IT'S HERE! Welcome everyone, I hope you've all been doing well! It's my pleasure to welcome you to my newest project, Jaunetlemen's Club. Now, if you've read my story Clockwork Soldiers, than you probably know I'm a huge fan of Coeur Al'Aran. If not, now you do! Now, I'm not sure you guys are all aware, but Coeur's going to be having his 10 year anniversary of writing on this platform soon, on November 10 to be exact.
I have always loved the concept of the Arc Royale and Coeur's various characters, and knew I wanted to write another story with them, so I figured why not put the two together and make this a fun anniversary inspired fic to celebrate the author and the stories that have kept me entertained for almost a decade. This story is completely pre written, and will include characters from every single one of Coeur's works in some capacity.
Just like like Clockwork soldiers there are a few key rules. All the characters in this story remember the Arc Royale if they were there, and they will remember the events of the party. Additionally, there's a ton of fan service in here, and maybe even one or two omakes. I had an absolute blast writing this, and I'm really happy I finally get to bring it to you. There will be an index at the bottom with every character mentioned so if you're lost, you'll be able to find out where these characters are from! Lastly, I'm sure there might be a few details I've missed, I've gained a new appreciation for what Coeur set out to do with the Arc Royale. It's hard to keep so many stories straight, but I've certainly tried! Like with Clockwork Soldiers, try not to think about it too hard haha.
This is where I usually say let's get it started, but I have a better idea, just this once.
Here we go.
Chapter 1 - Welcome Jaune and All
Jaune glared at the glowing envelope as if it might explode at any moment.
He recognized where it came from of course, during his time fighting in what was since called the "Arc Royale", he'd developed a knack for recognizing constructs of the Brother Gods. The envelope itself was a brilliant blue that shined with an ethereal glow, casting a dim pale light against the deep brown of his desk. The parcel was framed with elegant gold leaf engravings that adorned its surface. The only writing across the entire envelope was a single word placed right in the middle.
Jaune.
The only time he'd seen anything like it was the morning his life changed. The morning the Relic of Judgment carrying Jinn as its messenger crashed through the windows of Ozpin's office and explained the tournament. That right there was the reason for his hesitance. What could they possibly want from me? Jaune stressed, feeling a cold sweat descend on him as his eyes bore into the paper. The memories that he could never seem to fully forget flooded back as he clenched his fists, fighting to stay calm. Fate choking to death on his own blood in Yang's arms. Cinder Fall threatening to murder his whole family. Beacon in flames.
Things are okay now, he reminded himself, drawing in a deep breath to calm his nerves. We stopped her, he assured himself as he recalled the end of the Arc Royale. How could he ever forget it? It was the moment he finally stepped up, taking on Cinder Fall one on one for the fate of the world wasn't exactly something he could just forget. The harrowing memories brought him back to the task at hand, the letter.
It hadn't been there when he'd left for his last class, Grimm studies with Professor Port, but here it was, practically begging to be opened. With shaky hands, he gingerly picked up the envelope and went to open it. It only took a few light tugs on the flap for the seal to give way. He jumped as the parcel's hidden contents burst out of the envelope and into the air, the letter within flying around his room before settling right in front of him. While startled, Jaune couldn't say he was surprised.
Showoffs, he grumbled to himself, directing his attention to the note that now hovered before him. He plucked it out of the air and unfolded it. Was it the call to action for a second tournament? Was the royale not over? Was it another errand or competition designed by the brothers to further damage his world? There was only one way to find out, he decided as he began to read.
Dear Jaune Arc,
In recognition of the entertainment provided by your thrilling life and heroic deeds, the Brother Gods extend an invitation to a banquet in your honor. Join us for a night of grandeur, merriment, and divine celebration. Attire will be provided, and you are encouraged to bring a plus one to the event. Festivities start at 7:00pm. We eagerly anticipate your presence.
Best Regards,
Jinn
Relic of Judgment
Jaune's eyes roved over the invitation again, making sure it really said what he thought it did. A party invite? He couldn't say he was expecting that. And the part about "thrilling life and heroic deeds?" I mean, he had saved the world, which sounded great on paper, but he didn't actually do that much. Most of the other iterations had done the heavy lifting. Loathe as he was to admit though, there was a small part of his brain that preened at the praise. It was about time the Gods recognized the pain and suffering he and his friends went through to end that god forsaken tournament.
He was snapped out of his self-aggrandizing thoughts as his eyes locked on the party details at the bottom of the page, zeroing in on the 7:00 start time. He thumbed his scroll from his pocket to quickly check the time. The numbers read out 6:56. He let out a quiet hum before returning his focus to the letter. His arm made it halfway to putting the scroll back before it froze. He whipped it out again.
"6:56!" He cried out, "That's only four minutes away!"
