Chapter 2 - Staking Their Claim
eratas123
I trust you know where the happy button is?
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Second chapter of Minecraft Jaune. Wow...this really blew up. Over 100 reviews and over 500-600 follows and favorites on fanfiction. I was pleasantly surprised with the detailed reviews people had when I asked if they sided with Weiss or Blake more. And people who wanted Ruby to just steal Jaune and screw them both over.
Speaking of, as dictated by the commissioner, the story will be a harem with team RWBY and possibly Pyrrha down the line with Jaune. For those interested in the faction warfare and societal stuff, don't worry, it's definitely still a major part of the plot going forward.
With that in mind, I'm thinking of some factions who'll try to use Jaune for themselves. Gimme suggestions you guys have for changes/new groups:
Blake and Weiss - Already shown in this chapter.
Ozpin - Wants his help against Salem. Tries to appeal for the morality of helping stop Salem.
Ironwood - Wants him to make potions and equipment for his soldiers, plus airships and other tech. Not sure how Ironwood tries to sell equipping a foreign army.
Cinder - Wants his power for the sake of just having his power. Power lust and greed. Tries seduction.
Adam - Wants to either kill Jaune to spite the humans or enslave him to be a craftsman for the White Fang. Tries murder.
Happy Huntresses - Want him to improve Mantle as a small scale version of Blake's plans. Try to appeal to his sense of goodness. Sends Fiona to try and seduce him otherwise cause sheep girl.
On a side note, Gacha RWBY (RWBY characters get addicted to gacha games) Chapter 1 is out for supporters. Chapter 2 will be out soon as well.
Chapter 2: Staking their claim
Yang stretched her arms and walked down one of the castle's halls. Ruby was upgrading her weapon with the stud while Blake and Weiss went back down into town, leaving her all alone. Lame. Didn't they know a good Yang needed constant TLC? They were gonna pay for ditching her later.
Sure, she could go down to town too, but she wanted to check out the castle. She wasn't a craftsman (craftswoman?) like Ruby or snooty about history like Weiss, but she was still from Saunus. A proud independent Patch woman. Architecture was in their blood the same way snobbiness was in an Atlesian's. Their cathedrals were the best in all of Remnant, no matter how much Atlas and Mistral tried to sneer down at them as country bumpkins.
She walked down the hall and looked around. This place was huge. Not as big as Beacon, obviously, but still fucking enormous. She was betting that even Weiss Cream's mansion had nothing on this place. She eyed the gleaming silver suits of armor and the paintings on the walls. This place looked like it was ripped straight out of a Bunkers and Beowolves game. Then again, why was she surprised? Jaune just gave Weiss a diamond sword like it was no big deal.
The weight of the fist-sized Ruby in her jacket pocket reminded her that Weiss wasn't the only one who'd gotten a gift. She'd asked for a present mostly as a joke, she didn't expect him to actually give her one! Cause seriously, who just did that?
'The same kind of person who builds a castle for shits and giggles,' her brain snarked back. She kinda wanted to give it back, but that felt even more awkward! Ugh, she shoulda just kept her big mouth shut. But then again, another voice whispered, how much stuff could she get if she pawned the thing off? Bumblebee needed some upgrades and nightclubs would've been a hell of a lot more fun if she didn't have to worry about burning a hole in her pocket...
Shaking her head, Yang kept up her solo tour of the place. Jaune said they had free reign of the place while they were visiting. How did he not worry about someone stealing something? Or maybe he just didn't care. This was the same guy who gave out diamonds to people he just met.
She traced a hand across the wall. Not even a bit of dust. The place felt like it was preserved in time. Yang peeked inside one of the rooms. A queen-sized bed with a canopy, a window with a good view of the countryside, and the same fancy decorations the rest of the place had. Yang looked up at the crystal chandelier and...was that a painting of the stars on the ceiling? Brothers, this made their dormroom back at Beacon look like the poorhouse. She could tell it was a spare room too - it didn't look lived-in at all - and it made her wonder just how much more intricate the actual family bedrooms were.
Yang looked around for a moment and, after making sure there was no one around, she jumped and belly-flopped onto the bed.
Oh. My. Brothers.
Ever heard the expression 'like sleeping on a cloud'? Well, forget that noise. This was like she was sleeping on...she didn't even know how to describe it. It felt like every inch of her body was being massaged by the mattress and the pillow covering her face was so damn comfy that she wouldn't have struggled even if someone tried to smother her with it. Her thoughts drifted back to her bed at Beacon and she shuddered. Going back to that after just a brief taste of this...maybe she could exchange the ruby for one of these beds?
Her utter bliss was interrupted by the sound of laughter. Yang (hesitantly) pulled her head out of the pillow paradise and furrowed her brows. That didn't sound like anyone from her team - she'd know. Maybe Jaune's family came back? If they did, it'd be a pretty bad look for them to catch her napping on one of their beds. She forced herself out of her new best friend and made her way back to the hallway. Be rude of her not to introduce herself and explain why they were here.
The sounds of laughter led her to a slightly ajar door. Yang debated between knocking or just calling out to them when the door opened just a bit more and she was hit with the smell of booze and smoke, "So I bite the old boy in the ass!" A roar of laughter came in response. The accent was hard to place. It sounded South Valean, a real 'wrong side of the tracks' kind of voice, but there was something off about it that she couldn't really explain.
Curiosity got the better of her and she peeked inside the ajar door.
Only to quickly wish she didn't.
Dogs. Half a dozen of them. Now, Yang liked dogs. They were her favorite animal (sorry, Blake) and Zwei was the best doggo in the world. That didn't mean she wasn't gonna react at the sight of six dogs sitting around a table playing cards. No, she wasn't imagining it. Six guard dogs - three Atlesian Shepherds, two Pugs, and one Rotweiller - were sat upright around a table playing cards. The table was filled with cards, glasses of booze, and...were those cigars?! How in the heck did dogs get those?!
"I'm getting too fat," the rottweiler complained, "There haven't been any intruders to chase in months!"
"No one wants to mess with Master Jaune." One of the pugs picked up (HOW?!) a glass of whiskey and chugged it down before lighting up a new cigar, "It's more annoying that we can't do anything about those cats down in town. Smug pussies think they're so much better than us. Bet they won't be so smug once I get my paws on 'em!"
"Hey now, the Master's friend is okay," the other pug said.
"Rrrgh, fine, but all those other cats!" The pug growled.
"Fuck cats. Let's talk about something better," One of the Atlesian Shepherds, "New people in town. And you know what that means." His mouth curled in a wolfish(heh) grin, "New bitches!"
The whole table was a mess of excited howls and barks. It didn't take a lot to figure out what kind of 'bitches' they were talking about, "Oh yeah, I saw 'em." Another Shepherd licked his lips, "Big golden retriever. I could tell just by looking at her. She's a workin' bitch." The other dogs howled in response, "I got a good look at her. She wasn't no mongrel or crossbreed. Nice smell too. Her owner named her Rosemary."
"A fine name for a fine bitch," one of the pugs nodded in approval. It was fucking freaky looking.
"I sniffed her butt earlier." The Shepherd somehow managed to make that sound dignified, "She sniffed mine too. We're going to meet up later, maybe howl at the big night light."
"Some dogs get all the bitches." The Rottweiler sniffed and drank his glass of gin, "I'll spend some time with the Master later. The family's worried about him. Whenever he gets into one of his moods he always forgets to eat or sleep."
"Master is very kind. He gives us good scratches and food that makes us smart. Master deserves better. His packmates should pat his head more." One of the Shepherds nodded sagely, "Lotta bitches in the village want him to sniff their butts but he never does. So sad."
"They should sniff his butt instead," the rottweiler howled sadly.
"Maybe the new visitors will do it." Wait, were they talking about team RWBY? "Four new bitches. I would've bit their butts if Master didn't say we should let visitors inside."
"I saw them," one of the pugs said, "The one in black and red smells like chocolate. Don't bite her. You'll probably die." Yang almost laughed at that. Despite her looks, Ruby more than ate her weight in chocolate and cookies. Yang had no idea how she was so thin, "The one in white hurts my nose. So full of that thing humans spray themselves with."
"The yellow one smells good. Like fried meat and burning wood." Yang's brows furrowed. Was she supposed to be flattered or offended? She resisted the urge to raise her arm and sniff, "But the other one..." He growled. It was a sound full of hate, "She smells like those damn cats. If she gets near the master, I'm biting her butt. Master deserves better than a cat that stinks like those smug pussycats. She should stay away." He growled again.
The dogs continued to chat and play cards. Any thoughts of going inside were immediately squashed by the part of her brain that still wanted the world to make sense. She grabbed the edge of the door to close it and give the doggos some privacy when it suddenly creaked.
The noise drew their attention. All six heads snapped to where Yang stood and the blonde found herself frozen as a dozen eyes bore into her. It was stupid - she could fight fucking Ursas, dogs were hardly a threat - but she found herself rooted to the spot anyway.
The human and the half-a-dozen dogs stared at one another for almost a full minute before the rottweiler spoke up, "Ya mind? We're having a private game here."
"R-Right, sorry." She closed the door, muffling the words and growls that came from the other side. Talking dogs. Talking dogs that drank, played poker, and talked about how much they liked butts and bitches. She'd literally seen just that.
...
Nope, nope, nope. Yang shook her head. She didn't see that at all. This was a dream and she was totally still asleep back at that amazing bed she'd flopped into earlier. Speaking of, she should get back to it. Maybe if she went back to sleep she'd wake up from this weirdass dream.
Yang turned around to do just that only to see Zwei walking down the hall with a cigar in his mouth and a little fedora draped over his head. He and Yang stopped to just look at one another. This time the stareoff lasted for just a few seconds before he slipped past her, went inside the room, and shut the door behind him...somehow. The dogs inside cheered at his arrival and yelled about how 'now it was a party' while Zwei barked back. He wasn't talking, but the others seemed to understand him just fine.
...
Okay, that was another thing she didn't see. Time to-
"Oh, hello!" A pair of eyes appeared in front of her. She didn't get the chance to scream and bat them away before the eyes turned into a multi-colored purple and cyan...thing shaped like a cat standing on a nearby cabinet, "A visitor? My oh my, Jaune is rather popular these days." It laughed, "Would you be interested in chatting for a while? Oh, I do so love talking to the new arrivals! They always have such fascinating stories, and so many are eager to talk!"
