Hey guys, there's a bit of an important note at the bottom, but I'll tl;dr it here as well.
I kind of need to take a one week holiday from writing, partly for health reasons, partly for quality reasons. Therefore, the next chapter of this won't come out until two weeks – the 18th May. After that, things will go back to normal, but there's just going to be a week where I'm missing.
As said, there will be notes at the bottom to fully explain. I've made this a slightly larger chapter, however, in order to balance it out.
Note: I'm aware alerts are not being sent out. It's a site error and has been happening all week.
Beta: College Fool
Cover Art: Kegi Springfield
Chapter 17 - The Heart of the Herd
Weiss raised an eyebrow as she watched Ruby get down on her knees and hold her hands up towards them.
"Please," she begged, "I'm just asking for a couple of hours, guys. Don't leave me to do this alone, we're a team!"
"I've already told you I have a call to make today, Ruby," Weiss said. She smirked towards Pyrrha. "As for your partner, well… it's important to follow tradition, right?" Pyrrha's cheeks flushed.
"R-Right," she said.
Ruby wilted, like a rose whose stem had been cruelly severed. She flopped forwards, face onto Weiss' sheets as she clung to them as though determined to never let go. Weiss didn't think that would stop Jaune, however. Her partner could be wonderfully stubborn at times, and it was clear he was looking forward to this. She could already hear the shower turning off and his humming as he got ready.
"You could make it an order," Ruby said. "If you said we had to do team exercises, he would understand."
"I could," she said, "but I already decided to try and become a better leader a few weeks back, remember? A good leader gives her team time to rest and relax." Weiss tried to hide her amusement as she placed a gentle hand on Ruby's shoulder. "Have a day off, Ruby. You've earned it for all your hard work."
Ruby looked like she'd been shot.
"I'm almost done!" Jaune slammed open the shower door, then winced at the noise and closed it behind him. "Are you ready to go, Ruby?" There was no answer. "Ruby?"
"You might want to put a shirt on," Weiss sighed.
"Yeah, I went in without one. Sorry about that." He tossed his black Beowolf onesie on the bed and rummaged around in his cupboard. Weiss raised an eyebrow at his broad shoulders and back, then looked over to the other members of her team. They seemed awfully engrossed in the way the muscles on his back moved when he searched for something to wear. She could admit to a little admiration herself, of course, but at least she didn't feel the need to stare.
Hey, she was a young woman too, even if she had a reputation for being a little colder than most.
"Ah, here we go." He pulled on a plain white shirt and buttoned it up. When he turned around, it was only Weiss who met his eyes. The other two were conducting a thorough investigation of the roof and their fingernails respectively. "Are you ready to go, Ruby?"
"She's ready," Weiss answered with a small grin. She ignored Ruby's mumbled `so not ready for this` and adopted a lecturing tone. "Make sure to have her back before it gets dark, and don't do anything irresponsible."
"Weiss…" Ruby growled.
"Uh... sure?" Jaune seemed confused. "It's not like all the shops stay open at night."
Not the ones I'd appreciate the two of you visiting, Weiss thought. Probably also not the places Ruby's sister would like her visiting. "We'll leave you to it, then. Have fun." Ruby's expression was nothing short of betrayed, not that Jaune noticed as he helped her up off the floor and excitedly dragged her towards the door. Weiss watched him leave first, but called out before Ruby could. "Oh, and Ruby?"
"Hm, yeah?"
"Have fun with your intercourse."
"Weiss!" Ruby cried.
"What!?" a voice sounded. "Did I hear that right?"
"No, Yang!" Ruby banged a hand on the adjoining wall. "She doesn't mean what you think she means!"
"She better not." Yang's muffled voice came back. It was echoed by Jaune's call for her to hurry up, and Ruby left with one final glare for Weiss' benefit. The door clicked shut.
"Weiss, that was cruel."
Weiss raised an eyebrow as she looked towards the other girl. "If you want to make me feel bad, you could try to hide your smile a little more convincingly." Pyrrha flushed and pulled her hands away from her lips, but the deep frown kept twitching upwards. "Yeah," Weiss said, "That's what I thought."
"Okay, I'll admit it was funny, but still – I feel bad for her."
"You could always go after them both."
"Ah, well…"
"You don't feel that bad for her, clearly." Weiss pulled out a textbook and stretched out across her bed. A lazy day awaited, and although she had told the truth about calling her sister, she didn't worry much on that. She'd become team leader as expected, and her team – while unusual in their own right – was something she could feel proud of. She had Pyrrha Nikos, a fifteen-year-old prodigy and a powerful scion of a wealthy family.
That the fifteen-year-old was cookie obsessed, the scion a home-school idiot and Pyrrha les than willing to use her fame, didn't need to filter into her call. As far as Winter needed to know, everything was perfect.
"They were fine yesterday," Pyrrha finally said. "I suppose they'll be okay today as well."
"What's the worst that can happen?" Weiss said. It took her a moment to notice the worried look Pyrrha sent her way. "What?"
"Could you… maybe not tempt fate like that?"
Weiss rolled her eyes. What superstitious nonsense. Ruby would have another awkward day, she was sure, but what actual harm could they possibly get up to?
Really, her team could be so dramatic at times.
/-/
Blake rubbed her forehead and wished not for the last time that Yang came with a mute button. They were supposed to be researching White Fang incidents of the recent months, and true to form, she and Ren were doing that – but Nora leaned against the window, looking outside with a wistful expression and Yang had her left ear pinned to the wall of their room. Nora, Blake could accept… she would probably be useless at sitting still and reading, but Yang was just an annoyance.
"I'm sure I heard her say intercourse," Yang mumbled. "Oh my god, this is terrible. Is Ruby…? No, surely not. I mean, she's fifteen and hormones… but… but Ruby!"
The newspaper in Blake's hand slapped against the carpet as she let out a long sigh. The two hours they'd already spent searching hadn't done much for her patience. She looked towards Ren, as though asking whether he'd take care of his partner, but he shrugged and went back to his scroll. Right, they were doing this for her, so dealing with Yang was her responsibility.
"Yang, I very much doubt Ruby of all people is going off to have sex with some random stranger."
"I wouldn't call Jaune a random stranger?" Nora asked. Blake shot her a quick glare. Now was not the time to raise that. Luckily, Yang didn't seem to hear. Her head perked up at hearing her name mentioned, and she pried herself off the wall to wander over to Blake.
"You think so? I mean, I know she's innocent, but I'm sure I heard Weiss say it out loud." She gnawed on her lower lip. "Maybe I should go follow her."
"Maybe you should help us with this," Blake countered. "You did promise, after all."
"But what if Ruby's in trouble?"
For the love of… Blake looked back to Ren, but he'd half-turned away now, making it clear he wanted nothing to do with the conversation. I get that she's a protective older sister, but this is ridiculous. I pity Ruby the day she actually does decide she wants to go that far with someone.
"Who would she even sleep with?" Blake asked. "It's not like she knows many guys in Beacon."
"Jaune, duh…"
"I don't think she'd do that, Yang."
"Why not?" Yang pushed off and padded over to sit down next to Ren. She picked up one of the local newspapers, but definitely didn't do any reading. "He definitely has something for Ruby, with the way he looks at her and what he says. You can't say she doesn't have something back; have you seen how awkward she is around him?"
