Still one of the most interesting stories in this fandom -glad you're continuing it! I love how each character's perspective is actually different. What they notice, what they react to and how they react. I've read way too many stories where they'll have a different characters "POV" but it doesn't feel any different. The language is the same, the cliche reactions, it all gets very boring. Your handling of the characterization is definitely my favourite thing about this story :) I can't wait for the next chapter!

Wow, peacelight, it feels like it’s been AGES!
How’ve you been?

On to the chapter at hand:
Chapter 5’s first half opened with a very intensive look at things from Tai’s perspective. Character development runs rampant, he’s manipulative as all get out, nigh bordering on sociopathic in some instances, but also aware enough of his own eccentricities to note that he ‘might be overthinking’ some things.
His observations of both his surroundings and each and every individual he comes across are interesting to say the least; his thought process is clinical and methodical, he seems to be a veritable sponge for information, soaking up every last drop he can get his hands on. Playing with the metaphysical adds yet another layer to it all. Tai is very, very interesting. A lovely twist of the ‘big guy that hits people with his fists’ trope. I would be unsurprised if Tai is later evidenced (subtly or otherwise) to be the most intellectual of the group.
We also garnered some hints as to his backstory; a familial, perhaps parental figure dead -probably murdered- in a case big enough to draw the eye of Beacon. Or perhaps the death was related to Beacon. In either case we finally have a motivation for Tai: he’s searching for information on the murder of someone once close to him.
I am struck both by the simplicity of this motivation, and the parallel it draws with the side-motivation given to Yang in RWBY canon, something I doubt was unintentional.
Tai’s wanderlust and desire to explore represents yet another tie-in to his future daughter, “I’m a thrill-seeker”, and I look forwards to seeing how this manifests in future.

And then we get to Raven’s piece. Who’s thought process is interesting for an entirely different reason. It is So. Damned. Characterful. Every second line is laced with her history and how Out Of Place she feels. She is dominated by thoughts of violence, abstractions to her own superiority and subtle adherence to her Socially Darwinistic views, “The weak die and the strong live.”, I love it.
She is unsure, but strong. She harbours no predilections based on race and a dislike for the impractical.
All of these qualities are rounded out by her COMPLETE lack of anything even close to resembling ‘ability to function in a social setting’.
It’s hilarious.

Onto through-lines and plot points.
I find it immensely amusing that 2 members of the team think that they themselves should be the leader, one member of the team believes that they should not be the leader and the remaining 25% is happy with the person who has been put in charge. Tai’s jealousy and Raven’s intentions to rule her tribe provide starkly different (pun) motivations, the other similarities between Tai and Raven are a touch less plotty, but equally apparent after a first reading: They snore like devils, rendering Qrow’s attempted escape from his sister a pointless endeavour at best; They’re both tricksters looking forwards to some good ol’ pranking fun; They don’t trust anyone; Neither of them feel exactly at ease with using information gained after their Synergising to judge or attempt to judge someone.
Raven has apparently had ‘lessons’, likely from older (and probably male, given the connotations) members of the tribe that involved her pointedly not wearing clothes in front of others. Lessons (pluralisation is Important) that haven’t accomplished much. I feel indignified on her behalf.
The Branwen’s never learnt to read, Qrow is a touch more of a socialite than his sister, Qrow has done at least some exploring of the neighbouring Kingdoms. Summer, Qrow and Raven can all fit their lives into rucksacks. Summer is DEFINITIVELY Atlesian, literate and still inseparable from her cloak. The surrounding cast and assorted (required) OC’s are lively and Raven is impulsive.

There is SO MUCH more that I could unpack, but I’ll probably leave that until after my next reading.

Thank you for the amazing chapter.

Adios Amigos!
-Ikol out.

I beg of you to continue this! Its sooooooo good!

Hi I've really enjoyed what you've written so far, particularly your characterisation of all of the members of Team STRQ, I've read several fics where Taiyang is equivocated to the "Jean Arc" of that generation and I find your characterisation of him much more interesting! I also love your characterisation of Summer and I'm really curious to read more of her background along with the rest of her teammates.
Really looking forward to your next update which I hope is some time in the near future! (I've already read what you've updated so far twice and counting - your style and plot is so intriguing!)

