Time off this Christmas with no story updates will be:
Begin (No Update): Thursday 22nd Dec
Return (with update): Thursday 5th Jan
Cover Art: GWBrex
Chapter 25
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Relationship experts weigh in as commentors ask what will happen with relationship between Arc and Schnee, with Weiss Schnee's announced intentions to attend Beacon Academy. How viable are long-distance relationships in today's age?
Atlas Times
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Beacon Academy announces conditional acceptance of Weiss Schnee next year, prompting rumours of Arc's return to Vale
Vale Daily Tribune
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Pyrrha Nikos credits "best friend" Jaune Arc for his support as she snaps yet another title. "They call one another constantly and are good friends," admits family member.
The Mistral Review
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Vale wins proposal to host next Vytal Festival with Vacuo runner-up. New Council promises to be ready in three years' time, and throw "best festival Remnant has ever seen"
Vacuo Today
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TRAITOR! SELL-OUT! COWARD! Readers' comments on Ghira Belladonna pictured SHAKING HANDS with human supremacist Jaune Arc.
Kuo Kuana Express
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He didn't have to see Blake Belladonna again. That was a relief. He did meet briefly with Kali and Ghira before they left for Menagerie, but it was only over a dinner provided by General Ironwood, and with the man alongside the Arc-Ops. Much of it was to finalise what would be done and what was expected, but there was also plenty in the way of gratitude that felt, to Jaune, all too reminiscent of how the parents would thank him in the hospitals.
"Thank you for giving our daughter back to us."
"Thank you for fixing this mistake."
"Thank you for taking away the consequences of our own actions."
It wasn't that obviously, but it felt like it. The actual words were much more gushing and desperate, and he knew they meant them – but so had ever parent before them. The reality was the same, and the only difference here was that he could confidently say it wasn't their faults their daughter had joined a terrorist group. That at least let him get through the dinner without wanting to snap at them. Had Blake been there, it'd have been very different.
What was interesting was hearing them discuss how they'd start to change minds in Menagerie. Apparently, the White Fang weren't terrorists there and also didn't break the law. Menagerie was their main recruitment pool, so they didn't want to be seen as bad people. Instead, they supported charities, helped communities and acted as a second police force, though they always deferred to the real ones when needed. They also dealt with Grimm and acted by all accounts like Menagerie's own huntsmen force. He would have said that was them trying to make them sound sympathetic, but he realised it was probably true. A terrorist group couldn't afford to declare war on everyone, and they only hated humans, so they might as well act good around the faunus.
Ghira said that if they'd broken the law then he wouldn't be afraid to strike at them, but that to do so now would be to set themselves up as petty and power hungry, which would work against them. Instead, they were going to start combating the White Fang's greatest asset in Menagerie – its propaganda network. Not against the White Fang as that would again be picked out as pettiness on their parts, but in favour of Atlas and himself.
Another media blitz. Jaune almost groaned. There were politicians in election races who got less coverage than this. He'd really hoped it would all be done with after his interview with Lisa Lavender. A stupid thought in hindsight. Either way, he was glad to see the Belladonna family leave. It felt rude, but he still felt that way.
/-/
If there was one person he could vent to, it was Pyrrha.
He hadn't been sure why at first he found it so easy to talk to her, but he'd put a lot of thought into it and then talked to Dr Seng to see if he could figure it out, and the therapist had a very good, and probably correct, answer. Pyrrha was easy to talk to because she wasn't involved in his life in Atlas, and she couldn't get herself involved. He said it was why friendships online were so easy to make – because there were so few consequences to getting anything wrong. There were no barriers like family or other friends, or making time to meet up, or being afraid to speak your mind because you didn't want other people finding out.
If you confided your fears and frustrations in someone on the other side of the world then they couldn't exactly go and tell your other friends behind you back, or your parents or anyone else. You were most of the time safe from any consequences. Not entirely in his case, since he was famous and Pyrrha was too, but it was the same kind of theory. He could talk to Pyrrha because she had no stake in anything happening in Atlas, and she was free to speak her mind back. Case in point, the Belladonna issue.