She had. Of course, she had. Blake didn't think anyone could fail to see that, but Yang somehow also missed the other obvious thing. "Yang, she wouldn't do that to you. Ruby adores you."
"Eh? What do I have to do with this?"
"Blakey means Ruby wouldn't steal your man," Nora supplied. "Unlike some certain teammates who will go unnamed, Ruby recognises boundaries and would never encroach or try to be a homewrecker."
Blake sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Okay, Nora. How many times do I have to tell you that I didn't mean to-"
"Whoah, whoah – what?" Yang shot to her feet, eyes wide. "W-What are you talking about? My man? I don't have a man."
"Uh-huh?" Blake pointedly looked towards the flowers that still adorned the desk. They were still vibrant and alive, a strange dichotomy between floral life and a hollowed-out grenade canister. There was probably some artistic message there, but Blake had newspapers printed directly onto her brain. Yang followed her gaze. Her cheeks turned bright crimson.
"That doesn't mean anything! He just bought me flowers."
"Just…? Most people would consider that a romantic gesture."
"W-Well, it's not!"
"Ahem," Nora nodded at the dog-like teddy bear sat between Yang's pillows.
"It's just a toy," Yang said. "He won Ruby and Pyrrha stuff as well. He won you a toy, Nora. You're all reading into things way too much."
"Yang, he took you on two dates," Blake deadpanned. "Dates, Yang… unless you plan to convince me otherwise, I feel fairly confident in saying he wasn't referring to a fruit convention." There was a near-silent laugh from Ren at that, but Blake kept her eyes locked on Yang. For a second, it actually looked like she might have tried to convince her it was innocent.
"So!? I-It's not like it has to mean anything. I only accepted because I felt guilty and didn't know what to say." Yang looked at her pleadingly. "You know that, right?"
Blake shared a quick look with Ren, who rolled his eyes. Yeah, that about summed up her own thoughts. Maybe if it were just the one time, she might have accepted that excuse, but two dates in less than a week? I think there's something to say about someone who protests a little too hard. Besides, Yang's reaction was sign enough in her mind. She was just a little too flustered, a little too desperate.
"Okay Yang," she said. "I totally believe you."
"You don't sound like you believe me…"
"See this face?" Blake pointed to her face, which on a scale of sarcasm probably ranked around a thousand. "This is my `I believe you` face." She ignored Yang's flat glare. "Either way, my point remains. Ruby thinks you're interested in him, so she isn't going to make a move."
She expected the easy logic to calm Yang down, but to her surprise, it didn't. Yang's eyes widened and she cursed almost under her breath. Blake again looked to Ren for an answer, but the look in his eyes said he'd given up understanding long ago.
With him being Nora's childhood friend, Blake could well believe it.
"Maybe," Yang said. "I guess there's no harm. I mean, it's not like I'd want her to go that far anyway. On him being my man, though, you guys are totally imagining that. There is absolutely nothing between us."
"What I'm imagining is that you'll help us with this research," Blake snarked. "Sadly, it's starting to feel like a wild fever-dream."
"Sheesh, fine, I'll help," Yang sat down once more and started to read through the newspaper. "There's no need to get your knickers in a twist, Blake."
There was no response from her over that. She watched Yang for a few seconds, just to make sure she was actually doing it, but relaxed when it was clear Yang's attention was on the reports. If she needed to believe none of them could see through her hastily constructed excuses to work, then so be it – they could all pretend to be blind, deaf and dumb to what was going on.
I thought Ruby liked him at first, but if Yang likes him now? This is more complicated than some books I've read. I wouldn't even know what to do in her- no, no, no, I'm not going to get involved in this nonsense. Blake shook her head and went back to her scroll. Honestly, she considered herself lucky she wasn't stuck in a situation like Yang. I only have to contend with Nora determined I'm some kind of challenger for- oh my god, I'm actually stuck in the same situation, aren't I?
It was official. Her team was insane.
Insane… but helpful. Her eyes trailed over them once more, two out of three of them heling to find what they could on the White Fang, and the last one not actively interfering – which was as close to help as Nora offered. They hadn't asked why she was so desperate to find out the truth about her former comrades, they hadn't disparaged her thoughts that the White Fang could still be innocent. They just agreed to help her.
It felt… it felt good. It felt surprisingly good…
"Do you think I should call Ruby, though?"
"YANG!"
"Sorry, sorry – researching!"
Blake growled, ignoring Ren's silent chuckles and Nora's less than subtle laughter. Her team were nice, but gods… she wished they could be a little less dramatic at times.
/-/
"See, this is X-Ray and that's Vav," Ruby pointed to the comic's pages as she explained the storyline to her excited friend. She wore a grin on her own face too, one that was a mix of surprise and relief. The day, despite all expectations, hadn't gone badly so far. Penny awaited them at one of the statues like she'd promised, they'd all greeted one another, and then they'd looked to her for ideas on what to do.
The comic store had been a bit of a random suggestion, but if she could go back in time, she would have kissed herself.
"Wow, it's like a mixture of a story and a movie then," Jaune said.
"Yeah, kind of. I guess you didn't have many comics at home?" He shook his head.
"There were mostly normal books, though some were picture books. Still, it wasn't quite like this. Is the story really this short?" He held up the comic by the spine and considered how thin it was. Ruby giggled.
"No, the comic comes out once a month and you need to buy the next one to find out what happens. It's not like a book where there's a single story, either. X-ray and Vav has gone through all kinds of seasons and each is pretty much a story on its own."
"Oh, that's pretty cool." He flicked through the first few pages with an interested expression. "I guess it's fun to have to wait and see what happens next."
"It is sometimes. Other times, though, it can be annoying when it ends on a really exciting spot." Ruby sighed and closed her eyes. "My mom used to read comics with me when we were younger. Well, I couldn't read at the time, but I could look at the pictures and she would do the voices for me." Those tales of heroism had always stuck with her… just one of many reasons she was a huntress-in-training today.
"That sounds sweet. You must have loved her a lot."
"Yeah, I did. A-Anyway, you should definitely have a read and see if you like it."
"I will."
Great. Fantastic, even. Ruby glanced away to try and locate Penny, but she was stood off to one side, listening to some music for sale on a pair of headphones. Progress, normality - it was a miracle.
Maybe I just had a run of bad luck yesterday. It's not like Jaune and Penny are aliens from another planet or something; I just chose bad things for us to do. At least in the comic store, she'd been able to answer all their questions. She was more at home here too, and unlike the tour, she actually knew what to say and what to do. She was in her element, and to her delight, her friend liked it too.
She wasn't a geeky nerd!
Okay, she probably was, but Jaune shared in her geekiness, despite being two years older than her. It was brilliant. There were so many people who had dismissed her love of comics as childish, her obsession with weapons as stupid, and even her gaming as something she should leave behind. Jaune was different, though. That was what made him such a cool guy.
More importantly, though, this was a perfectly normal thing for friends to do. Ruby's smile fell and she bit on her lower lip as she thought of Yang back at Beacon. She knew Jaune only agreed to go out with her because of a misunderstanding, but they'd had fun – she could tell. She didn't want to ruin that now by accidentally creating the same mistake and making Jaune think this was romantic when it wasn't.