His mind raced at a mile a minute as he urgently scanned the rest of the card. He was allowed a plus one. Heck, they'd encouraged it. The obvious choice was Blake, right? They'd been going steady for a year now. His thoughts came to a screeching halt as he remembered Blake's distaste for the tournament, claiming the Gods had cursed her to love Jaune Arc after their spontaneous little roll in the hay. Yeah, maybe not, he decided as he considered other options. His next thought was of Ruby, but he immediately dismissed it. Ruby would never forgive him if he brought her to a party where she actually had to socialize. He could practically picture her pouting at him as she sulked in her seat. Yang then? The blonde brawler certainly loved a good rager. That being said, the invitation said it was a banquet. Not quite Yang's scene.
Minutes went by as he deliberated, eventually settling on Blake. She'd probably forgive him after all, especially if they had any good fish dishes at the banquet. His chair scraped as he stood, marching towards the door and leaving the invitation on the table. As he reached for the knob, he heard a sound behind him. A quiet but steady hum that began to get louder. He spun around only to see the invitation had begun to hover once again, this time shining a golden light that bathed Team JNPR's dorm in an ethereal light. His eyes darted to the clock.
It read 7:00.
Jaune cried out in alarm as he too began to float, throwing a hand back towards the doorknob as he frantically clawed for anything to keep him grounded. He wasn't ready! He needed at least a few more minutes to prepare himself for whatever was in store. His eyes widened as he came to a frightening realization. The invitation never indicated there was an option in attending, just that the Gods were eagerly anticipating his presence. He barely managed to grab on to the doorknob, holding on for dear life as his body began to be pulled towards the letter. Or at least what used to be the letter, which had now expanded into what he guessed was a portal, a tall blue oval ringed with a golden frame, and wasn't that quickly becoming his least favorite color combination?
He continued to clutch his crude anchor for as long as he could, only barely beginning to relax as the force that sucked him towards the portal slightly lessened. Just a few more seconds, he cheered as he figured the portal couldn't stay open for too much longer. The sound of metal rattling cut through that relaxation like a hot knife through butter as he watched the doorknob begin to shake. Damn it, it was coming loose! Jaune tried to use his free hand to push it back in, but months of Nora flinging their door open had finally taken its toll. After a few more seconds of fighting with it, Jaune managed to tighten the knob. He took a quick breath, savoring a moment's peace.
Only for the entire knob to break off from the door, sending him flying towards the rift in his dimension
"OH, COME ON!" He screamed as reality itself bent and folded as he passed through the portal, scrunching his eyes shut as light filled them.
When he opened them, he wasn't in his dorm anymore, in fact, he wasn't even inside anymore. To his mounting horror, he wasn't even sure he was on Remnant anymore. The world around him was unlike anything he'd ever seen. For one, the landmass he was on seemed to be floating in some kind of void. A dark blue sky surrounded him, filled with small white stars that gleamed in the night. It was endless, and beautiful to boot. However, it wasn't the world around him that got his attention, rather, the large mansion that stood just around twenty feet ahead of him did it.
The manor was for lack of a better word, exquisite. For one, it was massive, the building itself taking up most of the floating island he found himself on. Jaune let out a happy sigh as he noted the Gods had seemed to abandon their hideous gold and blue color combination in favor of a much more appealing white with gold accents. The mansion stretched to the sky, having to be at least three gargantuan stories, each wall accompanied with tens of windows. There were hulking marble columns that framed two massive metal double doors towards the front. The entrance was embossed with the Arc family crest, two crescent moons stacked on top of each other, just as they were on his shield.
They really weren't exaggerating when they said it was for me, huh, he mused as he raised a hand to rub at the back of his head sheepishly. He'd never been great at being the center of attention. As he let his arm drop, he froze. Gone was the fleece fabric of his hoodie, replaced with an infinitely fancier material. He looked down at himself with awe. He was clad in a beautiful navy-blue two-piece suit. Is this Vacuan silk? This must cost a fortune, he marveled. Ah right, Gods. His beat-up converses were replaced with elegant brown shoes, and he was suddenly aware of the awkward constriction of a tie around his neck. Jaune quirked an eyebrow, they did say attire would be provided after all.
He took a few more moments to bask in the glory of his expensive new outfit before returning his attention to the manor. He could hear music coming from inside, and as his eyes scanned the windows, he saw flashing lights that could only have come from the type of strobe machines they had at The Club Yang would drag him to back home. Taking a deep breath and preparing himself for whatever was on the other side of those double doors, he marched forward and pulled the handle of the right-most door.
If he considered the outside of the manor extravagant, then he could only call what was inside breathtaking. The entrance hall was vast, with ethereal lights that floated towards the ceiling that basked the whole place in a warm glow. Some of them flashed different colors that only added to the celestial ambiance. There was a large crowd of people within, and he managed to catch the electric buzz of conversation and merriment that came with it. He only made it a few steps in before his vision was filled with blue. Curvy, voluptuous blue, to be exact. Jaune flinched back and took in the sight of the Relic of Judgment herself, a glowing cyan drink in one hand, and a silver platter in the other. Jinn smiled down at him with recognition.
