Just to let people know, College Fool is taking a bit of a break at the moment and so didn't beta this chapter. The plan was sent, and CF did get a chance to comment on that – but any minor mistakes are mine.
Beta: College Fool
Cover Art: Kegi Springfield
Chapter 20 – Lambent Hopes
Weiss crossed her arms and held her ground, even as Ruby's mouth fell open.
"You can't ground me!" The young girl cried. "You're my team leader, not my Mom or Dad. Why am I even being grounded? This doesn't make sense!"
"Why?" Weiss raised an arch eyebrow and put some extra emphasis on the word. She couldn't believe Ruby was even asking. "Ruby, you and Jaune went out once on your own, and you managed to not only get into a fight with a criminal, but also get taken hostage, nearly molested, not to mention Jaune had a warehouse fall on him!"
Ruby paused, flushed, and then mumbled something under her breath. When she looked back up, it was with defiant eyes. "So…?"
"So, you're grounded. That's my final decision. Neither you nor Jaune are allowed out of Beacon without someone to chaperone you."
"That's not fair!"
"Not fair!? Ruby, you're lucky I'm even considering letting you out at all." Lucky indeed, since her first instinct after hearing the story was to lock the girl in a padded room and throw away the key. How could someone even exist when they were so drawn to trouble? The two of them were hazards. Mostly to themselves! The initial guilt she felt at not being there to help her teammate was nothing compared to the protective streak that reared its head. "And if you're worried about family then don't worry. I already discussed this with your sister. She seemed positively relieved."
"Yang, you traitor!" Ruby howled.
"Sorry~" the blonde's voice came through the wall. Ruby ignored it.
"Weiss, you can't listen to her. Of course she would say that. I had everything under control."
Not from what she'd heard. Weiss tapped one foot on the floor, teeth grinding together as she recalled Ren's detailed account of how Ruby was captured, held, and then nearly abducted before their eyes. After all that, she thought Weiss was going to let her gallivant through Vale on her own again?
Ha! Fat chance!
"If you believe your sister is being unfair, I could ask your father," Weiss suggested, smiling when Ruby froze up. "I'm sure Yang would give me his scroll number."
"N-No. That's fine." Ruby laughed nervously. "I don't think we need to go that far."
"Hm, well. Perhaps you'll accept my completely fair and rational terms, then." Weiss relented with a sigh. "Don't think of it as being grounded. Just think of them as… precautions."
"Weiss… you're grounding me. There isn't any other way to say this."
"It's not so bad, Ruby…" Pyrrha stepped in with a guilty laugh. "I personally think there's nothing wrong with them. They're for your own safety, after all."
"I'm not allowed to leave Beacon without you or Weiss with me. I'm not allowed to go into Vale on my own, or on my own with Jaune unless I have one of you, Yang, or Ren with me." Ruby paused. "Why isn't Nora or Blake on the list?"
Weiss shrugged. "Ren covers for both of them. Frankly, there's no way you would be able to go into Vale with him without Nora tagging along, and no way she'd go without dragging Blake along, no matter how much she protested."
That was Nora for you.
"Good point." Ruby said. "Still, this is totally unfair! I tried to have one of you two come along. You wouldn't! You had to make a call and Pyrrha had to wash her feet!"
Pyrrha shifted guiltily at that, especially when Weiss shot her an amused look. In all fairness, her call had been genuine. She'd promised Winter to get in touch and couldn't afford to put it off. "Now, now," Weiss teased. "Don't judge Pyrrha's cultural needs like that."
"W-Weiss," Pyrrha complained.
"These rules are silly too," Ruby said, holding up the list. "I mean, why do me and Jaune not count as escorting each other? We're strong enough."
"Why the complaint?" Weiss countered. "Is there some reason you want the two of you to be able to go off alone in Vale? Some private reason, perhaps?"
"N-No." Ruby's eyes were as wide as saucers. "What do you even mean?"
"Oh, only that you might distract one another."
"Distract? What do you mean by distract?" Her cheeks flushed, eyes flicking left and right. "What are you trying to say, Weiss? Are you trying to imply something?"
"No," Weiss cooed. "Should I be?"
"No! Pfft, no. What are you-? Ha. You're crazy, Weiss. So crazy!"
Who did Ruby think she was fooling? Well, Jaune, apparently, but that didn't seem too hard. "Then there's no problem is there?" she asked. "I'm not implying anything, and I didn't mean anything by suggesting that you and Jaune out alone in Vale might be focused on other things, or other people," she added, enjoying how Ruby squirmed. "So, there's no problem, right?"
"No." Ruby blinked, and then shook her head wildly. "Wait, yes! Yes there is. What about this line, though? I'm not allowed to talk to strangers without you vetting them first?" Ruby's eyes narrowed. "I'm fifteen, Weiss. I know not to talk to strangers."
"Well clearly you don't since you went and befriended that girl."
"Penny isn't a stranger," Ruby defended. "Well… she's strange, but I mean, that doesn't count!"
It really did. Even Weiss knew that. "Regardless," she said, "the rules remain. While I know full well how strong you are, this… creature's interest in you is too dangerous. Instead of assuming I'm doing this to punish you, how about considering how I would feel if you were hurt or abducted and I could do nothing to help."
Ruby's frown fell. She looked away, eyes downcast and a tremble to her lips. "Weiss… is that… is that the reason?"
"Eh. Fifty-fifty."
"Fifty- what's the other fifty!?"
