A thick blanket of silence descended over their little clearing. The eyes of his teammates boring into him as they processed what he said.
The first to break the silence was Nora. Frenziedly blinking as tears ran. Words coming out a garbled mess as she tried coming up with a clever response, a quick wited joke, but coming up blank.
"W…. wha?" Nora eventually mumbled out as she got her mouth under control. Gesturing widely as she tried to figure out how the gigantic abomination standing in the fire had been a person.
"Oh… Oh no." Pyrrha whispered hoarsely as she looked worriedly at Jaune. Mind working overdrive as she connected dot after dot.
"That was my response when I found out as well." Jaune said, chuckling weakly as he looked up at the Cleric Beast. The only thing he regretted ever doing in Yharnam was being too late to save Iosefka. Just as he couldn't find it in himself to forgive her for what she forced him to do, he also couldn't find it in him to forgive himself for being too late to save the imposter. 'What if's' haunting him regularly about the moment forever seared into his soul.
In the beginning, each murder had hung over him like an invisible mountain, crushing his hearth under its weight. Now, murder had become so familiar that he felt nothing, but a hollow satisfaction of a job well done when he killed.
A frightening development that would see him slammed behind bars before he knew what happened if his body count ever made it over to Remnant. That, or straight to execution. Not something that was practiced often, but then again, most people didn't have a body count racing toward four digits after all.
Yharnam is a metropolitan city the size of Vale, and he wouldn't be surprised if it was just as old. Given Yharnam's crocked architecture the city could easily have more people as well. Not to mention how each area he explored reset with each death or 'awakening' from the dream. That, together with his talent of stumbling into trouble, or having trouble stumble into him, had cumulated into Crocea Mors having been bloodied each and every night.
But even if his body count ever were found out, he couldn't legally be tried for it. So he had that going for him.
It wasn't much, but at least it was something.
Looking down at his notebook he flipped the page. The Cleric Beast disappearing up in smoke as two familiar forms' came to life where it had stood.
Gascoigne, in his human form armed with his modified pistol and axe. Together with his werewolf form towering out of his shadow like twisted guardian spirit.
"Gascoigne, the man that taught me that beasts had once been human. Transformed after eating a clean shot to the stomach and being able to continue to fight." Jaune said softly as he stared into the phantoms bloodthirsty eyes. A thin, thin string of sanity holding the beast within back.
A string he had snapped in their fight, allowing the man to become the monster he already was in full.
"You know, you have werewolves and a gothic themed city. Do you think 'the dream' also have vampires?" Nora asked, a bashful smile on her face as everyone expect Ren turned to look at her in disbelief. "Sorry, sorry. It's just humour, and questions, no matter how stupid or inane, helps me keep my mind of that fearless leader is basically patrolling the streets of the mother of all nightmares while killing monsters that have been people night on end. And have been doing it every night since initiation. And I have no idea what to feel or think. It's all a bit much."
"You know." Nora said with a smile that broke on the edges, ignoring her friends and teammates. Barrelling on with obviously forced cheer. "Twilight would have been a completely different trilogy if the werewolves were taken from Yharnam, doubly so the vampires."
"Yharnam doesn't have vampires, Nora." Jaune chuckled weakly. Glad that Nora could find a silver lining in the absurdness of it all. Her question helping to lessen Ren and Pyrrha's tense shoulders. The two of them glaring at the echo of Gascoigne. A thousand emotions dancing in their eyes.
"That you know of." Nora quickly countered with, making his hackles rise. "After all, you haven't explored all of Yharnam, have you fearless leader? And if you haven't, what's to say there won't be a vampire or two hiding around."
"I think, Yharnam don't have vampires." Jaune amended, fingers dancing over the hilt of Crocea Mors as he remembered all the bats he had seen. Not at all liking how some of them maybe could be transformed vampires. "However, should there be vampires in Yharnam they will be delt with adequately. Fire and steel have worked so far, it won't betray me now."
If his blatant admittance to murder shocked anyone, they hid it well.
Or they were already overwhelmed and hadn't processed what he said.
"This… this is the father of the little girl isn't it. The one you saved and want to follow in your footsteps." Ren said icily cold, semblance working overtime to mask away the shock he felt. Leaving only icily cold rationality as everything else was masked.
"Yes, he is." Jaune sighed, looking as emotion's slowly returned to his friends eyes. Having seen how 'ice' materialised over the colours that made up his soul as his semblance activated. That however didn't remove the harrowing dark that bled from him, together with a deep purple representing deep thought. Not that Ren was the anyone who felt sorrow as he looked at him.
