Reincarnation Sucks... Sometimes
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot. Jaune x Harem (fem!Ozpin/Ozma, good!Salem, etc.) M for a reason
This has been crossposted onto AO3 under the same pen name and title. Feel free to check it over there because that site is honestly better than this one at the moment.
OBLIGATORY: Subjects/fetishes written in this fic do not reflect my personal feelings about them in real life. Fiction is a whole different story.
RS...S
I cringed internally and tried not to show it as I came face-to-face with the person I thought I was least likely to encounter. Turning the rest of the way to face Weiss, I tried to organize my storm of thoughts.
'Okay, Jaune, you are face-to-face with a girl who seems angry—no, surprised to see you here. Weiss Schnee, a girl I... can barely remember. Got to go on autopilot here and improvise.'
"Hey there, Ice Queen, fancy meeting you here. Come around often?"
Autopilot, why have you forsaken me so? In the name of all things precious and held dear, why are the first words out of my mouth a pickup line?
A confident, if slightly awkward, smile fell into place naturally, as if this was something that had happened many times before. Unconsciously, I stepped backward, muscles relaxing as I fell into a loose stance as if I was ready to dodge or run away.
Weiss' mouth gaped open as she blue-screened. Using this opportunity, I analyzed what exactly I was confronted with.
The Schnee heiress was in a pale blue dress that reached down to creamy thighs, a similarly colored bolero covering her arms contrasting with its red highlighting. Elegant, snowy hair hung behind her in an off-center ponytail, and white, heeled boots lined in red covered her legs. A white sash tied around her waist in an elegant knot finished the look.
Aristocratic features twisted into a rather amusing face as the heiress spluttered.
'Can't believe I forgot a girl this beautiful...'
Weiss overcame her shock seconds later, her face scrunching up in anger and embarrassment. Red shot up through her neck and into her ears, tinting them with blush as she organized her thoughts.
"I-I thought you had grown out of those childish fantasies, Arc. I didn't come here to be-"
I felt myself being whisked away into the recesses of my mind, memories of myself failing to woo the heiress and being berated in a seemingly endless loop. It was comforting and familiar in the incredible situation I had found myself in.
"-over this, but it wouldn't work out, and- are you even listening?"
Crap, I spaced out too long. What was she saying again?
The blush faded away from her face completely, replaced with an icy mask of indifference. Weiss stepped back and composed herself.
"I apologize for my lack of composure, Arc. I was surprised by your presence in such a place of knowledge despite your past rebukes of all forms of education."
The sharp words crashed against me... and had no effect. Had I been the Jaune of the past, I might have flinched or awkwardly tried to justify my current activity, but as I am now, her words held no sway over my current psyche. At the moment, all I know of Weiss Schnee is that we know each other in some form, more than likely through our parents.
If my memories are anything to go by, the Arc line is still a rather famous name in the right circles. Popularized and known as some of the first people of the new era of humanity who started to use aura to combat the Grimm. Jacques Schnee controls most of Remnant's main power and ammunition sources, fueling the endless war with the Grimm. Figuring out the resulting train of thought is pretty simple from there.
My smile became more genuine, and I forced myself out of the awkward fight-or-flight response. "People change, Ms. Schnee. I apologize for allowing previous habits to sully our coincidental reunion. Is there anything you need from me?"
A response fit for royalty, methinks. I couldn't leave her hanging too long or... well, I've no clue what she would do. Leave in a huff? Turn on her heel and ignore me? Use her semblance—actually, what was her semblance?
I shifted those thoughts aside and refocused on what I was thinking about previously. The most likely course of action was that Jacques Schnee and potentially my parents attempted to push us together in some form of union between a powerful line of warriors and the biggest industry in the world to create a sort of power couple that could reshape the world with their power and influence.
Reaching? No...
Weiss' cold mask slipped, just a little. "O-Oh. I see. Well, I guess it reflects poorly on me not to realize that change is possible for even the most bullheaded people. I too apologize for my previous remark. And yes, I intended to ask for directions to the exhibit that housed Curio, the Warrior Queen of Vale's Dustcaster. Have you passed it by chance?"
