Cover art - Mike (Police have been knocking around. They keep asking me questions. I think they suspect me of something. Can't imagine what)

Chapter 12 - Judicium Designation

Jaune hummed at tapped his chin as the girl walked past him. "Hmm… I'm gonna say 'sleepy'," he said.

Blake nodded her head. "Yeah, I completely agree. 'Sleepy' is definitely her word."

Jaune smiled. "I knew you'd agree with me."

"Why wouldn't I?"

Weiss sat at her table in the cafeteria, watched them from a distance through leering eyes. Her fork dug into her vegetables which had turned cold a long time ago. Watching them had made her lose her appetite.

They made her sick.

The delirious duo had a table completely to themselves. No one else wanted to sit next to the mentally ill pair dressed like each other. Even Nora's eccentricity had limits. Weiss observed them the same way a doctor would observe a rapidly growing tumour. The sight of them both fascinated and disgusted her.

A male student walked past them. Jaune and Blake's eyes followed him.

"What about him?" Jaune asked.

Blake looked thoughtful. "Tough one. I'm thinking… 'curious'."

"Same," Jaune agreed.

"You are writing these down, right?"

"You already know I am."

Another male walked by.

"Oh, this is an easy one," Jaune said. "'Complacent'. I bet my life on it."

Blake patted him on the back. "You're getting really good at this. I was just about to say the same thing."

Weiss' eye twitched. Her lips curled into a snarl. They had been doing this for twenty minutes now. This ridiculous little game of theirs infuriated her. Her fork moved in stabbing motions. She felt the metal pierce through the vegetables, causing her lunch tray to clatter slightly. Nobody noticed, not when there was a bigger distraction happening a few tables away from them.

She was vaguely aware of someone sitting down opposite her. "Hello, Weiss," came a very friendly voice.

She briefly turned away from the source of her frustration and saw Velvet Scarlatina smiling at her.

"Good afternoon, Velvet," she sighed.

"I saw how sad you looked sitting on your own," Velvet said. "You must be getting bullied. Not to worry. It's my duty as your upperclassman to make sure you don't have to feel alone."

Weiss' eyes narrowed. "I am not getting bullied," she said in a stern voice.

"Really?" Velvet said, sounding irritatingly surprised.

"Of course not. Why would anyone bully me?"

"Sorry, I thought for sure you were. You have that wounded bunny rabbit expression on your face."

"That sounds like a very specific expression."

"Oh, I'd recognise it anywhere. I see it often in the mirror."

Weiss pretended she didn't hear that. "Your concern is appreciated, but I am not frustrated because I'm getting bullied-"

"Oh, so you are getting bullied."

"I am NOT getting bullied!"

"Sorry, sorry. Wounded bunny rabbit and all that."

"You sound rather obsessed with this whole bullying thing."

"YOU SHUT YOUR WHORE MOUTH!" Velvet suddenly screamed in her face. A gust of wind blew past Weiss' face from the power of Velvet's voice, causing her ponytail to stand up on end.

Weiss' mouth hung open wide enough to fit an entire watermelon inside it. "What in the… what… what was that for?" she cried.

Velvet's eyes went wide and she quickly covered her mouth. Her face was bright red. "Sorry," she squeaked. "It's a defensive mechanism Coco taught me. Whenever I feel threatened, I now scream at my tormentors. It's supposed to stop me getting bullied, but I haven't got it under control yet."

"I'd say that's putting it mildly!" Weiss gawped. "You must be on edge twenty-four seven if that's all it takes to turn you into a banshee!"

Velvet lowered her hands and meekly murmured, "bitch," before raising them over her mouth again.

Weiss quickly blinked away her shock and fixed her hair. "In any case, I'm angry because of them." She pointed her fork at Jaune and Blake. "Those two are driving me to my wit's end with their antics. I can't stand it!"

Velvet's eyes followed the fork to where it was pointing. "Well, would you look at that?" she said happily. "I heard those two were acting weird, but I had yet to see it for myself."

"They're both as bad as each other," Weiss grumbled.

"Why are they dressed like each other? Are they dating?"

"Not that I'm aware of. Though they are certainly… united."

"And you're annoyed with them because…?"

"Just listen to them. Listen to what they say every time someone walks past them."

Velvet watched as Jaune and Blake muttered amongst themselves every time they saw another student. She frowned. "I don't get it. It sounds like they're just saying random words to me," she said.

"It's a despicable little game the two of them are playing," Weiss growled. "I overheard them talking about it. Tell me, Velvet, have you ever met someone and thought to yourself, 'they are the personification of this word'?"

"No?"

"No, of course you haven't. Because you're not insane. But since they are, they're assigning words to everyone they come across - essentially labelling them like props instead of people! It's absolutely shameful!"

Velvet scratched her head. "Um… I still don't get it. What's the problem?"

"What's the problem?" Weiss cried. "It's completely demoralising, that's the problem! How can you just strip away a person's characteristics and boil their entire personality down to just one word? It's insulting, not to mention arrogant! People are far too complex to be assigned to just one word, yet they're doing it anyway!"

