Had to have a new septic tank put in garden yesterday. Whole thing dug up. The house now REEKS while it all gets settled. God, it's awful. I was looking forward to go to work to escape it, and my dog was practically scratching at the car to get in and be taken to her grandma's for the day. It's just an awful smell that burns your nose. Ugh.
Also, the news reports below are going to be very "non-Jaune" for a bit. Mainly to reflect the fact that Jaune is doing stuff in disguise, and so there isn't much news of him.
Cover Art: GWBrex
Chapter 43
.
Record low numbers tuning in from Atlas to Vale's Vytal broadcasts.
Atlas Times
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Vale Council rebuffs Atlas snub as "childish" and "unhelpful".
Vale Daily Tribune
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Pyrrha Nikos breaks silence to criticise rumours of her involvement in Arc love life.
The Mistral Review
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As Atlas adopts isolationism and steps off the world stage, Vacuo steps up under Asturias' leadership – could this herald a change in the dynamics of Remnant?
Vacuo Today
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Weak, distracted and isolated. How a racist kingdom sabotaged itself.
Kuo Kuana Express
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The movie was decent.
Not great, not bad, and better than okay. It wasn't a superhero one because he knew Weiss didn't like that kind of stuff, so he'd erred on the side of safety with a romantic comedy. The kind where a couple tried to get with everyone but one another until they realised their feelings after a round of silly hijinks and embarrassing social situations. It had dragged a few laughs out of him, though only a few hums out of Weiss. That was his first sign that things weren't going as well as he'd have liked them to.
The second came after, at a small diner where they ordered some food. Weiss took shots at the menu for the lack of variety – too used to her fine dining at restaurants where every meal was written like a sonnet. There was no "cream of asparagus with delicate jus" here. There was steak, fish, pie, and other comfort foods. Good stuff. Normal stuff. The kinds of things his mom used to cook for the family – in big, hearty portions, and a single serving too. None of that eight course meals of saucer-size plates nonsense.
"So," said Jaune. "What did you think of the movie?"
"Hm?" Weiss looked up from the menu. "It was all right. I suppose."
"The couple were cute, weren't they? I figured it might be fun to not be the most awkward romantic pair for a change. Do you think that kind of thing happens in real life?"
"Probably not to that degree of comedy. Why is everything on here calorie counted?"
"Uh. I guess it's so that people who are watching their weight can have an easier time doing so."
"How ridiculous. I've never seen this in the places I frequent."
That was probably because the restaurants she went to – and dragged him to – had menus that were carefully monitored and controlled and came in portions so small that gaining weight wasn't an issue. That, or they were exclusive enough to not care and dare anyone who complained to leave if they were so bothered by it all.
"Well, it's more common here," he said. "You know, I've heard there are prequals to the movie-"
"Shouldn't we be talking more about us than a movie?"
"I thought the whole point of this was to have some normal dates so you could see me for who I am," said Jaune, voice low.
"It is, but how am I supposed to get to know you by watching a movie?"
"Maybe by experiencing me in my natural habitat?"
Weiss rolled her eyes. "The cinema?"
"No. A city. On a date with a girl. Doing normal things like going to catch a movie and then going out to eat afterwards." Like they were doing. "Though if this were a normal date then I'd be taking the way you're acting as a pretty clear sign you're not interested in me."
"That's not fair!" The menu came down. Her eyes blazed over it. "I'm trying to get to know you. I don't see how a movie matters."
The movie didn't matter, but the conversation did. Having grown up with a lot of older sisters, he'd had a lot of second-hand experience when it came to dating. First dates especially. He remembered asking Saphron once why the movies were a common first date, and saying that it sounded weird because it meant the dates couldn't talk to one another, which was surely bad, right? Saphron had laughed and explained the premise to him.
It wasn't the movie that was important, nor what you did in the theatre, but what came after. The best thing about going to watch a movie was that it was safe and easy. You didn't need to fumble around for small talk because you could chat about what you'd both watched, and you could save exchanging deep secrets and life stories for a future date. By giving both people a conversation topic, you avoided any awkward silences. It was like riding with training wheels, and hopefully you'd be much more comfortable around one another on the second date – assuming all went well – and more able to hold a conversation of your own.
Put like that, Weiss' aversion to talking about the movie at all threatened to keep dumping the date back into dangerous waters. They'd done talking; they'd done a lot of talking. Talking wasn't working; it wasn't solving their problems; it just kept pushing them back and delaying them. Maybe things would have gone better if this were a high society performance of an old fable, or an orchestral performance, but it wasn't like his disguised self could get them into something like that on short notice – and, again, the venue shouldn't matter. This was about the two of them spending time together.