I deflated internally, realizing that neither of us knew where the object of our fascination was. Externally, I shook my head with a wry smile.
"I regret to say that I find myself rather displaced in this museum. I too have been looking for Curio for some time now. I'd offer that we try and find it together, but I don't believe such advances would be appreciated. Unless...?"
By the brothers, was that another seduction attempt?
Despite the Schnee's indifferent mask, a burst of cherry shot up the heiress' neck, standing out against snowy skin.
"I... find that agreeable, Jaune. I can appreciate the company in the maze we find ourselves in."
Holy shit, was I actually making progress? Back to a first-name basis, and she agreed to come with me? I'm sure past me would be frothing at the mouth by now.
...maybe not; I don't think I was that much of a simp, right?
"Glad to hear it, Miss Schnee," I said with a polite smile. "Considering I came from down that hallway, is it safe to assume that you have also explored all potential avenues that way?" I waved toward an adjacent hallway stretching further into the museum.
Weiss seemed to relax, nodding absently at my deduction while looking at the connecting room that led to the next exhibit. "Yes, and please, Weiss is fine. It feels... odd to hear such formality from you," she said as we started to walk.
I shrugged in response. "If you say so, Weiss. Well, the only way to go is forward."
"..."
I'd say the silence was companionable, but it was not. It was, in fact, awkward for a good five minutes before either of us attempted to initiate small talk.
"If I may, what about the Dustcaster interests you, Weiss?"
Starting with a common interest point is always good.
The heiress's eyes lit up as she turned to me. "I believe you remember my weapon, Myrtenaster, correct?"
A phantom ache overcame me, disappearing not long after. A small surge of memories followed suit. A long, thin blade circled by runes drawing in dust and expelling elemental payload. The Schnee Glyphs semblance that Weiss inherited was in full effect as the white figure bounced off of black glyphs and icy platforms that appeared under her.
The image faded away and was replaced by an older woman, her hair done in a tight bun, longer bangs framing the left side of her face. In her hand was a longer, single-edged blade. The sharp curve glowed bright blue with dust, an aura of frost emanating from it as white glyphs formed around it. She took a stance, her feet coming together as she brought the blade up to bear, her other arm tucking itself against her lower back.
Her delicate, impassive face betrayed nothing, a glacial gaze directed forward. Without prompting, dozens of larger glyphs burst into light behind her, white figures of Grimm prowling forward to flank her.
I blinked, and the memories slotted into my subconscious.
Weiss' scroll came out quickly after, and a flurry of motion on the holographic screen pulled up an ornate rapier, a revolving chamber attached to the hilt. Each chamber was filled with a powdered dust round, the hammer on the back of the chamber indicating how the dust would be expelled.
"Yeah, it's your dust revolver/rapier combination, right?"
"The official term is a multi-action Dust Rapier, but you are correct. I've always used it with my semblance and wanted to see the first true Dustcaster to draw some form of inspiration. As much as I love Myrtenaster, I feel it won't ever be as effective as something that specializes in harnessing the power of dust the same way Curio does, much like my runes. I feel that I could just be more... effective is the word, I believe."
Weiss sighed in a way I was quite familiar with. Self-deprecation. Well, regardless of whatever terms we were on before meeting here today, I am determined not to see a pretty girl beat herself up over something like this.
"How have you been using Myrtenaster in combat? You're making it sound as if slinging around your glyphs and dust is the only thing you are capable of doing," I started. Seeing Weiss' frown deepen made me realize I was underplaying her skills, the last thing I should be doing right now. "Not to say you don't have the ability to do more, but you are disregarding years of swordplay in favor of your long-ranged capabilities. Why?"
The heiress mulled over my words as she put her scroll away.
Seeing her lack of response, I carried on. "From what I can remember, the glyphs you use to relocate and move around the battlefield are useful for closing the gap to use the business end of Myrtenaster's blade. And I know for a fact you aren't a slouch with it either. So I'm asking again, why do you want to get rid of that in favor of something like Curio?"