"Bwuh?" Yang said.
"Oh, where are my manners?" It licked its paw, "My name is...well, I am the Curious Cat, though everyone calls me Curious for short. It's both my name and describes me perfectly well." It jumped down from the cabinet and rubbed up against her legs, "Would you be willing to talk? You look like someone with a good story!"
...
Yang didn't say anything. She walked past the cat, ignored the sounds of howling dogs, and belly-flopped back onto the most amazing mattress on Remnant.
Weiss walked around the town aimlessly. She'd been in a foul mood after her brief argument with Blake and she hoped that taking in the sights would improve that. She looked around the buildings and hummed. From what she was told, Jaune built almost every single building in this burgeoning kingdom all on his own. The villagers tried to help where they could, of course, but his Semblance made it so that it was far quicker and more practical to simply do everything on his own.
She didn't know how to feel about that. While she was already planning to ensure Jaune's help for her plans, she also wasn't one on being completely dependent on others. She knew that she'd need Jaune's help to oust her father. After that, however, she hoped that she could stand on her own two feet. Jaune would give her the leg up she needed, certainly, but once she was established she would lead the SDC to a far more righteous path than her father ever did with her own power.
It was one reason she disagreed with Blake's plans. She hoped that Jaune could uplift Menagerie - and by extension, the Faunus - by turning the island into their own kingdom. It sounded good in theory, but would the Faunus truly be satisfied knowing that their elevated position came from the efforts of a single Human?
And how long would others have to wait for Jaune's help? While she understood that her own plans were a time investment, it was far less so compared to turning an entire island into a kingdom. And what about the White Fang? For someone who'd been so obsessed with them the past few weeks, she certainly seemed to ignore the fact that they would be less than amenable to a Human providing such crucial aid to their cause for equality.'
But what did she have to worry about? While she couldn't entice Jaune with money, she was sure that she could find some way to convince him to join her cause. Perhaps by leveraging possible connections to the newly reformed SDC? Money was immaterial to him, but she could offer other things. More than Blake, that was for certain. She was sure that he could find the value of forging connections with one of the most powerful organizations in Remnant, especially one led by a CEO with a debt of personal gratitude to him.
Her musings were cut off by a sudden voice.
"GREETINGS, CITIZEN!" She jumped up at the booming voice. Ignoring her instincts to draw Myrtenaster, she turned to the source of the sound and blinked at the sight of a nine-foot-tall stone golem. She'd seen Atlesian robots before - the SDC was working in tandem with the army to create the new Paladins - and yet she still found herself gaping at the sight of the stone sentry. Rather than sleek metal and wiring, the golem looked like a roughly carved statue with nothing powering it or enabling it to move.
And yet move it did.
"I'm not a-"
"FAREWELL, CITIZEN!" It saluted her and went on its merry way. Patrolling, perhaps? Weiss eyed its retreating form and looked it up and down, searching for any sign of what might've been powering it. Nothing. It looked like a carved statue and yet it moved like a robot powered by Dust. Yet another impossibility in the world Jaune Arc inhabited.
"Excuse me," she called out to a passing farmhand.
"Yes, ma'am?" he asked with a pleasant country drawl.
"Do you know how those golems are powered?" She gestured to the golem that was saluting another person as it walked through the gate leading outside.
"Don't rightly know." He hummed, "Never really thought about it much. I saw Jaune build one of 'em fellers once. Just puts 'em together out of some pieces of rock and then they start moving. He puts them outside usually so they can smack around any Grimm that gets past everything else. It must've been helping someone else." He rubbed his patchy chin, "Never seen 'em stop patrolling or need to get fixed, though. Those big boys walk all day and night."
"I see. Thank you." Weiss nodded and walked away, deep in thought. While she couldn't discount the possibility that they were powered by Dust, there was an equally likely chance that they were powered by something else entirely...or that they required no power source at all. The thought made her both excited and nervous. Her father secured his domination because of the fact that everything needed Dust to function. Some outside settlements used alternative power sources such as windmills, but they couldn't truly match Dust. Dust was power. It was energy, fuel, bullets...
Could Jaune change all that?
Weiss shook her head. Focus, she told herself. She could worry about that later. Right now she had to focus on her plans.
She wandered around the kingdom without a destination in mind. Truthfully, she was more focused on the people. Perhaps it was cynical of her, but she found herself looking for signs of discontent. Weiss had been raised on propaganda and doublethink. The employees were satisfied with their lot in life. Those who complained weren't justified, they were simply greedy and lazy. The Faunus weren't discriminated against, they were entitled and thought they deserved more than they were oh-so-generously given.
And so on and so forth. She'd heard the myriad of propaganda and justifications for over a decade now. It led to a rather pessimistic viewpoint she'd done her best to rein in ever since she arrived in Beacon. The world was far more complex than her father's propaganda machine liked to portray it as.
Case in point, Jaune's kingdom.
Weiss was adept at seeing under the masks people put up. It was a necessity when men and women thrice her age attempted to exploit her for their own benefit. Father was hardly a loving parent and he took her ability to see through deception (or not...) as a measure of whether she was worthy to be his heir.
Which was why she found it both amazing and relieving that she hadn't seen a single person putting on a mask. All around her, the villagers worked with a gusto that she'd never seen in anyone who worked under her father's management. Many of them had smiles on their faces and they worked in tandem with an easy cooperation that seemed more like they'd done it for years rather than mere months. Those taking breaks eagerly chatted with one another and they all did their best to ensure that the workload was easily shared.
What drew her attention the most, however, was the spirit of cooperation. Under her Father's rule, the SDC had fostered a culture of paranoia and mistrust. Employees were encouraged to stab each other in the back and used anything they could to gain a sense of superiority. Older employees lorded over younger ones out of perceived superiority and many sucked up to those they perceived as their betters. The Faunus received the worst of it. Even those at their lowest considered themselves better than them for no other than because Atlesian society deemed the Faunus lesser.
Weiss wanted to say that she was better than that, but she too had been blinded by prejudice up until recently. While she wouldn't apologize for her feelings on the White Fang - they hated her and she saw no reason to give them any leeway - not every Faunus was responsible for their crimes.
Her eyes were once again drawn to the farmers and laborers. Young and old, Humans and Faunus. It didn't matter. They all worked together as equals. A young Faunus man and a middle-aged Human man laughed and chatted like old friends as they worked the fields. Something like that would've never happened in one of the mines. Or if it did, it was an extreme rarity. Yet here it was treated as nothing special by everyone around them. An Arcadia where people stood as one.
This was what the SDC could've been. The SDC her grandfather built. A company built on the spirit of cooperation and fair treatment of its employees before her Father had corrupted it. This was what she could turn the SDC back into. A company that cared for others and made proud the lineage of the Schnee name. All of this - the spirit of cooperation and equality - could be spread across all of Remnant.
All she needed to do was ensure she received Jaune's help...
The sounds of whirring drew her attention elsewhere. Weiss watched, utterly gobsmacked, as the farmers left the freshly harvested field only for a machine to suddenly roll over the empty dirt. It looked like an oversized tractor or combined harvester, except instead of shearing away the fields, it spread seeds and water with extreme precision. That in and of itself wouldn't have been too odd. After all, she'd seen similar machines back at Atlas.
No, what really made her gape like a fish out of water was the sight of the plants growing right before her very eyes. Weiss rubbed her eyes to make sure she was seeing correctly. Yes, the crops were growing from fresh seedlings to assorted fruits and vegetables in a matter of minutes. And as soon as the crops finished growing, the farmers quickly set to harvesting them with practiced ease. Was that why they never had any problems feeding their rising population?
She stared at the machine which continued to plant more seeds and water. Could Jaune perhaps do the same with other resources? Perhaps Dust?
The possibilities made her feel lightheaded. Weiss took one last look at the efficient farmers before slowly walking back to the castle. She had to ponder some things...
At the other side of the settlement, Blake made her way through what could be considered the 'downtown' part of the city. While a decent part of the city was devoted to needed things such as agriculture and production, the other parts were more focused on what you might expect from a kingdom.
Settlements outside the walls were practical beasts by nature. Unlike the kingdoms, the threat of being attacked by Grimm or bandits meant that pragmatism won out over leisure. Villages and towns focused on ensuring production and protection. Militias and walls were crucial and the most common source of entertainment were bars. It was the easiest way to release the tension held by the villagers and helped foster a sense of camaraderie. Alcohol was a cheap repellent against negativity.
She remembered being so surprised when she first got into Vale. Movie theaters, nightclubs, bookstores, spas...any sort of Want was there for those who could afford it. While outside settlements did have those occasionally, it was unheard of for them to be present in such excess. Things like horror movies were considered contraband. Inside the kingdoms, they were amusements. Outside of them, however, the fear and dread they elicited could draw Grimm to the settlement.
Jaune's rising kingdom matched the likes of Vale in that regard. She couldn't walk down the street without spotting some form of entertainment. A movie theater showing horror films, a sports center, and an arena where people cheered in drunken revelry as people fought. There were shops too, which sold anything one could think of from armor and weapons to airships(!). Atlas would've had a heart attack at the sight of the ships being sold.
Blake's stomach grumbled and she made her way to a cafe. The waiter cheerily took her older of a fried fish meal and tea, The smell that wafted from the inside made her mouth water. She'd gotten used to subsisting on rations and foraging for her food in the past five years she spent with the White Fang. While Beacon was far better than what she was normally used to, the food tasted oddly bland considering the grade of ingredients they were working with.
Her eyes drifted over to the other cafe patrons and she lingered at the sight of a young couple. A female Cat Faunus and a male Human. They were clearly together judging by the way they held hands and laughed, leaning against one another without shame. The sight of it made her smile. Back in Vale, couples like them would have to hide their relationships. Oh, Vale claimed to be equal, but she knew from experience that a Human-Faunus couple would be considered 'eccentric' at best or freaks at worst.
And Vale was one of the nicer places to their kind...
