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bssaz97 · 4 years

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Rowan’s Trip To Beacon (...Sorta) #2

-Beacon Academy (Volume 2 Time)-

Rowan: So do you all believe me when I say that I’m Ruby and Jaune’s future son?

Ren: Well given how you have been able to back up all of your claims, I don’t see any reason why we shouldn’t trust you.

Weiss: I’ll have to agree. Despite the complexity of it all...what you’ve said so far is true.

Rowan: Great! Now could we go see Headmistress Goodwitch?

Blake: Actually that’s something I want to ask you about. Why do you want to speak to Goodwitch of all people? Wouldn’t you want to speak to Headmaster Ozpin?

Rowan: Yeeeeeaaaah no. I don’t personally have anything against the headmaster but he may try to, well, interrogate me.

Yang: ....And you think Goodwitch won’t?

Rowan: Don’t worry it’ll be fine. I know Miss Goodwitch, she’s one of the nicest people out there. *innocently smiles*

RWBYJNPR: .....

Nora: Are you sure about that?

Rowan: Yep. In fact here she comes right now. *points behind them*

The two teams look behind them and to their horror they do in fact see Professor Goodwitch walking straight towards them. Her expression was anything but welcoming though.

Rowan: Welp. We should probably go see if we can talk to her- Whoa!

Yang grabs the young boy and throws him into a bush hedge to avoid detection from the absolute livid Headmistress. She wasn’t sure why she did that, perhaps it was her familial instinct kicking in. Also they would have an easier time explaining ‘how their leaders destroyed the courtyard’ instead of ‘how their leaders destroyed the courtyard AND transported their future son to the present.’ It felt weird to think how Ruby managed to get married and have children before her, was SHE even married in Rowan’s time? Questions for later, right now they had to face the “Wicked Witch of Beacon”.

Glynda: *stops in front of them* Mr. Arc and Miss Rose, why am I not surprised by the fact that both of your teams are present at the scene of disaster?Perhaps you could care to explain what transpired in the time between now and the sound of a Bomb exploding the main courtyard! *She exclaimed irritably*

Ruby: Um...w-well...you see...w-what happened was-*figets under Goodwitch’s gaze*

Jaune: It’s my fault Professor! I was showing Ruby an experiment that I made in Dust Studies but it got out of hand. I’m really sorry!

Ruby: Wha-? Jaune what are you doing?! *whispers*

Jaune: Do you really want Goodwitch to know you snuck a possible bomb to Beacon? *whispers*

Ruby: No but I don’t want you to take all the blame! *whispers*

Jaune: Just trying to be a good friend. *whispers*

Goodwitch: You students should know, whispering is more effective when the person you are whispering about can’t hear you. *leans in*

Ruby/Jaune: .....crud.

WBYNPR: *facepalm*

Glynda: Well then, since Mr. Arc admitted to both of your involvement in all of this, I believe it’s only fair that you share in the consequences as well Miss Rose. Your honesty is much appreciated Mr. Arc.

Ruby: Yeah. Thanks Jaune. *sarcastically*

Jaune: Sorry. *hangs head*

Glynda: Now about your punishment. I believe since this is all your doing, you two will spend the remainder of this semester in detention. Along with this, you will have to write ten thousand word essay on the dangers of Dust misusage and why students should not think of it as toys. The essay shall be hand written, work cited by the library, and then turned into me personally during my office hours before the end of the month. Also this will be apart of both of your grades in my class. Am I to be understood?

Ruby/Jaune: Yes mam...

Glynda: Good. Now then you both should get started soon, as there are only two weeks left in the-

Rowan: Hello! *popping from out of the bushes*

Glynda: Good Gods! I mean-‘cough’ Can I help you?

Rowan: Actually you can. You see I was taking a tour with my dad who works as a janitor here but I lost track of him. Could you help me call him for me please? *takes out his scroll with his best innocent face*

Glynda: ...I suppose I don’t see any harm in it. Although I should let you know that your father will have a stern talking with me about leaving children unattended at this school. Also that taking ‘tours’ without my or the Headmaster’s consent is highly frowned upon.

Goodwitch takes Rowan’s scroll, when she takes a look at the device she gains a confused face.

Glynda: Strange... I wasn’t made aware that they were making new models for Scrolls.

Rowan: Actually this a prototype I won in a contest. I’m supposed to be beta testing this one before they announce the new models later on.

Glynda: Oh I see. *nods* Although could you tell me how to select the Call function, this new design is very... foreign to me.

Rowan: Sure thing. *Gets it front of her and puts on some shades* Just hold down that red icon and let go after three seconds.

Glynda: Thank you. You’re quite a polite young man if I do say so-

*FLASH! (Neuralizer Sound FX)*

Both teams saw that a bright light flashed in Professor Goodwitch’s face, and now she had a blank expression on her face. Rowan then takes off his shades to pockets them and then gently takes the scroll from her grasp.

Rowan: Boy that was crazy Miss Goodwitch! We just got done doing a late class experiment outside in the courtyard but things sorta got out of control when a fault box of SDC Dust was sent to the school. Luckily nobody was hurt so that’s a plus... but not so much for the courtyard. Although you’re just happy nobody was hurt and remember I’m a visiting student that won a contest to tour the school for the weekend and teams RWBY and JNPR are assigned to look after me. Also there’s no homework or for the weekend.

