Tannum "Cooper" Oakwood
-----
There was a plan.
A lovely plan at that, one designed to bring together a couple of love birds by the name of Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos and have them fly away as one.
Or at least that's what Cooper liked to tell himself.
For the last ten minutes, from behind a rather thick tree, he sighed at the clueless blonde bloke of a leader idling next to an airbus.
Where were Roderick and Pyrrha?
They were supposed to be in here by now, having a merry time as the plan went underway. What was bloody taking them so long? There was only so much he could take before his mind devised a dastardly plot to mess with Jaune.
The crinkling of grass from behind gave Cooper a sign of hope.
"Took ya long enough, mate," Cooper said. "I was just about to do things my way. What was the hold up?"
"Sorry, man," Roderick said and joined him by his tree. "Whenever Pyrrha gets nervous, it's really hard to calm her down." He rubbed the imaginary stress off his face. "Anyways, you got the thing I asked for?"
"You mean this?" He showed him the locked box inside his rucksack. "What do you even need this for? Just looking inside it scares me."
"Make sure you don't lose it. I've been looking forward to this for days."
"Jaune, over here!" said a familiar voice. "I'm sorry if I kept you waiting."
Cooper peeked around the tree and his jaw dropped.
Pyrrha strutted down the avenue, waving for Jaune's attention, but unlike her partner, who wore the usual garb of his armour, sweater, and jeans, she aimed for something a tid bit more eye-catching.
Where should he start?
Those black heels with the bronze accents were fancy enough, definitely goes with the stockings. Her fiery flared skirt was an exact match to the shade of her hair, and that off-the-shoulder top with the bronze frills shimmered like the tiny emeralds hanging off the thin chains on either side of her circlet.
The people who happened to pass by didn't bother to allow their envy and awe to go unheard, both ladies and gents alike.
"P-pyrrha," Jaune said, gobsmacked. "You look, uh, great."
"You think so, Jaune?" Pyrrha twirled a lock of hair, and the light blush on her cheeks darkened. "I thought a change of style would be nice every once in a while."
Roderick puffed his chest.
"Don't tell me you did that." Cooper gave him a dubious glance. "Didn't peg you for a fashion guy."
"Weiss did most of it." He shivered as if the heiress herself shot him with a blast of ice. "She was more than happy to help out if it meant getting Jaune off her back. And word of advice: never go shopping with her."
Cooper snorted and tried to get a better gander at the couple.
The extra attention faltered Pyrrha's cheery grin. She grabbed her partner's arm, hurrying him towards the airbus while talking about something out of earshot.
"Can't hear a word they're saying," Cooper said.
"Don't worry, man. I got an earpiece from Stiofan. Pyrrha already has it on, and it's connected to this thing." Roderick pulled out his scroll and hit the unmute button. "Come on, let's get on before we miss the ride."
They kept out of sight and ducked into the airbus, muttering intimate instructions the whole ride even after they touched down in Vale, and despite being utterly flushed, Pyrrha still went through with them.
Scooch a little to the left, lean against his shoulder, compliment his muscles, flirt like a fool, find a bucket for Jaune before his airsickness ends up coming out, and all that lovely jazz.
Cooper felt bad about it, but he was having way too much fun for his own good.
Poor Pyrrha that foolishly brave gal.
"M-maybe," Roderick said and held back a laugh, "if you kiss him, he'll finally take notice."
"Better yet, darling," Cooper snickered at their scroll, "just stick your tongue down his throat. That'll do it for sure!"
Pyrrha spun, sending them a glare hot enough to rival Yang's flames. They pressed against the corner of a wall they hid behind, hands clasped over their mouths.
"What'cha looking at, Pyrrha?" said Jaune.
"Oh, nothing. Let's just enjoy our dat—day together."
After a lovely trip through the streets and a shopping district, they entered a restaurant.
Cooper and Roderick threw themselves in a booth out of sight from Jaune and Pyrrha's booth.