Her cynical musings were cut off when the waiter returned with her food, which she quickly paid for. Blake sniffed the fish fillet appreciatively and, after a second to brace herself, bit into the crispy food.
Blake did not moan. She merely hummed in appreciation at the taste of the fried fish. And no, it did not not remind her of her mom's home-cooked meals. Don't be silly. Blake finished off the whole thing and even licked up the flakes. Just to not be rude, of course.
This was what Menagerie could be like, she thought as she left the cafe. A place where Humans and Faunus could live side-by-side without judgment. A home that was more than crammed together wooden huts. They could have a true sanctuary. A kingdom all on their own.
And Weiss would take that from them so she could take over a company she was already set to inherit. Blake wasn't petty enough that she couldn't see her teammate's good intentions, but compared to the salvation of the Faunus, Weiss' plan seemed so insignificant in comparison.
Blake stopped when she passed by a bookstore. While she would've been interested in checking it out regardless, the sign up front made her breath seize in excitement, "Auctioning a limited edition copy of Kunoichi Kitty: The Untold Chronicles." Her mouth went dry after she read it. Kunoichi Kitty was her favorite...tasteful literature, beating out even the Ninjas of Love. The plot, the setting, the characters...the PLOT. It was all so enthralling and she eagerly devoured every single book she could get.
Sadly, the author was a famous recluse and finding copies was hard. The Untold Chronicles was so rare that she heard that there were only 100 copies in all of Remnant. Finding one here was a miracle. She opened her wallet and gulped. 3000 lien, all the money she'd saved up over the past three years. What? It wasn't like being a terrorist for five years led to a lot of money-making opportunities. People signed up for the cause, not the salary and health benefits. They couldn't all get allowances from their rich parents.
Blake stepped inside and winced at the crowd of people - easily two dozen - already sitting down. She could tell by the looks on their faces that they were all true connoisseurs like her. She'd have enjoyed discussing the plot (and the PLOT) with them at any other time, but right now, they were her enemies. They all wanted the same thing here.
The store owner - an old man who looked to be in his eighth decade of life - spoke into the microphone with a nasally voice, "Thank you for showing up, everyone. I see we've got some new visitors too." His eyes scanned the crowd, "Well, there's no sense in dragging it out. We all know what we're here for."
He took out a briefcase from a nearby table and opened it slowly. Blake's breath hitched at the sight of the holy relic he so carelessly put on the podium, "Ninjas of Love: The Untold Chronicles." He coughed. If he got his spit in it she would kill him! "A collector's item. I've heard it's valuable, so let's start the bidding at 5000 lien."
...
What?
5000? She looked down at her wallet and found, much to her dismay, that she hadn't gotten 2000 extra lien since she last checked. M-Maybe he'd misspoken? He must have. He looked like he had one foot in the grave. He probably meant 500 or-
The middle-aged woman to her left raised her hand. Blake's turned to her in disbelief, "5000. Do we have 6000?" A young man two seats in front of her raised his hand, "6000. Do we have 7000?"
Up and up the number went. 10,000, 20,000, 40,000...Blake found herself frozen and helpless, unable to raise her hand even once as the bidding war escalated. This...This couldn't be happening. She'd finally found something that could give her true joy after so many years of struggle and now it was being taken from her. Didn't she deserve this? Deserve a reward for fighting for half a decade? Why was fate being so cruel?
And then a light, a memory of what could be her salvation. Blake groped desperately for her pouch and pulled out the gold bar Jaune had gifted her. She'd almost forgotten about it with her (selfless) plan to save Menagerie. She held it with both hands like a mother cradling her child and looked up just as the owner said, "70,0000. Going once, going twice-"
"80,000!" Blake said in a rush, raising her hand and the gold bar. All attention was drawn to her sudden entry. Many were surprised, and yet just as many looked at her with respect. Blake ignored them all and focused solely on the book.
"80,000. Going once, going twice...sold to the new arrival."
The crowd clapped politely while Blake nervously went in front. She took a deep breath to steady herself and walked up to the makeshift podium. The gold bar felt heavy in her hand and she handed it numbly to the old man, "Here..." Blake didn't even look at him or the crowd shuffling out of the store. All she cared about was the book. Her heart beat so loudly that it was all she could hear and she reached a tentative hand out to the holy scripture.
"Hold on a second," the nasally voice cut in. He slammed the gold bar on the table and gave her an unamused look, "What's the idea? This is only worth 75,000 lien."
"What? How could you tell?" Blake asked, disbelief cutting through her excitement.
"You ain't the first person who's tried to buy with gold and jewelry, little miss. Now, are we going to have a problem here or-"
"N-No! No problem!" Blake opened her wallet and pulled out the lien cards, "I-I have 3000 here. I know it's not enough, but I can get more!" How, her mind asked. Was she shameless enough to ask Jaune for another handout? It was one thing to ask him for help with the Faunus, but for something so selfish?
"Hm..." The old man took the lien cards from her and rubbed his chin, "There's a loan office a couple of streets down. You can get something there. They got reasonable rates. Or you can find some other way to get the 2000 lien. I'm gonna need it by the end of the day."
Blake bit her lower lip. A loan office...even thinking about it made her shudder. You could run from the Huntsmen and the Atlesian army, but debt collectors? They would hound you to the very ends of Remnant. Not even Adam would risk defaulting on a loan. Say what you will about her ex, but he had an amazing credit score.
Ultimately, she decided to bite the bullet and take a loan. The interest rate was 3 percent every month. It wouldn't take her much to pay it off if she did a couple of missions, but she'd have to convince the teachers to let her do some cleanup work. Or maybe she could beg Yang for a loan to pay off this one once Yang sold off the Ruby. Yang was a lot of things, but she wasn't a loan shark. Blake would still have to pay her back, but there wouldn't be any interest.
She went back and got the book. Once her fingers touched the smooth leather cover, she felt as if it was all worth it. Blake smiled brightly and returned to the castle with a skip in her step.
Weiss ran into Blake at the castle's entrance. Their previous argument was still fresh in her mind and she halfway expected her teammate to snap at her.
Instead, she had a dopey smile on her face - and dopey was the last word Weiss ever thought she'd use to describe Blake Belladonna - and pressed a book against her chest as if her life depended on it, "...What are you so happy about?" Weiss asked with a raised brow.
"Nothing." Her face flushed and she held the book tighter.
"Right..." Weiss crossed her arms. Something told her that way lay madness, "Well...I've been walking around trying to get a lay of the land. Would it be too much to assume that you changed your mind in the meantime?"
Blake's smile immediately disappeared and she looked at Weiss with a narrow glare, "No."
"Of course not." Weiss sighed, "Jaune helping me is for the greater good, you know."
"For who? For the people who already have more than enough?"
"For everyone." Weiss grit her teeth. The words came out far more strained than she would've liked, "I saw things down there. People working together equally with one another. It didn't matter their age or race, they cooperated with smiles on their faces. Imagine how much Remnant could be improved if the SDC was run like that. No more mining accidents because the company decided safety checks were too expensive. No more employees being mistreated and forced to work for pennies so some corrupt bastard can afford another mansion he'll never actually use."
"I thought you'd want the same thing, Blake!" Weiss threw her hands up, "Haven't the White Fang been attacking the SDC - my family - because they wanted equal treatment." Blake winced slightly at the reminder of how often Weiss had been at the other end of her former group's wrath, "Under my leadership, Faunus will finally be treated equally and Dust will be made far more available to all of Remnant. Villages outside the settlements won't have to pay through the nose just to afford Fire Dust that will let them survive the winter."
"It sounds like a pleasant dream, Weiss, but you're wrong about one thing." Blake's gaze was firm, "Your plan won't make us equal. We'll be treated better at the SDC, sure, but what about outside of it? How do better wages and more affordable Dust help the Faunus? We'd still be seen as nothing more than filthy animals without even a kingdom to go back to. Jaune can give us that. He can turn Menagerie into a true sanctuary for the Faunus so they aren't forced to survive in cities that treat them as second-class citizens."
"The Faunus will have the power to stand with their head held high. The other kingdoms can't ignore us if we've got a kingdom of our own. We don't have to hide and bow our heads because some racist asshole decided attacking us is the only way he can get some meaning out of his worthless life. We can have a chance at true equality, something we've been denied for as long as we've existed. How could I not fight for that chance?"
"And what about the White Fang?" Weiss raised her head, "For someone who has been positively obsessed with them for the past few weeks, you're quick to ignore the risk they pose. Do you believe that they would allow the Faunus to achieve equality if it comes at the hands of a Human?"
"That's..." Blake grit her teeth, "Not all of the White Fang hate Humans. Many of us just want equality."
"And just as many would abhor the idea of being reliant on a Human for anything. They'll sabotage any plan you make with Jaune." Weiss scoffed, "And even if they did accept his help, do you think the other Kingdoms will respect a Menagerie that houses the White Fang? Is Menagerie willing to disavow the White Fang if it means Jaune's help? If not, your plan is short-sighted and doomed to failure."
"As if you're any better." Blake scoffed, "Do you think your Dad and the rest of the snakes on his board won't try to take advantage of Jaune? Even if Jaune refuses, Jacques Schnee is not a man who's accustomed to being told no. And neither is General Ironwood. I'd take the White Fang over Atlesian politics."
The two of them glared at one another for a moment before going back inside. It was clear neither would convince the other about why they deserved Jaune's help more. Weiss sighed. She really did want to become friends with Blake, but right now, she felt as if their relationship was on tenterhooks. It wasn't as if she didn't understand Blake's motivations, she did, but her plan was simply far riskier and more of a time investment compared to her own.
They'd barely managed to step inside before they caught sight of Yang lying down on the couch with a look akin to someone who had stared into the abyss.
"Uh..." Blake nervously palmed her book.
"Blake, Weiss...this place is fucking weird," Yang said.
"Yeah." Weiss sighed again.
Thankfully, they didn't have to ruminate on that for long before they heard Ruby's voice, "Oh, that was amazing~" Weiss turned around and blinked at the sight of her partner. Ruby was never the neatest girl in Beacon. While her outfit was as ornate and well-fit as any other Huntresses, Ruby was a tomboy and a blacksmith at heart. Her quarter of the room was often messy with blueprints strewn haphazardly and weapon components littering her mattress and the floor. Wiess often had to remind her to clean up after herself.
