Key
(F/N) = First Name
(N/N) = Nickname
(F/C) = Favorite Color
A/N: THERE IS A SECOND VOTING POLL AT THE BOTTOM. IGNORE AT YOUR OWN PERIL.
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(F/N) wasn't an expressive person. Maybe expressive was the wrong word. He never hesitated to let his anger or annoyance be know and now, with his sisters attending the school, he smiled nearly as much as any other student. Solitary might be the more accurate description. Barring said siblings he didn't seek out others to talk to. She'd probably started more conversations with him than he did with her.
That said something coming from someone as timid as Velvet.
It went without saying that a guy like that wouldn't intentionally allude to something being wrong or trying to confide possible problems in anyone.
All the same, from the stands above, Velvet noticed that something wasn't right with (F/N) who was down in the combat arena, dominating one of their fellow second years. While (F/N) put an emphasis on challenge and enjoyment during matches, it wasn't unusual for him to rush a fight he deemed a waste of time. A bit -well completely- arrogant on (F/N)'s part but that's just who he was.
The way he swung his sword, relentlessly raining slashes upon his struggling opponent, struck Velvet as robotic. None the calculated, split second decisions embedded within his style were present. He might be down there fighting but his mind might as well be a kingdom away; his body was simply going through the motions.
"Does-" Velvet started hesitantly to her teammates. Would (F/N) appreciate her bringing attention to his possible problems? Not likely. That assumed she wasn't look too deeply into nothing. "-(F/N) seem a little off to you guys?"
Fox shook his head while Yatsuhashi shrugged. Coco looked up from her magazine and watched for a few moments before returning to the pages.
"Looks like he's in his element to me." Coco said nonchalantly.
Maybe it was all in her head then? Just her semblance causing her to take what might just be an off day for (F/N), too seriously? Try as she might Velvet couldn't explain away the feeling that something was up.
Coco tapped her thigh to Velvet's. "If you really think something is wrong why not talk to him in between classes?"
"You don't think he'd be mad about me butting in on his business?"
"Girl, you've got nothing to worry about. We all know (F/N) is a big softie when it comes to us." Coco said as she flipped to another page. "Besides, he's in no position to get angry at you for something like that. He's always getting between you and bullies, I don't see anything wrong with returning the favor."
As always, Coco's reasoning made sense.
The rest of combat passed quickly and soon they were shuffling through the crowded campus all splitting off in different directions. Velvet hurried after (F/N), uttering quick apologies to the people he bumped past. She really should called after him but Velvet hated raising her voice unless absolutely necessary.
Eventually she managed to catch hold of his wrist between school buildings.
"Velvet? Don't you have class to get to?" (F/N) asked as he faced her.
"Oh, I do but I-" Velvet struggled to form the right words now that she caught up to him. There didn't appear to be anything out of the ordinary. The feeling still persisted inspite of that. "-are you alright?" She finally got out. The odd look she received in return cause Velvet's face to heat up as she released his wrist and hastily explained herself. "It's just that when you were fighting it looked like something was on your mind? But now that I think about it was probably just my imagination." The odd look remained and Velvet's embarsssment grew. She'd made a big deal out of nothing didn't she.
"You shouldn't second guess yourself so much." (F/N) said after a moment's pause. A pensive look that she didn't often see from him crossed his face. "I was just thinking about my meeting with the headmaster."
So she wasn't imagining things. Velvet wasn't sure if she should feel relieved or worried. "It's wasn't about anything bad was it?"
"Try downright horrible." (F/N) admitted before he took a deep sigh. "But it's nothing for you to get all worried about." He suddenly closed the distance between them and twirled Velvet around, pushing her by her shoulders. "So what class do you got now? History? Grimm studies?"
"W-Wait, (F/N)!"
"No can do. I'll be labeled a bad influence if you end up late to class because of me so let's pick up the pace."
A brief protest later and Velvet relented, allowing (F/N) to guide her towards her next class. He didn't want to talk about his problems. All she could do was respect his wishes while keeping an eye on him.
With him pushing her along Velvet made it to class just in time.
"Thanks by the way." (F/N) suddenly said before she entered the room. He gave her the genuine smile that up until now she thought reserved for his siblings as he tapped away at the katana at his waist. "People don't usually check in on me like that so, yeah, thanks."
He took off before she could respond.
Velvet smiled to herself, a faint pep to her steps as she joined the rest of the class and made her way to one of the back rows. (F/N)'s crimson eyes were the most intense shade of red whenever he was angry or annoyed but they could be warmly reassuring at times. Whatever troubled him, he'd be able to handle it.
