Chapter Text
Aura is a manifestation of the soul, a life force that runs through every living creature on Remnant, whether they be a meagre shop keep or a renowned knight. However, what sets true warriors apart from all others is their ability to amplify and control their Aura.
A "Semblance" is a term used to describe the projection of ones Aura into a more tangible form. For some this could be the ability to control objects with telekinesis. For others it could mean superhuman strength.
The power associated with a wielder's Semblance is unique as no two Semblances are exact the same even those inherited through blood. With enough training and focus, a user's Aura can turn them into something much more than just a man. Or perhaps it could make them lesser.
For the power of one’s Semblance is not always a boon. Warriors immune to pain, are unable to feel the soft brush of a lover’s hand. Telepaths able to peer into the deepest recesses of one’s mind, being incapable of shielding their own. The ability to bring misfortune upon one’s enemies, while simultaneous bringing the same to your allies. All these ‘grand’ powers have drawbacks that make their hosts wish they never awakened their Auras to begin with.
People stuck with such powers often refer to their own Semblance as a curse. Some spend their entire lives searching for a way to be rid of them. Others live their lives in solitude unable to bare being a burden for those they care about. But what these people often fail realise is that their Semblance is as much apart of their them as their own souls. To be rid of it would mean to be rid of yourself. To deny it would mean to deny yourself. To call it curse would mean to call yourself a curse. And you simple souls know little of what it means to be truly cursed.
POV Ruby Rose
When Ruby first learned that she would be attending Beacon Academy she was filled quivering excitement. Here she was a young girl of 15 joining the world’s most premier Huntsman academy as a full-fledged student. This excitement soon dampened however not even 24 hours later during the airship ride to beacon. When her sister shoes were vomited on by an airsick passenger.
From their it all went downhill. First his sister ditches her favour of joining up with her friends from Signal. From theirs she runs into Princess Snooty who gives her an extended verbal lashing over a simple mistake. Then mid way through said lashing they both blows up. Not quite the perfect first impression for a girl who is supposed to have normal knees. Well at least Jaunes nice, even if he doesn’t know where they’re going.
“Maybe we just need to retrace our steps?” The tall blond suggests before nodding to himself almost as if he needs to confirm his own words. “I mean the meeting place for new students couldn’t too far from the entrance, right?”
“That makes… sense?” Ruby’s reply’s come out almost like a confused question causing Jaune to let out a sigh.
For the last 10 minutes the two new friends have trying to work out where they are supposed to meet for initial orientation. Unfortunately, neither have a map and they lost track of where they we’re heading during their getting to know each other talk.
“I can’t believe I’m gonna late on the first day.” Jaune groans.
“We’re not going to be late Jaune. We still have half an hour before orientation starts, that’s more than enough to find our way.” Ruby comments hopefully trying to get him to relax.
“Yeah, your right Rub-ahhh” Jaune cuts himself off mid-way letting out a shout of excitement causing Ruby to jump.
“Ruby look!” Jaune points further down their current path. Ruby turns to look finding a large map hanging on the side of a wall. Honestly, nothing to be too excited abou- wait.
“"Aaaah!" Ruby screams in response it was exactly what they needed. The two sprint down the path with Ruby easily clearly the distance before Jaune even makes it halfway. She gives the map a quick once over.
“Whoa the campus is huge. Its easily twice the size of Signal!” Ruby remarks as Jaune walks up beside her. She presses a finger against the mounted map over arrow marking their current location.
“Okay so it says we’re here and here is…” Ruby pauses a moment to confer with the map legend “The Administrations Office.” Jaune hums promoting Ruby to continue.
“So, if I were to guess I would say orientation would either be here” Ruby jabs her finger against the map again “At the Auditorium which is that big building we just walked past or here at the base of the Tower. What do you think Jaune?” Ruby doesn’t receive a response.
“Jaune?” she prompts again with no answer. Turning to face Jaune he finds him looking over her head to a position further down the path. Eyes squinting with effort. “Jaune?” She prompts again this time nudging his white chest armour.
“Hey Ruby?” Jaune finally responses with his own question.
“Yeah.”
“You wouldn’t happen to know anyone working here, would you?”
“Well, by coincidence I did just happened to meet Professors Ozpin and Goodwicth yesterday after getting arres- ah into some trouble. But other than that, no. Why?”
“Because theirs this guy that been staring at you for like the last few minutes” Jaune points behind Ruby “he looks pretty intense.”
Ruby filled with curiosity turns to face the guy that captured Jaunes attention. Some few dozen feet from their position stands a tall man with pale skin and black hair similar in length to Jaunes. He is dressed in simple light grey shirt, black pants and a dark grey short sleeve jacket which has been left open. He looks too old to be a student with sharp and stiff icy features. His expression would best describe as cold and vacant with not even the hint of smile only a light frown. However, the feature Ruby take most notice of are his eyes.
