#vytal festival

[bobauthorman]

All Sewn Up

I've seen some takes wondering why Cinder doesn't sew dust into her clothing the way she did in Volume 2. But during the Beacon Saga, Cinder only had half of the Maiden's powers. So of course she needed a little extra to help her out. And she couldn't use the dust-clothing combo again for when her team fought in the Vytal Festival, there would be too much of a risk of someone recognizing her. (Given that Ruby figured out Emerald made Yang flip just from Velvet's half-hearted testimony, that was smart)

And after Beacon, Cinder's got the full set of Maidenhood. So why would she need dust again? It's like how she doesn't use her Midnight weapon combo since becoming a Maiden- those were tools humans use to get by.

And Cinder doesn't want to be a weak human.

[etincelleart]

Random N&D thought that popped into my head recently: I feel like not enough people talk about how Pyrrha apologized *specifically* to Ruby for what happened in the tournament. Like even back then everyone could tell how much Penny meant to her and that is beautiful.

Yeah you're right, I rewatched Volume 3 one year ago but it's true that Pyrrha probably knew and saw how much Penny was important and a friend to Ruby at this time. Idk because she was probably too shocked too, but Pyrrha probably saw Ruby cry even from the arena. I'm glad this was a tiny "I'm sorry" but still it meant a lot because Penny was more than just a machine to Ruby ;;;;

[dyscomancer]

i love going back to vol. 3 of RWBY and watching the Vytal Festival fights. Neon really was zooming around Yang like "Nice tits, idiot" huh?

[itshaejinju]

Birds of a Feather - Chapter 1 (RWBY FanFic) 

A retelling from Season 3 to current season, with my OC Ambassador Violet Lee based off the Cheshire Cat. Trigger warnings for this chapter: none ||||| Content: OC is a Faunus, in a poly-relationship married to Qrow and dating James. OC is in later 30’s. I haven’t written anything to near completion in a long time, be nice.

Overlooking the expanse of the forest that surrounds the grounds of Beacon Academy from overhead gives the place a mystical appeal to it, like you would find a gingerbread house in the middle of it. Brushing off some dirt off my bare feet I looked over at the young woman sitting opposite of me. She is slender in full Atlas dress blues, her Special Ops insignia on her shoulder back straight gray blue eyes looking me up and down. 

The aircraft we were in was part of a team flying to Beacon in Vale, for the Vytal Festival hosted there this season. The festival is held every two years in a different kingdom, last time was in Mistral this year was for Vale where I had gone to school quite a few years ago now. The aircraft was very militant in design and comfort; the seats barely had any cushion to it, several attendants stood at either door making sure no one went to the front to bother the captain or in the back to bother the soldiers. 

“Traveling by foot isn't very dignified for an Ambassador of Atlas. . .” The woman spoke up, clearing her throat, breaking the silence.

“I was planting flowers along my way, that is all.” I said with a shrug, eyes flicking up to the front cabin door that opened revealing a tall broad shoulder man.

“Ambassador Lee, we can't have Atlesian Ambassadors walking. . .barefoot to Beacon, how would we look if we allowed that?” The tall man asked, a chuckle barely noticeable escaping his thin lips. His military outfit fit him snugly showing the well built frame the twin pistols at his side glistening in the early afternoon light. 

“General Ironwood. . .you know I do not like to abuse your gratitude towards me, your favoritism to me is way too generous.” 

“Tea?” General Ironwood asked, signaling to a drink cart. 

“Yes please, I would enjoy a nice cup.” I answered, smiling at him, brushing a few strands of light purple hair out of my eyes. 

The attendant that was standing at the cart was confused as Ironwood picked up a tea cup and started to prepare a cup of tea. Their eyes flickered to the woman then to me in their confusion why the General was prepping tea instead of ordering them to do so. Ironwood warmed the cup, dumping out the water while browsing through the offerings of tea, selecting a white tea he placed the sachet in the cup slowly pouring water on it. Adding a sugar cube and gently stirring it in the cup he brought over the cup with a few strawberry flavored wafers to go along with it. 

“Just as you like it, Vi.” He said softly, our fingers brushing against each other as I took the cup from him. 

“Thank you James, I appreciate it.” I said locking eyes with him, giving him a smile. “I'm assuming your guard dog is a Schnee.” 

“Yes, Winter Schnee is my head of Special Ops. Winter Schnee, this is Ambassador Violet Lee, she is the one who started the Human/Faunus Relations program.” 

“I just gave birth to the idea, others funded it and General Ironwood was so courteous to allow it to be placed in Atlas.” I said modestly, there was more to it than that but I didn't feel like going into the vast details. 

“I'm aware of Ambassador Lee's feats with the Faunus, she has done a lot from what I've heard.” Winter replied, signaling to the attendant for an refreshment for herself. 

“Is your visit to the Vytal Festival work or pleasure?” Ironwood asked, taking the seat next to me, angling to keep his attention on me leaning back in the chair, long legs stretched out before him. 

“Both as usual. I'm doing an assessment of the Festival making sure it's compliant to Faunus treatment regulations of the vendor workers and to watch my nieces.” 

“I have a few meetings myself but care to join me in my private box to watch some of the events?” Ironwood asked. 

“Of course I will join you.” 

“Prepare for landing sequences.” A voice said from the speaker above our heads.

Down on the ground at a bar just outside the festivities, a place that is normally fairly busy but with the Vytal Festival going it had only one patron going steady on drinks. The TV above the bar was broadcasting what was going on in the stadium, the sole patron was absentmindedly watching the screen while sipping the hard liquor. The bar itself was a traditional looking bar, booth seating, open dining seating heavily curtained windows with dim lighting surrounding the main bar area. This was a cleaner bar than most that patrons normally goes to but not by much, his long lanky frame was hunched over the shot glass, the large sword resting on his back glinting slightly in the dim light. 

“Now that was a match!” The bartender exclaimed as Team RWBY won the match, as the results scrolled across the bottom of the screen. 

“Heh, that was a mess.” The patron said with a slight slur the booze was already working its magic on him. 

“Come on man, you didn't like them, the Vale kids, or any of the rounds before that? What fight are you here for?” The bartender asked in an exacerbated tone, this man had to be crazy to have not thought these fights had been amazing. 

The patron scoffed, as he heard a loud whirring overhead turning to his left to the only exposed window, the one next to the door a large fleet of airships came into view. Large silver ships with elegant ribbons flowing behind them as they made their way towards the school just past the stadium.

“That one.” He answered, finishing his shot, pulling out a few Lien to pay off his tab. 

Getting to his feet with a slight wobble, a casual hand waving back, “happy Vytal Festival.” 

As he closed the door he heard the shatter of a glass and a soft exclamation of “oh no” from the bartender as he looked towards the horizon for the ships. 

