24

Chapter 24: Pushing the Envelope

Notes:

(See the end of the chapter for notes.)

Chapter Text

Ruby hummed happily to herself as she hit the elevator button that would take her to the basement with her elbow. The tea set and tray in her arms jostled as she tried to keep it steady, the cups clattering against one another.

The tea smelled of roses, a fitting choice, Ruby thought to herself. It reminded her of home, of days gone by in Patch, when her dad made warm cups of tea from the previous spring's dried roses for her and Yang. She had been told that her mother loved it.

She had been told that her mother loved a lot of things.

The journey down to the vault, where Cinder would be waiting for her, safely contained within her cell, was quick.

As the doors opened, Ruby peered into the cavernous vault. The lights flickered and dimmed as Ruby walked past them. Cinder sat unblinking in her cell, staring at Amber once again.

"I thought you might enjoy some tea." Ruby said.

Cinder turned to look at Ruby, her eyes intense and unwavering, like the first days of her captivity. It used to make Ruby feel uneasy, but that was in the past. She was here to make friends now. To show Cinder that she could be her friend, even.

She wasn't even going to ask about Mercury and Emerald today.

Ruby picked up a teapot from the tray. "You can heat this up with your semblance, can't you?" Ruby asked, passing it through the cell.

Cinder hesitated for a moment before reaching out to take the tray from Ruby. She stared at the teapot for a moment, contemplating if she was going to obey. A small flame appeared in Cinder's hand, and before long the water was piping hot.

Ruby gave Cinder a winning smile before filling up a cup of tea for each of them. "Thank you very much!" Ruby took a sip and nearly scorched her tongue.

Cinder thought for a moment before setting the teacup down. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Ruby said, before taking another sip of her tea. She leaned back against the wall, getting comfortable. "The end of the semester is coming up soon."

"Is it?" Cinder asked. She didn't really care, but it was something to say.

"Yeah, and the Vytal Festival along with it." Ruby said. "Our team is doing really well in it too! Yang's been doing great in the one-versus-one matches."

Cinder nodded in response. It was difficult to muster up much enthusiasm.

"You should see us!" Ruby said, beaming. "We've been training really hard, and I think we have a chance of winning it all!"

Cinder picked up her teacup and brought to her lips before setting it down again. "Maybe you do."

"So? Do you like it?" Ruby asked. Cinder wrinkled her nose. The answer was obviously no. "It's just something I wanted you to try! Thought it might help us with the whole, 'human interaction' thing."

"Has it?" Cinder asked.

"No, not really." Ruby said with a sigh. Cinder was as difficult to talk to as ever. "Do you know why I made you heat up the tea?"

Cinder only stared at her, not even offering an answer.

"It's because you're in a prison cell, Cinder." Ruby pointed out. "Because of what you did, and were planning to do. I don't know that much about you, but I think you've hurt a lot of people to get where you are."

Ruby was careful not to let any anger or malice slip into her tone. It was important for Cinder to not think Ruby was talking down to her.

"I wanted to give you the chance to help someone instead. I don't think life has given you many chances to be kind."

"You think I can be kind?" Cinder asked.

"Everyone can be kind. And everyone deserves the chance to be kind." Ruby paused to see Cinder's reaction, but she only stared impassively. "I don't know what your life was like before coming to Beacon, but I know that you can't go back to it now. So, you need to choose your own path, to walk it and live it. I care about the people who you hurt, and the people you were going to hurt. I don't want them to be hurt anymore. The first step to undoing your mistakes is to try and be kind."

"So, then you're trying to change me?" Cinder asked.

"I'm trying to be your friend." Ruby said.

"I don't want to be your friend." Cinder said.

Ruby doubted that. She doubted that deep down, Cinder truly wanted to be alone. "You want to be respected, and feared." Ruby said. "You want everyone to look up to you and be afraid to go against you. You've hurt people to get your way. But it doesn't have to be that way anymore. Everyone deserves a chance to earn forgiveness. Don't you agree?"

Ruby wanted to give Cinder that chance. Only she was willing to give Cinder that chance. And if Cinder didn't take it, she would give her another, and another, and another. A hundred thousand chances if needed.

Cinder's eyes narrowed. Her gaze turned from Ruby to Amber. "You're not a bad person." Ruby told her. "You just made some very bad decisions."

