#but I at least want to get a copy with Kurama in it for middle school me

[dontmindme2600]

God Yoshihiro Togashi’s work always fucking KILLS IT (I’ve only read/watched YuYu Hakusho and Hunter x Hunter but I’m already convinced he’s a genius)

[i0990]

Koroshiya to Strawberry Review

I bought Koroshiya to Strawberry (Killer and Strawberry) because I enjoyed Kamiaso and the character designs are by Kazuki Yone. The killer and underworld setting also looked promising.

Should take this chance to point out, Kazuki Yone only did the character designs, and stuff like cover art and promo images etc. The actual CGs are not done by her. It was already mentioned before the game came out.

In any case, the problem with this game is not with the art at all, but with the writing. I don’t know how they managed to mess it up so bad but they did. It’s not like the game has no plus points. The character interactions are fun, the bgm is good, and the art is actually still quite nice for the most part.

I think it has to do with the expectation from it being a mafia game. I was expecting something more gritty and action packed, and what I played instead was more of a cafe game with lots of talk about food and only a bit of action. It all adds up to a fairly disappointing experience tbh. I’m actually quite annoyed I gave up Piofiore to play this.

For the first time ever in a review I’m just going to outright say I do not recommend this game. More details below but of course there will be spoilers. To sum up the game: too much time wasted, not enough drama.

There is a lot of complaining and ranting in this review.

*spoilers after the cut*

Plot: Outright the weakest part of this game. There is a common route at first, after which you’ll be asked to choose which guy’s route you want to play. Noin is locked until you complete the other guys. So a game with only 6 routes, all of which are fairly short, and yet, they all share the same generic route. Once you pick a route the key story progression is pretty much:

Incident A => Outing => Present => Incident B => Conflict => Ending

Maybe they wanted to be consistent in their story writing but it ends up being really dull. I don’t want to plan the same assassination over and over again 6 times. Kamiaso InFinite had the same problem where the routes share the same generic pattern (let’s just do everyone’s birthdays yeah), but that’s a fandisc. This kind of copy pasta is just annoying in a main game, especially when it’s not a long game. On hindsight, it makes me glad it’s not a long game. Hasegawa and Noin are the only routes that felt less repetitive, although they still follow the same progression.

The game starts with Ichigo being delivered to Tsukikage, where she’s told she’ll be under their protection. He gives her a smartphone to type on because she can’t speak. Ichigo wonders if this is part of further experiments on her and we see her feeling uneasy whenever someone is nice to her because it all seems like a dream that can be easily destroyed. She’s obviously broken in some way and the guys are killers. So the start of the game was actually quite promising, then as I played it all just fell apart.

The pacing is terrible. Most of the game is just fluff, then suddenly all the conflict is squeezed into the end and feels really rushed. Any tension that occurs in the middle of the route is usually non plot relevant. Like Izuna’s traffic accident, or the locked door in Amon’s route. There’s too much talk about food and coffee. They do discuss assassin stuff like guns and gear etc, but these are not things that are particularly interesting just being talked about. Basically there’s too much time wasted with close to zero plot progression. It’s a game where the guys are hire killers. Where’s the drama? Where’s the angst? >:(

There’s fighting but it’s not well written. For instance in Tsukimi’s sniping scene, the screen blacks out when he takes the shot, after that it’s already them at the bottom of the building. Matsuri then shows up to say she’s taking Ichigo because she thinks Ichigo won’t be happy with Tsukimi, then relents when Ichigo insists she’s happy with Tsukimi. Like ????? The conflict just seems really pointless. After playing the other routes it makes some of the characters’ previous actions more understandable, but if they want to hint at a deeper connection between two chars they shouldn’t do it in a way that ruins the route.

Ichigo does not get her voice or name back in all routes except one. This is a bit of a downer tbh. The romance isn’t very well written, and Ichigo gets attached to the guy very quickly after they are nice to her. It was nice seeing Ichigo get more expressive over the course of the story. Noin’s route, being the final one, is the most informative and has more closure, although the reveal that he’s the boss of Tsukikage wasn’t very surprising. It explain’s Ichigo’s origins. After playing through everything, some of the stuff that previously made no sense is sort of explained, but overall I still don’t like the writing.

Characters: The saving grace that made this game enjoyable. I had the most fun with the character interactions. The guys, despite being killers, have rather colourful personalities. Tsukimi likes making sweets and is terrible at reading the mood. Izuna is like the only sane man in the shop raging at the others, and likes making food with gourmet ingredients. Kurama is a doctor who charges exorbitant prices and isn’t good with socializing. Amon is super exuberant. Noin is a cranky shota and a bit of a tsundere. Hasegawa seems stoic but is actually really sweet. It was funny seeing them make jokes at each other or scolding each other.