Ruby looked like she'd been through a particularly in-depth 'caring session' (she called it that, not Weiss) for Crescent Rose. Her blouse and cloak were wrapped around her waist. Instead of the expected camisole, however, she wore a light green shirt that clung to her body due to how sweaty she was. Weiss' nose wrinkled and she tried to ignore both the smell and the grease smears on her cheeks. If only she'd brought her perfume along...
"Oh! You guys are back?" Jaune stepped into the living room last. He wasn't shirtless this time (pity...), though he'd rolled up his sleeves to his shoulders and the sweat had caused the light blue shirt to cling to his torso like a second skin. Weiss did her utter best to not stare at the line of muscles that his wet shirt did absolutely nothing to cover.
...
Okay, she stared heavily, but she still did her best not to! And it wasn't like Blake was any better. Blake tried and failed to look like she didn't care while Yang openly leered without any shame.
"Hey there, stud. You and Rubes have fun 'yanging' out?" Yang grinned, forcefully ignoring her previous look of shock.
The rest of Team RWBY groaned. Yang's puns were incorrigible and weeks of her trying to force them to see how 'funny' she was hadn't done her any favors.
Jaune, proving once again how alien he was in this world, actually laughed at the horrible, "Haha. 'Yanging' out. I get it. Good one."
"Huh. At least someone here has a sense of humor." Yang laughed in turn and then gave the three of them the biggest, smuggest smile. Weiss rolled her eyes, "So...what were the two of you doing?"
"Oh, oh, oh!" Ruby squealed, loud enough to make Weiss wince, and unfurled Crescent Rose again, "Me and Jaune did some crafting and now Crescent Rose is gonna do WAY more damage against Grimm!" She paused, "I mean, I haven't tested it yet, but it's pretty obvious that everything Jaune makes works perfectly!"
"I wouldn't say that, but thanks." Jaune laughed and rubbed the back of his head, "It was nice talking to someone as interested in crafting as I am. Maybe we can do some more upgrades next time?"
"We super will!"
Ruby squealed again and, before any of them could react, she wrapped her arms around Jaune's neck and kissed him on the cheek. Weiss blinked at the sight and didn't realize her hands her balled into shaky fists till she felt her nails digging into her palm. Blake's eyes narrowed, though she didn't react overly much.
The same couldn't be said for Yang. The blonde looked utterly gobsmacked at Ruby. Among everyone on the team, Ruby had been the least interested in relationships. Yang peeked into the boy's locker room, she had her short-lived crush on Neptune, and even Blake read those pornography books she thought she kept hidden from the rest of the team. Ruby had once bragged that she knew more about the inner workings of a rifle than interpersonal relationships.
Ruby seemed to remember that she wasn't alone and pulled back from Jaune, face as red as her cloak, "S-Sorry!" she squeaked.
"It's fine. You were excited." He smiled back somewhat awkwardly, his own cheeks somewhat red, "S-So what are your plans?"
A lot of things, mostly including trying to convince Jaune to help her for the good of all Remnant. Since she couldn't say that, however, Weiss instead said, "Technically, our mission is complete, but our allotted time for the task is three days." When she first heard of the mission she'd rolled her eyes and assumed it was would be a quick in-and-out. Now she thought that a mere three days wasn't long enough, "We'll be staying at an inn - or a hotel, I suppose - in town. The teachers gave us a stipend for just that."
"A hotel? You don't have to do that. There are tons of guestrooms here! You guys can stay in one. Only if you want to, of course!"
Normally, a man trying to offer four women he'd barely known a place to stay would make Weiss suspicious, but Jaune was sincere enough. And besides, it would give her more of a chance to convince him about helping her with her plans, "Well...we all graciously accept." The rest of team RWBY agreed with her and they went to get the luggage that had been sent ahead to the hotel.
The room Jaune led them to easily matched the opulence of Schnee manor. No, that wasn't right. This place felt...warmer, if that was the right word. Every part of it felt as if it was created with care, "Hm." Weiss sat on a nearby desk and took out her scroll after setting the diamond sword down while the others situated themselves. Ruby had gone to the bathroom for a quick shower, Blake was reading that oh-so-precious book of hers, and Yang was lying drinking a soda she got from the mini-fridge and staring at the ruby she held with her right hand.
Ruby stepped out of the bathroom minutes later with a fresh change of clothes, "Whatcha doing, Weiss?" she asked.
"Making the report we're giving to Miss. Goodwitch." Which was supposed to be Ruby's job as leader. Something the younger girl seemed to realize judging by her wince.
"Oh...I-I could do it if you want?"
"Nevermind. I'll be correcting it anyway before you send it." Weiss shook her head. Ruby had many good qualities as a leader, but paperwork wasn't one of them.
"Thanks, Weiss."
Silence settled over the room. Weiss continued to type while Ruby had taken to sharpening and cooing at her scythe. Huntsmen had a special bond with their weapons, but Ruby took it to some downright uncomfortable levels.
The semi-comfortable quiet was broken when Yang suddenly spoke up.
"I'm gonna date Jaune."
The reaction was instantaneous. Weiss dropped her scroll, Blake dropped her book, and Ruby dropped Crescent Rose. The last one was surely a sign of the end times, "Y-You can't!" It took Weiss a few seconds to realize that she'd been the one to say it.
"Uh...pretty sure I can?" Yang raised a brow and sat up on the bed, "Like, I can go to his room right now and tell him I wanna go out with him. Pretty sure I got a good shot of him saying yes." Yang smirked and crossed her arms under her chest.
"Wh-Why do you wanna date him?!" Ruby cried in a panic.
"He's nice, he's buff, he's got a good sense of humor...do I really need to go on?" Yang shrugged.
"All this because he laughed at your stupid pun?" Blake scoffed.
"Excusing you? It was a great pun! It's not my fault you guys can't see my comedy genius."
"You can't date him, Yang. You'll ruin everything," Weiss said firmly. Right now, Jaune Arc was (presumably) a free agent. If Yang got her grubby hands on him then he'd never agree with her plan. Not unless Yang could convince him, and Weiss doubted she cared about the Dust situation and the state of the SDC's employees.
"Yeah, Yang. Think about more than just having fun," Blake added.
"Wait, what are you two talking about?" Ruby rounded on them.
Weiss winced. She was tempted to lie or come up with an excuse, but Ruby was oddly perceptive at the worst of times. She knew making up a story wouldn't work here. Sighing, she told Ruby about her and Blake's plans to enlist Jaune's help. The Faunus looked obviously annoyed at being outed, but if Weiss was going to confess then there was no way she'd give Blake an undue advantage by covering for her. She still needed her plan to succeed.
Ruby looked at both her and Blake with an expression of pure disappointment, "Y-You two are so selfish!"
"What?! How am I selfish?! I'm doing this for the good of the SDC's employees and all of Remnant!" Weiss shot back.
"This isn't for me, Ruby. This is for the Faunus," Blake said after.
"You two can dress it up all you want, but you're both just trying to use Jaune!" Weiss winced. It certainly seemed that way at a glance, "We just met him today and you're already thinking up schemes to have him do what you want! That's selfish!"
"Yeah, I'm with Rubes here. That's pretty messed up." Yang added.
"Hey, you're not off the hook either!" Ruby rounded on her now, "You were the one who asked Jaune for free stuff and took that ruby!"
"It was a joke! ...Sort of!" Yang groaned, "What do you want? I can't just give it back now! It'll be super awkward!"
"All of you are just trying to use Jaune." Ruby crossed her arms and harrumphed, "I think it's best that I date him instead. At least I'm not in it for anything."
"Now you want to date him? Since when?" Weiss raised a brow.
"S-Since earlier! He's my s-soulmate!" Ruby said it fiercely. Or at least she tried to. The stutter and red face ruined the effect.
"Soulmate? You still believe in that stuff, Rubes? That's cute." Yang laughed.
"Rrrgh, don't look down on me, Yang!" She pointed at her, "You'll see! I'll go out with Jaune and we'll be crafting partners! And unlike some people, I'm not doing it because I want Jaune to do me favors."
"Hm. And I'm sure the upgrades to Crescent Rose have nothing to do with it, right?" Blake asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Th-That's different! We did that together! I didn't ask him to do stuff for me!"
A tense, heavy silence settled over the room. Weiss looked at each of her teammates - her friends - and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. They all wanted Jaune. Maybe not for the same reasons, but they wanted him all the same. Weiss would've been lying if she said she wasn't worried, but she quickly dispelled the thought. She was Weiss Schnee. Even if she couldn't rely on money to convince Jaune, she had other methods.
None of them said a word to one another as they turned off the lights and went to sleep. Their friendships would survive this, she was certain of that, though she expected that things would be tense for the next few days. Honestly, couldn't they all see that her plan was the most sensible? And it wasn't as if she would force Jaune into anything. She'd find a way to convince him on why supporting her would be for the best.
...
...
...
"Oh yeah, you're a bad bitch. Raise that butt up higher," a voice said outside their window. It was quickly followed by some barks.
"What the hell was that?" Blake asked.
"Trust me, you don't wanna know," Yang said. Her voice was flat and oddly serious.
The three of them decided Yang was right and they all went to sleep, ignoring the sounds of howling that lasted throughout the whole night.
Jaune's out here just casually breaking the setting. It's gonna be chaos once the stuff in Domremy spreads to the kingdoms and people realize just how busted Minecraft powers are in a pseudo-death world setting. There's a reason I called this 'Raise but not as dark' elsewhere.
Anyway, the four members of team RWBY have staked their claim on Jaune. Let's see how this goes. Oh, and Curious Cat means that Jaune has a way to travel to the Ever After. I'm sure that won't be a problem.
Questions:
1. How do you guys think each member of Team RWBY would try to seduce Jaune? Yang is likely a flirt, but what about the other three? Ruby has never shown interest in romance while Blake and Weiss are used to being pursued rather than the other way around.
2. Following up on Weiss' question, do you think the White Fang (or even the Faunus as a whole) would let their technological leap come at the hands of a Human? Especially Sienna given that she died before her character could be well-established.
