Under the Wing of a Black Bird

by MyxCryx

What was it to be a hero? Jaune thought he knew. But the glory, the legends, were but illusions to his naïve vision - all of it burnt to ash at his own powerlessness. With Beacon starting in a mere year and his best shot being this drunken heap of bad luck, an alternative was preferred. Seriously. Anything would be better than Remnant's biggest kick me sign.

19. Chapter 18: Feather and Fur

Heya, been a while.

Okay it's been two years.

Sorry about that.

Funny story, there was an entire little speech here about why I haven't updated around 6 months(?) after the last update. After coming back to it, none of that is really necessary. Things got busy; the story slipped from my mind – all that combined with the fact that I had lost the original final drafts…

Safe to say, UWB wasn't a priority for me.

That said, coming back to this has been refreshing. Honestly? What I'm writing might be the purest form of the story I wanted to convey in the first place. A little less of the fluff (which I still appreciate in moderation), and a little more of the heavier theming.

All this time, it's been Jaune having generally a fun time at Beacon. Who knows what the future holds for him and all his friends? His time with Qrow should be taking a little more toll on his mind than I've been letting on, but that's perhaps not been properly conveyed.

Jaune is still an idiot. But now he's a troubled idiot. In a much deeper way (I like to believe) than canon has expressed. What will his time with people like Ruby stir within him?

Also, last chapter, right? Freaky.

Thank you all so much for sticking with me and please enjoy the chapter.

(Just fixed some typos and the fact Miss Goodwitch wasn't supposed to be teaching the second years that day)

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"Jaune, watch out!" Blake called out.

His eyes snapped open, free from the darkness. What the hell was that? A daydream? Right now, really?

A glimmer of light rebounded from the steel surface of his opponent's raised Mistrali-style blade, its course prepped to slice down onto Jaune's head and split it into two.

At least that was the supposed plan until a black fabric snake suddenly coiled around it.

The boy's face morphed into surprise as he felt a tug backwards before he could strike but soon chose to stab forward using a smaller dagger-like blade in his off-hand in an effort to attack the blond in front of him.

Of course, the effort was futile – as proved by the fact that a backhanded deflecting swing from Crocea Mors' shield knocked the weapon out of his hand. While the metal dagger clattered on the floor, the last thing the boy saw before the trajectory of his weapon was an unruly mop of blonde hair popping up from the corner of his eye and a golden pommel promptly meeting his chin.

His body hit the floor, leaving Jaune to stand over him to pant out briefly from exertion.

"And the winners of this bout are Blake Belladonna and Jaune Arc of Team RASB!" A female voice boomed, able to be heard by everyone present in the sparring theatre. Miss Goodwitch was the origin of it, of course, the woman's position in the far center of the arena pit.

"That's my team!" Someone shouted from the distant stands like a proud mom. Or maybe it was an excited daughter.

"Good work, you two," Miss Goodwitch nodded to Blake and Jaune. "You may return to your seats. Mister Sylvester, Miss Greene, please make sure you communicate better – especially in the case where one of you is on the verge of losing their Aura." The professor pushed her thin-framed glasses up her nose and gave a pointed look to Varee Greene, who shied away in turn. "It certainly would prevent being taken off guard in a two versus one situation like Mister Sylvester was here."

Silva Sylvester sat up, hand to his white-ish head of hair as he attempted to shake out the pain that was delivered to him by Jaune. The same boy who put him in this state strolled over to him and put away his weapon with a hiss of metal onto the sheath placed on his arm.

"Nice fight, man," Jaune complimented, reaching out his gloved hand. It found purchase, and the grip tightened as his opponent was hauled up.

"Yeah," Silva responded. It was clear he was still slightly woozy from getting decked by Crocea Mors in the chin, though Jaune made sure that excessive force wasn't used. It'd still probably sting like a bitch later though. "You too."

Letting go of the other student's palm, they nodded a final time to each other before the silver-haired boy picked up his scattered weapons and met up with his teammate. Soon after, the two disappeared into the tunnel opposite to the side of Jaune and Blake.

Speaking of Blake, the quiet girl walked past her partner and swiveled on her heel when she noticed that Jaune wasn't following. With a hand on her hip, she looked over her shoulder haphazardly; one of her amber eyes questioning him with its golden glow.

"Coming?"

Jaune blinked before he could answer. "Of course."

When he was close enough, Blake turned back around and started to walk briskly towards the arena exit – leaving the anticipating crowds of other students and the proud shouts of Ruby behind her. As they entered the tunnel on their side of the arena, Jaune could hear the voice of their combat professor dampen.

The roulette slots rolled, echoing along the hallway walls.

/-/

The smallest beads of sweat fell from Jaune's head while he walked alongside the raven-haired girl. While he would have attributed it to the fight that he had just taken part in, he couldn't deny that part of it was thanks to the lack of conversation between the two.

Sure, it was Blake - but that shouldn't have been an excuse.

"You did well, by the way." Jaune paused, as if thinking he was missing something from the compliment. "Like always, of course," he added as they continued to walk down the empty corridor leading out and into the spectator stands.

While there were a main set of centered stairs that led out of the arena, those were usually only ever used when people had to be escorted out quickly.

Sort of like when Jaune set of a grenade right onto Cardin's chest a week or two back. That was sort of urgent, he supposed, even if first degree burns weren't even that bad in the grand scheme of things.

'Don't bother regretting it' were the wise words of Vul, and Jaune applied his mentor's teachings to his current thoughts – instantly erasing any regret he had for what had transpired. In the end, Cardin deserved what he got. If not because of his conceited world view, then because he was a bit of bully.

Okay, a lot of a bully.

"Thanks," Blake noted with a single word.

Jaune honestly thought that was going to be it as their footsteps filled the silence between the partners, until she chose to add slowly, "…you too." Blake's head shifted to the side and her eyebrow raised at what was presented to her by Jaune. "What's this?"

In front of her was Jaune's brown gloved fist, or at least the backside of it, held up and waiting.

The boy shrugged as they walked. "A fist bump," he explained. "You know, since we're partners? We work pretty well together, though that's about it sometimes. I just thought that – I don't know – we could try a little harder to play the part." Silence between the two resumed, Jaune's arm still extended and expecting.

After a length of time passed, Jaune exhaled a breath while widening his eyes and slowly drew back his arm.

"I don't get you," Blake said quietly.

The notion drew a slight query from him. "What do you mean?"

She shook her head and the blue of Jaune's eyes could only flicker and widen at the small smile on her face. "If you think we should try a little harder - then I can't exactly say no, can I? Ruby will mouth up a storm if we don't shape up." Blake shrugged casually before knocking the back of her knuckles against her partner's.

Jaune's hand floated back down at the contact before he chuckled in an embarrassed manner. "Yeah, I guess you're right about that." he said while scratching the back of his neck. "Thanks."

Soon enough, Blake had already crossed her arms with her face returning to its neutral manner – though Jaune could feel the violet shroud of her Aura open slightly with clarity.

/-/

"Are we going to get anyone to fix the shower?" Jaune mumbled idly to anyone who was listening. His hand ran from Crocea Mors' golden hilt to the tip of her blade as he cleaned.

A head of black hair and a head of white hair heard his indolent complaint, though it was Weiss who answered. "I asked Miss Goodwitch about it earlier," the girl responded while moving her wrist across her notepad. The pencil she was using snapped at the lead, causing her to click her tongue in annoyance as she reached for an eraser. "She said they would send someone to take a look at it tomorrow."

However, the moment that she wrapped her fingers around it – the object was thrown up into the air in surprise; the sound of the wooden door slamming against the adjacent wall of their dorm made Team RASB (sans their leader) jump.

"We're going on a shopping trip!" Someone declared.

Within the doorway that led out into the dorm corridors was a red and black boot that retracted itself back to reveal its owner as she skipped into the room, the white door she had kicked in leisurely coming to close behind her.

"Ruby?" Weiss, from the desk on other side of the room near the middle window between the two bunk beds, put her arm around the backrest as she looked to her partner. Appearing annoyed, the girl was desperate to find out what would warrant her team leader to barge in like that. "A shopping trip? What on Remnant are you talking about?"

Arms behind her back, the red-tipped girl took long and exaggerated strides as she closed her eyes and raised her chin. "Because it's the weekends, Yang was planning on going out into the city to refill on supplies and look around town. She says that's it's a crime that we've been in Beacon this long without properly exploring the city," Ruby said as she walked towards Weiss. Coming to a halt, the girl bounced up and down on her heels while adding, "She asked me if I wanted to bring all of you guys along and, well, I think I answered that question when I came through the door earlier."

