185.1 Shimmer712

[-]

Sleep and Thorns (RWBY X Dark Parables)

Qrow Woke up as he watched the woman leave the room where he- or rather, she this loop - lay resting in bed. This loop, he was basically in the Sleeping Beauty Role. Only this loop, she had been blessed by the in-loop goddess Flora as one of her six guardians. He had been blessed with the role of the guardian of the Thorned Rose and Protection. This came with immortality and power over thorned vines and brambles.

He had a little sister named Ivy who was selected as the guardian of the English Ivy and Destruction. But since Qrow had been cursed, she had been sent to live elsewhere in a attempt to keep her safe.

When the Evil Godmother's cursed had activated, his powers had gone out of control, prompting the Good godmothers to use their powers to contain it for a thousand years.

Then, when the thousand years were up, his vines and brambles had started invading nearby cities, leading to the woman -a detective - to investigate and use a potion to free him - uh, her - before the Evil Godmother to steal her body. Good thing she didn't try a kiss. Qrow had some awareness of what happened around him while sleeping, and the only reason the plants hadn't stopped the woman from getting anywhere near the castle was because a prince had managed to get in and remove most of the vines and free the kingdom by kissing Qrow - which had unfortunately fatal results since it wasn't True Love's Kiss or something. Overwhelmed by the curse, he became ill and died soon afterwards.

"Fuck," she muttered. Being asleep for a thousand years meant pretty much everyone she could count on in loop had passed on. The detective might be willing to help, having left to go call her agency with an update but it still sucked. Qrow felt sorry for the girl she was replacing - everything she knew was gone. Shaking her head, Qrow sent out a Ping and got no response.

Either a stealth Anchor or they hadn't Woken up yet, then.

Qrow shrugged. Might as well see what she can find in this loop.

She wound up meeting the Detective again when the woman showed while the group she joined, the Red Riding Hood Sisters, were attacked by the Wolf Queen and the Mist Wolves.

The look on the Wolf Queen's face when she unleashed her vines was hilarious. As was the look on the other's face when she beat the woman done using the ornate staff with the rose on the tip.

It wasn't Harbinger but the staff packed a hell of a wallop.

Only it turned out the Wolf Queen was a kinda-possessed and corrupted member of the Order. Oops.

Well, at least the rest of the Sisterhood was rescued. And Qrow had gotten confirmation that there was a fairy tale motif like back home here. So there was a good chance some of the other loopers from Remnant would show up.

[-]

185.2 Shimmer712

[-]

I Like Short Skirts!

"I hated Atlas last loop," Jaune grumbled as he leaned against Pyrrha.

His wife pulled a face. "What was up with it that loops?" she asked. "If it was that epically creepy slave variant-"

"No, it wasn't that. Nothing that prompted Ruby to set the place on fire - providing Ironwood wasn't Awake," Jaune cut in.

"Oh? So what was the issue?" Pyrrha asked, running her fingers through blond hair.

Jaune grumbled for a bit. "...Pants weren't a thing. Only mini-skirts. Really short ones."

Pyrrha blinked at him then started giggling.

"It's not that funny! My legs nearly froze off!" Jaune complained. "How does Weiss manage with skirts when it is so cold?"

"I'm sorry," Pyrrha said. "But did you keep the outfit?"

Jaune opened his mouth, paused and looked at her. "...Yang was Awake that loop. She could probably recreate it," he said slowly.

"I'll ask her," Pyrrha announced, snuggling against him.

They watched as Cardin was sent flying.

"Where did Nora get the giant furbies?"

"I don't but she is not keeping those creepy things. Even if I have to hack every single one to bits."

"...I'll help."

[-]

185.3 Shimmer712

[-]

Sometimes A Sword Is Just A Sword

"Ow! Ow! Ow!" Harriet yelped as Corcea Mors walloped her over the head.

"What is happening?" Marrow asked in confusion, next to Jaune.

"My dead girlfriend is possessing my sword," Jaune said simply.

"Uh...what?" Marrow blinked.

"My dead girlfriend is possessing my sword," Jaune repeated. "And no, that is not an innuendo. Not everything strange sentence with the word sword in it is an innuendo, dammit!"

Marrow looked at him. "A lot of people have their minds in the gutter?"

Jaune heaved a sigh. "Yeah, they do. I think I've heard every possible crack about this sort of thing. The polishing ones are really overdone."

"Polishi - oh! I get it," Marrow nodded. "Well, I promise not to make any cracks about it," he offered.

"Thank you, I really appreciate it," Jaune told him.

"I'm making no such promises!" Elm exclaimed gleefully.

"I hate you!" the blond snapped. Pyrrha, for her part, moved from targeting Harriet to going after Elm.

Some things just got really old.

[-]

185.4 Masterweaver

[-]

Irrational Worries

Stability wasn't the same as stillness. Buildings built in regions of geological fluctuation didn't survive if they didn't have a flexible foundation. Stability required balance, and balance required shifting; maybe not constant, but sometimes something could hit unexpectedly.

Penny knew this. Both from watching her friends as loopers, and from her own... well, issues, over time. She wasn't usually so worried about how her friends were doing, but...

...well...

There was the thing with the waterparks. And then the penguins. And now, now Weiss was wearing a duster and fedora-still in her colors, and no force in the world would part her from her combat skirt, but she seemed to be performing on-site archeology and anthropology everywhere.

Of course, these were the loops. And shenanigans were a time-honored form of entertainment. And nothing Weiss had done was... wrong, per say, she made a very good Indiana Jones expy. And of course, Ruby hadn't commented on it. Ruby Rose, who could arguably be considered Weiss's soulmate after all the soul eater loops and the fact they activated together and understood each other and-

Penny rolled her eyes at her jealousy. Seriously, she'd already had her dramatic breakdown, there was no need for it to flare up now. It slunk off at her disdain, leaving her mind clear again for contemplation.

The point was, despite all things, Weiss acting out like this wasn't very Weiss-like. She usually was on the sidelines of shenanigans, joining in after they started or sighing dramatically as she thought about how she would have to be the one to clean up. But now she was being... silly. Unusually so. A little wobble in her usual tightrope of mental balance, maybe?

Whatever the case, Penny decided, it might be best to keep a closer eye on the ice queen. In case she noticed something that Ruby missed. And even if she didn't, well, it would still be fun to watch Weiss pull these things-maybe she could join in as a sidekick once in a while.

[-]

185.5 Shimmer712

[-]

Magic Racism?

"Can Faunus be Maidens?" Qrow suddenly asked.

Everyone turned from the where they were watching the Brunswick Farm burn in the distance to look at him. Except for Ozpin who was currently in a cloned body he had removed from his Pocket once he Woke up.

"That's loop variable," the wizard answered.

"It is? Why?" Blake asked.

Ozpin shrugged. "Some loops, it's earlier enough that I'm still not sure what to make of the Faunus, given they weren't around for my first life so I don't make the Mantles compatible for them. In some cases, the magic simply doesn't work that way and I could only make it compatible with humans because the original Maidens were all human. Or, being human myself, I simply wasn't able to make it work for Faunus." He paused. "Although, admittedly, there have been loops where, in my earlier years, I was racist towards them. Though, thankfully, I grow out of it."

Blake's eye twitched. "Are there loops where you caused all those racist stereotypes?"

"...I am so sorry."

"...If I am ever in one of those loops with an Unawake you and know it, I will be making you suffer," she huffed.

"I'll help!" Yang waved her hand enthusiastically.

"Me too!" Ruby bounced on her feet. "You'll help too, right Uncle Qrow?"

"Yeah, sure. Why not?" The shapeshifter shrugged.

"...I really hope I don't Wake up in those loops," Oz groaned.

"They'll stop once they know you're Awake," Oscar said. "...Probably."

Oz sighed, his shoulders slumping.

[-]

185.6 Masterweaver

[-]

The Oldest Troll

Maria sat down on the barrel she had been standing on, smiling beatifically at the mass of red grumpily gathering itself together. "Okay, double-teaming me for a glomp was inspired. You nearly had me that time."

Ruby didn't even wait for her face to fully form, shooting her an angry glare. "One of these loops, old woman. One of these loops, I will hug you."

"I'm quaking in my boots. Old bones and all that."

"How the heck did you pull off that triple-flip without going Grimm Reaper?" Ruby demanded as she finally took full form.

"Hmmmmmm... well, that's a fascinating story, actually."

"Really?"

"Buuuuuuuuut," Maria continued with a grin, "I heard from Nora that you used to hide the truth of your ridiculous healing factor to screw with people's heads."

Ruby crossed her arms. "So you're not telling me how you became a ninja is what you're saying."

"Oh I'll tell you. And anybody that asks. Whether any story I spin is true..." The old woman shrugged dismissively.

Ruby sighed, pinching her brow. "Right. Are there any other random secrets I should know about?"

"I can do this," Maria replied, snapping her fingers and summoning mariachi music from nowhere.

"...Maria, are you specifically collecting the most random powers ever just to screw with my head?!"

"You know I'd never admit it if I was."

"Mnagha!"

[-]

185.7 Shimmer712

[-]

Tiny Atlas Twins

"You are ssooo cute!" Nora gushed, cuddling Qrow.

"Will you put me down?" Qrow demanded. "And stop taking pictures!" he demanded, glaring at Weiss.

Weiss smirked. "Nah. She's right, you are an adorable kid."

"Go fuss over Raven!"

"Once we get her out of the tree," Weiss answered calmly, glancing over at where her teammates were trying to do just that. Both Raven and Qrow had shoulder length hair and were dressed in matching clothes, making the two look identical.

"You can't stay in the tree all loop!" Yang exclaimed as Blake snapped pictures.

"Watch me!"

"C'mon, we need to get to Atlas," Ruby whined.

"You just want to make out with your girlfriend," Raven grumbled.

"You can set the Apathy farm on fire when we get there," Ruby offered.

Raven just scoffed.

"Keep in mind that in Atlas, you'll have opportunities to rob my father and being a feral, uncivilized bandit brat, no one would think it strange if you stabbed him in the leg. Rude and proof you're a feral little beast but not strange," Weiss called.

Raven appeared next to her, smirking. "When do we leave?"

[-]

In Atlas, Raven and Qrow perched on Pietro's chair as the other loopers killed the Grimm, throwing knives at any that approached. The man gave a jovial laugh and petted them on the head.

As a result, they weren't hit with the bolas that took the others down.

"What is the meaning of this? What are the Ace-Operatives even doing in Mantle?" Pietro shouted.

However, before he got an answer, Qrow threw something and a blinding light and smoke filled the air. When it had vanished, the twins were gone.

