Sorry this took a bit. I finished Jedi Survivor then kinda got sucked back into Old Republic. Anyway, I made some changes to Nora. I know I said that she would be one of the sane people, but I looked back at the canon and found an issue that should be tackled.

We'll also have Jaune interacting with Goodwitch for the first time this chapter. Maybe it can affect the votes, maybe it won't. We'll see.

Vote update:

Winter - 173
Goodwitch - 144
Pyrrha - 90
Cinder - 64
Neo - 63
Blake - 39
Yang - 27
No one - 26

By the way, I'm also considering the idea of doing commissions. For anyone interested, email me at this address: Storylover543 gmail . com

The responsibilities of being a student counselor at Beacon were numerous. Apart from dealing with the students (and Blake) and occasionally helping the teachers with their class (to make them Blake-proof), he was also expected to sit in on the headmaster's secret meetings; which had nothing to do with Blake, but he was sure it would at some point given her track record.

Then again, he wasn't sure if most headmasters had secret B&B sessions.

"Thank you all for coming," Ozpin said. It was the same thing he always said first whenever they had these 'planning sessions'. He felt kind of weird getting introduced in the middle of a campaign, but he didn't complain. It was obvious that Ozpin took his role as the Dungeon Master very seriously and Jaune respected that. It was clear he really cared about his homebrew campaign.

Jaune looked at the other members seated. There was Ozpin, of course, but there was also Professor Goodwitch, Qrow Branwen (apparently a professor from Signal Academy despite his perpetual drunken state), and even General Ironwood of Atlas. A weird group to be thinking up campaign ideas, but he supposed everyone had their own ways of relaxing. People in such high positions probably needed to pretend they were someone else more than anyone.

And once again they were talking about Salem, this mysterious and immortal Grimm Queen that was planning to destroy them all. Kind of generic as far as B&B villains went - he personally preferred more practical bad guys who didn't want to destroy the world - but hey, he wasn't the one running this campaign.

Not that he ever actually got to play in any of the sessions. Sure, Ozpin was quick to call him in for the planning, but the actual fun stuff he wasn't invited to. Jaune didn't complain. He was already swamped with cases most days and he didn't really like the idea of losing any more time or offending his boss by refusing an invite. Who knew hormonal superpowered teenagers with weapons would have so many issues, huh?

"We need to discuss Salem's plans once more," Ozpin started grimly. Jaune resisted the urge to roll his eyes. It was always Salem making more plans. Why couldn't there be some other bad guys like warlords from Vacuo or even a rogue Atlesian commander?

"She's after Amber." General Ironwood said. This was the first time he'd actually seen the man in person. He'd attended sessions before, of course, but always via holo-message. The general also didn't like him, talking about how he was too young to be involved in something with 'such deep ramifications'. Yeesh, some people took their roleplaying super seriously. Then again, what else could he expect from a general?

"She can't possibly think she can attack Beacon. She doesn't have the manpower to take down a school full of Huntsmen," Glynda added. That was another weird thing. Settings with Remnant as the base weren't odd - Remnant: The Game was still popular - but a whole B&B campaign? Beacon especially. Kind of weird for the headmaster to use his own school as his setting.

"She doesn't have to attack openly. Sometimes a few people in the right place are better than any army," Jaune said. If he was gonna be involved in this then he'd do his best, "Beacon's a big place, especially with the Vytal Festival coming in. Someone could infiltrate the school without anyone here knowing."

"Indeed." General Ironwood nodded grimly, "Even if we were to place sentries at every conceivable entrance, we wouldn't know who to look for. Salem's lackeys don't advertise their affiliations."

"Maybe we should just cancel the Festival." Qrow took a swig of his flash. Jaune had no idea why he was even here. He didn't seem like he enjoyed coming up with scenarios.

"I hope you're joking, Qrow." Glynda pinched the bridge of her nose.

"People wouldn't be happy if you did that," Jaune said. He knew from experience that unhappy citizens were the death of any kingdom. How many times had he lost against his sisters because they crippled his kingdom's happiness rating? "For all we know, the festival might not even be the right event. Maybe they're here already." It wouldn't be the first time he got blindsided when he was expecting an attack on the wrong day.

"I'd like to think I'm perceptive enough to catch spies among our midst, Mr. Arc," Ozpin chuckled under his breath.

"Even the most perceptive people can miss something." Mostly when the enemy rolled Nat 20s. No, he wasn't bitter that his Oracle somehow missed Saphron putting a plague on his kingdom. Why would you think that? "Salem's minions could be anyone. Teachers, students, even someone you think you can trust." Cause those made the best plot twists. Nothing like a good evil advisor.

"Would you put yourself in that category, Mr. Arc?" General Ironwood raised a brow.

"Nope." Because he wasn't even playing the game.

"Kid's got a point," Qrow grunted, "Can't be too careful. Wouldn't hurt to double-check everyone."

"That will take days at least." Glynda sighed.

Ozpin nodded, "And yet we all must abide. Amber's safety is our top priority." Amber, the 'Maiden'. At least it wasn't 'princess', but still sounded like a damsel in distress to him. Apparently, this one had magic powers, though, so that was neat, "But there are other matters to discuss."

The next couple of hours were spent helping the headmaster shore up the details of his campaign. He'd suggest Salem's plans and they would come up with ways to counteract her, all so Ozpin could be ready for the players when they made those plans. He really wondered who the heck was attending his gaming sessions. Oobleck and Port were always too busy and he couldn't imagine students spending their free time on the headmaster's B&B games.

He didn't ask. It wasn't any of his business.

Ozpin ended the meeting soon after. He and Glynda left together while Qrow, Ozpin, and General Ironwood stayed behind to talk about something else, "Always another problem," Glynda muttered when they got to the elevator.

"You don't seem like you're having much fun. Why attend?" Jaune asked.

"Because it isn't about fun, no matter how much Qrow's drinking would make you think otherwise." She shook her head, "It's something that must be done, Mr. Arc. Responsibilities that fall onto my shoulders."

"Keeping the headmaster from going too crazy?" Killer DM's were awful. Nothing worse than someone who wanted you dead.

"In a way. James as well, now that I think on it." Glynda laughed under her breath, "All I know is I'm going to be busy for the next few days arranging everything because Ozpin is content to leave the intricacies to his peons."

"Sounds rough. Wanna talk about it? I am the school counselor." He smiled.

"Student counselor, Mr. Arc." She laughed anyway, "Actually, would you be open to having some tea with me? I only realize now that we haven't spent much time together as colleagues in all your time here."

"I've been busy..." Thoughts of Blake's stubborn expression flitted through his mind. Soon, he told himself. Be patient. Revenge was a dish best served absolutely freezing. She'd get hers soon enough, "I'm open now, though. Be nice to have a bit of a break from the students." It was Sunday, meaning even Team RWBY's sessions were on hold. Ozpin wasn't cruel enough to take away even his weekends.

The two of them chatted pleasantly as they walked to her room. It was...nice. Glynda was older than him, almost twice his age since she was thirty-five to his eighteen, though that was hard to tell. Huntsmen were in peak physical capacity given the rigors of their work and Aura had a way of preserving someone's looks if it was trained and harnessed properly. Qrow was pushing forty and he damn well didn't look (or act...) like it.

Glynda's room was much like his own, though there were obvious signs of personalization. A few paintings here and there, a filled bookshelf full of textbooks, research articles, and fictional articles. And of course, the tea set she was setting up at the center table. It was definitely ornate, flawless ceramic decorated with purple tea leaves lined across the surface in intricate detail. Definitely not something you could buy from a corner store.

"Is Earl Grey good?" Glynda asked.

"Sure." He wasn't much of a tea guy. He was more into coffee, which Weiss was happy to agree with. Weird, he thought an heiress would've been all-in on tea and caviar.

They sat across one another and drank in comfortable silence. He didn't feel the need to talk to fill the silence. A few months ago he would have, but after months of dealing with Beacon's students, a little peace and quiet was nice. Glynda probably felt the same. He saw her shoulders relax and she hummed briefly under her breath.

Minutes of the quiet passed before Glynda set down her cup, "It's a bit late to be asking, but how are you faring in your position? The headmaster's recruitment methods were...unorthodox."

"It's...fine." Better now that Blake was contrite. The threat of actual expulsion had broken through her stubborn streak, "Does he, uh...does the headmaster usually recruit people like that?"

"Not usually, no." She laughed softly, "I realize he might seem...unorthodox, but the headmaster has kept his position for a reason."

"Were you hired the same way?" he asked curiously.

"Not quite as oddly as you were, Mr. Arc, but it was also out of the ordinary." She refilled her cup and picked it up again, "Most Huntsmen become teachers after years of experience. They survived the daily grind and decide they'd prefer a safer alternative without going into full retirement. I was recruited straight after graduation. Many of my former peers were rather put off when I was hired and many of the students didn't take me seriously. They considered me nothing more than a teacher's pet who got the job solely on nepotism."

"Sounds rough..."

"It was." She stared down at the hot liquid, "I nearly quit a few times, but eventually I managed to convince them of my worth. I'll admit I had my doubts about your capabilities as well when you first arrived, perhaps hypocritically so, but you've already proven that you can handle the hardship despite your youth. Our last counselor...well, the less said of him, the better."

"He's not dead...right?" The lack of details made him nervous.

"Oh, of course not. Mr. Oakwood is very happy on his farm." Please tell him that wasn't a metaphor, "I apologize on the headmaster's behalf for the increase in your duties. I've dealt with troublesome students in the past, but I'll admit that team RWBY frays even my patience at times. However, I do commend you for trying once more with Ms. Belladonna despite the harm she caused you."

"It's nothing." What was a little pain if it meant eventually seeing her face break down in despair? It made him smile when he slept at night.

"Not everyone would agree, I think." She chuckled, "I understand I may come across as strict, but I'm always open to giving my colleagues a helping hand. Should you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

"Seems like you're busy enough as it is." He laughed in turn, "I'll be fine. It's just...well, trying to balance everything, you know?" It wasn't just Blake, as much as he wanted to think she was the bane of his existence. Huntsmen and Huntresses in training had a lot of issues and they were surprisingly open to talking with him. Apparently, it was easier than looking vulnerable in front of their friends. Another weird thing about Huntsmen culture.

"It just means the students trust you. I'll admit, I was impressed with how you handled Mr. Winchester. He's actually behaving himself and stopped with his prejudiced comments."

"I try."

"Also, given that you recently only awakened to your Aura, I'd also be open to training you." Jaune's eyes widened. That was big. Just because Blake unlocked his Aura didn't mean he knew what to do with it. He didn't even know how to put up a shield, so he was actually really lucky that the White Fang debacle didn't boil down into a fight.

"That's...th-thanks, I'll definitely keep it in mind!" Jaune said, trying not to sound too eager.

"Hm, it's nothing." She stood and picked out a couple of books from the shelf, "I'd suggest reading up on the theories of Aura control before you get any training done. While practical experience will always trump the theoretical, there's a reason these books are required reading."

"I'll do that." He stood and accepted the books. While he was never the most well-read student back home, he felt a churning excitement in his core at the weight of the heavy titles in his arms, "Uh...thanks again. I promise I won't slack."

"Just make sure that you don't neglect the students in your excitement." Glynda smiled. It was nice, "Now, I should probably finish Ozpin's paperwork."

"...Don't you mean your paperwork?"

"No, Mr. Arc, I do not."

"Good afternoon, Ms. Valkyrie." Jaune adjusted his fake glasses and looked at the excitable teenage girl sitting across from him. Nora Valkyrie more than lived up to her namesake. She was a veritable beast on the battlefield and a font of energy outside of it. Despite that, she didn't really break the rules the same way team RWBY did outside of starting a food fight a couple of weeks ago, which Ozpin, of course, let them get away with.

"What's up, doc?" Nora grinned, though there was some strain in the cheerful gesture. This was their second meeting...and their first solo one. The last time she had Lie Ren with her, and while bringing in your partner for an introductory session was sort of odd, there wasn't any rule against it. He didn't pay it much mind at the time. Like he said, despite her oftentimes zany behavior, which Weiss sometimes complained about in equal parts fondness and irritation. Especially throwing a pie in her face.

"We need to discuss your recent behavior." Out came the clipboard again. At this point, it was his emotional support board, "According to what I've been told, you've been...somewhat erratic since Mr. Ren's injury." His leg was broken during a pair fight against Nebula Violette and Gwen Darcy from team NDGO.

She and Ren won the fight, but the injury was enough to land him in the infirmary. Aura could heal a lot of things and mend wounds faster, but a broken leg was a broken leg. He'd have to be in the clinic for at least a few days, likely a week.

And that was when the problems started.

Her smile twitched, "Pfft, erratic? Who's being erratic? Not me!"

"Ms. Valkyrie, you attempted to break both Ms. Darcy's and Ms. Violette's legs after the fight. Witnesses claim that you were screaming about how you were 'going to make them pay for hurting Ren'." The only reason it didn't go any farther was that team NDGO themselves were witnessed taunting her and enjoying the fight. Something about Vacuo's culture of strength and combat.

"They were asking for it!" She threw her hands up.

"Hm. Afterward, you proceeded to the clinic to stay by Mr. Ren's side. Very commendable...except you tried to stay overnight."

"I brought everything I needed." She crossed her arms and pouted, "Besides, Ren would've been lonely without me. I know he doesn't seem like it, but he's super clingy underneath all that quiet."

"Hm." He hummed again, "When the nurses and doctor forced you out after almost a quarter of an hour of arguing, you snuck back an hour later wearing a nurse's outfit to try and help with his recovery." A nurse's outfit that looked like she bought it at a costume store. He was pretty sure nurse uniforms weren't supposed to have heart-shaped holes in the chest, "They forced you out again afterward and you were confined to your room."

"I can help! Me and Ren have been traveling together since we were seven and we always knew how to patch each other up!"

"Out of necessity, Ms. Valkyrie. Right now you're both students at Beacon, and that includes having access to state-of-the-art medical facilities. It's the same reason students aren't asked to camp out in the field or supply their own ammo."

"Still..." She bit her lip and looked away.

Jaune sighed in sympathy. It wasn't like he didn't feel for her. From what he was told, these two only had each other for company for a decade before they arrived in Beacon. They hadn't even been to combat schools like Ruby and Yang or had private tutors like Weiss and Pyrrha. From what they told him, they spent those years surviving outside the walls and picked up their skills (and the cash for their weapons) from there.

But it didn't mean Nora could make problems for the clinic staff or cause disturbances.

"Let's start over." He adjusted his glasses again, "You're about Mr. Ren, I get that, but you understand that the only thing that anyone can do now is wait while his Aura fixes his leg, right?"

"I know that. It's just..." She let out a soft groan and flopped back on the couch, looking up at the ceiling. It was surreal to see even though he barely even knew her, "I don't...I don't like it when Ren's not around."

"He's still here. You can visit him whenever you're not in class."

"But then he's not here when I'm back in our room or when I do go to class."

Jaune blinked. This sounded more serious than he first expected. He was used to seeing clingy - Lily, his youngest sister, latched onto him tight ever since she was a kid - but it wasn't something he usually saw at Nora's age. Even Ruby, for all her social anxiety, was able to break out of her shell when she partnered up with Weiss; though Yang had once worriedly told him that Ruby planned to have Yang as her only friend if she hadn't ditched her on that first day.

"Ms. Valkyrie, how do you feel right at this very moment?"

"Uh...itchy." Okay...that wasn't what he expected to hear, "It's like I'm buzzing and I hate it. All I wanna do is talk to Ren and stay with him, but then everyone tells me I'm wrong and that I shouldn't. It's like when you wanna scratch and itch super bad but then everyone tells you that you shouldn't. Does that make sense?"

"Absolutely." Barely, but he wouldn't tell her that, "But again, Mr. Ren isn't going anywhere. He's still here in school."

"I know, but, but...ugh, it just makes me so mad, you know? I keep thinking about that fight we had and how I could've done things better. Then maybe Ren would still be walking instead of being stuck in the infirmary all week."

"Accidents happen, Ms. Valkyrie. It's not your fault that he was injured."

"Well, it sure feels like it!" Despite how loud her voice was, she sounded less angry than before, "I just hate how I can't even talk to him."

"Have you tried talking to anyone else about how you're feeling right now?"

"Nope. Didn't think it'd help."

"You'd be surprised what a friendly shoulder can do." He smiled, "Why not try to confide in Ms. Nikos? From what I've seen, you two have been bonding recently."

"Hehe, yeah. Pulling pranks on Mint's fun." Nora giggled, genuinely smiling without the strain from before, "I just...I really miss Ren."

"You'll see him soon, and you can still visit at the proper time." He was already trying to remember that book of mental health he crammed through when he first got the job. Maybe it was just him being dramatic, but Nora was showing signs of codependency. Just like Lily. She didn't have friends at school and she always countered that she had him and the rest of the family anyway. She took it...badly when she found out he was staying in Beacon. According to Mom and Dad, she even tried to sneak out of Domremy on their latest delivery to Beacon.

If she was codependent then she needed to broach the topic carefully; especially considering that they were in a dangerous profession. He could already hear Glynda telling him that this needed to be resolved before they saw how she reacted when she was in genuine danger of losing her partner.

"We still have some time on our session, Ms. Valkyrie, but might I suggest we schedule another relatively soon?"

"Huh? Sure, we just gotta wait for Ren to heal up and-"

"I meant alone." Her eyes widened and he saw the undeniable hint of fear in those turquoise eyes, "There are some things we should discuss that may be uncomfortable with an audience."

"Oh, it's fine. Me and Ren share everything! No secrets here!"

"Be that as it may, I'd still insist that a personal session would be better," he said diplomatically, "I can't force you, however. If you wish to attend the sessions with Mr. Ren, or not attend sessions at all, then that's your choice. I'm just giving my own suggestion." He could technically force her as an extension of the clinic incident, but he didn't want to. They couldn't make progress like that.

"...I'll think about it."

They spent the next half an hour talking until her session finally ended. Nora looked a bit cheerier than before and opened the door with a skip in her step only to run almost smack dab into Mint Cream, once again covered head to toe in red sap and looking absolutely murderous.

"Ahahahahahaha! I can't believe you fell for it again!" Nora cackled and, before the shorter girl could reach out and strangle her, bumrushed past and sped down the hall, cackling the whole way.

Mint glared murderously until the Valkyrie was out of sight before she turned back to look at him, dripping sap on his nice, clean floor. Oh man, now Bob was gonna have to clean that up later, "...!"

"I feel like you should point out that you started this."

"..." Her eyes narrowed.

"Why are you still refusing to apologize? Because that's all Pyrrha wants. You were the one who instigated this and all she's asking in return is some remorse."

"..." She growled.

"Your pride? Ms. Cream, you're covered in red sap. Last time, Nora replaced your bathwater with melted ice cream. No, I have no idea how she did that, and honestly, I'm scared to find out. In response you put chili powder and laxatives into the pancakes Ren cooked for your entire team. And now we're here. Is your pride really worth the escalation? I'd suggest ending things here before it goes too far!"

"...!"

"Oh no, I'm not getting involved in any of your plans!"

"..."

"A piggyback ride in front of Pyrrha? Wait, that's your plan for a prank?" She nodded, a manic smile on her face. It was creepy coming from something that sounded so innocent, "Still no. How do I know you're not gonna use it as a chance to, I dunno, steal her weapon and throw it off Beacon's edge?"

"..."

"I'm not sure how much I trust a promise coming from you."

"...!" She gasped and made a look of exaggerated hurt, dripping more sap everywhere. Why didn't she take a bath before coming here? "...? ...!"

"A favor. I'm not sure that's a good..." Jaune stopped and his eyes widened. Just then he felt a devious plan forming in his mind, something downright evil. Something Blake absolutely deserved, "Hold on, you said before that you have an illusion Semblance. So you can copy what people look like, right?"

She nodded eagerly and as if to brag, she changed herself to look exactly like him. Still covered in sap, though. It was actually terrifying how identical they looked. She could've mimicked Pyrrha and Nora, though he imagined that she avoided that for the obvious reason of not wanting the Invincible Girl trying to come at her violently. It was all fun and games till the four-time Mistral Regional Champion pulled out her spear. Pranks were annoying, but they were manageable.

Besides, he was pretty sure the punishment for impersonating a student was pretty severe.

"I may need a favor." She looked downright gleeful, which was weird coming from his own face, and he held up a hand, "Hold it. If we're gonna do this then I wanna make sure that no one's getting hurt. All I'm doing is giving you a piggyback ride in front of Pyrrha. That's it. You try anything else and I'm dropping you. Are we clear?"

Another eager nod. Why did she think this would be a good counter-prank, he wondered. It wasn't like Pyrrha would care who he gave piggyback rides to.

"...Alright, fine. Let me tell you what I want in exchange." And then he had to call Ghira and Kali.

"Our session is over, Ms. Cruz. I hope it helped."

"Somewhat." The short girl smiled shyly. She was one of Beacon's late arrivals and suffered from the occasional bout of anxiety. Despite that, she was apparently a very prodigious combatant, so she more than earned her place here.0 "Same time next week?"

"As long as you need it." He waved goodbye to Jessica and fixed up everything as she left. Parent-Teacher conference was coming next week, While it was strictly optional since Huntsmen students were considered adults in the eyes of the law, many came anyway just to see how their kids were doing in such a strenuous curriculum.

More importantly, Blake's parents were also coming. Oh yes, his revenge was coming soon.

The door opened and Jaune looked up at the new arrival. Not a student. Too old by the looks of her, though she did look oddly familiar. Pretty but stern features with light blue eyes and snow-white hair that was done up in a neat bun. Her outfit looked like a mix between formal wear and an army uniform, all white colors with blue accents.

"Um...good afternoon?"

"Good afternoon." She nodded a quarter of an inch, "You are Mr. Arc, yes?"

"Yeah. And you are...?"

"My name is Winter Schnee. I believe we have some things to discuss."

Yeah, Jaune's going kinda crazy wanting revenge on Blake. So much for being mature and professional. And like I said above, I switched Nora's issues to codependence since she did show signs of it in V8. Figured it might be a good thing to tackle.

The next chapter will have Jaune interacting with Winter and maybe another Ruby segment? I have an idea for another comedic bit with Ruby that plays into her social anxiety and weapon obsession (which disappeared after the first few episodes). Should be fun. I'll also be ending the vote a few days after the next chapter so we can finalize who the love interest is between Winter and Goodwitch.

Wanna help support me? Then check out the link below:

P a treon . com (slash) Vendetta543

Questions:

1. So as Jaune makes clear in this chapter, he's planning revenge on Blake even after she's already being contrite. This leads to two possible options on where to take her.

Option 1: Blake goes back to being a pain, but instead of being stubborn she just decides that if Jaune's going to fuck with her then she's going to fuck with him. This changes their relationship to be more reciprocal since they're both equally messing with each other. They might even enjoy it since clearly Jaune at least is having fun planning revenge.

Option 2: Blake remains contrite (figuring that she deserves it just this once) and maybe becomes Jaune's unofficial assistant, similar to Professor Arc. Except instead of doing paperwork (Jaune doesn't have any), she has to help him wrangle the students and deal with their shenanigans. Maybe have her realize what it was like for him to deal with her.

Which one would you guys prefer?

2. I'm considering making a harem fic either as a standalone or as an omake for An Arc for Every Season. I'm curious, how would you guys feel if I switched this story to a harem? It's unlikely I'm going to since people already voted for who they wanted, but I'm curious anyway.