Glynda: *blinks* ....oh. Yes of course the contest I do recall. I apologize you had to experience that Rowan, our dust shipments are usually more careful about this. Mr. Arc, Miss Rose could you please escort this young man back to the dormitories, I believe we’ve had enough excitement for today.

Ruby: .....Uh ok? *looks confusedly at Goodwitch*

Jaune: Yeah Rowan...let’s get back to the dorms. *starts walking back towards the campus*

Weiss: Wait a minute. What about their essay?

Glynda: Essay? Miss Schnee, I understand your desire for academic success but I have not assigned any homework for this weekend. You all should take time to make preparation for the Vtyal Festival coming up instead of focusing so much on your grades. *she chastised*

Yang: Yeah Weiss-cream let’s back to the dorm so we can get ready for the weekend! *places her hand on Weiss’ mouth and pushes her forward*

Weiss: Mmphf!

-Team RWBY’s Dorm-

Ruby: What the heck did you do to Miss Goodwitch?!

Yang: Yeah one second she’s turning Rubes and Vomit Boy’s into chop liver and the next she leaves them off scot-free?

Weiss: Now she believes your some tourist at the school.

Rowan: Yeah I kinda figured you all wanted an explanation for that. Well to put it simply, I erased a portion of her memory.

Blake: You erased her memory?!

Rowan: Not all of it... just the last 25 minutes to be exact. More than enough time to cover over the incident that Mom and Dad caused and give her a new one to fill in the gap. So now Goodwitch is not mad at you guys, Mom and Dad don’t have write an essay and I can roam around without a second thought.

Weiss: .....you know I’m actually starting to believe that you have spent time with my brother.

Rowan: Ok to be fair it was Mr. Whitley’s idea to add the neuralyzer to my scroll. I didn’t consent or anything, just said if I was ever in a fix to use it sparingly. Plus I only can use it three times to per day otherwise it has to recharge.

Pyrrha: And you’re completely ok with erasing a poor woman’s memory?

Rowan: Not really, I try to avoid using it if I can but I kinda wanted to help Mom and Dad out of a tough situation. But you don’t have worry about that, she’ll be fine. The neuralyzer doesn’t cause any lasting damage..... I think.

RWBYJNPR: .....

Rowan: But in any case, I’m stuck here for the foreseeable future, or at least until someone from my time tethers me back. So in the meantime we should probably spend some time to relax and hang out. *lays down on Weiss’ bed*

Yang: I’m starting to like this kid.

Jaune: But before we do anything, there’s something we should probably establish before we have you go walking around. First, you should keep the part about being our kid a secret.

Rowan: Ok. Sounds like a good idea Dad. *nods*

Jaune: Also, you should probably stop calling us ‘Mom’and ‘Dad’. It’s gonna lead to a lot of weird questions.

Rowan: Ohhhh yeah, you’re probably right. Ok, anything else.

Jaune: Yeah the less we know about our future, the better. So nobody, and I mean EVERYONE in this room, should ask you serious questions about the future.

Rowan: *nods* Yeah I don’t wanna pull a Back to the Future and blip out of existence.

Ruby: Wait you know what Back to the Future is?

Rowan: Yep. You and Auntie Yang made it a point to watch Classic Movies when me and Summer grew up.

Ruby: ...who?

Rowan: Oh right I didn’t say. My sister’s name is Summer P- Rose 2nd. You named her after grandma.

Ruby: I.....wow. That’s...I don’t know what to say.

Rowan: *raises his hands* It’s ok, you don’t have to say anything yet. You still have A LOT of time before you even think about stuff like that.

Jaune: Ok you see this? *points at both of them* This is what I’m talking about. None of this ok, we don’t want to make anything more weird than it needs to be.

Rowan: Ok so keep my mouth shut. Got it! *gives a thumbs up*

Blake: Do you mind if I do ask something real quick?

Jaune: Wha-? Blake, we just established no asking about our future!

Blake: This isn’t a personal question. I don’t need to have my future told to me.

Jaune: ‘sigh’ Fine. Ask away.

Blake: Rowan, do the White Fang ever succeed in their mission of invading Vale?

RWY: BLAKE!

Jaune: The hell?! That’s not any better!

Blake: You said to not ask personal questions. This is a situational question, therefore it won’t effect my personal life. So Rowan, what happens?

Rowan: ... I’m not gonna tell you that. *serious tone*

Blake: What? Why?!

Rowan: Oh I know what you’re trying to do. You’re trying to find out about future events that may transpire now or later. So I’m sorry but no I’m telling you anything more than what I need to.

Blake: Rowan, this could be life or death!

Rowan: And if I did tell you, you would want to stop it. But what you don’t realize is that if I were to tell you any information regarding that, not only would that jeopardize my future but everyone else’s future also. Time is NOT something you want to mess around with, because things could get a lot worse by just changing the smallest thing about the timeline.

Blake: *looks away* ...I-I’m sorry Rowan I didn’t think-

Rowan: It’s ok. I get where you’re coming from, but trust me it’s better off this way.

