Visit to Jaune's hometown. Originally this was only gonna last one chapter, but the conversations ended up really dragging on, especially the one with Yang at the end, so I decided to cut it. I also had to remove a conversation with Qrow and move some plot around so the Goliath encounter next chapter has a different context. Hopefully the content works better this way.
Also, I've gotten some reviews with people saying that Jaune feels like a side-character now and he should have solo adventures outside of team RWBY. That's literally just the Crown Arc, which people suggested come after Branwen/White Fang at the very least. I can also add some solo stuff for him for the Council of Vale arc, especially when the council realizes how much sway he has on the team despite not having Maiden powers himself.
Jaune sat at the bullhead and looked ahead like a man facing his own execution. This was it, he was going home. Home to a family he barely kept in contact with. That wasn't to say he didn't talk to them, of course. Messages were sent and received every couple of days and he was quick to talk to his parents after the Breach to ensure the, that he was still breathing. Besides that, however, extended conversations were a rarity. The last time was when he called mom to tell he wasn't coming back for the semester break and spending half an hour to explain why while Lily constantly cut in about how she wanted to see her big bro again.
He had to admit, Lily's pleading nearly made him change his mind.
At least he wasn't suffering alone. What little cheer the rest of the team had earlier faded when they realized Peter was sharing the Bullhead with them and Professor Branwen was as good as Ozpin's word on not being seen. He'd started on a tale about an adventure in Vacuo that ended with him being swallowed hole by a Vacuan Sand Worm, a rare type of Grimm never outside outside the sandy dunes. The tale then ended with him charming the nearby village leader's daughter and their whirlwind romance.
He didn't let out a single detail.
Jaune only half paid attention and let the story devolve into pleasant white noise. The same couldn't be said for the rest of the team. Yang was grasping at the doors desperately begging to be let out, Ruby rocked back and forth with her hood covering her head, Blake (surprisingly enough forgoing her bow) was trying and failing to cover all four of her ears, and Weiss was doing her utter damndest to not lose her cool like the rest of her teammates. Jaune could tell she had mere minutes before she collapsed in a puddle tears, especially when Port started on about the daughter's little sister and how it turned into a love triangle for the ages.
"Wh-Why?" Ruby whimpered next to him, lips wobbling, "What did we do to deserve this? I thought we did good stopping the Breach?" she asked, voice hollow and empty.
"Ruby, please don't be rude," Weiss said. Her voice sounded absolutely brittle even as all her teachings demanded she show professors the proper respect.
"Hoho, well said, Miss. Schnee!" Peter chuckled, "That reminds me of when I met an old Mistralian scholar and..."
Weiss looked like she sincerely regretted every being born as Port started off again with a new tale of dashing heroism. Blake looked like she wanted to rip all four of her ears off while Yang screamed into her hands, almost tempted to jump out and take her chances with the unforgiving ground. Poor Ruby had completely gone into catatonic shock and looked like she was trying to find her happy place.
Drama queens. You didn't see him do any of that...well, except for the time Weiss was on her period, but to be fair he wasn't alone. Even Blake and Yang had hightailed it out of the room lest they died from frostbite.
Oh well, with any luck they'd be so traumatized that any thought of embarassing him would be long gone by the time they arrived in Domremy.
It took them another half an hour before they finally arrived. Jaune pocketed his motion sickness pills - thank you, Ruby - and breathed in the air of the countryside. While Dust was a non-pollutant, at least in its refined state, there was something different about the air in the city. Peter said something once about how being surrounded by technology affected people. He even vowed that if he were ever to retire - and that was a very big if - he'd find a cabin in the woods somewhere to live out his days.
The Bullhead dropped them off just a short distance from the town gate at around five in the afternoon. Domremy was big enough and funneled enough luxury goods that it could afford a wall and an actual militia fielding decent armaments. While it wasn't as big a place as somewhere like Argus - that reminded him, he really should visit Saphron again one of these days - it was well-off enough to be considered a town rather than a village. There were usually Huntsmen passing through a few times a week too so it never felt too dangerous.
All of team RWBY practically collapsed behind him on their hands and knees. Geez, they were really milking this, huh? Blake covered her ears again while a nearby crow cawed and flew out of sight. Was that a bad sign?
"We're here," Jaune said, waiting for the rest of team RWBY to regain their bearings. Weiss was the first, of course, flipping her side ponytail haughtily like she didn't look like someone who wished for death just a few minutes ago, "There's a hotel nearby we can stay at." Well, he said hotel, but by Valean standards it qualified as more of a motel. Hotel just sounded fancier, or at least that was the reason why he heard it was called that.
"We can't stay at your place?" Yang asked, pouting. It didn't look nearly as effective as Ruby's.
"I don't wanna be a bother." Or to give her access to the Arc family photo album.
Ruby's eyes widened," But Jaune!"
"Rubes..." He gave her a look.
