Still more humor but with some actual progress for character relations. Anyway, you've probably noticed that Jaune's character has shifted around a bit at this point. He's no longer scared or surprised by much of anything and mostly takes things as they come with biting sarcasm. Hopefully you guys don't mind it. I figured it made sense after all the crap he went through the past nine chapters.
I was also listening to some music and thought the song 'Breaking Free' from Neo:The World Ends with You fits this Jaune with his self-esteem issues and obsession with upholding his family legacy perfectly. Just a thought.
The first faction that will be focused on will be either the Branwens or the White Fang. We'll see where it goes.
So...apologizing to Neptune didn't go according to plan. If Jaune was being honest it he'd say it was kind of a disaster.
Not the actual apology, that went...okay. Neptune still wasn't willing to give Weiss a shot, but she'd accepted that and said it was only understandable after how she treated his friend, which got her a lot of points for sincerity. He was proud of her. After everything he knew about her, it was clear that Weiss Schnee did not apologize. Emphasis on the last name. Her dad raised her to think that they were better than that. The only time they apologized was in front of a camera or to facilitate a business deal, nothing more and nothing less.
Disaster came after that. Weiss had been in a better mood all morning and she'd even giggled. Giggled! Weiss Schnee did not giggle. She laughed and politely chuckled, but actual giggling was left to their amazing team leader. When he'd pointed it out to her she simply scoffed and said there was nothing wrong with expressing pleasure at a job well done. She felt like a weight had been lifted from her chest after all the things that had piled on top of them recently.
And then he showed up. Juan...actually, he didn't know his last name, just Juan. Another blonde with a sombrero and the most magnificent mustache Jaune had ever had the honor of witnessing. In any other situation he would've gotten down on his hands and knees in reverence for such magnificence.
Unfortunately this was not the time or place. For you see Juan was a very confident man. So confident, in fact, that he'd strolled up to the table team RWBY-J was sharing with team PRMN and started serenading Weiss right in front of the entire cafeteria with an old Vacuo love ballad. It was very romantic and charming, but the audience of students recording on their scrolls did not help the mood.
Neither was everybody else at the table, really. Ruby and Nora had gushed and cooed about how romantic it was while Yang and Mercury teased Weiss to no end as Juan sang his heart out. Blake didn't say anything and neither did Ren, but their looks spoke volumes. The only one who didn't add to the cringe-inducing display was poor Pyrrha, who looked like she was suffering Great War flashbacks. Evidently she'd had first-hand experience with such a thing.
Jaune would find out later that people witnessed her apology to Neptune and that Juan thought she was on the rebound, but that was neither here nor there.
In any other situation he would've assumed Weiss to reject the sombrero-clad blonde with practiced ease, but he'd chosen the wrong time. All her goodwill from her successful apology to Neptune dissipated and she was reminded of just how many of these sudden confession she'd had to deal with. Unlike everyone on the table sans Pyrrha, Weiss was already famous. Heiress to the SDC and a renowned singer, her enrollment in Beacon caused as much of a fuss as the Mistralian champion.
Weiss had confessed to him one night a couple of months ago that she was sick of it. While she was proud of her family name, she'd dealt with sycophants and leeches her whole life. People trying to befriend her for the benefits they could get in exchange. Admittedly she hadn't helped by acting so entitled for those first couple of weeks, but at least she was moving past that.
So he wasn't too surprised that Weiss proceeded to tear him a new one, mostly on how he claimed to love her and they were destined to be together when they hadn't shared a single conversation. She even said she'd respect him just a bit more if he was actually honest about why he wanted to ask her out...which then led to Juan singing a ballad about her 'long, shapely legs and a posterior that would put the gods to shame'.
She got even more mad about that.
Of course, this was all recorded on scrolls and got put on up the Dustnet minutes later. 'Ice Queen Meltdown' was an instant hit and led to the 'Schnee Speedrun Challenge'. Where before people actually did try to ask her out for a date or to the upcoming dance, now a bunch of people did it to see how fast they could get rejected. All for the clicks, you see. Weiss had no choice but to play along or actually accept one of them to be her date, which refused to do because she considered it 'caving in to the demands of immature children'.
"Ugh, I hate this!" she shouted one fateful weekend, lying facedown on her bed. It was just the two of them at the dorm. Yang, Blake and even Ruby had decided to leave actually dealing with Weiss to him. They tried to help, of course, especially Ruby, but they were dealing with their own things.
Yang took to their newfound fame the easiest, mostly because people figured she'd kick their teeth in if they actually tried anything too bad. Poor Ruby took it the worst, ducking away from crowds and taking to wearing longer and longer skirts ever since that part of her anatomy became a meme. Blake was just an angry kitty about having so many eyes on her, though he couldn't really find it in himself to be too sympathetic considering the stuff she pulled a couple days ago.
"I thought you'd be used to this," Jaune said, not unkindly. He sat at a purple beanbag chair, one of the few things Blake bought with her bounty money. The other was a comically large cardboard box that she put in the corner of the room. When asked why she bought it she simply replied "cause I fits" and refused to explain herself any further. No one, not even Yang, fought her on it, not since they tried to move it and she hissed at them. The box was there to stay.
