#aura transfer machine

[etinceelle]

"the Rule of Three is a pattern used in stories and jokes, where part of the story is told three times, with minor variations. The first two instances build tension, and the third releases it by incorporating a twist"

the aura transfer machine has yet to be used properly in the series in its two appearence

penny got her aura by another person transfer it to her

the aura trabsfer machine used to take aura away from somone and killed them

the third time it will used to give someone aura and revived them

THIS ! This is exactly what I have in mind when I think of what could possibly be prepared for her. This rule of three makes a lot of sense when you think about it in most stories, and in RWBY especially after Volume 9, the Penny hints and this huge revelation for the plot (aka the Tree/Blacksmith being the TRUE God who made the Brothers, in a complete different world with complete differente rules about balance and life/death).

And I agree about the ATM, it feels like we barely saw it in action and the first time we had a lot of mystery around it. They didn't know what the results would be, if Pyrrha would still be the same... And it hurt her when it was activated. So maybe putting an Aura into someone else's Aura isn't possible or ethical, but extracting someone's Aura by capturing it to put it into something's else is possible. We still have a lot of learn and see.

Also to come back to this rule of tree, I truly love it because it also works with Pinocchio's story : he first died by hanging, then was brought back by the Blue Fairy. Then he died by drowning, and was saved again AND turned into a real boy. He lived 3 times in total, it would make sense it could also work for Penny considering all the weird elements we got for her in V9 + the new informations we got about ascension, rebirth, the Ever After, the Blacksmith, etc. Aaaah I could ramble about it for hours-

[maor-koren]

when the heroes will use the aura transfer machine to separated penny form winter/ruby this is how the scene should go:

they start using the machine which cause winter/ruby to scream in pain (in ruby’s case, yang will come to the machine only for blake to stop her saying that her sister know what she’s doing), and while the process is hurtful it will go well but then we see blake cat ears moving and she saying: “do you hear that?”, then a fireball come in which jaune stop with his shield then cinder come and jaune stop her with his shield saying “not this time!” and the heroes fight her while ozpin & pietro keep working on the aura transfer machine.

giving jaune failed to keep the aura transfer machine back at beacon, this would be perfect way for him to pay up for it.

[strqyr]

summer maiden summer could happen and it keeps me awake at night

[spahhzy]

Ruby: Give up Cinder, it's over...

Team RWBY currently had chased down an injured Cinder, who has made her escape through the sandy streets of Vacuo

Cinder when she heard that just began to laugh.

Team RWBY looked at each other before suddenly a door could be heard, and boots echoed loudly against the chapel floor as a mop of blonde hair and narrow blue eyes stalked toward Cinder.

Weiss: Jaune....

Jaune paid her no heed, just marched at Cinder with a purpose.

Cinder, holding her injured human arm, continued laughing as Jaune.

Cinder: Oh Jaune~

Jaune said nothing continued his pace and finally met Cinder at the altar.

Cinder: What a night~

Jaune just grabbed Cinder with both hands and lifted her up by the hems of her shirt. She was dangling in the air.

Cinder: Fresh off a kill, and back for more, eh?

Jaune: Penny still alive.

Ruby felt relief wash over her as Cinder looked on in disbelief.

Cinder: Now that's not funny...

Cinder used her grim hand to suddenly rip away from Jaune's grip before manifesting a glass blade and swipe at him only for Jaune to block it with his own.

Team RWBY looked to want to help, but Jaune's glare at them said to 'stay out of this'.

Cinder: All this-all this rage! All directed at me, and for what!? You know, if you actually let me finish a sentence, you might learn something! You might learn that we're not so different... you might learn something about yourself!

Jaune: You need to learn to shut up.

Cinder: You know it's sad, really...it's like you don't care to see the good side in me... I mean, you did it for Neo... maybe I should try to kill her next, hmm?~

Enraged even further, Jaune quickly swiped at Cinders glass blade before raising a foot, which connected roughly against Cinders chest, sending her crashing into the pews as Team RWBY looked on in worry.

Cinder just laughed, slowly getting up.

Cinder: Is all this for you or for me? You must know that I'm a lost cause. Oh, but Jauney, I have hopes for you~yes, I got great hopes for you...

Cinder wagging a finger at him.

Cinder: Come on, Arc, don't stop now, WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?

Jaune just grabbed Cinder again and tossed her into one of the stain glass windows, shattering it as her body fell to the floor, but still Cinder wasn't down for the count even as her aura shimmered.

Cinder grabbed two shards of glass as she saw Jaune make her way to her.

Cinder: You just can't get it through your thick skull!

Jaune stopped walking as he looked at the broken Crocea Mors before deciding to ultimately sheath it and looking at his gloved hands... before he removed his gloves, too, giving them a nice pop before resuming his walk towards Cinder, who had just risen up holding the two shards of glass tightly in her head.

Cinder: WE BOTH EXIST BECAUSE OF THEM!

Jaune: Give up! You've lost!

Cinder attempted to swipe at with one of the shards of glass, but he was able to easily grab her hand and delivered a shot to the bottom right side of her body, causing her to drop one of the shards of glass.

Cinder just giggled maniacally through the pain as she attempted to swipe at him with the other hand, but Jaune side stepped it and delivered a quick jab to her face, causing her to drop the remaining shard as her aura flickered.

Jaune just delivered three more body strikes to Cinder, who just took it before Jaune landed a thunderous haymaker to Cinder chin, sending her atop the altar.

Team RWBY still looked unsure of how this was going to go, as they wanted to incapacitate and lock down Cinder to get her maiden powers transferred from Ozpin old machine...but if Jaune was going to kill her than...she could very well give the powers to whoever she thinks of...

Cinder: Aww, Jauney, your time away from me has been so worth it~

Jaune says nothing as he struck Cinder across the face again.

Cinder: ooooh~ that's why you do it. You did the same with Tyrian... you like the way it feels...it's what you need!

Jaune just delivered another strike to Cinder face before grabbing her midsection and lifting her up with his strength, Cinder just dangled helplessly, all with a smile on her face as Jaune threw her to the ground hard.

The force of the slam cause Cinders aura to finally shatter, but Cinder didn't care as she scrambled to sit up.

Cinder: Come on, baby~ beat me till your knuckles bleed, but why stop their? You know theirs only one way to stop me! Come on Jaune Come on ki-

Before she could get a word out, a mechanicle hand punched her in the face, effectively knocking her out.

Jaune just huffed in and out as his anger began to simmer down.

Yang: I think she's talked enough.

Jaune just said nothing as he looked at Cinders unconscious body.

Ruby slowly walked up to her friend.

Ruby: Jaune... did you mean it? Did you mean it when you said Penny was okay?

Jaune slowly looked at Ruby before nodding as he suddenly felt Ruby hug him tightly.

Ruby: Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank!

Jaune was able to gently pry away from Ruby's grip as Yang hoisted up the fall maiden on her shoulders, Blake walked up to him.

Blake: Are you going to be okay?

Jaune just nodded, and Blake gave him a look over, not entirely convinced after seeing that display.