"Then what would you rather talk about?" asked Jaune.
"Us!"
"Then go ahead. Talk."
Weiss hesitated, then scowled at him. It was so very her despite her black hair and red eyes. "You're putting me on the spot."
"I mean, I tried to start us with a safe chat about the movie we just watched but you're the one who wants to jump to the serious stuff." Despite that this was supposed to be a date. It took two to tango though, and he couldn't force her to take part if she refused to. "So, talk."
"Fine. I will." Weiss closed her eyes and took a breath. "Why do you think I only like a fake you?"
"Because here you are on a date with the real me and you're bored of it already. What hobbies do you have?"
"Eh?" Weiss leaned back. "What does-? No, you don't get to say that and then try to distract me!"
"I'm not. It's only fair I get to ask a question, right? You ask one and I ask one. We'll make a game of it." Twenty questions were not date material as he understood it, but it was at least more date-like than an interrogation. "So, hobbies?"
"I suppose I enjoy listening to music. And singing." She leaned in, eyes hard. "What did you mean about me being bored? You don't know that I am!"
"You're obviously not having fun given how you're trying to forget the movie already and you've done nothing but insult this diner. I know it's not a high-class restaurant and I know the movies aren't fine art, but I'd have thought spending time with me would have been reason enough to have fun. If I'm really someone you love being around." Her eyes were wide, and she flinched at his finishing line. "Have you ever had any pets?"
"I… I always wanted a dog. Something small and cute. Father said it would be too messy, and that I wouldn't be able to look after one going to Beacon. He's right, I suppose. Mother wouldn't look after it. Not with the way she is." Weiss grimaced and then asked him her question. "Why are you so bothered about a stupid movie?"
"I'm not. I just wanted to have a fun chat with you after. I figured us having fun would do more to fix our relationship than us talking about all the problems we have. Did you always dream of being a huntress, or was it a last-minute thing?"
"The latter. Why are you asking such pointless questions?"
"Because I think it's a good idea for me to use this chance to actually get to know the woman I'm engaged to." It was his turn to lean in, and hers to retreat. "Here's my last question. Do you know the answers to any of the things I asked you? Do you know my hobbies, my dream, and whether I've had any pets?"
Weiss fidgeted in her seat, put on the spot and not liking it. After several long seconds that dragged on in silence, she said, "You like comics."
He smiled. "I do. Well done."
Despite the praise, Weiss didn't look pleased with herself.
One out of three wasn't a great record after all. Not for someone she was planning to get married to.
/-/
"Well?" asked Elm.
"Well, what?" replied Jaune, teasing. "Didn't your stand-ins give you a full report?"
"They reported that they were forced to watch the most awkward trainwreck of a date they have ever in their lives seen. At several points – and I'm quoting them here – they wanted to excuse themselves to the restroom to scream in second-hand embarrassment."
Jaune snorted. "Yeah. That sounds about right."
Elm sighed. "It went badly, then?"
"I don't honestly know. It definitely wasn't a good date but maybe that's not a bad thing. I think it highlighted some of the problems we have, and Weiss definitely knows about them now, so maybe it'll work out for the best. Give us both a chance to fix things."
If nothing else, Weiss now had a greater understanding of the issues he had with their relationship, and knew she had to show a little willingness to get to know him. He couldn't say he'd enjoyed doing that to her because he really hadn't – for a good cause or not, it was a dick move, and a bad date was embarrassing for both parties. They'd eaten in silence for the rest of it, paid the bill and then left. Weiss had looked like someone resigned to failure, only coming back to life when he mentioned a second date.
Honestly, there wouldn't have been a second date if they weren't already this deep. He didn't think most people would have wanted to go a second time with someone who had done nothing but complain. The only reason Weiss was getting so many chances was because she wasn't a stranger, and he did harbour some feelings for her, even if he wasn't sure what they were or how far they went anymore. It also didn't feel right to call off their engagement without at least some effort put into saving it. After all, what if it was a mistake? What if he came to regret it? Bad dates happened even between Saphron and Terra and they were happy together. It wasn't like their relationship had been all sunshine and rainbows either.
"Is it just my life that is so complicated?"
"No," said Elm. "I did some reading and apparently twenty per cent of all engagements are called off for one reason or another. The only reason yours feels so much worse is because you know everyone will make a big deal out of it if it happens. If neither of you were famous then I reckon you'd have split up already."
"Do you think?"
"Yes."
