Jaune desperately tried to keep his eyes locked with Yang and not wandering lower. She was in a very loose shirt that had a good amount of clearance between her generous chest and the fabric, his treacherous body rebelling against him.
"Hey there, uh, Yang". When there was no response from her he looked past hoping to find Pyrrha for support. It seemed fate wanted him to suffer a bit more for now, as he saw a lock of red hair disappear behind Ruby but before he could think on it anymore Yang coughed.
"Am I not pretty enough to hold your attention vomit boy?"
"What? No, you are. Wait, I didn't mean it like that-" he immediately replied, trying to salvage the already smoldering wreck of the conversation.
Weiss thankfully spoke up before he could deepen his grave.
"Enough, Yang. Stop teasing him" Yang's pout seemed very juvenile on her frame, but Weiss was on him before he could recuperate.
"And you, start talking. How do you have aura?"
Jaune nearly whimpered at being the center of attention again. He looked up at the seven huntresses-in-training looking down at him searching for reprieve on any of their faces but only saw a wide range of emotion; excepting sympathy of course. There was grim determination from Weiss, mischievous glee from Yang and Nora, curiosity from Blake and Rin and abashed interest from Ruby and Pyrrha. It seemed there wasn't really any way to talk his way out of this apart from telling them as many half-truths as he believed they would fall for.
"I just do. I was attacked by a Grimm and a huntress tried to unlock my aura to save me. And I didn't die."
Ruby and Pyrrha now looked mortified at forcing him to relive what was bound to be a painful memory but Weiss didn't falter.
"Why would a huntress try to unlock a male's aura? It's like hoping for a miracle to happen. I don't buy it."
The conversation was veering into very dangerous territory. If they found out that it was because he was dressed as a girl his time at Beacon would be agony. No, they couldn't be allowed to find out.
"The huntress was my mother. She didn't know what else to do" Yes! That was it, play the sympathy card and make them feel bad enough to stop asking.
"We were miles away from transport or any hospital and I would have died before she could get me there. So she tried the only thing she knew" Jaune made sure to waver his voice, inflecting as much emotion as he could into his words. And it was working. Ruby's face was positively mortified, and even Nora's face no longer showed any signs of mischief. Weiss' interrogating air had deflated, and she seemed positively pensive and awkward in her role as interrogator.
"I s-see. Well, I'm sorry you had to go through that again because of us", the apology delivered like she was swallowing the world's most sour lemon.
"It's fine. I always wanted to be out there fighting with my sisters" Jaune said, accepting the apology eagerly and hoping that would be the end of the conversation. But his supply of luck had apparently been extinguished trying to save him from the Beowulf, as Pyrrha spoke up; eager to make up for her abandoning him.
"Your sisters are huntresses? Who are they?"
Jaune cursed himself and his loose tongue. He was conflicted over whether to tell them who his family was. His mother had been out of the public eye for a long time but he was unsure if her fame still persisted in the younger generations of hunters, while his sister Jennifer on the other hand was undoubtedly still well-known despite her hiatus from the public sphere. How would he deal with the expectations that came pre-packaged with being a sibling of Jennifer Arc, and a son of Violetta Arc? Alas, the simple fact of the matter was that he couldn't hide his origins for any meaningful amount of time. The Arc name was just too ubiquitous in huntress circles.
"Well, there are seven of them actually. One is in her second year here."
Pyrrha shook her head, as if she hadn't heard him correctly.
"Wait. Seven sisters?" Her mouth was agape a short while later as realization finally hit her like his mother's strikes.
"You're Jennifer Arc's brother? Violetta Arc's son?"
That had the effect he had been expecting, as six faces looked at him incredulously before Weiss was almost nose to nose with him.
"WHY DIDN'T YOU TELL ME? Oh my God! Your sister is the best huntress of her generation! People have almost begun comparing Pyrrha to her."
"Except she is better than me in every way. Jennifer Arc's feats are legendary, even in Mistral. I can only ever hope to become half the huntress she is"
Jaune felt ornery but attempted to push it down with a good mannered smile.
"I guess we'll see, won't we? Anyway, we need to get up early tomorrow so…"
Pyrrha got the hint, nodding at him once before ushering the rest of the girls away. All except Yang that is.
"I'll be back Ruby, need to visit the little girls' room" she said as she waved Ruby off with her back to him.