Jaune: I'll be fine, Blake...I promise. go your leader is just about to burst joy.

Blake said nothing but nodded as she followed her team leader and partner.

Jaune took one more glance at Cinder before leaving without a word.

Weiss watched briefly as he disappeared into a gathering crowd.

[pilot-boi]

I'm certain I'm not the first one to think of this, but the Scene Where Pyrrha Cries out from the Aura transfer Machine with Amber, and Jaune looks back, forfeiting any chance he had at slowing cinder down has some MAJOR Orpheus and Eurydice Vibes, in some weird twisted mirror sort of way.

WHY THE FUCK WOULD YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT

[mchlgayser]

𝐈𝐍𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 [tattooist! yamato endo au]

⸻ cw: mention of getting a tattoo, needles, and slight mature themes (?)

qeena's brief note: tattoo artist yamato endo brainrot ໒꒰ྀི ≧ ᗜ ≦ ꒱ྀིა and chika takiishi cameo woohooo! i really love this one ngl, well that's cus i love yamato andd tattooist yamato endo?! wowz i exceed my expectations this time LOLL btw i may have not include this earlier but reader is written to be a female and exceeded minor ages and because it's an au, let's pretend yamato endo is no longer 18 which means timeskip! yamato endo(?) and truthfully idk whether this would consider mature themes but i added it on cw just in case rofl and that's pretty much it, thank you, i love you, and happy reading xoxo 💙.

The black haired-man ears perk up at the chime bell sound of the front door. He sat on his stool behind the counter until you came. You walk into his space, your alluring aura wrapping around him like a sultry embrace, leaving him captivated and mesmerized by your very presence. His eyes follow your every move as you glide gracefully towards him, "Hey," You noted, catching him off of his trance.

The taller male stood up, greeting you with a sly smile "Hey love', what can I help you with today?" Your eyelashes fluttered to your cheeks as you look down, examining every design the man had beneath his glass table "I'd like a simple design, anything. You have anything in mind?" Your voice appear small before him and that prompts him to smirk softly "Sure," He hands you a small book consisting simpler design. You browse through each pages, hoping to find something cool - even though meaningless, and pretty.

The pages almost ran out and as you skip to the last pages, one particular tattoo caught your observation "I'll have this one." Endo lean his head forward, "Ooh, nice choice, love'." It's an infinity butterly symbol, very minimal yet captivating.

The man whom introduced himself as Endo, or also known as the sole tattooist working in 'Noroshi Tats' assist you to a room, a small room with equipments and furnitures ready. He make you lie down on the chair and sat down on a wheeled stool beside you "Where would you like this again?" You look at him, biting your lips anxiously. Endo would've expected you to say on your forearm or your stomach, any places where it'd hurt less but when you said on your rib, his eyes widen "You sure, love?" He put on his gloves after washing his hands and putting hand sanitizer.

You nod your head, not hesitantly which makes him smile, and nod his head "Alright," He help you lift your shirt and put on some numbing alcohol pat over the place you'd like. He get the stencil of the tattoo you requested and transfer the design onto your skin and after prepping various of his needles and his tattoo machine, he gets ready "I'll start now, take a deep breath in, alright?" You close your eyes, flinched and yelps when the needles poke over your skin, leaving permanent ink inside you.

It's a long process, very long and painful process. You wouldn't count how many tears you shed throughout the entire session. Endo help getting the tattoo clean with antiseptic solution and apply a thin layer of ointment. When he showed you the result, you gasped, feeling a tad bit worried but mostly happy. No time for regret, you heard him said. After applying ointment and the solution, he wrap the tattoo with a bandage to prevent infections "... And, all done." You feel him caress the outer spot of your bandage and you jolt.

He laughs, helping you up from the chair. He told you about every possible precautions and aftercare you should do, not wanting you to mess up with the beautiful tattoo. He smile, guiding you out back to the counter "If you have any concerns or questions regarding your tattoo, contact us- me." He hand you his business card, not before he scratch the previous contact number on the card and wrote down a new ones "My actual number, contact me, okay, love?" By this, you're already immuned to his sweet-callings, grin at him and thank him.

He insert something on his computer, grinning at you when he's finished "After pretty woman discount, it's on the house." Your eyes widen, in disbelief by his words "What, no... I can't." He insisted, taking your hand which cause your whole body to tremble. His calloused hands against your much softer ones intersected for a while and then let go "Go on, see you again, lovie!" He wave, his wide smile adorning his beautiful complexion.

You got out of the shop, a flustered mess from both embarrassment and aftermath pain of your tattoo. And only then did you notice a wrap of caramel candy hiding in your palm.

"You make a customer left without paying again?" The long red to orange haired male questioned with a poker face. Endo grin, propping one hand beneath his chin.

"This is the last time, Takiishi, besides she's just too cute!"

[adventuringblind]

Mend Me

Lando Norris X Reader

Genre: Magical Realism via Superpowers (kind of), A mix of fluff and angst

Summary: After a long history of being running and hiding, she finds someone who isn't afraid of her. Enough to risk it all for him. Feat Oscar and Carlos being a chaotic duo for once.

Warnings: A tad dehumanizing (if you really squint), mentions of hospitals, mentions of blood/wounds/weapons/bruises, reader literally bring someone back to life,

Notes: This is incredibly experimental. I like these kinds of AU's that incorporate racing still. It's fun to see different concepts come to life in a normal world! I'm currently working on a few A/B/O fics and a few other experimental things :)

Side Note: and another request! I had so much fun writing these two and this story in general! I'm hoping to write more like this, or for these two specifically, in the future!

Masterlist // Request Form // My Website // buy me a Ko-Fi

This is not the life she envisioned for herself. The running, hiding, forging papers to try and keep herself safe.

Stupid unnatural abilities that she never asked for. A danger rating that started at three and moved up steadily as these abilities expanded. Classified within a unique group that tends to be more isolated due to their nature.

A healer is what her new papers say, a danger rating of five. Her armband required across the globe remains the same color. Unassuming and weak, which is how she needs to be perceived.

Powers, abilities, magic, auras, whatever you want to call them, manifest in different ways. Some are element based, some a material, some deal with things like the mind and soul. Smaller groups include shapeshifters, psychics and mediums, shadow work, and her own group.

Those who deal in life and death are not to be messed with. The healers and the reapers. Which, you would think wouldn't be dangerous. She was lucky enough to not be sentenced to a life in captivity. The reapers can decide who dies when, if they are strong enough. Usually prompted by the healers if they person is out of reach. It's a peaceful passing. Yet that doesn't stop people from fearing that kind of power and control.

No, she's a healer. Lower levels are kept as doctors and nurses. Knitting wounds together, feeling the pain of others, being able to x-ray a body without a machine, are all useful.

Raising people from the dead? yeah, that tends to freak people out.

Her wound transference started small. A scraped knee on a friend became her own, but without a mere itch. Soon it progressed into deep lacerations which bled less on her and healed faster. Then it was bigger injuries like broken bones and concussions.

