54Chapter 2: Decisive Action
Beta: ShadowReaper133
Story Beta: Sir Snuffles the Stalwart
A/N: And this week's thanks goes to Sir Snuffles the Stalwart, who helped me plan this chapter, plan everything else and is probably the only reason it got out in a somewhat timely fashion.
"You two have definitely been shirking your normal routine in the face of Beacon's lackadaisical nature. I'll be sure to fix that," spoke Ciel, looking at her two teammates sluggishly getting ready. Jenny didn't meet her eyes, though Bender had something to say. In a huff, he threw down the gray Atlas uniform and stood to his full height, which was more than a head over Ciel.
"But it doesn't even make sense to get up when we do at Atlas! There are still three hours before classes even start, classes we're ahead of I might add. It's logical that we would adjust to get more sleep. That's the only thing you seem to understand right?"
The leader's expression didn't change. "Mr. Rojo, please refrain from raising your voice again. I wouldn't care for it to become a habit. Also, if you have enough energy to posture at me, then I'm positive that you have more than enough to get ready. Please resume that course of action for both our benefit."
Contrary to what some without context would expect, the boy backed down and let out a sigh. He even looked a bit flustered under his leader's stare.
"Yes madam," he muttered out before going back to getting ready. Ciel nodded and sat down on her bed, sitting cross-legged with her eyes closed. Blocking out the sounds of Bender and Jenny beginning to converse, she immersed herself in thought.
That's the first time in a while he bucked up to me. It would seem we still can't quite connect, possibly because of our vastly different mindsets. It's another thing that I shall work on. However, the plan for Penny comes first. The top team to win is JNPR because of Pyrrha Nikos. However, based on Rojo's list, Xiao-Long, Valkyrie, and Scarlatina may be trouble as well. There are also the teams from Haven and Vacuo to worry about. Then again-
"We're finished~"
Ciel opened her eyes, coming face to face with Jenny, who had situated her face mere centimeters from Ciel's. She smiled sweetly and as wide as possible. Ciel simply raised an eyebrow.
"What? You always look so angry and serious when you're meditating. It's scary. I was hoping you'd smile if I was."
The leader sighed and unfolded her legs before sliding off the bed. "So is Remnant, Honeydew. I suggest you acclimate to it or change professions."
As a team leader, it was Ciel's job to maintain order and dignity among her subordinates, however, they were not soldiers. Not yet at least, as the Headmaster had reminded her. Nor was she a general or officer, as the Headmaster had also been kind enough to point out. That being said, it was necessary to throw out a bone occasionally, as the saying goes.
With her hand on the doorknob, Ciel turned back to the two somewhat despondent teenagers behind her and flashed a small, nearly non-existent smile. Jenny gasped a little and Bender fought down a blush.
"I'm happy to be working with both of you again. Now, let's show some Atlas discipline," spoke the leader, opening the doorway to the hall.
As if her words were infused with magic, both teammates stepped to attention. "Yes, Madam!"
They marched out of the room in perfect step, followed closely by Ciel herself. Headmaster Ironwood had been right, as always. Throw bones when needed and throw them sparingly. It wasn't until they got to the end of the hallway that Jenny and Bender realized they had no idea where to go. Breakfast for first years didn't start for another hour and a half.
"Hey, boss woman, where we headed again?"
"The training rooms. I want to test if your combat has grown as lax as your sleep schedule."
"Pfft. Hey, where is Penny today anyway?"
"Well Rojo, Ms. Polendina will be with Ironwood most of the day before being escorted to us later."
Neither of Ciel's teammates seemed happy with that news but didn't speak up regardless. It was old new that Ms. Polendina was usually away from the team. Ciel could count the number of times the whole team had been together with both hands. No-one complained, of course. That would be paramount to disagreeing with Ironwood himself.
"So, weapons, or hand to hand?" Jenny asked, fiddling with her shirt as they reached the sparring rooms. Ciel barely gave the question a single thought.
"Whatever you are feeling most comfortable with at the moment."
The response might have seemed straightforward to an uninformed listener, but it was far from it. Ciel knew very well that she exceeded both her teammates in hand to hand and melee combat. However, if they chose weapons, so would she and it would become a much tougher opponent. Looking at each other, both Jenny and Bender nodded in unison.
"Hand to hand."
Ciel felt an iota of pride swell within. She always liked to think that her drive for excellence in everything compelled her team forward to do better. Granted, both her teammates had been in the top 3 students before Atlas academy, but that in itself could have led to them becoming complacent. With her as the leader, they constantly improved to catch up, reaching and breaking limits they wouldn't have otherwise.
Thus, she refused to lose to them. Ever.
"Very well. As usual, you can both attack as you please."
Ciel removed the watch on her wrist and placed it on a bleacher before walking on the stage. She fell into her stance and faced the two. Despite their contrasting personalities, or possibly because of it, they worked in harmony with relative ease. Bender used defense as an offense while Jenny used offense as a defense.
The two partners walked side by side, giving Ciel a wide berth. It was clearly done to allow Bender time to activate his semblance, which took time to work at full effect.
It would be a bad strategy to allow that.
Ciel bolted towards the duo, Jenny meeting her halfway. In terms of travel and attack speed, the aquamarine girl actually did give Ciel a proper challenge. None of them were pushovers in the least and Jenny seemed to have something to prove today.
Jenny always went low to high when it came to combat. This time it was a low kick to the shins followed by a nearly as low kick to the knees and so on. While this method seemed predictable, and to a certain extent it was, knowing rarely helped to counter. Firstly because she could land five powerful kicks within two seconds and secondly because Ciel never knew how high or how low.
However, Ciel managed to block or dodge each strike regardless. When her teammate went for an open palm strike to the face, the team leader saw an opportunity and lashed out, grasping her wrist and twisting it harshly. She was rewarded with Jenny gritting her teeth in pain and stumbling forward slightly, allowing Ciel to bring her elbow around and ram it into the offending girl's temple as hard as possible.
Usually, she'd follow up with a grab or kick but Ciel was forced to move out the way of a punch that could probably knock her clear off the stage delivered by a now semblance enhanced Bender. She didn't falter for even a millisecond.
Ciel stepped back the minimum amount to not take damage and in the same motion brought up her leg in a kick that impacted directly on Bender's elbow. If not for his aura and semblance it probably would have broken, though she was sure it only caused minor numbness for him. She retreated afterward. The longer they stayed in one spot the greater his advantage would become.
Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a flash of white clothing. Ciel ducked and rolled to the side just in time to avoid a kick to the kidneys from Jenny, who was back in action surprisingly fast. Getting to her feet was about all Ciel managed before the two, now attacking in tandem, came at full force. Bender, also quite fast, came headlong with a fist cocked before spinning on his heel and delivering a roundhouse instead, which she, instead of dodging all together, jumped in the same direction as the attack and moved with the momentum when it connected.