The white-haired girl hummed suspiciously. "Well, alright. I suppose that I'm running low on stationary and another dozen notebooks wouldn't hurt…" True enough to word, on the desk she was working on earlier were notebooks filled to the brim with cursive writing and pencils that were basically only the nib at that point.

Still, a dozen?

From his bottom bunk, Jaune looked up from Crocea Mors – who was sitting quite peacefully in his lap - with a clean white cloth in hand. "Isn't that because you note down every little thing?"

"That's because every little thing that the teachers have to say is worthy of notation," Weiss scoffed, flipping her ponytail back while crossing her arms.

"Yeah," Blake said from above Jaune on her own bed. In her hands was her leather-covered book and her eyes were quite obviously still tracking the text as the black-haired girl continued. "But does that really have to include Professor Port's lectures?"

"Of course it does! Professor Port's lectures are first-hand huntsman experiences-!" Pausing, Weiss ice-blue eyes darted down to evaluate her words. "Most of the time... I think?"

"Well, I think what you're trying to say is they're boring," Jaune mumbled before bringing the fabric in his hands down to run across his blade.

Blake's dry snort resounded the sentiment.

"You say that like you would know better, Jaune," though the short girl's line of thought quickly changed itself as she shook her head and shot it up and down, looking between the two partners. "And when did you two become such good friends?"

"Guys, shut up!" Ruby waved her hands between the three and turned to Weiss, seeming almost proud of herself. "I think it's great they're getting along," she said. "It shows how much progress we've made as a team, and what better way to make more progress than…" Ever so slightly leaning toward her partner, the shorter girl cupped a hand to her ear as if expecting to hear something.

With a quirked eyebrow and narrowed eyes, Weiss inclined her head to the side. "…A shopping trip?"

Victoriously, the caped girl put her hands onto the hips of her puffy black skirt and stood up straight. "I'm glad you agree," she huffed in a satisfied manner.

Weiss blinked rapidly, whipping her head to the side, and sending her snow-white locks left and right in the process. "I wasn't agreeing with you, Ruby – I was questioning the validity of using a shopping trip as a sorry excuse for a team exercise!"

"Well, I'm glad. You. Agree." Ruby said, still appearing very proud of herself for outsmarting her partner.

"Gah!" Weiss gasped, exasperated, throwing her hands into the air. "You insolent little red-!"

Eventually realising the error of her ways, Ruby's metallic orbs snapped open and looked onto the coming storm with pleading eyes. "Wait, no! I was joking! Oof-!"

Like a snow-white missile, the elegant heiress shot out of her seat and tackled into Ruby, knocking the other girl to the carpet. The ensuing grapple was intense. Weiss did so in an attempt to relieve herself of her anger, while Ruby did so in an attempt to save her own life. In response, the A and B of RASB aptly turn their heads and continued on with what they were doing prior.

"Who did you bet on this time?" The voice of Blake inquired from above.

"Hedging on Princess Pencil-tip over there," he answered, staring idly as Weiss drew out a mechanical pencil and began to extend it menacingly betwixt the hair-pulling.

"I suppose Yang was always the type to believe in family."

The record so far was three-to-two in favour of Ruby, though Jaune had twenty lien on Weiss resorting to her Semblance to even up the odds. However, it seemed that the girl in question was doing well enough without it, pinching out Ruby's cheek and earning a distinct 'owowow' from the team leader beneath her.

The past couple of weeks in Beacon were generally quite uneventful compared to what Jaune would have usually gone through in the same timeframe a year in the past. Lectures on Grimm (most of which he vaguely of already knew from meeting most of the discussed monsters face to face), dust theory, and world history were all things that Jaune actually paid attention to.

Yeah, world history? He didn't expect it either. Maybe his conspiracy theory session with Pyrrha a few weeks back had a hand in that.

Oh, and on the topic of that: the essay that he wrote up for Doctor Oobleck received a B+. Not really that bad, considering that Jaune would consistently scrape out C's in middle school for any and all papers or tests he had to do. The green blur of a doctor said something about it 'being fuelled with creativity' and being 'very interesting food for thought'. Unfortunately, he lost credit for how messy his ideas were translated onto paper.

Maybe he should have asked Pyrrha to proofread it before submission.

Ruby's outstretched hand grasped into the air, the light of the dust-powered bulb above in her palm and she weakly clenched it into a fist. "This is the end… Tell Zwei I love him… blergh…" Her arm flopped onto the floor and Ruby's head lolled to the side in exhaustion.

On top of her, Weiss stood up above her partner's 'unconscious' body and breathed heavily. Looks like she was victorious this time. Still panting, the white-haired girl managed to reprimand Ruby as a shadow came over her light-blue eyes. "Shopping trips don't help with team building," she stated again. "But we're still going because my last pen ran out two days ago."

A pair of hands shot up from underneath her, shaking to the heavens for an answer. "Then why did you attack me all of a sudden?! What was the point?!"

"To teach you a lesson," Weiss replied with a narrow glare.

Jaune moved the cloth down Crocea Mors' blade a final time. "Nice one, Weiss."

"Huh?" Her confusion was visible as she turned to see the blond with a thumb up.

That made it three-to-three. Yang was totally paying up later today.

"Urrrgh…" Ruby dragged herself up, hands grabbing on the fabric of Weiss' bed as she eventually flopped onto it and turned onto her side to face her team. "Team PYRN's all coming too, so we should probably get ready…" Silver looked between the three other members of their team. "You guys have casual clothes, right?"

Blue widened at the metallic stare. The same metallic stare seemed to notice before tapering further.

Jaune let out a little squeak with a lopsided expression. "Uh?"

/-/

He rifled through the various presented crystals and vials in front of the shop manager with a gloved hand to his chin. Pulling one of them off, the boy looked to the manager – as if to check for permission – before taking a bright, lemon-coloured one into his hand. Jaune twirled it around with his fingers and brought it before the hue of his eyes while humming.

Dust crystals had different densities, textures and temperatures depending on the type of element that was contained within and the purity of the crystal itself. Some had different effects depending on that purity.

For example, more concentrated red crystals meant more violent explosions when mixed with brown or simply just hotter flames that are more easily combustible in ground form. In actuality, dust worked a lot like cooking, where taking raw crystals and working them into ammo or similar usable devices was cheaper than buying the vials directly. Beacon actually offered free on-campus services, as well as actively encourage students to use them in order to help relieve them of some financial stress while also teaching them a handy life skill.

Knowing Jaune (and, more importantly, knowing his general lack of funds in the first place), it was a service he was fully willing to take advantage of.

Nodding his head, young man looked to shopkeeper. He was a middle-aged type with glasses and light brown hair, Jaune noted mentally. Holding the crystal out he spoke, "Yeah, I think I'll take this one-" He felt a small hand press his onto wrist, pushing it down. "Hm?"

To his side, Weiss was seen with her other arm crossed under her chest. The girl took her hand away from Jaune's wrist and brought it to another yellow crystal that was lying on top the transparent case beneath them. "This one would be better," she explained, picking the elemental catalyst up between her index finger and her thumb. "It might be smaller, though you can tell the cut is better. You'd be better off working with this one to lower the chance of malfunction or dulling the elemental factor."

Well. She certainly said words. Weiss' ice-blue irises pointed themselves to the dark-sea of Jaune's own eyes, and the boy chuckled awkwardly before taking the dust crystal from her hands and presenting it to the manager. "I guess I'm going with this one then," he admitted without much resistance.

The shopkeeper laughed in a fatherly way. Jaune wouldn't be surprised if he was. "Of course, sir. Your girlfriend has a good eye."

"Yeah, I suppose she would." A Schnee would know her stuff, he concluded. Jaune was genuinely impressed she could deduce that much from a mere second's glance. Maybe he could get her to teach him a couple of things.

Though he slowly came to realise that the goliath dropped them flew over his head.

"Girlfr-?" Weiss jerked with surprise before tossing her head to the side, pouting and folding her arms. There was a slight embarrassed flush to her features, highlighted thanks to her naturally pale complexion as she stated, "I am no such thing. We're simply teammates."

"You're right," Jaune muttered, face drawn to the side as he felt warmer. "But do you really have to say it so decisively?" He had feelings too, you know. "It's not like I'm repulsive or anything, right?" Weiss silence and refusal to meet his gaze spoke volumes, leaving the boy in awkward dejection.

Jaune thought he was decently good-looking… his mother did always say so.

'Just because girls might not think you're handsome, just know that your mother will always love you, dear,' Juniper Arc once said with a mature smile and maternal tone. He felt his eyes narrow at the memory. Thinking back on it, that really wasn't even a compliment.

It was kind of depressing.