Personal amusement, really, but Ruby didn't need to know that. "Never you mind. This ban extends to Jaune too, and I didn't have to put up with his complaints." Her partner had been a gentleman about it, as usual. He'd nodded, accepted her orders, and then said he understood once she explained why. He, at least, recognised the danger. "I'm the team leader, Ruby. I've said I'll explain the reasoning behind my actions and I have. Three out of four of us agree, so I'm not sure what else there is to say. The ban persists… at least for now."
Ruby huffed. "I can't believe you're grounding me."
"I can't believe you got molested by a tentacle monster," Weiss returned. "Sadly, it looks like we've both been unpleasantly surprised in the last twenty-four hours. At least you didn't almost faint when you found out!"
"Ha. Yeah. That was funny."
No. No it wasn't. She'd almost lost ten years of her life right there. To think such a disaster happened, and they'd been helpless to do anything. No. This grounding had to continue. "I'm sorry, Ruby. My decision stands."
"You suck." Ruby crossed her arms and pouted, but at least she didn't scream how much she hated her, storm off and say Weiss wasn't her Mom or something. That would have been awkward. "This all sucks. I'm the victim here. I don't deserve to be punished."
"Come on now, Ruby," Pyrrha laughed, strolling over to sit on the bed beside her partner. "It just means we have to stick together as a team, that's all. The next time the weekend rolls around, we can all go into Vale."
"We could," Ruby drawled, and it had to be the first time Weiss ever heard the girl sound so sarcastic. "Unless someone has to wash their feet again…"
The sarcasm also served the double effect of letting them know Ruby really wasn't as dense as she sometimes let on. She'd absolutely seen through that lie if her expression was any indication. To be fair, the lie had been as transparent as glass.
"Ah, well… you see… I didn't… it's hard to explain… um…"
"Yes, partner?" Ruby asked with round, innocent eyes. "Please explain it to me. I'm such a dork, after all."
"Ah, well… um…" Pyrrha looked to Weiss for help.
She wouldn't find any. Weiss rolled her eyes and picked up her book once more, opening it to a random page and pretending she hadn't seen Pyrrha's desperate gaze. You reaped what you sowed, that was what Klein always said. Sorry Pyrrha. You're on your own with this one.
Idly, she wondered if Jaune was having quite so exciting a day.
/-/
Jaune made his way down the corridors distractedly. He'd excused himself from the rest of his team, earning an awkward look from Weiss when he'd asked if his `grounding` extended to walking around Beacon alone as well. She'd been apologetic and assured him it didn't. He didn't really understand why she was so distressed. From what he understood, being grounded meant the two of them had to hang out with Weiss or Pyrrha if they went out.
He didn't see why Ruby chafed so hard at it. It sounded like fun.
Fun wasn't what he was focused on right now, however. Instead, his emotions ran taut and sharp, hesitation mixed with fear with a delightful dollop of apprehension on top. He needed to speak with Big Sis. He needed her advice. He also needed to ask her advice in private, hence skipping out on sparring practice with his team.
Jaune sighed and turned the corner towards her room, only to pause as something rushed towards his face.
There was a loud splash, followed by a rush of freezing cold water.
"Got him!" someone cried.
Cold air brushed over his face, shoulders and chest, where ice-cold water had splashed across him, dousing hair and clothing alike. Droplets ran down his bangs and onto his nose, and he shivered lightly as he cracked one eye open.
Cardin Winchester stood before him, metal bucket in hand.
"Kill him," Remy sighed.
Jaune ignored Remy. Why did Cardin throw water on him? What was the point of- oh. Oh! Jaune's eyes widened. "Is this a prank?" he asked inside his mind. Was Cardin playing a prank on him in the middle of the corridor?
"Eh, probably? Anyway, if you snap his neck it ought to-"
"This is great!"
"Huh?"
Remy didn't understand. That was fine. Jaune did, and that was what mattered. His sisters had played pranks on him all the time when he was younger, and they did to one another as well. It wasn't unusual for Jade and Hazel, his sister Hazel, that was, to be in the middle of some kind of pranking war. Sometimes they even tried to involve Cinder too, though she never took it quite so well.
Still, his family loved one another, explosions aside. Their pranks were never a sign of ill-intent, and he'd lost count of the number of times one of his sisters would pull the water over the door prank. It was practically a staple! "And if Cardin feels comfortable enough to prank me," he said, "then maybe that means he's given up on thinking I'm a monster."
Except that Cardin looked really nervous at that very moment. "But… but this is holy water," he said. "I had ten different priests bless it."
Holy water…? He wasn't sure what that meant, but it sounded expensive. Cardin had gone to all that trouble for a prank? That was… that was honestly kind of humbling. Suddenly his nervousness made sense too. He was worried Jaune might not reciprocate. Cardin was shy.
It makes sense, Jaune thought. If this is Cardin extending a hand of peace, then the last thing he'd want is for me to rebuff it. That would be like if Yang slapped the flowers I bought out of my hand.
Knowing how hurt he'd have been in that case, Jaune did the only thing he could do – embrace the spirit of competition, let Cardin know he'd happily accepted the gesture, and return it in kind. Jaune smiled, reached out one hand to land on Cardin's shoulder.
"I'll be sure to return the favour, Cardin." he said. "You'd best sleep with one eye open."
The teen's face went white. The metal bucket fell from nerveless fingers as Cardin took one, then two steps back. His head shook from side to side. He made a strange sign with his hands, and then took out a weirdly-shaped medallion that looked to be carved out of wood. When Jaune raised an eyebrow to that, Cardin whimpered and fled.
