A/N (20230924): Hey guys! I'm back, for a while even! If you guys have been following the updates under Chapter 11 Part 2, you'll know this series of chapters has been pretty hard on me to get right… not to mention IRL stuff.
Like I mentioned though… the update scheduling is picking up!
For the next 4 weeks, you'll be seeing an update every 2 weeks, on Sunday, until Chapter 11 is finished on part 7!
:)
Great Advisor: Pathalen
/-A Requiem for a Gamer-/
"Talking to the person you can't mention again, Jaune?"
Jaune stopped shaking his fist at the sky. "Yeah, you know the drill."
Weiss tilted her head. "So, it is a person who's doing all this."
Godammit! I'm going to have to learn to shut up one of these days!
She crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes. However, she didn't look that unhappy. "Jaune, I'll be honest. I'm a bit tired of you giving vague answers. Still, is whatever secret you are keeping really that important?
He sweats. "Er - I need to go feed my dog. I need to go." He makes to leave towards one of the distant horizons. Since they stood in front of the school garden's gates, there wasn't exactly anywhere to go except a badly rendered field and dirt road.
"You don't have a dog."
"…How did you know?"
"You just told me." She used that chance to step up to him and grab his wrist. She gave him one of her smiles that didn't reach her eyes. "You can't escape from me this time."
He pulled, mostly just testing, before, to his surprise, she was easily pulled along. Her eyes widened as she then tried digging her feet into the ground, yet it created almost no resistance.
Right… Aura.
For a higher amount of strength, he would have needed the focus that music brought him, but this was easy enough even without that. He dragged her a little further, mostly out of odd fascination, as her feet dragged trenches into the dirt.
"How are you accomplishing this achievement?!"
"…Muscles?" Jaune proudly placed his other hand on his chest. "I run every morning, you know!"
"Like hell that gets you this strong!"
She stopped talking to silently glower at him as he used her like a utensil to draw loopy-loops around the front of the prestigious school. His thoughts, however, were elsewhere.
It is kind of weird…
I've thought of this before, but what is the true reason I am so against telling her about the situation I'm in? The gods forbid me from directly explaining everything, yet I know I can give her some half-truths like I did Ruby. Therefore, the reason I didn't want to let her know more was because I didn't want her approaching the truth, and getting caught up with Light and Dark.
But why?
I don't think I've given myself a straight answer here.
If you consider it objectively, I haven't lost money yet. There is a chance that it gets worse, but for now, he seemed to have given me chances to both earn and lose money. And his personality… he's really obnoxious, and arrogant, but there are moments where I really can't get a handle on him, like it's not just simply maliciousness. Examples would be his talk about his 'Cycles', where he looked… melancholic almost? Maybe that wasn't the right word. Regardless then, why is my guard still so up -
Before Jaune's eyes flashed the image of Ruby's frozen body on the ground, helpless due to the stillness of time. Beside her, Light stood imposingly, a sword, glinting with sharpness, posed to run her through without mercy. The god's expression, cold and detached.
The god's words came to him one by one, clear as can be. "A soul that she does not possess."
Jaune opened his mouth. "…What would it take…" I can't directly say it, or it would violate Light's rule. "...for you to believe in a god's existence?" He said, facing away from Weiss to hide his face.
"Hm?"
He paused.
"Jaune?"
"Nevermind." He removed his wrist from her loosened grip and spun around, with his usual smile, practiced over years of customer service. "What do you think, Weiss? Does it look like Garfield?" He spread out his arms to show her the pattern he had marked into the dirt using her heels.
Stupefied, she glanced down.
"It looks… exquisite - hey!"
He ran into the school's gardens. Weiss made to follow, but just as was scripted from last playthrough, she was forced to trip. As her alter ego, Weis, made to help her up and trap her in dialogue, Jaune ran as fast as he could. "I'm going to check out other places in the school!" He called back.
"Get back here you dunce!"
The garden's hedges, tall enough in places to block sight to the other side, were well kept and perfectly trimmed, showing the care and attention that they had gotten. Jaune whistled in appreciation as he entered a deeper section towards the left side of the school, guessing at how much money was being spent just on keeping its image. There were also a bunch of nice flowers around, though he didn't think much about that.
Suddenly, magical sparkles fluttered before him. "Activate guide?" He read out loud. "Nah, I don't need it. It's a schoolyard maze, how hard could it be?"
It took two minutes for him to regret it.
[Admin]: At least spend a little longer!
Despite having taken only a few twists and turns, numbering in the single digits, he was already starting to wonder if he had gotten himself lost again. It all looked the same to him, even if there weren't actually that many crossroads. It wasn't built like a maze with deadends and choices, but with how high the walls were it was difficult to determine where he was going.
Heh, I've got an idea. He felt into the hedges and looked for handholds. He thought that the branches might be strong enough to hold his weight, but what he found was instead cool and hard. It looks like there were guiding rails inside to help the bushes grow vertically. Perfect. Using them, he easily climbed up to the top. He stuck his head out, and…
Bonk!
Oh fuck! His grip tightened around the metal, preventing him from falling, though his other hand ripped out a section of the hedge as it missed. He had felt like he had hit an iron ceiling, yet after double checking, all he saw was the open sky. Slowly, he raised a hand and felt around the open area, slowly realizing that there was some sort of magical field there preventing him from crossing.
I hope the gardeners won't be mad about this section I've pulled out, though. He glanced at the area he destroyed accidentally, but found that it had regrown perfectly. That's convenient!
He climbed back down. "Alright, fine, Guiding Light thing, help me!" He looked around for the sparkles. Nothing.
No, wait.
He crouched down, inspecting the grass. It seemed like compared to before, one section of the grass had changed shade by the slightest bit. This continued both ways, showing him where to go.
"...Damn these rich kids." Soon enough, he found an exit that led to a small cabin and stream.
The stream was wide enough that Jaune was debating over whether he should call it a river. In fact, peering into it, though the water seemed clean, it was far too rapid for him to take a good look to the bottom from his faraway distance. Still, looking around, he thought that there was something weird at foot.
Not seeing anything and curious about the cabin, Jaune approached it. There was an open concession window, with a plate nailed above it saying "Fishing Club". Of course this game has a damn fishing minigame. Why does every game need fishing now?!
He approached the person there and gave him a wave. "Hey, how much is it to rent some equipment? Or do I just join the club?" Might as well.
The person stood there, frozen.
Is this character's AI bugged?
Glancing around he noticed that it wasn't just him. The people fishing at the river bank were unnaturally still. In the sky, there was a flock of unmoving birds. The stream that he had thought was odd was also entirely frozen midmotion, causing there to be no sound of running water. So that's what was weird.
"Huh, Weiss must be in a dialogue choice. I guess… I can wait?" He stood for a second or two. As he did so, his eyes drifted towards the rack of fishing equipment beside the student who was manning the concession.
He glanced around again, very, very subtly.
Mischievously, his hand reached out over the counter to wrap its fingers around one of the poles, keeping an eye on the motionless student. He wasn't exactly stealing! He was just a little bit curious at the specifics of the mechanics.
Seeing no reaction, he gave the pole a little experimental pull. To his surprise, it didn't budge an inch. In fact, it didn't budge at all, as if it was the steel bar of a prison cell. He glanced at the top and bottom of the pole, but it clearly wasn't secured by any fastenings.
He pulled harder.
So goes the saying, if physical force isn't working, you haven't used enough of it!
One hand, two hands, both hands and his legs. No matter how much strength he used, it didn't work. Goddamn it! Still, he tried and tried, not giving up, until he could feel his Aura flare up. A halo of white shone around him, mirroring his determination at breaking the laws of physics. He focused as hard as he could, imagining himself summoning strength beyond even the strongest of olympic athletes.
His Aura suddenly turned off.
Still, because he was pulling so hard, his hand slipped right off. The friction burned his skin and he winced, stumbling. His left foot slipped from the counter, and before he could catch himself, his forehead slammed into the cheek of the student who was manning the counter. He yelped in pain, but it was still not over as he slid overboard, barely catching himself by grabbing something with his hand.