The side characters aren’t too bad, but there aren’t many of them. Matsuri is a cool big sis character who looks out for Ichigo in her way. Shirakawa was funny in Hasegawa’s route. Rakia doesn’t show up much.

Ichigo, despite having a blank personality and no voice, was surprisingly likeable. She starts out as this doll-like girl and slowly regains her emotions and starts doing things out of her own initiative more. Some of her responses are also funny, like the time Shirakawa was like ‘Let’s be friends :)’ but Ichigo just went ‘Sorry that will be difficult. Age gap too big.’ Of course her personality is still pretty blank for the most part but for a girl who’s been a lab rat and hasn't been outside for over a year what would you expect. Ichigo is cute XD

System/Interface: This game loses lots of points for having a main feature that as of now, two weeks after release, still doesn’t work -- the broken music player. Broccoli must know about the bug by now, so I can only assume they aren’t fixing it either because they don’t know how to or they can’t be bothered. Or maybe they think if they leave it as it is it’ll force players to buy the ost.

Aside from that the loading time is bad, just like the Kenka Bancho Otome fd. Every time Ichigo recalls something the screen flashes white, then flashes white again when transitioning back to the present. Okay if it’s once off, very irritating when she’s recalling multiple things back to back. Long loading time also means there’s a part of Hasegawa’s route where you will stare at a black screen for a while before hearing a loud sound from the game suddenly. 

Don’t think you can toggle skip mode without accessing the settings menu. I found the font a bit small when I started playing but this isn’t a big issue and I got used to it. Instead of Ichigo’s sprite they put a smartphone at the lower left corner. You would think with a heroine that can’t speak a sprite would be good since we at least see her expressions, but nope. Broccoli thinks players would rather stare at a blank phone screen. The only plus feature is the ‘skip to next option’.

Trophy collection is straightforward in general. If you are missing a CG for full complete try replaying the scene where Hasegawa and Ichigo are in the car on their way to buy stuff and select the other options.

Art/Music: The music for this game is really nice. I like it a lot. But I won’t buy the soundtrack because I don’t want to throw money at Broccoli >_> The OP grew on me heh.

The art isn’t bad, despite it not being actual Kazuki Yone CGs. Most of them look pretty good. A few of the sprites are used in the CGs (Tsukimi’s back-facing sprite being the most common) but this isn’t a huge issue. There are so many CGs of Ichigo in various outfits and expressions lol. During one of the fight scenes they used this one:

which was funny because that is totally not the expression of someone freaking out and trying to stop a fight. 

Ichigo’s smartphone does make some of the CGs look a bit silly imo but that can’t really be helped.

Look at the poor girl frantically trying to get Matsuri to look at her phone :/

In the end I would say the most frustrating thing about the game is how much promise it had, and how good it could have been. Certain things like Ichigo and Matsuri’s connection could have been explored more. Or a bit more about how the guys got into their profession. Giving the antagonistic organization a bigger presence would have been good too, instead of them being a sort of vaguely mentioned and never seen organisation. If only they had taken the time to smooth everything out nicely and not rush things. It feels like a game that didn’t have enough effort put into it by the company, trying to make up for it with nice packaging.

This is the most disappointing vita game I’ve bought to date and unless you are the sort who doesn’t care about shoddy writing, really, save yourself the pain of playing Korosuto.

[nezzfiction]

ENMY Chapter 43 - Blood On The Dancefloor

Chapter Synopsis: The forces of Atlas and Mistral are set to begin their conquest of Vale. The Second Great War enters its next major stage. Meanwhile, Team ENMY are still outlaws on the run. A sudden turn of events will take them into a new swing of things.

Series Synopsis:

Team RWBY is disbanded, and Yang must find herself new allies. For her, that might very well be yesterday’s enemies. Joining up with the likes of Emerald, Mercury, and Neo, the four will comprise Team Enemy.

Links to read the series: Ao3 or FF.net

Or hit the jump below

Blood On The Dancefloor

.

My heart all full of pain.

I would dance and be merry,

Life would be a ding-a-derry,

.

.

Rows upon rows of airships amassed along the airfield. Many of which, in the process of being outfitted and readied for sortie.

It made for an extremely hectic scene with military personnel barking orders, shouting which supplies went where. The mechanics running redundant tests, ensuring the aircrafts operated at optimal for when the promised time came.

Meanwhile, away from the organized chaos, two figures watched the scene from the edge of the strip.

“Amazing, isn’t it?” Adam referred to the platoons of White Fang ready for deployment. Fully-armed with the latest weapons. He took pride in the fact they were no longer the poor, guerilla warriors they once were.

