Pffffff.... New headcanon acquired, thanks for the image.
Bloody Evolution (RWBY / LoR)
- Thread starter Naron
- Start date
- Crossover
Pffffff.... New headcanon acquired, thanks for the image.
- Location
- Earth
I said it can be staggered in one Scene. I also killed it in one Scene before. The main issue with doing that is not having enough light and cards to survive the onslaught of Mass Attacks that follow right after. Hence why I rather stagger and then spend a Scene recovering. You got around this with Emotion Levels.
Either way, congrats. Only one more to go.
...I guess I should look at more references before drawing suits. Then again, I am still getting used to using references at all.
The funniest part is that I was going for the *only stagger*, turns out two rapid dashes was too much when combined with a purple tear I just changed in piercing stance, I wanted my Xaio to recover some light.
Also, I found that sometimes, the best way to work with his mass attacks is to simply… ignore them, I staggered the judgment egg by doing so.
And the mvp abno effect for this fight goes to the one that makes you gain hp each time you attack the enemy with the highest, really help when there's only one in front, probably gained one full health bar during the fight thanks to getting it as one of my first effect.
kaillll
Judgment Upon You
hmm...might have to change my theory then(EDIT: But I am still on angelica is ash boat for now because of her attitude and ideology)
what i said about unkindled and stuff could be apply to child theory after some tweaks, although i have questions about time problems but that could be because of world or dimensional shenanigans.
...if this is true thou...Roland is going to kill himself for not being there for his little girl.
what i said about unkindled and stuff could be apply to child theory after some tweaks, although i have questions about time problems but that could be because of world or dimensional shenanigans.
...if this is true thou...Roland is going to kill himself for not being there for his little girl.
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That's the main problem for both her being Angelica or her daughter, either she's too young (if Angelica), or too old (the child that should be two years old).
Either way, time shenanigans are afoot, still think she's more likely to be Roland's daughter than his wife, due to her not knowing how to fight.
Or enter overprotective helicopter papa bear mode, with his only thoughts being: *MUST.PROTECT.DAUGHTER* in repeat.
Also, had a little idea for a potential vote for when someone asks us about how abnormalities are made and wanted to write it here for posterity:
[] Talk to them about *dramatic pause* THE BUCKET.
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
It always crack me up when I hear that title.
Like, what can you call the origin point of nightmarish monsters born of the human collective consciousness?
Not something epic like THE GATE or THE KEY or something else but...
View: https://youtu.be/JmSqorj-EC0
Lurker183839
Question Machine Gun
WN appears?Roman gets to provide a sacrificial lamb. You won't believe what happens next!
Roman gets to provide a sacrificial lamb. You won't believe what happens next!
The sacrificial lamb flee in terror? Nothing happens and they all stand around awkwardly? Love get a twin?
Discover the answer to these questions and more in the next update of Bloody Evolution!
2P1-nd4
Iron Top, the Paradox Future form of Spinda
where her uncle oliver? or would he also count as a member of roland's harem alongside argalia, angelica, and Angela 🤔?
11. Quicksilver's Fumes
- Location
- Earth
Test awakening an Abnormality's aura with Love. Ask Roman for someone expendable.
"A prudent precaution," Binah comments with a glance your way. "If expensive in time. But alas, there is a price to all things, even death costs one's life. Then again," she finishes with a soft huff, "I am not one to talk of its finality."
Her message to Roman requires an interval of another week before they can meet. In the meantime, Ash's weapon is finally finished. Binah takes her protegé to the isle of Patch to obtain it in person; a demonstration will be easier to have outside the walls as well. Furthermore, the fact a small village can subsist just off the coast of Sanus intrigues her; its exact mechanics soon become clear. While Grimm are capable of swimming, even just a few arduous kilometres will tire them out. Most aquatic Grimm keep to the seas. With Signal Academy located on Patch, the students regularly clean up whatever makes landfall and patrol the coasts.
Once again, Ash soaks up every new sight like a sponge. It is her first time outside of Vale. She attentively listens to everything Ruby shows her as well and asks a number of questions about her workshop. It is well equipped but quaint, much like the wooden house half an hour outside of town.
"Alright," Ruby starts off her presentation. In her hand is a metal cylinder with several spikes; four are equidistant from each other, the last sits on one side . "So, uh, you wanted things as simple as possible. I guess I kinda get it, there's something super elegant to that. So here we go!" On the press of a button, the fifth spike shoots out to reveal a handle. The opposite end extends into a cone shape with various mechanical clacks. "I guess it's a bit of a lance, but we can still call it a spear unless you're riding a bike or something."
Ruby laughs awkwardly about her own joke, weapon on display. Binah studies the silver and grey body. One part is held in a dark blue that accentuates nicely. Ruby polished the steel to a shine. Meanwhile, Ash simply nods. "How does it work?"
"Right. Normal mode is like this. Just a spear. I hardened it a bit and filled up the inside so it's super sturdy. And I made the handle long enough you can grab it with both hands." Ruby takes a stance, demonstrating basic understanding of polearms. She stabs the air a few times with a smile, momentarily forgetting their presence. Then she turns the handle, prompting the four remaining spikes to click forward. "Those four thingies form a sort of crossguard in either configuration, but they're a bit more fragile. It's better to direct attacks away with the main body, that's why I made it so thick."
Turning the weapon over, she reveals slits below the extensions. Likewise, the original position covered a number of vents set into the body. "Wind is inside, Gravity in the extensions. I adjusted them already. Dad?"
"On it."
