Jaune swung once more and his aura lashed out into the branch before him.

It was snapped more than it was cut, but it had been damaged all the same. Jaune be able to once again lower the amount of aura he used in each swing and continue his training.

"Jaune!" his mother called.

Jaune stopped his training and immediately moved to see what she wanted.

"I've got something for you." She said once he stood before her.

Jaune smelled it before he saw it; his mother's chicken pot pie.

"No way! I haven't had one of these in forever!" Jaune instantly shouted.

"Shhh keep your voice down. It wasn't easy to make this out here and if the other's find out I made you one, they'll all want some." She explained, putting a hand over his mouth and pressing the pastry into his hands.

"You mean the whole thing is mine?" Jaune asked.

She nodded.

"I have to make sure you're eating properly after all. Why don't we take a break from training and you can eat your fill?"

Jaune could barely wait until they had sat down before cutting himself a slice.

It was just as he remembered. The chicken was cut into bite-sized pieces instead of the tiny chunks you'd get from a regular store. The gravy was thick and not at all watery. The pastry was perfect too, flaky and crunchy. It was everything he could have asked for.

"It's so good." Jaune praised. "Your cooking is the best."

"Well, I've got some good news for you then. Tomorrow I've got chicken fried steak with peppered gravy, and the day after that I'm making lasagne." She happily explained.

"I take it back. Your cooking isn't the best. You're the best mom!" Jaune said before stuffing his face with another bite.

Juniper laughed.

"Well, I hope I haven't spoiled you for other women now. They say a young boy always marries someone just like his mother. I wouldn't want to set the bar too high now." She joked.

Jaune laughed as he mulled that over.

Pyrrha and his mother were alike in a lot of ways. They were both strong in both body and mind. He had no issue saying that his mother was attractive like Pyrrha was, especially for her age.

With that said, there were some differences. Namely, his partner's inability to step within 5 meters of a kitchen without managing to cause chaos.

He gave her the credit she was due of course, she tried her best. But whatever the opposite of natural talent was, Pyrrha had that with cooking. He used to think it was her class like she had once said it was, but his mother ruined that.

"Hey Mom, could you tell me some more about your class?" Jaune asked when he recognized the opportunity he had.

"What about it dear?" Juniper asked.

"Well, what is it that makes it a prestige class, I guess. Barbarians aren't a prestige class, but their rage skill puts them above a regular fighter. I guess I just want to know what it is that makes you that much further ahead." Jaune explained.

"So you can try to plan around it with your partner no doubt. I'm afraid the answer isn't going to help you much. Put simply, a champion has unparalleled body control. We can make ourselves do things at will that others simply can not. I bet you already know of a skill or two that your partner uses like that." She replied.

Jaune nodded. Pyrrha's adrenaline rush was, at least he assumed, a bodily technique. It wasn't an aura technique, he knew that much.

"Unfortunately, there's no real counter for it. It's like your aura. You have more of it than normal and that's just something everyone else has to deal with. Your best bet is to try and think of any natural weaknesses she might have. For instance, if she makes herself stronger, it probably saps her stamina. If she is using her flexibility to dodge your blows, try and make her over extend."

Jaune grumbled into another mouthful of pie and Juniper chuckled.

"Just focus on doing what you do best Jaune. Sometimes fighting to your strengths is better than fighting to their weaknesses. Now finish that up and get back to training."

Jaune nodded, popping the rest of his private treat into his mouth before returning.

/-/

Later that night, as Jaune lay in his tent he received a second visit. Lavender unzipped the entrance just enough to poke her head through.

"You can come in, I'm awake." Jaune replied.

Lavender pushed it open and crawled inside before zipping it back up. Jaune turned on a small lamp so they could both see. When he did, he realised she'd brought a book with her.

"You wanna?" She said, holding it up when she noticed he'd spotted it.

Lavender had always enjoyed reading as a pastime. She especially enjoyed 'choose your own adventure' books. When she had been younger, she couldn't read them by herself. Instead she would get Jaune to read them for her while she made the choices.

As they'd grown up, they never truly shook that activity. Instead they let it grow from simple story books to full blown Fighting Fantasy books. Books which were more like a game than a linear story. This book was one that he hadn't read with her yet.

"Sure. Did you bring everything else?" Jaune asked.

She nodded and pulled out the notepads, pencils, and dice from her hoodie's oversized pockets.

Jaune sat himself up and took the book. He knew how long these took. Chances were, he wouldn't be getting much sleep tonight. Especially if she wanted the good ending.

/-/

"Sabel, hand these out would you? They're hot." Juniper asked as she handed over a loaded plate of food.

She took the plates bare-handed and handed them out to everyone present. Everyone else took them in hand, knowing that now that Sabel had handled them, they were safe to touch.

As she walked back to take her seat, Jaune watched her tap he foot against Coral's shin. There was a crackle and she jumped, slamming her knees into the table she was sitting at.

"Bitch! How many times do I have to tell you to stop doing that? It hurts." Coral seethed.

Sable shrugged her shoulders.

Honestly, he didn't feel too bad for his sister. She was always giving out shit to everyone else, so it was always good fun to see her get some back in return. With that said, Jaune didn't dare be the one to test her.

"And if you keep laughing Jaune, you'll find out what the inside of your own-"

"Now now, play nice. It's only breakfast. Let's save the threats for lunch time at least." Juniper requested.

"Yeah Coral, play nice." Jaune goaded.

His sister nearly flipped the table as she reached for him. His mother caught her arms and forced her to sit instead.

"Thank you for volunteering to do the dishes afterwards Coral." His mother stated as a warning.

Coral sucked her teeth and turned her head away from Jaune. In response, he snorted.

"Jaune... Go do some laps." His father ordered.

Damn it.

/-/

There was one more part to this but I got my wires crossed uploading chapters to AO3 and didn't save it before I closed it. Now I can't bring myself to write it again because of frustration. I apologise for the shorter than usual (and already quite short) chapter.