A/N: Hello, strange people of the internet weird enough to keep up with this fic! It is me and I have returned.

And uhh, this is the 20th chapter, one of the beeg numbers. I have to thank you all for the wild ride writing this has been. You're all truly wonderful.

konmek43: Well... Uh... Something bad about to happen? Pshhh, Nah! Where, in this fic? NAHH. And yes, a Business arc will occur.

I've been trying to avoid this chapter's main topic since I first started, but It's unavoidable due to it being about young adults with young adult problems... And Ruby is also there. Don't you worry, I'm doing my darnnest so I won't be the cringy spectacle this has the potential to be.

I might also try to post at least one chapter per month.

Here ye go. Have a good one.

Beacon Academy's gym is strangely un-populated today. Two students stood inside the arena, yet there were no spectators. The cold air of the gym's air conditioner fell upon their skin, as the duo stood on each corner of an elevated 'Fighting Ring' in the middle of the gym.

Francisco. Beacon's unwilling celebrity, was made famous by his horrendous facial features and complete lack of compromise with classes and his fellow students. It didn't help that Ozpin let him in without a written test, and even less when Pyrrha forfeited the fight against him, breaking her undefeated record.

Jaune Arc. Another one of the Academy's colorful roster of famous people, there wasn't a soul in Beacon who didn't know of the blonde's lack of skill. He was commonly referred to as Nikos' weight-filled bag, but never to his team's face though. A well-deserved nickname, since his partner had literally and figuratively carried him during initiation.

In the past, the two faced against each other in a match that lasted less than a quarter of a minute. But now, Jaune's training was about to begin.

"So, you're serious about this, huh?" Francisco asked, making Jaune nod his head. "I see."

The librarian took a step forward, toward Jaune. "Tell me, what do you know when it comes down to fighting?" Francisco asked, his eyes running through the blade of his Downpour.

Jaune scratched the back of his head, unsure of how to answer. "W-Well, Pyrrha taught me a few things about stances and parrying with the shield..." He spoke, equipping Crocea Mors' sheath on his forearm and transforming it into a shield. "But we recently stopped training together since the other classes got more difficult."

Francisco nodded his head. "I see, so you did start training with her..." The bald librarian had to stop for a moment and actually figure out how to even teach something to someone. "Hmm... Let's see..." He pondered for a moment. "Show me how you normally train."

"Um, Right." Jaune sheepishly took a stance. Shield forward, eyes ahead, knees spaced out and slightly bent, and sword at the ready. "She tells me to take a stance like this, and then says to practice my swings." Jaune then put his left foot forward, moved his shield to the side, and slashed the air downwards with his sword.

Francisco nodded as Jaune repeated the process, starting by putting his right foot forward and doing a horizontal swing, then following up with a left foot forward and making a piercing motion in the air. "Then, she would tell me to hit her, which I never managed to."

The librarian was in quite a predicament. "So, that's how you train?" Jaune nodded. "Right..." Francisco didn't quite agree with how Pyrrha handled Jaune. "I don't agree with how Pyrrha handled you. She seems to assume you're better than you actually are." Jaune listened with mixed feelings, he didn't know if he should be happy about Pyrrha's look about him, or bothered by Francisco's honesty.

"I'll give you two choices, Jaune Arc." Francisco started, "You can either keep doing what you're doing, doing your best being trained by the most talented warrior Remnant has ever seen," Francisco did his best to gesticulate, but couldn't really achieve anything thanks to his limp left arm.

"Or, you could cut your losses, and train with a talentless nobody who managed to get strong enough to talk smack about the Invincible Girl." Jaune blinked with confusion as the message Francisco was trying to convey finally downed on him. 'Is he saying that Pyrrha is wrong?' So he voiced his question. "You think Pyrrha is doing something she shouldn't be helping me?"

"What a way to jump the gun..." Francisco sighed. "Let me rephrase," Jaune listened. "The way your partner is training you is somewhat effective, yes. However, she did that assuming you had a grasp on how to fight in the first place."

Jaune was taken aback by the Librarian's blunt truthfulness. 'It makes sense... Pyrrha has always treated me with a bit of care.'

"Somehow, willingly or not, you've proven to her that you can, at the very least, protect yourself..." Francisco's voice raised in tone, as anger began to creep in his facial expression.

"But look at yourself!" The librarian violently pointed his blade in Jaune's direction, making him jump in place from the sudden shift in Francisco's mood. "You can barely keep your nerves in check, you don't know how to hold your sword properly, and you didn't even notice that yourself! Everything, about the current you, screams novice. And yet, Pyrrha somehow thinks you're above that!"

Jaune looked at Francisco with worried eyes. "But it's fine. You'll get better in due time." Francisco inhaled deeply, then exhaled, emptying his mind and calming himself. "So, what's it gonna be? You still up for it?"

"Well, It's not like I'll stop training with Pyrrha if accept... So yeah, I'm in."

The bald Librarian nodded as his mouth quickly turned into a smile. "Good." Francisco backed his blade away from Jaune. "So... How are we starting? Are you going to have me on a stance? Or make me train a few techniques?"

He had to force himself to not laugh at Jaune's childish imagination. "No." Francisco then got into a piercing stance, leveling his sword with his eyes, holding it close to his body making sure to contract his elbow as close to his body as possible, and pointing the tip of the sword toward the left of Jaune, so he could see what he was doing.

From the get-go, Jaune could already put two-and-two together and understand that the stance Francisco took was supposed to use two hands on the sword. "A stance, or a special technique, is something you yourself must develop, I think." He then sighed and lowered Downpour to a more casual hold. "A stance can show a lot of your game plan to your opponent as it is usually predictable, hell, even the ones focusing on unpredictability are easily sniffed out by competent eyes. However, a stance rewards its user with reliable attack and defense," Francisco then looked over at Jaune, who kept staring at him. "That is if you master it. And I don't know about you, but I don't think I could stand fighting with someone else's stance."