He was now somehow precariously balanced on the inside edge of the counter, on his stomach.
Whatever he grabbed suddenly stopped being completely rigid, instead becoming soft and textured like cloth.
Jaune's gaze slowly rose to meet the blankly staring student's absolutely befuddled eyes. He was grabbing onto the waistband of the student's pants, which was also slowly moving downwards, being pulled in that direction. …Ah.
His other hand finally found a solid handhold and he immediately heaved himself back to the right side of the counter. Then, he patted his school uniform. Seeing it all clean and tidy, he gave the student a smile. "I slipped."
"You slipped."
"Good morning! I'm here to check out your goods - fishing goods." He kept smiling.
The student gave him a slow blink. "Hello… and welcome?"
"So, how much is it to rent one of these fishing rods?" Jaune casually asked.
"It…" The student glanced momentarily at the number of footprints on the counter. "It's free. Just come by when we're open, usually during breaks, before school, and after the last bell. Just remember to return the equipment.
"Oh, I'll take a set now, please."
"...Here you… Go?" The student placed a fishing box with a handle beside the fishing rod.
Jaune smiled at him. "Why do you sound so unsure? Don't worry, I don't bite! First time on the job? As a veteran of the service industry, I can tell you all you need is a big, wide smile and a truck of antidepressants!" He grabbed the equipment. "Anyways, so long! I'll be back in a jiffy!"
He felt the stares of everyone there, and made sure to move as fast as he could down river, through a bunch of thick bushes.
"Er, really, man, you probs don't want to go that way." He heard one of them say.
Jaune stopped, facing him. "How come?"
"It's His territory. You don't want to be there..." The NPC said. He didn't look important to Jaune, he had very dull black hair and an average and undetailed face. He could almost see the pixels!
"Oh… Like some dragon?"
"No, not a Dragonlord - that would be far more scary. He just likes his space. Think he would rather be alone than with plebs like us."
There's dragons?! "Now I'm just more curious who this is."
"It's that Belladon."
"Blaine? Well, even less reason to be wary then!" He charged right in. On the other side, he found a small clearing. Blaine was there, as expected, already fishing.
So that's where he was in the morning.
The clearing was large enough for two, so he slid in right beside the capture target. "Hey, what's up?" He casually greeted. The man nodded back, without a word, before returning to his leisurely activity.
…Wait, isn't he a secret terrorist?
Jaune eyed Blaine with a sudden burst of suspicion.
After what has happened with Cardin… don't tell me he's a suicide bomber or some bullshit. For some inane reason like racism or something.
Most likely feeling Jaune's heated gaze on him, the man gave him a stiff glance, to which Jaune quickly turned away in order to do his best at acting unsuspiciously. Which wasn't much, of course.
Since he is most likely at fault for the school exploding, shouldn't I keep an eye on him? I'll see if he goes anywhere in the morning. It's not like there is any real risk to my life. I am playing a game, after all.
He paused, staring at the stream.
In other, more important, news, how do I fish?
Jaune took a gander at his equipment. The fishing rod was one of those he'd seen at sport centers before, including a whole bunch of contraptions that he wasn't sure what to do with. There were no fishing lines through the hoops, and upon inspection of the spinning reel, he decidedly thought that it spun in far too many directions. There was an outcrop that started flip-flopping when he spun the handle, and the entire outside shell started expanding.
What the hell is this sorcery? Don't tell me… Light has made his own fishing system?!
[Admin]: He has not.
I never knew fishing involved black magic…
[Admin]: It does not.
And there's also this weird part… Jaune found a piece opposing the handle and started fiddling with it. What the hell does this do?
The reel, handle, and fishing rod came apart.
"Gah!"
[Admin]: You should stop touching it.
He carefully put down the three parts - and now, four as he realized the knob he was turning had also come off - onto his fishing box. He clasped his hands together, as if congratulating himself for a job well done. "Maybe I'll start with something easier."
[Admin]: Don't run away from reality, Jaune!
It's fine, it's just a game. "I think I'm getting ahead of myself. You use earthworms for fishing, right? I better go find some."
[Admin]: The fishing rod is not going to magically fix itself when you come back!
"That's weird, I don't see a shovel anywhere… How else do they find worms to fish with?"
[Admin]: No, Jaune -
"Let me concentrate, Dark." Jaune looked away from the top right of his screen, ignoring the continuous pings. "Sheesh, I'm trying to have some me-time here." He shook his head. Gods, am I right?
He took a look inside his fishing box. There was lots of fishing equipment and a whole bunch of very colorful hooks with ornaments attached. He raised an eyebrow. "Damn, so no shovel… But why do they need so many different types of hooks?" An idea came to him. "Well, since there's no shovel…" He grabbed one of the hooks with a keyring-like thing attached that kind of looked like a flamboyant fish and did as he wished.
Suddenly, he heard Blaine clear his throat behind him. "Yes?" He said, continuing his work. Mentally, he warned the man: If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine. By going back to the start of the game, armed with foreknowledge. Blaine, however, just cleared his throat louder. Jaune stopped and looked back at him. "Do you need a lozenge?"
Blaine shook his head and put his hand around the hook-keyring object that Jaune was using to dig a hole and gently pried it away from his dirty hands. He took it to the river, washing it, before putting it back into the box it came from.
"...But I don't have a shovel…" Jaune's eyes drifted to his fishing rod. "Wait, it actually did fix itself!" Dark pinged him something, but he didn't look. "No, I know, I was just kidding, Dark." I know, I know, Blaine helped fix it.
Blaine picked up Jaune's fishing rod. Then, he did something with the fishing line which was stored in the reel and put it through several of the hoops.
"Oh, are you helping out, Blaine?"
The man didn't respond, as he started reeling the line back into its original container. Having put it back as it was, he gave the fishing rod back to Jaune. Blaine motioned at it.
"...You're showing me what I should do! Thanks, man!" Jaune did as Blaine demonstrated. "...You know you could say a word or two, you know? I'm not Wei - Maria, but, like…" Don't tell me you don't have any dialogue written for me!
Blaine didn't say a word, just nodding. Then, he showed Jaune the next step.
"...Okay don't say anything then, that's fine with me!"
Thought he'd go into one of his pretentious speeches again like he did with Weiss when we met in the arts club, but huh, nothing here.
For the next bit, Blaine taught Jaune how to fish through his silent actions. It didn't take long for Jaune to get a hang of it, and soon enough, Jaune also sat by the riverside with his rod out. Even after they were set up, Blaine didn't speak a single word to Jaune, making him a little weirded out, but also understanding.
At least it's interesting to see this side of him!
…Unlike fishing.
Jaune suddenly realized how much waiting there was. At the very least, the environment was very enjoyable. The pristine water flowing through was rhythmic and calming, a soothing coolness to the senses. The shifting of the leaves above was like a dance of the trees, elegantly shimmying in the breeze. And, in the middle of this bastion of the natural world, Blaine finally caught a fish. Jaune watched as the man reeled it in, lifted a fish about half the size of his palm out of the water…
And ate it.
Huh.
There wasn't any chewing, nor was there any hesitation. It was just 'chomp' and there, the fish was gone.
Jaune stared. What about the scales? The bones?! And the hook?! He had thought, before this moment, that they might be doing one of those catch-and-release kind of thing since none of them had a bucket… Well, Jaune was still going to do that. Therefore, he went back to fishing, trying his best to ignore it whenever Blaine caught a fish.
The natural scenery and lack of really anything to do allowed him time to think. That was neither a boon nor a curse, for there was much that he could consider. Perhaps he could consider Weiss' words, perhaps he could think about the odd glitchiness in the gods' game, yet part of him was still also… not exactly afraid, but uncomfortable, with the possible answers he'd receive. Therefore, he did what he could.
Which was to stare off into space and daydream.