When her sister was far enough, Yang turned around and Jaune was instantly on guard. Her face was completely neutral and any hint of mischief completely wiped. His fears were assuaged somewhat when she simply made her way past him and towards the toilets. Jaune collapsed back onto his pillow, enervated beyond measure. Perhaps his sisters had been right in not wanting him to leave.
"Hey"
Jaune looked up to see Yang looking down at him with the exact same deadpan she had worn when leaving his side.
"That was a nice story you told the rest of them. But I remember things a bit more clearly, vomit boy. Though I remember you made a pretty hot girl, I have to admit."
His chest seemed to lift from the mattress as his heart did it's best to shatter his rib cage with the force of its beat. How could she know? There was no one there, except Qrow and his family. Had there? Wait. The girls Qrow had been training.
"I don't know what you mean. What are you talking about?" He had intended for his voice to be carefully neutral to convince Yang but that plan went to shit when he heard his very manly whimper.
"Don't worry. I'm not gonna tell anyone, but this does explain where Qrow has been for the past year or so. And why your mother kept calling you 'son'."
"Why would you keep my secret?" Jaune asked incredulously.
"Uhhh, because I'm not a bitch? I mean c'mon all I've done is tease you till now."
"And shoot me. Twice in case you forgot"
"Pssh, what, you think we had time to explain to Ruby or Weiss that you had Aura and convince them? If you remember, a deathstalker and a nevermore were gunning for us at the time. I needed them to focus on killing the Grimm rather than worrying about you."
"That still doesn't explain the first time!" Jaune exclaimed, not willing to let himself being shot be relegated to an everyday experience.
"Alright, alright, I'm sorry. I only aimed for your toes though, in case you were bluffing or something. Anyway, this works out great for you y'know. I'll keep your dirty little secret, and in return you help me with something later on. Deal?"
"What kind of something?"
"I want you to assassinate Ozpin"
"…"
"Now you know how I felt. I'll probably get lazy and make you do my homework for a while or something. Besides, I haven't spent a lot of time with guys but I know they'd love to spend time with lil old me. Wouldn't you?"
Jaune's response was to pull his covers back over his head. Her flirtatious goodbye was filtered by the cloth but didn't fail to set his heart aflutter all the same. Closing his eyes, he tried his best to sleep although it would end up taking a while as his mind went through all the ways Yang might claim her favor. All the very unchaste ways.
Sleep had been fleeting and sparse; the multitude of women around him putting any thoughts of rest far from his mind as he imagined waking up with morning wood. Covers or not, he wouldn't be able to explain that before he got pummeled by dozens of angry huntresses. Ozpin had said his aura was larger than was expected for someone his age but he doubted it was enough to withstand whatever retribution his body's morning ritual would bring. Sitting up, he looked around to survey the hall. The dim lighting wasn't very good at letting him make out where his new friends – ? – were but it was enough to let him know no one was awake yet. It was nearly four thirty in the morning, so they weren't likely to wake up any time soon either: well, not before he finished his morning ablutions that is. He hoped.
He had debated waiting till the last girl had left for the ceremony till heading to change but living with seven sisters meant he knew how long that could take. With the number of girls that were sleeping in the hall there was a legitimate chance that he would miss the ceremony. Feet floating like feathers, he tiptoed to the changing rooms while dodging snoring huntresses encamped everywhere like a scene from a cartoon. The water was frigid, and a shiver slithered out of him as his teeth chattered in the arctic shower. The cold was very uncomfortable, but it took a back seat to his fear. What if one of the girls heard the sound and woke up? Paranoia led to haste as he scrubbed himself hard enough that he was sure he had given himself a friction burn. Stepping out, he was pleased to see that his clothes for the day had surprisingly been ironed already and placed neatly in his luggage.
Jaune was dressed and out in what he was sure must have been an hour but turned out to be a mere twelve minutes. Retrieving Crocea Mors, he donned his armor as silently as he could. The piece had been custom made for him and was sturdy enough to keep Qrow from breaking through his aura and shattering his ribs. In other words it was really good. Each step he made through the hall towards the main doors was nerve racking to the extreme. He passed the sleeping forms of Rin and Nora, the latter muttering something that sounded like 'pancakes' as she tossed and turned next to her serene friend. Pausing as he reached the door, he looked back before gingerly holding the knob to open the portal to freedom. The door had barely moved an inch before a creak that sounded like a depraved, ghostly moan emanated from the oaken barrier. Jaune was convinced the entirety of the hall had awoken and were now staring at his back or gathering their weapons, or worse their scrolls to document his humiliation. When there was no sudden flare of pain or flash of light after an eternity, he chanced a look behind while closing his eyes until his head was turned to the side. Nothing. They were still as asleep as they were before. Was this luck repayment for the trials he had faced during initiation? Not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Jaune stepped out of the hall.
