Chapter 12: Innocentus Mori
And now... we have initiation! And more horrible horrible things.
The sweat made his skin glisten as he looked at the pillar toppling down, the exhale that Pyrrha gave being one of relief and care, her eyes locked at the sight of the massive scorpion-like Grimm that'd been positioned below it, its life snuffed out with the pillar crushing it, his body feeling awkward and light. The aura inside of him sputtered and faded, a test having revealed its weakness... Yet the power inside of him boiled and bubbled.
"It's time that we get the Relic." He said, looking at the others around them. Ruby and her sister Yang, a dark-haired girl who wore a bow and Weiss, who looked a little huffy, her eyes giving him and Pyrrha a look.
"Safety first is always a good doctrine." Pyrrha said, making entirely too much sense. It would be a bad thing if they just went for the Relic whilst there'd be some horde of Grimm about to descend on them.
'That'd be stupid. The massive Nevermore was bad enough after the gigantic scorpion Grimm...'
He grabbed one of the Relics, looking at it for a moment and then tossing it to Pyrrha, who caught it. "Partner." He winked at her, a light dusting of red on her cheek. The Mistralian guy called Lie Ren and the excitable hammer-wielder who seemed to be going by Nora looked like they were sharing a little joke, the ginger-haired girl giving an exciting rendition of his amazing-ness.
It hadn't been so very amazing when the Mistralian guy had dropped down from the trees and inquired whether they'd need some more assistance, after they'd fought through some more Grimm. The garb that the young man wore had been similar to the stuff that he'd seen in some of the catalogues, a more traditional style of dress that had been popular in the outliers of Mistral.
That a ginger riding an Ursa had come in after nearly ten minutes of walking, had been a surprise. He could feel the danger in the air, the darkness inside him roiling like a black sea of dark portents. A soft shuddering sensation, whenever he looked at the Ren guy. Something was a little off, and it might just be the unemotional manner in which the guy held himself.
'Something's a bit odd...'
"Partner, we should get going." He glanced around, Yang and her sister animatedly discussing different techniques. He glanced at Weiss, who looked like she wanted to say something.
"Are you alright, Weiss?" He asked after approaching her, the red on her cheeks showing clearly that she was a little flush with some sort of emotion. Her tongue slid over her lips, her eyes went down to the ground.
"I don't feel like I did much... You've had to... rescue me." It had blown out his Aura with the landing, a fact that he'd hidden when he'd rose once more, Weiss' face showing clear joy at being caught. Her halting speech held a tinge of embarrassment, her cheeks flushed, as she looked clearly uncomfortable."I'm... I'm sorry. We didn't get to be partners."
"We're still friends, Weiss. That won't change, even if we have different partners." He said, laying a hand on her shoulder. She shivered, her hand placing against his chest. Her gaze went down, before she stood on her tip-toes and kissed his cheek.
"Thank you for rescuing me." Things had been heated, yet he could see the good within her, the bright warmth that was within her.
"That's what I'd do for any princess in need. Girls like you... I wish that everyone could be as warm as you are." He glanced around, noticing that the people around him were all blushing or looking away with an embarrassed look on their face, Nora mumbling something in her boyfriend's ear.
'Yeah... She said that they weren't together-together, but that they were together... I hope that I can find someone like that... Mama...'
The thought of his mama and him, together... was a difficult subject. His hand brushed over Weiss' shoulder, as he inhaled sharply. "Jaune?" Mama was nice. Mama was a wonderful woman.
"Jaune?" He was drawn from his thoughts as he realized that he'd pulled Weiss into what might be an awkward hug, his hands rubbing over her back. She looked at him, her last utterance of Jaune having been breathier and a little more filled with need, her eyes looking at him with that expression as she swallowed. "It's... It's not the time for this, not now."
"Ah, sorry, I just... I had this feeling. Sorry." The look on her face was crimson, as she looked at them. He caught sight of Ruby's older sister shaking her head, mumbling something that he didn't quite catch, as Pyrrha's face grew red. "I get lost in thought sometimes when dealing with beautiful women."
"H-hey... We should... y'know, head for the cliff? I'm sure professor Ozpin would want to make teams... or something." Ruby's voice was a little eerie, as she looked at him with her cheeks blushing. He was sure that it was just a thing.
"Ah, yes... Sorry, Weiss." The girl cleared her throat, straightening her dress out a little, her cheeks still red. "I've been around my sisters for too long... They really like the romantic movies."
"I-... I see."Weiss said, her voice trying to get some firmness. Her redness seemed to increase, even as Yang nudged her sister and whispered something that sounded like a question. Ruby shrugged. Weiss didn't respond. His hand squeezed hers, and Weiss blushed even deeper.
"We should do a movie night, if we get on the same team. Just all eight of us, watching some movies. Ooh, or go to the cinema." Weiss didn't seem to be getting any less red, as he smiled at her encouragingly.
"S-stupid... I'd need to prepare a little for that... Make... make things look good." Weiss said, her voice hesitating for a few moments there. He knew what she meant. Some of his sisters could spend an hour on their hair or more. It made taking a shower really hard.
Thinking about his sisters, the face of Saphron came to his mind, even as his expression fell. "Ah... I need to call my sister soon." He didn't stop the sadness from entering his voice, something that Pyrrha and Weiss seemed to pick up on. Nora and her friend Ren seemed to be discussing things, though it looked more like Nora was talking up a storm with Ren only nodding a few times at the right time. He wondered how their team would work, if Nora continued being a chatterbox. The poor other teammates might just go mad from the constant talking.
"Do you have many sisters?" Ruby asked, as they walked towards the direction of the cliff, where they'd be getting to hear who had passed the initiation and who had not.
"Seven, yeah... It's not as great as you'd think. Dad said that you just need confidence, but..." He said, Weiss giving a little huffing sound.
"Utterly incapable of assuming that Jaune has any sort of skill with women. Why, I told them off and they were just staring at me as if they were mere yokels!" The defence that she threw up for him made him smile, as he rolled his shoulders.
"It was a little hard for them to imagine that I'd have such a wonderful friend, Weiss. And you are still wonderful." A low whistle came from Ruby's sister, clearly impressed.
"Soo... How long have the two of you been dating?" He blinked, as Weiss turned red in the face once again.
"We're not... dating, per se. We're just friends." Weiss looked a little sad as he said so, yet she seemed to gather her wits. "She is wonderful, though." Weiss turned redder than before. "Her dad is a total asshole, though. No offence, Weiss."
"None... none taken." The girl said, the silent brunette with the bow speaking up.
"He forces Faunus workers to work harder for less wages than human workers." He didn't know much about that, so he shrugged.
"He pays them a living wage, though. It is not... It is not that bad." The girl's voice sounded unsure, even though her look at him was questioning him without words about whether he approved of that statement.
A sliver of darkness inside his mind told him to capitalize upon that sliver of doubt, to mould her to his liking, yet he felt that she would not benefit from it... an urge inside him welling up, giving her a smile.
"People have different ways of working, I suppose. At least he pays them. It would be horrible if someone involved slaves." He didn't really believe that the world was all springtime and puppies, not with the creatures of Grimm around, his eyes looking at the surroundings.
A twitch and he could feel the presence of the creatures come closer. "We're going to have company though... Grimm." There was an instant change, as relaxed postures turned steady, eyes flashing as they looked for the danger that had come to roost, as the first Beowolf cleared through the underbrush, rising to swipe at them. Pyrrha was in motion, blocking the strike with her shield, the javelin-rifle in motion, stabbing right through the throat.
"Thanks for the warning, Jaune." She said, her voice lighter and a little friendlier than before. There was something to her voice that just gave him a warm sensation, even though he did not feel the fear from her anymore.