"I guess that is a little rude," Velvet agreed. "But they're not hurting anyone, are they?"

Weiss hesitated. "Theoretically, no," she reluctantly admitted. "But what gives them the right to label people like this?"

"I don't see the harm if they're not hurting anyone. From how it looks, it doesn't seem like they're doing this to be malicious."

Weiss sighed. She wasn't getting through to her. Then an idea popped into her head.

"Velvet," she began slowly. "If someone kept judging you by one word every time they saw you, you wouldn't like that, would you? They'd be looking past everything that makes you interesting and that wouldn't be fair, wouldn't it?"

Weiss spoke like she was speaking to a child, but Velvet didn't appear offended by her tone. Her eyes widened. "No… it wouldn't," she said quietly.

"Sure, it's not name-calling in the traditional sense, but they'd still be unfairly judging you. That would be very similar to bullying, wouldn't you say?"

Velvet's rabbit ears stood up upon the mention of that word. "It would," she said. "Alright, I see your point. What they're doing is wrong."

Weiss hummed in agreement. "I'm going over there to put a stop to them. I'd appreciate it if you came with me. As our senior, they should respect your authority."

Velvet giggled and rubbed her hands gleefully. "Oooh, I've got authority. Coco's gonna be so proud of me when she hears that."

Weiss did her best not to roll her eyes. They made their way over to Jaune and Blake's table. Weiss walked with a commanding stride. Velvet was behind her, hopping at the prospect of being useful.

Jaune's eyes lit up when he saw them. He nudged Blake. "Look who it is!" he said to her. "I'll let you find Weiss' word. You know her better than I do."

"You will do no such thing!" Weiss snapped. "There will be no more word-picking! I'm here to put a stop to this foolishness!"

"Me too," Velvet said with a wave.

"Yes, and her too."

Velvet giggled again.

"I'd ask what's wrong, but I can't remember the last time you looked happy about anything," Blake said. "Did your father only send you four-million lien as an allowance this time? Is that why you're so crabby?"

"Silence!" Weiss barked. "I know what you two are doing, and I can't stand it any longer! Stop labelling people this instant!"

"Labelling?"

"Yes, labelling! That thing you're doing, where you assign a word to someone you see! That's called labelling! Stop it!"

"Are you telling us what to do?"

"I most certainly am!"

"Strange. You don't look or sound like our beloved leader Ruby, so I guess I don't have to listen to you, or do what you say. And since Jaune's a team leader himself, he automatically outranks you."

"I have the moral high ground in this debate!"

"Says you and every other would-be dictator," Blake scoffed.

Weiss exhaled her frustrations. "That's fine. I knew you wouldn't listen to me. That's why I brought Velvet here."

Velvet stepped forward. "She does have a point, you guys," she said politely. "It is a little rude choosing words for people you hardly know. They could find it hurtful."

Weiss nodded. "I find it ironic that the supposed 'open-minded' people are so quick to pass judgement on others."

"Oh, you think we're the ones choosing these words?" Jaune chuckled. "No, no, no, you've got it all wrong. We're not the ones that decide what word someone personifies."

"There's no use lying, Jaune," Weiss said. "I saw you do it moments ago."

"But we're not choosing those words ourselves. That would be rude. We merely speak out loud the words we see written on their soul."

Weiss squinted at him. "Excuse me?"

"Jaune and I don't judge someone based on their outward appearance," Blake said smugly. "We look beyond that because we're open-minded - as you put it. When we see someone, we gaze into their soul first. We get to know them for who they truly are in seconds."

"And in that moment, we see transcribed on their soul the word that forms their entire character," Jaune continued. "So when we say those words out loud, this is not us labelling someone. We're simply celebrating their true nature. It's a wondrous moment, like witnessing the birth of a child."

Weiss scowled. She was not convinced. She turned to Velvet for support and saw tears streaming down the girl's now red eyes.

Velvet let out a loud sniffle. "That's beautiful," she whispered.

"No, it's idiotic!" Weiss cried. "You can't peer into someone's soul! That's madness! Stop trying to justify your actions with spiritual yawp!"

"Sounds like she needs a demonstration," Blake said. "Very well. I will find the word that lurks in your soul, Weiss… assuming you have a soul, that is."

Blake began to stare intensely at Weiss' chest. Weiss immediately covered it with her hands. "Hey! Where do you think you're looking?" she said with a light blush.

Blake ignored her. "Written on your soul is… 'defiance'. You personify defiance."

"Congratulations, Weiss," Jaune said.

"See! That's exactly what I'm talking about!" Weiss said. "You're completely incorrect with your assumptions of people! I don't personify defiance at all! I'm a very orderly person!"

"You once told me you defied your father's wishes for you to stay in Atlas," Blake said.

"Because he's a controlling sociopath who wouldn't let me live my own life!" Weiss argued. "You'd do the same in my position!"

"You defied all my efforts to win your heart," Jaune said.

"You hounded me with a guitar and first-grade level poetry," she sneered. "I have more chemistry with my toothbrush than I do with you!"

"And you're defying being called the personification of defiance," Velvet pointed out.

