-~~ KBTS ~~-
Blake walked out into the stone courtyard, a gust of wind scattering the leaves and swirling them through Haven's stone arches. She shivered a bit as she pulled her robe around her and tightened the sash. It was a bit chilly tonight being high up at the top of the mountain. Plus, she had gotten used to the tropical Menagerie weather. Normally the cold wouldn't really bother her, but normally she would have pants and boots on. Tonight, however she had been getting ready for bed when Ruby had come to her.
With her cloths in the wash she had literally nothing to wear. Conditions on the boat ride over had been crowded and water was rationed. She hadn't had room to pack much and laundry services were an impossibility. In hindsight she should have washed everything before leaving, but she had a lot going on. That and the part of the house with the laundry room had sort of burned down. It was an accident. Kind of… Any way, the point is, she hadn't had clean clothes to wear in days.
She was currently dressed in a sleep shirt borrowed from Nora and Shorts on loan from Yang. Even her normal unmentionables were being laundered leaving her in a very lacy set of black panties, the matching black bra clearly showed through the shirt so she had elected to go without. However that may have been a poor decision as the thin and slightly too small shirt , coupled with the cold night air were making it a much more revealing outfit than intended.
Thus her current predicament, looking for Jaune, dressed in far to little to be seen out in public. And trying desperately to use Ruby's far to small crimson bathrobe to both protect her modesty and ward off the evening's chill.
Jaune was supposedly training by himself in the courtyard. He apparently had a habit of sneaking off to do that. Ruby was concerned though, she said he had been pushing himself hard when they were on the road. But had seemingly stopped once they had arrived in Mistral. The insane events of the evening had evidently triggered something within him.
Ruby had been insistent that it had to be her that went to talk to him, and it had to be right now. Hopefully he would open up to her, she got the feeling he hadn't, or wouldn't, with the rest of team RNJR.
She felt the wind and leaves swirl around her bare legs as the wind gusted again. Nora's Beowulf paw slippers were doing little to keep her feet warm and the red bathrobe was too short to keep her legs warm. She wished she had grabbed her boots; hindsight was 20/20 but at the time she hadn't thought she'd be trekking through the gardens of Haven. She missed 'her' hoodie as well, but there was no way she was going to let Yang see her wearing that. Or gods forbid Jaune.
She found the boy in a secluded area. A walled in alcove covered in ivy. Jaune was hunched over a waist high pedestal. His shoulders were heaving but Blake wasn't sure if it was from exertion or emotion. His scroll was propped up with a paused video of Pyrrha on the screen. Jaune was so folded in on himself that his face was practically touching the screen.
"Ohh, Jaune." She whispered to herself with a pity filled voice. She carefully approached from behind, wanting to comfort him but unsure how.
He was so consumed with his own inner turmoil he made no notice of her as she approached, despite an awkward attempt to get his attention by feigning a cough. She stood behind him still hesitant and unsure of what to do. Now that she was close it was apparent he was not just breathing hard, but was choking back sobs as well. It was a heart wrenching sight, her ears drooped down almost flat against her skull.
After several long and agonizing seconds Blake decided that the best course of action would be to tap him on the shoulder. She reached out tentatively and gave him three quick taps on the shoulder not covered with a pauldron, before taking a quick step back.
She was lucky she did because Jaune did not react anywhere near how she expected. He whirled around with sword and shield at the ready. His eyes were watery and red. And his cheeks were tracked and stained with dried tears. Blakes heart broke at the sight, taking a step forward to try and comport him. It left her completely off guard when his expression swiftly changed to a combination of terror and anger. She tried to back pedal but, as she was off guard, the shield bash came as a complete surprise. She staggered back losing one of her slippers in the process. The horizontal aura infused sword slash forced her to use a clone to leap back, but once again she was left open and unprepared for the gust of Aura and wind that followed the near miss.
