The charcoal black night was barren of stars, lit instead by luminous skyscrapers like makeshift concrete candles. It mirrored the muddied earth, where dim street lights gleamed against scattered puddles, flickering upon long walks. The blare of honking cars and swishing tires in harmony with the dull drops of feeble rain.
Puddles swished and clinked beneath the soles of his feet. Roads were congested with umbrellas and cars, enough to restrict the movements of his arms. Heavy crowds of people parted before him as the shouts of others resonated within his ears.
As a child, Jaune had always fervently wished to leave his village's borders, to see what the great cities of Remnant were like in person. The snowy yet highly advanced skyscrapers of Atlas, the traditional yet beautiful architecture of Mistral, and finally Vale.
It had been beautiful during the day, he decided. The massive walls, clean streets, and respectful crowds. Yet the rain and the night seemed to have a way of making everything feel worse. As though it sucked dry the brightness of the city. He didn't mind, he wasn't really in the mood to deal with his overexpectations of the city, instead he simply wanted to relax a little, for one night.
He found himself taking a turn through lonesome alleyways and weak streetlights. His eye caught sight of a homeless man near the edge of a street corner, laid across a thick, soaked sheet of cardboard. He felt his chest tighten at the sight, Vale had been the first time he'd ever actually seen homeless people before, as his village hadn't actually had any. It was safe to say he didn't know how to react, but he certainly did give them as much money as he safely could. His team had to force him to stop, but he couldn't help the stab of guilt and sympathy that struck his heart at the sight. He bent forwards and placed a thin roll of lien into the slumbering man's pocket, before pushing himself up and moving away.
Vale was a new experience, but it was one he needed to grow accustomed to.
Through the alleyway, a neon sign would catch his eye, the word 'open' flickering like a beaconing call.
He pushed himself inside, cringing at the groaning produced by the old wooden doors. The sudden burning scent of alcohol gave him pause, his nose involuntarily crinkling in distaste. It was strong, but he'd have to admit that the place itself seemed fairly modest. The music hummed at a rather moderate volume, men and women spoke normally at the corners of the room, while four or so loitered around a pool table at the center. Wooden floorboards seemed clean, with a wine coloured carpet leading towards what he guessed was a decently sized bar, where a single woman worked.
This wasn't his scene, had never really been, but he was a teenager; it wasn't like he'd never had alcohol before despite not being someone like Yang. Even still, he'd never stepped foot into a bar, it wasn't like he wished to get drunk either; he just wanted a bit of fresh air, some space from his team to be alone with his thoughts. To not have to shift away from the worried glances of his partner or his best friend, to not feel the weight of his scroll within his pocket- urging him to call her again.
A sigh left him, and with it so did his energy and reluctance. He stepped towards the bar and slid into the rose red barstool, hands settling upon the smooth wood. The bartender raised her head to glance at him. She was a rather pretty woman, most likely around her early twenties if he had to guess, with cattish violet eyes and fair, porcelain skin. Her long, black hair was pulled back into a low bun. She could've truthfully passed as a third sister for Yang and Ruby.
"Long night?" She proposed, causing him to nod.
"You could say that."
"Tell me about it," She sighed breathily, running a towel along the surface of the bar. "Didn't expect to have to stay here so long on a slow night."
He could feel some sympathy for late night workers. He knew a little about that from his few small jobs he picked up when he was younger. "Sorry to hear that… not much longer until you're all done though, right? You just got a last a little longer-" He paused to glance down at her nametag. "-Andrea."
The direct use of her name earned him a pleased smile, she tossed away the towel and fixated him with a coquettish grin. "Heh. Guess you're right. Now, what shall I serve you?" The question was bestowed with a playful wink, one that would've caused him to blush and stutter had he not dealt with the playfulness from Yang, or Cinder. It wasn't like he was intentionally flirting with her either. He wasn't really in the mood for that, especially not now, besides, there was a good chance she was just trying to get a better tip.
The question itself did cause him to pause and gather his thoughts with confliction. He wasn't planning on getting drunk, definitely not now, yet something weak was bound to do very little to relax his burning thoughts.
