Hello everyone! Sorry about the massive delay on this one; it's been more than a month since my last update, and I feel terrible for that. Just in case, I made sure to put a little extra effort into this one.
Hope you like it!
Jaune stepped back, the tip of Crocea Mors traveling in small circles, ready to intercept Weiss' lunge. The boy panted heavy breaths, despite the 'simplicity' of the exercise.
All Jaune had to do was walk backwards, and deflect any incoming attacks while on the retreat.
… With one arm tied around his back.
"Come on, Vomit Boy! You can do it!"
… and Yang riding on his shoulders. Literally.
Simple, right?
"H-how…" Jaune breathed. "How is this going to help me get my semblance again?"
"Control. Power. Balance." Weiss stressed.
Oh, that too…
"Control. Power. Balance." Jaune repeated, swinging Crocea Mors low to deflect Weiss' lunge.
In Jaune's opinion – with his first-hand experience – what Weiss was putting him through right now was worse than lockdown.
"And time!" Yang called from above. "I swear Jaune, if you drop me…"
The blond didn't even have the energy to argue, instead collapsing to one knee. Chances are the joint would bruise from the impact, even with Aura - or rather, with what he had left since the training started.
With Yang on his shoulders, that would have been nearly four-hundred pounds collapsing into one point.
"Thanks for…" Jaune sucked in a deep breath. "Thanks for your help Yang."
"Anytime. Say, would you be willing to lend me that recording of my fight with Pyrrha one more time?"
Jaune looked up at the blonde girl as she 'dismounted', nodding. "My scroll's in my bag if you feel like watching it right now. I'll just send it to you later too if you want."
"Oh, you're such a sweetheart." Yang 'complimented', patting Jaune on the head. "How lucky you are, Weiss."
The heiress scoffed. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Jaune didn't hear Yang's response, as he got a face full of floor a moment after Weiss spoke. He'd even tried to put his free arm out to break his fall, but he was just too damn tired to even manage that.
"Ow."
"Come on Jaune, get up." Weiss egged on, untying his other arm. "We need to get dressed and ready for Goodwitch's class in about… half an hour.
"Just five more minutes…" Jaune mumbled into the polished wood floor, watching a bead of sweat roll down his nose.
"Oh?" Weiss sounded surprised. "Did you hear that Yang? Jaune wants to go five more minutes."
Jaune was standing in less than two seconds, his fatigue forgotten, replaced with fear. "Wait, that's not what I… meant…"
A quick look around the room informed Jaune that Yang wasn't even there anymore - at least, not mentally; Weiss' teammate was sprawled across one of the benches, already flitting through Jaune's menus.
Weiss' chuckled, and Jaune even smiled lightly himself, despite the shape he was in. "Ha…" the blonde hunched over. "Seriously?"
The heiress smiled back. "Come on. Class is in half an hour... but that doesn't mean we can't sit for a minute or two."
At Weiss' prodding, Jaune stumbled over to the benches, wiping the sweat from his brow. The moment he sat, Weiss pressed a bottle of water in his hands. Hydration had already important enough with regards to his exercises, but with the summer heat and the increased workload Weiss was putting on him, the blond had been consuming nearly twice the amount of water he had been before.
The self-proclaimed knight vividly remembered exactly what would happen if he drank too quickly, so he took small sips, keeping his eyes on Weiss. The summer heat had gotten to her too – but she managed it differently. Instead of wearing her combat skirt to most training sessions, she wore her own set of workout clothes instead: a pair of tight-fitting shorts she borrowed from Yang, and a white and blue racerback top that exposed a lot more skin than her usual outfit.
Today was different though – with combat class later, they'd all decided to train in their gear.
She always wore her heels though. Though he would never admit it to anyone, Jaune had tried walking in a pair of his mother's before, on a bet his sisters made.
How the hell did Weiss fight in heels?
"Usually, someone with Aura finds their semblance on their own." Weiss spoke. It took Jaune a few seconds to realize that she was answering his question from earlier. "For some people it takes years... others, days. It has nothing to do with how much you want it, or how much you work. You just... find it."
Taking one last swig, Jaune put the bottle down beside him. "What if you don't find it, then?"
"Then you have to search for it." Weiss turned to meet his eyes. "And yes, there's a difference. Finding your semblance is random. Searching for it, however, requires control, power, and balance. At least, that's how we Schnee's have done it. Some rely on 'soul-searching'. Others are put through vigorous trials, until they're in a position where their semblance 'calls' to them."
Jaune pursed his lips. "And why am I not trying either of those?"
"I don't mean to be rude, but I don't think you have the mental fortitude to do soul-searching any time soon." The look on Weiss face was indeed apologetic. "And if your semblance didn't call to you in the Emerald Forest – when we nearly died – I don't think there's a more 'vigorous' trial.