Jaune blinked as he watched him run away, bucket forgotten and feet pounding against the floor. "Huh… I guess he's really into this." He paused to stoop over and pick up the discarded bucket. "Sorry Cardin. I can't afford to play now, though. I've got something important to do."
He supposed he could take the bucket along, though. It would save the janitors the work of cleaning it up. He looked back up when he heard a faint `snap` sound. In front of him stood two people, one of which he recognised rather easily.
"Oh. Hello Velvet."
"Grbl…" Velvet said. Ah damn, was she still afraid of him?
"She said hello," the other girl said, still holding her scroll out towards him and even clicking another picture right then and there. "I like your shirt, by the way. It's very see-through."
It was? He looked down, and then sighed as he recalled the water, which also served to remind him of just how cold it was in the first place. His white school uniform shirt was plastered to his skin, having turned a vague cream colour now that his chest and stomach could be seen through it. He'd have secured his jacket shut, but that was soaked as well.
He looked like a mess.
"Sorry about this," he said. "Cardin just ran up and dumped some water on me." He held up the bucket as though explanation. Maybe it would also convince her he wasn't a weirdo who walked around with a bucket for fun. He coughed and set it down by the wall, then introduced himself. "My name's Jaune, by the way. Jaune Arc."
"Oh, I know who you are," the girl said. "The name's Coco, and you can just call me that. Normally I'd say the pleasure is yours, but right now I think it's all Velvet's."
There was no response from the girl in question. Her eyes were wide, probably with fear, and the way she refused to meet his eyes, keeping hers locked on his chest instead? It spoke of extreme terror. The poor girl's breath came out in pants, and her hands kept curling and uncurling.
Coco snapped another picture while she was there.
"Why are you doing that?" he asked.
"It's for Velvet," she said. "So she can remember the way the water runs down you."
"Why? Is she thirsty?"
"No," Velvet said.
"Yes," Coco nodded sagely. "She's very thirsty."
"C-Coco! N-No, I'm not!"
Jaune smiled at the faunus, who was now red in the face and finally looking his way. She seemed nervous, but it was progress. He tried to look as calm as he could, as nonthreatening as he was able. "If I had any, I'd let you have a drink, Velvet."
"Looks like you have plenty, stud." Coco said, pointing to his chest.
Well, yeah… in his shirt. He shrugged. "If you can think of a way to drink it, you can have it."
"Ha, that's- wait, I've got her." Coco caught her friend as she slumped to the side, waving him off when he approached, concerned. "It's fine. It's fine. I've got her." The beret-wearing girl adjusted Velvet on her shoulder. "Heh, you're fun, Arc. Let's hang out more in future, kay?"
"Kay?" he asked.
"Great! I'll catch you around." She staggered past him, Velvet on one shoulder. As she did, however, she reached out a single finger to poke his wet chest. She then put it in her mouth and sucked. "Hmm, refreshing… I'll be sure to tell Velvet how it tasted."
Jaune watched them go, still soaked to the bone, now a little confused as well.
He lifted up his shirt a little and sucked on it.
It didn't taste particularly nice.
"People are weird…"
"See? This is why I hate them. Now Penny, she was normal."
Ugh, not this again.
/-/
Cinder opened her door with a snarl on her lips, which soon died when she saw who was on the other side. A smile threatened to come out instead, but that in turn died when she saw the state he was in. "What happened to you?" she asked.
"Someone threw-"
"No. Never mind…" Cinder reached out to drag him in and slam the door shut behind. His clothing was soaked, practically see-through in places. Was it even raining outside? "You're so irresponsible," she mumbled, pushing his jacket off and tossing it aside. Without even really thinking about it, her hands started to undo his top button, and then the one below. "You do realise that being half-Grimm doesn't make you immune to illness, right?"
"Of course, but-"
"But you don't listen, as usual." She sighed and peeled his shirt open, revealing damp skin beneath. "Arms…"
He held his arms out.
She pulled the shirt off him, leaving him naked from the waist up and shivering slightly. A quick toss got rid of it, though she thought she heard a wet smack and Emerald cry out. She turned with a sigh. "Mercury, fetch me one of yours."
"Ma'am," he nodded, standing up and moving to his cabinet. She nodded as he did, but spared a glance for the other two parts of her team. Neo was watching their visitor with a curious expression. Her head tilted to the side, then tilted further, until it was practically horizontal. Those mismatched orbs were also focused on his bare chest.
Cinder took a measured step to the side, blocking line of sight. "What do you think you're doing?" she snarled.
Emerald yelped. "N-Nothing, ma'am."
Emerald…? Cinder fixed a suspicious glare on her too, but Emerald had her eyes fixed on the shirt in her hands. It was interrupted as Mercury approached and handed over a white uniform shirt to her little brother.
"Thanks, Mercury," Jaune said.
"No prob. What are friends for?"
Good. Very good, Mercury. He really was proving his use in many different ways. She was surprised – and she normally despised surprises. She nodded to him as he moved away, but her head snapped back to Jaune when he tried to put the shirt on. She slapped a hand to his chest, preventing him from doing up the buttons. "Jaune… what are you doing!?"
"Putting the shirt on?"
"You're still damp." She sighed and tugged him over to her bed, pushing him down into it. "Really, this is like being back in the Grimmlands. I thought I taught you better." She grabbed a towel from the dresser and started to rub it roughly in his wet hair. "Mercury gave you his shirt to use. Don't ruin it by getting it wet."
"S-S-Sorry," he stammered, words cut off as she towelled him dry.
She moved onto his shoulder and chest once his hair was done, even if it stuck up at every conceivable angle. She paid particular attention to his chest and stomach. The ridges of his abs had little droplets of water in, and those needed to be removed. She focused on them, running a finger between to get them out.
