Sneaking His Way into the Multiverse (RWBY Jaune, WC-lite mechanics)

[Idovelicus]

Not guy lie the the 'mysterious' guys at the end gives me incel vibes that say to me he's the type of person to drag people down to his level because he has nothing better to do.

Not sure how I got there but hey.

Click to shrink...

Yeah no. That's the Outsider. Think of him as a psychic who ascended to be basically Nyarlathotep. He has been worshipped by mystery cults for centuries, and the whalebone charms are talismans made by his worshippers.
He gives his blessing to anyone he finds interesting, and then sees what they do with it. He's why Corvo can teleport. But he's also why the princess' kidnapping was successful (as the kidnapper had had his blessing for years).
Right now, Jaune is someone who just came crashing into the story he was watching. And then he went ahead and brought down the defense that kept him from being mindfucked. So yeah, Jaune is currently in a dream, taken over by the Outsider, who came in to see what was up.
The Outsider is almost certainly asexual and aromantic, so definitely not an incel, and it would be hard for an eldritch deity to drag you DOWN to their level. And of course dragging you up would probably just break your mind.
But then, that's not unheard of among his worshippers.

 

[Rehcra]

Yeah no. That's the Outsider. Think of him as a psychic who ascended to be basically Nyarlathotep. He has been worshipped by mystery cults for centuries, and the whalebone charms are talismans made by his worshippers.
He gives his blessing to anyone he finds interesting, and then sees what they do with it. He's why Corvo can teleport. But he's also why the princess' kidnapping was successful (as the kidnapper had had his blessing for years).
Right now, Jaune is someone who just came crashing into the story he was watching. And then he went ahead and brought down the defense that kept him from being mindfucked. So yeah, Jaune is currently in a dream, taken over by the Outsider, who came in to see what was up.
The Outsider is almost certainly asexual and aromantic, so definitely not an incel, and it would be hard for an eldritch deity to drag you DOWN to their level. And of course dragging you up would probably just break your mind.
But then, that's not unheard of among his worshippers.

Click to shrink...

Yeah I know.

I'm just saying that the way it's written gives me the same vibes as those righteous character who like to pull people down saying they could do better.

I was talking about the writing and vibe not the actual character itself that why I put quotation on mysterious.

 

[AeonForger]

On the one hand, Jaune figuring out what's what soonish and turning Blank back up would probably be the right move.
On the other hand, it might annoy the Outsider or possibly worse, make our duo even more interesting.

 

[shadowace2400]

He ALSO really wouldn't mind to just... stop existing by this point. He basically handholds the ex assassin with plans to kill him to his anchor body because at this point he's just kinda tired and bored with existence after it all. Also not helped that he didn't ascend by choice, he kinda was just a random kid that was kidnapped by a cult and made the center of a ritual wherein he's basically strapped to an altar and stabbed with a weird super special knife with the intention of making him basically the focal point of the Void. Notably, he didn't exactly get a choice in this, and kinda laments that for all his phenomenal cosmic power, he's basically cut off from almost the entirety of the normal world and can only really interact with people he foists power on. He's also really pretty bored at this point.

 

[Heliel43]

I haven't played Assassination of Outsider yet, so is outsider bad guy or neutral as he portrayed himself as?

 

[LuminousBlackrock]

So whatever happens now is Lisa's fault

 

[AshenOne]

Not guy lie the the 'mysterious' guys at the end gives me incel vibes that say to me he's the type of person to drag people down to his level because he has nothing better to do.

Not sure how I got there but hey.

Click to shrink...

Pretty sure he's the Outsider.

Guessing because Jaune forgot to turn on Blank again, he's now in the Void.

 

[Coda1000]

Ye, I can see why the Outsider would be interested in Jaune.

Probably the weirdest person he's seen since his uh, "ascenscion", at least while Blank was active and Aura also most likely would look weird.

Though idk what the cheater thing would be about, again prolly Blank but who knows. (The author, the authors knows)

Thanks for the chapter~~

 

[Phantom Blaster]

The Outsider always reminded me of that moment of 'I don't give a shit anymore' and just YOLO because there isn't anything else to do but to everyone else is like a Mastermind, like a reversed version of Cyphas Cain. Or when someone made that Chaos God Kermit gives me that same energy when I see the Outsider.

 

[Czlyydwr Llrngwl]

So judging by the other comments, not nearly the mysterious asshole about to play the pronoun game while explaining nothing that I was expecting from the text. How rare.

 

[edoa]

uh Tattletale helped out, that's good. I was sure her complexes and need to prove herself better would have caused a mess after she was called a prostitute...

 

[Swindle66]

This story has been pretty good so far. Looking forward to more.

 

[NineYetis]

Ye, I can see why the Outsider would be interested in Jaune.

Probably the weirdest person he's seen since his uh, "ascenscion", at least while Blank was active and Aura also most likely would look weird.

Though idk what the cheater thing would be about, again prolly Blank but who knows. (The author, the authors knows)

Thanks for the chapter~~

Click to shrink...

The cheater is probably another reference to his transcripts given the memory Jaune thinks of before hand.

 

[DiscardedProfile]

Just read the whole story, this is great. Lisa's well characterised, Jaune too, and it's got a great use of the company in an interesting manner. Watched as fuck.

 

[Sofyan]

Yeah, no, lisa is too annoying brother. Hopes she got mindbroken or personality-reset in dozen chapters or so.

 

[LazyAutumnMoon]

Confused, unbalanced, Jaune still had the wherewithal to level an unamused look at the stranger.

"Rude."

The man tilted his head, and Jaune suppressed a shiver as he received the full effect of those unnatural, pitch-black eyeballs focusing on him. Light just…dies in them.

"Do you object to the appellation? Pardon me. I intended no offense, and am merely conveying what I have observed."

So the man said, and the tone almost sounded contrite, but the unchanging expression made it difficult to believe his apology. Also, didn't the last part boil down to the same insult, worded in a different way? Jaune mulled over the line in his mind, then scowled as he arrived at the conclusion that, yes, it did. Indignation spurred him to retort.

"If that's an honest mistake, then I'll eat my boots."

Shadowy wisps coalesced into a pair of sneakers. Identical to the ones on his feet, they bobbed up and down in front of him, striving to appear tasty.

Ghost! Ahhhh!

