HI EVERYONE! I'M BACK-ISH AND STILL OWN NOTHING! ENJOY!
October 31st. It was midway through the season of fall; the leaves started to turn into a million beautiful shades of red, yellow, and orange. The wind has the bite of a chill in it. Birds fly south and beasts prepare food and dens for hibernation in the face of the bitter winter to come.
But on this most wondrous of days the foreboding chill of oncoming winter was forgotten in favor of colorful festivals, confections, and costumes. You see… it was Hallo-FUCKING-ween ladies and gentlemen!
All throughout the Kingdom of Vale decorations were strung up of ghouls and ghosts and goblins. Families carved patterns both simple and intricate, horrifying and gut bustingly funny, into hollowed out pumpkins and prepared to place candles in them to lend a little light to a spooky holiday.
Workers put together stalls and rides and games for street carnivals. Parents and homeowners prepared heaping amounts of candy in bowls as treats for kiddies lest they be faced with a trick later in the evening. Children giggled in delight as they each excitedly put on their costumes for the night ahead of them. A night where fear turned to whimsy and the ursa at the end of the block was just Timmy's dad in an ill fitting onesie. Of course, in the span between childhood and adulthood there was another group of people, separated but still near to the kingdom, that had their own rituals for the holiday: the students of Beacon Academy.
The life of a huntsman was hard. In exchange for the skills, power, and respect an individual attains they are expected to give everything of themselves to the good of others. More often than not, months on end in the wilderness, hunting down monsters both grimm and human. Foregoing safety and comfort so that those behind them may sleep in peace at night and they give it up willingly, every time, because that's the job. That's what it means to be a huntsman or huntress and both the veterans in the field and the rookies still studying understood this implicitly. That being said. Everyone needs a break every now and then.
Strings of orange lights hung off the ceiling of the common rooms for the beacon dormitories. Students gathered together around large plastic tubs cutting pieces of fruit into them with bottles of juice and hard liquor sitting behind them. Others were hard at work putting on, or in some cases throwing together at the last minute costumes, and if some of them tended towards being a little on the crude or risque side of things, well sometimes it was nice having an excuse to show up and show off just a little bit. Or at least that's what one Jaune Dylan Arc told himself as he nervously adjusted the harness and bracers he was wearing.
Blonde haired, blue eyed, a little dorky, and possibly a lot nerdy it was no surprise that Jaune's costume was inspired by a superhero. The hero in question was a little unexpected, and definitely not something he would have worn this time last year and his build might've still been just a little on the lean side of the spectrum for this particular costume but by Color he had made amazing progress in the past two years and he was going to show it! It was just…. a little on the drafty side… maybe he should've made the one from the comic book run with actual pants instead of a loin cloth. Whatever it was fine, it was Halloween anyway and if it ended up looking ridiculous he'd play it up as a joke costume.
Grunting, the Arc grabbed his weapon, already in its greatsword configuration, and strapped it to his back. The costume was the least of his worries right now anyway. Much more pressing was what today was. The answer in question being threefold, it was Halloween, yes. It was also the first anniversary of him and his girlfriend getting together, and said girlfriend's birthday. Her first birthday since they had started dating.
This made perfect sense of course though the young man didn't realize it. Because of course all of those stacking on the same day was bound to happen. After all the universe has a sense of humor and events come in threes.
"Ughhhh….." Jaune groused as paced back and forth in his room even as his eyes kept drifting back to the package at the foot of his bed. Was it a bad idea? Was it enough? What if she didn't like it? What if he was screwing everything up? What if what if what if?
"Out." Came the imperious voice of a young woman not willing to argue.
Pulled from his spiraling thought process, Jaune turned to see his teammates, Pyrrha and Nora specifically, standing just inside the doorway to the JNPR dorm, each holding a wardrobe bag in one hand, and Nora giving him an exasperated look with a thumb pointed over her shoulder. A fairly universal symbol for 'Get moving'.
"What? What'd I do?" The blonde barbarian asked in a voice colored by confusion tinged with exasperation. He'd just been standing there after all and it was his room too.
"Jaune," Nora began in a voice that was not unkind but left no room for argument. "We walked in three minutes ago. You've been walking back and muttering to yourself the entire time."
