Disclaimer:
The works of Rooster-Teeth and their characters are their own and that of the mighty Oum. The only thing I own are the one-shot ideas that popped into my head and whatever OCs I would create for them. This is a work of pure fiction made solely for fun, constructive reviews will be welcomed, flames will be ignored. Any references to characters in real-life or fiction are purely coincidental. If I could make money out of my ideas, it would be nice...
Oum Damn It!
Date Published: 28th September 2017
Updated On: 21st November 2018
Chapter Title: Welcome to Beacon
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~~ Scene 1 ~~
"Okay, where am I now?" Jaune blinked as he looked at the dark mist that surrounded him, blocking anything within 2 feet of his sight. The last thing he recalled before falling unconscious was the Death Stalker charging at him, and then there was that weird vision and voice.
"Crap, does this I mean I am dead?! I haven't got a chance to get a girlfriend yet!" Jaune grabbed his head and let out a howl of disappointment. Damn it, to die as a virgin at seventeen was so pathetic even for him! He could almost hear his uncle laughing his head off at that!
His thoughts stopped as he listened carefully to the surroundings. Now that he was not moving his hands or head, he could hear joyful laughter in the distance. He looked around to find a clue but only dark mist was before his sight. "Hello, is anyone there?"
The laughter got louder and before Jaune could react, ghostly figures of two children ran past him, totally ignorant of his presence. Then without warning, a bright light appeared from above, blowing away the mist and blinding him to the point of shutting his eyes and using his hands to shield them. It was a few seconds later that Jaune tried to open his eyes, only to find the landscape had changed completely.
He found himself on a small hill situated around the countryside of what looked to be in the outskirts of Vale, with small trees decorating different portions of the hill and a small stream that meandered down the hill. Flowers were in full bloom and he could see what appeared to be Dandelion seeds floating in the air, carried gently elsewhere in the breeze. He would have been mesmerized by the scenery if not for the sounds of laughter catching his attention.
In the distance, there was a small church that seemed to serve as an orphanage for the children that were currently running around in high spirits, their smiles evident on their faces. Near the doors stood two individuals that looked on with happy faces. Without warning, Jaune got teleported next to them, him yelling out in surprise. He stumbled a little before steadying himself on his feet and looking at them.
"Excuse me, do you know where is this place?" Jaune frowned when they did not respond. He reached out to get their attention only to find his hand going through the shoulder of the figure. He let out a yelp and drew his hand back quickly, looking at it with slight disbelief. Slowly and surely, he attempted to touch the shoulder again only for it to fail. With a few deep breaths to steady his mind, he used the chance given to him to look at them up-close.
There was a woman with pale skin and long black hair that extended all the way to her hips. She wore a black-zipped vest that appeared to be straining to contain her rather sizable assets, a pair of black shorts that hugged her hips tightly while exposing her long legs for all to see, and dark military boots that paired well with the finger-less gloves she had. She had gentle features that reminded Jaune of Pyrrha in some ways, making him wonder if she was from Mistral.
The man next to her was one with pale skin and long spiky hair that made Jaune question if it was natural or intentional with lots of hair gel, and blue eyes that shone with happiness at the children before him. He wore a high collar indigo shirt, black pants and dark boots that appeared to be steel-tipped, over which he had some type of dark robe covering his left leg that extended to his ankles. On his left side, one sole pauldron sat on his shoulder which held the dark cloth covering his entire left arm.
But there was something that caught Jaune's eye. Next to them were weapons leaning against the wall, and next to a huge broadsword was one very familiar weapon but in a more pristine condition without rust or age on it.
Crimson Blitz.
'Why is that guy here?'
["So peaceful."] The woman spoke as she lightly pulled back a strand of hair that dangled in front of her eyes.
["It is."] The man nodded as he waved at one of the children. ["It has been a long time coming, but the war is coming to an end."]
["I suppose so."] The woman let out a melancholy sigh. ["The kids miss you a lot. You almost missed a few birthdays."]
["I know. Not a day goes by without me thinking of them as well."] The man solemnly answered.
["Could you not stay a little longer?"] The woman turned to him with a pained expression. ["You have done your missions, they should be giving you a longer break. Or for that matter, they should be releasing you by now."]
