Chapter 7: The Priestess

The silent voice within one's heart whispers the most profound wisdom. - The Priestess, Nyx Avatar

As Jaune walked to school, he pondered the same question he had since the, uh, investigation of Neptune's house. What did he do now?

The weekend had come and gone. Which was just as well since Jaune spent most of it getting his ass kicked by Grimm. No word from Sun or Neptune, either. Jaune checked his phone again, just in case he missed it. Nothing. Of course there wasn't. Why was he still checking if he already knew?

The essence of knowledge entailed that the more you learned, the more questions you had. What is water? Okay, how did it form? Where does it come from? Why did it come from there? So on and so forth in tragic perpetuity. For every mystery solved, another sprang up. Jaune hadn't quite grappled with that concept until recently, and now he was starting to see why: just knowing would never be enough. And yet it was the most anyone could do.

Ruminating over the information he'd gathered, and all the information since, left him with a weak headache. He went over everything again. The father was upset because Neptune quit the team. Neptune's team was upset at him for quitting. And Neptune was upset at Weiss for something? Except he wasn't? From the journal, it sounded like he'd been the one that made a mistake. A mistake that had alienated his friend group from him for a while. But that was all over now right? Everyone was on good terms with him again from what Jaune had seen. Jaune could almost taste the gap between. Where a great big puzzle piece was just waiting to be put in. But what did he do? Cheat? Weiss would have to be generously forgiving to keep talking to Neptune after that.

Jaune had wracked his brain almost as hard as the Grimm had wracked his body. Neither of which provided very satisfying conclusions.

Jaune glanced at Sun's house as he passed. Maybe it was time to talk to Neptune? Or Sun. That had to be him walking on the other side of the road. Alone, at that. Jaune hurried on to catch up with him. "Hey."

Odd thing, Sun not greeting him with a smile. Jaune always thought of a gamma ray burst when he saw it, bright enough to blind a blind man. Ignite the planet in consuming warmth. He wasn't sure why Sun's smile made him wax poetic, but the bigger question now was why it wasn't present at all. In fact, Sun looked more tired than anything. "Morning, bro. Wassup?"

Wassup? Oh nothing, I'm just over here trying to save your best friend for possible eternal misery. Hey, did you know I broke into his house and my Aunt traumatized me? Wassup? A lot, dude. A lot! And no update of how Neptune was feeling, either. And Jaune had no idea why it bothered him so much when he wasn't friends with either of these two. He thought to beat around the bush a bit, but chose to indulge in his impatience this time. "You're one head short."

Sun touched his shoulder. And Jaune noticed that the knuckles of one hand were wrapped in bandages. Martial Arts club, of course, but Jaune figured they wore gloves. Or was it something else? "Nah, pretty sure I just have the one. Maybe you need glasses."

Jaune gave him a flat look.

"Relax, I was joking. He's gonna skip. Not feeling it today, you know?"

"Okay?"

They walked on in silence for a while. And only then did Jaune realize he'd compromised his normally peaceful walk to school alone. That twenty-minute sanctuary where the world left him alone and he could feel perfectly insignificant as the world moved around him. Being on the other side of the street didn't change that—the sun was an orange-yellow peeking through the gray clouds of early morning, and the soft blue sky was a backdrop he was all but used to. The street was empty, the world was quiet, and all that could be heard was their shuffling footsteps. Yep. All the same as always. And yet walking beside Sun now made it all seem… different, somehow.

It didn't look right, him walking beside Sun. It was where Neptune was supposed to be. "Sorry to be nosy, but how is he?" Jaune asked.

"He'll make it. His dad's just a dick. He says stuff like that sometimes."

"He says stuff like "I didn't buy that car for a loser?" He had to be a real treat at board games, then.

Sun cringed. "Uh, normally he's… nicer?"

Well, Jaune scarcely had to imagine what that was like. The difference between hurting your son's feelings and making your son cry still equated to being a shitty parent. Did Lewis know how that made his son feel? No son who respected his father wanted to be seen as insignificant, and no father should ever want to make his son feel that way.

