❀𖢻𖣂Gem Garden 𖣂𖢻❀

Blog for posting chapters of and storing the art for my RWBY rewrite.

[the-gem-garden]

What is Gem Garden?

This is a canon-rewrite of the RWBY by myself mod marigold/ @botanicalbard and mod Aster @celestine-witch featuring as supporting cast our lovely OCs: Team BLSM (Blossom).

The story will generally follow the plot of the original canon, though the presence of Team BLSM will have profound impacts on the other characters as time goes on.

Without further ado, the members of Team BLSM are:

Blue Bonnet "BB" Dawn — a jellyfish Faunus and the boisterous leader of Team BLSM who's been training their whole life for this.

Lily Corvus — a magpie Faunus who, quite literally, can't help but tell the truth.

Sakura Kuchinashi — the serious, highly competent granddaughter of an illustrious General and BLSM's "token human."

Magnolia "Maggie" Moon — a gentle giant of a squirrel Faunus whose blindness doesn't get in the way of her ambition.

Find the fic on AO3

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

Or here on Tumblr organized by volume

-Volume One Chapters

-Volume Two Chapters

-Volume Three Chapters

Profile picture artist!

Tags

#GGchapters the official chapters of the fic

#BLSMAU la tag for art and rambles about the team BLSM girlies

#GGasks for answering your questions about the fic

[the-gem-garden]

Gem Garden AU family trees

The gem garden is a self indulgent RWBY + OC’s rewrite me and my GF mod Aster write together. Volume 3 sees many family members get introduced in cannon and we intend to increase that number next chapter. So here are the family trees.

The Rose Xiao-Long Family

Poly team STRQ is cannon in this AU as typical of Cannon Yang is a product of Raven and Tai. However there is some doubt to Ruby’s paternity that both Ruby and Yang are unaware of but since Ruby was born after Raven left and Qrow’s mental health was on a decline it was decided it would be best if Tai was legally her dad and Qrow remained cool uncle Qrow.

The DAWN family

Following up next with the other team turned polycule is team DAWN and their very nonbinary children. Daisy and Nero have left the huntsmen industry to be politicians While Aubrey and Whitten continue the hunt. They are also publicly two separate married couple because while queerness is much more common expected in Huntsmen spaces (because it’s extremely common for partners and team mates to fall into romantic relationships regardless of gender) it’s still taboo in remnant at large. Fun fact despite Nero being BB’s biological dad on Paper Whitten is her father to avoid controversy. However they all live in the same house and have jointly raised their kids.

The Arc Family

Well since we did the other team leaders families next up is Jaune and his rainbow sisters! Iris is an excitable eccentric while Albert is a very normal wife guy who just lets her do whatever she wants. They just all have names associated with the color now. I also forgot Terra’s glasses were red and am devastated because it matches her wife so well and it’s so cute they are still red. I also gave the blue twins a little more differentiation from their original design. The only major difference is unlike cannon the Arc’s are implied to be under a little more financial stress because of their big family.

The Schnee Dynasty

People often forget how important Weiss grandfather was to her Jacques had to play nice and he had a loving hand in raising her before his death. Weiss since of safety was shattered after loosing her grandfather and it his morals and empathy she’s trying to imitate this is why she has his eyes. Whitley who doesn’t remember a time with Nicholas or Willow being present and emulates his dad had his darker blue. Winter has one eye of each shade because while she has that schnee spirit she sometimes has Jacques’ coldness and other flaws also it’s a cute detail for her eventual love interest to notice. Jacques also has black roots poking out because he’s not truly a Schnee.

The Kuchinashi Dynasty

Sakura is very obviously to those who are reading the fic an intentional parallel to Weiss but instead of having a loving grandfather. Sakura’s grandfather is the Jaucqes equivalent and is extremely unhappy with his daughter being a lesbian and adopting but since it’s the only heir he’s getting he consistently stuck his nose in Sakura’s upbringing. So while her mother’s shielding protected her from the worst she has her own biases but they aren’t as overt as Weiss’.

The Ren Family

Ren’s father was a well respected figure in the community and his mother was an adoring sweet woman. They loved their daughter with everything and being orphaned hurt Ren terribly to the point where he prefers going by his family name to remember those he’s lost.

The Belladonna Family

Blake is a little mini version of her mama :3. Ghira is largely identical to cannon except with the addition of gorgeous eyelashes and cat pupils which Blake inherited. Ghira has always been a soft spoken pacifist from mistrial while Kali was a wild child who lived beyond the 4 kingdoms. She taught him to fight and stand up for himself and he in turn taught her how to be at peace. Not pictured but this version of Kali definitely has tattoos.

The Moon Family

Maggie feels strange about being the odd one out with her fanus species in her family. Her relationship with Meadow is extremely strained due to her constantly being at work in the atlas mines and in that respect her and Oakley relationship is comparable to Yang and Ruby’s as they raised their siblings. Meadow and Maggie both have unnaturally white in their hair as a result of stress from working in the SDC mines. Maggie previously had Black hair and green eyes before the accident that blinded her. Oakley’s anttena’s are curled because he styles them to copy the natural curve of his sister’s squirrel ears.

Just Nora

Nora never had a father and her mother abandoned her during the Grimm attack on her and Ren’s home village. After that moment she considered Ren her only family and she’s starting to consider the rest of Team JNPR as well.

The Corvus Family

Lily’s primary motivation for becoming a huntress is to find her father a Huntsman that saved her home town and had a brief fling with her mother. That isn’t to say Lily doesn’t adore her mother she dose they are as close and can be Lily helping work her mom’s bar and acting as a protective bouncer to anyone that hit on her mom.

I’ll reblog with Pyrrah’s in a moment I swear I just hit the image limit.

[the-gem-garden]

The Nikkos Family

Pyrrha’s family was living in poverty before she became the invincible girl (see the fic more details on that) and they both really push her on the subject to be this figure thinking it’s her best chance at life and it certainly doesn’t help that they are profiting from it.

[the-gem-garden]

Showing off my art on main once again

[the-gem-garden]

Gem Garden AU family trees

The gem garden is a self indulgent RWBY + OC’s rewrite me and my GF mod Aster write together. Volume 3 sees many family members get introduced in cannon and we intend to increase that number next chapter. So here are the family trees.

The Rose Xiao-Long Family

Poly team STRQ is cannon in this AU as typical of Cannon Yang is a product of Raven and Tai. However there is some doubt to Ruby’s paternity that both Ruby and Yang are unaware of but since Ruby was born after Raven left and Qrow’s mental health was on a decline it was decided it would be best if Tai was legally her dad and Qrow remained cool uncle Qrow.

The DAWN family

Following up next with the other team turned polycule is team DAWN and their very nonbinary children. Daisy and Nero have left the huntsmen industry to be politicians While Aubrey and Whitten continue the hunt. They are also publicly two separate married couple because while queerness is much more common expected in Huntsmen spaces (because it’s extremely common for partners and team mates to fall into romantic relationships regardless of gender) it’s still taboo in remnant at large. Fun fact despite Nero being BB’s biological dad on Paper Whitten is her father to avoid controversy. However they all live in the same house and have jointly raised their kids.

The Arc Family

Well since we did the other team leaders families next up is Jaune and his rainbow sisters! Iris is an excitable eccentric while Albert is a very normal wife guy who just lets her do whatever she wants. They just all have names associated with the color now. I also forgot Terra’s glasses were red and am devastated because it matches her wife so well and it’s so cute they are still red. I also gave the blue twins a little more differentiation from their original design. The only major difference is unlike cannon the Arc’s are implied to be under a little more financial stress because of their big family.

The Schnee Dynasty

People often forget how important Weiss grandfather was to her Jacques had to play nice and he had a loving hand in raising her before his death. Weiss since of safety was shattered after loosing her grandfather and it his morals and empathy she’s trying to imitate this is why she has his eyes. Whitley who doesn’t remember a time with Nicholas or Willow being present and emulates his dad had his darker blue. Winter has one eye of each shade because while she has that schnee spirit she sometimes has Jacques’ coldness and other flaws also it’s a cute detail for her eventual love interest to notice. Jacques also has black roots poking out because he’s not truly a Schnee.

The Kuchinashi Dynasty

Sakura is very obviously to those who are reading the fic an intentional parallel to Weiss but instead of having a loving grandfather. Sakura’s grandfather is the Jaucqes equivalent and is extremely unhappy with his daughter being a lesbian and adopting but since it’s the only heir he’s getting he consistently stuck his nose in Sakura’s upbringing. So while her mother’s shielding protected her from the worst she has her own biases but they aren’t as overt as Weiss’.

The Ren Family

Ren’s father was a well respected figure in the community and his mother was an adoring sweet woman. They loved their daughter with everything and being orphaned hurt Ren terribly to the point where he prefers going by his family name to remember those he’s lost.