At first, they appear sliver almost the same shade as her own, but upon longer inspection their clearly grey. In complete contrast with the rest of his face his eyes are wild and highly focused. Now aware of his gaze Ruby cannot help but feel a slight tinge of nervousness. Describing his stare as intense is an understatement it would be better to call it obsessive.
He’s staring right at her. Like she was the only other person here. No hint of shame or restraint. It was entirely unsettling. Who was he? A teacher? Some other staff member? Whoever he is he should stop. Or at least say something. Does he not know its rude to stare? Is this how Yang fee-
“So, do you know him?” Jaunes voice cuts through Ruby’s thoughts causing her to jump. Her reaction in turn causes Jaune to jump as well and let out a loud and extremely womanly scream.
Ruby turns to face him surprised at how high Jaune voice could go before turning back to the unknown man. She blinks in near disbelief at what she finds. He’s gone, in the split second she looked away he disappeared. For some reason that didn’t do anything to quell her nerves.
“Sorry.” Jaune say’s after finishing his brief freak-out. “So, do you know him?”
“No. At least I don’t think so.”
“So, what he was doing was totally weird right?”
“Totally weird.”
“Wanna get out of he-.”
“Yes.”
The two begin to jog off towards the auditorium. Completely unsettled by the encounter. However, this unsettled feeling eventually begins to fade once the sun begins to descend into evening. As the two become increasing more focused on the upcoming Initiation ceremony. Ruby even fails to tell Yang of her experience instead being interrupted by one of Weiss Schnee rants. In fact, it was entirely possible that Ruby could have forgotten the entire event even occuring if it wasn’t for what happened the next day.
At the end of the team formation ceremony and after the formation of Team RWBY. Ruby felt ecstatic. She had just been made leader of Team RWBY. Making her one of the youngest team leaders in history. While also managing to get on the same team as her sister and the mysterious Blake. The only downside being that she her fourth teammate was Weiss. But even that could not bring her down from her high, as Weiss had shown her stuff in the battle with the Nevermore. Maybe with some work her frozen heart could begin to thaw and they become real BFF’s!
Silently giddy with herself and with her new plans Ruby began rocky back and forwards on her heels while listening to Ozpin post initiation speech. His new speech was not nearly as interesting odd as his first. So, she quickly grew broad and begun looking around the room for something more interesting. She pauses briefly at tye newly formed Team JNPR. Silently still surprised that Jaune was made team leader. But who knows he could still surprise her, it’s not like anyone would’ve guessed that she’d make team leader either. Besides Jaunes nice he deserves nice things. Even if did look like he was about to pass out when he was on stage.
He eyes turn to stage behind Ozpin finding a line of what must be the teaching staff. She spies Professor Goodwitch and resists the urged the wave. She’s already of thin ice with Weiss no need to make it worse by acing childish. Instead, she turns her attention to the Professors cohorts. Taking in their appearances one by one. A large man with a busy grey moustache, a green haired man clutching a cup of coffee, a dark-haired man with grey eyes- wait grey eyes?
At the end of the teacher’s line on the left of Professor Goodwicth stands the man who was staring so intently at her yesterday. So, he is a teacher Ruby concludes. Now focusing fully on the man Ruby notices something unsettling. He’s staring at her again. Almost the same way he was yesterday. However, there was something different about situation today. Her sister was here and she noticed something was up.
“Ruby is that guy staring at you?” Yang whispers learning into her sister’s ear.
“Yep.”
“Why?”
“No idea. He was doing the same thing yesterday before orientation I think he’s a teacher.” Evidently the two sisters weren’t being as inconspicuous as they thought as Blake, previously standing silent on Yang other side, decides to speak up.
“And you didn’t tell anyone?” Blakes questions.
“Well, I was going to tell Yang, but then Weiss interrupted to yell at me again.”
“Don’t drag me into this.” Weiss interjects still focusing on Ozpins speech. “Its not my fault Ruby failed to mention she now has a stalker.”
“Stalker.” Yang whispers loudly, enough to attract the attention of several students standing around them. Now fully glaring at the grey eyed man she begins to take her first step towards the stage. Muttering under her breath before she is grabbed lightly on both shoulders and held back by Ruby and Blake.
“I’ll teach that to creep to stop staring at my baby sister. I teach him a lesson he’ll never forget by shoving Ember Celica right up his-”
“Yang.” Ruby whispers trying to keep his sister in place. “You can’t do that he’s a teacher.”
“He’s just staring Yang he hasn’t done anything.” Blake adds now looking directly her new partner “I mean, its creepy but you can’t exactly beat him up over it.”
Yang looks ready to argue back before another voice interjects.