Weiss sighed, bringing a hand up to the bridge of her nose. I almost feel the tangible defeat and slight shame that rolled off of her. "I cannot dismiss the years I've devoted to fencing, and you are correct about being able to move about a given battlefield efficiently. It's just... I..." She slumped slightly, the perfectly upright posture she'd maintained disappearing.
We had slowed to a stop at this point, tangible frustration making itself known as she scowled at the ground. She took a deep breath as if she was psyching herself up to share some awful secret about herself. "I... don't have enough aura."
"..."
"..."
I tilted my head in confusion. Where's the rest of the explanation? That gives me nothing to work with.
"...Is that it?"
"Wha- Yes, you dolt!" She exploded. "If I don't have the necessary aura to maintain myself in close-quarters combat, why should I put myself and others at harm in the future? I'll be a burden if I receive so much as a reasonably strong blow I cannot block!"
Her chest heaved as she glared up at me, suddenly in my face.
"My reserves are pathetic, nothing like the people who are actually useful on the frontlines! When we were younger, you—yes, YOU! The gangly blonde buffoon who didn't know how to hold a blade, let alone swing one, humiliated me! In front of my family no less, simply by virtue of you having an aura as thick as your skull!"
She tore herself away, now pacing back and forth, hands balled angrily at her sides as she continued ranting, floodgates now wide open.
"I remember that day vividly; my FAMILY remembers that day vividly! I can't believe it sometimes, the heiress prodigy almost losing to a boy who'd been hotheaded enough to challenge her despite having NO TRAINING!" she screamed, once more whipping around to glare at me with a molten gaze. "And unlocked your aura literal WEEKS AGO, all you could do was put up a shoddy guard. All of it spectated, of course, by your parents and the rest of my family."
Weiss turned around, letting out a slightly manic laugh as her hands came up to the sides of her head, gripping her skull tightly.
"I spent that fight relentlessly chipping away at your damnable aura for twenty FUCKING minutes!" She stopped, turning away as if her usage of vulgar language surprised her. She shook it off quickly, turning back to me, her gaze devoid of any previous positive feeling. "Three lucky hits."
She was suddenly in my face again, and I took an involuntary step back as I frowned in discomfort and guilt despite having a vague idea of what she was referencing. It was probably best for her to vent all of this right now rather than have it continue to fester for years as it has been now.
"Three." She stepped closer, a harsh finger jamming itself in the middle of my chest.
"Lucky," another poke.
"Hits," she finished with one last aggressive jab.
Our eyes met, her face flushed and red, set in a sneering glare. She was panting from the tirade she'd just gone on, and she was now emotionally vulnerable. I've been in a similar situation as Aurelius with my wives, and I could tell where this was going.
"You swung that stupid little sword like a barbarian, hitting me thrice." She took a shuddering breath as wetness began to accumulate in her eyes. "And I... a-and I..."
She slowly backed, the righteous fire sputtering out, replaced with a sense of self-loathing and shame. She bowed her head, bangs shadowing her eyes. "I lost sixty-four percent of my aura." A solitary, silvery tear droplet fell to the floor. "The strength wasn't impressive; the blows themselves were nothing but below average and held back by a lack of technique, but by the end of what was a glorified beatdown, I-I was completely out of energy. I couldn't- I wasn't..."
She sniffed, her hand darting up to wipe away any evidence of tears. I figured it would be a terrible time to mention the slightly smeared eyeliner and mascara.
"I f-figured that I could work on it. E-Eventually eliminate that weakness, right?" She let out another shuddering breath, breath hitching as she muffled a sob. "I worked tirelessly on my stamina, on my strength, my body, anything and everything physical. I trained to not take those hits, to not be taken out of the fight by a strike that goes through my guard."
Weiss's hands shook, her knuckles white, as she resisted the urge to hit something, to lash out at the unfairness of it all now that the reason for her turmoil was in front of her.
"But spiritually?" she continued. "My aura reserves have gone nowhere. I've not developed as a person, my willpower has not strengthened, and my soul has not gotten stronger since then."