Before his lips could utter much of a response, the weak wooden floorboards just behind creaked with a wince, alerting him to the presence of another.
"Get sunshine here a shot of Vacuan whisky, and a riser. If you give em' something too strong he'll be passed out by the end of the night."
The bartender got to work on his drinks despite him never confirming if he wanted them, regardless he was more fixated on the third party. He recognized that voice, along with its seemingly sarcastic undertone. He didn't need to look over his shoulder before the man roughly sat down upon the stool next to his own. Qrow Branwen sent him a roguish smile, dark scarlet eyes somewhat ensnared with alcohol and yet more alert than he could hope to be.
"Mr. Branwen," He greeted politely, still respectful to the older man despite his crass demeanor. Ruby had told him in the past that he was a kick-ass Huntsman, and Pyrrha had told him she'd never seen someone fight like him before. That kind of praise from Pyrrha of all people meant something.
Qrow grinned at him with a lopsided smile, one that transparently displayed his amusement. "Mister huh? Hah, only my students call me that. Call me Qrow, Mister is gonna make me feel old."
"Uh, right, sorry. Kind of out of reflex…" He muttered. "So- what brings you here?"
The question caused the man to quirk a dark brow at him. "You act like it's unexpected for me to be here, kid. Didn't know I had such an image of purity."
The response made his cheeks tinge red. He rubbed his neck sheepishly, averting his gaze back to the woman as she made his drinks in an attempt to avoid a fumbled response.
That earned him a chuckle from the man beside him, it was somewhat hoarse and strained, yet still genuine. "Just messin with you kid. Sorry about ordering for ya by the way. Just didn't want to have to drag my niece's friend back to Beacon at this hour. Would've been a pain explaining why I was drinking with a teenager…"
"It's fine," He casually waved it off. "I wasn't really planning on getting drunk or anything. Plus… I've got the feeling you're the expert here."
"Heh. The one and only." He smugly grinned, before gesturing towards him. "What are you doing here anyway? No offense but this doesn't really seem like your scene."
"None taken." He knew he was a bit inexperienced, and young. Qrow was right that this wasn't exactly his thing. "I'm just… trying to get my mind off of things." He admitted, "Been a bit rough at Beacon."
Before the man could further question him, two glasses were smoothly pushed towards him. His sapphire eyes glanced down to find both drinks that Qrow had ordered for him. The first glass contained a translucent, amber coloured drink. While the second was a noticeably denser, and much darker liquid.
He dubiously reached for the larger glass first, but was interrupted by Qrow gently tapping him on the arm. "Go for the smaller one first," He spoke, reaching over to tap the glass of the smaller drink. "You'll see why."
Not one to argue with someone who clearly knew more than him, Jaune reached towards the glass and hefted the cup towards his face. He glanced uncertainty through it, and in the end decided to mimic what he's seen older men do, and drown it all in one shot.
Alcohol burnt his throat like liquid flame, it felt as though pieces of glass cut apart his flesh and erupted into smoke at the center of his throat. He choked and set the glass down immediately, lips pulled back into obvious distaste, mirrored by his crinkled eyes.
He could half hear Qrow throwing a laughing fit by his side, earning the older man a rather unimpressive dry glare.
"Oh Gods… this was almost as funny as the time Yang stole my flask when she was seven…" At Jaune's unwavering look, the man simply grinned and gestured towards the larger glass. "Don't worry kid, that's why you drink the shot first. Gives you a bit of a 'kick' before you go towards the glass. Try it, it's better."
He reluctantly tore his gaze away from the drunk, eyeing the glass as though it were a weapon. It certainly looked less heavy- but Qrow wasn't exactly at the top of his most trusted people's list.
Still… he'd have to pay for it, and he also really wanted to get rid of the taste from the shot. It was like spoiled medicine, all the while his throat was drier than a Vacuo desert.
With a huff, he raised the glass to his lips with much more caution than the last. Tentatively; he pressed his lips against the edge and sipped the liquid.