And if not, she'd be willing to lend whatever help she could even if it didn't amount to much.
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Their individual student rankings would be easy enough to manage. As much as it annoyed Weiss, Pyrrha would likely retain her rank as number one for the foreseeable future. Second place would have to be enough for now. Assuming they continued to help Ruby cover the holes in her academic studies, her practical scores would keep her ranked among the top students.
It was their team rank that worried Weiss.
According to professor Goodwitch herself, their teamwork had become praiseworthy these past few weeks but that alone wasn't enough, evident by their quickly falling rank.
Beacon held plenty of optional team events for students, the results of which were taken into account during their evaluations. While they were an incomplete team, the three of them were allowed to participate like any other. The problem, as Weiss soon found out, was that the system in place favored four man teams. Each member of every team were allocated an equal number points during events and lost them based on mistakes. In other words, the lack of a fourth member prevented them from ever earning points equal to competent teams. Perfect performance or not.
They'd fallen out of first place and the gap between then and other teams continued to widen. Utterly unacceptable.
Thankfully Weiss believed she found the solution to their problem. The system favored equality rather than equity; they simply had to make that work for them.
"Ruby." Weiss called out from the study desk they set in the corner of the room. She got no answer. Ruby sat cross legged at the center of her bed, headphones blasting music as she tapped away at the screen of her scroll. The girl could spend hours sitting there playing video games. Weiss didn't understand the concept. To her, gaming sounded like an immsense waste of time. Why throw away so many hours doing something that ultimately amounted to nothing tangible?
Thankfully Pyrrha, from the pull up bar she had set up near their shared bookcase, used her semblance to raise Ruby's headphones off her head.
"H-Hey! I thought we said no semblances in the room." Ruby said as she snatched her floating headset. Pyrrha let them in on the nature of her semblance during training and became comfortable enough to use it when no one else was around. It's obvious now why so many struggled in a one on one match against the girl. It took a special kind of talent to be able to take down someone that could at any moment manipulate your equipment.
"We said you couldn't use your semblance anymore on account of the mess you always leave behind." Weiss corrected. Ruby pouted but didn't argue with the truth. She moved about so quickly that anything that wasn't nailed down could be sent flying at a moment's notice. "Where is your brother's room?"
"The top floor of the reserve dorms but why do you want to know that?"
"You want us to start participating in mixed events don't you?" Pyrrha asked, dropping off the bar and winding down with light stretches. "I'm not against the idea but you know those are going to be more difficult don't you? We'll be competeting with people that have far more experience than us."
Weiss nodded. The only events they've abstained from were ones that allowed teams from all years to butt heads. While not all of them specifically called for students to battle each other in a match, the difficulty of these events made the ones reserved for first years look like a walk in a park.
"They're the only events that allow incomplete teams to recruit students on reserve. We all know (F/N) is capable; with him backing us we'll have a real shot at getting back up to first place."
"Ooooo, this sounds like the perfect chance to show off our skills. I'll go ask him now!" Headphones and scroll tossed aside, Ruby opened their window and rushed out in a swirl of roses.
One of Ruby's pillow smacked Weiss in face, blown by the force of the girl's rapid departure.
"Can't that girl learn to use the door like a normal person." Weiss complained as she tossed the thing back where it belonged. Pyrrha laughed and earned herself a glare.
"Do you really think this is a good idea?" Pyrrha asked once she quieted down.
Weiss raised a brow at the redhead, surprised by the hesitation. "I thought you of all people would look forward to working with him."
"(F/N) is a good fighter, the best I've ever faced but he and Coco made it clear he isn't one for teamwork. We could end up earning less points overall if he doesn't work well with us. Would he even agree in the first place? Reserve students dont have much to gain from these events unless they're looking for a team."
"I'm confident things will work out. The soft spot he has for his sisters should help us. It's unlikely he'll go against any of Ruby's orders." Pyrrha smiled, amused by something. "What?"
"I think Ruby's optimism is starting to rub off on you."
Weiss huffed and crossed her arms. "Don't be ridiculous, this isn't anything like her foolish shenanigans. I've carefully put together this plan and calculated for every possibility."
"Of course."
"Why are you saying it like that? You don't believe me do you?"
"Of course I do."
Weiss glared at the smiling Pyrrha. There's no way she was picking up that dolt's habits.
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Years Ago
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From the rooftop (F/N) looked out across the darkened forests that surrounded their home. The mix of moonlight and starlight above couldn't hope to pierce the encroaching shadows. Sometimes it looked like they were moving, prepared to strike out and grab him should he dare to blink or look away.