"I am, but in a different sense." She groaned, voice muffled by her pillow, "In Atlas I had to deal with social climbers and gold diggers, people putting on a front to appeal to the Schnee heiress. As annoying as it was, I grew used to it. This utter insanity is something new. I'm being treated like a zoo animal. At least back in Atlas the people tried to be subtle. Here they treat rejection as a badge of honor!"
"Like you said, fame is fleeting. It'll pass once people forget about the Breach." Which was kind of a disturbing thought. What could have been one of the most disastrous attacks in Vale's history being swept just away like that?
"I'm not sure if I'll survive that long..."
"You could just go with someone to the dance." She raised her head up and he continued before she could interrupt, "What I mean is that people are asking you out because you're free and rejecting everyone. If you ask someone who's not in it to get a video out on the DustTube you might be able to taper at least some of the attention." Not all of it, of course, there'd always be people who didn't care, but it would be a help.
"Ask someone out to the dance..." She looked at him and her eyes brightened. Uh-oh, "Jaune, would you do me the honor of-"
"No." A part of him let out a strangled cry at his reply. Weiss was exactly his type and she'd done a lot of improving the past semester. He was sure that if he didn't know she was a walking artillery barrage he might have tried his luck with her all those months ago. Probably not by trying to serenade her with a guitar, but still shooting his shot. Now she was asking him to the dance with a hopeful look in her eyes. It was a dream come true.
But Jaune Arc was no fool. If he said yes he'd be dangled out there like a piece of meat.
"Oh, come on! You didn't even let me finish!" She pouted in a very un-Weiss like way.
"I've dealt with enough of Blake's antics to know how this is going to end. Best case scenario is you get some slack while I get even more rumors. People already think I'm the team's boytoy!" She didn't even look surprised at that. Wow, "Besides, you don't even like me that way."
Her face stiffened, "That's...not true. You are a very dear friend and-"
"Alright, so let's go out. Official boyfriend and girlfriend. You can introduce me to your parents and I can call Jacques Schnee my new daddy-"
"Don't you dare!" She sat up fully now, face flushed. She actually looked more worried for him than upset, "I...I wasn't lying when I said you were a dear friend, but there are proper steps when it comes to courtship. There would be trial runs, perhaps even some tests to see how compatible we are with one another. You cannot simply ask someone out and expect them to be in a relationship. If you'd asked me out a month prior and we undertook the proper steps I could see us being in a proper relationship."
"...Says the girl who was trying to get with Neptune when she didn't know anything about him?"
"Th-That's different!" Jaune laughed. Sure it was, "I admit that I may have been rash with him, but you had to admit that he ended up having admirable qualities. His loyalty to his best friend is heartwarming and-"
"And he had really tight pants."
"-and he had really tight pants that framed the shape of his posterior very well- I mean, no!" She glared at him. Not too long ago he would've been scared. Now he just held up his hands in mock surrender and waited for her continue, "Ahem! Yes, well, I'll admit that physical attraction might have played a role in it. Just a small part." Oh, he was sure, "But my offer still stands, Jaune. We could go as friends?"
"Uh-uh, not happening. I've got enough to deal with without the Schnee Speedrun on top of it."
"Ugh, don't call it that! You make me sound like some kind of scroll game." She massaged her temples and sighed.
"You could literally ask anyone out. I'm pretty sure no one will say no to you."
"Because of my name and helping stop the Breach?"
"Cause you're really pretty and one of the top students at the school, but also the first two, yes."
"Oh...thanks." Her next smile was more genuine, "But that doesn't really help. I need to go with a man I can trust and that's a very short list. You're on top of it, by the way." She fluttered her eyelashes at him.
"That's sweet. Still not being bait for you, though."
"Damn." She sighed again, "The only other options are our sister team. Ren is dating Nora and I'd very much prefer my legs unbroken, thank you. I suppose I could ask Mercury-"
"Nope."
"Nope?"
"Nope. I'm trying to set him up with Pyrrha and I refuse to let anyone ruin it."
"Ugh, you sound like Ruby." Her voice sounded fond despite the words, "I'm all out of ideas, sadly. My interactions with everyone outside the group is...limited." Hey, join the club. The only friends he had outside of the team was Mercury and kinda Pyrrha. He wasn't sure if Nora and Ren counted since he never really talked to them outside of lunchtime, "And even if it wasn't, I want to avoid giving someone the idea that I'm looking for something long-term. I suppose I could go with someone else in the team, though that would just start more rumors of my sexual preferences that I'd rather avoid."
"You could ask Sun."
"Sun? You mean the same Sun that I handed off to the police with a gleeful smile? The one whose best friend is just barely starting to forgive me?"
"Why not? You know he's not gonna look for anything serious and he'd probably enjoy all the attention being your date to the dance." It was the only reason he could explain why the guy apparently snuck on board a ship when all transfer students had free lodgings on luxury flights. Seriously, what was with that? And how did he not get in trouble for skipping school like a semester early?