The Belladonna Family

Blake is a little mini version of her mama :3. Ghira is largely identical to cannon except with the addition of gorgeous eyelashes and cat pupils which Blake inherited. Ghira has always been a soft spoken pacifist from mistrial while Kali was a wild child who lived beyond the 4 kingdoms. She taught him to fight and stand up for himself and he in turn taught her how to be at peace. Not pictured but this version of Kali definitely has tattoos.

The Moon Family

Maggie feels strange about being the odd one out with her fanus species in her family. Her relationship with Meadow is extremely strained due to her constantly being at work in the atlas mines and in that respect her and Oakley relationship is comparable to Yang and Ruby’s as they raised their siblings. Meadow and Maggie both have unnaturally white in their hair as a result of stress from working in the SDC mines. Maggie previously had Black hair and green eyes before the accident that blinded her. Oakley’s anttena’s are curled because he styles them to copy the natural curve of his sister’s squirrel ears.

Just Nora

Nora never had a father and her mother abandoned her during the Grimm attack on her and Ren’s home village. After that moment she considered Ren her only family and she’s starting to consider the rest of Team JNPR as well.

The Corvus Family

Lily’s primary motivation for becoming a huntress is to find her father a Huntsman that saved her home town and had a brief fling with her mother. That isn’t to say Lily doesn’t adore her mother she dose they are as close and can be Lily helping work her mom’s bar and acting as a protective bouncer to anyone that hit on her mom.

I’ll reblog with Pyrrah’s in a moment I swear I just hit the image limit.

[the-gem-garden]

The Nikkos Family

Pyrrha’s family was living in poverty before she became the invincible girl (see the fic more details on that) and they both really push her on the subject to be this figure thinking it’s her best chance at life and it certainly doesn’t help that they are profiting from it.

[the-gem-garden]

Gem Garden AU family trees

The gem garden is a self indulgent RWBY + OC’s rewrite me and my GF mod Aster write together. Volume 3 sees many family members get introduced in cannon and we intend to increase that number next chapter. So here are the family trees.

The Rose Xiao-Long Family

Poly team STRQ is cannon in this AU as typical of Cannon Yang is a product of Raven and Tai. However there is some doubt to Ruby’s paternity that both Ruby and Yang are unaware of but since Ruby was born after Raven left and Qrow’s mental health was on a decline it was decided it would be best if Tai was legally her dad and Qrow remained cool uncle Qrow.

The DAWN family

Following up next with the other team turned polycule is team DAWN and their very nonbinary children. Daisy and Nero have left the huntsmen industry to be politicians While Aubrey and Whitten continue the hunt. They are also publicly two separate married couple because while queerness is much more common expected in Huntsmen spaces (because it’s extremely common for partners and team mates to fall into romantic relationships regardless of gender) it’s still taboo in remnant at large. Fun fact despite Nero being BB’s biological dad on Paper Whitten is her father to avoid controversy. However they all live in the same house and have jointly raised their kids.

The Arc Family

Well since we did the other team leaders families next up is Jaune and his rainbow sisters! Iris is an excitable eccentric while Albert is a very normal wife guy who just lets her do whatever she wants. They just all have names associated with the color now. I also forgot Terra’s glasses were red and am devastated because it matches her wife so well and it’s so cute they are still red. I also gave the blue twins a little more differentiation from their original design. The only major difference is unlike cannon the Arc’s are implied to be under a little more financial stress because of their big family.

The Schnee Dynasty

People often forget how important Weiss grandfather was to her Jacques had to play nice and he had a loving hand in raising her before his death. Weiss since of safety was shattered after loosing her grandfather and it his morals and empathy she’s trying to imitate this is why she has his eyes. Whitley who doesn’t remember a time with Nicholas or Willow being present and emulates his dad had his darker blue. Winter has one eye of each shade because while she has that schnee spirit she sometimes has Jacques’ coldness and other flaws also it’s a cute detail for her eventual love interest to notice. Jacques also has black roots poking out because he’s not truly a Schnee.

The Kuchinashi Dynasty

Sakura is very obviously to those who are reading the fic an intentional parallel to Weiss but instead of having a loving grandfather. Sakura’s grandfather is the Jaucqes equivalent and is extremely unhappy with his daughter being a lesbian and adopting but since it’s the only heir he’s getting he consistently stuck his nose in Sakura’s upbringing. So while her mother’s shielding protected her from the worst she has her own biases but they aren’t as overt as Weiss’.

The Ren Family

Ren’s father was a well respected figure in the community and his mother was an adoring sweet woman. They loved their daughter with everything and being orphaned hurt Ren terribly to the point where he prefers going by his family name to remember those he’s lost.

The Belladonna Family

Blake is a little mini version of her mama :3. Ghira is largely identical to cannon except with the addition of gorgeous eyelashes and cat pupils which Blake inherited. Ghira has always been a soft spoken pacifist from mistrial while Kali was a wild child who lived beyond the 4 kingdoms. She taught him to fight and stand up for himself and he in turn taught her how to be at peace. Not pictured but this version of Kali definitely has tattoos.

The Moon Family

Maggie feels strange about being the odd one out with her fanus species in her family. Her relationship with Meadow is extremely strained due to her constantly being at work in the atlas mines and in that respect her and Oakley relationship is comparable to Yang and Ruby’s as they raised their siblings. Meadow and Maggie both have unnaturally white in their hair as a result of stress from working in the SDC mines. Maggie previously had Black hair and green eyes before the accident that blinded her. Oakley’s anttena’s are curled because he styles them to copy the natural curve of his sister’s squirrel ears.

Just Nora

Nora never had a father and her mother abandoned her during the Grimm attack on her and Ren’s home village. After that moment she considered Ren her only family and she’s starting to consider the rest of Team JNPR as well.

The Corvus Family

Lily’s primary motivation for becoming a huntress is to find her father a Huntsman that saved her home town and had a brief fling with her mother. That isn’t to say Lily doesn’t adore her mother she dose they are as close and can be Lily helping work her mom’s bar and acting as a protective bouncer to anyone that hit on her mom.

I’ll reblog with Pyrrah’s in a moment I swear I just hit the image limit.

[the-gem-garden]

Volume 3 Masterpost

The Sleepover

[the-gem-garden]

Volume 3, Chapter 1: The Sleepover

A/N Thank Y’all for your patience we were very busy with art fights but are extremely excited to get back into the grove of things writing BLSM it’s an extra long one for the wait.

Maggie instinctively links her arm with her closest friends, leaning on them to navigate the Xiao Long-Rose house. Fortunately, there are enough plants outside she can still sense everyone’s Auras, but indoor environments have always been difficult, especially without her cane.

“Well, since we're all here,” Lily declares; Maggie swears she can hear the mischievous grin in her friend’s voice, “Ain’t this is the perfect time to show us your music? Y’know, like you promised?”

“Are you sure? The songs are pretty anti-Atlas, and—well…” Maggie shifts her focus to Penny. Able to see her with a little more detail now, she asks a question that’s been on her mind, “Are those… ears? Has Penny been a Faunus this whole time?”

“No, it’s the cutest darn bow I’d ever seen,” Lily laughs brightly, and the orange silhouette shakes its head, “Can’t believe she almost pulled a reverse Blake on you! Anyway, I’m sure it’ll be fine. Penny’s a tough girl, an’ I’m sure she already knows, bein’ a local an’ all.”

“I guess…” Maggie says hesitantly. She shook herself steeling her nerves; she had promised, and Team BLSM doesn't lie to each other. Plus, Blake has assured her that her band was actually good.

“Great!” Lily announces to the group and she winces, “Everybody! Maggie’s gonna show us her music!”

“Oh great, we can use my old laptop.” Ruby says, running up stairs to get it. She puts it in Maggie’s hands, who stares at her blankly.

“I’ve got it,” Blake says, gently taking the laptop. “Which song, Maggie?”

“‘Little Miss Perfect,’” She suggests gently. Written by her friend, it was one of the tamer songs, and she’s sure some here could relate to it.

“How about one of the songs about you, Maggie?” Blake prods.

“But I’m not the lead!” She protests, “Besides, the ones Clementine sings are better.”

“Yeah, but we’re here to hear you, Maggie,” Lily points out bluntly, “We don’t know Clementine.”

“Fine, then. ‘Scars,’” Maggie concedes. Blake nods, pulling it up with a soft sigh. She can’t see, but she knows the video intro well, since Indigo—the band’s visual and last member—had explained it to her. It’s the group’s name, The Wild Hearts, surrounded by a cartoony squirrel, raccoon, and crane; the animals that their Faunus traits come from. Since this song is focused on Maggie, the squirrel runs forward and her own voice echoed a warning, “This Music video contains stealing, Blood, violence against a minor and the cops. If any of this bothers you, head out now.”

Maggie doesn't need to see to know what’s in the rest of the video. Indigo’s Semblance replays Maggie’s own memories in time with the lyrics they inspired, set to the slow, steady rhythm.

I'm not the person that I thought I was,

Couldn't tell you where the ache came from

The first verse begins as she sneaks through the streets, snatching wallets and other small things she could pawn off.