She let out an incredibly fake laugh, turning away from me, arms wrapping around herself in an unconscious sense of self-comfort. "To answer your question earlier, Jaune... I'm not confident in my abilities," she whispered, downtrodden and shamefaced. "Not anymore."
POV Shift
Jaune stared at Weiss, only barely able to keep himself slack-jawed. Weiss Schnee, heiress to the biggest company monopolized on Remnant, the girl who can (and quite literally did) kick his ass, had just trauma dumped onto him for something his completely fucking stupid self did in the past.
The Arc could only vaguely remember the fight, even now through a haze of blurry memories. As he mulled over how much of a tool he was, Weiss had only retreated further into herself as she saw the look of surprise on her companion's face.
"N-Nothing to say?" She sniffed, daintily wiping any traces of running makeup via a compact mirror. Putting it away, she turned forward, intent on continuing further into the museum. "I suppose you wouldn't. No reason to get caught up in-"
"Stop that."
The Schnee heiress stilled, her head turning over her shoulder to glare at Jaune.
"Stop what, Arc? Stop making you feel bad about the grief you've caused me? Stop reminding yourself of how your actions have consequences and that your inaction is what made you insufferable? Stop making you acknowledge how much of a stubborn ass you used to be?!"
Weiss panted as repressed fury surged forward once more. "Maybe you haven't changed. Maybe you are just as much the cowardly, pompous child that couldn't handle not-"
"Enough!"
A potent blast of channeled emotion and pure willpower infused into the command. Weiss's mouth clacked shut as her hostile posture crumbled.
She saw a look of righteous indignation flare across Jaune's face, his face twisting into loathing. Her icy blue eyes locked with his dark blue and widened as they shifted into a steely gold.
"I get it! Brothers above, I fucking get it, alright?!"
Weiss recoiled as his shout echoed through the empty hall. Jaune's emotions had quickly boiled to the top, a reminder that he was still just a teenager who had the memories of a king. While spiritually the same, he and Aurelius are different people shaped by different environments. As much as he draws on the King's positives, he still has drawbacks from being a shitty human being for years.
"I sucked! I was an awful person, but I'm working on it! But this!" He gesticulated wildly, vaguely referencing himself and Weiss. "Isn't helping! It might be cathartic to rag on me; in fact, go ahead! But I'm not going to sit here and let you underappreciate yourself."
Weiss blinked, the rising anger after recovering from the previous outburst dissipating.
"Underappreciate?"
"Yes! Do you get it? You're so caught up on undervaluing yourself from an event that took place years ago that you're stagnating. Aura is as much about mentality as it is physicality, and you haven't taken the necessary steps to get out of the shitty headspace you've been in since you beat me up, and you weren't perfect while doing so."
She stilled, the words slowly processing as Jaune stepped back, his hands rising up to massage the bridge of his nose.
"For what it's worth, I'm sorry for what I did in the past, but you need to realize that that is what is holding you back."
Weiss opened her mouth in an attempt to offer a rebuttal but was swiftly rebuked.
"No, stop that. You're going to try and tell me that you've left it in the past and that you've moved on, purposely ignoring the outburst minutes ago. That's not healthy! That's why you've plateaued."
The heiress's face dropped into a grimace. "How can I let it go?" she asked quietly.
"It's been one of my main driving forces in the years I spent training. To forgive and forget just like that just... isn't my nature."
Jaune blinked at the confession, realizing that this could easily evolve into an avenue of reconciliation.
"That sort of self-awareness is the first step, Weiss. I'm not asking you to forgive and forget. I'm telling you that you need to acknowledge you have been caught up on it for years. Don't be a huntress for the sake of proving that some past mistake or hiccup is something you can overcome. That can be a part of it, sure, but do it for yourself. Do it for other people, do it for something productive, and do it for the future. If your entire life revolves around something that happened in the past, you don't even have a future at that point."
The two descended into an awkward silence as they looked away.
The longer they stood there, the more Jaune began to feel like he'd just opened a door he couldn't close. He said his piece, and whether or not she would accept it was up to her. But he had to hope that this conversation, despite the emotional volatility, had planted the right kinds of ideas.
