The night sky was a shade darker than black, yet it only seemed to contrast with the glittering stars that lit the sky like a gallery of lights. A single large building sat, it's imposing size standing above all others in its immediate vicinity. The interior was practically glowing in its decor, with music reverberating along the walls, chatter carrying all along the bottom floor as men and women danced together to the classical sounds. Waiters and waitresses scurried along desperately, attempting their utmost best to fulfill the needs of the patrons that demanded glass after glass of wine, and plentiful amounts of appetizers to sate their gluttonous selves. The Glass Unicorn was being used as a venue of sorts for the elite, men wore suits made with silk the price of jewels, and women wore lavish dresses of various kinds that displayed their wealth proudly for all that attended to witness. The madam had even decided to wear one as well; a red and gold dress that was outfitted with various jewels across her neck and torso, she stood imposingly at the door of the hotel, dark eyes watching her workers with a critical stare.
Up, far from the rambunctious sounds and fake laughter, dozens of floors away from where the elite dined, Cinder watched all. Her amber eyes were longing, watching the men carrying their women along their arms as they danced, she watched as the women moved their heeled feet with grace, dancing along the floor with skill that must have been drilled into them from an early age.
For the first time ever, she had actually wished to serve at a venue. Yet she was told she couldn't- something about the event being far too important for a child to mess up an order at. She could see other children there though- sitting together, and some even dancing along to the music. How she wished she could have a closer look, to watch as the women moved, to marvel at the sight from a better view.
How she wished she could have been one of those children, or one of those women. Well fed, protected, without worry of heavy labour, given a good life, and perhaps with a man at her side, one who could spin her along the dance floor, and dip her down, yet not allow her head to strike the hard floor.
Her bruised fingers released the railing, gaze ripped away from the dancing women and the flashing lights. Instead she allowed her eyes to shut closed, ears taking in all the sounds around her. She allowed her body to move along to the sounds of melodic music, dancing by her lonesome, as she dreamed impossible dreams in the darkness.
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The air felt light against her cheeks as she spun her body gracefully. A strong, warm hand returned to her hip comfortably, as another hand grasped her own. Sapphire orbs the colour of the sea would meet a burning amber shade, as Jaune Arc smiled sheepishly towards her with an expression that looked… happy. She would not give him the pleasure of revealing the surprise on her face at his skill, yet, he truly had surprised her. The average Beacon student was better than the average person at dancing, and she was better than the average Beacon student, but Jaune? He was… skilled, somehow.
Much to her frustration, he seemed to be able to sense her surprise. For a chuckle left his lips as they moved skillfully across the dance floor. "You tend to pick up a few tricks when seven sisters need to use you as a testing dummy."
She blinked her eyes in surprise, seven? She did recall that he had mentioned this piece of information in the past, though part of her hadn't really believed him. That was… quite a number. She couldn't understand how he was so useless around women if he had this much of a female presence at home. Perhaps he was used to bowing his head towards women such as herself. It would be pathetic if it wasn't so amusing. He managed to find it in himself to lie into a prestigious school with no training, and nearly give his life…aiding her, yet he didn't have the backbone to challenge her outside of combat.
He laughed at her expression, just in time to pull her closer to avoid a body that would've bumped into her.
She allowed him to, he did save her from the annoyance.
"Yeah yeah it was pretty tough. They were a pain, but I still do love them."
She ignored the word and instead nodded, a playful smile forming across her lips. "I don't doubt that you were still the woman of the house despite there being eight others."
"Hey!" He protested with a blush, cutting off their eye contact. "It's not my fault they were absolute terrors. Or that they made me into some kind of mule whenever they went shopping…"
The laugh that escaped her was genuine. She really did have her work cut out for her; turning someone bullied by their own sisters into someone who would act so dominate in battle.
"What about you?" He asked a moment later, his brow raised as his hand settled beneath her elbow, ushering her into a sweeping spin.
"What about me?"
"Your dancing skills." He chuckled. "I mean, obviously I'm the master here, but you're pretty good too! How did you learn?"
