The Waifu Collector

by Kohoi

Jaune Arc respects women, that's why he avoids both them and society. Yucky. However, when a spirit inside his head commands him to atomize the female gender, sanity forces obligation.

19. Jauneisms

"Hello darkness, my old friend." He croaked. "I've come to talk with you again..."

The night was long, and it's still ever going: from his place atop the bedsheets, Jebodiah Brine-no, Jaune Arc has found life an eloquent cesspool of sadness and failure. All on him, the skeleton man claiming to have once been brooding flesh being searching watching over him. Hands dug tightly onto those same bedsheets, skinful face puckered in unhappiness, much like his own. Even though they're different now, some things never change.

Well, until they do. Like Jaune, whose conflicted gaze watched him deteriorate more and more, the skeleton man's bone structure fractured and sadly warped under the strain of existence. Soul energy changed to meet a new mold cannot accept the old ways it hath once escaped from. It's the only way to evolve: destroy the ineffective past and carve yourself a progressive future, its controlled chaos, measured cock and ball torture to eventually elongate the good for proper enjoyment.

That's why Jaune Arc is dying. Why he cannot stay here to schmooze in the sadness for much longer, agonizing over the video games he could've been playing instead of sitting the sickness away, but never really removing it. Potential happiness locked down by his own poor health and...uh, diet? He's not even a person, so what the hell can he say about food consumption?

D'Arc frowned at him, neck bulging in stress. Clothing all but gone, except for that damn pair of black boxers. Man bulge gloriously apparent for all of a skeletal audience to illy gawk at it. The flesh man's fleshy lover comfortably asleep on her bed, recently made lonesome, as she was cuddling the man several minutes prior. Before Jaune decided to take note of himself, and watch the failure deteriorate away.

Flesh met bone, Jaune Arc saw his boney hand encapsulated fully in D'Arc's grip. Pinpricks dilated at the contact, and in his breaking skeletal soul, he felt the solemn words that followed more so then heard them. "You're dying, Jebodiah. I've done something to aggravate the pain."

That's true, Jaune knew. He's always been a simple guy, trying to make due with the life he's been given, yet in the world around him-where the competent succeed, deserving or otherwise-didn't appreciate his lack of care. It's why he improved and manifested himself to himself. Becoming skeletal, a pudgy monstrosity to encourage development and harem acquirement.

It worked, and continues to work, until it stops sometime never. Harem powers wouldn't fuckoff until the story ended, or would've stopped with the show's production. Anime was gay like that, he'd know most of all, as a consumer of all things abstractly Valenized Mistrialian. Anime fueled his media addiction, so too the vidja games he fucked around with until coming to Beacon. Which he got back into after a short while, thanks to Pyrrha's sudden bullshittery money bag familial connections, or just her fame in said Mistral land he's culturally knowing about.

If he'd consider anime worthwhile culture, or related to Mistral in any meaningful way. But that's not that fucking point.

Point is, Jebodiah Brine, the true Jaune Arc-and boy whose life was utterly mediocre-has found himself in an interesting predicament: death, and the hard knocks fact of him creating a masculine motherfucker outta his own shitty self-deception.

Harem powers made manifest onto him, Jaune, Ozpin, society, and the faces of Science teachers apparently. Creamy goodness splashing the world with glorious dominance and sperm cells. Multiple. Times. He remembered.

This was fine.

...Okay no it wasn't, fuck, he's dying, and for all the panic at ending life so young, Jaune couldn't do shit but blearily look at the improved replica of himself through the pudgy inefficient skeletal eyes glued onto his remaining soul structure.

D'Arc couldn't understand him anymore, though he never really did, the disconnection they've conjured from demeshing has fucked up any semblance of connectivity once cherished, even though he promised to not be a dick and kinda cooperate. Twas all pointless, all going down the drain, down past Professor Peach's fleshy cocksucker lips and into her stomach acids.

Yeah, D'Arc told him about that. Never has he nutted so hard in an older woman, those lips sucked lifeblood better than the psychic vampires running Mantle politics. Faunus shills, the lot of them.

Jaune Arc looked at his continuation, and frowned. Coughing up extra splints of soul guts. Miserable, yet all the more incentive to speak facts and logic.

"Hey, Jaune?"

For conversations sake, he'll call the flesh phoney that, so they'd maybe still cooperate in these last moments. One last time, before the universe forces Jaune Arc to commit metaphysical neck rope and join the other concepts in The Heavens. Hopefully, Monty only knows what's out there, if there is even a Monty to know.

Nothing has made sense for him, and the only thing that did-becoming a harem boy, winning life-has been taken from him by himself. An inner enemy indeed.

D'Arc raised a brow. "Yeah man?"

He felt himself shudder out a lung less breath, dilated pinpricks meeting eyes that were once his. "You know me, right?"

...

...

...

A cough. D'Arc sighed. "I don't think I do anymore. You gave me a gauntlet, and now I'm sitting here looking at weird speck stuff become whatever the hell you once were."

"How's that make you feel?"

"Tired. Confused." D'Arc licked his lips, scratching at a stubbly jawline. "Pyrrha's grabbing at the place I just was, and I'm gonna clump everyone together tomorrow so I can get some council while on my hang out session with Velvet."

"Left unsaid the obvious likelihood of dating her."

"Yes, but that's not effective now, isn't it?"

"I don't fucking know, Jaune." He wheezed, slinking his boney digits across his shirted ribs. "Tell me all about your life as is, because I don't see what you see anymore. How's Velvet? What'll the others think about the date?"

Thoughtful pause, blue eyes glossed over. "Well, the girls I'm with now wouldn't mind, and would most likely welcome the bunny waifu with open arms. The others? Doesn't really matter, besides the boys, who don't mind either."

"So, you just want them to console you?"

"Yeah."

"Are you un-confident?"

"No, quite the opposite-"

"So what?" Jaune stressed. "Have you only got people around to invigorate your ego?"

D'Arc deadpanned, and Jaune winced. "It's a simple thing called having friends, buckaroo. You tend to use them for your benefit-and there's-whenever you can." He leaned forward, broodingly. "Haven't we gone over this? Aren't you and I with similar visions...?"

Jaune breathed. In and out. "...Look, have...have you noticed the trends going on here? Besides my-" he hacked, white blob material coming out his bucked teeth. "My fuggin impending demise, you're harnessing something Jaune Arc wouldn't be able to."

"That's a good thing-"

He held a bony digit up, glaringly. "Let me fucking finish, cunt." D'Arc groaned, but remained complaint. "You have become the thing I pretended I wanted you to be, and though we've had this conversation recently, it is apparent to me that you need one more reality check. Something that'll make me not hate the continuation of what I once was."

"...Wait, hold on." A frown. "What you just said, 'I once was', you're telling me that you actually-"

Jaune wheezed, feeling primly bitter at having to bicker with himself, fucks sake. "My name is Jaune Arc, it's short, sweet, rolls off the tongue, ladies love it."

Quickly, the bitterness replaced itself with insecurity only a spineless ghost of incapable past could conjure. "Only, I don't know if that's the case, because I don't know shit about shit. I'm seventeen years old and I smuggled my way into Beacon, and cling onto a dying trope of knighthood for the sake of irrelevant identity."

His audience wasn't pleased with this turn of events, but Jaune didn't care, he's dying, the specks were already reaching towards the ceiling. "I developed an average teenage inferiority complex from it, and use anything I can to cope with my own incompetence."

"All around me, feminine forms and faces are capable-even sometimes masculine-in paramounts I've comparably never been. I'm a failure, and could only improve by submitting myself fully to these colorful idols born into success around me. All agency I have is from how likely I'm to cooperate with others, as the sole odd man out, without purpose or unique identity."

"Which I changed," D'Arc noted. "So what's your point?"

"My point is that I wanted to be successful in a way that compliments that lack of agency, because that's the truth of my soul: the only reason anyone cares about me, Jaune Arc, is because of what they can do with me."

More specks, they stuck through the ceiling. "I'm a template of pretty boy loser that the intresting sexy ones can fuck around with." Jaune coughed, the white soul guts sputtering out his jaw like blood. "No one cares about me, I'm a trope swept under the rug for creative people to warp to their will. My tears are weaponized and my balls are diluted."

Fuck, his time was coming, like a hoarde did the specks start to clump. Ready to take his place in the dusts of man from whence they all came. Jaune Arc didn't wanna die, he really didn't wanna die, and even now, his continuum didn't like that either, gasping in horror at the incredibly absent light. The past was dying in little painful increments, slowly but surely. Neither could do anything, and neither will.

Besides talk, that is. And Jaune sure hoped to do that. "That's why I wanted a Harem, dude. So I'd be relevant to the world and those around me, a template for interesting entertainment and liveliness. If women wanted me, then who cares if I have a personality or not? Who cares if I'm just a fool with an inability to cope with the world, I'd get laid and have the competent superhookers do everything for me. I'd have an empty cock and mindless stimuli clouding the brain-"

"But there's gotta be more than that!" D'Arc hissed, face grave, Jaune's last specks sparking up in those ocean eyes. The room was mumbling awake now, he could hear the confused groans. "Life isn't soley about sex and power, right?! I know my worth as a person isn't in the amount of women I fuck, or the lack of them I do. I know that now, and I think you do too!"

Jaune Arc looked at himself, feeling his torso crumble to The Heavens, so that It'd await the final end of them all, from ashes to dust, dust from ashes.

He smiled. "You've escaped the ranch, bub. I can't answer your prayers anymore, it's time you confronted malevolence on your own some, yeah? Games and girls and consumption could wait, you've got promises to fulfill for the both of us, and I'm afraid that's highly exclusive to you and you alone."

D'Arc didn't understand, he gazed and gaped, ignoring the sleepily concerned Pyrrha making her rounds to him, Ren and Nora staring at the glowing speckle from behind. "You're me! Or was, but couldn't we connect again? Just go back to my head, won't you be safe-"

"No, I will not, it's the reason I'm dying in the first place." Jaune Arc, Jebodiah Brine, the original Lord of the Waifu Gauntlet, gave one more skeletal grin to his host, his manifestor. "It's okay though, I'm not needed, I guess...video game proficiency isn't helpful for success with women-"

"There's more than that! I'm telling you!" Pyrrha was mumbling concernedly in the man's ear, holding on for loving life. "You know this, that's why you lied to me!"

He couldn't say yes or no to that, so Jaune gave the biggest grin he could, and muttered for an exit he's had for a long time coming. The Heavens demanding their archetype once again.

"Go build your boat business, Jaune. Go make as many lovers as possible, take over the memes of production and nationalizes the fucking process. I on the other hand?" He wheezed, finding his midsection nearly specked and deteriorated. "I'm out."