3. Same as the above Authors Notes, which factions/characters do you wanna see involved in the Minecraft free-for-all? And how would they try to get Jaune to help them?
Speaking of, as dictated by the commissioner, the story will be a harem with team RWBY and possibly Pyrrha down the line with Jaune. For those interested in the faction warfare and societal stuff, don't worry, it's definitely still a major part of the plot going forward.
With that in mind, I'm thinking of some factions who'll try to use Jaune for themselves. Gimme suggestions you guys have for changes/new groups:
Blake and Weiss - Already shown in this chapter.
Ozpin - Wants his help against Salem. Tries to appeal for the morality of helping stop Salem.
Ironwood - Wants him to make potions and equipment for his soldiers, plus airships and other tech. Not sure how Ironwood tries to sell equipping a foreign army.
Cinder - Wants his power for the sake of just having his power. Power lust and greed. Tries seduction.
Adam - Wants to either kill Jaune to spite the humans or enslave him to be a craftsman for the White Fang. Tries murder.
Happy Huntresses - Want him to improve Mantle as a small scale version of Blake's plans. Try to appeal to his sense of goodness. Sends Fiona to try and seduce him otherwise cause sheep girl.
On a side note, Gacha RWBY (RWBY characters get addicted to gacha games) Chapter 1 is out for supporters. Chapter 2 will be out soon as well.
Chapter 2: Staking their claim
Yang stretched her arms and walked down one of the castle's halls. Ruby was upgrading her weapon with the stud while Blake and Weiss went back down into town, leaving her all alone. Lame. Didn't they know a good Yang needed constant TLC? They were gonna pay for ditching her later.
Sure, she could go down to town too, but she wanted to check out the castle. She wasn't a craftsman (craftswoman?) like Ruby or snooty about history like Weiss, but she was still from Saunus. A proud independent Patch woman. Architecture was in their blood the same way snobbiness was in an Atlesian's. Their cathedrals were the best in all of Remnant, no matter how much Atlas and Mistral tried to sneer down at them as country bumpkins.
She walked down the hall and looked around. This place was huge. Not as big as Beacon, obviously, but still fucking enormous. She was betting that even Weiss Cream's mansion had nothing on this place. She eyed the gleaming silver suits of armor and the paintings on the walls. This place looked like it was ripped straight out of a Bunkers and Beowolves game. Then again, why was she surprised? Jaune just gave Weiss a diamond sword like it was no big deal.
The weight of the fist-sized Ruby in her jacket pocket reminded her that Weiss wasn't the only one who'd gotten a gift. She'd asked for a present mostly as a joke, she didn't expect him to actually give her one! Cause seriously, who just did that?
'The same kind of person who builds a castle for shits and giggles,' her brain snarked back. She kinda wanted to give it back, but that felt even more awkward! Ugh, she shoulda just kept her big mouth shut. But then again, another voice whispered, how much stuff could she get if she pawned the thing off? Bumblebee needed some upgrades and nightclubs would've been a hell of a lot more fun if she didn't have to worry about burning a hole in her pocket...
Shaking her head, Yang kept up her solo tour of the place. Jaune said they had free reign of the place while they were visiting. How did he not worry about someone stealing something? Or maybe he just didn't care. This was the same guy who gave out diamonds to people he just met.
She traced a hand across the wall. Not even a bit of dust. The place felt like it was preserved in time. Yang peeked inside one of the rooms. A queen-sized bed with a canopy, a window with a good view of the countryside, and the same fancy decorations the rest of the place had. Yang looked up at the crystal chandelier and...was that a painting of the stars on the ceiling? Brothers, this made their dormroom back at Beacon look like the poorhouse. She could tell it was a spare room too - it didn't look lived-in at all - and it made her wonder just how much more intricate the actual family bedrooms were.
Yang looked around for a moment and, after making sure there was no one around, she jumped and belly-flopped onto the bed.
Oh. My. Brothers.
Ever heard the expression 'like sleeping on a cloud'? Well, forget that noise. This was like she was sleeping on...she didn't even know how to describe it. It felt like every inch of her body was being massaged by the mattress and the pillow covering her face was so damn comfy that she wouldn't have struggled even if someone tried to smother her with it. Her thoughts drifted back to her bed at Beacon and she shuddered. Going back to that after just a brief taste of this...maybe she could exchange the ruby for one of these beds?
Her utter bliss was interrupted by the sound of laughter. Yang (hesitantly) pulled her head out of the pillow paradise and furrowed her brows. That didn't sound like anyone from her team - she'd know. Maybe Jaune's family came back? If they did, it'd be a pretty bad look for them to catch her napping on one of their beds. She forced herself out of her new best friend and made her way back to the hallway. Be rude of her not to introduce herself and explain why they were here.
The sounds of laughter led her to a slightly ajar door. Yang debated between knocking or just calling out to them when the door opened just a bit more and she was hit with the smell of booze and smoke, "So I bite the old boy in the ass!" A roar of laughter came in response. The accent was hard to place. It sounded South Valean, a real 'wrong side of the tracks' kind of voice, but there was something off about it that she couldn't really explain.
Curiosity got the better of her and she peeked inside the ajar door.
Only to quickly wish she didn't.
Dogs. Half a dozen of them. Now, Yang liked dogs. They were her favorite animal (sorry, Blake) and Zwei was the best doggo in the world. That didn't mean she wasn't gonna react at the sight of six dogs sitting around a table playing cards. No, she wasn't imagining it. Six guard dogs - three Atlesian Shepherds, two Pugs, and one Rotweiller - were sat upright around a table playing cards. The table was filled with cards, glasses of booze, and...were those cigars?! How in the heck did dogs get those?!
"I'm getting too fat," the rottweiler complained, "There haven't been any intruders to chase in months!"
"No one wants to mess with Master Jaune." One of the pugs picked up (HOW?!) a glass of whiskey and chugged it down before lighting up a new cigar, "It's more annoying that we can't do anything about those cats down in town. Smug pussies think they're so much better than us. Bet they won't be so smug once I get my paws on 'em!"
"Hey now, the Master's friend is okay," the other pug said.
"Rrrgh, fine, but all those other cats!" The pug growled.
"Fuck cats. Let's talk about something better," One of the Atlesian Shepherds, "New people in town. And you know what that means." His mouth curled in a wolfish(heh) grin, "New bitches!"
The whole table was a mess of excited howls and barks. It didn't take a lot to figure out what kind of 'bitches' they were talking about, "Oh yeah, I saw 'em." Another Shepherd licked his lips, "Big golden retriever. I could tell just by looking at her. She's a workin' bitch." The other dogs howled in response, "I got a good look at her. She wasn't no mongrel or crossbreed. Nice smell too. Her owner named her Rosemary."
"A fine name for a fine bitch," one of the pugs nodded in approval. It was fucking freaky looking.
"I sniffed her butt earlier." The Shepherd somehow managed to make that sound dignified, "She sniffed mine too. We're going to meet up later, maybe howl at the big night light."
"Some dogs get all the bitches." The Rottweiler sniffed and drank his glass of gin, "I'll spend some time with the Master later. The family's worried about him. Whenever he gets into one of his moods he always forgets to eat or sleep."
"Master is very kind. He gives us good scratches and food that makes us smart. Master deserves better. His packmates should pat his head more." One of the Shepherds nodded sagely, "Lotta bitches in the village want him to sniff their butts but he never does. So sad."
"They should sniff his butt instead," the rottweiler howled sadly.
"Maybe the new visitors will do it." Wait, were they talking about team RWBY? "Four new bitches. I would've bit their butts if Master didn't say we should let visitors inside."
"I saw them," one of the pugs said, "The one in black and red smells like chocolate. Don't bite her. You'll probably die." Yang almost laughed at that. Despite her looks, Ruby more than ate her weight in chocolate and cookies. Yang had no idea how she was so thin, "The one in white hurts my nose. So full of that thing humans spray themselves with."
"The yellow one smells good. Like fried meat and burning wood." Yang's brows furrowed. Was she supposed to be flattered or offended? She resisted the urge to raise her arm and sniff, "But the other one..." He growled. It was a sound full of hate, "She smells like those damn cats. If she gets near the master, I'm biting her butt. Master deserves better than a cat that stinks like those smug pussycats. She should stay away." He growled again.
The dogs continued to chat and play cards. Any thoughts of going inside were immediately squashed by the part of her brain that still wanted the world to make sense. She grabbed the edge of the door to close it and give the doggos some privacy when it suddenly creaked.
The noise drew their attention. All six heads snapped to where Yang stood and the blonde found herself frozen as a dozen eyes bore into her. It was stupid - she could fight fucking Ursas, dogs were hardly a threat - but she found herself rooted to the spot anyway.
The human and the half-a-dozen dogs stared at one another for almost a full minute before the rottweiler spoke up, "Ya mind? We're having a private game here."
"R-Right, sorry." She closed the door, muffling the words and growls that came from the other side. Talking dogs. Talking dogs that drank, played poker, and talked about how much they liked butts and bitches. She'd literally seen just that.
...
Nope, nope, nope. Yang shook her head. She didn't see that at all. This was a dream and she was totally still asleep back at that amazing bed she'd flopped into earlier. Speaking of, she should get back to it. Maybe if she went back to sleep she'd wake up from this weirdass dream.
Yang turned around to do just that only to see Zwei walking down the hall with a cigar in his mouth and a little fedora draped over his head. He and Yang stopped to just look at one another. This time the stareoff lasted for just a few seconds before he slipped past her, went inside the room, and shut the door behind him...somehow. The dogs inside cheered at his arrival and yelled about how 'now it was a party' while Zwei barked back. He wasn't talking, but the others seemed to understand him just fine.
...
Okay, that was another thing she didn't see. Time to-
"Oh, hello!" A pair of eyes appeared in front of her. She didn't get the chance to scream and bat them away before the eyes turned into a multi-colored purple and cyan...thing shaped like a cat standing on a nearby cabinet, "A visitor? My oh my, Jaune is rather popular these days." It laughed, "Would you be interested in chatting for a while? Oh, I do so love talking to the new arrivals! They always have such fascinating stories, and so many are eager to talk!"
