Hello everyone! Thanks for the support and holding on! Major announcement at the end notes!
"It's nice to meet you, Cinder."
"Yes…It certainly is a pleasure, Jaune." Cinder purred as she shook Jaune Arc's calloused hands. "Would you be a dear and escort me to the dance hall?"
"R-Right! We can definitely take you there! Ren and I were about to go ourselves." He rubbed the back of his head embarrassedly and Cinder took the opportunity to latch onto him.
"May I? I'm not used to wearing heels, you see. They are pretty hard on my feet." She said as she siddled up beside him, not too tightly of course but only enough to entangle their arms together.
Cinder wanted to laugh at the blush she elicits from him. The flinch however was a bit unwelcome. Oh well, baby steps.
"O-Of course! It's no problem! My friend Ruby isn't used to wearing heels either!" He stuttered as he still gallantly held her up with his arm.
"Is that so? It seems Huntresses like us are just more comfortable with combat boots than heels like these." She tittered as she patted his arm playfully.
"Right? Completely understandable." Jaune nodded as he started to walk her to the dance hall nervously.
The fool.
Or perhaps she was the fool?
After all, none of this was accidental. All of it was intentional.
Cinder smiled internally.
Looking for Emerald? As if she would waste energy to look for someone who was more than happy to stick beside her through thick and thin.
No, dear Emerald was busy securing her routes out of and back into the dance hall for later. If she encounters Team RWBY in the process….well, that only makes Cinder's excuse much more believable, doesn't it?
Cinder on the other hand….Well, Cinder was simply following a plan they've had for a week.
To approach Jaune Arc.
The reason was simple.
The day her magic bloomed was the day she had never felt more satisfied. Humiliating as her reaction might be in front of others, there was no denying the euphoria she felt and the power she held at that time.
She had to get a taste of it again.
Too bad it had to take a week just for her to have the chance to do so.
It had been a week since that day she felt her powers bloom and it has been a week full of tension. Her whole team was tensed and prepared to bail out of Beacon at a moment's notice in fear of the Maiden being healed and ready to out them.
And yet….nothing. There were no actions from Ozpin's circle to tighten the noose around them. In fact, Qrow Branwen was even sighted to be leaving Vale.
The problem then however was that Jaune Arc was always surrounded by a cohort of women. Women she was sure would be threatened by someone more…womanly than any of them.
Yet it seemed like despite feeling like walking on a knife's edge these past week, things were finally beginning to look up for her because she finally had the opportunity to get close to him.
As they walked however, she made sure to walk slowly to make their time together even longer. If it supported her excuse of being unused to heels then all the better.
Step 1 of getting close to someone however is to always get them to talk about themself.
"Tell me about yourself, Jaune. You seem like an interesting young man that would have a lot of stories."
Nothing quite like flattery to tickle a man's ego and get them talking, Cinder smirked to herself. Jaune Arc however does not fall for it.
"M-Me? I'm not sure I am that interesting." He evades shakily.
Ah, a humble man then. Nervous as well judging by the shaking Cinder could feel through their linked arms.
"Nonsense! You are an interesting man, Jaune Arc. What is it like being team leader to Pyrrha Nikos? Everybody was shocked to learn she wasn't made team leader considering who she was." She asked coyly, plying him with affirmation and what a wonderful bonus it was to be able to get information on one of Ozpin's Maiden candidates at the same time.
She smiled when she felt him gather himself at that. His demeanor calmed down and his blue eyes softened as if they were looking at the distance.
"Pyrrha? She's an amazing teammate! We haven't had any trouble and in fact she's helping me get better and better." Jaune smiled and it irked Cinder a bit that the mention of another woman could take his attention away from her so easily.
Still, this was valuable insight into his relationships and Pyrrha Nikos' character.
"You train together frequently then?" She leaned into him but he only laughed lightly into the air.
"Yeah, you could say that. In fact, I am only as good as I am because of her." He chuckled but Cinder could feel there was something more there.
No matter, if he wanted to play the humble man then Cinder was perfectly happy to play the encouraging woman.
"Nonsense, Jaune. I believe you are also good enough on your own. Your Semblance, for example, is impressive. Dear Mercury was livid you put him in his place back in your spar." She tittered, happy to bring their topic to his Semblance.
He looked at her incredulously for a moment before his eyes widened in realization.
"Mercury? Oh right, he's on your team too if you are with Emerald! Is…he still mad at me? I was on Aura High back then so I didn't completely know what I was saying." He answered embarrassedly.
She laughed lightly at that before she turned towards him with half-lidded eyes.