The man tried to grab for his remaining bones, but Pyrrha-and Ren, who pulled his leader back knowingly-claimed her lover's lips, muffling the protests.

He's boutta head out now, yet not before one more funny. One more Epic Gamer Moment. One more thing to ahaha about.

With diluted pinpricks and broken grin fading into the nothingness above, Jaune Arc spoke.

"You've popped plenty, bub. I'll see you on the other side."

"Where?!" Said D'Arc, bewildered and almost teary. "What fucking SIDE-"

Wasn't worth it, though, because Jaune Arc left Remnant then. Skeleton eyelids closed and speckles raises to greatness.

/-/

Ruby's had a great day today.

Classes weren't much of a slog thanks to constant friendship moments. Assignments were done usually by the time the block ended, also thanks to Weiss and the rest for helping her slog through annoyingly in-depth Grimm biology questions, as that required an actual given shit-fuck about why Nevermore beasts bare several layers of birdy feather coating.

Obviously, non-murder related Grimm information wasn't interesting to her. Neither should it be for any self-respecting huntress hopeful the next forever over. If there's anything worth covering in regards to Grimm anatomy stuff, then It'd be best done in the goddamn field like normal people do to kill evil bad things. Jaune said as much himself, and he's basically never wrong!

Especially fashion, like the Cowgirl hat she's still got! The studded bits over a black finish really completed the image of sexy loli magic she'd love to convey all the time. To Jaune, that is, as she's a loyal girl! Like Pyrrha!

That's another wonderful thought all on its own: the past few days, Pyrrha has done an amazingly dope one eighty to all the stuff she once did to rag on her. Weiss wasn't the only one to help, The Invincible Girl has a surprisingly kind heart when you're piping the same plumber! History classes were a breeze, chemistry a fair struggle, combat class an enjoyable hell. Well, only when her waifu buddy was beating her, which didn't happen much.

But she's happy anyways! Especially since Jaune called her over, asking about potential dating advice useful for socialin' Velvet up with. The virtual roomy invitation-at sleepy time hours, but fortunately Ruby wasn't all pajama'd up yet-alone got her healthily hyped, as that'd mean more supportive sisterhood, and not negative teammate enforcement. If they had any spine, Ruby would duel them personally one at a time, especially her sister! Wiess too, even if their Whiterose friendship powers might Cripple themselves during the conflict.

But no, they've personified the harem-less harem she wanted to share with everyone. Still suspicious of her when she wanders the halls at ten o'clock at night on a whim. Such feminine lazy-heads who cautiously eyeball great men like a particularly scary wolf-dog. Ruby just wanted positivity in commonality, y'know?

Ruby does! Jaune'll give this numbing super comfort, for both her and Pyrrha too!

Velvet most certainly included! She's an awesome mommy gf, Jaune would like her. Ruby does, remembering the several times she got to acquire comforts from the fluffy Bun-Bun, the soothing non-silence of ancient Faunus revolution patriotism making Ruby feel good funny-things. Which, hehehe, was compounded by Jaune when-

Ruby paused, then sighed. Slumping against the hallway wall for a moment.

She can't be so silly all the time, that's for sure. Would Jaune take her seriously if he knew the lewdly ditzy way she internally babbled about stuff?

On the comfy Jauney hand, he did call her his Pretty Cowgirl, so there's immature hope! There's a reason until now-that night after he became Deputy Headmaster-she's been his loli girl, a certain level of stupid-ness has always been apart of her. Here's to hoping that excuses any lack of Rubiline maturity.

Oof, she's seeing the sins now: the hugs, pajamas, squishy bits against manly bits, hair care, cuddly time under the sheets, the declarations of love, the fact she- barely remembered, it was intense-also unironically called her boyfriend daddy while losing her virginity to him was very embarrassing.

Vanity overtook her, so she attempted to self-hug herself those memories away. Yet deep below the cookie laden surface, Ruby knew the truth tutting beneath. She as that truth, since most notable moments of Beacon Academy consisted of her getting lovingly manhandled by her future hubby to be. Maturity is required to equally satisfy one's partner in a healthy relationship, Ruby doesn't have that.

At least, that's what she thinks. Though Jaune always says she's womanly to a T, loli doubts cut away rationality and fill her head with feelings. Loyalty at the top of it, all for jaune. All for loving her lover to a loving ever after.

Ruby sighed, pushing off the wall, thunking her Cowgirl hat down atop her scalp, covering tightly squinted silver eyes from the afternoon sun's lazy rays. Class ended several hours ago, her teammates took the weekday to do some notes and socialize. Mostly the latter, thanks to Yangmentization. Weiss didn't mind the blatant stalling of progress, though, because even she knew their current work was absolutely baloney. Unchallenging and hella simple. Well, for her, as Miss Queen Bee without the bees, or decent temperatures-

Anyways! Ruby patted her pudgy cheeks, breathing that Arcborne confidence onto herself, then she hopped that relative foot leap towards the opposite hallway end. Their room's thankful closeness helped her help herself, with personal conviction to stop mentally berating herself.

Ruby Rose needed to woman-man up! Be a pillar of support that Jaune could rely on just like any other big tiddie waifu in proximity!

Sure, she doesn't have big tiddies like her sister, or long hair that could be hella grabbable during sexy times, but Ruby was still a treasured loli! She'll use Jaune's secret fetishization of her disadvantaged body to her advantage, and become the greatest wifey woman Beacon's polygamic world has ever seen! And besides her inner turmoil, didn't her actual daddy have multiple wives? Y'know, entire teaming it? Doubly besides Qrow? Actually, maybe her daddy did-

...Eh, she winced.

Second thought, maybe she should stop conflating her bulky boyfriend and father. That just puts some very not okay imagery in her head, which kinda scares her. Not even the idea of sexy daddy Jaune, just-

Nope! No more sexy time thoughts! Jaune needed dating advice! All else was irrelevant, including the notion of not ignoring the glaring realization Ruby had not a single hint as to how dating should work, or why Jaune exclusively called her over for advice on it. He's confusing like that, but maybe this slip up was due to Velvet becoming another harem girl...?

Either way, Ruby would aid her beloved, and stop rambling to herself, very unwomanly! Or hell, unlady like! That's much better sounding, she'll be using that now.

Quietly she bounded across the hallway, lumping against the door. Firstly with squishy loli body, secondly by said flesh person's boney knuckles.

Three knocks. It didn't take long to open, revealing a neutrally-as usual-observant ninja boy in casual relaxation attire. Something very Mistral looking, but robed, Ruby had not a fuckin' clue. The only reason she recognized fine silky kimono bullshit is because Blake wore it constantly. This stuff looked less stuffy though, so that's good.

Ruby beamed, peeking in a bit, seeing Nora happily chilling out atop Ren's sheets. "Hey guys! Is Jaune here?"

"Mhm, he's right there." Ren pointed his thumb back, allowing her small stature to slink in past him, curiosity abundant.

Jaune was there, shirtless-haha yes, wait, haha no!-and somewhat clothed on the waist down. Pyrrha was upon him much like in Oobleck's class. Patting around for things and abnormalities that would've hopefully never harmed their lover, but still concerns worth attention. Ruby knew that feeling too, so she could only continue beaming at the touchy pair.

It took a moment, but Jaune noticed her, so too Pyrrha. "Hey, Rubes-" he flinched, as Pyrrha slapped his chest, muttering some incomprehensible gobbledygook into his peck, and…is that measuring tape? "We're, uh...just confirming some measurements. Coco wasn't available right now and Pyrrha wanted to check things for herself."

The woman hummed, distractedly rubbing around and wrapping the tape across biceps to waistlines. "He's not telling you about all the forgotten measurements." Once again, Jaune winced at the casual matternal dismissal. "Coco did them no less than a week ago, yet you'll find him incapable of the tiniest glance of remembrance. If I was a conspiratorial woman, I'd wonder where the distraction came from?"

Ruby liked the speaky-time, especially when the maternal tone came her way. She hopped on Juane's Bed Sheets, a soft giggle out her yapper. "Probably cuz of Bun-Bun." MIght be right too, she saw her boyfriend's eyes widen at the accurate judgery. "She's really comfy, and lyrically spiritual." She popped her lips. "Or was it spiritually lyrical?"

How does one define spiritual? Ruby couldn't say, only some barely understood snippets of mangled scripture came to mind. But the funny-looking frown on Jaune's face? She'd consider the uplifting feeling of feel-good emotions, in light of her boyfriend's semi-suffering, something pretty spiritual.

Jaune made to snipe back, but Pyrrha smacked his chest again, tutting disappointedly. "Ah-Ah. You can bully the cookie loli after I finish this up." He listened to that, and-though staring at the Rubes staring back-let himself relax under the women's manipulations.

Ruby grinned, orneriness flooding in, and flooding out to her face. Quietly, as Pyrrha busied herself with another bicep, while Ren and Nora casually lounged together, Ruby blew a raspberry. Silent, but deadly. Jaune saw, and he blew his own.

A couple minutes passed, and Pyrrha deftly let the Arc go, mulling over the measurements like an actual doting mother. Ruby guaranteed that whenever they become full-fledged adults with non-fledged immature children, their Invincible Girl would be the ultimate warrior turned homemaker. It made her kinda jealous, as Ruby still valued the idea of being that badass sugar cookie momma, but she'll have it taken with a side of sea salt.

Ruby'll get there, she's only two years behind, motherly instincts can always be cultivated! Just like her maturity, she'll find a way to be good! For her lover's sake, at least. "Pyrrha even enables you, eh?" Her cowgirl hat went up, and her jawline poured like an old Valen cartoon baddie she was forced by Yang to watch. "I get no piece in these parts of town, I tell you what-"

Accurately, far too much for Ruby's immediate comfort, Jaune grew intensely cheeky looking, grinning like tat. Next, the sudden weight of another being-a huge one, stone cold stiff-collapsing onto the sheets besides, her utterly devastated the immediate chillaxed-ness she felt. A squeaky squeal blurped out her mouth to prove it, not that Jaune would need to see it to know her spooked levels.

He cackled, draping an arm around her tummy, arms flexing veiny...ehehehe, veins. She calmed down instantly, content to laze about with her bulky weirdo without a shirt. Hopefully without pants sometimes soon, or-

She blushed, nervously clutching the arm close. "Eh? Jaune?"

Jaune stopped the funny face, mostly, looking more tenderized than anything. "Hey, sorry to call you over so late. I'd have originally had everyone just fart around. But uhm…" he patted the bed, heavily. "I'm a little...uncertain right now."

