This chapter is going to start off a little differently. All the others we got to watch Jaune mark his dream target, but now, you don't get to see that. However, it adds a new twist. Someone finally gets to help Jaune over Jaune helping them. The best thing about this story, and why I continue to write it, is because of how many different directions a single dream can go. You're only limited by imagination and can have so much stuff happen in a dream. The SuperHero Velvet chapter was a lot of fun to write and really added some interesting plot devices.
Dreamweavers initiative? I can't guarantee this won't happen.
Chuck B. Winanaki: Sorry this dream isn't super long and it's less about the dreamer and more about what Jaune learns. You won't be able to interpret it like you do the others.
Special thanks to NeoShadows for Betaing.
Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.
Jaune blinked as he looked around the brightly lit building.
This was unusual. The last thing Jaune remembered was falling back asleep after waking up from Velvet's dream. Being in a dream wasn't unusual for him, that he was used to by now. No, what interested him was going back into a dream the same night. Did Velvet fall back asleep too? He had been worried about that when it involved Pyrrha before and her… raunchy dream.
"Guess I'll see another one," Jaune muttered. "Though… this is a far cry from her superhero dream."
Rows and rows of clothing lined racks all around him. Ranging from swimsuits to full dresses, to coats and shorts, along with everything in between. This was a dressing room of some kind in the distance, and lots of bright lights kept everything in clear view. It wasn't all women's clothing, just the parts where Jaune started. As he walked down the aisles, he found the male clothes. Pulling a couple of button-down shirts off the racks, he held it up to his chest and looked into a full-length mirror.
"Hmm, maybe I should change my look." The boy snorted and figured he could have a little fun. He wasn't hurting anyone and he wasn't stealing anything. After the excitement of defeating the Grimm Cardin, a little break seemed to be warranted. Velvet wouldn't mind if he played around in the background while she enjoyed her new dream. "Though… maybe I should check just to make sure nothing happens. That last dream was… off."
Sighing, Jaune hung the shirt back up. It probably didn't matter, but picking up after himself was ingrained in his brain by his sisters. They wouldn't let him make a mess, even though their rooms were usually the dirtiest. Something about his future girlfriend not liking a messy boyfriend. Shaking his head at their hypocrisy with fondness, Jaune made his way out of the cloth racks and looked around for Velvet.
A stage backdrop with surrounding spotlights and people moving around seemed like a good place to start. Silently walking up, Jaune purposely tried to stay quiet, so as not to disturb the dream. Since his Semblance allowed people to perceive him now, once he was noticed, he could easily get sucked up into whatever was happening. Not that it wasn't fun sometimes, but honestly, part of him kept reminding himself he really should avoid trespassing if possible.
Two people were there. One was holding a camera and taking pictures of the other. Jaune's mouth fell open as he saw Velvet was not the photographer.
She was the model.
"That's it, work it!" Coco said, moving around and taking pictures. "You'll have guys drooling all over you."
Velvet put one hand behind her head and the other on her hip. The sultry smile plastered on her face didn't look fake at all. Makeup made her cheeks sparkle and highlighted her eyes and lips. Her outfit consisted of a girly pink shoulderless, low-cut dress that barely covered her chest. The frilly bottom had white lace that was so short, one wrong move would reveal her panties. Velvet appeared taller as she was wearing pink heels, with white lace socks that went all the way above her knees, to be tied with pink ribbons near the top. To finish the outfit off, a pink ribbon was in her hair.
"You got the cute girl next door look that will get his attention in no time." Coco continued, taking pictures.
Jaune felt himself frowning as he watched from his hiding spot.
This didn't make sense to him. Did Velvet secretly want to be a girly girl? She was the type to wear simple outfits that didn't reveal much and enjoyed comics and photography. Being dressed up like a doll didn't seem to suit her, but what did he know? Unconsciously, the boy shrugged it off. Maybe Velvet actually liked cute girly things: all the power to her. Jaune wasn't the type to judge someone's likes and dislikes.
Still, he couldn't shake the feeling something was off. Not wrong like in the superhero dream, just, it was hard to describe the feeling in his gut that this was different than the last dream, and not just because of the plot. Leaning forward against a table to continue listening, Jaune made a mistake. His elbow pushed against a container of pins.
Clattering rang out as the pins spilled out across the table.
"Who's there?" Coco turned around and looked straight at Jaune. Velvet's eyes widened and she covered herself up with her arms. "Jaune, why are you here?"
"I… er…" Jaune hadn't thought of this. They were in the middle of a photoshoot, so why would he be here? Would he be an errand boy, like getting coffee or something? If he said that, the dream would probably accept that as reality. Though, why would he want to be something so boring? It wasn't like he purposely tried to get involved, but now that the dream saw him, why not be a little more active? Velvet's previous dream left a lasting effect on him. "I have an appointment? I'm supposed to model today."
Silence stretched over all three of them.
Jaune's heart was thumping loudly, banging against his chest. Even if Coco and Velvet didn't believe him, it's not like anything wrong would happen to him. Well, at least in the dream. There's no way Velvet would think Jaune was invading her dreams and probably brush it off before forgetting about it. That's what most people did with their dreams. A minute passed and Jaune felt himself sweating under Coco's scrutinizing gaze. Sunglasses may have covered her face, but that girl inspired fear in people.
"Right, sorry, this shoot ran long." Coco turned around and clapped her hands. "Velvet, you can go get changed."
"Okay, did I do everything well?" Velvet smiled and stood up from her chair.
"You did great, we need to do this more often." Coco gave her a thumbs up. "But I'm a busy girl, you know? I don't like to keep my clients waiting."
"I understand, same time tomorrow?"
"Perfect, you can wear this cute bunny girl outfit next!" Coco's grin almost seemed perverted.
"I can't wait!" Velvet beamed with excitement as she clapped her hands. "You always have the best outfits for me!"
'Wait a second…'
Okay, Jaune knew this wasn't realistic at all, even for a dream. Velvet was WAY out of character. That Faunus girl mentioned once during their club meeting how Coco would always try to have her model stuff for her. Everyone at Beacon knew Coco was a fashionista and was actually good at it, even designing her own clothes from scratch. It was just that she liked to put Velvet in stuff she wasn't comfortable wearing, even if Coco reassured her she looked good in it.
'It can't be…'
Velvet disappeared through a door that appeared out of nowhere and Coco stretched her arms above her head before walking over to Jaune.
"No, no, no, this won't do." Coco paced around him, looking Jaune up and down. "Jeans and a hoody… that just won't do. You won't get any attention this way."
This wasn't Velvet's dream.
It was COCO'S!
