[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

[AndrewJTalon]

The Vale Metropolitan Museum of Art was quieter than usual Saturday morning, thanks to Pyrrha's quiet influence and a generous donation from the Nikos family. The entire Hellenic History wing had been cordoned off for their private visit, golden morning light streaming through the high windows onto marble statues and beautifully preserved artifacts.

Mia's eyes were as wide as dinner plates.

She was dressed in a tiny but authentic-looking Hellenic chiton, a soft white dress with golden trim, and a delicate laurel wreath rested on her blonde curls. In her hands she proudly carried a child-sized replica Argusian javelin, which she waved around like a magic wand and giggled over.

Pyrrha walked beside her, smiling softly, while Jaune trailed just behind, carrying Mia's stuffed bunny in one hand and looking a little overwhelmed by how fancy everything felt.

"Pyrrha, you really didn't have to go this far," Jaune said, adjusting the laurel wreath that Mia had insisted he wear too.

"Nonsense," Pyrrha replied warmly. "This exhibit is on my people's history. I wanted you both to see it properly."

Mia ran ahead a few steps, then spun around, the little chiton fluttering. "Look, Papa! I'm a princess warrior!"

"You look amazing, kitten," Jaune laughed. "Just don't touch anything, okay?"

"Okay!" Mia laughed, rushing ahead.

They stopped in front of a grand mural depicting ancient battles and heroes. Pyrrha's voice grew softer, almost reverent, as she traced her fingers near the glass.

"My grandmother used to tell me stories every night about our ancestors," she said. "We can trace our family line all the way back to Iksander the Great =the conqueror who united the known world. She always said our blood carried both his brilliance and his burdens."

Jaune glanced at her, then looked back at the mural. "I get that. My family has its own long lineage too… the Arcs have been knights and protectors for generations. It feels… like a lot sometimes. Like I have to live up to all of them."

Pyrrha turned to him, her emerald eyes gentle. "It can feel like a burden, can't it? Carrying the weight of so many expectations."

She hesitated, then continued more quietly, "But… maybe we don't have to carry it alone. Maybe we could carry it together?"

Jaune met her gaze. The air between them grew thick with something warm and unspoken.

"I'd like that," he said softly.

Pyrrha's breath caught. She leaned in slowly, heart hammering, willing herself to close the distance. Jaune's eyes widened slightly in confusion, but he didn't pull away.

Then—

CRASH!

Mia had wandered over to a low display stand holding replica hoplite armor. In her excitement, she bumped into it. The entire stand wobbled and toppled over with a loud clatter, the shield bouncing across the polished floor.

Both Jaune and Pyrrha jolted apart.

"Mia!" Jaune yelped, rushing over.

Pyrrha's cheeks flushed bright red as she hurried after him. "Are you alright, little one?"

Mia sat on the floor, laruel slightly askew, looking sheepish but unharmed. "Sorry Papa... I'm really sorry! I-I didn't mean to-!"

Jaune helped her up, brushing dust off her chiton. "It's okay, it's okay. Let's slow down from now on huh?"

Pyrrha gently pushed the shield and armor back up, inspecting it with a practiced eye. She sighed and smiled.

"It's all right. It's just a replica, and no harm done," she said. Jaune sighed in relief.

Pyrrha let out a nervous laugh, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. The moment was gone, but the warmth in her chest remained.

Mia looked between them, then grinned mischievously. "Were you gonna kiss Papa?"

Pyrrha turned scarlet. Jaune made a strangled noise.

"Mia!" they both said at the same time.

The little girl just giggled and hugged her replica spear tighter.

Pyrrha eventually recovered enough to smile again. "Come on. There's still the Hall of Heroes to see. Maybe we can find her a helmet that will fit?"

"Oooh! Can I Papa? Can I?" Mia asked. "I wouldn't run into things so much with a helmet!"

"Somehow I doubt that," Jaune chuckled.

 

[jojoin567]

Dinner time for the Dragon Slayer Family....

Arc Farmhouse

It was dinner time for the Arc Family where all 15 children were seated, waiting for their dinner. Jaune was entertaining them while Yang was cooking food and was fondly listening to her husband's story.

Jaune: "Once there was a thief who liked to steal all kinds of vehicles and he never got caught."

The children and Yang listened carefully.

Jaune: "One day he decided to steal a train just for the fun of it but he crashed it and got caught by the police."

The children ooohd as Jaune got deeper into the story.

Jaune: "The Judge sentences him to executed by electric chair. Once he was strapped to the chair, the switch was pulled, there was the sound of electricity flowing and smoke from the wires but the thief was entirely unharmed.At the time there was an old Valean law that said that a failed execution is a sign of intervention and the thief was let go."

