The Games We Play

DISCLAIMER: This story is NOT MINE IN ANY WAY. That honor has gone to the beautiful bastard Ryuugi. This has been pulled from his Spacebattles publishment at threads/rwby-the-gamer-the-games-we-play-disk-five.341621/. Anyway on with the show...err read.

Carrying

"What was that about?" Adam asked as I returned to our table, an odd look on his face.

"Nothing worth worrying about," I assured before turning to Finn and Albus with a smile. "Cinder says she's in, too."

"Yes!" Finn cheered, pumping a fist. "Man, I'd say I felt bad for everyone else, except I really don't. This what you get for fucking with the best."

I chuckled a bit at that and then leaned over to rest my chin on hand again, before closing my eyes.

"Hey, are you going to sleep, Jaune?" Finn asked after a few minutes of silence, tone changing. "You haven't even eaten anything yet."

As if in reply, Adam slid a plate in front of me. I levitated a few chicken nuggets up to my mouth, absently tearing them to pieces as I did, and quietly ate few before reply.

"Not sleeping, just bored," I said at last. "School's pretty dull so far."

Adam hummed an agreement.

"It can't be helped," Albus replied, closing his eyes contemplatively. "You're so far from the norm, there's not much point in you being in first year classes at all. I assume you're as advanced in other areas?"

"Yeah," I muttered, not bothering to open my eyes.

"Don't worry," He continued. "The faculty has no doubt noticed that as well. Give it some time and they'll come up with something more suitable."

I shrugged slightly, doubting it. It wasn't their fault that I was…well, me, but there wasn't much they could do except leave me be.

"It's more complicated than that," I said aloud. "There's my family, the schools, all sorts of stuff involved. It can't be helped."

"Yeah," Albus agreed, looking sympathetic. "I went through something similar, as did Finn."

He punctuated that by kicking the other boy in the shin again, but Finn just rolled his eyes.

"Sometimes it feels like this place is a dumping ground for misfit," He mused, though he seemed to find the thought a bit amusing.

"It is," Albus said, rolling his eyes slightly. "But that's not all it is."

"Oh?" I asked, curious.

"Haven's a place of power," Albus said. "But also a place of expectation and responsibility, honor and tradition. The children of the Families gather here, making connections even as they hone their skills. More many, that's what Haven is—a forge for making the strongest weapons in the world. We're trained to become the protectors of mankind, after all, and that's what matters most, in the end. But to some, it's a means to different ends."

I thought of Cinder, as well as myself.

"I can see that," I said, before considering the older boy for a moment. "Finn…mentioned your father. Was he…?"

Albus snorted once and nodded.

"It's no great secret," He said. "In my case, I was put here to be forgotten. It's not necessarily an uncommon story—if you've children you wish to forget about, there are worse ways to go about it than sending them to Haven. We're to become Hunters, after all."

"And a lot of Hunters die," I stated.

"Just so," He agreed. "It's a time honored means of removing children from the picture, here in Mistral—send them to Sanctum or Haven. If they sink, you're rid of a potential inheritance war or shame. If they swim…"

He shrugged.

"People will forgive a whole lot, if you're a badass," Finn added, smirking. "My dad was…well, kind of a fucking dick, but hey—look at me now. Haven takes all kinds."

I nodded slowly in understanding, opening my eyes to look at them both.

"I guess you showed them," I said, smiling slightly. "The way I hear it, you're some of the strongest students Haven's produced in a while."

"Well, I don't like to brag—" Finn drawled.

"He loves to brag," Albus interjected.

"—But well, I'm pretty damn awesome," He finished as if Albus hadn't said a word.

I chuckled again at that.

"I hope I didn't cause you too much trouble," I said. "It must have looked bad for you, losing to the new kid."

"Eh," Finn grunted with a shrug. "It can't be helped. You were stronger, so you won—strength supersedes pretty much everything around these parts, including age. If you hadn't punched us in the face, it wouldn't have changed anything, would it? You'd still have been better than us; no point in holding back to spare people's feelings. God fucking knows I'd have kicked the shit out of the entire senior class when I first showed up and laughed at them afterwards, the fucking pricks."

