It's ya boi. I'm back!
So, this semester sucked all the dicks. Every. Single. One. I had a test every single week from the third week in, to my last!
But, I passed everything and was recognised at the Kansas Herpetological Society for my research into Ornate Box Turles! (I got second place out of eighteen for my research poster.) So, next semester should go swimmingly. I only have Physics 2, Biotechnology Lab, Molecular Biology Lab, and Yoga because I needed a nonmajor credit. (Seriously, I just needed a bullshit class to graduate on top of these other classes.)
Now, I present to you this chonker ass wall of text.
The sun poured through a nearby set of windows, striking Jaune in the face as he laid on the sleeping mat. Slowly but surely, it became annoying enough for him to stir from his rest. As Jaune awoke, he could feel a body lying right next to him. He'd forgotten there was someone else he shared this spot with.
The sight of Weiss there sent Jaune scrambling for some distance to put between them. When he realised that she nor anybody else was awake right now, the boy calmed down. Jaune remembered how he ended up here. How Weiss was in a bad spot.
What was that?
Jaune had never been put in that sort of situation before. Well... he had back in the castle, but this was merely a continuation of it. The boy never had a girl come to him for comfort and consolement. It honestly frightened him.
I guess that wall broke down again...
Of course, it would. Her friend's in a coma and could die.
Anybody would feel like this in their situation. Jaune still felt like a complete shit because he let it happen to Ruby. The others were just managing to keep themselves together around their friends. That didn't mean they refused to sneak off in the middle of the night and have a good cry.
I need to find something to do... I have to get my mind on something else.
I'll head to the vault and see what we all grabbed from the city.
Jaune pushed himself off the ground and planted his feet on the cold stone. The chill that rushed up his spine made him want to crawl back into bed. At least it was warm there. Dreizehn was willing to take his place, however. The pup snuggled up against Weiss, and she unconsciously wrapped an arm around him.
Looking around the room, Yang was sleeping next to Ruby. Sun and Blake had long since left the room. Ren was passed out next to Nora still. Pyrrha remained where she had fallen asleep.
Guess it's a good day to sleep in...
The group had earned it. Jaune's entire body felt like it could just crumble right there. He was so sore, he could barely bend his elbow out. Someone needed to squirt oil into his knees to stop them from creaking. Heck, even breathing was a laborious task.
Yet, there was not a scratch on him. Despite the beating he'd taken from the Alpha, Jaune was merely sore. It surprised him how strong he'd become since the start of his journey. Pyrrha was right about seeking out difficult opponents.
As Jaune stood there, he noticed Sun gently pull open the door. Stopping in the doorway, the faunus was holding several items in his hands. Jaune discerned they were foodstuffs, likely breakfast the boy brought here. The smell of freshly cooked beef and spices wafted up and into his nose.
"Yo, help me out here; I got more outside," Sun asked, stepping back out of the room.
Jaune followed him, finding he had taken a hospital cart and stacked it high with food. Most of it was drinks or sides to the main course. Plenty of food to serve the party members. Such an amount coming to more food than three families would eat in a day.
"I grabbed breakfast," Sun explained, setting the objects in his hands down. "Meat pies. Cooks wrapped them up for us."
Nice...
Jaune unwrapped one and took a massive bite out of it. The savoury flavour of the dish hit his taste buds like a lightning strike. Before he knew it, Jaune had eaten the entire thing and was still hungry.
"Thanks..."
I remembered we forgot to eat last night...
The stress of Ruby's injuries was more important. Food was just something that hadn't come to mind. Jaune had no desire to eat anything. By some miracle, everyone had pulled themselves away from Ruby long enough to get a bath in before bed.
"Where's Blake," Jaune asked, looking around and not finding her nearby.
"She's getting some supplies together," Sun hesitantly confessed, reaching up to rub the back of his head. "Wants to go back to the city."
What?!
"We just got back," Jaune pointed out. "She's not going to stay here with Ruby?"
Ruby's your friend. Why the hell would you just leave her like this?
"No-No," Sun replied, shaking his head. "Not right now... I don't think she's dumb enough to run off and do that on her own after everything we went through. I'd go with her, but we kind of need to stay in Vale. Give it a couple weeks, and we might have a second go."
Is she trying to focus on something else, too?
Being proactive about the next big quest's preparations was something to get your mind off of things. Counting gold let your mind wander into unpleasant thoughts. At least you had to put your mental resources into a positive task. A good distraction.
"But what about you," Sun asked, cutting through the pregnant pause that had developed. "Are you gonna stay in the hospital?"
"No, I was gonna go through the loot," Jaune admitted. "I wanted to get started on it. Maybe, there was something I could set aside for Ruby. Kinda feel useless just sitting here..."
"I get it; Coco stole our thunder," Sun agreed. "I'm just the errand boy now..." He took a deep breath. "And if you're gonna be working on that, do you think you can take Weiss with you? I pretty much heard everything last night. It really sucked to listen to her crying."
He heard Weiss...
"Maybe take her into Vale," Sun recommended, gesturing out the window at the city. "Just get her to relax a bit. Unwind, and all that stuff. Sitting in here all day long's not gonna help her."
Egghh...
"I don't know," Jaune nervously replied, looking away as to not meet Sun's eyes.
"It's not that hard, dude," Sun expressed, shrugging his shoulders. "Just gotta ask her. I'm pretty sure Weiss would want some distraction right now."
Jaune took a deep breath. "I-I'll have to think about it..."
"Fine, suit yourself..."
...
Jaune got out of there as fast as he could. Leaving the hospital, he was back in the courtyard. The heavy presence of guards and students walking about filled the area. Many were talking about recent events or just passing through. Though, most of the whispers were about the presence of a dragon over the courtyard.
Ask her out?
The Paladin felt like an idiot for bailing. It's just he didn't know how to ask Weiss that sort of question. Happening to run into her in Vale was an entirely different beast than proposing the venture. And Jaune didn't know if he was in the right headspace to ask. For all he knew, Weiss may have wanted nothing to do beyond sit in Ruby's room.
Jaune didn't know how to approach Weiss after the previous night. The idea of it made his heart beat a thousand times per minute. He only wished he were braver when talking to Weiss like he was when confronting a monster.
Let's just get to the bank...