She had come around to liking his presence, at least from how she felt. There had been fear, surprise and shock in her, yet there was only a steadfastness left, as she had adapted to being his partner. There'd even been the small fond smiles that he'd seen when he'd cracked a joke about the Relic being some sort of rubber ball that they'd have to chase.
"Yeah... thanks for dealing with that Deathstalker." He had quickly clued in to the fact that he could not take many hits, though his Aura regenerated rather quickly, according to Pyrrha. The magic that he used was more than enough, yet he realized that he'd best make sure that there would be no sign of him using it. He'd probably have to get some Dust in order to make it look like he was using Dust rather than magic...
It was lucky that Pyrrha wanted to keep the secret... Things might've gotten a little difficult otherwise. He didn't want to hurt her, as she looked like a wonderful girl who'd make a great friend.
An Ursa fell by the hands of Ruby's older sister Yang, a cheerful whoop coming from her mouth, as he watched Nora slam her weapon into one of the charging Tajitu's, the large snake creature looking faintly squashed as its other head rose up. Ren finished it off after a moment, the young man settling back down after Nora slammed her hammer into the beast's skull once more to finish it off finally, a high-five given to the lacklustre young man, who responded with a mild smile.
'Yeah... they've been together for a while, that'd explain their teamwork.'
They continued onwards, chatting about several topics. Weiss turned out to be knowledgeable on a lot of the different uses of Dust, seemingly as expected for her, engaging in a debate with the brunette known as Blake about the varying uses and different applications, occasionally segueing into the mining topics and Faunus rights, before switching with a carefully timed comment from him about some use of Dust.
It was camaraderie, he supposed, enough to inspire him to think about what he'd do if he landed on a team with any of these girls. His hand grabbed Pyrrha's for a moment, a look of surprise on her face, even as he leaned against her and whispered in her ear- "Thanks for keeping that little embarrassment with the tree a secret."
Pyrrha flushed, and he recalled the way that she'd been pressed to the tree, the look in her eyes scared and yet with the hope... a look that had made him feel different. "It's okay... it was unfortunate, yet we made it out." That they'd ran into Ren after a short while, the latter having admitted to being lost.
It was an odd set of people, with odd little quirks... yet it felt better than he had expected.
"Look! It's the cliff! AND THERE IS AN ELEVATOR?! OH MY GOSH!" Ruby was excited, a smile flickering on his own face as he realized the enthusiasm that she had for the things that happened.
'I'm glad she's my friend... sort of.'
"And now... Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie, please come up on the stage." He had watched the announcement of the teams before them, his eyes catching sight of the man already adjusting his tie a little to the left, to straighten it out.
"It seems we're up, partner." Pyrrha smiled, following after him, as Nora practically skipped up onto the stage with Ren following behind.
"You have retrieved the rook piece and are henceforth called team Juniper... led by Jaune Arc. We hope to see great things from you." The surprise on his face was real, as he looked at the man, who smiled encouragingly. The flash of an image overlapped the man, showing pale hair and darker skin, his eyes changing slightly in shape and colour, before it snapped back.
"Through strategic assessment and the use of the Huntsmen in training, you've been selected to become the leader of team JNPR." He smiled even though he felt terribly nervous, the polite clapping that several people gave bolstering his spirit. 'Team leader... woah...'
"Now, for the people who gathered the white bishop..." They stepped off the podium, letting their gaze wander to each other for a moment. He could see Pyrrha's smile increase in brightness as he looked at her, her green eyes tingling a little with that hint.
He felt a flash of desire go through him, a feeling like he wanted to drag her into some dark little corner and make her feel his lust and desire, to see her skin flush with redness and sweat.
'Like a goddess of war...'
"Congratulations, Jaune." She said, as he met her eyes. "I knew you could do it."
"Our valiant leader! Ren, doesn't he look all heroic?" The enthusiastic girl said, even as Ren nodded, clearly not willing to put much energy into things. Nora seemed to have energy worth five people, at the least.
They got to their dorm once they had been dismissed, opening the door for the members of his team to get in, watching the beds sit there, four in total. 'Well, this place looks neat...' The luggage that he'd brought with him had already been set in the room, with the suitcase that held his 'other outfit'.
'Selene would make sure that everything was alright.'
"Time to unpack! Ren! I get the bed next to you!"
The girl bounced on one of the beds, a smile coming to his face as he saw her be as exuberant as she was.
'Verde would like her...'
"Do you need any help?" Pyrrha's concerned voice spoke and he looked at her before shaking his head.
"I'm good. Thanks to you, I've made it through the initiation." She looked at him with an expression of doubt, guilt and something more.
"Now, don't look at me like that. You're a much better fighter than me."
She smiled, nodding her head. That was factual, at the very least. "Even if you were some Sacred champion or something... Eh, what was it that Weiss said..." He doubted that he'd remember, Pyrrha's smile growing a little.
"Sanctum, but you're free to ignore that little bit. I'm just Pyrrha here." There was a little hint of joy in her voice as she spoke, his eyes meeting hers and winking.
"Hi Just Pyrrha, I'm Jaune Arc. Sweet, apparently lovely, not so short and it rolls on the tongue... Or well, that's how an introduction's supposed to go, but I sort of forgot... I mean, you could say that it's sweet, but what if-" She started to laugh at him stumbling over his words, the impulse to make her laugh more, to feel her grind against him, her eyes looking at him as akin to a god...
"Now, if the two of you would like to stop flirting, we'd like to eh... do introductions?" Nora interrupted, and he looked at her direction, the excitable girl giving a broad grin.
"I'm Nora Valkyrie! This wonderful little creature next to me is Ren! We're besties! Buddies! Not together-together but always together... If that makes sense? Does it make sense, Rennie?" The Mistralian-looking teenager smiled fondly, Jaune getting a sense of exasperation and fondness from the other guy.
"We're best friends. I am Ren Lie, though the way we write it in Mistral is Lie Ren." The stoic-looking young man explained, a smile on his face. It was clearly something that the two had practised, as Nora seemed almost giddy. "We have come from Mistral here in order to become Huntsmen."
"A pleasure to meet the two of you!"
He was excited, immediately feeling that these two were good and upstanding people, who would be able to be trusted to have his back. It was a feeling that came from Nora's energetic mannerisms and Ren's stoic expression, which nevertheless held a great care for others.
'Like an excitable heroine and a silent sentinel, looking out to defend the world...'
"My name is Pyrrha Nikos, eh... I'm famous for fighting in the championships, but... I really don't like to be known as 'The Invincible Girl'. Just... treat me like you treat your friends and we're okay." The look on Pyrrha's face was abashed, as if the world seemed to expect something of her.
"You're just Pyrrha to me, Pyrrha." He said, trying to affirm her belief that she indeed was just Pyrrha Nikos to him. She looked at him, a little dubious.
'Did I say that too many times?'
"I'm Jaune Arc, Hi. I like to dance, have a good grasp on history and I've got seven sisters, as you might've heard. Let's all get along, shall we?" He smiled, extending a hand in the direction of Ren and Nora. Nora's hand grabbed his own, Pyrrha's joining it, before Ren's fit around it as well, a delicate hand.
'It's somewhat funny to see that I've got the biggest hands, although Pyrrha's are a little rougher...'
He supposed that this was just great. Two guys, two girls! No problem.
"Sooooo... Shall we talk about what roster we're doing for the shower?" He asked, an amused smile on Ren's face, clearly amused by the subject that'd cropped up. "I mean, we're going to be living together as a team, so it's not like we should skip the subject of showers... I've got a whole load of gunk to get off my skin..." He'd barely managed to get somewhat clean before the Ursa got to them, and with it, the feeling of discomfort.