"Do not worry about Mercury. He needed to be humbled in the first place."
"Where is he by the way? I still feel like I need to apologize for some of the things I said."
"I assume he is with Emerald but this conversation isn't about him. This is about you. How did it feel to reach Aura High? Did it hurt? I know Professor Glynda said it was dangerous despite its advantages." She asked, mixing curiosity and the right amount of concern in her words.
It pays off because he smiles at her, his nervousness forgotten.
"Thanks for worrying about me but I'm fine. I only got into that state because as it turns out, I was using my Semblance too much."
"Yes, your Semblance. I assume it must have something to do with your Aura?" She nods, it might have been forward of her but she was so close that she could almost taste it..
"Yeah, I call it Aura Amp. It lets me amplify the effects of my Aura."
"Aura Amp." She rolls the name in her tongue and finds it to her liking.
It was the name of the Semblance that gave her that wonderful experience all those days ago after all. Considering she felt it through her bond with the Maiden back then, she wonders how the real thing with direct contact will feel like.
It was a bad time to have that thought however because her mouth blurts it out as she gets lost in remembering that euphoric feeling.
"I wonder how it would feel like." She muttered absently, unknown to her however, Jaune heard her and smiled.
"Here, let me show you. It might also help you with your feet."
"Hm?" She had a moment to look at his bright mischievous eyes before-
It started like a gentle river flowing into her, but before she knew it it felt like a torrent rushing into her.
White light erupted inside her mind as fire and lightning raced through her veins!
Her body shook, her eyes rolled back, her arm…her arm where the Grimm parasite burned for a moment but the pain was overshadowed by everything else!
White dominated her vision and for one single moment she was in a pod looking outward into a place with vaunted high ceilings.
In the distance she sees a green light beep and a door open to reveal-
"YOU!"
A feminine voice yelled out and Cinder was snapped back into reality.
"-der! Cinder!"
It seems in the brief moment she lost herself, she completely stumbled and it was only Jaune Arc's strong arms keeping her away from the ground.
"Are you okay?!"
She stared upwards to see concerned blue eyes framed by bright yellow hair.
Her brain was fuzzy, fried if she was being honest. Her body felt like soft putty in his hands as if she were in the aftermath of one of her rare pampering days of a great spa, a thorough massage, and a whole day of back breaking sex.
She was sure her face was flushed as she looked up at Jaune Arc.
If any other person were holding her then she would have been humiliated and angry but this wasn't just any other person.
This was Jaune Arc.
And then and there she decided that no matter what happens, she was keeping him.
She doesn't know what comes over her however but her hand reaches up to softly touch his cheeks and Cinder utters words she never thought she would utter again.
"Help me."
"YOU!"
When she felt the other Maiden pull on their bond, Amber immediately jumped on the chance to do something crazy.
See, she had this one crazy thought. If she could use the bond to pull herself away from her body from time to time, could she pull the other Maiden away from hers?
Turns out, she couldn't.
Instead of pulling the other Maiden out when she felt their bond flare, Amber managed to pull herself into the other woman.
It was only for a moment but when Amber opened her eyes, she saw blonde hair and blue eyes looking down at her.
Her mind immediately supplied his name.
Jaune Arc.
This was the Mr. Arc who healed her.
She did the only thing she could. Ask for help.
"Help me."
Those were the only two words Amber managed to utter before she suddenly panicked and pulled away when she felt herself being assimilated.
It felt like being eaten alive and she immediately threw herself out of the body she was in. The next she became aware, Ozpin was looking at her through glass.
She was back on her pod.
"I guess it could have been worse." She sighed.
It was true. She could have just disappeared but instead she didn't and here she was staring straight into Ozpin's worried expression.
"Here I was about to update you on Qrow's whereabouts and what do I find? You, almost dying."
"Not like I can help it, Oz, considering I'm in the middle of a coma!" She yelled snarkily.
One thing she learned throughout Ozpin's visits whenever she chanced on him when she was aware was that the old man loved to talk to himself. Or at least pretend to talk to Amber.
He hated the silence.
She couldn't blame him.
Amber hated the silence too.
"Should I bring Mr. Arc here?" He asked himself and Amber nodded yes.
"Yes, you damn fool! Why didn't you bring him again if you knew he could heal me?!" She shouted frustratedly yet Ozpin remained unaware of her words as usual.
"Yes, perhaps I should despite what James says. It have to be next time though, it would be rude after all to interrupt Mr. Arc's night now that you are stable again. For now, I believe it would be best if I stay here and monitor you." Ozpin nodded with a sigh and Amber sighed back.
