"There is to be no public fornication at the dance. Do I make myself clear?"
Neo blinked.
She could hardly believe that such a sentence had been uttered aloud. More than that, she could hardly believe that such restrictions would even need to be clarified in the first place.
Just who were these freaks?
Sitting in a cramped dorm room, eight bodies filled a space meant for four. Her teammates, and 'teammates' was definitely using the word at its most liberal meaning, sat atop the beds on one side. She herself was seated next to Mercury, who even at this moment was leaning backwards, only his palms pressed on the bed keeping him from falling onto his back.
A glance over wasn't good enough to read the expression on his face. Looking past him, however, she saw the other two. The closer of the two was Cinder, the young woman who had just spoken the instructions. A look which screamed at Neo 'I'm so done with this' was plastered on her face.
Sitting on the other side of Cinder was Emerald, a thief with a clear soft spot for the woman she sat next to. Loyal and fiercely protective of Cinder, she often clashed with their only male companion over the most trivial and inconsequential of matters. Even in Neo's short time on the team she could tell that it was a dysfunctional unit at best, held together only by the domineering will of its leader.
"But then how am I to show all of the other shanks that Jaune belongs to me?" the white-haired girl across from them asked.
Shanks? Neo thought with a soft frown on her face.
The foursome on the other beds in the room, Team AWRY as they were called, were an odd collection of teenagers. Weiss, as was her true name, was weird. Of that there was no doubt. To be at odds with Cinder about why she couldn't have sex with her... boyfriend apparently, in the middle of Beacon's school dance meant that she had to have a few screws loose. But if she was his boyfriend, then why did that Ruby girl also have an arm linked around the boy?
This Jaune Arc kid was apparently quite skilled with the ladies if he was dating two of them at the same time. Was it some sort of Semblance? Or did he just possess natural charm? Whatever the case, Neo was determined to be on-guard. She would not fall prey to the boy's machinations and wiles.
"Skanks," Mercury corrected her. "You mean skanks."
"I'm sure you'd know all about those," Emerald sniped.
"Yeah, I've got one on my team," he countered.
"Skank a shank!" Weiss declared.
Emerald folded her arms across her chest, covering up the ample cleavage she liked to display. Some girls just had no class. They left no air of mystery to their bodies. Didn't she know that it was what guys couldn't see that was most appealing to them? Let them use their imaginations!
"Dick," she muttered softly as red eyes stared past her leader at the gray-haired boy.
Neo's lips curled into a small smirk. When Roman had first informed her that she would be playing a role in the upcoming festivities at Beacon Academy, she had been skeptical. Neo was a free spirit. She liked to be in control of her own destiny. Most of all, she did not enjoy taking orders from others. The idea of being forced onto an undercover huntsman team at Beacon robbed her of all her freedom and choice.
Worse still, Roman had confessed to her that he himself didn't exactly have a choice in the matter. Those who had contacted him were going to change the world, and he couldn't stop them. He had one of two choices. Join them and aid them in their plans, or perish. As the old saying went, if you can't beat them, join them. Roman had joined and brought Neo along for the ride. It was better than dying, she supposed.
"Yeah I've got one," Mercury replied quickly. "If you want it so badly just say so. Or was Weiss right and all this hostility from you is really just pent up sexual frustration?"
Another look at Weiss revealed a hopeful smile on her face, and her glance shifted between Emerald and Mercury with eager anticipation. While Neo wasn't exactly inclined to believe that there was belligerent sexual tension between the two teens... she also wouldn't have been surprised if that actually were the case.
"You're so nasty," Emerald stated flatly.
"Which is why you wanna do the nasty with me, I guess." If Neo could speak she might just have whooped or hollered, because that was a sick twist of words on the boy's part.
The dark-skinned girl stood, hands reaching for her holstered pistols. "I will murder you, bionic-boy," she snarled.
"Skank a shank!" Weiss offered unhelpfully again.
"Enough!" Cinder snarled, raising her voice enough to assert control, but not to yell. She was working hard to maintain her composure, but with the collection of oddballs in the room it was proving to be quite an arduous task. "Weiss, dear. The correct phrasing would be 'shank a skank." The dark-haired woman conjured a small dagger in her fingers out of what appeared to be glass. Probably to emphasize what exactly a shank was. Neo had to admit, that was pretty cool.
Weiss nodded, eyes staring intently at the small blade in Cinder's hand. "I'll remember that."
She'll remember to shank a skank? Neo liked this one's style.
Emerald sat down without question or hesitation. Even Mercury stiffened briefly before his relaxed posture once more took over. Neo remained seated and still all the while, her hands neatly folded atop her lap as she watched the chaos unfold before her.