She was literally blown back. Her back crashed into the hard stone, the impact driving the air from her lungs as she collapsed at the base of the wall. She shook her head to clear it, and already had one hand on the ground ready to spring to the side, before hearing Juane gasp in shock. She relaxed further hearing the clatter of his weapons hitting the stone pavers. She looked up to see his tear stained eyes opened wide as he came skidding up to her.
"Blake, oh Gods I'm sooo sorry. I saw the red dress, black hair, and yellow eyes. I Thought… I'm so, so sorry." Jaune knelt before her gently cupping her face. Turning it slightly checking for injuries.
Blake wanted to tell him it was OK, but when she looked up to meet his eyes all she could see was white. Wispy glowing strands and a fog of white Aura were leaking from her eyes obscuring her vision. She could barely make out Jaunes face, but his eyes were clamped shut with tears squeezing out the corners.
"J-j-j-Auneee." Blakes voice was a hoarse whisper. "Ahhhhhhhhh!' Then the pain hit her. Not physical pain, physically she had never felt better. But, it felt like her heart was being crushed, her soul rent in two. She was drowning in sadness, sadness and anger. She felt a deep intense loathing, a hatred of herself, but not herself. She felt only care and concern directed toward herself. No, she absolutely hated Jaune right now. Only she didn't, it was very confusing to say the least.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Jaune was just repeating it over and over. Shaking his head side to side. Probably unaware of what he was doing to her.
Blakes head was swimming. Her mind awash in emotions that she knew weren't hers, but she felt them all the same. This was an impossible firsthand insight into how Jaune felt at this moment. And it broke her heart.
"J-Jau-ane, s-semb-blence!" Blake finally found the cognitive strength to stutter out a warning trying to alert Jaune as to what was happening. She clasped her hands at the edges of his armor trying to shake him and get his attention.
He released her with a start. Pulling back as if he was burnt. She could feel the link fade, yet the power remained. It was hard to describe. Her Aura was filled past her reserves to the point it felt ready to burst out of her, yet it still felt natural. More than that she felt whole, like a piece of her that she didn't know was missing had been found. Like her soul was now cocomplete. It felt like her Aura had just been awoken for the second time.
"Jaune, look at me. I'm fine. A little chilly and dirty but otherwise fine. Besides they aren't even my clothes." She tried to crack a joke to lighten the mood, but this wasn't her thing. Jaune didn't even respond as he looked like he was about to start crying all over again. Clearly trying to do it the Yang way was not going to work. …Or maybe it would.
"Hey Jaune. There is something I need to give you." She reared back a fist and flooded her arm with Aura.
Way too much Aura as it turns out. Poor Jaune was sent rocketing backward from the punch, his feet skidding all the way across the courtyard where he impacted the far wall.
Blake could only look on in shock and horror at her still glowing fist, before she quickly made her way over to the groaning knight and helped him to his feet.
"Owwwwww. Yeah, definitely deserved that one." At least the shock seemed to jar him out of his funk.
"Your damn right you did. Six hours Jaune, six hours spent picking out clothes with your sisters." Blake smirked at him. "That was for sicking them on me."
Blake reached out a hand to pull Jaune up. And once he was on his feet again, she pulled him into a hug. "And this is for sending me to your family. Honestly, I think that may well have saved my life Jaune."
Jaune stood there awkwardly for a moment before returning the hug. His shaky breaths making her ears twitch, which made him smile despite himself.
"Thanks Blake. I really am sorry. I thought you were… well I didn't think it was you. I'm very sorry I attacked you."
"Jaune, it's okay. Just don't make a habit of it." She separated a bit from him, being that close to him must have revved her Aura up again. Her heart was beating a little quicker and she was full of a nervous energy now.
"Say Jaune you wouldn't happen to have any dust on you?" She still had more Aura than she could handle at the moment, and needed some way to burn off some of the excess quickly.
"I have some earth dust. I've been trying to practice ways I can incorporate dust into my fighting style. I tried fire dust, but then I needed to get new pants. And I thought lightning dust would be good to have on hand for Nora, but I wear a lot of metal… Did you know that when you get electrocuted everything tastes funny afterwards? Anyway, Weiss said I wasn't allowed to use anything but earth dust anymore."