All the love, all the kindness, all your best-laid plans,

Couldn't stop me from becoming the way that I am

Maggie fights with her mother in their one room apartment. They need the money, but it kills her mother to see her 12 year old girl in a too-big mining uniform, bright-eyed and determined. The SDC snowflake had to be censored to avoid legal trouble.

You toiled on a bridge to cross the gap inside,

But I couldn't help you build it and I don't know why.

No, I couldn't let you build it,

God knows you tried.

Even on Menagerie, their argument doesn’t end. Her mother wants to help, but Maggie doesn’t need her; she already raised herself.

Was I born with a hole in my heart?

A fatal fault at the start,

Tell me it's inevitable that I'd end up with scars

Instead of replaying memories, new footage in the chorus puts the focus on Maggie’s ears, her tail; the scars over her face.

I'm not the person that I thought I was,

I'm trying to come to terms with what you've done.

In the fumes of your anguish,

Oh, my blistering pride.

I'm still burning like a tire fire deep down inside

Oh, I'm burning like a tire fire,

And I don't know why.

Shots of her punk phase graffitiing the walls, getting man handled by the Atlesian Knights, being put in hand cuffs that were too big to hold her bony wrists. Her mother scolds her as she picks her up from the police station.

Tell me it's inevitable that I'd end up with scars,

From falling down, down,

We were always meant to fall apart

These lines have the most painful memories attached walking into the mines and the flash of an explosion. She curls into Blake’s side, trembling.

Nothing could have been done, is that right?

Nothing could have been done.

Nothing could have been done,

Is that right?

As the bridge echoes out her grief, Maggie can’t help but sharpen her focus on the pink and pale blue Auras huddled together. Out of everyone here, Sakura and Weiss needed to see this the most, because they could stop it from happening again.

'Cause I was born with a hole in my heart,

Yeah, we were fucked from the start.

Tell me it's inevitable that I'd end up with scars,

From falling down, down,

The end is something she isn’t proud of; a fit of rage she’d worked so hard to control with therapy on Menagiere. In the memory, she slaps her mother, the sharp crack synced with the last line in a poignant, abrupt end.

We were always meant to fall apart.

“What do you think?” Maggie asks shakily, not wanting the silence to last any longer. A dozen arms coil around her in a group-wide hug.

“I didn’t know you could… get that angry,” Sakura murmurs, a little stunned.

“Hey, you all met me after 3 years of therapy,” Maggie tries to explain gently, “Atlas left me in a pretty bad state, and it took a lot of work to get to be as calm and kind as I am now. If I ever get that pissed again… just leave me alone until it's out of my system. At that point, the only person who can calm me down is my brother.”

“I could try,” Blake offers, but Maggie firmly shakes her head.

“Was… Was Atlas truly this awful to you, Friend Magnolia?” Penny asks. Sunset orange coils around her neon green in a comforting embrace.

“Yes,” Maggie sighs softly, and quickly pivots to cheer her up, “It was, but it wasn’t all bad. I loved the ingenuity of Atlas; I used to build stuff out of scraps from the dump. Your father is Pietro Polendina, right? He’s a really cool scientist; I actually looked up to him when I was little. I wish I’d met you back then; I’m sure we would have been friends.”

Unfortunately, Maggie can’t quite tell if it worked. To her, Penny is still a mess of fuzzy shapes, rather than a crisp silhouette like most of her friends had become. Just in case it didn’t work, she tries for a distraction, saying:

“I refuse to be the only one exposing my emotional vulnerabilities tonight. Let’s play some Truth or Dare.”

˚⟡⊰⋆: 𖣂𖢻❀:⋆⊱⟡˚

“Alright,” Yang addresses everyone as they settle into a wide circle in the living room, “Raise your hand if you haven’t played Truth or Dare before.” Sakura, Weiss, Pyrrha, Penny, Ren, Nora—and most surprisingly—Double B’s hands shoot up. She’s a little stunned but continues, "Okay. This is our house, so we are playing the game by our rules. It’s simple: someone asks you, ‘Truth or Dare?’ If you pick ‘Truth,’ you have to answer the question honestly; ‘Dare,’ and you have to do the task. We do have a few extra rules, to make sure everyone has fun.”

“One,” Ruby jumps in, “No Dares that would cause bodily harm, like eating gross food that would make you sick. Anything Aura can absorb is fair game, though.”

“Two, you’ve got to pick one or the other, no skipping turns. You do get one ‘Wimp Out,’ though, that lets you switch to the other option.”

“Lastly, any Dare that involves another person needs that person to agree to it.” Everyone nods, acknowledging the rules. Lily’s hand raises, a wry grin on her face.

“Alright, I’ll start,” She asserts, waiting just long enough to make sure no one objects. Then, she zeroes-in on her target, “Weiss! Truth or Dare?”

“Truth?” Weiss says hesitantly, immediately suspicious.

“How do you feel about Ruby?”

Weiss’ cheeks flush, murmuring, “Dare, actually.”

“Why don’t you give Ruby a kiss, then?” Lily responds, not batting an eye, like she expected her response.

“I don’t think I like this game,” Weiss pouts. She shoots a glance at Ruby, silently begging her partner for an out. She doesn’t want their first kiss to be like this!

“It’s okay Weiss,” Ruby murmurs, her face redder than her namesake gem, “It’s just a game.”

Weiss gives an overly dramatic, heavy sigh and kisses Ruby gently on the cheek. She gives Lily a triumphant grin, since the Faunus didn’t specify where.

Shaking off her nerves, she turns her focus to Pyrrha, “Truth or Dare?”

“Truth,” Pyrrha says warmly. The heiress hesitates a moment before letting her curiosity win out.

“Who was your first crush?” Weiss asks. She had a celebrity crush on the Invincible Girl well before Beacon; since Weiss herself was always in the public eye, she always wondered if it was reciprocal.

“It was actually Sakura,” Pyrrha laughs awkwardly, “When we first met at Signal, I was still figuring out my own… deal. But Sakura was out-and-proud from the start, and I thought that was the coolest”

“You too?” Weiss bursts into laughter; Sakura nearly chokes on her drink. Early on, she had a fleeting crush on Sakura for much the same reason, not to mention the fact that Sakura was one of the few people her age she was allowed to be around with few restrictions.

“I didn’t know you had game like that!” BB laughs brightly, slapping Sakura on the back.

“Hell yeah,” Lily cheers, bumping Sakura with her wing. Jaune sulks a little, his jealousy adorably obvious. Pyrrha turns to him, and instead of asking, she gives an order.

“Jaune, kiss me!” He quickly obliges, completely disregarding Ren’s soft reminder of the rules. Grinning like an idiot, he turns to Lily.

“What’cha got, Jaybird?” She grins back.

“Truth or Dare?”

“Dare, obviously,” Lily scoffs, “I tell truths all the time.”

“Show us the search history on your Scroll.” Lily pulls the device out of her pocket, unashamed as ever. There doesn’t end up being anything juicy in her search history. It’s mostly math equations, weaponsmithing tips, and the odd curiosity, like, “Is a group of ferrets really called a business?” To which Lily happily informs that the answer is, “yes.”

“That’s easy math!” Nora teases as she points to the search for “8 x 12.”

“Nora, I am not a smart man,” Lily defends herself, “But since your talkin’: Truth or Dare?”

“Dare.”

“Till the end of the game, I dare ya to hold the hand of the hottest person here.” Nora quickly returns to Ren’s side, proudly grabbing his hand and pulling him close. Somehow, the act catches him off-guard, leaving him to stare blankly as Taiyang comes in.

“Hey, is everyone fine with just, like, cheese and pepperoni pizza for tonight?” He surveys the nodding faces, noticing something off. “Wait, weren’t there more of you? The boy and the one with the ponytail; where did they go?”

As it turns out, Jaune and Pyrrha are nowhere to be seen, having disappeared while everyone was snooping through Lily’s Scroll. Maggie tilts her head, quirking an ear up and listening intently.

“I don’t think we should interrupt them,” she says carefully, her face suddenly pale, “Pizza will be fine.” The remaining students all glance at each other, unsure if they want to know what the Faunus overheard.

“Mister Xiao Long,” Weiss interrupts with a convenient distraction, “Here is some Lien, to help cover the Pizza. I insist.” He nods and retreats into another room to place the order.

“My turn right?” Nora asks, returning everyone’s focus to the game. “Ren: Truth or Dare?”

“Truth?” Ren says cautiously; Nora knows almost everything about him, anyway. Hopefully, the question won’t be too bad.

“Who's your favorite person at Beacon?” Nora asks in a silly voice, her smile wider than the sky and eyes sparkling like stars. He looks away, unable to meet her gaze. Instinctively, his eyes find Sakura’s, the barest hint of a blush on her cheeks.

“I think I’ll go with ‘Dare,’ actually,” he murmurs.

“Fine,” Nora deflates, “Drink a shot of soy sauce.” Yang quickly assembles one from the kitchen. Ren knocks it back without hesitation; he blinks a couple times, but otherwise doesn’t react.