Both Pyrrha and Nora spirits, souls, or whatever it was he saw, was marred by deep dark colours. Sadness, pain, disbelief, and an amalgamation of other negative emotions festering in their chests.
"I… gave him, and his wife proper burials. Violet, the little girl, also knows of it. If anything it only reinforced her desire to apprentice under me." He said as Ren breathed heavily out. A kaleidoscope of colours dancing in his spirit, rapidly bleeding into one another and changing at the drop of a hat. Never staying the same for more than a split second.
With another deep breath he watched as Ren got a firm hold over his emotions. The kaleidoscope dying out as a forced calm settled over him.
"That's good… great even. I won't wish what happened to me and Nora on anyone, but I can't help drawing parallels. No matter how different her situation may be to ours." Ren breathed out as Nora quickly blurred to his side. Worry in her eyes as she sat down, giving Ren the space he needed while her presence provided supports. Helping to ease his troubled spirits as his eyes trailed from him to Pyrrha.
"And I suppose the two of you deserve to know the truth. We trust you, and it would be hypocritical of both of us to pry into Jaune's secrets while keeping our own. Given how reluctant he is to talk about it, a reluctance that is rightfully so, especially if what you have said is only scratching the surface." Ren said, chuckling softly as he levelled Jaune a look. "Not that whatever happened to us, all three of us can really be compared. Bad is subjective after all, and there is no way we are having a competition about who is suffering most."
"But… Kuroyuri." Ren started but was quickly interrupted as Jaune whispered. "So I was right."
Jaune had the decency to blush as Ren glared at him with a tired look.
"Yes, Kuroyuri. A city that was overrun by grimm." Ren started. "It happened when we were young, before we knew it, it was just the two of us left in burning ruins. We are the only two survivors of the massacre that we know of, there can be more. But if there is we never stumbled upon them."
"Trough grimm forests, gang fights, chilling winters and scorching summers." Nora started as an epic tale of loss, tragedy, building each other stronger, unfolded. The sombre mood from earlier disappearing as Nora narrated her exiting tale. Ren only butting in sometimes, turning the tale from fantastical, to horrifyingly realistic.
When the story eventually came to an and a lighter atmosphere hung over them. Both Ren and Nora's shoulder falling as a weight they didn't know they were carrying was finally put down for good. Breathing easily, the shadow of Kuroyuri not napping at their feet any longer.
"Wait a minute." Pyrrha mumbled out as she looked to have come to a horrific conclusion. "Am I the only one on our team without a body count?"
"Yet." Nora chimed in as three pairs of eyes turned to her. Shrugging away their glares, the energic bomber continued. "What? Every huntsman, and huntress for that matter, worth their salt is eventually forced into a situation where they need to take a life to save the largest amount of people. There is a reason every huntsman and huntsman-in-training have free therapy as one of their rights. Not many people make use of it, but it's there."
"How… how can you be so nonchalant about it?" Pyrrha asked, as she looked horrified over Ren and Nora. Not finding much comfort from Jaune either, the sound of thunder and empty eyes flashing briefly in her mind as she shook the memories away.
"Because, frankly, we have seen and done some things we aren't proud of to survive." Nora shrugged as she got defensive, losing her usual peppiness. "Being an orphan in Mistral is the same as having half a foot in with the gangs. Crime is everywhere, while its mostly hidden away, every orphan quickly learns what to look for. And for those who wants to be a huntsman or huntress, they will need to be able to manoeuvre the underworld without being completely dragged in."
"Once you are in, the only way out is in a body bag." Ren added from the side. Not helping in the slightest as myriad emotions danced in Pyrrha's eyes.
"What?" Pyrrha whispered horrified, face rapidly paling. "Excuse me, I… I think I must take a breather."
With that she was off, Miló and Akoúo in hand as she disappeared into the forest.
"Jaune, the creek is just right down there, right?" At his nod, Ren stood up and quickly fished out his fishing rod and his other equipment, a large net, two other rods, and a large plastic wobbler box that held a colourful assortment of lures, spinners and wobblers. Quickly checking over everything one last time he turned to him and Nora.
"Then I will be off, just because we have foodpacks doesn't mean we should overly rely on them. Especially with a natural source of food right next door." While Ren said that, his spirit was another matter entirely. Wildly fluctuating colours crashing into another as he hastily made his way towards the creek.
"That… could have gone better." Jaune sighed as he closed the notebook, the echo of Gascoigne disappearing as if it had never been there.
"Yeah, it could have." Nora cringed slightly before settling on a more morosely smile. "But it was eventually going to come out one way or another. That is without mentioning how hypothetical we have been, forcing you to open about something you don't want to while not doing the same. I hope you can forgive us for being pushy. We wanted to know what you were going through, so we can help you. Or at least not make things worse."