Cutting through the side of the courtyard, Jaune avoided much of the crowd. The hundreds of students who'd seen him riding a dragon might have bothered him with questions. Such queries that Jaune didn't feel like answering right now. Luckily, he was able to reach the main hall without a problem.
Passing through the open doors, Jaune made his way into the bank. It was a small desk off to the side of the main hall. The office was much like that of the courier service. Though, it was far more extravagant, boasting the fine drapery and stonework the rest of the academy adored.
Walking up to the iron-barred door, Jaune was waved in by the staff inside. One of them stood and guided him further, carrying a set of keys in hand. Slowly, the pair passed by several steel doors housing much of the students' lien inside. Stopping towards the centre of the row, the staff member unlocked the vault for him.
"Mr Arc, hold on, my boy," the voice of Professor Port came from behind.
Turning, Jaune found the old man jogging to meet him. As he reached the vault, the Chevalier took a pause, catching his breath for a moment. The old man clearly wasn't in his prime anymore. Decades of service had not halted the test of time.
"What did you need, Professor?"
"I came here to ask you something," Port replied, allowing Jaune to step inside the vault first.
In the centre of the room, there was a large pile of gold, jewels, and weapons spread around. It was only a mere trickle in the total amount they sought, but Jaune figured there was plenty here. The artefacts Professor Ozpin would give them would potentially match the entire value of the loot.
"It was about the wyvern egg you found," Port explained, walking over to where it was resting. As he reached it, the man knelt to examine the large specimen. "I was wondering what your plans were for it?"
"Haven't gotten that far," Jaune confessed, leaning against the next to the door. "Did you have some grand scheme in place?"
"I did, actually," Port replied in a cheery tone. "Were you able to determine if it was viable upon discovering the egg?"
"No, we were going to ask you..."
"Glad you had that in mind," Port expressed, gesturing for Jaune to come over and examine the egg with him. "If you looked at these blue fissures running across the shell, you would be able to determine its state. In several studies I've worked on, we examined hatched wyvern eggs. Every time we found one, we also came across these same magical fissures."
It's really viable?
Jaune felt his heartbeat rise momentarily hearing that. He hoped that it would be the case but never prepared himself for the idea of having a wyvern egg ready to hatch. The notion he could have a pet dragon was something too big to take in all at once. All he could think about was how Ruby would react.
Jaune knew as soon as he told her, the girl would be beyond excited. She'd find some way to accidentally will this baby dragon to adulthood just so she wouldn't have to wait around for it. The thought made Jaune's day a little bit better.
"Then how do we hatch it?"
"Ah, the real question," Port declared with excitement. "It's analogous to any reptilian or avian species. They require certain conditions to hatch. And, here, I have a proposal, Mr Arc... I have some colleagues who would be willing to watch over this egg until the day it hatches. Nobody has ever documented the entire incubation process for wyverns, if you didn't know. So, I would like them to take possession of this egg and study it for the next several months. When it nears the hatching date, we'll send for you and your friends so the hatchling may imprint upon you. Does that sound like a fair deal?"
Of course, it was. If Professor Port knew how to hatch a wyvern, Jaune trusted him. Only, he didn't know how the rest of the party felt about it. One or more of them might have preferred selling off the egg for a nice sum. Enough to buy a house with when combined with the other treasures that still remained in the lost city.
Which meant Jaune had to make a decision.
"Yeah, you can have it, Professor," he agreed, holding out his hand for the old man to shake it. "Thanks for this..."
"No, thank you, Mr Arc," Port replied in earnest, shaking Jaune's hand with a surprising amount of strength. "This will advance our knowledge of wyverns significantly. I can't begin to describe how excited my colleagues will be." He then reached down and grabbed the wyvern egg, cradling it in his arms. "Also, if you require a location to shelter your riding lizard during the winter, there are some caves my colleagues manage that we may use."
Oh, yeah... Guess I need to think about where I'm gonna put him during the winter. Didn't really consider that back then.
With how cold it became during later months, the riding lizard wouldn't be able to survive for long. It would be irresponsible of Jaune not to stick him somewhere safe for the duration. At least he had a place that allowed the lizard not to cooped up in a barn. Something close to a natural habitat for him.
"Are you going to study him there too?"
"Of course... We rarely get a chance to examine an exotic species such as this," Port admitted, backpedalling to the door. "At least, he'll be well-fed, and we can use the opportunity to observe his behaviour. Perhaps my colleagues will find a mate for him as well." With a final nod, the man turned and left the room.
Alone, Jaune turned back to the loot. He knelt down, sifting through the disorganised pile in search of anything of note. Aside from the few artefacts he'd recovered from the laboratory, there were no exceptionally powerful weapons he thought would fit for Ruby. Not that she would use them anyway. The Reaper was a scythe-wielder.
Enchanted jewellery was in abundance, however. Like the necklace he'd given Weiss, Jaune found a few pairs he thought Ruby could make use of. Yet, there was nothing as potent as the Necklace of the Bulwark. A disappointing fact, but that meant Ruby would have more gold to spend on something that fit her.
Maybe I can make her something?
Moving over to the dragon bones, Jaune tossed a few femurs and humeri aside. Underneath the pile were some of the many teeth they'd extracted. As Jaune reached for them, the tattoos on his hands glowed under the bandages. He could feel the magic radiating from the teeth. They were chocked full of energy.
Examining the base of the tooth, he looked inside the root. There, he could see a red-crystalline substance. The tooth contained dust that had become melded with the material. From what he knew, this could be used to make weapons charged with more magic than typically found in enchanted weapons.
It was perfect for a dagger. Jaune could also take a few and combine them with other weapons via Infusion. But, this tooth was specifically going to be Ruby's knife. Anything that grabbed ahold of her next time would be met with a painful surprise. Whether it be the throat or their eye, Ruby would have the upper hand in that fight.
Pocketing the tooth, Jaune gathered the golem heart and a few other pieces. That's all which he was willing to take. Later he could take the magic anvil when he forged Ruby's new knife. For now, Jaune would look around and see if he could do anything with these artefacts.
I should talk to Alexandre about this sword...
The Silent King's sword was an artefact of the highest quality. Though, whatever imbued enchantments had finally been destroyed due to the erosion of time and the harsh cave environment. It was more of a display piece that could have been returned to its former glory. By display piece, it was still capable of slicing any sword Jaune owned in half.