She then made sure his pecs were dry as well. And then went back to his abs, just in case. It wouldn't do for him to catch a cold. Once they were dry, she went back to his chest.
And then back down to his abs.
"Um, Cinder? I think I'm dry."
Cinder's hands froze. Her eyes took in his form in time to notice that yes, he really was rather dry – in fact, ridiculously so. How long had she been towelling him for? Her brain swam, and she quickly went with the automatic response. "Well, this wouldn't have been necessary if you could but look after yourself." She threw the towel in his face and stomped over to the dresser. "I suppose it's only natural you need me to do everything for you. That's how it's always been, and I imagine that's how it always will be." She sat back down behind him and took his head in one hand. "Sit still. I'll do my best to tame this mess you call hair."
"T-Thanks…" He nodded, and then winced when she gripped his head and tugged him back. After that, he remained still, letting her run the comb through his hair and pull it all back into place.
She noticed Neo watching still, and bit back a small growl. "You can put your shirt on now. There's no reason to sit there half-naked."
"Right…"
The angry look on Neo's face made all of this hard work worth it. Cinder's smile could have caused men to swoon right then and there. Still, it couldn't all be Grimm and murder, no matter how fun it was. "What brings you here, Jaune?" she asked. "I heard about what happened at the docks. I dare say I thought you'd avoid me out of fear of what I'd do after learning you risked your life like that."
"Ha ha, yeah…" He trailed off, suddenly realising she had him in front of her and that he couldn't see what she was doing with her comb. She remained quiet, just to let him simmer with that for a moment. Eventually, he spoke. "I need advice."
I'll say, she thought. You need someone to hold your hand. I wish there was someone else I could trust to do that, but everyone is incompetent. Looks like I'll need to be the one to deal with you… as usual.
"What kind of advice?" she asked. "Relationship advice?"
"What? Ow! You're pulling my hair! No, no. Not relationship stuff!"
"Good."
"Good?"
Her hands paused. "Don't just repeat what I say," she snapped. "If you want advice, then ask. I didn't teach you to be so hesitant."
"Ah, yeah… you're right." Jaune sighed, and she could tell from that just how serious he felt this was. Her ire faded, replaced with something else. Something she couldn't quite discern. It was an alien and unwelcome sensation.
She didn't like it.
All she knew was that it wouldn't go away until his problem was solved. She nudged his back with her elbow, urging him on, even as she kept running her fingers and comb through his soft hair.
"It was at the docks," he began. "Most of it went okay. I didn't intend to transform, nor to show myself, but I didn't have a choice. I would have died otherwise. I figured it would be suspicious if I reappeared, though, and Torchwick knew both my identities, so I didn't want him to see me. I decided to stay transformed but also hide."
She felt a rare rush of hidden pleasure at that. It was a wise plan, one that showed his more analytical side at work. "Well done," she praised. "That was certainly the best choice to be made in that situation."
"Ah, well, I just imagined what you would do."
She preened a little at that. Of course he would emulate her. Who else was he going to listen to, Tyrian, Watts!? She'd have added Hazel, but who even knew what Hazel would do in any given situation. The man was a mystery.
"Go on," she said.
"It didn't quite work out. I tried to stay hidden, but didn't really manage it. One of my friends found me. They didn't recognise me," he added, right before she could start plotting a disappearance. "She had no idea it was me. We were distracted by some White Fang anyway. They tried to kill her. They tried to kill me too."
Note to self; make sure the stupid beasts die when the time comes.
Adam was a useful pawn, but she could find new ones.
"You defended yourself, I take it." She continued to brush his hair. "I very much doubt they were any problem for you."
"They weren't… that's not the problem."
"Then what is?"
"I…" Jaune's hands curled into fists in his lap. He took a deep breath before continuing. "I lost control of myself. Something came over me… I have no idea what. All I know is that I felt really angry, and then I started to fight harder, more viciously. I wanted to hurt them. No, I wanted to kill them."
Hm... she'd wondered if that might happen.
"What happened to me?" he asked. "I don't understand. It was a miracle I even snapped out of it. At the end, I even wanted to hurt my friend. I don't know what or how. I just… I wanted her in my tentacles. I wanted to hurt her." He turned his head to the left, so that one eye could meet hers. "I have to know, Sis. You know everything. I figured you'd know this too."
"Yes, well, I do know a lot," Cinder demurred, though not very hard. She knew he was flattering her, but well... did she not deserve it? She took his face gently and turned it back so he was looking away, fingers weaving his bangs into place while she spoke. "What you faced isn't something we didn't expect in time."
"We?"
"Your mother and I," she said. "It's actually one of the reasons we did not want to let you out among humans just yet."
"What reason?"
Cinder sighed. "You must understand, Jaune. You are, whether you accept it or not, half-Grimm. You have your mother's genes mixed with your father's, and your transformation is just one of the advantages that come with that." Increased durability, excellent reflexes, great aura reserves… while Cinder could admit to not liking Nicholas Arc, there was no denying his contribution to her mistress had birthed very powerful children. Perhaps those genes would pass on to another when Jaune chose a spouse. Such a child would be powerful indeed.
Very powerful…
"Cinder?"
"Huh, what?" She blinked. "Oh yes, right. Well, along with the physical aspects of a Grimm, you also gained some of the psychological ones as well. Many of these are beneficial, but it was inevitable that you would retain some disadvantages as well."
"A Grimm's hunger?" he guessed.