“It is,” Blake agreed. Her focus on a Faunus worker dropping a supply container. A human saw what was happening, and helped him lift it from the other side. “Amazing,” she parroted. “But loud. It’s very loud.”

“This is war, Blake. War on a scale we could only fathom before.”

“The Third Crusade painted a vivid picture I never forgot.”

“This is far more than anything Temujin could have ever mustered!” he pumped his fist. “This here, THIS is what the White Fang should be! A strong people! A proud people! And soon, it won’t just be here. Our brethren in Vale and Atlas will also experience this glory.”

“Right… Well, I’m going into the city. Away from all the noise.”

“I can accompany you.”

“No, thank you, Adam. I’d rather be alone. Besides, Raven would want you to keep an eye on things.”

“Are you sure? At least, let me arrange an escort.”

“It’s fine, really,” she waved. “I just need some time to de-stress.”

Not wanting to hear anymore of Adam’s protests, Blake walked away.

When she neared another hangar on her way out, she paused at the peculiar sight. There were no vehicles or airships here, but something else entirely.

Filed into neat, square formations were individuals carrying swords. This by itself was nothing strange, but what made the picture alarming was who, or more accurately, what they were.

This was the newest Grimm Unit added to Mistral’s military arsenal. Dubbed the Kotengu, they were humanoid at the base. Dark, feathery wings stretched from their backs. Each possessed an angry white masks along with a long, protruding nose. Their blades appeared ceremonial, but no less deadly.

Walking back and forth in front of them, was Raven and another figure.

“Blake,” Raven spotted her. She turned to the Monkey Faunus beside her. “We will proceed as planned, General Saru. Do you have any more questions?”

“Just one, if I may.”

“Yes?”

He was a very hairy man with wild strands growing on all sides of his face. Saru was lanky, dressed in a pressed, military black uniform. His stature a touch on the small side, especially next to Raven, who he had to look up at.

“Why did you choose me? I was just a boot-cleaner before. The army didn’t even recognize me as a soldier in service.”

“Yet, you’ve proven to possess more strategic talents than our best generals. I don’t care what your position was before, or your origins. If you have the ability, I’ll put you where I need you. Now, has all the cleverness you’ve displayed so far just luck or something I can make an asset of?”

“I will serve to the best of my abilities.”

“I know you will,” Raven clapped his shoulder, and strode towards Blake. “I see you left the pup behind. Good. What can I do for you?”

“Nothing, Raven. I was just on my way out and saw…”

“Ah, our Talon Units.”

“It’s still so strange. Weeks ago, they wanted to kill us. And now…”

“So simple, it’s a bit unnerving, isn’t it?” Raven sympathized. “Feels as if they could turn on us at any second. But they’re the allies we need.”

Back when Raven, Adam, and Blake destroyed the Tower of Tamonten, they set free the Grimm that were sealed by the installation. And after besting Kurama, the leader of the flock, in a sword duel—the Grimm swore their obedience under Raven’s command. It was unbelievable, but the evidence was plain to see before them.

“What’s the status on your end?” Raven inquired.

“Our regiment is making final preparations. Adam’s overseeing it. We will be ready by tomorrow morning.”

“Good.”

“So, General Saru will be leading the other regiments? It’s impressive. A Faunus has never held a senior rank like his. Not in a human military, anyway.”

“Besides me?”

Blake blinked. “I mean, besides—”

“The old lady told you, huh? I can’t say I’m surprised. But you are correct. It is an outstanding accomplishment. He’s a little green, but I think I can leave the main units to him. Not bad for someone who used to polish people’s boots. I need to take charge of the Grimm, in any case.”

“I see…” Blake dropped her gaze.

“Having second thoughts about invading Vale?”

“A little.”

“Hmm. That’s what I like about you, Blake. But it’s also what I find most annoying.”

“You’re starting to sound more like Temujin every day.”

“I’ll remember that, Belladonna,” Raven said with a playful edge. “Why do you still wear that bow?”

“Oh, um…!”

Blake reflexively reached the top of her head. Her hands making sure her ears were tied and properly wrapped.

“You don’t have to hide who you are here, Blake. You never will again.”

“I know, I just—” A memory flashed of Yang tying the bow with care. “I keep it for personal reasons. It doesn’t have anything to do with being a Faunus.”

“Really?”

“…It’s not the only reason anyway.”

Raven sighed, but decided to leave the matter alone.

“You should relax more. Hypocritical coming from me, I’m aware. But if you don’t find the time to fit some R&R in, you’ll never last.”

“Funny how you mention that. I was actually on my way into the city. There’s a new book released, and I wanted to pick up a copy.”