Cinder turned back to Ruby. "I'm not a good person." She insisted.

"You can be. If you want to." Ruby said. "I don't expect you to change overnight and become one of the good guys, fighting Salem. But I do hope that in time you at least can tell yourself that you aren't a bad person anymore."

Cinder had one more chance to make a decision, and Ruby held her breath.

A small crack appeared in the wall that separated them, a tiny crack that one day might bring down the wall between them.

"Is there any way I can be kind to you?" Cinder asked.

Ruby perked up and smiled at Cinder. "Well, you could tell me why you did it."

Cinder let her gaze drift back to Amber. "Perhaps one day I will."

---

Pyrrha had a dilemma. Well, perhaps dilemma wasn't the right word. A quandary? No. That didn't suit it either. Yet at the same time, 'teenage romance' sounded too proper, and 'boy troubles' too flippant.

She couldn't point to a date on the calendar for when she and Jaune had started dating. But at some point, they had certainly crossed that invisible yet messy line. They spent hours together, in training, during team meals with Ren and Nora, and during classes. Not to mention spending nearly all their free time in each other's presence.

But at the same time, they had never really clarified the nature of their relationship. Could Pyrrha call Jaune her boyfriend? How would Jaune react to that?

He was so sweet. When he organized that second dance for her, she thought her heart was going to burst. She wanted to kiss him right there and then. Maybe that was when they started dating?

Or maybe Jaune didn't think they were dating at all. After all, they hadn't kissed yet, though Pyrrha thought about it more and more. She looked for opportunities, but every time there was a chance, they were either sweaty from training, or with their teammates, or interrupted by something else entirely.

But that would end today.

After classes were over, Pyrrha was going to kiss Jaune, and then she would know for sure.

She had tried to dress a little nicer for Jaune, though not so much that it would seem like she was going out of her way for him. As she stood outside of Jaune's classroom, she had enough time to start second guessing herself. Maybe she should've worn something else? Regardless, she had to agree with Nora's assessment of her romantic life; Pyrrha was a nervous wreck.

When Jaune finally came out, Pyrrha walked up to him, a small smile on her face. "Can we go for a walk, Jaune?" She asked.

"Sure, Pyrrha," he replied. "Where to?"

"I have a few ideas." Pyrrha offered her hand to Jaune, who took it. She tried not to think about the fact that he so readily accepted her hand, that surely meant they were dating, right?

Pyrrha led them to the Forest of Forever Fall, guiding Jaune to her favorite spot. It was a quiet little clearing surrounded by trees, with soft grass and a small brook trickling nearby.

It was going to be here where Pyrrha put everything in the open.

"I want you to know that I'm proud of you. I've never met someone so determined to better themselves. Jaune..." Pyrrha looked away. "I... I..." She hesitated. "I want you to know that I'm happy to be a part of your life. I want us to be together, no matter what. I think we could be happy together." She took a deep breath. "Jaune, I like you."

"I like you too, Pyrrha." Jaune leaned in, and Pyrrha nearly had a heart attack. Was he going to kiss her now?

Instead, Jaune smiled and placed a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder.

"I'm happy that you're in my life too." He told her.

Pyrrha deflated. Was that it? She had just poured her heart out to Jaune, and that was his response? It was the perfect moment.

But it still was. And if Jaune wasn't going to make the first move, then she would have to. She leaned in, and for a moment, she saw Jaune's gaze drop to her lips as his eyes widened.

Pyrrha let her eyes close as Jaune's hands moved to her shoulders, this was it.

But then it wasn't. Jaune didn't pull her close, but instead stopped her.

"I can't." He said.

Pyrrha's heart sunk at those two words. She had been wrong, misunderstanding their relationship. She opened her eyes. "You… can't?" Jaune was inches from her, and she could see every line on his face. She could see the sadness and sorrow reflected in his eyes, the tears that were threatening to spill over.

"I can't." He repeated. "The last time I ever saw you, you kissed me." His voice hitched. "You forced me into a locker and sent me far, far away. I couldn't help you. I was the boy stuck in the tree while my friends fought their lives."

"Oh." Pyrrha didn't know what else to say. This was something she never could have imagined. She had no connection to those memories of her past self. Jaune had always been vague about what happened between them, what caused them to part. "Jaune… what happened?"

Jaune sat down on the grass, Pyrrha beside him. She placed a comforting hand on his back and waited to hear what he had to say.

