Chapter 3
Jaune's aura was endless- or at least, that was how it seemed. As long as he wasn't literally being starved, he would survive. Cinder initially thought that meant she could break him all the sooner. She was very wrong. The brat could take any beating she gave, he endured and endured and endured. The one lead she had at the rest of her power resisted, endured, and gave her nothing.
For quite a while, Cinder believed a break was right around the corner. That at any moment, the prisoner would shatter, beg for mercy and spill everything. His screams, sobs and broken cries seemed to suggest forfeit- it at least affirmed that the moron could in fact feel the pain Cinder inflicted. But, no. Still nothing.
Cinder left his cell every morning with more and more anger building up in her. If she were honest, it was far more than just anger; it was fear, dread, greed, guilt, and terror. All things the monster that shared a form with her adored. From where Cinder was once only missing a hand, the grimm successfully crept all the way up to her shoulder and threatened to take over her wounded eye. The feelings the impending clock brought served to help none at all.
That was why she forfeited her once a day strategy. If she wanted to break the captive, she would have to ramp up, to give him no relief. Cinder changed to twice a day, then three, and even four sessions a day, each intentionally timed right when Jaune thought he might be able to fall asleep. Maybe that would break him!
It did not. The sleep deprivation, like most else she tried, took what felt to be a higher toll on Cinder than on her captive. She resorted to her flames, to cutting, carving, and burning more and more innovative spots, but never did Jaune waver. He didn't even offer up a false answer. Cinder had seen Salem coax out hundreds of false answers from her victims through even mild torture, but Jaune gave nothing. It broke her.
Stomping back into the cell, each step cracking with the hundreds of discarded and shattered glass blades from her sessions, Cinder accepted one truth of this. She would need to be more inventive- she would have to find a new torture- one more apt for what she saw to be just a prideful fool of a bastard man.
On what otherwise would have seemed to be a morning the same as any other, Jaune hung, suspended by his wrists, still cuffed above his head. It was intentional, to put him in such a painful position. Cinder thought it would help her break him. She was wrong. With hope that his friends were all alright, Jaune would never give in- NEVER. He didn't care how she tortured him or what she tried. Even her worst over years wouldn't make him turn on his friends.
Ironclad his will may have been, Jaune's stomach still turned when Cinder returned with a larger, more decadent breakfast than ever- never a good sign. Cinder lately, had taken to an ideation- a somewhat accurate one- that if she fed Jaune more, his aura would last longer and she would be able to torture him all the more.
"We can start with your meal." Cinder offered quietly as she released the lock that held Jaune's chains up.
Jaune tumbled down to the ground and fell forward. He was more accustomed to hanging than to standing these days. "You sure? We- tried that the one time and…"
"Yes, I remember." Cinder huffed- her voice was sounding… completely back to normal. It made Jaune wonder how long he had initially been out. Previously he assumed his recovery took months and months. For some reason he thought it had taken a year! But when he first woke, Cinder and her voice were still trashed. Only a handful of months later, she seemed to be back at one hundred percent. Well, maybe not one hundred, that malignancy that had once only been her hand crept up her wrist and almost all the way to her shoulder. Jaune didn't like to think about it, the sight alone was rather horrifying. "Not to worry though Vomit Boy." That term always left Jaune feeling sick. Not sick in the way that the name might ensure- though, it sometimes did feel like that. But… something about it he could never quite pin just didn't sit right. "We will be changing things up today."
"Huh?" Jaune looked up to her, baffled as ever.
"You're clearly too stupid and prideful for me to break you through… traditional means. I shouldn't be surprised, you are a Man after all- naive, short sighted, and blunt." More than the disgust with which she said it, something about Cinder's words left Jaune queasy- something more familiar than he was ready to acknowledge.
"What are you going to do?" Jaune scoffed as he scooched over to the tray on the floor. He rolled his eyes and began to pull apart the toast to eat at it slowly. "Try and torture me by braiding my hair?" He laughed to himself, too caught in the meal to realize why his mind jumped there. The last time he had felt that way- truly off kilter in such a core way was when his sisters taunted him the same way Cinder just had.
"Amongst other things, yes." Cinder answered calmly.
Jaune choked on his meal. "I'm sorry what?" He coughed and tried to calm himself, but it didn't work till he took a swig of the water cinder had brought. If he hadn't been distracted, maybe he would have noticed how it tasted off. Not that the water he was traditionally given ever tasted 'right' but maybe he would have noticed the difference.
"You will see. You have your meal, I'll get started on your hair." Cinder offered in an almost friendly tone.
"Wha- uugh, whatever." Jaune shrugged and focused on the meal, picking up the eggs with his toast and occasionally tasting the new addition of sausage.