The question made her blood run cold. It wasn't one she liked or wanted to think about right now. Memories of a weak girl, of one who would sooner bow and run away than face their opposition head on. Of a fool that dreamed of childish things rather than looking at the world for what it really was. Her expression must've displayed her displeasure at the question, because his eyes would momentarily widen.
"Oh let me guess, you're just naturally skilled?" He asked with a soft smile. He knew that wasn't the case, and yet he gave her an out, rather than letting her work around a question she would rather not think about.
She both appreciated and hated him for it.
The thought was cut off from her though, as he pushed her away but kept the grip at her hand firm, the action caused them to separate, but he quickly reeled her back into his chest, dipping their bodies a moment later. She could see several students around them gape at the duo's skilled movements together, yet that was not what had taken her attention. The sudden loss of leverage to her feet made her feel an anxious sense of vulnerability at her gut- if someone attacked she wouldn't be ready to counter attack at that moment. She forced the thought away though, no one would attack her here. Here she was just a student, a student who was…
What was she doing exactly?
Dancing with a peer? A friend?
Was she doing something entirely different?
She was pulled back up before she could figure out a solid answer. Jaune's arms were strong around her waist. That was something she hadn't quite expected; for someone with a slender build to have such a solid grip. Maybe his family's genes had played some part after all. If not within obvious talent, then at least within his body's constitution.
That wasn't fair either, he was quite talented despite his lack of training, something she was forced to admit.
She tried to ignore how his soft yet strong hands occasionally rubbed along her exposed back, or how warm he was on top of that. Not an overbearing warmth like that of one wearing a blanket within the summer. Instead he was like a campfire within Atlas, a warm light…
She cut off those thoughts as well. Biting her lip as she focused on dancing, focused on keeping her mind centered around the movements. Yet try as she might...she couldn't.
Dancing like this, as she was- the way she was right now, it was never quite something she had done before. He made her feel different.
Feel normal.
Cinder Fall, was not normal.
She was a warrior, a woman with great skill and one especially cloaked with the power of the Maiden and all that came with it. Normalcy was for the weak, it was for those with a different life, for someone that was not her.
Dancing within the arms of another, under bright lights and happy sapphire orbs was for another woman. A woman that was not her.
Yet, she had to pretend, didn't she?
She had to play the part of a foolish student. Of an idiot who believed in justice, of someone who thought that Remnant really worked the way it should have. In notions of fairy tales, in dreams within the light. Someone who would partake in a dance like this.
So she accepted it, she pushed away her thoughts and took hold of this woman. For just this one night she played the part she was supposed to, of an exchange student enjoying their time at Beacon. She could just once- forget about the real reason she was here.
It was a role, a false identity.
Nothing more, nothing less.
Just this night, she was someone else.
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They danced for what felt like hours, yet they had only begun dancing in the afternoon. His lips were pulled back into a broad grin, and even Cinder seemed to wear a small smile on her lips. The festival was shaping up to be even more fun than the dance had been! The thought made him feel a pang of guilt, especially when he considered why this was even a thing. It was unfortunate that the Breach had to happen for this to be a thing, but he was grateful that it had been hosted at all.
Maybe it was selfish, maybe it was self centered. Yet he enjoyed it all the same. Their bodies moved together in sync all throughout the dancefloor, her graceful movements aided by his skill with the act. Yet he found himself… distracted.
Admittedly, by her.
His hands were settled upon her body, occasionally pressing against her exposed back in a way that sent heat up his stomach. Despite who he was with, her flesh was surprisingly...soft. Silky even. Yet it maintained the same warmth that he expected from her. That was something he came to expect from her- heat. The raw fire within combat, the irritation that lit her eyes like twin suns, and now the heat of her flesh that almost reminded him of a furnace.
"Tired yet?" She asked with a raised brow, and he simply shook his head in return.
"Nope. Why? Giving up already?"
"Hardly." She answered with a roll of her eyes. Arms pressing over his shoulders in a way that made his cheeks redden. "Although, there's much more to do here. Sitting in one place for too long may become repetitive if we spend the whole day here."
