure which was somehow simultaneously much more basic and much more complicated. In essence, it was simply a large tower, but it was a very large tower. The top reached above Weiss’ hips and its diameter was almost a foot and a half at the base, although it was still lower the Yang’s hips and it tapered sharply as it rose. Yang had spent pretty much then entire time they were building simply piling more and more sand up to grow that monstrosity as much as she could but while she had done that Blake had decorated. She had started by adding a gently arching set up steps which rose to a door which she had drawn about an inch above the base. Other than that staircase Blake hadn’t been able to add any adornments which protruded from the tower, but she had set to carving details into its face with an artistry which had impressed Weiss. Weiss had seen some of the sketches Blake had made in her various notebooks while they were at Beacon together and she knew the other girl was a highly competent artist but the degree of detail she imparted, drawing into the fragile sand face with nothing but fingertip and sometimes nail, was more than Weiss would have expected even out of her. A doorway and windows with ornate frames gradually filled the perimeter of the tower and once she had been satisfied with those she had set to sketching in individual bricks. Those bricks had probably been a bit oversized relative to the doors and windows, even Blake had a limit to her patience after all, but they were remarkably consistent, and they gave the tower an incredibly realistic look.

Weiss had been impressed both by the size Yang had managed to build and the artistry Blake had added to it, but it had also only been a single tower not a full castle. She had made exactly that argument and claimed that that meant she and Ruby had clearly been the winners. Partially that had been because she had wanted to win that dinner with Ruby, and partially it had been a simple a desire to win regardless of what the competition, or prize was but mostly it was how much she loved the castle she and Ruby had built together. Ruby had jumped right in, probably for mostly the same reasons, to help Weiss claim victory but predictably Yang had disagreed insisting there were no exact rules on what made something a sandcastle and obviously the only reason Weiss had tried to use a technicality like that against her was because of how superior her tower clearly was. Blake had stayed out of the ensuing debate looking up periodically from the bricks she had still been busily drawing to laugh at her teammates. She finally finished them almost a half hour later and listened briefly to the bickering still going on around her, within an amused expression, before standing and suggesting that without an impartial judge they were never going to choose a winner and that maybe it would be best if they just called it a draw. The other three members of team RWBY had glared at one another a moment longer then sighed almost as one and agreed.

They had also decided that meant they would all go to dinner together and headed to a small seaside café just up the beach. They had talked and laughed and enjoyed on another’s company as they ate, and the sun had set. As they left the restaurant the sky had turned a beautiful array of colors as the final rays of sunlight slowly fell below the horizon. They had set out down the beach to watch the sunset and as always happened they had unconsciously and without a word being spoken, split into pairs. Blake and Yang walked ahead of Ruby and Weiss just far enough to create privacy for each pair. They had held hands as they walked and on occasion, they would lean into one another or rest their head against the others shoulder as they talked quietly and enjoyed the beauty of the world around them. Weiss and Ruby had done much the same except there had been no touching between them, that was a shame Weiss had thought but it was also probably her own fault.

And now night had fallen, and Weiss stared up at the shattered moon in a perfectly clearly sky treasuring the memories of the day just past.

“It’s beautiful.” Ruby said quietly, breaking Weiss out her reminiscing.

… and so are you. A corner of Weiss’ brain finished as she slowly turned her head to smile at Ruby. She wasn’t entirely sure if that corner had hoped Ruby would say those words or if she had wanted to say them to Ruby. As she stared silently at the younger woman, she considered doing exactly that but decided better of it. Ruby would almost certainly reply with her normal awkward babbling and the moment was too calm, too still, too... perfect to break that way

“it is.” She answered instead. They had still been walking along the beach before Weiss had paused to look up at the moon and Ruby had taken a few additional steps before she realized Weiss had stopped putting a bit of space between them. Now with Ruby still gazing out to sea Weiss took the few steps to close that gap coming to stand close against Ruby’s side and grabbing her hand. Ruby looked down quickly as she felt Weiss’s hand slide into her own and felt the heat rising in her cheeks as her questioning eyes slowly rose to Weiss’s face, but Weiss was looking away out into the ocean. She said nothing simply stood there with the most content look on her face and took in the sound of the waves rushing quietly along the sand, the feeling of the breeze soft against her cheeks, the glow of the broken moon and it’s shimmering reflections far out to sea and the warmth of the body next to her. Ruby continued to stare at Weiss for a moment questions flying through her mind but as she took in the serene joy on Weiss’ face she look back out across the water to take in the same view, hear the same sounds, and feel the same things. The questions never quite left her mind, but they became much quieter, secondary to the beauty of the moment and suddenly the quiet waves seemed to roar in the silence between them. It stretched out for an eternity that moment and yet ended entirely too soon as Weiss spoke at last “I love you Ruby and nothing would make me happier than if I could call you my girlfriend” after months of agonizing over what to say and how, the words, the simple truth, fell out easily and with almost no thought at all.

Ruby’s eyes grew large and she turned suddenly back to Weiss too shocked to respond immediately but then the shock faded, and the babbling started “Wiess I had no idea! I mean I had hoped but.. I didn’t really think.. that is…”

“Stop. Dolt.” Weiss interrupt sternly but not harshly “You’ll ruin the moment.” She continued in a much softer tone and Ruby realized her eyes still head never left the horizon. “Just say yes or no. Can I call you my girlfriend?”

Ruby stared blankly at her for a second longer then blurted out “YES! Definitely! Of course, you can!”

Weiss shook her head lightly “Technically not just a yes or no.” she said “but I’m glad” She finished sliding her hand back out of Ruby’s so she could wrap her arm around her waist, leaning her head against Ruby’s shoulder as she did.

Ruby hesitated a moment longer before relaxing into the embrace and putting her own arm around Weiss shoulders. “Weiss” she said quietly a moment later

“Yes Ruby?”

“I love you too.”

#rwby #ruby rose #weiss schnee #whiterose

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dadxiaolong · 5 years

Text

A Touch of Honey

I was asked to make a comic about how Blake and Yang meant and came together in my bee family AU. So instead I’m just gonna write this fanfic. And I drew the cover art for it too. Hope you all enjoy.

This AU setting is like a more mordant setting, still Grimm but not as bad so there isn’t a heavy focus on it at school. Blake is still with Adam.

