Hey-o. I was torn between updating this and making a KnightLight fic. I'm still finalizing some plans, so I decided to update this first. Hope you guys enjoy it.
Vote update:
Winter - 110
Goodwitch - 108
Pyrrha - 78
Cinder - 50
Neo - 36
Blake - 32
Yang - 25
No one - 24
Winter won the vote currently. It was actually equal between her and Goodwitch a couple of days ago so I wondered if I had to do a coinflip or a threesome. Anyway, I'll be showing Jaune interacting with Winter and Goodwitch in the next two or three chapters then ending the vote a few days after so we can finalize who gets the romance.
So yeah, right now it's between Dommy Mommy and Dommy Mommy with a bigger age gap. Make your choice, I guess.
Jaune smiled to himself as he leaned back on his fancy new leather chair. It'd been a week since his genius plan to knock Blake down a peg and peace reigned across the land.
Okay, not really. The Grimm were still everywhere, the White Fang still committed terrorist acts, Roman Torchwick was stealing more and more Dust, and, if Ozpin's homebrew B&B campaign was was any indication, there was an immortal Grimm queen out to destroy them all.
But Blake was stuck in detention with Oobleck, so as far as Jaune was concerned, all was right with the world.
That was mean, he thought to himself, but it wasn't like he was actually qualified for this job. A real counselor would get to the root of Blake's issues and slowly coax her to the path of recovery. Jaune, on the other hand, was much more keen to use the blackmail of telling on their parents. It came from years of dealing with seven sisters and being the only boy. Snitches get stitches? Hah. Snitching was the only way he could survive!
The blonde picked up his mug of hot chocolate - a personal recipe from Ozpin himself - and took a slow, relaxed sip of the confection. Oh yes, life was going great. With Blake gone he no longer dreaded his sessions and the rest of team RWY was also making progress. Ruby and Weiss had admitted that helping in vigilante activities wasn't for the best and Yang was slowly but surely confessing more and more about her issues with abandonment.
There was a knock on the door, "Come in." Jaune set his mug down and smiled when Cinder walked inside. Cinder Fall was another student he'd been meeting with semi-frequently. She was...odd. Polite and never shy with conversation, but also closed off. Not in an obvious way like Blake was despite their physical similarities. More that she'd deflect or find some way to change the subject. The average person probably wouldn't have noticed, but talking with one-on-one multiple times a week made it easy for him to spot.
Well, that and dealing with Blake had made him paranoid.
"How are you, Cinder?" Jaune asked. Truth be told, he had no idea why she came to visit him. She didn't seem to have much in the way of problems and she wasn't forced to attend sessions like team RWBY and Cardin. Indeed, from how she told it, life at Beacon was a 'quaint new experience' for her. She'd let it slip once that she didn't have much in the way of education before coming here.
She'd quickly changed the subject before he could probe deeper.
"Just fine, Mr. Arc." She crossed her right leg over her left and smiled in the same enigmatic way she always did. Except this time he noticed some strain in the gesture. He might not have been qualified, but he did know how to read signs.
"I hope you don't mind me saying, but you seem agitated." Her smile didn't waver once, but he did notice her body stiffen slightly, "If you're having issues then don't hesitate to tell me. You know that nothing you say will leave the room."
"Perhaps." She leaned back slightly and he politely looked away. Most people attended Beacon at seventeen, but there were always outliers. Ruby was only fifteen and Cinder was on the other end. She wasn't old - granted, he had no idea how old she actually was - but she definitely carried herself with a maturity that wasn't present for other first-year students. There was a good chance she was actually older than him.
"You could talk about it if you wish. The worst thing that happens is I don't know what to say."
"I wouldn't worry about that. I've heard good things about your advice." She chuckled under her breath, "It's with my...teammates. We've been having some issues, is all."
"You don't talk about them much." None of them had come for any sessions either. One time she saw that Emerald girl hanging around the office door...or at least he thought he did. One second she was there and the next she wasn't. Might've just been his imagination.
"We prefer to keep to ourselves most days." She shrugged lightly, "But we do have our...issues. Mercury is loyal enough, I suppose, but he never takes much seriously and he's very lacking in motivation. Emerald is eager to please, but she has the opposite problem where she can sometimes overreach. And then there's Fintant." She sighed, "Always ranting about his ex-girlfriend. He's obsessed."
"I haven't seen this...Fintan?"
"He doesn't attend much. Medical condition." She waved a hand, "He takes tests remotely. Headmaster Lionheart was very understanding."
"And do you find it difficult to have one less team member than normal?"
"Not particularly. In fact, the less I speak to him, the better." Her smile fell and she looked to the side in irritation, "His loyalty is rather...tumultuous. For all of Mercury's flaws, he follows orders well enough with only minimal complaints."
"Loyalty. You talk about that a lot."
Her eyes widened slightly, so slight he almost didn't notice, before she chuckled again, "Is it so odd? What leader wouldn't want loyal teammates?"
"I just found it noticeable. Valeans are really proud of their independence." So were Vacuans. Atlas prided itself on loyalty while Mistralians were a mixed bag, "I know you're from Haven Academy, but are you from Mistral in general?" He didn't want to assume. Pyrrha was in Beacon even though she was the pride and joy of Argus.
"I've been in many places."
"You're deflecting," he said, though it had no heat.
"Perhaps I am." She tilted her head slightly and smirked, "A woman ought to have some secrets, hm?"
"Is where you came from really such a secret?" he asked back. He wouldn't push, she wasn't in trouble like team RWBY was, but he did find it interesting. A lot of people had secrets - their home life, their families, their friends, the things they got up to when no one was looking - but he'd never seen someone so guarded about where they came from. Pride in their kingdom or village was something most students seem to have an excess of.
"Perhaps..." She leaned back on the chair again, "Perhaps you could tell me where you came from, Mr. Arc? I'd be more open if this was an exchange."
"Not a problem." It wasn't a big secret or anything. The only secret he did have was that he wasn't really qualified for the job, "I'm from a town called Domremy on Eastern Saunus. You won't find it on a map or anything. It's not a big place like Argus." He really should visit Saphron sometime, "Domremy was always bigger than the usual village. We had good walls and a strong militia. The best thing you can hope for outside the kingdoms."
"And how did you come to work for Beacon, then?"
"Ah, ah, ah. That's a different question."
"Of course." She rolled her eyes playfully, "As for myself, I was raised in Atlas. My mother and sisters were...strict. They were exacting taskmasters, but in some ways, I want to thank them for it. It taught me discipline, and that if I wanted something I had to take it." Her smile turned colder, though when he blinked it was gone, "A good lesson to learn young, I should think."
"Sounds like it. I could've learned that myself."
"Oh?" She raised a curious brow, "How do you mean, Mr. Arc?"
"Well...back when I was younger, I wanted to be a Huntsmen." He still did, but what he said wasn't technically lying, "But I missed my chance. I was lazy and I didn't train or push hard enough to get the help I needed. By the time I was of age, it was too late." And his parents caught him trying to fake his transcripts. Probably a good thing, in hindsight. He could barely handle the students here and he was in a position of authority.
"Oh? You seem quite young yet, Mr. Arc. It's not too late." He resisted the urge to correct her on how old she assumed he was, "In fact, I would be open to teaching you sometime if you were interested."
"Ah...I appreciate the offer, but it wouldn't look good for a student to be teaching a counselor." He let out a forced laugh, "I do appreciate the offer, though. I also received the same from Pyrrha and told her the same. Wouldn't do good for any student to waste their precious free time mentoring a member of the staff." There was technically nothing against it, but he got the feeling Glynda would disapprove.
"An offer of training from the Invincible Girl herself? Many would kill for that opportunity and yet you refuse it so easily." She chuckled.
"Hey, come on, you're making me feel bad." He laughed in turn and rubbed the back of his head. It was always so easy to forget that Pyrrha was a famous tournament fighter, "Besides, even if I did accept, I doubt I'd have time. It's been...pretty busy these past few months." Mostly because of Team RWBY and Blake, but there were some other issues with the students. Turned out that giving hormonal teenagers access to superpowers and deadly weaponry led to a lot of issues.
"Anyone in particular that comes to mind as problematic?"
He almost said Blake on instinct before remembering the rules, "Hey now, you know I can't tell you that. Patient confidentiality. Same way I can't tell anyone what you tell me."
"Good point. Well then, since I answered your question would you mind answering my earlier one? How did you come to work here? Beacon isn't exactly an easy place to get a job, especially in such a crucial role."
"Crucial? I'm not so sure about that."
"I beg to differ. Teachers are meant to mold the students into the Protectors of Mankind, certainly, but the mind is just as, if not more, important than the body. Huntsmen wouldn't be very effective if they suffered from mental deficiencies. You could be the difference between someone being a good Huntsmen to someone flunking out because of their own flaws."
"You make me sound like a miracle worker."
"I'm always of the belief that a proper mindset is key to anything. All the strength and power in the world don't matter if you're weak-willed, lazy, or lacking in initiative. Conversely, physical weaknesses can be overcome with determination and resolve. I've met many a Huntsman who failed because they rested on their laurels, all too satisfied in staying where they were instead of seeking more."
"Being satisfied with what you have isn't really a flaw." Mom and Dad were happy with where they were and they'd been going strong for decades.
"Perhaps not, but it is a slippery slope to apathy," she replied coolly, "Maybe it's because of how I was raised. In Atlas, loyalty is everything. And while I can respect that, it also leads to a culture of never trying to rise above your station. You could be more skilled, more intelligent, just better than your superior, and yet you're forced to keep your head down out of a warped sense of order."
"Hm. And would you consider yourself a loyal person, Cinder?"
"To those who earn my respect? Certainly." There was that smile again. A cold edge that looked oddly fitting on her, "Loyalty is earned, not given, and those who I'm loyal to have more than earned it. That's something I think more people should follow. Too many are quick to throw their lot in with someone without truly knowing them. Atlas has it with their armies, and in the kingdoms, many of the Huntsmen are loyal to their headmasters."
"Aren't you training to be a Huntress too?"
"For my own reasons." She tapped her fingers on the couch's armrest, "Some wish for riches, others still want fame or glory. I'm not looking for anything as base as that, but I'll keep my motives to myself if you don't mind."
"Everyone has their secrets." He nodded, "As for me...well, I wanted to be a hero."
"Truly?" She raised both brows at that, "I'd heard of those who sought out being Huntsmen for more abstract reasons - heroism, freedom, to find meaning - but those looking to be heroes are usually children. No offense intended, of course."
"None taken. Mom always said I had my head in the clouds." So did Saphron and Rebecca, "I don't think it's a bad reason, though. The world can be a...rough place, so people who just want to be heroes can make it better." Like Ruby. As reckless as she could be, she was at least sincere in wanting to be a hero who could save and protect the innocent, "Don't you think it'd be better if more people just wanted to help each other without expecting anything back?"
"Would that everyone else thought that way." Her tone was somewhat somber, "But you never did answer my question."
"Huh? Oh yeah. Well..." He couldn't tell her the truth, but he didn't want to fully lie either, "I helped Ozpin with a personal matter." His drunken fanfiction ramblings, "I can't share it for obvious reasons, but he found my advice helpful enough that he offered me a job. I couldn't find a reason to say no." Technically true. He just left out a lot of details to make it sound less sad than it really was.
"And would you say you have his confidence?"
"I guess so?" Jaune shrugged. He attended Ozpin's meetings sometimes along with Glynda and even General Ironwood. Kind of weird for people in such high positions to discuss fanfiction and homebrew B&B campaigns, but everyone had to relax in their own way. Ruby baked, Yang went clubbing, and Ozpin pretended to be the head of some global conspiracy against his immortal ex-wife.
"Interesting." She checked her scroll, "I'm sorry, I have another appointment. Thank you for your time, Jaune."
"Alright, I'll see you around." He stood and refilled his cup of hot chocolate, unaware of the sly smirk Cinder had as she left the room.
Jaune was just about to finish for the day when the door slammed open. He watched, stunned silent, as a short girl with dark hair and an equally dark dress stomped inside and plopped herself on the couch. She was covered head to toe in red sap and she cared not a single whit that she was dripping on the embroidered furniture.
"Can I...help you?" Jaune asked slowly.
"..." She glared at him, and he was suddenly reminded of his younger sisters. The girl was short, easily under five feet, with a slender physique. The hair being done up in twin tails only added to the look.
"I'm...guessing you're here because of the red sap."
Her glare turned into a scowl and she crossed her arms. An action she immediately regretted when it just allowed the sticky red substance to mush together when the skin made contact, "..." Still not a word said, but if looks could kill then there weren't even be a body left for him to bury.
"Wait, you're Mint, aren't you?" Ozpin gave him files on all the students but he only really glanced at most of them. The majority of the students weren't exactly banging down his door for sessions, "So...I'm guessing you got pranked."
She snarled without a sound and threw up her hands, splattering more drops of red sap. The janitor was gonna hate him later.
"..."
"Nora and Pyrrha did it together? Well, I guess I shouldn't be surprised." Pyrrha was too nice to do anything herself, "Still, if Nora's willing to give up red sap then that means she must've really wanted some payback."
"...?'
"How do I know? You just told me."
"...?!" Her eyes widened and she gestured wildly in surprise.
"Yeah, I can understand you." He nodded.
She gaped at him then made another gesture, "...?"
"How? I have little sisters." Her eyes narrowed, "Oh, uh, I should probably be more specific. Well, when April and May got grounded from a concert they really wanted to go to, they didn't talk to anyone for three months. It was either learn how to read between the lines - or between the quiet, I guess - or just not getting what they were 'saying'." He shrugged, "Guess I picked up some stuff."
"...!"
"Pyrrha told you I was the one who suggested a prank?" Jaune sighed. She wasn't sworn to secrecy on what happened with their sessions, but really? Then again he didn't have any room to talk about snitching, "Yeah, I gave her some advice. You were bullying her."
"..."
"Yes, you were. It was not 'just a prank'." Jaune rolled his eyes, "If you really thought that, you wouldn't be here complaining when they did the same thing to you."
"...!"
"Yes, it was just as bad. You threw pies in her face, stole her underwear, and other things that she wasn't comfortable telling me." Jaune crossed his arms. Unlike her, he wasn't covered in sticky red sap and could keep the gesture, "Look, I don't know what you came here for, but-"
"..." She made a few more gestures before deliberately wiping her hands on the seat.
"You know I'm not the one who has to clean that, right? You're just making life hard for the cleaning staff." He sighed, "Look, why did you start 'pranking' Pyrrha anyway? You were just fine ignoring her for months."
"...!"
"She's boring? How? She's been trying to make friends with you since the first day.
"...! ...? ...!"
"Yes, she can be that nice. What are you trying to prove? That she's just faking the whole thing?" He shook his head, "If she snaps at you for bullying her then that doesn't mean she's not nice; it just means that she has limits."
"...!"
"No, I'm not going to tell her to quit it. You started this, so if you want to end it then you have to apologize." He raised a hand, "And no, not being able to talk isn't an excuse. You can write and you have a scroll. Just say you're sorry."
"..." She looked away with a scowl.
"Who cares if you 'lose'? Do you want the pranking to stop or to 'win'?"
"...!"
"Okay, so I don't see what you want from-" More gestures, this time more vivid than the last ones. She mimed opening a piece of paper and poring over it before she pointed to him and mimed grabbing him, "You...want me to help you make pranks to pay them back?" She nodded, smiling for the first time since she entered. It looked downright manic, "And...why would I do that?"
"..."
"No, I did not 'encourage Pyrrha to bully her partner'. She's just standing up for herself." He pinched the bridge of her nose at her silent question of 'what's the difference?', "Look, I'm not helping you plan pranks, but if you just need someone to talk to then my door is always open. My advice? Come with Pyrrha for a session. Maybe we can get to the root of your issues so you can both agree to stop this."
She scowled and didn't 'say' anything else she stood, turned on her heel, and marched out of the room, dripping red sap as she went. Jaune sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. And here he thought only Blake was going to be a problem child.
Speak of the devil and she shall come. The door had barely closed before it was opened once again. Blake came in without knocking looking absolutely haggard. There were bags under her eyes, her hair was messy, and her expression was utterly murderous. Given that she was a Huntress-in-training, that should've been enough to scare him. And it kind of did before he reminded himself that he still had Glynda on speed dial.
"Blake, so nice to see you. How were your meetings with Oobleck?"
"I haven't gotten more than two hours of sleep a day for the whole week," she snarled.
"I'm so sorry to hear that," he said, utterly and totally sincere.
"Did you know that his thirty rock categories have five subcategories each? I know more about the differences between different rock types than I do about Grimm!" She gave a crazed little laugh, "Oh, and after we finished that he had me catalog leaves. Not even trees, leaves! I had to categorize them by type and age! I'm still hearing the numbers in my head!"
"Again, I'm so sorry to hear that. Tea?" Was it wrong for him to feel so satisfied when she glared at him? Almost definitely, but he blamed Ozpin for hiring someone who he rambled to while he was drunk, "So...I trust that you've learned something in your week-long stay with Oobleck? Besides rocks and leaves, I mean."
"Oh, I've learned a lot." And suddenly she smiled. It was so soft and sincere that a cold sweat ran down his back, "You were right, I was wrong. Being in denial didn't help either of us. I understand that now."
"Well...good, so I trust that-"
"If I wanted to convince you I was right then I should've showed you." She pulled out a black burlap mini sack from behind her, still with a sincere smile, "After all, I can't expect you to be convinced that I was right if you just had to take my word for it. You have to see it with your own eyes."
"Blake...what are you doing?" Alright, he was scared.
"I heard about this White Fang gathering happening tonight. Since I don't want to get in trouble or anything, I thought it'd be best if I was supervised by a responsible adult." With her other hand, she pulled out her weapon - Gambol Shroud - and unfurled the ribbon, "And here you are. How convenient."
Jaune's eyes widened and he didn't get a chance to scream before Blake tied him up, stuffed the sack over his head, and slung him over her shoulder.
...God damn it, Blake. Yeah, she's taking her revenge just a bit far. That's what happens when you're angry and sleep deprived.
And before anyone rages. Please remember that Blake's segments run on toon logic. Jaune isn't going to get hurt the same way team RWBY aren't treated as assholes for luring Torchwick's mech to a crowded highway. Jaune will be fine, and this'll allow him to justify going even harder against Blake in the upcoming Parent-Teacher conference chapter.
So yeah, for anyone really mad at Blake, don't take it so seriously. The next chapter will have the White Fang and maybe Adam putting in an appearance. Let's see how Jaune manages to somehow get Adam to talk about his feelings.
Side Note - If people are really that against it, I'm not above re-writing the end of this chapter as needed. Guess we'll see.
Wanna help support me? Then check out the link below:
P a treon . com (slash) Vendetta543
Questions:
1. What do you guys think of Jaune so far? One of my issues so far is that his 'voice' doesn't feel as bumbling or foolhardy as he was back in V1-V3. Almost makes me wonder if I should've used an OC instead.
2. Is Jaune not much better than Blake? While she did start their little feud by being stubborn and delusional, she was more passive and just refuses to own up whereas Jaune is the one who outs her to her parents and then gets her detention with Oobleck.
Review Answers:
Lorekeeper of the Void - PTC comes later :)
hirshja - He's still keeping in contact with them. They show up later.
magnouceelie - Not doing fics for free, sorry. I would if it interests me, but that scenario doesn't.