“Hm. I’ll leave you to it, then.”

“If you were free, maybe…”

Raven smiled under her mask.

“I appreciate the offer, but I’ll have to take a raincheck. Perhaps, another time.”

“Okay,” Blake replied, slightly dejected.

As she was about to leave, Raven drew her sword, and sliced open a portal.

“Quicker than calling a ride. And if I’m not mistaken, that group of ominous soldiers is an escort Adam arranged for you.”

Blake whipped her neck back and saw a squad of White Fang members approaching.

“Eheh…” she chuckled awkwardly, before leaping through the pulsing gate.

…

In the next second, Blake materialized on the sidewalk of Mistral’s downtown area.

It was the middle of the day on a weekend, so all the shops were open and bustling with people. There was barely any room to maneuver herself through the packed streets. And for a moment, Blake entertained the idea of taking to the roofs, but thought it would be in poor taste.

That is, until she saw a number of Faunus parkouring the sides of buildings and along the rooftops. Their tails whipped about back and forth excitedly, while helping them maintain balance. Some executed a few aerial stunts for the fun of it.

The display was found to some’s chagrin, but mostly to other’s entertainment. The runners high-fived a number of passerbys. Humans recorded their feats on their scrolls.

Blake couldn’t help, but feel a little marveled by the scene. She had witnessed Faunus get arrested for such things, much less lauded. Not only that, but these people expressed themselves in a way that was so open and free, which used to be something exclusive to Vacuo. To say it was uplifting for her would be an understatement.

Blake continued to make her way through the crowd, until she came upon a quaint little bookstore that doubled as a café. Her nose perked at the smell of inked paper mixed with roasted coffee. It brought her biggest smile she in a long time.

Within the interior, constructed mostly of dark wood, Blake stepped towards the counter. A Fox Faunus was present to greet her. The girl’s type, she could tell by the ears on the worker’s head.

“Hi, I wanted to purchase a copy of Remnant Gods?”

“Oh, that’s a popular one. The story about ancient deities living in the modern era.” The bookseller plucked it off the shelf behind her, and set it on the counter. “They’re making a TV series of it, you know.”

“Uh, yes. I’ve heard.”

“Right? I’m sure they’ll make a decent adaptation out of it, but I’ll still like the book more, and…” The Fox Faunus’s gaze drifted to Blake’s bow. Then, a knowing smile that communicated something gentle appeared. “I…used to do that too. But I promise you can feel safe here. I mean, just take a look around.”

She led Blake’s sight to the other patrons sitting and reading books. Many of them obviously Faunus from a single glance. It was possible the atmosphere felt so natural, Blake failed to notice.

“One copy of Remnant Gods and a cup of House Coffee.”

“Huh? But I didn’t—”

“It’s on the house,” she winked.

“…Thank you.”

Blake paid for the book and scouted a nice table for herself. The only one available was a four-seater at the corner of the shop.

For a stretch of long, peaceful hours, Blake read her book, while sipping her beverage. The bookseller sometimes passed by to refill her cup. A sardine sandwich was devoured. It felt like heaven to her, and she thought…

Why not?

She unfurled the ribbon from her ears, wiggling and stretching them out. The bookseller was right. It was freeing and safe. And Blake took a deep breath. Her lungs expanded from an invisible grip, as did her heart.

She glanced to the human beside her, reading the same novel. He caught her staring at the cover.

“Good story,” he commented.

“Yes,” she said back. “It is.”

The two nodded to each other, and went back to their reading. A mutual understanding passed with a few simple words.

She realized that this was what she wished for, what she fought for. To simply be without having to fear for her life or discrimination. Such a small and ordinary thing, but so difficult to attain. Blake may not have liked what it took to get here, but she found it impossible to think it wasn’t worth it. She wanted with everything to share this slice of light with others. Human, Faunus, just everyone and anyone.

“Place is filled to the brim. I don’t think—well, lookie over there. Hey, pretty lady.”

Blake peeked her eyes over her book. A girl, possibly a year older waved to her, dragging a small boy behind.

“Um, hi?”

Déjà vu?

“Ya got a nice table all to yerself. Too big fer just you. Mind lettin’ us sit with ya?”

“Inna. Please defer from rude behavior. Person displays isolationist traits. Apology, required.”

“Aw, clam it, Bean. Not everybody’s as sensitive as yer scrawny ass. Plus, she don’t mind. Right?”

Watching the interaction between the cowgirl and the small intellectual brought a small giggle out of Blake. A nostalgic memory surfaced she wasn’t aware she missed.

Yang and Ruby reached out to her once. This time, she wanted it to be her.

“You can sit. I’d be glad if you did. My name is Blake Belladonna,” she introduced herself.

