Haruto; the young man with the amber eyes, black hair, and cloak, was naturally Rio.
In either case, his conversation with Junior hadn't stretched longer than thirty minutes.
But since that was more than enough time, Rio got what he wanted to know, making this nighttime trip more informative than he thought it would be.
After all, now he had a better picture as to what the political and social climate around Vale was like, even finding out a few surprising tidbits of information about Beacon Academy.
According to Junior, a plethora crimes had been committed by a known faunas civil rights movement turned terrorist organization, called the White Fang.
Dust robberies, various instances of public endangerment, and even a disastrous event that occurred a couple weeks ago where they led Grimm into the city.
In other words, it was quite the influx of information to hear all at once.
But since hearing these types of things was his goal in the first place...
In any case, there was another interesting tidbit Rio had gleamed as well.
The crimes in question, apparently, some students he was already familiar with had a hand in stopping some of them.
Well, if nothing else, Junior had been all too eager to vent about a particular blonde trashing his place, and then all that was related to her after that. That being said, even if the man only gave vague details, the fact that the girls seen with her wore a rather distinct red, black, and white?
It wasn't too difficult to fill in the gaps.
Still, Rio was a little surprised.
He hadn't thought Ruby and the others would have been so busy.
In the most recent attack even, which the public had labeled 'The Breach', it was Teams RWBY, JNPR, and most of Beacon too, that did well in cutting down the hordes of Grimm, curbing what would have otherwise been a horrible tragedy with countless deaths.
They had even managed to capture one of the terrorists' leaders.
Now, at that point, Junior had been hesitant to tell him the name, but then he shrugged it off, saying something about everyone already knowing about it anyway.
Roman Torchwick, small time thief turned into a widely known crime-boss, was supposedly the mastermind behind the attack.
But what was curious though, was that this man was a human, not a faunas, which meant that for some reason or the other, that faunas-only group had deemed working under and alongside a human as worth their time...
Nevertheless, the man was taken into custody by Atlas, which Rio had learned had made their way to Vale in the effort to aide in the approaching Vytal Festival's security.
Right.
Atlas.
On Rio's flight here, it actually wasn't done via bullhead. He had used his wind arts to fly over, straight from his bedroom window even.
But it was in doing so that he had to make a purposeful detour, that is, on the slim chance that, although invisible, his flying form would be detected by the fleet of airships hovering around the academy.
Was that over-cautiousness on Rio's part?
Of course.
But to this day, that had never once failed him.
Well, all that was to say that the neighboring kingdom Atlas had amassed themselves in Vale, and that this kingdom's government, a council if Rio recalled Oobleck's lessons, had given them permission to do so.
And, it was a council that Headmaster Ozpin had more pull in than was expected.
Then again, if the man was supplying the city with capable warriors to fight the Grimm, and if meeting such quotas was seen as something akin to a business transaction, if only to keep the aura-less inhabitants of the city safe, it made sense that those in power would be all too willing to acquiesce to anything Beacon's Headmaster wanted.
Upon first glance, this painted Ozpin in a rather bad light.
But Rio didn't have a reason to distrust the man yet, and he had definitely afforded him the same curtesy.
However.
If Beacon was so important, and humanity's survival hinged on those that graduated, why had Rio, a complete unknown, been allowed in without much fuss?
After all, such a thing couldn't have been done through the proper channels.
Well, those questions were for another time.
In the here and now, however, the information Rio had received had definitely made the risk of coming down to the city worthy it. Though, 'risk' was a strong word. The boy had been fairly confident he wouldn't get caught.
Although, that had more to do with his disguise more than anything else.
Rather, it was because he only now took his disguise off.
The appearance changing artifact no longer being around his neck, Rio's grayish white hair was nowhere to be seen now, his birth given black hair taking its place.
Naturally, Rio had debated whether it was even necessary to hide his identity in the first place, since it wasn't like he was a wanted criminal in this world, but he decided to be cautious all the same.
After all, there was no telling if being seen with his noticeable white hair would cause him problems in the future.
No, it would have undoubtedly caused a stir.
News of a Schnee visiting a shady bar for information?
If nothing else, he didn't want Weiss to have to deal with such a troublesome headline.