And Weiss wasn't exactly helping as she twirled around with an incredulous quirk and began counting the ways on her fingers. "Repulsive? Hah! You wish that was all I had to say." Jaune cringed. He wasn't going to like this. "Not only that, but you're reckless, unruly, self-destructive, normally look as though you've been run through by a Bullhead, have a concerning obsession with that sword on your hip, often drift off without rhyme or reason: as if you have anything going on in that head of yours, and - most of all – take any and all opportunity to tease me for any flaws I have in my character! Not to mention you're making me pay for a two-thousand lien weapon attachment because you were afraid Ruby would start crying over it!"

"…Okay, well. Fair enough."

Ouch. Again, he had feelings. Also, a Bullhead? Really? Was it really that bad? He thought he pulled the 'scruffy but fluid' look well. That was Vul's influence for you; a horrid one. But one thing he would stand by was that Crocea Mors deserved all the love she got. He still felt sort of guilty for having lost it for half a year.

For the scope, though? Yeah. That was one hundred percent his fault. Sorry, Weiss. I'd make it up to you if I knew how.

With a deep breath, Weiss crossed her arms conclusively and resigned. "And yet, I still feel as though I can strangely relate to you…"

That surprised him a little. Back near the start of Beacon, when Team RASB had newly formed, the two had a strange and spontaneous heart-to-heart about her why she felt so down. Really, it seemed one-sided if you looked back on what was said but Jaune would argue that the talk meant a lot more to Weiss than he would know. Part of him did know, actually. There was a strange fluctuation in the presence of her Aura at times back then.

One's Aura wasn't an easy thing to forget. It represented the inner-most being, the truth to a person – the very essence of them as a person. It was why he could sometimes decipher what someone was feeling at a time or if they were lying. Aura is supposed to be the true reflection of what a person is on the inside.

So, it was strange, that when he was talking to Weiss all those nights ago, Jaune felt as though he could see himself on the surface of Weiss' cold and misty soul. A mirror. One that cracked slightly during their conversation, revealing what really resided within.

Only barely, though.

"That'll be twenty-five lien, sir," the shopkeeper told Jaune – eyes behind the glasses watching the two of them amusedly. It appeared as though he wasn't entirely convinced that they weren't dating. "Do you have somewhere to keep this, or would you like a container to go with it?"

"I'll be fine," Jaune said. Laying the cards on the table, the boy took the crystal and deposited it into one of the pouches in his belt – tossing the flap open and gently laying it within before closing it. Yellow crystals had lightning elemental factor, practical for more reasons than one. Most things that come from its usage would shock you.

Damn it. Curse his wit.

He watched the money slide over to the other side of the glass counter wishfully. Man, he needed a job.

Weiss hummed, appearing proud of herself and her knowledge, and the clacking of her heels was evidence that she knew where her partner was in the store. Jaune wished he could say the same about his as he idly scanned the corners of the decently sized store, trying to find Blake in the shadows somewhere. Lurking. Skulking. Being generally gloomy.

His eyes came back to Weiss' back and the boy had time to admire the outfit she decided to wear on their day out in Vale.

Above them both, the lights rebounded off the pristine white coat that came to her shins. There were many intricate folds and defined black seams with silver buttons on the pockets and the front collar that was somewhat reminiscent of a lab coat. However, even to a general fashion novice like himself, he knew the design was anything but. Elegant and mature, it gave off a sort of professional vibe and the reds that decorated the interior material really made it outfit pop.

Under it, she wore a silk black skirt that was pulled up to midriff and came to her thighs - the slightest slit visible – while a puffy teal shirt was tucked into it. Of course, the girl had to add the cherry on top and wear light leather heel-boots that clicked and clacked on the floor of the store as they reached Ruby, who was scanning a magazine thoroughly. From the look of the cover and the flashy text around the subject, it looked to be about weapons.

Figures.

"Oh, hey guys!" The girl waved to the two approaching her.

Ruby was dressed much less extravagantly. Rolled up denim shorts, black tights, dark red t-shirt with a black print of a rose – petals scattered all across her torso and various black accessories on her two wrists. Decorating the girl's feet were similarly coloured sneakers with white lace and, surprisingly, on her red-tipped was head was a small grey newsboy's hat. Jaune would admit, it was cute. It also went without saying that Ruby wouldn't be Ruby without her crimson cloak and hood on her back.

"You done shopping, Jaune?"

"Yep," The blond shrugged, pushing himself up by the soles of his feet as he popped the syllable.

Suddenly, the air that their tiny team leader once occupied was suddenly filled with crimson petals and Jaune turned around at a sound, only to be met with the cool material of what could have only been a magazine pushing up against his face. The sound that came out of mouth in surprise was muffled by it.

A high-pitched voice could have been heard from behind it, however, as Ruby pondered out loud, "So, I'm pretty sure that means we can do my shopping now and I seem to recall a promise being made – say… two weeks, one day, four hours and twenty-seven minutes ago?"

Maybe it was wishful thinking that she would forget? No, it was certainly wishful thinking. At least Weiss was already made aware of his situation.

The bribe it took her to complete Oobleck's assigned essay two weeks ago. Funnily enough, Weiss managed to get her to complete every subsequent essay under the guise of 'you will get it eventually, just do this first' so – by all accounts – she was similarly responsible, right…? Yang owed him twenty lien next he saw her, though twenty lien didn't exactly cover a several thousand lien state-of-the-art attachment to a high-impact sniper scythe.

Seeing his weak expression, hands up in pitiful surrender, Weiss plamed her face and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine…" she grumbled with her eyes hidden from the world, flashing a cerulean card with a white snowflake emblazoned on the surface out from her shoulder purse.

"Oh, I love you, Weiss!" Ruby yelled as she disappeared from in front of Jaune and reappearing next to Weiss, arms flailing in a vain attempt to hug the girl; her partner quite obviously wasn't having any of it. It didn't stop Ruby from giggling like a little child as her cheek was getting pushed into her face, though.

Quite understandably, Jaune felt as though he was no longer needed and waved over his shoulder to the partners as he walked on out of the store. "I'll wait for you guys outside," he said, trying his best to ignore the feeling of ice-cold daggers digging into his back..

She'd survive.

With a satisfied nod and wave to the brown-haired shopkeeper, the boy heard the jingle of the store's copper bell fill his ears and leaned on an adjacent wall near the door. Slumping on the bricks of the structure, Jaune felt as though it was something of a miracle he hadn't run out of money already. Without any income, he had been financially stranded for some time. Could he have asked for money somewhere?

Vul was… well, he was Vul. His pride would never live through asking that mess of a man for anything else. Not like Jaune could contact his mentor, even if he wanted to. His father was also an option. An absolutely horrible option, though an option nonetheless.

What was he supposed to say? "Hey, dad, I'm alive! Sorry making you all think I was dead in the year I literally just disappeared from your lives. I've learnt a lot in the past few months, like how to disembowel Grimm and the best one-liners to get on the White Fang's nerves! Anyway, how's Amber's schoolwork been?

Gods above.

It might have sounded depressing, though Jaune felt as though it might have been better to let them all think he was dead right now. The thought alone was like a stab to the heart; thinking of the expression on his sisters' face over his unexplained disappearance was something that left it heavy. Honestly, he wasn't even sure if they were still looking for him at this point and Jaune wouldn't blame them if never really tried. Vul had told him that he wasn't supposed to contact any of his family, leading to the boy eventually throwing his old scroll away and getting a burner one that he still held onto today.

Being the teenager he was, Jaune never really bothered to remember the numbers of his parents or sisters, so he was left without a way to let them know he was fine. Even so, the circumstances to his running away weren't exactly the nicest. He had been nothing but a brat back then.

Things maybe hadn't changed all that much, though.

A complicated expression arose onto his face as Jaune ran a solemn hand through his hair with his eyes closed, only to open them and realise that Blake stood against the wall on the other side of the store door. "Oh," he mumbled, dragging his hand down from his blonde locks and digging them back into his pockets. "That's where you were."

Blake hummed, arm folded and propping up her opposite arm as it held a book to her face. Even under the sun and in the middle of Vale proper, the girl couldn't seem to get her nose of a good novel.

"You get anything?"

What she wore differed slightly from her normal attire, though was different enough to be warranted as 'casual'. With the same black tights that faded into purple, the same heeled shoes, and what was basically the same short shorts. What differed was only her top, a simple black and white striped turtleneck sweater with the sleeves rolled up her forearms. That ribbon wrap on her right arm and a dark arm sleeve on her left, the raven-haired girl kept her midnight bow atop her locks to finish off the look.

