[RWBY] RWBY Shorts

[Quietview27]

-During a group breakfast, Yang discovers that Jaune takes wine with his morning meal. Hilarity ensues when she tries to prove that she's no lightweight and thinks he's questioning her badassery.

-Jaune did a stint as a bartender and knows his drinks and cocktails, inside and out. Yang is seriously offended when he questions her taste in drinks, because what does goody-two-shoes Arc know?

Yang: "...This is to certify that Jaune Nicholas Arc is a member of the International Union of Bartenders and Mixologists in good standing - There's no such thing!"

Click to shrink...

The morning was quiet, aside from Nora's pancake snarfing, but otherwise peaceful for team JNPR. Jaune was talking about a potential team maneuver for team exercises later that week.

"So I was thinkin right," he took a bite of a bacon piece, "If me and Pyr served as a frontline defense you know, since we have shields we could serve as a blockade for grimm or opponents."

"Sounds a bit risky for human opposition," Ren noted, "But rather sound for Grimm. They tend for more outright offense than us."

"Exactly! So while me and Pyr keep the Grimm focused on us, you and Nora could-"

"Morning guys!" Ruby's cheerful voice called out.

"Mornin Crater Face!"

She blew out a raspberry which he returned, causing the two to giggle, and some of the others to join at the playful banter. But then Yang approached, and snagged his drink.

"Sorry VB," her grin didn't seem apologetic whatsoever, "But I need a drink real quick."

"Yang wait no!" he tried to stop her, but it was to late. It took a rather shockingly short time for something to happen.

"Why? Wassaproblem," the blond brawler began to sway, her cheeks turning a slight red.

"Oooooh gods," Jaune murmured in worry.

"Uuuh, you okay Yang?" Ruby asked, worried for her sisters sudden shift in behavior, "Jaune, what did you have for a drink?"

He didn't answer for a bit, which worried present company more, before he let out a loud sigh, "Some of my family's personally made wine brand."

"You're family makes wine?" Blake asked, partially shocked.

"You were drinking wine for breakfast?!" Weiss half shouted, "How?! Why!?"

"Hey hey, I grew up drinking all sorts of the stuff alright! At this point it's basically like apple juice to me. Guess Yang didn't have quite the same tolerance."

"Hey!" the drunk blond sent an annoyed look, eyes red, "wadid you jusss say bout me?"

"Ehh, that you're very cute Yang."

"Oh," she let out a warm giggle, "thanksssshhh"

"This is gonna be a long day huh?"

"Oh oh can we all try it?!"

"Nora no!"

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The Schnee Manor felt colder than usual.

Jacques Schnee sat in a high-backed chair in the east sitting room, a neat white bandage wrapped around his head. The doctors had called it a "severe concussion with retrograde amnesia." One moment he had been stepping out of a board meeting; the next, a collapsing scaffolding beam from a nearby construction project had clipped him hard enough to rearrange everything he thought he knew about himself.

He remembered his name. He remembered numbers, contracts, the taste of expensive wine. He did not remember being a monster.

Weiss stood near the fireplace, arms folded tightly across her chest. Winter stood by the window, posture rigid, eyes narrowed. Whitley hovered near the doorway as if ready to flee. Willow sat farthest away, a glass of something stronger than tea already half-empty in her hand.

Jacques looked at each of them in turn, brow furrowed in genuine confusion.

"…You're all staring at me like I kicked a puppy," he said. His voice was softer than any of them remembered. "Did I… do something wrong?"

Weiss's laugh was short and bitter. "Something wrong."

Winter's voice was ice. "You don't remember."

"I remember fragments," Jacques admitted. He rubbed the bandage carefully. "I remember a boardroom. I remember being angry a great deal of the time. I remember… raised voices. Yours, Weiss. And yours, Winter. I remember Whitley looking at me the way one looks at a thunderstorm." He hesitated. "I don't remember why."

Willow set her glass down with a soft click. "Because you were a bastard, Jacques."

The room went very still.

Jacques blinked. Then, slowly, he nodded.

"That… tracks with the looks you're giving me." He leaned forward, elbows on his knees, expression open in a way none of them had ever seen. "I don't know who I was before. The doctors say it may come back. Or it may not. But right now I look at the three of you and I feel… ashamed. I don't know the details, but I can feel that I hurt you. Badly."

Weiss's fingers dug into her own arms. "You can't just—"

"I'm not asking for forgiveness," Jacques interrupted gently. "I haven't earned it. I don't even know the full list of things I need to atone for yet. But I would like to try."

Winter's jaw tightened. "Try."

"Yes." Jacques met her gaze without flinching. "I've been reading the company reports the nurses left me. The Dust mining conditions in Mantle. The labor contracts. The way the Schnee name has been used as a weapon." His mouth twisted. "I don't like the man who signed those papers. I don't like the father who made his children afraid of him."

Whitley finally spoke, voice small. "You called me a disappointment. Constantly."

Jacques's face fell. "Then I was wrong. Repeatedly." He looked at his youngest son with quiet sincerity. "You're clever. You're careful. You're still here, which means you're stronger than I ever gave you credit for. I'm sorry, Whitley."

Whitley's eyes widened. He looked away quickly, blinking hard.

Weiss's voice cracked. "You tried to force me into a political marriage. You threatened to disinherit me. You treated Mother like a decoration until she drank herself into silence."

Jacques closed his eyes for a moment. When he opened them, they were wet.

"I have no defense," he said quietly. "I only have the present. And in the present, I would like to undo as much damage as I can." He reached into the pocket of his robe and pulled out a small data chip. "I've already signed over controlling shares of the SDC to a temporary trust administered by Klein and an independent board. No more unilateral decisions. No more silencing whistleblowers. The miners in Mantle will receive hazard pay and proper protective equipment starting next quarter."

Winter's eyes narrowed further. "You're giving up power."

"I'm giving up the version of power that made me into someone none of you could stand." Jacques managed a small, tired smile. "It turns out I still know how to read a balance sheet. I simply no longer want to use it to crush people."

Weiss stared at him for a long time. The fight in her posture hadn't vanished, but something beneath it had shifted—something raw and exhausted.

"You're not him," she said finally. "Not completely. But you're still wearing his face."

"I know." Jacques rose carefully, still a little unsteady. He kept a respectful distance. "I won't push. I won't demand anything. If you want me to leave the manor, I will. If you want me to stay and prove I'm serious, I will do that too. Whatever you need."

Willow's voice was barely above a whisper. "Jacques… do you remember us? Really remember?"

He looked at his wife—really looked—and something complicated passed across his face.

"I remember the day we met," he said softly. "You were laughing. I thought you were the most beautiful woman I'd ever seen. I remember promising you the world." His throat worked. "I don't remember when I stopped trying to keep that promise. But I would like to start again, if you'll allow it."

Willow's eyes filled. She didn't move toward him. She didn't speak. But she didn't leave the room either.

Winter finally uncrossed her arms. "This changes nothing overnight. Trust is not restored by a head injury and a few signatures."

"I understand."

"But…" Winter exhaled through her nose. "If you continue this path—if you truly mean it—then we will see."

Weiss still looked ready to bolt or scream or both. Yet when Jacques carefully offered her a small, folded letter (handwritten, clumsy, full of crossed-out lines), she took it.

Inside were only a few sentences:

I do not remember the father who hurt you.
I only know that I do not want to be him.
—Jacques

Weiss folded the letter again, slower this time.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Pyrrha had managed a rare weekend off from interviews and commercials, and she intended to make every hour of it count.

Jaune had to train with his father. Everyone else was busy. And he had trusted her with Mia.

That morning, Jaune, Nora, and Ren left early. And just before he left, he turned and hugged her tightly.

"You're going to do fine, Pyrrha..."

Pyrrha stood in the doorway and made a tiny involuntary squeak as the door closed. She giggled softly. Then she turned back toward the bunk where Mia still slept, oblivious, clutching her little plush rabbit.

A little later, two cat ears twitched. Mia sat up, blinking.

"Morning, Pyrrha!"

"Good morning, little one!" Pyrrha sat on the edge of the bed and gently patted her head. This part, at least, felt easy.

Mia looked around. "Where's Papa?"

"Jaune is off training with Grandfather. I'm here to take care of you in the meantime."

Mia beamed. "Okay! Can I have chocolate cake for breakfast?"

Pyrrha hesitated. "That… doesn't sound very healthy. You need protein so you can grow. Perhaps bacon and eggs would be a better choice?"

Bacon and eggs sounds easy enough, she told herself. Orange juice for vitamins. I've got this. I'm sure of it.

Mia tilted her head. "But didn't Papa say you're not allowed to cook anymore?"

