Oh...oh shit.
My favourite manga, "To you, the eternal"...I feel like it's ending.
But...but Immo got heartbroken at the sight of his mom...so happy without him...it can't just end with them not seeing each other again!
It just can't! And what about the white haired boy, we never found out his name! He was with us since chapter 1 for crying out loud!
I know it's selfish, not everyone can love only Immo. But...I just want to give him a happy ending.
Sure, he gets excited...sure, he seems happy at times when he eats new food...but...it's just so sad.
...All I want for Immo, is to let him say one thing to his mother.
"March, thank you for everything"
That's it, please!
Immo is just all alone! In a world he helped create and protect!
Ah geez, on a happier note however, Ifound out that the english voice actor for Zenitsu and Giorno are roommates.
And they have a youtube channel, and their content is damn gold!
The voice actor for Zenitsu drew the characters in Demon Slayer...as memes.
So, welcome to the new chapter little Arclings.
Hunstmen and huntresses usually work for free.
For this reason, huntsmen and huntresses are often the go-to choice for a grimm extermination. Especially if they offer to work for free.
In this time of apparent peace, the need for grimm extermination get lower and lower for the kingdoms.
However, for the settlements outside, for those not connected to the kingdoms, they are forced to use hunstmen and huntresses.
People pay, other people kill. Simple as that.
A give and take relationship between a client and an mercenary.
It was why my father, Ghira Belladonna, would only get mercenaries rather then huntsmen. Secretly, but still does.
Thankfully for everyone's sake, they are usually faunus.
Now, you are probably wondering how that relates to this current moment. Allow me to give you my insight.
These past few days, Jaune hasn't sat with his team. I know this since my team, team RWBY, always sits with his team.
Recently, he sits and stays around team CRDL.
And he joins in laughing at faunus, he makes insults and makes fun of my kind.
I thought he was different, but all humans are the same.
The thing is, Cardin is using Jaune as an errand boy, it's as clear as day to everyone. Pyrrha even questioned Jaune about it this one time.
Jaune simply said that it's ok, since he gets money.
However, Cardin makes fun of Jaune, giving him minuscule amounts of lien by either dropping it on the floor or throwing it out of the window.
Jaune simply goes to where the money is and picks it up. I just don't understand this guy, why does he need money so much?
Well, it isn't any of my business. Why am I even thinking about him so much? Besides, Jaune snuck his way into Beacon, sooner or later he's gonna get kicked out of here.
From my point of view, Jaune and Cardin are just a client and a worker. Happy now, Jaune?
I'll tell Proffesor Goodwitch when I feel that Jaune is beyond help.
How I know? I saw Cardin talk to Jaune about it a few days ago, I even said aloud how I didn't understand him.
Knowing Jaune's infamous hearing, I think he heard me back then-
"Ah! Hey, please don't do this again!" That cry! The bunny faunus from few days ago!
"Heh, get a load of this. This freak doesn't wanna have any fun." Cardin...this guy again...
I already let him bully her once, I am not going to let it happen again!
I start to walk up to Cardin, I may not have my weapon but as long as I can get in close then-
"Hey, Cardin, buddy!" Jaune? What was he doing here? "Come with me to my dorm real quick. I did your extra readings."
"You didn't bring it?" Cardin asks without any obvious emotion as he roughly pulls on the faunus' ears.
Cardin seems to be testing Jaune, to see if Jaune is only doing this to save the faunus, and yet...
"Ow! Stop!" The faunus yells out in pain.
Jaune doesn't react much to her suffering...despicable "Yeah, sorry. Let's just head to my dorm room."
"..." Cardin looks at Jaune for a moment before letting the faunus go "You aren't just tellin us this cause you wanna be a hero right?"
"Hero? Nah, we all know I ain't good enough." Jaune shrugged with a sneer "Besides, I don't even know that freak."
Freak...he says that word with such genuine hate. Ever since he started to hang around wirh Cardin, he has been an absolute douche.