He was left pleasantly surprised. The taste of alcohol still burned at his throat, but this time it felt much less… rough. It was fruity, and even pleasant to the taste, absent of any foam.
Qrow took his silence as a sign of approval if the grin the man wore meant anything. "See what I told ya? Much better."
He nodded, stil annoyed that he hadn't been bestowed a warning, but still much more relaxed than before.
Qrow ordered his own drink, and time would pass by in a comfortable silence. Music played hushedly in the background, chatter was light within the atmosphere of the room, and the occasional sounds produced from the pool table would occasionally reach his ears. It was an environment he enjoyed, he might come back here if he ever got a decent amount of spare time again. He loved his team- he really did- but there were just times he wished to have some time to himself. Back in his village those moments were immensely rare, in a house with seven sisters he found little time where he could be alone. The only times he was alone were when he ventured out towards the shallow woods that surrounded them.
He should've known that being alone with his thoughts would mean they'd run, and they'd stray. They turned to the person who had begun to consume his thoughts constantly.
Amber eyes burned within his mind like a branding against scorched skin. Seductive lips gradually softened into a genuine, soft smile. A smile that did not last long, before it contorted into what looked to be an angry snarl.
It had been four days since their mission within the town of Lungree. The day after the attack they had been replaced by a team of graduated Huntsman, and were shipped out back to Vale. Ozpin welcomed them back personally, with both apologies at allowing them to go on such a risky mission, but also words of genuine praise for how they handled themselves.
Cinder had not looked his way once.
He agonized over what happened. He replayed her words within his mind like a broken record. Her eyes which had gazed into him with such intense conflict.
His mind tried to understand why she acted the way she did. A sick joke to mess with him, a mistake he made on the mission, anything.
He never could understand why.
He knew it was something that he did, something that happened along the way. Yet how did she go from pulling him into a kiss, and then into discarding him away?
"Oi." A gruff voice uttered, snapping him free from his thoughts like a cord. He blinked away the haze from his mind and focused on Qrow, the older man seemingly a little frustrated.
"Uh, sorry, I was lost in thought. What did you say?"
The dark haired Huntsman gave him a dubious expression as he picked up his drink, taking a slow gulp, all while making Jaune wait every pained second before he got a response.
Finally, he dropped his glass with a pleased sigh, raising an arm to wipe his lips. "I had been trying to get your attention for a while. You looked lost in your own little world for a second." He uttered. "Earlier, you told me that you were here to get your mind off things. Is it because of the mission?" He inquired, taking yet another drink from his beer. "You looked a little out of it after your mission, you all did."
Right. The mission. It had been… rough, really rough, but he had been at least a little exposed to it because of The Breach. Fighting a huge horde of Grimm with less people was immensely terrifying, but at the end of the day those emotions steadily receded as they realized they were safe. "I guess that's… part of it. The mission was bad, but it wasn't something we were… completely unused to."
"Right." Qrow nodded. "The Breach, you kids dealt with that shit in your first year." The male mused, allowing the ice to clink gently against the glass as he rolled it absently within his hand. "What then? If it wasn't just the mission then what could it be?"
Heat burned across his cherry cheeks like flaming candles on molten wax. Embarrassment rushed through him like a great wave. Maybe he was being stupid, but he couldn't really picture Qrow Branwen, the badass Huntsman, taking him seriously if he admitted that his miserable mood was a result of a girl. Plenty of guys dealt with this, sure, but not all guys dealt with an entire army of shadow-like beasts which represented evil incarnate not ten minutes prior.
What would Qrow's reaction be? Laughter? Annoyance? Anger? Confusion? Amusement?
"W-why do you care?" He managed defensively, cobalt eyes angled away from the rugged man, almost as though he could simply see through his eyes and directly into his soul like glass.
"Eh, I was a dumb kid once-" He paused to grin at Jaune's annoyed mutter about not being a kid. "-So I kind of know what it's like, to… not have things figured out. I still don't, honestly. Back then though… Everything was different. Grades, missions… girls. That's what we all focused on."