Pyrrha froze. "Ummm…"

Jaune would not want her to have chocolate cake for breakfast. He also would not want the kitchen on fire again.

Inspiration struck.

"Maybe we should go see what they have in the cafeteria!" she said, brightening. "That way you can have a balanced meal, and I can keep my promise to Jaune."

"Yay!"

Pyrrha offered her hand. Mia took it happily, Mister Bunny tucked under her other arm, still in her pajamas.

Pyrrha paused at the door. "Do you need to get dressed before leaving the dorms?"

"Um… noooo…"

"Are you suuuure?"

Mia pouted. "Hmph."

Pyrrha tried very hard not to squee. "How about this? You get dressed, but you can bring Mister Bunny with you to breakfast."

Mia's face lit up. "Okay!"

---

In the cafeteria, Pyrrha built a careful plate: eggs, bacon, a pancake, and orange juice. Mia immediately pointed.

"Yayyyy! Can I have strawberries?"

Pyrrha debated, then added four.

"Can I have more strawberries?" Mia pleaded.

Pyrrha put on her best stern-but-fair voice. "If you finish what's already on the plate, I will let you have more strawberries."

"Yay!"

Mia ate fairly neatly. When she finished, Pyrrha wiped her face with a napkin. Mia made a muffled little mmmngh of protest that only made Pyrrha giggle.

"You did a good job finishing your meal. So, as promised, you can have two more strawberries."

Mia demolished them. "Om… nom nom…!"

Pyrrha smiled—the real one, not the camera one. "What should we do today, Mia?"

Mia thought hard. "Hmmm… can you take me flying?"

That was what she called riding on someone's shoulders when they could leap.

Pyrrha giggled. "Of course, sweetie. Let's just go back to the dorms and brush our teeth first. Then I'll take you flying all around campus."

"YAY!"

They toddled back hand in hand, Mister Bunny swinging from Mia's other fist.

"I really like flying!" Mia said. "I wanna fly like you guys! It's so cool! Can I fly and run along walls like Arachnoman?"

"With enough training and effort, anyone can fly like us," Pyrrha said. "Maybe someday you will too. And maybe you'll be able to walk on walls, or maybe you'll be able to do something even more amazing. But whatever you choose to do, and whoever you choose to be…" She leaned down and scratched gently between Mia's ears. "…you will be loved."

Mia giggled. "Aw…!"

Mia set Mister Bunny on her little bed with great ceremony.

"Watch. Don't let anyone in, Mister Bunny."

Pyrrha checked the lock with theatrical seriousness, then brushed her teeth beside her. They spat at the same time and grinned at each other in the mirror.

"Are you ready to go flying now, little one?"

"YEAH!"

---

Mia climbed onto Pyrrha's shoulders and pulled on the little goggles Jaune had bought her. They, of course, made her even more adorable and Pyrrha could barely contain her squee.

"Yayyyy!"

Pyrrha held her legs carefully, paying close attention to her weight as they stepped outside.

"Fly! Fly! Fly!"

Among the columns at Beacon's entrance, Pyrrha broke into a run. Each stride carried her a little longer, a little higher, letting Mia get used to the motion.

"HWAH! HAHAHA! UWAHH! AHAHA!"

Pyrrha leapt around campus with Mia firmly secured. The little girl's happy screams sounded like music. It was also excellent exercise. She was so absorbed that she never noticed another student lifting a Scroll to take a photo.

"WHEEEEEEEEEEE!"

Pyrrha laughed too and leaped, sprinted and vaulted all over the campus. However, all good things ended. When Pyrrha's Aura dropped to around a quarter, she slowed near one of the fountains and slid Mia down into her arms.

"Alright, Mia. I'm getting tired, and I need to rest. We can do more things in fifteen minutes."

"Awwwww!" Mia pouted. "Fifteen minutes is… is forever!"

Pyrrha scratched between her ears. "It will pass by quickly. We can even play a game to pass the time. Like I Spy."

Mia giggled… then, unexpectedly, grew thoughtful.

"So… Papa said he's not taking anyone to the dance. You're all just going together, right?"

Pyrrha sighed. "It makes sense. There are so many of us who want to be a part of his life, and it would be unfair to the others just to take one of us. But more than that, I think…"

Mia tossed a pebble into the fountain. "Think what?"

"…I think he still misses your mother too much to risk falling in love again."

Mia went very still. "…Auntie Pyrrha… don't be mad. Don't tell Papa…"

Pyrrha gathered her up at once, stroking her hair. "Don't tell Papa what?"

Mia sniffled. "I… I watched Mama's last video. I snuck it out of Papa's drawer and watched it…"

Pyrrha kept stroking her head. "It's alright, little one. There are things that your mother wanted you to hear. And I won't tell. It will be our little secret." She booped Mia's nose.

Mia's eyes filled. "Papa… he was just so sad after watching it. He said I could see it when I was older and… and…"

Pyrrha wiped her tears.

"…I want Papa to be happy," Mia whispered. "I want a mama. But I love Mama. I-I just… don't know her. Am I bad?"

"Oh, sweetie. You aren't bad. And your mother wanted the same thing, too."

Mia sniffled again. "…I just… really want a mama. To be like other kids. I dreamed I met her. She was super nice. She told me she loved me and to be a good girl…"

Pyrrha kissed her forehead. "We all love you, Mia. And…" Her voice dropped to a whisper. "…I want to be your mother."

Mia's ears twitched. "Huh?"

Pyrrha went scarlet. She'd forgotten those ears weren't just for show. "You didn't hear that, did you?"

"Heard what?"

"What I said?"

"What did you say?"

"…About what I want?"

"Oh…" Mia smiled. "I'd like you to be my mama too. But… I also would like more mamas. Because I don't want to lose any of you! So… I don't mind if you're all my mamas! So I can get more snacks and hugs and toys!"

Pyrrha made a high, helpless squeak, then giggled through her blush. "If your father doesn't make his choice soon, we might just choose for him, and that's… that's the only choice I can see us agreeing on."

"YAY! I will have all the mamas! And maybe Ren or Sun as another papa? And then… ALL THE ICE CREAM!"

Pyrrha laughed outright. "I don't know if Jaune wants any husbands, but it's impossible to say anything for certain. Now that I'm feeling rested, what would you like to do next?"

Mia didn't even hesitate. "Ummm… I wanna fly again!"

"Very well, then. Hop on!"

---

They flew again. After that, Pyrrha brought her back to change—baggy jeans, a loose sweater, and a beanie for herself. Mia put on the pink dress Coco had made, then held up two ribbons.

"Can you put the ribbons in?"

"Of course! How would you like them?"

"I want pigtails! Cause they're neat!"

Pyrrha braided them in, threading the ribbons through, then lifted Mia to the mirror. Mia giggled at herself.

On the airship to Vale, Mia bounced in her seat and talked the whole way, watching the clouds.

"Seems you take to air travel better than your father," Pyrrha said, scratching between her ears.

"Hee… he doesn't like it but I do!"

"So… what can you tell me about your papa? Favorite foods? Books he likes? Clothes he wants to wear?"

Mia thought. "Ummmm… he likes this Tom Sawyer Gunslinger book. He reads it to me and it's fun! And he likes blue clothes, and he likes eggs… ummm… omtent."

"Omelet," Pyrrha translated fondly, and scritched her ears again. "Thank you, Mia. It looks like we'll be landing soon!"

Now if only she could learn how to cook that without setting the kitchen on fire again...

---

At the arcade, Mia dragged her straight to a fighting game.

Pyrrha was terrible at it.

Mia mashed buttons like a tiny professional. Pyrrha got stunlocked. Repeatedly.

"You gotta… dash!"

"How?!"

"Block!"

"That button!"

"No, the other button!"

Pyrrha kept losing. It was still fun. Mia was even cuter when she got mad about it. Neither of them noticed someone filming part of it.

"Dance game! Dance game! …Please?"

"That sounds grand!"

Pyrrha danced. Mia mostly jumped in place, radiant.

Then basketball.

Mia sank one and screamed. "YAY!"

Pyrrha, who had been missing on purpose so Mia wouldn't compare herself, allowed herself a single basket.

"Yay! You got one!"

"Yes, now we're one-to-one! Let's see if you can beat me!"

Mia's eyes narrowed with sudden calculation. "If I get the next two baskets… will you buy me ice cream? With extra sprinkles?"

"Of course!"

"And if I get three… can I have ice cream every meal?"

Pyrrha shook her head gently. "No, sweetie. Ice cream is good for a sometimes treat, but having it all the time wouldn't be healthy. You need to eat different foods so you'll grow big and strong."

Mia pouted. "You just think I can't make the baskets!" She sniffled.