"It sounds insane," said Pyrrha, looking as shocked as she sounded. Judging from her background, she was in her family training room. It had been built for her after she'd become an athlete, so she could have the benefit of conditioning away from crowded gyms and people watching her every move. Pyrrha was in a tight leotard with a tank top, with a towel around her shoulders and her red hair sticking to her skin. He'd worried about interrupting her, but she said she'd been done and appreciated the distraction. "Can they really just change the law like that? If someone is a criminal then they're a criminal."
"General Ironwood can do whatever he wants as far as I can tell. It didn't sound like this was anything new either."
"He must mean plea deals. I've seen a few of them, usually with big criminal cases here or corruption in the council. I never liked it, though. It doesn't feel right that someone should go free just because they offered better information on someone else."
That was what he liked about Pyrrha; her opinions seemed to align so much with his. He wondered if it was because they both came from normal backgrounds with normal childhoods. To them, the idea of the law being flexible was ridiculous, because it sure as hell wouldn't have been flexible if they or their parents had gotten in trouble. It was only flexible for the rich and powerful, like Weiss and her family, or Blake with her parents being big deals in Menagerie.
"I know what you mean," said Jaune, pacing his room. "I get that it's better to have information on the real problem. It was Adam Taurus that killed Weiss, and I want him to suffer for it."
"Me too. He needs to be in a cell."
Jaune nodded eagerly. "But… I mean… a reduced sentence for her, sure, but to be just let free? It sucks."
"It's like saying the law doesn't matter." Pyrrha had the right of it there. Jaune nodded again. "I get the idea as well, but part of me thinks this whole plea deal thing just makes it more likely for people to not work with the authorities. I mean, if you know that other people have gotten off completely free then you'll just refuse to give information on your accomplices until you get the same deal. It feels like it's self-defeating."
"Exactly."
"Did she at least look grateful?"
"I mean, yeah." He thought back to Blake and winced. "Her parents were, too. I felt bad for them."
"They might have been able to stop her if they paid more attention."
"I don't know. It sounds like they were betrayed when they least expected it, and that Blake went with the people who betrayed them. It was kept secret on purpose so they wouldn't find out." He'd be less sympathetic if they'd ignored the signs, but when the signs were literally being hidden by other people then he supposed it wasn't all their fault. "That didn't mean I liked dealing with them, though. And I'm worried what Weiss will say."
"Have you talked to her about it?"
"I'm not sure I'm allowed to."
Pyrrha paused. "Are you allowed to talk to me about it?"
"Probably not."
"Jaune…"
"Oh, come on. It's fine." He laughed as Pyrrha sighed on the other end of the line. She had that narrowed eye look that he'd come to realise was her way of saying she was annoyed without actually saying it. Like him, Pyrrha had been forced to become unfalteringly polite in public, but unlike him she'd taken it to heart and kept acting that way in private. It was fun to see the signs of that cracking and know he could bring out the real Pyrrha. "Seriously, though. Do you think Weiss will freak out?"
"I'd say it was Ironwood who asked you to do it and that you reluctantly agreed. At least that way she can freak out at someone else." Oooh. Good idea. "As for the girl. Ugh. Maybe she will take this as a sign to do better. It's her last chance. I don't think anyone who gets a plea deal gets a second if they break the law again."
"Yeah, I'm fairly sure this is a last chance sort of deal."
"Let's hope she keeps it. Do you know what she will be doing in Vale?"
"No idea." He hadn't thought to ask, and he didn't care. "I imagine she'll be given some job somewhere. Maybe admin or maybe it'll be working with the police to try and give back to the community."
"Hmm. I could have a look when I go there for Beacon."
"You've decided on Beacon, then?"
"I have." Pyrrha was all smiles.
"To be with Weiss?"