Blake: Ok...

Jaune: Ok so does everyone agree not to ask too many questions about the future?

RWBYNPR: *nods*

Jaune: Great. Now then, Rowan why don’t you tell us a bit about yourself. You don’t need to go into many details, just your likes, dislikes and hobbies.

Rowan: S-Sure thing Da-Sorry! I mean Jaune. Um.... let’s see. *holds his chin in contemplation* Well as far as my likes go: I like to read comics, spend time with my family and friends, and hear stories about-well, both of your teams adventures. Which I guess hasn’t really started yet hehe.

Yang: Well I guess hero worship just runs in the family then. *looks at both Jaune and Ruby*

Rowan: Well you did tell me most of those stories Auntie Yang, so you are partially to blame. *laughs*

Ren: You mentioned wanting to become a huntsman before, any particular reason?

Rowan: Well to put it simply, I always looked up to huntsmen as role models for me. Not because they’re flashy or cool, well not completely. I decided to train to become a huntsman because they serve as beacons of hope for humanity and keep the dark forces of the Grimm at bay. So if I can help in that, if I can make sure that I can protect even one person and keep them smiling then it would be worth it.

Ren: *nods*

Nora: *gets up close* I just have one question for you and it means life or death.....pancakes or waffles?

Rowan: Pancakes duh? You made sure of that Auntie Nora.

Nora: *ruffles his hair* Yep he’s good!

Rowan: Anything else on your minds?

Ruby: Oh I got one! What’s your best memory with ‘Dad’ here? *points at Jaune*

Jaune: Really Ruby, didn’t we just established no calling us his parents?

Ruby: What you said nothing about his personal life.

Jaune: ‘sigh’ Fine. You get a pass, Rowan what’s your best memory of us?

Rowan: ......... *blank stare*

Ruby: Uh Rowan?

Rowan: Oh I’m sorry! I was just thinking, Hahahaha! Wow, best memory with Dad? Um, wow I-I mean there’s...so many memories I have of him it’s kinda hard to tell! Um.......uh......best m-memory? Uh, you know what it was probably that one time that me and him went to an amusement park and he took me on a roller coaster for the first time! Yep that was a great memory! *scratches the underside of his jaw*

Ruby: Oh...well that’s cool.

Rowan: Yeah it was awesome! Say do any of you know if the mess hall is still open because I’m starving actually! Guess time travel can make a kid hungry! *laughs nervously*

Nora: Yeah they should still be open. Ren you’re and I can take you if you want? *gestures to Ren*

Ren: Yes we wouldn’t mind taking you there.

Rowan: Cool! Sounds like a plan! Well... I’ll see the rest of you in a bit!

Yang: Hey Rowan, mind if I tag along?

Rowan: Sure I don’t mind. Anyone’s happy to come along if they want.

RWBJP: We’re fine.

Rowan: That’s ok! We’ll see you later!

The group of four leave to go to the mess hall to find something for the young boy to eat, leaving behind a silence in the room among them.

Weiss: I’m going to assume that we all know that he was lying about that last question.

Jaune/Ruby: Yup. *they nod*

Pyrrha: But that just begs the question. Why would he lie about something concerning Jaune? From his demeanor before, he seemed to have a close relationship with his parents. So why lie?

Jaune: That’s something I hope we can find out?

-Fin of #2-

Hope you all enjoy this next piece! Getting back into the groove of things, so I’ll start getting back to writing regularly. Thanks for all the support and hope you all have a great day! Stay safe and stay smart out there!

Also here’s the sound FX if you guys were wondering:

https://youtu.be/czI4d8ziaPA

#rwby #jaune arc #ruby rose #lancaster child #rowan rose #yang xiao long #weiss schnee #blake belladona #nora valkyrie #lie ren #pyrrah nikos #time travel

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albion-93 · 5 years

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Cake & Consolations

Short story inspired by @littlemisssquiggles, hope you enjoy!

The days came and went quickly in the cold northern latitudes of the kingdom of Atlas. The sun often set as early as 5 o’clock in the afternoon, and naturally the freezing tundra winds swept into the lower city. Atlas had low-level shield technology to keep the worst of the considerable cold out, but down in Mantle it was either dress warm or freezing to death. This risk didn’t seem to faze Oscar Pine, who strolled through the streets, indifferent to the urban decay and restlessness around him. He was looking for a familiar shop, and knew that his departure from Atlas Academy via airship would raise alarm bells and eventual reprimand, but he didn’t care. He spotted his destination and quickened his pace, now realising just how cold he was getting, and discretely slid inside beside a tall departing customer before the door shut.

Inside, the warm orange glow of Pietro Polendina’s shop made Oscar sigh in relief. He stared about for a moment before a warm, hearty voice caught his attention.

“Good evening, Mr Pine! I’m about to close shop for the day but any time is a good time for a friend of my daughter’s,” greeted Pietro as he ‘walked’ towards Oscar and shook his hand firmly but kindly.

“Hello, Pietro, nice to see you too. Honestly, just wanted to see a friendly face,” said Oscar with a faint smile.

“Well, I’m very much obliged,” chuckled the kindly old tech genius, “it’s not so often that I get friendly callers these days, maybe my luck has changed wouldn’t you say, Maria?”