She had once thought that being trapped at Beacon with these people would be boring. But honestly? This was a lot more fun than she was used to. It was like real-life crappy daytime TV. A soap opera of clashing personalities and egos with a dash of sexuality sprinkled on top. The question of 'will-they won't-they' hung in the air over her two teammates. Apparently three of their comrades were already doing the deed. What was next? Was Neo herself going to get some action too? If so, from who?
"As I stated," Cinder continued slowly. "There will be no vulgar or lewd acts at the dance. You are there to enjoy yourselves and blend in with the rest of your classmates. Mingle. Eat and drink. Dance. It's fine if you show affection to one another, just do not draw too much attention to yourselves. Understood?"
The quartet opposite of them all nodded. Neo still wondered just how lecherous the teenagers must have been if Cinder needed to tell them not to engage in public sexual activity. Roman was right. Kids these days were getting weirder and weirder.
"I'll keep them under control," the blond boy, Jaune, stated. Weiss' smile for some reason deepened in response to the words, and she clung to him tighter.
"Yeah," the redheaded one agreed. "We'll save that for after the dance."
A set of pink and brown eyes once more darted between those who had just spoken. Who knew that Beacon Academy, or maybe even any huntsman academy, harbored such nymphomaniacs? Had Neo known that attending one of these academies would be more akin to a 24/7 party with sex, drugs, and drinking, she might have just chosen a different path in life.
"What you do in your free time is your business," Cinder forced between gritted teeth. "However at the dance you are to be on your best behavior."
It was still odd to the young woman that Cinder had to keep emphasizing the point. These were just teenagers after all, weren't they? Why did the mastermind of this operation seem so insistent on driving the point home?
"I've got this," Jaune said again before standing. The rest of the girls on his team followed suit. "Come on, let's get out of Cinder's hair."
At least he could read the room. With the message read loud and clear, he didn't want his... unique teammates to cause anymore undue stress to the woman. Jaune exited the room followed by the trio of eccentric girls. When the door shut, Cinder let out a loud sigh.
"The things I do for power..." she grumbled, the air of mystery and seductiveness her voice so often held gone completely.
"Now that they're gone should we get down to business?" Emerald asked.
Neo wondered why the others weren't privy to this information. Were they untrustworthy? Incompetent? Were they pressed into service like she was, and thus could not be in the loop on the greater part of the plan? If so, what did that say about Neo herself?
"Proceed," Cinder authorized.
"Yes, ma'am. I just have a question. Why exactly did you volunteer our team to... handle the dance preparations?"
Why indeed? Neo had no experience in decor other than painting the walls red with the blood of her victims. While that would have been a fitting theme for a Halloween party, Autumn was still a little while away.
"The team that had been assigned to handle the party planning is away on a mission," Cinder noted. "And the teacher who is accompanying them has been replaced by a very familiar face."
"Qrow Branwen," Mercury nodded knowingly. "I still can't believe he's here."
Neo wondered just what kind of history the three had with the professional huntsman. All Neo knew was that she didn't like him. He smelled like the worst types of trash she dealt with in the alleys and gutters of Vale.
"Relax, he doesn't know who we are," Emerald said with surprising charity. "I made sure our faces were blurred during the whole... incident."
Again, what incident? Neo didn't like being in the dark about things. Especially when things concerned her.
A click on the ceiling drew her gaze up. A set of watchful eyes peered up at the ceiling, but there was nothing. Probably just the natural sounds of creaking wood as it expanded and contracted during the day.
"In any case, your dance participation is merely insurance," Cinder explained. "We are, after all, innocent students who are just visiting from Haven. We mean no harm. In fact, we will go out of our way to help out in any way we can. If we actively take a role in helping, then no one will be suspicious of our hindering activities."
The explanation made sense to Neo. Go out of your way to act like a friend and no one will suspect you of being an enemy. It was one of the oldest tricks in the book.
"Understood. But why is it only..." Emerald paused, glancing over at Mercury. "Me and him doing it?"
The earlier charity had vanished, and her clear disdain for the boy was back on full display. She hoped it would erupt into another full-blown argument.
"The reason, my dear, is because I already have a role to play on the night of the dance," Cinder offered with a wave of her hand. "I will be infiltrating the CCT tower while you and Mercury play hostess and host for our honored guests."
A scratch on the wall whirled Neo's head around. Again, there was nothing.
Heterochromic eyes narrowed, and a small frown crossed Neo's lips. Did the boy beside her not hear it too?
"How much time do you think you'll need to get in and out?"
Cinder shrugged nonchalantly. "Only a few minutes, but it won't be an issue. Everyone's attention will be focused on the dance. Any guard presence there will be minimal." Her tone darkened. "And dealt with if they get in the way."
Neo smirked at the no-nonsense phrasing, only to glance up at the ceiling once more.
