[AN: -And now, back to your regularly scheduled Dead End vacation!]
— Jaune Arc —
He still felt sick. Air travel didn't agree with him at all, Jaune found. No, it just ended in upchucking, embarrassment, and terrible first impressions. Hopefully, that wouldn't be a recurring problem… Huntsmen didn't fly all that often, right…?
Even just thinking it, Jaune knew that couldn't be true. How else would they get to their dangerous and impressive missions across the world? Gods, why did he want this again…?
No… No! Jaune steeled himself and slapped his cheeks awake! He was going to make something of himself! He was going to succeed! Jaune Arc would show the world, he'd show them all! He'd be a legend! A Huntsman to make the Arc name proud! He wasn't going to run back home at the first sign of discomfort!
That terrible thing called 'motion sickness' was just his first hurdle. And Jaune had leaped clear over it. Barely stumbled! It was true! Anyone who doubted that clearly hadn't stayed to watch him make a full recovery once he was back on solid ground! He was solid now, solid as a rock. Or, like… a good table! He just needed his feet beneath him. Now, he was ready to take on the world!
Jaune looked around him at Beacon in all its glory. It was… awesome… Here, he'd make himself just as awesome! Throwing up on a pretty girl's shoes sucked… But it was a busy day. Surely, no one would remember that… incident… It was in the past now! Practically ancient history! Only his future was laid out before him now. And it wouldn't have any more upchucking in it, Jaune was sure!
He squared his shoulders. He put on that winning smile he'd practiced in the mirror. He strode forward into his future. Confidence, Jaune, you can do this!
His imagination showed something special in his mind's eye. An awesome dream for an awesome new place. Dream-Jaune stood tall and strong, older, with the shadow of a beard like Dad's on his face. Sword in one hand, shield at his side. A tide of darkness flooded in around him, but Dream-Jaune blazed with light against the darkness. He was a warrior, a protector, someone who mattered. And it all began here, Jaune's journey to become the man he was meant to be!
He put that confidence he didn't quite feel (it would come!) into his walk, his smile, and a few finger guns here and there. Finger guns were cool, right? Duh, they were guns. Of course, they were cool! Not that Crocea Mors wasn't. It was classic! Can't go wrong with the classics!
Beacon was a shining castle, looming in the not-so-far distance. Everyone was headed that way. They probably knew something (likely more than he did…). Jaune shrugged and followed the flow of incoming students, striding and shooting finger guns the whole way.
He barely made it halfway across the entry courtyard before a voice interrupted him. It was a familiar one. So familiar that Jaune didn't even flinch at first.
"Jaune," The familiar voice called out in greeting.
Jaune's reply was automatic, "Oh, hey, Uncle Sean."
But as soon as the words crossed his lips and registered in his brain, Jaune froze mid-step. His head whipped around in panic. Quickly. Too quickly. Jaune threw himself completely off balance, his body matching his shocked mood with a stumbling, jarring double-take.
"Uncle Sean?!"
Sure enough, a familiar but utterly unexpected face was staring back at him. It'd been a year or two, but Uncle Sean was exactly as Jaune remembered him. Confidence that Jaune wished he could have. Cool, dark style. And… a knowing smirk on his face. Oh, gods, he knew!
"Jaune. Nephew," Sean said frankly. "You've really gone and done it now. We should talk."
"H-Haha, what's there to talk about, Uncle Sean…?" Jaune tried for a laugh that came out sounding rather fake and hurried, even to his ears… "I-I'm sure whatever you think we need to talk about, we don't! A-And-! And if we do, it's all just some big misunderstanding! B-Besides-! I'm busy! I have, uh… orientation…? Yeah, orientation to get to!"
"And you have plenty of time to get there. Ol' Oz likes to give the new students a good while after they arrive to settle in."
"O-Oz…?" Jaune gulped. "You know… the Headmaster…?"
Visibly amused, Sean just nodded, "I should. I am working as one of his professors here for the time being, after all."
Jaune felt like he was going to faint… "C-Congratu~LA~tions…?"
Oh, gods, his voice cracked! Why did his voice have to crack?! This absolutely couldn't get any worse!
"Thank you, Jaune," Sean chuckled. "Now, walk and talk with me. You probably don't want to do this in public."
That reminder made Jaune stop, look around… and suppress a whimper. He was wrong. It could get worse. It did get worse, with other people watching! Some of his soon-to-be fellow students were curiously glancing their way. A few had outright stopped when Sean mentioned his position at Beacon. Gods, Jaune could just about die…!
"Y-Yeah!" Jaune, quite frankly, squeaked. "Let's walk and talk, Uncle Sean!"
"Good choice," Sean nodded. "Come along. I won't chew you out too badly. The full extent of that task is going to be left to my dear sister. As I said, Nephew, you've really gone and done it now…"
"Oh, gods…" Jaune whimpered slightly. "Mom's gonna rip me apart…! Y-You've gotta save me, Uncle Sean!"
