Orchids was completely silent. Everyone had seen Gris Fourneau go off on his program before. It had been kind of funny when separated by distance and filtered through their TV screens. The experience of his anger in person was something no one was really expecting. There was also the niggling sense of doubt as to whether he would even return. A sense of shock hovered throughout the small eatery. At this point the owner, Ms. Orquídia, would only really be shocked by a horde of Grimm storming Vale.
The universe then decided that Ms. Orquídia was a far more entertaining target than Jaune Arc in that moment.
Scattered conversation had slowly returned to Orchids following Fourneau's rampaging exit. The small little embers of life were adding warmth to the tastefully decorated restaurant. Unfortunately, the conversations were quickly snuffed out. Gris returned, an arm draped around the shoulder of a lanky teenager that looked shockingly like the infamous chef. The smile adorning the fountain of volatile anger was shocking. A tall, dark-headed, and collected young man and a shorter redheaded fireball of a girl followed in the Chef's wake. Everyone got the the impression that pair weren't sure if they should keep a friendly distance from each other or hold hands.
"Beef Wellington?" The teenager next to Gris laughed out loud. "Are you sure you aren't messing with me, dad?"
"It's today's special. Some how these damned idiots cocked it up," Gris explained. Jaws dropped throughout Orchids. The fact that Gris even had a son was a stunning revelation. What was more incredible was that Gris Fourneau...sounded...happy with another human being. He had barely used any foul language when talking to the boy.
"Hey, can you do me a favor before I get started? My friends will need a table," Jaune asked his dad.
"Friends?" Gris asked while Jaune rolled up his sleeves to wash his hands.
"Pyrrha, Ruby, Ren, Nora, Weiss, Blake, and Yang," Jaune rattled off the names of his friends as they filtered into the dining area.
Ms. Orquídia gulped. "Pyrrha...Nikos and...is 'Weiss', Miss Schnee?"
Jaune beamed. "Yeah, Pyrrha's my partner and she's teaching me not to stab myself with my weapon. I use the pointy end, right Pyrrha?"
"You can learn," Pyrrha joked.
Yang fist pumped. "Pyrrha! You made an actual joke! I'm so proud of you!" Never let it be said that Yang Xiao Long had any concept of 'Hey, I've got four cameras filming my interactions with my friends. Maybe I should calm down?' The Blonde Brawler proceeded to pull Pyrrha into a hug that threatened to suffocate Pyrrha in her chest.
"And Weiss is Weiss," Jaune added as he diverted his gaze. He didn't particularly want to, but springing a boner on TV wouldn't be the best idea.
"Hey!"
Jaune rolled his neck as he strolled into the kitchen. "Talk to me people! What's going on?" There was no response. Jaune sighed and he clapped harshly. "Talk to me people! Orders up? What are we running low on? I'm glad we aren't in the Emerald Forest! Taladris could sneak up on us with a marching band with everyone this out of it!"
"Well..." A sous-chef stammered. He began rattling off orders. Jaune sprang into action and started preparing the meals. He would shout out orders and instructions to the other cooks.
Gris couldn't help but beam at his son's actions. "This is what you call taking control of a fucking kitchen! I want you to tell me all this 'useless noise' isn't getting the meals moving at a proper bloody pace!"
In the dining area, the single ladies were very intrigued by the driven and commanding Jaune in the kitchen.
"So, that's the Jaune Ozpin put in charge," Ruby whispered.
Pyrrha was very pleased by the commanding, confident Jaune. There was none of the self-deprecation, sarcasm (even if Pyrrha found Jaune's dry wit highly amusing), or hesitation that occasionally cropped up in Jaune's mannerisms.
Blake's thoughts were along the same lines as Pyrrha's musings. However, she was mostly nervously debating whether or not ordering the grouper was a good idea.
"You useless fuckwits!" Gris bellowed. "Have you not been paying attention to the actual fucking cook? Pull your heads out of your asses and talk to each other! If you had opened your mouths, Kulta wouldn't have run into Sininen and dropped the last of the fucking grouper!"
"Noooooooo!" Blake wailed and rested her head on the table. The young woman received a sympathetic back rub from her team leader.
"I'm sure we can convince Jaune to make some fish. Maybe that can be the dinner of cooking lessons!" Ruby chattered trying to cheer up her friend.
"Really?" Blake asked hopefully. Ruby looked to her friends with a blatant, 'Help me out here!' look.
"I am sure Jaune would enjoy teaching us," Pyrrha agreed. She remembered how second hand pleading had nearly gotten the girls a puppy, consequences be damned. A fraction of that would easily get Jaune to teach the girls to cook.
"Take over!" Jaune shouted at someone. He sounded...a bit angry. No one was really sure what was going on, but the owner did not look happy. "Cutting this off already. One, yes this wasn't ordered. Two, no you won't be getting a quarter of a lien from this. Three, my friend out there is upset so go choke on it."