She either didn't notice or didn't care, "As team leader I order that we at least ask!" She put her hands on her hips, silver eyes narrowed defiantly. The two of them stared at one another for a few seconds before a new voice cut in.
"Ho there, isn't that Jaune?"
Jaune turned to the new arrival and smiled slightly when he saw Mikhail bounding towards him. Domremy was bigger than a village but it was still small enough for everyone to just about know everyone else. Really good if you had a good reputation, not so much when you pissed off someone who was a social butterfly. While he was run of the mill enough to never get to that point, he'd seen what happened to a guy caught stealing from the old widower down the block everyone loved. Pretty much no one wanted to even be seen talking to him lest the bad reputation spread.
"Mikhail." Jaune greeted with a small wave. The two weren't friends but they'd talked occasionally. The twenty something man was a member of the militia, "Doing the rounds."
"Yeah, then I saw the Bullhead and thought I'd investigate." He looked past Jaune and his eyes widened. Even without their fame from the Breach, team RWBY's outfits and weapons stuck out like a sore thumb. People often joked that Huntsmen and Huntresses only joined so they couldn't be made fun of no matter how they dressed. Peter looked the most professional here, and that was saying something.
"Mikhail?" Jaune asked.
"Holy, that's them Huntresses that saved Vale!" The reaction was mixed. Yang and Weiss beamed with pride while Ruby blushed and looked away shyly. Blake did her utter best to ignore the new arrival, "What are a bunch of celebrities doing here?"
"A practical lesson, my good man," Peter said smoothly, "We've received reports of a Goliath being spotted in the area and we're here to put a stop to it before anything comes to pass."
"Shit, yeah, I heard something about that." Mikhail nodded, "I didn't think they'd someone so famous...but why are you here, Jaune?" He didn't mean it in a bad way, but the distinction was clear.
"I-"
"Cause he's part of our team!" Ruby said, eyes just a little too hard for the smile she had.
"Wait, really?"
"Indeed." Weiss said with a nod of her own.
"Huh, well that's something." Mikhail whistled, impressed. Jaune looked away, "Well, I bet you're itching to meet the folks again, huh?"
"Actually, we should-"
"Indeed!" Peter cut in this time, "Jaune, what say you visit your family and give the rest of team RWBY a tour? I'll go with this young man and explain the situation to the mayor."
"Sweet! Thanks, prof!" Yang cheered, looking happy at Peter's presence for the first time in her life.
"Thanks a lot," Blake said, looking past the gates to the town, "I've never been in this exact place, but I've seen others like it. It'll be nice to see the differences."
"Yeah! Let's go, team RWBY-J! To Jaune's house!" Ruby cheered.
"...I hate my life."
It was a new feeling being the expert for once. Back during their tour of Beacon they were all new; even Weiss, as much much as she tried to pass herself off as all-knowing. Every single question they asked he had an answer. He knew the best places to go and the ones to avoid. The top of that list was Jaune's old high school, as much as Ruby pleaded on wanting to know where he studied before going to Beacon. That was a can of worms he was not willing to open up.
And of course they all drew attention. Team RWBY made no effort to dress down or look subtle. Even then teenagers carrying weapons was hardly a common sight outside of the militia- and they had a uniform. Thankfully everybody kept away from them and chose to gave the four their privac, though he caught more than a few snapping pictures on their scrolls and giving questioning looks as to why Jaune Arc, of all people, was leading them around.
Eventually he could put it off no longer. Jaune sighed, his steps heavy, as he led them to the Arc household.
"Woah, this is your house?" Yang looked up at his home and whistled appreciatively. While it was nothing compared to Weiss' mansion, the homestead was a tad sight more impressive than the cottage she and Ruby had back in Patch. Ruby looked as equally impressed as her sister while Blake and Weiss quietly hummed in appreciation, the latter describing it as 'quaint'.
And of course there was already someone outside.
"Jaune?" Rebecca, his oldest sister, asked. In her arms was a large pile of textbooks. Must've been coming home from classes.
"Hey, Becks." He smiled weakly and waved.
"That's all you have to say?" She set the books down at at the steps and hugged him with a soft laugh, "It's been months since I've seen your face and I don't even get an 'it's good to see you again'?"
"It's good to see you again."
"Too late, I'm already offended." She stepped back and pushed up her glasses, ponytailed hair swaying as she grinned, "Seriously, though, not even a single heads up that you were coming back? Mom and Lily would've been over the moon."
"It was a surprise to me too, actually." Damn Ozpin. He'd get his one day, "Oh, I should introduce you to my, um. team. This is Ruby, our team leader. That's her sister Yang, and those two are Weiss and Blake." She pointed at each of them in turn.
"Nice to meet you." Rebecca greeted happily. She recognized them as Huntresses but not much else. It didn't surprise him. Becks was never one for news or celebrity gossip, always too focused on her books or next lessons. She and Blake would probably get along, "So you guys are the team our little Jaune's been with for the past few months, huh? How's he been?"