Sean turned and began to walk, waving Jaune's way over his shoulder. Jaune hurried to catch up. He was so out of it, so distraught, that he barely registered the woman who joined them. Barely, but he still did.
"Uh, Uncle…? Who's this?" Jaune asked.
She was a kind and cool-looking young woman around Sean's age. Gorgeous. If Jaune didn't have bigger things to worry about, he would've been tongue-tied. As it was, he was only confused and cautious. But Sean didn't say anything to protest her inclusion. If anything, he visibly settled next to the dark beauty, with her pale skin, gentle eyes, and her expression of amusement without it being cutting or malicious.
"Jaune, meet my other half, my Death, Didi," Sean introduced. "Didi, meet your new nephew, Jaune Arc."
"Y-You're married, Uncle Sean?!" Jaune sputtered.
Sean's lips quirked slightly. "That's one word for what Didi and I are."
"A rather underwhelming one, in my opinion," Didi tittered. "But I suppose it gets the gist across. It's an absolute honor and pleasure to meet you, Jaune. No matter where you go or what happens, know you'll always have an ally in me. It's the least I can do for… Family~…"
"I-…" Jaune trailed off, finding himself blushing. She was just so caring, so earnest, so gentle… "Uh, thank you…?"
Didi smiled at him, "You're welcome. Always. And it's no trouble at all. Not for Family."
"Now," To Jaune's dread, Sean brought the conversation back on track. "Let's talk about how you've fucked up, Nephew. First, though, I feel like I should get your side of the story. I've heard from your mother. Now, I'll hear from you."
"Oh, what good would that do…?" Jaune bemoaned.
Stopping off the courtyard's main walkway with a bush for privacy, Sean turned to him with a serious and sincere look in his eyes, "Jaune. No number of mistakes, big or small, will stop me from being your uncle. I can empathize with you, I suspect. And I can be your greatest defender when the rest of the family gets here. But to do that, you're going to have to trust me enough to open up, wholly and honestly. So what's going on, Nephew? What motivated you to an extreme plan like this?"
"It… It's just-…!" Jaune hesitated before going nearly limp where he stood and admitting in a small voice. "… I felt smothered. Sheltered for their sakes, not mine. Like I couldn't do anything on my own. Like no one would let me… If I didn't do this now, I'd be stuck in everyone's shadows for the rest of my life."
"Mom and Dad… I get it. I think I do, at least," Jaune continued. "They didn't want to force me into the Arc legacy like my grandparents did to Dad. But at the same time… It feels like Dad swung too far in the other direction. Like I couldn't pursue the family legacy, even when I wanted to. So I… ran away and didn't let them even try to stop me."
Sean looked at him as if piercing straight to Jaune's core. Then, he nodded, slow and proud, "It's good to see you aren't making yourself intentionally blind or dumb. Your parents are people, just as flawed as everyone else. Seeing that at your age, even if you didn't say it, is impressive.
"You're right. Your dad still has scars from his childhood. He might've transferred them onto you without realizing it. His parents didn't give him a choice. To make up for that, he gave you every choice but the right one for you, it seems.
"And Juniper… My sister loves very protectively. She thinks she can shelter you kids from everything, that she's strong enough to do so. But no one is. And sometimes, protecting those we love can come right back around to harming them.
"Both of your parents have had their fair share of danger. They led impressive careers as a Huntsman-Huntress pair. But they've put that stage of their lives behind them. They're content. Happy with their home and their retirement, with you and your sisters. They've settled down. But in doing so, I think they've forgotten the 'fires of youth' for lack of a better phrase. They don't understand that the peace they need now might not be what their children need, not at this stage of your lives."
Jaune fell quiet. Listening. Internalizing his uncle's wisdom and insight. He didn't realize Dad had scars from his childhood… Jaune just thought… well, he thought it was parental protectiveness. Not actual trauma. Sean's words were a peek into his parents' minds. A hint that the situation was deeper than he'd realized. Where Jaune thought he 'got it', he'd only scratched the surface. His parents were people, too. And Jaune didn't quite know how to feel about that.
Silent and introspective, Jaune didn't notice Didi's approach until she was hugging him, "There, there, New Nephew~… Sean told me something recently that sums this up rather well. Every man is a universe unto himself. Do you understand what I mean by that?"
Jaune paused… and shook his head, "No, uh, not really…"
"You have your wants and needs, motivations and goals," Didi elaborated. "You're complex by nature, and that's a wonderful thing. But so is everyone else. Yes, even your parents. They're just as complex as you. They have desires and traumas and fears, and I have no doubt they're trying their very best to raise you through those things. That's all we can do, through mistakes, complications, and victories: try our best, for Life is often full of situations with no definite right and wrong."
"O-Oh…"
"That, mostly," Sean smiled fondly. "But in this situation, there's at least one definite wrong. Jaune. Pick up your damn scroll!"
"Bu-wha-?! I-!" Jaune sputtered.