Oscar felt a hard pat on his back, and the boy gave a high yelp of shock before turning to see Maria Calavera. She threw her head back and laughed loud and long, joined by Pietro’s hearty chuckles. Oscar too finally gave a small, if hollow, laugh when the inner tension defused.

“Oh honestly, Oscar,” said Maria as she finally stopped laughing and pulled him in for a hug with one arm, “You scare far too easily. But it’s lovely to see you too.”

“Thanks, Maria,” said Oscar, his brief smile couldn’t mask his morose and lost-looking eyes. Maria immediately picked up on that, but Pietro noticed something else.

“Now hold the phone, where are your friends?”

“It’s only me. My uh… companions are coming back from a Grimm-hunting mission at one of the mines, I heard they were victorious.”

“Huh, and here I thought you and the others were thick as thieves. Both literally and figuratively,” said Maria dryly.

“Oh my!” exclaimed Pietro, now looking more serious than before “Then it begs the question: what are you doing out here all by yourself? This part of town ain’t exactly the safest of neighbourhoods, especially not at this time of day, you could get robbed or worse!”

“I won’t be missed,” said Oscar in a muted voice. Both Pietro and Maria stared at him with stunned shock and confusion. “To be honest most if not all of them don’t think I should be with them.”

“Who said that? Was it that greasy-haired birdbrained Qrow again?” demanded Maria angrily.

“No! It’s not that, it’s…” Oscar paused; his eyes went back and forth between the floor and the two adults.

“Oscar, we in this household have a strict rule about telling the truth,” said Pietro sternly, as Maria also gave him a warning frown.

“Lately I’ve been getting this feeling that I’m not actually a part of the group. I found out today that Teams RWBY and JNR were awarded their official licences after a successful mission, Qrow and Penny were there, and the General left me at the Academy like… like it was nothing.”

His voice had fallen into a low, broken whisper.

“Now that you mention it, Penny did mention some official business of some kind and seemed very excited about it,” mused Pietro.

“As soon as I found out, I wanted to be there to show my support for Ruby and her friends, us bonding with them and celebrating an achievement they rightly earned, and I’m... just left out? Am I part of this team or not?! Just-just… what the HELL?!”

His voice rose with each passing word to an angry yell, and he started to shake from short ragged breaths. He felt a small hand tightly holding his, and another arm around his shoulder, as he went on his voice cracked further and tears fell down his cheeks.

“I’m not a Huntsman, I get that. I’m just an out of depth farm-hand with a staff; I don't know what I was thinking. I should never have left my home.”

“Come on, let’s go into the lounge in the back,” said Maria gently, taking him by the hand and following Pietro through. Maria sat Oscar down on an old worn green couch with light brown cushions, and sat with him while he calmed down. When Pietro returned, he was carrying a wide platter with a bright orange cake with a white topping. Oscar’s eyes widened with amazement and a wide smile started to take shape.

“Now, I was saving this for a special occasion, but I think we can break into it a little early. It’s a carrot cake topped with buttercream frosting; two layers,” said Pietro proudly.

“No kidding! That’s my favourite!” said Oscar excitedly as he clapped his hands together.

“Is it now? Then by all means, have a slice or two on me,” said Pietro beaming.

“Thank you… I-I really can’t thank you enough!” said Oscar with overflowing gratitude and newfound joy, and a new surge of joyful tears threatened to break loose. He got up and grabbed Pietro in an embrace, which Pietro gladly returned with his one available arm.

After cutting a generous slice each, the three settled around the coffee table, large mugs of tea and hot milk on either side of each plate. For a while, the adults exchanged anecdotes of cake recipes, and Oscar eagerly listened as it was finally something unrelated to their mission, until Pietro’s curiosity returned.

“So pray tell, how did you, both of you, get roped into all this?”

Over the next several minutes, Oscar recounted how he first heard the voice of Professor Ozpin in his head, how this ancient soul told him to abandon his life on the farm and on a road to ‘greatness’ in protecting the world. He talked of his time at Haven and joining with Qrow Branwen and the young huntresses and huntsmen. He talked about how he trained with them, felt a connection to Ruby, Nora, Ren, and even Jaune despite their later difficulties. He mentioned the altercation at Haven Academy, and the Grimm attacks on their journey to Atlas. Recounting these events made him more animated and even happy at points, and Pietro listened with rapt attention. Maria added her own perspectives on the events leading up to Argus with quite a lot more flair than Oscar could muster.

“My, my... That was quite the tale,” said Pietro, very much impressed.

“Bah! If it weren't for me then you, your girlfriend’s team and her nincompoop uncle would be dried-up frozen corpses,” barked Maria indignantly,

“W-What?! Maria, Ruby is not my girlfriend!” yelped Oscar worriedly.

“Well sure, with an attitude like that she never will be,” she muttered to herself before clearing her throat, “Look, the point is that Iron-trousers didn’t bother to extend the invitation to me either, kid.”

“That’s... actually a fair point. I’m sorry.”

“It’s alright, I made my peace with it.”

“Look, I get it. I’m not with them right now because I’m not a Huntsman. Without Ozpin in my head I’m nothing, I’m not a hero or somebody important.”