"I can never hate you for caring." Jaune said softly much to Nora's relief. "If anything, it's I who should apologize. Especially what I have exposed you for, Team Juniper? More like Team Trauma."
"Exposed us to what?" Nora asked with a blink. "If you are talking about the docs, then you did what you thought was best. While we don't go around screaming it to the high heavens, both me and Ren have some bodies to our name. And as much as I abhor killing, sometimes it is the lesser of the two evils."
"You don't remember?" Jaune asked softly as he looked at his teammate, who only stared back in confusion. "The 'blood fountain.'" He said softly as he ran his hand over his neck. Realization washing over her as she went white.
"That… wasn't a nightmare?" Nora whispered mutely as colour drained from her face. Flashing over to Jaune's side, pulling away at his coat and shirt as she desperately looked over his neck for any scars.
"No, it wasn't. And luckily you won't find any scars." Jaune said as he gently pried her fingers from his coat. "The blood, it heals much. While it won't be enough for decapitation and dismembered arms or legs, or anything really of that severity. It is thankfully able to heal all scars, even those I got before the 'Dream'. And thankfully so, I'm sure if I woke up with all the scars, I earned in the dream I would hardly look human."
"How… how can you be so calm… so nonchalant about it?" Nora asked, looking into the cackling fire instead of at Jaune. Not trusting herself to not suffer a breakdown if she were to look at him.
"Because I have died to many times, to the point where it has almost become normal." Jaune said as he stood over the crackling fire, adding some firewood in while he sat up a cooking pot. "It is the same with killing. My count isn't around the ten's, maybe twenties of you and Ren. In the short month and a half I have had my semblance, I'm already racing towards four digits. And If I'm unlucky I will end up at five, maybe six before the year is over. Depending on how sadistic and twisted the dream wants to be."
Letting Nora have some minutes to herself after the bomb he just dropped at her, Jaune grabbed his bell and rang. The pile that was his potion ingredient piles suddenly appearing in multiple boxes neatly ladled. Flowers and mushrooms were two of the most filled crates, together with a crate which was ladled misc flora for everything else from nature. Then there was another filled crate that read simply Maybe Ingredients, different types of dead slugs, from common pests to some on the more toxic and dangerous. Bear gall, snake gall, dreamcatchers, good luck charms, blood vials. Anything he thought could be an ingredient was neatly sorted into the box.
There were even some of the dream's many flowers in the boxes.
Opening his notebook at the pages and speculations of potions he stared at the first recipe or formula he had dragged out of his ass. Healing Tonic, or Healing Potion if he went full game speak. A simple potion idea that should help him stave of the need for blood vials. He would still need them, but having other methods to heal lesser wounds quickly and efficiently would be a literal lifesaver.
He had multiple ideas or 'recipes' for such an idea, even if many of the ingredients were overlapping. There were only so many different ingredients that had some sort of healing or restorative spiritual symbolism tied to them. And it wasn't like he could go around importing in 'unmeltable ice' from the highest mountains of Atlas, or 'life water' from Vacuo's dessert oases.
Looking at Healing Tonic Recipe #1, he started by pouring adding some water into the pot and waiting for it to boil.
"What are you doing, fearless leader?" Nora carefully asked as she saw him carefully cut away the Merigold flowers step, before dicing the flower head inti small, small bits and dumping them into the boiling water.
"Well, I have been wanting to experiment more with the 'magic' aspect of my semblance. Arcane as an attribute, points to a more magical side of the 'dream', something laying tarot proved when I got a spread of three moon cards again and again. But besides reading up on magic, or arcane in the 'dream' when I took my time off, I never properly experimented with it. Sure I read up, bought ingredients, and all that. But I never actively practiced magic, only preparing myself for that being a possibility. So now that we have some time away from prying eyes, I wanted to actively get some practice in." Jaune explained as he continued on with his recipe.
"So what are you doing now? Potions?" Nora asked excitedly as she moved closer to Jaune as he magicked away. Earlier conversation not forgotten, just put on the backburner for the much lighter and more interesting happening before her.
"Yup, it's the quickest thing I can get the hang of, I think. But just having a way heal myself, or others, and essentially create 'buff's' in a flask, is too valuable a tool to give up. I'm sure I could do the same with the Onmyo talismans that you and Ren introduced me to." He said much to her embarrassment before continuing with a hint of a smile. "Sure, Onmyo talismans can probably do more than potions overall, if the books you hefted on me are to be believed. But they would also take more time to learn, especially if you need to be able to precisely write with a brush before even beginning."