It was risky but with the right timing- and it was - she could negate any damage while also ending up in a fairly advantageous position behind him. Had she ducked there was no doubt Jenny would have punished her with a kick to the face.
Ciel got in two brutal kicks to Bender's right knee before raising an arm to block a heavy kick from Jenny, a move that rattled her entire body. The next attack, a punch to the sternum, was easily blocked with an open palm. They were both trained in Atlesian mixed martial arts but Ciel won out in the exchange again, performing a spinning heel kick in the same instant Jenny performed a vertical kick.
Jenny hit air as Ciel sank low and spun a complete 360-degree rotation before smashing her heel into her combatant's cheek. In the same motion, before Jenny could finish crumbling to the ground, Ciel brought her already raised leg down as an axe kick where the shoulder met neck.
That should keep her down for awhile.
But she'd spent too much time with her. As Jenny impacted on the ground Rojo seemingly materialized from thin air at her side. Ciel instinctively struck out with a punch towards his face only to hit what felt like an invisible brick wall before connecting.
When did he have time-
Ciel flared her aura and brought up her arms in time to take one of Bender's left crosses. Pain exploded from her right arm and she was sent careening backward, though her feet never left the ground. When she finally came to a stop, Ciel wasn't given a moment to consider her completely numbed arm as Rojo's large frame took up her vision again.
He threw a jab to her face, one she avoided by letting it pass by and countered with a knee to the sternum. Characteristically he tanked the attack and let loose a right cross, which she jumped back to avoid only to run into another invisible wall, though this one much more brittle than the other. So much so that it shattered even as she pressed her weight against it. However, it slowed her down enough to where she barely managed to duck under the punch, the fist just grazing her scalp.
Afterward, she jumped back into a roll and gained some space. Looking back up, Ciel noticed that Bender hadn't even attempted to pursue. Instead, staring at her with unadulterated murder and rage, breathing in short, shallow breathes.
It was true that they were never easy on each other in a spar but to get this angry…
Jenny, who had finally gotten up, suddenly became her normal timid self upon catching a glimpse of her partner. "Bender-"
"CUT THE SHIT CIEL!"
Ciel remained neutral. "Excuse me?"
"You heard me! Fight me for real or fuck off!" He screamed this so loud she was surprised he hadn't torn a vocal cord. Jenny 'eeped' and backed away.
Ciel would surely correct his current behavior later. However, she understood his frustration at her actions thus far. For once, the leader had been wrong. "I understand, Rojo. I promise to fight you properly now," she said, falling into fighting stance once more.
Her words seemed to have done the trick because while Bender's rage dulled his intensity only rose. A grim smile spread across his face. "Thank you... Madam. Jenny, get ready! I'll need your support!"
She nodded and came to his side, now back in battle mode once again. Coyly Jenny let her right hand be taken into Bender's. After around thirty seconds, he let go. It was clear he used his semblance to harden her defense this time around, as she was low on aura. Usually, she'd stop him before he got the chance to use his power but Ciel allowed the advantage just this once. Afterward, the two rushed their leader, each one headed to her flanks. They were holding nothing back and it was only fair to do the same.
Just as they came into range, Ciel's eyes flashed as she activated her semblance.
/-/
Taking notes suck! How does anyone pull this off!?
Oobleck was droning on about a something or other and Jaune was writing just about as fast as he could without developing carpal tunnel. Only when the man would actually slow down to ask a question to anyone not paying attention - usually Jaune himself - could the boy take a slight break. Being studious was hard, though he could already feel a noticeable improvement in that he actually knew what was going on now. Already a huge upgrade from last semester.
Then something amazing happened. Jaune was so caught up in the subject matter that he felt a weird itching in the back of his brain. Something he hadn't ever felt in any of his classes. Is this what they call a question?
As if by magic Jaune's hand raised in the air and his chest swelled. He was finally one of the smart kids. Before he would look at the ones asking questions in awe that they could even follow the conversation. After actually reading the assigned chapter, however, he could follow as well. I've arrived. Intelligence is mine. Next stop, singularity.
"...and that is why the gap between... well this is a surprise. Mr. Arc, you have a question?"
Everyone perked up in surprise. Seeing the looks on his friend's faces made him grin more than he already was. "Yes, I do. If possible, could you go into further detail about the geopolitical nature of pre-Valean City because its impact on Vale's relationship with Mistral has yet to be probably explained."
"...That... is perfectly within my capabilities! Excellent question Mr. Arc. Now as you can see, Mistral and Vale have…"
Jaune went back to writing notes, enjoying the feeling of being able to participate. His note-taking was interrupted when a piece of paper was slipped to him by Pyrrha.
/Excellent job keeping up with class today and also participating./
It was just a quick sentence of commendation but it meant a lot coming from his friend. It was hard to communicate in Oobleck's class without getting reprimanded. So he responded by writing on the paper as well.
/Thanks Pyr, means a lot coming from an overachiever like you. :)/
Jaune had to stop himself before he wrote that he still didn't deserve her as a partner. That'd lead to him getting a firm talking to after class, which was the opposite of what he wanted.
/You're too nice, Jaune. XOXO/
Looking at the paper, Jaune saw it as Pyrrha just being her humble self again. Nothing out of the ordinary there. Though her own reaction to writing it was odd. It looked like a blush was spreading over her face and neck. Jaune also raised an eyebrow at the 'XOXO' at the end, not knowing what it meant. Must be some new way of saying LOL I guess. Shrugging, Jaune responded one last time before going back to his notes.
/Right back at you. XOXO/
Shortly afterward, Pyrrha excused herself from class, face bright red and whining softly into her hand. Huh, I wonder what that was all about?
When Ren looked over to him with a questioning stare Jaune shrugged. For the next ten minutes, the team leader diligently wrote down each of Oobleck's points, paying even closer attention so as to be able to tell Pyrrha what she missed when she returned. Which she eventually did, looking a lot better.
As she took her seat beside Jaune, he scribbled out another message. /You alright? You left rather suddenly there./
Pyrrha nodded without meeting his eyes and kept working. Eh, must have been the heat or something. Afterward, the rest of class seemingly flew by, the bell ringing not too long afterward. It even seemed to go by faster when he was paying attention rather than attempting to sleep without being noticed.
Everyone stood up and began filing out of the room. It was already lunch time, leading to the students walking a bit faster. Which is exactly what Jaune have done if a small hand hadn't pulled on his hoodie sleeve. Turning around, he saw his first friend and fellow leader, Ruby.
Upon seeing that she wasn't smiling or even peppy, Jaune waved his team to go without him. They gave a few weird looks but didn't say anything. Team RWBY also walked on without the two, Ruby more than likely having told them to do so. When the classroom finally emptied of people, Jaune spoke.
"Ruby, you okay?"