"Not so much that, though I suppose it will be nice to have a friend there. It's just that I've realised after meeting you that I need to get out there and meet new people. That's not going to happen here in Mistral where everyone knows who I am."
He nodded, understanding in a way few others could have. It was the same with him in Atlas being a household name. He didn't think it would be much better in Vale, neither for him nor for Pyrrha, but there were bound to be less people who knew an athlete in another country than their own. Pyrrha was a star of her local news, but just a foreign athlete in other kingdoms.
"I'm sure you'll find some people who don't know you."
"I'll settle for them not putting me on a pedestal. I've realised being known isn't the issue – it was silly of me to only look for people who didn't know me when there are people out there like you who would just look past my fame. I was closing myself off to a host of potential friendships just because their eyes widened when they first saw me. It's silly looking back. There are competitors in the tournaments I probably could have become friends with if I just gave them the chance."
"Hindsight is easy," said Jaune, mimicking one of Dr Seng's favourite quotes. "You can't hold it against yourself for mistakes made in the past."
Pyrrha laughed. "I know. I know. It's a shame you can't come to Beacon as well."
"It is, but you know Atlas would turn itself inside out of I left."
"You'll come visit for the Vytal festival at least. I hear it's in Vale next time."
"I guess I'll see you there."
"Or you'll see me on every call I make," said Pyrrha. "When I call to start complaining about how my teammates are all trying to make me the team leader and acting like I'm a superstar. I'm going to need you to be my outlet if I end up on a team that adores me. At least until I can break it out of them."
It was his turn to laugh. "I'll be there for you, Pyrrha. You can shout and rant at me all night long if you need to."
He knew she would do the same for him, and had on occasion, and it wasn't even a case of repaying her for some perceived debt. It was a relief whenever he could talk to her. Finally, someone who understood what it was like to be in his situation. His family tried, they really did, but it just wasn't the same. And Weiss, for all her efforts to understand, simply couldn't. Fame had been her life from the moment she was born.
"I have to go," said Pyrrha, looking off-screen. "My parents are insistent we eat together as a family since I have to spend so much time out training, competing or with my agents."
"It's fine. Mine do the same. Have a good night, Pyrrha."
"You too, Jaune!" Pyrrha smiled happily at the camera and waved at him. "Goodnight!"
/-/
It had been about three weeks since the Belladonna family had come and gone, and it took that long for Weiss to decide to make a public appearance once more. That wasn't to say he hadn't seen her in the month since the Vytal Festival – he had been invited to visit the Schnee manor a couple of times, both to have dinner with the family and also to spend time with Weiss and Whitley. Out of those, the only ones which didn't end up leaving him under pressure was Whitley, who often just wanted to play games or complain about things – something Jaune was more than good at joining in on.
Weiss' father was a good host, but he kept asking questions about the future. Not necessarily bad questions, but things like what Jaune's plans were and what he was thinking of doing next year – normal conversation things, really. The problem was that he hadn't put any plans into place at all and it left him feeling stupid. The less said about Weiss' mother the better, as Willow Schnee barely paid him any attention and didn't offer any to her children either. Weiss would not talk about her, but Whitley had been frank in saying she was their mother in name only.
"She hates the fact she married our father," said Whitley one evening, "and has decided that after being unable to punish him in any meaningful way, she'll punish us instead. I gave up on trying to win her attention when I was seven."
Jaune had apologised for bringing such memories up, only for Whitley to snort and say it was hard to feel upset when he didn't care about her. She was a stranger to him, and so he didn't feel any pain for talking about her. Jaune couldn't decide if that was a healthy coping mechanism or not. It was probably better than pining after someone who would never return your feelings.
Weiss' first return to the public eye, however, was to be a date with him. That was something she'd requested, so he didn't have any problem granting it. The PR department had been told to stop interfering in his romantic life where possible by General Ironwood after the Lisa Lavender interview, and they'd mostly stuck to that.