"I still don't know why you made that Neon girl the DJ," Mercury groused. "I could have been an awesome DJ."
Emerald snorted incredulously. "Just because you break dance, and badly at that, doesn't mean you can DJ."
The boy offered a mocking snort of his own in response. "You're just jealous that I have rhythm and you don't."
Emerald's response was lost on Neo when she felt something hot blow on the back of her neck. She twisted around once more, knowing that this wasn't some simple trick of creaking wood. Someone... or something was there.
"Once the tower has been hacked the first step in the plan will be complete. Shortly after, our allies in Mountain Glenn will proceed with their own operation. Is Roman almost ready, Neo?"
Eyes glanced all around the room searching for the source of the heat. Could it have been something coming from the overhead vent? Maybe the heat had been turned on? No, it wasn't even cold out yet. Then what had that... sensation been?
"Neo."
The girl was snapped from her thoughts by the sound of Cinder's voice. A look over showed three sets of eyes staring back at her expectantly.
"Please pay attention," the dark-haired woman ordered.
Neo frowned, not having any sort of excuse for losing her focus. She wasn't about to start pointing randomly around the room saying that something strange was going on. She had a certain swagger of her own she had to maintain.
The small girl nodded, shifting her focus to Cinder and giving the woman her undivided attention.
"Are Roman and the White Fang almost ready to proceed with their part of the plan?"
Neo nodded, a confident smile on her face.
"Good. Things are going to get very interesting around here soon."
The tiny woman stole another glance above her as Cinder continued to speak. No sign of anything unusual. No one in the room but them.
So then why did it feel like she was being watched?
Beacon. It had been a long time since she was here. The air was... different now.
There was hope in the air. For the first time in forever.
Winter Schnee glided down the steps of her personal air ship, her shoulders straight and head held high. There were no Atlesian Knights at her side escorting her. No, she was not here on business. This was no military operation. She was not escorting precious cargo. No, this was personal.
This was about family.
The Specialist sucked in a shaky breath as her boots touched down on the concrete of the landing pad. Here on solid ground now at Beacon Academy, it felt like she had gone five years back in time. Back to when she had first touched down in Atlas Academy itself, anxiety had gnawed in her stomach. Doubt had filled her mind. She had wondered if she would have what it took to become a huntress. To become a Specialist. To become a warrior who could protect others from the fell creatures of Grimm.
Others like her sister who had been killed by the monstrous beasts. At least... that was what she had thought back at the time.
The woman strode with purposeful steps, each one becoming more powerful and confident than the last as she made her way toward the academy itself. In the distance, the large CCT tower stood, a gift from Atlas so that those here in Vale could reach out across the world. The device that had allowed Qrow to reach out to her. Qrow. For all their animosity toward each other, she knew she would be forever indebted to him for what he had done for her. For reaching out and sharing what he saw and heard about the mysterious white-haired girl.
Winter's heart seized in her chest. Weiss... just hold on a little longer, my dear sister.
She couldn't wait. She couldn't hold back. Even now her icy-blue eyes threatened to tear up just at the thought of speaking to her sweet little sister again for the first time since they were small children. For all her training and discipline, there were just some things the military couldn't drill out of you. Her feelings for Weiss were something which had never left her. No, they had been what spurred her on to become one of the top Specialists in the kingdom.
Stepping into the main courtyard of the academy, Winter glanced around, taking in the sights around her. Students of all ages and kingdoms milled around, and she recognized the uniforms of each of the three proper academies. Those in civilian clothes were from Vacuo, no doubt. On a normal day she might have been inclined to internally chastise the lack of proper etiquette of those who hailed from Shade Academy, but not this day. This day...
"Winter."
The familiar gravelly voice made her stop in her tracks. For the first time since meeting the man, the voice didn't get under her skin. It didn't make her face scrunch up or place a sharp insult on her tongue.
No, today Winter turned to see the familiar sight of Qrow Branwen leaning back against a wall. His arms were folded across his chest casually, and those small red eyes of his gazed intensely into her own.
Winter spun on her heel and marched over to where he stood. The man in turn pushed himself from the wall, his hands coming down to rest in his pockets as he came to meet her halfway.
"Qrow," she greeted neutrally. It was the best she could muster, even if she didn't currently harbor any ill feelings for the man. "Where is she?"
The man grunted. "Typical Atlas," he sniped. "No subtly, no patience."
Winter's face twisted. She hated that she was vindicating what Qrow had just said, but she wasn't in the mood for his games. "This is not the time to joke," she snapped. "Do not for an instant think that you can toy with me about a matter of such grave importance."
"I'm not toying with you," he retorted just as sharply. "And I'm not joking. You really think I'd mess with you about your family? You think I'd joke with you when it's my family on the line too?"