"Are you okay Jaune?!"
He nearly fell over at her outburst, not expecting it at all. The small girl grabbed on to his collar and pulled him down so they were eye level. Jaune might have blushed at the proximity had she not slammed their foreheads together, causing him to grit his teeth in pain.
"Aaak?! What are you talking about?"
"You're acting weird!"
"I'm sorry just let me go!"
Ruby sighed and let go of him, leaving him to stumble back into a seat. He still barely got a chance to catch his breath before Ruby walked up on him again. Since he was sitting, she was able to stare him down at eye level. "Jaune, you've been completely different for this whole week and it's weirding me out. I'm worried."
Jaune chuckled a bit and rubbed his hair. "Is that what this is about? Ruby, it's fine. I'm just trying to improve myself for the new semester and be a better leader-"
"Wait. Give me your word you won't lie first," demanded Ruby, hands on both hips. Gosh, how can a cute fifteen-year-old be so scary?
"W-Why?"
"Because an Arc never goes back on his word. It's the only way I can be sure you're not just lying to make me feel better."
She didn't know it but that sentiment warmed Jaune's heart more than he would ever admit to anyone. "I promise not to lie, Ruby. I give you my word."
"Hmph, well good. So let me ask you point blank. Are you just trying to impress Weiss with all the changes?"
"Uh... no, I don't think."
"But you are doing it because Weiss rejected you."
When did she become so damn inquisitive?
"Well... sort of I guess. It's mostly just that Weiss got me thinking about all my flaws I guess. After the talk we had, I wanted to improve." Even as the words left his mouth Jaune realized how that sounded.
"Not for her! Not to just try and gain some approval in her eyes," he finished to avoid further scolding. Also, it was the truth. Ruby's eyes narrowed, a sign to continue.
"It's just that I really hate the way I've been acting up to his point. Every class I'd flirt with Weiss or sleep instead of listening. Slack instead of studying. Allowed myself to be bullied into submission. Fail at flirting when I could have been training... I honestly wish someone would have knocked some sense into me. Preferably not Cardin though."
He spoke the last part with a chuckle, trying to lighten the mood. Which seemed to work, as Ruby's intense scrutiny finally lessened to her usual soft gaze. She let out a somewhat exasperated sigh. "So you're just changing because you realized you don't like how you've acted up until this semester? Not for Weiss or anything like that?"
"Pretty much. I figured if anyone would be proud of me, other than Pyrrha, it would be you. Didn't you give me a whole leadership speech about improving or something around this time last semester?"
Ruby placed a hand on chin while she pouted in thought. "Huh, I guess so. At this point, we might as well make it a tradition."
Jaune smiled at the thought. "Actually, I like that idea a lot. At the beginning of each semester, we'll give each other a stern talking to if we see the other is being a moron."
"Or sooner if one of us is really being a moron," spoke Ruby with a giggle, completing the thought. Jaune laughed along with her. It wasn't until now that he realized he hadn't spoken to his first friend at Beacon that often, another regret from last semester.
As the two began to settle down, Jaune flipped the roles of their conversation. Ruby had taken a personal interest in his well being, it was only fair he did the same. "So, how have things been for you? What with finding out Blake is a Faunus, fighting terrorists, and classes it couldn't have been easy."
His friend shrugged and plopped down beside him in an adorable huff. "Honestly dude, I don't even know half the time. I try to just stay optimistic and determined and hope my team will find some comfort as a result. All the crazy stuff happened one after the other, so there wasn't much time to even do anything other than just react."
"I see. Did staying positive and optimistic actually work?"
"I don't know!" She shouted, throwing her hands up before letting them fall in exasperation. "I'd like to think that my attitude made a difference but other times... I just can't tell. Then after the incident at the docks, I tried to have a group meeting about what happened but everyone sort of blew me off."
"Damn, really?"
"Yeah. It's hard sometimes. You treat me like anyone else but I still think my team sees me as a kid sometimes. And it's impossible to get feedback anyway! I can't trust Yang half the time and Blake will bend the truth enough to avoid confrontation. Weiss will be honest with me but that's just one out of three opinions I need to make changes to benefit everyone. Plus now we're in this crazy mess with Blake killing herself tracking the White Fang. Something that could have been avoided if we'd have had the flipping team meeting!"
Jaune just continued to nod in agreement until all the anger had exhausted itself. It was a tactic that he'd learned after seven sisters and more tantrums than could be counted. Seeing Ruby this way really was an eye-opener. To think under that blinding optimism was someone just as capable of being angry and frustrated as him. Gingerly, he placed a hand on her shoulder, feeling the girl's body shudder as she drew in deep breaths. He even began drawing circles on her back until she recovered.
"You okay now?"
"I... yeah. That's been building up for a while. Thanks."
"For what? I haven't even offered any advice."
"For being the only person I could do that with," she said softly, leaning in closer to her friend. "I know it's childish to throw a tantrum and to yell. But I also know you won't judge me for it or mention it. So thanks for that. That's better than any advice right now."
He placed a gentle hand on her head and grinned. "Hey, what are fellows leaders for? If we can't confide in each other then who can we confide in?"
She stuck her tongue out at him while containing a large grin. "No-one."
He mirrored the gesture before standing up. "Exactly. Now let's get out of here before we miss lunch entirely. I'm sure both our teams are wondering what's taking so long."
Ruby stood up and brushed off her skirt. "Nope. Not for me anyway. I had already told Yang to tell Weiss and Blake that I'd be having a talk with you. And considering it's you I'd be surprised if they thought I'd be back before the last class started."
"Oh, I see. Well, my team- wait what do mean by that?! I don't have that many problems do I?"
Ruby lovingly punched his arm. "Psh, nah. Think of it as you're just so complex and brooding that it'd surely take an afternoon to go through it all."
Hmm, brooding. I like the sound of that.
Then, as they walked to the exit Jaune finished processing what his friend had actually said. "Wait, Ruby! What do you mean all of it? All of what?"
"Come on Jaune, we're seriously going to not get to eat," spoke the girl casually, exiting the empty classroom with Jaune on her heels.
"Ruby I'm serious!"
/-/
Ciel was on her way to the pickup point for Penny after getting out of her classes for the day. Her partner was currently being watched by a few of Ironwoods personal troops at the moment. Uncharacteristically, she was ahead of schedule instead of just being directly on time. She hadn't come up with a good reason to not be early, however, so no need to put it off. The soldiers on guard would certainly be happy about being relieved earlier.
Or rather that would have been the case if she hadn't, upon walking around the corner of a hallway, come face to face with Jaune Arc. At seeing her his eyes widened and mouth forming an 'O', appearing nervous for some unknown reason.
"Hey... um... hi?"
"Hello, Mr. Arc. It's a pleasure to be in your company again."