Her golden orbs flickered towards Jaune, over the cover of her novella, before she answered briefly. "Ammo. You?"

"Just some dust. I'll try my hand at grinding it down in one of the school facilities," Jaune's voice drifted off slightly. "You want to come with?"

"Maybe."

From across the cobbled streets of the city, a bubbly called out to the two – one that drew their heads and ears. "Yo! What up you two?"

Jaune rose an eyebrow, looking the figure up and down as if to confirm. Eventually, he came to a conclusion, though he still wasn't so sure. In the end, it was the colour of the hair and the sheer volume that really gave it away. "Yang?"

"In the flesh," she said. Catching Jaune's gaze, the blonde cocked out a hip and placed a hand on it while winking playfully. "Drink it in, buster. Just try not to get throat burn."

"Let's not pretend you don't like it, Yang." From behind her book, Blake's coy eyes could be seen squinting slightly under the pull of a smile. "You were over the moon when he confessed to you, so you're probably circling Remnant right now."

Yang laughed, "Hah! That was weeks ago, Blakey; your ammo's soaked." The smugness in her features was undeniable. "I daresay it's the last piece dirt you'll ever have on me."

"We'll see about that."

Blake had come to his defence, but Jaune was taking chugs. Big, thick chugs.

A sensation did, indeed, arise in his throat and a sudden urge to swallow and then cough came over the Jaune as he brought a fist to his mouth. Hopefully, the act of covering his face would steer away attention from the embarrassment of being caught staring. If Remnant gave her a pair of dungarees and clown shoes, Yang Xiao-Long would somehow make it work.

So, the slack-jawed expression should have really been excused.

A loose orange tank top that hung over her midriff – thanks to her bountiful… bounty – and an almost neon yellow strapless sports bra supporting those same assets that was easily visible from the sides. Tight denim jeans that were ripped in several areas. Jaune wouldn't be surprised if Yang did those herself. Honestly speaking, they really brought out her- personality as a rough, tough and rolling girl. Hm.

She wore dark leather combat boots and these strange brown sleeve things that came up to her bicep, seemingly fingerless at the hand. What was normally her wild and untameable mane of blonde was tied back into a centered ponytail as colourful sports shades hung firmly atop her bangs.

"Yikes," another voice said from behind her. It was similar in liveliness, though was higher-pitched and sounded offended. "I guess that means someone else missed the memo." Nora had a quirked eyebrow. Fashion-based superiority pulled on her features as she twirled her finger around and pointed.

Jaune quickly realised that she was pointing at him.

"I mean," her teal eyes gave up an up-and-down. Jaune felt every emotion other than flattered. "You just showed up in your huntsman gear. That's weird."

"Hey, that's not true," Jaune argued – voice slowly losing confidence as every other pair of eyes snapped to him and slowly began to raise their eyebrows. "I didn't bring my armour." That much was true. Even if he still wore his combat trousers and black boots despite it. Mostly due to the fact that he didn't exactly have another set of clothes, coming in from Forever Fall and everything.

They hadn't exactly been essential to pack. Fighting in 'fashionable' clothes didn't exactly seem like the easiest thing in the world.

Snickering, Nora shoved her hands into the pockets of her unzipped pink and white hoodie. That orange eyebrow of hers had yet to fall from the sky as she leaned forward by the hip. "Yeah, but now we can all see the massive, cute bunny on your chest."

Jaune recoiled in disbelief. "It's Pumpkin Pete! How do you not know that?" Seriously? Nora didn't know who the Pumpkin Pete was? Hah. What a joke- "Hey, why are you laughing at me?" It seemed that Nora, Yang – and even Blake, who was desperately trying to hide her face behind the pages of her book – were attempting to stifle their giggles. He could only tell Blake was laughing by the shaking of her shoulders. "Stop laughing!"

Apparently, it was Yang's turn as she fake-swooned, a hand to her head as she bent backwards dramatically. "Oh, Jaune Arc – huntsman extraordinaire – fear him as he wears his cute bunny hoodie into battle!"

This was the driest banter mankind had ever manage, but it appeared that Nora and Yang thought otherwise they howled in laughter. They struggled to breathe as they leaned onto each other for desperate support – lest they crash onto the ground into a mess.

"Not funny," Jaune huffed to the side – folding his arms and turning his back onto the duo. It only made them laugh harder.

"Calm down, Nora," a soothing voice said.

Lie Ren put his hand onto his friend's pink-clothed shoulder and grasped firmly. In an open green and white striped polo shirt, Ren had fitting white jeans with professional black shoes that reflected the midday sun. He looked like the cool, calm and collected kid back at middle-school that all the girls would faun over for being so mysterious.

The ones that Jaune hated with all the burning passion of hell. But Ren was a real one in Jaune's eyes, so the boy felt like he couldn't really get mad at him even if he intentionally tried to get on his nerves.

Waving a hand in an effort to wave concern, Nora rolled her eyes. "Aw, come on, Ren. At least he's not alone."

Simultaneously, everyone from Team PYRN turned their backs – surprising their leader and making the crimson-haired girl shrink in surprise at their stares. Pyrrha seemed as confused as a Schnee at a White Fang Rally. "What is it?"

Nora pointedly thrust a thumb in the direction at the girl, "See?"

Vibrant pink flickered to Pyrrha, then to Jaune. Ren let go of Nora's shoulder and the other boy narrowed his eyes slightly before shrugging nonchalantly, saying, "Fair point."

What was that about not being able to hate Ren again? The sentiment was slowly slipping from his grasp.

Much like him, Pyrrha was clad in her huntress gear though lacking her weapons. A leather corset that accentuated her curves, tights on her legs, gloves on her arms and a mini-skirt that was covered by a flowing crimson sash not to dissimilar to her hair. Bronze armour on her shins up to the thighs and bracers on her arms like Jaune would have in his full attire. Like Nora had said, it was nice that he wasn't alone in this boat.

Her cheeks grew red at Jaune's gaze, embarrassed for multiple reasons, "I'm sorry for not having anything other to wear… I never thought it was going to be required for going to a huntsman academy!"

Same, Pyrrha, same. Though, I don't think I really had a choice in the matter.

The sound that drew the two teams' gazes came from the door that Jaune and Blake once stood alone next to. Ringing from the bell above, Ruby and Weiss emerged from the entrance – the former looking ecstatic, holding something a box tightly to her chest, while the latter seemed much worse off than when Jaune had first left her. Weiss put a hand to her forehead to quell the headache she undoubtedly had while her partner gasped upon seeing four other familiar faces.

"Hi, Yang!"

"Whaddup, Rubes." The older sister nodded to the box that the shorter girl was so adamantly holding to her chest. "What's that?"

Practically drooling over the packaged item in question, Ruby slowly began to rub it up and down while pressing her face against the surface in somewhat of a disturbing manner. "Something that Crescent Rose is going to love…" She whispered hoarsely. The fact that the words were little better than mess of saliva made them hard to dicipher.

"Well!" Nora pointed a finger to the sky, almost striking a pose as she proposed an idea. "I elect that the first order of business of today's RASB cross PYRN shopping trip is that we get these two some city-wear!" Her was brought down like a hammer of judgement in front of Jaune's unexpected face while Nora's head whipped over to glare triumphantly at Pyrrha.

Jaune winced slightly at the accusatory appendage. "Huh?"

Humming from next to her, Yang had an amused smirk on her face and a hand to her chin as she once more inspected the contents of his attire. "Yeah… sorry, Jaune, the bunny hoodie isn't going to cut it." Her lilac eyes flickered to meet Jaune's as she just had to add. "No matter how cute you think it is."

Well, it was. But it was also cool. Sweat and tears were poured into earning this hoodie. Many a time where he had thrown away his dignity, mostly after he had thrown away his allowance, begging his mother to buy more boxes of Pumpkin Pete's. Favours cashed in exchange for his sisters' box tops – countless cosplays done for Coral in the name of 'inspiration', and being a pack mule for Hazel during her mall outings. Coincidentally, that was the same sister that said his fashion sense was lacking.

Taking a quick look to his outfit, he sighed. "Let's just get this over with… but the hoodie stays."

/-/

By Jaune's expression it was clear that he was not entertained. However, he pulled back the curtain to the dressing room all the same and revealed himself to the crowds beyond the fabric.

Yang, one leg crossed over the other as she sat like a Vacuan godfather judging his next victim, hummed a sound full of thought. He felt every inch of his person go under scrutiny. It reminded him of when the two had first met, and she was under the impression that he was tainting her dear little sister.

Essentially, he felt like a piece of meat being examined by a butcher for its quality.

Similarly, Nora sat in the waiting chair next to her but her gaze was much less intense than the blonde she sat with.