“See?” Inna slid into the chair opposite. “Inna Kao, sharpshooter extraordinaire,” she tipped her hat. “Pleasure is all mine.”

“Grateful. I am Bean,” Bean bowed politely. “Possible obligatory response… Do you truly, not mind company?”

“Not at all,” Blake smiled.

Not today, I don’t.

.

* * * * *

.

In a conference hall held in the highest floor of a secluded keep, the collective leadership of Vale convened about the threats facing their Kingdom.

Long, curved desks cascaded down the circular room. Each chairman had their own assigned seat and nameplate. A facilitator stood at the center podium, tasked with providing order during the meeting. A position that was irreverently proven useless.

“Order! ORDER!” the older gentlemen banged his gavel to no avail.

“We must divert the bulk of our army against Atlas! Diminish their forces before Mistral arrives!” one shouted.

“Ever since Atlas landed on our shores, they have shown minimum hostility towards us! An alliance is in the works. Mistral is where we should take the initiative!” another argued.

“An alliance with Atlas is impossible! We have better luck surrendering to Mistral instead!”

“We should invoke a joint-position of neutrality with Vacuo!”

“They would never believe such absurdity!”

“ORDER! WE WILL HAVE ORDER!”

Ugh… A lone woman groaned on the inside.

Her knuckles pressed against her temple, as she wore an expression of disinterest. Not that the plight the Kingdom faced bored her, but the government that run it were horribly conflicted.

What am I even doing here?

I should do something.

Say something.

But I doubt anyone could get a real word in edgewise, in this mess.

She removed her spectacles and pinched the bridge of her nose.

I wasn’t always like this.

I was a Huntress—am a Huntress.

I’ve fought Grimm the size of mountains. Monsters that could flatten the world!

Please, please let a Grimm attack right now…

For the love of—

“Would the Acting Headmistress of Beacon like to offer her word?” a man suddenly voiced.

Glynda slid her glasses back on and stared at the one who casted her into the spotlight.

He was a tall, skinny man. His wardrobe was of a formal renaissance style. A tailor-made waistcoat and long sleeves to match his extensive arms, with a bit of flourish at the end. His hair was blonde and stringy. And he wore a rather wide-brimmed hat, lending his appearance to a scarecrow.

“Straw,” Glynda muttered under her breath. Resigning herself to having to speak, she took a stand. “I have nothing to add to the current discussion.”

As she was about to sit back down,

“Surely, the Acting Headmistress of Vale’s most esteemed battle academy has something to contribute. A reasonable strategy that we could all agree on? Otherwise,” Straw gave a showman’s chuckle, “we’d all in good likelihood, defeat each other before Mistral or Vale have their chance. And you, so rarely, make an appearance at these meetings. We would be so grateful for any sort of counsel.”

Glynda threw the man a hateful glare, as her jaw tightened, and then loosened.

“We could arrange our armies in a position that force Atlas and Mistral’s armies to meet. The more instances we can create, the better our chances.”

Loud murmurs erupted between the chairs. Some of the voices wanted more elaboration, while others were appealed by the merits. Although, most were unwilling due to an obvious flaw in Glynda’s suggestion.

“You want us to withdraw from the northern front?! And we would have to retreat far southwest to put that plan into action! The lands we would be giving them for free! Part of the capital city would be surrendered for nothing!”

The one vehemently protesting was Cardin Winchester. When his father was abducted during a backchannel with Atlas, the boy replaced his father’s chair. He belonged to a faction that advocated a more aggressive defense.

“If you feel so disinclined towards my advice, I feel no real need that you should listen to it. You’ve never listened, when you attended my classes before. I only voiced my thoughts by request.”

“We don’t need any stall or wait-and-see tactics! Vale needs to strike decisive blows against its enemies!”

“No!” yelled another. “Because we have the home-field advantage, we should aim for a battle of attrition!”

Endless debate exploded once more, as Glynda took her seat.

After an hour passed, the meeting was called for a brief recess.

Glynda strolled to one of the keep’s balconies to get some fresh air. The view was nice, trees and woodlands as far as the eye could see. If she squinted, she could make out the faintest lines of Vale’s buildings.

“I wasn’t sure you were going to attend, Glynda,” a voice sauntered from behind.

“Oh, Straw. Why pretend I actually had a choice, when the Chairmen threatened to take Beacon’s seat away if a proxy didn’t show?”

“Now, now. I may have had to exercise some legal bureaucracy to get you here, but I truly value your opinion.”

“Is that so?”

“Oh, it is. Have you listened to them? So fractured and divided. They needed to hear an impartial voice. A clever idea, by the way—to play Atlas and Mistral against each other.”

