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#every once in a while my brain goes 'the waves crash like applause :)' and i g. i gotta take a sec
hobie-enthusiast · 8 months
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Can I request a hobie x male reader where hobie first notices the reader when he's performing on stage with his band? Hobie thinks his voice is sooo good and is soo hot so he talks to him after the show? Thanks!!
CAUGHT IN A DAZE !
— hobie brown x singer!masc!reader
— fluff, flirting and banter, singer reader, petnames (sweetheart, darling, pretty boy), hobie is shamelessly flirting, pubs and concerts, light cursing (shit like once), hobie calls the reader ‘smokin’, hobie’s bandmates are menaces
— hobie brown can tell when people have talent, so maybe that’s why he felt the need to find you after your show
— woohoo more male reader im so thankful. also so sorry for how long this took to come out life has been a little rough lately lol
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Hobie and his bandmates decided to have a night of pub hopping to look for a new venue. Somewhere free, where they can entertain without worrying about the place being crashed with police and such. They just wanted to play some music.
The last pub they stopped to was a hole-in-the-wall, like most of their locations. A band was already playing tonight, and the energy was seemingly high amoung the patrons. Lights flashed between blue and purple, making the place seem cooler than it was.
“Gonna go find th’ owner!” One of Hobie’s mates shouted over the volume.
Hobie nodded as he was left with his drummer, giving him time to actually analyze the band playing. The music was catchy, similar to what Hobie plays and listens to. The drummer and bassist are smiling and laughing, enjoying themselves and the energy.
Then his eyes land on the singer.
Onstage, you were pouring your heart out. Even for such a dingy place. You were passionate in your singing, giving the crowd your bands best. Your voice was something that easily captivated Hobie. Each word you sung was tugging at his brain, almost as his heart, pulling him in every-time. The way you smiled and smirked, enjoying your little fame with your band, was something he admired.
As the song finished, Hobie gave his own applause. He was seemingly clapping the loudest, causing you to glance at him with a small bit of confusion. Then you smirk, throwing a wink his way with it.
That. Damn. Smirk.
You had Hobie captivated and didn’t even know it.
“Thank you everyone for comin’ out tonight!” You announce, prompting yet another round of applause. “We got one more song for the night. We’ll be back next week!”
With those words, you signal the start of the next song. The crowd seemingly goes crazy, already knowing what you were bound to play. It was a classic closer.
As the song continued, Hobie was seemingly in a daze. One that his bandmate noticed.
“Yo, mate, you good?” He questions, causing Hobie to snap out of it.
“‘s all good. They’re bloody good, ‘ll give ‘em that.”
The other nods “Yeah, ‘specially that singer. I think he was lookin’ at ya, mate.”
Though Hobie waved his friend off, he knew it was true. You looked right at him. You even winked. He had to tell you how good you sounded. How amazing your voice was. How much he enjoyed himself.
This was out of character for him. Of course, Hobie could admit when he sees talent. He can acknowledge it whenever it crosses his eyes. But he doesn’t ever let other bands know he admired them, much less individuals.
The song soon ended, and your band exited the stage to grab some water. You high-fived the others, congratulating everyone on such a good show. Spirits were high, and you couldn’t be more proud.
“Aye, good job [Name]! Want somethin’ to eat?”
“Just grab whatever. I’m gonna head to the dressing room.”
Your bandmates went to grab some food while you headed the opposite way. You were humming a song to yourself, turning the corner. Then, you hit someone, knocking into a seemingly strong body.
“Ah.. shit, I’m sorry.” You groan, rubbing your arm.
Well Hobie certainly didn’t think it would be this easy to find you. “‘s alright, swee’heart. Was my bad.”
Glancing up, you come face to face with a really gorgeous guy. He had decorated piercings all over his face, seemingly cool hair, and just such a laid-back aura about him. He was just so easy to stare at.
Then you remember this guy. He was the one you threw a wink at. The one who clapped louder than most for your band’s set. The one who stared at you almost the whole time he watched. He was a fan, if anything, you were confident in your thought.
“Hey, I know you. You were in the crowd tonight.” You point out with a small smile. “Enjoy the show?”
Hobie muses. “Yeah, was pre’ty impressed. You’ve got a killer voice, mate.”
Your face goes red at the compliment. This seemingly effortlessly cool guy was complimenting your voice. The voice you just sung and put out to a small crowd in a tiny pub. That he also happened to have been in.
“That means a lot! I’m glad you enjoyed!”
Hobie shrugged, leaning against the wall. “You’ve got a killer ons’age presence too. And you’re insanely smokin’, s’ you’re pre’ty set, mate.”
Oh!
Oh.
“That’s a pretty bold statement from a fan. But I enjoyed it.” You respond, smiling as you shrugged. “Just a guy trying to entertain the masses.”
You had to admit, Hobie knew how to get what he wanted. He said what was on his mind, despite only talking to you for about a minute or two. It was incredibly charming. You’ve had plenty of pushy fans try to get your attention in the worst ways. But Hobie was way different. He talked to you so casually, as if chatting with an old friend.
Hobie smirks as he chuckles. “I know how t’ make a pre’ty boy feel good ‘bout himself.” He says, his eyes watching the way you stand and listen to him.
He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a napkin and pen. He writes something against the wall, causing you to crane your neck to try and see. But he finishes before you can, placing the napkin in your hand with a wink.
Then he walks off, with no more words.
You glance down at the napkin and a small smile plays at your lips. It has an address, phone number, and date on it, with a message at the bottom, written in a mixture of uppercase and lowercase letters;
‘bands playing here. come by. text me your next show date. - hobie’
So his name was Hobie.. you liked that name. It seemingly matched the guy you saw, the one who spoke so flawlessly and cooly, the one who seemingly made you almost breathless just by his presence. You definitely had to go to this concert. Had to see him in his own band. It was definitely going to be a sight to see.
You fold the napkin and slid it in your pocket, heading back to your band. While sitting there, you shot the number a text, saving it as well, wanting to inform Hobie of your intentions.
Me (12:32 AM):
thxs for the invite
ill see ya then
Hobie (12:33 AM):
that was quick
never caught ur name darlin
Me (12:33 AM):
its [Name]
Hobie (12:34 AM):
suiting
ill see ya, sweetheart
To say Hobie’s messages didn��t have your stomach doing some flips would be a lie. You were excited to get to know this guy, the mysterious pierced guy who thought you were good looking.
Hobie also had a smile tug at his lips after messaging you back. His band took notice, nudging him.
“Get that singer’s number, aye? Ya already look lovesick!”
Hobie rolled his eyes. “What of it?” Was all he said.
Yet even though both of you spent the night with your respective friends and bands, you couldn’t help but have thoughts of each other, awaiting the next faithful day you will meet.
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avintagekiss24 · 4 years
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Home > Steve Rogers
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|| pairing: 1940′s!steve rogers x black!reader
|| word count: 3,224
|| warnings: angst, fluff, hurt/comfort, mention of war, mention of Bucky’s death, canon divergence/canon adjacent
|| challenge: @cake-writes​ 1940′s challenge: “Loose lips sink ships”
|| square filled: @star-spangled-bingo​ 2020 O5: Steve’s Compass
|| note: I totally forgot about this challenge, lol. I signed up for it last year and it just totally slipped my mind until today. Which is why I’m posting so late (here in the US anyway) so I can make the due date of today, May 8th. This is canon adjacent? Canon Divergence? I don’t know, lol. All I know is it’s 1945 and Steve never crashes his plane. He goes home to get his girl. The timing might be a little off. I went off the MCU timeline, where he gets injected around 1939? When he’s around 21 years old.
The song reader is singing is Lover Man by Billie Holiday and her outfit is also inspired by Billie. I’m not sure of the gif credit, I got it from google. If you know, or if it’s yours, please let me know so I can credit you! Line credit once again goes to @writeyourmindaway​!
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Brooklyn. 1945.
“The night is so cold and I’m so all alone. I’d give my soul just to call you my own.” 
You sway slowly as you croon into the microphone, the band playing behind you. You scan the small room, packed with bodies, all eyes on you as you sing. They sip on their drinks under the dim lights and there’s a low murmur from the people at the bar, but even they turn and lean against it to watch you, putting their orders on hold for just a few minutes. It’s still amazing to you - a transplant negro girl from Louisiana - having all these faces staring back at you, admiring you. Black faces, white faces, tan faces, it didn’t matter. They were all here for you.
