- Location
- Not Entirely Here
It is great regarless of how horrible they are. It's just that it's more socially acceptable, and that one feels more justified when doing so.
Last edited:
The Other Path [RWBY SI] [AHOIAC AU]
- Thread starter shadenight123
- Start date
Virian
Sage of Reason and incomplete information
- Location
- Where logic has never been before
- Pronouns
- he/him
I'm confused ... what was saved?
- Location
- Not Entirely Here
Just something I wrote before, and decided not to post. Don't think too much about it.
Ganurath
Literal Enthusiast
- Location
- A Valid Location
- Pronouns
- He/Him
And that's why Jacque's business policies persecuted the Faunus in particular, rather than everyone who wasn't him.
Team SZSR Curriculum Vitae - Lucky Abrams
- Location
- Is this really necessary?
I was originally going to make a joke about how traumatized the new students are gonna be, but now that I think about it, Team Sizzling Sunrise is astonishingly well-qualified to teach new upcoming Huntsman. In fact, Haven Academy is probably the best match for their skill set and experience. If I had to make a brief and incomplete curriculum vitae for them:
Team Sizzling Sunrise
Schnee W, Malen Z, Shire C, Roy G
Current Affiliations
Assistant Professors, School of Huntsman, Haven Academy, Mistral
Teaching Assistant, Huntsman Division, Atlas Academy, Atlas
Wren Schnee - Archival Department, Atlas Academy, Atlas
Zhelty Malen - Department of Aerospace Engineering, Atlas Academy, Atlas
Chez Shire - Defense Ordnance Development Directorate, Atlas Academy, Atlas
Gorm Roy - Human Resources, Atlas Academy, Atlas
Education
Huntsman Division, Atlas Academy, Atlas
School of Huntsman, Beacon Academy, Vale
Huntsman Program, Shade Academy, Vacuo
Combat and Survival School, Vacuo Huntsman Preparatory School, Vacuo
Professional Awards/Recognition
Nominated for Atlas Specialist Position by Winter Schnee, Atlas Military Specialist
Champion of Vytal Tournament as hosted by Beacon Academy (Wren Schnee)
Victor of Team round of Vytal Tournament as hosted by Beacon Academy (Team SZSR)
Victor of Doubles round of Vytal Tournament as hosted by Beacon Academy (Wren Schnee & Gorm Roy)
Victor of Solo rounds of Vytal Tournament as hosted by Beacon Academy (Wren Schnee)
Professional and Entrepreneurial Activities
Teaching Assistant/Combat Class Instructor for Atlas Academy First Years under Professor Vash
Student-Huntsman Intern for Atlas Academy (see current affiliations)
Interpersonal relationship lottery commercialization. Projected lien revenue: [REDACTED]
Desert Recycling Initiative; commercialized scrap material salvage from Vacuo wastelands
Missions Undertaken (>[REDACTED] in total, >[REDACTED] successfully completed)
Major Accomplishments as Student-Huntsman team
Team SZSR reports to Academy Professors and two Provosts (Shade Academy and Atlas Academy)
1. Defeated White Fang leadership and followers when ambushed in Menagerie.
2. Acquired one fully operational bullhead which was exchanged at Shade Academy. Source of bullhead unknown.
3. Survived Atlas terrorist attack perpetuated by three highly dangerous and wanted criminals (see files for Cinder/Hazel/Watts).
4. Rescued hostage (see file for Schnee, Willow) from Schnee Manor undetected.
5. Independently developed novel semblance applications (see Aura and Semblance notes on Schnee Wr, Malen Z, Shire C, Roy G).
6. Prevented Fall of Vale conspiracy through the capture of criminals Mercury Black and Emeral Sustrai.
7. Remade the combat curricula to provide innovative educational experiences at all Academy Year levels.
8. Achieved 4.0-fold increase in Shade Academy recycling funding despite transferring out of the nation of Vacuo.
I still think these kids are gonna be traumatized though.
Team Sizzling Sunrise
Schnee W, Malen Z, Shire C, Roy G
Current Affiliations
Assistant Professors, School of Huntsman, Haven Academy, Mistral
Teaching Assistant, Huntsman Division, Atlas Academy, Atlas
Wren Schnee - Archival Department, Atlas Academy, Atlas
Zhelty Malen - Department of Aerospace Engineering, Atlas Academy, Atlas
Chez Shire - Defense Ordnance Development Directorate, Atlas Academy, Atlas
Gorm Roy - Human Resources, Atlas Academy, Atlas
Education
Huntsman Division, Atlas Academy, Atlas
School of Huntsman, Beacon Academy, Vale
Huntsman Program, Shade Academy, Vacuo
Combat and Survival School, Vacuo Huntsman Preparatory School, Vacuo
Professional Awards/Recognition
Nominated for Atlas Specialist Position by Winter Schnee, Atlas Military Specialist
Champion of Vytal Tournament as hosted by Beacon Academy (Wren Schnee)
Victor of Team round of Vytal Tournament as hosted by Beacon Academy (Team SZSR)
Victor of Doubles round of Vytal Tournament as hosted by Beacon Academy (Wren Schnee & Gorm Roy)
Victor of Solo rounds of Vytal Tournament as hosted by Beacon Academy (Wren Schnee)
Professional and Entrepreneurial Activities
Teaching Assistant/Combat Class Instructor for Atlas Academy First Years under Professor Vash
Student-Huntsman Intern for Atlas Academy (see current affiliations)
Interpersonal relationship lottery commercialization. Projected lien revenue: [REDACTED]
Desert Recycling Initiative; commercialized scrap material salvage from Vacuo wastelands
Missions Undertaken (>[REDACTED] in total, >[REDACTED] successfully completed)
Major Accomplishments as Student-Huntsman team
Team SZSR reports to Academy Professors and two Provosts (Shade Academy and Atlas Academy)
1. Defeated White Fang leadership and followers when ambushed in Menagerie.
2. Acquired one fully operational bullhead which was exchanged at Shade Academy. Source of bullhead unknown.
3. Survived Atlas terrorist attack perpetuated by three highly dangerous and wanted criminals (see files for Cinder/Hazel/Watts).
4. Rescued hostage (see file for Schnee, Willow) from Schnee Manor undetected.
5. Independently developed novel semblance applications (see Aura and Semblance notes on Schnee Wr, Malen Z, Shire C, Roy G).
6. Prevented Fall of Vale conspiracy through the capture of criminals Mercury Black and Emeral Sustrai.
7. Remade the combat curricula to provide innovative educational experiences at all Academy Year levels.
8. Achieved 4.0-fold increase in Shade Academy recycling funding despite transferring out of the nation of Vacuo.
I still think these kids are gonna be traumatized though.
Chapter One Hundred
- Location
- https://discord.gg/z9tBvbh
Chapter One Hundred
It was inevitable for me to see similarities. They were like lines in the sand, like drawings on the walls. Zhelty had a sharp look about her, a bullet-point list of things to do in one hand, held over a wooden tablet to allow her to write on the paper if the need arose. Her eyes glanced at me, even as I felt the incredible need to stand and military salute her. Yet if I did that, I reckoned she'd give me a salute back, and that would just clinch the deal and take away any remaining traces of the Zhelty I used to know, now replaced with a clone-like existence similar to that of Winter.
Seriously, I knew I was exaggerating it even within the confines of my mind. Zhelty was still way more vivacious and rambunctious than Winter.
"We've got the supplies ordered and delivered in part," Zhelty muttered, "there were some uniforms still in stock so the clothes' budget has been partially reallocated to maintenance of the high-class dorms-"
I glanced at her.
She gave me an apologetic look. "I know what you're thinking, but please don't say it."
"Are you telling me that teams are divided based on their social class?" I asked all the same.
"Well, yes and no," Zhelty muttered. "Some families pay for the privilege of having their children fight together. They thus extend the courtesy of some extra financing to ensure their dorms are better equipped. They state it's a matter of maintaining the training regimes-" her voice grew progressively quieter as my gaze moved slowly away from her. "But it trickles down," Zhelty added. "They're willing to spend a lot, so some of it is extra and it goes-"
My gait was slightly faster. We were headed for other suppliers. Mainly those in charge of providing the food, and the catering service for the school. The meals were thankfully given in the same place, but apparently there were some high class ingredients thrown in. I doubted students would bother eating oysters, but it had been in the budget the year before, and it now needed to be removed.
I reckoned it was simply Lionheart doing his best to siphon funds away while simultaneously killing his huntsmen. Still, if we ended up with five kilos of oysters, we'd be in trouble. Since people didn't believe in Scroll-orders around these parts, we had to personally make our way to the depths of Mistral's belly, seeking out a warehouse where large crates of various alimentary products arrived and were then split depending on the buyers' preferences.
The guy in charge of supplying Mistral was a bald, tattooed man with a purple cloth-rope tied around his forehead. He had shark-like teeth and a Hawaii-like jacket, and we found him currently sitting on a crate. The crate was actually thumping from within and rattling, hoarse screaming echoing from its insides.
"And what do we have here? Huntsmen?" the man smiled, clearly intending on showing off his teeth. "Come for some fresh food straight off the source?"
"We're from Haven academy," Zhelty spoke unfazed. "We wanted to change the supply list from last year."
"Ah, yes," the man nodded slowly, his eyes glancing towards me. "You're the guys ruffling the underground's feathers," he snickered, "Not that I have feathers," he slammed a foot against the crate he was sitting on, the screams dying out. "Stupid animals, we import them fresh, so fresh that sometimes they still have the strength to fight back."
There were air holes on the crate; the feeling that somebody would put a pig or a sheep inside a crate and then just ship it wasn't sitting well with me, because I could see that the warehouse did indeed have cages for the animals, and those animals were peacefully contemplating their life expectancy while being fed.
"Will there be a problem?" Zhelty asked, calmly extending a list. The man looked at the offered piece of paper, and then hummed as he looked at the quantities.
"That depends," he grumbled, "you're new, but I'm sure you're not stupid. There needs to be something in here of...shall we say, value. A nice little something for the border guards, something that can be resold as a commodity, do you understand where I'm going?"
"Yes," I said with a slow nod. "Something that gets lost during the transport, and yet gets marked as paid. Then the profit is usually split, but since Haven's funded by the government of Mistral, I suspect we offer you a cut in exchange for ensuring the safe delivery of the rest?"
The man's shark smile grew in intensity. "A man of the world!" he laughed. "Good. That makes this easier."
"We've got other suppliers we can go to," Zhelty said. "We don't-"
"I have a feeling they're all mostly under the same gang," I remarked nonchalantly. "Pay one, pay them all. Refuse to pay one...and troubles start. Delayed shipping, lost supplies, bandit attacks and whatever else you can think of."
Zhelty blinked at my words, but the Shark-Faunus looked impressed. He laughed at that, "Ah, well, then I think this will be the start of a beautiful friendship." He extended a hand towards me, and I smiled before doing the same.
"Wren-" Zhelty muttered aghast as we left the warehouse, "You cannot be serious. If you give in once, you give in always-"
I rolled my eyes. "Zhelty, accidents happen."
Zhelty blinked, opened her mouth, and then closed it sharply. She mulled my words for a bit. "Unless you're worrying for my health, which I don't think you are, n-not that I wouldn't mind," she stammered the last part out, "I think...Oh," she sighed. "We're sending Chez, aren't we?"
"Aye," I said. "You know she gets angsty if she doesn't burn something down every now and then."
Zhelty sighed louder yet, "You shouldn't feed her pyromania like that, Wren," she continued. "And what's the benefit of burning their warehouse down?"
"People aren't made of money," I answered. "Criminal organizations, especially, rely on money and displays of power. If you take away one, you take away the other. Nobody would pay protection money to some gang that can't even protect themselves." I turned thoughtful, "And that is why, we're going to keep going down the supply list until we get the names of all those criminals involved, and then we pay them a visit."
"Speak about ruffling feathers," Zhelty mumbled, "More like burning them alive."
"Eh, the alternative is to beat them all to death, stand in front of Mistral's probably corrupt police, and defend oneself from the accusation of breaking the status quo," I said with a faint shrug. "If they understand money and violence, we'll give them money and violence."
Zhelty chuckled, "We have none of the former, but a lot of the latter," she clenched her armored fist, Alphonse by her arm. I grinned back at her, and winked.
The pleasant surprise was that some of the suppliers didn't mention anything remotely similar to a bribe tax. Some were better off than others, and some haggled on a bit higher prices than the market average, but the list of 'corrupt' suppliers didn't encompass them all. Ironically enough, the new suppliers supplementing the old ones were all corrupt, as if Leonardo had gone looking for them.
I had no doubt he had.
I truly had no doubt he had.
"That was the last one for the day," Zhelty said with a sigh, munching on an apple bought at a stall. I had my back against the wall, my eyes settled on the crowd. "Want a bite?" she asked next, dangling the apple in front of me.
"No," I said with a sigh. "I was thinking-"
"About what?" Zhelty asked.
"Is it evil, to allow evil to fester and grow without putting a stop to it?" I mused. "Or is it merely the norm?"
Zhelty sighed, louder still. "Not another one of your philosophical craps."
"I'm serious," I said flatly. "Look how bad things are in Mistral. There's a lot that could be done better; there's a lot that could change for the better. Yet people...these people..." I took a deep breath. "They look so passive, they feel so accepting of their lot in life."
Zhelty turned her back on me, and then simply used my body as her own wall to prop against. "I'm not seeing that," she said. "I'm seeing people going about their business, living their lives into one big, great flow. Sure, maybe not everyone's a fighter for equality, but it's not like everyone's got what it takes to be a huntsman. If things were truly so bad as to require change, then I'm sure they'd fight by themselves for it."
"The human spirit can suffer many tremendous blows," I whispered, "And it is incredible in how it adapts. What is hell for a man is the norm for another. We saw cold water as a treasure, Zhelty, when we came to Vale for the first time. We know the desert's inevitability, we know that there's no point in scooping the sand and counting the single grains...but this is different. We are speaking of human beings treated like luxury objects to be sold in a catalog. We are speaking of corruption at such levels, that even if somebody wanted to change things, they wouldn't be able to."
"So what do you propose? We grab banners and signs and start protesting? We go on a terrorist spree like the White Fang?" Zhelty muttered back.
"No," I said quietly. "I'm not proposing that. At the same time," I remembered Atlas. I remembered my father's sleeping form. I remembered my failure. I would not take all of the blame, but a part of it? A part of it was mine too. And he who doesn't learn from his mistakes will never grow.
Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent.
I took a deep breath. "Haven Academy's supposed to bring order and peace to Mistral, and as its professors, we have a duty, a civic duty, to see it happen," I mused.
Zhelty remained quiet, her mind thinking. "Maybe," she acquiesced, "But...there's no equal value to life, Wren. And you can't move forward if you keep regretting your past."
I exhaled, loudly. Zhelty still didn't move. "I think this frustration you're feeling, I know it very well myself. I saw myself taking over my father's shop, even as a huntress-in-training. And...and it frustrated me. There was so much more of the world I could see, so much more of life I could live-and deep down, I thought it would end as soon as I got out of Vacuo, to stick inside my father's shop and proceed to rot in there, like an old mummy."
My eyes scanned the crowd. People going, coming, stopping to chat and a few glancing briefly our way before moving on.
"But what I understood is that in the end, I didn't have to do that. I saw more of the world, I met so many different people, learned a lot of different things and I realized that my place wasn't there," Zhelty added. "It wasn't inside a sandy shop weighting scrap metal for junk rats or reselling it for a profit. I found my place in the world because I chose it, Wren. And I think you're feeling frustrated because you know your place too, and yet you don't want to take it."
I gritted my teeth. "My place is-"
"Your place is wherever you are happy," Zhelty muttered back, "And there's nothing else to it."
My arms crossed around Zhelty's neck to hug her from behind, my chin dropping down amiably on her head. "And what if one man's happiness is another man's tragedy?"
"That's why you need to learn to fight to keep your happiness," Zhelty said with a snort, as if she was explaining something obvious. "If you truly cherish it, then you will fight to the bitter end for it, and if you don't...then perhaps it wasn't what made you happy to begin with."
"...you do realize that sometimes you just can't win, yes?" I mused. "Doesn't matter how happy a house makes you, if a volcano goes up-"
"Do you have to ruin everything I say? Next time you go philosophical, I'll complain in turn about random stuff," Zhelty growled. "It's a matter of what you want! There's so much stuff out there for and against doing things-just pick whatever suits your needs!" her head slammed into my chin, "You ruined a perfectly good moment!" she angrily snapped as I let her go, and she turned pointing a finger up at me, "Of all the things you could have said and done-"
Some things, regardless of time, never changed.
But Zhelty was, as always, an irreplaceable existence...
...not so much the warehouse, which burned down surprisingly quickly by a random pyromaniac's act.
It was inevitable for me to see similarities. They were like lines in the sand, like drawings on the walls. Zhelty had a sharp look about her, a bullet-point list of things to do in one hand, held over a wooden tablet to allow her to write on the paper if the need arose. Her eyes glanced at me, even as I felt the incredible need to stand and military salute her. Yet if I did that, I reckoned she'd give me a salute back, and that would just clinch the deal and take away any remaining traces of the Zhelty I used to know, now replaced with a clone-like existence similar to that of Winter.
Seriously, I knew I was exaggerating it even within the confines of my mind. Zhelty was still way more vivacious and rambunctious than Winter.
"We've got the supplies ordered and delivered in part," Zhelty muttered, "there were some uniforms still in stock so the clothes' budget has been partially reallocated to maintenance of the high-class dorms-"
I glanced at her.
She gave me an apologetic look. "I know what you're thinking, but please don't say it."
"Are you telling me that teams are divided based on their social class?" I asked all the same.
"Well, yes and no," Zhelty muttered. "Some families pay for the privilege of having their children fight together. They thus extend the courtesy of some extra financing to ensure their dorms are better equipped. They state it's a matter of maintaining the training regimes-" her voice grew progressively quieter as my gaze moved slowly away from her. "But it trickles down," Zhelty added. "They're willing to spend a lot, so some of it is extra and it goes-"
My gait was slightly faster. We were headed for other suppliers. Mainly those in charge of providing the food, and the catering service for the school. The meals were thankfully given in the same place, but apparently there were some high class ingredients thrown in. I doubted students would bother eating oysters, but it had been in the budget the year before, and it now needed to be removed.
I reckoned it was simply Lionheart doing his best to siphon funds away while simultaneously killing his huntsmen. Still, if we ended up with five kilos of oysters, we'd be in trouble. Since people didn't believe in Scroll-orders around these parts, we had to personally make our way to the depths of Mistral's belly, seeking out a warehouse where large crates of various alimentary products arrived and were then split depending on the buyers' preferences.
The guy in charge of supplying Mistral was a bald, tattooed man with a purple cloth-rope tied around his forehead. He had shark-like teeth and a Hawaii-like jacket, and we found him currently sitting on a crate. The crate was actually thumping from within and rattling, hoarse screaming echoing from its insides.
"And what do we have here? Huntsmen?" the man smiled, clearly intending on showing off his teeth. "Come for some fresh food straight off the source?"
"We're from Haven academy," Zhelty spoke unfazed. "We wanted to change the supply list from last year."
"Ah, yes," the man nodded slowly, his eyes glancing towards me. "You're the guys ruffling the underground's feathers," he snickered, "Not that I have feathers," he slammed a foot against the crate he was sitting on, the screams dying out. "Stupid animals, we import them fresh, so fresh that sometimes they still have the strength to fight back."
There were air holes on the crate; the feeling that somebody would put a pig or a sheep inside a crate and then just ship it wasn't sitting well with me, because I could see that the warehouse did indeed have cages for the animals, and those animals were peacefully contemplating their life expectancy while being fed.
"Will there be a problem?" Zhelty asked, calmly extending a list. The man looked at the offered piece of paper, and then hummed as he looked at the quantities.
"That depends," he grumbled, "you're new, but I'm sure you're not stupid. There needs to be something in here of...shall we say, value. A nice little something for the border guards, something that can be resold as a commodity, do you understand where I'm going?"
"Yes," I said with a slow nod. "Something that gets lost during the transport, and yet gets marked as paid. Then the profit is usually split, but since Haven's funded by the government of Mistral, I suspect we offer you a cut in exchange for ensuring the safe delivery of the rest?"
The man's shark smile grew in intensity. "A man of the world!" he laughed. "Good. That makes this easier."
"We've got other suppliers we can go to," Zhelty said. "We don't-"
"I have a feeling they're all mostly under the same gang," I remarked nonchalantly. "Pay one, pay them all. Refuse to pay one...and troubles start. Delayed shipping, lost supplies, bandit attacks and whatever else you can think of."
Zhelty blinked at my words, but the Shark-Faunus looked impressed. He laughed at that, "Ah, well, then I think this will be the start of a beautiful friendship." He extended a hand towards me, and I smiled before doing the same.
"Wren-" Zhelty muttered aghast as we left the warehouse, "You cannot be serious. If you give in once, you give in always-"
I rolled my eyes. "Zhelty, accidents happen."
Zhelty blinked, opened her mouth, and then closed it sharply. She mulled my words for a bit. "Unless you're worrying for my health, which I don't think you are, n-not that I wouldn't mind," she stammered the last part out, "I think...Oh," she sighed. "We're sending Chez, aren't we?"
"Aye," I said. "You know she gets angsty if she doesn't burn something down every now and then."
Zhelty sighed louder yet, "You shouldn't feed her pyromania like that, Wren," she continued. "And what's the benefit of burning their warehouse down?"
"People aren't made of money," I answered. "Criminal organizations, especially, rely on money and displays of power. If you take away one, you take away the other. Nobody would pay protection money to some gang that can't even protect themselves." I turned thoughtful, "And that is why, we're going to keep going down the supply list until we get the names of all those criminals involved, and then we pay them a visit."
"Speak about ruffling feathers," Zhelty mumbled, "More like burning them alive."
"Eh, the alternative is to beat them all to death, stand in front of Mistral's probably corrupt police, and defend oneself from the accusation of breaking the status quo," I said with a faint shrug. "If they understand money and violence, we'll give them money and violence."
Zhelty chuckled, "We have none of the former, but a lot of the latter," she clenched her armored fist, Alphonse by her arm. I grinned back at her, and winked.
The pleasant surprise was that some of the suppliers didn't mention anything remotely similar to a bribe tax. Some were better off than others, and some haggled on a bit higher prices than the market average, but the list of 'corrupt' suppliers didn't encompass them all. Ironically enough, the new suppliers supplementing the old ones were all corrupt, as if Leonardo had gone looking for them.
I had no doubt he had.
I truly had no doubt he had.
"That was the last one for the day," Zhelty said with a sigh, munching on an apple bought at a stall. I had my back against the wall, my eyes settled on the crowd. "Want a bite?" she asked next, dangling the apple in front of me.
"No," I said with a sigh. "I was thinking-"
"About what?" Zhelty asked.
"Is it evil, to allow evil to fester and grow without putting a stop to it?" I mused. "Or is it merely the norm?"
Zhelty sighed, louder still. "Not another one of your philosophical craps."
"I'm serious," I said flatly. "Look how bad things are in Mistral. There's a lot that could be done better; there's a lot that could change for the better. Yet people...these people..." I took a deep breath. "They look so passive, they feel so accepting of their lot in life."
Zhelty turned her back on me, and then simply used my body as her own wall to prop against. "I'm not seeing that," she said. "I'm seeing people going about their business, living their lives into one big, great flow. Sure, maybe not everyone's a fighter for equality, but it's not like everyone's got what it takes to be a huntsman. If things were truly so bad as to require change, then I'm sure they'd fight by themselves for it."
"The human spirit can suffer many tremendous blows," I whispered, "And it is incredible in how it adapts. What is hell for a man is the norm for another. We saw cold water as a treasure, Zhelty, when we came to Vale for the first time. We know the desert's inevitability, we know that there's no point in scooping the sand and counting the single grains...but this is different. We are speaking of human beings treated like luxury objects to be sold in a catalog. We are speaking of corruption at such levels, that even if somebody wanted to change things, they wouldn't be able to."
"So what do you propose? We grab banners and signs and start protesting? We go on a terrorist spree like the White Fang?" Zhelty muttered back.
"No," I said quietly. "I'm not proposing that. At the same time," I remembered Atlas. I remembered my father's sleeping form. I remembered my failure. I would not take all of the blame, but a part of it? A part of it was mine too. And he who doesn't learn from his mistakes will never grow.
Stay your blade from the flesh of the innocent.
I took a deep breath. "Haven Academy's supposed to bring order and peace to Mistral, and as its professors, we have a duty, a civic duty, to see it happen," I mused.
Zhelty remained quiet, her mind thinking. "Maybe," she acquiesced, "But...there's no equal value to life, Wren. And you can't move forward if you keep regretting your past."
I exhaled, loudly. Zhelty still didn't move. "I think this frustration you're feeling, I know it very well myself. I saw myself taking over my father's shop, even as a huntress-in-training. And...and it frustrated me. There was so much more of the world I could see, so much more of life I could live-and deep down, I thought it would end as soon as I got out of Vacuo, to stick inside my father's shop and proceed to rot in there, like an old mummy."
My eyes scanned the crowd. People going, coming, stopping to chat and a few glancing briefly our way before moving on.
"But what I understood is that in the end, I didn't have to do that. I saw more of the world, I met so many different people, learned a lot of different things and I realized that my place wasn't there," Zhelty added. "It wasn't inside a sandy shop weighting scrap metal for junk rats or reselling it for a profit. I found my place in the world because I chose it, Wren. And I think you're feeling frustrated because you know your place too, and yet you don't want to take it."
I gritted my teeth. "My place is-"
"Your place is wherever you are happy," Zhelty muttered back, "And there's nothing else to it."
My arms crossed around Zhelty's neck to hug her from behind, my chin dropping down amiably on her head. "And what if one man's happiness is another man's tragedy?"
"That's why you need to learn to fight to keep your happiness," Zhelty said with a snort, as if she was explaining something obvious. "If you truly cherish it, then you will fight to the bitter end for it, and if you don't...then perhaps it wasn't what made you happy to begin with."
"...you do realize that sometimes you just can't win, yes?" I mused. "Doesn't matter how happy a house makes you, if a volcano goes up-"
"Do you have to ruin everything I say? Next time you go philosophical, I'll complain in turn about random stuff," Zhelty growled. "It's a matter of what you want! There's so much stuff out there for and against doing things-just pick whatever suits your needs!" her head slammed into my chin, "You ruined a perfectly good moment!" she angrily snapped as I let her go, and she turned pointing a finger up at me, "Of all the things you could have said and done-"
Some things, regardless of time, never changed.
But Zhelty was, as always, an irreplaceable existence...
...not so much the warehouse, which burned down surprisingly quickly by a random pyromaniac's act.
Silver W. King
King of Adventures
- Location
- The Nasuverse
And now I remember why I liked Zhelty to begin with, and it's not just because she's a stronk angry midget.
"-you turn your house into a volcano lair. Carve your domain on its heart, and make that volcano rue the day it set foot on your backyard."
Invadingcat478
Certified Homophone
- Location
- Nekoneko town
Real life has no such thing as equality and karma, its all a load of horse crap. Its all a matter of willingness to struggle and luck and even then your reward is unsure and undecided. who knows maybe you'll get hit by a ferrari in the middle of jungle.
Its not about being justified and wrongness per se, its about the joy of making someone uncomfortable. Violence is great and enjoyable, its primal of raw emotions, but destroying and rebuilding someone with nothing but words are the true joy of living. And as a proper Villainess it is the way.
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Try not to cut yourself from all that edge.
Victor-Z
The Grinning One
- Location
- Endo Nesa
Off he goes, assassinatin' mafias and building brotherhoods.
Fragnostic
Cheshire
- Location
- Neko City
"Though our body's weak and breakable..."
Fitting, considering whose world you're in.
Wisdom learned by the Elric brothers. No Equivalent Exchange for a life.
Chez has become Trogdor, burninator of countrysides (and all it's people)
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- Location
- Is this really necessary?
Who would win: the wretched gang-filled city of scum and villainy, or one spicy catgirl?
Yeah, Chez is totally gonna become an urban legend that haunts the underbelly of Mistral.
They say it approaches with the terrible roar like the revving of an chainsaw, ready to rip and tear its victims apart, followed by a horrendous laughter which spells your doom. Don't look back, because all you'll see is a savage disembodied grin ready to devour its prey. Cath Palug, or so its name is whispered. An unseen demon which hunts down the sinful and wicked, burning them in holy fire. It lurks in the streets of Mistral, the dark corners and alleys beings its prime hunting grounds. Expect no mercy, expect no escape, for Cath Palug will find you. It always does.
"Chez, what are you doing?"
"Just a little psychological warfare against all of Mistral, nothing too big."
"Right. Carry on."
Yeah, Chez is totally gonna become an urban legend that haunts the underbelly of Mistral.
They say it approaches with the terrible roar like the revving of an chainsaw, ready to rip and tear its victims apart, followed by a horrendous laughter which spells your doom. Don't look back, because all you'll see is a savage disembodied grin ready to devour its prey. Cath Palug, or so its name is whispered. An unseen demon which hunts down the sinful and wicked, burning them in holy fire. It lurks in the streets of Mistral, the dark corners and alleys beings its prime hunting grounds. Expect no mercy, expect no escape, for Cath Palug will find you. It always does.
"Chez, what are you doing?"
"Just a little psychological warfare against all of Mistral, nothing too big."
"Right. Carry on."
Invadingcat478
Certified Homophone
- Location
- Nekoneko town
Nahhh still not edgy enough.. neded to take it on another level.
Exsequens
I Ent Dead!
- Location
- Back in the Toaster.
It's interesting that though Wren seems like the voice of reason within the team, he's actually the most idealistic of them. Zhelty acts like the angry strong midget, but she's quite grounded in realism. Chez plays the kitty cat seeking fun, but she's actually quite empathetic to others and wise to the ways of the desert. Gorm has little to say for the most of times, but the owl isn't short of wisdom to hoot when Wren needs it most too.
But at the same time, without Wren as the heart of Team SZSR, Zhelty has no one to keep her from reaching for more than she can take, Gorm has no one to keep him on the straight and sure path, and Chez has no one to keep her in check. In their ways, everyone is the voice of reason for each other, with Wren as the one to lead and direct their energies to a higher calling. And that is what makes a team, and it is majestic.
---
On a more artistic note, I have come to the inner verdict that the next step of refining Zhelty is to give her more muscles, the likes of which to match Maki Oze from Fire Force, and not say Yang who doesn't have much to show and in spite of that has a deceptive hardness to them as Team RWBY's heavy hitter.
Also I did some sketches for Wren, Gorm, and their weapons. I can see why Zhelty and Chez guard their blackbird most heavily from other interested women. Using Jacques Schnee as an exact match for the head, add in darker skin and scars, give him a messier hairstyle, shave the mustache, then throw in the desert goggles he wears instead of glasses on top of the dark blue eyes. He's actually quite easy on the eyes, like a younger Qrow with more muscles, though not up into the range of someone like Hazel.
But at the same time, without Wren as the heart of Team SZSR, Zhelty has no one to keep her from reaching for more than she can take, Gorm has no one to keep him on the straight and sure path, and Chez has no one to keep her in check. In their ways, everyone is the voice of reason for each other, with Wren as the one to lead and direct their energies to a higher calling. And that is what makes a team, and it is majestic.
---
On a more artistic note, I have come to the inner verdict that the next step of refining Zhelty is to give her more muscles, the likes of which to match Maki Oze from Fire Force, and not say Yang who doesn't have much to show and in spite of that has a deceptive hardness to them as Team RWBY's heavy hitter.
Also I did some sketches for Wren, Gorm, and their weapons. I can see why Zhelty and Chez guard their blackbird most heavily from other interested women. Using Jacques Schnee as an exact match for the head, add in darker skin and scars, give him a messier hairstyle, shave the mustache, then throw in the desert goggles he wears instead of glasses on top of the dark blue eyes. He's actually quite easy on the eyes, like a younger Qrow with more muscles, though not up into the range of someone like Hazel.
Chapter One Hundred and One
- Location
- https://discord.gg/z9tBvbh
Chapter One Hundred and One
The mess hall was one hundred percent functional. The live-in personnel in charge of maintaining the premises and cook for the students hadn't been dismissed, thankfully. The students that were already boarding at the academy were a rambunctious bunch, led by Chien and apparently were gutter rats, one and all.
"Now listen up kiddos," I said. "There's no such thing as a free meal, as you know all too darn well," I walked in front of the prospective students. "But before you start thinking this is a scam, don't worry. You won't be asked to pay back the food you've eaten," I added with a chuckle. "But you're expected to prove you want to become a huntsman, or at least try. Let's be honest with one another, after one night on a comfy bed with a full belly, who wants to go back to the streets?"
And to that question, not a single soul dared to answer.
Thus, I smiled. "Then, we'll start. What makes a huntsman is, in a nutshell, three things." I raised my right hand. "Never raise your weapon against an innocent!" as I spoke the first tenet, my voice snapped them to attention. Not really, not truly, but they knew these were things they had to memorize. "Your enemy is the Grimm, and your enemy is evil in all its forms! It may take the form of man, of Faunus, or of something else. Doesn't matter. If it's evil, hit it till it stops being evil or dies, whatever comes first."
I glanced at a couple of girls that could have been twins for all I knew. Both dark-haired, both wearing white and red robes like priestess of old and both, ironically, with simple looking bows on their backs. Then I glanced back at Chien, and suddenly everything clicked and I would have laughed there and then, had I not been doing the very important job of explaining to a group of street rats how to live life properly.
"The second rule is...stand out! Huntsmen are a colorful unique bunch. Show off your individuality! Do things nobody else has done before! Become someone that you can look at every morning in the mirror and say 'Damn, if only I were him-wait a moment, I am him'!" I grinned as I said that. "If you don't have a weapon, Haven will fund you one. Nothing flashy, so no solid gold sword or whatever, but within the realms of functionality we'll give you a hand. Also, if you have any interesting or cool ideas," I came to a halt by the figure of Zhelty, who was standing ramrod straight with her arms behind her back, "concerning modifying your weapon further, or just want to learn how it works...Professor Malen will help you."
Then I whistled a catchy tune, "And finally, the third rule! The most important rule! The one rule that makes, or breaks, a huntsman!" I sighed and looked at them, "Protect the people. Protect those who cannot protect themselves. Protect your fellow huntsmen. Protect your teammates. Protect yourself. As long as you keep on protecting someone in that list, you'll do fine."
Then I clapped my hands together. "Professor Roy will take you for a proper tour around the academy. Professor Shire will prepare a simple enough obstacle course for you to go through. There are no winners or losers, no first or last-you are all, as of right now, equally worthless-"
"Hey!" Chien nearly barked that out, and I glanced at him with enough of a withering glare that he actually quieted down.
"But by the end of this hasty training regiment, you'll all be equally acceptable. Make no mistake, fellow students your age in other Kingdoms are either in Combat Preparatory schools or enjoying life," I took a small breath. "For what it matters, know that I am sorry," I crossed my arms in front of my chest as the gathered bunch blinked at my apology. "I am sorry you have to pick up the slack of those who should have been there to protect you from life's harsh reality, and chose to willfully turn a blind eye. I am sorry I am giving you a choice that reeks of an order. I am sorry-and no amount of apologies will ever change the fact that you are children, and you will be trained to head into war."
I clicked my tongue against my teeth, "But you have my word as your professor, that nothing you do, I have not done first. Until you are all fed, I will not eat, and until you are all accounted for, I will not rest. Today you are my students, tomorrow you may be my brothers in arms, but regardless of the path you choose-I am proud of all of you willing to take the first step on this harsh road."
"Enough with the speeches or we'll never get them anywhere," Chez mumbled from my side, grinning happily.
"You've heard the words of my kin-ahem, I meant of my colleague," Gorm added. "Follow me. I'll show you the training centers and the combat arena and-"
And as they walked away, Chez heading for the practice course to prepare it, I smiled and watched a few of the students mutter among themselves.
"Rehearsed those words much, brat?" Qrow slurred out from behind me, and it was a testament to his skills that neither Zhelty nor I had heard him come. "Fancy words won't get them anywhere."
"I know," I acquiesced. "The bed and the full stomach are more than enough for now," I looked up at him, "And it shouldn't be. It shouldn't be enough." My fists trembled, clenched hard as they were.
"Woah, an idealist," Qrow snickered, "The world normally spits the likes of you out in crunchy balls of bones," he took a swig of his flask, then sighed and glanced at Zhelty. "You can go on ahead, Professor Malen," he added with a thick hint of sarcasm, much to Zhelty's annoyance.
"See you at lunch, Wren," she said, "Drunkmaster," she added next looking at Qrow, before heading off.
"Don't fall for the strict and stern type, they're no fun," Qrow remarked. "They don't enjoy the finest things in life, like alcohol-"
I sighed, and plopped out a flask from my own pocket. I uncorked it and took a sip.
The refreshing sensation of cold lemon tea made me feel immediately better.
"Any news from professor Vash?" I asked, warily. Chez and I hadn't found him, and neither Zhelty or Gorm had any luck on the matter either.
"He'll show up," Qrow muttered, "That man shares two incredibly annoying characteristics with you, brat. He's tough to kill and he's got a martyr complex."
I blinked at that. "I do not have a martyr complex-"
"We all do," Qrow sighed. "We're fighting an enemy that can't be defeated in a conventional way, following plans of ancient minds too complicated for us to comprehend," he took another swig from his flask. "If you don't have a martyr complex you're either a fool, or a madman. And I do know on which side to peg you."
I shrugged at that, "Or maybe I'm an optimist. Evil holds sway because good men do nothing. At the same time, society kinds of frown on eradicating evil by oneself-so, the best solution that doesn't involve purging half the world's population is obvious in hindsight. Educate better citizens. Make the good people the majority. And fight, fight until your last breath to defend them. You can kill the good man, but you cannot kill the ideals he speaks of. And a creed cannot be killed, for it's a way of life that eventually, inevitably, will find its way back to the surface to-"
I realized Qrow had left me there to speak to nobody but the ground.
I slumped my shoulders.
Then, I looked at the road that would lead to Mistral's city center once more.
It wouldn't hurt to seek more potential students to train up. And maybe, if I went alone, I might even find professor Vash and-
My Scroll rang.
I checked the name on the Scroll, and then frowned before quickly answering. "Weiss?" I asked, "What is it?"
"Guess whose team just accepted a long-term mission to Mistral?" Weiss asked, her voice sounding excited.
I felt dread pour into the bottom of my stomach. "Weiss, there's a dangerous assassin huntsman on the loose-"
"We did-wait, what's that about a dangerous assassin?" Weiss muttered, "Brother, why are you hunting a dangerous assassin?"
"Is uncle Qrow there?" I could hear Ruby's voice through the Scroll.
"Not now, Ruby, my brother's telling me how he's hunting a dangerous assassin in Mistral! Oh, we're coming by next week at Haven's grand opening ceremony, brother! I'm sure you'll have solved it by then, but if not consider team RWBY at your full disposal!" Weiss said excitedly. "We'll clearly solve it in no time together-"
"Weiss! Don't sell out your teammates like that!" Ruby's voice came with a squeak, apparently having been grabbed by the cheeks by Weiss' thumb and index finger. Or so I imagined, since I didn't have a visual on the proceedings.
"I see, well the I'll have to capture him before you arrive. Can't have my little sister risk her life like this. This guy's dangerous, Weiss-he killed a lot of experienced huntsmen," I spoke in a more somber tone, trying to let it seep through my sister's skull the dangers of it all.
Weiss wouldn't have any of it, of course. "Then that's even more reason for us to cooperate in the interests of bringing him to justice," Weiss said resolutely. "By the way, big brother-did you pick one of your teammates yet? I admit after the latest reports from Winter, I wouldn't mind if you valued the chance of getting to know the blonde a bit more-she looks like a perfect example of what to look into a wife-"
I sighed, pulled the Scroll away from my ear and then shook my head very, very slowly. "Weiss, nice hearing from you. See you in a week."
And then I closed the Scroll call.
I need a bird's eye view of Mistral. I needed to sniff a peculiar scent of evil.
I-
I was so stupid, sometimes, that I surprised myself.
Why bother synchronizing with rooftops...
...when you can become the eagle yourself?
The mess hall was one hundred percent functional. The live-in personnel in charge of maintaining the premises and cook for the students hadn't been dismissed, thankfully. The students that were already boarding at the academy were a rambunctious bunch, led by Chien and apparently were gutter rats, one and all.
"Now listen up kiddos," I said. "There's no such thing as a free meal, as you know all too darn well," I walked in front of the prospective students. "But before you start thinking this is a scam, don't worry. You won't be asked to pay back the food you've eaten," I added with a chuckle. "But you're expected to prove you want to become a huntsman, or at least try. Let's be honest with one another, after one night on a comfy bed with a full belly, who wants to go back to the streets?"
And to that question, not a single soul dared to answer.
Thus, I smiled. "Then, we'll start. What makes a huntsman is, in a nutshell, three things." I raised my right hand. "Never raise your weapon against an innocent!" as I spoke the first tenet, my voice snapped them to attention. Not really, not truly, but they knew these were things they had to memorize. "Your enemy is the Grimm, and your enemy is evil in all its forms! It may take the form of man, of Faunus, or of something else. Doesn't matter. If it's evil, hit it till it stops being evil or dies, whatever comes first."
I glanced at a couple of girls that could have been twins for all I knew. Both dark-haired, both wearing white and red robes like priestess of old and both, ironically, with simple looking bows on their backs. Then I glanced back at Chien, and suddenly everything clicked and I would have laughed there and then, had I not been doing the very important job of explaining to a group of street rats how to live life properly.
"The second rule is...stand out! Huntsmen are a colorful unique bunch. Show off your individuality! Do things nobody else has done before! Become someone that you can look at every morning in the mirror and say 'Damn, if only I were him-wait a moment, I am him'!" I grinned as I said that. "If you don't have a weapon, Haven will fund you one. Nothing flashy, so no solid gold sword or whatever, but within the realms of functionality we'll give you a hand. Also, if you have any interesting or cool ideas," I came to a halt by the figure of Zhelty, who was standing ramrod straight with her arms behind her back, "concerning modifying your weapon further, or just want to learn how it works...Professor Malen will help you."
Then I whistled a catchy tune, "And finally, the third rule! The most important rule! The one rule that makes, or breaks, a huntsman!" I sighed and looked at them, "Protect the people. Protect those who cannot protect themselves. Protect your fellow huntsmen. Protect your teammates. Protect yourself. As long as you keep on protecting someone in that list, you'll do fine."
Then I clapped my hands together. "Professor Roy will take you for a proper tour around the academy. Professor Shire will prepare a simple enough obstacle course for you to go through. There are no winners or losers, no first or last-you are all, as of right now, equally worthless-"
"Hey!" Chien nearly barked that out, and I glanced at him with enough of a withering glare that he actually quieted down.
"But by the end of this hasty training regiment, you'll all be equally acceptable. Make no mistake, fellow students your age in other Kingdoms are either in Combat Preparatory schools or enjoying life," I took a small breath. "For what it matters, know that I am sorry," I crossed my arms in front of my chest as the gathered bunch blinked at my apology. "I am sorry you have to pick up the slack of those who should have been there to protect you from life's harsh reality, and chose to willfully turn a blind eye. I am sorry I am giving you a choice that reeks of an order. I am sorry-and no amount of apologies will ever change the fact that you are children, and you will be trained to head into war."