Was his mother somewhere out there?
The window to his room squeaked open and a familar head of black hair outlined by red highlights popped out. (F/N) shuffled further up out of view, hoping she would just leave.
The woman grabbed the edge of the roof and swung herself up, her brilliant white cloak fluttering in the air. She landed beside him, smiling brightly.
"Was that cool or what?" She asked.
"It was alright." He said quietly, clutching his knees closer to his chest as a cold breeze passed by.
"Alright? You've got high standards for a kid, you know that." She pouted childishly as she sat down and spread out her cloak, allowing it to drap over his shoulders
Summer Rose. At first (F/N) hated her. She was trying to replace his mother. In many ways she had already done so. She was dad's new wife and Yang's new mom. They even had a new little sister; the crybaby, Ruby, that couldn't go five seconds without someone's attention.
He figured out pretty fast that she was doing no such thing. Summer was nothing like his mother. She was happy and upbeat, showering them all with attention no matter how much trouble they gave her. Mom had always been quick to hand Yang off to dad whenever she threw a tantrum. Summer never did anything like that, ready to talk with them and indulge in whatever childish games they came up with.
She couldn't be his mother but he was happy to have her around, especially since dad wasn't moping around anymore. Maybe she understood that. Summer never forced him to do anything he didn't want to.
"I know I burnt some things but coming up here is a little dramatic. My cooking can't be that bad." Summer finally broke the silence.
(F/N) laughed slightly. "The food was good."
"Better than your dad's?"
"Hell no."
"Meanie. I'll remember who to give the least food next time I cook." Summer said. "So, if it isn't my food what's got you so down?"
(F/N) thought about lying or telling her he didn't want to talk about it. A question had been on his mind these past few days. The answer scared him. Mom always told him to listen to his fears; if something frightened him then there had to be a reason and if he couldn't figure out that reason it wasn't worth taking the risk. Whatever that all meant. On the other hand, dad always said to face them then he wouldn't be scared anymore. After all, you can't be scared of something you beat. That made a whole lot more sense.
"Is there something wrong with me?" He asked.
Summer's silver eyed widened. "Of course not, (N/N). Why would you ask something like that?"
"No one will tell me why mom won't come back." (F/N) clutched his legs even tighter. There was a numbing coldness in him that Summer's cloak could do nothing for. "Mom always had a reason for everything. She must have left because of me, that's why you guys don't want to tell me."
Summer stared. Then, out of no where flicked his forehead. (F/N)'s winced and reached for the redden spot. This was the first time Summer's done anything remotely close to hitting him.
"Don't ever talk about yourself or your mother like that again." Summer said. The force behind her words was a far cry from her usual childish attitude. "You're perfect just the way you are. There isn't a better older brother or son in all of Remnant."
"Then why did she leave me?"
"Your mother....liked to overcomplicate things but don't ever doubt that she loved you. She had to make a choice and she made the wrong decision. You didn't have anything to do with that."
Summer was doing her best to comfort him but nothing she said made (F/N) feel better. The numbness within only spread and brought more questions.
"You leave a lot too." He muttered. "One day you won't come back just like her."
"I'm a huntress, (F/N), a hero. Everytime I leave home I'm protecting and saving families just like ours, you know that."
"Heroes are stupid."
"Maybe. I thought the same thing when I was a kid." Summer shifted and pulled him into her lap, pressing her chin onto the top of his head. "Do you know what I love the most about you?"
"What?" (F/N) asked quietly.
"You're not like your mother, your irresponsible uncle, and certainly not goofy old me. You and your dad are the best of us." Summer hugged him gently. "Everytime I'm out there, I know that my two favorite boys are back home making sure our little family is safe and they will do anything to keep it that way. So, do me a favor okay? No matter what anyone else says about you, never change."
(F/N) stayed quiet, rubbing at his teary eyes. The icy cold in heart retreated and the world around him seemed to brighten as he relaxed in Summer's embrace, the shadows casted by dense forests no longer looked so frightening.
He couldn't have his mother back but he could protect what he had here. Maybe, one day when he was good enough, she'd come back.
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There are people out there who wanted to destroy the four kingdoms.
Thoughts plagued by his vague discussion with the headmaster, a shirtless (F/N) laid across his couch rolling a dark red bead from the necklace around his neck between his fingers. Training did nothing to divert his thoughts. The news, with the constant reports on White Fang activity and rising crime rates, couldn't hold his attention for more than a few moments. He struggled to focus on his games and music, scroll and headset tossed onto his bed.