"Oh, great," Yang grumbled, freeing herself from the bolas and standing up. "Now we have to track them down before they get into trouble."

"Or before someone's agents find them," Blake murmured, brushing herself off.

"So much for the plan," Weiss huffed.

"So what are their names?" Marrow asked, glancing at his team and deciding to wait for a signal before trying to restrain the unauthorized huntsmen again. "Can we help?" They couldn't leave the kids alone in Mantle so some of them would probably stay and look while the others took the teenagers to Atlas.

Weiss leveled a cold look at him. "I think you people have done enough," she stated. "The twins are hardly going to let you anywhere near them and it's important they're kept safe." Before she released a Dust crystal and froze the operative team's feet to the ground before the loopers ran off.

"...How'd they get loose anyway?" Elm wondered. "Cos, seriously, we need that fixed as soon as possible."

"...Just get yourself loose," Clover sighed as he chipped at the ice encasing his feet.

[-]

Qrow and Raven scampered through the streets. A Ruby chibi appeared on one shoulder.

"We're loose and about five minutes behind you," she reported.

"Right," Raven muttered. She glanced at her twin. "Directions?"

Qrow closed his eyes and focused. In addition to picking up that loops version of alchemy when he Woke up in Ertona, he also picked up the ability to hear materials. Usually it was used to pick out which specific material would be best for a recipe but it could also be used to find materials.

He listened for the sound of poison, for whispers of blood lust, insanity and a thirst for murder.

"This way," he directed, the twins darting off. It wasn't hard to find the source of the whispers. After all, poison was another material to be used for alchemy. Even Tyrian's.

The serial killer was aware of who the Spring Maiden was; while he wasn't sure which twin was which, he was more than willing to try and capture both for his goddess.

And found himself ganged up on by a pack of loopers.

Who were joined by the Ace-Ops. Who were quite unhappy to find an infamous psycho had been running around under their noses.

The group was topped off by the Protector of Mantle. Who hit hard since her fists were metal.

Tyrian lost badly. And at one point got blasted by Maiden magic when he tried to impale a twin with his tail. But the end result was him being restrained and unconscious on the ground.

"Well, this bodes well," Yang snorted.

Penny smiled brightly. "He is unlikely to be working alone. There is no evidence he is capable of accessing Mantle's security so he is most likely working with a partner. I could retrieve Ms Hill and asked her to use her semblance to ensure that any information we obtain from him is factual," she offered.

It was agreed to go with Penny's idea and Penny offered to take her friends to Atlas with her ("We're supposed to be arresting them!" Harriet complained, only to be shushed by the rest of her team. Lunatic murderer took priority over some kids who technically broke the law to protect people after all).

Which is how Forest laid the sight of the Ace-Ops, RWBY, JNOR, a pair of twins, Penny, the Happy Huntresses and Tyrian Callows.

"Ms Hill, can you please point your weapon away from the prisoner?"

"Hell no, Ebi! This bastard has murdering people and you think I'm going to let it go?"

"May I remind you that given he is unable to defend himself, any potentially lethal shots will be constructed as attempted murder which may reflect badly on you."

"Is that your way of saying "if you get us stuck with the bastard Schnee because you got yourself arrested, I will fucking strangle you,"?" Yang asked.

"I'm currently on duty, it would hardly be professional of me," Clover said, frowning slightly.

Yang turned to Robyn. "He is totally going to strangle you if you give Weiss' shitty father an easy win."

"I am not," Clover protested.

"If you don't, I will," Weiss commented.

Forest didn't know exactly what was going on. But based on what he heard, he decided the younger Schnee Daughter was his favorite member of that family.

[-]

James looked at the people in front of him. His elites, Ozpin's prized students, Penny and two small children. Although he wasn't sure why the last was here.

"So, basically, Callows and Watts have been working for her down in Mantle. It was her people who were responsible for what happened to Haven and Leo and while she killed Leo, she failed to get the Lamp. Am I correct?"

"She also failed to get the Spring Maiden," Penny chimed in.

"Yeah, that's..." Harriet paused and looked at the twins. "Which of you is Spring again?"

Both twins stuck out their tongues and flipped her off.

James wondered if he had facilities appropriate for such small children. It was rather alarming to find that Oz had failed to put a minimum age limit of Maiden Mantles and he was now wondering if there had ever been babies flinging magic powers around.

[-]

185.8 Luna 2

[-]

Losing dreams, building hobbies

"We need to talk."

While Ren was used to Jaune grabbing him for a conversation early in baseline with that phrase, he was not used to this situation. Unlike that occasion, at least his present talking companion had asked him when he was training, and not just returning to the dorm room from taking a shower.

"I need your advice." Weiss shifted uncomfortably, "I need to get a new hobby".

Ren's confused but sympathetic expression said 'I'm happy to help if I can, but…do you think I'm really the best to advise in this case?' Then he slightly moved his head, as if to say 'I'm not exactly known for having a wide range of hobbies.'

"I know. But you're still the best person to talk to right now".

Ren's raised eyebrow asked the question for him.

"For starters, you are one of the most calm and well-balanced Loopers in Remnant. I mean that as a personal rather than a professional observation. You're also one of the more discreet. I can't talk to Ruby about it, or Blake, or Yang, because any of them would end up constantly checking up on how the hobby was going, informing the others, potentially getting involved in it themselves. I would prefer space to just explore it on my own. I talk to Winter generally and enjoy those talks, but she would also be concerned and would likely check up on me."

Ren listened patiently as she continued.

"I can't go to Pyrrha right now with everything that's going on with sharing work. It would be too awkward. And she would also pursue me to find out 'how is it go-ing?'" She put on a slightly higher pitched voice mimicking Pyrrha. "If I talked to Jaune, Pyrrha would know. If I talked to Nora, everyone would know. Penny and the General have been experimenting with lots of different hobbies, but I… I can't talk to them either about this right now. Same problem as the others. And don't even get me started on what folk like Cinder and Neo would suggest."

Ren looked thoughtful. "Did you have any areas in mind?"

"That's just the thing. After all these Loops, there are still various things to try, but it's very difficult to find new things that might be of sustained interest. And which don't remind me of…other…things." She looked sadly at the teacup in her hands.

Ren tilted his head slightly, "What do you mean?"

"That's really where the problem lies. It has to be something I can lose myself in, but not become lost in…" She paused as she took in Ren's quizzical expression. "…if that even makes sense at this stage? I think I mean something which I can embrace as a way to switch off and relax but not let it become all-consuming or an obsession. But there are too many things that remind me of other things. For example, I enjoy music, but when I sing or listen to music, the professional critic in me takes over, and a small part of that act also brings back things like those memories of being compelled to sing by Jacques, the concert after the Fall of Beacon, the sad parts of soundtracks in our Hub recordings, memorials in the Loops…You get the picture." She looked flatly at him.

"I see."

"Athletic sports are no good either. Even if I'm just racing or playing against myself. Too great a temptation to push myself too much - too reminiscent of training. Even walking or exploring the countryside only goes so far when you've explored so much of Remnant before. It has limited appeal and wouldn't occupy my mind nearly enough. I'd just end up absorbed in my thoughts on top of a mountain. And you can imagine what literary and academic pursuits devolve into in terms of memories."

"What about building?"

Weiss nodded slightly. "Well... I already do plenty of construction and experiments in and outside my Pocket. It's certainly possible to get absorbed in those, but it's not something that usually lasts beyond the specific project."

"Yes. But do you ever just build purely for fun? Not with any construction project or goal in mind, or even to gather data. Do you build as a child might?"

Weiss looked puzzled.

"You know how part of Jaune's Pocket is filled with Lego bricks?"

"Yes. That's a long time back. I heard you all really stocked up from a Loop there, and I'm guessing that you added to those collections at other points?"

"What do you think of when someone says Lego bricks or when you see them? The very first thing that comes to mind?" Ren quirked an eyebrow. "Honestly".

Weiss paused for a moment. "Honestly? I know that I 'should' say it's a construction tool, but… to me… I see it as a toy. I can't help that. It's all about childhood… and learning through building. Sitting in a room or on your floor, on your own, maybe with a friend or parent, and building with little brightly coloured plastic bricks. Sometimes following instructions, but most often just randomly building what you feel like. Then either playing with or displaying the models."

"And would you like to have done more random 'playing' in your childhood?"

Weiss huffed slightly. "Well of course I would. But how is that relevant when talking about a new hobby?"

"Because random 'playing' is never random to the child. The logic of what they do is entirely consistent with their view of the world and whatever way they are learning or exploring. In the same way, 'playing' with Lego bricks is not the same as 'building' with Lego bricks. It's about learning how to play through building without always having a clear purpose. And, as such, not burdening yourself by a need to 'build the perfect hobby.'" Ren raised both eyebrows as he looked at Weiss with an almost accusing stare.

"A need to build…oh." Her eyes widened as she began to understand what Ren was getting at.

"Why small plastic bricks in this case? They're ready-made with less risk of breaking. You can assemble, dismantle or reassemble them as you see fit, and even the act of working with them is therapeutic. But, it's not because of the mechanical act of building, what you create, or the utility of the bricks themselves. They are all valuable, but… It's what they represent - a sense of childlike wonder and experimentation that can be planned or just random… without consequences! You know yourself that what you're making doesn't need to perfectly reflect reality. It never can (unless you're in a world built of Lego), and that's not what it's designed to do."

Ren tilted his head. "A hobby that is genuinely relaxing is not conditioned by the ability to invest your heart and soul or lose yourself in it." He then looked up at the sky. "It is the ability to choose what standard you hold yourself to and just enjoy the process rather than the outcome, so that you can put it down or pick it back up at will, without feeling a sense of responsibility or adverse consequences."

They both looked at each other.

Weiss smirked. "Baseline Ruby was right. You really do get deep when you start talking."

Ren shrugged. "You asked for advice".

"I did. Thank you." Weiss smiled, then sighed. "I guess that I even ended up over-complicating the search for a hobby…although, small plastic bricks was not what I had in mind."

"It wouldn't even necessarily have to be Lego bricks. I heard from Yang that her father had been doing some very fine miniature model making, and I know that there are other relaxing forms of constructive creativity out there pursued by different Loopers." Ren took on a serious look. "You cannot force enjoyment out of something for the sake of it, but nor should you try to fight your desire for perfection too hard. People do invest time and take their hobbies seriously. There's nothing wrong with that. But you said it yourself. You need to be able to disassociate the hobby from just doing another task. It has to start with you being able to view it as 'play'."