"I'm right here, you know?" Jaune sighed.
Blake, surprisingly, was the first to speak up. "He's a good teammate...even if he has warped views sometimes."
"I'm not even gonna dignify that with a response." Jaune sniffed. He still wasn't sure if Blake really was that blind or she was just messing with him. Normally he'd assume the former, but he'd caught her smiling and chuckling to herself just a bit too many times for him to be sure.
"Only because you know I'm right."
"Keep living in the clouds, Blake. I'm sure it's really nice up there."
Her no doubt epic smackdown response was interrupted when the front door opened, "Rebecca, I need you to-" Elise Arc, his mom, stopped in her tracks and just stared at him. The look lasted for just a few seconds before she laughed joyously and wrapped him in a warm embrace, "Jaune! Oh, you should've told us you were coming back! We would've set something up!"
"Mom, come on!"
"I already gave him the lecture, mom, don't worry." Rebecca rolled her eyes playfully, "Be careful, Jaune. Lily's been missing you something fierce and she's gonna be really clingy when she realizes you're back."
"Big bro!"
"Too late." Rebecca smirked.
Mom barely had time to move out of the way before a yellow blur shot out of the house like bullet with the speed of Ruby's semblance, "Big bro!" Lily - his ten year old sister - practically football tackled him to the ground. He was too slow to put up his Aura and he felt the full force of her head colliding with his solar plexus.
"Oof, Lily!" Jaune cried, barely managing to keep himself upright as the ten year old girl squealed happily. Behind him, Yang laughed her head off, "Not funny, Yang!"
"Eh, it's kinda funny."
"Oh my, I'm sorry, I didn't even realize we had company," his mom said, ignoring Lily still clinging to him, "...Wait, you all look familiar."
Weiss coughed politely, "That might be because-"
Another pair of blurs ran out of the house, though this time they weren't aimed at him. April and May - his fourteen year old twin sisters - practically ignored him as they ran to team RWBY with stars in their eyes, "Your the Defenders of Vale!" April said, absolutely starstruck. Blake wrinkled her nose at the name but said nothing, "What are you all doing here? Are you doing a recruitment tour?"
"We-"
"Oh, this so cool!" May said, interrupting Weiss, "Could we take a picture? Please, please, please!"
"Sure!" Yang grinned, easily striking a pose as the two squealed and readied their scrolls for selfies. The other three did the same with varying degrees of enthusiasm.
"Oh my god, no one at school is gonna believe this!" April gushed happily, already changing her scroll's wallpaper. It was weird to see. Even knowing how famous team RWBY was, seeing his own family cheer and fawn over them felt alien, "...Oh, hey Jaune. Didn't know you were coming back."
"Thanks for the welcome," he shot back without any heat. Lily had clambered onto his back and stayed there, though he barely noticed the weight. Even before he had Aura he was tall for his age and Lily was short, easily passing herself off as a couple of years younger than her ten years of age, "And please don't embarass me in front of my teammates. They've already got enough rope to hang me with."
"Not yet, Grimm Slayer. I still have baby pictures to see," Yang said, utterly serious.
"Never gonna happen, Xiao Long."
"Teammates?!" May shouted, looking between him and the four other members of the group, "Jaune, when you said you were part of a team that was already filled up, you meant the Defenders of Vale?!"
"They weren't the defenders of anything when I first joined them, but sure." Jaune shrugging, shaking Lily slightly.
"Oh man, this is so cool!" May squealed excitedly.
"Pardon me for the intrusion, but could you please clarify what you mean when you refer to us as the 'Defenders of Vale'?" Weiss asked, "I was under the impression that our official team name was public record. Why the...sensationalism?"
"Because it's cool!" April replied. That pretty much answered all they needed to know, "That and not everyone knows everything. Like, most people don't know her name-" she pointed to Blake "-so people made up names."
"Oh yeah? Did I get a badass one?" Yang put a hand on her chin and grinned.
"Definitely! You're the Phoenix!" Well, it made sense with the fire tornadoes, "You're the Ice Queen, you're Lightning Princess, and your team leader is Thunder Thighs!" April said, pointing at Weiss, Blake and poor Ruby in turn.
"Ugh, will I ever leave that nickname behind?" Weiss groused.
"...Lightning Princess?" Blake blinked, more confused than offended by the moniker.
"What?!" Ruby shrieked, and for a second he could've sworn her eyes lit up with crimson fire, "Why does everyone get a cool nickname but I get Thunder Thighs?! Blake's the one shooting lightning everywhere!"
"It's just the most well-known one. I've heard others like Blood Rose and Grimm Reaper, but most everyone knows Thunder Thighs!"
"Ugh, this is so unfair! I wanna be called Grimm Reaper!"
