Weiss was immensely pleased. Professor Fall had really come through for her when it came to her extracurricular studies. The woman must have really cared about the well-being of her students. She was a shining example of what a human serving under Salem could be. One who would go above and beyond for those who were objectively better than her. One who would stop at nothing to ensure that Weiss and her fellow Grimm hybrids would have every opportunity to succeed.

By bringing in a pair of humans in order to teach her the more subtle nuances about human relations, Cinder was doing her part in Salem's grand plan. Emerald and Mercury seemed like a good duo of subservient humans who would do as they were told. She wondered just how much experienced the pair had in the act of mating. She hoped it was a lot. She hoped it was with each other too. A brilliant thought entered her mind. What if they gave a live demonstration in the act of human mating? What a glorious sight that would be!

After all, the only live experience Weiss had in the act had been as a willing participant herself. She felt her face grow warm at the memory of being dominated by Jaune in the kitchen. He was indeed the strongest among them. Strong enough to pin her against the wall and take what he wanted. To manhandle her in every which way in order to satisfy his own carnal desires. Together they would form a powerful pack and one day produce offspring in order to continue the efforts of their master.

However, there was more to the lessons than just being able to be a better mate for Jaune. She had a mission of her own, after all. A mission to infiltrate the kingdoms of men and manipulate the humans in it to do her will. As Professor Fall had once said, the art of seduction was a powerful tool in order to encourage humans into doing as you wished. Therefore her lessons were integral for the success of her own future missions.

Weiss frowned. Mission or not, a part of her just could not imagine mating with anyone other than Jaune. If she was ever tasked with such an act, would she be able to accomplish it? Or was her mate more of a... Mate?

Unimportant right now. At this moment her mind should not be focused on hypothetical future endeavors. She had lessons to learn from Cinder's disciples.

The pair of human teenagers had just arrived, and the two reeked of unease. Human negativity was an unfamiliar sensation in this academy, as the only humans present were completely desensitized to both the creatures of Grimm and the hybrids. To have a pair of unfamiliar humans arrive brought with them all the fear and uncertainty that came with humanity.

Weiss was immensely focused on the pair as they entered the room. She hoped that they would get over it soon enough so that she could focus on her lessons. Perhaps she could do something to put their minds at ease.

Focusing her thoughts, Weiss closed her eyes and willed her body to take on its human form. After a few seconds her vision was filled with the sight of pale, human flesh. If she had a mirror available she would have certainly seen sparkling sapphire eyes and full pink lips.

The two humans stared at her with wonder and amazement, and Weiss was relieved to feel that their levels of fear had in fact slightly decreased. "How'd you do that?" Mercury asked.

Weiss stood as tall and proud as her five foot tall frame could. They were right to be impressed by not only her superior abilities, but her stunning good looks as well. "Grimm hybrids have the ability to adopt a human form," she explained. "It is important to be able to pose as a human in order to infiltrate their society and wreak havoc for the glory of Salem."

Their collective fear ticked up once more. Weiss frowned. Such weak-minded creatures these humans were.

"That's... neat," Emerald said cautiously.

"I came to the conclusion that seeing me as a human would put your minds at ease so that we could more easily engage in our lessons."

"Oh. How... thoughtful of you..."

Weiss nodded happily. She was indeed thoughtful. One could never deny how absolutely wonderful she was. Other hybrids should strive to follow her example. She was perfect. There were no twisted appendages or overgrown limbs tainting her beautiful body. No overly positive thoughts corrupting her mind. No, she was pristine and flawless in her form, just like Salem. The only thing that separated her from her mother was her single, glorious horn.

"Indeed," she agreed. "Now, shall we begin?"

Weiss took a seat at one of the desks in the abandoned classroom, folding her hands atop it and looking up at the pair expectantly. She wondered where they would do the deed if there was to be a live demonstration. On one of the desks? Up against the wall? Or maybe even on the floor itself? It didn't matter, Weiss had a prime seat for any and all possible venues for the lesson.

Emerald and Mercury exchanged a glance as silence permeated the room. The boy spoke first. "Well?"

Red eyes narrowed. "Well what? Don't look at me. I'm not starting."

"Aren't you Cinder's favorite or something?" he asked. "She must have expected you to take the lead. Probably even gave you a lesson plan or something stupid like that."

So Emerald was Cinder's favorite? Weiss took a mental note of this. The green-haired girl would be the perfect liaison to her teacher should she ever require further favors.

"Aren't you the one who was so onboard with the idea?" Emerald sniped back. "If giving her the talk is so easy, then you do it!"

"You're both girls, so you should be the one who explains how things work. Obviously you're more familiar with the female body than I am, so you start."

"Yeah, I'm not surprised you have no experience with the female body," Emerald smirked.

Mercury growled, shifting to face his partner. "That's not what I meant," he spat angrily. "And at least I can get some action rather than just fantasizing about a woman who'll never reciprocate some pathetic, misplaced feelings of love."