["I want to, but I can't."] The man shook his head sadly. ["They still need me on the front-lines. Despite our success, Mantle is pushing us too much and the council wants every able soldier available."]
["But they are just trying to save themselves!"] The woman answered in anguish. ["All the council care about is their own selfish goals and they cared less for their people, let alone the children!"]
["What choice do I have?!"] The man remarked with a pained tone. ["They know about the orphanage, and they had tried to enlist the kids here. Hell they wanted to bring Hector into the the army, and he is only eleven! Me enlisting is the only way I can get them to back off because they can't get anyone else with the type of Semblance I have. They also know that if I leave them, there is nothing else holding me back."]
["I hate this."] The woman folded her arms and rubbed her elbows as she looked down in sadness. ["Why won't they leave us alone?"] The man gave a forlorn chuckle.
["As you said, they are selfish bastards who would rather have the young lead the way and die while they procrastinate and hang on to their miserable fortunes."]
Jaune winced at the bite evident in that man's words. Whatever was going on, this was not a good conversation they were having.
["At least promise me one thing."] The woman placed a hand on the man's shoulder. ["Promise me that you will return safely. It is too much for me to ask that you stay unharmed, but I want the kids to be able to see you again. If not for me, do it for them."] With that, she moved away from him and towards the children, calling out to them to gather together. The man could only let out a tired sigh as he watched them.
["That makes the two of us."]
Jaune was looking at the two, wondering how he could leave this odd place when the landscape changed rapidly, returning to the dark mist that he started out from, only to have the man stay with him. As Jaune tried to figure out what was going on, the man turned to face him with a steady gaze and spoke.
["It's time for you to wake up, my host."]
~~ Scene 2 ~~
The first thing Jaune saw when he opened his eyes was the ceiling that was bathed in what appeared to be the last lights of the sun as it set over the tree-line. Turning his head lightly to one side, he saw his left arm had one of those IV tubes that was connected to a water bag to give him fluids. Next to that, there was that heart monitor that showed his steady heartbeats and that odd item that he briefly remembered from the movies as some sort of blood pressure monitor. A little further down, he recognized some of the other initiates from earlier, each sporting some bandages on their limbs or head. But then he noted that they were behind a glass door, and judging from the injuries, they were likely in intensive care.
"Where am I?" Jaune coughed as he mumbled to himself.
"Currently in the medical wing of Beacon." Jaune nearly felt the bones in his neck pop as he turned quickly to face the headmaster who was seated on his right and looking slightly amused at his reaction. "It has been 4 hours since your entry, Mr Arc. And I have to say, you are the first one to wake up from your ordeal in initiation this quickly. Others normally need a full day, maybe two at the worst."
"Professor Ozpin! COGH!" Jaune sputtered before starting to cough again, his throat feeling abnormally dry. As he tried to look around for some water, a cup of that appeared before him.
"Better drink up." Ozpin smiled gently. Jaune nodded his thanks while taking huge gulps of it, letting out a relieved sigh at the end. "Better?"
"Yes, very much." Jaune paused as some of his memory returned in full force. "Crap, Pyrrha and the others!"
"They are fine, Mr Arc." Ozpin raised a hand to stop him from panicking as indicated by the rapid heartbeats. "They are exhausted and a little low on Aura. Miss Belladonna, Miss Schnee and Miss Valkyrie are sporting some minor injuries, but none are life-threatening."
"Thank goodness." Jaune sunk his head back into the pillow. "Well it makes sense they won't get hurt so easily, they are definitely better than me in that aspect."
"Mr Arc, I would ask that you don't put yourself down in such a manner." Ozpin remarked in a slightly stern tone that made Jaune unconsciously stiffened in his bed. "No one could determine how the day would go, and quite frankly, the fact you survived the attacks of the Centipods and one ancient Death Stalker and came out with a few broken bones and some blood loss is considered quite a miracle."
"But they are still better, I'm the one who got wrecked." Jaune tried to argue his case.
"Well that can be explained in different manners, like you having to fight a few times in short succession, the storm disrupting the ground, your Aura being the first to break," Ozpin let loose a mischievous smirk at this point "and the skill-set you displayed not being consistent with your alleged transcripts." Jaune's eyes went wide as the heart monitor started to beep loudly in response to his quickening heart rate. Crap, he was found out! They knew about his forged transcripts!
He was going to get kicked out before he could get started!