"Bwuh?" Yang said.
"Oh, where are my manners?" It licked its paw, "My name is...well, I am the Curious Cat, though everyone calls me Curious for short. It's both my name and describes me perfectly well." It jumped down from the cabinet and rubbed up against her legs, "Would you be willing to talk? You look like someone with a good story!"
...
Yang didn't say anything. She walked past the cat, ignored the sounds of howling dogs, and belly-flopped back onto the most amazing mattress on Remnant.
Weiss walked around the town aimlessly. She'd been in a foul mood after her brief argument with Blake and she hoped that taking in the sights would improve that. She looked around the buildings and hummed. From what she was told, Jaune built almost every single building in this burgeoning kingdom all on his own. The villagers tried to help where they could, of course, but his Semblance made it so that it was far quicker and more practical to simply do everything on his own.
She didn't know how to feel about that. While she was already planning to ensure Jaune's help for her plans, she also wasn't one on being completely dependent on others. She knew that she'd need Jaune's help to oust her father. After that, however, she hoped that she could stand on her own two feet. Jaune would give her the leg up she needed, certainly, but once she was established she would lead the SDC to a far more righteous path than her father ever did with her own power.
It was one reason she disagreed with Blake's plans. She hoped that Jaune could uplift Menagerie - and by extension, the Faunus - by turning the island into their own kingdom. It sounded good in theory, but would the Faunus truly be satisfied knowing that their elevated position came from the efforts of a single Human?
And how long would others have to wait for Jaune's help? While she understood that her own plans were a time investment, it was far less so compared to turning an entire island into a kingdom. And what about the White Fang? For someone who'd been so obsessed with them the past few weeks, she certainly seemed to ignore the fact that they would be less than amenable to a Human providing such crucial aid to their cause for equality.'
But what did she have to worry about? While she couldn't entice Jaune with money, she was sure that she could find some way to convince him to join her cause. Perhaps by leveraging possible connections to the newly reformed SDC? Money was immaterial to him, but she could offer other things. More than Blake, that was for certain. She was sure that he could find the value of forging connections with one of the most powerful organizations in Remnant, especially one led by a CEO with a debt of personal gratitude to him.
Her musings were cut off by a sudden voice.
"GREETINGS, CITIZEN!" She jumped up at the booming voice. Ignoring her instincts to draw Myrtenaster, she turned to the source of the sound and blinked at the sight of a nine-foot-tall stone golem. She'd seen Atlesian robots before - the SDC was working in tandem with the army to create the new Paladins - and yet she still found herself gaping at the sight of the stone sentry. Rather than sleek metal and wiring, the golem looked like a roughly carved statue with nothing powering it or enabling it to move.
And yet move it did.
"I'm not a-"
"FAREWELL, CITIZEN!" It saluted her and went on its merry way. Patrolling, perhaps? Weiss eyed its retreating form and looked it up and down, searching for any sign of what might've been powering it. Nothing. It looked like a carved statue and yet it moved like a robot powered by Dust. Yet another impossibility in the world Jaune Arc inhabited.
"Excuse me," she called out to a passing farmhand.
"Yes, ma'am?" he asked with a pleasant country drawl.
"Do you know how those golems are powered?" She gestured to the golem that was saluting another person as it walked through the gate leading outside.
"Don't rightly know." He hummed, "Never really thought about it much. I saw Jaune build one of 'em fellers once. Just puts 'em together out of some pieces of rock and then they start moving. He puts them outside usually so they can smack around any Grimm that gets past everything else. It must've been helping someone else." He rubbed his patchy chin, "Never seen 'em stop patrolling or need to get fixed, though. Those big boys walk all day and night."
"I see. Thank you." Weiss nodded and walked away, deep in thought. While she couldn't discount the possibility that they were powered by Dust, there was an equally likely chance that they were powered by something else entirely...or that they required no power source at all. The thought made her both excited and nervous. Her father secured his domination because of the fact that everything needed Dust to function. Some outside settlements used alternative power sources such as windmills, but they couldn't truly match Dust. Dust was power. It was energy, fuel, bullets...
Could Jaune change all that?
Weiss shook her head. Focus, she told herself. She could worry about that later. Right now she had to focus on her plans.
She wandered around the kingdom without a destination in mind. Truthfully, she was more focused on the people. Perhaps it was cynical of her, but she found herself looking for signs of discontent. Weiss had been raised on propaganda and doublethink. The employees were satisfied with their lot in life. Those who complained weren't justified, they were simply greedy and lazy. The Faunus weren't discriminated against, they were entitled and thought they deserved more than they were oh-so-generously given.
And so on and so forth. She'd heard the myriad of propaganda and justifications for over a decade now. It led to a rather pessimistic viewpoint she'd done her best to rein in ever since she arrived in Beacon. The world was far more complex than her father's propaganda machine liked to portray it as.
Case in point, Jaune's kingdom.
Weiss was adept at seeing under the masks people put up. It was a necessity when men and women thrice her age attempted to exploit her for their own benefit. Father was hardly a loving parent and he took her ability to see through deception (or not...) as a measure of whether she was worthy to be his heir.
Which was why she found it both amazing and relieving that she hadn't seen a single person putting on a mask. All around her, the villagers worked with a gusto that she'd never seen in anyone who worked under her father's management. Many of them had smiles on their faces and they worked in tandem with an easy cooperation that seemed more like they'd done it for years rather than mere months. Those taking breaks eagerly chatted with one another and they all did their best to ensure that the workload was easily shared.
What drew her attention the most, however, was the spirit of cooperation. Under her Father's rule, the SDC had fostered a culture of paranoia and mistrust. Employees were encouraged to stab each other in the back and used anything they could to gain a sense of superiority. Older employees lorded over younger ones out of perceived superiority and many sucked up to those they perceived as their betters. The Faunus received the worst of it. Even those at their lowest considered themselves better than them for no other than because Atlesian society deemed the Faunus lesser.
Weiss wanted to say that she was better than that, but she too had been blinded by prejudice up until recently. While she wouldn't apologize for her feelings on the White Fang - they hated her and she saw no reason to give them any leeway - not every Faunus was responsible for their crimes.
Her eyes were once again drawn to the farmers and laborers. Young and old, Humans and Faunus. It didn't matter. They all worked together as equals. A young Faunus man and a middle-aged Human man laughed and chatted like old friends as they worked the fields. Something like that would've never happened in one of the mines. Or if it did, it was an extreme rarity. Yet here it was treated as nothing special by everyone around them. An Arcadia where people stood as one.
This was what the SDC could've been. The SDC her grandfather built. A company built on the spirit of cooperation and fair treatment of its employees before her Father had corrupted it. This was what she could turn the SDC back into. A company that cared for others and made proud the lineage of the Schnee name. All of this - the spirit of cooperation and equality - could be spread across all of Remnant.
All she needed to do was ensure she received Jaune's help...
The sounds of whirring drew her attention elsewhere. Weiss watched, utterly gobsmacked, as the farmers left the freshly harvested field only for a machine to suddenly roll over the empty dirt. It looked like an oversized tractor or combined harvester, except instead of shearing away the fields, it spread seeds and water with extreme precision. That in and of itself wouldn't have been too odd. After all, she'd seen similar machines back at Atlas.
No, what really made her gape like a fish out of water was the sight of the plants growing right before her very eyes. Weiss rubbed her eyes to make sure she was seeing correctly. Yes, the crops were growing from fresh seedlings to assorted fruits and vegetables in a matter of minutes. And as soon as the crops finished growing, the farmers quickly set to harvesting them with practiced ease. Was that why they never had any problems feeding their rising population?
She stared at the machine which continued to plant more seeds and water. Could Jaune perhaps do the same with other resources? Perhaps Dust?
The possibilities made her feel lightheaded. Weiss took one last look at the efficient farmers before slowly walking back to the castle. She had to ponder some things...
At the other side of the settlement, Blake made her way through what could be considered the 'downtown' part of the city. While a decent part of the city was devoted to needed things such as agriculture and production, the other parts were more focused on what you might expect from a kingdom.
Settlements outside the walls were practical beasts by nature. Unlike the kingdoms, the threat of being attacked by Grimm or bandits meant that pragmatism won out over leisure. Villages and towns focused on ensuring production and protection. Militias and walls were crucial and the most common source of entertainment were bars. It was the easiest way to release the tension held by the villagers and helped foster a sense of camaraderie. Alcohol was a cheap repellent against negativity.
She remembered being so surprised when she first got into Vale. Movie theaters, nightclubs, bookstores, spas...any sort of Want was there for those who could afford it. While outside settlements did have those occasionally, it was unheard of for them to be present in such excess. Things like horror movies were considered contraband. Inside the kingdoms, they were amusements. Outside of them, however, the fear and dread they elicited could draw Grimm to the settlement.
Jaune's rising kingdom matched the likes of Vale in that regard. She couldn't walk down the street without spotting some form of entertainment. A movie theater showing horror films, a sports center, and an arena where people cheered in drunken revelry as people fought. There were shops too, which sold anything one could think of from armor and weapons to airships(!). Atlas would've had a heart attack at the sight of the ships being sold.
Blake's stomach grumbled and she made her way to a cafe. The waiter cheerily took her older of a fried fish meal and tea, The smell that wafted from the inside made her mouth water. She'd gotten used to subsisting on rations and foraging for her food in the past five years she spent with the White Fang. While Beacon was far better than what she was normally used to, the food tasted oddly bland considering the grade of ingredients they were working with.
Her eyes drifted over to the other cafe patrons and she lingered at the sight of a young couple. A female Cat Faunus and a male Human. They were clearly together judging by the way they held hands and laughed, leaning against one another without shame. The sight of it made her smile. Back in Vale, couples like them would have to hide their relationships. Oh, Vale claimed to be equal, but she knew from experience that a Human-Faunus couple would be considered 'eccentric' at best or freaks at worst.
And Vale was one of the nicer places to their kind...
Her cynical musings were cut off when the waiter returned with her food, which she quickly paid for. Blake sniffed the fish fillet appreciatively and, after a second to brace herself, bit into the crispy food.