The kids were fully immersed in the story and Yang wonders how the story would end.

Jaune: "The thief proceeded to steal the train four more times and crashed them each time due to his reckless driving. Each time he crashed, he was sentenced to the electric chair but he was never electrocuted. Do you guys know why??"

The children chorused that they did not know.

Jaune: "Because the thief was a very bad conductor!!"

While the children were groaning at the terrible joke, Yang quietly phoned Ruby.

Yang: "Hey Ruby, are you free this Saturday."

Ruby: puzzled "Yesss??"

Yang: "Great, can you babysit my children. I need some privacy with Jaune to break my limit"

 

[Gur40]

Jaune explaining recipe to his friends

Spoiler: baking

View: https://youtube.com/shorts/JX_UynYTdbE?si=SE6tvQxmYaP_o7yj

View: https://youtube.com/shorts/eeMstN7MEUs?si=jC5Tu0c2c17fLrQo

Jaune cooking teacher

Spoiler: dylian

View: https://youtu.be/TyXQ-Z7b3JE?si=HBu7h6gXTUYEMGs1

 

[Gur40]

From Tumblr

Spoiler: Leader

superiorsturgeon - 2d

Jaune: I'm questioning my ability as a team leader.

Jaune: I attended every leadership class and spent hours carefully practicing strategies with my team…

Jaune: …only to completely forget all of it mid-fight and yell, "Jump his ass!"

Jaune: The worst part is how well it worked.

If it works it works aka 'Jump A Bitch No Jutsu'

---

Jaune Core

Spoiler: Going To Beacon

Spoiler: Dating Weiss or Pyrrha

Spoiler: Mother React

---

And What ifs?

Spoiler: Confident Pyrrha

Pyrrha lived Jaune 'died' and she meets the Rusted Knight

Spoiler: color returns to the world

 

[AndrewJTalon]

A few fun prompts:

-Salem is a massive fan of Ninjas of Love. So when Cinder tells her that she's discovered the identity of the author (Saphron Arc) and that Jaune Arc is going to take Blake Belladonna to an incognito book signing... Salem has GOT to get in on that! So does Watts, who claims he likes it for the intricate plot structure but we all know better.

-Neo wants to stir up some chaos, being Neo. So she poses as Jaune and a few different girls to start up a harem comedy for her own amusement. Can she escape the trap she's created for herself though? Spoilers: No, she cannot.

-Rockets of Remnant: Astronaut!Jaune goes to Atlas at a dinner hosted by Jacques Schnee. Does he present a better first impression to Weiss this time around?

-The Arc Clan: Pyrrha did have a childhood friend: Oguri Cap, a horse Faunus racer she got along well with. It turns out that Oguri was also friends with Jaune for a bit in Radian... So Pyrrha tries to use this to get closer to Jaune.

 

[Bommel]

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LX6PUe7nXyo
Don't worry fanboys, Jaune's Aura Amp and Yang's Burn are in the good honerable mentions

Semblances could have been more creative, both in them being created and how they were used.
So here are some ideas on new Semblances or how existing ones can be used better:

- A Semblance that lets the user heat up their hands (and be immune to the dangerous temperatures.
It's basically a weaker version of Cinder's Scorching Caress, but instead of just using it to make their punches do "fire damage", they use it to power their mechanical weapon (like one of the modes is a big chainsaw) via something like a build-in Stirling engine.

- A water-generating Semblance that lets the create some amount of water.
They can't control water or make massive amounts of it, but what they can make they can shoot out with some force.
In a similar vain to the above idea, their weapon is specially made so the water can be channeled through to power the mechanism inside.
They could also maybe channel the water through their weapon and create flying-slash attacks made from water, similar to how industrial waterjet cutters work.
Ice and Lightning Dust would also be a lot more effective for them, because there's more water to freeze and immobilize targets and can better conduct the electricity, but fire Dust would be less effective for them (but on the flip side, they would be better at defending against fire).

- Adam can use Moonslice with literally any weapon, but he just uses a sword, which seems extremely limiting.
So what if he got a bunch of steel rings on his fingers or armoured gloves, where he can block damage with and give one superpowered punch back.
Or Adam finally gets somekind of gun upgrad for his main weapon, and is able to enpower his bullet shot with Moonslice (so the impact looks like he's shooting a rocketlauncher while the actual gun is closer to a peashooter.

- Marrow should really carry some grenades or explosives around, or better yet a shitton of them.
He could literaly throw a grenade, order the targets to Stay with his Semblance, Stay, and they would be completely unable to dodge or block the explosion.
If he wanted to go non-lethal, then he could carry a bunch of flashbangs, so the targets are unable to shield their eyes or block their ears when it goes off.