With a grunt, Taiyang sets down a wooden dummy. He steps back with his arms crossed and a proud smile while his daughter demonstrates. "I thought about making it omni-directional, but that's kind of complicated. So what this does is Wind only goes forward. Exactly forward unless the frame is bent. You just click this here button aaaaaand-" The vents glimmer green and roar; a cloud of dust is thrown up behind Ruby, who pierces through half a metre of wood from a standing position. "Pew!"
Giggling, she looks to Binah and Ash. Neither seems particularly impressed, though the older woman inclines her head at the work. Not that the lack of awe deters Ruby. She presses another button and the purple Gravity Dust gleams from the extensions. A tremor runs through the dummy before it falls back, the spear retracted. "I made Gravity go back and forward. Like I said, it's a lot less efficient to get quick speed boosts, but great for dislodging if she gets stuck. And for moving around, just point somewhere and-" Pointing straight upward, Ruby pushes again and rises into the sky with a giggle. The spear carries her thirty metres before she reverses her course and returns.
"And that's basically it. Simple, sturdy, and efficient. What do you think?"
The question goes to Ash, who slowly accepts the weapon with something akin to reverence. "I like it," she says, lips tugged ever so slightly upward. "A lot."
"Great! What are you naming her, then?"
Now Ash is confused. "Why does this need a name?"
"Because it's important! Every proper weapon needs a name! If you get famous, people are going to ask what it's named and then you've got to have something good!" Ruby pouts at the other girl, who seems unmoved by her tirade. "Please? She's going to be yours, but I want her to have a name."
"Why didn't you name... her?"
"Because that doesn't feel right. Please?"
Despite her familiarity with puppy dog eyes, Ash caves and considers her new acquisition for a time. She plays with the storage form and gets used to wearing it on her belt. After a few minutes, she nods. "Okay. I will name her Storm."
At first Ruby was delighted, but her expression falls in moments. "Really? Just 'Storm'?"
"Yes. I don't think a name needs to be complicated to sound good. Just Storm."
"...okay, I guess?" Ruby does not sound happy, but seeing how content Ash is with her chosen name has the more excitable girl relent.
Another two hours are spent on familiarising Ash with the particulars of her weapon and how to care for it. Ruby walks her through cleaning the Dust vents and refilling said Dust, how to keep the weapon itself in good condition, and anything else Ash might need. Binah takes tea with Taiyang in the meantime, simply letting him gush about his daughter.
Nothing else happens until the meeting with Roman. No sightings of the Distortion anywhere despite Carmen's presence. Either she is unwilling or unable to call it forth. Which once again points to the conclusion that children of Remnant can not distort. Just like it seems children of the City can not manifest aura.
"Alright, what's up?" Roman begins once they sat down in one of Junior's backrooms. Neo lounges nearby while Ash stands behind Binah without so much as moving a muscle. "I made time as fast as I could, so that should tell you how busy I am." It is half lie and half truth, she can tell; Roman is a busy man, but letting others wait a certain amount of time only serves to enhance such a notion.
"And yet you did not even question my desires ahead of time," Binah returns coyly. "Regardless, I have come to you today in the name of knowledge. Be it just to sate idle curiousity or a groundbreaking discovery. I am in need of a volunteer to awaken Love's aura." The immediate and wary look Roman throws her draws Binah's grin wider. "With all the risks that entails."
"And you expect something horrible to happen," Roman states needlessly. "Yeah, fat chance I'm doing it. But you knew that already, didn't you?" He receives no answer and continues to size Binah up. Neo has stopped fiddling with her Scroll and takes her spot opposite Ash again. Full minutes pass as Roman ponders something. Then, at last, he speaks: "Alright, talk to me. Best case and worst case. No bullshit."
Binah holds her silence for a time. She observes Roman, the minute twitches of him which most would miss. He is nervous, perhaps even fearful. But not of Binah, curiously enough. "In the best case, which is improbable but not impossible, Love will obtain an aura and nothing else happens. In the worst case, contact with her essence will kill our volunteer and set off the Queen of Hatred. As so often, I believe the truth lies somewhere between. Mental pollution is a given, only the extent depends on the reaction and the strength of whomever you elect to recommend."
"So you've got no idea, great. Can you at least beat her down if she goes rampaging?"
"I see the twins spoke to you."
"Junior did."
That makes more than enough sense to Binah. It is unlikely that the knowledge went past them. Regardless, Roman is once again caught in introspection. Then he turns away, though hesitant. A few gestures catch Neo's attention, who signs back at him. Neither Binah nor Ash understand, though the other pair's ever more frantic motions speak well enough of the brewing argument.
In the end, Neo backs down with a hesitant nod and distrustful look toward Binah. When Roman turns back to them, his expression is resolute. "I'm about to do something incredibly stupid. But really, it's probably my best bet at this point. Does it count as throwing you under the bus if I tell you ahead of time I'm doing it?"
Ash tenses, though Binah is simply intrigued. She motions for Roman to elaborate which he does. "Hey, the reaction's better than I was hoping. Okay, here's the thing: I am currently in deep trouble. Probably the deepest I've ever been. I'm walking a tightrope, one wrong step and I'm dead. The moment I outlive my usefulness, I'm dead. And once Cinder gets her will, we're probably all dead."
"Oh? And this person was so foolish to reveal such a plan to you ahead of time?"
"She's not that stupid, I'm afraid. That would make things a lot easier." After snorting at the idea, he makes a sweeping motion. "But I'm not stupid either. She somehow pressed the Fang into her service, has them steal all this Dust. And she demands even more of it from me, so I'm running myself ragged buying what I can to keep the economy from collapsing. She throws money at this like no tomorrow and doesn't care about it. The only other reasons to do this are powering some super-sized facility in the boonies, equipping an entire army, or building room-sized bombs by the truckload." He interrupts his halfway calm rant to take a sip of wine, brows furrowed. "And considering that she has no qualms about killing me, she doesn't care one whit about Vale's stability."