The bar is a small one but word spread fast and within months, not a chair or table or stool could be found empty on a Friday or Saturday night when you were there. The cops don’t even really bother you or Sam, the owner and one of the first people to notice your talent, anymore. Some even stop by for a drink and a quick song. 
Your eyes flutter shut, “Got a moon above me but no one to love me. Lover man, oh, where can you be?” You hear the door creak open and close seconds later, but continue to sing, “I’ve heard it said that the thrill of romance can be like a heavenly dream. I got to bed with a prayer that you’ll make love to me.”
There’s a sudden commotion. You pop your eyes open, squinting as you try and make out the dark silhouettes in the corner. A few heads turn at the voices and loud shhhh’s ring out throughout the room. The noise dies away from the door, but the bodies are still crowded around - Jimmy, the bouncer, James “Rhodey” Rhodes, the bartender and maybe Sam, you can’t tell. In the center of them, a mess of blonde hair. 
----------
“Steve,” Sam whispers hard, “She doesn’t want you here, you know that.”
Steve’s shoulders slump a little as he takes a deep breath, “I haven’t seen her in six years.” He answers slowly, softly, “Please.”
Sam and Rhodey exchange glances before Sam takes a deep breath. He tosses his eyes back towards the stage to watch as you sing. Quick memories flash back to him from years before. Steve helping, well trying to help, set up the place when Sam first bought it. You and Steve slow dancing together in the middle of the empty floor. The three of you kicking back with ice cold Coca Cola’s, daydreaming about how big this place was going to be one day. 
He cuts his eyes back to the tall blonde in front of him. He didn’t believe it at first, when he saw a picture of him in the papers. The sickly, five foot something Brooklyn boy was now a towering six foot man. Rippling muscles, no lingering cough, a straight spine… this wasn’t the Steve Rogers that left for war. This is Captain America standing in front of him now. 
“Sam,” Steve starts, “Rhodey, you know me.” He pleads, “Please, just a minute of her time, that’s all I ask.”
Rhodey lets out a breath and throws his hand on his hip, “Just let the boy stay. He gets outta hand, Jimmy’ll throw him out.”
Steve cuts his eyes towards the burly Jimmy. He’s big, but he’s no match for the new, improved Steve Rogers, “I don’t want to hurt you, Jimmy.”
“Shit,” Jimmy swears under his breath, “I’ve read all about you. I don’t want you to hurt me neither.”
“One drink.” Sam warns, his eyes stern, “One drink and you gotta go. I don’t want her getting upset over the likes of you.”
Steve throws up his hands, “One drink.”
“You got it?” Sam asks, turning towards the soft-hearted Rhodey.
“I heard ‘ya. One drink, that’s it.”
Sam turns on his heel and moves off without another word. Rhodey waves Steve with him, walking back behind the bar to grab a tall glass, “Sip it slow, Rogers.”
Steve tips his head towards the older man and accepts the golden liquid that’s slid his way. He brings it to his lips and takes a small, slow sip as he turns to face the stage. His eyes soften immediately at the sight of you. You’re just as beautiful as he remembered, although, a little more grown up now. You’re in a black sequin, form fitting dress - low cut to expose your… one of his favorite parts of you. A large white flower is pushed into your hair and a small smile quirks onto his face. He used to love bringing you flowers. 
He closes his eyes so he can hear you, just like he used to. Suddenly, it’s 1935 again. The two of you, with Bucky pulling up the rear (only there for you and Steve’s protection), walk slowly home from school. They’d wait for you everyday, right around the corner of your school, and as soon as the two of you were out of eyeshot of anyone, he’d link his fingers with yours and kiss you right on your cheek. With your fingers laced together, your arms swinging gently, you’d sing some old song, one he’s never heard before, one you’d have to explain to him as an old southern spiritual. Bucky would always know the songs, but he wasn’t as sheltered as Steve. He was worldly already at seventeen. 
Steve lets out a slow breath as he lets the words of your song seep into him.
Strange as it seems
Someday we’ll meet and you’ll dry all my tears
Then whisper sweet little things in my ears
He has every intention of doing just that. 
----------
“A- huggin’ and a-kissin’, oh, what we’ve been missin’. Lover man, where can you be?”
You smile as the band finishes and the room erupts in applause for you. You thank the band, extending a hand of your own for them before you announce a short intermission for a quick smoke and a drink. Jimmy helps you off the stage and ushers you towards the bar, where you’re met with a large smile and a ready made Manhattan. 
“That was beautiful, doll.” Rhodey compliments, handing you a cigarette before striking a match, “Just beautiful.”
“You’re too kind,” you giggle as you lean forward, placing the cigarette to your lips for him to light, “I was a little flat.”
He waves you off, scoffing quickly, and gives you a wink before he moves to another patron. You take a drag of your cigarette and let out the smoke slowly before flicking the butt and bringing your drink to your lips. You hum lightly as the sweetened liquor slides down your throat and settles in your belly, giving you an instant warmth. You swear, you don’t care where you go, Rhodey makes the best damn Manhattan in all of New York. 
“You sounded amazing up there.”
You freeze as the voice sounds to your right. Your lips part as the familiar voice swirls around your brain, activating a part that you thought you had left behind. You turn towards the owner and gasp at the person staring back at you. You recognize most of him. His eyes, that wispy blonde hair that he used to sweep away from his forehead, those big ol’ ears. But, that strong jaw, the height, the thickness… you didn’t believe it then -  the stories, the pictures -  but God, you can’t deny it now. 
Doesn’t make you any less mad.
You drop your eyes back to the glass in front of you and take another drag of your cigarette, “Thank you.” You say flatly. 
“I always knew you’d make it one day.” Steve says softly, “I knew people would love you.”
“Not the right people apparently.” You snap back.
You close your eyes and rub your temple as the anger you buried six years before starts to resurface. You feel his eyes on you, those same blue eyes that you used to see your forever in. You turn back towards him, blinking quickly. You don’t say anything, you just stare at him while he stares back at you. Anger flashes through you again as he gives you those puppy dog eyes, trying to make you feel bad for him. 
“Why are you here?” You ask bluntly, “I told Sam I didn’t want you here.”
“I wanted to see you. I had to.”
“For what? Hmm? To spring something else on me, Steve? You have a wife? A kid on the way?”
He sighs as you practically scream at him, “It’s been six years, you can’t honestly still be this mad at me.”
“A lifetime could pass, and I still wouldn’t want to see your face.” You stand, grabbing your drink, “Give the Germans a message for me, hm? Tell them that if you’re still breathing, they aren’t doing their job so well.”
You turn and push through the crowd of bodies before he can say another word. You finish your set some hour or two later and stay behind for a little attention, after all, you are a single girl. You feel those eyes on you the entire while but you pay him no mind. You laugh, you flirt, you nuzzle in a little closer than you usually would - pull on a few ties. A twenty seven year old girl should be a wife. The man you thought would make you an honest woman decided war was the better option. 
It’s almost midnight before you decide to head home. It’s a nice night, the sky clear and full of bright stars, so you wave Sam off when he offers to walk you home. He insists, but you know this neighborhood like that back of your hand. You wouldn’t feel safer in any other place in the world. So, he wraps your fur scarf around your neck and sends you on your way with a quick kiss on the cheek and a smile. 
You’re not but ten steps away from the bar when you first notice the presence behind you. You stop to light another cigarette before you call out to him, “I don’t need you to follow me.”
“I’m gonna walk you home.”
“I don’t need you too.” You reinforce.
“I’m going to walk you home anyway. I’ll keep my distance, I promise.”
You sigh heavily. The persistence of him hasn’t changed and the pounding headache you have won’t let you argue. You walk slowly, taking in the fresh air and the calm night as the one and only Captain America follows you home. He keeps his distance, just like he promised. Once you climb the steps to your stoop, you turn again, watching as he stops at the bottom of the steps. 
“I’m home now, thank you.” You say flatly again, clearing your throat.
He nods gently, “My pleasure.”
You blink at him, your lips parting as words threaten to fall from them. You open your mouth wider, even inhale to begin to speak, but you can’t. The words just won’t come. The memories of your last night come flooding back to you - the screaming, the tears. If you walk out that door, don’t you ever think about coming back. Do you hear me, Steve? Don’t you ever come near me again!
Your eyes start to water at the thought. You have to turn your head away from him, you have to stare down the street to try and stop the tears from falling. It doesn’t work. You drop your head as a single tear slips down your cheek and splatters on your patent leather pumps. Your chin trembles as you glance back up towards the sky and hold your hand over your mouth.
“Let me make it up to you,” he says, his voice full of emotion, “I can fix it.”