"Relax, Mr Arc. Have you forgotten about your uncle telling me about your entry?" Ozpin actually let out an amused snort as he leaned back on his chair. "After all, it would not do me any good if you were to die on our watch." Jaune's heart rate slowed as he recalled how his uncle said that he pulled some strings to get him to Beacon. His heart gained a warm feeling and he could not help the misty eyes he had at the thought of his uncle risking his reputation to help him with his dream. He then paused as he considered what Ozpin said.
"Wait, if you knew, then why…"
"Why I let you in, knowing the high possibility of your death and risking the loss of my reputation and possibly of others?" Ozpin filled his query. "Well for one thing, I was curious to say the least. I had heard of your sisters, your uncle and perhaps a couple of others from your village, yet I did not get much information on you. If it was not for your uncle and Marianne, I would have been surprised of there being a son."
"Well I guess you can thank my father for that." Jaune could not stop the amount of bitterness that came from his mouth nor the disappointment on his face as he was once again reminded of his lack of talent or faith from his parents. Something that Ozpin picked up and lightly prodded his leg with his cane to gain his attention.
"That may be the case, but that is not something to bring you down. Whatever your parents think is not up to them to decide about your future, it is yours to command and yours to uphold." Ozpin spoke in a manner that made Jaune wonder how old the headmaster truly was. "In any case, Marianne, your uncle and grandfather talked to me about you and they have expressed your desire to be a huntsman. Your sister even showed me some clips of your training."
Jaune's face did the impossible of having a downcast expression and his skin tone stuck between paling from despair and blushing from the possible embarrassment, made worse by the Chesire smile on Ozpin.
"Oh yes, it was rather entertaining to see you bumbling around while getting knocked down by a couple of trees with rubber ends." Ozpin chuckled lightly at Jaune's reactions as the teen grabbed his face to hide the shame. "But it also showed me some potential in your body, and I must express my slight disbelief and disappointment towards your parents for withholding your training."
"Well, they did not really have much expectations." Jaune said sullenly.
"Well then, it is a good thing that your uncle approached me." Ozpin took a sip from the mug that Jaune only just noticed he had in his hand. "When he showed me your training regime and some clips of your training, I decided to go on a whim and invite you in."
"Wait, so it was on a whim?" Jaune asked with disbelief evident on his face.
"Well, as stated, part of it was my own personal interest." Ozpin crossed one leg and folded his fingers together as he looked at Jaune with a steady eye. "If you recall what I said at the opening speech, all the people who came here expect knowledge, prestige and guidance, but all I see is wasted potential not being utilized. And from where I am sitting, you have the most potential that is being wasted by being stuck in the country side."
"I do?"
"Jaune, let me ask you something and you give me a true answer. What separates you from the rest?" Ozpin asked with a raised eyebrow. "Aside from the transcripts?"
"Erm, they got access to Aura at childhood? They got way more awesome weaponry? Better lessons?" Jaune gave a few suggestions.
"The last one is the closest. To be more precise, all of the students have had training since young, whereas you only started roughly a year and a half ago with uneven timing from your three relatives. Yet you are actually able to keep up quite well if not a bit clumsily." Ozpin looked at Jaune with a steady eye, and the odd light in his eyes made Jaune aware of his suddenly dry throat.
"The way I see it Mr Arc, you can keep up with the others if you have a constant teacher to help you. That is why I am hanging on to you. I will see if I can divert some training to your spare time." Ozpin said while placing aside his mug. "It will be tough, but I believe you can do it."
"But…" Jaune tried to dissuade him only for Ozpin to hold up a finger.
"You persevered through your own strength, survived the initiation and help others to victory against the Grimm." Ozpin replied with a slightly proud tone. "Congratulations Mr Arc, you have earned your place in Beacon." Jaune could only stare at him with an odd warmth inside of him. Thus far only his sisters, his grandfather and uncle were the ones who supported his dream. Nobody else believed in it, and it hurt that his parents were at the forefront of that. But to have the headmaster of Beacon actually doing this of his own free will and acknowledging his efforts, it was something he would never dreamed of hearing, let alone attaining.
"Thank you." Jaune choked lightly as small tears dropped from his eyes.