"Any reason why he acts like that?"

Sun shrugged. "No idea. But he wasn't always like that."

Probably because he'd had a wife before. "Could it have something to do with Weiss?"

It all but confirmed it, that momentary silence. Sure, he'd already guessed as much, but Sun would know way more than he did. Time to coax it out of him. "What makes you think that?"

Or not. "Weiss approached Neptune once at my table. Seemed like they had problems with each other. I'm guessing they dated before?"

Sun stared at him for a moment. Jaune almost thought he should raise his hands so he could see the lack of blood on his hands. Then again, considering his recent crime spree, how long would that last? "Yeah, they dated once," Sun said. "But it has less to do with Weiss herself, actually."

"Why'd they break up?"

Sun's lip curled. "I thought you said you didn't want to be nosy."

Jaune wouldn't quite have described it as an edge to Sun's voice. Maybe not even a conscious choice on his part. But the tone alone was enough for Jaune to decide to pull back. "Sorry, I guess I was…"

And like a slipped switch, Sun was grinning. "I get it. Thanks for thinking about him."

"I wasn't—I mean, yeah I was, but…" Fuck, he'd gotten him there.

"Alright, alright, don't get your tongue in a knot. Look, it'll all blow over, so don't worry about it. You play any of those games yet?"

They jumped into conversation about that, but Jaune wasn't fooled. It wasn't something Sun wanted to talk about since it was Neptune's privacy. Great for Neptune, no doubt—it was a good friend indeed that didn't talk behind his back. But bad for Jaune, who had to do a lot of talking behind people's backs to get things done.

But with the Sun option exhausted, Jaune lamented at his final option. The one thing he'd been praying he wouldn't have to do.

He had to talk to Weiss.

Fuck, Weiss was a girl.

Jaune had forgotten it was much easier talking to girls when they approached him. It was a kind of high ground, like in a war. But approaching others? No way. That was to be at a disadvantage. His vital organs protested at the mere idea of it. His very bowels. Sure, it was own brain telling him this, and not anything explicitly true, but even knowing this did not make getting up from his table any easier.

Gods, people would be watching, too. Not just around the cafeteria, but also from Weiss's own group, which was full of even more girls. Oh, why couldn't any of them be ugly? Couldn't at least one of them be ugly? Jaune was sure the Brother Gods were up there peering down from the clouds like the sadistic bastards they were. "Hey, hey Jaune?" They'd whisper, "You know what you gotta do? You gotta help Neptune, man. Just talk to her. Its easy." But Jaune would rather beat his head into the table. He didn't think he could handle that much attention from the fairer sex, and having seven sisters certainly hadn't made him an expert of it despite what people might assume.

Jaune licked his lips, immediately regretted it. What if someone had been looking and saw the loner kid doing something that creepy while staring at a table of girls? He never thought about this stuff normally. Funny what approaching women did to a man. Rejections stung you know, even if they were unavoidable. And Jaune didn't doubt he'd look like another guy trying to work his way at the snooty rich girl.

Not to mention I was a dick to her before, Jaune wanted to slap himself for that now.

But then he thought about Neptune on the verge of tears, promptly decided that having him in a better mood was best for everyone, and got out of his seat. Or he almost did. He couldn't be this much of a sissy, could he? If he couldn't even get up to talk to this girl normally, then he could only imagine the travesty that would be his love life.

Better to do it. It's for Neptune. You're a Hunter of Hearts, you save people. Better to do it now. God damn. Why did all those girls have to be so pretty?

Jaune swallowed to keep from stuttering. Couldn't look weak. Needed to play it cool. Confidence or whatever the fuck. His hands were shaking—Jaune shoved them in his pockets. Thought to draw up his hood. No, he'd look shady. Like a weirdo. Had to be cool. Confidence.

Or he could run, yes, he still had tomorrow right? All week actually. This wasn't a retreat. It was a tactical ceasefire. Did the diver leap out of the plane without a parachute into a forest full of monsters without an effective landing strategy? Never. Jaune made ready to sit right back in his seat. Tomorrow he'd do it. Definitely.