I hope to make some art for each chapter as well.

~~~~~~~~

“I’m Blake Belladonna,” the dark haired girl shook her hand.

“Beautiful name,” Yang gave her the most charming smile she could muster. The girl blushed and put her head down.

“Thank you, but you should know I have a boyfriend.”

And that’s when knew Yang was screwed. Because she always wanted what she couldn’t have.

- minutes before -

“I hope we don’t have terrible roommates,” a tall blonde said as she threw her yellow duffel bag on the top bunk bed.

“You know for someone so yellow and bright you don’t really think happily,” her sister, a dark haired with red tips said to her as she also picked the top bunk. “Whoever the other two are I’m sure they will be great. Maybe you can finally get yourself a steady partner.” The younger one elbowed her blonde sister.

“Ruby my love life is none of your business,” she rolled her eyes and elbowed her sister back harder.

“It sure is when I can hear it Yang,” Ruby had pushed her making Yang lose her balance and fall face first into the bed. She heard her sister giggle so she kicked behind her, hitting Ruby’s knee sending her to the ground. As Yang got up, the younger had pulled on her leg, making her hit the ground with a thud.

This meant all out war

It wouldn’t be a problem if the rest of their new team and roommates didn’t walk in while they tried to kill each other.

“Ahem,” the taller of the two clears her throat to get their attention. “Are you Ms Rose and Ms Xiao Long?” Yang managed to peel Ruby off her back long enough for her to get up and look at the girl in question.

And damn was she a beauty. Dark black long hair, with golden yellow eyes, that seemed to Pierce through Yang’s heart. All matching perfectly with her pale skin. She wore a nice black skirt with a grey top and black denim over it. There looked to be a little emblem on the breast pocket at well, a white bull?

The cutest part were her extra set of ears of the top of her head. They were folded back in consern when she walked in. Already worried about her new roommates and why they were on the floor spazzing.

Yang’s face became flushed taking in this mysterious girl’s beauty. She must have noticed as her ears perked up, and she glanced away.

“Excuse me,” the smaller one stepped in front of her. “But can you please answer, do have the right rooms?” She mumbled her next statement. “Please say no.”

Yang snapped out of her thoughts, trying to compose herself. “Ah, yes you do have the correct rooms.” She smiled at the two brightly. The smaller white haired one rolled her eyes. Not happy to be sharing her room with these idiots.

“Weiss Schnee of the Schnee Dust Company,” she held her hand out for Yang to shake. And she did so. She thought for a second, this girl was basically royalty. Great way of meeting probably the most powerful girl in their whole school.

But she turned her attention to the dark girl quickly. “And you are you,” she grinned at her and held out her hand. She took it. Her pale skin silky soft against Yang’s rough large ones. Her hands were often hurt from boxing, but this girl’s felt like she never lifted a thing before.

I’m Blake Belladonna,” the dark haired girl shook her hand. Still with a suspicious look in her eyes but giving a little grin to the blonde brute.

“Beautiful name,” Yang gave her the most charming smile she could muster. The Faunus blushed and put her head down. Her ears fell back on her head as she shook her head smiling harder.

But she managed to compose herself looking back up into the taller one’s violet bright eyes, “Thank you, but you should know I have a boyfriend.”

So, that was a little unexpected. Yang always wanted what she couldn’t have, and that often got her in trouble.

“He must be a lucky guy,” The blonde grinned brightly at the faunus girl. Who laughed a bit.

The dark haired girl turned away mumbling to herself, “Maybe I’m just unlucky.”

#rwby #bumbleby #yang xiao long #blake bellodona #rwby fanart #rwby art #bumblby #my art #rwby fanfiction #bumbleby fic

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kallypsowrites · 5 years

Text

The Angel’s Shadow Chapter 1

A/N: Alright, so I’m going out on a limb and posting the first chapter of an original novel of mine called the Angel’s Shadow. It takes place over 1,000 years after the Revelation began and demons and angels have both become common place to humans. The first chapter focuses on Trisha, a girl with strange arms who has never left her house on the hill.

Read if you like my writing. The full first chapter is under the cut. And Imma go hide now.

Chapter 1

Words whispered behind closed doors felt heavier than others. Trisha Blackwood decided as much as she stood outside her father’s office, listening to the nervous voices within. Each word fell into the pit of her stomach like stones down a well, and her heart beat marked their fall.

Plunk.

Her parents’ conversation was not meant for her, and she knew it with every inch of her body. She hovered in the hallway, one foot on the stairs, one hand gripping tight to the bannister. She wanted retreat to the safety of her room, but her curious ears tied her to their secret words and the door that muffled them.

“I don’t know what else to do,” her mother said. “The villagers hate us. Mr. Weiss will look for any excuse to run us out of town. And Trisha--“

“Trisha will be fine. They won’t hurt her.”

“They might try. If they saw her arms, they might try.”

Trisha studied her hand where it rested on the bannister. She could almost see her reflection in her strange, hard skin. Were her arms to blame for the family’s troubles? Or was it her whole self?

“We can’t send her away, Rachel,” her father said.

Trisha’s head jerked up. Away. What did he mean, away?

“She would be well cared for and safer,” her mother replied. “They aren’t so suspicious on the mainland. Estella is a dear friend of mine. She would take care of Trisha like her own daughter.”

“You haven’t heard from her in three years.”

“She is still my friend. She’ll answer me.”

Trisha did not quite know how to absorb the words. They confused her more than they scared her. For the past ten years of her life, Trisha’s world began and ended with the house on the hill. It began in her room, tucked away in the Northwest corner of the manor where she woke every morning tangled in her plush blue quilt. It ended with the stream that ran between the woods and the rest of the village.

Never go past the stream, her parents told her often. Yet now they were talking about sending her away?

What would it be like to finally leave?

“I sent the letter weeks ago. It’s too late to talk me out of it,” her mother said. “There’s nothing left for Trisha here. For any of us. We can barely keep the house anymore or pay Agatha what she’s worth. Maybe we’re doomed, but Trisha is young. She has a chance.”

Her father did not reply, and somehow his tense silence was heavier than all the words combined. Then:

“Fine. If she responds... I’ll think about it.”

Trisha’s parents shifted behind the door and the creak of wood sent Trisha skittering up the steps, toward the safety of her room.

When her mother came up later to bid her goodnight, her eyes had gone red from crying. Trisha had one million questions, but she bit her tongue against them.

Words from behind closed doors were heaviest because the eavesdropper had to keep them to themselves.

That night, Trisha dreamed of the sea and of a ship carrying her away from her little village and off to far-off places she had only read about in stories. The great water stretched out endlessly before her, glittering beneath the sun, like millions of sapphires swirling together. And when she dipped her hand in the waves, her fingers were normal and smooth.

But when she woke, the sea was out of reach, and it was her arms that glittered in the sunlight streaming through her window.

The trouble for the Blackwood family started with Trisha’s arms. While Trisha had always been pale, her flesh shifted from milk to diamond at her elbows. The surface of her skin became hard and bumpy, like a precious gem, though she still had perfect movement in her wrists and fingers. Sometimes, when she got angry, her fingers sharpened into points like the claws of a stray cat.

Her arms had looked like that for as long as Trisha could remember, though her parents insisted she was not born that way. She did not mind their look. She liked the way they sparkled in the sunlight in the early morning. But their nature meant that she could not venture into the village or let the townsfolk see her. And she certainly could not touch the sea just beyond. Only gaze out at it from a distance.

Her parents described the townsfolk in their corner of England as “superstitious of all things beyond this world”. Trisha did not know where her arms came from, but she had an idea from the scattered words she heard behind closed doors.

Abnormal.

Cursed.

Touched by demons.