Everyone's eyes went wide. It appeared that Jaune did in fact get a fraction of his dad's temper. JNPR's leader just had an aversion to profanity. "Weiss! Need a glyph."
"What?" Weiss shouted back. She rolled her eyes and headed to the kitchen The remainder of JNPR and RWBY watched closely as Weiss talked to Jaune. "Okay! Ice cream flavors, people!"
Everyone called out their favorites, which was mostly chocolate and vanilla. Ruby demanded strawberry.
"Alright Weiss, normally this would take four hours, but we're going to cheat. I need your to freeze the hell out of all this ice cream," Jaune explained.
Weiss gave a confused look. "You want me to use my Semblance...to freeze ice cream even more than usual?"
"So I can fry it," Jaune confirmed.
"O-Okay..." Weiss just decided to agree with Jaune. He had made her like tacos. Somehow, he had turned cornflakes, chicken, milk, and salt and pepper into an amazing meal. The heiress was confident he could pull this off.
The glyph appeared and Jaune flashed Weiss an appreciative smile. "This'll give the tarts a run for their money."
"We'll see about that, Arc," Weiss laughed as she returned to the booth JNPR and RWBY were waiting.
Jaune turned to Ms. Orquídia. "I'm about to introduce you to your new bestselling dessert. If you want to thank me, don't say another word."
Gris was pleased by the steel in his son's spine and the fire in his belly. 'To think, his fucking mother wanted him to be a fucking lawyer.'
Jaune rushed through the creation of the batter. He had to act quick. The outward reason was that he had to prepare the treats quickly. The real reason was simply that he wanted to be out of this incompetent place and hang out more with his friends. Fortunately, frying the process was quick. Jaune also played to the cameras. He explained how to prepare the dessert quickly and clearly.
"Help me out, dad?" Jaune asked as he put the fried ice cream on a tray. Gris nodded and helped out Jaune. "Ladies...Ren...oh, and Yang."
"Very funny, Fugitive," Yang chuckled.
Jaune rolled his eyes. "Here you go Blake. I think they could hear how disappointed you were in being denied fish on Vytal."
"How do you even manage to fry ice cream?" Blake asked, astonished by the concept.
"Very carefully," the cook answered cheekily.
Blake was feeling better. She wasn't sure how everyone would react, but it would be fun. "Like how you hid in my cabin to avoid Captain Colcannon?"
"I wasn't exactly hiding carefully," Jaune countered and handed out the last of the ice cream.
Ruby and Nora devoured their options. Pyrrha took a few very satisfied bites and smirked at Jaune and Blake. "He hid very carefully in my bed on the airship."
"Bold," Jaune laughed. "You do realize Yang is going to never let any of us forget about this conversation, right?"
The group laughed, completely oblivious to the cameras. Ruby sighed as she tried to find a bit more of the dessert on her plate. "If I had known Jaune was this good a cook, I might have kept him in that box and to myself."
Gris burst out laughing as Jaune returned to the kitchen. His son returned a moment later. Nora still had her spoon in her mouth when she asked, "What was that all about?"
"Just had to make sure I didn't put liquor in the ice cream..." Jaune joked, but was clearly flustered by the messages, both verbal and non-verbal, the girls had sent. He was quite shocked that Yang hadn't been cackling, teasing, or some combination of the two yet.
"Ow! You bit me!" Weiss snapped.
It was at that moment Yang returned in the full glory of the supremely amused. "T-This! This is the greatest moment ever! EVER! Fugitive! You sly dog! Did you plan all that on the airship? Please tell me you are some kind of hormone-driven mastermind!"
"I get motion sick on a go kart. What makes you think I'd get on an airship to plan something like that out in advance?" Jaune asked and noted his dad had slipped off to get back to work. JNPR and RWBY traded barbs, puns, and general banter for a few minutes.
Jaune had reached a single conclusion that was equally incredibly awesome and terrifying on a level that only a horde of Grimm could compete with: Blake, Pyrrha, and Ruby were legitimately into him. Not, Weiss and Yang 'teasing because it's funny' flirting, but one-hundred-percent legit 'We're all in to Jaune Arc' flirting.
'What the hell am I supposed to do now?' Jaune worried. He pulled out his scroll and fired off a simple message to his dad. Jaune Fourneau was definitely going to need a hell of a lot of paternal advice on this potential train-wreck.
A few hours later, Teams RWBY and JNPR were leaving the movie theater. Yang, Ruby, and Nora were providing an onamonapia filled review of the movie. Ruby was particularly enthused by the opportunity to make odd explosion noises. Pyrrha and Weiss were chatting amicably about how different mainstream movies were from the art house films they had been shackled to in the past. Jaune was lost in thought. He was so deep in his mobile mediation, that he had no idea Ren was next to him.
"Is everything okay, Jaune?"