Weiss smiled warmly. "Right. I might well give the small plastic bricks a go. It's a starting point I would never have chosen…which may make it a good thing. I mean, how hard can it be?"

Ren winced slightly. "You'd be surprised. Grand-scale constructions take some doing and hazards are plentiful." He started counting off on his fingers. "Not being able to find that one brick you want and letting it stress you, stepping on bricks with bare feet, and that's before you add Nora's build-style into the equation!"

[-]

185.9 Shimmer712

[-]

Mirrors and Stealth (RWBY X Inuyasha)

"I see you're putting Kagura's powers to use," Qrow remarked, watching as Glynda swung a fan and unleashed a tornado on a horde of Grimm.

Glynda shrugged. "After all the crap my Unawake self went through, I plan to enjoy these powers thoroughly." She glanced at Qrow. "And you? How are you enjoying Kanna's powers?"

Qrow shrugged. "The mirror doesn't have as many useful powers out of that loop. It's distant viewing ability only showed what those demon bugs Naraku used were seeing. And I think the souls in our Branch aren't compatible with it's soul absorption power. And there's no way I'm using the Giant Glass Demon function. Thing is an oversized voodoo doll. It can still reflect attacks as long as they're not someone's semblance like one of Winter or Weiss' summons."

Glynda hummed. "So basically, her mirror's abilities are significantly weakened outside of that loop."

"Yep." Qrow gave a grin. "But her other powers are good."

"Oh? Such as?"

"Well, she had some teleportation, which makes travel easy. She was a void demon, which meant she gave no trace of her presence other than what you could see of her physically. You couldn't sense or smell her." Qrow smirked. "And that translates to Grimm being unable to detect me unless they see me."

Glynda chuckled. "Given that your baseline involves you spying on the wastelands, you wake up there sometimes. So that ability would be useful. Does it affect other means of detecting one's presence?"

"Hmm. Not sure, I'll ask some of the others to help me test it out," Qrow decided. "Also, you just hit the tower Salem was in."

Glynda blinked and turned to see Salem shrieking in outrage as the tornado spun her around. "Whoops."

"I'll keep my mouth shut. All I demand in exchange is candy."

Glynda rolled her eyes and handed over some chocolate and candied fruits. "Hardly much of a demand."

Qrow popped a piece of chocolate in his mouth. "Can you honestly say anything really bad or embarrassing would result from me blabbing?"

"That would explain the low price," Glynda conceded. "...So why did I give you the payment?"

Qrow shrugged. "I honestly didn't expect you to. So don't look at me."

"I should demand that back."

Qrow stuck his chocolate-covered tongue out at her.

"...Never mind. Keep it."

"Thank you!"

[-]

185.10 Luna 2

[-]

Cat who got the Courtroom

[RWBY x The Cat Returns]

"Ok. So. Why exactly am I here?", Mercury asked.

Emerald shrugged, adjusting her black robes and wig. "We went over this in our case prep Merc."

"Emerald," he gestured with his handcuffed hands, "I'm sitting here, in a courtroom, being put on trial in a human world…but by a bunch of cats who've travelled here specially from a magical 'Cat Kingdom'…and you're my Defense Lawyer. Why exactly is this happening?"

"Remember the Chibi Expansion where you walk in brandishing the 'Kitten Killer 9,000'?"

"Seriously? That's it? But. But. You were there too! There's no proof I ever used it. Besides, I'm Awake! Isn't there a thing about not holding people accountable for baseline actions?"

"Well, we might feel that way, but… the cats and their friends here feel a bit differently about it." She gestured at the Prosecution, none other than the Baron, similarly wearing a wig and gown, "Besides, I heard the Chief Justice of their Supreme Court in this Loop had a particular interest in the case being pursued and is presiding over it personally."

Haru, as Court Clerk, spoke up. "The court will now stand for the entry of the Chief Justice."

As one, the whole room of cats and few guest humans stood up, Emerald taking Mercury's arm and getting him to stand too.

In walked Blake, with her normal appearance as a Faunus, but wearing a judge's wig and crimson robe, an austere look on her face.

Mercury winced. "I'm doomed."

[-]

185.11 Shimmer712

[-]

Musical Angst Monsters

Qrow Woke up in the Wastelands, soaring in his bird form. He quickly orientated himself and set off a ping. He settled in a gnarled tree, preening his feathers as he watched Salem glide out of her castle. He guessed he would be seeing her create more Grimm. Qrow wondered if they would be regular, baseline Grimm or some of the creepier variants. Like those long, snake-like parasite Grimm that squirmed under people's skin and used them like puppets. Or the one that looked as though someone had taken a giant wolf and stitched the torsos of writhing, screaming victims to its skin.

First chance got after those loops, he curled up to sleep in the same bed as Winter. He had needed the comfort. Some loops, Salem came up with some really freaky shit.

He watched as Salem coaxed the dark fluid into forming new Grimm. Lanky forms emerged, the black liquid oozing off of them.

After a cluster of them had gathered, the Grimm started stamping their feet. "Ooga-chaka Ooga-Ooga Ooga-chaka Ooga-Ooga!"

Qrow watched the chanting Grim curiously. What were they doing? And why did that chanting sound familiar?

Then, the chanting stopped and one Grimm opened its jaws.

"I can't stop this feeling, deep inside of me, girl, you just don't realize," it sang. "What you do to me. When you hold me in your arms so tight, you let me know everything's all right!"

"IIIIIII'M-" the Grimm all chorused before Salem blasted them out of existence. She stared blankly at the splatters and the smudge mark on the stone ground.

"Well, that was an utter failure," she huffed before retreating to her castle.

Qrow just stared. Then mentally shrugged.

Well, that was different.

[-]

185.12 Shimmer712

[-]

Beads and Needles and Words

"What are you making?" Weiss asked curiously, looking at the scattered beads and thread in front of Qrow.

"A necklace," Qrow told her. "It's to match a set of earrings." He pulled out the earrings in question, which had a cluster of tiny silver stars dangling from fine, silver strands. A closer look showed the middle of the stars had faintly colour glass in the center.

"Oh, that's pretty," she commented, examining them. "Where did you get the stars?"

"Made 'em," Qrow told her. "And the thread. I make a lot of the stuff I use for this."

"You do?" Weiss blinked at him.

Qrow nodded. "I make the beads from either wood, metal or resin usually. Sometimes glass and bone," he explained. "And I make the chains and wires I use too."

"So, you're a smith?" Weiss asked.

Qrow paused and considered. "I suppose. I mean, I work with metal and all," he said. "But I don't go around making armor or tools usually."

"Hmm," Weiss hummed. "And I guess that since you make glass and wooden beads as well, you could be considered a woodworker and a glass maker too."

"Winter does wood work too," Qrow mentioned. "Fancy boxes and containers. Then she usually uses them for storage in her Pocket."

"Is that where she got me the jewellery box?" Weiss asked.

"Yep. She also made the bookmarks decorated with pressed flowers as well," Qrow nodded.

"Huh, we really do pick up a lot of hobbies over the loops, don't we?" Weiss asked rhetorically.

"Got all the time to explore different interests," Qrow agreed. "This has anything to with what Alucard told you?"

Weiss jumped slightly. "Wh-what? How did you-?" Her face flushed slightly.

Qrow shook his head at her. "Relax, I haven't seen him and as far as I know, he's followed the whole patient confidentiality thing," he assured her. "Whatever you talked about, I'm pretty sure he's kept to himself. But whatever he said is apparently kinda valid but said in a way that really got under your skin."

"Is it that obvious?" Weiss sighed.

Qrow snorted at her. "Do you really think I've never pulled that with Winter?" He asked. "Especially in our early loops. Fun way to irritate her while getting her to think about how I look at things."

Weiss sighed and gave him a look. "I don't know why I wasn't expecting that answer," she told him. "But you figured it out based on Winter?"

Qrow shrugged. "You're sisters. You have some similarities, even when they're expressed differently. Like in baseline."

"For example?"

"You both dedicate yourselves to what you believe in," Qrow told her. "You dedicated yourself to your team while Winter dedicated herself to the military. So a shared trait that looks very different on the surface because of how it's expressed."

"So what makes us different makes us the same and what makes us the same also makes us different," Weiss mused thoughtfully.

"If you wanna get philosophical about it, then yeah, I guess that's one way of putting it," Qrow said. "If you wanna talk, I'll listen, but I'm not gonna push," he added, turning back to his beads.

"Is it alright if I watch?" Weiss asked as his fingers deftly sorted through the beads, splitting them into groups and selecting a few."

"Go ahead. I doubt it'll be interesting."

"I'll decide that for myself," Weiss declared firmly.

"Suit yourself."

[-]

185.13 Shimmer712

[-]

A Different Brand of Crazy

"I must take her! The fairies demand it! Even the ones flying around your head!"

Qrow stared at Tyrian blankly, discreetly checking to see if there actually were fairies. You never know in the loops...

Nope. Nothing.

"Fairies, huh?" he said, for lack of knowing what to say.

Tyrian nodded earnestly. "She is to be the source of unlimited candied rose petals!"

"Oookay," Qrow said slowly. Was this a loop were the rose petals actually stayed around? He was pretty sure it wasn't. Granted, he hadn't really been paying attention but he could check later. But this was a whole new crazy from the scorpion Faunus.

"And then, we will bathe in the blood of the heathens!" Tyrian proclaimed.

Never mind. It was the normal crazy with an extra flavor after all.

[-]

185.14 Shimmer712

[-]

Milky

"Is this even hygienic?" Yang wondered, dipping a hand in the tub.

Blake shrugged, eyeing the bath bombs in her hand. "I have no idea," she answered. "Are bath bombs even milk friendly?"

"Dunno," Yang said in response. "I know that milk baths are supposed to be good for your skin and there's people who bath in it but I can't say I expected a loop where milk baths are required."

"Didn't Winter mention when she and Qrow were stealthing, milk replaced alcohol one loop?" Blake mused. "So I guess we shouldn't be surprised that it's replacing water."

"Yeah, I guess," Yang shrugged. "So which bath bomb are we using?"

"This rose and cinnamon one sounds nice."

"Cool, let's go with that and get this relaxing soak underway!"

[-]

185.15 Shimmer712

[-]

Career Theft

"How did you pull this off?" James demanded, glaring at the operative in front of him.

His response was a shrug. "With all the things I've stolen through the loops, are you really surprised that I stole our dear Miss Bree's status as one of your elites?" Roman asked, twirling his cane.

"Where is Harriet anyway?" James asked.

"With Neo. Having fun." Roman gave another shrug. "I didn't ask for details."

"I cannot believe you stole Harriet's career," James groaned. "I mean, really?"