The questions broke through a haze of anger and impatience that Winter hated to admit she possessed in that moment. She closed her eyes and inhaled a deep breath before continuing. "No, of course not," she admitted. "Forgive me, I'm a little bit on edge right now."
He waved off her concern with a soft flick of the wrist. "It's fine. Trust me, I was no better. You should have seen the way I chewed out Ozpin for dumping this on me as a surprise."
Winter couldn't imagine that. She had come here knowing full well what to expect. Had she seen a girl who resembled Weiss out of the blue... and Qrow had known about it without telling her...
She had to hand it to the man. At least he had the courtesy to prepare her for such a bombshell.
"Very well," she conceded grudgingly. "I assume that you have some sort of plan on how to proceed then?"
Qrow motioned with his head for her to follow him. Winter did so, matching his pace to walk at his side.
"You can't just go up to her and call her out on who she is," Qrow explained as they strode through the courtyard. "Here at Beacon her name is Wren Slate. She's hiding her name, and she knows it. She and the rest of her team are working to stay under the radar apparently, but I can promise you that their actions alone are making that impossible."
Winter frowned. "Impossible how?"
Qrow chuckled in turn. "Oh you'll see. In the meantime, you and I are going to play along. She's not Weiss Schnee, just as my girls aren't Yang Xiao Long and Ruby Rose. They're Wren Slate, Yara Xanthic, and Rosalyn Rouge, and they're second year students from Haven Academy. Understood?"
The Specialist hated how Qrow was talking down to her. Giving her orders like he was her superior officer. Still, in this very specific situation, he almost was. He knew more about the situation than she did. He possessed experience with the students that she didn't. As much as she didn't want to, Winter would have to follow Qrow's lead here.
For now.
"I understand," she confirmed. Her expression softened, and she couldn't meet his gaze as she continued, instead choosing to stare straight ahead. "Just tell me this. When will I get to see her?"
He laughed again. "Sooner than you might think. I just needed time to explain the situation to you first."
The answer prompted her to look at him this time. "Sooner than I think?"
"Yup. Where do you think I'm taking you?"
Winter glanced around. She didn't quite know where they were going, being unfamiliar with Beacon's campus arrangement. Again, and begrudgingly, she had simply been following his lead.
"I don't..."
She stopped.
She saw.
Her eyes widened.
There, over in the distance, like a lighthouse beaming its bright rays out on a stormy night, was a head of pure, white hair atop a black school uniform. It, she, called to her. Guiding her to the safety of the harbor, protecting her from the treacherous rocks of the coastline around her.
Her sister. Weiss.
A hand came up to cover her mouth as she bit back a choke. As the sturdy walls of her Atlesian upbringing and military training began to crumble around her.
Winter flinched, feeling a hand come to rest on her shoulder. "Easy, Winter," Qrow spoke softly. "Don't make the same mistake I did."
She didn't know what mistake that had been, but Winter was gracious Qrow was there to restrain her. Even with his earlier warning, she was tempted to run over there and envelop her long lost sister in a bone-crushing hug utterly unbefitting of a Schnee.
The Specialist's head shook softly, matched only by the shakiness of her voice. "It's her," she whispered. The tears once more welled up in her eyes, and this time she couldn't stop them. "It's her. I know it."
"I know," he agreed. "She's with my girls too."
There was a warmth in Qrow's voice when he said those last words. Winter peered up at him to see an unfamiliar smile curling up on his lips. Qrow either didn't know or didn't care she was staring at him in such a state of happiness, and the utterly alien smile was contagious. Winter's own expression shifted, and she wiped away a happy tear as she grinned at the sight before her.
Weiss was with three other students, all of them clad in the black uniforms of Haven Academy. Her sister was chatting animatedly with a redheaded girl, and in the middle a tall blond-haired boy separated them as they stood. On the other side of the redhead was a taller blonde girl who watched the other three with a bemused expression on her lips.
Talking. Laughing. Wild hand motions and arm flailing. Teenagers having fun together. Weiss was on a team. She was alive and well, and she had a team of comrades to look after her. To ensure she would never fall victim to a Grimm attack ever again.
Her sister was... having fun. She had friends. Winter swallowed hard, wanting to sob in joy at the sight. She didn't know what Weiss had been through, she didn't know how she had survived, but she was happy. She had people who obviously cared for her.
Weiss latched her arm around the boy's, pulling herself close to him and pressing her chest up against his body.
She had a boyfriend!
The redhead did the same, creating a tall, blond sandwich between the two affectionate girls.
The smile immediately left her face, replaced with something in the middle of confusion and anger. Just what was the relationship between those three?
"You'll get used to it," Qrow said, as if reading her mind.