“Who says you’re not important?” said Pietro earnestly.

Oscar paused, unable to come up with an answer.

“I've traveled to all sorts of places, shook hands with all sorts of folks, from high-and-mighty statesmen to humble miners. And you know what? In all my life, I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important. And that means you too! You risked everything to follow a group of strangers and jumped into the jaws of peril and emerged in one piece several times, and you keep sticking it out. You might not be a Huntsman right now but damn if you don't have the spirit of one, boy.”

These words washed over Oscar, he looked back and forth and tried to process them, musing on carrot cake crumbs on his plate.

“So everyone matters to someone, that’s your belief?” said Oscar at length, Pietro nodded, “then Ironwood would have left without me for some reason?”

“Well, those mines are no picnic, and James takes a full escort wherever he goes. Maybe the General had his reasons and he trusted you enough to keep out of trouble. He’s probably wondering where you are right now.”

Oscar flinched, remembering the Lamp of Knowledge. He had made sure to lock it up somewhere safe before leaving the Academy, but he still felt guilty about leaving it in some random cupboard. If Ironwood or any of the team were to find out he’d basically left his one job...

“Here’s my two lien:” said Maria without her usual air of dry wit, “you got left behind, and that sucks, but being miserable about it isn’t going to make your situation better. You have to find another way: your own choices, actions and consequences. Do you really want to follow Ruby and her friends around like a puppy, or do you want to make the choices that feel right for you?”

“You’re both right,” said Oscar with a calmer and clearer voice than earlier, “I have an idea about…”

“SAL-U-TATIONS!”

Oscar rapidly turned about and stared; Penny was standing in the doorway to the lounge, all beaming smiles and waves. How that girl managed to be so loud and yet so discrete was both a mystery and triumph of Atlesian robotics.

“Greetings, father! Greetings, Ms Calavera! I am happy to report that the graduation ceremony was a success, and my friends are officially licenced Huntsmen!”

“Why that’s plum-terrific, darling!” said Pietro with his usual level of cordial enthusiasm as he pulled his daughter in for a hug, “Tell them I said hello would you?”

“Of course! I’ve been sent to retrieve young Oscar,” she said a little more seriously as she turned and motioned Oscar to come with her, “Our transport is waiting outside. I believe Ruby and General Ironwood are worried for your safety, and Miss Valkyrie mentioned something about ‘he’s gonna get the grounding of a life if that boy isn’t back in five minutes!’ More or less,” she added the last part sheepishly, after emulating Nora’s voice to perfection.

“Uh oh…” said Oscar, now quivering at the thought of a telling off from Nora and quickly rose, “I better go, but thank you so, so much for the cake, Pietro. This talk really helped.”

“My pleasure, come by any time you like, as long as you tell your compatriots,” said Pietro as Oscar and Penny made their way from the lounge to the shop entrance, waving as they went.

“Remember what we talked about, and good luck!” called out Maria.

#rwby #rwby7 #rwby volume 7 #rwby vol 7 #rwby fanfiction #rwby fanfic #rwby spoilers #oscar pine #cake for oscar #maria calavera #pietro polendina #penny polendina #vent fic

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forkanna · 5 years

Link

[AO3 LINK] [EF LINK]

CHAPTER SEVEN

~ x JUDGMENT x ~

"I find myself wondering the same thing," Sae whispered, a cold sweat having broken out across her forehead. "What you're telling me… I can't believe this. All these years, my little sister was a lesbian? Why would you hide something like that from your own flesh and blood?"

Makoto fiddled with the edge of the file folder. "It's not 'hiding' if you don't know yourself, Sis. We both know that pretty well, don't we?"

"That… is fair." She shook her head, staring in awe at the nervous girl. "Well. This is certainly a less than ideal method of coming out."

"You're not wrong. Sis… I'm sorry I didn't say anything. But I was scared of the consequences. This was nothing personal against you."

"I believe you. Or at least, I'm starting to." Then she gestured. "Well, you might as well finish now. What happened next?"

~ x The Priestess x ~

The bath was luxurious and warm. Just the thing I needed to relax away all of my panic about Miss Kawakami, and how close we had come to doing something both of us would regret.

First of all, the very idea that I could be in love with my teacher was ridiculous. People develop crushes on their teachers all the time - or so I've heard. I've never had one. There was one in primary school who I liked a lot, but I was in fifth grade! And I never thought of him in a romantic way. Strictly a platonic crush because he was a very smart, capable adult who took an interest in my academic career, and those were in short supply.

And I wasn't attracted to women. Seriously, with Ann Takamaki as a part of my life, I think that if I were going to find the female form appealing, it would be that perfect-ten exotic supermodel. Even if I don't hold it against her because that would be petty and stupid, I am a little jealous of how cute she is and the amount of attention she gets from male students. Looks aren't everything, but I'm pretty plain when compared to her.

But nope. Never had the hots for Ann - arguably the hottest girl at Shujin.

So why Miss Kawakami? Maybe the entire reason was that she came onto me first. Touched me, teased me, let me undress her. Knowing that was part of her job didn't make it any less tantalising. Nobody had ever made such advances on me, even bad ones… and hers were pretty good.