"What's up, babe?"

Jaune blinked. He was standing right in front of the table. My god, the eyes. His heart threatened to burst from the attention. Look somewhere else, you assholes! Yang's sister had silver eyes so big they were hard to look away from and one of the black-haired girls looked so calm that Jaune wished they could switch bodies. Wait, someone was waving at him. Yang?

"Oh, uh, hi…" Jaune said without thinking. Hi? Anvil. He would drop an anvil on his own head tonight.

Yang was enjoying herself, naturally. "Hi yourself. Now, state your business, invader."

It's for Neptune, Jaune made sure to remind himself. "I… wanted to talk to you. Uh, not you, Yang. Weiss, I mean." And he directed his gaze at her.

Weiss either wasn't surprised or was good at hiding it. "And what do you want to talk to me about?"

"In private… if possible."

Weiss's expression did not change. "I'd rather not be in private with a stranger. Anything you have to say, you can say in front of my friends."

And none of them looked ready to walk away, either. Keep thinking of the anvil, Jaune. The anvil. "Its not something I can talk about with other people."

"Dude, if you're gonna ask her out, just do it. She won't bite your head off." Yang drawled.

Jaune frowned. "Its nothing like that."

"Then what is it?" Weiss countered, "You're wasting our lunch, you know."

So much for subtlety. "You heard about what happened with Neptune yesterday?"

There was a palpable silence. Which was funny considering the murmuring din of the cafeteria. But the group was looking amongst one another, and Weiss's fingers had curled.

"How do you know about that?" Ruby asked.

"I was there," Jaune didn't take his eyes away from Weiss. "So you did hear. I wanted to ask you about it."

"And what would I know about it?"

"You were his girlfriend once upon a time," No one looked surprised by that, which was good since Jaune had gambled on the school knowing. Meant it wasn't a secret relationship by any means. "So you're the only person who might know more than Sun."

"And why aren't you asking Sun?"

Jaune gestured to their table, which certainly did have some sun around it, just a different kind. "And he won't tell me. I tried already."

"That's his best friend and he didn't tell you. I think that means it's something you don't need to know." Yang said. "You shouldn't poke around in things that aren't your business."

Guess he was out of a job. Any of them want to save Neptune's heart instead? No? Tragic. "I just want to know if he's doing alright. Well, Weiss?"

Weiss held his eye for a moment and he almost thought she might say something, but she just went back to poking around her tray. Jaune grimaced. "Hey—"

"Slow down there, tiger." Yang stood up sharply. Jaune almost wondered if she'd been sitting at all this whole time. "I'm sure Neptune's good. Now if Weiss-cream didn't say anything, your safest assumption is a no. Trust me, that'll turn out better for all of us in the long run."

Neptune was far from good. He wasn't sure how he knew. But he could feel it somehow. How could they not tell? Didn't they know him better than he did? "Was I asking you?"

There weren't many things Jaune regretted. A big mouth could get you in trouble, that's something a few of his sisters had to be told. But not him. He was generally good at not saying things out of turn. Everyone slips though.

Not only had Yang closed the distance, but she'd yanked his tie so hard that she brought them nose to nose. And those eyes were a vicious kind of calm, yet insistent on ferocity, like she was waiting for someone to screw up around her. The strength of her only added to that. And even though Jaune met her glare with his own, he couldn't deny that he was trembling deep inside. "Two things. First, you are going to back off, because I'm guessing you like your face intact. Second, when you're talking to her, or anyone I know, you're talking to me. And my fist if you push it far enough," Her frown set in deeper. "Now, how badly do you want to test me?"

Not at fucking all, but Jaune wouldn't give her the pleasure of an answer. "Not at all." God damn it.

"Goodie. Buh-bye!" She shoved him back, blew him a kiss again, and spun smoothly back into her seat.

Okay, so he'd near shat himself. Some people had been watching too, so Jaune concluded that his worries about being humiliated were one big self-fulfilling prophecy. Quite plainly, he'd been put in his place, and that wasn't a good feeling in the slightest.