"Ah," Jaune floundered for a moment. Surely he hadn't been that bad, had he? "I see." The moment dragged on awkwardly as the barbarian and his lieutenant maintained eye contact in a battle of wills. The manic power of a slightly neurotic young man with self esteem issues versus the indomitable will of a young woman who needed to get dressed in time for a party that doubled as a hot date. The stalemate dragged for what seemed like an eternity between the two. Then Jaune opened his mouth.
"It's just-" the blonde began awkwardly before being cut off by the living hurricane that was Nora Valkyrie in complete no nonsense mode.
"You look good, she'll love the gift, and everything is gonna be fine." The petite carrot top dead panned as she stepped forward to pat a hand against his arm in a show of support. "You're overthinking things again like you have been for the past few days since you bought the thing and I'm here to tell you, it'll be fine. Ruby'll love it. Right Pyrrha?" The valkyrie finished as she looked to her other teammate for backup.
"She has been eyeing it off and on for weeks Jaune." The crimson haired gladiatrix offered with a gentle smile. "And the other stuff you got for her personal party next week is all really nice as well. For now maybe go relax or find something to keep yourself busy maybe? Nora and I need the room to change either way."
They were both absolutely, positively, one hundred percent right of course, and even in the middle of his nerves Jaune could acknowledge that… "But…"
"OUT!" Nora insisted as the hand patting his shoulder to offer comfort turned into a grip of steel as the orange haired berserker strong armed her leader out the door of the dorm as Pyrrha waved good bye apologetically. "Go help CFVY with the set up or something! We need to change!" And with a final shove and a slam Jaune Arc was out in the hallway and exiled from his own room.
Alone. Exiled. Betrayed by two of the women he trusted more than anything, our blonde behemoth was stuck in the hallway wearing nothing but a metal harness and fur loincloth with his greatsword painted silver. Why did he think this costume was a good idea again? What chill possessed him to make such a decision!? This wasn't him! He was the hoodies and plate armor guy! He didn't show this much skin! He didn't have the build for this guy! What in creation had made him think it was a good idea to dress up as-
"Hey there He-Man," Jaune heard the sardonic voice of Yang Xiao Long say followed by a long low whistle. "Gotta admit, if I knew you'd fill out like that VB I might've given you a shot before Rubes could."
Turning Jaune faced his fellow blonde, the lavender eyed pugilist carrying her own wardrobe bag over her shoulder as she held her scroll to enter her room. "Heh, thanks Yang," Jaune responded and prayed that she didn't see the blush working its way up his ears. "Kinda not used to showing this much skin though…." The barbarian trailed off as he awkwardly rubbed the back of his head.
"Hey, come on bud," Yang got his attention, voice gentle if a little playful. Never one to avoid a tease, Yang was still a caring person after all and not one to put down a friend over something they were obviously sensitive about. "You've put in the work for years, now you get to reap the benefits! Plus just looking at you I know you'll knock Ruby's socks off. Well, if she doesn't knock yours off first." Yang finished with a tease.
"Thanks Yang, I appreciate it, I really do…." Jaune trailed off and the two drifted into a companionable silence for a moment while young Mr. Arc worked up the courage to ask his own burning question. "Sooo… out of curiosity….. What's uhhh… what's Ruby dressing up as?"
"She hasn't told you?" Yang asked with a teasing lilt to her voice while her grin pulled wider.
"Nope." Jaune said with a finality typically only mustered by his paramore. "She said she wanted to keep it a surprise." Indeed Ruby had been increasingly more and more smug about it every time he had asked as well, much to our hapless hero's consternation. .
"Well far be it from me to spoil the surprise then." Yang responded with a very familiar impish smile. They were sisters after all, Jaune should have known better.
"Please? A hint? Anything?" Never let it be said Jaune was above begging to get what he wanted if it was something that simple patience would get him in time anyway.
"Well she might take a bite out of you," Yang laughed as she took in the look of confusion that Jaune knew was covering his face. "Just relax lady killer, it'll be worth the wait. Trust me." With that Yang entered the dorm to get changed for the party and Jaune was left alone with his thoughts as he wandered towards the common room.