"Truth be told, I'm inclined to agree," Albus admitted. "The only part of Khakestar I've ever respected was his power—and only because it's important to remember your enemies strength, however much you despise them. If you assume they're stupid or weak simply because they're loathsome, it rarely ends well."

"Yeah," I agreed with a tired sigh. "I know."

"Another thing that's good to remember is that, more than anything, Haven is a place of change," Albus continued. "Whatever you were when you first walk through those doors, you're supposed to leave as something different. A man, a Hunter, or whatever else—it doesn't matter as long as you make sure it's something better. Sometimes what changes you is what you learn. Sometimes it's who you meet—"

He paused to send a look at his right hand man, Delwyn, sitting at a table down the hall before continuing.

"And sometimes it has nothing to do with the school at all," He murmured, turning back to me. "Sometimes it's the result of things as simple as time or being away from home or your own will. It doesn't really matter as long as you take something away, does it?"

I smiled again at that and inclined my head.

"I suppose not," I said. "Thanks for the advice—I don't think changing will be a problem for me, though. Even with things as messed up as they can be sometimes, I'll manage."

"Good," He said.

"Is Albus done talking yet?" Finn asked after a moment, shaking himself. "Sorry—he monologues sometimes and I just zone out…"

"Fuck you, Fionn," Albus stated without missing a beat. "Even if I'm no longer the strongest in school, I still kicked your ass. Or were you zoning out then, too?"

Finn huffed, rolling his eyes.

"Whatever, bitch," He replied. "We'll settle this at the tournament. I wouldn't mind capping my school life off with a memory of your humiliated face."

"I'll be sure to win by knockout, then," Albus answered. "If nothing else, you'll deserve to see it in your dreams after you embarrass yourself in front of God and everybody."

I laughed quietly and finished off the chicken nuggets on my plate before rising.

"We still have a few more classes," I said. "And boring as they are, Adam could use the beauty sleep. I'm perfect as I am, but I can't let him start feeling adequate, so I suppose I'll join him."

Adam looked up from the four plates he'd been preoccupied with eating clean, rolling his eyes as he swallowed.

"Did you say something, short stuff?" He asked, imperiously. "I can't hear you from down there."

I thought about pointing out that I was over a hundred and eighty-five centimeters which was plenty tall, fuck you very much—but decided against it on account of still being the shortest person at the table.

"Are your ears going now, too?" I asked, shaking my head sadly. "You really are a big ball of imperfections, aren't you? Later guys."

"Hey," Finn interrupted. "Let's hang out some time. We could all use the practice and I'll introduce you to the boys, eh? And Albus and his merry band of ponces can come along to, I guess."

"I'll tell them you said that," Albus stated mildly. "It looks like it'll be another hard week in PE for both the fool and the fools who follow him."

"Bring it, bitch," Finn huffed with a sneer. "We're all getting real tired of your shit, anyway."

"I might take you guys up on that," I cut in before they could start arguing too much. "Can't do it today, though; I've got a prior engagement."

"Oho!" Finn replied, instantly beaming again. "Don't let us keep you then. Good luck."

I smiled at them again and shrugged a shoulder as I walked away.

XxXXxX

The rest of the day passed quickly, thanks to the simple fact that I meditated my way through anyone trying to talk to me. After giving Adam a chance to eat supper, I mentally called for Gou, drawing him to me with a thought and an effort of will. One of the benefits I got from the Familiar skill, if not one I'd had much use for until now—not that I'd used it much at all until now, in fairness.

But that was about to change.

When I sensed that he was in range, I scanned our surroundings one last time to make sure there was no one watching us before dropping us all into Naraka with a snap of my fingers and taking the easy way outside—namely, through the nearest wall.

"Gou," I greeted as tore a path up through the earth and landed lightly on my feet. The dirt clinging to me quivered once before falling from my clothes and skin a moment later, following Ereb's silent commands. "How have you been?"

Celestial Dog

LV 88

Tiangou

"I've been well," Gou replied, looking entirely unsurprised to see me. "And you?"