Now it was Emerald's face which twisted with rage. Weiss watched with rapt fascination as the scene unfolded before her. Such a wonderful display of negativity had her on the edge of her seat. This was just as interesting, if not more so than the documentary about human mating she had watched time and time again over the past several weeks. With any luck both of their clothes would soon come off and the act of mating would begin.

"You don't know shit," the girl snarled as her hands fell toward her hips. Weiss saw a pair of pistols holstered there. Maybe they liked it rough?

"I've seen enough to know plenty." Mercury's hands clasped together before settling over his heart. "Oh Cinder, Cinder! Notice me, Cinder! I'm such a good girl, Cinder! Love me, Cinder!"

Weiss grasped her pen and began to furiously scribble notes down onto her notebook. This was all such gold. Human courtship was exactly how she had always imagined it. As it turned out, she had been doing things properly the whole time. Truly she was an exemplary student who was always ahead of the curve. She just never realized how good she was until this very moment.

"Well at least I have both my legs!" Emerald screamed.

Mercury's hands balled up into fists. "Don't you dare go there," he stated threateningly.

"Or what, you'll kick my ass? Better oil up the joints first, wouldn't want you breaking down from moving too fast."

The two teens were only inches away from each other, both breathing heavily as expressions of pure hate were etched onto their faces. Yes. This was it. It was going to happen. Right in front of her.

For long moments they continued staring at each other. Neither moved. The anticipation was killing the hybrid. "Go on," she urged. "Do it."

In an instant the looks of hate fell away from both teens, and they turned to their single captive audience member. They blinked with surprise, as if they had forgotten she was even there. "What?" Mercury asked.

"Do it," Weiss repeated. "Take her. Mate with her."

Looks or horror and disgust formed on Mercury and Emerald's respective faces. Both teens took exaggerated steps away from one another.

"What?" the girl practically shrieked.

"You've gotta be kidding me," Mercury uttered in disbelief.

To say that Weiss was disappointed would have been an understatement. They had been so close, but now were refusing to do it? Was this some sort of human mating custom as well?

"Like I would ever do... that, with him," Emerald said with revulsion.

"Why not?" Weiss asked. "It's obvious the two of you have feelings for each other."

"W-what!" the girl screeched again.

Weiss nodded firmly. "Yes. It's just like my own relationship with Jaune."

Mercury frowned. "Who?"

"You see, I have practical experience in the act of mating, and the demonstration you just put on perfectly reflects how it is done."

The humans both stared at her silently. Weiss took it as a cue to continue with her anecdote. Perhaps they were the ones who needed teaching here.

"Any good relationship is built on a strong foundation of arguing. Insulting one another and physical confrontations are signs of affection between mates. The building pressure and tension between the two is then used to fuel a session of wild and passionate mating in which all of those feelings are expressed, much to the delight of the participants."

Months of horn poking and insults had built up between herself and Jaune before they had finally mated. And it had been incredible. Weiss remembered how good it had felt when she herself had finally vented. She considered how good Jaune must have felt as well. She doubted it would have been the same had he not been enraged when he had taken her. If he hadn't physically dominated her the way she so enjoyed being done.

"You're... you're joking, right?" Mercury asked.

Weiss shook her head. "Of course not. You two remind me exactly of how Jaune and I interact. Pushing each other around, bickering, the female clearly being superior to the male while not minding being dominated by him. It's obvious Emerald wants you to mate with her."

Mercury blinked, his lips parting as he turned back to face his partner. "Really, Em?"

"Don't listen to her!" the girl shouted. "That's insane!"

"I don't know, you are kind of a bitch. Are you sure you don't want me to... you know?"

Emerald finally grabbed one of her weapons, and Weiss saw how it shifted into a hooked blade-like weapon. "Say one more word about this and I will make sure you'll never have a chance to 'mate'. Got it?"

The hybrid frowned. A little violence between mates was all well and good, but threatening to castrate her partner did Emerald no good. After all, she shouldn't want the boy to end up how Cardin did.

Perhaps she should leave them alone so that they could continue with their own mating process. This had proven to be an enlightening experience for Weiss, and she was pleased to know that she had emulated the human courting process to perfection. She felt as though she had nothing left to learn from the two.

She stood from her seat and collected her belongings. "I thank you for the mating lesson," she told them genuinely with a slight bow of her head. "To confirm that my own actions were correct gives me great confidence for when I enter the human world. I shall use this knowledge in my future mating sessions with Jaune as well."

Weiss turned to leave, but was stopped at the sound of the female's voice. "Wait!"

She spun back around. "Yes?"

"Cinder's gonna kill us if we don't teach her something," Emerald murmured to her partner. Weiss frowned. What more could they teach her?

"Like what?" the boy asked. "It's obviously she's already doing it with someone."

"I don't know! But we have to say something." A hand came up and Emerald rubbed her eyes. "Look. Are you at least using protection when you're... doing it?"

Weiss thought back to the morning in the kitchen. Eyes lit up when she recalled that Jaune indeed had protection. The thought had never even crossed her mind. In a moment when both of their guards would have been down, it would be very easy for them to be attacked by an unknown intruder. It was essential that they had protection while they mated.