As the airship landed I stood up unwrapping my long tail from my waist I adjusted my skirt a little looking up to General Ironwood. The attendants were moving around taking things back to their proper spot, alerting the back hatch for the soldiers to leave and opening the exit door for us. Winter stood at the door as the first soldier exited her eyes were on Ironwood and myself for the whole time wary of me. I gave her a brief smile attempting to put her at ease. 

“Would you like me to escort you to the fairgrounds before my meeting?” James offered as we walked down the steps out of the airship.

“Yes you may.” 

Winter followed behind us a good ten paces as the soldiers and attendants filled to their assigned locations to watch over. The grounds looked amazing. The rustic appearance of the Beacon has always made me feel warm and happy. There were many festive balloons and signs welcoming people to the vendor strip and food stalls. There were demonstrations about weapons, dust, armor, accessories and tech from all over Remnant. Ironwood offered an arm for me, I snaked my left arm in with his as he guided me down the path towards the entrance. 

My outfit was not my normal Ambassador outfit but my Huntress outfit with my Ambassador Insignia over my heart. I wore a black skort with dark purple shorts underneath, a black tank top with my crest on my back, and a playing card with the letter 10/6 on it. I had a pair of worn arm and shin braces on me, normally I would have a dusty pair of leather boots on but lately I've been prone to going barefoot. 

The food stalls were cooking fresh food constantly to meet the demands, it was such a lovely smell, I could smell fried chicken, baked breads, sweet fruits making me remember the tea was the only food I had today. There was many vendors with their wares around us as Ironwood surveyed the area, looking for threats as I was looking for things to buy. 

“This is as far as I can go, my dear. I must make my meetings.” 

“Thank you James. I will text you later, okay?” I said looking up at him giving him a smile.

I had known James Ironwood for a long time, we had dated when we had been younger but now we were just friends. I am married to someone else now. I knew he still had deep feelings for me still. He gave my arm a gentle squeeze, “please take care of yourself, don't get into trouble.” 

“I never get in trouble, it just follows me.” I laughed as I gripped his left hand, squeezing it. 

I turned, giving Ironwood a smile and a wave as I headed towards the bar, making it down a side path of the vendors.  There were only five vendors and two food stalls that were registered with Faunus, it took a moment for me to find all the locations on the pamphlet map I had. In my position at the Consulate I had a lot of free range on what I wanted to do mainly because I was the only member that was also a Huntress and had James Ironwood's favor. I still of course had to work with my other ambassadors as there were six others who worked in unison on big projects for all of Remnant and we all had small projects we worked on without interjections from others. It was true I had the idea for it, to work with Menagerie and any other Faunus Colonies and individuals to help get more fair treatment. It wasn't something I had wanted to do when I was younger but after a big event in my life that changed how I saw life I wanted to do something more for my fellow Faunus. 

I spoke with each Faunus at the vendors asking them a series of polling questions making sure they were being treated fairly and paid well for their time. Vale was one of the higher ranked places for Faunus to live and work in, though there were still a lot of improvements to be made. The weather was warm out, it was starting to move into summer that is for sure as the afternoon heat was making me sleepy. 

“A nap would be lovely. . .” I mused but it was too noisy for a good nap, a few good napping spots but too noisy. 

“Gah! Well if you were hungry, why didn't you say so?” A loud familiar voice shout out as I was walking away from the last vendor. 

“Come on! I know just the place.” Another familiar, huskier voice called out.

“Ruby – Yang?” I called out as I moved past some Atlesian Knights to see a group of children. 

There were four girls, two I recognized as my nieces and two others that must had been their teammates. A girl with long black hair with a bow on top, a black and white outfit, a slender look of her and the other girl clearly was a Schnee by her long silver white hair in a ponytail with a blue silver outfit. I had made it a point to know the Atlesian family of importance as an Ambassador based in Atlas. It was wise. 

“Aunt Violet!” Both Ruby and Yang called out rushing towards me pulling me into a hug, nearly crushing the wind out of my lungs. 

“Hey girls, I'm so glad to see you. I heard you won your match, I won't miss the next match. I was a little late getting here.” 

The young Schnee pulled out her scroll glaring at the readout, ignoring it and shoving it back into her pocket as they came closer to us. 

“So these are your teammates, I assume.” I asked, looking at the two other women, giving me a nervous smile. 

“Yes, we have Weiss Schnee and Blake Belladonna.” Yang explained pointing at each one. 

“Any relation to Ghira Belladonna?” I asked Blake, “I'm an Ambassador for Human and Faunus relations in Atlas. I recently visited Menagerie on opening some trade routes.”

“Ah – yes he's my father.” She said almost nervously.

I understood her hesitation, as a Faunus myself I knew sometimes it wasn't safe to broadcast your Faunus self. 

“No need to worry I will not call you out on anything, I understand the need for anonymity sometimes.” I said in a hushed voice.

“Oh I know exactly the place.” Yang said looking over to her right at a stall that advertised fresh noodles. “Care to join us Aunt Vi?” 

“Sure, I am free for the rest of the day.” 

“Hey! Might be hard to eat without this.” A voice called out, turning I saw a dark skinned woman with light green hair holding a bright red wallet. 

“No, no, no, no!” Ruby shouted frantically looking for her wallet, patting all over her body for it. 

“Good to see you, Ruby.” The green hair youth said, chuckling, handing it towards Ruby. 

“Oh! Thanks, Emerald! Oh. Guess I dropped it. Girl pockets are the worst!” Ruby said defeated, slouching a little at the shallow pockets of her tactical-skirt.

“What's up, Em?” Yang asked, giving her a casual wave. 

“Just left the stadium after your amazing fight! You guys were awesome!” Emerald said excitedly, a bright smile on her face. 

“Oh, shut your stupid little face...” Ruby said blushing, looking away having a hard time accepting the compliment. 

“I heard your team progressed to the next round too.” Blake commented, speaking over Ruby. 

“You know, I feel that we haven't seen your other teammates.” Weiss commented looking around for the three others in the team, they only saw them all together when they first arrived. 

“How'd they do in the fight?” Yang questioned. 

Emerald tilted her head a little in thought, contemplating the match her team had previously. I moved to Ruby, my eye wandering to the only other person with her, a tall lanky male with dark hair. Something was familiar about him but I couldn't place it.

“Really well.” Emerald finally answered with a smug look on her face. 

“That's great. Uh. Why don't we all go and get a victory food together?” Ruby asked, looking up at me then back to Emerald. 

“More the merrier,” I added. 

“Oh, gosh, that's so nice of you, but my teammates are all kind of...” She turns to her partner, giving him a semi-disgusted look. “...introverted. Really socially awkward”

The male was looking at a nearby vendor that was selling boots and other leather goods, inspecting the boot reeling back with a confused look at the bad smell. Placing the boot back down looking towards Emerald confused by her look.