Of course, something like this would be that fashionista's dream. There was no way Velvet would imagine herself doing something like modeling. Coco, of course, would be thinking of clothing designs while sleeping. Velvet was her partner and a very cute girl, so Coco imagining dressing her up wouldn't be unreasonable. Especially in clothing her partner would never normally wear. Jaune should have recognized that immediately, but now he had another question.
'How am I in her dream?! My power connects with people by touch and that Aura spark thingie. It connected with Velvet, not Coco. Does it jump to nearby people now?'
A lump formed in the pit of his stomach. This could be pretty bad. For the most part, he was avoiding physical contact with people, but accidents happened like with Velvet. Nora was bound to hug him sooner or later and if he wasn't prepared, his Semblance would most likely connect with her again. Not that she would probably mind. That girl was the type to demand Jaune master his Semblance so they could have fun in their dreams while they slept.
'I probably should tell my team about my powers soon, before they discover it on their own and think I'm purposely hiding it to spy on them.'
"JAUNE!"
A sharp smack patted him on his cheek as Coco gave him a light slap.
"I'm paying attention!" Jaune gulped anxiously.
"Good, you know how valuable my time is?" Coco glared at him from behind her sunglasses. "Okay, so I'm thinking, lose the hoodie first of all. That has to go. Jean's are so last year, but if that's your style, maybe we can change the color to black or a dark blue? Yeah… then a white and yellow coat?"She kept pacing around him. "That should be good. A white coat would be good, yes…"
"Whatever outfit you design, I need to be able to wear my armor with it." Jaune reminded her.
"Yeah, that breastplate and arm guards: tsk, fine, I can work around that." Coco rolled her eyes. "Just makes it a bit more challenging." Rubbing her hands together, she turned around and walked to the table, before picking up a measuring tape. "Okay…. Strip!"
It took a moment for his brain to process her order.
"W-What?!" Jaune choked out. "S-strip… here?"
"Seriously, are you that shy?" Once more, Coco rolled her eyes and then lowered her sunglasses to look at him directly. "How else am I supposed to measure you?"
Ah, that made sense and Jaune pulled his mind out of the gutter. This was an oddly realistic dream compared to the last couple. No crazy powers, warped environments, or Grimm attacking. Just a normal job based on the dreamer's hobby. Slowly, Jaune pulled off his hoodie and saw Coco watching him closely. There was a small grin on her face. A small, perverted grin. It was an odd feeling being the stripper in a dream and not the one watching.
'Great, I hope she doesn't remember this part too vividly.' The boy silently moaned.
The last thing he needed was Coco remembering her dream had him naked in it and her questioning if she had some kind of feelings for him. The girl was attractive, but Jaune barely knew her. Though, it's not as if he would have said no if she ever asked him out. He always believed you should get to know people to see if you were compatible; why else did people date? Of course, sometimes you have to take risks with your hearts on your sleeves in asking others, sometimes complete strangers you may have only recently met, out on dates to get to know them.
It was no different than when he had been asking Weiss. Admittedly, maybe, probably, he had gone a tiny bit overboard in his attempts to woo her. Cringe was a word, a very good word to describe his attempts at being smooth now that he looked back at it. But for all his silly and annoying tries to ask her out, they were truly there for a chance he had desired in getting to know who Weiss Schnee truly was underneath her icy exterior and regal and chilling glare.
Now he knew why she rejected him. Because, in the end, for all his attempts, had ever really been honest and genuine? Wasn't he just putting on a false mask, a cover of someone far more charming and confident, than the one who had honestly wanted to simply take the so-called Ice Queen out? He also didn't take into account her own feelings over it and just bothered her like an insensitive jerk.
He wouldn't make the same mistake again.
A short time later, Jaune was standing on the stool in only his boxers as Coco wrapped him up in measuring tape. It would be a lie to say Jaune wasn't having a little bit of fun. Standing and getting measured might be boring normally, but with a hot girl constantly putting her hands on him? Nope, he was having a blast. The only problem was boxers were not great at hiding certain autonomous bodily responses.
While he lacked Crocea Mors, the sword he always carried on him was starting to grow broader with each touch wandering over his muscles.
"Okay, simple enough, but you're a lot more muscular than I remember," Coco mused to herself, eyes gleaming as her hand tried to close around his bicep. "Seems like the rumors that Pyrrha is working you into the dirt aren't just gossip. I always caught small whispers of the so-called Dork Knight stumbling back to the dorms late at night, dirty and haggard like some soldier who had just come out of a war, all while the Invincible Girl skipped close behind with a winning grin."
"She's been putting me through the wringer. I swear, it's just pounding after pounding with her." Jaune agreed, remembering all the blows he suffered as Pyrrha taught him swordsmanship.
That girl wouldn't go easy on him. No pity, no patience, no fooling around. Even his partner understood how lacking he was when compared to even the weakest of Beacon students who got in on their own merits. On that night when he bore his ugly pride to the strongest girl in Beacon, revealing how soft and weak he was, his partner had seen past his petty frustration and desire to prove himself as a great hero like every other male Arc before him.
She heard a cry for help, one he hadn't even realized he had said.
She wouldn't go easy on him, she would push him, break him, and lift him back up. Because it was what he had wanted but had been denied.
"It's the same just about every night: we work until my muscles are shrieking and I'm too exhausted to even pick myself up. It's hell. But, at least someone's noticing all the progress." Hearing someone compliment his muscles was a welcome change of pace over being called a noodle.
"I bet she makes you yell too," Coco mused softly, measuring his inner thigh rather slowly. She seemed oblivious to his body's betrayal. "When she's baring down on you? Pressing her full weight on your sore body with every grunt?"
"Well, I try not to yell, Pyr says it doesn't help anything," Jaune admitted with a slow nod. "But sometimes it just slips out even though I'm gritting my teeth to hold it in. She's rough though, extremely brutal when we're going at it, so it can't be helped that I just explode on her. Pretty sure she tries not to laugh when I do. I think it's because my face is always so red and sweaty."
"Most people probably would," Coco assured him, standing up. "Okay, enough about your sex life with Pyrrha, I got an idea."
Obvious Jaune Arc blinked slowly, his ever-dull and plain mind catching up as his mouth grew slack and gaped.
"Wait… sex life!?" Jaune blurted out.
"Everyone knows you two are getting it on; shame, it seems like Velvet may like you." Coco shrugged nonchalantly. "Poor Vel, but I'm sure he can probably do better than someone who gets a raging hard-on just from getting fitted. Can't you keep it sheathed?"
Jaune's hand slapped to his front and his face flushed bright red.
"That's just a reaction to hot girls! I can't control it!"
Defending himself when he was just at full mast with a red face, and covering his crotch like some shy girl being complimented by the popular boy, wasn't exactly winning him any points.