When the waitress came along, Cooper ordered a bowl of spaghetti and a fancy slice of pie, and Roderick got himself a cheese toastie and a green thing off the menu.
Cooper grimaced.
"Something you wanna say, man?"
"Can't believe you actually like those nasty veggies. They're bad for your health, you know."
Roderick rolled his eyes and checked on Pyrrha and Jaune. "Uh-oh."
Uh-oh?
A couple of gals approached Pyrrha with a notepad, asking for autographs and a picture.
"Uh-oh," Cooper said.
Pyrrha put on a smile and went along with it like she's done it hundreds of times before, but even after the fans got what they wanted, they still pestered her about trivial things.
"What now?" Cooper said and brainstormed a plethora of ideas on how to get rid of them.
"Wait here." Roderick got up. "I'll—"
"Excuse me," Jaune said. "I don't mean to be rude, but we're kinda in the middle of something."
They gave him a dirty look.
"Pyrrha, who is this guy?" said one fan. "Does he work for you or something?"
"Of course he does," the other fan said. "He must carry her bags, drive her car, and I bet he even polishes her weapons and armour for her."
Cooper wanted nothing more than to slap them silly which was nothing compared to what Roderick and Pyrrha might do. Because from the looks of it, those two seemed about ready to rip them apart.
Jaune stood and flexed his muscles.
"Hi. Jaune Arc." He flourished his pearly whites. "Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue. Lady's love it."
The gals gagged, and when Jaune pointed fingers at them and clicked his tongue, they ran off and avoided him like the plague.
Cooper and Roderick high-fived, and Pyrrha ogled her partner, absolutely starstruck.
"That was way too dandy if you ask me," Cooper said and reimagined the scene.
"You can say that again. And speaking of that," Roderick sat back down with a big ole smile, "how are you and Ruby doing?"
"Why ask, mate?" He waggled his eyebrows. "You jealous?"
He sighed and eyed him straight on. "Curious, really. She doesn't seem to mind you, and considering Yang hasn't killed you yet, you're doing okay."
"Is that your way of approval, oh, dear leader?"
"I'm saying you have a chance, so don't blow it."
The bloke wouldn't possibly be trying to give advice, now would he?
"What are you implying?" he said.
Roderick leaned onto the table. "Paint a clearer picture for Ruby. She might be fifteen, but she's five when it comes to things that aren't weapons or books."
Now that Cooper thought about it, the only reason he was able to connect with her was by an introduction through their weapons.
"How do you suppose I do that?" He shrugged and jerked a thumb at Jaune. "She's nearly as dense as the chap over there."
"Duh, Cooper. Ruby's not dumb. She's just a little awkward and too honest to notice things." He gestured around. "If you give her one of these, she's bound to figure it out."
Cooper blinked. "You want me to buy the restaurant?"
Roderick bit a laugh, reached over, and flicked his cap up.
"No, dummy," he said. "Take her on a date. That'll open her eyes if you do it right."
A spark of ideas snapped Cooper's tail straight up.
"Radek, I don't think I've given you the amount of credit you deserve."
"You can thank me after you two become a thing." He smirked. "I'm rooting for you, 'mate.' "
A bloody date. Why hadn't he thought of something so obvious yet brilliant?
"Then if you don't mind," Cooper adjusted his cap and scarf, "I'm thinking about taking Ruby out to the dance. Mind telling a fella how to do so?"
"We can talk about it later. First," Roderick glanced at the duo across the room, "we still gotta work on them."
Cooper pitied the display.
The atmosphere between Pyrrha and Jaune leaned far too much over on the boring side. What they needed was spice and eccentrics to keep things interesting for the sake of love.
Cooper swiped Roderick's scroll sitting next to his plate and delivered the next set of embarrassing instructions.
"Don't you think that's a little much?" Roderick's worries went up in smoke the moment the waitress appeared. "Oh, the food's here."
As the dishes were served to them, Cooper relished in the steam blowing out from Pyrrha's ears while she tried to feed Jaune a piece of her cake, much to his shock.