She wanted to do more things with him? He pushed away the sudden flush at his cheeks. Of course she would, he was the only other person here who she seemingly could do things with. Nodding his head in agreement, she slipped away from him with a playful smile, gesturing for him to follow.
He ignored the absence of warmth, and the longing that came with it.
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Bright pink eyes watched as two figures departed from the dance floor, and outside of the main hall. When the time finally came, he almost couldn't believe it- the duo had been dancing for over an hour- and by then the hall had cleared up significantly. The fact that they didn't seem to either care or notice was a testament as to how much they enjoyed the act.
All of this because of Nora. He wanted to tell her that in the end, she had done a good thing. That making Jaune enjoy his once sour day was certainly something he could agree to being positive. Yet...judging by the look on the orange haired girl's face…
She didn't quite look like she had made the right decision.
He couldn't entirely fault her, he wanted Jaune to be happy with Pyrrha as well. Yet Ren saw Jaune as a brother, and him receiving some happiness for the night wasn't something he saw as entirely terrible. He didn't believe that Nora thought that it was bad either, she just… wished it had been Pyrrha.
The orange haired girl looked… uncertain. Her bright teal eyes were uncharacteristically lowered to the ground, hands pressed together nervously. The plan had technically gone how she thought it would have, it was probable that she just didn't expect Jaune to look so...lively. He looked happy during the night of the dance as well, this time it just seemed… different.
"Renny…"
"Yes, Nora?"
"I… think I made a mistake."
He released a gentle sigh, placing a hand upon her shoulder. "It's difficult to say at the moment. It's possible that things may differ once the night is over. Or perhaps they won't… but at the end of the day; Jaune is happy."
"Y-yeah… But Pyrrha…"
"Will still have her chance." He corrected her with a soft smile. "This is all part of your master plan, after all."
She looked uncertain, but eventually nodded her head with a smile now across her lips.
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The afternoon atmosphere wasn't particularly hot, nor too cold. Many walked along the pathways and yet it didn't feel all too crowded due to the spaciousness of the campus. Outside of the main hall, they walked along the several, large pathways filled with game stalls and snacks. He had explored most of the school's festival already, although it seemed as if some areas had still been left unattended to. It was...enjoyable, he liked the way the air touched his cheeks in a gentle breeze. Or the way that the trees seemed to shift slightly, like a swaying dance.
It would honestly be great weather for an afternoon stroll in the park, by himself, when he could just enjoy the day.
Though, this wasn't the park, and he wasn't alone either.
"You know, if being a huntsman doesn't work out, you could pursue a career in dancing." She spoke as she walked next to him, causing a laugh to slip from his lips. He knew she was just teasing him, but she wasn't all that far from the truth.
"Funny you mention that, being a Huntsman wasn't always my dream."
"Oh?"
He hummed in affirmation with a nod. "I mean I grew up loving stories of Heroes and all that. But I didn't actually want it to be part of my path until I turned around...nine or so?"
She seemed somewhat curious, so he chuckled and went on.
"I lived around thirty minutes or so away from a town called Angort. It wasn't bigger than where I lived but it was really...awesome. Every year they hosted a huge fall festival that happened in the entire town. Lots of eating, dancing, all the fun stuff."
"And how exactly does this relate to your dream…?"
"I'm getting there." He chuckled. "There was a shop inside of Angort, owned by a husband and wife. The husband was apparently a Huntsman back in the day, the wife may have been too. Anyway, they owned this shop where they both made things for people, paintings...and even toys. The husband ended up giving me a toy sword." He paused as a laugh escaped him at the memory. "Loved that thing, ended up breaking it eventually, but I used to pretend I was a Huntsman or a warrior like my ancestors. Wanted to save and help people like them. It's a little childish I know, but then again I think all dreams start off as childish, but that doesn't make them wrong."
He wondered what had happened to that shop, seeing as his family hadn't attended the festival in a few years. Last he remembered the wife was pregnant and they already had a few kids. What was that shop called again? Painting something…Painting Gifts? Presents?