The boy's skin became a faint pink at her words, though she couldn't imagine why. "O-Oh, it's pleasure to be in your company as well, M-Miss Soeli...er, how are you liking the school?"
Hmm, despite the stuttering he does seem to at least have manners.
"It's been quite unsatisfactory if we are being honest with each other. The classes are all undemanding and leisurely for my taste. As a leader, it must be quite the challenge keeping your team motivated in these conditions."
There was a slight pause before Jaune responded again. "Pssssh, yeah definitely. I manage somehow though," he spoke, waving his hand as if it wasn't that big of a deal. That made sense, considering he'd been in these conditions for a whole semester. Surely he would have adjusted by now. Seeing as he was the leader of a team with the Nikos champion, he must have considerable merit.
"Quite."
Ciel's eyes trailed up and down the boy in anything but subtle way. Jaune's face became even redder as a result. She needed a way to bring up combat.
And she found it.
"I see you have your weapon with you," spoke Ciel finally, eyes trained on the sheath hanging from his belt. "Headed to the training rooms?"
"H-Hm? Oh, my sword! Um yes, I was actually headed to training rooms for just a quick warm-up before training with Pyrrha," stuttered out Jaune, removing the weapon from his belt. Ciel was quick to analyze every inch of it.
"May I hold it?"
Hm, it's highly unlikely he'll allow me to hold something so critical. Especially with the Vytal Fest-
"Sure thing. I take it you're a weapons nut like Ruby?" He dropped the weapon into her arms with little fanfare. Ciel was better at tactical espionage than expected, considering her usual social ineptness. That or Beacon was simply an easy mark. Either conclusion was acceptable.
"Ruby Rose?" She asked while withdrawing the sword from its scabbard. The blade shimmered in the low light of the hallway. It was heavier than expected. Not the light alloy used commonly in this day in age. It must be old. Very old from the look of it.
"Yeah, she's the one your teammate is friends with. She was really surprised when I told her that Ms. Polen- I mean Penny was here."
"Interesting. I've been meaning to-"
Ciel was startled for a split second when the sheath she was holding transformed into a shield right in her hand upon accidentally pressing a button. Jaune jumped a little too since he was standing close but quickly began chuckling to himself. Ciel raised an eyebrow at him, though that only made his chuckling worse.
"Hehehe, I'm sorry, it's just your reaction was kind of funny."
"I'm glad you're so amused," replied Ciel, feeling foolish for the first time in possibly years. However, her single track mind of discovering any information she could quickly dispensed of the slight embarrassment with haste and refocused on the matter at hand. Jaune seemed to be a goldmine of valuable information. Information he gave out quite freely.
The blonde haired boy finally calmed, now apologetic. "I shouldn't have laughed. It surprised me too when I first handled it."
He offered to take it back. An action to which she readily complied with.
"It's perfectly fine. I should not be so hasty in handling the possibly volatile weapons of others. However, I notice that your weapon has no mecha-shift components. You must be quite skilled to make up for the lack of range."
Jaune blushed and rubbed the back of his head.
"Psh, nah. Pyrrha says I've improved but I can still barely hold my own honestly."
"I see." Ciel couldn't tell if he was simply being humble or not. She had met a handful opponent who claimed mediocrity only to land more than a few hits on her. Something that didn't happen often. "I notice you speak very often of your partner."
"Huh, do I? Well, she is really important to me. I couldn't have made it this far without her."
"Interesting. Is she as skilled as they say?"
Of course, Ciel had watched all of Pyrrha's fights as soon as she left Ironwood's office. She knew for a fact that the red-haired girl was a monster in the ring. Ciel also knew that if she got Jaune excited enough to talk about his partner he might be liable to drop pertinent information.
As predicted, he began bragging for her like an overenthusiastic parent. "She totally is! She'll start out friendly but then it's like she becomes a different person once the fight heats up. Then-"
Ciel's scroll vibrated loudly. Then again. And again.
Jaune now interrupted, stopped talking to allow her to take the call. Ciel was perturbed that her attempts at getting information were now halted, but duty called. She withdrew the scroll and answered with video and audio.
The display appeared to reveal two men in Atlas military uniform. One had his helmet off, while the other had his on, but the visor was up. Both looked scared. Ciel stood up straighter if that was even possible.
"Private Soleil, we have a situation."
"Clearly. Do be mindful of what you disclose from here on. I'm not alone at the moment. Private First Class Delio, please continue."
"To be blunt, we've lost track of Penny."
That girl must have a secret camouflage semblance.
"Understood. I take it you were at the drop point when you lost her?"
"Yes, we're not sure how just that now she's nowhere in the courtyard. As a pathfinder, I assumed you'd be the best to call."
Other than Ironwood. It went unspoken that they would rather this didn't get reported this in, even if protocol dictated it. However, while Ciel didn't relate to people well, the fear of facing a commanding officer was something she could understand.
"I'll see what I can do... and leave it out of my report if possible."
Delio looked like he might cry. "Bless you, Private," he spoke before cutting the call. Ciel sighed. It would be a task searching for Penny on such a large campus. Though that assumed she was still at Beacon.
"Your teammate is missing?"
Ciel had nearly forgotten Jaune was still there. She turned to see his expression laced with concern.
"Yes. Ms. Polendina requires supervision at all times and thus her missing is quite the quandary," she explained, leaving out the classified information.
"I see... Hey, the last time I spoke to her she wanted to know about Ruby? It might be worth the effort to call her and see whether they're together. Can't hurt to try right?"
The logic made sense. Each time Penny got into trouble or went missing so far, Ruby Rose often had something to with it. "Yes. That's a sound idea."
Jaune pulled out his scroll and dialed up his friend. After a few moments of silence, the call connected and Ruby Rose appeared on the screen. "Hey, Jaune. What's up?"
"Hey, Ruby. Um, I was just wondering whether you know where Penny is? Her partner looks like she might run the gauntlet of Vale to find her."
"Oh... psh, what? Penny? I haven't seen anything like that..."
Jaune raised an eyebrow, though before that could be scrutinized any further, a second voice was heard. "It's okay Ruby, you don't have to lie."
A girl with orange hair and green eyes appeared on the screen beside Ruby. Ciel immediately grabbed the scroll from the boy's hands as to converse with her charge directly. "Ms. Polendina, where are you?"
"Vale," she answered, with a bit of shame. Ciel breathed in and out, which was just about the most she ever displayed anger outwardly. Penny shrunk back quite a bit. Ciel's eyes locked onto Ruby, who also looked nervous by now.
"Send your location and don't move, am I understood."
"Understood Madam!" The girl squeaked out.
The call ended and was followed by a ping that entailed the location of the two. Ciel handed the device back to Jaune. "Thank you for your help, Mr. Arc. I'd have not been able to find her so easily if not for you."
"Glad I could help. Need me to take you there, since you're new here?"