"Awwww, look at that sweet talk," Coco lowered her shades and winked at him. "With those muscles and tongue, you might be on my list, but I'll have to see what you're packing later. For now, stay!" The last command sounded like she was ordering a dog.
Pushing aside the embarrassment, Jaune was going to jump off the stool in an act of defiance. Coco was a lot like Yang, someone who would tease others when given the chance. Full of confidence, those two girls would say what was on their minds and dirty jokes didn't phase them at all. One of his sisters was like them too. The only way to stop the jokes is to stand up for yourself or just counter with your own so they see you as an equal to get the subject changed. Since Coco told him to stay, he was going to defy her.
Only to find out his legs wouldn't move.
No matter how much he struggled, from the knees downwards, they were frozen in place by some unseen force. It's not the first time a dream made him do something, but it had never been so direct up to this point. Was Coco holding him purposely, or was it just the subconscious forcing her dream desires? There's no way that girl would want someone defying her when she was working. Sighing to himself, Jaune stopped trying to go against the dreamer. At least he didn't have to wait long. Coco returned quickly as if she didn't even have to go through the racks of clothes.
Which she probably didn't. Being able to get things quickly was a huge benefit of dreams.
"Put these on." It wasn't a request as Coco pushed the clothes into his hands. "Hurry up. We don't have all day." Jaune did what she wanted, not wanting to go against the dream anymore if he even could.
"Not bad…" Jaune glanced at the mirror, barely recognizing himself.
Firstly, Coco had him put on a dark gray collared shirt with a pair of dark blue jeans. She had taken his request for keeping them, but changed the color a bit. Tall dark gray boots reached almost to his knees. Over that, a white long coat covered most of his torso and reached down to the top of his boots. Gold trimming outlined the coat, matching Jaune's hair. A gray belt with a gold buckle was around his waist, and there also was a strap close to the upper part of the long coat. The long coat also had a hood that could be used outside if the weather turned unpleasant. White and gold arm guards along with a shoulder protector on his right arm with the Arc family crest finished off his outfit.
"Not bad, indeed." Coco grinned, lowering her sunglasses and examining him closely before pushing back his hair. "See what happens when you clean up and lose the childish outfits? You look like an adult. Maybe Velvet could see this part of you. No wonder she's a thirsty girl."
"Huh?" Jaune spun around to look at her, glad he could move freely again.
"Nothing, don't worry about it." Coco dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "Now, tell me how amazing I am."
"Your eye for fashion is unmatched," Jaune laid on the flattery. "You could make an entire line of Huntsman clothing with your skills."
"That's one of my goals," Coco nodded, walking around in a circle to examine him one last time. "After I leave school, between missions, I'm going to make sure every Huntsmen on Remnant is properly outfitted."
"Why?" Jaune asked, a little surprised. "I mean, the outfits are great, but why do you want Huntsmen to be dressed up when we'll be out in the wilderness for our job?"
"It's not for us, it's for everyone else."
"Huh?" The way Coco's tone changed from humorous and teasing, to deadly serious, was a little unnerving.
"Huntsmen and Huntresses are more than just soldiers for the kingdoms, Jaune." Coco explained, removing her sunglasses completely and putting them down on the table.
Gone was the fashionista who teased him, craved to be seen, who possessed a cool aura that made others see her in awe, and seemed far more mature and gathered than most as every step she took was taken with the type of confidence Jaune had always tried to replicate for the clothes she normally wore seemed to fall loose here. As if here, in a place where her innermost desires and truths could breathe without being judged or rated, could breathe.
"We are heroes to normal people. Risking our lives so they can live peacefully even at the cost of our lives. We're not military figures who walk in line to the commands of some stern and boring old fart. We're not factory-produced toy soldiers who were the same drab colors and expressions you can find in any other toy store. We're those flashy, cool, awesome, fantastic, heroes who pop right out of the flames and wreckage of despair with a strong grin! Explosive, bombastic, spectacular, regal, invincible, stoic, warm, chaotic! Those are the colors Huntsman should be wearing at all times. When you think of heroes, do you think of a normal person in a raggedy t-shirt and shorts? No, you remember those that stand out, those who came charging into the scene in memorable colors that paint the world in hope and excitement instead of crushing loss and cruel despair!"
Pouring out of the normally too-cool-to-care fashion beauty was a naked and free ideal. One striking very close to the naive Huntsman-in-Training. The way her coco brown eyes gleamed, shined, and burned like those falling wish-fulfilling stars in fairy tales took Jaune back. Coco's eager ambition to dress the part of a hero, her excitement in creating those memorable figures Jaune himself had been inspired by-
'You...too?'
Wasn't she like him? Wasn't she...just another child who chased after the cool and awesome backs of heroes only seen in comic books?
That naked ambition, the childish desire, dressed Coco up in a far more eye-catching figure.
Inspiring others with acts of heroism was one thing. Heroes could be found in anyone. You didn't need to dress the part to play the hero. But Coco had a point. Especially in the kind of world of bloody revolution they lived in.
When those who were suffering at the hands of Grimm, who were being harassed by those who took after the darkness and sought to spread violence and malice, were on their knees in tears as the world was clouded with noxious smoke and searing flames, wouldn't one desire to see a color different than those miserable pigments splatter everything with warmth and hope?
Wasn't that what a hero was?
Someone who took the stage by storm, announced themselves with flair and memorable looks, and swept the miserable pigments painting the world in destruction and despair with flashy colors? A figure whose very being could stamp down on the bleak and colorless world, and spread hopeful colors? An inspiration, an ideal, a heroic symbol you'd never forget even if you were to revisit those painful memories that summoned them onto the field.
Heroes came in all shapes and sizes. When one thought of a hero, the first thing to come to mind may as well be the colors they wore and the style they were dressed. Cool, beautiful, ridiculous, gloomy, sexy: those words would come to mind when thinking of said hero's design. Because of what they wore, their images would stick to the minds and hearts of those they protected far greater than if they wore a meager hoodie and jeans.
Black and red.
Silly yet kind.
A certain personal hero, one of his best friends, came to mind. A girl of guns and roses adorn in a gothic-style theme, with silver eyes and a childish smile dueling with the giant deadly scythe casually resting behind her small back. Out of all the people who had helped the naive knight before he even stepped into Beacon, the little red reaper with a red hooded cape stood out and cemented herself in a way he'd never been able to describe.
If that silly prodigy had lacked such eye-popping and stylish clothing, would her memory have faded with time?
"I never thought of that," Jaune admitted with a delicate frown, eyes now drawn down at his new outfit with a new sense of understanding.