“So, Blue Bonnet: Truth or Dare?”

“Truth,” BB says with a casual shrug.

“I’m a bit surprised you’ve never played before,” Ren asks, “Why is that?”

“Well, I didn’t really go to school,” They answer nonchalantly, “Plus, most politicians' kids are pretty boring. Like background characters, y’know? I didn’t think befriending them was really worth it.” The response raises more questions that it answers, but no one gets a chance to follow up.

“So, Maggie: Truth or Dare?” She asks her timid teammate.

“No, I'm immune.” Maggie crosses her arms in protest, “I’ve shared enough tonight.”

“What if I gave you ear scratches?” Blue negotiates; Maggie shakes her head. “What if Yang gave you ear scratches?” Maggie let out a long noise somewhere between a distressed growl and a hum.

“I’ll pet her ears without blackmail,” the blonde interjects, “She’s had enough tonight.” Yang pulls the squirrel Faunus away from the rest of Team BLSM, and over to Team RWBY’s section of the circle. Maggie promptly lays across Blake’s and Yang’s laps, letting out soft, contented chitters as she receives the promised ear scratches. BB huffs, a little thrown by having their plan interrupted. Soon, though, her gaze falls on the other leader still here and they grin.

“Ruby! Truth or Dare?”

“Dare!” The younger girl says excitedly.

“Well, where at your place, do you have any childhood toys or anything you could show us?” She says hoping to see an old doll or stuffed animal to tease her about. Ruby instead runs upstairs, bringing out a cute little picnic basket with a white and blue tea set, clearly inspired by that old fairytale, The Girl Who Fell Through the World.

“Yang and I would have the best tea parties when we were little.” Ruby beams, setting the basket and tea set down next to her sister and teasing, “Even if the snacks Yang made weren't very good.”

“Hey!” Yang objects playfully, swiping at her sister, who giggles and turns to Penny, “Truth or Dare?”

“I choose Dare!” Penny responds eagerly.

“Take a group picture with everyone and send it to your dad!” It takes a bit of fumbling to get everyone in frame, but they manage to get an adorable photo of everyone smiling. The highlight is Penny’s expression, sheer delight and surprise painted on her face as Lily kisses her cheek right as the picture is taken.

“Please send that to me, babe,” Lily insists, and several others jump in with the same request.

“I will send it to all my friends!” Penny cheers, take a moment to do just that before continuing play, “Friend Yang: Truth or Dare?”

“Truth,” Yang answers readily.

“I was hoping you would say that. I would like to know, what is it like to be a big sister?” Penny asks innocently.

“It’s pretty great,” Yang smiles softly, “Ruby is an adorable baby sister, and I love her more than anything else in the world. Even though she's my team leader, it’ll always be my job to protect her.”

“I’m not a baby!” Ruby pouts adorably.

“But you’ll always be my baby sister, even when we’re old and wrinkly!” Yang laughs, reaching over and ruffling Ruby’s hair. She smiles at her partner, asking, “So, Blake: Truth or Dare?”

“I can’t pick Dare, because I’d have to move Maggie to do anything,” Blake murmurs, “So, I guess, Truth?”

“Who are you the most jealous of?” Yang asks. Blake pauses for a moment, giving her answer careful thought.

“Ruby. She reminds me of how I once was, with her certainty and drive to do the right thing. I… kind of lost that when things got… messy with the Fang, but I hope I can be like you again,” she tells her leader, who glances away with a flustered look on her face. Blake’s gaze then shifts to one of her tea time companions, “So, Sakura: Truth or Dare?”

“Truth,” she answers after studying the cat Faunus’ expression for a moment.

“What’s the raunchiest book you've ever read?”

“I can assure you I’ve read nothing of the sort!” She huffs, her bright red cheeks giving away the obvious lie.

“Come on, tell the truth!” Blake teases, her tail twitching.

“I did!” Sakura insists. Fortunately, she’s saved by the entrance of Taiyang with a stack of pizza boxes.

˚⟡⊰⋆: 𖣂𖢻❀:⋆⊱⟡˚

A while after dinner, Lily spots Jaune on the sidelines, watching as the girls haul another mattress down the stairs, setting the living room up for sleeping in. Apparently, these are from the sisters’ rooms, but the parade seems never ending, with three so far.

Jaune’s fidgeting with the drawstrings on his hoodie, and as the mattresses are arranged—packed tighter than sardines—Lily can’t help but sympathize. She sidles up next to him, handing her friend a glass of water.

“Kinda sucks bein’ the odd ones out, don’t it?” Lily says after a beat of silence. She idly swirls her own cup, watching the water inside dance. She tries not to let her dysphoria get her down, but moments like these weigh on her like iron.

“I didn’t realize we’d all be so…” his voice trails off for a moment, and it’s only after a sip he picks back up again, “close. It’s like… I don’t know where I fit in all this. I don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable.”

“I guess we could make our own little corner.” Lily gestured to a spot on the far end of the mattress sprawl, away from everyone else, “A section just for… people like us.”

“Yeah…” Jaune sighs, “Maybe that—”

“No.” Blake—who of course heard everything—flicks the back of his head. For good measure, she flicks Lily too, "No sulking for you two; you’ve got girlfriends to cuddle.”

Lily bursts out laughing, doubling over, “Well, you heard her, Jaybird! Guess we don’t have to worry after all!” She resists the urge to flutter as she hops over to her precious Penny, ready to settle in for the night.

˚⟡⊰⋆: 𖣂𖢻❀:⋆⊱⟡˚

The buzz of the day has long since faded, but Sakura still lies awake, staring silently at the ceiling. Adjusting to living in the dorm had already been a challenge for her, but this is a whole other level. She can’t help but wonder if it’s actually normal for a dozen or so people to sleep in the same room together.

It’s quiet, but far from silent, filled with the steady breathing of her sleeping friends. Sakura sits up, her eyes adjusting to the dark as best they can as she surveys the room.

Predictably, the couples have found their own little nooks, where Pyrrha and Lily are each trying to envelope their respective partners. They aren’t the only ones cuddled up to someone, though. Blake lies half-buried under Maggie, who's stretched out to be on top of as many of them as possible. Her tail is thrown like a blanket over the sisters huddled together nearby, Yang shielding Ruby from the world.

Even Weiss is within arm’s reach of Sakura, which is about as close as their repressed selves can get to actual cuddling. All-in-all, her survey of the space leaves everyone accounted for and asleep, except for—

Ren. Instead of being amongst the snoozing masses, she finds him at the foot of the stairs, still and silent as a statue, but wide awake.

“Who’s your favorite person at Beacon?” The question posed to him echoes in her mind. He didn’t answer, but he looked at her. In her mind, it was answer enough. Quietly as she can, Sakura gets to her feet and tiptoes her way over.

“Can’t sleep?” She whispers warmly as she takes a seat next to him. He smiles back at her, but doesn’t say anything at first. She doesn’t need him to.

“I didn’t know this many people could fit in one room and still fall asleep,” he says quietly.

“I know, right?” She gives a breathy laugh, and takes the opportunity to get a little closer. “It’s… kind of nice, though. It feels weird to say, but I never realized how… lonely I was before now.”

“I know how you feel.” It’s his turn to shift a little closer now, their knees brushing together, “I—It was just Nora and I for so long, and I thought that was all I needed, but I… I’m not so sure anymore.”

“I was like that with Weiss, too,” Sakura sighs, “Maybe not to the same extent, but it was us against the world. Now it’s us… and also Maggie and Blake and Yang and Lily and Ruby and—and…” Her eyes meet his, and all the breath leaves her lungs as warmth floods her cheeks.

“You like it better this way?” He asks warmly. Even with only a sliver of moonlight to see, she can tell he’s blushing, too.

“Yeah,” she whispers, and leans a little closer. There’s only a couple of inches between them now. Her gaze drops just slightly, looking at his lips. The distance continues to vanish, until she can feel his breath on her skin. Their eyes flutter closed and—

“Ren?” A meek voice calls out in distress. It’s Nora, barely louder than a whisper, but enough to startle the both of them. They jump back, and Nora calls his name again, a tiny bit louder this time. She’s clearly not trying to wake anybody, but worry is starting to override reason.

“I-I—” Ren stammers; he can’t meet her eyes anymore, “I should go… I don’t think she’ll be able to sleep again without me.” He quickly stands, sparing one last glance at Sakura before heading back into the main room where Nora is.

Sakura watches him leave, loath as she is to let him. She stays there, at the bottom of the stairs, for a few seconds, silent as the grave. Eventually, she gets up and heads back to her spot next to Weiss. She lets herself creep a little closer to her oldest friend before sleep finally finds her.

˚⟡⊰⋆: 𖣂𖢻❀:⋆⊱⟡˚

Come morning, everyone sleeps in. Even the usual early risers can’t resist the call of a few more minutes, and let themselves be lulled into another hour of rest by the aura of quiet calm radiating off of the friend group. Eventually, though, those early risers start getting up and drag the rest into consciousness with them.