Dinner and a show. Who could ask for more?
Once they all ate their fill and went their merry way back to the airbus station, Roderick told Pyrrha to take the scenic route through a park and do her thing.
It didn't make sense until she started naming and stating fun facts about various plants they came across.
Jaune did his best to roll with it, but he couldn't quite keep up.
Cooper and Roderick settled behind a hedge, ignoring the passerby's staring and muttering things about them.
Pyrrha ran her fingers through a cluster of multicoloured flowers, plucked out a deep red one, and twirled the long stem between her fingers.
"Do you know what this flower is called, Jaune?" she said.
He scratched his cheek. "Sorry, can't say that I have."
"It's alright." She cupped the base where the petals and stem met and nostalgia passed over her as she relaxed on a bench. "This is called an anemone, a windflower. It's one of my favourites."
Jaune took on a newfound interest. "Gee, how so?"
"When I was a little girl, my mother told me a story after they blossomed in our garden." Pyrrha held it between them. "A long time ago, a very beautiful woman met a kind man. Intrigued and pleased by his company, she slowly befriended him, which eventually transformed into an unyielding love."
A breath of humour escaped Roderick.
"Something funny, mate?"
"Pyrrha really likes that story, even if it's kinda sad."
"And why's that?"
Roderick nudged his chin at them, and Cooper figured the answer was about to pop up.
"Sometime after they got together," the brightness dimmed from Pyrrha's smile, "several men from the man's village grew jealous and had him killed by an animal during one of their hunts. It's said that as the woman wept over her lover's body, a gentle wind lifted her tears towards the grass coated in his blood. The moment they touched, flowers sprang from the ground, growing large and full of life. And that's how these flowers came to be."
How lovely and, as Roderick put it, sad. Cooper wasn't easily swayed by those kinds of things, but at the moment, he wasn't very merry.
"There's a rumour," Pyrrha held the flower close to her ear, "that if a wind blows by and you listen closely, a woman's voice could be heard in the petals. But she speaks only to those who are truly destined to be together."
"Milo and Akouo," Roderick said.
Cooper blinked. "What was that?"
"The names of Pyrrha's weapons. Milo means 'speak' and Akouo means 'listen.' "
The tid bit of trivia made him chuckle.
"Whoa." Jaune gaped at the red flower. "Do you know what you're supposed to hear?"
" 'I am with you, now and forevermore.' " She leaned closer to her leader. "Would you like to try?"
He nodded and shifted so close their cheeks nearly touched, the bottom of their chins caressed by the petals.
"Did you hear anything, Jaune?"
"No. Did you?"
Pyrrha shook her noggin and nestled the flower back into the garden. "Can we sit like this for a while longer? I'm a little tired."
Jaune checked the setting sun and concealed a yawn. "Sure, just not too long."
"That's completely fine with me," she said.
Pyrrha leaned against his arm, and the pink cloud of love fluttering over her was enough to put Nora's grenade launching hammer to shame.
After a few minutes, Roderick bumped Cooper's shoulder. "Hey, you think they're asleep?"
There's a high chance they might be considering the fact neither of them opened their eyes or moved once the entire time.
"Got something in mind?" Cooper said.
"Remember when I asked you to get that thing." A rather sinister glint came off his eye. "This is the perfect time to open it."
A shiver crawled up his spine. "You don't mean. . ."
"You know it, man." Roderick freed a dark grin Cooper never knew the leader was capable of doing. "Oh, you're gonna get it now, Invincible Girl."
Cooper gulped at his leader's sudden change. "You're not serious, are you?"
"Don't worry, man. It'll help." He patted him on the back. "And that's why I brought you. You're the only one who can go over there and pull this off without getting caught. Go put it on Pyrrha's lap."
What he was about to do next gave his guilt a run for its money.
Semblance activated, Cooper took out the small box from his rucksack and went over. He popped the locks, letting loose a large spider that stalked its way out onto Pyrrha's skirt.