"We should probably get inside," his mom said, gesturing to the crowds of neighbors stopping to stare, "I'm assuming that since you're all on a team with Jaune that this is official school business."
"Uh-huh, we're here to get rid of a Goliath that was spotted nearby," Blake said.
"That terrible thing? Wait, does that mean Jaune too?" Mom's brows furrowed worriedly. It didn't matter how old he was, he was still her little boy. The same could be said for every child in the family, really.
"Yup! Don't worry, he can totally kick butt!" Ruby said.
"I see...well, we should continue this conversation inside, like I said. You all must be starving."
Dinner was...nice. Granted he had to keep an eye on Yang to make sure she didn't slink off with his mom to find any embarassing photos, but it was nice being with family again. Contrary to what he expected, none of them seemed to hold his lack of communication against him, though Lily had pouted something fierce when he told them they only planned to stay up until the Grimm was gone.
Tulip and Pearl - his third and fourth sister - were gone, out on a trip to Mistral for a business deal, but dad was still there. Nathaniel Arc was not a man of many words despite being the head of a winery, but he definitely believed in hospitality. He was quick to offer them housing for the night, though Peter messaged him ahead of time that he was planning to stay at a hotel for some privacy.
The dinner table was crowded and lively. April and May never stopped asking questions and gushing at the rest of the team while Rebecca was quick to fill him in on everything that happened. Nothing much had changed, unsurpringly. Another term closer to her being a doctor, Tulip and Pearl getting better at running the business without dad, and the rest of the sisters were still at school. The most exciting thing that happened was Lily getting top marks on her test.
The rest of team RWBY fit in like a glove. Ruby and Yang were regaling the table with stories of their misadventurers while Weiss talked shop with mom and dad, praising the vintage of the wine they set out for dinner and commending them on everything from age to consistency. He didn't really have a mind for it. While he wasn't bad at helping run the business, Tulip and Pearl were the ones who were the ones inheriting for a reason.
"I'll admit this is a surprise," Dad said after they went through the main course, "Jaune was rather vague on the details when it came to discussing his team." Cause he didn't want to lie. He wasn't gonna tell his folks that he was on a team of demigods.
"Especially Weiss Schnee." Rebecca hummed, slicing into her gravied pork, "I didn't recognize you earlier, but I still have some of your CDs."
"You didn't tell us they were all girls either," Mom said, "I hope you didn't get up to anything, young man."
"Mom..." Jaune sighed.
"I assure you, Mrs. Arc, Jaune has been a complete gentleman and I've had no complaints rooming with him." Weiss said with a disarming smile. Leave it to Schnee heiress to know exactly what to say.
"Jaune's been awesome!" Ruby said after.
"Hm. He's been better than some people I know." Blake hummed.
Yang suddenly smiled. That did not spell good things, "Aww, that's all you have to say, Blakey?" Jaune felt a chill go down his spine and Blake sat up ramrod straight. Yang looked like she was waiting for this, "When are you planning to tell everyone you two are dating?"
The silence was so defeaning you could hear a pin drop. It only lasted for a few seconds before everything started up again. His mom was the first to react, scolding him about not introducing his girlfriend properly. April and May followed soon after, demanding details from him and Blake both. Weiss covered her face with both hands and groaned while Yang sat back with her arms crossed, an evil smile on her face like the supervillain she was.
Poor Ruby looked completely shattered, looking between him and Blake with a expression of someone who'd been utterly betrayed. Blake meanwhile was trying to explain that it was just a fake relationship in-between trying to fend off April and May and trying to tell Ruby that she in no way betrayed her because she knew how she felt. Seriously? Did everyone know? There was no way he was the only one who missed it.
The only one who didn't get involved were Rebecca and dad. Rebecca just looked on in amusement while dad tried to calm down mom, who was currently grilling Blake on what she liked about him and how far did she think this relationship would go.
Jaune slammed his face on the table and cursed how it wasn't enough to knock him unconscious.
An hour later found the team out of the house. They needed to prepare the guest rooms and mom waved away his offer to stay and help so he could show team RWBY where to have some fun. Peter told them it'd be best to hunt down the Goliath in the morning, which gave them some time to kill. While Ansel didn't have as much of a nightlife compare to Vale there were still some places to have fun.
"I hate you, Yang." Blake said, scowling down at the ground as she walked.
"I love you too, partner."
"How did you even know about that?"
"You can hide nothing from me, o dear partner of mine." The clouds overhead rumbled and Yang held her hands up, "Alright, alright. Your mom left a voice message on your scroll talking about how she wanted to meet your boyfriend again when they came business in Menagerie. It's not my fault you set it to automatically play like a damn answering machine. Settings are there for a reason."
"Honestly, Blake, a fake relationship? How did you think it would end? Were you planning a fake marriage if this continued long enough?" Weiss said.
"I...I thought it was a good idea at the time!"
