[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

[ExFelineServer3]

Not sure on the exact circumstances but What If? Cowboy Jaune and company end up defending a town from the SDC due to the town (Arizona/Nevada/Utah arid desert-like rocky canyon environment) sitting on an epic Dust Deposit/Cave System.
The SDC wants to buy them out, for a reasonable amount of Lien, but nothing compared to the amount of Lien that the Dust would come to and the townsfolk know this. Thus, someone in the SDC, could be Jacques or one of his underlings, gets greedy and starts to try running people off the land through various methods that culminate in captured Grimm being released to terrorize and demoralize the town. Which leads to Hunters being sent and then learning about what is occurring and trying to find a solution to it.

 

[SpaceK0k0nut]

Worldbuilding idea. Humans in the real world have an interesting relationship with fear and the dark. More specifically, fashion sometimes embraces both. Halloween costumes are one example, but the ones that really come to mind are emo and goth culture and fashion. Remnant may have something similar.

Enter (with some assistance fleshing it out from ChatGPT) Remnant's equivalents to goth fashion.

Grimmcore

Heavy use of Grimm imagery. Black/white/red palettes. Stylized bone masks. Fake fur modeled after Beowolves and Ursa. Red piping mimicking Grimm markings. Contacts designed to imitate particular species. Accessories shaped after claws, horns and teeth. Perhaps elaborate cosmetic "bone plates" for parties or concerts.

Mourning Goth

More aristocratic. Long coats. Veils. Dark formalwear. Victorian-ish silhouettes. Silver jewelry. Less "I am a Beowolf" and more "I attend funerals recreationally."

Salem herself might accidentally fit this category alarmingly well.

Huntsman Goth

Probably especially common among combat-school students.

Black tactical clothing mixed with Grimm motifs. Heavy boots. Weapon accessories. Stylized trophy imagery. Perhaps actual cleaned Grimm fragments would be culturally controversial or simply impossible depending upon how quickly Grimm bodies evaporate, so imitation materials become standard.

The vibe is: "Yes, monsters hunt us. I put their face on my jacket."

Neon-dark/club goth

Because Remnant has advanced technology and Dust.

Glowing Dust-thread accents. Reactive makeup. Hard-light jewelry. Programmable contact lenses. Red or purple illuminated trim.


And all of this with classics like black shirts (sometimes 'artfully ripped' in places); black jackets, hoodies, or hooded coats; 'artfully ripped' blue or black jeans; clunky black boots; black leather wristbands (sometimes studded with metal or fake Grimm bone); decorative metal chains; necklaces with Grimm skull/tooth/bone motifs; rings with similar motifs; fisnet shirts and/or stockings; fingerless gloves; striped stockings; fake Grimm fur, feathers, and/or scales in clothing; hoods patterned after Grimm heads or masks; black nail polish; and possibly white makeup to make the skin appear paler or even Grimm-bone white.

Salem is, understandably, confused when Tyrian eventually introduces her to the subculture by claiming to have found a "community of like-minded souls that embrace the glory of the darkness and my Queen".

Click to shrink...

Here's an additional from my OC folio:

Abyssalcore
Heavy seafaring motifs, naval inspired clothing/ acessories, lots of dark colors, hanging cloth and bleached bones.
Heavy mix of leather, thick cotton and rusted brass. Primarily Napoleonic-era style clothing, Huntsmen will frequently add tactical gear where able. Think cthulu mythos mixed goth fashion.

 

[digcat]

One of the big things about westerns is getting vengeance on the bad guys. So how about Jaune and the gang taking down cultists who destroyed a little town.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

I will admit due to Red vs. Blue and Monty's HALOID I do put a lot of Halo influence into my depiction of the militaries of Remnant.
The ground vehicles are very closely based on Halo vehicles, as an example. The Valeans are able to airlift all their heavy vehicles anywhere. Their focus is more on mobility, logistics and maneuver, whereas Atlas is more of the "mobile fortification" school of thought.

That is, Atlas is more of the "Come at me bro" strategy where they make an unassailable position and grind attackers down to nothing, then attack. Whereas Vale is more about maneuver warfare. Both militaries do use defense in depth and maneuver, of course, but it's a difference of prioritization and main focus.