"I want to see your potential, Mr Arc. Put in your best so that you can show your parents what they missed out." Ozpin leaned back on the chair. "Now I'm afraid to ask this since you are still recovering, but can you tell me about your little adventure with Miss Nikos regarding the catacomb?" It took a while for Jaune to process what he said in his current state, but he was able to get it in the end.
"Oh that, I guess she told you about it?"
"She did after an hour of yelling at us." Ozpin quirked an eyebrow. "She was really insistent on being here with you, I almost felt threatened by her actions. We managed to convince her that you were in safe hands, only then did she relay the information."
"Oops~" Jaune raised his hand to scratch the back of his head.
"So as it stands, we have her side of the story, but I would like to know yours." Ozpin spoke as he took out a scroll to record the session. Jaune took a moment to gather his thoughts, then with a quick sip of water, started to describe how he and Pyrrha got into the catacombs and encountered the Grimm that Ozipin called Centipods, pointing out their supposed strengths and weaknesses, and threw in a comment or two regarding their behavior patterns. He then described the catacomb, and the large number of skeletons laying there.
"This is quite informative, but it is also rather troubling to hear about that particular species near Beacon." Ozpin spoke after Jaune finished the story. "Much so in such numbers."
"Is it really bad, professor?" Jaune asked in concern.
"It is a little unnerving to find out their existence since they are not native to Vale, but that would be quickly remedied." Ozpin assured Jaune. "As we speak, Doctor Oobleck is assembling some third and fourth-year teams to flush them out, after which they can examine the catacombs."
"Ah, I hope they can clear them out." Jaune shuddered at the memory of the bugs. "I really want to sleep without having them in my dreams."
"Funny you mention that, they are considered creatures from nightmares in the old days." Ozpin chuckled at his response. "Which reminds me, Miss Nikos commented you have attained a weapon from there."
"Ah yes, Crimson Blitz." Jaune nodded his reply. "That guy saved my butt when I lost Crocea Mors down there. It sliced through the Grimm like butter."
"Yes, quite an interesting weapon. It is quite uncommon to find one that is still in decent condition to cut through Grimm armor." Ozpin remarked before chuckling lightly. "Miss Rose was quite adamant to study it while you are recuperating. Glynda had to get it out of her hands after she cut herself one too many times, and she gave quite arguably the most devastated expression a little girl could give when denied a toy." Jaune had to hold back a loud laugh at the image of Ruby pouting with big wide eyes as Glynda took away a toy in the form of a small Crimson Blitz.
"That would be a very devastating attack."
"Indeed. I can see her getting her way with that expression." Ozpin looked to his scroll and hummed. "Well I best not to keep you up too long. Before I go, I should let you know that while you can leave the hospital soon, you will have at least a couple of days to recover since we would need to clear out the catacomb and sweep the forest for more hiding spots, and that will push back some lessons. Use that time to gather back your strength and replenish what equipment you might need." Ozpin started to walk to the entrance when Jaune remembered something.
"Professor Ozpin." Jaune called out to him. "What of the initiation? We are supposed to be sorted into teams?"
"Ah yes, thank you for reminding me." Ozpin cleared his throat and straightened his back as he looked to Jaune with an expression that spoke of him giving an important announcement. "Jaune Arc, you have successfully obtained the White Rook Piece alongside Lie Ren, Pyrrha Nikos and Nora Valkyrie. From this day onward, you will work together as Team JNPR (Juniper)." He paused before dropping the bomb on him. "Led by you, Jaune Arc."
Jaune gaped at him with wide eyes and open mouth while gesturing with a shaking hand at himself. "Led by…"
"Again, congratulations young man." Ozpin smiled and nodded at him. "Well, without further ado, I shall take my leave and let your friends know you are well." He walked out of the door, leaving Jaune alone with his thoughts and revelation that he was made leader of a team. He was just thinking of coasting through the initiation, but now he had survived it and proven himself to the headmaster that he belonged.
He had done it!
The sound of the door opening broke his thoughts and directed his attention to the group that entered.
"Jaune!" Ruby rushed forward and launched herself at him, followed shortly by Nora who practically leaped into the air and tackled the both of them at once, forcing the three of them off his bed.
"OOF!" Jaune groaned as his back hit the ground hard and he started to see double.
"Ruby! Nora!" Weiss and Ren came forward to grab their respective partners while Pyrrha went with deep concern to help him up from the ground.
