AN
ERMAHGERD, My brain would not shut up about this! You win again, dastardly fiend. This may turn into something, because my brain dictates that I can't make a one shot without it havin a book-long backstory. Sometimes I wonder we're still friends, he and I. Anyways, hope you enjoy, at least some of it.
It was a warm summers evening on the campus of Beacon Academy. However late it was, the campus was still bustling with activity, from students, as well as parents. This could only mean one thing. Guardian week was waning to an end, and summer vacation was coming up.
Over the last school months, leading up to summer, Ozpin had proposed that an event was held, where for a week, the parents would be able to come and see their children's daily routine, as well as participate in a mass of fun and exciting events. There had hardly been any objections, so the suggestion went right on through.
Along the cliff edge of the Beacon campus, was a lot of children and their parents sitting, feet over the edge, and talking, as the nights dark grew thicker around them. People started to fade out and went back to their dorms to get some sleep. One figure remained seated though, on a wooden bench near the edge, a little bit slumped over, looking deep in thought.
Jean Arc, an middle-aged gentleman in his mid-forties, leant backwards and let out an exasperated sigh. His gaze rose to the starry night sky, in search of answers to his newly found dilemma. Sadly, he found no help in the glimmering celestial bodies.
As even more people filed out for the night, Jean finally had enough of this silent and agonizing speculation. Suddenly he burst out, shouting in within his own sphere of comfort.
"How could my son, MY SON, of all people develop a harem over the span of just a single semester?!"
His pleas of help didn't go unheard as he felt a presence approaching, and soon heard a voice occupying his left side of the bench.
"Honestly, it baffles me as well, but if you look long enough, I'm sure you'll figure out why"
Jean looked to his side to catch a pair of clear emerald eyes staring at him with a warm and welcoming smile. The crimsonettes stunning features gave a pretty clear idea as to where Jaunes partner got her Amazonian beauty. She was garbed in a red dress, thin and delicate, but nothing that didn't fit her. The golden bronze jewelry only served to accentuate her already breathtaking face. Jean turned to address her.
"Athena, what a pleasant surprise. Out for a late night stroll are we?"
She smiled at his question and responded, with a slight giggle.
"Goodness no, the warmth is just horrible at this time year, here in Vale. I remember all the summer we spent outside, because the inside was just too hot to stay in. That isn't to say that Mistral is any different" she said, sugarcoated with one of her infectious giggles.
Jean nodded in understanding.
"That one year we spent in Mistral, cleaning up after the Cesar collapse, still haunts me to this day. Whenever I have a fever dream, it takes me right back." Jean said, joining in on the giggle fit.
The two old friends sat in silence once more and just stared at the sprawling forest beneath the cliff. A few minutes passed, before Athena broke the silence once again.
"If I had to guess, I would say that Jaune was primarily raised by his mother. He reminds me so much of Lunette."
Jeans smile faded a bit and his surrounding atmosphere did seem to become increasingly more downcast.
"As much as I hate to admit it, you're more right than you know. I never wanted to spend that much time away from home; I just didn't want to compromise my work either.
There is little need for a hero, since he can only deal in heroic deeds, when those are lacking, times get tough. I wanted to give them the best life I could, and unfortunately, that meant that I wasn't around much."
Athena put her hand on his shoulder assuringly, and smiled at him. It was rare for the macho man of the Arc family to show such emotion, if any at all beside content and anger. He never once did during their time in school. It was nice to see that he had changed for the better, Athena thought to herself.
"Right now, it doesn't matter. You and your wife managed to raise one of the sweetest boys I have had the pleasure to talking about with my daughter. From what I hear around campus, he is quite popular. He turned out to be a lovely boy, and that is all thanks to both Lunette and you.
Just make sure to spend more time with him in the future. He is a wonderful boy, and you'll quickly come to understand what it is that everyone sees in him"
An ass was added to the already cramped bench and Jean witnessed just and arm sling itself over his head and landed on the backrest. Quiet sloshing could be heard and a brazen, but mature voice called out in the night.
"Hear, hear!"