Emerald was clearly an intelligent young woman. This must have been the reason she was Cinder's favorite.

"Yes," she confirmed. "Jaune had his sword at his side throughout the process."

The girl's face scrunched up. "No, not that sort of protection."

Weiss frowned. Was she talking about armor? Sure, armor was useful, but that would have gotten in the way and diminished the pleasure of the experience.

"A rubber," Mercury spoke up.

Her lips pursed in thought. "I have no idea how rubber would protect me, unless Jaune was part electric water-tube fish. Then again I have heard that he is part Leviathan, but I have never heard of an electrified Leviathan."

"Water tube fish?" the boy echoed.

"You mean an electric eel?" Emerald asked.

Weiss nodded. "Yes. That's the word. Humans are so meticulous when it comes to the naming of animals."

"Which isn't the point," Emerald quickly followed up. "Did you use any sort of birth control when you... did it?"

The hybrid blinked. "What's birth control?"

"Oh shit," Mercury gasped.

"It's... it's to prevent you from getting pregnant," the girl explained.

"Pregnant? But I haven't even laid eggs yet."

The humans shared a glance. "Is that how these things work?" Mercury whispered.

Emerald threw her hands in the air. "I don't know!" Her gaze came back to focus on Weiss. "Um... there's no easy way to say this. But if you and Jaune didn't use a condom or some other kind of birth control, you could be... pregnant."

Weiss' heart skipped a beat. She felt a warmth permeate her body.

"Pregnant?"

"Oh shit," Mercury said once more.

Pregnant. Carrying the children of her mate. Weiss' mind began to think of the possibilities should this be true. Though it flew in the face of all she knew about the reproductive cycle.

The human female took a step forward, and for the first time an expression of genuine concern was on her face. "Look, maybe you should go talk to Cinder..."

"There's no time!" Weiss exclaimed. "Quickly, I need straw to construct a nest! I must prepare for the snipe!"

The hybrid quickly dashed out of the room, not giving another thought to the two teens.

Emerald wanted to scream. How could one person, even if they weren't really a person, be so self assured about being wrong! If nothing else, her encounter with the 'hybrid' Weiss had enlightened her that these creatures were nothing to fear. Foolish children, nothing more. Mercury was still laughing his ass off, the idiot.

The 'hybrids' seemed so much less dangerous now. Some of them were still unsettling, but Weiss had been personable if not peculiar. The princess thought too highly of herself though, in Emerald's opinion. It might even be fun to spar with her, teach the haughty know-nothing some much needed humility. Mercury stopped, Emerald bumping into his shoulder.

"What's the deal, dip?"

Mercury looked around. Finally, scratching the back of his head, he shrugged. "I don't know. Just this weird feeling. Like something's watching us."

Emerald sighed. "We're in a strange nightmare school and you think something is watching us? No duh, moron."

Merc didn't throw an easy insult back. "If you think I'm afraid of a voyeur, fangirl, you're wrong. No, this is something else. Something I don't understand. One of the only good things my old man ever taught me was to keep aware for killing intent at all times."

He twisted and turned, looking everywhere he could. "Nothing. Zip. I don't know. It's uncomfortable."

Emerald frowned. If he was going to start losing it now- she jumped nearly a foot as something cold passed along the back of her neck. Cold and sharp. Eyes wild, she turned around. Nothing. "Merc, you felt that right?"

Mercury stared at her. "What are you talking about?"

"Something just touched me! From behind!"

The boy shook his head. "No way. I've been on high alert ever since I felt like something was watching us, Em. Watching every corner. No way something snuck up and gave you a wet willie. Funny as that'd be."

"Not like that! It felt like a blade!" Emerald wanted to slap her partner.

Mercury went still, looking around. Emerald watched him with baited breath. They were in a corridor, illuminated only by those damned candles. Shadow littered everywhere. Everything. Emerald looked up, over Mercury's head. Nothing but darkened ceilings, built high as old buildings often were.

Mercury shrugged. "I don't think anything is here with us. Doesn't seem very likely. Maybe something was watching us though, I'll grant that."

Emerald nodded. "I guess I'm just imagining things." It wouldn't be that strange. A place like this could do that to a person.

He threw his arms behind his head. "Have to be."

Above him, out of the corner of Emerald's eye, the darkness was briefly illuminated. Two vividly red blades slashed together, setting off a shower of sparks that revealed a red fanged creature with wild black hair and what could have been some kind of animal ears or horns. The thing winked at Emerald before darkness swallowed it once again.

Screaming, Emerald drew her weapons, opening fire on the ceiling. Mercury dropped low to the ground, jumping away as she sprayed gunfire across as much of the ceiling as she could.

She hit nothing. Saw nothing.

"What the hell, Emerald!"

"Hybrid, above us!" Emerald was not taking her eye off of the ceiling. Not after that.

Mercury's eyes widened as he spun back onto his two feet. "You sure?"

"Damn thing winked at me! Has like, blades for hands!"