- Ironwood's Semblance just sucks, as it actively detracts from his character, so what if we give him a new Semblance?
An idea for that is "Metal" (as a his original canon one was Mettle), which lets Ironwood literally turn his own body into metal, iron or steel specifically.
It would allow him to take hits like nobody else even if his Aura breaks or is low, punch even harder, be heavier to mitigate recoil from his big weapon, do more damage when stomping on someone (or airbomb by jumping from a bullhead ontop of a Grimm).
The downside would be that he can't use it in water, as he would be completely unable to swim (as despite his metal form, he'd still need to breath), aircrafts might be unable to handle the sudden increase in weight, and some floors might not be able to handle the extra weight (not sure how more or less effective electricity or acid would be).
It can also add to his backstory, where the only reason he survived the injuries that led to his cybernetics was because he transformed his whole body into metal, preventing him from bleeding out and organs from from failing (he seems to be missing at least part of his lungs and digestive organs).
Or maybe the only reason why they were able to implant the cybernetics was because he selectively turned part of his body into metal and it being drilled into like metalwork rather than a medical operation.

Spoiler: Half his body is already metal, and he's based on the tin-woodman from Oz.

- Villain Semblance: Blood Tracking.
If the user tastes/eats any part of another person (mostly it's just a drop of blood), they can track them seeing a "trail" to where they have been or towards the nearby "trail", potentially for days or even months, until they touch the person they're tracking (which is when it ends), or if the target dies.
They're basically a serial killer who's able to stalk their victoms no matter where they go.
The big downside is that if they track more people at once, the "trails" gets mixed up, which he can't see any differences between, so he can track the wrong person, and this downside gets worse the more people he's tracking at once.
They also can't prevent their Semblance from activating, so if they ingest anything from another person, they automatically tracking them.
A backstory could be that they were a pretty normal Huntsmen or bounty hunter, but they ingested a lot of bits/blood of a lot of different people, which drove them insane with all the different "trails" he was constantly seeing (he began hunting them all down and kiling them, and then began choosing more targets).

- A Semblance called Slippery, which lets the user make anything they touch slippery, as well as somewhat shiny, as well as turn off their own effect.
While it doesn't sound all that useful, good luck standing when the floor has no friction (and the user can turn the floor back to normal where there footsteps fall).
Or have fun trying to use your weapon when it's incredibly hard to hold (this one is harder to pull off without taking damage from the blow, and even then they still need to get the timeing right).
They could also use this to literally skate arount on literal ice skates.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Cinder activated her Scroll, and knelt before the camera in her dormroom, trying very hard not to look like she wanted to set the entire room on fire.

"My Queen," she began, voice carefully neutral, "I have discovered something… unexpected, per your request."

Salem's red eyes gleamed with mild interest. "Speak."

Cinder took a breath and steeled herself. "The author of Ninjas of Love… is Saphron Arc. Jaune Arc's older sister. She is holding a secret, incognito book signing in Vale tomorrow night under the pseudonym 'S. Rosewood.' Jaune is escorting Blake Belladonna to the event."

For three full seconds, the only sound was the faint crackle of the Grimm pools.

Then Salem sat up straighter, a slow, delighted smile spreading across her face.

"…Truly?!" She gasped.

"Yes, my Queen," Cinder said, her tone dull.

Salem rose from her throne, black gown whispering across the stone floor. For the first time in centuries, she looked almost excited.

"I have read every volume. Twice. The tension between Lord Shadow and the masked kunoichi in volume seven? Exquisite. The way she used the silk ribbons in volume twelve? Revolutionary." She turned to Cinder, eyes bright. "We are attending."

Cinder's eye twitched. "My Queen… we are currently planning the destruction of Beacon. This seems-"

"Minor logistical adjustments can be made," Salem said breezily. "Besides, I have questions. Very specific questions about chapter nineteen."

From the shadows, Doctor Arthur Watts stepped forward, adjusting his monocle with exaggerated dignity.

"If I may," he said, voice dripping with false gravitas, "I believe attending would be… prudent. The series contains remarkably intricate plot structures. The way the author weaves political intrigue with the more… physical elements is quite sophisticated. A literary analysis would be most enlightening."

Salem turned her head slowly, one eyebrow raised.

Watts cleared his throat. "Also, I… enjoy the fight scenes."

Cinder stared at him. "You cried during the confession scene in volume fourteen."

"I had something in my eye."

Salem clapped her hands once, delighted. "Excellent. We shall all attend. Disguises, of course. Cinder, you will pose as my attendant. Watts, you may wear something that does not scream 'I am a wanted criminal.'"

Watts sniffed. "I do not scream anything."

Salem's smile turned sharp. "And if anyone tries to stop me from getting my copy signed… well. I have many ideas for how to express my displeasure."