Jaune could grasp what he was getting at with relative ease. It's as if you spent your time perfecting someone's job, while you can't do yours. "That stance I took, is the one I was taught while in the Index. It specializes in powerful yet precise piercing attacks with the standard Index Straight Sword, with the added bonus of allowing bobbing and weaving your enemies' attacks. But that's not mine, y'know? I can't fight using something that doesn't resonate with me, and I think everyone's like that."

Jaune nodded. "So... You think I should figure my stance on my own? How do I even do that?" Francisco chuckled. "Experience. But we're not gonna start with that." Jaune's blue yet worried eyes told everything Francisco needed to know.

"See, I believe that fighting is a reaction game," Francisco spoke. "So, at least in the start, you're gonna strive to solely improve your reflexes instead of learning how to swing the sword." He then pointed Downpour at the leader. "One must learn how to fall before throwing someone to the ground."

Jaune was growing increasingly confused. "If you think that I have to learn to take a punch, let me tell you, I've been taking punches ever since the start of the semester!"

Francisco sighed, then unexpectedly hit Jaune's face with the flat of his blade, making the blond's face shoot to the side. "No you moron, I mean that you need to learn how to protect yourself first!"

"Ow!" Jaune grunted, taking a step back from the sudden blow blocked by his aura.

Francisco then pointed his Downpour forward, in a challenging manner. "So, I will go ahead and attack you, and you will try to not get hit. Simple, no?"

Jaune took another step back. "W-Wait, last time you did, you cut my shield in half!" Francisco didn't care, however. "That was then, this is now." That didn't help to improve Jaune's confidence, earning a sigh from the bald librarian. "Look, I'll start slow, give you time to get your blood pumping, then we'll pick up the pace. How's that?"

Still somewhat unsure, Jaune nodded his head, but still with a question. "But, uh... H-How do I avoid your attacks?" But Francisco didn't answer. "Do I try to b-block, do I dodge..."

Francisco took a deep breath. "Wings give me strength..." He muttered under his breath. "In whichever way you deem fit." Jaune nodded his head sheepishly, only for an idea to come to Francisco's mind. "I'll tell you if you've done it correctly or not after you avoid it... Though I think you'll know when you screw up." Jaune let out a worried laugh, already understanding what he meant.

With a softening smile, Francisco then added; "By doing that, you'll start understanding what you're most comfortable doing, be it Blocking, Parrying, or Dodging, and with that, you'll begin to form your own stance. One that will suit your own style of combat."

"So? You're ready?" Jaune put his shield up in response. "Begin!" Francisco announced with a smile on his face.

NOW PLAYING: [MEGALOBOX OST: BEGINNING OF THE FIGHT]

Instead of jumping right on top of him like Jaune thought would happen, Francisco took his time to get to him.

Jaune observed carefully Francisco's every movement behind the safety of his shield.

To test Jaune's defenses, Francisco lazily swung at his shield. The blow was stopped, but the shield did move slightly forward. To test it again, Francisco followed up with another swing of the blade, only to, once again have his blow stopped at Jaune's shield.

Yet, the shield moved into the blow to stop it. "What are you doing?" Francisco asked, swinging the sword once again at Jaune, who blocked the slow swipe with relative ease. "I'm blocking it," Jaune answered.

The librarian shook his head in dissatisfaction, the two had barely started and he already uncovered a bad habit of Jaune. Thankfully, Francisco didn't plan for it to go unpunished.

So, Francisco swung the sword once again at Jaune's shield, only for Jaune to push his shield forward in an attempt to catch the attack that never even landed. Instead, taking advantage of the fact that Jaune distanced the shield from himself, Francisco caught the upper part of the shield with the pommel of Downpour, and immediately pushed it back, disarming Jaune of his shield and leaving him open for an attack.

And said the attack did come, faster than the others, but still blocked by Crocea Mors, as Jaune took a step back after being surprised by the sudden disarm.

"Hm." Francisco hummed, surprised. "Even though you were caught off-guard, you still had the reflexes to act in accordance to your situation... Good." He said, pushing his Downpour to the side.

"Did you see what you did there?" Francisco asked, stabbing his sword on the floor and taking Jaune's shield off of the ground. "No?" Jaune answered, feeling his heart beat faster than normal. "At least you're honest. I like that." He said, throwing the shield to Jaune, who barely managed to catch it midair. "You were unsure if you should block or parry, so you attempted to do both at once and failed at both."

Francisco pulled Downpour from the ground and pointed it at Jaune once again. "Fighting is about decision-making and sticking with that decision until the end! You can't try and attack, only to then regret and try another thing. If you do that, then you simply made the wrong decision to begin with! Which could end the fight in the blink of an eye!" Jaune nodded at his words, internalizing them. "It doesn't matter if you lack strength or skill, if you make a better decision than your opponent, victory is yours!"

Jaune swallowed once he heard Francisco take a step forward. "Let's start over." He said.

Downpour moved downwards at Jaune, so, putting his knowledge to the test, he decided to take a step backward and dodged the attack without much trouble. Francisco smiled.

Following the first attack, the Librarian decided to pick up the pace and swung twice in quick succession at Jaune. Jaune took another step back to try and dodge the attack, and even though he managed to dodge the first one, the second swipe clashed against his shield. It did not move into the attack this time.