Beacon was an absolutely massive complex, large enough to put many minor villages to shame with its gargantuan size. It was also extremely rich, thought Jaune, as he walked through the hallways that were still lit with innumerable dust lamps. The daily expenditures alone must have been more than some people's entire life earnings. His feet made little sound as he entered the gardens, hoping to get some sleep under the open, starlit skies. The dew adorned nearly every blade of grass like so many pearls, their luster nearly luminous enough to navigate the trimmed hedges. Jaune made his way to a spot under a particularly large oaken tree aided with the light from his scroll. The grass was lush, interspersed with the tree's protruding roots and presenting a very fluff and comfortable mattress. Lying down in the thick vegetation, his exhaustion that had been pushed to the back of his mind began making itself known once more. Luckily, he was in no mood for protest, falling under its guiles and drifting finally into a dreamless slumber.
He awoke to a pleasant sun warming his face, the heat just enough to be comfortable rather than stifling. His eyes opened a fraction to glance at his scroll, and he couldn't help a content purr as he saw there was still an hour or so left till the ceremony was slated to begin. Jaune lay back down in the lush grass, the evaporating dew cooling the ground enough that the mild heat of the sun was nullified. Basking in the early morning glow, he couldn't help but relax for the first time in what seemed like years. After his aura had been unlocked, he had barely taken a moment to rest or think about what he wanted to do with this gift. Becoming a huntsman was what he wanted to do; to help save those who couldn't fight. People like his father. People like him.
As a shadow drifted over his face he couldn't help a huff of frustration at whatever tree branch had decided to interrupt his rest. As he groggily sat up, he opened his eyes to find himself at eye level with a girl. Well, specifically her crotch.
"See something you like?" a lascivious voice purred from above, and Jaune recoiled as if stung, falling back. Ink black trousers greeted him along with a black waist cincher. An ammo belt made its appearance as he moved up to the hazel colored shirt and finally saw the pretty face staring back at him, ensconced in diva-esque glasses. She was wearing a smirk that screamed confidence, so Jaune was slightly taken aback when she offered him her hand to get up.
"Uh, thanks."
"Wait, did you just thank me?" she asked, pointing to herself.
Jaune was confused. Was basic decency that rare nowadays?
"Uh, yes? Why wouldn't I after you helped me up?"
She stared at him for a few seconds, her eyes drilling into his before she doubled over in laughter.
"Oh this is too good" she wheezed as she finally stopped laughing. "The rest of the year will never believe this. To imagine someone this polite and nice related to Natalie Arc"
Jaune may have been naïve but he knew an insult when he took one, especially one as barely concealed as that.
"You realize that's my sister you're badmouthing right?"
"Ooh" she cooed "there's the feisty Arc demeanor I was expecting" and she looked him over like a cut of meat at the butchers.
"Definitely workable as well. The personality could use some spice, but I think I'll just have to bring that out."
Any further examination was arrested as a shrill familiar voice tore its way towards them.
"ADEL"
Jaune felt terror permeate its way through him even if he wasn't the one the anger was aimed at. Natalie had always been the most volatile of the Arc sisters, and even Anna and Jean had trouble dealing with her when she was truly incensed. Her semblance was able to absolutely debilitate an enemy's mind or extremity if she was able to focus on them, but she did need line of sight on them for it to work. It was immediately clear what she was trying to do to the girl in front of him if her expression was anything to go by. Jaune looked back to warn her away only to see her disappear behind a rather massive oak.
"GET OUT HERE YOU STRUMPET" Natalie screeched as she passed him like he was a blonde bundle of rocks.
"Um, Nat" he squeaked out meekly, hoping to stop his sister from sending the girl into a coma. She hadn't really done anything worthy of that.
"How about you calm down please?" He should have known telling Natalie to calm down when she was like this wasn't really the smartest thing to do. His dear, loving sister that totally wouldn't kill him turned towards him slowly like an eldritch horror from ancient tales, her hands shaking and her eyes morphed into slits.
"What are you doing out here Jaune? Tell me you didn't sleep in the garden?" Jaune couldn't help his gulp as she stepped closer, towering over him despite being shorter.