"Velvet, you're supposed to be supporting me!" Weiss exclaimed.

"Sorry, I get confused when Yatsu isn't making decisions for me."

There was a new smell in the air - the scent of fifty pounds of sugar and twenty bottles of shampoo. Weiss turned around and saw Yang and Ruby approaching them.

"Yo, wassup?" Yang said. "Why are we all crowded around Blake and Jaune- oh my God, he's still wearing that crap. Come on, Jaune, you're not living with your sisters anymore. You don't need to let girls dress you up now."

"How come Jaune and Blake have matching uniforms before our entire team does?" Ruby asked. "I feel like our priorities are backwards."

"Yes, you two!" Weiss said. This was her chance to make Jaune and Blake see reason, and she wasn't about to pass it up now. "You have to help me. These two are forcing false titles on everyone they see!"

Jaune sighed. "Again, we are celebrating their true nature, not-"

"Shut up!" Weiss snarled. "They're branding everyone by a word they never asked for, nor need! They claim it's all about accepting someone, but it's just an excuse to pass unfair judgement on a stranger before even talking to them!"

Yang frowned. "What, you mean like they're name-calling?"

"Yes, they're name-calling - or, well, word-calling in this case. They're boasting that they can see into someone's soul and discover what word they personify. It's all tripe! Now please explain to them why they're wrong before I lose my temper."

Yang looked down at the pair. "Yeah, I'm with Weiss, you guys," she said. "You can't just go around sticking words on folks. That's kinda weird-"

"I got it!" Jaune declared once he was done staring at Yang's chest. "You are the personification of the word 'strength'. I could tell that even without looking at your soul, to be honest."

Yang blinked. "... you think I personify strength?" she asked.

"Without question."

"Same," Blake said.

Yang looked shocked, humbled, bashful, before a joyous grin broke out on her face. "I'm cool with that. Okay, carry on doing what you're doing."

"What? No!" Weiss wailed. "Don't give them more power!"

"Oooh, this looks like fun!" Ruby squeed. "This is better than getting your fortune told. Do me next! What word do I personify?"

"Ruby, not you too!" Weiss begged.

But it was too late. Blake drilled her gaze into Ruby's chest - Weiss was starting to think this whole thing was just an excuse for them to look at breasts - and went quiet as she focused.

She snapped her fingers when she was done. "Purity!" Blake said. "That's what you personify, Ruby. You are the very essence of purity."

Unlike Yang, Ruby didn't look wholly convinced by Blake's choice of words. Weiss hoped this would help her partner side with her. "Purity?" Ruby frowned. "Can I have another go? That doesn't sound like me."

"The words cannot be changed," Jaune said. "A soul expresses only the truth, and it doesn't come with a refund policy."

For God's sake…

"But I don't think it suits me," Ruby said. "I could understand if you called me 'heroic' or 'upstanding' or something like that. But 'purity'? That makes me sound like a virgin."

All eyes became locked on her. Yang narrowed hers dangerously. "Well… you are a virgin, aren't you?" she said in a low voice.

Ruby met everyone's gaze with a blank expression, before calmly walking out of the cafeteria.

Yang's eyes flashed red for a second. "Excuse me for a moment," she muttered, quickly following Ruby's footsteps. Weiss was half-tempted to join her.

Velvet clapped her hands. "Well, I say this matter has been completely resolved," she said. "Weiss is wrong and you two are right. Guess I'll leave now. Play nice, you guys."

Weiss turned on her. "What? But you haven't even-!"

"There's no need to thank me, Weiss. Doing a good deed is a reward itself. If I'm lucky, I'll be able to solve another bullying case before next period. G'day."

Velvet left before anyone could stop her. Weiss wanted to pull her hair out. How could this have gone so frustratingly wrong for her? Was she the only sane person left in this world?

She glared at the duo, who were probably feeling very satisfied with themselves. "This isn't over," she swore. "You may have convinced those three, but I am a fighter. I won't back down in the face of your madness."

"That sounds very defiant of you," Blake said dryly.

"You stop that!" Weiss spat before storming off back to her table. She pushed her abandoned food tray aside and sulked.

What a humiliation that had been. To think she had let someone like them get the best of her - one of them being Jaune of all people! Her pride would need some time to recover.

She cast one last scornful look at the pair and saw Sun in all his bare-chested splendour walking up to them.

"Hey guys," he said cheerfully. "Diggin' the new outfit, Jaune. You look almost as cute as Blake with that bow."

"Ah, Sun," Jaune said. "I can see your word now. Your word is… 'daddy'."

Weiss nearly fell out of her seat.

"Huh?" Sun said, puzzled.

Blake's face went red and she clamped her hand over Jaune's mouth. "Earnest!" she hastily blurted. "He meant your word is 'earnest'! That's what he meant, yes!"

This was Sun's first time being exposed to the pair's insanity. He was unprepared. He didn't know how to react. Weiss pitied him.

"Okaaaay," he said. "Well, I'm gonna go now. Good talk."

Sun wisely walked away. He missed the way Blake whispered to Jaune in a hungry voice, "You're damn right he is."