"Seriously," Sean's tone turned grave and reproachful. "Completely cutting yourself off like that is the worst thing you could've done. You could've died in transit, and your mom would still be calling your scroll now, none the wiser. Your sisters would be texting a dead number, and they wouldn't even realize it. I can support you in setting out to find and make your own way through the world, but going completely MIA is just cruel and stupid. For that, I'm disappointed in you, Nephew."
Jaune paled. He paled dramatically and even began to feel faint, "It-… That-… I didn't mean-! O-Oh, fuck…"
"Oh, fuck, indeed," Sean nodded somberly. "But I'll tell you what… If you promise to call your mom and keep in contact, I'll help you prepare for your time at Beacon."
Through Jaune's horror, a spark of hope bloomed, "Y-You aren't going to send me home…?"
"I won't," Sean confirmed. "I'll even defend your right to stay when the family gets here. But to be brutally honest, Nephew? You're currently so out of your depth that it's hilarious. If you're even going to survive Initiation, you desperately need my help. You don't even have awakened Aura."
"Aura…?" Jaune cocked his head.
"Didi save me from my foolish, sheltered nephew," Sean sighed.
Didi giggled, "Oh, he's not that bad~…"
"No," Sean rolled his eyes. "He's worse. For now. But I don't intend to let him stay that way for long."
Jaune was still mostly just confused. Then, Sean reached out and lightly smacked him upside the head. And before Jaune could exclaim his offense… his whole world exploded from within.
IIIII
— Ruby Rose —
"Are you braindead?! Stupid?!"
"Hey, I'm-!"
"Don't answer that. I can already tell."
Rude! So rude!
The whole world had gone so wrong, so quickly. Topsy turvy… Twisty wisty… Funky! Like weird cheese! Ruby shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot as the stuck-up princess she'd unfortunately run into yelled at her. Not cool! Not cool, at all! Ruby could barely get a word in!
"All I did was knock a few bags over…" Ruby muttered.
"I heard that! A few bags?! Bags of highly volatile Dust, you dolt!" The princess snapped back at her.
Ruby's hopes of making any friends at Beacon were already going up in smoke. W-Was everyone going to be like this mean and surprisingly small princess…? Oh, Ruby just knew it… She wasn't ready. Everyone here was going to hate her…! She'd make no friends and just hang off of Yang all over again and eventually drop out and end up in some gutter in Vale!
"How pathetic…" Mystery Voice?! You didn't have to say it out loud!
The princess heard the Mystery Voice, too, and seemed to take it as support. She and Ruby both turned, both stopped, and both blinked. Mystery Voice…? Was that you? Y-You're so young!
And he was. He looked about the same age as Ruby! Maybe even younger! But where Ruby was just about drowning herself in her nerves, Mystery Voice was so confident in himself that it almost hurt to look at him. He was kinda cute, too. All serious and expressionless.
Princess seemed to recover quickly enough, though, "Hmph, at least someone else can see it. She's careless and clearly addled. You're right, she is pathetic-…"
"I was talking about you," Mystery Voice cut her off.
Ruby felt her heart give a little jolt. Cute Boy Mystery Voice was defending her?! Wha-wha-that can't be right!
"You have gone on an unbecoming tirade for something so minor as to not even be worth mentioning. Even now, your men are picking up the so-called 'damage'. It's as if it never happened. Yet still. You yell. Pathetically," Cute Boy Mystery Voice continued.
Princess's jaw slowly dropped open. After yelling so much, she was now speechless! Meanwhile, Ruby could've swooned~! He was defending her! A cute boy was defending her! Not Yang, not Princess, just Ruby! It was a first, in her experience, and Ruby was immediately flustered. Out of her depth. S-Should… Should she help him defend her, or was that considered weird…?
He certainly didn't seem to need the help… "Tell me, do you usually treat random people you've just met like this? You must be insufferable if you do. And sheltered from consequences to the extreme. It's not a good look, I must say."
"A-And who are you to tell me what is and isn't a 'good look'?!" Princess demanded.
Cute Boy Mystery Voice shot her a scathingly flat look, "Just your fellow man in the fight against the Grimm. Just a bystander and witness to your uncouthness. Is that enough for your lofty standards? Or will you degrade me for it, as you seem to degrade everyone else around you?"
Princess visibly flinched before taking a breath to calm herself, "I believe we've gotten off on the wrong foot here. You seem like an educated and… upstanding… young man. Shall we try for a better introduction? I am Weiss Schnee, Heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."
Ruby gasped! Princess clearly wanted Cute Boy Mystery Voice all to herself! Ruby couldn't have that happening at all!
"And I'm Ruby! Ruby Rose! Huntress extraordinaire and all-around normal girl with normal knees!"
Weiss glared at her out of the corner of her eyes. But Ruby wouldn't be budged. He'd defended her! Her! The first person outside of her family to go out of his way to do so! Ruby wasn't about to allow some Princess to steal him away after that!