"There's also truth to the saying, 'clothes make the man,'" Coco continued. "It gives people confidence and positive emotions which deters Grimm, along with inspiring civilians. We don't just fight Grimm, we give hope to the masses. When we stand out, we remind them that we are always here, helping and protecting. That they don't have to live in constant fear of Grimm attacks. Because those cool and fabulous heroes are out there, ready to jump in." She poked him in the chest. "You came to me, so you should understand that. If you want to be a hero, you have to dress like one: dress to paint yourself as someone who can act like a shield and destroy those dreary nightmares by just appearing on the scene."
"Yes, ma'am!" Jaune saluted instinctively.
"Then tell me what you really think of this outfit," Coco told him, pinning a few loose parts to adjust the size.
"It's amazing and I definitely need to get more outfits like this," Jaune replied, his eyes back on his reflection in the mirror.
Compared to his favorite Pumpkin Pete's hoodie, torn jeans, and random armor pieces bought for protection rather than the image, the outfit shined. Coco's naked ambition gave what he believed were nice-looking clothes more depth and meaning. He didn't want to let it go.
"I kind of want this outfit."
"It's yours." Coco grinned, stepping back and slapping his ass, making him jump. "I'll send you my bill."
"No discount for friends?" Jaune responded before he could stop himself as he hopped off the stool.
"Oh, you got a discount, but it's still going to cost you an arm and leg: maybe your firstborn." Coco waved him off as she glanced over her shoulder. "Great, he's here. I need to fit him with a new suit."
As Jaune was leaving through the door Velvet disappeared to, curiosity got the better of him. Wondering who Coco was dreaming about helping next, the boy turned around. His jaw fell open as a large Beowolf stepped in and jumped up to the fitting area. It stepped up on the stool as Coco pulled out her tape measure and began to get to work, chatting with the Grimm just like she did with him. Blinking a few times, Jaune finally snapped back to his senses.
'Did talking about being a Huntsman and facing Grimm influence her dream?' Jaune wondered silently, as he backed up, not entirely sure he wanted to leave just yet. He was curious as to what all would happen next. After being caught already, a few more minutes probably wouldn't hurt.
Beep, beep, beep!
Light flooded Jaune's face as his alarm went off.
Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, Jaune sat up and looked around at the rest of his team also rising. There were no classes today and Nora was eagerly bouncing around the room, cheering for the fact. Nothing unusual there, as she did that every day they didn't have class. Pyrrha was stretching and preparing to head to the bathroom. Jaune and Ren usually waited until after the girls were finished. Ren did so mostly so Nora wouldn't barge in on him while Jaune waited because it didn't take him as long as them to get ready.
Which left him to ponder what happened last night. He found himself sitting on his bed with a quizzical frown at the events he had been involved in due to his Semblance.
"Why was Coco's dream involved in this?' Jaune pondered silently, pretending to look at his Scroll as he ran over what he knew. 'Connecting to Velvet's dream was expected, as I saw that spark. Her dream was really fun, except for that weird ending. That Grimm that popped off Cardin felt… like it wasn't really a dream. That doesn't make any sense though…' Jaune shook his head. 'Don't worry about that, it's over. The real question is why I was with Coco.'
Thinking through what he knew, Jaune could only come up with two possibilities. The first was that the spark that connected him to someone must have hopped from Velvet to Coco somehow. Both girls were roommates, so maybe after Velvet woke up, she touched Coco or something? Did it mean it acted like electricity? His semblance created a spark from his aura, connecting him to the dreams of others, so was it possible the extra power, or aura, from the spark, could jump onto another person close by when it was done with its purpose?
Jaune wasn't sure why that would happen in the middle of the night. Maybe his power was growing with all the training he was doing. That led him to the second possibility. If his Semblance was getting stronger, did he even need to connect with people physically anymore? As long as they were both asleep, his power could activate.
Both options weren't promising, but the latter was far worse. It meant that Jaune could accidentally go into anyone's dream who was in the vicinity. Whether he wanted to or not. He still hadn't found a way to permanently stop his Semblance from activating. This meant he would have to tell his team about it and reveal some embarrassing things soon. Having that conversation was not something Jaune wanted to have. Maybe he could delay it a little longer. Hopefully, he could discover how and avoid such a scenario from playing out.
"So, what's your plan for today?" Nora asked Pyrrha, plopping down on the redhead's bed.
"Oh, I don't know," Pyrrha admitted, smiling fondly at the ginger. "Jaune and I trained a lot yesterday, so we can probably take it easy today. I might get started on Port's assignment. It shouldn't take too long, but you never know." She turned to Jaune. "We could work on it together if you'd like."
"Booooorrrriiinnngggg!" Nora whined.
"You should probably start on it too instead of waiting until the last minute like Yang," Ren commented, sitting cross-legged on his bed and meditating.
"What about you, Fearless Leader?" Nora asked, looking at him upside down as she lay on her back. "Tell me you have something fun planned at least."
"I was thinking of heading to Vale," Jaune admitted, remembering Coco's dream and coming up with something to do today. It wasn't exactly plagiarizing if he copied her idea, right? Technically, that outfit only existed in a dream and was never copyrighted. "Honestly, I got tired of some people making fun of my outfits and I was going to start updating my wardrobe."
"Hey, don't listen to the haters!" Nora cried out, sitting up quickly. "Wear what you like and break the knees of anyone who tells you otherwise."
"Even if it's Yang who can beat me up without breaking a sweat?" Jaune joked with a grin.
"You have to display dominance so she respects you." Nora countered. "That's what I do." The girl puffed her chest out proudly.
"Nora's right about wearing what you like," Pyrrha added, making sure to ignore the other parts. "There's nothing wrong with your outfit and you even explained why your hoodie and onesie are sentimental." Jaune's sister had given him the onesie as a gift and he had eaten a lot of Pumpkin Pete's cereal for the hoodie.
"What brought this up all of a sudden?" Ren asked astutely, opening his eyes. "You never seemed to care about people's opinions before."
"I've been thinking about it a while," Jaune only lied due to the fact the truth would be much longer and more difficult, along with being awkward, to explain. "Last night, I thought of an outfit I liked so I was going to start putting it together. Everyone else has cool combat attire, so why not me?"
"But it is cool!" Nora protested. "You have your own Jaune-Jaune look. The casual, I'm the hero of everyone, look."
Maybe she was right. No, she was right. He had his own look about him. The everyman kind of hero. Nothing was wrong with wearing what he liked. If it felt comfortable, why change? If he had truly hated what he wore, would he have ignored the comments of others making fun of him for his outfit. If he had truly been so self-conscious, then wouldn't he have gone out of his way to find something cooler to appeal to the thoughts of others.
Jaune didn't need to change his looks.