Weiss finally broke the silence as she let out a shaky breath. Her shoulders slumped, and she shut her eyes for a moment as she composed herself. She looked at Jaune, her eyes back to being guarded as she raised her emotional walls, though lacking the intensity previously.
"You're right," she said, voice quiet. "I've been so caught up in trying to prove that I'm... better than that. Would never embarrass myself like that again. But I don't think I ever gave myself the chance to move on from it. I just buried it."
Jaune nodded, the tension in his body easing slightly. "It's hard to move on from something like that. Especially when it's like a defining moment. But keeping it alive like this isn't good. You're not weak for having a past, Weiss. We all have one. It's what we choose to do with it that counts."
Weiss tilted her head, looking at him through a veil of guarded curiosity. "And what exactly did you choose to do with your past, Jaune?"
Unknown to the blonde, the Schnee heiress watched on in curiosity as the molten gold that had overtaken the Arc's irises melted away into their normal blue.
His lips twitched into a small, self-deprecating smile. "I had a change of perspective. To stop trying to hide behind the excuses I made for myself. In a way, I started facing things head-on. Even when I didn't know how. But that's what got me like this in the first place."
Her eyes narrowed slightly, studying him. Jaune could feel the weight of her scrutiny. But it wasn't the kind of look that demanded answers, nor the glare that had burned in her earlier. This was a genuine look of someone trying to understand.
"Sounds like you've had your own share of problems," Weiss murmured, voice still soft. "I... apologize for my earlier comments."
"No, you were owed that," Jaune replied with a dry chuckle.
She looked momentarily taken aback, then huffed a small laugh of her own. "If you say so."
For a brief, quiet moment, they both stood there, in a strange kind of equilibrium, where the past was acknowledged but not wielded like a weapon. Jaune had no illusions about the risks his earlier actions might have caused. He'd seen enough of her anger to know this wasn't something she would easily let go of, but for the first time, there was a tiny crack in the ice.
"I'm also sorry about bringing this up in such a difficult way," Jaune said, voice sincere. "I know it wasn't the right way to approach you. I just wanted to help, and even though everything sorta worked out, I don't want to-"
"Force me into anything or somehow make it worse?" Weiss finished for him, the words sounding unexpectedly gentle coming from her.
Jaune blinked. "Yeah... exactly."
She studied him for a moment, her eyes a bit softer than before. "I... I guess it's easy to forget people can change. And you have. I suppose I was too caught up in my own... issues to see that."
Jaune smiled slightly. "I mean, I'm still a work in progress. But I'm getting there."
A slight, reluctant smile curved at Weiss's lips. It wasn't much, but it was there, and that was something.
"You're right, Jaune," she said, her voice quieter now, almost like a sigh. "I... need to start putting my past behind."
He gave her a nod, feeling a strange sense of relief. "That's all anyone can do. But don't just bury it again. Learn from it."
Her gaze softened, the walls she'd built up seeming to crumble just a little. "Thank you."
The displaced royals continued down the hall at a brisk pace, mostly out of a want to put this day behind them. While Weiss wanted the sanctity and privacy of her own vacation home away from Atlas, Jaune just wanted to get back to his sisters to mollify them for wandering off and getting left behind.
Jaune glanced toward his acquaintance, who had become absorbed in the inaccuracies of the museum.
"I've come to notice the provided maps are not only outdated but inaccurate in terms of the actual layout of the museum. The floor plans don't match up, and almost every copy differs from the last..."
He glanced over her shoulder and took note of the bright red 'You Are Here!' that pointed toward a twisting hallway that looked as if it looped in on itself. His eyes roamed over the rest of the map and saw multiple other 'You Are Here!' circles that pointed toward different parts of the deceptively massive museum.
Weiss scowled in anger before quickly balling the map up and tossing it in a bin as they passed it.
"I feel we've been walking in circles. Any ideas?"
Jaune thought back to their earlier interaction before they had reconciled. He recalled that Weiss showed him Myrtenaster on a...