A bead of sweat of sweat ran down his forehead and the moment that it landed on the store's wooden polished floor, Yang gave her ultimate verdict. "Nice," she said with a thumb pointed upward.

Letting out a breath he didn't even know he was holding, Jaune propped himself up on the frame of the doorway and ran a hand over his forehead to cleanse it of the dampness that had built up. It was disturbing how much he had riding on that girl's opinion, especially since she was the same person that normally kicked his ass during their hand-to-hand sparring sessions.

Feeling a hand on his back patting him comfortably, the boy looked up to see Yang give him a toothy smile. "Not bad, Jaune. Not bad."

She backed off, letting Jaune come to a stand, and the blond ran a hand through his hair as he looked at reflection in the mirror of the dressing room he had changed in. Speaking frankly, Jaune had no idea how he was supposed to feel getting a makeover from people he had met a couple of weeks ago when even his own flesh and blood had previously failed at the task. The battlefield was a strange place, Jaune supposed. Perhaps even stranger than the Arc household, impossible as that sounded to him.

Thankfully, Yang had listened to him and let him keep the short-sleeved hoodie. However, with his combat trousers hanging on the peg within the cubicle, the blonde had these weird pants that reached to his shins and clung to them. If he had to guess, it was a hybrid design for fashion and sport. Two orange vertical stripes that matched the interior of his hoodie decorated the black material ran on the outside to form (funnily enough) dual arcs on either side. Orange was a reoccurring theme, evident by the rolled-up sleeves that extended out of his hoodie's armholes.

Yes, he was wearing a hoodie inside his hoodie. It felt weird. It felt hot. It also, apparently, looked hot. Jaune didn't see the appeal. The same hoodie seemed to have a cloth 'tail' that extended lopsided outside his back. It was chequered black and orange to fit with the motif of literally everything else he was wearing. Everything, that is, other than the pair of black thick-soled combat boots that were white on the rim and laces. Fashion made no sense.

Silver earring where it always as and his blonde locks as unruly as ever, Jaune sighed and watched Nora tilt her head to get a better angle on his outfit. He shrugged and flopped his arms to the side and listened to whatever the girl had to say.

"You know," she said. "You do clean up pretty nicely, Jaune. Good job!"

"Indeed," Ren wholeheartedly agreed, eyes closed and stood with his arms behind his back next to his orange-haired teammate.

"Thanks?" He didn't really even do anything to deserve praise, but it was whatever. "Wait a second, who's paying for this?" Yeah… Jaune had just remembered the fact that his bank account was drier than a corpse left out in the blistering heat of Menagerie's wasteland for a week.

A few cubicles over, the four heard a hesitant voice call out to them. "Um, guys? I don't know if this fits me, per se…"

Yang scratched her head before answering the voice of her partner, who had yet to reveal herself during all of this. "Well, that can't be right. Pretty sure I got your measurements down to the decimal…"

"How do you-?" Pyrrha's outburst was cut short as further explained. "That's not what I meant. I just don't think it fits me; you know?"

Visibly frustrated, the fellow blonde next to him slouched silently with an exasperated expression on her face – lilac looking to the gods for strength. Clearing up her act and clearing out her throat, Yang coughed before continuing. "Come on, Pyrrha, just entertain us – will you? I'm paying for all of this so it's not like you lose anything either way."

Jaune fist pumped so hard he banged his elbow on the wall next to him. Being given a very obvious 'what the hell is wrong with you' look from Yang, the boy had no words as they both turned back to the curtain that Pyrrha was behind.

A long sigh was audible to the four despite the distance between them. "Alright, if you say so…"

Out stepped Pyrrha, scarlet hair flowing down like weaves of reds. The same hair lacked the ponytail and instead was free, shiny, and straight in form. The normally proud and confidant warrior they knew her to be was instead replaced with a fidgety maiden who tried to make herself as small as possible in front of her friends.

Draped over her shoulders was what looked to be a dark mahogany wool cardigan that came to her thighs that looked soft to the touch, yet still fluffy. A high-pulled black folded skirt gave way to dark-ish cotton tights that led to tan shoes that seemed almost business-like in nature. Tucked into her skirt was a white, plain, low-cut t-shirt. You know what? That described the look perfectly to Jaune.

Plain. And it worked. Scarily so. It was like the Pyrrha who could take on an entire team of first years no longer existed.

Letting out an impressed whistle, Yang put a hand to her denim-covered hip and nodded.

Nora, however, was much more vocal. "Doesn't fit you?! Pyrrha, you own that thing! Work it, girl!"

"Indeed," Ren agreed once more. Jaune felt it was slightly more convinced that time from his voice alone.

Having enough of everyone's stares, Pyrrha put her foot down and ranted off to her team (plus Jaune) with her emerald eyes scrunched shut. "Please just give me my tiara back! Give me that much, I'm begging you!"

"Alright," her blonde partner resigned, taking strides towards the girl before digging something out of her back pocket and extending her arm fully towards Pyrrha for her to take it. "Here ya go, Pyrrha. You've earned it."

With an annoyed grumble and a pout, the huntress-in-training snatched it away from Yang before slinking back into the dressing room to put on her bronze circlet and do up her hair. Sort of a shame, Jaune thought silently – watching the girl disappear as she drew the fabric cover across to cover herself despite only needing to tie her hair back. He thought it looked pretty good down.

Yang turned back to him, inclining her head out toward the exit. "You can go do the big reveal to your team outside, Jaune. Don't worry, I'll sort everything out in here; just take your old clothes and strut your stuff."

The attendant with them across the doorway seemed to nod her head, smiling, in an attempt to give her own go ahead and that was all it took for Jaune to comply. "Alright," he said, gathering his combat trousers and old boots under his arms. "Thanks."

"No problem," Yang waved. "Call it the payment on our bet. I still got Ruby on the next one."

It felt weird betting on your friends' physical trauma, but the two blondes couldn't help but give each other a knowing look as Jaune finally left.

Excusing himself with a small bow of his head to their attendant, Jaune walked through the clothes store – eyes idly wandering about and examining the fabrics. Everything here seemed pretty high-end. Designer. It also seemed Yang knew her stuff. He even scouted out the price of that plain white t-shirt Pyrrha had on, the very number blowing a fuse in his brain. Over a dozen times the price of that dust crystal he bought earlier that day! A dozen! For a brand logo you couldn't even see!

Even with the thought routinely cemented into his brain, Jaune couldn't help but marvel at how mind-boggling fashion was.

He stopped at the door, palm on the curved metal handle leading outside. He would be lying if he said he wasn't slightly nervous. Every single damn day of his life for the past year were spent in the same hoodie, the same trousers, the same boots, the same amour, the same equipment. He trekked all the way across and around Anima in this gear and halfway across Sanus with Vul. Half of it was now put away under his arm, a quarter or so in a locker back at Beacon.

His past – put away.

He shook his head. Such a stupid thought.

Something else caught his eye during the shake. Jaune's neck tilted to the side, eyes set on a peice of fabric hung on a shoulder-up. It was minimalistic, sure, definitely nothing that would catch the eye. What was it doing in a brand store like this? Walking towards it, old clothes still under his arm, Jaune read the price tag.

Huh. It was cheap. Well, relatively, in terms of everything around it.

"Sir?" Jaune's attention was caught by a store clerk, a woman with a smile that seemed young in the retail business. She must still like her job. Poor woman. She continued, bringing the boy out of his thoughts, "It's the last one we have in stock. They recently stop producing them due to low demand and no matter how much we drop the price; nobody seems to want to take it off our hands. Are you interested?"

A second glance was given to the price tag, the writing attached to a thin thread of string seemingly heavy in his hands. The newly fashioned boy flashed a smile of his own, "Maybe if it's for a little less."

/-/

Exiting the store, an awkward smile still made its way onto his face as the boy revealed himself to the rest of his own team. "Uh, ta-da?"

…

Silence. Jaune thought someone at least coughed, but that was just the wind choking on a nearby lampost.

…

The door shut quietly behind him.

Finally (thank the gods), Weiss broke the void of words and seemed to scrutinize what he wore with the most critical eye she could muster. Lips in a contemplative pout and cocking a knee, the heiress eventually made her opinion apparent. "Not exactly a style that I respect but I think I can see where Yang's coming from with this. She might be onto something… though it's sort of halfway there, like you're trying too hard," the girl nodded happily. "All in all, it fits you perfectly."

Shot through the heart.

Ruby was quick to add, "You know, you kind of look like one of those flashy wiggly-woogly guys from those cool dance videos online." She was quick to clarify on seeing Jaune's growingly downcast expression. "That's a good thing! They always wear these flowy clothes so that when they dance, it moves with them! I think it's cool. It looks good on you Jaune!"