Outwardly, Jaune projected calm; the first rule of fighting Grimm was that you don't panic, and it's a lesson applicable to most combat situations, whether that involved giant monsters, teleporting assassins, or footwear-summoning poltergeists. You know, the usual. No bigs. He's got this.

Jaune batted the shoes aside. "Haha, very funny. Who are you, and what's with calling me a cheater?...Also, where are we? How did I get here? What did you do to Tattletale? Why does this look like my room? Frankly, I've got so many questions." Oh great, he's panicking.

"Most do, when they are drawn into this realm," the stranger said as he leaned on the desk, arms crossed. "As to your first question, I am the Outsider." A shrug. "Yes, not much of a name, is it? That was lost to the Void an age ago. If you happen to find it, do let me know. In any case, you see why I put stock in one's nature over one's name."

"And your no-doubt stellar judgment says my nature is a cheater?" Jaune hoped this 'Outsider' heard loud and clear the skepticism laden in his tone. He worked hard on it.

"Can you say that I am wrong? Take a look at where you began." The man swept a hand around the bedroom. "Here lies the destiny of Jaune Arc. Small town boy to small town man, to small town end. His life was short and sweet." His other hand picked up the sheaf of papers on the desk, holding them in a way that allowed Jaune to read his own name on the fake transcripts. "But then, one day he concocted a falsehood, and that fate was no more. Cheating got him ahead when honesty could not."

Erk. Point.

"That was a one-off thing," he protested.

"So you often tell yourself. It is not everyday that I meet a man who can fool even his own person. You have a gift."

The Outsider let go of the transcripts. Rather than falling, the papers defied gravity to float off into the vast emptiness above. The brief distraction drew Jaune's focus, and once he lowered his gaze, the other man had vanished with a swirl of smoke fading away in his wake.

"I would not tarry in one place overlong," said the Outsider's disembodied voice. "The Void abhors permanence."

No sooner were those words spoken, a rumbling passed through the copy of Jaune's bedroom. Books dropped off their shelves and the floor began to buckle, wood planks snapping from the strain. He had scarcely a second to leap forward when the previous spot he stood in crumbled to pieces.

Jaune stared at the debris falling in a descent he suspected might go on forever. Loathe as he was to heed this Outsider, running seemed the necessary move at the moment.

With a last longing glance at his home, Jaune sped across the small landmass, sneakers pounding on stone as dark as the Outsider's gaze. The path ahead tapered to a point. Lacking a choice, he ran down it. Relief flooded him as a second island situated below the one he was on drew into view past the approaching edge. He made that his destination and leaped for it upon the final step.

The best that could be said of his landing was that he avoided a faceplant. Hands and knees took the brunt of the impact, with him collapsing in a heap on the ground afterward. He bit down on a yelp as the freezing surface touched his bare skin. Colder than the frigid air, cold enough to hurt, mere seconds of contact and he was already forced to push himself upright.

The gasp came unbidden.

What lay before him was not a barren rock in a sea of nothingness anymore, but the shining Beacon, emerald tower and all. Three familiar faces stood on the front steps, motion stopped midway as they waved to him. Tears sprang to Jaune's eyes…and the black-eyed bastard ruined it by reappearing at his side, propping an arm on his shoulder.

Don't act like we're friends or anything!

"Ah, the vaunted halls of future heroes. The first lie may have allowed you entrance, yet I say the lies that followed did their part to maintain the fiction."

"...You're not wrong, I'll admit, but I've since earned a spot there."

"Of course, and the manner in which you accomplished it was pure art. Almost a year, you've survived, scrambling from one mishap to another until you cement your presence among greater individuals, accepted as their equal despite starting out with nothing but a false pretense. Aside from those in possession of prior knowledge, only a single person ever suspected, and she turned into your greatest ally."

On that last point, they agreed. Pyrrha went above and beyond their friendship to help strengthen him. He owed her much.

The Outsider turned around, letting go of Jaune to cross his arms. Jaune likewise spun to look in that direction, and paled as he recognized himself. Whoo, boy, were a lot of his insides outside.

"All that, just to lead here, where the choices you've made seemingly brought you to a poor end. The world tumbles down. Your partner sets off to meet her destiny."

Jaune experienced a vision of fire. He heard his own scream, sounding broken.

Whatever that was, he did not like it.

"Then, there you were, bleeding out on the ground, your blade mortally wounding the hero of the story."

Boots crunched on rocks as the Outsider walked over and knelt at the side of the second body. Tousled black hair framed a handsome face, one twisted into a hateful grimace. Eyes of a gemlike green sent a redundant promise of death to the other Jaune.

"What a nasty way to go. The regrets, the disbelief. He never truly realized he could die. He thought his fun will continue forever. I would have enjoyed his story, the birth of a new god. Such plans he had, brought low by an unlikely source, the one true deed you've accomplished in life. And yet…"

This time, the ground broke without warning. Jaune lost sight of the Outsider as he fell. Rocks and bricks transformed to dark wisps around him, obscuring his sight as he struck the next slab of stone. They cleared to reveal the looming visage of a beast. Leviathan.

The Outsider was sitting on its shoulder.

"And yet, it would not be the last. Someone who should be dead, broke the rules and lived again," the Outsider said. He observed not the monster, but the girl standing beside the statuelike figure of Jaune, her fists clenched in determination. "In a different future, she would at this moment lay on a cot in a medical tent, half the bones in her body shattered as she clings on to life. The thing you call Leviathan would be just outside, having thoroughly broken the city's defenders."

Jaune startled. "Would Sundancer have—"

"Died? Perhaps. That future ceased to exist when she mistook you for a hero and marched to your beat, realizing too late that you had no idea what you were doing. Astounding, that she used your example of all things to grow into a real hero herself."

"Well, I'm glad I went to Brockton Bay if that's the case." His voice cracked near the end, visions of Sundancer's fate otherwise playing in his head.

Silence answered him. Turning his head this way and that, Jaune searched for the Outsider. No luck, but he did see a jagged set of stairs formed by the island leading up to a smaller platform.

Ascending to the top, Jaune faced the exterior of the Hound Pits Pub. The Outsider reformed next to a window, leaning on the wall. On the other side of the glass, the core members of the Loyalist plot were deep in discussion. As Jaune neared, the man addressed him.