Blake did not moan. She merely hummed in appreciation at the taste of the fried fish. And no, it did not not remind her of her mom's home-cooked meals. Don't be silly. Blake finished off the whole thing and even licked up the flakes. Just to not be rude, of course.
This was what Menagerie could be like, she thought as she left the cafe. A place where Humans and Faunus could live side-by-side without judgment. A home that was more than crammed together wooden huts. They could have a true sanctuary. A kingdom all on their own.
And Weiss would take that from them so she could take over a company she was already set to inherit. Blake wasn't petty enough that she couldn't see her teammate's good intentions, but compared to the salvation of the Faunus, Weiss' plan seemed so insignificant in comparison.
Blake stopped when she passed by a bookstore. While she would've been interested in checking it out regardless, the sign up front made her breath seize in excitement, "Auctioning a limited edition copy of Kunoichi Kitty: The Untold Chronicles." Her mouth went dry after she read it. Kunoichi Kitty was her favorite...tasteful literature, beating out even the Ninjas of Love. The plot, the setting, the characters...the PLOT. It was all so enthralling and she eagerly devoured every single book she could get.
Sadly, the author was a famous recluse and finding copies was hard. The Untold Chronicles was so rare that she heard that there were only 100 copies in all of Remnant. Finding one here was a miracle. She opened her wallet and gulped. 3000 lien, all the money she'd saved up over the past three years. What? It wasn't like being a terrorist for five years led to a lot of money-making opportunities. People signed up for the cause, not the salary and health benefits. They couldn't all get allowances from their rich parents.
Blake stepped inside and winced at the crowd of people - easily two dozen - already sitting down. She could tell by the looks on their faces that they were all true connoisseurs like her. She'd have enjoyed discussing the plot (and the PLOT) with them at any other time, but right now, they were her enemies. They all wanted the same thing here.
The store owner - an old man who looked to be in his eighth decade of life - spoke into the microphone with a nasally voice, "Thank you for showing up, everyone. I see we've got some new visitors too." His eyes scanned the crowd, "Well, there's no sense in dragging it out. We all know what we're here for."
He took out a briefcase from a nearby table and opened it slowly. Blake's breath hitched at the sight of the holy relic he so carelessly put on the podium, "Ninjas of Love: The Untold Chronicles." He coughed. If he got his spit in it she would kill him! "A collector's item. I've heard it's valuable, so let's start the bidding at 5000 lien."
...
What?
5000? She looked down at her wallet and found, much to her dismay, that she hadn't gotten 2000 extra lien since she last checked. M-Maybe he'd misspoken? He must have. He looked like he had one foot in the grave. He probably meant 500 or-
The middle-aged woman to her left raised her hand. Blake's turned to her in disbelief, "5000. Do we have 6000?" A young man two seats in front of her raised his hand, "6000. Do we have 7000?"
Up and up the number went. 10,000, 20,000, 40,000...Blake found herself frozen and helpless, unable to raise her hand even once as the bidding war escalated. This...This couldn't be happening. She'd finally found something that could give her true joy after so many years of struggle and now it was being taken from her. Didn't she deserve this? Deserve a reward for fighting for half a decade? Why was fate being so cruel?
And then a light, a memory of what could be her salvation. Blake groped desperately for her pouch and pulled out the gold bar Jaune had gifted her. She'd almost forgotten about it with her (selfless) plan to save Menagerie. She held it with both hands like a mother cradling her child and looked up just as the owner said, "70,0000. Going once, going twice-"
"80,000!" Blake said in a rush, raising her hand and the gold bar. All attention was drawn to her sudden entry. Many were surprised, and yet just as many looked at her with respect. Blake ignored them all and focused solely on the book.
"80,000. Going once, going twice...sold to the new arrival."
The crowd clapped politely while Blake nervously went in front. She took a deep breath to steady herself and walked up to the makeshift podium. The gold bar felt heavy in her hand and she handed it numbly to the old man, "Here..." Blake didn't even look at him or the crowd shuffling out of the store. All she cared about was the book. Her heart beat so loudly that it was all she could hear and she reached a tentative hand out to the holy scripture.
"Hold on a second," the nasally voice cut in. He slammed the gold bar on the table and gave her an unamused look, "What's the idea? This is only worth 75,000 lien."
"What? How could you tell?" Blake asked, disbelief cutting through her excitement.
"You ain't the first person who's tried to buy with gold and jewelry, little miss. Now, are we going to have a problem here or-"
"N-No! No problem!" Blake opened her wallet and pulled out the lien cards, "I-I have 3000 here. I know it's not enough, but I can get more!" How, her mind asked. Was she shameless enough to ask Jaune for another handout? It was one thing to ask him for help with the Faunus, but for something so selfish?
"Hm..." The old man took the lien cards from her and rubbed his chin, "There's a loan office a couple of streets down. You can get something there. They got reasonable rates. Or you can find some other way to get the 2000 lien. I'm gonna need it by the end of the day."
Blake bit her lower lip. A loan office...even thinking about it made her shudder. You could run from the Huntsmen and the Atlesian army, but debt collectors? They would hound you to the very ends of Remnant. Not even Adam would risk defaulting on a loan. Say what you will about her ex, but he had an amazing credit score.
Ultimately, she decided to bite the bullet and take a loan. The interest rate was 3 percent every month. It wouldn't take her much to pay it off if she did a couple of missions, but she'd have to convince the teachers to let her do some cleanup work. Or maybe she could beg Yang for a loan to pay off this one once Yang sold off the Ruby. Yang was a lot of things, but she wasn't a loan shark. Blake would still have to pay her back, but there wouldn't be any interest.
She went back and got the book. Once her fingers touched the smooth leather cover, she felt as if it was all worth it. Blake smiled brightly and returned to the castle with a skip in her step.
Weiss ran into Blake at the castle's entrance. Their previous argument was still fresh in her mind and she halfway expected her teammate to snap at her.
Instead, she had a dopey smile on her face - and dopey was the last word Weiss ever thought she'd use to describe Blake Belladonna - and pressed a book against her chest as if her life depended on it, "...What are you so happy about?" Weiss asked with a raised brow.
"Nothing." Her face flushed and she held the book tighter.
"Right..." Weiss crossed her arms. Something told her that way lay madness, "Well...I've been walking around trying to get a lay of the land. Would it be too much to assume that you changed your mind in the meantime?"
Blake's smile immediately disappeared and she looked at Weiss with a narrow glare, "No."
"Of course not." Weiss sighed, "Jaune helping me is for the greater good, you know."
"For who? For the people who already have more than enough?"
"For everyone." Weiss grit her teeth. The words came out far more strained than she would've liked, "I saw things down there. People working together equally with one another. It didn't matter their age or race, they cooperated with smiles on their faces. Imagine how much Remnant could be improved if the SDC was run like that. No more mining accidents because the company decided safety checks were too expensive. No more employees being mistreated and forced to work for pennies so some corrupt bastard can afford another mansion he'll never actually use."
"I thought you'd want the same thing, Blake!" Weiss threw her hands up, "Haven't the White Fang been attacking the SDC - my family - because they wanted equal treatment." Blake winced slightly at the reminder of how often Weiss had been at the other end of her former group's wrath, "Under my leadership, Faunus will finally be treated equally and Dust will be made far more available to all of Remnant. Villages outside the settlements won't have to pay through the nose just to afford Fire Dust that will let them survive the winter."
"It sounds like a pleasant dream, Weiss, but you're wrong about one thing." Blake's gaze was firm, "Your plan won't make us equal. We'll be treated better at the SDC, sure, but what about outside of it? How do better wages and more affordable Dust help the Faunus? We'd still be seen as nothing more than filthy animals without even a kingdom to go back to. Jaune can give us that. He can turn Menagerie into a true sanctuary for the Faunus so they aren't forced to survive in cities that treat them as second-class citizens."
"The Faunus will have the power to stand with their head held high. The other kingdoms can't ignore us if we've got a kingdom of our own. We don't have to hide and bow our heads because some racist asshole decided attacking us is the only way he can get some meaning out of his worthless life. We can have a chance at true equality, something we've been denied for as long as we've existed. How could I not fight for that chance?"
"And what about the White Fang?" Weiss raised her head, "For someone who has been positively obsessed with them for the past few weeks, you're quick to ignore the risk they pose. Do you believe that they would allow the Faunus to achieve equality if it comes at the hands of a Human?"
"That's..." Blake grit her teeth, "Not all of the White Fang hate Humans. Many of us just want equality."
"And just as many would abhor the idea of being reliant on a Human for anything. They'll sabotage any plan you make with Jaune." Weiss scoffed, "And even if they did accept his help, do you think the other Kingdoms will respect a Menagerie that houses the White Fang? Is Menagerie willing to disavow the White Fang if it means Jaune's help? If not, your plan is short-sighted and doomed to failure."
"As if you're any better." Blake scoffed, "Do you think your Dad and the rest of the snakes on his board won't try to take advantage of Jaune? Even if Jaune refuses, Jacques Schnee is not a man who's accustomed to being told no. And neither is General Ironwood. I'd take the White Fang over Atlesian politics."
The two of them glared at one another for a moment before going back inside. It was clear neither would convince the other about why they deserved Jaune's help more. Weiss sighed. She really did want to become friends with Blake, but right now, she felt as if their relationship was on tenterhooks. It wasn't as if she didn't understand Blake's motivations, she did, but her plan was simply far riskier and more of a time investment compared to her own.
They'd barely managed to step inside before they caught sight of Yang lying down on the couch with a look akin to someone who had stared into the abyss.
"Uh..." Blake nervously palmed her book.
"Blake, Weiss...this place is fucking weird," Yang said.
"Yeah." Weiss sighed again.
Thankfully, they didn't have to ruminate on that for long before they heard Ruby's voice, "Oh, that was amazing~" Weiss turned around and blinked at the sight of her partner. Ruby was never the neatest girl in Beacon. While her outfit was as ornate and well-fit as any other Huntresses, Ruby was a tomboy and a blacksmith at heart. Her quarter of the room was often messy with blueprints strewn haphazardly and weapon components littering her mattress and the floor. Wiess often had to remind her to clean up after herself.