Bite… bite…. Was she a dog? Naw that didn't seem very Ruby. The girl loved horror movies and loved Halloween no way she wasn't leaning into it. Maybe a werewolf? Or…. oooohhh sexy vampire maybe? Jaune wondered to himself as he maintained his meandering pace, doing his best to ignore the shiver in the back of his mind. Was… was someone watching him? Pyrrha had mentioned this to him before, the ability to sense oncoming threats, but he was terrible with this aspect of his aura.
Still though, who could possibly be targeting him in the dorms of all places? Maybe it was just his imagination? Yes,surely that was it dear audience! Just the overactive imagination of a stressed out young man. He just had to ignore that sinking sensation like a hundred spiders crawling up his spine with a featherlight touch. That certainty that there was someone or something nearby. Don't worry though Jaune it's just the wind and you're fine.
But what's that sound? That steady thump thump thump? Is it the sound of footsteps echoing or the sound of his own heartbeat thundering in his ears? Was it getting closer or further away? Was it louder? Louder. LOUDER. LOUDER.
The young huntsman broke into a sprint. Of course this was not done out of fear ladies and gentlemen. Because professional monster fighters and heroes don't get scared from simple feelings of paranoia in hallways. This was simply him behaving logically of course. In a situation with a possible unknown assailant it was best to extricate himself from the situation, find a safe area, and assess the situation. Or at least that's what Jaune would tell you.
So Jaune ran down the hall and did not stop until he reached the stairwell. His heartbeat thundered in his ears, his chest was heaving but at least the feeling had finally, blessedly, stopped. So why did he hear the sound of heavy breathing just above him?
Jaune froze. He could feel the beads of sweat form on the back of his neck and sides of his face. He could feel the chill of those steady heavy breaths blowing on them. Slowly our blonde barbarian turned to see what eldritch fate awaited him.
Slit yellow eyes in an empty black void sat directly above him.
"Boo."
"Aieeee!"
"Pfffffft, Shallow Sea, your face." Laughed Blake Belladonna as she dropped from her perch in the corner of the ceiling throwing our young lead a teasing smirk.
"Holy shit I hate you." Jaune gasped as he took in great gulps of air, hands on his knees and head hanging low. "I hate you. I hate everything about you. And I hate your boyfriend. He is a terrible influence on you."
"Fox is awesome, you're just salty." The ebony haired faunus said as she stuck her tongue out playfully at her friend. Dressed in her own special garb for the holiday the shadow huntress was dressed as the ninja her skillset made her. "You okay there Jaune?" She asked as the young man maintained his doubled over position.
"Yup, be just fine," Jaune grunted out, voice laced with heavy sarcasm. "Just give me a sec to swallow my heart back where it's supposed to go. I think it's lodged somewhere in my throat."
"Oh you're fine," Blake retorted as she offered him a hand up that he gratefully accepted. "Besides, I hardly ever bother with pranks. Seemed like a fun time to do one."
"And I was the lucky target?" the blonde barbarian asked sarcastically.
"Pretty much, mostly of convenience if I'm being honest." The black cat said without even a hint of remorse. "By the way, have you been by the common room yet? Ruby was down there looking for you. She was pretty excited for you to see her costume."
"Not yet," Jaune shook his head. "I was heading down that way when you started chasing me in the hall."
"What are you talking about?" Belladonna asked, confusion covering her features. "I just saw you running my way and posted up on the wall waiting for you."
"Had this really freaky vibe while I was in the hallway..." Arc explained the situation to his current companion as the two made their way downstairs towards the common area.
/\\\
"Huh, maybe it's your semblance acting up again?" Blake suggested as she pursed her lips in thought. "It could be supercharging the sensory aspect of your aura?"
"Dust and dreams I hope not, I have enough issues without my own powers giving me anxiety and paranoia issues." Jaune grumbled as the two walked through the door into the common room for the dormitory.
The venue for their soiree was humble and worn but well cared for in the way only a dormitory could be. Plastic bats and ghosts hung from the ceiling, black and orange streamers were strung across the room alongside strings of orange lights, and fake cobwebs were hung up in the corners. A shindig that was very obviously planned on a limited budget that had already decided what the main priority was going to be as Jaune took in the table in the center with a large plastic tub full of the mainstay of any large university party, jungle juice.