But deep down, I knew it was more than that. Miss Kawakami was beautiful, and smart, and kind of funny when she wasn't worn out or stressed. And hanging out with her like this, outside of the barrier of teacher and student, or master and maid once she found out who I was… it was very different. And exciting. I was excited to find out what would happen next with her in a way that terrified me.

What would it mean about me if I was infatuated with her? Was I a lesbian? Or just curious, like a lot of young girls can be curious - the whole "Class S" concept? I've often wondered about that ever since my dear sister warned me not to let myself be perceived as too close to my female classmates, which I always wondered why she did that.

~ x JUDGMENT x ~

"Care to shed any light?"

Sae shrugged, though every movement was taut, rigid. "I was warning you about how perceptions can be shaped if you aren't careful. You used to spend a lot of time hugging other girls in your class before I said something; I didn't want it to make the parents of those girls ask you to stop hanging around them."

"It happened anyway," Makoto said softly, staring down at her hands. "I overcorrected. They would notice that I was too distant, and stop talking to me on their own. I think that may have contributed to why I'm so diligent in my studies."

"Oh." A flicker of guilt passed through the elder sister's eyes. "I… thought that was your drive to follow in our footsteps. Be successful and stand on your own two feet."

"Partly, yes. But what else could I do without any friends? Study, participate in student council. Focus on my academic career."

"Makoto…"

"I'm not asking for pity. My life is… not bad, all things considered. I know that. Just a hypothesis."

Brow creasing, Sae gestured to her sister again. "Continue. We'll revisit the topic of my past mistakes another time."

"I'm not trying to guilt you, either," Makoto sighed, reaching across the table for Sae's hand. But the hand withdrew. So after a moment, she sat back in defeat. "Alright. I know you want to get this over with, so let's do exactly that."

~ x The Priestess x ~

When I started to feel like my fingers and toes would turn all pruney, I pulled myself out of the bath and toweled off. Two robes were hanging on the inside of the door. I pulled my undergarments back on and covered myself with a robe, stepping out to see what had become of my temporary servant.

Miss Kawakami had already put her tights back on and was sitting on the corner of the bed, staring off into the corner. When I entered, she stood and bowed slightly. "Welcome back, Master!"

"Hey." I cleared my throat. "Can I ask you a favour?"

"What is it? Anything for you!"

I chuckled a little at her feigned enthusiasm. "Can… we talk? Without all this… this." I gestured to her outfit, her rigid posture.

"Oh myyyy, Master, so forward," she teased with a wink. When I gulped, she laughed and said, "I think we could arrange that. Is it alright if I use the bathroom?"

"Sure," I sighed. "Take all the time you need."

And she did. Honestly, by the five minute mark, I was about to get up and knock, but then the door clicked open and she stepped out into the main room.

And it was Sadayo. The wig and the maid costume were gone, and her soft waves of chestnut brown were framing her face. My room's other robe was wrapped tightly around her body by a belt, and paper slippers were on her feet as she shuffled in my direction.

"Niijima-san," she said politely as she bowed the tiniest bit in my direction.

"Kawakami-sensei. Please, have a seat."

She did. Then she turned slightly in my direction and asked, "What's on your mind?"

"Well… so I have this situation. With my friend, um… let's call her 'Becky'."

"Oh?" Clearly, she was trying not to laugh, and I cracked a smile. "Alright. Tell me what the situation is."

"Well, Becky is a new friend. I'm starting to think we could be closer, but her situation is really… complicated. So I'm not sure how to approach this friendship exactly without going too far, or… or I dunno."

"Too far?" Her expression became a bit more guarded. "You're interested in her? As more than a friend, I mean."

No way could I maintain eye contact with her anymore after she asked that. "W-well, I… that's not- I'm not that kind of girl. And not just about other girls, but about anyone."

"So you have more than one problem going on, it sounds like. Both your first crush, and you're worried about your sexuality?"

"Yeah. But the whole thing is stupid anyway."

Her tone became more gentle. "Why do you think it's stupid?"

"Because there's no way we could ever be together. Her situation is… I'm younger than her, and she's in a position that is out of my reach. So even if I decided I was… that way, and she was someone I was interested in, it still wouldn't make any difference. Don't you think that's stupid?"

"No, not at all. I mean… sure, I agree that it isn't ideal. But I would never say that you're stupid or anything just because you have the feelings in the first place. How cruel is that?"

Her reaction was a lot more favorable than I had been worried it would be. On the other hand, it was a little too favorable. Like she thought the idea of us together was ridiculous. To be fair, so did I, but being shot down when I was still barely thinking about it hurt.

"Oh my God," I breathed as I ran my hands through my hair, resting them at my temples as I stared down at the floor. "I'm so crazy."

Kawakami's touch on my shoulder made me jump, but she didn't take the hand away. Just clamped it down more firmly. "You are not. A lot of girls go through this when they're young. I went through it."

"You did?"

"Sure! Had a few friends in junior high that I thought about more than was normal, I guess. Even wanted to kiss one of them. But I knew it was just a crush and talked myself out of it, and you know what?" Her shoulders rose and fell as she favored me with a small smile. "Don't really feel any regrets about it. And I don't feel ashamed of it, either - and I don't think you should."

