Escalation 004 (Patreon)

Jaune was expecting things to be awkward with Pyrrha after what happened in the massage room and yet he had seemingly worried for nothing. It had been nearly a week since that moment and things had continued business as usual. They attended classes, ate lunch, trained and had dinner together every day, and not once did the subject ever come up. Pyrrha acted as if nothing was amiss and he followed her lead, only because he had no idea how he should be acting otherwise. He thought it was a pretty big deal, what had occurred. She’d touched him, intimately. If only for a few seconds, she had taken him in hand and had pinned him with such a soul scorching look that Jaune had no misunderstandings about what was about to happen next.

She’d been skittish in the immediate aftermath but then an hour had passed, then two, and what had happened might as well not have happened at all. She was treating him with the same kind, compassionate demeanor she always graced him with and their friendship was as strong and stable as ever.

He was happy that this was the case, of course he was. Pyrrha’s friendship meant the world to him and not just because she was helping him become the huntsman he wished to be. She was such a good person, someone he enjoyed spending time with, a girl with a heart of gold that was both funny and beautiful, and he would never wish for a different partner. But a small part of him couldn’t help but wonder why things had smoothed over so quickly? Why had she done it? Did she... like him? But she had never shown such feelings in the past. Had it been so meaningless that she could so easily brush the situation aside and continue on without concern?

He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

Jaune could still feel the warmth of her hand cupping him, could still see the suggestive tilt of her head as she looked at him. It wasn’t something he could so easily forget but if Pyrrha wanted to move on, then he would do the same. He didn’t want to make things weird between them. Perhaps she had just lost herself in the moment. It meant nothing more than that. A mere rush of blood, a rash decision ruled by hormones.

But while Pyrrha was acting as if nothing had changed, there was someone else that was being incredibly suspicious.

“This table will suffice,” Weiss Schnee said primly as she placed her book bag down on the hard flat surface. Jaune followed her example before taking a seat, staring at the white haired girl as she pulled out her own chair, tucked her skirt neatly behind her thighs before sitting down opposite him. Her every movement was graceful and full of consideration, her posture perfect as she opened her bag and began pulling out her textbooks.

Once upon a time, not even that long ago, this situation would have filled him with immense joy. The two of them, all alone, on what could be mistaken as a study date. Gods knew, he had thought about such an occasion often enough. Better yet, Weiss was the one that had suggested it. Something about paying him back, though he wasn’t exactly sure what she had to pay him back for. It wasn’t like he wasn’t happy that she was spending time with him but... there was no getting around it. It was odd.

Weiss was acting odd. And it had all started with that day.

The heiress had definitely seen Pyrrha touch him. Not the massage but the other thing. She must have, since she was the one that had put a stop to it. The question was had she caused the distraction intentionally or by accident, in her shock? Whatever the case may be, she had seen and now she was acting weird.

Weiss was being nice.

Jaune felt bad for thinking so but Weiss wasn’t nice. Not in the typical sense. She was never nice just to be nice, like Pyrrha was. He knew she could be kind and thoughtful, and she was an incredible person, but he also knew that she could be cold and aloof, and harsh with those she deemed annoying or unworthy. Unfortunately, he had been both of those things to her.

Jaune recalled her words from the other day, about his fight with Sky in Combat Class. It had surprised him to hear such genuine praise from her. And it had been genuine, he was sure. She wasn’t ever nice, just to be nice. When she expressed kindness, it was because there was a reason for it. At some point, he had earned it; earned her respect. He had earned it enough for her to vocalize it.

But the timing... he couldn’t help but feel suspicious about it. But he had no idea what she would gain by acknowledging him.

Now they were going to study together. Weiss was one of the smartest students in their year, often scoring at the top in their theoretical tests. Having the opportunity to learn from her was a blessing and getting to spend time with her, alone, was a treat.

“What subject would you like to start with?” she asked, arraying her books neatly in front of her.

“Er,” he fumbled, broken from his thoughts. She arched an eyebrow at him in question. “How about Grimm Studies?”