"How about your scroll? You could pull up the official and most updated map out of there."
The Schnee tilted her head in thought before palming her face, having realized she had wasted time messing with inaccurate maps.
"Yes, that would be the most logical thing to do."
The Arc scion watched, carefully hiding his fascination with the advanced technology. While the tech itself was commonplace at this time, such things were nonexistent during the first iteration of humanity. Despite owning one himself, however dead it may be at present, he was still highly intrigued by how far the second iteration had come with the development of industrialism as opposed to magic.
Dust was a rather unique substance, a crystallized form of mana or magic that Jaune hypothesized carried over from all the ambient magic present in his first lifetime. It wasn't nearly as flexible as magic, though much more potent in the given areas if properly harnessed and refined.
The blonde was broken out of his reverie by his companion, who had pulled up the website to the National Vale Archive. She enlarged the screen of the scroll and pointed out their current location. Coincidentally, it was adjacent to the first 'You Are Here!' circle that they found on the map Weiss had just thrown away.
Weiss's face turned stormy as she visibly shook in restrained anger and frustration. She let out an explosive sigh as she guided the two of them into the next hallway over through an unmarked door.
Jaune stared appraisingly at the room they had emerged into, slightly lagging behind the Schnee yet still keeping an eye on her. They had entered the modern-day weapon exhibit, a complete opposite of the previous ancient weapon exhibit Jaune had seen earlier.
In contrast, the modern-day displays were significantly more up to date and well-kept. The floors were shiny and clean, display cases polished to a shine, and numerous unique weaponry displayed proudly and prominently.
At the brisk pace being set by Weiss, Jaune could barely see past the throngs of people that surrounded the various displays. There were more people located in this one room than there were people the Arc saw in the rest of the museum.
Through the gaps in the crowd, the blonde could make out different famous weaponry of hunters who had retired or fallen in battle.
He slowed down further, enraptured by the displays and technology.
A large, golden gauntlet fit for a man whose fist was as thick as Jaune's torso sat in a case. Replica dust crystals sat in the knuckles, and a depiction of the elemental dust's effects with each punch was displayed under it. Adjacent to that was the alternate form of the gauntlet, an equally massive hand cannon that shot refined yet unshaped chunks of dust.
A massive tower shield emblazoned by the visage of a rhino, an equally massive spike jutting out where the rhino's horn would be. The tip of the spike was surrounded by small barrels, more than likely to allow the dispensement of dust buckshot. A depiction under the shield showed its secondary form, the shield impossibly folding in on itself and contorting in such a way that it ended up as an anti-materiel rifle. It had two triggers, one for the actual long-distance round and the other for a ridiculously powered shotgun blast out of the same barrel.
Before Jaune could get lost in more weapons, a dainty hand coiled around his in a firm grip, and he was yanked forward. He jolted, turning toward Weiss, who was giving him the evil eye as she escorted him through the crowded exhibit.
"Jaune, we've wasted enough time already. You can come back again on your own time!"
The Arc scion couldn't raise a proper argument or defense as he was given a frosty glare in response.
After pushing their way into a slightly smaller hallway full of varying sculptures and statues, they remembered that they still had a firm grip on each other's hand.
Weiss stopped abruptly, Jaune almost running into her as her hand tightened around his. She glanced at their interlocking digits before separating quickly, a slight red flush shooting up her neck to curl around her ears.
She cleared her throat and looked away, embarrassed at the incredibly intimate act.
"S-So, I don't think I ever got your reason for coming here, Jaune."
The blonde pointedly ignored the byplay, his own face slightly flushed as he ruthlessly pushed down the lingering embers of his past crush. It... wasn't working. The embers, despite his best efforts, had rekindled once more into a small flame, and he continued to compartmentalize the part of him freaking out at holding a pretty girl's hand.
"A-Ah, I guess I never did tell you that, did I? I don't mean to sound rude or anything; it's just that there are some sensitive things going on in my life right now that I don't feel the most comfortable sharing, and coming here to get a feel for modern history was the best course of action."