With such a small world, Trisha had never seen a demon, nor did she wish to do so. She had read enough books and seen enough pictures to know the destruction they could cause. In the ancient days, the onset of the Revelation laid whole cities in England to waste and the sea carved away great chunks of coastline. And behind every great disaster since the Revelation, a demon stood with a grin full of crooked, sharp teeth.

If a demon touched Trisha, she would surely remember.

Trisha flexed her fingers a few times, watching the sunlight dance across her knuckles. Then rolled from beneath the covers and hurried to dress. It was Friday, the busiest time at port, and she wanted to watch the ships come in. She tied a cloak over her gown to keep out the autumn breeze and slipped out into the hall.

The manor was quiet, but then again, it always was. They had far more rooms than they needed with their small family—remnants of a time when the Blackwoods had more family and guests. Most of the rooms felt like that. Remnants. The empty bedrooms. The great ballroom where her grandparents apparently once hosted gatherings of nobles. The maid’s quarters which they could not afford to fill. They were shells that longed to be filled, but they had to settle for Trisha.

At least, not every room was that way. Agatha, the only maid remaining, spent most of her mornings in the kitchen. Trisha found her there on her way out, pulling a batch of sweet biscuits out of the oven. Trisha tried to snatch one as she passed and Agatha rapped her spoon on the back of her knuckles.

“No. They’re too hot, child.”

“Not for me,” Trisha protested. “You know my hands won’t burn.”

“Aye, but your tongue will. Unless your tongue started glittering overnight,” Agatha said.

“It did,” Trisha said, lifting her chin.

“Uh huh.” Agatha arched her brow and tapped Trisha’s lips with her spoon. “Open up then and show me.”

Trisha pressed her lips together in defiance and Agatha laughed, shaking her head.

“All right then. Take a biscuit. But wait for it to cool.”

Trisha beamed, snatching a biscuit from the tray and rushing out the door into the cool autumn morning.

The Blackwood manor sat on a rather high hill, overlooking the village and the sea which lay beyond. It stood three stories tall, mostly dark grey stone that jutted out in places making it perfect for climbing. To reach their house, any visitors had to cross the shallow stream and hike up a winding path through the woods. And visitors rarely deigned to make the trip, so Trisha was free to play on the hill. In the summer, wildflowers sprouted in colorful patches, and Trisha picked them often on her morning walk. Even more grew on the hillside beyond the creek—yellow, pink, and blue. But those flowers were forbidden.

Never go past the stream.

Off to the right stood an old watchtower, made of old stone and covered with moss on the east side where the early morning cast its light. Hail fall damaged the wooden roof three years previously, leaving holes big enough for skinny cats and fat rats. It was useless to Trisha’s parents. But to her, it was everything: her sanctuary, her stash of important things, and her view into the world she could never touch.

In the tower sanctuary, she kept a typical child’s stash: a doll with fine silk clothing that her father brought her from the mainland (she did not remember which country). A rubber ball which she could bounce off the walls and chase when it accidentally tumbled out the window. Bundles of wild flowers, half dead, half dying, which she had plucked from the forests. Five of her favorite books with torn bindings from so much use.

But most important of all: a tiny music box that she found by the creek. Some children must have dropped it while playing. She planned on handing it over to her mother until she heard it’s pretty tune. She did not know the name of the song. Only that it made her feel peaceful when she sat in her tower, turning the crank round and round. It was a small, soft melody. It fit her world nicely. A small world for a small girl.

When she reached the top of the tower, she snatched up the music box and gave the crank a few twists. Then, as the song played, she settled herself on a crate in front of the window and peered out at the horizon. Past the tree line, she could make out the roofs of the village at the base of the hill and the steeple of the old church. And beyond that? A sliver of sparkling blue sea, dotted with the sails of ships coming into port. She smiled, tearing off a chunk of her biscuit. It was cool enough to eat without burning her tongue but warm enough to chase away the chill of the early morning.

She sometimes spent hours in the tower, watching ships drift from the horizon to the port until their sails disappear below the tree line. That tantalizing strip of sea made her long for the open waters of her dreams and a ship of her own. But she had never even seen a ship up close. Instead, she was left with her imagination and the stories of adventurers in her books.

She tried to be content with that. She tried not to dream of stepping beyond the stream because she knew her parents were right. Most would fear her arms. Cut them off or throw her out of the village to let a real demon prey upon her.

“Big worlds are not always good,” Agatha told her once. “Big worlds mean big people who use their size against you.”

Agatha’s words sounded wise. A girl with cursed arms was lucky enough to have any place in the world at all.

Yet she could not help wish that one day she would grow big enough to not fear the monsters on the other side.

An hour passed and Trisha stayed at her perch, alternating between flipping through a book of French fairytales and peering out at the sea. But once when she looked up, she caught a flash of movement on the path. Two young men were approaching the house.

They dressed like noblemen from across the sea with all of their clothes stitched with the finest materials, and they shared the same warm brown skin and dark hair. The eldest carried himself much older than suited his young face, his chin held high and proud, and his gaze hard as the cane in his hand. He kept his hair slicked and pulled neatly back with a violet tie.

The younger could not be more than a few years Trisha’s senior, and his shoulders did not quite fill his fine suit. He had shorter hair than his brother but he kept it wild, letting the curls fall in his eyes. He walked with his shoulders slumped forward, his hands stuffed in his pockets and his eyes fixed to the ground, as if he were looking for something he had lost. But when he raised his head and caught sight of Trisha in the window, he smiled, giving her a little wave.

Trisha should have stayed in her tower. She should have stayed hidden and kept her arms out of sight. Yet they hadn’t had visitors in so long. Certainly not visitors like these. So she found herself hurrying down the steps, her book of fairy tales still tucked under her arm. The young men had nearly reached the porch when she rushed out to meet them, tucking her arms instinctively behind her back as she skidded to a stop just off the path.

“Are you from across the sea?”

The elder boy paused at the foot of the porch. Trisha shivered as his gaze fixed on her. She was not used to being studied so intently nor was she used to strangers. Maybe coming downstairs hadn’t been a smart idea. “We’re from Lisbon.”

“Portugal?” Trisha shifted from foot to foot. “I’ve always wanted to go. The books say that it’s beautiful in the summer. Especially the ocean.”

“The books don’t lie.” The eldest stepped toward her. He turned his cane in his hand. “Your name is Trisha Blackwood, yes?”

Trisha nodded once. She pressed her arms more firmly against the small of her back. They seemed to tingle when he drew near. She had never felt such a sensation before, and she did not know what to make of it.

“I’m Stefano De Galantes.” He glanced down at the younger boy. “This is Leon. My brother.”

Leon offered her a small smile. He had kinder eyes than his brother. Warm brown, just like his skin and hair. “It’s nice to meet you, Lady Blackwood.”

Trisha giggled. “Lady? No one has ever called me a lady.”

“Because your parents hide you from anyone who would, I expect,” Stefano said. “You don’t have to hide from us. We know about your arms.”

“You... what?” Trisha felt a lump in her throat.

“Your arms. Your parents told us.” Stefano stepped toward her, holding out his hand. “May I see them?” When Trisha did not move, his hard expression softened. “It’s all right. I’m not a danger to you today.”

“What about tomorrow?” Trisha asked.

Stefano’s dark eyes glittered with amusement. She was sure she saw purple flecked through the brown of his irises. What a strange mix of colors. “You’re a clever one, aren’t you?”

“My mother says so,” Trisha said. Then, slowly, she unwound her arms behind her back.

The cracked diamond surface of her skin glittered in the light as she held them up for Stefano’s inspection. The younger brother, Leon, craned his neck to get a look at her arms, his eyes wide. Stefano touched her palm for only a moment before he jerked his hand back.