"Welcome, Jaune Arc." She smiled. "We're honored by your presence." Jaune was going to point out that he didn't exactly have a choice, but figured now might not be the best time.
"Hi Jinn," he started, "It's uh, nice to see you again. Thank you for having me."
"The pleasure's all ours," Jinn chuckled, plucking a small golden square from her platter and stretching her hand towards his chest. "Just to make things easier." She mused. Jaune looked down at the object now hanging from his breast pocket. A name tag. It only slightly puzzled him. On one hand, why would he need a name tag for his own banquet? On the other hand, this wasn't the first time he'd gotten involved with the Gods, and he was sure there was some divine twist he was missing. He looked back at Jinn.
"May I?" He intoned, looking back towards the crowd inside.
She bowed low and swept her arm towards the partygoers. "Absolutely, just make sure to make your way to the main hall to speak with our master of ceremonies for this evening. Have a wonderful night, Jaune Arc."
Jaune made sure to adjust his nametag before stepping past Jinn and joining the crowd. His eyes widened as he finally got a better look at the attendees. It occurred to him that he shouldn't really be feeling shocked, if anything he should be feeling right at home, considering just how many versions of his friends were all around him. Even though he'd been through multiversal shenanigans before, this was on a different level. The hallway before him was packed to the brim with Rubys, Yangs, and Blakes.
Wow, there were a lot of Blakes.
Jaune guessed what Fate had said about there being a "Team Blake" was true, he thought incredulously. He settled on making a beeline for the main hall, politely pushing past other guests as he made his way through the grand entrance room. A Yang in a black uniform he didn't quite recognize sprinted past him like she was about to miss her bullhead, catching his shoulder and sending him spinning off balance. He managed to slam his hand into the wall, steadying himself before he fell. As he looked up, he realized he'd bulldozed right into a couple that had currently been occupying their time with what seemed to be an intense makeout session. Embarrassed, he made to excuse himself, but his jaw hit the floor as the couple in question turned to look at him in surprise.
"Weiss?! Sun?!" He gasped as the lovers stared back at him. The Weiss in question's face went beet red as she glared over at the monkey boy and punched his arm.
"You said nobody would notice us!" She shrieked. Sun just laughed and grinned sheepishly.
"We were kinda makin' out in the middle of the hallway babe. Can't get more out in the open than that." He grinned. "Swear I'll make it up to you."
Jaune fully expected her to unload on him in the classic Schnee fashion, but to his surprise she just glanced away, trying and failing to hide a small smile. "You two are together?" He asked dumbly, considering what he'd just seen.
"No, we're just really good acquaintances who like to kiss." Weiss snarked back. "Of course we're together, Arc."
By now he figured he'd just cut his losses, searching for a way to end the bizarre encounter. "Of course you are!" He replied a little too fast, "Why wouldn't you be? Have fun tonight!" He finished, beginning to briskly walk away.
"You too bro!" Sun called back. Weiss and Sun, huh? The multiverse never ceased to amaze him. Jaune looked back at him to give them a thumbs up as he went to continue down the hallway.
"Careful you buffoon!" The Weiss called out, pointing in front of him in warning. He turned his head back to see where he was going and gasped, throwing himself to the left to avoid ramming into a person he hadn't seen coming. Jaune's ears burned red as he turned to face whoever he'd just nearly bumped into. Classic Jaune, he groaned, not even five minutes into the party and he was already barging into guests.
Or at least he thought it was another guest.
What he was seeing in front of him couldn't be real. Where there should've been a person, there was what appeared to be a tattered piece of red cloth, floating listlessly before him. Its decaying frayed threads looked centuries old. A chill ran down his spine as he instinctively took a few steps back, his hands coming up, ready to defend himself. Something about it felt wrong. His mouth tasted faintly of bile as his head began to throb in a dull ache the longer he looked at the fabric. Even with no eyes, he felt as if it was staring directly into his soul. The cloak tilted to one side, as if it was acknowledging his presence.
"Oh. It's just you, Jaune." The scarlet cloth spoke. The sound that emitted from it terrified him. What should have been human was anything but, sounding more alike to windchimes mounted on the porch of a long-abandoned cabin. He knew he had to get away from her, if only for his own sanity. But even as his mind was reeling, he managed to recognize who the voice belonged to.
"Ruby?" He inquired in disbelief.
"Who else would it be?" She laughed, the bell-like sound chilling his bones to the marrow. Jaune could only nod weakly as he made to get up, quickly moving around her and finally making it to the main hall. Being sure to make a mental note to avoid all sentient clothing if possible.