Winter watched as Weiss and the redhead continued to go back and forth with each other, all the while remaining latched on to the boy between them. The sight gave her pause, and for a moment she didn't quite know what to say or think about it.
"Will I?" he asked genuinely.
She heard Qrow sigh beside her. "Not really. It's... hard seeing one of your girls in a relationship with a boy you don't know. It's harder when you find out that she's sharing the guy with another girl."
Winter's eyes widened and her lip twitched. Was that... was that the reality of the situation?
Her gaze returned to Qrow once more, an incredulous expression on her face. "You can't be serious."
"Oh I'm serious all right. The boy, his name is Jaune, and I joked once about him being like my brother-in-law all over again." He sighed again. "I wish I wasn't more correct than I originally thought."
Blue eyes once more focused on the quartet of students. For all the... unusualness or their situation, they didn't seem unhappy. No, in fact Weiss seemed quite content if her smile was anything to go by. She didn't know the details of the apparent relationship, but if they had found a way to all get along in sharing their love, could she really judge them?
Of course she could. "When this is all finally resolved and out in the open, I am going to get to the bottom of their relationship. A Schnee should share with no one."
"Good luck with that. I think you'll find that your sister is quite smitten with Mister Arc there."
Sure enough, Weiss gazed lovingly at the boy who was apparently her boyfriend.
"Come on. Let's go say hi."
A chill ran down Winter's spine. "What?"
Qrow took a step forward. "We have to introduce our new staff member," he said with a wink. "After all, you're going to be knee-deep in these kid's lives from now on."
Winter took a deep breath, and after a few seconds her legs remembered how to move as well. Another shaky breath. She clenched her fists before allowing them to relax. This was it. She was going to meet her sister. Would she... would she recognize her? Would she remember who she was?
If she did, what then? That was something Qrow hadn't taken into account.
It was too late to protest the decision, and the duo was spotted by the idling teens. Four sets of eyes fell upon them, and Winter felt as though she was being judged by General Ironwood himself. She nearly balked when familiar icy-blue eyes met their counterparts. Weiss was staring right at her.
And she did nothing.
"Team AWRY," Qrow announced when they neared. "I'd like to introduce an old colleague of mine who's going to be helping me fill in Professor Port's hefty shoes." The man stopped in front of the students, and Winter came to a halt beside him. "This is Specialist Winter Schnee of the Atlas military."
Winter dipped her head slightly in respect. "Greetings, Team AWRY," she said, putting up the best mask she could to hide her emotions. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
Three of the teens smiled back at her. The redhead was the first to speak. "Whoa, you look just like Wren!" She extended her hand, and Winter offered hers to take it. The Specialist's teeth clenched inside her mouth as the girl clamped down and shook her hand. "I'm Rosalyn! It's nice to meet you!"
By the gods was that girl strong. Her surprising strength almost overshadowed the fact that she mentioned how similar Winter looked to the other girl. Yet the connection didn't seem to click for her, nor any of the other teenagers. Interesting.
Speaking of the other girl, the one Winter knew as Weiss daintily took the sides of her skirt in her fingers and dipped her legs down in a textbook curtsy, lowering her head as she did. "It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance as well. I am Wren Slate, and I look forward to learning all I can from an authority from Atlas."
Yet another chill coursed through Winter's body. Weiss' voice would have undoubtedly changed since they were younger, but the demeanor... the girl's demeanor screamed Atlas. It screamed Schnee. Everything about her, from her physical appearance to her mannerisms only proved that this girl was her sister.
She was shaken from her thoughts when the next person spoke. "Hey, I'm Jaune Arc," he offered with a small wave and a small smile on his face. "Nice to meet you."
He seemed nice. A little timid, but then again he was speaking to a highly-regarded Atlesian Specialist. At least he had manners. Those would be important for any boy who dared to court her sister.
Winter would be certain to give this one a little extra attention. Second only to Weiss. She wanted to find out as much as she could about the boy who had eyes for her.
The last to speak was completely unlike any of the others. The blonde girl who Qrow had referred to as Yara. "Yo," she offered without so much as a smile. Or a name.
Winter frowned. Did the girl not like her for some reason?
She shook her head. That wasn't important. Pale blue eyes scanned over the foursome before they settled on Weiss once more. "You look... well."
Weiss beamed from what she perceived as a general compliment, rather than her older sister being overjoyed that she appeared to be healthy and happy. "Thank you, Specialist Schnee. You do as well."
"Tell me. Where are you all from again?"
Though the question was asked to the group, Winter's attention being focused on Weiss seemingly prompted her to be the one to answer it. But not before she shared a curious glance with Jaune. "We're second year students from Haven Academy," she offered politely.
"Yeah, did the uniforms not give it away?" Yara asked sarcastically.