Ruby looked like she'd been through a particularly in-depth 'caring session' (she called it that, not Weiss) for Crescent Rose. Her blouse and cloak were wrapped around her waist. Instead of the expected camisole, however, she wore a light green shirt that clung to her body due to how sweaty she was. Weiss' nose wrinkled and she tried to ignore both the smell and the grease smears on her cheeks. If only she'd brought her perfume along...
"Oh! You guys are back?" Jaune stepped into the living room last. He wasn't shirtless this time (pity...), though he'd rolled up his sleeves to his shoulders and the sweat had caused the light blue shirt to cling to his torso like a second skin. Weiss did her utter best to not stare at the line of muscles that his wet shirt did absolutely nothing to cover.
...
Okay, she stared heavily, but she still did her best not to! And it wasn't like Blake was any better. Blake tried and failed to look like she didn't care while Yang openly leered without any shame.
"Hey there, stud. You and Rubes have fun 'yanging' out?" Yang grinned, forcefully ignoring her previous look of shock.
The rest of Team RWBY groaned. Yang's puns were incorrigible and weeks of her trying to force them to see how 'funny' she was hadn't done her any favors.
Jaune, proving once again how alien he was in this world, actually laughed at the horrible, "Haha. 'Yanging' out. I get it. Good one."
"Huh. At least someone here has a sense of humor." Yang laughed in turn and then gave the three of them the biggest, smuggest smile. Weiss rolled her eyes, "So...what were the two of you doing?"
"Oh, oh, oh!" Ruby squealed, loud enough to make Weiss wince, and unfurled Crescent Rose again, "Me and Jaune did some crafting and now Crescent Rose is gonna do WAY more damage against Grimm!" She paused, "I mean, I haven't tested it yet, but it's pretty obvious that everything Jaune makes works perfectly!"
"I wouldn't say that, but thanks." Jaune laughed and rubbed the back of his head, "It was nice talking to someone as interested in crafting as I am. Maybe we can do some more upgrades next time?"
"We super will!"
Ruby squealed again and, before any of them could react, she wrapped her arms around Jaune's neck and kissed him on the cheek. Weiss blinked at the sight and didn't realize her hands her balled into shaky fists till she felt her nails digging into her palm. Blake's eyes narrowed, though she didn't react overly much.
The same couldn't be said for Yang. The blonde looked utterly gobsmacked at Ruby. Among everyone on the team, Ruby had been the least interested in relationships. Yang peeked into the boy's locker room, she had her short-lived crush on Neptune, and even Blake read those pornography books she thought she kept hidden from the rest of the team. Ruby had once bragged that she knew more about the inner workings of a rifle than interpersonal relationships.
Ruby seemed to remember that she wasn't alone and pulled back from Jaune, face as red as her cloak, "S-Sorry!" she squeaked.
"It's fine. You were excited." He smiled back somewhat awkwardly, his own cheeks somewhat red, "S-So what are your plans?"
A lot of things, mostly including trying to convince Jaune to help her for the good of all Remnant. Since she couldn't say that, however, Weiss instead said, "Technically, our mission is complete, but our allotted time for the task is three days." When she first heard of the mission she'd rolled her eyes and assumed it was would be a quick in-and-out. Now she thought that a mere three days wasn't long enough, "We'll be staying at an inn - or a hotel, I suppose - in town. The teachers gave us a stipend for just that."
"A hotel? You don't have to do that. There are tons of guestrooms here! You guys can stay in one. Only if you want to, of course!"
Normally, a man trying to offer four women he'd barely known a place to stay would make Weiss suspicious, but Jaune was sincere enough. And besides, it would give her more of a chance to convince him about helping her with her plans, "Well...we all graciously accept." The rest of team RWBY agreed with her and they went to get the luggage that had been sent ahead to the hotel.
The room Jaune led them to easily matched the opulence of Schnee manor. No, that wasn't right. This place felt...warmer, if that was the right word. Every part of it felt as if it was created with care, "Hm." Weiss sat on a nearby desk and took out her scroll after setting the diamond sword down while the others situated themselves. Ruby had gone to the bathroom for a quick shower, Blake was reading that oh-so-precious book of hers, and Yang was lying drinking a soda she got from the mini-fridge and staring at the ruby she held with her right hand.
Ruby stepped out of the bathroom minutes later with a fresh change of clothes, "Whatcha doing, Weiss?" she asked.
"Making the report we're giving to Miss. Goodwitch." Which was supposed to be Ruby's job as leader. Something the younger girl seemed to realize judging by her wince.
"Oh...I-I could do it if you want?"
"Nevermind. I'll be correcting it anyway before you send it." Weiss shook her head. Ruby had many good qualities as a leader, but paperwork wasn't one of them.
"Thanks, Weiss."
Silence settled over the room. Weiss continued to type while Ruby had taken to sharpening and cooing at her scythe. Huntsmen had a special bond with their weapons, but Ruby took it to some downright uncomfortable levels.
The semi-comfortable quiet was broken when Yang suddenly spoke up.
"I'm gonna date Jaune."
The reaction was instantaneous. Weiss dropped her scroll, Blake dropped her book, and Ruby dropped Crescent Rose. The last one was surely a sign of the end times, "Y-You can't!" It took Weiss a few seconds to realize that she'd been the one to say it.
"Uh...pretty sure I can?" Yang raised a brow and sat up on the bed, "Like, I can go to his room right now and tell him I wanna go out with him. Pretty sure I got a good shot of him saying yes." Yang smirked and crossed her arms under her chest.
"Wh-Why do you wanna date him?!" Ruby cried in a panic.
"He's nice, he's buff, he's got a good sense of humor...do I really need to go on?" Yang shrugged.
"All this because he laughed at your stupid pun?" Blake scoffed.
"Excusing you? It was a great pun! It's not my fault you guys can't see my comedy genius."
"You can't date him, Yang. You'll ruin everything," Weiss said firmly. Right now, Jaune Arc was (presumably) a free agent. If Yang got her grubby hands on him then he'd never agree with her plan. Not unless Yang could convince him, and Weiss doubted she cared about the Dust situation and the state of the SDC's employees.
"Yeah, Yang. Think about more than just having fun," Blake added.
"Wait, what are you two talking about?" Ruby rounded on them.
Weiss winced. She was tempted to lie or come up with an excuse, but Ruby was oddly perceptive at the worst of times. She knew making up a story wouldn't work here. Sighing, she told Ruby about her and Blake's plans to enlist Jaune's help. The Faunus looked obviously annoyed at being outed, but if Weiss was going to confess then there was no way she'd give Blake an undue advantage by covering for her. She still needed her plan to succeed.
Ruby looked at both her and Blake with an expression of pure disappointment, "Y-You two are so selfish!"
"What?! How am I selfish?! I'm doing this for the good of the SDC's employees and all of Remnant!" Weiss shot back.
"This isn't for me, Ruby. This is for the Faunus," Blake said after.
"You two can dress it up all you want, but you're both just trying to use Jaune!" Weiss winced. It certainly seemed that way at a glance, "We just met him today and you're already thinking up schemes to have him do what you want! That's selfish!"
"Yeah, I'm with Rubes here. That's pretty messed up." Yang added.
"Hey, you're not off the hook either!" Ruby rounded on her now, "You were the one who asked Jaune for free stuff and took that ruby!"
"It was a joke! ...Sort of!" Yang groaned, "What do you want? I can't just give it back now! It'll be super awkward!"
"All of you are just trying to use Jaune." Ruby crossed her arms and harrumphed, "I think it's best that I date him instead. At least I'm not in it for anything."
"Now you want to date him? Since when?" Weiss raised a brow.
"S-Since earlier! He's my s-soulmate!" Ruby said it fiercely. Or at least she tried to. The stutter and red face ruined the effect.
"Soulmate? You still believe in that stuff, Rubes? That's cute." Yang laughed.
"Rrrgh, don't look down on me, Yang!" She pointed at her, "You'll see! I'll go out with Jaune and we'll be crafting partners! And unlike some people, I'm not doing it because I want Jaune to do me favors."
"Hm. And I'm sure the upgrades to Crescent Rose have nothing to do with it, right?" Blake asked, voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Th-That's different! We did that together! I didn't ask him to do stuff for me!"
A tense, heavy silence settled over the room. Weiss looked at each of her teammates - her friends - and let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. They all wanted Jaune. Maybe not for the same reasons, but they wanted him all the same. Weiss would've been lying if she said she wasn't worried, but she quickly dispelled the thought. She was Weiss Schnee. Even if she couldn't rely on money to convince Jaune, she had other methods.
None of them said a word to one another as they turned off the lights and went to sleep. Their friendships would survive this, she was certain of that, though she expected that things would be tense for the next few days. Honestly, couldn't they all see that her plan was the most sensible? And it wasn't as if she would force Jaune into anything. She'd find a way to convince him on why supporting her would be for the best.
...
...
...
"Oh yeah, you're a bad bitch. Raise that butt up higher," a voice said outside their window. It was quickly followed by some barks.
"What the hell was that?" Blake asked.
"Trust me, you don't wanna know," Yang said. Her voice was flat and oddly serious.
The three of them decided Yang was right and they all went to sleep, ignoring the sounds of howling that lasted throughout the whole night.
Jaune's out here just casually breaking the setting. It's gonna be chaos once the stuff in Domremy spreads to the kingdoms and people realize just how busted Minecraft powers are in a pseudo-death world setting. There's a reason I called this 'Raise but not as dark' elsewhere.
Anyway, the four members of team RWBY have staked their claim on Jaune. Let's see how this goes. Oh, and Curious Cat means that Jaune has a way to travel to the Ever After. I'm sure that won't be a problem.
Questions:
1. How do you guys think each member of Team RWBY would try to seduce Jaune? Yang is likely a flirt, but what about the other three? Ruby has never shown interest in romance while Blake and Weiss are used to being pursued rather than the other way around.
2. Following up on Weiss' question, do you think the White Fang (or even the Faunus as a whole) would let their technological leap come at the hands of a Human? Especially Sienna given that she died before her character could be well-established.
3. Same as the above Authors Notes, which factions/characters do you wanna see involved in the Minecraft free-for-all? And how would they try to get Jaune to help them?
