- Pronouns
- He/They
Oooh, a Slay the Princess quest! I'm not big into RWBY but I'm interested enough in StP to follow anyway.
What Happens Next (Slay The Princess/RWBY)
- Thread starter Nyarky
- Start date
Welcome!
You are just in time for me to update more often with the holydays, so, enjoy!
(Update is almost finished, last scene and vote are fighting me a little.)
Chapter VI: A thought is a Vine.
[x] Search as the Thorn, she has some ways to feel plants, this will totally work.
When getting closer in your Bullhead, you reach a decision.
You will try to find this boy as the Thorn, she has some control over plants, you can probably use that to search for him.
Satisfied with your plan, you tell the pilot to wait for you at the agreed upon point, and jump out with your lover. He begins circling the place in flight while you concentrate on reaching the Thorn.
You open your eyes as her, and instantly, you know that you will not have enough control to do it, your plants are more a way to defend your heart than to hurt others and you can't….
And then, you have a revelation.
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_oZ_lLIcXE0
A thought is a vine, and some thoughts nurture thorns that bleed the soul. An endless growth that blots your vision and strangles your trust.
When you were the Thorn inside the construct, it was your love for The Long Quiet and his love for you that allowed you to reach freedom. You were stuck in a mire of your own misery, and you would never have been able to become anything more than the Witch if not for his trust in you, his compassion.
And now, you are there, unable to do something alone.
But you are not alone, are you?
"Love, I need you to come here." You say, barely a murmur, yet knowing with absolute certainty you will be heard.
A thought is a vine, but you don't have to let it grow thorns, you don't have to let it strangle you.
Your love hears your call and comes to you, trusting you to know what you are doing. You can see the love in his eyes, the absolute trust that whatever you have thought of, it will work.
And because you are a creature of perception, it is enough.
A thought is a vine, and you are going to make this one grow roses for their flowers instead of their thorns.
You bloom.
In an instant the whole forest is covered in your roses, stopping any Grimm they find and allowing you to find the child you are searching for.
He is safe, some creatures of Grimm were beginning to move in his direction, but you have stopped that. You can simply wait here and let your love find the boy, give him the direction.
"Thanks for being there for me, Little Bird." You say dreamily, kneeling on the floor in a prayer amongst your thorns. They are making you bleed, but you are accustomed to it, can bear it to protect this child and allow his family to be reunited.
"Always, Princess." He answers, not needing anything else to know you need him to go. He walks, and the Brambles around you part in a path to his destination.
A thought is a vine, but, sometimes, you can control your own thoughts.
When you get Tom to his parents they are elated, so much so that don't even register you are still the Thorn and bleeding before he has already jumped into their arms and they look at you in thanks.
"Thank yo… what happened? Did you get hurt? Was there a group of Grimm near our boy?" The mother asks, still hugging her child even if the teenager is taller than her. She is looking at you with worry, no doubt noting the cuts on your arm due to your Thorns.
"Do not worry, there were no Grimm near your child, the blood is just a side effect of my Semblance. Everything is fine." You smile at her with understanding. You feel more… aware of what a gaze means as the Thorn, more able to see who amongst the nearby officers is looking at the scene with pity… or disgust.
You meet their gazes all the same, your own confidence enough to make them look away in shame.
"Mom, Dad, you can let me go, I won't leave." Tom says from their arms, apparently done with the family reunion for now, at least the public part, you have a feeling he will be hugging them again once they are at home. Reluctantly, they let him go and he excitedly begins explaining what you did.
You are not sure he is completely truthful, surely, your thorns weren't *so cool* or you *a nice lady*, right?
You let him go at it after a confirmation with the parents and move towards the administration to officially mark your mission as complete.
"Thanks for helping these two, I know some of my colleagues thought it was a waste of time to send Huntsmen to search and that he would be fine, but I couldn't leave them like that when I saw them." The lady who you give your report to says. "It is unfortunate that we couldn't keep the boys responsible for it longer due to their parents being big shots, but it is what it is." She sighs.
"It was no problem. Is that kind of event frequent? Some of your colleagues did, as you said, not seem to think the boy was in danger. But to know that they'd have to know that this part of the woods was safe and that he would be found by a patrol in time." You prod, using the knowledge of how to navigate intrigue you get as the Thorn to make your tone just so, giving just enough interest she cannot resist.