“Ooh, yeah, I could see that.” Yang said with a chuckle. 

“Oh yeah, looks like Merc and I are going to move on to the doubles round. What about you guys?” Emerald asked switching subjects, a curious tone in her voice. 

“Well, as the leader of this team, I thought long and hard about this decision.” Ruby said proud of herself, hands on hips. 

“We put it to a vote.” Weiss said matter of factly, leaning into Ruby. 

“Yes, so, but I decided that we should put it to a vote.” Ruby pouted.

“We voted for Weiss and Yang.” Blake answered. 

“I will happily represent Team RWBY.” Weiss answer, giving a small curtsy as she did. 

“Yeah, we're going to kick some butt!” Yang said excited, pounding her fist together, ready for the next battle. 

“Well, if Mercury and I see you down the line, don't think we'll go easy on ya.” Emerald said with a confident laugh. 

“Wouldn't have it any other way.” Yang responded, sounding so much like her mother to me. 

“Alright, well we're going to catch some more fights.” Emerald said, turning away and heading towards her partner. 

“Have fun!” Ruby said happily as Yang led us to the noodle shop. 

“See you later!” Emerald said her back to us now heading towards the stadium. 

“I'll have a bowl of the regular, please.” Yang ordered, as she sat down looking at the elderly shopkeeper, a happy smile on her face. 

I sat myself down in between my nieces, as the others sat down at the other free spots. There was no menu so to speak of, there were noodles three ways with a garlic sauce, fish and plain. Curling my tail around my waist as I placed my Scroll on the table looking for some text messages but still none, which I felt was a bit strange. I was waiting for an important one. 

“Ooh. . . I'll take the same.” Ruby said her eyes were large upon looking at Yang's bowl placed in front of her. 

“Anything spicy?” I asked, I enjoyed spicy foods and loved to try local cuisine. 

The shopkeeper gave me a slow blink and slid a bowl of the garlic noodles towards me quickly. I shrugged amicably, grabbing a pair of chopsticks digging into the large bowl. I hadn't eaten yet today, got sidetracked with some other projects and forgot. The garlic was strong with a hint of honey. They smelled like it was freshly made. 

“Do you have anything with a low-salt. . .?” Weiss asked with a bit of a concern with the huge portions, the same size bowl of noodles was slammed down to her. “Um. . . okay. . .”

Instead of saying anything, Blake just gives the shopkeeper a nod and smile who smiles back and rushes to the back door of the stall. In a moment he has a large bowl of noodles with fish on top of the noodles, head and all. Blake looks excitedly at the noodles, drooling a little at the massive mound of food. Weiss gives her a strange look, as she digs out her family credit card to hand over to the shopkeeper. The silver card glimmered in the light as the shopkeeper took it from her to ring up the meals. 

“Aw, Weiss! What's the occasion!?” Yang called out with a mouthful of noodles. 

“Consider it thanks for sending me to the doubles round.” Weiss said a pleased look on her face that was immediately ruined as the credit card was tossed back at her and an annoyed look on the shopkeeper's face, the register flashing, declined. “What?! How can my card be declined? I was barely into my monthly allowance!”

Blake looks a bit panicked as the shopkeeper glares at Weiss, as if to take the food back, I let out a soft sigh as I reach for my over the shoulder purse, pulling out a card. 

“I will cover it, don't worry.” I said handing over my Consulate card that had the Atlesian crest on it. 

As the shopkeeper rang up the purchase, a group came up to us, two males and two females. I recognized one of the females as Pyrrha Nikos who was the current spokesperson for Pumpkin Pete's cereal and a winner of several tournaments that happened in Argus that made her rather famous. I had attended a gala that she was at recently that was trying to open up the trade routes further in from Atlas to Argus. The others I didn't recognize were a shorter girl with pink hair, a large hammer at her side, a tall slender built male with long black hair, a calm serene look about him along with a stocky built blond male who looked very friendly. 

“Mind if we join you?” The blond male asked, his voice friendly and reassuring. 

“Hi, Jaune, of course you guys can!” Ruby said, pointing at the other four free spots. 

“This is our Aunt Violet, she's married to our Uncle Qrow, she's a huntress and. . .” Ruby started to explain. 

“And Ambassador to Atlas.” Pyrrha finished recognizing me. “Hello Ambassador Lee.” 

“Oh Auntie you're famous.” Ruby laughed. “I guess you know Pyrrha, but there is also Jaune Arc, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie. They make up Team JNPR.” 

“Nice to meet you all, yes I'm an Ambassador for Human and Faunus relations in all of Remnant.” 

We chatted casually for a bit as we ate, soon everyone was full to the brim either feeling a bit nauseous or heaving a happy sigh. 

“Are you sure it's wise to have eaten before a fight?” Ren asked, looking over at Pyrrha. 

“Of course! It will give us energy!” Pyrrha said excitedly as the shopkeeper cleared all of our bowls in a single sweeping motion, cleaning them quickly as he dished them out.

“I barf, I'm blaming you.” Jaune moaned, leaning against the table, resting his head down looking a bit green at the cheeks, as Nora burped loudly. 

“Ooh!” Nora said with an evil grin on her face. “Aim at the enemy!”

“Nora, that's disgusting. But if you feel the urge. . .” Ren admonished Nora, but shrugged his shoulders. 

“Got it.” Jaune said weakly with a thumbs up. 

“Well, we should be off.” Pyrrha said, getting up from her seat, looking at her teammates with a motherly-like smile. 

“So, you think you guys are ready?” Ruby questioned her friends. 

“Of course! We've got a world-renowned fighter on our team, one's basically ninja, I can bench five of me, Jaune, we trained all year, our weapons are awesome, Glynda barely yells at us anymore, and uh... Jaune!” Nora said excitedly gesturing to her teammates. 

“Are you gonna take that?” Ren asked, prodding him a little. 

“She's not wrong.” Jaune replied in a slight dejected tone.

“I'm kidding, he knows I'm kidding.” Nora started. “Don't be so nervous! The worst that can happen is we lose, that is just a few more years of walking around school with everyone knowing we're failures, our friends will slowly abandon us to preserve their social status, we won't be able to show our faces in class, no one will sit with us in the cafeteria, Ren and I have no parents, we have no home left to go to, we'll be officially renamed Team Lose-iper!” Nora finished with maniacal laughter as she started to spiral down. 

“So, yeah, we're feeling pretty good.” Ren surmised confidently. 

“Don't fret. If anything, we should be looking forward to a fight with actual guidelines, and not, well. . .murderers.” Pyrrha said with a slightly nervous tone to her voice trying to quell that nervousness.

“Yeah, don't sweat it, we've all faced way worse before.” Yang said confidently trying to boost their morals. 