A gentle poke on her leg was enough to stir her awake.
Pyrrha's eyes snapped wider than an owl's, firmly fixed on the spider occupying her knee, and every time the spider so much as flinched, she squeaked and curled her arms deeper into her chest.
Was it bad Cooper went out of his way to capture this absolutely adorable (humiliating) moment on his scroll?
Roderick certainly enjoyed himself, snickering like a madman behind the hedge.
"J-Jaune." The blood drained out of her body, and she shook him as carefully as possible. "P-please, wake up, Jaune."
Jaune moaned but didn't open his eyes.
A concerning blue hue shrouded her face as sweat poured in waves. "Don't do this to me now."
The bloke refused to budge.
The arachnid stepped forward.
"Jaaaaauunnne, it's coming closer!"
This was getting rather sad to watch. Better do something quick before Pyrrha has a stroke.
Cooper flicked Jaune's nose. He jumped awake, twisting in every direction.
"Sorry, Pyrrha. I fell asleep." He stared at her horrified expression. "Are you okay?"
The teary eyed warrior trembled with watery eyes and pointed at the source of her woes.
He deadpanned at the spider making its way up to her thighs.
Pyrrha sniffled and shivered as if someone slipped some Atlesian ice into her shirt. "Get rid of it, Jaune. It's so big!"
While Jaune searched around, Cooper went back to the hedge, returning to the naked eye.
Roderick patted his back. "Nice job, man."
Jaune found the box Cooper left behind and scooped the spider back inside, finally giving Pyrrha the moment of relief she desperately needed.
Since those two (or at least one) were having such a lovely time, Cooper pulled out his scroll and imagined the same wonderful thing (minus the spider) with a certain someone.
The screen was blinding, and his chest tightened at the one simple idea whirling in him. High stakes but well worth the reward, and there's nothing he loved more than a good ole gamble.
Cooper pushed his nerves into a hole and messaged the gal on his mind.
-----
Stiofan Ua Binn
-----
In the library with Alexander by his side, Stiofan found a certain charm and intrigue towards the myths and legends contained within Roderick's novel, lent to his reticent teammate during his time in the infirmary.
Stiofan indulged himself once more in a miniature tale called The Four Maidens.
It involved a cold, frail man refusing to go anywhere past the threshold of his small, dilapidated home. He was known simply as The Wizard. However, his secluded and lonely life was altered by a fateful encounter with four sisters named after each season: Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall.
The tale began with Winter stumbling upon the Wizard's home and waiting in his yard for the arrival of her sisters. As the days passed, they arrived one by one, each doing their best to convince The Wizard to leave his home by revealing many wonderful and beautiful things the world had to offer. He was stubborn and refused to listen, eventually though, they succeeded in drawing him from the confines of his home.
Warmth, love, and discovery immediately filled The Wizard's heart, and as repayment for helping open his eyes to something so incredible, he blessed the sisters with incredible gifts in the form of magic.
From then on, the sisters left to aid others like they did him but not before promising to visit their dear friend each and every year thereafter.
A sorrowful wail returned him to reality.
Stiofan perked his nose out from the pages and gave the second floor a look. Judging by the annoyance etched across the faces of various students also turning towards the same direction, he was correct.
"That sounded quite dire," Stiofan said. "I wonder what's wrong."
Alexander closed his notebook. "Rose."
"Pardon me?"
"It's Rose."
"Ruby, you say?" Stiofan hummed before standing. "Why don't we check and ensure no harm has befallen her?"
Alexander nodded and joined him on his venture.
Once they arrived on the second floor, the unrestrained voices made it effortless to track down Ruby's location.
They stumbled upon the entirety of Team RWBY enjoying a board game of sorts with the exception of the young leader, bawling and muttering about losing everything in a single turn.
Stiofan sighed and leaned against the side of a bookshelf out of their view. "Do you think they'll notice us?"
Alexander grunted.