That meant normal activities, friendly talk and nothing related to intercourse, sex or whatever else Weiss wanted to tease her with. Penny's comments on them being her boyfriend and girlfriend were weird, but to her relief, even Jaune seemed a little embarrassed by that. He was, if nothing else, well-read enough to know what a boyfriend and girlfriend were. I still can't believe we managed to find someone more awkward than Jaune.
She couldn't believe she'd managed to find two people more awkward than her!
Still, Jaune didn't seem to think it was a date – which was good. She'd tried to ask once or twice, but the correct way to do so hadn't really come to her. What happened if she asked and he suddenly thought she wanted it to be one? Instant disaster. Maybe it's best just like this. It's actually fun to show him my hobbies, and he seems to like them too. Ooh, maybe we could go and visit the weapon armouries next? Ruby's cheeks puffed out as she practically vibrated with energy.
"Can we buy these comics from here?" Jaune asked, breaking her out of her daydreams.
"Uh yeah? You know how a shop works, right?"
"Well, yeah… I just didn't know if this was a shop or a library kind of thing."
Ruby wanted to kick herself when she noticed him look away. Had she embarrassed him? She didn't mean to! Sometimes it was easy to assume he didn't understand something, when the truth was far different. After all, she'd only dragged him into a store called `Vale's comics`. That didn't flat-out say it was a shop, library or just some hobby centre. She slapped her forehead.
"Sorry Jaune, my bad. Yeah, you can buy anything here." An idea popped into her mind. "I can get that for you if you want. It's not much for a comic."
He was clearly surprised by the offer. He rubbed the back of his head and laughed. "Ah, you don't have to do that, Ruby. You should buy yourself something you want. I've got this."
"You sure? I don't mind." She had an allowance from her dad, of course. There was even a trickle from Uncle Qrow too, who told her to use it for fun things instead of dust and ammunition for Crescent Rose.
Silly Uncle Qrow… that was fun!
"I've got this," he said. "Honestly, after you showed us around all yesterday and today? I feel like I should be the one getting you something."
She was touched by the offer, enough so that she giggled and scratched her cheek. She still said no, though. Honestly, she wasn't even sure he had any money. She'd never seen him buy anything before. Then again, this is only his second time in Vale with me. She decided to follow him, though, just to make sure he didn't get embarrassed if something went wrong. It wasn't that she expected him to not know what it was, but more than she wasn't sure whatever he had would count as valid currency.
"About X-ray and Vav, though," he asked. "This is kind of in the middle of the story, isn't it?"
"They're mid-arc at the moment, yeah. It'll catch up soon enough though, and it's not like you need to know everything to understand what's going on."
"Wouldn't it be best to start from the beginning, though?"
"The start?" Oh right, he wouldn't know. Ruby grinned and took hold of his arm, dragging him deeper into the store. At the back, near the counters – and definitely watched over by cameras – stood a series of magazines behind a sealed, glass display. She pointed to one. "That's the first issue of X-ray and Vav, Jaune. It's been out for so long that finding one is really hard. They're all limited edition now and super expensive."
"Looks good," he said. "I guess I'll get that."
Huh?
"Ha ha, Jaune, I uh… I don't think you get quite how expensive." Ruby leaned in to take a look, then cringed at the figure. Okay, that had gone up recently. She leaned back and poked the comic in his hand. "That's about fifteen lien," she said. "The first edition, though? That's almost two hundred lien. You could but some premium dust ammo for that."
That kind of money for a mere comic was obscene, even if it was limited edition. People collected those things their whole lives, and the collections could really rack up in value. She couldn't help but look at it longingly, though. No one even really knew what the plot was like back then. Those wealthy enough to afford it didn't tell. The greedy meanies probably thought that made it all the better for them.
"I'd like that one," Jaune said to the cashier, pointing at the display.
Ruby's mouth fell open. Oh no, this was going to be another disaster. He'd pull it out, open it up and read it, then say he didn't have the money. They'd be arrested! Her dad would go ballistic.
She'd be banned from the comic shop!
"Really?" the overweight man behind the counter sneered. "I'll need to see some proof of purchase if you want to such much as breathe on tha- on tha… is this?"
"My card," Jaune said, and handed over something that seemed to shimmer a faint gold. "I'm pretty sure there's enough in there."
The man looked surprised, but took the card and rang it up. The light atop the counter flashed green. "Huh, well, it went through. I do apologise for how rude I was earlier. Will there be anything else, sir?"
What the…? Ruby could only stare. The man who worked at the comic store was okay, but that was about it. Where she was geeky, he was an adult nerd, and took no mercy in pointing out every flaw or incorrect statement they might have said about the fandoms they obviously didn't know half as well as he did. The guy even tried to flirt with Yang.
Once…
They only ever tried it the one time. Still, he never called anyone sir before.
"Hey Ruby, do you want anything?" Jaune asked. "I really should get you something as thanks for doing all of this."
Get her – a gift – like his? Her eyes – treacherous as they were – flicked over to a small and ratty magazine behind the glass. She remembered that cover, even if she couldn't remember the story. It was never a very popular comic, but it was the one she remembered Summer reading to her. She couldn't remember anything more. It was lost, like so many of those happier days were. She tore her eyes back to Jaune and shook her head.
"There's no need, I'm fine. Showing you around is just what a friend does."
"I'd like that as well, please." Jaune said.
"That will be an additional three-hundred lien, sir."
"Yeah, that's fine."
"No, no, no, no, no – it's not fine!" Ruby used her Semblance to appear between Jaune and the cashier. Her voice cracked somewhere around the third no, reduced to a high-pitched squeak. "J-Jaune, you can't buy me something like that," she hissed. "It's- It's too much!" He laughed.
Laughed!
"It's not that much, Ruby. Besides, you're my first real friend at Beacon. I want to get you something to commemorate that."
"C-Commemorate?" She felt faint. "Jaune, most people buy friendship bracelets, not – not collector's edition merchandise!" her eyes went back to the price tag. "Not at a rip-off rate! Not for me!"
"Huh?"
"Y-You just can't," she said. She had to brutally fight down a part of her that desperately pointed out that he could. She tore its head off and stuffed it back down inside her body. "It's way too much for you to spend on a gift for me. I'm not worth that much."
Even for something as special as that. She had her memories… they were enough. They didn't cost anything. She swallowed and kept her eyes locked on his, pleading with him to understand. She didn't need him to buy her friendship.
"You're right," he said, and she felt her shoulders relax. She did feel a brief stab of regret, but it was quickly forgotten. Before she could move away, however, his head shot back up, eyes sharp. "You're worth so much more."
Ruby's brain fizzled.
"You're priceless to me. All the lien in the world wouldn't be worth one Ruby."
It took a little longer than she expected to reboot.
You know, her treacherous mind said, he could buy it for us…
No, don't be stupid. We're not taking advantage of Jaune like that.
Of course not, but is it taking advantage if it's a gift? We didn't ask for it.
It's too expensive. It's too much!
Not for him. Don't you want to read what's inside? Don't you want to remember the story Summer told you?
Y-Yes, I do, but…
I wonder what it will feel like to wrap up tight in a warm blanket and read it?
Yeah, me too – no wait, you're distracting me.