Cinder held in a sigh and not for the first time, wondered if selling her soul to a deranged immoral dark queen of the Grimm might have been a bad idea.

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

LoL too later for doubts now Cinder

 

[Alkatraz_ktr]

- A Semblance that lets the user heat up their hands (and be immune to the dangerous temperatures.

Click to shrink...

Jaune from Forged Destiny by Coeur Al'Aran have this "skill" (like videogame skill).

 

[Bommel]

Jaune from Forged Destiny by Coeur Al'Aran have this "skill" (like videogame skill).

Click to shrink...

What that already exists in a RWBY fanfic?
Didn't know that but that is a funny coincidence.

 

[LordofBones]

-Rockets of Remnant: Astronaut!Jaune goes to Atlas at a dinner hosted by Jacques Schnee. Does he present a better first impression to Weiss this time around?

Click to shrink...

In a twist, it's Weiss who ends up botching things.

 

[Rakdos92]

Cinder held in a sigh and not for the first time, wondered if selling her soul to a deranged immoral dark queen of the Grimm might have been a bad idea.

Click to shrink...

Live long enough to watch Humanity evolve from scratch, and then you may mock her for having a hobby. This is something many writers seem to forget, that even immortals have to pass the time somehow.

 

[Gur40]

Whitley fit better then Winter

Spoiler: accurate responce

but i guess Weiss wouldn't open up to Whitley but i can see him react the same

Spoiler: Zwei Bath

Best Good Boy Deserves Spa Treatment

---

A Real Leader

Spoiler: Cynicism

Why Jaune being similar to Salem works to make him a good tactician

Spoiler: Anime Tactics

And why Oz is the embodiment of learning from your mistakes

---

If Jaune Listened To Ruby On His Weapons

Spoiler: Ruby Upgrade

JN_R Fate

Spoiler: Becoming Important

Hunters in Training Pre and Post Fall

Spoiler: 1 Day Difference

Most Huntsmen and Huntress went from Partying At The Olympics' To Being Reminded Remnant Is The Grimm World Not Humanities

 

[jgalue]

A Real Leader

Spoiler: Cynicism

Why Jaune being similar to Salem works to make him a good tactician

Click to shrink...

This would have been a good angle to go in the series by having in essence Jaune been the Salem of his generation and Ruby the Ozma, while the sitiation dont exactly match they tend to rhyme a lot, for example one of Jaune greatest fears is been the one stuck on the treat while everyone else go to become heroes and what is was Salem situation before meeting Ozma, she was the classical princess on the tower and you could have Ruby reseamble Ozma in the fact Ozma was searching for a good place or cause to die for andto not have a life beyond heroics.

That way you could have that Salem and Ozma relationship was not healthy at all because while Ozma got Salem out the tower physically he never got her out in her mind, leading to her having a unhealty obsetion with him because she conflagrate her freedom with Ozma and Ozma negative trait were enhanced by rescuing Salem because it mean his style of unhealty heroics work.

And that contrast with Jaune and Ruby relationship in the present because Ruby got Jaune out the mental he was stuck and Jaune helped Ruby by making her think more about herself, to take care more about herself and to have a life outside heroics. And this could be something both Salem and Ozpin take notes to the point they tend to favor the other of the pair, because for Salem Ruby is the ideal Ozma and she cannot but see every fault in Jaune because she has the same faults and Ozpin is in the same boat seeing Jaune as the perfect Salem and projecting all his weakpoints in Ruby.

 

[NightDranzer]

This would have been a good angle to go in the series by having in essence Jaune been the Salem of his generation and Ruby the Ozma, while the sitiation dont exactly match they tend to rhyme a lot, for example one of Jaune greatest fears is been the one stuck on the treat while everyone else go to become heroes and what is was Salem situation before meeting Ozma, she was the classical princess on the tower and you could have Ruby reseamble Ozma in the fact Ozma was searching for a good place or cause to die for andto not have a life beyond heroics.

That way you could have that Salem and Ozma relationship was not healthy at all because while Ozma got Salem out the tower physically he never got her out in her mind, leading to her having a unhealty obsetion with him because she conflagrate her freedom with Ozma and Ozma negative trait were enhanced by rescuing Salem because it mean his style of unhealty heroics work.

And that contrast with Jaune and Ruby relationship in the present because Ruby got Jaune out the mental he was stuck and Jaune helped Ruby by making her think more about herself, to take care more about herself and to have a life outside heroics. And this could be something both Salem and Ozpin take notes to the point they tend to favor the other of the pair, because for Salem Ruby is the ideal Ozma and she cannot but see every fault in Jaune because she has the same faults and Ozpin is in the same boat seeing Jaune as the perfect Salem and projecting all his weakpoints in Ruby.