But last night's dream had been rather impactful. Seeing Coco's naked ambition, her aspiration to create outfits that heroes would wear to drive away the negativity of the cruel world, had created its own energetic spark to pop off. One spark he had found himself grasping. Being a hero was all he ever wanted to be. So, why not take another step forward toward that dream? Why not fit the image of the kind of heroes Coco desired to see take the stage and inspire others? The kind Jaune imagined too.
"Thanks for that, Nora." Jaune smiled gratefully, glad to know his friend found his current image good enough.
Good enough was all and well. But he didn't want to be good enough. He didn't want to look good enough. He wanted to be more.
"I needed to hear that, but it's something I want to do. No one is forcing me. And I'm not doing it because I'm tired of being made fun of."
"If that's the case, have fun." Ren told him without further question. The ninja-like Huntsman-in-training wasn't one to pry on the choices of others and seemed to understand. "Oh, could you pick up some fresh mint for me while you're out? I'm nearly out for my smoothies."
"No problem." Even if Ren's green algae looking smoothies were famous for being toxic to everyone else besides Ren, Jaune was more than happy to help out his team whenever he could.
"Have fun," Pyrrha wished him. "Call us if you need anything."
For a moment, her smile seemed a little forced. Jaune only noticed because they were looking directly at each other. He knew what her real smile was like since he saw it all the time when their team did stuff together. Thinking of her earlier words, it seemed she wanted the two of them to hang out. Besides the training sessions and studying, they haven't really been doing anything together lately. Racking his brain, it had probably been a few weeks.
Pyrrha's dream swam to the front of his mind. His partner wanted to spend time with him because she liked him, much like he tried with Weiss.
"Would you like to come with me, Pyrrha?" Jaune asked her, trying not to think of the embarrassing parts of her dream. Pyrrha was an incredibly important person to him and while he still wasn't completely over Weiss, he should try to move on. Plus, it wasn't a pity request either. Jaune actually enjoyed spending time with Pyrrha. "We can hang out, grab lunch, maybe do something else? It's been a while since we've had fun, just the two of us."
Sparkles in those emerald eyes told Jaune he did the right thing.
"I would love to," Pyrrha's smile was back to being genuine. "I'm curious to see what your ideas for your new clothing will be."
"If you two are going, then Ren and I will do something fun," Nora openly winked at Pyrrha. "Don't worry about us at all. Nope! Feel free to stay out late."
"I'll make sure Nora doesn't get into any trouble," Ren promised, with an almost amused expression. "You two have a good time." He looked between Jaune and Pyrrha, then to Nora, who was biting her lips and trying not to jump up and down.
Seriously, did everyone know Pyrrha liked him?
Jaune and Pyrrha arrived in downtown Vale later that morning and headed toward the mall. The only issue they encountered was when several people noticed Pyrrha and tried to get an autograph. Pyrrha was really friendly and was willing to pass out a few, but managed to disperse them relatively quickly. Jaune was always surprised at how efficiently she could do that. Being a celebrity had its own challenges, especially if she does anything that could be misconstrued. The media would be all over it. To Jaune, she was always Pyrrha, a fun, friendly, caring partner and he did know she was attractive, but that last feeling conflicted with him seeing her as virtually a sister.
After seeing her dream, the attractiveness was winning.
"Where to first?" Pyrrha asked, walking next to him.
"I have a list." Jaune reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He had written as much about the outfit dream Coco had prepared so he wouldn't forget. Some of the designs might need his skill with sewing, like adding his family crest, but that was easy to do. "But we're probably going to have to stop at multiple places."
"Can I see it?" Pyrrha asked as her hand reached forward to take it.
"Nope!" Jaune laughed, pulling it away from her fingers and shoving it in his pocket. "It's a surprise."
"Jaune!" Pyrrha complained, her cheeks puffing out indignantly. "Please? Let me see it!"
"Nope!" The answer had not changed.
"That's not fair!" The champion protested. "How can I help you find what you need?"
"Hmmm, good point." Jaune conceded. "When we get to a store, I'll tell you what specific piece I'm looking for."
"You're oddly secretive lately." Pyrrha pointed out. Her tone wasn't really accusatory or angry, more intrigued and curious. "I really want to see your design now."
"And you will," Jaune assured her. "You'll be the first one too. Promise."
"Hehe, I look forward to it." Pyrrha giggled, as she gave up trying to get more information and followed Jaune into the mall.
Most of the clothes weren't too hard to find. The first store they entered had dark blue jeans and a dark gray collared shirt. Those were the easiest to find. Pyrrha remained somewhat close, watching him and trying to picture the outfit in its entirety. However, she occasionally got distracted by other clothing, and the moment she appeared to be interested in something, sales clerks rushed to help her. Being a celebrity and all, they were more inclined to help her over Jaune. More than once, Jaune had to help save her by asking her opinion on something.
"Sorry," Jaune apologized after the second store where he found the boots and the belt needed. "Sometimes I forget how people act around you."
"It's not your fault, and I don't mind usually," Pyrrha reassured him with a small smile. "It's just… I am enjoying our time together, though I do occasionally miss the privacy I had before."
"Have you ever thought of quitting?" Jaune asked sympathetically. He had a house with seven sisters and barely had privacy, so imagining the world watching you constantly would wear down anyone. "If it's too much?"
"It's just that I love competing in tournaments," Pyrrha explained. "Pushing myself to my limits, facing off against powerful opponents who also do their best. It's exhilarating. Inspiring kids to do their best, to reach out and try to be all they can be, whether they want to be Huntsmen or something else. Reading the fan letters and hearing stories about how I helped people get the courage to do something is one of the best things about my career."
"But then the downside of them seeing you as a perfect being?" Parts of Pyrrha's dream speech were beginning to truly sink in. "Not you?"
Such an intimate truth, said so simply, almost seemed to trip the Invincible Girl. As if her friend had discovered some deep secret she had always kept to herself and refused to share with anyone else. For a moment, things grew quiet between them. He could make out her eyes from the corner of his own, green pupils flitting around as if debating on whether or not to speak further.
"Exactly," Pyrrha slowly nodded. "I'm not perfect and work hard to get where I am. Some people seem to give up because they don't think they can reach me and decide to not even try."
A sigh escaped her, one of disappointment and frustration the perfect girl would normally ball up into a tight groaning bundle deep in her chest.
"I always feel bad when I hear something like that. After all, I want to inspire others to fight to their limits and reach for greater heights; not give up. We all want to be protectors of humanity, so why throw in the towel when facing off against one girl? Or am I at fault for setting the bar too high for them to attempt to climb?"
Jaune bit his lip as his partner revealed to him her secret worries. She needed to be cheered up and he knew exactly what to do.
"It's okay, Pyr." Jaune patted her shoulder. "We can change that. I'll hold a press conference and tell the world you aren't perfect. I even have examples. Example one: she snores loud enough to keep Ursai away." He raised a single finger as he said this.