Huh? Distracting you? But I am you.
What? I'm me…
Wait…
Wait…
Ruby came back to reality with a lurch. She surged forward and gasped. "Jaune, you can't!"
"Can't what?" he asked, tossing something to her. She caught it with a wince, the object knocking her back a few paces. "There you go, Ruby. I hope you enjoy it."
Enjoy…?
She looked down.
Tears stung her eyes.
It was… it looked almost exactly the same as it had back then. She clutched it to her chest and sniffed.
"Hey, you okay…?" Jaune tapped her forehead to bring her back before she could really lose it. She felt dizzy. She felt very, very dizzy.
"F-For me…?"
It was a stupid question, sue her… she couldn't think straight. Jaune rubbed a hand against his hair. He held his own comic in one hand.
"I'd have made it a birthday gift but I don't know when that is." he said. "Instead… I guess this is a `thank you for being my friend` present."
Ruby tried to think of the right thing to say, she really did. Unfortunately, a strangely calm part of her mind noted that she might be having a heart attack. There was a strange pounding between her ears, and the edges of her vision seemed to pulse with bright light. Was she breathing? Did that even matter?
She hugged the comic to her chest. It would help… she was sure. It would solve everything.
"Hello friend Ruby, friend Just Jaune." Penny walked up to them with a friendly smile. "Oh, is something wrong with you Rub-"
"Hold this." Ruby pushed the comic into Penny's arms. "Don't drop it, please."
"Okay?"
"Huh?" Jaune blinked. "Is something wro-"
"Eeeeeeeeeee!" Ruby cut him off with a battle cry. She slammed into his chest and knocked him back, not that she cared – not that she could even tell. "Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you!" It wasn't enough, so she clamped her arms as far around his back as she could – it wasn't very far, he was very broad shouldered. Still, she crushed him with as much strength as she could muster. It must have been a lot, for he started to choke. Good. Good! That would show him how serious she was. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"
"Just Jaune's vital signs seem to be dropping," Penny happily chirped. "I believe he is having trouble breathing. Is this what they mean when a man says a woman has taken his breath away?"
Ruby dropped him like a rock. "It's not like that," she gasped, cheeks aflame. "Jaune, tell her it's not like that!"
"One… moment…" he said between great gulps of air. "I can't… bright light…"
"That was just me expressing my happiness," Ruby said. "It's not, we're not, Jaune and I are friends – just friends."
"I would say you are more than that, Ruby."
"No, no, no, you're misunderstanding."
"I would say you are the best of friends."
No, no- wait…" Ruby blinked. "Um, I mean, yeah… that's it."
"Yeah, we're best friends." Jaune said. He pulled himself up with a fond, if pained, smile. "Ruby was my first real friend away from home. She means a lot to me."
"Ha ha, I wish you wouldn't say it quite like that." Ruby's face twitched. Did he mean that as something more, or was it just his way of talking? All she knew was that she didn't dare ask and she really wished he'd be more specific.
"Ruby, do you wan-" Penny didn't get to finish. She lifted the book up, but it was already gone from her hands.
"All mine~"
"Well, I'm glad you like it, Ruby." Jaune hefted his comic, happy with that. He then seemed to notice one of them were without. "Oh Penny, do you want me to get you something too?"
"No thank you, Just Jaune. I am happier with the experience of seeing this first-hand itself."
"Huh, okay then. What should we do next?" Jaune asked. "I don't know about you, but I'm feeling pretty hungry."
Food? She hadn't thought of it herself, but now that he mentioned it, her stomach did grumble a little. Plus, it would give her a chance to read a few pages. Her eyes misted at the thought. "Okay, we'll grab something to eat." She made to leave, but was surprised when Penny of all people stopped her.
"Before we do, there is something I noticed," she said. "Could we try something for a moment?"
Try something? Ruby looked to Jaune, who returned her gaze with a shrug. Her decision, then. Well, so long as it wasn't anything crazy, she didn't see a problem.
"Sure, go ahead."
/-/
Nothing. There was nothing. Blake's eyes almost crossed as she let out a long sigh and stared at her scroll. The bright light that emanated from it was playing havoc with her senses, especially since she'd been staring into it for what felt like hours. The words were jumbled, the images a blur, and for the life of her, she couldn't remember what she'd just read.
"This is hopeless," Yang groaned and threw away her scroll. It skittered across the floor and under her bed. "There's just nothing to find. Can't we do something else?"
"You said you'd help," Blake snapped.
"I did help, for four straight hours in fact. Face it, Blake, there isn't anything here. We're not going to find a thing."
Blake's temper flared. She bit down on the angry words that wanted to come out and scowled down at her scroll instead. "Fine, then. Go and give up, do whatever it is you want to do. I'll keep looking because this is important."
"Is it, though?" Yang watched her with tired eyes. "Whether or not we find out if the White Fang are behind these robberies, it won't change the fact they're happening."
"We'll find out who is doing it."
"Why does that even matter? Places are still being broken into and robbed, and whether they're doing it or not, the White Fang are still terrorists. I mean, haven't they killed people?" Yang yawned, and failed to see Blake's hand clench into a shaking fist. "Is whether or not they stole some dust as well really an issue?"
She didn't know any better. She wouldn't say that if she knew the truth. Blake tried to tell herself those things, but her teeth ground together still. Yang only knows what the media says about them. It's not her fault. She sighed and picked up her scroll once more. "You can take a break. I'm going to keep looking."
"You'll burn yourself out…"
"I'll be fine."
Yang stared at her for a few moments, she could feel it. There was a loud huff and then Blake felt a pair of hands gently shove her shoulders. She wasn't prepared for it and tipped forwards. "Cheer up, Blake. It's a weekend. Relax and live a little."
"Live a little?" Blake's breath came out in harsh pants. "I don't know if you've noticed, Yang – but there is something serious going on out in the city. If you want to sit here, waste your life and possibly endanger hundreds of innocen-"
"Blake," Ren snapped, driving her to silence. "Stop."
Two words… two simple words, and yet they were enough to drive the fight out of her. Blake stared at their team leader, ever-quiet and calm. He was still that just now, watching them with a placid gaze, but the fact he'd raised his voice at all left her shocked.
"Whoah," Yang whispered. "Did you just snap at her?"
"You too," he said. Yang, you can full well see how important this is to Blake. Whatever her reasons, she is a part of this team and our friend. I think it is the least we can do to be understanding." Yang ducked her head. "And you, Blake. Yang has put in a lot of effort to try and help you. She's invested time and energy into something with no gain for herself, all because you are her teammate. If she feels she needs a break, I'm sure you can accept that."
There was nothing she could say. Blake's shoulders fell and she could only manage a faint nod. She'd been told off before, by family, by superiors and by teachers, but none had done it with such calm and understanding logic. Where others aimed to cow people into submission, he explained and made her understand why she was wrong. The shame she felt was unbelievable. "I'm sorry," she said, turning to Yang. "I was out of line. I'm sorry, Yang."
"No, it's…" Yang sighed and rubbed her head. "Yeah, I'm sorry too. I know this is a big deal, I was just worried you'd overwork yourself and get sick."
A fair concern and one that only made her feel worse. "Maybe you're right," she said. "Maybe… maybe I'm being too hung up over this."
