A Harvest of Dust
is a RWBY fanfiction that self-admittedly runs on confusion and morbid curiosity, sourced from characters, readers and write alike. Written in Fall 2017, it is still under construction, approaching the cllimax of its first original arc. Only events in the then-latest chapter will be spoiler marked.
In which a RWBY fan is dropped into Remnant, and became Amber right before she is attacked by Cinder's crew. She survived the encounter as well as the Grimm invasion of Vale, but the world has also changed in places she did not expect.
Also available on FanFiction.net and Archives Of Our Own.
A Harvest of Dust contains examples of:
- Abnormal Ammo: Roman's personal reserve stock, even more abnormal than the ones seen in canon and implied to be banned for regular Huntsmen use.
- Adaptational Badass: Amber to a degree, she's not the force of nature seen in canon anymore but now became an Action Survivor and working towards becoming a team player. She's originally supposed to be dead or disabled all this time.
- CFVY's background is given some changes to explain why Velvet uses a highly advanced experimental weapon.
- Adaptational Heroism: Roman Torchwick is willing to help the authorities out of pragmatism, but also shows more loyalty than expected of him.
- Adaptational Villainy: The Vale Council has grudges against Ozpin and sends Beacon's staff on a mission not expected to be successful. Glynda may be involved in their plan, or may be a double agent between the Council and Ozpin.
- Adaptational Wimp: The Beacon team had many troubles with the resistance they encounter on Amity, because they are not willing to fully commit to fighting a misunderstanding.
- Cool Guns: The author modeled a few guns after real world design.
- Amber's weapon is a Thompson gun, which once appeared as a placeholder in the Yellow Trailer used by DJ Deadbear.
- Cinder used a MAT-49 sub machinegun in her Vytal match because she couldn't expose her Fall Power.
- Tai briefly used a gun based on the Gepard M6 anti-material sniper rifle.
- Lin Shicheng's gun is based on the real world Calico M960, its smaller variant Calico M950 best known for a role in Fate/Zero.
- Cluster F-Bomb: Amber is very liberal with using insults.
- Cool Airship: The Vigillant Ghost, a Bullhead VTOL that's supposed to be the one used by Roman and Cinder in RWBY's pilot episode.
- Doom Troops: The original villain faction, Mistral's Freikorps, which is based on a historical militia (of the same name) that likely invented the trope's modern look. The Mistral soldiers are Elite Mooks compared to the White Fang.
Our enemies take being shot at pretty well, if that’s a way to put it? They didn’t scatter for cover or scram, but form into two lines at Sloan’s gesturing, first line kneeling, to fire back at us. They’re soldiers after all, proving to be a cut above hired thugs or guerilla. Chest armor, Aura, faces behind balaclava, they have defense and guts complimenting each other. The team of Huntsmen officers stay at the center of their formation, observing what we are about to do next.
- Fantastic Racism: Roman trash talking the White Fang:
“He’s a little bitch but I didn’t see a tail on him.” Roman interrupts before the doctor can say anything, “Faunus are born cowards, there should be at least two more guns aimed at that trap, strength in numbers and all that.”
- Early-Installment Weirdness: The First three chapters are more stream-of-thought and exposition heavy.
- Exposition Dump: Through television Amber watched or mental notes she made.
- Expy: Roman in this fanfic is stated to be modeled after Mafia III 's John Donovan in some ways.
- Fantasy Counterpart Culture: Mistral now also has elements modeled after real world Prussia.
- What the Hell Is That Accent?: Verbal tics, accents, and vocal quirks of Amber is written to not imply a specific real world background.
- He's a Friend: Qrow managed to ease the tension on Amity for a while in this way.
- In-Series Nickname: Amber chose the nickname "Diesel", which only stuck with Roman.
- Kill It with Fire: Amber has very basic control over the Fall power, but it's the spirit that counts, so she trained herself in throwing fire and empowering her fists with fire.
- More Dakka: Amber's approach to combat, after receiving a gun resembling the well-known Thompson SMG from Roman.
- Mythology Gag:
- Roman survived because he was not eaten by a Griffin but mauled by an Alpha Beowolf, which is originally planned by CRWBY as the way to kill him in V3.
- The Thompson gun from the Yellow Trailer.
- Oh, My Gods!: Amber's particular way of swearing if she is not dropping a Cluster F-Bomb.
Jesus finger licking Christ this is pretentious. I must reply to things this far detached from human conversation.
Jesus H.W. chimney sweeping Christ on a Segway.
Jesus Finnegan Waking Christ.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: Coco is trying very hard to act tougher after the invasion of Vale and fall of Beacon, people took notice but didn't have enough attention to spare for it.
- Reasonable Authority Figures: Subverted in the case of Ozpin and the rest of his crew, until Tai comes on board.
- Released to Elsewhere: Amber discusses it with Cinder.
In my hometown ‘let him see reason’ or ‘cure his alcoholism’ all means murder.
- Sir Swears-a-Lot: Lady Swears-a-lot, Amber. Usually in narration instead of conversation, though.
- Shout-Out: Usually listed at the end of every chapter.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Roman and Pyrrha.
- State Sec: Where Roman got his fighting and piloting skills from, the Vale Secret police.
- Suspiciously Small Army: The Mistral Freikorps only sent a small detachment to secure Amity, though it still outnumbers the Beacon team. They are backed up by the Arma Festus system, an army of Grimm-controlled robots.
- Swiss-Army Weapon:
- Ruby's gift to Neo is a karambit-style dagger with a derringer-style gun mechanism.
- An original villain uses a knight's lance that doubles as an energy cannon.
- Lin Shicheng's gun, a rifle with a pile bunker fixed onto it.
- Named by the Adaptation: Ozpin is now Siegfried Ozpin, and Amber is now Amber Clercwell.
- Teeth-Clenched Teamwork: The Amity mission even before it starts, as Roman come to heads with Qrow and then Coco. Tai settled the latter soon enough.
- This Is Gonna Suck: Amber's most common reaction to things about to happen around her, and she has good reason.
Holy shit, the sky is so dark in “real life” it’s only brighter than my future.
- Unusual Euphemism: Usually coupled with This Is Gonna Suck.