"N-no, I just woke up early and got dressed and came here. I laid down since there was still time for the ceremony. Please don't hurt me."
"Yeah, banshee. Don't hurt the poor boy" Jaune's eyes widened into saucers as he stared at the dead woman who thought it wise to provoke his sister in her current state. She had finally emerged from behind the tree, dusting off her handbag and clothes as she made her way to them. Jaune put himself in between the two second year huntresses, as he tried to talk his sister down from her rage.
"Look Nat, she was just talking to me. No need to get mad."
"Yeah, Nat. You should learn some manners from your brother over here."
"I know what your plan is Adel. You come close to him and I'll punch those eyeglasses into your beady little eyes."
"So violent" the madwoman named Adel mocked, before she made her way out of the gardens. But not before turning to wave at him flirtatiously. He must have stared for longer than appropriate because Natalie held his face and turned it towards her.
"Jaune". She loomed over him, her face inches from his as she spoke lowly.
"If you do anything with that bitch, you'll have to be the one to tell mom why you won't ever become a dad, got it?"
Jaune nodded, increasing her fervor when Natalie didn't seem to believe him.
"Who's your partner?"
"Pyrrha Nikos"
Jaune relaxed as her anger gave way to surprise.
"No shit? Well good job snagging her. Text me when you get settled in your room, I wanna meet your team. Anyways" she said, looking around to make sure Adel wasn't waiting in the wings "get to the ceremony now. There isn't much time left."
Jaune couldn't wait to leave, power walking his way through the gardens before breaking into a full sprint as soon as he exited them. Finally free of the suffocating aura Natalie could unconsciously exert around her when enraged, Jaune made his way back to the hall where the students had received their pre-initiation talk. It was already nearly full, and Jaune couldn't help but thank Adel for waking him up, even if it meant he had nearly wet himself when his sister had descended on them. He spotted a lock of shocking red hair and a circlet, and started to head towards his partner.
"Hey Pyrrha"
The spartan snapped around near instantly, and Jaune was once again reminded of the gap between his own training and reflexes and that of nearly every other huntress here. Her eyes widened perceptibly as she saw him, and she smiled widely enough that Jaune was nearly blinded by her luster.
"Jaune!"
He had noticed she was beautiful of course, but it was in that instinctual male way of evaluating nearly every woman from the perspective of a potential mate. But now he saw how much her beauty was amplified when she smiled and Jaune's heart skipped a beat as he realized it was because of him, only to slow down to a dull thud as he realized what his chances were of ever attracting the attention of someone like her. He had apparently been staring for longer than was appropriate because Pyrrha waved her hands in his face, a light red hue on her cheeks.
"Right, um sorry. Spaced out for a bit there, how'd your night go".
"…"
So this was what it was like to want to repeatedly want to punch himself in the mouth.
"What I meant was that I, uh" his hand went to the back of his head as it always did when he was nervous or had made an absolute fool of himself. Respite came in the form of one magnificent Ruby Rose, and Jaune would have kissed her if he wasn't sure that Yang would have killed him then and there.
"Jaune! Where were you? We, well me and Pyrrha looked for you when we got up but you weren't there!"
Like a dying man grasping at a straw, Jaune Arc embraced the change in conversation.
"Who? Me? Why? Why were you looking for lil old me?"
Ruby looked at him with a raised eyebrow before Pyrrha replied.
"We knew you might have trouble with all of the girls around so we were looking to escort you to safety"
Did she really have to make him sound like such a prince in distress? He hated those stories the most, where a man or boy would have to rely on his gallant woman to save him. When the reality was that most guys were stronger than women without aura by far. It was the men that worked the dangerous and labor intensive jobs – apart from hunting Grimm – after all. Ruby spoke up to break his inner monologue.
"Where did you go?"
"Ah… I just couldn't sleep. Woke up before sunrise, took a shower and headed out into the gardens."
Ruby's eyes were full of wonder, and he was puzzled at her expression until she spoke up.
"If I tried to wake up Yang at sunrise, I'm 90% sure she would kill me"
The lull in the conversation had the hairs on his neck standing up, as he realized something was wrong. The hall had been lively when he entered, but had devolved into a mess of whispers. Whispers and pointed looks at him. He was afraid to look up, but it was like he was in a dream with his body moving of its own volition. The girls didn't even have the decency to look away when he saw them staring, the frequency of their shushed conversations picking up. His cheeks were burning, and he knew he was blushing fiercely but Ozpin finally broke the spell that had settled over the room.