"Alright! Rennie and Nora will go first! We're besties and we're used to showering together, so you can just slot the two of us in whenever." Ren gave an indulgent smile as Nora spoke, his hands brushing lightly over his sleeves, his gaze directed towards the excited girl.
"I'm okay with whatever you pick. I don't really use haircare products much... Aside from the sponsored things, so I'm just... put me wherever you want." He couldn't resist a smile at her.
"Even in my bed?" He winked at her, the flirtatious comment springing from the depth, her cheeks turning red. "No, that was a joke. Mind if I go and get clean? I've got... yeah, the landing strategy didn't really pan out very well." The blood needed to get off. He wanted to get clean, and he should call Saphron. Saphron was important too, but an icky grimy bloody Jaune would only just worry her.
Dad and Selene were with her... so that counted for something.
He missed the look of concern that Pyrrha sent at him, or the shared look between Nora and Ren, the former opening her mouth to start talking to Pyrrha.
'This is great... My team isn't one that's going to be a problem.'
Beacon was the best, thus far.
Salem allowed herself a light little smile as she heard the man's commentary on the food, a little dish that had been popularized during the late thirties of the current era. A time when there had been tensions to use to build forth dissent with the government, a culture that was rapidly changing. "So... You're saying that you've got the plans already in your schedule?" She inquired of her dinner partner.
"Of course, Miss Umbra. It is what you've hired me for." The detective had been worth his money, ensuring that every little bit of Terra Cotta's history had been investigated, the fine wine in her glass showing her taste, as the man drank another glass of beer, filled up. The pint had been enough for the first three hours, even as she met with the man. "Terra Cotta's plans for the future are included within the file that I sent you three hours before. I tell you, there's much about that woman that just bugs me. I don't think that the Dust case was an accident..."
She affected a surprised look, as she knew obviously the reason behind the Dust explosion. It was such a tragic event. "You see, there've been reports of domestic altercations at that address." The smile on her face faded, her worried expression almost genuine for her kind.
'Oh... You truly are worth every Lien that I have spent on you...'
"What I reckon is that Terra Cotta, already upset with her partner, staged the case to explode, killing her partner. The beneficiary of Saphron Arc's will is Terra Cotta's child, so..." The little bit of digging through the files of the local registration that this little mole had done had borne fruit.
'Such an easy thing... It would almost be logical for a partner to take out some insurance on her darling wife...'
On the surface, it appeared to be thus. Doctor Watts' redacting of the official policies and the swift signing of the paperwork by a tired Terra Cotta had been instrumental in creating the forgery...
'It's truly such a shame...'
She appreciated beauty. Terra Cotta could have been a wonderful wife... Yet her personality, stressed and tired from her work for the network around Argus, had been something that would have been a detriment.
'All for the greater purpose...'
Saphron Arc was already starting to show the signs of cracking. The hope that her ex-wife would return had started to fade already... It was such an easy little thing to convince the poor girl that things would be alright again...
'Of course... Everything will be alright. She just needs a mother in her life...'
There was no question of her love for her Jaune. He was the moon and stars, the sun and the earth. If he asked her, she would do as he asked... All because of the care that he gave her, the care that she felt for him as well.
"An 'accident', staged to look natural. Terra Cotta and her son, the beneficiaries of a million Lien insurance policy. I've done the rounds and found that Saphron Arc has no close friends, save for some neighbours, none of which would really be there to investigate... If she hadn't gone out in time to do some shopping, it'd have hit her front and centre. The kid probably would've been fine, since its crib was located on the second floor... Got a buddy of mine who works at the SDC to check the payload that'd be required to go and blow up a room..." The man pulled out some official folders, putting them next to the pint of beer. Technical information.
"And she miscalculated the dosage on the gravity Dust. It's normally supposed to be just a pinch, but the flame Dust and the gravity Dust interacted with each other. It's not likely that Cotta thought about the cascade effect when she ordered it, figuring that it'd blow up in her honey's face." The man's explanation was sound, even as she put a serious look on her face, her expression suitable for a woman who had just heard about the attempted murder of a young woman.
"How tragic... So... what would you suggest for the next course of action?" Her finger tapped the fork against the dish, the smell of cheese grating on her nose, yet the appearance had to be maintained.
"The police, for starters, Miss Umbra. They've got to know... Unless... You've got a different thought?" A smile on her face did not do justice to the feelings she felt, as she looked at the man. He was inconsequential in the long run, a mere pawn that was useful from time to time in her dealings in Argus.
"Oh... I think I may have a few options made available to me with your news... Thank you for the information." The detective had been an assistant to her for near-on twelve years, a man who knew how to keep his silence. When she had asked that he investigate the Cotta-Arc family, the man hadn't even blinked.
'The election of the current governor of Argus has improved the place a lot...'
Her actions were not always malignant. Ensuring that the corrupt competitor to the Argus Governor seat would be shamed and pressed into stepping out of the race had won the city cleaner streets...
'A good city is one that is managed well. A good house is one which has its mother and father and the offspring that it deserves.'
"And our other subject?"
She inquired, as the man waved for another pint. She covered the bill for it without complaint, even as she cut into her 'cheesesteak', which was just something that she had picked for the benefit of blending in.
"The files are to be sent to you in a few days time, Miss Umbra. You're not going to be disappointed... The man's a very bad dirty boy..."
The smile on her lips was brilliant, even as the glass of Argus Weissbier was put down in front of the man, who gave the server a squeeze to her butt, a smack following immediately afterwards.
"Your payment will be in your account. Thank you for the swift work, Mister Sharlock." The man grinned and nodded, his face glancing at the people around.
"You pay good, and the work isn't that tough... You'd think that a regular saint such as you would have dirt, but all I can find is an incident with a totalled car."
The history of Selene Umbra had been something of a mystery, yet the man was astute and willing to work to get the information. The car had been something of a sacrifice, one of the few times where the Selene Umbra identity was required to do something 'human' in order to keep the humanity of the persona.
"Alas... I am a mere businesswoman with entirely too many mercies in my heart..." The man's eyes were sharp as he looked at her.
"The work though... You think that it's going to be easy to get her convicted?" Salem allowed herself a small smile that allowed her natural beauty to come out.
"You are going for a conviction, are you not?"
"That is not for you to worry about, Mister Sharlock." She said, as her fingers tapped a fifty Lien card onto the table. "Suffice to say... I truly do not enjoy the company of those who would forsake the family they have built."
"It's perfect." She smiled, as her eyes looked at the tower that had just finished being built by the serfs. Their broken bodies were given the day off as they looked at their gods, their bodies rejoicing in the fruit of their labour.
"Our home..." The house had been abandoned and the conquest had started with a rocky start, yet she relished in the thought of having a place to settle in... To grow a family.
You could trust the family that you build yourself, the ones who you shared the power with... An heir to the line. A man to care for his queen... A god-like existence to those dregs who dared to be living below them.
"We will need staff. The finest of the finest." She had expectations. The serfs that were fitting would be selected and they would rejoice in the bringing of devotion towards their gods. The best for Ozma and herself.
"Of... of course." The hesitation in his voice was there, as he was not used to the tithe of royalty. He had never known the luxuries of the nobility, even as she, who had been reared within the chamber of the tower that had been her domicile since her youth, knew what the worth of a woman and a man was.
A fine stable of chambermaids, there to ensure that the bed would remain fresh and well-cared for. There would be a stable where their mounts could rest, a minor garrison for the defence against whatever miscreants dared to show opposition to her grand dominion... to their kingdom.