Wonder how much this thing would go for? Blake mentioned that staff is going to fetch us a nice price...
Strapping the blade to his hip, Jaune turned and left the vault. One of the staff snuck in behind him and locked it up. As the bars on the door slammed into place, he came back out into the main hall of Beacon. The bustle and daily activities of life filled Jaune's ears as he gawked about.
Among those going to and from their classes, Jaune spied Weiss on the far side of the hall. She hadn't noticed him, only sluggishly dragging her feet as she walked to her intended destination. Each step she took was followed by a limp on her still injured leg. Dreizehn, at her side, tried to his nudge his owner's hand to get her attention but was ignored.
Just looking at Weiss, Jaune knew the reason the pup was ignored. The Princess looked the way Jaune felt. Her usually confident and commanding demeanour was replaced by slouched shoulders and a low hanging head. The girl's pace didn't clue Jaune as to her destination. But Weiss appeared to not care if she got there on time. She was a zombie slowly shambling from one place to another.
Jaune felt his heart ache watching her. The Paladin didn't want to leave her like this while he sought some distraction. Sun's words gave him a bit more to think about here despite his earlier reservations.
Just take her into Vale and let her unwind... Like what Ruby did after the battle.
Sun knew what he was talking about. Jaune wasn't going to argue with his suggestions. So, the Paladin steeled himself and began pushing through to the Princess. Reaching her, Dreizehn came up to him and was given a pat on the head by Jaune.
"Hey, Weiss," Jaune called out to her.
Hearing him, Weiss looked over to the boy. There was no change in her expression. The girl's heavy eyelids were threatening to shut due to exhaustion. Though, her posture straightened as her mind clued into Jaune's presence.
"Yes," Weiss weakly replied.
Should we just take an easy day off instead?
No, we need to stick with Sun's idea...
Just talk to her. Like Sun said back at the start.
"Ummm, I was wondering if you wanted to go into Vale," Jaune asked, summoning up all the courage in his body. His nails dug into the palms of his hands, barely concealing the boy's nerves. "Maybe we could find some stuff for Ruby or look around for a house?"
Getting to work on their goals was still an option. Ruby would have wanted them to keep going even if she couldn't help. If they could surprise her with a potential house, Ruby would be happy to see it. At least the Reaper could write up a plan while she was on bed rest.
Indeed, it was a way to entice Weiss out of staying here and feeling miserable.
"Ummm... s-sure," Weiss replied, not meeting his eyes. The tone of her voice showed little in the way of excitement.
Maybe that'll change once we get out into Vale...
...
Crossing through Beacon's heavily guarded main entrance, the pair returned to the market once more. The sights and sounds of this bazaar were an appealing texture on Jaune's senses. Everything felt so alive compared to the caves they'd been traipsing through for the last week.
I don't think I miss those ruins...
The feeling of the warm spring air on his face was all he desired right now. Jaune loved the sensation more than he thought he would. The smells of freshly baked bread caused his salival glands to go into overdrive. As he continued to bask into sensory euphoria, Jaune had to force himself back to the task on hand.
"Did you have any ideas on where to start, Weiss," Jaune asked as they penetrated further into the crowds.
Just let her lead me around. Today's about her...
"Huh... ?"
The question caused Weiss to snap out of her thoughts. She looked around, certainly feeling off due to the crowd around the pair. Jaune was beginning to think she was uncomfortable here. However, before he was able to voice any recommendations, Weiss spoke.
"A bakery," Weiss spoke quietly. Just low enough for it to nearly be lost among the crowd's combined voices.
She looked as though she wanted to crawl back into bed right now. It really confirmed what Jaune knew.
"A bakery..." Jaune repeated, cupping his chin. "Ummm, I don't know of any around here that sell anything except for bread."
"There's one in the upper district across the river," Weiss softly clarified, moving as quickly as she could to leave the crowd. "They sell treats like cookies and cakes..."
Oh...
"Okay, that sounds like a great idea," Jaune agreed, following behind her.
Weiss took the lead, pushing as fast as possible with her injured leg. Soon, the pair left the markets and made their way into Vale proper. Here, there weren't as many people like the bustling marketplace. Just those few pushing wagons from one side of Vale to the other, hoping to reach the port in time for their shipment.
However, upon reaching this area, the pair was met with what appeared to be people decorating the streets. Girls were setting up elaborate arrangments of flowers, a few men were putting together stalls, women were up on ladders hanging various banners or lanterns throughout the streets.
Weiss seemed to relax here. Jaune could tell from a glance that she was curious about what was going on. At least she wasn't uncomfortable. Maybe she could start to enjoy herself a bit more without all of those people around.
Guess she doesn't have the energy to put up with the crowds today...
"What's this, a festival," Weiss asked as they looked upon the display. She guided one of her hands over a large bouquet of white roses, inspecting them with interest.
"Yeah, probably Vale's Spring Festival," Jaune answered, glancing at one of the floral arrangments.
This street might not have been much right now, but in a few weeks, it would be magnificent. During the later hours of the day, the entirety of Vale would be lit by the gentle glow of the hanging lanterns as the festival continued for nearly a week. Valeans of all ages would drink and enjoy the fervent merriment that marked the beginning of summer and the start of the farming season.
Jaune hadn't seen the festival in Vale, but he'd worked on many of the displays or whatever else his father asked him in prior years. Bar never had an extravaganza as spectacular as Vale's supposedly was, but they tried their best. It was their own holiday which the town found to be special in its own way.
I should get everyone to go if we have the chance. Ruby should be up by then.
"I see... It's impressive," Weiss muttered under her breath. She then turned to Jaune. "Do you have any other holidays or festivals in Vale? I don't believe I read up on them if there are any."
"We have three big ones," Jaune began, counting them off with his fingers. "The Spring, Harvest, and Winter Festivals. But some towns or cities have their own throughout the year."
"Those don't seem to be creative names," Weiss remarked, looking up with a dull expression.
"They are not," Jaune agreed with a smile, emphasising each word. "Nobody's come up with a better name in the last eighty years, so it kinda stuck. Most of the holidays we have are just an excuse to drink ourselves stupid..."