Click to shrink...

Except for the fact that Miles acknowledged in a cameo that Jaune is basically BOTH Ozma AND Salem; both Virtue-wise and Vice-wise.

Or rather, Jaune is what you get when you mix Ozma's Light with Salem's Darkness.

There's a REASON people thought Jaune was descended from Salem.....or that he was originally meant to be the next Oz before the idea of Oscar was conceived.

The fact that Oscar's design is almost identical to proto!Jaune's does NOT help matters.

 

[jgalue]

Except for the fact that Miles acknowledged in a cameo that Jaune is basically BOTH Ozma AND Salem; both Virtue-wise and Vice-wise.

Or rather, Jaune is what you get when you mix Ozma's Light with Salem's Darkness.

There's a REASON people thought Jaune was descended from Salem.....or that he was originally meant to be the next Oz before the idea of Oscar was conceived.

The fact that Oscar's design is almost identical to proto!Jaune's does NOT help matters.

Click to shrink...

I didnt know that, them that mean Ruby is a clean break from both of them then? Oh well, still i would prefer my version because that way Ozma doesnt come up as the perfect heroe with all the problems been Salem fault, this way it show where many of Ruby and Jaune faults could led to and would explit the importance because having Jaune be the mix of Ozpin light with Salem Darkness it kinda give him to much symbolic weight, with the reason of this been that in many stories the cillian funtion as a contrast of the villian and Ruby doesnt have any kind of contrast with Salem or any reason for her to be interested on Ruby at all beyond her been the last funtional silver eyed warrior, something she has a lot of experience dealing with. Also in my way we could have Ruby been a mix of Ozma darkness with Salem light showing us that both of them have they good points and bad points.

 

[NightDranzer]

I didnt know that, them that mean Ruby is a clean break from both of them then? Oh well, still i would prefer my version because that way Ozma doesnt come up as the perfect heroe with all the problems been Salem fault, this way it show where many of Ruby and Jaune faults could led to and would explit the importance because having Jaune be the mix of Ozpin light with Salem Darkness it kinda give him to much symbolic weight, with the reason of this been that in many stories the cillian funtion as a contrast of the villian and Ruby doesnt have any kind of contrast with Salem or any reason for her to be interested on Ruby at all beyond her been the last funtional silver eyed warrior, something she has a lot of experience dealing with. Also in my way we could have Ruby been a mix of Ozma darkness with Salem light showing us that both of them have they good points and bad points.

Click to shrink...

The more obvious relationship comparison would be:

Ruby is the Ozma to Jaune's and Weiss' Salem.
Weiss is the Salem to Ruby's and Jaune's Ozma.

 

[Sliverhero]

The more obvious relationship comparison would be:

Ruby is the Ozma to Jaune's and Weiss' Salem.
Weiss is the Salem to Ruby's and Jaune's Ozma.

Click to shrink...

So what you saying is the reason ozma and Salem didnt work is that they didnt have a thrid wheel

 

[NightDranzer]

So what you saying is the reason ozma and Salem didnt work is that they didnt have a thrid wheel

Click to shrink...

Not so much a third wheel so much as a whetstone/scratching post for talking ideas or simply letting off steam with.

Though apparently, as per Vol 9, Team RWBY are such utter fucking messes that not a single one of them actually knows to communicate in any meaningful way whatsoever.

 

[Sliverhero]

Not so much a third wheel so much as a whetstone/scratching post for talking ideas or simply letting off steam with.

Though apparently, as per Vol 9, Team RWBY are such utter fucking messes that not a single one of them actually knows to communicate in any meaningful way whatsoever.

Click to shrink...

And the most well adjusted is jaune who spent an unknown amount time alone in a crazy land and dealing with Bullshit. Also he could also dealing with the chance that he had to kill talking animals and cook them as well
Then realize and have to play the role of a character that influence so many people.
Its amazing he is not even worse when team rwby meet them

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Lionheart: The Offer

- - -

The smell of smoke clung to him. Even after he'd changed clothes, coming in from the field, and being summoned to the Mistralian Council Chambers.

Leonardo Lionheart stood at a long obsidian table, hands clasped behind his back so no one could see them tremble. The holographic images of the dead students hovered in the center of the room: Forty-seven names, most of them children he had personally welcomed to Haven only months ago. Their faces flickered in the blue light like ghosts.

Ozpin's message had arrived an hour earlier. Public. Supportive. "Mistral has lost much, but it has not lost its strength. Headmaster Lionheart has my full confidence." The words had been meant as a shield. Instead they had become a blade.

One of the elder councilmen — a gray-bearded man whose family had ruled Mistral districts since before the Great War — leaned forward, voice dripping with the old prejudice.