“Let's see. Grimm invasions, violent extremists, a destructive sociopath...” Blake said counting off the incidents on her fingers. 

“Um, please remind me to ask about those stories later. . .” I directed that question to Ruby and Yang. 

“And that's all while were still in training! Oh, imagine what it would be like to graduate!” Ruby added. 

“Maybe then I'll be able to pay for a meal.” Weiss said a little rejected still over the declined card. 

“Would Team JNPR please report to the battlegrounds immediately!” A voice over the loudspeaker called out. 

“Yes! Like they were scheduled to, several minutes ago!” Another voice joined in after the first one finished. 

“Well, it looks like this is it.” Pyrrha said, ushering the other teammates away. 

“Go get 'em!” Ruby shouted, cheering them on. 

“Good luck.” I said as they left. “Well kiddos I must leave. I have to find my husband and want to watch a few matches myself.” 

I leaned over giving Ruby and Yang both hugs as I got up pulling out my scroll checking for messages again. Shaking my head I opened the text messaging app, tapping up a quick message , 'did you make it to the Vytal Festival? I've already seen Ruby and Yang already. I'm going to be watching a few matches.' 

At the entrance of the stadium I handed the usher my ticket. They wrapped a bracelet on my hand allowing me entrance. The stadium was the Amity Tower stadium, state of the art technology and a massive amount of seating available. I have seen the stadium before. It was a neat feat of tech, the battlegrounds were digital that could change to simulate a wide variety of terrain. It was all randomized for each battle, so it could be sometimes favorable for both teams or just one or none at all. Weather was also included and hazards there was a similar stadium in Atlas at the academy used for training. Finding a free seat I sat down, checking my scroll again I could tell he had read my message and the pop up bubble of a message being typed. 

'I'm here too, sorry I got distracted by your ride. Have a few things to report to Ozpin, have you reported to him yet? I could wait for you?'

'No I haven't yet, going to meet up later. I wanted to watch a few matches first.' 

I along with my husband Qrow did work for the Headmaster of Beacon Academy. It was a secret to most people of Remnant. I had very little to report to him, another reason why I wanted to wait a little. It wasn't like I was going to be punished, it was just that I felt like I needed to give more. But my current task from him was rather stale at the moment. I watched Team JNPR win their battle, they were a bit sloppy in their communication with each other but they had potential. I could see it. As they filled out of the grounds and the system refreshed itself to start new for the next set of teams getting ready to go out on the field. The screens above were showing a commercial right now, there were some robots on the field clearing out any debris. 

I started to look around at the people in the stadium. There were a lot of civilians, young and old. There was also a decent number of hunters and huntresses that were in the area that attended. Most hunters visit for a match or two and watch the rest on their scrolls as most are busy dealing with Grimm. I haven't seen a full Vytal Festival since the one I had attended many years ago, I generally get to watch a few matches and head back on the road. A figure stuck out to me, stopping staring at them. Their outfit was out of place there mannerisms more so. They weren't acting like other viewers, hunter or civilian, they were a Faunus with small antlers, I couldn't shake that there was something different out of place about them. A person walking past them to head to the bathrooms bumped them a little, making them shake their head in annoyance exposing the back of their neck with a small tattoo showing. Had I not had my Faunus eyesight I probably wouldn't have spotted the tattoo as it was small but the symbol I recognized clearly, the White Fang. 

“Scouts. . .” I whispered under my breath, slowly getting to my feet so as to not alert anyone. 

Why would White Fang Scouts be here if not for something malicious? Sure the White Fang that resided in Menagerie was your typical protest group, they had a sound reason for what they did and did well at being rebellious and prove a point. Hence why my people at the Consulate have been working on small projects with them to help better their image and lessen the violent protests. There was a branch of the White Fang that wasn't working with the Consulate, or with the main branch at all was a rebel group. Adam Taurus was the leader of the branch and has caused a lot of bad name for the White Fang outside of Menagerie as of late. I have learned from the current leader of the White Fang, Sienna Khan about the scouts and how they tend to show up before attacks. They find all the weak points, exits and news to report back to the group before the attack. 

I need to alert Ozpin about this now, moving swiftly out of the stadium I made it to Beacon Academy up the hill. I didn't bother to call on my scroll. I didn't want anyone in the crowd to over hear me and start any panic. With this many people anything that sparked fear would ensue a Grimm attack and we didn't need that. Once I got past the other vendor hallway to the path that led to the school, I picked up my pace and remembered my way to Ozpin's office easily. I spent quite a bit of time there during my years of school at Beacon. 

Winding my way up the steps to his office, did the White Fang want to ambush the stadium to incite a riot? Qrow had told me that they had been doing more attacks in Vale as if to concentrate attacks there more than their typical scattered way of attacks. My tail swishing behind me as I made it up the steps to the hallway that led to his office at the end, I shook my head trying to rid the thoughts of the consequences of an attack here at the school with so many people so many Grimm would be here. A few steps before the door to Ozpin's office I heard a jumble of voices loud and upset. 

“But sir!” A female spoke loudly and defiantly.

“Winter. Leave.” Came General James Ironwood's voice, deep and booming. 

“Yes sir.” I heard Winter say stiffly the door opening her eyes going wide to see me about to get to the door. 

“Ambassador Lee, this might not be the best time. . .” She said, looking back at Ironwood and the others. 

“Ambassador Lee, please come in.” Ozpin said, ushering me inside.

“Go on.” Ironwood gestured to Qrow. 

“Your little infiltrator isn't just another pawn. They're the one responsible for Autumn's condition.” Qrow said, taking a sip from his flask as I went to stand beside him, my tail wrapping around his waist gently.

“What?” Glynda Goodwitch asked, shocked in her voice. 

“Despite what the world thinks, we're not just teachers, or Generals, or Headmasters. The people in this room, the leaders of the other two academies we're the ones that keep the world safe from the evils no one even knows about.” Qrow said forcefully pulling away from me getting into Ironwood's face. “It's why we meet behind closed doors, why we work in the shadows. So you tell me, James, when you brought your army to Vale, did you think you were being discreet, or did you just not give a damn!”

“Discreet wasn't working. I'm here because this is what was necessary.” James said firmly placing his scroll on Ozpin's desk, a projection of the fleet he brought with showing. 

“You're here because Ozpin wanted you here! He made you a part of this inner circle and opened your eyes to the real fight that's in front of us!” Qrow responded angrily. 

“And I am grateful.” Ironwood responded diplomatically. 

“Oh, well, you've got a real funny way of showing it.” Qrow scoffed.

“May I interject. . .?” I pipped up trying to find a spot to speak about the scouts. 

“The people of Vale needed someone to protect them; someone who would act. When they look to the sky and see my fleet, they feel safe, and our enemies will feel our strength.” Ironwood spoke over me, angered by Qrow's comment. 

