A short update, but I just came across an idea for the next story arcs and I'm really curious on your guys' thoughts. Since I wanted to avoid uploading a chapter with just the questions, enjoy the chapter then please read the questions at the end.
By the way, Goodwitch and Winter are tied for 123 votes each. Note that I can't count people just asking for their preferred older woman, so please vote in the poll for your choice. Anyone on mobile, click the Aa at the side of the browser and request the desktop website.
"Um...good afternoon, you two."
Jaune blinked from behind his fake glasses as Coco Adel and Velvet Scarlatina strutted into his office like they owned the place. Well, Coco did. Velvet looked like she'd rather be anywhere else, which wasn't much of a surprise. He'd only met the Rabbit Faunus once since only first years were scheduled for introductory sessions. He never did know what happened to his predecessor. Every time he asked Ozpin he'd just cough and awkwardly trail off about how counselors really should've had higher mental fortitudes.
But back to Velvet. Their first and only meeting had been when she was assigned a session to determine her health after team CRDL's bullying. She'd actually handled it remarkably well; almost too well, actually. She'd admitted that she was used to prejudice given her background and that it wouldn't be the first or last time that she'd have to deal with it.
It was depressing, but the only thing he could really do was say that his door was open. He didn't think she'd ever come back.
And now she was practically being dragged inside by her team leader. Coco Adel wasn't someone he'd ever met before today, but he'd heard of her from the professors. A fashionista with a hunger for attention. Team CFVY was considered to be the best in their year and one of the choice picks for winning the Vytal Tournament. Impressive considering they weren't even seniors.
"Hey, doc." Coco sat down on the couch with Velvet awkwardly following her lead. He didn't bother to correct her on not being a doctor, "We gotta talk."
"O...kay? What seems to be the issue."
"It's nothing, si-"
"Like hell it's nothing, bun-bun!" Coco snapped. Velvet flinched, less in fear and shock and more in annoyance at being forced into something she really didn't want to do, "We tried talking to the teachers and they aren't doing anything, so let's get right to the source."
"Um..." Jaune looked between the two in confusion.
Velvet chewed on her lower lip and sighed, "It's...Cardin."
"Has he been bullying you again?" Jaune raised a brow. He really thought they were making progress in getting him to accept his crush and express it in a healthy way.
"Not...exactly-"
"He's stalking her!" Coco snapped. Velvet winced again, "We've seen him hanging around wherever we are. And don't say it's a coincidence or he just happened to be there. We ignored it for the first couple of days, figured that he was just being an idiot, but it's been a week and he's still doing it. And I know exactly what he's doing."
"And...what is he doing?" Jaune asked.
"He's trying to get bun-bun alone to attack her," Coco hissed, her glare obvious even through her shades, "He figures we'll just kick his teeth in again if he tries to attack us as a group so of course he's just looking for his chance when we're not around."
"I can take care of myself, Coco..." Velvet mumbled.
"I know you can, Bun-Bun, but you won't." Velvet winced at that but didn't disagree, "You think that if you just sit there and take it he'll eventually just leave you alone, but that's not how bastards like him work. The only thing they get is force."
"Better me than someone else! I can take it!"
"Better no one! And you shouldn't have to take it!"
"Please don't fight," Jaune cut in. He really didn't like his chances of getting in-between two irate Huntresses, but he still had a job to do, "It's obvious this is an issue, but there's a reason you two came here."
"Right, right..." Coco sighed and leaned back, right leg crossed over her left, "Well like I said, we told the teachers and they aren't doing anything. He's not breaking into our rooms or anything and he's not touching Bun-Bun, so we have no proof. Hanging around public areas isn't a crime." She scoffed, "But then we - well, I - heard that he was having sessions with you."
"He has..."
"So let's cut it off at the source." She smirked, "What's the big guy been telling you, doc? What nefarious scheme's he been sharing?"
"Coco!" Velvet cried out, aghast.
"You know I can't tell you anything about my sessions with other students, Ms. Adel. That violates the rules of confidentiality. I can't tell you what Cardin's said any more than I can tell Cardin what Velvet said." Granted, that wouldn't have been much considering they had all of one session, but the point was made. He may not have been qualified for the job, but he still knew what not to do.
"Uh-uh, I looked it up. You can tell people if he's planning to harm himself or others."
"Yes, and the fact that I'm not telling you anything should make it clear that he hasn't told me anything that would imply he's planning to harm himself or Ms. Scarlatina." Well, that and he wouldn't tell them even if Cardin did. He'd tell the professors who would handle it by the rules.
"You're telling me this guy hasn't let anything slip? Not a single thing?" Coco looked doubtful.
"Believe it or not, Ms. Adel, Mr. Winchester and I aren't the best of friends. If he really was planning to assault Ms. Scarlatina, which I still personally doubt, he would've likely kept it to himself or told his teammates."
"We already tried those three. Trust me, those chuckleheads don't know anything. Fox and I were...thorough."
"Coco." Velvet groaned and palmed her face.
"You're lucky I can't talk about previous crimes or I'd be telling a teacher you just tacitly confessed to torturing three students." Was it weird that it didn't scare him? Huntsman culture was just different from what he'd experienced. Put a bunch of teenagers together, give them superpowers and deadly weapons, and then add all that with all the drama normal adolescents already had. It was a miracle no one had been killed yet.
He still remembered that one guy who thought he got lucky being the only guy in a whole team of girls. He changed his mind real quick when their time of the month synchronized.
"So yeah, Cardin. His friends didn't say anything so you're the only one left. You sure he didn't say anything?" She lowered her shades slightly so her brown eyes could meet his.
"Positive."
"Hm." She pursed her lips. Velvet looked like she was about to suggest leaving already when Coco continued, "Alright, then show me his file."
"What?" Jaune blinked.
"Coco!" Velvet looked angry now, though the fashionable team leader paid her no mind.
"You know, your notes. His psyche profile. You don't remember him saying something, but maybe you wrote something down and just forgot. I just need to take a peek-"
"Absolutely not." Jaune's brows furrowed together and Coco stopped. From what Professor Goodwitch told him, the leader of team CFVY had a habit of being cocky and pushing her luck with teachers. She was no Yang Xiao Long, though, and didn't like the idea of getting anything on her record, "What you're asking for not only breaks confidentiality but is also illegal." Or at least he thought it was. Then again he was practicing without a license.
Well, that and he didn't have any notes. He wasn't lazy or anything, it just...slipped his mind. Good thing he had a detailed memory.
"But-"
"Coco, that's enough," Velvet said. Coco looked like she wanted to argue only for her to be silenced by her teammate's harsh look, "Look...I appreciate you wanting to look out for me, I really do, but I'm fine. I was wrong to hide it from you and the rest of the team before. I won't do it again, and if Cardin tries something then I'm not just going to sit there and take it again. Alright?'
"...Still doesn't explain why he's stalking you, and don't freaking tell me that it's all just a coincidence. We both know it isn't."
"Have you considered the possibility that maybe it's not for nefarious reasons?" Jaune asked. He couldn't tell them that Cardin had a really poorly expressed crush, but he had to do something, "Maybe he just wants to apologize?"
"Doubt it. People like him don't change." Coco scoffed.
"People can change, Ms. Adel, even bullies. My job would be pretty pointless if people were always set in their ways."
Coco's eyes narrowed, "...You know something."
"I couldn't tell you even if I did."
"Oh, come on! Not even a hint?"
"No, Ms. Adel." He shook his head. Velvet laughed under her breath while Coco grit her teeth, "Ms. Scarlatina, could I speak to you alone?"
"Huh? D-Did I do something wrong?"
"No, of course not. It's just a private conversation. So if you please, Ms. Adel?" He nodded to the fashionista, hoping beyond hope that the 'fancy talking for dummies' book he read would do its job.
"...Fine." She huffed and stood. Jaune waited till the door was closed without a crack for her to overhear. Good thing it was soundproof.
"So...what are we talking about?" Velvet asked nervously.
"Nothing much, I just thought you might need some space from your team leader." Velvet made to deny it before Jaune cut her off, "I saw how you were acting. She was being kind of...stifling, wasn't she?"
"...She means well," Velvet said, not quite agreeing but also not denying it either, "Coco's...she's a good leader, the best, but she can be overbearing. Every problem we have is her problem too and she tries to fix it as quick and hard as she can. That's good when it's something like a failing grade or a Grimm on the field, but sometimes it can be..."
"Is it just when you have problems?"
"...No." She sighed, bunny ears twitching. For some reason, he got the image of her trying to hide it under a bow, "Coco's...well, she's a good leader, but she takes the leader part of it really seriously. Sometimes it can be more than overbearing. She tells us how to do things and it's her way or the highway. We try to argue sometimes, but she just...goes and does it anyway. She's the leader so what she says goes."
"And how do you feel about that."
"I feel frustrated sometimes," she admitted softly, "But more than that, I feel useless. My weapon and Semblance are strong, but the Dust I need to use them is hard to get and expensive. That means I have to be held back. A last resort, Coco said. I know why she does it, but it's still frustrating because it's just her making a choice for me 'for my own good'."
"Have you told her this?"
"Of course I have, and so have Yats and Fox, but like I already said: what she says goes. She's still a good leader so we still listen to her despite our complaints."
"I could book you all for a group session. Let you all air out your grievances in a setting where you can't just be brushed off."
"I...I'll think about it." She shook her head, "Scratch that, I'll talk to Yats and Fox. If we're going to do this then it has to be as a team." She smiled slightly, "Thank you, Mr. Arc. But...how did you know? That Coco was being a bit overbearing, I mean. It can't just be because of how she acted earlier."
"You'd be surprised. Also, I have seven sisters and four of them are older than me. I had to deal with four siblings who thought they knew better and tried to move me around for years. I know what it's like."
"I guess you do." Velvet giggled, "I'll get back to you about our group meeting. See you then, Mr. Arc."
"Good luck, Ms. Scarlatina."
Jaune refilled his cup of hot chocolate and closed his eyes as he took a sip. For a few minutes, there was nothing but blissful silence before the door practically crashed open and Cardin Winchester stomped inside without knocking.
"Alright, fine, I admit it: I fucking like her." Cardin sat on the seat with a soft growl, "Now what do I do next?"
"Ah, Mr. Winchester. So good of you to come. Now, let's talk about your feelings for Ms. Scarlatina."
"Well?" Cinder asked Emerald as soon as the thief returned. She'd been waiting in the room with no one but Mercury for company. The assassin had spent the past half hour leering at her legs. Normally she wouldn't have minded it, men often found her enticing, but she also knew for a fact that he only did it to annoy her rather than any real sense of attraction. He was waiting for a reaction and she refused to give it to him.
"Nothing," Emerald sighed, mouth curled in a small frown, "I've looked everywhere in his office and I haven't found a single file."
"What?" Cinder's eyes narrowed.
"There were the usual student files, the ones Watts gave us access to, but those don't have anything useful. Just the regular info about transcripts and grades. I'm sorry."
"Nothing? How could there be nothing? He's been meeting with the likes of Weiss Schnee and Pyrrha Nikos, not to mention that Ruby Rose who's been such a thorn in our side. We also know that he has Ozpin's confidence. There's no chance that he would hire someone so young and unqualified for no reason. Arc must be providing him help in other ways. "
"I don't know what to tell you. I searched that place up and down, hacked his scroll and laptop, and looked for any possible secret places he might've stashed it. Nothing. Whatever they're talking about, he didn't write it down anywhere."
"Maybe he just couldn't be fucked to write it down," Mercury said from his place on the bed.
"Don't be foolish, Mercury. Not everyone is lazy as you." Cinder scoffed. The gray-haired assassin just rolled his eyes, "Hmm...I can only guess that he's keeping the knowledge in his mind. Smart. Less chance of plans being subverted if there's only one source." It was something she did herself. No need to risk leaving a trail when her memory would suffice.
"So...what do we do?" Emerald asked.
"I'll continue our sessions and pick his brain for now. It shouldn't take much for me to get something." And maybe if she was lucky, she could get herself a new peon. It was nice talking to someone who didn't judge. Emerald was too slavishly loyal and Mercury the opposite. That wasn't even considering the other members of Salem's council, none of whom she would shed tears for if they died; especially Tyrian.
Jaune Arc...she was looking forward to their next meeting.
Yeah, I'm really leaning into that Professor Arc level misunderstanding at the end with Cinder. Whatever, seems like everyone's looking at this fic like a copy so might as well take some of the funniest bits. Don't worry, I won't make the fic an exact copy or anything.
So yeah, I have some questions. Please answer them if you can.
Questions:
1. The original plan for the fic was that Jaune never got his Aura awakened. This led to the absurd scenarios where a guy with no Aura or training somehow manages to survive conversations with people like Adam, Cinder or Neo when they could very well just kill him when they get annoyed.
However, discussions on another board have made me wonder about the idea of Jaune's Semblance being used to heal Amber. This could lead to some divergence in the canon plot; particularly if she outs Cinder, leading to different plans from Ozpin and Amber herself being a patient.
So yeah, what do you guys think? Should Jaune get his Aura/Semblance so we can diverge early on or keep him unpowered to keep the tone of this non-powered guy dealing with superhuman problems, especially Blake's?
2. I asked before who you guys would want to be exaggerated, so here's something more specific. Would you guys prefer if we kept to Adam's canon psychotic characterization or Jaune somehow manages to get this guy booked into therapy to talk about his problems? Similar to Amber, however, this also leads to the issue of him possibly snitching out Cinder, though Blake having a meltdown may be worth it.
And for those worried: no, I'm not ignoring that Adam was abusive, don't worry. That isn't just gonna be swept under the rug. Nor is the fact that he killed people. Therapy means tackling problems, not forgiving them.
3. Would you guys have preferred if the story was just about dealing with the cast's problems and issues without Blake being an exaggerated cartoon? Meaning that she would've been as stable as the other members. Or would you have preferred the opposite where everyone (or at least all of Team RWBY, NPR, and Neo) were as cartoonish as Blake so she isn't an outlier?