Author's Notes
BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP!
Could it be? Is it so? It...It is! The new story alarm is going off! Say hello to 'Can I Make it to Summer?'
When Raven Branwen's (now ex-) husband runs off, leaving her alone with a blonde bundle of joy named Yang, she has no idea how a former bandit with no child-raising skills like her is supposed to last on her lonesome. Winter's icy embrace is on the horizon, and without any money or a job, tragedy might follow. With no other option, Raven calls Summer Rose, the leader of the team she quit nearly a year ago, for help in sorting out her troubled life and very troubled family. But she soon finds that there's a lot more she needs to learn from Summer than how to fold blankets or change diapers if she doesn't want her little household to come apart before the year's end.
Together once more, the women of Team Stark must work through their own guilt from the break-up of their team, mutual uncertainty towards who has the rights of motherhood over Yang, and the developing emotions they feel towards one another, all while nurturing a child so young she hasn't even seen her own first birthday.
A fic for the normies, now posting! Be sure to check it out, Rat's Nest.
Happy rats, and don't do crime!
Chapter 36 – Toxic
Jaune struggles to patch up the wounds that infighting has left on the team without overstepping his own boundaries.
The pride Jaune was feeling at keeping the team together during what could have been their darkest hour was tempered only by his own fears that he hadn't yet pulled them out of the worst of it. Blake was walking separately from the group with her head down and her eyes glowing of bloody murder. Even though Jaune had ordered her to keep her distance from Velvet (or at least ordered them not to be together), he couldn't help but worry about how far she was from them.
She's doing what I asked. It doesn't mean anything bad.
The distance between them was rather large, and Jaune couldn't help but see it as some sort of omen.
Even though she walked with the main group, Velvet also opted to be silent, so it was up to Jaune to keep up appearances with Team River. They clearly knew something was off, as some of Velvet and Blake's more intense insults and accusations had been loud enough for them to hear, but they were polite enough to buy Jaune's BS about Blake having gotten her period and calling Velvet fat, hence the tension. It was sort of believable, as Velvet was beginning to grow in size as her stomach and the baby inside took shape, but everyone knew that an insult like that wouldn't lead to such vitriol and clashing between two girls who'd been thick as thieves just hours before.
"I think I get it now," Ruby said. "A-About the people in the bunker thing. I wish we could have helped them, but it was fifteen years ago when they needed it. There's nothing we could to do go back in time and pull them out of their bunker when Mountain Glenn fell no more than there is anything we can do to stop the people in that colony from having died. Even if we took them out of the safehouse now, it wouldn't really be fixing the heart of the issue."
"That's all true, but I see it as something simpler," Jaune said. "The leader, Marnie, knew her own people better than we ever could, and she's more suited to gauge how they'd take that knowledge. We don't have the right to undermine her leadership, not when she's the one who's kept them alive for all those years."
"I'm inclined to agree with Mr. Arc," said Ren. "There could be unforeseen consequences to removing an isolated population from a confined space of containment and relocating them to a city center. Their immune systems have most likely been unused for their entire time in their bunker; exposure to the outside world could kill them."
Jaune hadn't even thought of that.
"It may not have been a happy ending for our first mission, but I think we all learned something," Yang said, putting her arm over her sister's shoulder.
Jaune looked over at Velvet, half expecting her to comment on the use of the phrase 'happy ending' by Yang, but she didn't acknowledge it whatsoever.
Dang. She really is torn up about this thing with Blake.
It seemed like every ten seconds, there was some argument between the two. Blake didn't want to hire her at first, then she was apologizing for slut-shaming Velvet, and now it culminated in this. Weren't they supposed to be unified over their shared struggles as the ethnic minority on Remnant…or…or something? Shouldn't Jaune be the odd one out more often than not, as the human and the man and the actual fake huntsman?
Please don't let this become a regular thing.
"Is…are you guys okay?" Ruby asked Jaune tentatively, and he realized that he'd also been silent for a while, just as Velvet had.
"It's fine, but I appreciate your concern." Jaune looked over at Blake, who was a mirror image of Velvet – sullen, arms at her sides, trudging along without any emotion on her face aside from brief flickers of negativity. "We're hopefully through the worst of it now."
"I can put you into contact with counselor for huntsmen," said the professor, watching Team Job with concern. "Their focus is mission-related PTSD, but –"
"I don't think that's necessary," Jaune said. "Again, thank you for your concern, but we're quite alright."
The lie was one of the most blatant Jaune had ever provided, but he doubted they could afford counseling even with their recent upturn in fortunes. Plus, Jaune was rather hoping that he could handle this.
I'm supposed to be Team Job's moral support/mascot. Mending the wounds between Blake and Velvet falls under my purview. We all have our roles within the team; Velvet's the muscle, Blake's the management, and I'm…I'm…
I'm making this about myself, aren't I?