"Well, why not?" Roman asked.

James just rubbed the bridge of his nose. "At any rate, why didn't you try to steal my career before I Woke up?"

Grinning, Roman opened his mouth, then paused. "You know, I should totally do that sometime. After I steal dear old Jacques' position as head of the SDC." He drummed his fingers on his chin thoughtfully. "Think I should try and snag his wife and youngest kid for myself? Would Neo like a little brother? Nephew? Whatever."

"If anyone asks, I had nothing to do with this," James muttered.

"Noted!"

[-]

185.16 BIOS-Pherecydes

[-]

Swinging Blades, Spinning Wheels

It wasn't often that Weiss Awoke early in the Baseline. Even rarer were the times when she Awoke before even leaving for Beacon. Rarer yet still were the times she Awoke prior to her final concert, as shown in the White Trailer. So, Awakening mid-fight with the Geist-possessed Arma Gigas was an extremely uncommon event.

It did, however, happen with enough frequency that she didn't have to pay an undue amount of attention to the Grimm piloted suit of armor after avoiding the, rather badly telegraphed from her now exponentially more-experienced perspective, swing of it's sword. Taking a moment to brush the hair from her eyes, both currently unscarred at the moment, she idly swished Myrtenaster through the air; blowing away the drifting stone dust that the missed attack had kicked up.

Internally, she sighed. While, normally, she would enjoy the opportunity to demonstrate exactly how little her 'father' could do to determine her choices and how little she needed his permission or approval, her mind was currently otherwise occupied with other things.

In this case, finding a hobby.

Engrossed in her thoughts, she ducked beneath her opponent's fist and reflexively swung her blade in an arc that nearly severed the offending gauntlet from it's connected vambrace. The Arma Gigas jumped back with a riotous clang of metal on stone.

Weiss would be the first to admit that she enjoyed pushing herself to be the best, most especially back before she had begun Looping. In her academics, she sought to dominate. In her training, she strove to excel. Even in her personal life, she attempted to outperform and outshine those around her. Her fervor had been somewhat tempered by the realization that life was not, in fact, a competition to be won and there were no prizes for some theoretical first place that she could win if she tried hard enough. As cliche as it may have perhaps been, the journey was often more important than the destination and the people who were beside you on the ride were what made the experience worthwhile.

Watching from above, Jacques raised an eyebrow at the sight of his daughter almost effortlessly deflecting the swing of the Arma Gigas' blade with barely a flick of her wrist and a small application of Dust.

She had channeled that desire for perfection into her efforts to protect the people of Remnant as a Huntress, and then later into protecting her fellow Loopers as Ruby's Second. That hadn't removed the desire for prominence and achievement, it had merely... redefined it. Success was making sure everyone was safe; that they remained sane in an insane situation and, most of all, remained happy. Or, at the very least, content. In some ways, she had based her own self-worth upon the success of her efforts to help others. Which was, in part, why she had taken it so hard when she had failed to meet her own standards by allowing so many things to go unnoticed.

Lowering her center of gravity, she activated Myrtenaster's Dust Chambers and propelled herself into the air with a Dust assisted leap.

Alucard's advice, however rudely delivered, had been a wake up call in that respect. She had been forced to confront the fact that the self-expectations she had set for herself were both unreasonable and unattainable. Perfection was not a feasible goal and attempting to reach it, whether consciously or not, could only cause harm to herself and anyone who depended on or cared for her. Which was why she had, grudgingly, admitted that he had been right to ban her from practicing her psychology and demanding she find an alternative outlet for her mental and emotional well-being.

Landing atop the blade of the Arma Gigas, she placed her hand atop the weapon and activated one of her Glyphs; freezing the weapon in place and forcing the Geist off balance as it's motion was arrested mid-swing.

In the same vein, she had forced herself to distance herself from any other unnecessary responsibilities while she focused upon restoring her own mental balance. (It had been absolutely devastating to give away the Kaiju Honey Badgers she had raised and cared for for so long. At least Oscar had already had a suitable habitat for them to live in as a result of his stalled efforts to create a civilization in his Pocket without breaking any of the commonly accepted taboos over Pocketing sentient beings. She was sure he would care for them as well as she ever had, she was reasonably sure she'd left him enough guidebooks and documentation to ensure he'd know what to do in almost any conceivable situation, and she promised to visit often. But it still broke her heart to have to give them away for however long it took her to resolve her issues.)

With the Gigas disarmed, Weiss used her Glyphs to charge across the distance and planted herself firmly atop the armored Grimm's shoulders.

With Pyrrha taking over her therapy practice, and Oscar handling her babies, Weiss had set to finding a form of recreation she enjoyed enough that she could see herself dedicating the rest of her, potentially infinite, life to with a vengeance. It had to be something that didn't have a 'win condition' that she might be tempted to push towards; something that didn't require her to prove herself to anyone, or look for anyone else's approval and acceptance, or take responsibility for the actions of anyone that wasn't herself.

Her efforts had proved... less simple than expected.

Stabbing down into the space between the Gigas' helm and gorget, she unleashed a torrent of Ice Dust, creating a literal glacier that trapped the Grimm from the neck down.

At a loss, she had sought out and gotten some rather unexpected advice; which had proven surprisingly helpful given what it entailed. Building with LEGOs; not exactly the response she had expected. Yet, to her own surprise, it had honestly provided her with a degree of freedom and entertainment which, while not quite what she had been looking for, had absolutely helped in narrowing the focus of her search. She had already ruled out sports of any type, but had been at a loss for where to go from there. In retrospect, it had been obvious. It had simply taken someone with an outside perspective to point her in the right direction.

The Geist, struggling to move in vain, decided discretion was the better part of valor and hastily vacated it's entombed host and made a beeline straight for the sword which had fallen to the ground once Weiss' glyphs had dispelled.

Creation. The act of building something with your own hands, for your own enjoyment. Beholden to no one but yourself, and with no goals beyond those you decided on your own. Art in it's purest form.

Although, admittedly, LEGOs would not have been the first thing to come to mind if asked.

Now safely in it's replacement vessel, the Geist flew at Weiss in a blur of speed... which Weiss barely needed to make an effort to avoid. The following burst of frenzied slashes and stabs were likewise easily evaded with a minimum of attention spared.

Even so, the act of building with LEGOs had actually proven both enjoyable and cathartic. The final result hadn't been quite as true to the image in her mind as she would have liked, but the fact that there were no rules saying that she couldn't just go back and redo it until it did had been an almost physical comfort. There was nobody that could tell her she had done it wrong, because there was nobody that could decide whether it was right except herself.

Exactly as Ren had stated: undefined, unfettered creativity.

Flipping into a handspring that carried her past the Geist-blade's attempt to skewer her, Weiss formed a Glyph beneath her feet and sprang forward with a Gravity Dust assisted burst of speed and power.

As odd as it might have sounded to say aloud, it was nonetheless true that LEGOs had been the final step needed to set her on the right path. They weren't the end goal however. Although they were fun to play around with, they were limited to their own specific function. No matter what you did with them, they couldn't change what they were. Naturally, she had taken the concept to the next logical level and begun investing herself into Minecraft. After all, if you were going to build with blocks, why limit yourself.

Repositioning herself mid-air, she reached out and pushed against the metal of the possessed weapon; creating a 'box' of glyphs around it to prevent it's escape.

That hadn't quite worked out either. While it had fulfilled her newfound desire to create... the aesthetics didn't appeal to her sensibilities. No offense intended to those who enjoyed blocks and cubes, but she appreciated some curves now and again. So, she had attempted to branch out.

And promptly hit a roadblock.

Landing lightly on her feet, she unconcernedly raised Myrtenaster before her and cycled through her remaining Dust before directing a charged bolt of Lighting Dust towards where the Geist struggled to escape.

While she enjoyed the infinite potential of building, and the regimented simplicity of block-based construction had been simple enough to follow, she didn't have the first idea of where to begin when it came to the wider world of artistic pursuit. She had, of course, taken a number of art classes after her epiphany... but she wasn't sure how to best use those classes. It was one thing to know how to make art, it was something else entirely to understand how to create Art.

Unable to flee it's prison, the Lighting empowered Aura was drawn to the Geist like a metal rod in a thunderstorm and, prevented from dispersing by the cage of glyphs, the electrical surge raged back and forth between the walls containing it; the Geist within taking the full brunt of it's elemental wrath.

She could use the skills she'd been taught as well as any other graduate; could understand and appreciate artwork and spout off any number of facts about the famous artists or their movements, but she was at a loss for how to begin immersing herself into the creative process. She had the skills of an artist, but she had yet to develop the heart of one.

When it had spent it's fury, all that remained was a lightly sparking sword and a fading wisp of black smoke.

Which brought her back to the present moment. Still lost in her thoughts, Weiss strode without a word past Jacques, who stared in frank surprise at the almost literally effortless manner in which his daughter had defeated an opponent he had been certain she could not even hope to stand against

While she would have typically taken a small amount of satisfaction in putting paid to her father's machinations so offhandedly, she was rather preoccupied at the moment and was as dismissive of him as she had been of the Geist. (Something which, upon later reflection, she would amusedly note was probably more humiliating in his mind than if she had shown open enjoyment, and therefore much more befitting of his lack of significance to her.)

What she needed, she decided, was more advice. Or, more specifically, guidance. Unfortunately, none of her friends or fellow Loopers were artists of the sort who could help her. Ren and Yang both designed clothing, albeit of rather strikingly different purposes, but that wasn't what she was looking for. Of the rest of the Remnan Loopers, none of them were really suited towards the kind of creativity she was interested in exploring. She had already tested and dismissed LEGOs from the running, so Jaune was out, Tai's model building was more along the line of precision architecture (which, while technically one of the five historical fine arts, was very much not to her tastes), and she had exactly zero interest in learning to create new and ever more outrageous alcoholic drinks with either Roman or Neo.

...she supposed Nora's occasional forays into splatter art via explosives counted as a step in the intended direction, but she wasn't quite ready to open that particular can of worms just yet.

In the end, the only thing she could come up with was that she would need to look outside her usual circle of friends and acquaintances for someone to help show her how to turn what was currently no more than a promising idea into a lifelong hobby she could fully invest her heart into.

What Weiss needed was someone well versed in enough fine and visual arts to offer her a guiding hand into the world of artistic pursuit. Someone that could teach her to wield a pen and paintbrush as fluidly and precisely as she did her weapon, to use a hammer and chisel to imbue stone with the essence of her soul, to shape her thoughts into physical form using nothing but clay and water.