“What is it?” she asked. “I didn’t hurt you, did I?”

“No,” Stefano said. His voice was even. He was a good liar, unlike her parents.

“I can hurt people if I’m not careful.” Trisha passed one hand over the back of the other. Her knuckles cracked sharpened into points over her fingers. “Sometimes this happens on its own.”

Stefano’s jaw went taut. Perhaps the claws had frightened him. She should have known better than to show them to strangers. The younger brother had taken a step back at the sight.

“I’m not surprised,” Stefano said at last.

“You’ve seen arms like mine before then?” Trisha looked up at him, wide eyed. She had never imagined there was anyone else like her.

“In a sense, yes,” Stefano said. His eyes fixated on her hands. Now, Trisha was sure she saw violet in his irises, overwhelming the brown. His hand twitched like he meant to reach out again. The nerves of Trisha’s arms buzzed.

“Trisha?”

Trisha looked up to see her mother standing in the doorway, clutching the frame with one hand and a fire poker in the other.

Stefano dropped his hand, straightening and turning to face Trisha’s mother. “Lady Blackwood. My name is Stefano De Galantes.”

“And I’m Leon De Galantes.” Leon gave a bow.

Her mother’s grip relaxed on the fire poker and the door handle all at once. “You both have Estella’s look.” She glanced at Leon. “You especially. I should have known at once. Thank you for coming.” She stepped out onto the porch. “Where is Estella? Could she not come?”

“I’m afraid not,” Stefano said. “She passed a few years ago. Our father followed shortly after.”

Lady Blackwood’s shoulders deflated. “She’s dead.”

Leon looked down at the ground, scuffing his boot against the gravel. Stefano tapped his younger brother’s ankle with his cane as he passed and he straightened quickly into a more dignified position.

“Yes,” Stefano said. “I’m head of the family now.”

“You’re awfully young for that, aren’t you?” Lady Blackwood murmured.

“I’m old enough,” Stefano said. “I received your letter about your daughter. I know you and our mother were once close. I thought I’d better come in her place.”

Trisha’s mother bit her lip and nodded. “I appreciate the courtesy, my lord. Please come in. We should talk away from younger ears.”

Stefano nodded and followed her into the house. Leon lingered outside with Trisha. His shoulders seemed to relax when Stefano disappeared, an almost visible weight lifted off his shoulders. The lightness in his eyes surprised Trisha when he smiled at her. “What were you reading?”

“Oh.” Trisha remembered the book tucked under her arm and showed it to him. “A book of French fairytales.”

“I love fairytales.” Leon crossed to her, carefully taking the book from her. “Yes, I think I’ve read this one. We have many books in our library.” He flipped through. “You read French?”

“Yes. I can’t go very far from this house, you see. So I have lots of time to learn things. Like French and history and literature.” She pulled at one of her odd fingers. “Do you read a lot too?”

“Yes.” Leon smiled fondly. “I’d spend all my time with books if I could.” He rubbed a hand behind his neck. “But Stefano insists I learn the family business.”

“What is the family business?”

Leon studied his shoes. “Shipping.”

“Shipping what?”

“Lots of things. We own ports and trains that go all over Europe.”

“So you own ships?” Trisha’s eyes lit up.

“Oh yes, many,” Leon said. “One of our ships brought us here to your little harbor.”

“I’ve always wanted a ship of my own,” Trisha said. “I wanted to sail every corner of the seas like a great adventurer in the stories.” She bounced up and down on the balls of her feet. “Tell me, is the open sea as beautiful as the pictures?”

“You’ve never been out to sea?” Leon asked. “It’s just down the hill.”

“I’m not allowed to go past the stream. Because of these.” Trisha held her arms up to the sunlight. Leon flinched slightly when her hand passed too close to him and she frowned. “See... you’re afraid of them too.”

“It’s... not that,” Leon murmured. “They’re beautiful. It’s just... it’s too bad they keep you from sailing.”

Trisha nodded once, pretending that she did not notice his lie. “But... that might change soon. I heard my parents talking of sending me away to keep me safe. If they do... I’ll cross the sea then.”

“I suppose you will,” Leon said. “You’d like our ship. It’s beautiful. Much better than a picture.”

Trisha was sure she would like any ship, even a broken down one. She wanted to ask more questions, but the door creaked open and Stefano stepped out. Leon’s shoulders seemed to hunch again as Stefano jerked his head toward the doorway.

“Leon. Come here. Now.”

Leon nodded once. He gave Trisha one more soft smile, handing back her book. “Maybe you can show me more of your collection sometime.”

Trisha returned his smile. “And I can see your ship.”

Leon nodded once, then turned and scurried up the porch steps, sliding past his elder brother. Stefano cast Trisha one heavy look before shutting the door.

More closed doors, Trisha thought. They must be discussing many weighted secrets in there. Secrets not meant for her. And Trisha did not wish to bear the burden of their whispered words today. So she picked up her book again and sat at the foot of her tower.

Words in books were meant to be shared. She far preferred to lose herself in printed pages than in the voices just beyond her reach.

A short time later, the De Galantes brothers left. They had some business in the town and needed time to consider her mother’s proposal. Would they take her across the sea or would she stay here in her little world?

It was an exciting and terrifying thought. If Trisha was honest, she was more terrified about what would happen if they said no. She had the promise of a ship and the open sea in front of her, closer than they had ever been. But what if they left without returning and she lost her chance?

She could not stand to go back indoors yet. With a few more hours of daylight before her, she wandered down the path toward the creek. She always wandered the woods in the late afternoon because she liked the way the fading light caught the trees. Trees at dusk made the most beautiful silhouettes, and the evening sunlight made the surface of the water glitter and shine to match Trisha’s arms.

She let her worries about the secret “proposition” between her mother and the noble brothers drift away as she walked along the stream, dipping her toes into the cool water every so often. Occasionally, she allowed herself glances across the stream into the forbidden territory of the village. The grass on the other side looked much the same as the grass beneath her feet. No greener, really. But it wasn’t the grass she wanted. It was the sea. It was the ship.

She found herself in a staring contest with the barrier, though it had no eyes to look back. One couldn’t win a staring contest with the ground. A little voice whispered in the back of her mind.

“The heroes in the stories are bold. If they weren’t... they would never leave home.”

That little whisper pushed her forward.

And she stepped. She stepped across the stream. Then she stepped again. And again. Her feet carried her down the hill toward the village.

It will be fine, she told herself. My sleeves are long. If I hide my hands in the pockets of my cloak, no one will see.

I’ll be fine. I must be bold.

I want to see the ship.

***

Trisha wondered if this was how heroes felt the first time they struck out on an adventure. It always seemed the first few steps to freedom would be exciting. For her, they were filled with nausea and paranoia. She kept her hands tucked in her pockets and hidden beneath her cloak as she hurried down the hill toward the village she had only ever seen from a distance. The very sight of people on the main road made her panic, and she was quick to duck behind the nearest house, letting out a shuddering breath.

This is bad. This was a bad idea. I shouldn’t have done this.

She swallowed down a wave of panic, looking down to make sure her arms were not visible. They weren’t. No one would know if she just kept them like this.

She swished her cloak around a bit, checking to make sure there were no gaps. Then she took a deep breath and continued on her way, taking quick, nervous steps down the alley.

She kept to the back ways, trying to avoid people as much as possible. But even when she passed others, they did not seem to notice her. They were too busy with their own affairs for that. Slowly but surely, she grew more confident in her pace, and her shoulders relaxed. She really was here. Past the stream. Out in the village.

And the sea was close at hand.

She hurried on until she last she broke out of an alley and stumbled into a fence. It was that fence that kept her from tumbling right over into the water. Suddenly, she was looking out at the sea. She could smell the salt, hear the waves rolling in the wind. How blue it was. How... beautiful.