"I think I'd rather take my chances alone. And that's not a crack at his heritage, if you must know."
"It's not." His scroll buzzed and he read through the message quickly, "I gotta go."
"Going on a date?" She smirked.
"Yes, actually." She looked surprised. Rude, "I'm going out to Vale with Penny, one of the transfer students from Atlas. If I'm lucky maybe I can even ask her to the dance." He grinned. Back at home he'd always been one of the lurkers near the punch bowl whenever the school dance. Well, not this time! Sure his possible future date was kinda weird and kept insisting she was a normal everyday girl, but they all had their own quirks.
"Oh no. Poor Ruby."
Jaune rolled his eyes and left without another word. People kept bringing Ruby up even though there was nothing wrong with her. He would know: he checked in and asked if she was alright and she always said yes.
Penny asked to meet at a small cafe near Vale. Unlike the place Blake took (dragged) him to this one was pretty fancy. He checked over his wallet and winced slightly. He didn't spend as much as the others on their weapons, but elemental bullets and grenades were expensive. He was tempted to ask Ozpin for a bigger stipend before thinking better of it. Team RWBY were the super special world savers, not him.
Oh well, he could take a hit to the wallet for a date.
"Fiend-Jaune, you made it!" Penny jumped up in her seat in the corner booth and waved happily. Her wide smile made him give on in return. Sure she nearly got him killed by Blake's very mad dad, but he mostly blamed Blake for that and party himself for just not putting his foot down. If she insisted on cintuing the charade he'd either tell them the truth or make up a sob story about how Blake broke up with him and shattered his heart. He'd let her choose which bullet she wanted to bite.
"Hey, Penny." He looked around the cafe and just now noticed that there was nobody else; especially odd considering it was the weekend, "Hope I didn't make you wait too long." He sat down across her. No food or drink, which was a good sign. He really didn't like the thought of being late. They ordered quickly and he tried not to get anything too expensive.
"Of course not, Friend-Jaune! I was merely here for an hour." Okay, not so good. Her head tilted to the side, "Your face is set in a frown. Is there something wrong?"
"Ah...no, just- I'm sorry for making you wait so long. I must've lost track of time." Even though it was just almost noon and actually earlier than when they planned to meet. He checked. He was pretty busy today, actually. After this he'd meet up with Ruby so she could teach him how to use the Beacon forge. If he really wanted to improve his weapon then it was better she teach him, she said. He couldn't rely on her for upgrades forever.
She did say "unless we..." then trailed off, but he didn't push her on it. They all had their own things to deal with right now.
"Oh, please don't feel bad! I simply came here earlier in order to people watch." She gestured to the windows at their side where the citizens of Vale went about their day. Hard to believe that it chaos in the streets less than a week ago, "I always find the examination of both Human and Faunus to be a rather intriguing process."
"Find anything interesting?" People watching...not a bad habit, all things considered.
"Indeed, though not all of them were pleasant." She frowned slightly, "I've seen a number of Faunus being mistreated, and the number has increased since the Breach. I intervened when I could."
"Yeah..." Jaune drummed his fingers on the table. With the White Fang being publicly outed as responsible for the Breach, Faunus sentiments dipped to an all-time low. While it wasn't as bad as Atlas or Mistral, it was still noticeable. Blake had seethed about it last night. "Don't they realize the Faunus were in just as much danger as everyone else?!" she said, "They're just driving more and more people to Adam's side!"
They all agreed, but what could they do? As famous as team RWBY was, they were famous in the sense that they were attractions than because they had any real kind of influence. Blake could've done the most if she revealed she was a Faunus, show that one of them was fighting to stop the Breach, but she'd gone quiet when Weiss suggested it. She'd been hiding so long that she didn't like the idea of making herself a circus attraction for her heritage.
"Friend-Jaune, are you alright?"
"Huh? Uh, yeah, just...thinking about things, you know?" He forced a smile then looked around the still-empty cafe, "...You know, I thought there'd be more people around considering what time it is."
"Yes, that would normally be the case, but I paid off the owner to reserve the place for the entire afternoon."
...
"Friend-Jaune, your expression has frozen and you appear distressed. Is something wrong?"
"Run that by me again. You rented out the whole place?"
"That is correct!"
"...How? No, why?" Was he being punked right now? He should've known good things could never happen to him!
"I receive a generous stipend from my father in addition to the one given to all Atlas students. I simply took some Lien out and paid the price." She smiled, seemingly not noticing his fallen expression, "As to why, there are two reasons. The first is that this is my first date and didn't want there to be any interrutions. My research on movies and articles on the DustNet made it very clear that various shenanigans can and will happen in the presence of other people. With this the risk has been minimized to waiters spilling something on my clothes and forcing me to undress into my underarments."
"I...please tell me your 'research' wasn't romcom movies and Mistralian comics?"