That makes two, Ruby noted. She snaked the hefty arm away, draping it across the bed sheets the stop over. Instead she took a closer look, running her hands along his jawline. Squinting hard, pushing away the stray guilt of not seeing abnormal stuff sooner.

Eyes. It's the way his didn't sparkle like usual, the fire within looked conflicted. Not overtly destructive of everything her lover ever stood for, Ruby doubly-and happily-noted. The earnest smile spoke it all, thus Ruby had to begin the revitalization process, a cure to unhappiness.

She planted her puffy lips onto his, then pulled back. Runny once grabby hands onto grizzly foundations for facial hair, almost equally unhinged as his super long blonde locks. "You look tired, and sad. Did something happen when I was gone? You guys can tell me…"

As the helpful subordinate Ren was, he spoke up from Nora's cuddle hold on him, factual timber sorta somber. "Have you heard of his gauntlet?"

Jaune frowned, yet didn't answer. Ruby brushed some more chin fuzz down. "Yeah, the one with the gems and stuff on them? That had something to do with women?" The men in the room started, she blinked, scratching her cheek. "Eh...that's all I really remember, harem hijinks and the like. Nothing I'm too worried about-"

Pyrrha finished muddling over things, putting the tape measure down and putter herself onto the bed sheets too. Properly regal, though, on Jaune's other side, perfectly transitioning into further dotting half-mindedly. "You shouldn't be, but Ruby?"

She stopped petting Jaune, staring curiously at the redhead glancing at her, while their manly charge simply gave up and leaned back, ocean eyes lost to the world, sans the ceiling. "Pyrrha?"

Expertly swift hands raked blonde locks in intervals, five digits hooked into the golden sea of hair strands without pause or hesitation. Pyrrha was worryingly good with her hands. "The gauntlet has a rather silly name, do you remember it?"

Jaune didn't say anything, not even bothering to open his eyes now, frowning himself to an unconsciously unhappy stupor. Ruby sighed. "It's got something to do, eh, women-"

"Correct, it's called 'The Waifu Gauntlet' according to an...apparition Jaune has conjured once before." Jaune rustled down below, hands fidgeting behind his head. Ruby reached a comforting hand across his midsection, and silently rejoiced when Pyrrha didn't comment on it. "You won't mind me being graphic?"

"Nope."

"Good: it's a armorment meant to exacerbate Jaune's masculinity and make him competent. By way of members of the feminine sex consuming sperm in some capacity."

She said all that with the most heterosexually straight face known to man, Ruby gaped, and nearly choked when Jaune didn't even deny anything. Simply frowning to himself under the tenderly pyrrhic tough assaughing the worries within. "So w-wait, every time he's…"

Pyrrha nodded.

"That did something to-...Eh…?"

She saw Ruby's bamboozlement, and put her non Arc touching hand up. "It gives him the woman's semblance, which is why you saw him throwing chairs at Ozpin during the schoolwide conflict. He has my semblance, and assumedly yours too."

"...Huh..." Jaune nearly looked unconscious, breathing getting wheezing oh heavy, yet despite the good coaxing, he frowned non the less. "So if he, y'know, gets Velvet involved-"

"Then he'd get her semblance too, yes." Pyrrha hummed, eyes distantly fondling their boyfriend's bod. "Isn't it lovely?"

Ruby bit her lip. "Seems too good to be true."

"The power?"

"Yeah...where'd that stuff come from?"

Nora chimed in, cheerfully relaxed. "The universe! Monty!"

"Directly? I'm partially doubtful." Pyrrha shrugged. "I'm not sure about you girls, but our lord and savior wouldn't make a prophet out of Jaune by process of women subjugation. At least not on this scale, or method…" The breathing evened out fully now, sleepy Jaune perfectly satiated. "I say it's a manifestation of himself, which the spirit said as much. His Aura was always wonderful, why not his semblance…?"

Ruby perked up, sinking into the bed slightly, and subsequently Jaune's rising midsection. Left unsaid she purposefully didn't remove herself afterwords. "Wait, I remember some stuff now! When we were sitting out in the hallway, Jaune and I eventually brought up his gauntlet thingy!"

"Oh, what did he say?"

"Ehhhmm…" she knocked her noggin. "I think it was about you actually…?"

Pyrrha blinked.

"Yeah, it was right before Forever Falls." The clarity was coming in now. "He was nervous, and somehow our rambling became talk on sex gauntlets. Also, the weird voice in his head that butted into our happy protein bar'd discussion near the end." Ruby nodded to the ninja boy several beds over. "Thanks for those by the way. You a real one."

Ren shrugged, but a wan smile said it all. Nora liked it too, gently 'oooh'ing at the chill broery. That's what Jaune would call it, right?

"...Ah," Pyrrha stopped fondling Jaune then, placing her measured hands into a thigh- full lap. "Well, I hope I'm not nearly as antagonist anymore, Ruby." She smiled, it was warm. "If anyone in this world deserves my unstable scorn, it's not you. My...personal tendencies to tribalize were enacted when Jaune finally found himself in my grasp, you see."

"No probs, P-money." Ruby flicked some stray locks back, brows furrowed. "Still kinda spooky that you're so fucked up, but I can roll with it."

The entire room stared. "Eh? What?!"

Nora giggled, Pyrrha frowned, Ren-once again, best friendo of them all-shrugged and spoke up. "You never really seemed to be the cursing type, it's different."

Ruby nodded, grinning familiarly wide. "Yeah, well...I learned a whole lot from Jaune, he's the best." She looked over to Pyrrha. "Anyways, what's the point of mentioning all this gauntlet mumbo jumbo?"

A moment of silence went by, as the redhead's weirdly vivid eyes practically scanned Ruby's entire existence. It's like motherhood was genetically installed into her by day one of puberty. "...Hmm, fair enough." Pyrrha adjusted her hands. "You see, Ruby…"

Pyrrha gestured to the bedsheets, straight faced. "The spirit became real after Jaune came inside you."

…

…

Blush. Madly blushing, uncomfortably uncontrollable blushing. "Eh?!-"

Pyrrha continued. "Yes, I know, the skeleton spirit told me so." The older girl's nonchalant hand waving nearly gave her a sputter rant. "Apparently, Jaune's relationship success has just recently steadily killed the spirit inside him who also created the gauntlet in the first place. Now, we can conclude, besides you being a good girl for our Headmaster-"

She squeaked, and muffled a louder one after Nora began laughing in the distance.

"That Jaune has been receiving personal council from this creature since the start. The day he was caught smoking marijuana by the institution and became unfairly prosecuted."

"So before then…" Ruby was confused in ways literally unfused. "He was just a regular guy with his Aura unlocked? Forever Falls, y'know...I remember him saying he wasn't at Beacon on merit." Pyrrha's eyes widened. "B-But, don't get me wrong, guys...I'm just wondering if this gauntlet stuff changed Jaune directly."

"Oh, there's no doubt about it." Pyrrha nodded. "The question is...the spirit, which quite literally disappeared exactly where you're laying." Ruby squeaked again, rolling over, and happily into Jaune's sleepy side. Cuddling his chest for comfort. "Did the death of the semblance's original perpetrator affect Jaune on more then surface level? An actual soulfully bound situation of unwellness, problematic in-"

"Like soul-aids?"

…

…

"I'm sorry," Pyrrha blinked, then showed an ear. "Can you please repeat that one for me, Ruby?"

"...Eh…" she flinched, seeing the room once again eyeing her curiously. "Not like actual sexually transmittable diseases. More inner turmoil that hurts the soul, that can't be fixed unless something the soul does fixes it…?"

Okay, so Ruby might've fucked up. At least her lover wasn't awake to hear her claim his soul had an equivalence to herpes floating about somewhere. Did souls even have shapes? Are souls even real? Is Aura even soul?

A pause. "No?-"

"No, Ruby." Pyrrha shook her head, rubbing a wrinkled forehead over. "If Jaune's soul had sexually transmitted illness, we would both be feeling it by now. Our class performances say otherwise, too."

Greatly appreciated was the fact that Nora and Ren remained quiet then, Ruby would've died from combined embarrassment otherwise. "So...I guess to stop digging myself into a sex-related hole-"

"Mmhmm."

"I'll, ehm…" she scratched the back of her scalp. "I'll ask what I'm supposed to be doing here now. Is that fine?"

Pyrrha thought hard on that, several dozen seconds, before she meet Ruby's gaze with complete seriousness. "Jaune was very distraught at the skeleton creature dying, and wanted to invite you over to converse before you head off to bed, pertaining to the whole dating debacle." She sighed. "I humored the haste, as Ren and Nora were equally concerned. Then that affectionate care became curiosity, after Jaune began pacing around in those black underpants worriedly, hoping to try and remember the measurements on his clothing."

"Underpants?" Ruby looked over, calmed down a fair bit. Playing with the sports shorts Jaune wore to cover the pleasant bulge underneath. "What's with the shorts then?"

"He growled to himself, raided his side table, pulled out those shorts, and asked me if it'd help give measurement ideas."

Ruby flinched, hissing her spit in. "Jeez, is he okay?-"

"The entire point, Ruby." Pyrrha face palmed, while she tried to collect the remaining dignity in her supple body. Her roaster stopped physically dealing with the mental illness a couple seconds later. "It's something I'm concerned about tomorrow, or the next days, or for Velvet. So let's make an Arc promise and send you back to your team, yes?"

"What, eh, kind?"

Pyrrha leaned in, draping over Jaune's other bare chested side, emerald orbs piercing pure smoldering momma bear magic into Ruby's dopey silvers. A hand was given. "For the sake of our lover, let's be incredibly supportive of him and the things he values. Together, despite our failings, or improper usage of sexual disease."

She looked at the hand, finding no immediate abnormalities or toxic substances. Not that Ruby suspected Pyrrha to be so cruel-okay, wait actually nevermind, it's entirely possible.

But! Ruby didn't suspect Pyrrha would kill her yet! So she took that hand without fanfare. "Deal! No more of that!"

Pyrrha smiled, and Ruby liked it, and also the budding warmth Jaune had as they toppled on top of him.

/-/

Lunch was great. He always liked lunch.

Chicken nuggies were always a welcome reprieve from the convenient stressors plaguing the Deputy Headmaster, including the often bothersome attention the school still gave him. Twice now he had to see Yang grumble-growl an eager selfie desiree away from their table-

Oh, like now. A sophomore guy was squaring on up, grinning semi big.

"Hey!" He said, trying to lean himself onto the table, over Yang, and Blake. Neither looking all too pleased with the unregistered touch. "I'm wondering if you'd take a pic with me, sir."