"It wasn't. I told you that before we met your parents and you didn't listen." Jaune scoffed.
"...You're sure it's fake? It's fake, right?" Ruby asked for the sixth time that night.
"Yes, Ruby, I am in no way attracted to Jaune nor do I want to make him my boyfriend." Blake sighed, rubbing her forehead. Hey, it was her fault for letting it get this far so she deserved it.
"Same. Blake isn't my type," Jaune added. Not that she wasn't pretty, but he preferred his women less delusional.
"You sure about that, Jaune? The Bellabooty's got its own fanclub back at Beacon. I should know, being a member and all." Yang laughed like a dirty old man.
"I swear to the gods, Yang, if you say 'Bellabooty' ever again I am going to shave you bald."
"Just try it, Blake. I know for a fact I can kick that amazing ass of yours unarmed."
"Would you two stop flirting in public? It's obscene enough without you bring Blake's rear end into it." Weiss harrumphed.
"W-We're not flirting!" Blake shot back.
"We aren't?" Yang looked absolutely heartbroken. It couldn't have looked more exagerrated if she tried.
"Let's just find somewhere to have some fun," Jaune cut in. He thought his role of peacekeeper would've been over by now, but apparently not.
The place he ended up taking them to was a little place called the Morningstar. It was the closest thing to a club Domremy had. There wasn't any bouncer and no private rooms where people could get high, but it had a bar counter (with a bartender who looked the other way with some lien notes), people could dance, and they had the most amazing fish and chips in all of Remnant. Seriously, old man Coppersmith was a miracle worker in the kitchen.
School was out, and despite the fact that it was the start of the week he saw more than a few familiar faces. Nobody he knew too close, though. He wasn't exactly a social butterfly despite his mom's motto on friends and strangers. There were a few people he hung out with, mostly to play videogames and share notes, but they were high school friends. The kind of people you swore you'd stay in contact with before realizing the relationship wasn't that deep. Yang and Ruby had a few from over in Signal.
As always, the group drew attention. Word spread fast around Domremy and at this point just about everyone knew that Jaune 'noodle boy' Arc was palling around with a famous group of Huntresses. Except this wasn't one of those cheesy movies Rebecca liked and this wasn't the part where he came back and lorded it over everyone. It wasn't like he had to deal with people like Cardin before Beacon so there was no revenge to be had. He was just a fly on the wall.
Yang ordered their alcoholic drinks and passed them around...except for Ruby who got some soda. The Grimm Reaper (hey, she liked it) scowled and sullenly sipped the fizzy drink through her straw, "So this is where you grew up, huh?" Yang leaned back on the counter, her elbows propped up, "Reminds me of the town near where we live, actually."
"...It reminds me of home, too." Blake said softly.
"Ooh, that's where we should go next!" Yang cheered, "Actually, no, we'll go to Patch first, then Menagerie, then Atlas last cause it sounds really fucking boring over there and I don't hate my life."
"Normally I'd take offense, but my time at Beacon has opened my eyes a bit," Weiss said.
"I...don't think that's a good idea." Blake frowned, "Menagerie isn't exactly...friendly to humans. At best they're wary, at worst you'll be treated as a target for retaliation."
"But we didn't do anything!" Ruby said.
"It doesn't matter. You're human, and for some people that's enough." Her bow twitched. Even outside of Vale she made sure that her Faunus lineage was hidden, "...Let's talk about something else."
"How about those two boys that have been staring at us since we entered?" Weiss said. Jaune followed her gaze and shifted in his seat when he saw two familiar faces. David Gold and Rud Frye. David was the big man on campus, or at least he was the closest one with the unofficial title. Good looking, good at sports, and his family was renowned for high quality jewelry. By Domremy standards he was a celebrity, the same way Weiss was for Atlas.
Jaune didn't really know him. The guy had a bit of an ego problem, or at least that's what he heard. They didn't really talk outside of the one time they had a group project together. Apart from needing to be prodded to his part there weren't much problems.
"W-Well, we're a full team of Huntsmen. I'm sure that's why we're getting looks." Ruby not-so-subtly tried to lenghten her skirt.
Weiss didn't get a chance to answer before David stood and walked towards them. He was suddenly reminded of a very drunk Dove Bronzewing trying to catcall Yang a semester ago, "Hey...Jaune?" David asked/greeted. At least he was sober.
"Hey, David." Jaune smiled politely. Maybe he was being too cynical, but he knew exactly why a guy who barely knew him went out of his way to talk.
"I heard you went to Beacon." He looked to the rest of team RWBY, "This your team?" And there it was.
"Yup." Yang answered for him, "Name's Yang. That's Ruby, Weiss, and Blake. You know Grimm Slayer, of course." She drank down her tequila mix in one go, "You an old friend his?"