Reeling it back slightly, Francisco opened his mouth to talk. "Why did you decide to dodge? You have a shield." Jaune then answered with little delay. "We have no time limit to this training, so blocking blows needlessly with my shield would only get my arm tired."

"Co... Cool... C... C..." The thing muttered as Francisco nodded his head, ignoring it completely. "Ho! You're going to be a threat alright!" He then dashed into Jaune's face and attacked him with the pommel of his Downpour, taking Jaune off-guard and hitting him square in the forehead. His Aura flared up to block the blow.

"Ow! H-Hey, you didn't-" Jaune's pleas went unheard, as the sound of metal clashing against metal echoed throughout the gym. Downpour clashed against Crocea Mors, as each blade locked on each other's edge.

Francisco wasn't pleased with that. "Don't block a sword strike like that!" Jaune, upon hearing the Librarian, reeled back his sword and jumped backward. "What do you mean?!" He shouted, unable to keep his voice down. "A sword's edge Is for cutting, not blocking! If you hit edge against edge, you'll end up nicking your sword and bruising your wrist! You need to either align it in a way that redirects the opponent's attack or forcefully redirect it with sheer strength!" Francisco spoke, readying for another strike. "Let's continue."

Dawn turned to noon, and Jaune felt defeated. His Aura was almost broken and his clothes looked like they'd been through hell, worse is that he felt as though Francisco didn't even go all out. "My arms are going to be sore for the whole week..." Jaune said, marching alongside the Librarian towards the cafeteria.

Francisco chuckled to himself. "That's too bad. We're going to do it tomorrow as well."

"What?" Jaune's gaze fell on his hands which he could barely muster enough strength to close thanks to gripping his sword for the last few hours. "If you want to get good by the time the festival comes, we'll have to go deep and hard. No rests allowed until we're thorough."

Inappropriate connotations aside, Jaune could feel his legs giving out, struggling to find the will to carry on such a rigorous training regime, yet, he knew he wouldn't give up right at the beginning.

The cafeteria was the same as always. Same food, same smells, but fewer people this time. Pyrrha sat eating at a table, waiting for her leader, alongside another student wearing a black and white monocule that Jaune hadn't seen before, or at least he didn't remember who that was. She waved at him to get his attention as the other students looked at him and Francisco.

He wondered where the rest of his team were, considering that Nora wouldn't miss lunch for nothing in this world, except maybe Ren or Pancakes.

Jaune acknowledged the girl's presence but did not wave back, as he and Francisco went to get their food trays and their lunch. "Sure... Same place, same time tomorrow?" Francisco gave him a thumbs up and the two returned to the table.

Arriving at the table, Jaune sheepishly sat down next to Pyrrha at the edge of the small group, as the Librarian sat across from the four, next to the other student Jaune didn't recognize.

"Hey... Sorry I vanished this morning, I had some stuff to talk with Francis." He said as Pyrrha noticed his worn out and battered clothing, alongside his equipment still on display. It was painfully obvious what the two did. "What were you two doing?" And Jaune simply answers back with a dubious, "Boy things?" Unsure if he made the best play with that comment.

The other student, upon hearing that, shifted his gaze to Jaune's partner in crime with sundering rage building up in his eyes. "Boy things?" He asked the bald Librarian, grasping firmly Francisco's forearm with enough strength for his Aura to activate by proxy. "Care to explain that, Francisco?"

Terrified!

The horror began building up on Francisco's soul, his partner's gaze was enough to send chills down his spine. "I love you." The many voices spoke, repeating the same phrase as a reaction to the Librarian's emotional shift.

"I love you." It spoke again as the librarian did his best to ignore it. "Y-You know, Fred..." Francisco stuttered in his speech, "H-He just wanted s-some help with his swordplay, that's all!" He barely managed to say, much to Jaune's surprise. Up until now, Jaune has never seen this supposed alien struggle with pretty much anything, even when Pyrrha shot him Francisco didn't lose composure.

So why was it that he couldn't string two sentences together whilst under Fred's gaze?

Pyrrha and Fred both shared a glace upon hearing Francisco's poor choice of words, as the grip on his forearm only increased in pressure. "Swordplay?!" Fred shouted, the situation only seemed to escalate as his nails bit into Francisco's skin. "Hey, that hurts!"

Pyrrha couldn't help but blush when looking at Jaune. "I should have known..." Jaune snapped his head back at his partner, his eyes growing widening with every passing second.

"Pyr...?" Jaune muttered, unsure of his partner's thought process. "You wouldn't wear that dress if y-you weren't..." Before she could finish that sentence, raised his voice and jumped on his seat.

"HEY, HEY, HEY! Let's not jump to conclusions here!" He said in an attempt to calm down both parties whilst pulling their gazes to him. "We just woke up a little early to TRAIN. We TRAINED together."

Fred's grip on Francisco's arm was promptly released, but his rage was not quenched, as his attention returned to the Librarian. "What the hell! Why would you say it like that?!" Fred kept shouting in Francisco's ear. "That's what we did though! His swordsmanship was lacking and he asked me for help! That's it!" Francisco said, turning back to his food. The librarian with the monochrome monocule sighed and turned to his plate as well.

Pyrrha couldn't help but let out a laugh, though, she felt concern for her leader. "Soo..." She began, sheepishly trying to start a conversation with the two. "Where's the rest of your team?"

Seeing that Francisco was too busy effectively breathing in his food with how fast he ate, the other Librarian answered. "Penny is out with General Ironwood, don't know why..."

Fred felt curiosity when it came to his leader's personal life. A machine in the body of a human? It spelled disaster in the making but made sure not to overstep his boundaries. Why the General of Atlas Military wanted to meet with Penny was a mystery only his imagination could resolve, as the answer could have been personal enough to make him re-think if he should even ask it in the first place.