"When did it happen? Lies turning into truths, words giving rise to actions. Your appearance in this world allowed me to observe your past, the tale of what I deemed a most uninteresting soul at the start. I then watched as you derailed your story again and again, before moving on to a new stage to do the same. Now, the twice-lived boy boldly pulls at the threads of a story marked by my influence."

A theory reared its head as backhanded praises heaped upon backhanded praises, suggesting to Jaune that the neutral tone conveyed approval more than animosity or sarcasm. It would require a mind alien towards normal sensibilities to compliment his unfortunate penchant for deceit, which…sounded all too possible with this guy.

"You're not angry at me, are you?"

"In some ways, anger is beyond me. I was… mildly vexed, perhaps, in the beginning. Yet, I asked myself, why should I be?" Peering inside the pub, the Outsider continued, voice growing even duller if that was possible. "This world has gotten so stale. The same old places, the same old faces. They play out a tired game, and the flashes of their brilliance to light up my existence in this cold, dark Void are few and far in between. Before your arrival, I would have wished for an ending to it all."

"Is that not the case now?"

"No. Today, I rediscovered a feeling long faded, a yearning to witness something new. Look what you've done to me." He turned to show his face. His completely blank face. "For the first time in a very long time, I cannot guess the way the story goes. How exciting."

"Honestly? I can't tell. You've got one of those faces," Jaune deadpanned. "But that's what I am to you? Some kind of show?"

"A show, a possibility, a change. What fun you promise to be, the one who cheated life, cheated death, cheated everybody you've ever met."

"I mean… there's Tattletale?"

"Give it time. I believe in you."

Ouch. The words hit harder when he knew it's earnest.

"Still, one never tapdances on quicksand for long. I've seen it enough times to tell you a single slip is all it takes. You, as you are, would be hard pressed to go much further past the shores of Dunwall. I can help with that." He extended a hand. "I shall grant you my Mark."

"Your Mark?"

"Power." was the simple reply. It seized Jaune's undivided attention.

Cautious, he asked, "Why give that so freely? What's the catch?"

"Color me curious. There is no catch but the ones you make for yourself. As another being once did, I am wagering on your potential."

Jaune got the feeling that Ozpin and the Outsider diverged on their definitions of potential. Likely, it was akin to the difference between a hero and a clown.

"I really hate that attitude of yours, thinking I'd have to dance to your tune."

"Then, I suppose you ought to do something about it, unless you enjoy the life of a leaf buffeted by the winds." The Outsider leaned forward. Black eyes bore into Jaune, rooting him in place. "Where will you go from here?"

With a yelp, Jaune grabbed his left hand. The sensation of heat seared the limb from within, unquenchable by the freezing winds around him.

On the back of his hand, lines emerged, etching a familiar design. The symbol he had seen on the whalebone rune became emblazoned on his skin, flashing a brief golden light before it settled into a dark tattoo.

"Let's find out."

Jaune tried to reply, but paused as a shape drifted into view behind the Outsider. A great whale swam its way across the Void. Beyond the display of magic, the scenes from his memories, and the branding, it was the appearance of the fish that overcame the false impression of reality reinforced by the biting cold he felt to his bones. Sheer absurdity brought epiphany.

Oh, I think I'm in a dream.

As if on cue, Jaune's eyes fell shut, and his consciousness fled.

-o-​

Jaune awoke to warmth, body buried under a blanket. He pressed his face into the pillow to block out the rays of sunlight beaming through the window.

Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. Vivid memories of the dream sent him scrambling out of bed, and he cast a wary gaze around the room, exhaling in relief when he spied the bed Tattletale slept in yesterday. Things were as they should be. She had left the room, but that could just be a case of getting breakfast or washing her face.

He checked his hand. The Mark stared back at him.

Or, maybe, she had been abducted by a black-eyed entity.

Grabbing Crocea Mors, Jaune inched over to the door and cracked it open, ready to retreat at a moment's notice. A hallway greeted him in place of the Void. Mundane, boring, safe. He threw the door back to step out of the room.

The hustle and bustle of people elsewhere in the building marked a busy morning full of activity. Something was cooking, going by the scent wafting from below. A raucous din on the next floor up seemed a possible candidate for his companion's handiwork.

"Ah, John. Just the person I wanted to see!"

Jaune turned in the other direction to see the admiral, Farley Havelock, exiting his personal quarters. The older man looked a lot more jovial this morning, scarred face smiling to suggest he was not in any way the type to shoot an unarmed girl as bait. He beckoned for Jaune to approach.

"Are you amenable to a spot of exercise in the practice yard?"

"Not to offend, but can it wait? I'm about to go check up on Tat—Taylor."

"That…girl?" A scowl stole over Havelock's countenance, and he loaded the word 'girl' with the sort of emotions one would reserve for fouler epithets. Tattletale, what did you do? "She is with the womenfolk, I believe. Leave them to it. Come, this will not take long. I would like to get the measure of the man I am sending on a mission, you understand?"

He phrased it as a request. His insistence said otherwise. Begrudgingly, Jaune agreed that the man had a valid point, in that a job like abducting a princess from the people who abducted her in the first place called for the best of the best—or two people claiming such credentials, at least—and verifying that was a simple matter of prudence. Annoying, but valid nevertheless.

"Fair enough. I'll eat breakfast, then join you."

"A few drills will improve your appetite." No, he didn't need help there, he's already hungry. "It won't be but a moment. Come."

…Haaaaa.

"You know what, I could do with a spar after all. Lead on."

"Capital!"

The admiral would not say that if he was capable of peering into Jaune's mind. No chance to wash his face, no bacon, no coffee!? Someone will die today.

Jaune accompanied Havelock to the rear entrance of the pub that led to the spacious loading yard, once used to move casks of wines and beers produced in the adjacent brewery to other ports along the coast. At the far end, a warehouse hemmed in the area, while an outbuilding sitting on the opposite side hosted a workshop out of which emanated the occasional zap and clang. From this vantage point, Jaune could see the bridge that a former owner had built to connect the pub's fourth floor to the nearby derelict tower, using the eyesore as a secondary residence. The tall walls on three fronts afforded a level of privacy to their activities.