Ciel usually didn't like to rely on the help of others but this was the most efficient way and since he was asking…
"That would be ideal. I thank you for the offer."
The two headed in the direction of the Bullheads that traveled to Vale.
/-/
As of late, the universe felt like it had turned upside down for Jaune.
First off he was now studying and understanding what was going on in class. He was improving far quicker with his daily sparring with Pyrrha now that she decided to no longer go easy on him. Despite possessing remaining remnants of affection for Weiss, she was no longer his primary concern. At every step, he was becoming better than before... and apparently, that also included girls as well.
Weiss had given him something to think about with how he approached girls he was interested in. No more pick-lines, no heavy-handed flirting, and no ill rendered pet names. Hell, Neptune had taught him something as well. Being confident did work. Though confidence that didn't cross the line into arrogance. In simplest terms, be cool.
With all these things new strategies, Jaune had decided to strike up a conversation with the cold looking Atlas student the next time he saw her.
And. It. Had. Fucking. Worked.
Okay, granted, it wasn't like she was swooning over him or anything. But she was giving him the time of day! Having a decent conversation and even joking a bit! That was a damn sight better than any headway he'd made with Weiss in an entire semester. Not to mention that by all accounts this girl seemed like she might be even stricter than Weiss. At every turn, Jaune had been sure that he was about to blow it and ruin everything but it didn't happen.
If that wasn't incredible enough, Ciel had gotten a call about a missing teammate by some guy in military uniform. That was sort of odd but remembering how the girl had acted when Jaune first met Penny made he assume she must be important somehow. Anyway, it wasn't his place to ask. However, when Jaune realized he could actually help the situation, earning him potential brownie points, he'd jumped on it with the haste of the wind.
Which now led to where he was now. Walking side by side with the stunning dark-skinned girl to the cafe Penny and Ruby had decided to wait at. She had the same authoritarian seductiveness that Glynda exuded. Maybe that was the reason he hadn't stopped using her last name.
"Once again Mr. Arc, I apologize for imposing myself on to you." She sounded indifferent, however, seeing as this was the third time she'd apologized in seven minutes Jaune decided that just must be how she always sounded.
By all means, impose.
"It's fine, Ms. Soleil. I'm the one who offered after all."
Really, you're doing me a favor.
After that, the two walked in silence again. Jaune didn't mind silence at all, in fact, as of recently he had even come to love silence. Though the main reason he didn't speak, was, the more words exchanged the better chance to mess things up.
As they neared the cafe, which was just a block away, something caught Jaune's attention. There was a presentation of sorts featuring some of the Atlas droids that he'd seen around along with a large hologram mech-like suit of armor, and a much smaller holographic man addressing the crowd.
"...these Mechanized battlesuits will be seen defending the borders of our kingdom within the year!"
A booming applause followed the statement. Jaune nearly clapped as well without knowing why. He was glad such a thing was on their side. If Ruby was here she'd probably be salivating.
Looking to his side, Jaune saw that Ciel was also staring at the display with a blank expression. He was about to ask if she was okay but the girl snapped from the momentary stupor by herself. "Let's keep going. We are nearly there."
"Hm? Sure, I guess."
It only took a few moments to round the corner and head across the street, which landed them just outside of the cafe Penny and Ruby were. They were sitting at one of the tables outside of the building on a nice patio. An area, Jaune noted, that couldn't be fully seen from the street because of well-placed plants.
As he and Ciel came into view of the two girls, both stood up from their table. Ruby still looked nervous from the small interaction she and Ciel had, while Penny still looked ashamed for causing this, to begin with.
"Hey, Ruby. Hey-"
"Ms. Polendina, I cannot describe in words how disappointed I am at your behavior," chastened Ciel, cutting Jaune off while walking right up to Penny's face. Amazingly her voice didn't change at all and yet there was an edge he couldn't catalog in words.
Ruby must have felt it too because she rushed to defend her friend. "I'm so sorry it was all my fault-"
"Ms. Rose, I will speak to you after I have addressed my teammate. Am I clear?"
"Yes, Madam!"
Jeez, I felt the chill from that…
Ciel turned her attention back to Penny. "Ms. Polendina, you may be very important and as my partner, you are in my care, however, this is not a pass to act as you please. The careers and livelihood of those tasked in watching over you are on the line, and while that may mean nothing to you, it is not a transgression I will overlook. I strongly advise you reconsider any such course of action in the future. Am I clear?"
"Y-Yes…"
Ciel's steely gaze bore through Penny for a few more seconds before she then turned on Ruby. "Ms. Rose, my employer would rather you or any of your friend group not speak to Penny."
That's a little harsh. Jaune almost stepped in to save his friend from a tongue lashing but Ciel continued.
"That being said, I am nothing if not proactive."
A scroll was pushed into Ruby's hands. She looked up at the older girl in confusion. "I... I don't understand."
"I have my doubts that Ms. Polendina will heed my words, and I do not need her to go looking for you again without supervision. Thus, I'm asking for your contact information so that we can arrange a time for Ms. Polendina to interact with you. As long as it does not interfere with your schedule, of course."
Penny looked to be a state of shock. "Y-You mean it partner Ciel?! What about... him?"
"He has given me quite a bit of freedom to act within my own discretion. And if I were to worry him with this then I'd possibly force his hand to send you back to Atlas early, or restrict your freedom to the airship only. Something that would be a burden to both of you. This way is more... beneficial."
Ciel barely finished speaking before she was damn near attacked by Penny and pulled into a crushing hug. A hug that quickly became a double team when Ruby joined the fray as well. "Penny was right, you are a softie."
"Yes. She is very soft."
Jaune snickered at the scene. It was sweet and heartwarming but Ciel's face of complete indifference sold it as comedy gold. When she managed to free an arm just to check the time Jaune finally lost it completely and burst into laughter.
/-/
Thinking back to the conversation she'd had and the decisions she'd made, Ciel reaffirmed to herself that her actions had been just. When dealing with Penny, it was advantageous to use the psychology a parent would use on a child.
The end goal being that the child will trust you enough to not keep secrets, no matter how large. If the child believes they will be punished harshly or feel that you do not understand, then they will go somewhere else when problems arise. Or worse, rebel.
Naturally, Ciel hadn't ever rebelled as a child or kept secrets for there was nothing to hide, though she had read many books on the subject of child-rearing. Not that she ever planned on having them. It was purely from realizing many of the simple techniques used to control children worked surprisingly well on teenagers and adults as well. What that said about people as a whole, Ciel didn't consider.
Thus, that was the reason the military girl had played the role of the 'softie' as Penny had apparently called her at some point. Of course, there was a balance to be found between leniency and commanding respect. A line Ciel would like to believe she walked well. Of course, the decision benefited her as well. Now she'd have a reason to associate with the friend group that possessed such troubling future opponents.
"So Ruby, where are you headed now?"