"Whoo, kiss, kiss, kiss!"
"Nora!" Ren sighed. "Could you refrain from ruining the moment?"
"I could… but that sounds boring." She was still stood by the windows, arms leaning on it as she gazed outside. "Besides, all this hard work has left me tired too. We should do something fun."
"Hard work?" Blake asked. The anger she felt for Yang had diminished, but Nora was a far easier target. "All you've done is stand there all day. You haven't even-"
"THERE!" Nora yelled and leaned out the window. She growled, reared back and hoisted something like a weapon over her shoulder. Blake's eyes only just had the time to realise it was one of her hardback books-
Before Nora launched it out the window like a missile.
There was a cry of pain from far below. "Got him!" Nora yelled, lifting one foot onto the windowsill. Before Blake's horrified eyes, she leapt out into the open air and was gone. They were at least four storeys up.
"Did she just…?" Yang couldn't finish; didn't need to finish. Ren simply sighed and stood up. He made his way calmly to the door and closed it behind him as he left.
It took Yang and Blake a little longer. They looked to one another, argument lost, as each tried to find answers in the face of the other. "She's your partner," Yang said.
"That doesn't mean I understand her!"
"Should we…?"
Blake nodded.
It took them a few minutes to rush outside, mostly because neither of them felt quite as impatient on the issue as Nora had. They met Ren en route, strolling down the corridors as though there was no rush in the world. Considering what they were headed to, maybe he had the right idea. Yang didn't seem to think so, however, for she hefted her partner up over one shoulder and carried him the rest of the way at a dead sprint. Ren only sighed. With Nora as a childhood friend, such treatment was probably par for the course.
There was a small crowd outside when they arrived. It was one of those crowds who want to watch, but don't want to, hanging on the outskirts without trying to look too interested. People moved their hands and lips as though they were in conversation, but all watched Nora, stood over a body laid flat out on the grass. Blake wondered if she'd just become an accomplice to murder. Oh no, wait, the body was moving.
"Ugh…" It reached up a hand to touch its head and sat up. To Blake's surprise, it was the blonde faunus from the day before. He cracked his neck from side to side and rubbed a bump that formed on the back of his head. "What hit me?"
"Stroke the Forge, apparently," Yang said, leaning down to pick up the offending weapon. "Tales of a lusty Blacksmith and his faunus assas-"
Blake snatched the book back with bright red cheeks. "That's not important!"
"Exactly!" Nora crowed. She pointed a finger into the guy's nose, pushing him back. "What is important is that you, my dear captive, are a criminal! As a proud huntress, I'm here to bring you in."
"Nora, he's not a criminal." Blake sighed.
"Yes he is." Nora said.
Oh, here they went again... Blake crossed her eyes and prayed for patience. "In what way?"
"He snuck onto a ship and stowed away. That's a crime." Nora sounded smug, and Blake was forced to nod. Nora had a point, no matter how reluctant she was to admit it. "He's also clearly breaking all kinds of indecency laws, look at his chest. No wait, don't look at his chest, it might ensnare you."
"Ensnare?" the blonde boy rolled his eyes. "My chest isn't a weapon."
"Could have fooled me." Yang whistled. "Damn though, it's definitely not a concealed weapon."
Blake could already feel a headache coming on. "I don't think either of those things are enough to count him as being a criminal, Nora. Let alone one that justifies being attacked from a window like that."
The poor faunus look relieved. He rubbed the back of his head and sighed. "Ugh, thanks Blake."
"Did I… tell you my name?"
He winced.
"And lastly," Nora grinned as she knelt by the red-faced boy and grinned up at Blake. "He's a stalker."
A stalker…? Blake opened her mouth to argue that, but no words came forth. She recalled their meeting at the docks, the way he winked at her, and it was true, he was now in Beacon when he clearly wasn't a student. It wasn't like Beacon was easy to get to… it was on the other side of a Grimm-infested forest. Plus, he knew her name already. Any one of those things, she might have accepted - but all at once? Blake swallowed and took a step back, nervously slipping behind Ren for cover.
"H-Hey," her stalker said. "It's not like that. I just overhear-"
"Overheard, asked other people or eavesdropped? Any of those sound a little stalkerish," Yang said, and Blake was relieved to note her link shoulders with Ren, just to better conceal her. "You're not exactly a Beacon student. What are you even doing here?"
"I'm a student from Haven, off in Mistral. I came early for the Vytal Festival. I'm allowed to be here; I have a room and everything."
"A super-stalker," Nora gasped. "He followed you across the ocean itself."
"Uh, I've never seen her before yesterday. How could I have stalked her for that long?"
"A super-stalker always knows," Nora nodded wisely. "Even across the ocean itself, even if they have never met, he can sense the one and zero in on their location!"
"Hey, now you're just making this up!"
"Silence stalker!" Nora swung her arm around to point at him and accidentally clotheslined him in the process. He groaned up from the floor. "Oops. Anyway, this is how I helped, Blake." She sounded incredibly proud of herself, and to be fair, Blake could understand why. There was just one problem, though.
"Nora… how does this help us find the White Fang?"
"Urk…"
"Nora," Ren sighed.
"I-It helps." She looked about in a panic before her eyes were drawn down to her victim when he tried to crawl away. Nora caught him by the ankle and dragged him back. "He has uh… information, yeah. I bet he can tell us where to find them."
Blake sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Nora, I don't think it works that way."
"A-Actually, you mean the White Fang?" He winced when they all stared at him. "Well, it's nothing concrete, but when I was stowed away on that ship, I did hear a rumour about a huge dust shipment from the SDC. If they were going to hit somewhere, it would be that. Apparently, it should arrive at the docks tonight."
No way… there was just no way. A part of her didn't know whether to feel pleased or annoyed. They had the information they needed, but of all the people to find it…
"Eh? Eh? Eh?" Nora dug an elbow into Blake's side with each sound.
"We have to get to the docks," Blake said. She looked up at the sky. It was already evening. If they took a Bullhead directly to Vale, they might yet make it.
She would find out the truth behind this…
"Eh? Eh? Aren't you going to admit I was right, Blake? Aren't you going to take it all back?"
God damn it, Nora…
/-/
Mercury sighed. What a boring ass job. He crossed and uncrossed his arms again for what felt like the fiftieth time and stifled a yawn. Someone nearby looked his way, but he shot them an irritated glare and they moved away. Once they were gone, he sighed again. "Remind me again why I'm stuck doing this?"
"Because it's your turn," Emerald said, her voice in his earpiece. "I had to put up with them yesterday, and Cinder wants him watched at any time he might be in danger."
"What kind of danger is he going to get up to out here? The three of them are in a comic store of all things."
"I thought you liked comics. Are you complaining just for the sake of it?"
"No." Maybe. "There's a difference between me being able to browse and read, and being stuck as a glorified bodyguard." His eyes traced his target again as he talked to the little girl he'd dubbed Red. The other one was Orange.
It made things easier.
"Well, this is work, Mercury. It's not meant to be fun."
"Funny, and here I thought you were to be my entertainment. Don't you know any jokes?" A smirk crept onto his face as he heard Emerald's simmering anger. "Maybe a dance or an improv routine?"
"I could play your rib cage like a xylophone. How's that?"