Jaune dropped back into his once he got back to his table. returned to his table. Interesting how he now wished Sun was here just so he didn't need to wallow in his humiliation alone, now unsure of what the hell to do.

Jaune let his forehead fall into his hands. That anvil could not drop sooner.

~A Game of Hearts~

Jaune Arc was not happy. And you know what? If he wasn't happy, then his team couldn't be either.

"Arc! Block him!"

Jaune took an active effort to do absolutely none of that. Not just because he didn't much like basketball, but because Cardin was on his team, and Cardin, regardless of any substantial amount of character development, would never become a person he liked or respected. It was against the laws of nature. So, rather boredly, Jaune watched a guy on the other team rush past him, and toss the ball into the net.

"Arc!" Jaune thought he might get a shiver of pleasure from his mortal enemy's frankly justified bitching. But even pissing Cardin off didn't make him any happier.

Jaune shrugged and ignored him. He'd have been worried that Mister Port might scold him, but he was out checking on the group doing laps outside. There was a secondary teacher, but he was too engrossed in his phone to actually be doing his job. He was being blatantly uncooperative in his assignment and getting away with it and even that didn't make him happy. Don't you think you're acting like a baby? Shut the hell up, brain.

As the other players scrambled around him, Jaune wondered, however fruitlessly, how to get Weiss to talk to him. Geez, he sounded like a heartbroken guy who just had it down bad for the girl playing with his heart. Maybe he never should have been an asshole? He'd come to that conclusion already. Who'd have guessed it, being a jerk to people made them less likely to respond kindly.

"The ball! Arc!"

Jaune stepped out of the way as the ball bounced past him, and heard his teammates groan and curse at him. Screw them, he had more important things to think about.

He rubbed the back of his head as he thought, felt a shoulder brush past him but ignored it. Break into her house? No. Kidnapping? Funny how that was an option he was thinking more about now. At this point why not? He was already a criminal technically. Oh, he got it. When her parents came to pick her up, he'd slash their tires, assassinate her family, then get Aunt Peach to pull up in her own car to escort Weiss with him in tow. Perfect. Except Weiss would probably be too busy mourning her dead parents to be answering his questions. Very much not perfect.

Or he could just apologize.

Jaune thought he was good at admitting his shortcomings. But that kind of self-inflation was probably a shortcoming on its own. He'd overstepped back in the cafeteria and promptly had Yang shove his own foot in his mouth. Had he not considered the emotional baggage he was dredging up? Did he really expect to just get answers right out the gate? It was hard to feel angry about it when he stopped to think.

Something hit his foot. The ball.

"Over here, Arc!"

Cardin and his teammates were holding an advantageous position near the net. Cardin by the right, blocked off by a bigger guy. Nameless teammate one on the other side sequestered between two, and the third gesturing to the ball from the closest position. No reason to help, no reason to be cooperative. Why not flourish what rebellion he could?

But that didn't mean he shouldn't show them any respect. Even Cardin. At least this time.

Jaune faked a toss to his Cardin, then quickly flung it at his closest teammate. He got the ball, his guard having run off to get the ball that hadn't been thrown. Jaune watched them work through the rest of their opponents, eventually getting the ball to Cardin. The ball swished through the net and the buzzer couldn't have gone off more perfectly. Score clocking in at eight to seven.

"Fuck yes!" Cardin said, celebrating with their team. Really was a testament to the other teams' lack of skill if Jaune hadn't contributed at all most of the time and they still lost. But no point in raining on his own team's parade.

Would you believe it? Cardin approached him. Wearing the most neutral looking scowl Jaune had ever seen. He was actually impressed. Give this guy a medal. "I still don't fucking like you, Arc." He jabbed Jaune's chest with a finger. "Next time be a part of the whole thing. You're only dragging us down."

"Well, I still don't like you," Jaune growled. Then felt his unsatisfied anger melt away. "But sorry. I'll do better next time."

Cardin didn't say more than that, just walked off, and Jaune went back to staring at his feet in thought. If he could apologize to Cardin of all people, then surely Weiss deserved one. It cost nothing to be kind to someone.