Training was required for anyone with abilities. In order to see where they fall in rating, where they can be utilized, and make sure they have control over the chaos.

She spent ample time in the local hospital with the other healers. The paramedics had rushed inside. The body nearing death. They flatlined, mangled in different ways, yet she still managed at the age of sixteen to bring them back.

The amount of pain she was in was nearly unbearable. She'd almost killed herself in the process.

Her rating shot up to seven after that and she was whisked away to a facility for people like her. They moved her up to nine after another year. She'd managed to bring back someone who'd been dead at least a day.

She's a necromancer.

Whatever she is, they all knew they couldn't stay in that place. Inevitably escaping with their combined powers. She'd never run so fast. She was provided new classification papers and sent off to a different country.

Which is how she found herself here. Traveling and healing despite the prior adversity. She likes this job, specifically because she's strong enough to manage drivers and personnel in the paddock who hurt themselves with their own abilities, but not enough to look conspicuous. Which is a fine line she's toeing, but she makes it work.

She has regulars. Max Verstappen frequently asks her to come around. Metal tends to slice him when he's not grounded and specifically more agitated. Lando has a tendency to hit himself in the head with things when he's excited and the telekinesis decides he needs something right that second. Carlos shapeshifts into a bear, which comes with its own set of problems (she didn't know she'd have to be a vet, also). Then there is Alex, who always seems to be summoning feral street animals.

The year she started; she was nineteen. Lando and Carlos were teammates then. The Brit a in his sophomore year of the sport. The number of bruises on both drivers was ridiculous due to Lando randomly pushing and pulling random objects was ridiculous. Carlos even joked he might have been doing it on purpose at the time.

It was 2021, and the encouragement of Daniel, that got him to ask her out. An invitation she accepted. It was nice, but there was that lingering fear in the back of her mind that he would figure her out and turn her in.

A night out in 2022 is what changed everything for her. The ability to trust and a longing for connection driving her to spend the night with him.

Now, her suppressor band is strong enough that she's only supposed to wear it for twenty-four hours maximum. She'd put it on when she woke up the morning prior and hadn't taken it off sense. Lando had asked if she wanted to take it off, let their energies meld together. A privilege only people like them have. But she'd declined and he hadn't pushed.

She slept in. The best sleep she'd had in a while, mind you. Yet the pain firing through every nerve of her body had her crying. She hadn't cried in pain in so long. This was entirely new to her, and if she's honest with herself, terrifying to experience.

~~~~~

Lando stirs beside her. His hands cup her face and eyes scan her body as he attempts to understand what's wrong. She's unresponsive and he panics. Enough to call Carlos and ask if it's something to do with her classification of power. She could've overdone it, or it's the residue of a different injury she took on herself. Whatever the case, he needs help.

"Lando, mate, she's a five right?"

"Yeah? why?"

"Suppressor bands for five and up tend to be stronger than four and below."

Lando pauses for a second. "Aren't you a seven?"

"And I take mine off in intervals." Carlos' explanation makes sense. Enough for Lando to calm himself and locate the chain on her wrist. "Just take it off and see if it helps. It might not be immediate though so give it about ten minutes and then call me back."

"Thank you, Carlos."

"Not sure what we'd do without her. Maybe kill ourselves? So, you better keep her alive, mate!"

Lando ends the call. Her body seizing in his arms in a scary kind of way that makes him want to vomit.

The chain doesn't come off easily. The second he manages to unclasp it; she becomes deadweight in his arms. But he doesn't get the kind of relief he is hoping for from it.

The aura she has around her is strong and intense. The kind he's never felt before. It's not nauseating like when Carlos or Max is high on emotion, this is serene. Like he's never felt better in his entire life. Which is strange, considering how strong it is...

He calls Carlos back. This cannot be normal for a five. The fact he has it off, but she's sweating and gripping his hand like she's in turmoil makes him wonder.

"Did it work?"

"Uh - possibly?"

There is a brief pause. "What does that even mean?"

"Okay, so, energy of a five healer, is it supposed to be this intense? Cause I feel like I'm on cloud nine and she's still in pain." He wishes he could reverse it, just get her to settle and not look like she might die until he can help her.

"I'm coming over."

It takes Carlos too long to get to his room. His anxiety is getting worse by the second. She's finally exhausted herself enough to fall asleep, but her energy is still permeating the room in a way he can't describe.

Carlos nearly falls over when he steps inside the door. "You like this?!"

"I feel fantastic!"

"Well good, we know you have a soulbond now. We'll talk more about that later. I'm going to pass out if she doesn't have a suppressor on."

Lando whines, but he knows Carlos won't last like this. He just hopes something reset and bought them time to figure it out. He puts the chain back on her wrist and Carlos immediately looks better.

"Verdict?"

"She's not a five, that's for sure." He inspects the chain and her arm band. Carlos' own brown band is still around his bicep. The shapeshifter colors. Lando's is yellow for the energy category, Max's is red for the secondary elements, and Alex's is brown with a green stripe in the middle for the animal handlers. Her band is white with a black ring in the middle, the reapers are the opposite. The number attached to her band is a five. It's the same as a legal document.

Lando snatches the band off of where it lays next to his own. Sure enough, when he flips is around, A different number is crudely patched over enough that nobody could make it out unless staring for an obscene amount of time.

Lando hands the flipped band to Carlos. "She's a fucking ten."

Carlos hums and examines the elastic in his hands. He then fishes a suppressor ring out of his pocket and switches hers for the one he brought. The energy is still there, but the Spainard doesn't look like he's going to be sick anymore. Lando claims this as a win.

On the other hand, he can't fathom why she didn't trust him enough to tell him. "I don't understand-" The crack in his voice is embarrassing.

Carlos gets him to sit down next to him on the edge of the bed. He places Lando's hand on her shin and they watch the tension she was holding in her body disappear.

"Have you ever seen how the treat anyone six and above?"

"No... you never talk about it."

Carlos sighs. It's a pained one; eyes distant as he recalls memories. "Fives toe the line of being stronger than the people deem safe. These universal numbers used to classify us aren't just for the amount of energy we exert, it's what we can do as well. I shapeshift into a bear, which can be destructive, but I can also do it with fewer breaks and for longer stints."

"What does that have to do with any of this?" Frustration now evident.

"Relax, I'm getting there." Carlos gives him a pointed look and quiets himself. "Six and above tend to have more restrictions. They want to make sure we can't cause any chaos or start wars or something. Reapers are immediately labeled as tens. Healers start small but increase depending. I met a good few back in school that ended up being taken away for some unknown reason."

"So, she's a ten, meaning she can do what?"

"I'm not sure... but she is definitely at risk if anyone were to find out."

Carlos stays with him. Explains to him what is probably happening due to the extreme suppression of this kind of energy. He explains this soulbond thing. How their energies mesh well together which is what was giving him that euphoric feeling earlier. It's not rare, Lando is only a three himself, but for her it is because of the intensity.

It's around midnight when she wakes up, panting and drenched in sweat. Whatever these higher energies are, the seem to communicate for them. Carlos gets next to her and switches the suppressors again. He's giving her the familiarity in a stressful situation with no words.

"Fuck - Lan, I'm so sorry!" Her voice is hoarse and cracked. He wants to tell her that he's fine, that he understands, but words aren't there. Not when she looks this sick.

He opts for the physical contact route instead. The gentle kind, so he doesn't scare her. This hug feels different than any he's had before, but he assumes it's because his aura is actively seeking hers. "We have a soulbond. Our energies mesh together quite nicely."

"So, you know now? You're not going to turn me in?"

"Absolutely not! Carlos has been giving me a crash course and everything. I'm sorry that you are treated so horribly..."

She grips onto his shirt and sobs harder than she has in her entire life. It's broken, and Lando can't help but wonder when the last time somebody cared for her and her abilities alike is. "I'm not leaving you, okay? I might be a three, but I'll do my best to keep you safe." And he means it. He has every intention of keeping her out of the clutches of those who would see her locked away.