"Sweetie, I believe you can make the baskets. That's why it's so important for me not to agree to let you eat nothing but ice cream. Why don't you ask for a different reward for making three baskets in a row?"

Mia thought. "Hmmm… can you get me a baby elephant? I asked Weiss for one but she said no. Mister Bunny needs a friend."

"I don't think Jaune wants to own an elephant," Pyrrha said, "but there's an elephant sanctuary in Vacuo I've always wanted to visit. We could go over the summer. You and me and Jaune."

"Okay!"

Mia threw three baskets in a row.

Then missed everything after that. It was still extremely suspicious.

"You did it! Good job!" Pyrrha clapped.

Mia giggled, then wilted. "…I'm sorry, Pyrrha. I play this a lot with Ruby and I'm really good and…" She sniffled. "I wanted ice cream for every meal. I didn't do a good job of fooling you. I wanna be smart like Papa and fool people."

Pyrrha knelt to her level. "Your papa didn't fool people for his own sake. He did it so he could help people and keep his promises. And it's okay. I'll still take you to see the elephants in Vacuo."

"And have ice cream all the time. I like elephants!"

"I like elephants too." Pyrrha kissed her forehead.

Mia beamed.

That was when Pyrrha heard the snap of a Scroll camera right behind them.

She looked. Whoever it was had already ducked behind a machine. She could have followed—but that would mean leaving Mia.

Not an option.

"Are you ready for lunch and ice cream, little one?"

"Yay! But tickets! Tickets!" Mia held up their winnings in both fists.

They got in line at the prize counter. The same man slipped in behind them and lifted his Scroll again.

Pyrrha reached back without looking and closed her hand around his wrist.

"Today is all about her," she whispered. "You can respect her privacy, or I will make you regret failing to do so. So back off."

She shot him one brief glare, then turned all her warmth back toward Mia.

"I-I'm just—!"

"Just going somewhere else. Right?"

Mia peered around her. "Who's that, Pyrrha?"

Pyrrha smiled. "Nobody important, darling. Just someone who walked into the wrong line."

At the counter, Mia stood on her toes. "Do we have enough tickets for the elephant?"

They counted together. Three short.

Pyrrha started to comfort her—then she saw those eyes, and she had to try.

She scanned the wall, spotted a Pumpkin Pete's shirt with her own face on it, and cleared her throat.

"Excuse me, sir? My friend's daughter really wanted the stuffed elephant, but we're three tickets short. I don't think you'd have the authority to authorize an exchange of value, so is there any way you could bring a manager over?"

The manager arrived already shaking his head. "I'm afraid we're not allowed to do any exchanges—"

"Before you commit to that," Pyrrha said politely, "I'm going to ask you to look at something. Just… please, don't make a big deal of it."

She showed her Beacon ID.

The manager's eyes went wide. "Ahem. Well… I'm sure… if you signed the Pumpkin Pete's shirt… we could work something out…"

"It's like you read my mind. Do you have a sharpie handy?"

She signed. The manager handed over an elephant nearly as big as Mia. Pyrrha deposited it into her arms.

"Thank you for being understanding."

"YAY!"

"And what do we say to the nice man for being flexible, little one?"

"THANK YOU!"

"That's right. Now, let's go have lunch."

"YAY! Can I have croccy-quettes?"

Pyrrha blinked. "Did you mean croissants?"

"No! Croccy-quettes!"

"…Do you know where we could get croccy-quettes?"

"The Gallian Place!"

Pyrrha hurriedly searched Gallian cuisine on her Scroll.

The manager leaned in and murmured, "She and her dad go to this café across the street. Can't miss it."

"Thank you so much."

"She's a cute kid. And her dad is a good customer."

---

At the café, Pyrrha opened the menu and realized she could not read a single Gallian word on it. She began to sweat.

"Croccy-quettes!" Mia announced. "Made of pork!"

Pyrrha whispered desperately to the waitress, "Please tell me you know what 'croccy-quettes' are…?"

"Croquettes? Yeah, no big deal."

The plate arrived. Mia cheered.

Pyrrha squinted at the rest of the menu. "This might be a stupid question, but… what's a… prophetrolls?"

"Buns with cream and covered in chocolate!" Mia said helpfully.

"That… actually sounds delightful. But not very hearty…"

"Mousse is good! Strawberry or chocolate! Baba au rhum!"

Pyrrha looked faintly panicked. "…You wouldn't happen to know the Gallian for 'protein,' would you?"

"Steak!"

The waitress was again very helpful, and they had a hearty meal.

After, Pyrrha and Mia walked out hand in hand. Mia's eyelids drooped even as she insisted, "I'm fine… not tired…"

Pyrrha laid a hand over her heart. "Then what should we do? I'm so tired…"

Mia huffed. "Hmph. If you're tired, we go home and you sleep. I'll… have fun…"

She was already stumbling.

Pyrrha picked her up, elephant and all, and yawned. "M'kay. I'll carry you to help stay awake."

Mia cuddled in. On the airship home she murmured, half-asleep, "…Mmm… Mama…"

Pyrrha's eyes stung. She kissed the top of her head.

"I love you."

She meant it. Not only her feelings for Jaune. This, too.

Mia purred softly in her sleep.

---

Velvet was waiting at the JNPR door.

"O-Oh… hello, Pyrrha." Her voice was quiet. She smiled at the sleeping girl in Pyrrha's arms.

"Hello. How are you?" Pyrrha opened the door, eager to get Mia down.

"Oh, I'm all right. Coco just asked me to drop off some clothes she made for Mia. Can I come inside?"

Pyrrha nodded. She laid Mia on the couch, set the elephant beside her, and started unpacking accessories. Velvet giggled, then blushed.

"Oh, sorry… Coco included these and… I really wanted to see them on Mia…"

Tiny pink ear mittens.

Pyrrha hesitated. "Well, Mia needs her rest right now. Perhaps I can let you know when she is done napping?"

"Oh, of course… but… could we at least see if her ear mittens fit? I promise I won't wake her. I do this for my little sisters all the time."

Pyrrha did not like how easily that convinced her. "…Fine. But if she wakes up, you're helping me get her back to sleep."

"Promise."

Velvet slipped the mittens on with extreme care. Mia didn't wake. She only suckled her thumb, hugged her elephant, and became somehow even cuter.

Velvet clapped a hand over her mouth. "So cute…!"

"She's always adorable," Pyrrha whispered. "But I think we just made her even cuter."

Velvet lifted her Scroll. "M-May I? She is soooo cute! I want to send them to Jaune!"

Pyrrha paused. "…Text Jaune first, and ask his permission. She's not my daughter yet, so I can't give you permission to photograph her."

Velvet blinked. "…Yet?"

Pyrrha stared at the floor, scarlet. "Um…"

"I-I mean, um… you know… h-he might… like another kind of girl… no offense…" Velvet was bright red now. "C-Cause you are amazing and wonderful… but… you know, um…"

Pyrrha looked at Mia, then back at Velvet. "The heart wants what it wants. And I love Mia as if she were my own. I want to be a part of his family more than anything."

Velvet's ears went pink. "…M-Me too. Oh, that's such a cool thing to say! Ahem… sorry…"

From the doorway came a fierce whisper.

"Tear her down, girl! Fight for your man!"

"But she's so nice!" Velvet hissed back.

"Come on, you're killing me here! Oh. Hey, Pyrrha." Coco stepped in like she owned the place. "Does Mia like the ear mittens I made for her?"

"We don't know yet. She's been asleep. We'll show them to her when she wakes up."

Coco crept closer, looked, and melted. "Ohhhh! She's soooo cute! If she asked me to shoot my gun, I'd hand Garuda over to her in a heartbeat!"

"Don't hand your gun to her!" Velvet whispered.

Pyrrha stroked Mia's cheek with one careful finger.

"We can teach her firearm safety later," she murmured. "Right now, she sleeps."

---

Written with and for [COLOR=rgb(20, 225, 20)]@Hahoalki[/COLOR]

 

[AndrewJTalon]

There was a gathering at the edge of the Emerald Forest.

Not a training exercise. Not a mission. A cluster of signs, cameras, and people who looked far too confident for how close they were standing to the tree line.

Jaune slowed as Team RWBY and JNPR approached. "Oh boy… what's this about?"

A man in a handmade vest stepped forward like he'd been waiting his whole life for this moment. "I am here to prove… I can be immune to the Grimm, and that Hunters are more of a problem than a help!"

Ruby stared at him.

"…That's dumb. You're super dumb."

The activist puffed up. "Oh no I'm not!"

"Oh yes you are!"

"Oh no I'm not!"

"Oh yes you are!"

A few minutes later, somehow, the argument had flipped.

"Oh no you're not!"