It shouldn't surprise him that the so-called badass Huntsman was once like him; inexperienced, unsure of himself, and with troubles with girls. It did though, despite Qrow's drunken demeanor, slurred words, and sarcastic attitude, it was obvious he was sure of himself. The confidence he carried himself with… it was kind of like the confidence he wanted, the same confidence his dad has, the same confidence Cinder has.
His somber mood returned, and he couldn't help but internally groan for letting his thoughts stray back towards the dark haired vixen.
Even still… if Qrow was offering some advice, well… maybe he didn't need to deny him?
"You don't think it's dumb then? Pathetic?"
"Why would I?" Qrow frowned.
"I'm a Huntsman in training, and yet I'm worried about girls." He half muttered and half spat with a frustrated shake of his head, flaxen locks waving across his brow. "I just fought to defend a village, to save lives… and yet I'm… I feel like I'm acting like an idiot. Yet I agonize over it… over what I did wrong, it repeats in my head over and over again. What did I do wrong? How did I do it? I just saved lives and… and yet it's an after thought compared to my girl problems." He argued, furrowing his brow as he glared into the smooth wood of the bar. "My dream was to be a Huntsman. It's what my dream still is."
His words were answered only by the light music which hummed within the background. Silence stretched between them, stretched out to an uncomfortable degree. He worried that he had gone too far, that he really was just as pathetic as he feared. His agonizing was just that of a teenager not doing enough to actually better himself.
"Does she make you happy?"
The question cut through his frenzied thoughts like a knife through butter. He paused, and registered the Huntsman with a look of confusion. The question seemed odd, it didn't relate to what was plaguing him, to how he was acting, but it was just as complicated. Did she make him happy? The answer was now much more complicated after the mission.
"Yeah." He spoke with a hushed tone, just above a whisper. "Yeah, she does."
Yet the response came to him simply, it was what he felt from his heart. What he knew was true even after the mission, what he felt before it, and what he thinks he could feel even after.
"Then, who's to tell you any different?" Qrow asked with a chuckle as he reached towards his waist, slipping free what looked to be a tightly held flask. "She makes you happy, you're sad that there's some troubles in paradise. Seems pretty simple to me. You're agonizing like a teenager, not really all that complicated."
That was just it? He watched the man with a conflicted expression knit within his features as Qrow uncorked his flask and took a long drag. It couldn't just be as he said.
So he vocalized that.
"Why not?" The dark haired man chuckled. "You're making it more complicated than it needs to be."
"I'm not!" He denied defensively. "I… isn't it stupid for a Huntsman to worry about relationships like this right after a mission? To worry about what they did wrong?"
Qrow's expression twisted into a look of impatience, though he let it all out with a long, drawn out sigh. It was tired, while the breath from his lips seemed to further sting the air with the scent of alcohol.
"Kid," He paused to turn towards him. "Do you know what happens to a Huntsman who doesn't worry about any of that? Relationships? Friends? Outlets?"
He shook his head dumbly.
"They die."
His eyes widened into saucers, and his mouth shut.
"This life? It ain't for everyone kid. Sure, you go around saving people. Maybe that'll keep you going for a couple of years, maybe decades. But you know what doesn't? Seeing civilians torn into shreds in front of you, seeing entire slaughters and villages left in ruin from Grimm attacks, being too late to save the people who matter most, never… being there for the people who mattered most." The man paused to gulp down the liquid from his flask, pulling his head back as he drowned it with one mouthful before he slammed it down onto the bar.
"-To civilians, friends are important. To Huntsman, they're what keeps you sane. The people you save will be grateful, but the people you save don't go back home with you, they don't hold your hand when your world's crumbling down, or when you lose your best friend. Without that? Huntsman turn to vices; drugs, sex, alcohol." His words were firm, certain, almost frustrated in a way. He didn't think he could see the normally careless man like this.
"Huntsman don't last long if they return home to an empty house, and the only thing they have to share their horrors with are their nightmares."
That was a morbid thought.
Qrow wasn't wrong either. For Huntsman there was a certainty that you'd see death, most people would only see it a handful of times in their lifetime, but Huntsman saw it constantly. Without people to be there for you, with a constant slew of trauma… you broke down, like a dam overflowing till its cracks became too much.