And when she looked to her right, she spied the port and the ship which she had come to visit.

The vessel was much bigger than she had expected, and it dwarfed the other ships in the harbor. The wood was a dark reddish-brown, and it shone so brightly that Trisha thought it must be a new coat of paint. The mast stretched high into the sky and Trisha imagined that when the white sails would look magnificent when unfurled. The ship was called ‘The Lion’s Breath’, and its name was written in gold letters along the side. Trisha leaned against the ropes, wanting to reach out and touch it. But she could not risk anyone seeing her arms.

“What are you doing here?”

The cool voice made Trisha jumped, and she looked up to see Stefano De Galantes standing by the gangplank of the ship, his gloved hand gripping the railing. She could not tell if he was angry to see her or if that was just his normal expression.

“I... wanted to see the ship,” she mumbled.

“Someone could have seen you,” Stefano pointed out. “That’s a lot to risk just to see a ship.”

She shifted from foot to foot. “But I’ve... never seen one before. I thought if I didn’t come now... I would lose my chance.”

He studied her for a long time before he replied. “And? Does it meet your expectations?”

She risked a nervous smile. “Yes, my lord. It’s a magnificent ship. Better than any picture in a book.”

He did not smile back at her, but there was a gleam of amusement in his eyes. “Was it worth the risky trip?”

“I think so. No one has noticed me yet.” Trisha took a small step toward him. “Will you take me with you, Lord De Galantes? Have you decided?”

“I haven’t,” Stefano said. “But...it might be better for you to remain here.”

Trisha’s heart clenched. “You’re wrong. If I stay, I’ll only make more trouble for my parents. And... and I’ll be stuck at the top of the hill forever.”

“Well, you’re not at the top of the hill now,” Stefano pointed out.

Trisha bit the inside of her cheek. That was true. It was an invigorating feeling, finally crossing the stream. But she did not want to stop at this short journey.

“I told you. I haven’t decided,” Stefano said. “For now, return home. You’ve seen your ship. Let that be enough for today.”

Trisha did not move for a moment. Then his gaze hardened, and a tingling went through her arms again, like a warning.

“Go.”

Trisha took a step back. Then she turned and hurried away from the docks, urged forward by his single word. His face was young, but there was a weight to his voice that made him seem older, and that single word had felt like an order.

I don’t think he likes me, she thought, and that was enough to crush what little hope she had of going out to sea. She had been foolish to hope for that.

But she had seen the ship. She tried to be content with that as she picked her way carefully through the back roads of the town, using the hill in the distance as her guide. She passed a few people but most did not pay her any mind. Until she ducked onto the road behind the blacksmith and almost ran headlong into a boy with red hair.

She stumbled back, muttering a quick apology as she checked to make sure her arms were not visible. They weren’t, but still he looked at her with wide green eyes.

“It’s you,” he said, which was not what she expected him to say.

“It’s... me?”

“You’re the girl who lives up the hill,” the red-headed boy said. “The one with the pretty arms.”

Pretty. That wasn’t the word she expected to hear from him. She shoved her hands deeper into her pockets, shaking her head. “No...I’m sorry. You must be mistaken.”

“I’m not. I saw you once before, just past the stream. You were picking flowers.” He glanced around as if worried someone would hear. “You should go home, quickly. They’re looking for you.”

“Who?” Trisha asked.

“Ralph Weiss and his friends. One of them saw you in town and they went on a... hunt.”

A hunt? How could they hunt Trisha when she wasn’t an animal?

“Why?” she asked.

“Because of your arms,” Reid said. “They think you’re a demon. Listen, one of them has a knife. I’m not messing around. Go up the hill. Quickly. I’ll try to lead them away.”

Trisha’s heart beat against her rib cage like a frightened bird. A knife. One of them had a knife. She turned to go but stopped in her tracks when she heard the voices.

“No really, I saw her,” a boy claimed. “Saw her running on all fours through the trees like some kind of animal. She had claws. Bright purple eyes too.”

“Yeah right.”

“I know what I saw! The Blackwood’s have a demon for a daughter.”

Trisha took a step back, looking around frantically for a retreat. But it was too late. The group had rounded the corner. One of them, a boy with pale blonde hair, had already spied her. He cackled, pointing her direction.

“Is that your demon girl? Cause she’s standing on two feet.”

“Yeah, and her eyes are blue, not purple,” another said.

A boy with too many freckles, the one who claimed to have seen her, stamped her foot against the ground. “That’s her; she’s just not in her true form. Demons never start out looking like demons you know.”

“Leave her alone, Ralph,” the red-headed boy said. “She’s not a demon at all.”

“Oh. O’Banner. Didn’t see you there,” Ralph said. “Well, good work finding her. I knew that big brain might come in handy.” He looked Trisha up and down. “Well? Show us those arms.”

Trisha shook her head, taking a step back. Her hands clenched into fists in her pockets, but she could not bring herself to speak. She saw the knife at his hip. The same knife the red-headed boy warned her about.

The boy with too many freckles stomped over to her, grabbing for her arm. “I’ll show you. Her arms are strange. Just look.”

“Don’t touch me.” Trisha smacked his hand a way, stepping back. The sunlight rippled over her skin and the boys gasped.

“Hellfire. She does have weird arms.”

“I told you.” The boy with too many freckles seized her wrist, jerking her arm up into the air. They were all older than her by a few years and thus much taller. “Didn’t I tell you? Demon hands.”

“I’m not a demon.” Trisha struggled in his grip, a worm on a hook. But the other boys were already swarming her with wide eyes and greedy smiles. “I’m not.”

“Let her go,” the red-headed boy, O’Banner, tried to come to her aid, but two of the other boys seized his skinny arms, pulling him back. Trisha turned, wanting to help him, but the boy with the pale blonde hair and the knife grabbed her other wrist, holding it up to the light.

“Well, you’re not human, that’s for sure. What are these made of?”

“Demon crystal?” the freckled boy suggested.

“No such thing as demon crystal.”

“How do you know?”

Trisha gritted her teeth, jerking in their grip again. “I said let go.”

“Shut up, Demon Girl,” the boy with too many freckles said. “I bet if we take her to Old Mick, he’ll tell us what kind of demon she is.” He yanked her hard toward the main road, and Trisha dug her heels into the ground. No. No one else could see her.

“Old Mick will take all the credit for catching a demon then,” said one boy holding O’Banner. “We caught her. We should take her to the town square. Mr. Weiss will give us fat stacks of money for catching a demon.” He looked to the blonde boy. “Right, Ralph? Your father will pay us good?”

“If I ask him,” the boy replied. His blue eyes glittered with malice.

“Please stop. I’m a girl. I’m a normal girl,” Trisha insisted.

A metallic scraping sound echoed through the alley and Trisha’s stomach twisted. Ralph had drawn his knife.

“We’ll take her to my father in a minute. I want to see what her arms are made of.”

Trisha hissed and threw herself backward. Her arms finally wrenched free of their grasps but she knocked hard against the ground. She hadn’t even caught her breath when Ralph fell on top of her, pinning one of her wrists to the ground. He tapped one of her fingers with his blade.

“What are you doing?” the freckled boy asked.

“Her hands look hard. I wonder if I can cut off a finger,” Ralph said.

“You’re insane!” O’Banner protested. “She’s just a kid.”

“She’s a demon, O’Banner. I’m trying to protect us.”

Trisha realized then, with startling clarity, that appealing to them with words was pointless. They didn’t look at her as a girl. They looked at her the same way they might a rat or a bug. They could carve off all of her fingers and her toes too, and they wouldn’t see it as wrong.

She couldn’t reason with them.

She drove her fist forward without thinking, meaning to punch him. As if on instinct, her knuckles sharpened. The flesh of his neck gave easily, followed by the spray of warm blood across her face. Pain jolted through her hand, white hot like lightning, and she cried out.

The boys screamed too and stumbled back, but Ralph couldn’t make a sound with a sliced throat.

He toppled off of her, collapsing to the ground. The others scrambled off, abandoning him before Trisha had even fully sat up. She looked down at the pale boy, straight into his wide blue eyes. His mouth trembled as he tried to draw in gasping breaths. Instead, he could only choke as the air slipped out the hole in his neck.