A few minutes passed. Jaune let his worries dissipate, letting himself take in the view. There was something calming about being reminded of the splendors of the natural world, and of having nothing to do except just be there. Recently, it had felt like there were far too many things that required his attention, so just taking a break was great. He'd also admit that it felt like a whole different kind of break than playing his games.
"Pristine nature is pretty sick." He finally said.
"It is."
Jaune flinched. He quickly spun to face Blaine, who wasn't looking back. "You talked!"
Blaine didn't respond to that. The man's grim, serious face didn't move one bit, ignoring Jaune. Not dignifying Jaune's words with a response.
I guess that was kind of rude… "Err… Hi, I'm Jaune Arc. Nice to meet you?"
At that, Blaine turned to face him, doing a small double-take. A look of mild confusion came over his face, much to Jaune's puzzlement. "...Blaine Belladon."
The silence came back. Seeing the nigh non-existent conversation end, they both turned back to fishing.
"I really like the academy's gardens. The flowers, they're nice." Jaune said.
Blaine didn't say anything.
"Haven't been here long, but it's a beautiful school. Props to the custodians." Jaune continued. It wasn't because he wanted to fill up the silence with something - it wasn't awkward, oddly - but he just wanted to say it.
Still, Blaine didn't respond.
"This little spot of yours is probs the best spot on school grounds though." A thought came to Jaune, as he remembered the other students' warnings. "Oh wait, is this, like, your spot? You probably don't want others intruding, right?" I don't mind, not like I really need to fish at this exact place.
Seeing no response from Blaine, he started packing up his things, taking that as a yes.
"It is a good spot." Blaine suddenly said. Jaune looked up from his open fishing box. "It is calming, soothing. A great place to come… if you wish to escape from the worries of your… mundane… life. I don't mind if you use it too."
Jaune blinked at him. What a weird guy. "...Okay, then I'll stick around till I get a fish too, then." He sat back down, and went back into fishing.
[System]:Through special action, you have unlocked a special ability: Fishing [LV: 1].
Soon enough, Jaune was teleported away when the scene that Weiss was in ended.
"So? You had fun, wherever you were?" She raised an eyebrow at him, both of them now in the hallway. Her gaze continued to the outstretched fishing pole.
"Yeah… seems like Blaine's also into fishing." He quickly retracted it before the rod smacked anyone in the face, or worse, caught someone with a hook.
"That could be good to know. He didn't do anything to raise your suspicions?"
"No… He seemed to just be fishing."
Weiss nodded to that, accepting it. "Would have been too easy, if he had already slipped up."
The next few scenes were like before, until they came back to Blaine's true intro in the arts room.
"Didn't you agree not to go after him anymore?"
"I did concede to your request. However, have you forgotten that the school detonates into a fireball?"
"Oh… that might put a damper on things." Jaune said matter of factly. He did his best to wind up the fishing line back into the round thingy, and also cut off the bait and placed it back into his fishing box. The fishing box had also teleported with him in every scene, landing at his side. He did get some odd gazes, but everyone had a strange supernatural fixation on Weiss. I guess that makes sense, she's the protag.
"At least then the temperature won't be as chilly." Weiss commented just as factiously.
…Ain't that cold to me. "Warm for the rest of your life, in fact!" Maybe you're just feeling chilly because of your regular icy personality.
"…What are you smiling about?"
"Nothing." Jaune took more careful control of his expression. "Isn't it possible that we could escape that ending by not meeting Blaine?" Done, he put his fishing rod down onto the case.
"My thoughts on that are that if I wanted to deal a terrorist strike on a school, I most likely won't rely only on such a whimsical plan as having other students help you move around boxes. I'm sure there are contingencies for their plan already in place, not to mention more obvious alternatives."
Jaune took a side step away from her, doing an exaggerated gasp behind his cupped hands. "…doesn't it sound like you've planned through these things before…?"
Weiss looked at Jaune. "…In a manner of speaking."
"What?" Jaune blinked back at Weiss' unmoving, serious gaze.
She looked away. "A joke, a joke."
"Oh, huh…" That was odd. "That was kind of bad."
She waved it off. "And now my imaginary version of Jaune is berating me about my sense of humor. Pot, meet kettle."
"Hey! I'm not imaginary!"
"You told me I was dreaming, remember? Or are you gaslighting me?"
"Gaslighting?! Don't make it sound so bad! I'm withholding information, leaving you in the dark in order to accomplish a secretive goal that I can not say, less certain negative consequences happen…" He paused. "…Consequences I'm not even fully understanding. …After saying it out loud, it does sound pretty bad."
She just sighed. "If I am not dreaming… then this must be a hoax that even rivals The Truman Show. How are you accomplishing the act of teleportation?"
"Erm… perhaps we're tranquilizing you, then moving you away…?"
"The issues with that hypothesis number in the thousands." Weiss pinched the rim of her nose. "Congratulations, that must be a new record."
Jaune just shrugged.
"Knowing this… I've got a plan. Rather, more of a general heading. We understand now that there is some sort of plot afoot, one that involves the school exploding. We have guesses that Blaine might be involved. I suggest for us to make it our priority to figure out the main plot, by keeping tabs on what he's doing during every event."
"You think… That there's a main plot?" Jaune scoffed. "You're going to be disappointed." Light probably just forgot to write one in.
"There are two things I'm considering right now. One: during the intro cinematic, it referenced returning to basics, and love. Two: the title of this game was 'Eden of Roses'."
"You forgot the 'R' 'W' 'B' 'Y' part." He said, spelling out the letters.
"We can leave out the assorted letters. Nothing comes to mind for that acronym. What is that, even? Rubby? R-eh-by? Ruby?" She thought for a second. "It can't be 'Ruby', since there's been not enough references to the color red for it to be featured so prominently. We've seen many colors of roses, after all, not just red."
[Admin]: She rejected the fundamental premise of this thing!
And what are you talking about, Dark?
"Nevermind that. The important part is the cinematic and the rest of the name, both referencing love and roses. Therefore, clearly the plot has some relationship to love itself."
"Weiss…" Jaune slowly said. "It's a dating sim. If it's not about love I don't know what it's about."
She did not seem bothered. "Lust, perhaps. Greed. Vampires. Usually, there is something else there that really sets the game apart from the others. For the cinematic to speak of a return to purity, it perhaps means that this will be… vanilla. Not my thing, I'll be honest."
That's funny, coming from the woman who likes bleaching her hair white.
"I don't see what is vanilla about it." Jaune said. "You mean it's common that you try to steal away another woman's fiance?" He coughed into his hand. "Hussy."
She narrowed her eyes fiercely and stepped into his personal space. "What did you say?!" With the difference in height, however, she had to look up at him.
"I said… happy?" He looked away. "I didn't say nothing. Must have been some other Jaune, like that blond over there - urgh!" He choked as she yanked on his tie.
"Listen here - "
"But - ack! - am I wrong?"
She yanked again to shut him up, but this time, he used his Aura in order to resist. To her surprise, his tie became stiff like steel. "Yes! In fact, you are!" In fact, it was also to his own surprise, as Aura for him had been very inconsistent.
"Heh, what will you do now?" Jaune sweated as her anger fumed, building up without a handy outlet. "My Aura protects me everywhere, so you literally can't hurt me with your normal mere human attacks. And your Light magic is healing and all that, so… Good luck." Of course in this moment where it literally doesn't matter, my Aura works.
She gave it a moment of thought, before letting go of his tie and raising her hand up to his face.
"Do your worst."
She moved her palm right up to his eyes. Then, she said: "Large Heal."
He yelped as a huge flash of light seared into his eyes. Reflexively, he twisted away, squeezing his eyes shut. "What the fuck!" He swore. However, quickly, the pain in his eyes disappeared just as fast as it came and he was able to see again.
"...Looks like the Light spells emit light, as per the namesake." Weiss summarized. "A consequence of that is that the stronger the spell, the more light it emits."
"That is not how they're supposed to be used!"