"And Bemaia's traveling abroad to meet Weiss's dad." Francisco butted in, right as he finished his lunch, completely ignorant of the inuendos of his comment, and then turned to his fuzzy cup of Antarctic, chugging it mercilessly.

Fred sighed as Jaune and Pyrrha grew increasingly amazed. "Wow, already going to meet her father?" The blond asked, feeling a very small hint of jealousy due to his failed past attempts at the girl.

"No, no... Nothing like that. Bemaia, liking someone? Impossible." Fred commented, scoffing at the idea of his Partner going out with someone. "He has yet to show interest in anything other than money, food, or entertainment."

Sharing a concerned glance, Pyrrha and Jaune couldn't help but feel pity for the man, if that's how his friends saw him. "Plus, he's going there because Weiss said he would have a chance to work for the CEO of SDC. So yes, he's doing it for the money and the status."

Francisco finished his drink with a smile on his face. "Ah! That hit the spot..." He half-moaned, slamming the empty aluminum can back onto the table, the can's 'Antarctic' label was dented and smashed. "I'll be at the workshop, goodbye." He said, then proceeded to nonchalantly leave the table and leave the cafeteria before Jaune had even the chance to begin eating.

"Well, that's rude," Fred said, glaring over to his partner who exited the building. "Is he always like this?" Pyrrha asked, prompting Fred to shake his head. "Only when he's excited to do something. But that doesn't excuse his manners!"

The champion then turned to her leader, concerned for his well-being. "Did he hurt you?" Jaune didn't answer immediately, instead, he pondered what his answer should be. Well, he did get hurt, but not Hurt hurt. "Nothing serious." He said, in a failed attempt to calm the redhead.

Pyrrha squinted her eyes whilst she analyzed even the most minute detail of Jaune's complexity. Nothing could hide from those eyes. His uniform was battered and dirty, his face had faint swollen spots thanks to his aura, the yellow paint of his shield had been barely damaged, and his hair was somewhat messier than the norm. How did she know all of that? She'd argue that's irrelevant.

"Jaune..." She spoke in a low tone whilst a chill ran down Jaune's spine. "H-Huh?" He could see her from the corner of his eyes, that much was enough to fill him with terror. "O-Okay! I'll say everything!" The boy folded under the pressure Pyrrha exerted.

Thus, Jaune got to talking. "He said you're training me wrong." As those words reached her ears, Jaune could feel the mood starting to turn whilst her emerald eyes narrowed. "He said that you think I'm better than I actually am... Is that true?"

In a bold attempt to avoid the ire of his teammate, Jaune redirected a question to Pyrrha. The good news is that she doesn't look like she's about to murder someone, but the bad news is that she looks like she's been betrayed, which is arguably worse. "Of course not! You're plenty capable on your-"

"Pyrrha..." Jaune interrupted her. "We've both seen how I've been going, right? I train, and I train, and I train, yet, it's like anyone can just walk all over me." Jaune placed a hand on Pyrrha's shoulder for reassurance. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I would have probably died back in Forever Fall if not for your training." He spoke with a genuine smile on his face, softening her tense look. "So, think of it like... Me trying out new styles!"

'I can't allow myself to be someone my friends can't rely on.' Jaune told himself.

Pyrrha sighed, unsure of how to feel. "I will be overseeing these training sessions of yours." She said, leaving no room for arguments. "That's what I was going to ask you afterward. Maybe you'll understand a bit more of how Francis fights if you do since you said you're gonna fight him again."

She nodded her head, still unsure of how to feel about Jaune's decision to train with him. In her head, a student absorbs a lot from their teacher like habits, desires, philosophies... For Jaune to have Francisco as a teacher... She couldn't even imagine what could happen.

"I think I'll get going. I've to go to the CCT Tower and call home..." Pyrrha said, sheepishly.

"Alright." Jaune nodded. "Just be sure to return before it gets dark." He spoke with a slight hint of concern directed toward the girl's well-being. Pyrrha got up from the table, waved her hand to Jaune, and left the cafeteria.

Jaune looked down at his food and wondered if he made the right choice. "Is she mad...?" He asked himself while chomping on his fork.

"Are you two together?" Jaune looked up in search of the voice behind that question, almost choking on his food as he realized that Fred was still sitting right there, in front of him. "Or are you as dense as that bald asshole I call a partner?" Fred asked again, playing with the food on his plate.

"Uh," Jaune became suddenly uncomfortable thanks to that question. "What are you talking about?" He asked, somewhat flustered with Fred's bluntness.

Fred's face sunk into his hands as despair filled his soul. "Oh, my wings..." The Librarian raised his head, staring directly at Jaune's eyes. He slowly re-adjusted his monocle, holding it by its musical note part. Unfortunately, the black and white adornment did not fit in with the uniform's brown and red style. "So, you didn't notice?" Jaune had no answer to him. Fred sighed.

"Do you like her?" Jaune was taken aback, physically recoiling at the question.

"Um-" Before he could conjure up an excuse, the librarian answered for him. "I know you do. Francisco can't hide a thing from me even if he tried." Jaune swallowed.

'So he ratted me out...'

"S-So what? Is it wrong to like my partner?" Fred chuckled.

"Oh, no. There's nothing wrong with it." A devious smile crept up on his face as he rested his head in both hands, elbows perched on the table. "What's wrong is for those feelings to remain..."

"Unanswered."

With reddening cheeks, Jaune turned to his food and closed his eyes to avoid looking at Fred's. Something about his monocle sends shivers down Jaune's spine. "Do you want me to go and ask her out? Me?"