Mercury, for his part, did not question her further. "We gotta calm down. Remember what the big dullard said. They sense fear. Let's just go. Whatever it is, if it keeps messing with us, we just put it down! Cinder will get us out of any trouble."

Emerald nodded. For once, he was making sense.

The two continued, Emerald's glaring eyes never leaving the ceiling. A nagging thought reminded her, even watching the ceiling she hadn't seen a thing before either. Emerald shoved that personal comment into her back pocket where it belonged.

A very different hybrid was waiting for them down the hall. His physical form was intimidating without question- a muscular human body with what looked to be a Death Stalker grafted onto his back. Each of the arms of the Death Stalker were replaced with guns of some kind, to boot. But what caught Emerald's attention the most was that he looked to be distressed. In pain, if she was being honest.

Approaching cautiously, she waved at him. "Hey there, uh..."

He nodded jerkily at her. "Wesson."

"Wesson. Yeah. Hi there. Are you okay?"

Wesson grimaced. "I would not expect a human to worry over one like me. But you are a notoriously compassionate people."

"...thank you?"

"You could take that like a compliment, yes." Wesson jerked. "I just want to tell-" he hissed in pain, Emerald and Mercury trading glances. "Warn. I wanted to warn you. The hybrid named Jaune. Avoid him. At all costs. He will kill you."

This nearly made Emerald take a step back. "Why would he-"

"He is the strongest hybrid at this school. He has fought horrors and nightmares, rumor has it he has even battled the teachers more than once." Wesson's head turned slightly. "He even claims to have faced Salem and survived. He makes a point of finding the strongest and slaughtering them without respite."

Mercury, smirk on his face, crossed his arms. "Yeah so what. We're pretty strong too you know."

Wesson lashed his human arm out, cracking the stonework of the wall with but a glancing blow. Mercury's smirk faded. "I do not mean to threaten. I tried to fight him once. Gave him everything I had. He toyed with me. Took it all and laughed. He is a monster of monsters. Do not approach him. Do not believe him. He has perfected his human guise and is-" Wesson scowled in pain, stumbling forward.

What was wrong with this guy?

"Is what?"

Wesson, through gritted teeth, replied. "Gathering a pack. A powerful, dangerous pack. He is making them completely subservient to him. To face Jaune is to face death. He will smile at you, he will be friendly, but in his eyes your life will hold no more value than that of a fly. He may only spare you for your usefulness to him. Either as fodder, or breeding stock."

"Oh really? Hear that, Em? You're going to be fodder!" Mercury laughed, Emerald glaring at him. "So I guess that means he's going to try and use me for breeding stock? Good luck!"

Wesson nodded immediately. "He will try, yes. Jaune does not allow simple impossibilities to stand in the way of what he wants. He will kill even the defenseless if he has reason, and so help you if you catch his eye. Even as we speak, he tempts and corrupts the only one of us who could have ever been called innocent. He lures her into his den of carnal sin and she has no say in the matter. The first was the shy, sweet black cat. He taunts her, tempts her with what she wants and greedily keeps it from her. He torments her. The White Witch, he dominates. Forces into his embrace. Breaks walls in his lustful ways. You will be the same, if he takes a liking to you."

Emerald and Mercury both were done with this conversation. Those final words were the last straw.

"Yeah screw you man." Mercury flipped him off, already walking away.

Emerald stuck her tongue out. "Don't try and scare us anymore with this bullshit. Like anyone in this damn school is actually that monstrous."

She jogged to catch up to Mercury, the boy obviously bothered by what he said. "Merc, do you think Cinder could be in too deep?"

"Stupid idiot isn't something we should worry about. Who cares about some big bad hybrid named Jaune of all things? That one didn't even know how to put a jacket on without tearing it."

Emerald stopped. Turning around, she looked back. At Wesson's feet was a coat. A heavy coat. One that had been shredded. As if it had been removed in a great hurry. Wesson convulsed, his tiny sub arms twitching as he dropped to his knees.

"Please-enough-said everything-you-"

He was too far away to make out exactly what he was saying. Emerald was about to turn around when she saw his back. A long the center of the Death Stalker-esque form, a near invisible line revealed itself. Emerald watched in horrified fascination as the line widened, two familiar red blades emerging from within Wesson. Twin black cat ears, matted with black ichor, emerged next, followed swiftly by blazing red eyes and-

Emerald ran screaming. Mercury would not get her to answer why.

It was unusual for Jaune to have free time these days. True free time, at least.

Recent events had ensured that Jaune was surrounded by fellow students on a regular basis. His physical relations with Weiss had definitely made her cling to him far more than usual. Perhaps she felt it necessary to solidify her 'claim' to him, or at least whatever claim she felt that she had. They had after all had sex. To normal people that would have been enough to solidify their relationship status. Then again they were anything but normal. However, Weiss had informed him that she had private lessons of some sort this afternoon, and would be absent for the near future. He had no idea what it could be, but if it was enough to separate her from him it must have been important.