There was a long, tense moment where it seemed he wouldn't accept Weiss' olive branch, but in the end, he did, "… Hm. Damian Wayne, Grandson of the Demon, Son of the Bat, Heir to the Wayne name and all of its corporations."
Weiss seemed to turn thoughtful at his introduction, but Ruby was left open-mouthed with shock. He had titles?! Like, proper titles?! You could do that?! Or was it just a rich people thing…? He sounded rich. Hnnn~… Gosh dangit! Ruby wanted a title! 'Daughter of the Summer Rose' or something!
"Wayne…?" Weiss turned the name over on her tongue. "I'm afraid and slightly ashamed to say I haven't heard the name. Still, I assume it's… noteworthy…?"
"In another world, perhaps," Damian gave a single nod. "Perhaps it's noteworthy enough to change how people comport themselves… Here and now, that is clearly not the case. It's… something of a welcome change, if I'm to be honest."
Ooooh, cryptic~! Mysterious~! Cute Boy Mystery Voice lives up to his nickname twice over! It… didn't really make sense to Ruby. Like… any. But that didn't matter! She was actually having fun now! And hopefully, making friends! Maybe even with Princess!
Weiss adopted a strange expression, slightly consipated in confusion, and Ruby couldn't help but giggle, "Well, I'm glad you aren't, like, famous, Damian~! There's only room for one big name in our new group of three besties! And I think Princess Weiss has that covered~!"
"Heiress," Weiss rolled her eyes but didn't seem nearly as hostile now that she'd calmed down. "And I still think you're something of a dolt. But I will admit… My tirade was unbecoming, as Damian said. I… apologize, Ruby…"
Ruby couldn't stop grinning now, "No, no, it's cool! I bumped your stuff, ya know? You were just reacting, and reactions can get away from us. Like, this one time, I was surprised by a Beowolf on Patch, and I went waaaaayyyy overboard. Just tore it to shreds and shadows. Yang — that's my sister — she found me in a crater! I don't even know how that happened!"
Ruby laughed and sighed, "Hahaha-ahhh… to be 10 again…"
Weiss was looking at her all weird now… Wait, they both were! Weiss looked wary, and Damian had a spark of earnest appreciation in his eyes. Ruby just cocked her head in confusion. He was even smiling a little. It looked odd on his face, the first expression she'd seen from him. Cute… Still, what was it she said to get two opposite reactions?
"You… were killing Beowolves… at 10 years old…?" Weiss asked slowly.
Oh! Weiss was impressed! That's what it was! Ruby beamed a smile, "Yep~! Dad called me an early bloomer. Not too early, though. Yang got her first when she was 12."
"… What a terrifying family," Weiss muttered.
"Is it?" Damian asked, sounding just as confused by that as Ruby was. "I had my first kill even earlier. It was not a reaction. Very much premeditated. But I have likely fallen behind since then, as I've taken up Father's creed against killing. A worthy standard to hold myself to, but… It has been difficult."
"Wait, your dad doesn't kill Grimm?" Ruby asked.
"… People. He doesn't kill people," Damian answered.
"Ah…" Ruby blinked. "Yeah, that, uh… that's probably a good thing."
Damian gave an accepting shrug, "Like all creeds, it has its benefits and flaws."
"If… your father's creed is against killing people… Does that mean your first…?" Weiss asked slowly.
"I was born into the League of Assassins. I did not shirk my duty to Grandfather," Damian answered.
"… I take it back, Ruby," Weiss said after a moment of pause. "Your family doesn't seem so terrifying now."
"W-Wha-?! But that's murder!" Ruby exclaimed.
Damian just nodded, "Assassination, specifically, but yes. I was born to violence. And I've become rather good at it."
Weiss stared. Ruby gaped! He wasn't even ashamed or regretful at all! But, like, he didn't seem like a bad person! Hnnn~… Ruby was so confused. Torn-up inside! Make it make sense! She was going to have to add 'danger' to Damian's nickname. Cute Danger Boy Mystery Voice, with titles and all… It was already getting out of hand!
The three of them fell into an awkward silence after that reveal. Damian didn't seem bothered at all, but Ruby didn't know what to do! She imagined Weiss felt the same! So… When in doubt, talk about her baby~!
Ruby grinned as the plan settled in her mind, "So, anyway~! I've got this baby! Check it, new besties~!"
She swung her weapon from its place at the small of her back. It flipped open as she did. Beautiful, glorious mecha-shift action~! The scything blade opened, nearly half as tall as Ruby, and she mounted it on the ground blade-first. That's right, stand in awe of her baby!
Weiss blinked, "Why are you taking out your Huntress weapon?"
But Damian got it~! "Very nice. Scythes are often impractical, but I have faith you've made it work for yourself, Ruby."
"Eheheh~!" Ruby giggled at the praise. "It's also a customizable, high-impact sniper rifle! Crescent Rose eats Grimm for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and dessert~! Mmm, dessert~…"
"Hmm," Damian hummed. "Yes, I can respect the vision."