Amused, Jaune forked another nuggie. Pyrrha's old nuggie, to be exact, as she practically dumped her extras onto his plate a couple minutes ago. Speaking of her, she's currently frowning at the additional intruder, only somewhat less annoyed then the bumble bee trio.

Figuring it's best to be civil, Jaune looked around, finding most-sans a clueless Ruby, a happy Nora, and patient Ren-unwillingly to accommodate the social intruder. Despite that, he humored it. "Tell me something interesting first, then I'll bite."

The sophomore paused, not registering the budding fury in Yang's eyes, then spoke. "I can do forkknife dances very well-"

Nearly enraged now, Yang slammed her hands down, pumping up her chicken nuggies and glaring at the blasphemer decidedly cross. "I can too, motherfucker! Now go fuck yourself and not my goddamn lunch table!"

Hisses and squawks from barely human or Faunus flesh people, all centered to the poor dude's way. Seeing the poor odds, the sophomore guy gave Jaune a nervous look. "S-sir?"

Jaune shrugged. "I'll find you later, man. Go before they eat you."

"Right!" The guy said, then promptly fucked off, much to the jubilation of a table majority. Collectively, grumbles of satisfaction went around, the natural order quickly returned to its consistent prominence. Interruptions never 'av been so unwelcome, yikes.

Sighing, Jaune decided to ignore the hardly controlled unstableness of his friend's mental states, and chow down on some more nuggers to physically chuck away the daily stresses.

The Brine's death still bothered him, he didn't know why. Or, he had a vague idea about why he's upset an aspect once merged completely with him-originating from him-wasn't going to exist in the future, ever. But admitting it felt like incredible self-sabotage. Literally.

He's alone, now. No more skele man telling him to respect women, the boney finger of reluctant truth whispering progressive facts and logic inside his earlobe. Nothing to oooga booga the pain into a symphony of silence and eventually continuation of waifu collection.

Its morbid, very morbid. If he sat down long enough thinking about it, Jaune would find himself slowly drifting off into a negative mindset of pain and suffering. Slowly, moderately annoying not-feel good things, nothing unbearable but…

Fuck, he's big baby. Jaune puffed his cheeks out, forking that next bite of nuggers into a waiting-

A gremlin who just so happened to look human enough to not report to proper authorities, aka Miss Ruby Rose, was sneaking her grubby hands towards his nugger plate. Malnourished digits feenin for some breaded goodness without consent. Nobody saw this, not even Weiss, who was busy with yapping an equally distracted Yangermanagedment about disrespectful fuckbois.

"Hey!" He half-heartedly grumbled, but it was too late, Ruby hinged her greedy paws onto a lonesome nuggeroni, shoving it past her chubby cheeks like the yucky cowgirl squirrel she was. He hoped her hat got nugget crumbs on it, goddamn brat. "That's my nourishment-"

Shes chewing in it, beady silver orbs never leaving his own. Oddly, the intenseness of her ornery chewing didn't bother him per say, it gave him a feeling of challange. Every crummy munch and lack of eye blinking was just-

Yeah, fuck it, he moved. Only an inch, as though Jaune wanted to hope directly onto her and begin the pain-bringing. But he didn't, only lurching his upper body forward an inch.

It worked, she squeaked, then pouted.

"Wrode!" She whined, hardly understandable with a mouth full of his tired goodness.

He leaned over a bit more now, ignoring the curious gazes from the rest of the table. "Square up. You won't."

She wouldn't, that's why she choked on his nuggies, perfectly unable to stop his continued assault. With powerfully quick hands, Jaune stole some crusty goodness from her tray, and a stray piece of green beans too, for what it's worth. He shoved that shit in his mouth without haste.

Ruby watched in horror, residual nuggets making her desperate display-of leaning on him and periodically groaning in despair-all the more pathetic. "Muuuuannnnne!"

He chewed that shit nice and slow, letting her see the nuggets squelching up his mouth's tiny cracks in between teeth. All that gooey stuff he'd honestly gurl at if he saw it long enough, Ruby held firm though. She merely hacked a bit, hunched over and groaning to herself about yucky-ness

Weiss noticed, and interestingly enough, was amused. Raising a brow and cutting up some more nugget pieces. "You know, I really should have suspected this."

Yang-who took a moment to recuperate with the fact Weiss so nonchalantly switched conversation from shitty men to Ruby whining in the misery of lost nuggers-gave the heiress a firm look. "Ruby has always been a food hog, since the foreskin day." Yang did a double take. "Hey, speaking of the the past…"

While Jaune puffed his closed mouth out tight, smugness a blanket Ruby couldn't take join in, Yang glanced over to Blake, who tired her best to mind her own business.

"Hey, kitty-cat?"

Said cat Faunus looked over tiredly, barely touching her chicken nuggies. A shame, Jaune would food challenge the shit out of them, even with Ruby beating on his chest like she's doing. Wait…

Yang grinned. "I'm not gonna vibe check you, don't worry. But remember the time at breakfast where those Jaune ate shit tons of consumption item?"

"...Is that even a word…?-"

"It is now!" Yang cheered, looking a lot more lively than before, as if Jaune's institutional empowerment didn't give her anxiety. The girl wrapped an arm around her partner, who simply whined a sad groan. "Or a thing, you decide."

Ruby herself came to a decision, stopping her quiet crybaby antics whilst the Jaune and Pyrrha's collective disapproval remained. Mostly Pyrrha's, as she's the momma of the harem. Speaking of harem…

Jaune spoke up, then burped-to Nora's thunderous excitement down the land-out the demons in his stomach. The table had their eyes on him now, at least. So instead of using the potentially embarrassing moment to express his thoughts and feelings like a baby-man, he curbed any remaining enthusiasm inside him post-Jebediah and

expressed earnestness. And nothing but,

"Hey, I've not mentioned it before," Jaune beat his chest, extra foodstuffs and nuggers having a fun time going down. "But I'm going on a date with Velvet soon, and I'd like y'all to know in the meantime before she and I...uh…" he glanced at Ruby, who still clung to him from her chair. He pushed her off by the hatted forehead, ignoring the unhappy loli sounds that followed. "Become close, among other things. Where's she at right now?"

Yang, looking moderately unpleased with the reminder that yes, Ruby was spending her time on the other side of the table, huffed. Flicking her hair back properly sassy-like, still showing somewhat reluctance to completely accept their foreskin lord's antics.

Oh, fuck. Jebodiah would've said something funny there. Maybe about seduction or respecting women? Something worthwhile, and oddly comforting, in a weirdly 'wow, thanks inner skele man' type of way. A cold hearted anvil shot itself all the way to his stomach's bottom, even whilst in good company.

"She's over there, actually." Yang sighed, almost amused. "With the foreskin boys."

"Huh…?" He looked over the table, who looked over yonder too. They all looked equally humored by the sight, so he joined them.

Velvet certainly was, and looked to be treated fairly well. The cesspool of man meat wasn't an unpleasant sight all things considered, just fuckin' dumb: Jaune didn't know what else to call it, the sight of Russel and Dove having the most intense arm wrestling fight he'd ever witnessed, while Sky talked something vaguely sophisticated like with Neptune, all doubly while Sun and Cardin still looked to be debating. Something about dust emissions or whatever, he could hear the yelling.

And yet. In the center of it, Bun-Bun laughed, chattering here and there with the boys, not caring about the silly ranting going on around her, just enjoying the moment.

It made his pee-pee kinda hard, so he held Ruby's limp hand, and whispered it to her. She squeaked, but had nothing of further input to speak.

"...Well," Blake spoke, tiredly thumbing the bulky remains of her nuggers, bow-which, he doesn't know why is still on her head-twitching here and there. "She's living the tomboy dream, isn't she? All the boys coming' to her yard…"

Weiss looked over, just finishing up another nugger bite, puffing her napkin across her cheeks and humming imperiously. "Very unrefined, I'd say. But not behavior whole uncouth or in meaningful, I actually would love attention on some scale as such."

They all looked her over then, Yang especially, who leaned in suspiciously.

Weiss paused, hissing at the personal slip up. "And no! That doesn't mean I want to join the foreskin boys and their leader on random misadventures."

Ren twirled a fork about, his expression calmly judging. Or judging calmly? "We weren't talking about foreskin leaders-"

"You know what? Shush!" Weiss forked another nugger mesh onto her fork, squawking at them unitarily. "I'm a person too! Wealth doesn't mean I can't find flaws in myself or others! Or not have earnest feelings in things! I am not always unfairly Ice Cold-"

Suddenly, Yang slammed her head forehead first into the table. Groaning miserably. "Goddammit, she's internalized oppression and now'll be another waifu sacrifice."

Jaune blinked, then glanced at Weiss, who sputtered in bafflement. Blake herself was too busy smugly-and condescendingly-rubbing soothing circles into Yang's hunched over back. "I don't think I've oppressed her, and matter of fact? I think she deserves free expression, just like everyone else."

That got him some looks, especially Weiss herself, who looked back with furrowed brows. Yang groaned, Blake sighed, and Pyrrha-who's been thoughtfully rubbing his tendie stuffed tummy the last two minutes-spoke up. "What do you mean by that, Jaune?"

For knowingly added affect, Jaune gazed the heiress right in the icy blue eyes while announcing his personal truth-to-power, or whatever the proper terminology for factual speech is. "I mean that, uhm...I guessed I haven't openly apologized to Weiss for being, uhm, partially a dick." They blinked, Weiss flushed. "The forehead flicking in particular, I don't plan to beat women, only verbally debate them."

Weiss was an emotional cauldron of unknowingness, and she grabbed her probably aching head, squawking out a groan much similar to Yang's current misery. "I just...good lord Arc, you're a character and a half."

Jaune shrugged, seeing Ruby absentmindedly munching on the nuggers he didn't steal from her, slowly. She still didn't stop him from holding her hand, and even gave some 'nnnf' into returning the tight hold's favor. He kinda wished she didn't, though. He could almost taste the nugget crumbs piling up between their oily hands, yucky.

"You disrespected my cat companion, who was respecting me by listening. Ya know, eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth?"

Blake paused then, ears under her bow twerking up. "Wait, cat 'companion'? You…"

"Yeah," Jaune scratched his head, feeling like it was obvious. "You're all my buddies and friends and comrades, who've for some reason or another listened to the crazy shit I've had to say." He cleared his throat, grinning nice and big. "Which includes you, Blake, thanks for helping out at the debates, you were a wonderful help."