Their date was nothing too special. Thankfully. Weiss had called ahead and booked a table at an expensive restaurant that he blundered his way through the menu of, and they'd eaten with only light conversation before heading out into a waiting limo to attend a show at the theatre. It was a musical, a light one, and he supposed it was nice. It wasn't really his thing. They had their own booth up in the VIP area overlooking the crowded seats, and though they'd been snapped by a few determined paparazzi leaving the restaurant and coming here, no one inside was really aware of their presence. When the intermission came at the halfway point, Weiss dispatched her butler, Klein, to fetch them snacks and drinks, and then smoothed down her white dress over her knees.
"Jaune. I think we need to talk."
He sucked in a breath. His fancy suit suddenly felt several sizes too tight. "About what?"
"About our futures."
"Are you breaking up with me?"
Weiss looked shocked, her eyes snapping up from her knees to him. "What!? No! Why would you even think that?"
"Because when a couple say they need to talk about their future it's usually because things aren't working out." He trailed off at the look on her face, relief mixing with embarrassment. "I guess I got the wrong end of things?"
"You did!" said Weiss. "You very much did!"
"Sorry. Uh. Continue?"
Weiss huffed and flattened her dress down again. She really did look beautiful tonight, in a white dress that reached just past her knees and a fluffy white faux-fur scarf with grey netting. She even had small pearl earrings, and a sparkling tiara nestled in her hair. That didn't mean she looked older, though. Weiss was still short and very young, the same age as him but seemingly younger because of her height and smooth features. Then again, they were both only sixteen. Nearing seventeen. He realised he was distracting himself to avoid the conversation and forced his attention back to her words.
"I didn't mean to imply anything was wrong," said Weiss, quietly. "I just thought we should talk about our future. Together," she added. "I will be going to Beacon soon, and you will… well, you will be staying here in Atlas I imagine."
"I imagine the same. Atlas isn't going to let me live four years in Vale."
"No. Of course not. I, on the other hand, will be, though I'll be coming back for most holidays. I just thought it would be mature of us to discuss that and what will happen. It's going to be four years of my being away from you. Our relationship will be long distance."
He'd seen and heard of people in these situations before. Often, it was something that happened when people graduated out one school and were going to another, or university, and those might be in different places. Saphron and Terra once had the same discussion when she got her job in Argus and before they'd decided to move in together. The two of them had discussed breaking up and decided to try it out long distance, and it worked. Then again, they'd only done the long distance thing for about half a year. He didn't know if four years would be too much for most people. Maybe for adults, at least. Weiss was still in education and they were only sixteen, so four years to them wasn't too much. They'd be twenty-one when she graduated, which was about the age most people would start thinking about proper relationships anyway.
"I thought we should talk about our expectations," said Weiss. "Set rules and boundaries. It's better we both be on the same page so any mistakes aren't made."
"I guess. What kinds of rules are we talking about? The only one I can think of is no dating anyone else, but that should be obvious."
"That is obvious. It doesn't need to be said. There are other things in Beacon, however. For one, rooms are shared with four people to each dormitory and I might be forced to be on a team with other men. Obviously, I would never allow them to touch me or see anything they should not, but we would be teammates. I'd have to spend time with them and grow closer as allies. Will you be alright with that?"
He didn't see why he wouldn't be. Did Weiss really expect him to get angry at her making friends with other people? He was talking with Pyrrha at least every other night. "That's fine, Weiss. I don't have any issues with you making friends with other people, male or otherwise."
"Good. Good." Weiss looked relieved. "And I have no problem with you befriending women so long as they know you are spoken for."
This was getting awkward. It felt like they were trying to discuss an open relationship, except that they weren't and it was anything but. He didn't want to say she was being silly though, because he knew that would make her furious. If Weiss thought this a serious matter, he should at least treat it as such.
"I'm glad we can talk things through like this," said Weiss. "Maturely."