I really loved this chapter! Though that's the case for everything you've written so far. I look forward to more! Anyways, looks like you're treating aura kinda like Soul Eater's soul wavelengths and soul resonance n' stuff? It makes it easier for me to understand, that's for sure. As much as I would love you to update more often, don't overwork yourself, college is hard.. supposedly... I don't really know what I'm talking about. Anyways! You. Should. Feel good! And update more! Maybe. I can't really words right now.

great chapter! i got so hyped when i saw this fic had updated 3
poor summer, her emotions were so vivid - i really felt for her during the synergy.
both tai and summer are so mysterious and i'm super curious as to what's going to happen next!
(and the twins are both so lovely and bitchy i. luv. them)

btw, this fic is great, thank you dear author, you are a gem
i might draw some scenes of the fanfic, who knows! if i do, i'll send them your way ;00

Wow! I've already joined the RWBY cult.

The twins are pretty well-written, kudos on that, and so are Summer and Tai. Nice job!

Your story is so good! And the writing is pretty great! And ever since I got around to finishing season 4 Qrow has been like the only thing on my mind (obsessed much?) so I've been wanting to see just about anything STRQ related, and then I find this! One of the few team STRQ academy fics that doesn't conflict with canon! So I just want to say, you rock! :)

He did WHAT?! How is this not an international scandal!

WORLD BUILDING WITH PeaceLight14!

Love it!

So, as to the actual chapter and its content.

Summer trusts and respects Qrow, is wary of Raven and downright distrustworthy of Tai, but acknowledges them as skilful and powerful. She is idealistic, but willing to put her idealism aside for the sake of keeping herself and those around herq alive. She is intuitive and perceptive in regards to people's actions towards her and both able and willing to read into them with accuracy. She is confident and proud of her abilities, but also judges herself harshly as inadequate when comparing herself to others. She does not appear to have any level of bravado and as such is unashamed of mentioning her own limitations. She is powerful in combat, analytical, efficient and controlled. Clearly skilled both unarmed and armed, her violent response to an unknown presence waking her suggests that she has perhaps known sections of life without a truly safe place to rest. Her blãse response to not having slept a night suggests that she does not view such as uncommon. Further cementing the earlier point.

Tai trusts everyone, mostly because he's spent the entire time manipulating them, is aware, but exasperated by Raven and Summer's respective suspicions towards him and seems to limit his opinions towards Qrow to physical (and metaphysical) observation or viewing him solely in relation to how his sister treats him. This subtly hints that he is not the type to judge unduly. His respect for everyone and their wishes is paramount, though he is willing to partially sidestep them in order to do them good. He is manipulative and devious, but genuinely holds the wellbeing of those around him as his objective. He is extremely powerful in combat and clearly enjoys the thrill of a challenge.

Raven... Is not nearly so clear in this chapter. Her character is prominent, her care for her sibling as apparent as her moderate trust for Tai and her brash arrogance in combat. Her interest regarding Summer appears to have faded away in light of a threatening situation. We know not how perceptive she is, though it would appear to be less than Tai. Marked by his being aware of her location and velocity whilst she somehow missed what surely would have been a noticeable ripple of energy when Tai kick-started her brother and Summer.

Qrow... Trusting. Willing to offer a chance. Compassionate, but practical. Eager for combat, able to recognise his limits though unwilling to voice them. Able to recognise others limits, and willing to offer aid whilst tactfully avoiding a direct statement that they are in strife. Generally... Seems like a great guy. Tai may be the most social of the group, but Qrow strikes me as someone who it would be easier to befriend. Likely because Summer has extended a branch of trust towards him. He appears to be perceptive, though not nearly so much as Tai or Summer. In combat he seems able, though a far cry from the mastery he has reached by the point he is introduced to the series proper. And as for the actual events of combat... I see what you did there... I actually momentarily visualised Qrow standing with his back to the beast, sword over his shoulder, a thunderously loud echo ringing out as he shadows and defends the silver eyed Rose. The. You mentioned the two handed straining grip and it became apparent that he was facing the Deathstalker, leaning into the combat and barely hanging on.

Clever. Very clever.

As for the Grimm? Terrifying. I appreciate the fact that you abstained from introducing any wildly new species or using species found in Volume 4 and stuck to the core Valesian Grimm shown in Seasons one through 3(minus dragon). The vacuum Aura effect you describe makes sense but becomes even more terrifying if you read through and understand/ agree with my organised ramblings below.

Onto the revelations regarding Aura! And Grimm! But mostly Aura.