"Hmmph! That's nothing!" Weiss turned her nose up competitively. "My Myrtenaster is pure class. Subtle. Sophisticated. Stylish. Behold."
Weiss revealed her weapon. A rapier, elegant as it was deadly. But Ruby felt something inside her twitch. This-! This Princess! She was trying to one-up her!
"Atlas-forged steel," Weiss haughtily explained. *GASP* So haughty! "The best good money can buy. And the guard contains a revolving chamber that can be filled with Dust to suit my needs. My Semblance is the Schnee Glyphs, of course. With it and our most premium Dust, I can attack from range just as capably as in melee. What do you think?"
Ruby plastered on a shaky, slightly fake smile, her voice coming in just a whisper, "… Nice."
"I am preferential to swords…" Damian muttered.
Ruby suppressed another twitch. "And yours, Damian?"
"Mine is recent," Damian said. "Forged just a few days ago by a mecha-smith my… patron… recommended. It is nothing more than a sword. Nothing less, either. All the better to become an extension of myself in pursuit of the perfect cut."
Damian unsheathed his weapon without any flourish. Just the lightest rasp of metal on leather. He displayed it before them. It looked like a long sword, but Ruby, to her shame, wasn't the most familiar with the specific intricacies of swords alone. She'd have to fix that… If Ruby looked closely, she could see the seams that the sword would mecha-shift along. The blade shone silver as it caught the light. Pristine. Untouched. Unblooded… yet. But no less deadly for those things.
"You lack a ranged option," Weiss pointed out.
"My brother clings to his guns. My eldest sister aims for versatility. My second sister embodies her usual chaos and viciousness. But I need only the blade. Only. My. Perfect. Cut," Damian said firmly.
While it wasn't nearly as flashy and awesome as Crescent Rose, Ruby thought the relatively simple sword suited Damian. "Does it have a name yet?"
"It's named after a story my patron told recently," Damian nodded. "Brutal, sharp, and true… It is 'Reach Heaven by Violence'. I intend to use it to do just that."
Ruby tried to keep herself from squealing. She didn't succeed. "Soooo coooool~!"
IIIII
— Blake Belladonna —
"Hmm."
Blake had been intending to interfere. But the situation seemed to have resolved itself without her assistance. The haughty girl who could only be a Schnee was called on her special brand of tyranny. Bullying a younger, weaker-seeming girl for a minor inconvenience… Typical, of course. Blake hardly expected anything else from a Schnee…
Still, the deadly boy seemed to have brought the Schnee up short. Blake's interference was no longer necessary. So Blake just shrugged to herself. There would certainly be chances to butt heads with the damned Schnee going forward. But she wasn't needed here and now. Blake had more… interesting things to do anyway.
Orientation was still a little while off. Blake continued in that direction while keeping her head down and her eyes on her scroll, on the page. Her hearing let her navigate without looking up much. Perfect. Preferable. Pretty much necessary. Because Blake wasn't willing to disrupt her reading momentum right when the story was getting good~…
She found the building everyone was flocking to, where orientation and the opening ceremony would undoubtedly take place, and prepared herself to be fashionably late. Instead of going straight in, Blake found a tree and hopped up into it. With catlike balance and grace, she settled on a branch. Out of sight but not far from the arriving students below.
It was… the perfect pretense of privacy. Both in public and out of the public eye. Unseen and unbothered, but the thrill was still there. And really, that thrill only enhanced her reading.
Her favorite author had been stress-writing recently. At least, that was Blake's best guess. Personal troubles. Blake sympathized. But she also very much appreciated that the latest volume came early.
Blake had a few series that she frequently returned to. Ninjas of Love, of course, that classic. But the one she currently read was 'Love of the Blood'. It was a glorious, beautiful, spicy tale, all about sister and brother and taboo. Cora Arch didn't dance around the issue as so many other authors did. There were no 'step' relations in her stories. Just sinful, illicit, full-blooded incest.
"So brave…" Blake sighed aloud to herself.
The latest volume brought drama, glorious drama. A projection of the author's personal troubles, perhaps? Blake couldn't say for certain. The main character's brother (and lover, thank the gods) abandoned her in the night to pursue his dreams. There was tragedy and tension in the beginning, but the main character vowed to bring her love back herself. Along the way, she was tempted by 'wicked normalcy', by handsome antagonist suitors she could've actually married, but the main character didn't waver from her taboo love.
Sister found brother once more, lovers reunited for only a moment. He ran, unwilling to give up his dreams. She chased, unwilling to give up him. It was tragic and romantic and so very, very illegal. Arousingly immoral… If Blake had a brother, she worried she would've been tempted. But alas, (un)fortunately, she did not.
As Blake read on in her hidden but risky perch, the story turned to juicy, juicy smut. She was riding high, ears twitching beneath her bow and blissful heat in her core. Her inner thighs practically rubbed themselves raw against each other. The slightest of blushes graced her cheeks.