"Yeah, I guess I'm fine, Ren." Jaune shrugged. "Feel confused about a few things."
"Understandable," Ren spoke a single word. Jaune chuckled at his friend's ability to say everything in one word. "That isn't all, is it?"
"Is your Semblance the ability to read people?" The cook asked. Ren shook his head. "So, you're just that good?"
"Better. You just wear your emotions on your sleeves." Ren shared a laugh.
"Cheeky bastard!" Jaune shouted with mirth, earning a few concerned looks from the others.
Nora rolled her eyes. "Don't worry, ladies. Our two favorite doofs are just speaking in Guy."
The girls were mollified by Nora's explanation and returned to their conversations, books, or private musings.
Blake...was mostly reading Gris' new book with renewed vigor. She had met the man and was curious to see how her perceptions would change. The Faunus found her thoughts turning unbidden to comparing her friend to his father. Blake found herself curious as to how Jaune had been shaped by Gris Fourneau. 'He certainly has a much better response to his anger. I wonder what else I could get him to do...'
Pyrrha cast another quick glance back to Jaune and Ren. The champion had no experience with brothers as an only child. Her experience with other men was also threadbare and honestly a bit unpleasant. Jaune and Ren were the most pleasant boys Pyrrha had ever met. Especially Jaune. Pyrrha had been flirted with before. A part of her liked the flattery, but it range hollow. They were flirting with The Invincible Girl, the Champion. None of her 'suitors' had frankly given a damn about Pyrrha Nikos. Jaune Arc clearly cared about Pyrrha over the Invincible Girl. In fact, Jaune had only mentioned her skill a few times. Those times had been to thank her for helping with his own techniques or to just make small talk to avoid studying. Pyrrha was truly beginning to treasure him.
Yang was verbally poking at both Ruby and Nora. She was purposefully bringing up the romance subplot in the movie in an attempt to get some kind of reaction. Nora simply Nora'd, which was always fun. It just wasn't the reaction Yang had been hoping. Oh, but Ruby! Little sister had yet to upset her! Ruby flushed a little bit and cast a serendipitous glance to Jaune. Yang was shocked by the lack of urge to threaten and/or beat the hell out of Jaune in a bout of preemptive protectiveness. Fugitive was probably the best possible option for a first crush for Ruby. That didn't mean Yang would go easy on him. If he hurt Ruby, Yang would make Jaune wish he had shaved her head instead of hurting Ruby.
Jaune and Ren were completely unawares of the musings of their friends. The Arc/Fourneau simply continued where he had left off. "I'm just...trying to figure out how I view my family."
"How so?" Ren once again asked a great deal in just a few words.
"I've always been closer to my dad. You saw how he treated me. He was proud of me, he encouraged me...Dad is the only reason I'm even at Beacon. Mom wouldn't let me go to Combat School. I don't resent her or even blame her that much. She...went in the opposite direction you and Nora did."
Ren looked away and nodded. Jaune didn't need to say anymore. "How did Gris, your father, get you into Beacon?"
"He won't tell me the story, but he worked directly with Ozpin on 'missions'. Dad spent two full days talking with Professor Ozpin. I don't know really what they talked about, but when Dad finally got back in touch with me, he had my Beacon papers. Anyway, between that and just generally being a lot more supportive of me and my dreams, I've always been a heck of a lot closer to Dad."
"And?" Ren pressed. There was clearly more to the story.
Jaune sighed. "I haven't been thinking of myself as Jaune Arc all day. It's been Jaune Fourneau. I kinda feel bad about it. Sort of like I'm ditching my mom and sisters."
"Have you talked to your father about it?"
"Not really, but kinda."
Ren smiled at Jaune. "You were made leader of JNPR for a reason. Jaune, you'll be fine."
"Thanks buddy." Jaune felt a metaphorical weight lift off his shoulders. He let his guard down and simply decided to enjoy the rest of the evening.
None of the students had noticed that they had been followed for some time. Sininen, the bird Faunus cook from Orchids, had actually been tailing. He had snuck a few pictures of JNPR and RWBY of the half-hour he had tracked his quarry. The Faunus felt confident he had sufficient evidence and slipped away. 'They have to know.'
Today was the day. Jaune nodded at his myriad, and beautiful, co-conspirators. They all nodded back as Nora rattled off a series of facts about the four-chambered stomachs that made up nearly thirty percent of a sloth's body weight.
"Guys! I know you are saying it's a surprise, but why did it take us so long to get here?" Nora griped. She had woken up at five am out of sheer excitement the second Pyrrha had mentioned 'sloth exhibit at the zoo'. Luckily for everyone and for the plan, Nora had practically draped herself over Ren the entire day.
"We're going to check out the Sloths first," Nora declared. "No arguments, no alternative suggestions, nothing other than 'Yes, Nora. Sloths are amazing and we should go there first.' So, sloths?"