"Dreams may not always be wrong. But they can evolve into something better."
"Into something...better?" He asked uncertainty.
"Yes, when you are a child you simply want something for its concept. You don't realize what it takes to get it, the sacrifices, or that it may simply be impossible to get at all. You may very well become a huntsman one day but, sometimes ...dreams are just that, dreams."
He thought that was a rather cynical way of looking at it. Sure, some dreams may very well never happen. Some kid who wanted to suddenly grow wings and fly, or another that wanted to be the King of Remnant may very well never get their dream fulfilled. That didn't mean that some dreams weren't possible though.
"I guess… but I like to believe that things aren't impossible without at least trying. Or that your dreams may never come true because you were dealt a bad hand at life."
"Perhaps."
She didn't seem entirely convinced, and that much was obvious. Desperate to change the topic of conversation into something that wouldn't have her be in the state that she was, the blondes eyes would find the object of his salvation.
Bumper cars.
He didn't know how the hell they managed to get that into Beacon, or how the hell they upgraded the bumper cars, because they were seemingly going at a significantly faster speed than what he was used to as a child.
Perhaps they figured aura would make the rough bumping obsolete? And having the cars be stronger and faster would make it better for the students. Who was he to judge?
He turned to the raven haired woman beside him sheepishly, he knew she would be opposed to the idea- but it couldn't hurt to try. Wearily tapping her shoulder with his own, he gave her the most innocent smile he could muster as he gestured towards the festival game a few meters away.
She spared one look at the twenty or so students dogpiled within the game before turning away with a scandalized look.
"No."
"Oh come on!"
"No, I will not lower myself to such a thing."
"But it could be fun!"
"That game is not fun." She bristled with a scoff, whipping her hair away from him as she turned in the opposite direction.
"Don't you want to try a new experience?"
"No."
"It'll make me happy!"
"No."
"But every student has tried it at least once!" He insisted. "This is one of the most hands-on games here, wouldn't that be something fun for you?" He pleaded, walking quickly a pace or two behind her.
She seemed to consider this somewhat. He noticed that worked often...despite seemingly not socializing much, Cinder tended to at the very least appear at places that students frequented often. Securing his chance, he continued.
"We're here to have fun at the festival just like everyone else aren't we? I'll even buy you snacks….and...I won't tell your teammates that you kept stepping on my toes while we danced!"
"I never stepped on you!"
"So you'll play the game with me?"
She huffed in frustration, running a hand through her dark locks. "Fine." She sighed, turning towards the game as she stalked towards it with little care as to who she pushed out of the way. Not one to squander a small victory- he quickly followed after her.
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She could not believe she was doing this.
After having waited ten minutes in line for such a childish game, the two were directed towards two carts, a golden one for her, and an orange one for him. The radius of the game itself was surprisingly large; roughly fifty meters, with around fifteen or so cars in total. It was a little crowded, yes, but it was large enough so that she could simply ponder around the edges and be left unbothered while the children crashed into one another like fools.
Seconds passed, and finally- the game had begun. Immediately the bumper cars would move into action while she carefully drove around the chaos. Everyone had predictably crashed at the epicentre of the ring, while she was free to leave them to their own devices.
The subsequent crash that rattled the bumper car she was in ended up being surprising for that fact alone. The following ram caused her head to whip to the side, hands rattling at the steering wheel as her fury fueled eyes snapped in the direction of who had struck her.
Jaune Arc sat behind his steering wheel with a playful grin behind his lips.
"Uhm….hi."
"Jaune!" She seethed. "What do you think you're doing?!"
"Winning of course." He responded, reversing his bumper car away as his smile grew.
"You wouldn't da-!"
He dared. While the bumper car was faster than a normal one, it wasn't fast enough for her to not easily dodge… should she have not been strapped to the contraption that wasn't fast enough. All she could do was watch in slow motion as the blond idiot railed his vehicle against the side of her own, once again causing her head to whip to the side violently, body vibrating within her own seat.