When the sister caught her brother, he didn't resist. Not against her~… Camped out in the dead of night, with no one to interrupt, no one to judge, the sister set upon her brother. A lover's kiss… An unsheathed cock… A dripping quim… Feelings of betrayal and frustration and taboo love, love, LOVE~…
She slid him into her needy, aching cunt. Home. Where he belonged. Blake's fingers trailed sparkling fire over her tummy and womb as she read, sneaking their way downward. The sister clung to her brother with grazing nails and marking lips. Blake's questing fingers found her core through her pants, and she muffled a moan at the pleasurable shock.
"Oh, damn. Must be a good one."
Suddenly, a voice from above interrupted her reading. Blake jolted in her skin and almost fell out of the tree before catching herself. Her head snapped upward to the source of the voice. She was shocked to find an older girl, red-headed, beautiful… and almost exactly mirroring Blake's position in the tree. She was sprawled across a branch with a scroll in her hand as well, while her other hand hadn't stopped brushing over her own tummy and womb. But the smile on her face was teasing or judgmental. It was… empathetic…?
"W-Wha-?!" Blake stuttered. "I don't know what you're talking about!"
The red-headed girl laughed, "Don't give me that! I know a 'reading smut in public' face when I see one! And our current positions are pretty damning… Not that I say that with any malice, of course!"
As Blake stared up at the other girl, her dread quickly faded, "… You, too?"
Her smile grew sheepish, "Yeah, me, too… I'm Barbara, by the way. Barbara Gordon. It's nice to meet a comrade in smut."
Despite the awkwardness of the situation, Blake began to smile as well, "Blake Belladonna. Heh. Comrade in smut. That's good. Funny… So, uh… You come here often…?"
"I think I will be, yeah," Barbara snorted. "First time, but it's a good spot. That's why you chose it, right? Me, I… I just needed to get away from the rest of my group for a little while. These last few days have been hectic. Good hectic, but I still needed the 'me-time', ya know?"
"I do," Blake nodded. "Nothing wrong with a bit of 'me-time' with a… good book…"
"Haha… This one was a gift, actually," Barbara blushed. "I know, I know, smut as a gift. Sean's just kinda… like that."
"A gift?" Blake blinked. "Is it… to your tastes?"
Barbara rolled her eyes fondly, "Yeah, and that's the worst part. It's all political smut and power smut and just perfect for me. You know when an author gets real flowery and a bit conceptual but it's extra hot 'cause it's just adding to your immersion?"
Blake nodded and honestly smiled because she did. She did know. "Sounds like it's to my tastes, too. Reminds me of Ninjas of Love, but I'm sure you've read that."
"I haven't, actually," Barbara said curiously. "Trade?"
"Yes," Blake replied instantly. "Absolutely. I've never had someone to share smut with."
"It's not something we really like to brag about, is it?" Barbara chuckled. "Good thing we caught each other in the act and cut out all the bullshit. Sorry for interrupting you, though…"
"It's cool," Blake waved. "I think I interrupted you as well, right? Besides, smut is for rereading. The second time around is often better than the first."
"You… You get it," Barbara smiled.
Blake matched her, "So do you. Comrades in smut?"
"BEST comrades in smut."
IIIII
— Pyrrha Nikos —
Her arrival at Beacon was draining, terrifying, and just more of the dreadful same all at once. New place, new people, and more of the same performance. She was supposed to be perfect. The Invincible Girl. She'd always been removed from her peers. And even now, across the world, that disconnect stayed exactly as it was in Mistral.
Pyrrha could do no wrong, no matter how much she wanted to… Pyrrha was special, even when she didn't want to be. Pyrrha was alone, especially when she craved the opposite. Pyrrha was strong and famous. She was untouchable. But she'd happily give it all away for just one person who understood…
Alas, it seemed that even coming to Beacon had been a fool's gambit on her part. Everyone still recognized and knew her name here. Everyone still wanted something from her. Everyone still only saw the Invincible Girl, not Pyrrha.
When that became clear to her (and it did rather quickly), Pyrrha did her best to sink into the background. It was… surprisingly effective. She could either be in the spotlight, stealing the show… Or entirely out of everyone's notice. There was no in between, no middle ground. All or nothing, both options left her feeling so, so alone.
Still, for the time being, Pyrrha decided that unnoticed observation was preferable to the circling crows and social scavengers. She found herself in the auditorium where orientation and the opening ceremony would take place, just a wallflower watching it all. This way, at least she didn't have to make the same small talk, answer the same questions, and fend off the same kind of opportunists over and over again.
Her new peers didn't know how lucky they had it. They could all just… BE. Pyrrha didn't have that luxury. She hadn't had that luxury for years.