"I… Thank you. I guess I just thought I was being stupid."
The older man waved it off. "If there's one thing you'll come to realize, it's that life's too short, and for some of us… it's unfairly too short."
He didn't need to ask to know it was something personal, so he didn't.
"Thank you Qrow, I… guess I didn't realize it could be this… serious."
"It's fine,' was kind of obvious anyway. You and the emo one were moody the entire trip back after being all chummy before that. Figured something happened. Heh… you looked like a kicked puppy. Reminds me of my teammate back when he was trying to get with someone else on the team… now that I think about it they're also kind of alike…"
The somber mood that had weighed upon them both like a metal blanket seemed to gradually lessen, allowing the two of them to resume their playful banter. Qrow went on to dramatically retell a story about his best friend's many failed attempts at impressing Qrow's sister, and how each attempt failed in such fanatic fashion. They both knew it was only so that they'd be distracted From their thoughts.
Yet, they were both more than okay with it.
/-/
Her scroll vibrated mutely within her hand with a dull chime. Amber eyes watched the screen with suppressed irritation as it clicked to life, revealing the distorted silhouette of a man.
"A call from you, Cinder?" A mannered voice answered, the poise bloated in its tone. "Such a… delightful surprise." He spoke with a faux greeting, and yet his mocking tone was used with a sneer. She could tell his face held a scowl even if the shadows of Evernight castle bathed his features in shades of darkness.
"Watts," She drawled, unwilling to hide her own displeasure in having to speak with him. He already knew that she'd have to call him eventually, the fact that he needed to retain his inflated narcissism even now only spoke volumes of how pathetic the man really was.
"Oh Cinder, I can practically see the anger within your eyes. You look quite a bit angrier than you normally do. Did something happen to you? Well… not that I care for your feelings."
"I didn't call you to waste time, Watts."
"And for what reason have you decided to call me? I'm a busy man after all, I don't have time to squander over idle chit chat, I'm sure our Queen would agree, hm?"
Her eyes narrowed into heated daggers. "Just a simple progress report, I'm sure she would like to know." She spat out, she had forgotten how insufferable he could be. "I have successfully infiltrated the Huntsman, the White Fang, and the underworld. My dust has been placed into position. We are in position to strike when the time is right."
There was a pause from the other end, no doubt Watts silently seething at her success. He couldn't fathom anyone having any success with their tasks if they weren't directly aided by his so-called genius.
At least he wasn't as bad as Tyrian.
"So you have." He mused ambiguously. "And what of my virus? I didn't develop something that advanced simply for a child to waste it with failure. Did it go in?"
He knew it did, he had to. He simply needed to use every situation at his disposal to insult her. She wondered if he'd maintain this once she returned.
"Yes." She managed through gritted teeth. "Your virus has been installed, but not after I successfully installed it without a single faculty noting my absence, along with the several soldiers that stood in my way…"
There was the momentary issue with Rose, but it had been avoided. She had not recognized her during the mission, so it was as successful as could be.
Watts chuckled from the other line, his humourless laughter cracking with every pitch from the weak connection. "This is just like you Cinder, using any chance you have to make yourself feel big." He mocked, and before she could retort with a bite of her own, he cut her off and continued. "How is hiding within the student body? Our Queen had been quite doubtful of such a plan's success. As had… just about everyone."
She bit the flesh of her lip, silently seething at every ridicule that left the weak fool's mouth. Yet her scorn would not go unsatisfied, she would one day punish him for every insult he uttered.
She would punish them all.
"It goes… well." She breathed out, words laced with barely contained rage, suppressed only by her desire to end the call as soon as possible. "They do not suspect me, nor do they suspect Emerald or Mercury. We have successfully made profiles on those most likely to be the maiden candidates, and during the Vytal Festival we will enact the final stage of the operation."
"I see, she will be pleased, then." Watts spoke, for once with genuine contemplation rather than a backhanded taunt. "The Huntsman… having to work alongside and pretend to be one of them. How harrowing… I don't quite know what's worse; their faux beliefs of glory, or their antiquated sense of morality."