"That is correct!" She clapped her hands, "Do you have a mind reading Semblance, Friend-Jaune?"
"No, just a lucky guess." Oh Gods, he figured she was weird and sheltered, but this was really pushing it. Even Weiss and Blake knew better than to think that stuff was a 1:1 equivalent to real lif, "And the second reason...?" It was probably something even more out there.
"Ah, yes, well...that will take a bit more explanation." The waiter came by with their drinks. Jaune sipped his warm cup of coffee while Penny didn't so much as touch hers.
"Not thirsty?"
"No, I am simply appreciating the aesthetic value of the coffee first. Please don't mind me. "
"Right..." He put the cup down and let out a deep breath, "The second reason?"
"Yes, that will take a bit more explaining. I believe the term is 'you might want to be sitting down for this'?"
"Then I guess it's a good thing I already am." He joked back weakly, picking the cup back up, "Just...tell me straight out, alright? After the months I've had I'll accept anything."
"Very well. I am a combat capable android designed by my father, Pietro Polendina. A gynoid, if you wish to use that term. He gave me part of his Aura in order to bring me to life. I was created with the aid of the Atlas Military, and more specifically General James Ironwood. The purpose my creation was to see if synthetic life could be given Aura and emotions. My purpose for enrolling in Atlas was to participate in the Vytal Festival and test my capabilities against other Huntsmen-in-training."
...
"Alright." Jaune took another sip of his coffee.
"You do not seem surprised, Friend-Jaune."
"I'm not." He shrugged, "A few months ago I would have been, but believe me when I say you're probably the second least weirdest thing I've had to deal with lately." Mercury still lagged behind. At least he wasn't a WMD last Jaune checked, "The day you met me my teammate outed herself as a former White Fang member then she caught Roman Torchwick at the docks. You get used to it."
"Hm, strange. In most cases people would either be in denial or demand proof."
"Don't really need it...and it explains a lot about you, actually." There were two ways this could. Either she was telling the truth and he was out on a date with a literal war machine right now, or she thought it was the truth and she was just a normal, albeit quirky, girl who somehow convinced herself she was a robot. Either way it still wouldn't make it on the list for the weirdest shit he had to deal with.
"What do you mean?"
"Uh...the way you talk, weird way you act, tracking my scroll then insisting you did it via an app cause 'that's what normal people do'. Kinda adds up."
"Oh. I thought I was being subtle." He actually did laugh at that. He should introduce her to Blake, "You are...not disappointed or scared of my true nature?"
"Nope."
"Nope?"
"Nope."
"I see." She smiled again, "Then that is splendid news, Friend-Jaune! This confession has gone far more smoothly than I anticipated!"
"I'm assuming there's a reason for that confession. I doubt you did it just because we went out on a date."
"Honesty is the basis for any healthy relationship, but you are correct." She nodded, "I was given a mission by General Ironwood. He ordered me to ascertain the nature of the relationship between you and the rest of team RWBY-J. I believe he wishes to understand how you gathered their loyalty despite your less than stellar origins." She was just reciting it verbatim, but Jaune still sighed at the unintentional insult. General Ironwood did not like him. He probably would've preferred on of his soldiers to be the one who warned team RWBY's trust.
"And...you're just telling me this why?"
"He told me to use any method I deemed fit so long as it neither harmed you or anyone else." Well, at least the guy didn't want to hurt anything more than his feelings, "I surmised that telling the truth would be the best for both parties, especially since I had asked you out on a date before General Ironwood's directive and didn't want to invite you on bad faith."
"I...appreciate it, I guess?" Man, mom and dad's head would explode if they knew even half of what he got up to nowadays.
"Indeed. Would you mind if I observed your interactions with the rest of team RWBY-J? I promise I won't be a bother."
"Penny, just..." Jaune sighed, "There's no big secret, alright? We're friends, and friends trust each other. I didn't have some big master plan to make them like me, we just spent time together. Hell, we had our share of problems early on, but we moved past them. Cause that's what friends do."
"Friends. The same way you and I are, you mean?"
"Sure, why not? We don't hang out as much but you trusted me with your secret." He smiled.
Her eyes widened, "I did, didn't I? While the risk of anyone believing you if you decided to go public with my true origins is low, I still wouldn't confess such a thing easily. Even among my team only Ciel is aware of my true nature."
"Then I'm honored that you trust me, I guess."
"And I am honored that you did not run away screaming." He raised both brows, "It was one of the possible scenarios I calculated. Others included you fainting, the aforementioned disbelief, and calling me a monstrous freak of nature." A pause, "Admittedly that last one had the least probability of happening, but I had braced myself for all outcomes."
"Look, if you wanna 'observe' anyone then just hang out with us. Tell them the truth if you want, too. After everything we've been through they're not gonna judge you. They'll actually trust you more if you don't keep secrets from them."
"Very well. I will 'hang out' with you all when I find an appropriate time." She beamed. Wow, if she really was a robot then it was moments like these when he couldn't tell. She looked just as human as him, "Oh, but I should now ask, are you having fun on our date?"