We're sixteen, Weiss. We don't have to be mature. Even as he thought it though, he knew it wasn't the case. Teenagers they might be, but their actions were watched with intensity by everyone else, so a single indiscretion could cause a scandal. Maybe that was why she wanted this – less because she doubted him, and more so they could have a united front against any media nonsense while they were apart. He wouldn't put it past the newspapers to start spreading rumours if Weiss got on a team with three men. Maybe this was her way of saying they should head that off and not be fooled into overreacting.
"I trust you, Weiss," he said, just to make that clear. He reached out and took her hand, and she smiled and turned it over to intertwine her fingers with his. Jaune's heart soared.
"I trust you as well. I just… I want things to be clear. You've… You've seen how things are with my mother. I know you have. You're not blind, and Whitley as good as told me he'd put you in the picture."
"I'm sorry-"
"Don't be. I'm more relieved it's out and I don't have to tiptoe around it. That's why I want us to be clear about our expectations," she said. "I want… I need us to be more than that." Her hand squeezed his. "To respect one another. To actually like one another. That even if things did go wrong in the future, we could work it out and not be… not become like that."
He couldn't fault that. He just couldn't. This was important to her. "Alright." He took a deep breath to prepare himself. "Then lay it on me. Give me some of your expectations."
"I want us to be partners in all things." Okay. Not bad at all – great, even. Jaune felt his shoulders relax. "I want us to be on the same footing," continued Weiss. "No power differences or dynamics. I know I'm the heiress of the richest company on Remnant, and you're probably the most famous person on Remnant, but I don't want ours to be a relationship where one person is considered more or less important than the other."
"I agree."
"It's more than just agreeing," she said. "We have to support each other in public. Any time." Her eyes locked onto his. "I mean that. If we have issues, then we resolve them in private. We don't let them get out into the public where they'll be covered from here to Vacuo and back again. If there are rumours, like if I'm on a team with other men or spend time training with them, then I need to know you'll dismiss them immediately. I need to know you'll tell the world that you trust me."
"I do," said Jaune, squeezing her hand. "And I will. I'm not going to be some jealous guy, Weiss."
"It's not about jealousy. It's about being equals. It's about…"
"Not ending up like Jacques and Willow?" It was hardly a guess at this point, and Weiss' glum nod confirmed it. "We're not going to be like them, Weiss. I mean, you'd kick my butt if I even tried to be like that. And you'd get away with it."
"I'd also be called an abusive partner and hated the world over…"
He winced. Right. Weiss was taking this super seriously, and she was probably on the money there. If either of them was to actually strike the other in anger then it'd be international news. People would pick sides. It would be absolute warfare online. He'd meant it as a joke, but even the small power difference in her being physically stronger and more skilled than him was something that could lead to her throwing her weight around in the future. Similarly, with people more likely to side and feel sympathetic toward the miracle healer over the daughter of a greedy businessman, he could ruin her life with just a rumour of abusive treatment. It wouldn't matter if it was true or not; the media and the internet would eat Weiss alive.
"I also need to know you'll treat me with respect," said Weiss, listing the next point. "I know you do now," she added when he opened his mouth to complain. "But I need to know you still will in the future when I'm splitting my time between you, the business and also being a huntress. I'm going to be busy. I'll always make time for you and treat you with respect as well obviously, but I need to know you won't be talking about me behind my back."
"I won't. I mean if there are any issues then we can work them out in private, right?"
"Exactly." Weiss breathed out sharply. "That's exactly it. There will be issues. Of course there will be. There's bound to be. And you'll be busy as well," she said. "You'll be visiting hospitals and bringing people back to life and attending television interviews and signing autographs and being the centre of attention. I'll be ready to accept all of that as well, and I won't hold any of it against you."
"Y-Yeah."
He wished she wouldn't bring up his future like that. It was his likely future, which was why he hadn't had a better answer to her father's questions. There wasn't much point planning for the future when his future was to be chained to hospitals. It's not even something she's against. She says she'll be fine to let me do all that like it's a given that I will. Wasn't it, though? It wasn't like he could segue into being a sports star or an accountant. The world wouldn't let him.
