(I'm gonna hate something in here, I just know it.)
(3rd Person)
Weiss walks alone in the hallway, never having looked up the entire time
"Good afternoon, sister." Until she has a startled reaction to hearing her brother's voice coming from right in front of her. He's got his hand on his chest and he affects a bow. "A pleasure to see you out of your room for a change."
"Hello, Whitley. You're in a cheery mood today." Weiss said as she sidesteps him and turns to speak, and since he moves to face her the effect is that of the two of them briefly circling each other.
"Klein made crepes for breakfast." He clasps his hands behind his back and smirks at her.
"What do you want?" She ask in a very questioning tone.
"I heard Father shouting with someone in his study earlier."
"Mother?"
"No, she's already drinking in the garden. I think it was a man." Weiss looks up at him on this. "I just wanted to warn you. I heard he had asked to speak with you."
"I'll be fine."
"I know you will. You are strong, like Winter."
"You never liked Winter."
"True, but you can't deny her resolve."
"You... seem different."
"And you've been gone. I'll have you know I didn't stop growing while you were away at Beacon" Whitley turns and walks away. "Anyway, good luck with Father!"
"Thank you."
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"We truly can't thank you enough." The village mayor said to Ruby.
"Just doing our job, sir."
"Thank you. When we heard about the large Grimm horde coming this way, we were beginning to wonder if we'd have to relocate."
"Well, we are on our way to Mistral. You could always come along with us if you don't feel safe."
"Ha." He started as he look at his people, buying fresh produce from a cart, stand and chat on open balconies overlooking the roads, tend to their horses and generally go about their daily lives peacefully. The village has plentiful trees and green spaces and cobbled roads. "I'm afraid our people would never survive the long trek to Mistral. It may be safer in the Kingdoms, but we prefer our way of life. I just wish we could pay you more."
"Our previous arrangement is more than sufficient." Ren said to him.
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A shop door closes. At a counter, a burly man with horns sets down a set of armor.
"There you go, son. It's going to be heavier than what you're used to, but you'll thank me the next time you go up against a set of claws."
"Wow. That-eh. I don't know what to say." Jaune sounding a little nervous.
"Don't gotta say anything! Just put it on! I'll go get the rest." The Faunus blacksmith turns and goes out back. All the while Jaune didn't move an inch.
"So, what are you waiting for?" Nora asked him, making him snap back to the real world.
"Oh, uh, right!" Jaune said while taking off his chestplate. "Guess I was going to grow out of it eventually."
"Think of it like a sign of progress."
"Progress." Jaune turns around, and Ruby gasps then covers her mouth and tries not to giggle. "What?"
"What is that?" Ruby said while pointing at the bunny emblem.
"What, my hoodie? I've always had this."
"It's got a cute little bunny rabbit!" Ruby said while letting out a small laugh.
"It's Pumpkin Pete! You know, from the cereal?"
"What did you do?! Send in a box top for a prize?"
"Yeah! Fifty!" This made Ruby fell on the floor due to how funny everything is.
"Well, I suppose we don't have to grow out of everything." Ren said, while Ruby chortles from the floor, feet in the air.
"Can't have a Huntsmen without his weapon." Said the blacksmith when he returns from out back wide sword sheath is stuck into the countertop. "Made all the modifications you asked for." The blade expands into a shield. "That was some fine metal you brought me. Accents the white nicely. Where'd you get it from?"
"From a friend." Jaune said while looking at the gold accents on the shield, the design on the bottom reminiscent of Pyrrha's circlet.
After a while, they came out of the shop, Jaune comes out wearing the armor. He pulls out the sword and expands the shield, still impress over the new armor.
"He cleans up alright, don't you think?" Blacksmith said to everyone.
"He certainly does." Ren states.
"I still think a grenade launcher would've really brought the look together." Nora also states.
"Nothing's gonna stop Team RNJR now!" Ruby said out loud to everyone.
"Team JNRR!" Nora butted in.
"Not a color." Ren says to Nora.
"It doesn't matter what we're called. As long as we're together." Jaune said to the whole group.
"You kids sure you won't stick around?" The blacksmith ask them. "You've been real good to this town."
"Sorry," Ruby starts to say. "But we've got another mission."
"Make it to Haven Academy, no matter what." Nora finishes.
"We've heard the next village over has a working Airship." Ren told him their plan.
"Mmm, no way to know for sure. Scroll signals were weak enough out here back when Beacon Tower was still up. Haven't heard from Shion Village in a while." The blacksmith told them.
"Well, there's only one way to find out." Ruby said happily.