Yang explained to Lady Weiss what each of her cards did. However, it was so quick and terse, Stiofan couldn't begin to fathom half her words.
"Just know," Yang returned to her seat and pointed a dangerous finger at the Schnee heiress, "if you use Sandstorm to disable all my ground troops, I will take it as a declaration of war."
Lady Weiss' head tilted. "And what does that mean?"
"It means you're three moves away from conquering Remnant," Ruby said and wiped her face against the table.
Lady Weiss snapped.
"Yes!" She stood and brandished an iron clad fist. "Fear the almighty power of my forces. Cower as they pillage your homes and weep as they take your children from your very arms!"
Stiofan humoured a future where Lady Weiss was a megalomaniac at the head of the SDC.
What a sight to behold.
However, Lady Weiss' tyranny was short-lived after the activation of Yang's trap card, decimating her entire kingdom in one fell swoop.
"Your armies have been destroyed," Yang said with enough satisfaction to make anyone envious.
The heiress slumped and shed a river of tears. "I hate this game of emotions we play!"
"Stay strong, Weiss." Ruby jumped into her partner's lap, arms linked around her neck. "We can make it through this together!"
"Shut up." Lady Weiss returned the embrace and buried her face into the crook of her leader's neck. "Don't touch me."
Alexander snorted, and the ladies whipped around.
Lady Weiss gasped and hooked Ruby's legs, rolling her off in a single, fluid motion.
She landed on her neck. "Ugh!"
"Oh, hey there, guys." Yang waved at them. "Didn't see you there."
A notification chimed from Ruby's pocket as she returned to her seat, simultaneously massaging the back of her head and replying to the newly received message.
"I wasn't expecting you'd be here." Lady Weiss fixed her attire and dabbed her tears. "Just how long have you been watching?"
"Long enough to witness a powerful force of village pillagers and abductors fall at the hands of an underhanded deed." Stiofan pondered in faux and watched their reflections in the nearest window like a mirror on the wall. "Who is the fairest of them all, I wonder?"
Ruby and Yang giggled while Lady Weiss blushed and hid behind a fan of cards.
Yang turned to her partner. "You're up, Blake."
"Huh?" Blake jolted from her silent trance. "Uh, sorry, what am I doing?"
Yang pointed at the continent of Sanus on the board. "You're playing as the Kingdom of Vale trying to conquer Remnant."
"Oh, right." She shuffled between several cards. "Uh. . ."
Blake's inattentiveness was concerning to say the least.
In the past when Stiofan observed her every move, there was always this air about her as if she did the same in turn even while flipping between the pages of her novels.
However, as of this moment, that watchful guard of hers had vanished completely, and it left a taste too sour for Stiofan's liking.
Blake took far too long to decipher the descriptions for each card in her hand, further falling into the arms of confusion.
Alexander, much to everyone's surprise, took position behind Blake, peeked over her, and poked at a card in her hand.
Blake hummed and placed it down. "I use Triple Play."
Yang leaned forward and braced her jaw over her fist. "Interesting choice there, Blake, but don't think you'll win just because you're working with Alex."
Alexander poked three more cards, and once again, without question, Blake played them.
"I choose these three: The King's Crown, The King's Scepter, and Call of the Sword."
Yang and Ruby gasped as if the world crumbled before their very eyes.
"N-no way." The elder sister glowered at Alexander. "I thought you were a good guy. How could you betray me like that?"
Alexander shuffled through Blake's deck, tossing two more cards at the center of the board.
"What's happening right now?" Lady Weiss said and inspected the cards. "Are these important?"
"Are they important?!" Ruby gawked and snatched them. "B-because Blake used Call of the Sword, she can automatically play The King's Sword in the field whether she has it in her hand or not."
The heiress arched an eyebrow. "And what of it?"
She gulped and revealed the other card. "With all three pieces of the king assembled, it automatically summons The Warrior King. I've never seen it used before. . ."
"I still don't get it." Lady Weiss crossed her arms. "So what if she has some card named after the legendary king who ended The Great War?"