A face would appear within her mind. It only lasted for a single second. Yet in that second sapphire eyes burned into her mind, and a broad smile with so much genuine care that she felt her fingers twitch.
"Cinder?"
"Y-yes." She spoke. "They are… an unfortunate obstacle."
"Hmm…" Watts paused, she could see his shoulders move across the spare glimmers of light within the room. "Perhaps that's why you fit in as well as you did… children playing at things that they are not. Sounds quite familiar to me."
Fire burst along the corners of her eyes, making amber eyes illuminate into burning sun's, her glare pierced the screen, and if looks could kill… Watts would be six feet under. "I've had enough of your words, speak to me like that again and I'll melt your teeth and tear your tongue through your mouth." Her voice carried both scorn and wrath, she couldn't accept working with such people. She'd much rather show the arrogant scientist what real power was.
Watts-to his credit- failed to show any outward reaction to her literal outburst, and instead simply smiled back at her, as though she were a child throwing a tantrum and he thought the scene amusing.
"This, Cinder, is why you are nothing more than a headache."
She shut the scroll off and suppressed the urge to set it aflame right then and there, it was the only method she could use to contact Salem. Yet she only just suppressed the urge, and instead hurled it into her bed with a snarl.
They were all useless, nothing more than obstacles in her way, adults who acted like nothing but squabbling children. Tyrian was a deadly psychopath who would sabotage her if it meant that it placed him closer to his beloved 'Goddess'. Watts was a narcissistic pest who only cared to make himself feel greater, and Hazel was indifferent to everything around him.
They were the people she had to work with. At the very least Mercury and Emerald knew their place.
They were the people she would return to once her plan was complete.
Dread crept its way through her like a slow blade between her ribs. That… couldn't happen, it shouldn't be acceptable. She'd sooner kill them all. Yet what other choice did she have?
Stay here?
Stay within Beacon, change, lie. That could never happen, it wouldn't happen. Salem wouldn't let her live after such a betrayal, especially not with the Grimm located inside of her arm. She would be targeted, hunted, as would anyone she aligned herself with.
Just like how she had been before, after escaping the clutches of the Madame.
She grit her teeth and sat upon her bed, fingers digging into the covers. Had she gone mad? What reason did she have for even staying?
Beacon was not an option, it would not grant her the power she wanted, it would never grant her what she needs.
The power of security, the power that decides how much food she can eat, the power to decide her life.
Only Salem could grant her that power, with the abilities of the Maiden.
Yet, would that be enough?
Amber was strong, but she still lost.
Even with the full power of the Maiden at her fingertips… She knew she couldn't stand a chance against Salem, and one day, she could be replaced If she failed.
No.
She could not fail, would never fail.
Power was the only thing she needed, it was the only thing that could give her what she truly desired.
She ignored the warmth that spread across her lips, or the memories that stung within her mind.
Watts was right about one thing, she was quicker to anger, quicker to snap at Emerald and Mercury as of late. They had both noticed her foul mood, and if it continued… she could squander opportunities.
Pushing herself off the bed, she made her way out of the room. There were methods to relieve stress, and combat was one of them.
Whoever guesses what movie inspired the noir-like beginning of my chapter wins a medal lol.
Been a minute huh? Sorry about the wait regarding this chapter. I ended up scraping the other chapter which was thousands of words long, before then having to plan and rewrite how this one would go. Overall it turned out pretty good from my point of view.
Jaune talks to Qrow about the issues huntsman go through. Cinder's beginning to realize just how dim her future looks no matter what path she takes, and the two of them get some separation from one another.
If anyone's wondering why cinder didn't outright think of Jaune the same way he thought of her, it's because she's trying her absolute hardest not to even think of anything relating to him.
Also, I'm sure you've all seen the new RWBY anime trailer. Freaking crazy right? It looks pretty great in my opinion, despite jaunes outfit looking bad (a hat, really? Kinda lazy.) overall I remain cautiously excited. What did you all think about this chapter OR the trailer?
That's all folks.