The Cat Faunus paused, then hissed to herself, muttering something vaguely sounding like a 'you're welcome' from a blush-cheeked face. Weiss glanced horrifyingly at her teammate, a conflicted shimmer in those icey eyes, while Yang merely groaned some more. "It's spreading...the schmoozer fishermen's n' shit…"

Jaune took a moment to admire the scene, letting go of Ruby's hand and rubbing his dirty meat digits together. The relative high point of their conversation has been reached, with Ren, Nora, and Pyrrha surprisingly quiet throughout the whole affair. He liked the civility, and spoke up.

"Well, y'all enjoy the rest of lunch." He stood from his seat, seeing Ruby whine confusedly, expressing the looks on the bulk of the girls at the tables' faces. Sans Ren and Nora, who looked nicely collected. "I've got a few foreskin things to take care of."

That he did, glancing over at the table, which had fucktons of the acquired bread he so doth desire. Ruby noticed his attention shifted over there, and stood up too.

Their eyes met. A sparkle in hers, and potentially his too, The Brine's plight mostly forgotten. Instead, these two lovers came to an immediate conclusion.

With all seriousness he could muster, he jaggedly pointed to their goal. "Last one there gets kinky sex spanked-"

Ruby didn't even bother to register the rest, blurring off towards the group at destabilizing speeds. Luckily, he knew something similar would occur, so-ignoring the quieted down tables around them, and troubled screaming-Jaune activated his own speedy semblance bullshit. Blurring into a cloud of probably blue and white.

It felt like what'd he expected overdosing on adderall felt like, only his balls barely jostled and his bodily control was dictated by the speed of his being. Which, all things considered, as he literally fuckall slid under tables for a shortcut, ignoring all semblance-haha funny-of order and simply rushing towards the bread.

Covered in bruised and random food clutter, Jaune felt himself slam face first into Russel's chair leg, sending both him and the now cackling foreskin boy into an uncomfortable heap on the ground. The loud bang of impact practically silenced all conversation in a hundred foot radius. Glynda was surely able to know what's going on by now, and yet he didn't care.

Jaune saw Ruby-who expertly made sure not to bowl into a table at high speeds-come for him. Literally, she wasn't going anywhere else but his general direction-

"ACK." He wheezed, feeling hard hitting soft loli body catapult him a few inches across the floor, dinging his head against the scuffed chair, and even more scuffed Russel still highly amused on the floor. Which, honestly, could be said for the rest of his Foreskin boys, who crowded around. Hyping themselves up, Velvet yet to be conveniently seen among them.

Ruby didn't bother to adjust herself, or even move, simply body pillowing the shit outta him and running a probing digit across his suited chest. Expressive silver eyes half-lidded. "Fuckin' dingus, you're gonna have to punish me now...hehehe." She bit her lip, something downstairs felt tight. The post-nugget consumption oddly not helping. "Be a good daddy then, okay? I need a good daddy to brighten my stars~"

Jaune wheezed again, and wheezed harder when Sun began hollering above him, doing some goddamn traditional monkey Faunus dougie-dance, hands periodically clapping above his head. The sounds of excited Foreskin boys hogging up the cafeteria's capacity, he could practically feel a Goodbitch's budding mental breakdown in the distance.

Sun brought a clapping hand to his face, rubbing it nicely fuckboi like. "Ah-ha-ha. Fuuuck, how's it be boss?-"

Annoyed. Jaune growled, taking a hand that wasn't cuddling the loli fetishist to Sun's ankles, swinging at the joints aggressively. He dodged it, though the broad grin on the monkey bastard's face looked hinted with nervousness. As it should, the inner stink of the boy's soul made Jaune think of Jebodiah again, and he didn't like the uproarious joy the other foreskin boys expressed either.

Jaune gently pried Ruby off of him, staggering to his feet with primal fervor, cloak cascading around him like a shadowed wave. Sun definitely looked nervous now.

On his feet, Jaune looked the boys over. Seeing them calm down one by under his gaze. Besides Cardin, who smugly sat back near an uncertain Velvet. Yeah, he's got some things needing said.

He pointed a finger up, cheeks puffed out, head shaking. "Y'all are clowns."

They looked at each other, guilty expressions uncertain of what to do, Sun seemed absolutely horrified and ready to apologize. Ruby un-crumbled herself from the floor, quietly side by side with him as he addressed his boys. Idly, he felt a grin try to prematurely bloom on his face.

"...But…" Jaune saw them shift immediately, hope instantly reignited with the optimism in those words, a small grin breaking through the previous disappointment. "I'm the fucking king of clowns, then. Because y'all can't just start the lunch party without me! C'mon now!"

Sun blinked, then cackling, nearly tripling over the highly satisfied Russel vibing on the floor. He lead Jaune by the cloaked shoulder, grinning ear to ear, and monkey tail's end bouncing in place. "Yeah man, this way, way…"

Immediately, Jaune felt the collective joy of his boys. Like clockwork, they continued their bickering, now with him included. Sky tapped his shoulder, the one with Sun hanging off of, and not the shoulder Ruby vainly was trying to latch onto in their seats. "So I was thinking, Jaune…"

Ruby poured annoyedly at the still present Sun, who himself was staring at the smug Cardin on the other table side. Soon after, she rejoiced quietly in the monkey man sauntering off, and back towards the debate he surely was having. "Should we invest in particular fish species? Maybe spread awareness of ones nearly going extinct? Philanthropy and the like-"

Jaune gently kissed Ruby's little forehead in, and placed her rump completely on the lunch table seat. She didn't like the inability to literally live off him, but the tolerance for manhandling was there anyways. He looked to his subordinate, and smiled. "I think it'll come in time, the more money we invest and collect, the better."

Russel hollered am affirmative from the floor. Well, from the floor directly under Jaune's feet, as he rolled over to it. Jaune saw the madlad wave excitably from down below, and shook his head, focusing instead on the hectic boys around. Loosing his nugger appetite, for now.

Or hectic girls, as Ruby looked somewhat comfortable. She smiled at random stuff going on, and even ran her yapper at some quips Neptune chimed in after Sky continued his environment curiosities further. Surprisingly unsatisfied with Jaune's simple answer-

Ah, Velvet was here. He felt himself tighten up, seeing the shy smile on the girl's face, her hands held in front from her standing position by the seat opposite of Ruby's. His Cowgirl loli noticed pretty soon, and perked up at the girl.

"Hey!" She leaned over, friendly grin plastered on her face, definitely copying him. "Didja have fun today?"

Velvet nodded, folding some stray locks behind her non-Faunus ears, growing less reserved and hand holdy in Ruby's company. She looked towards him first though, smile becoming more expressively positive. "May I sit here?"

Her only response was a deft hand-pat of lunch seat. She laughed lightly, plopping herself down on Jaune's other side, hands thoughtfully holding onto each other atop the scattered crumb laden lunch table surface. She looked happy, earnest joy in those chocolate orbs making Jaune himself want to do more then dumbly stare.

He did that still, though. And Velvet blushed, embarrassed, looking away. "...Good grief, Jaune. I'm just sitting here, you don't need to observe my heart and soul…"

Ruby 'oooh'd knowingly, patting the table to exemplify her words. "Right?! He's super doopey, no idea how he grew so bulky, I mean really-"

Jaune rolled his eyes, putting a shushing finger to Ruby's lips, offering Velvet an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Bun-Bun." He's going for it, why not? "It's just...well, you know how they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder?"

Ruby and Russel seemed to share knowing hiss, that Velvet sorely lacked. The bunny girl frowned, but out of confusion if anything. "Yes…?"

Jaune nodded to himself, cracking a little grin, and meeting those interested chocolate eyes. "I might just be a bad beholder...but I think the beauties all on you, Bun-Bun."

Idly, he noticed a resounding hype come over the boys, even Cardin and Sun, who stopped their bickering and began watching the flirt take effect. And that it did. Ruby 'aww'd happily, Russel was patting Jaune's ankle appreciatively, Velvet?

She blushed hard, so much, that she had to pull her bunny ears over her eyes, muttering disbelief and quickly thump herself to Ruby's side. Jaune watched Ruby latch onto her midsection, whispering unintelligible words of comfort to the once motherly figure made blushing teen. At least, for Ruby.

Jaune viewed Velvet all the same: shyly friendly, caring in companionship, and funny in...well, most stuff included. Like long walks around Beacon's dormitories, or when the guy she's hanging out with just calls her beautiful. Either way, the boys knew what's up, hollering their pride in the foreskin king.

Velvet's little Ruby muffled ramblings came in here and there, he saw her ears be let go, and the earnestly embarrassed expression she sent a humming Ruby's way. "I told you all...he's very provocative…"

Ruby shushed her, squeezing the girl's sides tight, happy smile on her face. "You'll get used to it soon enough, ish. On the bright side, I can sing you those songs you sang me, that'll ease the courting process!"

"Oh, Ruby…" Velvet patted the loli's cowgirl hatted head, a sorta sisterly fondness in those eyes. "I'm fine, you being able to baby me for a change is far too embarrassing, and wait…" she gasped, growing red again. "Courting process?! No! That's not what we're doing!-"

Cheekily, Ruby looked up from her hat's brim. "Oh yeah, whatcha calling your rendezvous then?"

"A...meeting between friends?"

Ruby grinned, Velvet groaned, Jaune wondered about the meaning of life so far, if he's able to see women casually debate his potential courtship like it was an undamaging potentiality. Velvet looked absolutely fuckall on board with the idea, judging by the reluctant look she was giving. "No, silly! You're so doing something extra!"

Velvet regained some wit, puffing her cheeks up and grabbing Ruby by the shoulders, much to the loli's innate shock. They got real close, and Velvet puffed her cheeks out at the bamboozled minor. "You're blowing this out of proportion, me and Jaune are simply regular teenagers-"

"With regularly normal knees too, eh?" Ruby added, wiggling her brow.

"That's...not-" Velvet rolled her eyes, shaking Ruby again. "We're just normal teenagers hoping to grow some normal friendship in the company of one another, not planning to immediately tie the knot on day one, these things take time…"

She looked up from her cowgirl bounty, meeting Jaune's quiet gaze, gulping away the hesitation. "Right, Jaune?"

He blinked, seeing the boys in the back looking at the affair intensively. Sun and Neptune had his thumbs up, Cardin raised a bemused brow, Sky and Dove looked oddly contemplative, and Russel? He's hanging off his chair, beady crackhead eyes begging for a sick quip

Well, he'd oblige. Jaune leaned onto the table a bit, gloved hand hoisting him up by the jawline, casual smile on his lips. "I'm hoping to friendship you, Mhm. Like an inverse 'kill em with kindness' sorta thing. I call it 'court them with friendship.'"

The boys hollered, Ruby snorted, Velvet groaned. Bunny ears were pulled down in second hand embarrassment, yet a reluctant smile couldn't hide itself in her face. "Heh, we'll just have to see, won't we…?"

