Jaune raised an eyebrow at the message that demanded all the leaders had to meet at Ozpin's office. He had been eating with his friends when his and Ruby's scroll beeped with the message chime. Ruby opted to wait until she was done eating. Jaune didn't think he forgot anything around this time, there was nothing he could think of that was really...
Wait...
The Party between leaders.
Crap!
Jaune shot out of his seat like he had been shocked, knocking over his bottle of water.
Everybody jerked away at the sudden movement and spilled water before they all stared at him.
"Jaune?"
"Oh, I need to do something really quickly, I'll uh, be right back!" Jaune babbled and bolted out of the cafeteria.
Ozpin wasn't expecting the doors to his office to be slammed open by an irate Arc. Glynda - who had been helping with the time and place of when they would need to be scheduled - started and her hand dropped to her crop.
"I am not going. Don't care, take me out of the video - any and all of them - I refuse to go to that formal party that is nothing more than fancy people in a dick-waving contest." Jaune growled, eyes flashing.
Ozpin blinked, he wasn't expecting Jaune to know what the announcement was about and he wasn't expecting Jaune to vehemently refuse to go at all. Ozpin and Glynda both almost sputtered as they heard the last bit of Jaune's sentence, that was also a bit of a... unexpected definition of the mingling of high-class people.
"Mr. Arc!" Glynda scandalized reprimand cut through the silence.
"I'll take detention and scrub the floors of the main hall rather than go to any sort of party! I don't even know what to do there, no one walks up to the group of awkward hunters-in-training hanging by the punch bowl except for recruiters! That in itself is nothing more than an annoyance since we already go into the top hunter school in Vale, and I personally don't need anymore choices on where to go." Jaune snapped.
Ozpin took a draught of his coffee, idly wishing that Jaune wasn't so oddly perceptive and troublesome, "While I'll admit, some parts of your assessment have some iota of truth to them, we are obligated by society to go to -"
"Yeah... thing is I do not give a damn about what society requires, besides I highly doubt that you always play by the rules Headmaster." Jaune said blandly, standing with his arms crossed stubbornly, "I am half convinced you drag us along just so we share in the misery."
Glynda's mouth dropped open in utter shock and Ozpin tried not to frown.
Oddly enough, they both thought with no small amount of uncertainty, 'That's...not true...?'
Jaune smirked and was about to walk out when suddenly a chill (or heat-wave?) passed through the air, and Jaune instinctively froze.
'Oh crap.' he whimpered in his mind.
He turned to see Glynda Goodwitch, a thin frown on her face (Jaune would prefer a scowl, at least it is a clear indication of how angry she is) and green eyes chilling and - for all the world - looking like she would kick his ass all the way across Remnant and back if he dared utter a sound. Jaune had only received these glares a few scant times, and that too when he had been downright idiotic (like lunging into the middle of a horde of grimm with only his sword, shield, and tattered armor to try to stave them off for sometime while his forces retreated or nearly killing himself when he furiously rampaged through the armies of grimm until he fell face-first onto the floor in senseless exhaustion, worrying his friends half to death) and is duly and utterly terrified of them. He catches Ozpin eyes widening slightly and him subtly sidling away from his former teammate. Jaune wants to bolt but that usually makes his punishment worse.
"Jaune Arc." (Jaune wants to break out in tears and cover his face) she hissed (without her expression changing or her voice actually hissing), "You WILL be going to the party and you WILL NOT complain. You WILL go in formal clothing and WILL look like a dignified member of this school and present yourself as such. Understood?"
Jaune nodded dumbly, he couldn't agree more.
Silence.
"You may leave." Goodwitch supplied.
Needless to say, Jaune could not get out of there fast enough.
The door shut and 5 seconds later there was a frustrated shout of "Monty Freaking Dammit!"
Jaune stomped his way back to his room (he had been in a freaking war and then shunted back to the past; he was going to be a goddamned childish as he damned well pleased!) fuming over the events that just transpired in Ozpin's office.
Damned Goodwitch Glare.
He cursed loudly and several passing students jumped away in shock.
Jaune took a deep breath and decided just not to show up to the meeting between all the leaders, he could avoid his teammates for the entire week and throw on his school clothing saying he didn't have any other fancy clothing to wear.
They couldn't get angry at him for that could they?
He smirked and strolled up to his room before opening the door, only to see Team RWBY and (J)NPR sitting in his room.
Jaune blinked, "Uh hey, what's everybody doing here?"
Ruby dashed over to him and practically shoved her scroll in his face, "Jaune, Ozpin sent us a message saying that we have to attend a party and we need formal attire."
Jaune grit his teeth behind his tightly clamped lips.
"So bird-rider, we get to go on a shopping trip! Ozpin even let us have money from his pockets! What more, he even said to make sure we get you something."
Jaune frowned, on the inside he was seething, goddammit.