"Back to Weiss. I was supposed to be helping her with research or something. Guess I'll meet up with her and regroup with my team and see they found anything out."
"Oh, the White Fang thing right?"
"Yeah. Blake and Sun apparently went to a recruitment meeting so I'm a bit worried about that."
The conversation between Jaune and Ruby had garnered all of Ciel's attention for the majority of the walk back to the airship landing docks. It was impossible, especially for someone from Atlas, to ignore any mention of the White Fang. Hearing that they were recruiting in Vale was certainly information Headmaster Ironwood would want to know. Of course where she got the information from would be left out.
While focusing on that, however, Ciel's mind was distracted by a conflict of information.
Ironwood had told her that he would be presenting the new mech suits today and yet there had not been any physical units at the presentation. It was possible the shipment arrived late or was misplaced in the docking warehouse in Atlas, but it still seemed odd. It wasn't something she'd ever ask Ironwood about, as it wasn't her place, but as her curiosity became stronger, she decided to ask someone who might know. At least more than she did.
"Ms. Polendina, may I ask a question?"
Penny turned to her in surprise. "Of course, partner Ciel."
"Do you know of any misplacement of the new Paladins that were supposed to be unveiled today?"
The redhead cocked her head to the side. "Yes, the General was very upset this morning about their disappearance. Did he inform you of it?"
Well, that explains that then.
"No. I merely noticed a discrepancy in my information."
With that cleared up, Ciel then focused on what the two Beacon students were talking about. The fact that the names 'White Fang' and 'Torchwick' were being thrown around was enough to capture interest.
"...seriously though, we would have been fine helping you guys out Ruby. We're all friends after all."
"I know that Jaune. We didn't want to get friends involved with any more of this mess is all."
"Oh, but you'll invite Sun and Neptune to go, even after they were spying through your window? Sounds like a weird standard to me."
"Ugh, it's not like that and you know it. They just sort of showed up!"
Ruby and Jaune's friendly bickering was interrupted by a loud buzz sounding out from the youngest girl's scroll. She quickly answered and the group of four was met with screaming over the sounds of traffic.
"Everyone, if you can hear me we need backu-"
"Heeellllpppp," shouted a high pitched male voice, cutting off the female. "They got a robot, and it's big, it's really big! The Torchwick guy is in it! But like, it didn't eat him- he's like controlling it or something."
What did he just say? As far as I know, there is only one model of mechanized battle suits. Which means…
"Oh man, I am not missing this," squealed Ruby, putting away the scroll. Jaune's hand gripped Crocea Mors, maintaining a skeptical expression.
"Don't you think you should be slightly less excited by a giant robot piloted by a notorious criminal chasing down your friend?"
"Nope! Come on, let's hurry Jaune. They need help," rushed out Ruby, running in the direction of the freeway.
"Oh, now you want my help," he called after her. The boy sighed and turned to Ciel and Penny.
"Er... I apologize on behalf of my friend. I'm gonna stay and help, though. You guys should probably make it back to Beacon. I know you might get in trouble if Penny gets hurt."
"While you are not incorrect, I'd be remiss to ignore this. Plus, Ms. Polendina will stay behind me at all times. Correct?" She asked, turning to look at her partner. The girl nodded readily.
"Great, let's go. Follow me." Jaune began running in the direction that Ruby had gone. Ciel and Penny easily kept pace.
While they all ran to catch up, Ciel made a few well-placed calls.
/-/
Jaune could barely believe what he was seeing as he, Ciel, and Penny arrived below the highway. Team RWBY was actually about to try and go against that crazy mechanized thing by themselves. They were insane!
"Freezer Burn!"
A huge cloud of steam erupted from where Yang's fist slammed into the ground. Jaune turned to Ciel to make a comment but found that she was gone from his side and was running into the fray of things.
I'm surrounded by crazy people!
Jaune ran to get closer the action, Penny trailing at distance behind him. Seemed she was really going take Ciel's command serious. As the smoke cleared, Jaune saw to his surprise it was the beret-wearing girl standing at the forefront with RWBY behind her, one arm out as if to stop them from attacking.
"Please stand back, team RWBY. I will handle it from here."
Yang and Weiss were speechless. Blake's eye twitched.
"Everyone, this is Ciel," spoke Ruby with a nervous grin. Before any more could be said a volley of missiles was sent from the massive tank on legs, forcing them to scatter as the ground exploded into ash and debris. Even as his ears rang Jaune could hear Yang yell in frustration.
"Fuck that! I'm tearing this thing apar-"
"That thing is 2.76 million lien of Atlas taxpayer money. I would prefer if it stayed intact," retorted Ciel before somersaulting out of the way of another missile. Jaune's senses were obscured when more explosions rocked the ground. He might have fallen backward had it not been for Penny catching him.
"Thanks, Penny, " coughed out Jaune. She smiled down at him.
"No problem, Jaune."
He and the orange haired girl move back out of the immediate danger zone to watch the others fight. Or rather argue from the sounds of it. Jaune had every intention of helping out his friends but was out of his depth in this madness.
"Well, what do you propose we do then!" Blake shouted this over the roar of gunfire coming from the mechanized monster. After Ciel's request that the weapon not be destroyed the five girls had been arguing back and forth while dodging out of the way of incoming attacks.
"Reinforcements will be here momentarily, but for now, leave it to me," spoke Ciel, who didn't seem the slightest bit phased by this course of events. "There is a failsafe emergency release mechanism designed for an internal control failure located on the back. Pulling it will eject the cockpit of the machine."
"So we just have to pull it then?" Asked Weiss, projecting speed glyphs under herself and the others as quickly as she could.
"This is correct, Ms. Schnee. Once again, it is fully within my capa-"
"Then we'll give you a hand! Weiss, let's slow that thing down," shouted Ruby, evading a shower of bullets and sliding next to her partner. "Ice Flower!"
Moments later large ice shards impacted on the joints of the mech, slowing its movement speed considerably. Ciel didn't waste a second, sprinting towards the enemy at a speed difficult for Jaune to even see. She moved from side to side with minimum effort, avoiding each projectile before vaulting over a punch from the machine's unfrozen left arm.
She landed in a crouch onto its metallic back, messing with the release mechanism while Roman tried desperately to shake her off. However, with an ear-piercing venting of air and grinding gears, the entire cockpit fell from the body and slumped onto the concrete below.
With the mobile battlesuit now dormant, a great silence fell over the area as the girls caught their breath.
"Damn… that was easier than expected," commented Yang, walking over to the cockpit along with the rest of the team. The top of said container was popped open, revealing a peeved-looking criminal. When said criminal saw there were four weapons trained on him, he coyly raised his hands and grinned.
"Tch, just when I was getting the hang of it too. Any chance we can talk things out, ladies?"