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Weiss standing outside her father's door and listening to the discussion inside. She hesitates to put her hand on the doorknob.
"I'm not talking about the good of my company; I'm talking about the good of Atlas, our entire Kingdom!" She heard her father inside.
"That is a load of crap and you know it." She heard Ironwood's voice, which made her widen her eyes a bit, she had also accidentally opens the door, but luckily no one seems to notices.
"I beg your pardon?!"
"Jacques, will you please, just hear me out?" After this Jacques places his glass down on the table, Weiss was surprise it didn't break due to how rough he was with it.
"You are a trusted friend and ally to this family, James, but what you're suggesting is absurd!"
"You are blowing it out of proportion."
"The council will never agree to it!"
"You forget, I hold two seats on the council."
"Your Dust embargo has already cost me millions! I can promise you, I have not forgotten!"
"So this is about you." The door move a bit more, this time making a squeak, both men look at the door, though Weiss quickly enter, as to not look like she was listening in on them.
"Miss Schnee!" Irowood quickly bowed, before saying. "My apologies. I should have been gone by now."
"It-it's okay." Weiss said, though she really hate that stutter she just did.
"We'll continue this at another time." Ironwood said to Jacques.
"Indeed. Klein can show you out." Jacques said to James.
"Don't worry, I know the way." Ironwood said while going to the door. Weiss steps aside so that Ironwood can reach the door. He turns and looks at her father. "Until next time, Jacques." Jacques solemnly nods back at Ironwood, who turns to Weiss. "Please know, you'll always have a home at Atlas Academy, Miss Schnee. We'll be back in session before you know it." As Ironwood leaves, Jacques is left distasted on Weiss' lack of manners.
"Did you forget your manners while you were away?" He turns and walks to his desk, which is a few steps up from the chairs and tables where he and Ironwood were just sitting. Weiss looks annoyed at the comment but calms down with a sigh.
"No, Father. I'm sorry."
"Can you believe there are still people in the world that blame Atlas for what happened to Beacon? To Vale?"
"Well, they weren't there." Weiss said as she begins walking across the room to stand before his desk.
"It's a wonder Ironwood wasn't stripped of his rank." Jacques finally sits down, swinging the seat so that his back is to Weiss. "I suppose the council trusts him, for better or worse."
"I trust him." Weiss said to her Father in a normal voice. Which he sigh quickly and turning toward his daughter.
"Thanks to him, Atlas is forbidden from exporting Dust to other Kingdoms. 'A precautionary measure', as he puts it, 'until we're certain no one is going to declare war'. How anyone could possibly find that to be sound logic is beyond me." Weiss blinks at her father, clearly uncomfortable. "Which is why the Schnee Dust Company will be holding a charity concert in the coming weeks." She looks up at him in surprise. "We need to show the people of Remnant that we are on their side. That we are all victims of the fall of Beacon."
"That's... wonderful news." Weiss lied, which is become naturally when it comes to her Father.
"I know. And I think it would make a lot of people happy if you performed at the event."
"Excuse me?" Weiss asked, making sure she heard that correct.
"Many forget that you were there. My own daughter," He then gesture towards her "A Schnee, on the grounds, defending another Kingdom! We need to remind them! And we need to show them that the Schnee family is just as strong as ever!"
"Are you asking me if I'd like to sing, or telling me?" With this said, Jacques leans forward and makes a tent with the fingers of his hand as he meaningfully gazes at Weiss.
"I think it would make a lot of people happy." With this, Weiss now understand, she sigh, knowing she couldn't have won.
"I'll start practicing."
"That's... my girl." His tone was... off putting to say the least.
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(I'm putting the video of Klein cause I don't think I can retell that.)
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"So the next town is..." Ruby quickly scan all of the map. "uh-huh... uh-huh..." She said before saying. "We're lost."
"We're not lost. The next town is Shion. My family used to visit it all the time." Jaune told her
"Oh yeah. Don't you have, like, four sisters?"
"Seven actually." Which was followed by Ruby's giggles.
"You know, that actually explains a lot." Nora said to Jaune.
"Wait, what do you mean?"
"So, what did you guys do there?" Ren asked Jaune.
"Well, all sorts of stuff! Over here is a great hiking trail, and over here is where we went camping all the time. I got my own tent because I was special. Also, so my sisters would stop braiding my hair."
"Didn't like the look?" Ruby asked him.
"Yeah, they just kept doing pigtails, but personally, I think I'm more of a 'warrior's wolftail' kind of guy."
"That's just a ponytail." Ruby told him.
"I stand by what I said." Nora stops short, raising her hands to her lips as her eyes widen. Soon after, Ren stops, visibly tense.