"You were appointed because Ozpin asked for you, Lionheart. Because you are his friend. And because you are a Lion Faunus. Nothing more. You are not the strongest. You are not the wisest. You are simply… convenient."

The others had not disagreed. Some had even nodded.

Lionheart had said nothing. He had simply bowed his head, accepted the condemnation, and walked out while the chamber still buzzed with accusations.

Now he was back in his office on the highest floor of Haven Academy. The lights were off. The only illumination came from the distant fires still burning on the horizon-the last embers of Huǒ Shān Kǒu, the "Fire Mountain Mouth," where the massacre had happened. He had sent those students there. He had chosen the mission parameters. He had stayed behind.

Because he was not strong enough.

Because he was not brave enough.

Because he had always known, deep in the marrow of his bones, that he was a fraud wearing a headmaster's coat.

He sank into the high-backed chair behind his desk and let the darkness swallow him. For a long time he simply sat there, staring at nothing, the weight of forty-seven deaths pressing on his chest until breathing became an act of will.

A soft sound, the whisper of fabric.

Lionheart's head snapped up. A hooded figure stood in the center of the room, as if it had stepped out of the shadows themselves. The figure was tall, motionless, face hidden beneath a tattered black cowl. No footsteps. No aura signature he could read.

An assassin, he thought instantly. Come to finish what the Grimm started. Come to avenge the students I sent to die.

His hand twitched toward the hidden drawer where he kept a sidearm he had never once fired in combat. But before he could move, the figure raised one gloved hand.

A Grimm emerged.

Not a Beowolf. Not a Nevermore. Something Lionheart had never seen before: A pale, translucent Geist-like entity that floated weightlessly, its body a swirling vortex of black smoke and bone-white fragments. It drifted forward until it hovered between them, then opened like a blooming flower of darkness.

And Salem appeared.

She was not physically present-It seemed to be some kind of hologram-but her presence filled the room like cold water. Pale skin, crimson eyes, that impossible hair white as bone. She looked at him the way a goddess might a broken child.

"Leonardo Lionheart," she said, voice smooth as silk over a blade. "Your despair called to me across the continent. I felt it the moment the last of your students fell."

Lionheart's throat was dry. "If you've come to kill me… do it quickly."

Salem laughed: A soft, genuine sound that somehow made the room feel smaller.

"Kill you? Oh, my dear headmaster. I am not here to take your life. I am here to offer you the chance to keep it."

He stared, uncomprehending.

She stepped closer in the projection, the Geist-like Grimm rippling with each movement.

"Ozpin and I are both immortal, you see. But there is a difference. He can be wounded. Broken. Delayed. I… cannot. I cannot be destroyed. The war you are fighting - the war he is fighting - is already lost. It was lost before you were born. Eventually, I will win. And when I do, every soul who stood against me will be dust."

Her crimson eyes bored into his.

"But you do not have to be dust, Leonardo. You can join the winning side. Stay exactly where you are. Keep your title. Keep your office. Keep Ozpin's trust. When the time comes, you will open the door for me. You will help me end this endless, pointless war. And in return…"

She smiled, and it was almost kind.

"…I will give you what you crave most. Survival. Immortality. A world where no one ever has to die again. No more massacres. No more empty memorials. No more children sent to burn because their headmaster was too afraid to lead them himself."

Lionheart's voice cracked. "I… I won't betray Ozpin. I won't betray my friends-!"

Salem's laughter this time was sharp enough to draw blood.

"Won't you? Tell me, Headmaster, why didn't you fight at Huǒ Shān Kǒu? Why did you remain here, safe behind stone walls, while your students died screaming? You have a Semblance, don't you? Berserker. Power enough to have turned the tide. But you didn't use it. Because you were afraid. Afraid that even with that strength, you might still fall. Afraid of death."

She leaned in until her projected face was inches from his.

"I can take that fear away. Forever. You will never have to pretend to be a hero again. You will never have to watch children die because you were too weak to save them. You will simply… live. And when my new world is born, when Grimm and Faunus and Human are one, when death itself has been conquered... You will stand at my right hand. Not as a fraud. As one of the eternal."

Lionheart's hands were shaking so hard the desk rattled. He opened his mouth, tried to summon some last scrap of defiance.

I am a Huntsman. I am Ozpin's friend. I will not... I will not-

But the words died before they left his tongue.

Because she was right.

Every word.

He had believed he could do this. Ozpin had believed in him. And now forty-seven names floated in the dark like accusations, and the council's scorn still rang in his ears, and the fire on the horizon was the only light left in the world.

He lowered his head.

The silence stretched.

When he finally spoke, his voice was barely a whisper.

"…I don't want to die."

Salem's smile widened, triumphant and almost gentle.