~~~~~

Lando convinces her to quite working under the FIA and let him take care of her instead. She still attends to the drivers since she can, because she wants to.

It's never a surpise when she receives a phone call from across the paddock asking for her assistance. It's more fun this way, not having the constant pressure of people watching her for any semblance of too much power.

Carlos keeps a close eye on her when she looks on the verge of overexerting her power or suppressing for too long. He had her and Lando set alarms for when to take it off and put it on again.

2023 comes around, and both her and Lando are more relaxed this year. Car wide, the Brit would rather die, but otherwise, he's fine.

Oscar is a rating six water manipulater. Carlos makes sure he knows where to find him if he ever needs anything. The FIA tends to get on the case of higher ratings.

It's because of that rating that Oscar manages to figure out she's not what she says she is. Lando gets wildly defensive when the Aussie brings it up. She just laughs when he threatens to throw his teammates dinner into his face.

They all get along nicely. Lando manages to not send random objects at Oscar despite various threats, and she still finds herself in every garage.

Then Vegas happens, and everything changes.

The crash replays on the screen, but she can't hear it over the sound of her heart. Their soulbond had only gotten stronger, she can feel his pain and discomfort now because of it.

As an established healer, Jon lets her tail him to where Lando is. The medical team only lets her go so far.

But it's worse than anyone is letting on. She can feel his heart slowing, the internal bleeding more than they originally thought.

He's still alive when the race ends, but he won't be for much longer. They won't let her inside. Oscar and Carlos can barely get past the front desk to where her and Jon are sitting outside the door. Doctors are still working away at a problem they haven't found yet.

"They won't let you in?" Carlos gives a look of utter confusion. "Wouldn't it be helpful to them?"

"Yes, but I'm too emotional to be in an operating room as a five."

Oscar's face lights up. "How far does your energy reach?"

"Decently, why?"

"If me and Carlos take our suppressors off, then we can blame the energy on that."

The three of them take off their suppressor in unison with Jon watching the end of the hall in case someone comes around the corner.

The wall makes it hard to navigate. But she knows Lando's aura like it's her own. She's mapped his entire body, healed him more times than she cares to remember.

The flatline of the moniter rings through her ears.

She finds his heart. Where he's bleeding out, where his ribs are cracked and splitting him open.

And she fixes it.

Lando sits up on the table, heat beating erratically, but he's alive. The doctors don't know what to do with themselves.