A nod was all he received as an answer. "In your dreams!" Jaune scoffed at the idea. "She's never going to be with someone like me... I mean, her whole world revolves around fighting and I can barely swing my sword right." He dismissed the idea completely.

However, Fred's smile did not waver. "So, you're oblivious to her signs and also assume the worst..."

Jaune's mind worked overtime to understand what this person was talking about. 'Signs?' He thought. 'That would imply that...' His eyes widened.

"You think that-" Fred interrupted him, nodding while doing so. "I have a trained eye when it comes to these sorts of things, of course she does."

Jaune was skeptical of him. "Are you playing with me?"

"Try asking other people, I'm sure your team has noticed it."

Jaune's hand shot towards his pocket, gripping his scroll with doubt and determination. After messing with it for a bit, he sent only a singular message.

'Does Pyrrha like me?'

It was directed towards the only person he knew wouldn't lie about the topic, his friend Ren.

A few minutes passed with no answer. Fred and Jaune remained in silence but did finish their meals before the message was finally seen. "He sees it," Jaune muttered, almost unable to hold his anxiousness.

A minute passed, and still nothing but the ceaseless tapping of feet hitting the floor. Jaune could only assume Ren showed the message to his partner and is now attempting to do damage control on Nora's reaction.

Finally, an answer came through. No text, only a singular emoji of a yellow thumbs-up.

What did that mean? Was it code for something? Did his eyes deceive him? No, Ren wasn't the type to joke about such things...

Which meant it was true.

He did his best to keep his breathing in check, as it became visibly more ragged with a hatened pace.

His fingers could barely type in a response to Ren's message.

'For how long did you know?' He typed.

Tension escalated and Fred's grin grew wider. Jaune could feel his blood pressure dropping by the second, his body almost unable to withstand the stream of questions and thoughts his mind created instantaneously. "Told ya." Fred's words entered one ear and exited through the other, Jaune isn't here right now.

The answer coming through felt like a glass barrier being shattered.

'Since the Forever Fall incident with Cardin.'

Now, Jaune isn't the kind of person to curse, however, "Fuck." He said, incredulous. "How long ago was that? Three months? No, even before that." A horrible feeling washed over him. 'How could I've been so blind?'

"Fuck, indeed, Jaune." Fred joked, rising from his chair. "So, what are you going to do now?" He asked, relishing in Jaune's predicament.

"I-I... Don't know." Fred tilted his head, as he didn't get why Jaune wasn't sure of what to do. "I mean... I don't want to mess things up like I did with Weiss, so I'm not sure."

A loud and sudden slam on the table brought Jaune back from his predicament. "Skulking surely isn't an alternative, right?" Fred said after slamming his hand on the table. "See, I'm bored out of my mind! So why not let me give you some tips?"

Jaune looked up, only to see the shape of Fred, his facial features were bedimed by the ceiling light of the Cafeteria that hung right about him, which strangely never happened before. "W-Would you?" He receives a nod as an answer. "Let's go to your dorm for some privacy, shall we?"

On the way to JNPR's dorm room, after dropping Jaune's weapons at his locker, and just after accepting Fred's helping hand, he notices something. 'Can I trust him with advice?' So he turned to Fred, "Do you have any experience with dates?" And asked the most important question.

And in turn, the expression of the librarian turned sour, Jaune figured he'd hit a nerve. "..." Jaune only heard him exhale, then inhale sharply. "Care for a story?" Fred asked, as his eyes stared straight ahead.

"Sure." He said, with genuine curiosity, considering that Francisco told him quite the grandiose story, he figured that Fred's would be just as interesting.

Oh how wrong he was.

At the start, he had trouble figuring out which words to choose, but as he sorted his thoughts out, he continued to follow Jaune to his dorm room. "Back in L-Corp, we were Employees, but there were also Clerks amongst the workforce." Jaune nodded, remembering how Francisco described himself. "Well, we had a pretty high life expectancy, me being at the top of that list, I was there since the beginning of those fifty days."

Jaune swallowed at the sudden dark turn the story took right at the start. "However, the clerks in each department? Try and guess how long they lasted, give me an average."

Jaune thought for a moment. "Well, considering the way this story is going, I'd say... A month?" Fred wanted to laugh, but couldn't bring himself to. "Two days. Those who didn't get executed by the Manager to better contain those monsters were wiped out by the ordeals. Some were unlucky enough to be granted a fate worse than death,"

The leader of JNPR was afraid to ask what he meant by that. "Termination of Contract," Fred said, leaving Jaune speechless and confused, but he kept the questions to himself.

"We, in turn, would protect the clerks... No, that's a lie. Protecting them was a byproduct of us suppressing the Abnormalities." Fred spoke, as Jaune wondered more and more how all of this linked to him having experience with dating. "So, the clerks would often look up to us in awe. Personally, I felt guilt for not being able to do more for them..."

They reached the door to JNPR's room, but Jaune did not open it just yet. "So, I would go and invite the ones who showed interest in me on a mock date, so they could have a moment when they felt special when they felt hope..."

The librarian sighed. "Before they die a day or two afterward."

Jaune didn't know what to say. "Did you... Y'know..." Fred's eyes widened upon realizing what he hinted at. "Oh no. Nothing like that! I never allowed myself to cross that line..." Jaune sighed in relief, for a moment he thought Fred took advantage of those poor clerks. "Plus, I'm in a relationship already."

'Now that's surprising.' Jaune thought to himself, but he didn't want to meddle in Fred's personal life, so he opened the door and let himself in. "If you just told me you were in a relationship, I would have believed you had experience... Just so you know."

Fred sighed. "Just, get inside, okay?" He said, pushing Jaune inside the room, and closing the door after getting in.