"Then Atlas and Vale have something else in common," Weiss expressed with a snort. "Although, I'm interested to see what everything looks like when they're done. Judging by the decorations, it should have an impressive atmosphere."
Guess she has some experience with this stuff too? What doesn't she know?
Weiss inspected every facet of this festival with a trained eye. Jaune may not have had the rigorous education a princess in all things finery, but he knew when something looked nice. On the other hand, the Princess could give someone a quantifiable appraisal of their work. So far, she liked it. That was enough encouragement to believe this thing would be a success.
"Provided the lighting is evenly distributed and only casts a warm medium glow, I believe it should remain light-hearted," Weiss continued explaining, gesturing to the paper lanterns above their heads. "Fireworks and music would be the focus for the festival..."
"You really know a lot about this stuff," Jaune complimented. The tone of his voice gave away his astonishment.
"Of course, Atlesian nobility is expected to know these things," Weiss replied with a hint of annoyance at the mention of nobles. "I have been personally involved with planning Atlas and Mantle's holiday festivals, so it becomes second nature. Although, it does become a lot of fun if you're the one planning it... I like to think of it as painting something or writing poetry. It's one of the few duties that I actually enjoyed, especially when it appears to be a success."
"I get it," Jaune agreed with a nod. "I get the same feeling with my armour and weapons. Not as high stakes, but close enough..."
Before the conversation could continue any further, Jaune and Weiss came to a public square. Here, more of those stalls were being put together by merchants or labourers. Many of these would be games or stands selling treats and the like. Already, a few were being stocked with goods for sale.
"Hey, kids," a merchant called out, drawing the pair's attention. The darker-skinned bald man waved the couple over. "I need some help!"
Weiss and Jaune shared a glance as their conversation was interrupted. Seeing as the man wasn't in distress, they were unsure, but they moved as one to see what he needed. Just in case, each of the kids had a hand on their weapons. Neither could afford to drop their guard after everything that had transpired thus far.
"Can we help you," Weiss asked in a neutral tone, cocking her head to the side.
"I need someone to try out my game for me," the man asked, gesturing to the shelves behind him. "I'll let you keep any prizes you score. Just gotta knock over the jugs."
This game involved several arrangments of ceramic milk jugs stacked opposite the table. Next to Jaune was a basket containing the balls used to play. A sign on the wall detailed how many stacks one needed to topple over to win the various stuffed animals. The two largest and most challenging to acquire were a dragon and bear. You needed to be perfect to win either.
"You don't want us to pay at all," Weiss asked for confirmation.
"Nah, just need to make sure this is hard enough," the man replied. "So, go ahead and give it a try."
Jaune looked to Weiss. "You want to get one for Ruby?"
"Hmmm... yes, I think that would be a great gift for her," she agreed with a nod.
Okay...
Jaune stepped up to the table and collected five balls in total. Picking one up in his hand, he felt the soft leather compress in his fingers. He then cocked back his arm and stepped forward to pitch the ball as fast as possible. The boy's newfound strengths meant that the force provided propelled the ball well over one hundred miles per hour.
That first stack of milk jugs stood no chance. He nailed it right in the centre of the pyramid, blowing them apart and slamming the ball into the back wall. Each pitch after had a similar effect, though Jaune managed to break some of the milk jugs through sheer force.
"Got a cannon on that one," the man said in astonishment. "Pick any you want!"
The choice was simple.
"I'll go for the giant stuffed dragon," Jaune immediately replied, pointing to the one he desired.
The man complied and brought the pair the plushie. The dragon being of a remarkable make. Each stitch was high quality and not cheaply done. Jaune figured an actual craftsman took their time to put this together. Or their skill meant it could not be any less than perfect.
However, as Jaune held the stuffed toy, an idea sprung into his head.
Should I get one for Weiss too?
He wanted to get her something. It might not have been enough to truly help Weiss in their current predicament, but it would be nice. Something to help brighten her day a little more.
"Weiss, do you want one too?"
The question appeared to be a bit of a shock for her. Weiss was taken aback. She didn't know how to respond. In a flash of a few seconds, that series of expressions were painted on her face. Jaune may not have noticed, but they were obvious to someone looking.
"Y-Yes, I would like one," Weiss forced herself to answer as confidently as possible.
"Cool, I'll go for two," Jaune said to the man, sliding some lien across the table. He handed the dragon back over to Weiss as he collected his ammunition.
Once more, Jaune decimated the man's game. While he tried his best not to break the milk jugs, they were close to it. Indeed, the wall of this shack was feeling every ounce of pressure coming off Jaune's pitches. The Paladin would have blown a hole in the wooden planks if he had used telekinesis.
"Damn, I really gotta make this harder for you Beacon students," the man said with a sigh. "You kids are gonna clear me out on the first day... Anyway, what did you want, lass?"
"The stuffed bear, please," Weiss said in a confident tone.
As the man wrangled the bear down from the rafters, Weiss outstretched her arms to take possession of it. The bear was nearly as large as the Princess' upper body in her hands. She could not wrap her arms around it as her wingspan was too short. The girl could have hidden herself inside the massive stuffed animal with a bit of contortion.
However, the expression on Weiss' face was satisfaction and suppressed glee. The girl tried her best not to show it, but it was evident to Jaune. Thus, the boy found himself equally happy for giving it to Weiss.
"Happy with it," Jaune said, stating the obvious. An ear to ear smile crept across his cheeks.
"Yes," Weiss hurriedly replied, turning away to conceal her blushing face. "Do you want to find the bakery now?"
"Let's get moving..."
...
Weiss and Jaune neared the bakery as they dragged along today's plunder. The Princess had to pack-strap carry the stuffed bear as it became too difficult to lug around in her arms. The dragon, however, was just small enough for Jaune to cradle.
"I can carry the bear for you, Weiss," Jaune mentioned, looking to her as he walked. "We can trade..."
"I got it," Weiss exhaustedly spat. Her heavy breaths didn't give much confidence to her words. Sweat dripped off the tip of her nose with each step.
"Already that attached to it, I see," Jaune teased with a smile.
"N-No," Weiss weakly denied.
"You can admit it, Weiss," Jaune replied. "I saw how happy you were!"
"Okay, I admit it," Weiss conceded, stopping to catch her breath. "This is the first time I've ever owned one of these..."