Professor Port’s class was fairly simple but it was made harder by the way their teacher liked to ramble about irrelevant information, usually involving his personal history that had very little to do with the subject at hand, other than containing Grimm. Despite Port’s best efforts, it was one of Jaune’s favorite classes. Learning about the Grimm was always an interesting endeavor. There were so many different types with so many different abilities and behaviors. There were as many Grimm-types as there were animal species.

It was also the class he needed the least help in. Might as well get the easiest out of the way first.

“Excellent,” Weiss grabbed the correct textbook and opened it. Jaune saw that the book was filled with color coded tags, allowing her to find what she wanted instantly. It was such a Weiss thing to do that he couldn’t help but smile. “What is so amusing?”

Jaune looked down. “Nothing.”

“Hmm,” Weiss made a sound of doubt. “Well, then – I believe we are to pick three Grimm found in four separate regions of the world and list several unique characteristics about them. Professor Port has not defined what he means by region, so I believe we should go by kingdom rather than continent or biome to make it a little easier. Vale, Atlas, Mistral and Vacuo.”

“Right,” Jaune replied, grabbing his own book. “What about Menagerie?”

Weiss looked at him with narrow eyes. “What about Menagerie?”

Jaune blinked. He had captured her ire effortlessly, it seemed, though he had no idea why. “That is another region – with some pretty unique Grimm, from what I understand. It was just a thought.”

Weiss had gorgeous eyes; pale ice, blue with a hint of gray. They were as intimidating as they were beautiful, pinning him with a considering look. Jaune did his best to meet her stare head on, doing his utmost to ignore how attractive she was. It was difficult.

Finally, she nodded. “Yes, I do suppose we should include Menagerie. Most people would ignore it and it could earn us some extra credit. A fine suggestion.”

And so they got to work. Since it was his idea, he was assigned Menagerie, Mistral and Vale, while Weiss focused on Vacuo and her homeland, Atlas. They would then compare notes and critique each other, removing or adding points until they had an entire list of Grimm and characteristics compiled. While this wasn’t a shared assignment, there was no rule against completing the work together.

Vale was simple enough since he could use personal experience. Nevermore, Ursa, Beowolf, Deathstalker – their initiation alone provided more than enough samples to pick from. The Nevermore and Deathstalker they fought together, Team RWBY and JNPR, were Grimm he would never, ever forget, so he picked those to fill out two slots. The final one was the Goliath, the monolithic Grimm that often migrated close to Vale’s walls. Jaune felt picking a Beowolf or Ursa was a little too simple.

Mistral was a little more difficult but his text book provided some examples, and they were in a library. Connecting his scroll to the internal database, he found three Grimm to fit the bill. The Manticore, found north of Mistral in the colder climate. The Sphinx, likewise found in the icy north. Both were capable of flight and could often be found together. And finally, the Lagartodile; a fearsome Grimm described as living in the swamps of Mistral, looking much like a monstrous version of a crocodile.

Menagerie was by far the hardest to crack. The home to the faunus, it did not have a huntsman academy or even a military base, meaning that any Grimm sightings and reports were few and far between. Even Beacon’s impressive collection of knowledge struggled to supply what he needed, but in the end he was able to find enough. The first was a Capivara, a large rat-like Grimm with a long black, barbed tail and vicious claws. Next was the Blind Worm, found in the eastern deserts where few faunus ventured, burrowing Grimm that moved through the sands like a fish does water. Lastly, the Sea Feilong, massive serpentine dragons that lived in the surrounding ocean and often attacked seafaring vessels.

Not all of these Grimm were completely unique to these areas, of course. Many Grimm could be found all across Remnant, in various different shapes and forms depending on the climate. The Blind Worm could also be found in the deserts of Vacuo, while Beowolves were everywhere.

“Impressive work,” Weiss commented and Jaune jumped, startled. She was no longer seated across from him but standing behind him, peering over his shoulder. One of her small, dainty hands rested on his arm and even through his uniform, his skin tingled at the sensation. “I see you are taking this seriously.”

“Of course,” he said at once, turning to face her. “I won’t waste your time. I promise.”