"You are hoping to gain more out of what time you invest into potions right?" Nora asked as he nodded.
For it was true. There were over hundred types of magic, even more if he took tea leaf reading, bird reading, and astrology as their own magic types and not methods of divination. Enchanting was one, so was rune magic in all its forms and variants over the many eras. But his time was limited, and he couldn't afford to spend his time jumping from magical discipline to magical discipline. He needed results, and he needed them yesterday.
Potions was what he had eventually settled on. Quick, easy, somewhat familiar, and not as resource and labour intensive as some other types of magic he had looked over.
"Yup, I hope to get a grasp, or at least get an idea of how the magic, or arcane, stuff works through Potions. Maybe my recipes will work, maybe they won't." Jaune replied with a shrug, giving Nora a cheeky smile as he continued following his first recipe. "I mean, could you imagine having lighting in a bottle? You could literally supercharge your semblance whenever you wanted. Add in a type of endurance and vitality buff, and you could safely push yourself to even higher limits."
"You are my favourite non-Ren person, right now fearless leader." Nora said dead seriously as Jaune threw some lavender petals into the water mixture, giving it a deep purple shade, with streaks of red shining through as Jaune stirred the mixture.
"Thank you. But don't go saying that around Pyrrha, she just doesn't understand. In a way I bet she feels that she is on the outside looking in. Not that I ever hope she will have an experience like us, but fate is a cruel bitch." Jaune said as he squirts some aloe vera gel into the mixture. Eyes shotting up as the entire mixture settled. A thick purple smoke in the shape of skulls and crossbones laughing rising eerily from the deathly still mixture.
"I don't think that is the healing tonic you were looking forward too, fearless leader." Nora chuckled from the side, earning a deadpan stare from Jaune. Not minding she grinned. "If I didn't know better, I would have thought Fate heard you badmouthing her."
"You know what, that wouldn't surprise me in the slightest." Jaune said as he quickly bottled the purple liquid in one of the any empty glass vials he had left after emptying them in his hunt. There was only thankfully enough for a single vial, but that was enough. He had felt something depleting as he brewed his little potion, so he knew he was on the right path. Not to mention he had never expected to get any results at his first proper try, not to mention good results at that.
As of now he was only hoping to create a potion that actually worked as he intended. There was no need to refine the recipe for a potion that didn't give him what he wanted after all.
"That was healing tonic recipe #1, good thing I have five others to go through first. Not to mention a whole other heap of other recipes." Jaune said as he looked to Nora whose eyes sparkled. "Wanna help me?"
"Do I!"
#####
Pyrrha returned to a different atmosphere than she had fled from. The earlier revelations having left her a mess of emotions that felt overwhelming. Seeing firsthand one of the monsters that Jaune had been up against had been a shock in of itself. That the 'Cleric Beast' had been a person was just the cherry on top an already nightmarish cake.
The grimm were scary, but they were just grimm. Negative thoughts given corporeal form. They weren't human or faunus that had been transformed into twisted abominations in sick mockery of life.
Nora's apparent nonchalance about having a body count simply having been the straw that broke the camel's back.
She did feel bad about fleeing from her team, the one's she was meant to trust with her life. But she had needed space, space to get her emotions in check before she said something she might regret. Thankfully she was in a forest filled with grimm, giving her a convenient outlet for all her emotions while also allowing her to physically vent.
The familiarity of combat allowing her time to think, to think upon what Ren and Nora had experienced, and to think upon what had been forced upon Jaune. One was a constant reminder that the beautiful world she lived in wasn't safe, crime running rampant both outside and inside the walls of the Capital Cities. The only reason she never saw any signs was because she constantly spent her time training. Chasing her passion before her passion and skill shoved her on an invisible pedestal.
The other was a nightmare come to life in Jaune and Yharnam. It made him strong; his rapid progress was proof of that. The problem was what was sacrificed to fuel said progress.
Shaking the dark thoughts away she stepped back into the clearing, their little area having become something completely different from when she left. It had been completely cleared up, the fire pit looked well made with no fear of starting wildfires, a large pile of sticks was huddled away under some trees, a pile of rocks sitting under another. Some larger trees had been sat around the firepit and made into benches with some rope and stone. A stone slab served as makeshift kitchen area. There was even an area hidden away in the woods with a plank bench with a hole in serving as an outhouse.
The tent was long since up, was set up, nestled between the pile of firewood and stones, the camouflage making it blend into the treeline like it had always been there.
A dozen vials of different colours sat around the kitchen slab with one dead tired Jaune endlessly switching between stirring what was in the pot and stopping an overeager Nora from downing one of the colourful vials.