The Librarian immediately noticed a few things upon entering the dorm. If the layout was anything like his own dorm, then each of the four members of Team JNPR had their own separate wardrobes and nightstands. Two pairs stood out from the rest, both decorated with nerdy paraphernalia and toys, one with a food-centric theme, while the other had a more 'hero' theme with superhero stickers and such.

The walls also had posters stuck onto them with glue and tape. They had no rime or reason for their theme and placement, some were even glued upside-down.

The chaotic nature of the walls and decorations followed to the floor and the rest of the room. To call it messy would have been an understatement. Only two of the four beds were set correctly, one was set incorrectly, and the last didn't even try to fold the blanket.

Worrying news, if Jaune was the one responsible for some of them.

Fred had Jaune sit on a bed and then sat on the bed across from where Jaune sat. At first, Fred was silent as he once again took his time to gather his thoughts. And, when ready, he opened his mouth; "So many men believe that if they are not tall," He started, looking at Jaune's eyes. "or don't have a certain jaw line or voice, that they cannot get women." He started, already hitting Jaune with an uppercut of reality.

"Though there is some truth to these factors, they rarely play as big of a role as you might think." He said, reassuring Jaune that he's chances are not small.

"I'm gonna give you genuine advice that I'm sure will increase your chances. Gratuitously. Some of them will seem insulting at first or even personal, but I assure you they are not. They come from the heart and experience." Jaune was taken aback by how confident Fred of his experience, though, it reminded him about how alien the librarians were.

"And, even if you are offended, I don't care." Ouch. Jaune appreciated Fred's decision to not hold back. He knew that sometimes you have to get punched in order to truly learn something.

So, the librarian began his long, yet, oddly detailed speech. "How do you present yourself?" He asked, and just as Jaune was about to answer, Fred continued with his stream of comments, showing that it was a rhetorical question. "What clothing are you wearing? How does your skin look? Is your hair messy? Clothing wrinkled?"

Alright, those questions made Jaune feel a bit self-conscious. He looked at the mirror on the wall, getting up from the bed. Reflected back, he saw a boy with messy hair, wearing a baggy Pumpkin-Pete hoodie all wrinkled due to it also being his combat clothing, and also a pair of jeans ripped on the knee part. He sighed.

"Do you wear baggy clothes because you do not have confidence in your body?" He asked, this time he didn't continue. "Erm... I feel like they look better in me." Jaune admitted as Fred sighed, displeased with the boy's attitude. "That's not gonna fly if you want to take things with Pyrrha seriously." Jaune swallowed.

The librarian took a moment to explore the room, reaching for the wardrobe with the superhero stickers. "Is this yours?" And when Jaune nodded, he opened it. The contents inside did not surprise him.

"I see many young men trying to get into a more modern fashion... But they never wear clothes that fit their bodies..." He said, pulling out a T-shirt clearly oversized for Jaune's slender yet faintly muscular frame. "Or they wear shirts with logos with pictures of characters, movie names, authors, or memes..." He then pointed at the hoodie Jaune was currently wearing. The cuteness of the pink bunny stamped onto the black hoodie, made Jaune blush with shame for a moment.

Feeling a tug on his hoodie, Jaune was brought back from his state of shame, for Fred wasn't even close to done with him. "No one wants a boy who's wearing a shirt with a mascot on it, or one with the Red Mist." Jaune stopped for a moment, confused as to why would Fred name a brand he didn't know like Red Mist, only for it to dawn on him the obvious.

"Those are for teenagers, not adults." Jaune looked down, feeling somewhat ashamed. "This was a prize though..." Fred then sighed at the boy's innocence. "A plain white or black T-shirt tucked in if you prefer, a pair of jeans that fit you, a belt that fits your shoes, and some decent kicks are more than enough."

Luckily, Fred dug out some of those articles of clothing from Jaune's closet, that being a pair of jeans and a white t-shirt. The only pair of shoes he had were the ones he was already using.

"If the weather permits, a jacket can really make the outfit come together." He then moved on to try and find a fitting jacket, but what he found only served to raise questions in his head. 'Is this a dress?' Fred thought, picking it up. 'It is...' He hummed with wild curiosity but put it back into the wardrobe without further comment.

"I would tell you to measure your face and find a haircut style that matches your face shape... But I suppose you've already got that covered." He admitted, making Jaune celebrate the thumbs-up given to him. "I gotta have at least one thing going for me! I knew momma didn't lie when she said I had the best..." Only for him to realize where he decided to go with that sentence, promptly shutting himself up.

"Though, if you cannot grow facial hair or don't have a good jawline, do not fret over it," Fred said, scratching his neck, prompting Jaune to notice a lack of beard or any hair on Fred's face. "A date comes down to conviction, confidence, and mostly the ability to make your date feel good around you."

Jaune let out a tired laugh when he mentioned confidence. "Yeah, right. I've had nothing but confidence when I tried my luck with Weiss, and all I got were a few fat 'No's." Fred tilted his head, feeling as though Jaune was deaf. "Did you make her feel good while in your presence? Or did you annoy her?"

The blonde couldn't bring himself to answer, proving Fred's point. "Touché." He said, ashamed of his past actions, cringing at the thought that he'd even tried it in the first place.

Fred softened his complexity, closing the wardrobe's door. "See, your date wants to have a good time when with you, and people usually prefer someone that would give them better safety and stability down the line."

That made Jaune scoff at the comment. "If that's the case, why would I even try to hit it off with Pyrrha? If it's stability that she wants I'm sure she could find someone better on a snap of her fingers"

Fred shook his head. "This is something many don't understand. Hypergamy is real, but it's not as simple as just money or physical prowess." Jaune stopped for a moment, unsure of what the word 'Hypergamy' even meant.