Fine, he'd wait til the weekend was over. Then approach Weiss the right way and apologize then.

Once class was dismissed, Jaune went back to his locker to change. He checked his phone to find that he had new messages. Mystery talking about something. Aunt Peach asking about dinner. Saphron having called him. A text from… an unknown.

"If you want to talk about Neptune, meet me in the auditorium after class. And do not save my number. - W

Jaune's heart jumped. Weiss? He didn't know anyone else with a name that started with a W. Had the stars aligned? Had the Brothers finally decided to give him an olive branch?

Jaune nearly kissed his phone. Thank you, Gods. Fucking thank you.

~A Game of Hearts~

"Huh. You actually showed up."

Not sure what she meant by that, but Jaune figured he shouldn't mention that he'd rushed here as soon as he'd gotten out of class.

It was dark in the auditorium. Most of the lights from above couldn't even be seen now that most of the seating rows had sunken into black. Only the stage was lit, a single beacon of yellow striking out against the world and dripping off edges. Giant curtains hung parted, and the only sound besides his muted footsteps on the carpet was the rickety air conditioner in the high corner. Almost made the place seem secular from the school, a different world in a way. And with Weiss standing there in the stage-light, Jaune had to wonder if this wasn't all some elaborate play they were putting on. Crowd at the ready. Two seasoned actors carrying the show on their shoulders.

"Why wouldn't I show up?" Jaune asked as he met her up there, took an active choice in staying reasonably distant.

"I had to make sure you were serious," Weiss looked him up and down. "At least now I know you actually meant what you said. Yang, you can go."

A thumbs up popped out from behind the curtain, then back out as if it had never been there. Jaune looked at her questioningly.

"I get asked to speak in private often. Usually, it's asking for a date. Some take no easily, others don't, but the truly memorable get handsy."

"Handsy?" Jaune questioned. Then it clicked. "Oh…"

Weiss didn't even sound bothered by it, like it happened often enough that she grew numb. In fact, that's what her entire expression gave off—a cold sculpture of impervious dismissal. He could see why Neptune liked in her, at least on her surface level. Her uniform was perfect, not a single unnatural wrinkle in sight. Well-trimmed eyelashes. Pimple-less pale skin. The light put a glint to her ice-blue eyes, a tint to her pink lips. And Jaune thought Neptune tried too hard to make himself look good. Weiss looked like she made money from it. And the lien was rolling in if the firm and confident posture she maintained was any indication.

She folded her arms across her chest. "I'm sure you'll understand why I had to be careful. You certainly aren't the first one to use my past relationship to try to get to me. Well, technically that's what you are doing, but perhaps not for the same reasons."

"Thanks for not thinking the worst of me."

"And if you still came even after Yang threatened you, then you're serious. Most people leave me alone after she speaks to them," Call him crazy, but Jaune had a feeling that the speaking Yang did was a lot less chit-and-chat and more crack-and-smack. "I don't know whether that makes you brave or crazy."

After the past few weeks of being a Hunter, Jaune had to think that courage and madness weren't mutually exclusive. He needn't look any further than his aunt.

It was quiet for a moment, Jaune shuffling his feet, but Weiss's eyes were still on him, waiting in quiet consternation. Nothing to it but to do it. "How did you get my number?"

"I checked Sun's phone when he wasn't looking."

For a prim and proper girl, she could be sneaky. He'd have criticized her on that, but realized he of all people had little ground to stand on there. "I'm sorry, for how rude I was before. I was a dickhead."

She stared at him for a moment, then nodded. "You were. But it's in the past. I prefer not to linger. Ask your questions."

"Oh uh, alright…" Jaune hadn't thought of where exactly to start. Guess he was winging it. "How'd you guys meet?"

Weiss started to pace, glazing up at the lights as if she could see the past beyond them. "I moved here from Atlas sophomore year—I guess you could say I'm a lot like you. I met Neptune some time after. We were classmates. We talked and… the rest is uneventful. I'm certain you won't care much for details."

"Wasn't just a fling then?"