And much like the UNSC, anything the size of a small capital ship and bigger will carry troops. And frigate-sized vessels can land, and thus, function as light troop carriers as well.

---

The frigate moved far more quietly than a ship the size of a flying building should.

It came in low up the river valley, gun decks dark, belly already open, four Dust jacks glowing neon red. The militia strip west of Radian was a little more than a broad stoop of packed gravel and painted rocks. The ship came down on it as gently as a floating feather, landing gears slowly extending.

Jacks kissed dirt. The keel groaned like a locomotive hitting the brakes. The whole hull settled until the grass lay flat under the shadow of the prow and the ramp hit with a sound like a car slowly crashing.

"Down and cold," the boatswain called, which was a lie. The reactors were only quiet. Quiet enough that the first Chimera tank could roll off without the lift cells fighting the weight.

Forty tons of Valean armor came down the ramp, smooth as you please. Marines in Radian green-adjacent kit drove in Dart all terrain utility recon vehicles, peeling toward the tree line. The Sky Drake anti-air battery, the same bogie-suspension and hull as the Chimera but the turret packing four rotary cannons, followed closely, radar already scanning above.

Mercer Senior watched from the fence, ears flat, with Nick and Jaune Arc watching. The old cat Faunus grunted, and adjusted his rotary gun arm.

"They always look so green when they come by," he huffed. Nick grinned.

"Well, that's because they're in training."

Mercer grumbled.

"They gotta train near my fields? They keep driving into the wrong ones."

"They're expanded fields and you're resting them," Nick consoled, "Not even in the main town."

"Even so," Mercer huffed.

"They pay us plenty for it, and it's good to let them," Nick soothed, chewing on a wheat stalk, "They need the experience."

Jaune's eyes were fixed on the last Dart. Rather than Marines, it carried a dark haired, grim looking man in black and silver armor with a massive sword, a smirking redheaded woman in a witch's hat with a low cut dress to show off her large cleavage, a grim faced man in while with a staff that glowed faintly with restrained power, and a blue haired woman with twin swords, standing at the mounted rotary cannon in the bed of the Dart, wearing a grin.

Hunters, he thought eagerly, Real Hunters!

There was a commotion at the treeline. Dark forms emerged-Black bodies, with their ravenous faces covered by bone masks. Grimm.

"And they take care of a few Beowulf packs that get in too close," Nick commented. Mercer scowled at his friend.

"Ain't that supposed to be your job?"

"Well, when half the militia is out for a wedding, it helps," Nick said. Mercer grunted.

"We could handle them all ourselves!"

"Yes, but they need the practice," Nick emphasized, as the Marines opened up on the Grimm. The Chimera tank fired, blowing apart several Beowulves. The pack scattered into smaller groups, trying to outflank the Marines. The Darts moved out as escorts for the Chimera and Sky-Drake, their guns booming loudly as they engaged the small Grimm at range to keep them at bay.

From the frigate, a Tigertail VTOL rose. It flew up and over, its own cannons joining the fight and blasting through the trees, taking out Grimm hidden in the leaves and branches of the small wood. Jaune stood up on the fence, leaning forward to get a better look.

Why didn't I bring binoculars?!

Even at this distance though... He could make out something big moving through the old wood. Something that fired off jet black spikes that shot into the Marine vehicles. A few men cried out in pain as their vehicles suddenly resembled porcupines. The Chimera kept firing, as did the Tigertail. The whole Marine platoon pulled back, and the Hunters stepped forward.

A reptilian Grimm bigger than two city buses stacked on top of each other burst out of the timber with a roar. Red eyes. Beaked mouth. A ridge of spines down the back.

"A Tarrasque?!" Mercer shouted. "How the hell did it get this close—"

He turned and glared at Nick. Nick sighed.

"What? They asked for more of a challenge."

"It's a Tarrasque!"

"And that's a challenge!"

The man in black drew the sword and shifted it into a rifle on the run, putting rounds in as he blurred from tree to tree. The witch raised her staff and hit the beast with Fire and Ice until it bellowed. The blue-haired woman vanished and came back above, below, and at its knees; the twin blades had become short autocannons, bolts biting deep and cooking off inside the hide. The Tarrasque answered with another spray of spines. The man in white put Dust shields up and the spikes sparked off like rain on a barn roof.