"I swear this is Francis all over again..." Taking a deep breath and conjuring the strength to continue, Fred soldiered on. "It means that she holds you on a higher moral pedestal than she does most men. Not to say she thinks of you a saint, but instead, she perhaps views you as an inspiration of sorts." Not that It was his place to say, after, Fred was a simple third party that just fell with a parachute atop of their relationship.

"Since we touched the subject, let me make this clear. Stop viewing her like some goddess or saint from the heavens, she is just a person." He said, holding Jaune by the cheeks, making sure he'd understand. "She has the same bodily needs and processes as you, with some deviation."

"Ow, hey! It's starting to hurt!" Though Jaune struggled against the librarian's grasp, Fred continued to hammer in the uncaring facts. "She feels fear, she cries, she feels insecure, she feels happiness, and she feels the desire to be loved as much as you. You get that?" Upon failing to struggle himself free of the sudden grab, Jaune accepted Fred's words just to rid himself of the painful grasp.

"My cheeks..." He said, rubbing away the pain. "Then... Say I decide to go ahead and ask her out. What do I even tell her?" Jaune said, only to receive a pained groan coming from Fred's throat.

"You don't need pickup lines or approaches. Stop viewing it all as some game. Walk up to her and ask her a genuine question, with no intention of getting their number, you are simply practicing talking." Jaune figured that was what he was going to say. After the prom, he did feel like he was overcomplicating everything.

"Girls are particularly skilled at picking up on bullshit when it comes to intentions. Body language is a dead giveaway. Set your mind right, pretend that you are playing a scene or play, relax, and have fun." Jaune sighed, taking in the advice. "So it comes down to confidence then..." Fred nodded. "Then my father was right. All I needed was confidence!"

Fred didn't know if he should give a thumbs up or an 'Eh' to that ideal. "There's more to it than just that..." But Jaune didn't stop at that. "Before, I thought that my father's advice was idiotic when I tried approaching Weiss, but I guess not..."

Fred sighed, spotting yet another bad habit of his. "Also, if you decide to carry on with the date, by the Wing's name, please, stop talking so much on dates or interactions." Jaune was taken aback by that comment. "I'm... Sorry?"

"I'm not saying that you should shut up, but keep your tongue in check. Women love talking about themselves, they are expressive creatures, so let her talk. If she asks you a question keep it short and sweet, then ask her another question. Trust me."

Now it all made sense. 'If what he's saying is true... Then of course I made myself the idiot!' Jaune sunk his head in his hands. "I get it now... Oh my god, this sucks..." Fred couldn't help but chuckle at the blonde's tragedy, and fortunately for him, one glance at this room told him yet another flaw with Jaune's plans.

"This next tip is one, that if I ever catch you breaking, I will personally pay you a visit and hit your head on the edge of your bed." Fred then proceeded to point toward the obvious posters on the walls. "Do not talk so much about cartoons or other pieces of media that might sell you as an Incel."

Now that Jaune did not agree with. "What are you talking about? These are Huntsmen merch! They are heroes, and Pyrrha also looks up to them!" That meant quite literally nothing for Fred, who remained unphased at Jaune's comments.

"I don't care if she's some nerdy girl or whatever- Actually Imagine you invite a girl over to your apartment or room, it doesn't have to be Pyrrha specifically, and she sees cartoon posters or brand-specific shirts lying about or other various toys."

Jaune couldn't understand Fred's point. These were huntsmen! Everyone likes them. Though not primarily because of them, he's also trying to be a huntsman. They are an inspiration to everyone! Though, it did dawn on him that they were somewhat childish... And the way Fred purposefully called them 'Toys' only accentuated how immature it all looked.

"Do you think that will make her like you more?" Now, that's a bit- "Interested?" Hold on a- "Intrigued?" Hey, I'm- "No, she will see you as immature and not worth her time. This may not be apparent at first, but it reveals itself in time. Francisco is proof of that." Well, that's just mean. True? Absolutely. But unnecessarily mean.

"Of course, I'm not here to judge you on your choices, some media are Objet D'arts, so try and ease it in your relationship, or don't at all." Jaune sighed in relief. "That's good then, for a second there I thought you were downplaying these huntsmen." Fred chuckled once again, knowing full well he'd never seen nor heard of any of the characters depicted in Jaune's paraphernalia. 'I mean, what kind of clown would go down in history with the name 'Ozwald'?' Fred thought to himself.

"On another note..." Fred then continued his parade. "For all the love your mother has shown you, please, pay attention to what you smell like." And that took Jaune off guard, as the boy instinctually raised his arm to smell himself. Thankfully, being healthy and clean was a habit he developed before his parents even enforced it.

Noticing Jaune's action, Fred then clarified. "I don't just mean body odor, I mean what deodorant or cologne you use." Jaune blinked, "Oh, I use this one." and reached for the body spray on his nightstand. 'Axe', it read. "Top of the shelf, common brand body spray? You might as well tell her you're a terrorist."

Jaune instantly deflated when he heard that. "Ow... Well, I think it smells pretty good." Fred scoffed at him. "Faint but pleasant smell pulls people closer. It is sensual and almost mysterious. Smells trigger emotional responses and memories more than people realize, so please, watch what you use."

Fred sighed. "This would have been so much easier if I actually knew any of the brands in this world..." He then chose to leave it to Jaune's own common sense. "Use good detergent, some decent soap, and use real cologne, you don't need to spend hundreds of Ahn or whatever currency you use on this, most of this stuff is paint thinner anyways."