Nor, for that matter, did he want to explain why he felt the need to fly to Vale in the middle of the night in the first place, even if wasn't doing anything particularly illegal.
In either case, I should think about heading back now.
Coming to such a conclusion, and even as he began compartmentalizing the various pieces of information now in his head, the black haired boy approached the entrance to the bar, and was even about to leave.
Then he saw two familiar figures conversating on a second-floor balcony and paused somewhat.
It was Melanie and Miltia, their flashy dresses sticking out like sore thumbs even amidst the bustling nightclub.
—"The twins. It's their birthday today, you know?"
Rio didn't move for a time.
Something that was eventually noticed, although not by anyone technically 'present'.
'Haruto, what's wrong? Don't you want to talk to them?' Aisha's sudden voice startled him, even though he knew she had been present this entire time.
In fact, on the way here, she had been walking beside him with a look of awe on her face.
No, more specifically, and much to Rio's amusement, her eyes had been glued to the cars as they sped by, with all their flashy lights and noise.
Of course, Rio was fairly certain she already knew what automobiles were, in the same way he did because of their link as host and spirit, but even so, there had to be a difference in recalling what something was like, and then properly seeing it with your own eyes.
Nonetheless, Rio eventually answered the girl's question.
'Well... I did want to thank them, as well as something else... but it might end up being an unwelcome bother instead.'
'Nope,' Aisha replied immediately, causing the boy to blink.
'Nope?'
'Melanie and Miltia looked very happy talking with Haruto, so that won't happen. I could tell, I was watching. They appreciated that you acted kind towards them.'
'I... I see.'
Or so Rio thought with an ambiguous look on his face.
But...
Kind?
Hadn't he just treated them normally?
But, while the boy was thinking such things, the decision ended up being taken out of his hands altogether.
One of the girls above suddenly locked eyes with him.
It was Miltia.
Put on the spot, Rio could only stiffly smile with a light wave.
Now, when the girl's mouth wordlessly started moving, and given that Melanie was staring at him now too, it was obvious what had been said. Thus, it wasn't very surprising that Melanie suddenly waved back with a smile of her own, hastily drawing down the stairs.
Miltia followed close behind, arms crossed.
The wayward sister wasn't smiling like Melanie, but she didn't look particularly irritated either... not that Rio knew one way or the other, especially with that mask of indifference she wore.
"Did you finish talking with Junior?" Melanie asked on approach. "Find what you were looking for?"
Rio smiled. "Yes, everything went smoothly. Thank you very much, Miss Melanie. You helped me more than you could know."
Really.
He would not have gotten such extensive information without Melanie speaking on his behalf.
"O-Oh?" A pleased smile split across Melanie's face, and she even began twirling her long hair in a singular gloved finger. "Well, I was just doing my job, so it's not like I didn't do anything that wasn't expected of me..."
The girl trailed off like that, daintily kicking a foot into the ground, holding one arm behind her back in a seemingly vulnerable manner.
It was very picturesque.
So naturally, Miltia rounded at her with clear cut exasperation, not believing the sight in front of her in the slightest. Here her sister was, playing the cute and modest girl, when in actuality she was anything but.
But she wouldn't ruin her sister's fun.
She rarely got like this towards anyone, so it was fine to just leave it. Besides, it wasn't like she didn't know what she was doing.
Focusing up, Miltia was just in time to see the boy shaking his head.
"Even so, I'd like to thank you before I leave. Would you accept a small gift from me? I have one for you too of course, Miss Miltia."
Simultaneously, two sets of vivid jade green eyes widened.
"Gift?" Miltia parroted, looking at the boy with surprise.
No, what she really wanted to know was why she was included in this. She hadn't talked with the boy as much as her sister had. And for that matter, why feel the need to give one at all? Wasn't it odd to thank people with gifts for doing their jobs?
Feeling similarly, Melanie looked at Rio curiously. "Um, are you sure Haruto? I, um, actually didn't really do all that much..."
But, again, the boy was already shaking his head. "That's fine. Just think of it as a way to save the date, or something like that. I only hope they suit your tastes."
Tastes?
Such a curious term filled their heads.
But it came and went with the boy's next action.
"Dissolvo."