"The night Beacon tower fell. We were down in the vault. I didn't know what was going on, I was following you. I found out later what you were trying to do. You were going to become the fall maiden. But Cinder stopped you. She killed Amber, and took the maiden's power. Ozpin told us to run, and we did." Silent tears fell from Jaune's eyes, rolling down his face. "Cinder was going to the top of the tower. She was going to destroy it and bring down the CCT network. You…" Jaune struggled to finish. "You decided to stop her."

"Oh…" Pyrrha said. "Oh." She was starting to have a good idea of what happened.

"You kissed me, and sent me away. Stopped me from helping my partner with the most important battle of her life. You saved me." He can't bring himself to look at Pyrrha. "And I was… so, so angry at you for it! Ruby went up after you. She was the only one who came back down."

"I'm sorry, Jaune." Pyrrha said. She didn't know what she was apologizing for, the fact that she had sent Jaune away, or that she had never come back.

"I wished that we could've died as partners. I wished that my last memories of you weren't you kissing me. I've spent years, thinking about that moment. Thinking of all the ways it could've been different. The hundred ways I could have convinced you not to go, and the hundred ways it wouldn't have worked. You were going up to that tower." Jaune asked the question that had haunted him for years. "Why didn't you give me the choice to follow?"

Pyrrha wanted to tell Jaune that he would've died, but he already knows that.

"I didn't want to tell you," he continued, "I didn't want you to know what happened. But that's why… I don't know if I'll ever be ready to kiss you."

Pyrrha apologized to her partner. "I'm sorry. I didn't experience any of that, but I know it was still me. If there ever is a next time, I promise I won't make that choice for you."

Jaune gives a watery smile. "And I'll be right by your side. But are you okay with that? With not kissing?"

Pyrrha thought for a moment. She more than understood Jaune's aversion now, but she was still a little disappointed. "Of course. There's lots of other ways to show affection for each other."

"Thanks. I couldn't ask for a better girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?"

Jaune nods. "Is that okay?"

Pyrrha couldn't stop the smile spreading across her face. "Yes, I think that's quite alright."

---

"Yang Xiao Long!" Nora screeched. "Prepare yourself for battle!" She slammed down one of her cards onto the board.

"Bring it on!" Yang shot back.

"You're fighting her again?" Weiss said.

"Are all the theatrics really necessary?" Ren asked.

Ruby laughed. "With Yang and Nora? It was inevitable." She looked down at the board of Remnant the Game. Nora had been threatening war ever since she picked the Kingdom of Atlas, and Yang was more than happy to oblige as Mistral.

They had fought like… four wars, now? Honestly, Ruby had kinda lost track somewhere between the second and third. Vacuo was far away from them anyway. She was happy trading with Ren, the two of them building up Sanus together. Wasn't fighting the grimm enough? She was really close to reestablishing Mountain Glenn! It wasn't exactly a winning strategy for either of them, but Ruby really couldn't bring herself to want to win this game anymore.

Nora and Yang geeked out over the subsequent turns, playing card after counter-card in a dramatic and overindulgent war. It kinda slowed the entire game to a crawl for Ruby and Ren, and Weiss seemed to be losing interest by the second.

"You sure you don't want to help me play Mistral?" Yang asked her girlfriend.

Weiss looked over the board. "I'll… pass." Yang shrugged and turned back to beating back Nora's unprovoked invasion.

Ruby nudged the heiress with her elbow. "Still not regretting being here yet?"

Weiss rolled her eyes. "I enjoy spending time with Yang regardless of what we're doing." Behind her, Nora let out a shriek of victory as she rolled a pair of die. Weiss flinched. "Though perhaps some activities are better than others…"

Ruby giggled. "She can get really into it. Games like this really bring out her competitive side."

Weiss frowned. "She could still at least put her arm around me…"

Ruby looked over to Yang. She was still entirely engrossed in the game, not even noticing Weiss' adorable pouting. "Well… I could always fill her place if you're feeling abandoned." She teased, pretending to put an arm around Weiss' shoulders.

Weiss playfully slapped Ruby's shoulder. "Dolt." She said matter-of-factly. "You're not the type to put your arm around someone anyway. You'd be the type to lay in my lap as I was trying to study."

"That actually sounds like it would be really fun…" Ruby said disappointedly. Weiss would never allow her to actually do that.