"As well as can be expected," I answered, taking a seat as Adam slowly made his way to the surface, taking the conventional route. Pussy. "Adam and Autumn have been fine to."

Gou nodded once as if that was that before sitting.

"You called for me," He stated, sounding entirely unperturbed by the fact. In fact, it mainly sounded like he was reminding me.

"Mhm," I agreed, sitting as well. I could feel the Grimm appearing around us, but I simply had my Elementals take physical form and then they had bigger things worry about. "It seemed like it was about time that we talked about this. Gou…do you want to Hunt with me?"

"Yes," Gou replied, seem to wonder why I was even asking.

I sighed a bit at that.

"You don't have to, you realize," I said.

"I've been preparing for this for quite some time," Gou reminded. "We both have."

"Yes, but that was before…you know," I gestured at him.

"Before I could talk?" He asked.

"Before you grew," I corrected. "You're a person in your own right, now, and whether I did so unknowingly or not, I gave that to you—which means I have a responsibility to you, not the other way around. You have a mind of your own, so you deserve to choose for yourself what life you want to live. You can stay with us whether you're a hunting dog or not, or you could live your own life. Hell, you're smarter than most people I know; if you wanted to go your own way, you'd probably be fine. I'm…well, I'm heading somewhere dangerous and even I don't know how bad it might be. You could die. I could die. You don't have to risk your life just because you're my Familiar. You can do whatever you want."

He nodded at that, still watching me calmly.

"Thank you," He answered. "But this is what I want. Things are…"

He paused, tilting his doggy head to the side in consideration.

"Different now," He decided at last. "The way I see things and think about them. But…I still remember what my life was like, before I met you. I remember what it was like when I was about to die."

"You don't owe me for that," I said.

"Perhaps I do, perhaps I don't," He answered. "It doesn't really matter, does it? I remember what happened and I remembered being saved. I remember being given a new life and a new home. Whether I owe you or not, I haven't forgotten what you've done for me—and if I have the right to decide my own life, I think I would like to continue living beside you. Especially if you believe you are going to be in danger."

I took a deep breath and nodded, giving him a small but honest smile.

"Okay," I said. "I just thought you had the right to choose for yourself before dragging you into this. You can back out any time, you know that, right?"

"Of course," He said. "May I ask what you intend to do now?"

I lifted my hand to my wrist, touching Autumn's closed bulb lightly.

"I'll give Autumn the same choice," I said. "She's gotten strong enough that she should be able to make her own body now."

"I see," Gou mused. "And what of me?"

"As for you, you've come a long way," I replied, reaching out to pat his head. "After a few months of training, you're in pretty good shape. And you've got four hundred and thirty-five points to spend, too."

"Ah," Gou said, nodding in understanding. "I assume you have something in mind for how I might spend them?"

"I was thinking Vitality might be the best choice," I answered. "I can make you strong easily enough, but it'll put you under a great deal of strain, to say nothing of our enemies. I would…feel better knowing that you would be safe."

"Then I shall do so," Gou agreed. "Shall I make the adjustments now?"

"Why not one more night of training?" I proposed, drawing my training armor from my Inventory and reshaping it with Crocea Mors. "As long as you stay close to me, I can Accelerate you enough to make it count. Just run around some while I talk to Autumn and then…"

I shrugged.

"Understood," Gou said seriously, calmly waiting as I equipped the armor I'd made to weigh him down.

"I'll keep an eye on you," I promised, raising several barriers around us to improve my MP regen as much as possible. "If you get tired or hurt, I'll fix it right up, okay?"

"Do not worry," He answered, rising with some effort. "I trust you."

I nodded slowly in reply.

"Okay," I whispered, patting him again. "Good luck."

"And you," He answered before looking past me. "Hello again, Adam."

"Yo, Gou," Adam replied as he leisurely made his way down the stairs. "Good of you to join us. You ready to kill some monsters?"

"Almost," He said, seeming pleased by the thought. "I'll be running today, it seems. You?"

I listened to my best friend and my Familiar talk even as I took another deep breath and focus on my wrist.

