One Track Mind
By wildstraydog
Chapter One: Splitting Headache
Jaune once saw a movie when he was little boy, probably around eight or nine, where the protagonist was able to read the minds of his friends and potential suitors. At the time, he thought it was amazing. Think about it, the power to anticipate every opponent's move before they even attempted it. There were so many applications that a power like that could be utilized for, in fact he relished it, considering how awkward he was around new people, especially on the female side.
What a horrible mistake to think so.
They say that everyone's semblance activates at different points in a person's life, and when Pyrrha unlocked his aura, Jaune expected the same. Yet it never came: weeks, months, the whole first semester showed not even a hint of whatever potential he carried within. Sure he felt self-conscious in the beginning, his partner always reassuring him that one day it would emerge and surprise everyone.
So, he ignored the thought and continued to train, remaining patient. Except that changed when he rose from his bed on an especially sunny morning. He went through his usual routine without incident, until he came out of the shower.
I really wish Nora would learn to wake up on time. Jaune snapped his eyes over to Ren and asked if he said he said anything. His quiet friend politely shook his head, leaving him confused but dismissing it as nothing.
But quickly he learned that wasn't the case... once Pyrrha and Nora awoke, their thoughts flooded into him, ranging from unintelligible ideas to awkward pauses on Pyrrha's side. Jaune rushed into the bathroom and splashed his eyes with water to make sure he wasn't going crazy, but once Pyrrha affirmed her undying love for him from the other side of the door, he blushed and decided to get dress and leave early.
The halls were quiet, allowing him to reassess his situation. There was no way he was able to read minds like in the books and movies, that was impossible... maybe it was all a dream, a very realistic crazy dream.
A door further down the hall across from his dorm room opened and closed, revealing the heiress that he once pined for in his early days at Beacon. They were still distant, though she acknowledged him with a more positive attitude. She would also be the perfect test subject... which sounded a lot creepier when he thought about it. If she walked up and he immediately heard an unwarranted insult that wasn't said aloud, that would prove his fear.
Weiss didn't even move an inch when her thoughts unraveled before him like an open letter. I'm surprised to see Arc up so early, maybe he's getting early training in with Pyrrha. Jaune tried to remain composed and keep his mouth from gawking at the subtle compliment.
"What are you doing?" Weiss almost demanded.
His mouth was open. "Oh, sorry, I was just thinking... how graceful you look this morning!" Jaune wanted to slap himself for saying that.
"Um... thank you, I guess, at least it's better than your other pathetic compliments. Are you up to train with Pyrrha this morning?" He better not be thinking of hitting on me again, I thought we got past this.
That was all the proof he needed–he, Jaune Arc, was somehow blessed and cursed with the ability to read the thoughts of whoever was closest to him. At least that was what he gathered in the first couple of minutes. But an ability like this was dangerous, especially if everyone found out. So many people would want to take advantage of him. He would have to play this cool and try to figure out its strength and weaknesses... and was this his semblance?
In theory it made sense: a power that suddenly he came to possess without any other explanation, but are there other semblances like that? His first order of business after breakfast was to hit the library. Maybe he could find some texts on unusual semblances. Blake would be the first person to ask, hopefully without arousing suspicion from the Faunus. His thoughts were broken by a tapping sound, and he looked down to see Weiss with her arms folded. She was tapping her white heels against the carpet in annoyance.
Why is he just standing there? It's creeping me out.
"Sorry Weiss, I lost my train of thought, I feel out of it this morning. I just woke up early to get some breakfast before the others." That sounded convincing enough, and it was partly true in a way.
"Oh, well I hope you get better," Weiss responded curtly, "If you'll excuse me, I need to meet Neptune in the cafeteria." He nodded and let the heiress pass, releasing a sigh of relief from that tense encounter.
He could have at least asked how I was doing...
This was going to be awful.
He almost went insane when he entered the cafeteria, a barrage of thoughts colliding with his mind all at once. Random gossip and lewd comments from boys about some of the girls, it was almost too much to take. He grabbed a tray with a strong grip and shut his eyes, trying to settle down the thoughts and maneuver through them. Jaune looked over at a group of young girls around his age, and focused his gaze on them.