Ruby patted her hunched back, and Jaune smiled too. Gently thumbing away the Russel cackling near his midsection, feeling very amused at the bodily ragdoll affect thus.

"Yeah. Guess so."

The jokes were dumb, but his delivery and confidence-and form honestly-were the big garaunteers of successes, Jaune's realizing. Perhaps Jebodiah was wrong about the anger and dissatisfaction?

He didn't know. Things hardly make sense.

Either way, he's in good company. The girls clutched and gossiped to one another, and the boys hollered their joy. Also, Gylnda was in the distant, but that, as she knew deep down-that glare said it all-nothing could be done about it. Jaune glanced her way, and smiled.

He's the Foreskin Lord in these parts, much higher power level then measly a dominatrix. With or without skeleton man in his head, yeah.

/-/

This was it, Jaune breathed out.

The days have gone by, and the weekend was upon them. Another cool down period, which will then go back to consisting solely of gruelinging dull schoolwork, as such the cycle repeats. His friends and lovers might have an easy time being academically competent, but Jaune for one wasn't favorable in anything related to it as such.

It's why he hyped himself up for today. Where he got to suit up and stand outside Velvet's team dorm room to prove himself an accountable person and potential friendship buddy to the shy Bun-Bun. The white suit already felt chafed at the tips, as loose nerve were testing the waters for release.

Yeah, he's still wearing his huntsman outfit. Jaune wasn't a picky person, and all things considered, he's a massive clown emoji for thinking that the outfit didn't look well enough on its own. He just hopes Velvet isn't disappointed by his laziness. But then again, he couldn't be considered lazy for showing up on time, or of good time, right?

Jaune sighed, then gently laid his knuckles on the door, frowning down at his cleanly shiny dress shoes, and their gold outline soles. Thinking about the smiles and nervous acceptance his flirty behavior has gotten as of late, how it's just so...he didn't know, again. Was he taking things too fast? Was he simply loose air that looked somewhat malleable when the boys encouraged him in? He did say they'd take things slow…

The nerves weren't going away, so Jaune took initiative and knocked.

Commotion behind the door wasn't as hectic, neither the sound of someone jangling the door knob around. He'd already assume someone much more rational was messing with things, or at least patient when answering the world later into the day. In a quiet unlatching motion, Jaune saw the door open from the inside. Completely.

It was Fox, he looked plaintively back at the Arc, nothing particularly negative within that gaze, but Jaune couldn't say much else. They meet eye to eye, and Jaune spoke up.

"Hey, is Velvet available?" He adjusted his cloak, wrapping it around him tighter. "I don't know if she told you, but…"

Fox blinked his blinded eyes, then shrugged, letting him through the doorway, and into their humble abode. Jaune himself did a double take, then shook his head, making a slow beeline for their makeshift living room.

Besides the average school issued beds, There's a whole setup practically hand made here: a moderately decent looking holoscreen tv sat in between the four beds, and in the back-by the windowsill-a dinky looking couch stacked against wall. It wasn't the most neat looking furnishing, but fuck if it wasn't comfy to plop down on. Jaune rememberers doing that last time he came fully by,

Groaning, Jaune bum rushed the couch, sinking into the low budget surface like the glorious covering it truly was. He sighed, running his hands across the empty space to his right, and gently gripping the leathery arm rest on his left. In a seat a bare few feet away from the windowsill, enabling him to really take a look at things. Like he's always done.

From the side, Jaune saw Yatushi meditatively criss crossed towards said window sill, eyes shut contemplatively tight for one reason or another. He thought the guy looked really badass when doing so, but then again, maybes it's just the man's sizes making any action seem really cool? Jaune's never seen the man do anything particularly risky, just depends.

He stared at the man, hearing some faint bickering coming on and off from the bathroom. A quick glance at his scroll told him quite a bit:

Hey! I'm almost done don't worry

Kinda rushed, and that went in tandem with the light yelping heard on the other door's side. The boys hanging out around him didn't seem to mind, neither really reflect on the abnormal comeuppance in any degree. Jaune was curious on that, so he pointedly coughed Yat's way. Fox busying himself with a rubber ball atop his bedsheets.

"Hey?"

The bulky man didn't move, merely humming acknowledgment, it oddly comforted Jaune.

He sighed. "How's evening been? I'm hoping that my...sitatuion isn't aggravating stuff more than necessary."

The man's patient eyes opened, and he looked Fox's way, who-as he's blind-didn't really react back, just continuing to juggle the ball in place. "I'm unbothered, and don't think any personal grievance with you would be founded in rational discourse, or for it. Velvet has taken a...what shall we call it...?"

"Uhm..." Jaune licked his lips, trying to sink in a bit more. "How about 'proclivity to friendship?'"

Yats stared, Fox dropped his ball and rushed to retrieve it. "That's all, then?"

Gentle whining was heard, the bathroom door knob being manipulated much the same as anything else. His companion soon to be released.

Jaune had no major worries, on second thought, so he shrugged at Yats. Who shrugged back, seemingly a bro in his own right. "All I can get, really. If that's not disrespectful and nonsensical."

"Fair point." The jangling got worse, the door opened.

Yats hummed thoughtfully. "Be careful then, our team is rather-"

With a resounding thumb, bathroom door met wall, and out came a haggard fashionista. Broad grin stroking her facial features and most likely an aspect of an equally pleasured ego. She caught Jaune's chilled out form immediately, lowering her sunglasses down like the total mean girl she was on the inside. "Ah, good! Our friendship boy has arrived!"

From the back, Velvet's voice whined unhappily. "I don't like how you said that!"

Shushing her teammate, Coco waltzed back into the bathroom, coming back out after several bickering seconds. Not bothering to even register her other teammates presence, instead coming all the way to the couch. Without anything other then that sickly confident smirk remaining to warn him, Jaune felt the fashionable terrorist booty bounce herself atop the couch too, legs aggravatingly crossed over his.

He stared, she kept smirking. "Yes, Coco?"

She shifted, he didn't the motion. Or the designer shoes nearing his unchubbed wiener. "I'm just keeping you occupied, testing some things here and there..." she shifted again, and Jaune felt a disturbance in the Aura. "Boys don't often come by to solelyfriendship a prettty damsel, something more usually takes place, and I'd like to know if you'd do so..."

The shoes shifted again, and Jaune's irrational mind quite liked the stimulus, but quickly did he squash that hormonal idea down. Jaune's gotta keep composure, especially when his skele bro's last message was the only spiritual comfort he had left. His gloved hand manhandled the foot away, a raised brow addressed the sexual provocateur. "I'm a man of principles, Coco. And besides..."

He looked around, seeing the rest of the Team CFVY boys farting about, and actually...doing so together, watching the latest news feed from VNN, one about the two terrorist suspects charged with attempted murder at Tuskon's Book Trade, huh. Jaune squinted at the oddity, and remembered the plan he'd cooked up with Oobleck just recently, feeling a cauldron of uncertainty washing itself down below. "Aren't there lots of manly people around? I'm not unique..."

A pause, then uproarious laughter, Coco's legs also kicked out, and at him. She gave no fucks, and fluttered her bangs like so. "Oh, honey, those fine gentlemen over there don't have much interest in Velvet." She snickered, her beret flipped up a bit. "We're just a big comfy family, nothing innately tender otherwise!"

"I'm..." he saw Yats look at him, seeing also the nonconfrontarional shrug sent his way. It boggled the mind. "Yeah, okay, sure." He still pushed the feetsies away, ignoring the spandex blackness of the shoes and tight fitting leggings, not planning to deal with beatific thotties right now. "That's all cool and good, but where's the star of this show?"

Coco collected herself, raising a brow into dark brown bangs. "On her way? How charming of you."

He wanted to argue in that, but a prenscne made herself known, and enrapturing.

Velvet shyly slinked out the bathroom, wearing a long flowing summer dress, a pale dusky brown, befitting her lengthy locked hair. Some light, uh, what Jaune would say mascara painting her eyes an outside layer of blackish red, giving her a pretty exotic look all things considered. She stepped out, and over to Coco and him.

Apparently him in particular, as she stood nervously still before his couch seat, hands holding one another, shy smile tinged with friendliness, bunny ears drooped with equal nerviness. "Hey, Jaune...are you ready?" She fluttered her hefty eyelashes, dainty hand brushing some stray summer-long locks behind her non Bun-Bun ear. "Sorry it took so long, though. Coco over there wasn't satisfied with me just wearing a dress without some makeup."

Coco nodded, giving her teammate an overtly exaggerated thumbs up and a almost dad-like wink. Velvet flushed her embarrassment, and Jaune took a moment to realize he'd have no fucking clue what dad behavior even looked like-

"You're welcome, Bun-Bun!" She shifted away from him completely, leaving an open palm to his direction, waving Velvet in. "Now claim your prize this evening, our esteemed Deputy Headmaster currently vacating our scuffed couch..."

Velvet meet his eyes, and she gulped. He saw her hands hold each other just a little bit tighter. "H-Hey, Jaune."

Silently-getting an approving stare from Coco, while not even seeing a lick of concern coming from the boys by the tv-Jaune stood up, only somewhat intentionally towering over the nicely dressed Bun-Bun, taking her breath away.

Also silently did they stand there, until Jaune happily spoke up, deciding to ponder out loud to the silly rabbit. "Hey, don't be nervous Bun-Bun, you've seen this outfit before. If anything, it'd show me as a lazy guy for wearing it again!"

"...Heh, that's..." Velvet shook her head, meeting his body chest level, not quite the eyes yet. "I'm sorry, it's just so crazy that we're actually just hanging out together, with you all Headmastered up, and me all dressed up, and the fact that I'm comptlely awake and understanding that you want to be friends with me."

"Do you think that's unique?"

She paused, looking up at him in her thoughtfulness, forgetting shy expression when expressing her smarts, Jaune liked it. "I think it's really personalized and caring, which is new for me, as it's usually only these three that care for me all that much." Said trio sounded a casual hurrah at that, much to the bunny girl's find annoyance. "But with your friends and followers? I think I feel much more interconnected then usual, and so too my teammates. So I guess..."

A earnest smile, lacking the layer of nervousness there just a moment ago. "Thanks Jaune, lets have fun tonight."

He smiled back, then reached his ungloved palm out from the cloak's depths. She stared at it thoughtfully. "Follow me, then, I'd never wish to leave a smart girl like you un-entertained for long."

A pause, then an embarrassed snort, as Velvet gripped the hand tight. "I'm smart. Heh."