The party room was well worth the minor struggle to get there though. It was a massive space. The same floating celestial lanterns hovered at the ceiling, and the walls were covered by a beautiful tapestry knitted with golden thread. There were all sorts of beautifully woven images that adorned the piece. His eyes lingered on the imagery of a gigantic serpent trading blows with an eldritch monster in an endless sea. That must be Leviathan, he mused. There were other images too. Knight taking on who he guessed was Salem, Grimm at the docks, and even Barista, his eyes shut as Cinder Fall raised her blade high above him. The tapestries spanned the walls of the hall. illustrations of battles, lovers, and plenty of Jaunes. Tearing his eyes away from the incredible work, he checked out the rest of the hall.
There was a massive bar to the right of the room, stacked with what must've been fifty different bottles of different colored liquors. The bar was dotted with stools, all empty except one that carried a Jaune that looked like he'd already had far too much to drink and was slumped over the counter. Jaune couldn't help but chuckle at the man's state, it died in his throat as he saw who was manning the operation. Xiong looked as classy as ever as he mixed a patron's drink. He was dressed in an expensive looking vest draped over a crisp white button-down shirt, almost looking like a fancy butler. However, Jaune knew there was much more that met the eye when it came to the king of the underworld.
He thought about going over and getting a drink to break the ice, but a finger tapping on his shoulder stopped him in his tracks.
"H-Headmaster?" He gasped as he turned to gawk at the familiar face.
"About time you showed up, Jaune!" Headmaster laughed, clad in his familiar blue long coat. "It's great to see you, thankfully this time under much better circumstances."
Jaune didn't disagree there. He'd never really gotten to know Headmaster, and to be honest, the older man kind of scared him. He always seemed to have a strange twinkle in his eye, like there was some unsaid joke only he was in on. Although he himself much preferred the party to the last time they'd met. Jaune shivered as he remembered Headmaster's desperate gambit to defeat Null. That being said, Headmaster had also gone out of his way to throw a little get-together not unlike this one, and from the brilliant gold tag that read "Master of Ceremonies" pinned to his breast pocket, it seemed he'd become quite the gracious host.
"Yeah," He started, "Nice to see you too." Silence quickly descended over the two as Jaune desperately thought of a way to continue the conversation with the older man. "So, the Gods put you in charge for tonight?"
"That's right." Headmaster replied, sweeping his arms out as if he was basking in the splendor of the hall. "Our gracious hosts appointed me the MC, on account of my work behind the scenes during the tournament." He said, a roman-esque grin spreading across his face. Jaune's eyes narrowed as he looked back at him. He never noticed it before, perhaps on account of his life being constantly in danger throughout the course of the royale, that Headmaster's charming smile seemed a bit too forced, as if he wasn't just trying to convince Jaune of something, but himself as well. In fact, it almost looked brittle.
Jaune quickly shook his head to dismiss the thought. This was a tactical genius he was talking about, and Headmaster had proven time and time again he was the real deal. He was shaken from his thoughts as Headmaster's fingers wrapped around his wrist as the older man began to drag him in tow, heading towards the far side of the room.
"To tell you the truth, we weren't sure you were coming." Headmaster called out, raising his voice to speak over the crowd.
"We?" Jaune inquired.
Headmaster only laughed. "You're going to be seeing a lot of familiar faces tonight, as well as some new ones."
Jaune felt a mixture of excitement and unease at Headmaster's statement. The other iterations from the tournament were here too then, weren't they? His heart swelled with excitement at the idea of seeing Magnis and Knight again. However, it also meant possibly running into Null, or even Fate. His eyebrows drew down at the thought of the latter Arc, but he pushed those feelings aside in favor of a question.
"New ones?" He asked, intrigued.
"That's right," Headmaster nodded at him, "It seems the Gods started taking an interest in more of us since the tournament. For better or for worse." He added with a grimace.
Makes sense, we put on quite a show, he thought to himself with a groan.
"You want me to introduce you to one of them? They're just about to start the next song." Headmaster explained. Jaune thought about saying no. He wasn't really good at parties, but it beat standing in the corner alone. He craned his neck past Headmaster and saw what appeared to be some kind of elaborate stage at the opposite side of the room. Did they have live music? Jaune nodded his agreement, and Headmaster once again grabbed Jaune's wrist as the man dragged him into a hoard of bodies, guiding him through the sea of partygoers. As Jaune was pulled closer and closer to the opposite wall, he heard notes begin to ring out over the crowd. His eyes widened as he strained his ears.
It was beautiful.
His shoulders slumped as he felt the tension that tightened his muscles release. His jaw, which he hadn't even realized had been clenched from nervousness, relaxed. His fear and apprehension disappeared as quickly as his frown did, replaced instead by the warm feeling of a smile spreading across his face. It was almost as if the melody was washing over him, filling each of his senses with bliss like clouds of Vacuan incense, wrapping around him like his mother's arms in a warm yet soft embrace. He couldn't help but clap his hands in approval. It was almost too easy to lose himself to the music.
"-aune…Jaune!" Headmaster called, snapping him out of his trance.
"Bwuh?" He managed as Headmaster snapped his fingers in front of his face. For some reason it felt like he'd had a bucket of water dumped on him. The warm sensation he'd been feeling moments ago was gone. "W-What?"