"Yara!" Weiss snapped. "Mind your manners!"
Though Winter's expression betrayed no emotion, she grinned on the inside. Yes, this one was most certainly a Schnee. Whether she knew it or not.
The blonde girl shrugged indifferently. "Whatever."
"Certainly an interesting collection of personalities." Winter's gaze traveled over them once more. "It's astounding you've managed to succeed as a team with how... different you all seem."
To Winter's surprise and mild annoyance, Weiss pressed herself harder against Jaune. "We are, but only because Jaune helps to keep us in line." One of the hands that linked around his arm began to rub it affectionately. Her tone changed to match the sentiment. "He's strong. And he keeps us all in our place..." She grinned. "Especially me..."
Winter didn't know, and didn't want to know what her younger sibling meant by that. However, if her actions, as well as the boy's reaction to them were anything to go by...
Jaune leaned down to whisper into Weiss' ear. "Not now..." he urged.
The boy's awareness didn't quash the simmering anger building inside Winter, however.
"Later, yes," Weiss agreed ominously.
Winter's jaw clenched.
In the end it was Qrow who was forced to bail everyone out of the situation.
"Well now that you're all acquainted, I'll let you be on your way," Qrow said. "We can't hassle you outside of school hours, now can we?"
"It's no hassle at all, professor," Weiss offered politely. Her attention turned back to Winter, and a paradoxical fire burned in those cold eyes of hers. "I hope you have as many amazing stories about your experiences as a huntress as Professor Port did. Though of course he is a huntsman rather than a huntress, except for the one time he was forced to cross-dress in order to infiltrate a nest of Spiders in the seedy underbelly of Mistral's criminal underworld."
Weiss' statement raised too many questions for Winter to ask, and after a moment of hesitation she smiled down on the younger girl. "Of course. I have many tales of missions and battles I have partaken in. Are they... something you would be interested in hearing?"
Her sister's eyes lit up. "I would be thrilled to hear of your exploits! Perhaps if you are as brave and cunning as Professor Port we could arrange for you and him to procreate in order to birth many strong children!"
Winter's eyes widened. "I'm sorry? What did you say?"
She felt Qrow's hand on her shoulder once more, and he began to guide her to turn around. "I think that's enough excitement for one day." He hurriedly began to push Winter away from the group. "We'll see you tomorrow for class. Don't be late."
"We won't! Bye Professor Branwen!" Rosalyn waved after them. "And Specialist Schnee!"
Winter was too shocked to offer her own parting words. Instead Qrow continued to shove her along until they were away from the students.
Weiss' words were still fresh in her mind. Despite that, however, she still had to question them to Qrow. "What did she say to me?"
The man laughed. "Winter. You're in for wild ride."
She didn't like how ominous those words sounded. After seeing how Weiss acted around her boyfriend and presumable girlfriend, insinuating how Jaune 'kept her in her place', and desire to set Winter up with Professor Port in order to have children...
Was her sister some sort of wild pervert?
"Qrow, I have a lot of questions for you..."
"And I'll answer as many as I'm able to," he replied helpfully. "But I think you'll come to find there's some things you'll only be learn firsthand. Today was just an appetizer for the main course. So just get ready to play teacher in the coming weeks. It'll be your best chance to learn about these kids."
The coming weeks. Winter did not have that much leave time to use. However, she knew that a shipment of brand new Atlesian Paladins were going to be making their way to Vale soon. Perhaps they would need an officer of the highest caliber to ensure they were not attacked and stolen like an earlier shipment had been.
"Understood."
"Until then get some rest. It was a long flight I'm sure, and the shock of seeing and hearing everything you just did had to be draining." The man chuckled, sounding like some guttural noise in his throat more than anything. "Oh, and there's a dance coming up soon. So I hope you're ready to have some fun watching a bunch of teenagers being awkward together."
Fun. Awkward. As if anything could get more awkward than what had just taken place.
Still, if it meant an opportunity to observe Weiss in a more relaxed, natural environment, she'd take it.
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," she replied honestly.
Jaune was worried. Yang broke away from the group almost immediately after meeting Qrow and Winter, heading over to one of the nearby buildings. Winter was another problem all her own, very clearly related to Weiss in some way. He couldn't believe she wasn't a blood relative, and was mildly amazed that the younger girl hadn't noticed herself. The same couldn't be said of Yang.
"Yo, Jaune!"
The voice caught him off guard. Turning, Jaune found his fellow blonde, Sun, rushing up to him. Another one, a blue-haired boy, was at his side.
"What's up dude? Rare to see you without one of the girls on your arm!" Sun smiled, coming to a stop near him.
Jaune's smile was strained. He needed to get to Yang. "You know, things happen."