"Uh, guys?" Nora said to Ruby and Jaune, which her tone was on the line of scared.
"Huh?" And "What?" Followed out of both of their mouthes.
Jaune and Ruby look up from the map. Their eyes widen and jaws drop. In front of them is a desolated village. The sky is gray and two columns of smoke rise in the air. A gazebo has a broken tower and lampposts are askew from the ground. At least one dead body can be seen on the side of the road approaching the town.
The map is dropped and all four rush forward. They briskly move into the town, looking around. Ren tosses his backpack on the ground and moves ahead while the other three gather in the middle of a road.
"There could be survivors!" Ruby yell out to everyone.
"Over here!" Ren said when he found a body. The other three rush to where Ren's voice is leading them. On the ground, sitting propped against a broken building wall is a young man in armor. He breathes heavily and holds his hand against a bleeding wound in his abdomen. Ren drops by his side and puts his hand on his shoulder.
"A Huntsman!" Ruby said, in the same tone as Nora.
"What happened? Who killed all these people?" Jaune said to the dying Huntsman as he cough, a bad omen.
"Bandits." He somehow said. "The whole tribe... Then, with all the panic..." But that was the end of his words, as he coughs repeatedly.
"Grimm." Ren finish his words. He stands and walks a few paces away, placing his hands atop his head. Ruby, Jaune, and Nora step away to confer.
"Alright, we can get him to the next village and try to find a doctor there!" Ruby said quickly.
"Yeah. Ren and I can take turns carrying him there." Jaune offer.
"I don't know if he'll make it." Nora said worrying.
"He will. He has to." Jaune said hopefully what they say about Huntsman.
Ren turns back and walks over to the Huntsman.
"If we get going now, our chances will be better. I can run ahead and look for help!" Ruby offer.
"Guys." Ren said to all three of them, when they saw him, two fingers were on the side of the neck of the Huntsman, they didn't need to Ren to say that he died.
"Should we bury him?" Nora said, trying to give something to the poor guy.
"We should go." Ren said, while walks right past them without a backward glance. "It's not safe here."
"Ren..." Nora turns and follows him. Ruby puts her hand on Jaune's arm. He is looking stressed and sad.
"It'll be okay."
"I'm just tired of losing everything."
Ren stops and looks at something on the ground, his eyes widening. A cloven hoofprint is impressed into the ground. Nora comes up to his side. She sees the same mark and her eyes also widen in recognition. The two of them silently make eye contact.
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Late at night, Jaune went to a spot, that is away from the group. Though before he left, he couldn't help by notice Nora's and Ren's hands holding.
He set his Scroll up on a stump.
"Alright, Jaune, just like we practiced. Follow these instructions. Shield up." Pyrrha's voice fill the area.
Jaune does what he was told.
"Keep your grip tight."
He tightens his grip on his weapon.
"Don't forget to keep your front foot forward."
He didn't move, as his front foot was forward.
"Ready? Go."
Jaune steps forward with the sword, cutting at the air and making a fighting cry.
"Again!"
Jaune moves forward with his other foot, again slashing the air and releasing a cry.
"And again."
Jaune spins in a circle, putting a lot of feeling and effort into his next cry and slash. It has cost him a bit, and he pants.
"Okay. Now," Pyrrha said with a slight giggle. "Assuming you aren't cheating, we can take a break."
"I know this can be frustrating..." Jaune turns toward Pyrrha's image on his Scroll. "...and it can feel like so much effort to progress such a small amount, but I want you to know that I'm proud of you. I've never met someone so determined to better themselves. You've grown so much since we started training. And I know this is just the beginning. Jaune, I-I..." She started saying, before finding the words and confidence, placing her hands over her heart as she speaks. "I want you to know that I'm just happy to be a part of your life. I'll always be here for you, Jaune."
Just then the Scroll rewinds the video of Pyrrha without being touched. Jaune stands before it, holding Crocea Mors, his head bowed.
"Alright, Jaune, just like we practiced. Follow these instructions. Shield up." Pyrrha's voice fill the area, again. "Keep your grip tight. Don't forget to keep your front foot forward. Ready? Go."
Jaune cutting the air, this time with bitter rage towards himself.
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"Oscar-"
"Do you ever shut up?"
"We need to go to Haven."
"My body, my rules."
(Yep, I called it. Pain, but on to something random, um, that Belle anime movie, saw a trailer for it, looks good, will give it a watch. And if you don't know what the fuck I'm talking about, I will post a link, but for the English dub, but it doesn't have any voices that makes me want to cut my ears off.)