“We had plans, Steve.”
“I know that,” he answers quickly, “You aren’t seeing anyone, are you?”
You scoff, crossing your arms over your chest, “Loose lips sink ships, Captain.”
He takes a deep breath, “I don’t really care if you or not. Let me fix it - I can fix it.”
“Fix it?” You shout as all of the pent up emotion you’ve held in for all these years comes pouring out onto your cheeks, “Fix it? How are you going to fix it? I’m just supposed to forget that you walked out on me? That you chose killing Germans over starting a life with me?”
“You don’t understand-”
“I don’t need to understand! You and Bucky both, you just -” 
Your words come to halt at the mention of his name. Steve drops his head as he swallows hard and has to close his eyes. Bucky’s mother didn’t even have a body to bury. You couldn’t breathe when you heard the news. His sister, Rebecca, came to tell you and you just… you hadn’t ever felt a pain like that. James Buchanan Barnes was good to you - loved you like you were one of his own. Not only had you lost the love of your life, you’d lost your best friend now too. 
You clear your throat, “You both just left. No warning, barely a goodbye and poof. Gone.”
“I thought about you everyday,” Steve says, his eyes still closed, “Every damn day. You were the only thing that kept me alive.”
You laugh sarcastically, “Don’t say that. I had nothing to do with keeping you alive, that shit you got pumped into you did.”
He shakes his head emphatically, “You kept my heart beating. That’s what I mean. I was fighting for you, and for Sam, and my mom and dad. I had a duty,” he stresses, his voice breaking under it, “You don’t understand what that meant to me, being able to fight.”
You roll your eyes but he continues anyway, “It had nothing to do with my love for you. I could have done it better, yes. I could’ve communicated with you better, yes, but it had nothing to do with how much I loved you. How much I love you even now… despite you wanting me dead.”
You sigh heavily as your words from earlier in the evening, “I didn’t - I didn’t mean that.” You answer softly.
He flashes a knowing smile, “Yeah you did.”
You roll your eyes again and shrug. You glance back down the street, sniffling softly as you hug yourself. You can’t lie to yourself, you are glad he made it home in one piece. You blink back at him, finding his big, wide, blue eyes on you still. He takes a step closer, resting his hand on the railing. He pulls something from his pocket, running his fingers over the gold cover before he pops it open.
He takes another breath as a small smile spreads on his lips. He turns it towards you and holds it out for you to take. You eye him suspiciously for a few seconds, but you take a step, and then another, and another until you’re within reach of the round object. You take it from his fingers and bring it to your eyes, taking a breath when you see a picture of yourself staring back at you.
“That’s my compass. I used it every day - I saw you every day. You are why I made it home.” He says softly, his watery eyes bouncing between yours, “I’m home now - for good, and that’s how I can fix it. I willingly offer you every day of my life from this minute on. Whatever you want, whatever you need, I’ll get for you. I’ll protect you, I will love you, I will honor and treasure you. I’ll give you every piece of me.”
You hold a hand over your chest, for fear that your heart will leap right out of it. You drag in deep breaths as you shake your head, “I don’t know you anymore. I don’t know you.”
“You know me,” he answers quickly as he pushes up the stairs to meet you, “I’m still me, just in a new body, that’s all.”
“I don’t want this new body. I loved you just as you were.”
He grabs your hands, bringing the backs of your fingers to his lips as you cry, “I know you did baby. Give me a chance, baby doll. Please? You’ll like this new body once you see it, I promise.” He smiles. 
You don’t. Deep in the back of your mind you want to believe him. You want to fall into his arms and have him kiss your tears away and make love to you until you can’t stand it anymore. You want to wake up in his arms tomorrow and every day after that until you take your dying breath - but it’s not that easy. You were idealistic in highschool and stayed that way right up until the day he left, but you aren’t now. You can’t afford to be. It’s still only 1945. He’s still a white man, you’re still a negro woman. You’re still not able to mix, not that boldly anyway.
“It’s not that easy.” You whisper.
He rests his forehead to yours, “It is that easy,” he whispers back, “Let me prove it to you.”
“No, it’s - they won’t leave us be. You can’t be with me - “
“Don’t you talk like that.” He says sternly, “I dare anybody to say anything to you. I’ll throw ‘em through a goddamn wall.”
“Steve - “
He cuts you off, bringing his finger to your lips. You close your eyes and take a few deep, calming breaths. God knows you want to believe him. You’ve been so angry for so long. He places his large hand to your chest, resting his palm right over your heart.
“I can make you love me again.” 
You inhale sharply as you look up at him, “I never stopped loving you, Steve. I never stopped.”
You moan when he crashes his lips to yours. He lifts you from your feet with complete ease, an ease you’ve never seen him display before, and crushes your now much smaller body to his. You wrap your arms around his shoulders as you kiss him back hard, pulling back only to tilt your head before diving back in for more of him. You press your hands to the sides of his face as you catch your breath, his lips moving down to your chin and to your neck, placing kisses on every inch of exposed skin. 
You dig into your purse, pulling out your keys. He pulls back - out of breath, his lips flushed red and swollen as he stares up at you. You push your keys into the palm of his hand and wrap your legs around his waist as you nuzzle your face into the crook of his neck. You close your eyes as he holds you tight, cradling an arm underneath your behind before he walks up to the front door of your building. He slips the key inside the lock and twists, pushing the door open, before you direct him to your humble apartment. 
You wake up in his arms the next morning, and every day after that until you take your last breath. 
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dyde21 · 7 years
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Mechanic 15: The Practice
I’m very very sorry how long this chapter took to come out. I’ll explain why after the story, but I hope this makes up for it a little. Oh, and if you have seen Captain America: Civil War you may recognize a scene from it. >.> Also I mention Ren’s Semblance so spoilers if you havent seen Vol 4 in it’s entirety.
Uhh and anyone who’s a follower of mine for a while will recognize my OC’s in here. They won’t be in the remaining chapters, so I hope you’ll bare with them for this one, sorry. I try to avoid dragging my OC’s into my other writings. >.> I hope they’re okay, but they wont show up in the rest.
XxXxXxXxX
Pyrrha cupped her hands in front of her mouth as she cheered loudly.
“You can do it! Nora! Ren!”
Jaune leaned forward next to her. “Come on guys! You got this!”
Pyrrha was excited, but Jaune was practically falling out of his seat as he leaned forward, watching the fight intently.
Next to the pair, Jane let out a hoarse call, but it could barely reach Pyrrha's ears. Pyrrha looked over sadly. Jane had fallen rather ill at the beginning of the week. It was still the middle of the week, and the doctor had said that they expected she would be fully recovered by the festival, but that meant she was unable to participate in final round of 2v2 battles being hosted.
By extension, that meant Pyrrha also had to the sit the day out. She was confident in her teamwork, and knew that their team wouldn't have made some last minute jump in strength at the final practice. Nor was it Jane's fault for getting sick. But, when Jaune had texted her that morning that he was going to be dropping by with his sister to check out the final practice round, she really wished she would have been able to show off to him again. After all, she knew he liked watching fights, and while her big plan was to make him proud at the festival, today could have just been a little bonus to cheer up his spirits after being sick. Instead, he was a little convinced he had been the cause of Jane's sickness somehow.
But what happens, happens. So she'd settle for spending the day watching fights with him and trading commentary.
Down on the stage Nora and Ren were plenty excited for the match. Nora always loved a good match, but Jaune cheering her on really had her engines running. Ren was a little more calm, but if Jaune was counting on him to win he wasn't going to let his friend down.
Glancing over, he saw Nora going toe to toe with her half of the pair. Their opponents were visiting students from Vacuo and they were a bit of a handful.
Ren's foe was an average looking guy, but he was a slippery one. He seemed to have a knack for evading, almost none of Ren's hits could land cleanly. Ren was glad he had been the one matched up against him, out of their team he had the best chance of aside from Pyrrha, who likely would have had her hands full with her sword and shield combo. His bladed sub-machine guns provided him the perfect assistance for someone who seemed so keep moving so fluidly.
Nora on the other hand seemed to be having a blast with her partner. He was a bear fannus, and he certainly looked the part. The massive man towered over all the other students in the room. His strength seemed to be a match for Nora as well. Every time the man's massive club collided with Nora's hammer the ground would shake slightly from the impact. There were some seriously powerful hits going on. But Nora's foe didn't seem to be too strong.
“Nora! Mine then yours.” Ren called out after a moment. They were at a stalemate, and if things kept up this way it wasn't clear who would win. They needed to use their teamwork. After all, no one here shared the past Ren and Nora did. They couldn't keep up with their teamwork.