"Uh, well, we haven't really done much besides the whole confession thing, and I don't think anything's really gonna top that."
"Indeed. Perhaps a second date is in order then?"
"Are...you asking me out again?" Wasn't it the guy who was supposed to do that? Dad always said to do it with confidence.
"Yes, but I believe that we need a change in venue in order to avoid stagnancy. Oh!" She jumped up in her seat, "The school dance is coming in a little over three weeks. I believe that would fit for both being a variation and an escalation."
"So...you're asking me to the dance?" Brothers, how fast were they going here?"
"Absolutely! Unless..." Her face fell, "While you accepted my true nature, is my lack of functional 'parts' an issue? I understand that many people have intercourse as early as the third date. However, father did not see fit to create me with working geni-"
"O-kay, that is definitely not the issue!" Jaune yelled. Oh Gods, how the hell did they even get here?! "I just...you just kinda switched topics really fast, you know? One second we were talking about you being a robot and the next you're planning a second date then asking me to the dance. Just give a guy some time to breath, you know?"
"I understand." She waited a few seconds, "You've had time to breath. What is your answer?"
"I didn't mean it- you know what, whatever. Yes, Penny, I'll go to the dance with you." At this point he was beyond caring...and hey, he still got a date to the dance. Mercury could suck it cause now he had to ask out Pyrrha, "I was actually gonna ask you out, but I guess it works this way too."
"Spectacular! I promise you a fun night that you will never forget." A pause, "Except in the manner of sexual intimacy brought about by a spiked punch bowl because I do not-"
"I get it!"
"I could ask him to add them to my frame, but it will take some time-"
"Don't ask!"
He hung out with Penny for a few more headache-inducing hours before going his separate ways. Okay, so Penny was a robot and he officially had no normal friends. Whatever, being normal was overrated anyway. Now he was going to hang out with Ruby, his best friend who had magical Grimm slaying eyes and magical Maiden powers that made an Atlas General stand at attention.
She was already inside the forge when he got there. The first though that came to his mind was how hot it was. Like, stupidly so. Even after he ditched his hoodie and armor he could already feel himself sweating through his t-shirt.
"Jaune! Over here!" Ruby waved to him as she stood next to one of the welding machines. She'd foregone her usual outfit in favor of a t-shirt like him and a pair of shorts and sneakers that left here memetic legs exposed. Right now she cared more about not dying of heatstroke over people staring at her, "You ready for your lesson on Forging 101" She crossed her arms, then immediately uncrossed them when she realized how sticky they were.
"As I'll ever be." He tugged at his collar to let some air in, "Oh man, it's freaking hot in here!"
"Oh yeah, but you need it if you want to make the best stuff." She grabbed two aprons from the rack and tossed one to him, "Don't worry, we're not gonna be doing anything too bad right now. I'll just show you the basics of forging some basic weapons and components. We can get to the bigger stuff later. Just the two of us."
"What was that last part?"
"Nothing!" She hopped over to one of the smaller machines and tapped a few things on a nearby screen, "Alright, so you use a sword with no mechashift. It's a classic and we'll start from there." Another tap, "Well, not exactly from there. We're gonna be making a dagger."
"Sounds good to me."
"The good news is a basic dagger doesn't have a lot of components. You've got the blade and the handle. Other daggers like Sai's are more complicated, but we can get there next time. Baby steps."
"Sorry I'm making you do this. You're already so busy with everything."
"We're best friends, Jaune. I'm happy to do it." She smiled up at him, "Now come on, let's turn you into a master blacksmith!"
Sadly, unlike what Cloudrim told him, spamming daggers did not in fact make you a better blacksmith. It took him a few tries to even get a properly shaped blade and not another lump of metal that you'd be lucky if you could bonk somebody on the head with. The heat really didn't help things and it was only common decency that kept him tossing his shirt and jeans. That and Ruby was still a girl and that wouldn't have been proper.
"You're doing good, Jaune!"
"Am I? I feel like I'm just wasting metal."
"Everyone has to start somewhere!" she insisted quickly, "You're doing way better than Yang, at least. She wouldn't stop complaining about how hot and sticky she was the entire time. It's part of the reason I had to help her build Ember Celica."
"If you say so..." He rubbed his forehead and focused on the handle. If he was lucky it wouldn't come out some kind of misshapen mess.
"So, uh, Jaune." He couldn't see Ruby since she was behind him, but he heard her shoes scuffing against the ground, "We're friends, right?"
"Of course we are." Come on, don't bend that way! Please! No, now it looked like a pair of balls, damn it! He had to start over.
"Best friends, actually. More than just regular ol' frineds."
"Mm-hm." God, the leather was so hard to work with. How did people build their own weapons again? And they did it when they were younger than he was.
"You ever thought that we could...maybe...be more than that?" He didn't answer, too engrossed in making the shape just right. He did not want this looking more phallic than it already did. Ruby took his silence as a cue to continue, "Cause...I think I want that. I like you, Jaune."