"N-"
"Yup." David grinned, cutting Jaune off. The look Yang gave Jaune told him she knew how truthful the new arrival was being, and judging by their reactions so did Weiss and Blake, "We hung out a bunch back before he left," he said, never turning to even look at Jaune. His eyes lingered on Yang and Weiss, particularly the latter. No surprise there. Besides being pretty, it was news all on its own that the heiress of the SDC had come to their small town.
"Really? Jaune never mentioned you," Ruby said without any malice. She was always keen on thinking the best of people.
"He was probably just so busy being in a Huntsman school," David deflected easily, "Anyway, what's say you guys join me and my friend? We know some really cool places to hang out in."
"While we appreciate the offer, I believe Jaune is a more than adequate guide." Weiss said, her smile razor thin. Jaune felt sorry for him. Even if they weren't actually friends, Weiss' patience for people who put on masks was nonexistent after seventeen years in Atlas, "We can't dally around too long regardless. We have a mission tomorrow and it wouldn't do to be late."
"Oh yeah? What's that about?" He smiled.
"Probably best if we don't go talking about it," Blake said. Technically they were allowed to be as public or private about it as they liked, but it was clear Blake was just looking for an excuse to cut the interaction short, "Nice to meet you, but no thanks."
"You guys planning to stay in Domremy long?" David continued, smile never faltering. It was impressive.
"Mm, maybe. Once we finish up what we're doing we can probably stick around tomorrow." That was true, at least. Most missions had a 3-5 day limit. If the student finished early they could go back to campus, but many stayed behind in order to take a break from school or get some more practical lessons in the field from the supervising Huntsmen.
"Any plans for after?"
"Not sure, guess we'll see what happens." Yang shrugged lightly. Unlike Blake and Weiss, who clearly wanted the conversation over, and Ruby, who was unusually quiet, she handled the blatant hints with ease, "Jaune's probably just gonna keep showing us around, though. Maybe we'll see you around. Maybe we won't." And just like that, she swiveled her stool and ordered another drink from the bartender.
David looked like he was considering saying something again before he decided to walk back to his friend, a man defeated.
"...What was that about?" Ruby asked.
"That, Rubes, was a guy trying to get lucky with some girls out of town," Yang said. It took a few seconds for the hint to set in. Ruby's face flared up bright red at the implications, "We really shouldn't be surprised, though. We're all lookers, and the Breach is still pretty fresh so we haven't ridden out our five minutes of fame just yet. He had his eyes on Weiss cream in particular."
"Please don't put that imagine in my head." Weiss scoffed.
"If it makes you feel better, he was probably trying to get your attention for the family business. Getting Weiss Schnee to wear his jewelry can look good for them," Weiss said.
"It doesn't make me feel better, but thank you for clarifying."
They left the club not long after and actually decided to go their separate ways. Weiss, Ruby and Yang went off to check out some of the stores while Yang stuck around with him, joking about how she didn't want him to be lonely. He smiled and appreciated the gesture. At least with just the two of them they didn't garner as much attention. He could only hope Ruby didn't get caught out by herself.
Yang stretched her arms above her head and looked up at the shattered moon, "You happy to be home?" she asked him.
"I'd be happier if you weren't trying to find blackmail material on me," he said lightly.
"Oh please, like you wouldn't do the same thing when we head over to Patch." When, not if. She was adaman they all go together. It made his chest feel warm that she considered them so close that she thought it was a sure thing.
"I wouldn't, actually. Didn't you hear Weiss? I'm a gentleman."
"Gentleman." Yang snorted, "I've seen you looking at my abs after a workout."
"So does Blake." His face was only slightly warm as he answered. Hey, it wasn't his fault Yang had abs you could grate Mistralian cheese on.
"Not really helping your case." She punched his stomach lightly, "Ah well, it's not like I'm the only one giving a show. Whatever Professor Port and Uncle Qrow are doing, they're doing good work." He laughed softly. He wasn't exactly built broad like Cardin, but those months of training (and running away from Grimm...) had given him a steady set of lean muscles that were still easily hidden by his favorite hoodie. Professor Branwen was the same. His wiry frame hid strength to let him carry that sword like it was nothing. Even with Aura it was impressive.
They walked along the walls, which gave them a view to the outside. As a child he was always warned to never leave town without an escort. Now he was training to be a Huntsman and that would include staying out in the wilds, possibly by himself, for weeks on end. Professor Branwen told him stories about some of his missions. Huntsmen without partners lived lonely existences at times, surrounded with nothing but Grimm and the few villages they could find to resupply.
He wondered if this team would stick together after everything was said and done...
"Hey, uh, could I ask for your advice." Jaune asked. Yang looked at him curiously and waited for him to continue, "Well, you see." He took a deep breath. Just be honest, he told himself. Asking 'for a friend' wouldn't work here, "So, uh, Ruby confessed to me a week ago and said she wanted to date me." Jaune shut his eyes, afraid that Yang's own would turn crimson in an overprotective rage.