“Gotcha Ren!” Nora said cheerfully as she hopped up, landing on the massive club of her foe as he swung. Riding the momentum, she flew off the other side, skidding to a stop behind Ren's foe.
Before the oaf could realize what had happened, Nora was dashing forward.
“Right, Ren!” She ordered as she swung her hammer as she ran, readying her strike.
Ren sighed as he continued his assault. His opponent was clever, clearly the brains of their duo. Knowing Nora was approaching, he prepared to dodge to the left to avoid her strike. What he hadn't expected was to feel Ren's powerful kick slam into his side, pushing him to the left.
Before he could recover his balance and dodge, Nora's hammer crashed into his side like a train, sending him flying across the room and off the raised platform they had made to simulate the tournament on a smaller scale.
“Nora, we went over this. If you're giving directions to me, and we're facing opposite ways the sides are flipped. My right is your left, and your right is my left.” He explained. He knew his partner well enough to know she would slip up in the heat of battle. Luckily, he knew what she meant and that confusion had let them get the upper hand. Now all that was left was...
Ren's eyes widened as he leaned backwards, seeing the massive club pass inches above his nose, right where his head had been. The bear Fannus seemed enraged at the moment.
A moment later Nora's hammer appeared though and slammed into the man's chest, sliding him backwards.
“Tch.” Nora let out an annoyed sigh, she had meant to send him flying with that hit. She was having fun playing with him before, but now it was getting boring. Plus, now Ren was in his line of fire and she wasn't about to let him get hurt.
It seemed the man wasn't too fond of his friend being sent flying though. His strikes were getting faster and stronger. Nora raised her hammer, but was still sent flying across the ground.
“Nora!” Ren called out in worry.
The large man stumbled towards her as he raised his club. Pressing a switch, the club glowed red suddenly. Ren recognized instantly it was similar to Weiss's rapier. Dust was infusing the weapon. With his strength, adding dust would be a disaster.
As he raised his club above his head Ren slammed his hand down on the ground. Nora faded to a dull gray suddenly.
The large bear fannus was about to strike down when he paused. He had completely lost track of the little girl that was before him just a moment ago. He turned to try and find her, when the sound of electricity crackling filled the arena.
A moment later Magnhild slammed into his side, Nora letting out a scream of effort. At first, it looked like nothing would happen but a heartbeat later the man's feet left the ground and he went flying, skidding off the platform as the buzzer rang out.
“Match over! Victory goes to Ren and Nora!” Glynda announced.
The crowd burst into cheers and applause, the home team being a little more favored in this group. Nora and Ren moved back to their teammates and friends.
Glynda waved her crop, the various pieces of the shattered floor flying back to their proper place and repairing themselves. “Now then, it's been a long day but it seems we finally finished our matches. It's a shame Jane was sick today, as they were not able to compete. Also my apologies to Tyler and Ashe who were also forced to abstain due to a lack of opponents.
Jane just looked down, fidgeting with the end of her shirt. She really didn't want to be the reason Pyrrha couldn't practice. She jumped slightly when she felt a hand on her shoulder, though Pyrrha just smiled at her comfortingly. There wasn't anything to be done.
“Hold it.” Alice's voice rang out, causing team JNPR to look up, and Jaune to flinch instinctively. That was never a good sound for him.
“Let Jaune and Pyrrha be partners. This is just practice, and they're as experienced as the other first years here in working together.”
Glynda sighed. “While their sparring was fine last time, I could hardly condone an unofficial student pairing fighting in such a setting.
“Jaune can do it!” Jane croaked out. She was disappointed that she couldn't fight with Pyrrha, but she felt foolish for not realizing Jaune had been there too. She had been dragged to train with them some mornings when Pyrrha wanted Jaune to spar against a foe with her style, and she knew he had come far. Still perhaps not quite on the level of normal students, but Pyrrha's latent ability would be enough to cover up for his weaknesses.
Jaune just looked helpless, realizing his future was once again out of his control. “I don't want to drag Pyrrha down. What if she gets hurt?” He offered, glancing over at Pyrrha.
Pyrrha was just as shocked as Jaune was. She hadn't considered the option, not because of Jaune's current level, it just hadn't crossed her mind. She had only thought of him as someone in the stands. Though, now that she thought about it she felt confident that they could certainly practice in a match together. They were as comfortable with each other in battle about as much as she was with her team from their sheer volume of practice. Before she could voice her thoughts, a new voice chimed in.
“Yeah, I wouldn't want my sister to hurt Alice's baby brother.”
Alice's head snapped to the side as her eyes narrowed. “Oh don't tell me their opponents would be...”
Smirking, a tall brunette crossed the arena as she rested her hand casually on the katana strapped to her side. “Yup. My little sister and her partner.”
“Ali.” Alice said with an irritated sigh. Of course. They hadn't seen each other since they were students at the academy, aside from once on a mission. “What, only Tweedledee is here? Where's your twin, Tweedledum.”
Team JNPR and RWBY, who had joined them, were standing in quiet awe. They hadn't seen Alice be so aggressive to someone like that before, Jaune being in danger aside. They glanced over to Jaune curiously.
Jaune currently was hiding behind Pyrrha a bit. “That's Ali. She was one of my sister's 'friends' in school. They fought. A lot.” He offered, bad memories flashing through his mind.
“Someone who can match Alice?” Yang said with a appreciative whistle.
There was a crack, almost as if someone had snapped and another brunette appeared quite literally out of nowhere, flicking Alice on the head. “That's not very nice to call me Alice. It's been so long too!”
Alice let out a frustrated growl. Of course she had to be here too. “Speak of the devil...”
Realizing they had a bit of an audience, the newcomer smiled, offering a hand to Pyrrha who happened to be the closest. “Hi there! Nice to meet you. I'm Ami, Ali's sister. Twin, if you couldn't tell.” She chirped happily.
Pyrrha shook her hand, tilting her head slightly. “Pleased to meet you. I'm Pyrrha. My team is Jane, Nora and Ren.” She offered.
“Ruby!”
“Weiss Schnee.”
“Blake.”
“You guys look identical...” She flinched as she was hit in the side by Blake. “Yang.”
Pyrrha smiled. “And I think you know J-” She was cut off as Ami once again vanished from where she was standing, appearing in front of Jaune and wrapping him in a big hug. She swung him in a circle, holding his head against her chest. “Jaune! It's been so long! You're so grown up.” Ami said warmly before letting the poor boy go.
Jaune just smiled, a little dizzy from being spun around. “It's good to see you too, Ami.” Jaune had met the twins a few times before, again from many visits regarding his sister's “trouble” in school. The pair were often the other half of the trouble, but Ami was far more pleasant to be around. In fact, it was usually her sister who ended up in the trouble so Jaune and Ami would often play together when he was young.
Pyrrha smiled, the teeniest bit jealous of seeing Ami cling onto Jaune suddenly.
“Don't worry about those two.” Alice offered to the group. “Now why are you here? You had to come babysit your sister?” She asked.
Ali just returned her challenging glare. “We're proud of her so we came to watch. Why are you even here? Last I heard your brother doesn't attend here.” She said, casting a slightly apologetic glance at Jaune. She hadn't meant it in a rude way, she didn't have anything against Alice's brother.
“We came to watch his girlfriend fight. But it seems both of us couldn't do what we wanted.
“She's not my...”
“He's not my...”
Both Jaune and Pyrrha cut themselves off. Were they boyfriend and girlfriend? They hadn't exactly... talked about it. After their night out and... kisses... they just kind of kept things as they were. Neither was exactly sure about what they “Were” at the moment.
Ami just squealed. “Awww they mimic each other. They are so cute.” Ami said, letting out a happy sigh. Ah, young love.
“You really think your brother can keep up with my sister in a fight?” Ali challenged, raising an eyebrow.
Alice smirked. “Don't underestimate the men in the Arc family. Besides, he's been trained by the Pyrrha Nikos.”
Ali was caught off guard. She knew Pyrrha had seemed familiar. Perhaps the match would be a little fairer after all.
Ali and Alice stared each other down for a minute, before turning to Glynda in sync. “They're fighting.” They announced.
Glynda's fist clenched around her crop. “Now listen here. Don't think you two can barge into my classroom and orchestrate fights with the students.”
Alice cracked her knuckles as Ali drew her sword a few inches. “Perhaps we should spar for old times sake?”
“That could be fun.” Alice said, a dangerous lilt in her tone.