She tapped his head, pleased with his realisation. He was no fool. She'd ensured as much. "Indeed. Grimm, as you know, hunt humans based on their negativity. Even I don't know the full reasoning behind this, but it is something they are created or spawned with. You were born with it as well."
"So I'm going to go wild when faced with negativity?"
Cinder paused. This was a delicate matter. "Maybe," she hedged. "Unlike most Grimm, you have more control over your faculties. You've been surrounded by humans for weeks now without incident, mostly because you don't wish for there to be one. You don't embrace that side of you like most Grimm, so there's no reason to worry about going mad in class."
"Thank Salem," he whispered. "What happened at the docks, then?"
"You were overwhelmed." She laid down her comb and started to brush his hair flat with her hands. "From your description of the event, it sounds like you faced negative emotions on a scale you haven't before. The White Fang hate humans for petty reasons, as do humans in return with the faunus. Terrorists, however, are normally far worse. Coupled with their desire to kill you and your friend, the emotions could have spiralled out of control and ignited something within you."
"But I've never had that happen before!"
"You've never spent so much time around people before," she explained. "What's more, you were already in your Grimm form when it happened. I expect you wouldn't be quite so affected like this, but you were physically more Grimm than human at that moment, not to mention you were likely angry yourself. Your own emotions betrayed you, providing a situation where your anger was driven to a greater extreme by all the anger and hate in the air." She sighed. "We planned to help you control this slowly, by introducing frightful humans to you until you learned to control it."
Jaune gasped. "You and Mom were going to bring me friends!?"
"Uh…" Cinder hesitated as she thought of that, and what his knowledge of their actual plan might have entailed. "Sure," she said. "Friends…"
He wasn't one to like the idea of people kidnapped and exposed to a monster until the monster could control himself. He'd like even less the idea of what would probably happen to those people afterwards. Well, it was moot now since it wouldn't happen.
"You're the best, Cinder!"
"Hm. Well, if you insist." She flicked some hair behind her and smiled. "I am rather magnanimous. Either way, that avenue is closed to us now. If you wish to maintain your cover, then you should avoid transforming into your Grimm side, and if you absolutely must, then you need to avoid situations where negativity pools. Control yourself, and control your mind, and you should be fine." It would be in her best interests if he did control himself, of course. At least until she could claim the maiden's powers.
"I'd rather not feel it at all," he groused. "Isn't there any way to get rid of it?"
"This is a part of you. You cannot avoid it."
"Uh, I figured." He sighed and leaned back into her, and while she rolled her eyes, she allowed it. "This feels nice. Is my hair done yet?"
His what? Cinder looked down at his scalp and winced. It had been done, but she'd started randomly playing with it while she'd been talking, and now it looked like he'd been dragged through several hedges backwards. Luckily, Jaune had the fashion sense of a Boarbatusk. "As well as it can be," she lied. "You should take more care of yourself. Walking around wet like that will make you ill." Her eyes narrowed. "I don't need to waste my time sat at your bedside feeding you soup. Do not make me."
"I'll try my best. Thanks Cinder."
To her disgust, he leaned forward to kiss her cheek. Gods, she hated those little displays of affection he forced on her. She sat through it with a steadfast expression, even as it caused a strange nausea in her stomach. It tingled, as did the spot his lips pressed against.
"You can pay me back in kind," she said. "It's been a while since you brushed my hair." One of the few things he was truly good at, and one of the few pleasures she would never admit to having. His fingers felt unusually good in her hair, and he knew better than to be anything but attentive to her. Of course, there was the one time he'd tried to braid it, but he soon learned that was not to happen.
One of his blasted sisters once put her hair into pigtails while she slept. To this day, she'd never found out which. She would one day, though... and then there would be a reckoning.
"I'll come over this weekend," Jaune promised, standing up with a sigh. "Thanks for the help, Cinder. I mean, I'm still in a bit of a bad spot, but at least I know what's causing it. You really helped."
She nodded. There was little more she could do. "What do you intend to do about it?" she asked.
"I'll keep going. I'm not willing to give up what I've gained, and like you said, this is something I'd have to learn to deal with eventually." He shrugged. "I'll make it work. I won't lose control and do something stupid."
"Good." She nodded. "Mercury will help you."
Her minion flinched. "I will?"
"He will," she affirmed with a quick glare sent his way. "If you feel you're losing control, he will step in and draw your attention, then lead you away. That should minimise the chance of injury occurring to those around you, and the odds of you being discovered." It would maximise the risk of Mercury being hurt, of course, but sacrifices had to be made.
"Yeah," Mercury muttered glumly. "I guess I will…"
"You will?" Jaune's eyes watered. "You're a real friend, Mercury."
"Ha. Yeah. Go me…"
Cinder smiled and turned back to him. "Well, there you have it. Try to control your emotions, Jaune. The last thing any of us need is for you to lose yourself to the Grimm part of you. With the power you possess, I dread to imagine how much harm you could do." She didn't dread it for the harm, of course, so much as the drama it would cause. She didn't think he'd appreciate knowing what she would be doing if he lost control - namely, disposing of the bodies. "Until then, if you have any problems, come to see me. You shouldn't have such a reaction around me. The reason you never experienced it at home is because, Watts, Tyrian, Hazel and I show no negativity or fear to the Grimm." She shrugged. "Neither does your father, obviously."
"That makes sense. I'll keep you in the loop. Thank you for your belief in me, Cinder. It means a lot."
Ah, well… maybe she wouldn't disabuse him of that notion. "It is fine, Jaune," she said, eyes closed. "Naturally, my faith in you remains-"
"You believe in me too, Neo?" Jaune asked. "Thank you!"