Binah can see how pale Ash has grown in the reflection of her own glass. The erstwhile Arbiter simply smirks. "So you wish to send her at Love and hope she lets herself be fooled?"
To her surprise, Roman shakes his head. "Not exactly. Cinder isn't stupid, you see. She's proud."
That is all he needs to say. Now to the surprise of everyone else in the room, Binah begins to chuckle. "Ah, I see. The most dangerous vice shall claim yet another victims. Believing oneself superior to another is often grounds for a terrible fall." She knows full well the trappings of pride after all. Ten thousand years spent dancing on the precipice of insanity yet unable to take the plunge drove that lesson home.
"Exactly. She thinks she's smarter than everyone and acts like it. But like I said, she's not dumb. If I want to get out of this alive, either I take her and her little elite team down in one swipe, or she'll never know I'm involved. I'd have gotten a message to Ozpin by now if she wasn't so cautious. He's the only one who can deal with her. Well, and then there's you." He pauses, frowns, and throws his worries away. "To be honest, you're already in deep shit. Love killed the bull and the Fang knows. They're baying for blood."
"So Adam has become a martyr to his people, only for them to disregard his stances and pervert them to their own benefit." A tale as old as time. Binah still has to laugh about it. "I was meaning to let them come to me regardless. There is no easier prey than one who believes their plan to have succeeded."
Roman arches a brow and shrugs. "Alright, you do you. Anyway, my plan: Cinder has two minions, like Neo here except she doesn't care about them beyond how useful they are." He still gets bapped on the head, though there is no heat in the gesture. "The girl's a thief and a damn good one. Has some sort of distorted love for Cinder, too loyal to dislodge without the lady herself noticing. The guy is an assassin." Here he grins. "But he's also irreverent, easygoing, and likes to just wander when he doesn't have any tasks. So I'm thinking, if I can sweettalk him into helping me out here for quick cash, he'll probably not say anything to Cinder. He comes to wake Love's aura, probably goes insane, you dispose of him. Or, well, you dispose of him even if he doesn't go insane. A favour for a favour, how's that sound?"
"Hm." That is certainly an interesting proposition. By how quickly Roman pieced this together, he must have been planning how to throw this Cinder off for a while. If word of this event does get back to her, he will claim he did not know what Binah planned. The connection with Love means Cinder has every reason to come to them then. He is well-informed, too. "Your Semblance seems to come in handy once again."
"As if I'd need... oh. Ohhh." Roman's dismissal tells her much, but he sadly saw through her bluff. "I get it now. You don't actually figured out what it does yet. You're just blindly poking until I give you enough clues. But you know what? This is important, so I'll just tell you: my Semblance lets me get impressions of people by looking at them. Can't read minds and stuff, but I can tell at a glance if someone's trustworthy, what kind of person they are, that kind of thing. Like you, when I look at you, I can tell you're a monster. You'd open me up in a heartbeat and probably watch me bleed out over dinner." Neo twitches at that while Binah inclines her head. He did just guess at one of her favourite pastimes.
Then Roman glances at Ash, only to frown harder. "And then there's her. I don't tend to use this because relying on it it makes me rusty. Good thing that, because I get nothing from her. Like you're not even there," he tells the girl directly. "Which is weird because I even get something from the Abnormalities."
"How would that happen?" Ash is equally befuddled, breaking her silence for the first time since their arrival. "I don't think I'm all that special. I know I'm not an Abnormality, at least."
"Good question, kiddo. Any magic? Some sort of technology we couldn't even fathom? One of those gifts like that glove Miltia wears since last week?" Ash shakes her head, prompting a shrug from Roman. "Then probably your Semblance. It's the only other thing you could have going on, right?"
While Ash muses over this, Binah picks up on what he said. "You can detect the emissions of even a gift?" A nod from Roman draws a thoughtful noise from her. His Semblance may detect the Enkephalin Saffron's gift emits. "How curious. Regardless, I accept your offer. Though I imagine you do not care what happens to this boy once the trap snaps shut?"
"As long as he's neutralised, I don't." While the two smirk at each other in understanding, their respective companions simply look on.
They hash out a swift plan to be actualised within days and part for the evening. Ash keeps her silence until it is just the two of them before speaking up: "Do you think my Semblance could do something odd like that? I don't feel any different." She is clearly disconcerted, though also hopeful to finally find what her personal power is. The subject matter does not interest Binah much for the moment, as she lacks information to figure it out.
"It depends on what colour your soul will ultimately reveal. A Semblance can supposedly be anything, so the possibility exists. Our current level of information is unsatisfactory to draw any conclusion, so you will have to meditate on the subject or await circumstances to reveal more."
"And when will you tell me more of the City?"
"Shortly, but not tonight. I need proper tea first."
"Okay."
Ash spends the next few days talking to Ruby about Semblances or in meditation. Once she even manages to ask Weiss about the matter when she comes to speak with Courage, though their conversation is not long.
Binah sets up a date with Love on Wednesday as per Roman's direction, exactly five minutes after midnight at the docks. Saffron and Courage join covertly at the abandoned warehouse while Sable sits on her shoulder. With the Backstreets Butcher still haunting Vale, nighttime travel has slowed to a crawl at best. More Grimm bay at the walls of late but are repelled, providing ample training opportunities for Beacon's students.