"And because it's a healing spell, it will heal the damage to vision it will cause." She paused. "A flashbang of sorts. Non-lethal anti-personnel, seems like it would come in handy. If I had this in real life… Mace would still be better for self-defense, since it lasts longer."
"Don't treat Light magic the same way as you'd treat pepper spray!"
"It would have more utility though, at the cost of reduced range and duration. The bandaid and other emergency medical supplies can be replaced. I wonder if there's a way I can twist these spells to replace my mirror and snacks…"
"Why do you keep all of that in your purse?! Is it a bottomless pit?!"
"Alas, once I wake up from this supposed dream, it will all be gone…"
"Right, right. Now, why don't you tell me why your actions don't make you a hus - "
She raised her hand.
He switched words. "...A trumpet."
They stared at each other.
"...You mean strumpet?" She said.
"You're the one who said it."
She sprung at him.
He ran for it.
He sprinted down the hallway at full speed, ignoring the other NPC's in the hallway. It seems like his morning runs have been coming in handy, considering both his encounter with the Grimm and his whole experience with the gods. He wouldn't be winning marathons any time soon, but he was at least fitter than someone with his lifestyle usually was.
Jaune realized he wasn't hearing footsteps behind him anymore.
Wait…
Turning around, he watched Weiss huff and puff like she was about to die. He sweatdropped.
"...Get… ooof… Get back here… And…" She used the wall to support herself, barely achieving a half-upright stance.
"I think you need yoga." Jaune's eyes widened the moment the words were out of his mouth. "Er, so that you can run more, not because… Your figure's not bad - " Wait that just sounds weird now!
Her left eye twitched. Slowly, she dropped one of her hands onto her thigh and said "Large Heal." Nothing happened.
"...It's on cooldown?" Jaune guessed as he saw her look at the top right corner of her vision.
"Small… Heal." She said instead. Rays of white light appeared from her hands, a far smaller glow than from the 'Large Heal', yet her entire body shone.
"It shouldn't do anything, right? It's not like being tired means that you were hurt - "
Weiss bolted after his dumb ass.
"Right - " He sprinted the other way. "- micro tears in muscle fibers and lactic acid - wuaaaah!" He dodged Weiss' grasp and quickly shut up, as talking and running was not very easy. Holy shit, she went all out! Damn it mouth, why'd you do that? "I'm sorry! Don't turn me into a snowman - " In spite of telling himself he shouldn't talk, if there's one thing he can't stop, it's attempting to dig himself into a deeper hole with his mouth. However, it wasn't good sense that stopped him, it was the lack of footsteps behind him. Wait, did Weiss somehow figure out how to run without making sounds? I wouldn't think that's impossible, but if it's her... He ran for a few more steps before he slowed down in order to peek behind him again. Don't tell me…
Weiss laid face down on the ground, panting for dear life.
"Weiss?!"
"Small…" She took in gulps of air. "Heal!"
This time, Weiss sprung into a full sprint from her prone position in a move far unlike her previous performance, swift and agile like a cat. Jaune, who had stopped running in order to gawk, yelped and this time only barely dodged Weiss' grasp.
Jaune noticed something distinctly different as he ran away. "Wait, are you faster now?! Does 'Small Heal' for some stupid reason buff your speed?! Why would it do that?! That's so bullshit!" His talking slowed him down enough that Weiss, for a second, was able to pinch the cloth of his jacket, before he yelled 'Sprint' and was thrust a short distance away. He fumbled the landing, yet was able to recover back into his run. Then, they were back in their race across the school.
Soon, they had ran across the entire school and it certainly wasn't small.
Weiss, exhausted, laid herself on the floor unceremoniously.
"…Er, I know you probably trust the janitors, but people have been walking in here since morning. Probably a few went to the bathroom and back, too."
"Shut up… You damn jock…"
Jaune chuckled. "Not even close. Back in my heyday, maybe - can you even call dancers jocks? - but not anymore. You're not going to chase after me anymore either?"
"…Go throw yourself off a cliff…"
"Been there, done that."
"…Please… do it… again."
"So, you aren't going to use any more 'Small Heals'?"
"…I have…" She tried to get her breathing under control. "A reason."
"And that is…?"
A hand clasped itself abruptly on Jaune's shoulder. Firm, and tight. This feeling… Compared to when Weiss was mad, this one had a far more rigid and strict feel to it. One that, in fact, he felt he could place a name to.
"…Mrs Goodwitch?" Jaune sweated.
"It is Headmaster Goodwitch to you, son." A clearly male, yet unmistakeably familiar voice came from behind him.
Jaune sweated twice as hard. He turned around like an unoiled metal joint, his movement so stiff and staggered that he thought he might start squeaking. "Oh - yes, yes! Mister Headmaster. How do you do today?"
"Why, I had quite the busy, yet fulfilling day." Said the headmaster. A man with a thin build, yet quite imposing with a sharp tux. Perhaps it was the flinches of the other students, or it was his strict, uncompromising gaze, Jaune took a reflective step back. "It is always a joy to see the young hopefuls who will one day be ruling the country, from the smallest knightly houses to the barons and princes. I was just about to head out and ride around the periphery of the school and see if everything was in order."
The headmaster patted one end of the riding crop in his hands, before smacking it into his own palm to make a clear slapping sound, making Jaune flinch.
"Until I saw two students barreling down the hallway in the least amount of sophistication possible, soiling the noble, ancient academy and its one hundred years of traditions with their vulgar actions."
Oh fuck.
"Small Heal." Weiss said. Then, as the light dimmed, she stood up. The dust that clinged to her was patted off, before she gave the headmaster a perfect curtsy and greeting. "Good morning, Headmaster Goodwitch. I have always appreciated the dedication you have to our school and us, the students."
Goodwitch did not react for a moment at Weiss' calm address. "Pleasure to meet you, but the circumstances… make it distasteful. Is there anything you'd like to say for yourself?"
Jaune opened his mouth. "No regrets - gah." Weiss elbowed him. To his surprise, there was significant force there, and he actually choked, even with his Aura.
"I sincerely apologize for my actions. Thank you for the warning, and there will be no second time." She said, perfectly composed. In front of the headmaster's piercing gaze, she did not budge or twitch, just keeping on her face what looked like a genuine smile.
"My side…" Jaune groaned.
"You understand the importance of your composure, of the dignity that you must carry yourself with at all times, setting an example for the rest?" The headmaster's ire did not dim one bit.
"Certainly. That display was due to… extenuating circumstances."
"And they are?"
"I'm afraid they are personal. I would prefer not to speak of them." Weiss responded eloquently, her gaze not straying a millimeter away from the headmaster's. "Rest assured, those circumstances will not arise again."
The contest of wills between the two became silent, as two icy, immovable forces moved against each other, neither willing to budge. Jaune, standing on the side, would have shifted uncomfortably, if he wasn't distracted by a sudden game window that appeared before Weiss.
[System]: Social Requirement (26) failed.
"...Do not think I am so lenient." The headmaster spoke, his voice deep and firm. "You will be assigned three times your usual homework for the next week."
"Erm, isn't that too much… We didn't do anything except run in the halls, can't we just - Urgh!" Weiss' elbow grinded itself deep into Jaune's stomach.
"As you say, Headmaster." Weiss gave him a bow, before meeting his gaze once again unafraid. Their staring contest extended over a few more seconds, as if whoever broke it would have lost in some way, before the headmaster turned away and left without another word.
Weiss sighed. "Good to see that this game is one of those ones who actually show the stat requirements for certain events. Hopefully it would do the same for dialogue options that are usually hidden behind stat requirements… even if I have not come across any as of yet."
"I thought… I thought you'd give him the full barrels." Jaune groaned, doubled over, clenching at his stomach.
"Oh, it for sure grated at my pride. However, what kept me going was not just discipline, but also the knowledge that we are the ones who will have the last laugh."
"In… what way?"