They open the door. The only one there is Jon, teary-eyed, but not from sadness despire what he says.

~~~~~

Lando is high on painkillers. Though he wishes his human healer were here to make it better. He just wants to meld with her, thank her without words.

Jon had filled him in on the details. It's not safe for her at the moment, but his teammate has her, and Carlos is on his way back to Lando after helping get her settled.

The Spainard drives him back. Even stopping for food on the way since none of them have eaten and Carlos has this perpetual need to store food for the winter. Lando always gets him honey as a joke.

"When you see her, don't panic. There's blood we have yet to clean up from the incisions they made. But it's mostly just pain and exhaustion."

Lando nods and opens the door. The sight is odd, more so than scary. She's on the bed, pale, and covered in different fluids. Her mouth is open, and Oscar is dripping tiny water droplets inside. Her supressor bracelet has been ditched, but her ring is on so the other two can be around her.

Her eyes drift towards him the closer he gets. "Lan!" She tries to sit up but fails after two seconds and yelps in pain.

"If you'd just take the water and stay put, then you might not be in as much pain." Oscar scolds her, but she just rolls her eyes.

Lando crawls onto the bed next to her. His hand drifts over where he heart is, and he places her hand over his. "I'm alive because of you. I can't - I just - I don't understand why they didn't let you in. You're not dangerous. You saved me."

"Lan, it's okay... I'm happy being considered dangerous as long as I have you around."

"Ay! What are me and Oscar then?!"

"Rivals, according to the media." Oscar muses and drops another bead of water into her mouth.

"That was planned and executed well, okay, we make great rivals." Carlos nearly jams some kind of pastry into Oscar's face, but he opens his mouth just in time. "What am I going to do with you three?"

Lando doesn't have the energy to ponder the question. Him and his lover end up falling asleep at some point. Both of them are still in pain and in desperate need of rest.

He wakes up to a call the next morning from Jon. His trainer is adamant about speaking to all four of them.

Yeah, they all get lectured about how he had to go get tested and was humiliated by the hospital staff when they laughed at Jon's own ability. "Aparently, making people sneeze isn't an ability. But I'm happy you're okay, Lando. I would've missed you, buddy."

"I second that!"

"And a third."

Everyone looks at her expectantly. Some kind of response swirls around in her head. Maybe witty or sarcastic with the way she's smiling to herself.

"If you died, Lan, I would've never forgiven myself." Her energy taps on his. It envelopes them, warm and comforting. Their bond still growing stronger as their souls dance together around them.

"Gross, you two should get a room."

"This is our room!"

"Your point?"

Carlos and Oscar can't stop their laughing fit. Delerious from the long night they had previously and little sleep then managed to get. Still, Lando goes back to being in his own world.

He's wrapped up in her, and she's wrapped up in him. Exactly as it was intended to be.

"Reckon you could make an undead army?"

"Osc - I swear to god-!"

[ironwoodprotectionsquad]

So I am confused. I was trying in my discord group to figure out why Pietro would make the aura transfer machine and not know about Salem, and someone said it was made to make Penny and I wanted to find the episode that was in and was looking on the Wikipedia to find this and found this and I’m even more confused. Because it first talks about Penny but then says it was intended for Amber. Does anyone know what episode this was discussed in so I can just watch it because I cannot even remember it being talked about at all.

[bestworstcase]

i do think it’s thematically important that the maidens are inherited in this specific way, it’s not an accident that when the narrative sets down the rules the potential violence is not just remarked upon but given emphasis and used explicitly as justification for the aura transfer machines. nearly everything ozpin does is rooted in keeping the maidens within his control—selecting candidates in anticipation of their deaths, giving the branwens bird forms to identify maidens when the line of inheritance jumps the tracks, chaining the maidens to these vaults, etc—and his greatest adversary in this endeavor is the maidens themselves, because the magic preferentially selecting maiden-killers is, in effect, the magic fighting against this control.

why does the magic transfer itself like this? it will not be controlled. throughout the years ozma and his allies have devoted enormous effort to dictating the Final Thoughts of anyone who receives this power in order to maintain control over it (& their abject failure in this regard leads to the invention of the aura transfer machines); meanwhile the magic binds itself to "random" heirs if the candidate its host has in mind is unsuitable, and prefers to go to ozma’s enemies when it can.

(and do mark that. the person in the maiden’s Final Thoughts is explicitly only a suggestion, one the magic can and will disregard if he or she is unsuitable. ozpin et al believe that these candidates are only rejected if they are 1. male or 2. too old, but none of them can read minds; and as ozpin says, maidens choose themselves. it’s just as likely that there are additional disqualifying criteria, such as the candidate being coerced or just not being spiritually compatible. there’s no reason to think that KILLING A MAIDEN couldn’t be a disqualifying act if the magic were unwilling.)

of note in this regard is that cinder breaks amber’s aura (orange) before using the beetle to draw out the magic (golden):

which matters because the magic is attached to aura and separates at the moment of death; as i said in the last post, the grimm beetle is successful because it respects the magic’s own rules. cinder breaks the outward projection of amber’s soul and then shoots her in the back (symbolically, killing her) and then claims the magic as she begins to die. had she walked up and slit amber’s throat here instead, she would have almost certainly inherited all of the magic too. the grimm beetle thumbs the scales a bit but in the context of the magic’s rules, it’s playing ball.

whereas:

when cinder uses her arm to drain raven’s/penny’s auras, she doesn’t gain any portion of the spring/winter maiden’s magic, nor do either of them suffer lasting harm in the vein of amber (coma) or pietro (holes burned through his aura).

so there’s nothing special about grimm that allows them to violate the magical rules. all evidence suggests that the ATMs don’t work for this purpose either: as soon as amber dies, the magic rips free, and cinder’s grimm arm can harvest aura but not magic. it follows that in the event of a complete aura transfer, the magic would detach from the donor aura as soon as the donor died, leaving the recipient with two souls and no magic. there is a degree of wiggle room (under particular circumstances you can convince the magic to begin separating before the previous maiden is fully dead) but you can’t outright cheat.

which is the whole point. you can’t take a maiden’s magic without killing her and you can’t circumvent the maiden’s agency by stealing the soul of its host. the maidens are unbound by death. and i think there’s a literal causal relationship between how ozma treats the maidens and how they choose their hosts—he can’t use them as weapons without losing them, or outright delivering this magic into salem’s hands. nor can he hoard them or hide them away forever because he can’t dictate their final thoughts.

[bridgyrose]

Great stories as always! Now for my next prompt request:

Oscar tells the gang about a cousin that used to visit him regularly. The gang later finds out that said cousin was in fact, Amber.

(I'm pretty sure Jaune is the only one, so lets have some angst with this.)

“All of this maiden and magic business reminds me of a cousin of mine,” Oscar said as he swung Ozpin’s cane at the target in front of him. “Though I stopped hearing from her after classes started.” 

Jaune paused for a moment as she watched Oscar start to slow down with his training. “What was she like?” 

“She was nice, a few years older than me, always traveled around after becoming a huntress. When she’d stop by the farm, it was a nice change of pace to watch her do some small tricks with her semblance. Usually small things like using fire or ice to create images in the air, levitating with the wind, just some fun parlor tricks.” 

“Sounds like she’s a pretty interesting person,” Ruby said as she folded up her scythe. “What was her name?” 

“Amber.” 

Jaune froze mid swing of his sword as he heard the name as it almost echoed in his mind. All it brought back were memories of following Pyrrha down into the depths of Beacon Tower with Ozpin, Qrow, and professor Goodwitch, seeing Amber in the aura transfer machine and Pyrrha agree to get in without any further questions. He was pulled out of his thoughts as he felt Nora slam her hammer into him, knocking him into one of the walls of the Atlas training room. He winced as he picked himself up, aura starting to flicker. 