"Perfect. And may I borrow your sword for a second?" Maybe it was adrenaline, maybe she was still giddy from defeating Adam so handily, maybe she was punch-drunk, or high on Aura. But whatever the reason, Blake was feeling a bit whimsical.
She took the earth dust in one hand and the sword in the other and proceeded to push her semblence to the maximum. Normally she needed to use very pure highly refined dust when she did this or the draw on her Aura would be too great. Between Torchwick's thefts and the current dust embargo, that kind of dust had been increasingly hard to come by lately.
Now though, even the low grade stuff would work she just needed to pour a bunch of extra Aura in to make up for it. In a flash 4 statues formed in the courtyard one in each corner. The grounds keepers were going to be scratching their heads as to who would commission such intricately carved stone statues of an oddly dressed Faunus doing exaggerated poses with a sword.
Jaune was left dumbstruck while she sauntered up and returned his weapon. His teeth clicked audibly as he quickly looked away from her.
Looking for a distraction, He went up to one of the statues and tapped it to test if it was solid stone or not.
Blake shrugged apologetically, "Yang must be rubbing off on me. But can we head in now? I'm getting pretty cold."
Jaune nodded and went to get his scroll. Blake went to retrieve her missing slipper so had her back to him. She could still clearly hear him however as he fumbled with his scroll, nearly dropping it, and accidently unpausing the video he had been watching.
"Okay... Now assuming you aren't cheating, we can take a break." Pyrrha's voice rang out into the night. Before being quickly silenced again as Jaune closed the scroll. Blake's heart clenched as she connected the dots in her head. Jaune just stowed the scroll away and with an iron will he steeled himself as Blake turned around to confront him.
He didn't know what to expect, but another hug was not high on that list. Blake squeezed for all she was worth before grabbing his head and forcing him to look her in the eye.
"We'll talk about this inside. Come on I'll make us some tea." Blake left no room for argument as she pulled Jaune by the hand through the Haven campus. He didn't dare question why they were headed away from the dorms where RNGR and company had set up.
"We are going to where my parents are staying. Hopefully we can get a bit of privacy there." Blake answered the unasked question. Allowing Jaune to mutely follow along.
Blake dragged him into what had been a teachers home but now was the temporary home of the Menagerian Chieftain. She pushed him onto the couch and went off into the house. "Mom? Dad? Anybody home?" Blake left him with his head in his hands as she disappeared into the darkened rooms.
She returned a short time later in a black and gold robe like dress that covered her much better than Ruby's bathrobe, and carrying a tea tray with a steaming kettle. Jaune didn't appear to have moved at all.
"Jaune, please tell me what happened tonight. Ruby filled me in a bit but I want to hear it from your perspective." Blake began to pour the tea, pushing a cup into Jaune's hands.
"Well we went to meet with Professor Lionheart, but instead we walked into an ambush. That bitc… Cinder was there." Blake winched at the sound of his teeth grinding as he said her name.
"I just lost it. Everything went red and I attacked. It's my fault things fell apart. Weiss was almost killed, If it wasn't for whatever it was Ruby did with her eyes I'm sure I would have died too." He took a long shaky breath. And tried to calm down with a sip of his tea.
"Guess I can't pick on Ren for losing it during the fight with the Nuckalvee anymore." Jaune tried to force a chuckle, but it came off sounding hollow. Blake just tilted her head in confusion.
"Right… you wouldn't know about that yet."
"Jaune, May I hear the rest of that recording? The one Pyrrha left you?"
Wordlessly Jaune fished out his scroll and set it on the coffee table. He didn't even need to find the video, it was still open and paused on the most damning part. He didn't look up, instead he just pressed play.
"I know this can be frustrating...and it can feel like so much effort to progress such a small amount, but I want you to know that I'm proud of you. I've never met someone so determined to better themselves. You've grown so much since we started training. And I know this is just the beginning."
Pyrrha's voice filled the quiet house. Blake smiled a melancholy smile. She couldn't help but agree with the Spartan's assessment.