Trisha could not tear her eyes away from him. She watched every painful gurgle until the light faded from his blue eyes. Then he went utterly still.

Another pulse of agony raced up Trisha’s arm, and she gritted her teeth against a cry. She looked down at her left hand, expecting to see a wound. Instead, she saw a black spot spread across her knuckles beneath the blood. Black like charcoal.

“You killed him.”

Trisha looked over her shoulder to see that only O’Banner remained, wide eyed and pale.

“I was just trying to...” Trisha trailed off. It didn’t matter what she was trying to do.

The boy blinked hard, looking from the body back to her. “You need to go. Now.”

This time she did not protest or hesitate. She tucked her hands beneath her cloak and ran as fast as she could back toward the hill. And all the way there, the black mark on her hand throbbed.

Trisha stumbled up the hill, racing to get home before dark. She held her left arm tight to her chest, trying not to move her blemished hand. Panic clawed at the inside of her chest, but her expression did not move. She floated within her own body as it moved on instinct, trying to get to safety.

Agatha stood on the porch, beating out the front hall rug when Trisha fell to her knees in front of the house. Her legs trembled too much to hold her weight.

“Miss?” Agatha dropped to her side. “Merciful heavens, you’re bleeding!”

Trisha shook her head, staring straight ahead at the pearly white buttons of Agatha’s dress. “It’s not mine, Miss Agatha. Don’t worry.” Trisha almost didn’t recognize the flatness of her own voice.

Agatha let out a foul stream of curses and leapt to her feet. The door creaked and her footsteps tapped rapidly away, leaving Trisha alone again on the porch. She did not dare to move, or look at her blood stained left hand. She wanted to become stone and never move again, not even for the wind. They could not hurt her if she was stone. Stone did not feel pain.

The footsteps returned, this time with company. Suddenly, Trisha’s mother and father knelt beside her, shaking her, checking for injury. They asked so many questions and Trisha couldn’t process any of them.

“Trisha, look at me.” Her mother cupped her face in her hands and forced her head up. “Tell me what happened.”

“I crossed the stream. I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t have,” Trisha muttered. The numbness of her expression cracked, and she felt tears slipping down her cheeks. “I wanted to see a ship. And... one boy wanted to cut my arms open. So I...”

“Goddamn it,” her father hissed and Trisha flinched. Her father rarely raised his voice.

Her mother pulled her tight to her chest, stroking Trisha’s dark hair. “Don’t say anymore, dear.”

“I’m sorry,” she whispered. “I didn’t mean to. I didn’t think there would be so much blood. I don’t think you’ll be able to wash this dress, Agatha.” Trisha’s chest shuddered. “I’m sorry.”

“It’s just a dress, child,” Agatha murmured from somewhere to Trisha’s left. She couldn’t see her through the film of gathering tears.

“They’ll be coming soon,” her father said. “In less than an hour, there will be a mob at our doorstep, looking for her. Damn it all. We were so close to getting her out of this wretched place.”

“They won’t get anywhere near her,” her mother vowed. She pulled back from Trisha, looking her in the eye again. “Trisha dear, I want you to go to the tower.”

“The tower?” Trisha asked.

“Yes. You love to hide up there, don’t you? I want you to hide again. Think of it like a game.” Her mother pushed back her hair with a soft smile. Why did her parents’ smiles always seem like lies? “You mustn’t let anyone find you. You must stay quiet and still until everyone else leaves. Do you understand?”

Trisha nodded once. “I think so.”

“Be sure.” Her mother squeezed her shoulders. “Promise me you won’t be found.”

“You should hide with me,” Trisha croaked out.

Her mother shook her head. “You know I don’t like the tower. It’s so dirty up there.” Tears gathered in her mother’s eyes. “I’ll hide somewhere else. Don’t worry. Just promise me.”

Trisha swallowed a lump in her throat. “I promise.”

“Good girl.” Her mother stood, drawing Trisha up with her. “Go. The game starts now.”

Trisha nodded, blinking away tears. She fled to the tower as fast as her feet would carry her. The sun was nearly down and she could barely see her feet as she ran up the crumbling steps. When she reached the top room, she tucked herself between her box of treasures and a fallen wooden plank from the damaged ceiling.

Quiet and still, she waited.

The village came less than an hour later. Or at least a large portion of the village. It had to be a great number of people, because there were so many voices outside, chanting in one livid chorus. The light of their torches flashed through the narrow window of the tower and painted deep shadows on the walls. Trisha shrunk from the light, not wanting it to touch her. She must stay hidden.

“Give us the monster!” one man called. “The demon killed a child. Bring her out.”

“She is not here,” her father called back. “She fled an hour ago.”

“Lies. Bring her out. She does not deserve your protection.”

Trisha swallowed hard. Her parents had never been good liars. Even the townspeople knew as much.

The villagers’ cries for justice rose around the tower, mixing until they became incoherent. Trisha could not make any individual words. Just the emotions. Rage. Fear. Hate. She felt them pressing in around her like the shadows from their torches. She clapped her hands over her ears to smother them.

She couldn’t smother her sense of smell though. Smoke stung her nose, and the firelight seemed to spread. Fire. Had they set fire to the house? A sudden terror gripped Trisha for her parents. She forgot, for a moment, her mother’s command to be silent and still. She crawled across the ground on all fours and chanced a look through the narrow window.

She had never seen so many people before, clustered all in a mass, each with their own torch in their hands. One torch had lit the west side of the house on fire. But her parents had not moved. They stood strong before the door. Agatha stood behind them, clutching a huge steak knife that she usually used to prepare dinner. It wouldn’t be enough. The villagers had weapons too.

The firelight passed over her face and Trisha ducked down beneath the window again. Too late. A clear woman’s voice rose over the crowd.

“I saw something move in the tower. She’s there.”

“NO,” her mother screamed.

The tower seemed to shudder. The villagers pressed around its base. Her parents must have barricaded the door, because Trisha heard it shudder but not give. Still, she was sure their pounding alone would knock over the tower.

Her parent’s screams mixed with the horrible din and she tried to focus on them. On the familiar sound of their voices. But soon, the cries of the mob swallowed them up. She couldn’t hear them anymore. The door shuddered. Splintered.

Then the screams changed.

It was a subtle difference at first. From blood-thirst to fear. Then panic. Then utter terror. A woman shrieked in agony.

“Oh God. Oh God, Demon.”

Now, the shift in the mob was clear. The door had stopped shuddering, and the screams seemed to scatter. And amidst the cries and the crackling of fire, Trisha heard the most awful sounds.

Crunch

Snap

Pop

Like tree branches cracking in a great storm, but softer.

Crunch

Snap

Pop

Trisha did not dare rise again to see what was happening. She stayed at her place below the window, watching firelight dance across the wall. Then, suddenly, a face appeared before her.

The face melted out of the stone first, as if breaking through a waterfall, and a body followed shortly after. In the shadows cast by the fire, Trisha thought it must be an awful ghoul come to kill her. Then he spoke.

“Shh, it’s all right.”

Trisha focused on his face now. Leon De Galantes. Had he... walked straight through the wall?

“I won’t hurt you.” The boy moved forward carefully, kneeling in front of her. He had a soft smile. A real smile. “I’m here to help.”

“The mob,” Trisha choked out.

“Not a problem,” Leon said. “We just have to wait a few minutes. Then they’ll all be gone.” He looked around her tower, noticing her box of treasures. “This is your hideaway isn’t it?” He slid over to her box, looking through her little treasures. He pulled out her music box and turned the crank. A familiar, pretty tune filled the tower. It surprised Trisha she could hear it at all. The mob had gotten strangely quieter. “I’ve heard this before. It’s a waltz they often play at balls.” He looked up at her. “You’ll get to hear a whole orchestra play it someday.”

He had a kind expression, and yet...

“You came through the wall,” Trisha murmured. “Are you a demon?”

“Yes,” Leon said. He answered so simply. Yes. No lies. No shame either. Just a yes. “Well, I’m possessed by a demon. I’m still human but...I’m sort of both. So are you.”