"Aww, come on Jaune-Jaune, I wanna taste, I mean test the potions, the Nightshade brew looks so delicious. It's practically calling my name!" Nora whined as Jaune sighed with an exasperation that made it clear this wasn't the first time she had been asking that question. "Nora, it's a deep sleep potion, or should be at least, not 'The Nightshade Brew' that you call it. It's supposed too, and hopefully will, leave the consumer in a deep and dreamless sleep. I will not have you falling asleep at the spot."
"What is going on here?" Ren askes from the other side, three trout's hanging from a line beside two larger pike's. Before shrugging and walking into the chaos like it was normal.
Which it honestly was, Nora was a whirlwind of energy, always managing to stir up both chaos and their spirits. Jaune was the leader and strategist both, even if his tactical acumen tended to fall into the negative while not in tense situations, often leading to him being dragged along for whatever idea Nora pulled out next. Ren was wise beyond his years, while being calm and collected, often helping to calm Nora down if he was right beside her in whatever mad idea she had in mind.
And honestly, before she had even known what had happened it felt like she was slanted the role of team mom. But as she looked at the lively scene before her, Pyrrha couldn't help but laugh. Stepping towards the fire and liveliness as three warm smiles turned to her.
Nora and Ren might be two orphans who had been forced to do bad things to survive, but none of that mattered to her. They were her friends, comrades, and deep down, they were family. She wouldn't judge them for what circumstances had been forced onto them. Just as she wouldn't judge Jaune for matters outside his control.
"Jaune created potions! Magic potions! Right out of a fairytale or a game. And he won't let me taste them!" Nora shouted indignantly as she turned to Ren who had begun expertly gutting and cleaning the fish while listening as Nora ranted. "Maybe randomly ingesting untested 'potions' can be counterproductive?"
"I mean, they should be safe for consumption… she already drank one, didn't she?" Jaune sighed out as he looked so done. Ren sighing out a tired "Yep." Not taking his eyes from preparing the fishes for cooking.
As she gulped down the last bit of the midnight blue liquid, all energy and excitement visibly drained out from her as she sat down. A frown and a crocked smile on her face as she opened her mouth, words coming out with a calmness Pyrrha had never thought Nora capable of. "Is… is this how everyone lives? No prickly lightning under their skin, no whirlwind of ideas racing around. How do you live like that? Is this what experiencing nirvana is?"
"What did you give her?" Pyrrha asked as she sat down around the cackling fire.
"Give her? I will have you know I gave her nothing. What she drank voluntary, on the other hand is something else." Jaune said as he glanced over at the line of colour full vials, nodding to himself as he figured out what she drank. "Calming potion, or the Calmative Brew as Nora called it. It induces a sense of calm and relaxation in the consumer, soothing nerves, removing anxiety and reducing stress. I made it with the idea of removing the edge for my paranoia, but I didn't expect it to be so effective on Nora."
"Maybe the potion is just giving her semblance a temporary 'off' switch." Ren theorised loud. Getting a nod from Jaune as Pyrrha hummed along. "Nora's semblance is always on, always generating electricity and amping up her strength. Maybe the potion, or brew, she drank is just turning her semblance off for the first time in forever?"
"Honestly, I have no idea, let's go with it. Sounds reasonable enough" Jaune shrugged as he threw some moss and bone chunks into the pot as the liquid turned ethereal, being invisible and visible at the same time. "Huh, I can't believe that worked." He grinned as he stirred the pot for a little while. Quickly bottling the liquid in a vial when he was done.
"What did you make?" Pyrrha asked curiously. The dancing and shifting colours in the vial mesmerising her.
"Invisibility potion." Jaune started as he frowned at the vial. "No, that's wrong. It's more like a type of shadow blend or camouflage if I'm being honest, even if I did aim for invisibility. Something that's still way out of my league it seems. This should give partial invisibility for a short time. I honestly wasn't expecting that to work."
"Sounds useful but please change the pot to something else so we can cook some rice to have beside the fish. I would much appreciate not going partially invisible while eating dinner." Ren said as he finished dicing the fish, setting them aside as Jaune sat aside his potion pot, ringing his bell as all other crates filled with everything and nothing was whisked away.
"Sure thing, not like I really could continue with my potioneering either. Starting to see and hear things that aren't real, I think." Jaune said as he sat down after cleaning up. Stretching out the kinks in the back as he looked at the shocked faces of his team. "It's nothing bad, it think, hope. It's just my Spirituality, what I have decided to name what allows be to do magic and arcana. All the books I read trough in the dream had some archaic or nonsensical flowery words for it, even if it spoke of the same thing. So I scoured through books and tomes before deciding to give what they were talking about a proper name and a foundational setup. I don't know if it's completely correct, but it is good enough and effectively and concisely summarises what it is."