"Oh yes I am!"

Jaune pinched the bridge of his nose. Weiss looked like she wanted to scream. Blake had already started recording, more out of morbid curiosity than support.

The activist finally turned toward the trees. "See? Here I go!"

He marched straight toward a Beowolf that had been watching them from the undergrowth.

Jaune lunged. "No! No no no!"

The Beowolf snapped, jaws closing on empty air as Ruby blurred forward, grabbed the man by the collar, and hauled him back so hard his feet left the ground.

The Grimm snarled, then slunk deeper into the trees when Yang cracked her knuckles.

The activist dusted himself off, smiling like he'd just made a friend. "Friendly little guy, huh?"

Ruby's voice cracked. "YOU'RE STUPID!"

Nora leaned on Magnhild, thoughtful. "You know, if he got killed we could sell the footage."

Pyrrha and Jaune turned at the same time. "What?"

Ren did not look up from watching the tree line. "We've done it before."

Nora beamed. "Had to survive somehow!"

Teams RWBY and JNPR stared at them in complete disbelief.

Nora waved a hand. "Hahaha! Kidding! …Maybe!"

The activist, still holding his sign, brightened. "Wait, you have footage? Can I use that for the movement?"

Ruby dragged him farther from the forest.

"No. You're going home. And you're never coming back here. Ever."

Jaune looked at the protest signs, then at the trees, then at Nora.

"You were just kidding about the footage of people dying... Right?"

Nora just smiled.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The studio had barre mirrors, a polished floor, and a faint smell of wood and old rosin. Weiss, dressed in blue tights, had already queued a gentle piece of music. She turned, suddenly every inch the instructor and none of the heiress.Before her was Mia, wearing her own black tights and a dubious expression.

"All right, Mia. It's time to learn something that will make you more ladylike and elegant."

Mia wrinkled her nose. "But that's boring!"

Weiss smiled warmly.

"It also helps you become a strong Huntress. Like me."

Mia considered that. Huntress won. "…Okay. What is it?"

Weiss's smile turned bright. "Ballet!"

Mia gasped like she'd just been offered a whole bakery of chocolate roller coasters.

"You mean... Like the fairy princesses and swan ladies and stuff?"

"Yes!"

Mia grinned.

"Then let's do it!"

Weiss clapped her hands with a happy smile

"Okay! Today we are fairy princesses visiting a magical garden!"

Mia's eyes went enormous. "YAY!"

They started with warm-ups. Butterfly stretches, soles of the feet pressed together, knees bouncing. Mia threw herself into it with her whole body, ears twitching happily.

"Now," Weiss said. "First position. Put your heels together, toes making a… hm…"

"Pizza slice!" Mia announced.

Weiss laughed, surprised and pleased. "Very good!"

"Now we are going to do some pliés. To pick magical invisible flowers!"

"Okay!"

Up and down. Up and down. Up and down.

Weiss turned to check her form.

Mia was plié-ing with such violent enthusiasm that she overbalanced, wobbled, and marched herself straight into the wall.

"OW!"

Weiss'e eys widened.

"Mia! Slow down! Come back over here—!"

Mia did not slow down. She recovered, determined to gather more invisible flowers, and kept going—right through an open supply closet door.

CRASH.

"AH!" Weiss was across the room in an instant, scooping her up. "Are you okay, Mia?!"

Mia sniffled, rubbing her forehead. "Owwww…"

Weiss held her, checking for bruises, then set her carefully back on her feet. "It's okay. Let's just do more pliés… like we're gathering those invisible flowers. Slowly this time."

Mia nodded, solemn. "Okay…"

They practiced. They trained. They giggled when Mia's invisible bouquet became so large she had to pretend to carry it in both arms. Weiss corrected her posture with light touches and unexpected patience, and Mia, for all her chaos, watched her with shining concentration.

---

Jaune found them like that.

He stopped in the doorway, eyebrow raised, just as Mia spotted him.

"Papa! I'm a fairy I'm a fairy I'm a—AH!"

She danced toward him, tripped over her own pizza-slice feet, and went down flat on her face.

Jaune was kneeling before she even finished hitting the floor. He lifted her into his arms as she burst into tears.

"OWWWWWW!"

"Oh! Sorry, sweetie." Weiss hovered, wringing her hands. "You got a little carried away. You need to rest."

Mia huffed against Jaune's shoulder, already drooping. "Hmph… okay…"

Jaune looked over her head at Weiss, a small smile tugging at his mouth. "Ballet, huh?"

Mia was already nodding off in his arms, one ear mashed against his collar. Weiss folded her hands in front of her, suddenly less instructor and more girl.

"…It was something my mother taught me," she said quietly. "Along with music. Before, well… before she forgot about us. Before she... Well..."

Jaune's expression softened. "Oh. Weiss, I'm sorry—"

"No! No." Weiss shook her head quickly. A small, real smile found its way through. "I'm quite happy to be able to share it with her. I've… been trying to find things I loved as a girl to share with her. I want her to have a happy life. She deserves it."

Jaune stared at her for a long moment, Mia warm and sleeping against his chest.

"…Yes," he said. "Yes, she does."

Weiss's cheeks went pink.

She looked away toward the barre, but she was still smiling.

Inside her thoughts were... Distinctly less lady like.

Take that, Xiao-Long and Nikos!

 

[Quietview27]

After the war Jaune and Weiss are married and live in radian. How does Weiss deal with farm life.

Click to shrink...

"You alright there honey?" Jaune asked his beloved wife.

Looking over, he saw his petite white haired wife panting like never before. It was almost cute if it weren't worrying.

"Doing 'huff huff' fine," she managed, but the sweat pouring down her face said otherwise.

He sighed before walking over and hoisting her onto his shoulder, "Alright, you're taking a break before heat stroke kills you."

"Jaune Arc you put me down this instant! We are supposed to be tilling the field together!"

"Weiss you look like you just fought an army of Goliath's, please just listen to me this once. I can handle the fields, I did spend most of my life doing it after all."

Despite her protests, the shade he left her in trapped her. To be honest he was right, her life was spent in a cold environment, with her expected to be perfect. This life, constant physical work under a hot sun was not something she was used to, and her sweat soaked shirt proved it.

"F-fine," she relented, looking away from him, cheeks burning from heat and embarrassment. His chuckle at her pout didn't help.

"Thank you hon," he kissed her, and despite the sweat she happily returned it, "Now, I gotta get back to it. You just sit and watch how it's done."

'Maybe I'm never going to be good at this lifestyle,' she pondered, watching him walk back to the land, 'Xiao-Long would laugh seeing me this fatigued. From touching soil of all things! I wonder if I should put my good skills on display to help.'

"Phew," she heard Jaune sigh, "Today's a scorcher. No wonder you were melting."

Her eyes widened as he flung his shirt away, allowing her a glorious view of her beloved husbands muscular frame. Sure she'd seen, and felt them many times before, but seeing it glisten from sweat earned from hard work?

'I may never be a good farmer,' she licked her lips, 'but there are some merits to this life I suppose~'

 

[AndrewJTalon]

You know, there are twin gods who might fit the Brothers as Goa'uld.

Shalim and Shahar. They were Canaanite / Ugaritic gods, twins. One of Dark, one of Dawn. They would have been minor Goa'uld who found Remnant, took hosts and used magic that was on the planet (Basically energies that allow you to bend reality). They didn't want to share that power with the System Lords, so they kept it to themselves. They used this magic to toy with the humans on the planet, creating or manipulating the Grimm and studying magic. With the intention of eventually creating a big enough army to rule the galaxy. Unfortunately, things went tits up for them when it came to Salem and Ozpin. They cursed them with immortality in an effort to study it and see if they would become their new hosts.

It didn't go well for them though. Perhaps Shalim tried to possess Salem, but she threw herself into a Grimm pool and she was able to take control. But having a Goa'uld in your head is not good for your mental health. Shalim then possessed Ozpin, but found he couldn't. He died with his body. Ozpin kept reincarnating, almost like the spiritual version of a Goa'uld thanks to magic. In the end, the great war by Salem against the gods was to try and seize the Stargate. It ended in massive destruction and the shattering of the moon. The Stargate was lost, buried.

So, Shalim died. Salem is fused with Shahar and fighting her, driving her mad. Eventually she will turn everything on Remnant into Grimm or her warriors, and she wants the Stargate for it.

It is possible that there were other Goa'uld on Remnant. A few who were servants or retainers or Shalim and Shahar. Some kept in stasis for trying to overthrow the Brothers.

So at some point, someone might find one of these jars... And end up with a Snake in their head. Or they might stumble across the Stargate.