"Sloths," Ruby and Jaune quickly agreed. Nora practically dragged a surprisingly fidgety Ren to the exhibit.
Jaune turned to his fellow conspirators. "Something's up."
"Do you think Ren knows about The Plan?" Blake whispered.
Ruby shook his head. "We've all been so careful."
"Maybe," Weiss mused with a series of taps to her chin. "Maybe 'Renny' has a plan of his own?"
"The possibility exists..." Pyrrha supplied.
"We'll have to wing it and work with him," Yang backed up her friends. JNPR and RWBY worked their way through the crowds to the Sloth Exhibit. Truth be told, Weiss and Pyrrha didn't exactly have to break the bank or fight off the unwashed masses to secure the hour and a half.
Pyrrha took the lead as the zoo attendant smiled at the large group. "Miss Nikos, we are honored that you, Miss Schnee and your associates..."
"Friends," Weiss corrected instantly. Pyrrha wished she had the social courage to be so forward. Especially in circumstances such as these.
"Our apologies," the public relations sap said. "We are very excited to provide this unique look at the wonderful conservation work our zoo does. Also, I notice that Mr. Lie is with you! Wonderful! You will be pleased to hear that everything is prepared."
Nora's jaw dropped. "I think I know where this is going."
"If you would all please follow me, we can begin the tour. I am also excited to announce Dr. Cinzento Folivora will be joining us for a few minutes of the tour. He is..."
"ONLY THE WORLD'S LEADING EXPERT ON SLOTHS. GENETICS AND EVOLUTIONARY HISTORY! ALL OF IT!" Nora fangirled. She fangirled on a level that would bring cities to their knees.
Everyone couldn't help but smile at Nora's enthusiasm. The tour began with a basic overview of the public areas. Nora rattled off a series of concerns raised in a few studies about certain species of sloths and their reaction to captivity. The zoo did an admirable job of alleviating her concerns. Weiss surprised everyone by asking some hard-hitting questions about how the zoo would use all donations.
"You would be a really good reporter," Ruby praised her partner. Weiss smiled as she thanked Ruby.
Jaune wanted to speak with Ren about what his brother-from-another-mother had planned, but Nora had a grip on Ren's arm that was as secure any sloth grip. The J and P of JNPR exchanged a pleased, nonverbal 'conversation' about how The Plan was advancing so well.
Yang was about to make a, probably, pun-fueled observation. Jaune's Scroll put a hold on that plan. "Excuse me, ladies...Ren."
The Arc slipped off to the side as Nora began her freak out over Dr. Cinzento Folivora's arrival.
"Hey, Dad."
Gris' voice was exuberant. "Jaune! Orchids had to close for the day. Really bad news, but some good news."
"Give me the bad," Jaune said in an even voice. He had a sinking feeling and didn't want to alarm anyone.
"The owner had to head to the frontier. Her cousin's village was evacuated. Mass Grimm migration."
"Shit," Jaune breathed. Blake and Pyrrha looked up at the expletive. Jaune flashed them a 'Don't worry, we're good,' thumbs up. "How bad?"
Gris responded with a sigh of relief. "For once, we beat the Grimm to the village. Everyone got out."
Jaune knew that his dad always referred to Huntsmen and Huntresses as 'We' even though he hadn't been in the field since a few weeks after Jaune's third sister had been born nearly a decade ago. "Good to hear that we scored a win over the Grimm. That's not the good news you meant, though?"
"Not for us. Are you still at the zoo with your team and friends?" Gris asked.
"We've been here for a while. Things are going good," Jaune filled his dad in.
"Think they'd be mad if I stole you for a bit? We haven't had a chance to talk since your mom blew up about Beacon. Yubte is a fine place here at the zoo," Gris suggested. There was no mistaking the hope in his voice.
"I'll fill them in," Jaune promised. "Thirty minutes?"
"Thirty minutes works perfectly. You know how impossible it is for public transport to get anywhere on fucking time," Gris laughed.
The pair said their farewells. Jaune's sigh was noted by several of his friends.
"Is everything okay, Jaune?" Ruby asked.
"Bad news, two things of good news, and some great news," Jaune said without preamble.
"What's the bad news? You always lead with the bad," Yang declared.
"Grimm hit a village on the frontier where the cousin of the owner of the restaurant where we ran into my dad lives. The great news is that the evacuation went off without a real hitch. No casualties among the people. The Good news is Dad wants to meet me for lunch in thirty since the other good news is that he doesn't have to film his show today."
Nora, still attached to Ren's arm, half-turned towards Jaune. "You don't get much time with your dad, do you Jaune?"
"Not as much as I would like," Jaune was honest in his reply.
Ruby grinned. "I'd actually be really happy if my daddy showed up right now..." She paused and looked quickly to Nora. Her hands waving wildly puncuated her hasty, "Not that I'm not loving the sloths...they are adorable...I..."
"Not worry, Ruby! I get it," Nora smiled.