Cinder tugged roughly at the matted patches in Jaune's hair- the side effects of not truly being able to bathe in he had no idea how long. Also, being so often covered in blood certainly didn't help. She tugged, but her clawed fingers seemed to do well to act as a comb. As she yanked, huffed, and tugged, Jaune for the first time realized how long his hair had grown. It wasn't much a thing he thought to or about. There were no mirrors for him to even see it in. but… he looked behind him to see Cinder still running her fingers through it.
"What!" Cinder snapped. "Did you still think I was joking?"
"Ah, honestly? Yes." Jaune winced.
"Well you can always stop it by just telling me where that thief-" Cinder's voice caught- on what Jaune couldn't tell, and he couldn't manage to care as the grimm hand spasmed and yanked at his hair.
"Oouch! Hey! Hey that hurts!" Jaune winced. He winced, but his face sunk to an earnest frown. It certainly served as reassurance to Cinder that whatever she was now trying would work. But Jaune wasn't particularly sad as much as he longed for the days when things like this were a regular occurrence. When his sisters would tease and play with his hair.
Jaune thought on multiple occasions of growing it out. His sisters seemed to enjoy playing with their hair, styling it differently this and that a way. If it weren't for his father, he would have likely gone ahead and done it too.
Pappa Arc was a good man; weary and oft lacking energy for family events after a long day's work, but he was a good and loving man. Jaune's mother frequently called him a trooper for managing to deal with all the women of the family; that it must have been tough to be so outnumbered. His father would always joke that it was alright. He had his one son, that was all he needed.
True to that, Jaune's father regularly treated him like a gift from the gods. After seven girls, one boy. Exhausted though his father always was, papa Arc never failed to have life to play catch, to toss a football, to train Jaune as best he could learn. So so happy to have a boy, Jaune could never have pushed bounds like growing out his hair while he was back home. His father needed a son, right? Maybe that was the reason he pushed himself- and falsified his way into Beacon. Pappa Arc always said hunting grimm was the bravest thing a man could do- that he'd be so proud to have a son who- "Hey! Oouch! Do you have to tug like that?" Jaune couldn't help but laugh. His sisters would keel over laughing if they could see him now; nothing had changed at all.
"Yes! You're disgusting. I'll have to yank to work all this out!" Cinder huffed.
"Well, you could just let me bathe or something? Then it would come out easier." Jaune commented cavalier and careless; truly believing there was no chance.
"I'll consider it."
"Wait! What? Really? You- you're going to let me…?"
"No, I brought it in here for my health." Cinder rolled her eyes.
"I- I mean! Thanks!" Jaune brightened and cheered.
Cinder just deadpanned and stared at the prisoner. "Strip." She demanded.
"Oh?" Jaune pulled at his ratty blood-soaked carved remnants of a hoodie. "You wanna wash my old clothes? I mean, that sounds nice and all, but… this is barely a crop top at this point." He winced and shrugged. "Eh, still better than nothing. I'll drop it outside just after you leave. I'll probably need a long soak to get all this grime off anyways."
"Strip now, you buffoon."
"Huh?"
"I'm not leaving."
"I! I! But- but you're a-" Jaune squirmed uncomfortably and shied away from pointing out the disquieting difference between the two of them.
"I don't see the problem with that, girls change in front of each other all the time."
"I- but I'm…"
"Strip, or I will burn all your clothing off of you."
Jaune shuttered at the ideation of having to deal with third-degree burns and a hot bath, so despite every part of him screaming that something was wrong, he complied. The hoodie was easiest and barely existent to begin with, so he started with that. All the same, he covered his chest with shame. It never felt right to be topless. Even in that dress he'd worn to the Beacon Ball, he felt a little exposed in- not that he had any real reason to feel that way.
"Bottoms too." Cinder produced a small flickering fire in her palm threateningly.
"R- really? Don't you want to get a guy to do this?" Jaune's stomach turned again when he thought of being watched over my a man's leering eyes while he bathed. It was one thing to do it in the lockers where he could hide behind towels and time it to be away from as many people as possible.
"No, that would just be inappropriate." Cinder smirked.
"F- fine." Jaune huffed and kicked off his jeans, still covering his chest with his arms.
Cinder just snapped her fire into existence and pointed towards Jaune's boxers. "Those too."
"Really?"
"Do you want a bath or no?"
"Uugh! Fine!" Jaune's cheeks burned and he threw them down, struggling to cover enough of his chest with one hand while the other covered downstairs.
"Come now, touching yourself so bold like that isn't very polite of you." Cinder snickered.