Jaune suddenly grinned sinisterly, "If that's how Ozpin wants to play it... how about we REALLY go on a shopping spree?"
Jaune smirked as he let the girls run through the shops first, he conveniently 'forgot' that only leaders were going to the party and let his friends run wild with Ozpin's lien card. Jaune leaned against a pillar in the mall, sipping a vanilla-strawberry smoothing topped with whipped-cream and caramel. Jaune smiled when he remembered Weiss trying to not use Ozpin's card and telling her that how she could get a good dig at Ozpin's pride by saying that she was used to buying such pricey clothing and figured the headmaster would be able to afford it, besides she would have to explain being frivolous to anyone who curious.
Weiss grinned at the prospect, Jaune chuckled at how expensive she could be.
Jaune swiped his hair back from his eyes and noticed it was longer than it should have been at the time. He blinked and remembered that his hair had a tendency to grow faster if he began to neglect to use his grimm form. He shifted uncomfortably, he had been trying not to think about it, but as time stretched on there was more than a leak open in the back of his head. It was becoming a steady trickle that was affecting his attitude. Jaune was bumped slightly while walking, and for a brief horrifying moment, Jaune's hands twitched with the intention to grab the offender and throw him or her as far away and as violently as possible. Jaune cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, shunting the thought to the back of his head and clamping down on the suddenly angry hiss that echoed in his head.
Crap, it was worse than he thought.
His grimm was beginning to grow self-aware. Jaune had kept it relatively content in the constant war, but now as a student, there had been no need to use it (all the students - including the fourth years - were pathetically under his level). Jaune took a few deep breaths, channeling his ki to try to soothe the sensation of chaos running through his blood. When he looked up, he saw Ren walking up to him with a glass of tea in his hand and a bag of food.
"Hey Ren." Jaune said, closing his eyes and leaning his head against the cool marble of the pillar.
"You okay, Jaune? You were just looking a bit worried about something." Ren said, setting the bag of food on a table and motioning for Jaune to sit down.
Jaune shrugged and gave a sheepish grin, "Just forgot to write my family a letter or two, my mom tends to worry about me, as do my sisters. I've been fairly busy, so time been a bit scarce."
Ren eyed him, and Jaune knew Ren was calling him out on his bullshit.
Jaune met his eyes steadily, Ren was a good friend, but he should understand that some secrets aren't meant to be shared. His 'ki' training was one thing he agonized over before teaching Jaune towards the middle of the fourth year at Beacon. After Jaune took an attack for him, Ren had paced in front of the infirmary doors in his free time until June had got out. That cemented the idea that even the best of hunters should have a backup plan, and Ren gave his family secrets to Jaune (who decided to use an alternate translation and used the word 'Prana' instead of 'ki' so Ren couldn't be blamed).
Jaune smiled in a reassuring way and pulled out one of the food boxes before breaking a pair of chopsticks and opening the box.
"You know how to use chopsticks?" Ren asked, surprised.
"I figured it would be good to know." Jaune said, playfully clacking his chopsticks together.
Then Yang sat down next to them and swiped up one of the boxes, "You don't mind do you?"
Jaune raised an eyebrow, "If we did would that stop you?"
Yang smirked, "Nope."
Jaune rolled his eyes and smiled fondly, "Well there's plenty of food so dig in. Anyway, how is shopping going?"
Yang smiled widely, "Awesome! I got an awesome dress and didn't have to worry about it thanks to Ozpin!"
Jaune smiled chillingly, "Very good."
By the time everyone gathers and they finish eating and chatting, the mall is closing and curfew is approaching fast; they all scramble to make the airship that'll give a chance to get back to Beacon on time.
Jaune was standing in front of an passively irate Ozpin as he was trying hard not to burst into laughter at the more-than-pensive-but-less-than-truly-irrtated frown marring Ozpin's face. Jaune knew Ozpin works hard to not show emotion, so even the frown now present on his face was a achievement in its own right.
He sipped his coffee and put the mug down before perching his hands in front of his face, "Mr. Arc, I was surprised to check my balance this morning and find at more than a few times the money expected to be used utterly gone. Seeing as I had lent your team and Team RWBY my card -"
Glynda rolled her eyes and Jaune was willing to bet anything that she mouthed the word 'idiot'.
"- for use yesterday, I would like to know exactly why and how all that money could have been used."
Jaune tilted his head, "Well my team and Team RWBY bought dresses, and since you were kind enough to foot the bill..." Jaune trailed off.
Ozpin massaged his forehead, and Jaune saw the irritation simmering under his skin, "You realize that the Party is only for leaders, don't you?"
Jaune gasped so falsely that Ozpin almost glared, "Oh no, was it?! I wasn't present at the meeting! I didn't know and neither did Ruby. After all you only sent us the message over the scroll, I assumed you would have sent all the detail necessary rather than a simple message that you sent."