Jean looked up to meet with her scarred and grinning face, smiling ever so slightly as he did. The face and proportions suggested one fiery blond of a woman had seated herself next to them. Tight and ruffled jeans, coupled with an uneven dress-shirt, and a brown leather vest to round of the wrangling theme.
Her hair was wild, untamed, and still pertained its natural beauty after so many years. Jeans eyes fell on the cup of something in her hand, although judging by the strong smell; it probably contained a healthy (or unhealthy) amount of alcohol.
"Yanmei, while I appreciate you company, are you sure that there aren't rules against drinking on school grounds? I mean, we wouldn't want to set a bad example for the children, now would we?"
Yanmei looked up at him and chuckled, sporting her trademark grin and conniving expression.
"Jean, my dear friend, I have been thinking…" A resigned "Oh no" could be heard from Jeans right side, courtesy of Athena
"…and I said to myself 'But why would Ozpin invite me, when he knows that drinking on school grounds is against the rules?' and I came to the conclusion, that he has made an exception in my case. I know, you have no need to compliment my genius"
Jean had a hard time holding back his laughter at the "tipsy" blonde at his side; however she did propose a valid point. Out of all the original members of their friend group, Yanmei had always been the best at holding her liquor.
It wasn't saying much, since the woman always had a need to push her limits, still, one or two drinks didn't matter. The trouble was that Jean may have suspected that she had had a little bit more than that. His thought process was shattered as she once again broke the silence.
"But back to the matter at hand. Athena has point, that boy of yours is something special. You know, if I was a couple of years younger, I would have jumped the bandwagon as well. I mean, the little Casa Nova insists on calling me Mrs. Xiao Long. MRS! Xiao Long. I don't even think my banker calls me that."
Jean chuckled at Yanmeis antics. He leant back in his seat and let out a sigh that pierced the night's slowly dimming fabric. The air was still as warm as the day they had just passed, yet it wasn't humid or anything. The air was dry, and it felt nice. The two women continued their conversation.
"You think that's good? The other day, he took my hand and helped me step down from the dust ship, when we landed in the city. No hesitation or doubt. He looked so adorable." Athena harped on.
"You don't say. That smug little charmer. Maybe he has a thing for older women." Yanmei burst out.
"Oh no, I wouldn't say so. He seems blissfully unaware of how his actions affect others. In fact, I think he just do the things he do, because he wants to be nice. Quite the little man our daughters have found, isn't he?" Athena composed herself and responded.
"You said it sister!" Yanmei cheered on.
At this point, Jean felt the need to interject, since he had been silent for the past minute or so.
"I'm sorry, but are we still talking about my son? Because I'm not quite familiar with these aspects of his."
The two women looked at him with bewildered looks, before turning to each other and giggled. The both cried out.
"YES!" in unison.
Jean backed into the backrest and his eyes widened at their surety. To grasp him from a desperate situation, from behind him he heard a third voice, one that was somber and reserved, but with a hint of something warm and delightful. He turned his head and was met with a curly mane of raven locks, flowing with the darkness as it swayed. Clad in half-business suit half-cat suit/fighting gear with spiffy bowtie, her amber eyes pierced the veil that was, not only the nights darkness, but her own as well.
"His charm seems unparalleled at this school, although there might be more suitable alternatives elsewhere, I suggested to my Blake that he would be a more than reasonable mating partner. The boy doesn't seem to shy away from Faunus, at least"
A smile spread across Jeans face and he turned his upper body to address his favorite cat-eared stealth queen in the whole of remnant.
"Rebecca, what a wonderful surprise. Although, I must admit, I didn't actually expect to see you, nor that your daughter would be attending this school."
Rebecca looked on with the hint of a smirk and placed herself behind the bench, standing between Yanmei and Jean. She leant over and placed her arms on the backrest.
"Yes, out rather sorted dealings with the white fang did sort of prevent me from coming anywhere near this place. But since Blake finally came to her senses and stopped running around with that Adam figure, I feel as if I have regained my daughter at last. I am quite happy to be here, and in the company of old friends"
A pair of arms reached up and grabbed her neck, locking her in an awkward hug, stuck behind Yanmeis neck.