But to some extent, it was about him. Maybe not focused on him, but about him as the third member of Team Job, and the only one without a stake in the horse.
"I'm going to go walk with Blake for a little bit," Jaune said. "Just to keep her company."
Velvet looked up at him but said nothing. Jaune gave her and Team River a small nod and departed from their group.
It had been a lack of reason not to that compelled him to walk with Velvet at first. She'd stayed with Team River, and he'd just sort of tagged along. Blake herself had chosen to wander off and scream for a while (that had been fun to pretend to not hear), and when she'd returned, she'd kept apart, so he'd mostly just let her be, but he now realized that doing so might have been making Blake feel even more isolated.
They'd completed just over half the walk back to Jkonna, so Jaune decided he would travel the rest with his original partner and teammate. Moseying over to her, he caught up to her stride and walked alongside her.
Blake raised an eyebrow. "Something wrong?"
"Nope." Jaune didn't elaborate further.
He hadn't engaged Velvet, so he didn't engage Blake either. Even without looking her way, he knew she was watching them, but all she would see was Jaune walking with a fellow member of Team Job in silence, just as he had for her.
They're both my partners. I have a duty to look after Blake and Velvet, without favoritism or preference. That's my role within the team.
"It's been fun running with you guys," Velvet said to Team River as they prepared to part ways. With the mission marked as complete and payment having been placed before they'd even started, there was nothing to keep them in Jkonna, and it was time to roll out.
Blake nodded from behind Jaune on the other side. "Nice seeing you, Ruby."
The dissidents of Team Job, for the sake of bidding Team River farewell, had reached some unspoken truce to not acknowledge one another until they were parted and going their separate ways.
"Working with you guys was a blast," Jaune said, shaking Ruby's hand as the delegated leader of Team Job. "I don't know how often we'll see each other again, but I wouldn't mind teaming up with you lot anytime."
"Perhaps we shall, as Velvet requested my scroll number for 'smashing with the boys.'" Ren reached forward and handed her a slip of paper. "Here you are. I look forward to numerous fruitful collaborative efforts in Grimm destruction and eradication."
Velvet took it and slid it right into her pocket. "I'll look forward to it."
"Think about that internship thing, won't you?" Ruby asked before they left. "Summer breaks can be really long and really boring."
"We'll consider it," Jaune promised, waving as the five Beaconites went back to the village.
The goodbyes had been held at the Job Hunter, so Jaune didn't have to lead his team very far in order to get them some shelter from the darkness. Sliding the door closed and flipping on the interior lighting of the airship, Jaune let out a sigh.
They were finally alone, and it was probably midnight by this point. Jaune wasn't particularly tired in a physical sense, having only had to handle a scant few Sulfur Fish by himself (the horde was large, but he'd probably only had to chop up less than a hundred of them). However, the mental tax of fearing a repeat of Team LTUC, several probing questions from Ruby and her friends, the blake-up break-up, and the ethics of their actual mission was starting to get to him, especially since everything had gone down on the same day.
"We'll talk it out before we fly home." Jaune said, sinking down into one of the seats in the passenger hold.
Velvet sniffled. "Who made you the –"
"Blake did, when she founded this team."
Jaune really didn't have the energy to handle having to stave off anger directed his own way. He had a feeling that mediating the argument between the girls would be difficult enough as it was without some second or third dynamic thrown into the mix.
"Let's make sure we're all 100% on the same page before we hash anything out," Jaune insisted. "Velvet, you said you wanted to go back to your old team, Team Coffee, but you only meant that you wanted to meet them and reconnect as friends, not rejoin them as a huntress. Right?"
Velvet nodded, opening her mouth to speak.
"And Blake," Jaune said swiftly. "You thought she meant that she wanted to eventually leave Team Job and 'go back' to Team Coffee, which was why you got mad."
"Exactly. If she'd –"
"Okay." Jaune held up his hands. "So we're all clear on what we actually meant, right? No more second meaning behind odd, awkward phrasing?"
"I can't believe you, Blake," Velvet said, ignoring Jaune altogether (much like he'd done just moments ago). "After everything we'd been through, you'd be that quick to turn on me?"
"You were the one who brought it up! It's on you if you didn't make it clear. I mean, saying you wanted to 'go back to your old team' is pretty damning if you ask me."
"I didn't say that…those exact words!"
Blake rolled her eyes. "Well excuuuuse me for not writing it down. I was more busy with the fact that you were needlessly poking and prodding me in some attempt to get me to say I hate Beacon."
"Yeah, well, the second you were inconvenienced, you didn't hesitate to slander all of Beacon!"