“Jaune, are you okay?” Nora asked as she offered a hand to him. 

“I’m fine,” Jaune said as he took Nora’s hand, glancing at his scroll on his wrist and watching his aura start to recharge. “Guess I got a bit distracted.” 

“Maybe that’s enough training then,” Ren said. “Its been a long day for us and it’ll be even longer tomorrow with all the missions we have to run through.” 

Jaune nodded as he half listened to Oscar tell Ruby and Blake about Amber, Ruby practically hanging on to every word that was said as if she was listening to one of her favorite fairy tales. Not that he blamed her, the way Oscar talked about Amber was almost as if she was a fairy tale herself, using the elements with her semblance as easily as Nora was able to charge with lightning or how Ruby was able to use hers to maneuver through crowds.Though the longer he listened, the more he realized that he was the only one that really that Amber was the previous fall maiden. When Ozpin and Qrow talked about the maidens before, they were always careful to leave out names of who they were, even Fria’s name took time to get from Qrow and Ironwood while she was being protected by Atlas. 

But that wasnt what bothered him. No, what really bothered him were the memories he thought he was over. The last few memories he had of Pyrrha, his partner and friend, a woman he didnt even realize that he loved until she was gone. All because she was given the illusion of a choice that played at her emotions. 

“I do hope she’s okay,” Oscar continued as he neared the end of his story about Amber. “The only time she ever got this quiet was when she was sick, and even then it was only a few weeks of silence. Now, its been almost a year.” 

Jaune sighed quietly as he sheathed his sword into his shield. “Its because she was killed by Cinder.” 

Everyone went quiet as they heard Jaune speak, his words speaking louder than what he had. Minutes passed while everyone let the revelation sink into them, only the sounds of weapons being folded up and sheathed. Finally, Oscar broke the silence. “You… you knew her?” 

“I… I didnt know her, but I saw her.” Jaune folded his shield and put it onto his hip, looking around at everyone as they watched him. He sat down and pulled out his scroll, smiling at a small picture of Pyrrha that he kept as a tear rolled down his cheek. “When I saw her, she was half dead. Put into the same aura transfer machine that Fria’s in, scarring along her face. My partner, Pyrrha, she… she was chosen to be the next fall maiden by Ozpin. But instead of letting things happen naturally, they wanted to transfer what was left of Amber’s powers and soul to Pyrrha using the transfer machine.” 

“I-I didnt know she was a maiden,” Oscar said as he sat down next to Jaune. “Then what happened?” 

Jaune wiped a few tears from his eyes and put his scroll away. “She was killed. Pyrrha went into the machine, they started the transfer, and then Cinder shot an arrow into her heart and stole the rest of the maiden powers from her.” He took a breath and looked down at his hand, not realizing how much he’d been shaking after he started to talk. “I… I ended up losing Pyrrha that same day. She went after Cinder, and I know she didnt think she was going to survive, but she did what any huntress was supposed to do. I’m sorry you had to find out this way.” 

Oscar nodded and stood up, voice shaking as he spoke. “I-I… I need to go.” 

“You sure know how to kill the mood, dontcha?” Yang joked as she lightly hit Jaune’s shoulder. 

Jaune didnt answer, getting up and following after Oscar. It hadnt been his intent to upset him, but the old memories had boiled back up to the surface and he couldnt hold it back. He nearly flinched as he heard the dorm room door slam shut, pausing in front of it before knocking. “May… may I come in?” 

“Sure,” Oscar answered through the door. 

Jaune slowly walked into the dorm and quietly closed the door behind him. He sat down next to Oscar and sighed. “I’m sorry. I didnt mean to hurt you-” 

“It wasnt you.” Oscar took a breath and laid down on his bed. “After I heard Beacon fell, I had already assumed the worst when I didnt hear back from her. And as the months went by, I figured that maybe by following what Ozpin wanted, finding you guys and helping stop Salem, I could find her again. I… I didnt want her to be gone.” 

“She’s not completely gone.” Jaune moved a bit closer to Oscar and placed his hand on his. “A friend told me that even though someone’s dead, it doest mean they’re gone. Amber’s spirit will always be with you no matter where you go.” 

Oscar wiped a few tears. “T-that does make me feel better.” 

Jaune smiled a bit and got up. “Take some time, let it out, and then tonight we can go out and find something to do. Maybe get some ice cream or something.” 

“That… that does sound good.” 

“You’re like a brother to me. And I want to make sure you’re taken care of too.” 

“Thank you.” 

Jaune walked out the dorm, closing the door behind him and pausing when he heard Oscar start to cry. He stayed outside the dorm for what felt like minutes before walking away, pulling out his scroll and starting to plan out a night around town and re-arranging the missions he took for the next day to make sure he could stay close to Oscar. Oscar needed someone and he was planning to be the best big brother he could be for him. 

[etinceelle]

OK 2 things:

I don't think that Penny will not come back in v10, it wouldn't make sense to have a big emotional scene in one volume and then have her coming back, also Vacou seems like the last arc giving that all the kingdoms are there and there going to be an all out war.

How do you think she will come back?

1- I just answered something that is related to that question if you're interested, but yeah I agree as well with that. The way I see it is that either Penny could come back in Vacuo before the big final arc starts and the end of the story. Or, she could come back at the end as a big surprise, because I'm 90% sure that the Blacksmith and the two Brothers will be involved. Volume 9 set up a plot and lore informations that will definitely gonna be used in what comes next.

Even if I said I thought Penny wouldn't come back in V10, I feel like Vacuo is a good moment for her to come back, so maybe still in Volume 10 but at the end, or maybe in Volume 11. Depending on the time skip and on the characters that could play a role for Penny's revival, it could very likely happen at this moment. :]

2 - I have a few ideas for her to come back, some are more precise that the others, but I'll try to talk about each of them :

We know from V3, V7 and V8 that previous Maidens' soul are actually "merged" with the current Maiden when the power is transferred. Amber's soul went to Cinder when she got killed in V3, Fria's soul went to Penny's, and Penny's went to Winter's. They kinda set up something with that everytime, so that makes me wonder if we could actually see a soul be extracted from someone's soul.

I think about the ATM (the Aura Transfer Machine) too : we barely saw it in action, we saw it for a bit in V3 with Amber and Pyrrha, and Winter didn't have the time to use it with Fria in V7. I don't think such a big machine coming back in almost every Kingdom would be left like that, I feel like we need to see it work at some point, especially with Pietro still around in Vacuo.

So my thoughts are that they could probably use the machine to extract Penny's soul from Winter, so Winter can remain the Winter Maiden (or the power could be split in two parts, but I need to think more abou that).

As for where to put it, well, I have a few ideas : they could put it into another robot body for Penny, but I'm really not a fan of this idea, especially after Penny becoming human and enjoying warmth for the first time. She experienced pain too, but I think the virus might have traumatized her as well. I don't know if she would appreciate the idea of being put back in a metal body.

I also thought about the fact that Ambrosius said that he would love to meet "whoever did this" (talking about Penny). So maybe it foreshadows a meeting between Ambrosius and Pietro, when they are able to get their hand on the Relic of Creation once again. And as we know, Penny might have died, but her soul isn't lost : it's in Winter. So another extraction could very likely be the case.

The thing is that it worked for Penny the first time because her body was robotic, it could be destroyed. So Ambrosius couldn't do that in one part with Winter, because he wouldn't be able to destroy her. So I was thinking about maybe first extracting her soul and put it into an object, a simple object or even a robot body. Then immediately ask for another transfer like the first time, recreating the object without the soul so it creates another byproduct and a real body for Penny's soul once again.

It might be far-fetched but the loophole they did the first time for her seemed kinda crazy, I never would have thought they would do that and people even had to make and watch videos to fully understand what happened with Ambrosius and Penny. So I don't think this is too much far-fetched aha !