“You. . .You think they're scared of your little ships? I've been out there and I've seen the things she's made, and let me tell you – they are fear.” Qrow said threateningly. 

“And fear will bring the Grimm. A guardian is a symbol of comfort. But an army is a symbol of conflict. There's an energy in the air now, a question in the back of everyone's minds. . .” Ozpin said, gesturing to the holographic display. "If this is the size of our defenses, then what is it we're expecting to fight?"

“So then, what would you suggest we do?” James asked, as he picked up his scroll not noticing the slight glitch in the display, a momentary picture of a chess piece showing up and disappearing. 

“I suggest we find our guardian. What is it that you have to say, Ambassador Lee?” Ozpin asked, looking up at me peering at me over the rims of his glasses holding a cup of tea. 

“White Fang Scouts are here, Qrow is right about the broken faction of White Fang and their increased robberies lately.” 

“Violet, how do you know this? Have you been working with Ozpin too?” Ironwood asked, staring down at me a bit bewildered as I kept what I did with Ozpin a complete secret. 

“It doesn't matter how long I've worked with Ozpin. On my recent trip to Menagerie I spoke with the head of the White Fang – the good part, I learned how they identified the Scouts. I know they didn't come to just innocently watch the festivities, we need to take action.” I said turning from James to Ozpin. 

“What do these Scouts look like?” Qrow asked, grabbing my hand holding it tightly as to reassure me that things will be okay.  

“They generally have tattoos on the back of their neck. It's a faint tattoo but it's a three claws most human eyes can't catch it easily. Like my back stripe tattoo.” 

“Well good thing I don't always have human eyes.” Qrow said, leaning into my eyes steady on James as he placed a kiss on my temple. “I'll search for more. I'll be back shortly.” 

“I'll get the drones to search for them as well.” James said, pulling out his Scroll and sending a message to the drones. 

“Ozpin, sir the White Fang will attack soon, most likely tomorrow from what I have learned about the faction. Their work lately is abnormal for their normal routine. I feel the group they are working with is working with Her.” I voiced my opinion to Ozpin. 

“I understand your view Violet, I appreciate the information but I think what we are doing now will be the best course of action. I'll be making a choice for a new maiden here soon. I suggest in the meantime keep a vigilant eye out for scouts and make sure not to cause a scene with any if possible. We do not want any Grimm crashing the festivities.” Ozpin advised me. 

“Violet, my guards and Qrow have everything under control. How about you join me for dinner as the last of today's events have finished. In the morning you can do a round with me and join me in my private box.” James offered holding out a hand for me, a soft smile on his face. 

“I must decline, James. I appreciate the offer, I truly do but I have a few interrogations of my nieces I must make. Their extra curricular activities make me worry.” I politely answer by putting him down gently, giving him a smile. “But I will join you tomorrow in your private box, please make sure to have some ice tea there. For me it's supposed to be a warm day.” 

“I will make sure there is a variety to choose from for you my dear.” James said with a smile, placing a hand on the small of my back as he led me out of the room. 

After spending an hour with Ruby, listening to the events she dealt with the last few months dealing with the White Fang and this man called Roman Torchwick it was very clear Qrow was onto something with them. I've heard of the name Torchwick before he was a rather low level smug con artist. What was he doing jumping up to big time stuff? Ruby and I sat on the steps of the school watching the sun set each with a mug of tea for myself and a mug of hot chocolate for her listening to the murmur of people enjoying the band playing in the fairgrounds as they closed up for the night. She had grown a lot since I last saw her only months before she had started school. There was a lot of her that was like her mother which made me miss Summer. She was a good friend of mine before she passed. 

“So I've told you what I've been up to Auntie, what about you? Still love my Uncle Qrow?” 

“Yes I still love him very much.” I laughed, looking at the simple wedding band on my finger, we didn't do anything fancy. “I have been focusing more on my Ambassadorship than anything. Of course I still hunt Grimm as I go from place to place working with the Faunus. I fought this Giant Ursa recently it was terrorizing this small farm, I don't think I've seen one that big before but I defeated it.” 

“Of course! Beat it with girl power.” Ruby said with a smile. 

“And a little bit of steel.” I said with a smirk. 

“Ah look, here are two of my favorite ladies in all of Anima.” Qrow said, appearing out of the shadows sauntering over to us. 

“Hey husband.” I said getting to my feet, Qrow pulled me into a hug nuzzling his nose into the crook of my neck taking in a deep breath, I wrapped my arms around him holding him tight. 

“Everything is okay, I spotted the Scouts there were six and the drones took them away sneakily.” He whispered in my ear.

“That's good.” I said leaning back, planting a kiss on his lips, ignoring the disgusted groan from Ruby. 

“You'll find someone you want to kiss each time you see them one day.” Qrow teased Ruby, ruffling up her hair as he helped her to her feet. 

“Staying out of trouble Uncle Qrow?” 

“Reasonably. It's getting late for you, pipsqueak head to bed.” Qrow admonished fatherly looking at the clock on the tower as it was nine at night. 

“But I'm not tired. . .” Ruby whined. 

“I'll bring a good breakfast to the dorms if you go to sleep.” I offered her a smile. 

“Oh I request waffles, with extra syrup, coffee and bacon!” Ruby demanded taking the empty cups and heading up the steps. “Good night!” 

“How do you plan to make that in a crummy hotel room we are staying in?” Qrow asked as he wrapped an arm around my waist. 

“Let me work my magic, it will happen. Let's go to bed ourselves.” 

It was Qrow's turn to pick a place for us to meet up and stay, with our jobs we don't get to see each other often as stuff he does for Ozpin and what I do for Ozpin also keep us in different directions. My Ambassador work keeps me on the move as well, so we made plans to visit each other as often as possible. We try to meet up each month for a few days. We've been married for a while now and still deeply in love despite what hardships we've come across so far. Qrow's Semblance made things hard for us to be together sometimes and some of the strife it has caused us made it tenuous but we still managed to be with each other. We had our own home in Patch not far from Tai Yang's spot that we visit sometimes when we want to take long breaks that we had other plans for at one point in life. On a normal day we would call and text each other making sure to keep contact so we never really felt like we had been gone from each other for long. 

In the hotel room we both checked the room for weak spots, making sure the windows were locked and covered. It was common for Hunters to check over a room they rented because it was a dangerous life and bandits carried grudges often and even safe as Vale it was important to check. Especially with the Scouts being caught. Plopping on the bed after removing my armor and daggers, placing my bag on the nightstand I looked up at Qrow. He looked tired, a little tipsy but still very handsome, pulling off his jacket, his soft red eyes looking down at me and he smiled. 

“I missed you my love.” He said in a soft alluring voice, flopping onto the bed beside me resting his head on my lap kicking off his boots. 