It was the best she could hope for. One thing grated on her however, the other Maiden was so close that she was in touching distance with Jaune Arc!
Jaune blinked. For one single moment he saw both her eyes light in flames-
"Help me." She uttered weakly.
He blinked again and only Cinder's wide amber eyes stared up at him.
Heated breaths wafted up to Jaune's face before she embarrassedly covered her mouth with both hands.
She had none of the grace and poise she had earlier when they encountered each other.
Instead she looked surprised, shocked, and shamed at her own reaction.
To Jaune however, he could only describe her as vulnerable.
Well….she also looked kind of cute at that moment if he was being honest with himself but he was not. He already had two girlfriends and he just recently affirmed to himself that he will treat them right.
Seeing Cinder in a cute or a hot way sounded dangerous even to his own thoughts.
Let it not be said that his parents did not raise him right however.
When a maiden asked for help, he helped.
Pulling her back on her feet, Jaune felt her gasp before she stumbled to lean into him for support.
"Are you okay?" He asked worriedly.
No answer.
Cinder only continued to breathe heavily onto his shoulder.
Leaning down to touch foreheads with her as his hands supported her weight, Jaune felt the scalding heat coming off of her as she gasped in surprise.
She was hot.
Not just figuratively but also literally.
He felt the warmth of her skin even through the clothes between them which could only mean one thing.
She was sick.
Her eyes continued to look widely at him as she started to breathe harder. Jaune frowned as he hugged her to his chest to comfort her. Her body started to shake and Jaune began to pat her back comfortingly.
"Is she okay?" Ren asked worriedly beside him and Jaune only shook his head.
Professor Glynda was right. He should train his Semblance more before using it on others if this was the effect it sometimes had. Suddenly, their decision to keep him from trying with Amber again seems wise.
While Blake and Pyrrha reacted positively to the previous times he used Aura Amp on them, Cinder crumpled. He shudders to think what would have happened if he made a mistake with Amber.
Still, Jaune may have had a vague idea of why Cinder reacted the way she did this time. It may have had something to do with what he felt with her Aura before he pushed his Semblance into her.
She….felt full in a sense. He didn't want to call her fat because she was not but it was as if her soul was too full and she was currently adjusting to it.
Maybe he accidentally pushed her into some kind of Aura High? If so then it was not his intention. He only wanted to amplify the healing abilities of her own Aura and not the amount.
It was clear something went wrong though considering what happened. He could still remember Cinder's eyes growing wide before they rolled to the back of her head. She crumpled and Jaune barely managed to catch her as she began to shake-
"Jaune?!"
The shout causes him to snap back to his senses and Jaune looks towards the source to see…Blake in front of him looking at him in shock.
Were they that close to the dance hall? Yes, they apparently were because beyond Blake he could see the doors open leading to the dance hall with the rest of Team RWBY and Emerald looking at him in shock despite the distance.
His eyes immediately widened however as he shouted instantly. "It's not what it looks like!"
He knew what this could look like. He might have been dense but he wasn't that dense.
Him holding another woman tightly? Yeah, he knew how bad it looked.
Luckily for him, he had Ren to back him up.
"He's right, it's not what it looks like."
Blake only gaped at him however before Emerald pushed past her.
"Cinder!"
The familiar voice seemed to snap her out of it and Cinder gathered the strength to step away from him just as Emerald arrived to support her.
"What did you do to her?!" Emerald hissed.
"Nothing!" He denied. "I just-"
"He's right, he did nothing. Cinder merely stumbled and Jaune caught her in his arms." Ren stepped in between them to defend just as Blake arrived with the rest of Team RWBY behind her.
Emerald glowered angrily however as she put Cinder's arm over her shoulder.
"Stumbled? Stumbled?! Cinder does not-"
"Emerald." Cinder called out, finally getting her bearings and silencing Emerald at the same time before looking at Jaune.
"Forgive me, Jaune, I seem to have lost myself for a moment back there."
Emerald gasped at Cinder's apology and Jaune only raised his hands placatingly as Team RWBY looked at them intensely.
"It's okay, really. It was my-"
"I would also appreciate it if you forget what I said earlier." Cinder interrupted and Jaune looked at her incredulously.
"Earlier? You mean when you said-"
"Hush." She silenced him with a finger to his lips and a smile on her face. "Let a woman keep her secrets please."
Yeah, no. He could already see Yang having to pull an angry Blake back. Not to mention Weiss was glaring at him and Ruby was pouting in disappointment.
He only nodded at Cinder to satisfy her.
"Good, I hope to see you later, okay? You owe me a dance for tiring me out before it even starts." Cinder winked and Jaune gulped at the way Team RWBY was looking at him right now.