Yang growled and buried her face in both hands. "It means she has the ability to obliterate a kingdom in a single turn, and there's nothing anyone can do to stop it."
"And because both our armies have already been destroyed, Weiss," Ruby directed a shaky finger to Yang's side of the board, "she's the only target."
Lady Weiss made the connection and sighed. "Blake won."
"W-what?" Blake's jaw slacked. "I did?"
Alexander returned to Stiofan at the shelf, impassive as ever.
"You play?" Stiofan said.
Alexander shrugged.
"What's up, losers," said a new voice.
The latest pair to arrive wandered towards them from between the aisles of the bookshelves.
One was Sun Wukong, the golden haired, monkey tailed Faunus they chased from the docks when they visited Vale last semester.
Accompanying him was a well dressed, blue haired man in a tie and red jacket, a sharp contrast compared to Sun and his unbutton shirt, exposing his toned abdomen and chest.
Ruby waved. "Hey, Sun."
Sun nodded to everyone at the table. "Ruby, Yang, Blake, Ice Queen."
Lady Weiss recoiled. "Why does everyone keep calling me that?"
When the blue haired man directed a flirtatious grin at the heiress, Stiofan prepared himself to intervene at a moment's notice.
"I'm Neptune from Haven," he said and approached her. "And I don't believe I've caught your name, Snow Angel."
Without looking, she snapped her fingers.
Stiofan pushed off the shelf and positioned himself between them. "Pardon me, Neptune. I insist you cease disturbing Lady Weiss."
Lady Weiss jumped and clapped the back of his head. "I told you to stop calling me that!"
"Apologies."
Neptune tensed, stiff as a board. "S-sorry, Snow Angel. Didn't know you already had a boyfriend."
"W-what?!" The entirety of her face burned hotter than a summer day. "Don't go spouting nonsense! Our relationship is strictly business."
Alexander and Yang snorted at the same time.
Stiofan withheld his amusement for Lady Weiss' sake, although, saying their relationship was strictly business was a farce nobody would ever believe.
"Hey." Sun grinned and tapped his forehead. "Aren't you the guy who got his skull blasted the other day?"
An awkward silence filled the library.
Despite being reminded of that disgraceful time, there was no need to dwell on the past and allow it to control his future. It was only water under the bridge. Best to move on and allow it to pass.
Stiofan offered a polite smile and placed a fist against his chest. "I don't believe we've properly met. I am Stiofan Ua Binn, apprentice of the SDC First Guard."
The monkey Faunus jerked a thumb at himself. "Sun Wukong, leader of Team SSSN (sun)."
Stiofan gestured to his comrade. "Have you met my teammate, Alexander, as well?"
"Can't say that I have, but you do seem familiar." Sun inspected Alexander until a moment of clarity shot his eyebrows up. "Oh, I remember you now. Aren't you the guy who beat up those guys in the dining hall way back when?"
Alexander stared.
"I saw the video, and I gotta say, it was awesome how you took them all on to save that Faunus girl." Sun brandished a pen and notepad from thin air. "Can I get your autograph?"
As expected, Alexander walked away while Sun chased him.
Yang chuckled and leaned back, hands clasped behind her head. "That's cute. Alex has a fan."
"No surprise there," said Lady Weiss. She picked some lint from her clothes. "It's actually shocking how many views that video has."
Ruby threw her arms up. "You go, Alex!"
What a conundrum.
Alexander only wanted to be left alone and enjoy his peace and quiet, yet his benevolent actions gave him the target of unnecessary attention.
Stiofan could only offer his sympathies.
"You guys cool if I play?" Neptune stepped forward. "I'm quite intellectual."
"Sorry, Neptune," Ruby said. "We already have—"
"Actually, I'm done playing " Blake folded in her cards and took her leave "See you back at the dorms."
A sudden impulse stormed Stiofan, and before he understood why, his feet had already taken flight and each step kneaded together a haphazard idea.
Perhaps, it was time they had another talk.