It was enough to give Jaune an aching migraine. He had been right to separate them, as this would have been hundreds of times worse if they'd started up straight after the bunker, but this was still pretty harsh.
They don't even have anything to be angry about. Neither wants to back down, and they're trying to justify their feelings from before even though they know they're both wrong.
"Can I say something?" Jaune asked.
"No!" both girls shouted to him at the same time.
Jaune didn't know why he even bothered asking.
"Okay, Blake. We'll have you go first. If Velvet had clarified that she just wanted to meet up with her friends, would you have snapped at her?"
"No! Of course not!"
"And if she phrased her intentions better and you did still snap at her, do you think she would be justified in being as mad at you as she was today?"
"I…what?"
"Velvet," Jaune began, moving right on. "If you'd informed Blake that you wanted to quit Team Job and –"
"But I don't!"
"But hypothetically, if you did, do you think it would be okay for her to be a little miffed about that? Rather, a lot miffed? As miffed as she was?"
Velvet's eyebrows sloped dangerously. "Where are you going with this?"
"You're both so mad about how the other quickly turned on you, but I ask you this: do you really think that some anger wasn't warranted her, if it hadn't been a misunderstanding? Blake, you would be right to be mad at someone who told you they were quitting the team if you'd bent over backwards to open up a spot for them on it. Velvet, no one has the right to tell you who you can or can't be friends with if it doesn't impede your job. Do both of you agree with that?"
Blake frowned. "I…"
"Blake, can you honestly say that Velvet's reaction would have been inappropriate if you'd insisted she could never ever see her team again?" Jaune asked. "Can you?"
Begrudgingly, she shook her head.
"And the same for Velvet, hypothetically. Blake thought you were going running back to Team Coffee and leaving us in the rear view mirror, after we'd written up a contract for you, bought a multi-person airship, and reworked our rates to accommodate your presence. And from what I understand, she didn't try to expel you from the team. With the limited knowledge she had, was that an unprofessional response?"
He got the same response from Velvet as he did from Blake; she agreed with him, but it was only just barely willing.
"I think you guys are so upset because you were the recipient of each other's anger, and you feel like the other person was unfair to you, but you have to remember, they weren't actually upset with you. They were upset with an imperfect mental image of you that had screwed them over. No one really hurt anyone, and I don't think either of you meant what you said about the other when you were besides yourselves."
"She called me a wanker! An alley cat!"
"She doesn't think I'm loyal! Her first instinct was to assume I wasn't committed!"
"Alright, alright." Jaune struggled to keep his calm as he began to feel more and more like a relationship counselor between squabbling toddlers. "You don't have to say anything, but I want both of you to think about the insults you said in the heat of the moment. Did you actually mean that about the other person? Do you actually think that of them?" Jaune paused for a second to let it sink in. "Probably not. Now, if you don't actually believe what you said, what are the chances that the other person was also not speaking from the heart?"
Blake glared straight at Velvet. "I'm not gonna just let this go."
"WHY?" Jaune shouted. "Why can't you let it go, Blake? And you, too, Velvet! It was all a misunderstanding, and there's literally no reason to quarrel other than quarrelling for the sake of it. Alright, tell me. Tell me why you're angry, and I'll…I'll…but I bet you can't. I bet neither of you can think of an actual reason to be cross without taking at least ten seconds to come up with it."
Jaune waited for them to speak, counting in his head to ten as he did.
Is this some huntress' pride thing? Or is it just two stubborn girls who are too afraid that backing down could mean they're wrong here? I swear to the Brothers, we never had anyone this obstinate back in Ansel. My sisters could be annoying, but they knew when to let it go.
Blake was clearly still in a foul temper about this whole thing, and Velvet had crossed her arms and was staring out one of the airship windows, refusing to even look at the others. If they were hellbent on not making up with one another, Jaune wasn't really sure what more he could do. Perhaps a good night's rest after a stressful day might improve everyone's spirits, but Jaune didn't exactly trust Velvet to fly at the moment.
Too much temptation to crash the plane. It'd kill us all, but 'us all' includes Blake, and I think that's enough for her.
This was probably the worst time and place to do this. Well, mid-mission had been pretty cruddy, but maybe here in a cramped airship in the dead of night earned a close second. If things continued to deteriorate between the team, they might have to camp out on the border for the night.
Groaning, Jaune rubbed at his eyelids, which were starting to droop. "Look, can we just –"
"I'm sorry."
That got his attention. Jaune looked up at Velvet, but she was still averting her eyes and glowering like they'd shot her pet dog.
Okay. It's not great, but it's progress.
It was tempting to say something and hopefully prompt Blake to reciprocate, but Jaune knew that now wasn't his moment. If he got in between them, it would only muck things up; Blake needed to be the one to take the next step herself.
And take the next step she did. "Apology accepted. And I'm sorry too."