"But I'm going off on a tangent. When my Spirituality gets low, or anyone's Spirituality for that matter, as it is something everyone has it but most if not all is unable to actively use. I think the dream have helped 'activating' mine or just made me more aware of it." Seeing the look of confusion and tentative understanding he sighed. "Ok, let me take a step back, maybe explaining what Spirituality is, would be more helpful."
"Yes, I think I got the gist of it, but I would rather not leave anything to chance and speculation." Ren said, earning two nods from both Pyrrha and Nora. Both waiting patiently for Jaune to continue, even if Nora was looking more and more restless as time went on. Potion rapidly losing it's effect.
"Spirituality is first and foremost an independent type of energy that operates differently to the protective forcefield that is aura. It is generated by an individual's consciousness, their physical body, and their soul. In short, it's a product of the trifecta of mind, body and soul. With me so far?" Jaune asked, getting some tentative nods back. "Good, if it helps you visualize it, you can imagine the trifecta as three pillars placed as a triangle for each part, holding up a person's spirituality."
"While Spirituality is needed to do magic, or arcana, it is not something commonly used. As while everyone with a soul, body and a functional mind have Spirituality, it is dormant. A lot like Aura before it is activated. However the process of activating it is not something I know, as the dream and my arcana attribute have given me an instinct of sorts regarding my own. I don't know if that it's because of something I have seen or done, but my Spirituality is in an active state, thus allowing me to perform 'magic' such as divining the future and brewing potions."
"But I want to say Spirituality is also a double-edged sword. Should ones spirituality become either unstable or lowered to a certain point, the user will suffer severe negative effects. The warning sings are some types of sensory hallucinations, with visually and auditory hallucinations being the most common. However that is the first stage, the second is more like sporadic madness, as one or two of the two pillars are severely weakened, leading to strange and unusual states."
"So, that day you woke up bleeding from your eyes, nose and ears. It was because something had happened that made one or two of your 'pillars' unstable." Ren didn't as much ask as he stated his conjecture. Nodding at him, he sighed out and continued.
"Yes, I saw and experienced something that almost shattered my mind. Something incomprehensible that I can't even begin explaining it. Funnily enough it is also how I learned that Spirituality affects just as much as it is affected. It is, in essence, a mirror of a person existence." Jaune said as he shock away the memories of that horrible experience. "Frenzy, what I have decided to call what became afflicted with, is simply just a Spiritual overload. Something or someone dumping a mountain of useless gibberish onto your spirituality. Weighing it down and muddling it."
"And since the body, mind and soul is just as affected by Spirituality as it affects ones Spirituality. That caused you to bleed from your nose and ears while also experiencing extreme hallucinations." Ren summarised as Jaune nodded solemnly.
"Yes, spirituality is the essence of ones being, any effect on it will also be reflected on the person. And while I'm no expert, I'm willing to bet a lot on that most beasts are people who have had two of their 'pillars' shattered, most likely the mind and body pillars. Why that happened, or what lead to the pillars shattering, I have no clue about. But, within the framework I have set up, it gives a twisted amount of sense. I could be wrong, but I think I'm right. And if not right, then at least on the right path." Jaune breathed out, smiling gently to Pyrrha when she handed him a bowl with fish and rice.
"With that sort of drawback, together with the most likely extreme activation criteria, there is no surprise that Spirituality fell out of favour compared to Aura and Dust." Pyrrha added as she went over the implications of Spirituality. "I'm not sure it even became close to being mainstream in any way, shape or form. Only practiced in very fringed communities, or mostly in ancient times with sages, shamans, witches and all sort of wise men and women acting as the 'Spiritual' pillars of communities and what not."
"But… but magic!" Nora shouted from the side, rice and fish cubes shooting out of her mouth and landing in the fire.
"Yes, magic. But the cost of failure is to steep." Ren said. "Not everyone has the 'dream' or something of that calibre helping to stave off the cost of failure. Neither do most have the same resources Jaune have access to in the 'dream'."
"As much as I hate the dream, all the books within the workshop have been invaluable in figuring out Spirituality. I would never be able to figure out what I know now without them or all the books I read in Beacon." Jaune shrugs, calling his feelings about the dream complicated would be an understatement. "Sure, most shaman lines or sages had to have a semblance of legacy behind them to help pave the way. But one failure will lead to almost certain death unless you are some sort of prodigy or savant. While I can die in Yharnam, with my Spirituality not 'resetting', I still have ways or methods to help stave of the worst. I even think the dream even might be helping. So while my Spirituality can decline, as long as I'm contracted to the dream and bound to its whims, I don't think my Spirituality will ever shatter. I think, I could be wrong, but we are talking about hypothetical's as well."