"I'm not! I am covering myself, not trying to… GROSS!" Jaune snapped.
"We'll work on your behavior in time. For now, just get in. You'll need a good long soak to even near clean again."
Jaune frowned and did his best to keep his modesty together as he slipped into the large bath Cinder had beasts of grimm carry into the cell for her. "Are you expecting this to make me break? I- it's certainly uncomfortable, but nowhere enough to make me give up on my friends. Especially not now that I know Pyrrha is still out there!" He protested and covered his sex with both hands as he slipped into the water. It was extremely calming, but it also seemed to open up some blood flow- not in a way Jaune found pleasant whatsoever. He certainly did not need Cinder seeing that.
"What makes you think she is still alive? I thought I told you I killed her?"
"You said something about wanting to know where the 'thief was. Who else has stolen something you believe to be yours- wrongfully so in this case at that."
Cinder grumbled angrily as her hands raised to scoop water over Jaune's long blonde locks. "The power of the fall maiden is mi-"
"What? Just because you killed an innocent girl?"
Cinder snarled a grimm noise and forced Jaune's head under the water. Jaune fought and for a moment thought he would drowned, but eventually she let him back up. "Are you done? Fool?"
"I still won't sell her or any of my other friends for that matter."
"We will see…" Cinder settled and found some shampoo to begin washing Jaune's hair.
"I- Far be it for me to complain about… not being stabbed anymore and all, but… you know I can wash myself, right?"
"I know," Cinder answered calm and monotone.
"Fine, whatever." Jaune pouted and tried to hide his discomfort and striving to actually relax in the bath. If not for Cinder, it would have been phenomenal. He could have relaxed, just existed without having to think about… about his body, his existence and the sight of his uncovered body. Nothing about it felt right.
Things only got worse when Cinder finished with his hair. She moved down, taking a bar of soap and washed him. Jaune tried to fight, but every time he did, Cinder's grimm claws threatened to cut into him. Worse yet, her hands felt… they felt like too much on Jaune's still healing flesh. Everywhere, he had healing pink and white scars from the damage she had done. Jaune hated how it made his body tremble and other parts of him perk to life.
Worse and worse, it only continued to worsen as Cinder dipped her hands lower. As nails began to scrape at the hair of his mons, Jaune panicked. "No! Not there!" He yelped.
"Ah? Something makes her tick." Cinder noted with a pleased smirk.
"Her- I- what?"
"It's alright. We don't need to go there yet. You need a shave, how is that?"
"I can shave myself!" Jaune snapped, covering himself and rushing away from the end of the bath Cinder half leaned over. Water spilled from the ends of the tub and Jaune had never felt so exposed in his life.
"Really? You've not been doing it quite a long time. We shaved you while you were healing in your coma, but…" Cinder reached out to touch Jaune's face.
Much like his hair, Jaune hadn't had the time to think of shaving. The gristle he felt on his face he primarily marked up to be agitated skin from all the blood that had dried on him. Back at beacon, he shaved every day. He hated the look of even the slightest shadow, but the stubble and the lack of smoothness on his skin… it was horrible. Though, horrible seemed to be quite the relative term now that he had been held captive and literally tortured.
Sick. Somehow he found himself feeling sick- to his stomach- more now that he was being treated well than he had when being tortured. Cinder traced the outline of a poor gote on Jaune's face and he loathed how the hair felt on his skin.
"Don't you want a shave?"
"I-"
"I can't go giving you a straight razor like this." Cinder argued as she summoned a barber's shaving blade. "Closest shave you can get. With how slow your stubble comes in, you'll probably only have to do it once a week."
Jaune, who had only ever associated the straight razor with his father and the barber he took Jaune to on his fifteenth birthday. With so much pride, Pappa Arc cheered that his 'boy' was a 'man' now and he'd have to learn to shave soon enough. Jaune never had the heart to tell his father, nor a solid understanding of why, but the memory never tasted anything but sour. He felt, less than eager about being shaved by a razor like that, but the idea of a close shave and only having to do it once a week was alluring. "F- fine."
"Good." Cinder nodded and ushered for Jaune to lay back again.
The blade was gentle against sensitive, raw skin. The lather sweet and apricot scented- just like one of the nice skincare products his sisters and mother liked. It smelled like home and left him feeling actually good for the first time in a long time. Jaune couldn't express how relieved he was when a few tears dripped off the side of his face and Cinder either missed it or presumed it was water from the bath.
When she finished with him, Jaune caressed his chin and cheeks. Soft, smooth, smoother and softer than his skin had ever felt. That was peculiar- unless caked-on blood was a secretly effective moisturizer. Jaune doubted that.