He planned to do it again it seemed, for he pulled back once more and charged back in. Ready for the offence this time- she drove forward and narrowly avoided the slam of Jaunes car.
This was utterly ridiculous. She drove around him as he smiled at her move, reversing his car as he gave chase towards her. He did seem to have a good knack for controlling it- while this was her first time ever driving such a stupid thing. It gave him the advantage, but as he had learned many, many times in the past…
She was not one to be underestimated.
The fact that she was taking something like this seriously should have given her pause, but it didn't, instead she quickly angled her car away from the speeding knight, though he managed to keep himself on her tail, striking the front of his bumper against the back of her vehicle in a way that made her thrash violently against her seat.
Would it really be so wrong for him to be incinerated right here…?
Pushing the thought away with a snarl, her eyes spotted a student driving just up ahead. Forming a plan quickly, she drove around the student before quickly reversing. The sudden obstacle caused Jaune to turn sharply, getting him off her tail.
...and just where she wanted him.
She pushed forward and rammed right into him, causing him to rattle within his seat. He seemed to become desperate- for he sped away from her recklessly without a thought as to where he was going.
Seeing him crash into the corner of the arena was certainly a pleasurable sight.
He regained his bearings slowly, shaking his head as sapphire eyes would meet her own. Memories of the past few minutes seemed to pass by his eyes... every ram, every cocky smile he tossed her way…
In return, she glared at him with heat that outmatched the sun itself.
"H-heh...heh...Uhm….sorry?"
Cinder simply smiled.
"You will be."
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He limped out of the bumper cars with a hand gripping his shoulder. The look of pain and regret laced within his features was absolutely palpable.
Cinder simply looked smug.
"Was...was that really necessary?" He whimpered meekly. While he understood that she was more…vindictive than most, ramming her bumper car into his repeatedly for ten minutes straight while he was trapped in a corner was…
Well it wasn't exactly fun.
He spent half the time hoping-and praying- that someone would hit her while she violently abused him. Instead people seemed to completely avoid her like some kind of monstrous alpha Grimm. Maybe they didn't want to risk summoning her wrath upon them after the display she showed by using him as an example.
...or they just thought it was funny, who was to say?
"I have no idea what you mean…"
"Y-you rammed your car into me until the time ran out! And then kept doing it for another two minutes until they turned off your bumper car!"
Why did they even wait that long in the first place?! They saw what she was doing… absolute amateurs.
"Why Jaune… I simply showed you why it is wrong to cross me, you did not heed my warnings after all.."
He sighed, the fact that he now had to buy her snacks for attending made the situation even worse.
They found a series of metal tables with two to four seats a good ways away from the games, just in front of a wooden stand with various foods and desserts. The pimple-faced teenager who worked the stand looked...hollow to say the least, he had never worked at a job like this, but from the expressions on the faces of the people who did? Well...he could guess it was horrible.
The different deserts did look amazing though, Cinder-to his surprise- ended up ordering something rather cheap; a small hazelnut cake. While he on the other hand ordered a strawberry cheesecake that caught his eye. After he pulled out his wallet and paid for the food, the worker mustered his best smile and gave them their food.
As the two sat down, he took his time to admire the day so far. Not having Pyrrha or Ruby around for the festival initially made him hesitant as to how fun it would be, since he didn't just want to be a third wheel for Ren and Nora.
Seriously, will those two just get together already?
Yet it hadn't been, Cinder was here, and to his surprise...he had a lot of fun attending.
He wasn't really sure as to why, this just felt..different then the times he would attend festivals with his team or with his family. Many of the activities, scenery, and games were all the same.
Then why did he feel like something about this was...just different?
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The worker brought their food a few minutes later, and to her surprise; the food itself was satisfactory. Much better than what she was used to, although not something to marvel over.
"Mmmmh!"
Jaune clearly thought differently about his own desert.
"If you keep making sounds like that, people will get the wrong idea."
"S-Sorry!" He blushed a pink shade all the way to his ears. "This is just so good though! A little expensive, sure, but worth it."