"What is 'the workshop'? I don't think I have ever heard you mention it before." Pyrrha asked curiously from the side. Always interested in knowing more about the terrible 'dream' that Jaune is caught up in.
"Oh that, must have slipped my mind." Jaune said as he shrugged. "I can tell you about it if you want."
"That would be grand." Pyrrha said with a smile. "But, before we continue, how about doing the dishes? Or, just cleaning up in general. Before bringing out some card games and snacks? Maybe some quilts if it were to get cold?"
"Great idea Pyrrha. If we get it done now, we don't really need to worry about it later." Ren said, looking up and seeing how the sun was on the way down. "We should also get out some dust lanterns, to have some more light close at hand if we should need it. Nora, can you set up traps and a early warning system? Grimm aren't attracted to the miniscule negativity that a nightmare can produce, but better have it up than not need it."
"Psst. If you want, we can take it up with Ozpin and have you made team lead. You are handling camp and leadership like a pro." Jaune whispered to Ren with a smile.
"Jaune, if you think for a second you can hoist of your responsibility to me, you are sorely mistaken. I swear on whatever god you believe in that I will make your every waking moment hell." Ren said calmly while giving Jaune a death glare. Pyrrha's gentle laughter ringing out in the clearing as she looked at them with a beaming smile.
"I for one think you are a great leader. If anything you are taking to leadership like a fish in water." Pyrrha kindly added with a smile as they quickly cleaned up. "Leadership isn't for everyone, that much is for certain. But even with how much you despise the responsibility, you are doing a fantastic job. I trust you; we trust you."
"That may be, but I can't stop feeling worried you know? Sure I dreamed about being a hero and huntsman before enrolling in Beacon. But I never saw myself as ever being much or any leader material." Jaune said with a self- deprecating smile. "You know, now, I just want to do my best to be a good man when the nightmare comes to an end. Something I know will be harder said than done."
"A good man, huh. There is nothing wrong with that." Ren said softly as he looked away at the treeline. "At… the darkest moment while living on the streets I remember dreaming about becoming a triad or yakuza boss. Wanting what they had. Luckily, a stray huntsman took pity on two gutter rats and taught us the basics and awakened our Aura before we were completely swallowed by the underworld. I can never repay him for his kindness. So Jaune, never underestimate the impact a good man can have."
"You know, maybe what the world needs is just that. More everyday actions of kindness and love?" Jaune said softly to no one in particular, before quickly adding some more wood to the fire. A comfortable silence settling over them as they waited for Nora.
"Tsk. Having me do all the heavy lifting while you all sit around the fire." Nora tsked as she came back, grenade belt looking remarkably empty.
"Don't worry, we give you the honour of the first s'more." Ren quipped back as he sat down the marshmallow bag, together with two chocolate plates and a bag of crackers. "Now, just don't eat up everything today, we don't want any stomach problems. That goes for all of us, not just Nora."
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Jaune asked as Ren's eyes landed on him for a short while.
"Because I have unfortunately borne witness to you emptying not one, not two, but three bags of large candy in less than a minute. Six hectograms' gone in a minute." Ren stated matter-of-factly as Jaune shivered. "Seven sisters, the only way that wouldn't eat my candy was by eating it first."
"Be that as it may be, you getting a stomach ache wouldn't do us well so far into the wilderness." Ren said back as the smell of s'mores made itself known.
"But, Jaune. 'The workshop' as you called it. What is it?" Pyrrha asked as tentatively bit into her s'more. Emerald eyes flying wide open as the s'more disappeared in three clean bites.
"A workshop in Yharnam is a lot like a huntsman academy, however it is a lot more personal and secretive. Secret techniques and knowledge passed on, together with a collection of weapons that fit together with its philosophy." Jaune said with a shrug. "However the workshop in the dream is the first one, it's mostly filled with books, while Gehrman acting as a 'keeper of knowledge' of sorts. Teaching others connected to the dream, who are unaffiliated with a workshop it's secrets if he found you worthy. But mostly it has just been him teaching me the basics of the basics, before either directing me to the bookshelves or to the hunt."
"That's seems counterproductive." Pyrrha said with a huff. Being of the belief that one should learn to crawl before one could learn to run.
"I mean. It is what it is." Jaune shrugged, having long since grown used to Gehrman's lacklustre will to actually teach. He could if he would, something Gehrman had proved again and again, but the problem was having to reach Gehrman's insane standards before he even started humouring the idea of teaching. Which was easier said than done however, as the old man's standards were either insanely high or so extremely weird and incomprehensible that they didn't make sense.
