Jaune pondered to himself as Pure dug into her meal. She's been rather optimistic lately, especially since she claimed to have worked up a good sweat in their spar earlier. Quite the competitive one, even though she rarely shows it. Not that he could blame her. Either there weren't people brave enough or good enough to challenge Pyrrha Nikos.

Ruby's and Yang's injuries have recovered at this point, and Yang is still going into Vale late at night every now and then. He looked down the table and saw her eating by herself, struggling to stay awake. Roman did his end and informed him of what Yang had been up to as of late. She'd been recently promoted to an enforcer, going around collecting protection money and building her reputation. He could tell how disgusted she was by it.

The nights out have been keeping her from getting enough sleep, making her less boisterous than she'd normally be. He made sure to sit as far away from her during Port's class. Especially whenever he felt the urge to comment on one of his tales. Speaking of which...

Professor Port wasn't joking when he said he knew how to make the perfect sandwich. Granted, it wasn't the healthiest as it was a meat lover's sandwich. However, he'd be in complete denial if he didn't admit how his love for Pure may have been trumped by mere meat slabbed between two pieces of bread and smeared in sauce. The thought of Pure waking him up in the morning with the perfect sandwich waiting for him was perfect… Especially if she were in a bikini or something.

That would be paradise. And he wasn't wrong in suspecting how her stomach was practically a washboard. He could shred cheese on her… He wondered is she'd allow him to do that if he asked really nicely.

He'd lost track of the last shenanigan he'd pulled off. Surely Pure hasn't been distracting him, has she? Well, not that it was an entirely bad thing. Out of all the people he's been spending time with, she was by far his favorite. She even invited him to join her on vacation to Mistral for the upcoming break. It was a little hard to believe that the first semester was already approaching its end.

As tempting as it would be to spend some alone time with her, he already had plans with Roman and Neo, not to mention how he had to keep tabs on people that were likely going to be staying in Vale. He doubted Yang would have much time off from her "job" with her abundance of free time coming up. Velvet mentioned her family was going to visit...

"What do you think, my boy?" The boisterous man asked.

Jaune absentmindedly took another large bite, engrossed in the tidal wave of flavors that were foreign to him. This was indeed, one of the happiest moments of his life. Weiss would probably throw a jab and comment how mundane his life must've been if mere food was enough to warrant this much happiness. She wouldn't be wrong, considering his uprising. He'd have to take note of that one, especially since the truth tends to hit harder.

"Professor…" Jaune stifled a sniffle. Against his best efforts, a few tears managed to leak as he continued to savor the flavor. Savor the flavors, not the emotions, dammit! "You've blessed me with a gift beyond what I could possibly comprehend or deserve. This is even better than the first time I've met Pure."

A large hand slapped his shoulder as emerald eyes widened. "My boy, with what I've seen between the two of you, I cannot help but feel immense gratitude because of your words. Thank you, son."

"Oh my gods!" Jaune cried happily. "You consider me a son!?"

The man dropped his sandwich and opened his arms. He shed his own tears as he went for a bear hug and screamed.

"YEA-"


Blake's ears tensed as she heard someone scream out in joy along with traces of sadness. The wailing indicated as such. She recalled the last time she heard the same voices cry out like that, but snapped herself out of her daze and moved on, prepared for her interview.

Beacon has been... not what she'd expected. Just as she'd hoped, she's been able to contemplate to herself since her team wasn't too intrusive. But there'd be times where Team ABYS's issues were unearthed, forcing her to step in. Yang was either not around, especially during the evenings, or just too tired to bother her. A stark contrast to her behavior back when the two first met. Yet, she insisted her escapades were just her partying with friends. Blake chose to pay not much attention to it, since the main issue with her team revolved around their leader.

Granted, Jaune wasn't around often as well. Blake would occasionally see him hanging out with Pyrrha or Velvet, among other individuals she wasn't too familiar with. Even Professor Port, much to her surprise. For a guy that seemed so cheeky, he had this strange interest in all of the professor's stories. Granted, his stories actually did have great messages if you bothered to dig for them, but it was hard to pay attention to something so... boring.