I see...
"Really," Jaune expressed with a raised eyebrow. "I kinda expected you to have owned some fancy stuffed animal before."
I had a stuffed rabbit when I was little. Gave it to Adrian last I saw him.
Pete was one of the best toys Jaune had. The Paladin could almost remember the day he was given it by his late grandmother. He and that stuffed rabbit went everywhere for years before he'd grown out of it.
"You would be wrong," Weiss countered, continuing on her way to the bakery. "I can't remember if I had any toys when I was a child... Everything was about education or learning how to be a noble. There wasn't any time for playing back then."
The thought made Jaune feel terrible for her. He already knew the girl didn't have any friends before Beacon, so this was merely another bleak view into Weiss' home life. Even though she was a princess, Weiss couldn't have the same things Jaune or Ruby did without strings attached.
"Sorry," Jaune apologised, feeling more embarrassed. "I didn't mean to bring it up... I guess you can buy as many as you want now, though."
Weiss didn't initially reply, thinking about something. What Jaune said had given her an idea to ponder over. While he'd seen it poorly, she didn't share the same outlook there. Only, Jaune hadn't noticed this either.
"I suppose I could if you were willing to win more," she finally spoke up.
"Yeah, that sounds like fun," Jaune agreed, feeling his mood turn up at the proposal.
I'll win as many as you want... Dreizehn will be swimming in stuffed animals by the time I'm done.
...
A few minutes later, the pair finally reached the bakery. This high-class establishment had dozens of confections behind a glass window for display. Like Weiss described, the cakes and cookies were well in abundance. Jaune found his mouth watering at the sight of them.
"You haven't been to a proper bakery before, have you," Weiss asked out loud. Clearly, she had seen Jaune staring at the cakes like a man dying of thirst found water.
"Yeah, Bar never had anything like this," Jaune said, crouching down to look at an exquisitely decorated cake covered in white frosting. "We only got cakes for our birthdays or if there was a festival..."
"Well, my family has a cake butler, so one does get tired of them after a while," Weiss described, kneeling down next to Jaune to inspect whatever was on display.
"Who has a cake butler," Jaune asked with a dull expression.
"My family does," Weiss explained, standing up from beside Jaune. "It's not as great as it sounds. Every once in a while as a treat does sound nice, but nearly every dinner becomes excessive."
"I'd get sick of eating them too if I was in your place..."
All that sugar would make me feel like crap.
"I'll have three dozen chocolate chip cookies, please," Weiss asked the baker, holding up three fingers.
"Just in luck, they came out of the oven a few minutes ago," the baker replied. "I'll get them all bagged up for you."
As the baker turned around to prepare Weiss' order, Jaune stood next to her. "That's a lot of cookies..."
Ruby likes cookies, but we're gonna drown her in them at this rate.
"Two dozen for her and a dozen for us," Weiss explained, looking straight forward. "If we don't eat them all, we can keep the rest for Ruby."
Sounds like a plan...
The first time Jaune had cookies was when he came to Beacon. Ruby had shared them with him after a trip into town she and Nora made. The taste of milk chocolatey goodness was still felt on Jaune's tongue nearly a month later.
"I think there's a park nearby," Jaune mentioned, looking around for a familiar landmark. "You want to go there and take a break? It'll give us a chance to sit down and eat..."
"Yes, I need to rest for a while; my leg is starting to hurt," Weiss agreed, massaging the side of her thigh.
When the baker brought them the cookies, the pair thanked the woman. Jaune took the stuffed animals, and Weiss took the cookies. Departing from the bakery, Weiss began sampling their treat, pulling out a nearly three-inch diameter cookie from the bag and taking a bite of it.
Weiss relished in the taste of the cookie, smiling as she took the first bite. Pretty soon, the disk was gone in just a few bites. Seeing her enjoy the treat made Jaune want to get in on the action. He wondered how good these were.
"Weiss, help me out; I got no hands," Jaune said, pointing to the bag Weiss was digging into.
"Ummm, here," she replied, breaking a cookie in half and holding it up to Jaune.
Jaune took the bite, pulling the half out of Weiss' hand like a dog. All at once, he scarfed down the piece, savouring it all the while. It tasted so good. Jaune couldn't put a finger on what exactly made it so. Whether it was the baker's skill or a specific ingredient, Jaune only knew Ruby would lose her mind once she got ahold of these.
"These are great," Jaune commented, continuing on his way to the park. "We definitely need to come back for more."
Weiss didn't reply to the statement. When Jaune looked over to see what was all right, he found the Mage staring off into the distance down the street. She appeared white as a ghost and clearly lost for words. The expression immediately concerned Jaune.
"Weiss, what's wrong," Jaune asked, looking for the source of Weiss' stressor.
As he glanced into the crowd, Jaune noticed a small group of people heading in their direction. Instead of ruffians or those obviously looking to do harm, it appeared to be a single woman escorted by a group of knights. Though, this woman's features were quite familiar to Jaune. She and one of those knights appeared nearly identical to Weiss.
"It's my mother..."
Weiss' mother was the spitting image of the girl. Clearly, there were differences due to age, but it was apparent where Weiss' features came from. The Schnee bloodline ran strong through these women. Only her mother and the other similar looking woman were much taller. The older woman wearing a purple jacket over a white shirt fastened by a belt at her waist accompanied by a cravat secured by a silver brooch and matching dark purple skirt.
"And my sister."
Weiss sister appeared to be much closer in appearance to the Mage. Only, she wore her hair in a bun with bangs coming down the right side of her face over the ponytail her family adopted. Instead of her mother's fancy suit, Weiss' sister donned a half-plate similar to Jaune's first armour set. It was a much more exquisite make worn over her white and blue long coat and dark blue pants.
The other knights accompanying what Jaune figured to be Atlas' queen were two darker-skinned women. One about Yang's height and the other standing nearly half a head above Jaune. The shorter one wore a similar outfit to Weiss' sister, but with sections of her pants cut out on her lower inner thigh and no coattails exposed. She had violet-pink eyes and a mohawk with platinum highlights at her hairline.
The tallest woman in their party was built like a tree. A woman of such strength that she would give Yastuhashi a run for his money. Her brown hair and eyes were only slightly darker than her skin. Like her fellow knights, she wore a white coat and pants broken by a red sash at her waist. Under this single sleeved coat was a thin set of armour made from plates riveted onto a leather sheet.