Sighing, Weiss frowned to herself again. She did actually have an idea of exactly who the best person for the job was. The problem was... he was a bit of an insufferable egotist. Less so than in Baseline, but even so. Still, when it came to Loopers who were patrons of the arts, there was no one more qualified to give a struggling artist a helping hand.

Or, tentacle, as the case may be.

[-]

185.17 Shimmer712

[-]

The Pirates Life Was For Me (RWBY X One Piece)

"I think I like Haki," Qrow mused to Ozpin. "Especially the Observation one. Really useful that one. And being able to knock out hordes of Grimm with Conqueror's Haki in one go is pretty neat."

"What about the Armament Haki?" Ozpin asked.

Qrow waved a hand. "Not that different from using Aura to reinforce your body or weapon to be honest," he said. "I mean, it's not the same but it has similar results."

"I see," Ozpin nodded. "So did you replace Luffy? I recall he is one of those who can use all three types."

"Nah, he was the Anchor for the Ioop. I replaced Shanks," Qrow corrected. "Maybe because both our baselines involve us drinking a lot?"

"I suppose," Ozpin shrugged. "I wonder who I would replace if I looped in there?"

"Whitebeard?"

"Is that a crack about my age?"

"Oz, baseline has you not much younger than our current civilization," Qrow pointed out. "I think describing you as old is an understatement, even without the loops."

"...Fair enough," the wizard allowed.

[-]

185.18 Black Omochao

[-]

Of Madmen and Faeries!

[RWBY/Dragalia Lost]

"What do you command of me, my lord!?"

Notte wasn't sure what to think of the situation she had found herself Waking up into; seated atop a faerie-sized throne, while a crazy looking man with a scorpion tail bowed before her.

"Uh…" The pink-haired faerie blinked. "What is this now…?"

"I will do whatever you command, my lord! Just say it!" the crazed man–Tyrian Callows–exclaimed giddily, looking up and grinning insanely at the tiny humanoid.

"… Can you get me some berries?" Notte questioned after a moment.

[-]

"Tyrian's been stealing berries…?" Ruby gave a questioning look to her sister.

"The guy's gone nuts… well, more nuts. He's following some other lord beside Salem," Cinder grunted, seated in the chair across from the Anchor. "I'm not sure of the specifics, but apparently his orders are to bring this 'lord' berries…"

"YOU NEED TO STOP HIM!" Nora suddenly burst into the Anchor's home, throwing the Fall Maiden to the side as she rushed over to the silver-eyed girl. "HE'S TAKEN ALL THE BLUEBERRIES FOR MY PANCAKES!"

"Rude…" Cinder muttered, getting up and brushing herself off, sending the pancake-obsessed girl a glare.

Ruby crossed her arms, humming thoughtfully. "Alright… well, we can't have this, I guess… I'll think of something…"

[-]

"Okay, so why are we doing this?" Weiss grunted as she, along with the rest of Team RWBY, Nora, and Ren, were walking through the forest, searching for where Tyrian had been taking all the berries he had stolen.

"BECAUSE WE NEED TO STOP THE BERRY THIEF!" Nora shouted, stomping her feet on the ground in a manner that resembled a child throwing a tantrum.

"I'm a bit irritated myself," Ren grunted, holding his weapons ready. "I've been wanting to try some different recipes, but all the berries I was going to use were stolen!"

"And I won't stand for this level of petty theft!" Ruby thrust her fist up. "Unless it's my big brother hoarding Oreos… or Neo stealing ice cream… or Jibanyan hoarding choco–"

"It sounds like you'll tolerate a lot of this sort of thing," Weiss interrupted, giving a skeptical look.

Ruby went cross-eyed for a second, seeming to be processing her thoughts.

Yang snorted, grinning towards the white-haired girl. "It's mostly because it's Tyrian, and wanting to know why he'd steal berries, of all things."

Weiss rolled her eyes, crossing her arms as the group continued walking. "Can't we all just appreciate that he's focused on something aside from murder, for the time being?"

The other Loopers glanced at each other for a brief second, before staring at Weiss.

"… Right, I'm not sure why I even asked that." Weiss put a hand to her forehead as the group continued.

The pathway through the forest wasn't very hard to follow; dropped berries, and a trail of juice stretched deep into the forest, until eventually the group came to an abandoned village… well, previously abandoned.

"Notte!?" Ruby exclaimed in surprise at what she saw; a village not only filled with mountains of berries but also buzzing with hundreds of little pink-haired faeries! All happily munching on berries, chattering amongst themselves, and occasionally barfing out pink hairballs, which would quickly grow into new Nottes.

"Oh, hey Ruby!" one of the Nottes exclaimed as she floated over to the local Anchor, holding a strawberry which had a bite taken out of it. "What are you doing here?"

Ruby blinked, tilting her head a bit as she stared at the tiny winged humanoid, before taking a deep breath. "Notte… WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"

The Notte in front of Ruby flinched. "Loud…" She then took another bite out of her strawberry, chewed it gratefully and swallowed, before her stomach rumbled, and she suddenly spat out a pink hairball onto the ground. "Whoops, I didn't mean to do that… still haven't got a full handle on this duplicating power-thingy…"

"You're part tribble?" Weiss stared at the faerie, her eye twitching slightly.

"I guess, if that's what it's called," another Notte shrugged as she floated by Weiss, holding a blueberry.

"Wouldn't the Conception Patch prevent this?" Blake narrowed her eyes as she looked at all the Nottes.

"Eh, I guess not." A Notte landed on Blake's head, but quickly flew away when she started swatting at it.

"They're not my kids, they're all me!" another Notte, holding a raspberry, explained as she floated over to Blake's left. "After the Loop ends, I'll get the memories of ALL the mes!"

"It's a doozy, but it can be totes useful!" a Notte giggled cheerfully.

"Yeah; one near-Hub Loop, I learned how to be a surgeon, a psychologist, a dentist, a programmer, and an architect, all at the same time!" another Notte cheered, giving a thumbs-up.

"It's a bit of a doozy when all the memories hit, sometimes," yet another Notte snorted, munching on a blackberry. "But it's definitely useful!"

"Dangit! I want to mad, but they're so cute!" Nora shouted in outrage, looking between all the berry-munching Nottes.

"Don't be fooled, Nora; Notte's a devious little fay," Ruby grunted, glaring a bit at the Notte in front of her.

The Notte gave a fake gasp, putting her hands to her mouth. "Ruby, I thought we were friends!" After that, she giggled a bit once more, waving her hand. "It's fine; that shows how well we know each other!"

"Look, can we just get to the main issue here!?" Weiss pinched the bridge of her nose, an irritated look on her face, and not wanting to think too much about 'tribble-fairies.' "Where's Tyrian!?"

The Nottes paused for a moment, before one of them spoke up. "Oh yeah; that guy who's been getting us berries!"

"He should be back, soon!"

"Why? Something wrong?"

"HE'S STEALING ALL THE BERRIES!" Nora roared, stomping a foot on the ground.

"Oh…" one of the Nottes blinked.

"That's… not what we meant, when we asked us to get us berries," another scratched her head.

"Well, I suppose it could be worse, I mean, at least you didn't ask Hazel or Watts to gather things for you, right?"

[-]

185.19 Shimmer712

[-]

Shipping Obsession

Smoke rose up from the dying seer to reveal an image of Salem in her pale, darkly clad glory. Pouring obsessively over charts she had scattered around on various stands. Charts that had people's names and were clearly about the various possible couples.

The occupants of James' office stared blankly.

"Oh, right. Ozpin did say that Salem was super obsessed with shipping," Weiss muttered.

"Based on this, super-obsessed was a bit of an understatement," Blake muttered back as Salem noticed them and straightened, her posture shifting from obsessed manic to regal demi-goddess. She opened her mouth but before she could speak, Yang beat her to the punch.

"Hey, why isn't Dad up there?" the blonde demanded, pointing at the chart with Qrow's name at the top. "I mean, seriously, they've lived together for how many years and raised two kids together! Why isn't my Dad on your chart?"

Salem stared at her before her eyes snapped to Qrow's chart. "Why isn't he on there?" she muttered to herself, eyes wild.

"And why isn't Marrow on Jaune's chart?" Weiss asked.

"Wait, what?" Marrow asked.

"I dunno, I can kinda see a thing between Marrow and May, you know, from the Happy Huntresses?" Blake commented. Salem hurriedly set up another chart and started scribbling down the ships.

Ruby hummed to herself. "I think there's some sort of history with Clover and Robyn," she offered. "Okay, yeah, I have no idea which way he swings and it might just be they were classmates in the Academy back in training but I'm pretty sure they had some familiarity with each other."

RWBY bounced different ships back and forth, Salem frantically scrawling down the people involved and the points the girls offered.

"...What did Watts and Tyrian do while they were in Mantle?" Blake asked suddenly. "I mean, they had to keep low so they couldn't really go out clubbing and probably spent a lot of time stowed away wherever they were hiding but what did they do?"

Yang shrugged. "Hate s-"

"NO!" Blake snapped. "We are not talking about those two in that sort of context!"

"Agreed," Salem said dryly. "Although that logic also applies to Watts and young Cinder."

"...What's the age difference between him and her?" Yang asked. Salem ignored her as she wrote down "Watts x Cinder".

Eventually, the discussion ran dry and Salem's image faded.

"Okay, she's forgotten her plans for Atlas for a bit and based on what Ozpin said, she'll be obsessed with that new shipping material for a while. So we've brought some time. What do we do with it?" Ruby asked brightly, beaming at James and the present Ace-Ops.

The Atlas soldiers just stared blankly at her, still trying to process what just happened.

"Guys?"

No response.

"Well, this looks promising," Yang deadpanned.

"I guess we'll just wing it?" Ruby offered weakly.

"Let's try calling Clover or talking to my sister," Weiss suggested as the girls left the office.

It took several minutes before anyone in the office moved.

"What the FUCK?!" Harriet blurted.

"What just happened?" Marrow wondered.

No one provided an explanation.

[-]

185.20 BIOS-Pherecydes

[-]

Matriculation

One of the biggest problems that Loopers routinely faced was that of socializing. Their circle of acquaintances and friends were severely limited by the circumstances they'd been placed into; there were only so many people to talk with who had context for all the various insanities they went through after all, and there was rarely any guarantee that any two of them would be Awake at the same time. Weiss knew that she had it easier than most, given how many Loopers Remnant had, but even taking that into account it was always something of a comfort to 'stretch her legs' so to speak whenever a Fused Loop occurred.

Of course, the inevitable uncertainty over when a Fused Loop would occur, with which Branch, how many other Loopers would be Awake, and even if there would be any that she knew made the whole process even more of a Gordian knot that it already was.