Yet despite the rumours, a confident young man appears from the darkness. A nearby streetlight barely reveals Binah's silhouette, but he steps into its shine without hesitation. Steely hair and a slight tan, dressed in shades of grey that are coloured orange by the lamp. He looks straight at Binah, showing off his observational skills with a smirk; he never notices the magical girls hiding on the rooftops. His legs move with mechanical precision. "Heya," he greets jovially. "I'm here to, uh, throw a bucket into the well."
That was the code Binah demanded. It is the right person. She steps forward in response, allowing the darkness to melt away and reveal her countenance. "So that a seed since planted shall be nourished," she gives the counter phrase. "Your confidence is intriguing, not a trace of worry despite the ghosts said to haunt these streets at night."
"Heh, I could take that guy." He smirks and sketches a bow. "Neat bird. Bit pudgy, but I like the vibe, ma'am." Sable preens, uncaring for his other commentary. "So, our friend said you got a quick job for me. Is it you?"
"No. The lady in need of your services awaits inside. Discretion is key tonight."
"Sure, sure. Lead the way."
Despite his confidence, he remains cautious. Binah has to walk with her back to him, giving him the advantage in a confrontation. Or rather she would, were Sable not watching his every move. As they walk, he keeps conversing: "Heard you're new in town, same as me. Any reason for Vale in particular?"
"At times, one's path will simply lead where it does. Whether it was our own volition or coincidence that led us here, in the end all that matters is that we are."
"Alright then, keep your secrets." He seems more amused than annoyed, though he does not prod further.
Pushing open the door, Binah enters into a dimly lit room. Mercury Black closes it behind him. The faint glimmer of green and amber shining through the floor clearance escapes him. Binah knows Courage and Saffron sealed off the building. No sound will escape and any fight will not spill out. She could have done the same with Lock, but Mercury would have noticed that quite fast.
Love is dozing, leaned against a lone crate. The light squeak of metal as the door closes has her surge to her feet, pretending she was not half asleep a moment ago. "I'm here!" she announces, then waves. "Hello! You're the one who's helping me today?"
"Yep, all me." He swaggers forward while Binah takes a step back. "No idea way you'd pay someone else to do the thing, but I'm kinda curious. What do you need aura for so fast? Here, let's get this over with." He reaches out and cheekily cups Love's face with both hands. The blunette's first retort dies on her lips as she squirms in his grasp.
"Well, I made it into Beacon. So it would be kind of nice to have aura before anyone notices, is all."
"Brothers, seriously?" A grey aura begins to shine around him and ripples across Love before sinking into her. Mercury whistles. "Wow. You've gotta show me some of your tricks if you actually got in without. That takes some real balls. Or, well, guts, I guess. For a girl."
"Girls just have their balls elsewhere," Love chirps back with a tap to her chest. The two share a laugh as Mercury's aura digs deeper. With how close he stands, he misses the way Love's body begins to lose coherence. Binah does not.
After another moment, Mercury squints. "Huh. Come to think of it, you look familiar."
He never gets to finish his train of thought. As his essence meets hers, Love melts into him. Her body dissolves and is absorbed into his; her vest and skirt overlay on his clothes, his hair turns a light shade of blue instead. Light gleams outward from their union, but Mercury is bound in place and completely stunned. A perfect synchronisation.
"And now the true test," Binah murmurs while the boy begins to shudder. His limbs shake, aura flares. Mercury Black goes to his knees after about ten seconds, screaming in agony at the sky the ceiling denies him. Fingers dig into his face, clawing at it as if to scrape off the skin. Magic flares around him, but his body holds.
When Love finally ejects herself after about twenty seconds, his mind is battered. Perhaps not fully broken, but close. He convulses on the ground, swiftly soaked in sweat. Binah takes Love by the elbow before she can continue fretting. "Worry not. He is an enemy. I expected something along those lines to occur."
"He what?" Love stops to look between them. Yet she is hesitant when glancing back to Mercury. "But why? He seemed so nice."
"A mercenary, for the most part. Although he currently aligns with a faction that will see Vale annihilated at the culmination of their machinations."
"Oh." She looks back down on him with mixed feelings. Mercury curled up into the fetal position, gently rocking back and forth. "Why didn't you say so before?" He is completely unresponsive to their presence and conversation.
"Your ability to act is severely limited," Binah answers. She leans down to study the boy; it has been a while since she beheld someone's psyche take so much damage so fast. It feels nostalgic. "Hence why I let the dice fall as they would."
Love pouts at that. "You're not wrong, but I'm not exactly happy with it." Her dismay is noted but not acknowledged. Mercury continues to rock himself, crying softly while the two women watch. Love manifests her staff. "I feel kind of bad for him. This is cruel. Should I kill him now? If he's a villain, I should, right?"
What an intriguing question. Does Love hesitate because her mind undergoes change, or is it simply the pity for this broken creature staying her hand? Binah bemoans that she did not bring tea to watch him a while longer, but alas. The synchronisation was not long enough for truly irreversible damage, even with an Abnormality of Love's power. She does possess the spells to restore him. They could interrogate Mercury on his allies. Perhaps even rebuild what pieces of him will remain.
But at the same time, things may come to a head soon. If he escapes while being held, there will be trouble. He knows who did this to him and that Roman approached him for the job. The last time Binah left her prey alive, she died for it. Is this worth the risk?
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XgK_ME-EJE
-Identified Roman Torchwick's Semblance
Discerning Eye
[] Keep him
[] Kill him
"A prudent precaution," Binah comments with a glance your way. "If expensive in time. But alas, there is a price to all things, even death costs one's life. Then again," she finishes with a soft huff, "I am not one to talk of its finality."