"Oouuh, it's so good to have our favorite little Kitty cat back. Plus one point towards best day ever!" she exclaimed, overjoyed that her favorite Faunus had returned to her.
Rebecca looked at little uncomfortable to be this close, but Jean could just see the hint of a smile. Becca had never been much for human contact (She is a Faunus, duh) but she had warmed up to it quite early into their school days. She never did gain a liking to Yanmeis Bear hugs, though. That is to say that no one would like their spine being ejected from their back, and rocket propelled into extra-dimensional space.
"Let's get back on topic here" Jean pleaded" Becca, while I appreciate you complimenting the boy, don't you think mating partner is taking it a little too far? He is only seventeen" He inquired thoughtfully.
And with as much stoicism and complete seriousness that she could muster, one of her trademarks skills, she answered.
"Certainly not. While the boy may seem inexperienced in anything regarding the opposite gender, he is a quick learner and could get the hang of it in no time. Besides, my Blakey always strike first, and in your own worst Mr. Arc…"
"He who strikes first wins"
"He who strikes first wins, right right, I get it" Jean said, wishing that he (and everyone else for that matter) could just let that go. It was something from one of his darker periods.
"But there is something that you need to explain. How can you be so sure that your daughter will be the one to strike first?"
Rebecca pondered for a moment, not about what to tell him, but actually IF she should tell him. Then again, he was his father, so he at least had some right to know.
"Well, throughout the week I have been observing your son and I have at times noted some strange behavioral patterns…"
Jean raised an eyebrow, not quite following.
"It seems that when he is in contact with females, his emotional awareness drops to a staggeringly low level. You follow?" Rebecca huffed. This was exactly what she was talking about.
"I'm afraid I don't quite do" Jean responded, curious but a little bit bewildered. A slight smirk pursed itself on her lips. For all their strengths and faults, this was the one thing that his bloodline would never escape.
"Jean, the boy is dense. Real dense. He sees women coming on to him as nothing but friendly gestures. Do you remember how Lunette basically had to wave a banner in front of your face before you noticed? Yeah, it's a bit like that"
Jeans eyes widened in realization and he uttered "oh" under his breath. Meanwhile, the three women around him sweat dropped, and giggled. There was no going around it; he was an Arc through and through.
Jean regained his composure and kept going.
"But, if he is that ´dense´ as you put it, why would your daughter have an advantage? Surely it would only work as a hindrance."
For all of Rebecca's stoicism and calm demeanor, sometimes she would don a visage of pure animalistic drive, and the smiles that followed wasn't something that only kept him awake, but also anyone who had been unfortunate enough to share a bedroom with her.
"Simple. Faunus has always been quite adamant about what they want, and if the boy can't take subtle hints, a Faunus in heat will definitely make him understand."
The tone of her voice, something sinister lurked beneath it. Something that made everyone seated on the bench feel a shiver slowing clamoring down their spines, in a desperate attempt to flee the ungodly woman
And just like that, the gloom and doom was dispelled, not by the Faunus herself, but when she felt a hand on her shoulder. A cold, fastening grip that could only mean one of two things. Either all blood circulation to her shoulder had been completely cut of (unlikely) or Isold had grabbed her shoulder, and was pissed about something.
"Don't be so sure about your daughter's victory, friend dearest. My Weiss can quite assertive, when she wants to" She said, calmly, while it looked like her hand was about to shatter whatever it was holding.
Rebecca knew that teasing the Isold, the huntress who had aptly been named "Shatterlance" was a very, very bad idea. But alas, the catty playful side of her seemed to take control in these kinds of situations.
"Code word being ´When she wants to´. Tell me, Isold friend, hasn't she achieved her goal yet because, she didn't ´want´ to, or is she in the same position as all the other girls? I'm dying to know"
The shoulder grip tightened, and Rebecca knew that she had made a mistake, yet somewhere in the furthest recess of her mind there was a little voices whispering "worth it" as it slowly faded out.
Jean was overlooking the situation from his turned seat on the bench, and while the two of them fighting might make for a good show, he really didn't want to deal with the consequences. He reached up and took hold of Isold's wrist.