"So we're doing this my way – the Schnee way." Weiss looked up to the clock. "We should go... I'm pretty sure you don't feel like running, so the sooner the better."
Jaune stood up, hoping that his action alone was enough to indicate his agreement. The boy grabbed his bag, waiting as Weiss packed up. The heiress then walked over to Yang, shaking the girl to get her attention. She must have really been focused on the recording, the way the girl frowned as she passed him back his scroll..
The three left the training room, side by side.
"So, if I'm not... 'finding' my semblance, then how do I know I have it when I'm searching?" Jaune asked.
"You'll feel it." Weiss stated. "That's how it was for me. It's... hard to explain. My glyph semblance is hereditary: My sister has it, I have it... But when I first made a glyph, I didn't even really notice it."
That surprised Jaune; how could Weiss make a glyph without knowing? "Don't you, like, make you're glyphs consciously?"
"I can do it because I've been trained to control my semblance – everyone who has a semblance here at Beacon likely had to learn how to control it to some degree. You don't see Ruby zipping down every hallway, do you?"
Yang chuckled, Weiss' words likely bringing up fond memories. "It took her a few days, let me tell you."
"I guess that makes sense." Was it possible that he had his semblance already, and was just having trouble controlling it?
Nah...
"That said, my semblance can also activate subconciously, though that'll rarely happen; Instinct has to win-out over reason, and that doesn't happen very often with me."
"I see... Wait, hold on..."
The heiress stared at Jaune questioningly. "What is it?"
"This is kind of a random thought... but earlier, you said the way you were training me is the Schnee way of doing things?"
"I did."
Then... "When you did your training, did you have someone riding on your shoulders too?"
Weiss smiled beatifically, shaking her head. "Of course not. Do I look like I trained by carrying someone on my shoulders?" The heiress flexed her bicep for show, prodding the lithe muscle. "We've got different builds... different styles. If I had even half the musculature you do, I wouldn't be able to fight the way I do."
"So I had Yang balanced on my shoulders because...?"
"Because – and trust me, this is hard to admit-" Weiss sighed. "You're getting harder and harder to push forward."
That surprised Jaune. "Really?"
"I wasn't exactly coming at you at full power today... but I still didn't land a single strike. You managed to fend me off with one hand tied behind your back, Yang's weight balanced across your shoulders, and while walking backwards." Weiss explained. "It's been barely a month since we started training together."
Jaune brought a hand to his chin, scratching at the thin whiskers he hadn't shaved yet. "I suppose that's true-"
Weiss had stepped in front of Jaune, forcing the blond to stop. "Yes, it's true. And it's also, frankly speaking, incredible."
"Uh... thanks?" Jaune wasn't used to such high praise – especially coming from Weiss.
"But..." 'There's always a but...' "I also just wanted to see how much you'd agree to."
The Arc nodded mindlessly, before realizing what Weiss had just said. "...sorry?"
Brushing her ponytail over her shoulder, Weiss smiled. "I almost couldn't believe it when you agreed to have Yang ride on your shoulders during training - I don't think she believed it either at first."
"You got that right." The blonde called over her shoulder, having continued walking when he and Weiss stopped.
"Wait, so you had Yang do that because... because... you wanted to see if I'd say no?"
Weiss' smile grew. "Exactly."
Jaune called out to Yang. "… she's kidding, right?"
The fist-fighter chuckled. "Nope."
Jaune could only sigh in response, jogging very lightly to catch up with Yang. The three walked into the spacious room where Goodwitch's class was held. Already having everything they needed, they immediately made their way up the stairs to where both their teams typically sat.
They were the first to arrive, but it didn't take long for their other teammates to join them, dressed and ready to fight whenever they needed to.
"You think you'll fight today Jaune?" Pyrrha asked, his partner sitting beside him.
Jaune hummed, contemplating Pyrrha's question. The fatigue from the training earlier hadn't settled in quite yet, and he was plenty 'warmed up'. Honestly, he felt good.
"I might." Jaune responded uncertainly, despite how he felt. There was only one thing that would really be able to truly decide whether he'd participate: The blond reached into his pocket, pulling out his scroll.
Pyrrha leaned in as Jaune brought up the display. "Twelve percent?" She whispered sharply.
"Yeah, not fighting today." The boy chuckled. He'd checked, and he'd been sitting around eighty percent before the training.
That he'd lost sixty eight percent without even being hit was a testament to how rigorous and effective their training was.
His partner frowned, turning forwards. "I think Weiss is working you too hard."