"JAUNE!" Pyrrha gasped incredulously, wide-eyed and red-faced. "I don't snore!"
She did, louder than Nora. Ren even confirmed it with Jaune.
"Second: she's terrified of spiders and will force me to get rid of any in the bathroom." Jaune raised a second finger. "If you ever want to prank her, just use a fake spider prop."
"Hey!" She swatted at him, forcing the boy to jump back to dodge with his bags.
"Lastly: she has an insane addiction to chocolate," A huge grin was plastered on Jaune's face as he said this. "We can't keep any in the room because she'll sniff it out and eat the entire box at once. Kinda like a truffle sniffing pig: she'll go nuts and devour every bite, lick the box, and turn the entire box upside down for even one scrap of chocolate or even a shaving."
That wasn't exactly true. Once, Jaune had left out a bag of chocolates and told his team they could help themselves. Pyrrha ate it all in one evening and it's been a pretty funny joke. Still, her embarrassed expression as she tried to hide her face, covered with a bit of chocolate, was something he'd never forget.
"You said that remains a secret with our team!" The girl accused, chasing after Jaune, who smartly ran down the street, both of them laughing.
Finally, they only had one last place to stop. The final, but main piece: the white jacket was hopefully here. Jaune had been using his Scroll to find this place as it wasn't in the mall, but a little out of the way. Pyrrha followed him without complaints, though she was looking around curiously. Since the material to make a Huntsman jacket needed to be more durable, it wasn't going to be cheap. Buying new video games was off the table for a couple of months.
"Welcome!" A female store attendant greeted them. "Beacon students?
"How did you know?" Jaune asked, surprised.
"Usually the only customers we receive around your age are," the woman answered with a smile. "How can I help… oh my, are you Pyrrha Nikos?" Her eyes darted to the red-haired girl.
"Hello!" Pyrrha waved, putting on a smile of her own.
"It's an honor to have you grace this establishment with your presence," The attendant gasped and then collected herself. Unlike random people on the streets, this woman was at least a little bit of a professional. Ignoring Jaune completely wasn't something she could do. "Is there anything, in particular, you and your friends are looking for?"
"Ask him," Pyrrha pointed to Jaune. "He won't tell me. Wants it to be a surprise."
"Oh?" The woman's eyes began to twinkle as she turned to Jaune. "What are you looking for? Something… special?"
"In a way," Jaune felt like he was missing something as Pyrrha blushed behind him. "I'm updating my Huntsman outfit. We're partners at Beacon and Pyrrha was kind enough to keep me company… but she still doesn't get to see it until it's finished." He looked over his shoulder and grinned at her. Pyrrha's eyes rolled, but amusement was etched on her face. Turning back to the attendant, he handed her a piece of paper. "This is what I'm looking for and would these modifications be possible?"
The woman's eyes scanned the paper.
"The jacket we have, we'll just need to see if we have your size." She told him. "We do have an in-house tailor, and none of these changes look that complicated- extra straps shouldn't be a problem."
"Great… but how much is this going to cost?" Jaune asked happily, but at the same time, feeling sorry for his wallet. "I saw the jacket online, but the customization?"
"We normally give a discount to Beacon students as thanks for all the hard work they do to protect Vale," The store attendant assured him with a smile. "I'll have to check, but I think we can make these modifications for free or just a slight cost for the gold trimming. We aren't busy today, so it might even be done in a couple of hours."
"That will be perfect!" Jaune thanked her graciously.
The woman then called one of their tailors to lead Jaune to the back room. For the second time in less than twenty-four hours, Jaune was up on a stool getting fitted for new clothes. Coco's dream was pretty accurate. He figured as much at least, as her clothes were probably all custom fitted if she didn't make them herself. The staff were professional and presented him with the jacket that met his specifications. After answering a few questions about what exactly he wanted done, he was told to come back in a couple of hours and it should be finished.
So, Jaune left with Pyrrha to get some lunch and relax until then.
"Jaune, I've been meaning to ask," Pyrrha's voice was soft as they sat at a table, their meal finished. "Has something happened to you lately?"
"What do you mean?"
"You just seem… I'm not sure how to put it… more in control?" Pyrrha frowned as she tried to find the words to describe her feelings. "Like you found yourself."
"Really?" Jaune thought about it a bit, his face growing uncertain. As if he came to a realization he was still unsure he understood. "I guess, in a way, I have?"
He shrugged a bit as he considered her words more. Lately, ever since he discovered his Semblance, he realized bits of the dreams he had found himself in making their own marks on the way he saw everything around him. Just like the sparks he created: the leftover energy carried over into his own.
"Lately, I found out if I look at things from different perspectives, things don't seem so bad."
"I'm still not sure what you mean." Pyrhha admitted. "Don't get me wrong, it's a good change and you seem happier, but I'm just really curious about what brought it on."
"It's a long story," Jaune seriously considered telling her about his Semblance, but stopped before doing it. Seeing her shocked and betrayed expression after learning about his invasion into her private dream was a powerful demotivator. "But I only changed how I look at things, I guess? Take Weiss. I looked at things from her perspective and tried to understand what I was doing wrong in asking her out. Instead, I realized how badly I was harassing her after she told me no. Having her as a friend was better than an enemy, even if she didn't want to date me."
"We talked about that." Pyrrha recalled.
"Part of me still hopes something will happen to get her to like me, I guess." Jaune tapped his plate with his fork absentmindedly. This was entirely true. Part of him that still pined for the white haired girl hadn't cooled off yet. "But I'm not going to force it: I'm going to try to move on. I think I understand what she… and you actually… go through."
Pyrrha frowned and her eyebrows wrinkled in confusion as Jaune continued.
"Heh, you probably get a lot of love letters from fans, don't you? Even confessions when you walk past some of them?"
The redhead nodded at this. She got those a lot, more than she would like. In a way, the champion and the heiress were a lot alike. It made Weiss's attempts to get to know Pyrrha so persistently all the more genuine instead of coming off as selfish.
"I can tell on your face they do. It's weird, isn't it? Having someone ask you out without knowing them at all? Sure, you can argue dating someone is to get to know them, but maybe there should be some kind of foundation? By asking Weiss out in the beginning, only because she's pretty, had I freaked her out? After coming to understand how she is, her family, and her reputation; was I any different than the other guys who did the same? Did she even see me at all instead of all the other guys who asked her out for her being a Schnee, not because she was Weiss? No wonder she refused to open up around me. Can't blame her for being cold and distant. Even after I learned more about her, she still wouldn't give me the time of day because of that."
"That makes sense." Pyrrha agreed. "I always wanted to date someone who saw me for me, and not a champion or idol." The girl's cheeks tinged. "You, Ren, Nora… are the best friends I have ever made. I'll always remember our first meeting fondly." A giggle escaped her and Jaune sighed.