Weiss smiled. "Well, at least this game can't go on for much longer. We do have classes today."

"It's not fair that the four of you are all in the same class together. Why don't I get to be in it?" Ruby pouted.

"You only have yourself to blame for being put in Professor Goodwitch's accelerated class with Blake." Weiss said.

"You deserve to be there too. Look at how well you and Yang did in the Vytal Festival!"

Weiss stared at her leader. "Ruby, I appreciate the confidence boost, but you have to admit that our team isn't all on the same level as each other. You and Blake simply have more experience."

Ruby didn't like that. That wasn't fair. They were supposed to all grow together, as a team. She was about to tell Weiss that when the door swung open. Yang and Nora didn't seem to notice, busy as they were, but Ruby, Weiss, and Ren turned to see Blake storm into the room, followed by a noticeably subdued Sun.

Blake made a beeline for Ruby and sat down behind her, wrapping her arms around her midsection. "Oh! Hello." Ruby said as Blake buried her face in Ruby's shoulder. "Did the White Fang meeting not go well?" Blake grumbled and grunted into Ruby's shoulder.

"I've uh… It could've gone better." Sun said, one hand rubbing the back of his head.

Ren looked over at Yang and Nora, who were finally starting to take notice of the others in the room. "Perhaps it would be wise to get to class a little early today."

"Wha-?! But I'm only three turns away from crushing Yang!!" Nora protested.

"You've been three turns away for fifteen turns now." Weiss deadpanned. She turned to Blake. "Brief us later?" Blake raised a thumbs up above her head. Weiss nodded, and grabbed Yang by the hand.

Sun took a seat opposite of the ladybug pair as the rest of the room emptied out. Ruby stroked Blake's hair, which was kind of awkward with Blake being behind her. It wasn't hard to tell that her partner was frustrated, but Ruby knew she would calm down enough to talk about it soon enough.

After a few minutes of silence, Blake lifted her head up and placed her chin on Ruby's shoulder. "Ughhh…." She groaned.

"That bad, huh?" Ruby said.

"I don't think they're going to let me ever come back." Blake said.

"Yeah… I don't think they're ever going to let me come back, and I didn't even say anything." Sun added. He crossed his arms on the table and laid his head down on them.

"What happened?" Ruby asked her partner.

"I may have gotten into a dispute with the head of the local White Fang cell."

"May have?" Sun said, incredulous. "Blake, you were about to skewer that guy!"

"Can you blame me-?!" Blake started.

"Yes!" Sun interrupted.

"-They're still trying to follow Adam's plan!" Blake lifted her chin off her partner's shoulder. "He's gone, abandoned them like he always does, and they're still trying to follow him! What did he do to deserve such blind loyalty?!"

"Hey." Ruby leaned her head back so she could look her partner in the eye. "Remember what you said before. These things take time." She cupped Blake's face.

Blake took a few calming breaths. "I know. I know they do. But what if we're running out of time?"

"Vytal Festival's almost over." Sun remarked. "Doesn't their window close after that?"

"Well, there will certainly be a lot less people around. Less people around to make panic and cause a grimm attack." Ruby noted. "Plus, everyone around the world won't be watching. So, if they did try something, the consequences wouldn't be as severe."

Blake groaned again. "Any attack would mean severe consequences. For both Vale and the Faunus. If the White Fang are involved, it gives everyone an excuse for their discrimination."

"Do you think you're getting through to some of the lower ranking members?" Ruby asked. She hoped that her partner at least felt like she was making progress.

Blake looked to Sun for an answer. "Maybe?" He said with hands raised. "It's hard to tell. Not like we can distribute a questionnaire and ask who thinks Adam's a massive idiot." He glances at the clock on the wall. "But uh, speaking of massive idiots, I need to run. Same time next week, Blake?"

"Sure, Sun." She responds, waving goodbye.

Ruby watched him disappear through the doorframe. "How are you really feeling?" She asked her partner.

"Demoralized? Anxious. Frustrated. I knew trying to turn the White Fang back into what it once was would be hard, but the Faunus at these meetings… they're done trying to compromise. That's why they're part of the White Fang. The only ones left are those that want vengeance."

"When you left Menagerie… your dad and Ilia stayed behind, trying to change the White Fang, right? Could you emulate what they did?"