Exponentially so, when one was waiting upon a specific Fused Loop with a specific person in particular; or, alternatively, someone able to pass along a message.

Which was why she was relieved to finally be on her way to the appointment that had been an utter nightmare to set up, and had been far too long in coming. It had taken a combination of luck, coincidence, and message-in-a-bottle level coordination, as well as a truly frustrating amount of time, but the end was at last in sight.

Somewhat literally, she mused, as she made her way into the building that had been set up across the street from an iconic trio of houses. Opening the door, she was treated to the sight of a classroom filled with an assortment of students – human, humanoid, and other – sitting at a collection of tables as an anthropomorphic octopus wearing an artist's smock and beret oversaw their work.

He stopped at one of the desks where one of the students, who Weiss recognized Peridot of the Crystal Gems, was sitting. Looking over her shoulder, he scowled and snatched up the painting she was working on. "No, no, no! That's unacceptable! Start over!"

Peridot gaped. "What? Why? It looks exactly like the one in the book!"

"Exactly! That's not art, that's plagiarism! Any seamonkey can learn to copy a picture, it takes actual ability to create something new. Where is the raw, creative passion you show in your 'Meep Morps?' Do it again, and this time do it without the book."

Peridot scowled, and tossed her painting to the side with an indistinct muttering. Weiss took a second glance at the discarded painting, and was stunned to see a flawless replica of Dali's 'Persistence of Memory.'

She suddenly felt significantly less confident.

However, she had no time to dwell on her sudden sense of inferiority, as Squidward had caught sight of her and approached with a smile. "Ah, Miss Schnee. You're early. I still have another ten minutes of class to teach. If you want, you can sit in – though you've missed all the fun parts – or you can wait outside."

Weiss nodded her head politely. "Thank you. I'll sit if you don't mind?"

Squidward nodded and went back to walking the aisles, pointing out issues or (occasionally) doling out praise. Weiss watched, and quietly fretted.

[-]

Several minutes later, after Squidward's painting class had wrapped up and the room had cleared, Weiss and Squidward sat across from one another. Finishing tidying up his papers, Squidward turned to face the Schnee huntress and folded his tentacles on the desk. "So, you went to a lot of trouble setting up this meeting. What made you decide to seek out the unparalleled assistance of Yggdrasil's premier artistic genius?"

Weiss arched an eyebrow slightly, but gave that a pass. It was... fairly accurate after all.

"It's common knowledge that you are one of the foremost experts when it comes to hobbyism, and I find myself at something of a dead end. I've recently gained an interest in the fine arts, and I was hoping for some assistance in how best to proceed."

"Hrmn. While I can understand wanting only the best, wouldn't it have made more sense to ask someone in your own Branch?"

Weiss nodded slightly. "I did look into the other Remnant Loopers, and in fact it was them who helped me figure out that I enjoyed art in the first place, but none of them had the kind of experience or interests which I was looking for."

Squidward leaned forward curiously. "Oh? And what about the non-Loopers?"

Frowning slightly, Weiss looked at her hands quietly for a moment before meeting Squidward's eyes. "I did go to them to learn the basics, as well as some more advanced study, but... they lack the perspective of immortality. I'm not looking for something to make into a career, or a passing fancy that will occupy my time for a few centuries. I want something that I can see myself doing until, effectively, the end of time."

Squidward gave a knowing smile. "Ahh, passion."

Weiss nodded. "Admittedly, I'm not quite as talented as some of the students in your class. Though I'm sure that will come in time."

Squidward waved his tentacle dismissively. "Bah. Talent is overrated. True art comes from dedication and hard work. Take myself for example. Although it pains me to admit, I don't have a natural talent for art. I got where I am today by pouring my sweat, blood, and tears into my work."

"Which is why I believe you are the best person to help me improve and find direction."

"Very well, you have my attention. What, exactly, is it that you wanted my help with?"

Sighing, Weiss folded her hands in her lap. "I'm at a loss for where to go from here. I've taken a number of classes — in all of the Five Classical Fine Arts, as well as several of the performance arts, literature, and some cinematography — but I can't figure out what to do with any of the lessons. I know how, but I can't figure out what. I need guidance on how to turn the ideas in my head, into reality."

Squidward gave a non-committal hum. "Are you asking me to be your mentor?"

Weiss shook her head. "Ideally, that would be the case. But, given how rare it is that we'd see each other, I think that's a bit more than I can expect for any sort of long-term arrangement. However, at least for the remainder of this Loop, I would hope you'd be willing to consider the idea. More immediately however, what I'm looking for is more along the lines of... a sense of purpose, I suppose. To paraphrase a common adage, 'inspire a man and he'll create for a day, teach a man to find inspiration and he'll create for a lifetime.' That's what I'm hoping you can help me with."

Sitting back, Squidward crossed his tentacles and gave Weiss a considering glance. "Hnm. Inspiration, huh?"

Weiss simply nodded.

"Hnmm."

For a moment there was silence: Squidward occupied with his thoughts while Weiss awaited his decision. Finally, Squidward stood. "Let's take a walk."

Not questioning the non-answer, Weiss followed as Squidward led her outside the classroom and into the street.

"You realize that artists can go for months or more without being able to find the creative spark needed to create? You're, essentially, asking for the holy grail of all artists."

Weiss ducked her head. "I'm aware that it's not a simple request. But I assumed that, if anyone could, you would be able to at the very least offer me an idea of how to go about it. While there are other Loopers with a claim to the title of greatest artist, your talents are universally recognized as some of the best Yggdrasil has on offer."

Squidward gave a disdainful sniff. "Those others are amateurs at best in comparison. I am the best Yggdrasil has to offer." He shook his head, and continued in a less conceited tone. "But it doesn't matter how 'talented' you are. Artist's Block is an inherent part of being an artist. It's unavoidable."

Crossing the street towards the large pineapple shaped building, he knocked on the door. "Let me show you something."

The door opened and Spongebob stared in first surprise, then glee at the pair of visitors. "SQUIDWARD! You never come over to my house!," He paused, then gave a sly grin. "You smelled the cookies I'm baking, didn't you?"

"What? NO!" Squidward objected, before sighing, and massaging his forehead. "Look, Spongebob, I wanted to ask you for a favor."

Spongebob gasped. "A favor? From me? A favor from me for you? Afavoryouwantedmetodoforyou?"

Squidward placed his tentacle over Spongebob's mouth, as the excitable sponge literally vibrated in place. "Yes, Spongebob. A favor."

"Anything!"

"Thank you. Follow me."

So saying, he led the two of them back across the street into the studio he had set up. Once they'd arrived, he pointed to a large stack of materials. "Spongebob, today you are going to be an artist."

"Really? Me? An artist?" He teared up. "I'm so proud."

"Yes. Now, take these tools and show my friend here what you can do."

"Aye-aye Captain," Spongebob said, saluting smartly and rushing over to the art supplies.

Weiss quirked a questioning eyebrow at Squidward. He held up a tentacle. "Just wait."

Grabbing as much of the supplies as he could carry, a precarious stack of paint buckets and brushes several times his own height, Spongebob made his way over to the canvas Squidward pointed out. The tower of art supplies teetered with every step, but he managed to keep it balanced.

Less than a few steps from his destination however, the toe of his shoe caught a raised floorboard and he tossed his burden into the air as he tripped. Looking up, he stared in exaggerated horror as the various materials flew out of control.

"Ohhh noooo-

The paint cans tipped over, spilling their contents.

"oooooo-

The brushes careened haphazardly as they were knocked to and fro midair.

"ooooo!"

The entire mess splattered the walls, floor and canvas in a kaleidoscope of colors. When it settled down, Squidward calmly walked forward and presented the canvas to Weiss. Displayed on its surface, in beautifully intricate detail, was what appeared to be tastefully nude Spongebob, his modesty protected by a fig leaf, reclining upon a giant Krabby Patty and reaching into the heavens where Neptune himself rested; reaching down in turn until their fingertips were but a short distance from contact.

It was, in every way, a perfect derivative of 'The Creation of Adam.' It would have been impressive enough if Spongebob had been Awake. From his Unawake self though? It was utterly mindboggling.

"Heeeeey! Look at that. Is that good Squidward?"

Weiss simply stared in disbelief. Squidward nodded his head. "It's fantastic."

Spongebob beamed in almost physical euphoria.

Clearing his throat and tapping Weiss' shoulder to get her attention, Squidward gave a smile. "Can I ask you for one more favor?"

Spongebob gasped. "Can you ever!"

Reaching into the drawer of his desk, he pulled out a bottle of suds and a bubble wand. "Could you make something for us?"

Spongebob took the offered items and stared at them uncertainly. "Uh, I guess. What should I make though?"

Squidward spread his arms wide and smiled. "Anything you want."

Scratching his head, Spongebob dipped the wand into the bubble soap, and pulled it up. He took a deep breath... then paused. Shaking his head, he tried again... and again he paused, muttering to himself. "No, no. That's not good enough. But maybe if I, no. It needs to be something impressive. What if I... no! That's no good either!" Dropping to his knees, he cried out to the sky. "Dear Neptune, what do I create?!"

Turning to Weiss with a pointed look, Squidward pointed to the distressed sponge dramatically torturing himself over his inability to decide on what kind of bubble to blow. "Spongebob was born with the soul of an artistic god... and the heart of a minimum wage frycook. Bubble blowing is his only real form of artistic expression — although he's raised Krabby Patties to an artform in and of itself; especially when he's Awake."

He gestured to Spongebob's agonized internal conflict. "No matter how much talent you do or don't have, inspiration is fickle. Nobody can really teach you how to control it. There are ways to seek it out, methods to motivate yourself until you discover the spark of creativity, or ways to push through when the well runs dry, but no one can show you how to find inspiration. It finds you when it's ready to be found, and not a minute before."

Abruptly, Spongebob shot to his feet with a look of epiphany. He took a breath, went through the complex motions which made up his unique technique, and gently blew. From the bubble wand, the shape of a picture perfect a field of grass and coral took form. Several smaller bubbles joined the first, each in the shape of jellyfish. Finally, a pair of bubbles shaped like Patrick and himself wielding nets were added.

As Weiss watched, an exactingly detailed scene of Patrick and Spongebob going Jellingfishing played out in bubble form. Once the last of the jellyfish bubbles had been caught and released, the whole thing popped with the sound of laughter.

Spongebob turned a proud, but uncertain, look towards Squidward and Weiss. "How was that?"

"Perfect. Thank you."