"Nothing bad, I hope," his fellow blond said genuinely. "Speaking of nothing bad-"
"That is an awful way to introduce me," the other boy interrupted.
Sun smirked and shrugged his shoulders lightly. "Fine, fine. Jaune, I want to introduce you to this guy," he said as he pointed a finger gun sideways at the boy next to him. "My brother from another mother. My crewman who's also a human. My teammate that's scared to hydrate. And my partner the wannabe lady charmer. The one, the only, Neptune Vasilias!"
The buildup in Sun's tone paid off as he took a step away from Neptune, allowing the boy with spiked blue hair to smile with boyish good looks that would make any lady swoon. He certainly had poise and confidence, that was for sure.
"But I just call him nerd boy."
That confidence evaporated instantly, as did the smile which transformed into an offended frown immediately. "Hey! I'm an intellectual, thank you very much!"
"A nerd is a nerd by any other name."
"This coming from the guy who scared off a girl just by talking to her."
To Jaune's surprise, Sun merely laughed off the playful insult. "I think she liked me. You can't talk about how much you hate a guy to his face unless you're just messing around."
Oh, Sun. Poor, sweet, naïve Sun. If only you knew how wrong you were…
Neptune laughed too. "Keep telling yourself that, champ. But maybe we should be asking this guy for lady advice," he said, turning his attention back to Jaune. "How did you end up with two hotties? They're both so great and you've got them both!"
Sun rolled his eyes. "Sorry about him. He's stupid."
Jaune sighed before a soft grin came to his face. "I don't know. You wouldn't believe me if I told you."
"Dude I don't believe it now, and I've seen them try to fight each other just to hug you!"
Jaune grimaced. Hug, yes, that's all that was going to be. Ruby wasn't as amorous as Weiss, generally speaking, though her competitive streak could be sparked by the slimmer girl. He wondered briefly if it was due to lacking Aura, lacking that almost human quality that Ruby and now Yang had. A dark expression crossed his face, one he couldn't hide from the duo.
"Man, if you don't want to talk about it, that's fine," Sun started.
Jaune shook his head, stopping him. "They mean a lot to me. And I guess I mean a lot to them. It's weird to talk about." Jaune stepped away, looking over the school. "The school we come from," he paused, knowing he had to choose his words carefully. "It's not like here. It's not nice and pleasant. It... felt like if you made a single mistake, you could die." A genuine grin crossed his features as he thought of all his near-death experiences. Of all the times he had shared with the girls. Of Ruby saving his life from Cardin's wrath. "But they made it possible. They were there for me in the worst of times, even if they don't know how important they were."
Sun crossed his arms. "Even that Blake chick? 'Cause she's going to Beacon now."
Jaune couldn't stop his laugh. He had told Sun that they were childhood friends, and he could still use that to his advantage. "Yeah, even Blake. She's well-meaning, I think."
"Gods alive, not another girl on your pile," Neptune groaned.
"No, no!" Jaune shook his head. "Not like that. I'm only dating Rosalyn and Wren I promise."
Sun smiled softly. "She is beautiful though, isn't she?"
Jaune nodded. "Blake is something else. I don't know if I'm more afraid or enthralled by her."
"Uh, dude?" Sun wasn't looking at Jaune.
"My, aren't you a charmer?"
Jaune paled. That last voice wasn't either of the two boys in front of him. A melodic laughter drifted from behind him.
A whisper of hot breath tickled his neck. His skin crawled with goose bumps. "It can always be both, lover."
His head lowered slightly. "Hello, Blake."
The missing beauty moved fluidly up to his back, and she stood on the tips of her toes to rest her chin on his shoulder. Jaune noticed her glaring at Sun out of the corner of her eye. "Hello, darling." She was wearing a different uniform.
"Hey what's with the new look!" Sun tilted his head, noticing what Jaune had already picked up on. "I thought you were a Beacon student?"
Blake was now wearing the uniform associated with Atlas Academy, rather than her Beacon uniform from before. She grinned. Despite having lips, it was still all teeth.
"I decided to refresh my look. A lady needs to have options, after all."
Sun and Neptune traded glances. Neptune dared to speak up first. "Did you two know each other before school started or something?"
Blake partially buried her face into Jaune's neck, the boy freezing as he felt her teeth along his collarbone. Even out of her Grimm hybrid form, they felt razor-sharp. "Or something."
"How are you?" Sun stepped forward, holding his hand out. "I wanted to say sorry for before!"
Blake hissed in Jaune's ear, suddenly a few feet back. "Away with you!"
"I just want to be your friend!"
"Be miserable and suffer!" she snapped. A look at her face showed it contorted with anger. It was so odd to see Blake lose control like this.
"How can I be miserable when I see your beautiful face?"