Jaune eyes flicked to Glynda and he nearly lost control at the sight of her covering a smile with her sleeve.
Jaune shrugged, "Sorry Headmaster, oh well I am sure someone like you can make up the losses, In the grand scheme of things, a bit of lien won't matter too much."
He turned to leave, "Good day professor, try to be a little more clear next time."
Jaune smiled all the way back to his room.
Jaune stared at his scroll.
"Really, Ozpin?" he grumbled allowed, "Now you're just trying to spite me."
"Leaders that are going to the party must find an escort. In other words a date. P.S. You can thank Jaune Arc for this little addendum." Ren read from over Jaune's shoulder, "Either people or going to thank or beat you up."
Jaune shrugged, "Well I can't say I saw this coming, I figured Ozpin would be mad, but to either draw the school against, that's just an abuse of power." Jaune sighed, "Whatever..."
Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Jaune and Ren looked at each other before Ren shrugged and moved to open the door. When he opened it, Ruby was there, red-faced and holding her scroll. She moved past Ren and glared at Jaune.
"Jaune! Why do we have to bring a date?!"
Jaune smiled sheepishly, "Um... I may have peeved Ozpin a bit."
"But how will I get a date?! I'm fifteen and socially-awkward! I don't know anyone!" She cried, waving her arms.
Jaune looked at Ren who was hiding a smile behind his hand, "Your on your own." Ren mouthed.
Jaune clapped a hand on her shoulder, "How about I take you?"
Ruby stared at him,and flushed red, "What?"
"How about I take you to the Party as a date?" Jaune offered mildly.
"What?!"
Ren, Ruby, and Jaune looked at the door to see Pyrrha, Yang, and Weiss all standing in the hallway, surprise and shock evident in their forms. Before and could think to stop her and explain the situation, Yang rushed forward, grabbed Jaune's collar and began to bodily drag him toward Team RWBY's room.
"Come in, and you all will regret it." Yang hissed.
"Wait, Yang it's not like that!" Ruby pleaded as the door slammed closed.
Jaune was tossed onto the floor.
Or at least he was supposed to, but he quickly tapped Yang's arm which went numb for a split second. In that brief moment he twisted away and spun the chair at their desk so he could sit comfortably.
"I know what you're thinking." He said without any preamble.
Yang glared, her gauntlets covering her hands.
"Jaune -"
"I am not dating Ruby." He interrupted, explaining quickly "You see, Ozpin was mad for you guys using so much money and confronted me about it, I said too bad - in essence - and left his office. So, to spite me he says everyone has to have a date for the leader party. Since Ruby doesn't any boys really well yet besides me and Ren, I offered to take her because we are already going by default and it'll save us both some trouble. Satisfied?"
Yang blinked, "Wait you mean you're not putting the moves on my little sis?"
"No, and before you ask, it's not because she isn't cute or something equally ridiculous. Ruby a very special girl, adorable, quirky, and fun to be around, but at the moment I personally don't think either one of us are interested in a relationship." Jaune replied.
Yang stared at him and he gazed back calmly.
"Fine, I believe you, but if you're going to be going on date - friend or no - you can't go unless you go in fashion." Yang said, smirking.
Jaune jaw dropped, "What?"
Jaune found himself being dragged to the same shops he was the first time.
Did he mention he was literally tied up?
With metal cordage?
How the hell did Yang even get this?
How the hell did they even rig a metal net wrap device under the chair?
Jaune squirmed and writhed, under normal circumstance he would just let loose his aura in a burst, or shred the cords using his wings, but it was dangerous in both scenarios. A uncontrolled burst of aura could hurt others (especially with a an amount as large as his), a small pulse wouldn't undo the cables, and sprouting grimm wings and bones anywhere where people could see was just a bad idea no matter how you slice it. He cold use his semblance, but it wasn't worth the trouble, besides maybe someone with decency would help him.
Though judging at the stern talking to that Yang had given everyone, that probably wouldn't happen.
Jaune began to contemplate if he should use his second semblance when a hand grabbed the cords and undid them in a few moments.
"Now Bird-rider, don't make me put those back on." Yang threatened.
Jaune glared and got up, "You won't be able to now that I can move. Besides, I already know what I am going to wear!"
"What would that be?"
"My uniform."
Yang shook her head in sheer amazement/pity, "Bird-rider, You know that the party is formal right?"
Jaune rolled his eyes, "Yes, but I hate formal and my school outfit is more than enough, to qualify as formal."
Needless to say, Yang disagreed.
Jaune sighed as he was given the exact same suit as last time, and rolled his eyes as the girls treated him like a model. When he got back to his room he put the box with the suit inside it at the bottom of his closet, before anyone else could walk in.
Maybe he could pretend to forget where he put it if he put it there and no one would look there.
