Infamous: Conduits and Huntsman

Chapter 9: Acceptance

Daniel sat in class leaning into his open palm trying to pay attention to Oobleck's lesson while avoiding gazes from the yellow, red and white coloured members of team RWBY and other students at the fact that he was a faunas as well as a conduit.

As Daniel tried to focus on Professor Oobleck's lecture, he couldn't help but feel the weight of the room's collective gaze on him. He could sense the curiosity and surprise emanating from his teammates, Ruby, Yang, and Weiss. It was as if their eyes were burning into him.

Struggling to maintain his composure, Daniel shifted uncomfortably in his seat, tugging at the hem of his new pants. The loose fabric allowed the physical representation of his Faunus heritage to hang freely. He had made the decision to embrace his true self, but the reactions he anticipated were beginning to weigh heavily on him.

Ruby, with her silver eyes widened with a mix of shock and confusion, leaned closer to Daniel. "Daniel, is it true? You've been a Faunus this whole time?"

Daniel swallowed hard, feeling a lump forming in his throat. He nodded slowly, his voice barely above a whisper. "Yes, Ruby. I am a Faunus."

Yang leaned forward into her hand trying to look at the conduits face. "But why didn't you ever tell us? We're a team, Daniel. We should know each other's secrets."

Daniel's gaze dropped to the floor, his voice tinged with regret. "First, I wouldn't go that far. Second, I was afraid. Afraid of being judged, treated differently, or even rejected. It's not easy being a Faunus and a conduit at the same time. The title of mega-terrorist doesn't bode well."

Weiss, whose icy demeanor had softened slightly, reached out and placed a hand on Daniel's arm. Letting out a sigh as you looked at her "Daniel, I may come off as rude and cold."

"Oh really?" Daniel said pretending to be shocked.

Weiss' eye twitched. "Anyway. I understand your concerns, but we're a teammates. We've gone through this with Blake and just like I told her. I don't care."

Daniel smiled and leaned in while humming with an eyebrow raised "Aww. Is the Ice queen melting just for me?"

Weiss just rolls her eyes "Don't push it. I'm still sceptical about you with the white fang." She pulls away from you and pays attention to the lesson before smiling "Conduit."

This caused Daniels heart to skip a beat as he smiles, feeling slightly better. As the class moved on, Daniel checked his schedule to see he had combat class next. He smiles and gets all giddy. He's been trying out some new things that he wants to test.

As the bell rang, signaling the end of Professor Oobleck's lecture, Daniel gathered his belongings and joined Team RWBY in making their way to the combat training arena. The walk was filled with animated discussions about combat strategies and recent missions, but Daniel couldn't help but feel a sense of anticipation building within him.

"Daniel." Daniel looked behind to see Velvet.

"Oh! Hey Velvet!" Daniel says enthusiastically.

Velvet notices his extra appendage and goes wide eyed "What is that?"

Daniel looked at his tail and chuckles "Hehe. It's my tail."

Velvet was immediately in front of him "You're a Faunas?!"

Daniel nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "Yes, Velvet. I am a Faunus. I've been hiding it for a while, but I've decided to embrace who I truly am."

Velvet's eyes sparkled with curiosity and excitement. "That's amazing, Daniel!"

Daniel felt a surge of warmth in his chest at Velvet's compliment. He had been prepared for a lot of judgment and rejection, cause he hid his Faunas heritage, but her genuine interest and support were a pleasant surprise. It made him feel more at ease with revealing his true self to his teammates and friends.