Jaune shivered as her fingers idly brushed across his shoulders, as if she were attempting to remove lint from his jacket. It was an oddly intimate gesture. Then she stepped away and the spell was broken, leaving him confused.

“Shall we compare notes?” she asked, retaking her seat.

Jaune cleared his throat. “Right. Yeah, let’s do it.”

Weiss had gone above and beyond, selecting many more than was required. He should have expected no less than brilliance from her. Bringing their work together, they picked it apart until they had a comprehensive collection of Grimm, their unique traits and their favored habitats, and even ways of combating and slaying them. By the time they were finished, it was nearly lunch time. It had taken way more time than Jaune had been expecting but then again, they had done way more work than what was required. If they didn’t each score perfect marks for this, he would eat his shield.

His stomach picked that moment to grumble, loudly. Weiss smirked at him as he ducked his head, laughing. “Hungry?”

Weiss nodded, still smirking. “I am but I would like to continue with History next.”

“There is a vending machine just outside,” Jaune jerked his thumb to the exit. “Want anything?”

The smirk fell away and was replaced by an unsure expression. “I – have not partaken in such fare before. I would not know what to pick.”

Jaune nodded. He wasn’t surprised in the slightest. Weiss didn’t seem like the type of girl who had ever even thought about using a vending machine before. She was in luck. Jaune knew these machines like the back of his hand. Not all vending machines were made equal!

“I could pick something for you. You could say I’m a bit of an expert at these types of things.”

“Oh?” Weiss tilted her head, her sidetail brushing across her shoulder and trailing down her neck. It was an enticing image, liquid silk shimmering in the natural light afforded by the massive cathedral-like windows. He itched to touch it and discover how smooth and soft it felt. “Then I leave it in your capable hands. Do you require funds?”

“Nah, I’m good,” he replied, standing. “My treat.”

“You are sure?”

“I’m sure,” he confirmed. “Be right back.”

Jaune felt her eyes on his back as he made his way across the carpeted floor and out through the large wooden doors. When he rounded the corner, he paused, feeling his skin prickle. Taking a deep breath, he let it out in a long sigh.

“Get it together,” he muttered.

Was his resolve so weak that Weiss showing him a little bit of attention would make him fall back down the rabbit hole of his unreciprocated feelings? He did not wish to be so pathetic but there was no denying that even now, his feelings towards Weiss were complicated. There could be no misunderstanding this time, however. Weiss Schnee did not like him that way. He knew this. She liked cool, suave types like Neptune – even if they did not deserve her attention. The blue haired boy may have returned to Haven and Jaune had heard talk that things had not worked out between them, but it didn’t change anything.

He had stepped aside. Now he needed to live with that decision. He had been living with it. Just because they were now studying together on her invitation did not mean anything had changed. They were friends.

Nothing more.

“Don’t be stupid,” he scolded as he trudged his way over to a line of vending machines.

Several of them contained the usual fare. Chocolate bars, bags of potato chips, various cans of soda and bottles of water. Then there were the ones filled less with unhealthy snacks but with actual food; sandwiches, sushi, salads and even hot foods like fries, burgers and slices of pizza. Beacon spared no expense when it came to her students.

What did Weiss like?

Jaune stared at the bright lights for some time as he thought. He knew that she had a bit of a sweet tooth and was fond of cake in particular. He also recalled that she was rather partial to fish, though she wasn’t the fiend that Blake was when it came to tuna or salmon. In the end, he purchased two bottles of water, some sushi for the pair of them and a couple of chocolate bars.

When he returned, she was hard at work, scribbling furiously into her notepad. She was so focused on her task that she jerked in alarm when he placed her food on the table, startled by his reappearance.

“Here,” he smiled as her wide eyes stared up at him for a moment before she calmed. “I hope you like sushi.”

Weiss looked down at the plastic container in front of her. “I do,” she said after a moment of silence. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he took his seat opposite her. “I also got some chocolate if you felt like something sweet.”