Blake sighed. "I don't think so. Circumstances are completely different now. Dad took over the White Fang again, Ilia publicly backed him up. The White Fang's reputation within the Faunus community had been tarnished by what happened at Beacon and Haven."

"And letting those happen again isn't an option." Ruby turned to face her partner. "What about Ilia though?"

"I don't know." Her voice was unsure. "Gods, I don't know what I'm doing."

"You're doing something, though. That's better than nothing."

"I hope so. This future can't be like ours, Ruby. It can't."

"It won't be." Ruby assured her partner.

Blake laughed quietly and pushed a kiss into the back of Ruby's head. "I know. And I know that you'll help me change it."

---

Weiss always took meticulous notes in Professor Goodwitch's class. Someone had to for their pair, and Yang was always far too engrossed in the fights themselves. She was more of a visual learner, as she liked to say.

Which was fine with Weiss, notetaking suited her. It added structure to the chaos of fighting. Yang picked up on the mechanical skills that other students displayed, while Weiss focused on the strategic and tactical decisions of various partnerships and teams. A helpful arrangement.

Their partnership was full of these. At first Weiss was miffed by the fact that she hadn't gotten her desired partner during initiation, and she hadn't recognized Yang's many talents. They complimented hers, and often made up for places where she lacked.

There was also the secondary reason for paying astute attention: Yang, and by extension Team RWBY, were still in the Vytal Festival, in the singles tournament. Unsurprisingly, Pyrrha represented Team JNPR, while Ruby went on and on about Team Opalescent's contender, Penny.

As Glynda dismissed the class after Team CRDL got destroyed by one of the visiting teams from Atlas, Weiss laced her hand with her girlfriend's.

"So, any plans after this?" Yang asked. She always trusted Weiss to keep them on track.

Weiss hummed as they walked out of the building. "Other than readings for Professor Oobleck, I believe our afternoon is blissfully open."

Yang breathed a sigh of relief. "Glad they're taking it easy on us. Too bad once the festival is over it'll go back to being non-stop work."

"It's the life we chose." Weiss commented.

Yang nodded. "Well, if we have some free time, how about-" She stopped as she looked over at her partner. Weiss' gaze was fixed on something in the sky, her mouth open. "Uh… what is it?"

"…Winter?" Weiss said.

Yang looked to the sky. A modified Atlas cruiser streaked through the air, long ribbons trailing behind it. Its sleek body cut across the Valean skyline. Behind it, several more Atlesian craft followed. "Your sister? What's she- woah!" She called out as Weiss took off running in the direction of the docks.

It wasn't long before they arrived to see Winter walking off her ship, arms crossed behind her back, flanked by Atlesian drones and military hunters. The other ships were offloading their human cargo, as row after row of drones and hunters stepped off.

"Winter!" Weiss called out to her sister, running up to her. "I'm so happy to see you!"

Winter took a few steps forward and eyed the grounds. "Beacon… It's been a long time." She looked around at the students and soldiers that mulled about. "The air feels… different."

Weiss smiled at her sister. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

Winter didn't make eye contact. "Classified."

"Oh." Weiss clasped her hands together. "Right. Well, how long are you staying?"

Winter looked at her sister. "Classified."

Weiss nodded. "Of course."

Yang looked at her partner, a little confused. This was the sister that Weiss had admired so much? She seemed far colder than Weiss had described. "This is… nice?" She ventured.

"Leave us." Winter commanded her drones. They took a few steps back, but were still well within hearing range. She sighed and let a smile grace her face. "How have you been?"

"Oh. Quite well, thank you for asking. I've been adjusting to Beacon rather well, with the assistance of my team and especially my partner." Weiss gestured to Yang.

"Hiya." Yang waved with her free hand.

Winter looked down to where their hands were joined, but her expression didn't change. "I see. So, this is the partner you wrote of. You have changed your attitude towards her since your first letters."

"Wait… were you trash-talking me to your sister when we first met?" Yang grinned, more amused by the idea than anything. Weiss elbowed her partner in the side.

"Greetings Yang Xiao Long. I wish to thank you for taking an interest in my sister." Winter said formally.

Yang glanced at Weiss, who was still smiling back at her sister, before responding. "Uh… You're welcome?"

Winter narrowed her eyes before continuing. "I have urgent business with the General and your headmaster. However, I anticipate having time later to inspect your quarters, seeing as I've been assigned to Vale for the foreseeable future. I wish to make sure they are up to my personal standards."