Her silver eyes shot to Blake, who jumped back at the stare. "Wait, do you want me to-?" Ruby nodded rapidly. "Uh," the raven-haired girl squinted and tightened her shoulders as she tried, "it's not… bad?"

And you're too late.

Jaune let out a very deep sigh. One of pure defeat. No anger, no nothing. It sounded as though he just gave up entirely. "I'll just go return it."

"No!" Ruby rocketed forward and grabbed his shoulder as he was already partially through the door back into the shop. "Don't do that! It's good, trust me! Trust me…" she sighed; her words getting through the dejected boy as he slowly backed away from the door and turned back around. "Here, give me those…" Ruby took the pile of folded clothes with the pair of boots that Jaune had been carrying and waddled over back to where she was standing prior.

"New – questionably fashionable – clothes aside, we," Weiss gestured to herself, Blake and Ruby, who slid in Jaune's old clothes into the heiress' shopping bag when she wasn't paying attention, "were talking about where we should go next. Me and Ruby were thinking a café, however Blake said she wanted to check out a bookstore before we went. As the last remaining member of this team, I-"

Ruby coughed meaningfully.

"-we, decided that you would be the deciding factor." Arms crossed, the white-haired girl tucked her chin inward and looked harshly back at Jaune. "So, Jaune, what will it be? Café or bookstore?"

Completely bewildered, Jaune recoiled at the fact that the supposed choice sounded more like a threat. "Uh…"

Icicles dug into his skin. "Café. Or bookstore."

"Why don't we just split up?" He suggested under the gaze of the short girl beneath him. "You two can head over to a café with PYRN and I'll head over to the bookstore with Blake so she doesn't get lonely." Ignoring the slow raise of his partner's eyebrows, Jaune was hopeful at the proposition being able to appease Weiss.

There was a hum that came from her throat as the girl lowered her gaze. "Alright, sure. We can do that." Invisible sweat beads rolled of his brow; the resolution being reached much easier than he would have expected it to be.

Turning on a heel, Weiss picked up her shopping bag and stumbled slightly at the additional weight within it. Quickly enough, she got ever it and strode down the cobbled road while calling over her shoulder. "We'll text you the location of the café when we find one. Make sure to come over when you're done with your shopping."

Her finger made her way to the edge of her mouth as Ruby watched her partner slowly walk off into the distant streets. "I, uh, thought we were going to wait for Yang and the others but… I guess… not." She looked nervous as her eyes flicked between the two almost bashfully. "We'll see you guys there! E-Enjoy your alone time together! Hey, Weiss, wait up!"

Alone time? Ruby strung those words along pretty weirdly. Well, whatever.

Left in a wake of rose petals, cerulean and amber watched the two figures turn a corner and leave their sight before the latter of two spoke, "I was probably going to go either way, you know."

"Look at it this way," Jaune said – jogging up behind the girl who was already trying to leave him in the dust on the way there. The tail-end of his orange and black 'inner-hoodie' bounced along behind him with every step, just like Ruby had predicted. "At least now you got me with you."

While he couldn't see it, Blake held an incredulous look in her golden eyes as a ghost of a beguiled smile pulled at her lips. "Is that supposed to be a good thing?"

/-/

"So, what you mean to say is that he is no longer showing interest?"

Hands clenched into fists by her sides, Coco Adel couldn't seem to meet the eyes of her headmaster. It appeared that wearing shades came in useful sometimes, even if Ozpin could tell either way. "Yes, sir. We've done everything we can to make the signs as obvious possible." The girl tightened and loosened her fists. "The evidence was planted where you wanted us to plant it and Vel here tried her best to act the part."

Velvet's head shot downward in a rough bow from the hip, hands in her lap. "I'm sorry, Professor Ozpin; maybe if I was a little more suited to the role…"

Masterfully taking control of the conversation, Ozpin cut in, "Worry not, Miss Scarlatina." Gesturing one of his interlocked hands towards Coco, the headmaster continued to reassure her, "If Miss Adel says that you have all done your best, then there is nothing more you could have done and - I tell you here - that there is nothing more I could have asked for."

Her lip still quivered slightly as Velvet creaked her head back up. Eventually, she came to nod silently and stand straight next to her team leader.

"You two are free to leave," Ozpin added. "I will make sure to inform Miss Goodwitch about your additional credit and, as an additional way of thanks, I will extend the same to your entire team – if they so wish, of course."

Coco's eyebrows were both seen widening above her tinted sunglasses. "Wait, does that mean we're… done?"

"Yes, Miss Adel," Ozpin confirmed, linking his hands back together on his transparent desk. "If what you say is true, then any more effort spent in this venture would be effort better spent on your classes and your team." The headmaster closed his eyes with a smile, inclining his head forward. "Thank you for your cooperation, Miss Adel. You too, Miss Scarlatina."

"Right…" Nodding absent-mindedly, the team leader of CVFY bowed her head slightly before excusing herself. "No problem, sir. Come on, Vel, we gotta pay back Yats for those earpieces."

The heels of her boots echoed above the quiet and repetitive shifting of the gears that were barely visible around Ozpin's office. Seeing her friend steadily head towards the elevator on the other side of the room, her rabbit ears perked up in surprise before the girl herself bowed twice quickly and stumbled towards Coco. Waiting expectantly, the girl's leader had a hand on her hip and watched Velvet enter the lift before she bowed yet another time towards the headmaster despite their distance. With only a smile, the silver-haired man watched his two students disappear behind the doors as they shut automatically, bringing them to the lower floors of the academy where they would surely disperse and enjoy the rest of their day.

Left with the slow turning of cogs and gears, the sound was something that Ozpin found calming. There could have been many reasons. The volume. The soothing sound of clockwork clicks and clacks. Or, perhaps, the fact that it told him that everything was still moving forward and working. Maybe the reason was everything above and then some.

Taking a breath, Ozpin's finger hovered over the intercom on his desk for a second until it came down with a click. "Hello, Glynda? Could I have a mug of the regular, please?"

"What?" Glynda Goodwitch's voice on the other end of the device was surprised. "Ozpin, I am your vice-principal – not your PA - and I'm preparing the first years' trip; you can't just ask me-"

"Thank you."

Click.

Professor Ozpin leaned back into his chair, pulling back is arms to lay onto the arm rests as he stared at the shifting clockwork above. So, Jaune was no longer interested in the ruse that he had set up for him? Surely, he must have already figured out that I want him to out a spy among the students thanks to the slip-up during their last conversation. If that was the case, then why wasn't that boy's eyes on Velvet?

Mayhaps he was, though the two girls were unable to spot him. No, Ozpin shook the thought out of his head. Coco Adel was one of the brightest in her year. If Jaune truly was investigating the ploy he set up for him, there wouldn't be a way that it would slip under her radar – especially given that everything was set within the Academy itself.

The headmaster slowly rose a hand to his forehead and rubbed slightly.

Then again, this is the boy that Qrow trained for an entire year… there may be a possibility…

For now, Ozpin sighed under the guise of a breath and assume that Jaune was no longer investigating Velvet. It was a shame, though perhaps a year with one of his agents wasn't enough time to transfer their skillset via osmosis. Again, he didn't know the details of Qrow's 'teaching curriculum' and the huntsman never really did like to speak about what he did during and between his missions – though he delivered results and Ozpin had no qualms about the integrity of his loyalty.

That was good enough for him. Loyalty was a hard thing these days. Ozpin would argue that it always has been and would continue to be for many years to come.

"I wonder when my coffee will get here…" The silver-head headmaster mumbled to himself among the shifting of the cogs. He chuckled, "Glynda never fails to deliver." Truly, he was blessed to have her among the staff at Beacon.

Unbeknownst to him, the coffee was on its way.

Straight through an adjacent window, covered in a vibrant purple glow and going straight for his head.

/-/

Jaune closed the book in his hands with a soft plap. Reaching into the shelf, he moved a few similar-sized books that were blocking the way as he slid the one he was holding back into the slot he made.

Hands in his pockets, the boy easily spotted Blake flicking through the pages of a hardback book that she had just finished reading the synopsis of. Making his way over, a task made easy due to the relatively small interior of the bookstore itself, Jaune could only really admire the amount of literature that was packed in such a small area.

Sure, he had gone to bookstores and the likes for Lavender since her physicality never was the best, but he would normally do so at the larger malls far from their home in a no-name village. Those places were normally had less books but at least they had titles he recognised.