"Y-Yeah, sure thing, Cinder!" He squeaked as she pulled her finger away from him.
Blake was downright hissing now and Emerald had to pull Cinder away from him as they left.
Jaune could still see the two of them when Blake suddenly grabbed his arm and glared at him.
"What was that?!"
"Nothing! It really was nothing!"
"It sure didn't look like nothing, VB." Yang narrowed her eyes and…he was back to Vomit Boy now. Great.
"I'm serious, Yang. I was only helping her because she wasn't used to wearing heels."
"It sure looks like she could walk fine with them to me." Weiss added and everyone turned to look at Cinder's now distant form.
Illuminated by Remnant's broken moon, they all saw Cinder walk confidently away from them. She must have sensed their eyes or something because she looks back. Blue meets Amber and Jaune slumps as she smirks at him.
"I mean….my Semblance could have helped her be more comfortable?" He offered but even he knew it was a weak defense.
He knew he was tricked, backstabbed, and quite certainly bamboozled.
Still, as pranks go it was pretty harmless. Except of course to his credibility as a boyfriend which was arguably the worst outcome.
"So it wasn't just nothing." Blake frowned at him and Jaune winced as her hold on him tightened.
"I thought my Semblance would help her with her feet." He said.
Jaune could throw her hand off of course but he wasn't going to. He knew from watching his mom and dad fight doing something like that would make him suffer. Plus, he didn't want to hurt his girlfriend in the first place.
"A likely story." Weiss rolled her eyes, throwing fuel into the fire.
"If anyone needed help wearing heels then it would be me." Ruby piped in, still looking at him with a pout.
Luckily for him, he had backup in the form of Ren.
"In Jaune's defense, Cinder was convincing. She did stumble for real though when Jaune used his Semblance."
Jaune perked up at that.
"Yeah! She was shaking and heating up so much that I thought she was going to pass out! She even had to ask me for help! That's what she wanted to keep a secret by the way."
"Yeesh! Sounds prideful like Weiss." Yang nodded and Weiss only glared at her.
"What is that supposed to mean?!"
"Nothing, just that you sound like a person that would refuse help if you can."
Blake only looked at him skeptically however, ignoring her own teammates' banter.
"Are you sure? Because I know for a fact your Semblance feels good. Pyrrha says the same thing about it."
"Maybe it feels different per person?" He asked, happy that Blake doesn't seem that angry at him anymore at least.
"We could test it if you'd like. I remember feeling it myself and the pain was more from how fast my body snapped back into a healthy state." Ren offered his own thoughts to the conversation and Jaune immediately nodded in agreement.
"That's right! Rubes, want me to help you with my Semblance?" Jaune asked with a smile, causing Ruby's eyes to widen into surprise.
"But I'm not wearing my heels right now?" She tilted her head cutely.
"Right. We could test it with you wearing heels later but would you mind feeling my Semblance right now? That way we would see if you have vastly different reactions from Blake and Pyrrha." He nodded, only to find Yang pushing herself in between them before Ruby could even answer.
"Hold it there, hot stuff. What exactly do you think you are doing with my sister?"
"Uhm, testing my Semblance?"
"Yeah and you either want her to feel something to learn if she has a different experience from Blake and Pyrrha's or you either want her to feel so good to make her react weird like Cinder."
"I-what?! What exactly are you saying, Yang?!" He screeched with wide eyes.
Yang only snorted however.
"Yeah, you see, I don't think you really hurt that Cinder chick back there."
"What makes you think that? She almost fell to the ground when I used my Semblance on her."
"Easy, if she really had a negative reaction, do you really think she would ask you for a dance later?" Yang grinned at him and everyone stopped to consider her words.
"She's right." Blake whispered in horror and Jaune stared at her worriedly. "It must have felt so good for her that she almost passed out!"
"Do you really think so? I mean, that kinda sounds like a stretch, doesn't it?" Jaune asked nervously.
Before Blake could answer however, Yang stretched her hand out with a laugh.
"Hahaha, I guess there is only one way to find out! Fill me with your white stuff, Lover Boy!"
.
.
.
What?
"Yang!" Ruby squeaked out, covering her face in embarrassment.
"Yang Xiao-Long! Of all the possible-" Weiss screeched but Yang speaks over her.
"Chillax, Weiss-Cream. I'm talking about his Semblance. His Aura. How else are we going to know if Jaune's Semblance really feels that good? Plus, look at Blake. She isn't even angry!" Yang rolled her eyes, pointing at Blake and making Weiss splutter indignantly.