"It sounds like you have quite the legacy to live up to." Ren said solemnly. "First the Arc name, and now The Workshop, the first of its kind as you said. Many could spend their entire lives trying to live up to one of them, not to mention both."
"Don't remind me." Jaune muttered half-heartedly. He had never thought about it before, but now it felt like he suddenly got a mountain of extra expectations on his shoulders. Something he didn't like one bit.
"Those workshops sound a lot like the sects that were popular in old Mistral." Nora said with a shrug as she threw a s'more into her mouth. "Not that they are the same mind you, but the parallels are there."
"Ugh, don't remind me. I could go on for days about the sects. I mean, what kind of man goes, 'hmm, maybe I should spend my life honing my martial skills and aura to duel other likeminded individuals to the death instead of taking the fight to the grimm'. I mean, come on." Jaune groaned out at the stupidity of the sects, arms flying everywhere as he tried gesturing how wrong that sort of mindset was.
Much to the amusement of his team who chuckled softly to themselves, glad that the evening had taken on a happier note. The suffocating revelations of noon gone away with the wind as comfortable chatter rang around the clearing.
Laughter, wild gestures, shouting and making merry.
As the sun went down, and evening turned to night, the laughter died down. Transforming into a comfortable warmth as they sat around the campfire, trading stories of everything and nothing. Simply enjoying the moment and each other's company.
"Hey, how do you think Ruby's first night out went?" Nora asked curiously, yawning and pulling her quilt tighter around her.
"Huh, never crossed my mind." Jaune said, leaning back as he casually looked over the night sky. All thoughts about Ruby and her team and their supposed night out having slipped away the second they sat foot outside Beacon. Instead he tunnelled vision on their trip. A habit he had learned in Yharnam for good and ill, as he couldn't afford distractions while hunting. He also wasn't one to follow his own advice, so sometimes he tunnelled visioned, while other times his mind was all over the place.
"You think there is some drinking? Maybe some dancing or parting?" Pyrrha asked curiously, never having had the chance to go clubbing before.
"Maybe? But it's team RWBY we are talking about here, Yang is sure to drag them along somewhere, Weiss is bound to be uptight about anything that even skirts the rules a little, I honestly can't say anything about Blake, but Ruby is bound to be excited no matter how the evening goes." Nora said, adding her own thoughts on the matter.
"Ten lien on them doing something stupid." Jaune said as he sat up. Ignoring the looks from his teammates he shrugged. "Just a hunch really, but Weiss, try as she might, won't be enough to have them on the straight and narrow. With Yang there, there is no doubt that if Ruby isn't drinking, she is at least trying alcohol."
"Nah, twenty lien on a bar fight of some sort." Nora added with a cheeky smile. "I mean, one half drunk dude or lady hitting on Weiss, and I see her blowing a gasket. Violence is absolutely on the table."
"Should we really be betting on our friends?" Pyrrha asked, not expecting the two of them to break out in laughter. Looking at Ren in hope of him having some sort of advice, instead he shrugged. "Ten lien on them having an unforgettable night."
"Fine, thirty lien on Team RWBY having a simple good night out of clean fun." Pyrrha said, as she gave her team a glare of half irritation and half fondness.
"Suckers bet." Jaune and Nora chorused as one. Looking each other in the eyes as they started laughing.
"Miss Goodwitch would be proud." Ren added in from the side with a smile. Shoulders shaking slightly as he did his best to not break down laughing.
"Not helping Ren, not helping." Pyrrha sighed out as carefree laughter echoed around.
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Note: The gang is introduced to what horrors really go down in Yahrnam, and we are also introduced to their coping mechanisms. Nora with her humour, and tendency to forget things, Ren is prone to meditate or isolate himself when he is feeling overwhelmed, and so is Pyrrha, only she also tends to vent. Also jaune's emotion and soul vision will be expanded upon later, it was mostly added in to show that it was still there, and that Jaune can see emotions.
Note: A proper start on Remnant Magic, and it is something that can also help others which is classic Jaune. He will also start exploring more of the Bloodborne Arcane when he gets a hang regarding Potions.
Note: Spirituality is the 'core' energy behind all the magic systems expect the one Ozpin and Salem use, as they use Mana instead. It's two different things mostly to give me incentive to not blend them too much, even if both ways and energies can result in the same results if levered correctly. Both Ozma/Ozpin and Salem knows about Spirituality, but see it as unnecessary nor are they able to use it do to their curses. Maybe I will amend this as I go along, can't really stay. But Spirituality have come to stay at least.