Weiss crossed her arms. "Is it not obvious? We are the players, the people this world revolves around. For all his power as the headmaster, we will be the ones who will guide the major events. The ending will be a product of our choices, and theirs, a mere imitation of free will." She smirked. "His fate is truly in our hands."
"That's good and all… but I want to puke…"
"I did not hit you that hard."
"Ugh… maybe I felt it that hard…"
"What does that even mean…" Weiss said exasperated. She pinched the rim of her nose, before bending over for him with a bit of concern. "Fine, here's a Sm - … Here's a heal."
He pushed her hand aside, stopping her, and got up in a jiffy. "No, no, I'm fine. I was just kidding."
"But why."
Jaune laughed, stretching out his arms. "Well, it's not like I've been doing much. I've been really just kind of watching you play a dating sim, while helping out on the side."
"Extremely debatable on how helpful you've been."
"I'm pretty good company, not so lonely with me around, no?"
"Silence itself would be more of aid, in truth. It is difficult to think with how noisy you are."
"Aw, don't go all tsundere on me…"
She scoffed. "As if. When have I been 'dere'?"
He put a finger on his lips in thought. "Tha - "
"Plus, if I could choose, it would be better if you were the tsundere instead."
"Huh?"
"Guys are cuter as tsunderes, obviously."
Jaune blinked. "Why?" That's also really weird hearing that from a person who's alternate version of herself's description describes her as a 'classic' tsundere. He paused. And isn't that quite the mouthful to say.
"It's simple. Male tsunderes usually don't treat the protagonist as bad, as there's a distinctly different socially acceptable level of behavior from men than women. I'd say they are usually more shy and less crazy."
Jaune stared at her.
"Yes?"
"You elbowed me in the stomach, twice!" Once in the side, but whatever!
She stepped up to him. He made sure to move his tie out of her reach. "You said this was a dream. Then, you would not be the real Jaune, right?"
"Yeah…" He sweated. "I'm not the real Jaune… Maybe?"
"Then does it matter what I do?" Weiss smiled. It had a malicious edge to it, making him sweat harder. However, she didn't do anything, instead just walking slowly around him.
I would have described it as a predator stalking her prey… but she's a bit… He stuck out a hand and placed it at about the top of his head, then dropped it to the height of the top of Weiss' head. Yeah.
Weiss smacked his hand away. "Stop doing that!"
"I'm not doing anything, I'm just testing out the difference between the elevation of the mountain and the sea…"
Her right eye twitched. "I'll let you know that the water of the sea will evaporate, become rain, and one day erode the mountain."
"Who knows, the tectonics might keep going and make the mountain even taller."
"…Aren't you in your twenties?"
"I actually still have grown since last year."
Heh, Weiss clearly looks like she had never heard such bullshit. He watched with amusement as Weiss mumbled to herself, reminding herself that it was a dream.
"Still, I really don't see what you said about tsunderes. You have some examples?" Jaune said, reminding her of where they were in their conversation.
"Well, yeah. We have Jiwoo from Dandelion, Rod from Cinderella Phenomenon… They all have great interactions with the MC without feeling over the top, compared to, let's say… that girl in Familiar of Zero."
"Oh!" Jaune nodded, agreeing. "I have no idea who any of those are!"
"Yes, there are cases in which they are done well, but I feel like as a general - Wait, did you just say the opposite?!"
"No idea who those are, or even heard of those series!"
"How?! I understand the last example, but you must have heard of the first two if you have experience like you mentioned before!"
"Experience?"
"Yes, with otome games!"
"What's that?"
She pinched the rim of her nose. "Lord, give me patience."
"You probably don't want that…" Jaune chuckled to himself. "Still, what about these male tsunderes specifically makes them feel superior to you?"
"Well, there's always the classic - when the cold, distant duke of the North reveals his caring side to you, doesn't that make you feel special? Not to mention when they blush. I love those scenes, they really make me excited. They're also really nicely drawn, and you can see the effort placed into the flowery backgrounds… In comparison to this game whose director decided, for some inane reason, to have only roses."
"Ignoring the last part… that doesn't seem like something specific only to men…"
"I'm just saying that the female version of this trope is just usually not as well done, making them more like jerks and abusive people rather than people who are outwardly cold, yet have a warm heart within." She paused. "Maybe it's because more men like being abused."
"Weiss?!"
"For women, I can see that happening less, as physical domestic abuse is more common. Difficult to enjoy something when it's a mirror of a crueler reality."
"Dammit, don't drop this conversation down to the pits of Hell in two sentences!"
She shrugged. "Anyways, why the sudden interest?"
"I - Dammit, Weiss." He repeated himself, "Mostly just killing some time…" A thought came to him. "Actually, I do have something."
He paused, mulling over his words for a second, before asking. "What do you think of Blaine?"
"He's bland."
"Instant response?!"
Her gaze met his, obviously bored. "I have spent a month worth of events with him and all I've seen is that he's introverted, wordy, and self-righteous. None of which is immediately attractive to me."
Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Sounds kind of like you even hated it… Despite you being all smiley in front of him."
"You have no idea how bored out of my mind I am, Jaune. In moments of weaknesses, I thought perhaps it would even be better if perhaps he had your - " Weiss stopped.
"My what?"
"Nevermind."
Jaune's eyes lit up. Weiss narrowed her eyes, stepping back. "Go on, finish your sentence. My what? Is it my face?" He asked.
"Of course not!" She took another step back.
He grinned, flexing his arm. "Has to be my unbreakable confidence!" He took a step forward.
"No, in fact that's more annoying!"
"Awesome personality?"
At that she placed a hand over her face to rub both temples using her thumb and index, giving her a moment to recompose. "I said 'in my moments of weakness', you numbskull!" She explained exasperatedly, putting her other hand at her waist. "You understand what that implies?"
He gasped. "It really is my personality?!" He placed a hand over his heart, touched. "Weiss… you say such nice things sometimes…"
"No! My statement merely refers to the fact that even your personality would have been better than the utterly tasteless blank piece of paper that is Blaine - "
"So it is my personalit-"
"I'm leaving."
"No, wait! Come back, tell me more about what you like - Wait, Weiss!"
Jaune and Weiss power walked back down the hallway, slowing down to a normal pace in front of the headmaster, before breaking back into a full sprint as soon as they were out of his sight. They flew between the blurred students, making full use of the path. Jaune, to catch up, also had to use a few 'Sprint's, much to his surprise.
Wait… Didn't Weiss get tired really fast and run pretty slow…?
"Don't think I didn't see you!" Barked the Headmaster. "Stop right there!"
They ran faster.
Jaune looked behind him, trying to judge the distance, but he couldn't see the headmaster at all. Maybe we lost him? He looked back forward -
His eyes widened.
Students were scampering to the sides and parts of the school extracted itself out from their rightful places, as if the school was composed of smooth, metal, meter cubes stacked on top of each other that had only the appearance of an educational institution. Several such cubes tried to block their path, shifted by a purple magical aura, but they were able to sprint past just barely.
"Shit," He panted." We need to hide! In here!"
He slid to a stop in front of a random door, threw it open, and dragged himself and Weiss into it before slamming the door shut behind himself.
"The Headmaster's vision was blocked by one of the cube things, so we should be fine." He said. There were no windows on the door, so he couldn't see, but listening against it seemed like the commotion moved passed them.
"...Jaune." Weiss sighed.
"What is it?" Wait, this smell… I know it well. Jaune turned slowly to face what was in the room, as it dawned on him. It's the smell of…
All Spice body spray.
Yan Xiao Long stood in front of him, wet blond hair slicked back and wild. He only had a white towel around his waist, revealing his well toned physique. Water dripped down from his hair to slide down between his perfect pecs, then over chiseled abs. It wasn't one that was possible for a high school student, as it looked like he was cut from fine marble. They must be like steel!
[Admin]: You can have that too if you put in a little work.
A little?! Even I know that would be insanely hard and require total lifestyle changes!