"Alright you two, that's enough, break it up"
Isold defiantly let go of Rebecca's shoulder, but didn't cut the eye contact for one second. Their staring contest was interrupted when Yanmei decided to stand up and put this away for good. She placed her balled fist on her sides, holding a bit of a sassy pose, while she leant slightly forward.
"Would you two knock it off already? We are here to celebrate our children and their first successful semester at Beacon. Besides, your daughters can handle their own problems quite well, I would believe."
Isold and Rebecca's eyes glanced from Yanmei, to their monochrome counterpart, and back to the firemane. Isold decided to drop the mask when her quiet giggles sounded, as she tried to stifle them with her palm. Rebecca closed her eyes and a crooked grin spread in her face.
Yanmei and Jean looked befuddled and confused, while Athena just smiled innocently, simultaneously questioning how she ever came to befriend such a colorful cast of characters.
Isold's laughter died down and she looked Yanmei with pity in her eyes.
"Yes you may have a point. I just find it funny how you, of all people are the one to be this serious, despite your rather copious amount of drinking. I assume that's what that smell is."
"Face it, sweetheart. How you ever became a mother is a mystery to not only us, but also the rest of our year." Rebecca added. Kitty cat could be vicious when she needed to.
Yanmei just glared at the two, switching from one cold hearted bastard to another, every so often. She held out her finger and pointed it accusingly at Isold. Time to bring out the big guns.
"I liked you better when you were in your trashy party girl period. Y'know, that semester were you cared less about combat training, and more on finding the perfect combat skirt that matched your "Oh so hip" suspenders."
Isold bounced back in shock, awestruck that Yanmei even dared to bring up one of her former selves so casually. But she didn't make the upheld high-class offended that everyone had expected her to. Rather, her face was a mixture of a pout and a frown that was very unbecoming of her fine ladylike features. Yanmei grinned like a maniac. This was exactly the reaction she was looking for.
"Ohh Eem Gee, that is sooo not true! I'll have you know that my combat ratings went up, like, ten percent in, like, that whole semester"
Before Isold could stop herself, she had backpedaled into a character she really wanted to forget. A powerful blush spread across her cheeks, as she cupped her mouth to stop anymore bad language to leave her being. She turned on her heel and started strolling, looking as dignified as one could.
"Well, it's about time I got to sleep anyway. This form of beauty is hard to uphold. Have a pleasant evening."
And with that she faded into the darkness.
Yanmei, Rebecca, Athena and Jean was left a little bit confused as to what was about to happen next. Only few moments after, Rebecca and Yanmei started following her into the darkness.
"hey, where are you two going" Jean called as he watched them walk away. They stopped an turned to him.
"I feel like I need to sleep on top of that. There isn't really much more to say really. G'night!" Yanmei excuse herself.
"Likewise. Those are memories of darker times I don't want to recall. Sweet dreams you two" Rebecca added.
And just like that, Athena and Jean sat alone on the bench, overlooking the beautiful moon from Beacon campus.
Jean turned, when he noticed Athena getting up from her seat.
"Oh, so you are just gonna leave too? None of you even answered my question."
Athena looked to him, with a smile.
"In the end, His past is irrelevant. He has grown to become a good boy, and he will grow to become a great man. You two should be proud, not just of him, but of yourselves. Have a good night Jean. "
She left, her red dress swaying blissfully in the wind.
Jean's eyes again fell to the sky, and the moon that he had come to love so much. It must have been hours, as he could see the thing actually moving, slowly but surely another hour passed, and his frustrated complexion turned to one of content calm. Just when he was about to leave to catch some shut eye, he felt his scroll vibrate in his pocket. He fished it out and accepted the call.
"Hello?...Hey sweetie. How are you?...That sounds good…Oh no it's alright, I wasn't sleeping anyways…Well, I had a lot of things on my mind…Oh, it's nothing important…How Jaune is doing?"
He moved the phone from his ear, at the question and stared at the moon in silent contemplation. From the phone a muffled voice could be heard calling out to him" Hello? Sweetie, are you there?"
He smirked and moved the scroll back to his ear.
"Yes dear, I'm here. Jaune is doing well. He is doing very well."