“As if you didn’t come up with something similar. Or have you forgotten so much after leaving the school?”

Straw chuckled with fake embarrassment.

“I was never a good teacher. Not like you, or Peter and Barty. The gift of passing wisdom eluded me, as well as utilizing it. Ozpin said as much.”

“Ozpin trusted you.”

“Heh, yes,” he rubbed his hands. “You still believe that, do you?”

“I don’t believe he trusts you anymore.”

“No, I meant, you still believe the man is capable of trust? Ozpin believes in no one, my dear Glynda. I may be a fool, but I’ve realized that much over the years—serving him, championing his cause. The Wizard lies.”

Glynda eyed him with scrutiny.

“Salem?”

“Oh! No, my dear! I may despise Ozpin, but I would never defect to the Witch’s side. Such an act of idiocy is a feat, even I would never flirt with. No, no. Rest assured, my allegiances are entirely my own.”

She eased, but only a little.

There was a time in their lives, when Straw worked as part of their inner circle. A trusted fellow guardian of Remnant. If Qrow was Ozpin’s second, Glynda and Straw were a close third. But that time had long passed. Back when the man was still a professor at Beacon. Not the pompous aristocrat he was now.

“Where is the bird, by the way? I neither detect the scent of stale whiskey or hear the steps of a bumbling inebriate, so I can only guess he is not here.”

“Maybe, you scared him off. You have a way of doing that.”

“A shame. I had prepared an honorary seat for him and everything. I suppose, I just look absolutely foolish now. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Not really. Qrow’s always been skilled at hiding from meetings. No matter how important they may be.”

“So, he evades even you?”

Glynda blinked.

She was reminded of how often Straw liked to play the fool, while masking his actual intelligence. He poked and prodded, shaking small hints and clues out of trees. It made it easy for him to learn what he needed. Exposure was often among people’s deepest fears.

“‘The left hand knows not what the right does’, indeed,” he joked. “Once more, I’d like to take this opportunity to express thanks for your attending. The chairs may have disagreed with your proposal, but the idea is planted. I shall make sure the seedling bears fruit. What would you say to a concaved formation? We could even leak the opposition’s positions to each other.”

“Was that your plan all along? To use me to push your agenda?”

“You give me far too much credit, Glynda. I merely thought it was an inspired idea.”

“…”

“Our armies could use a leader of your caliber. Would you not consider postponing the revitalization of the school in lieu of defending the nation it resides in?”

“I’m averse to war.”

“Tsk tsk tsk. Such a shame. The other professors have joined the effort. Teachers from Signal Academy, as well. Why, just last week, the previously timid lion and his daughter’s team answered the call, ready and willing.”

“…!”

“Ruby Rose,” Straw toyed with the name on the tip of his tongue. “Daughter of Qrow Branwen and Summer Rose. I’ve heard nothing but magnificent things about the girl, but she does require some further tutelage, does she not? Someone who knows the way to show her the way…”

“I respected you once,” Glynda said with disdain. “But now, you’re nothing but a conniving coward.”

“I say again, Glynda. You give me far too much credit. I only wish I was half as clever as you accuse me to be, truly I do.”

Straw started his way back to the conference room, a short spring in his step and a light song on his lips.

“If I only had a brain~♪”

.

* * * * *

.

At a certain dance club in Downtown Vale, the next band for the night was about to perform.

Crowds herded toward the stage. A lot of them drunk and, or otherwise. Most had come just to attend this specific live. The band was new, but the music they played made for a unique experience.

As they finished setting up, Junior whispered to the vocalist.

“Do you think you guys could maybe…tone it down a bit tonight?”

“…”

*Sigh* “Just something to consider…” the club owner groaned, as he began speaking into the mic. “Alright, guys! Our next band is the one you’ve all been waiting for! Give it up for E.N.M.—”

Mercury started the intro guitar riff, midway through Junior’s sentence. An act that got the audience cheering, and the club owner scrambling off stage. Him and many of his men created some distance between the crowd, careful of what might happen next.

For the first few seconds, there was nothing but the reverberation of guitar strings and some audience members whooping. Then, Emerald grasped the mic stand.

“Yeah, here we go for the hundredth time. Hand grenade pins in every line.

Throw ‘em up and let something shine. Going out of my fuckin’ mind!

Filthy mouth, no excuse! Find a new place to hang this noose.

String me up from atop these roofs! Knot it tight so I won’t get loose!”

As the song went on, Neo joined with the bass and Yang on percussion. And the more Emerald belted out lyrics, the more the demeanor changed in the audience.