The teenager - despite his body, he definitely had a youthful face and attitude - gave them an awkward grin. "Hey, what's up? This ain't a place for ladies." The three of them eyed the rows of lockers and benches, luckily empty at this time. "What are you hiding from?"
Jaune laughed, rubbing the back of his neck. "The headmaster… we might have made him mad."
"Ha! Isn't he always mad? You've gotten in trouble with him?"
Jaune watched Weiss' reputation with Yan go up. Wow, what a troublemaker. "Haha, yeah…" Jaune peered down to Weiss. He had nothing to say, so hopefully she would pick up the conversation. Unfortunately, Weiss' eyes were also wide and she did not look like she would be talking about anything soon. Her hands, on the other hand, were slowly rising from her side, poised to -
Jaune slapped her hands down.
"Feel free to stay for a bit, then! I'll be right back, checking on Blaine!" Yan gave them a casual wave and left for the other end, where the corridor to the showers and pool lay. "Sheesh, you're taking long!"
Weiss crossed her arms. "Well, it's unfortunate, but we will have to wait here till the coast is clear." She said as soon as he was out of earshot.
"Unfortunate my ass…"
She turned to him. "You misunderstand, that is in fact, too muscular for my tastes."
"Right…"
"A good balance would be better. More lithe, yet well built."
"So that's why I had to literally slap your hands away?" He rolled his eyes.
"Anyone would have wondered what they felt like, despite our preferences! Weren't you curious?!"
"Of course not!"
"Still in the closet, I see."
His eye twitched, making her chuckle with poise.
Noise from the corridor distracted them from their conversation.
"Yan… You asshole… I told you to go left…" Came Blaine's voice. He sounded far more tired than usual.
"Hey, hey! We won anyways! So it's fine!" Yan laughed.
Yan and Blaine came around the bend of the corridor. Yan's arm was around Blaine's shoulders, yet the tired black haired teenager didn't try to throw him off. To Jaune, it was a surprising amount of camaraderie. He had thought a person like Blaine wouldn't like getting touched.
Blaine had a physique more similar to what Weiss described as her preference, one that had some definition, but was clearly more of a sedentary person. A towel was also around his waist, keeping his decency.
Weiss definitely looked with appreciation, making Jaune feel a little awkward.
"Hey shouldn't you - " He whispered to her.
"It's just a game." She said back. "What are you worried about?"
He stopped, having no retorts.
"What are you two doing here?" Blaine said, taken back.
He talked! "Sorry," Jaune answered. "Please let us hide here for a bit?"
"You shouldn't - this is! - You can't - " Blaine covered himself, a blush rushing to his face.
"Come on, man!" Yan laughed. "We're about as covered as we normally are at the pool! There's no…"
The three of them watched as Blaine slid through Yan's grasp and collapsed on the ground.
They looked at each other.
"...Did he just faint?"
/-/
Afterwards, Weiss and Jaune continued with their gaming, as Jaune tried to put the situation far behind him. Since the events that followed were generally ones they had gone through before, Weiss suggested for Jaune to go check on Blaine while she raised her stats and fulfilled basic events. It was kind of a pain, as he teleported back whenever the scene changed, so it was rare for him to spend enough time with Blaine to get any useful info. However, he did gleam some things.
"Number 1: Blaine… is kind of a loner." Jaune said.
During class, Blaine kind of just stared off into space. He never raised his hand, yet somehow always answered correctly when he was called upon. During breaks, he would go off fishing or do other solo activities, rarely interacting with others. The most he'd speak in a day was mostly to Weiss. To Jaune though, it seemed to be a situation he'd gotten into only by Weiss' choice…
"Number 2: Yan's his only friend." The few times he did interact with others, excluding Weiss or the teachers, it was with Yan Xiao Long. The blond would randomly appear from nowhere and catch Blaine in some kind of hold, stopping him from escaping. Then, he'd chat Blaine's ears off, not that Blaine minded too much.
"Number 3: Here is where I would put the next piece of information about Blaine, if I had some."
"What the hell are you doing?" Asked Weiss, sitting on a nearby bench.
"I'm doing my chakra exercises while doing the recap episode." He said as he sat cross legged on the grass outside. A leaf was in his hand, and he was trying the exercises Pyrrha taught him to better control his Aura. "I feel like if I narrate like that it will feel like lots of time has passed."
Weiss sighed. "That does not change the fact that you literally only just started doing that exercise of yours not even a minute ago."
"...But it could."
"It won't."
It was his turn to sigh, this time in disappointment as he put down his leaf. Can't I simply click a button and just instantly finish training? "Well, time to find Blaine again."
"Not going to train your 'chakra'?" She asked, admiring the look of her lunch. The dialogue box floated beside her, untouched.
"Unfortunately, my chi reserves are insufficient."
"...I have a feeling you are bullshitting me."
Jaune clasped his hands together. "So say the stars." He said, his voice grave.
She scoffed. "Please, do me a favor and stop learning from Blaine."
"Learning is something we must do all our lives, Weiss. To stop, is to stagnate, and to stagnate, is to fall behind."
"Repeat that one more time, and I will physically make you stagnate."
"...What does that even mean?"
Jaune's gaze lowered to look at Weiss' lunch box. It was quite the fancy thing, divided into several sections, each filled with one overpriced and overly rich ingredient one after the other. There was fresh lobster, caviar… even the rice had gold flakes sprinkled on it.
He, on the other hand, had taken a steak sub from the cafeteria and had already wolfed it down. For him, if there was one good thing about this whole dating sim misadventure, it was certainly the food. The quality of meals that basically just had money thrown at it was… unsurprising. Still overpriced, but he wasn't paying.
"Well, you finish up with that." He told Weiss. "I'll be off checking on Blaine! Maybe I'll figure out his motives, or how he got the bombs to school this time!"
"Hm… Stay safe." She said as Jaune left her. Then, she turned to her lunch box and Jaune caught just a little bit more of what she said before he left earshot.
"It's certainly been a long time since I've had this."
/-/
Jaune found Blaine at his fishing spot. Does he do anything else besides painting and fishing? He thought as he sat down beside him, taking out the fishing equipment that he had perpetually on himself. He had gotten some looks for carrying that around 24/7… But most people seemed to just roll with it.
The power of being in the secondary cast, I guess. Very few times had people interacted with only him, usually just either only Weiss or them both. Seems this world really reacted as if Weiss was the protagonist.
A significant portion of those few times in which people actually acted like Jaune was actually his own person were his moments with Blaine.
"...You've known - Maria for long?" Blaine suddenly asked, a few minutes in their session.
Jaune blinked. It took him a moment to get it, as in the middle of Blaine's phrase, the entire world had frozen for a few seconds, most likely in response to a dialogue choice Weiss had to make somewhere else in the world. "Oh!" Wait… What exactly am I? Also a commoner like Maria? Isn't this a school for nobles? Isn't my role just completely unexplained?! "Er… Yeah!" Jaune agreed. Should be fine to say that for now, as that is something only Maria would know, and she's currently controlled by Weiss. "Actually, I've known her for a very long time! We're best friends! I know everything about her! Also… Sorry about before…"
"Before?" Blaine kept his gaze squarely on the waters. "I do not recollect anything."
"You know, when - "
"Nothing at all."
…We're acting like it never happened? You know what, I would like that.
Blaine hummed at that. "...However... About Maria. How did you two meet?"
Jaune blinked for a few moments once more. Blaine with his kind of obvious, yet still surprising questions. "Well, I…" He considered carefully what he should say. What could he talk to Blaine about? Option 1: I make even more stuff up, and then tell Weiss about it so that our stories line up. Option 2: I keep it more vague. The first option has the risk of me making something that doesn't make sense, while option 2 has the issue of being suspicious.
Seeing Blaine adjust his sitting position, Jaune realized he might have been silent for too long. "I stepped on her hand and slapped her across the face." He blurted out.
Silence.
"W - Wait, don't look at me like that! It was an accident!" Fuck me and my mouth! Jaune laughed awkwardly. "Don't worry, I apologized profusely - " Wait, did I apologize profusely? Well, she did step on my foot, too, so is that even?