Alright. Alright, that's that. Probably not perfect, and things might get frosty for the next few days, but I think it's onwards and upwards from here. And on that note…
"Velvet, I think now might be a good time for me to test out that provisional license of mine," Jaune offered. "I'll need you in the copilot's seat, but I don't think you're in any condition to be at the helm right now."
To be honest, neither was he given how long it had been since he'd last eaten or slept, but emotions and high-altitude, Gravity Dust-powered airship didn't mix all that well.
"I'll just stay back here," Blake said. Jaune wasn't sure if she was trying to guilt trip them by implying she'd be lonely, but he doubted it. Right now, she probably wanted a little solitude.
None of the three said anything more as Jaune and Velvet climbed into the cockpit and latched the door shut behind them. From a legal standpoint, he wasn't exactly supposed to be piloting himself, but from a practical standpoint, Jaune wanted to live to see tomorrow. Velvet was still barely responsive, probably consumed by complicated emotions about Blake and her apparent betrayal.
Was it a betrayal, though? I've done my best to get the two of them back on good terms, but I really didn't even think about the possibility of one of them leaving the team. Is quitting Team Job some ultimate knife-to-the-back, or is it something we just…get to do?
Velvet had a contract that stated how she got to quit, but Blake had no such paperwork. If she wanted to leave, all she needed to do was collect her final paycheck and walk.
Now's not the time to worry about such things, Jaune thought as he powered on the airship and lifted it off the ground. I don't want to distract myself and render both of our pilots emotionally compromised.
"Did you power on the compressors?" Velvet asked Jaune as they rose up.
"Yup."
"What about the stabilization systems? Are they online?"
"Uh-huh. As are the engines, the air intake manifolds, the emergency backups…everything."
Velvet's brow scrunched up. "This is your first time flying?"
Jaune nodded. "Outside of the simulator. The course I took went over the pre-takeoff checklist, and I've got a good memory."
Velvet snorted. "I'll say."
Jaune was utterly mortified the next morning when he found himself fumbling with the keys to Team Job Security's office as a potential client patiently waited next to him.
"I'm so sorry, sir, one of our missions ran into the night…a hive of Sulfur Fish, it just so happened to be, which are easily dealt with but take so long due to their excessive numbers –"
"No need to rush, young sir." The gentleman who'd been waiting there when Jaune arrived just smiled and followed in after Jaune. "I've got all day; I shall not skirr."
It was difficult to balance an appearance of contrition without making it sound like they'd run late on a mission due to ineptitude. The truth was even more embarrassing; he'd slept in after the late night, as Team Job had only gotten back to Vale at 2am, meaning they were in their beds by 3am. Jaune had thought it safe to come into work a little bit late, still not having gotten over his little moment of self-realization where he'd come to terms with his own self-employment after buying the airship. He'd been sure that no client would be there at 11am in the morning, but fate had made him the fool.
Blake was still at their apartment, and Velvet had texted saying she would join them after lunch. It was unfortunate that both of them would miss their first in-person client, but such was life. Jaune was the spokesperson, so his presence at the office was the only truly necessary one.
Speaking of in-person clientele, that means he's a Valean or that he traveled to Vale. That negates far-flung villages needing dire aid. He doesn't seem to be in a rush. I wonder what he even wants?
It wasn't beyond the realm of belief to think that someone might be hiring Team Job as a regular security guard, unaware of their hunter-level competency. Their prices were significantly higher than the average private security group, and they clearly advertised themselves as Grimm-wranglers by proudly flashing customer reviews on the front of page of the website, but it wasn't impossible.
"Come in, come in." Jaune ushered the dude into their front office and took a seat behind his desk. "Once again, I'm so sorry for an inconvenience."
The client was a young Faunus, probably not much older than Saphron if Jaune had to guess. He was clad in one of the nicest looking suits Jaune had ever seen, without a spot, wrinkle, or crease to be seen. "I assure you that it's no concern, for I've simply got time to burn."
Okay. So this guy liked rhymes?
A lot, apparently, since he spoke with them exclusively. Jaune mentally took note of that little quirk and moved on, not keen on seeming emptyheaded in front of a man who intended to hire them.
"Now, how may I help you, Mr….?"
The Faunus smiled pleasantly. "Tyrian Callows – no mister, doctor, or esquire. And it's you, Team Job, I seek to hire."
Coming Soon: The Stealer of the Rye
The master of disaster, Tyrian Callows, does the unthinkable, forcing Team Job into action.
Author's Notes
One story ends, and a new one opens up. Who knows what Tyrian could need from Team Job? Other than me, I mean.
Jaune might not be the best fighter, but he's definitely valuable to the team. People skills like his don't just come along every seasonal Beacon mass-flunking.
Happy rats, and don't do crime!