"Looks like their music worked its magic on you." Headmaster cackled as he waved up at the stage. The stage that he was now directly in front of. When did we get here? Jaune pondered, panic seeping into his thoughts. What just happened? It...it was almost like a trance.
"It's the music, our friend here's got charisma in spades." Headmaster explained, seemingly reading his thoughts. "Come on, I'll introduce you."
Jaune nodded dumbly, still a bit out of it as Headmaster called out to the person playing. The music ceased as the figure walked towards the edge of the stage. Jaune gasped. Before him stood one of the most beautiful women he'd ever seen. She was tall, cutting an imposing figure as she stooped down to view them. That being said, she didn't seem intimidating, in fact, it was the exact opposite. She was cute, incredibly so. In the way that Ruby was, a kind of dorkiness he knew all too well. Her hair was a vibrant blonde, and her outfit extremely cutesy.
"Uh oh, looks like Guitar Cutie's found herself another fan." Headmaster said nonchalantly. Jaune's eyes narrowed though as he studied the older man's face. Despite his nonchalant attitude, the man's eyes were filled with amusement. Something wasn't right here.
"For the last time, it's Guitarc!" the girl complained with a groan, her voice a bit deeper than he was expecting. Jaune's eyes widened. Wait. Guitarc? Arc?! No, that couldn't be possible. But she was so pretty, and cutesy! He took another look at her face. Her face was beautiful, yet familiar. Too familiar.
"Is she an iteration!?" He gasped as Headmaster burst out laughing.
"He's an iteration." the older man corrected as he swept a hand out towards the far too pretty Jaune. "Meet Bard, a Jaune from a universe where half of humanity thinks he's a pop idol."
"You've gotta be kidding me." Jaune muttered awkwardly, hoping it was some kind of joke Headmaster was playing on him. Instead, all he got was a dismayed huff from the Jaune he now knew as Bard.
"It's not like I knew I was going to be summoned here in my recording outfit." He whined. "Whoever these gods are, they've got a real sick sense of humor."
"Amen to that." Jaune agreed. "It's uh, nice to meet you, Bard. I really liked your music. I play a bit of guitar too, but nowhere close to that."
Bard gave him a curt nod. "Thanks. Looks like I'll be doing it for the rest of the night, so I'm happy someone's enjoying it."
Jaune gave him a questioning look. "How could anyone not be enjoying it? Your playing is beautiful."
"Not everyone seems to agree on that." Headmaster began with a snicker, "Bard was in the middle of a song when some bird dive bombed him from the rafters. A big one too."
"Don't remind me." Bard uttered morosely as his eyes scanned the ceiling. "Never been called a brat by a bird before. But whoever she was, she clearly wasn't having it with my music."
Jaune gave him a puzzled look. "The bird spoke to you?"
"Yep," Bard remarked far too calmly. "Most of them aren't too bad, but this one? Seemed like she had a bone to pick with me personally."
"Right…" Jaune said, grasping at straws for something to say to that. Thankfully, Headmaster swooped in to rescue him.
"Well, just wanted to stop by. Keep up the good work." Bard gave him a nod before turning his attention to Jaune.
"It was nice to meet you."
"You too." Jaune said as Headmaster began to lead him back towards the dense crowd.
"Pretty wild, huh?" the professor remarked.
"Yeah, pretty wild." Jaune agreed. "I know I shouldn't, but sometimes I forget how wild the multiverse can be."
"You're far from alone in that regard." Headmaster beamed at him. "Threw me for a loop too."
"I'm sure you had a plan for it. You always do." Jaune stated obviously. The older man let out a brittle chuckle.
"Sure, why not?"
The two continued in silence before Jaune spoke up. "Anything else you wanted to show me?"
Headmaster shook his head as he brought Jaune towards the left side of the room. "I wish I could spend more time with you, but I've got a pretty busy agenda to keep. Figured the least I could do was leave you with a few friends. Just keep heading straight, you can't miss them." He explained as he took his leave, sinking back into the crowd.
Jaune let out a hum as he continued, intrigued at the possibilities. Would it be Magnis, maybe Barista, or–
"Knight!" he cheered as he raced towards the table. Knight was just as Jaune had remembered him, his hulking physique a stark contrast to his kind and handsome face. In lieu of his armor was a beautiful blue tunic. His name and class floated just a few inches above his head.
"Jaune! It's good to see you." Knight beamed down at him as he caught Jaune in a strong embrace. "Headmaster told me about the rest of the tournament. I'm proud of you, and Ruby too. I knew you both had it in you. Way to pull it off."
Jaune blushed. "T-Thank you." He managed to get out. Jaune had always looked up to Knight as the peak of what he could be back during the tournament. He knew better now, armed with the knowledge that he was enough. But still, hearing that praise from Knight meant the world to him. "It's great to see you too."
"Why don't you take a seat?" Knight remarked as he pulled out a chair. Jaune sat down, switching his attention to the other guest at the table. Grimm was sitting next to Knight, the pale man beaming a radiant smile at him.