Her message to Roman requires an interval of another week before they can meet. In the meantime, Ash's weapon is finally finished. Binah takes her protegé to the isle of Patch to obtain it in person; a demonstration will be easier to have outside the walls as well. Furthermore, the fact a small village can subsist just off the coast of Sanus intrigues her; its exact mechanics soon become clear. While Grimm are capable of swimming, even just a few arduous kilometres will tire them out. Most aquatic Grimm keep to the seas. With Signal Academy located on Patch, the students regularly clean up whatever makes landfall and patrol the coasts.
Once again, Ash soaks up every new sight like a sponge. It is her first time outside of Vale. She attentively listens to everything Ruby shows her as well and asks a number of questions about her workshop. It is well equipped but quaint, much like the wooden house half an hour outside of town.
"Alright," Ruby starts off her presentation. In her hand is a metal cylinder with several spikes; four are equidistant from each other, the last sits on one side . "So, uh, you wanted things as simple as possible. I guess I kinda get it, there's something super elegant to that. So here we go!" On the press of a button, the fifth spike shoots out to reveal a handle. The opposite end extends into a cone shape with various mechanical clacks. "I guess it's a bit of a lance, but we can still call it a spear unless you're riding a bike or something."
Ruby laughs awkwardly about her own joke, weapon on display. Binah studies the silver and grey body. One part is held in a dark blue that accentuates nicely. Ruby polished the steel to a shine. Meanwhile, Ash simply nods. "How does it work?"
"Right. Normal mode is like this. Just a spear. I hardened it a bit and filled up the inside so it's super sturdy. And I made the handle long enough you can grab it with both hands." Ruby takes a stance, demonstrating basic understanding of polearms. She stabs the air a few times with a smile, momentarily forgetting their presence. Then she turns the handle, prompting the four remaining spikes to click forward. "Those four thingies form a sort of crossguard in either configuration, but they're a bit more fragile. It's better to direct attacks away with the main body, that's why I made it so thick."
Turning the weapon over, she reveals slits below the extensions. Likewise, the original position covered a number of vents set into the body. "Wind is inside, Gravity in the extensions. I adjusted them already. Dad?"
"On it."
With a grunt, Taiyang sets down a wooden dummy. He steps back with his arms crossed and a proud smile while his daughter demonstrates. "I thought about making it omni-directional, but that's kind of complicated. So what this does is Wind only goes forward. Exactly forward unless the frame is bent. You just click this here button aaaaaand-" The vents glimmer green and roar; a cloud of dust is thrown up behind Ruby, who pierces through half a metre of wood from a standing position. "Pew!"
Giggling, she looks to Binah and Ash. Neither seems particularly impressed, though the older woman inclines her head at the work. Not that the lack of awe deters Ruby. She presses another button and the purple Gravity Dust gleams from the extensions. A tremor runs through the dummy before it falls back, the spear retracted. "I made Gravity go back and forward. Like I said, it's a lot less efficient to get quick speed boosts, but great for dislodging if she gets stuck. And for moving around, just point somewhere and-" Pointing straight upward, Ruby pushes again and rises into the sky with a giggle. The spear carries her thirty metres before she reverses her course and returns.
"And that's basically it. Simple, sturdy, and efficient. What do you think?"
The question goes to Ash, who slowly accepts the weapon with something akin to reverence. "I like it," she says, lips tugged ever so slightly upward. "A lot."
"Great! What are you naming her, then?"
Now Ash is confused. "Why does this need a name?"
"Because it's important! Every proper weapon needs a name! If you get famous, people are going to ask what it's named and then you've got to have something good!" Ruby pouts at the other girl, who seems unmoved by her tirade. "Please? She's going to be yours, but I want her to have a name."
"Why didn't you name... her?"
"Because that doesn't feel right. Please?"
Despite her familiarity with puppy dog eyes, Ash caves and considers her new acquisition for a time. She plays with the storage form and gets used to wearing it on her belt. After a few minutes, she nods. "Okay. I will name her Storm."
At first Ruby was delighted, but her expression falls in moments. "Really? Just 'Storm'?"
"Yes. I don't think a name needs to be complicated to sound good. Just Storm."
"...okay, I guess?" Ruby does not sound happy, but seeing how content Ash is with her chosen name has the more excitable girl relent.
Another two hours are spent on familiarising Ash with the particulars of her weapon and how to care for it. Ruby walks her through cleaning the Dust vents and refilling said Dust, how to keep the weapon itself in good condition, and anything else Ash might need. Binah takes tea with Taiyang in the meantime, simply letting him gush about his daughter.
Nothing else happens until the meeting with Roman. No sightings of the Distortion anywhere despite Carmen's presence. Either she is unwilling or unable to call it forth. Which once again points to the conclusion that children of Remnant can not distort. Just like it seems children of the City can not manifest aura.
"Alright, what's up?" Roman begins once they sat down in one of Junior's backrooms. Neo lounges nearby while Ash stands behind Binah without so much as moving a muscle. "I made time as fast as I could, so that should tell you how busy I am." It is half lie and half truth, she can tell; Roman is a busy man, but letting others wait a certain amount of time only serves to enhance such a notion.
"And yet you did not even question my desires ahead of time," Binah returns coyly. "Regardless, I have come to you today in the name of knowledge. Be it just to sate idle curiousity or a groundbreaking discovery. I am in need of a volunteer to awaken Love's aura." The immediate and wary look Roman throws her draws Binah's grin wider. "With all the risks that entails."
"And you expect something horrible to happen," Roman states needlessly. "Yeah, fat chance I'm doing it. But you knew that already, didn't you?" He receives no answer and continues to size Binah up. Neo has stopped fiddling with her Scroll and takes her spot opposite Ash again. Full minutes pass as Roman ponders something. Then, at last, he speaks: "Alright, talk to me. Best case and worst case. No bullshit."