"Autumn," I murmured. "Time to wake up. Daddy's got a surprise for you."

My daughter returned to awareness almost instantly, Aura reaching out to touch my own even before her blossom opened to reveal her central eye. The many eyes overlaid upon its surface seemed to spin as she took in her surrounding and began to rise from my arm, thorny tendrils lifting her high. She twitched once in reaction to whatever she perceived, petals folding back to lie flat against her vines. After a moment, her body hunched over as she looked at me, her orb serving as the head to her many barbed limbs. The feeling she gave me then was inquisitive.

"I'm going to talk you through making a body today, okay sweetie?" I answered the unspoken question.

In reply, her body shimmered, turning mercurial as her limbs flowed together into the body like that of a snake, eye like patterns marking its scales and leading up to an otherwise eyeless head.

I smiled at the sight and reached out to tap her head with a finger.

"I know you can make bodies of your own," I told her, saying the words out loud even as I used Floral Communion to send her the message; for today, it was best that she have something to listen to. "But I mean a body like mine. There are things I wasn't sure you were ready for until now because they're…complex. But I think you should be able to do it now. If needed, we can distribute the points you have left wherever they're needed, but it should be fine. Now that you can see well, we should be able to work on your other senses, like taste, touch, smell, and hearing. Each of those requires different organs and cells, though there are various ways to do each. I'll talk you through the basics of each today and I figured we'd work on some other things in the process, like speech. Later on, I'll show you some tricks when it comes to your senses, but don't worry too much about it today, okay? Let's start with hearing."

Raising a wall of earth with a gesture, I began to carve markings into it even as I started to describe the process to her. Autumn's shapeshifting abilities made this both more and less difficult—on the one hand, putting things into practice was made fairly trivial, but on the other, I had to build ends around her means. Autumn didn't have a brain in a human sense of the term, nor any permanent organs or structures of any kind. Instead, her mind was either somehow housed throughout the entirely of her body or else in her soul, both of which were rather outside my expertise. What that boiled down to was that her eyes, for example, transmitted thing to pretty much nowhere, yet still allowed her to see.

While the easy solution, then, would have been to simply make her grow ears—tympanic membranes, ossicles, cochlea, the whole shebang—I had to think of what was best for her, not simply what was convenient for me. She was a shapeshifter, after all, and at home in any number of alien forms, so why bind her to the weaknesses of bodies that weren't hers? When it came to giving her sight, I hadn't limited her to the eyes of humans, whether in form or in function; I'd explained how to make them, of course, but also how to construct more complex structures, like the photoreceptive marks on her petals and skin. Later, I'd show her how to perceive the broader spectrums of light, such as infrared and ultraviolet, enabling her to perceive things in more detail. For the same reason, I'd never limited her desire to grow additional eyes, because why leave yourself blind spots if you didn't have to.

Evolution may have been a blind watchmaker, but I could see just fine and couldn't see a single reason to limit her needlessly. The animal kingdom held up countless possibilities, from the ears of a bat to the nose of a grizzly bear, and I'd give her as much of it as I could.

So instead of teaching her to create ears, I taught her how to hear. I'd spent awhile drawing up the specifications for membranes and structures that would allow her to hear in pretty much any form, from delicate ridges that were sensitive to vibrations to flesh that could perceive changes in the air accurately enough to effectively hear. I showed her how to convert parts of her body into nerve tissues, designing several for different situations and to react to different stimuli, depending on the body she wore at the time. I built subsystems specialized for perceiving temperature, sound, light, contact, and chemoreception, so that she wouldn't have to sacrifice anything as she changed shape.

Truthfully, it sounded complicated—and it was—but Autumn made it look easy. It was pretty simple to put the pieces together when you didn't actually have to put them together. None of the systems or subsystems had to connect to a brain or transmit that information anywhere, they simply had to function on their own and Autumn's power look care of the rest. Better yet, her INT was high enough that she only had to see or hear something once to remember it. I explained the designs carefully, showed her exactly how they should work, and could trust her to remember it forever.