Admittedly, it did look appetizing. A creamy white cheesecake with strawberries decorated across the borders neatly, slight intricate designs spiralling across the surface of the cake like a web, along with a thick pink filling at the center. It was well done, and reminded her of cakes she hadn't seen in years.
"Want some?"
"What?" She asked, raising her head.
"Would you like some cake?"
"Of course not." She dismissed. "I have mine, and you have your own." Really, did he have to be so generous? She initially thought that it had simply been an act to throw her off, although...she wasn't quite so sure anymore.
"Aw c'mon. You're eyeing the cake up like it owes you money." He laughed, cutting into the edge as he separated it from the main piece, pushing it along the cake of the plate in her direction. "It's just one bite, if you don't like it then you don't like it. But you might regret it if you don't have a piece." He smiled, and that had finally caused her a long sigh.
"Fine." She relented, lowering her fork to the piece he cut for her as she raised it to her lips, expecting a subpar sweet.
Admittedly, it was much more.
The taste balanced perfectly at her tongue, rewarding her tastebuds with magnificent grace. The filling was dense and overflowing with a sweet, perfect flavour, while the cake itself was thick and prevented the desert from becoming too sweet. She relished in it, savouring each and every second it took for her to swallow the sweet.
She loved it.
Seemingly sensing her expression, the blond laughed as he stood up and made his way towards the food stand. "Here hold on, I'll buy one for you."
"That is not necessary." She said quickly, but he shook his head and held up a hand before she could stand. "It's alright! Trust me I got it, I did promise to get you food after all didn't I?"
She wanted to refuse, to declare that she did not need the charity of another, to tell him that he wasn't helping her at all. Instead she simply sat down. That wasn't why he was doing this, he was doing this because he wanted her to enjoy her time, because he promised her some food after she attended a game of his choice.
So she sat there, with a soft smile laced across her lips.
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Hours would gradually pass as the festival progressed. Laughter would hang within the air, dances would be had, and the students of Beacon would enjoy the day together. After weeks of constant battle, accumulating into the Breach of Vale...the festival had been a much needed and welcome break, something to appease them for all of their time spent within the battlefield.
Yet all things must eventually end, the sun would eventually lower, and the shattered moon would rise. The bright azure shade of the sky darkened into a shade darker than black, and the stars hung beautifully within the sky, decorating the flat shade with their light. The Moon helped with that, despite its shattered state, it still stood strong, shining across all of Vale.
At just a quarter before midnight, they sat on a secluded bench that overlooked the stars, displaying a beautiful sight that ended off the night appropriately. He...really loved how the day went, some time spent with his team, and some time spent with Cinder. She seemed a little different today, less guarded almost. Her eyes were still sharp as they always were, but the sharpness within her stare seemed...muted, less refined. He wondered if he was imagining things- if it was his mind playing tricks on him due to the high he had been on the entire day carrying over into the night.
He tore his gaze away from the night sky and instead found a sight just as beautiful, maybe even moreso. For the hundredth time that day, he had been taken aback by just how breathtaking she really was. The shattered moons lunar glow bathed Cinder's pale skin beautifully, wavy raven locks flowing with the wind like a calm dance, her face calm, staring up at the sky.
Seeming to sense his eyes, her gaze would move towards him. Eyes like precious jewels, her smouldering amber orbs threatened to melt him with every second that he stared into her gaze. He could practically feel his body burning from within the longer he held her stare.
Yet, he didn't break her gaze.
The fact seemed to surprise her, for she blinked for a brief moment, sensuous lips pulling back into a playful smirk. "See something you like?"
That...was enough to break the spell. He blinked his gaze away, cheeks reddening softly beneath the night sky as her grin broadened. "Close, but not close enough."
He smirked at that, she always did enjoy messing with him huh? It never did get old…
"I...had fun today. It was even better than the fall festival that I used to go to." He admitted, though he wasn't sure how much of that was because of Beacon or because of her.
"As did I." She admitted. "Your dancing skills were a surprising twist despite your horrible dart throwing skills." She paused under his dry look to laugh.