Instead she just whistled, "Already? Man, I thought she'd wait till the dance before doing anything."
"...You know?" He opened his eyes and found Yang's eyes still their normal shade of lilac.
"Uh, yeah? She's my little sis, of course I knew," She said, like it was the most obvious thing in the world, "She thought she was being so subtle, but Ruby always wore her heart on her sleeve. She got that from mom."
"You're not exactly low-key yourself, Yang."
"I'm hearing a lot of snarking and not a lot of my advice being asked."
"Right..." He took a deep breath and leaned forward against the railing, "I just...I've never been in a real relationship before, you know?"
"What do you mean 'real'?"
"I mean an actual serious one." He brought a hand through his hair, "A year ago I dated this girl in town called Sapphire. She lives a few houses down from us and I thought she was cute, so I asked her out. She said yes and..." He shrugged, "Nothing really changed. We held hands and kissed once, but there was nothing really there. We broke up a couple of weeks later." Honestly, calling it a break up was being really generous.
"So where's this going?"
"If I go out with Ruby, what if I screw up? I don't want her to hate me...or for her to-"
"Jaune, chill!" Yang leaned on the wall next to him and clapped his right shoulder, "Look, as Ruby's big sister I'd be lying if I said I didn't want you to say yes. Ruby's never had a crush before, and it makes me glad she found someone that makes her happy, but if you're so worried about what-ifs that you aren't even thinking about the relationship, then why bother?"
"What do you mean?"
"I mean you keep focusing on the worst case scenarios! 'What if I screw up' is not the first thing you should be thinking about when someone asks you out, dude!" She sighed and shook her head, "Look, Ruby really likes you, but what do you think about her? What do you want?"
"I..." He paused, trying to find the words, "Ruby's a really...amazing girl. People think she's too young and that she's naive for wanting to be a hero, but I find that great about her. She's not naive, she sees the world for what it is and still wants to change it." The Maiden powers and those Silver Eyes couldn't have chosen anyone better to have them. He believed she could lead a team that would save the world.
"You know she feels the same way about you." Yang laughed under her breath, "She always talked about how you helped her up when she needed it and how you were trying so hard with all your training with Port and Qrow. She hates it when you talk yourself down and feel like you don't belong on the team just because you don't have as much training as us or you aren't a Magical Girl."
"But I'm-"
"What? We've already had this conversation before." She let out a frustrated breath, "What's it gonna take for us to convince you that you're not dead weight? You were with us from the start, you were with us down on the Breach, and you're still with us now. A real dead weight would've turned tail and ran long ago." His family didn't know he was part of the Breach. He'd told team RWBY to keep his involvement a secret and they all reluctantly agreed. He didn't need anyone worrying over him.
"I'm trying, Yang. It just...feels difficult sometimes. It's hard not to feel useless."
"We really wanna do this? Fine, I'll tell you the things that make me feel down too. Misery loves company." She clasped her hands together, "You know why I became a Huntress?"
"No." She never talked about it, not like the others.
"Because I wanted an exciting life. It wasn't to be a hero like Ruby or to redeem her family name like Weiss or to protect both Human and Faunus like Blake. I just didn't want a boring life, that's it." She paused, "Well, that and I wanted to find my mom, but that came before the whole Huntress thing. Now I find out I've got these super rare magical powers and I can help save the world."
"And you know there are times, right when I'm trying to sleep, that all these thoughts pop up. All my teammates have these big reasons to be heroes and here I am just trying to get a high from it. And I feel guilty. I feel guilty that I went into this whole thing treating it like a game and a part of me hates these powers cause I don't think I'm responsible enough for whatever the hell we're supposed to do to 'save the world'. A part of me just wants to be a Huntress and leave the saving the world thing to everyone else so I can keep having fun."
"Yang..."
"But then I suck it up and deal. Why? Cause Ruby, Weiss, and Blake are fighting and I wanna be there for them. You feel the same way, right?" He nodded, unsure of what else to say, "Then why do you feel so useless? Why do you keep thinking that just because you don't have magic that you can't be a member of this team? Cause I'll tell you right now, you're here to stay and that's that."
"Heh...you make it sound like I don't have a choice." He smiled weakly.
"You don't. If you actually quit we'd drag you back kicking and screaming." She grinned at him, "So just...stop with all this self put-downs and all this doubting, whether it's about not being 'good enough' for this team or for Ruby. Ruby likes you, we all do, and Ruby knew what she was doing when she confessed. Even if you say no it won't change anything, not after the shit we've been through."
"I...thanks, Yang." He nodded and turned to look at her, "I promise I'll try to stop with the mopey attitude."
"Good." She smirked, "By the way, if you mess with Ruby I'll rip your balls off and feed them to you. Just a heads up from one older sibling to another."