Speaking of abnormal, Ruby was surprisingly absent as well. His best friend and the only hybrid who was in on his secret had made no excuses as Weiss had. Rather, she had simply vanished after classes today. Jaune supposed he shouldn't be too surprised nor disappointed. It wasn't like she or anyone else had to be around him constantly. It wasn't as if she had nothing to do besides follow him around.

Jaune stopped in his tracks. A quick peek behind him revealed nothing. That did not, however, mean that no one was there...

If there was one thing that was true about Blake, it was that she could be anywhere. At anytime. Every shadowy corner was a potential hiding spot. Every inch of the ceiling was her playground. There were very few places he knew he could ever truly be alone.

Sadly he was not going to that place right now.

With Ruby and Weiss otherwise occupied, Jaune felt it was a good time to get some extra training in. In a place like this it was always a worthwhile investment to get stronger. Every training session he could get in would lead to his abilities growing. To improve his strength. His speed. His endurance. He couldn't afford to be idle here. His life depended on it. The lives of others did as well.

As he walked the hall he saw a pair of unfamiliar faces approaching. Quickly, too. As they neared Jaune could tell they were not hybrids. At least not any he had ever seen. The way they moved was also unusual. There was a sense of purpose behind each step. A sense of urgency, like they had to move quickly without flat out running.

Were they... human? And if so, who were they?

The girl, a young woman with cocoa skin and green hair stopped in her tracks. Red eyes almost the same hue as the hybrid's stared at him.

"Uh, hey," the blond greeted with a wave of his hand.

The male, one seemingly around his age with gray eyes and silver hair, stared as well. They were definitely scared. Jaune had been around this academy long enough to know fear when he saw it. He had experienced it too many times himself.

"Are you a hybrid?" the female asked.

Jaune was faced with two choices. To lie or tell the truth. To not let anyone else in on his potentially fatal secret, or to perhaps be able to bond with a pair of actual humans his age that were for some reason at this school. Maybe he would be able to take them under his wing and teach them how to survive in this place.

The answer was easy in the end. He had lied this long and he had lived. No reason to stop a good thing while it was still going.

"Yeah," he confirmed. "My name's Jaune. What are your names, humans?"

He felt funny phrasing the question like that, but he had to play his part. Apparently he played it too well.

The girl took an uneasy step back. "That's the one Wesson talked about before he..."

Jaune frowned. Wesson had spoken about him to them? He wondered about what. Whatever it was, it had obviously put them in a state of unease. Maybe it was about how he had killed Cardin. Another lie, but a lie that could only help him survive.

"That's Emerald," the boy said. There was an edge to his voice when he spoke. His body was seemingly on edge as well. "And I'm Mercury."

Emerald and Mercury. Maybe he'd ask around about them later. He wondered if they were in the same position as himself. Experiments for Salem. If they were then they had certainly more skilled than he had been when first arriving. Mercury at least seemed prepared to fight should Jaune initiate a confrontation. Emerald meanwhile seemed spooked by something, but Jaune didn't doubt that she was a capable combatant as well.

Best to end this conversation before it got that far then. "Well nice meeting you both, but I have to get going."

Jaune purposely stepped to his right, and his fellow humans did the same on their side of the hall. With clear paths before all of them, the trio went their separate ways. Their eyes were locked onto each other's as they passed.

Yeah, he was definitely going to ask Ruby or Weiss about them when he met up with them later.

Arriving at the training room without further incident, Jaune looked around. No one else was present, but then again the numbers had been thinned out quite a bit since first arriving. Once he had been the one on the chopping block for the culling, but it had been the actual hybrids themselves who had been culled from the herd. Jaune's heart went out to them. He knew that they were all innocent victims just like his friends, but there was sadly little he could do for them. He had his hands full as it was with the four girls who had all seemingly taken an interest in him for different reasons. If someone like Cardin or Wesson didn't care to befriend him or get in touch with their humanity then there was nothing he could do about it. They were, as Hazel had once said, mindless brutes who existed for violence. Brutes who would likely die by it as well.

Unsheathing Crocea Mors, Jaune held his family's blade aloft and let the dim light from the room reflect off the steel. This was an ideal time to continue honing his form. It wasn't enough just to be strong or fast. He had to be familiar with his weapon. With his techniques. While he hadn't gotten a ton of training from his family before setting off to join what he thought was a huntsman academy, he knew a little. He would practice what he knew until it was second nature to him. Until the blade was an extension of his body.

Jaune's body jerked around, barely seeing the fist flying at him before it hit. He raised his sword just in time, but even then the powerful impact of an enormous black fist knocked him off his feet and sent Crocea Mors flying from his hands.

Scurrying to his feet as quickly as he could, he barely evaded a second fist which pounded on the floor where he had once been. Jaune gasped for air as he took a few steps away from his attacker.

"Yang!" he screamed, unable to control the volume of his voice. "What are you doing!"

"Fighting, duh."

A third time she swung, and a third time she missed him, this time her large Grimm appendage smashing into the wall behind him. Bits of sharp concrete flew into the air and on the floor. Had he tried to take the blow Jaune was sure that his Aura would have been depleted in one hit.