"Is it worth it, Salem... All this... building?" She did not understand the question. Why would one object to a castle? It was where the royalty dwelled, after all. Their offspring, divinely appointed to the lead of their empire.
"Did you wish for another tower? We can instruct the serfs to build it, they are glad to serve." Their families would be swept from the earth otherwise. She was a wise goddess, with the power to lord over these little mockeries of true humanity.
"No, I just... I just don't think... All this..." She shook her head, already calculating in extra things. Another tower would be nice... perhaps a bridge between them, for the evening walks. She loved to see the sun set in the distance, to see the night come. She felt alive in the darkness...
As well as enjoying the gasps and moans of her husband when she decided to grace him with her body during said setting of the sun. There was a delight in the faint after-heat of the day, slowly fading with the darkness.
"We will make an empire that will unite this world, my dear..." Her voice was firm, as she looked at the joyous serfs. "Even if it'll take us a hundred years." She kept her promises, always.
There was always the threat that could be made to a person's life, a little twist on the words that one whispered, as she pulled her coat off the coat rack and pulled it on, aware that Hazel was just getting ready to pull the car up to let her depart.
'The next appointment...'
A pause for her to let her hair down, so to speak. Her eyes glistened in the light of the lamps. An appointment that could hardly wait...
Adelheid Blau was currently in the process of making sure that everything was going just in accordance to her wishes. The small notes that she had compiled into a comprehensive list had been pinned to the wall, as she started to motion for the tall man to move it. "Come on dad! Move your butt! Show your daughter what a good Huntsman you are!"
The man smirked, lifting the heavy box up as if it were easy, his forty-five-year-old body in good shape, as he pushed himself to bring the box down. She was moving out, and she was getting a job. The benefits were tangible!
'Sure, I would probably not be as hasty if I was Miss Umbra. She gets scary when she's focused...' Not that she could complain, of course. No woman of means would want to be associated with someone who enjoyed a drink every now and then as well as the company of decent people.
'I hope that there won't be any nosy people inquiring about my past...'
The shock that she'd had when she met Selene Umbra for a casual conversation and the contract signing was enough, her father's hand pushing the box closed. "Princess, are you going to call when you're at your new home? It's not safe..."
She smiled, poking her father in the side. "Daaaad! I'm twenty-three! I can manage a little bit of extra stress! I'm no longer a baby!" The man was way too concerned for her. "Plus, I've got an employer who's willing to host me at one of their places. The Huntsman I'm going to be working with is an absolute cutie-patootie!"
She wasn't lying. The guy looked a little sheepish, but damn if she couldn't get lost in those blue eyes. She'd always had a weakness for guys with blonde hair and blue eyes, something that her friends had called a 'narcissistic streak', but it was what it was.
"Just be careful, sweetheart. You're not a Huntress... If he forces you..."
The snort that she gave was crude and unwomanly, yet the image of that young man forcing her to do anything just couldn't quite register in his mind.
'Anyone who's got such a godmother better beware... That woman would rain down hell and Grimmstone on a family member if she got ticked off...'
Reputation was worth a lot in the world, and from the pegging that she'd done for Selene Umbra, that woman did not mess around with her reputation. Plus... she kind of knew when someone was a bad egg or not. The young guy that'd been friendly with her over the Scroll had been a good egg, if she'd guessed things right.
'Right... And I should get his sister some flowers. A good impression... Yeah, that'll go over great. It's just caring for his family...'
"Daddy, you're too overprotective." The man grumped, as he started to go down the stairs. "He's a nice and upstanding young man. I've been hired to build his career. You remember the great Nikos, do you?"
She'd gotten one of the posters for her wall... Yeah, that'd been one of the PR things that'd been the subject of her last year. Pyrrha Nikos, the young champion who had opted to go for Beacon...
"That redhead girl with the cereal? Don't you hate that stuff?" She snorted lightly. The cereal was horrible, really. She didn't like sugary stuff in the morning.
"No, but you should see her brand value! It's nearly thirty million Lien a month in advertising alone. The power of a good presentation and skill... Oof. Mom?" Her mother looked up from her newspaper, the footbath that she was currently resting her feet in already prepared to look naturally.
"Yes, Adelheid?" The woman asked, her voice questioning, the set of glasses on her nose mostly for reading purposes, the bad eyesight luckily having skipped her generation.
"Do you think Vacuo has a decent connection to Argus?" She'd leave things a little vague by asking questions, the standard option when you were working incognito behind the screens for the next Huntsman talent. There had been a member of a talent agency at the scouting for Haven academy, and she'd just gotten the ping that the next up and coming team was to be SSSN... she wasn't going to be outdone by some scrub who sucked off the teacher for a passing grade...
'Not that she had many morals, that little trash bum.'
She wasn't above some petty spiteful gossiping though, even with how much work went into getting herself properly attired for the day.
'Looking good is an art form... and I am a fucking masterpiece.'
"Maybe. Are you thinking about going there with your new client?" It wasn't an unusual question, she supposed, giving a slight nod. Vale and Vacuo were on the similar level... It'd be much easier to dodge questions about 'where are you' if you remained vague.
"Possibly. There's a few good shots that you can get in the desert for promotional material. It'll be like that movie with Bruise Green!"
She did a little hand chop and an 'ooowhaaahh!' sound, her father's bemused expression showing that he was amused with the way she was acting.
"You better keep your hands to yourself, princess... Wouldn't want your client to drop dead from your kung fu skills..."
She snorted at that thought. Against a Huntsman? She'd be pressed against something hard and solid with a hand, then...
'Yeah, hot sexy fantasies, shut off... I don't need the thought of that right now...'
So what if she had a few kinky things, eh? She needed to get another drink. "I'll be beating that guy off with these hands, dad."
Her father gave her his patented 'dad' look. The slight pressing of his lips together, the loose blonde hair that he wore with the style combed to the right a little, his scruff looking like she'd want to... Yeah, that was the wrong line of thinking. Definitely. She was dad's princess, but that didn't mean that she wanted to fuck him. Yuck.
"Adelheid, you are a-" She'd heard that song and dance before. The little comment about how she should be serious.
"a daughter of the house, wise and knowledgeable to know better. I shall not make crude jokes about boys in your presence, nor will I deny you the pleasure of knowing who will be meeting your weapon..." She'd heard it too much, with her father's protective instincts about her definitely being a bummer. It'd been bad when she'd wanted to become a Huntress like her father, but now...
"Alright, I promise not to sexually molest the guy, alright? The boss made me sign a contract that had an express clause for behaviour. Can't drink, can't date... I feel like one of those holy women locked in a tower or something." It was bad, but it paid really well! Six figure salary, a good bit of work... and probably looser restrictions on her when she'd gotten the right amount of trust.
'I think it might be a good idea though to not... indulge a bit. You can do it, Adelheid! Abstinence!'
She knew her habit of getting loose with her body when she'd had a few drinks, and the embarrassment that occasionally cropped up when she'd have to make a trip to the pharmacy for some stuff of womanly need.
'Alright... professional, perfect... hmmm...'
"Dad, do you think a shipping container is best, or do you think a single big box might be best?" The man smiled as he set the box down, the audible clink of the ornaments on her frilly dress loud.
'Ouch... That's probably not going to be too great to get fixed... I hope they've got decent seamstresses in Vale.'
"How long do you usually have to wait at Vale airport, dad? You've been to Vacuo before, right?" She looked at the man, who looked a little thoughtful.
"About an hour or seven... International flights often take time to prepare the Dust and the other preparations. Why?" She grinned. Miss Umbra had said something about that jackass going to Vacuo.