Both teams stepped back in fear. The aura surrounding Alice and Ali had suddenly gotten menacing and dangerous. Alice was a handful enough when she was angry, but Ali seemed to make the situation worse. Surprisingly though, Jaune had been the one to step between them, raising his hands, though they shook a little.
“I don't want to get kicked out of here. Last time you guys fought they had to do renovations on the building.”
Glynda threw up her hands in defeat. “Fine! We'll let the students fight. However, if anyone is harmed it will be on your heads.”
Alice and Ali both threw up scouts salutes. “Scout's honor!”
“Neither of you were scouts...” Jaune mumbled quietly.
Glynda got the stage ready as Ali and Ami went back to talk to their side.
Alice threw an arm around Jaune's shoulder. “Nice job on selling the threat. I wasn't sure Glynda was going to let us do it.”
Jaune just shook his head. “I thought you two were being serious. I didn't want you guys breaking the place.”
Alice just laughed. “Go get ready. You can't lose to that brat's little sister!”
Jaune was surprised when Alice handed him her backpack with a wink, finding his armor and weapon and shield in it. “When did you...”
“Always be prepared.” She offered ushering him off towards the changing room.
Jaune paused, looking to Pyrrha. “Are you sure you're okay with this? Jane?”
Jane just smiled, before sneezing. “Thanks for letting Pyrrha get some practice. Just don't get hurt, okay?” She said with a sniffle.
Pyrrha smiled warmly. “I have absolute faith in you. We'll just do our best. What happens, happens. Besides, it seems you have a bit of a legacy to keep going.”
Jaune sighed, scratching his head before looking up and smiling. “Then let's do this!” She said before following Ren to the lockers to borrow his locker.
Pyrrha just chuckled before heading over to hers to get ready. She hadn't be expecting a fight, but fighting along side Jaune was something she hadn't realized how much she wanted to do it.
XxXxXxXxX
Jaune and Pyrrha stood on the platform.
“Remember your defense Jaune. Play it safe, and we'll work together. Leave the offense to me, I'll be counting on you to watch my back.” She offered, hoping to calm the obvious nerves that were building up in him.
Jaune nodded, making sure his armor was all on tightly. He had a feeling that he would need it very badly soon enough.
“So you should know our opponents right? Ali and Ami have another sister?” Pyrrha asked, stepping closer. She was both determined to win this fight with Jaune, and make sure he wasn't injured in it. Knowing as much as she could about her opponent would help even the playing field, as she figured once Ali recognized her she told her sister, and Jaune still hadn't discovered his semblance.
“Kinda. They aren't related by blood, they adopted her when they were young. They're all orphans, you see. But they're as close as me and my sisters. Her name is...”
“Ashe! Nice to meet cha!” A voice suddenly chimed out from across the arena. A raven haired girl a little shorter than Pyrrha stood across from them sporting a pixie cut, and a shirt that read “hot stuff” on it, underneath a fashionable jacket.. A long metal box hung at her hip, and a strange tube on the other hip. From behind, a long cat tail swished playfully from side to side.
Pyrrha smiled politely. “I'm...”
“Pyrrha Nikos. I know. He wouldn't shut up about you for a while.” She said, a hint of jealous creeping into her voice as her smile faltered.
Next to her a male, slightly taller than her sporting black shaggy hair walked up smiling nervously. “I said I was sorry. I didn't mean to.” His snow fox ears on the top of his head drooped slightly.
Pyrrha's eyes widened as she recognized him. She had been the student she fought in the beginning of the year. He had been the one to freeze her weapons, and send her to Jaune's shop.
“Hey Tyler.” Jaune offered with a wave. They had met through his sister eventually, and he had done some work on his weapon and armor.
Ashe just giggled, throwing an arm around his shoulder and kissing his cheek. “I know. I just can't help it, I get a little jealous when my boyfriend is fawning over another girl.” She said, shooting a meaningful glance at Pyrrha who's eyes widened.
Tyler blushed red. “I wasn't fawning... it was just a good fight. It was good motivation.” He mumbled, embarrassed about being called out like that.
“So your partner isn't enough motivation for you?” She asked, raising an eyebrow.
Tyler's eyes widened. “That's not what I meant! You know I'd do anything for you.” He confessed, before realizing what he said and blushing a deep red. He let out a groan of annoyance.
Ashe just snickered. “I know, I know. You're just cute when you're embarrassed.” She said, leaning over to give his cheek a peck in apology before grabbing the sword at his waist and handing it to him. “Sorry for teasing you. I'll make it up to you later.” She offered before grabbing the long box at her hip.
Jaune and Pyrrha looked at each other, before blushing and looking away. They may be in some sort of relationship, but they certainly weren't as open as Ashe and Tyler seemed to be about it.
Ashe raised an eyebrow but Tyler leaned over, whispering something in her ear.
“Oh I see! You two are a thing! But shy. Got it. How cute.” Ashe squealed slightly. “Nothing to be embarrassed about it.”
“You're one to talk! It took you guys forever to admit you liked each other, longer still to be comfortable. It took us all to bring you together.” Ami lamented from the side.
Pyrrha chuckled as she saw Ashe's face burn red in embarrassment. She was about to make a comment when her eyes widened. In a blur of movement, the long metal box in her hand had unfolded, growing into a powerful metal recurve bow. Meanwhile, her other hand had opened up the tube, and pulled out a small tube. A press of a button and it had extended into an arrow, was nocked, and fired at Ami before Pyrrha had realized she was holding her breath.
The arrow whizzed through the air with shocking speed, straight towards Ami. Before Pyrrha would even react to the sudden attack, Ami's hand shot up and caught the arrow with a frown.
“Rude.” There was a crack and Ami was standing next to Ashe, handing her the arrow back. “Don't waste your ammo before a fight.” She scolded, flicking Ashe on the forehead.
Sighing, she ruffled Ashe's hair. “Good luck to both teams!” She said, calling over her shoulder. She turned back to Tyler and Ashe for a moment. “Jaune's not a proper student, so don't go overboard. This is just training and we don't want any accidents. I'll be watching, but I trust you guys to be smart out there.” Looking over her shoulder at him, she smiled warmly before turning back to her sister and her partner. “But don't underestimate him either. That Arc family is scary, plus he's had a great teacher. So be on your guard.” She offered, before patting each of them on the shoulder and vanishing with a crack, appearing next to Ali who just handed her back her bowl of popcorn.
“Without further ado, let's start this final round. Jaune, and Pyrrha from team JNPR versus Tyler and Ashe from team BATT.” Glynda announced. “When someone's aura hits the red, they are out and you are not to attack them as they exit the field. If you fall out of bounds you are eliminated. Fight fair, and begin!” She announced.
She was about to wave her crop when Ashe's hand shot up.
“Wait! I almost forgot.”
With a sly smirk at Tyler, she suddenly handed Tyler her bow to hold before she took off her jacket. This left her in just a tank top. She wasn't done though. Reaching down, she quickly undid her belt before tossing it on her jacket. Reaching down she began to undo her boots as well.
There was a wolf whistle from the audience, but a sudden glare from Ali sent a shiver down the audience. Suddenly no one wanted to make any jokes.
Jaune was looking away, feeling a little uncomfortable about his opponent stripping in front of him.
Pyrrha was confused and slightly embarrassed as well.
Tyler was just unabashedly staring at his girlfriend, transfixed by her gaze as she smirked at him, one hand on her hip as her shoes joined her belt and jacket.
“Take off your belt.” She said with a wink. “Or do you need help?”
Jaune covered his flushed face, Pyrrha gasped in shock.
There was a crack and Ami was standing next to Ashe snickering. “You're having too much fun. Stop teasing Tyler, and it looks like Jaune and Pyrrha are about to pass out.” She scolded, still snickering at her sister's antics. Ashe could be a flirt with Tyler, but Ami knew it was all talk. She liked to tease him, but both her and Tyler were taking things slow.
Ami handed Ashe a pair of sneakers as she gathered up her clothes, and took the belt a still blushing Tyler had offered her.
“Why the outfit change?” Pyrrha had asked, thoroughly confused and embarrassed by the actions. Judging by Glynda's expression, she was also looking for a proper explanation for the unneeded delay.
“We're up against Pyrrha Nikos. I'm not sure that wearing metal is our best bet. I just forgot to remove it before hand.” She explained honestly. Looking over at Tyler, she saw he had recovered his composure, though he still seemed a bit tired of feeling flustered. She mouthed an honest “I'm sorry.” to him. Maybe she had taken it too far, but her sister had a bit of a bad influence on her.