"We can talk to one another about any issues that come up," said Weiss, speaking on. "But to the outside world we need to appear strong. We'll be a power couple, Jaune. There will be people who will want to break that up."
More misery. More attention. More fame. Jaune grimaced.
"That's a long way in the future though," he said, eager to avoid talking about it. "We're sixteen."
"Legally, we can make a lot of adult decisions at sixteen," said Weiss.
He knew that. They could drink, legally have sex, join the military, marry – ironically, they couldn't buy porn or cigarettes, even though they could legally smoke. It was all a bit weird, the laws. They also couldn't learn to drive a car until seventeen, but they could join the army and be drafted into a war to wield a gun at sixteen. Not that there were any wars, but still. Age restrictions were a little bit weird across all the kingdoms. He hadn't really meant it that way and Weiss had to know that.
"We're together, aren't we?" she asked. "You want to be with me."
"I do…"
"Then isn't that enough? I think we will fit well together," said Weiss, "so why bother wasting time when we're both confident of that? I think we're mature enough to skip the nonsense if we are both happy with this relationship."
Jaune was struggling to keep up with her. "I don't really understand what you're saying."
"Do you love me?"
Easy question. Easy answer. "Yes."
"Then I think we should announce our engagement."
Jaune's brain screeched to a halt. "What?"
"You heard me."
"What engagement?"
"Isn't that obvious?" Weiss clicked her tongue and looked away, blushing slightly as she brought her free hand up to brush some hair behind her ear. "I'm saying that we should get engaged. We're both adults, we know what we want, and we've made our agreements for the future. What is left but to finalise it? Unless you're having second thoughts?"
"No. No. I-"
"Then it's settled." Weiss smiled beautifully and clutched his hand tight. There was naked relief in her, and he could tell she'd been afraid he would argue or balk. That he hadn't was more out of shock than acceptance, but now she'd taken it as the latter he didn't know what to say. Or do. The way she squeezed his hand, their fingers still intertwined, made it hard to pull free. Harder still to say no. "We can look at rings tomorrow. I'm so happy we had this conversation. I was worried but…" Weiss laughed musically. "I shouldn't have been. You're not like other boys, just as I'm not like other girls. We both act much older than we are."
It was true, he supposed, but the difference was that he didn't want to have to act older. He didn't want to have to watch his every word, adapt to the attention and consider the world like someone in their thirties. He didn't want to settle, when it felt like there was still so much of life ahead.
Klein returned, and the intermission came to an end, bringing back song and dance and costumes and exaggerated sound effects. They all rang emptily in Jaune's head, as he sat, hand in hand with his girlfriend – or was she his fiancée now? – and wondered how any of this had happened, and what he was supposed to feel. Happy, he supposed. Content. If anything, he felt panicked and light-headed, and unsure what he'd done, why, or how this had come around.
I guess… I guess it's not a terrible idea…
Maybe.
Weiss, what? What!?
To be clear I'm not saying Weiss is toxic or controlling - or at least she doesn't mean to be. She's just very forward focused and wants this to be perfect, so she is planning stuff out years ahead in her mind (while trying not to let them end up like Jacques and Willow) and failing to read Jaune's face as she does. She genunely thinks this is in her and his best interests, what with her going to Beacon and rumours and scandal sure to arise.
Still, yes, it's not her best idea. Weiss believes herself perfectly mature, and this her plans are all perfectly reasonable. Nothing theoretically wrong about them deciding on their future together and then cementing it, is there? It's how she's been raised. Address the problem, get a contract, sign it. Job done. Of course, their relationship is fine. She says so, and Jaune says he loves her, so what else is there to worry about? No flags that she can see, so full steam ahead.
Unhealthy relationship goals ahoy.
Next Chapter: 15th December
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