They walked out the dorm room, hand in hand, Jaune sent the trio behind them a friendly wave, getting the same treatment from the boys. Yet not Coco, who frowned thoughtfully at the two in general. "Of course, only smart girls could say what you say, it's just fact."

something about her further tightening hold told him he's schmoozing correctly, so Jaune smiled, noticing Velvet beaming earnestly at the carpet beneath her heeled feet. Cutely without socks, might Jaune add, looking hella pure looking. Still flawed in a simple sense, yet the way she seemed to reaver and express herself in equal amounts played at his heart strings.

Perhaps it's the proclivity for men to protect their women and children? He'll have to ask Peach sometime. If she's got any knowledge on the world besides dust. Oobleck's datability chart still seemed screwy to him.

/-/

Movie watched, Velvet currently un-sauced.

Silly romance flicks aside, he and her walked out the dinky looking side-way theatre, entering the hardly vacated Valen night streets. Happy smiles on their faces at the memory of the funny comedic-ness found within conventual media stuffs. Moslty Velvet though, as he hasn't truly enjoyed movies for the past few years, never seeing much good in them besides the capacity to numb the mind momentarily.

That's the potential goal, now that he thinks about it. Jaune wasn't even mad at the idea of continuous self-sabotage, only untrustworthy of whatever movie content he's watching with the girl he's with. And in this snapshot case, as he lost himself in the quiet atmosphere being positively invaded by Velvet's worry-less laughing, the movie material was pretty progressive.

Femininity was key, and if he'd have been honest, Jaune wished the male lead wasn't such a baby boy and took pride of his cool. It reminded Jaune much of himself, still does to some degree. Velvet obviously didn't mind though, just letting the feel goods blow past the subconscious, maybe he should join the happy train with her again. Yeah?

Yeah, he looked her over, inconspicuously pulling her light hearted body nearly side by side to him, for safety concerns if anything. Jaune wouldn't be a happy camper if he lost his girl late at night in an empty street corner, with barely a car coming by. "Bun-Bun?"

She laughed again, plopping her bunny eared head a giant his shoulder. Eyes still casted downwards, yet beholding a certain joy not necessarily apparent earlier. "That was wonderful, Jaune, can we go get something to eat?"

"Yeah. But where too? Most places have dairy in their stuff."

She glared up at him, harnessing her inner Coco.

The concept of vegetarianism came up literally right before they firstly stepped foot into the movie theatre, as apparently-though only now he's noticing it, and not at lunch, where she apparently ate salads-Velvet was a fan of consuming as little animal products as possible. Not religiously, he guessed, but she was adamant enough to deny butter on her popcorn for that explicit reason. "We could get ice cream, most places have vegan options."

"At ten o'clock at night?"

"There's plenty of places left open, fast-food wise."

"Cool-cool." He nodded, turning a corner with slightly grumpy vegan-mostly, according to her-waifu in hand. "But I'm still curious as to why you're vegan in the first place."

Velvet groaned, embarrassment flushing her cheeks, which he really felt shitty for causing. "H-Hey. If you don't wanna answer-"

"Nope, just..." she poked his side, much rougher then Ruby's usual prodding, but not damaging. Her sigh carried the entire weight of what he'd suspect an average Vegan to have, if he'd be internally honest. "I'm not incredibly dedicated to it all the time, Jaune...I'm a huntress-in-training, there's often little opportunity to out-source homegrown foodstuffs or fast food items for sustenance." There's that earnestly again, albeit with a sharper tone of somber ness, chocolate orbs distantly drifting about. "I feel a lot better when eating vegan, though. It's partially my Faunus heritage, I think. Also the..."

She paused, he took the time to make sure they're not accidentally heading down a dark alley to be mugged or something extra fishy. Finding the territory around them both equally shady-thanks to the poor lighting-and barren of the usual Valen commotion. They're damn near in the city's center, after all...he'd think something would be after them. "Just the idea of not, well...being compliant to the unjust slaughter of domestic animals feels right to me. Does that make sense?"

Not really, he's kinda in the opposite spectrum of food consumption. Hell, he's eaten goddamn cow liver before, and liked it. That shit was practically sugared chalk in comparison to all the other meats he's chug-jugged over the years. But Jaune was also a man who knew when to shut the fuck up, so with grace he's surprised he's got, honest words came outta his gullet.

"I'd say so. Personally, and not to offended you-"

Velvet nodded, not even looking at him anymore, just enjoying the proximity while they wandered. "Okay."

"Consuming meats is very high up in my favorite eating things list...you'd..." he chuckled to himself, getting the girl's curious attention almost immediately. "I remember when we went to the local butcher shop down the town over, there was a whole bunch of crazy animal meat there." The nostalgia bleed in his voice, he knew. "You name it, they've boxed and container'd it: beef livers, chicken hearts, pork brains, frozen catfish pieces from somebody's local farm, freezers chock full of rabbits and even fuckin' pig feet to ox tails."

She gaped. "You're kidding?-"

"Nope." He grinned, taking her to the side, stopping by an extra bright lamppost and hanging around the pole, holding her hand tight, for his nerves if anything. "Most of that I assumed was farm fresh, creatures who spend their limelight years growing fat off some local boomer's land until he took the poor fatty to the slaughter." He shrugged at her continued befuddlement. "I can't verify that though, all those cheap recyclable containers-which we never got rid of, for supply's sake-never said the origin of the meat, just the expiration dates."

The bunny Faunus took a moment to mull over that.

Fine by him too, gave the Arc plenty of time to get himself nicely comfortable in the quietly dreary atmosphere. To the sewers underneath, and the crusty roads leading their way down a unlightened path. Dark domiciles stacked on high, all reminding Jaune of an early adolescence listening to the occasional r/b soul song chugging away on the radio, some hot-shot artist making it big when it mattered.

"...You're an actual country boy then, aren't you?" The question was minut, more a fascinated statement taking the piss out of the unkown, in her own quietly thoughtful way. "Ruby spoke a lot about that, but I didn't want to assume anything..." She swallowed, eyes sparkling with that curiosity, whilst the metaphorical remnants crashed quietly to the dirty floor, and into the sewer gutters as unfortunate casualty. "Would you consider yourself that? Does Vale seem very big to you? Was the 'we' you were referring to your family...?"

He took the time to close his eyes, leaning a fettered moop of dusk gold against the pole's circumference. Her presence melded into the pole too, only on the other side, though that's all he could tell when the world was forcibly darkened by eyelids. "Well...I'd best start with where I grew up..."

A dainty hand grasped for his uncloaked and gloved hand, snaking itself around the pole. "Don't push yourself." She sounded resolute, earnestly meaningful when it counted. "Though I'd love to know more about you, it's for naught if it meant your discomfort."

Eyes-lids stopped blinding Jaune from the darkened world around, and he used that small preivlege to smile, staring at an adjacent lamppost inbetween considering loose musings. "You sound like Pyrrha when you're serious."

Light, fluffy laughter, his hand was squeezed. "Anything for a friend," another squeeze, he could pragmatically visualize the oozing earnestly and curiosity from that maw of hers. "I'm happy just to know you, Jaune. You're a good talker."

"I'd hope so." He laughed, but sobered up quick. "Anyways...I was born in a town called Ansel. It's real far west from here. I'd reckon the population to be...say anywhere around seven to eight thousand?" She hummed, high pitch time bespoking suprise, to which he shrugged at. "Not that small in comparison to other towns nearby though. Post-great war innovation skyrocketed Ansel's population a long time ago, but it's just stayed dinky and sleepy ever since. Architecture hasn't changed either..."

Jaune licked his lips, wishing to loose himself in those light bulbs barley guiding their path like a mentally deranged moth Faunus, no offense to his avid listener. "I learned the town layout eventually though, experiencing the roads and the like."

"And the butcher shop..." Velvet mumbled, thoughfully quiet. "That was somewhere nearby?"

"Mhm, twenty minute drive. The terriorty was fortunately within the county's outer walls, only reason we didn't get mauled by Grimm beasts."

A sharply breathy intake, Velvet didn't like the imagery. Neither did he, but that's life. "Your mother and father took you there?"

Jaune shook his head. "My momma took me and my sisters there occasionally. Verde, Joan, Saphron, Violet, and me mostly. They had this bigass box of shitty smoked bacon in bulk, ten pounds of bulk, so we always loved to scamper about there like the little terrorists we were." Ah, the memories. "I still remember the first time Violet beat me with a packet of hotdogs when mom wasn't looking..."

"...t-the...first?-"

"Mhm. She thought it was fun, until I fought back 'n got us both on momma's shitlist for the rest of the day. She'd stain her nursing scrubbies with the whiney tears of Arc brats, before heading off to another late night shift at the nursing home she worked at back then, leaving us under Saphron's kinda tyrannical rule until next evening."

Velvet squeezed his hand continually now, emotions definitely in flux. "I'm...wow. Can I say something...somewhat out of touch? That testimony just alit my personal artsy-ness to life..."

Jaune glanced her way, seeing the concern in those chocolate orbs. "Sure, go ahead."

Nodding, Velvet leaned in, earnestness washed over her collected Bun-Bun features. "It sounds like you've lived a working to middle class life, in a rural town, on the edge of obscurity. Raised by an overworked single mother who desperately tired on as a registered nurse to care for her brood, whilst those poor children themselves had to rely on each other for company." She's really getting into it now. "Yet despite any immature hardships-"

"She got a better job by the time I, uh...left for Beacon." Jaune really didn't want to think about the expression on her face at all the crazy shit he's been doing lately. He winced. "I'll have to catch up with them soon, no one back home watches the news, let alone city news."

Velvet nodded, continuing without a beat missing. "Still, you've got a wonderfully unique perspective on the world, don't you think?"

"That sounds vaguely political, Bun-Bun." He sighed, raking a gloved hand across his frowning face. "I'm just a dude who falsified his transcripts to Beacon, who somehow found the ability within myself to stop living the shut-in life of a Gamer and develop into a foreskin cult leader. Nothing more, most certainly nothing less." For the moment, until his and Oobleck's plans come together.

The intense focus didn't go away though, Velvet's focus comparably strong to Coco's snark. "But you wouldn't say it's a lifestyle that's made you think different? The city for example..." she gestured her none grabbing hand to the scenery around. "What's this like in your mind? Do you enjoy city-life?"

Jaune paused, then shrugged. "It's fast paced and almost mind numbing in ways I'd never suspect, but there's a bit of me that's got some fondness here, with all the crazy people about 'n opportunity to ruthlessly expand my fishing and bodyguard business in the works-"

Velvet laughed nervously, he squeezed back for comfort. "But yeah, I like Vale quite a bit, we have lots of fun just farting around here."