Binah holds her silence for a time. She observes Roman, the minute twitches of him which most would miss. He is nervous, perhaps even fearful. But not of Binah, curiously enough. "In the best case, which is improbable but not impossible, Love will obtain an aura and nothing else happens. In the worst case, contact with her essence will kill our volunteer and set off the Queen of Hatred. As so often, I believe the truth lies somewhere between. Mental pollution is a given, only the extent depends on the reaction and the strength of whomever you elect to recommend."
"So you've got no idea, great. Can you at least beat her down if she goes rampaging?"
"I see the twins spoke to you."
"Junior did."
That makes more than enough sense to Binah. It is unlikely that the knowledge went past them. Regardless, Roman is once again caught in introspection. Then he turns away, though hesitant. A few gestures catch Neo's attention, who signs back at him. Neither Binah nor Ash understand, though the other pair's ever more frantic motions speak well enough of the brewing argument.
In the end, Neo backs down with a hesitant nod and distrustful look toward Binah. When Roman turns back to them, his expression is resolute. "I'm about to do something incredibly stupid. But really, it's probably my best bet at this point. Does it count as throwing you under the bus if I tell you ahead of time I'm doing it?"
Ash tenses, though Binah is simply intrigued. She motions for Roman to elaborate which he does. "Hey, the reaction's better than I was hoping. Okay, here's the thing: I am currently in deep trouble. Probably the deepest I've ever been. I'm walking a tightrope, one wrong step and I'm dead. The moment I outlive my usefulness, I'm dead. And once Cinder gets her will, we're probably all dead."
"Oh? And this person was so foolish to reveal such a plan to you ahead of time?"
"She's not that stupid, I'm afraid. That would make things a lot easier." After snorting at the idea, he makes a sweeping motion. "But I'm not stupid either. She somehow pressed the Fang into her service, has them steal all this Dust. And she demands even more of it from me, so I'm running myself ragged buying what I can to keep the economy from collapsing. She throws money at this like no tomorrow and doesn't care about it. The only other reasons to do this are powering some super-sized facility in the boonies, equipping an entire army, or building room-sized bombs by the truckload." He interrupts his halfway calm rant to take a sip of wine, brows furrowed. "And considering that she has no qualms about killing me, she doesn't care one whit about Vale's stability."
Binah can see how pale Ash has grown in the reflection of her own glass. The erstwhile Arbiter simply smirks. "So you wish to send her at Love and hope she lets herself be fooled?"
To her surprise, Roman shakes his head. "Not exactly. Cinder isn't stupid, you see. She's proud."
That is all he needs to say. Now to the surprise of everyone else in the room, Binah begins to chuckle. "Ah, I see. The most dangerous vice shall claim yet another victims. Believing oneself superior to another is often grounds for a terrible fall." She knows full well the trappings of pride after all. Ten thousand years spent dancing on the precipice of insanity yet unable to take the plunge drove that lesson home.
"Exactly. She thinks she's smarter than everyone and acts like it. But like I said, she's not dumb. If I want to get out of this alive, either I take her and her little elite team down in one swipe, or she'll never know I'm involved. I'd have gotten a message to Ozpin by now if she wasn't so cautious. He's the only one who can deal with her. Well, and then there's you." He pauses, frowns, and throws his worries away. "To be honest, you're already in deep shit. Love killed the bull and the Fang knows. They're baying for blood."
"So Adam has become a martyr to his people, only for them to disregard his stances and pervert them to their own benefit." A tale as old as time. Binah still has to laugh about it. "I was meaning to let them come to me regardless. There is no easier prey than one who believes their plan to have succeeded."
Roman arches a brow and shrugs. "Alright, you do you. Anyway, my plan: Cinder has two minions, like Neo here except she doesn't care about them beyond how useful they are." He still gets bapped on the head, though there is no heat in the gesture. "The girl's a thief and a damn good one. Has some sort of distorted love for Cinder, too loyal to dislodge without the lady herself noticing. The guy is an assassin." Here he grins. "But he's also irreverent, easygoing, and likes to just wander when he doesn't have any tasks. So I'm thinking, if I can sweettalk him into helping me out here for quick cash, he'll probably not say anything to Cinder. He comes to wake Love's aura, probably goes insane, you dispose of him. Or, well, you dispose of him even if he doesn't go insane. A favour for a favour, how's that sound?"
"Hm." That is certainly an interesting proposition. By how quickly Roman pieced this together, he must have been planning how to throw this Cinder off for a while. If word of this event does get back to her, he will claim he did not know what Binah planned. The connection with Love means Cinder has every reason to come to them then. He is well-informed, too. "Your Semblance seems to come in handy once again."
"As if I'd need... oh. Ohhh." Roman's dismissal tells her much, but he sadly saw through her bluff. "I get it now. You don't actually figured out what it does yet. You're just blindly poking until I give you enough clues. But you know what? This is important, so I'll just tell you: my Semblance lets me get impressions of people by looking at them. Can't read minds and stuff, but I can tell at a glance if someone's trustworthy, what kind of person they are, that kind of thing. Like you, when I look at you, I can tell you're a monster. You'd open me up in a heartbeat and probably watch me bleed out over dinner." Neo twitches at that while Binah inclines her head. He did just guess at one of her favourite pastimes.
Then Roman glances at Ash, only to frown harder. "And then there's her. I don't tend to use this because relying on it it makes me rusty. Good thing that, because I get nothing from her. Like you're not even there," he tells the girl directly. "Which is weird because I even get something from the Abnormalities."