Jaune nodded in response, but otherwise didn't reply. Of course she was working him hard; how else was he going to get better?
Goodwitch stepped out on the arena floor, the class going silent in response. After however many classes they had with the blonde professor, everyone knew better.
"Can Weiss Schnee and Nora Valkyrie come to the floor please?"
Jaune hummed in thought, giving both Weiss and Nora smiles as they stood up and made their way down to the main floor. Nora looked as cheery as always, and Weiss determined in contrast. Everyone wished them good luck as they passed.
Curiously, with Weiss' seat vacant, Yang moved closer. "Hey Jaune?"
"What's up?"
"Who do you think is going to win this?"
As Jaune turned to face the arena, he pondered the blonde's question. "Who will win?"
"Yeah." Blake leaned forward on the other side of Yang, Ruby looking over top of both girls. "You've been training with Weiss more than anyone on our team really has." Those words did make Jaune a little guilty, but he instantly rid himself of those thoughts, remembering that he only really took up Weiss' mornings "And Nora's your teammate."
"Weiss has the advantage in speed, for sure." Jaune noted, Pyrrha and Ren listening on his left. "Nora's quick, but her hammer still slows her down. If Nora can land a solid hit though, Weiss will be in trouble."
"So...?"
"It's a tough call," Jaune stated, "but if Weiss isn't aggressive then the match is going to Nora."
Readying Myrtenaster, Weiss turned to Nora, waiting for Goodwitch to call the beginning of the match. Nora herself, stood on the opposite end of the arena, hammer held behind her in preparation to charge.
Weiss hadn't actually fought Nora yet, in all their time at Beacon, but she'd definitely seen enough of how the girl fought – and won – to have a good idea of how to combat her strengths. If she kept her distance and Nora bombarded her with grenades, it was over. If she got too close to Nora, and lingered long enough for the girl to strike, it was over.
She had to keep a steady balance – fighting from both long and short, switching rapidly – to defeat Nora.
Weiss called on her Aura the moment Goodwitch called "Begin", lunging for the center of Nora's chest. The Valkyrie brought the haft of her massive hammer around in hopes of blocking the precision strike.
The heiress adjusted her aim, but Nora simply shifted her hammer while letting go with one hand, Myrtenaster barely missing it's target. While her wrist was lightly knocked aside, Weiss retreated under her glyph's speed.
This time, it was Nora on the offensive, leaping forward with her hammer swinging horizontally. Weiss jumped, landing on a platform she created as she felt the rush of air from underneath her displaced by the business end of Nora's hammer. Weiss jumped even higher, flipping to land on the platform she created above.
Upside-down, Weiss had to make a decision before gravity took her. Seeing Nora's eyes, however... Weiss adjusted slightly, dashing to the other end of the ring. The heiress quickly used her Ice Dust to create a makeshift wall as she knew grenades were coming her way – her glyphs could have managed, but blocking vision was just as important.
Weiss smiled – if Nora couldn't see her... The heiress created a glyph far to the right of the wall, angled to look like she would jump off it after leaving cover. Instead, a moment later, Weiss took off in the opposite direction, creating a fresh glyph to change her course.
Nora was indeed distracted by the first glyph, but her eyes moved quick, and so did her hammer.
In order to avoid the first – and what would have likely been the last – blow of the fight, Weiss created a glyph in her flight path, stopping her cold.
Nora's hammer collided with the same glyph, and Weiss felt it.
Her glyphs blocked as well as any shield, and they were good shock absorbers...
That she still shook with the contact regardless was incredible.
There was no way Weiss could use Nora's strength to her advantage, even with a perfect deflection; if it were a life or death situation, she'd consider it, but she wasn't about to risk breaking Myrtenaster over a practice bout... and she didn't want to break Nora's hammer either.
Time dilation was no good either – Weiss wasn't quick enough yet, and an ice wall wouldn't stop Nora this time. She'd be ready for any other tricks as well.
'What should I do?'
The heiress wasn't given time to think, Nora coming in for an overhead blow this time. Weiss dodged to the side, stabbing forward. Her rapier caught Nora in the side – a good hit – but she backed off immediately after, Nora using explosive force to propel the back end of her hammer through the space Weiss had just occupied.
Readjusting her grip, Nora came back around with a spinning attack – something Weiss had not been expecting. The heiress brought a hand up quickly.
Physical movement made forming glyphs easier – but Weiss wasn't quite fast enough, as the glyph was only half formed on contact.
Weiss was struck with the heavy end of the hammer, and sent skipping across the arena floor before she collided with the ice wall she'd made earlier. She checked the displays to see half her Aura gone.
And Nora had only hit her at half strength, courtesy of the glyph.