Weiss raised a sculpted, snowy eyebrow in question. While she wanted to push further, she recognized that everybody was entitled to their secrets and she should get her ducks in a row before talking to others about theirs.
"No offense taken; I can understand the need for privacy. So you are here alone to get a feel for the recorded Valean history? Perhaps jog your memory of lessons and tutorships long forgotten?"
Her smile wasn't mocking, simply good-natured ribbing. Jaune let out a short chuckle, the slight tension inside him unwinding as he became increasingly comfortable around Weiss.
"Something like that, yeah." He smiled, a pondering look on his face. "Although I'm not here alone. I actually got separated a while back, and my scroll died. I'm here with my sisters and-"
"Y-Your what?!" Weiss yelled, whirling toward Jaune, a panicked look on her face.
"Y-Yeah, is that bad?" Jaune asked, emotions quickly snapping into concern at the distressed look on his companion's face.
"Yes! Almost all of them hate me!"
"What! Why?"
"Why do you think?!"
Weiss turned around, not giving a proper answer as she began to pace in worry. She stopped abruptly, a slightly manic light in her eyes as she grasped Jaune by the shoulders.
"Which ones are here?" She said in a facsimile of calmness. The Arc winced as a light golden glow encompassed where the heiress was gripping him, his aura reacting to the pressure exerted on him.
"Just two, Jaz-"
"The youngest! Oh, thank the gods." She let go, shoulders dropping in absolute relief as she heaved out a sigh. A much more relaxed smile blossomed across her beautiful features, and Jaune felt his heart skip another couple of beats at the sight.
"Uhm, Weiss?"
"Yes, Jaune?"
The gorgeous heiress directed that radiant smile at him, and he felt himself freeze. Try as he might, he couldn't get over just how incredible she looked at the moment, and it felt like he was going into sensory overload.
'I haven't felt like this since the first time I met Ozlyn and Salem,' he realized internally. 'Is it the old crush, or am I just... in l-love?!'
The embers of his past affections that had once turned into a small flame had swiftly burst into a mighty inferno.
"Jaune? You're turning red; are you okay?"
She got closer, laying the back of her hand across the blonde's forehead to feel for a fever, pulling back as he turned even more red.
Jaune desperately pulled on all the life experience he had as Aurelius, pushing all the hormonal emotions that had overtaken him. The blush receded, and Weiss watched on in curiosity as her companion visibly composed himself from the blushing mess he had become.
She tilted her head in thought.
'Is he bipolar?' She idly wondered, not forgetting their meeting when they first ran into each other in the museum. He had opened with a rather cheesy pickup line that had her blushing exactly like he was doing now.
'Does he still like me?' A dainty hand cupped her cheek in thought as she found herself not nearly as opposed to the thought as she was earlier. Previous sentiments still lingered, but she could admit that Jaune was... conventionally attractive.
The blonde cleared his throat, shaking his head, and the last vestiges of embarrassment left him.
"Jaz is one sister, yes. The other is Jeanne."
Weiss felt the world grind to a halt around her as the name left Jaune's mouth, all previous thoughts abandoned. An icy feeling crept up her spine, spreading like an insidious frost down her arms and legs, where it curled in her digits, prickling them with an unsettling numbness.
"J-Jeanne?" She whispered, the words sounding distant in her ears. The visage of a snarling woman flashed into her mind, glowing with violet power, leveling a vicious glare at her, reality itself shivering as purple light began to encompass her surroundings. Her blonde hair (exactly the shade of Jaune's) floated freely as she stared directly through her soul.
Winter was there, her older sister's face stern, fear carefully hidden. Anxious sweat dripped down the back of the elder Schnee's neck as she spoke quickly and quietly with the strongest Arc sibling.
Weiss shivered in fear; the feeling of indescribable weight, endless pressure, bottomless mass coiled itself around her chest, winding tightly like a cruel spring or the uncaring hand of a wrathful god.
A warm presence wrapped itself around her, a golden aura washing over her as she relaxed. Every muscle in her body was untensed and retracted, and her jaw unclenched as she refocused on the broad chest her face was pressed up against.