That was a sad thought. Not the splitting up, but the idea that the only reason they continued to try was because they both wanted to avoid scandal and drama. That wasn't a good reason for two people to want to stay together, was it? The old example was staying together for the kids, but there were also people who stayed together for memories or time or money reasons. It was easier to split up when you were both young than when you had been married for forty years. He wondered where their reasons came on the list. Probably down near the bottom.
"I'm no better than Weiss in a sense, am I?" he asked. "I only really crushed on her because she was a beautiful girl on a stage. She looked like an angel." A lot of that was stage presence, lighting and makeup, he'd realised. Not that Weiss wasn't beautiful, but she'd been extra beautiful that day, and it didn't change the fact he'd fallen in love based on looks.
If you could call it "love" at all.
"I was so shallow. I guess I was riding high back then, and Weiss was the most beautiful girl I'd ever seen, and she liked me – and I'd never had a girl like me that way before. I just went for it." He groaned and fell back, covering his eyes with one arm. "I just liked the idea of having a girlfriend, ignoring the fact that what won me one wasn't my personality but my fame. And then when Weiss was famous as well, it all just sort of made sense, you know? I figured she wouldn't be bothered or affected by my fame. It's not like she'd be some crazed fangirl like others are."
"And yet she was."
"Not crazed," he said, feeling at least some need to defend her. "But yes, she was a fan. That's not her fault, though. I'm the one who decided to date her even though I should have been able to tell, and now I'm the one telling her she has to change or I'll leave her."
In a way, he was in the wrong.
The bed creased as Elm sat on it. Her hand came to rest on his arm. "Don't talk that way."
"I'm not wrong though, am I? I accepted Weiss as someone who loved my fame, and now I'm demanding she change to suit my needs."
"At worst, you're both at fault," said Elm. "But that doesn't matter. You're teenagers. You weren't even sixteen when you started dating. Mistakes happen. That's part of growing up. No one expects people to be held to the stupid promises and statements they make when they're not even out of school. If they did then I'd be in my own trouble." she added, laughing. "What I'm saying is don't read too much into this or beat yourselves up. You were both kids, and I dare say Jacques Schnee had a lot more to do with pushing you together than either of you realise."
Did he? Jaune wasn't blind to the fact the man wanted him to marry Weiss, and how good it would be for the Schnee name, but he also didn't think Jacques had needed to push that hard. Jaune had been smitten, and Weiss had been blindsided by the attention of the most famous boy on Remnant – someone touted as a hero in every newspaper, and on every news story.
I never bothered to learn anything about Weiss either. The same way she liked me for my fame, I liked her for her looks. Elm is right. If this were a normal boyfriend and girlfriend situation then we'd have broken up ages ago. Or we'd stay together in school and split up after.
"Don't sit here and be moody about it," said Elm. "You'll just make yourself miserable. Why don't you go hang out with some of your friends?"
It wasn't a bad idea.
/-/
It turned our Mercury wasn't in.
Cinder was, however, and dragged him into her room before he could make his excuses. Emerald was nowhere to be seen, nor was Mint – but the latter was no great surprise. Jaune wasn't sure how he felt about being alone in a room with Cinder, but she had helped him dye his hair so he figured he owed her.
"I can come back another time-"
"No." Cinder sat him down on a chair and then sat on her bed and crossed her legs. "I want to know how well my disguise held up. Did it work? Did anyone recognise you? Were you able to have a normal date without fans?"
The disguise-? Oh, of course. Cinder wasn't dragging him in to gossip or plumb him for details, but to find out how well her makeup and hair job had held up. That made sense. "It worked really well, actually. No one noticed a thing. It probably helped Weiss had her hair dyed black as well."
"Probably. It's easier for a girl to hide when she has more hair to dye. Colour becomes important then. It's harder with you. Less hair means more face, and the face is the hardest part to disguise without using extensive makeup or something to break it up like glasses or a scarf." She made a motion over her mouth. "But those can draw attention for being too obvious as well."
"Yeah, I can see that. I tried wearing glasses once before but people just looked at me more."
"How about comfort?" she asked. "Did you feel normal in disguise, or was it uncomfortable?"
"I felt fine. It was just some hair dye. I thought the contacts would bother me more but I got used to them pretty quick."
"Good." Cinder smiled and leaned in, balancing her elbow on her knee and her chin upon her hand. Her eyes zeroed in on his face, but not suggestively. It felt like she was looking his face over from every angle. "I could do more if I could cut your hair, but that would be more of a long-term disguise. Not so useful for a single day or night out here or there. Extensions, though. Give you an extra foot of hair down the back and slightly longer bangs and dye them red or brown and no one would recognise you even with your face on full display." Her fingers tapped playfully against her cheek. "I'd be curious to try that. Do you plan to go out anytime soon?"