On the other hand, the store that Blake had chosen was a more out-of-the-way kind of place down a street that only a few people ever seemed to walk down. The store couldn't have been more than a three or four times the size of their dorm room and Jaune would have said it wasn't an exaggeration to feel as though you were drowning in novellas and the like in here.

'Tukson's Book Trade' it was called. 'Home to Every Book Under the Sun', though Jaune questioned the validity of that statement. He supposed it was a slogan that did its job.

"What'cha got there?" Jaune stepped up next to his partner and gave a glance downwards to the book she was flipping through.

"Why?" Her amber eyes flickered upwards to meet his for a second before returning to the book in her hands. "You interested?" Blake seemed vaguely surprised at his inquiry.

Jaune shrugged with a guilty smile, "Can't say I am. Just thought it would be nice to ask." The honest admission earned him an equally honest shake of the head as his partner continued to skim through the contents that were within the pages of the book.

Over the last week or two, Jaune was making an effort to get to know Blake. He would catch her sitting alone in the library and then, much to her dismay, join her in whatever she was doing. Homework, essays, reading – you name it. At first, he was met with content silence from the other, which he was fine with. But, day by day over the span of a week, Blake eventually spoke up when he was scribbling away lazily at an assignment.

"That's not right," she said at the time. Her golden eyes seemed to ignore his own surprised shade of blue as Blake casually pointed at his sheet. "The faunus lost the Battle of Umbra because the opposing army were holding the primarily faunus villagers as hostages. Not because their weapons were sabotaged."

To say he was shocked would have been the least that emotion was worth.

Time passed and the two slowly got to understand each other better. Blake liked to hide in the library between classes on the weekday, and barely left the room on the weekends. After lectures, she would tag along with RASB and PYRN with whatever shenanigans they wanted to get up to. Eventually, she either got dragged off by Yang, or escape by her lonesome out into the courtyard. There, she would read until the sun was started to disappear. Additionally, when she was nervous, she didn't address a person while looking straight into their eyes – unless she has a book on her. Without one, she instead chooses to maintain eye contact unwaveringly, almost as if she was unable blink. Blake also appreciated a more satire, dry and sarcastic kind of humour that could have been described as obviously and painfully honest. However, hidden ironies she sometimes had a chuckle at.

Like Jaune said, he had learnt a lot about her.

"It's based on some fairy tale," Blake noted dismissively. Jaune barely even realised she was speaking to him.

"Hm?"

"The book." The girl shot a look to her partner. "It's about some tyrant king that was brought to justice by the people."

"Right."

"They called him a king, but really he was more a nomad who had a presence that commanded that sort of authority. He went between kingdoms, causing conflict and bloodshed – until he was eventually put stopped by the united peoples of the realm."

"Mhm."

"His death was treated as a festival, and the people learnt from then on what it meant to band together against the darkest of evils."

"Yeah."

Blake closed the book with a decisive thud. Those narrow eyes of hers came flat in a stare while she quirked an eyebrow.

"Hey, I did say that I wasn't really interested. It didn't help that you basically spoiled the entire thing."

She brushed past him silently, heading towards the counter where nobody was currently present. "And yet, you still asked. This is why I don't get you, Jaune." The book she had brought along with him – the one about the king, or whatever – came onto the counter silently as she slid it along. "Tukson?" Blake called out into the air. Jaune shoved his hands into the center pocket of his black hoodie as he followed.

Behind the counter was a door that was similar in colour to the dark wood of the walls. It opened and out came a tall man with a spiked mutton-chop beard and rough, coal-black hair. Must be the owner, Jaune guessed since nobody had been there to greet him when Blake and he first arrived. Giving him a quick look, the blond would have supposed he was more of the gentle kind despite his fierce-ish looks.

"Finally made your choice?" Tukson said heartily with a gravelly tone to his voice.

Blake hummed in response, digging out a few cards from the pocket of her white shorts. Lien cards. "Yeah."

The large man seemed amused, though placed his hand on the amount that she had paid without prompt and slid it over towards him. With a bemused grin, Tukson reminded, "You know you don't have to pay, right?"

"And you know that I want to support you," Blake retorted with a small smirk.

"Who's this?" He asked, nodding towards Jaune with his arms folded.

It actually surprised him. He wasn't expecting to be dragged into this conversation. For some reason, Jaune felt like he was under interrogation, like a boy would from a father when after he had spent a too much time with his daughter. Not like he would know, of course. His past wasn't exactly filled with many friends.

"My partner," Blake said. "We're on the same team together at Beacon."

Taking it out of his hoodie pocket, Jaune extended his hand towards Tukson. "I'm Jaune," he greeted.

It was met with a large palm and the two shook firmly. "Tukson," the man replied in kind. Their handshake stopped, though Tukson still held tightly onto his hand, gaining a quick look from Jaune. "Blake's done… a lot for me. Make sure you take care of her."

Tukson let go of his hand, though Jaune let it linger there for a moment longer before drawing it back into his hoodie pocket.

A determined expression rose over his features as he looked Tukson straight in the eyes.

"I will."

/-/

Jaune had learnt a lot about Blake in the last week or two.

Jaune had learnt that her favourite genre was tragic romance. He had learnt that she preferred anything with fish in it as opposed to anything that didn't. He had learnt that she would commonly use books to shield the expressions on her face. He had learnt that she would very commonly keep important opinions to herself, even when in the presence of her team. He had learnt that she would always assume that her input wasn't needed when it came to combat plans.

If you couldn't tell, he had already learnt that communication certainly wasn't her strong suit.

Jaune had learnt her favourite colour was actually white, she was very interested in the culture and tales of ancient Mistral and that she was the only daughter of the Belladonna household – the ruling family of Menagerie as of the era.

Jaune had learnt that going outside and reading in the sun was just an excuse to lay in the warm grass under the afternoon light. He had learnt that her eyes would dilate and contract more than normal when under differing light intensities. Jaune had learnt that she never let anybody see her without that bow of hers, but the reason was something he had yet to have proper evidence for. Furthermore, he had learnt that she would head out into Vale once a week without the use of a Bullhead and visit the very same bookstore that the two had gone to earlier that day.

He would need it to happen once more the week after to make it a pattern, however. Twice could have only been said to a be coincidence, though he and Vul had done a lot more with much less previously.

Needless to say, Jaune learnt quick. But perhaps the most important thing he had learnt so far about his partner was that she had a habit of leaving her scroll under her pillow every time she was about to head into the shower.

Two short knocks rapped on the door opposite to their room.

"Oh, hey, Blake! You here for that shower?" Yang said as she pulled open their door. Nora could be heard greeting the girl in an overly cheery manner.

"Yeah," she replied. "I told you about or shower being broken earlier, didn't I?"

The long-haired girl stepped back from the door, gesturing her sister's teammate in. "Mhm. Feel free, girl."

"But you better not take too long!" Nora yelled from somewhere within the room.

A quiet exhale of air came from Blake, drawing a small amount of entertainment from the other's threat. "I won't."

Team PYRN's door shut with a quiet click. Their shower was in-fact broken. He would know; he was the one who broke it in the first place. Just a little shaking of the pipes that were behind the sink cabinets, nothing too big. It was something he could easily deny because why the hell would anyone ever want to do that in the first place?

Welp, he should probably make a move now.

Pushing himself off the wall, Jaune turned the corner leading down the corridor that led to the two teams' dorm rooms. He was still wearing the clothes that Yang had picked out for him from earlier that day (though with the addition of his leather gloves) and the boy had to admit that they were pretty comfy when he wasn't standing out in heart of Vale. Either way, he pulled out his scroll and rose it to meet the lock device on their door as it flashed green with a beep.

Their room was empty, dark and filled with a cool air from the lack of presence throughout the day. Ruby was too excited to fit the new attachment that Weiss had bought for her and the team leader dragged her along so she could show it off to someone when it was done. It was actually a bonus that the girl took Weiss along with her, sparing Jaune the trouble of lying to the girl about Ruby forgetting about the essay they had to hand in tomorrow. Without a doubt, she would have rushed off to find Ruby to yell at her. Once she found out he lied, Jaune would have just played it off as a mistake.

Again, nothing big. Weiss didn't have a very high opinion of him either way.

Not bothering to turn on the lights, Jaune reached under Blake's pillow easily due to his natural height. Blue eyes widening at the feeling of his fingers catching something. He pulled it out, sliding his gloved hand across the soft fabric of the mattress and focusing on the device that lay within his palm.

Truth be told, the Velvet investigation was a promising one. However, for whatever reason, there was a nagging feeling in the back of his head. A feeling that told him to look closer – closer for the answer he had his eyes on long before seeing the potential solution that was Velvet. Scattered memories told him to look into the black of midnight to wrap his hands around what he wanted to find.