 

[Quietview27]

-Jaune's got a pet, of sorts. A creature that imprinted on him after hatching. It's an unusual beast but one that's fiercely protective of him... And can breathe atomic fire. Yes, it's Godzilla.

Click to shrink...

The fight with Cordovin had gone sideways, especially as the Leviathan emerged from the ocean at the sounds of their battle, and Jaune was growing worried at their chances.

"Damn it there's gotta be something we can try," he began thinking before his eyes widened, "that's it!"

"Jaune get back!" Weiss yelled seeing him rush to the cliff edge.

Jaune ignored her, stopped at the edge, then took a breath, "BUDDDDDDYYYYYY!"

His yell prompted confusion from everyone, before the ocean began shaking again.

"Oh don't tell me it's another Leviathan," Nora groaned.

But Jaune smiled as he saw familiar shapes rising from the water, "Kinda, but this one's with me."

To everyone's surprise, a titanic sized reptilian beast burst from the ocean, grabbing the Leviathan's head, and slammed it into the ocean. But then the beast started glowing blue, before unleashing a beam of pure energy from its mouth upon the Grimm. Needless to say it was dead in a matter of moments. Then the beast turned to them, growling as it approached Jaune.

"Stay away from him!" Ruby yelled, struggling to stand. The beast seemed to snort in amusement as it continued, before letting out a loud roar right at the blond.

Said blond let out his own roar, before a goofy smile formed on his face, "Buddy! Man how long has it been? Look how big you've gotten!"

The others could only watch in confused shock as the skyscraper sized beast began nuzzling against the blond who started scratching its nose affectionately.

"....and I believed Nora attracted weirdness," Ren muttered.

"Oh! Oh! Can I pet him to Jaune-Jaune?!" Nora however wanted to see what the beast felt like, hopping in place excitedly.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The Link — Stillhaven (working name)

A planned Valean community, maybe a few hours from the city by Bullhead, sold as a "free trial of next-generation civic health." Every citizen receives a neural link tied to a local CCT node. Marketing language: Feel safely. Live openly. Be of one mind.

The stated science: Negative emotions is treated as a public-health emission, like smoke. The Link detects rising cortisol/Aura turbulence and damps the peak before it leaves the skull as a Grimm-lure. People still feel things. They just don't peak.

Daily life looks gentle. Wide streets, soft lighting, no sirens. Arguments end early because both parties feel the heat get sanded off. Funerals are short and strangely dry-eyed. Children laugh, but the laugh has a ceiling.

What the Link actually does

• Clips spikes: panic, fury, grief, jealousy, ecstasy — anything high-amplitude.
• Leaves a warm baseline: mild contentment, mild concern, mild affection.
• Logs everything to the node. "For calibration."
• Can push as well as pull. Officially unused. Unofficially, the town charter allows "emergency affect management" during Grimm alerts: dump a wave of calm, or, in one classified protocol, a wave of focused dread aimed away from the residential grid to bait Grimm into a killbox. Or all the emotion into one person as a sacrifice to the Grimm.

That last protocol is the loaded gun in the drawer. Because whoever controls the Link controls the entire town.

The downsides?

• Rebound. Take the Link off and six months of unspent feeling arrives in an hour. People who leave Stillhaven sometimes die of it — heart, stroke, or they just scream until they go insane.
• Semblance starvation. A lot of Semblances are tied to will, love, rage, grief, or identity. Kids raised on the Link often cannot unlock. Adults who had one find it going quiet. The town calls this "stability." Huntsmen call it crippling the next generation.
• Grief that cannot finish. You cannot complete mourning if the peak is illegal. Houses fill with people who are "fine" and also hollow.
• Compliance creep. Dissent feels physically unpleasant. Not pain — just a fog and a nudge back toward the mean. After a few years, residents start pre-censoring themselves so the Link never has to work.
• The Watchers. A small admin caste can read the town's emotional weather map in real time. They know who is about to crack. They decide whether to soothe, isolate, "recalibrate," or remove the problem entirely.

What can you do with this idea?

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The Keeper

Isabel had run through every other option she could.

Every medical method. Every Dust formulation she had ever trusted. Every desperate little trick her Semblance would let her force on a child's failing body. She had even asked the other half of herself and still it was not enough.

Jaune was eight. He should have been tearing through the orchard with his sisters, not lying in the spare room at Arc-En-Ciel with a rattle in his chest that no Aura, no Healing Dust, and no amount of Total Body Control could silence for long.

Even with Aura, if she ever unlocked it, the life ahead of him looked long and dark.

So she made a request.

The hospital wing was quiet that night. Nick had finally been bullied into taking the other children home. The monitors hummed. Jaune slept with shallow, expensive little breaths.

Isabel sat on the edge of the bed and folded her hands in her lap so they would stop shaking. She knew exactly what she was asking... Yet she had to say it out loud.

"…Meryt," she whispered. "I… I am almost afraid to ask—"

The voice inside her did not make her wait. It never had.

I know the depth of feeling you have for your son, Isabel. Am I not part of you? I have seen the boy through your eyes for all these years. Seen all your children.

A warmth moved around Isabel's spine, old and certain. Not a god. Not a parasite. Just Meryt-"Beloved" in its language. Isabel's ever present companion.

How could I not choose to save him?

Isabel closed her eyes. The relief that hit her was so sharp it felt like grief.

"…Thank you."

Your grandmother offered me sanctuary when my last host was dying. Your father the same, when the time came. Your family has been nothing but kind to me. It would be my honor.

Isabel turned Jaune gently onto his side. Doctor's hands. Mother's hands. She swept his blond hair off the nape of his neck and rested two fingers there, counting the pulse.

"You'll be kind," she said, not quite a question.

Always.

The leaving hurt the way a pulled tooth hurt — a bright, clean absence. Isabel felt Meryt uncoil from the base of her skull, a slender living ribbon of pale gold slipping free into the waiting cup of her palm. For a moment she was only one person again, and the quiet inside her own head was enormous.

She set Meryt against the back of Jaune's neck.

The creature entered the way they always had: swift, precise, no tearing. Jaune's breath hitched once in his sleep. The rattle in his chest softened, and it vanished. Color came back into his mouth. The monitors, which had been negative for weeks, settled into a strong, healthy rhythm.

Isabel stayed there until she was sure. Until the small presence that had lived in her for decades finished seating itself along her son's spine and went still, working.

She did not sleep.

---

Jaune Arc, age eight, woke the next morning whole.

No difficulty breathing. No pain. He was full of energy in a way he had almost forgotten how to be. Sunlight from the window lay across the quilt. He could smell breakfast from downstairs. He could smell.

He sat up.

"Huh…? What happened?"

The door opened. His mother came in with a mug and a look he did not recognize at first — not the doctor face, not the scary-when-angry face. Just his mom, tired and smiling.

"Hello, sweetie." She sat on the bed and brushed his hair off his forehead with two fingers, the way she always did when she was checking for fever and pretending she wasn't. Her other hand, light as anything, found the nape of his neck and rested there. "How are you? How do you feel?"

Jaune thought about it.

"Good... Really good... But my head feels weird."

Isabel's mouth twitched. "Well. I tried a new method to heal you. Or rather... An old method. Meryt agreed to blend with you."

He looked at her for a long time. Eight years old, and already too good at putting pieces together.

"…So I'm the Keeper now?" His voice went small. "Will… will you be okay?"

"I'll be just fine." She said gently. "She's a Tok'ra, Jaune. Not one of the other kind. She asked. She'll keep asking. If you ever want her to leave, she will."

He believed her, because she said it the same way she said eat your vegetables and your father is an idiot but he's our idiot. Then the next thought arrived, bright and stubborn.

"So… can I get my Aura now? You said the Keeper had to be a Hunter too, so they could protect Meryt."

Isabel went still.

Jaune bowed his head, then looked up with different eyes. His voice came out modulated.

"It will keep us both safer, Isabel. I know how you feel but this is the reality of the situation."

The silence stretched. She looked at his face — the color already back in it, the bright eyes — and she sighed, long and quiet.

A Tok'ra in an unlocked person was just a target.

"…Yes."

Jaune's whole body lit up, as he took control again. He grabbed her hand.

"Thanks, Mom. Don't worry though. I'll be careful."

"You'd better," she said, "And Meryt? You'd... Better be prepared to deal with hormones when he hits his teens."

Meryt gently took over with wry smirk that didn't fit on Jaune's young face.

"Oh believe me, I'm more than familiar."

---

Written with help from LeechBlade.

 

[Quietview27]

Then cinder walks by and things take a turn…

Click to shrink...

"Yeesh these powers might've been a mistake," Jaune groaned while massaging his temple.