He watched as she opened her container and plucked out the pair of cheap chopsticks within. Jaune was curious to see if she knew how to use them. Did they use chopsticks in Atlas? But yes, she did. She wielded them gracefully and with precision, capturing a piece and placing it into her mouth. Jaune started on his own food, stifling a smile when he heard her make a sound of delight.

“Delicious,” she said after swallowing.

She was right. It was.

When they finished their food, they started on their History homework. This was one of his weaker subjects. Again, their Professor made it more difficult than it needed to be with his rapid speech that was not easy to follow but even without Doctor Oobleck’s motormouth the dates often got jumbled up in his head.

They were to write about the lasting socioeconomic impact that the Great War had on Vacuo and what the major causes were, including examples on how things differed in other kingdoms. A little more of a brain twister than tracking down different species of Grimm.

The Great War impacted all kingdoms harshly but none so much as the Kingdom of Vacuo. Once touted as a paradise, Mantle and Mistral raped them of their dust and natural resources with aggressive mining, and plunged the region into unrest. Many battles had been fought in the sands of the Vacuoan desert and many soldiers had been lost on all sides, but it had left the once beautiful kingdom decimated.

It was something they were still paying for, all these decades later.

“My great-grandfather fought in the final battle of the war,” he supplied without prompting, unsure why he did so. Weiss perked up.

“He did?”

Jaune nodded. “Yeah – he wasn’t anyone important or noteworthy,” he continued, tapping his fingers against the table in a nervous gesture. “Just another soldier. He didn’t speak about those times often but occasionally, he would share a story or two. I was – well, I was a little too young to really understand what he was talking about, the seriousness, the pain... all I heard was how grand and important everything was, not comprehending the sheer loss of life.”

His great-grandfather was the reason he wanted to become a huntsman in the first place. At first, it had been for glory, enamored by the few stories he told of his time fighting. Later, when he matured and realized just how terrible the war had been and the danger the Grimm posed to humanity, it was not for glory but to protect the world from further bloodshed. He wanted to help people. He wanted for there to never be another war, though he knew he did not control whether that would happen or not. He was just one person.

But he wanted to be someone that his great-grandfather could be proud of, someone that he could look at with respect.

“My sword, Crocea Mors – it belonged to him,” he sighed. “He carried it into every battle he ever fought. I remember him telling me that all was lost until the King of Vale took to the field. Then it was... carnage.”

Why was he thinking about this? Right, their homework. Jaune jumped when something touched his hand, something smooth, soft and warm. Looking up, he was surprised to find Weiss holding his hands, a look of concern on her face.

“Are you well?” she asked.

He struggled to find the words, captured by the warmth he saw in her eyes. How could ice ever look so comforting?

“Jaune?”

“Sorry,” he finally got out. “Er – yeah, sorry. I didn’t mean to get so heavy there,” he chuckled awkwardly. “That sort of just... came out.”

He shivered as her thumb caressed the uneven ridges of his knuckles, rubbing his hand soothingly. Jaune couldn’t look away from her, his eyes tracing the gentle slope of her nose, her high cheeks and sharp jaw. She wore so little make-up because she didn’t need it, her lush, beautiful skin unencumbered by foundation. She could pass for a doll yet she was not weak, nor was she fragile, a skilled huntress-in-training. Even the scar that marred her cheek and eye could never take from her beauty. All it did was show him just how incredibly pretty she was, that such an injury could do nothing to diminish her.

Shit, he thought.

He was being reeled back in and could do nothing to stop it.

“Hello~!” a cheery voice called, and Weiss jerked her hands away in fright. Feeling a little sluggish, Jaune turned and blinked, taking a moment to recognize the newcomer.

“Pyrrha,” he greeted. “Er – hey. What’s up?”

There was an odd look on Weiss’ face as she looked at his partner, her hands folded on her lap, out of sight. Pyrrha smiled at the pair of them, hoisting her book bag up for them to see.

“I thought I would join you – that is, if you would have me?”

“Of course,” Weiss said, loudly. “Don’t be silly. Join us – please.”

Jaune wasn’t quite sure but as Pyrrha took a seat beside him, he couldn’t help but feel a pit of tension form in his stomach.