"I like you too, Ruby. We're best friends." Yes, he got it! Was this what Signal students felt like? His turd of a dagger was gonna be amazing!
"I mean more than that. I like-like you, Jaune."
"That's nice, Ruby. Now I just need to-"
WAIT, WHAT DID SHE SAY?!
Jaune dropped his precious handle and turned around, eyes wide. Ruby stepped back at the sudden spin and looked up at him, face completely red. He got the feeling it had nothing to do with the sauna they were currently baking in, "You, um..." Jaune sputtered, struggling to find the right words. Was he just hearing things? He was feeling lightheaded from all the damn heat.
"I...like you, Jaune. As more than a best friend." She looked up at him unwaveringly, silver eyes meeting blue. There was another reason his breath stopped, "I know it sounds immature saying it like that, but I only ever used the other L word for Yang, mom, dad, and Uncle Qrow. I've never used it for someone besides family."
"You...like me?" he asked back softly.
"I do." She nodded and stepped closer to him. The fact that they were baking didn't seem to matter to her right now, "You were there for me a lot since the first day and when I had so many doubts about being the leader you always helped to pick me back up." She bit her lower lip, "I'm not sure if you feel the same way, but could we, um, try something? Please?"
"Sure...whatever you want."
She reached right hand out and took his left, intertwining their fingers together. His heart beat rapidly against his chest and he felt lightheaded. He'd held hands with Ruby before. When she dragged him to town to buy the new issue of Weapons Weekly, when they had to rush to the movies, when she helped him escape a homicidally angry Weiss during that time of the month last semester. He didn't think anything of it. Now everything felt amplified. Every single touch sent shocks down his body and he had to struggle to stay conscious. Was this what being confessed to felt like?
...Or maybe that was because they were in a place as hot as a furnace and their clothes were more sweat than cloth at this point.
"Ruby?"
"Yes, Jaune?"
"You picked a really bad place to do this." He stepped away and she finally seemed to realize just how close they were to passing out from heatstroke, "Really hate to ruin the moment, but could we maybe get outta here first?"
"Yeah, that's a good idea."
They packed up the dagger - which he dubbed Ol' Stabby' and practically shambled out of the forge. The cool air of the outside hallways was an utter relief. They were still caked in sweat, but at this point he didn't care. He had more important things on his mind.
"So, uh, Jaune." Ruby coughed, "How do you...feel about me?"
"I...I don't know." To her credit she didn't look discouraged or hurt in the least. Ruby always did say she was an optimist, "Ruby...you're an amazing girl and you're going to help save the world. I'm just..." He was just a cheater who tried to fake his way into Beacon.
"Don't, Jaune." She held his hand again. Thank small mercies they'd both wiped their palms, "Stop thinking you're not good enough to be on the team. None of us care how you got into Beacon. You're here with us now and that's never going to change, got it?"
"But-"
"No buts!" she said firmly, "Don't let what General Ironwood said get to you. You deserve to be on the team and that's final."
"Even if it's not that, my answer still doesn't change. We've been so busy with everything that I haven't even considered the idea of actually dating someone." Not even Penny, despite her overt asking for a date. Going out with someone was different from being in an actual relationship, as Weiss could attest, "I'm...I'm just not sure when I'll be ready for that and it wouldn't be fair to ask you to wait."
"Why not?"
"What?"
"Why not?" She asked again, shrugging. Their hands were still clasped together and he made no move to separate them, "I've had a crush on you since last semester and it still took me a bunch of practicing in front of the mirror to even get this far. If you need time to think of your answer then I can wait."
"Are you su-"
"Yes, I'm sure." She squeezed his hand one last time then stepped back. His palm felt strangely cold with her gone, "But while we're on the topic, could I ask you to go to the Beacon dance with me?"
The second time a girl asked him that today. If Saprhon were here she would've teased him to no end, "Well...actually, Penny asked me out earlier today, so I'm going with her." A pause, "Sorry."
"Ugh, that's what I get for waiting so long!" Jaune almost laughed at that. Leave to Ruby to take that as the lesson here, "Well, fine! Save me a dance, at least!"
"S-Sure, definitely!" His mouth curled up into a grin before he realized it.
"Great! Now come on, we need to take a shower. I stink..."
Things went back to normal for the next week. Despite Ruby's confession she did her best to act like nothing had changed, which Jaune appreciated. No one else on the team knew what had happened and neither of them were in a rush to tell anyone. Yang would tease them to no end (and probably threaten to crush his balls if he hurt Ruby), Blake would give them advice from her books, and Weiss would try to play aloof while not-so-subtly asking for details on their 'courtship'.
The week was also when they started training with Winter Schnee. If Jaune thought Professor Branwen was bad then he had nothing on her. She was a strict taskmaster and let nothing interfere with her standards. Not even Weiss was spared, and the younger Schnee's begging for leniency after a particularly harsh lesson had only gotten her a rebuke that no one was exempt, not even family. And now she had to do an extra 100 pushups because of her whining.