"Grimm was just telling me about his world." Knight explained as he turned to face Salem's son. "I just can't wrap my head around it. Humans and grimm coexisting? Slaying the god of light? I'm impressed."
Grimm laughed as he sipped at his drink. "It was easier said than done. You try talking to an army of beowulves and telling them to stop killing."
Knight guffawed. "If I could talk to the creatures of grimm, that would've made things a lot easier, trust me." Jaune smiled at the pair.
"You two seem to have gotten close." He noted. "When did that happen?"
"We had a hell of a fight." Knight said as a hand came up to rub the back of his head. "He'd more than earned my respect. After all, we were the same. Two kindred souls fighting a war we didn't want any part in. It ended in a draw."
"Technically, I won first." Grimm said with a sheepish grin. Knight just chuckled and punched him lightly in the shoulder. It sent Grimm's chair skittering back a few feet.
"The point is, before we fought, Grimm told me he wished we could've been friends, and I believed him. When we got summoned here. I decided to honor that wish." he finished as he held out his tankard to Grimm.
Grimm beamed and clinked his glass against it. "And it turns out, we have a lot in common. Like a surprising amount."
"Tell me about it." Knight agreed. "Grimm left his home to pursue his destiny just like I did. What are the odds right? Two people unhappy with their current circumstances take a leap of faith to change their lives, with both ending up as kings. No wonder we get on." Grimm eagerly nodded his agreement.
"That being said though," Knight began, "The more I hear about your life, the happier I am to have not been born into royalty. It's already tedious enough as an adult, I can only imagine what it would've been like as a boy."
Grimm let out a groan. "It wasn't exactly bad, I was just kinda smothered. I couldn't even leave the tower without Manny or my mom coming after me. The worst was big sis. Believe it or not, Cinder can be really scary when she wants."
Jaune's eye twitched. Cinder? Dangerous? What a surprise.
Knight guffawed. "I hear you. I can't even go to the bathroom without Ellayne and the guards flying into a panic. I just want to go in peace, is that so much to ask? It's even worse when Blake pays me a visit late at night. I've gotten plenty of high fives and winks from them the morning after." He finished with an embarrassed groan. Grimm shrugged.
"I-I can't relate. When Yang wants me, she…uh, she makes sure everyone knows."
Jaune scrunched his eyes shut as Knight rolled his eyes. That wasn't exactly something he wanted to picture.
"Gross," Knight muttered, and Grimm stifled a laugh.
"Sorry, sorry. Sometimes I forget she's just a friend in your world. Multiversal stuff sure is confusing."
"And a bit disturbing." Knight added.
Grimm gave another shrug. "I wouldn't say that. It's all been fun so far, minus the whole war thing." Knight gave him a quizzical glance.
"The night is young, Grimm. You never know what you might hear from other universes."
Grimm snickered. "Please, I've met at least three Jaunes that have killed my mom, and one that ran around as a teddy bear. What could possibly be worse than that?"
Knight opened his mouth to say something, but decided against it, electing instead to wave to a guest passing by. "Speaking of killing your mom." He began, ignoring Grimm's indignant squawk and turning his attention to a passing iteration, "Dark Lord, over here!"
Jaune quirked an eyebrow. Dark Lord? What kind of name was that? The man in question froze mid step, a look of apprehension in his eyes as Knight beckoned him towards their table. Grimm shot him a worried glance, the corners of his mouth dragged down in a frown. It was the first time Jaune had ever seen Grimm distressed. Well, he didn't count when Knight was trying to kill him back at the docks. He directed his attention back to their new guest. The man looked to be about thirty, in medieval clothes somewhat similar to Knight's but far less grand. Like something you'd see out of one of those old RPGs. Grimm let out a sigh.
"Are you going to cause another incident or are things going to be cool?" He asked the newcomer.
The Dark Lord grimaced. "That…that was my mistake. I saw you and just kind of, well–" He struggled as Knight leaned over to whisper to Jaune.
"He and Salem were at war in his world. Seems like he has a lot of trauma with her. One look at Grimm and he tried blasting him with some kind of magic right when the party began, babbling like a mad man. Thankfully I managed to calm them both down." Knowing Knight, that probably meant he forced them both to stop. He was mind bogglingly strong after all.
"I apologize." The Dark Lord said, bowing his head at Grimm. "Really, I'm sorry. I acted pretty rashly there. I know what it's like to be judged without having been given a chance. Didn't mean to do the same to you." Grimm gave him a quick look, before a smile broke across his face.
"No problem! I know my mom has done a lot of bad things to plenty of iterations. I'm sorry you went through them. As for trying to kill me? Water under the bridge! We all have our bad days. We can always try again as friends."
The Dark Lord didn't seem entirely convinced, conflict scrawled across his expression. Clearly, he had issues with Salem. But despite that, he ended up drawing a seat beside them. "I'd…I'd like that." Grimm beamed at him.