"Jaune, I-I...I want you to know that I'm just happy to be a part of your life. I'll always be here for you, Jaune."
"Ohh Pyrrha…." Blake whispered covering her mouth as her eyes threatened to spill over.
The video began to loop back, and Jaune stopped it. He still didn't look up. "That woman took everything from me. All this time planning how I would avenge her. I finally had the chance and I blew it. Worse than that I endangered everyone else and let that monster get away."
"I thought Yang's Mom took care of her?"
"I won't believe it until I see her cold dead corpse." Jaune looked up with cold eyes half covered by his bangs. It was a very intense look that had Blake more than a little nervous. It was a look she had seen many times before on someone she did not want to associate with Jaune.
"She didn't take everything you still have…"
"I know what Pyrrha was trying to say. At the end of the video."
Blake froze, an icy dagger in her heart. "You... you do?"
"She loved me. And not just as her partner." The finality and pain in his voice made Blake want to reach out, but held back, almost afraid of what he might say next.
"Just before she pushed me in that locker and sent me away, she made her feelings pretty clear."
"She did?"
"She kissed me Blake. My first kiss. Hers too probably, and her last."
"Ohhhh." Blakes ears drooped forward, a nervous and sad expression on her face.
"Every time I watch this video, I think of what could have been. What our future could have been like. Then I finally get the chance to confront the monster who took that future away, and she had the gall to not even remember who I am? What she had done to me? I never wanted to harm someone in my life, not until that moment. Not that it mattered, I was too weak to do more than scratch her." He took a gulping breath as Blake watched on in horror as he vented.
"I've watched that video almost every night. Trained myself to be stronger, so next time I can stand up to her. So, I won't be on the sidelines while people I love are in danger. And then I do exactly that. I put everyone in danger." He squeezed his eyes shut as the tears began to fall. Blake watched as one landed in his tea.
"Then a miracle happens, I unlock my semblance and save Wiess. Thank the Brothers for that! But everyone seems to have forgotten about why she got that way. I lost my head and attacked when we should have regrouped. I failed her. I failed again…"
"But your semblance…"
"Yeah my semblance." Jaune's voice was nothing but bitterness. "What would have happened if I'd been strong enough that Pyrrha could have trusted me to have fought beside her. I'm certain I would have unlocked it then too. Situation couldn't have been more similar. Only I wasn't there, I was too weak, a failure then and a failure now. Pyrrha was right not to believe in me, no one should."
Blake made a sudden and profound realization, one that really should have been obvious. Jaune Arc was nothing like Adam. He was the complete opposite. When hurt by the world Adam turned his anger and hate outward hating the entire world. Jaune turned it inward hating himself. Suddenly what she felt earlier when he used his semblence made so much sense. Adam's path lead to him trying to destroy the very world. Jaune's would lead to… Dear Gods!
CRACK! The sound of flesh meeting flesh echoed off the walls as Jaune finally looked up to meet Blakes eyes. The red hand print on his face faded with a shimmer of Aura but the shocked expression on his face remained.
"Don't… Don't you dare think that!" Blake was shaking in anger and grief.
"Pyrrha may have been the first to see it but she is not the only one. Don't think for a second that Ruby, Ren, Nora, Yang, Sun, and especially me, don't believe in you… During initiation I was willing to follow you from the moment we met; nothing has changed. Don't think for even a second that Pyrrha pushed you into that locker for any reason other than she loved you and wanted to keep you safe."
"I know exactly how she felt. I ran away for the same reasons. She's not the only one who cares about you. I… we all do. And it would devastate m… us if something were to happen to you. So, stop beating yourself up!" Crack! She left a matching hand print on the other side.
"I won't let it happen again. I won't stand by and watch you go down the dark path. I… we.. We all care about you Jaune. When you hurt yourself, it hurts us too."
Blake took a breath to calm herself. "I'm sorry it's just… beating it into your thick head seems to be the only way you listen."
She let out an exasperated huff and turned to the side crossing her arms.