Again, there was that double-edged sword. At least she wasn't judging me for my feelings, but clearly she thought it was a phase I was going to grow out of it and didn't take it seriously at all. Maybe she was right.

"Thanks," I sighed deeply as I shot her a taut smile that was almost a grimace. "I'm glad you aren't upset, or freaking out or anything. Especially about me stalking you or booking your services."

"Hey, you paid me. What's to complain about?"

Again, she made me laugh. "True. I can't argue with that. But anyway, I'm sorry for prying so much. Finding out that you have this job… I feel terrible, it's none of my business."

"Well… I tell you what." She crossed her legs and leaned a little bit in my direction, smirking as her voice dropped in pitch. It took some real concentration to keep from glancing down at those legs instead of maintaining eye contact. "What if I give you the same offer I gave your friend Amamiya-san?"

"Offer?"

"Anything you need done around the house, if you have a spare ¥5000 lying around… just call me. You can have my direct number. I still need to get paid for my services, but if I'm working that night, you and Ren get top priority."

My shoulders hunched up a little closer to my ears. "I couldn't do that. You're my teacher, it's… just today has been strange enough. It would be even stranger if I did it again already knowing you're Miss Kawakami!"

"Why can't it work the way it did today? When I'm in the maid costume, I'm Becky. Back in class, I'm your teacher."

"Oh…" That did make a lot of sense. But I found myself nervous for another reason. "What about right now? You're not in the uniform, but we're not in class. How should I be thinking about you?"

"Well… I'm trying to still be your teacher, but… maybe I'm your friend. Sadayo."

"Sadayo… hmm." Suddenly, I noticed she was staring at me with wide eyes. "What?"

"Well, um, maybe don't say it like that."

"Like what?"

"Like you're in a perfume ad," she explained, looking away as her cheeks turned slightly pink. "All smooth and sexy."

Now it was my turn to look surprised. "I said it a sexy way?"

"Enough," she laughed in a slightly nervous way. Which was interesting. Maybe I was more assuming that none of this affected her than it being true. "But yeah, if you want to keep talking to me, your friend, until my time is up, we can do that. Obviously there's not much more for me to clean up around this rabuho room."

My mind returned to the list of services on her laminated card. It was true that there wasn't much else for her to be doing there. But I still felt really guilty having my own teacher wait on me hand and foot…

Suddenly, it hit me. A way I could pay her back for being so understanding and accommodating. And it was technically on the list — even if I knew that wasn't what it was supposed to mean.

"Actually…"

"Hm?"

"There was one other thing I wanted off the Becky menu. You don't have to change," I hastily told her when I noticed she started to stand up. "I'll get you the ¥1000 when we change back, if that's all right. For now, would you mind laying back on the bed for a moment?"

Clearly indecisive, Kawakami glanced at the bathroom, then back at me as she scooted back on the bed. Her eyes narrowed slightly at me. "You're not going to do anything crazy, are you? Like… not-on-my-menu crazy?"

"No. Don't worry. Just… close your eyes?" For a second, I thought she wouldn't. But then she settled in against the pillow and sighed, eyes falling shut.

And I tried to get started as quickly as I could. I quickly nipped the paper slipper off and started in on her sole with my thumbs before she had time to react.

"OH! Whoa, wait, what are- mmhhh…" I glanced up to see her biting her lip, a slight crease between her brows. That together with the moan sent butterflies into my stomach but I did my damndest to pretend otherwise; just focused on massaging.

"Is this okay?"

"Okay?! Makoto-chan, you… I don't know why you… want to, but GOD it's phenomenal! My feet were killing me… how did you know?"

My shy smile would never be seen by her as I dug in harder. "I wanted to help you this time. And I guess I didn't know for sure, but I just thought… it might help?"

"Help?" Her breathy laugh also made me blush. "I'm three seconds from offering you all your money back! This is worth it to me!"

"No, no!" I laughed back. "That's yours. You earned it. And you earned this, too."

"Huh? Oh…" Finally, she slitted an eye open to glare at me playfully. "That's supposed to be me giving you the foot massage. Not the- MMHHH, oh wow, oh wow that's- right there! GOD I hate it but I love it!"

So I kept it up, giggling a little at my teacher's reactions as I played my thumbs across the soft flesh. Her feet were surprisingly silky; I don't know why that was unexpected. Maybe because she spent all day walking around the school, looking nice but also down-to-earth. Not like someone who did beauty upkeep as much as she clearly did.

By the time I moved on to her other foot, I was mesmerised by Kawakami. Her mouth was hanging slightly open for her to gasp for breath, cheeks rosy, eyes closed as she gripped the sheets. The neckline of her robe had fallen slightly more open, and I could just glimpse about as much cleavage as I could in the maid outfit. The worst part was how her writhing legs had begun to hitch up the hem of the robe… but I tried not to look in that direction. More than I needed to know about lay there.

Even though I didn't know why I kept ogling her anyway. But it was getting harder and harder to say "but I'm straight!" when all the signs pointed in another direction.