There isn’t much to speak of in terms of breakfast, but it’s so late in the morning nobody really wants to ruin their appetite before lunch. They have some conversations, but it’s largely small talk about sleep and plans for the day ahead.

“I know it’s not how anyone wants to spend their Saturday,” Taiyang addresses the gaggle of teenagers, “but I would really appreciate everyone’s help with picking up groceries. When I left at the start of the week, I wasn’t exactly thinking I’d be feeding an army when I came back.”

“Actually,” Ruby speaks up hesitantly, “I, uh, I was hoping maybe I could take my team to visit Mom today?” She looks at Yang, who smiles warmly and nods.

“Alright,” he concedes, refocusing on the others, “Looks like Team RWBY’s going to be busy, then. BLSM? JNPR? How about you guys?” The eight of them murmur and nod in agreement.

“Ooh!” Lily pipes up, a surprisingly excited look on her face, “Y’all remember the New Year’s Party? If we picked up a few things, I could mix up some drinks for everyone.”

“Non-alcoholic drinks, right?” Taiyang and Weiss question harshly. She shrinks back a little, clearly embarrassed.

“Well, yeah. Ruby’s still—” Taiyang’s glare somehow becomes even sharper, so Lily quickly corrects herself, “We’re all a little young for the real deal. Right, guys?” She turns to the others, who all conspicuously avoid her gaze.

“I suppose our team could handle some lighter snacks to go with the drinks,” Sakura offers carefully.

“Oh! And we can handle meals!” Nora adds excitedly, “Ren’s an excellent cook.” The two girls’ eyes meet for a moment, but Sakura quickly turns away with a slight scowl.

“Sounds like a plan, then.” Taiyang grins, and the group gets to work while Team RWBY splits off, heading into the nearby woods.

˚⟡⊰⋆: 𖣂𖢻❀:⋆⊱⟡˚

As they push through the woods and out to the clearing, Weiss isn’t sure what to expect. Yang and Ruby only said the team would be visiting their “Mom,” after all. The moment the cliff comes into view, she understands.

Summer Rose

Thus Kindly I Scatter

The headstone bearing the epitaph sits at the edge of the clearing, solitary and oddly imposing, just before the sheer drop off the cliff. The place feels sacred, and Weiss feels out of her depth.

“Hey, Mom!” Ruby calls with faux-cheer as she approaches. Yang stays a half-step behind, shoulders tight with worry. The team leader pushes past the weight in the air, talking as though she’s not looking at a grave.

“Remember how I said I got into Beacon? Well, guess what! Not only am I the team leader, but Yang’s on my team too!”

“She’s been doing really good.” Yang throws an arm around her sister, pulling her into a side hug. She’s still stiff, unable to shake the eerie feeling in the air, “There were a few hiccups, but the team respects her.”

“Speaking of…” Ruby turns back to the other two, motioning for them to step up. They follow dutifully, Weiss making sure her posture is picture perfect. “I want you to meet the rest of Team RWBY! I—I know, the name is kinda confusing… but you get used to it.

“This is my partner, Weiss—” the heiress bows, the most respectful gesture she could think of at the moment, “—We had a rough start, but I know I can count on her to have my back.”

“I-It’s an honor, Mrs. Rose.” Weiss means it, too. The indomitable leader of Team STRQ (stark), Summer Rose was a legend; a generational Huntress. Like mother, like daughter, she thinks.

She suddenly feels very awkward, unbearably aware that she doesn’t know what to say or do next. She wouldn’t know what to do if Summer was alive; dead Summer just adds a whole other layer of complication.

“I—I promise I’ll take good care of your daughter,” Weiss says finally, reasoning that it’s a perfectly normal thing to say to the mother of your partner. She hears Yang snicker, but she knows she said the right thing when she sees that Ruby’s cheeks match the tips of her hair.

“Anyway—” Yang clears her throat to stifle her laugh, “—this is my partner, and the ‘B’ in RWBY, Blake!”

“It’s nice to, uhm, meet you,” the Faunus says sheepishly, “Your daughters are… incredible. I hope—you must be proud.”

“I know she is,” Yang says confidently, beaming down at her younger sister. They spend a while talking to Summer, recounting their days at Beacon thus far. It’s a little awkward, but it leaves both of Summer’s kids looking satisfied.

“Y’know, I don’t think we’ve ever invited anyone to meet Mom before,” Yang muses, “It was always just a ‘Me and Ruby’ thing.” Their leader frowns, a remark on the tip of her tongue, but it only lasts a moment. She skips ahead and turns back to face the team.

“Seriously,” Ruby makes eye contact with each of them as she speaks, “Thank you for being here, all of you. It means the world to me. To us.”

“We’re your team, Ruby,” Weiss smiles, “We’ll always be here for you.”

˚⟡⊰⋆: 𖣂𖢻❀:⋆⊱⟡˚

At the only supermarket on the island, Nora bounces ahead of her team toward the display of sweets.

“We are getting meal stuff not snacks,” Ren gently chastises, holding her back by her jacket. She gives him her cutest puppy eyes, to which he hands her over to Pyrrha. Ren addresses the team, “I’m used to cooking for me and Nora, but I’m not sure how to feed a group this big without going broke.” Even with Sakura helping to pay for the groceries, he doesn’t want to impose.

“Soup was how my mom did it a lot of the time!” Jaune offers, “She’d throw everything into a pot so it was at least less dishes from cooking.” Nora blinks, slightly shocked before she remembers he has something like 5 billion sisters.

“Should we get some paper bowls and plates, then?” Pyrrha suggests.

“The less of a mess we leave, the better,” Ren nods.

“But stew is only one meal, maybe two,” Nora reminds them, “What else are we going to do?”

“Pan nachos?” Leave it to Jaune to have the answer, apparently, “Delicious and only really needs beans and cheese.”

“Isn’t that a little unhealthy?” Pyrrha worries..

“We could make it a little healthier by adding meat, plus some veggies on top,” Ren adds reassuringly.

“Yeah, all good nachos need some beef!” Nora adds brightly.

“That would make me feel better,” Pyrrha smiles.

“All right,” Jaune grins, “Pyrrha, Nora, you two handle the nachos; Ren and I will take care of the soup.” The team nods in agreement and splits up.

˚⟡⊰⋆: 𖣂𖢻❀:⋆⊱⟡˚

“So we’re going to get lots of sweets for Nora, right?” Blue gestures to the candy aisle that their redheaded friend had just been pulled from. Most of her team—and Penny—nod in agreement.

“Just make sure to get a variety of flavors,” Sakura, the lone holdout, adds with a terribly unsubtle roll of her eyes, “She’s not the only one who matters.”

“Yeah, yeah,” BB decides to brush off the overly bitter heiress for the moment. Whatever’s got her in a sour mood is her own problem. They head down the candy aisle, trusting the others to either follow or find other snacks. Surprisingly, it’s Lily who is the first to split off.

“I’ll leave the food to y’all,” she says as she pushes toward the end of the aisle, “so leave the drinks to me an’ Penny, yeah?”

“Are you sure I should come?” The ginger protests gently, “I don’t know much about mixology, I don’t know how much help I would be.” The magpie Faunus laughs warmly and grabs her girlfriend’s hand.

“You got a sharp eye, love. Plus, you can’t be clueless, else you wouldn’t know to call it somethin’ fancy like that.” Of course, the explanation that Lily just wanted more time with her girl goes unsaid, written as plain as it is on her face. They disappear moments later.

Sakura sticks around a bit longer, mostly just to describe different candies to Maggie and pick the ones the squirrel Faunus seems most interested in. Even with that, though, the atmosphere is oddly quiet, and BB’s best attempts at keeping conversation going don’t get them anywhere.

Before long, Sakura is leading her partner away, saying something over her shoulder about “variety” again. Double B follows anyway, and the three start grabbing more traditional snack foods, like chips and dried fruits.

˚⟡⊰⋆: 𖣂𖢻❀:⋆⊱⟡˚

Taiyang can’t help but smile as he prepares lunch for the crowd. The house hasn’t been this full in years—perhaps ever—and he’s not above admitting that Empty Nest Syndrome was starting to get to him with both of his girls gone. Fortunately, he loves cooking as well, and humming to himself happily, when the tallest girl quietly entered the kitchen.

“What’s up kiddo?” He asks, showing concern while not revealing that he’s not entirely sure what her name is. There’s eleven new names to put to eleven new faces, and he hasn’t managed to get them all memorized yet, sue him. The girl doesn’t respond verbally, instead miming covering her ears with her hands.

“Ahh, we are a bit of a loud bunch, huh,” he nods in understanding, offering, “You can hide out here if you need.”

She quietly gets a glass of water, sipping at it. After calming herself down, she taps on the counter to get his attention. Then, she points at the vegetables he’s handling and makes a chopping motion.