Weiss didn't have time to think - only to move. She barely felt the glyph beneath her, dashing out of the way as grenades impact where she'd just laid.
She wasn't about to surrender, though the thought crossed her mind. She'd been mildly unprepared for the match... but there was something else as well.
There were many different types of Dust still in Myrtenaster's cylinder... but why did she feel like she couldn't use them.
The heiress formed another glyph beneath her feet. Nora stood across the floor, her hammer having shifted forms to fire the grenades. Weiss stepped.
But the moment she did, she caught Nora's smile.
The heiress appeared where she'd intended, but in what was practically the exact same place, there was one of Nora's grenades waiting.
For a couple of moments, Weiss wasn't sure which way was up – only remembering such a fundamental thing when she hit the ground. The heiress stood up slowly.
"Weiss Schnee has fallen beneath fifteen percent. The winner is Nora Valkyrie."
With a frown, Weiss looked back up to the displays, seeing herself at what must have been exactly fifteen percent. Nora hit hard, and her grenades just as much. She'd have to remember that for next time.
Weiss and Nora – who gave her an apologetic smile – reported to the center of the arena where Goodwitch stood.
"Well fought you two." She confirmed. "Miss Valkyrie, it's good to see you've been listening to my advice regarding faster opponents." The blonde professor then turned to Weiss. "Miss Schnee, excellent use of misdirection, and I was most impressed by your efforts to avoid what would have been certain defeat."
"Thank you, professor."
Goodwitch's continual silence was their only sign of dismissal, the older woman tapping away at her scroll.
As Weiss made her way back to her seat, she saw Yang sitting in it, leaning in to watch Jaune's scroll. Weiss smiled, glad that the boy was still recording matches.
Her scroll buzzed in her pouch. The heiress smiled, knowing Jaune had already sent it to her.
Yang moved back into her seat, Weiss settling down in her own. Ruby complimented her on a good fight – the leader of her team being the one defeating Nora the most often.
"Now then, for the next match, can I have Cardin Winchester and Jaune Arc?"
Jaune stood, but he made no motion to actually walk down towards the arena floor. Weiss had to hold in a sigh.
She'd expected it.
"Professor Goodwitch, I must decline the match."
A chorus of groans went up, the students all around the arena likely getting tired of what appeared to be Jaune avoiding matches.
Goodwitch even pinched the bridge of her nose, likely stressed enough with planning for the Forever Fall trip. "On what grounds today, Mr Arc? You should be recovered from your injury, correct?"
"I am. I believe my Aura is too low for the match to be considered fair."
Cardin Winchester, who was already standing ready to fight, glared up at Jaune. Even Weiss felt the animosity.
"Allow me to confirm this." Goodwitch tapped away at her scroll. Moments later, Jaune's portrait appeared on the display, his Aura meter filling to nearly where Weiss' had sat at the end of her match.
Professor Goodwitch stared Jaune down. "Mr. Arc, do be more careful. I'll let today slide, but any more instances like this, and there will be punishment administered, understood."
"Yes ma'am."
"Good. Instead of Mr. Arc, would..."
"Then, a thirty foot tall Beowolf Alpha came up the road, to where Ren and I were waiting, catching our breath."
"It wasn't a thirty foot tall Beowolf... It was thirty Beowolves."
Jaune was listening intently to Nora recounting her dream from the previous night, not having the energy to ignore the extravagant tale. He had to admit, her stories were entertaining at the least, and hilariously unbelievable at the most. With Ren constantly correcting his excitable partner – Nora having told him of the dream first thing in the morning – it was quite humorous.
The leader of JNPR wasn't the only one 'hooked' on Nora's 'adventure' either. Sitting on the other side of Weiss with some sort of salad in front of her, was the second-year Velvet. The rabbit faunus stared at Nora, wide eyed; though Jaune couldn't be certain what the girl was thinking.
…It was probably something along the lines of 'What have I gotten myself into?'
Jaune yawned, turning back to his lunch. RWBY and JNPR had run into Velvet on the way to the cafeteria, and Weiss had asked the girl if she wanted to join them, to which Velvet happily agreed. Apparently, the rest of team CFVY was busy catching up on homework: A few assignments they needed to finish before they could go out on any missions.
"And then...?" Velvet supplied, prodding Nora to continue.
"That's it." Nora stated happily. "Nothing really happened after that."
"I... I see." Velvet almost sounded disappointed. "You guys have the Forever Fall trip coming up soon, don't you?"
"That's right." Pyrrha answered from down the table, seated furthest from Velvet. "It's just a couple days away. How'd it go last year?"
"Uneventful, to be honest." The rabbit faunus shrugged. "My team ran into an Ursa or two, but that was it. One of the professors wanted us to get soil samples from deep in the woods."