"Mmmm… thank you so much," she finally breathed in a much more moderate tone of voice. Completely relaxed. "Makoto-chan, you never had to, but it was so good…"

"Of course." I leaned down to leave a little kiss on her toes, then began tugging her slipper back into place. "Sorry I had to exploit a loophole in your menu, but it seems like you enjoyed it."

I had the other slipper on before I realised she wasn't responding. When I looked up and saw her simply watching me, I asked, "What?"

"Nothing," she breathed. "It's… nothing, really."

"No, it's something. You can tell me."

Sadayo's throat worked - and it was her turn. Now she was the shy one, she was the one totally out of her element. Why? I saw it but I didn't understand it.

"Nobody's ever done that before. I… my whole life, all the crappy dates over the last decade, all the grossest clients I've had in this night job. Not even my parents back home when I was little. Honestly… I can't remember anybody wanting to kiss my stinky foot for any reason."

"Hey, I told you it wasn't that bad," I tried to laugh, even though I was blinking and trying to recover from that.

"Well, maybe you're right; I always perfume the inside of my shoes before I start working, just in case. I mean, I haven't gotten a 'keep stockings' before, but you never know when today could be the d-"

"Nobody?" She fell silent. "You're an amazing teacher, and a beautiful woman, and… you mean nobody's ever given you a massage?"

Shrugging, she delicately rearranged her robe, closing it up and trying to close off her body from my attentions. But the blush remained. "My shoulders, maybe. A while ago. But no foot massages, and definitely no foot-kisses afterward."

"That's a crime. You deserve better."

"Stop," she breathed with a wide grin. "You're a female student at my school. I think it's a crime that you're this smooth."

My posture self-corrected purely from shock. "Smooth? Me?!"

"Yes! I mean, do you hear these lines coming out of you?"

"They're not lines! I mean it, I'm really… I think you deserve to feel good, and I think it's terrible that nobody has tried to help you with that before me. Especially because I'm just some girl from Shujin."

"Hey, that wasn't what I meant." Sitting forward a little more, she frowned across at me. "You're not 'just' anybody. I only meant… if a man my age said the things you were saying now, I'd be caught. Hook, line, and sinker."

I couldn't help smirking as I said, "I was a man your age before you took the mustache off."

"You were neither one," she snorted.

"How about this?" I pet along her shin. "Sadayo, I think you're one of the best people I've met in my life. Maybe mine's been shorter, but so what if I'm not one of those guys you dated? That's their loss if they can't see what I see."

Her hand slowly drifted up to cover her mouth as she gazed down along the bed at me. Through the fingers, she said, "Damn."

"Huh?"

"Whoever you end up with… they are not gonna know what hit 'em." Then she lowered the hand to her chin so I could watch her bite her lip, trying to minimise her huge grin. It wasn't working.

And now we were both blushing up a storm. This whole thing was crazy, and at the same time felt so perfectly natural that I couldn't keep freaking out about it.

"Maybe I'm already with that person."

"Stop!" she giggled, kicking at my shoulder.

"And maybe not," I laughed. "Sorry. I'm not trying to be weird, I just… I really don't know what I'm doing."

With a long sigh, she finally swung her legs off the edge of the luxurious bed and stretched her arms over her head. "Mmmmmm, well it seems like you're doing great so far. Just sucks for me you aren't ten years older and that mustache was fake."

"Yeah? The mustache is something you were into?"

"Nah. I'm mostly kidding about that. I just meant… I'm straight, Niijima-san. As an arrow. And I really didn't mean to send any mixed signals, but my whole adult life, I've never had any interest in women. Much less one who's my student."

Now it was my turn to sigh. "Yeah. I'm as surprised as you are. Where did all this come from? I keep trying to tell myself it's not real, that I'm getting caught up in the moment, but it feels real."

It took Sadayo a minute to answer me. Then she began hesitantly, "If… you really are a lesbian, and it's not just a Class S thing… that's alright, you know. Just because I'm not doesn't mean I'm trying to say it's… bad, or…" She shrugged helplessly, a half-smile cutting through the gloom in her expression. "Am I even making sense? I've never had anybody come out to me before."

"You're doing fine," I laughed softly, and she smiled a little wider. "It's me who's going crazy. But thanks for trying."

"And hey, there are plenty of girls in your class who…" Then she kicked her feet a little as she admitted, "Maybe not. I mean, I guess you can't know if they play for your team."

"H-hey, wait a minute - it's not 'my team'. I don't have a team, I'm not even in the game!"

"You are now," she muttered as she elbowed my side with a sly wink. "Practically swept an old oba-chan off her feet just now - literally."

"You're not 'old'. Just older than me, Onee-san." We both grinned at each other. "And you're cuter than me."

"Whaaaat?! No way! You're adorable, and I'm an ancient bag of bones."

"Stop that!" We play-fought for a few seconds, and then she burst into laughter, hugging around my back. It felt…

It felt incredible. Comforting, real. More physical contact than I had in a long time, other than an occasional pat on the back from the guys, or random crushing hug from Ann that only lasted a couple of seconds. Maybe it was only for that instant, but Miss Kawakami felt like home.

To Be Continued…

#Queen Of Temperance #forkanna writes #persona 5 fanfiction #p5 fanfic #jess the writer

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