Before anyone could respond, a blinding light flooded the area. Jaune felt himself being pulled away while seemingly hundreds of men in Atlas military uniforms appeared and drew their weapons with loud clicks.
As the initial radiance dimmed, he was finally able to see that the light was coming from a large airship. The airship wasn't alone either, flanked by five other bullheads, all with guns trained on Torchwick. Jaune saw the criminal mutter 'fuck' underneath his breath while standing a bit straighter.
"Roman Torchwick," spoke Ciel, still standing on top of the mech. "For the crimes of grand theft, destruction of property, murder, terrorism, and treason, you are under arrest. I would advise you cooperate or lethal force will be used."
"Geez, you Atlas mooks cut straight to point," the man chuckled nervously. As Bullheads from Beacon arrived his bravado deteriorated completely, only to be resurrected when, as of from thin air, a girl in pink and white appeared before him.
"Neo, have I ever told you how much I love you?"
The girl, Neo apparently, didn't respond. In fact, the duo stopped moving entirely. After fifteen seconds without a response, Ciel looked at the soldier in blue. He nodded and in turn sent five men forward to apprehend the criminal for good. Guns stayed at the ready, and the tension in the air was palpable.
Then... just as it seemed like the criminal was cooperating... he exploded into glass-like shards, that then disappeared into the breeze.
It left everyone speechless. Most blinked to try and understand what just happened.
"Um yeah, what the fuck?!" Yang shouted from somewhere in the crowd.
/-/
The explanation for what exactly had occurred was a long and arduous journey through withheld information, veiled nonsequiturs, and at one point straight up lying. Thankfully for Jaune, he honestly could say he had no earthly idea where the stolen mech had come from, which was really what Ozpin and some guy called Ironwood wanted to know. That was all on Team RWBY.
"So... that is all you know, Mr. Arc?" Ozpin looked skeptical. Though Ozpin always looked skeptical, so that was neither good or bad.
"Uh, yeah. I was just taking a stroll through Vale when I ran into Ruby and then she got a call from Blake about some robots or something. That's just about it."
Thank goodness we got our story straight on the way here.
Ozpin sighed and rubbed his eyes. Ms. Goodwitch took it from there. "If there is nothing else then you may leave, Mr. Arc. Please tell Team RWBY to come up next."
Jaune nodded and walked to the elevator. When the doors finally shut behind him Jaune let out a ragged breath and nearly fell to his knees. Being in that room wasn't good for his health. Though it wasn't like being out was much better at the moment. No doubt Pyrrha was losing her shit at the fact he hadn't shown up to train. Of course, he'd sent a message saying he wouldn't be able to before running off with Ruby but that wasn't much of an explanation.
He'd already prepared himself for a tongue lashing. Jaune had already decided that lying about what happened wasn't an option despite the fact it would lessen their worry. No more lies had been something he'd decided on even earlier than the new semester and it was a promise he'd keep to himself.
The doors to the elevator opened and he walked out, coming face to face with the anxious faces of his sister team. Ruby nearly pushed him over as she got right up in his face.
"What did you say?! What did they say?!"
"Ack, I didn't say anything! I didn't even know much, to begin with anyway. But no, I didn't say anything about the 'hunting terrorists' thing if that's what you're asking."
Blake, Yang, and Weiss each gave Ruby an incredulous stare. The heiress rubbed the temples of her head. "What happened to not telling our friends about this."
"I'm sorry. Jaune brought up double standards and well…"
Seeing that the attention was off him Jaune slowly slipped out of Ruby's grasp and made his way past the group. "Oh, Ozpin wanted me to tell you to go see him. Have a good rest of the night."
Yang rolled her eyes but waved goodbye with the rest of team RWBY before dragging her sister into the elevator with the rest of the team. When the doors finally closed Jaune walked began walking towards his dorm only to round a corner and nearly run into the dark-skinned beauty from Atlas.
"Ciel?! Gosh, you nearly gave me a heart attack."
"That statement is pure hyperbole."
"I- uh... yeah, I guess you got me there." Jaune scratched the back of his head. "Um, were you waiting for me?"
"Yes. I simply wanted to thank you again for all your service today. Without you, I'm sure Penny would have been found without supervision and Atlas property wouldn't have been confiscated by the proper authorities. If you ever need something from me, please don't hesitate to ask."
Jaune could feel heat rising up from his neck towards his face. No, stop it body! Cool head! I need a cool head!
This internal struggle of the cold front from his head and the warm front from his neck meeting resulted in massive brainstorms that fried any cohesive thought that might have existed before this moment. Despite the girl's monotone voice and indifferent stare, it was clear she was grateful for his actions. The fact that a girl he was attracted to didn't blow him off was such a departure from the norm this might as well have been an alternate reality.
"U-Uh... yeah," muttered Jaune, discovering his mouth was incredibly dry. "Thank you…"
She nodded curtly and began walking away. Okay, didn't fuck that up-
Jaune's body had the equivalent of a verbal muscle spasm that overrode logical thought. "Actually, I do have a request!"
Ciel turned around before she could reach the end of the hallway. "Oh? Then please state it."
No! Stop it, you moron! Dammit!
Despite Jaune's higher level thinking's best effort, he kept vomiting out words. "I-I'd like to go on…"
Fuck me!
"...a date."
The girl simply stared at him, the same cool stare she apparently never lost. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking. After five seconds of silence, Jaune simply resigned to his fate.
"Okay."
"I- wait, what?"
"I said okay. It is certainly within my ability to go on a 'date' with you. Do you have a time and place in mind?"
Considering Jaune clearly never thought he'd get this far ever, no, of course, he didn't have a time and place in mind. However, he knew that was probably the wrong answer.
"4:35 tomorrow at the courtyard," he spoke on autopilot.
"Excellent. I'll be on time. Goodbye, then."
She was already out of sight by the time Jaune said 'bye' back. He'd done it. He'd actually done it.
Now the only thing left to do was figure out what date entailed.
/-/
To say Ciel was tired was an understatement. Her schedule had been railroaded upon Penny's actions and never recovered. Then she'd been questioned thoroughly by Ironwood about what had happened. To her merit, she never actually lied either. Simply, reworking the truth in her favor.
It had helped greatly that the man seemed far prouder than angry at the very onset. He saw her actions to capture Torchwick as 'proactive' and a calculated plan to reveal their 'ace.' Apparently, now that it was clear that Torchwick and whoever he was working with possessed a teleporter and or illusionist, countermeasures could be taken.
If Ciel had been a full member of the military she might have even gotten promoted.
With that taken care of, her thoughts were filled with Jaune. Him asking her on a date was at the very least unexpected. Not altogether unwelcomed, just unexpected. It certainly benefited her agenda of getting information on each head competitor. And on a slightly more superficial note, Jaune had proven to be a useful person. Despite what most would think, this wouldn't be her first date. As she'd occasionally frequent a few soirees because of her Grandfather's status as a Lieutenant General, Ciel would get quite a few date offers from suitors. Most she turned down, but a few she accepted just on the principle that she wanted to understand why others enjoyed such things.