With that singular word, Rio's hands reached out into the empty air beside them, and to their collective shock, the unoccupied space where his hands were, distorted, and as if an invisible veil had been lifted, out appeared two brightly colored bags.
One red, and the other a light blue.
And naturally, affected by gravity after appearing out of thin air, they fell into Rio's already awaiting hands.
"Here you go," he said conversationally.
Of course, that wasn't quite true.
Rio was actually watching with barely concealed amusement as the two young women tried to rationalize what they had just seen, yet failed to, that is, if the stupefied expressions on their faces were of any indication.
"...I don't mind waiting for you to collect them yourselves, but you should take them before my arms get sore. I wouldn't want to drop them accidentally," Rio prompted with a half-smile, earning a sudden fluster of movement from both Melanie and Miltia.
"O-Oh, alright. Thanks."
"Y-Yes. Thank you."
First Melanie, then Miltia, they both tried to stifle down their disbelief as they reached to take the bags from Rio's outstretched hands, their movements on autopilot more than anything.
Of course, when they finally did grab hold of them, it was done gingerly, with both hands, and even then they just continued to stare at them without saying a word.
After all, the fact that the bags also matched the color scheme of their outfits was not something they could so easily ignore.
In any case, upon receiving them, the first thing they noticed was, while not large in terms of width and height, the bags were rather weighty, around several pounds or so.
And looking at them more closely, they looked like the type of bags that people would use in gift exchanges.
However there was one key difference.
Instead of being made of paper or plastic that told of them being store-bought, the material was made of cloth.
Why, they would even go as far as to say it was homemade.
They didn't even have words on them or anything to hint at what was inside, only that the one similarity the two readily shared was the admittedly cute white lace ribbon fastened to the top end, tightening it so the supposed contents wouldn't spill out.
Now, the two girls didn't know this, but these bags, as well as the contents inside, were made by Miharu sometime before Rio left. She had given them to him to enjoy himself, but, well, he hoped she didn't mind him using them for another purpose.
Considering I met these girls on the one day out of the year that's special only to them... I'm sure she would understand.
While Rio was mentally apologizing to an imaginary Miharu, Miltia looked up and asked him a question.
"Um, these are...?"
"Go ahead and open them," Rio said, a trivial look on his face.
Now, as opposed to her sister, Melanie did not need to be told twice as she tugged at the ribbon, loosening the closed bag. Miltia too began to fumble with the bag; whether she didn't want to lose to her sister, or even if her own curiosity was getting to her, was unclear.
Also, something to note was that despite having slight trouble in untying the ribbon with one hand, the two twins made no attempt to try to tear up the bags at all, handling the material as if it was glass.
It was cute in a way, especially considering Rio was fairly certain these girls were both older than him.
But, Junior also told me they both served as the bar's bodyguards as well, so this is a bit...?
With a wry smile, Rio let out a chuckle before he could stop herself.
Of course, this grabbed the twin's attention, and before they even realized what they needed to be embarrassed over, both girls suddenly felt extremely self-conscious, cheeks reddening in unison.
"W-Why are you laughing?" Melanie stopped what she was doing and swatted at the boy's arm harmlessly, a cute pout puffing up her cheeks.
Miltia didn't go quite that far, but she leveled a solid glare at the boy, also not appreciating the fact that she was, for whatever reason, being made fun of.
Rio instantly raised his hands placatingly, but unable to tear the grin from his face. "It's nothing. Please, continue."
Still looking a bit miffed, they nonetheless got right back to it.
The ribbons came off at around the same time to which the bags opened.
Curiously, Melanie and Miltia both reached a hand in to grab one of the objects inside, holding one each in their gloved hands. Of course, what they pulled out was small, dark brown, and light.
They were sweets.
Chocolate.
Melanie held one up, not in disappointment, but just puzzlement. "You got us sweets?"
Rio nodded once, but then took on an apologetic, lowered tone. "Yes. A friend of mine makes a habit of making homemade chocolates, so I can attest to the taste. Junior told me what day it is today, and I felt like it would be a waste if I had nothing to give..."
As they stared at the boy unblinking, they parsed through his statement, catching something that confused them.
Perplexed, Miltia and Melanie both looked at each other.
I see.