"Mother, Winter, your presence honours us," Weiss said in a formal tone, doing her best to curtsy while holding the three bags of cookies. "I had not expected you to come to Vale..." Weiss' voice faltered slightly as she continued to speak.
Guess she's nervous...
"You wouldn't have been told, Weiss," her mother responded with a formal tone. "Only a few were privy to that information. Though, it is nice to have run into you. I was planning on making a visit." She looked and Jaune and Dreizehn standing next to the pair. "And who are these two? Are they from Beacon?"
"Hi, I'm Jaune," the Paladin said with a wave. "We were picking some stuff up for one of our friends..."
Weiss flashed him a grim look as he said that. The kind of expression that told him to watch what he was saying. The boy's only real experience was with the few informal nobles like Samson and Maximilian, so he tried his best. Jaune didn't know all the steps like Weiss did.
"He's the boy from the reports, ma'am," the short knight tersely stated. "The one who helped Lady Weiss protect Beacon's gates."
"I see... thank you, Harriet," the Queen replied, turning back to Jaune. "Mr Arc, these are Harriet Bree, Elm Ederne, and my eldest daughter, Winter. You may call me Willow or Mrs Schnee. As I understand you are privy to Weiss' identity, we can forgo with certain formalities for now." She looked to Dreizehn, kneeling and beckoning over the dog. "Is this your dog, Mr Arc?"
"Uhh-"
"No, mother, he's mine," Weiss said, interrupting Jaune. "Jaune and I found him during a quest. Dreizehn was a vampire's pet. I took him in after we learned about him."
"I see; he seems very well trained," Willow complimented, gesturing for Dreizehn to sit as she pet his head.
"Mother, I believe we need to keep moving," Winter spoke up from the side. "We should not remain idle."
"I agree," Elm expressed in a booming tone. "It's too exposed here."
Worried about assassins?
"Well, may we continue this conversation, Weiss," Willow proposed, gesturing down the street. "I haven't been in Vale in quite some time. Would you be willing to show us around? We're not supposed to be in until later this afternoon."
Weiss flashed Jaune a concerned look at this offer. The boy didn't have anything to get them out of it, so he shrugged his shoulders. Seeing this, Weiss gave up and motioned to the park the pair had initially been heading in. The rest of the party followed along as Weiss gave her mother a tour of Vale.
Jaune was just behind the pair, with the knights following at his side. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Elm glancing at the smaller boy. The fact made Jaune slightly nervous as he didn't know what information was gleaned from him. Even more so, the other two knights watched him like a hawk.
Crap, what do they want from me?
"Heh, I expected him to be taller," Elm remarked. Though, her tone didn't make it appear she was disappointed. More like she had a different image of Jaune in her mind.
Ugghhh...
...
"We came here as part of a diplomatic mission to Vale," Willow explained as the party walked through Vale. "When word reached Atlas of the attack on Beacon Academy, it was decided a team of knights from the College and Kingdom should be offered to assist with Vale's security. I chose to come along as to ensure Atlas' goodwill towards her greatest ally."
"Oh, how long will you be in Vale," Weiss asked, still donning her polite and noble demeanour in this conversation.
"Likely through next spring, Weiss," Winter explained, looking around the crowds of people they waded through. Tucked under her right arm was the stuffed dragon. "We doubted this would end any sooner, so we need to make sure every aspect of Beacon is secure. If we can find those responsible, it may allow us extra leave in the city."
They can't leave until the spring thaws the North Sea, so they're probably stuck here until then...
"At least we don't have to spend the winter on Solitas," Harriet expressed in a relieved tone.
"I suppose that is an upside to this mission," Weiss agreed. "But you may not be able to enjoy it as much if you're in charge of security."
"We're going to be training the students and guards," Elm clarified. "If there is another attack, we want to make sure there are as few losses as possible. Making sure they're ready is more important."
I understand...
Beacon had too many casualties from that attack. The final death count was about twenty students, with another thirty having to be sent home because of their injuries. Most were just the first years that ran after the attackers and got ambushed in the city. He remembered a few were second years that got caught up with them.
"We read about the details of the attack," Winter continued, stepping up alongside Weiss. "Luckily, neither of you were heavily injured, it seems.
For both of you to hold the gate, I would have expected worse."
I got lucky. Used up all of it right there...
"Were these from the attack, kid," Harriet asked, gesturing to the bloodstained bandages on Jaune's arms. "Looks like they're still bleeding..."
"Heh, no, they're from something else," Jaune casually answered, trying not to make it seem like a big deal.
They were still sore even a week later. Jaune could feel those brands bleeding in his bandages, soaking them in more blood as time went on. It had become a trickle by now, but he needed them changed every couple of hours.
"We found an artefact on our last quest," Weiss clarified further. "It's powerful but appears to be cursed. So, he was branded."
Jaune showed them the glyph on his hand. Everyone but Willow appeared to be curious about it. The Queen baulked at the sight of it and turned away from the bloodied hand.
"There are some scholars from Atlas who would be interested in where you found this," Winter stated, examining the runes. "Was it from an Old Valean city?"
"Yes, the people were turned into monsters by their king," Weiss summed the details up. "The sword on his hip was the king's personal weapon. But the cursed weapon we found there doesn't seem to have originated in the ruins. A dead adventurer brought it down there."
Elm took the sword off Jaune's hip and looked it over. Harriet came over to inspect it as well. The two women were fascinated by the centuries-old artefact, delicately handling it so they wouldn't damage it. Jaune was just happy to see they were interested in the artefacts too.
"Yeah, but you're gonna have to go through Dr Oobleck if you want to check it out," Jaune said to Winter. "I don't think he'll say no to the help if you get him in touch with those scholars."
"When we get to the Academy, I'll see if I can find him," Winter expressed as Elm and Harriet returned the sword. "For now, Weiss, should we continue?"
"Yes," Weiss replied, nodding to her mother and sister.
As she turned around, the Princess noticed a figure off in the distance. Jaune had seen this as well. Cinder had appeared, looking into the front of a store. From their view, the Witch hadn't seen them yet.
"It's Cinder," Weiss exclaimed, walking in her direction with an apparent eagerness.