Spongebob grinned. "No problemo, old buddy. Although, now I really want to go jellyfishing for real. Do you... want to come with me?"

Squidward shuddered in remembrance of the last time he'd joined Spongebob and the pink menace in their favorite pastime. "No."

Spongebob sagged. "Oh. Okay, maybe next time."

Seeing Weiss' accusing gaze, Squidward sighed. "We can go get a Krabby Patty later, alright?"

Immediately perking up, Spongebob nodded eagerly. "You betcha!" With that, he turned and headed off to find Patrick and see if he wanted to go jellyfishing with him.

Turning back to Weiss, Squidward gestured to where the bubble art had been. "Some people, like Spongebob, are inspired by friendship. Others by love. Some people find inspiration in imagining how things could be, some in how things should be, and some in how things are. Religion is a common source of inspiration, both positive and negative. Some people draw their inspiration from innocence, some from innocence lost. But they all have one thing in common.

"Emotion. That's what drives inspiration most of all. Art is, at its core, a physical embodiment of an emotional expression. Art is the act of taking the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs of the artist, and attempting to convert it into a form that allows the viewer to experience those same ideas long after the artist has gone. You said that you came to me because non-Loopers don't have the same perspective on immortality that Loopers do.

"But what is art if not an attempt to achieve immortality?"

Weiss reflected on that silently.

"I can help you find ways to channel your artistic side, show you how to create masterpieces, improve on what you already know, what you don't know, and what you don't even know you don't know. But I can't teach you how to find inspiration. I'll show you how to make use of your inspiration once you find it, but you'll have to find it on your own."

Gratefully, Weiss nodded and followed Squidward as he led her into one of the side classrooms. She paused though, and stared back at where the bubble Spongebob had blown had been. Friendship huh? Well, that certainly seemed like a good place to start.

[-]

Because of the large variety of Branches that had gone into the Fused Loop she found herself in, it was difficult to guess how long the Loop would last. Weiss was resolved to make as much of the time she had, and threw herself into her unofficial apprenticeship. Squidward showed her how to refine her skills, as well as narrow her focus onto the things that she truly enjoyed. Drawing and painting, interpretive and classical dance, musical composition, and sculpting tended to be her main areas of study.

It was this last that had been her focus for the past year. She had gotten the idea from Squidward's presentation on anamorphic art; specifically an outdoor sculpture titled 'Threshold' that showed the numbers 1, 2, or 3 when viewed from different angles. This had gotten her thinking, and that thought had grown into a design idea that had taken her months to try and work out.

But she had done it.

"Impressive."

Turning her head slightly, she gave a please smile at the compliment. Squidward was extremely sparing with his praise; that single word was, for him, the equivalent of what an entire article would be for any other.

"I couldn't have done it without your help."

Squidward nodded his head, though he continued to appreciate her work as he did so. Weiss found herself inordinately pleased by that. "I promised I'd help you learn how to make use of your abilities, and I think this proves that I'm a cephalopod of my word. You've improved significantly since I began instructing you," he turned away from his examination and nodded respectfully at her, "but I only helped you refine the skills you already had."

He gestured back towards the sculpture. "Whatever part I might have played, significant though it surely is, this is your success. Your vision made this possible, not mine."

Weiss sighed good naturedly. However much Looping might have mellowed him out, his ego hadn't really changed all that much. Still, after a year studying under him, she'd grown used to his idiosyncrasies and it no longer bothered her. She accepted his words as they were intended, rather than how they sounded.

"Thank you Professor Tentacles."

Smiling proudly, Squidward shook his head. "While appreciated, no thanks are necessary. Just make sure you keep practicing what I taught you, and I'll consider that thanks enough."

Nodding, Weiss turned back to her sculpture with a satisfied expression.

At first glance, it appeared to be a haphazard collection of red flower petals, frosted quartz crystals, gold foil, and black ribbon suspended on wires over a mirrored floor. The overhead plate to which the wires hung slowly rotated over time however, and as it did the various pieces of seemingly disorganized materials slowly aligned into recognizable shapes.

Specifically, that of her and her teammates personal emblems.

As the display rotated, each emblem would appear from the clutter; first on it's own, then overlapped with the emblem of its owner's partner, then separating into the second emblem. Ruby's emblem, a combination of Ruby and Weiss' emblem, then Weiss' emblem alone, before switching over to Yang and Blake's emblems in turn.

From below, the image shown on the mirror was of a kaleidoscopic jumble of moving pieces, that would shift and overlap in a beautifully chaotic pattern of colors and shapes as the entire assembly turned slowly overhead, only to briefly align into a single amalgam of all four emblems once the main display had completed a full rotation before beginning again.

"What's its title?" Squidward asked suddenly, after watching the exhibit for a time.

Weiss smiled softly and answered in a quiet voice. "I call it 'Family.'"

[-]

185.21 Shimmer712

[-]

Up a Tree

"Qrow?" Ozpin looked at the younger looper. "Is there any reason there is a giant tree sticking out of Salem's castle?"

"Dark Parables loop a while back," Qrow answered instantly.

"Pardon?"

"Basically, there were people made immortal and given powers by a goddess and there were artefacts that could be used against them," Qrow explained. "One of them, the Jewel of Repose, seals them away and creates a tree in the process."

"So Salem is sealed away in the branches?"

"No, in the roots. It looks like she's sleeping in crystal," Qrow added helpfully.

Ozpin looked at him and rubbed his temples. "I feel like I should complain, but my loop memories of her show that this loop's Salem is particularly psychotic."

"Oh?" Qrow blinked at the man.

"The old cliche about witches eating children?"

"...Ew." Qrow pulled a face. "Please tell me that started after you broke up with her."

"It did," Ozpin assured him then paused. "Then again, she did have those rooms she insisted no else goes into..."

"Annnd I'm leaving," Qrow interrupted, turning into a bird and zooming out the window.

Ozpin ignored him, staring into space. "Damn, now that's going to be bothering me. Was there cannibalism going on under my nose?" he muttered, disturbed.

[-]

185.22 Luna 2

[-]

Cat who got the Courtroom (Part 2)

"I object! Why is Emerald not on trial with me?" Mercury pointed at his defence lawyer. "She was there. She's as much a part of this."

Emerald smiled while using telepathy. 'You do realise you're only going to hurt your own case, right?'

Blake used her gavel. "Mr Black, you're on trial, which in this court means you can't object, that has to come from either Defence or Prosecution. You could object if you were representing yourself, but… given the complexity of the legal system here, it is not generally recommended."

Mercury gave a flat look at Emerald who was smirking.

"However, to avoid any confusion for those unfamiliar with how the decision was arrived at, I would ask if the Court Clerk could please explain the decision to prosecute, and Miss Sustrai's position."

Haru spoke up. "In making the decision to charge Mr Black, the cases of those present in the alleged incident were examined. Miss Fall could have been charged, but, since the Prosecution cannot reasonably prove that she currently exists in this world, such a case was deemed not to be workable. Miss Sustrai is alleged to have been there. However, a number of people have, during the course of the investigation, incorrectly testified to Miss Sustrai being somewhere she wasn't, as verified by camera footage and independent observers. Taking this and the lack of other clear evidence into account, the Prosecution cannot prove that she was ever there for the alleged incident." A group of cats nodded. "It has also been suggested that her status as a well-known lawyer increases the possibility of her likeness being imitated by those with malicious intent." Emerald smiled broadly, while Mercury scowled. "The evidence against Mr Black was regarded as far more substantial, but it is for the Prosecution to set that before you."

"Thank you." Blake nodded to Haru. "Prosecution. Would you please present the case, starting, as is customary in this particular court, with a summary of your evidence?"

"Yes, your Honour." The Baron stood up. "My evidence consists of 3 witnesses to the alleged incident-"

Nora, Ruby and a Cinder Puppet waved from nearby.

"-a rocket launcher with Mr Black's DNA and fingerprints on it, CCTV footage of Mr Black purchasing, walking around with said rocket launcher and test firing it, Mr Black's bank account statements, a ballistics report of the damage caused by the test firing, the written details of the alleged 'evil plans' Mr Black was part of, the contents of Mr Black's desktop computer…" His eyes narrowed. "...which include various bulletin board posts of flattering poetry about people who kick kittens..."

A collective low hiss reverberated around the courtroom.

"And testimony from several experts as to Mr Black's mental state."

Mercury just sat there with a stunned look on his face, before returning to the telepathy conversation. 'Ok, look, the witnesses…two of them are not gonna lie about seeing you there, right? And tell me you're actually going to put some effort into defending me?'

'Merc. The only people cross-examining them will be Prosecution and Defence. They're not going to lie. There just won't be any questions that feature me as an answer. And relax. With the challenge of it and what you're paying... of course I'm gonna try and defend you.' Emerald rolled her eyes.

'Well alright then. The rocket launcher, purchases, footage of me with it…I get that. But tell me. Why would I write or collect poetry on a computer about kicking kittens?!'

Emerald just sighed. 'Well. Sometimes…Variants of you in Chibi had some really strange hobbies.'

Mercury winced. "Yep. I'm doomed."

[-]

185.23 Shimmer712

[-]

Quick Escape

Ruby, Jaune Nora and Ren had just arrived at Oniyuri. Tyrian would be making an appearance soon. They had devised a simple plan to ensure no harm came to them when the maniac arrived. It was so simple, they wondered why they had never tried it before.

Sure enough, Tyrian made his appearance.

"Oh! The rose has thorns! My little flower, I'm here to whisk you away with me!" he declared dramatically.

"And if she doesn't wanna go?" Nora asked.

Tyrian stared then grinned nastily. "Well, I'll take her."

The loopers exchanged a look.

"Pocket, now!" Ruby ordered. The four promptly vanished.

Tyrian blinked at the now empty space in front of him.

"WHAT?! WHERE DID THEY GO!" he screeched. He ran over and started scrabbling at the ground, trying to find where the teenager had gone.

A feathered form, hearing his screech, beat his wings and closed the distance to the ruined town as quickly as possible, landing on a roof and watching the assassin search frantically for his target.

Qrow didn't know what Ruby and her friends had done to get away so completely from the man but he would count his blessings. And maybe stalk a guy for a bit until he was sure he wasn't going to see the man stab his niece.

His eyes narrowed as his ears caught the ramblings. He was one of Salem's people. Definitely needed to keep him away from Ruby.

Then Qrow Woke up. He looked at the scene in front of him and inwardly smirked. Tyrian would be pulling his hair out trying to figure out how Ruby had gotten away and how to stop her from using the method again.

Cawing softly to himself, Qrow preened his feathers, watching as Tyrian flung himself onto the ground, screaming about how he couldn't fail his goddess.