Seeing their expressions, Rio understood that they really had let the significance of today long slip their minds.
So, he simply said the words.
"It's not much, but happy birthday, Melanie, Miltia."
Happy birthday.
It took a while — probably longer than one should of have thought — for the boy's words to settle within their minds.
Then, as if something had suddenly clicked into place, both Melanie and Miltia felt their eyes go round, to which they then stared at the boy they had come to know as Haruto not even two hours ago, then at the chocolate, then finally at the cutely wrapped bags in front of them that had so suddenly appeared like magic due to some strange ability.
And looking further into the bag, they could now see that each piece was different, with various toppings, shapes and sizes.
Like he said, it was homemade; and they hadn't noticed until now, but their hands were starting to become warm through their gloves. Heat radiated from the bag—no, from the chocolate contained within.
Almost as if it was freshly made, which shouldn't have been possible since it couldn't have been given to them that fast.
Plus, Rio shouldn't have even known that it was their birthday...
Ah.
"Did... Did Junior tell you?" Melanie asked, voice soft.
"Yes. He did. ...He also told me that your birthday brings up bad memories. It's not my place to get involved in your personal matters, and I understand if you both choose to dislike me for it, but... I still wanted to do something. That's all."
As Rio got that out, his gaze lowered on the spot, as if to prepare himself for the negative fallout he assumed was coming.
Because really, he wasn't obligated to do anything.
And that might make him a good person for bothering at all, but it could also be seen as being intrusive.
They hadn't wanted to celebrate their birthdays for a reason.
No, they even forgot about them altogether.
That was incredibly sad, yet it also told him just how serious a matter this was.
Right, this was too much. I should...
Thoughts spiraling into a flux of self-deprecation, Rio made to move his legs, to turn and head out the door. And he would have done so too, without even looking into their eyes...
"It's warm."
Had that voice not stopped him.
Rio looked up in surprise to find both of them chewing.
They had taken a bite out of the desserts, pondering over the taste. It was Melanie who made the comment, and she continued. "How is it so warm? Didn't you just pull these—actually where did you pull these out of...!?"
Miltia took another bite. "Forget that, these are good. Scary good actually. I'm afraid I'll want to keep eating them and get fat..."
Rio just watched, slightly baffled, as these comments came left and right. Then, after a brief pause, he cleared his throat, asking the only thing he could think of, despite it not really coming out as a question.
"You're... not mad."
At this, both girls stopped and stared at him, right before sharing a look with one another.
Then, they both grinned in what could be perceived as an impish manner. They suddenly both turned towards him, and simultaneously took a step forward.
Rio ended up being one beat slow to react.
Two pairs of hands found themselves nestled around both his neck and lower back, the cause being Melanie and Miltia having snaked their bodies close to him with the speed of someone in possession of aura.
Now, that instantly made the boy break into a nervous sweat, an apprehensive retort on the tip of his tongue. But then, they did something Rio was definitely not prepared for.
"Thank you, Haruto~."
"Thanks."
And they kissed him, Melanie and Miltia both, on each cheek.
Rio went absolutely rigid as he felt the soft imprints, hitting him like a wave. But rather than feeling a surge of euphoria or even arousal like most his age would, he instead felt an overwhelming sense of confusion enveloping him.
Of course, that was only dwarfed by his own raging embarrassment.
And just like that, the girls backed away, looking quite satisfied at what type of face he was making. They definitely didn't look too bothered by what they had just done, even if he noticed Miltia looked a little more flustered than her sister.
"May—..."
Honestly, Rio wasn't sure he could speak but he tried regardless.
"...M-May I ask what I did to deserve that...? If it was for the gift, I really don't think such an everyday commodity equates to... what you just did..."
Or so the boy inquired, heat riding up his back, neck, and ears.
"Would you believe me if I said I just wanted to break your composure a bit?" Melanie teased without missing a beat, hand on her hips.
Rio blinked, staring at her.
Then he wilted.
Yes, he could very well believe that, since it suited her personality splendidly.
But now it was Miltia's turn, raising a brow with a sudden smile, and gone was the reserved twin who came off as almost prickly.
"Why, Haruto? Does that mean you think a better gift is deserving of more than just a kiss on the cheek?"