"Who," Harriet asked, unsure of who this new woman was.
"We found her in the ruins," Jaune explained through a whisper. "It's a long story..."
As the party neared the Witch, Jaune noticed she looked better than she had in the last few days. Cinder had on some more appropriate fitting clothes. Not the oversized shirt and pants Sun gave her. This time, a black shirt underneath an orange vest with brown pants cut off just below the knees. Her hair was also cut below her chest instead of remaining at her waist.
"Hey, Cinder, what're you up to," Jaune called out as the party came closer.
The question got her attention. She looked over and noticed the large group, growing apprehensive until she'd seen Jaune and Weiss there. Cinder relaxed and turned to face them.
"I was looking for clothes," Cinder answered, crossing her arms and gesturing to the store with her head. "This was supposedly the best store around... Unless you have any recommendations for a dressmaker."
"Hmm, outside of Atlas, I wouldn't know," Winter said as she stepped up to the storefront to examine it further. "However, this place seems reputable..." She looked to Weiss. "Sister, would you care for a look inside? Maybe we can help..." Winter stopped as she was lost for the other half of Cinder's name.
"Cinder Fall," the Witch dutifully provided.
"Ms Fall, look for something that suits her tastes?"
"Of course," Weiss answered immediately.
Winter moved to let the group in, gesturing them inside as she opened the door. Weiss shuffled in, followed by Cinder and the rest of the group. The Witch gave Winter a nod as she entered. Inside the store, the group was met with what Jaune only knew as the most high-class store he'd ever been inside. The kind of place that would have been way out of his price range for a poor blacksmith's son.
All over the main room were bolts of cloth hanging from the walls. There were desks sporting sewing machines or tools used to make the store's fine clothes. Each piece of furniture, from the tables to the privacy walls were crafted from fine mahogany wood. Jaune noticed there was not even a single sign mentioning anything about prices.
"Hello, how may I help you," an older faunus man politely asked from behind the counter.
"We were looking to have some dresses made," Winter opened, looking at some fine fabric laid out on a table.
"I see," the man said, actively listening to Winter. "For which of the young ladies in your party?" He looked to Cinder and Weiss. "Or perhaps both?"
"As long as it is of high quality and aesthetically pleasing, I would say both," Winter replied, returning to the centre of the floor.
"Ummm, Winter, you don't have to-," Weiss was about to say in protest.
"Nonsense, Weiss," Willow interrupted from the side. "Consider it a gift. The same goes for you, Ms Fall."
"Thank you..."
"Excellent," the man exclaimed, clasping both his hands together. "If you two ladies would stand here, I will get your measurements, and we can begin."
Over an hour, Weiss and Cinder stood on two pedestals as the man gathered the information necessary to craft two dresses and created the garments themselves. The tailor was a seasoned professional of several decades, swiftly doing the former in less than a minute. The rest was spent choosing from among the hundreds of fabrics and colours either woman desired.
Cinder spent much of the time speaking with Winter, debating which colour palette best fit. The two eventually came to a dark red and gold highlighted design. The illustration Jaune was asked to sketch on a piece of paper dictated by the pair.
The final product was a dark red dress with a gold swirl of highlights that ended midway up her thighs with a cloth tail extending from the left side of the dress to her knees. Both of her shoulders were exposed, but Cinder had him add a small red and black capelet to cover them. Her gold highlighted sleeves ended in a triangular shape tied around her middle fingers. Finally, he added a slit in the dress on her right thigh where a feathered accessory would stay.
"Hmm, this looks good," Cinder complimented the faceless drawing of her.
"For a rough draft, it does have visual appeal," Winter added on as she examined the finer details.
On the other hand, Weiss was not enjoying this venture as much as Cinder was. The girl was more nervous than actively displeased, refusing to meet Jaune's eyes as he sketched the image. For the boy, this was equally traumatising as he'd been roped into drawing his crush rather openly. Luckily, a friendly nudge from Elm got him to focus on the job.
Weiss' drawing came out a lot better. Whether it was him trying not to mess up or Weiss being a better model was up for debate. Her dress was short, ending halfway down her thigh. The dress was a single unit with a two-piece design, a sweetheart neckline transitioning from a glittering grey-blue to pale blue at the hem with a white tulle petticoat underneath. Finally, a darker blue bolero was fastened at the neck with a sapphire on her shoulders.
"It seems to be missing something," Winter expressed, cupping her chin as she looked over the picture. "At the waist, I think there needs to be something more..."
"A sash," Harriet dryly spoke up from a chair off to the side.
"I suppose that would do it," Willow agreed, urging Jaune to draw it in.
As Jaune finished drawing, the tailor got to work. In a matter of minutes, he'd crafted both outfits in their entirety. Something that a team of two or three would have taken several days took this master barely any time to do so. Even with his class or abilities clearly aiding him in his art, it was astonishing to watch.
I want to watch Alexandre make something now...
With the dresses finished, Weiss and Cinder donned them. When both came out from behind the privacy wall, it was all thumbs up from the group. Cinder seemed satisfied with how it appeared in person. Weiss, however, tried her best to appear confident as she emerged, still refusing to look Jaune in the eyes.
That was a good thing because Jaune gawked like an idiot. To him, Weiss looked terrific. The nervous boy would not have said that out loud, but a single glance at him would have told you everything you needed to know. He didn't spare a single look at Cinder as Weiss captured his attention entirely.
She had some really nice thighs.
"I believe we are done here," Winter announced, snapping Jaune out of his trance. "We should head to the Academy now."
As one, the party departed from Vale and returned to Beacon.
[Weiss]
Weiss let out an exasperated sigh as they crossed into Beacon's main gate. Many students were joining them as the day was growing late. With Vale being thrown upside down with the attack and quests, people didn't want to stay out in town unless they had to.
The Princess did have fun today, however. It was just exhausting. She did not expect her mother and sister to show up out of the blue and interrupt her and Jaune's trip into Vale. There were some things Weiss wanted to do, but this was good enough for right now.
With this festival coming up, Weiss would have the opportunity to enjoy those activities. Maybe Winter would come along and partake with her friends? There was always time to do anything she desired. At least she was able to take a break today.
I need to go find Ruby's room. Hopefully, she's still all right.