The rifle became a sword again. The man in black went through the thing's legs.

It hit the dirt hard enough that Jaune swore Vale City felt it.

The swordsman tapped his ear, snapped something at his team, and they were gone — back to the Dart, peeling out with the Marines. The Tigertail stayed on station and climbed.

Jaune blinked in confusion.

"What's going-?"

Nick covered his ears. Just in time-The large guns of the frigate opened up on the Tarrasque, great clouds of dirt and debris blasting into the sky like a small volcano was going off. Even with his improvised ear protection, the booms of the guns shook Jaune to his core.

It took a while for the smoke and dust to settle... But when it did, the Tarraque Grimm was dead, dissolving away into smoke.

Jaune grinned and held up his hands.

"THAT WAS AWESOME!" He shouted.

"It sure was!" Nick laughed, patting his son on the shoulder.

Mercer scowled at Nick.

"I'm telling Izzy you let a Tarrasque get this close to the town."

"NO! PLEASE!" Nick begged, already on his knees, "HAVE MERCY!"

 

[digcat]

Nick is not getting any tonight.

 

[ExFelineServer3]

"No Mercy" Mercer Sith

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Siegfried-class Air Battleship
Designation: Wayland Air Motors ABS-70 "Siegfried-class"
Classification: Heavy Air Battleship / Gunfire Support & Fleet Heavy Combatant
Role: Direct heavy gunfire against enemy airships, surface targets, and large Grimm formations; persistent area control; heavy escort and support for carrier groups
Manufacturer: Wayland Air Motors
Origin: Vale

Physical Specifications

• Length: 285 m
• Beam: 72 m
• Height: 58 m
• Mass: 175,000 metric tons (combat load)
• Configuration: Broad, heavily framed aerial hull with a reinforced upper gun deck. Twin-keel structure with large Gravity Dust projector bays for lift and station-keeping. Modest amidships hangar and recovery deck secondary to the main battery.
• Armor: Heavy layered titanium-ceramic composite with Dust-reactive panels concentrated on magazines, turrets, engineering spaces, and the lower and upper decks. Significantly thicker protection than Valiant- or Banshee-class carriers.
• Powerplant: 12 × Beltane B820 Dust reactor turbofans + 10 × high-output Neith Gravity Dust projectors.

Mobility & Performance

• Maximum Speed: 240 mph (385 km/h)
• Service Ceiling: 27,000 ft (8,200 m)
• Range: 7,200 miles
• Endurance: 55–65 days on station
• Maneuverability: Modest. Optimized for stable gun platforms and controlled hovering rather than rapid evasion. Gravity Dust projectors allow precise positioning for fire missions.

Armament
Main Battery

• 6 × 380 mm Dust-accelerated heavy guns in three twin turrets on the upper deck (two superfiring forward, one aft).
  • Elevation: −15° to +55°. The substantial depression angle allows effective engagement of surface targets and ground-level Grimm while the upper-deck mounting simplifies ammunition supply, magazine layout, and structural support.
  • Munitions: armor-piercing, high-explosive, and guided Dust-boosted shells for anti-airship and precision work.

Secondary & Dual-Purpose

• 12 × 150 mm dual-purpose guns in twin mounts.
• 18 × 76–88 mm rapid-fire dual-purpose guns.

Point Defense & Anti-Grimm

• 22 × Winchester M77 30mm CWIS autocannons
• 10 x Redspot Small Multirole Missile Launchers x 40 rounds per launcher

Air Group

• 10–14 aircraft typical: mix of Tempest Viper fighters for self-defense CAP, Tigertails for utility and local support, and occasional Dragonet heavy-lift.
• The hangar is deliberately modest; the ship is not a substitute for a Valiant or Banshee.

Sensors & Avionics

• Njord QAESA-7 Air Search and Fire Control Radar/Infrared Sensor Array System
• Full integration with VDF datalinks for coordinated fire with VDF units.
• Njord QSA-566 EW and countermeasure suite.