Unfortunately, said activities did not include a spar where Jaune can 'accidentally' swing for the admiral's nose, nor was it a simple exercise session. Instead, Havelock summoned the bespectacled man from yesterday—Piero Joplin, who resided in the workshop—to run a series of tests on Jaune's capability. Lifting weights, timed runs, even an arrow-dodging trial that doubled as an experiment on durability, Joplin was giddy as a child on his birthday at witnessing the perks of Aura. A brief conversation revealed him to be a prolific inventor and scholar, with the man inviting Jaune and Tattletale to pay him a visit prior to setting out—while bringing Crocea Mors along for him to study, of course.

His enthusiasm in regards to Aura was matched by that of Havelock. The admiral oversaw the testing with a critical eye at first; he changed his tune as Jaune carried barrels of ale on his shoulders that should each have required two men to lift, or drop from the roof to the ground unscathed. By the end, the man was left shaking his head in awe, even clapping for feats he deemed particularly impressive.

"How?" he asked. "What are you?"

Jaune shrugged. "Eh, it's no big deal where I'm from."

"Where is that, by the way? I've sailed to every corner of the Empire, but your accent eludes me. There's a touch of the Poolwick lilt to the way you talk, yet it does not quite fit."

Uh oh. "I came from that region thereabout, far out in the sticks. A real backwater town that you wouldn't ever hear of."

"Is that so?" Havelock expressed his doubts. "And you say this level of prowess is common there? Can anyone learn it, or is it due to one's bloodline? If you wouldn't mind, I have a number of colleagues who may be interested in studying your case."

He missed Worm. His excuses worked a lot better when superpowers were commonplace. People asked fewer questions. Hoping to avoid further scrutiny, Jaune brought out the big guns.

"Oh, look. A distraction!" He pivoted on the balls of his feet, prepared to run, but stumbled as the unthinkable happened.

Havelock did not turn around.

Jaune stared at him in complete disbelief. How? HOW!? That always works. You call out 'distraction' and people become distracted. It's–it's built into the collective psyche or something, practically a rule of the universe!

"I— well— Boy, am I hungry. This has been fun, but I really should go. Laters!"

Run for it!

Ducking inside the pub, Jaune slammed the door shut behind him, and hurried down the corridor to escape from the error back there. Amidst panic, he retained the presence of mind to detour through the kitchen, absconding with a plate of eggs, bacon, and bread along with a few apples, afterward retreating to the upper floors.

On the second floor landing, he paused upon catching a hushed conversation between two women on the stairs above.

"She refused to wear it! Refused!"

"What did you expect? You heard how Lord Pendleton was ranting about her last night."

"I thought the old pervert was exaggerating! You wouldn't think it true, seeing how well she takes care of herself."

The other person sneered. "It's wasted on her. Hair soft as silk, skin fair as a princess…and not an ounce of decency to speak of. Callista nearly had conniptions when she wouldn't tighten the corset."

"And what she did to Emma? I can still hear the poor girl crying from here."

"...I actually enjoyed that. Never liked her. Too uppity."

It sounded like Tattletale was having trouble making friends with the Loyalists. And having a blast tearing those same people apart.

Jaune circled the balustrade to continue ascending the staircase, though he was unsure if he would be heading up there to lend the girl a supportive hand or to rescue everyone else from her brand of trouble. The two women noticed him and their talk devolved into stammering, embarrassment mixed with worry. He regarded them with chilliness to indicate that he had overheard what they said.

"I'm looking for my friend." He pointed past them. "Has she finished with whatever she's doing?"

Flustered, the woman on the left frantically nodded, but her partner hemmed and hawed. Jaune cocked an eyebrow at the latter, prompting in her a change of heart.

"F-finished. Right. I suppose that she is." A hint of distaste remained in her words. Before Jaune could address it, the voice of Tattletale rang out above them.

"John, is that you there? Please tell me you have food, I'm starviiiing!"

He did have food. His food. Good luck to her getting any of it. Hoisting the plate high, he skirted around the group on the stairs. Whispers followed him.

"I take it back. That man is the one with skin like a princess."

"He's wasted on her, too."

"W-wait, is he going to—?"

A door sat ajar just off the landing with commotions heard within. Jaune knocked on it twice, then entered the large common room when Tattletale shouted for him to come in.

A gasp sounded out behind him, echoed by others inside. One of them, a stern woman in her forties, covered her mouth with a hand, absolutely appalled at the sight of some guy holding a plate.

What was her deal?

Distinctly uncomfortable, he scanned the room for Tattletale, spotting her in front of a mirror. She fluttered her fingers at him in the reflection.

She looked…different.

Rather than the black and purple bodysuit, Tattletale donned a dress in the fashion one would see in a museum, the kind that a person can properly flounce in, all frills and ruffles and lace. Her blond hair had been braided and tied into a bun. Gone was her mask, and its absence softened her features. She appeared as a normal, well-mannered young lady from a wealthy family with no connection to her alter ego.

As he joined her, she twirled to show off the dress.

"Nihihi~ You look so surprised. Like it?"

He scoffed, playing off his thoughts by giving a 'so-so' gesture. Her knowing grin told him he was less than successful. To deflect, he asked about the fancy clothes.

"It's part of the plan. The Golden Cat caters to the nobility, and to go through its doors, we have to dress the part. More importantly…" She licked her lips. The 'rich girl' impression went out the window as she eyed the plate of breakfast. "Gimme some~"

Jaune danced out of her reach. "No way, this is mine! Besides, it might stain your dress."

"Oh, fuck off with that! I'll just have another set rush-ordered."

She darted from one side of him to the other, hands grabbing. He may be faster, but she deciphered his movements the instant he twitched a muscle, and soon poached slices of his bacon—a heinous crime. To prevent further theft, he began chomping down on the remaining pieces.

A cough interrupted their antics. Mouths full, they turned to the side. The stern woman, arms crossed and one foot tapping, glared back.

"The Lord Pendleton has graciously agreed to a set budget for this venture. Do not waste his generosity." She seemed to draw strength as she talked, and strode forward to loom over Tattletale. "Put that down, girl, and we will continue your fitting."

Jaune considered looming over the woman to see how she liked it, but Tattletale waved him down. She wiped her lips with the back of her hand—the stern woman's eye twitched at the poor (and deliberate) etiquette—then heaved a dramatic sigh.