“Oh, you don’t have to help, it’s okay,” Taiyang tries to reassure her. Briefly, he wonders about her odd quiet and scars, before remembering that his youngest wields a scythe bigger than she is and shrugs it off. The girl shakes her head, squirrel ears flopping a little, adamant that she helps him.

“If you insist,” he shrugs, offering her a peeler, “You get the potatoes ready.” She nods, settling in quietly beside him to work.

˚⟡⊰⋆: 𖣂𖢻❀:⋆⊱⟡˚

Ruby laughs with sheer delight as the group is dancing to some of Yang’s ridiculous old playlist. Blake is hanging back a little, too shy to dance, and an exhausted Pyrrha flops next to her, having just lost a dance off to Nora. Ruby settles in beside them, watching Weiss twirling elegantly around with Sakura.

“She’s beautiful,” she whispers in awe, then turns to the girls sitting beside her and sighs wistfully, “You two are so cool! You’re always so collected and confident, and you have the people you like all over you. I wish I could be like that.”

“You don’t want to be like me,” both girls urge immediately. They look at each other, slightly shocked.

“Yeah I do,” Ruby insists.

“Being the Invincible Girl isn’t all it’s cracked up to be,” Pyrrha explains carefully, “It’s… not easy having people see that persona instead of the real me. That’s why Jaune is the best; he likes me even when I’m not cool and unbeatable, when I feel lost and don’t know what to say or do. That’s the kind of person you want to be like.” They turn to Blake, who hisses faintly but quickly gives in.

“I was in the White Fang, remember?” She explains with a sigh, her words turning to a rant, “And my last relationship… It wasn't good. Adam tricked me into believing that he cared about me, that he—that he loved me—and I let him take advantage of me because of it. Even after leaving him and the Fang, he’s still messing with my head and—and—” Pyrrha cuts her off with a hug, which Ruby quickly joins in.

“No one blames you for that but yourself, Blake,” Pyrrha soothes.

“That might not be,” the Faunus concedes, her tone laced with self-directed venom, “But I’m still so selfish that I can’t even properly turn Maggie down…” Ruby stays quiet, though still holds Blake as she starts to process it all.

“I still think you’re pretty cool,” she says softly.

˚⟡⊰⋆: 𖣂𖢻❀:⋆⊱⟡˚

Lie Ren is, seemingly, the first one up. That suits him just fine, however, as he silently makes his way to the kitchen. Thankfully, Mr. Xiao Long showed him where all the cookware was located last night, so it’s not long before he’s ready to start making breakfast.

“Salutations, Friend Ren!” Penny’s voice, chipper as always, nearly makes him jump out of his skin.

“Good—good morning,” he stammers. Thinking about it, he’s not sure the two of them have ever been alone before now. It’s a little daunting. “Would, uhm—do you want to help make breakfast?”

“I do not have any experience,” she states confidently, “but I would love to learn and assist where I can!”

“Here, uhm, can you dice these tomatoes?” He sets out the cutting board and the fresh produce; she gives him a perfectly innocent, confused look. “Er, that is, cut them into cubes.”

“On it!” Penny salutes and grabs the knife provided. Ren turns his focus to scrambling eggs; the beginnings of some good breakfast burritos. Moments later, the redhead cheers, “Done!”

It’s quite the sight, he’ll give her that. Two tomatoes, each sliced into a perfect cube. Impressive in its own right, sure, but…

“I, uh, was hoping for many small cubes.” He holds up his index and thumb, pinching the air to estimate how small they needed to be. “So we can mix them into eggs.”

“Oh.” Penny’s brow furrows as she studies her mathematically perfect produce. After a moment, she picks up the knife again, and starts cutting with mechanical precision. It’s almost scary.

Still, it becomes their routine. Ren carefully explains instructions as precisely as possible, Penny executes them with remarkable speed and exactly as described.

Slowly, the others start to wake up. Sakura is the first one to filter into the kitchen. Her eyes meet his—such a vibrant pink he thinks they must be how she got her name—but before he can say anything, she looks away.

She doesn’t offer to help; he’s not sure she’d know her way around a kitchen, anyway. Instead, she gives the two cooks a wide berth as she starts making coffee. Smart, given how caffeine-addicted this group is overall.

One by one, the others make their way through the kitchen. Some grab coffee, all grab at least one burrito. Yang and Nora each come through a minimum of twice, ensuring they vanish as fast as Ren and Penny can make them.

Even Mr. Xiao Long filters through, somewhere in the middle of the pack. He apologizes sheepishly for not being up early enough to do the cooking himself. Ren smiles and reassures the patriarch that he likes cooking and doesn’t mind at all. It’s a “thank you” for being an excellent host.

The overall mood today is languid, hesitant. Everyone knows they must return to Beacon today, but no one is in a rush to depart. From eating, to packing, to even the conversation, everyone acts as though moving slowly will buy another moment of peace.

And yet time marches ever onward; and, all too soon, Yang and Ruby are hugging their father goodbye as the others board the ferry. The Captain sounds the ship’s horn; last call to board. They cross the gangplank, and not long after the ship sets out from the tiny harbor.

The ferry is tiny compared to the massive vessels it sails past. Vacuo, Mistral, Atlas. All of the great Kingdoms of Remnant are represented in Vale’s waters. Overhead, the Atlesian Air Fleet crowds the sky. And looming above it all: Amity Arena.

Tomorrow, the Vytal Festival begins.

[the-gem-garden]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

The Gem Garden, Vol. 3: Beginning of the End

Chapter 1 — Slumber Party

In the aftermath of the Volume 2 finale, Teams BLSM, JNPR, and RWBY—along with Penny—enjoy a weekend off at the Xiao Long-Rose house on the island of Patch.

[the-gem-garden]

Taking a break from Artfight to celebrate disability pride month with Maggie and Yang! As well as for ourselves. I’ve got some severe joint pain that’s in the process of being diabetic as well as autism and Dyspraxia other wise known as DCD or developmental coordination disorder! I’ll leave Aster’s discussion of its disabilities up to her! My sona is a border collie fanus and hers is a sheep.

The characters we are celebrating from the Gem Garden are of course Maggie and Yang! Magnolia’s blindness and chronic pain and Yang’s missing arm don’t slow these brilliant huntress down a bit! These are also some sneak peaks of their mistral arc designs.

[the-gem-garden]

Aster here!

Isn’t my darling Marigold’s art amazing?

Anyway, it’s Disability Pride Month. I’ll be honest, it’s not a part of myself that I’m good at accepting. Invisible disabilities, like my anxiety and depression, are really easy to downplay and dismiss, even when you live with them.

But that’s what this month is for! A reminder to recognize your limitations, and be kind to yourself. We’re all human—or in my sona’s case, a big horn sheep Faunus.

[the-gem-garden]

Taking a break from Artfight to celebrate disability pride month with Maggie and Yang! As well as for ourselves. I’ve got some severe joint pain that’s in the process of being diabetic as well as autism and Dyspraxia other wise known as DCD or developmental coordination disorder! I’ll leave Aster’s discussion of its disabilities up to her! My sona is a border collie fanus and hers is a sheep.

The characters we are celebrating from the Gem Garden are of course Maggie and Yang! Magnolia’s blindness and chronic pain and Yang’s missing arm don’t slow these brilliant huntress down a bit! These are also some sneak peaks of their mistral arc designs.

[rainbow-zebra-art]

RWBY OCs commission for @botanicalbard! Featuring team BLSM.

Blue Bonnet Lilly Corvus Sakura Kuchinashi Magnolia "Maggie" Montnivera Moon This team is featured in a RWBY rewrite fic "RWBY and the Gem Garden". You can read it on Archive of Our Own (AO3) or visit the Gem Garden blog: @the-gem-garden

Every member on this team is a faunus, except for Sakura! BB is a jellyfish, Lily is a magpie, and Maggie is a squirrel 😊

[the-gem-garden]

The girls!! They look so good big thank you again for drawing them. I got this as an early birthday present to myself and mod Aster. (Our birthday is august 6th, I just didn’t know how long the cue would take lol) I love seeing my babies in other people’s styles!

[the-gem-garden]

Additional Ramble about Root Weaver (Maggie’s semblance)

Maggie’s sense of directionality is wonky because while she’s blind her semblance allows her to see through plants. She can kinda move her focus through different plants Maggie is in fact looking at the camera using her semblance it’s just her body isn’t turned that way. In fights she uses other cues like sound or getting hit to determine which direction her enemies are in but BB Just said look at the camera and Maggie did in her mind. When the scroll camera makes a shutter noise in a minute she’s gonna turn around and be real embarrassed but it’s okay her team thinks she’s adorable.

[rainbow-zebra-art]

RWBY OCs commission for @botanicalbard! Featuring team BLSM.