"Ah, an ex of mine is going to Vacuo. I thought I'd hit him up." She wanted to shout at him at least for a little bit. Miss Umbra was thorough. She didn't fully trust the woman, yet the guy that she'd been hired to make into the next best thing since Pyrrha Nikos... Yeah, you could trust someone who looked that open.
"Princess... It's not the one who nearly got you pregnant, was it?" She suppressed the wince. Dad hadn't been supposed to know about that. Of course, she'd always prepared after a very wild bender...
She was skilled, she was able to market and she might have a teensy little alcohol problem, but it wasn't that bad. "No, dad. Not that one."
'Only the guy who'd nearly leaked my sex movie to the Scrollnet... Yeah, that'd go over really well, Adelheid...'
"This is more an ex with less feeling." She'd been a little less stressed now that there'd been some time, with her dad present. "Sorry that I won't be helping around the house with you here. You've only arrived a day ago or so, so I'm sorry... But we'll call, right?" The man smiled at her, the warm smile that he'd always used for her.
"Of course, princess. Who am I to deny my darling sweetheart's dream of being some hot-shot producer. If your client gives you any problem..." The man's offer was kind. The unspoken 'I'll beat his ass like a skinny loser' was almost too warm for her, her eyes warm. 'You're so nice, dad...'
"I'll call you and you can go and get him eradicated from the world, yes... Dad, I've got standards! The contract is tighter than the Argus defence wall. If I get drunk or cause a scandal, I'm out on my ass." The look on his face showed that he disapproved of her language, yet she could not be bothered too much by it. Dad was one of those traditional types who frowned on the use of such language. A controlling dad too, if she'd have to put a label on it.
'Riiiight...'
"As long as you keep in mind to call your mother frequently, we won't have a problem, princess." The man said and she sighed.
"Yes, dad..." She supposed that she might as well get some extra drinks in her when she'd be on her way back from the hospital.
'Hmm... I wonder...'
As she walked past the nurses and doctors, the bouquet of flowers in hand, she idly wondered whether they'd just believed her because she had blonde hair and blue eyes, or whether there'd been some unseen hand of fate trying to egg her on to meet with Saphron Arc.
"She is resting here. Enjoy your time with your sister, Miss Arc." She smiled, nodding her head.
'Well... At least I didn't dye my hair green like I did in junior year...' Lying just a bit about being here to visit her sister and fibbing the name a bit to become 'Adelheid Arc' was just... creative license. She'd apologize for it.
Pushing open the door, she took a deep breath...
'Time to make a good impression.'
She felt numb. Everything inside her was like a haze, a dark cloud that seemed to threaten to swallow everything. Her ears picked up the sound of a door opening, yet another nurse who'd probably inquire as to how she was doing.
'What's the use?'
Terra had been plain in how she had stated the terms. It was done. She was... she was single again, and her partner had just thrown two years into the wind, all because of...
'No, Adrian was a good boy, even if... even if he wasn't mine.'
Their little arguments from time to time had to do with Terra being absent so much. It hurt her more than she'd ever admit, even with the pain. A bleep on the Scroll that miss Umbra had left behind for her as a gift, even as someone picked it up.
"Hey..."
She looked up, coming nearly face-to-face with a bouquet of flowers that'd been professionally arranged. They smelled good and they looked like they'd been selected with a message. The blonde young woman who held them looked... pretty, in an objective sense.
'Woah...'
"My name is Adelheid Blau... And I eh... I might've lied a little to get into your room."
She saw the wink from the other woman, who walked over to one of the vases and set the flowers in it. "The Scroll is on your bed. You've got a call."
She wondered briefly why this 'Adelheid' was here, before dismissing the thought that it was an assassin hired to kill her by Terra. Out of most of the courses of action that her ex-partner would take, hiring an assassin was not in the cards.
'No... Terra hated the sight of blood.'
She grabbed the Scroll and slid the call button down, opening the call from a number that she only barely recognized.
'Valean Area code... hmm..'
"Sis!" The sound of her little brother's voice was like a little warm blanket around her, as his face appeared on the screen, the video call connecting. "Are you okay?"
The woman known as Adelheid smiled, taking a little step back. "Ah... Jaune." She wanted to cry, she wanted to curl up again and just keep herself in this sad state, yet... she couldn't do it. "It's a... It's a little bit of an odd time, Jaune. I've got company here and..."
She looked at the woman, who was dressed casually, with a little bit of decorum and little makeup.
"I'm sorry, but I just wanted you to be the first one to know... I've passed Initiation."
The news didn't register fully in her head as she looked at him, blinking once. It was a moment where she could only feel the numbness.
"I'm now officially a Beacon student. My team is cool!"
She smiled softly, knowing that it meant something to him. Her little brother had always been there for them to bully a little, making sure that he got the best dresses... even if they occasionally did need to just curl up and cry whilst he brought them a pint of ice-cream. He'd been there when she'd started to date Anna and he'd watched as she and Terra moved to Argus for Terra's job.
"That's... nice." She didn't know what else to say. She looked at the blonde woman, who tucked her hair behind an ear.
"Miss Blau, I'm thankful that you've brought some flowers, but-"
"Ah, I didn't explain why I'd come to visit you."
The embarrassment on the woman's face showed, as she scratched the back of her neck, a blush on her cheeks that was 'cute' in Saphron's perspective. "I'm Jaune's publicist and manager. Miss Umbra hired me to take care of Jaune's career."
'Well, that makes sense...'
She tilted her head, looking at the woman. Jaune's sound of excitement drew her eyes away.
"Oh, Adelheid is there? Hi!" The other blonde woman walked up, leaning herself onto the bed so as to not be making her uncomfortable.
"Hello there, Mister Arc."She smiled, professional for the moment, before a broad grin broke out. "I took the liberty to go and visit your sister, bring her some flowers. You don't mind if I do that, do you?"
Saphron was relatively savvy to the way of people. With Rouge as her sister, one did not notice the subtle clues of the woman's professional attitude slipping right back on, whilst the woman's body angled itself to fully address her client.
'Not bad...'
"Of course not. Thank you so much for coming to visit Saph. I would come myself, but..." He looked ashamed, Saphron noticed. She felt bad for him, but... it was what it was.
'Terra...'
"I'm... I'm..." She exhaled, a long-suffering sigh coming from her lips. "I'm going to be released from the hospital soon." She didn't know what else to say. Her only brother's eyes looked at her with the big smile on his face. He looked so happy for her.
"And... Are you and Terra..." He looked so hopeful that they were going to climb over this mountain of pain and suffering, so optimistic...
"We broke up, Jaune. We're..."
Terra's eyes, holding nothing but disdain and anger. She was blamed for Adrian's death, even though she had not been able to really do anything about it. It wasn't her fault!
"We're no longer..."
The sob started, as the tears came, her head shaking. A hand on her upper arm, the other woman stroking gently over her side. "I... see." The words were spoken with an undercurrent of anger, with that impotent frustration that he'd shown at times when he was upset by something that they'd done.
His face turned pale from his anger, even as his face showed that frustration in its dark look. In a certain manner, it looked like he'd been growing. She could feel Adelheid give a little squeeze to her hand and leaned against the woman.
"I'll get Selene to give you a house. Some money, food, whatever. Anything you need to smile again."
He looked at her with those eyes that had that broody moody look in them, her mood dark as the thought of 'what next' went through her mind.
"Jaune... You can't expect that she would be willing to..." The woman had said that everything would be alright once again... That she would have safety and security once more.
"She will. She's... She's a good person. I swear... If she says no, I'll pay for it out of my own pocket." He sounded so convinced, as the tears came.