"Is this about Adam?"
Blake's head snapped around; eyes narrowed to slits. "No, you idiot. It's about you!" Blake's rage quickly simmered. "And, Adam, I guess. But only because you remind me of him so much right now!"
Jaune reacted in muted horror. Blake had not really talked to him about Adam before. But Ruby had. He knew enough about Blake's past to understand that her associating him with Adam was a very, very bad thing.
"I'm afraid for you Jaune. You are walking down the same dark path Adam did. Using hatred to fuel your motivations. There is nothing good that can come from the hate that is consuming you right now."
"I'm what supposed to just accept what's happen and move on? Let Cinder get away with what she's done? I can never forgive her. Never!" Jaune leapt up from the couch, righteous fury burning in him.
Blake placed her hand on his chest. "I'm not talking about your hate for Cinder. If that was it, I wouldn't be so concerned." She shook her head softly, the tips of her ears nearly brushing his chin. Then she looked up into his eyes with her own determined glare.
"I felt it Jaune. When you used your semblance. I know how much you hate yourself. How much you have internalized everything. You can't deny it to me Jaune, I felt it in your soul. You have placed all the blame on yourself and it is eating you up inside." She gently pushed him back, and he didn't even try to resist. He let himself fall back onto the couch as Blake looked down on him.
"I won't let it happen. I won't let that hate consume you. You want to hate Cinder? Fine. I'll help you train so we can defeat her. But I refuse to let you believe for one second longer that you share any of the blame for anything that happened tonight or before. You have no reason to feel like you do. You are too good a person to feel like that. And I promise on my honor as a Belladonna that I will do whatever it takes to get that through your thick skull!" She rapped her knuckles on the aforementioned thick skull for emphasis.
"I lov…. You are far too important to me Jaune. I will not stand by and watch you self destruct. I… We will not lose you too."
Jaune just sat there staring up at Blake. Her eyes threatening to overflow. Her clenched fist. Her ears twitching… hunh. Something inside him shattered. He was not magically better by any means, but her words had definitely reached him. He had unlocked a new spark in his heart, a new drive. She was absolutely right, he had been beating himself up, and he could see how much that had hurt her. Well no more pity party. If it was making Blake feel like this it was something that had to change. If she could believe in him, then so could he. He silently swore an oath to never again do anything that might hurt Blake.
Finally, having come to an emotional resolution one last thought clicked for him. He took a long hard look at her. "You're not wearing your bow anymore."
Blake blinked back, then blinked again. "You're impossible!" She scowled and brought her fist down on his head again before turning in a huff and sitting in the armchair not looking at him.
"Thanks' Blake. I'm sorry I put you through this. I promise, Arc's word, that I will talk to you, and the others, about what's going on. I won't let fear and self-loathing consume me. I'll get... No, I will BE better. Not just for Ruby and the guys' sake, and not for Pyrrha's. But for myself, so I can be worthy of… of being your friend."
Blake turned back to look at him and gave a brief nod of acceptance. A bit of hope causing her scowl to soften. Neither commenting on the pink tinge that had overtaken both of their cheeks.
"So, is this going to become a regular thing then, you beating sense into me?"
"Well somebody has to. It seems to be the only way you learn." Blake grumbled, a smirk twitching up at the corners of her mouth.
"Well I'm glad it could be you this time. How about we make a deal. If I'm being an idiot you can feel free to smack me around. But if you are being stubborn and moody, I get to call you out on it. And no more running away. If something happens, we deal with it together, either with me or your team. Deal?" Jaune stuck out his hand.
"Deal." Blake stood up and grabbed his hand to shake. Only to squeak in surprise as he pulled her into a hug.
"Thanks Blake." He held her tight as she couldn't help but melt into him a bit.
"I hope we aren't interrupting anything." A tittering and mischievous voice came from the doorway.
"Oh Gods." Blake groaned into his chest plate.
Jaune let go of her quickly. Too quickly as it turned out. Blake had to use a shadow clone to keep from falling over the armchair. Jaune having no such ability went all the way over the back of the couch. He popped up from behind it a potted plant smashed onto his head like a hat.