"How would that happen?" Ash is equally befuddled, breaking her silence for the first time since their arrival. "I don't think I'm all that special. I know I'm not an Abnormality, at least."
"Good question, kiddo. Any magic? Some sort of technology we couldn't even fathom? One of those gifts like that glove Miltia wears since last week?" Ash shakes her head, prompting a shrug from Roman. "Then probably your Semblance. It's the only other thing you could have going on, right?"
While Ash muses over this, Binah picks up on what he said. "You can detect the emissions of even a gift?" A nod from Roman draws a thoughtful noise from her. His Semblance may detect the Enkephalin Saffron's gift emits. "How curious. Regardless, I accept your offer. Though I imagine you do not care what happens to this boy once the trap snaps shut?"
"As long as he's neutralised, I don't." While the two smirk at each other in understanding, their respective companions simply look on.
They hash out a swift plan to be actualised within days and part for the evening. Ash keeps her silence until it is just the two of them before speaking up: "Do you think my Semblance could do something odd like that? I don't feel any different." She is clearly disconcerted, though also hopeful to finally find what her personal power is. The subject matter does not interest Binah much for the moment, as she lacks information to figure it out.
"It depends on what colour your soul will ultimately reveal. A Semblance can supposedly be anything, so the possibility exists. Our current level of information is unsatisfactory to draw any conclusion, so you will have to meditate on the subject or await circumstances to reveal more."
"And when will you tell me more of the City?"
"Shortly, but not tonight. I need proper tea first."
"Okay."
Ash spends the next few days talking to Ruby about Semblances or in meditation. Once she even manages to ask Weiss about the matter when she comes to speak with Courage, though their conversation is not long.
Binah sets up a date with Love on Wednesday as per Roman's direction, exactly five minutes after midnight at the docks. Saffron and Courage join covertly at the abandoned warehouse while Sable sits on her shoulder. With the Backstreets Butcher still haunting Vale, nighttime travel has slowed to a crawl at best. More Grimm bay at the walls of late but are repelled, providing ample training opportunities for Beacon's students.
Yet despite the rumours, a confident young man appears from the darkness. A nearby streetlight barely reveals Binah's silhouette, but he steps into its shine without hesitation. Steely hair and a slight tan, dressed in shades of grey that are coloured orange by the lamp. He looks straight at Binah, showing off his observational skills with a smirk; he never notices the magical girls hiding on the rooftops. His legs move with mechanical precision. "Heya," he greets jovially. "I'm here to, uh, throw a bucket into the well."
That was the code Binah demanded. It is the right person. She steps forward in response, allowing the darkness to melt away and reveal her countenance. "So that a seed since planted shall be nourished," she gives the counter phrase. "Your confidence is intriguing, not a trace of worry despite the ghosts said to haunt these streets at night."
"Heh, I could take that guy." He smirks and sketches a bow. "Neat bird. Bit pudgy, but I like the vibe, ma'am." Sable preens, uncaring for his other commentary. "So, our friend said you got a quick job for me. Is it you?"
"No. The lady in need of your services awaits inside. Discretion is key tonight."
"Sure, sure. Lead the way."
Despite his confidence, he remains cautious. Binah has to walk with her back to him, giving him the advantage in a confrontation. Or rather she would, were Sable not watching his every move. As they walk, he keeps conversing: "Heard you're new in town, same as me. Any reason for Vale in particular?"
"At times, one's path will simply lead where it does. Whether it was our own volition or coincidence that led us here, in the end all that matters is that we are."
"Alright then, keep your secrets." He seems more amused than annoyed, though he does not prod further.
Pushing open the door, Binah enters into a dimly lit room. Mercury Black closes it behind him. The faint glimmer of green and amber shining through the floor clearance escapes him. Binah knows Courage and Saffron sealed off the building. No sound will escape and any fight will not spill out. She could have done the same with Lock, but Mercury would have noticed that quite fast.
Love is dozing, leaned against a lone crate. The light squeak of metal as the door closes has her surge to her feet, pretending she was not half asleep a moment ago. "I'm here!" she announces, then waves. "Hello! You're the one who's helping me today?"
"Yep, all me." He swaggers forward while Binah takes a step back. "No idea way you'd pay someone else to do the thing, but I'm kinda curious. What do you need aura for so fast? Here, let's get this over with." He reaches out and cheekily cups Love's face with both hands. The blunette's first retort dies on her lips as she squirms in his grasp.
"Well, I made it into Beacon. So it would be kind of nice to have aura before anyone notices, is all."
"Brothers, seriously?" A grey aura begins to shine around him and ripples across Love before sinking into her. Mercury whistles. "Wow. You've gotta show me some of your tricks if you actually got in without. That takes some real balls. Or, well, guts, I guess. For a girl."
"Girls just have their balls elsewhere," Love chirps back with a tap to her chest. The two share a laugh as Mercury's aura digs deeper. With how close he stands, he misses the way Love's body begins to lose coherence. Binah does not.
After another moment, Mercury squints. "Huh. Come to think of it, you look familiar."
He never gets to finish his train of thought. As his essence meets hers, Love melts into him. Her body dissolves and is absorbed into his; her vest and skirt overlay on his clothes, his hair turns a light shade of blue instead. Light gleams outward from their union, but Mercury is bound in place and completely stunned. A perfect synchronisation.
"And now the true test," Binah murmurs while the boy begins to shudder. His limbs shake, aura flares. Mercury Black goes to his knees after about ten seconds, screaming in agony at the sky the ceiling denies him. Fingers dig into his face, clawing at it as if to scrape off the skin. Magic flares around him, but his body holds.
