"Hey, Blair?" Vincent groaned, the hangover like a dull knife peeling back his skull plate stopping him from sleeping soundly.
"Yeah?" the adorable stray questioned from her place atop his pillow.
"You ever feel like you're being watched?"
"I like to think I always turn heads when I go out~" she purred, flicking her ear with her paw.
"Not like that.
"If it's because of the Doll and the Robot, don't worry, they're sleeping, so it doesn't count," she hummed flicking her tail towards Chachamaru and Codsworth, both of whom were "resting" in center of the room, the prior with her head bowed while maintaining her ladylike poise from the sofa, the other like a bowling ball on a tripod.
"No...! I mean like… You're being spectated by people you can't see."
"What? You mean religiously?"
"No, like…" he said rolling over to face the wall, eyes rolling along the room's X-axis. "Like a hidden camera show. Or something."
"That's just the hangover talking."
"Maybe you're right," the RA hummed rolling onto his back. " . . . Hey Blair?"
"Yeah?"
"Since when could you talk?"
"I'm not talking, you're just drunk as a skunk. Now go back to sleep, crazy person," she said pawing at his eyelids.
"Bathroom first, then sleep," he said picking her up and laying her on his warm pillow. Ambling over to the ensuite in the low light, his toe stubbing on a piece of furniture with a *Thump*, the silver-haired teen hopped on one foot with a pained expression and cried out- "Hot Belgian waffles!"
"Vincent, we're alone in here. You can swear for real," Blair chided with a flat expression.
"But I really feel like there's an impressionable teenager watching me who I really shouldn't swear in front of."
"You... are way less fun than 'Drunken Sot-Man' when you're coming down," the magical talking cat said rolling her eyes, recalling the dirty songs he sang as Glynda readied him for bed.
*NEW WORLD*
YES! It's FINALLY happening! My very own "Watching" story! Courtesy of Theboblinator, we have "RWBY Watches Giant-Slayer"!
And best part, I didn't even ask for it to be made! They just offered~ That Giant-Slayer turned out to be good-enough to warrant an off-shot like this is extremely gratifying, not to mention flattering.
Though it was supposed to have come out a year-or-so ago (and I elevated the "production value" of this work in-anticipation-of, though I don't plan to lean too-heavily into visual-media related troupes to accommodate), real life happens, and I'd given up on it ever happening ever since they ghosted me. But... after sending another line their way as a just-in-case before giving up on it completely... we got back in touch on Discord and planned for this sub/side-story to mine. If you like "Watching/Reading" stories, give this new piece of "Fanficakana" a look!
And I'm totally not biased toward Theboblinator's work because they're making a "Watching" version of my own.
Anyway, onto the FanMail!
*NEW WORLD*
LoamyCoffee: Ah the honored strategy meeting for shared romantic interests. Hardly ever see those.
But I do love the references~
Vincent can woo people without trying. Hmm, good to know that he can drink people under the table but the alcohol will be a delayed reaction.
Ok never underestimate research from fans.
But I think this was fun for them.
Glynda speaks the truth, just like how she herself is . Stopping a rant before it comes out of me.
Re: I just never see Harem situations addressed by tangentially-related parties enough, so I thought I'd take a crack at it here~ Maybe someday I'll see an anime that focusses on the friends/family of the Harem Members and them trying to find some dirt on the "Harem King", and the "harem shenanigans" is just background flavoring, but if there is a series already like that, I certainly don't know its name.
Anime PJ:That was a fun chapter. Vincent's delayed reaction to alcohol was unexpected and hilarious.
Coco's prominence made me want to ask, have you read either of the spin-off books featuring Team CFVY post-Volume 3?
Re: I haven't had the opportunity to do so unfortunately…
*NEW WORLD*
"Kill… me…" Yang groaned from her place in Jack's bed.
"Not before I kill myself…"
"Just what on Remnant were you degenerates doing last night?" Weiss demanded imperiously from her place over them.
"Drinking…" the blond moaned. "Lots, and lots… of drinking…"
"Mistakes were made… Some of which were mine…" the Faunus added.
"Good thing we gave Glynda the slip so we could sleep off some of the alcohol before coming back~ Ow! It hurst to laugh..."
"Do I even want to know why the two of you had half a blackout drunk person between you last night?" Blake questioned.
"No… No you do not…"
"Well… just get sober then. Pyrrha and Jaune invited us to their Cooking Club for a demonstration, and I don't wanna miss it!" Ruby said excitedly.
"Ruby… You don't have to cram wacky, time-wasting nonsense into every day of the week," Jack groaned tiredly. "Sometimes it's perfectly alright to grab a milkshake on a weekday, and do nothing else…"
"Nope! That just sounds really boring."
"Trust me, Ruby, when you're my age, 'boring' will become your sweet, sweet ambrosia."
"But you're only three years older than me!"
"Which makes me three years wiser than you at all times. Now shut those blackout curtains and kill the lights, your sister and I are in a lot of agony."
"Well, if it last for more than four hours," Blake hummed.
"Not the time, kitty-cat. Not. The. Time," Yang groaned burying her face in Jack's pillow, her head aching too much to enjoy any sort of cuddling.
"Why are you in Jack's bed anyway?" the heiress demanded with a pout.
"Have you ever seen a drunk person try to climb into the top bunk of a bunk bed before?" Blake questioned.
"Does watching my drunk uncle capsizing a sofa by himself count?" Ruby inquired.
"No."
"Then admittedly, I have not," she answered with a shrug while Weiss just slapped her forehead.
*NEW WORLD*
"Sooo… What happened to them?" Jaune blinked as Blake sidled out of the room.
"Hangover."
"They've been drinking?!" Pyrrha gasped.
"At a place of ill repute, I'm sure."
"More importantly, why wasn't I invited?" Nora complained, shoulders slumped.
Ren in response let out the knee-jerk- "Nora." -chastisement.
"Do you think they'll be in any shape to join us?" Pyrrha inquired.
"Possibly," the closet Faunus shrugged. "I'm going to see if Vincent's up for joining us."
"Why?" Nora asked before Ren ribbed her.
"We kinda owe him for letting us store our random crap in his living space."
"That sounds lovely," Pyrrha smiled, having grown fond of his child-like innocence and purity of heart.
Admittedly, it was these same qualities that had initially attracted her to Jaune, but now, as a sign of her own maturity, she was growing fond of her team leader for reasons other than the blissful ignorance of her fame as a cultural icon; his willingness to own up to his past mistakes and confess them with his own lips, to bow his head so as to grow from his failures, not to mention his prowess in the kitchen.
Of course, Vincent agreeing to stash the comic book collection she'd purchased off of Jaune in his room, might've also slanted things in the odd-eyed teen's favor.
"Hey, speaking of, where did you get all that stuff from? An estate sale?" Nora blinked.
" . . . Something like that."
"That pause makes me think there's some kind of story behind it~"
"There really isn't..."
"Okay, you say that out loud, but your posture tells me there's more to it than that~" the red-head grinned rubbing her chin.
"I'm going to go grab the RA," she said walking off.
"YOU CAN'T HIDE THE TRUUUTH!"
*NEW WORLD*
A very brief walk and a bit of heckling from Juniper's hammer-wielding sociopath later...
"Geez," she tutted to herself as she found the door to be unlocked. "One of these days, someone's going to rob you blind," she hummed, while at the same time imagining the deceased doctor's haunted appliances kicking the ever-loving crap out of anyone that dared to try with a smile on her face.
Entering the room in question however, whatever invitation she was about to make died on her lips, her eyes bugging out of her head as she beheld a young, tall woman with large breasts and an alluring figure draped across Vincent's still-slumbering body. With short violet hair with long strands on each side of her face curling up and around to match the tail protruding from above a shapely derriere, a pair of fluffy cat ears with pale violet-colored tips made her the ideal sexualized Cat Faunus girl/cat-girl.
Well, that and her attire included and-was-limited-to, a black collar with a round silver bauble.
Completely and utterly aghast, nay, agog with shock, with a luminous red face the closet Faunus quickly backpedaled out of the room and slammed her back beside the doorway. Eyes wide with shock and embarrassed gasps passing her lips, after several seconds the closet Faunus' hackles were raised, her ire smoldering like a bonfire, and she stormed back into the room to give the nude "strumpet" a piece of her mind. Because in her mind, Vincent would never allow some nude... stranger to lay themselves upon him uninvited!
When she re-entered the room however, there was no sigh of the alluringly-shapely naked woman from before; only the violet colored stray the RA had taken in. The closet Faunus hastily scrubbing at her eyes, darted to check the closet and the bathroom and under the bed, only to find no other persons in sight. Going over to the window to find it still locked, as she rubbed at her eyes once again and wondering if what she saw were some sort of stress-induced hallucination, Vincent rose into a sitting position, holding Blair to his face like a cat-shaped sleeping mask and turned his head to her.
"Blake…!"
"EYIPE!" the closet Faunus yelped as she almost leapt from her skin, claws sinking into the ceiling and her hair standing on end before she quickly let go, twirling in mid-air before she lithely dropped nimbly to the ground on all fours. "Oh! Uh…! H-Hey, Vincent! Lovely morning, isn't it?" she asked nervously, hoping he hadn't seen.
"Blake… You'd better have a damned good excuse for waking me up at this ungodly hour… Otherwise…" he growled shifting Blair to the side revealing a single, blood-shoot eye, "you're going to get a first-hand demonstration of how I make the rose bushes out back look so pretty…!"
Blake turning to the nearby clock was about to refute him on that point, but decided it wasn't in her best interest… Was this the first time she'd seen him so-angry…?
"Well, Ms. Belladonna? I'm waiting," the RA growled irately, the violet colored cat shooting her an equally-irate look over her shoulder.
"I um, well… I wanted to invite you to join us at my friends' Cooking Club," she answered nervously, his blood-shot eye narrowing ever-so-slightly at her. "A-A-And I was worried about you! A-A-After Glynda dragged you back so late I mean…!"
The odd-eyed teen eyeing her past his stray, he then inhaled through his nose and out through his mouth, the RA muttering- "Count to ten… Don't beautify anymore rose bushes…" -to himself. After aforementioned ten-count his expression softened, Blake letting out a sigh of relief as his posture relaxed and the invisible pressure rolling off of him abated.
"Yeah… Sure… That sounds nice. Just give me a chance to freshen up."
"O-Okay," Blake nodded, her amber-colored eyes darting around the room one last time for shapely cat-girls aside from herself, before backing out of the room entirely.
Vincent, letting out a tired sigh and laying back down on the bed, tiredly draped his arm over the side. A thrumming of guitar strings sounding to his confusion, the young man rolled over sending Blair scampering off to the side while he pulled up a strangely-familiar guitar to eye level, the implement stinking of alcohol.
" . . . Since when did I own a guitar?" he blinked as he idly strummed a few notes.
"Since you came back last night in a drunken stupor. Also, that's not a 'guitar', it's a lute."
"Really...? But I could've sworn it was an acoustic guitar last ni-... Since when could you talk?"
"I'm not talking, you're still hungover like a rope bridge. Now go freshen up. The closet cat-girl is waiting for you."
"Yeah… Sure…" the RA replied, rubbing at his eyes before he got up and ambled over to the bathroom, Blair slinking over to the doorway and letting out an appreciative purr as clothing was shed and naked flesh exposed itself.
"Nice~"
" . . . "
*Thump*
"Nyah!"
"Yeah, I am really hung over," he said after a wave of his hand telekinetically shut the door. Standing in front of the mirror and rubbing at his eyes, he idly wondered- "What the hell is a 'closet cat-girl' anyway?" -to himself as his reflection idly scratched at the large slash-borne scar running across his body like a bandoleer, the scar tissue going from his right shoulder to left hip. "I mean... Is there a reason the 'cat-girl' would sit in the closet...?"
*NEW WORLD*
A while later, once the sober members of Team RWBBY were able to drag their not-sober members out of bed and got them to freshen up…
"Morning you two! Lovely day, isn't it?"
"God I fucking hate this guy…" Jack and Yang groaned to one another as the RA greeted them merrily, traces of hangover notwithstanding.
"So, I hear we're going to sit in on your cooking club?" he asked turning the first and third letters of the other team.
"That's right. We have a private session with him today for some one-on-one training, so it seemed like as good a time as any," Pyrrha nodded. "You're going to love him. His cooking, is phenomenal~"
"Wow. He must be really something if he has your stamp of approval," Weiss blinked.
" . . . Oh! That's where I recognized you from!" Vincent suddenly gasped. "You're the girl on those ratty cereal boxes, aren't you?"
"R-Ratty?!" Pyrrha gawped while Weiss just sputtered in shock. "I mean, sure, Pumpkin Pete's isn't the healthiest thing for you, but-"
"Breakfast food later! Epic meal time now!" Nora cried, her stomach growling, as she carried Ren under her arm like a cutout.
*NEW WORLD*
"Huh…" Jack hummed as they approached one of the older buildings on campus, an olden-styled signboard with a fork and knife crossed over a plate emblazoned above the doorway.
"What?" Yang blinked.
"Beacon's culinary course is pretty robust," the Faunus hummed, nostrils flaring and appetite roused. "They've got quite a spread."
"You can tell?" Ruby blinked, chin tilted up as she too flared her nostrils.
"A bit. I can smell a great many Ingredients here, most of them local with a few high-end pieces scattered about," Jack hummed. "Not as many as Totsuki, but I can tell Beacon will put out some phenomenal chefs in the future."
"What would you know about Totsuki Culinary Academy?" Weiss inquired curiously, recalling that a few of her family's chefs were graduates, and even Totsuki's cast-offs were phenomenal in skill for those that couldn't afford the hefty pricetags of fully-fledged Totsuki Alumni.
"I joined hunting parties when they needed certain Ingredients for their 'Food Wars'," Jack returned with a shrug. "Their food… is stupid good~ Like, clothes-exploding-off-your-body good~"
"Why would your clothes explode off of your body?" Blake inquired curiously.
"Hereditary Semblance," the Faunus answered causing Weiss to sputter incredulously.
Meanwhile…
"He called my cereal 'ratty'…" Pyrrha whimpered off to the side, waterfall tears going down her cheeks.
"You're still hung up on that?" Ren blinked.
"I mean… Kinda…?" Pyrrha blinked. "It's just… no-one's ever been so…"
"Brutally honest before?" Nora inquired with a tilt of her head.
"Hey, it's okay," Jaune said patting her shoulder. "Pumpkin Pete's isn't for everyone."
"I guess you're right…" Pyrrha nodded, remembering how cringey the lines were, and how sick of the cereal she'd gotten after all the re-takes. "Still, I would like to endorse something a little healthier."
"Aren't you still a beloved mascot and spokeswoman, or something?" Ren blinked.
"Well, I am, but… I asked my agent to hold back on that since I started Beacon so I could focus on my studies," she answered. "Maybe I should get back in touch with him… endorse products on the weekends... Vale certainly has plenty of corporate interests I could draw from..."
Meanwhile…
"That settles it. I am never drinking alcohol. Ever. Again," Vincent groaned, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "Feeling like people are watching me, cats that talk like people, owning lutes I don't remember learning how to play that I don't remember being lutes when I first picked them up... It's just too much for a guy and OH CRAP! I forgot to wind up Chachamaru this morning!"
Meanwhile...
"I wonder who Chachamaru will get to wind her up when I'm not around to do it for her..." Jack hummed idly to himself.
*NEW WORLD*
"The building might look old, but the amenities are pretty modern," Weiss hummed as Jaune and Pyrrha led them into a culinary classroom filled with stainless steel and the latest appliances. Numerous ingredients were spread about on a counter before a man dressed in white chef's garb on the opposite side of the room, his back turned to them.
"Ah, there he is!" Jaune called out, raising his hand with a wave.
The moment Team JNPR's blond crossed the threshold however... something in the man's countenance turned.
"What are you doing there…?! You saw everything…!" the man suddenly whirled on them, a manic look in his eyes as he brandished a large chef's knife.
*WHOOSH*
*THWANG!*
"Holy crap!" Nora cried as the knife embedded itself in the doorframe.
"You! So I see that you've come here to sneak around!" the man raged toward them with an accusatory finger. "I will not forgive this! Be prepared!"
"Holy crap he's gonna bean us with a brick!" Nora cried as the man raised a rectangular implement above his head with a muscular arm, malice oozing off of him like a tide.
"How dare you come into my kitchen with your disgusting hands!? You must wash your hands with soap if you are going to be here!" the man then demanded as he presented a pink bar of soap to the gaggle of teens, the word MEDICATED carved into the top.
" . . . Huh?" Ruby blinked confusedly.
"I won't forgive you! I can't forgive you barging into my workspace without permission! You! You must wash your hands before you enter the kitchen! The kitchen must stay sanitary at all times!"
"Um, hello again," Pyrrha greeted nervously, poking her head into the doorway.
"Buongiorno, Ms. Nikos~" the man greeted, pulling a 180. "You as well, Mr. Arc."
"Hi. Sorry we didn't sufficiently… announce our presence…" Jaune said nervously as he eyed the knife in the doorframe. "We brought friends over. Hope you don't mind."
" . . . So they aren't here to spy on me?" the man inquired.
"No, sir," Pyrrha returned, sending an apologetic look to the others. "Friends, may I introduce our Cooking Club instructor, Tonio Trussardi-"
"Tonio Trussardi!? He's your club instructor?!" Weiss gasped, striking an utterly ridiculous and overdramatic pose.
"Geez, Ice Queen, what're you spazzing out for?" Yang blinked.
"Xiao Long! Tonio Trussardi is one of the most-renowned chefs in the world!" Weiss cried in outrage. "His medicinal cuisine, which he has honed into 'Revitalizing Cooking', is known the world over for its incredibly restorative properties! That he has blended it with traditional Italian cuisine... His culinary ability is beyond words, netting his services top dollar for every party he's ever catered!"
"You're awfully wordy about someone whose talent is 'beyond words'."
"And someone like that's teaching here instead of at Totsuki?" Jack blinked.
"I'm on loan," the man admitted. "As of late, things at Totsuki have become a little... toxic."
"Well, I mean, it's a cooking school. How bad can it be?" Nora asked with a tilt of her head. "What, do the 'cliques' shame one another for their choice in baking sheets?"
"Food Wars have been started over far less than that, so... yes."
"Question: Why the knife?" Vincent asked still tugging on it with his flesh-and-blood hand, before giving up and simply plucking it free with his robot arm.
"Well, you see, my 'Lamb with Apple Relish' is a subtle, tricky dish. The ingredients are top-secret, and I don't want anyone to see," Tonio explained while retrieving his blade.
"What's so-secret about lamb with apple relish?" Yang asked with no small amount of sarcasm.
"*GASP* You cur!" Weiss cried as she struck Yang across the face with a resounding *SLAP!*, only to yowl and hold her hand in pain. "Owwwwww…!"
"Huh. Guess this hangover's good for something~" Yang chuckled while sympathetically rubbing her jaw.
"Hangover, you say? Here, let me see," Tonio said stepping toward her and looking at her palms.
"Whoa there, buddy! Take me to dinner, first!"
"Sorry. This is just part of his process," Pyrrha apologized, tone asking that she bear with him.
"Yeah, see, Mr. Trussardi can tell everything about a person's body by looking at their hands," Jaune explained. "He's studied Chinese medicinal arts, studied under Amazonian medicine men, researched African herbs, and he's incorporated everything he's learned into traditional Italian cooking."
"That's right. The Italian people have been known for living long lives with virtually no illnesses due to the healthy food they make," Pyrrha continued. "In fact, Mr. Trussardi is one of the foremost practitioners of Medicinal Cooking in the world, second only to the likes of 'One Millimeter' Yuda of the 10-Star Zen Ou Restaurant~"
"Wait a minute, there are restaurants with ten stars?!" Ruby asked in shock while Weiss just shook her head tiredly.
"Ah, please, you exaggerate the strength of my talent; I am nowhere near Yuda's level of proficiency," Tonio said holding up his palms. "Although... eventually I do hope to do that comparison justice," he said scratching his cheek.
"I mean… I won't say 'no' if he can make the throbbing go away," Yang admitted, presenting her palms for purview.
"Hmmmm… Beyond the hangover, you also didn't sleep well last night… Only about four hours, I take it," the man hummed, Yang gawping in shock while he turned his attention to her other hand. "Hmmm. You also have athlete's foot on your right foot… and your left shoulder is tense… Take a seat, I have just the thing," he said with a nod. "Ms. Nikos, if you wouldn't mind setting the table for your friends, Jaune and I shall get to work," Tonio said before walking over to the pantry.
"Right away," Pyrrha said dutifully getting to work with immaculate grace and precision. As this was going on, everyone else took the opportunity to wash their hands. Though they were all training to fight Grimm, a muscular man throwing a knife their way and then brandishing a "brick" was still nerve-wracking.
Right as they finished cleaning up and made to sit, Pyrrha placing the last place setting down, suddenly, and without explanation, the implements placed upon the table burst into flames with a- *Whoosh*
"Oh COME ON! How did that even start?!" Pyrrha cried in shock, Jaune rushing over and blasting the table with a CO2 fire extinguisher.
" . . . Oh my god, I thought you were joking about that..." Weiss gawped, Tonio returning a moment later.
"The place settings burst into flames again?"
"Yes sir…" Pyrrha answered, her head drooping.
"Wait, did he just say 'again'?" Ruby blinked.
"Well… What's important is no-one died this time."
"This time?!" Weiss shrieked.
"Mi scuso, mi scuso, that was a joke," the man said holding up his hands. "Anyway, why don't you take a seat. Jaune, if you'll help me in the kitchen."
"Right away, sir!" Jaune said scrambling for an apron and bandanna, Tonio filling everyone's wine glasses with a pitcher of crystal-clear water before heading that way as well.
*Siiiiip* "J…! Jack…! This water…!"
"Huh?"
"N…No… This mineral water…!"
"What is it?"
"I, I've never drank water this good in all my life…!" the blond gasped, hand quivering in shock. "Jack, try some! It's like… Like, an elegant feeling, packed in water! Like… It's the kind of water a princess from the Alps would drink while playing her harp! It's just… crisp! Like how water would taste after you've been wandering around in the desert for three days!"
"A little specific, but okay," Jack hummed, partaking as well. "Whoa! Y… You're right! This is great!"
"AWEEEEEESOME!" the blond whooped.
"I'll have what she's having~" Nora grinned.
"You do," Ren hummed.
"Oh! So I do," Nora hummed, releasing an excited whoop a moment later.
"This stuff is really good. I wonder what brand it is…" Weiss hummed thoughtfully.
"O… Oh man, it's so good that I'm starting to cry!" Yang gasped, water leaking down her face.
"Hey, Yang, there's no need to cry over water." Ruby chuckled.
"Even if it is quite phenomenal," Weiss hummed appreciatively, as even the "designer water" from all of her fancy parties was beaten out by her current beverage.
"Maybe it's because it tastes so pure. Hey, you got a handkerchief on you? I can't stop crying!" she said turning to Jack, Weiss shooting the Faunus a stern, yet subtle look from across the table.
"Uh… No, but I've got a napkin," he said passing over one of the lesser-scorched napkins.
"Whoaaa! It's like a fucking flood! It won't stop!" Yang cried as, a moment after drying her cheeks, the water works resumed times three.
"Y-Yang! You're starting to weird me out… You alright?" Ruby asked worriedly.
"AHHHHHHH!" Yang cried out, literal rivers of water spilling out of her eyes and down her shirt.
"Holy crap!" Blake cried, leaning away from the splash zone.
"Wh-What the…?! What's going on with my eyes?! I can't stop!"
"Y-Yang! Your eyes…! The white part of your eyes…!" Weiss gasped as she recoiled in horror.
"They're deflated! They're all shrunken and shit!" Nora gawped.
"Oh, gross!" Ruby cried, having gotten a closer look than the heiress.
"And Jack's putting out the water works too!" Nora cried, smaller rivers of moisture flowing down the Faunus' cheeks.
"Wh-What the hell's with this water?!" the Faunus yelped shooting up from his chair, not having detected any sort of poison he was familiar with.
Hell, he'd never even heard of a poison that could make someone literally cry themselves to death.
"Momento, please, do not worry," Tonio said as he and Jaune approached with appetizers. "Please, calm down, her eyes will only be that way for a little while. I have a lot of confidence in my food; I would never give my customers something that will harm them."
"What is this stuff?" Weiss asked, a bit hesitant to continue imbibing.
"That mineral water is from the Kilimanjaro, melted snow from 500 years ago. It has the effect of washing away and cleansing the eye while relieving insomnia. The reason why you are not crying so-profusely is because you had a fuller night's rest," the man explained turning to Jack.
"Jack!" the blond cried out, excitement in her tone and her eyes no longer deflated. "My sleepiness is completely gone! It's like I've gotten a full 10-hour's worth of sleep! I feel awesome!"
"Maybe so, but fancy water is not a true substitute for a real night's sleep," Weiss huffed as she chose to imbibe herself.
"Here. Let us proceed with the meal. Now for the appetizer; your mozzarella and tomato salad," Tonio said as he and Jaune laid aforementioned appetizers on the table, Weiss humming in appreciation.
"Anchovy fillet, seaweed, olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and basilico flakes…" Weiss hummed sampling the sauce from the tines of her fork.
"Ah, very good, Ms. Schnee," Tonio smiled. "Though actually, it was Jaune who helped me with the sauce. He's really got quite a talent for the culinary arts."
"Oh, I'm sure you're just exaggerating," the heiress waved off. "Ms. Xiao Long!" Weiss then cried slapping the back of the blond's hand, the brawler letting out a- "Yow!" -and dropping her fork. "You're supposed to put the mozzarella in your mouth with the tomato! You dunce!" she chastised.
"Well excuuuuse me, princess," Yang pouted, remedying the situation and placing the caprese in her mouth. "AWEEEEEEEESOME!" she suddenly cried out. "Th… This… This taste…! The juiciness of the tomato melds with the freshness of the cheese! The cheese enhances the tomato! The tomato enhances the cheese!"
"Wow, so eloquent," Weiss said brusquely as she turned to her own antipasto.
"I'm glad you are enjoying it. Though only those with the 'stiff shoulder' will receive its 'full benefits'~" Tonio hummed contemplatively.
" . . . Well that isn't infuriatingly-cryptic at all," Blake hummed, whereas off to the side...
"Hey, now that you mention it… my neck's burnin' up! I'm starting to sweat…"
"Yeah, me too…" Nora hummed.
"In that case, I'd recommend you take off your jackets," Tonio hummed, a serious expression on his face as the atmosphere around him changed.
"I, I dunno why, but… It's startin' to itch! M…My shoulder itches really bad!" Yang cried furiously scratching at her shoulder, Nora mirroring with the opposite arm. *Schriiip* "Huh?!"
"Yow! What the heck?!" Ruby cried.
"S-Something's coming off! It's sticking to my fingers!" Nora yelped.
"That… is dirt. All of the dirt that has accumulated on the surface of your skin," Tonio explained as the two girls gawped at the ribbons of flesh clinging to their nails. "What you are experiencing on your shoulders are a sign that your metabolism is rising and your blood flow is improving in that area. It is because of the calcium and the vitamins in the mozzarella and the tomatoes… as well as in my special dressing has stimulated the thyroid gland in your throat, which increases your metabolism. The unneeded skin cells on your shoulder are flaking off, along with the 'dirt'. Please, continue rubbing, and get rid of all the 'dirt'."
"AHHHH! Th-this looks kinda bad! There's so much shit coming off!" she cried as ribbons of dead skin flew like confetti.
"Yang! Stop being gross! Everything you've rubbed off is as big as a softball!" Ruby cried out as she juggled a softball-sized mass of tissue, an equally-large mass missing from hers and Nora's shoulders and digging into the muscle.
"Oh, YUCK!" Weiss yelped, falling out of her chair to avoid the strips of flesh flying from the blond's and red-head's scraping.
" . . . Meh," Jack hummed, having seen much worse, though he too was in the process of getting up from his seat.
"N… No, wait, Jack, I… I feel light!" the blond suddenly whooped, fingers interlaced as she stretched her arms back and above my head. "My shoulders! It feels like they're balloons, that's how light they feel!"
"Hey look! Look! My joints bend back this much!" Nora whooped, passing her hands across one another behind her back. "And hey, my stiff shoulder's completely gone!"
"Me too!" Yang grinned.
"What the hay's going on here?! And how'd the chunks they carved outta their shoulders grow back so fast!?" Ruby cried out, having shielded her caprese from the hurricane of dirt and tissue cells.
"That would be the power of Tonio's 'Revitalizing Cooking'. Only the 'Country of Healing', Life, offers remedies that work that-instantaneously as well," Pyrrha explained. "You work with Mr. Trussardi enough, you become inured to it, I suppose."
"Well now, if you'll excuse me for a moment, I need to check how the pasta is doing," Tonio said as he took his leave.
" . . . Am I the only one who noticed he took the flesh-balls away on dinner plates," Vincent hummed after a moment, Blake feeling her bile coming up and losing some of her appetite.
*NEW WORLD*
"And now, for the Primo Piatto," Tonio introduced as he and Jaune served up plates of piping hot pasta. "Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca."
"Whore's Pasta?!" Weiss cried out.
"Ah, I've heard the story. Allegedly, prostitutes favored it for its easy preparation, given their 'nightly hours'," Jack hummed to himself, taking note of the pitted black olives, anchovy fillet, garlic, chili flakes, parsley, and so-on; all of which was pleasing to his omnivorous Faunus senses.
"An astute observation," Tonio nodded. "The sauce used in Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca dates back to one of the oldest sauces we have in Italian cooking. I was born in Naples, which is said to be the birthplace of this particular sauce, and it's actually one of my favorite dishes, so of course, I give it the highest possible recommendation," he explained with a fond smile. "I apologize if it is not to your liking, Ms. Schnee."
"No, no, I'm just a little surprised is all," Weiss said with raised hands. "To be honest, I'm trying to broaden my horizons, so I shouldn't have judged this dish by its name alone," she apologized. "It's just... My father would've never allowed 'peasant's fare' on our table, and yet I... *Gulp* I can barely hold myself back...!" she said with shocked eyes as she found herself wiping some drool off with her sleeve.
"That is good to hear," the man replied with a relaxed smile. "Jaune, if you would come and help me with the next course."
"Question: Why isn't Pyrrha helping as well?" Ren inquired.
"Uh, did you miss the part where her place settings burst into flames?" Nora asked aloud.
"I didn't, but I was trying to be cordial about it," he whispered back.
"Ah, well, Ms. Nikos is, as we say… a 'Lemon'."
"So wait, everything she touches bursts into flames?" Ruby asked confusedly.
*Thunk* "Kill me…" Pyrrha groaned slamming her forehead onto the table. "Kill me right now..."
"At least try not to die on an empty stomach," Jack said as he raised the plate to his nose and inhaled the scent, a wave of nostalgia causing the Faunus to visibly relax as fonder memories of his mother's home cooking came to the forefront. "Buon appetite!" he applauded as he stuck the napkin in his collar like a bib and began to twirl his fork, loudly slurping as he ate.
The others following suit, with only Weiss and Ren bothering to express any measure of decorum despite how finger-lickingly-good the food was, soon the classroom was filled with slurping and gulping, the nearby pitcher of water soon drained of its contents, necessitating Jaune to make refills of the river-birthing drink.
"Aghhhh! I-I'm getting even hungrier!" Ruby cried as she ate. "The more I eat, the more I want to eat!"
"Which is impressive because normally she doesn't like spicy things," Yang hummed thoughtfully.
"AWEEEEEEEEESOME!" Nora cried out. "I've expanded my tastes!"
*Ptwang-THUNK!*
The sounds of silverware scraping ceramic coming to a sudden halt, everyone stopped what they were doing as they beheld a two-pronged ivory-colored projectile lodged into the table. Those eyes then turning up to Nora, mouth still open mid-whoop, saw that her maxillary left lateral incisor was missing!
"It's a tooth!" Yang gasped.
"Your tooth just shot out of your mouth!" Weiss cried out.
"That's a cavity! I guess this sucker was why it hurt whenever I drank something cold! My cavity fell out!" the red-head gasped in a blend of shock, horror, and amazement.
"Nora, I told you to brush after every meal…" Ren sighed shaking his head.
"U… Ugh?! Aghhh!" Ruby cried as her jaw started to dislocate itself.
"Oh what now?!" Weiss cried.
"Ruby! Have you not been brushing and flossing like I told you to?!" Yang demanded imperiously.
"There goes another one!" Blake cried as Ruby's mandibular right second premolar suddenly shot out of her dislocated jaw like a bottle rocket, hitting the ceiling roots-up with a *THUNK!*, saliva dripping from the ivory projectile.
"Wouldn't those cavity-ridden teeth have had to do a mid-air flip with perfect timing to land root-first?" Vincent inquired quizzically.
"That's what you're fixating on?" Weiss asked incredulously.
" . . . Yes, that's why I asked."
"Holy craaaaaap!" Pyrrha gasped pointing to Nora's mouth, a tiny nub of ivory wriggling its way out of the vacant gum before a new tooth sprouted in its place, she and Ruby letting out million-dollar smiles a few seconds later as their missing teeth grew back in.
"That confirms it… This food is definitely not normal!" Blake cried out as Nora and Ruby made a show of flaunting their megawatt smiles to everyone.
"Does this always happen in Tonio's class?" Jack inquired, the two dancing like loons in the background.
"Only when he gets serious, though admittedly, this is the first time I've seen his Revitalizing Cooking grow teeth back instantly…" Pyrrha answered.
"Sooooo… Are we just going to leave it up there or what?" Vincent blinked as Ruby's saliva dribbled down onto the table.
"I'll get the ladder…" Pyrrha sighed as she got up from her chair.
*NEW WORLD*
"And this is why I always insist on brushing and flossing once in the morning and again before bed," Tonio sighed as Pyrrha's ladder fell out from under her, the red-head's legs kicking out as she hung from the pliers in her hands, Ruby's ejected tooth stubbornly refusing to yield.
"Huh. She went with black today. Nice~" Jack nodded appreciatively, Weiss pinching the Faunus' cheek while Blake clapped a hand over Vincent's eyes, the red-head above them growing self-conscious and crying- "Stop looking!" -as she pushed up her skirt with her right hand and crossed her legs, Jaune having the decency to blush while Nora grabbed Ren's head and buried his face into her bosom.
It was at that precise moment that the 'immovable object' finally decided to surrender. The roots of Ruby's tooth finally coming loose with a *pop*, Pyrrha let out a startled yelp as she pinwheeled her arms on the way down. The (Formerly) Invincible Girl hitting the edge of the table back-first with a loud *THUNK!*, everyone scrambled to save their remaining Spaghetti Alla Puttanesca as their plates went airborne.
"Yeah…! Sure…! Don't rush to help me up all at once…!" Pyrrha growled as she got to her feet, rubbing her aching back.
"Sorry, Pyrrha, but sometimes there's things in this life more-important than friendship," Nora said cradling her plate of spaghetti in a manner normally reserved for her precious, precious pancakes.
"Well… At least you decided to wear nice panties today," Jack hummed, the blushing Weiss shooting him a furious look. The Faunus leaning over to whisper something into her ear, a moment later the heiress' cheeks flushed as red as Pyrrha's hair.
'Wow. Whatever he said must've really mollified her,' Yang hummed as the heiress suddenly found her place setting the most-interesting thing in the room. "So, what's next on the menu~?" she then beamed, rubbing her hands together excitedly.
"My Beacon-famous Lamb with Apple Relish," Tonio hummed with a fond smile as he and Jaune laid out several plates of lamb on-the-bone upon a bed of apple relish, a few stalks of grilled asparagus on the side.
"Oh wow that smells good…" she said wiping some drool from her chin, the lot of them gulping in anticipation.
"I don't even like vegetables, but even I think that asparagus looks good," Ruby said mirroring the motion.
"Mr. Arc, you've done phenomenally well today. There is always a place for you in my kitchen," Tonio complimented with a pat to the shoulder, the blond beaming at the praise as an extra place setting was laid out for him next to Pyrrha, the gaggle of teenagers chanting- "Buon appetite!" -before they began to dig in.
Though everyone dug furiously into their gourmet food after the first bite hit their tastebuds, none did so more-vigorously than the normally-composed Blake of all people, the closet Faunus messily devouring the lamb with both hands, the loud- *Munch*snarf*munch*chew*munch-munch*munch-munch-munch!* causing everyone else to stop mid-bite as soon as they realized the noise was not coming from themselves.
"Blake Belladonna! What the hell are you doing?! Compose yourself!" Weiss cried in shocked outrage as bits of food and relish flew through the air.
"I can't help it! My stomach hurts like hell, but I can't not eat! Whenever the sweet and sour apple relish combines with the juicy lamb, I just feel so damn happy! I can't believe a taste like this even fucking exists! AWEEEEEEESOME!" she cried shooting up from her chair, yet more bits of apple relish and lamb spraying at her proclamation.
The next moment a startled- "GUH!" -escaped her throat as a geyser of blood shot out of her teeth, her abdomen bursting open in a spray of blood as entrails exploded into the air.
"M… My guts! My stomach…! Aghh…ghhh…! BUHHHH!"
"Ah, it seems Ms. Belladonna had diarrhea yesterday…" Tonio hummed thoughtfully, whereas everyone else at the table succinctly misplaced their excrement as Blake literally puked her guts out in front of them.
"AHHHHH!"
"OH, MY, GOOOOD!"
"HOLY CRAAAAAP!"
"OH SHIIIIT!"
"SON OF A BITCH!"
"MY EYEEES! I CAN NEVER UN-SEE THIS!" Ruby cried, peeking horrified between splayed fingers as Blake's entrails and blood shot through the air like the arc of a showy Las Vegas fountain. Or the entrails from a rotting whale carcass.
"Hey guys! My intestines are feeling great!" Blake suddenly grinned with a relieved expression, all traces of her aggrieved expression vanished and her stomach as cute and unblemished as always.
"Huh?"
"I'm suddenly starting to feel real full!"
"HUHHHH?!"
"And best of all, my constipation's all gone!" she said flexing her arms excitedly.
Realizing a moment later that she had said that out loud, in front of the boy she might've liked no less, she did the only thing that came naturally to her.
She assumed the position.
*NEW WORLD*
"Kill me… Killllll meeeeee…!"
"Well… At least you won't die on an empty stomach…" Pyrrha chuckled nervously as Blake huddled in the fetal position over in the corner, the pretty red-head having her own morbidly-embarrassing moment for the day to sympathize with.
"Geez, and people pay for this horror show?" Yang asked as she eyed Nora's still-lodged tooth, Jaune and Tonio disposing of Blake's inflamed entrails off in the corner into a bin with a large biohazard symbol on the side.
"I mean… People watch consumer television, so… Yeah," Jack nodded after a moment.
"You know, all of a sudden that out-of-place biohazard bin makes a lot more sense," Ren hummed thoughtfully stroking his chin.
"Well, Mr. Trussardi, I'd say this little outing has been very enlightening, apart from the mental scarring," Jack said turning to a still-shuddering Ruby who had a spatter of her teammate's blood on her cheek. "Most of my hangover is gone, but, you can just leave the last of it to me," he said extending his hand to shake. "You keep up the good work, sir. I'm rooting for you."
Tonio giving the Faunus a genial smile reached out to clasp his hand, only to freeze mid-stride and go for the wrist. Upturning the Faunus' palm, after a moment the man threw himself to the side, recoiling in shock as a hand went up to a suddenly sweat-drenched face.
"Mr. Trussardi, what's wrong?" Pyrrha asked worriedly, her teacher now white as a bleached sheet.
"Mr. Braxton… If you don't get those accumulated maladies rectified…" the man said with a shaky voice as he turned toward Jack. "You'll be dead… before the ink can dry on your diploma…!"
" . . . SAY WHAT?!" the two teams, sans Jack cried out in shock.
"Mr. Trussardi, surely there's some sort of mistake…!" Weiss said in a quavering voice.
"I make no mistakes when it comes to the health of my patrons…" the man said in a serious tone. "I've never seen someone whose health was in such dire straits before... At least not outside an ICU after an airship crash."
"I'm sure you're just exaggerating," Jack waved off as he coughed into his hand. "Come on. Let's leave-"
"Jack Braxton. Sit, down," Blake ordered with an imperious look, pupils narrowing into slits, her Scroll in her hand as she hit the speed dial.
"Blake. Put that down."
"Girls. Hold him. I need to make a call."
"Blake, you're overreacting-"
"I've got his arm!" Yang called out as she pulled him into his chair.
"I have his other arm!" Weiss added.
"We've got his legs!" Ruby and Pyrrha cried out.
"I've got his leg too!" Nora cried.
"Um, Nora, that isn't his 'leg'," Pyrrha blushed.
" . . . I've still got it."
"Dr. Chopper? Yes, it's me, Blake."
"She knows a doctor named 'Chopper'?" Yang blinked.
"I need you to be honest with me. Is Jack dying?"
" . . . "
"Okay let me rephrase that comment. Is he in danger of being dead 'by the time he graduates' because of numerous medical issues he's left unaddressed over the years?"
" . . . "
"Uh huh. I see. Thank you for telling me," Blake hummed, calmly pocketing her phone before rounding on Jack and saying- "When the hell were you going to tell me you were dying?!"
"Holy crap, it's true!?" Nora gawped.
"Hey, watch the hands!" Jack cried out.
"Wait, you mean he really is sick?! Like, TV drama levels of sick!?" Yang cried.
"Apparentlyyy!" Blake hissed, shooting the older Faunus a look.
"Blake. He might be a doctor, but he's also a kid. Kids have a tendency to exaggerate."
A moment later the Faunus let out a cough, and bereft of the use of his arms, was unable to conceal the blood-mixed spittle that shot out of his mouth and onto the table in front of him, everyone shooting the Faunus a shocked look after eyeing the damning, crimson stain for a few moments.
" . . . That proves nothing."
"Noooo. That proves everything," Ruby pouted.
Jack was about to countermand the statement, but Ruby's big watering eyes gave him pause.
"Mr. Trussardi, please, there has to be something you can do to save him!" Weiss said holding out the Faunus' hand for him to see.
"Yeah, there's just gotta be!" Yang said holding out his other hand.
Jack closed his fists in response, barring Tonio's view, but his resolve wavered as Weiss placed a delicate hand upon his cheek and turned him to face her.
" . . . Please . . . ?"
" . . . "
A few moments later, the Faunus reluctantly opened his palms, allowing Tonio Trussardi to study them, the man's face the look of a neurosurgeon studying a CT Scan before a life-altering surgery for the son of a diplomat "or something".
"Well? What's the verdict?" Jaune inquired, choosing to ignore the intimate gesture that took place a moment before.
Cue Death Note OST – Low of Solipsism
In answer to this, Tonio shot toward his desk at the far end of the room, dramatically opening a bag of chips from the pantry before furiously scrawling pen to parchment, eating aforementioned chips as he wrote with a needlessly dramatic flourish.
"Isn't he being needlessly dramatic?" Weiss blinked.
"Says the girl with her poses," Yang huffed.
"I prefer the term 'elegance'."
"Shush. There's genius at work," Nora whispered.
"And how would you know that?" Jaune inquired.
"Because he's writing with his right hand… and with the other… he'll eat the potato chip!"
" . . . I don't get it," Vincent hummed after a moment, Tonio suddenly ceasing his actions causing all eyes to fall on him.
Cue Toriko OST - Gourmet Age
"BEHOOOOOLD!" Tonio proclaimed, a sheet of parchment held above his head and enveloped by a beam of sunlight before he brought it down upon the table with a dramatic *WHAM!* that upended only the empty plates while leaving the glasses and those with food upon them still in place. "Jack Braxton's Revitalizing Life-Saving Full Course!"
[APERTIVO] – [Vittorio Vitae Vermouth]
[ANTIPASTO] – [North Star Bruschetta]
[PRIMO] – [Nine Vegetable Soup]
[SECONDO] – [Golden Meat & White Gold Potatoes]
[CONTORNO] – [Ten Yolk Gnocchi]
[INSALATA] – [Royal Salad]
[FORMAGGIE e FRUTTA] – [King's Cheese & Fruit]
[DOLCE] – [Abyss Sugar Tiramisu]
[CAFE] – [Abyss Black Espresso]
[DIGESTIVO] – [Night Princess Tea]
" . . . Okay, this looks real fancy and all, but I don't know what goes into half of this stuff…" Yang hummed as she eyed the impressive list. "Or… you know… any of it. What about you, Weiss?"
"I recognize some of these items… and I could certainly bankroll the majority without my father immediately noticing; probably. However…" she hummed crossing her arms. "The problem is the time limit of 'four years' we need to get all of these items together by… Even if we order the needed ingredients on commission, some of these might take more time for outside sources to procure than Jack has; assuming we take 'Graduation' in four years time as a 'hard deadline'."
"That… isn't the only problem…" Tonio admitted awkwardly, drawing concerned looks. "Right now, Jack's Gourmet Cells are at the now-present limit of their growth; essentially, they've hit their 'Wall' and can develop no further."
"OH! You mean like a 'Level Cap' in a mobile game?" Nora gasped, Ren about to chastize her before realizing, that was-in-fact an apt comparison.
"Yes, exactly," Tonio nodded. "With how-deeply rooted his numerous maladies lie, if his body's going to even endure the fullest expression of my Revitalizing Cooking through the use of more-powerful Ingredients… we need to break that threshold, force his Gourmet Cells to Evolve to their next level, otherwise we'll be trying to fill a cup that has already been filled."
"You can tell all that just from looking at my palms?"
"I can."
"If you can concoct a 'Revitalizing Life-Saving Full Course' just from that alone, can you tell what sort of Ingredient can break through my 'limiter'?" he asked, having never even realized he was at his first 'Wall', this time willfully offering his palms to the Revitalizing Chef.
Not like he could hide how-little time he had any longer.
Though admittedly, Chopper's estimate had been pretty conservative...
"Hmmmm…" the man hummed looking at the Faunus' palms once again, placing a jeweler's loupe to his eye while making Jaune hold a flashlight for him to see under. After several seconds of intense scrutiny, the man clicked his tongue and replied- "Something like [Sunshine Fruit] would do the trick in your case, but…"
"If we can't even get started on this escapade without first breaking through Jack's 'limiter', we'll simply need to buy our way through this pay wall," Weiss said going for her handbag. "How much capita will we require to get started?"
"A matured [Sunshine Fruit] has a Capture Level of 15 and costs 4.5 million."
"Um… Since IGO Headquarters is off the coast of Mistral, that's in Yen, right?"
"No. That's in dollars."
At that proclamation, the others scrambled for something to drink before doing a spit-take, only to immediately regret wasting such-tasty water.
"Four and a half…?! Okay, even my father would notice if I spent that much money on a piece of fruit…" Weiss said sounding despondent. "I mean… Unless one of us has an 'in' with a high-ranking IGO official, or are secretly sitting upon a mountain of gold and the Dust mine underneath it… the only way we could get that much money to spend were if I…"
"If you…? If you what?" Ruby asked worriedly.
"If I agreed to go back to Atlas," she answered, a shocked intake of breath spreading through the room like a ripple. "That's… That's the only way. If this can save Jack's life, I'll-" she said going for her phone, only for Jack to lay his hand atop her own.
"There's no need to go that far."
"But Jack! If we don't do this, you'll die!"
"Weiss, I-"
"Didn't I just order you to actually care about your own life?!"
"If you could just give me a second-"
"The Jack Braxton I knew, would never give up so-!"
Before she could continue on her present tirade, her lips found themselves pinched by calloused fingertips, the Faunus shooting her a flat look that told her to wait a moment and comport herself.
"Mr. Trussardi. If I can get you a [Sunshine Fruit], how-soon can you be ready for the Special Preparation I assume it'll require?"
"By this Wednesday at the earliest. But that won't mean anything if we can't even get a Sunshine Fruit."
"Which you will."
" . . . How?" Weiss asked with a raised brow after freeing her lips.
"Well, as it just so happens..." the Faunus sighed, "I've been holding onto an 'IOU' from a high-ranking IGO official ever since I rescued their kid a couple years back. Guess now's as good a time as any to cash it in," he said with a shrug. "Glad I didn't liquidate it for cash, otherwise I'd be screwed right now."
"I'll say. For four-and-a-half million, that must be one hell of an IOU," Nora gawped.
"Or one hell of an important kid," Ren chose to add.
"Yes, well, here's hoping I can stretch this IOU that far," Jack said going for his own phone. "Mr. Trussardi, it looked like you were in the middle of making one last course before everything got so crazy. Why don't you and Jaune turn your attention back on that, while I make a quick call."
The Faunus making his way into the far corner of the classroom and waiting on hold between fits of hushed tones, the others quickly excused themselves to "go to the bathroom" before stepping out into the hall and walking to the far side of the building. It was only once they were reasonably sure that Jack couldn't hear them any longer, that they conversed once more.
"You think he's being straight with us?" Ruby asked with an uncharacteristically serious expression.
So-serious in fact her animation style had done a complete tonal shift.
"Why Ruby, are you doubting him?" Weiss faux-gasped.
"I mean… He could be making that story up just so we'd get off his back…" Blake hummed worriedly.
"To what end, though? I mean it's not like we're just going to forget about this," Weiss stated. "Even if the blood in his cough was a little... derivative."
"Would your dad really make you to go back to Atlas if you tried to bankroll this thing?" Yang questioned.
"Four-and-a-half mil' is a lot of money…" Pyrrha conceded.
"What would he even have you do back in Atlas anyway?" Nora inquired.
"In all likelihood, he'd make her focus on her singing career and use her to further his political agendas," Ren surmised. "For those with power, enough 'is never enough'."
"You… are not far off the mark…" Weiss admitted as she wrung her hands. "Winter already abdicated herself of the inheritance, so now it's down Whitley and I, and between the two of us, I am the most-logical choice to inherit the SDC. My singing career has already given me the political edge over my brother, and he himself hasn't even tried to bridge the gap, last I heard."
"Weiss," Ruby said reaching out and tugging at her sleeve. "What else aren't you telling us?"
"Nothing. Don't worry about it."
Though obviously, there was no way in hell she'd tell her friends that her father, in all likelihood, would also pawn her off to some inbred sycophant at least twice her age so he could further-consolidate his stranglehold on Remnant's Dust industry.
Fact was, it wasn't just about her anymore, and learning how-little time he had left in the grand scheme of things... What else could this pain in her chest be other thanlove?
"Sooooo… we just wait for Wednesday, see if he's screwing with us or not?" Yang questioned.
"I mean… It's all we can do, to be honest…" Blake conceded. "I say we put our faith in him, at least for a little while."
"And if he is lying, we ride his ass about this!" Ruby shouted.
"Don't let your boyfriend hear you say that~" Yang grinned.
"Not the time, Yang!"
"But no matter what, we can't let him sacrifice himself for... for me..." Weiss said despondently, eyes downcast as she remembered all he had endured; everything he'd endured from his original Team, everything he'd put up with back when she was still a snot-nosed brat, everything he'd left unsaid after putting his all on the line for her...
"Of course, then that just leaves the rest of the 'Revitalizing Life-Saving Full Course'…" Pyrrha hummed, not wanting Jack to drop dead before the ink was even dried on their diplomas. "If anything, going after so-many diverse Ingredients ourselves could prove as excellent training," she hummed with a bit of excitement in her tone.
Assuming the whole 'beyond Level 3, most conventional arms cease being useful at all' statement was to be taken literally, it would be quite the hurdle for them to overcome. And hard work always paid dividends.
That, and a small part of her still romanticized Hunters as "Adventurers" from the old stories who would go on epic quests, explore far-off lands, and discover never-before-seen treasures while saving a village or two along the way.
"Oooh! Epic Meal Quest!" Nora grinned eagerly.
"So we're in agreement?" Ren inquired.
"Wait, what about Jaune?" Pyrrha asked worriedly.
"What about him?"
"Harsh, but fair," Nora conceded. "And who knows, maybe fighting for his life so he won't die as food, for food, will put some chest hairs on him!"
"And wouldn't that be ironic..." Ruby hummed.
"What, the chest hairs?" Yang blinked.
"No. Him dying as food."
This of course, prompted a lengthy debate about whether or not dying as food was technically, "ironic"...
*NEW WORLD*
"Ooh! Pudding for dessert?" Ruby gasped. "Best. Club. Ever!"
"What about the Sniping Club?" Weiss asked dryly.
"Apart from that one!" she was swift to amend. "But this one's a close second!"
"Well, it's good to know where your loyalties lie," Weiss said with a roll of her eyes.
"Pudding, for dessert~?!" Nora snorted. "Heh! I'm a badass. Pudding is for chicks or little kids. Don't make me laugh…" *nom* "AWEEEEEEEEEEEESOME!"
"What is that, the 'word of the day'?" Jaune hummed even as he fought down the orgasmic bliss brought upon him by aforementioned dessert.
"Hey, my Athlete's Foot is gone!" Pyrrha suddenly cried out.
"Me too!" Yang cried.
"Me three!" Ruby beamed.
"This all seems strangely familiar, but I can't recall from where…" Vincent hummed idly as the three giddily showed off their fungus-free feet completely unprovoked.
Thank god there weren't any foot fetishists around... Probably.
Jack, meanwhile, eyed the "Revitalizing Life-Saving Full Course" that Tonio had drawn out as he idly ate his own chocolate-topped dessert.
What everyone else had seen were the names of each course and the completed product; something pretty for ceremonial purposes that would go in a "Hall of Fame". The second sheet, what none of them had been shown, was a listing of the actual Ingredients and a rough estimate of their respective Capture Levels.
The Faunus had to admit, Tonio certainly knew his stuff, what with how-diverse the array of Ingredients in their raw forms were; and if the man's Revitalizing Cooking with ordinary ingredients of Capture Level Zero could do as-much as had been shown, the final product of this "Revitalizing Life-Saving Full Course" would definitely perform as-advertised. And a talent like that didn't go unnoticed, so the Faunus wouldn't be surprised if the man was a secret reserve member of the IGO's rumored "Biotope Zero".
Food for thought on another day.
Given what was arrayed before him, it wasn't completely impossible to gather the necessary Ingredients in the allotted timeframe. There wasn't anything on there with a "cooldown period" of entire centuries like some of the really rare stuff out there, though that Capture Level 53 item was a bit worrisome.
Still, as long as that number didn't connotate raw combat ability of the specimen in question... Honestly, he was just grateful the highest item on this list only had a Capture Level in the mid-50s. Any higher, and in all likelihood he'd have to leave everyone at Beacon behind just so he could get strong-enough to procure all these items within the aforementioned timeframe.
But no matter what, he could not, would not, allow Weiss to surrender herself to the whims of her sperm donor and became a slave in all but name, just so he could climb out of the hole he'd dug for himself; not including all the "digging" the worst of Humankind contributes. Weiss' offering growing impossibly heavy in his pocket, the Faunus swore no matter what, that the heiress would never endure what he himself had to once upon a time. Not as long as he still drew breath, at least.
And while it was true that the deeper intricacies of his failing health hadn't been divulged in a matter of his own preference, it made for an excellent excuse to take the lot of them out of their comfort zone, well outside the walls of the Kingdoms that had coddled most of them.
That and take Goldie out for some very enthusiastic walks~
"The future can only be entrusted to those who sit around the same table..." the Faunus recited of a line his mother had told to him more than once while he turned his eyes to some of the friends he'd made. Friends he never would've believed he could make after Ozpin's radically-flawed vetting process gave him the worst possible teammates in the history of "worst possible teammates".
Which had him wonder... Did Jill know that this was what he had been missing? What he'd needed more than anything without ever realizing it, and could only get it when he ceased to be a 'nomad', a 'man without a homeland'?
"Frankly, it's kind of frightening how astute that girl can be..." he chuckled to himself as he polished off his dessert. "Mmm~ Sweet but not too sweet~"
"Question!" Ruby piped up. "How does pudding make Athletes Foot go away?"
"Ah, well the principle is actually quite fascinating~" Tonio grinned about to go into lecture.
*NEW WORLD*
AN:
A little Jojo, a little Toriko, a little something extra at the start, a totally-not-shameless plug for a "Watching" story based upon this one (technically the prequel...), with just a sprinkling of foreshadowing for an epic overarching side quest. What more could a person want~?