Cinder's eyes snapped open, followed by a quick growl as she saw Neo stood between Jaune and the door, a wide smile on her face. She nodded happily, and then opened her arms wide. Jaune stooped down to wrap his around her in a warm hug.
"Aw. Thanks, Neo."
The comb in Cinder's hand went up in flames. She had to resist the urge to do anything, though, even as Neo squeezed him tightly and watched her with a cocky smirk. I still need the girl. I can't kill her. I still need her. Damn it, I want to kill her.
"Oh, and Cinder…?" He paused in the doorway, interrupting her thoughts. One of his hands was on the frame as he looked back to her.
"Yes?"
"I just want you to know what I really don't approve of Roman."
"Roman?" Cinder blinked, wondering what he meant. Well, she hadn't expected him to be pleased with the whole stealing dust, using terrorists and attacking his friends thing. To be fair, she hadn't planned for that, but she could see why he disliked the foppish criminal.
She did too, after all.
"He is annoying, I'll admit," she said, ignoring Neo's fierce glare. "Sadly, I need him for the moment. What he provides, I cannot get elsewhere."
Jaune's cheeks darkened. "Y-Yeah, but… well… I mean, I guess you have needs too. If you needed it, I could…" He cut off, eyes wide. "Never mind! I just… I don't trust him, okay? I don't trust him with you. He isn't good enough."
"He really isn't," she agreed. "Alas, until I find better, he's all I have."
"If you did find someone better… you wouldn't need him anymore?"
"No. I wouldn't." He was just a tool, after all. "There isn't anyone, though. Believe me. I've looked." She was careful with her pawns. Mercury and Emerald had been chosen for very specific reasons, Roman too.
"Would you be offended if I kept an eye open?"
"Do as you wish," she waved a hand. "If you do find someone else, I'll be surprised, but I'll certainly consider them. Well, so long as they're willing to be loyal to me."
"Obviously!" Jaune looked offended. "I would never let them be anything but."
Cinder felt a little surprise, followed by a warm feeling in her chest. How sweet. Well, it was only natural, of course. She deserved to be shown such dedication. It was nice to see she wasn't the only one who felt so. She nodded and waited for Jaune to leave. Once he did, she turned to the side.
"Emerald," she snapped.
"Y-Yes, ma'am?"
"Someone threw water on my little brother." Her eyes narrowed. "I want a name."
"I'll find it out as soon as I can."
"Good." Cinder brushed the ash from her hand and settled back down on her bed. Jaune's loss of control would be an issue, especially if it came up again. She would have to trust in his ability to restrain himself, however.
And really, it wasn't like anything was going to happen to change the status quo or something.
/-/
"So…" Ozpin tapped one finger on the table as he looked towards Glynda. "What do you think?"
"I still think you were too lenient with them," Glynda said. She stood with arms crossed, expression flat. "While it's undeniable their actions helped prevent a crime from taking place, the wilful disregard they showed for procedure, not to mention their own safety, is not something worthy of reward."
"Not that," Ozpin sighed. Goodness knows, he very much knew her opinion on the lack of punishment he'd given out. She'd yet to stop talking about it. "This," he said, pushing an open book across the table. "Does this seem like the creature?"
Glynda hummed and took the book, raising an eyebrow at the worn pages. It was at least sixty years old. On the page he'd chosen was a black and white drawing of a creature with strange black limbs raised above it. "No. He had more of a human body when I saw him," she said. "Ozpin, we've looked through everything. I don't believe the old tales are going to hold an answer to this one."
"I thought as much as well," he admitted, closing the book once she'd given it back. "That does provide results of its own, however. If such a creature has never existed in the past, then it must surely mean a new creation."
"Or an ancient one that went undiscovered. No witnesses hardly means it doesn't exist."
"True," he allowed. "People disappear all the time. Still, the point remains. If this Hentacle-"
"Can we not call it that? I mean, Ozpin… really?"
"It is what the young ladies referred to him as," he said. "I do believe he reacted to the name as well, though I'm sure that is just our mysterious creature learning what word we use to distinguish it. He's capable of speech from your own account, so intelligence is a given."
Glynda grumbled something under her breath, probably still over the name.
"Either way," he continued, once it was clear she wouldn't interrupt, "the very fact that this Hentacle has chosen to reveal himself not once, but three times now, speaks of something important. I fear that difficult times might be ahead." He looked up to his companion. "Do you believe the observations our students made?"
"Of course not. While I'm not personally familiar with Torchwick, I doubt very much that the two are involved in such a manner. Really, to think they would be-"
"I meant what the creature said."
Glynda's cheeks darkened. "A-Ah, right. Yes. Forgive me… which part was that again?"
"Both Miss Rose and Miss Belladonna heard him say he was not there for them. His actions also showed a strange pattern… for a Grimm, anyway. No casualties in any of our encounters. He's shown violence in terms of defending himself, but seems… not unwilling, but perhaps disinterested in causing harm."
"You think he's no threat? Headmaster, he is aligned with Roman Torchwick."
"I did not say that," he said. "I believe our unusual visitor is a threat, yes. Even if he were a regular human, so skilled an individual working with Torchwick would be bad news." He waited for Glynda to nod before continuing. "My thoughts are that Hentacle does not cause harm because it does not suit his purpose."
"His purpose?"
He nodded. "Think, Glynda… so far we have a creature who has intervened in a number of events which involve our students. Each time he runs into trouble with the same people. Each time, the same girls who confront him are left unharmed. While he sought to protect Torchwick, Miss Rose's testament suggests he was not only reluctant to harm her, but perhaps even eager to depart."