He smiled, Velvet smiled back, a gently whispered 'thank you for that' out her tongue. But he dignified it not, leaning off the pole and turning towards her. "Wanna try some of that? We could totally find some preppy vegan ice cream place somewhere." A good idea came to mind then, he grinned nice and big. "We could also go on a journey to find a Wallymart, buying TV dinners was our local past time back then."

Shocked chocolate met cheeky blue, yet Velvet caved immediately. Groaning with flushed cheeks, body checking herself into him and holding that ungloved hand tight. "Whatever, country boy..."

They were on the move again, hands focused on ever connecting each other and not their brains to scroll stuff.

Jaune snorted, walking his date down the street with little haste, feeling the innate fear of ambush numb itself the longer he felt Velvet's thoughtful-it not sorta naive-warmth. "If I'm your definition of country, smarty-girl, then you'd love the kinda folks up in Forever Falls. They sound like what my momma said dad did."

Velvet digested that, wincing a moment later. "I'm sorry for bringing that up, by the way...really hope I didn't trigger you with my silly questioning."

Naivety dressed in educated filler language was a blessing straight from Monty Oum, Jaune reckoned. He rewarded the quirky habit with a shake of the head, and little sigh expressing some stress laying underneath his flesh, away from the soundless Vale around them. "Nah, you're good. Men aren't supposed to show emotions in times of weakness, that's for long sadness sessions in the shower, anything else is cowardice."

The horror was clearer then his aspirations on her face, and that hand probably was inadvertently reinforcing itself with Aura. He didn't mind it though, shrugging off the concern. "I know, it sounds cruel, but from what I've picked up from my many Grimmtube binges, and Ozpin's bullshit? That's how successful men work. Women don't want a crybaby to coddle, they want a receptive protector who can serve their needs."

Facts of life, he solemnly mused. Dulled by his latent chadness though, but for those not on the hierarchical top? Pretty much accurate, her silence was telling. The conversation immediately drawn to a conflicted holt by the power of facts and logic. What he assumed to be so, at least.

If he was a foreskin boy and not the leader, Jaune wouldn't have a damn clue as to what he'd do about existence.

Living life to be a emotionally receptive meat-shield, most likely...but wasn't a chad's lifestyle exactly that?

...

...

Yeah, he's gotta stop thinking. Jaune didn't do this much thinking before Jebodiah fucked off, he was always preoccupied. Now his only distraction was a smarty pants with pretty Bun-Bun ears.

He grinned, as on second thought? He's fine with that. Watching Velvet's less downward facing upper body strut along happily besides him.

He'll make her happy. That's an unsaid Arc promise.

/-/

Velvet liked some things here and there. She's not a prude.

Ice cream included, it would be far more apparent if the creamy goodness wasn't exclusively churned by a dairy-based process. Environmental care often comes with major disadvantages in all sorts of social gatherings, or...personal gatherings?

Heh, she felt herself reflexively smile, staring at the table beholding her non-dairy chocolate shake. Losing herself in the silly corporate standard wooden architecture, the lines of meaningless plastic age really spruced the atmosphere up. All at the expense of another one hundred year old ache wood, and so forth.

Bitterness wouldn't help though, neither constant nagging. So she's honestly glad Jaune doesn't see these thoughts of complaint constantly bouncing back and forth across her mental landscape. He'd see the inner depressive-ness of his 'smarty-pants' and justifiably judge her for latent negativity and pointless narrative. Not that she can stop, though, one train of thought just sends her brain across the ringer.

Luckily, she's been relatively grounded in reailty while Jaune farted about with her, sitting the booth parallel, drinking his own shake. Vanilla, how utterly color consistent, not that she minded.

If anything, his base outfit was far more fancy than this frilly summer dress she insisted Coco let her wear. Nothing could he done, however, as Velvet really loved the way this dress made her look like some valley girl off to frolic in the fields, it's an idea she values greatly. A life near bigger Valen cities has bankrupted her outback knowledge immensely, much to her charagin.

It's why she was interested in Jaune's past. Why he's here, who he thought he was, the way he just took a long moment to stop their strut to the nearest ice cream shop, simply staring at the traffic off in the distance with some sort of whimsical curiosity. He might've been-quite literally-conservative on what he speaks of, but Velvet could tell he really liked the word around, the skylines and big bridges. The way his ocean blue eyes twinkled at it all…

It made her happy, she enjoyed just farting about with him, hearing stories here and there on funny mishaps he's had with family members. A pudgy dog that chased his sister, poor food-choice consumption and painful diarrhea, bonding over misery. She thrived on such things, as she loved listening to experiences people have.

Jaune sucked the straw accessing vanilla goodness no more, popping his lips with a quirksome flourish. "You know, I'd argue…" he tapped the glasses's edge, almost half-way done with a drink they've received merely five minutes ago. "That the farm fresh meat back home would be better for the environment than this."

Velvet raised a brow. Suspicious, yet curious. "How so?"

Immediately, she wanted to laugh, seeing the man sit up in his seat, ungloved and gloved hands grasping each tiger in inquisitive grace, the dreaded 'Ozpin look' he so confusedly used, yet equally despised.

He smoldered, eyes squinted stupidly intense. "More people in poor places are probably working for big corporate ice cream people to make this stuff," he held his shake up. "In poor conditions as well. The environmental aspects wouldn't be all that grand either, definitely loads of dust emissions caused by the transport compared to simply farm-raised food goods."

"Interesting." She drawled, playing with her shake straw idly. "You think it's better to slaughter animals in moderation, then?"

"Possibly?" He shrugged. "I don't know much on the environment, all I'm here to care about is the eventual slaughtering of Grimm away from our natural borders. Colonization too, all that good stuff."

He looked so casually comfortable with the pure-born idea of expanding civilization, as the low drilled shake suckage sounded off annoyingly high to Velvet's bunny ears. She rolled her eyes, yet a bit of Coco's sass slipped through, cracking her a soft smirk. "Very short sighted, Jaune. Climate is a major concern of our modern era."

The slurping stopped, and Jaune glanced at her, brow raised. "Technological advancement is eventually going to create a sustainable society, I guarantee it. Give it a generation or two, we'll be colonizing most of Sanus and beyond in no time." He looked oddly smug, and a distant twinkle were in those charismatic eyes of his. "Also, genetically modified cat-girl maids will arrive. Somewhere, over the rainbow…"

She tapped her shake again, bemused. "Is Blake not enough for you?"

"Nope. The dream is better off dreamt then realized, and as that particularly fantasy is one of the few ideas I have left of my once un-driven self?" Jaune leaned on his gloved hand cheek smushed in dryly. "I'm supposed to respect women, anyways. I can't do that if I'm pushing scientific progress to justify my sinfulness."

...Sometimes, Velvet wants to pick that pretty boy's face in two, and find out what makes his brain tear into place. What boomer mindset rubbed off on him in a rural environment, lacking masculine structure, that has made such fascinatingly risky statements common place.

Though...Velvet quite liked the contrasting disregard for presuppositions and long winded characterizations shes secretly fond of thinking up. Truly, he is their Headmaster, and 'foreskin lord.'

…

…

Heh, still silly. She chuckled at both the ridiculous naming convention, and the equally present charming-ness he spoke stupidly outlandish ideas. "You're weird. Weird and provocative. I'm assuming it's the country boy in you."

To prove her right, Jaune just shrugged his shoulders, sipping away at his veganated goodness-which he chose to have solely out of curiosity than obligation-with little regard for the raised brow she sent his way. "It's how it be, how it do."

Frank. She liked it. They'll likely clash on politics at some point, but for now...Velvet liked their little schism together, a dichotomy between internally judgmental rabbit girl and brutish working class libertarian, it molded into her inner narrative machine nicely.

She didn't show this rational conclusion though, only mustering up tiny frown, feeling her cheeks heat up at the foolish certainty her...oh, fuck it, date confidently carried himself with. The persona was lovely to latch onto, no wonder Pyrrha and Ruby absolutely adore him.

Shaking her head, Velvet got up. "I'll be right back, using the restroom."

Jaune nodded, giving a double thumbs up, she left without much fanfare, shaking her head again at the antics.

/-/

Several minutes later, she found herself staring at the mirror, piss-break all finished. The toilets were surprisingly well cared for too, though she made sure many different slides of toilet paper marked the bowl's edges before she took her seat. A good release all in all.

"Well…" she told herself, patting her cheeks with soap and water rinsed hands, seeing a dinky young woman with higher quality mascara then she deserved. "Jaune's out there, waiting for his smarty-pants to debate with. Heh…" she fidgeted with a floppy ear. "At least he's a-ok with Faunus girls…"

He did call her pretty and stuff earlier, though in jist or not? She didn't know. This day was the most abnormally non-normal date ever, surely because they've done the usual romantic material she's come to expect, but nothing reaching past the tender looks and hand holding. In a way…

She blushed, thoughtful again.

Maybe he's just keeping his promise? Taking things slow...a patient man through and through...Velvet enjoyed that idea a lot, and hoped to the gods he'll deleiver her glory like a foreign Faunus queen receiving patronage-

From her-personally-undeservingly reflection of beauty, Velvet saw a presence shuffling on back. Another woman.

Matter in fact, just that same woman who walked into the shop right after them. She was short, with pitch black hair and piercing green eyes. They paid her no mind, and Velvet didn't plan to now.

Well, until the woman-instead of going to a stall like a regular ice cream connoisseur- went directly to the faucet beside Velvet's. And even more aggreous, she began washing her semi gloved hands! The abnormality was insane, she couldn't stop her awkwardly curious self from piping up!

"Hey…?" Velvet mumbled, annoyed and nervous at her actual out voice's confidence. "Why're you wa-"

The woman looked over, Velvet stared back.

Green eyes warped a rainbow of different colors, and Velvet squinted hard. "Are you okay, Miss?"

She'd be better off getting those eyes-

Something vaguely umbrella-looking descended on Velvet's vision like a bullet, giving her no time to defend or activist her Aura. She could hardly yelp out a cry for aid, collapsing atop the faucet and falling to the hard-tack tiled floors in painfully dramatic flourish.

The world looked claustrophobic and blurry, yet Velvet squinted her attacker's from relatively well. Seeing...herself?!

She wheezed, watching her watch herself, a full blown replica without a mirror. Only this Bun-Bun looked malevolently happy. "What…?"

Her doppelganger merely giggled mutedly, before that umbrella-like tool of oppression came down again. This time, bringing her mind into darkness.

Velvet lost consciousness then, to the utmost delight of...Velvet.

---

The plot thickens, also rip Jaune Arc. He was the gamer that'll never respawn.