"Awesome! You don't have to be so self-conscious either. I've had plenty of times where I lose control too."
"Really?" Knight began, interest scrawled across his face. "I'm surprised to hear the white sheep has a temper." The Dark Lord snickered at the bizarre yet fitting nickname.
"Oh definitely," Grimm replied, "I went after Yang's mom in a fit of rage once. Wasn't exactly the best idea. Another time I threatened to destroy General Ironwood and all of Atlas."
Knight nearly spat out his ale. "That's a hell of an escalation. You of all people threatened to invade an entire kingdom? I'd be impressed if I wasn't so surprised."
Grimm twiddled his thumbs. "Hey, I can't be the only one who's let things get out of hand. I'm sure you've had your moments of craziness too."
Knight's hand came to stroke at his chin before his eyes hardened, as if reliving an old memory. "You're right, but I don't think mine are as fun to share at parties as yours are."
"Come on Knight," Grimm said as he elbowed the king in the ribs playfully. "We're all friends here."
"Really I don't think you'd enjoy–"
"Please?" Grimm begged, his ruby red eyes somehow looking more like a puppy begging for a biscuit than a grimmling's. Knight sighed.
"Fine. After all, I'm sure you're excited to hear the tale of my first human kill, and the time I was a gladiator forced to kill for a tribe of bandits' entertainment." Knight deadpanned.
The Dark Lord and Grimm exchanged nervous glances.
"Point taken." The former crown prince eeped out as Knight laughed.
"I thought so."
Knight shifted his gaze to the Lord of Darkness. "What about you? I'm sure with a name like that you've been bound to cause some chaos."
The Dark Lord laughed. "I might've caused an international incident after running a blade through Salem at the largest tournament in the land."
Knight and Grimm blinked, before turning to each other with shared grins. "You just might fit in with us after all." The commoner king suggested. Grimm rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, sure. But can you take it easy on the stories about my mom? I get enough of those from Knight and Ashari. She's just misunderstood, I swear. She just needs some good lovin'." The Dark Lord nodded woodenly, clearly having his doubts.
"Forget about that. I heard that you're the ruler of your own kingdom, Lord." Grimm said enthusiastically, quick to jump away from the topic of Salem. "What's it like?"
Ozpin's vessel grimaced. "It's the worst. Don't get me wrong, it's nice to not be on the run from Salem and the order, but gods it's boring. So many days behind a big wooden desk. I used to lead armies and now I'm a glorified clerk."
Knight clapped a hand on his shoulder. "I couldn't agree more. All the fancy customs and meetings, they're all so tedious. Sometimes Blake, Ruby, and I sneak out and go questing like we used to back in the day. It's nice to be able to live through those moments again where nobody knows who we are. Anything to recapture that freedom. Running a kingdom is such a pain."
"Don't I know it?" A voice called out from behind them. Jaune, who had been content to enjoy watching the three converse craned his neck to glance at the source of the voice. Headmaster had returned, drawing out a chair and taking his place at their table.
"Sure Beacon's not a kingdom, but it's still a pain. I'm convinced paperwork was a creation by the god of darkness to make sure I never have a day of peace." He said morosely. His lips then quirked upward. "But thankfully, I've gotten pretty good at managing it. I mostly just pawn it off to Blake." He admitted without an ounce of shame.
The Dark Lord barked out a laugh. "She's your confidant as well?" Headmaster nodded.
"I would be nothing without my somewhat faithful deputy headmistress." He said, swooning dramatically. "Seriously, I think I would've died from carpal tunnel long ago if she wasn't around."
The Dark Lord inclined his head in agreement. "If I didn't have her, I'd be thoroughly screwed. She's a lifesaver, isn't she?"
"She sure is." Another voice rang out, closer this time.
"Rat!" Headmaster crowed, standing up to shake the hand of a Jaune in a sleek gray suit, complete with a black turtleneck. "I was wondering where you'd gotten off to."
"Just making the rounds, force of habit." the agent laughed. "But like I was saying. Blake's been holding down the VSS for years now. Our entire operation wouldn't have even gotten off the ground if she wasn't on the payroll. Even back when she was my partner, she was saving my life. When she wasn't making it infinitely harder, that is."
"Amen to that." Knight said as slammed his tankard against the counter in agreement. Flushing as the others looked at him. "I guess I don't really have much else to add. She's my wife. She's always been there for me. Hell, without Blake, I would've died long ago in initiation. Let alone make it past my first week."
Jaune felt a warmth blossom in his chest as he watched them bond over their love and respect for Blake. It reminded him of how he thought of his own girlfriend. But as Knight finished his sentence, Jaune gasped as the air above the ruler's head distorted. Where there had been nothing, there was now a woman in a beautiful black silk dress that seemed to shimmer in the light, almost as if reality itself bent to reveal her. He followed the thin silk straps up to the woman's face. She was strikingly beautiful, with raven-colored locks and piercing amber eyes. What got his attention though were the words floating just above her adorable cat ears.