The tour continued. Yang, Weiss, and Ruby went over to Nora and Ren to provide them with more camaraderie. Pyrrha and Blake approached Jaune. Pyrrha looked torn between happy that Jaune was getting a chance to spend time with family and sad that she wasn't getting a chance to spend more time with him. Blake seemed to have a similar mindset, but she was nowhere near as obvious about her feelings as Pyrrha.
"Everything okay, ladies?" Jaune asked. He knew that neither of the beauties in front of him would take the lead in a social situation unless there was no other option.
"I am glad you are getting time to spend with your father," Pyrrha began. "Could you find out about the refugees? I would like to help them in any way I can."
Pyrrha was completely genuine. She was not seeking an 'in' to boost her own celebrity. 'Pyrrha actually hates her own celebrity,' Jaune reminded himself. For Jaune's partner, the fame she 'enjoyed' was simply a means to multiply the good she could do as a Huntress.
"Tell Chef Fourneau, thank you," Blake said. "Enjoy the time you have with your father, Jaune."
"I will...to, well, everything. Hope you have fun here with everyone," Jaune said before heading out. He weaved his way through the light crowds while his thoughts weaved around his current situations. The Fourneau son was really looking forward to just spending time with his dad. Gris could also help with Jaune's current situation. The looming entanglement was a cross between an enormous ego boost, emotional minefield, and an enormous opportunity. Jaune would never, ever, say he didn't like the attentions of several beautiful women. It was just he was cursed with being a nice guy with a healthy and abiding respect for women. He wasn't going to lead anyone on and hurt them.
Plus, the girls were all close friends. They'd probably all team up and kill him if Jaune tried playing them.
'I really need to talk to Dad...' Jaune half-lamented.
Sininen flexed his head crest in annoyance. He had pretty vital information and was being led around like a punk. Couriers were supposed to be treated with a bit more respect. People like Sininen literally carried the secrets of the Revolution! Everything had changed following the incident with the SDC train. Obviously a mid-level courier in Vale like Sininen wouldn't know about Undertakings of that nature, but word still leaked out.
'I wonder what kind of secrets that high-ranker took with her? Word is that Comrade Taurus has taken an active role in things,' the bird Faunus recalled some of the details he had heard. The door to the back room finally opened. A sister of the White Fang, a Capybara if Sininen was right, strode into the room. "Brother, before I take you to the Lieutenant, I will need you to answer three questions about this information."
"Absolutely, ma'am!"
"First. Could you give three details about the Faunus in the group that could confirm her identity?"
Sininen smiled. "She was very determined to hide her heritage. This 'Blake' concealed her ears beneath a large black bow. I believe she also used that fucking scent masker made by the SDC. Finally, I recognized her eyes. My cousin has feline traits. I'd recognize them anywhere."
"Are you sure her name was Blake?" The Capybara Faunus asked.
"The Schnee Heiress called her that,' the lower-ranking White Fang member confirmed. "Those two seemed close."
"A SCHNEE?" A voice roared forth from the back room. The physically imposing Lieutenant of the White Fang had Sininen in his grasp and nearly a full two feet off the ground before anyone could react. "She's friends with a fucking Schnee?"
"O-On the same Huntress Team at Beacon," the courier gulped.
"Of course that traitorous bitch went to cower behind Ozpin!" The Lieutenant spat as he dropped the avian Faunus. "Who else was she soiling herself with?"
"Pyrrha Nikos and the son of Gris Fourneau. I...I think there's a thing brewing with the Jaune kid," Sininen squawked out. He shakily rose to his feet.
"You better have more proof than just your word," the Lieutenant hissed. Sininen offered his Scroll. The Lieutenant snatched the device away. A folder full of photos and a few videos was already open for viewing. "How'd you get away with taking so many photos and videos?"
"Pyrrha Nikos and Gris Fourneau are two of the biggest human celebrities on Remnant. No one would question taking photos of the "Invincible Girl" or videoing Gris Fourneau flipping out on my boss," the cook explained.
The White Fang officer grunted. He was actually surprised by the clever reasoning. The limited good mood was swept away in a tide of red anger. There was no mistaking it. She was not only enjoying the company of a Schnee, but Sininen hadn't been exaggerating. "Our traitor...how much was she pumping out?"
"This Blake chick had no clue how many pheromones she was pumping out. Enough to use to season the food we were cooking," Sininen's comment was bitter.
"You did the right thing with this," the Capybara Faunus reentered the conversation.
The giant snorted in agreement. "Report back here tomorrow. The way you recovered this information was subtle. We're going to need subtle soon."
"Do you want me to go out swinging at work? I could probably piss off Gris Fourneau and paint him and his SDC handlers as publicly anti-Faunus."
"Not necessary, but we definitely need to start working the media..." The Lieutenant mused. "Head home. Be here tomorrow the second your shift ends."