Weiss smiled a little bit. "It was on his end, at first. Neptune was, I suppose I should say, popular. I've dealt with more than enough of his type. I could tell I was just another conquest to him at the time."

Jaune quirked an eyebrow. "Why entertain him, then?"

Weiss looked away from the lights. Reverted back to the present. "It hardly matters why now. I went out with him a few times and… I enjoyed it. I like to think he started to like me, too. We were together all the way up to the end of summer break."

Finally, answers. "Why'd you break up with him, then? What'd he do?"

Weiss chuckled, arms unfolding and slapping against her sides. "He's the one that broke up with me."

Jaune's jaw nearly fell open. "What?"

"The swim team was preparing for the national qualifiers. It was taking place uptown, and it was a bigger event than even I expected. Apparently, it's been a while since Beacon's swim team made it anywhere past state." Weiss was grinning again, like the memory put butterflies in her stomach. "They called Neptune the Emperor of the Sea. I used to think it was silly, until I went to his competitions. You'd think he was born for the water. He had real, unquestionable talent. I think everyone was sure he'd win the qualifiers, considering his track record. I was sure he'd win," Weiss thumbed the lid of her eye. A part where the skin shifted unnaturally. Make-up, maybe? "But on the day of the competition… some things happened. Things he knew about and I begged him to come to see me. And, he did."

So it wasn't an accident or something out of his control that caused Neptune to be late. He chose to abandon them. Their best swimmer, their ace, their winning ticket, their golden boy, had chosen to go off with his girlfriend on the most important day for the team? It'd be more of a shock if they weren't pissed about it. The angry girl's vitriol towards Weiss didn't seem so strictly personal now. Or unjustified.

"Without all their team members, Neptune's team was disqualified. You can imagine the disappointment, not just from the team before from the audience, the sponsors, and potential scouts. It can be a burden carrying that on your shoulders. Too much of a burden."

Sounded a lot like she was speaking from personal experience, but Jaune chose not to pry. "So there wasn't a problem in your relationship? Why the break up then?"

"Because his father told him to," Weiss said. "Do you know the situation with Neptune's mother?"

Jaune shook his head. Best to play like he didn't know much so she didn't get suspicious.

"Neptune's father filed against his wife under accusations of adultery. Accusations that were proven true when a private investigator provided proof in court. His father took everything, his mother was forced to leave with nothing. She lives back in her hometown now. I think they still have joint custody, but naturally, since his father is the primary caregiver, Neptune's mother can't come to see him without his father's permission."

Jaune's fingers curled. It was so unnecessarily cruel, especially to a kid. Deprive him of his mother? There was no excuse for that. No reason, no justification. Jaune wished he could say something, anything to that, but could only close his eyes, and let out a breath so his heart steadied.

"His father's contempt was not spared from me, either." Weiss continued, "I couldn't stay in a room alone with him because, well, you heard the way he spoke to his own son. I can promise he had even less mercy on me. Sometimes, I thought about breaking things off. Just to spare myself his toxic scrutiny," Weiss's eyes sharpened. "But I wanted to prove his father wrong. I wanted to prove that I wasn't the harlot he accused me of being. Looking back, it was a pointless venture. You can't change the mind of someone who has already made theirs up," Her eyes softened then, and Jaune felt something soften inside his chest. "But I..."

She liked Neptune too much to give up—how saccharine. Normally, Jaune would roll his eyes at something like that, but he could see how much she meant it. And the way Neptune talked about her in his journal certainly reflected that.

"He broke up with me soon after the qualifiers. He said he doesn't blame me, but he had to know I didn't believe him," Weiss let out a weak grin and there was a moistness in her eyes. "People weren't wrong when they said its my fault everything was ruined. I wouldn't be surprised if Neptune hated me for it."

"I don't think he does." Yet it was entirely possible, wasn't it? It was a gray area really. Neptune had a responsibility to Weiss and the team. The smartest thing would have been to take care of the competition, then go to see Weiss most likely. But then, he had to have a good reason for making the choice he had at the time. But if Weiss hadn't told him already, he doubted she would.

"Then let me ask you a question, why do you want to know? Did he mention me?"