Crew & Capacity

• Crew: ~1,450–1,600
• Troops: Up to 250 for short-duration operations
• Internal volume prioritized for magazines, damage control, and gun crews rather than large troop or cargo capacity.

Key Features & Design Philosophy
The Siegfried-class restores a dedicated heavy-gun capital ship to the Valean fleet after the painful lessons of the Great War. Early in that conflict, Mistralian and Mantle carrier strikes devastated Vale's older air battleships, which had been designed with insufficient organic air defense and poor coordination with their own limited air groups. The result was a post-war doctrinal shift that heavily favored carriers (first the Valiant-class workhorses, later the higher-performance Banshee-class).

The Siegfried does not attempt to reverse that shift. Instead it occupies a complementary niche: a heavily protected, gun-focused platform that can deliver sustained, dual-purpose heavy firepower while operating in company with carriers. Its upper-deck main battery keeps logistics and ammunition handling practical, while the engineered depression angles ensure the same guns remain effective against airships, surface targets, and Grimm. The modest air group and strong point defense exist to keep the ship alive long enough for its batteries to matter, not to replace a Valiant's air wing.

Place in the Combined Valean Fleet

• Banshee-class: High-end, high-threat carrier for prestige and major power-projection missions.
• Valiant-class: Rugged workhorse carrier for sustained independent operations, forward presence, and flexible air-wing support.
• Siegfried-class: Heavy gun platform that provides the direct firepower the carriers prefer not to deliver themselves. Typically operates as the core of a heavy surface-action group or as a powerful escort and fire-support element attached to a Valiant or Banshee battlegroup.

In prolonged anti-Grimm campaigns the Siegfried's heavy batteries and ability to loiter under fire make it especially valuable. In peer scenarios it forces enemy airships to respect the threat of guided heavy shells while Vale's own carriers generate the bulk of the air effort.

Commissioned Ships

• VSS Siegfried (lead ship)
• VSS Beowulf
• VSS Orpheus
• VSS Cú Chulainn
• VSS Fionn
• VSS Lugh
• VSS Aeneas
• VSS Horatio
• VSS Romulus

The class is built in smaller numbers than the Valiant and is never intended to replace carrier aviation. It exists because heavy, dual-purpose guns remain one of the most efficient ways to kill large Grimm, punish enemy airships, and support forces on the surface — roles the carriers perform only at greater risk to their flight decks and air wings.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The afternoon light through the dorm window was the soft gold that only came after classes had ended and the courtyard had emptied. Ruby sat cross-legged on the wide sill, boots kicked off, polishing the crescent of her rose pin with the edge of her cloak. Jaune leaned against the frame beside her, listening more than talking while she sketched out some half-formed idea for a new addon to Crescent Rose.

She gestured a little too widely.

The pin slipped from her fingers, flashed once in the sun, and vanished over the ledge.

"No—!"

They both lunged. Too late. The small silver rose tumbled end over end and snagged in the upper branches of the old oak that grew close against the tower wall, hanging there like a drop of red and silver against the green.

Ruby leaned out so far Jaune caught the back of her cloak on instinct. "I can reach it—"

"No you can't." He was already swinging one leg over the sill. "I've got longer arms. Just… hold the window open."

He climbed out carefully, boots finding the thick lower limbs, aura humming low under his skin the way it still sometimes surprised him. The tree swayed. Leaves brushed his face. The pin glittered just out of easy reach, caught in a fork of thinner branches.

"Almost—"

Wood cracked.

The branch under his right foot gave with a wet snap. Jaune dropped, hit two more limbs on the way down in a clumsy cascade of leaves and bark, and slammed into the grass hard enough to drive the air from his lungs.

Ruby was already moving. She vaulted the sill without hesitation, cloak flaring, and landed in a crouch a few feet away before scrambling over to him.

"Jaune—! Are you okay? Oh my gosh, that was so high, I shouldn't have let you—"

He pushed himself up on his elbows, wincing, then sat fully. Grass stains and a few scrapes, nothing more. The residual glow of his aura faded from his shoulders like steam.

"I'm fine." He managed a crooked smile and held up the pin, still clenched in his fist. "See? Come on, Aura protects me."

Ruby's worry melted into a bright, relieved laugh. She took the pin with both hands like it was something fragile and precious.