Blue Bonnet Lilly Corvus Sakura Kuchinashi Magnolia "Maggie" Montnivera Moon This team is featured in a RWBY rewrite fic "RWBY and the Gem Garden". You can read it on Archive of Our Own (AO3) or visit the Gem Garden blog: @the-gem-garden

Every member on this team is a faunus, except for Sakura! BB is a jellyfish, Lily is a magpie, and Maggie is a squirrel 😊

[the-gem-garden]

The girls!! They look so good big thank you again for drawing them. I got this as an early birthday present to myself and mod Aster. (Our birthday is august 6th, I just didn’t know how long the cue would take lol) I love seeing my babies in other people’s styles!

[the-gem-garden]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

The Gem Garden, Vol. 2

Chapter 14 — The Wall

Team RWBY make a valiant stand between an encroaching horde of Grimm and Vale's outer wall. Will they be able to hold out until backup can arrive?

[the-gem-garden]

Oh the tea party crew they mean so much to me (even though they aren’t established in story yet) Sakura’s doomed crush on Ren, to Maggie and Blake’s mysterious past together to the wholesome solidarity of all 4 of them finding comfort in solace in just reading with eachother. This art shows off their dynamic so well and means a lot to me and mod aster big thanks to @manilapeaka123 for drawing it.

[the-gem-garden]

Reblogging this to celebrate both Ren’s birthday and the finishing of Volume 2 this art was made before mod marigold decided on redesigning the cannon cast so Blake and Ren don’t quite match how we portray them but the art is still gorgeous and Tea party crew my beloved.

[the-gem-garden]

Volume 2, Chapter 14: The Wall

A/N happy birthday to Monty may he rest in peace and to Lie Ren our boy. This is a wrap on Volume 2 so hope you enjoy the finale.

Cinder watches the plume of smoke with a momentary look of satisfaction. However, a little scrutiny turns her smile into a scowl. “Well it looks like that didn’t go as planned.”

“Let me guess,” Mercury sneers, “Torchwick fucked it up? Again?”

“What do we do?” Emerald asks worriedly, clinging to Cinder’s arm.

“Good girl,” She coos, patting Emerald’s head sweetly before addressing her team as a whole: “We can’t blow our cover, so we better go help.”

“I hate having to fight my babies,” Kai laments, but slings her bow over her back all the same. And so Team CREM joins the others heading southeast, toward the massive smoke plume.

˚⟡⊰⋆: 𖣂𖢻❀:⋆⊱⟡˚

Team RWBY stand with their backs to Vale’s outer wall as a seemingly endless stream of Grimm pours out of the gaping wound in the earth, with even more joining from the treeline. Beowolves, Ursai, even a massive Taijitu; it’s like the whole bestiary’s come to life right in front of them. The serpentine Grimm opens its maw and lets out a terrible, screeching hiss, which seems to be the signal to attack.

Coordination is key in this fight, with monsters bearing down on them from almost all sides. Fortunately, the girls’ teamwork has never been better. Weiss instantly creates a pillar of ice underneath Ruby’s feet before valiantly defending the impromptu sniper’s nest from the onslaught. From her newfound perch, the team leader snipes the heaviest hitters before they can get too close.

Meanwhile, Yang charges headlong into the enemy, every punch producing a torrent of flame. A Beowolf vaults over its seared ally—ready to tear into her with fang and claw—but before it can Gambol Shroud’s ribbon wraps around her midsection like a comforting hug from its wielder as she’s pulled out of danger.

Even as Blake’s primary weapon is busy retrieving her partner, the Faunus herself is a force to be reckoned with. The blade embedded in her sheathe cleaves the head from one of the two-legged Creeps just in time for her other hand to catch Yang, and her pistol. The gun sings like thunder with each pull of the trigger, raining lead down on the encroaching horde.

Despite their coordination, the never-ending waves of Grimm continue to advance. Ruby has to abandon her sniper’s nest, shifting her weapon and becoming a whirlwind of crimson steel that carves through the Grimm; Weiss dashes all across the battlefield, a snow-white blur boosted by her Glyphs, but soon the first Beowolves reach the wall, their osseous claws digging into it as they begin their climb.

At the same time, an Alpha Ursa catches Weiss mid-dash, knocking her down with a brutal paw. Yang tries to rush to her defense, but a swarm of Creeps surround her, keeping constant pressure as they leap at her from all sides. Nearby, Blake is all but forced to abandon her weapon’s pistol form as she’s not spared even a moment to reload.

Then a blazing orange lights up the sky like an early dawn. Except, instead of sitting passively up above, this fiery ball plummets to the earth and slams into the Alpha Ursa. It explodes into ash, scattered by the dramatic unfurling of a familiar pair of giant magpie wings. It’s Lily, with the rest of Team BLSM—and Professor Goodwitch—following close behind.

Weiss feels the familiar sensation of Lifelink coil around her as Sakura helps her to her feet. With a second wind filling her lungs, the heiress leaps back into the fray, the two nobles running circles around the horde in an elegant, deadly dance.

Maggie makes a beeline for the trees, weaving and leaping between them gracefully, beating down Grimm with every limb as she hops from branch to branch. A Beowolf tries to swipe her out of the air, only for her to grab its arm and pull it up into the canopy, where it’s never seen again. Nearby, Blue Bonnet charges headfirst at the Taijitu—the biggest Grimm they can find—deftly rolling to avoid its lunging bite before driving Auger’s tip into the back of its head.

Lily takes to the skies once more, briefly surveying the field before crashing down near Yang, the two fighting back-to-back as they clear out the surrounding Creeps. One tries to jump up and literally get the drop on Lily, only to be skewered by a sleek sword, followed up by a dozen identical blades raining down around the Faunus.

She looks up to see her beloved Penny descending onto the battlefield like the Angel of Death, her Floating Array slicing apart Grimm as if each blade had a mind of its own. From atop the wall, a company of Atlesian Knights and the rest of Team PINC provide covering fire—as well as relief that Penny won’t get in trouble for unsanctioned fighting again.

A Paladin bursts its way out of the hole in the earth, but before anyone can get too worried, Doctor Oobleck leaps out of the cockpit. He’s soon joined by Professor Port, heralding the arrival of Team JNPR as the professionals begin racking up kills with ease.

Nora makes a big entrance, sailing over the wall with a blast from Manghild before using that same hammer to crush a Nevermore's face plate and send the overgrown raven cratering into the ground. Below, Ren slips through the horde, practically invisible to them as he slices through foes with StormFlower.

Jaune charges fearlessly at an Alpha Ursa, reminding himself that he’s beat one before. It gives Pyrrha a moment of worry, but he swiftly proves that his training has paid off: blocking its initial attack before taking out its leg and ending it with an upward thrust through the jaw. Pyrrha, meanwhile, has no trouble pushing back the endless tide, deftly switching between rifle, spear, and sword as needed.

Even Team CREM joins in pushing back the dark. Emerald’s twin sickles cut through Grimmflesh with ease as the shots from Mercury’s boots shatter their bone armor. Despite her dour expression, every swing of Kai’s brutal axe splits a monstrous skull or cleaves it right off the body.

With every new ally that emerges, putting a stop to the near-invasion becomes a little easier. The seemingly infinite mass of Grimm starts to thin out. Soon, those fighting on the ground are able to retreat to safety behind the wall, starting with the battered Team RWBY. Before long, the few Grimm that aren’t cut down retreat deeper into the forest, and everyone can breathe easier.

˚⟡⊰⋆: 𖣂𖢻❀:⋆⊱⟡˚

Sakura watches wide-eyed as, with a flick of her wrist, Professor Goodwitch uses her Telekinesis to smooth out the damage in the wall. Around her, some students erupt in celebration far too rowdy for the early hour, with Yang, Nora, and Team BLSM’s own leader being the worst offenders. Jaune and Phyrra remain sensible, at least, sharing an overjoyed embrace.

Sakura ends up drifting toward her usual tea time companions, ever reliable in their quietude. From the sidelines, the noise of the others is a little more tolerable. Only a few yards away, Penny beams, completely unaware of the hour as she excitedly recounts her heroic entry into the fray.

“When the emergency call was given, we were ordered to stay on the wall and provide support from safety. But when I saw Girlfriend Lily fighting on the ground, I just knew I had to jump in to protect her!”

“Aww Darlin’,” Lily gushes, swaying back and forth, “You’re makin’ me blush!” Before the loud, happy couple can continue their flirting ad nauseam, some of the other exchange students interrupt with an exciting find.

“We caught this weasel trying to escape in the chaos,” A girl with striking green hair says confidently as her partner, a silver-haired boy who looks as tired as Sakura is, roughly shoves Roman Torchwick toward a couple of Atlesian Knights.

“Oh no,” Torchwick sneers sarcastically, “I can't believe you caught me. You’ve really taught me the error of my ways.” Fortunately, the automatons have no interest in playing his games, shoving him into a military police car as the students who caught him watch with smug grins.

It’s not until they’re joined by a third student—a towering girl who looks like a creature of Grimm trying to appear human—and approach the rest of the students that Sakura recognizes them. Team CREM, from Haven; she feels the sting of embarrassment, remembering that the girl with the pretty green hair is Emerald, who sometimes eats with her team in the cafeteria.