"I hope we don't have to do anything that boring. Well..." Yang started. "As long as we stick near Jaune or Ruby there should be plenty of excitement, right?"
Jaune grunted a half-acknowledgement, chewing on some broccoli while Ruby herself groaned. "What's that supposed to mean, Yang?"
Yang looked as if she was about to explain herself, before she raised a finger, indicating a pause. "Actually, hold on... Shouldn't it be Jaune or Weiss at this point? I mean, it wasn't just Ruby who brought that Nevermore down on us during initiation."
Weiss scoffed, setting her fork down. "That can hardly be called my fault... it was Ruby's idea."
"I think I see where Yang's going with this." Ren commented, the boy finished with his own meal. "Jaune woke that Deathstalker during initiation, both Weiss and Ruby angered that Nevermore..." Ren's magenta eyes snapped to Jaune's. "And most recently, there was Jaune and Weiss' trip out to the Emerald Forest."
"So that puts me at one lower than both of them!" Ruby shouted excitedly, fist-pumping. "Yes!"
Jaune chuckled tiredly, turning to Weiss – who looked a little affronted.
"I can't believe you guys are classifying me as being a bigger trouble magnet than Ruby."
"Nah, Pyrrha's the real trouble magnet." Yang smiled a toothy grin.
Everyone stared at Yang with confusion.
"Was..." Weiss stared at the blonde. "Was that supposed to be a joke?"
"That doesn't even make any sense." Blake sighed, the first words Jaune had heard from the girl that day.
"Yeah, I don't get how that's supposed to be funny. Or relevant." Ruby added.
It might have gone unnoticed by the others, but Jaune just barely caught Yang winking at Pyrrha.
'What's that about?'
Jaune considered contributing to the conversation again, but instead he just shook his head and continued picking at his food. It was good stuff, like always, but the boy wasn't exactly hungry.
Honestly, he felt more like having a nap than anything.
The blond bit back a yawn, stretching his legs beneath the table with the intention of getting up. He checked the clock on the wall at the end of the cafeteria. "Hey, I'm going to head to the washroom and then I'll head to class."
The ones who actually had class with Jaune – history with Oobleck – nodded, and Jaune excused himself, waving his goodbyes to Ruby and Yang. If he was quick about it, he could take a leak, go get his books, and then power-nap at his desk before class started.
The thought almost drove Jaune to move quicker, but his muscles protested at anything but a gentle walk. He was really feeling it now - Weiss had definitely been putting him through the ringer.
Pushing his way into the empty men's room, Jaune approached a urinal, intent on relieving himself.
And relieve himself Jaune did. Although, he became increasingly nervous as he heard the footsteps of people moving into position behind him.
At least CRDL had the decency to let him finish.
Jaune zipped his fly, turning to Cardin. "Hey."
"Hey yourself." Cardin responded, a great big smile on his face. "Just so you know, your 'grace period' is up?"
Jaune tilted his head in confusion. "My what now?"
The blond tried to move in response to Cardin suddenly grabbing him by his tie, but he just couldn't. He felt too sluggish, even though Cardin didn't even move half as fast as Weiss did.
"You can't run here, coward. You thought I wouldn't notice you avoiding matches with me in Goodwitch's class? Well guess what... you and I, Jauney-boy? We're going to have a little fun."
"Excuse me Weiss, do you have a moment?"
The heiress looked up, Pyrrha waiting patiently for an answer. Everyone was just getting up from the cafeteria table, all finished with their lunches. The only tray that was left unattended was Jaune's.
Weiss had thought the boy had better manners – he'd just left the tray behind.
"Of course; can we talk on the way to class?" It went unspoken that they'd stop at the dorms to grab their books.
Pyrrha nodded. "That's fine with me."
Weiss had always liked Pyrrha; her attitude, her kindness... Originally, Weiss respected her for her strength, her technique. After all, it wasn't exactly easy to be the reigning champion of a regional tournament for four years in a row. So far, she'd been undefeated at Beacon too, another impressive feat.
But, through the limited time they spent together, Weiss grew to respect the girl for more than that. She was a champion – a celebrity – but she never acted like it. She wasn't haughty or dismissive of others. When they first met at Beacon, Weiss had expected Pyrrha to be unapproachable, even for her.
Here they were, however, chatting like friends... though Pyrrha seemed to have something on her mind.
"What do you need?" Weiss asked, narrowly avoiding running into one of their seniors on the way out the cafeteria doors.
"I want to ask you something about Jaune."
Weiss blinked, not having expected that. "Sure? I mean, I'd think you would know him better than I do."
Pyrrha shook her head. "That's not what I meant. Doesn't he seem really tired today? More so than usual?"