"We'll get it figured out," Blake promised as she broke away from his side. "I'm gonna go find Fox, but let us know if you need anything ok?"
Jaune flashed a thumbs up before heading off in another direction as he began his search for his erstwhile girlfriend. On and on it took him dear reader.
Past the dreaded foosball table of champions where Yang the Dragon and Pyrrha the Princess smiled as they engaged in mortal combat. Through the solitary corner of the introverted and antisocial usually a haven to the socially awkward instead a home to a pink and black haired mummy and his amorous flame haired queen this evening. Beyond the grand feast hall known as the snack table where the northern witch with her snow white hair sampled their wares. He continued his search even as his breathing grew ragged and the pinpricks of sweat once more formed on his brow. All eyes were on him from everywhere at once, a thousand spiders crawled up his arms to his face.
It was starting to happen again, he needed to get it under control. Deep breaths Mr. Arc, slow deep breaths. He did his best to bite back the yelp that tore from his lips as a hand came to rest upon his shoulder.
"Whoa there, you good Blondie?" Asked Coco Adel, voice tinged with concern. "You didn't get into anything you weren't supposed to, did you?"
Jaune's pulse roared in his ears, everything was so close and far at the same time and he felt so exposed. He could tell where every person in the room was even if he couldn't tell who was who. The sensation was continuing to expand outwards as more and more of the beacon dorm made their way to the party and Jaune had to choke back down bile. He turned to Coco, breaths coming rapid and shallow.
"Have- Have you seen Ruby anywhere? I've been looking for her all night." Jaune asked. She was fine. He knew she was fine. He just needed to see she was fine. Everyone else was fine he had seen so. He just needed to see so and he could leave. Go somewhere away. Somewhere quiet. Somewhere where there weren't so very many things pushing in on his mind and soul.
"Look to your left." Called the voice of the girl in question.
Relieved, Jaune turned to do just so and could not help his instinctive scream as he flinched back and away falling to his back. A mottled, dirty, gray wig covered her normally dark, dark red hair. Makeup like something out of a movie gave an impression of rotting flesh and an eye popped out of its socket hanging by the stalk. It was Ruby. Ruby in all her zombified glory. Good. Good. Now he just needed to. Needed to. Oh no.
"Jaune? Babe? Are you ok?" Asked young Ms. Rose. The fun of her paramore's reaction was quickly replaced as he didn't move from his place on the floor. Eyes wild and darting back and forth.
"-cket," Jaune bit out as he gripped the sides of his head.
"What? Jaune? What's wrong?" Ruby urged her blonde barbarian as she bent down closer.
"I need a bucket."
/\\\
By the time our young hero was fully finished performing his examination and confirming that indeed, food really was much worse coming up than it was going down, he had gathered a fairly sizable crowd of concerned onlookers to his place on the ground in the middle of the room.
"Alright Blondie, come on, look at me," the voice of Coco Adel cut through the fugue Jaune found himself in, and even though the words were a command, the tone itself was gentle. Jaune did his best to wipe his mouth and turned to face the older girl, doing his best to ignore the presences pushing in on his consciousness from all sides.
"I know you don't feel well right now but I need you to answer some questions for me so we can figure out what's wrong." Coco informed the younger huntsman who simply did his best to nod as she pulled out a penlight and began flashing it in his eyes. "Your pupils don't look like you're concussed, have you hit your head particularly hard in the last hour? Have you accepted food or drinks from anyone here or left your own food or drink unattended for any period of time?"
"N-no," Jaune mumbled as the pressure in his mind started to turn into a migraine. "I wasn't roofied, something wrong with my semblance Blake says, too many people, I can feel all of them."
"Shit, sensory overload," Adel cursed. "Alright we can handle this, Fox went through something similar last year when his semblance evolved. We need to get you away from crowds for now. You got your man Red?"
Ruby nodded in confirmation and got her boyfriend back up on his feet with help from Ren and Yatsuhashi. Said boyfriend doing his best to try and wave off the concern from his friends.
"Y'all stay'n have fun. I can get myself back up." The Arc insisted. His voice lacked any real conviction as he tried to pull away from his friends and found himself stumbling a bit.