"It was more of a lucky guess. Sorry," Jaune hoped she didn't notice that he completely dodged the first question. "You never tried talking to him again? Getting back together?"

"I did. Maybe more times than I should have," Weiss admitted, coming to sit on the edge of the stage a fair distance away. "But he made his choice. I decided to respect it. Even if I knew the reasons behind it were idiotic, it was still his decision. We must all take responsibility in the end."

"That's really wise." It wasn't fair on Weiss or Neptune, but it only made it all that much worse. The whole situation was a chain of heartbreak and no party got out of it unwounded.

For a while, they sat in silence together, until Weiss spoke up. "You didn't answer my first question."

Son of a bitch. "He was nice to me. I want to return the favor."

"You haven't known him long. You don't strike me as the type to make friends easily."

Why did everyone always have to use that damn word? He didn't have, nor need, any friends. Neptune was a good guy in need of help. That was all it was and all it would ever be. "I just don't like being in people's debt."

Weiss shook her head with a knowing smile. "I used to say something similar."

Sounded like he might like that Weiss a bit more. "What changed?"

"I tried being honest with myself."

Her words were a knife twisting in his chest. Something about it struck a nerve so deep that Jaune's eyes moistened a bit. He didn't like the way she looked at him, like some sage who saw the student lying to himself, saw the truth buried deep inside. This was why you kept your armor up. Protect your insides, cut off your weaknesses, cage the heart. Life was easy that way. Lonely. But easy.

But wasn't he just chock full of hypocrisy? Why was Mister Caged Heart running around like a headless chicken, doing things he never would have done all of the happiness of some guy he barely knew? He didn't like the potential answers, and even less did he like what they might imply. "And how did that work out for you?"

"Well, I have a friend who will beat people up to protect me," Weiss said, then she shrugged. "Since, you know, I can't fight my way out of a paper bag."

Jaune palmed his forehead. "I'm not gonna hear the end of that, am I?"

"Probably not."

Lovely, just pile on the humor universe. Just pile it more and more. Jaune soaked up the emptiness of the auditorium. In a way, it felt like he belonged there. It was a lot like his room in a way. Looking at Weiss, he wondered if she saw it that way too? Those wise words had to come from something real. Something palpably personal. He wanted to know and he didn't at the same time.

A sniffle.

Jaune was glad he didn't look her way. The way her voice cracked, the subtle tremble, it was all too familiar. And he was caught between wanting to run away and spare himself the sympathy or stay because he was too much of a bleeding heart to leave someone alone.

"But Neptune won't let me help him. And I don't know what I could do even if he did let me. He's trapped. And all any of us can do is sit by and watch as his father destroys him." Her voice cracked. "There's nothing I or anyone can do now."

"That's what we tell ourselves," Peach's words, ringing harder than he thought they would. "When really, all we need is a little thing called courage."

Jaune kicked off the stage and shoved his hands in his pockets. "You're wrong, you know."

"What?"

Jaune looked back at her, at her tear-stricken face. "I said you're wrong. Do you want my help?"

"I don't understand…"

"I didn't ask you that. I asked if you want my help."

She held his gaze for a moment, and Jaune refused to let himself wilt away. He wanted her to know that he was serious. That he would do something about it.

"Y-yes."

Then there was nothing more to be said. He heard Weiss get to her feet as he walked off. "Wait, what are you going to do? Jaune!"

The auditorium doors closed behind Jaune before Weiss could say anything more. It certainly took some time getting here, but everything was lining up. There was only one last person to talk to.

All roads led back to Neptune.

It's interesting writing a Weiss that has already learned the value of friendship and teaching that to Jaune as opposed to other people teaching her. If indirectly. But it's another reason why I like this fic, it switches up the character dynamics in many ways that are refreshing.

You can only retell the same character arc so many times before it gets stale—so I really enjoy fics that try something new and try to explore characters in different ways.

Even though Jaune here is much more in his emotions and is clearly rougher around the edges. But I'm glad I chose to tackle him from a different angle for this fic or he'd get boring very quickly.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this and see you in the next one.