"Well Lady Killer, you are back from the dead." Yang gave a mischievous grin at him. "And you have passed the initiation with us. I guess you have an 'Arc-cellant' day, right guys?" The others let out a painful groan while Jaune snickered at her pun. "See, someone does appreciate my puns!"
"Please spare us the agony~" Weiss grumbled as she palmed her face.
"It is great that you are up, now I can ask you this!" Ruby pointed a finger at Jaune with a serious expression marred with the cuteness of her actions. "Let me see Crimson Blitz, I want to know everything about it!"
"Err, sure… If I know where it is?" Jaune said as he only just realized that everyone else had their weapons. His answer came when Pyrrha stepped forward to present him both of his weapons.
"I held on to them while you were here. Figured you might want them back." Pyrrha offered a smile as she stretched her arms out. Jaune thanked her as he took Crocea Mors and Crimson Blitz from her and laid them across his lap.
"Here you go Ruby, but please be very careful." Jaune gave her his patented 'Big Brother' look. "This blade is really sharp despite its age, and I can tell you cut yourself a lot." Ruby let out a squeak and tried to hide her hands that sported some bandages.
"Please tell her that. She does not listen to me." Yang also directed a half-serious glare at Ruby. "The nurse was going nuts at her for every cut she gained from the weapon."
"It's not my fault~ I just want to know why is it in good condition from the catacomb, and how Jaune did the big attack at the Death Stalker!" Ruby tried to give her reasons while waving her hands.
"She does have a point!" Nora got real close to Jaune, making him blush lightly and Pyrrha to frown at her. "How did you do it, Fearless Leader?"
"Erm…" Jaune looked to the others while scratching his head. "Would you believe me if I told you I had absolutely no idea how that happened?"
"Jaune, tell us!" Nora and Ruby jumped at him with wide eyes, making him think one more thought.
'I got to deal with my sisters' equivalents in Beacon, this is going to be painful!'
=()=
Ozpin let out a chuckle as he watched through the glass Jaune Arc getting tackled by Ruby Rose and Nora Valkyrie again while the others smiled or laughed at their situation, or in Weiss Schnee's case, looked away with a disgruntled expression. He could tell that the fight has gotten most of them closer to one another, and from what he could see, these two teams would likely be a force to be reckoned with.
Especially with the Queen coming up.
"Ozpin." He turned to find his stern headmistress looking at him with slight disapproval. "I understand that you want to humor your friends and give the boy a chance, but I am still against the idea of letting him go against the Grimm without proper training."
"And that is why we have him here, to give the necessary training to survive." Ozpin countered smoothly as he began to walk down the corridor with her following suit. "You may recall that he was able to coordinate Pyrrha Nikos, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie to destroy the Centipods, which I might add are creatures that need at least three A-Rank Teams to handle. After that he was able to stall the Death Stalker long enough to get Team RWBY to their end and fight it off. And let's not forget that he was able to kill off the ancient Death Stalker with one move."
"Yes, and it is in regards to that last part that I am still reluctant to have him here." Glynda pressed on with her argument. "As far as I can tell, there is no recorded evidence of anyone in his family who could perform that move, and what little Pyrrha Nikos has told us, I am not certain that he is totally in control of his recently released Aura. Who knows what would happen if he does that again in the campus?"
"That is true, which is why I am leaving you to decide the best course of lessons to aid him in." Ozpin gave her that smile that made her want to smack it off with her riding crop. "He has some basic training given in the past year, but needs help on the fundamentals. I trust you can help him out."
"Fine~" Glynda massaged her temple while letting out a resigned sigh. It was tough being the only teacher who had to keep strict discipline among a group of other teachers that want to break or ignore every rule in the book, but she could see where Ozpin was going with Jaune. The teen was unusually quick on his feet when driven and has displayed some talent in tactics, particularly ones that were on the spot, which was quite commendable. And what little she had seen, she had to agree with his sentiment regarding his parent's reluctance to give him any training.
By the Maidens, he did not even know what was Aura in the first place!
"Moving on, is Oobleck ready for the search?" Ozpin asked as they reached the elevator.
"Yes, and we have two extra teams on standby." Glynda displayed the information on her data-pad. "Team CVFY and Team RSNE have returned from their missions earlier than expected, so when they heard the call they volunteered. Peter is also joining them to ensure they could handle the Grimm thanks to the descriptions by Miss Nikos. We should be able to move out within the hour."