"Yeah, I really misunderstood what my parents meant by confidence," It was Jaune's turn to admit the truth. "I'm glad you didn't hate me."
"No, even if I didn't like your approach, it was hardly the worst thing someone ever said to me." Pyrrha patted his arm.
"Huh, who would say something bad to you?!" Jaune looked up. "Tell me who and I'll teach them a lesson! Or have Nora help me. She would. I'll bring the Nora Hammer down, no questions asked."
"She would, wouldn't she." The two of them laughed at that.
This conversation reminded Jaune too much of Pyrrha's dream, especially the wedding speech. A small part of him still clung on to the illusion that Pyrrha wasn't really in love with him. The dream just reinterpreted some feelings, along with him invading her dream, to set that up. Now he was one hundred percent sure her feelings were true. Which lead to the question:
'How am I supposed to deal with this?'
Once again, the weight of what he put Weiss through ran through his mind, and they hadn't even been friends until recently. Whatever he decided, there was no way he would give up his friendship with Pyrrha. Maybe, one day, he'd develop feelings not associated with the girl coming off as a sister. Time nurtures all bonds. Emotions and thoughts would always develop into new and unexpected ways. It was possible that their relationship could develop into something new; it didn't have to involve romance. Pyrrha might even fall for someone else. Just because someone liked another person, or even loved another person with earnest feelings, didn't mean they were destined to be together.
Romance wasn't so easy or simple; how could it be so one-sided?
Whether they were together, or someone else took his place for her affections: as long as they treated her the way she deserved to be treated, Jaune would support her. No matter what their relationship, their status together, would or could be, he'd never abandon the lonely girl who went out of her way to inspire him to become better.
This moment would have been a perfect opportunity to tell her about his Semblance. He felt he could speak up more, tell her how he could connect with her more intimately, and even grow their bond deeper. She was his partner, his best friend, the one person who would always believe in him and saw something he didn't see in himself.
Jaune's lips twitched. Ultimately, he bit the inside of his lower lip.
He couldn't bring himself to do it.
Fear stopped him from taking that big step.
Pyrrha would probably be hurt to some degree. She'd be embarrassed to realize her deepest desires and innermost thoughts had been seen. There was no way she wouldn't want to know what he saw. Jaune got embarrassed just thinking about what happened. To actually talk about it? It was like standing behind a curtain while a person undressed in the safety and comfort of their room, peeking as they stood naked while complaining about the day's struggles and hopes. His semblance was an invasion of one's soul; it went beyond breaching one's privacy. The two of them wouldn't be able to look at each other for weeks. And the fact he'd been keeping it a secret for this long? And even abused the secrets he had collected for his own devices; wasn't this like cheating?
Waiting a bit would probably hurt, but he needed to understand this power more intimately. And hopefully, she wouldn't have any more of those types of dreams that he entered accidentally for a while. His partner would definitely help him control his Semblance once they overcame whatever damage was wrought by keeping it from her and accidentally going into her dreams, but it was too soon to tell her.
Rather, Jaune just kept the topic light and continued to brush Pyrrha's attempt to learn more about his outfit. She only got the bare information and didn't even know the jacket color. It was going to surprise her. Sure, the new outfit wouldn't be perfect like Coco's, but it would be an upgrade from his normal clothes. Coco had a point about outfits and it was about time he upgraded.
This was just another step to becoming the kind of hero he had always dreamed about.
Once they finished eating, they went to the arcade and played a bit. Pyrrha was horrible at video games, like ridiculously bad, but cheered up when Jaune helped her a bit. A couple of times, the boy wondered if she thought he was flirting with her, because he really didn't want to change their relationship right now. So, regardless of what residual embarrassment he still harbored, Jaune would still treat his friend the same. When the store finally called him, he was a little relieved to head out. Pyrrha, on the other hand, was slightly disappointed, until she saw the entire outfit put together.
"Well?" Jaune asked, spinning around once to show off. Once they arrived, he changed into the full outfit in the back before revealing himself. The white hooded robe with gold trim and extra buckles was perfect. "What do you think?"
"It looks… really impressive, Jaune." Pyrrha nodded, her emerald eyes wide in amazement. "No wonder you wanted to surprise me." She eyed him up and down slowly, taking in it all.
"Are the adjustments to your liking?" The tailor asked. "I have to say, sir, you have an eye for this."
"Thanks, it came to me in a dream." Jaune chuckled, glad no one else understood the pun. He then stood in front of a mirror while the tailor made a few minor adjustments. The woman attendant who had worked with them when they first arrived, stepped closer to Pyrrha.
"Your boyfriend is pretty cute."
"H-He's not my b-boyfriend!" Pyrrha stammered, her face matching her hair. "... yet." The last word came out as a whisper.
"Holy shit is that Vomit Boy?!"
Yang gaped as Jaune strode confidently through Beacon. Team RWBY had been heading to their dorm room when Pyrrha and Jaune finished dropping his old clothes in their dorm. When Pyrrha greeted them, the moment they turned around, all four girls were greeted with quite a shock. Honestly, Jaune enjoyed the attention, making him feel even better about his decision. Confidence brimmed within him.
He kind of wished he snapped a picture.
"Jaune, you look super cool!" Ruby darted forward and high-fived him. Which was kinda comical since the small reaper had to jump up to do so with a frustrated pout.
"Thanks, Ruby." Jaune grinned at his excited best friend. "Was easier to get than I thought."
"What brought this on?" Blake asked, amber eyes scanning him. Her expression changed back to neutral faster than the rest of her team, but she at least seemed mildly curious.
"Bunch of stuff, but mostly I'm reinventing myself to be who I want to be." Jaune explained, not wanting to go into too much detail. "Clothes make the man you know."
"So I've heard, but you have a lot of work left," Blake smirked at him. "Starting with your taste in literature."
"Oh, I will have this argument right now if you want. I'll throw you down in public, so everyone can witness how wrong you are." Jaune warned, grinning. "You'll lose again."
"I didn't lose!" Blake protested, stomping her foot. Was it him, or did her ribbon twitch? Ah, right, cat ears. "You're just stubborn."
"Okay, lovebirds, break it up." Yang stepped between them and pushed them apart lightly. It's not like she believed they would fight. She just thought it looked fun to intervene and joke around. "You're both stubborn."
"No doubt about that." Weiss muttered dryly, remembering a few arguments during their book club meeting. The girl then imitated her teammates and examined Jaune's outfit. "I have to say, Jaune. I'm a little impressed at your new sense of style, after everything else you've worn."