"I can tell!" Jaune ducked another strike, this time rolling to the side before quickly collecting himself for the follow up. "But why!"

Yang grinned, barring her teeth as a pair of glowing red eyes gazed eagerly at him. "'Cause I wanna talk."

Jaune threw his hands up in frustration. "So pick one or the other. Not both."

"Boring!" Yang launched herself at him again. Her meaty Grimm fist swung and Jaune dodged. Right into the surprise left hook from the hybrid's normal human arm.

It hit him squarely on the jaw, sending him tumbling down onto his backside. Blue eyes were wide with shock. Yang had never done anything like that before. It had been strategy. Not simply mindless violence. She had made him expect one thing only to do something completely different.

The question was, why?

Then again there were far more important questions on his mind. Ones which would hopefully distract the girl from her assault. Jaune brought his own hands up, now far more alert to the possibility of Yang actually landing a blow on him.

"What did you want to talk about?" he asked.

The blonde girl was bouncing lightly on the balls of her feet, her own hands raised as if imitating a boxer. With one arm so grossly mismatched with the rest of the body, the sight was almost comical. Comical if it didn't have the potential of ending his life.

"Ruby," she answered flatly. Another fist came his way, and this time Jaune didn't evade into the path of her waiting left arm. Rather he dodged to Yang's right where she would have a much harder time compensating on the fly for his action. It clearly worked, as there was no follow up strike this time.

Jaune continued backpedaling away from the hybrid. "What about Ruby?"

"You think you're too good for her?" she asked accusingly. All former finesse was lost when her Grimm arm swung at him again, this time with no plan of attack. It was rage. That much was obvious in her voice. "You think you can just ignore her?"

Too good for her? Ignore her? What was she talking about?

"I'm not ignoring her," he protested as he avoided another swing. "And I don't think I'm too good for her. What are you talking about?"

"She's been rubbing her horns on you for days now! Or even longer! And you haven't done anything about it!"

"Yeah. She likes doing that. I don't mind it."

Apparently that was the wrong answer, as Yang snarled again before lunging at him. "You bastard! How can you just ignore her feelings so casually!"

What was there to do? It wasn't like he had horns he could rub her back with. He had always just assumed it was some sort of sign of affection like a hug. He had no problem hugging Ruby. He'd done that plenty of times.

"I already told you I'm n-"

"She wants to mate with you!"

The words stopped Jaune dead in his tracks. Blue eyes widened and his mind went blank.

Not a good thing to do in the middle of a fight. Even if it was only a spar.

Yang's fist sent him flying back into the wall, the impact knocking the wind out of him when he slammed against it. Jaune didn't have a chance to recover before he found himself in the grasp of the powerful hybrid. He was a large young man, yet Yang was able to easily wrap gnarled black fingers around his torso and press him up against the wall.

Red eyes burned with anger as they stared up at him. Jaune squirmed and struggled with all his might, but Yang's hold on him was absolute. A part of him thought about activating his Aura, remembering how it had affected Blake when she had held him in her grip. However Yang did not seem interested in squashing him. She could have already done so. Rather, she seemed interested in that talk she had spoken of.

"Why are you ignoring Ruby's mating signals? Why are you having sex with Weiss and not her?"

Jaune never imagined a scenario where an older sibling would be upset with him for not sleeping with their younger sister. Then again these were Grimm hybrids he was talking about. He shouldn't expect things to play out like they would in the real world.

"What mating signals?" he asked with genuine confusion.

"Were her horns going up and down or side to side?"

The question momentarily gave the boy pause. How was he supposed to remember that?

Jaune tried his best and thought back to the last time Ruby had nuzzled her horns against him. Had it been the Cardin incident? No, it was more recent than that. The previous day in Hazel's class. He recalled Ruby rubbing her horns against his shoulder there. It had been up and down, now that he thought about it.

"Up and down," he answered after the answer came to him.

"You fucking idiot," Yang breathed. "She's expressing her attraction to you. I know you don't have horns, but don't you know anything?"

What was he supposed to say? The truth? Of course he didn't know anything! He was a human!

There was so much about these Grimm hybrids he didn't understand. Things like their horns and what they did with them were apparently important non-verbal methods of communication. And that was just for ones with horns. Knowing what he knew now, who knows what Blake might have been trying to convey to him with all of her strange words and actions?

He decided to go with Yang's own words, and play it off as if his lack of horns meant that he didn't understand the nuances of their use. "So... what did all Weiss' poking mean then?"

Yang scoffed. "Oh she's just a bitch," she said nonchalantly. "She's trying to assert dominance over you. Which apparently didn't work considering what you've been doing with her."

Jaune wondered how much Yang truly knew about Weiss' methods and motivations. He wondered if Yang knew that for all of Weiss' posturing and poking, she was the submissive one.

"But Ruby..."

"Ruby wants you," the girl finished. She released her grip on Jaune, and he fell down to the floor after his unprepared legs buckled beneath him. "So either do something about it or stop leading her on. It's pissing me off."