His uncle and Summer often went out on missions together. Did that mean she worked for Ozpin as well? Is that how she lost her life? Going out there and fighting those people on Ozpin's orders?
This was why he hated downtime. Even as a kid his thoughts ran hundreds of miles per second, forming thousands of pessimistic conclusions that only worsened his mood.
Why can't life ever be simple. He lamented. Maybe he should've accepted that invitation Velvet texted to visit the city after classes. It was a hell of a lot easier to store away these thoughts when he was worried about making sure his friends didn't pick up on his troubles.
The curtains in front of his ajar window bellowed. A swirl of roses burst past them, into the center of his room and formed his excitable little sister. He'd taken to leaving the window a little open when he was relaxing after some training since Ruby liked to pop up knocking on it, either to play games or gush about her day.
"Cool right? I've been practicing." Ruby asked in the perfect recreation of the superhero landings featured in comics.
"It's alright." (F/N) said. "I hear its hard on the knees and kind of impractical in a real fight."
"You're impractical!" Yep, that confirmed it. The clever genes skipped both him and Ruby.
"You here to play some Fatal Kombat? I just bought the new one."
"Really? Then let's-wait I came here for a reason." Ruby cleared her throat and stood tall, fists at her waist and her chest puffed out. (F/N) let go of his necklace of beads and swung himself upright. This was bound to be entertaining. "I, Ruby Rose, the leader of the glorious team Ruby has come here today to invite you to join us on exciting adventures and explore lands untouched for centuries."
".....which meanssss?"
Ruby broke character, still grinning widely, proud of her over the top performance. "We kind of need your help. We don't have a full team so we've been falling behind but Weiss, my new bestie by the way -we get along great, don't listen to anything she tells you, she's just shy- had the great idea for us to join in on mixed events with you as our fourth teammate."
"Team events..." (F/N) repeated hesitantly. He hated though things. The straight forward ones that involved fighting other students weren't that bad but he's seen the events the school held. The ones that offered the most points lasted so long that entire weekends could be dedicated to them.
"Come on! Pretty please? I'm tired of Yang always saying she's got the best team in Beacon. I'll give you some of my snacks during lunch and-"
(F/N) leaned back and stared up at the ceiling. There's no way he'd be able to say no if he looked directly at her. Ruby could give their dog, Zwei, a run for his money when it came to the ancient art of the puppy eyes.
Should he just agree to this? It'd be a long term thing that'd take up a ton of his time in the coming days. A good distraction maybe but that meant he'd have to ease up off his usual training so he was prepared to participate. It'd also give him some time to think things over. It's not like he was making any real progress with the information Ozpin dropped on him scrambling his thoughts. It'd definitely provide a good chance to see their improved teamwork and generally hang out with Ruby too. Most importantly, she would be happy; it was kind of hard to say no with that in mind.
Though, it might be better in the long term to steel himself and deny the request. His solo training was important, it's the one time he really worked on his semblance, progress be damned. Should he really be passing that up to mess around in these events? Besides he needed to focus on deciding on what to do about Ozpin's offer and soon.
"Come on, (N/N). This is your chance to share in the glory of the best team ever." Ruby urged him on.
He should make a decision before she burst from anticipation.
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Why the hell does Velvet make such a good love interest for someone so different from her? No idea. I don't have much experience writing romance and I just feel like you click with her.
Anyways this choice is really important. I don't want to spoil it too much but the first one will give me more time to flesh out relationships and characters since I won't be glossing over school days too much. The second will definitely result in more of a beeline towards the end of Volume 1 since (F/N) won't be up to anything substantial. I really forgot how much of a slice of life RWBY was in the first few volumes; shit really took a turn for the serious later on. I know the whole school life bit isn't to everyone's taste so I'm leaving it in the majority's hands.
Now on to what's everyone is really reading through my ramblings for. The other poll.
Ozpin's Deal
Accept the offer and get Ozpin's help
Deny the offer and train yourself.
Much like the pairings vote which is very much still going on with Weiss leading the way and Glynda/Pyrrha behind her, I'll keep an eye on this poll over the course of the next few chapters until you're ready to make your decision regarding Ozpin. The pairing will have a heavy effect on later volumes just as your association with the headmaster will so it doesn't feel right to treat it like a one chapter decision. I'll let you guys know when I stop accepting votes.
Vote, comment, and follow, you guys should know what it is by now. Those who of you who keep ignoring this, just know I've already staked out your neighborhoods. Next is your house.
Dipping off to prepare myself for Mortal Kombat One. By the way, Weiss really took shots at us gamers lol. R.I.P to all my fallen soldiers who caught strays as they say.