The heiress took a moment to think about that. "I'm not sure... he's at least a little tired from training, I know that... but nothing out of the ordinary."
"Not at all." Pyrrha denied. "He left a lot more food on his tray than normal, he's barely said anything today at the table..."
Weiss couldn't say she had noticed, but now that Pyrrha pointed it out. "You're right... maybe he's a little under the weather?"
"Did Jaune say anything to you this morning, during training?"
"No." If Jaune wasn't feeling well, he would have said something. Weiss knew the boy wanted to improve, but if he was ill, they could have taken the day off. "You?"
"I didn't even see him today until during combat class." Pyrrha stated. "He seemed... distant."
Weiss hummed.
"Are you sure you're giving him enough time to rest? I looked at your guys' training schedule before. It's efficient, but..."
"You're worried about him." Weiss noted, coming to that conclusion easily enough. Ever since the 'Emerald Forest incident', Pyrrha had been a little more protective of her leader – even getting up early enough to watch from the sidelines during one of their training sessions.
"Of course I am."
Maybe protective wasn't the right word though. Jaune was Pyrrha's leader, and Pyrrha was doing her job as his partner in looking after him.
Though she didn't necessarily want to admit it, Pyrrha did have a point.
"What do you suggest, then?" Weiss quizzed. "I don't want to reduce the intensity or the duration of his training..."
"I'd recommend adjusting the scheduling a bit: Two days on, two days off. Or maybe even three-and-three, if you want. How tired Jaune is isn't the only issue, after all."
Weiss nodded – adjusting the schedule had been her first thought as well, as Jaune hadn't been able to participate in Goodwitch's combat class at all since they went out into the Emerald Forest. One day of rest wasn't even enough for Jaune's Aura to recover to half from one of their training sessions. If Weiss could do one day of lighter training, and then the next day work Jaune to the bone, followed by a couple days worth of rest?
Maybe that would be better after all.
"We'll try it out, see how it goes. I'll have to tell Jaune though."
"Actually, why don't I let Jaune know after Oobleck's class?" Pyrrha suggested. "He's not the only one who needs rest, after all."
Weiss gave Pyrrha a smile, silently suppressing the urge to yawn.
"Thanks, but I can handle it. It'd be better if I was the one to tell him anyways."
"Okay then."
Weiss and Pyrrha continued their walk in relative silence, and the heiress had to admit it wasn't comfortable. The two got back to their dorms, Pyrrha telling Weiss to go on ahead – that there was something she needed to do before heading to class.
Weiss didn't bother asking the champion 'what' - If Pyrrha had something to do, she had something to do.
It was a rather short, albeit lonely walk to Oobleck's class for the heiress; Blake was wherever Blake tended to disappear to before class, Jaune had gone ahead, and Pyrrha had stayed behind.
'If today were the second training day, then we'd have the next two days off.'Weiss thought, planning out the new schedule. 'Maybe we should go for four days... there's Forever Fall, and then we should take the day after the trip off too.'
"Hey Weiss!"
The heiress turned her head. "Oh, hi Velvet." She greeted casually, knowing she'd have been seeing the faunus in class anyways.
The second-year student fell in stride with Weiss fluidly. "You looked rather deep in thought, something up?"
Weiss smiled politely, shaking her head. "Nothing too important, just thinking about Jaune's training."
"Ah, yes." Velvet nodded. "I heard Yatsu mention that."
'What?' "Sorry?"
"Yatsuhashi, my partner? He says he sees you guys in the training room every other morning when he's there lifting weights."
"Oh, right." Weiss had noticed the massive senior keeping to himself in the corner, but she'd never said hello – in fact, she'd been curious as to why he hadn't approached them himself. "What did he have to say?"
"He said something about being impressed that Jaune could keep up with your pace, but he was concerned that you're working him too hard." Weiss grimaced. Was she the only one who didn't notice?
"Yeah, that's what I was thinking about."
Velvet nodded, as if that was what she expected. "I'll tell you what, if you've got a minute or two after class, I can help you with the planning? With Yatsu as a partner, I kinda..." The girl rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "I kinda had physical fitness drilled into me from day one."
Weiss sighed. If she didn't notice anything wrong with Jaune, but others had. Maybe she did need a little help.
And if Velvet was more knowledgeable about training...
"He's not the only one who need's rest." Pyrrha's words echoed in her mind.
"Sure. Why not."
Pyrrha looked left. Then right. Then left again.
Oobleck's lectures were always... hard to follow – not intellectually, but physically. Pyrrha still wasn't sure if the lanky man was teaching them both history and training their reflexes, or if he always moved at that speed.