Melanie mirrored her sister's statement, feigning disbelief with a step back. "No way Haruto, so you were after our bodies all along~? And I thought you were a gentleman...~"
Rio looked alarmed by the sudden accusation. "N-No, I didn't mean to imply that you two could be bought in any anyway, I—…..."
Rio suddenly stopped as two demure gazes looked back at him.
His shoulders sagged, letting out a small breath.
"...You're teasing me again."
"I only do it because you're always so serious and proper," Melanie drawled.
Miltia blew a strand of hair out of her face. "Yeah, you act way too cognizant and polite for someone supposedly in their teens. Trust us, we would know considering how much cocky brats we get here thinking the whole world revolves around making them happy."
"Ah, um, speaking of teens, h-how old are you anyway?" Melanie suddenly asked, trying and failing to hide her interest.
It had been a question on her mind for a while now, after all.
Now, to this, Rio looked at her with a slightly complicated gaze, but it was more wry than uncomfortable.
I can't very well say I'm older than twenty with Rio's body, now can I?
"I'm sixteen," he said simply.
Miltia's eyes widened and her mouth fell open, having definitely been met with a number lower than the one in her head. Melanie, on the other hand, looked more in control of her emotions. She had initially guessed Rio wasn't quite an adult, after all.
"Hm. I thought so. Shame though," the light blue sister said, giving Rio a bewitching stare. "It would have been nice playing with you, but I guess I'll just have to take my time. So you better not forget about me Haruto~!"
Although somewhat worried about the beginning part of that statement, the boy's response still came out reflexively, almost robotic. "I... really don't think forgetting either of you is feasibly possible, Miss Melanie, Miss Miltia..."
Both of them smiled at what they took as a compliment.
Meanwhile, Rio was considering that even Yang would have to take lessons on what it meant to be pushy and forward from these two. Actually, that was a terrible idea. Just the thought of the three in tandem with one another was enough to make him pale slightly.
Rio coughed.
"But anyway, allow me to apologize for reminding you of your birthdays despite it being clear that you no longer wished to celebrate them."
As a result of the boy's comment, the two sisters took it with an exchanged look between them.
Miltia eventually opened her mouth.
"Well... you're not wrong that we forgot about them, but it was more like we just never felt the need to celebrate after a certain point. We just got used to it, I guess. But now..."
The red-clad girl looked at Rio with a thoughtful expression. She seemed to be honestly appraising something.
"Hm, what do you think Mel?"
"Oh...? Oh. Hm, yes. That's a good idea. Yeah, I wouldn't mind that." Melanie also seemed to understand what her sister was saying, probably due to some strange kind of sisterly telepathy the world couldn't even begin to replicate.
Though, since Rio noticed they were both smiling at him with what looked to be cunning expressions, riddled with the amusement of having come up with a scheme unlike any other, his words came out unbidden.
"While I'm a bit scared to know, may I ask what you both are thinking?"
Melanie nudged her sister in the side, Miltia looking surprised that the baton was passed to her all of a sudden. She crossed her arms, trying to reign in her expression. "W-Well basically, from now on, you'll be expected to celebrate our birthdays with us."
This was where Melanie jumped in. "And don't think you'll be able to leave without telling us yours as well Haruto, so don't expect to be celebrating by your lonesome or without us, kay~?"
"Well, that should be fine."
"And of course knowing you, you won't agree right off the—eh...?"
Miltia's follow up was unceremoniously cut short, as Rio's reply came instantly, surprising the two of them.
He looked at them without much change in expression, as if responding in an affirmative wasn't strange in the slightest.
"R-Really?" Melanie asked, unable to contain her excitement.
"You don't mind?" Then Miltia, as her widened stare gave credence to her own feelings on the matter.
"..."
Rio may have responded like it wasn't a big deal, but this wasn't a promise he could make lightly. He knew that.
He was trying to go back to his own world, so it's not like he could say he would always be there, here in Vale, or any place in Remnant for that matter.
After all, for all he knew, he could be in this world for several years, or maybe even a few more weeks. There was no way to know what he would find and how long it would take for him to return.
So, he wouldn't be able to keep his word indefinitely.
However, that was no reason to live in fear of the choices he took now.