"What was your favourite part?" He asked curiously.
"Seeing your face as I humiliated you in the bumper cars."
Wow. Okay, maybe he should've expected something like that from someone as vindictive as her…
"Don't give me that look either." She quickly said. "You mocked me into doing it, as far as I'm concerned you simply let catastrophe fall upon yourself. Perhaps think twice next time…"
The words seemed to make him freeze for a moment. Next time? There would actually be a next time? The mere thought had his core suddenly bubbling with glee- all the while he gave her a wide, excited smile. "Then I guess I'll just have to beat you next time, no sweat."
She held his stare, yet still laughed at his joke, they both knew she'd probably cream him again If it came to it, and even if he had somehow gotten the upper hand he didn't doubt she'd pull something out of her ass and just make him lose some other way.
There was a silence soon after. Not an awkward, uncomfortable silence that made him fidgety. Instead it was a calm, comfortable silence. They had said all they had really needed to. They both enjoyed the day, and that made him happy.
Then, like a gunshot within the dark, Cinder spoke.
"I once hated you."
The words hit him like a bullhead. Practically ripping the winds from his sails as his eyes snapped to her own in surprise. Hated...him? She actually hated him?
"W-what?!"
She sighed, waving her hand at his reaction. "Relax. I said that I once hated you. I no longer do, clearly."
That...alleviated his spirits somewhat. The anxiousness that had suddenly clouded him was still there but it had been cleared away somewhat. Even still he hadn't really expected that, maybe annoyed with him a little...but to outright dislike him?
"Why?" He couldn't help but ask, the words leaving him almost exasperated as he questioned her.
She sighed, allowing her head to pull back as she kept her gaze firm towards the stars. "Because you saved me."
Not...quite what he was expecting. Clearly sensing his confusion, she continued. "I...am
not one who wishes to be pitied. To be placed in the position where I need help, where I don't have the power to protect myself, to stand alone without needing to be pulled from the ground like a pathetic weakling." She began, hands rubbing along the expanse of her leg. "Yet that's what happened. I was weak, I didn't have the power to protect myself. Then you saved me." She paused as a bitter smile split her lips. "You. Someone with no prior training, someone who cheated their way into Beacon, someone who was…weak."
The words caused him to flinch, even if they were true, even if he knew that she wasn't wrong. He didn't want to interrupt her, this was probably the most transparent she had ever been with him, but even then… he was curious.
"If that matters so much… why didn't you care that I faked my way into Beacon?" He couldn't help but ask, and she merely gave him a smile.
"By then I knew you didn't have training. Your skills were...evident of that enough. It didn't matter if you faked your way into Beacon or not; by then I already knew that you were weak."
Ouch. A little rough but...not wrong. Even if it was hard to admit.
"And then… you began to prove me wrong. I assumed you saved me because you were some idiot who wanted glory, I was wrong. I assumed you were weak because you were lazy, I was wrong. I assumed you were kind to me because you had ulterior motives, and I was wrong."
She looked down at her lap, gaze narrowing down at her legs as she shook her head, as if contemplating something. Finally...she would raise her head to meet his gaze once more. The intensity of her stare made it feel like she was looking through him, as if she had been faced with an anomaly she couldn't quite solve…
He felt naked beneath her stare.
"Why...why do you keep proving me wrong?"
The question felt oddly sincere, and he didn't know how to reply. This was nothing like the Cinder he knew. The Cinder he knew was teasing, powerful, vindictive, guarded, cunning, driven, and even downright sadistic.
Right now she was none of those things. She was...vulnerable, seemingly transparent with what she felt.
"I...I guess I get what you mean." He began, turning away from her. "I mean...how does someone like you get saved by someone like me?" He joked, and it seemed to cause a slight upturn to her lips.
Little steps.
"Honestly. I...I don't really see it that way I guess. I just do what I do because I want to help people, I wanted to help you. I don't think being saved means you're weak. I mean you have a team right? Every huntsman has a team to help them do things. If being weak means working alone without any of my friends by my side… well then I guess i'll be weak for the rest of my life."