The black and red-haired girls who entered late, talking about shared interests… Pyrrha could never, not anymore. The blond boy who came in a daze as if he'd just awakened his Aura (but that couldn't be true…) and found a spot without being bothered… Pyrrha could never, not anymore. The trio of black, red, and white, two girls and a boy, making new friends without any expectations… Pyrrha could never, not anymore. The energetic orange-haired girl and feminine-looking boy enjoying familiar, if hectic, chemistry… Pyrrha could never, not anymore.
But worst of all, Pyrrha's focus kept being drawn back to the beautiful and charismatic blonde girl who bounced from group to group throughout the auditorium, welcomed in each one. She was clearly popular, but not cripplingly famous as Pyrrha was. Pyrrha envied her the most. Her confidence, her widespread friendships, and her simple ease of BEING… Pyrrha… Pyrrha wished she could do the same, all of it.
Instead, she was left lonely and longing. The most famous girl in the room, watching from the outside in. As her envy had her unconsciously following the beautiful and bombastic blonde, Pyrrha… well, she did her best to live vicariously through the other girl. She heard the blonde's name. She watched her in action. And she coveted the other girl's comparatively simple life.
"Emmy, you made it! Congrats, girl!" The blonde girl — Yang — exclaimed to another girl, hugging her for a moment in greeting.
Just as quickly, she moved on, slapping a boy on the back, "Ey, Rusty! Find a way to get lost on the trip here? Hahaha!"
Yang knew just so, so many people, and was friendly with all of them. Pyrrha was left with something like awe. And envious desire… She wanted to be confident and popular like that. Not… so famous she couldn't even be herself…
"Ivy!"
"Aubs!"
"Arden!"
"G-man!"
"Clem-Clem!"
It went on and on like that. Greeting upon greeting, and Yang never grew tired of it all. Pyrrha couldn't help but imagine that the other girl knew everyone in the auditorium. It certainly seemed that way. Until… Yang was suddenly brought up short with a blink.
Pyrrha followed Yang's suddenly blinking gaze to a well-built boy and a darkly fashioned girl. They were keeping to themselves, just talking. But Yang didn't approach immediately as she had with everyone else. It seemed she'd finally found faces she didn't know. That didn't stop her for long. With a grin and her usual confidence, she went to introduce herself as if it were nothing. Pyrrha could never, not even before she became so famous!
"Hey, hey! I haven't seen you two around here before," Yang cut into their conversation with a smirking lilt to her voice. "I would've remembered someone like you, big boy~… You, too, goth girl. Lovin' the look~… I'm Yang. Yang Xiao Long. Need someone to show you two around~?"
"Alice," The girl said flatly. "But we're good."
"Jason," The boy chuckled. "Show us around? Didn't you get here today like everyone else? We have a few days at Beacon on you."
Yang didn't let the disinterest dissuade her, grinning, "Then, you can show me around! Early arrivals, huh? You're not from Signal or Pharos. I would know you if that were the case. Where ya from?"
"The school of hard knocks," Alice grunted. "Jason was valedictorian."
"Accurate, unfortunately," Jason smiled sheepishly.
"Gnarly!" Yang laughed. "Well, you're welcome to come 'knock' around with me! You show me the things you've found in Beacon so far, and I'll show you the people you'll be learning with. Trust me, I know everyone."
"Again, we're good," Alice repeated.
"Aww, don't be like that, Goth Girl~!" Yang didn't back down. "At least let Mr. Hard Knock Hunk over here answer for himself!"
"Do. Not. Start," Alice growled. "I've had enough of overly confident girls trying to steal a march. Don't test me."
"Testy, testy~…" Yang teased. "Don't worry, Goth Girl. I'm flexible. I can take both of ya!"
"I-In a fight, right…?" Jason asked.
Yang didn't answer with words. She let her smug grin do the talking. It got the message across better than words ever would. Alice glared. Jason blushed. And Pyrrha had to force herself to stop listening before her face overheated to the point of fainting.
"S-So confident…! S-So bold…! Gods, I could never…" Pyrrha muttered to herself.
"You look lonely, child," A voice from beside her made Pyrrha jump. "And marked. Not for long, I should hope, but for now, you are both. Would you like a bit of company?"
"Wha-?! Who-?!" Pyrrha spun to find an older but still young woman smiling somewhat sadly at her.
She was black as night and pale as the broken moon. Her face was made up of delicate features, caring eyes, and gentle expressions. She didn't intrude into Pyrrha's space, just… let herself be present. Still, Pyrrha was startled! She was… welcomed…? Already, it felt like she'd known this strange new woman for her whole life.
"A friendly shoulder to lean against as we watch the coming fireworks, that's all I'm offering," The woman reassured.
"Do you… know who I am…?" Where some might've asked the question arrogantly, Pyrrha was just confused and wary.
The woman raised an eyebrow and answered her question with another question, "Do you know me?"
"No…?" Pyrrha ventured. "We've just met and haven't even exchanged names."
"Exactly," The woman nodded. "How can we know each other, then, without even taking that first essential step? That said, call me Didi. I insist."