He didn't recognize any of them, but the girl with short azure colored hair was in his class with Professor Goodwitch. The girl's short frame was petite and complimented her broad hips and developed bosom that pressed against her uniform. She possessed tiny honeyed lips which curled whenever her friends cracked a joke, but it was the violent irises that lit up in energy that caught his attention.
Turquoise's breath smells today, she really needs to brush her teeth before eating. One of the girl's at the table thought with a scrunched up face.
Humph, look at Weiss Schnee being all lovey-dovey with her boyfriend. How did she get him anyway? She's so pretentious and obnoxious, it makes me sick. Jaune let out a chuckle at her initial judgment, assuming what most others did when they briefly met the heiress. But it gave him an idea, a way to test out the effects of his semblance.
With a little trepidation, Jaune abandoned his tray and slowly walked up to the table of girls. He noticed their confused and disgusted stares as he approached, gulping as he focused on their intense narrowed eyes. Jaune let out a sigh and concentrated for a second, taking in their derogatory sentiments. At least they were kind enough to keep it to themselves-most girls in his village said it straight to his face.
Um, what is Jaune Arc of all people doing at our table? He better not ask us out like he did with Weiss Schnee, he's too weak for me. The girl with the azure colored hair said. Her comments weren't unexpected.
But how could he appeal to her? She considered him weak. It wasn't enough to go on and the whole test was about to be flushed down the sink.
He'd be somewhat cute if he was more confident-fat chance of that.
Bingo!
"Excuse me ladies," Jaune gently voiced in the manliness tone he could summon. "I'm afraid I don't know your name, but we're in the same class as Professor Goodwitch. Would you happen to have any spare notes from last week?" The table went eerily silent, the students at the table next to the girls leaning in curiosity at his brave approach.
"It's... Maroon." She softly answered.
Wow, his voice was so direct and he isn't flinching like most boys. Maybe I was wrong about Jaune, plus, he's not that bad looking.
He did everything in his miniscule powers to not blush at the comment. Somehow or another, he maintained a visage of masculinity that girls weakened against. Too bad it was because he was manipulating her thoughts.
"Sorry, I didn't mean to bother you."
"No, you're fine, here's my contact information, just text me later." Maroon's eyes fluttered, hiding the chaste tint on her cheeks.
Holy crap, Maroon is actually blushing?! One of her close friends thought.
Jaune strolled away and cracked a smile at the offhand comment. It was exciting that his little test worked out. So he could maintain his telepathy if he concentrated on one individual... but it still frightened him. This ability gave him too much power over people, it was upsetting.
There would be no privacy for any of his friends when he was around, their every little thought and weakness exposed to him unknowingly. It made him sick, wishing that he could turn it off. Maybe there was a solution but it would require a lot more experimenting. His only self-condition was to keep away from his team and close friends.
"Hey vomit boy, what's up?" Jaune almost collapsed from where he stood in fright, turning around to come face-to-face with one of the few people he desperately wanted to avoid: Yang Xiao Long. She would be one of the worst; her perverted thoughts and mind-numbing puns were enough to incapacitate any sane individual that crossed her path.
Blake stood behind her partner with a gaze of boredom in her bright amber eyes, avoiding his stumbling form as if he were the least interesting topic in a book.
This was the worst scenario he could imagine. He desperately tried to ignore any wandering thoughts, repeating a simple mantra that his Father use to recite when he practiced with his sisters years ago. But Yang was too persistent, with a quirk of her golden brows, she narrowed her lilac eyes that glowed with suspicion. She poked him in the nose to gain his attention with a warmhearted chuckle-why did she have to be so damn tenacious?
"Blondie, are you just going to stand there or say hello?"
"Sorry Yang, you just caught me off guard." He let out a fake chuckle and rubbed the back of his neck, a habit of his when he got nervous.
Jaune you're such a dork, you're like a noodle that could be blown away by the wind at any second. This was why he didn't want to know what his teammates thought about him. Her assessment of him wasn't surprising, but it did hurt. Of course she thought he was weak, he still hadn't won a single match against Cardin Winchester.
This is why I don't talk to Jaune. Blake's rambling stung even more, she saw him as a nuisance... a background character in a play.
He wanted to change that.