"That's too bad." So sweet, so fake, her voice raised a shiver up one's spine. "I guess there is a limit to Pendleton's loyalty for the crown, despite what he claims. Don't worry, Carol, I'll let Corvo know and we can switch to a new plan."

All pretenses of authority shattered in a heartbeat, and the older woman immediately caved to the teenager.

"T-That won't be necessary! A small matter like this is clearly beneath Sir Attano!"

"Clearly," Tattletale drawled; she oozed with self-satisfaction. "Send for another dress. No, two."

Amidst a flurry of activity, Jaune leaned down to whisper in Tattletale's ear. "How much of this amazing plan of yours was designed to rip off Pendleton?"

"No comment." She averted her eyes, expression coy.

Another round of whispers erupted from the rest of the room, who caught the gesture if not the words said. He sent them a dubious look, which led to their gazes hastily adjusting elsewhere, and Tattletale huffing in annoyance.

"Just ignore them."

"I don't think I can. What's their problem?"

"They have a grudge against their own boobs, and think I'm promiscuous for wanting to breathe," was the blithe reply.

"...That sounds deranged. Are you sure that's not a misunderstanding?"

"Meh. It doesn't help either that proper nutrition and modern medicine has done wonders for the human appearance. They hate me because I'm beautiful."

"How humble of you," Jaune said, snorting in amusement.

"Hehe, the line's from a commercial, and I've always wanted a good chance to use it." She flashed a victory sign. "There's also the fact that everyone here knows my destination later. Female clients frequenting the brothels are supposed to keep it discreet. My improper attire plus the way you came in while I'm 'half-dressed'," she pointed at what was to him a complete and classy ensemble, barring a few undone strings, "were anything but quiet. It cemented my reputation as a loose woman."

"My bad," he said, uncomfortable that he had caused her problems. Tattletale waved away the apology, blaming the nosy people around them, who treated Jaune and Tattletale with a stark divide. Whereas he received the blushes and longing glances, she got to be the target for their sneers. The bravest ones were already treating her with condescension, bluster compensating for the qualities she possessed that outshone them.

Excluding the ones crying, of course. Emma, whichever one she was, had collected two more colleagues in the corner before he arrived. Evidently, Tattletales were a species that fought back, often in a preemptive manner.

"They're not giving you too much grief, are they? I kind of overheard people talking about you in the hallway…"

"Hahaha, of course they are. They haven't stopped since yesterday." She tried to maintain the unbothered act, but this bout of laughter lacked any true humor and came across as resentful, the result of hours upon hours of judging thoughts that she could read like a book no matter how deeply hidden. "So, yeah, this world is turning out completely shit for me. Silver lining? I don't feel an ounce of guilt about fleecing them."

"Hence, the five extra dresses on that rack?" He asked.

"Hence, the five extra dresses on that rack." She confirmed. Her lips started to curl upward, mood improved by mischief managed. "We have outfits for you, too."

Jaune balked. "Wait, what?"

"You can't possibly expect to go for an outing with what you're wearing. We have to match to maintain the cover story. An adventurous girl of nobility and her stalwart, if lustful, bodyguard—"

"Oi."

"—both ready to experiment in Dunwall's famous Golden Cat. It practically writes itself."

"Hang on, I think I remember this plot line. Don't tell me Ninjas of Love exist in your universe, too."

"No? But with your reaction, I kind of want to read it now." She paused, and started mumbling to herself about 'intellectual copyright' and 'opportunities' for a bit before shaking her head. "Whatever. Thoughts for later. Come on, it's time for your fashion show. Then you can tell me all about that freaky tattoo on your hand."

Oh, yeah. That was a thing.

-o-​

All in all, his new clothes weren't bad.

The outfit they settled for fell on admiral Havelock's side of the period style, with a martial bent rather than the pretentious Pendleton look to grant Jaune the air of a noble house's personal guard. Having now worn this, the reason why Atlas retained their armed forces became apparent. Military uniforms held a certain charm to the opposite sex. Winter Schnee was proof enough of the concept, but even he himself garnered a fair amount of appreciation as he was putting on the provided clothes. The hallway war between Tattletale maintaining his privacy and the people attempting to peek in on him attested to the effect.

Of the ensemble, what he enjoyed most was the overcoat in blue that any pirate captain would surely envy. He only needed a tricorn hat to complete the image.

One foot on the roof's parapet, a hand on his hip and the other on his knee, he stared out to sea, coattails fluttering in the brisk winds. Damn, did he look good. He should take a picture.

"Mind helping me out, Tattletale?"

"Yeah, yeah. Let's see how this thing works…"

*snap*

"Sweet. Thanks!"

He took back his scroll from Tattletale, tucking it in a pocket as they moved on to the real matter at hand. Namely, his hand.

Whatever power the Outsider granted him did not come with a manual. Were it not for the Mark, he would have dismissed the notion as a figment of his imagination, and Tattletale still pushed the theory that a bad actor drugged him to the gills with hallucinogens. As it stood, they agreed to give the possibility a chance.

"What if you, I don't know, muster up your spirit and shout it out?"

Jaune followed the suggestion. Nothing happened beyond Tattletale pointing at him and laughing.

"I'm gonna leave."

"Okay, okay, okay. I'll get serious. Really, I won't mess with you anymore." Her voice dropped to a whisper. "Maybe."

"I heard that."

"Don't worry, it's a joke." Those innocent eyes fooled nobody. "Have you tried using it the way you would Aura?"

"First thing I tested out. It didn't work. Aura is Aura, this is…well, who knows? How do you activate your superpower?"

"Instincts, like it is for every parahuman." She buffed her nails on her dress, looking smug.

"That is such a comic book answer."

On Remnant, Huntsmen have to practice if they want to manipulate Aura in fancy ways, and Semblances may remain unknown for their entire lifetime. People from Tattletale's world just skip that nonsense and went straight to the ass-kicking fight scenes. He would call it unrealistic, except it was difficult to argue with real life.

"Hey, Tattletale, how do you feel about putting yourself in danger so I can miraculously unlock my ability in a time of great need?"

It was a classic development that succeeds in 99% of comic book storylines, and a bone-deep certainty, nearly a premonition, told him that it will work here.

The girl raised her fists. "Try to make me and I'll fight you. Go throw your own self into danger if you want, you nut."