"Ooh, already undressing me in your mind." He paused, for dramatic effect. "Kinky."
"You… ugh, you're completely insufferable. Look, just keep an eye on him and make sure nothing happens, okay?"
"What will you be doing?"
"I'm going to try and break into Winchester's room and find his uniform jacket, and then plant a tracker on it, if you must ask." She sighed. "Trust me, my job is no less boring than yours."
"I'm gone for two hours and you're already breaking into another man's room. I'm heartbroken, Em. I really am."
"Good. Hopefully you'll die of a broken heart. I have to go now, I can't make noise if I'm doing this. Whatever happens, Jaune needs to be kept safe. I won't be responsible for explaining it to Cinder if he is."
A surge of fear shot through him as well. The thought of what she'd do to him… it didn't bear saying. "Yeah," he said. "Don't worry. I'll make sure he doesn't so much as trip."
Which might be hard, given that he'd just watched the guy nearly be killed from a hug, but what was he about to do – rush in and jealously drag the girl off him? Yeah, he could see how that would end. Emerald would run with a rumour like that so long he had to off himself to escape.
"I'll leave you to it, then. Oh, and for the love of everything, Mercury… don't let them catch you." There was a low tone in his ear as the call ended, and he stuffed the earpiece back in his pocket, just to be sure it didn't fall out and break. They weren't cheap, and Cinder did not abide waste.
"Get caught?" Mercury scoffed and rolled his eyes. What kind of an amateur did she take him for? Sometimes, he thought she forgot who he'd been before this. He'd been trained as a deadly assassin by his father.
Emerald was the one who was nothing but a street waif.
Movement over by his targets caught his trained eyes. They were moving, leaving. About time, he couldn't help but feel. The inaction was killing him. If he was lucky, they'd make a stop somewhere near a place he could get a bite to eat. He'd look less suspicious sat at a table too. He pushed off the wall and trailed behind them as they made their way down the street, burdened with a few purchases. He kept about fifteen metres away at all times, a good distance, one that would deafen his footfalls even if he broke into a light jog. No one paid attention as he pushed his way through the crowds that lined the streets. He was at home in them.
Up ahead, he watched them turn a corner. He counted to three, then increased his pace to a fast walk. Losing sight was dangerous, but that was fine. Few measured the steps of those behind him. Once he crossed the corner, in their minds, it would be as though he only just appeared. He jogged up and around it.
And froze…
Shit.
"I thought I saw you follow us," Orange said. "I see that I was correct. Sensational!"
"Penny, that's not a good thing," Red said. She didn't take her silver eyes off him, and there was a part of his memory that said it was important in some way. It was gone a moment later. What was important was that he'd been found. Gods, Emerald would never let him hear the end of it.
Bigger problem, what did he say? No one ever prepared him for this, for being found. If his target normally spotted him, he went in for the kill. That wasn't exactly an option here. All he could do was hope they didn't-
"Why are you following us anyway?" Red asked.
Welp, there went that dream!
"Hey, it's Mercury."
"You know him?"
Jaune smiled and nodded. "Sure, he's on a- a friend's team. You know Cinder, the girl I talked to before? He's one of her teammates."
"Oh, right…" Red seemed to calm down. "Is that why he followed, because he wanted to come along?"
Wait, was Jaune covering for him? Mercury's eyes widened as he stared at his target and the guy he was meant to protect. For the most part, he'd assumed Cinder's little brother was an idiot, but this suggested otherwise. Still, the idea that he was following out of awkwardness was a little too jarring to accept, even for him. He opened his mouth to come up with a different excuse, but Jaune beat him to it.
"Probably. I guess he wanted to come with us, right?"
He felt his machismo drop by several levels. That made him sound so lame. Even so, he nodded. "Yeah, pretty much. I…" He swallowed his revulsion. "I didn't really know how to approach you all and make friends."
Gods, he was going to be sick.
It was even worse when Orange walked up to him and wrapped her arms about him. Please, he begged, let a Bullhead hit me right now.
"I understand, friend Mercury. I too was without friends yesterday, and I too followed people, unsure of what to do. I felt I might be able to understand how they interacted if I but watched, but instead I felt even more alone." She hugged him, and he winced as he felt his aura dip. Holy crap, she was strong!
"P-Penny, I think you're hugging him a little tight."
"Am I? But Ruby, I am only emulating your actions earlier with Just Jaune."
"Y-Yeah, maybe you shouldn't though. I think he's about to pass out."
Mercury made a mental note to not kill Red for saving his life. He almost fell on all fours when the weird girl finally let go of him. His breath came in great gulps, and he held a hand to his chest. "You've got a strong grip."
"I eat balanced meals of proteins, vegetables and other normal foodstuffs."
Mercury stared at the girl. "Oookay… that's… nice?"
"It is nice. It is balanced and healthy, filled with all things a normal human requires."
It never got any better from there. He knew well enough when he was screwed, but this felt beyond that. There was almost no way Emerald wouldn't find out about this. His only chance was to claim it had been his idea from the get-go, but that would mean claiming he wanted to be friends with the two crazy girls. His cred would be ruined. For now, though, he didn't have any choice. He nodded when Jaune introduced him to them, and then agreed with their idea of stopping somewhere for food. Luckily, Red knew of a few places, and the walk towards it was mostly in silence. It gave him time to think.
How did she spot me spying on them so easily? His eyes fell on the orange-haired girl, but she didn't seem to notice. I'm no rank amateur, and among a crowd like the one in that shop, I might as well have been invisible. It just doesn't add up. He sighed and looked towards his target. At least he stuck up for me and gave me an excuse, even if it was a crappy one. If I'm going to be stuck pretending to be their friend, Emerald better be ready for me to drag her down with me.
Misery shared was misery halved, after all. He was sure Emerald would be thrilled to be such a good partner.
Either way, it was all he could do to staple a smile to his face as he sat down in one of the seats on the outside of a street side diner. With Jaune on his left, and Penny on his right, it felt like he was the middle-part of a good-guy sandwich. At least the waiter was cynical and uninterested enough to alleviate the pure kindness and civility that practically radiated off these three.
"I'll pay," Jaune said once he came back with their drinks and some snacks. Mercury shrugged, but Red seemed less than enamoured with the idea.
"No, you can't, not again. It's my turn to pay – or we can pay for ourselves."
"I didn't bring any lien, friend Ruby."
"Me neither," Mercury lied. Why should he pay when he was being forced to tag along?
"Ah, but… I can't afford…" She didn't get any further as Jaune held out his card to the waiter.
"Don't worry, Ruby. It's my treat."
"But you already treated me," Red whined. She had a thick book clutched to her chest. "That's it. Next time, you need to let me pay for your meal. It's only fair."
"It is? Well, if you insist…"
She nodded. "I do."
"Oh," Penny said. "Like a date?"
"No, no, no!" Red waved her hands. "Not like that."
"Sounds like a date to me," Mercury said. He could smell the potential for drama a mile away and was determined to embrace it.
"It's not a date!"
"So you wouldn't date Jaune?" he asked. "Is there something wrong with him?" She looked horrified at the idea.
"Of course not. Jaune's my best friend!"
"So it is a date?"
"N-No!"