When Love finally ejects herself after about twenty seconds, his mind is battered. Perhaps not fully broken, but close. He convulses on the ground, swiftly soaked in sweat. Binah takes Love by the elbow before she can continue fretting. "Worry not. He is an enemy. I expected something along those lines to occur."
"He what?" Love stops to look between them. Yet she is hesitant when glancing back to Mercury. "But why? He seemed so nice."
"A mercenary, for the most part. Although he currently aligns with a faction that will see Vale annihilated at the culmination of their machinations."
"Oh." She looks back down on him with mixed feelings. Mercury curled up into the fetal position, gently rocking back and forth. "Why didn't you say so before?" He is completely unresponsive to their presence and conversation.
"Your ability to act is severely limited," Binah answers. She leans down to study the boy; it has been a while since she beheld someone's psyche take so much damage so fast. It feels nostalgic. "Hence why I let the dice fall as they would."
Love pouts at that. "You're not wrong, but I'm not exactly happy with it." Her dismay is noted but not acknowledged. Mercury continues to rock himself, crying softly while the two women watch. Love manifests her staff. "I feel kind of bad for him. This is cruel. Should I kill him now? If he's a villain, I should, right?"
What an intriguing question. Does Love hesitate because her mind undergoes change, or is it simply the pity for this broken creature staying her hand? Binah bemoans that she did not bring tea to watch him a while longer, but alas. The synchronisation was not long enough for truly irreversible damage, even with an Abnormality of Love's power. She does possess the spells to restore him. They could interrogate Mercury on his allies. Perhaps even rebuild what pieces of him will remain.
But at the same time, things may come to a head soon. If he escapes while being held, there will be trouble. He knows who did this to him and that Roman approached him for the job. The last time Binah left her prey alive, she died for it. Is this worth the risk?
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XgK_ME-EJE
-Identified Roman Torchwick's Semblance
Roman can get a general impression of any given person just by looking at them. Their primary emotions, whether they are generally honest, etc.
[] Keep him
[] Kill him
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"Storm", Ash's Very Own Weapon
EmpirePlayer
Anyone need some chaos?
- Location
- Penang
[X] Kill him
- Location
- Who knows?
[X] Keep Him
This is like our only lead to Cinder and then Salem right?
This is like our only lead to Cinder and then Salem right?
i mean no? roman knows cinder
questioningmeme
Just be yourself
- Location
- River of Light
Darn...Mercury huh...
Merc knows about the Maiden. Thats the long term draw he has.
More importantly, he knows Cinder's plans. If he spills, we can basically play Cinder like a fiddle.
Also, the possibility of Ash being related(more likely at this point BEING) to Angelica approaches 100% with each chapter.
[X] Keep Him
Merc is a coward. We broke him once and hes not gonna run away. More importantly, as I said before, he has way more information on Cinder than Roman does and his loyalty to Cinder is shaky at best anyway.
He only stay around because of his (onesided) friendship with Emerald and because hes forced too (main reason). Unless that changed last I watched RWBY.
Edit: Seriously, thats literally the Black Silence's spear.
Edit2: Plus, hes a good tool to have in comparison to what we have now. Roman is a bit sparse and the girls lack finnese.
Merc is a decent pawn thats easy to keep in line, and do a decent job.
Edit3: Dragon make a good point too. Hes our first test subject. Theres advantages in research to keeping him around.
Merc knows about the Maiden. Thats the long term draw he has.
More importantly, he knows Cinder's plans. If he spills, we can basically play Cinder like a fiddle.
Also, the possibility of Ash being related(more likely at this point BEING) to Angelica approaches 100% with each chapter.
[X] Keep Him
Merc is a coward. We broke him once and hes not gonna run away. More importantly, as I said before, he has way more information on Cinder than Roman does and his loyalty to Cinder is shaky at best anyway.
He only stay around because of his (onesided) friendship with Emerald and because hes forced too (main reason). Unless that changed last I watched RWBY.
Edit: Seriously, thats literally the Black Silence's spear.
Edit2: Plus, hes a good tool to have in comparison to what we have now. Roman is a bit sparse and the girls lack finnese.
Merc is a decent pawn thats easy to keep in line, and do a decent job.
Edit3: Dragon make a good point too. Hes our first test subject. Theres advantages in research to keeping him around.
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[X] Keep Him
Since we've got him I'm curious what the long term effects are. We know he can survive it so if we can figure out what happened from him we might be able to unlock the others with less harm done.
Since we've got him I'm curious what the long term effects are. We know he can survive it so if we can figure out what happened from him we might be able to unlock the others with less harm done.
Bah, you are on your what, third life? I'm sure you can comment on it, just not with the normal point of view.
Ah, yes, the good old *use your weapon as a jet* method of travel, a classic, really.
I admit, I was half expecting Durandal.
No, it counts as being partners in crime.
To think there were people thinking about asking Ash. *Shakes head* Not only did Binah confirm that it was a BAD idea, we got to shoot Cinder in the foot via our little shenanigans.
Oooooohhhhhhh, interesting, semblance, perhaps?
Showing his actual observations skills.
If the vote is about who gets to kill him, I vote for Sable, just so, you know, he gets to eat his words.
A pity, he's not in a state for him to appreciate the irony of getting killed by Sable. *sigh*
Oh, well, end his suffering? Let's see the comments.
No, Roman already said He knows Cinder, everything we can get from him, we can get from her.
For those thinking of keeping him to have him work with us: I really, really don't want to have a guy whose first impression of us was this, and who betrayed his own father to work for us, that's just asking for him to try to plant a dagger in our back, now, we can keep him as test subject if we take enough precaution, but not have him work for us.
[X] Kill him