What a drama queen.

[-]

185.24 BIOS-Pherecydes

[-]

Game, Set, Match: 40-Love

Today really was a beautiful day, Weiss mused silently to herself as she and the other members of Team RWBY rode the bullhead into Vale. It was one of the exceedingly rare Loops where everyone had Awoken early, and as was typical of such Loops they'd preemptively cut off all the Baseline issues before they could become a problem. Which left them with plenty of time to relax and spend time with one another, catching up and simply hanging out.

As a result, they'd had several years of relative peace; both before and after coming to Beacon. But the Loop was coming to an end soon, and Weiss had decided to have one last big event before then. To that end, she'd booked a reservation at one of the most exclusive country club and spa resorts in Vale, and invited both her own Team, Team JNPR, and Penny. It helped that it was owned and operated by an affiliate company of the SDC, meaning she had the option to both skip the usual redtape involved in something like this, as well as overrule any objections from the clientele who might have otherwise raised a fuss.

She didn't typically throw around the weight her social status granted her, but she was willing to make exceptions for her friends. This was a rare opportunity after all, and she always made the most of it whenever it happened.

Beside her, Yang bumped her shoulder against Weiss' from where she was relaxing in the next seat. "So, Weiss, what kind of place is this? We talking rich elitist snobs, or just regular upper class folks?"

"The White Stone Hotel and Country Club was founded by my grandfather this Loop, so it has it's roots in the more respectable side of my family's heritage. That said, Jacques has had several decades to poison the well."

"Ah, gotcha. So, no need to hold back then?"

Weiss chuckled. "I'd say hold back a little until you know whether or not they deserve to deal with you going all out."

"I'm not sure anyone deserves to deal with Yang going all out," Blake chimed in amusedly.

Yang reeled back dramatically, clutching her chest. "Critical hit! Huntress down, huntress down."

Not one to let an opportunity for over-exaggerated dramady pass her by, Ruby immediately rushed to her sister's side. "Noooo! Yang! How could you Blake?"

"Avenge me!"

Holding her face in her hands, Weiss did her best to avoid the curious stares of the other passengers.

[-]

Stepping into the foyer of the country club, Weiss admired the architecture and various pieces of statuary and hanging art as she headed toward the reception counter. She'd come to appreciate that much more ever since she'd begun studying art, and Nicolas Schnee had apparently shared that appreciation this Loop.

The man at the desk cast a slightly imperious gaze over the group of teen Hunters and Huntresses, notably pausing at the sight of Blake, before clearly dismissing them. "Can I help you?"

Yang's eyes briefly flashed, before Blake put a calming hand on her arm. Weiss' eyes met the pair of them and she gave an almost imperceptible nod. He'd really brought it on himself.

Yang would have an entire week to bring his entire world crashing down around his ears however, so Weiss stepped forward to verify their reservation. "Yes. Weiss Schnee, party of nine. I have a reservation."

The man immediately straightened and gave a more professional looking smile at the group. "Of course. Miss Schnee. Welcome, welcome."

"Hey Ren, what's with that guy's hair?" Nora whispered, at a not very quite volume.

Ren sighed, though those who knew him could see his amusement, and answered in a much more reserved volume. "That's a toupee Nora."

"What, like the bird?"

"No, that's a toucan."

"Oh. Weird. It looks like it's trying to crawl off his head."

The receptionist's smile was much more strained as he handed Weiss a pair of room keys. "Please enjoy your stay. And if there's anything you need, then feel free to call the front desk."

"I'll do that, thank you."

Hiding her smile, she turned away and headed towards the elevator, the other's a step behind her. Only once the elevator's doors had closed, did she allow her amusement to show. The rest of Team RWBY and JNPR also broke out into various degrees of laughter.

"Holy shit, did you see his face? He looked like someone dropped an ice cube down his back," Yang said with a wide grin.

Pyrrha attempted to give Nora a disapproving look, but couldn't quite pull it off due to her efforts to hide her own smile. Jaune simply shook his head with a smirk. "Toucans Nora, really?"

Nora shrugged cheerfully from where she had wrapped Ren's arms around herself. "I figured I'd start with something small, and work my way up if he ticked me off."

"Trust me, I'm plenty ticked off enough already."

Blake rolled her eyes good-naturedly. "He's hardly the first person to give me a dirty look Yang. As long as he doesn't do anything else, just let it go. People like that aren't worth the effort."

Yang sighed. "Yeah, fine. I still don't like it."

Sidling up against her side, Blake smirked. "I'm well aware. My knight in golden armor."

Grinning, Yang pulled her wife close. "Guess that makes you the princess?"

Catching sight of Ruby bashfully reaching out to take Penny's hand, and Pyrrha leaning against Jaune's side, Weiss abruptly became aware of the fact that she was the only person here without a romantic partner. 'Well, this suddenly became slightly awkward.'

Luckily for her, the elevator ride ended quickly and Weiss led the group to their suite. Opening the door, Yang let out an appreciative whistle. "Fan. Cy."

Weiss had, of course, reserved the penthouse suite; which came with several bedrooms, a kitchenette, a small indoor pool, and a balcony overlooking the rest of the resort.

"Fantastic! I can not wait to begin our vacation. It has been far too long since the last time we have all been together for an entire Loop," Penny said, spinning happily in place as she took in the room.

"I know, right? It's too bad no one else wanted to come," Ruby added.

"Well then, we will simply have to have enough fun that they will regret not coming and demand to come with us the next time we are all Awake," Penny said with a decisive nod, putting her hands on her hips and smiling confidently.

"Heck yeah, preach it sister!" Nora shouted, throwing her fist into the air.

"So what should we do first?" Pyrrha asked.

"I don't know about you all, but I am going to visit the spa. This resort is known for having an incredible sauna and massage parlor," Weiss stated.

Yang's eyes shone at that. "Ooh. Spa day? Count me in! Blake, Ruby? You coming?"

Both the other members of Team RWBY happily agreed to that.

"Since I doubt they offer a co-ed sauna, I suppose Jaune and I will have to split up with you girls. If anyone's interested in joining me, I think I'll investigate the rest of the hotel and see what else they have to offer."

"I'm okay with that," Jaune agreed. "Pyr, you wanna come with us, or are you gonna go with the others?"

"I'm sure the hotel masseuse is talented, but I doubt they're as skilled as you are," Pyrrha answered with a sly smile. Jaune blushed slightly and gave a small chuckle. "I think I'll join you and Ren."

Nora crossed her arms and considered things, before shrugging. "I'm starving. Let's check out the restaurants first."

"Guess it's just Team RWBY and Penny then," Blake said with a shrug.

Penny sighed. "Unfortunately, I am not using one of my modified chassis right now, so I won't be able to enjoy either the sauna or massage. It'd take too long to change, so I will have to decline for now. I will definitely join you later, but I will need time to prepare."

"Dang. Well, guess it's a Team RWBY spa day then. We'll catch up with you guys later."

"Alright, see you then."

[-]

Several hours later, the much refreshed Team RWBY met back up with Team JNPR. "So, did you guys find anything interesting?"

"I think so. It turns out, tennis is a thing this Loop," Jaune replied.

"That's nice, but it's not particularly unusual as far as Variants go," Weiss said. "What's so unusual about this Loop?"

"There are courts built for Huntsmen and Huntresses, and they have Dust-compatible rackets," Ren offered.

Weiss paused. "Alright, that is admittedly unusual. Are there any additional rules?"

"Not for gameplay, as far as I could tell. There are rules against professional play, but other than that it seems to be the same as any other tennis match."

"Hm. Well, I'll admit to being curious," Weiss turned and looked at the others. "Does anyone want to give it a try?"

"Sure, I'm game," Yang shrugged.

"Ooh, me too. I'm totally ready to kick your butt," Ruby said with a grin.

"Ohoho! Looks like I need to teach my little sis how to play in the big league. How about it Weiss, Blake? Doubles match?"

Blake gave a considering hum, before agreeing. "It sounds like fun."

Ren nodded. "Well, then it's settled. Who wants to be the referee?"

Penny smiled. "It would be my pleasure."

With that settled, the Teams headed to the courts. It took a few minutes for them to get changed into the complementary uniforms provided for guests. And then it was game time. They'd agreed not to use their Semblances for the first match, but other than that anything was fair.

Once everyone was in place, the four Huntresses were off like a shot. Weiss had first serve and she charged her racket with a small bit of gravity dust to try and score an ace. Unfortunately, Blake was far too quick, and she managed to return the ball.

Even without her Semblance however, Ruby was no slouch either, and it was a simple matter for her to step up and hit the ball back over the net. Unfortunately, Yang was playing front court and delivered a punishing powerstroke that would have damaged either the ball or the court in a normal game. As they were playing on the field designed for Huntsmen and Huntresses however, it instead caused the ball to bounce a frankly ridiculous height into the air before falling back towards the court.

Weiss managed to maintain line of sight on the ball though, and managed to position herself beneath it to make the return.

Yang couldn't get across the court in time, and the first point went to Ruby and Weiss.

"Yeah! Way to go Weiss!"

Weiss smirked slightly, and prepared to serve again.

Yang, determined to make up for her failure, was ready to go and as the ball touched down on her side of the court, she jumped up and slammed it with as much force as she could. Ruby charged across the court, moving at full tilt with arm outstretched to return the ball before it could bounce into the stratosphere again, and Weiss suddenly found herself recalling a particularly vivid moment during their sauna.

She'd been talking about how she was coming to terms with her own issues, after Blake and Yang had expressed their own problems dealing with the trauma over Baseline and their difficulties in coming to terms with the separation between their Looping and Non-Looping selves. Blake had been particularly hard pressed to accept that she and her Unawake self weren't the same person, and shouldn't be held to the same standard.

In an effort to try and offer an example of her own coping methods, she'd admitted to having taken up art. Naturally, this had led to a bit of discussion, and Weiss had shown them a few of her projects.

Upon seeing the pictures she'd drawn, Ruby had grinned and made an exaggerated pose. "Draw me like one of your French girls."

Weiss had immediately choked on her tongue and blushed, while Blake and Yang had fallen over themselves laughing. She'd spent the next few minutes sulking as they teased her.

The memory played in her mind again, as she watched Ruby moving across the court, her legs pumping rapidly and the flattering tennis uniform stretched out as she dove for the ball, missing by an inch.

She froze, as she saw Ruby lying prone on the ground, and barely noticed as the ball touched down beside her. It was only when Penny called out the score, that Weiss came back to her senses, and realized what had happened.

'...Fuck. Weiss, you useless lesbian.'