So, I got two (er, I think it's three or four now) requests to tone down the romance. Much obliged, I'll take care not to overwhelm you guys. This will be the last of any real 'romance' for a while.
Love, KJ
Jaune had them up early the next morning, much to Ren's dismay. He'd spent his night having a spectacularly naughty dream of his team leader and bunny rabbits, and he hadn't slept very well at all. He just was glad he was a quiet sleeper. As they dressed, Ren's cheeks burned faintly as he caught sight of the pale blue boxers, decorated in (you guessed it) bunny rabbits. Damn rabbits had made his dreams worse. Ren flushed pink when Jaune glanced at him, then at his underwear and grinned in an almost tongue-in-cheek manner, topping it with a blown kiss. Ren was even redder at that action, and Blake was also pink, having caught Jaune when he performed that flirtatious action. Ruby, having not been looking at Jaune, snickered at them when she turned around.
"Very subtle," Ren grumbled quietly, as Jaune and Ruby laughed at them. As they prepped to go, a loud knock on the door drew all four's attention to it. Blake opened the door, talking briefly to whoever was on the other side.
"It's for you," Blake deadpanned to Jaune. A bubbly blond girl bounced up, a large box in hand.
"I'm looking for a Jaune - Rawr," The blond declared, eyes on Jaune. "Hello handsome," The girl purred, making Jaune shift uncomfortably. Blake took a deliberate step forward, and the girl recalled her manners. "Right, here's the thing I'm supposed to give you. It is heavy!" She dumped a large package in his hands and smiled. "Bye handsome!" Jaune's cheeks were red as he watched her bounce away, giggling under her breath.
"What the hell is this?" Ren sighed. Jaune looked it over, but the nondescript package was exactly that - unremarkable.
"Well whatever it is, it's going to have to wait." Jaune said crisply. "We've got work to do." Ruby gave the large package a longing look, the action mirrored by both Blake and Ren, before the quartet tromped out of the room, Jaune locking it behind them and handing Ren the key. "You lose it, we all strangle you." Ren muffled a laugh behind a hand, an action mirrored by Blake and Ruby behind them.
"But I just call them . . . Prey!" Jaune, the designated note-taker of the group, gave them all a glare when they tried to goof off, Ruby in particular. A scribbled note solved the problem. As much as Jaune wanted to sleep, he really had to keep up the good behavior, considering his eh, special situation. And Ruby was in a 'testing phase' to see if certain students could be allowed early enrollment.
You're the youngest student here. No. Ruby pouted, but paid attention, just as Professor Port asked his next question.
"So, who among you believes themselves to be the embodiment of these traits?" There was silence for a moment, none of them having heard except for Blake, and reluctantly, the teacher sighs. "Well, at least you're all humble, I suppose." His eyes cast around and landed on Jaune, the blond still finishing up his notes. "You there! Arc!" He boomed, making all of them jump. "You look like a fine Hunter in training!"
At the professor's eager waving, Jaune made his reluctant way down, picking his shield up and removing his blade. "Choosing to fight with your uniform on, eh?" Port chortled. "Well I wish you luck!" Port swung his battleaxe, cracking open the lock and revealing a Boarbatusk. Jaune's eyes swept over it, and he bit his lip. There was armor everywhere except underneath! As it ran towards him, Jaune made a split-second decision, flipping his shield around so the broad end met the floor, kneeling behind it. The trick had worked against a King Taijitu and a fair number of Ursae. Pressing his Aura into his shield, Jaune waited. Some of the kids were snickering. His teammates, looked away.
The light was bright enough to blind, hitting with a dazzling flash and snap. Everyone had to blink for a moment, startled, before seeing the charred lump of flesh that was the Boarbatusk. Professor Port gave a slight cough, blinking away spots.
"Well . . . Impressive young man, very impressive," The dazed teacher said to him. "It truly seems that we are in the presence of a true Hunter in training! That was a truly spectacular display there young man. Well, that's all for today, so be sure to complete your assigned reading!" As they packed to go, Jaune caught the hateful gaze of the red-headed teenager.
Outside, Jaune waited for his team, leaning against the wall absently. Any female onlooker in that class couldn't deny that well, Jaune was kinda attractive now, even with that ridiculous outfit he'd worn two nights ago. No woman wanted a weak man. Their hopes were dashed when Jaune stood up properly and greeted the girls (and the other hot boy), waving them onward.
"Alright, let's go see what's in that box." Jaune said, grinning. At the enthusiastic agreements, Jaune laughed and led his companions forward.
Jaune felt like crying. Or laughing, either one was fine. Ruby looked thrilled, Blake looked blank, and Ren was politely confused.
"It's a book," Blake deadpanned. Jaune huffed a laugh.
"It's not just any book Blake. It's my Rezervă din familială," Jaune explained reverently, touching the two crescent moons. "You'd call them the book of the family. Libri familiae," Jaune added at their uncomprehending looks. Both Ren and Blake still looked baffled. "It's an ancestor scroll," Jaune offered to Ren, whose eyes lit up in recognition at last. Blake still looked confused, and all of them realized her half-Fauna heritage had caught up to her. "It's like fire tales, only it applies to training." Finally, Blake's eyes glowed with recognition, and she too observed it with a great deal more respect than before.
"It must be old," Blake observed, eyeing the onionskin-thin paper with a odd, reserved look that could almost be called jealousy. Jaune's voice was reverent and soft.
"It's well over nine hundred years old. Books as old as this one are held together with Dust ink and treated wood ropes." Jaune smiled wistfully, his finger running down the spine of it. "I never thought that I would earn the right to learn from her." There was a painful smile there, a bitter regret that none of them could (or wanted) to identify. "Looks like we'll be reserving a training room for the year," Jaune said finally, setting the heavy book on his night table and picking up the largest of the other four boxes. Peeling it open, Jaune was greeted with a small little gift of a crystal rabbit.
"Pfft." Ren buried his mouth under his hands, while both Blake and Ruby howled with laughter. Jaune's ears were tinted pink, and he glared half-heartedly at them all.
"Oh shut up." There was another obnoxious knock on the door, and a different messenger came in, bearing three heavy boxes. Ren, Blake, and Ruby each grabbed one, thanked him, and gave him a generous tip. "Looks like Christmas came a full nine months early," Jaune quipped, as they swapped boxes until they had the right ones. Moving to the next box, Jaune merely snapped the ribbon-covered lid open. It was a frail necklace, a silver chain holding the Arc family symbol on it. The last two held a pair of worn gloves and a signet ring. Ren eyed the last gift, as Jaune opened the envelope that came with the package.
Dear Jaune,
Congratulations. You've made it into the ranks of Beacon's finest. I don't know when you'll get this, whether it's a year from when you enter school or the day you manage to impress Ozpin. It's not easy to gain such recognition from such a man. He'll likely tell you he's made more mistakes than any man, woman, and child on the planet, but those lessons have taught him very, very well Jaune.
I'm proud of you. It's been a long time since this book has been in the hands of an a born Arc. As great a man as your father and your grandfather was, our family book never considered them controlled enough to wield Joan's ultimate weapon. Abide by this book, and one day, you'll not only match your namesake, but step out of the shadow she cast over our family so many years ago.
Love (and lots of luck),
Your ever affectionate grandmother
Ren waited politely with the girls as Jaune tried to recover his senses, his tears sliding down his cheeks like rain. But he was smiling, smiling so bright that it physically felt like a blow.
"She said she's proud of me," Jaune said softly, not bothering to wipe his tears away. "She's never said that before."
Rezervă din familială - Book of the family
Libri familiae - Same as above.