“I missed you too.” I said warmly gently, poking the tip of his nose. 

Slowly started stroking his thick black hair, there were some soft graying streaks starting at the temples that made him more distinguished and handsome. His hair was soft like crow downy feathers, he murmured happily enjoying the feeling of me stroking his hair. Our eyes locked as he stared into my light purple eyes, he reached a hand up cupping the side of my face just enjoying the simple touch of each other. 

It felt like it had been a year since we saw each other last but it hadn't, sometimes it was too hard being away from each other and unable to actually work together due to our responsibilities and his Semblance. His Semblance was Misfortune causing bad luck to follow him, he could control it to a certain degree and influence it some but it was hard for him to do so. That is why sometimes it was easier for him to be drunk; it help dull the Semblance and not be too powerful. It caused a lot of issues for us when we were younger because we wanted to be together despite what his Semblance could do to us as the longer you are around him the more things happen and the bigger they are. But we grew up and learned that we could have a meaningful relationship and not always be together, it still made hard bouts of depression around for us from time to time. Sometimes it made it feel unreal like we were kidding ourselves but we did what we could do to stick together. Qrow did not like talking about his Semblance and didn't want anyone who didn't need to know about it to know, so I always respected it as a lot of people questioned our marriage. I often squash their antiquated views as we are just fine. 

I moved my hands down to start and massage his temples and neck, Qrow let out a heavy sigh and a please look on his face. Resting a hand on his stomach with the other hand reaching out for my tail, Qrow gently stroked my tail which felt so relaxing after the stressful month. I normally didn't like my tail played with but Qrow gently stroking my tail could stop me from a tirade and bring me to a calm demeanor in moments. We were both so blissful from these simple acts of love to each other, enjoying the silence between us. A moment with no Grimm, no hundred of miles between us, no work just the two of us enjoying being in each other's presence. 

There was a soft snore as Qrow breathing started to slow down as he fell asleep with his head in my lap, his hand just gently holding my tail. I smiled down at him, I never held it against him for any drinking, I didn't love that he had to drink to manage his Semblance but it was too much to control and do what he did as he said. I wished he could do without the drinking but I never pushed it. I pulled off the spare blanket placing it over the top of him tucking him in, reaching up I grabbed a pillow placing it under his head. I curled up beside him pulling the other blanket around me as I rested my head on the side of his chest for a comfortable spot to sleep. 

By morning somehow we were both under the blankets curled up with each other, most likely Qrow woke up in the middle of the night and rearranged us to a better spot. He was still asleep, I think he only slept deeply when we were together as I know he normally wakes up early but when we are together he tends to sleep late. It didn't bother me, it made me glad I was able to let him get such a deep and restful sleep, I did my best to sneak out of the bed without waking him

[remnants-of-rwby-events]

Welcome to the Vytal Festival!

A week-long celebration of the characters, stories, creations, and fans of RWBY! This event will be organized similarly to a ship week.

For those not familiar, that means that there will be seven prompts provided- one for each day of the week. You will then have a couple months to create something for these prompts, all to be posted on their designated days! The event is designed to be flexible and easy, with absolutely no obligation to participate. You can use all the prompts, or one of them, or a few of them, or none!

The goal is simply to celebrate and appreciate RWBY, the fandom, and the fan works that so many amazing artists and writers put their time into! All forms of creation are welcome- fanfic, fan art, edits, gif sets, meta, songs, animatics- whatever your skill level, everyone is encouraged to participate!

The event will take place in three stages: prompt voting, creation, and posting!

Prompt voting will start on Saturday, June 1st and end on Saturday,June 29th.

Creation will start as soon as the prompts are posted on June 29th! As soon as you see the prompts, you have the green light to get to work!

The “festival” itself will take place from Sunday, September 1st through Saturday, September 7th.

I’m hoping that the large gap between the prompts and the event itself will allow more time for people to learn about it and work on their projects!

If you have any questions, feel free to send an ask and I’ll answer as best I can! I hope to see you guys at the festival XD

[powertaco]

FNDM Creator Bio - Power Taco

Power_Taco on Ao3.

I try to write, often badly, but I do try.

Favorite Characters: Maria, Ruby, Weiss, Qrow, Nora, Ren, Carmine, Robyn, Cinder, Winter, Ilia, there are more but we can cut 'em off there.

Favorite pairings: Death's Whiterose. Ruby/Weiss/Young Maria Calavera. (praise @amelia-yap for the incredible art!)

My goal is to make them the most popular, ie numerous ot3 for RWBY so 400 more fics to go.

I also will write WR, or them with a +1/2, and enjoy them with lots of fun ladies. Especially getting to take background characters, and flesh them out. May Z, Ilia, Ciel, etc.

Also a big fan of Jailbirds.

Tropes: Not sure. I'm alright with most, but I don't care much for uneeded drama/angst ie not talking out things that would resolve a situation in 5 minutes instead of 30 chapters. I have no idea what tropes I really love though.

Crack is fun I guess. Not sure if that's a trope.

Share fics I'm proud of: Well to try and not be a stereotype let's go with non DWR work I guess.

Frozen Milk and Cereal. Set in the IQD au RWBY and JNPR took the nightmare grimm as a serious wake up call, and upped their training. Friendships are formed between the teams as they struggle with the upcoming dance when Ruby overhears Weiss asking Neptune leaving Pyrrha to be a bit brave, and ask Ruby instead.

Short story featuring the teams interacting, and talking to each other, and hopefully as friends.

Crack series. Ruby writes the 'of love' book series. Somehow this will save the world. A series of 1 shots that result in ruby forming the ultimate polycute and saving the world. We poke fun at harem tropes, and somehow a plot ended up appearing. It's weird to me too man.

Creator's Note: Not much to say you can send me an ask about anything you really want.

[cara-kira]

Picrew creator: Nellseto. Link to picrew -

FNDM Creator Bio

Name: Cara / Kay

AO3: Cara_Kira , I don't use it much tho

I make fanart mostly, and veeeery rarely write things

Favorite characters: Ozpin, Qrow, Oobleck

Favorite ships: Ozqrow, Ozbleck

Favorite tropes: I love drawing Oz in silly little outfits (visit my "ozfit" tag if you'd like to see some :P), it makes me happy <3 I also love making AU's and making AU-accurate designs for the characters present in them. Otherwise it depends entirely on how I'm feeling on a day lol. But I enjoy drawing soft shippy stuff or just characters vibin, really.

Self recommendation: This piece is already pretty old and needs work, but I do still like it a lot

Creator’s note: I've been drawing rwby fanart for a few years now, and intend to add another few to it! I am always open to connecting and making new friends, so if you'd like to hang out feel free to reach out by sending an ask or message :>

[maskyartist]

For the lil oz doodle prompts. Him being upset and comforted by Qrow, maybe?