Trisha blinked hard. “I’m not. I’m just...”

“You are.” Leon sat down in front of her. “It’s all right. We’ll look after you now. In Lisbon, you’ll be safe. No one will think to hurt you under our roof.”

“What about my parents?” Trisha asked.

“They won’t be able to look after you anymore, Trish.” He rested a hand on her arm, just above where abnormal flesh met smooth skin. “But we will. We’ll take you across the sea. You’ll get to see many things now. You won’t have to stay hidden away.”

“I’ve never left this hill.” Trisha swallowed hard. “And when I did... everything went wrong.”

“Now is a good time to try again.” Leon grasped her shoulders and eased her to her feet. Then he pressed her music box into her hand. “Come on. It’s over now. Don’t be afraid.”

Trisha was afraid and her thoughts spun out of control. She was a demon. Possessed. The villagers had been right to want to kill her. Yet this boy, a demon like her, was kind.

Demons weren’t supposed to be kind.

Leon guided her down the stairs until they reached the splintered remains of the door. The mob had left a gap big enough for Trisha to step through.

She stepped into a sea of bodies.

The villagers lay strewn about the grass, all around the field where Trisha used to play. Their bodies twisted at odd angles, their necks lolling to the side and their eyes and mouths wide, frozen with their last screams. She didn’t see any blood, except from three of the bodies. Agatha, lying near the door, speared through the chest by a pitchfork.

And her parents, on the porch, in a pool of red.

The mob had killed them, but someone else had killed the mob. Someone...

Trisha’s arms buzzed, and she looked up.

A single man remained standing in the sea of the dead, barely visible in the light of the fading flames. No blood stained his clothes or face, and he held no weapon. Yet Trisha knew, with absolute certainty, that he had caused the shift in the mob’s screams.

He had killed them—every one of them—in minutes.

A gentle breeze rustled the man’s long hair, filling the dead quiet for a moment. He let out a long breath, like her father used to after a hard day at work. Then Stefano De Galantes adjusted the cuffs of his jacket and turned to face them with eyes glowing violet in the dark.

“Ready to go?”

Trisha crossed the stream for the first time that day, and it had been a terrible mistake. Now she crossed the stream a second time, following the brothers back toward the port.

But the village had twisted into something out of a nightmare. The villagers who had not come with the mob were screaming, and the smell of smoke filled the air. Trisha heard an earth-shattering shriek from nearby.

“Rogue demons,” Leon said. “They must’ve come when they felt your signature.”

“Undoubtedly,” Stefano agreed.

“Should we do something?”

“No.” Stefano did not slow his pace. “Let them have their rampage.”

Trisha stumbled to keep up with Leon. The cold wind bit at her skin even through her cloak. At least, her hand did not burn so much anymore, but the black spot remained.

The docks came into sight, and Trisha did not have time to admire the beauty of the ships before that horrible shriek pierced the night again, this time much closer. She turned, wide eyed, to see the thing Leon had called a “rogue demon”.

Unlike the De Galantes brothers, it looked nothing close to human. Its mortal body had long ago fallen away, leaving behind a true monster. It stood as tall as a house with bubbling, blackened skin and a bulbous body too large for its skinny legs. It had six of them, bony, with the elbows popping out at odd angles. A wonder that it could even hold itself up, but it could easily crush a building with its weight. Or a ship.

It crashed its way toward the docks but Stefano held up two fingers, his violet eyes flashing. The creature stopped with a pained roar.

“We need that ship,” Stefano said in a cool voice. “Do your work elsewhere.”

The demon shuddered at the wake of his words and turned, sliding off in the other direction, crushing shops as it went.

“See,” Leon whispered to her. “You have nothing to worry about, Trisha.”

Trisha wasn’t sure of that, but she did not have the voice to argue. They stepped onto the docks when she heard another cry, this one much more human.

“Demons!”

She whipped around and saw him. The redheaded boy. The one who told her to run. He was sprinting toward them, an axe in his hand. She thought he meant to kill her, but instead he let out a cry.

“Demons. Let her go.”

Trisha blinked. Did this boy mean to save her? Did he not realize what she was even after he saw her kill someone?

Stefano stepped forward, flicking his wrist. The boy flew back, smacking into the wall of the nearest building. Trisha let out a cry before she could stop herself. Her scream seemed to stop Stefano.

“Leave him,” Leon said. “We need to go.”

Stefano glared after the boy for a moment, his jaw tense. Then he nodded. “Yes, let’s go.”

Trisha looked over her shoulder as Leon guided her onto the ship. The redheaded boy slumped on the ground, unconscious from Stefano’s blow. Her would-be “savior”.

He must have thought her a princess from the stories, kidnapped by demons. He did not realize she was one herself.

#my writing #amwriting #originals #wingless #the angel's shadow

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ezmodo · 5 years

Text

Dancing for Dunces

Surveying the room from her seat, Weiss was genuinely impressed with Atlas Academy’s school dance. The hall was spacious, the music tasteful, the food and drink more refined than she expected from a military school. Even the decorations were adequate, lack of doilies notwithstanding. There was one glaring issue, however.

“I’m going to kill that dolt.”

“Which dolt is that, Weiss?” Yang asked from across the table, her knowing grin adding to Weiss’ mounting frustrations.

“Her. Him. Them!” she fumed, angrily whipping her hand towards the two sources of her irritation.

On the far side of the room stood Ruby Rose and Jaune Arc, hiding behind the punchbowl.

---

Weiss didn’t think her friends appreciated just how much work went into setting this up for them. She didn’t organize the academy’s social, no, but she did everything else in her power to make the night memorable for her team, some of which required some uncomfortable visits home. Her team didn’t have clothes suitable for a dance and she wasn’t about to let them wear borrowed formal military uniforms for the occasion. But with thankfully just one promised appearance at a future function of her father’s choosing, Weiss had access to the Schnee wardrobe and, most importantly of all, Klein.

She gave Yang and Blake free rein and naturally they went for matching ensembles. Yang chose a surprisingly modest black gown that went down past her knee while Blake chose a rather risqué halter dress, a stunning yellow piece that showed more than Weiss wanted to see from her teammate outside of a changing room. Yang certainly appreciated it though, loud and often. Weiss was happy for her friends, she really was, but couldn’t they show some restraint? Ruby’s mock gagging every time they started up mirrored Weiss’ thoughts on the matter. No one wanted to see their family acting like that. Just imagining Winter in such a scenario was enough to cause the bile to rise to the back of her throat.

For Ruby, Weiss had to take direct control. Left to her own devices, Ruby would have shown up in her hood and combat boots. Or, more likely, not shown up at all and stayed in her room to play video games instead. Which wasn’t an option, naturally. Ruby would have a magical evening even if Weiss had to drag her kicking and screaming into it.

Weiss chose for her a simple off-the-shoulder dress, a deep red to match her hair. The bodice had a tasteful bustline and the skirt was suitably “poofy”, to use Ruby’s vernacular, for her partner’s tastes. A silver hairpin kept her hair neat and out of her eyes. Weiss had wanted to include a stole as well for Ruby to wrap about her shoulders, to round out the look and provide her partner with the bit of comfort that she knew losing her hood would cost her, but Nora had fought her on it. Let those puppies breathe, Nora had argued. Weiss was scandalized, but Nora insisted she just meant her shoulders.

New knowledge of Jaune’s possible...proclivities made Weiss consider adding a heavy winter coat to all of her outfits.

She left Jaune himself in the care of his teammates and Klein. Nora aside, she could trust the two men to smooth out the rough edges of the moronic knight into something presentable. She had only two instructions for them. One – do something, anything, with that disaster he called hair; and two – pin a red rose to his breast. They had settled on a simple tuxedo and bowtie, the only color coming from the lovely red rose standing out proudly on his chest.

As she watched Ruby and Jaune gawk at each other when they first met before the dance, Weiss just knew the night was going to be a rousing success.

---