Of course, remembering wasn't the same as being able to use while under stress, but we'd work on that if she wanted to. She had a lot of potential on that front, especially now that she'd grown into her power. Animasynthesis and Green Binder had revealed themselves as properties of her Semblance, 'Gatherer,' which I assumed was also the explanation for how her body worked in general. I couldn't be certain of the precise details of it yet—mainly because she hadn't finished growing physically or mentally—but it seemed to focus on bringing things together, whether those things are traces of energy in her environment or other plants. I couldn't deny it was an interesting power though; it kind of made me wonder what Gou's would be, once he developed that far, assuming my Familiar skill hadn't somehow taken its place.

"Autumn," I said a few hours later, sitting in front of the pool of biomass she'd metaled into. It was mostly silver-green in color, but occasionally bits and pieces of other colors rose from the fluid before being submerged. The only solid parts of her were the lily pads that she'd formed on the surface of her mass, which she was using as her sensory organs at the moment. The rest was being used to form short-lived bodies and test her new abilities.

At the sound of my voice, however, the pool went still. Every ripple on its surface stopped in place and then went smooth, letting me know that she'd heard me.

"Do you think you're ready to put everything together?" I asked. "We can work on making a body now, if you want."

She was silent for a moment, partially because she didn't have vocal chords at the moment and partially because I hadn't taught her how to speak yet, either. For that reason, I was careful to speak slowly, explaining the definition of each word with Floral Communion to start building up her vocabulary.

Besides, it's not like she needed a voice to answer such a simple question.

After a moment, the miniature lake began to bubble and swirl inwards, retreating back into the certainty of form. The plants on its surface melted instantly and were consumed by the motions of the quicksilver mass, even as something began to take shape in the center. Something wooden began to rise from the receding waters, white-brown at first but quickly darkening to a dark reddish brown. Other growths began to rise around it while the rest of Autumn's body, still fluid, swept them up and began to twist into shape around them, connecting them to one another at joints.

They were bones, I thought. She was putting a body together in an exceedingly literal fashion. Not quite a human one, either; though there were more similarities than differences, some places were missing joints while others had them to spare. The skull and ribcage were the biggest differences, however—which I suppose made sense, as she didn't have any real need for either. Instead of going with the human design, she built them as lattices of lacquered wood, with her ribcage extending all the way down her spine and her skull lacking anything like a jaw and having openings for things to pass through or grow around.

Almost the moment I had that thought, the rest of her mass began to bind itself to the structure. Instead of a conventional musculature, she grew coils of thorny vines and tendrils, the growths affixing themselves and then bonding to one another, filling in with additional plant matter. As soon as it was in place, another lattice of wood began to grow over it in an exoskeleton, providing addition support as it helped give her shape. Finally, a skin began growing over her in ridged, armored plates, covering everything in a protective coating reminiscent of the eyeless heads she'd used to feed herself before. They interlocked almost seamlessly, showing only small glimpses of connecting material between the plates as Autumn twisted, coils flowing and attaching beneath her armored skin.

She struck an imposing figure, looking more like a fully armored knight then the young girl she was inside. She was tall, too—nearly as tall as I was, which was presumably what she'd used as a baseline. The end result didn't look much at all like a human, but I suppose that was fine; if she chose to be a Hunter, an armored hide would protect her better than normal skin, anyway. The only part of her that was uncovered was the thorny mass that made up her, the layers of wood around it binding it in the rough approximation of a human head.

"Well?" I prompted after a moment of silence. "How do you feel?"

The coils of her face shifted slightly, as if to make room. After several seconds, a pair of empty sockets were revealed and more fluid began to flow in from all around it, quickly taking the shape of eyes. They weren't the only ones I could she on her body, but they were by far the most visible, with a few dozen others simply glinting through coils and the gaps in her armored plates, or else forming as colorful designs upon her skin. The ones on her face, however, simply gleamed, pure silver on a background of bright green.

After a moment, she began to lumber towards me, walk a bit stilted from having never done so before. Once she was close enough, she held out a gauntleted hand towards me, fingers ridged and clawed and marked by thorns.

I look it with a smiling, humming happily at her.

Thus Kindly I Scatter

LV 52

Autumn Rose