"Hm… that's not dissimilar from my own encounter," Glynda said. "Now that I think about it, there would be no reason whatsoever for the two of them to flee from someone like Ruby Rose. They could have killed her with ease." Her eyes narrowed, no doubt recalling that day. "I thought I arrived in time to save her, but the two had already begun their retreat when I arrived."
"An odd choice, no?" Ozpin smiled and leaned forward to rest his chin atop one hand. "If the dust was there goal, why leave without it? Similar to the incident at the docks, they not only left without the dust, but Hentacle told Miss Rose something rather interesting."
"I'm not here for you," Glynda parroted. Her eyes widened. "For you!"
"I see you've noticed my concern. If he was not there for dust, and not there for Miss Rose, then what was he there for? What was his objective?"
"You have an idea, don't you?" Glynda asked.
"I have a suspicion. Do you recall your trip to Forever Fall?"
"I'm not sure how I can forget…" She sighed and massaged her forehead.
"Do you recall the words of a certain team of young men? At the time, we dismissed them as out of hand, but now… I'm not so sure."
"Team CRDL?" Glynda rolled her eyes. "Ozpin, they told me the monster tried to molest them. Their story was that they turned to find him behind them, tentacles raised. Were that the case, however, I'm not sure how they could have outrun him. It's probably just a case of an over-active imagination."
"Or that he didn't want them, either," Ozpin countered. "While we can't prove or disprove their story, we know that he was present on the day, and that he had violent encounters with numerous teams. Miss Belladonna, Rose and Xiao-Long were unharmed. Team CRDL were spooked, but also uninjured. If anything, I believe Hentacle chose to let them go."
"Chose to…? Not mercy, surely." Her eyes narrowed. "You believe they weren't what he was looking for. But if he was, why approach at all?"
"Ah, but Glynda. He didn't." Ozpin leaned forward. "We know from both you and Miss Xiao-Long, that he can control Grimm. There was one other victim in Forever Fall. Someone who wasn't let go, and in fact was almost taken."
"Jaune Arc," Glynda said. "He managed to free himself but was abducted by Beowolves."
"Indeed. Abducted by Beowolves in a forest that our new friend chose to frequent. Keep in mind that after he escaped, Hentacle was seen approaching a team of young men, but that he allowed them to flee once they turned in his direction." Ozpin's smile grew. "Once he'd seen their faces."
"No…" Glynda stepped back. "You're suggesting… that doesn't make sense!"
"It does not, but the evidence is there. Glynda, recall initiation." He paused to let her collect her thoughts. "Do you remember Hentacle's presence there?" She nodded. "Do you also recall several students being allowed to leave an encounter with him unharmed?"
"Rose and Nikos," she said. "Perhaps Xiao-Long too, but she fled when he turned in her direction. We're not sure he actually spotted her."
"Exactly. Still, do you recall a certain student not being let go? A certain student who was perhaps attached by an unusually aggressive Nevermore?"
"Arc…"
"Precisely." Ozpin stood from his seat and moved towards the window. The sun was only just setting outside, casting the campus in the bright red of twilight. It was beautiful. It was his to protect. "When a Nevermore takes a young man, even a huntsman, then there is almost no chance for survival. The specimen which held him was large indeed, and I'll admit I feared the worst."
"As did I," Glynda said. "Mr Arc acquitted himself well."
"Did he…?" Ozpin saw her eyes narrow in the reflection of the glass. "I'm not saying Mr Arc didn't fight well, but to survive such an encounter, let alone when taken to its nest? It struck me as odd the first time I heard it, and it's only after this recent event that I pieced it together. What if his survival wasn't quite as due to skill and perseverance as we expected? What if the Grimm was unable to kill him because it wasn't allowed to."
Glynda's eyes widened. "Do you mean to say it was ordered not to? Why?"
"Because he was not here for Miss Ruby Rose, or anyone else." Ozpin said. "Because he was there, because he was in initiation, at Forever Fall, and at the docks… for a different person."
"For Arc… he was there for Jaune Arc. That would… it would make sense with the Beowolves." Glynda's shoulders stiffened, as she no doubt realised the implications. "The Nevermore was the first abduction attempt but we didn't notice. After that there was Forever Fall, where he used Grimm again to try and kidnap Arc out from under our noses."
"And the third time, when the Grimm had already failed twice?" Ozpin sighed and looked back out the window. "There comes a point where someone feels that if they cannot rely on others, they must do it themselves. Mr Arc was at the docks if you recall. He was simply knocked out of the fight early."
"But Hentacle would not have known that," she finished. "He arrived in time to see everyone but Jaune Arc, and then decided to retreat." Her head perked up. "Ozpin. Do you remember what Miss Belladonna said, about how she first saw him when he had his tentacles around that young man? He was blonde as well!"
"Hentacle was inspecting his prey," Ozpin agreed. "Once he realised it was not the quarry he was looking for, he left him alone. Had Mr Arc shown himself, the situation might have been very different. Different… and dangerous."
Glynda looked like she wasn't sure what to think. Her mouth opened and closed several times, but it took a minute or so before words formed. "Ozpin, you're sure of this? It sounds so fantastical."
"Were the Maidens any different, Glynda? I wouldn't be quite so certain if this wasn't the third time it has occurred. Once might be an accident, twice careless – but for us to ignore it now?"
"No, you're right," she said. "There is definitely something happening here. How can we think otherwise when there's an intelligent Grimm creature running around causing us trouble? It can't hurt to expect the worst. The question is… why? Why does he want Arc?"