It'd been 3 days since he somehow became able to read the minds of all the women near him. And when he learned just how obnoxious he was in Weiss' mind, and that was the nicest he could say about what she actually said. Reminder to not play the guitar for her again like that, he quite liked his face not being hit by it.

And that was only the start, because then he'd been curious and looked into others minds, before stopping intentionally because woo boy was that a privacy breach he'd rather not cross willingly.

"Don't think I'll ever recover after Blake," he shivered at the memory of her thoughts when she saw two of their classmates talking to each other. Like seriously they could just be friends Blake where did steamy bathroom sex come from?!

"Maybe I can wish for the power to go. Think I've had my 'fun' with it right no-hm? Oh it's that girl from Haven."

True to word, the woman in question had walked around the corner. She noticed him, and offered a seemingly flirty wink.

"H-hey," he waved, 'I guess one more time couldn't hurt."

'Ah it's that oaf from Nikos' team' he felt a bit hurt, but he also accepted that she wasn't wrong, 'Hmph, despite it he is a bit cute. In a kicked puppy sort of way. A shame to know it won't last long.'

'Wait what?'

'Soon this school with suffer Lady Salem's wrath, and that fool Ozpin will be killed. But first to find Amber.'

Jaune paled at this information, and when she was out of view, he rushed to the headmaster's room. Arriving into the room, Jaune saw the man eyeing him with curiosity.

"Mr. Arc," he offered a smile, "Is there something you need?"

"Y-yes sir," Jaune kicked himself for the stutter but continued, "Um, o-odd question but, do you know a woman named A-Amber?"

The rooms temperature dropped. Jaune saw those green eyes start to shimmer intensely, gone was the playful curiosity, replaced by cold danger.

"Why do you ask?"

"W-well, y-y-you see s-sir I- ok look I found this cool keychain thing, a-and I made a wish thinking it was just me talking to myself right? B-but then it came true a-and I could hear girls thoughts! Kinda bit me in the ass in the end b-but anyway. I listened to one of the transfer students for the Festival, and."

He could see the man's gaze soften a bit, "Could I see this keychain?"

"h-huh? Oh sure,"

He held out the item, and the man seemed to let out a sigh of relief, which confused Jaune more if he were honest.

"I see that you were speaking the truth. And I can also assume this woman's thoughts involved the name Amber yes?"

Jaune nodded, "that, a-and a person named Salem. She said her wrath would come for the school."

"I see," Ozpin's stare was more intense than before, "Mr Arc, who was the transfer you read the mind of? I assure you, your answer will serve a mighty benefit."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

The White Fang had left a bomb under the Valean Capitol Building.

It sat in the service tunnel like a mean little secret: a crate of packed Dust charges wrapped in jury-rigged wiring, a digital timer glued to the face, and a red LED that kept chewing seconds off the world. RWBY and JNPR had chased the last pair of masks down here and found the device instead of the bombers. The bomb squad was on the way.

Too bad they weren't going to get here in time.

Ruby crouched in front of it with Crescent Rose folded at her hip and a screwdriver already in her hand.

"Um… okay, okay…" She swallowed. "Does anyone have experience in bomb disposal…?"

Nora's hand shot up so fast her hammer almost clipped the ceiling.

"I do!"

Ruby stared at her.

"I mean in stopping a bomb from blowing up!"

Nora slowly lowered her hand. Ren shook his head and deadpanned:

"She doesn't."

Jaune dropped to a knee on Ruby's other side, already tracing the wiring with his eyes the way he traced farm circuits and broken Scrolls. His voice came out tight but steady.

"Okay… okay, this is just an electronics problem. Ruby! Pyrrha!"

Weiss was already half a step back, Myrtenaster's chamber clicking as she loaded Ice Dust.

"Weiss, just in case this doesn't work, you need to be ready to put Ice Dust barriers up around the tunnel." Jaune didn't look away from the crate. "Try to contain it."

Ruby popped the main panel. It came off with a cheap plastic snap that felt insulting given the circumstances.

"Okay… usually there's like… a red wire and a blue wire…"

Every wire in the nest was yellow.

Ruby made a noise of pure betrayal.

"Oh come on!"

Jaune leaned in.

"Okay… Pyrrha, through induction you should be able to sense the voltage and amperage of the wires. Am I right, Ruby?"

"Yeah! So we just need to find the right circuit!"

Pyrrha was already there, gauntlet off, two fingers hovering over the first yellow strand like she was about to take its pulse.

"Right!"

Ruby bit her lip.

"Um, but the problem is that telling the detonation circuit from the timer circuit is difficult because the amperage on this is going to be complicated…"

"Okay…"

"I'm just saying I didn't bring a multimeter…"

Jaune didn't even hesitate.

"Pyrrha is the multimeter."

Ruby glanced up.

"Can she tell me precise amperage?"

Pyrrha winced, apologetic even now.

"Um… I can just tell you 'high,' 'medium,' 'low'…?"

"Oh… well… that will work! Totally work!" Ruby said, her grin almost frantic.

"Yeah…" Jaune said, his smile just as tene. "Yeah…"

Weiss's patience snapped first.

"Why not just short out the detonator with Lightning Dust? Or use Ice Dust to freeze it?!"

Nora barked a laugh that had no humor in it.

"Then we might cause the bomb to go off, dummy!"

"I am not—!"

"That is very fair!" Jaune said, before the argument could eat any more time.

Pyrrha worked the nest one wire at a time, eyes half-lidded, Semblance tasting current the way other people tasted weather.

"This… has the highest amperage…"

A beat.

"This has the highest voltage…"

Ruby's hands hovered over the cutters.

"Okay… okay… um…"

Jaune's shoulder bumped hers, light.

"You got this, Crater Face."

Yang was watching the timer like it had personally offended her.

"Yeah… no pressure… we've got… one minute! More than enough time!"

"Yeah…" Ruby whispered. "Yeah…"

She stared at the yellow. All of it yellow.

"Okay… okay… so, um…"

Nothing resolved itself.

"That doesn't help…"

Pyrrha looked at her.

"So…?"

Ruby's voice went very small.

"So… um… I'm going to have to cut the wires… at random."

Jaune exhaled.

"Oh…"

Yang's grin was a little too bright.

"…I'm… I'm confident in you!"

"Yeah! You got this!" Nora added, already bouncing on her toes like surviving this would count as a party. For Nora, it probably would.

"I'm not worried!" Jaune said, which would have been more convincing if his knuckles weren't white on his own knees.

Blake, quiet against the tunnel wall, nodded once.

"Same."

Ruby cut the first wire.

Nothing.

She cut a second.

Nothing.

A third.

The timer kept chewing.

"…Okay… okay… just two left… Need to pick one…"

"Pick one…" Jaune echoed.

Pyrrha's brow furrowed.

"Just… they're equal in amperage… so…"

Ruby's voice cracked into a hiss.

"Why did they design this bomb so badly?! We should—we should complain to them for shoddy bomb construction! It's so sloppy—ridiculous—we're gonna—!"

Blake's voice cut through it, low and even.

"Just… listen to your heart."

Ruby closed her eyes.

The tunnel held its breath with her.

She cut...

Nothing blew up.

The LED died. The timer froze with twelve ugly seconds still on the clock.

Jaune sagged so hard he almost sat on the concrete.

"…I never doubted you."

Yang was already there, crushing Ruby into a hug that lifted her off the floor.

"Not for a second!"

"Totally!" Pyrrha said, smiling like her heart had only just started again.

Weiss had one hand on the wall.

"I think I had a heart attack…"

Nora whooped, hammer over her head.

"WOO! Survived a heart attack! Even better day!"

Ren, deadpan as ever, folded his arms.

"Indeed."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

A Different Kind of Offer

Ruby found Jaune on the roof.

He was sitting with his back against a vent, Crocea Mors laid across his knees. The Vale lights were spread out below them, small and far away.

"Hey," she said.

Jaune looked up and scooted over without being asked. "Hey. You look like you just got out of Ozpin's office."

Ruby dropped down beside him. "Is it that obvious?"

"You've got the 'I talked to a mysterious adult and now my brain hurts' face."

That earned him a weak little laugh. Then it faded.

She pulled her knees up and wrapped her arms around them. "General Ironwood offered me a job."

Jaune blinked. "Like… a Huntress job?"

"No." Ruby stared at the city. "Weapons design. In Atlas. Full workshop. Test ranges. Funding. I could build things. Real things. And not have Yang yelling at me for using the kitchen table as a workbench."

Jaune whistled softly. "That's… huge."

"Yeah."

They sat with it for a second.

"I talked to Ozpin first, afterwards," Ruby said. "He said Mom would love it if I became a Huntress. That that was my greatest destiny." She picked at a loose thread on her sleeve. "He said it like it was supposed to make it easy."