Her mind slowly caught up, realizing she was being hugged by her much taller companion, concern twisting his features.
He separated, intense blue eyes slowly shifting into gold as Jaune sensed her panic attack.
"Weiss, focus on my voice. Look at me; you are safe right now." Her wide eyes took in all the features of the Arc's face, the dull roar of blood rushing in her ears dying away slowly as Weiss noticed she was hyperventilating.
"Take a deep breath."
Her hands shook violently, tears blurring her vision suddenly.
"Focus, Weiss."
Nausea swept through her, and vertigo made her head spin.
"You're safe."
She felt detached; her senses were muddled, and sensations were numbing.
"It's going to be alright; I'm here for you."
In a burst of clarity, Weiss felt the world around her snap into place. She no longer felt as if she was being drowned, the air into her lungs flowing freely, and she felt in full control of her faculties.
She held a steady hand up to her face, wiping away more tears and the last remnants of makeup. She hung her head, looking away from the golden eyes of Jaune, unwilling to face him after letting him see her in a moment of weakness twice now.
"Gods, I'm a mess today, aren't I?" She let out a slightly watery laugh.
"Weiss, look at me."
She was unable to refuse, the intense stare of Jaune freezing her in place.
'Not unlike her.' Her mind supplied. 'He's different!' Another part of her hissed.
'She's a monster in human skin.' Came the retort.
'Because she was concerned about him!'
'It usually is all about him, isn't it?' Piped up another part of her psyche. 'Jaune, that is. I always wondered why Jeanne was so protective of him. Is it because of this side of him? This incredible and selfless concern?'
"Weiss, please, I need to know. Did Jeanne do something to you? Did she hurt you? This behavior just from hearing her name isn't-"
"N-No! It's not her fault, it's mine!"
The words spilled out of her mouth before she could stop them. She looked wide-eyed into Jaune's molten gold ones, shocked at her own answer.
"It's mine." She repeated, hands clenching and unclenching as she tried not to shrink under his worried gaze.
"Your oldest sister has always been overtly... fond of you, and she'd always been protective of your feelings." She rushed out in one breath, trying not to linger on the topic. "She never did take very well to how I once captured your attention, romantically or otherwise."
Weiss shook her head violently and began to walk forward once more, brushing off the concern of her companion.
"Forgive me, Jaune, but I don't quite feel up to sharing more right now. I'd like to find Curio and get out of this museum. I'm not dismissing you or anything like that, I just want to leave sooner than later lest we- I run into her."
Jaune lingered, watching the heiress strut away. A moment later he followed, catching up beside her.
They walked in silence for a good twenty minutes, an awkward distance appearing between them.
The Arc scion scowled to himself, not liking the sudden lack of progress with his newfound friend.
He spoke up, intent on breaking the uncomfortable silence. "I won't pretend that I do understand, but if or when you feel up to it, talk to me about it, please. I'd like to not have a conflict between friends and family."
Weiss's mood turned the tiniest bit more positive. "I guess even after all this you'd still consider me a friend? I'm supposed to be the one angry at you, remember?" The heiress expertly and effortlessly switched the gears of the conversation, the emotional high and vulnerabilities fading away over time.
"You don't mean that," the blonde said with a grin. "You were angry at the old me. New and mature and awesome Jaune, on the other hand..."
"Is still a stumbling oaf that can barely hold a sword properly."
The smile on Weiss's face revealed the lack of barb, harmless banter between the two.
The newly reconciled friends continued forward, hearts lighter.
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This story is not abandoned, just writer's block and current life events. Ever just get the feeling of wanting to do something but when you sit down and do it, all desire leaves you?
No action, all fluff/angst if you can even call it that. Sorry not sorry, trying to figure out how to work Weiss into Jaune's backstory. I've been piecing this together at what felt like 2-10 words a day for the past couple of months. That's why it might feel choppy in some places.
Regardless, I apologize for the wait. Expect chapters around this length or shorter, 10k+ will only be if I'm really feeling it.
See y'all in the next chapter.
Have a nice day/night/week/life.
-Spice