"I don't mind," Jaune said, and Mercury almost laughed when he saw Red's equally red cheeks. She looked like she might die right there. "I already went on two dates with your sister. I guess it would only be fair to do the same with you."
"T-That's not how it works at all!"
Ooh, she was getting flustered too. Well, for someone who was `definitely not interested`, she was certainly showing a lot of interest. Mercury leaned forward and adopted the most genuine expression he could. "Is that what the two of you are doing now? I didn't know I was intruding on a date."
"This isn't a date!"
"It's not a date," Jaune agreed, and Red almost collapsed in relief. "But we could make it a date next time if you want, Ruby. I don't mind."
"Oh, like a double date?" The question came from Penny, and Mercury winced at his place in that analogy. It wasn't that she was hard on the eyes, but she was just so… so… nice. There was no snark, no hidden agenda and no dangerous edge. He watched the girl as she lifted up an ice-cream, considered it with a stern eye, and then pushed the whole thing – cone and all – into her mouth.
It was gone a second later, in a single bite.
Apparently, she was also immune to brain freeze. What the hell?
"It's not… I mean… no, it's…" Red's shook her head wildly. With a flash of wild panic, she twirled around and pointed into the distance. "Look, a distraction!"
A huge explosion rocked the ground, and a column of smoke billowed up into the sky.
"Uh... Ruby," Jaune said. "I don't think you should do that anymore."
"I didn't… I…" She looked down at her finger in horror. Mercury, however, was less flippant.
What would cause an explosion in Vale? I know it can't be the White Fang, since Cinder has them on lockdown prepared for when we need them. Who else would set off a bomb, though? One thing was for sure, he couldn't let Jaune get involved. Cinder would have his head.
"Was that a bomb?" Red whispered.
Mercury shrugged his shoulders and held up both hands.
"Well, that's weird. I think we ought to call the authorities an-"
"Come on Mercury," Jaune called, already halfway down the street with Orange and Red beside him. "Ruby says it's at the docks. We need to get there and see what's going on."
His heart leapt into his throat. "No, wait-"
"We'll wait when we get there. Ruby, lead the way."
"Okay!"
Mercury hadn't even finished falling out of his chair when the three sprinted off. His face did hit the floor as they rounded the corner, though. Oh no… oh hell no – he wasn't going to explain to Cinder how he'd let her little brother rush off to investigate a bomb on his own. If another went off, there'd be nowhere on Remnant he could hide. He tried to disentangle his legs from the metal chair, nearly tripped again - and then tore it off and threw it behind him. He barely had time to catch a breath before he was rushing off after those idiots.
"Oi, wait for me!"
It was official. Next time Emerald said it was his turn; he would tell her exactly where she could shove it. That was if he was still alive to do so after this.
/-/
There wasn't much in the world that Cinder Fall feared, but it was moments like these she dreaded above any other. Her brow prickled with sweat, her heart beat and she ran her tongue across her lips to moisten them. No amount of time could prepare her for this, however. She held the phone to her ear. Part of her hoped there would be no answer.
"Hello? Is that you, Cinder?"
Darn. No such luck. "Yes, my mistress. I felt it prudent to call and let you know I've successfully infiltrated Beacon Academy."
"Well done, Cinder." Salem sounded every part the powerful woman she was, voice a rich purr. If it could have stayed like that, there wouldn't have been a problem – but Cinder knew it would not. Her eyes clenched shut; she knew what was coming. "Now tell me, how is my little baby? Is he healthy? He is eating well, right? Has he made any friends? Is it a bad or a good thing if he's made friends?"
Cinder's eyes slipped shut as she let the questions wash over her. She had to resist the urge to sigh, and even then, it was hard. This is the woman who would rule all of Remnant, she told herself. It wasn't that she'd lost her edge, for she hadn't. When angered, Salem was still a force to be reckoned with, and any threat she made would be carried through to the letter.
It was just when she wasn't in that mood, or when her family came into the equation.
"But more importantly," Salem continued, "Why have you not brought him home yet? He hasn't so much as called!"
That was a delicate question, and one that required just as careful an answer. The truth of the matter was that she hadn't even broached the topic with him, since it would force her to leave Beacon and escort him back to the Grimmlands. That would make gaining the Fall Maiden's powers all but impossible. A sacrifice Salem was happy to make, of course, but that was to be her power – and Cinder would not allow it to slip from her grasp.
"Your son is stubborn at the moment," she said. "He is as headstrong as his father, with your determination and iron will."
"Cinder, dear, you wouldn't be flattering me to try and distract me from something would you?"
Erk…
"Not at all, mistress… my thoughts are simply that trying to forcefully changed Jaune's mind might only exacerbate the problem. He ran away because he felt stifled, after all. I thought a subtler approach might yield better results."
"Hmm, go on."
"My plan is to slowly put the idea into his mind, to let him feel homesick and miss you and his sisters, so that the decision to return is his own." Cinder paced about the room as she spoke. "That way, he will come to the conclusion himself, and not feel as though he's been pressured. Of course, I'll need to be subtle in doing this, which is why it might take some time."
"But he would think it his decision and so not go against it," Salem finished. "Very well, Cinder. I believe in this matter, you are correct. Perhaps I am not the best person to decide the course of action if he already ran away from home the one time."
Okay, progress, that was good. She breathed a sigh of relief as she nodded her head. "That would be my opinion as well," she said. "I could try and convince him to call you, but I don't want to push him unduly at this time… if I make it too obvious what my intent is, he might try and turn a cold shoulder to me."
"We wouldn't want that. I'm told arguments are a normal part of any relationship, but the two of you can't make up like Nicky and I do." Salem's voice took on a wistful edge, and Cinder winced. "Well, you `could` make up like that. I wouldn't be upset if it was you, my dear."
"P-Perhaps not," Cinder stammered, and then cursed herself for sounding so weak. Hopefully, her cheeks weren't red, but it was impossible not to let that get under her skin. "Anyway, since you agree with my plan, would it be possible to call of the Grimm you sent to kidnap him?"
"I'm afraid not."
How did she question that without coming across as impertinent? Cinder's brow scrunched up as she agonised over it, but Salem must have seen her concern, for she answered without prompting.
"The Grimm have already been spawned and are en route. In fact, they should have arrived by now. While I could spawn more to hunt them down and kill them, I will not. It doesn't hurt to have multiple plans, after all."
"But if he would just run away again-"
"Then I shall deal with that when it happens, Cinder. My decision is absolute. Do save me the time of punishing you by accepting it."
"O-Of course," Cinder swallowed. Damn it, she would need to find and kill those Grimm herself, or failing that, make sure he was strong enough to defend himself. More work for Mercury and Emerald, it seemed. How delighted they would be. "If that is all, mistress, I ca-"
"That is not all, Cinder. Tell me, how is he?"
So close… she'd been so close. Cinder opened her mouth to explain just how much he was messing everything up, but froze. Her eyes widened in panic. She couldn't tell Salem any of that! If she found out how bizarre Jaune was acting, she'd become worried for his safety and send more Grimm – or worse – come herself. She needed to think there was no danger, which meant she would need to cover for little brother's almost perpetual cock-ups.
"His infiltration went off without difficulty," Cinder said. The lie was so blatant it was a wonder she didn't choke and die on it. "He is fitting in among normal humans and has even made a positive impression on many people here."