Jaune turned the thought over. "Did it?"

"No."

He nodded. "Yeah. That tracks."

Ruby glanced at him. "You're my best friend! You're supposed to tell me what to do and give me great advice!"

"I'm really bad at that."

"I know."

"So why ask me?"

"Cause you're my best friend," Ruby giggled.

Jaune leaned his head back against the vent. "I think Ozpin's right about one thing. Your mom wanted to be a Huntress. She was a Huntress. If she could see you now, she'd be proud of that path. But…" He shrugged. "I don't think she'd want you to pick it just because it was hers."

Ruby frowned. "That's not better."

"I didn't say it was better. I said it was true."

She huffed. "You're supposed to make it less confusing, Jaune."

"Sorry. I left my Best Life Advice binder in the dorm. It's also invisible."

That almost got another laugh. Almost.

Ruby's voice got smaller. "I love being a Huntress-in-training. I love my team. I love fighting Grimm and helping people and… and being like her. But when Ironwood started talking about design labs and field-testing and making weapons that could keep whole cities safer…" She swallowed. "I wanted it. I really wanted it. And that feels like I'm betraying something."

Jaune was quiet for a moment.

"My family wanted me to be a doctor," he said. "Then I ran off to become a Huntsman with fake transcripts and a sword I barely knew how to use. If destiny was just 'do what the people who love you expected,' I wouldn't be sitting on this roof." He looked at her. "Your mom would want you to be happy. I don't know if that means Beacon or Atlas. I don't think anyone gets to know that except you. You're allowed to choose."

Ruby stared at him, silver eyes bright and frustrated. "That doesn't make things any better."

Jaune shrugged. "Yeah. Choices that matter usually don't."

The wind moved across the roof. Far below, a Bullhead lifted off from the docks, running lights blinking against the dark.

Ruby bumped her shoulder into his. "Thanks anyway."

"Did I help?"

"No," she said, then immediately softened. "Yes. I don't know. I'm still not sure what to do."

Jaune smiled a little. "That's okay. You don't have to decide it tonight."

Ruby looked back out over Vale, Crescent Rose's weight a familiar presence at her back, and the offer from Atlas sitting in her chest like a second heartbeat.

Two good paths.

One life.

And for the first time since she'd arrived at Beacon, the dream wasn't simple anymore.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

What if someone tried to create a Grimm/Human hybrid?

Think about it: If you could make a human/Grimm hybrid, maybe they could give you insight into how Grimm work. Maybe they could give you information on how Grimm operate and track humans. Maybe you could even figure out how to control Grimm with them.

So someone makes a Grimm/Human hybrid. Top secret lab. Speed grown.

RWBY and JNPR with Oobleck investigate this lab, where the staff has mysterious disappeared, leaving one surviving scientist... And a strange little girl.

A little girl who knows nothing beyond a cell in a laboratory. Who has undergone torture and horrific experiments.

And now... She is starting to hear a voice in her head. An older, female voice...

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Something Left Behind

The lab did not look abandoned so much as interrupted.

Lights still hummed. Screens still glowed. A kettle sat on a burner in the break room, long since boiled dry. Oobleck moved through the corridors at a speed that would have been comical if the place had not smelled like antiseptic and fear, the rest of RWBY struggling to keep up.

"Notes dated as recently as forty-eight hours ago!" he said, flipping through a clipboard without slowing down. "Staff roster of twenty-three. Security logs cease at 02:14. No distress signal. No evacuation order. Fascinating! And horrifying! Mostly horrifying!"

Yang kicked a door open. "Yeah, Doc, we got that part."

They found the surviving scientist in a sealed observation booth, curled under a desk with a shattered Scroll in his hands. When Jaune pried the door open, the man stared up at them.

"Ah... Rescue party? Good."

Ruby lowered Crescent Rose a fraction. "What happened here?"

The scientist laughed once. It made their stomachs curdle. "Oh... Nothing much."

"What are you working on here?" Oobleck demanded. The scientist was silent. "Well?"

Slowly, he pointed at a room marked "Containment Three".

Nora yanked the door open.

In the middle of the room, glowing faintly in the gloom of concrete and metal, sat a glass cell. RWBY, JNPR, and Oobleck, escorting the scientist, entered.

A little girl sat on a cot in the glass cell, studiously scribbling on paper with crayons on a cot. No toys, a few books. Other than that, just a drain in the floor and a camera in the corner that was still blinking. She looked eight, maybe nine. She might have been pretty if you ignored the black veins faintly visible at her throat and the way her black and red eyes tracked them through the glass.

She stood up when she saw them.

Oobleck's coffee cup lowered. "…Oh."

Blake's ears were flat. "She's a kid."

Jaune immediately knelt down and pressed his hand to the glass. The child stared for a moment, before she extended her hand back to press back.

"Hey," Jaune said softly, "It's okay... We're here to help you."

"Don't get too close to it," the scientist stated. Oobleck glared.

"'It?'" He asked dangerously.

"I know what it looks like," the scientist stated, "But it's not a child."

"Let her out!" Nora demanded, holding up her hammer threateningly. The scientist shook his head.

"It's not a child. It doesn't matter what it looks like, it's not."

"What are you doing to her?" Weiss demanded, her rage barely held back by icy control. Yang was just as threatening with her eyes and hair glowing.

"Containing it. For study."

Pyrrha's hand tightened on Miló. "You did this to a child."

"She's not a child." He would not look at the glass. "That was just what survived the process."

Ruby stepped closer to the window. The girl tilted her head, mirroring her.

Ruby lifted a hand, slow, and waved.

After a second, the girl waved back. Small. Careful. Like she had seen the gesture on a recording and was trying it for the first time.

Jaune's voice was quiet. "Does she have a name?"

The scientist snorted. "Subject Vesper. We… some of the night staff called it Vee."

Nora, for once, did not joke.

"Open it," Oobleck said. The scientist sighed.

"I know what it looks like. I know. But you can't let it out."

"Let her out or we'll splatter your brains against the walls," Yang snarled. Oobleck held up a hand.

"... Leave her in the cell for the moment," he stated.

A flurry of protests emerged from the teenagers, but Oobleck shook his head.

"I have to go over their logs and notes," he stated. The scientist sucked in a breath.

"Only if I can call my lawyer."

Oobleck stared at him.

"If you're asking for that then you know-"

"Of course," the scientist demurred, "You're too smart not to figure it out."

Oobleck slowly shook his head. He couldn't look at Vee.

"... Then-"

"Yes," The scientist murmured, "We did it."

"Did what?!" Ruby demanded.

"... Keep watch over her," Oobleck ordered, "do NOT let her out. Under any circumstances."

"But-!" Yang protested, but Oobleck silenced her with a glare.

"Do not let her out."

He led the scientist out. The teenagers turned their focus to the small girl in the cell.

Vesper did not attack. She flinched from sudden movement and stared too long at ordinary things: Ruby's cloak. Yang's hair. The sound of Ren's breathing. When Weiss offered her a protein bar through the wall slot, Vesper turned it over in both hands for nearly a minute before taking a cautious bite, as if fearing it was a trick.

"She's never been outside," Blake said.

"She's never been anywhere," Yang muttered.

Ruby sat on the floor so she would not tower over the girl and scooted right up to the glass. "Hi. I'm Ruby. You're safe now, okay? We're going to get you out of here."

Vesper's mouth moved around the words like they were a foreign language. "…Out."

"Yeah. Out."

The girl touched the black veins at her neck. "The voice is louder when the glass is gone."

Everyone went still.

Jaune crouched beside Ruby. "What voice, Vee?"

Vesper looked past them, at a point in the air none of them could see. Her expression was not quite fear. It was recognition.

"She says the people in white coats were fools," Vesper whispered. "She says they poked at the edge of her work and called it science." A pause. "She says I am unfinished."

Ruby reached for Vesper's hand without thinking. The girl pressed her hand back. The black veins under it pulsed once, slow as a tide.

"She knows my name," Vesper said, and for the first time she sounded almost happy. "She says I don't have to stay in the room anymore. She says I can come home."

Jaune met Ruby's eyes. Her silver orbs widened in confusion.

"What does that mean, Vee?" Ruby asked.

"... I can come home," Vesper whispered.

Outside the lab, the forest was very quiet.

Too quiet.

Like the Grimm in the trees had stopped hunting.

Like they were listening.

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Ruby kicked the RWBY dorm door open, then kicked it shut behind her hard enough that the hinges rattled.

Yang looked up from her bunk, one boot half-off. "Whoa. What—"

"What the heck are you doing?" Ruby demanded. Her cheeks were flushed, her cloak still half-on. "I liked Jaune first!"