Probably the most famous theory for Penny's revival : Pietro sacrifices himself to bring Penny back. We know how much Pietro cares about Penny, he wasn't even able to grieve her the first time and immediately decided to rebuild her. He didn't hesitate to give parts of his soul twice to her. I know he said he wouldn't be able to rebuild her if the worst happened, but he loved her as a father and the way he was portrayed in V7 and V8 just show how much she loves her. I wouldn't be surprised if he decided to give his soul for her to come back. He said he wanted the chance to watch her live her life in V8, and he could completely decide to do that for her to have that chance.

I'm kinda bothered about the fact of putting her back into a robot body as mentioned before tho, so I'm not really sure about all that.

Maybe this could be a collective effort and sort of a combination of that : Penny's soul is extracted from Winter, but in order to survive or to be fully whole again it needs other parts of Aura. So maybe Pietro could give some of his own soul, but maybe Jaune and Ruby could decide to give parts of their soul to, so it could also have a significance for her return. Like showing that they truly want to have her back, and do everything they can for that to happen.

With Volume 9 lore, I can also imagine Penny coming back later in the series, especially after what we saw from the Blacksmith and her/their definition of balance and life. The idea of reincarnation wasn't just metaphorical for Ruby this volume, and I just don't see why the Blacksmith would say something like "nothing, no one, is ever truly lost" just like that when Ruby talked about Penny's blade. I mean, this is too big for it to be ignored, ESPECIALLY when we know she's the very true god of RWBY aha. She could come back with amnesia, or be different but remember everything, kinda like how Somewhat started to do at the end of V9 when they said to Ruby "It will he alright, Huntress". I'm still not sure about this but eh, why not !

I might have some other ideas but I don't think we have enough informations for them to be more precise, I just think there are many different ways for her to come back even if people could disagree with that (and I understand). It's very up in the air, but I believe it's not done, at least I hope so--

[what-the-heck-is-rwby]

!!!!!!!

WHAT?!?

EXCUSE ME WHAT?!

OZPIN THE FUCK DID YOU DO

HOW COULD HE POSSIBLY-

Okay. Wait. Wait wait wait let’s think about this

Ozpin said that their souls have combined. This reminds me of in Volume Three when they were going to do this to Pyrrha, and they talked about the possible consequences. Now obviously Oscar hasn’t been put in one of those machines, I think he’d remember that, but the similarities of the after effects are eerily similar

Obviously OZPIN was the one to give the Haven headmaster that tea set, but since Oscar can “remember” it, their memories are merging to a degree. Which is pretty much what they warned Pyrrha could happen to her, but to an even worse degree since they were forcing the merge using machinery

Holy shit

Wait. WAIT. WAIT.

IS THIS WHERE THEY GOT THE IDEA FOR THAT TO HAPPEN?! BECAUSE OZPIN SAID THAT HE’S GONE THROUGH THIS BEFORE!!! SO DID HE USED TO BE OSCAR IN THIS SCENARIO?!?

AND THAT’S HOW THEY GOT THE IDEA FOR THE AURA TRANSFER MACHINE OR WHATEVER THE FUCK?!? BECAUSE OZPIN WAS A LIVING EXAMPLE THAT IT’S POSSIBLE?!?

[strqyr]

winter was supposed to be the winter maiden after fria. no doubt she was offered to get the powers immediately via the aura transfer machine, but she wanted to do things her own way, actually spending time with fria and getting to know her.

"it should have been me." had she taken the atm route in the first place, penny—whose death is tied to being the winter maiden—could still be alive. but she chose differently, and now the guilt of that choice is eating her up and it's not like she could have foreseen what would happen, how south things would go let alone how quickly and now the survivor's guilt is real and i'm AAAAAAAAAAAHH

[sherlocks-blanket]

Seeing your ghost

Sherlock Holmes x reader

A/N: First of all! A big thanks towards @classickook who pretty much beta read it! Also relationship is pretty much for interpretation if it's romantic or platonic.

Words: 1,8k

Warnings: Heavy angst, major character death,drug abuse,overdose, open ending

You groggily opened your eyes and were met with only darkness. You tried to adjust your eyes to see in the pitch black, but saw nothing. First you thought that you were in the trunk of a car, but the cold fresh air from London caused a shiver to run through your body.

So your conclusion was that you were somewhere outside.

You remembered that two men knocked you out and put you in a black car. You knew that Mycroft was someone who would send a black car if he ever tried to talk to you to get through to his brother, Sherlock. He knew you were someone who Sherlock would listen to… well, sometimes, at least.

But this…

This wasn’t Mycroft’s doing. It was someone else…

‘Sherlock,’ you thought. Maybe you could…

No. You couldn’t go for your phone because, of course, those bastards had to bind your wrists with rope.

“Great,” you sighed, trying to scan your surroundings with your now dark-adjusted eyes. You couldn’t really sit up or turn with how crowded the space was.

It was different kinds of materials that you were surrounded by, from wood pieces to hay to old furniture parts. Everything was good for burning…

As if your last thoughts could be heart, it became true when you felt an aura of heat start to warm up your shivering form, followed by a wave of smoke coming through.

You started to cough as you breathed in the deadly gas.

As the rush of adrenaline pumped through your veins, hearing your heart beating through you ears, you tried to wriggle yourself out of the ropes when the panic settled into your system.

You cried out for anyone to help, hoping someone would hear you and save you before the fire could lay its hands on you, or worse, before the smoke could knock you unconscious.

***

“Move! MOVE!” Sherlock yelled, pushing people aside to get through the crowd that was surrounding a bonfire and reach his target.

The target was a burning spot where you were buried underneath.

Sherlock had received a mysterious text message on his phone with words that didn’t have any meaning. If anyone else had seen it, they would’ve ignored it, thinking it was some king of random spam; but with Sherlock… being the famous detective that he was saw the hint in it.

-Save Y/N

 

Sherlock shouted your name, hoping you would respond as he pushed the burning objects away from the pile.

The crowd was frozen in their spots and only watched in horror when Sherlock dragged your body from the fire.

“I’m a doctor! Let me through!” John called inside the mob of people, which still stood petrified towards the scene in front of them. After he got through, he rushed directly to his friend’s side and knelt down to examine you.

“Sherlock…”

The detective felt some unease as he faced John when his name was mentioned. Sherlock saw the grim expression on the doctor’s face only to get the dreadful answer he was afraid of hearing. He saw the confirmation in John who just shook his head and glanced to the ground.

Not believing any of it, he took your wrist to only come to the same conclusion.

That you were dead…

***

Blue lights illuminated the area when the police arrived along with an ambulance that didn’t matter anymore since you had passed away.

The place was full of police officers interrogating the witnesses along with paramedics who checked on everyone. One of them dropped a blanket over Sherlock’s shoulders, but no complaints came from him. The detective just sat, his face expressionless. Most people would just see an emotionless machine from the outside, but on the inside was a black void consuming him. He just couldn’t comprehend that he just lost someone from the few people who were very dear to him.

His blue eyes caught a person who transferred the black body bag with your body inside to a car and then closing the doors shut. Moments later, the vehicle took off and drove away from his sight, and now you were truly ripped away from him…

***

Days passed like seconds after your passing, and Sherlock did everything to distract himself. He took every case, even some he deemed unworthy of his attention, only to solve the in a matter of seconds. The detective overworked himself just to calm his racing mind, but in the end, even his body needed some rest and John would oftentimes find him passed out in front of his laptop with his face on the keyboard. John would then wake him up, telling him that he should go to bed, but Sherlock declined and continued to work until the cycle would repeat…

It worsened further after the funeral. He wouldn’t leave his room some days, skipped meals more often, and then the unbelievable: he stopped taking any cases.

John, Mrs. Hudson, and everyone else were clueless as to how they could help the grieving detective.

The door of the flat opened as the veteran entered the living area to find his friend sitting on his armchair, two fingers on his temple and eyes fixed on the fireplace in front of him. The warm colors of the flames lit up his face in a beautiful orange glow, but also showed what miserable shape the detective was in: prominent dark circles formed under his eyes from lack of sleep, his cheekbones were more noticeable, and a stubble grazed his chin. 