Sininen saluted and dashed for the door. The giant White Fang officer groaned. "I'm going to contact Adam. He's going to be furious, but he needs to know."
His associate stepped forward. "Comrade Taurus won't do anything...rash, will he?"
"I'm worried I'm going to do something rash. Blake was Adam's right hand. I always thought they were like us..." There was clear hurt in the Faunus Revolutionary's voice. Adam was not just the warrior's commander, the provider of the vision of Faunus Liberation, or a peerless solider to the Lieutenant. No, Adam was his friend...his brother.
The other White Fang soldier closed the distance and did her best to wrap her arms around the officer. "We'll make it right, dear. She's made her choice and we will bring her to justice just like all the apostates to the cause and all of mankind."
"You know just what to say," the Faunus chuckled darkly. "I'm sure you'll be the one to lead the race traitors to the wall."
"Of course," the revolutionary chirped. "Good luck. Poor Adam, though, he doesn't deserve this."
Jaune embraced his dad warmly. "If you're five minutes early, you're on time."
"If you're on time, you're late," Gris recited the familiar greeting.
"And if you're late, just don't fucking show up," Jaune finished with a smile. Gris lead his son to a booth with a view of the kitchen. "Is this one of Ya'ax's restaurants?"
"It is, sadly, the bastard isn't here," Gris chuckled. "You know that every time we meet, Ya'ax spouts the same bullshit."
Jaune grinned. "He wants to hire me?"
The older chef straightened. His tone took on an odd accent. "Gris, Gris! That bo-ah of yours is a gen-ar-at-ional talent! Tell him, I have to get him in my restaurant in Atlas!"
"I can actually see and hear him say that!" Jaune pounded the table as he laughed. "D-Does he spin his index finger when he says generational?"
"You bet your ass he does!" Gris crowed. The mirth died down to manageable levels as the waitress nervously approached. She introduced herself as Zisa, provided the menus, and took their drink orders. Jaune nearly caused her to melt with just a smile and a compliment on her professionalism.
It took Jaune a moment to realize Gris was staring at him, crossed armed and amused. "What? What did I do, Dad?"
"I think we may have found your Semblance, you're a bloody charmer aren't you?" The Chef's teasing manner harbored a bit of pride.
Jaune sighed. "I guess. It's got me on the edge of trouble, I think."
The drinks arrived and Gris hit the breaks on the conversation for a moment. Zisa left with a smile that lingered a bit longer than professional when directed at Jaune.
"It happened again, didn't it?" Jaune asked and received a nod from his world-famous father. "This is going to get me in a rough spot."
"I take it this is about those girls that you showed up with?"
Jaune's posture was all the affirmation Gris needed, but Jaune continued. "Mostly. Nora and Ren, well, we're all trying to hook those two up."
"And the others?" Gris prompted.
"Well, Yang and Weiss are friends. Yang's flirts are kind of a running gag at this point. Weiss is Weiss. The issue is the rest of my friends. I mean, it's obvious with the rest. Problem is...they are all incredible."
"There are dozens of men who'd love to have the attentions of the Invincible Girl, much less her even acknowledge their existence."
Gris hadn't expected a hard look to fall over his son's face. "Is it so hard for people to use Pyrrha's actual name?"
"I'm proud of your reaction," the former huntsman complimented his son. "And don't you think that is part of the reason you've won over the girls?"
"I guess. I get me and Pyrrha, but I can't deny there's a...I dunno...spark whenever I'm around Blake and Ruby too," Jaune admitted.
"This is not going to be the advice you probably were hoping for, Jaune. You are seventeen years old. No one is expecting you to fucking marry the first girl who bats her eyes at you. Let things develop naturally. If that spark is worth shit, it'll turn into a fire. You'll know. Trust your old man. I may have cocked this up with your mother, but I'm not completely useless in that regard," Gris assured his son.
A moment based before the food arrived. The two highly talented chefs gave the food the highest praise; they barely talked while eating. After the meal, they changed subjects. Jaune made sure to pass along both Pyrrha's and Blake's messages.
"I'll send some info to your Scroll, but I would check in with Oz. That clever bastard will know exactly where you and your friends can do the most good," the Huntsman assured Jaune.
"Thanks!" The younger Fourneau exclaimed.
Gris grinned. "Let's head back to the kitchen so we can remind ourselves what a properly run kitchen looks like after being around those shits from Orchids."
Jaune grinned right back. "Let's! It's not like Ya'ax would complain too much. He'd probably try to hire me again."
The guess nearly turned into prophecy as Jaune once again had to fend off one of Remnant's most unorthodox job offers via telephone. Still, he was with his father. Everything just felt right.
Ruby had always wanted a Scroll. Enrolling at Beacon had been amazing on so many levels. One of those levels had definitely been getting her own Scroll. She was almost always on it. Digital magazine subscriptions, blueprints for improvements to Crescent Rose, and more were at her fingertips.