"Then don't. Join me, Leonardo Lionheart. Live forever. All you have to do… is open the door when I knock."

He did not look up. He could not.

But he nodded.

Once.

The hooded figure stepped back into the shadows. The Geist Grimm dissolved into black mist. Salem's projection faded last, her final words lingering like smoke.

"Welcome to the winning team."

 

[ThunderBasilisk]

Lionheart deserves all the misfortune. Damn coward

 

[ExFelineServer3]

The Cowardly Lion indeed. But, I will say that I can to a point see his fear. I too fear death but it's not just death, but the possible cessation of oneself and the thought of just ending. If that makes sense to anyone.
You can't let your fears hold you back. Courage is doing what you need to do despite your fears, not in the absence of them.
One has to wonder, what causes an absence of courage? Is it a mindset, a lack of personal attachments, finding yourself truly alone without hope? Lionheart allows his fears free rein and then is confronted by his enemy with possible truths, which he should be questioning, that were hidden from him and others. Denied need to know information for a war spanning an unknown amount of time and without the facts to truly help give that concept an operable framework.
Salem has had time to learn and practice psychological warfare as well as being able to sense and decipher negative emotions, is it any wonder that some give in to her?

 

[zMADLAXz]

Funny thing. Just had someone describe Jaune as "Aryan Bomit Boy", over at Reddit.

Wow, the hate some people have for this guy.

Not only that, but they then questioned why was Pyrrha shipped with him and not with another girl(they talked about Ruby, because they were looking for Ruby x Pyrrha fics) because Achilles had homoerotic undertones.

The Song of Achilles has done amazing damage to people's psyche to the point they forget that it was a girl for whom Achilles defied Agamemnon.

 

[Gur40]

The more obvious relationship comparison would be:

Ruby is the Ozma to Jaune's and Weiss' Salem.
Weiss is the Salem to Ruby's and Jaune's Ozma.

Click to shrink...

So what you saying is the reason ozma and Salem didnt work is that they didnt have a thrid wheel

Click to shrink...

Not so much a third wheel so much as a whetstone/scratching post for talking ideas or simply letting off steam with.

Though apparently, as per Vol 9, Team RWBY are such utter fucking messes that not a single one of them actually knows to communicate in any meaningful way whatsoever.

Click to shrink...

A Disaster Bi, Demi Mess and Himbo are the trifecta to saving the world!

Spoiler: triangle

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Stolen From Tumblr

Spoiler: Mistaken Identity

howlingday - Dec 9, 2025

Jaune: I'm in jail.

Saphron: Why are you in jail?

Jaune: Well, apparently, it's against the law to want to be a huntsman around here.

Saphron: What? That's ridiculous!

Jaune: I thought so, too, until they told me why.

Jaune: Apparently, huntsman are great for handling Grimm attacks, but they're also bad for certain businesses around here.

Saphron: What business?

Jaune: Pottery and ceramics. (Points)

Saphron: (Looks to sign)

WANTED!

Jaune tripped an broke a pot

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Jaune complaining About a girlfriend/wife would go

Spoiler: warts and all

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sibling energy

Spoiler: Ruby and Yang and Jaune and any sister

besides Sun and Neptune who else has true sibling energy?

 

[Sliverhero]

Spoiler: Ruby and Yang and Jaune and any sister

besides Sun and Neptune who else has true sibling energy?

Click to shrink...

Ren and jaune from the chibi rwby

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Arturia Pendragon-Arc Profile