"There have been some incidents related to what may be a hazing ritual going on in these woods. Unfortunately, most of the ones we catch tend to be the children of politicians or other important people, so we cannot investigate much." She then mutters under her breath, low enough not to be overheard normally but giving the impression she knows full well your ears are sharp enough to hear it. "It doesn't help that some higher up in our ranks are ok with it."
"Well, thank you very much Miss…" You look at her badge. "Dike. We have officially finished here. But we will probably be there for any urgent cases for a little time, do not hesitate to call on us."
With that, you and your other half leave the premises, and go back to your room, ready to take on another day.
You end up following that promise during the next month, helping the police on some cases and earning some decent lien doing it all.
This close contact with them also allows you to learn about some parts of the history of Remnant you didn't know about. You learn of the White Fang and the Red Fang, two related organizations for the defense of Faunus across the world. You learn of Menagerie, formerly a place used to send *dissidents* (in actuality unwanted Faunus) that recently was taken back by said dissidents to form a new kingdom where Human and Faunus are equal. There is apparently a movement to change the name of the place in the works.
The White Fang, led by Kali Belladona after her husband left the post to concentrate his time on his role as chieftain of Menagerie, is a nonviolent organization that organizes protests, boycotts and meetings with politicians to help the progress of equality.
The Red Fang, led by Sienna Khan, is a more violent organization that works in close cooperation with the White Fang and Menagerie to directly attack the most racist places in the world, in the interest of protecting Faunus against their oppressors. They are particularly disliked by the Schnee Dust Company, who condemn them as terrorists., due to the number of *allegedly not slaves* they have freed over the years.
You also frequently hear words of an *Adam Taurus*, who the most racist members of the force think is Red Fang but all of the tolerant ones, as well as all of the Faunus you ask, tell you is actually being investigated by Menagerie and the Red Fang for several kidnappings, acts of terrorism, and several other crimes, including against Faunus. From what you gather he is the head of a cult named *Grimm Fang*, after the Grimm masks they use. The last sighting of him places him in the vicinity of Vale.
All of that activity lead to the month passing quickly, and you finding yourself back at Beacon for the license exam.
After a pleasant talk with the same secretary you had talked to the first two times you came here, you really need to get her name, you end up in a room put aside to allow the participants to wait before the exam. Giving a glance around, everyone is clearly showing their individuality here.
From a man with a yellow jacket combined with purple pants, to someone who seems to love colors so much she couldn't decide which one to use, so she has a little bit of everything and makes it work. You simultaneously feel a little simple compared to some, yet also completely at home with a strong statement you make work. The impressions are so varied you are pretty sure you would end up a living contradiction if you let them take control of you.
You and your Love decide to simply wait until Glynda comes to announce what you will do. She arrives right on the clock, still as serious as ever, and is quick to stop the conversations that were taking place:
"Welcome to this year's exam for the Huntsman license. I am Glynda Goodwitch, co-director of Beacon, and I am here to explain what the tests will consist of. Some of you who took the exam previously may remember a gauntlet against the first years as the first one, however, this year has two candidates for the teacher version of our exam. This leads to some changes, the gauntlet will still take place, but the two potential teachers will also be giving advice to some students between bouts in addition to it. As always, the exam will be taken by groups of two at a time." She takes a pause here, surveying the room critically.
You can see the crowd look at each other in search of the two persons she mentioned, but you get the feeling they will know it soon, Glynda is not finished with her talk. You simply look at her with confidence and can feel your love smiling at her too.
"Miss Panoply, Mister Vault, as our teachers candidates, you will be the first to go through the fights, if you manage this part you will be coaching one team each for the rest of it. All the rest, you can write your name on the list in the order you want to take your turn in. You can go to the stands to watch the fights. There will be two gauntlets per day, as the students will need time to recuperate. That is all." With that, she indicates you should follow her and begins walking towards what you infer is the locker room of the Arena. Meanwhile, you can see a number of Beacon employees taking her place to regulate the flow of candidates that is walking towards the list to write their names.