"So how are you doing today Blake?" Yang curled her lips in a playful smile and observed her partners curious reaction to Jaune's inquiry.
Blake came off as uncertain by his sudden approach, blinking a few times to make sure he actually engaged her. She relaxed her posture and trained her analytical gaze on his ocean blue eyes that shimmered in hidden fright.
She could be a little scary.
"I'm... doing quite fine, what about you?" Jaune couldn't help but grin, the look of shock on both girl's faces was priceless. Perhaps he could have a little fun, right?
"Actually," Jaune paused, "I was looking for you-I need some advice on how to find some books in Beacon's library." This is wild, I can't wait to tell Weiss! Yang's mind voiced in excitement, a giddy smile widening her rosy cheeks.
Does he really notice me read all the time? Hopefully he doesn't know about Ninjas of Love... that would be too embarrassing. It wouldn't hurt to help I guess.
"What kind of books are you looking for?" Blake asked. This was the progress he wanted, perhaps his ability wasn't just a curse.
"Anything on unusual semblances..." he was cautious in his wording.
Unusual semblances? Maybe Jaune's curious about what type of semblance he might have. I'm sure he would tell us if he discovered it. His smile dropped at the statement. His own guilt made this predicament horrendous, wiping away any brief fun he was experiencing at their expense.
"I'll write you down which sections to check," Blake noted, tearing a small piece of cheap paper from one of her notebooks. This is a major development, should I pair them up?! They are both awkward and shy. Lord, he could never imagine dating Blake, let alone getting her to agree to any suggestion... but she did have nice legs.
He was glad the ability didn't work both ways.
"So, did you come to find us just to flirt with Blake or did you get an idea of what your semblance might be?" Jaune blushed at the accusation and gently scratched his right cheek. He diverted his gaze from the blonde so that she couldn't see him spout another lie.
"I was just curious, thought maybe I could see what possible semblances I might have you know?" A smirked crawled onto her luscious plump lips, nodding at his explanation. At least she believed him.
Jaune, flirting with me? He's too desperate for Weiss, not to imagine scared of even attempting to try. That thought made him want to prove her wrong, but that would be going against his consciousness. He promised not to manipulate his friends with his semblance.
He's lying, I bet he knows what his semblance is. Sweat began to trail down his neck at that response; it terrified him how easily Yang could read his expressions.
"Here you go," Blake handed him the paper and formed a rare smile. "Ask the librarian to help you, she'll probably recognize my handwriting." Jaune nodded, looking down at the scrap to see her beautiful cursive writing.
"We'll see you lover boy," Yang said with a subtle wink.
The library was quickly becoming one of Jaune's new favorite spots. Only a handful of people were scattered about the aisles, and he if didn't look in their general direction, their thoughts were barely a whisper in his head. Sure enough, the librarian Blake mentioned showed him where the books were located, an entire shelf on the studies of different semblances and how they functioned in battle.
A normal person would spend days sorting through the variety of titles and authors that focused on thousands of recorded semblances through history by honored researchers. He decided to focus on a small assortment of texts that piqued his interest or related to his predicament.
While he went through the pages, he was fascinated to see how many different types of semblances there were. One individual exhibited an ability to conjure up dead Grimm, though it only lasted for several minutes; eventually they were capable of summoning higher level ones. And then for some odd reason... there was a girl that could speak with squirrels-of all animals. None of the books ever mentioned a semblance that could read the thoughts of their opponent. The closest thing was a man who gained premonition.
Jaune slammed his face into the open text, a taste of the dusty paper grazing his lips. He released a muffled grumble and contemplated his precarious fate with such an uncontrollable semblance available to him. How was he supposed to control his semblance when he didn't even know the full extent of its powers? The only thing he learned so far was that he could narrow it down to one person if he concentrated.
But could he never switch it off? Would it just be an endless flood of thoughts... he couldn't live like that, not without slowly going insane. The best course of action was to tell Professor Goodwitch or even the headmaster, at least someone with enough knowledge and skill to help him.
Oh, Jaune's in the library! The voice of Ruby entered his mind, and he glanced behind him to see her hide behind one of the thick wooden shelves.
Did he see me? I don't want him to think I was spying on him or anything... I just need to ask him something, right, that's all. He released a sigh and got up from the table.