The second Glynda's crop was lowered an arrow whizzed through the air, bouncing harmlessly off Pyrrha's shield. It seemed this was going to be a fast paced fight. She was about to step forward, when Jaune suddenly shoved her backwards, bringing his shield up. A moment later the arrow she had forgotten exploded into a small ball of flames. Pyrrha hid slightly behind Jaune, bracing him against the explosion. A second later she was at his side again, her shield raised. “What was that!?”
Jaune smiled apologetically. “I didn't get to explain earlier. Ashe's semblance is fire. She can set herself or anything she touches on fire and manipulate the flames of it to an extent. There's some limitations but she's dangerous! Her arrows aren't normal arrows.” Jaune offered.
Pyrrha was a bit intimidated, she had to admit. She wasn't expecting that. Combined with Tyler's ability  to sap the heat from what he touches and freeze things solid, they were a dangerous pair.
“I really wish I knew my semblance right about now.” Jaune offered with a nervous laugh in his voice.
Pyrrha smirked. “We won't need it.”
Jaune tightened his grip on his sword. “I hope you're right. You focus on Ashe, I can't keep up with her range. I'll try to take Tyler.” He offered.
Pyrrha nodded. His plan was simple, but solid. That was one many aspects of potential she saw in Jaune. While fighting technique may not come naturally to him as it did to her, his battle instinct was rather sharp. He learned from his mistakes quickly and could find a strategy to face a new threat. This had kept Pyrrha on her toes while training, forcing her to keep changing to avoid him adapting to her, though her experience and talent kept her with the upper-hand. For once though, she was glad it was on her side. They may need it in this battle if they wanted to win.
Pyrrha switched to her rifle and fired shots off at Ashe, separating her from Tyler as Jaune closed the distance to him. Ashe was quick with her bow, and the arrows were a live threat until they exploded, meaning Pyrrha had to stay on her guard. The arrows were metal, but she couldn't properly manipulate them with the speed they were being fired, so she'd have to face them without her semblance.
Deflecting arrows and guarding against their explosions would only last so long, so Pyrrha rushed forward. She was relying on her agility to close the gap, as she narrowly dodged arrow after arrow, continuing to move so they couldn't catch her in their explosion.
At last she had managed to close the gap, when she saw her chance. Bashing up with her shield, she deflected Ashe's bow upwards, spinning the girl around. She struck out with her sword, but was surprised to find it collide against a staff.
Ashe smirked, as her bow finished transforming into a long bo-staff. She swung her staff around, slamming Pyrrha in the side of the head with it and forced Pyrrha to back up.
Pyrrha winced, having been caught off guard by the transformation. It seems the fight wouldn't be easy close up either. Glancing over, she saw Jaune was struggling against his own opponent.
Jaune and Tyler circled around each other. Both guys were sporting a sword and shield, though Tyler's was a bit different. His sword was froze solid, extending it's reach and size, and his shield was a small metal buckler that was also frozen, expanding it's range.
Jaune knew he had to be careful. If he touched Tyler's ice for too long, it could begin to freeze him too. That was what had done the damage to Pyrrha's weapons. Luckily his sword had no moving parts, and his shield was only useful extended at the moment so he wasn't too concerned about that.
Letting out a yell, he dashed forward.
“Come!” Tyler said with a grin. Jaune was a pretty good friend to him, so he was excited to fight with him. But that didn't mean he was going to take it easy on him. This was supposed to be practice after all.
Tyler met Jaune's blow with his own, and soon they were trading slashes. Tyler was more experienced than Jaune was, so he was dictating the flow of the battle. Still, he had to admit he was impressed with Jaune's growth. He certainly wasn't someone he could brush off. Still, Tyler wouldn't lose.
Ducking one of Jaune's swing, Tyler swiped his frozen sword at Jaune's feet.
Jaune was caught off by the strange action, but when he tried to rush forward, he stumbled and fell forward.
His right foot had been frozen solid on the ground. He barely had time to bring his shield up as Tyler's swipe slammed into it.
Jaune flew backwards, slamming into the ground as his frozen foot kept him rooted in place and had caused him to arc and land on his back.
“Pyrrha!” He called out, knowing he needed help if he was going to avoid being eliminated right then and there. “Pass!” He called out.
Pyrrha hopped backwards, dodging another arrow as she knew what he was saying. It had only taken a moment for her to notice his foot and realize his strategy.
Firing off a few rounds with her spear, she forced Ashe to back up before she switched to a spear and launched it at her, knocking the hot head back.
Turning with a powerful spin, she launched her shield like a discus, as it soared across the arena. It slammed into the ice around Jaune's foot, shattering it before ricocheting into Tyler.
Jaune caught it, and threw it back towards her to the best of his ability. Luckily her semblance let her correct his slightly off course throw. She focused on her spear, sending it back towards her but it was going to be too slow.
Ashe was back on her feet and aiming an arrow at Pyrrha's defenseless form. As she was about to fire her arrow, she failed to notice Jaune approaching. He had realized what situation Pyrrha would have ended up in after throwing both her shield and spear, so he had started running to intercept.
Jaune slammed into her side with his shield, knocking her over.
Running back to his partner, he took a guard next to her. “You okay?”
Pyrrha smiled. “Thanks for covering me.”
Jaune smirked. “You saved me first. I would have been out.”
“Then it's goo-”
“Ashe! Now!” Tyler's voice rang out.
Looking over, they saw Tyler kneeling on the ground, both palms planted on the ground. Between them was a large ice dust crystal. An icy mist was flowing out from his hands as you could see the aura around his hands pulsing.
Ashe stood up, smirking. Leave it to her partner. With a massive jump, she did a large back flip, landing perched on Tyler's back like a bird.
Bracing himself for the impact of Ashe on his back. At the moment she landed, he slammed his hands down on the ice crystal.
There was a massive cloud of dust that exploded out from them, obscuring the area in a mist.
Jaune and Pyrrha coughed, swiping away the dust around them. They tried to move to find a clean spot but found they both had their feet frozen to the ground. In fact, the entire ground had been frozen solid in an instant.
Immediately Jaune slammed his sword into Pyrrha's feet beginning to chip the ice away as Pyrrha fired a few rounds towards Jaune's. They had to be free soon.
“Stay together!” Jane called out from the stands.
“You can do it!” Ruby called out eagerly.
Yang raised an eyebrow. “That was a lot of ice.”
Weiss nodded. “That was rather impressive, it seems his semblance is very powerful when combined with Ice Dust.” Weiss explained. It was a bit similar to her semblance with dust, but his seemed to be on a different level, though she had a feeling he would be out of luck when it came to other types of dust.
“But it's not without cost.” Blake noted, gesturing to the screen. Tyler's aura had dipped significantly when he used that move. “That takes a lot of trust in your teammate to use that. It leaves you vulnerable.” She remarked.
Jaune and Pyrrha were free soon enough, but it was too slow. Ashe was already sprinting towards them, her feet blazing. She stepped with enough force, and combined the the fire surrounding her feet, the ice melted and cracked instantly underneath her steps, allowing her to roam free.
Jaune and Pyrrha tried to stay together, but their feet were slipping and sliding on the ice, it was impossible to get any sort of solid footing on the floor of ice.
“Pyrrha, block!” Jaune called out but Ashe was too quick.
A flying kick from the raven haired girl sent Pyrrha flying and sliding across the ice towards the edge of the arena.
Jaune turned to try and help her, but noticed Tyler and barely had time to throw up his guard.
Every time Tyler stepped, his foot would freeze slightly to the ice, keeping him solid in place, before he'd free himself when he needed to take another step.
Jaune managed to block the hit, but he was still sliding backwards.
Desperate to stop her momentum, Pyrrha jammed her sword in the ground, holding onto it for dear life.
She saw Ashe aiming at her with her bow again, and she knew she was in trouble. With a wave of her hand and a massive effort, she unleashed her semblance. At the last moment, Ashe's bow aimed downwards as her arrow exploded in front of her, sending her sliding backwards.
Pyrrha quickly scrambled towards the spot of melted ice from the explosion. Back on solid footing she saw Jaune struggling against Tyler.
“Jaune! Touchdown!” She called out, firing a few rounds at Tyler to force him to back off for a moment.
Jaune was hesitant, but knew the situation was desperate. Raising his sword with both hands, he slammed it down onto the ground with all the force he could muster.
While not nearly as impressive as he had seen Yatsuhashi do before, it did it's job. The ice in the area around him cracked and shattered from the sheer force of his aura-infused strike.