The champion figured it was the latter, but you really couldn't tell when it came to Beacon's staff. Just like the students, they all had their own quirks.
Pyrrha looked down at her notes, writing as fast as she possibly could in order to keep up with the lesson. The topic of discussion for today was – like the past couple days – the Faunus Rights Revolution. The redhead always loved learning new things, and her education at Sanctum had never covered the revolution in nearly as much detail as Oobleck had in the first fifteen minutes of class.
As with any class, however, there were students who weren't following the lesson at all. Pyrrha couldn't exactly look around and see how many, but she knew two off the top of her head.
There was Cardin Winchester, whose racism wasn't exactly well hidden - and in this case, the source of his disinterest.
And there was Jaune.
Pyrrha frowned, eyes roving over the back of her leader's blond head. She wasn't sure if it was a lack of interest on the boy's part with regards to the topic, or if he really was just that tired. She really hoped Weiss took her words to heart and adjusted her methods.
"Miss Nikos, is something the matter?"
Pyrrha almost jumped in her seat. When had Oobleck moved three rows up to stand on the stairs right next to where she had been sitting? "Sorry, Professor Oo-"
"Doctor."
"Sorry Dr. Oobleck." Pyrrha corrected. "It won't happen again."
The history professor looked down at her notes, nodded once, then resumed with his lecture, zipping back down to his desk and the map behind it. "Of course, time was a valuable asset for the Faunus as well – most of humankind was focused on subjugating the Faunus as soon as possible, so the longer the smaller resistance groups could hold out, the longer the Faunus had to generate a proper retaliatory offensive. These resistance groups sabotaged supply lines, destroyed factories, and in rare cases took military officials hostage in an attempt to delay humanity's progress. This of course, as I mentioned, occurs prior to the Faunus War itself. The revolutionaries adopted similar tactics to the resistance groups once the war began, and even to this very day, radical groups such as the White Fang continue to use these tactics; both because they are effective, and that they have history."
Pyrrha nodded to herself, writing all that down.
"Now! Who can tell me why the White Fang continue to use these tactics, despite the various countermeasures put into place to prevent said attacks?"
Blake, sitting next to Pyrrha, raised her hand.
"Yes, Miss Belladonna?"
"Because it's frustrating for whoever the White Fang is targeting."
"I'd have worded that better, but you are 'half' correct." Oobleck moved to the other side of the room. "Indeed, it's likely that the White Fang purposefully attack at where security is stronger simply because there's nothing more frustrating than being beaten when you think you have an advantage – much like General Lagune's defeat at Fort Castle, as we discussed last class."
The professor took a sip from his coffee – at least, Pyrrha assumed it was coffee. "Is there anyone who would like to add something to Miss Belladonna's answer."
"Hey!"
Pyrrha turned, just in time to see Jaune rubbing the back of his head, and a victorious smile on Cardin's face.
Oobleck joined them but a moment later, standing in front of Jaune's desk. "Ah, Mr. Arc. I know you don't contribute much to class, but next time please raise your hand instead of shouting out."
Jaune remained in his seat, staring awkwardly at the professor. "Right. Umm... So..."
"What would you like to add?"
Jaune 'smiled' uncertainly, looking behind the professor at the map of Remnant. Pyrrha was certain that if she was closer, she'd be able to see him sweating.
Pyrrha quickly checked her peripherals, before coughing once. It was up to Jaune whether he looked to her for support or not, but the champion frowned, pointing at her expression.
Jaune looked to her, realization dawning on his face. Pyrrha really hoped he'd understood it as-
"People would be... sad."
'No~'
While the answer wasn't necessarily wrong, it got a chorus of chuckles from the majority of the class – and a full bout of laughter from Cardin.
Oobleck sighed. "Well, like Miss Belladonna's answer, it's not wrong." Pyrrha was half expecting the man to lecture Jaune on the importance of paying attention in class again, but instead, the professor returned to the center of the room. "The White Fang's methods are not only intended to be frustrating, but also demoralizing." The professor stared pointedly at Jaune. "I believe that is the word you were looking for, Mr. Arc."
"Right."
"With that said," the professor returned his attention to the lesson at hand, "the White Fang onl-"
The bell signaling the end of classes rang, interrupting whatever Dr. Oobleck was about to say next. With only the speed an auctioneer could handle, the professor finished his sentence – though Pyrrha guaranteed no one understood a word he said.
While a majority of students made to leave immediately, there were a few who lingered: Weiss and Velvet remained seated, discussing something, and Jaune stretched at his desk. Pyrrha looked to Weiss, then back at Jaune.
If Weiss was helping Jaune with his fighting...
Pyrrha got up, walking down the steps towards Jaune's desk. Standing before him, she waited for him to notice her presence.