"If you're going to talk about that onesie, not only was it a gift from my sisters, it's comfy and warm," Jaune refuted quickly. Ridicule and style be damned: he'd defend it to the end! "All it takes is one cold night when the heat at Beacon fails and I'll be knocking on your door and saying: I told you."
Weiss scoffed lightly at that.
"A sweater would do the same thing," The heiress remarked. "And you wouldn't wear something so embarrassing." This time, her scathing remarks didn't cut that deep. Unlike in the beginning, Jaune could see amusement in her usually frigid eyes. It was more like friendly banter between them now.
Jaune actually enjoyed it. Maybe being just friends wouldn't be too bad.
"I like his onesie." Pyrrha spoke up, causing Yang to look over at her.
"Of course you do, P-money." The blonde threw an arm over her shoulders to bring her closer. "Speaking of, I need to talk to you privately…" Her words dropped to a whisper. "... about what went on today. Don't even try to escape." She started to push Pyrrha to Team RWBY's room. "Sorry, Vomit Boy, I'm stealing your partner for a bit."
"Have her back by ten." Jaune warned. "Don't make me send Nora after you. I'll drop the thunder if she's not back by curfew; it's a school night!"
"You're not coming yourself?" Yang winked.
"We both know I can't make you do anything, Nora on the other hand…"
"Point taken. Okay, dad." Yang rolled her eyes and led a protesting Pyrrha back to their room.
"I'm going to find Nora and Ren," Jaune waved helplessly to his partner, knowing that once Yang decided on something, no one would change her mind. "If Nora learns I'm back, and didn't show off my new clothes, she'll be upset."
"Have fun!" Ruby waved and giggled as Jaune left them.
Her expression then turned thoughtful as it was now only the girls. Silver eyes lingered back from where the knight had departed.
"Jaune's changed a lot recently, hasn't he?"
"I guess?"
Weiss shrugged and Ruby gave her an exasperated expression. The Ice Queen rolled her eyes, knowing her partner wouldn't let it drop unless she spoke up more.
"Okay, yes, he seems a little more… mature. Maybe he's finally taking his Huntsman training seriously?"
"Most people change when they leave home," Blake pointed out. "Jaune has a lot of sisters, so they probably forced a lot of their views on him. Now that he's away from them, he can be himself."
That onesie was one such example of his sisters giving him something he wouldn't normally wear.
"Maybe he got a girlfriend?" Ruby blurted out, causing Weiss to elbow her in the side. Those two and Yang all believed Jaune and Blake were dating but had made a pact not to mention it until they told them. It was hard to keep the secret, as Ruby really wanted to congratulate them.
"Who knows?" Blake shrugged and headed after Yang.
Ruby sighed and followed, really wanting to spill the beans, but keeping silent anyways. It was part of being an adult to her. There was no reaction at all from Blake and both she and Weiss found it suspicious.
Weiss, on the other hand, shook her head.
"I'm going to the library, try to keep your sister in check, Ruby."
"That's a losing battle, but I'll try!"
After leaving Team RWBY, Jaune found himself in a precarious situation.
He had figured Nora was at the training halls, smashing robots with a cackle,while Ren was either watching or fighting alongside her, when he rounded a corner and came face to face with one person he had completely forgotten about. A certain someone who had sparked the current change he had taken because of her inspiration.
Coco Adel was looking right at him, surprise etched on her face. Of course, she was shocked at his outfit, the day after she had a dream of fitting Jaune in new clothes, he showed up in them. The boy had been too eager to get a new outfit that he completely forgot about that important detail. No wonder she was staring at him so intently.
"Jaune?" Coco lowered her sunglasses to the bridge of her nose. "What the hell…?"
"Hey, Coco!" Jaune greeted, trying to throw her off. Don't let her suspect anything by gathering her thoughts. "What do you think? I took your advice and updated my wardrobe."
"I see that… but how did you know what to get?" Coco demanded, remembering her vivid dream. She had worked with Jaune to develop the same outfit.
"Huh?" Playing dumb was an option, but another idea came to him. Coco probably told countless people how to dress, right? Maybe he could use that. "You're the one who told me I should get some dark colors and a white jacket: when Velvet came over and talked to us about the book club. After making fun of my awesome onesie by the way."
"That does sound like something I would say," Coco admitted dryly, not remembering that. Upon closer inspection, there were some differences. It wasn't as detailed and there were a lot of upgrades Coco would have done if she designed it. The outfit really looked like he took the basics of what she told him and tried to improve. "And that abomination is not awesome. Burn in."
"Never, I save it for cold nights."
"Ugh, no wonder I dreamed of fixing your clothing." Coco groaned, as if dealing with a familiar migraine. "It gives me nightmares."
"Ouch." A way out of this appeared, but it would take a little courage to pull off. Jaune actually felt like he could this time. Maybe his clothes really were helping his confidence. "But you're dreaming about me? Something I should know." He winked at her.
"Yeah, I'm going to burn all your clothes and make you wear something presentable, or I was…" The girl shrugged, still a bit thrown off. "If you're going to hang out with Velvet more, we'll be seeing each other around, and I do not associate with people who can't at least try to look good."
"I'm trying, is that good enough?" Jaune held out his arms. "I think I did a pretty good job based on the advice you gave me."
"Passable." Coco smirked and dismissed him with a wave of her hand. "Now I have to go. Too many things left to do today."
Jaune waved goodbye and silently sighed in relief when she was finally gone. Coco probably wouldn't dwell too much on it for very long. Pretending she told him about it in passing was good enough to throw her off the trail. She might mention she gave him the design and he would agree that she did. Because, well, that was entirely true. Smiling and proud of himself, he prepared to go back to finding Ren and Nora.
"Eh hum." A cough interrupted him and Jaune spun around to see Weiss looking at him, arms crossed.
"Oh… hey, Weiss?" Jaune waved awkwardly, not sure how much she heard. "I thought you were with your team?"
"I was heading to the library and I overheard you talking to Coco," Weiss answered, her face passive. "She never mentioned her outfit idea to you yesterday."
"Oh, she must have mentioned it earlier then." Jaune lied and chuckled awkwardly. "Ha… ha… pretty sure she told me about it once."
"I see," Weiss nodded. "She does give unsolicited fashion advice."
"I know, right?" Relief flowed through Jaune as Weiss seemed to accept that. "How else would I come up with this? Mind reading?"
"I figured it was your Dream Semblance at play." Weiss answered cooly, eyes narrowed.
Jaune's blood ran cold as his stomach began to twist into knots.
'HOW DID SHE FIND OUT?!'
Feel free to leave a review, comment, suggestions, or ideas, I love reading them. If you have a question you wish I ask and would like a quick answer, feel free to message me directly. I try to respond to those within a day or two. Comments, I tend to respond to in the next chapter.