"Really?" Weiss said excitedly.

Yang looked over at the small army of drones that had gathered on the docks, assembled from the airships that came with Winter. "As long as all the drones don't come too, don't know if we have the space." She joked with herself.

---

"They're still not back yet…" Ruby moped, watching the door to their dorm. She was laying on her bed, legs kicking in the air. She had hoped that she and Yang could play video games together, but they had been gone for most of the afternoon.

"They're probably making out somewhere." Blake mused from behind her book, sitting on her own bed.

Ruby whined. "We were going to play together…" She watched as her partner flipped the page, her eyes scanning over the text. "What are you reading?"

Blake paused and flipped the book to show Ruby the cover. "It's nothing special, I've read it before. Sometimes it's comforting to already know the ending."

"Except when the ending sucks…" Ruby rolled over.

Blake chuckled. "Then you just change the ending. Rewrite it in your mind."

"Like we did for this world?" Ruby thought.

Blake hummed. "That was a more literal rewrite. A future best left unfulfilled."

Unfulfilled. Ruby turned that word over in her head. Blake had mentioned a few times now about how it was best to leave that future behind. "Not everything about it was bad." Ruby turned her head to look at her partner. "I mean, the three of you were happy together down in the void."

Blake set her book down and crossed her arms, frowning. "I don't know if happy is the right word."

"You were together. Sometimes that's all that matters." Blake didn't respond, still looking down at her bed. "Can I ask you something?" Ruby said.

Blake looked up. "Always." She responded.

"When you say that our future, the one we came from, is best left unfulfilled, do you mean that your relationship with Weiss and Yang… are you leaving that behind as well?"

Blake didn't respond right away. "Yes and no." She finally said.

The response worried Ruby. "But… why?" Blake loved her sister and Weiss. "Did something happen? Did they say something? Is it because of us?"

Blake shook her head and recrossed her arms. "It isn't anything like that." She took a minute to think of how best to explain this, and Ruby waited patiently for her partner, staring at her with those big caring eyes that Blake adored so much. "It's… well, it's a bit like talking to an echo, or a ghost. There are a thousand tiny moments that we're the only ones who remember. There are hundreds of memories of the three of us that only I have." Blake frowned. "When I look at them, the weight of those memories is sometimes too much."

Ruby furrowed her brow. Ever since the God of Light had sent her back, she had been ecstatic to see her sister and former partner again, well, except for maybe when she met Weiss again. That had been a bit of a disaster… again. But then again, she hadn't been in a relationship with Weiss, she hadn't had to watch as Weiss fell in love with Yang, and know that this time she wasn't a part of it.

Ruby hopped off her bed and sat next to her partner, hugging her tightly. Blake laid her head on Ruby's shoulder. "Do you still have feelings for them?" Ruby asked. "I… Sometimes I wonder what could have been, with me and Weiss. If I hadn't left." Feelings that sometimes left her feeling a little guilty. "Is that wrong of me?"

Blake shook her head. "You have nothing to feel guilty for. I still love your sister, and Weiss. Those feelings will never fade. We're teammates, our own unbreakable family."

Unbreakable. Yes, that's what they were, weren't they? "Then we should do something about it. Otherwise, we'll both just end up admiring them from a distance forever. Someone has to take the first step, and if Yang and Weiss aren't going to, then we should."

"What are you suggesting?" Blake asked, curious to hear her partners idea.

"I think it's time we sweep our former partners off their feet."

Notes:

Chapter 24. Hope you enjoyed it!

Though it may not seem like it, the story is at a bit of an inflection point here. I've been rather paralyzed between the two ways this story could end. My original plan had this story still having quite a bit more to it, but as my writing slowed down, I worried I wouldn't be able to see it to conclusion. So I started thinking about cutting it short. Half the scenes of the past few chapters have been written with that the former in mind, and the half with the latter.

But I've decided that I'm going to see this story to completion based on my original ideas.

I've also started writing a new story (number 2 from the last note), a psychological horror that takes place in a future "siege of vacuo" that occurs after RWBY+J escape from the void/Ever After. I'm planning on writing the entire thing BEFORE posting any of it, that way I can be happy with it in its entirety. It'll probably be months before I post any of it, but excited nonetheless.