"Yeah you got that part right." Cardin chuckled "Guys, you go on ahead. Jauney boy is gonna give me what he owes."
With that, the crowd of bullies disperses. I walk over to the poor bunny faunus, she must be devastated.
I place my hand in her shoulder as I speak "...I'm sure you'll see better days-"
"Geez Jaune. I know you're acting and all but isn't that a bit harsh?" The bunny faunus tells herself "Oh? Hey." She turns to me.
...What?
"Don't...don't you hate that guy right now?" I ask, rather confused "He called you a freak."
"Yeah, but it was to help me." The bunny faunus shrugged as my hand was taken off "He told me himself that he would act like a douche. It was a bit much though."
Jaune knows this faunus? Then why would he...
Jaune told her beforehand he would act mean? Was this his own way of protecting her?
"But, by the looks of things Jaune hasn't told his own team." I already have a hard enough time understanding that coward as it is...I feel a migraine coming.
"Ah, yeah...about that." The bunny faunus stiffened up "I...uh..."
I guess I have no choice, in order to get the full story.
"I'm a...friend of Jaune's. Please." I give a small smile.
"..." The bunny faunus looks at me before sighing "You better not tell anyone this ok."
"I assure you." I reply, from what I can tell, Cardin knows Jaune snuck into Beacon and now Cardin is blackmailing Jaune, what could I have missed?
"Well, Jaune didn't actually make it into Beacon." The faunus said, that part I already know "He is being blackmailed by Cardin, but somehow he used it to his advantage and always protects the people Cardin bully. He told me not to take what he says to me to heart."
That's what anybody with a good heart would do.
But...that leaves the question.
"Now I know what you want to ask. How does a guy like Jaune get the courage to fight against Cardin in his own way?" The faunus says.
"Yeah, how?" I ask, is Jaune secretly a powerhouse or something, like in those wuxia stories I read where the laziest comic relief character is actually sealing their power.
"You see, Jaune isn't actually courageous. He is still as afraid of Cardin as he was when he first laid eyes on the guy." The faunus said.
"Then...how?" I begin "How does he act in front of Cardin?"
This all makes zero sense to me right now, how much does this man contradict himself? It's honestly insane at this point.
"Hm...how to explain it. You know how Jaune is afraid of almost anything and everything?" The faunus asks.
I nod, where is this going?
"Well, Jaune is more afraid what would happen to others if he didn't act." The faunus said "He told me that he would let others run away since it was ok to run, he told me he was scared of Cardin still, he told me that he already let too many things happen."
...I sort of get it now.
To Jaune, the fear of Cardin hurting others is greater then Jaune's fear of Cardin hurting Jaune himself. Ugh, this is melting my brain.
That's alot coming from the guy who is afraid of everything, even more so since everyone knows that Cardin is one of Jaune's biggest fears.
However, why does Jaune care so much?
"I do hope Jaune stops with the act soon though." The bunny faunus says.
"So his words are getting to you." I concluded.
"No. It isn't that." The bunny faunus shakes her head "Jaune hasn't told anything to his team yet. If things carry on like this, Jaune would be hated by his own team."
I get that something like that would happen, but one, it isn't my business to get involved with. Jaune brought this upon himself.
Two-
-"It would be fine. Ren is on his team." I sigh, that guy is too kind you know that.
I'm not sure if Ren's reputation among the underworld is good for him or not.
"Ren?" The bunny faunus asks.
"Yep, the one who helped you out a few days ago when Cardin was tugging you ears." I reply.
"O-o-oh...H-how is he doing?" The bunny faunus stammers...and blushes. Ah.
...Well well well~
The plot thickens, I think inherited Yang's urge to tease people. This is quite fun.
"Why?" I feel a smirk rising slowly.
"I, well, wanted to thank him! Y-yeah, and I...uh, um." Steam slowly rises from the pink faced faunus.