After a little while, she talks to you again:
"I am happy to see you both. I have heard of your little demonstration in Forever Fall, you did draw some eyes on you with that. Ozpin is looking forward to seeing you himself." Her tone is warmer than it was when she was presenting earlier, not yet completely friendly, but definitely approving. "If you pass both of your tests here, there will be an occasion during the interview you will have with him to finish things." You arrive at your destination and she turns back to you, going back to her serious persona for the next part. "This gauntlet will be against all 10 teams of first years we have currently, one after the other with no pauses except the time to have a new team get ready. You have to beat all of them to pass. Fights will be until one side is incapacitated or surrender. Loss is determined with the normal tournament Aura threshold. Good Luck."
You have a little time to prepare a strategy, what will you do?
The 9 first teams won't really be a problem to you, but the last one is a vastly improved team CFVY, now with some actual training and teamwork… as well as a crippling fear of you from the first time you met.
[] Shock and Awe, go as the Eye and crush all of them. The number of combatants means she should not feel the need to go overboard, there is enough to satisfy her. Your love will be right there with you to stop you if things come to that.
[] Show off. You are an everchanging being, use that. Use a different form and strategy everytime, show how versatile you are and how adaptable your other half is.
[] Best for Last. Beat every single one of the *weak* teams as yourself, then go as the Eye of the Needle for team CFVY. You may end up having them surrender on the spot though.
[] Hope you remember me. Same as Best for Last, but you simply let the impression team CFVY has take the reins at the end, it could be interesting. You may end up a faunus with this one. There is still a chance they surrender there and then.
[] Write-in.
A/N:
There we go, hope the Thorn scene is good, it seriously took root in my head about as soon as I began thinking on what having a more positive attitude would give you, but I had to see if it would win first.
What happened was that the trust given to you by Tom's parents combined with you really wanting it to work made you… resonate? It allowed you to go all out is what it did. Thorn is not that good at large scale searches normally.
Otherwise, I has you timeskip to the exam because there is a risk of dragging things on if I let myself just propose a different mission to pass the time, and I am not that interested in it.
You finally get some information on the most AU element right now, the White Fang had a big overall redo from the canon version. Sienna is working with Ghyra and Kali, the Belladonas are actually doing things that aren't *fight against our own protest movement*, and Adam is not White Fang, he's a cult leader pretending to be fighting for the right of Faunus to his victims. I wonder how that changes Blake?
A little note, do not hesitate to propose some fighting ways ideas in the comments besides your votes, if *Show off* wins, I will use some of them as the myriad of strategies you will use.
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[X] Hope you remember me. Same as Best for Last, but you simply let the impression team CFVY take the reins at the end, it could be interesting. You may end up a faunus with this one. There is still a chance they surrender there and then.
Maybe I am a lion.
...Like, why not? There aren't any faunus teachers at the beacon too, iirc, and the simple urge to play around and mix up things a little is prolly pretty fitting for the princess.
Maybe I am a lion.
...Like, why not? There aren't any faunus teachers at the beacon too, iirc, and the simple urge to play around and mix up things a little is prolly pretty fitting for the princess.
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Evaunit02mark1
S-s-smell the Prey, S-s-start the Hunt.
[X] Hope you remember me. Same as Best for Last, but you simply let the impression team CFVY take the reins at the end, it could be interesting. You may end up a faunus with this one. There is still a chance they surrender there and then.
Going hulk on them, while hilarious, might be a bit much.
Besides this should be fun and we are on vacation.
Going hulk on them, while hilarious, might be a bit much.
Besides this should be fun and we are on vacation.
- Pronouns
- He/They
[X] Hope you remember me. Same as Best for Last, but you simply let the impression team CFVY take the reins at the end, it could be interesting. You may end up a faunus with this one. There is still a chance they surrender there and then.
sickosyes.jpg
sickosyes.jpg
- Location
- United States
[X] Hope you remember me. Same as Best for Last, but you simply let the impression team CFVY take the reins at the end, it could be interesting. You may end up a faunus with this one. There is still a chance they surrender there and then.
[X] Show off. You are an everchanging being, use that. Use a different form and strategy everytime, show how versatile you are and how adaptable your other half is.
ChildishChimera
A umbran summon
- Location
- New York
[X] Show off. You are an everchanging being, use that. Use a different form and strategy everytime, show how versatile you are and how adaptable your other half is.
We're a shapeshifter lets have the fluidity of our form be shown from the start why limit our possibilities.