"It's okay Ruby, you're not bothering me." Ruby let out a quick squeak and emerged from her spot, a noticeable tint of red on her cheeks.
"Hey Jaune, sorry if I interrupted anything." He was probably deep in study! Way to go Ruby, no wonder Weiss thinks you're a bother.
"Nah, I was just browsing through some old books about semblances." The young girl peeked over his shoulder, her silver eyes lighting up in excitement.
"Did you discover your semblance?!" Ruby practically shouted in the library, earning a hushing motion from the librarian. She blushed and maneuvered around him to look at the books. Why am I so awkward?
"No..., but I think I'm close," Jaune watched as Ruby flipped past an illustration of a man controlling lightning from the sky. For being so young, she was the most determined out of all of them, and he didn't doubt that in the years to come she would be one of the best huntresses Beacon ever saw.
"Ruby, what was it like, when you discovered yours?" She closed the book and craned back her tiny frail neck to look at him with blinking eyes.
Maybe some advice will get him out of his slump? He's probably worried about being weak, even though I know that's not true. He almost chuckled, somehow not blindsided by Ruby's appreciation of him.
"Well, I first discovered it when I was around ten, it just, I don't know popped up," Ruby began to explain. "At first I was scared of going so fast and seeing the world around me become nothing but a blur... in fact, my Uncle Qrow had to convince me to practice." Jaune took a seat next to her, catching the brief smile on her face.
This is so embarrassing. "I use to run into walls, boulders, even a mailbox once–Yang would always tease me and throw a banana peel on the ground to see if I would trip!" Jaune laughed, ignoring the pout from Ruby.
"When did you learn to control it?"
"It took time, but after a year or so I finally got the hang of it. You know Jaune, a semblance isn't everything. My Father use to say that a Huntsman or Huntress was measured by their bravery and patience, not some flashy magical abilities." Oh wow that sounded cool, now I just need to walk away in style!
His smirk grew, and he nodded. "My hope is to not be afraid of my semblance–whenever it shows up anyway." He corrected himself with a nervous chuckle.
You're the bravest of us all, Jaune.
"I should head back, Yang and the others are probably looking for me by now." Ruby hopped up from her seat and brushed past Jaune.
"Wait," Jaune caught her arm, causing the girl to blush, "Didn't you need something?" I thought he would forget damn it! Okay, just be cool.
"I'm in a hurry Jaune, bye!" Her form disappeared into a cloud of fluttering rose petals that littered the library floor. He released a sigh and got up from his seat, noticing a look of disapproval from the librarian.
He was going to have to clean this up, wasn't he?
The day was long and filled with too many thoughts, literally. Jaune wanted to settle down for the rest of the afternoon and relax on his bed doing nothing but reading comics or playing video games. Pyrrha would be waiting for him if he had to guess, and Nora and Ren mentioned something about going down to Vale for some last minute shopping before the second semester began.
A whole six months or so of reading others personal thoughts and deep secrets. It was still too hard to digest, and while Ruby's advice helped, Jaune was preoccupied with the possibility of losing his friends because of a simple mistake.
He seriously considered visiting Professor Goodwitch about his semblance, but sadly a terrifying thought had crept up in the vestiges of his brain. The paranoia of being experimented on by researchers from different kingdoms because of his unique abilities frightened him. Jaune didn't truly believe that Headmaster Ozpin or Professor Goodwitch would willingly put him in danger, but they couldn't account for what the council might order. It was like some crazy plot out of one of his favorite comic book series!
Jaune released yet another defeated sigh and exited the library with nothing valuable. While he didn't have any classes on Friday (due to the miraculous gods above), he found his motivation for weekend hijinks with his friends all but quashed. He pinched the bridge of his nose with the strength of a burly man and released a drawn out groan. Oblivious to his surroundings, a young girl stood in his path with a quirked brow, resting her elbow-length black gloves on her modest hips.
The girl was unfamiliar to him, wearing what appeared to be an unusual uniform. Her short, glistening, flat navy blue hair was swept to the side, the top veiled by a cyan-colored beret. The beauty held a fine complexion and thin glossy lips that were twisted in a frown. Her silky chocolate skin was contrasted by the gold oval mark on her forehead. The girl's dark, calculating blue eyes were furrowed in doubt at his scraggly appearance. Her outfit consisted of a simple gray button-down shirt and black leggings that were covered by a blue skirt.