[I know, I'm a massively convincing anon...]

you can make it whatever scenario you'd like i just know i wanted more self indulgent beacon days content :)

[strawberry-seal77]

rbwy but Yang is replaced with a static png of a Lays chips bag. All her dialogue is gone and when she moves there's a loud and jarring concrete scraping sound

[musings-from-mars]

Vytal Festival Tournament REDUX: THE 1v1 FINAL!

Remember: Don't vote just based on who your faves are! Instead, vote for who you think would win! In fact, add in the tags your reasoning for your choice, how you picture them winning, etc.

Who will win the BEACON BOWL

[fanstuffrantings]

What do you think of roman and neo?

Short: I really like them

Long:

I think they're a fun concept that didn't nearly get used to the fullest extent prior to the fall of Beacon. And most of their content is in a book a large part of the fandom hasn't read/won't be aware of unfortunately.

Genuinely I wish we got a Volume with them as the main two antagonists with all my heart. It's the reason I did the concept sketches of a rewrite with Roman and his gang being who rwby fight when all the people are showing up for the Vytal festival.

I know Neo was a main antagonist in Never after, but I want to see them play off each other more.

On a design point: I think Neo might be one of my favorite characters they've made because her character inspiration isn't immediately obvious if you don't look into it. It was 2023 before I knew she was Hecate.

[tranny-man]

I think that Blake and Yang first fell in love during the Burning Candle but didn't realize it. Blake realized she's in love with Yang at the fall of Beacon but Yang only realized after they defeated Adam also I think that's also when Blake realized Yang was in love with her but Yang didn't know Blake was in love with her until she straight up confessed in the last episode.

[rwby-redux]

Amendment

Huntsmen: The Vytal Tournament

The annual, two-week celebration known as the Vytal Festival commemorates the end of the Great War. During the fortnight in which it’s held, cities the world over celebrate their own (and their neighbors’) cultural heritage. It’s a period of both revelry and mourning; a way to honor what makes us different, and to remember how it was all nearly lost almost a century ago.

While the festival itself remains consistent year to year, there’s a separate event that runs alongside it: The Vytal Tournament.

Equal parts a spectator sport and showcase of Huntsmen and Huntsmen-to-be, the tournament is hosted by one of the four kingdoms and their respective academy. Each tournament, the host cycles (Vale > Atlas > Vacuo > Mistral) in rotation on a biennial schedule. Entrants from the non-hosting academy spend a semester abroad in order to compete.

While some detractors have dismissed the tournament as nothing more than propaganda disguised as blood sport, it’s generally held in high regard. Contrary to popular belief, it’s more than just flashy spectacle for the entertainment of onlookers (although that is a notable benefit). During tournament years, the capital hosting the event is inundated with millions of tourists that flock to watch in-person. The economic boom it provides, for both private businesses and the federal government, is difficult to overstate. (Gambling on the outcome of matches is a frequent—and highly lucrative—pastime.)

For students training at the academies, the tournament represents a test of skill. Students must work in cooperative teams (and in later rounds, independently) to best their opponents. The diverse pool of entrants, and the environmental conditions under which they fight, force students to be adaptive and flexible. Having an audience can similarly help unlearn and overcome stage fright or performance anxiety. It’s also been repeatedly shown to help students improve on focus and concentration, by filtering out distractions from the crowd.

For the audience (both in-person and remote), the tournament is tangible proof of the kingdoms’ investment in training warriors. Lest anyone forget, the Huntsman Academies exist first and foremost as the world’s first line of defense against the Grimm. Matches can be seen as a way of reassuring people that the kingdoms aren’t squandering public resources and tax revenue. Indeed, it’s been demonstrated that public opinion of Huntsmen (and the academies) is always at its highest after the tournament ends.

The third benefit of the tournament is arguably the one least talked about, although it deserves mentioning. Private contractors and investors like to use the tournament as a way to scout licensed and future Huntsmen for hire. Students that repeatedly perform well are often contacted once they graduate, and offered jobs working exclusively for independent clients. The same goes for already-licensed Huntsmen that choose to compete in the exhibition matches.

Either way, the tournament always has something to offer for everyone (even if that something is just cathartic violence).

History

Although the tournament itself is only eighty years old, its origins can be traced back nearly two millennia.

Before Vale of Antiquity, the Sanorum people inhabited the central region of Eastern Sanus. At its heart lies the Cirithel Mountains, a line of jagged peaks that cleaves the region in half. The inhabitants of Ancient Sanus revered a spirit of the wilds, a god that embodied the earth they depended on for survival. In addition to being associated with nature, the Sanorum’s goddess was depicted as a warrior; an unbending figure, encased in impregnable armor of stone. According to myth, she clad her children—the first people—in a spiritual form of armor (Aura) so that they too might be protected.

Her followers—known as the scions of war—honored their patron spirit through a ceremony based on ritual combat. Surprisingly, the sparring (or pylura) wasn’t about inflicting wounds or defeating a foe—it was about acknowledging one’s own power, by demonstrating the beauty found in one’s capacity to survive. Worshippers saw the ability to fight and defend themselves as something beautiful, something worthy of respect and reverence. Indeed, many likened these ceremonies to a form of combative dance.

By the time the early Kingdom of Vale formed, numerous city-states had their own versions of gladiatorial tournaments. These fighting pits were an outgrowth of the Sanorum’s religious beliefs. Contests were highly-regulated events that tested their warriors’ strength, and gave thanks to their goddess for the skills she armed them with. Prior to the start of tournaments, a pair of Valin priests (known as scions) would gather before the assembled crowd, and venerate their goddess through the pylura. Once the ceremony was completed, the tournament began. By 200 AB, although the pylura was still performed at the start of most tournaments, it was adhered to out of a sense of tradition.

When the Great War ended eight decades ago, the Huntsman Academies were formed to train people to fight Grimm. During the Vytal Summit, King Ozark—the last reigning monarch of Vale—proposed holding contests to demonstrate the success of these new institutions. He suggested that they repurpose the biennial gladiatorial tournaments held in his home country. An agreement was reached, and the Vytal Tournament was born.

Opening Ceremony

Although the modern tournament has moved away from the Sanorum’s religious influences, it still upholds the pyluric dance.

The ceremonial role is no longer fulfilled by scions, but rather, by two Huntsmen that are elected by the academy headmasters. During the year between tournaments, the headmasters keep tabs on Huntsmen that have achieved feats of great valor, that go beyond the call of duty. A Huntsman that singlehandedly protects a remote village from Grimm, even at the risk of their own safety, might be considered as a potential candidate. Once an agreement is reached, the headmasters contact the individuals, and if they consent, the committee that oversees tournament preparations is notified.