The blond finally noticed her. "Oh, hey Pyr. Thanks for the help."
"Yeah, sure," Pyrrha ignored the blond's thanks – more focused on her own question: She had to word it in a way that didn't sound offensive. "You know, with Weiss helping you with your training... I was wondering if you wanted to study together? After classes and such."
"You'd do that for me?" Jaune asked, surprised.
"Well, we're partners." There was the obvious reason – the reason she should have been helping him in the first place. "What would be the point if we didn't help each other out?"
The boy didn't even look like he took the time to think it over. "Of course; sounds good to me."
Pyrrha smiled.
Weiss looked down at the paper she held in her hands. Velvet indeed had a considerable amount of knowledge about anything and everything regarding one's physical fitness. The heiress would have preferred to have Jaune along for the planning, but she supposed the boy wouldn't have had much input anyways.
Deftly folding the paper into a square, Weiss regrettably began walking back to the dorms. The day was done, and she still needed to tell Jaune about the rescheduling.
...as well as ask him some questions of her own.
'How foolish of him... I've cautioned against overworking and the importance of resting how many times...'
All the times he'd smiled and said he was okay... he really wasn't. Obviously, with the training they'd done, he'd been tired and out of breath more times than she could count – but she'd kept putting the pressure on, because moments later he'd be 'fine'… when he really wasn't.
Heck, maybe he thought he was 'fine' too.
Weiss growled, walking faster. She wasn't just angry at Jaune – she was more angry at herself for not noticing, though the boy never saying anything about his condition certainly didn't help.
Nor did being unable to find him... Pyrrha had said that Jaune went out for a walk, but not where or why. The heiress had even checked the training room. Weiss wasn't exactly surprised that Jaune wasn't there, but after looking practically everywhere else, where she'd seen him most often had made the most sense.
'I guess I'll just have to let him know tomorrow...'
"Something on your mind, Weiss?"
"Nothing really, Jaune, just-" The girl whirled around, stomping a foot on the floor. "Where have you been?"
"Uhh... I went for a walk?"
The heiress glared at the blond, hoping that he understood that his answer wasn't exactly suitable.
"I had to call home." The boy held up his scroll. "Nora was fast asleep, so... Is something the matter?"
Weiss brought a hand to her face, sighing. "No, It's just I've been looking for you for a while."
"Oh."
"Yeah."
'He doesn't seem tired at all...'
The blond rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry?"
Weiss waved her hand dismissively. "No, it's quite alright. Here's our new schedule."
Jaune narrowed his eyes suspiciously, taking the offered paper. He unfolded it, reading it over. "You want us to meet up less?"
"It's not less." Weiss explained quickly. "It just gives us longer timeframes for rest."
"Why?"
"Because you're working too hard." Jaune opened his mouth to say something, but Weiss didn't give him a chance. "I've been working you too hard."
"I'm fine, Weiss I-"
"And you need to be more honest." Weiss snapped. "On two separate occasions today, I was told that you looked tired, or were acting tired... and I didn't notice- no... it's not that I didn't notice; it's that you were hiding that from me."
"I'm not strong enough yet."
Weiss scoffed. "You're plenty strong, Jaune."
Suddenly, Weiss had an epiphany. "And you know what?"
'He was too tired today... his Aura was low...'
"No training until we're back from Forever Fall. Understood?"
"Why are you telling me what to do?" Jaune's voice came out in a loud whisper. "I want to train; I want to be stronger."
"Jaune... That's what this wants." She jabbed her finger sharply – but softly – right over his heart. Then she poked him right in the forehead. "This too."
"Ow." The blond winced at the contact.
"But listen to what your body is saying. What is it trying to tell you?" Weiss asked, remembering the discussion her and Velvet had after history.
"I um..." Jaune looked to his feet for an answer. "I don't know?"
"Then Jaune, I have a different kind of training for you."
The boy seemed to perk up at that.
"No intense physical exercise for two days." It was the weekend, so it was the perfect time for it. "For the next two days, only do what you want, when you want to do it. Eat what you want, whenever you want; sleep however long you want, whenever you want."
Jaune stared at her blankly. "That doesn't sound like training."
"It is." Weiss started to walk away, in the general direction of the dorms. When Jaune didn't follow, the heiress looked over her shoulder. "No intense physical exercise. If I hear or see anything, I'll let Ruby use you for target practice."
Weiss continued walking with a frown on her face, ignoring whatever expression dawned on Jaune's. 'I definitely could have handled that better...'
The girl yawned.
'Oh well.'
I'm surprised I managed to squeeze so much content into so few words - or the opposite, depending on how you think about it.
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