Needless to say, she still didn't understand and had given up on the whole endeavor.
"Honeydew," spoke Ciel, turning to Jenny, who was sitting on the bed next to hers. Jenny looked up from a textbook and removed her headphones. Bender also perked up a bit from his notes to listen.
"What's up?"
"I've accepted a date invitation for tomorrow. Please look up the proper Valean etiquette for me."
Jenny's eyebrows rocketed through the ceiling. Bender looked as if a ghost passed through his body.
A/N: And another chapter is done. Before anyone asks, no, Ruby doesn't know about Penny being a robot for now. Also, just want to thank everyone who commented on the last chapter. It really boosted my motivation to finish this as quick as possible. So thank you.
Now on to the announcement. If you've read any of my other stories you know I love to write multiple prospectives in each chapter. However, seeing that I've decided to keep the POVs to only Jaune and Ciel for the main story, I will now be having bonus scenes of other characters at the end of chapters. I was going to call the Omakes but seeing as they are technically canon, it didn't seem appropriate.
Bonus Scene: Pyrrha's Bold Attempt
Weiss no longer held the reins to Jaune's heart. It was something that Pyrrha had long since used as an excuse for not making a move on the blonde haired boy. Now, however, there was nothing but her own insecurity doing that.
With nowhere else to turn, she sought advice from the most confident, open, lovely girl she knew.
"Nora, I'm just going to come out and say it. You are one of my best friends. These past few months, I feel like we really bonded. Even though I don't say much. I mean to be perfectly honest, I realize I'm quite quiet and like to keep my thoughts to myself, thus I don't know much about you. But darn it - I consider you the sister I never had!"
Nora smiled from her position on the bed. "Same sister!"
Pyrrha chuckled nervously. "Huh, yeah. Which is why I wanted your advice on... boys…"
"Boys, huh?"
"Yes, it's just I don't know... how to... boys. Er, I guess what I'm asking is, how did you and Ren…?"
Nora's eyes widened a bit before nervously smiling. "Oooh, me and Renny? Pyrrha, you know we're not like... together together, right?"
Pyrrha placed a hand over her mouth before blushing furiously. "Oh, I'm so sorry for assuming! It's j-just... well…"
"It's fine, Pyrrha," assured Ren from the doorway. Pyrrha felt like disappearing.
"Ren, I said this is girl talk, shoo," shouted Nora. Ren sighed before closing the door once more. Nora turned back to her friend and placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Pyrrha, now be honest. This is about Jaune isn't it?"
The champion couldn't even look up, instead, responding with a slow nod. Nora let out a slight huff. "Well, that at least makes things easier."
"W-What do you mean?"
The seasoned pro chuckled and shook her head. "Oh Pyrrha, you sweet innocent girl. You have the benefit of actually living with your crush. Show a bit more skin around the room, 'accidentally' let him walk in the while you're changing, while you spar, rub up against him a bit, hell, eat a banana in front of the guy. By the time the dance rolls around, I guarantee his balls will be bluer than the sky!"
By the end of the "advice", Pyrrha's embarrassment had solidified so densely that she threatened to collapse into a black hole of absolute mortification. "I couldn't possibly do that!"
Nora rubbed her chin in thought. "Hmm, true. Those are some rather advanced techniques for a beginner such as yourself. How about we start small."
Pyrrha looked up and wiped away some of her tears, feeling more hopeful with the change of pace. "S-Start... small?"
Nora grinned. "Yeah. I think I know what would be perfect for you. It's a bit elementary but it's a start."
/-/
Okay, you can do this! You can do this!
Pyrrha looked over at Jaune. The diligent leader was working hard on his notes, a nice change from the earlier semester where he struggled to pay attention. She almost hated to interrupt him. No, no more excuses Pyrrha.
Finally, an opportunity came when Jaune asked a great question to Professor Oobleck. She quickly scribbled out a message on a piece of paper commending him on his improvement and slid it to him. Already she could feel her body heating up.
/Thanks Pyr, means a lot coming from an overachiever like you. :)/
Was... was he flirting? No... he always complimented her as a friend. Though with Weiss out of the picture who knows if he was maybe trying to compliment her in a non-platonic way. She decided to put it to the test.
Nora, give me strength.
With bated breath and burning self-awareness, she wrote down her response. Her hands shook as she wrote down the candid 'XOXO' at the end of the message. Hugs and Kisses. Kisses. She could feel her face becoming flush just by staring at what she wrote. She nearly attempted to erase the message.
What will Jaune think? What if he hates me now for being too forward?! I can't believe I-
Then she saw Jaune's response.
/Right back at you. XOXO/
Her brain steamed itself and all function shut down. This was it. Flirting. She was finally flirting. It was simply too much. Placing a hand on her mouth to hold in the whines of excitement, she quickly exited the room and walked to the bathroom where she finally exploded into giggles and squeals.
"Eeeeeee! He finally warming up to meeeee!"
Looking at herself in the mirror only caused her to chuckle more at her own elation. She eventually attempted to control her breathing lest she tore her face from smiling. It was only when Pyrrha could hear the sounds of running water beside her that she came out of her own little world.
"Oh, I didn't see you there. Sorry about... that."
The dark skinned girl in Atlas gray barely spared her a look. "You didn't slight me. It's clear something very good has happened to you."
Pyrrha became goofy again, trying to fix her hair where it had gotten wild. "Is it really that obvious?"
"Quite."
"Well, it's just I think the boy I've been pining over for a semester finally seems to be showing interest. You're very pretty though, I'm sure you've never had that problem."
The girl applied some lip balm and checked her hair before responding. Each action seemed very calculated and meticulous. "I've never been interested in romance. It surprises me that someone such as yourself would have trouble getting a males attention, however. Considering your status."
Oh, she must have recognized me.
"Well, you'd be surprised honestly. Being the 'Invincible Girl' can be rather intimidating to others. Then those who do approach often only do it for the status... but not him. He had never even heard of me before when we first met and finding out changed nothing. He's great."
The Atlas student straightened her outfit. "Well, I hope it ends well for you."
Pyrrha smiled. "Thank you. I don't think I ever got your name?"
For the first time in the interaction, the girl turned to fully regard Pyrrha. "Ciel. Ciel Soleil."
"Pyrrha Nikos. Though I'm sure you were aware."
The two shook hands. Ciel's grip was surprisingly strong. "It's been a pleasure."
Then Ciel made her exit.
Huh, she was very friendly.
Finally feeling less flustered, Pyrrha walked out of the bathroom as well and headed back to class.
A/N: Huh, as I was writing this I almost started rooting for Pyrrha. Weird.