Tattletale faltered when Jaune fell quiet. She paled as she noticed the contemplative expression on his face.

"Well, there's an idea…"

"Jaune?"

"Xray and Vav Issue Twenty-Five used that method, and we already established that comic rules apply. Hmmm." Jaune nodded to himself.

"Jaune?"

"Hang on, Tattletale, I'll be back in a bit."

"Jaune, you better not be whatthefuckareyoudoing!?"

Rather than answering, Jaune demonstrated by continuing his sprint. He stepped on the parapet again, and this time braced his leg so as to launch himself high into the open sky, clearing at least the height of an entire story of a house. Add to that the brewery itself, and he must be near seventy feet high at the apex. Survivable if a person has Aura, but—he twisted his body upside-down, falling head first—it was going to hurt on landing.

Soooo, yeah, if he wanted to avoid harm, now was the time to summon his mystical power.

Okay, now was the time.

Now…

He might have miscalculated—ahhhhhhhh!

One moment, Jaune was flailing his arms and legs in a futile attempt to grab onto something, anything to break his fall. In the next, he had a tight grip on the edge of the roof while his body was simultaneously a mere yard from hitting the ground. A pull, and momentum reversed course to catapult him at the building. He slammed into the edge, flipped over it, and landed in a heap at the feet of a terrified Tattletale, peering up at her.

He waved. "Hi."

"You—you—"

"Look! I discovered what power the Outsider gave me." Recalling the sensation, he conjured a shadowy tendril, the limb superimposing over his physical arm. "It feels a little slimy, and not all there. Very odd."

He punched at empty air, and the false arm elongated quite a distance, growing tall as a utility pole.

"Cool. I finally have a ranged attack." He flipped a thumbs-up at Tattletale. "Thanks for the advice!...Why's your face turning purple?"

Tattletale wouldn't talk to him for the next hour.

-o-​

The pub stocked ice cream.

Jaune knew, because he went searching for stuff to bribe Tattletale with, and found some. She wasn't in a happy mood yet, but she accepted it, which was the first sign of hope for reconciliation in the Jaune Arc Handbook for whenever he screwed up with his sisters. The curses she whispered under her breath had ceased, too. Progress!

The tenuous peace persisted as they cut across the loading yard, on their way to a meeting with Piero Joplin, the outfitter for Corvo's operations. Tattletale was eating her ice cream, almost humming in contentment as her anger abated, while Jaune experimented with his third arm, finding the limits to the new toy.

His ability, the…[Shadow Arm]? [Far Reach]? [Blackhand]? [Sealed Darkness of the Void Fist]?…too far, dial it back. His ability, the [Third Arm], was a versatile thing, if imprecise. It can pull him to heavy or anchored objects, or pull objects to him if they were light enough. He could configure the hand into a fist or a grabbing motion without trouble, but moving an individual finger or other fine-tuned actions took greater focus.

Also? He's getting a headache. Employing the ability in quick succession for a prolonged period was not recommended, a lesson learned in hindsight. The predicament did earn him sympathy from Tattletale, however, who experienced it all too often through overuse of her superpower.

Walking into the workshop only worsened his problem. The crackles and pops of electricity, the overwhelming scents of oils and pungent plants, and a most terrible screeching noise coming from a grindstone machine drove a spike of pain into his head.

"Fuuu-u-uck…"

"Oh my, do you need a tonic?" said Joplin, hurrying over. He pressed a vial into Jaune's hand, and adjusted his glasses. "Here. Piero's Remedy, the finest solution for what ails the body and spirit. One draft will revitalize your mind, expand your cognition, and excrete the plague from your very being."

"The pitch was fine until that last part. Poor word choice," Jaune mumbled his advice. Through bleary eyes, he squinted at the blue vial.

Well, it's glowing, and as he had learned in recent days, any strange substance that glowed was good for the body. He uncapped the lid and knocked back the liquid in one go.

A cold rush poured over his brain, bringing clarity as fine as a bracing shower. Jaune sharply inhaled, and sighed in relief.

Tattletale saw that, and immediately slammed down gold coins—picked up or purloined, he cannot say—on the counter.

"I'll take ten. This can cure the plague, too, you said?"

"Ummm. For a given value of 'cure', yes."

"How does it compare to Sokolov's Elixir?"

Infinitely better, or so Joplin claimed in the ensuing rant that cursed the very grounds Anton Sokolov had walked on. Jaune and Tattletale both drank another Remedy to rid themselves of the budding migraine from listening to the scathing diatribe.

"I should have warned you about that." The two blonds turned to the speaker, seeing an unmasked Corvo approach from outside. "He and Sokolov have something of a…disagreement."

"—patent-stealing, cradle-robbing, hidebound son of a Serkonian who—oh, Corvo, my sincerest apologies,"—Joplin slapped a hand over his mouth, muffled voice continuing—"my mind was not my own."

"Fret not, Piero. I understand how certain matters may cause a man to lose his reason. The best way to banish such thoughts, I find, is to throw ourselves into a task. Coincidentally…"

Joplin barked out a laugh as Corvo lifted up a pistol. "Of course! What adjustments would you like—no, let me see what can be done. Why make a few improvements when you can make all the improvements?"

The man rushed to a workbench, completely forgetting the existence of his rival, along with Jaune, Tattletale, Corvo, and the rest of the world.

Corvo turned to the pair, a contrite expression on his tanned face. "That was rude of me, I know, but Piero would have carried on for hours otherwise. Did you have pressing business with him?"

"Not at all," Jaune replied. "He said to visit and get supplies, but we frankly don't have much of an idea of what he can do for us besides these." He shook a vial of Remedy.

In his periphery, he noticed Tattletale poking around the area, highly curious. She darted here and there, studying the various objects and notes scattered about.

Jaune refocused on Corvo as the man spoke. "I make no claim of being an inventor or a scholar, but I do possess a level of experience with Piero's work, if you are partial to my advice." Corvo beckoned them to follow him. Jaune did, Tattletale did not.

"Ooooh, what does this button do?"

"Don't touch that! Do not touch that!" Joplin snapped out of his fugue to race across the room, interceding between Tattletale and what looked like pieces of a life-sized, incomplete puppet. "She—it is not a toy!"

Tattletale examined the puppet again. She raised a finger as if to object, then lowered it and walked over to Jaune, grimacing in disgust.