Ruby simply stood up and slung her boyfriend's arm over her shoulders as she moved to help support his weight and keep him steady. "Jaune, baby, I love you. Stop being stupid."
"Do you need any help with him?" Ruby turned her head to see Nora moving to take Jaune's other arm before she shook her head.
"It's cool, I've got him," Ruby promised. "You guys stay and have a good night. I'll take him back to the dorm."
"Sorry I caused a scene ever'body." The soon to be bedridden blonde mumbled an apology as Ruby felt a surge of sympathy. He only ever let his accent come out when he either really felt bad or was really agitated. "Y'all have a good night, love y'all."
And with that the two were on their way back to the JNPR dorm.
/\\\
"You don't have to stay with me if you don't want to, you know? I really am feeling better." Jaune insisted from where Ruby left him on his bed in his pajamas while she went to wipe the makeup and prosthetics from her face.
"I know!" The reaper in red shouted back towards her beau from the restroom as she turned off the faucet. "I want to spend the night with you, you goof. Make some room for me."
Jaune did so, scooching over to the side and grunting a bit as Ruby let herself fall onto the bed and into his side. "I'm just saying it's your birthday and you love Halloween. I'm not gonna blame you if you want to head back down to the party."
"Nope!" Ruby chirped with a giggle as she snuggled in tighter into his side. "I'm gonna have a good night right here with you. Now hurry up and pick a movie. You feeling up to something spooky?"
"Mmmm…. You gonna be offended if I ask for a comedy first?" Her huntsman asked and Ruby felt him tense as he asked. "Sorry."
"Don't be." Ruby did her best to reassure the now surprisingly built blonde. She had appreciated the fruits of his hard work before, of course. But for some reason every time she saw him all she could see was that same lanky dork that had picked her up that first day off school two years ago. Well, helped her up. Maybe picked her up a little too, though he didn't realize it at the time.
"Semblances are weird honestly, I mean Yang showed you the pictures. I had to live on liquids and soft foods for two months when I was a kid because I ran mouth first into a granite countertop with a petal burst." Ruby laughed as she ran through the admittedly still embarrassing memory.
"I just don't like making you take care of me."
"We take care of eachother goof," She laughed as she slapped Jaune's arm in false reprimand. "Besides you're the one who had to carry me up last year when I had too much to drink. Now come on, pick something. First choice is yours." Ruby promised as she pecked him on the cheek.
"Welllll…." Jaune drew out awkwardly as he turned a bit more towards Ruby, holding a gift wrapped package in his free hand. "There was one other thing. Happy Birthday Rubes." He finished with a kiss to the crown of her head as Ruby eagerly took the package.
"Oooohhhh…." Ruby wasted no time tearing through the wrapping paper to get at the gift inside and felt her heart melt a little bit at what she found inside. "Awwww….. Babe!"
And from there dear readers we will allow this young couple a moment of privacy to enjoy their evening together. I will however leave you with this. Late that night when the other members of team JNPR finally returned from their holiday celebration they found their fearless leader and his lady love curled up around each other in bed asleep as scenes of blood and gore played on the screen of their television. He in his rabbit themed onesie. She in her brand new beowulf onesie. Complete with a hood shaped like the beast's head.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Hey y'all. For anyone still here it's good to see y'all. Sorry I haven't been able to upload. 2021 has just been a really rough year for me all the way through between troubles with work. My depression kicking back into overdrive. Job hunting. And now I'm also DMing for some of my friends meaning the very limited writing time I have goes to that til the friend who usually does it takes back over lol. Still though I am genuinely sorry I have a couple more chapters built up so expect something each week again for the next couple of weeks.
Now for some housekeeping:
Fair warning I'm dropping Huntsman of the Digital Hazard for now since I accidentally wrote myself into a corner a bit and it seems like most of y'all don't really care for it? And with the amount of work I put into it that's kinda disheartening so it's on the back burner for now.
Gonna be posting first chapters for a few different fic ideas I've had some crossovers some not and I'll let the readers decide which they like best. Also next week's upload will be for Between Shots and Songs and the will absolutely 110% get finished no matter what.
Thanks for your patience and well wishes and cries for more while I've been radio silent. It means more to me than you all know. With that this is Eliad91 signing off for the week saying I love you all and please don't forget to love each other and yourselves.