"I see. Well, good luck." I give a reassuring smile while I show the bunny faunus a thumbs up "Gambatte!"
"P-please stop." The bunny faunus forced out...oh my Oum that was so damn cute.
I giggle a bit at what I am witnessing "Hey, I never actually got your name. Tell me more about yourself, I'm Blake. A first year at Beacon."
"W-well, I'm Velvet. S-Second year..." The bunny faunus states, still shaking from embarrassment.
I feel like her team would start hanging around team RWBY and JNPR for some reason.
Just now, Jaune had the gall to just walk into our dorm with Cardin and gave him the extra readings Jaune did himself!
This is honestly a first time I've ever felt so angry, so passionate about something. I guess this is what the feeling of loss is, I feel like I lost even though this has nothing to do with fighting.
Even as the champion of Mistral, I feel so utterly pathetic.
I peer out of the window now, Jaune and Cardin just appeared and vanished just like that, something about some wasps or something...
Nora then starts jumping on the bed playfully before asking "How come Jaune gets home so late?"
Nora looks over to Ren who was currently doing maintenance to his weapons beside his wooden backpack box thing. I wonder why he brings it with him everywhere, I've never seen him take anything out of it.
Ren replies "On top of training and studying, he does Cardin's work. He has become scarce after hanging out with Cardin."
"Doesn't he know that we have a field trip tommorow? Doc Blecky's notes may have been due in tommorow on the timetable, but I think the doc knew there was a trip tommorow." Nora says before doing a flip onto her bed "We can rest all we want!"
"Oh, I'm sure our leader knows what he is doing." I said angrily.
I feel so helpless, what if this is all my fault? I tried to get Jaune to open up, but was I too pushy?
Did I make Jaune think he couldn't share his feelings with us? Gah I hate this feeling!
I lie on by back, grabbing a pillow and pulling over my face, I groaned audibly.
"Jaune didn't know there was a trip tommorow, he was training when Proffesor Goodwitch told us the details about it." Ren explained said ater a small silence between him and Nora.
"That doesn't help Jaune's case at all, Ren." I state.
"..." Ren stays silent for a moment, he removes the pillow from my face and places it beside me, he starts smiling "I know you may feel weak right now, but it is in these moments when we need to be strong. Just believe in Jaune ok."
...It's good advice, a bit naive but...from the way Ren says it, it sounds more like he says it from experience rather then just comforting words.
"...Yeah, I'll be strong and keep believing in Jaune, I won't give up." I announce with a small smile "...Damn that sounds corny."
Ren doesn't smile much, but when he does, it's defilently contagious.
I think I see why Nora is always so happy now, Ren just seems to know the words that can comfort you. I can't really explain it, it doesn't feel shallow, it doesn't feel like a person is being payed to say as if he were a commercial advertisement. It feels like Ren has gone through something and completely understands your...my situation.
But anyway...I've been to harsh on Jaune, I haven't spoken to him at all! Starting tommorow, I'll stop giving the silent treatment to Jaune!
And then we would make up, be friends again, get to know each other more, he falls for me and confesses to me...
I feel my expression turn into a dreamy one as I think about Jaune.
And then I'll gladly accept Jaune's proposal and we'll get married, have eight kids and a house, Jaune will grow to be a hunstamen even better then me and I'll be the perfect housewife and then-
"A-hem." Nora audibly coughs "...Yeah, that's the fifth time I've done that. I think we lost her Renny."
"It appears so." I hear Ren say as he chuckles slightly.
"W-w-wait...what was going on?" I feel my face start to heat up.
"I may not be able to read minds like Ren or Jaune." Nora sits up cross legged as she looks directly at me with a large smirk "But I don't need to."
"It's good to have a plan Pyrrha." Ren says "Try not to be so hasty though."
Oh...oh, they knew...was I that obvious?!
"Yes." Ren replies, he really can read minds! "You always seem to only never seem to act obvious when you are around Jaune himself though."