"Hmm, I suppose we would need to postpone some of the lessons further back." Ozpin remarked. They paused as the doors opened to let them in and the elevator started to go down.
"Considering the possible threat and the discovery of this catacomb, it might be worth the few extra days to make sure the Grimm are cleared out. And the fact we have catacombs this close to Beacon suggest a possible burial site." Glynda spoke as she checked her information. "For all we know, there may be more. If Mr Arc and Miss Nikos were telling the truth, there are likely some artifacts down there that could be valuable and should be in a museum."
"Excellent." Ozpin nodded as he pondered on his discussion with Pyrrha and Jaune. "We need to secure this catacomb and clear out the Centipods."
"I have to admit, if it was not for both Mr Arc's and Miss Nikos's testimonies, and the security footage, I would have dismissed them as being stressed and delusional." Miss Glynda commented as the elevator chimed and the doors opened to let them out. "Centipods were - well, are - not native to Vale or Atlas, not to mention they haven't been seen for the past couple of centuries."
"Indeed, and what troubles me is the sheer number that was hidden from us." Ozpin frowned lightly as he recalled the number of Grimm Team JNPR had to face. "A few of them were quite old based on their armor, it is possible that one had arrived many years ago and laid their eggs before dying off."
"But that would not account for the numbers, they would have died off from starvation." Glynda pointed out that error. Ozpin shrugged and conceded to her point.
"Well at the least, Oobleck and Peter are going to have a field day with this." Glynda gave a rather undignified snort before giving a quick look-a-round to check for students, slightly embarrassed at her reaction.
"You know those two. Oobleck is going to be in heaven examining the ruins, and Peter will probably use this for his next lesson." Glynda said as she used her riding crop to straighten her spectacles. "Maybe throw in some fire sprouting from the ground and lightning from the sky." At that, it was Ozpin's turn to snort.
"Perhaps for dramatic flair, let him lose his clothes and fight them naked for hours on end." The both of them paused and shuddered at that mental image. Not something to be enjoyed, and for that the man earned a hard smack on the head from Glynda's riding crop.
As they made their way to the main building with the sounds of Glynda's sputtering and grumbling from Ozpin's horrible suggestion, Ozpin inwardly thought of his conversation with Jaune and one other tidbit of information in the form of the secondary weapon Jaune had obtained from the catacomb.
There was one more reason that Ozpin decided to take in Jaune, and this was only after the initiation when he was brought to the hospital. When he spotted the procured weapon in the hands of Ruby Rose, he had to pause for a moment to make sure he was not having issues with his sight. He could sense the power radiating from it, and more importantly, the soul residing inside. And when Miss Nikos handed the weapon back to Jaune, he could hear the resonance from the contact, how it seemed to bond seamlessly to his Aura.
There was only one such occurrence in the past, and it was happening now with him.
'The fates have something planned for Jaune Arc, what it is will likely have an impact on the future.' Ozpin thought as he walked to his office. It was for that and the favors of his uncle that Ozpin decided to bring Jaune under his wing, and he would make sure that Jaune has the right training to survive the coming war.
He had all the necessary pieces in place.
He had Pyrrha Nikos as preparation for the Maiden Transfer should Amber fall prematurely.
He had Ruby Rose for her Silver Eyes.
He had Blake Belladonna as a possible source of information for White Fang.
He had Weiss Schnee for a possible lead in Atlas.
He had sprouting talent in Yang Xiao Long, Lie Ren and Nora Valkyrie.
And finally, he had Jaune Arc, a proverbial wild card with a knack for tactics, possible growth and something that needed monitoring.
It was time to begin the attack on Salem.
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Hello there, here's the latest chapter for this story. As stated this is based on a story challenge and now I am starting to expand it. I want to set some parts up to make sure that Jaune gets a good foothold in Beacon. As shown, I have included his relatives to ensure he is grounded in his senses (in the show, he does have more common sense alongside Ren and Weiss, but lets his pride take over too easily, leading to the silly Jaundice).
I will state this, I am following the guidelines for the story challenge and I also felt that I want to make Jaune reasonably strong but not overpowered. Hopefully you guys enjoy it as I try to expand this.
And I put my pen down for now.