The appointed Huntsmen are given the next few months to practice and rehearse for the opening ceremony. While not nearly as high-octane as the actual matches, the sparring is still a mesmerizing sight. Once the ceremony concludes, the competing students are brought out onto the center field of the colosseum. A speech is given by the headmaster of the hosting academy, and from there, the tournament officially commences.

Amity Colosseum

The actual stadium where the tournament is held is Amity Colosseum—a levitating arena, kept aloft by powerful stabilizers composed of Gravity Dust. This feat of engineering is a microcosm of the same technology that keeps Atlas’ capital airborne. At maximum capacity, it can house 1.1 million people. When not in use, the colosseum is docked at the Island of Vytal, where it undergoes repairs and maintenance in preparation for the next tournament.

The decision to make a single arena that can move between countries—rather than just build stadiums at each capital—was done for practical reasons. Requiring the host cities to carve out space for a stadium (that would only see use once every eight years) was deemed a waste of land and resources.

While the fact that it flies is impressive, Amity is perhaps best known for its rotational biome system. The interior arena contains a localized climate simulation-grid, which it pairs with alternating physical terrains. These rotating fields are meant to mimic the various ecosystems that Huntsmen are trained to fight in—temperate forest, montane forest, glacial fields, arid desert, volcanic fields, oceanic coastline, savanna, and geyser fields. A ninth, artificial terrain, with buildings and floating platforms, represents an urban environment.

Tournament Structure

In order for students to register for the tournament, they must complete a qualifier held at their school. Once cleared, the team is granted permission to formally enter. Although participation is optional, students are strongly encouraged to do so.

The tournament follows a knockout system divided into three rounds: 4v4, 2v2, and 1v1. The first round consists of full-team battles. The participants are randomized, and it’s entirely possible for teams from the same school (or entirely different years) to be selected to fight each other. Victory is determined when all four members of the opposing team have their Auras depleted to zero.

The winners of the previous round advance, by electing two members of their team to represent them in the 2v2 fight. The same win conditions as before apply, and from there, the victorious team proceeds to the final round.

In the last phase of the tournament—the singles—one person from each eligible team is chosen. Matches are once again randomized, with the defeated student eliminated after each fight, until just two students remain. The student that emerges victorious (and the team that they represent) is declared the winner of the tournament.

Rules and Regulations

Anyone fighting in the colosseum is required to have their equipment (armor, weapons, ammunition, familiars) registered and inspected beforehand. Failure to comply results in automatic disqualification. Similarly, if a person attempts to smuggle unregistered equipment into a match, they’re not only removed from the fight, but barred from competing in the subsequent tournament. Given that students only have two opportunities to compete during their schooling, most aren’t foolish enough to risk it.

Once a fighter’s Aura is depleted, they’re no longer eligible to fight during that match. Deliberately attacking or injuring an opponent with zero Aura is grounds for permanent disqualification from the Vytal Tournament.

Anyone that uses familiars is limited to one per match. Entrants must inform the referee beforehand which familiar they intend to use.

The last noteworthy rule of the Vytal Tournament is the substitution clause. This proviso can only be initiated during the first round of the tournament. Prior to a match, if a team finds one of its members indisposed (due to illness, personal obligations, or unrelated injuries), they may request a swap-in. The team is permitted to select another student from their own school to act as a stand-in for the missing teammate, under the condition that the student isn’t already competing on a different eligible team. If the team manages to win with the substitute on their roster, they can select that person to advance to the doubles and singles rounds.

Although there are obvious benefits to fighting with a full roster, it comes with a trade-off. The substitute acting as a stand-in has likely never trained with their temporary teammates, which affects the overall dynamic. There’s always a fifty-fifty chance that a substitute will backfire, due to a lack of group cohesion and familiarity with each other’s fighting styles.

For this reason, not many teams invoke the substitution clause, and instead prefer to risk it with one less person. Teams that manage to advance under 3v4 conditions are held in high regard.

Exhibition Matches

While the actual tournament is only eligible for students, there are a handful of stand-alone fights.

Exhibition matches (also known as spectacle fights) are reserved for fully licensed Huntsmen. These separate matches are held between official tournament battles. Huntsmen interested in facing each other must reciprocally register themselves (and their intended opponent) beforehand.

Most of the same rules apply, with a few notable exceptions. Exhibition matches don’t require the opponents to be balanced, so Huntsmen can arrange 1v2 (or even 1v3) fights for themselves, provided that all involved parties consent. Huntsmen aren’t required to have their playing field randomized, either, and can choose which biome they want to fight in (or none at all, if they wish to remove environmental hazards).

There’s no monetary reward for winning an exhibition match. Which begs the question—why would a Huntsman voluntarily shell out lien just for the entry fee?

Plenty of Huntsmen enjoy the publicity, for starters. It’s also a good way for Huntsmen to advertise themselves to prospective employers, like private clients seeking a security detail. On occasion, it’s not unheard of for long-time rivals to challenge each other, either to settle a debate (which one of us is the better fighter) or to settle a score.

If nothing else, the enthusiasm for these matches is sustained by the sheer spectacle. The years of experience that Huntsmen bring to these fights make them something to behold.

[remnants-of-rwby-events]

Prompt Voting

Find the survey here and vote for your favorite 5 prompts of the available 30!

Vote now!

[unlockthestars]

Kiss roulette // Accepting

@unfcrtunatescn to Neptune: 🎲 (Maybe, if you like)

RESULT: 40. An impulsive kiss

Part of the whole idea of the Vytal Festival was to bring schools from different kingdoms together. Which meant that teams were encouraged to mingle. It was so strongly encouraged that it was almost an actual requirement.

But Neptune didn't mind meeting strangers; he tended to be pretty friendly. Plus, finding new people to flirt with was always good. And maybe someone would flirt back, which would be even more fun. After all, they were encouraged to mingle, weren't they? And going on a date, maybe more, depending on how the date went, would definitely be considered mingling, right?

He and Mercury had been in the same group of "here, mingle with these people," and they'd started chatting. They'd gotten to know one another at least a little bit over the weeks for the Festival, and Neptune was pretty sure he had a crush on the guy. He was super cute, talented, and had a wicked sense of humour, all things that he liked…..a hell of a lot, if he was being honest with himself.

They'd been walking through the festival grounds surrounding the Colosseum itself, just chatting and laughing. God, Mercury was just….he was amazing.

And it was at that point that Neptune knew he had to kiss him.

He moved to slip his hand into Mercury's getting his attention, both so he would stop, and so he would turn towards Neptune. Once Mercury was facing him, Neptune closed the distance between them, his lips meeting Mercury's, heart thumping loudly in his chest. He really hoped he'd read this right. If he hadn't, he was really gonna look like a jerk.

[hxntresses]

Blake: Who are you Calico: I'm you but a year older and more chaotic