Blake blanched. "He's such a vile little faunus…" she spat.
"Uh… aren't you a faunus too?" Neptune asked, motioning up to the limp cat ears which sat angrily on her head.
"Oh, um, yeah! It's because she's a faunus that she can say things like that," Jaune attempted to explain. "You know. It's like, um, their word or something?"
Neptune shot a look at Sun, probably for some sort of confirmation. The blond boy didn't acknowledge it one way or another with his attention being too focused on Blake at the time being. "Oh. That makes sense I guess…"
Blake meanwhile continued to hide behind Jaune, using him as a human shield against the gaze of her admirer. One that had not lost an ounce of positivity despite the hybrid's best efforts.
Jaune moved out of the way, exposing the shrinking violet to Sun fully. Blake, hissing again, glared at Jaune. "You only continue to dig your own grave, Jaune."
"I'm sure you would have put me in it eventually," he countered. "Might as well be on my own terms."
The twisted smile that spread on the hybrid's face was frightening. The hungry, maniacal look in her golden feline eyes gave him chills. "Such fatalism… such pessimism… you really know how to turn a girl on, Jaune."
Blue eyes squeezed shut for a couple seconds. No, that hadn't been at all what he had attempted to do. Despite his best efforts all he could do was make Blake even more interested in him.
He didn't want to see what her reaction must have done to Sun. It probably broke the poor boy's heart. What he didn't realize was that it was all for the best.
A delicate finger came out to drag slowly up Jaune's arm. She leaned into him again to whisper into his ear. "I'll see you at the dance, Jaune. It'll be ever so much fun."
Wonderful. He was already struggling to think about how he would appease both Ruby and Weiss at the dance. Adding a third potential dance partner to the mix would only complicate things further.
Then she was gone, back off to wherever she was staying here at Beacon. Jaune sighed. Sun tilted his head.
"So the key to winning Blake's heart…" Sun pondered. "Is to act really goth!" The fellow team leader concluded, crossing his arms. "Of course, how could I have been so stupid?"
"That's easy," Neptune quipped.
Jaune laughed weakly. "Anyway..."
"I'm not gonna give up on her," Sun said, raising an arm and balling up a fist in determination. "I'll make her see that I can be just as deep and moody as she is! Positivity has its place, but clearly not with her."
That was the smartest thing Sun had said all day. Sadly his continued pursuit of Blake was also the dumbest move he would ever make in his life.
"So what about Yara?" Neptune again.
Jaune eyed him warily. "What about her?"
"She part of your weirdly-awesome harem? Or is she up for grabs?"
Sun looked at his friend oddly before Jaune could shake his head. "Yeah, you try grabbing her. See what you pull back." Chuckling at the mental image, he continued. "Yara's extremely attractive, but we're not a thing. She's not looking for that kind of relationship."
Sun nodded. "She seems like she needs to put her troubles to rest."
Jaune tilted his head. "What?"
"It's just, she reminds me of some people I knew back home. Vacuo. She reminds me of drifters and the ones who'd been betrayed. Like they always have to keep moving or else their own past will continue hurting them." Sun shifted uneasily on his feet. "If they didn't get some kind of closure, and most couldn't, it usually never ended well."
Jaune grimaced. That sounded uncomfortably close to Yang's problem. "I need to go."
Neptune cupped both hands around his mouth as Jaune rushed off. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"
Sun elbowed him, Jaune barely catching what he said as he left. "If he did that, he wouldn't have the girls he does!"
Jaune rushed down the hall of the building he knew Yang had gone to, already hearing a quiet noise that was growing as he approached. Soon he recognized it for what it was. Angered shouting, breaking, and cursing. Reaching the heavy doors, he pushed them open and had to immediately move back as the battered remains of a training robot went flying through them.
Yang, hair almost literally on fire, eyes burning red, glared at Jaune. If he wasn't mistaken, her skin was starting to ashen. She was standing astride shattered, destroyed mechanical drones, fists burning with yellow energy.
"I think you need to calm down, Yan- Yara." Jaune entered the room, eyeing other students who were cowering nearby.
Yang did not smile.
"No. I don't think I will."
Author's Note: My apologies for the delay between chapters. Sometimes life just happens and all that kind of stuff! But it's here now, and I hope to be better with updating more often in the near future.
But I haven't been idle in the time between updates. I have a whole lot of stuff to shill, so check out my profile for a bunch of new content. And I want to give a special shout out to a new project I'm collaborating on. It's a Silent Knight story called Stepping Stool. I'm writing it with my friend Ikedawg43, and it's located on his profile. So go check that out if you're interested in some good Jaune x Neo stuff.
As always I want to thank Burkion for his help in writing this chapter. And of course, I want to thank all of you for your continued support. It means so much to me to know you care.