If he thought that making new relationships would only serve to hurt him when he eventually had to leave, the decision to sneak out of Beacon on that first night would have come a lot easier.
So.
Rio would just do what he's always done.
With a goal in the back of his mind, he would live as best he could.
Even if he had people waiting for him, and even if there was an enemy looming in the distance, that wouldn't stop him from living the second life he had been afforded.
If nothing else, that's who he decided 'Rio' was.
"There... might come a time where I have to travel someplace far away, somewhere not even a scroll could reach. But until then, if Miss Miltia and Melanie are inviting me and still want me around, then I don't see a reason to refuse," Rio eventually said, looking at the two of them with a faint smile on his face.
Only to be met with two ambiguous expressions.
"...What's up with that considerate and mature response—you don't act your age at all..." Miltia grumbled.
"Yeah, you're going to make us adults look bad." Melanie complained as well, making a show of putting her hands on her hips.
"H-Haha. I'm... told that frequently. Oh, and you two were over eighteen then?" he inquired with little outward emotion, just the slight raising of his brow.
Melanie nodded, suddenly looking thoughtful. "Yep. Twenty-three now."
And that obviously went for Miltia too of course.
However, even with the age said out loud...
Again, Rio's expression stared back at the two of them, unchanged. Of course, noticing their stares, he tilted his head in a questioning manner.
"...You, don't look nearly as surprised as I thought you would be finding that out. Doesn't it bother you that we're older than you by several years?" Miltia asked in place of her sister, gesturing a hand in his direction.
Yes.
Rio couldn't have been aware of this, but such a question was a spot of discomfort to the two girls in front of him.
After all, the last thing Melanie and Miltia wanted was to be called old by someone like Rio.
And even if they didn't exactly know why, the prospect of him saying such a thing made them anxious.
Which is why they waited for his response with bated breath.
Rio thought about it for a second.
Did it?
But after a brief moment, and it was truly short, he shook his head.
"No, not particularly. It might sound weird since we've only met today, but you both are still just Miss Miltia and Miss Melanie to me. That probably won't change anytime soon."
And Rio didn't exactly know why, but when Melanie asked that question, both Celia and even Glynda popped into his mind. It was a bit weird that it's only been the female gender so far, but he guessed he was reaching a point where being in the presence of those far older than him wasn't that big of a deal to him anymore, mentally that is.
After all, he too was older than he let on.
If he combined his current ages that he had lived as Rio and Haruto respectively (sixteen and twenty), then he was thirty-six.
If he changed that to only the years where he was conscious of what was happening around him (considering his first seven years as Rio weren't engraved into him as experiences, but rather still very real memories), that number dwindled to twenty-nine.
Not to mention, there was also a part of him that didn't want to count his age as increasing until he passed twenty, since that was the age he died on the bus at.
In other words, it was all very complicated to say the least.
"..."
"..."
"Hm?"
Rio just noticed that both girls had gotten quiet. They looked at him with equal parts exasperation, as well as embarrassment, if the slight dying of their cheeks was of any indication.
"You see, this is what I'm talking about... in what world does a sixteen-year-old say something like that," Melanie mumbled, but loud enough for Rio to hear.
"I'm starting to like it..." Miltia said without thinking, before realizing what she said and growing an even more impressive shade of scarlet, especially as the two of them turned to her, her sister giving her a suggestive grin, while Rio's own grin looked a bit too brittle.
He cleared his throat to dispel whatever he was feeling, however.
"Well, I really should be going. It's not a good idea for me to be out any later than this."
Melanie and Miltia both looked disheartened at the news, but they realized that Rio had been here closer to an hour and a half already.
"Alright. Ah, but before you go, put us into your scroll so you can come visit us again sometime," Melanie said.
Miltia nodded. "A-And thanks for the birthday gift again. The chocolate was really good. Tell that friend of yours they're a really good cook."
At that, Rio's smile faltered the tiniest bit.
"I'll... be sure to let them know when I get the chance."
And with that, Rio exchanged numbers with them and said his farewells, as well as dodging a (this time) unsuccessful attempt to hug him. Whether they planned to kiss him again or do something else, he really didn't want to find out.
Actually, it made him tired just thinking of their next meeting.