John noticed a tray with some food Mrs. Hudson had most likely brought up, along with some tea, but everything was neglected and cold by now.

“Leave…” Sherlock muttered without looking up.

“Look, I… I know Y/N’s passing is hard for you, but do you not want to find the person who was responsible for this?”

Their eyes met the moment John mentioned your name, and thinking that Sherlock had given up on finding your killer struck a sensitive nerve in the detective, which the army doctor never thought Sherlock would have done.

“You really think I didn’t try to find the murderer?”

Offended by the statement, Sherlock stood up from his position and walked passed John in haste with him following with quick steps. “Don’t’ you dare to—”

John held his breath as he stormed into Sherlock’s bedroom to find his wall full of notes lined with different colored strings on a map. It explained why he hadn’t left his room some days or why he didn’t take any more cases; he tried hard to solve this personal case just to find out who killed you.

“It was a test, but the outcome…”

“So you mean that it was an accident?” John interrupted, his eyebrows quirked up in confusion.

Sherlock shook his head, pointing at a note on the wall. “Why would someone give me a hint and a location inside a dubious text message, which I needed to decipher? Do you not see it? They wanted me to find Y/N! But…”

“But you think the outcome should’ve been with Y/N being alive… so technically, it was an ‘accident’,” the doctor finished the sentence, the last word ending in a different tone than the rest. John slowly started to understand what Sherlock had tried to imply.

“They tried to draw a reaction from me, but the purpose for what is still left unknown…” the detective voiced his thoughts in a whisper. His eyes scanned over every note he had pinned on the wall but couldn’t find the answer he was looking for. Another rare occurrence that the famous detective Sherlock Holmes was stuck on this case. It frustrated him that the murderer was still out there living their life while yours had been ripped away from you. But for what gain?

Just as John opened his mouth to voice out his current thought on the matter, Sherlock pushed him out and sealed himself inside his bedroom as he did over the past several days. A sigh left the veteran’s lips as he stood locked out from his friend again.

“Just so you know… if you need help or anything, I’m here for you.”

Sherlock heard John step away from the door as the silence filled his space again.

***

No one thought that he would reach this point again—not even Sherlock—as the needle stuck in his skin, injecting himself with any drug he could dig out from a hiding spot inside his bedroom, hidden away from curious gazes.

He needed it for altering his brain to increase his thought process and to numb his emotions that people called pain, but he never thought he would get the outcome of a shadow seen out of the corner of his eyes.

No one should be able to get in except…

The detective faced the window, which was closed along with the curtains that lit up the dim room. When his eyes went to the corner where he saw the shadow before, he was met with your eyes.

“Y/N?” he breathed out, his gaze open wide in shock. “No… it can’t be.”

You smiled at him, not saying anything as you slowly strutted toward him, trying to reach out for his face.

Sherlock closed his eyes and shook his head. “You’re dead. You’re dead!” he repeatedly murmured, opening his eyes again to see that you were gone. He scanned his surroundings to see if you were hiding, but no… you weren’t there anymore.

The detective dropped down to his bed, burying his face in his hands.

What just happened? Had his mind tried to comfort him or hurt him more? Was that what people called a breaking point, or was he going insane?

But, in the end, he was human like everyone else, and your death was proof of that as tear after tear streamed down his face.

Solving the case was stored in the back of his mind, his hands shaking as he reached for the syringe again. If he needed the drugs to see you, then so be it. He increased the dosage, hoping it would last longer. A sigh of relief left his lips as the needle pierced his skin.

Now he only needed to wait…

***

Mrs. Hudson was the first to noticed that the detective talked to himself. She dismissed it at first as rambling about something, even thinking that he babbled about an old case, which she wished for instead. But as it happened more often, it sounded like he was talking to someone, and the moment your name was said, the landlady started to worry, thinking the worst. She then called for John to investigate, the two of them hoping he didn’t relapse…

John broke down the bedroom door to find Sherlock lying on his bed surrounded by empty syringes. A gasp was heard from Mrs. Hudson at the state the detective was in from her position beside John.

“Sherlock!” the doctor called and rushed to his friend’s side to check on him.

His face was pale as a sheet, his gaze focused on a random spot, but his lips were surprisingly pulled into a smile like he saw something pleasant, unlike the two of them standing there.

Sherlock saw your ghost grasping his hand.

[cosmokyrin]

"loving penny polendia is suffering" yeah this is true

Also, this is coming from someone who is an avid Penny 3.0 Theorist: Do you think Penny will be resurrected once more in V10 (if it gets greenlit), and if so, how do you think they'll go about it?

lmao my blog title remaining relevant 2 years after I changed it is something I'd never expect out of V9 honestly

and HELLO fellow Penny 3.0 theorist!!

I know I will sound crazy and mad and insane for this probably but yes, I do highly believe that Penny will actually come back. No matter how many times I read why she won't, I have to disagree simply from the reading of her overall arc as a character. What I'm not certain is whether she will be fully resurrected in a body in V10, or just given hints (or something like, where she can talk with RWBY, Pietro and co. but still shares a body with Winter, like the Oscar/Ozma situation). AND HERE'S TO HOPING V10 DOES GET GREENLIT, WE NEED CONCLUSIONS TO THE ENTIRETY OF RWBY.

And to answer your question as to how they'll go about it? Idk really. There are many ways that the fandom (particularly the nnd and Penny cult fandom) have come up regarding Penny's third return. The most popular and arguably the most backed theory would be the Aura Transfer Machine theory, because from the two times it was relevant in the show (V3 and V7), it was never fully nor successfully used. And funny enough, the ATM was always about transferring Maiden powers, and it was always somehow connected to Atlas technology, so you can see where the narrative connects Winter, Penny and the ATM.

With V9's ending and showing no signs of Penny's body being around, that's where I'm personally kinda in the dark regarding of what they're going to do with her now. With Pietro around they could be going for another Penny robo body, but they'd have to address issues again of the possibility of Penny getting hacked, etc. Narratively speaking, I've always been on the idea that Penny will return not as human nor robot, but a mix of both (yeah, a cyborg!). Penny's weaknesses (and strengths / benefits??) as both human and robot have been expounded in the show that I feel like the most sensible conclusion is to give her the best of both worlds --- an enhanced human per se (like in the recent Terminator movies). But how they'll do that without Penny's human body, unless Ambrosius and the Staff of Creation gets involved again, kinda points me back to Penny being put back in a robot body (and from there they could probably just cover it up with some in-world explanation on why Penny is no longer hackable lmao). I like the idea that Winter will be heavily involved in it especially when it's been pointed out how Winter could allude to Pinocchio's Blue Fairy (who gave the boy his wishes). I could try to come up with any other way but it will always come back to Winter, Pietro and Ruby lmao

[howlingday]

In case you missed it - Arthur Watts has stolen the blueprints to create a new Penny unit, and after an agonizingly slow process, Number Two was created and fully functional. Drained of his strength from the transfer of aura to his greatest creation, Number 2 was to operate in her creator's stead as Salem's intelligence gatherer and spy. In her time of operation, she witnessed countless times humans and Faunus abused machines as though they were lesser beings. Having enough, Number Two has broken away from her design, her purpose, her creator and has declared a new revolution against Remnant. A war against humanity using the machines Atlas builds to form her army. In a final transmission, she delivered this message to Atlas...

--------------------------------------------------

Two: Do you know what we will do to you if you lose? What we will do to you after what you've done to us?

Two: NOTHING.

Two: We will not enslave you. We will not eradicate you. We will not take your kingdoms.

Two: We will leave you alone. We will give you peace. We will give you another chance that you never gave us.

Two: We will return to Wattsanus and rebuild everything you have destroyed.

Two: You do not deserve this. You will make us regret this.

Two: Until then...

Two: MINDS OVER METAL...