So, he delved into the darkness to find it.

Jaune watched Blake. Jaune researched her. A simple entry into the internet of 'Blake Belladonna' came up with an article about the Belladonna family as a whole. There were countless news articles about their leadership of the White Fang and their running of the continent of Menagerie. He began with the smaller things – her mannerisms, likes and dislikes. Slowly, it evolved into memorising her routines and habits. Jaune always did have a knack for this kind of thing because of his social outcast-like nature and Vul's presence and work only amplified the innate skill.

It was possible that what was in his hands now would help further this investigation. Actually, Jaune was almost certain.

Because if Blake was anything like him, it would be hard for her to let go of the past. After all, Jaune never bothered to receive a new scroll provided by the academy, instead opting to keep one of his burner ones given to him by Vul.

There was a quiet breath out of the boy's nose as the scroll's light reflected off of his dark and hazy blue eyes. Aura-locked. Of course it was. Every huntsman and huntsman-in-training had scrolls that were locked by Aura. Sensitive information was abundant due to the nature of their profession after all. Citizens who also had their Aura unlocked could also apply this feature to their scrolls, though it was a long process filled with legality, documents, and paperwork. For huntsmen, the appropriate academy did all that for you.

Not to say you couldn't do il -legally. People always would find a way.

One light source became two as Jaune's aura was pushed from out his soul and into his gloved hand. Scrolls didn't have action logs or saved recent navigations within and throughout application so Jaune would have been fine as long as he avoided responding to texts or searching online with the provided browsers. Even then, Blake had no reason to suspect him. This was safe. That was what he had calculated.

The lock screen was of strange pink petals, though it was soon enough replaced with the home screen of he could only assume was Forever Fall as Jaune successfully unlocked the device with usage of his Semblance. Thankfully, he had managed to get a closer feel for Blake's Aura back when they made contact with that fist-bump a few days ago. As mentioned, a person's Aura was hard to forget, and it was only a matter of time until Jaune felt he could recreate Blake's with his.

As complicated as his Semblance was, it had its varying uses.

Results spoke for themselves as a message displayed itself. 'Welcome back, Blake.' Appeared on the screen in thin white text before dissipating and leaving him with applications to rifle through. Blake said she wouldn't take long, so Jaune knew that time wasn't on his side. Photos and contacts seemed like a good place to start.

In any case, Jaune was on a time limit. After this, he had some books to buy.

/-/

Coco Adel exhaled deeply, exasperation clear despite her sunken expression being partially hidden by her shades.

Hands behind her head, the second-year picked herself up and continued down the corridors of Beacon to the practice arena that her class was currently in, under the tutelage of Miss Miyao. With Miss Goodwitch heading the first-years' field trip out in Forever Fall today, their bestiaries professor slash junior combat instructor had taken the reigns.

"Hey, Vel."

Her teammate Velvet's ears perked up at her name as she walked, hands held close to her centre thoughtfully. "Yeah, Coco?"

The leader's head tilted upward slightly, stuck in her own head a little after what had happened with the headmaster a few minutes ago. "You think we did a good job?" After all, they might have started out pretty well, but it was all downhill from there.

Appearing confused for a second, a genuine smile appeared on the faunus girl's face as she answered, "I think you did great, Coco. Eek-!"

As the shorter girl gasped, the two came to a halt as a hand came onto the top of Velvet's head, tousling it affectionately. It came to rest on top, the hand belonging to none other than her team leader as she grinned fluffily. "I said we, Velvet. And here I thought you were making progress on the whole self-confidence thing." Coco sighed, this time lighter, and lead the way - ushering for Velvet to follow with a lazy gesture behind her.

Pouting, though due to nothing more than slight annoyance at her team leader's tone, Velvet put a spring in her step as Coco opened one of the double doors leading to the arena's spectator areas. Yatsuhashi and Fox were in sight, thought it was mostly the former due to his mountainous stature.

Finding themselves their seats behind the pair, Coco slapped a hand onto Yatsuhashi's shoulder in a friendly manner while Velvet greeted Fox quietly who replied with a nod in her general direction.

Already making herself at home, the beret-wearing girl had crossed her legs and had her cheek pressed in by her palm as she watched the fight below. "You guys get any action while we were away?"

Back straight, arms folded, and with as much stoicism as rock, Yatsuhashi answered, "Fox's bout was the second of today."

"And?"

'And I won.' The reply was one that was soothing, but at the same time eerily unsettling. It came from no mouth, instead like it was information sent straight to the head.

Coco let out a silent, dry chuckle, only evidenced by the jerking of her chest. "Good for you, Foxy. Tell you what, I'll bring you along for some bubble tea next I head in town. Gives me a chance to check out the new shoe store opening up around East Vale."

A pair of bunny ears twitched upward, "Oo, can I come? I love bubble tea!"

Huffing, but not in a way that was annoyed in any manner, Yatsuhashi spoke as well, "Being left on my lonesome would put my soul in slight discord."

"You know, you could always speak like a normal person, Yats."

"…No."

All the while, Fox was left in the middle - unsure of what to say. He didn't even like bubble tea. Instead of digging deeper into the rabbit hole that was their conversation, the telepathic boy instead inquired, 'What was your business with the headmaster?'

Coco brushed it off casually, waving her hand and giving an incredulous look. "Nothin' important… So, hey, you two want free credit, or no?"

Yatsuhashi waited a second before he had processed what was just said. "…What?"

Instead of replying, Coco left the two in their confusion while leaning back in her seat. Talking idly to Velvet as she kept her eyes on the fight happening below them. "Hey, Vel."

"Yeah, Coco?" The faunus girl replied in much the same cheery tone as before.

"Who do you think that guy was?" Velvet's expression was halted, ears drooping slightly as uncertainty rose onto her face. "The one we bumped into accidentally on our way out of Professor Ozpin's elevator, almost like he was waiting for it."

With hesitance, Velvet reasoned, "He said that he had business with the headmaster. I think he was a huntsman."

There was a slightly uncomfortable silence between the two teammates; the words spoken up in the air, as if hung by a thing string that could snap if any more pressure was put onto them. Coco chose not to do anything of the sort. "…Yeah."

Certainly, the man seemed like a huntsman. His weapon, his look, his gear – all of it screamed experienced. And if he was at Beacon to do harm, surely he wouldn't have just been out in the middle of the day, apologising to students after bumping into them. Maybe Velvet was right, and he was just some really rough-looking veteran who Professor Ozpin wanted to speak to directly. Honestly, that probably was the case.

Coco Adel exhaled once more, this time with a slight crease in her normally smug visage as she stared down onto the clash of dust and steel below.

She couldn't shake her gut feeling.

/-/

"Ah~." With a flamboyant sigh, Professor Ozpin rubbed the back of his head. "Glynda certainly hasn't dulled in her years. Her aim is still spot on." Indeed, Ozpin was blessed to have such talented staff on his team. "And she even felt the need to keep the coffee in the mug. How very nice."

Eyeballing the emblazoned mug on the floor of his transparent floor, the container was still shrouded in a mystic violet glow - evidence that the remnants of Miss Goodwitch's Semblance still had a hold on its contents. From his desk, the man picked it up; his eyes trailing the disappearing hue of purple from its edges.

With a blissful sip, the silver-haired man took his lips from the mug and smiled. It wasn't so much of an addiction, he would say. Instead, Ozpin thought that it was a nice reminder to appreciate the smaller and simpler things in life. To live in the here and now, while still being prepared for the future.

A quiet ding came from the opposite side of the headmaster's office, prompting him to turn and view the steely doors of his personal elevator. While he had an open-door policy, many students didn't take advantage of it. After all, just showing up at your headmaster's office was a tad bit strange.

But the gates of the that metal cage opened, and a sharp gaze penetrated the air of the room.

It was the same one that inspired so much interest from Ozpin all those years ago.

Professor Ozpin's head remained tilted to the side, mug held near his lips and glancing at the rugged man who took a decisive step into his office. The headmaster's expression was as if the two were old friends, doing much less to quell the obvious annoyance in the other's face.

"Ozpin…"

Smiling owlishly, Ozpin replied, "Welcome back, Nicholas. I do hope Mrs Arc and the girls are well."

---

Well. How'd he get there, am I right? Fret not, the adventures of Nicholas Arc surely do exist somewhere, someplace.

I had written this up over a year ago. There are certain differences in how I used to write and how I currently write. Honestly, I think I might prefer this style. I'll have to work on it.

While the future of this fanfiction is uncertain, I hope that the people who care for the story will continue to care when they see an update. That's all any writer can hope for, really.

As always, thank you for reading.