"Better?" Cinder checked.
"Yeah, yeah, it is." Jaune smiled and melted, enjoying the bath. He even began to forget that there was a woman present, that he was nude, and that the woman was his captor and torturer. His eyes fluttered shut and he allowed her hands to soap him up again. At first it almost brought him out of his calm, then it helped him sink further. Further and further he sunk until she began working over his chest- it felt weird, weird and- "Ah hhnh~" Jaune gasped and moaned out of the blue when Cinder's fingers pinched at his nipples. "Fuck! I!" Jaune yelped and covered his mouth embarrassed. Since when did they ever feel- his wide shocked eyes landed on his chest. Had his nipples always been that wide? It- it seemed like his areola had grown? Sure it had been a while since Jaune saw himself shirtless, but… they really looked different.
"Aww, sensitive?" Cinder trailed her nails over them once more and Jaune couldn't help but shutter and bite his tongue to prevent from making any more noises.
Jaune fidgeted and flushed amongst a hastening heartbeat and short breaths. That was… Jaune whimpered softly in his own confusion. "I'm sorry! I- I didn't know they were… I-" Jaune hid his face.
"It's alright. We needed to get you all soaped up. I'd probably squeak too if someone did that to me."
"Yeah, but you're a… and I'm a…" Jaune hid his face harder into his hands and he couldn't manage to say what some corner of him was thinking. He couldn't say it because it was wrong. He didn't even know why or how, but some part of him knew that what he was trying to say was wrong.
"Perfectly natural. Nothing to worry about." Cinder cooed gently.
Jaune relaxed just enough for her to return to soaping him up. He tried to ignore how his heart still raced, but ignoring it just made him focus, and focusing just made it worse, and it getting worse made his blood start flowing down and- and- and-
Cinder's hand slipped down and grasped his hardness. "You're dirty down here too you know- and it seems someone only wants to get dirtier."
"Wh- no! No! Let go!" Jaune once more went flying against the opposite end of the tub. "What- what the hell is wrong with you! I! I don't want! Not from you! And I'm certainly not going to sell out my friends to have you…" Jaune shivered and felt disgusting. What- what was he that he could be thought so low of that something like that could make him turn on his friends? What despicable creature would do such a thing. He knew the answer; or he knew the answer he believed Cinder had for such a question. He knew, but he hated the answer almost as much as he hated his torturer- maybe more.
"Fine, you can wash it yourself then." Cinder shrugged and shot the soap bar out of her hand by squeezing it.
"Ah! H- hey! That- that's it? I- I can just clean myself now?"
"Yes. I need to go get you your new clothes anyways." Cinder stood. "There's grimm guarding the door, you're exhausted, nude, wounded, healing and… there's no convincing a Beacon brat to not be a stupid Beacon brat." Cinder huffed and rolled her eyes. "You'll regret it if you try to leave though."
"Fine, fine, I'll stay put. I want to enjoy the bath anyways."
Cinder left, and Jaune took full advantage of the privacy. He sunk down into the tub and relaxed. With an unexpected smile, he ran his fingers through his newly long hair. It might even be longer than most of his sisters! He loved it. For the first time in his life, he understood what his mother and siblings meant when they praised the color of his hair for being so beautiful. It was, it just needed to be a little different for Jaune to see it's beauty.
Confusion… and curiosity, found Jaune with his hands over his chest. Had he always been sensitive there? Had it always felt like… like that? He had no interest in Cinder- a negative amount in fact, but physically, the sensation- it was… it felt good when she pinched him there, when she dragged her nails over his nipples.
Jaune couldn't help but test the waters. Idly, he traced fingers over his nipples and they pebbled. With another moan, Jaune lost himself in tracing them, circling his fingers around them and trying to parse out what the hell was going on with him. He found moans really slipping from his mouth as he sunk into the tub and allowed the warmth to sink into his bones. Ignoring his needy length as it pounded with desperation, Jaune's mind slowed to a crawl. Thinking was hard when his body woke to the first sexual stimulation in over a year.
Not till his hips began bucking of their own accord did Jaune realize he maybe shouldn't be touching himself like that. Not only did the idea of being caught in the act by Cinder horrify him. Plus, there was the fear of what she might do if he didn't finish cleaning himself by the time she returned. Washing around the heat of his sex was awkward at best, torturous at worst. Jaune wanted to touch it, to relieve the pressure. He never saw sex or masturbation as much more than that; touching… that never felt much like a pleasurable act in any aspect other than physical. He wanted to, but again, thoughts of Cinder walking in or seeing the evidence of it floating amongst the bath dissuaded him from even trying.