"...A certainly chaotic meeting. I can see why you'd be hesitant to retell the tale." Blaine sighed. "Not to mention your lack of storytelling capabilities."
"Hey! I'm a great storyteller! Just not when it matters!"
"...Then there's no point, is there?" Blaine answered him, articulating his words slowly and clearly.
"No, well, there is a point, you know, like when you - "
"Perhaps I should be more direct."
Jaune watched as Blaine seemed to attempt to compose himself unsuccessfully. There was a distinct bit of nervousness as the capture target scratched his neck. A hesitation in his movements.…What do you have in store for me, Blaine? Are you finally going to reveal your secret plan to take over the world? Weiss is getting bored, so you better cough up some plot! Jaune thought jokingly.
[System]: Charm Requirement (56) failed.
Jaune blinked at the message that had appeared on his HUD. Light, how dare you. I'm plenty charming! So charming people would call me prince charming!
[Admin]: Which people?
My mom!
Still, this is quite odd… Does this mean that some of Weiss' stats also apply to me? Or did I fail the requirement because I don't have a Charm stat at all?
Blaine finally looked back at Jaune. He opened his mouth, then thought better of it.
Really? You're just going to leave it at that? That's quite bullshit, I don't even have the stats to deal with this game system! "Take your time, Blaine. Not like we're doing much. Just tell me if you've got something."
Jaune's thoughts came to a stop, just like the world's state, as a game window popped up.
[System]: Alternate Gamer insists on pursuing Event.
[System]: Override?
[Yes][No]
…Override?
Jaune looked at it for a bit longer, wondering why it was appearing now. It seemed like despite Weiss being the main character, as a Gamer, he also had the ability to affect things. Then, why didn't it appear before? Was he not trying hard enough to alter the course of the game's events?
[Admin]: A mistake.
What? It's a mistake?
[Admin]: Do not accept it, Jaune. This game mechanic is not meant for you. You are oddly registering as a Supervisor, which is causing some features to glitch.
…It's not meant for me? What does that mean? Jaune raised an eyebrow. And what? A Supervisor?
[Admin]: I will patch it out. Wait.
And he doesn't explain anything. Again. Jaune stared at what he had on-screen.
As he looked at it longer, the more he realized what it could possibly do. Oh, like perhaps an override on the game system… Allowing me to use RWBY:Online's systems in RWBY:Eden of Roses? Isn't that actually really sick?!
[Admin]: Do not do it. The potential losses far outweigh the gains. You would be committing a very costly mistake due to your shortsightedness.
Right, right, you're just trying to make me not take this exploit that you accidentally forgot to remove! Think about all the possibilities! Weiss is limited by dialogue options and stats in her social interactions… But I'm not! The more he thought about it, the more awesome it was. I just have to pull off the natural Jaune charm!
[Admin]: I can explain it to you. I will transcribe the explanation into a manner that is understandable for someone of your limited mortal intellect.
Jaune clicked on 'Yes'.
[Admin]: You -
What are you going to do about it?
The world restarted.
Jaune carefully looked around. Nothing seemed to have changed at a glance. For the next few minutes, he was on guard, ready for Grimm to pop out of the bushes. Yet, nothing happened.
Jaune scratched his head, letting his fishing rod droop. …It can't have done nothing?
"How do you know when a girl likes you?" Blaine said out of nowhere.
Jaune almost did a spit take. "What?!"
The incredulousness expressed on Jaune's face made Blaine turn away from him.
You'll have to excuse me Blaine, but even though I have no idea how a capture target is supposed to act, I don't think you're supposed to do anything like that!
"I apologize. Ignore my words."
"No, no!" Jaune hurriedly said. "You've come to the right person for love advice!"
"...Have I?"
Jaune thumped his chest with a fist, giving a blinding grin. "Yes! The perfect person, in fact. I'm pretty experienced, and quite knowledgeable! You can call me… the love master!"
"The love master." Blaine deadpanned.
"The love master." Jaune nodded.
"As in, one who is well-versed in romantic relationship advice."
"Yup, that's what the love master is…" Jaune coughed into his fist to hide his growing embarrassment. "I - I've been in relationships before…" More like a relationship, singular, and back in elementary… but that basically counts! "And I know the fairer gender inside out!"
"...I see."
He certainly sounds veryyyy convinced.
"I suppose you'd have to know something, with you being who you are." Blaine sighed. "Anything is better than the alternative…"
Me being who I am? Must be my good looks! "Yeah, lay it on me!"
[Override Successful]
"There's… a girl." Blaine said. "She seems to enjoy the same hobbies as I, and it might be just me… But I think she tries her best to be with me as much as possible."
Oh, Blaine noticed, Weiss!
"I've also noticed that she is bored most of the time at school, but when she's with me, she… smiles."
"You know you can just say Maria, right?" Jaune told him bluntly.
Blaine stared at him. "...This girl, who shall go unnamed…"
"Okay, come on, dude, is there anyone else it could be? Why else would you ask me?" Jaune snorted. Even if he didn't know it was a dating sim and the roles of everyone involved, there was still the clear relationship between Jaune and Weiss in the eyes of Blaine.
Jaune paused. Wait, shouldn't the capture targets be a little jealous that their girl is running around with another man? He thought a bit more about it, but couldn't figure out why Blaine wasn't more worried about him.
I guess I can maybe chalk this up to her protagonist role and my strange place in this world.
"...The girl, who you are incorrect about and shall remain unnamed…"
"Now you're just trying too hard!"
"...she spends a lot of time around me. What do you think?"
Jaune crossed his arms. He closed his eyes, nodding, before opening them up. "Alright, if you're going to be difficult, then I'll be too." He stabbed a finger at him accusingly. "What are you doing fooling around, when you already have a fiance?!"
"Urgh." Blaine flinched. "As her friend, I suppose you do deserve an answer."
"Damn right I do!" Though, I mean, the balance of power is technically the other way, as she's the one who's truly in the know. Still, I do wish to know why Blaine's being a jerk to that swordswoman.
"It's just that… It's complicated."
"Well, we have time, if you don't mind explaining."
"...Yes. We do have time." Blaine admitted. "...The gist of the situation is that it is a political marriage. Once, there may have been feelings between us, but I have long torn apart any chances of that anymore."
Jaune blinked. Political reasons? I guess he does come from a noble house. Urgh, that's the worst… I should just leave that boring stuff for Weiss. "No feelings at all?"
"None anymore… Perhaps not even friendship."
"Oooof." Jaune whistled. "You must have really messed that up."
"Hm…" Blaine stared off into the distance. His gaze hardened as some thoughts surfaced, before he shook his head.
"Shouldn't you be breaking things off then?"
"I will. However, it is not so easily done."
…And he doesn't elaborate. And I don't really care either. Still, doesn't that sound like what a pretty boy with too much money and too little morals would say to his mistresses? He is a terrorist after all… Who the heck knows what else he's up to!
"Do not worry, however, I assure you my intentions towards the girl we both know is pure."
"I'll take your word for it… for now."
"Then, do you think the girl…?"
"Dammit, yes, I believe it's mutual, and dammit, say her name! What do you have against her name?!" Oh fuck this, I'm not getting any fish anyways. Jaune put down his fishing rod onto his fishing box.
Blaine looked away. "Names… have power."
"...Magical power?" Some sort of magic centered around names? 'True names' and all that jazz?
"...No. I speak of power over… emotions… and the heart." He said, still looking away.
Jaune flatly stared at him. "Blaine, you know damn well that not saying her name makes you look weird as Hell."
"...Maria."
"And if she's interested in you, will you be reciprocating her feelings?"
Blaine said something. Due to the ambient noise of the stream, the volume of his voice, and the fact he was facing the other way, Jaune heard none of it.