"Gross." She met his gaze. "He's building that doll for exactly what its appearance suggests."

"A maid robot?"

"...Among other things."

"Ahem. Here are two devices I believe would serve you well," said Corvo, ignoring the incident with steadfast resolve. "First is what we refer to as a rewire tool, useful for disabling certain security systems and defenses by shorting their power source. Do note that it may result in machine backfires and scrambled targeting priorities when employed on arc pylons and Walls of Light. Be very cautious. If I hear of unnecessary casualties, we will have words." More than, if the way he caressed a small crossbow strapped to his side was indicative of anything.

"Sure, that's easy enough."

"Understood~"

"This, on the other hand, can be fielded on a more liberal basis." Corvo displayed a roll of—

"Sleeping darts," Tattletale declared, nose held high in the air.

"Correct. The formula requires two to three seconds before it induces unconsciousness, and…hmmm. Joplin?" He turned to the other man, who looked up from his tinkering. "Do you have another crossbow in stock?"

"Yes—no—I have most of the parts. If you give me a day, oh, but you are setting out soon. Um…" Joplin fidgeted, nervous.

"Never mind, then. For our purposes, it can also be applied with a firm stab, so do keep a few needles about your person."

Tattletale cut in. "We wouldn't mind a couple of those crossbows in exchange for a portion of the payment we agreed on, so if you can put it together, that would be great!"

The scowl on the inventor's face said he had not forgiven her for the earlier rummaging. He relented when Corvo added his voice to the request.

"As I said, it would take a day for me to produce one. A second copy means sourcing new parts, and that could take a week or longer. Although…" Joplin glanced at Jaune. "You may not need a crossbow in most cases. Your astounding performance this morning certainly suggests that you can imitate the same function within a range of thirty paces—"

"Hold up!" Tattletale interrupted again. "What perfo—you ran tests on him?" She whirled to face Jaune. "They ran tests on you. Why? Not his idea, or yours. The admiral."

In the same vein as yesterday, Joplin and Corvo showed visible surprise at the rapid-fire leaps in her logic. Jaune fared better since he knew the real reason behind it, and did not bat an eye.

"Yeah, the guy called me up first thing in the morning. Had me doing—"

"Drills. Lots of them. Strength, speed, reaction time, endurance—he wanted to know what you were capable of for the rescue mission, and…Oh? Ohoho!"

"Care to share? Is something wrong?"

"Oh, nothing~ Don't even worry about it."

Instantly, everyone else there clamored for an explanation, thoughts consumed with what could be the answer to her string of deductions. Tattletale reveled in denying them it.

"Her mind, a mess. She grasped a thread. Plots within plots? It pains me to read deeper."​

Jaune whipped his head in the direction of Corvo, having heard a hissing, whirring jumble of noises that almost sounded like words. His mind came screeching to a halt.

Why was he holding a beating heart in his hand? Corvo, what the hell!?

It…It was not fully corporeal. Or was it? Jaune felt as if he was looking through the thing somehow, an object composed of both flesh and mechanical parts, but there was a heft to the impossibly-working organ or Corvo wouldn't otherwise hold it in that way. The man's head was tilted—he held that pose yesterday! It must have been invisible then!—as if listening to the steady heartbeat.

"He has noticed me in your hands, and wonders which of you is insane."​

The strange noise echoed again, but Jaune did not get the chance to ponder where it came from because the man—no, the assassin was now staring at him! The two of them were of a height, but Corvo seemed to tower over Jaune at that moment. Jaune flicked his gaze away from the heart, pretending he hadn't seen the object and had instead been enthralled by the blank wall this entire time.

Did that manage to fool Corvo? The man neither pressed him on it, nor ceased his scrutiny, and Jaune dared not move a muscle. All the while, a heart went thump-thump.

More than ever before, he wished he could go back to Remnant. At least his world made sense!

---

Author's Notes:
You make bad choices…I like that in a man. You're a clown and I want to see more of your fuckups. —The Outsider, probably
Of the many random omnipotent beings out there, the Outsider is one I like. No infantile rage fits when things go wrong, no deus ex machina nudges to ensure happy ends. He just wants to push the big red button and see what happens.
.
The pre-mission phase took, what, twenty minutes in-game? Oh, we're going to blaze through that with, like, two thousand words and finish the main part in the same chapter.
Seven thousand words later...

 

[DiscardedProfile]

Always love The Outsider when he appears. Marking Jaune is an intriging choice, has a lot of potential. Lisa has already become my favorite part of the story. On mobile, sorry if this is just thoughts atm. Tftc, looking forward to more.

Edit: Alright, I can be more eloquent now. So, Jaune just hit Lisa's trigger-button with his impulsivity; someone she cares about seemingly 'killing themselves' as a result of her unthinking words? That's definitely a trauma of hers, but at least she knows Jaune didn't intend to do it.

 

[Coda1000]

Triggering Tattletale PTSD, not cool Jaune, not cool.

Coulda thought of a better way to test out your new powers, but I guess if you didn't do the first boneheaded thing you thought of, it wouldn't have been a Jaune move.

Thanks for the chapter~

 

[Imperium]

Bruuuuuuh, nice.

 

[Czlyydwr Llrngwl]

Seven thousand words later...

Click to shrink...

Man, does that ever sound familiar, for all I've had the opposite problem for the last ... decade, nearly. Glut or drought, no in between.

 

[NineYetis]

Did not expect the outsider to come out and demand Jaune take responsibility for what he's done to him.
Is the real ship Jaune x Outsider?

In all seriousness that was an amazing intro for the Outsider. You did a fantastic job showing that he only wants to be entertained and thinks Jaune can do that.
Interesting choise for the power granted by the Outsider. Rounds out his abilities a bit and gives him another option for attack and mobility. Now that he has the mark will the bone charms be powered? If so can he learn to make his own? In the game they are combat related but in the lore I think there are supposed to be some non combat variants. If so the outsider just gave Jaune a mover, striker/blaster and tinker rating.

Tattletale being Tattletale and making everyone angry was in character. Her anger with Jaune was hilarious.

Good job looking forward to the next update.

 

[Bigreader]

Man I wonder what kind of data Lisa's passenger is getting from all these worlds

 

[Czlyydwr Llrngwl]

Man I wonder what kind of data Lisa's passenger is getting from all these worlds

Click to shrink...