I have recently begun theorising about Aura. More specifically, theorising about what it is that actually happens when a Hunter runs OUT of Aura. The conclusions I draw are that Aura is energy generated exactly how all other energy is generated by humans. The consumption of food, breakdown of long molecular bonds releasing energy that is then stored in the body as Many, smaller organic chains of molecular bonds. Aura use is similar to regular physical exertion in that it involves the breakdown of these chains through glycolysis (which requires Oxygen), before the Krebbs cycle occurs and then the Electron Transfer Chain[ETC] produces ATP, which is used to power muscle movement. It is at this point only that the ethereal begins to occur; rather than the chemical energy being transferred into electromagnetic or kinetic energy, it becomes Auric energy. Which can be influenced in mystical magical ways that I will hopefully one day reconcile to laws of physics. The important bit there is that Aura is just another way of using the same energy that the body uses for everything else, not some seperate magical energy pool completely indifferent to the bodies own limitations.

Of note is that both glycolysis and the Krebs cycle produce small amounts of ATP, though this is more of a side effect.

Running out of Aura can be viewed as a sliding scale. In light of the belief I listed above, thinking of Aura as a reservoir refuelled by sleep is ridiculous. It is a constant race for the body to churn out ATP at a rate faster than it is used up by both physical and metaphysical action. Thankfully RWBY lore has things like 'green for the first 50%, yellow for the next 35% and red for the last 15%'. This lines up roughly with the bodies way of producing ATP and the two contingencies for when the former method proves to be insufficient on its own.

Green is when you still have enough ATP in the stores created by the constant but relatively slow ETC process.

Yellow indicates that drain on Aura has burned through your reserves, causing the body to move to contingency A; pump more oxygen into the glycolysis process to pump out a bunch more ATP before even reaching the Krebs cycle and the much, much slower ETC, though neither of these processes stop. (this is why you need to start breathing more heavily after exercising for a while). This will work for a while and won't stop working until after all of the chemical energy obtained through digestion has been used up. Though it is still possible to burn through ATP faster than it is reduced. This is represented by the slide down from 50% remaining to 15% remaining.

At 15%. Red. The body moves to Anaerobic glycolysis, using fat in addition to oxygen. This is less efficient, but acts in supplement to all earlier methods, meaning that it can give enough of an edge to the race of energy consumption vs production to keep you going for a while longer.
The downside is that this reaction produces lactate, which goes into the bloodstream becoming lactic acid (muscles burning- happens to coincide with your mentions of muscle fatigue at around the 10% mark -you've been producing the stuff in large quantities for a while at this point, the acidity of your blood is getting dangerous and the body is sacrificing muscle matter to neutralise it.)
It is at this point that the body starts burning through your supplies of fat- hence all of the exercise fads emphasising 'feel the burn'.

The dwindling energy can, and has been shown to cause slower thought process and effect higher mental functions. (Headaches! I'd swear you'd thought this through already.)

Most people refer to 'hitting a wall' or other metaphors indicating a sudden and warning-less inability to carry on at similar efficiency relatively soon after this point.
I personally know that unless I consume high-energy food such as sugar, I hit this wall after roughly five hours of competitive skiff racing in heavy winds.

It becomes difficult to move, the body is OUT of fuel, there's nothing left to burn up. It can barely produce any more ATC and there is a dangerously high concentration of Lactic Acid in your muscles and bloodstream. You can still function, mostly on oxygen and glycolysis, but you aren't even close to what you would normally be able to achieve. Continuing on after this point without stopping to eat and quite often sleep can lead to numbness, stabbing pain and passing out as the body directs all its remaining energy towards keeping the lungs working and the heart pumping. If left without aid after this point, death can occur.

Before reaching this point however, it is entirely plausible that if the Hunter (or regular world person) paused for a few minutes or even a few seconds, got their breathing back under control and significantly lowered their energy output, their reservoirs of ATP would begin refilling and they'd then be able to continue without ever reaching the dangerous points on this scale.
0% means no ATP. It does not mean that all of the chemical energy has been used up, merely that it was drained faster than it could be produced and is now filling back up after hitting rock bottom.

This means that if you (say in the Vytal Festival Tournament) you knock someone down to 0%, it's okay, they're disqualified but they aren't out of energy, they're just replenishing but don't currently have anything to spend on flashy continuous outwards pressure.

Also important if working within this theory; when you truly hit zero, when you have nothing left to give and no more fuel to burn i.e. No Aura: you aren't now an extremely fit civilian who happens to not have any supernatural powers anymore. You're dead.

tl;dr I don't like the 'soul' idea as anything more than an emotionally moving metaphor and perhaps what certain belief groups used to explain Aura and so instead try to rationalise it with SCIENCE!