This is an unmitigated disaster… Weiss thought sourly as she watched her partner take a drink from the same empty glass for the fifth time in the last ten minutes.

The night had started so promisingly. She was initially worried that they’d be too flustered to talk, too dazzled by her and Klein’s perfect makeovers, but a timely joke from Yang snapped Ruby and Jaune out of their respective stupors long enough to bring back their usual dynamic. The group made their way to the hall and quickly secured a table and the two dunces actually tried to sit separately before she and Nora boxed them in. Was Jaune too stunned by Ruby’s elegant beauty? Was Ruby put off kilter by Jaune managing to look almost halfway dashing? A dinner full of quick peeks and long sideways stares confirmed the theory in Weiss’ mind.

As soon as dinner was cleared away Nora leapt to her feet, grabbed both Ren and Oscar by the collars, and dragged them away shouting that “this was happening”. Yang and Blake followed, telling the remaining three that they’d save them a spot on the dance floor.

This was it. Jaune would offer a hand to Ruby, which she’d accept demurely, and off they’d go to share a magical evening that they both thoroughly deserved. At least until Jaune mumbled something about dancing “requiring proper hydration” as he fled from the table. Ruby was quick to follow, offering her own squeaky excuse before stumbling along after him, faster than Weiss had ever seen the girl move in heels. They’d been at the punchbowl ever since.

Face in her hands, Weiss finally realized the fatal flaw in her plan. She wasn’t dealing with normal, sane people. She was dealing with Ruby Rose and Jaune Arc, the two biggest dorks to ever come out of Beacon Academy. Weiss had so graciously presented them with the best night of their lives, so easy to grasp that they could practically fall into it, and they had made it awkward.

They’d even spoiled the hard work she and Klein put into their appearance. Ruby had taken the hairpin out at some point and now half her face was hidden behind her red fringe. Jaune’s own hair had transformed back into its usual messy mop from the boy constantly running his hand through it while his bowtie hung loose and crooked from constant tugging.

“Why are they being so difficult?” Weiss groused, glaring at the pair across the room. “You’re at a dance. Dance.”

“Chill out, kettle,” Yang joked, earning an icy glare from the heiress.

Yang laughed uneasily before adding, “You know Ruby’s not into stuff like that, right? Maybe she doesn’t want to dance.”

“Nonsense,” Weiss scoffed. “Every girl wants to dance with the person they like.”

“They certainly do.”

Blake snuck up behind Yang and ran a hand down the girl’s arm as she joined her partner at the table. Weiss fought the urge to roll her eyes. These two…

Yang grinned dopily at Blake before turning back to Weiss. “What’s the big deal anyway? They’re having fun.”

She’d allow that. Even from across the room she would occasionally hear one of the two laughing, Jaune with his heaving guffaws and Ruby with her high pitched cackling. They’d occasionally bump hips or elbows with each other, starting an impromptu “fight” that would end with them standing just a bit closer than before.

It was cute. It was endearing. It made Weiss grind her teeth in frustration. They were so damned close but neither would take the first step.

“How goes the mission, Ice Queen?”

Nora announced herself loudly, Neon in tow, as they joined the group at the table. Neon sat to Yang’s left while Nora joined Weiss opposite them.

“Where’s Ren?” Blake asked. It was strange to see Nora without the boy, especially on a night like this.

Nora harrumphed as she crossed her arms. “He took over Oscar’s dancing lessons. Apparently I was going to ‘break him’ and ‘scar him for life,’” punctuating each complaint with air quotes.

Weiss looked back to the dancefloor and sure enough, Oscar and Ren were moving back and forth in a simple waltz. Oscar’s face burned red from embarrassment while Ren, unflappable as always, quietly offered direction as he allowed Oscar to lead him around the floor.

“Mission?” Neon asked, leaning eagerly across the table. “What mission?”

Weiss simply hooked a thumb towards the pair across the hall.

Yang explained. “Weiss wants my sister and Jaune to share a magical evening full of dancing and awkward se-”

Yang just managed to keep her seat as Weiss’ glyph rocked her chair back dangerously.

Neon laughed as she watched the two leaders chatting at the punchbowl. “They both the shy type or what?”

“Shy and awkward and dumb,” Weiss growled.

“Then just give them a little push,” Neon offered with a shrug. “Spin the bottle, seven minutes in heaven, recreational dru- I’m kidding, I’m kidding!” Neon jumped out of her chair, hands raised defensively as Weiss rose threateningly to her feet.

“I’ve got it!” Nora exclaimed. Jumping to her feet, she dragged both Neon and Yang into an improvised huddle as they whispered.

After a minute of excited conspiring, the three girls all raised their heads in confidence with a unified nod.

“Got any hot friends to do the job?” Yang asked, grinning up at Neon.

“Babe,” Neon said, wrapping an arm around Yang’s shoulder and pulling her into a friendly side hug, “all my friends are hot.”

Yang was oblivious, but Weiss didn’t miss the angry twitch of Blake’s ears.

Luckily, Neon practically hopped away before a cat fight (literally in this case, Weiss supposed) could break out with a happy “leave it to me!” before disappearing into the throng of dancers.

“What are you two scheming?” Weiss asked suspiciously.

“Simple, Weissy. The quickest way to get a huntress to pounce is for another huntress to threaten her prey,” Nora stated matter-of-factly.

Before she could puzzle that one out, Weiss noticed a girl approach their table. Tall with long brown hair, rather ridiculous curves, and a dress that made Blake’s look modest, the girl looked more like a model than a huntress.

“Hey,” she greeted the group. “Neon sent me. Apparently there’s a hunk looking for a dance?”

“Yup! Tall blond dude by the drinks,” Yang said, pointing discreetly towards Jaune. “Can’t miss him.”

The girl nodded and made her way towards the leaders. She stopped briefly, adjusting her dress in ways that showed even more skin, and sashayed her way towards Jaune.

Weiss sputtered. This was their master plan? To have some...some hussy steal the target of her partner’s affections right in front of her? Unacceptable. She made to stand but was grabbed instantly by Nora, who pulled her back to her seat.

“Have some faith, Weiss. You’ll see,” Nora said with a pat on her back.

She watched the seductress approach the table where Ruby had just told some joke that had Jaune wiping a tear from his eye. The girl centered herself, cocked her hip, and made a show of clearing her throat. The leaders looked to their new arrival and simultaneously froze, probably when the harpy asked him for a dance. Weiss’ hands clenched into fists, nails digging into her palm as she watched some stranger break her best friend’s heart.

Until Jaune’s head suddenly snapped to Ruby, surprise evident on his face even from a distance. His gaze slowly shifted down and that’s when Weiss noticed – Ruby’s hand had found his. Ruby offered some hurried excuse and promptly started dragging Jaune after her out towards the dancefloor. The brunette sent to steal Jaune turned towards their table with a thumbs up raised high which both Yang and Nora returned with gusto.

I can’t believe that actually worked, Weiss thought as her eyes followed the pair squeezing by other couples out on the floor.

“All’s well that ends well,” Nora chirped happily. “‘Bout time I go find my man.”

“Ayup. Sis won’t let anyone take her sweets.” Yang stood, offering a hand to Blake. “Up for another dance, kitten?”

Blake rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her blush as she took her partner’s hand.

Weiss stood as well, straightening out her dress. I suppose I should get a dance in as well. Maybe Nora will let me borrow Ren for a song…

She turned towards the dancefloor and froze when she saw Ruby pinching her nose.

Did that idiot Jaune seriously…?

A goofy grin broke out on Ruby’s face as she raised her free hand and pantomimed sinking to the floor, wiggling all the way.

“The swim huh? Talk about a blast from the past,” Yang laughed.

Jaune looked like he was trying to knee himself in the chest as he ran in place.

“Ooo! Count me in!” Nora shouted, brushing past Weiss on her way to the dancefloor.

Weiss buried her face in her hands and let out a long suffering sigh.

Idiots. I’m surrounded by idiots.

This wasn’t romantic. This wasn’t magical. This was tomfoolery.

Dragging her hands down her face, Weiss finally noticed her partner smiling at her. With an exaggerated wave, Ruby beckoned her to join them.

They were her idiots at least.

#rwby #9daysoflancaster #rwby lancaster #ruby rose #jaune arc #weiss schnee #writing

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