Pyrrha's confusion was steadily winning out over her wariness, so she returned the favor, "Pyrrha."
"Wonderful," Didi smiled. "Now, to actually answer your question… Hmm, yes and no. Yes, I know you, in the same way I know everyone else. And 'no', in that, I don't know you, Pyrrha. Would you like me to?"
"That-! It can't… Is… it really that simple?" Pyrrha asked, almost begging.
"As simple as speaking to each other and being true to ourselves, yes," Didi nodded.
"O-Oh… I wouldn't even know where to start, then," Pyrrha muttered.
"You already have. More than you realize. We are speaking, aren't we? And I don't believe you can be anything but true to yourself, Pyrrha."
Pyrrha laughed at herself, "Maybe. Desperation will do that."
Didi shook her head. "Desperation would do the opposite. You crave, you long, you need, Pyrrha, but you haven't given in to the desperation and taken the false friendships thrown your way."
"That-…" Pyrrha trailed off and fell silent. Didi let her think. Eventually, she shook her head with a slight smile. "It hasn't done me much good, but I suppose I can see things from your perspective."
Didi tittered, "Oh, you were just waiting for your opportunity. It would've come with or without me. It still will, I guarantee it. But now, you'll have me to call a friend as well."
"I'd like that, Didi. I'd like that very much."
Again, they fell into silence. But unlike most silences, it was comfortable. Pyrrha didn't feel the need to fake a thing or live up to her fame. It was just her. Just Pyrrha and Didi.
Eventually, though, a thought crossed her mind, "Err… You mentioned something about fireworks?"
Didi chuckled, "Where young Cass is concerned, 'fireworks' is the only appropriate word."
As if on cue, a figure suddenly appeared behind the microphone on the front stage. Only… it wasn't the Headmaster as everyone was expecting. She looked to be another student, one who managed to sneak her way on-stage and was taking the chance to cause… ahem, 'fireworks'.
"ヾ(☆▽☆)" Somehow, her expression shouted loud enough for everyone to hear. 'Hear ye, hear ye! I have gathered you here today to declare a momentous occasion! We are numerous! We are legion! We are inevitable! Together, we can force the teachers to recognize our demands! To recognize the sovereignty of our sacred nation of Auditoria! To recognize our rights to Taco Tuesday, our rights to bear explosions, and our rights to parties in the dorms! Why should we let Beacon rule us when we can rule it?! Auditoria Stands!'
Off to the side of the stage, the Deputy Headmistress hissed at the Headmaster, "Ozpin! Do something!"
The Headmaster just sipped from his mug, "Hmm. No, she's making some good points. I'll allow it."
The Deputy Headmistress spun her fury onto another member of staff on the stage, "Sean Caine-Arc! This is your fault! I know it is!"
"Oh, without a doubt," The other staff member — a young man who made Pyrrha think of Didi, even from a distance — nodded easily. "But I'm afraid there are some things in this world that no one can hope to control."
"Wise," The Headmaster nodded into his mug. "Very wise, Sean, indeed. In such a situation, against such a foe, what are we mere men to do?"
The Deputy Headmistress threw her hands up in the air, "Arrgh! Useless! Useless! Just useless! Fine, I'll squash this microstate revolution myself!"
She proceeded to march on the microphone, weapon in hand (a… riding crop…?) and fury in her eyes. The girl at the front of the stage froze, not in fear, but in preparation. From a many-pouched belt, she produced something and spiked it on the ground at her feet.
" ( : ౦ ‸ ౦ : )" Smoke burst into existence, and once again, her expression did all the talking for her. 'Bat-Vanish~!'
A moment later, though, the Deputy Headmistress showed that she was not to be trifled with. Her weapon glowed purple. The smoke was quite literally slapped away by a ghostly hand. Then, another ghostly hand caught something. The revolutionary girl's escape was foiled as, stuck, she sprang back into view.
"(°ロ°) !" She pointed and 'screamed'. 'Witchcraft!'
"Righteous fury," The Deputy Headmistress corrected. "And now, I have myself a… political prisoner. I suggest you yield, girl."
"(ﾒ` ﾛ ´)" The Revolutionary was determined to resist to the bitter end. 'Never! You'll never kill the dream! Viva la Auditoria!'
The damnedest thing happened with that. A chant. A chant of support started up amongst the other students in the auditorium. They were rallying behind the silent yet so loud revolutionary girl. They chanted against so-called tyranny. They wanted the rights she advocated for. The Taco Tuesdays, the explosions, and the dorm parties.
For a few moments there, it seemed as if things would get completely out of hand. But eventually, the Deputy Headmistress had to cave to the mob. She released the revolutionary girl with one last glare of 'I'm watching you'. The girl, naturally, was utterly unrepentant.
The Headmaster took the stage in their place, beginning his spiel, "That's certainly one way to start the year. Now. I'll… keep this brief-…"
And beside Pyrrha, Didi's eyes twinkled, "As I said… Cass and fireworks really do go hand in hand."