Jaune focused on his legs in an effort to think about something other than his sex. The blood had caked and matted in his leg hair. With frustrated grumbles, he scrubbed and scrubbed, silently wishing that he could just shave it all off like his sisters. That always looked better anyways.
Cinder returned after long enough for Jaune to finish cleaning and for his erection to calm down. "All clean?" Cinder checked.
"Yeah." Jaune nodded, and resubmerged himself so the water went to just under his nose. It was a murky brown from the soap and blood, but honestly, Jaune preferred the privacy it lent him.
"Well," Cinder snapped her fingers and two ice sabers strutted into the room, carrying a bed on their backs. "There, now you have no excuse for getting quite that dirty again."
"I- a bed? Really?" Jaune's eyes sparkled.
"Well, I'm not so sure you'll like what's next."
"Is it more torture?"
"Depends on how you look at it." Cinder shrugged and turned to the new bed. Atop it had been piled some clothing, a towel, sheets, a pillow, and a blanket. Jaune was so excited, he would be able to sleep comfortably again.
"It seems like you are trying the carrot rather than the stick. It's a good- though odd effort. But it still won't work. This is better, but I won't tell you anything."
"That's fine. For now." Cinder's grimm arm twitched as if in protest, but if she was lying, it was a good performance.
"Alright."
"Just know, your new punishments won't stop till you've lead me to that half maiden thief."
Jaune hid his expression under the water. Cinder didn't need to know his overwhelming delight. She also didn't need to know that aside from a stray longing for home and feeling a bit odd about this bit or that bit, he rather enjoyed this 'punishment'. It was the life of luxury when compared to the torture of earlier.
"Well then, come on now. Get out. I'm sure it's growing cold by now anyways. I have a towel and a new outfit for you."
"I guess the water is gross now." Jaune frowned and looked over it again.
"I'll make sure you have another drawn in a couple days."
"I'd appreciate that." Jaune nodded. "I presume you aren't interested in bringing the towel over here to prevent me having to expose myself?"
"What's to hide, we're both girls here." Cinder teased without a hint of sarcasm. It hurt Jaune's head, but… for whatever reason, he wasn't offended. In fact… he felt… seen? Hidden up to his nose by the bathtub, he felt seen like near no one had ever witnessed him before. He did catch the hint of a smirk on Cinder's face. No doubt it was because she sotted the panic on his face. But, he doubted she knew the panic was his response to realizing he didn't hate it- that it made him feel… positive?
"F- f- f- fine." Jaune stuttered out. "But- but can you not look… not down…" Jaune whimpered embarrassed.
"Don't worry about it. You have this beautiful new dress to put on as soon as you've dried off." Cinder shook out the dress, holding it by the shoulders. It… it was beautiful, a pretty yellow thing with black trim and orange flowers at the hem. Jaune could see any of his sisters wearing it- he could see himself being jealous that they got to wear something so nice, so new, so pretty.
Jaune spent a good minute caught in his thoughts, thinking about the dress before he realized he was supposed to wear it- that Cinder wanted him to wear it. Jaune had only ever worn one other dress- well, that wasn't true. His sisters often forced him into wearing one- not that he ever fought. It was stupid and it was weird, but that was just how they all played. He enjoyed it, being one of the girls, being… Jaune's stomach fell. He enjoyed…
"Not cracking already?" Cinder questioned.
"What! I! No! No! I- I'm fine! Whatever! It's just a dress! It doesn't mean anything! Who cares! I don't! I just! Stalling cause I don't want you seeing me…"
"Fine, I'll look away- this one time. But you'll have to get used to this." Cinder pretended it was the greatest kindness as she turned her back to Jaune. "I'm still going to help you with the dress tho."
"I- whatever." Jaune huffed and rushed to take the towel and dry off. When he was done, he coughed gently to get Cinder's attention.
"Done?"
"Yeah, can… can I have the dress?"
"Panties first." Cinder pointed down to a pair laid out on the bed.
"I- I umm." Jaune blushed and stammered. "Fine! Whatever, it's just… just underwear."
"Women's underwear." Cinder corrected.
"I! I know that!" Jaune's heart beat anxiously as he slipped them on under the towel wrapped around him.
"Good." Cinder reached out and undid the towel wrapped around Jaune, covering from his chest to mid thigh. "I don't suppose you'll need a bra just yet, but…" She trailed off and touched around his nipples.
"H! Hey! No! No more touching there! Those! They are sensitive!"
"Mhmm, most girls's are." Cinder confirmed.
"Just- just give me the dress." Jaune burned and tried to ignore how his body reacted to the embarrassment.
"Course. Here you go. Oh- and welcome home, Joan."
End of Chapter 3