"Uh. Weiss and I haven't planned our next date yet."
"Who says it need be a date? You could go into Vale alone. Or with a friend. Heavens, take Mercury. Emerald and I will gladly dress you up if it means you take him off our hands for an afternoon." Her lips drew into a sultry smile. "He's always going on about how bored he is, and goodness knows no woman in their sane mind would date him. A boy's night out might be the next best thing."
Jaune laughed, but he couldn't say he wasn't interested. Going out like a normal person? Elm wouldn't let him go unprotected obviously, but she could arrange another stand-in like she had here, and if the disguise was good enough then he'd be safe. A chance to go out and just be a normal guy, even if it just meant wandering around Vale or playing in an arcade, was more tempting than he thought it would be.
And why not? I loved it in that village before they knew who I was. What if I could have that whenever I wanted? Jaune licked his lips, looked back and met Cinder's eyes. She was awaiting his answer.
"I don't want to be a bother…"
"I wouldn't offer if it was a bother, Jaune," she purred. "And I have no need of your Semblance either. I'm an orphan. We all are – except Mint, in a technical sense. None of us are dead or dying and we don't have anyone who is, so you needn't worry about that. If the thought of owing me bothers you so, then throw some lien my way. Or dust," she added, with a chuckle. "The prices have gone up yet again, and a huntress can't exactly skimp on it."
"Have they gone up…?"
"You haven't heard? Ah, I suppose you'd avoid the news. There have been dust robberies. Some are blaming the White Fang and others Roman Torchwick – a local celebrity thief. He, at least, has been seen on camera. The White Fang angle might just be people rushing to blame the faunus as usual. It could just as easily be your own terrorist group from Atlas."
"They're not-" He winced. "Okay, I guess they are my terrorist group in a sense. In that they want to get to me. I never really thought about it like that."
Cinder shrugged. "I wouldn't start now. Atlas can hold its hands up and admit its responsible in some ways for the White Fang – cruel laws against faunus being a good example – but your involvement in this one is accidental at best. That's not the point. The point is you want to be a normal person again. I can offer you that." She winked. "And I'll be happy to. Dressing you up is fun and costs me nothing."
Nothing but time. He'd given them a near limitless balance for clothing, and he could continue to do so. It wouldn't be hard to order them some dust either, and he could even offer her payment for all this. He knew Cinder was offering it freely, but for the amount of help she was giving, well, it didn't feel fair. Not when his bank balance was fit to burst.
"You're obviously interested," said Cinder, reading his expression with ease. "Why don't you bring your bodyguard in to talk to me if you're that worried? I don't mind showing off my skills to her if it'll calm her down."
The final push did it. "Is that okay? I don't want to be a bother to you."
"Jaune, it is fine." Cinder chuckled. It was a rich, throaty sound that would have made him hard in all the wrong places normally. "You're a friend of Mercury's – one of his only ones – and that makes you a friend of the team. The fact that you spare Emerald and I his nonsense whenever the two of you hang out together more than makes up for this."
/-/
Elm wasn't convinced but did agree to come along and watch.
And Cinder…
Cinder was good.
Jaune stepped out the bathroom with Cinder following. His upper body was covered by a sweatshirt with a towel around his shoulders to catch the spare dye. His hair was damp, and hanging in front of his eyes in a way it normally wouldn't have had the length for. He could also feel a wet splotch down his back that he knew he'd have to get used to.
Elm, sat on a chair waiting, choked when she saw him. "Damn! Girl, you know your stuff!"
"I aim to please," Cinder remarked. "As you can see, a few hair extensions in the right places and a few pins to radically change the way he wears it make a big difference." She cupped his hair and drew it down over one eye, her knuckles against his cheek. "And if we style it so the hair covers his eye like so, it only gives the one eye and the shape of his jaw to judge him by. A shame you can't grow a beard, Jaune."
"He'd need to be an actual man for that," joked Elm.
Jaune sulked. His dad had a killer beard, and he had felt the beginnings of facial hair, but it was so thin and fine and bright yellow, making it almost invisible. It felt like silk, too. Not the rugged beard his father could pull off. He'd been told that shaving regularly would cause the hairs to thicken, but there was no luck yet.
His new hair was a dark red – and long enough on the front to reach down to his cheek. On the back, it was much longer. Cinder had tied it with a ribbon at the back of his neck, and yet it continued on in a rather thin ponytail to his lower back. Mistral in style, she'd told him. An old warrior-hairstyle from antiquity that was making something of a resurgence in the kingdom. She'd also implied he might want to make it known he came from Mistral if anyone asked. Have a backstory, stick to it, and make it his own.