Do something about it. If Ruby's actions meant that she wanted to mate with him, there was only one thing that could be 'done' about it.

Jaune picked himself off the floor and dusted himself off. Do something about it. He couldn't deny that he wanted to. Ruby may have been a Grimm hybrid, but she was so many other things than that. She was kind. Caring. Attractive. Adorable. Trustworthy. His first and best friend in a world filled with violence and fear. Ruby was a friend who had found out the truth about him and accepted him for who he was. She had saved his life from Cardin. She apparently still harbored feelings for him despite the fact that she was a hybrid and he was a human.

What about Weiss, though?

"So you know I... slept with Weiss," he said knowingly.

"So?"

Jaune blinked. Had he phrased it wrong? Did Yang not know that sleeping with Weiss meant sex? "I mean I had sex with Weiss," he clarified. "You know that, and Ruby probably does too. So why does she, why do you still want me to do it with Ruby?"

"I don't see the big deal," Yang said just as casually as before. "A pack leader can have multiple mates. No reason you can't too."

Pack leader. Yet another hybrid term he was woefully unfamiliar with. Horns. Pack leaders. Alpha males. It was such a strange culture that he was still having trouble getting used to all these months later. However, Jaune felt he had a grasp on the idea now. In a pride of lions there was a single male and multiple females. Could that be how it worked in Grimm hybrid packs as well?

"Right," he agreed. Never mind the fact that he didn't fully understand her words.

"So if you want Ruby in your pack, just go do it already. Or tell her you're not interested. But just stop leading her on, or else you won't make it out of our next fight. Got it?"

Jaune understood the threat loud and clear. "Yeah. I got it."

Yang snorted dismissively before turning. "She's probably in your room right now. Go talk to her before Weiss is done with her stuff."

The hybrid walked away, leaving Jaune alone with his thoughts. So Ruby was interested in him like that. He couldn't tell himself he wasn't interested in her the same way. Despite what she was, he had developed a crush on Ruby long ago. Considering how close they had grown, it wouldn't be unusual to make things official, would it?

No more unusual than anything else at this strange academy.

Jaune steeled himself as he stood before the door to his own room. If Ruby was inside he was prepared to have a conversation with her about something deeply personal. It wouldn't be the same as Weiss. With Weiss it had been a spur of the moment thing. An act of passion. He had thought he was going to die. Here, however, Jaune knew that he was safe. Relatively safe, at least. He also knew he cared a great deal about the girl on the other side of the door, and she felt the same way about him. That made it okay, didn't it?

He didn't know the answer to the question, and ultimately decided to handle things as they came along. No plan survived contact with the enemy, and despite Ruby not being an enemy, he knew that any and all preparations he made would be thrown out the window once they were alone. He would just have to do what he had done every step of the way since joining this academy. Wing it.

Pushing the door open, Jaune saw a lone girl sitting on the bed. Ruby looked up, bright red eyes gazing into his own, and a soft smile played on her lips.

"Hey, Jaune," she greeted happily.

She didn't seem sad. That was good. The way Yang had been talking earlier made it sound like Ruby was heartbroken over his lack of action. Was the blonde merely over blowing the situation? Or was Ruby just that good at hiding her emotions?

"Hey," he smiled back. "How've you been?"

Ruby shrugged. "Same as always." She stood up and moved toward him, wrapping her arms around his torso.

Jaune assumed she was giving him a hug to greet him and brought his arms around her to do the same. He froze as Ruby's head lowered, and she rubbed her horns against his chest.

He now knew what that meant. It was more than just a sign of affection. Far, far more.

"Ruby," he said softly. His hands moved up to her shoulders and he gently pushed her away from him.

Red eyes stared up at him. There was concern on her face now, perhaps because she had been forced away from him. "Jaune?"

He hated seeing her hurt like this, even if only for a moment. His hands remained on her in a show of good faith, hoping that she would realize that he didn't want her away from him.

"So Yang told me what you've been doing..." he began. Jaune saw how Ruby's teeth softly and subtly bit down on her lower lip. "What all the, uh, horn rubbing meant..."

Soft gray blushing formed on the girl's white cheeks. Her eyes darted away in embarrassment, but she made no move to escape his grasp. "Yeah..."

Step one was out of the way. That was good. The ice had been broken. Now all that was left was resolving it.

"Can I just ask... why? Why me?"

Seconds of silence passed by before Ruby finally acted. She reached up and took one of his hands in her own, removing it from her shoulder and tugging on it to follow.

Jaune did as he was silently requested, and followed her to sit down on their bed. Even once he was seated next to her she did not let go of his fingers. If anything her grip on him had tightened as they sat together.

"Before you came here, my life was horrible," she said softly. "I mean I had Yang, but that was it. We didn't really do much together, and sometimes it felt like the only reason she put up with me was because we're sisters. If she had been anyone else, she wouldn't have been able to handle my positivity."