But that meant he was still trapped to this small circle.
Pyrrha wanted to help him out more, but she saw Ashe approaching. She knew if they continued to fight separately they might lose. The arena was no longer fair game, and both of them had great control of their semblances, something that had been missing from her fight with team CRDL.
Struggling to guard against Tyler's continued onslaught, Jaune was thinking the same thing. “Client 1! Finish this order then move on.” Jaune called out.
Pyrrha understood his plan, thankful they knew each other well enough to understand the coded call outs with no real planning.
Spinning around, she hurled her shield again at Ashe who was readying an arrow. The shield and arrow collided mid air, exploding directly in front of Ashe. Ashe stumbled backwards, trying to regain her composure. She quickly knocked another arrow, but failed to notice Pyrrha's glowing shield slam into her from the side as Pyrrha manipulated it with her semblance. In a panic it had set off Ashe's arrow yet again, sending her flying even farther away, her bow sliding away from her.
Zooming towards it's owner, Pyrrha's shield flew towards her as she sprinted towards Tyler. This was their chance.
Jaune parried Tyler's strike, knocking his sword up. Tyler wasn't done though. His hand shot out and grabbed Jaune's that was holding his shield. With a release of his semblance, Jaune's hand began to freeze over.
Desperate, Jaune ripped his hand free, but that had meant he had to let go of his shield. His shield clattered across the arena, leaving him with just his sword.
Tyler was about to flash out with a strike when he felt Pyrrha's sword cut across his back. His aura had absorbed the blow, but it had hurt. He swung around with a strike towards Pyrrha, but she blocked it with her shield.
He brought his shield up to block Jaune's counter, throwing a kick towards Pyrrha. He swung back with momentum towards Jaune with his sword, but was surprised to see Jaune holding Pyrrha's shield as he blocked his attack before Pyrrha's kick connect to his side.
Soon Tyler was completely overwhelmed. Pyrrha and Jaune were flanking him, trading blows when he tried to focus on the other. Periodically they would pass Pyrrha's shield back and forth, blocking strikes as they whittled down his aura quickly.
Ashe screamed for him, but she couldn't get there fast enough. The two explosions had hurt her more than she was expecting and it took her too long to recover.
Desperate, he had caught Pyrrha's shield mid-air, but it was too late. Both Jaune and Pyrrha struck down with a blow as the buzzer rang out. Falling to his knees, he stared at the ground. Tyler's aura had dropped into the red.
Immediately Jaune and Pyrrha both stepped back, breathing heavily. Tyler was eliminated, and they wanted to make sure he could leave safely.
Tyler forced himself to his feet as he began to stumble towards the stairs off the platform. His shoulders drooped and his face was cast in shadow. He barely looked at Ashe as he passed her. The ears on his head drooped low in shame.
“Tyler... are you okay? I'm sorry.” She stammered out. That's when she saw it.
Tyler had sniffled and offered her a heart-breaking smile. “I guess I wasn't good enough. Do your best.”
He said as he staggered down the stairs. Ami had appeared with a crack, quickly throwing her arm around him and helping him. She could only imagine how he must be taking the defeat.
That's when the murmurs started.
“He lost to Jaune.”
“Jaune isn't even a student.”
“Pyrrha was busy with the girl most of the time.”
“I guess the ice was just for show.”
“How weak.”
“He's just a Fannus after all.”
“I hope I get matched against them in the festival.”
Tyler's form seemed to droop even more. His girlfriend's fist clenched at her side as she saw her precious partner walk away so defeated.
Jaune and Pyrrha were both panting, feeling bad. Those watching didn't understand. Tyler had been a serious threat. That wasn't something to brush off. Jaune knew he couldn't have won on his own.
“Good fight!” Jane called out hoarsely, feeling awful for the boy walking away.
“Poor girl. She can do so much bette-” The murmur was cut off by an explosion.
The wall of the room now had a massive crater in it as Ali stood there, her fist still lodged in it. She was breathing heavily, as if restraining herself as she glared at the audience. “One. More. Word. I dare you.” She sounded out, causing everyone to instantly shut up. Surprisingly, Alice moved over to Ali and put a hand on her shoulder, calming the girl ever so slightly.
Alice knew Tyler and Ashe trained as hard as Jaune and Pyrrha. While Tyler had more practical experience than Jaune, he had grown up mostly alone before he had met Ashe when they were younger. Ali had grown to care for the boy like a little brother, and Alice could sympathize with what she must be feeling.
Jaune and Pyrrha were suddenly aware of the temperature of the room spiking. It felt like they had entered a sauna.
“Please keep all comments respectful.” Glynda ordered to the audience. “Now then, the match isn't over. Resume!”
Jaune and Pyrrha stood next to each other, looking at Ashe. Looking carefully, they saw she was practically shaking. Scratch that, she was visibly shaking in anger.
“Pyrrha. Be careful. When it comes to Tyler, Ashe ca-”
He was cut off as he saw her throw something in the air, before dashing forward, and explosion of fire propelling her at a fast speed.
They were caught off guard as she suddenly appeared between them, hand spread wide. Her usual playful smirk was gone, a deathly serious gaze in her eyes.
Practically in slow motion, Pyrrha and Jaune turned their heads as they saw what she had thrown up before falling between them. It was a large dust crystal. Fire dust.
They both barely had time to raise their shields before she slammed it between her two fists.
The three students were suddenly surrounded in a massive ball of flame, Pyrrha and Jaune rocketing out of it away from each other. Both of them had been scorched in the explosion a little.
Ashe hadn't emerged unharmed from it either, but she dashed towards the now isolated Jaune. Her semblance proved a useful shield to flames, albeit not perfect. Drawing her bow, she fired 2 arrows behind her, one being blocked by Pyrrha's shield but the second one hit the ground next to her, sending her flying farther away.
She turned back to Jaune but Jaune was already desperate to counter attack, terrified of the huntress going after him.
He swung his sword, and managed to knock her weapon away.
“That's it! Keep her unarmed! You can finish this!” Alice called out victoriously.
Ali, though still murderous, was a little calmer next to her. “You know, Ashe has received a lot of hand to hand training. Almost an unhealthy amount.”
Alice faltered. “From you?”
Ali shook her head, gesturing to where Ami was consoling Tyler. “My sister.”
Alice felt her stomach drop. “Jaune! Run! You can't beat her unarmed.” She changed her mind.
Both of the twins were strong huntresses in their own right. While she often fought with Ali, Ami was one person she refused to fight in hand to hand combat. While she wasn't very powerful from a range, Alice had never seen Ami lose in a fist fight. No Grimm who had met her daggers ever survived. If she had been training Ashe, who may not be a prodigy like she was, Jaune was not prepared. He had learned only the basics of hand to hand, as Grimm weren't very big users of fisticuffs.
Jaune had gotten the message too slow though.
Jaune still hadn't recovered his shield, too distracted by Tyler's exit to move towards it. He swung his sword, but Ashe caught his wrist. Turning, raising and slamming it down onto her shoulder Jaune let out a gasp of pain as he dropped the sword. His wrist was burning in pain, and if he didn't have his aura he was pretty sure his wrist would have just been broken.
Following through, she flipped him over her shoulder. Raising her leg straight up, she slammed it down in a flaming Axe kick.
Barely managing to roll and avoid the kick, he felt her grab his collar.
Ashe ripped him up off the ground, before slamming her fist into his gut. Two kick jabs to his chest, followed by a hook to his chin which left him dazed. She circle stepped around him, hiding behind him as she saw Pyrrha ready her rifle but but she was unable to get a clean shot with Jaune between them.
Ashe's hand began to glow red hot as she glared at Jaune, a murderous look in her eyes.
She placed her hand against his chest plate.
“Jaune!” Pyrrha called out desperately.
Instantly, the experienced huntresses in the room knew what would happen.
“Ashe!” Glynda scolded raising her crop.
Alice had leaned forward, a pissed off look on her face. Before she could propel herself forward, Ami had appeared in front of her, a hand on her shoulder. “Wait.”
Ali herself grabbed one of the crystals hanging around her neck, but Tyler spoke up.
“Ashe! Stop.” He called out in a hoarse voice.
Ashe's eyes widened as her thoughts cleared up. The glow on her hand faded significantly before she spun around, throwing Jaune as a massive explosion emitted from her glowing hand.
Jaune rocketed across the arena as the buzzer sounded. He sailed off the platform, but Alice appeared in his path and caught him safely. Glancing up at the screen she saw his aura was still safely in the red. The explosion had been scaled back enough.