BLAKE
ASSASSIN
So, this must be Knight's wife, Jaune marveled as he gazed at the woman in disbelief. He hadn't even seen her move. If he thought Knight was fast, then Blake had to be hundreds of times quicker than him. That, or she really did live up to her class, a master of stealth.
"I just helped on a whim," Blake said nonchalantly before giving Knight a sly grin, "But you're perfectly welcome to keep those compliments coming, my strange knight." Knight gave her a loving smile, before dragging her down to capture her lips in his. The whole table cheered as the lovers embraced. Blake clearly hadn't been expecting it by the way she pulled away after a few moments, her mouth opening and closing like a fish, before a blush wormed its way across her cheeks.
"Idiot." She murmured as she stroked his cheek lovingly. Knight gave her a mischievous glance.
"But am I your idio–?"
A scowl crossed her face. It wasn't very convincing though, considering the barely concealed affection in her eyes. "Not in public!" Blake hissed, her face a dark shade of red as she disappeared back into the crowd as quickly as she'd arrived. Knight turned to them, a dopey grin on his face.
"What were we talking about again?"
Rat and Headmaster stifled laughs as the Dark Lord and Grimm booed. Jaune sat back, amazed.
Looks like tonight was shaping up to be one for the books.
Omake Idea: Barista asks the Jaune from The Equalizer for help with tonight's Dessert
Barista's quest to bake tonight's cake started out with a bang, or in this case, an explosion.
It had been a simple task on paper. Jinn had charged him with making the cake for tonight's festivities. Sure, usually he left it up to Marron to produce the delicious fluffy delights that always seemed to bring his customers back for more, but that didn't mean he didn't know a thing or two about baking. Yes, the task at hand had been quite easy in theory, yet he'd made one little mistake. One small miscalculation, which came in the form of the people he'd conscripted to help him with the job.
Well, just one person.
"Why the hell did you bring him along!" Miltia Malachite shrieked as she threw her body to the right, narrowly avoiding another blaze as his own body slammed into the kitchen's wall, back muscles screaming in pain.
"He said he was a chemist! Mom always said baking was a science. I thought he could help!" Barista replied as he slid down to the cold tile floor.
"He said he was a specialist in mixing things!" Miltia snapped back as she patted out a fire on the side of her too tight vermillion dress. "They aren't the same!"
She was right. It was a massive mistake to bring Chemist. When he'd first been tasked with baking tonight's dessert, nobody seemed to want to help. Miltia refused to let the two of them shoulder the whole burden however, so when Chemist offered his services, Barista had been excited to bring him on. He'd sent the two in together to get started while he went to the bathroom to wash his hands.
Sadly he didn't realize the mistake he'd made until it was too late.
The first time he'd walked into the grandiose golden kitchen to check on the progress, he'd been met with a devastating explosion the second he turned the knob. It had felt oddly familiar. Now here they were, at least five explosions later, desperately trying to regain control of the kitchen.
"Don't worry you two!" The source of their terror crowed cheerfully as he turned to face them, his leather bandoliers glittering with multiple bottles of different colored dust. "I swear I'm going to get it right with this one. Give me just one second." He finished as he began to yank the bottles out of their slots, combining god knows how many different types of dust into the golden mixing bowl, cackling maniacally as he began to whisk it all together.
"Miltia?" Barista began, his voice barely above a whisper.
"Yeah?" She breathed back, fear in her wide jade eyes.
"Hold me."
Well that's chapter 1 in the books. A bit of a slow start with some exposition, but I hope you enjoyed the character interactions so far! There's going to be a lot more, trust me. Can't wait to bring you the next chapter. Fun fact, the name of this story is inspired by an old Coeur meme, The League of Extraordinary Jaunetlmen, which was kinda the first Coeur crossover idea. Had to bring it back. The index I mentioned earlier is below.
Weiss and Sun making out - Dating What Daddy Hates
Tattered Red Cloth - Ruby from The Unseen Hunt
Headmaster - Jaune from Headmaster Arc
Bard - Jaune from Remnant's Blonde Bard
Knight - Jaune from Forged Destiny
Grimm - Jaune from White Sheep
Dark Lord - Jaune from The Eternal Crown
Rat - Jaune from In The Kingdom's Service
Assassin Blake - Blake from Forged Destiny
Barista - Service with a Smile
Miltia - Service with a Smile
These will be uploaded on a weekly basis, with the goal being to end on November 10th, but I might spread it out a bit more if I'm inspired with some last second ideas. That being said this fic is fully prewritten and will be 5-6 chapters in length, with the next one releasing next Sunday October 13th. As always I love you guys' reviews, favorites, and follows. They inspire me to keep writing for you guys. I have loved putting my passion and love for these works into the story, and I hope you'll follow me into the next chapter!
Next time on Jaunetlemen's Club: The Bullshitter Brigade!