Jaune remembered the first time he had met Ruby. She had been surprised he was able to stand being around her. She was amazed that he wanted to be her friend. That he wasn't repulsed by her and what everyone else perceived to be as broken emotions. Positive emotions.

"You wanted to be my friend. We became roommates. We did everything together. You accepted me for who I am. For what I am. Jaune, you're a human and I'm a Grimm hybrid, and you're still accepting me for what I am. That's pretty strange, don't you think?"

The fact that he had been desensitized to Grimm and hybrids did not make their situation any less strange. He had to admit that. "Yeah," he agreed. "Looking at it for what it is, it's pretty strange."

"But you don't care," she continued. "You don't see me as a monster. You see me as a friend. And... I don't see you as a human. You're just my friend, Jaune."

Jaune couldn't help but smile at the simple view of their relationship. She was right. This wasn't about what they were anymore. Human or hybrid, they were simply friends.

"I don't know if humans and Salem will ever be able to get along, but we can. Maybe it's because I'm different. I don't know. And I don't care. I like you, Jaune. I like that you're my friend. I like that you came to this school. I like spending time with you. I like that you like me. And..."

Ruby moved as quickly as lightning, pressing her mouth against his. Jaune was caught off-guard, and her lips made quick work of dominating his own, hungrily taking what she wanted. A hand came around to grasp the back of his head holding him in place, not that he was interested in escaping in the first place.

She had been learning her lessons well, and it seemed like all the practice they had done together paid off. Kissing Ruby was a pleasurable experience that got his blood pumping and his heart pounding.

After a few seconds she broke off, pulling back to reveal sparkling red eyes and a happy smile. "And... I like doing that with you."

Jaune was breathless, but he nodded. He wasn't about to lie to her after she had just spilled her guts to him. "Yeah," he breathed. "I like that too..."

Her cheeks darkened even more. He wondered if the positivity she must have been giving off would be enough to deter any Grimm hybrid from stepping within fifty feet of her. With where this was headed, that may not have necessarily been a bad thing.

"So I wanna... do what humans do to show affection," she murmured. "Like in that movie Weiss showed us."

The infamous documentary. Jaune remembered it all too well.

He also remembered Weiss. Despite what Yang had told him, he wanted to know what Ruby thought about her. About what they had already done.

"Speaking of Weiss," he started. "You know that we already did that, right?"

She nodded. "Yup."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Yup."

"Even if she wants to do it again?"

"Yup."

A smile curled on Jaune's lips. "Can you say anything other than 'yup'?"

"Yup."

He shook his head. "You're so weird."

Ruby snorted. "So are you. Not many humans around that would become friends with us. Or mate with us."

Jaune couldn't deny that. Despite how strange this place was, he was just as strange. He was a human who had learned to co-exist with Grimm hybrids. A human who had fallen for a pair of them as well.

"Yeah. I guess so."

He watched as one of Ruby's hands crept up to her shoulder, casually slipping one of the straps of her dress down her arm. "So... if you wanna..."

He did. "Are you sure?"

She nodded. "Yeah."

It was all the invitation Jaune needed. Wrapping an arm around Ruby's waist, he was the aggressor this time, taking her lips in his own. He brought his weight down on her, and the pair adjusted into a better laying position on the mattress. Like they had one so many times before, they kissed and cuddled in bed together. Only this time it was going in a far different direction than normal.

Jaune needed to come up for air eventually, and when he did the sight below shocked him. His eyes widened and his lips parted. "Ruby..."

"Huh?"

"You don't have to do that," he told her. "I think you're beautiful just the way you are."

The girl looked up in confusion. "Do what?"

The face of a normal human girl stared back at him. Pale tan flesh devoid of black veins was flawless to look upon. Silver eyes, bright and brilliant as mirrors, gazed into his own. A flat and smooth forehead held no trace of the long horns which had only minutes ago rubbed against him.

Ruby had taken on her human form and hadn't even realized it. The simple act of being intimate with him was enough to make her body do it on its own.

Jaune decided not to tell her. If he did, if she thought about it, it might stop working. He wanted her to feel human. He wanted to help her move away from being the monster that Salem had turned her into. If doing this with her made her feel more human, if it helped her get in touch with that side of herself, he wasn't about to stop her.

"Nothing," he said softly, coming down to brush his lips against hers.

Distinctly human hands reached around his back and held him close to her. "I love you, Jaune," she whispered into his mouth.

His heart skipped a beat, but his words came without hesitation. "I love you, Ruby."

Author's Note: The pack grows. Jaune's getting a better understanding of hybrids, and Ruby's getting a better understanding of humanity. Even if she doesn't realize it.

As always I want to thank Burkion and Lightningstrxu for all their hard work and contributions. This story would definitely not be what it is without their help.

I saw that the one and only Dishwasher1910 recently talked about this fic on their Twitter, and I'm incredibly humbled by the praise. Without Dish this story wouldn't exist, and it means so much to me to have this approval. So thank you, Dish. Keep up the great work.

And of course, my thanks go out to all the fans, both old and new, for your support. I hope I can keep providing you with a good and entertaining story.