She was right.
Instead of being angry at Yang's words, Blake looked thoughtful.
Seriously thoughtful as she looked at her partner.
"Uhm, Blake?" He asked, a blush still on his face from Yang's words.
"Hmmm." She hummed, finally letting go of Jaune and putting both hands on her hips. "Are you sure about this, Yang?"
"Pshaw, it's just his Sem-"
"Yang." Blake interrupted and Yang pauses as she feels the weight of Blake's stare. "There could be no going back from this."
Jaune winced at the sudden tension in their group.
"Uhm, Blake. You are making this sound more serious than-"
"Hush, Jaune. The ladies are speaking." Blake shushed him and Jaune frowned.
Yeah, okay, no. As much as he loved Blake, he was not a doormat. Besides this was his Semblance they were talking about.
"Blake, I love you but-"
"I want it." Yang cut in and Jaune gawked as he saw her blush towards him.
"Uhm, guys. What in the world is happening?" Ruby asked, looking frantically between him, Blake, and Yang.
Jaune could only shake his head at that. He wished he knew, Ruby. He really wished he knew.
This night has been getting crazy and crazier and the dance hasn't even started yet!
First there was Cinder and now there was Blake and Yang being….this!
"Why do you want it?" Blake smirked as if privy to some inside joke between her and Yang.
"Uhm, because I wanna know what his Semblance feels like?" Yang replied nervously.
"His Semblance, right. You are not as subtle as you think, Yang." Blake smiled, slowly clinging to Jaune.
Wait, what?
"Urgh! Really, Blake?! Come, Ruby. Let's leave these perverts to themselves." Weiss cried out exasperatedly, grabbing Ruby's hand who turned back desperately towards Yang who stayed in her place.
"Wait, Yang! What are you doing, Yang?! What in the world is happening?!" Ruby cried out as Weiss began to pull her towards the dance hall.
Yes, Jaune would also like to know what in the world was happening.
He blushed as he felt Blake's fingers rub themselves on his chest.
"Ahem, I believe I should accompany Weiss and Ruby." Ren cleared his throat, the traitor.
He walks forwards, never even looking back as Jaune gets trapped in Blake's hold.
Grabbing her hands, he slowly held them downward in a much safer position as he cleared his throat.
"Blake, Yang, what in the world is happening?"
"Jaune…give me your white stuff." Yang said slowly, her eyes not leaving Blake's as she stretched her hand towards him.
"My…Semblance, right?"
Yang stayed silent and Jaune had a growing sense of horror he was way over his head right now.
"Yang, you mean my Semblance, right?" He repeats, his heart pounding loudly inside him until-
Slap!
Blake slapped his back.
He arched his back in pain as a stinging sensation made itself known.
WHAT. THE. FU-
"Of course, silly. What do you think she was talking about?" Blake smiled at him and Jaune could only return a teary smile back.
"R-Right, I knew that!"
"HAHAHAHA! You should have seen your face, Lover Boy!" Yang pointed at him, holding her gut in laughter as Jaune pouted at them both.
"Not funny, you two."
For a moment there, he thought-
Well, it doesn't matter what he thought.
"It was pretty funny, you have to admit." Yang shook her head as Blake patted him comfortingly.
"Consider this payback for what you did with Cinder."
"I did nothing." He said but Blake rolled her eyes at him.
"Come on, how long are you going to make Yang wait?" She asked and she nodded at Yang's hand stretching back towards him.
"Ready, Lover Boy? Or….do you need some warm-up for you to perform?" She winked at him.
"Oh, I'm going to make you eat your words." He grumbled, stretching his hand out to grab Yang's.
He paused for a moment. When he used his Semblance on Cinder, she almost passed out. Should he really be doing this to Yang so soon?
Looking at her smug smile, Jaune decides yes. Yes, he should absolutely be doing this.
"Ready?" He asked one last time and Yang only smiled at him.
"I was born re-oohhhhhh my godssss~!"
He doesn't let her finish.
Or perhaps…..he does let her finish?
Pineapple Jam is back! And with a schedule to boot! I will be updating this story every week on either thursday or friday due to a poll I held in that P-place!
So onto the story! A lot of things happening in this night and I wanted to progress everyone's characters and relationships in this arc! If you are impatient however, you'd be glad to know you could now read 4 chapters ahead in that P-Place!
Want to support me, vote on polls, get early access, look at some fanarts?
You can find my P place in the link below.
pa tr eon.c o m (slash) MrLightbringer0
Just delete the spaces in between and use / for the slash.
P.S. NSFW Fanarts are currently only available in my discord server.