Ashe snapped her head back to look at Pyrrha, who was also staring at her.
Pyrrha knew that the situation was dangerous. Both of their aura's were low after this long drawn out fight. But Ashe reminded her of Yang, and she had a feeling even if Ashe was a little more level headed she was still pissed off. Her powers would be peaking at the moment, and she wasn't sure if she could handle her for long. Pyrrha never had explosive force, rather relying on skillful blows to win fights, and as Ashe had seemingly discarded her weapon and was void of metal, her semblance wasn't going to help her out either.
She dashed forward, firing off a few rounds from her rifle to keep her back.
Ashe dodged from side to side as she closed the gap, keeping her arms tucked close. Her right hand glowed as she threw a punch. It connected with Pyrrha's shield, and the explosion sent it flying away.
Pyrrha didn't have time to call it back to her as Ashe kept up her onslaught.
Using her semblance as much as she was was a risk. There was a definite blow-back every time she released a burst of flames from her hands and she was going to feel it tomorrow.
Pyrrha winced as she felt another punch connect to her side. This girl hit very hard.
Knowing the fight was reaching it's climax, Pyrrha knew it would end soon. Both of their aura levels were reaching the end as well.
Separating, they stared each other down. Neither wanted to disappoint their teammates who were watching eagerly from the sidelines.
Ashe clenched her fists as they glowed a bright red.
Pyrrha reached out her hand as she backed up, preparing her last plan.
Ashe rushed forward again, the temperature of the room rising as she prepared for the strike.
At the last moment, Pyrrha stepped around her. As expected, Ashe was ready for that. She spun out with a glowing backhand, it heading straight for Pyrrha's face. At the last moment, it collided with something hard as the explosion rang out, causing her to stumble backwards.
Pyrrha stood, bracing herself behind Jaune's glowing black shield. She had moved it to block Ashe's attack at the last moment. Summoning all the strength she had left, she let out a pulse of magnetism as she repelled the shield with all she could.
The shield shot away from her, slamming into Ashe. Off balance, Ashe couldn't properly react and the shield rocketed her backwards, sending her sliding off the edge of the platform.
As she hit the floor the buzzer rang out.
“Match over! Victory goes to Jaune and Pyrrha!” Glynda announced.
Ashe stood up from the ground, in shock. She had lost. She began to walk around the arena, but soon Tyler met her halfway.
She stared at him through frustrated tears, disappointed she couldn't finish up the victory. Tyler just smiled and pulled her into a tight hug, wallowing in a similar frustration. Still, it had just been a practice match.
The audience erupted into cheers and applause. Both Tyler and Ashe started clapping for Jaune and Pyrrha who were both now up on the stage, smiling. After a moment they turned to their opponents and called them back up on the stage with them. “Great fight. That was very close.” Pyrrha offered, clapping for them as they joined them up there.
“Thanks for letting me live my dream of fighting as a huntsmen.” Jaune said a bit nervously.
Ashe sighed and rolled her eyes, her tail flicking behind her. “You two are too nice to stay mad at.”
Tyler just smiled and fist bumped Jaune.
Glynda smiled despite herself and addressed everyone. “With that, classes are officially done. You all are free until the festival, I suggest you begin making sure you have everything prepared, reflect on what you learned today, and rest up. Dismissed!” She said, turning back to the quartet. “That was certainly an interesting match to end the day on. I'm glad that none of you were seriously injured. Now then, please clear the stage so we can return this room to normal.” She said, shooing them away.
The group made their way to the rest of team RWBY and JNPR as Glynda began to clean up the stage.
“That was amazing!” Ruby gushed. “You were all so cool! First Tyler was like 'FWOOSH' and everything was frozen. But then Jaune was like 'AUGH' and broke the ice.”
Next to her Nora was grinning. “But Pyrrha was the coolest. When she was dodging the arrows?”
Yang walked over, throwing an arm over Jaune's shoulder. “It seems my fellow blondie has really grown. You were holding your own out there.”
Jaune just stammered. “Pyrrha did most of the work. I just tried to survive.”
“You did great.” Ashe said, her tail suddenly lowering. “I'm sorry I kinda lost it there. I don't like seeing Tyler disappointed like that.” She muttered, her tail wrapping around Tyler's leg as he grabbed her hand. “I didn't mean to almost hurt you. Honest.”
Jaune shook his head. “It's okay. I'm sorry all the students were like that. I thought you guys were scary as hell up there.”
Ashe just laughed, letting out a sigh of relief that he wasn't mad. She really hadn't want to hurt her friend, she can just get a little ahead of herself in fights.
Soon the group of students had started dissecting the match, bickering about who did what.
Jaune tugged on Pyrrha's hand. “Can you follow me for a second?” He whispered to her.
Nodding curiously, Pyrrha excused them from the group and moved off to the side a little. “What is it Jaune? I thought you fought admirably.”
Jaune just stared at her, a complex series of emotions crossing his face.
“Jaune? If something is wrong you can talk to me you know.”
“Pyrrha.” Jaune started out. He took a deep breath. “Pyrrha, would you go out with me tomorrow night?” He said, staring at her nervously. “As my girlfriend.”
Pyrrha just stared at him in utter shock. So they were going to be a couple? She had kinda hoped they were, but neither of them seemed to be willing to ask if it was official.
Her pause made Jaune's heart race. “I mean, I know it's bad timing you have the festival in a few days. You should be with your team. I just thought that maybe... er... so-” He was cut off as Pyrrha slammed into him. He felt her lips press against his as she kissed him.
This had effectively cut off all conversation from their friends as they turned to stare at the pair with a range of expressions from scandalized to amused. Yang let out a wolf whistle and Jane was fervently taking pictures.
Ashe leaned over to Tyler. “I feel like they're just rubbing it in now.” She muttered, her tail anxiously behind her. She turned her head when she didn't get a response from him, surprised when she suddenly felt his lips on hers. She melted into the kiss for a moment, before he pulled back, and moved her in front of him, wrapping his arms around her waist possessively.
Ashe just giggled at her boyfriend's antics. She leaned her head back into his shoulder, they could let Arkos have the moment.
Pyrrha realized she had an audience and quickly stepped back, flushed red still. “In case you couldn't tell, I would love to go out with you tomorrow. On a date.” She said, embarrassed at her own words.
Pyrrha suddenly staggered as Jane slammed into her from the side, before staggering the other way as Nora slammed into her from the other side.
“It finally happened!” They cheered in unison.
Ren walked over putting his hand on Jaune's shoulder. “Congratulations.”
Jaune just grinned, blushing slightly.
Soon the older siblings joined the group, mercilessly teasing their respective younger siblings.
“Well we'll have a truce today. Come on, we're taking you all out for lunch.” Ali said, glancing over at Alice.
“Yeah so hit the showers. We're leaving in thirty minutes, our treat.” Alice said, letting her grudge go with Ali. Today was a day to celebrate, both her brother finally officially getting together with Pyrrha, and all their hard work for the Vytal festival.
The group cheered and moved to go freshen up and change for the surprise treat.
As Pyrrha waved goodbye to Jaune and walked towards the women's showers she couldn't help the smile on her face.
Her heart was soaring, it had finally happened. Jaune and herself were officially a couple. Even if they had already sort of been one, it was out and public. Pyrrha couldn't feel happier, they could be eliminated in the first round of the festival and she'd still be riding high.
Pyrrha couldn't find the words to express how happy she felt about meeting Jaune, and that he ended up becoming such a large part of her life. She knew she would cherish every memory she had made with him so far, and looked forward to making many more with him. Wherever her life lead her, down whatever path may come, she knew she would be fine with it if she could walk it with Jaune.
XxXxXxXxX
I’m really really sorry for the delay with this chapter. As some of you may know I entered an art contest mid February. It was a really important chance (that I totally screwed up) and I wanted to try and do it right. So I wasn’t able to do much writing. I was able to sit down and write a prompt or two that was in my head, but this chapter took pretty much all of today for me to write and I couldn’t really do that before. But the contest is over, and I will likely be able to power out the remaining chapters in this story before I find a parttime job and start my new courses. This also means I have plenty of free time to finish up the prompts that are still sitting in my inbox.
I really am sorry for how long this took, and I hope the length made up for it. Thank you for all the kind words you’ve sent me, and I hope you have a wonderful freaking day! :D 
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toadmancer · 3 years
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teeth is one of those books id recommend to anyone* but also one that i, myself, personally, probably wouldnt read again lmfao
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