They began moshing violently, with no sign of control. Fists were thrown into the air and into the person next to them. Beer bottles were shattered on people’s skulls. It wasn’t long until the dancefloor turned into a free-for-all slugfest. The madness increasing as the song played on.

Junior could only watch the spectacle in horror. His frail hope was there wouldn’t be too much damage to his establishment this time around…

…

…

After the concert finished, and the club was closing up, Yang planted herself in a stool by the bar.

“Hard strawberry sunrise,” she ordered.

The drink was set in front of her, like she usually had it.

Three weeks had passed, since Yang’s team left her home in Patch. As unlikely as residences came, Emerald managed to acquire a place to live above Junior’s dance club.

Their being there worked for a multitude of reasons. They bargained a good renting rate because they were “friends” with the landlord. No one asked too many questions about people in such an establishment. The place was a great hub for information gathering. And they could find under-the-table work whenever they needed to.

And rarely did they ever, because of the team’s new alternative occupation. Ironically, a way to hide in plain sight, came in the form of hiding in the limelight. Few suspected an international team of outlaws to be a rock band of the same name.

Yang emptied her glass.

“Another one.”

When the barkeep brought her the second, Emerald came and sat in the seat beside her.

“You’re drinking acid.”

Yang swirled the contents of the glass and took a sip.

“Mud.”

“…”

“Snake oil.”

“It’s not working, Em.”

“Damn it!” Emerald banged the table, swiveled, and leaned against it.

“Your Semblance just doesn’t work on people, who’ve been exposed to it enough. Why the obsession with improving it, anyway? You never cared much about it before.”

“It used to be the ace up my sleeve. Now, almost every hard-hitter we meet’s gonna know how I sharp my cards. Still a few tricks in the bag, should the worse ever happen, but it’s only a matter of time till, well…”

“Hm. I guess, but I never banked too much on your Semblance. If you ask me, I thought your shotcalling played the biggest for the team. We complain, but me and Merc don’t really mind doing the heavy lifting. And then there’s Neo to reinforce. Our current setup’s pretty solid.”

“’Why change what’s not broken?’” she grumbled, while resting her chin on the table. “But it’s also true we’ll be broken if we don’t change…”

Emerald stewed in her problem for a while. She didn’t want to admit it, but it was more than efficacy that drove her new desire for improvement. It was also a matter of pride.

The team leader hardly failed to notice the rest of her comrades growing stronger by the day. Yang had incurred a significant penalty, but attained an infinitely deadly Semblance in return. Combined with his new Talarion, Mercury became a small army unto himself. And there was little need to mention what Neo brought to the table.

Only she, Emerald felt, was falling behind. Not to mention, she was the leader of this band of uniquely powered individuals. As such, the urge to keep standard burned hot in her stomach.

She especially saw her shortcomings in the battle against RNJR. Towards the tail-end of the fight, her Semblance was producing diminishing returns. Emerald became an area of liability at one point. It also proved ineffective against Qrow, Ruby, and Ren from the outset. Of which, would hardly be the last opponents she would ever face with specially keen perception.

If things continued the way they were, she was afraid her Semblance would turn her into a one-trick-pony, if that at all.

So, she set herself to practice. Every concert was an opportunity to train effecting multiple targets, over a longer timeframe. She tweaked their nerves, sent them into an emotional euphoria. Removed any inhibitions they had, while dialing their hormones to a hundred.

The only problem was, she merely expanded on an “outdated” skill. The number, speed, and length were never the issue, but the potency. For all her efforts, she could not force hallucinations on a person, but suggest them. And they never worked well against those already adapted to it, or aware.

Emerald bit her thumbnail in vexation.

There has to be a way.

I just haven’t thought of it yet.

On Neo and Mercury’s approach, the barkeep prepared a root beer float and club soda.

“Criminals, Mercenaries, Soldiers, War Heroes, Criminals again, and now Musicians,” Mercury listed off. “Our resumes just keep getting longer and longer…”

“Personally, I liked it better when you were just criminals,” Junior parked beside them, and knocked back a shot. “At least then, you didn’t destroy my club almost every other night.”

“You make more lien back on the drinks alone.”

“I have to go out and buy brand new furniture and equipment—every time. It’s annoying.”

“Buy more durable furniture.”

“I. DID. Freakin’ maniacs still break everything. There’s a table stuck in the ceiling. The ceiling!”

They all looked up and saw a table dangling from the roof by its leg. A few of Junior’s thugs were trying to use ladders that were too short, while climbing on top of each other.

“It’s like, how did it even get up there? So, the durable furniture causes even more damage!”

“Buy cheaper furniture.”

“You’re just full of brilliant ideas up there, aren’t you?”

“It’s one of my charms,” Mercury toasted.

A voice came over from one of the thugs guarding the door.