"He has?" Salem sounded surprised, and she had every right to. "Oh my, perhaps all my worry was for nothing. Then again, he is mine and Nicky's son – it's expected that he show some of our best traits."
"Y-Yes, well… he certainly does." Gods, she hoped Salem never found out the truth or she'd have a difficult conversation explaining exactly who she thought his idiocy came from. If it came to it, she was so blaming Tyrian.
"Has he made any friends?"
"He… has. I'm still in the process of finding out information about them, especially Yang Xiao-Long, but-"
"Yang Xiao-what now?" Salem asked. "Is that a girl?"
"It is."
"Ooh, my son is friends with a girl. Tell me, Cinder, what does she look like?"
"Um," Cinder wracked her mind. "Blonde hair, purple eyes, quite the figure-"
"Her hips, dear… let's skip to the important part, shall we? Are they narrow, wide – do you think she would be able to birth my darling many children?"
"I'm… not exactly a professional."
"Fine, then I'll need you to send me a picture of her, as soon as you are able. In fact, send me pictures of all of his friends." Salem rubbed her hands together gleefully.
A part of Cinder wondered at the horror Jaune would feel if he ever found out she was going to send images of young huntresses-in-training to the single most dangerous entity on Remnant. Then again, if it were a choice between putting herself on the chopping block, and throwing his friends under the Beowolf, she knew which she'd choose. "As you wish, I will have some images ready for you in a few days."
"Perfect. You have done well, Cinder, have no doubt of that."
Cinder's smile was, for once, honest. "Thank you."
"Out of curiosity, though. Do you think Jaune and this Yang woman would make handsome children?"
It was a direct question, and so she could not disobey, but Cinder paused to think it through. Her face twisted at the thought of the girl. "I do not think so," she said. "Yang Xiao-Long is pretty enough, and has a figure many women would be envious of, but from what I've seen, she is childish and immature. Jaune needs someone a little more mature in his life, someone who isn't afraid to take control and provide direction when he is uncertain. He doesn't need some flighty teenager yet to find her place in the world. He needs someone more experienced." She paused. "On a purely personal level, I also can't help but think there are enough blondes in the family. Perhaps some variety might be nice."
"Really, now? That's an interesting thought, not that I disagree." Salem's smile was nothing short of ecstatic. She also looked quite smug. "Well then, should you ever find an older, more experienced woman with a different shade of hair – perhaps black – do be sure to let her know I would approve of any such relationship with my son."
Hm, why did she seem so amused? Cinder's eyes narrowed, but the mind of Salem Arc could be an impenetrable thing. "I'll keep that in mind," she said.
"I shall leave you to it then, my dear. Do try and change Jaune's mind when you're able, and if you are in need of advice or tricks, let me know."
"Tricks?"
"Why yes. Whenever I want to change Nicky's mind, there's this little trick I do with my-"
"That won't be necessary!" Cinder yelped. "I think, no – you're cutting off, the signal…"
"It sounds fine to me, dear. Well, if you can still hear me, that's enough. Basically, it's all about humming to cause a vibration in your mouth as you-"
"Bzzt… I – can't… you… sorry." Cinder didn't think she'd ever slammed her finger down on the end call button sooner. The room was brought into complete silence, and for that, she was thankful. I don't think I can ever look at her husband the same way.
Not that she liked to look at him anyway. She even less liked how he often tried to offer her a shoulder to cry on, how he believed her in need of help, and the hugs Salem ordered her to endure as Nicholas Arc did his best to… ugh… help her.
The whole thing was a mess, really.
Cinder let out a suffering sigh as she sat down on the edge of her bed and checked her scroll. No news from her underlings, which was good news in this case. The ideal scenario was that they got through Beacon with no hiccups whatsoever. Neo was a problem, as was that huge teddy on her bed, but neither were ones that couldn't be solved with a generous application of fire. At least the weekend offers some freedom from those insufferable lessons. If I have to hear another story from that fat oaf, or another example of how peace and understanding can solve everything from the caffeinated idiot, then I won't be held responsible for bloodbath I cause. Cinder shivered as she thought of the cruelty she would mete out upon them. It would be glorious.
Sadly, given that she needed to keep her cover, it would also be purely imaginary… at least for now.
"At least my foolish little brother has kept himself under the radar," Cinder said, and flicked across her scroll to the local news. It always helped to keep abreast of events in Vale. She reached down to pick up a flute of wine and take a long sip as she watched the channel load.
"News just in," a reporter chimed. "A recent dust explosion at the Vale docks has led to an evacuation of neighbouring housing. Eye-witness reports are hazy at this time, but one startled woman spoke of Bullheads, teenage children and… Cyril, am I reading this right?"
"Say the line," a voice hissed. Lisa Lavender sighed.
"One startled woman spoke of Bullheads, teenage children and a tentacle monster. One can only assume she was not referring to late-night television."
"Pftttt!"
"Ma'am, we have a-" Emerald got no further as she pushed into the room, for her face was quickly covered in second-hand wine. "Never mind, I guess you've already seen it..."
Oh dear…
No Ironwood this chapter, but don't worry, he did see the diary entry. We simply haven't had his PoV yet, nor has Penny – which ought to give you an idea of just what it was. After all, how bad must it have been for him to not even be able to hunt Penny down for answers?
Anyway, I'll move onto the main point of this message.
A Week without Fanfiction
People who have read my other fics, perhaps know that I've been pretty badly sick since this past weekend. I went to the doctors over it, and he believes it to be mostly stress-related. Now, before panic sets in, I'd like to say that Fanfiction is not stress to me. I genuinely enjoy what I do.
My main job, on the other hand, a little less so. Summer is our biggest period, and since we write a month in advance, I am right now on the hardest part of the year – our June issues. I've had to work outside of normal hours, over weekends, and with Fanfiction taking up the same slots. My sleep got reduced, I missed meals, and ultimately started to feel like crap.
I also think the quality of some of my writing has reflected this the last week… it feels a little flat, devoid of life. Anyway, my doctor suggested a week of rest and relaxation, which is somewhat weird for me, since I'm not the kind of person who likes to do nothing. On the other hand, my doctor has made a point of it and I kind of do need to follow his advice when I'm sick.
How this will work is fairly simple. I'm going to continue doing each fanfic until they have all had this notice at the bottom, and then there will be a single week of no uploads. After that, things will resume. White Sheep will be the first, and the date at the bottom will reflect two weeks. There will still be NTF, PA, FD and Ent this week, but starting from next Thursday, you won't see any fics for the week.
Hopefully, you can all understand why. I'm not abandoning anything. I'm not stopping, nor have I lost the love for what I do… I just need to take a break to sort things out. Honestly, there is a good chance I'll write during that week too, but it will be without deadlines and without the stress of having to have X done by Y, before I have to move onto Z. The break should also give me a chance to recharge, read some books for a change, and improve myself as a writer too.
I'll still be here, both in my forum and by PM, and I'll still be checking reviews, etc… but I won't be uploading anything until the week is over. Once it's over, uploads will go back to normal. I'm not moving to a two-week system or anything.
Thanks for understanding.
To compensate, I practically made this a double chapter anyway… I could have easily split it in two. :P
Next Chapter: 18th May (Two Weeks)
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur