The school's kitchen had quickly become a sanctuary for Jaune. It was normal. Familiar. The most dangerous thing in it was the plethora of sharp knives to cut through the many meats and ingredients in the freezer. Being surrounded by knives also made him feel safer for some reason. Maybe due to the fact that a blade was always within reach should anyone, or anything, try to harm him.
However, the use of the kitchen had not come without cost.
Jaune pushed the thought from his mind. He could deal with that later. Right now it was time for breakfast, and he was hungry. Something that would seem remarkable to him given the stench of the adjacent room, but nearly three days without a proper meal did wonders for the appetite. The ability to prepare his own meals rather than being forced to devour raw meat from animal carcasses made a world of difference in attending the school. Sure, every day may have been a struggle to survive in a world of monsters, but at least he could eat properly. If nothing else, he could have the small, simple pleasure of a nice meal three times a day.
It made sense that the place would be well-stocked when it came to actual foodstuff. The students and Salem may have been twisted Grimm creatures, but the faculty was not. There were four very human professors who could not survive off of cow eyeballs and tongues. They needed not only eatable food, but a variety as well. And what Jaune found was most certainly variety. More than he would have imagined from a place like this.
Seeing how it was breakfast, he had decided to go with the classics. Eggs, bacon, and toast would be a hearty and satisfying meal. Compliment it with a glass of milk or juice, and he would have all the nutrients he needed to get through a long, hard day of dealing with horrifying hybrids. At least until lunch. Then he would be back to prepare another meal. He would return to his sanctuary to escape the terrors of this school and its inhabitants.
The sizzling of fat filled his ears as the bacon cooked. He decided to do that first, and would then do the eggs so that they could be prepared in the bacon grease. The smell was wonderful. It reminded him of home. How he longed to return there.
To survive here, you must be strong. Find what it is you want and fight for it.
The words of Hazel Rainart echoed in his mind. He knew what he wanted. The only thing in the world that mattered to him now was to find a way out of this place and return home. Being a huntsman no longer mattered. Being a hero was no longer important. If he managed to make it out of this place alive, he would prove himself braver and more capable than any of his ancestors. The dangers they had faced in the past would seem trivial in comparison.
"What is that smell?"
Jaune was shaken from his thoughts by the voice from behind him. Turning, he saw the familiar form of Weiss standing in the entranceway. Truly, she was a sight for sore eyes. Even if he knew it was a lie.
Weiss had once more adopted her own human form. Gorgeous white hair cascaded down her back, while her bangs hung just above light blue eyes. She was stunning. Weiss would have grown up to be a beautiful young woman had Salem not robbed her of her freedom. Of her humanity. Of her life.
What was her last name? What kind of a person was she? Who would she have turned out to be? Knowing what he knew now thanks to Salem, these were questions that made his heart ache. Not just for Weiss, but for all of them. Were the Hybrids really that bad?
Her arms crossed over her chest when she scowled at him accusingly. "Well?"
Jaune shook his head, casting such depressing thoughts from his mind. "Oh, hey, Weiss," he greeted her nervously. He hadn't expected her to be here. Why was she not in the cafeteria having breakfast with the rest of their peers. "I'm just cooking some food."
The girl strode further into the kitchen, each step marked by poise bordering on arrogance as she approached. The way she carried herself exuded absolute confidence. It was a stark contrast from Jaune's own demeanor. "Why? We have food prepared for us in the cafeteria."
Prepared was putting it lightly. Ripping fresh meat off the bones of dead animals hardly counted as prepared for Jaune. For the hybrids, however, that was apparently enough. Some didn't even want to be that pampered.
He knew he couldn't tell her his actual reasons for cooking. Luckily Ruby and Yang had given him the perfect excuse the other day. "Right, but humans don't eat raw meat," he explained. "So we should get used to eating how they do, right? And learning as much as we can about how they prepare their food."
It truly was the perfect explanation. It was logical. It fit his own agenda as well, as both a secret human and a hybrid. If he was truly one of the strongest students because he was able to maintain a perfect human form, then it made sense that he would want to perfect his cover. Like Ruby had said, there was so much more to being human than just looking the part.
"I see," she answered neutrally.
"What about you?" he asked in turn. He hoped the question didn't sound accusatory. "What are you doing here? Anything I could help with?"
"I believe I made it clear that I was to observe you. You seem have a knack for not only being able to maintain your human form, but for understanding the intricacies of human culture as a whole. Therefore you will be a useful tool at my disposal."
A tool. A useful one, but a tool nonetheless. A part of him wanted to tell Weiss that she was the one who sounded like a tool right now, but he feared that she might understand the insult.
"I thought our study session wasn't until the weekend?" he asked.
"It isn't," she agreed. "Therefore you should feel honored that I have graced you with my presence out of my own free will and charitable nature."
Charitable. He didn't know if the girl understood what that word really meant. Charitable people normally did not use others as tools for their own benefit. Then again, she likely had a very different perspective on life itself, being a Grimm hybrid.
As if he needed to be reminded that she was one of those monsters, Weiss began to transform her physical appearance back into her true form. Already pale skin lightened until it became white as snow. Black veins ran up and down the exposed skin of her legs. And eyes, once a beautiful icy-blue, turned red as blood.
The last thing to change on her was the horn which had sprouted from the center of her forehead. She wasted no time in putting it to use, as she lowered her head and jabbed it into the side of Jaune's ribs. "Why are you destroying those eggs?"
He winced, rubbing where she had struck him with his free hand before turning to look at her. "So I can cook them?"
"The shells of chicken embryo are filled with nutrients," she said accusingly. "A valuable source of calcium in order to strengthen bone and enamel. They should not simply be discarded in such a manner."
Glancing down at her, he noted just how short the girl was. Probably a foot shorter than him. The fact that she was educating him on the importance of calcium was rich. "You probably could have used a bit more..." he muttered under his breath. He regretted it an instant later, as another sharp stab hit him in the side. "Ow!"
"What's that supposed to mean!" she snarled. "Are you insulting the length of my horn?"
She pecked him again. "Ow! Stop that!"
"No!"
After receiving several more pokes from the tip of her horn, Jaune found himself with his back against the wall. He put his arms up, trying desperately to keep Weiss from stabbing him again. "What are you, a woodpecker Grimm?"
"What's a woodpecker!" She went to poke him again.
Before she could connect his hands came down on her shoulders, and his superior reach kept the girl's horn at bay. Her head jolted up, and a pair of red eyes glared at him angrily.
"I surrender!" he shouted. "Just- just stop poking me! Okay?"
The words seemed to placate Weiss, and she took a step back. The anger disappeared from her lips, replaced by a haughty sense of accomplishment. Of victory. "Very well."
The words hung in the air for several seconds as Jaune wondered if she would stab him with her horn again. When it didn't come, he collected himself before moving back to the stove where his meal was still cooking.
Weiss followed after him, and stood beside him as he continued his preparation. He noticed how her eyes were always watching something. Either him, or what he was doing. She was drinking in every sight she could. Studying his every movement.
"What is that white powder," she asked as he began to sprinkle it on the eggs. "Is this what humans call dust?"
The image of eating dust came into Jaune's mind. What an interesting and varied way to die that would be. "No. This is salt."
"What's that?"
"It's..." he began, before the words died in his mouth. How exactly does one explain salt? It was something so basic and self-explanatory that he never imagined having to teach anyone what it was. Or what it did. "It's a mineral from the ground. It makes things taste... salty?"
A glance over to Weiss showed her glaring at him. She did not look pleased. "Is that supposed to be funny?"
"No! It's the truth!"
Without warning she snatched the shaker from his hands and poured a pile of salt into her hand. A surprisingly human tongue darted past her lips, taking the seasoning into her mouth in one fell swoop. Her face soured. "This is awful. Why are you putting it on your food?"
"You're only supposed to use a little bit. And not on its own." He wondered if Weiss, or any of the other hybrids knew the meaning of restraint. Or moderation. Judging by the way he had seen them feed the other day, they did not. They ate like animals both in practice and in mindset. Eat all you could in that moment, without thought for the future.
"So you mean to tell me that minerals that are mined from the ground can help enhance the taste of human food?"
When she put it like that it sounded off. But in the case of salt, it was true. "Yes?"
Weiss' eyes scanned the contents of the frying pan, and her focus shifted several times between it, the salt shaker, and Jaune before she finally nodded. "Very well. I will remember that."
Jaune breathed a sigh of relief. The last thing he needed was for her to not believe him again, and to attack him with her horn out of anger.
With the last portions of his meal done, he slid the eggs onto the waiting plate that already contained his bacon and toast. His stomach rumbled in anticipation for the delicious food, but his manners got the better of him. A certain petite horned girl was still standing next to him, and her gaze was focused intently on his breakfast.
Picking up a fork, he offered her its handle. "Would you like to try some?"
Weiss grasped the fork delicately, and part of him was surprised. After witnessing the feeding frenzy of the other hybrids, part of him had not expected them to know how to use actual silverware. However, he then remembered the image of Weiss eating her eyeball soup in what could only be paradoxically described in a refined, civilized manner. She was certainly different from most of the other hybrids. There was a certain aura of grace and dignity around her that girls like Ruby and Yang did not possess.
"I would," she answered before scooping up a forkful of the scrambled eggs. Her eyes widened as they slid into her mouth.
Jaune couldn't help but smile at her reaction. Like a young child tasting candy for the first time. "Better than raw, isn't it?"
She nodded furiously as the fork stabbed into the fluffy yellow eggs once more. "It most certainly is," she agreed. Time and time again she returned to the plate, and with every forkful of food she ate Jaune's breakfast became smaller and smaller.
The eggs were soon gone, and the bacon was the next to go. By this point Weiss' earlier dignity had begun to fall apart entirely, and her feral nature began to emerge as she tore the bacon apart with sharp teeth. It was a sobering reminder for the young man. Weiss may have been able to put on the disguise of an elegant girl. She may have acted differently from most of the other hybrids. However at her core she was still just like them. A monster in human flesh.
In the span of a minute the plate was empty, just as Jaune's stomach still was. A long breath slipped through his nostrils. He would just have to make some more. There was no way he was going hungry in this place any longer.
As if reading his mind, Weiss set the plate down and turned to him again. "Make more."
He smiled, already moving back to the freezer to get more ingredients. "I guess you really like human food."
"It is quite appealing. There's a fine range of tastes for my own sophisticated palate."
Sophisticated. A word he would not normally have used to describe the hybrids. Yet for Weiss... it seemed to work. Almost.
Seeing how this was a school, and they were supposed to be learning to act more human, Jaune came up with an idea. Taking one of the eggs from the carton, he held it up to Weiss. "You wanna try breaking it?"
Her eyes shifted from the egg to Jaune, and she took it in claw-tipped fingers. "Very well."
What happened next came as a shock, as Weiss squeezed her hand closed around the egg before letting its contents fall into the frying pan. Crushed shell and all.
He cleared his throat, not quite sure what to say in response to the way Weiss had broken the egg. "Uh... good try," he said uneasily. Seeing how she appreciated eggshells and not wasting them, he wasn't about to tell her that this one was ruined. "We'll call that one yours. Now watch how I do it for mine."
Jaune took another egg and lightly tapped it on the edge of the pan. He separated it with his thumbs and the yolk fell next to Weiss' mess.
"See how I did it? Sometimes a gentle touch is better than raw force to do things."
Weiss' eyes were locked onto the two very different looking eggs. Her lip twitched. For a moment Jaune feared that he might have angered her by showing her up in such a manner. He hoped that she would not resort to violence as a result. He made a mental note that Weiss should not do eggs in the future.
"My, aren't you two cozy in here."
His body whirled around to see a third person in the kitchen. Thankfully not another hybrid. Or maybe not so thankfully, knowing who and what she was.
Professor Cinder Fall strode into the kitchen, her hips swaying gently with every step that she took. It was only fitting that someone like her would move in such a manner.
She was a dangerous woman. A human who worked willingly for Salem. As the professor in charge of teaching advanced infiltration techniques, he knew that she was sharp, with a mind like a diamond. She was beautiful as well, with golden eyes that burned like cigarettes. Black, silky hair which shone in the overhead lights. To finish it all, a seductive voice that was dark like tinted glass.
So what was she doing here?
"Professor Fall," Weiss greeted respectfully with a slight dip of her head.
Jaune saw this and decided to mimic the act. There was no reason to stand out to the young woman. "Professor," he echoed.
The click of heels on the tile floor resonated in his ears as Cinder approached. "May I ask what brings you to the kitchen this morning?" she asked. Thankfully the question didn't sound like they were in trouble. Rather, she sounded more curious than anything.
"Jaune is instructing me in the human techniques for preparing food," she explained.
The answer prompted Cinder to shift her focus from Weiss to him. Jaune felt obligated to provide his own response as well. "Y-yes. Because if we're going to live with humans, we should know how to eat like them too. Right?"
Cinder hummed softly. "Very true," she agreed. "One could not very well go to a restaurant and order a slab of cow straight off the bone. Or," she eyed the two very different looking eggs, "Expect eggs made in such a unique fashion."
"Yeah. So... we were just making a simple breakfast. To see how humans did it."
"Jaune taught me about salt," Weiss added. "Who knew that things found in the ground could be used to enhance the taste of food?"
He hoped that Cinder was buying all of this. It was entirely true, after all. Weiss was here learning about how to cook. She had learned about salt. And in the end, this knowledge would help the hybrids fit into human society easier. The only omission was that Jaune was human himself.
"Yup. So getting used to human food will help us stand out less in the kingdoms. It'll really help in the, uh, infiltration techniques you're teaching."
Cinder nodded, seemingly in approval. "Indeed. The two of you seem to get along quite well. I'll keep that in mind when our lessons on seduction and romantic manipulation begin. Seeing how you are comfortable interacting in one on one scenarios, perhaps you would be willing to give a demonstration to the rest of the class."
Weiss preened from the praise, if her body language was anything to go by. "I would be honored to be chosen for such an exemplary role in your class."
"Very good." Cinder had retrieved something from the refrigerator, but Jaune couldn't quite make out what it was. "I'll leave you to your extracurricular lessons then. I look forward to seeing what the two of you are able to accomplish."
"Thank you, Professor Fall," Weiss said, again gently bowing her head.
"Yeah. Thank you," Jaune followed up quickly.
As soon as the woman left the room Jaune found himself breathing a sigh of relief. She, along with Professor Watts, scared him just as much as the students themselves. As far as he knew, they did not know his secret. He didn't know how they would react if they found out. Tyrian and Hazel seemed not to care, but would they? Would they kill him on the spot? He was expendable, after all. Tyrian had said it himself. The echoes of pain in his chest spoke volumes to how much Salem cared for his well being.
Until he knew for certain, it was much better to let as few people as possible know his true nature.
He felt a poke to his arm, and saw that Weiss had once more used her horn to gain his attention. It broke him free of his thoughts about the human professors of the school. Though, was it his imagination or did she prod him a bit more gently this time?
"We still have to make more," she reminded him.
Jaune glanced back down to the frying pan and the raw eggs which sat inside. They did indeed still have to make more. And this time he would get to eat some of it as well.
"Okay Jaune, you can do this," the boy whispered to himself as he walked down the hall. He felt like a man on his way to his own execution.
The other day he had made a deal with a certain psychotic teacher. One that would allow him to cook food under the pretense of getting the hybrids used to human meals. It was a win-win. He would be able to eat, and the girls would be able to advance in their goals. However, in order to do so Jaune had to one small little favor in return.
"There's another girl who like your dear friend Ruby finds herself so tragically ostracized by her peers." Tyrian smiled, his tail swaying as he spoke. "I was wondering if you could help out another student who is in oh so desperate need of aid. Do this and I will be glad to provide you with all the food you can eat."
He had of course agreed like an idiot without a second thought. How hard could it be? He had survived far worse in his short time here. It should be easy to make a friend. That was until he had heard this student's name.
Blake…
A shiver ran down Jaune's spine at the mere thought of the hybrid's name. He had never seen Blake, at least not directly. She sat right behind him in Professor Watts' class and yet she always hovered just out of his line of sight. A shadow here, a tentacle there, and the occasional feel of breath on the back of his neck.
This was the same Blake that Ruby felt the need to protect him from, the one that gave even Yang pause. Yet here he was standing outside the mysterious girl's door. He raised his hand slowly, and it hung in the air inches away from the door. Perhaps if he was quiet enough Blake wouldn't hear him and he could walk away saying he at least tried.
Knuckles rapped on the door twice, the sounds echoing in the hall. As soft as they were, they still sounded like thunder in the boy's ears. He waited long seconds for Blake to answer the door.
No one came.
A breath escaped his lips. There was only one thing left to try.
"Blake?" he called out quietly. Not too soft, but at the same time not exactly begging to be noticed. He most certainly did not want any attention the girl might have to offer.
Still, there was no answer. Maybe she wasn't there. Where she may have been he couldn't say, but if she was currently not residing in her dorm, he would call that a win.
"Well, can't say I didn't try," he said to himself. "Mission accomplished to the best of my ability. That's just what I'll tell Professor Callows if he-"
As he started to turn around, he heard a creak from behind him. Looking back, the door had opened up ever so slightly. Even through the crack he could see that there was no light inside. Only darkness.
"Crap," he whispered. If there was ever an invitation to enter, this was it.
Steeling himself for what was to come, Jaune took a deep breath and pushed the door open. He was mostly correct. Stepping inside, he saw that only a single candle of purple wax lit the room. The small flame was too weak to illuminate much else than the table it sat on and some of the adjacent furniture. He could tell that there was a bed up against one of the walls. A bookshelf sat on the other side of the room, though he could not tell what it might have contained.
Yet there was no sign of the girl. Someone... or something, had opened the door for him. Though despite the fact that he could not see her, he knew she was here. He could feel her presence. He could feel the hair-raising, tingling sensation on the back of his neck.
"Blake?" he asked again. He hoped this time he would actually get an answer.
Rather than a voice, however, he heard an all too familiar sound on the walls around him. On the ceiling itself. A rapid clicking movement, like an impatient student tapping their fingernails on a desk waiting for class to end. The skittering sound moved all around him in the darkness. Circling him as it travelled from wall to wall.
"Welcome to my parlor. To what do I owe the honor of your visit?" a voice in the darkness questioned.
Contact. That was good. Great, in fact! Now that there was an open dialogue between the two, they could have a normal conversation.
At least what passed as normal in this school. Though...parlor? Honor? Someone read too many books.
Jaune turned his head to where he thought Blake's voice had come from. "Um, Professor Callows sent me," he told her. "He thought that maybe you could use... help?"
Jaune definitely did not want to say that Tyrian had sent him to be her friend. Or that she was ostracized. There was no telling how the girl might react.
How she reacted here was the last thing Jaune would have expected. Soft and surprisingly cheerful laughter filled the room, completely unfitting for the sort of frightening creature that was currently haunting the blackness.
"My, my. I do enjoy when Professor Callows brings me tasty little morsels such as yourself," she purred.
Jaune hoped that she did not mean tasty in a literal sense.
The sound of wall-crawling filled his ears again, this time ending on the note of creaking mattress springs. Jaune turned to the bed, where he saw the shadow of a person sitting atop it. A moment later the blinding spark of embers lit the room for the briefest of moments, before the flame was shared with a familiar looking candle. One of the purple candles from the hall, burning black impossible light. One held by the girl he came to visit.
And then he saw her. For the first time, he saw Blake.
Ghostly white legs were bare for the world to see. Feet exposed without even socks, toes blackened by whatever Grimm blight affected all of the hybrids. Her legs didn't look right, they were too long and too thin for her body, with the worst of the black veins Jaune had yet seen. She was dressed in a tattered robe of Mistrali make, ruffled red fur or hair around her collar, along with a fanged mask that covered her face. Black cat ears flicked on the top of her head, but most startling of all were her arms.
Well, a lack of them…
Where Blake's arms should have been were instead long black tendrils as long if not longer than the girl was tall, writhing like snakes ready to strike, and tipped with blood red barbs. They looked to be sharp, cruel, and dangerous. Familiar. He had seen her, once, creating sparks when he first arrived at the hall.
Jaune swallowed hard as he took in the sight of the girl before him. "Hi, Blake." He waved sheepishly, trying to suppress every fear response his body was broadcasting to him.
"Hello, Jaune," she said seductively, her eyes shining in the candlelight. "So you've come to help me?"
"Uh... yeah." Jaune fidgeted where he stood. "So...what did you need help with?"
As soon as he had asked his question, a tentacle wrapped around his waist, the thin limb picking him up with startling ease. It possessed a strength the belied its size. Dragging him deeper into the room, he was immediately sat down on the bed.
"Oh, you see, I need help with my report." Her grip on him loosened, and Jaune immediately inched away from her. "I know the material well enough." Her tentacles waved in front of her. "But I can't hold the pen. Would you... write my notes for me?"
"Oh…" Jaune breathed a sigh of relief. All she wanted was someone to write for her. "Yeah, that's fine."
"Perfect." One of her tentacles slid up to the mask on her face, bringing it down slowly. "You're so kind, Jaune," she sang sweetly. If only her voice was what he could focus on now.
Revealed in the dim, flickering light was what lay beneath the mask. Yang may have had holes torn into one side of her face, but this was so much worse. What had been the mouth of a lovely young woman, now was a ruin. Her face was still perfectly shaped, but her lips no longer stopped where they should have. Instead they tore through cheek and muscle, sinews of moist meat revealed intermixed with jagged, gleaming fangs. They traveled up, nearly reaching her human set of ears, her cat ears held high. He could swear that an all too thin, all too long tongue could be seen, edging along the opening.
Panic shot through Jaune causing Blake to suddenly snap forward.
"Has anyone ever told you that your scent is intoxicating?" she purred, the chill of her breath tickling his ears. "You smell... delicious."
"Oh, um thanks." He was trembling. "And you... you have a lovely smile."
"Oooh, a charmer," Blake mused as both of her tendrils wrapped around him. "Professor Callows sends me the sweetest treats," she continued, while something slimy grazed his cheek. Slimy, yet warm. "Would you like to see the last thing he sent me?"
Jaune didn't know if he had a choice. Maybe if she were to show him something then her grip on him would be released. It was worth a shot. "Y-yeah. Sure."
Blake stood and glided over to bookshelf Jaune had seen earlier. Picking something up in both tentacles, she cradled the seemingly large object close to her chest. As she approached, Jaune saw that it was a glass bowl of sorts. Perhaps a pet goldfish? Or whatever kind of animal might pass off as a pet to the Grimm hybrids?
Jaune's heart, and stomach dropped as she stood in front of him with the bowl. Or as it turned out, the jar.
The jar with the severed head inside of it.
The man, or at least what was left of him, had crimson hair. A pair of short horns, very unlike the ones of the hybrids, poked through on either side of his head. What stood out the most to Jaune, however, were his scars. Not just the block letters that he couldn't quite read over his left eye. But the two long, jagged wounds which stretched out from the edges of his lips up through his cheeks.
" You'll always remember your first, Jaune," she spoke as one of her tentacles slid up and down the jar in what he could only describe in a loving manner.
"First?"
Blake hummed a confirmation. "First lover. First kill. Or in this case... both. This is Adam. You remind me a lot of him."
Warning alarms rang in Jaune's mind. Not good. He was going to die. He didn't even have a weapon at his side in order to fight the girl off. He would have to rely purely on his Aura and Semblance if he were to make it out of this alive.
"R-really?" he asked. Fists clenched at his sides, ready to strike should Blake made the first move. "How so?"
"Fear," she breathed huskily, setting the jar down on the table next to the bed. "You both reek of it."
Jaune could only imagine the terror which the man named Adam must have felt as Blake carved up his face. Likely with those horrifying tentacles of hers.
He stared at the preserved head, its lips still parted in silent screaming, amber liquid unable to hide the grizzly slashes at his mouth and what had been his throat. Warmth washed over his back and neck, the feeling of something soft slithering around his arms. Jaune flinched at the sudden contact, while a lock of black hair fell over his shoulder.
"I won't forget you either, Jaune."
It was enough to push him over the edge. Remembering what Salem had taught him, Jaune reached down inside himself and grasped the flame within. His Semblance. If Blake wanted his head in a jar, she would have to earn it. He would not go down without a fight.
His hands lit up with brilliant white light, enough to illuminate the room completely. He had no time to take in his surroundings, however, as he made his move to fight or flee. As it turned out, it would be the latter.
An angry hiss spat from Blake's lips as both her body and tentacles recoiled in pain. Free of her grip now, Jaune stood up, only to see that Blake had retreated. She skittered up the wall away from him. Away from the light. It was just the opening he needed.
Not wanting to spend another second in the room, Jaune dashed over to the door and pulled it open. He threw himself outside with reckless abandon, so much so that he crashed into the wall across the hall from Blake's room. Luckily his Aura absorbed all of the damage he would have taken from the hit, and he picked himself up from the ground before he hurried back to the safety of his own room. What might have scared him more than anything else, something he realized as he ran and stumbled over himself...
He could have sworn he heard her laughing.
It was late, and Jaune still wasn't back yet. She didn't know what to think.
Ruby sat on the bottom bunk of their beds as she waited for his return. Earlier in the day he had told her that there was a special task he had to take care of, and that he could only do it alone. It had come from Professor Callows himself. Part of Ruby swelled with pride at the thought. Of course someone as talented and strong as Jaune would be getting special assignments from the professors. Yet at the same time, she was sad that she couldn't participate with him. They were roommates, after all. They were friends.
The room felt lonely without him. As lonely as it had before he came to the school.
He would be back soon enough though. After all, whatever he was doing couldn't keep him out too late. They had class tomorrow. The professors wouldn't keep him out too late if they had classes the next day.
What was he even doing!
The questions and uncertainty were eating away at Ruby as she sat on the bed. She was going to interrogate him hard when he came back. It wasn't because she was jealous or anything. Nope. Not at all. She just really, really wanted to know what her bestie was up to. If he was having any fun without her. If maybe he had found a totally new and unbroken friend to spend his time with. One who wasn't a positive problem child like herself.
Teeth bit down into her lower lip, almost enough to draw blood. She shook her head at the negative thoughts in her mind. Yang would have probably praised her for her envy. Yet, she didn't want to feel this way. She didn't want to feel full of negativity. What was so wrong with being positive? Positive thoughts felt good.
And that was exactly why she stood out from the rest of her peers.
Speaking of negativity, Ruby sensed a sudden spike in it from outside her room. It was growing closer with each passing second. Like a bright beacon of light in the darkness, a troubled mind was nearing her. She stood up, staring at the door as she pondered whether or not to go outside and see exactly what was going on.
Luckily for her, in more ways than one, the door flung open to reveal the boy she had just been thinking about. The source of negativity had found her instead, and she had never been more thankful to be able to bask in its presence.
Jaune slammed the door behind him, his breathing heavy from physical exertion. Had he been running? Or was he breathless due to whatever he had been out doing without her? There was only one way to find out.
"Jaune?" she asked. "What's going on?"
He whirled around at the sound of her voice, and an incredulous laugh slipped through his lips. The young man smiled as he took in the sight of her. "Ruby. I've never been more happy that you're my roommate."
Ruby felt a squeezing sensation in the left side of her chest. However, it paled in comparison to the tight embrace that Jaune wrapped her in as he moved next to her. His arms surrounded her, holding on for dear life as they stood in the middle of the room.
It took a moment, but Ruby returned the hug, as she circled her arms around his broad torso. Her head found his chest, and her horns rubbed against him affectionately.
They stayed like that for long moments, and Ruby was unsure what prompted this sudden display of appreciation for her. What had he been out there doing which made him act in such a manner? Would it even be a good idea to ask? Or should she let him discuss it at his own pace if and when he was ready?
In the end her own voracious personality got the better of her, and once they parted she decided to pursue the issue. "So where were you?"
Deep blue eyes stared down at her. Haunted eyes. "I... was seeing someone."
She knew it! She knew he was seeing someone else! Whatever little mission Professor Callows had given him had involved another hybrid.
"Oh," she said hesitantly. "Do you mind me asking who?"
Jaune swallowed hard. He too seemed hesitant to talk. Eventually though, it came. "Blake."
Ruby felt her heart drop. Blake. The youngest, most recently turned, and as a result, the most monstrous of all the students in the academy. Turning someone of her age into a hybrid had been a difficult task, and as a result a significant amount of effort had been put into the process. What emerged from the pool of destruction had been the most warped, sadistic, and beautiful of all of Salem's children.
And Jaune had just spent the evening alone with her.
One white and one black fist tightened in response to hearing of where her best friend had been this evening. Jaune absolutely reeked of negativity. He and Blake must have had a spectacular time together.
"I see," she whispered. So then what had the hug been for? Trying to make up for the fact that he had such a good time with someone not her?
A long breath escaped the boy's lips as his gaze fell to the floor. "I think... I'm going to go to bed now."
Ruby nodded. Probably exhausted from all the fun. Too exhausted to spend time with her.
"Sure. I guess I will too," she resigned. Her fingers fell to the hem of her dress, and began to lift it in order to prepare herself for bed.
She was stopped in her tracks when Jaune grabbed at her hand. "Ruby! I thought we had this conversation already!"
She peered up at him in confusion. "Huh?"
"About..." he started, nervousness creeping into his voice. "About you sleeping naked. And walking around our room naked. Don't you have something else to sleep in?"