"That is a question I've been dwelling on all night," Ozpin admitted. Dwelling, reading and researching, all to little avail. The legends didn't cover it, nor did the fables, but there were hints… if he but made a few assumptions. Those could be dangerous, but this was different. As far back as mankind went, people vanished in Grimm territory. Children were swept away, adults too, and everyone assumed it was to their deaths.
What if it wasn't? What if some were taken alive for some other purpose?
What if Jaune Arc was one of those people?
"We can't know for sure," he eventually said. "But what we do know is that he is looking for something… something that he believes Mr Arc contains. We can also assume he's working with this Queen figure since he has Torchwick on his side. That would suggest he's under orders." Ozpin chuckled. "I think we can rule out the idea of a sexual predator too. Young women's minds wander, and the ladies of Teams WJRP and RYBN are young and healthy indeed. Very healthy if their thoughts are any indication."
"Y-Yes," Glynda said, looking away. Her cheeks were bright red. "Those silly girls. Thinking things like that. I mean, really, who would ever be interested in something like that? Not I, certainly! I mean, to even think it would be madness!"
She trailed off.
Ozpin turned to face her.
She fidgeted with her clipboard.
"Yes, well..." He coughed and forged ahead. "Regardless of our student's more colourful interests, the danger seems clear to me. I believe this to be another power akin to the Maidens, perhaps even one we've never encountered before." His eyes narrowed. Mr Arc didn't seem to exhibit anything like that, but he could admit to not looking too closely. That would have to change. "The course appears obvious. We must protect this power, nurture and enable it to grow. If the Grimm fear it, then we want it on our side."
"Do you want me to suggest him for personal training?" Glynda asked.
"No. That might make it too obvious." There was no telling whether the Queen had someone in the school already. Not a student, of course. He was more perceptive than that. No one would be able to sneak in under his gaze, but there was no telling whether the Nevermore who flew overhead could see or overhear. "I have someone else in mind," he went on. "He's been complaining about the boredom of his missions lately. Perhaps something like this will be more to his liking."
Glynda sighed.
"I'll tell Peter to lock the drinks cabinet."
/-/
Ruby woke up with a cold sweat. Her body reared forward, upsetting the blankets atop her form as she took several deep breaths and tried to calm down. Her skin felt fevered, sweat beaded on her brow, but it was the mortification that she felt the most.
Oh no. She'd had one of those dreams.
Ruby's cheeks darkened as she buried herself back under the covers and pulled them up to touch her nose. She felt her neck and ears burn, but that was nothing compared to other parts of her. Desperately, she tried to listen and find out if anyone else was awake. It seemed they weren't. Thank goodness…
Just ignore it, she told herself, turning over onto her side. It was just normal things and hormones. She got them too, despite what Yang acted like, and it wasn't like they were abnormal or anything. It was a part of growing up. There was nothing strange about it.
Well, except for the subject material.
Her legs tingled beneath the sheets as she remembered the feeling of those smooth, slick tentacles being wrapped around her. Her skin recalled the sensation of them winding between her legs, of being left helpless and bound, but of feeling safe at the same time, even if no one else would have agreed. They'd been so strong, yet also soft and gentle at the same time.
Her knees began to rub together. It didn't help much, but it was the most she could do.
Stop thinking about it, she whined. She'd been held hostage. That wasn't something to get excited about, no matter what it had made her feel, and no matter how good it felt at the time. Those sensations had been so alien, so much more real than anything she might have dreamt when puberty first hit. She'd never been interested in boys like the other girls her age, nor the things those girls talked about.
Had this been something she'd missed out on? She couldn't tell.
But she could not – could not – be aroused by some Grimm criminal. He was friends with Torchwick, for crying out loud! He was evil. He took her hostage. It felt so good… Bad! She meant bad!
Ruby groaned into her hands, covering her face. This couldn't be happening to her. She couldn't be fantasising over something like this. Okay. It's fine, Ruby. It's normal for this to happen. All I need to do is think normal things that don't get me excited at all.
She tried to dispel the image of Hentacle's bare chest from her mind, and of those limbs cradled so tightly around her legs, holding her- okay, time to stop thinking of it now. Jaune! There was a good idea. Jaune was safe. She imagined him flying in, sword in hand, to sever those tentacles and catch her as she fell. He'd hold her in his arms, pulling her into his chest and- wait…
Were her legs rubbing together again!? No! Treacherous thoughts! Betrayal! Mutiny! She rolled over so she was face-down and smothered a groan into her pillow. This was not how things were supposed to be. Not at all…
And she still didn't know what tentacle hentai was.
All she knew was that if it involved being held up like that, and wrapped up in those things… that she maybe wanted to know a little more.
Yang could never find out.
Oh my. Ruby is experiencing an awakening… the awakening. Whenever I write fics, I do tend to typecast a little, and fall into the habit of writing my characters similarly across all my stories. You may have noticed. Ruby often falls into the role of being too innocent to ever be considered as a pairing, or really as anything other than a best friend. In a way, this is my way of dragging her out of that. It always just did feel to me like she's never shown any interest in the male form. Some girls don't, even by the age of fifteen. I guess in my head, my thought of her was always that she was one of those people. She just never sexually awakened.
Welp… now she has. While I know some people will act all weird because, "oh noes, a fifteen year-old being aroused. Let's call the police". I'd like to point out that a) this is fiction, and b) this is MORE than tame for what any fifteen year old has likely seen or done.
Next Chapter: 8th June
P a treon . com (slash) Coeur