The White fang reorganization makes sense Adam was made to be the face of it in the show and is never shown really taking orders unless he's forced to like with Cinder so him going full succession and forming his own offshoot makes sense. Blake's parents leading the White fang makes her getting in early make sense while still allowing Sienna to do something.
We're a shapeshifter lets have the fluidity of our form be shown from the start why limit our possibilities.
The White fang reorganization makes sense Adam was made to be the face of it in the show and is never shown really taking orders unless he's forced to like with Cinder so him going full succession and forming his own offshoot makes sense. Blake's parents leading the White fang makes her getting in early make sense while still allowing Sienna to do something.
- Location
- California
[X] Show off. You are an everchanging being, use that. Use a different form and strategy everytime, show how versatile you are and how adaptable your other half is.
Part of the reorganization is due to this video, I already linked it but long thing short:
The White Fang in the show is not a protest organization at all and having Blake (and Ghyra) fight against their violent actions is completely missing the point of this sort of group.
The goal should be to protect their members, not preach Faunus supremacy. Their oppressor will not give them the time of the day without any actions, including violent ones.
So I decided to have the white fang actually be the protest organization the show pretend it is, and since I do want to explore Adam's abusive attitude, well, Sun does tell Blake she was a member of a cult in Season 1, it shouldn't have been true in canon, but why not make it so here?
This also means that the White Fang (or the Red Fang) is not, and will not be, an antagonist. The Grimm fang may, but it would be because they are indiscriminate, including attacking Faunus that they deem traitors (which is... everyone that disagree with the Great Adam Taurus, and the guy is not tolerant).
And you are right on how Blake ended up with Adam, he was a member of the red fang... guess who is the first person he is accused of having kidnapped though? How much was a kidnapping by force and how much by manipulation with the good old classic *cut links to the outside* from sects put in, you will see if (let's be honest, when) you meet Blake.
- Location
- Salem Oregon US
[X] Hope you remember me. Same as Best for Last, but you simply let the impression team CFVY has take the reins at the end, it could be interesting. You may end up a faunus with this one. There is still a chance they surrender there and then.
Edit: Changed my vote.
Edit: Changed my vote.
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Funny note:
I have almost completely mapped what strategies you will use in each fight if you go for showing off, so at least there is that.
Just missing the last one, if you have ideas for a potential culmination of the everchanging show, even if you are not voting for it, feel free, it will be looked at. And who knows? I may even decide to use it.
I have almost completely mapped what strategies you will use in each fight if you go for showing off, so at least there is that.
Just missing the last one, if you have ideas for a potential culmination of the everchanging show, even if you are not voting for it, feel free, it will be looked at. And who knows? I may even decide to use it.
[X] Hope you remember me. Same as Best for Last, but you simply let the impression team CFVY take the reins at the end, it could be interesting. You may end up a faunus with this one. There is still a chance they surrender there and then.
- Location
- California
Oh, how many are spooky spectre shenanigans?
NaanContributor
Provider of delicious flatbread, and nothing else.
- Location
- Hawaii
While I could see something like this being swept under the rug by influential parents as an isolated incident, said parents should feel a lot of incentive to get their kids to cut it out when police investigations start getting involved. At least for politicians, a news report that their kids are regularly bullying other children into Grimm encounters could be a career tanking scandal.
[X] Hope you remember me. Same as Best for Last, but you simply let the impression team CFVY take the reins at the end, it could be interesting. You may end up a faunus with this one. There is still a chance they surrender there and then.
Aside from preferring to keep the Eye reserved as our big guns for Grimm and other enemies we don't have to worry about holding back from ripping and tearing, we also have to give the students advice between the bouts. And any advice she might give wouldn't be the most, ah, nuanced.
Showing off all our forms to everyone at once kind of just gives away our game for no reason. I'd rather keep some cards up our sleeve and reveal the different forms to different people as they're needed or relevant. It has the fun of keeping the students wondering about our mysteries, and gives us more to surprise the villains with when they eventually show up.
Also, I already expressed my interest in the narrative possibilities of a Faunus form.
creatures
were
much so that
her
leave
tend
politicians
her
higher ups
"Dike. We
premises
take on another
works
concentrate
on
boycotts
racist
but all of the tolerant ones, as well as all of the Faunus you ask, tell
being investigated
acts of terrorism
to
Huntsman
who took the exam previously
leads
teacher candidates
on
to take your turn.
stands
gauntlets
begins
Meanwhile, you
[X] Show off. You are an everchanging being, use that. Use a different form and strategy everytime, show how versatile you are and how adaptable your other half is.
- Location
- Earth
Sorry I'm late, I had to-
Anyway, although it seems most people already cast their votes, I think there should be enough time to try swinging it around. Because as much as the given options push the five 'main' forms, we still have access to all of them.
Now while it would be fun to start our own cult with The Tower and latin chants, I have something else in mind.
[X] This Is Not Even My Final Form
-[X] Start in regular form and continue cementing the narrative of your superiority, play the boulder to your love's bee
-[X] Once a team actually starts pushing you, make a spectacle of 'starting to try' and assume The Adversary's form
--[X] If this does not happen until Team CFVY, they get hit with her unprepared; they deserve to measure themselves against a real challenge
Basically, I propose adding on top of the existing narrative without overkill (i.e. Eye Of The Needle or The Fury). Make everyone understand that Princess can up the stakes whenever she wants, but does not need to do so. Without playing her full hand and revealing the real combat monsters.
That. Had to wait for Winter Sale, buy the game at like 1.50€ off, then get all 97 Achievements over the last few days. Now I am here, and happy to have helped.
Anyway, although it seems most people already cast their votes, I think there should be enough time to try swinging it around. Because as much as the given options push the five 'main' forms, we still have access to all of them.
Now while it would be fun to start our own cult with The Tower and latin chants, I have something else in mind.
[X] This Is Not Even My Final Form
-[X] Start in regular form and continue cementing the narrative of your superiority, play the boulder to your love's bee
-[X] Once a team actually starts pushing you, make a spectacle of 'starting to try' and assume The Adversary's form
--[X] If this does not happen until Team CFVY, they get hit with her unprepared; they deserve to measure themselves against a real challenge
Basically, I propose adding on top of the existing narrative without overkill (i.e. Eye Of The Needle or The Fury). Make everyone understand that Princess can up the stakes whenever she wants, but does not need to do so. Without playing her full hand and revealing the real combat monsters.
Noted, let's say it is the first time it was taken this far as far as police involvement is involved?
The rumors of Hazing where just rumors, and they did catch children out some time but none of them talked explicitly before, this time had an outsider who is maybe going to talk.
You will be able to *cool down* before giving the advices, you are unlikely to do it as the Eye, I mean, you can, but you are right that it would probably involve a lot of grunting and *fight harder!*.
Maybe, this is a valid reading, but as Naron just pointed out:
You are allowed to choose forms not amongst your five gifts, with a degree of easiness and willingness depending on how *far* it is from the gifts you have.
For example, Adversary here is relatively easy to convince yourself to use, as you had to be her to reach the Eye.
If you tried to go Nightmare, you would need a strong argument to convince the Princess/Me that this really is a moment for her.
The Burned Grey would automatically happen if you get killed as Damsel.
So on and so forth, case by case basis.
Thanks a lot for the corrections! Working on them right now.
Edit:
I almost forgot:
Welcome Naron!
Thanks for the support and help, I can truthfully say this quest wouldn't exists without you!
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- Location
- Earth
That makes sense to me. Though honestly, with the examples given, the only times I would even look at Nightmare or Moment of Clarity are "Let me show you a real monster" situations. Where an awful person is fully deserving of being scar(r)ed so much their next live still jumps at shadows.
Generally, I think most of the important use-cases are covered by the five main forms and whatever is adjacent to them. Like Adversary as a fighting option where restraint is preferred. All those far away are forms that have little to no use which another can not cover more elegantly.
Unless we want Princess to eat Adam for maximum irony, that requires The Beast and allows no substitutes
I am just going to say *Cinder* and leave it at that.
Unless we want Princess to eat Adam for maximum irony, that requires The Beast and allows no substitutes
I mean, do I want the guy who is all about not being an animal but treating other as one being eaten by one?
Who am I kidding, into the pile of *what to do with him if you ever meet directly* it goes.
(Ps, it is right next to Nightmare, just saying.)
- Location
- Earth
I mean, it seems my meaning came across without me saying itI am just going to say *Cinder* and leave it at that.