She did not. Why would one require different clothes to sleep in? It wasn't as if there was anything to hide in the comfort of her own room. There was nothing in here she needed to protect her body from. No environmental hazards. It was natural to sleep in the nude.
"I don't," she admitted.
Jaune sighed, and he went over to his dresser, pulling open the door and taking something out. He handed her a folded up shirt. "Here, you can have one of mine then. It's big enough for me, so it'll probably fit more like a nightgown for you."
Ruby looked down at the garment. Normally she would have been thrilled to receive something from Jaune. Only his reasoning here wasn't nearly as complimentary as it could have been. He had given her this shirt in order to conceal herself. To conceal her body from him.
He must have found her body ugly to look at. A twinge of pain stabbed at her heart.
When she thought about it, the reason was obvious.
She remembered how he had looked at Weiss the other day when she entered the cafeteria. Jaune had stared at her like a long lost mate. Like she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen in his life. And how had she looked when she strutted into the cafeteria?
She had looked human.
Of course Jaune would find the human form so appealing. He was so advanced, so much further along than any of them, that he was already beginning to find the human body attractive. If he and the rest of them were to properly infiltrate the kingdoms, they could not be repulsed by the human form. On the contrary, they would have to mingle with humans. Date humans. Maybe even mate with humans.
Jaune was already at that point. No wonder he found Weiss' form so attractive, while he wanted Ruby herself to cover her own.
The redhead closed her eyes and took a deep breath. It had been a while since she had attempted a transformation, but in this moment she needed to try. Willing herself with all the strength she possessed, Ruby felt as her body began to shift and change. White skin darkened into a pale tan. The black veins that covered her body vanished. Her glowing crimson eyes turned into a brilliant silver. There was only one thing which she couldn't change.
Her horns remained.
It was merely one more way she was imperfect. One lesson she still had yet to learn. How to completely transform into a flawless human. Until she could eliminate her horns, she would never be allowed to go into the kingdoms and fulfill her purpose.
Still... it was worth a shot tonight. To let Jaune see how human she could be. To see if maybe he would find her appealing in this form.
"Jaune," she said quietly.
The boy's back was to her, presumably so she could change into the shirt he had provided. When he turned to face her, his eyes widened. She didn't know whether that was good or bad.
"Ruby..." he breathed. "What-"
"My human form," she said softly. Nervously. "I know it's not perfect yet. Can't get rid of these things," she said as she pointed up to the two horns which still graced her forehead. "But I just wanted to show you. And see what you thought."
He continued to stare. His eyes were still wide. Glistening. Ocean-blue eyes had become as wet as the water they resembled. How curious.
"That's how you would have looked..."
Her own silver eyes squinted. What was he talking about?
"So what do you think?" she asked. Prepared for the worst possible answer he could give. That she wasn't as attractive as Weiss. That her horns ruined her human disguise.
"I think you're beautiful," he whispered, as liquid rolled down his cheek. What was that clear substance? Was there water leaking from the ceiling?
Whatever the case, Ruby felt how her heart was pounding in her chest. Her adrenaline was surging, as if preparing for a battle. Yet there wasn't any danger. There weren't any opponents to fight. So then why was her body reacting in such a fashion?
"Really?" she asked hopefully.
He nodded. "Yeah." Brushing the liquid away from his eyes, Jaune turned to avert his gaze once more. "I'll let you get changed though. I'll be a few minutes."
Jaune turned and walked over to their bathroom, closing the door behind him.
Ruby watched him go, her eyes moving from him down to the shirt in her hands once he had left her sight. She brought it up to his face, and took a deep whiff of the fabric. It smelled like him. He was scenting her, just as she had done to him before.
Maybe he didn't find her so unattractive after all.
Author's Note: My thanks go out to Burkion and Lightningstrux as always for their wonderful contributions to this story.
Blake was an absolute joy to write for all three of us. Black comedy and horror in one nice package. And this chapter really is representative of what this story is as a whole. There's only room for two categories, but it really is more than just those two. It's comedy, even if it's not your particular brand of comedy. It's horror. It's drama. It's romance. And you can get all of those things from every character.
Thanks to everyone for continuing to read and review. I never imagined that this fic would become so popular so quickly. Your feedback and enthusiasm continues to inspire not just me, but the rest of my Discord server to keep brainstorming on a daily basis.
I hope you enjoyed it.