Noticing a small perfume bottle on someone else's nightstand, Fred asked if it was okay for him to grab it. "Sure, Ren wouldn't mind." The librarian then promptly grabbed the perfume and began explaining. "Spray a little on your wrists and rub it gently on your neck." And as he described it, he then did it on himself. "If more is needed, spray a cloud in front of you and walk into it." Only for him to be left amazed at the pleasant smell of the perfume this 'Ren' used.

"If you don't have one, ask your friend for help choosing one. He seems to know his stuff if this is what he uses..." Jaune ought to keep that in mind. "Also, don't spray right into your neck like an ape." The blond boy nodded once again.

"Also, if you..." Jaune sighed. He knew he signed in for some coaching on dating, but, by the Twins, he was not prepared for Fred. 'Maybe I should have just kept my mouth shut...' He realized that Fred's soft voice was the one that would torment him for the rest of the afternoon.

As fall settled in the outskirts of the continent of Sanus, purpose-driven men were hard at work in the Grimm-infested lands outside the borders of the main kingdoms. These men, whose sweat drenched their clothes under the noon sun, were not your average run-of-the-mill construction worker, each wearing white masks with black and white overalls with their mark, a claw-marked wolf head, painted with red on their backs and chest.

'Terrorists', they were called.

Freedom fighters, is what they identify as.

Their current goal? Creating a campsite a few miles from a railway, one, too big for their current numbers.

For these men with righteous justice fueling their souls, such banal work would be done in but a few hours, seeing that tents and essential infrastructure were already erected.

However, one man walked amongst them with an air of superiority. Instead of the black and white overalls, this red-haired young man used black and red pants with matching shoes, with a red shirt underneath his black jacket with red floral decals, his white mask did nothing to hide his dark bull horns poking out of his hair.

By all means, he was the superior presence when compared to the rest, but he did not lord over them, nor did he treat them with indifference. No, he was not only commandeering the operation, he was also actively helping with the heavy-duty tasks.

"Make haste men! We need the camp done by dusk, or else we will miss the target!" He exclaimed as he chopped off a tree using the axe in his hands.

Upon hearing his words, the work speed seems to have almost doubled, such is the commitment of these people, and such is the respect this man has earned in the hearts of his men.

One of them, however, waivered in his resolve to the cause and approached the apparent leader with inquiry in his mind. "Captain Taurus, Sir!" The young man spoke, pulling the attention of the leader. A lack of response on the red-hair's part signaled for him to speak his mind. "May I ask, why are we operating in the middle of Grimm territory, sir? Every passing second has my instincts screaming at me to flee!"

Captain Taurus put down his axe and wiped the sweat off of his forehead with a flick of his arm. "Is that what troubles you so, brother?" He asked as he moved towards the center of the worksite, beckoning the young, inquiring man to come with him.

"Brothers and Sisters! A moment of your time!" He shouted, getting atop a pile of wood boards, getting the attention of the workers whose numbers summed up to at least fifty.

"Our brother's resolve has wavered upon embarking on this mission, and who could blame him?!" The young man looked down at his feet, feeling somewhat ashamed by the disapproving and the few condescending looks of his fellows.

But, the Captain would not let this one astray. "As such, allow me to remind you all of our mission and our will!" He shouted as the crowd stared at him in respectful silence. "Tomorrow morning, a train will move through the railway three miles from here! We will be de-railing it, and taking the ones inside as hostage!"

With his arms raised up high, he continued his motivational speech. "However, in that train, two of them are our priority..." He then reached for his back pocket, where two crumpled pieces of paper lay. "The first one," He then straightened one of them, revealing the face of a white-haired girl in a blue dress. The paper itself looks to be a poster for a musical show, 'A Night in Mantle', and is written with bold captions.

Immediately recognizing the face, the crowd went into hysteria, shouting and cheering with anger and desire. "Weiss Schnee!" He shouted, further increasing the eagerness of his troops.

Captain Taurus then unraveled the other piece of paper. This one was completely different from the poster, seeming like it was printed from a low-quality camera record. It depicted a black-haired young man with a singular black and yellow wing on his back, pointing a gun at the head of a fallen White Fang member.

The crowd died down, as scathered yet consistent talk about this man floated about.

"Who's that guy?"

"That's him..."

"He's a Faunus!"

"Bastard."

Taurus wouldn't allow this gossip to continue any further. "Bemaia!" He shouted the man's name. "He, with the help of his teammate, was the one responsible for the failure of our operation to the south of Vale! Worst yet, he is not only conspiring with the Schnees, he has also murdered our Elder in cold blood!"

Like a cider in dried grass, the crowd burst into an unquenchable fire. "The heiress is to be taken hostage, and I will take care of him." The crowd cheered with unbridled satisfaction to finally deal a blow to the Schnee name.

Though, through the chaotic cacophony that was the cheering crowd, a singular question came through and reached the Captain's ears. "Is this what the Khan wants?" Looking down from his elevated position, Taurus noticed that the owner of such inquiry was the young man who initially sought him out for guidance.

The Captain stopped for a moment, taking in the question and producing an adequate answer. "See, the Khan's true wish is for the White Fang she's nurtured to be able to have one homogenous objective throughout its members." He explained. "As one of her Captains, I assure you, I pass down only her words to you, brother. She knows this is for the betterment of all Faunus, afterall, without the Schnees, the slave market will take a serious blow." He said, reassuring the White Fang grunt of his motivation.

"Now, return to your work. Tomorrow, we will see to it that all of Remnant knows our names!" He roared, pumping the white fang members full of excitement.

'The Schnee is her teammate... Through her, I will get to you.' He thought to himself, returning to his spot, picking up the axe, and hacking it into a tree.

'My darling...'