"Thank you. Really. You didn't have to do that."

She pinned it carefully back onto her cloak, the silver rose settling against the red fabric as if it had never left. Jaune watched the small, practiced motion.

"It's pretty," he said quietly. "Who gave it to you?"

Ruby's fingers lingered on the metal for a second longer than necessary.

"My mom." Her voice softened the way it always did when the subject came near. "She died when I was really little. On a Hunter mission. But she left me this." A small, almost shy smile. "I wear it every day."

Jaune went still.

"I get it..." He smiles. "She'd be proud of you."

Ruby flushed. Her eyes went down to the grass, then back to Jaune.

"I... You know, everyone says that but..." She shrugged. "I guess I don't know if it, you know... Means."

Jaune smiled softly.

"I get it," he said. "I mean, I'm trying to figure that out too."

Ruby giggled.

"Yeah, well... I guess we could figure it out together?"

Jaune beamed.

"I'd like that..."

 

[digcat]

Just like that i actually have a reason to care about it.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

October is upon us. Not only do we do spooky stuff... We will also do Lancaster stories! So start working on Ruby/Jaune ideas!

 

[LordofBones]

October is upon us. Not only do we do spooky stuff... We will also do Lancaster stories! So start working on Ruby/Jaune ideas!

Click to shrink...

Not Lancaster, but Yang has increasing suspicions and recurring nightmares that Ruby's keen on upgrading the rest of her along with her arm.

Yang: *brittle smile* "Just...just calm down, Yang...it's not like Ruby left your flank exposed so you could lose your other arm and she'd have an excuse to turn your hands into shoulder-mounted laser turrets...yeah, it was just a mistake..."

 

[Arkan10]

Since it's the month of fear, Yandere stories would be perfect; they're scary, yet allow for storylines—there are so many possibilities. How about this: we already have childhood friend scenarios, so let's make some where they become deeply obsessed with Jaune. Eve Taurus is a great choice—Jaune was her true friend, so once she runs into him again, she won't rest until she has him, even if she has to kill for it. Or a scenario where Glynda is incredibly lonely due to work stress and Jaune becomes her partner in her duties; they become friends, but she sees him with younger girls and her jealousy spirals out of control—she even goes so far as to try to drive a wedge between him and his own team, as well as Team RWBY.

 

[Arkan10]

How about a story where Penny and Jaune start spending a lot of time together? Penny begins to develop feelings for Jaune and reads one of Blake's "steamy romance" novels—which turns out to be a psychological horror story. She mistakenly believes the behavior of the girl in the book is how she should act, effectively becoming a Yandere without realizing it. She does things to spend more time with Jaune—like isolating him from his friends, insisting on joint missions where she keeps him all to herself, and dragging him on countless dates—all with that robotic, sometimes artificial smile. Her actions cause others to misinterpret her desire to simply hang out as the behavior of a crazed obsessive; she even becomes somewhat aggressive toward anyone she thinks is bothering him or any girls who spend too much time with him. And let's not forget Pyrrha, who is deeply bothered by all of this; she tries to keep Jaune by her side as much as possible to thwart Penny, becoming increasingly aggressive with every failed attempt.

 

[Arkan10]

A story where Yang hits her head because of something Jaune did and loses her memory; Jaune cares for her with great affection and patience by way of apology, but without her memories, Yang assumes he is her boyfriend and becomes very clingy, seeing him as someone who would never abandon her. Even after healing thanks to her Aura and regaining her memories, she pretends to still have amnesia just to keep Jaune by her side at all times, and she threatens anyone who tries to tell him she has recovered.

 

[Arkan10]

Blake comes across an erotic novel that turns out to be magical; it tells a story with striking parallels to her own life, in which the female protagonist becomes obsessed with a character very much like Jaune. This character goes to extreme lengths—manipulation, attacks, murder, and kidnapping—just to possess him. Blake dislikes the story and puts it aside, but because the book is magical, it begins to affect her without her realizing it. She starts doing things similar to the book's protagonist to attract Jaune; although she catches herself and refuses to continue, the book causes a second personality to emerge—one that *does* commit those acts to win her man.

 

[Blackicefox]

Ruby/Jaune ideas!