“Hey, Junior. Someone’s here to see you.”

“Is it the interior designer?”

“No. Someone else.”

Junior groaned something incoherent, before knocking back another shot, and storming off.

As Mercury was taking a sip of his club soda, Emerald whispered in his ear.

“Fizzy piss water.”

“Gmph—!!” *Snort!*

“Yes! I did it! I freakin’ did it!” she claimed victoriously.

He coughed, trying to ease the liquid out of his nose.

“Em,” Yang caught her attention, while handing Mercury a napkin. “I think you just made him laugh. It wasn’t cause of your Semblance.”

“……Oh.” Emerald toned down. “Yeah, figures.”

“Look, if you really want to bring a bigger threat to the team, why don’t you put some more brawn on those brains? Or you could sharpen your shooting. It doesn’t have to be your Semblance.”

The other girl only groaned at the suggestion.

“Maybe I should go through a Semblance Trial too. Concentrated Dust and Bane can be expensive, but it’ll be worth it if I don’t die.”

You shouldn’t do Bane. Bane is bad.

“I know, Neo. But what choice do I have?”

You will die.

“Thanks for the vote of confidence. What makes you so sure?”

You are weak.

“Thanks.”

Your will is strong.

“Thanks?”

But your body is very weak. So, you will die.

“Great.”

Black blood will sploosh everywhere. From your ears and eyeballs.

“I get the picture. Must be why you’re such a great artist,” Emerald sighed.

Neo handed her a quick doodle. The graphic nature of it killed any remainder of the idea. At the same time, Junior returned with serious intent.

“Just got word on the weapon tech you’ve been asking me to look into.”

“You found Masa?!” Yang almost jumped from her seat.

“Yeah, you know how the professors at Signal went to join the war?”

“Uh huh.”

“Apparently, Masa Moon was lying low in the academy’s basement, working as the school’s weapons tuner. Looks like it was kept pretty hush-hush, most of the staff didn’t even know. But when they left, she came up for air.”

“Awesome! We should leave when we can.”

“‘When you can’, better be right now. A few big players just put out a gag and bag contract.” Junior showed them a sheet of paper he was handed, detailing the bounty for Masa’s capture. “A lot of my ‘business rivals’ want to get their hands on her too.”

“That’s a lot of zeroes,” Emerald whistled. “The whole underground��s a nasty hive. I know you two are partial to Masa’s prosthetics, but is it really worth the trouble to go after her?”

“She’s worth it, Em. If anyone can help me build a weapon to overcome my handicap, it’s her. Plus, she should be able to help you too.”

“Yeah? How?”

“When I had my Semblance Trial, one of the…things—manifestations of my soul or whatever— They mentioned Masa. Said she did something with my Semblance? I can’t remember. The point is, I’m pretty sure she’s not just a really good weapons tech. There’s something about her.”

Masa is very smart.

Too smart.

““Neo?”” Emerald and Yang turned to the small girl.

I saw it.

Masa is special.

Shiny.

“O—kay. I guess that’s good enough for me,” Emerald pushed off the counter. “Junior, we’re borrowing the Malachites. If this is as hot as it sounds, we’re gonna need some extra wet hands.”

“Oh, alright. Sure you don’t want any more muscle?”

“What, like your thugs? They’d just get in the way. I’m not paying for them.”

At hearing the statement, every pair of red glasses turned, but had nothing to retort.

“No! Not them. I meant,” *Ahem* And Junior kind of postured himself.

“…? I’m waiting.”

Yang rolled her eyes.

“You mentioned some of your business rivals were going in on this. Think you could tag along, lend us a hand? If we get Masa, maybe she can craft your boys some new heat.”

“Hell, yeah! I mean—only cause you asked.

Just let me go grab my bat.”

.

.

.

NOTES

-Saru’s character is based off Toyotomi Hideyoshi.

-Straw’s character is based off the Scarecrow from the Wizard of Oz. “If I only had a brain~♪”

-The crazy mosh thing is based off dance mania/hysteria, which was a psychogenic phenomenon. People danced until they starved or collapsed from exhaustion. And of course…mosh pits.

-The song ENMY intro in Junior’s club is Bleed It Out by Linkin Park. I’m partial to the song’s intro, sue me.

-People have been asking me about bumblebee for some reason? If it ever becomes canon, I’ll be happy. If it doesn’t, there are no expectations. Just cause this fic has YangxNeo doesn’t mean I dislike bumblebee.

I think that’s about it for everything relevant. It’s come to my attention (and my partner telling me) that I may have not explained some things. I’ll try to get to them. Message if you want to ask something, like usual.

As always, thank you for reading!

See you in the next chapters!