'You're good, little brother...'
"It's going to be okay..." She said, trying to keep her voice level. "I'm... I'm sure that it will be okay. I'll have to.. I've got to find a house." The look on her brother's face was stern, a look that their dad also got when he was focusing on something. It was the patented 'I am a man' look.
"Come to Vale... Be with... Be with the family? If... If you need to, we can get you an apartment, just so you're not around the family too much?" She wasn't sure... She wanted to see her sisters again, yet every time she thought back about home...
'Terra's favourite little spot in my bedroom. The picture on the wall that I'd had framed and left, just so that we'd have... something.'
The pain was raw, as she had lost the child of her partner and her home. "That'd be... nice, I suppose."
"Mister Arc, please... Don't worry. Miss Umbra has suggested that I live in one of the buildings she owns... I am sure that we can find a spot for your sister as well. As your publicist and PR woman, I will make sure that your family gets the best treatment it can get." The hope in her heart rose, as she knew that the woman meant well. It was... It was a little like she'd just gained another ally.
"Good, good... Just know... Selene will make sure that everything goes alright. She's... she's like a second mom." Saphron could see that. The woman had been warm in her treatment, the hug having felt better than anything else...
It was not just the feeling inside her of pain, but one of hope. 'Perhaps... perhaps it is time to swallow my pride and...' She sighed.
"Mister Arc, I have signed the contract, officially hiring me as your coordinator."The formal voice of the Adelheid woman came, and her brother's gaze shifted a little, looking at his manager.
'He's lucky. He could've gotten one of those old men...'
She'd heard a few times about some of the producers of some Huntsmen teams, since Argus had the world's first Huntsman PR education, one guy named Harvard Winestone having been implicated in a massive scandal involving young and promising Huntresses and relations.
'Well... I wouldn't be able to blame him if he did...'
Adelheid Blau was not quite her type, but she had to appreciate the look. She didn't feel... anything, at this moment, but if she'd been a few years younger...
'I'd eat that pussy like it'd be grass on the plains and I was one hungry cow.'
She preferred her women darker though. Terra had been the darkest, with her skin tone holding some Atlesian to it, mixed with some Vacuo blood, according to the tests done.
"Selene always has the best ideas. I think I'm lucky with such a beautiful coordinator." Saphron could see the genuine compliment for what it was, but Adelheid seemed to freeze for a moment, the smile turning a little wooden.
"But eh, yeah... Sorry, I mean, that might've been impolite. I've been trying to work on the compliments, but... well, my oldest sister Rouge says that I'm too honest, and..." The laugh from Adelheid was light, yet strained, at least how Saphron interpreted it. She could smell the perfume that the woman wore with their close proximity.
"Now, Mister Arc... This is just a professional relationship. My contract would be voided if I did anything with you."
The words were formal, yet Saphron could see something in the woman's face, a look that was hard to deny.
'She's like... twenty-five? Maybe a few years younger than me... That'd put her around the age of the twins...'
"Ah, yes, sorry... I'm... One of my friends, she's this really great girl, but she's suffering from this dad who just uses her like she's a pawn on the chessboard."
Saphron wondered who this girl was, and why she'd not been introduced to her yet. She might have lost a girlfriend and partner, but... to hear that her little brother had a friend that was a girl that they'd not been introduced to.
"Ooh, eh, I'm probably not supposed to ask, but you're not... entangled with her, I mean... did you have... relations?" The look on her brother's face was uncomprehending.
"Whether you've had sex, Jaune." The look on his face brightened a little as she clarified. Jaune was a little stupid about innuendo.
"He's a bit silly with innuendo. Trust me, put it bluntly and he'll understand better. Silly little brothers... Heh." Adelheid gave her an amused look, and Saphron felt a little better. No longer were her thoughts fully on the loss of her relationship, or the child that she'd raised with that woman.
"Oh! Eh... Yes, but... Eh... Dad..." The blush on his face was adorable. Adelheid seemed to think so too, if the giggle and the little nudge was any indication. It felt friendly... almost like she'd just gained another friend. "She shouted at dad and Verde and Jade, when they called."
"Ooh... my brother's turned into a man!" She couldn't suppress the teasing comments. The sister code demanded it. The interest on Adelheid's face did not fade.
"She wasn't some sort of prostitute, was she? It's important, if you let her get pregnant, we may be getting a lawsuit for child support once you are fully certified as a Huntsman." Her brother's face showed surprise and concern, shaking his head.
"No, we made sure to use a condom. She... might have pressured me into it? She wanted me to come to her hotel room and well... things got a little out of hand." Saphron's lips pressed together, her expression turning a little darker.
'That's not good.'
"That's rape... No, coercion at the least. Did you..." Adelheid seemed to be in her serious mode, all hints of unprofessional conduct blasted away. Saphron decided that she liked this woman. It was nice to see someone who cared a little more than just the basics for someone like her brother... an adorable goofball who just wanted the world to be happy.
"Selene already threatened her and her father, if I've got to believe my friend. She's here at Beacon with me as well." The smile on his face was enough, as Saphron heaved a sigh of mental relief. The smile was as pure as it could be. As long as he was happy... she could muster the happiness as well. She was an Arc, after all!
"That woman's got tits of steel... Ah, eh... Ahem." The blush on Adelheid's face was cute, as she'd let that slip. "I apologize, that was not the conduct of a representative." The smile on her little brother's face was warmer, as there seemed to have been an equilibrium established now.
"No, don't worry. Selene's more formal than me. You're talking to the guy who went by Joan for a few years and who had to model dresses." Saphron snorted. That'd been amusing to do. "As far as being insulted goes... I'm not offended easily, unless you touch my friends or family."
'Aww, isn't that sweet? We've got a protector here with us.'
"By all means, do bear with me." The woman said, even as she shifted on the bed a little. "Your sister's just got a nice bouquet of flowers from me, and well, I was going to do the whole introduction stuff to you through a Scroll call tonight, but... You don't mind if I eh... just barge in and make myself at home with some of your assistance, do you?" Saphron didn't know what the woman meant with that. Jaune didn't seem to know either.
"With the whole moving and stuff." No bells rang yet. Adelheid gave a sigh. "I'll have to ask Miss Umbra for an advance payment so I can get my stuff from Argus to Mistral and then shipped to Vale. I was asking whether you were okay with me appearing out of the blue, maybe pick me up from the airport?"
'Ah, that makes more sense...'
"Oh! I'll get some of my teammates to help with your bags. It'll be nice to see whether we can make it a team outing. One of them is really hyper-active, and she's-" He looked to the side, where there was a sound of someone whooping excitedly. "really excited about our first day at Beacon. Her best friend Ren doesn't really... eh, seem to be that excited. Perhaps it's just an energy thing... Ooh, and my partner is really cool." The smile on his face was warm, even as someone offered him a bottle of water. "Thank you."
"No problem. You're calling your sister, so I figured I'd help with a little refreshment." Something sounded familiar about the girl's voice, yet Adelheid's expression was pensive, as if she were thinking about something.
"Ah, please, I've got to show you all to my sister." Someone's hand was in the view of the camera, making a negating gesture.
"No, I'm not properly made up... I'd hate to show your sister a bad looking me." There was some hint in the girl's voice that definitely made her love radar blip a few times. 'Oh my...' This was definitely a better and more interesting prospect than musing on the shitty situation she was in.
"If you say so... I think you look pretty no matter what." 'Woah... That's pretty darn cheeky.' The girl who hadn't come into the view of the camera yet made a gesture with her hands.
"N-now, you may just say that, I mean... I'm nobody special." The smile that Jaune got on his face was the same smile that he'd had whenever something positive happened in his life.