"You're such a dork you know that Pyrrha?" Nora giggles "Hey, let's all watch some romcoms with Jaune after this all blows over, I think Pyrrha needs the advice."
"U-um!" That was all I could splitter out, this whole situation is too different from before!
It's like all the tension from earlier just disappeared in less then a few seconds! This is insane!
...But...this is also the breather I needed. Thanks Nora, thanks Ren.
And hey, I've never seen a romcom before. I wonder what it means?
(romcom=romantic comedy)
Ah...why are rapier wasps so damn stubborn! It took all damn night before I was able to hand Cardin the box.
Well, at least I got some lien out of it, every penny counts after all.
Though...I wonder how long I have to keep up this charade?
ARGH! Let's just stop thinking about that fo now! I get to have some beauty sleep!
I slowly open the door to my dorm, but Pyrrha's words stop me "I'm sure our leader knows what he is doing."
...Right, I'm acting like a douche when I hang around Cardin. Pyrrha must hate me right now...
Well, it's for a good cause. I keep Cardin's attention and I get money out of it. A win-win situation, right?
But why...why do I still feel depressed about this? This is helping everyone! I'm doing a good deed.
Yeah, this is for the best. Besides, I'm not even supposed to be here in the first place, I'll take what I can get.
"Jaune!" A cry from behind me is voiced out.
Understandably, I act accordingly and calmly "Eep!"
I whip around to see it was Ruby "O-oh...uh, hey Ruby." I hope she didn't see me yelp.
"Did you lock yourself out again?" Ruby deadpans.
"Hm, oh nah. Got my scroll right here." I held up said scroll "Besides, I took it upon myself to start learning how to learn how to unlock electrical locks with my breathing style."
Yep, after being locked outside my room all the time as well as being locked inside lockers too much, I got sick of it and started learning how to unlock electrical locks.
Still a work in progress though, I can unlock lockers...still can't unlock my dorm room though...
"Hmm, is that right?" Ruby didn't really listen to that, I could tell she was focused on something else "So, where have you been lately?"
"Ah, well nothing much. Just got a...whole box of damn rapier wasps. Geez, what was even the point?!" I yelled in frustration.
"Hmm..." Ruby grabbed my collar and looked straight into my eyes with suspicion.
Honestly, if she was older and if this were any other situation, I would think she was hitting on me.
"Don't you feel bad about leaving Pyrrha and your team all by yourself?" Ruby asks after letting me go.
"Leaving them?" I ask confused.
"Haven't you? To me, it seems like Cardin got you on a leash, Pyrrha won't talk to you and you barely talk to Ren or Nora even before all of this." Ruby continues.
"..." I slump to the floor "Argh, you're right. Besides, I am not even supposed to be here."
Ruby sits down next to me "Not supposed to be here?"
"Yep, my damn Gramps forced me into every damn dangerous situation possible. Including coming to Beacon..." I could tell her the rest...about how he gave me the fake transcripts, about how I'm a fraud.
I could tell Ruby, but I'm scared what would happen if I would so tell her everything?
I guess...I could tell her what I am, just very vaguely.
"Honestly, I'm a failure." I said with a smile.
"Nope." Ruby chirped.
"Nope?" I parroted.
"Nope." Ruby chirped "You may have been a failure when you were a kid, you may have been a failure when we first met. But you can't be a failure now, because you're a leader now, we have to put others before us and not drag them down."
"...Nope." I chirp.
"That's my thing!..Wait what?" Ruby says.
"Nope." I repeat "Perhaps I'll tell you later, about why I'm a failure through and through."
"We can't think like that!" Ruby yells "We have to believe in ourselves Jaune!"
"I do believe in myself." I tell Ruby "Anyway, let me tell you this. I may be a failure, but I'm the best damn failure you'll ever meet."
...I hope I sound cool.
"Uh, what?" Ruby asks.