Even Yang had gone lost her usual gusto. After one training session too many she'd collapsed on Blake's bed and refused to move. Not that Blake was using said bed; she'd taken to curling up in her comically large box after sessions in a vain attempt to find her happy place. Ruby looked like she was close to crying and said it reminded her of when she first started training with her uncle when she could barely carry Crescent Rose.
Aura let them heal fast, but their muscles burning through the night meant they wouldn't have any pleasant sleep. They'd all cried in relief when Monday came and they had to go on another mission. This one coming directly from Ozpin himself.
"Grimm extermination?" Ruby asked, reading through the mission details on her scroll, "I thought only second years and above had those?"
"Yes, but given your unusual circumstances, I think a bit of acceleration is in order," Ozpin said. None of them fully trusted him after the Breach, but right now he was the main person arguing against General Ironwood trying to take them away from Beacon, "There's been a Goliath spotted nearby the designated village. It's assumed to have left its herd and, while it has shown no signs of hostility just yet, if it draws any closer then the village will be at risk."
"A Goliath? That's a leap from the usual Beowolves and Ursa first years have to deal with," Blake said.
"We can take it. We've killed way worse than a nasty elephant." Yang grinned.
"Hm. General Ironwood was clear on how he didn't want us leaving Beacon," Weiss said, "Not that I agree with that assessment, but it should still be noted."
"James would have you all confined and trained only to subsequently unleash you all against Salem. Tell me, what do you think of your odds of success if all your experience comes from a controlled environment?" None of them said anything, "Regardless, I'm not tossing you out there without supervision. Professort Port will be with you as your guide and lend aid if needed."
All of team RWBY groaned and pleaded with varying degrees of intensity. Jaune smiled, "Peter's coming?" he asked excitedly. Ruby whimpered beside him.
"Yes, Jaune, and not only him. I'll have Professor Branwen nearby as well."
Ruby's eyes lit up, "Uncle Qrow is coming?!"
"Yes, but please don't get too excited, Miss. Rose. Professor Branwen will be keeping a low profile. If all goes well you won't even see him." Ruby deflated again, "Now, if there are no further questions I expect that you'll be eager to get started. Especially you, Jaune."
"Huh? Why me?"
"Did you not see where the mission would take place?
Jaune looked over Ruby's shoulder and froze. Domremy, it said in big, bold letters, as if emphasizing his doom. Home, the place where his family was. The same family who he'd barely kept in contact with besides to tell them he was still alive. The same family that had no idea he was on the same team who saved Vale from the Breach and had enough power to save the world.
He was not ready for this.
"Headm-"
"No, Jaune."
"I didn't even say anything yet!"
"What's the matter?" Weiss asked, looking over Ruby's other shoulder, "Domremy? Wait, isn't that-"
"Jaune's hometown," Blake finished.
And just like that, the entire mood in the room shifted. Yang and Ruby seemed to forget about their PPSD (Post Port Stress Disorder) and practically lit up, "Jaune's family? Ohoho, this I gotta see! As an older sister I demand to see baby photos and embarassing childhood stories." Yang chuckled like a mad supervillain and he knew no amount of begging would save him now.
"Y-Your family? W-Well, it'd be really nice to meet them!" Ruby chirped, shifting excitedly from one foot to another.
"Indeed. I would like to thank them and show my appreciation for all the help you've given us, Jaune." Weiss smiled.
"...I'll say hi, I guess." Blake shrugged.
"Ooh, maybe we can stay over while we're there!" Ruby said excitedly, "We have so much to talk about!"
Jaune gave the older man a haunted look, "Headmast-"
"Good luck with your mission, team RWBY-J. I trust you'll exceed expectation. And Jaune, I have the utmost faith in you."
Omake: Jaune just doesn't get it
"Jaune...I like you. As more than a friend." Ruby shut her eyes and held her breath. She did it! After all those weeks practicing in front of the mirror, she finally did it! Now Jaune - her best friend and hopefully future boyfriend - knew exactly how she felt about him.
"I feel the same way, Rubes." Her chest felt like it was on fire. But in a good way, like Yang's Semblance! Except she didn't have to get hit!
"R-Really?!"
"Yeah. We're more than friends; we're family."
And just like that her heart sank. No, wait, this wasn't the end! Maybe he just misunderstood her and she didn't just get family-zoned like poor Sakura in Ninjas of Love 3: Notice Me Samurai-Senpai. Blake had very good tastes in books, "Jaune...I don't mean it like that."
His face fell. Ouch, seeing it hurt! "Not like that! I mean...I'd like us to be boyfriend and girlfriend!"
"Don't be silly, Rubes. We're already boy friend and girl friend." She could practically see the space in those words.
"No! Like going out!"
"We go out every weekend to Vale."
"Dating!"
"Pfft, that's only something you do with someone you like 'that way'."
"I do! I like you romantically!"
"Haha, nice one!" Jaune wiped a tear from his eye. Ruby felt like tearing her hair out. He wasn't trying to let her down, she would've know if he was. Jaune wasn't the type to string people along or play dumb. No, he actually just didn't get it! "Oh man, so was it Yang who put you up to this? Cause you know she made that joke before during April Fools, but I was one step ahead of her."