"Ha!" Jaune shook his head and laughed, loud and free. It was a good thing they were alone.
Yang stepped off from the wall and winced, "Ugh, damn it." She put a hand on her neck and frowned.
"What's wrong?"
"Been getting some neck and back pain ever since we started training with Weiss' sister. I've been trying to ignore it, but it gets worse at night for some reason." She winced again.
"Hmm, maybe I can help. Turn around." She did and jumped up slightly when he gently placed both hands at the base of her neck. White Aura coated his palms and transferred over to her. He hadn't used his Semblance since the Breach. Never really found a reason to considering the lack of fighting, "Ruby said she didn't feel as tired anymore after I used it on her. Maybe it can work here too?"
"I'm already feeling better." Yang let out a relieved sigh and sagged against the wall. He continued transferring Aura for another minute before pulling his hand back, "Wow." She cricked her neck and rounded her right arm, "I feel like I just got a two hundred lien massage. You should totally sell this. You'd make a killing!"
"Jaune Arc, masseuse. Kinda has a ring to it."
The blare of an alarm interrupted them. Jaune's eyes widened slightly, "There's Grimm nearby." It wasn't too rare. It always sounded when some of them got too close to the walls and acted as a signal for everyone to stay inside. The militia could pick them off easily enough.
He spotted the cause immediately: a pack of Beowolves with an alpha at the head. Just slightly more dangerous than what you'd typically find in the Emerald Forest, "Heh, thought the Goliath was coming to us." Yang flexed her arms and activated Ember Celica, "You don't mind giving me this one, right? Your little Aura treatment makes me feel like I need to let off some steam."
"Go ahead."
Yang jumped and propelled herself ahead with a couple of shots. Normally she could've deal with them easily, but something was different now. Her entire body seemed to thrum with power and when she landed the impact of her punch created a shockwave that nearly knocked him off-balance. The few Beowolves that didn't die were immediately engulfed by a circle of fire so hot he felt the air around him heat up even from fifty feet away.
"Holy shit." Jaune turned to the left and saw Mikhail gaping at the burning crater Yang made, "That's something you dont' see every day."
"Yeah..."
Yang was weirdly quiet as they met back up with the others. As soon as they were back together she asked Ruby, "Hey, remember when Jaune used his Semblance on you?" The younger girl looked confused at the sudden question, "Rubes, I need you to answer. This is serious."
"During the breach, yeah. Why?"
"Do you remember what it felt like?"
"I...sorry, I was kinda focused on other things." Ruby shook her head.
"Yang, what's this about?" Blake asked.
"Is something wrong?" Jaune asked after.
"It's opposite of wrong, actually." Yang grinned, "Ever since we've been training with the headmaster we've been getting a better grasp on how this Magical Girl stuff works. I know how strong it is, I know how to use it without taking a hit first, but its never been that strong before; at least not without me taking some hits and getting really pissed. Connected to emotions, you know?"
"Where are you going with this?" Jaune asked again.
"You used your Semblance on me and suddenly I'm feeling juiced up, like I can headbutt an Ursa and crack it's skull without even trying."
"What are you saying?" Weiss' eyes narrowed.
"Jaune...I think your Semblance makes our magic stronger."
Oh...well, that was a thing.
And so Jaune firmly establishes his place as the party buffer. Yeah, I went with the idea that Jaune's Semblance not only buffs Semblances but also magic. Granted we don't know how much stronger it makes magic, but it's a buff nonetheless. It definitely establishes his niche on team RWBY-J and makes it so he's not useless in the Maiden fights.
At least this way Ironwood might give the guy some slack, if only because he now helps his weapons against Salem in a more tangible manner.
Next chapter will contain the Goliath fight and then the return to Vale. With any luck I can also focus on Blake to advance both the White Fang and Council of Vale arcs.
Review Answers:
roxasdualwielder - I doubt Blake would let fame get to her head. Also, why are you so insistent against Mercury x Pyrrha? They're not main characters so it hardly matters.
RandomFandomReader - Right now he's support and jack of all trades, yeah.
ReadYesyes - Yeah, factions are a mess right now. As for Merlot, maybe. Not sure.
Kalbario - Don't you mean politically putrid and leaves your groin groaning with excitement?
Raj8 - It could happen early. It also interacts really well with the White Fang arc for Blake.
007foamy - Weiss stands out since she's an Atlesian with little stake in Vale as a whole, so not much for her. She is the most politcally savvy, though.
Master T-Rex - Holy long review. I wanna answer bigger but to avoid bloating the chapter, I should respond that while Jaune can act as a support for each RWBY girl, they can also do so for each other, which is where people might question how needed he is. And yes, the Council of Vale arc has team RWBY doing the most widespread good such as clearing out Mountain Vale and possibly killing Kevin early.
And yes, omakes are not canon save for Jaunedice, else we'd have Blake creating sapient clones and Ruby breaking time.