Oooh, wild speculation time! (that will probably be shown wrong the next chapter, but eh)

These Grimm are controlled by Salem, back when she's still a huntress with Grimm-controlling Semblance instead of Queen B*tch of Remnant.

yo this is so good 3 i can't wait to see how this story goes on!

Wow. Just wow.

Amazing writing, the piece is moving and speaks both to the reader's emotions and their logic. It is both eloquent and humorous, tackling complex real world problems and summarising the hopes of a nation, if not; The World.

Now, moving on from your rather soap-boxy and fully supported 150 word rant about the 2016 American election.

Sow: STRQ Chapter 1 was astounding to read. The imagery was vivid and the lexical choice superb, like all your work it felt less akin to reading a series of words than it did witnessing artistry.

The characters are defined and believable, each change of point of view was obvious simply from the shift in the text's ambience.

Raven in particular gave me the distinct impression of aloof exasperation mixed with determination and an unhealthy amount of unfeeling practicality. Her pieces felt innately cynical and shrewd.

Taiyang provided a stark, do not excuse the pun, contrast to your most auspicious interpretation of a young Raven Branwen. His optimism and enthusiasm shining clearly through the way he describes his surroundings and how he is portrayed to examine the people he encounters.
I look forward to his inevitable encounter with the Branwen sister. It should prove to be most entertaining. Perhaps Raven shall quietly observe 'the blond student' efficiently and calmly devastating a Grimm before continuing down his corridor, checking corners and showing an undeniable level of promise, before approaching him and discovering, post Partnership, that he is a horrible punster.

Qrow was summarily portrayed even before his own piece, Raven's observations of him hinting at an exciting duality; skilled, mature and brooding yet frustratingly exciting and somehow different to his sister. The notation of Grimm-bone medals neatlynsuggests that they have, perhaps, already been carrying out the vicious work of a Hunter before even considering entering into Beacon.
Similar levels of pragmatic cynicism as those found in his sister are portrayed, though his not noticing Summer when Raven did indirectly suggests that he is more trusting than his sister.

And then we come to Summer, the darling mother of Ruby Rose, who has appeared precisely twice in the entirety of RWBY and only once within the actual series. First, within the Red Trailer as a ghost, then as little more than a photograph in Season 3. My expectations were set high.

You exceded them.

The nervous and antisocial, yet practical and thoughtful girl you portray feels alive and relatable in a way that the Branwen's simply do not and in a different manner than that displayed by Taiyang.

Her analytical and clearly sharp-minded observations suggest an extremely intellectual character. This is undercut by her anxious and less than perfeclty thought out evasion of Raven. Pitfall A of near enough original characters neatly sidestepped, she's not unreasonably perfect.

The curiosity and problem solving capability shown when Summer investigates tha wall of the maze is contrasted perfectly with her sudden lethality when confronted with an Ursai. The bloody, yet bloodless kill flows well into the measure of her character and suggests, without ever directly hinting at it, that she is a perfectionist.

Her encounter with Qrow is compelling. Her surprise at meeting somoene polite supports earlier descriptions of anti-sociality and Qrow's offer to not force her into a partnership speaks volumes about how the two character's will interact.
I expect that STRQ may well consist of S and Q struggling to hold T and R together as partners. There's a bait of symbolism I didn't expect to appear in an acronym.
Summer's response to Qrow's self introduction, asking the pertinent question rather than introducing herself also reinforces the social uncertainties Miss Rose is said to possess.

Very, very well written.

Once more, the almost continual world building, mostly, I note, through the lens of Taiyang's observations is greatly appreciated.
Aura being portrayed as not just 'a forcefield', but also as an entirely different array of senses and mediums for interracting with the surrounding world is brilliant.

Thank you very much for writing this piece, it is greatly appreciated.

If you haven't already gathered; I love this! I love your writing! And I am eager to see more! Of this or Doth Quoth The Reaper (I know you changed it's name to "So Comes The Reaper" but Doth Quoth is, as I stated in my comments and our ensuing discussion, so much better a name!)

I have recently changed my name from "Loki Son of Laufey" to Ikol Ichigorath, you may have already noted my identity from the previous paragraph, but I felt it prudent to state such a fact.

Sincerely,
Ikol Ichigorath; author of many elongated comments, author of few works.

Yay another QrowxSummer story nad I know that most peopel didnt vote for this idiot also great start I already like your story.

Interesting story, going to have to keep an eye on it and see how it unfolds, eager to see the next chapter :)

Nice story! Honestly though I don't ship Qrow x Summer I'm fine with it. However please don't make Qrow Ruby's dad. Anyway keep up the good work.