"Yang didn't put me up to anything! I'm being serious! I like you! I wanna go on dates, hold hands, kiss, and do all the mushy stuff!"
"Man, you're really into this bit, huh?" Ruby barely held herself back from screaming in frustration. She'd decided to grab his stupid face and kiss him - let's seem him try to misunderstand that - when he turned around, "Oh sorry, got a run. I'm helping set up Merc with Pyrrha." He shook his head, "Can you believe someone's so blind that they'd to miss all the signals like that? Well, see you around!"
Ruby was too stunned to say anything and could only watch as her super dumb best friend rounded the corner out of sight. This time she didn't hold herself back and let out a scream of pure frustration.
Poor Omake Ruby. And poor Jaune having to introduce his overprotective family to the celebrity team who near-singlehandedly stopped the Breach, all while Ruby and Yang try to dig up dirt on him for their own reasons. Oh, and poor Weiss for becoming a speedrun challenge. Yang seems be the only one having fun with it.
Anyway, Ruby has fired her opening salvo while Penny reveals her true origins...that Jaune doesn't really care about. Only time will tell if the Lancaster ship sets sail or sinks. Originally the confession segment was gonna end with Jaune so distracted with Ol' Stabby that he didn't even realize Ruby confessed to him. I changed it to them confronting their feelings to avoid making it feel stretched out.
Like I said before, romance will 'lock-in' at the dance. Next chapter will be Jaune going back home and introducing his demigod teammates to his very normal family. Betting he really hates Ozpin right now.
Question:
1. Does Jaune's role feel unneeded at this point? The original premise of the fic was that he had to keep team RWBY from imploding in on itself due to their Maiden powers. Now that they've been exposed that seems to have gone out the window, especially since the team functions just fine now. I wonder if plot-wise he doesn't really have any needed role anymore.
I'm not gonna take him out or anything, he's still the main character, but I'm curious on people's thoughts anyway since the premise has changed now.
2. Someone suggested Jaune should get powers similar to Qrow and Raven ie bird transformation. Or any animal like a dog. What do you guys think about that idea?
Review Answers:
AutoHunterJ49 - I'd argue Bumblebee is better by not being an abusive relationship. Anyway, this chapter indicates Ruby's feelings very clearly.
Calcetin Sock - They come out fast cause I have no life :P
Jack Redhawke - Jaune's mistaken in-universe. Blake corrects him later.
To Broach or to Put Up - The Maidens could still struggle out of combat. Team RWBY being overpowered doesn't stop them from being nearly cowed by Ironwood, for example.
Dressyone22 - Explain to Ghira that he's agreed to date an extremely sheltered girl while already dating his daughter instead of just telling her no? It doesn't make him look any better. That and this way he gets revenge on Blake for forcing the boyfriend charade.
RedYesyes - The Branwen aren't much of a physical threat. Yang's arc is focused more on her internal character struggles, her feelings on Raven, and what she wants out of life.
OldGlory - Jaune got his revenge, at least.
Prime 117 - I asked up above what people's thoughts are. I'm not against it. Animal transformations are cool and not overpowered.
QuizMasterBlaine - Blake's arguably got the darkest plotline with Adam, Faunus racism and her guilt for Amber's death, so she needs more exageratted comedy segments. Hence, the comedic lying.
Pahlok - I mean I could say the same thing for Jaune. Ruby's 'wants to be a hero cause of her dead mom' is no more or less complex than Jaune's 'wants to be a hero cause of lineage'. The main difference is Ruby trained to be a Huntress while Jaune tried to cheat his way inside and owuld've died if Pyrrha didn't save him, unlock his Aura, then train him.
response - Because one guy among many female characters doesn't mean every girl wants to fuck him. Vice versa a girl in an all-guy team.
Majin Othinus - As confirmed in this chapter, Penny does read doujins.
Zathol - Ironwood is a rigid control freak, that's his main flaw. He just doesn't buy that Jaune and team RWBY are running on the power of friendship. As for Branwen getting into Vale, to be fair there doesn't seem to be much in the way of ID required. Blake got in and she's a former terrorist.
SpudyPotato - Summer and Kali would probably go that route. Willow fucking hates her husband while Raven is single. Both are also estranged from their daughters.
Raj8 - Because Jaune can't be with team RWBY 24/7. If he's attacked or kidnapped without any of the Maidens present then he needs to be able to fight solo. The Crown arc also has team RWBY kept far away due to Jax's Mind Control semblance, meaning they can't fight there either. Also no, Ironwood doesn't know about the Semblance. There was hardly any time to bring it up.
KorevainsoLightshire - Cinder's not a Maiden. Why was Torchwick scared of her? Cause at that point she has Adam who'd probably kill him just for not being a Faunus. How did she scare Adam? She had Tyrian Callows before going after Amber, plus she's a dangerous combatant herself even without Maiden powers.