“Miss Xiao Long.” Ozpin voice booms over the microphone taking the girls full attention. “Is something the matter?”
Looking at her new headmaster Yang takes a moment realise the scene she’s making. As all eyes in the auditorium are now focused solely on her. She shakes her head mutters a embarrassed ‘No’ before standing back in line with her team. Her face flushed red.
“Very good. Now as I was saying behind me stand your professors for the next 4 years-” Ozpin continues with his speech with little pause. Seemingly unphased by Yang’s interruption. Ruby can’t help but sigh in relief. At the least they stopped Yang from getting detention.
.
She turns to the man with grey eyes who is no doubt is still staring at- Nope now he’s staring at Weiss.
“Weiss.” Ruby whispers and but the girl just ignores her. “Weiss he’s looking at you now.”
“So what? let him stare I’m used to it.”
“huh?”
“I’m the heiress of a famous company and a theatre singer Ruby. People are always staring at me.” The heiress scoffs.
“Really? With that exact stare?” Weiss snaps a brief look at the grey eyed man before turning her attention back to Ozpin.
“Pretty much. Sometimes it worse.” Ruby looks to Weiss, back to man, then to Weiss again.
“How could that be worse?”
“Sometimes I can see the literal dollar signs in their eyes and the drool dripping down their lips.” The image the words create, and their shear bluntness causes Ruby close her eyes and grimace.
“Ew, gross, gross,” The young girl exclaims loudly.
“Miss Rose.”
“Eep.” Ruby freezes anxiously opening her eyes to find Ozpin staring at her. His eyes filled with amusement.
“Is there something wrong?” Then in a response almost identically to her sisters Ruby’s face flushes red and she mutters out a no. A low chorus of chuckles breaks out behind her.
“Excellent. Now who did I get up too.” The headmaster feigns forgetting his place before continuing. “Ah yes next is your final Professor, Peter Port.” The grey moustached man steps forward.
“A great Huntsman with countless years of experience. He will be leading your Grimm Studies and Military Strategy Classes.” The now named professor Port nods his head and smiles at the crowd of new students before stepping back.
“And now finally I introduce you to the last of your teachers, Asgrey Pequod.” The room goes silent waiting for someone to step forward.
“Asgrey.” Ozpin repeats again calmly into the microphone looking back at the line of teacher behind him focusing directly on grey-eyes. But the man, now named Asgrey, remains stationary. Continuing his stare at Weiss unimpeded. This action causes Weiss to finch. Evidently, she isn’t used to her admirers becoming dead to the world.
“Grey!” Ozpin yells causing many of those in attendance to jump in surprise at his sudden rise in tone. Professor Goodwitch then delivers a hard jab with her elbow to the man at her side. Causing him to flinch. He blinks as if he’s just been woken from a deep sleep and looks away from Weiss. Now facing directly ahead he steps forward. This interaction causes Ozpin to sigh. Whether it was due exasperation or frustration, Ruby didn’t know. It was however much easier to see the murderess look on Professor Goodwitch’s face.
“This is Asgrey Pequod your assistant combat instructor. Now as you students know if you’ve been paying attention your primary combat instructor will remain Professor Goodwitch. However, on days she is unavailable Mr Pequod here is to take her place as substitute. In fact, Mr Pequod here will be always leading at least one of your weeks combat classes. Even if Professor Goodwitch is available just to make sure your all use to his teaching methods.
At Ozpins words Mr Pequod preforms an awkward circle wave with hand. One you would expect to see more on a robot then human. Before walking back to Goodwicth’s side.
“Now while Mr Pequod isn’t a graduated professor like the others you’ve been introduced too today. I still expect you to treat him with same level of respect. He can still give you detention after all.” The light joke causes some student to chuckle.
But through the joke Ruby continues her observation of Mr Pequod. He isn’t staring at Weiss Anymore. In fact he's not staring at anyone. Instead, he just seems to be staring off into nothing. Maybe his thinking about something? Maybe he’s embarrassed about missing his que? Or maybe he’s just trying to the ignore the death glare Goodwicth is giving him? Honestly in the case of the former Ruby would too.
“Okay your right. That guys weird.” Weiss coincides returning her attention to Ozpin.
“If he can’t keep focus during ceremonies like this, I dread to see what his classes are like.” Blake comments.
“Who cares about classes. Guys a creep with capital C.” Yang responses still annoyed at the man for staring so unabashedly at her younger sister.
“Yeah.” Ruby adds staring at the man for a few more seconds before turning to Ozpin as he finishes his speech. “Hes definitely weird guy.”
One Ruby’s hopes hasn't taken too keen an interest in her. She sighs before muttering under her breath the words, ‘Normal girl, normal knees. Normal girls, normal knee’, over and over again like a mantra.
“Wait? You’re a theatre singer?”