Click to shrink...

That that had to be with out a doubt the best pairing in the sares both sisters are great with Jaune but Ruby and him had instant chemistry together

 

[cavalal386]

An attempt at horror.
There is no Jaune Arc.
There never was a Jaune Arc.
There is no record of a Jaune Arc, let alone a student in Beacon name Jaune Arc.
Yet team RWBY fully believe that there is a fourth member of team NPR.

 

[digcat]

Cowboy Jaune sings the best love song for the teams one night and doesn't say who it's for. It could be for one or all of the girls. Ren could have asked for help telling Nora how he fills about her.


View: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=sgJXbIP83A8&list=RDsgJXbIP83A8&start_radio=1&pp=ygUdcmFuZHkgdHJhdmlzIGxvdmUgeW91IGZvcmV2ZXKgBwE%3D

 

[Bommel]

Since it's the month of fear, Yandere stories would be perfect; they're scary, yet allow for storylines—there are so many possibilities. How about this: we already have childhood friend scenarios, so let's make some where they become deeply obsessed with Jaune. Eve Taurus is a great choice—Jaune was her true friend, so once she runs into him again, she won't rest until she has him, even if she has to kill for it. Or a scenario where Glynda is incredibly lonely due to work stress and Jaune becomes her partner in her duties; they become friends, but she sees him with younger girls and her jealousy spirals out of control—she even goes so far as to try to drive a wedge between him and his own team, as well as Team RWBY.

Click to shrink...

How about a story where Penny and Jaune start spending a lot of time together? Penny begins to develop feelings for Jaune and reads one of Blake's "steamy romance" novels—which turns out to be a psychological horror story. She mistakenly believes the behavior of the girl in the book is how she should act, effectively becoming a Yandere without realizing it. She does things to spend more time with Jaune—like isolating him from his friends, insisting on joint missions where she keeps him all to herself, and dragging him on countless dates—all with that robotic, sometimes artificial smile. Her actions cause others to misinterpret her desire to simply hang out as the behavior of a crazed obsessive; she even becomes somewhat aggressive toward anyone she thinks is bothering him or any girls who spend too much time with him. And let's not forget Pyrrha, who is deeply bothered by all of this; she tries to keep Jaune by her side as much as possible to thwart Penny, becoming increasingly aggressive with every failed attempt.

Click to shrink...

A story where Yang hits her head because of something Jaune did and loses her memory; Jaune cares for her with great affection and patience by way of apology, but without her memories, Yang assumes he is her boyfriend and becomes very clingy, seeing him as someone who would never abandon her. Even after healing thanks to her Aura and regaining her memories, she pretends to still have amnesia just to keep Jaune by her side at all times, and she threatens anyone who tries to tell him she has recovered.

Click to shrink...

Blake comes across an erotic novel that turns out to be magical; it tells a story with striking parallels to her own life, in which the female protagonist becomes obsessed with a character very much like Jaune. This character goes to extreme lengths—manipulation, attacks, murder, and kidnapping—just to possess him. Blake dislikes the story and puts it aside, but because the book is magical, it begins to affect her without her realizing it. She starts doing things similar to the book's protagonist to attract Jaune; although she catches herself and refuses to continue, the book causes a second personality to emerge—one that *does* commit those acts to win her man.

Click to shrink...

Combine your posts if they directly follow each other please (unless it has been a while between the time of posts).

Also, the enter key would make your posts much easier to read.

 

[Arkan10]

Combine your posts if they directly follow each other please (unless it has been a while between the time of posts).

Also, the enter key would make your posts much easier to read.

Click to shrink...

I'm writing from my phone and using a translator to go from Spanish to English; it often changes entire sentences on me. Inspiration strikes, but not very often—it takes me a while to come up with something coherent to put down.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Weiss Schnee was not, by any stretch of the imagination, a "graveyard concert" kind of girl.

Yet here she was, bundled in a thick white coat against the chill Vale night, trudging through wrought-iron gates into the old municipal cemetery with the rest of the circus. Jaune's cousin Alice Arc—self-proclaimed necromancer, perpetual goth queen, and apparently a walking ray of undead sunshine—had sent a handwritten invitation on black parchment sealed with a wax skull. Weiss had meant to politely decline. Somehow "sure, sounds fun" had come out instead.