Yang blinked, then let out a slow breath and finished pulling her boot off. "I'm not stealing anything, Rubes. It's up to Jaune to make his decision about dating. Whatever or whoever that is." She shrugged, a little too casual. "Besides… I'm much better suited as Jaune's girlfriend. And future wife. I'm willing to give him time to recover. You're too impatient."

"I am not impatient!" Ruby snapped. "I'm just eager!"

Yang sighed. She patted the mattress beside her. "Sit."

Ruby grumbled, but she sat.

Yang turned to face her properly, elbows on her knees. "If Jaune does choose me, it'll be because he's thinking about what's best for himself and Mia. This isn't a contest." A beat. Then that familiar, crooked grin. "Though I absolutely want to win it."

Ruby growled.

Yang smirked. "Hey. I'm willing to be fair. But I do aim to win."

Ruby's shoulders hunched. "You get everything."

Yang's smirk faded. She pulled Ruby into a one-armed hug and rested her chin on her sister's head.

"Hey. Look. If he decides on you, I'll support you all the way."

Ruby's voice came out small. "Promise?"

"Yeah." Yang squeezed her. "But look. Take it slow, okay? He's still grieving his wife. So don't push him. Or you'll lose him."

Ruby was quiet for a moment. "…I… well, yeah. I don't want that. Or to make you sad. Geez. This is complicated."

"Love always is." Yang's voice softened. "Or a crush. Which is what I think you have. It's your first."

"Nuh uh! Dr. Levant was my first crush!"

Yang pulled back just enough to stare at her. "That goofy scientist from Wormhole X-Treme? Huh. Good choice."

"Ha! See? Jaune's a little like him."

Yang huffed a laugh. "Yeah. In a good way. But that's not the same thing, Ruby." She sobered. "I'm just telling you that you might get your heart broken here."

Ruby looked down at her hands. "…I know. But I feel this way. And… and maybe I don't… know how to be a mom or anything, but… I know how I feel."

"I know." Yang hooked an arm around her shoulders and hugged her close. "So don't worry, okay?"

"Yeah, but… I mean… I don't want to lose…"

"I know. Neither do I. Or the other girls." Yang's voice went firmer. "So no matter what, we still care about Jaune. And each other. Right?"

Ruby was silent for a long second. Then she nodded against Yang's shoulder.

"…All right. But if you marry Jaune… we both marry him."

Yang snorted. "That's not how it works."

"It is totally how it works." Ruby lifted her head, silver eyes bright with stubborn conviction. "Besides, Mia wants lots of mommies."

Yang sighed, fond and exasperated all at once.

"She's greedy."

Ruby smiled, small and fierce.

"And so am I!"

"For cookies, not wives."

 

[AndrewJTalon]

Vale Central Park was doing its best impression of a postcard. Late afternoon light through the trees, paths packed with joggers and families, the distant rumble of traffic on the ring road. Jaune and Blake walked the south loop with VPD vests over their usual clothes. For once, things semeed quiet.

Jaune had been searching for a topic of conversation... And had come up empty. He licked his lips.

"Uh... So... Um... I like your bow."

Blake stared at him like a cat on the farm for a moment, before nodding. "Thanks Jaune."

"Uh. It's okay." He scratched the back of his neck. "We just… never talk much."

"Naturally. We don't hang out much either."

"Yeah."

She glanced at him, then away. "I'm starting to think we should rectify that."

"Oh. Well. Thank you." He cleared his throat. "I-I think we should be better friends too."

"Don't mention it." A small, almost-smile. "I could teach you gag talk."

"…Gag talk?"

Blake produced a handkerchief from somewhere, tied it tight around her mouth, and mumbled something completely unintelligible at him.

Jaune stared. "…How would that help?"

She pulled it off. "You'd be surprised."

A car ripped past the park entrance at speed, blew the red light at the crossing, and kept going. In the back window, a baby was leaning half out into the wind.

Jaune's voice went flat. "That kid's not in a car seat."

"Come on!"

Blake was already moving. She hit the street in a black blur, landed on the trunk, then the roof, hair snapping behind her. Jaune pounded after her on foot, Aura burning in his legs. He wasn't as fast as Blake but he could at least keep up on her tail.

Blake leaped and landed on the hood. She glared at the driver through the windshield.

"PULL OVER!" Blake shouted.

The driver yelped and slammed the brakes. The sedan skidded to a stop halfway into the next intersection, the baby mercifully falling back into the interior. Jaune caught up as Blake dropped to the pavement. He yanked the back door open.

Expensive clothes. Open bottles rolling on the floor. A pretty blonde woman slouched in the back seat, reeking of liquor. The baby sat unsecured beside her.

The driver twisted around, trying for a smile. "H-Hey… uh… what's up?"

"Hey." Jaune kept his voice even. "You guys ran a red light. And your baby isn't in his car seat."

The woman blinked at him, slow and glassy. "Ohhh…?" Then she saw his face and tried for bedroom eyes. It did not work.

"Hey, buddy." Jaune leaned in toward the baby. "Hey."

A patrol car rolled up behind them. Jaune straightened without taking his eyes off the kid.

"Male driver, ran a red, baby was hanging out the window, not strapped in. Female passenger, possible mother, looks drunk."

The officer nodded. "Gotcha."

The baby started to cry.

The woman punched him in the face.

"HEY!" Jaune caught her wrist before the second swing landed. She jerked against his grip.

"Wha… H-hey. I didn't do anything!"

Blake was already there, lifting the baby out of the seat and turning her body so the woman couldn't reach him. The driver shoved his door open and ran.

Blake's foot hooked his ankle. He went down face-first on the asphalt.

The officers had cuffs out before he finished groaning.

"You're under arrest for child abuse, ma'am."

"Wh-Whaaa… but… asshole piss… pissh…!"

They folded her into the back of the cruiser. The second officer looked at Blake.

"You mind calling child services, Miss Blake?"

"On it."

Jaune checked the baby over with careful hands. A bruise was already darkening on the little cheek. The kid had gone quiet after the hit, which was worse than the crying.

"Bruise. Poor guy. He's so quiet after a hit." Jaune grimaced. That had a lot of nasty implications.

Blake lowered her scroll. "Just got off with Child Services. They're sending someone to the station."

"Hey, hey." Jaune rocked him a little. "It's gonna be okay, buddy. I promise."

The baby hiccuped, then smiled. Then giggled.

One of the officers clapped Jaune's shoulder. "You're good."

From the cruiser, the mother protested drunkenly: "My baby is… he's fine… I didn't hit… didn't hit nothin'…!"

They shut the door on her.

The driver was being held up against the other car. An officer leaned on the frame. "So. What are you to her? Are you the baby's father?"

"N-No. Yeah. Maybe? I-I dunno. She's slept around—"

Blake's look could have peeled paint.

"We were just, ya know… um…"

"Why were your pants down?"

"We were kind of… making out."

"With your kid in the car," Blake stated, cold and hard.

"He was in the back while we were doin' it… That's fine, right? Riiight..."

The breathalyzer chirped. Very drunk. He went into the same car as the woman, handcuffed and handled none too gently.

"You mind waiting for CPS while I take them in?" the second officer asked.

"Sure." Jaune kept rocking. The baby's eyes were already drifting.

Blake stood beside him, arms folded, watching the cruisers pull away. Her eyes were narrowed to near slits.

"…Some people," she muttered angrily.

Jaune started humming, then singing under his breath. An old lullaby. It soothed the child, and he slowly slipped into sleep. Blake looked down at the child, and bit her lower lip.

"I don't know if we did anything good here. He might end up back with that woman."

"Give it a chance," Jaune said gently.

The baby giggled in his sleep. Blake reached out, hesitant, and stroked his hair. Tiny fingers closed around hers.

She didn't know what she was doing. Jaune could see it in the way she held her wrist too stiff.

"I can help you with this."

"Huh? I uh—"

He adjusted her arms, showed her how to support the head, how to let the kid settle against her. Blake went still.

"Ok…"

The baby turned and snuggled into her chest like he'd been waiting for it.

"Oh."

"He likes you."

"I… um. Oh. G-Good."

Jaune smiled a little. "Are you an only child?"

"…Yes."

"I'm a middle child."

Blake's mouth twitched. "It shows."

"Naturally I learned about stuff like this."

A vision hit her. Two kids, blond with cat ears, tearing across a yard. A nice, cozy home. Jaune in the middle of it, laughing, not even looking surprised.

"Blake? You okay?"

Blake, dazedly, replied: "Yes, honey?"

"Huh?"

She shook her head hard. "What?"

"What?"

"I didn't say anything!" Blake insisted.

Jaune blinked.

"…Okay...?"