The mysterious girl periodically glanced down at the wristwatch on her right hand, tapping it with her index finger and mumbling what sounded like numbers. Her entire demeanor exuded an aura of strict professionalism and tidiness. A woman who could command a battalion of soldiers to rush into a losing battle without blinking.
"Excuse me," She promptly spoke in almost a demanding manner full of discipline and authority. "Is there a reason you're blocking the hall?" He remembered his pathetic display of groveling in the middle of the dorms, and released a sad breath.
Jaune Arc: partner of Pyrrha Nikos and leader of team JNPR. His skills are not noticeable and his semblance is yet to be activated according to recent data. I don't perceive him as a noticeable threat in the Vytal Festival tournament; just more cannon fodder against Penny.
He pursed his dry lips together and gritted his teeth at the nonchalant comment on his poor fighting abilities. Ciel's description wasn't entirely wrong, but it hurt nonetheless, a slight prick to his confidence. For days he been lamenting the lack of improvement he displayed in his practices with Pyrrha on the dormitory roof. His inadequate thrusts that barely cut the air were laughable against Pyrrha's agile movements, flicking away Crocea Mors like a toothpick with her shield.
She would comment on his poor footwork that jumbled together with each swing, or his weak grip that barely pressed the hilt of his blade. Then he awoken with this semblance... a curse that invaded the thoughts of anyone he directly approached and settled his gaze upon. Under Ciel's judging stare that knitted her small brows together, he found his gloved hands sweating against the fabric.
"Uh, no, I'm sorry... you can go through." Ciel relaxed her expression and nodded in thanks, glancing her blues eyes back on the device that wrapped around her wrist.
At least he was courtesy, but his lack of confidence is disheartening.
Lack of confidence...? Jaune enveloped his fists at the thought, his knuckles going white as his fingernails dug into his skin. Outright blurting out what he thought would rouse suspicion, but he just couldn't let her walk away thinking he was less of a man.
"My name is Jaune!" he exclaimed.
Ciel halted her regimented steps and arched her eyebrow. She shifted her weight and took in Jaune's rigid stance, his blue orbs peering into her curious gaze. She let out a hesitated sigh and glanced at her watch.
Odd, his demeanor suddenly altered. As if he grew in confidence.
"Mr. Arc, correct? I'm Ciel Soleil, a transfer student from Atlas Academy. I believe your acquaintances from team RWBY have met my partner, Penny Poledina." Ciel introduced with a matter-of-fact tone. Jaune wasn't sure who this Penny girl was, but she was definitely Atlas material.
"Oh, yeah Ruby and the others can be a little wild-you keep glancing at your watch, are you in a hurry?" Maybe it was a dumb question but he hardly was full of ideas for proper discussion with such an intelligent girl.
Of course I'm in a hurry!
"Somewhat," she gently spoke. "I'm in search of my partner, she's run off again. I'm still acclimating myself to Beacon Academy so the process has been... arduous." Penny sounded a lot like Nora in some ways.
"Sorry, I'll let you get back to it." Ciel stared blankly at Jaune and nodded.
He returned a subtle grin and walked past Ciel, submitting himself to return to his room and try in vain to block his teammates' thoughts.
Perhaps, I judged Mr. Arc unfairly.
"Mr. Arc." Ciel grabbed his attention when he was halfway down the hall. At least her first impression of him was cast aside thanks to his abrupt introduction.
"While I usually reserve my own troubles to be solved by myself, I feel someone more abreast with Beacon's corridors might be able to provide assistance in my search." Was she asking for his help?
Do all boys act so dumbfounded when a female asks for simple help?
"Sure, I mean, I'm not really doing anything else."
"Excellent, I have a feeling she might be located in Beacon's forge on the other side of the academy, though I'm not sure where its precise location is. Come along." She marched past him and tapped her watch.
The idea of searching for some random student sounded more appeasing then listening to Pyrrha's deepest thoughts. The new semblance that arose from his soul might have been a wretched curse, but at least he made a new friend.
Sort of?