'I hope they don't send Dad the bill if I go over Beacon's stipend...' Ruby chuckled nervously as she walked with her team and Pyrrha. They were currently in the Botanical Gardens. Operation Team Sloth had been a resounding success and now the girls were celebrating by looking at the gorgeous flowers. The Young Reaper sighed. The Botanical Gardens were probably the most romantic place Ruby had ever been. Her imagination kept wandering in this beautiful location. It also arrived at the same daydream.
Ruby was wishing she was alone with Jaune.
The thought made her incredibly happy. Jaune was probably the best boy she had ever met. The only problem was Jaune seemed to be the best boy every girl had ever met. Worse, she was really good friends with two of the girls Jaune had unintentionally wooed. Which, now that Ruby thought about it made the situation more difficult. Jaune definitely wasn't toying with her feelings, or Pyrrha's, or Blake's. He was going out of his way to be as respectful as possible.
Even if Ruby could tell he was in to all of them. A thrill ran down her spine as Ruby realized he found her attractive.
'If only he were here...'
"Let's all get a group picture!" Ruby shouted to shift her attention back to her friends and away from her bittersweet longing.
"That sounds grand!" Pyrrha agreed.
"We are going to look so good," Yang snickered.
Weiss huffed. "Miss Xiao Long! Are you implying there are times where we don't look amazing?"
"I think that's what that Yang meant," Blake teased.
Yang pouted, and in that moment, reminded everyone that she was in fact Ruby's sister. "I don't know whether to be proud that my partner made a joke or upset that she sided with Weiss-cream."
"Let's just take the picture," Weiss laughed daintily. Ruby had already used her considerable weaponized adorableness to convince a random mother and her family to take the picture.
"Oh!" The anonymous woman gasped. "You all are so lovely, but if you want a moment to prepare, please take your time."
"Thank you, Ruby for getting a woman to take the picture!" Weiss complimented her partner. The woman was exceedingly polite. It helped RWBY and Pyrrha's cause that the woman had recognized both Pyrrha and Weiss. The girls took a minute to get 'picture ready'. Satisfied with their efforts, they posed in front of a particularly beautiful tropical display. The gorgeous women had attracted quite the crowd of admirers. Fortunately, the crowd was light and none of the gawkers were willing to risk the ire of five trained Huntresses.
The girls poured over the picture. Yang was the first to speak. "Yeah, we're hot."
"The picture turned out great. Could you send that to us, Ruby?" Blake asked. Ruby nodded happily and complied. The second Ruby had hit send, she started a second message.
Hey, Jaune. Hope you had fun with your dad! Good news, Ren had set up a late lunch/early dinner (or as I like to call it linner) and Nora nearly broke out in happy tears! I think we can call this mission a success! The rest of us girls are in the Botanical Gardens! It's soooooo pretty! Here, take a look!
Half way across the zoo, a young man received a picture. All higher brain functions ceased as he took in the image of "Holy Shit, they are all so hot!" Jaune's first conscious decision after opening the picture and then openly drooling for several moments was to save the picture.
He fired back a text to Rubes telling her that she and the others looked amazing. Jaune also mentioned he was on his way. The girls dutifully waited at the gift shop. He arrived to find Weiss and Blake in the middle of a heated/humorous debate over which exceedingly tropical and pretty flower was the correct choice for the dorm room.
"Ladies!" Jaune greeted. "I'm glad the plants in the Botanical Garden can't talk!"
RWBY and Pyrrha turned to Jaune. They each wore a bemused grin. Yang and Weiss were expecting something corny as a joke. Blake, Pyrrha, and Ruby were all expecting some cheesy yet endearing pick up line.
"Why is that, Fugitive?" Yang decided to soft-toss to set up the punchline.
"Because I really don't want to hear a hundred beautiful flowers complaining about being upstaged so spectacularly by all of you."
Weiss shook her head. "Not bad, Arc."
"Not bad at all," Yang agreed. "Six out of Ten."
Jaune rolled his eyes as Pyrrha stepped forward to fill Jaune in on the 'Team Sloth' situation. It appeared that the mission went incredibly well in Jaune's mind. He dutifully followed the women around for a while. Occasionally, Jaune would receive jealous glares, silent slow claps, or other reactions. He honestly didn't care what others thought. He was the one carrying on conversations and hanging out with five beautiful women. As far as he was concerned, today was already legendary.
What else could possibly make things better?
Lie Ren was actually wearing a smirk. An honest to Oum smirk. Jaune knew exactly what that smirk foreshadowed. "Things went well? Together-together, well?"
"That's underselling it," Ren admitted. Naturally, Jaune had only one adequate response. The chef held out his hand for a fist bump. Ren, being the top-tier bro that he was, responded instantly.
"Pyrrha and I need to find somewhere else to crash?" Jaune questioned with a grin of pure pride. Ren blushed and nodded. "Give us five minutes to get our stuff."