"You're my partner, that makes you special." 'And my little brother scores...' She wouldn't be surprised if those two ended up together, if she'd have any guess. "You're the one who awakened my Aura, after all." Adelheid stiffened, her eyes going wide.
"Hey... It was... It was a large chunk of my own. We fought the Grimm off with you..." He seemed to realize that the topic might be a little distasteful, as he smiled at the unseen partner. She sounded like a nice girl. "But... I hope you get well soon, Miss Arc."
"Thank you."
Saphron replied, her voice soft as the emotions came once more. Her little Adrian, the boy who'd charmed her heart for the first time that he looked into her eyes, was gone. Her partner, Terra, had gone back to her previous boyfriend.
"I'll... I'll keep living on. I'm going to Vale, if Miss Umbra wants to help." She had nothing left in Argus. The pictures that had been caught in the blast had been destroyed, the uploaded home movies undoubtedly still safe... yet she could not bear to look at the 'happy' family that they had been.
She had always been the more feminine one in the relationship. She liked to be the keeper of the house whilst her partner worked. Terra had a high-stress job, enough to make sure that ends meet and with only a few moments when tensions between them had been high enough to erupt into a spat.
She'd been foolish. Terra worked all day, and she'd been the stay at home mother, caring for the baby boy, buying groceries and formula... and never really exploring Argus. It had been a stale life, one where the highlights of her day centred around her partner and not... around her.
She'd spoken until deep in the night with her dad and miss Umbra. Dad had seemed ashamed that he could do no more, whilst Miss Umbra had been the one to reaffirm that every cost from the hospital would be taken care of.
"We're going to make sure that you're alright, Saph. You're part of the family." His confidence in the fact that things were going to be alright was heartening, even as she teared up a little.
'Perhaps... perhaps having an aunt would be nice...'
Selene Umbra was old enough to be an aunt, at the least. She'd just accept the goodwill from the woman... That's what was offered, so there'd be no problem. "I'll be giving you another call tomorrow. Please tell dad that I love him." The look on her brother's face was warm and she waved. The pain in her arms felt a little lighter.
'You're always trying to look for the best, little brother.'
The call shut off and the Scroll went into sleep mode, handing it to Adelheid who moved it to the small side-table. "So... He said that he hadn't had his Aura unlocked..." The line of questioning was surprising, as Adelheid's expression turned serious. "What was his prior education?"
"Eh... high school? He's always had the idea of being a heroic Huntsman, so... I guess that's it?"
The woman looked serious, before she shook her head.
'Not happy...'
"I guess it doesn't matter... If he's survived Initiation, that counts as a pass under most circumstances... Aura or not, it's going to be tough for him to get into shape for the Beacon classes..." The look on Adelheid's face was serious, as she seemed to be in business-mode, something that Saphron found to be pretty endearing. "But that's fixable with effort, or so I have heard. You've got people who pass the combat exam and turn out to be pretty alright in the end."
"So, Adelheid..." Saphron said, and the woman returned to the current situation. "What do you think of my little brother?"
The woman smiled at her with a conspiratorial smile, one that made her wonder for an instant whether she'd met one of those Mistralian fox demons, the blonde woman's hand going through her hair. "Oh... I think he's cute. So... What's the situation with the guy who dumped you, sweetheart?"
'Oh.'
She felt her spirit flag a little more. Terra was still a sore subject, given that she'd been single for around... half a day? Maybe a little more?
"Woman, actually. My partner was... well, it was her baby. He died during the accident."
The surprise on the woman's face lasted for a moment, even as the concern showed immediately afterwards. "Oh, I'm sorry, I... I really didn't think... I mean, it's accepted, and I'm not... I'm not prejudiced, I swear." Saphron smiled a little as the woman stammered.
'Heh...Cute.'
"It's okay, we knew what we were getting into when we married. Argus was more accepting of our relationship, with Terra and the baby..." She couldn't say the name, as she felt herself choke up a little. "I've... I've not really got much left here."
"Everything is going to be alright. I'm going to make sure that Jaune gets the best deals with the companies that I can fix." The look of seriousness on the woman's face was something heartening. The woman had been hired by Miss Umbra, yet there was this connection... Something that told her that the woman would go above and beyond the call.
"Adelheid, I..." The woman shook her head.
"Call me Adel. Friends can call me that." The understanding in the woman's voice was just what Saphron felt she needed.
"A pleasure to meet you, Adel. Call me Saph. We're sisters now, eh? Adel and Saph Arc." She winked, referring to the introduction of the woman, who grinned.
"Part of the biiiiig Arc family. Eh... If you don't mind me asking... How many sisters do you have?" Saphron smiled.
'Yeah... Another blonde for the family... and if I play my cards right...'
She wasn't against trying out some blonde... "Six!" The look on Adelheid's face was one of surprise.
"Is your mom still human? Geez, your parking space must be full all the time if your dad's pull-out game was that bad." Saphron snickered a little. Not that it'd been a hassle living with her sisters and her little brother.
"Last I checked, she was half dragon. Able to tell you off for sitting with your dirty shoes on the couch and also telling you about how cute guys are. She never quite really liked my preference for women." This felt like a friendship that she could get behind.
"Mine just complains about my choices in dating men... She found a used condom and was like 'Adelheid Blau, I found a condom!' and I was like 'Yeah? I use em, mom!' and she went on about 'how a good girl like me should not have meaningless sex!' and stuff. I was eighteen!" Saphron could empathize with that.
"So... On the subject of your brother... I kind of swore a secrecy agreement, so if you'd kindly keep your mouth shut about me visiting... That'd probably land me in the hot water as well with Miss Umbra." The look on her new friend's face was a little guilty, something that Saphron could understand.
"Sure... That's what being a friend is for, right? Mom always said... Strangers are friends that you haven't met yet." Adelheid grinned.
"Got it, Saph!" Saphron smiled. There was a silver lining to this. She'd keep the secret, if it'd mean that her friend wouldn't get in trouble. That's what an Arc did.
'And if we end up in bed together...'
She wasn't going to deny a romp between the sheets to a friend...
Salem allowed herself a moment of repose, even as the seventh glass of wine was raised, Ashton Arc sitting opposite of her, consuming his ninth. The wine was a fine year, the vintner having only bottled sixteen bottles... and each cost more than the weekly salary of a businessman. With her wealth, it was but a mere peculiarity. The other contents of the bottle... a touch more specialized.
"Enjoying the wine, Mister Arc?" Her voice was tailored to enhance her appeal, the sensation of her body already under the influence, as he looked at her. "It is a fine vintage."
A looser dress, one that allowed her breasts the space to breathe. A carefully arranged hotel room, upper class and suitable for a monarch of her standing. She would not let anything to chance, even as the notification on her Scroll pinged, showing that the dear girl had met Miss Blau. Leaving an observer was always the best issue with... domestic cases.
'That was swifter than expected... But it would not matter in the long run. The girl has no choice...'
"Of course, Selene."
The man's cheeks were slightly flush. If she had to compare Jaune and his father, she would say that his father was more of a sturdy man, compared to the brilliant star that Jaune was. To her, the man was the dregs of the barrel, whilst Jaune was the fine pedigree...
"So... I've written this contract, in order to facilitate the move of your daughter to Vale. I assure you, there will be no cause for worry. One of my properties is already available and ready to be moved into."
A nice building in a scenic location. A place where a young woman could live without being harassed by ruffians, with the facilities for the mundane life within walking distance.
"That's kind of you, Selene." The man said, using her personal name without being given permission. Her lips thinned, even as she pushed the contract towards the man. A little smile would make him sign, as the de facto guardian of Saphron Arc... and former guardian of Jaune Arc, as detailed in the contract.