"Mother, I would like to speak with Weiss in private," Winter said, emphasising the last part. "Will the three of you be able to navigate the Academy on your own?"
Oh... Nevermind.
"We can manage, Winter," Willow replied, looking to her knights. "I only need to speak with the Headmaster."
"Okay, I guess I'll get the stuff inside then," Jaune said from off to the side. "See you later, Weiss." Quickly, he departed with everything he and Weiss had gathered today. Cinder followed behind as he entered the infirmary.
That left Winter and Weiss alone among the crowded courtyard with everyone gone. An awkward silence permeated the air, with neither of the women saying anything. It was a stark contrast from the conversation-filled excursion they'd had previously.
"Would you like to get some tea," Winter asked, looking around for anywhere they served such a thing.
"Yes, that sounds fine," Weiss agreed, moving to the Questing House. "We can find a table in here..."
Entering the building, Weiss waved to Velvet, who returned the gesture. The pair managed to find a small table on a loft looking over the gathered rows of benches. This left the two with more privacy and a chance for Weiss to rest her leg. Dreizehn only took his spot at their feet, laying flat on the ground.
Soon, a waitress brought over some tea, leaving the pot for the pair. Winter poured them both a cup before setting it aside. Then, she offered a small plate of cookies to go with the tea. Weiss, who was full of the cookies she had already eaten, took them despite this.
In Atlas, it was considered rude to deny a gift or food offered to you. So, Weiss took the treat and left it on a plate for her to only nibble from time to time. Enough to comply with Atlas's social standards and not make herself sick by overeating.
"So this young man you were with, Mr Arc; is he the boy you've become smitten with," Winter began, holding her teacup in her palm.
That question made everything go silent from Weiss' point of view. Her cheeks instantly went red, and there was no way to hide this. Sensing her distress, Dreizehn sat up and nudged her hand in an attempt to distract his master and potentially calm her down.
"I-I," Weiss stammered, unable to get a word out. Each time she attempted to speak, the girl choked on her words, eventually giving up as there was no point.
"If your letters indicated anything, it wasn't quite love at first sight, but something more akin to a slow burn...," Winter continued, taking a sip from her cup. She smiled as Weiss' cheeks matched the colour of Ruby's cloak. "Did you really think I wouldn't notice? You never managed to hide anything from me before, Weiss."
"I don't know," Weiss squeaked out, looking quite intensively at the table before her.
Is it really that?
Weiss hadn't considered it before. If she did have feelings for him, was this supposed to be the way they felt? For a girl as inexperienced here as Weiss was, she had no clue.
But, those butterflies in her stomach, the way she felt when catching a glance of Jaune. If that was it, Weiss didn't know how to handle it. The thought of talking to him about it made her want to dive under her bedsheets and hide. It was terrifying.
"Do I need to have a discussion with Mr Arc about the expectations of being associated with you," Winter asked in a serious tone. "Especially, the respect you deserve..."
"No, I don't believe so," Weiss replied in a subdued tone, fidgeting in her seat.
"Then that's all I ask for," Winter concluded with a smile, returning to a more friendly tone. "However, that does bring up a variety of problems if you were to move forward. I'm sure you and I both know father would disapprove of such a relationship. Your position as the first princess and the one who would inherit the kingdom and all."
It was a challenging position. Weiss had so much responsibility vested in her once Winter abandoned her title. Weiss wanted to make things better on Solitas, but she couldn't do that if she followed the same path. Especially, if her younger brother was going down the same path their father was.
"I understand," Weiss expressed in a weak tone. "Do you have any advice?"
Winter paused as she thought of something. "If you genuinely want to live your own life, I would say give up on the throne altogether," she expressed, throwing the idea out there. "But, I understand you don't plan on this. There may be a way around it. Once father relinquishes the throne, I doubt anybody would protest if your hold on the court was strong enough. Those people don't need to love you if you make them wary enough of reprisal. You should only be concerned about the love of your citizens."
Oh...
"However, enough of that, I'm sure you will make the right decision," Winter digressed, waving the topic off the board. "How have you been lately? I noticed you were limping during our walk. I trust we did not aggravate the injury any further?"
Weiss gently massaged her sore leg as the question entered her head. "No, I need to move it around," she denied, taking a sip of her tea. "It was getting tighter the longer I sat down."
"I see; was this also during that previous quest you mentioned," Winter asked, dipping a cookie into her tea and taking a bite of it.
"Yes, several of us were injured trying to get to the ruins," Weiss described, reliving that series of events. "I'm pretty sure all of us were unable to escape completely unscathed. We nearly lost one of our friends when she was stabbed through the heart."
"Oh..." Winter's face dropped upon hearing of this. "Who was it? Are they all right?"
"It was Ruby; I mentioned her in one of my prior letters," Weiss clarified, feeling the sense of dread build up in her chest. Remembering Ruby laying on the bed unconscious scared her. However, Weiss was able to maintain her composure.
"I'm sorry to hear this; I understand you cared for her quite deeply," Winter said, dismissing the tea entirely now.
"Thank you, Winter; Ruby's one of my closest friends, so it was difficult to go through," Weiss expressed, feeling her words get choked up as she went on. "But she's stable at the moment. Some of our second-year friends are on a quest to retrieve herbs for her. We were just taking the day off while we waited for Ruby to recover."
"What about the rest of your friends," Winter asked, leaning forward and lacing her fingers together. "Are they around?"
"They should be with Ruby," Weiss replied, gesturing to the infirmary.
"I would like to meet them if that's all right with you?"
"Of course, it is," Weiss approved with a smile.
"Show me the way," Winter commanded as she rose from the table. "I have never been to this academy before, so I wouldn't know where to go."
"Okay, I can show you around after we're done."
As the two left the questing house, Weiss had a lot on her mind. While she was more concerned with Ruby's well being at the moment, there was Jaune just beyond that. Once her friend had recovered, Weiss could seriously consider the second.
There we have it. Winter sussed out Weiss' true feelings for our Paladin.
So, those new characters will be here for a while. They won't be centre stage, but they'll help out our protagonists. I also want to make Cinder and Winter friends. (I ship CinWin, but I'll see where this goes.)
If you have questions about why did a queen come to Vale due to one incident, trust me, there is more to everything that I stick in here.