Cinder was almost as committed to creating a second identity for him as he was at this point, and he was all for it. He looked to Elm with naked hope. If she agreed, then this could become a whole new identity for him. A face he could wear whenever he wanted to stop being Jaune Arc. Sure, it might only count for a few trips into Vale, but if that kept working then she might loosen up to let him go alone more often, and maybe even whenever he fancied.
"This is only the start," said Cinder. "We've ordered some clothing from Mistral that will reinforce the idea of someone born and raised there. In colours that Jaune has never before worn. I've even included a clip-on earring and some fake tattoo stickers. Those may look fake, but if we apply one on his neck and make it only just visible then it won't matter. The point is less to impress and more to trigger their memories. Everyone knows Jaune Arc doesn't have a tattoo on his neck, so whether it is faded or uneven won't matter. They will see ink."
"I have to admit it's very convincing," said Elm, stroking her jaw. "I'm a little surprised how invested you are in this, Miss Fall."
Cinder smiled lightly and shrugged. "I find it entertaining. There's only so much training I can stomach to do leading up to the festival."
"And what do you want in return?"
"Nothing. I'm sure you've already looking into my records, Miss Ederne. You wouldn't be a very good bodyguard otherwise. You know I don't have any sick family – or family at all. And I am in peak physical health. Jaune's Semblance may be the greatest thing that has ever happened to Atlas and Vale, but it's not going to be of any use to me unless I come down with a very sudden and unexpected case of death."
"I do know that," admitted Elm. Jaune shot her a horrified look, and she shrugged. "It's rude, I know, but it's my job. And yes, I know you lived in an orphanage until you were adopted. Your adoptive family were killed. Correct?"
"Yes. Fortunately, I was in Sanctum at the time. The prep school in Mistral," she explained for Jaune's benefit. "I was living there, so I wasn't present when my adoptive family were killed. Grimm, they believe. The whole place burned down and the bodies were never found."
"You seem calm about it," Elm pointed out.
"It happened a long time ago and they weren't my real family. In truth, their adoption of me was never anything more than a move born of pity. A community outreach of sorts. They clothed me, gave me a room and expected me to work for my lodge. I was more employee than daughter, and my adoptive mother had two real daughters she loved more, which is a large part of why I left for Sanctum in the first place. No need to apologise. It hardly surprises me you'd look into us."
"It's still rude," said Jaune, shooting Elm a look. "Cinder has done nothing but help – and I've offered her money. If she wanted the fame or something then she could have sold the story of me and Weiss having relationship problems. Both her and Mercury know about those, and the newspapers would pay hand over fist for the story."
"And you'd pay more to keep it quiet," added Cinder, not really helping his argument but maybe proving her own point. "If it was money I wanted, blackmailing you would be a much easier route to it. I could even keep blackmailing you to keep it secret."
Jaune sighed. "Cinder. You're not helping."
She laughed. "I'm just saying there are easier ways to exploit you than whatever it is your bodyguard thinks I'm up to. If I'm after money, fame, or your Semblance, then I'm clearly going about it the wrong way. I mean, I've had him alone in my bathroom with me twice now." Cinder winked, and Jaune winced. "I could sell my story of my torrid affair with Jaune Arc and make millions."
"All right. All right." Elm slapped her knee, laughing. "I get your point. It is a good disguise, and I suppose you did both let me know about this, so I'm glad you're not doing anything stupid like trying to sneak off behind my and General Ironwood's backs. I don't suppose you can do the same for me?"
Cinder smiled politely. "Your frame is a little too distinctive."
Elm scoffed, raised an arm and flexed it. Her muscles were almost as big as his head. "I've no idea what you mean, girl."
"I'd be happy to dress someone else up," Cinder offered, "but in truth you don't need it. Any plains clothes officer or soldier is going to be enough, and you shouldn't want to inform me of who his undercover protector is if you really think I have nefarious purposes in mind."
"Can we stop with the nefarious purposes thing already?" asked Jaune. "I think Elm is convinced."
Small reminder: since Cinder's plan has functionally altered to a soft-sell approach on convincing Jaune to trust and join them, she has committed a grand total of zero crimes in Vale. No CCT sabotage, no appearances, nothing other than the original attack on Amber.
That's a bit part of why she not only feels confident exposing herself to Elm, but also why Elm isn't too suspicious. There's nothing for her to pin on Cinder and her team, and Cinder isn't planning to do anything that would give her reason, so it's totally safe from her point of view.
Next Chapter: 18th May
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