Company standard is to replace external powers like thart with functionally innate equivalents, so since she got bound coming through the portal it's very likely getting none. Of course, she does still get headaches and downsides like that are supposed to be eliminated or reduced, so who~ knows~? I expect it moslty depends on what whichever middle manager decided it would be funny and/or more cost effective to just let Jaune take over the phone without all the usual training and upgrades himself can swing on it without getting notice from whatever superiors would be more upset about the lack of a proper contract than amused or impressed by the results.

(And what OP wants to write of course, but that should go without saying.)

 

[Snakespm]

Company standard is to replace external powers like thart with functionally innate equivalents, so since she got bound coming through the portal it's very likely getting none. Of course, she does still get headaches and downsides like that are supposed to be eliminated or reduced, so who~ knows~

Click to shrink...

Isn't that only to people that the contractor has bound? He isn't a contractor, nor is she bound. I don't know which of the rules apply here.

 

[Czlyydwr Llrngwl]

Isn't that only to people that the contractor has bound? He isn't a contractor, nor is she bound. I don't know which of the rules apply here.

Click to shrink...

Lisa was on the list of things he could sell for credits, so she's apparently "bound enough" for Company work. I would doubt that the Company wants shards snooping in their operations, invasive nuisances that they are, so more likely it's been replaced than not.

edit: With a few more minutes to think on it, the process of doing so might have been why he couldn't carry her through the portal at first and had to struggle with it.

Alternately, maybe the Company annexed the Alt-Earth that [Tsundere Genius] inhabits and absorbed it into their own operations, but there's easier ways for them to get a Rin-inside-your-head if they want one and its prepubescent insistence that sex is icky goes against their interests.

 

[Shooter]

Thanks for the update.

 

[KinKrow]

Man I wonder what kind of data Lisa's passenger is getting from all these worlds

Click to shrink...

Massive bursts of panicked confusion when teleported around between worlds, followed by equally large bursts of giddy joy at all the Brand New Data.

 

[Tohu]

I like how it was stated from the beginning that Jaune is not a regular system user–harem seeking–asshole protagonist who does whatever he wants. Because that guy was killed and it brought so much joy to my heart. Also, "Jax Darkphenix"? Sound like something what an edgy teenager would come up with. You really did a great job by showing this typical MC of every power fantasy.

I binged the whole story today and I must say I love it. Don't really know anything about Worm or Dishonored but they seem very interesting from the way they were written here.

The way how everyone get angry when Tattletale became Jaune's companion was hilarious. Is she really so bad or just annoying? Because if everyone so upset because they don't like her talking and messing with people than it's not such a big difference from Neo. She is also a little gremlin who cares only about herself(plus Roman) and loves messing with others. But she doesn't talk so I guess it's enough reason to love her. Seriously can somebody make a comparison with other evil character so I could have an idea about what level of bad she is.

I love her dynamic with Jaune. Getting her probably was the best thing that happened to him. It seems that he will not survive only by relying on what he has, so having someone smart and observing was incredibly lucky.

I know that it's too early to talk about this but it's hard for me to see her as a possible romantic interest. Probably, because it's written on her wiki page that she is aro and ase. They going to be more like siblings, I guess.

Like how Jaune is determined to visit the Earth Bet again. His promise to Sundancer is important to him. Many authors have tendency to forget that he is very serious about his promises. It's one of those things that makes him who he is.

Can't wait for another chapter.

 

[Czlyydwr Llrngwl]

I know that it's too early to talk about this but it's hard for me to see her as a possible romantic interest. Probably, because it's written on her wiki page that she is aro and ase. They going to be more like siblings, I guess.

Click to shrink...

Eeeh... from what I've seen others say about it the Worm wiki is even less reliable than most fan wikis, if perhaps not on the level of pervasive, active disinformation as Danmachi's. Even so, when the subject is addressed at all in the fics I've read, it's almost universally a power-induced problem, that it will not shut up about how unsanitary sex is, and all the kinks of anyone she even attempts to think of romantically no matter how suppressed or subconscious, until Tats is too squicked out to continue. Like the ultimate in horrible "conversion camp" brainwashing material, short only of physical punishment... By that reading, Jaune being able to set a balance point where she's not crippled or passing out from smacking into his defenses but not able to read too deeply either would make him the first person in years she's even able to think about gettin' sticky with, poor girl.

(Not that he's a bad guy, just a typical bland-as-sand audience insert character. The sentiment is more for [Tsundere Genius] being so adamant about it she'd be driven to "any dick'll do" levels of frustration.)

Also, depending on just how his dubious Agent-by-proxy status and her own nebulously bound waifu state interact, there may still be some kind of timer running down on any mental effects, since I'm not sure it's even been the standard seventy two hours for a capture yet since he picked her up and ran like a looter at a tornado sale.

 

[Party2tehArth]

"I mean… there's Tattletale?"

"Give it time. I believe in you."

Click to shrink...

Love this. So beautiful.

One thing I have to say? Beyond the plot, and Jaune being awesomedork Jaune, and Lisa doin Lisa things - your actual writing skill is chefs kiss

Like. The flow, prose. That way you don't go overly into detail. Just enough for the reader to pick up in their minds eye (at least for me) what's going on in a given scene. Idk.

Just wanna say you're pretty good @LazyAutumnMoon

As for shipping. Will there be any? I know the tag says WC which denotes pairing but just curious if it's a solid thing for you yet.

Regardless definitely rooting for some kind of Jaune/Lisa where he wins her over and breaks past her walls with his earnest, dorky, heroic, and genuine selflessness. He's like the opposite of everything in Worm but still self aware enough of his own flaws. Disclaimer: never actually read Worm. Just read FFs and vs battles lol

The part where she got angry at him for just flinging himself out the building. Their overall chemistry. Just gives me cope hope.

Also your grasp on Dishonored cast (from what I remember) and vibes/atmosphere is peak. No cap frfr Loved the Heart's line about Jaune questioning their sanity.

the Outsider… observed not the monster, but the girl standing beside the statuelike figure of Jaune, her fists clenched in determination.

Click to shrink...

Is this just a random void induced vision like a void hypothesis or can the Outsider/Void see into other worlds?