Jaune's antagonism towards Weiss was the root of most of the problems. Blake was mildly surprised to find out she'd been placed on the same team as Weiss Schnee of all people, as ironic it may be. However, she never let her personal feelings control her. Whatever Jaune has against Weiss, he doesn't seem to care how much he hurts her feelings. Weiss never handled his provocations properly, but even she had to admit that Jaune was practically bullying her at this point.

After plenty of discussions with Pyrrha, the two of them have found out nothing about Jaune. Anytime Pyrrha asked him any personal questions, he'd just dismiss them with a joke or something along those lines. Blake saw through it and noticed how he had something to hide. But it wasn't her business, and she'd given up on trying at this point. All she had to worry about was the White Fang... and how she was going to survive during break.

School was off for about a week in preparation for the festival, something she wasn't exactly looking forward to. She didn't exactly have a home she could get back to without opening a can of worms she'd rather avoid, so she'd have to find a place to stay while Beacon's campus was closed. Sure, she could inquire with the staff about this, but Jaune drew enough attention to the team, so she didn't want to bring any to herself.

She couldn't ask her team for help for obvious reasons, and she didn't know Team RRNN enough to ask for any favors, so she'd have to handle this on her own. No problem at all, she's handled worse.


"Must you always overreact whenever you have a moment with Professor Port?" Pure asked. She walked along with him towards the airships with a fresh outfit he hasn't seen her in before. Figures, considering her status as a celebrity and all. She let her hair down and dressed casually; black shin-high boots with matching pants along with a white shirt and light blue blouse.

Jaune chuckled and placed his cap on her head, resulting in weak protests. "Why Pure, I'll have you know what we share is different from the connection I have with the professor. He's a man, you're a woman."

"I hadn't noticed..."

He ignored her. "Despite the differences, it doesn't mean I view what we have as inferior. Quite the contrary, as we spend time together on a daily basis with something new awaiting us each day. The professor and I have the same old things that never age. Sandwiches, stories, sandwiches..."

"You're rambling about the same things," she pointed out. She adjusted his hat until she was satisfied.

"Exactly... Like exercise, repetition is the key."

"Leave behind those delusions at Beacon," she teased." And once we get to Vale, maybe I'll treat you to a nice little snack."

He huffed. "I'll have you know-"

"Yes, yes." She held her arms behind her back and grinned. "Jauney here is big and strong enough to pay for his own pleasantries. Such an independent man," she swooned.

Jaune did his best to hide how his cheeks flushed. Every day, Pure grew more assertive with herself. She'd tease him, poke fun at him, point out how some of his wise sayings were actually pretty stupid... Every day was a fresh slate waiting to be tainted by her.

They've pretty much explored the entire district of Vale closest to Beacon. It was fun experiencing all sorts of new things with her, especially since she shared his enthusiasm in watching movies, eating pizza in the park, and even reading comic books. Who knew pictures would actually be that entertaining?

He hasn't brought her to his apartment, mainly because Neo may be lurking there. Neo had the tendency to drop by out of the blue and using his freezer as extra storage for her addiction. It was a bit unfortunate, considering all the opportunities to tease Pure by bringing her there were nigh impossible.

"Looks like we won't make it back in time... Should we spend the night at my place?"

"J-Just the two of us? Alone in an apartment in downtown Vale?"

"What's this? Pyrrha Nikos, slayer of grimm, admired and feared by many, is scared to visit her best friend's home?"

Pure coughed into her hand and erected herself. "Why, of course not. If anything, I'm surprised you could be so bold. Inviting a woman back to your home at this hour and all... Are you really that ignorant, Jaune?"

He leaned closer to her, lowering his voice to a whisper. "Maybe I am, or maybe that's what you'd like to believe."

And then her cheeks would grow red, begin nervously stroking her hair, and she'd back down from the embarrassment. Checkmate.