She contemplated his words, gaze growing in intensity as he could've sworn he saw her eyes glow.
"-If I had been stronger-"
"You are strong!" He couldn't help but shout, surprising the woman. "You are strong, so...so incredibly strong. You're amazing, Cinder. When I see you fight I'm half fighting half staring at how good you are. It...it pushes me forward I guess?" He admitted, rubbing the back of his neck as his cheeks would redden. "I train the way I do because I want to stand with my family name, I train the way I do because I want to stand with my team, and...and I train the way I do because I want to stand with you."
She stared at him, stared at him with amber eyes wide and lips parted ever so slightly, her brows would scrunch up, figure turning...before finally, she sighed. Turning back to the stars that they faced.
"I must say, as far as speeches go...that was rather clichè."
What?!
He had practically poured out his heart to get her to calm down, to let her know she wasn't weak- and that's her response?!
She gave him a mirthful grin in response to his bewildered gaze. "Is this the part where you give me a kiss?" She asked slyly.
"W-what?!" He sputtered out, leaning back with a burning face. "O-of course not!"
"Oh? Am I not pretty enough?"
Was she-! What the hell was she talking about? He's been alive for seventeen years and he could safely say he had not once seen a woman as attractive as her, and for all the wrong reasons too!
"Of course you are!"
"I am?"
"Are y- yes! You're beautiful! You're practically the best looking girl in all of Beacon!"
…..
Well shit.
The realization of what he had just said dawned on him only after he saw just how sadistic her grin had become. That was not the teasing smiles she gave when she teased him- no, that was the grin she gave before she tore him seven separate ways in a spar.
"My my…" She cooed with sensual mirth, tilting her head to expose the long expanse of her pale, silky neck. The growing smile she gave him only showed that she had absolutely seen his eyes dart there. "...I never knew you felt that way, Jaune."
He groaned. Dropping his head into his hands. He was mortified, absolutely mortified. If he didn't die on the line of duty- then she'd absolutely kill him before that.
"Jaune?"
The manner in which she said his name caught his attention, as did the sound of her moving along the bench they were seated on. He raised his head to look at her.
He paused soon after, just as the feeling of her lips meeting his own completely overwhelmed his senses.
Well well, quite the eventful chapter huh?
...but first and foremost...Bumper Car Cinder.
The idea was presented and honestly it felt like pure crack, but after a while I just couldn't help but think "hmm...wait a minute, I could do something with this…"
And now here we are.
While this isn't my longest chapter, it's definitely the most eventful by far. We get another expansion on Cinders backstory, a dance between Cinder and her 'prince', Jaune giving more insight as to his inspirations, Nora's plan bursting in her face, Cinder vs bumper cars, Jaune and cinder have a talk about dreams, Someone finally giving Cinder cake, Cinder opens up about how she feels for the first time in over 40k words, and finally- a kiss just before midnight.
So just to set some things for people to know; No the toy sword isn't the main reason he wanted to be a hero, his ancestors and the stories are the main reason, I just wished to add in some extra context and sprinkle in some fun little…'references' because I'm Such a nerd. Then we get into some more interesting things; That being the kiss. I hope you all do know that no, this does not suddenly mean Cinder fell in love with Jaune. The first three chapters are spent in her genuinely hating him, the fourth is her starting to see him as an amusement, and from six/seven onwards is her starting to see him as a friend. I struggled a lot with deciding how I want this paced, with that I'd like to ask all of you; does the pace feel okay? Does it feel natural? I want to make sure I'm doing this properly since it really is my first story like this.
And to my dear commenter; do not worry, I understand that Jaune's semblance is definitely more than just healing. He can amp all areas of aura. And while I may not go into all (such as senses) I will definitely be using Jaune as a more paladin like role with his semblance rather than a healer based role. However; don't expect it to be a massive waste part of the fic.
That's all folks. I hope you enjoyed the chapter. With that-I leave you with this.
"Your carriage will turn into a pumpkin, your horses into mice, your coachman into a rat, and your gown into rags."