“Excellent job,” Sakura commends them both a little too enthusiastically, “It would’ve been quite the error if he managed to slip away after all that!” In an instant, a girl in red appears next to Emerald, an arm draped over her shoulder. Cinder, no doubt.

“Yes,” Her amber eyes glare like she’s trying to set Sakura ablaze with her mind, “My girlfriend sure is brilliant.” She just nods along, feeling a pang of sympathy for Emerald, but not having the energy to play these games.

“Magnolia,” the tall girl speaks up, providing a new distraction, “Why are you… barefoot?”

“Oh! Hi Kai,” Maggie smiles as she replies, “Because it makes it easier to use my semblance.”

“Oh, okay,” Kai nods along, momentarily fooled by the non-answer. By the time she realizes she’s been duped, Maggie has already wandered off. Perhaps she’s going to collect her shoes, wherever they may be. Sakura gives the other girl a sympathetic nod, understanding her confusion.

˚⟡⊰⋆: 𖣂𖢻❀:⋆⊱⟡˚

The three teams sit in Beacon’s courtyard, with the addition of Penny, who flitters worriedly between her girlfriend and best friend. It seems to Ruby that, much like everyone else, the android isn’t keen to leave the others just yet.

“Well, we did it,” Yang sighs, relieved.

“We did it,” Blake confirms.

“If we don’t get extra credit for that, I’m going to be seriously disappointed,” Weiss huffs. Next to her, Sakura mumbles a vague agreement.

“Weiss,” Yang rolls her eyes, “This was our mission, if anything, the other teams deserve the extra credit.” That gets a slightly louder, but no less coherent, murmur from Sakura. Ruby’s not sure anyone should be receiving any extra credit.

“Plus,” She growls frustratedly, “It’s not like we solved everything. We still don’t even know why they did this! Or who the mystery girl was!”

“Well,” Weiss gently takes her hands, soothing the leader, “Not every story has a neat and tidy ending.” Her smile is soft, like fresh-fallen snow. For once, even Blake is feeling optimistic.

“We may not have all the answers, but we have a lot of dangerous people behind bars. I think that’s something we can be proud of.”

“Yeah,” Ruby nods, taking the cue from her older teammates, “And if anyone tries something like this again, we’ll be there to stop them”

“Yay…” Yang stretches out, laying on her back and yawns, “Teamwork; camaraderie; go guys, go team… All right, good job…” her voice quickly gets quieter, sleepier, so she props herself up on her elbow and asks, “So what now?”

She gets her answer in the form of a very happy Zwei pouncing on her and licking her face, with their dad following close behind. “I’m very proud of you girls,” He says softly, eyes trained on his kids, “But that was a lot, even for pros. Why don’t you come home for the weekend? We can grab some boba, like old times.”

“We can’t leave our team,” Ruby protests.

“I don’t want to leave Sakura either,” Weiss says, draping an arm around the Mistrali noble who seems to have fallen asleep on her shoulder. Ruby doesn’t want to think about why the sight leaves a sour taste in her mouth.

“Maggie,” Blake pipes up quickly, catching not only the squirrel Faunus’ attention, but giving Ruby a distraction, too. Hastily, she adds, “A-And Sakura and Ren. We were supposed to have a club meeting when we got back.”

“If Ren’s going, so am I!” Nora objects.

Dad looks at Ruby and Yang, then surveys the giant group of anxious teenagers around them. He sighs and smiles, “Well, it’ll be a full house… but come on, all of you.”

Getting everyone packed and on the ferry to Patch feels a bit like herding cats. It takes forever to get permission for Penny to leave, and even when they get to the dock, Lily insists on flying alongside the boat instead of riding it. Still, they manage to set sail with everyone.

Ruby watches her friend soar a lazy loop around the setting sun. Yang steps in beside her, that smug older sister grin plastered on her face.

“So,” she teases, “I thought you weren’t going to make any friends at Beacon.”

˚⟡⊰⋆: 𖣂𖢻❀:⋆⊱⟡˚

“I consider today a success after all,” Cinder muses, earning a scoff from Kai. She’d lost so many of her darlings today, and for what? Mercury, at least, seems to share her reservations.

“A lot of Faunus died in those tunnels,” he points out, asking, “Are you sure the White Fang will still listen to us?”

“No,” a voice scoffs as a man in a black suit and White Fang mask jumps down and lands next to them. He smoothes back his hair, proudly displaying his bull horns as he says, “But they’ll listen to me.”

˚⟡⊰⋆: 𖣂𖢻❀:⋆⊱⟡˚

The Headmaster, his Deputy, a General, and a Drunk all sit around the table in the Headmaster’s office. He, of course, is the first to speak, “It has come to my attention that we have a new candidate for our… unique program, here at Beacon.”

“Really?” The Drunk snorts, taking a swig from his flask, “You’ve already got the Invincible Girl, who’s giving her a run for her money?”

“Miss Magnolia Moon,” the Headmaster states plainly.

“Absolutely not!” His Deputy slams her hands on the table, glaring daggers at him. The General’s surprise shows on his face for just a moment before he schools it back to neutrality.

“See, this is why I don’t have kids,” the Drunk howls with laughter.

“Glynda,” the Headmaster says softly, “Please, put your emotions aside for a moment. Miss Moon has shown to have excellent moral character. And, as she aims to become a Headmistress, she will need to be brought into the Inner Circle anyway. Allowing her to stay here as your TA post-graduation would help with that goal and let us keep an eye on her.”

“I agree with him.” She gestures at the Drunk, not even looking at him, “Ms. Nikos is just as upstanding and stronger.”

“But Miss Nikos is in the public eye,” He counters, “Miss Moon may be easier to conceal.”

“Right now, we need a strong fighter in this position,” the General finally speaks, his tone as firm and unwavering as his namesake, “And for all of Miss Moon’s strengths, combat prowess is not one of them. We need Miss Nikos to inherit the role.”

“I suppose you’re right,” The Headmaster sighs, reluctantly conceding. He turns to his Deputy and smiles, “But, should Miss Nikos decline, at least we’ll have a backup plan. After all, Magnolia would agree to anything you asked.”

[the-gem-garden]

Whoo Final Batch of Pride Art! We did the leaders, the smart guys and the big guys here are the emotional hearts.

Weiss Schnee

Bisexual

Okay Ruby is the heart of team RWBY but she’s also the leader bus since this is a whiterose house Weiss is Ruby’s heart. Weiss isn’t super public about her identity at her father’s insistence but friends and family know. So cozy Weiss in bi pride hoodie, I like to think Blake got it for her.

Nora Valkyrie

Pansexual

Nora is wholly unbothered by the concept of gender she’d like Ren no matter what gender he is. She only has eyes for her beloved partner.

Magnolia “Maggie” Moon

Polyamorous, Sapphic and Disabled

Cute sapphic flag themed outfit for Maggie, as well as a poly pride pin and disability pride flag, Maggie is blind and even with assistance from her semblance often relies on a makeshift cane. She’s out she experimented with dating on menagerie she’s a poly lesbian buy just prefers the term sapphic.

Cinder Fall and Emerald Sustrai

Lesbians

These two are in love not a healthy form of love but in love nonetheless. They came out to Salem who just said perfect you’ll be thinking of the other when you die so we can keep the maiden powers.

[the-gem-garden]

Second to last batch of Pride art!! Also big flowers to Mod Aster who wrote the last chapter all by herself while I went to visit family and have been working on the pride art. Snaps and claps for her :3

Yang Xiao-Long

Disabled Lesbian

Jumped ahead in the time line a bit for Yang since I think her disability is such an important part of her character. Yang has had straight relationships in the past and is actually struggling in our telling with compulsory heterosexuality and denial of her identity but will eventually come to terms with it.

Pyrrha Nikos

Closeted Bisexual

Phyrra’s fame and status as the invincible girl makes her reluctant to share her identity especially since it’s heavily disapproved of by her mother. Being amongst queer friends at beacon recently has helped her come to terms with her identity but she’s still quiet. Fun fact Sakura’s open queerness made Phyrra develop a small crush on her at Sanctum there was actually a legitimate love triangle for a bit with Phyrra liking Sakura who had a childhood crush on Weiss who had a crush on the beautiful invincible girl. Phyrra isn’t out yet and that’s okay. Everyone deserves to come out in their own time when they feel ready.

Lily Corvus and Penny Polendina

Transfemme Lesbian and Pansexual

Lily is the character loudest about her queerness and I love her for it. She’s smitten with Penny from moment one and let’s everyone knows it. These two are the first cannon couple and only canon queer couple at the moment but rest assured there will be more. These two ladies love eachother completely.

TEAM STRQ

Polyamorous (all being some flavor of Bi or Pan)

We’ve mentioned these guys were a thing in cannon. All I can say about poly team STRQ for now is

;3

[the-gem-garden]

An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works

The Gem Garden, Vol. 2

Chapter 13 — RWBY

Team RWBY follows Doctor Oobleck on a journey to the abandoned Mountain Glenn in search of White Fang activity.