"It's ok to be a failure." I tell Ruby "Afterall, its ok to run, its ok to cry. We just have to never give up."
"...How does that work?" Ruby asks.
"Its my own way on looking on the bright side of things." I chuckle "You are right though, it's not just about me anymore, it's about my entire team."
The legendary super rookie in the corp, Ren.
The female Thor who has limitless energy, Nora.
The...no, she's my partner that looks after me, Pyrrha.
Afterall, she hates being called the invincible girl.
And then there's me, Jaune. I haven't done anything to get a title yet.
"Well, whatever works Jaune." Ruby stands up "Looks like you didn't need any help afterall, well, I guess team JNPR really has a reliable leader."
"Reliable?" I deadpan "You can stop with the deceit."
Ruby laughs "Right right. I'll stop. Good night Jaune."
"Good night Ruby." I reply shortly with.
Ruby leaves into her dorm room, she seems to have a content smile on her and I could hear her tell her teamates that I wasn't actually a douchebag.
Well, I can't exactly sleep in the ballroom again. I take a deep breath before opening my dorm door once again to see everybody already in their pyjamas, well for the exception of Ren, he usually trains around this time.
(yes, I always have Ren and Jaune train every now and again, I'll explain it one day)
My three teammates all look at me, I look at them for a moment before my head droops down and I avoid their eye contact.
I walk over to my bed, nearby in a cat themed drawer, I find my own pyjamas.
...Cat themed drawer?
It was a white wooden drawer, at the top was a carved and painted Hello Kitty face, hm, interesting choice Nora.
Heh, it's certainly rather tame...
...Ah fuck it, I need to get it off of me. At this rate, everything is jut gonna get worse.
"...Uh, hey..." I start with.
"...Yes Jaune?" Pyrrha almost instnly responds, she sounds, hasty. Why?
"I need to uh, explain some things. Don't I?" I instinctively place my hand behind my head.
"Damn right you do." Nora states while smiling "It's about time too. Ooo, that rhymed Renny."
Huh? What does she mean by that?
"What she means is...Jaune, even if you yourself do not believe so, we were always ready to stop and listen to you." Ren says calmly.
R-Really?
"That may sound naive, however it's true whether you like it or not." Ren chuckles slightly "So, what do you want to tell us?"
"Well...the thing is...I didn't get into Beacon!" I cried out "I forged some transcripts, and then I sneaked my way in. I didn't fight, I didn't earn anything here! I don't deserve to be here!"
I start to look down, I wonder what kind of face they're making.
I...break down, kinda. As I continue.
"I'm so selfish! Not only did I break who knows how many laws, I lied to you! You're all good people, you're all strong, kind and I don't deserve to be here with you! I'm the weak link in the team, I'm nothing more than...no, I'm nothing! I didn't do anything to get into Beacon so I'm scared, what if I drag you all down? What if I run away and leave you? What if I-"
Suddenly, I was...embraced? I see a flash of red hair flow and I stop talking. I just stop.
I, quiver for a moment. I start to shake, and hesitate. What am I supposed to do in this situation?!
"You're not nothing." I hear Pyrrha say "You are so much more. And I believe that you have so much potential."
...I know, that was meant to comfort me...but, that's not true at all.
"I, am not so much more. I am not smart like you, I'm not strong like Nora, I'm not calm and collected like Ren." I start to look down again.
"No, Jaune. Please." Pyrrha tightens her grip on me.
"Jaune Arc...is weak." I say "That's the truth, that is me."
"Jauney..." Nora frowns slightly, however she is stopped by Ren, who is smiling a little, Nora looks at Ren with a confused face before he taps his nose twice. Nora replies with a large grin.
"But." I begin "The answer to this is simple. Since Jaune Arc is weak, Jaune Arc needs to be stronger. So, if you don't mind...can you all teach me how to be stronger? I mean, I know I will only waste your time and I know I will only be a prob-"
"YES!" Pyrrha yells as she pushes me, however her hands are now on my shoulder, at her outburst there is a small silence before she starts to blush "I-I'm sorry. But, this is great!"