'Such an easy little thing to get written up... Since the elder of the two siblings is in the hospital, the younger is still below the age of majority... A regent is never too shabby to ensure the best for the people under their care.'
"Here... Ashton Arc... Yep. Do you need my wife's signature as well? Carmella is a little bit old-fashioned, but she'll understand that you mean nothing bad with it. Rouge has her own apartment as well, so it's not like... things are a bit different now. Co-signing something with a Huntsman's job..." The signature was valid, and she put it in the folder, ringing the bell to get Hazel to come in. The man had been accepted by the Huntsman as the bodyguard for the 'frail' woman that was Selene Umbra, even as she gauged the man's reaction from the corner of her eyes.
'Oh yes... I suspect that you will find that your life will be different, Mister Arc...'
"Please, do mail these to the officials, Mister Rainart. Mister Arc and I will be discussing all night about our plans for the future." She knew well that the man was able to do so with a simple courier. The paperwork was all above the table, so she knew well what to expect. A filing of regency for a young woman caught within a horrible accident... and a young man who was not of an age yet where he could decide on his own.
'Now... for the next step.'
She allowed an interested look on her face, as the door swung shut. Her expression was light, as a small smile curled her lip.
"Ah... you've got a little something on your cuff." A little smudge of wine, the man's lip having dripped with a droplet. His eyes were a little bloodshot and the man's aura was no longer tolerating the strain of the liquor. She herself was perfectly sober... She never afforded herself the hangover from over-indulgence.
Her fingers pressed against the cuff, the man's gaze looking up at her, her eyes peering at him for a moment, before a hand pressed against her hip, the man's hand brushing over it. "Mister Arc?" Her voice was inflected with surprise, with some feeling, even as her body tensed up.
"You're a very pretty woman, Selene." Her eyes went wide, the part acted impeccably. Her ears could detect the faint swing of the door shut, and she knew that Hazel had gone out to get the courier...
"Mister Arc, I am..."
The hand slid up, even with her fingers on his hand, the squeeze sending a pulse of revulsion through her. If it were up to her... she would burn the hand off with a blast of fire.
"We're drunk, Selene... Let's see where this goes, shall we?"
His other arm fit around her waist and she allowed herself to be pulled into his lap. Her expression, carefully kept in that shocked expression, as his lips pressed against her own, a sloppy kiss that made her want to throw up, a low 'hmmgdff-hnnn' from her lips, as she let her fists pound weakly against him.
"Mister Arc, this is-!"
The urge to blast this man into smithereens, into a charnel house's scene full of blood and guts, squashed by the cold side of her.
"Selene... Shut up."
She looked and felt affronted by the command, as she felt his stronger manly hands grab at her. Rough hands, unable to appreciate her body fully... Drunken man-hands.
"You want this just as much as I want it."
Anger inside her welled up, showing on her face. Her expression was furious, mixing with frustration and that mild fearful look that always drew attention from the onlookers.
"Mister Arc!"
She called his name, even as he pulled her close. His lips found hers again, the scruff of his chin, unshaven since his rapid departure from Vale, his eyes boring into hers. His son's eyes held more love, yet there was a primal lust within them.
"If you... If you let go of me, we can treat it as if it never happened."
She was not a weak woman who would plead, yet she appeared to be willing to treat with the man, even as she felt his hands squeeze her buttocks.
"Shut up."
He got up, carrying her onto his shoulder towards the bedroom, her legs kicking and thrashing, his grip stronger than hers. The small tour of the apartment had shown him where the room was, and she allowed herself a small smile internally.
'Just as planned...'
Three hours later, she was laid in the bed beside the man, her body language arranged carefully as the soft whimpers pulled from her lips, the audio catching it perfectly, as she pressed the small button on the device that'd been half-shoved underneath the bed, her arm arrayed in the manner of just dangling across the bed. The camera and audio recording shut off, and she allowed herself a look at the man who had just violated her.
The first hour had been struggling and crying, the man's wanton desire flush, as her body was battered by his energetic manhood. A modicum of resistance, tailored to a man whose lust had been inflamed through liquor and a little dash of a special blend of spices.
Only cold simmering hate inside her welled up, as the small case was popped open and she inspected its contents. The man's stamina was impressive, but that was the only thing that she could remark about it...
His son still was able to stimulate her better, albeit his stamina lacked slightly the oomph that she enjoyed. The second and half of the third had been the sight of submitting to the man who violated her... a woman who was being raped by the father of a young man who she cared for. A tragedy.
'Oh... I do believe...'
Between her fingers, a syringe filled with a sedating agent was held, the needle pressed against the neck of the sleeping man.
'I do believe that you are going to be sleeping the dreams of the innocent, Ashton Arc...'
The liquid shot into the man's veins, even with how his body responded to the prick. A natural sedative, barely detected by drug tests... and its effects with alcohol were just as noticeable as a strong hang-over... He wouldn't be waking up until late in the morning, at the earliest. Most Huntsmen were out cold for at least a day... But this was a special blend.
"Mister Rainart?"
Her voice called, a little stronger, the man entering the bedroom, her fingers patting her stomach, a distant look on her face as she saw the slimy remnants seep out. The core of her power had guarded her womb, hardening her cervix and obliterating any inferior seed that would come to rest within. This queen would not allow a mere commoner to take what was hers and her prince's. The vault remained shut.
'That's at least enough evidence...'
"I do believe that a trip to the hospital might be needed... I appear to have been raped."
Her look down at the unconscious man was full of her disdain, as the giant of a man nodded, offering her a set of jogging pants, good enough for 'evidence'.
"Twice in the face, Mister Rainart..."
The fist hit her in the lower cheek, her head rocking back, even as the other fist hit her right on the forehead. The man looked sternly at her, doubting for an instant the orders given. It had been explained to him as a test of the man's morals... A trial of sorts...
"A man who would cheat on his wife and force himself upon a woman... He is unworthy of Jaune's love. You might say that he is as much a beast as dear old Ozpin..."
The man's fist clenched, the gritting of teeth, a look given to the comatose man, as she slid the pants on, her lower body wearing only ragged underwear. She could see the way that his mind functioned, the disgust as the man's slumbering form continued to lie there. The man had heard the violation, yet had been instructed to stay away. It was a test of the man's ability... and she was able to protect herself adequately.
Her fingers stroked over the slumbering man's cheek, much akin to Jaune's, the small sparse stubble that grew there like a scratching cactus. She liked her men smooth-shaven.
'So much for your vaunted loyalty, Mister Arc... There are few things that I find impermissible... Adultery is one of those things... You never were the man that your father was...'
She had a meeting at the hospital now... And it would be an awful shame if the man woke up the next morning in an empty bed, right?
'The things that I do for my love...' She looked down at the man and smiled a wonderful smile.
'I am going to tear your happiness apart, Mister Arc... By the end of your days, your children will hate you... and your spouse will spurn you.'
The video evidence would speak for itself... After all...
Who wouldn't believe a poor raped woman, right?
Well... We can safely say that there has been some explanation about NTR. The first thought I got was actually a tv and radio company from my own home country, but someone corrected me about it being some kind of adultery/cuckoldry (Not quite my thing, really) kink where apparently it's a girlfriend/wife being stolen away...
Yeah... Salem just skids over the moral event horizon and right into the darkness like a queen. She really doesn't believe that Ashton Arc is in any way a good father...
And Saphron made a new friend! Is this that fabled 'rebound' girl? Who knows!
Next time... More Salem! More Saphron! More Adelheid... and Jaune's first days at Beacon!