And because Weiss Schnee did nothing halfway, she'd dragged everyone else along. "Cultural experience," she'd declared primly. Jaune hadn't stood a chance.

Alice spotted them the moment they crested the hill and let out a squeal that could wake the dead—literally. She sprinted over in a swirl of black lace and silver chains, pale skin luminous under the moonlight, violet-streaked hair flying.

"Jaune! Weiss! You came!" She tackled Jaune in a hug fierce enough to rattle his teeth, then spun to Weiss with shining crimson eyes. "And you brought everyone! I'm so happy I could raise an entire battalion!"

Jaune laughed, ruffling her hair. "Easy, Alice. We're here for the music, not the apocalypse."

Behind Alice, her infamous "Skelebros" were already causing chaos. One skeleton was trying to flirt with a translucent female spirit (unsuccessfully—she kept phasing through his ribcage). Another had swapped its femur with a different skeleton and was now limping in circles yelling "Who stole my leg bone?!" A third was juggling its own skull while humming off-key.

Yang took one look and grinned like a wolf. "Heh. Looks like these guys really know how to rattle a crowd."

Blake groaned. "Yang, no."

"What? They're clearly dying for attention."

"Yang, stop."

"Fine, fine. But somebody's gotta bone up on their puns around here."

Alice beamed at Yang. "I like you already! I'm Alice Arc, resident creepy cousin. And you are…?"

"Yang Xiao Long," she said, slinging an arm around Jaune's shoulders. "Jaune's fiancée."

Blake's ears flattened. "Excuse me?"

Pyrrha's polite smile went razor-sharp. "It's… her turn to pretend today."

Alice's eyes went heart-shaped. "Another fiancée?! Jaune, you absolute legend! Welcome to the family, Yang!"

Jaune looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him. A nearby skeleton offered him a shovel. He declined.

They settled on a grassy knoll overlooking a semicircle of ancient graves arranged like an orchestra pit before a grand marble crypt. A handful of locals—gravediggers in overalls, goths in full regalia, and assorted weirdos—lounged on blankets with picnic baskets. The Skelebros circulated with trays of glowing green punch that smelled suspiciously like lime and grave dust.

Weiss accepted a cup with extreme caution. "Alice… what kind of concert is this, exactly?"

Alice clasped her hands, sighing dreamily. "It's Leopold. He has a Necromancy Semblance too—but his works through music. When he conducts, the spirits can't help but answer. It's the most beautiful thing you'll ever hear."

On cue, the iron gates of the crypt burst open with a theatrical BOOM of violet Aura. Out strode Leopold: tall, tanned, absurdly muscular, dressed like an 18th-century maestro in tails and breeches. A fluffy pink wig sat atop his head. Round black sunglasses hid his eyes. A jagged sewn scar crossed his face like a lightning bolt.

He raised his baton with flamboyant grace.

Every grave in the pit flared with soft blue light. Ethereal spirits rose—men and women in period dress, translucent and luminous. Violins materialized in their hands, cellos, violas, a spectral harpsichord, even a ghostly bass drum. They tuned with eerie harmony.

Leopold flashed a dazzling grin. The baton slashed down.

The opening chords of Mystery Skulls' "Magic" exploded into the night—funky, soulful, alive. The spirits played with impossible passion, notes soaring over the graveyard like living things. Colored Aura sparks danced in the air like fireflies.

Weiss's breath caught. It was ridiculous. It was glorious.

Yang whooped, yanking Jaune to his feet. "C'mon, blondie! Dance with your fiancée!"

Jaune flushed but let her pull him into the open space below the knoll. Yang spun him with enthusiastic flair, blonde hair flying. He laughed—actually laughed—and matched her step for step.

Alice clutched Weiss's arm, eyes shining. "Isn't it perfect?"

Weiss couldn't answer. She was too busy watching the impossible orchestra, the swirling lights, the joy on everyone's faces. Ruby was already dragging a protesting-but-smiling Ren into the fray. Nora followed, hammering an air drum solo that somehow synced perfectly with the ghostly percussion.