Pyrrha's face is beaming, I don't think we need the light on anymore, Pyrrha's glowing is good enough.
But...I was afraid...I thought they would be...dissapointed? This is...new. They really don't care that I snuck in?
"What do you want to start with? Sword training or muscle and stamina growth?" Pyrrha starts.
"Actually, I need rest right now." I make a small smile, "I just came back from getting about 16 rapier wasps into a box."
"I guess that explains why you were out so long, Jauney." Nora states "But...why? Aren't they like, really painful? I've heard that they make your legs go all jelly"
"Yeah." I sighed "Well...Cardin kinda knows about it too...since he may or may not be blackmailing me since he also knows I snuck into Beacon."
"WHAT?!" Pyrrha and Nora yell out.
"Shut up!" A muffled cry from Weiss could be heard from just beyond the door.
"I'm sorry!" Pyrrha shouted back.
"Yeah, uh. I'm assuming he heard us when we were alone on the rooftop at night yesterday." I explain "I've...been under his leash ever since."
"That truly is a problem..." Pyrrha says slowly "But, why would he need rapier wasps of all things?"
"Hey!" Nora says suddenly.
Everyone turns to the grinning ginger.
"So, what were you doing alone on a rooftop together at night?" Nora grins.
"Oh, we were just." Pyrrha began "...Oh, I think...you're misunderstanding it Nora."
"I don't think I am." Nora grins.
"Anyway." Ren thankfully interrupts "I doubt Cardin has become a wasp keeper, I don't even think they're a thing. And judging from the rather rotten smell from his soul, I think it's safe to say he will use these rapier wasps against someone."
"Ah, yes. Jaune, did Cardin say anything to you about what he needed these rapier wasps for?" Pyrrha asks in a concerned manner.
"No, not really." Ah man, I should've been more useful.
"Alright, we should keep our guard up then, we should tell Team RWBY to keep their heads up in case they are the ones being targeted." Ren states.
"Wait, wouldn't it be better if we just told the teachers? Surely they would confiscate the wasps." Pyrrha asks.
"And give Cardin the perfect chance to rat me out? No, no way! My legs get all jelly just thinking about what Proffesor Goodwitch would say!" I almost yell.
"Ah, so telling a Proffesor is out of the question." Pyrrha says "So its decided, we will stay vigilent during the trip tommorow.
"So, is breaking Cardin's legs out of the question?" Nora asks.
"Still out of the question Nora." Ren smiles slightly as he head pats Nora.
"S-SO LEWD!!!" I scream out!
Ren really did the unspeakable!
What's next?! Holding hands?! Just how close are they?!
"L-lewd?" Pyrrha makes a confused face.
"Yeah lewd!" I grab Pyrrha's shoulders "Its one of the most hardcore lewd things one can do! Alongside handholding and cuddling! And you two say you aren't together together, I am not a fool!"
"E-eh?" Pyrrha makes a confused noise. Come on, this is the basics!
"It's a Vale thing." Ren explains "What Jaune says is true."
"My my, Vale's culture is truly...unique. I have learnt so many things that would be seen as strange in Mistral. I wonder what Atlas and Vacuo are like..." Pyrrha says.
The three of us decided to talk for a while before going to sleep, it's been a while since we actually hung out as a group. I was so afraid they would hate me if I talked to them, so I just, well...ignored them.
Well, I ran away. That much is true, but...as I ran away, I didn't give up, I reflected and...I'm kinda sorta proud I got back and told them what was going on.
I'm defilently not proud about being Cardin's bread shuttle though.
(Another word for an errand boy, but for bullies and for food)
Still though. I'm glad it turned out alright.
Yet...where should I go from here? Even if we stop the rapier wasps, Cardin still knows about how I snuck into Beacon.
I need to think of something, and fast.