• Name: Arturia Pendragon-Arc
• Allusion: King Arthur / Artoria Pendragon (Fate series) combined with historical echoes of Joan of Arc and the legendary Round Table.
• Naming Process: Arturia is the feminine form of Arthur, directly referencing the Once and Future King of British folklore and the Fate series' Artoria Pendragon. Pendragon is the ancient Welsh epithet meaning "chief dragon" or "head dragon," symbolizing supreme royal authority and draconic might.
• Age: Mid-to-late 110s (appears in her early 40s due to exceptional Aura vitality and the lingering effects of her Semblance)
• Background: Born the heir to the throne of Albion, an island nation and Remnant's Britain analog, Arturia ascended young as her empire fractured. She led Albion through the Great War as its once-great empire collapsed, commanding the Round Table and forging legendary victories alongside her future husband Shirou. After the war she abdicated rather than prolong conflict, allowing Albion to peacefully merge with Vale into the modern super-state. She retired with Shirou to Radian, his ancestral home. When tragedy struck and their eldest son Jonathan Arc and his wife Elizabeth were killed by Grimm, she and Shirou raised Isabel and her siblings as their own, instilling the values that they were raised with. She still resides in the Arc family farmhouse, quietly watching over her great-grandchildren and enjoying her golden years.
• Race: Human
• Emblem: The Pendragon Dragon-and-Sword crest: A red dragon coiled around a silver sword.
• Weapon: Excalibur, a legendary longsword of unknown origin capable of channeling Aura into devastating energy waves. Currently retired in a sealed case within the Arcadia Mausoleum, though she can retrieve it in moments of true need.
• Semblance: Dragon Heart: Arturia manifests a draconic Aura field that massively amplifies the physical and combat capabilities of herself and any allies within a wide radius. It grants temporary "kingly" enhancements: heightened strength, speed, endurance, and unbreakable morale. In her prime it turned ordinary soldiers into legends and made the Round Table nearly invincible.
• Appearance: Petite (5'2"), elegant, golden-blonde hair now silver-streaked and worn in a simple braid, piercing emerald-green eyes, regal posture that never fully faded. Despite her age she carries herself with quiet grace and occasional flashes of battlefield poise.
• Outfit: Simple yet refined — soft blue dress with a white shawl, practical gardening gloves, and comfortable boots for daily life in Radian. On formal occasions she wears a modest navy gown with subtle silver embroidery of the Pendragon crest.
• Personality: Warm, patient, and endlessly kind to children and great-grandchildren. Still carries the quiet authority of a queen who once led armies. Deeply devoted to Shirou after decades together. Can switch from baking scones to disarming threats in seconds when old instincts surface. Loves gardening, storytelling, and spoiling her family, yet beneath the gentle exterior remains the sovereign who once shattered battalions. Still loves her husband's cooking, especially burgers.
• Notes: A living relic of Remnant's imperial age, Arturia embodies the ideal of the reluctant monarch who chose love and peace over endless war. She and Shirou raised Isabel and her siblings after Jonathan and Elizabeth's deaths. Though the world has mostly forgotten the fearsome warrior queen, her Semblance and Excalibur remain ready should true darkness return. She finds quiet joy in watching Jaune grow into the knight like the ones she fought beside.

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Shirou Arc Profile

• Name: Shirou Arc
• Allusion: Shirou Emiya (Fate series)
• Naming Process: Shirou is a Japanese given name meaning "fourth son" or "gentleman," evoking the selfless, weapon-forging protagonist of the Fate series.
• Age: Mid-to-late 110s (appears in his early 50s due to exceptional Aura vitality and active lifestyle)
• Background: Born the son of a mainline Arc and a Mistralian husband, Shirou was the last Arc to reside in the original Arcadia Manor before it burned. He met Arturia during the Great War, fought beside her as one of the Round Table's most reliable knights, and became her husband and staunchest protector. After the war he brought her home to Radian, helped restore an old farmhouse on their lands, and raised ten children with her. When tragedy struck the next generation, he and Arturia raised Isabel and her siblings as their own. He still lives in the old family farmhouse, running his restaurant, blacksmithing, and quietly supporting his family when Jaune attends Beacon.
• Race: Human (mainline Arc mother, Fuujinese father)
• Emblem: The Arc Family Crest with a subtle Pendragon dragon motif woven into it.
• Weapon: Kanshou & Bakuya - paired short swords he forged himself during the war.
• Semblance: Unlimited Blade Works - Shirou can manifest duplicates of any weapon or tool he has personally analyzed and "scanned" with his Aura. Each duplicate is approximately 20% less powerful and durable than the original, but as long as he has Aura he can create and telekinetically control dozens (or more) at once. In his prime he could project entire walls of blades or rainstorms of arrows to shield Arturia's flanks; he now uses it mostly for farm work, teaching, and the occasional dramatic "grandpa moment."
• Appearance: Tall, lean, tanned, white-haired with kind amber eyes and a gentle smile. Carries himself like a storybook knight who found peace. Still moves with surprising agility when needed.
• Outfit: Simple attire: Sturdy work shirt, apron, practical trousers, and boots for daily life on the farm or in his restaurant. On formal occasions he wears a dark red coat with silver trim and the Arc crest, with black armor underneath.
• Personality: Warm, humble, and endlessly supportive. The calm center to Arturia's quiet strength. Loves cooking, teaching sword forms in the barn, and telling (slightly exaggerated) war stories that make Arturia blush. Still calls her "my Sabrer" in private. Finds deep joy in watching his family thrive and in the simple peace he helped create.
• Notes: The devoted knight who laid down his blades for love and family. Together with Arturia he raised Isabel and her siblings after Jonathan and Elizabeth's deaths. His Unlimited Blade Works remains a quiet safeguard: A reminder that even in retirement, the Round Table's most reliable sword still stands ready. He finds his greatest victory not in war, but in the peaceful life he built with the woman he loves and the family they raised.