Halfway through the song, a massive wolf-like Grimm—some kind of Alpha Beowolf variant—burst from the treeline, drawn by the noise and Aura flare. It roared, charging the crowd.

Panic rippled—

Leopold didn't even pause. He flicked his baton. A wave of pure violet musical Aura surged from the spirits, coalescing into a blinding crescendo. The Grimm disintegrated mid-leap, dissolving into black petals that scattered on the wind.

The crowd erupted in wild applause. Leopold bowed theatrically, pink wig bouncing.

The concert continued—song after song, each more magical than the last. Nora finally succeeded in dragging Ren into a clumsy but enthusiastic dance. Even Blake swayed in place, tail flicking to the beat.

When the final note faded and the spirits dissolved into grateful sparkles, everyone collapsed onto the grass in exhausted, happy heaps—except Weiss and Alice.

Alice practically floated toward the crypt. "Come on! I have to tell Leopold how incredible that was!"

Leopold leaned against his baton like a rock star cooling down, accepting praise with genuine humility. When he spotted Alice, his scarred face lit up.

"Little Arc! You brought friends!" His voice was deep, warm, with a faint Mistrali accent.

Alice immediately turned into a blushing, stammering mess. "I—uh—your performance was—um—really good—"

Weiss stepped forward smoothly. "What she means to say is that it was transcendent. And Alice here is extraordinarily gifted with percussion—her skeletal ensemble has impeccable timing. Perhaps a collaboration?"

Leopold's sunglasses glinted. "Is that so?" He turned to Alice, gentle. "Tell me about your style, little maestro."

Alice's words tumbled out in a rush—talking rhythms, bone xylophones, undead marimbas. Her hands moved like she was conducting her own invisible orchestra. Every few sentences she shot Weiss a grateful, glowing smile.

Weiss smiled back—small, genuine, warm.

Alice leaned in as Weiss turned to leave. "Thank you," she whispered. "I always freeze up around him."

"Anytime," Weiss whispered back. "You deserve to shine too."

She rejoined the group on the knoll. Most were sprawled out staring at the stars, riding the post-concert high. Jaune sat a little apart, gazing at the crypt with a soft smile.

Weiss settled beside him. "I… enjoyed this. Very much."

Jaune glanced at her, surprised. "Yeah?"

She nodded. "Your cousin is wonderful. I'm glad we came. I'm glad I've… made friends with her."

Jaune's expression softened. "Alice is one of the weirdest Arcs—and that's saying something—but she's got the biggest heart. Always had. Even when we were kids and the other cousins were scared of her skeletons, I thought she was the coolest."

Weiss looked at him for a long moment—moonlight silvering his hair, that earnest openness in his eyes. Then, without overthinking it, she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.

"Thank you for bringing her into my life," she murmured.

Jaune froze, face turning scarlet.

Weiss stood quickly, smoothing her coat, and walked away with as much dignity as she could muster.

Behind her, four sets of eyes—silver, gold, green, and lilac—glared absolute murder in her direction.

Ruby cracked her knuckles. "Okay. New rule. No more cheek kisses without a schedule."

Blake's ears flattened angrily. "Seconded."

Yang grinned dangerously. "Motion carries."

Pyrrha's smile could have frozen hell. "We'll discuss rotations later."

From the crypt, Alice's delighted laughter rang out as Leopold offered her a private lesson next week.

And under the watchful stars, the graveyard felt a little less cold.

- - -

Yes, it's Leopold from the Necropera project that… Never really progressed, sadly. But I thought him meeting Alice, our favorite necromancer, would be fun.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-TqfBEX6QtE&list=RD-TqfBEX6QtE&start_radio=1

 

[Trihexa97]

You did say sakura and rin were around is cousin Alice descended from sakura or a from a different arc branch on the family tree.

 

[Sliverhero]

You did say sakura and rin were around is cousin Alice descended from sakura or a from a different arc branch on the family tree.

Click to shrink...

Or her family got mixed up in a shuffle and one one of the many grand aunts picked up an extra kid by mistake and by the time someone notice its serval years later the kid moved out now married and a kid is on the way.

Kinda like all the joke on how extended adam family are related some how and they never asked who is a cousin to her. They are just the Adams family.