Jaune found his partner chatting happily with Blake about an upcoming book. He approached with a cocky grin. "Mind if I borrow my partner, Miss Belladonna?"
"Since you asked so politely, Mr. Arc," Blake teased right back.
"What is it, Jaune?" the Invincible Girl asked.
Jaune blushed a bit as the full weight of what he was about to say hit home. "Ren and Nora...kinda need the room tonight."
Pyrrha gaped like a fish for a moment. "They are...they are..."
"They are," Jaune confirmed. "You may need to crash with RWBY. I'm going to see if maybe I can crash with Dalm and Atian."
Suddenly a gloved hand appeared on Jaune's shoulder. "Oh no, we're claiming both of you."
"Yang, I'm not sure you're aware of this, but I am a guy." Jaune was pleased that he got a snort of laughter out of both Yang and Pyrrha.
"Hadn't noticed," the Blonde Brawler countered. "Because almost every other man on the planet would be trying to get a piece of this..." Yang motioned proudly to herself. "That," was punctuated by a motion to Pyrrha and, "All of those." Yang finished her torture of Jaune with a hand wave towards Blake, Ruby, and Weiss.
Pyrrha rescued Jaune by blushing furiously and crying out, "Yang!" The brawler cackled as she followed Pyrrha to JNPR's dorm in order to continue to exploit the Invincible Girl's sole weakness and to give props to Nora for giving new meaning to 'boop'.
Jaune returned to his good friend. "The entire school will probably be talking about this tomorrow."
"Let them, as long as we aren't violating curfew there is no wrong doing," Ren boasted. Jaune gave his friend a surprised look. He had never seen Ren's Zen Master mode falter.
'I guess if I were about to get laid, my ZFG level would be off the charts too,' Jaune admitted. He then wrinkled his brow. 'Just what the heck had happened at lunch between those two?'
Pyrrha emerged from JNPR's dorm with a small bag. She quickly gave Nora a hug. Jaune took the opportunity to do Ren a favor. He wrapped his tie around the door handle. At the end of the hall, Russel Thrush of all people gave the guys of JNPR a congratulatory nod/fist shake. Jaune returned it with the 'sup' nod. Barely a second later, Waste Bucket sailed through the air. Jaune's stalwart companion was filled with a few of Jaune's crucial overnight items.
"Hey, where's my onesie?" Jaune asked indignantly.
Nora glared at her friend. "Fearless Leader, as an independent woman, I am doing you a favor by saying this: lose the damn onesie."
"But! But I'll have to sleep in nothing but my boxers then!"
Jaune wasn't sure what happened next, but Ruby and Pyrrha were dragging him into RWBY's dorm. "It's almost curfew, we better get out of the halls!" Ruby exclaimed.
"Yes, Ruby is absolutely correct! We just don't have the time to get your pajamas! Such a shame," Pyrrha added quickly. Jaune barely had time to flash a thumbs-up to Ren before he was dragged into RWBY's dorm room...and probably into legend.
Author's note: So, that's a thing. This chapter had a good bit going for it. For one, the SS Renora set sail. Because who doesn't love Renora? Gris made some more appearances. Most shockingly of all...ACTUAL ANTAGONISTS! I will admit I nearly threw up writing people actually talk positively about Adam (Fuck that guy!). Might have been the food poisoning from earlier, but I'm pretty sure it was due to my hatred of Adam.
A couple of things unrelated to the story content of this fic...
1. I'm sure you've noticed the altered character listings. I've pretty much finalized the romantic options for this fic. There may be additions, but I doubt it. Huge harems are almost impossible to really develop well. To much juggling. Darkos+Ruby will be a solid fun base.
2. Speaking of Darkos, if Dread Knight N7 and Lord Farsight will stop being dedicated to that thing called the real world, they may be posting a mix of Darkos and (mostly Farisght in this next case) Arkos fics. Dread Knight will provide the Knightshade (if his fics don't go Darkos. The struggle is real ladies and gentlemen) I've got a few other RWBY fics I'm currently working on and they are all heavily Darkos. Some of the ideas you will see from the three of us are very similar. There's a reason for that.
We're a freaking Hive Mind. It gets pretty terrifying actually. Half of this story is actually the product of numerous conversations and other shenanigans. So, with the Hive Mind revealed to the public, please remember that any similarities in fics from myself, Dread Knight N7, and Farsight is deliberate but not theft. Except when the idea is really good. Then I take credit and accuse those two of stealing it from me.
3. I will try to get one more chapter done for this fic and hopefully a few others. That being said, I'm a teacher and summer is drawing to a close. Odds are that updates will dry up for a while. They will be sporadic at best and I apologize especially after spoiling all of you with the rapid updates.
Please continue to provide such awesome response!
This message is just to slow down the update to mess with the rest of the Hive Mind. Carry on.