I clicked my tongue against my teeth, "But you have my word as your professor, that nothing you do, I have not done first. Until you are all fed, I will not eat, and until you are all accounted for, I will not rest. Today you are my students, tomorrow you may be my brothers in arms, but regardless of the path you choose-I am proud of all of you willing to take the first step on this harsh road."
"Enough with the speeches or we'll never get them anywhere," Chez mumbled from my side, grinning happily.
"You've heard the words of my kin-ahem, I meant of my colleague," Gorm added. "Follow me. I'll show you the training centers and the combat arena and-"
And as they walked away, Chez heading for the practice course to prepare it, I smiled and watched a few of the students mutter among themselves.
"Rehearsed those words much, brat?" Qrow slurred out from behind me, and it was a testament to his skills that neither Zhelty nor I had heard him come. "Fancy words won't get them anywhere."
"I know," I acquiesced. "The bed and the full stomach are more than enough for now," I looked up at him, "And it shouldn't be. It shouldn't be enough." My fists trembled, clenched hard as they were.
"Woah, an idealist," Qrow snickered, "The world normally spits the likes of you out in crunchy balls of bones," he took a swig of his flask, then sighed and glanced at Zhelty. "You can go on ahead, Professor Malen," he added with a thick hint of sarcasm, much to Zhelty's annoyance.
"See you at lunch, Wren," she said, "Drunkmaster," she added next looking at Qrow, before heading off.
"Don't fall for the strict and stern type, they're no fun," Qrow remarked. "They don't enjoy the finest things in life, like alcohol-"
I sighed, and plopped out a flask from my own pocket. I uncorked it and took a sip.
The refreshing sensation of cold lemon tea made me feel immediately better.
"Any news from professor Vash?" I asked, warily. Chez and I hadn't found him, and neither Zhelty or Gorm had any luck on the matter either.
"He'll show up," Qrow muttered, "That man shares two incredibly annoying characteristics with you, brat. He's tough to kill and he's got a martyr complex."
I blinked at that. "I do not have a martyr complex-"
"We all do," Qrow sighed. "We're fighting an enemy that can't be defeated in a conventional way, following plans of ancient minds too complicated for us to comprehend," he took another swig from his flask. "If you don't have a martyr complex you're either a fool, or a madman. And I do know on which side to peg you."
I shrugged at that, "Or maybe I'm an optimist. Evil holds sway because good men do nothing. At the same time, society kinds of frown on eradicating evil by oneself-so, the best solution that doesn't involve purging half the world's population is obvious in hindsight. Educate better citizens. Make the good people the majority. And fight, fight until your last breath to defend them. You can kill the good man, but you cannot kill the ideals he speaks of. And a creed cannot be killed, for it's a way of life that eventually, inevitably, will find its way back to the surface to-"
I realized Qrow had left me there to speak to nobody but the ground.
I slumped my shoulders.
Then, I looked at the road that would lead to Mistral's city center once more.
It wouldn't hurt to seek more potential students to train up. And maybe, if I went alone, I might even find professor Vash and-
My Scroll rang.
I checked the name on the Scroll, and then frowned before quickly answering. "Weiss?" I asked, "What is it?"
"Guess whose team just accepted a long-term mission to Mistral?" Weiss asked, her voice sounding excited.
I felt dread pour into the bottom of my stomach. "Weiss, there's a dangerous assassin huntsman on the loose-"
"We did-wait, what's that about a dangerous assassin?" Weiss muttered, "Brother, why are you hunting a dangerous assassin?"
"Is uncle Qrow there?" I could hear Ruby's voice through the Scroll.
"Not now, Ruby, my brother's telling me how he's hunting a dangerous assassin in Mistral! Oh, we're coming by next week at Haven's grand opening ceremony, brother! I'm sure you'll have solved it by then, but if not consider team RWBY at your full disposal!" Weiss said excitedly. "We'll clearly solve it in no time together-"
"Weiss! Don't sell out your teammates like that!" Ruby's voice came with a squeak, apparently having been grabbed by the cheeks by Weiss' thumb and index finger. Or so I imagined, since I didn't have a visual on the proceedings.
"I see, well the I'll have to capture him before you arrive. Can't have my little sister risk her life like this. This guy's dangerous, Weiss-he killed a lot of experienced huntsmen," I spoke in a more somber tone, trying to let it seep through my sister's skull the dangers of it all.
Weiss wouldn't have any of it, of course. "Then that's even more reason for us to cooperate in the interests of bringing him to justice," Weiss said resolutely. "By the way, big brother-did you pick one of your teammates yet? I admit after the latest reports from Winter, I wouldn't mind if you valued the chance of getting to know the blonde a bit more-she looks like a perfect example of what to look into a wife-"
I sighed, pulled the Scroll away from my ear and then shook my head very, very slowly. "Weiss, nice hearing from you. See you in a week."
And then I closed the Scroll call.
I need a bird's eye view of Mistral. I needed to sniff a peculiar scent of evil.
I-
I was so stupid, sometimes, that I surprised myself.
Why bother synchronizing with rooftops...
...when you can become the eagle yourself?
AzraelvonGruber
probably should put something here...
- Location
- somewhere in France
The Brotherhood of assassins would be quite happy to have someone like Wren/Shade in their ranks, me think 
Ryven Razgriz
I need a Gun and I'll let you know 'What's up?'.
- Location
- South East Asia
Shade's inner Assassin is coming out again.
- Location
- Somewhere on the flat earth
So, Chien is dog in french.
The girls are dressed as Miko and use bows.
That makes me think Chien is Inuyasha (he is a dog demon) and the girls Kagome and Kikyo.
LordOfPears12
Cat girl headpatter
- Location
- Land of pizza,pasta and lasagna.
Omg Shade is ripping off Coeur Al'Aran: Daughter Emerald, Proffessor Wren, Head master Wren when?
I'm just joking.
*Seinfield theme starts playing*
Staring :
Wren as the maestro assasin.
Waifu ... #1
Waifu ... #2
Waifu ... #3
Generic bad villain
I'm just joking.
I am Wren Shade mastro assassino *makes italian hand gesture*, I kill persones, kick ass and drink coffee and this is my story.
*Seinfield theme starts playing*
Staring :
Wren as the maestro assasin.
Waifu ... #1
Waifu ... #2
Waifu ... #3
Generic bad villain
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