"You have all excelled in your assigned tasks, and proven your worth in the Emerald Forest. But do not be mistaken, dear students. This is but the first of many trials you will have to endure through your tenure at Beacon academy"
The words had never rang truer for him than they did now as he made his way past the gaggle of girls, catching snippets of conversation that made him increase his pace even as Ruby called out. He had to find someplace secluded come up when his name was called, and then make his way out of there. His hands had begun shaking as the full weight of his circumstance finally dawned on him. He would always be in the public eye, every failure of his being judged and probably reported on. How he be expected to be a catalyst for the rights of those who aspired beyond the station they had been assigned, male or female. And now, he was probably going to have to deal with three other girls who would be leagues stronger than him. Would they resent him for bringing the attention on to them? Or would they hate him for dragging them down?
His name being called was what made him look up, and he walked like an automaton, his limbs stiff and his eyes looking forward but seeing nothing.
"However, know that for the next four years, and if you are lucky, for the rest of your lives you will not be forced to face the challenges of life alone. For collecting the knight pieces; Jaune Arc, Pyrrha Nikos, Blake Belladonna, and Yang Xiao Long. Team APBY led by… Jaune Arc!"
'She's a collector, she likes her trophies'
His mother's words resonated in his head as he looked at the ashen haired woman with his mouth agape. What possible logic could there be to making him team leader over the likes of Pyrrha who he had understood to be a prodigy. It made no sense. Pyrrha nudged him slowly, guiding him off the stage as him and his new team took their place on the benches with Jaune seated between Yang and Pyrrha. The brawler nudged him with a teasing gleam in her eyes that dissipated as she saw her team leader's vacant stare.
"Hey there fearless leader. You ok?"
He probably wouldn't have responded were it not for the genuine worry he placed in her voice; the emotion so foreign to the girl's demeanor he was shocked out of his brooding.
"Ye-" his voice caught as he realized how dry his throat was.
"Yes, just a bit overwhelmed" he smiled at her in his best imitation of a comforting smile.
"Thank you for the concern"
And just like that, the old Yang was back, her arm slung over his shoulder and her partner's. Blake looked over at him but not before glaring at Yang – to no effect – and he could see no smile. Before he could fear the worst she nodded at him discreetly and Jaune felt like he knew the silent girl enough to take it as a sign of support. Or at least tacit acceptance.
It was his partner though that gave him the most assurance. Pyrrha had been jovial ever since they had descended from the stage. And while it may have been too much to say she had a spring in her step, she did walk with renewed resurgence, smiling at him and congratulating him a dozen times a minute.
"You'll make an excellent leader, Jaune, I'm sure of it. Especially after how you helped take down the death stalker", and Jaune couldn't stop some of the redhead's positivity diffusing into him, making him smile.
"And now, for collecting the Rook pieces; Ruby Rose, Lie Ren, Weiss Schnee, and Nora Valkyrie. Team RVNS led by Ruby Rose!"
There was a massive cheer as Nora practically lifted Ruby up into the air, twirling her like a toddler while Yang added her own encouragement from the stands, shouting at the top of her lungs. He saw Rin looking at the duo with a small smile while Weiss carried an expression that would best be described as… flabbergasted.
Now that he thought about it, Ruby wasn't exactly leader material either. She would still make a far better leader than he would, but the fact that Ozpin had chosen her… Did it mean she didn't have some nefarious agenda? Or was she collecting Ruby as well?
Jaune stared at the headmistress long and hard, hoping to catch her eye and maybe get a handle on her motives but she never looked his way. The fact of the matter remained however, that Ruby was his friend, no, his first friend at beacon. And he wasn't about to let anyone take advantage of her, even Ozpin. Would he be able to stop them, though, was the real question.
Jaune Arc's four years of Beacon began today.
Won't really make excuses. Been lazy with LoL and stuff plus there's been renovating going on at home so I've had to help take care of any drinks or food the painters need. I'll be travelling in the next few days, so I might be as tardy or even tardier – is that a word? – as this time, so apologies for that. Also, reached 150+ favs and 220 + follows. I'd like to thank unemployment and utter boredom with life for helping me achieve this. Anyway, my second story is gonna be on a hiatus for a while as I rewrite it, because it's a steaming pile of shit with no arc in sight. Thanks for reading!