Jaune looked behind him. The sun was in that general area, so he considered the possibility that it was in Blaine's eyes. Perhaps Blaine had more sensitive eyesight. Therefore, Jaune stood up, moving around from behind such that they could talk to each other face-to-face once more. "Come on, it's not so hard! What are your feelings? Are you uncomfortable with her attention? Are you still unsure? Do you like Maria?"
"...Yes…?" Blaine turned away from him once more.
Jaune, undeterred, tried more angles. At first, I was a bit annoyed at how vague he was being, but this is kind of getting fun… "Yes what? Pretty unclear, I'd say. Put your feelings into words, it'll help you out with figuring out exactly what you want to do! It's as easy as 'Wow, Maria is so cute, I love her so much.'"
Blaine growled, making Jaune raise his hands placatingly even though he knew Blaine couldn't see them.
"Woah, yeah, a bit too early to go that far." Jaune made a feint to the left, before quickly darting to the right. "How about a simple 'I like Maria'?"
The two's gazes locked.
"...You're blushing." Jaune stated in surprise.
"...I'm not."
Realizing that he was being a bit of an asshole, Jaune laughed awkwardly and sat back down beside Blaine. "Sorry, just wanted to confirm things, you know?"
"...I like Maria." Blaine stated in what should have been a calm, cold voice.
"...Nope, still blushing."
Blaine placed a hand on his rosy cheeks, before moving his hand to where he could glower at it, as if it was its fault. "To think I could still feel this way after everything…"
"I'm more shocked you fell in love so fast. It has been what, one hou - er, I mean, a month?"
Blaine's gaze moved to Jaune. "This isn't the first time I've met her."
"This isn't?" Jaune's interest was piqued.
Blaine adjusted his seating and also his fishing rod. "Before this whole mess, there was a time where I was more of a… wanderer."
"You traveled?"
"Not by choice. I didn't have people I could turn to anymore. Anyone that was left had plans, plans that I did not wish to be involved in."
"Oh, do I understand that." Jaune gave a very telling glance at the sky.
"It wasn't easy. This was during the drought, in the waning years of the Queen's rule. Bandits were common and food scarce. People didn't even have enough to take care of themselves, how could they take care of others?"
Where's the mansion and servants? Some shitty noble house you come from, wow.
"The days were filled with endless walking, down paths that never seemed to end. There were days my stomach was so empty that I scrambled after bugs, others where I would try whatever flora I could get my hands on. Tree bark was perhaps the worst… it filled up your stomach alright, but it's indigestible and nutritionally empty. It was… Painful."
The look on Blaine's face made Jaune grimace. "Sorry to remind you of such things."
"It's fine." The man took a breath. "The past haunts my steps less here in this grove. A reminder that at least some things can be left behind."
Jaune watched the man's stoic face. Though the man was supposed to be a high school student, Blaine looked more mature than Jaune felt like he did at his age. Enough so, that in Jaune's thoughts, he had kept referring to him as a man rather than a teenager. He wondered, for a moment, if it was a dating sim thing, or perhaps that was just the decision that was made for this character.
"It was not a journey I could make in perpetuity." Blaine continued. "And, as the days blurred together, the hunger and exhaustion would slowly catch up to me, until I finally collapsed at the side of a forgotten road, unable to move anymore." His eyes closed. "And that's when she appeared."
Jaune tilted his head.
"I still remember her words…" He reminisced.
Saved from the brink of death, that would for certain make the person you saved have a good impression of you. Jaune nodded to himself. No wonder he's into Maria.
"She said: 'Hi, good morning! …Uh, you don't look fine.'"
Jaune blinked.
"My eyes were sunken in my skull, my skin clinging to my bones as my muscles had all wasted away, and… that's what she said. Of everything she could have said, she chose that. At that moment, my barely lucid mind thought she was the stupidest girl in the world."
Jaune chuckled a bit.
"Yet, for some reason, she chose to stay. I would wake up a day later, a spoon forcing soup into my mouth." He paused. "Her cooking was terrible, and I could tell that even in my famished state."
"Really?" Jaune smirked. "Complaining about food even when you're dying from hunger?"
Blaine gave him a wry smile back. "The worst cooking perhaps, but at that moment it was also the most tasty soup I had ever eaten." Blaine's line tightened as he caught a fish. Instead of pulling it back, Jaune watched him wave his hand. Suddenly, the hook was free again, and Blaine continued his story without giving Jaune a chance to ask.
"As I started regaining my mental faculties, my rationality returned. However, I did not have the will to go on. I knew what it was like out there. A cold, barren world, and us, forsaken by it. I saw that she was by her lonesome, noticed her sole knapsack, and didn't wish for her to waste her food on a boy about to die. After everything - "
The muscles on Blaine's face tightened.
"...After everything that has happened, some part of me had hoped that I would end right there. Without being a burden to anyone. Yet, she…" He trailed off. "...She spooned more soup and pressed it against my lips. 'Well, if you really don't want to live anymore,' she said. 'Then all you need to do is stop eating.'
"At that, I stilled. That was true. All I had to do was that… A simple, totally simple task. Yet for some reason, I couldn't. Even if my entire being told me to give up… a tiny, incredibly small part of me did not. Then, she said 'Don't worry, I have more than enough food for us both till we arrive at my destination.'" His facial muscles around his eyes tightened. "Her words were like venom, dripping with kindness so deadly it could sway me.'
"It was so damned selfish of her… and of me. Hearing that, how could I not accept?" Blaine growled. "That spoonful of soup, I swallowed that damn thing… and she smiled and said, 'Then maybe you don't want to die after all? Perhaps, there is still something left for you here.'"
"Oh… Wow." Jaune couldn't help but be impressed by this Maria character. "So, she saved you?"
Blaine snorted. "You could say that. She nursed me back to a semblance of health, enough that I could walk again. We then began our journey towards the town she was heading towards. However, the next day, I accidentally looked into her bag… and realized our food supply was almost running dry. She did not have enough for two. When I confronted her, she told me… 'oops'."
Jaune choked. "'Oops'?!"
"She said she thought she had more."
[Admin]: Hm…
Dark… What the hell is the point of sending me that message?
[Admin]: Doesn't that remind you of something?
Jaune thought of a second. No, not really. He turned his attention back to Blaine.
"We ended up foraging and rationing as much as we could. We took every opportunity to hunt, and by the skin of our teeth did we finally arrive at our destination. In truth, we actually collapsed right outside the settlement and were lucky enough to have been saved by her relatives."
"I can see why you feel fondly towards her." Jaune said, now that he's heard the entire story. "Though she's a bit of an airhead, she, well, for the lack of a better word, saved your life."
"Yes. There is little I wouldn't do for her." Blaine said firmly. "I wonder what she saw in me when she came across me on that dirt road. I'm so uninteresting, so lame. I'm not like Yan, or Weis, or Reuben… I'm just a guy." A tiny smile came to Blaine's face once more. "Or maybe that's just what is so great about her, her kindness towards even someone who is a nobody."
Jaune shook his head, grinning. "That really does sound like a love story!"
"Part of me feels like I'm not worthy of her. However, if she… if she l - … If she has certain feelings towards me… I wouldn't reject them. So… Jaune, what do you think?"
A sudden thought came to Jaune. His mouth, that was about to answer Blaine, stilled for a second.
"...Jaune?" Blaine asked.
"Sorry - Y - Yeah, I think so!" Jaune stood up, smiling. "In fact, I'll help out! I'll do my best to make sure your love comes true!" Said Jaune. "Anyways, I should probably go. I'm so bad at my next subject, I should get some studying in before the teacher comes. I'll see you later, Blaine?" Jaune's mood, which had been high a moment ago, dropped rock bottom.
"Likewise."
Turning around such that Blaine couldn't see his face, Jaune dropped his perfect smile. It was a terrible thought, something that didn't have much to do with Jaune himself, but with another way at how this situation could be viewed.
Oh… Fuck.
/-A Requiem for a Gamer-/
A/N (20230920): See you guys in two weeks!
Next Chapter: October 8th, 2023.