"Jaune, have we eaten here before?"

He looked in the direction she was pointing at and noticed a quiet looking restaurant with very few patrons. A new place with few people that could potentially identify Pure? Perfect. He didn't recognize the place... How long have they been walking for then? More importantly, how many teasing opportunities has he missed because he was entranced in his reverie?

"I don't think so." He extended a hand. "Shall we?"

Pure smiled and accepted the gesture, allowing him to lead her to the door. They were greeted by a hostess, who didn't recognize Pure and led them to their table. Some smooth jazz music played over some speakers, complimenting the calm atmosphere. Jaune leaned back in his seat and skimmed over the menu.

"Imagine the stories by the media should they find out that Pyrrha Nikos is on a casual date," he quipped. "Ah, the scandalous implications make me shiver."

"Don't get ahead of yourself." She gave a cheeky grin. "I-"

"A-Are you ready to order some drinks?"

A nervous waitress? Perhaps it's her first day. Jaune's eyes scanned the variety of beverages they were serving before looking up to find Blake in a uniform, holding a notepad with a nervous expression plastered on her face. He blinked and felt the urge to suppress the smile that was forming.

"Oh, hey Kitten."

She almost dropped her pen.


Ruby Rose. Admitted into Beacon Academy two years early by Headmaster Ozpin himself. Likely based on her combat capabilities, for she initially struggled with the curriculum. Idealistic, and not discouraged by the workload and the material she's not familiar with. Leader of Team RRNN. Suffered leg injuries during initiation, but have practically healed by this point. Aura's quite useful, no?

Roman puffed another cloud as he read the report the kid sent him. It would've been nice to have Neo gather the intel Cinder wanted for whatever reason, but at least the kid was more professional than she was when it came to this. He wasn't the one that demanded a scoop of ice cream for every word he wrote. He was still cheeky though.

Her semblance is enhanced speed. She relies on it to build momentum, which makes her fighting style much weaker without it. Heavily crippled without her weapon, and along with that mindset of hers, far too easy to get into her head. Even a common thug could beat her in a fight if he played his cards right.

He rested his feet on the table before him as he leaned back on the couch, the only thing worth anything in this warehouse. The animals were as useful as actual sheep, with how unsophisticated they were. Honestly, he has to be present at every robbery or else they'll succumb to their idiotic ideals of faunus superiority or something. Hypocrites... Calling people monsters for a few vulgar words when they're the ones holding guns to the stomachs of pregnant women.

They're tainting his reputation, and he's not happy with that. He didn't have a choice though, he lost too many men from jobs that went wrong, Junior wasn't willing to lend his men anymore, and Cinder would only suggest more of the damn animals. She had to realize she was begging for delays if she insisted on employing reckless bloody animals for jobs like these. He'd handle the incoming shipment at the docks with just Neo alongside him, but he needed the manpower for it. Hopefully the authorities wouldn't catch on to his plan, the animals were about as useful as cannon fodder.

He copied and pasted the intel the kid had gathered and sent it to Cinder, no doubt eager to have something else on her plate, with how much she's been pestering him lately. He tried not to think about why she needed all this dust. At this point, he deduced she was crazy enough to start a small war on the kingdom if she was willing to work with the animals and trusted them with these kinds of resources.

His scroll buzzed. Cinder had already responded. Probably to acknowledge the report was received. That or to bark more orders.

"Who was it that made this report?"

Huh. Had to admit he wasn't expecting that. He began typing, not up for a debate right now.

You forget who's in charge here, dear Roman."

He gave in.

"Kid named Jaune Arc. Gathers intel on Beacon for me. Not much remarkable about him."

He didn't get a response for a few minutes. Believing she was satisfied, he got up, ready to begin the prep work for the upcoming job. Cinder finally responded, making him sit back down.

"Blonde hair, tall, blue eyes?"

Puzzled and now curious, he confirmed her suspicions.

"I see. While you're preparing for your next job, I have another task for you."

Best not to think about it.