"This isn't what it looks like." Jaune stammered out eyeing the bare chested mountain of a man towering over the woman who could only be Blake's mother.
"Really because it looks like two friends trying to console one another after the traumatic events of this evening." Kali smirked, as Ghira gave the patented protective father glare.
Jaune gulped, it was his first time on the receiving end of said glare. "Ahhh. Then it's exactly what it looks like. Sorry… Jaune Arc. Pleasure to make your acquaintance." He went to scratch his head and dislodged the flower pot. Which shattered behind him making him jump.
Blake sighed into her palm. "Jaune meet my parents Kali and Ghira Belladonna."
Jaune quickly moved to shake hands. Wincing a bit as Ghira crushed him but tanking it with a strained smile.
Kali sidled up to Blake to whisper. "Ooh, I like him. Very Handsome."
"Mom. Please." Blake looked at her pleadingly as Kali just shrugged and wordlessly agreed to drop the teasing.
Ghira rolled his eyes. "Your friends told us why you had gone. We expected to meet up with you in the morning. But if you'd like I would be happy to have you stay for tea."
"I would be honored to joi…."
"Sorry dad. No can do. Jaune here has had a long day and needs to get some shut eye. And I have laundry that needs to get into the dryer back at the house. We'll catch up in the morning. And sorry Mom, I had to borrow one of your robes. I'll bring it back when I see you… in the morning."
Blake grabbed Jaune by the back of his hoodie and hauled him out the door. He didn't even seem phased as his heels dragged across the floor. Giving a small wave as he was bodily shoved outside.
Blake stuck her head back in. "Night Mom and Dad. Love you." Before closing the door.
Kali peeked out the curtains to watch as Blake guided Jaune through the night. Him trusting her to lead the way and her not even considering the fact he probably couldn't see in the low light. Neither of them even registering that to an outside observer they were very obviously holding hands while on a midnight stroll through the gardens.
"Already has him whipped. Just like with you. By the time he realizes what happened they'll already be married." Kali giggled.
"She is no better. By the time either of them realizes what's going on they'll be practically engaged." Ghira's stern countenance was shattered by his rumbling laugh.
-~~ KBTS ~~-
AN: So, in my head, Blake using dust with her semblance must be really draining, or else she would use it all the time. Torchwick found out the hard way how effective it could be. So why was she able to use it in that fight, but not against Adam or in the tournament? Because the dust Weiss was able to get was supper high quality. But then Weiss got cut off, and the dust prices in Vale before the Fall made it impossible for her to get more. She could use a lower grade, but the amount of Aura she would need to use would make it impractical in any sort of combat situation. With Jaune's overcharge however she could dump Aura into her semblance without worrying about draining herself.
Also, my man Jaune needs a ranged attack option. I could see him trying to incorporate a dust attack for that. But I would love to see him using a mechashift parrying dagger, like a roundel, with a large caliber like .45 magnum or a .50, something that packs a punch, not like Blake or Ren's pea shooters. I picture it being similar to Ironwood's hand cannon crossed with Gambol Shroud's pistol form, but with a much shorter blade. And Blake could train him :) Maybe in a future chapter. Hopefully he gets kitted out in Atlas. Still haven't had a chance to see any of season 7 so maybe he already has.
Anger and depression featured heavily in this chapter. I don't believe Jaune is or was suicidal. Many in the reviews have called it an attempted suicide by Maiden. I don't believe that to be the case. It was more like he lost his head and was not considering how badly it could go for him, he just attacked in a blind rage.
I do see him as having a worrying trend of devaluing himself compared to those around him. He hates himself for not being able to improve, but fails to see how far he has gotten because of his low self-worth. It's a self perpetuating cycle. I went through a similar phase once. The confidence boost I got from my now wife when we started dating broke me out of that cycle. Hopefully Blake will do the same here. All he really needs is confidence.
Merry Christmas Everybody! Happy Holidays and a Joyous new year!